the prerogative priests passing-bell. or amen to the rigid clergy. shewing the usefulness, equity, lawfulness, and necessity, of private persons to take upon them preaching or expounding of the scriptures, having a call thereto by the word of god, and agreeable to the practise of the best reformed churches of christ, and judgment of judicious divines both forraign and domestick. being a brief reply to that discourse intituled the pulpit guarded with arguments, and owned by tho. hall. calculated on purpose for the metropolis of northamptonshire, and may serve indifferently for those parts that are in conjunction with the northern climate. / by william hartley. hartley, william, of stony-stratford. this text is an enriched version of the tcp digital transcription a of text r in the english short title catalog (thomason e _ ). textual changes and metadata enrichments aim at making the text more computationally tractable, easier to read, and suitable for network-based collaborative curation by amateur and professional end users from many walks of life. the text has been tokenized and linguistically annotated with morphadorner. the annotation includes standard spellings that support the display of a text in a standardized format that preserves archaic forms ('loveth', 'seekest'). textual changes aim at restoring the text the author or stationer meant to publish. this text has not been fully proofread approx. kb of xml-encoded text transcribed from -bit group-iv tiff page images. earlyprint project evanston,il, notre dame, in, st. louis, mo a wing h thomason e _ estc r this keyboarded and encoded edition of the work described above is co-owned by the institutions providing financial support to the early english books online text creation partnership. this phase i text is available for reuse, according to the terms of creative commons . universal . the text can be copied, modified, distributed and performed, even for commercial purposes, all without asking permission. early english books online. (eebo-tcp ; phase , no. a ) transcribed from: (early english books online ; image set ) images scanned from microfilm: (thomason tracts ; :e [ ]) the prerogative priests passing-bell. or amen to the rigid clergy. shewing the usefulness, equity, lawfulness, and necessity, of private persons to take upon them preaching or expounding of the scriptures, having a call thereto by the word of god, and agreeable to the practise of the best reformed churches of christ, and judgment of judicious divines both forraign and domestick. being a brief reply to that discourse intituled the pulpit guarded with arguments, and owned by tho. hall. calculated on purpose for the metropolis of northamptonshire, and may serve indifferently for those parts that are in conjunction with the northern climate. / by william hartley. hartley, william, of stony-stratford. [ ], - p. printed by j.m. for h. cripps, and l. lloyd, and are to be sold at their shop in popes head alley, neer lumbard street, london : . a reply to: the pulpit guarded, with xvii. arguments proving the unlawfulnesse of suffering private persons to take upon them publike preaching. annotation on thomason copy: "july ". reproduction of the original in the british library. eng hall, thomas, - . -- pulpit guarded, with xvii. arguments proving the unlawfulnesse of suffering private persons to take upon them publike preaching. clergy -- early works to . lay preaching -- early works to . a r (thomason e _ ). civilwar no the prerogative priests passing-bell. or amen to the rigid clergy.: shewing the usefulness, equity, lawfulness, and necessity, of private p hartley, william, of stony-stratford. b the rate of defects per , words puts this text in the b category of texts with fewer than defects per , words. - tcp assigned for keying and markup - spi global keyed and coded from proquest page images - john pas sampled and proofread - john pas text and markup reviewed and edited - pfs batch review (qc) and xml conversion the prerogative priests passing-bell . or amen to the rigid clergy . shewing the usefulness , equity , lawfulness , and necessity , of private persons to take upon them preaching or expounding of the scriptures , having a call thereto by the word of god , and agreeable to the practise of the best reformed churches of christ , and judgment of judicious divines both forraign and domestick . being a brief reply to that discourse intituled the pulpit guarded with arguments , and owned by tho. hall . calculated on purpose for the metropolis of northamptonshire , and may serve indifferently for the meridian of most places in other horizons , especially for those parts that are in conjunction with the northern climate . by william hartley . but diotrephes who loveth to have the preheminence amongst them , receiveth us not , wherefore if i come i will remember his deeds which he doth , prating against us with malicious words , and not content therewith ; neither doth he himself receive the brethren , but forbiddeth them that would , and casteth them out of the church . iohn . . . while the partition wall stood between jews and gentiles , there was also partitions among the jews themselves , but now the partition being broken down every man is alike priest unto god , every man prayeth within the vail ; what are we better for our priviledges if we do neglect our freedom ? doct. jos. hall medit. upon the angel and zacharias . london , printed by j. m. for h. cripps , and l. lloyd , and are to be sold at their shop in popes head alley , neer lumbard street . . a preface to the reader . jesus christ ( god manifested in the flesh ) gave his disciples to understand , that men did not light a candle , and then presently put it under a bushel , but set it upon a candlestick , that it might give light to the room : by which inference it was hinted , that according to that dimension of light the sun of righteousness shall manifest in the elementary part of microsmos ( little world , mankind , ) the creature standeth accomptable to justice , if he extend not the benefit thereof to its proper horizon . to be wrapped up in silence ( at some times ) is an argument of prudence , but at another season silent persons are rendered accessaries . a tacite spectator of a person in act of murder is an abettor and consenter to the slaughter : nay , there is a time when our own secrets may not be kept silent ; but what hath been spoken privately in the ear of understanding , must be publiquely declared on the top of that house or family wherein we are resident : and when israel is at a loss in the way to canaan , a voyce is crying in this wilderness , prepare the way of the lord , make his paths straight . although the spirit of elias be prisoned by herodians , and the manifestation of god in the creature ( as to fleshly understanding ) be killed , and continue in the grave ( that earthly part of mankind ) for a time ; yet he that hath power to lay down his life , will also assume strength to take it up again , and striking dead those roman souldiers of unrighteousness , will march in the van of his disciples into galilee . now to track the way of him whose footsteps are in the sea , is impossible ; and to limit the holy one of israel , is forbidden ; for the times and seasons knoweth no man : but , if wars and rumors of wars , as well in churches as nations , brethren ( both in natural and gospel relation ) betray one another to death , stars of heaven ( spiritual men in high and heavenly places ) be fallen , and the powers of the earth ( worldly kings and potentates ) be shaken , from a figtree calculation , there is ground for belief , that the coming of the lord is nigh at hand , and another messenger is coming down from heaven ( the presence of god , ) having great power , and the earth is lightened by his presence , crying , * babylon the great is fallen , is fallen , and is become the habitation of devils , the hold of every foul spirit , and a cage of every unclean and hateful bird , rev. . . the coming of the lord ( as i give my judgment ) is the apparition of righteousness in the creation ( as to mankind , ) and for his personal raign ( which many godly persons expect , ) i rather rejoyce to see , then have faith to beleeve , and say to those ( termed millenaries ) as to all others , who seek after christ , though in never so various administration to my apprehended light , so walk as ye have received , only let your conversation be as becometh the gospel . the way to bring men to the knowledg of god is christ jesus , who in the mystery of the gospel is love , meekness , humility , &c. in the creature , and all true messengers put on jesus christ in this method : but now seeing many ( who appropriate to themselves the stile of ministers of the gospel ) barren in this nature , and fruits of rankor from a root of bitterness is so grown to maturity , that the tree is easily distinguished , and notwithstanding the sheep-skin , the rapine of the wolf is discovered , which cruelty is that contrary nature , or pure antichrist , who must be destroyed not by outward violence , but by the word of god : and this small treatise , presented unto publique view , begs no further resentment then is consonant to scripture and reason , whereunto he is wholly passive , who is a well-wisher unto truth , william hartley . to mr thomas hall . sir , when the cry of sodom ascended to the ears of almighty god , you cannot be ignorant of the determination , let us go down and see whether the cry be so great as reported : it cannot be interpreted from this expression , that either the remoteness of the place , or the descension of god , did obscure or add to the knowledg of him , before whom all things are naked and open , but written for our learning , that great observation be had before we proceed to sentence . sir , by the series of your discourse it will appear , that you have not only judged before the time , but also prevaricated righteous judgment : to condemn the innocent , or justifie the wicked , is equally abominated by the judg of all men ; and although you have strained industry by argument to maintain a charge , seeing you have a levelled at a wrong object , your argument and charge in the eye of reason stand annihilated . it must be granted you have abilities , yet let me mind you of this school maxim , b the prevarication of the best is the worst corruption . you are pleased to say , that although we have not the latin tongue , yet we have the lying tongue : 't is pity they are so inseparable in your self ; your animosity is against lay-mens preachings ; sure you are from rome , for your speech bewrays you : in the common-wealth of saints there is no such distinction of laity and clergy , but all are one ( or alike ) in jesus christ . let your term be granted , yet some of your own poets differ from you , viz. c it is lawful for the laity , in case of vacancy , or deficiency of bishops , and ecclesiastical persons , to take upon them the care of the church and religion . if there was equity for this in the time of polanus , certainly there is d a necessity for it in this present age , and the words of calvin may now fitly admit of a resurrection , viz. this is certain , that for these hundred years there hath scarcely been every hundreth man chosen , that understood any thing of holy doctrine , cap. . sect. . so many as are consecrated priests , are of horses made asses , of fools made mad men , calv. just . lib. . c. . s. . but you will say , there is now an alteration : then let us take a review ; at the beginning of these present differences it may be five or six , or such a number in a county were antagonists to that persecuting power which did enslave tender consciences , and acted gloriously at that season , but how few of that number that now endeavor not to erect the same coercive interest , though under visor of presbytery ? i know there is a remnant of that tribe who are both godly and moderate ministers , and deserve all due encouragement ; but i give my judgment with mr calvin , scarce one of a hundred who do not as eagerly thirst after the dregs of prelacy and tyranny , as israel did after the egyptian flesh pots . in one of your epistles you mention your imprisonment and sufferings , great reason that you have , or should have , reparation ; and 't is a great grief to him whose sufferings are e superlatively equivalent unto yours , to observe so much remisness in the parliament of this nature . sir , you say , this discourse of yours was the work of leasure times , mine extracted by the dispensation of my dayly work . no wonder if you ( being fed fat with the ruines of the people ) appear an anakin ; and my self , who eat my bread by sweat of my brow ( or industry ) am rendred a f pigmey ; and though i cannot dispence with my occasions as to wait upon you in every particular argument of your book , yet so often as you appear i take boldness to ask you how you do , and remain your vigilant servant , william hartley . stonystrat . july . . the prerogative priests passing-bell . or amen to the rigid clergy , sect. i. one main argument wherewith you deceive the people , is drawn ( as you say ) from gods eternal decree , who ( as you argue ) hath appointed every man a calling , viz. some carpenters , fisher-men , tent-makers , &c. others to beset apart for the ministry . now it is the express commandment of the apostle , cor. . . let every man abide in the same state wherein he was called : and for some persons to multiply callings , is equally destructive to the republique , as for the generality of men to practice one particular science ; for if all tunn mariners , and put to sea , who shall stay a shoar to till the land ? reply . we answer , that persons are qualified by god ( the wise disposer of all things ) with abilities in the management of arts , mysteries , and sciences , for the benefit of the creation ; but that persons ( so qualified ) are prohibited the ministerial function , viz. preaching of the gospel , that i utterly deny ; and for this reason , that in the constitution of the common-wealth of israel no man was without a civil calling : nay aaron , with the levites , had an outward employment or calling , which in the scripture sence is termed work , service at the tabernacle , numb. . but preaching and declaring the word of god was indifferently and equally referred and required of all ; would god all the people were prophets , or could prophecy : this work was alike laudible in joshua and david , as in aaron or eliezar . for your inference , that lay or mechanick men ( so called ) may not preach , or preachers may not trade or labour ; the scripture quoted , let every man abide , &c. this text is by you ( as also many more ) misprisioned , it having reference to a beleeving husband , w●●e , or servant ; yoked with a wife , husband , or master that is an infidel , advising not to depart from each other , but continue in the same state or condition they were linked in when they first were called ; and upon this ground , what knowest thou o man , that , &c. to the absurdity , if all turn mariners , &c. i answer , that if such ( or so many ) as go down in ships are to declare the wonders of god in the deep , and all people that dwell upon earth are to declare his goodness ; certainly then no man is disfranchized of this priviledg , but rather entailed thereunto by the light of god and reason : and now seeing i enter list with exquisite wits , who i hope will be as ingenuous to vindicate their own judgments , as convince my apprehensions , i frame an argument in their own method . argum. whatsoever was indefinitely commanded by almighty god , and practised by righteous men in all ages , ought to be obeyed and prosecuted of every man in his proper generation : but it was ( and is ) the cōmand of almighty god , that all creatures preach his glory , and righteous men were ( and are ) active to that end : therefore every creature ( as considered mankind ) hath a right to the preaching of the gospel . peradventure critical spirits may cavil at some disharmony or incongruency in the sillogism ; but solid judgments are not apt to quarrel about niceties or formalities : raise your batteries against the reason of the argument , and fire so fast as you please . it is somewhat improper to fall upon probation of first or second proposition , unless i knew how far they are denyed ; but it is not impertinent to remove an objection , lest an absurdity be harbored from some hasty inference . object . suppose a congregation be met together , and all ( or major part ) fall a preaching , would not it breed confusion ? where all are speakers , pray what shall we do for hearers ? ans. i answer : notwithstanding all persons ( at a congregated meeting ) have alike priviledg to preach the gospel , yet this makes not a necessity that all or many speak together : the apostle paul hath provided against such a disorder , ye may all prophecy one by one , not all at once . though all souldiers that mount a guard are concerned to pass upon duty , yet it doth not follow that the whole guard stand centinel at one time , but every one in order may observe his turn . sect. ii. another fallacy wherewith you blind the people , runneth thus : that there must be an outward call , as well as inward , to those that preach the gospel ; and though persons may be gifted , yet they are not to exercise their gifts without ordination ; and that christ gave commission to the apostles , the apostles commissioned others , by vertue of which successive power you are made ministers , and so you ( of the clergy ) and you only , are to preach the gospel : how can they preach except they be sent ? reply . we answer ; that gifts , graces , or spiritual experiments of the ways of god , give , and only give , principles of preaching : i saw ( saith david ) therefore i spake : the anointing it shall teach you : as every man hath received , so let him administer the same , as good stewards of the mysteries of god . that which you term ordination ( as i give my judgment ) in the primitive times had not reference to a creative nature , but to confirmation or witness bearing to truth in persons when they heard it preached or delivered ; and this power of ordination , or rather confirmation , is equally centred in all illuminated persons in fellowship of the gospel . under the administration of the law , if there arose a prophet unto the law and testimony , for approbation ; under the gospel , try all things , take heed how you hear ; if any man bring any other doctrine , let him be anathema , ( accursed , ) by whom ? of all certainly that had knowledg in the gospel . that there is an impossibility of preaching before they be sent , is granted ; but whether this mission hath any relation to man , there is a question , it being evident that god , who is the author and finisher of every good work , is also the general to give orders to all subordinate instruments . i was ( saith amos ) a herds-man , and the word of the lord came unto me . the gospel which paul preached was not received of man , neither taught of man , but by revelation of jesus christ . and after three years he went up to jerusalem to see the disciples . gal. . by this that is offered it appeareth , that ordination ( as you call it ) viz. pattent , bond , or license from the creature , is not of necessity to the preaching of the gospel , yea though the authority be derived from all or the generality of beleevers ; much less is that authority authentick , which is abstracted ( or takes its being ) from a few monopolizes , to wit , popes , or their substitutes , the bishops : and thus i draw a second argument . argum. where there is not a legislative authority in the continent , the derivative power in the abstract stands invalid : but there is not legitimate authority either in pope or * bishop : therefore all power derived from that essens is annihilated . object . what , would you have all ministers of this nation lay down their callings ? the people must needs grow to atheism and perish . ans. no such matter : it 's desired that all stiled ministers of this nation lay down that prerogative honour fetcht from rome , and lay aside that popish distinction of clergy and laity , becoming all one in jesus christ , and rather preach by vertue of gospel abilities , then humane letters pattents . i forbear to multiply arguments , take these for a taste at present ; and now i proceed to make replication to those absurdities mr hall hath laid upon the separation in his looking glass for anabaptists , as he is pleased so to stile them . absurdity . that the separatists hold , that the saints in this life are pure , without spot , and need not use that potion , lord forgive us , &c. reply . we answer , the more holy and saint-like every professor is , the more sensible of his own vileness , and the more frequent in lord forgive , and be merciful to me a sinner ; yea with o wretched man that i am , &c. absurd . no man can with a good conscience exercise the office of a magistrate under the new testament : no christian ought with a safe conscience take an oath , nor by oath promise fidelity to a magistrate . reply . it is answered , the dispensation under , or in , the new testament sheweth a perfect rule for the conscientious walking of a magistrate , with cheerful obedience from the subject ; and christians may with a safe conscience take an oath , and by oath promise fidelity to the magistrate : but , mr hall , you of the black regiment ( for the generality ) make null the gospel rule of obedience ; was not your grand-father woolsey diseased with the popes holiness ? is not his son presbyter dangerously infected with the kings evil ? how say you sir ? may not gold in a * string somewhat abate the tumor ? absurd . they ( meaning those of separation ) are tumultuous , they raised tumults in germany , filled it with fire and sedition , to the loss of six hundred thousand men , saith alsteed ; their doctrine being seditious , their lives are answerable ; god punisheth ungodly and unmortified lives with base and loose opinions . reply . we answer , that it is most usual with guilty spirits to accuse innocent persons of that evil themselves are principled in ; if ahab be judg , eliah is the troubler of israel : let scribes and pharisees give sentence , christ must be the deceiver ; whether the clergy , or those termed anabaptists , brought confusion on that nation , is deeply questionable , that you ( for the most part ) resembling the generation of vipers by that poyson of asps dropping from the tongue , have fired these nations : bellum episcopale , with ( your creators ) the bishops petition to the king against the parliament , is fresh in memory ; if the sun break forth , 't is more then probable a synodian rabbi may be kenned in this scotish mist . sir , we understand not this word seditious , unless by worshipping of god in that form ( according to godliness ) we do apprehend him in , which according to the law of nations , nature , reason and religion , is unquestionably to be tolerated , and is adjudged requisite by moderate and unbyassed governors . that god punished ungodly and unmortified lives with base and loose opinions , i reply , base and loose judgments are punished with ungodly lives , for out of the heart in the first place proceedeth murders , adultery , &c. sir , i beg leave to correct your rhetorick by reason . absurd . that a man may have more wives then one , that wives of contrary religion may be put away , and then 't is lawful to take others . reply . that a man may have more wives then one , that 's by us abominated , and declare , that to put away our wives for any cause whatsoever unless for adultery , is altogether unlawful ; if any have apostatized to a ranting principle , is to us a grief , let the blame rest upon the authors : paul and timothy must not be measured by demas , nor the apostles censured for judas . why , sir , provoke you the spirits of innocent men to your own shame ? harken to your argument ; because in ( almost ) every corner of this common-wealth there are priests that will * swear , whore , drink drunk , &c. ergo the society of the clergy are a generation of swearers , whoremongers , drunkards , &c. absurd . vniversities , humane arts and learning they cry down as needless , they burn all books save the bible . reply . we answer , that we desire the universities be well regulated , that they may not ( as formerly ) be a cage of unclean birds : for humane arts , who maintaineth them more then those termed separatists ? doth not the whole tractate of your own discourse betray you , compiled on purpose against mechanick or tradesmens preaching ; if professed tradesmen , then we are not antagonists , but abettors to arts and sciences : let me help your memory , and bring upon the stage of speculation what you were pleased to insert in the title page of your book , viz. lawrence williams a nailer , publique preacher . a true nailer indeed ; while thy hands make nails for mans use , thy mind forgeth truths , as fit nails to fasten christs building . tho : palmer a baker , preacher . well done baker , bread for the body , and bread for the soul , thou servest both god and men . tho : hinde a plowwright , preacher . a most useful artificer , not onely ( macrosmos ) pondrous earth , but ( microsmos ) mankind are endeavored to be fertile by thy industry . henry cakes a weaver , preacher . a very ingenuous craftsman , the web thou warpest is all home-spun , pure linnen , thou weavest no woolsey nor scotch-cloth . humphrey rogers lately a bakers boy , publique preacher . a hopeful lad : how many aged persons can scarce say their prayers ? and thou art able to make a sermon ; certainly it is the work of god , who out of the mouths of babes and sucklings doth ordain strength . peter was a catcher of fish by nets , and men by preaching , and both allowable by jesus christ : therefore trading and preaching is legitimate in the self-same person . as for that you call humane learning , we judg it good in its sphere ; but that learning which truly qualifies a person to the preaching of the gospel is love , meekness , temperance , patience , &c. and where christ dwells in this nature , these things will be preached and exhorted to : be it granted , that humane learning ( rightly sanctified ) may help the sight , yet in it self it gives no more light then spectacles to a blind man . that we burn all books save the bible , that 's your say-so , we are not of so fiery temper ; but those writings wherein we find no resentment , may be reserved for officious uses . absurd . that preaching , praying , sacraments , singing of psalms , and all ordinances , are legal , the spirit is all . reply . we answer , that for preaching ( or declaring what we apprehend of the mind of god , ) praying ( or speaking forth our desires to god , ) sacraments or ordinances of jesus christ in their proper sphere are evangelical or gospel duties ; happily we may not be harmonious with you in the formality : and for davids psalms we delight to read and repeat , as they are consonant to occasion ; but for singing of davids prayers in meeter , seeing most part of the book ( though entituled psalms ) consists of petitions , we see neither precept or president in scripture or reason to back such an elaborate organ-like practice . that the spirit is all , it is answered , that god observeth the spirit in an action , more then an action in it self . absurd . that christ hath removed the law , and now the gospel is our only rule . reply . we answer , that christ hath removed the formalities of the ceremonial law , himself being the substance ( or antitype ) of those representations , and now pure gospel , or the manifestation of gods love in jesus christ ( apprehended by faith ) is the only rule or line which directs our hope to eternal life . absurd . that the saints are freed by christ from all laws , covenants , vows , paying of tythes or debts . reply . we answer , that the saints are not freed , but taught by christ obedience to laws , covenants , and vows , either in relation of god or man ( so they stand not in direct opposition to his glory : ) as for paying of * tythes , it is with an ill will , it being not the tenth , but the † third part of our livelihoods , and heartily wish that the governors of this commonwealth would resent those moderate petitions which encline to ease the nation of this heavy pressure , providing reasonable satisfaction for impropriators : for paying of debts , we say with the apostle , owe nothing to any man ; saving love . there are many more absurdities inserted in mr halls book , to which be quoteth authors ; but because i am unacquainted with their writings , i omit ; for if due circumspection be not had to the precedent and subsequent part of a discourse , an absurd construction may be collected from a clause or sentence . as for instance ; in the book of psalms is written , there is no god ; now the words ( or sence ) was not davids , but a fool said so . i had thoughts to have made some paraphrase upon mr halls coyned tryal or arraignment of the lay prophet of the city of amsterdam in the county of babel &c. but that in such an inscripture-like method there appeared more vanity then reason , it being , in my understanding , an apt representation of a puppet-play , where appolonius , zanchy , king james , kirk of scotland , &c. as several apparitions in various dresses make a squeaking , and mr halls mouth the oracle for interpretation . where judg , jury , and evidence center in a single person , the sentence or such a court is illegal and tyrannical . now to the ordinances of parliament mr hall is pleased to present , april . . decemb. . . april . . it is this day ordained and declared by the lords and conmons assembled in parliament , that no person be admitted to preach , who is not ordained minister either in this or some other reformed churches , &c. decemb. . . the commons assembled in parliament do declare , that they do dislike , and will proceed against all such persons , as shall take upon them to preach , or expound the scriptures , in any church or chappel , or other publique place , except they be ordained either here , or in any other reformed church , &c. we reply , that if these ordinances had , or shall ( standing yet unrepealed ) be produced as an evidence against us , i am confident all ingenuous spirits , in the way of the separation , will yeeld peaceable obedience thereunto , either doing or suffering : but i have it from rational and intelligible persons , that divers votes in this nature were meer ingredients to set up a rigid presbytery , the onely stalking-horse to uphold monarchy , being the last refuge in order to the kings re-investigation : but now it 's evident , though the devices of mans heart are many , yet the counsel of the lord will stand ; and neither that * farthing directory or monarchial interest are like to receive resurrection , the vanity of those idols being ( ex superabundanti ) manifested to every unbiassed person ; and the heart of the magistrate seemeth to cast a more favorable aspect then formerly , witness that act entituled , an act for the relief of peaceable people , to which i add that candid expression mentioned in the parliaments declaration in answer to the scots papers , febr. . . pag. . for the toleration of all religions and forms of worships that their letter objects , we known not whom they intend in that charge : as for the truth and power of religion , it being a thing intrinsecal between god and the soul , and the matters of faith being such as no natural light doth reach unto , we conceive there is no humane power of coertion thereunto , nor to restrain men from beleeving what god suffers their judgments to be perswaded of : but if they mean onely the outward and publique forms of profession or worship , we know no such vniversal toleration endeavored or intended amongst us , neither yet do we finde any warrant to persecute all that do not worship god , or profess to beleeve in the same form that we do . it is the grief of every humane-like spirit to see mordecai favored , although he justly may have merited the same ; and what ca●e and industry the presbyterated party do take to render both persons and meetings of the separation odious in the eyes of the magistrate and people , for taste hereof , i thought good to insert the carriage of mr farmer , and gore , &c. of towciter , whose malicious and envious spirit could not be satisfied in setting major duckets troopers to fall upon us with their naked swords while capt. elliot was speaking , but also caused many notorious falshoods to be inserted in the weekly news books ; viz. a tumultuous meeting . tompsons party , levellers . ranters , erroneous fellows . for as much as this is not the first time that we have been abused in this nature ( as is well known to some godly and eminent governors of this common-wealth , ) it would favour of unanswerable improvidence if we should not faithfully endeavor to wash off that dirt which is so unworthily cast in the faces of us . upon the first day ( commonly called whitsunday ) divers of the separation met at cornet reads house in towciter , and after one friend had exercised his gifts , the auditory did exceed the room ; and by reason of the throng it was moved for better conveniency to go into the yard , which being of less continent then the room , by the advise of the souldiery there present , and some friends , under the penthouse without door ( taking the benefit of shade ) was adjudged a convenient place ; there capt. elliot ( much about the time of the ending of the evening exercise at the publique place ) spake a word of exhortation , and the people gave him peaceable audience . now that this meeting might degenerate to tumultuous disturbance of the peace , that must wholly lie at the door of farmer , gore , and their adherents , who incensed the souldiery ; but by the wise carriage of the officers the business was easily appeased . seriously this is hard measure , when christians shall be denyed that liberty which is commonly afforded to those unreasonable creatures who lick the crumbs of our tables . . we are branded for tompsons party ; i cannot tell what to say to this allegation , seeing tompson ( his fury working his own destruction ) is now under ground ; but upon enquiry this is gatherd , that there was one at the meeting that adhered to him , and by the councel of state acquitted long since : now if a convention of people must be measured by a single person , by these mens reason sodomites were all righteous , because one lot inhabited the city . for the word leveller is a term of odium cast upon many a person for holding forth of righteous principles : for those who deny propriety under pretence of community , as we have no communion with them in such a principle , so see we no reason to debar them from hearing of the word preached . . ranters , erroneous fellows , &c. for calling those that met ranters , if their passion had not quite eat up their reason , this sentence would not have passed , there being neither beer , wine , women , or any other object which might provoke licentiousness , made use of ; besides , those who are involved in so sad condition , of necessity must turn apostates unto prayer and preaching : now had not the envy of the elder brother been too prevalent with them , if there came any of that judgment to the exercise out of good intention , ought it not to be a matter of rejoycing ? i am sure jesus christ saith , there is joy in heaven upon the like occasion . and that the mouth of envy may be fully stopped , take a view of a letter directed to mr benson , commissioner of the peace , viz. sir , it is related , you are dissatisfied with the meeting of some dissenting from the publike worship , and that my self should assume the publique place , which thing never entered into my intention ; however we may be mispresented through malice or misprision , yet know that our actions will manifest all peaceable obedience to the present power , to whom , with your self , i am a ready servant , will : hartley . finis . notes, typically marginal, from the original text notes for div a e- * persecuting spirit . notes for div a e- a argumentum hoc solum quod sit secundum pondus ad aequatum , dolus versatur generalibus , commune non distinguit . b corruptio optimi est pessima . c laicis licet enim curam de religione et ecclesia suscipere , cessantibus vel non officium facientibus episcopis & ecclesiasticis . d aetas parentum pejor . e at the first sitting of this present parliament , about the business of mr hamden , i was cast into several prisons , had my goods seized on , and arraigned for my life before judg heath . f yet i suppose as frequent in exercises of religion as most of that tribe . notes for div a e- * quatenus a papali constitution● . * act for tythes . * clericus in sella , &c. * see mr hill in husbandmans plea against tythes . † a pure lawyer , to one seeming truth add a number of falsities , let spencers case against mirshal be a testimony . * mr lilly had over-rated it if worth a halfpenny . the office of a chaplain enquir'd into and vindicated from servility and contempt collier, jeremy, - . approx. kb of xml-encoded text transcribed from -bit group-iv tiff page images. text creation partnership, ann arbor, mi ; 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(eebo-tcp ; phase , no. a ) transcribed from: (early english books online ; image set ) images scanned from microfilm: (early english books, - ; : ) the office of a chaplain enquir'd into and vindicated from servility and contempt collier, jeremy, - . p. printed by john hayes for henry dickinson and are to be sold by sam. smith, cambridge : . reproduction of original in the bodleian library. created by converting tcp files to tei p using tcp tei.xsl, tei @ oxford. re-processed by university of nebraska-lincoln and northwestern, with changes to facilitate morpho-syntactic tagging. gap elements of known extent have been transformed into placeholder characters or elements to simplify the filling in of gaps by user contributors. eebo-tcp is a partnership between the universities of michigan and oxford and the publisher proquest to create accurately transcribed and encoded texts based on the image sets published by proquest via their early english books online (eebo) database (http://eebo.chadwyck.com). the general aim of eebo-tcp is to encode one copy (usually the first edition) of every monographic english-language title published between and available in eebo. eebo-tcp aimed to produce large quantities of textual data within the usual project restraints of time and funding, and therefore chose to create diplomatic transcriptions (as opposed to critical editions) with light-touch, mainly structural encoding based on the text encoding initiative (http://www.tei-c.org). the eebo-tcp project was divided into two phases. the , texts created during phase of the project have been released into the public domain as of january . anyone can now take and use these texts for their own purposes, but we respectfully request that due credit and attribution is given to their original source. users should be aware of the process of creating the tcp texts, and therefore of any assumptions that can be made about the data. text selection was based on the new cambridge bibliography of english literature (ncbel). if an author (or for an anonymous work, the title) appears in ncbel, then their works are eligible for inclusion. selection was intended to range over a wide variety of subject areas, to reflect the true nature of the print record of the period. in general, first editions of a works in english were prioritized, although there are a number of works in other languages, notably latin and welsh, included and sometimes a second or later edition of a work was chosen if there was a compelling reason to do so. image sets were sent to external keying companies for transcription and basic encoding. quality assurance was then carried out by editorial teams in oxford and michigan. % (or pages, whichever is the greater) of each text was proofread for accuracy and those which did not meet qa standards were returned to the keyers to be redone. after proofreading, the encoding was enhanced and/or corrected and characters marked as illegible were corrected where possible up to a limit of instances per text. any remaining illegibles were encoded as <gap>s. understanding these processes should make clear that, while the overall quality of tcp data is very good, some errors will remain and some readable characters will be marked as illegible. users should bear in mind that in all likelihood such instances will never have been looked at by a tcp editor. the texts were encoded and linked to page images in accordance with level of the tei in libraries guidelines. copies of the texts have been issued variously as sgml (tcp schema; ascii text with mnemonic sdata character entities); displayable xml (tcp schema; characters represented either as utf- unicode or text strings within braces); or lossless xml (tei p , characters represented either as utf- unicode or tei g elements). keying and markup guidelines are available at the text creation partnership web site . eng clergy. - tcp assigned for keying and markup - spi global keyed and coded from proquest page images - marika ismail sampled and proofread - marika ismail text and markup reviewed and edited - pfs batch review (qc) and xml conversion the office of a chaplain enquir'd into , and vindicated from servility and contempt . cambridge , printed by iohn hayes , printer to the university : for henry dickinson bookseller in cambridge . and are to be sold by sam. smith bookseller at the prince's arms in st. pauls church-yard , london . . the office of a chaplain enquired into , &c ▪ juvenal observes sat. . that the practice of the lawyers in his time was usually proportioned to the figure they made at the bar ; where he that appear'd in the best equipage was supposed to have the greatest share of law and sense in him : so that had the vulgar had any power in determining right , a good cause might oftentimes have been lost for want of fine cloathes to plead it in . whether any part of this vanity prevails with us , i shall not dispute ; however this inference may be fairly allowed , that the success of truth depends very much upon the reputation of its advocate . for the generallity of mankind , in regard they are not judicious and impartial enough to penetrate the bottom of things , are more influenced by show and appearance , than by substance and reallity . and therefore if a mans person or office happens to wear an uncreditable name , and falls under a general disesteem , though never so undeservedly , he must not expect to be persuasive with others , though the nature and proof of what he recommends , may appear sufciently evident and weighty to an unprejudiced mind . for besides that men are not willing to learn rules of wisdom and conduct from those they contemn , because this looks like a disparagement of themselves , and sets the despised person in some measure above them , besides i say , they are not over-willing to be informed by such instructors ; 't is not often that they think they can : for 't is generally taken for granted that discourses cannot rise much above the character of those that make them ; and that 't is scarce possible for an inconsiderable man to say any thing that is worth the taking notice of . so that when men have entertained a little opinion of any person , he is under a mighty disadvantage of fixing any good advice upon them . the contemptible notion they have of him gives their judgements an ill tincture , and makes them unindifferent , so that they neither see things in their true colours , nor allow them their proper weight ; but are apt to conclude the reasonings of those they disesteem resemble the insignificancy of their authors , and so many a good well-meaning argument is turned back and discountenanced , only for keeping suspected unreputable company . of the truth of this observation ill men are very apprehensive , who being desirous of enjoying the pleasures of vice , without coming under the discipline of ignominy and restraint , make it their business to misrepresent the ministers of religion , depressing their authority , and decrying the usefulness of their profession ; being well assured that when they have disarm'd their adversaries ( as they reckon them ) of their reputation , they need not fear any considerable disturbance from them . in pursuance of this design they would fain perswade the world , that the clergy are so far from deserving any additional esteem upon the account of their office , that for this reason they ought to forfeit part of what they had before ; as if orders suppos'd some antecedent crime , and were rather inflicted than given , and that those who receive them ought to pass for persons degraded from the priviledges of birth and education , or at least not to enjoy them without stain and abatement . now that there are some persons , and those not all of the lowest rank , who seem to be of this unreasonable opinion , is too apparent ; and therefore i shall desire them to consider , that those who account the priesthood a lessening of a mans quality , must either believe all religion to be an imposture , or if they do own the being of a god , their apprehension of him is so scandalous and unworthy , that i think it would be a kindness to them to suppose them atheists : for 't is not so monstrous and provoking to deny the existence of a deity , as to suppose him void of excellency and perfection : to imagine him to be so far from being the fountain of honour , that he is rather to be accounted a discredit to those who belong to him , and that a person of condition ought to be asham'd of his service ; such a notion of god almighty as this , besides the absurdity of it , looks like a malicious acknowledgement of his being , only to make him capable of contempt . but besides , the function of the clergy in general is too often misunderstood , ( which in such a sceptical and licentious age we need not wonder at , ) those who officiate in private houses lie under particular disadvantages : here the master of the family usually expects an extraordinary observance from the priest , and returns him less notice in exchange , than to others of the same order and condition . now one would think in point of reason , that an ecclesiastical ( as well as a civil or military ) officer should be more consider'd within the limits and extent of his employ than elsewhere , both upon the account of the jurisdiction he hath there , and because of the advantage those he is concern'd with , do or may receive from the execution of his office. now the reason of this unaccountable practice must be resolved into one or both of these pretences ; either . that a clergyman officiating in a family , ought to be entertain'd no otherwise than under the notion of a servant : or . because 't is in the patrons power to oblige the priest with church-preferment . it will be therefore the design of these papers to shew , . that a priest , or chaplain in a family is no servant . . that whatever fair expectations the patron may have given the priest of future advantage , those are no sufficient grounds to justifie an imperious deportment on the one hand , or a servile submission on the other . . i shall prove that a priest or chaplain in a family is no servant , the contrary of which i believe he is often thought to be , though 't is not always spoken out . now in order to the removing this mistake , i shall in the first place answer those objections , which seem to have given the most probable occasion of its rise . secondly , i shall give a short description of the office of a chaplain ; and shew how much it differs from that of a servant . . i shall answer those objections , which have given the most probable occasion to this mistake ; among which we may reckon the priests being entertained with diet. but that eating at anothers table does not make a man a servant is plain ; for if it did , then every one that visits his friend , if he happens to eat or drink without paying for it , must immediately forfeit his liberty . if it be said that 't is not eating now and then upon a visit which brings a man into the condition of a servant , but doing it constantly , and with the same person : to this i answer , that if eating by the year makes a man a servant for a year , then eating by the day must make him a servant for that day ; the only difference in this case is , ●●at the one who eats but a meal or two comes into his liberty sooner than the other . but possibly 't is the priests contracting for diet which makes him mistaken for a servant to him that affords it ; and here 't is supposed to come under the notion of wages , because the priest is to do something for it . now because a consideration of this nature , whether it be received in money or diet , or both , is the same thing ; i shall prove that a man's receiving money in consideration of bestowing his time and pains upon another , does not make him a servant to him that returns him a recompence for his trouble . for example , lawyers and physicians have their fees , or their wages if you please , and yet i suppose none will say that they are servants to all the clients and patients that imploy them , and if not to all , then for the same reason not to any : the judges have a fee for every cause which is tried at the nisi prius bar , and a justice of peace hath money allow'd him for making a warrant , which both of them may receive without forfeiting their authoty . the house of commons likewise have pensions from their electors , during the session of parliament ; i confess 't is not usually paid now , but if they did receive it as formerly they have done , i hope no one would say a knight of a shire was servant to a man of fourty shillings per annum , because he contributed something towards his maintenance . on all these cases a man is engaged in the business of others , and receives a consideration for his employment , and yet hath no reason to be accounted a servant for his pains . if it be said , that in most of these instances the salaries are assign'd by law , and consequently that there is no contract between him that receives and him that gives the consideration ; i answer , that there is a vertual , though not an express contract , because the people have agreed to consent to whatever their representatives shall determine . ly , as to the case of the lawyers , though their fees are stated by law , yet every one chooses whom he will make use of , so that the voluntary retaining any one , is no less than a plain contract , and the giving him so much money upon condition that he will plead for him . ly , 't is not the contracting for money in lieu of some other exchange which makes a man a servant , for then every one that sells for money would be a servant to the buyer , and consequently a pedlar might make himself master of the best merchant in london , if he should happen to be so ambitious as to be his customer : and which is most to be lamented , if a man could not by way of contract receive money with one hand , without parting with his liberty with the other , then the landlord must be a servant to the tenant ; for the bare contracting for rent , though he never receiv'd a peny , is enough to bring him under ; so that according to this opinion , a man cannot let his farm without demising and granting away himself . but further , that the entertaining the clergy with diet and salary is no argument of their subjection , will appear , if we consider that we are bound to contribute towards the support of our parents , if they stand in need of it ; and yet i suppose it does not follow that this makes us their superiors : 't is so far from it , that our assisting them is accounted part of that honour which the fifth commandment enjoyns us to pay them , and is so interpreted by our saviour himself , st matth. . , , . the communication therefore of part of our wealth to the clergy officiating in our houses , is in reason nothing but a due respect to their function , and a gratefull acknowledgement of their care ; what the priest receives from us is in effect offered to god almighty , because 't is given upon the account of the relation he hath to him , and the advantages we receive from thence . this is honouring god with our substance , who in regard he stands in need of nothing himself , hath order'd those persons ( whom he hath set apart to keep up his service and worship ) to receive what men present to him in token of his sovereignty and providence . thus what was offer'd to god under the old testament ( except what was spent in sacrificing ) was the priests portion , assign'd by the divine appointment , numb . . , . and in the th verse of that chapter the reason why the tribe of levi was to have no inheritance in the land which was to be divided , is given , because god promised to be their inheritance , that is to give them those offerings which were made to him ; and that this was a very liberal assignment , and much exceeded the provision which was made for the rest of the tribes , might easily be made good , were it not foreign to the present argument . there are many other places in the old testament which may be alledg'd for the confirmation of this truth , as deut. . . iosh. . . ezek. . , &c. and that this practice did not depend upon any ceremonial constitution , but was founded in the unalterable reason of things , will appear if we look into the new testament ; where st. paul tells us that god has ordained that those that preach the gospel ( which every priest does who reads the new testament ) should live of the gospel , cor. . . our spiritual governours are ministers of god to us as well as our temporal , rom. . . and therefore the apostle's inference , v. . may , in a qualified sense at least , be applied to them , for this cause pay you tribute also . and that the same apostle did not believe that a consideration of this nature , ought to subject the clergy to distance and submissive behaviour , is beyond question ; for he plainly tells the corinthians , cor. . . if we have sown unto you spiritual things , is it a great thing , if we shall reap your carnal things ? it seems he did not believe this favour so extraordinary , or to have any such commanding quality in it , as to make him their servant , or dependant , if he had received it . nay he tells them that he had power to eat and to drink ; that is , god had given him a right to a competent maintenance out of the estates of those he instructed ; which without question , where the circumstances of the person will permit , ought to be proportioned with respect to the person represented , and to the nature and quality of the employ . 't is plain therefore that the apostle thought that if gods ministers lived out of the fortunes of their charge , yet they were not so mightily indebted beyond a possibility of requital ; but that the obligation was full as great on the other side : and the reason why some men now a days are not of the same mind is , because the concerns of the other world have none , or a very slender consideration allow'd them ; for otherwise without question men would look upon those as none of their least beneficial friends , who are appointed by god to guide them securely in their passage to eternity : but now 't is the mode with too many to live as if their souls were the most inconsiderable thing they carried about them . . it may be objected , that every family ought to be under the government of one single person , and because the priest is confessed not to be the master , therefore he must be under command , and consequently a servant . now this is so slender an objection , that i should have waved the mention of it , but that some people seem desirous of being imposed upon in this matter ; and we know when men are in love with a mistake , the least appearance of a reason is apt to entangle their understandings , and make them overlook the evidence of an assertion they are prejudiced against . to what is objected therefore i answer , that this argument proves all boarders servants , though their office or quality be never so much above those they sojourn with . i grant the priest is not to disturb the master of the house in the government of his family , nor to intermeddle in his affairs , ( to do this were an unreasonable incroachment ) but the living under his roof makes him no more his servant , then his father or mother are , when they reside with him . there may be several other things urged against the truth of the proposition i am to defend , but the solving the remaining objections will fall in more conveniently , after i have given a short description of the office of a chaplain , and shown how much it differs from that of a servant , and how inconsistent it is with it ; which i shall proceed to . . therefore , the office of a clergy-man in a family , is to pray for , bless , and give absolution to those he is concern'd with ; which are all acts of authority and jurisdiction . he is to counsel , exhort , and reprove the master of the family himself , upon occasion ( though with respect to his station ) which offices are inconsistent with the condition of a servant , and must be very unsuccessfully perform'd by him , as will further appear afterwards . . he does not receive this commission from the master of the family , or from any humane authority , but from god himself , whose deputy he is in things pertaining to religion : he is not entertain'd upon any secular account , or to manage any other business but what relates to another world ; and is consecrated to this function by the divine warrant and appointment , and consequently he is gods minister not mans . the place in which he is engaged is his parish , and the difference between a parochial priest and him lies in this , that the extent of his charge is not so large as that of a parish-priest ; the one having but only one single family to take care of , and the other a great many : but the office is the same , and therefore the one hath no more reason to be accounted a servant than the other . . however pride , ignorance , or inconsideration may sometimes byass mens minds , yet if they would but attend to their own practice , they would see that the concern of a priest in a family is no servile employment ; because in the absence of a priest the master of the family supplies his place , as far as lawfully he may , that is , in praying and giving thanks at meat ; which is a plain confession that men are satisfied that 't is very improper to employ any of their servants in the performance of holy offices ; the doing of which would be dishonourable to god , and weaken the force and majesty of religion ; and therefore when one consecrated to holy ministrations is not present , god ought to be addressed to by a person of the greatest consideration in the family ; which implicit confession of theirs , is both agreeable to the reason of mankind in general , and the practice of the first ages of the world , when the civil and ecclesiastical authority were united , the same person being both priest and prince in his family ; as appears from abraham , isaac , iacob , and iob's erecting altars , and offering sacrifices : and before the institution of the mosaick law ( in which god chose a distinct tribe to serve him in holy offices ) the first-born , among other considerable priviledges , had the priesthood annext to his birth-right . . this notion of a servant destroys the end and design of the priestly office , it renders his person cheap , and his discourse insignificant , it causes his reproofs to be look'd upon as presumptuous , and makes a generous freedom and impartial plainness , to be interpreted a forgetfulness of distance : and yet this sort of plain-dealing is not more necessary toward any sort of people than those who are wealthy and honourable , the nature of their circumstances being such as make them much more apt to flatter themselves , and to be flatter'd by others ; which made st. paul command st. timothy , to charge those that were rich that they should not be high-minded : the apostle well knew in how great danger such persons were of taking the height of their condition amiss , and confiding too much in it ; for to this unhappy mistake they have not only the common artifices of self-love to betray them , but several confederate circumstances from without strike in to carry on the imposture , and to cheat them into a wrong opinion of themselves . they see how they are reverenced and admired by almost all sort of people , and that men frequently resign their ease , their liberty and conscience too , to purchase fewer conveniencies than they are already possess'd of : they find that wealth and reputation puts them into a capacity of gratifying their senses , and their humour , gives them many opportunities of obliging their friends and crushing their enemies , and makes their will a kind of law to their inferiours and dependants . now these advantages , when they are not throughly examined , but rated according to the value which vulgar estimation sets upon them , are apt to swell them into an unreasonable conceit of themselves ; which vanity is still fed and inflamed because they are often so unfortunate , as not to attend , that these worldly accommodations are things really distinct from their owners ; that these ornamental priviledges are but a decent varnish which enriches no deeper then the surface ; and an impression , which though royal , cannot alter the mettal : but on the contrary they are apt to fancy their fortunes and themselves to be all of a piece , that this glorious outside grows out of some intrinsick prerogative , and is the genuine lustre and complexion of their nature . and since a flourishing condition is thus apt to impose upon men , and hath such a natural tendency to give them a false idea of their own excellency , have they not need of a prudent and conscientious friend , to insinuate that they have no essential advantages above the rest of mankind , to awaken them into right apprehensions of things , and rescue them from that delusion which their own vanity , and the ignorance or design of others often puts upon them . therefore if men would have their lives correct and happy , they ought to encourage their friends ( especially those who are particularly concern'd in the regulation of their conscience ) to tell them of their faults ; they should invite them to this freedom , if not by express declaration , yet by affable deportment , always receiving the performance of the nice office with demonstrations of pleasure and satisfaction . did men consider how slippery and difficultly manageable an elevated station is , they would easily discern that it was not the safest way to trust altogether to their own conduct , but to take in the constant assistance of a religious person , that so their miscarriages might be represented , their consciences directed in doubtfull cases , and their minds fortified with defensatives proper to the temptations of their condition and temper . indeed the very converse of such a guide , if his character were rightly understood , and prudently supported , would help to keep them upon their guard ; and by striking a kind of religious awe upon their spirits , make their conversation more staunch and regular , and often prevent their falling into any remarkable excesses : but these advantages are all lost upon those who misapprehend the priests office , and entertain him upon the same account they do their footmen , only to garnish the table , and stuff out the figure of the family . when a man hath received such a disparaging notion of the priest , and rang'd him amongst his servants , there is small likelihood of his being the better for his company ; for this conceit will make his carriage lofty and reserv'd ; his words , gestures , and silence , will all carry marks of neglect and imperiousness in them : which are plain and designed intimations that the priest must not insist upon the priviledges of his function ; that he must not pretend to any liberty , but what his patron is pleas'd to allow ; with the direction of whose actions he is not to intermeddle , nor remonstrate against the unreasonableness of any practice , nor show him the danger of continuing in it : for though all this be done with caution and tenderness , and respect , yet he must look for nothing but disdain and disappointment in requital , for presuming to admonish his superiours ; which is such an usurpation upon dominion and quality as is not to be endur'd ; being neither agreeable to the servile employment of the one , nor consistent with the honour of the other . ly , this degrading the priesthood into a servile office , takes off from that veneration which is due to the solemn mysteries of religion , and makes them look common and contemptible ; by being administred by persons not sui juris , but obnoxious to the pleasure of those who receive them : god therefore to prevent his ordinances from falling into contempt , and to make them effectual to procure the happiness of mankind , hath given his priests authority over all they are concern'd with ; they are to bless the people in his name , and the author to the hebrews tells us , that without contradiction the less is blessed of the better , hebr. . . they are called the lords priests , sam. . . the messengers of the lord of hosts , mal. . . and in the new testament , they are stiled the stewards and ambassadors of god ; and made overseers of his church by the holy ghost , cor. . . acts . . the sense of which texts , and partly the words , are by the appointment of our church applied to those who are ordain'd priests , to put them in mind of the dignity of their office , and the great care they ought to take about the conscientious discharge of it . i confess 't is possible for a priest to make himself a servant ; he may 't is likely be steward or clark of the kitchin if he pleases , ( as bishop latimer complains some of the clergy were forced to be in his time , heylin hist. refor . p. . ) but as long as he does not engage in any employment which is intended for state , or the convenience of life , as long as he keeps to his priestly function , so long he may be assured he hath no master in the house ; and for any to suppose he hath , is an unreasonable and absurd mistake ; ( to say no worse of it ) 't is an inverting that order which god made between the priest and people , and denies that authority which god hath granted for the edification of his church . it endeavours to destroy that honourable relation which the priest hath to the divine majesty , ( to whose service he is appropriated ) which god is pleas'd to dignifie him with , that he might have the greater influence upon those he is concern'd with , and be successfull in the execution of his office : and therefore for a patron to account such a consecrated person his priest , as if he belonged to him as a servant , is in effect to challenge divine honours , and to set up himself for a god : for if he is any thing less , he must own that the service of the priest does not belong to him ; for that in the very terms and notion of it , is intended for no being inferiour to that which is suppos'd to be divine . if it be objected that the priest hath obliged himself to remove with the patron , when and whither he thinks fit , and therefore seems to be in the same condition with the rest of the attendants ; to this i answer , that this makes him no more a servant than the travelling and ambulatory way of living among the tartars , would make the priests servants to the people , provided they were christians : to make it plainer , suppose a bishop ordain'd over the company of a ship , and that his dioecese lay only in one bottom ; can we imagine that he would lose his episcopal power , and fall into the condition of other seamen , as soon as the ship was order'd to weigh anchor , and began to make its voyage from one port to another : at this rate a man may call a guardian angel one of his domesticks , because for the security and protection of their charge , these benevolent spirits are pleas'd to accompany us from one place to another . i grant the scripture tells us they are sent forth to minister for those who are heris of salvation , hebr. . . but then we must allow them to be gods ministers not ours ; and so likewise are those of whom i am speaking , as among other places may be seen from cor. . . god hath pleas'd to put the clergy in joynt commission with the angels themselves , for the guidance of , and superintending his church . when st. iohn would have worshipped the angel which appear'd to him , he is forbid to do it , and the reason alledged is , because i am thy fellow servant , rev. . . that is , as grotius expounds it , we are both ambassadors of the same king. and although st. iohn and the rest of the apostles had priviledges peculiar to themselves , both in respect of the extent of their jurisdiction , the infallibility of their doctrine , and other miraculous gifts with which they were endowed , to which bishops themselves , much less inferiour priests have no reason to pretend ; yet though god was pleas'd for the more speedy and effectual planting of christianity , to qualifie the apostles in an extraordinary manner , and to give them a larger commission than to the clergy of succeeding ages , yet they all act by the same authority , and for the same end ; therefore the unfix't and moving nature of a cure , does not alter , and degrade the office of a priest : he is not less a shepherd , because the flock happens sometimes to wander unaccountably , from one pasture to another : he is bound to attend the charge he hath undertaken , and must answer the neglect of it to god ; and when it does not continue in the same place , to accompany its motion , is no more a diminution to his office , than it is to that of a judge to go the circuit , whose commission is as considerable , though it travels with him from one county to another , as if he had been always fix't in westminster-hall . if it be farther objected , that the patron appoints the hours of prayer , which seems to imply something of command ; to this i answer , that in his choosing the time of prayer , he does not appoint any service for himself , but only declares when he and his houshold are ready for gods worship , and desirous of the priestly absolution , and blessing ; which is proper for him to do , because the family is employed in his business , and under his command ; and therefore without his permission , they have not many times an opportunity of meeting together for divine service : which is still more reasonable , because the priest is suppos●d only to intend the affairs of religion , and to be always ready for the performance of his office , and consequently that time which is most convenient for those under his care , and in which the assembly is like to be most numerous , he is by vertue of his office bound to observe , whether his cure lies in a private family , or a whole parish . but lastly it may be urged that the of hen. . cap. . calls the patrons of chaplains their masters ; and will any man be so hardy as to question the judgement and determination of the parliament ? but here we may observe that this act calls only those patrons masters , who can give qualifications for pluralities . having premis'd this observation , i answer , with all due submission and respect to this legislative council ; that if the question was concerning any civil right , then 't is confessed 't is in the power of the parliament either to limit , or take it away , because the whole power and authority of the kingdom is there , either personally , or by representation ; and therefore they may deprive any person of his honour or estate ( the right of the succession to the crown excepted ) as far as they please : not that 't is impossible for them to act unjustly , but only that what they determine hath the force of a law , because every man is suppos'd to have given his consent to it . but here we must observe , that the church is a distinct society from the state , and independent upon it : the constitution of the church is founded in the appointment of christ , in that commission which he gave the apostles and their successors , and consequently does not derive its authority from any earthly power . the civil magistrate never yet made bishop , priest , or deacon , nor ever can ; and therefore we may safely affirm without any injury or disrespect to him , that he cannot make these spiritual offices greater or less than they are ; therefore if god hath made the priests office ( as nothing is plainer in scripture then that he hath ) an office of government , direction , and superintendance over those he is concern'd with , then 't is not in the power of the parliament to make his condition servile : because no person , or society of persons can take away that power which they never gave : the parliament may with equal right enact that parents shall be subject to their children , and that the wife shall be her husband's mistress without a complement , as make the people the priests masters , and give the flock a jurisdiction over the shepherd ; they may with the same justice repeal the most established laws of nature , and invert the right of the two former relations , as of this latter ; for this hath its establishment from the same god that the other have , and for ends , at least equally weighty , and momentous . this power of their spiritual governours they have no more authority to destroy , than they have to vote down the canon of scripture , or to decree sacrilege to be no sin : 't is granted , that all ecclesiastical persons , as they are members of the state , are subject to its authority ; and that a priest or bishop , may properly be a servant to the magistrate , if he holds any secular employment under him ; because in this case he acts by a commission from the civil government ; but this only concerns him as he is a member of the state , and does not in the least affect his spiritual capacity : the power which results from that , flows from another fountain ; and is given by our saviour himself , and therefore cannot be weakened or recall'd by any state-constitution whatever . men should do well therefore to consider , that as a prince hath no reason to take it well , if the people should look upon his officers as their servants ; so 't is not over-respectfull to god almighty to suppose his ministers stand in that inferiour relation to those they are concern'd with . i shall now proceed to the d thing at first propounded , viz. to show , that whatever fair expectations the patron may have given the priest , yet these are not sufficient grounds for an imperious carriage on the one hand , or a servlle submission on the other . . this sort of deportment were unreasonable , supposing the patron had as full and absolute a right in church-preferment , as he hath in any other part of his estate . for what can be a more ungenerous and ungentlemanly practice , than to require that a man should resign up his liberty , and forfeit the priviledges of his station , only upon the probability of receiving some sort of consideration for it afterwards ? how unlike a benefactour does he look who sets an excise upon his bare word , and clogs the expectation of future advantage with present inconvenience ? thus to anticipate the revenues of a favour , is like taking usury for money before 't is lent , which certainly is one of the worst sorts of extortion , because here a man not only pays for that he hath not , but for that which possibly he may never have . but ly , let us suppose the priest in actual possession of some considerable preferment , yet being 't is pretended to be given , it ought certainly to come disencumber'd from all conditions which may abate the kindness of it . he that pretends to give , should chiefly respect the advantage of him to whom the favour is granted . he should demean himself towards the obliged party , as if the obligation had never been ; that it may plainly appear , that his intention in conferring it , was disinterested ; that he had no little designs of profit or state , to serve in it ; but that it proceeded purely from a generous inclination to promote the happiness of another . whereas on the contrary , to part with any thing out of a selfish design , is an exchange , not a gift , which when 't is done by a person of estate , is an argument of a mean and mercenary spirit . but then to pursue a benefit with superciliousness and contempt , to expect a complyance with the most unreasonable humours ; to give upbraiding and contumelious signs of the dependance and unworthiness of the receiver ; to require a man to relinquish the necessary freedom of one of the most solemn and honourable professions ; this turns an obligation into injury , and affront , and looks like a malicious trap set to catch a mans reputation . who that hath either sense or honesty would turn his canonical habit into a livery , and make himself useless and ridiculous for the greatest consideration whatever ? a worthy person would scorn a kingdom proffer'd upon such dishonourable terms . ly , if we put the case as 't is determined by law , this practice will appear still more unreasonable . 't is sufficiently known , and were it not for the overgrown prejudices of some persons , it were superfluous to mention , that the patron is so far from having a full propriety in churh-preferments , that his right only consists in a power to nominate who shall enjoy them . which very nomination must be made within six months , and fix't upon a person canonically qualified , otherwise 't is wholly invalid . his interest in church livings only enables him to give them away , not to keep them . he hath no power to enter upon any part of the glebes , or tithes , or so much as to sequester the profits for the next incumbent . he is only a trustee authorized under certain conditions , to dispose of the patrimony of the church , which is settled upon it by as good laws as any he holds his estate by . that right which he hath was originally granted in consideration of works of extraordinary piety , in building or endowing of churches : which is a title very few ( except the king ) can pretend to , either upon their own , or their ancestors accounts . from all which it appears , that the patrons giving an annuity out of his estate , is a quite different thing from his presenting to a living , and therefore his expectations of gratitude and observance , should not be set so high in this latter case . for here neither law , nor religion allow the donor to be a peny the better for what he disposes of ; he cannot detain the least part of it without injustice and sacrilege , nor confer it upon exceptionable persons without breach of fidelity . the trust indeed is honourable and weighty , it being in the power of those to whom 't is committed to encourage learning , and to provide the people with prudent , and conscientious guides : but then i must add , that it ought to be discharged accordingly , and that those who do not chiefly aim at these ends in the exercise of it , have little either of conscience or honour in them . we have reason to believe that when the church gave this right of presentation to lay-patrons , ( for that the bishops had originally the right of judging the qualifications of priests , and fixing them in their respective cures , without being accountable to a quare impedit for their refusal of the peoples choice , might be made evident were it pertinent to the business in hand ) when the church i say parted with this right , she had no suspicion of the degeneracy of after ages ; but imagined that the integrity , and conscience , if not the munificence of the first patrons might have been transmitted to the heirs , or purchasers of their right . the piety of those times would have made it look uncharitable to have been apprehensive of resignation bonds , of forced compositions , and contracts for farms , or women . but some people have now learn'd to make bold with god almighty , beyond the imagination , as well as the example of their predecessors ; and to be guilty of those sacrilegious frauds , which by the late provision of our laws against some of them , seem not to have been so much as thought on , in those more primitive and religious days . and here in point of charity i think myself obliged to desire those who are concern'd in the rights of patronage , to consider before 't is too late , how great a sin it is to abuse their power ; and through covetousness , or some other unwarrantable principle , to betray the church , which hath in some measure made them her guardian : it imports them very much to reflect how unworthy and unchristian it is to play upon the indigence or irresolution of another ; and take an advantage from the unfortunateness of his condition or temper , to oblige him to mean and sinfull compliances ! and what an open and undisguised affront it is to the divine majesty , to endeavour to make his ministers cheap and insignificant ; both before , and after the conferring our pretended favours upon them . to create servile dependances , and raise our private grandeur upon the endowments of religion , is a perfect contradiction to the end and design of them . this makes the church contemptible by the strength of her own revenues , and causes the monuments of our fore-fathers piety to be instrumental in undermining , and exposing that faith they thereby intended to secure and advance ▪ which whosoever is guilty of , he may be assured he hath a right to the imprecations , as well as the patronage of the first endowers of churches , which dreadfull legacy they were generally very carefull to settle upon such irreligious posterity . spelman de non temerand . eccl. in short , to prostitute so sacred a trust as this is , to pride and ambition , is in effect to sacrifice to the devil with that which is consecrated to god almighty , and looks like a more provoking impiety , than belshazzer's debauching to the honour of his idols , in the vessels of the temple , dan. . , . for here is not only an abuse of holy things but persons too , and god is dishonoured in those that represent him upon a most solemn and important account . i shall now at last crave leave to desire those of the clergy , who are engaged in the families of secular persons ( for i mean no other ) to reflect of what ill consequence it is to religion for them not to assert their office in a prudent defensible way : and how cheap in their persons , and unsuccessfull in their employment , they must necessarily be , if they betray the priviledges of their function , by servile compliance and flattery . people will be apt to imagine ( and not without reason ) that those who will cringe below the gravity of their character , to gain a little of this world , can scarce have any great and religious apprehensions of the other . overmuch ceremony in a clergyman is frequently misinterpreted , and supposed to proceed not from his breeding or humility , but from a consciousness of his meanness ; and others are willing to allow him so much sense , as to be a competent judge of his own inconsiderableness ; and since he confesses himself contemptible by his carriage , they think it but just to treat him accordingly . for men of figure , excepting those who are very understanding and religious , are apt to have misapprehensions conveyed into them by over-proportioned respect ; and to imagine the distance between him that gives it , and themselves , to be much greater than really it is . since therefore as things stand , there is some danger lest churchmen should complement away the usefulness and authority of their calling ; they would do well to decline superlative observance , for fear they give others a wrong notion of their employ , or be thought to have mens persons in admiration because of advantage . it would be no more than requisite , if they would reserve their duty for their king , their bishop and their parents , and express their gratitude to their patrons in language less lyable to misconstruction , and more proper to the relation between them . for as they should not be unwilling to own the distinctions which the kings laws have made , as they ought to make some particular acknowledgements for the favours , and civilities of those they are more immediately concern'd with , and by inoffensive and agreeable conversation , prevent all reasonable suspicion of their being displeas'd with the superiour quality , or fortune of others ; so likewise are they obliged not to be so officiously , or rather parasitically mindfull of the condition of any person , as wholly to be forgetfull of their own . for notwithstanding the disadvantages they may sometimes happen to come into the world with ; the constitution of the government hath set them upon the same level with the inferiour gentry , as a reward of their education , and out of regard to their function : now that the laws were not priest-ridden and superstitiously lavish of their honour in this case might , were it necessary , be abundantly proved from the reason of the thing , and the general practice of other countries , both with respect to ancient and modern times . these priviledges therefore being confer'd upon just and publick accounts , a man is sometimes bound to maintain ; and to surrender them up to the superciliousness of every assuming or ignorant pretender , is a reflection upon the wisdom , and ingratitude to the religious bounty of those kings who granted them : and which is worse , a churchman by making himself contemptible hath parted with his power of doing good ; and consequently disappointed the great end of his calling . whereas without doubt 't is part of the design of these priviledges to exact a sutable resolution and presence of mind in those that have them , that so their spirit being raised up to their civil station , their character and deportment may be the better proportioned , and their actions keep a truer decorum with the nature of their office ; that they might not be overawed , and almost struck dumb with the glitterings of title , or fortune ; but retain a gracefull freedom in conversation , neither idolizing greatness , nor neglecting it . the intention of the laws in distinguishing the clergy from the vulgar , besides the consideration of their merit ; was to put them into a better capacity to maintain the honour and interest of religion among all sorts of persons ; that the rich as well as the poor might be advantaged by their ministery , and when persons of condition were to be told of their faults , the priest might be fortified with a convenient courage to give the reproof , and the others dispos'd to receive it without disgust and impatience . now to be ready upon all occasions to resent any dishonour done to religion with a prudent gravity and assurance , carries such a noble air of greatness & undesigning honesty in it , that it forces a secret veneration from enemies themselves ; & though a man may happen to be unjustly hated for speaking unacceptable truths ; yet he is sure never to be despised . whereas a diffident and unsupported behaviour in a clergyman , is often suppos'd to proceed from ignoble qualities , and consequently will be sure to weaken the force of his publick instructions ; it being natural for ill men especially , to disregard , if not to deride the admonitions of those they believe are afraid of them ; and he that cannot talk without concern before a sinner of quality any where but in the pulpit , might almost as good say nothing to him there . for if a church-mans conversation be servile and designing all the week , his appearing with a new set of notions upon the sunday , will be interpreted only a formal compliance with his profession : his pressing those doctrines which his practice contradicts , will signifie little either to his own advantage , or theirs that hear him : for though men ought to mind what is said , and not who says it ; yet the prejudices of the generality are such , that a good cause usually suffers very much when 't is pleaded by an improper and exceptionable advocate : how fulsome an entertainment is it to hear a coward harang upon valour , or a covetous miser preach up contempt of the world ? the man might better have spared his rhetorick ; for his commending those good qualities , he neither hath the honesty , or courage to be master of , is in effect but a satyr upon himself , and serves only to make him more despicable and ridiculous ; and which is worse , the secret disdain the audience hath for such a panegyrist , often insensibly slides from his person to his subject ; which makes his exhortation nauseous , & helps to bring vertue it self into disgrace . if it be objected that the poverty of some of the clergy forces them to suppress their sentiments in some things , & to suffer whatever an encroaching spirit shall think fit to put upon them : to this i answer , that the temptation to this sin ought to have been prevented before their going into holy orders : for those who cannot be supplied with a competent fortune by themselves , their relations , or at least by some creditable independent preferment , had much better choose some other inferiour employment , than expose themselves to such apparent danger in this : but if their own or their friends imprudence , hath sent them unprovided into the church , 't is more reputable , conscientious , & to a generous mind , more easie too , to submit to the inconveniencies of their own poverty , than to the pride of others ; and to prefer a homely , unornamented liberty , to a splendid servitude . and as for those ( if there be any such ) who do not discharge their office with that plainness , & discreetly managed resolution which god and the church expects from them ; it will not be improper to remind them of what mr herbert hath written upon this occasion , country parson p. . where he tells us , " that such persons wrong the priesthood , neglect their duty , and shall be so far from that which they seek by their oversubmissiveness and cringing , that they shall ever be despised . " indeed they have no reason to expect any better usage ; for as flattery is deservedly accounted one of the most contemptible vices , so a clergyman when he is guilty of it is the worst of flatterers . to which we may add that 't is hard to conceive how the oath against simony can be fairly taken by such persons ; for certainly he that purchases his preferment with the prevarication of his office , does no less contradict the design of this oath , then if he had paid down the full value in money for it : he that hath barter'd away his freedom and usefulness , ( and as much as in him lies the reputation of his order ) cannot in any reasonable construction be said to be presented gratis . those therefore who are this way concern'd , should do well to consider how mean it is to be overawed , and how mercenary , to be bribed into an omission of their duty ! what a sordid and criminal persidiousness is it , to betray the honour of their function , and the happiness of their charge , for handfulls of barley and pieces of bread ? ezek. . how ill do they represent the god of faithfulness and truth ; who either by verbal or silent flattery , deceive men into a false perswasion of security , and dissemble their apprehensions of danger , when the mistake is likely to prove fatal to those that lie under it ? can they that pretend ( and that truly , a commission from our blessed saviour , that good shepherd , who laid down his life for the sheep ; can they have so little charity for the souls of men , as to let them miscarry out of ceremony and respect , and rather venture their being damn'd than disobliged ▪ how such a treacherous observance will be look'd upon in the great day of accounts , is not difficult to foretell , were it not too sad an argument to dilate upon : however something of the guilt of it may be conceived by a remarkable sentence of the forementioned author , p. . which seems to be no less true than severe . " they ( says he ) who for the hope of promotion , neglect any necessary admonition or reproof , sell , with iudas , their lord and master . " finis . five remarkable passages which have very lately happened betweene his maiestie and the high court of parliament ... this text is an enriched version of the tcp digital transcription a of text r in the english short title catalog (wing f ). textual changes and metadata enrichments aim at making the text more computationally tractable, easier to read, and suitable for network-based collaborative curation by amateur and professional end users from many walks of life. the text has been tokenized and linguistically annotated with morphadorner. the annotation includes standard spellings that support the display of a text in a standardized format that preserves archaic forms ('loveth', 'seekest'). textual changes aim at restoring the text the author or stationer meant to publish. this text has not been fully proofread approx. kb of xml-encoded text transcribed from -bit group-iv tiff page images. earlyprint project evanston,il, notre dame, in, st. louis, mo a wing f estc r ocm this keyboarded and encoded edition of the work described above is co-owned by the institutions providing financial support to the early english books online text creation partnership. this phase i text is available for reuse, according to the terms of creative commons . universal . the text can be copied, modified, distributed and performed, even for commercial purposes, all without asking permission. early english books online. (eebo-tcp ; phase , no. a ) transcribed from: (early english books online ; image set ) images scanned from microfilm: (early english books, - ; :e , no ) five remarkable passages which have very lately happened betweene his maiestie and the high court of parliament ... charles i, king of england, - . england and wales. parliament. england and wales. sovereign ( - : charles i) , [ ] p. printed for f. cowles and t. bates, london : [ ] reproduction of original in thomason collection, british library. (from t.p.) five passages " . the humble petition of the gentry and commons of york presented to his majesty, april . . . his majesties message sent to the parliament april . eng hotham, john, -- sir, d. jan. . church of england -- clergy. clergy -- registers. great britain -- history -- charles i, - . yorkshire (england) -- history -- sources. a r (wing f ). civilwar no five remarkable passages, which have very lately happened betweene his maiestie, and the high court of parliament· . the humble petition of [no entry] c the rate of defects per , words puts this text in the c category of texts with between and defects per , words. - tcp assigned for keying and markup - aptara keyed and coded from proquest page images - jonathan blaney sampled and proofread - jonathan blaney text and markup reviewed and edited - pfs batch review (qc) and xml conversion five remarkable passages , which have very lately happened betweene his maiestie , and the high court of parliament . . the humble petition of the gentry and commons of york , presented to his majesty , april . . . his majesties message sent to the parliament ▪ april . . concerning sir iohn hotham's refusall to give his majestie entrance into hull . . the parliaments resolution concerning the said sir ioh. hotham . a declaration from both houses of parliament concerning the stopping of passages between hull and the parliament . . the true catalogue of all the names of the divines approved of by both houses of parliament , for each severall county in this kingdome of england and wales ; as fit persons to be consulted with by the parliament , touching the reformation of church-government , and the liturgie . together with an order from both houses to the same effect . . of aprill . london , printed for f. cowlet , and t. bates . die sabbati , april . . the lords and commons doe declare , that they intend a due and necessarie reformation of the government & liturgie of the church , & take away nothing in the one or other , but what shall be evill , and justly offensive , or at least unnecessarie and burthensome : and for the better effecting thereof , speedily to have consultation with godly and learned divines . and because this will never of it selfe attaine the end sought therein , they will therefore use their utmost endevours to establish learned and preaching ministers , with a good and sufficient maintenance thorowout the whole kingdome , wherein many dark corners are miserably destitute of the meanes of salvation , and many poore ministers want necessarie provision . h. elsynge , cler. parl. d. com. die martis april . . ordered by the lords and commons in parliament , that the sheriffs of the counties of york and lincolne , and likewise the lords lieutetenants of the said counties , and in their absence , their deputies allowed by parliament , and the iustices of peace , and all other his majesties officers , shall suppresse all forces that shall be raised , or gathered together in th●se counties , either to force the towne of hull ; to stop the passages to , and from the same ; or in any other way to disturb the peace of the kingdome . ordered by the lords and commons in parliament , that this orde● shall be printed and published forthwith . io. browne cler. parl. to the kings most excellent majestie . the humble petition of the 〈◊〉 and commons of the countie of york . most royall soveraigne : encouraged by your majesties many testimonies of your gracious goodnesse to us and our countie , which we can never sufficiently acknowledge ; we in all dutie and loyaltie of heart addresse our selves to your sacred majestie , beseeching you to cast your eyes and thoughts upon the safetie of your own person , and your princely issue , and this whole countie , a great meanes of which we conceive doth consist in the arms and ammunition at hull , placed there by your princely care and charge , and since upon generall apprehension of dangers from forraine parts represented to your majestie , thought fit as yet to be continued . we for our parts , conceiving our selves to be still in danger , doe most humbly beseech your majestie that you will be pleased to take such course and order , that your magazine may still there remaine , for the better securing of these and the rest of the northerne parts . and the rather because we think it fit , that that part of the kingdome should be best provided , where your sacred person doth reside , your person being like davids , the light of israel , and more worth than ten thousands of us . who shall daily pray , &c. his majesties message sent to the parliament , april . . concerning sir iohn hothams refusal to give his majestie entrance into hull . his majesty having received the petition inclosed from most of the chiefe gentry neere about yorke , desiring the stay of his majesties armes and munition in his magazine at hull , for the safety ( not onely of his majesties person and children , but likewise of all these northern parts : the manifold rumours of great dangers inducing them to make their said supplication ) thought it most fit to goe himselfe in person to his towne of hull , to view his armes and munition there , that thereupon he might give directions , what part thereof might be necessary to remaine there , for the security and satisfaction of his northerne subjects , and what part thereof might bee spared for ireland , the arming of his majesties scots subjects that are to go thither , or to replenish his chiefest magazine of the tower of london ; where being come , upon the of this instant aprill , much contrary to his expectation , he found all the gates shut upon him , and the bridges drawn up , by the expresse command of sir iohn hotham , ( who for the present commands a garrison there ) and from the walls flatly denyed his majesty entrance into his said town , the reason of the sayd denyall being as strange to his majesty , as the thing it selfe , it being that he could not admit his majesty without breach of trust to his parliament ; which did the more incense his majesties anger against him , for that hee most seditiously and trayterously would have put his disobedience upon his majesties parliament ; which his majesty being willing to cleare , demanded of him if he had the impudence to aver , that the parliament had directed him to deny his majesty entrance and that if he had any such order , that he should shew it in writing , for otherwise his majesty could not beleeve it ; which he could no way produce , but malitiously made that false interpretation according to his own inferences , confessing that he had no such positive order , which his majesty was ever confident of : but his majesty not willing to take so much pains in vain , offered to come into that his towne onely with . horse , finding that the maine of his pretence lay , that his majesties traine was able to command the garrison : notwithstanding , his majesty was so desirous to go thither in a private way , that he gave warning thereof but overnight , which he refusing , but by way of condition ( which his majesty thought much below him ) held it most necessary to declare him traytour ( unlesse upon better thoughts , he should yeeld obedience ) which he doubly deserved , aswell for refusing entrance to his naturall soveraigne , as by laying the reason thereof groundlesly and maliciously upon his parliament . one circumstance his majesty cannot forget , that his sonne the duke of yorke , and his nephew the prince elector , having gone thither the day before , sir iohn hotham delayed the letting of them out to his majesty till after some consultation . hereupon his majesty hath thought it expedient to demand iustice of his parliament against the said sir iohn hotham , to be exemplarily inflicted on him according to the laws , and the rather because his majesty would give them a fit occasion to free themselves of this imputation , by him so injuriously cast upon them , to the end his majesty may have the easier way for the chastising of so high a disobedience . the names of those divines that are nominated by the knights and brugesses of each county , for the consultation , or assembly . bedfordshire . master dillingham . mr. boldes . buckinghamshire . mr. henry wilkinson . mr. valentine . berkshire . dr. twisse . mr. rayner . cambridgeshire . doctor thomas wincop . mr. thomas goodwin . cambridge university . doctor brounrig , bishop . doctor ward . cornwall . master gamon . master hicks . cheshire . master iohn lea. master thomas case . cumberland . doctor hoyle . master bridges . durham . master iennison . master morton . derbyshire . doctor love . doctor gouge . devonshire . master pine . master whiting . dorsetshire . master white . master peele . essex . 〈◊〉 marshall glocestershire . master mew . master dunning . huntingtonshire . master backhurst . master philip nye . hartfordshire . doctor smith . doctor burges . herefordshire . master greene . master gower . kent . master wilson . master taylor . lincolnshire . master tuckney . master coleman . lancashire . master herles . master herrick . leicestershire . master clayton . master gibs . middlesex . doctor calibute downing . master burroughs . london . master calamy . master george walker . master seaman . master caryll . munmouthshire . doctor harris . master george morley . northamptonshire . master edward reynolds . master hall . nottinghamshire . doctor robert saunderson . master foxcroft . northumberland . master iohn iackson . master william carter . norfolke . master thoroughgood . master arrow-smith . oxfordshire . master robert harris . master crosse . oxford university . archbishop of armagh . doctor stiles . rutlandshire . master samuel gibson . master whitaker . somersetshire . master samuel crook . master cunnet . shropshire . master edward corbet . master hildersham . surrey . doctor stainton . doctor daniel featley . staffordshire . master francis cooke . master lightfoot . hampshire . master langley . master tisdale . suffolk . master tho. young . master iohn philips . sussex . master pickering . master henry nye . westmorland . master hall . master hutton . wiltshire . master henry scudder . master baily . worcestershire . master salmay doctor prideaux , bishop . warwickshire . master burges . master vines . yorkshire . master levell . master michlethwait . anglesey . master buckley . brecknockshire . doctor temple . cardiganshire . master jos. shute . carmarthenshire . master nichols . carnarvanshire . master thomas gataker . denbyshire . doctor rich. flintshire . doctor parsley . glamorganshire . master tozer . merioneth shire . master sp●rstow . pembrookshire . master francis channell . montgomeryshire . master ellis . radnorshire . doctor hackwell . iland of gernesy . master de la marse . iland of iernesey . master de lasser . die martis . april . resolved upon the question . that sir iohn hotham knight , according to this relation , hath done nothing but in obedience to the command of both houses of parliament . resolved upon the question . that this declaring of sir iohn hotham traytor , being a member of the house of commons , is a high breach of the priviledge of parliament . resolved upon the question . that this declaring of sir iohn hotham traitor without due processe of law , is against the libertie of the subject , and against the law of the land . ordered by the lords and commons in parliament , that these votes shallbe printed , and sent to the sheriffes , and the iustices of the peace to be published in all the market townes of the counties of york and lincoln . io. brown cler. parliament . die martis . april . it is declared by the lords and commons in parliament , that the stopping of the passages between hull and the parliament , and the intercepting of messengers imployed from the parliament to hull , or from any that are in the service of the parliament , or any letters whatsoever sent by any to , or from the parliament , is a high breach of the priviledge of parliament , which by the lawes of this kingdome , and the protestation , we are bound to defend with our lives and fortunes , and to bring the violater to condigne punishment . and hereby all lords lieutenants , and their deputies authorised by the ordinance of both houses of parliament , all sheriffs , iustices , majors , bailiffs , constables , and other officers whatsoever , are required to give their uttermost aid and assistance to all that are imployed in the said service , for their better and more speedee free and safe passage : and to apprehend all such as by colour of any warrant or other authority whatsoever , shal endevour on 〈◊〉 about to hinder any that are employed about the same , and them to apprehend , & in safe custody to send up to the parliament . ordered by the lords and commons in parliament , that this declaration shall be forthwith printed and published . iohn browne cler. parl. finis . a call to archippus, or, an humble and earnest motion to some ejected ministers (by way of letter) to take heed to their ministry that they fulfil it. alleine, joseph, - . approx. kb of xml-encoded text transcribed from -bit group-iv tiff page images. text creation partnership, ann arbor, mi ; oxford (uk) : - (eebo-tcp phase ). a wing a estc r ocm this keyboarded and encoded edition of the work described above is co-owned by the institutions providing financial support to the early english books online text creation partnership. this phase i text is available for reuse, according to the terms of creative commons . universal . the text can be copied, modified, distributed and performed, even for commercial purposes, all without asking permission. early english books online. (eebo-tcp ; phase , no. a ) transcribed from: (early english books online ; image set ) images scanned from microfilm: (early english books, - ; : ) a call to archippus, or, an humble and earnest motion to some ejected ministers (by way of letter) to take heed to their ministry that they fulfil it. alleine, joseph, - . p. s.n.], [london : . reproduction of original in union theological seminary library, new york. attributed to joseph alleine. cf. bm. created by converting tcp files to tei p using tcp tei.xsl, tei @ oxford. re-processed by university of nebraska-lincoln and northwestern, with changes to facilitate morpho-syntactic tagging. gap elements of known extent have been transformed into placeholder characters or elements to simplify the filling in of gaps by user contributors. eebo-tcp is a partnership between the universities of michigan and oxford and the publisher proquest to create accurately transcribed and encoded texts based on the image sets published by proquest via their early english books online (eebo) database (http://eebo.chadwyck.com). the general aim of eebo-tcp is to encode one copy (usually the first edition) of every monographic english-language title published between and available in eebo. eebo-tcp aimed to produce large quantities of textual data within the usual project restraints of time and funding, and therefore chose to create diplomatic transcriptions (as opposed to critical editions) with light-touch, mainly structural encoding based on the text encoding initiative (http://www.tei-c.org). the eebo-tcp project was divided into two phases. the , texts created during phase of the project have been released into the public domain as of january . anyone can now take and use these texts for their own purposes, but we respectfully request that due credit and attribution is given to their original source. users should be aware of the process of creating the tcp texts, and therefore of any assumptions that can be made about the data. text selection was based on the new cambridge bibliography of english literature (ncbel). if an author (or for an anonymous work, the title) appears in ncbel, then their works are eligible for inclusion. selection was intended to range over a wide variety of subject areas, to reflect the true nature of the print record of the period. in general, first editions of a works in english were prioritized, although there are a number of works in other languages, notably latin and welsh, included and sometimes a second or later edition of a work was chosen if there was a compelling reason to do so. image sets were sent to external keying companies for transcription and basic encoding. quality assurance was then carried out by editorial teams in oxford and michigan. % (or pages, whichever is the greater) of each text was proofread for accuracy and those which did not meet qa standards were returned to the keyers to be redone. after proofreading, the encoding was enhanced and/or corrected and characters marked as illegible were corrected where possible up to a limit of instances per text. any remaining illegibles were encoded as <gap>s. understanding these processes should make clear that, while the overall quality of tcp data is very good, some errors will remain and some readable characters will be marked as illegible. users should bear in mind that in all likelihood such instances will never have been looked at by a tcp editor. the texts were encoded and linked to page images in accordance with level of the tei in libraries guidelines. copies of the texts have been issued variously as sgml (tcp schema; ascii text with mnemonic sdata character entities); displayable xml (tcp schema; characters represented either as utf- unicode or text strings within braces); or lossless xml (tei p , characters represented either as utf- unicode or tei g elements). keying and markup guidelines are available at the text creation partnership web site . eng clergy -- great britain -- office. pastoral theology. - tcp assigned for keying and markup - apex covantage keyed and coded from proquest page images - john latta sampled and proofread - john latta text and markup reviewed and edited - pfs batch review (qc) and xml conversion a call to archippus ; or , an humble and earnest motion to some ejected ministers , ( by way of letter ) to take heed to their ministry , that they fulfil it . col. . . and say to archippus , take heed to the ministry , which thou hast received in the lord , that thou fulfil it . acts . . take heed therefore unto your selves , and to all the flock , over which the holy ghost hath made you overseers , to feed the church of god , which he hath purchased with his own blood . . for i know this , that after my departing shall grievous wolves enter in among you , not sparing the flock . pet. . , . the elders which are among you , i exhort , who am also an elder , &c. feed the flock of god , which is among you , taking the oversight thereof , &c. printed in the year , . a call to archippus : or , an humble and earnest motion to some ejected ministers , &c. reverend fathers and brethren , vve said * days should speak , and waited for the words of the ancient ; but an aged paul would not have others † despise timothy his youth , much lesse would he do it himself . your long silence hath made us speak , to utter to you our own troubles , and the sighs and groans of your helpless flocks . we cannot inform you , but have only writ to * stir you up by way of remembrance , and humbly to put you in mind , that you † stir up the gift of god that is in you , and suffer not your worthy * talents to be buried in the napkin , now the sinking church and dying religion hath such pressing need for their utmost improvement . these letters are to you in behalf of the poor flocks , like the man of macedonia † crying to you , come and help us : or , a call to * archippus , to take heed to the ministry that he hath received , that he fulfill it . fathers and brethren , we unfeignedly reverence you , we magnifie the grace of god in and unto you . did not we reverence your parts , gifts and graces , and esteem them every way so useful to the churches , we should contentedly see you sit still , and never be at the pains to excite you . but our high value of you , hath made us humbly bold to expostulate the case a little with you , and passionately to beseech you , to remember how great a work it is that lies upon you , and to set your hands to it in this time of difficulty . some of yours were the holy hands by which we were called to our office , when you made us publickly promise ( according to the obligation of our office ) that we would never , for fear of any persecution , desist from preaching the gospel ; and far be it from our fathers to withdraw , as soon as persecution begins . suffer us with all modesty and submission , to reason with you . hath not god said , necessity is laid on you , and vvo unto you if you preach not the gespel ? who shall free you from that wo , or loose your bonds of that necesse , if yet you sit still in silence ? shall we mind you of pauls example and charge ? no bonds nor afflictions could move him , nor make him shun to declare the whole counsel of god. and how strict is the command , that you take heed to your selves , and all the flock , over whom the holy ghost hath made you bishops ? and let it be noted , how pertinent the motive is , because grievous wolves are entred in , not sparing the flock : and will you , at such a time , give over your care for the flock ? are we not most dreadfully charged , besore god , and our lord jesus christ , and the elect angels , to observe these things , and to preach the word , and be instant , and reprove , rebuke , exhort with all long suffering ? and shall we flinch at the beginning of any suffering ? are we not required to continue in doctrine , as ever we would save our selves , or them that hear us ? hath not our lord told us , that he that hath set his hand to the plough , and looketh back , is not fit for the kingdom of god ? let us call upon your bowels . * where there is no vision , the people perish : and can you see them perish , when you have † bread enough , and to spare ? further , are not you they , that * are set for the defence and confirmation of the gospel ? and will not you stand to your work , against the † contradictions of men , that would * make the work of the lord to cease ? besides , now is the time for you to † approve your selves to be ministers of god , in much patience , affliction , necessity , distress , imprisonment , labour , watchings , fastings ; by long-suffering , by kindness , by the holyghost , by love unfeigned , word of truth , power of god , armour of righteousness , on the right hand and on the left . is not this the work of your office and calling , to watch in all things , to suffer afflictions , and thereby to make full proof of your ministry , and , as good souldiers of jesus christ , to endure hardness ? shall you with jona , fly to tarshish , when the lord sends you about your work ? will you not rather say , with resolution , as holy nehemiah , shall such a man as i flee ? who is there , that being as i am , would flee ? &c. and as the apostles , your leaders , when in your case ; and now , lord , behold their threatnings , and grant unto thy servants , that with all boldness they may speak thy word . shall we humbly mind you of the relation wherein you stand , and the strong obligations resulting thence ? o how much is the glory of christ , and good of souls , bound up in you ? who will not presage a fatal change , when the † keepers of the house tremble , and the strong men bow themselves ? should not the * pillars of the lord's house stand upright under their weight ? shall the † jachin and boaz of the temple be as a man without strength ? you are the champions of the lord ; and shall not you be * valiant for the truth upon earth ? and confess your lord in the face of danger , though in † midst of a wicked and adulterous generation ? are not you the shepherds of the flocks ? and shall the true shepherds flee , as * soon as they see the wolves , and leave the sheep ? when should they shew their care and diligence , their solicitude and watchfulness , if not when the beasts of prey come to tear , and to destroy ? you are the † stewards and dispensers of the mysteries of god , that are to give to all the family their portion , every one in their season ; and blessed is that servant ( only ) whom his lord when he cometh shall find so doing : and how will the master look on you at his return , if you suffer the family to starve , when he hath left with you for their supply till he come ? and hath not god charged , that you † trade with your talents ? and as you have received the gift , so you minister the same to others , without which you cannot be good stewards of the manifold grace of god ? and yet do you let your talents lie unoccupied ? are not you the † physicians of the churches ? and when should they ply their patients , unless when in most danger to be infected with the mortal plague , and common leprosie of the times ? in a word , are you † nurses , and yet deny your sucklings your brest ? * fathers and yet will not give † bread to your sons that ask it ? watchmen of the lord , and yet neglect your fearful charge ; who would not tremble at those dreadful injunctions , ezk. . . and . . whereby we are required to give men warning , or else , if they should perish , their blood shall be required at our hands . finally , hath not the lord ordained you to be his * prophets ? and shall not your souls be moved , neither at the thundering charge at the entrance , nor the sweet promise in the close of those piercing and powerful words , jer. . , . thou therefore gird up thy loins , and arise and speak unto them all that i command thee ; be not dismayed at their fears , lest i confound thee before them : for behold i have made thee this day , a defenced city , and an iron pillar , and brazen wals against , &c. and they shall fight against thee , but shall not prevail against thee , for i am with thee , saith the lord , to deliver thee . the passage seems like the stormy wind , the amazing earthquake , and the fire of god , in the vision of the prophet , ending in the sweet , soft and still voice . o let the words of the living god work either upon your fear or upon your hope . suffer us to stay you a while with a few serious questions , which in all humility we do request you , to let your grave considerations dwell for a time upon . we beseech you , let not our importunity be grievous , nor our words seem tedious , in so pondrous and important a case . but to prevent misunderstandings in what we say , we must be forced more than we would to lengthen , by premising a three-fold caution . we would not be so understood in any thing , as if we did undervalue the sufferings of our most deserving brethren , or were unthankful to god , or them , that they have so manfully stood for the truth , and resisted the strong temptations to sinful compliance , even to the peril of their families , the loss of goods and livelihood , and their beloved imployment amongst their dear people . we must , we do , and shall while we live , bless the lord for this their courage and constancy ; that they have kept the word of his patience , and have not denied his name : and have born their publick testimony against the corruptions of the times ; though we are forced ( with submission ) to mind them , what pity it is , that they that did run so well , should not reach to the end of their race . we would not be understood , as if we did lay the blame of silence upon all our fathers and brethren , that have been thrust out for conscience towards god. we know there are of them , and that not a few , ( glory be to god ) that are harder at work than ever ; labouring in season , and out of season , by night and by day ; whose reward is with the lord , yea , a great reward , and their praise throughout all the churches . we would not have what we speak of the present ministry , to be understood de omni . we may not without grievous breach of charity deny , but some few ( alas too few ) are pious , sedulous , as well as singularly endowed with learning and abilities ; but we speak only of the generality ; and would to god their lives and labours would confute our too just complaints . after these cautions , we humbly subjoyn a few moving questions . whether you think in your hearts , that the ministry that now is , will ever keep up the power of godliness ? o that we could but charitably believe it ! but who can deny his senses ! alas ! how should christ's kingdom and interest , and the power of holiness be suported by these hands ? if idleness will do it , if ignorance will do it , if loosness will do it , if malice will do it , then these men will bear up the power of godliness . do you not know that too many of them hate it , both name and thing ? do not they plainly make it , not the prize they aim at , but the but they shoot at ? these things are a lamentation , and shall be for a lamentation . in this we know you are sufficently convinced . whether you can see religion sinking , falling , dying away , and you never put your hands and shoulders to it , and yet be blameless ? fathers and brethren , you are the * shoulders that must bear up the ark of the lord. do not your † hearts tremble for the ark of god ? do you see it falling , and yet withdraw your shoulders , and keep your hands in your bosomes ? you would condemn that man deservedly , as void of christian charity , yea , common humanity , that should not take up his neighbour , and labour to chafe and rub , and recover him to life when fallen down by you in a swooning fit . fathers , where then are your bowels ? where are your compassions , and your zeal for the interest of christ and holiness : if you see religion it self in this swooning fit , and hast not with your utmost help , will the lord hold you guiltless , if you should altogether hold your peace at such a time as this ? whether * there will a blessing follow him that keepeth in his corn in a time of famine ? behold england is crying unto you in her famine , as egypt to joseph , for with you is the store ; for the lord's sake † open the store-houses . now or never stir up your gifts , we seem to hear the fainting souls of the forsaken , starving flocks , comming and crying to you , as they to him , o give us bread , for why should we dye in thy presence ? we seem to see the famishing cheeks approaching you , and calling for relief , expostulating as they , wherefore should we dye before thine eyes ? give us food that we may live and not dye , gen. . . for the lord's sake bear with us to be a little plain with you ; are your souls sensible of the famine upon the land , or are they not ? if not ( as we cannot , we dare not , we do not think so of you fathers ; for we doubt not your integrity with god ) you were , we will not say no fathers , but not so much as true children or members of the church , having no natural affection , no christian sympathy . if you are indeed sensible of the famine , how can you keep in the corn ? surely the voyce of god to a withholding-minister , seems like that , lam. . . arise , cry out in the night , in the beginning of the watches ; pour out thine heart like water before the lord ; lift up thine hands towards him for the life of thy young children , that faint for hunger in the top of every street : it grieves us to urge what yet we cannot keep in . fathers , we reverence you from our hearts , but cannot but set before you the gemitus & suspiria of grieved souls , who seem to cry to you , as lam. . . even the sea-monsters draw out the breasts , they give suck to their young ones ; the daughter of my people is become cruel , like the ostriches of the wilderness . whether it will not impair the honour of our glorious profession , if the followers should be of more courage and resolution than their leaders , and leave their spiritual commanders behind ? to be plain , the people are willing and forward to venture with you ; and to run the resk of it , and shall their leaders be more backward than they ? were you like to be alone it were more excusable ; but they are ready to suffer with you , and run all hazards that may come upon them for their duty in hearing : and shall we only stand back ? shall not a willing people , make a willing ministry ? o let the * governours of israel offer themselves willingly amongst the people . whether a great part of your flocks will not be in extreemest danger to run wild to seducers , and despisers of government , † if you do not step in : evident it is that somewhere they must & will hear ; and for the formal pharisees , or prophane hophnies , these they will never be induced to sit down under . what then wil be the consequence , but that they wil be under strongest temptations , to run to the tents of erroneous teachers , and ( to their great peril ) lend their ears to the instruction that causeth to er from the words of knowledge . experience writes a sad probatum est to what we say in this ; of which how mischievous the issue may be , we leave you to consider . yea , judge your own selves , we beseech you , whether false teachers will not have a fairer advantage than ever , to get in with our people , and glory over our ministry and churches , if they be ready and forward in hazarding themselves among their parties , when ours onely shall decline their flocks and labours , as soon as times grow periloas ? whether you will not put a reproach into the mouths of our adversaries , and give them occasion to speak evil of our office , when you shall be found to give over the work , as soon as ever the pay doth cease ? our hearts do honour you , but there be that reproach you as hirelings , which they now strengthen themselves in , and more confidently and colourably than ever , perswade others off ; ( first ) because you give over the work as soon as ever the maintenance do fail . ( secondly ) because ( they say ) you flee as soon as the woolf doth approach , and will not bide by the sheep , when your liberty and outward comfort is thereby like to be in danger . will you not care that the ministry be not blamed , and study to roul off so colourable an occasion of reproach ? shall we suffer the world to think that the spring of all our motion , the oyl to our wheels , the wind in our sailes was nothing but outward advantage ? whether you had your commission , office and authority from the magistrate , and your power in , and relation to the church , be of a civil stamp ? we know the magistrate doth not pretend to this : and if none but christ did , nor could commissionate you , can any but he discharge you ? or can the relation between the church and you ( if divine and spiritual ) cease upon the interposition of a power meerly political , which is toto genere distinct ? if the magistrate did not constitute and cause this relation , how can he make it to cease ? or take away what ( confessedly ) he cannot give ? were not this to make it to be at the magistrates pleasure whether christ shall have any ministry or no ? any service or no ? whether there shall be any preaching or not ? and so indeed , whether god shall have any church or no ? and if the magistrate cannot make your relation to the church to cease , how can he make the duty of that relation to cease ? sith the shadow doth not more naturally and necessarily follow the substance , than the duty doth the relation . in a word ; will it be a sufficient answer , at god's righteous judgement , when the lord shall ask us why we did not preach the gospel as he had bid us ? to say , lord , it was because the magistrate did forbid us . god is our record in heaven , that we are of those that do unfeignedly fear the lord , and honour the king ; to whom we shall ever yeeld obedience in licitis , deny submission in nullis . only we are afraid , that it will not be sufficient in that dreadful day , to produce the magistrates warrant for our discharge , when directly contradicting the tremendous charge of our lord jesus christ , who shall judge both quick and dead at his appearing . we verily fear , the magistrates dispensation will not be allowed before his tribunal ; and then what a sorry case were we in , should we desist thereupon from our work ? whether god hath forsaken those of his ministers , that have set to their work , since the day of that fatal stroke ? or , whether he hath not owned them by his assistance , presence , approbation , and the ample testimonies of his favour , & honoured his name and gospel by their labours , tryals , imprisonments , and sufferings whatever , that they have endured ? hath the gospel lost ground by them ? it may be enquired , whether there be any place for repentance in their prisons , ( where they have time enough to reflect upon their actions and correct what was amiss ) or whether they are not for ever settled , strengthened , and doubly confirmed in their resolutions , by their prison-comforts and encouragments ? and whom should we believe in this , sooner then those that have tryed the worst ? there is another question , that we fear to put to you , but will rather let the apostle himself ask you , john . , , . whoso hath the worlds goods ( and we add , much more , whoso hath the heavenly goods to dispence ) and seeth his brother ( much more his distressed mother ) hath need , and shutteth up his bowels of compassion from him , how dwelleth the love of god in him ? whether you will be able comfortably to answer the lord , when he shall put to any of you this interrogatory , with whom hast thou left those few sheep in the wilderness ? o that you would but consider with whom you have left them ! is it not manifestly and mostly with [ blind-guides ] with spiteful shepherds , or rather wolves in shepherds cloathing ? with [ cruel fathers ] that * that give stones instead of bread , and scorpions for fish ? with [ violent watchmen ] that when the distressed spouse hath come to seek her beloved , have woundded her , and smitten her , and took away her vail ? shall not our hearts melt , to think of leaving the steerage of our vessels in such unskilful hands , or with such selfish pilots , as look no further then their own cabbin ? or sensual shepherds , that feed themselves , and not the flocks ? or physicians , that have themselves the plague sores running upon them ? may we not say unto our neighbour , go away and come again when we have it by us , and shall we deny our people our care and over-sight , when their cries , or at least their wants , do call so loudly for it ? have we gained many to the profession of the gospel , and begotten many of them in truth unto christ , and now shall we leave them to sink or swim , when no man careth for their souls ? is this our tenderness to the * children that god hath given us ? is this like timothy † naturally to care sor their state ? is * this to cherish them as a nurse cherisheth her children ? is this , like paul , † to be ready to he offered up , upon the service of their faith , and * not account our lives dear unto us so we may finish our course with joy ; and the ministry we have recerved , to testify the gospel of the grace of god ? fathers and brethren , it grieveth us , that you who are worthies should be compared to the unnatural among the birds , † which leaveth her eggs in the earth , and forgeteth that the feet may crush them , or that the wild beasts may break them , she is hardned against her young ones , as though they were not hers . — pudet haec opprobia nobis et dici potuisse , et non potuisse refelli . whether your prayers and good wishes for your people , while you draw not forth your * souls to the hungry , be not like their cold alms , † that if a brother or sister be naked and destitute of daily food , do only say unto them , depart in peace , be you warmed and filled , notwithstanding not giving them those things , which are needful to the body ? whether you can , without highest injustice , yea ( we would tremble to speak it ) without most dreadful sacriledge , withhold the churches goods when she is ready to perish for want ? fathers and brethren , who ever say their tongues are their own , yours are not : * you are the churches , a part of her legal dowry , you are her most proper goods , her most rightful claim , † given her by christ himself , yea given to her for ever , for her use . your gifts , your graces , all you talents , they are unquestionably church goods , a publick stock , for common use , in which all may claim a share . you are * debtors to all . and have you forgotten the charge of the lord , prov. . . withhold not good from them to whom it is due , when it is in the power of thine hand to do it . whether it be not better to glorify god by a prison ( if that you fear should come upon you ) than to be an offence and stumbling-block by sitting still ? consider we beseech you , what are we for , but our maker's ends ? what are we good for , for what do we serve , but only for his pleasure ? better we had no being , than not to be for him. better we were without liberty , than that it should not serve him. what a small thing is riches or poverty ; sickness or health ; liberty or bonds , unless in order to his glory ? let us but live in the power of this acknowledged principle , that it is our business and our blessedness to glorifie god , and all will be set at rights . if that be true , then that is the best condition , wherein we may best glorifie god , and the happiness of every estate , is to be esteemed , according to the order and reference that it hath to this end . now then , let god glorifie himself in us , and it cannot but be well . what should you then do but set to the work ? for either god will preserve your liberties , and then you will wonderfully glorifie him by your acting and venturing your selves for him ; or else he will send you to prison , and then you will more glorifie him by suffering , lying there as the publick hostages of the churches , and witnesses of god's truth ; besides that it may render you the more serviceable in your generation all your dayes after . but how little is god glorified by you either way , while you sit still ? or , are you not rather an offence , and a grief to the spirits of the godly , weakning the hands of your active brethren , and wounding the spirits of your dear people ? who can see others at work , and partake of strangers labours , when you their shepherds give over your care for their souls ? whether by this recess you do not neglect the fairest opportunity that ever you had , or may have , in all your lives , to honour the god that sent you , to save sinners , build up saints , and everlastingly to vindicate the reputation of christ's ministry , and further your own peace and comfort here , and glory hereafter ? never had you so clear and so loud a call to hazard your selves for god , and thereby to prove your integrity before him , and resolution for him , and to give publick testimony of your zeal , and the ardour of your love to his name , as now . never had you such an open and effectual door for the doing good to souls , whether for conversion or edification . now the hearts of the people cleave to you more than ever , if you lose them not by your own neglect . now they see the difference between the precious and the vile ; between the hay and stubble of the present materials , and the gold and silver that you did build with ; between the burning and shining lights , and the stinking and loathsome snuffs . o how erect are their ears ! and their hearts long , and their mouths water ( as we say ) and their souls wait for your words . we seem to see the thronging croud , the willing people , * watching at the gates of wisdom , waiting at the posts of her doors , looking when you will speak , that they might be refreshed ; when your † words will distill as the dew , and drop as the showers * upon the mowen grass , or parched ground . we see them gathering about you , and saying with them , † behold , we are all here ready to hear all things that are commanded you of god. now may the messenger of the lord indeed say , they * waited for me as the rain , and they opened their mouths wide as for the latter rain . how hungry are their souls ? how do they hang upon your lips ? how far will they travel ? how early will they rise ? how hard will they venture ( expertis credite , glory be to god , we speak what we know ) to get a wholsome meal , to enjoy god in the pure and powerful administration of his ordinances . verily the field is even white to the harvest . o how great is the pitty , that at such a time you should have your hands out , and not thrust in your sickle . the people seem ready to catch at your words , as benhadads servants , as soon as they dropped from the mouth of the king of israel . if you think it would not be so with you , we fear it is either , first , for want of experience , because you have not tryed ; or , secondly , ( if we may presume to be so plain ) through the neglect of too many , who are otherwise worthies , but have here through their own supineness , suffered the affections of people to dye , and the coal of religious zeal to go out , for want of blowing . but if they will but blow up this sacred fire out of the ashes , and lay the coals together , and give their people to taste of the pure milk of the word , we miss our mark , if they want an encouraging auditory , unless where religion , in the most professing times , hath been a stranger . awake then , for now is the time for you to settle your selves for ever in the affections of your people . now you may prove your love to them , as you never could before , by hazarding your selves for their good . now you may prove their love to your ministry , and to the wayes of god , as never you could till now . do you say , this is a carnal argument ? we answer , 't is true , he is but an hypocrite , that looks no higher than the approbation of men , yea the best of men ; but yet we add , that the affections of god's people , is a very choice and special mercy . he that hath their hearts , shall have their prayers ; and is that a little thing ? but these are little , to that we would especially answer , and that is ; he that hath the peoples esteem and affections , for the lord's sake , hath the directest way in the world to their hearts , and the fairest advantage possible to serve god's interest upon them , and further his work in them , which every gracious minister must needs value above all this worlds goods , as that upon which the success of his ministry , for winning and furthering souls , doth wonderfully depend . once again ; never had you such an opportunity in your lives , fore ver to put to silence the slanderous tongues of seducers , as now ; they have vilified you as hirelings , flesh-pleasers , that will go no further in religion than will stand with your own advantage : o now or never confute them . what a loude refutation of their callumnies would your engaging to purpose in the work of god be at such a time as this ? all sorts of men have been ready to take up prejudices against us , as self-seekers , and such as looked little further than their maintenance . now pluck up these prejudices by the roots : now shew you can serve the lord for nought . what lewd lyes will all these imputations appear to be , if the lord stir you up to holy an activity ? we can but touch upon your own advantage , as indeed , we cannot dwell upon any thing , having so much to say in a little . when had you such an advantage to get setled assurance and peace as now ? you can tell us better then our selves , ( who yet blessed be god , speak what we have seen and felt ) that the most self-denying services are the best evidences , and so bring in greatest comforts . when was there such a time to lay up treasure in heaven as now ? you know the massyest crown is for them that endure the hardest service . but we see there are many lions in the way . the flesh is loth to labour ( much more to suffer ) but cryes , master spare thy self , and will find an hundred arguments to turn off a costly and hazardous duty . we dispair the work will be done without removing the prejudices , and therefore shall not dissemble the difficulties and objections that be in the way . object . . it will be said , we are prohibited by the magistrate . sol. . was not this the apostles case again and again ? were not they commanded , * yea strictly charged , not to preach any more ? but did they give over ? why should not we answer with them , † it is better to obey god than man ? doth god charge us so deply , so dreadfully , and shall we think our selves discharged if man contradict it ? if the magistrate should be thought indeed to have such a power of dispensations , will not here be a fine easy way for idle drones to shift the yoke , and leave the plow ? for 't wil but be to get an order from above for not preaching ; and then when the chief shepherd shall appear , to pluck out his indulgence , and no more can be said . but we fear god will not be so put off . are not god's forbidden messengers , † yet charged by him to speak without fear , and that under a dreadful penalty , and shall we fear man's wrath for preaching , more than god's wo if we preach not ? repl. but it is said , here is preaching though we sit still : whereas then the gospel was wholly forbidden to be preached , and so would have been extinct if they had obeyed . ans. . 't is true here is preaching , but if not by us , how badly have we answered , the formidable charge of almighty god to us , or our sacred and solemn vows to him ? will our lord be put off by this , as a sufficient answer for our loytering , that others were a labouring ? ans. . there is indeed a ministry , and preaching ( such as it is ) but whether such as is like to answer the ends of either , judge you . what are the next ends of the ministry in sum , but † conversion and * edification ? and are these like to convert souls , that have neither will nor skill to deal with them about their conversion , but perswade them they are all regenerated and converted already ? o how evidently do they † harden them in their sins ( for the most part ) both by their doctrine and lives , in stead of turning them from them ! and are they like to edify in holiness , who are apparently the venemous enemies of holiness ? who for strict and precise walking ( without which no man shall see god ) do openly , though covertly , inveigh against it , as needless niceness , and the worst of folly . now if we have a ministry , but such as doth not answer the ends of a ministry , how few degrees are we the better for them than if we had none ? . your eyes will convince you , if you will but look abroad , that where there is no better help , than of an idle , ignorant , loose-living ministry ( under which rank god knows , we speak it with grief of heart , too many , not to say the most of those that are late come in , may be reckoned ) or than the cold and heartless way that is generally in use ; the coal of religion doth even go out , and the heat and spirit of christianity dye away : and is it not high time then , for you to blow up the remaining sparks ? sol. . is it so indeed , our reverend fathers and brethren , is it conscience of the magistrates prohibition that keeps you back ( bear with us if we be a little free with you ) why then do you neglect what you might do , without crossing the magistrate's command ? if men did see you go so far as the magistrate gives you leave , they would be likely to believe , the conscience of his authority did keep you in ; otherwise they will suspect this ( too too groundedly ) for a pretext . if the magistrate doth forbid sermons to your people , he doth not forbid letters . why do you not call upon and quicken them frequently by these ? if he forbid you the pulpits , he doth not forbid you your neighbours houses . why are they no more visited ? may you not preach to a private family , or single person ? * and such was our saviours , and the apostles preaching , oft-times . you might be the shorter and the oftner this way , and this would be a likely means of doing no little good , if painfully followed . though you are forbidden to set open the windows and keep publick trading , yet what hinders but that you may have a private warehouse ? is it forbidden you to write out a sermon once or twice a week and send it amongst your people , and let it be read in their families , and copies conveyed from hand to hand . this some have done , and this would be a testimony to your people of your constant care for their souls , and that you are willing to do what you thought you lawfully might : whereas now they will say , they see the contrary . object . . but abiathar's quiet secession is objected , who ( 't is said ) when thrust out of the office of the priesthood , did not turbulently busie himself in doing the work of that office , but retired to a private life , and dwelt quietly in his own house . sol. this is not an objection for the friends of our call and office to make ; the case between him and us being so wonderfully disproportionate , as we might many wayes shew . we shall instance but in four things . . abiathar , as it seems , had no right to the priesthood : for it did , by right , belong to another line . for * abiathar was of the line of eli , who it is not known how he came to the priesthood : whereas zadok ( put in in his room ) was the son of phinehas , and heir in a direct line to aaron , and so seems to have the right of priesthood belonging to him , both by lineal descent , being the proper heir to it , and also by god's special promise . . abiathar was put out by two princes , who were inspired by god , ( and who knows but they may do it by extraordinary direction ? ) by david , who anointed zadok priest in his room , while he was yet living ; and also by solomon , ratifying his fathers act. . when abiathar was thrust out , † zadok ( not hophni or phinehas ) was put in his room ; a man * owned and beloved of god , sufficiently , yea † eminently fitted for the work ; so that he might recede , without fear of miscarrying of the work of the lord , by the ignorance or wickedness of him that it was entrusted with . were this the case here , that your work were put into the hands of the best of men , and like to be better carried on by those , to whom 't is now committed , than before : yea , if it were not like to sink and fail , we should not think our selves so much concerned , to offer these ungrateful lines unto you . . above all , abiathar had † forfeited his place by his treason ; so that the king might justly have cut off his person and priesthood too : for , he was a man of death , kings . . and the sentence of death * solomon is thought to have held him under , so that he should be only upon his good-behaviour , and responsible for his crime upon any new provocation . object . . but it 's further said , this will be a great occasion of separation , if ministers set up in private , and draw away a great part of the people from the service of god in publick . sol. . the separation be upon others , who when we were quietly setled in the administration of church-ordinances , in a more pure and reformed sort , are come in upon us , and have possessed our places and pulpits , and thrust us by the places of publick convention . we continue still but in the same station , and the same work , † watching over our flocks , and administring according to our office , with no other difference , but only that the place is altered ; which being at the magistrates dispose , we quietly left it , according to our duty upon his command . . yea , your not preaching will occasion separation indeed : for whither will the people run headlong , if not stayed and guided by the interposition of your wisdom and prudence ? your moderation will be the likeliest means to keep them from extreams : for you are they that have their hearts ; by others they will not be guided . for this , experience affords abundant instances , and too sad proof ; people every where joyning themselves to the greatest of separatists , rather then they will rest satisfied with liveless jejune , sapless administrations , offered withal by hands so unclean , and in vessels so impure , as somewhere they are . . what is done in private , may be so prudently and inoffencively managed , as to the season , as that ( in case you and others are so satisfied ) you , and they , may orderly and timely attend , what is done in publick , and shew your readiness to unity and peace , though you bear your testimony against the corruptions that are on foot , evidencing your non-acquiescence in such impure and imperfect modes of administration and ignorant and ungodly dispencers , as too generally use them . . the most commendable endeavours after christian unity , must be conjunct with a study of gospel-purity and the power of godliness , together with the testifying of our vehement anhelation after it , and our vigorous endeavours ( in all lawful and peaceable means ) for the obtaining of it . but how this should be evidenced and effected ( not to mention the hardning of others to think they are in the right , and all is well ) when men do fully jump in with all that is on foot and acquiesce in it , looking for no farther help , we cannot well understand . obj. . but it is added , that this will destroy god's publick worship , and alienate men from it . sol. . it is not the place , but the company conveened , that makes the worship to be publick . the meeting is publick , and so the worship publick , though the place may not be publick : else there was no publick worship in the time of great persecution , when the assemblies of christians * met by stealth in private houses . . it hath been already shewed , that there is a possibility of doing this , without neglecting the ordinances of god more publickly dispensed . obj. . but there is a secret and most forcible objection yet behind , which we fear lies with many at the bottom , though it come not so freely out ; that this is against our safety , and will certainly expose us to persecution ; and for a man to adventure himself for an opportunity or two , to so great a hazard , as to become a miserable captive , and a prey to the sons of violence , seems but folly . sol. . why then do you neglect that of your work which would not expose to pesecution ? cannot you dwell with your people , and keep the oversight of them , and watch to see when danger approaches , and give them warning ( though more privately ) whereby to prevent their ruine ? we humbly conceive , it is a part , and no little part of a ministers duty † personally to instruct his people and to visit his charge , and to preach from house to house , and that distinct from publick preaching : now this would not expose you to any suffering , and yet how sadly is this neglected ? there was a time when this duty , being urged , the great objection against it was , because ministers had not time from their publick imployments . brethren , let us deal plainly with god and with men ; why then is this great duty now neglected ? now when we have little else to do ; especially since 't is acknowledgly the great duty of ministers , and they may do it with safety , and be greatly instrumental in it : and have now few other wayes to edify their people ; is it for want of time now that they do not do it ? or from the multitude and weight of their publick imployments ? but , . is it true indeed , shall the fear of persecution make us desist from the work that god hath committed to us with such a dreadful charge to fulfil it ? wherein we may fo wonderfully glorify him that sent us , and in the doing whereof , the saving of our own and our peoples souls is so much concerned : will not the people say that our own safty is dearer to us , either than their souls , or our own , yea than god's glory , if this should keep us back ? as we verily fear this will be found the greatest remora . we do but desire that conscience may plainly speak in the case , and tell men truly , whether if this were removed , they would not fall forthwith to their work. but hath not god said * blessed are they that are persecuted for righteousness sake , for theirs is the kingdom of heaven . blessed are ye when men persecute you and revile you , &c. rejoyce and be exceeding glad , for great is your reward in heaven : for so persecuted they the prophets which were before you ? hath not he assured us we shall † come off no losers by him , but shall have an hundred-fold even with persecution ; yea , and that in this time , and in the world to come life eternal ? is it not really * a glorious priviledge to suffer for christ , and a † badg of singular honour ? have the former saints thirsted for the crown of martyrdom , and * gloried in the cross of christ ? and is a fine or a prison enough to stop the mouths of gods servants nowadays by the hundreds ? is it indeed † all joy to fall into divers temptations , and are we afraid to venture ? where doth the * spirit of god and of glory rest but upon suffering saints ? by † whom is god glorified so much as by his suffering witnesses ? by what is the gospel * more furthered than by the bonds and tribulations of its ministers ? what better way to ensure the † crown of life , and get the * double portion in the blessing , than by enduring temptations and persecutions for the gospel ? what will so much † intend our graces , further our experiences , help on mortification , and * inhance our eternal glory , as our patient bearing for christ ? brethren , what will work upon us , if we will be quickned neither by the consideration of god's glory , nor our own ? hath christ suffered for us , both as our † surety , and pattern ? and have we such a cloud of martyrs , that have so stoutly led the van ? and shall we shift off our work for fear of persecution ? let us humbly request you but to view the encouraging promises , that christ hath made to sufferers for his name , which we can but hint , not handle , and let us submissively reason with you ; are not these the very things which we have over and over preached , and pressed on our people ? and shall we make them believe , by our flinching , that these things were not so ? bear with us , we beseech you ; are these things true , or are they not ? if not , why have we taught them ? if they be , why do we not live up to them ? o that we did but act as if we our selves had believed in what we have preached ! will it not be a real confutation of what we have taught concerning the blessed advantage and glory of the cross , if we ( when put to it ) shall decline the cross , notwithstanding all the blessedness , we made people believe , we thought to be in it ? god forbid that we should tempt men to atheism and infidelity ; and make them believe , there is no more in preaching , no more in promises , than a flourishing talk . the conclusion . but now it is time to think of closing . we fear we have been tedious and troublesome ; but suffer us yet to utter a few sighs more unto you . we should not have thus pressed and presumed upon you , had not the necessity of the case required it . reverend and beloved , if we cannot prevail with you ; yea rather , if god ( that hath the power of hearts ) do not prevail with you , poor souls will rue it , and christ's honour and interest will suffer for it , his gospel will be a great loser by it . pardon us therefore if we are loth to let you go : fain we would that you should not be at the end of this paper , before it hath attain'd its end ; that you should not turn away your eyes from these lines , till you have resolved to set to your work. o when will you be weary with forbearing . jer. . . i said , i will not make mention of him , nor speak any more in his name ; but his word was in my heart , as a burning fire shut up in my bones , and i could not stay . have you sate down in your discouragements , and said with him in his infirmity , yet now may your hearts wax hot within you , that you may speak with your tongue . o that we could hear you saying with elihu , † i am full of matter , the spirit within me constraineth me ; i will speak that i may be refreshed , i will open my lips and answer . what shall we say , our * mouth is open to you , our heart is enlarged . o that we did but know what would prevail with you ! we † would fill our mouths with arguments : we would not let you go , till you had granted our humble motion . who shall chuse our words for us ? alas , that we did but know what would pierce ! it grieves us to think we should have done , before the work be done ; and that after all this , we should leave you as we found you . we verily fear , lest the argument of self-preservation will at last prove more forcible upon you , than all the moving arguments that we can chuse ; and that men are so in love with the way they have setled in , ( from which they mostly think it dishonourable to recede ) that they will not be turned . shall we go from words to tears ? o that we could command them ! but we have not , ( the lord pardon us ) we have not the bowels and meltings , that we should have in presenting you such a pitiful case . shall we we fall from arguing to begging ? o that this would do it ! verily , we could creep on our knees unto you , for the lord's sake , let our words be accepted with you , do not despise our request ; accept this petition , as if it were written in the mingled tears , of us and your people . verily , these are the things , that they do sigh out before the lord in secret . shall none of their miseries nor necessities move you ? was the tongue of the dumb-born son of croesus loosed , by the vehement commotion of nature in him , when he saw one about to murder his father ? and shall not the necessity of souls loose yours ? o think , by whom shall these be gathered ? we beseech you , by the children ( as it were ) of your own † bodies , by the * love you bear to our precious saviour , ( whose interest it is , not our own , that we have all this while pleaded with you ; ) we beseech you , by your high and holy calling , by all the commands and promises of the glorious gospel , by all your vows to the most high god at your solemn admission to your sacred function , feed the flock of god , which he † hath purchased with his own blood. in a word , by the bowels of fathers , by the tears and cryes of children , by the necessities , distresses , groans , and sorrows of our afflicted mother , we beseech you do not turn a deaf ear to these requests . fulfil you your peoples joy : refresh their bowels in the lord. we are in deepest earnest with you , and do in some measure feel what we speak . we go not to act a part . the case is very deplorable , that is before you . you see what havock is made , and what is like to become of poor souls . o if there be any * consolation in christ , any comfort of love , any fellowship of the spirit , any bowels and mercies , feed christ's lambs , feed his sheep . we humbly and tremblingly leave all at your feet ; and fearing lest all our beggings to you will not prevail , we turn our selves to beg of god for you , and the souls committed to you and us . o thou * shepherd and bishop of souls , the † great and good shepherd of the sheep , that gavest thy self for them , that * gavest thy ministry to them , for the perfecting of thy saints , for the edifying of thy body ; quicken thy forgetful stewards , to look to the pinching wants of thy distressed family . awaken thine under-shepherds ; call up thy watchmen to watch over thy flock by night , that the beasts of prey may not devour them . sleep not thou , o lord , in the sides of the ship , when the water is come in , even to the soul , and we are all in jeopardy . hear the moving cryes of thy children and disciples , about thee ; lord , save us , or else we perish . behold how thy flock is scattered , and few search or seek after them , so that they become a † prey to every beast of the field , because there is no shepherd . o fulfill thy promise , and take the work into thine own hands . do * thou feed thy flock , and cause them to lye down . thou hast said , † i will seek that which was lost , and bring again that which was driven away , and will bind up that which was broken , and will strengthen that which was sick : but i will destroy the fat , and the strong , and will feed them with judgment . remember thy word unto thy servants , in which thou hast caused us to hope . o lord god , * thou art that god , and thy words are true , and thou hast promised this goodness unto thy † servants . thou , o lord god , hast spoken it ; be it unto thy servants according to thy word . o * turn the hearts of the fathers to the children , and of the children to the fathers . where are the † soundings of thy bowels ? where are the movings of their bowels ? o let the distresses of thy servants make their hearts to turn within them , and their repentings to kindle together , and give us once again , the men after thine own heart , and set thou up shepherds over us , that we * fear no more , nor be dismayed , neither be lacking , as thou hast promised . † so we thy people , and sheep of thy pasture , will give thee thanks for ever , and praise thy name to all generations . o lord , thy people say , amen . let all thy ministers say , amen , lord jesus , say thou , amen . finis . notes, typically marginal, from the original text notes for div a -e * job . . † tim. . . * pet. . . † tim. . * matt. . . † acts . . * col. . . cor. . . acts . , , . acts . . ver . . tim. . tim. . , . tim. . . luke . . * pro. . † luke . , . * phil. . . † heb. . . * neh. . . † cor. . , , , . tim. . . & . . jona . , . neh. . . act. . . † eccl. . , . * gal. . . † king. . . * jer. . . † mar. . * joh. . † mat. . cor. . , . † matth. . pet. . . † eze. . . † thes. . * thess. . . † matth. . , . * cor. . , . king. . , &c. caut. . caut. . caut. . quest. . quest. . * josh. . . † sam. . . esth. . . * pro. . . quest. . † gen. . gen. . . quest. . * judg. . . quest. . † pet. . . prov. . quest. . cor. . . quest. . quest. . quest. . quest. . sam. . . * mat. . , . cant. . , . prov. . . * heb. . † phil. . . * thess. . , . † phil. . . * acts . † job . , , . quest. . * isa. . . † jam. . , , . quest. . * cor. . . † eph. . , , . * rom. . . quest. . quest. . * pro. . . † job . , . * deut. . † act. . * job . . . kings . . quest. answ. * act. . , . † act. . , , , . † act. . . jer. . . † act. . * ephes. . , . † matth. . . * see christ & his apostles preaching in private houses ( now called conventicling ) mark . , . acts . , . acts . . acts . , . ( and this our saviour did even in a church constituted , the priests and elders questioning his authority , matth. . . ) preaching to , and praying with the multitude , ( now called rout , riots , seditious asse●blies ) in the fields , by the sea , &c. acts . , . mat. . . mark . . & . , . & . . luke , , preaching to a private family or single person , john , &c. acts , . & , , . * king. , . see zadok his pedigree and heirship , chron. . . &c. the promise to phinehas . num. . . and consult the english annotations on king. . , . chr. . king. . † chro. . . * ezek. . . † sam. . . † king. . * see the dutch divines , on king. . . † luke . . pet. . . * act. . . act. . . † act. . . col. . . act. . . * mat. . , , . † mark . , . * phil. . . † act. . . * gal. . . cor. . . rom. . . † jam. . . * pet. . . † ibid. * phil. . . † jam. . . * mat. . . † rom. . , . jam. . . * cor. . , . † pet. . & . . † job . . * cor. . † job . . † job . . * john . , , . † act. . . * phil. , . * pet. . † heb. . joh. . . * ephes. . , . † ezek. . , . * ezek. . . † ibid. v. . * sam. . . † ibid. v. ● * mal. . . † isa. . . * jer. . . † psal. . . of the calling of the ministerie two treatises, discribing the duties and dignities of that calling. delivered publickly in the vniuersitie of cambridge, by maister perkins. taken then from his mouth, and now dilligently perused and published, by a preacher of the word with a preface prefixed touching the publishing of maister perkins his workes, & a catalogue of all such particulars thereof, as are to bee expected. perkins, william, - . approx. kb of xml-encoded text transcribed from -bit group-iv tiff page images. text creation partnership, ann arbor, mi ; oxford (uk) : - (eebo-tcp phase ). a stc estc s this keyboarded and encoded edition of the work described above is co-owned by the institutions providing financial support to the early english books online text creation partnership. this phase i text is available for reuse, according to the terms of creative commons . universal . the text can be copied, modified, distributed and performed, even for commercial purposes, all without asking permission. early english books online. (eebo-tcp ; phase , no. a ) transcribed from: (early english books online ; image set ) images scanned from microfilm: (early english books, - ; : ) of the calling of the ministerie two treatises, discribing the duties and dignities of that calling. delivered publickly in the vniuersitie of cambridge, by maister perkins. taken then from his mouth, and now dilligently perused and published, by a preacher of the word with a preface prefixed touching the publishing of maister perkins his workes, & a catalogue of all such particulars thereof, as are to bee expected. perkins, william, - . crashaw, william, - . [ ], , [ ], , [ ] p. by i. r[oberts] for william welby, and are to be sold at his shop in paules-churchyard, at the signe of the grayhound, imprinted at london : . dedication signed: w. crashawe. printer's name from stc. in two parts; part has a separate divisional title page, "the second treatise of the duties and dignities of the ministerie, by maister perkins", and separate pagination and register. reproduction of the original in the folger shakespeare library. created by converting tcp files to tei p using tcp tei.xsl, tei @ oxford. re-processed by university of nebraska-lincoln and northwestern, with changes to facilitate morpho-syntactic tagging. gap elements of known extent have been transformed into placeholder characters or elements to simplify the filling in of gaps by user contributors. eebo-tcp is a partnership between the universities of michigan and oxford and the publisher proquest to create accurately transcribed and encoded texts based on the image sets published by 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early works to . vocation, ecclesiastical -- early works to . - tcp assigned for keying and markup - spi global keyed and coded from proquest page images - judith siefring sampled and proofread - judith siefring text and markup reviewed and edited - pfs batch review (qc) and xml conversion of the calling of the ministerie two treatises , discribing the duties and dignities of that calling . delivered pvblickly in the vniuersitie of cambridge , by maister perkins . taken then from his mouth , and now dilligently perused and published , by a preacher of the word with a preface prefixed touching the publishing of maister perkins his works , & a catalogue of all such particulars thereof , as are to bee expected . cor. . . let a man so thinke of vs as of the ministers of christ , and disposers of the secrets of god. imprinted at london by i. r. for willliam welby , and are to be sold at his shop in paules-churchyard , at the signe of the grayhound . . to the right worshipfull sir edward cooke knight , his maiesties attorney generall , and sir thomas heskith knight , attorney of his highnes court of wardes & liueries , and one of his maiesties honourable counsell in the north , two of gods principall attorneyes in the cause of true religion . grace and peace from iesus christ. right worshipfull , giue mee leaue to put you both in one epistle , whō one seruice , one place , one profession , one order , & one religion haue so neerely combined : as you are brethren many waies , and especially in the profession & practise of one religion : so vouchsafe to be ioynt patrons of this little after-birth , this faetus posthumus , of that vvorthy man ma. perkins , now deceased . i send you heere one of the shortest , and one of the sweetest of his treatises : had it been as well brought foorth by me , as it ws begot by him , it had beene a child not vnwoorthy of so great a father : but seeing it is now as a fatherles child , be you the tutors to this orphane , at whose hands orphanes and wards haue euer been well vsed . the father whilst he liued was a shining light in this our church , and beeing dead , is a shining starre in heauen , for he turned manie to righteousnes , and his doctrine will shine in christian churches vvhilst the sunne shineth vppon the earth . the subiect of this treatise is the ministerie , whereof are layde downe the duties & dignities . and well dooth he couple these two together : for some can challenge the dignities of the ministerie , and cunningly cast the duties frō theyr shoulders : others performe the duties but are kept from the dignities dulle belonging to that calling : but as hee that will doe the duties , may iustly challenge the dignities , so he that will expect the dignities , must doe the duties of a minister : therefore in this building , these two beames are in great wisdome well set together by this wise maister builder , and so closelie coupled , as the idle or ambitious man cannot looke at the dignities , but he must withal behold the duties , nor the painful & laborious man see his dutie , but withal shal see the dignitie thereto belonging . and surely ( right worshipfull ) none might better haue written of this subiect then he : for who may more worthily describe the dignities of the ministerie then he , who neither by doctrine nor conuersation , was euer the least disgrace vnto his ministerie ? or who may better challenge the honour of his calling , then he who was euer an honour to his calling ; and vvho might better teach the duties of the ministerie , then hee who so discharged them , as enuie it selfe cannot iustly reproue , and the enemies thēselues cannot but (a) commend : and who may better teach them to others , then he that carefully practised thē in his owne person ? and as none could be a fitter author of this discourse then he , so not many fitter patrons then your selues : not many in your profession better schollers , nor any that better loue schollers then your selues : & you are some of those few in this wicked age , who willingly yield all dignities and due reuerence to such ministers as you see willingly to discharge the duties of good ministers . well would it be with the ministerie of england , ( and the better with it , the better with england ) if all as great as you , vvere as great friends to it as you . and if the papists except , and say how can this be , for that you haue beene persecuters of their priests , let me answere once for you , who often aunswere for many distressed men : they persecute you with slander , that say you persecuted thē , ( but be content to beare your part in popish slanders , with our prince and state , our counsellers & clergie , our parliaments and lawes , for none of these haue escaped these viperous tongues ) for though you haue executed the lawes vpon some of them in your seuerall places , yet not with sharpnes nor seueritie , but with mercifull iustice , and that also not as they were priests , but plotters , practisers , subuerters , and seducers : and as they vvere priests , you sought their reformation , not their ruine . and if they , who can hardlie discharge themselues from beeing priests of baal , haue had but iustice , and that also tempered with mercy , it shewes how good regard you haue , and howe much you esteeme all good and faithfull ministers , which are gods interpreters . in a word , if all our ministers were such as this treatise describeth , or came but as neere it as the author hereof did , & if all our great ones did vse & esteeme good ministers as you do , we should then soone pull the ministerie frō vnder that foote of contempt , with which this prophane age doth daily tread vpon it . the church of rome , who are farre wiser in theyr kinde then the children of light , haue taken other & strange courses to magnifie the clergie . they teach , that the state ecclesiasticall , is so far more excellent then the ciuile , as the sunne is then the moone , & that not in spirituall onely , ( for that we deny not ) but in temporall power , pompe , & estate : and that therefore the chiefe of their clergie , is as farre aboue the mightiest emperour , as the sunne is aboue the moone ; and as the moone borroweth her light from the sunne , so doth the emperour his state and power from the pope . they teach , that the clergie is a state so distinct , & so absolute of it selfe , as it hath not to do with the ciuile state , yea they exempt their clergie , from beeing any vvay subiect to the temporall magistrate . and though their crimes , be neuer so many or monstrous , yet the prince , or ciuile authoritie , hath nothing to do to take notice thereof , much lesse to punnish them : & herevpon great volumes are written , and many acts and decrees are made in theyr cannon law , de exemptione clericorum . they extoll their clergie aboue the temporaltie , allowing the priests both breade and wine in the sacrament , but leauing the laitie bread alone . they make them in their masse mediators betwixt christ & god the father , & creators of their creator and redeemer , when and as often as themselues list . and finally , they send for the most part , all their clergie immediatly to heauen without let , wheras all the temporalty ( except martyrs ) must passe by purgatory . here are great buildings , but on a sandy foundation , goodly castles , but built in the ayre ; if these deuises vvere of god , they would certainly stand , but their long tottring threatens a suddaine fall . contrariwise , our church , or rather the corruption of our church , by auoyding this scilla , haue falne into charibdis , by auoyding one extremitie , haue falne into the other , by taking too much dignity & authority frō our ministerie , & by laying too much pouerty , contempt , and basenes vppon it . it were a worke worth the labour of the wisest heads , to put downe the true meane betwixt both extreames , & vvorth the labour of our noble king , to take order that that meane be kept , without rising to the right hand , or falling to the left . this short treatise may hap to giue som light & directions therein , or at least may encourage & stir vp their harts in vvhose hands it is to doe it : vnder your woorthy names would i haue it see the world , not so much for that i am bound to you both in many priuate and particuler respects , ( though that be much ) as for that i know you both to be of so right and reformed a iudgement in this case , as you would haue none ministers but of sufficient gifts , and vnblameable liues , nor those ministers put to their pensions , or vncertaine salaries , but to haue certaine & sufficient maintenance proportionable to theyr charge , and beseeming the honour of a christian church : god continue you still in that minde , and make many more of the same with you , so should we haue as florishing a church as any christendome hath seene . goe forward in that , & other your religious resolutions , it is the true way to honour both heere and in a better world : stand firmly for the truth , and boldly against the popish enemies thereof , as hetherto you haue done : religion had neuer more cause to thanke you , and all that doe so then now it hath , for her enemies were neuer so insolent since they were our enemies : but if you and others holde on , as in your seuerall places you haue wel begun , and others take the like course , there is hope their insolencies will bee easilie ( if timely ) repressed , and themselues neerest the fall , when they imagine they are in the full . the lorde blesse and assist you in your painfull places , and make you on earth instruments of his glorie , to the good of his church , so shall you be vessels of glory in the kingdome of heauen : and thus commending this little treatise to your reading , and my selfe to your fauour , i take leaue , and will euer rest your worships in the lord , w. crashawe . to the christian reader , and especially to all such as haue any coppies of the workes of maister perkins , or intend any of them to the presse . forasmuch as there hath beene lately signification made , of diuers of maister perkins his workes heereafter to bee printed , in an epistle to the reader praemised before the treatise of callings , and that signification beeing but generall , might peraduenture giue occasion to some , to set out some particulars ( without the consent of maister perkins his assignes ) as imperfectly as are these two bookes , intituled the reformation of couetousnesse , & the practise of faith , iustly and truly ( for ought that i see ) censured in the aforesaid epistle : it is therefore now thought good , to mention the particular treatises , and workes of his , which shall heereafter ( if god will ) be published , for the benefit of gods church : i doe therefore heereby make knowne to all , whom it any way may concerne , that there were found in the studie of the deceased and are in the hands of his executors , or assignes , and preparing for the presse . his expositions on the epistle ●● the galathians . on the epistle of iude. his booke of the cases of conscience . his treatises of wi●chcraft . of callings . all these he had perused himselfe , and made them ready for the presse , according to which coppies by himselfe so corrected , some of them already are , and the rest will be published in due time : and heereuppon we desire all men who haue coppies of these , or any of them , not to offer that wrong to that worthy man of god , as to publish any of their owne , seeing the coppies heereof which are to bee printed , are of his owne correcting : but rather if they can helpe to make any of them more perfect by their coppies , they may therein doe a good worke to the benefit of many , and much comfort to themselues . and further , i doe heereby make knowne , that i haue in my hands at this present , of his workes , taken from his mouth , with my owne hand , heereafter ( if god will ) to bee published , with the allowance of our church , and for the benefit of his children , these particulars . his expositions or readings , on the psalme . on the psalme . on the chapter to the hebrewes . on the , , & , chapters of the reuelation . on the , , and chapters of saint mathew . his confutation of camsius his little popish catechisme . his treatises of imaginations out of genes . , . of temptations out of mathew . of christian equity out of phillip , , . of the callings of the ministerie , out of places of scripture . of repentance out of zephaniah , . besides many other particular sermons , and short discourses made vpon seuerall , and speciall occasions : of all which seme are alreadie published by others , and some by my selfe : and all the rest that remaine , as they be the iewels of gods church , so doe i willingly dedicate them to the publicke and generall good . iudging it were a foule sinne in me , or any other , to impropriate to our selues , or our owne priuate vse , the labours of this ▪ or any other learned man , which are in my opinion , parts of the treasurie of the militant church : and as it were wrong to the church , if i should conceale them , so doubtlesse were it to him and his children : if i should publish them for my owne alone , and not for their benefit . if i doe , i thinke it may bee iustly sayd vnto me , or whosoeuer doth so , thy monie perish with thee . and what heerein i haue sayd for my selfe : i knowe i may boldly and safely say , for those his executors or assignes , which haue or had in their hands , any of those which were found in his study : in the publishing of all which , as we doe intend to deale truly with the christian reader , and not to commit any thing to the presse , which hath not either beene written or corrected , by the author himselfe , or faithfully penned according to the truest coppies taken from his owne mouth , and since by others of sufficiency & integritie , diligently perused : so we purpose to referre them to the benefit of the authors wife and children , as much as may be , wishing that vpon this caueat man would not be so hastie ( as some haue beene ) to commend to the world , their vnperfect notes , vppon a base desire of a little gaine , both to hinder the common good of the church , and to defraude the sayd parties of their priuate benefit , to whom in all equity & conscience , it doth principally appertaine : and desiring all , who haue any perfect coppies of such as are in my owne hands , that they would either helpe me with theirs , or rather take mine to helpe them . that by our ioynt powers and our forces layd together : the walls of this worthy building , may goe vp the fairer and the faster . and so i commend them all to gods blessing , who endeuour to commend themselues , and their labours to god and to his church . your brother in the lord. w. c. the duties and dignitie of the ministerie . iob. . . . if there bee with him a messenger : an interpreter , one of a thousand to declare vnto man his righteousnes : then will be haue mercy on him , and will say , deliuer him that hee goe not downe into the pit , for i haue receiued a reconciliation . in this chapter and the former , eli●● a holy , learned , and wise young man , hath conference vvith iob in matters of high and excellent diuinitie : the points of his conference are these : from the first verse of this chap , to the . verse , is a preface to his speech . from thence to the . he repeateth certaine propositions of iob ▪ and reproueth them : frō thence to these wordes , hee instructeth iob in certaine points touching gods dealing with sinners : and those are two . howe god preserueth a sinner from falling . how god restoreth a sinner beeing falne . the meanes whereby god preserueth a sinner , are set downe to bee two principall . by admonitions in dreames and visions . by scourges and chastisements , when the first will not preuaile . and these are layd downe from the verse vnto these words . then followeth the . poynt , namely the restoring of a sinner : when both the meanes formerly spoken of haue not preuailed with him , but that through his corruption he is fallen : and concerning this poynt , he handleth these particulers . the remedy and meanes of his restoring . the effect that followeth thereupon . ● the remedy is layde downe in these wordes now red vnto vs , then followeth the effect , which is , that when a sinner is restored by repentance , then the graces of god are plentifully poured vpon him both for soule and bodie : frō these words to he end of the chapter . the intent then of this scripture , is , that god vseth meanes in his mercie to preserue sinnres frō falling into sin , but if they do , thē he in much greater mercy affoordeth them meanes and helps to rise againe . and this is the soule & substance of the words . now , that meanes and remedie is the matter i purpose to speak of , out of these wordes : the meanes then to restore a sinner after a fall , is to raise him by repentance into a better estate then hee was in before , and that is inclusiuely , and by implication taught in this text : but the instrument by whō that great work is to be wrought , is heere in plaine tearmes layd downe to be a minister of god , lawfully called and sent by god , and appointed by his church to that great duty . so that these wordes containe a woorthy description of a true minister , and he is here described . by his titles , which are two , an angell . an interpreter . by his rarenes , one of a thousand . by his office : which is , to declare vnto man his righteousnes . by the blessing that god giueth vpon the labors of this true minister : which is , th●● god will haue mercy vpon the sinner . by his commission and authoritie in the last wordes : god will say , deliuer him that he goe not downe into the pit , for i haue receiued a reconciliation . let vs speake of them in order as they lye in the text , and first of his titles . the first title of a minister of god is , he is called a messenger , or an angell : and not heere alone , but elswhere in the scripture , malachy , , hee is the messenger of the lord of hosts . and in the reuelation , the ministers of the . churches are called the angels of those churches . so that it is apparant ▪ a true minister is an angell of god in 〈◊〉 place , & in the other place , the angel of the church . hee is an angell or messenger sent from god to his church . this cōsideration affords matter of much vse . the most of vs in this place (a) are eyther prophets , or sonnes of the prophets . if thou ●e a prophet , thou 〈◊〉 gods angel . if a sonne of the 〈…〉 to be , then marke thy dutie , prophets and ministers are angels in the verie institution of theyr calling . therefore thou must preach gods worde as gods worde , and deliuer it as thou receiuest it : for angels , embassadors , & messengers , carry not theyr owne message , but the message of theyr lords and maisters who sent thē , but ministers carry the message of the lord of hostes , therefore they are bound to deliuer it as the lordes , and not theyr owne . in the first epistle of peter , , , wee are bidde , if any man speake , let him speake , not onely the word of god , but as the word of god. gods word must be spoken , and as gods word ▪ then shew thy faith fulnes to the lord , in discharging thy hands sincerely of that message , which he hath honoured the● to carry . gods word is pure , therefore purely to be thought vpon , and to be deliuered . then let all that are god● angels , and would be honored at his angels and embassadors , thinke it no lesse reason to doe the dutie of gods angels , least as many men 〈◊〉 a good tale in the ●●ling ▪ so the● take away the power and maiestie of gods word , in the manner of deliuering it . the second vse concernes the ministers also : are they gods angels ? therefore they must preach gods word in the euidence and demonstration of the spirit of god : for hee that is gods angell , the spirit of that god must speake in him : now to speake in the demonstration of gods spirit , is to speake in such a plaines , & yet such a powerfulnes , as that the capacities of the simplest , may perceaue not man but god teaching them in that plainesse , and the consciences of the mightiest may feele not man but god , reprooue thē in that powerfulnesse : that this is so , appeares by saint paule . if a man prophecy aright , ( saith the holy ghost ) the vnlearned or vnbeleeuing man ●om● in , he thinkes his secret faults are disclosed and layd open , hee thinkes all men see his nakednesse , and doe reprooue him for it , hee therefore falls downe and saith surely god speakes in this man. in which words , obserue an admirable plainnes , and an admirable powerfulnesse : ( which a man would thinke could not so well stand together . ) first plainnesse , for whereas the vnlearned man perceiueth his faults discouered , it followeth necessarily he must needes vnderstand , and if an vnlearned man vnderstand it , then consequently it must needes be plaine : secondly powerfulnes , in that his conscience is so conu●nced , his secret falts so disclosed , & his very hart so ript vp : that he saith , certainly god speakes in this man. this is the euidence and demonstration of gods spirit : it is thought good commendation before the world , when men say of a preacher , surely this man hath showne himselfe a proper scholler , of good learning ▪ great reading , strong memory , and good deliuery , and so it is and such commendation ( if iust ) is not to be : contemned : but that that cōmends a man to the lord his god , & to his owne cōscience , is when he preacheth so plainly to the capacitie , and so powerfully to the conscience of a wicked man , as that hee thinkes doubtlesse god is within him . art thou therefore an angell of god , then magnifie the spirit of god , and not thy selfe in thy preaching of his word . the next vse is for the hearers , and they are heere taught , that if their ministers be angels sent them from god , then are they to heare them , gladly , willingly , reuerently , and obediently : gladly and willingly , because they are ambassad●rs , reuerently and obediently , because they are sent from the high god the king of kings , and doe deliuer his embassage . god saith , the people must seeke the law● at his mo●th : and good reason , for if the lawe be the reuealed will of god , and the minister the angell of god , then where should they seeke the will of god , but a● the mouth of his angell ? the reason therefore followeth well in that place ● they should seek● the lawe at his mouth , for he i● the messenger of the lord of hosts and this ●●st all christians doe , not onely if their doctrine be pleasing vnto them , but though it crosse their corruptions , and bee quite contrary ●o their dispositions , yea though it bee neuer so vnsauorie and h●rde vnto nature , yet in as much 〈…〉 message from thy god and king , and ●he ●eather the angell or messenger of that god : therefore both he and it must be receaued with al reuerence , & with the very obedience of the hart and soule . and this is the cause why a con●●nient reuerence 〈◊〉 , honour is to bee giuen of all good christians , euen to the persons of gods ministers : ( especially when they adorne their high calling with a holy life ) euen because they are angels of god. saint paule teacheth , that womē ought to be modestly attired in the congregation because of the angels : it is not only , because the holy angels are present ▪ and alwayes beholders of our seruice of god , but euen because the ministers , which are angels and messengers sent from god , are there , deliuering their message and embassage rece●●ed from god : and th●s wee haue the first title giuen to the minister he is an angell ▪ secondly he is an 〈◊〉 , that is , one that 〈◊〉 to deliuer 〈◊〉 the reconciliation , made betwixt god and ma●● i say not , the author of that reconciliation , for that is the godhead● 〈…〉 of the 〈…〉 , for 〈…〉 second person , christ ●esus 〈◊〉 the 〈…〉 for that is the holy ghost , nor 〈…〉 of it , for 〈◊〉 the glad ●idings of the gospell : 〈◊〉 i say he is the ●●●●●preter of it , that i● first one that 〈◊〉 and explane the couenant of grace , and rightly lay downe the meanes how this reconciliation is wrought : secondly , one that can rightly and iustly apply those meanes , for the working of it out . thirdly , one that hath authoritie to publish and declare it when it is wrought : and by these three actions hee is gods interpreter to the people : then he is also the peoples interpreter to god , by being able to speake to god for them , to lay open their wants & nakednesses , to confesse their sinnes , to craue pardon and forgiuenes , to giue thankes in their names for mercies recea●ed , and in a word to offer vp all their spirituall sacrifices vnto god for them : and so euery true minister is a double interpreter , gods to the people , and the peoples to god : in which respects , he is properly called , gods mouth to the people , by preaching to them from god , and the peoples mouth to god , by praying for them to god : and this title sheweth how great and glorious a calling this ministerie is , if it be rightly conceiued . now then for the vse of it . first , if euery true minister must bee gods interpreter to the people , and the peoples to god , then hence we learne that euery one , who either is or intends to be a minister , must haue that tongue of the learned , whereof is spoken in esay , where the prophet saith ( first in the name of christ , as heare the great prophet and teacher of his church , and secondarily in the name of himselfe , and all true prophets while the world endureth ) the lord god hath giuen me a tongue of the learned , that i should knowe to speake a word in season to him that is wearie : where note the weary soule , or troubled conscience , must haue ● word in season spoken to him for his comfort , and that cannot bee spoken without the tongue of the learned , and lastly that tongue of the learned must bee giuen of god : now to haue this tongue of the learned , which esay speakes of ▪ what is it but to bee this interpreter , which the holy ghost heere saith a minister must bee : but to be able to speake with this tongue is , first to be furnished with 〈◊〉 and learning . secondly , with diuine knowledge , as farre as it may by outward meanes bee taught from man to man : but besides these , hee that will speake this tongue aright , must 〈◊〉 inwardly learned , and taught by the spirit of god : the two first he must learne from men , but the third from god , a true minister must be inwardly taught by the spirituall scholler , and the holy ghost : saint iohn in reuelation must take the booke , that is the scripture , and eate it , and when he hath eaten it , then ( saith the angell ) hee must goe preach to nations , tongues , people , and to kings : which was done not that saint iohn had not eaten that booke , in the comming downe of the holy ghost , the very end of whose comming was to teach them spiritually : but that in him christ might teach his church for euer , that no minister is fit to preach , to nations and to kings , vntill they ●a●e eaten the booke of god : that is , till after and besides all the learning that man can teach them , they be also ●●ught by the spirit of god himselfe , and this teaching is it that makes a man a tr●● interpreter , and without this he cannot be , for 〈◊〉 can a man be gods interpreter to his people ▪ vnlesse he kn●we the minde of god himselfe , and how can he knowe the minde of god , but by the teaching , of the spirit of god : indeede we bee mans interpreter by humane teaching , and may interpret the scriptures , truely and soundly , as a humane booke or storie for the increase of knowledge , but the diuine and spirituall interpretation , which shall perce the hart , and astonish the soule of man , must bee taught by the inward teaching of the holy ghost . let no man thinke i heere giue the least allowance to anabaptisticall fancies , and reuelations , which are nothing , but eyther dreames of theyr owne , or illusions of the deuil , for they contemne both humane learning , and the study of the scripture , and trust wholy to reuelations of the spirit ; but gods spirit worketh not but vpon the foundation of the word : onely i teach this , that a minister must be a diuine interpreter , an interpreter of gods meaning . and therfore he must not onlie reade the booke , but eate it , that is , not only haue the knowledge of diuine thinges flowing in his braine , but ingrauen in his hart , and printed in his soule by the spirituall finger of god : and therfore for this end , after all his owne study , meditation , conference , comentaries , & after all h●●mane helps , hee must pray with dauid , open thou mine eyes , that i may see the wonders of thy law . the discerning of those wonders requires a spirituall illumination , and the opening of them requires the tongue of the learned . therefore after all the studie which flesh and blood , and humane reason can yeelde , pray with the prophet , lorde giue mee the tongue of the learned , that i may be a right interpreter of thy holy will. furthermore , inasmuch as ministers are interpreters , they must labour for sanctitie , and holines of life . in esay , the king of assiria is said to be sanctified or set apart to destroy gods enemies . if there be a certaine kind of sanctification necessary for the worke of destruction , then how much more is true sanctification necessary for this great & glorious worke of the edification of gods church ? a minister is to declare the reconciliation betwixt god and man , and is he himselfe not reconciled ? dare he present another man to gods mercy for pardon , and neuer yet presented himselfe ? can hee commend the state of grace to another , & neuer felt the sweetnes thereof in his owne soule ? dare hee come to preach sanctification with polluted lyps , and out of an vnsanctified hart ? moses might not stand vpon the mount in gods presence , til hee had put off his shooes from of his feete . exod. . and dare any man presume to come into this most high & holy presence of the lord , vntil he haue mortified his corruptions , and cast off the vnrulines of his affections ? in exodus , the priests are bid to sanctifie the people , and in leuiticus it is sayde , that god will bee sanctified in all that come neere him , but who come so neere vnto god as the ministers doe ? so that it is apparant , ministers doe sanctifie the people , and in some construction , god himselfe : nowe , shall they one way be sanctifiers of the people , another way of god himselfe , & no way of themselues ? surely if it bee so , they are but lame interpreters ; and this is the reason doubtlesse , why vnsanctified ministers , and such as are of a loose conuersation , bestow such fruitlesse labors in the church : many want no learning , no ability to interpret , & yet how few soules doe they bring to god ? some it may bee are conuerted by theyr ministery , that god may shew , the efficacie is not in the person of man , but in the ordinance of god , but fewe doubtlesse ( for ought that we can see ) do teach vs , how god hateth him which will take in hand to reconcile others , himselfe beeing vnreconciled to god. seeing then ministers are gods interpreters to the people , to declare & publish theyr reconciliation with god , & that they cannot be reconciled , vnlesse they be sanctified , and can so hardly be sanctified by the ministerie of an vnsanctified man : let therefore all true ministers of god : first be gods interpreters to their owne consciences , and their owne soules interpreters to god , then shall they knowe more perfectly how to discharge the office of true interpreters betwixt god & his people . and thus wee haue the two titles of a true minister . now it followeth in the text . one of a thousand . heere is the second part of this d●scription , which is by the rarenes , or scarcenesse , of good ministers : which is layd downe in a very strange phrase , namely , that a true minister , one that is a right angel , & a true interpreter , is no cōmon or ordinarie man , but thin sowne , one of many , nay one of a thousand . the meaning heereof is to be conceiued either properly , or figuratiuely : in the figuratiue sence , it is spoken in relation to ministers themselues : in the proper senee , it hath a comparison with all men : the figuratiue and hyperbolicall sence is , that of all the ministers in the worlde , not one of many is a right angel , and a true interpreter : the plaine & proper sence is , that amongst the men of this worlde , there is not one of a thousand which prooues a true minister ; for this poynt let vs examine the truth of it , the reasons of it , and the vse of it . the truth hereof is manifest , by the experience of all ages , wherein it is strange to obserue , how few men of any sort , especially of the better sort , after the calling of a minister : and which is more strange , howe fewe of those that are ministers in name and title , doe deserue these honourable names of an angel , & an interpreter , and the truth is too manifest in common practise , to insist much vppon it , rather therefore let vs see the reasons of it , and they be these principall : first , the cōtempt that lieth on that calling , it being alwayes hated , by wicked and prophane men , because it discouers their filthynes , and vnmaskes their hipocrisie : and their doctrine oftimes is a fretting corrasiue to their conscience , that they cannot welter , and wallowe so quietly , and secretly in their sinnes , as otherwise they would , therefore is it that they spurne both against the calling , and the men , and watch them narrowly , & take hold of their least infirmities , thereby to disgrace them : iudging that to cast contempt on that calling , is to remooue shame from their owne shamefull courses : nor is it possible but that they should thus hate this calling , inasmuch as they hate so deadly both that lawe and embassage which they bring , and that god whose embassaders they are . this hatred and disgrace in the wicked world , was that that caused ieremie to cry , w●e is me , and made him in the seeming of his naturall reason , curse the time that euer he was a prophet , for saith he , i am a man of contention , euery man is at strife and enemity with me . the next reason is the difficulty , of discharging the duties of his calling : to stand in gods presence , to enter into the holy of holiest , to goe betwixt god and his people , to be gods mouth to the people , and the peoples to god : to be the interpreter , of the eternall lawe of the old testament , and the euerlasting gospell of the new , to stand in the rome , and to beare the office of christ himselfe , to take the care and charge of soules , these considerations are so many amazements to the consciences of such men , who doe with reuerence approch , and not with rashnes , rush vnto his sacred seate : this made saint paule cry out , who is sufficient for these things , and if paule sayd who is ? no maruell though many a man say i am not sufficient , and doe therefore drawe their neckes from this yoke , and their hands from this plough , vntil god himselfe or his church doe presse them to it . the last reason is , more peculiar to this of the new testament , namely , want of maintenance and preferment , for them that labor in this calling : men are flesh and bloud , and in that respect must bee allured , & wonne to embrace this vocation , by some arguments , which may perswade flesh and bloud : the world hath in all ages beene negligent heerein , and therefore god in his lawe tooke such strick orders , for the maintenance of the leuits : but especially , now vnder the gospell , this calling is vnprouided for , when it deserues best of all to be rewarded : certainly it were a worthy christian pollicy , to propound good preferments to this calling , that thereby men of the worthiest gifts might bee wonne vnto it , and the want heereof , is cause why so many young men of speciall parts , and greatest hope , turne to other vocations , and especially to the lawe , wherein at this day the greatest part of the finest wits of our kingdome , are imploied , and why ? but because they haue all the meanes to rise , whereas the ministerie , for the most part yeildeth nothing , but a plaine way to beggery ▪ this is a great blemish in our church , and surely i wish the papists , those children of this world , were not wiser in this kind , ( in this point ) then the church of god : the reformation heereof is a worke worth the labour of prince and people , and speciall care is to be had in it , els it will not bee reformed , for doubtlesse had not god himselfe in the old testament , taken such straight orders for the liuings of the leuits , they had beene put to no lesse extremities , then is the ministerie of this age . and this reason added to the other , makes them perfect , and all put together make a reason infallible : for who will vndergoe so vile contempt , and vndertake so great a charge , for no reward : and where there is so great contempt , so heauy a burthen , and so meane a reward , what maruell , if a good minister bee one of a thousand . now let vs make vse of this doctrine : the vse is manifold , and yeilds instructions to many sorts of people : first rulers and magistrats are heere taught , if good ministers be so scarce , therefore to maintaine and increase , and doe all good they can to the schooles of the prophets , to vniuersities , colledges , and schooles of good learning , which are the seminaries of the ministerie : heerein the example of samuell is very worthy to be followed , in whose dayes the schooles of the prophets florished , and euen saule himselfe , though he did much hurt in israell , yet when hee came to the schooles of the prophets , his hard hart relented , hee could doe them no hurt , nay hee p●t of 〈◊〉 robes , and prophecied amongst them : so should all christians princes and magistrates , aduance these schooles , and see them both well maintained , and well stored , the reason is euident and forcible . a good minister is one of a : if therefore they would haue the number increased , maintaine the seminaries . and againe , if antichrist to vphold his kingdome , the kingdome of sathan bee so carefull heerein , to erect colledges , and indowe them with liuing , to be seminaries for his sinagogue , and vse so great meanes to sowe his rares in the harts of young men , that so they may sowe them in the harts of the people abroad : shall not christian princes bee as carefull , or rather much more zealous , for the increasing of the number of goldly ministers ? shall baal haue his prophets , and god haue his elias alone : great shame must it be to a●ab , or to any king , whose kingdome is in that estate . the iesuits diligence is such in teaching , & the readines of some of their nouices such in learning , ( the deuil himselfe doubtlesse , putting to his helpe withall ) that in three yeares ( as some of them say of themselues ) they proceede in humane learning , and in the fourth , in diuinitie : which if it be so , then it may be a good lesson , for these our schooles of learning , and an inducement to moue all that haue the gouernement thereof , to labour to aduance learning , by all good meanes , and to giue it more speedy passage : and it may shame some that spend so many yeares in the vniuersitie ▪ and yet alas for all that prooue not one of a . in these our schooles are by gods mercy , many young trees planted by the riuer side , of this goodly orchard , which by good ordring and dressing , may prooue goodly trees in the temple of god , & strong pillers in the church , but they are like tender plants , and must be cherished . princes and great men , by allowing maintenance , and the gouernours by stablishing good orders , and looking carefully to their execution , must see that these plants haue sufficient moisture , to growe speedily to perfect ripenes , and that then they be transplanted in due time , into the church and common-wealth : these bee the trees spoken of in ezechiell , which growe by the sides of that riuer , which floweth out of the sanctuary : waters out of the sanctuarie must norish them , and so they growe vnto their perfection : but take away these waters , take away the liberalitie of princes , and good discipline from the vniuersities , and these trees must needes decay and weather : which if they doe , then the small number of good ministers , will bee fewer and fewer , and of one of a , there will not bee one of . in the next place , ministers themselues are heere taught : first if good ministers be so scarce , then let euery man feare to make them fewer then they bee : euery man therefore for himselfe , labour first for ability , then for conscience to discharge his duty : namely to be an angell , to deliuer faithfully gods embassage , and a true interpreter betwixt god and his people ▪ thus if thou doost , then howsoeuer the number of good ministers is small , yet it shall be nothing smaller for thee . if they bee so fewe , labour to increase them , for the more they are , the lesse burden lieth vppon each particular man , therefore let euery minister by his teaching , and by his conuersation labour , so to honour his calling , that hee may thereby allure and drawe others to a loue and liking thereof . are good ministers so thinne sowne , are there so few of them ? then let all good and godly ministers giue the right hand of fellowship one to another , and ioyne together in loue , & by that meanes arme thēselues against the scorne and contempt of the world : we see they that are of a kinred , or a brotherhood , or any kind of societie , the fewer they are , the more closelie doe they combine , the more firmly doe they holde together against all forraine force : so ought gods ministers to doe because theyr number is so small ; if they were many , lesse danger in their disvnion , but seeing they are so fewe , the more it concerneth them to cut off contentions , and all occasions of debate , and to ioyne hand in hand against these common aduersaries . in the third place , young students are heere taught , seeing a true minister is but one of a thousand , that therfore they bend theyr studies , and theyr thoughts to the ministerie , for they wel know it is an old prouerbe , the best thinges are hard to come by , & certainly there are so few good ministers , because the holy ministerie in it self is so high & excellent a calling : & as it is a shame to the men that there are so fewe good ministers , so it is a cōmendation to the calling , whose honour and excellencie is such , that as wee see heere scarce one of a thousand attaines vnto it , therfore men of the most excellent gifts , are heere inuited to dedicate themselues vnto the most excellent vocation , yea ▪ very reason it selfe would vrge a man to be one of a thousand . and further , as they are to intende this calling as the most rare and excellent , so this must teach them likewise , to hasten to furnish themselues with all good helps and meanes , that they may become true ministers , and able jnterpreters , & not too long to stick in those studies , which keep a man from the practise of this high function : for it is not to liue in the vniuersity , or in the colledge , & to study , though a man neuer so fast deuoure vp learning , but to be a good minister , is that that makes a man one of a thousand . in the last place , hearers are heere taught theyr dutie , first , to respect with reuerence the person , and to receiue with reuerence the message of euery true messenger , seeing it is so rare a thing to find a true minister , for as nothing is more vile or base then an euill and leude minister , ( vvhom christ compares to salt which hath lost his sauour , which is good for nothing , but to bee cast out , & troden downe of men : ) so is there none worthy of more loue , and reuerence thē a holy minister : for as esay saith : theyr very feete are beautifull which bring glad tydings ▪ and we should kisse theyr feete which bring newes of peace : therefore all good christians are to receiue and vse a good minister , as saint paule saith the galathians did him , euen as an angel of god. hast thou then a godly pastor , run to him for conference , for comfort , for counsell , vse his company , frequent his sermons , account him worthy of double honour , thinke it no small or ordinary blessing , for thou hast one of a thousand , and blesse god for bestowing his mercy to thee , which he hath denied to so many others : for some haue no minister : some haue a minister , and yet alas he is not one of a thousand . and further : all men that are fathers , may heere learne to consecrate their children to god in the seruice of the ministerie , considering that it is so rare & excellent a thing to be a good minister : nay that man should thinke himselfe happie , and honoured of god , who may be father to such a sonne as shall proue one of a thousand . in a worde to conclude this poynt , all men must heere learne , seeing good ministers are so scarce , to pray the lorde of the haruest , to thrust out more labourers into his haruest : and for those that are called alreadie , that god would make them faithfull in that high function . and as elisha craueth of elias , that the good spirit may be doubled , and trebled vpon them , that so the number may be encresed . and thus wee haue the truth , the reason , and the vse of this , that a good minister is one of a thousand . it followeth . to declare vnto man his righteousnes . heere is the third part of the description of a minister , that is , by his office , to declare vnto man his righteousnes : that is , when a poore sinner , by his sinnes ( the foulenes whereof he seeth , and the burden whereof he feeleth ) is brought downe , as it were to the very gates of hell , when this sinner by the preaching of the lavve , is brought to a true sight of this misery : and again , by preaching the gospel , is brought to lay hold on iesus christ , then it is the proper office of a minister to declare vnto that man his righteousnes . namely , that though in himselfe he be as ill , & as foule as sinne can make him , & as the law can discouer him to be ; yet in christ he is righteous , & iust , and by christ so iustified , as hee is no more a sinner in the presence & account of god : this is the righteousnes of a christian man , this is the iustification of a sinner . and to declare this righteousnes to him that repents and belieues , is the proper dutie of a true minister . in the acts , paule saith of himselfe , that he witnessed to the iewes , & to the gentiles , the repentance towards god , and fayth towards our lord iesus christ. in vvhich words is layde downe the complete dutie of a minister ( as he is a publick angell or interpreter , ) first , to preach repentance , which a man must performe to god , whom by his sinnes he hath grieuously offended ; secondly , to preach faith in christ , and free forgiuenes , and perfect saluation through that faith in christ , to all that shal truly belieue in him . and after both these , followeth that which is heere spoken of , which comprehendeth both the former , namely , to declare vnto man his righteousnesse . so that in these words , are inclusiuely laid downe , these poynts of a ministers calling : first , a true minister may & must declare vnto a sinful man where righteousnesse is to be found , namely , in iesus christ the righteous . secondly , how that righteousnes may be obtayned , namely , by dooing two duties ; first , by denying & disclayming his owne righteousnesse , and that is doone by repentance ; secondly , by clayming & cleaning to christs righteousnes , and that is done by fayth . thirdly , a true minister may and must declare this righteousnes to him , that is , first publish and proclaime it , that it is ready to bee bestowed on euery sinner , which will thus apprehend it , and that it is able to iustifie and saue him : secondly , beside a bare publication of this iustification , hee must ( as paul did ) witnesse and testifie it to the conscience of the sinner , that it is as certainly true , as god is true . for as a witnesse in doubtfull cases is called , that by his testimonie hee may cleere the truth , so when the consciences of poore sinners are wauering and doubtfull what to belieue , when they doubt of this righteousnesse , then is a true minister as a faithfull witnes of god to auerre and testifie this truth , from his owne conscience , knowledge and feeling , of the infallible certaintie of gods promises , vnto the doubtfull and distressed conscience of the sinner . thirdly , besids declaration and testification , he is to maintaine this truth , and this righteousnesse , ( if the sinners conscience be yet not quiet ) against all gainsayers , against the power of darknes , and all the gates of hell : that this is true and perfect righteousnesse to him that apprehends it , as afore is layd downe : and this is so infallible to euery soule that repents and beleeueth , that the minister may assure it to the conscience of the sinner in the word of truth , and in the name of god , and may call to witnes all gods saints , and all his holy angels , and may pawne vnto him his owne soule vpon it , that it is most true , that this is true , perfect , and all-sufficient righteousnes . thus we see in some measure , what it is to declare vnto a man his righteousnes . and this is the peculiar office of a minister of god , and this is the height and excellencie of his office . in the want of godly ministers , i confesse that godly christian men may one helpe another in the performance of these duties , and that with profit , but it is the proper function of a godlie minister to doe it , and the promise and blessing belongs properly to him : as the consciences of all penitent sinners , will testifie in this case : let dauids serue for many , who when he was cast downe euen to the mouth of hell , by that fearefull discouery , of his two hideous sinnes by nathans preaching , & when the faith of his soule , beganne to wrestle against hell , and striue against dispaire , and to apprehend the mercy of god in christ : then i say , could not the testimonie , of all the men in the world , haue giuen him that ioy , comfort and assurance , that nathan did , when hee said in the word of a prophet , and of a true minister , god hath taken away thy sinne , thou shalt not die : what did nathan heere , but declare vnto man his righteousnes : what did nathan heere , but the duty of euery true minister ? if this be the office and duty of a minister , and if such be the height and excellencie of his office let vs see then what vse we may make of it . first , concerning the ministerie : it first discouereth how nakedly , weakely , and insufficiently , the popish church doth declare vnto man his righteousnesse , who will let a man seeke it in himselfe , where alas it is not : for paule himselfe testifieth , that his desire is that he may bee found out of himselfe , & in christ , & yet certainly if euer man had righteousnesse of his owne , worth trusting to , paule had : this is the cause why so many of that religion , find not that righteousnesse , which will pacifie , and satisfie their consciences , when they come to die : and why so many of them , whē it coms to the pinch , do then go out of themselues , and with vs doe seeke for this righteousnesse in christ , where both assuredly , and sufficiently it is to be found . then for our owne ministerie , heere they are taught : first the true manner of teaching , and declaring righteousnesse , namely this , not to preach the law alone , or the gospell alone , as some vnaduisedly doe ( but both without profit ) but both the lawe and the gospell : the lawe to breede repentance , the gospell to worke faith , but in order : first the lawe to breede repentance , and then the gospell to worke faith and forgiuenes , but neuer before . secondly , they are taught to bee holy : to bee sanctified and reconciled themselues , for it is thy office to declare vnto man his righteousnesse , and not thy own to thy selfe : and how canst thou be a true witnes to testifie betwixt god , and the soule of a sinner , when thy owne soule knoweth not , nor feeleth the truth of it ? certainly such men a●e but lame witnesses betwixt god , and the sinners soule . dauid saith to the sinner , i will instruct thee in the way wherein thou shalt goe : but he first of all in the same , sets downe his owne experience , in a large story of his owne repentance , and of gods mercy on himselfe . and though god sometime doe satisfie , and saue the poore distressed soule of a sinner , by the testimonie of such men , to teach vs that the vertue is not in the men , but in the truth of gods couenant : yet alas how fewe are they , to teach vs how pleasing it is vnto him , when a minister is a declarer of that righteous to others , which he first hath himselfe , and is a witnes of truth to others , which he first knoweth in his owne experience . thirdly , the consideration of this high excellencie of their calling , must arme all true ministers against the scorne and contempt of the world , which by wicked men is cast like dust and mire into the face of ministers : let this suffice them , they are the men that must declare vnto man his righteousnesse , euen he that scornes and contemnes the ministerie , he hath no righteousnesse in him , vnlesse , it be by the meanes of a poore minister : then doe thou thy duety , and he that mockes thee , hath cause to honour thee : and let this encourage students to consecrate themselues to the ministerie , for what calling hath so high an office , as this , to declare vnto man his righteousnesse ? and assuredly how euer in this wicked world , thou art little accounted of ( for if it did not so , it were not wicked ) yet thou art honored in the harts of all gods children , and euen in the consciences of some , whose tongues doe smite thee : and the soules of thousands , when they die shall blesse thee , who in their liues cared not for thee : and the deuill himselfe doth enuy , & the holy angels themselues doe wonder at the excellencie of thy calling , in that thou hast power to declare vnto man his righteousnesses . in the next place , hearers may heere learne : first if their righteousnesse , bee thus to be declared as afore , then if they will haue it , they must seeke it as it may bee found , namely both in the lawe , and in the gospell , and not in the gospell alone : and first in the lawe , then in the gospell , for he must neuer looke to tast ▪ the sweetnes of the gospell , which hath not first swallowed the better pills of the lawe : if therefore thou wouldst bee declared righteous by the gospell , bee content first to bee pronounced miserable by the lawe : if thou wouldst be declared righteous in christ , then be content first to bee pronounced sinfull and vnrighteous in thy selfe : secondly , all men may heere learne , how they are to esteeme of gods ministers , and what reuerence and obedience is due to their persons , and their doctrine : these are they which must declare vnto thee thy righteousnesse , if thou hast any : art thou beholden to him , who when thou hast lost a iewell ( which was all thy wealth ) can tell thee where it is , and helpe thee to it againe ▪ or to him , who when thy cause is in triall at the barre , will pleade it for thee ? or to him , who when thy health is lost , can tell thee how to get it againe ? then behold how thou art beholden to a godly minister , who when adam had lost both himselfe and thee , that iewell of righteousnesse , which was and is the whole wealth of thy soule , can truly tell thee where it is , and howe it is to be had againe : and who when the deuill haleth thee to the barre of gods iustice , to receaue triall for thy sinnes , can drawe thee there such a declaration , as the deuill himselfe shall not bee able to answere ? and who when thy soule is sicke to death , & euen to damnation , can heale the deadly wounds thereof . a good minister therefore is worthy ( as the apostle saith ) of double honour , whose duty we see is to declare vnto man his righteousnesse . and to conclude this point also , the consideration of the height of this office of a minister , may encourage fathers to dedicate their sonnes to this holy calling : for the phisitions care for the body , or the lawyers , for thy cause , are both inferior duties , to this of the minister . a good lawyer may be one of te●●e , a good phisition one of . a good man , one of . but a good minister is one of a . a good lawyer may declare the true state of thy cause , a good phisition may declare the true state of thy body . no calling , no man can declare vnto thee thy righteousnesse , but a true minister . and thus wee see the office or function of a minister . now followeth the blessing . then will he haue mercy vppon him . the fourth generall part of this discription , is the blessing which god giueth to the labours and function of a true minister : then that is when a man by the preaching of the lawe , is brought to true humiliation and repentance , and by the preaching of the gospell , to true faith in the messias , then wil hee ( that is , god ) haue mercy on him ( that is , on the penitent and beleeuing sinner . ) behold heere the admirable simpathy , and the cooperation of god , and the ministers office . man preacheth , and god blesseth : man worketh on the hart , and god giues grace : a minister declares vnto man his righteousnesse , and god saith so be it , he shall be righteous : a minister pronounceth mercy to a penitent sinner , and forthwith god hath mercy on him . heere we see the great and glorious account which god makes , of the word of his ministers , by them truly taught and rightly applied , namely , that he as it were tieth his blessing vnto it , for ordinarily till a man knowe his righteousnesse , by the meanes of an interpreter , god hath not mercy on him , but as soon as he doth knowe it , then as wee see heere god will haue mercy on him , and wil say , deliuer him &c. this is no small honour to ministers , & to their ministerie , that god himselfe giues a blessing vnto it , and worketh when they worke , and as it were stayeth waiting , when they declare vnto a man his righteousnesse , and then hath he mercy on him : so powerfull and so effectuall , is the word spoken by a minister of god. this is that which christ auoucheth , whatsoeuer you binde in earth , shall be bound in heauen , and whatsoeuer you loose in earth , shall bee loosed in h●auen . will you knowe the meaning heereof ? read saint iohn , whose sinnes soeuer you remit , they are remitted , whose you retaine they are retained : will they haue the meaning of both : read esay , god destroyeth the tokens of sou●● sayers , and makes v●sards , and astrologers fooles , ●●●neth worldly wisemen backward , and makes their knowledge foolishnes : but he confirmeth the word of his seruants , and performeth the counsell of his messengers . thus god bindeth and looseth with them , remitteth and retaineth with them , by confirming their word , and performing their counsell for example . a true minister seeth a sinner hardned in his sins , and stil rebelling against the will of god , he therefore declareth vnto him his vnrighteousnes , & his sinne , & denounceth vnto him , the miseries & curses of gods iustice , as due vnto him for the same , heere he binds on earth , here he retaines on earth , this mans sins are likewise bound and retained in heauen . on the other side , he seeth a man peniten● , and belieuing , hee pronounceth forgiuenes of sins , & happines vnto him for the same , he looseth him from the band of his sinnes , by declaring vnto him his righteousnes , this mans sinnes are likewise loosed & remitted in heauen , and god himselfe doth pronounce him cleere in heauen , when the minister doth on earth . thus god confirmeth the word of his seruaunts , and performeth the counsell of his messengers . the vse of this doctrine is first for rulers , and great men of this worlde , this may teach them to be nursing fathers , & nursing mothers vnto the church , whose authority they see is so great ouer them , as that their decree stands ratified in heauen : therefore though their place be great , & they be gods vpon earth , yet must they withall acknowledge , that in iustifying a sinner , in interpretation , in declaring vnto man his righteousnes ; in binding & loosing , their power also is immediate from god , & aboue theirs , and they themselues , as they are men , must submit themselues to this powerfull word of the ministers , to be taught by it , and to be reconciled by meanes of it , and highly must they receiue it , for though a man speake it , yet is it the word of god : this is to licke the dust of christs feete , which the porphet speaketh of : not as the pope would haue it , to hold the stirrop , and lead the horse , and hold the water to the pope , to kisse his toes , to hold their kingdoms of him , as tenants at will , or by curtesie , but reuerently to acknowledge the ordinance to be gods , the function and duty to be high and excellent , to acknowledge the power of their keyes & censures ( being rightly applied ) their promises & their threatnings to be as from god , and to submit to them accordingly . secondly , ministers themselues here must learne , when they take the word of reconciliation into their hands and mouthes , to call to mind whose it is , euen the lords , and that hee worketh with them , & hath the greatest hand in the work , and that therfore they must vse it in holy maner , with much feare & reuerence : it is not theyr owne , they may not vse it as th●y list . and lastly , hearers are heere taught , first ●o see how mad such men be which carelesly ●nd fildome heare sermons , but vpon any oc●asion fly to wisards and charmers , which are ●he deuils prophets : for see the difference of ●hese two , the wisard and charmer hath socie●ie with the deuill , the preacher with god , the ●harmer hath his calling from the deuill , the preacher his from god , the charmers charme 〈◊〉 the deuils watchword , when he charmeth the deuil doth the feare ▪ the preachers doctrine is gods watchword , when hee truly applyeth it , god himselfe ratifieth and makes it good : wherefore let all men feare to haue thus to doe with the deuill , by seeking to his slaues , & let them draw neere to god , by entring into fellowship with his holy prophets , and godly ministers . and further , if when they preach , & thou belieuest , then god hath mercy on thee , then learne what reuerence they and theyr word is worthy of , which is thus accompanied vvith gods mercy and forgiuenes : and then learne to heare the word with feare and trembling , for it is gods word , and not theyrs : & when a true minister sayth vnto thee , on a true ground , i denounce thee a sinfull man , and vnder the curse , or i declare thee to be righteous , and a child of grace , it is all one , as though god from heauen had said so vnto thee . if any man aske ; but is it not as good if anoth●● man pronounce forgiuenesse vnto mee vpo● my repentance ? i aunswer , yes vndoub●edly if it be in extraordinary times or places , wh●● there are no ministers : for otherwise , cer●ainly this blessing is principally tyed vnto the ministers calling ; for it is not sayd of any priuate mens calling any where in the scripture ▪ as it is heere said of the ministers . if an angell , an interpreter come to a man and declare vnto him his righteousnesse , the●● ( marke the conexion ) then will god ha●● mercy on him , and will say , deliuer him , &c. whence comes this blessing ? from this promise of god. if then other callings will challenge ordinarily the same blessing , then must they haue the same promise . besides , other christians being priuate men , though they be sanctified , & haue a good measure of knowledge , yet haue they not the same spirit of discerning that godly ministers haue : nor can so fully and truly iudge , when a man hath repented , when not ; and therefore cannot so trulie pronounce the sentence of the law or gospell , nor haue they abilitie ordinarily by their good conference , and christian counsel , to con●●rt a soule , but to confirme one conuerted : but that power ordinarily belongs to the publick ministery of the word , therfore it followeth , that ordinarily they haue not the power to pronounce the sentence of binding or loosing vpon any man : i cōfesse , in times or places , where no minister can be had , god blesseth the labours of priuate men , that haue knowledge , somtimes euen for the conuerting of a man to god , & for comforting him at the howre of death , and giues a vertue and power to that sentence which they shal pronounce one vpō anothers repentance : but as this is extraordinary , & in the want of ordinary ministers , so in that case a priuate man of knowledge & godlines , is made a minister for that time to himselfe , or to another , euen as a priuate man in cases of extreame danger , when no magistrate is present , is made a magistrate himselfe to defend his owne life . so then as in vvant of a magistrate , the sword of the magistracie is put into the hand of a priuate man : so in the want of ministers , the keyes of the ministerie are committed and put into the hands of priuate men , ( as in dayes of persecution ) that then they may vvith comfort admonish and aduise : and with power pronounce mercy and forgiuenes one vnto another , vpon theyr true repentance . yet alwayes remember that in so dooing , a priuate man is as a minister for that time , and in that case : but ordinarily , ( and alwayes in setled churches ) this power pertaineth to the ministerie , & is theirs alone by ordination ; and to them belongeth the promise and the blessing , that when hee hath declared to a man his righteousnesse , then god will haue mercie on him . and thus wee see also the blessing of god vpon the function of the ministerie , and conexed thereunto by the mercifull dispensation of god. it followeth . and will say , deliuer him that he goe not downe into the pit : for i haue rece●ued a reconciliation . the fift and last part of this description is , the commission and authority giuen vnto him , which is so great , as neuer was giuen to any creature , and is thus , when a minister of god hath declared vnto man his righteousnes , hath brought him to the state of grace , and god in his fauour hath had mercy on him ; then god saith to the minister , deliuer that soule from hell , for i haue pardoned him in christ , i am reconciled to him . in which words , authoritie is giuen to a minister of god to redeeme a man penitent , from hell & damnation : not that he is the meanes of working out this redemption , for that wholy and onely is christ himselfe ; but hee is gods instrument , and christs instrument , first , to apply those meanes vnto him : secondly , to pronounce his safety and deliuerance when these means are vsed . here is the principall honour of all belonging to that calling : and it is the greatest that euer was vouchsafed to any creature . man 〈◊〉 angell : for it is a plaine commission to goe and deliuer such a man from the power of hell , & to redeeme him into the state of gods children , and to make him heyre of heauen : angels ne●er had this commission ▪ they are messengers sent out for the good of those whom ministers haue redeemed , and they haue brought many comfortable messages vnto them : but it was neuer said to any angell , deliuer that man that he goe not downe 〈◊〉 the pit , as it h●●r● is saide vnto a minister : nor any men but ministers haue this cōmis●ion . to some callings god saith , work● thou for man , build him houses , prouide him sustenance ; to the phisition , heale that man , to the lawyer , do that man iustice , to the souldier , fight for him , to the magistrate , defend him , to the king , gouerne him , and see that euery one doe his dutie : ● to none but to the minister dooth he say , deliuer him that he goe not down into the pit . if this be so then for the vse , first ministers must learne heere , that if they will haue the honour of redeemers , then must they doe the dutie of redeemers , they must pray earnestly for the people , for that is one meanes whereby they redeeme men . they must say with samuel , god forbidde that i should cease to pray for you : they must mourne for the impenitent , vvhen they will not turne to god. so did dauid his eyes gushed out with riuers of waters , because men kept not gods law . and ieremie , who w●shed a fountaine of water in his eyes ▪ that he might weepe for the sinnes of the people ▪ they must priuatly conferre , ●●site , admonish , and rebuke ▪ and principally they must preach , and that in such good manner , and in so diligent measure , as that they may redeeme and winne soules , and the end that they must ayme at , must be to winne soules . some preach for feare of the law , to auoyd censure or punishment , some for fashion sake , that they may be like to others , some for ostentation sake , to win credite and prayse , some for ambition , to rise in the world : all these forget theyr cōmission , which is , deliuer him from hell . this should be the end of their preaching , to deliuer a soule from hell , and what should commissioners doe , but execu●e theyr commission ? high com●issioners are worthy to be low commissioners , or rather ▪ no commissioners , if they will not put it in execution . it is therefore lamentable to see , that some by not prea●hing , s●me by vaine preaching , show that they intend any thing , rather then the winning of soules to god. let then all good ministers so preach , as they may say with esay , behold lord heere am i , & the children whō thou hast giuen me . and that they may returne theyr commission thus : whereas thou o lorde gauest mee this people , and had me deliuer them , that they goe not downe into ●ell , lord i haue doone it , it is the thing my soule aymed at , with all my desire and endeuour : and by thy mercy i haue effected it accordingly . and the rather must all christian ministers seriously intend the sauing of souls , inasmuch as antichrist doth so earnestly seeke the destruction of soules , by winning them to his synagouge . the turke spares no labour , no cost , to infect young chyldren of christians with his impure and blasphemous superstition . the pope and his vassals , ( especially iesuits ) vse al means , deuise many stratagems , spare no cost , nor labor , to seduce & inueagle young men , and the best wits . surely theyr care and policie heerein is admirable , and yet alas , when ( like the pharisies ) they haue compassed sea and land to make a proselite , they make him like themselues , the child of hel . and they are so farre from hauing any commission from god to doe this , or any blessing promised , as contrariwise god forbids them , and his curse lyeth vppon them for so dooing . shall they be so diligent to destroy soules without a commission , and incurre gods curse for theyr labour , and shall not christian ministers , be much more diligent to winne and redeeme soules , hauing so large a commission for the purpose , and so great a blessing promised thereunto ? in the next place , this doctrine hath vse to the hearers . first to let them see the excellencie of this calling , which hath a comission and power to redeem them frō hell & damnation , & what honor is due vnto it , & to let the wicked man see ( which any way abuseth eyther the persons or the function ) howe base & vnthankful men they are , to recōpence euill for so great a good , & therfore no maruell thogh euil do neuer depart frō the houses & families of such men : and further , to encourage all men to giue thēselues to god in this great calling , for see here what they are , euen the high commissioners of god. vvee haue in our estate , a power delegated to certain men of worth , & it is called the high commission , because they haue power to do great things , and that man thinks himself happy , who can bring his son to this , to be thought fit to be one of this commission : but behold heere a higher commission , a commission from god , to redeeme soules from the power of hell , & the deuils clawes , this is indeed a high commission , and so high as this , was neuer granted out of the court of heauen to any creature but to ministers : they therefore are the high commissioners of the high god. is it not then an honor & happines vnto thee to bring thy sonne to this estate ? and lastly , this must teach all hearers , their dutie to gods word , namely , to submit them selues vnto it : for if the minister haue a commission to redeeme thy soule , it must be by the word and holy discipline . therefore thy dutie is to heare gods word patiently , to submit thy selfe vnto it , to bee taught and instructed , nay to be checked and rebuked , and to haue thy sinnes discouered , & thy corruptions ript vp . if thou wouldst haue thy cause succeede well , thy lawyer must discouer the weakenesses of it , if thy body to be cured , thy phisition must purge the corruption of it ; so if thy soule be to be redeemed , thy minister must see the weakenes , and purge the corruptions of it , & though his doctrine be harsh , and hard vnto thy nature , and the discipline of the gospell seem rough vnto thee yet must not thou rage and rebell against it , nor hate , nor rayle at his person , but submit thy selfe vnto it , for it is the message and ministerie of thy saluation : if otherwise , thou doost indeed a great wrong to the minister , for thou frustratest his commission , but alas , a far greater to thy selfe , for thou frustratest thine owne saluation . finis . the second treatise of the duties and dignities of the ministerie , by maister perkins . to the right worshipfull and reuerend iudges , sir iohn sauile knight , one of the barons of his maiesties exchequer : and sir christopher yeluerton knight , one of the iudges of his maiesties court of kings bench , the late worthy iudges of our northeren circuite . the spirit of wisedome , zeale and courage be multiplied . right worshipfull , it is sayd in other nations , and written in some of their bookes , that there are three disgraces of the english nation : the ignorance , or ( that i may so call it ) the vnlearnednes of our gentry and nobility , the be●gery of our poore , and the basenes of the body of our ministery . the first blot , our nobilitie and gentrie haue well wiped off , since the first daies of blessed queene elizabeth , partly by studie at home , partly by trauell abroade , and i hope they will doe it more and more : the second hath beene well l●ssened by good lawes of late , and wou●d be more , if the execution were as good as our lawes bee , and it were much honour to our nation , and more to our religion , if it were quite taken away : for he that tells vs there shal be poore euer with vs , saith also , there shall not be a begger amonst vs ; if there were no poore , what should become of charitie : for it is charitie to relieue pouertie , not to maintaine beggery : pouerty may be a crosse , but it is no curse : but beggery is a fearefull curse , threatned on the enemies of god : and dauid saith not , bee neuer sawe a righteous mans child poore , but that he neuer sawe him begge his bread . the dayly cries in our streetes , cry for yet further reformati●n heereof , that the impotent poore may be sufficiently prouided for , that he neede not , and the s●urdy begger compelled to worke , that hee may not bee suffred to begge . happie you , or whosoeuer can haue a hand , in effecting this blessed w●rke , wee , who can doe little else shall pray for it , and for them that labour in it . but now f●r the third , i feare none but the very hand of god , can wipe out that staine from our church : the bas●nes of the generall body of our ministerie , whence is it , but either from the vnworthin●sse or pouerty thereof : and the vnworthines thereof , whence is it but from the pouerty , and base maintenance of our ministerie , which was once robbed by the abbies , and after worse by some in our owne state : and popery that stands so much vpon non dimittitur peccatum nisi restituator ablatum , yet for all that , would not restore vnto the church her tenthes againe . but as popish abbies stole them , so a popish state kept them , and to their shame some of th●se good professors of our religion , haue restored such as were in their bands , and there is hope that all our professors , ( vnlesse they care not to be accounted hipocrits ) will make some conscionable restitution . we doe not craue that they wold with zacheus restore ●oure●old ( though it is apparant , that the tenthes were got from vs in old time , by most false and forged cauillations ) we onely craue our owne , we would aske no more , nor willingly take lesse : for our whole dutie is still required , then why should not our whole due be payd . and yet that the world may learne of vs contentednes , as well by our practise as our doctrine , we would for the present , take in good part , and rest contented with a part of our owne , and some competent portions out of the impropriations , ( proportioned to the quantitie ●f the charge imposed , and the gifts and paines required ) would for a time bee a reasonable satisfaction to our ministerie , vntill our state found it selfe , either better enabled , or more straightly tied in conscience to full restitution . but as i sayd , this is a worke of god himselfe , f●r if man could doe it , so many parliaments would not haue slipt it , but some of them would haue ete●nized it selfe , with this honorable name to all posterities . the parliament that restored impropriations , but till that , or some other course ( as good ) be taken , it is both vnseasonable , and vnreasonable to complaine of the ignorant , or to c●aue a learned ministerie . for shall the oxes mouth be mousled , which treads out the corne , or shall a man goe to warre at his owne cost ? and hath not god ordained ( marke it is his ordinance ) that those who teach the gospell , shal liue of the gospel ? but alas , how shall the ministerie of england liue of the gospell , when my small experience can showe , that in one corner of one county of this kingdome , wherein there are some . parishes , or parochiall chappell 's , almost a . of them , ( if not a full ) are impropriate , and amongst them i can showe the most parishes haue but . pound or thereabouts , some . li. some , li. some , li. some , pound , some not , pound yearely liuing for the minister , and those impropriations worth some , pound , many , pound , almost all , pound , per an : yea there is one worth , pound , per an : where there were but , pound left for the minister , vntill of late with much adoe , , pound more was obtained for a preacher , and so there is out of , pound , , pound shared for a minister , and , pound carued for a preacher , in that parish where there are , communicants . of all the rest , the crowne hath some , pound rent , or not so much , and the remainder of , pound ( being a rich liuing , for a worthy learned minister , a competent liuing for , and more then some , painfull and able ministers 〈◊〉 ) i knowe not what becomes of it , vnlesse it goe to the feeding of kits and cormorants . are not these goodly liuings for learned men , and may not wee expect a learned ministerie , where there is such maintenance ? and i hartely wish that other countries , be not able to showe the like presidents ▪ haue the rather made relation heereof , that our high court of parliament , may see how great cause they haue , to goe forward with that motion already by them made , for the establishing of a learned ministerie . but if they bring it not to passe , what then remaineth , but to hope that the great god of heauen , will put into the hart of the god on earth , our noble king ( into wh●se hands he hath put the sword of soueraigne authoritie ) an irreuocable and vnresistable , resolution to execute his supreme power , for the reformation of this euill , which ( as maister perkins saith in this treatise ) may well be called the kings euill , for it will hardly be healed , but by the will and powere of a king . in the meane time , this treatise of that worthy man , may be a motiue to our zealouse professors , who haue any impropriations in their owne hands , to excite and prouoke them to a conscionable restitution , in whole or in part , as their estates may beare , or their conscience shall mooue them . for heerein are layd downe and mixed together , both the duties to be done by faithfull ministers , and the dignities due vnto them for their duties : and so seeing the dignities of that calling to bee most honorable , and the duties so chargeable , it cannot but grieue their christian harts to see the maintenance so miserable . this treatise i first of all send to you , and vnder your names to the world , and to you first , for as i am sure you loued the author , and honored those excellēt gifts of god in him , so you cānot but accept this after birth of his , ( as a fatherlesse child for the fathers sake ) . and for my selfe , ( to conceale all personall and priuate respects ) in the name of many thousands in the northeren countries , i praise god for the good done in those parts , by your painfull courses , and religious care , not doubting , but if your selues , or the like be imployed there , to asist our honourable and religious lord president , that the multitude of popish priests there lurking , will bee daily lessened , the number of painfull preachers augmented , poperie put d●wne , and the gospell maintained more and more . which blessing god grant to that and all other countries of this kingdome , for his mercies sake : & giue vnto you & all others in your place , the spirit of courage and constancie , in these declining daies , that beeing faithfull in your great charges , vnto the end , you may receiue the crowne of life : for which he hartily prayeth , who will euer rest your worships in the lord , w. crashawe . a treatise of the dignitie and dutie of the ministrie . esay . . then i said , woe is me , i am vndone , for i am a man of pollut●d lips and dwell in the midst of a people of polluted lips : for my eyes haue seene the king and lord of hosts . then flewe one of the seraphins vnto me , with an hotte coale in his hand . which he tooke from the alter with the tonges : and touched my mouth and saide , loe this hath touched thy lips , & thy iniquity shall be taken away , and thy sin shall be purged . also i heard the voice of the lord , saying whom shal● i send , & who shal go for v●●●hen said i , here am i , send me : and he saide goe . in the fiue former chapters are contained such sermōs , as the prophet had made vnder vzziah king of iuda : at this chapter begin such as he preached in the raign of iotham , & so forward : but before he either preach or prophecie of any thing , in king iothams dayes , or his successors , the lord in this chapter giues a new cōmission to the prophet , & a new confirmation to this calling : the old king in whose daies esayah was first called being now 〈◊〉 , and an other succeeding him , god with the new king , reneweth the calling and cōmission of the prophet : wherin god doth not giue him another calling , for one calling to the office of the ministery is sufficient : but he confirmeth the calling formerly giuen , by repeating & ratifying it . and this god did to easy , not as he was an ordinary , but an extraordinary prophet : for ordinary ministers need no renouation of their calling , nor any newe signes of confirmation , but extraordinary prophets , who come in extraordinary maner , & to do many extraordinary workes , god in his wisdom wil haue their calling confirmed , againe , and againe , & that by very extraordinary meanes . out of which practise of the lord , we learn , how great cause we haue to doubt those men to be either fantasticall or worse , who pretend extraordinary callings in these daies , and yet scarce can shew vs any good signes of an ordinary , much lesse of an extraordinary motion : for if in those dayes , when such courses were more common , god will haue his extraordinary prophets caling to be renewed & confirmed , againe and againe , then certainly in these dayes , we may iustly require , more & more , wonderful signes of an extraordinary calling afore we belieue it : and if god himselfe was so carefull to satisfie his church in those dayes of the vocatiōn of his prophet , surely y e church in these daies hath much more cause to doubt in such cases , and to require many & extraordinarie signes , afore it acknowledge any such extraordinary calling : these men therfore offer much wrong to the church , & deserue both the censure thereof , & the sword of the magistrate , who dare so boldly offer and obtrude to the church their own fancies & dreams , as extraordinary motions of gods spirit . this is the occasion and coherence . this chapter hath two partes , first , the meanes of his confirmation , f●om the beginning to these words : secondly , the confirmation it selfe , from these words to the end : the me●ne● of his confirmation is a vision he saw from heauen , of certaine holy angels appearing and speaking to him , in the first . verses . in the confirmation , which followeth in these words , are three points . the effect of the vision , which it wrought in the prophet , it caused him feare , it astonisht him , & cast him down : in the fifth verse . his cōsolation , and raising vp againe after his feare , in the . and . verses . the renuing of his cō●ssion againe , from thence to the end . the feare & astonishment of the prophet , is described , by the signes , of which are two ; a note of exclamation , woe is me . by a note of extreame deiection in himselfe , i am vndone . by the causes of it , which are also set downe to be two : he was a man polluted , and dwelt amongst people polluted . he had seene the lord , then said i , woe is me , i am vndone . the first point in order is , the feare and extasie , into which the lord d●oue this holy prophet , which the lord did not in his anger , but in his loue vnto him , not for a punishment of sinne , but as an euidence of his further loue : for the intent and purpose of god , in striking this feare into him , was to make him to be a true prophet , & a fit messenger for himselfe . it may seeme a strange course , which god taketh to confirme and raise vp his seruāt in zeale & corage to strike him into an extreame feare , euen to astonish & amaze him ▪ & yet we see it is the course which the lord taketh : out of which practise of the lord , wee learne this doctrine : that al true ministers , especially such a● are deputed to the greatest workes in his church , must ●e first of all striken into a great feare , 〈◊〉 consideration of the greatnes of their ●●nction , yea into an amazemēt and astonishment , in the admiration of gods glorie and greatnesse , whose roome they occupy , and whose message they bring , & the more they are afraide and shrin● , so it be vnder the contemplation of gods maiestie , & their own weaknes , the more likelier it is that they are truly cald of god , and appointed for worthy purposes in his church : but he that steps to this function without feare , he may thrust in himselfe , but its doubtful whether he be cald of god , as here y e prophet was : nor is it so here alone , but euery where , when god called any of his seruants , to any great worke , he first droue them into these feares and amazements , as is euident a in moses , in b ieremy , in c s. paul and others . the reason of this calling of the lord is plaine : namely , because mans nature is alwaies ready to take enough and too much vnto it selfe god therfore in his wisdome puts a bridle vnto the corrupt nature of man , and astonisheth it , lest it presume too much and take too much vpon it self : againe a minister is to preach vnto the people feare and reuerence of the lord : bu● how can he do so to others , whē he hat● not tyed the lord in his own cōscience , nor was euer cast downe in admiration of gods glory and maiesty : and lastly , the ministry is a high & excellent cal●ing ( especially the office of extraordinary prophets in the old testament ) and is therefore subiect to pride , and to be ●uft vp with self●-conceits ▪ & therefore ●eacheth the apostle to timothy , that a minister may not be a yong scholler , least he 〈◊〉 puft vp , and fall into the condemnation of ●he wicked : giuing vs to vnderstād , that it ●s the peculiar danger of the calling to haue high conceits of thēselues , because of the height & dignity of their functiō . therfore to preuent this incōuenience , god in mercy appointeth that all his true ministers , shall haue some meanes 〈◊〉 other , to be cast downe euen to no●hing in themselues , and shall be driuen ●nto such feares & amazements , at sight of their owne weakenesse , as they shall ●hrowe downe themselues at christs ●eete , and denying themselues wholy , shall acknowledge that they are in him whatsoeuer they are ; and doe relye , and trust onely on his grace and helpe . the vse of this doctrine , as it is for all ministers , so specially for vs which liue in the vniuersitie : we liue as it were in a seminary , and many of vs are hereafter by gods grace to be framed to the ministery , and some of vs already are . now here we haue many occasions to be puft vp in selfe-conceits : we see our selues growe in time , in degrees , in learning , in honour , in name and estimation : and to many of vs god giues good portions of his gifts : what are all these , but so many baites to allure vs to pride , and vaine opinions of our own worths ▪ but let vs remember the end we aime at , is not humane , nor carnall : our purpose is to saue soules , then the weapons of our warre raust not be carnall , as pride , vaine-glory , and selfe-conceit . if therefore we euer looke to be made instruments o● gods glorie in sauing of soules , then a● the first set wee not before our eyes the honour , but the daunger of our calling , and humble we our selues vnder the mightie hand of our god , that hee may exal● vs in his due time : and let vs be content that god giue any occasion or meanes to pul vs down , either by outward cross , or inward temptation : and let vs reioyce , when we are thereby so farre cast downe , that we cry out in the astonishment of our spirits , as the prophet here : woe is me . i am vndone : but otherwise if we will needes follow the swinge of our proude natures , and trust in our owne abilitie , gifts , and learning , let vs knowe , we vse carnall weapons in a spirituall warfare . and let vs be assured the lord will worke no great worke in his church by our ministerie : wee may raise our selues in worldly estimation , and worke out our owne purposes , but we shal do litle in the saluatiō of soules : for those men do pronounce the most powerfull blessings on other mens soules , and speake the best wordes of comfort to other mens consciences , which they oftenest say vnto thēselues . woe is me , i am vndone . furthermore , whereas the prophet at this vision and reuelation of gods glory vnto him , cryeth out of himselfe , woe is mee , i am vndone : being words of extreame feare and astonishment , and of so lowe a deiection as is a degree towardes desperation ( if it had gone forward ) : let vs learne that the prophet helde not in his iudgement the doctrine of intercession of angels and saints for particular men , for if he had , hee need not at the sight of gods maiestie , foorthwith to haue cryed out , woe is me , i am vndone , but hee might haue stayed himselfe awhile in this cogitation , i will desire moses , samuel , or dauid , to pray to this glorious god for me , or here are holy angels of the seraphins here present , they see in what fearefull case i am , i will pray to them to speake to this glorious and mightie lord for me , that i perish not in this feare : but hee instantly seeing the lord appeare in maiestie , and fearing his iust wrath , ( being guiltie of his own corruptiōs ) without any hope or expectation , or as he seemes , without the lest cogitation of helpe or assistance from any creature , he cryeth out , i am vndone . lastly , whereas he exclaimeth , woe is me , i am vndone : being words of a soule humbled & deiected , & hereby sheweth himselfe to be in that case , which a poore sinner is , when the preaching of the law hath humbled him , by shewing him his sinnes and his extreame danger by them . we may learne , that to bee called to the ministery , is to be as it were conuerted and regenerate : & that when a man is called thereunto , it is a worke little lesse then that whereby god calleth a sinner from his sinne , to the state of repentance : for as god first casteth downe the sinner , before hee giue him grace , or any feeling of his loue in christ : so here , hee first abaseth and casteth downe the prophet in the sight of g●ds maiestie , and his owne miserie , afore hee honour him with a commission to preach peace vnto his people . which i note against those men , which hold it so ordinary a matter to enter into the ministerie , as many doe , which take it vppon them in wordly and politique purposes . and some of a better ranke , which thinke if a man haue learning , degrees and age , he is sufficiently qualified for that calling . but alas , this is not all ; there is a greater work to be wrought then so , he must be humbled & cast down , in sight of the greatnes of that calling , of the maiestie of that god whose roome he is to execute , & of the vnworthines of himselfe to so great a worke : hee must bee resolued , that to call a man to the ministerie , is the greatest worke that god worketh in his church , but the conuerting of a sinner , and calling him to the state of grace : nay it is a worke euē like vnto it : for as a sinner in his conuersion , so he at his vocation to that place , is often to cry out in the amazement of his soule , woe is me i am vndone . as therefore they are foulie deceiued , which thinke any holinesse or sanctification , can sufficiently qualifie a man without learning , so are they no lesse which thinke all outward complements to be sufficient without this worke , which here was wrought in the holy prophet . thus we see the feare and astonishment of the prophet . it followeth ; for i am a man of polluted lippes . now follow the causes of his feare , which are two . the first is , his owne pollution and sinfulnesse , and the sinfulnesse of his people : his owne he freely confesseth in these words ; i am a man of polluted lippes : that is , i am a miserable and sinfull man , and therefore i feare and tremble to stand in gods presence : nay , i dare not looke vpon the lorde , for my sinnes . but it may bee demaunded , how could the prophet say thus truely , for he was a holy man , and iustified in gods presence , by his true faith in the messias , and sanctified by repentance : can a man iustified and sanctified , say , he is a man polluted ? i answere , it is doubtlesse , he was so , he therefore complaineth here not of any great and enormous sinnes , which he had committed to the publicke scandoll of the church , but first of the corruption of his nature ; which in him as in al mē is a very sea of iniquity , & which alwaies appears the more , the neerer a mā comes to god and therefore did now most apparantly discouer it selfe in the prophet , when he was in the presence of the lord himselfe . secondly , he complaineth of some actuall sinnes of his life , and it is more likely of some sinnes of omission , then of commission : for we find not that the prophet was euer touched with any great sinne , and where we know it not , we are in charitie not to imagine it . so that it t s most probable , he complaineth of some smaller faul●s , or negligences in his ministerie : as not preaching to the people at some time when he ought , or not preaching so willingly , or cheerfully as he should , or desire to lea●e preaching , because the people were stubborne and disobedient , or some impacience in his ministerie , when the people were reb●llious and resisted his doctrine , which passiō might the rather vexe him ( as we read it did ieremie ) the iewes were so stubborne and stifnecked a people : or it may be some want of zeale or forwardnes , these , or some such were the cause of his feare : and the conscience of ●●ese makes him here cry out that he canno stand in the sight of god. where we le●r●e , first , what a tender conscience godly ministers must haue aboue all men : ●am●ly , that they must make conscience , 〈◊〉 of the great and grosse sinnes onely , but euen of the lowest & least sinnes : and he m●st endeuor in his calling , not onely to be cleere of great crimes , but as farre as may be , to be free from the least appearances of euil , and from the least negligences in his place , for a small fault in other men is great in them , and that which may bee some waies pa●donable in other men , is no way in them : they must therefore watch ouer themselues most carefully , and take heede to all their wayes : and for this ende is it , that a minister in godly wisedome must often depriue himselfe euen of many things ( which it may bee , lawfully hee might vse ) least his libertie bee an occasion of euill to others : and must abstaine from the least sinnes , least euen they be blemishes to his calling , and burthens to his cōscience . and hence is it , that a minister cannot be too carefull in his calling , in his words , dyet , companie , recreation , apparell , gestures , and in his whole cariage , because little sinnes are so great in them . especially ministers here learne the apostles lesson , to bee instant in season & out of season : to preach and exhort , to comfort and rebuke publikely and priuately : to good , to bad : when it is well taken , when it is ill taken , when they willingly receiue it , and when they stubbornly resist it , when they commend him and reward him , and when they raile at him , and persecute him for it : thus must he be diligent in season & out of season , for the least negligence in his dutie , or omitting the least opportunitie of doing good , will when god visits his conscience , be a burthen and vexation to him , as it was here to the prophet . and furthermore , if these small sinnes thus afflicted the prophet , then alas what is to bee thought of those ministers , who make no conscience of foule & scandalous sinnes ? how shal symonie , incontinencie , vsurie , inhospitality , couetousnesse , ignorance , idlenesse , carelesse nonresidencie , how shall these ( i say ) and other like greiuous crimes oppresse and burthen the soule , whē as the smallest sinnes doe so affright this holy man ? surely , when god shall visite thē , their states will be most fearefull , nor , shall any mans case be so miserable , as an vnconscionable ministers : and though now such loose and licentious ministers seeme to liue in iolitie , & without ●ny feare , yet when god shall appeare ●nto their consciences , then will they cry out in fearefull anguish , woe is mee , i am vndone . and againe , if these small faults so affrighted this holy prophet , and burdened his conscience , then what pittifull consciences haue those ministers , whose daily negligence , and vnconscionable carelessenesse in their places is such , as all men speake of , and yet they are not touched : surely , these mē are not of so tender consciences as the prophet was : and either the prophet here was much more nice then needed , or ▪ else these men will proue to be in a miserable estate . lastly , let ministers of care and conscience , be here comforted in the examble of the prophet : who is there , but may finde imperfections and blemishes in himselfe , which will often make him cry out ; wo is me : but let not that discomfort thē , but rather reioyce , that they can see their owne weaknesse , as the prophet did here : if they haue cause to exclaime against themselues , they are not alone , as was this , and all other holy prophets case before them . in hauing imperfectiōs in thēselues , they are no more miserable then the prophet was : but let thē labour to be as blessed in seeing & complaining of themselues as hee was : and let euery minister assure himselfe , that the more hee makes conscience , euen of the least sinnes of all , the more he resembleth the ancient holy prophets , & the more likely is he to worke effectually in his ministerie . for his dutie is to worke in his people a conscience , not of great sinnes onely , but euen of all : but how can hee doe that to them , if he haue not first of all done it in himselfe ? hence it is therefore , that godly ministers finde fault with themselues , when other men cannot , and cry out against themselues , for their pollution ( with the prophet here ) when no other man can accuse them of the least crime : nay , when others doe magnifie god for his graces on them , and praise their giftes , and commend their good liues , euen then doe they condemne themselues , and exclaime against their owne corruptions : and their owne smallest negligences , or omissions , are great woundes to their consciences : & their last sinnes , and their most pardonable infirmities , are sore burthens vnto them : for of all men in the worlde , a godly minister is a man of the most tender conscience . hitherto hath the prophet complai●ed generally of his pollution . particularly , hee exclaimeth against the pollution of his ●ippes . but why will some say , complaines hee of the pollution of his ●ippes , rather then of his heart , or his hands , or any other part of him ? were they not all polluted ? yes , all in some measure : and was not he grieued at them all ? yes assuredly , wee must grant that also . but the reason is , he was a prophet , his dutie was to vse his tongue , the practise of his calling consisted in the vse of his tongue : for a minister is an interpeter , as he is called , iob. . . that is , the peoples to god by prayer , and gods to the people by preaching : he is gods mouth , and the peoples mouth : so that the tongue of a minister is that part of his body , which is to be vsed as a principall instrument of gods glorie , and more to the setttng foorth of his honour then any other : now euery man is to be tryed what he is by his calling , rather then by any other accidentall or collaterall courses : therefore the honour or dishonour of a minister , is the vse or the abuse of his tongue : and his comfort or discomfort is the well vsing , or not vsing of it . the prophet therefore here affrighted at gods presence , and therefore retyring into himselfe , presently his conscience checkes him for his most proper sins : namly , for some fault or negligence in his ministerie , ( which is the proper sinne of that calling ) and therfore is it that he exclaimeth against the pollution of his lippes : out of which practise of his wee may learne ; first , the vanitie of the papists , who magnifie the merites of holy mens workes : for if this holy prophet , a man truely iustified , & extraordinarily sanctified , yet durst not stand before god in this little apparance of his glory , notwithstanding all his zeale , and courage , and conscience , and paines , and sufferings in his function , but was cast downe so farre , from a conceit of his owne worth , that hee cryed out ; woe is mee , i am vndone . how then can wee who are no better , but rather worse then hee , stand before god in the day of iudgement , in the great appearing of his infinite iustice and glorie ? rather doubtlesse , as here the smallest pollution of his lippes , and negligence in his calling , droue him out of all conceit of merit , when once hee came into the presence of god : so the due consideration of our so many and foule pollutions aboue his , should beate downe all proude conceites of our owne goodnesse , when wee appeare before god. it is therefore to bee feared , that the papists , who thus magnifie their owne merites , doe seldome or neuer enter into earnest consideration of their owne infirmities , and doe seldome present themselues in the presence of gods maiestie . for if they did , then doubtlesse the least sight of their least pollution , would make them farre from euer thinking of their owne merites . they also tell vs , of workes of superrerogation , but it seemes heere , this holy prophet had none of them . and they teach , a man may in this life perfectly fulfill the lawe , but who can doe it , if not ministers ? and what ministers , if not extraordinary prophets ? and yet isaiah ( the first and chiefe of them ) exclaimeth here in pittifull manner against his pollutions : doubtlesse , if the papists would cease flattering ●or●mselues , and not examine their consciences by their owne pleasing corruption , but present themselues in the face and presence of gods maiestie , they would bee farre from these conceits . in the next place , whereas the prophet complaineth of the pollution of his lippes : as of the peculiar sinne of his place : ministers are heere taught , to auoide that sinne aboue all other ; and to labour in that dutie aboue any other : for the dooing of it , is his most comfort : the want of it is his most vexation : his tongue is the instrument giuen him to honour god , if hee vse it well , it yeeldes him comfort , more then any other duties . but if hee vse not , or abuse his tongue , the pollution of his lippes will bee the heauiest burthen of all : they therefore are greatly deceiued , who thinke a minister to discharge sufficiently his duetie , though hee preach not , if hee keepe good hospitalitie ▪ and make peace amongst his 〈◊〉 , and performe other workes of charitie and good life : for if a minister haue not this vertue , hee hath none : if hee preach not ; if he● abuse his lippes : or if hee open them not , hee hath no conscience , nor can haue any comfort , for that is the principall dutie of a minister ( though all the other bee required to make ●him compleate ) : the want of them may condemne him before men , but it is the pollution of his lippes , which presently checkes him before god , as wee see here in this holy prophet : the conclusion then is to euery minister , that if hee had all the vertues and good properties , that can commend a man in the world , yet if his lippes be polluted , either by not preaching , or by negligent , idle , or carelesse preaching , this pollution will so staine his conscience , and so burthen him in the presence of god , that the time will come ( notwithstanding all his other good qualities ) he will cry out in farre more pittifull maner then here the prophet doth ; woe is me , i am vndone , because i am a man of polluted lippes . it followeth ; and i dwell in the midst of a people of polluted lippes . the prophet not onely complaine● of his own pollution , but of his peoples also , amongst whom he liued , and this he doth for these causes : first , to teach vs , that it is the ministers duty to confesse , not onely his owne sinnes , but the sinnes of his people , and to complaine of them to god : for as he is the peoples interperter to god , he must not thinke it enough to put vp their petitions , to vnfold their wants , and to craue reliefe for them at gods hand , but he must further take knowledge of the sinnes of his people , and make both publike and priuate confession of them to god : and the more particularly hee can doe this , the better : and this he is to doe , both for the peoples good , and for his owne also , because it cannot be but that the sinnes of his people , are in some sort his : for this is the peculiar danger of the magistrats and ministers calling , that generallie the sinnes of their people are theirs : i meane , that they are accessarie to the sinnes of their people , either by prouoking them by their euil 〈◊〉 , or by not reprouing , or not hindring or suffering , or winking , or couering and concealing , or not punishing them , or not carefully enough vsing meanes to preuent them : by all which meanes and many more , it comes to passe , that the peoples sinnes are the ministers by communication : so that as well for his owne sake , as theirs , hee is to confesse to god their sinnes , as well as his owne . now if a minister must confesse his peoples sinnes , then it followeth consequently , that hee must knowe them , and take notice of them , for else hee cannot confesse them . and this is one cause why the holy ghost commaundes a pastor to knowe his flocke . hee must not onely haue a flocke , and knowe which is his flocke : or haue a generall eye ouer it , but hee must haue a particular and distinct knowledge of the state of it , and the more particular the better . and if the minister ought to knowe his peoples sinnes , then it followeth , first that it is best for a minister to bee present with his people , that so hee may better knowe them and their state : and certainly if it bee a ministers dutie to confesse to god the pollutions of his people , then wilfull and carelesse nonresidency and all absence , without iust and conscionable causes , must needes be a foule and feareful sin . for how could isayah haue confessed he dwelt in the midst of a people of polluted lips , but that he dwelt amongst them . nay saith the prophet , hee dwelt in the midst among them , indeede well may hee knowe and confesse his peoples pollutions , that dwelles in the midst amongst them . againe , if the minister be to confesse his peoples sinnes , and therefore must needes knowe them , then it followeth also that they must discouer & confesse them vnto him , or else it is not possible he should perfectly knowe their estate : the want of this is a great fault in our churches , for howeuer we condemne auricular confession , as a very pollicie in the deuisers , and as a rack to the consciences of poore christians , yet we not onely allowe , but call and cry for that confession , whereby a christian voluntarily at all times may resort to his pastor , and open his estate , and disburden his conscience of such sinnes , as disquiet him , and craue his godly assistance , and holy prayers : great blessing and comfort doth doubtlesse followe them that vse this godly practise , and the want of it , is cause that a minister cānot discerne the state euen of his own flocke , nor can complaine to god of their pollutions , and confesse their sinnes so particularly as would be good both for him & them . secondly , the prophet couples together his owne pollution , and the pollutions of his people , as the adiuvāt , or helping cause and the effect : for the pollution of a people , helpes forward the pollution of a minister , and the worse people they are , the worse do they make him , though he be otherwise neuer so good : for euen the prophet , though called of god himselfe , and iustified and sanctified , and a man of extraordinary grace , yet dwelling in the midst of a people so stubborne and disobedient , as the iewes were , hee was something touched with their pollutions : ministers ( euen the best ) are men , and this comes to passe by reason of the corruption of their nature , as they are men : the nature of which corruption , is to apprehend any euill where euer it can be found , and to partake with it : regeneration qualifieth and abates this corruption , but takes it not away perfectly in this life : whereby it comes to passe , that a minister , liuing amongst euil people , cannot but be somwhat stained with their pollutions , of what sort soeuer they be ; insomuch as it is often seene , that one known to be otherwise disposed of himselfe , is found to be disposed to this or that euill , by liuing amongst a people so disposed . and againe , that a minister in such a place , & amongst such people , free from such and such sinnes , remoued to another place , is there found more or lesse tainted with them , because they abound amongst the people : and yet further , that a minister , knowne to be faithfull , painfull and zealous , and comming to a disobedient , stubborne , froward , or prophane and dissolute people , his faith is weakened , his zeale and courage abated , gods graces in him dulled , & much decayed : godly ministers doe daily complaine hereof , and experience euery where shewes it too true . out of this , we may learne something both for our instruction , and for our conuersation . for our instruction , it here appeares how wicked and wretched the corruption of our nature is , which cannot but receiue some contagion from the pollution of those with whom we liue : for this is so , not onely in them who carry a loose hand ouer themselues , but euen in such as looke most narrowly vnto their steps : as we see here in this holy prophet , who was a man of more then ordinary sanctification : how little cause therefore hath any man to extol nature ? and how much lesse cause the schoolemen and some other papists , to giue the least commendation to our pure naturals : for if nature rectified by grace , bee so hardly kept within compasse , alas how outragious and peruerse is it , when it raignes without controlment ? and for our further instruction , here wee may see of what a creeping and incroaching nature sinne is , which like a secret venome in the naturall bodie , so it in the pollitique bodie restes not in the place , or pa●tie poysoned , but closely creepes and diffuseth it selfe into euery part and member of the whole : it creepes from man to man , yea from an euill man to a good , from the worst man to the best : from prophane men , to godly ministers : and as from publike persons ( as magistrates and ministers ) it descendeth visibly , and the example of their euill life is palpably scandalous : so from the people to the magistrate or minister , it creepeth closely , and ascendeth in more secret and insensible maner , yet in the effect it is too sensible : for it is alwaies seene , that they are something touched with their peoples pollutions : sinne is not onely as a poison spreading from the heart to all parts , from the minister to the people : but as a gangreue , if it begin in the foote , wil without speedy preuention spred priuily to the hart : so sinne shewes it selfe , euen from the people to the ministers : so great cause is there for all men to stop sinne in the beginning , to breake it in the egge , to giue water no passage , no not a little : for let this gangreue beginne at the feete , it will not rest till it be in the heart . for our confirmation wee are here taught , first if a minister , by reason of the corruption of his owne nature , and the creeping nature of sinne , is in such daunger to be stained with the peoples pollutions , then let all ministers desire , and vse all good meanes to dwell with a people as little polluted as may be : otherwise let him assure himselfe to be polluted with them , which is both a great discomfort to his owne conscience ( as here it was to the prophet ) and disgrace to his profession : for if it be a duty of euery good professor of religion , to keepe himselfe vnspotted of the world , then how much more is it the ministers dutie so to doe , and how foule a staine is it to the honour of his calling , to bee polluted in the common pollutions of his people ? it may be therefore good counsell to all godly ministers in the placing and disposing of themselues , not to enquire onely how good a liuing such and such a place is , how wel seated , how healthfull , and beneficiall it will bee , ( which are alas the common and almost the onely questions now adayes ) but principally , to regard what a people they be : and how affected , amongst whom they are to liue : if godly and well disposed , or at least tractable and gentle , and willing to be taught , then lesse to regard other incommodities : but if wicked , & prophane , or ( which is worse ) stubborne , froward , & vntractable , then lesse to regard the greatest cōmodities : and certainly if this point be wel considered of , and how bitter it hath bene in the end to many who haue not regarded it , it will appeare , that this is the best encouragemēt or discouragement , the greatest commoditie , or discommoditie , and the best reason , either to winne a man to a place , or to drawe him from it , how good soeuer it be otherwayes : they that neglect this dutie and are ledde ( or misled rather ) with carnall and worldly respects , how iust is it vpon them when they are made to cry in the sorrowe of their soule , woe is me , i dwell in the midst of a people of polluted lippes . and here such ministers as haue poore liuings , but good people , let them not faint nor bee discouraged , they haue more cause to blesse god , then to bee grieued , for doubtlesse they are farre better then those who haue great liuings , and an euill people . but as for those to whom god hath bene so good , as to bestowe vppon them , competent liuings , and a willing and well disposed people , let them thinke themselues double blessed of god , and treble bound to honour god , and to doe good in his church : and if such men goe not before their brethren in all ministeriall care and dutie , their fault is aboue all mens , and they make themselues vnworthy of so great mercies . againe , if that a polluted people , pollutes their minister , here is a good warning for all ministers to be wary and choyse of their company , with whom they will most priuately conuerse : for , as on the one side they may not retire themselues into solitarinesse , nor sequester themselues from all societie with their people , ( which is rather a cimical and fantastical , then any way a religious practise : so of all men are they to be most carefull , that they doe not loosely and lauishly bestow themselues on al companies , as too many do in our church , to the great scandell thereof , who care not with whom they cōuerse , but all companies , all places , all times , al sports and recreations , all meetings , all occasions , are one with them : but alas what maruel , though such men keepe not themselues vnspotted of the world , but proue too offensiue to their calling : for seeing the best men cānot liue with the best people , but they shal receiue some contagion from them , how carefully ought ordinary ministers to make difference of men and meetings , times and places , and not diffusedly and carelesly to thrust themselues into all : so doing shal they keepe their calling from much reproach , and preserue themselues from much pollution , which otherwise from their polluted people , they shal bee sure to receiue . and here people are to be admonished , not too sharpely to censure their minister ; though hee bee not so sociable with them all , as it may be many would expect : for it cōcernes no man to be so wary of his companie and his sports , as it doth the ministe● : and if they would haue comfort and honour by their minister , let them be ●areful into what recreations and company they drawe or desire him : for the more polluted the people are amongst whom he liues , the more carefull must hee bee to keepe himselfe cleare from their pollutions . lastly , here people are taught , not to be too sharpe condemners of those ministers , whose conuersations are not so vnblameable as were to be wished : for if they liue ill , generally the cause is , because they liue amongst an ill people . why then should they so much condemne them , for such faults ▪ as wherein themselues haue made them faultie ? i say not , but our church , and state , and ministery , are to censure such men , ( and it were good they did it more ) but it is against all reason the people should do so , wheras themselues are the cause of it ▪ for alas , if this holy prophet was a man of polluted lippes , because he● dwelt with a people of polluted lippes ; what maruell then , though ordinary ministers be polluted with the common and vniuersall pollutions of their people : people therefore , are first of all to see that themselues bee well ordered and godly , and then iustly may they complaine , if the liues of their ministers be not agreeable ▪ but otherwise , it is not possible without very speciall grace of god , but that a minister shal be more or lesse touched w t those crimes which are the cōmon faults of his people . and lamentable experience daily lets vs see , that where a people in a towne is giuen to drunkennesse , there the minister , is either so for company , or at least too good a fellowe : where a people are giuen to contention , there the minister hath too many suites : where the people be popish , there the minister is too superstitious : where the people be ignorāt , there y e minister is no great clark : where the people are giuen to any great sinne , there the minister generally is not cleare from the same pollution : and it is seene , that the best ministers and most carefull of all , doe complaine bitterly of the pollutions of their people : for that howsoeuer it may bee they escape partaking with their sinnes : yet they alwaies finde , at the least a dulling and decaying of gods graces in themselues , where the people are vntoward and disobedient . if therefore a minister liue with such a people , his case is pittifull and daungerous , for he walks in y e midst of nets & snares , which are laide for him on euery side , and if he escape them ( i meane , if he keep himself vnspotted , in the midst of a spotted and polluted people ) his care and his conscience is worthy both admiration and imitation , and himselfe is worthy double honour , as being both a zealous minister and a holy man. but he whom god hath blessed with a good and tractable people , and well affected to the word , and yet himselfe liueth loosely and scandalously amongst them , a heauy burden and a hard account , lyeth on that minister , and no rebuke is too rough , no punishment too great , no censure too sharpe for him . and if this holy prophet , feare so much the presence of god for his small pollutions , and yet liued amongst so wicked and polluted a people , then what heauinesse and horror , shall be heaped on his soule , who cares not with how foule pollutions his life be stained , and yet liueth amongst a godly and well disposed people ▪ and thus we haue the first cause of his feare , his own , and his peoples pollutions . it followeth . and mine eyes hath seene the king , and lord of hostes. the second cause of the prophets feare and astonishment is , he saw the lord , who then appeared in glory vnto him : not that hee sawe the substance of god ( for that i● invisible and incomprehensible ) b●t hi● glory : nor the fulnesse of 〈◊〉 glorie , for that cannot be endured , but a glimse of it : nor that with the eyes of his bodie in ordinary maner , but in a vision : wherein how farre the eyes of his body were vsed , neither the prophe● express●● , nor wee can well conce●●e . the m●●ning then is ; ●n a vision hee sawe such glory and maies●●● ▪ as hee knowe there was an extraordinary presence of the lord of hostes who is the king of glorie , at whose sight and thought of his presence , instantly his conscience i● smitten with feare , for his owne infirmities , and the pollutions of his people . wherein let vs first of all obserue the connexion and dependance of these two causes , one vpon another : for as they are both ioyntly the cause of his feare , so one of thē is in a sort the cause of another : he feareth , because of his own and his peoples sinnes , and because he sawe the lord : but why is he afraid to see the lord ? the cause thereof is his owne and their sinnes , without which he would neuer haue beene affraid , but rather haue glorified to see the lord : but his conscience checking him , for some defect of dutie in his calling , therfore he trembleth at the least glimse of gods glory . here let vs marke the ground of his reason , which is this : that man that is in his sinnes , is not able to stand in the presence of god : this is a generall and certaine truth , & the reasons of it are ; first , the contrarietie betwixt god , and the nature of sinne , it being the onely thing which offends him , & which prouokes his wrath and iust displeasure : therefore as a subiect cannot but be much amazed , if he hap to come into the kings presence , with any thing about him which the king hates , or cannot abide to see : so a man cannot but be extream astonisht , if hee know himselfe to bee in gods presence with his sinnes , which gods soule hateth . secondly , sin makes a man indebted to god : for as the lawe tyeth him first to obedience , so if he sinne and fayle in that , it bindes him to punishment : and the more a man sinneth , the deper is he in gods debt . if then in this world , a man willingly indures not the sight of him , in whose debt he is ; what maruell , though a poore sinner tremble at the presence of god , to whom he hath forfaited soule and all . thirdly , sin is that which prouoketh god to wrath : therefore a sinfull man feareth the presence of god , as a traytor the face of the prince or a malefactor of the iudge . for these causes , a wicman endures not gods presence . now gods presence hath diuers degrees . first , god is present to our cōscience , when we think of him . . he is present , when wee name him , or heare him named or mentioned by others , and these are the furthest of : thirdly , god is neerer vnto vs in the presence of his ordinances , as his word and sacraments , and publike seruice in the congregation : fourthly , there is a most apparant and sensible presence of god , which shall be at the last iudgement , when all men shall stand before him in his immediat presence , to receiue their iudgement . now all these presences of god , are hatefull to a wicked man : for the first , a wicked man by his good will neuer thinkes of god , and if sometime a thought of god ( like lighning ) flasheth in his minde , presently he quencheth it , as being a most vnwelcome and burdensome thought vnto him : therefore saith dauid ; the wicked is so proud , he careth not for god : neither is god in all his thoughts : nay , god himselfe is so litle thought on , by them , that they will willingly thinke of nothing , that might bring god into their thoughts : as namely , gods great workes of his wonderfull iudgements : of whom the same prophet saith , in the same place ; thy iudgements are farre aboue , out of his sight . as if hee had sayd , he laboures to set them farre from the eye of his minde , that hee may neuer haue occasion to thinke of them , nor on god by them . that this is true for his thoughts , i haue endeuored thus to proue , by gods owne testimonies , because thoughts cannot be discerned by man. but alas , for the second ; that is , for his wordes , that 's too apparant in the sight of all men . for obserue it , and you shall neuer see a wicked man , by his good will haue god in his mouth , ( vnlesse it bee to abuse his name , by swearing or blasphemie ) nor willingly doth he heare any other man talke , or discourse largely of god , or of his greatnesse and his iustice ; but such talke is tedious & combersome vnto him : and if hee cannot breake it off with other discourse , then he sits as mute as a fish , and inwardly either frets with anger , or is tormented with feare . all this is true in felix the gouernour : who whilst paul discoursed of righteousnesse , temperance , and iudgement to come : the text saith , in the meane time , he trembled . and for the third , wee see daily wicked men , endure not gods presence in the church : for nothing is more troublesome vnto thē , then many sermons , often praying , and much receiuing of the sacrament : & therfore they neuer come to the church , nor receiue ofter then the lawe layes vpon them : but further then that , as the psalmist saith ; they neuer call vpon god. but as for the last , that they feare and abhorre aboue all , they wish in their heart it may neuer be . and therefore s. paul makes it a token of a true beleeuer , and a holy man , to loue , and looke for the appearing of iesus christ. whereupon it followeth , that euē so it is a signe of a wicked man , to feare the last iudgement , & to wish it might neuer be : and when it comes in deed , & they see they cannot escape it , whē then do they ? euen cry to the mountaines , fall vpon vs : and to the hils , couer vs , and hide vs : from what ? from the presence of god : so fearefull and so hatefull is gods presence to a sinfull man. besides these , there is another way , whereby god sheweth his presence : and that is , by extraordinary reuelation of his glory immediately : which was vsual in the old testament , as here to the prophet , but now is not to bee expected . but how terrible that is to the sinfull nature of man , appeares in this place : for if the prophet a most holy man , whose conscience accused him , but of a fewe and small sinnes , yet thus cryes out , amazed & affrighted , at the reuelation of some part of gods glory : alas , how would they be terrified with it , whose consciences are burdened with great and grieuous sinnes , & that without repētance ? thus we see the ground of his reason , how true it is , that a man in his sinne , cannot cheerefully come , nor boldly stand in gods presence . the vse of this doctrine : first of all , let vs see the monstrous presumption of such ministers as dare venture rashly into the ministery , to tread vpon the holy groūd of god , with vncle●ne f●ete ; to handle the holy things of god with vnwashen hands : for what is it to enter into the ministerie , but to enter into the chamber of presence of the great king ? and should not a man looke about him , afore he come there ? therefore if god rebuked moses , for stepping too hastily towardes the bus●e , where his presence is , and said ; come not too neere , for the place where thou standest i● holy ground : then how will god rebuke and checke the consciences of such carnall men , as carelesly & carnally rush into the pulpit , and to gods holy table , where god is present , in a farre more excellent manner then he was in the bushe ? and if they bee so to be blamed , who enter into this calling without feare and reuerence , then how much more faulty are they , who beeing ministers , dare venture to preach , or minister the holy sacraments , without holy and priuate preparation , and sanctification of themselues : but rush vpon them , as vpon common & prophane actions ? whereas god is present there , in a most holy and glorious maner : these men sure wil say , the prophet heere was of too nice a conscience : but fearefully and terribly shall god appeare at last vnto such men , as care not how they appeare in his holy presence . secondly , this sheweth the reason of the practise of al christian churches : who vse to sing before the sermon and after : namely , not for decorum onely , & to grace the action , but to sanctifie and to humble our selues , because then wee come befor gods presence : they therfore doe not thinke reuerently enough of god , and his presence , who doe by their practise in any sort , make way to the contrary . thirdly , we may here learne , the pittifull case of those ministers , who are so presumptuous , as to exercise that holy function , & yet remaine in their sinnes without repentance : what doe these men ? they approach to the burning bush , with their shooes on their feete : that is , into gods presence in their sinnes : what shall come of it in the ende ? surely , that burning fire shal consume thē ? the least sinnes , & smallest negligences affrighted this holy prophet , when he should go into gods presence : but these men dare come into the sanctuarie of god ; yea dare take gods words in their mouth 's , and yet hate to bee reformed , and doe cast the glorious word of god behinde their backes , which they preach to others with ●heir mouthes : these men may wonder at this holy prophets nicenes , or else al the world may wonder at their prophanenesse . a little pollution of his lippes , feared him to come into gods presence : but these dare doe it , with eies , eares , lippes , feet , hands , heart , and all polluted : their eyes polluted , with carelesse looking at all vanities : their eares with hearing : and their lips with speaking , wanton & wicked talke : their feete , with running into wicked company : their hands , with practizing , and their hearts , with deuising and consenting to all wickednesse . this is the cause , why the labours of such men are almost vnprofitable : because they dare come into gods presence in their sinnes . in many places of our land , there is by gods blessing much teaching , yet there is little reformation , in the liues of the most : but contrariwise , some fall to atheisme : some to papisme : some into foule sinnes , not to be named amongst christians . where is the cause ? surely not in the gospel : nor in our doctrine , nor in the teaching of it ; but one very principall cause is , many ministers come into gods presence , vnsanctified , & in their sins : not caring how loosely they liue , in the face of their people : and therfore god in iustice , thogh he instanstly smite not them , with visible vengeance for their presumption : yet hee smites the people , with spirituall blindnesse , that they regard not their doctrine , but looke at their liues , and doe rather follow the prophanenesse of the one , then the holinesse of the other . ministers are such , in whome god will be sanctified , therefore because they doe not so , but dishonour him , by comming into his presence in their sinnes : therefore hee cannot abide them , nor giue any blessing to their labours . all ministers therfore , as they would see any fruite of their ministerie , let them first sanctifie themselues , & clense their hearts by repentance , afore they persume , to stand vp to rebuke sinne in others : else let them not thinke , that their golden words shall doe so much good , as their leaden liues shall doe hurt : and they may happe to confirme men , that already are conuerted , but hardly shall any such men , conuert any soules from poperie or prophanesse . and it is a vaine conceite for men to imagine , there is any force in eloquence , or humane learning , to ouerthrow that sin in others , which ruleth and raigneth in themselues . our church , and all reformed churches , may make vse of this doctrine : for it is the glory of a church to haue their doctrine powerfull , & effectuall for the winning of soules , therfore it concerneth them , to take order , as well that their ministers be godly men , as good schollers , & their liues inoffensiue , as wel as their doctrine sound : or els they will find in wofull experience , that they pull downe as much with the one hand , as they build vp with the other . but most neerely this doctrine toucheth ministers themselues : who must know , their case is most fearefull of all mens , if they come into gods presence , in their prophanenesse : for as no man is more honourable , then a learned and holy minister : so none more contemptible in this world , none more miserable for that to come , then he that by his loose & lewde life , doth scandalize his doctrine : and let him assure himselfe , that for his presumption , in rushing into gods presence in his sinnes , he shall in this world , be cast out as vnsauory salt , and troden downe of men , with the foote of contempt : and in the world to come , he shall aboue all men cry out , in most extreame torment of conscience ; wo is me , that my eyes must see the king and lord of hostes : and so because hee would not in this world , come into gods presence in sanctification and holinesse : he shall therefore in feare and horror , bee haled into the presence of gods glorie , at the last day : there to receiue the iust sentence of their condemnation . lastly , all painfull and godly ministers may receiue comfort , not to bee discouraged or driuen from gods presence , because of their corruptions or infirmities , for wee see it was the prophets case : but let them still approch in feare and reuerence , and be so farre from being driuen from their dutie , because they being sinfull men , dare not come into gods presence without much feare : as let them contrariwise be assured , that the more they tremble at gods presence here , the lesse shall they feare it at the last day : and when prophane and vngodly men , who in this world feared not to stand in gods presence in their horrible sinnes , shal cry to the mountaines , fall vpon vs , and hilles couer vs , and hide vs from the presence of god : then such ministers as in this world in feare and trembling , and alwayes in repentance , did approach into gods presence : shall then looke vp , and lift vp their heads , & shall say to the holy angels , & all the powers of heauen , helpe vs , and hasten vs to come into the glorious presence of our god and sauiour . and thus we see the manifold vse of this doctrine to our church and ministerie . secondly , inasmuch as here the prophet in a conscience of his corruptions , feareth and cryeth out at the least apparition of gods glory . the vanitie and false dealing of the church of rome , is here discouered , in whose legēds & stories of their saints , nothing is more common then apparitions from heauen , of saints departed : of glorious angels of the virgin mary , ( and that so familiarly , as sometime she sang with ●hē in their cell , kissed some of them , and let them sucke her brests ) . nay , of god himselfe : and especially of our sauiour christ iesus : who they say , appeared ( i know not how oft ) to one man : namely , to saint francis : and appeared as hee was crucified with his woundes , and imprinting those woundes of his , in francis his body , which they say he bare all his life , and that they bled whensoeuer hee would suffer them , which he alwayes did on good fryday , that he might bee like to christ. this , and many more such , may you see in that fabulous & blasphemous book , of the cōformities of saint francis. but for the matter : are apparitions from heauen so ordinary in the popish church ? how then came it to passe , that the greatest and holiest men in the olde testament , were so amazed at the very apparition but of an angell : as wee may see in the whole course of the storie ? some ranne away , and hidde themselues : some couered their faces , some fell downe flat on the ground : and the prophets ●ere cryed out ; woe is mee , i am vndone : my eyes haue seene the king and lord of hostes. but in the church of rome , looke the stories , that saint or monke is no body that hath not had some apparition : either of the virgin mary , or some of the apostles , or an angel , or christ iesus appearing & talking with them : and yet alas , peter , iames , & iohn , those . great pillers , they were as good as beside themselues at the appearing of a little part of the glorie of christ in his transfiguration . either therefore must it followe that these men haue no sinne in them , which dare and can behold gods glory so easily , and so ordinarily , ( which is impossible ) : or rather which indeede is truth , it appeares that these are but deceitfull fancies and forgeries of their owne deuise , to deceiue the world , and to magnifie themselues before the eyes of the common people : for it is first of all most false , that apparitions are so common as they make them , for if they were , then are they more ordinary in the new testament then in the old . for whereas the scripture hath one , their legions haue . and whereas one , namely saint paul , was once rapt into heauen , they haue . that were rapt thither : and as that is false , so is it impossible that any man cloathed with fleshe can endure an extraordinary apparition of gods glory , without extreame amazement , as is plaine here in the prophet : who i hope was as holy a man as the holiest monke , that euer was . i haue noted this , that yong diuines may be occasioned to looke a little into their fabulious legends , that so they may discouer the false trickes , and iuggling casts of that religion : which euil shifts it needed not , if it were of god. thirdly , the people may here learne ; first , in that gods presence is so glorious and fearefull to mans nature , how mercifully god hath delt with them , in teaching them not by himselfe , or by his angels from heauen , which they could neuer endure ; but by men , who are like themselues : and how vaine and fond these men are , who would be taught from heauen , and not by men , who are so ful of wants . in the old testamēt , when the people receiued the lawe from gods owne mouth , it is said , they ranne away and cryed out , why should we dye ? if wee heare the voice of god any more , wee shall dye : for what fleshe euer hard the voyce of the liuing god & liued ? therfore they said to moses , goe thou neare and heare , all that the lord shall say , and declare thou vnto vs , what god saith to thee and we will heare it , and doe it . and then saith the text , the lord said , i heard the words of this people , they haue said well in all that they haue spoken . and so , from that day forward , god ordinarily taught his church by men like thēselues ; & we see , that the beg●nning of it , was not in iudgement , but in mercy vnto thē . it is is therefore the dutie of all men , both to acknowledge this mercy of god , in due thankefulnesse , and withall to remember , when they see infirmities in ministers , that they are but men , and that , if they had not the ministry of men , how hard it would goe with them : considering , that the least measure of gods owne presence , cannot bee endured by any man. . inasmuch as gods presēce , is so glorious in it self , & feareful to our nature , al men are taught to prepare themselues by holy prayer , by humiliation , and confession of their sinnes and vnworthinesse , afore they come to gods word or sacraments : for they come at that time into gods presence : they therefore are not to come in their securitie , nor in their ordinary sins vnrepented of , least god strike their consciences , with a sence of his fearefull displeasure : and make them cry out , vpon farre greater cause , then here the prophet did . thirdly and lastly , wee learne here the different natures and properties of sinne and holinesse : sinne , euen the least sin , nay a very sinfulnesse of nature makes a man afraid of gods presence : that sinne vnrepented of doth so , appeares in adam , who as in his integrity , he spoke and conuersed euen in a familiar sort with god : so no sooner had hee sinned ▪ but he ranne from god , and hid himselfe : and that euen the least sinnes not repented of , do so also , appeares in this prophet , who being a holy man , yet his conscience being priuy to it selfe of some small omissions or negligences in his calling , he cryeth out , he is vndone because he seeth the lord of hosts . but contrariwise the state of perfect holinesse , and the want of all sinne , makes a man bold in gods presence , and rather desirous then afraid to behold gods glorie , which shall be most apparant at the last day : for when the wicked shall desire rather to be couered with the hills , and ground to dust by the mountaines , then to appeare before the face of god : then shall the godly whose holinesse shall then be perfect , looke vp and ●ift vp their heades , because their redemption is so nigh . and iob testifieth of himselfe , that hee knoweth his redeemer liueth , & that he shal stand before him and looke vppon him with his eyes . thus as guiltinesse driues a man from the kings presence , but innocencie makes him bold before him : so sinfulnes makes a man auoid gods presence , but holinesse makes him drawe neare vnto god , and to reioyce in his presence . then for a conclusion of this point , let all men here learne the way to true courage and boldnesse before god : namely to repent daily of their sinnes , and labour to growe in true holinesse : wealth nor wit , learning nor autho●itie can do this for thee , but onely a good cōscience , which must be made good by grace & by repentance : then shalt thou reioyce in gods presence in this world , and delight to thinke of god , to speake of god , to pray vnto him , to meete him in his word and sacramēts , and at the last day , shalt thou stand with confidence before the throne of his glory . hithereto of the feare and astonishment of the prophet , and of the causes thereof . now followeth his consolation . then flewe one of the seraphims &c. in these two verses is laid down the second generall point : namely , the consolatiō of the prophet : cōcerning which , there are two points in the text : . the ground & matter of his consolation , that is , the forgiuenesse of his sinnes . diuers circumstances of that consolation . the time . then. the minister by whom it was done : an angell , one of the seraphims . the manner how he did it , speedily , he flewe . the instrument or outward signe , a coale from the alter . the outward action or application of it ; he touched his lips . the matter of the consolation is last in order . let vs therefore first speake of the circumstances . the first circumstance , is the time when this prophet was comforted and raised from his feare . then saith the text : that is , after his feare and astonishment , but not afore . thus dealt god alwaies with all his saints , he bestoweth no graces on them pertaining to saluation , but after he hath by some meanes or other brought them to true humiliation in themselues , and to sorrow for their sins : humiliation is the preparatiue for grace : for when by sight and sence of their sinnes , and their owne misery by sin , hee hath euen driuen them quite out of themselues , finding nothing in themselues , but cause of feare and astonishment , then powres hee the oyle of grace , and of sweete comfort into their hearts , and refresheth their weary soules with the deawe of his mercy : this point needes no further proofe , for looke into the scriptures , and wee shall finde , god neuer called any man to the state of grace , or to any notable worke or function in his church , but he first humbled them , and then brought them out of all cōceit with themselues , & then wrought in them , and by them , his wonderfull workes . the vse of this doctrine , is first of all to teach all men , to esteeme aright of the afflictions that god layeth vpon them in this world : cōmonly men take them impatiētly , & our nature grudgeth hagainst them : but let a christian man consider with himselfe , how god hath alwaies dealt with his children , and he hath cause not to thinke so : for doth god laye some great affliction on thee ? it may be he hath some mighty work of his grace to worke in thee , or some great worke of mercy to bee wrought by thee in his church , and hereby prepareth thee for the same . say therefore with the holy prophet ; i helde my tongue ● lord , and spake nothing , because it was thy doing : and what god may intend in his so doing to thee , thou canst not tell : and therefore in silence and patience possesse thy soule . againe , here is a comfort to all such as are distressed in minde , in sence of their sinnes , and sight of gods wrath : their states is not miserable , much lesse desperate , for they are in the high way to grace and fauour . god iustifieth not , but him that repents : god exalts not , but him that is humbled : god comfort not , but him that is distressed : god hath mercie on none , but such as both knowe and feele they want it : and knowe also , that they knowe not where to haue it , but at his hands . happy therfore is that soule , that feeles the waight and burden of sin for to him wil christ bring most ease and comfort . gods misnisters therefore are hereby to comfort distressed consciences , to assure them , that if with this prophet they bee so deepely touched with sight of their sins , and gods iustice , as that they cry , woe is me , i am vndone . then , euen then , are they most capable of comfort , and best prepared to receiue it , as here it fell out to the holy prophet . thirdly , here is the way taught vs how to attaine to any excellēt graces of god , either for our own saluation , or the good of the church , namely to labour for a sencible feeling of the want of them in our selues : for god vseth to bestowe no gifts on any man , but such as do in humility & lowlinesse , confesse to god , & acknowledge in themselues , the want of them . so the blessed virgin singeth , god f●lleth the hungry with good things , but the rich hee sendes empty away : and so the psalmist , god satisfieth the hungry soule , and filleth the empty soule with goodnesse . so then if thou be rich in thy conceits , god hath not for thee : but if thou be hungry , hee i● ready to fi●● thee with good things : and doest thou acknowledge thy soule emptie , then behold treasures of goodnesse ▪ to feede and fill thee : and art thou cast downe with the prophet , and is thy soule empty of hope , and fraught with feare , then behold euen then : god and his angels ready to raise thee vp , & to fil thee with cōsolatiō . t thus much for the time of his cōsolation : the minister by whom was . one of the seraphims . the . circumstance of his consolation is the minister by whom it was done : an angel . one of the seraphims : that is , an angell of that order so called : out of which we learne , first , that there are diuers degrees & seuerall orders of angels , though wee knowe not the true distinction thereof : nor thinke it lawful to imagine them to be . nor to set them down particularly , as the church of rome doth , who make many of their owne deuises , which they cal traditiōs , of equal authority with the scriptures . secondly , that these holy angels are the glorious guard of god , and do continually stand about the throne of his glory , & attend his holy wil , both in heauen and in earth . thirdly , that they are also by the merciful appointment of god , the guard of gods children , and ministring spirits sent out , as it were with a commission , for the good of the elect . all these points because they are plaine in the scripture , and do lesse cōcerne our general scope , which is concerning the ministery , i passe them ouer . fourthly , here it is apparāt , that as the angels are sent out for the help and seruice of the elect : so specially of gods ministers , as is plaine in this place , where the prophet being afrighted , a holy angel is ready to giue him comfort : and so ouer the whole course of the prophets : and at this day , their protection , and comfortable assistance , is no lesse present to the godly ministers of the newe testament , though not in such sencible signes , and such visible manner , as in the olde : for if they bee ministring spirits , sent out for the good of them which shal bee saued , howe much more for their good , which shall both bee saued themselues , and saue others also . a doctrine of great comfort , and much good vse to all ministers : who first of all may here learne contentment in their calling : for howsoeuer no calling hath more crosses , so none againe hath more comforts : and howsoeuer none bee more disgraced by euill men , yet none is more honoured by the holy angels : and howsoeuer in this world they aboue any calling , are seruants to all mē , yet none hath the seruice & attendance of angels so much as they : for though wee haue them not to helpe vs to do the outward actions of our ministery with vs , or for vs , ( as some popish doctors teach , that in their masse , amen is not said to one collect , because the angels say amen to it ) yet doubtlesse they are presēt alwaies , as at all holy exercises and lawfull actions , so especially at the publike seruice of god , performed by the ministers : and beside that , they are witnesses thereto , and of the paines , and diligence , and faithfulnesse of a good minister , they also do minister vnto them oftentimes bodily strength , and assistance , & many comforts : in their troublesome trauels , which they know not how by any naturall manes they come vnto them . and as this doctrine doth thus yeelde them contentment against the contempt , so also courage against the danger of this calling . for what though thou hast mighty men of this world against thee , when thou hast angels for thee : & what though thou fightest against principallities and powers , when thou hast cherubins , and seraphims on thy side ? godly ministers haue many enemies , but if by the eye of faith they can see as well who are with them ▪ as with the eye of reason who are against them , they will confesse with elisha , there are more with vs , then against vs. the stories of all ages do affirme , and the cōfortable experience of these daies of ours doth verifie the truth hereof . ministers that liue in places very prophane , or very popish , it is admirable to see how many daungers they haue escaped , and plottes they haue auoided , which by their enemies , ( or rather the enemies of their doctrine ) haue bene laide for their liues : which their deliuerance , and many other comforts in their ministries , whence are they but from gods protection , by the ministrie of his angels . afore we leaue this point , two questions may be asked , not amisse briefely to be resolued . first , if any aske , whence comes it that angels performe more seruice to good ministers then to other men : i answere , the reason is partly from god , partly from the angels : first god hath a principall care of them aboue other men , because they worke his worke aboue all other callings : for their labours immediately cōcerne the good of mens soules : whereas others , do first concerne the bodie , and consequently the soule : therefore , whereas he hath giuen his angels charge ouer all his elect , to keepe them in all their good waies , they haue a speciall charge doubtlesse ouer all godly and faithful ministers , whose waies are gods in a speciall manner . againe , angels themselues as they willingly performe any seruice to the church , or to any part thereof , so most willingly of all are they imployed for the good of godly ministers , and that for two causes . first , because they are their fellow-labourers , both for that y e angels & good ministers are both called gods embassadors , & gods own seruants or officers , in a more peculiar manner then any other calling : and for that their seruice is so like , that their names are common , one to the other . angels being called ministers , and ministers angels , as though they were almost all one . secondly , because the ministers dutie is , to conuert and saue soules , being a work , which ( next to the glorifying of god , and doing his will ) the angels doe take most delight in aboue any other : for if they bee sent out for the good of them which shal be saued , how much more willingly for their good , by whom they are saued , which shall be saued ? & if the angels reioyce at the cōuersion of a sinner , surely they much loue him , & desire to doe him good , by whom the sinner is conuerted : and in these respects , that angels and ministers haue the same names : and are both imployed in the same great worke ; namely , doing good to the elect . therfore is it , that the angel calles himselfe s. iohn the euangelists fellow in the reuelation : if then they bee fellowes , euen fellow-seruants , & fellow-laborers , in a more special maner then any other , what maruel though the angels be most willingly imploied , in doing any seruice of helpe or comfort to godly ministers . in the second place , if any aske , if it be so , then what duties are ministers to performe to angels , for this their so carefull seruice , and especiall attendance vpon them , aboue other men ? a papist would answere ; minsters must therefore worshippe them , and keep their fasting , and holy-dayes , and say their seruice , and pray vnto them , as to their keepers and mediators . but alas , cannot the kings messenger or officer be honoured , vnlesse he be set vppon the kings throne ? will nothing serue him , but the crowne and scepter ? so cannot angels be honoured , vnlesse they be made gods , or sauiours , or mediators ? i answere therfore , we dare not go so farre , least we remember the seruant so much , that we forget the maister : but rather we answere thus : seeing angels are thus seruiceable to gods ministers , it should first of all , teach all men to honour that calling , with all due reuerence : for they cannot but please the angels , in honouring good ministers , whom they esteeme their fellowes . secondly , it should teach all ministers , not to content themselues with the name and tytle , but to labour to be good and faithfull . for so doing , they are fellowes to the angels , and it is a disgrace to the angels , when those that are their fellowes are vnfaithfull . and it should further teach them , to adorne their calling with a holy life , for as sinne is that , that grieues the angels , and driues them away , so it is grace and holinesse , which makes them delight in the fellowship of men . and it may also encourage any man , to take paines in that holy calling , wherein hee is sure to haue gods angels , in a speciall manner to attende him , to assist him , to protect him , and to bee a witnesse of his faithfulnesse : and who would not worke cheerfully in that labour , wherein hee hath the angels to bee in a sort fellow-workers with him . to doe these three duties , is to honour good angels : and that minister that conscionably performeth them , the angels will take themselues sufficiently honoured of that man. and if beside this honour , wee would reioyce gods angels , and minister matter of ioy vnto them , then in the fourth place , let all ministers propounde to themselues aboue all things , the conuersion of soules , rather then their own praise , or liuing , or pleasing of men , and so endeuour it both in teaching , and all their other courses , that the angels may see it , and be witnesse of it : for if they reioyce at the conuersion of a sinner , ( as christ saith they doe ) then those men make them oftest reioyce , which doe most seriously aime at the conuersion of sinners . and thus we see , both the seruice of angels to gods ministers , and the duties they are to performe to them in that regard . the due consideration of this point , may raise the world to a better conceit of this calling , and perswade fathers to dedicate their sonnes to it , and stirre vp yong students to consecrate themselues thereto , & turne their studies to that end : for no man in no calling hath so speciall attendance , and assistance of gods angels , as godly ministers haue : at least , if it worke not this in the world , yet it may yeeld comfort and contentment to all faith ministers in their painfull calling . but let vs see how the angel performed his seruice to the prophet : not vnwillingly , not lingeringly , but speedily : so saith the text. he flewe . which is not so to bee vnderstood , as though the angels had wings : for they haue no corporall nor sensible bodyes , but spirituall and insensible substances , the actions whereof are performed with such nimblenesse and agilitie , as cannot fall within the compasse of outward sense . but the phrase is vsed for our capacities , to shew how readily and speedily the angel went about to minister comfort to the prophet . for as nothing moueth so quickly to our sense , as doth the creature that flyeth : and as we say , that man doth flye about his businesse , which doth it quickly and diligently : so here the holy ghost sets downe the willingnesse and quicknesse of the angel , to comfort this holy prophet , and to doe the will of god. where we learne ; first , what excellent seruants of god the holy angels bee , which so readily , willingly , and speedily execute the will of their lord. this must teach al gods seruants to doe the like , and to imitate them in this excellent obedience : and the rather , because wee pray dayly to god. thy will bee done in earth as it is in heauen . in earth of vs , as it is in heauen of the holy angels : but they doe it most cheerefully , and without all lingring , therefore so ought we . magistrates in their places , and ministers in theirs , and euery man is his functiō , is to apply this to himselfe , and to be stirred vp thereby to a cheerfulnesse and quicknesse in their duties : for therein they resemble the blessed angels , & then their deeds accord with their prayer : but contrarywise , he that doth his dutie vnwillingly , and vnreadily , is like the diuel , which indeed doth gods will , and yet against his will : and surely vnto such obedience there belongeth no reward . but as god loueth a cheerfull giuer , so doubtlesse loues he a cheerfull worker . secondly , we see here how great loue angels beare vnto gods children , especially vnto godly ministers , how willingly they are imployed to doe them good . willingnesse and readinesse to doe good to any man , must needes come from loue : and yet alas all men , euen the best , and all ministers , euen the best ▪ are creatures farre inferior to the angels . here magistrates and ministers , must learne to be farre from contempt of their inferiours : and to doe their duties of ruling and teaching carefully , though the people be farre their inferior● : it is the nature of loue , to make any man do seruice most willingly , to him that he loues , though he bee farre meaner then himselfe . if therefore princes loue their subiects , they will not spare any care , cost , nor paines , nay they will reioyce to doe them good , and they will labour to be like the angels , who are as farre greater then men , as they are then their subiects . and if ministers loue their people , they will forget their owne dignitie , which oft times they might stand vpō , and will make themselues euen seruants to all , that they may winne some . and seeing angles do flie so fast to giue helpe and comfort to good ministers : this must teach them further . first , euery one to labour to bee a good minister , for then are they sure of the loue of angels , and then most willingly doe the angels any seruice to them . againe , let it teach them to flye as fast to the discharge of their duties to gods church , as the angel● flye to doe them seruice , so shall gods angels thinke their diligence and carefull seruice , well bestowed vpon them . lastly , this diligence of the angels , and their willingnesse , proceeding frō loue , must stirre vp al christians , to performe all duties of godlinesse to god , and of loue vnto his church , with alacritie and cheerfulnesse . so doe gods angels ; we looke to be like the angels in glory in the world to come : then be like the angels in diligence , loue & faithfulnesse in this world . the wiseman saith , he that is slouthfull in his businesse is good for nothing : but the diligent man shall stand before the king. and surely , he that is willing and diligent in the duties of christianitie , shall stand before the king of kings in heauen . and let this suffice for the angels seruice , and his diligence in his seruice . now let vs see what instrument the angell vsed . a coale fr●m the altar . the fourth circumstance of this consolation , is the instrument which it pleased god , the angel should vse to minister comfort to the prophet , a strange instrument for so great a worke : a coale of fire . here let humane reason hide it selfe , and wordly wisedome bee confounded , to see the wonderfull works of the lord : god could haue healed the prophets infirmities , and giuen him comfort against his feare , & courage in his calling , without means , but he wil vse meanes : and what ? a weake meanes : nay , a meanes that seemes contrary : a coale of fire must touch his lippes : that which in all reason would haue made him speake worse , by gods appointment and the power of his word , shall make him speake better . out of which practise of god , we learn many points : first , see how god magnifieth meanes : hee can worke without them , and so he did in the creation , giuing light to the world , diuers dayes before there was sunne : but since the order of nature was established , hee generally vseth meanes , not onely in his ordinarie ▪ but euen in his miraculous actions : and though hee vse not alwayes the ordinarie and direct meanes : yet meanes hee generally vseth , though they seeme contrary : as heere in this place , and the same will bee found true in almost all the miracles , both of the old and new testament . this therefore commends vnto all men , the vse of such good meanes , as gods prouidence hath ordained of any duties , or effecting of any thing , that doth belong vnto vs to doe : and not to depend vppon immediate helpes from heauen , as many fonde and fantasticall men doe , who are therefore oftentimes iustly forsaken of god , and left destitute of all helpe ; and so exposed to shame and reproach . secondly , see here the mightie power of gods ordinance , how it appeareth in weakenesse : such are all his great workes . in the creation , hee brought light out of darknesse . in our redemption , hee brought vs life out of death . in our conuersions , hee workes vpon vs by his worde , and by it hee drawes vs to him , which in all reason would driue vs from him : and by it confounds the wisedome of the worlde , which is starke foolishnesse to the wisedome of the lord. and so heere , hee cleanseth the prophet by a coale of fire : which would rather defile him , and seasoneth his mouth with it , which in reason should haue burnd him : so great , so admirable , and so powerfull are the ordinances of god , though they seeme neuer so contrarie , or so weake in themselues , or in their meanes . let this teach al men not to contemne the sacraments , though the outward elements , bread , wine , and water , bee weake and common , and dead creatures in themselues : nor the ministerie of the word , though it bee exercised by a weake man , mortall and miserable as others are : for that god , which can season the prophets mouth , and clense his heart by a coale of fire , no maruell though hee worke vppon the consciences of men , by his word and sacraments . and againe , when we see grace and holinesse conueyed into mens hearts by the word and sacraments : let vs learne , not to ascribe it to the dignitie , either of the minister , or the elements , but to the supreme power of the mighty god , who can purge the prophet , by a coale from the altar . neither is it altogether without misterie , that god here sanctifieth the prophet , by touching his lippes with a fierie coale : for it signifieth , that the apt and sufficient teacher , must haue a fierie tongue , and to that same purpose , tht holy ghost came downe vppon the apostles in fierie toungs , & it may be that the one is a tipe of the other . certaine it is , that they both teach vs thus much , that all true and able ministers , must pray and endeuour to haue a tongue full of power and force , euen like fire , to eate vp the sinnes and corruptions of the worlde . for though it bee a worthy gift of god to speake mildly , and moderately , so that his speech shall fall like dewe vpon the grasse : yet it is the fierie tongue that beates downe sinne , and works sound grace in the heart : it may be there are some , which neede the fierie tongue . this shewes apparantly that those ministers neuer had their lips touched with a coale from gods altar : that is , their consciences neuer touched , nor their soules seasoned with the sanctifying grace of gods spirit , which sit still and ●ee great and greuous staines in a church , and corruptions in a state , and can bee content neuer to reproue ●hem , as though ministers were perswaders onely , and not reprouers . but when this comes to bee wayed in the ballance of a good conscience , it will bee found , that not the pleasing tongue , but the fierie tongue , is the principall grace of a good minister . but to goe further : whence came this coale ? taken from the altar . this coale of fire was taken by the angel from the altar of god , where was a fire which neuer went out , and this fire was that , that came from heauen : sent downe by god , at the dedication of the temple by salomon . and this fire kindled by god neuer went out : for no man could kindle the like , but all other was counted strange fire ; as nadab , and abihu , tryed in wofull experience , when they would needes offer with it . now the prophet must be cleansed with the fire which came from hea●●n : teaching vs , that the ministers must haue his fierie tongue from the holy ghost . as the apostles were said to bee baptized with the holy ghost & with fire : a fierie tongue , is a speciall ornament of a minister , but that fire must come from heauen : that is , his zeale must be a godly and heauenly zeale ; but hee that hath a railing , lying , a slanderous , a malicious , or a contentious tongue , he hath a fierie tongue indeed . but this is kindled of the fire of hell , as saint iames saith : the vnbridled tongue , is a worlde of wickednesse , and defileth the whole body , setteth on fire the whole course of nature , and is set ●n fire in hell . so then , a spitefull and malicious tongue wee see , is a fierie tongue , but that fire is taken from hell , and not from gods altar . and hee that stands vp to preach with this tongue , god will neuer suffer any great worke to be done by him in his church , though his tongue be neuer so fierie , and his speech neuer so powerfull . as therefore ministers must abhorre the flattering and pleasing tongue , and must haue a fierie tongue : so on the other side , this fire must bee from gods altar : that is , the fire of their zeale must bee builded by gods spirit , and not by the spirit of discord and dissention . ambitious humors , turbulent & proud humours , new opinions , priuate quarrels , all these , nor none of these , are for the pulpit . these may make a man fierie tongued , but this fire , was neuer taken from gods altar , as the prophets was : this fierie tongue neuer came from heauen , as the apostles did . it followeth . and touched my lippes . this fifth and last circumstance , is the application of the remedie . the coale which is the medicine , is applyed by this angel to his lips , that is , to that part which was polluted : and as he formerly complayned of the pollution of his lips , so the medicine is applyed to his lippes : here the angell , which in this case is made gods minister , doth teach all gods ministers , a great point of wisedome , in heauenly diuinitie , namely , to apply their doctrine to their audience , in such manner , as the circumstances of place , times , or persons do require : some ministers come to an ignorant and vnhumbled people , and teach them the gospell , which neuer knewe the lawe : here the firy coale is vsed , but the lips are not touched : that is , good doctrine taught , but not well applyed : for that the lawe should first be laid to their consciences , others beate all vpon the lawe , when it may be their hearers are a people sufficiently cast downe , and haue more need to be raised vp with the sweet comforts of the gospell : others vse to lay open the nakednes of the court in the country , and to reproue the faults of princes and great magistrates before the cōmon people , who haue more neede of the catechisme : others bring the catechisme or points of ordinary instruction into the court , wher y e duties of kings & counsellors should be taught in all plainnes and sinceritie : others bring their new opinions or controuersall points vnto popular audiences , which indeed are fit for the schooles : others busie themselues about ceremonies , when the substance is in danger to be lost : all these haue it may be , the coale of fire , but it is misapplyed , and not applyed to the polluted lips . let all ministers therfore lerne this point of wisdome of the angell , to apply the medicines of their doctrine to the times , persons , and places , which are infected , so shall they bee sure not to take paines in vaine . and thus much of the circumstances of his consolation . it followeth in the text . loe thy iniquitie shal be taken away , and thy sinnes shall be purged . after the circumstances , followeth the ground and matter of his consolation , and that is the forgiuenesse of his sinnes : where first let vs marke how it and the instrument are annexed together : loe saith the angel , this coale hath touched thy lippes , and thy iniquities shall bee forgiuen , and thy sinnes purged : as though hee had bene clensed by the coale : wher we may note , how greatly god magnifieth the meanes which himself ordaineth , euen true remission and saluation to the right and holy vsing of them , though it come not from them , but from his own mercy , and power of his ordinance . it is therefore no maruell though god sanctifieth the childe by the ministery of water in baptisme , and feede our soules in the lords supper , by feeding our bodies with bread and wine : and no maruell though the carelesse neglect of either of them , be damnation to him that despiseth them : seeing they are gods instruments , ordained by him to conuey his grace vnto vs : and yet for all this , wee are to knowe , that remission or saluation , is no more tyed to the very elements , or the actions , then here the prophets forgiuenesse is to the coale of fire . but the maine point is , that for the prophets consolation , the angell tells him his iniquities shall be taken away , and his sinnes purged , as thereby hee had said thy sins were the cause of thy feare , therefore that thy feare may be taken away , thy sinnes shall be forgiuen . where we learne , that as fewe comes by sinne , so all true comfort comes from the forgiuenesse of sinnes : this is that , that onely pacifieth the conscience , and satisfieth the soule : when dauid had sinned against the lord in his two great sinnes , and thereby prouoked gods wrath against him , and wounded his owne conscience , if the prophet had told him hee had made him king of kingdome● more , hee had not so reioyced his heart , as when he told him , after his repentance , thy sinnes are forgiuen thee , thou shalt not dye : so when this prophet was extreamely affrighted at gods presēce , because of some sinnes and negligences in his calling , it had bene no comfort to his poore soule , to haue bene told , thou shalt haue a more eloquent tongue , and a more powerful speech , thou shalt haue better accesse to the court and audience before the king : all these , & all such like , would haue beene no better then guilded poyson vnto him , being in this case : but the happy answere that refresheth his weary soule more then all the world , was this , loe thy iniquities are forgiuen , and thy sinnes purged . all faithfull ministers must heere learne the true way of comforting troubled and distressed consciences , namely , first to drawe him vnto a sight of some particular sinnes , then to summon him into gods presence , and there to arraigne him for those sinnes , vntill the view of the foulnesse of his sinnes , and the glory of gods iustice , haue sufficiently humbled him , and then to labour to perswade his conscience vppon good grounds of the pardon of those sinnes by christ iesus : this is the way that god vsed and deuised , this is the sure way , that cannot faile . some thinke that all trouble of mind is nothing but melancholy , and therefore thinke nothing needes but physicke and outward comforts : but he that considers in what case the prophet here was , or dauid when hee made the . the . or the . psalmes , will be of another mind , and will finde that nothing can properly trouble the mind but sinne : therefore as the wise physitian in his cure , first searcheth out the cause , and then endeuour to to take it away : so the good physitian of the soule , must first of all search into the cause of his sicknesse , that is his sins , and must take them away : which if they doe not , then al their labour is lost : for al the company , musicke , recreation , wit , diet , nay all worldly comforts & delights , if it were the aduancement to a kingdom , cannot so much comfort the distressed soule of a sinner , as this voice of a minister spoken from god vpon good grounds ; thy sinnes are forgiuen thee . now to lay downe what bee tho●e true and good groundes , whereupon a minister may safely and comfortably pronounce pardon of sins to a sinner , belongs properly to another place . in the next place ; let vs heere obserue how the lord afore he renued the prophets commission , or send him to preach to the people , first humbles him for his sinnes , and then vppon his repentance , giues him pardon : teaching vs , that no minister is well qualified to the holy duties of the ministery , vnlesse he haue truly repented of his sins , and haue obtained pardon and mercie in the messias . ministers labour for qualifications , but the true minister of god will labour for this qualification aboue all other : for doubtlesse hee shall pronounce most powerfully the pardon of sinnes to others , to whose conscience god hath pronounced pardon of his owne . in the last place , let vs obserue how the preacher being to be comforted before he goe this newe embassage , the lord is so carefull for him , that rather then he be not comforted ( if there be no man to do it ) , an angel shal be sēt to be his comforter , & ( if ther be not another prophet to doe it ) an angel shall pronounce vnto him the pardon of his sins . let this be an encouragement for all pastors and ministers of gods church , to labour painfully and faithfully in their places , for the goodnesse of the lord will neuer faile them , nor shall they want comfort , when euer they stand in neede thereof . yea rather shall angels from heauen be their helpes and comforters , then faithfull ministers shall be left destitute . hitherto of the second generall points : namely , of the prophets consolation . the third and last general point is , the renouation of the prophets commission , in the eight , and part of the ninth verses , and it containeth . parts , . a question or inquiry made by god. when shall i send , and who shall goe for vs ? the answere of the prophet : here am i , send me . the commission renued vnto him : the lord said , goe and speake vnto this people . the first part , is a question made by god , by way of proclamation , wherein he inquireth who shall goe preach vnto this people . also , i heard the voyce of the lord , saying , whom shall i send , and who shall goe for vs ? in which proclamation , and inquirie of the lord , we are not to imagine that the lord , was either vnprouided of such as should execute his will , or knewe not who were able , or who were willing to goe preach his wo●d : for as the apostle saith , in the matter of election ▪ the lord knoweth who are his : so much more in particular vocations . the lord knoweth who are his , and neede not to aske whom shall i send , or who shall goe ? but then it may bee demaunded , why the lord saith so ? i answere , not for his owne sake , but for ours : whom hereby he would instruct , in diuers points of holy doctrine . first , hereby hee would giue vs to vnderstand , how hard a thing it is , to finde an able and godly minister , for if there were not a great scarcitie of such men , the lorde needed not aske this question . but some will obiect against this , that there are in many christian churches so many ministers , as they cannot all bee maintained , but some goe vp and downe , vndisposed , and vnprouided for . i answere , this is too true in all ages : there were wandering leuits in the olde testament , which went vp and downe and offered their seruice , and serued for . shekels of siluer , and a sute of apparell , and meate and drinke : but this calamitie was vpon the church of the iewes , neuer but then , when there was no king in israel , and euery one did that which was good in his owne eyes . if therefore there bee any in our church , & in christian nations , which goe vp and downe , and offer their seruice at such rates , it is much more miserable , seeing now there are kings in israel : and therefore it is no reason that euery man rob the church , as it shal please his couetous minde . but ceasing to enquire whether thi● bee so or no : and if it bee so , leauing the reformation thereof to those churches and states whom it may concerne : i answere , for the matter in hand , that this may be so , and yet the lorde may complaine as here hee doth . whom shall i send ? for the lord meaneth not such as beare the name of leuites or priestes in the olde , or of ministers in the newe : for there were alwayes more of them : who , some for preferment sake , some for their ease , and some for a refuge how to liue , are willing to enter that function , and accordingly in that calling , seeke not the lord , but themselues , and their owne ends . but heere the lord inquireth for such men , as first , purely doe seeke and vndertake that function , therein to honour god , & to gather his church , and then in all their labours and ministeriall duties , truly and faithfully endeuor to the same ends ; preaching gods word , and as gods word , diligently prouing , exhorting , and admonishing : and shining before their people in good works : for such men , it is no maruell though the lord light a candle at noone day , and make open proclamation to seeke for them , saying ; whom shall i send ? for , such a man is as iob saith , one of a thousand : for ●ome wāt abilitie to discharge their duties , as s. paul saith ; who are sufficient for those things ? and some want willingnesse to vndertake the labour , as god here complaineth ; who shall goe for vs ? now to make vse of this doctrine to our church . it were to be wished , that in these daies , & for our christian churches , the lord had not as great cause to cry out in the want of able , faithfull , and godly ministers , whom shall i send , and who shall goe for vs ? but alas , this want is too apparant , and his blemish is too notorious , and it is a worke worthy the labour of kings and princes to reforme it : and is a kings euil , nor to be healed but by the power of a king , for as long as there are so fewe and meane preferments for painefull ministers , there will neuer want abundance of such ministers as doe want either conscience or abilitie to discharge their duties . in the meane time , till god put into the hearts of parliaments , and princes , to looke to this great and needfull worke ; let vs ministers learne our duties : and first , wee who are in the vniuersities , are here admonished to look to our selues . by gods blessing we are many , and daily grow more and more : let vs therefore so furnish our selues ▪ as that when god or his church shall say , who shall goe for vs , and whom shall i send ? then he may finde many amongst vs , whom hee may send to that great worke of the ministerie : and let vs feare to bee such , as that god may affirme of vs , as in the dayes of iob , that hee cannot finde one of a thousand . secondly , all ministers learne here , not to content themselues with the name and title of ministers , but labour for the substantiall ornaments thereof , nor to be willing to take the honour and li●ings , and to refuse the burthen and 〈◊〉 of the ministerie . for else let them know , god hath no neede of them : for had the lorde pleased or contented himself with such kinde of men , as seeke to bee ministers for themselues , and not for his sake : or being ministers , doe feede themselues , and not their flocke : or preach themselues , and not christ : then had he not needed to haue made this proclamation , for all ages haue yeelded store of such . but contrariwise , he that is painefull and faithfull in this function , let him know , that god and his church hath neede of him . lastly , here the romish cleargie are iustly to bee taxed , whose number is infinite : but it is lamentable to see howe fewe among them be such as the lord here seeketh for . their orders of regulars are exceeding many , beside all their secular priests , and it is almost incredible , how many thousands there be of dominicans or franciscans , or in some one of their orders : and yet amongst the many millions of their monkes , there is scarce to bee found one of many , who for his learning & other gifts , is fit to be sent to the work of god : nay , their ignorance was palpable and rediculous to the world , vntill of late , being by luther , and others of our church , made ashamed thereof , they haue laboured ( especially the iesuits ) to become learned . how foule a thing is it that amongst so many , the lord should haue cause to complaine ; whom shall we send ? the iesuits indeed many of them are learned , but for other qualities , they are fitter to be plotters , & practisers in state matters , spies or in●elligencers , reconcilers , seducers , and subuerters , then ministers : and fitter to be instruments of pollicie to euil kings , then ministers of the gospel vnto god. but take away them , and some fewe selected monkes ( and those but few out of many millions● & then euen for learning , also god may cry , and call & proclaime in their monasteries ; whō shal i send ? and if it be a shame and miserie ? to a church , to want such as god may send , or to haue but a fewe , then the romish church is shamelesse , which shames not to haue so many , and yet amongst them all , whom god may send , almost none . in the next place . by this inquirie , and question made by god , whom shal i send , and who shall goe for vs ? the lord would teach vs , that no man is to vndertake this function , vnlesse god call and send him : therefore here are condemned , the prophaine fancies of the anabaptists , and all like them , who thinke that any man vpon a priuate motion , may steppe foorth and vndertake the duties of a prophet , to preach and expound , &c. oh , but say they , these motions are from gods spirit : surely they can say litle for themselues , who cannot say so much : but that cannot serue their turne : for if we say contrariwise nay , but they are from the diuell , or at the least from your owne vanitie and pride , how can they disproue it ! againe , might not the prophet haue alledged that with a better pretence and colour then they ? yet he stayeth till god here call him : euen so all good ministers are to stay gods calling . if any aske , how he shall know when god calles him ? i answere , god calleth ordinarily by his church , her voice is his : therefore whensoeuer the church of god , saith vnto thee , thou shalt bee sent , and thou shalt goe for vs , euen then doth the lorde call vs out to this holy function . thirdly , let vs obserue how the lord saith : who shal ( i ) send , & who shal go for ( vs ) ? some interpreters gather out of this chapter , an argument for the trinitie of persons ; as namely , out of the third verse , where the angels sing ▪ holy , holy , holy , lord god , &c. but it is not sound inough to ouerthrowe our stubborne enemies the iewes , and therfore it seemes those diuines are of a sounder and wiser iudgement : who seeing we haue other places pregnant and plaine enough , therefore thinke it no good discreetiō to vrge this or any such place which may probably admit another interpretation , least that the iewes finding the weaknesse of the argument , doe iudge all our proofes to be as weak , and so take occasiō to persist the rather in their blindnesse , by that which wee brought to haue conuerted them . and as for that song of the angels in the third verse , where they ascribe holinesse to the lord three times : that their repetition signifieth nothing else , but the continuall ioy and delight which the holy angels take in praising of god , who cannot satisfie themselues in honouring his name : teaching vs in their example , neuer to bee weary of praysing god by prayers and holy hymnes , and of ho●o●ring him in our liues and callings . but to proue out of the words ; holy , holy , holy , the three persons in trinitie , seemes to bee no fit nor sound collection . rather in my opinion , we may safely collect and conclude out of these words ( i and vs ) that there are more persons in the trinitie then one : for first , god the father , or the whole deitie saith : whom shall i send ? and then changing the number , he saith : who shal goe for vs ? for howsoeuer god may imploy in the word vs , that hee that is sent to preach , is sent as well for the good of the church , as for his owne glory , yet can it not bee denied , but that the plurall number here , and elsewhere , ascribed to the deity , must needs argue a certaine pluralitie of pe●sons in that deitie : as in genesis it is written , that god said , let vs make man : & here , who shall goe for vs ? out of the euidence of which places , seeing the enemies of this doctrine must needs graunt a pluralitie , namely , that there are more then one : then wee shal sufficiently proue out of other places , and by other arguments , that there are three . in the last place , let vs marke what god saith : whom shal i send , and who shal go for vs ? god sends a minister to preach , & he goeth for god. then behold here , what is the trade and profession of a minister , hee is the seruant of god. so saith god here , he goeth for mee : and so saith the apostle of himself & al other good ministers , that they are gods labo●rers . and in another place : the angel of god appeared , whose i am , and whom i serue ? but if any man thinke that either god speaketh so fauourably of them , or saint paul too partially of themselues , then let the diuell himselfe be iudge in this case , who plainely and freely confesseth ( though he did it not in loue to the truth or them ) these men are the seruāts of the most high god , which teach vnto vs the way of saluation . let therefore either god be beleeued , who is for them , or the diuell who is against them . but what kinde of seruants are they ? what place or office haue they ▪ they are his messengers or ambassadors , this is their profession , and their place . now then for the vse hereof . if they be gods seruants , then are they not their owne maisters , they haue a maister , euen god , whose they are , and for whom , and from whom they come : they may not therefore please themselues , nor serue their owne pleasures , nor seeke the satisfying of the their own carnall lustes , either in matter of pleasure , credite , or profite : if they do then euill , he calls them to a heauie account , whose seruants they are . againe , if they bee gods seruants , then let them doe their seruice to god , and expect their reward from god : some ministers will expect the reward , and honour of gods seruants , but will doe no seruice : that beseemes not seruants : let such men remember for whom they come , euen from that god , who as he can giue reward : so he will expect seruice . and as for such men as painfully do their seruice , but are not regarded nor rewarded of mē as they deserue , let thē be content , & continue in their faithfulnesse , for they are gods ambassadors : and we know ambassadors may haue gifts giuen them , of those to whom they are sent : but they expect their maintenance from the kings their owne maisters : so the maintenance which the world should giue ministers , is like gifts giuen to ambassadors : if it come , it is no more then they deserue . if it come not , yet will faithfull ministers doe their dutie , and expect their payment from their king and maister god , whose they are , and whom they serue . thirdly , if they be gods ambassadors , sent by him , and come from and for him , then let all such as either condemne , or any way iniurie them , be assured , that as god is mightie & powerfull , so he will mightily reuenge it . there was neuer king so poore or weake , but thought himselfe strong inough to 〈◊〉 any wong offered to his ambassor and shal god suffer so foule a wickednesse to lie vnpunished ? nay , they and their posterities shall smart for it ; let ahab , and iezabel , and iulian , say if it bee not so : and all ages or stories , ●hewe the contrary if they can , that euer any contemner and abuser of godly ministers , escaped the visible vengeance of gods reuenging hands on him or his . fourthly , seeing they are gods messengers & seruants , they must not be the seruants of men , to please , or flatter , or satisfie humours , this is not for them that are gods seruants : they therefore that will bee slaues to the persons , and pleasures , and humours of men , they forget that they are gods seruants , and came for him : yea , they must not endeuour the pleasing of themselues , nor the bringing of their owne purposes to passe , but in euery motions either made to thē by others ; or suggested frō their owne hearts , they must forth with call to mind , who sent me hither , & for whom am i come ? euen from and for god : therefore they are to yeeld to nothing , nor ayme at any thing but which may be both to the will , and for the glory of him that sent them . and if the great men of this world , doe thinke it wrong that any man should command their seruant against their will , or expect any seruice from them against their owne honour : then let them thinke it reason that gods misters should not bee commanded any thing contrary to gods will , or against his honour . and lastly , if ministers bee gods seruants , then let them regard their maisters glorie , and be ashamed to doe any thing , either in their doctrine or liues , which may dishonour him : that seruant is vnworthy of a good maister , who seekes not his maisters credite in all his courses . and againe , if they bee gods ambassadors , then must they not deliuer their owne fancies , or inuentions , but that message they receiued : and as they receiued it , so must they better it . and if they doe their duties faithfully , this doctrine is comfortable to them , they take paines , with ioy they haue a maister will reward them : they may speake freely , ( so it be with discretion ) they haue a maister will make it good : they may stand boldly in the face of their enemies , they haue a maister will defend them . and euery faithfull minister may say to himselfe , i will doe my dutie , and deliuer my ambassage . he whom i serue , and whose i am : he who sent me , and for whom i come , will beare me out . and thus much of the inquirie which god makes , and the manner of it . now let vs see the answere which the prophet makes , in these words . then i sayd , here am i : send me . the prophet after hee was comforted by god , and had his sinnes forgiuen , then answereth ; here am i , send me . first marke heere , what a great change is wrought on the suddaine : he who a little afore , feared and shrunke at the least appearance of gods glorie : now stands forth boldly , as soone as he is called , and answereth ; heere am i , send me : so great a matter is it for a minister to haue his sinnes forgiuen , and to feele the fauour of god to his soule and conscience . here therefore wee haue an answer● to two great questions , often moued in the world . first , many would haue quietnesse of minde , and peace of conscience , and cannot attaine vnto it ; if they aske how they might , to them i answere ; here is the way , seeke it not in worldly wealth , carnall pleasures , nor humane learning , in companie nor recreations : but seeke it in the fauour of god , and pardon of thy sinnes , and thou shalt not misse of it . thus shalt thou haue comfort in thy owne conscience , courage before men , and boldnesse toward god. secondly , many students in diuinitie , would gladly be ministers , and doe much honour the calling : but they finde a feare and shrinking in themselues , and thereby an vnwillingnesse to venter vpon it . if they aske , how they amend this : i answere , ( or rather the example of his prophet answereth for me ) ; let that man set himselfe in gods presence , enter into himselfe , search his conscience , f●nde out his sinnes , confesse and bewayle them to god , craue pardon in christes blood , and grace to leaue them , and cease not till hee heare the voyce of gods spirit sounding in his conscience : thy sinnes are forgiuen thee . then when god shall aske whom shall send , thou wilt answere readily , and with ioy , heere am i , send me . and againe , many are driuen from this calling , to behold the contempt and reproch , and daungers which belong vnto it . but let those men marke heere the phrase of this holy prophet ▪ when god asked , whom shall i sen●e ? hee might haue answered : lorde , i would goe , but such disgraces and discouragements doe accompany this function , as i desire to bee excused : but hee casting aside all such conceits , answereth peremptorily , heere am i , send mee . how came this to pas●e , for certainly the prophet was as sensible of these wrongs as any of vs all , for he was nobly borne and brought vp , and was of the blood royall : surely , because hee sawe he was in gods fauour , hee had him and his commission on his side , and he held this for a sure ground : if god be on my side , who can be against mee ? therefore doubtlesse , those men who are driuen backe by these discouragements , were neuer setled in assurance that their sinnes were forgiuen : nor satisfied sufficiently , that god is on the side of all good ministers , and that , that calling as it hath his authoritie from god , so likewise , allowance , blessing , assistance , and defence of god aboue any other calling : for if they were , they would scorne the storme , and contemne the contempt of the prophane world , and with much courage and cōfort , set their hand to gods plough , and say with the prophet ; here i am , send me . secondly , let vs obserue , how the prophet whē god askes the question , sends him not to others , nor commends others to that seruice , as is to be thought hee might haue done many in the churches of the iewes , but offers himselfe , heere am i. it controlles the carnall courses of many amongst vs in the vniuersities , who thinke it sufficient to liue there , and send out other men , and giue testimonies and letters of commendations to other men , but themselues stirre not : when question is made ; who shall goe to such a place ? or who shall be sent to such a parish ? they say not , here am i , but either it is too little a liuing , or too great a charge , or ill seated , or some fault it hath , that they will not bee sent to it : but will answere god and his church , there is such a man , and giue him letters of testimonie , or commendation , and so all is well : but for themselues , they liue too sweet and easie liues , willingly to vndertake the attempt and burden of the ministerie . let such men therefore learne , when god and his church giue them a calling , to answere with the prophet : heere am i , send me . and let all such as are students of diuinitie in the vniuersities , marke here the prophets answere , not i will bee ready , but here i am ; why takes hee no longer time ? because hee was now sufficiently qualified . where let them learne , not to linger and lye rioting too long in their spec●da●i●e courses : but when they are competently furnished with learning , and other qualities befitting that calling : let them shew themselues willing and readie to yeeld their seruice to the church , when they shall be called . for as an apple may as well hang too long on the tree , as bee puld too soone , and both make it vnfit for vse : so may men as well stay too long , as goe out too soone : and both wayes are made vnprofitable , or at least lesse profitable in the church . and to conclude this second point ; it is not vnworthy to be noted , that the prophet saith not , here i am : and i runne on my owne head , but , send me . hee willes the lorde to send him : then where are they who dare bragge of their priuate motions , and will runne when they are not sent ? the prophet might haue said ; oh , now i feele a motion from the spirit , therfore i will goe and preach : but he stayeth till he be sent in expresse tearms : let no man therfore presume to presse into this function , till he bee fully resolued in his conscience , that god and his church hath said vnto him , goe . and though a man be neuer so well qualified with all maner of sufficiency , yet let him sit still and stay gods leisure , and let him say , here i am , send me : and so rest contented vntill he bee sent . if any man say it is vnfit that a man should say so of himselfe ; i answere , let him not say so in wordes , but in deeds : let him therefore make proofe of himselfe , and giue the church tryall of his gifts . vpon which experience of his gifts , if he be found sufficient , that practise of his is all one , and much more then if hee had said , heere i am , send me . thus wee see the prophet would not stirre till he were sent , and therefore in the next words , he is bid to goe . and he sayd , goe and speake vnto this people . heere is the third and last promise , namely , the essentiall words of his commission . wherein , ( after god had sought for one to goe , and the prophet had presented himselfe , and offered his seruice ) god both giues him leaue to goe , and further doth furnish him with authoritie , both to goe and speake . wherein the principall point is , that the authoritie of the prophets calling , is deriued from god him●e●fe , in plaine and euident words ; goe and speake : and till then the prophet went not . so in the newe testament , the apostles went not into the world to preach , till they had their commission : goe and teach all nations . and after them , saint paul preached not , till it was said vnto him , arise , and goe . in all which is discouered and condemned the pride and presumption of those who dare run on their own heads , and will not stay till the lord say vnto them : goe , and speake . these men are bolder , then either the extraordinarie prophets of the olde testament , or the apostles , which are the extraordinary ministers of the new : who alwaies had their warrant with thē when they went. and if any man aske why is it necessarie they should haue so ; i answere , the reasons are many . first , all prophets and ministers , are gods deputies and commissioners , it is therefore reason that they haue authoritie from their lord and maister . secondly , their wordes nor deedes beare no credite , nor haue any power in them , vnlesse they be spoken by vertue of a commission ▪ nor haue their labours any blessing : vnlesse god giue it . thirdly , these persons haue no protection , nor safetie , vnlesse they bee gods ambassadors : and how are they so , vnlesse they be called and sent by god , and haue authoritie giuen of god ? for these causes , no man is to thrust himselfe into the ministerie , without a calling from god , and therefore no maruell , though those men who will bee chusers , and callers of themselues , and run when they are not sent , bee in their persons , subiect to all dangers : because they are out of gods protection , & their labours without profite because no blessing , nor promise of god was giuē vnto them : for god may iustly say vnto them : let him that sent you , protect your persons : let him that sent you , blesse your labours . but it will then bee demaunded , how may i know if god bid mee goe : god speakes not now from heauen as in old time , and as to this prophet : i answere , it is true , we are to looke for no such visions , nor apparitions from heauen , for ordinarily there are none such , and the popish church doth but deceiue themselues , and cozen the world , who tell vs of so many apparitions that happen to their monkes and fryers : for now ordinarily , god speaketh in another maner to his church : for in generall duties god speaketh to vs out of his word and holy scriptures , and in p●rticular and personall duties , ( where the word in plaine termes serueth not ) hee speaketh to a man by his owne conscience , and by the voice of his church . out of this word , god sheweth thee the dignitie and excellencie of this calling , to be a minister of the word : namely , they are his messengers & ambassadors , &c. that so hee may winne them to loue and affect it . and againe , the necessicitie of it , that it teacheth the way to sa●uation , that without it ordinarily gods chuch is not gathered , nor mens soules saued , that this may stirre thee vp to vndertake the burthen : this is generall . but now particularly for thy selfe , wouldst thou know whether god would haue thee to goe or no , then thou must aske thy owne conscience , and aske the church , for if thou be heartily willing , and be fully and worthily qualified , then god bids thee goe . now thy conscience must iudge of thy willingnesse , and the church of thy abilitie : and as thou maist not trust other men , to iudge of thy inclination or affection , so thou mayst not trust thy owne iudgement , to iudge of thy worthines or sufficiencie . if therefore thy owne conscience tell thee vpon true examination , that thou doest not loue and affect this calling aboue any other , then god sends thee not : and if thou enter with such a testimonie , not god ▪ but some wordly and sinister respect doth send thee , and put thee forward : for though thou doest desire it , yet if the church of god giue not allowance of sufficiency , god doth not send thee : but if contrariwise , thy conscience do truly testifie vnto thee , that thou desirest to doe seruice to god and his church , in this calling aboue any other : and if withal , vpon signification hereof to the church , and vpon trial made of thy gifts & sufffciency , the church ( that is , maly learned , wise , and godly , and such as the church hath publikely appointed for that purpose ) do approue of that they desire , and of thy sufficiencie to doe god seruice in his ministery , and thereupon by a publike calling , bid thee goe , then assuredly god himselfe hath bid thee goe . and it is as effectuall a calling , as if thou heardst the voyce of god frō heauen : for as in repentance , if thy conscience tell thee thou hast truly repented , and if thou canst make that knowne to the church by so good euidēce , as thervpon a minister of god pronounceth the pardon of thy sins vnto the● if thou restest herein , & knowest it to bee as effectuall , as if god from heauen had tolde thee , thy sinnes are pardoned . so is it here , if thou hast the testimonie , first of thy conscience , and then of the church , thou art to rest therein , as in the voice of god : and this is the calling that we are to looke for in these dayes . by which doctrine , as those are iustly condemned of foule presumption , who dare runne vpon priuate motions , and carnall respects , and are iustly left without blessing or protection : so they on the other side , doe offer great wrong to god and to his church , who when they cannot deny , but they affect the ministerie aboue any calling , and haue approbation of their giftes from the good church , yet will not beleeue the testimonie of the church herein , but their owne priuate iudgements , which in this case is no way a competent iudge , either for , or against . let such men knowe , that they oppose themselues euen against god himselfe : it being certaine , that where the inward calling of the conscience , and the outwarde calling of the church doe concurre , there god himselfe calleth and biddeth that man , goe , and speake . nowe then ( to drawe to an ende ) let vs obserue in the last place , with what authoritie a minister of god comes vnto vs , and executes his function : euen with an immediate authoritie & commission from god : whereby he is bid , goe , and speake . if it bee so , let it perswade the world , to feare to doe any wrong , either to that calling , as to those persons who come with so faire a commission from god himselfe . but if it doe not perswade the prophane worlde , at least let this be a comfort & encouragement to all true ministers , for if god bid them goe he will goe with them himselfe : if hee send them , he will not forsake them , but assist them , and blesse them , and open their mouthes , and enlarge their hearts , and harden their foreheads , and giue power vnto their words to conuert his children , & to confound and astonish the hearts of his enemies . if he send them , he will defend and protect them , so that one haire of their heads shall not fall to the earth without his prouidence . if he send them , he will prouide for them , and sufficiently reward them : and wil honour them in the hearts of his owne people , and magnifie them in the faces of their enemies . and lastly , if he send them , he will pay them their wage , euen an eternall might of comfort here , and of glorie in heauen . and as they are here bid goe , so once they shal be bid come : and that not onely with the generall call of all the elect. come ye blessed of my father inherite the kingdom prepared for you . but euen with that particular call , with especiall blessings to them that are faithfull in this seruice : come thou good and faithfull seruant , enter into thy maisters ioy . psalme . blessed be he that commeth in name of the lord. w. p. daniel . . they that turne many to righteousnesse , shall shine as the starres for euer and euer . w. c. finis . notes, typically marginal, from the original text notes for div a -e dan. , . (a) answer to perkins his reformed catholick , by b. a priest . notes for div a -e title an angel. reuel . . & . chapters . vse for ministers . (a) this sermon was in the vniuersitie church , to the body of the vniuersitie . vse for ministers . cor. , ● , . the vse for hearers . malach , , . corinth , . title , an interpreter . vse , . esay , , . reuel . , . acts. . corinth . psal , , , vse . esay , . exod , , , leuit. , , the truth heereof . the reasons heerof . reason the contempt of it . ieremie , , . reason the difficultie . corinth . , . reason : want of maintenance . deuter , , , & , , number , , . the vse of it . to rulers . samuell , , , . , , . at rome re●mes doway . kings , ▪ . ezechiell , , , &c. vse for ministers . galath . , . vse for students . vse for hearers . math , , , gala , , , vse for all men . , reg , ▪ , part of the description by his office acts , , , , iohn , . vse for ministers . first for the popish ministerie . phillip , , , . secondly our owne . psal. . vse to ministers . vse for students . vse for the hearers . vse for fathers . point , the blessing . math , , . iohn , , . esay , , , . vse rulers ▪ psalm● ●ay . vse for ministers vse for hearers . part the cōmission . heb. . vlt. vse to ministers . sam. . psalm , , vse for hearers . notes for div a -e ma●h . , . dent. . psal. , psal. , . luke , , , &c. corinth . , , , . the east-riding of the county of yorke . a exod. . . & . . . . b ieremy . . . c act. . . &c. . tim. . . cor. . pro. . iam. . . psal. . . psal. . acts. . . psal. . . tim. . . reuel . . the first vse for ministers ▪ exod. . the . vse . the . vse . psal. . . math . . the fourth vse for ministers . the second vse against the papists . gala. . . mat. . . & luke . . . . cor. vse . to the people . deut. . . . . vse . . vse . reu● . . luke ▪ ●ob . . circumstance , the time . vse . psal. . . to men distressed in conscience . vse . . luke . . . ●sal . ● . . circumstance of the minister . psal. . heb. . questio●● psal . . . cor. . heb. . mal. . reue . & . ●hap . heb. . . luke . . reuel . . . & . . . question . . circumstance . the fourh petition . . corinth . . . . corinth . . . pro. . . . circumstance . gen. . from . to . acts . leuit. . . . acts. . . math. . . iame● . circumstance , the application . the ground of his consolation . . sam. psal. . . . . psal. . . psal. . the whole psalme . generall points , the renuing of his commission . gods question . . tim. . . iudges . . & . . . iudg. . . iob. . . . corinth . . . gen. . ▪ . corinth . . . acts . . acts . . . iob. . . . king. . . , , , &c. . king. . . &c. acts . . . & . the prophets answere . the commission receiued . matth. . . acts . . &c. . corinth . . . iob. . acts . . pro. . math. . . math. . . jus divinum ministerii evangelici. or the divine right of the gospel-ministry: divided into two parts. the first part containing a justification of the gospel-ministry in general. the necessity of ordination thereunto by imposition of hands. the unlawfulnesse of private mens assuming to themselves either the office or work of the ministry without a lawfull call and ordination. the second part containing a justification of the present ministers of england, both such as were ordained during the prevalency of episcopacy from the foul aspersion of anti-christianism: and those who have been ordained since its abolition, from the unjust imputation of novelty: proving that a bishop and presbyter are all one in scripture; and that ordination by presbyters is most agreeable to the scripture-patern. together with an appendix, wherein the judgement and practice of antiquity about the whole matter of episcopacy, and especially about the ordination of ministers, is briefly discussed. published by the provincial assembly of london. london (england). provincial assembly. approx. kb of xml-encoded text transcribed from -bit group-iv tiff page images. text creation partnership, ann arbor, mi ; oxford (uk) : - (eebo-tcp phase ). a wing j a estc r this keyboarded and encoded edition of the work described above is co-owned by the institutions providing financial support to the early english books online text creation partnership. this phase i text is available for reuse, according to the terms of creative commons . universal . the text can be copied, modified, distributed and performed, even for commercial purposes, all without asking permission. early english books online. (eebo-tcp ; phase , no. a ) transcribed from: (early english books online ; image set ) images scanned from microfilm: (early english books, - ; : ) jus divinum ministerii evangelici. or the divine right of the gospel-ministry: divided into two parts. the first part containing a justification of the gospel-ministry in general. the necessity of ordination thereunto by imposition of hands. the unlawfulnesse of private mens assuming to themselves either the office or work of the ministry without a lawfull call and ordination. the second part containing a justification of the present ministers of england, both such as were ordained during the prevalency of episcopacy from the foul aspersion of anti-christianism: and those who have been ordained since its abolition, from the unjust imputation of novelty: proving that a bishop and presbyter are all one in scripture; and that ordination by presbyters is most agreeable to the scripture-patern. together with an appendix, wherein the judgement and practice of antiquity about the whole matter of episcopacy, and especially about the ordination of ministers, is briefly discussed. published by the provincial assembly of london. london (england). provincial assembly. calamy, edmund, - . [ ], , [ ], , [ ] p. printed by john legat and abraham miller, london : . partly by edmund calamy. the words "the gospel-ministry .. and ordination." are bracketed together on title page. each part has separate pagination and dated title page, the first with "printed by abraham miller" in imprint, the second with "printed by j.l.". part begins on b . reproduction of the original in the henry e. huntington library and art gallery. created by converting tcp files to tei p using tcp tei.xsl, tei @ oxford. re-processed by university of nebraska-lincoln and northwestern, with changes to facilitate morpho-syntactic tagging. gap elements of known extent have been transformed into placeholder characters or elements to simplify the filling in of gaps by user contributors. eebo-tcp is a partnership between the universities of michigan and oxford and the publisher proquest to create accurately transcribed and encoded texts based on the image sets published by proquest via their early english 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illegible were corrected where possible up to a limit of instances per text. any remaining illegibles were encoded as <gap>s. understanding these processes should make clear that, while the overall quality of tcp data is very good, some errors will remain and some readable characters will be marked as illegible. users should bear in mind that in all likelihood such instances will never have been looked at by a tcp editor. the texts were encoded and linked to page images in accordance with level of the tei in libraries guidelines. copies of the texts have been issued variously as sgml (tcp schema; ascii text with mnemonic sdata character entities); displayable xml (tcp schema; characters represented either as utf- unicode or text strings within braces); or lossless xml (tei p , characters represented either as utf- unicode or tei g elements). keying and markup guidelines are available at the text creation partnership web site . eng church of england -- clergy -- early works to . pastoral theology -- early works to . ordination -- early works to . clergy -- biblical teaching -- early works to . - tcp assigned for keying and markup - spi global keyed and coded from proquest page images - rina kor sampled and proofread - rina kor text and markup reviewed and edited - pfs batch review (qc) and xml conversion isa. . . i will also take of them for priests and for levites , saith the lord. ephes. . , , , . when he ascended up on high he gave gifts unto men . and he gave some apostles , and some prophets , and some evangelists , and some pastors and teachers ; for the perfecting of the saints , for the work of the ministry , for the edifying of the body of christ. till we all come in the unity of the faith , and of the knowledge of the son of god unto a perfect man , unto the measure of the stature of the fulness of christ. heb. . , . and no man taketh this honour to himself , but he that is called of god as was aaron . so also christ glorified not himself to be made an high-priest ; but he that said unto him , thou art my son , to day have i begotten thee . tim . . . neglect not the gift that is in thee , which was given thee by prophecy with the laying on of the hands of the presbytery . luth . tom. . lat. ien. fol. . non fortunat deus labores eorum qui non sunt vocati , & quanquam salutaria quaedam afferant tamen non aedificant . ius divinum ministerii evangelici . or the divine right of the gospel-ministry : divided into two parts . the first part containing a justification of the gospel-ministry in general . the necessity of ordination thereunto by imposition of hands . the vnlawfulnesse of private mens ●ssuming to themselves either the office or work of the ministry without a lawfull call and ordination . the second part containing a justification of the present ministers of england , both such as were ordained during the prevalency of episcopacy fr●m the ●oul aspe●sion of antichristianism : and those who have been ordained since its abolition , from the unjust imputation of novelty : proving that a bishop and presbyter are all one in scripture ; and that ordination by presbyters is most agreeable to the scripture-patern . together with an appendix , wherein the iudgement and practice of antiquity about the whole matter of episcopacy , and especially about the ordination of ministers ▪ is briefly discussed . published by the provincial assembly of london . london , printed by iohn legat and abraham miller , . the epistle to the reader . it is reported of bucer , that he was so eager of peace with luth●r , that he was like to a man qui prae nimia aviditate etiam foeces haurire● , who by an overmuch greediness after unity , was ready to swallow down many of luthers errours . for our parts , though we should be loath to buy peace with the loss of truth , yet such have been the unexpressible mischiefs that the divisions of brethren have brought upon this nation , and such is our earnest desire after an happy accommodation , that we hope we can truly close , ●hough not with the former , yet with another saying of bucers , that we would willingly purchase with the losse of our lives , the removing of the infinite scandals that have been given to the churches of christ by the divisions of christians . eusebius reports of constantine ( though a great emperour ) that he was more troubled with the dissentions of the church , then with all the warres in his dominions : that he took them so to heart that he could not sleep quietly for them ; yea , although he had a spiritfull of heroick val●ur , yet the dissentions of the church were such evils to him as to cause him to shed many a tear , &c. our prayer to god is , that the same affection towards the churches of christ in these three nations may be kindled in all our brests . and we doubt not but through the grace of god we are able in sincerity to profess with luther , that we are as desirous to imbrace peace and concord , as we are desirous to have the lord iesus to be propitious to us . and therefore fore-seeing that this ensuing treatise will meet with many adversaries of different perswasions , and with much opposition , we thought fit to give the reader notice of our intentions here , lest we should be thought to be enemies to peace , and hinderers of that long desired and often praied for union between dissenting brethren . there are six sorts and ranks of men whom we have occasion to deal with in this book . . such as are against the very office of the ministery , and that affirm , that there is no such office instituted by christ to be perpetual in his church . we look upon this assertion as destructive unto christian religion , and to the souls of christians . . such as say , that it is lawfull for any men that suppose themselves gifted ( though neither ordained , nor approved by able men ) to assume unto themselves a power to preach the word , and administer the sacraments . this opinion we judge to be the high-way to all disorder and confusion , an inlet to errours and heresies , and a door opened for priests and jesuites to broach their popish and antichristian doctrine . . such as hold , that the ministry of england is antichristian , that our churches are no true churches , but synagogues of satan , and that there is no communion to be held with us . this opinion we conceive to be not only false and uncharitable , but contradictory to peace and unity . . such as say , that episcopacy is an higher order of ministry above presbytery by divine right , that christ hath given the sole power of ordination and jurisdiction unto bishops ; and that ordination of ministers is so appropriated to them by the gospel , that all ordinations by single presbyters are null and void , and that sacraments by them administred are no sacraments . these assertions we look upon not only ●s groundlesse and unscriptural , but as cruel , and utterly overthrowing all the protestant reformed churches and ministers . now though we hope we can truly say , that we have with all meekness and christian moderation managed the debate with these four sorts of adversaries , and shall be ready to exercise all offices of christian love and affection towards them , and by requiting good for evil , labour to heap coals of fire upon their heads ; yet notwithstanding such is the great distance between them and us in judgement and practice , and such is the bitternesse of their spirits in their opposition against us , that we have little hope for the present ( till the lord be pleased to work a happy change of judgment in them ) of any real and hearty accord and agreement with them . . a fifth sort are our reverend brethren of new and old-england of the congregational way , who hold our churches to be true churches , and our ministers true ministers , though they differ from us in some lesser things . we have been necessitated to fall upon some things , wherein they and we disagree , and have represented the reasons of our dissent . but yet we here profess , that this disagreement shall not hinder us from any christian accord with them in affection . that we can willingly write upon our study-doors that motto which mr ieremiah burroughes ( who a little before his death did ambitiously indeavour after union amongst brethren as some of us can testifie ) perswades all scholars unto , opinionum varietas , & opi●antium unitas non sunt 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 . and that we shall be willing to entertain any sincere motion ( as we have also formerly declared in our printed vindication ) that shall further a happy accommodation between us. . the last sort are the moderate , godly episcopal men , that hold ordination by presbyters to be lawfull and valid ; that a bishop and a presbyter are one and the same order of ministry , that are orthodox in doctrinal truths , and yet hold , that the government of the church by a perpetual moderatour is most agreeable to scripture-patern . though herein we differ from them , yet we are farre from thinking that this difference should hinder a happy union between them and us. nay , we crave leave to profess to the world , that it will never ( as we humbly conceive ) be well with england till there be an union endeavoured and effected between all those that are orthodox in doctrine , though differing among themselves in some circumstances about church-government . and the lord hath strangely made way for this long-desired union , by the bitter , wofull and unutterable fruits of our divisions , which have almost destroyed not only the ministry , but even the very heart and life of religion and godlinesse . memorable is the story of bishop ridley and bishop hooper , two famous martyrs , who when they were out of prison , disagreed about certain ceremonial garments , but when they were put into prison they quickly and easily agreed together . adversity united them whom prosperity divided . the time is now come wherein the ruine of all the godly , orthodox and ordained ministry , is by some men designed and endeavoured : and therefore though hitherto we have continued sinfully divided , yet now the consideration of our common danger , and the preservation of the ministry , and therein the preservation of the glorious ordinances , churches and precious truths of jesus christ , should marvellously constrain us to study to finde out , and being found out cordially to imbrace all lawfull waies to unity and agreement . thus much we thought fit to signifie , that so our endeavours in the ensuing discourse may not be mis●interpreted and mis-represented . there are two other things also which we are necessitated to communicate unto the christian reader . first , that this book should have come out two years ago , but was hindred by multitude of necessary and indispensable businesses intervening . and that since our first undertaking of it , there have been many treatises written of most of these subjects ( of which we speak ) to very good purpose , which had prevailed with us to have spared our pains , had we not been encouraged by a saying of austines , that it is good and profitable to the church of christ , that the same things be written of by divers men in divers books , because those books which come to the view of some , will not come to the sight of others , and by this means the truths of christ will be the sooner and easier spread and propagated . we confesse that we have been necessitated in the point of episcopacy , to borrow some things out of smectymnuus , and our reverend presbyterian divines , in their conference at the isle of wight , and in our discourse about election out of mr hudson , and some others : which we have done , because being to handle the same subjects , we thought it needless to adde any thing to what they have said ; and also , that by this means we might revive the memory of those books which we believe are quite forgotten by most , and are assured were never sufficiently answered by any . secondly , the other thing which we would make known is , that in this our large treatise we have purposedly declined all affectation of language , we have not laboured 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to feast the ear with curious phrases . our endeavour is to speak non diserta sed fortia . we have alwaies disliked those books which have in them 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 , a sea of words , and but a drop of sound reason . our care hath been more after matter then words . and we hope the unbiassed and judicious reader will finde that though the garment with which we clothe our matter , be rough and hairy like esau , yet the voice is alwaies the voice of iacob . for we have studiously avoided all bitternesse of speech , even against those that make it a great part oftheirreligion to rail and reproach us , and who account us the filth of the world , and the off-scouring of all things . we have learned of our blessed saviour , to blesse those that curse us , to do good to them that hate us , and to pray for them which despitefully use us and persecute us. and of the blessed apostle , to instruct them in meeknesse that oppose us , if god peradventure will give th●m repentance to the acknowledgement of the truth . it is a great comfort to us , that the government of the church is upon christs shoulders , and he that could bear the wrath of god , no doubt will uphold his own government , maugre all opposition . and it is no lesse joy unto us , that the ministers of christ are stars in his right hand , and therefore safe and secure from the hurt of unreasonable men . we reade in the revelation of a woman cloathed with the sunne and the moon under her feet , and a crown of twelve stars upon her head . this woman represents the true church ; every true christian is cloathed with christs righteousnesse as with the sunne , and hath the world as the moon under his feet , and wears the ministers and their gospel-doctrine as a crown upon his head . he that treads this crown under his feet hath little of true christianity in him . but howsoever , though we be trodden under feet , and reproachfully used for what we have written , yet it is no little satisfaction to us that we have discharged our consciences both to god and men . and if some people will not wear us as crowns upon their heads , we shall wear their reproaches as our crown ; and shall pray unto the lord ( who only teacheth to profit ) that he would give a good successe to this undertaking of ours for the glory of his name , the benefit of his church ; and more especially for the establishing of our respective congregations , that he would direct , protect , providefor , support , sanctifie and comfort the godly ministry against all the sad discouragements they meet with , that he would keep out popery , root out error , her●sie , atheism and all prophanenesse , and make peace and truth , holinesse and righteousnesse to kisse one another in these three nations . the preface . the necessity and excellency of the gospel ministery is so transcendently great , as that it cannot but be accounted a very glorious service , in all those that shall undertake to represent it in its beauty to the sonnes of men , and to vindicate it from all that seek to asperse , undermine and destroy it . our saviour christ when he ascended up into heaven , left the ministry as his choisest legacy next to the gift of his holy spirit ; he gave unto his ministers ( which he gave to no earthly monarch ) the keys of the kingdom of heaven , he committed to them the word of reconciliation , he made them stewards of the mysteries of god , and watchmen●ver ●ver the precious souls of his people . there is hardly any thing necessary for man in his natural or civil relation , but the ministry is compared to it . are light and stars necessary ? is sa●● necessary ? are rulers , shepherds , stewards , ambassadours , husbandmen , builders , angels , chariots and horsmen necessary ? ministers are called , the light of the world , the salt of the earth , stars in christs right hand , they are angels , rulers , ambassadors , stewards , husbandmen , fathers , shepherds , builders , watchmen , the chariots and horsmen of israel . the people of constantinople professed they could sooner want the sun then chrysostom's ministry . and chrysostom tels us , that herod might very well have saved john baptist notwithstanding his oath , for his oath was to give the daughter of herodias what she should ask , though it were to half his kingdom , but john baptist's head was more worth then all his kingdome . hence it is , that the devil in all ages hath laboured by his wicked instruments to discountenance , disparage and overthrow the ministry , as knowing that it is a spiritual engine in the hand of the lord of hoasts to batter down his strong holds , and designed for this very purpose to bring people from the power of satan unto the kingdom of iesus christ. in the old testament , though the ministry that then was , was acknowledged to be of divine institution , yet even then it was by a carnal part of the world opposed , as a superfluous humane invention , and the persons to whom that ministry was committed were in their several generations vilified and traduced as a society of men which rather sought some worldly , carnal , personal interest , then the sacred things of gods kingdom . thus enoch who had this testimony that he pleased god , ●ndured hard speeches which ungodly sinners spoke against him . noah a preacher of righteousnesse was not believed in his generation , they did not , they would not know any thing till the floud came and swept them all away . moses a prophet mighty in word and deed had jannes and jambres to resist him in aegypt , and corah and his company to withstand him in the wilderness . elijah that man of god , whom one calleth an earthly angel , and an heavenly mortal , who whilst he lived on earth below , commanded the heavens and clouds that are above , yet was he persecuted by jezebel , and accounted by ahab both an enemy to him and to the state , and accused to his face as the troubler of israel . thus jeremiah , sanctified from the womb , was smitten and imprisoned , michaiah imprisoned , urijah slain with the sword , zechariah stoned to death . in the new testament john baptist who was filled with the holy ghost from his mothers womb , was beheaded . and christ iesus himself , who was not ashamed to be stiled the minister of the circumcision , the bishop of our souls , the apostle and high-priest of our profession , was crucified between two thieves . the holy apostles of whom the world was not worthy , were not worthy to live in the world , but were despised and rejected of men , and accounted the scum and off-scouring of the world . in the ten first persec●tions , the devil especially endeavoured the ruine of the godly and learned ministry : it is said expresly of the sixth persecution , that the emperour maximinus raised it against the teachers and leaders of the church , thinking that if these captains were removed out of the way , he should the easilier prevail against the rest . the greatest design th●● julian the apostate had for the overthrowing the christian religion , was by destroying of learning , and taking away the means of subsis●ence from the ministry . the scripture tels us , that for the space of daies ( that is , all the time of antichrists reign ) the two witnesses should prophestein sackcloth , and this sackcloth is not yet put off , nor as yet likely to be . for there are a generation of men risen up amongst us , that say , that it is the greatest cheat that ever was put upon christians , to make them believe that there is a distinct office of the ministry p●culiar to some men and not to others . this they call a monopolizing of the ministery , and the worst of all monopolies . and they say , just as corah and his company , you take too much upon you , yee sons of levi ▪ are not all the people of god holy ? and may not any man that is gifted preach , though he be not ordained ? but in the mean time they forget , that this speech of corahs was accounted rebellion , and that the earth was not able to bear it , but opened her mouth and swallowed him up , and the rest of his companions . it was heretofore accounted a great fault for a minister to be a iustice of peace , and t●ought incompatible with his calling , and impossible for one man to wait upon both . but there are many in our daies , that continuing in their civil callings , think themselves able to discharge the ministerial . and although the apostle out of the sense of the weightiness of it , cried out , who is sufficient for these things ? yet there are very many that think every man almost sufficient . and as jeroboam made priests of the lowest of the people , which were not of the sons of levi , and it was reckoned as his great sinne . so it is with us , the lowest of the people and such as are not called to the ministry , nor trained up in the schools of the prophets , are become preachers , and cried up as the none-such of our times . there are divers waies by which some men endeavour to destroy the ministry . . by railing upon and reviling their persons , and raising all manner of reproaches against them , as if they were the onely incendiaries of church and state , pestilent fellows , the causers of all the disturbance in the commonwealth . . by crying down the present ministry as antichristian , because made ( as they say ) by antichristian bishops . . by taking away their maintenance . . by setting up the basest and meanest of the people , and such as have no arts nor knowledge in the tongues , to be preachers , that thereby they might make the world believe , that the ministerial office is of all other the lowest and the easiest . . by d●crying the very office it self . these with others of the like nature , are th● waies and means by which men seek to ruine the ministry , and thereby religion , and to open a wide gap to all errours , heresies , blasphemies , prophaneness and atheism . herein dealing with us as alexander did with the athenians , who desired to make peace with them upon condition that they would deliver eight of their chief men into his hands . demosthenes to disswade the athenians from delivering them up , tels them a fable of the wolves and the sheep : the wolves desired to make peace with the sheep , upon condition they would deliver up their dogs to be destroyed , which they had no sooner done , but the wolves presently devoured the sheep : even so when once not only the persons of ministers are disgraced , and their maintenance taken away , but when the very calling and office of the ministry is denied , and libertie given to every man that will to preach , then will the wolves devour the sheep of christ , then will errors , heresies , blasphemie , atheism and poperie , come in like a mighty floud , then will ruine and desolation come like an armed man upon that nation where this is practized , without remedie . and th●refore to testifie our love unto the truth , that the sun of righteousness may not go down in our daies , that the truth of the gospel may live when we are dead , and the word of christ may run and be glorified ; and to prevent the growth of atheism which every where abounds , and threatneth the overthrow and ruine of the way that god hath called holy , and to reduce poor misled souls , which ignorantly conceive they sinne not in traducing the ministers of the gospel , as if they were men onely seeking their own things , and not t he things of the lord iesus , and contemning the ministry as if it were not gods institution , but an humane in vention introduced to uphold some carnal interest . we the members of the provincial assembly convened by authority of parliament , conceive it our duty to clear unto our respective congregations , the ministry and ministers , such as serve the lord in uprightness , from these unkinde and ungrounded aspersions . beseeching the lord , the father of spirits , to convince and settle the iudgments of them that through misguidance may doubt , and to give repentance unto such as carnally oppose themselves , that they may come to the acknowledgement of the truth , and so recover themselves out of the snare of satan , wherein they suffer themselves to be taken captive at his pleasure . the summe of all we shall say about the gospel-ministry , we shall comprehend in this following scheme . the divine right of the gospel-ministry , containing . the justification of the ministry ; wherein are handled these particulars , . that the office of the ministry of the word and sacraments is necessary in the church of god by divine institution . . that this office is perpetually necessary in the church of god. . that no man ought to take upon him the office , or do the work of the ministry , except he be lawfully called and ordained thereunto . . the several waies of calling men to the ministry , where is spoken of , . an immediate call , and therein laid down , . the characters of an immediate call . . a resolution whether we are now to expect an immediate call . . whether the call of the first reformers of religion from popery , was an immediate call . . a mediate call , consisting in , election , concerning which are handled two things , . that the election of a minister doth not by divine right , belong wholly and solely to the major part of every congregation . . that the whole essence of the ministerial call , doth not consist in election without ordination . ordination , concering which are made good these four assertions . . that ordination of ministers is an ordinance of christ. . that the essence of the ministerial call , consisteth in ordination . . that ordination ought to be with praier , fasting and imposition of hands . . that ordination ought to be by the presbytery . . the justification , &c. b b. . the justification of our ministry which is comprised under two propositions . . that the call to the office of the ministry which some of our present ministers did receive , during the prevalency of episcopacy , was lawful & valid ; which is proved , . by arguments drawn from the principles of our adversaries , wherein by the way is proved . that the chu●ches of england are true churches . . and the two great objections against them , taken from their parochiall and nationall constitution , are sufficiently answered . . by arguments taken from our own principles , and the nature of the thing ; and here our ministry is largely vindicated from the foul aspersion of antichristianism , which is cast upon it , because conveyed unto us ( as is said ) by popish and antichristian bishops . . that the call to the office of the ministry which our present ministers do receive , since the abolition of episcopacy is lawfull and valid , in which is shewed , . that a bishop and presbyter are all one in scripture . . that the instances of timothy , and titus , and the asian angels do not prove the contrary . and because ordination by presbyters without bishops is highly accused of novelty , as having not the least shadow of antiquity , and thereby many candidates of the ministry are discouraged from this way of entring into the ministry , and ordination so received is accounted null : we have therefore added an appendix wherein is briefly held forth the judgement and practise of antiquity both in reference to ordination , and the whole matter of episcopacy . ius divinum ministerij evangelici . or the divine right of the gospel-ministry : the first part. containing a justification of the gospel-ministry in generall . the necessity of ordination thereunto by imposition of hands . the unlawfulnesse of private mens assuming to themselves either the office or work of the ministry without a lawful call and ordination . london , printed by abraham miller . . ius divinum ministerij evangelici . or the divine right of the gospel-ministry . chapter i. containing the first proposition . prop. i. that the office of the ministry of the word and sacraments is necessary in the church by divine institution . for the understanding of this proposition we shall briefly shew , . what is meant by ministry . . what by office. . what is meant by ministry ; the word ministry is a term of large comprehension : sometimes it is taken for a civil service in the common-wealth ; sometimes for a spirituall worship of jesus christ ; sometimes for the office of a deacon : but in this proposition it is taken for an ecclesiasticall function appointed by christ in his church for the preaching of the word and administration of the sacraments . this is called a ministry in opposition to lordly domination and principality ; for ministers are not appointed to be lords over gods heritage , but to be examples to the flock : the princes of the gentiles exercise dominion over them , and they that are great exercise authority upon them : but it shall not be so among you , but whosoever will be great among you let him be your minister , and whosoever will be chief among you let him be your servant : the office of the ministry is not a dominion but a service , and a labourious service , and therefore called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 , a word taken from those that labour at the oar , and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 , a word taken from those that do in pulvere desudare : but yet it is a most glorious and honourable service , because a service to god his church , and the souls of people , and therefore called the ministry of christ , the stewardship of the mysteries of god , and a spirituall rule over the houshold of god. q. . what is meant by the word office ? ans. for this you must know , that there is a great deal of difference between the office and the work of the ministry ; indeed in scripture they are sometimes held forth by one name because they are near akin , act. . . we will give our selves to the ministry of the word ; and rom. . . i magnifie my office ; both in the originall called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 , yet are they really distinct in nature as relation and action , and separable either by divine providence in case of sicknesse , or by humane pravity in case of imprisonment , banishment , or rejection of the people , or supine negligence , sloath , ambition , or covetousnesse in the officer . impossible it is to dispute about the office without mention of the work , they being relatives , and therefore cannot be understood the one without the other : but yet because there are a double sort of dissenters , some that deny the very office of the ministry ; others that grant the office , but yet think it no sin for a man gifted ( though uncalled ) to assume the publike work of the ministry : our purpose is to speak distinctly to both . but in this proposition only to the first . the office of the ministry is a spirituall relation to the whole employment of the ministry in a person qualified , founded upon a speciall and regular call . for its generall nature , it is a relation as is evident by removing all other kindes , in particular it cannot be action , for this is transient , but an office is permanent . for its property , it is a spirituall relation to distinguish it from naturall and civil relations . it s subject is a person qualified , namely , . able . . willing . . pious in the judgement of charity . it s object or ●erm is the ministeriall employment , amplified by its extent in order to the work : a gifted brother may upon just occasion materially exercise some parts of the ministry , as prayer , opening and applying of the scripture , but not all parts , as administration of the sacraments , nor the former in publique , unlesse lawfully called thereunto . it s foundation is vocation , or a call limited ; . by its specialty : a generall call enables to prayer and teaching as a christian , but only a speciall and particular call enables to these duties ex officio & authoritativè ; a private person may bring news of a treaty to be had , but only an embassadour or herauld comes enabled by authority to treat . . it is limited by its regularity to distinguish it from the bare call of the people : the peoples call may determine a persons ministry in an especiall manner to themselves , but cannot invest a person into the office of the ministry , who was not a minister before ; nor can their deserting of him put him out of office , though haply it may out of imployment : action is transient , but relation is permanent ; therefore the office is better defined by relation to the work then by relation to a particular people , who may easily out him of his work but not of his office : this regular call then consists not in bare instinct , whereby men run before they be sent , nor barely in the suffrages of the people , which make a person their minister not a minister : but in mission either immediate by god and christ , witnesse the prophets and apostles ; or mediate by some delegated and authorised by god for that purpose , nihil dat quod non habet : nor can he who is not either a minister or the lord of ministers regularly make a minister : paul was called by christ , timothy by paul and the presbytery ; nor do we reade of any called ordinarily to the ministry without ministers : and here by the way take notice , that the very nature of the office of the ministry argues strongly , that none can take upon them that sacred office without a lawfull call and ordination , since the very foundation of this relation is a lawfull call , and without a foundation no relation can either exist or persist ; but more of this hereafter . for the present , that which we have now to prove is , that the office of the ministry , that is , that a spiritual relation to the whole employment of the ministry in a person qualified , founded in a speciall and regular call , is of divine institution : or more plainly , that the eccles●asticall ministry is an order , function , or office , that hath its originall from heaven ; not from an ordinance of parliament , but of the lord jesus christ , which we shall prove by these arguments . from the peculiar designation of some persons to the work of the ministry ; whence thus we argue , if god hath peculiarly designed some persons to this work of the ministry , then the office of the ministry is by divine institution : but god hath peculiarly designed some persons to the work of the ministry : the consequence is clear . if god appointed some persons to the work of judging israel , then the office of judges was by divine institution ; if god appointed some persons to carry the utensils of the tabernacle or temple , and to keep the doors , then the office of the porters and door-keepers was of divine institution : so here if god designed some persons to the work of the ministry , then there is such an office. and it will be further strengthened by this consideration ; that where there was no distinct office god did not design peculiar persons for the work , but left it in common to all , and where he left it in common to all there was no distinct office. thus the daty of almes-giving in generall , because it is a duty common to all , and no peculiar persons are designed to it , but it is equally required of all according to their ability , therefore there is no such office of almes-giving ▪ but now to distribute the alms of the church in a work peculiarly determined to some particular persons which are called deacons ( and is not common to all ) and therefore the office of the deacon is by divine institution . adde further that to design particular persons to any work , to which all have a like call , power , and authority , is needlesse and ridiculous . so much for the proof of the consequence : the antecedent will easily be made out . . that this was so under the law , is evident beyond all dispute , to all who reade and beleeve the old testament : though all israel was holinesse to the lord , a kingdom of priests , and a holy nation , as all christians are now in their private duties and domestick relations to offer up spiritual sacrifices acceptable to god by jesus christ ; yet there was then a distinct peculiar ministry in the levit●s the sonnes of aaron by divine appointment ; and no man might take that honour upon him , but only he that was called thereunto , as was aaron , heb. . . nor might any enter within the tabernacle but the priest accomplishing the service of god. . as it was thus in the jewish church before christs incarnation , so it was foretold that it should be also in the christian church consisting of jew and gentile ; it was gods great promise to be fullfilled in gospel-times , that he would take of the children of them that should be brought into the church for priests and levites , alluding to the officers that then were in being ; which cannot be understood of spirituall priests , such as all saints are in some sense stiled ; for these are said to be singled out from the rest for such a speciall office . and that in the times of the gospel , according to the promise , such an office was appointed by our lord jesus , is beyond all question to all who reade and beleeve the new testament ; christ before his death appointed the apostles to go and preach ; he ordained twelve that they should be with him , and that he might send them forth to preach : and after this the lord appointed other seventy also ; and because the harvest was great and the labourers were but few , therefore they are bid to pray the lord of the harvest that h● would send firth labourers into hi● harv●st : to his apostles he revealed himself especially after his resurrection , and gave them commission and command to preach the gospel to all nations , baptizing them in the name of the father , of the sonne , and of the holy ghos● : and when iudas being numbred with them had obtained part of this ministry , from which by transgression he fell ; the rest of the disciples did not magnifie themselves to be apostles , but sought to the lord , that god himself would shew whom he had chosen to take part of that ministry and apostleship , and the lo● falling upon mathias he was numbred with the eleven . . the ministry in the daies of the apostles was not only dispensed by the apostles , the seventy disciples , and other prophets and evangelists , whose call , gifts , and works were extraordinary , but by other ordinary pastors , whose spirits were not insallible , and whose commission was not extraordinary . the extraordinary officers were commanded to commit the word to faithfull men who shall be able to reach others also . and this ministry dispensed by ordinary pastors ; was by the apostles themselves and the severall churches of the new testament esteemed as a ministry by divine institution : paul stiles ep●phras a dear fellow-servant , who is for you a faithfull minister of christ : tychicus he calls a beloved brother and a faithfull minister in the lord. and these ordinary pastors ( distinguished from those extraordinary officers ) the scriptures do affirm to be as truly by divine appointment as the former , though not so immediatly and eminently . . the same god that set in the church first apostles , then prophets , the same god set in the church some to be teachers . some ( by way of distinction from others , ) and not all ; for the holy ghost argueth as if it were equally absurd to have all to be teacher● , as all to be apostles , and appeals to their naturall conscience about it ; are all apostles ? are all prophets ? are all teachers ? and if god himself the father of all mercies hath placed these teachers in his church , what is man who is but ● worm that he should attempt to displace them ? . the same redeemer the lord jesus who gave some to be apostles , some prophets , and some evangelists , the same christ gave also some to b● pastor● and to be teachers . . the s●me holy spirit which said , separat● me barnabas and saul for the work of the ministery , and who committed to paul th● gosp●l of vncircumcision as he did the gospel of circumcision to peter ▪ the same blessed spirit gave charge to the elders of the church of ephesus to take heed to th● flock of christ ; and though they were no where recorded to have received a commission extraordinary , and a spirit infallible , ( nay , so far were they from being infallible ▪ that the apostle foretel● that some of them would speak perverse things to draw away disciples after them , v. . ) yet is it said expresly , that the holy ghost h●d made them overseer● over the flock : as the saints converted to the faith of the gospel by the ministry of tychichus , epaphras , and onesimus , and the saints that in those daies were really added to the church , wer● no less● truly saints then those which were converted immediatly by paul , and peter , and the rest of the apostles ; so these ordinary pastors and teachers aforementioned did no l●sse truly receive their ministry from the lord for their ordinary employment , then the apostles did ( though they more eminently for their employment extraordinary ▪ ) ▪ as he committed to them the word and ministry of reconc●liation , and gave to them both commission and command to dispense his ordinances , so that to them it was not only lawfull or arbitrary , but necessity was laid upon them , and a woe denounced if they preached not the gospel : so was it also to the ordinary teachers , and therefore archippus ( no where mentioned to be an officer extraordinary ) is commanded to fullfill his ministry , which he also received from the lord. now if the father , the god of truth ; the son , the way , the truth , and the life ; and the holy ghost the spirit of truth hath designed peculiar persons to this office , then the ministry by way of office , is necessary by divine institution . the second argument is drawn from the peculiar names or titles , whereby the persons thus designed and distinguished from other saints : if god hath given peculiar names and titles , whereby the persons designed to this office are distinguished from other saints , then this office is by divine institution . for as the judgement of god is , so are the denominations which god giveth to things , according to truth : if adam gave distinguishing names to all creatures , sutable to their beings ; surely our only wise god will not distinguish where he himself hath made no difference . but god hath given to the persons designed to this office peculiar names and titles . . these are called pastors , and the other saints respectively are called the flock . now is there not a reall distinction ( as well as nominall ) betwixt the flock and pastor , the sheep and the shepherd ? . they are called teachers , and doth not the holy ghost evidently distinguish betwixt them that do instruct and those that are instructed ? . they are called such as rule well , not in any civil way as state-officers , but such as labour in the word and doctrine . . they are such as are over the saints in the lord , and the holy ghost doth expresly distinguish betwixt the officers in the church , which have rule and inspection over the saints , and all the rest of the saints under that inspection . . they are called stewards of the mysteries of god ; all the rest of the saints are of the houshold of faith ; and who may appoint stewards in the house but the master of the houshold ? and if the master call them stewards , let all saints do so who are of his houshold . though all other saints may be called stewards of the manifold grace of god , according to the proportion of the gifts and talents which they have received for their lords use , and so every man must give an account of his stewardship even for civil gifts and common graces , yet neither are all men nor all saints , as such , any where stiled by the holy ghost to be stewards of the mysteries of god , as the ministers of christ are ; and it is one peculiar argument which the holy ghost useth , why the bishop must be eminently blamelesse above other saints , because he is so to carry himself in gods house as one who in a speciall way is the steward of god. . they are called preachers by way of office , or gods heralds , ( though others may know and speak the same things , viz· ) these authoritatively are sent forth to proclaim the minde of the lord. . they are called embassadors for christ : god hath given to them the ministry of reconciliation , and hath committed to them the word of reconciliation . . they are super-intendents and overseers of the flock ; and if they had no such office , then in the discharge of this work they might be charged to be busie-bodies ; and so we shall call this a sin which god almighty hath charged upon them as their duty . . they are called stars in christs right hand . . the angels of the churches , and our lord himself doth clearly distinguish betwixt the seven stars in the church , and the seven golden candlesticks which are seven churches ; he evidently puts a difference betwixt the churches and the angels set in them and over them in the lord. the third argument is drawn from the lords speciall care in requiring peculiar gifts and qualifications in persons so distinguished and designed for this work as formerly . if the lord out of his speciall care to the good of the souls of people , hath appointed peculiar gifts and qualifications ( above what is required in all saints as such ) in all who enter into the work of the ministry , then the office of the ministry is by divine insti●ution . for why should god require such qualifications for an office , if he first had not appointed such an office ; suppose a parliament should lay down severall qualifications for every man that is to be made a justice of peace , doth not this clearly infer , that there is such an office as of a justice of the peace ; but our lord doth require peculiar gifts and qualifications , &c. not only those moral theological christian gifts and graces which are required in all saints at such , as to be blamelesse , vigilant , sober , &c. but such qualifications as are peculiar , though gifts as gifts do not alone invest into an office , yet where these are so strictly and peculiarly required , they argue that there is an office. god requires . that they be apt to teach : saints may be saints though they be not fitted to teach others : it is ● good degree of saintship when they are swift to hear , slow to speak , and apt to learn , ( and we could wish the saints in our times could learn and practise that lesson ) but those faithful men to whom the ministry is to be committed , must be apt to teach . . that they be not only apt but able to teach others also . . that they be such as holding fast the word may be able by sound doctrine to exhort and convince gainsayers . . that they be such as st●dy to shew themselves approved unto god , workmen that need not be ashamed ▪ rightly dividing the word of truth ; and who then is a faithfull and wise steward whom the lord may make ruler ●ver hi● houshold t● give them their portion of meat in due season . . that these gifts be tried and approved by others ( for no man can be a competent judge of his own gifts ) the deacons must first be proved , and if the deacons the lowest officer of the church must by divine appointment be first proved before he be admitted to use the office of a deacon , how much more is this required in the office of the ministry , which is far higher ? . that those that are to prove and approve observe these things without carnall preferring one before another ; that they doe nothing by partiality , that they lay hands suddenly upon no man , , and this the apostle chargeth them with before god and the lord iesus christ and his elect angels ? now why are all these qualifications required ? would not all these injunctions about such an office be superfluous , if such an office were not by divine institution ? . the qualifications are so many , the work so eminent , the successe so various , the ministry of the word being to some the savour of life unto life , and to others the savour of death unto death , that the apostle in admiration of the difficulty and dignity of this employment , crieth out , who is suffici●nt for these things ? but they who are alienated in their mindes as they snuffe at the service of god , and bring the torn , and the lame , and the sick ( as if any thing though never so bad were good enough ) for an offering to the lord , so they account the work of the ministry so mean , and the office so contemptible , that they say in opposition to the holy apostle , for these things who is not sufficient ? boldly intr●ding themselves into this work , without any gifts or qualifications sutable and approved thereunto , presuming to be teachers of the law and of the gospel , yet not unde●standing what they say or whereof they do affirm . the fourth argument from peculiar duties ; if god require peculiar duties of ministers which he doth not require of bele●vers as beleevers , then there is such a distinct office by divine institution . but god doth require peculiar distinct duties of ministers . . they are commanded to take special care of the church of god to take the oversight of the flock of god , yet not as lords over gods heritage ; but being examples to the flock . . when they have undertaken this work they are charged not to neglect the gift that is in them , which was given by the laying on the hands of the presbytery . . wholly to minde this work and the office ; meditate on these things , give themselves wholly to them , that their profiting may appear to all : it is not reason that they should leave the word and serve tables , but they must continually give themselves to prayer and to the ministry of the word . it is true , that the work of the apostles was exceeding great , yet it is as true , that their gifts were extraordinary , and the assistance they had was above measure , god testifying to the word of his grace by many signs and wonders : now if the apostles endued with those transcendent abilities , would not suffer themselves to be diverted , how much more doth the work of the ministry challenge the whole man , of them whose parts and assistances are so farre inferiour that they may attend the special service of god without distraction ? have not the ministers now as much need as timothy then to give attendance to reading , as well as unto exhortation and doctrine , to meditate upon these things , and give themselves wholly to them , that their profiting may appear to all , that so they may save themselves and them that hear them ? . not only wholly to minde this work in private , but in publike to preach the word ; to be instant in season and out of season ; rebuke , exhort with all long-suffering and doctrine : with meeknesse they must instruct those that oppose themselves ; they must labour even to weariness in the word and doctrine : they must be willing to spend and to be spent upon the service of the faith of the people : a necessity is laid upon them to preach the gospel , the neglect whereof involves them in a woe ; if they doe it willingly they have a reward , and if not yet a dispensation is committed to them . . not only to preach the word , but also to administer the sacraments . . and also to ordain others into the work of the ministry : of which more hereafter . in all these works not to feed themselves but to feed the flock , to look not only to their lives but to their doctrine , to watch not only for their own souls but for the souls of others . . they are commanded so to watch over the flock as those that must give an account . . they are commanded to take heed to themselves and to their doctrine , not only how they live but how they teach , that they may edifie both by living and teaching , and though they meet with many discouragements , unfruitfulnesse in some , and unkinde oppositions from others , yet they must continue in these things , and persist in their work , when they have laid their hands to this plough they must not look back , but must persevere to speak the things which become sound doctrine , to preach the word , to be instant in season and out of season , to reprove , rebuke and exhort with all long-suffering and doctrine . the fifth argument is drawn from the peculiar distinct duties enjoyned the people in reference to their teachers . if the lord requires peculiar distinct duties from the people in reference to their teachers , then this office is by divine institution . but the lord requires peculiar distinct duties in the people in reference to their minister , &c. . to know and acknowledge them such as are over them in the lord. . to remember their guides who have spoken unto them the word of god ; we are prone to forget our duty towards them ▪ god is sensible of this sin , and gives out these commands to cure this forgetfulnesse . . highly to esteem them , and that in love , and this also for their works sake . though the saints are not to esteem or think of them above what is meet , yet this esteem must not be vulgar as that which is only common to ordinary men and believers : when the ●nthankful world despise the ministers , the saints are obliged to account them worthy of double honour , and to esteem them highly , very highly and abundantly ; this high degree of esteem must be in love , for if we love the embassage , and the lord who sends the glad tidings of salvation , how beautifull then are the feet of his embassadours ! this esteem of them in love must be for t●eir works sake : now if this work was not of god , he would never give so many injunctions to honour these work-men : but this work of the ministry in reconciling sinners to god , is so stupendious , that the angels with admiration desire to look into these things : and in the dispensation of this mystery which from the beginning of the world hath been hid in god , is made known by the church not only to men bu● to cherubins and seraphims principalities and powers in heavenly places the manifold wisedom of god. . to obey them that have the rule over you and submit your selves unto them . . to encourage them , that they may do their work with joy and not with grief , for that is unprofitable to the flock , as uncomfortable to the pastour . , to maintain them ; he that is taught in the word must communicate to him that teacheth in all good things : why doth the holy ghost spend almost a whole chapter upon this subject ? and after many arguments , why doth the apostle make that appeal ? do ye not know that they which minister about holy things live of the things of the temple ; and they that wait a● the altar are partakers with the al●ar ? and whereas some might say , this practise is mosaicall , and fit for the jewish priesthood , but not for gospel-times , he prevents this objection , and asserts as a divine institution , that god hath thus ordained , that they which preach the gospel sho●ld live of the gospel : but this doctrine of the maintenance of ministers hath been of late so largely and sol●dly asserted by several able pens , that we shall not need to s●y any more about it . but no wonder that those which would take away and detain the maintenance should also be willing to deny the office : they that take away the oyl would break the lamp in sunder as a thing uselesse and unnecessary . object . but some may say , the apostles did work with labour and travell , night and day , that they might not be chargeable : doth not paul himself appeal to the elders of the church of ephesus , yea , you your selves know , that these have ministred to my necessities , and if the apostles laboured and had no maintenance , though they were extraordinary , why should not other ordinary ministers labour , and why is their maintenance a duty necessary ? we answer , . this travell with their own hands for a subsistence was a peculiar case of p●ul and barnabas , and was not the practise of the other apostle● ; for paul saith , i only and barnabas , have not we power to forbear working as the other apostles and brethren of the lord and cephas ? . when they refused to receive maintenance , this refusal was upon especiall occasion : as . either the churches extream necessities , the daies of danger and exigencies of the saints : in such case , though marriage was lawfull ; i suppose it is good for the present distresse , i say it is good for a man to forbear marriage ; and so paul did both forbear marr●age and also refused maintenance , but none can conclude from hence the marriage of ministers is unlawfull , or their maintenance unneedfull . or . this refusall of maintenance was in case of scandall , when false teachers had crept into the church of corinth , who boasted of themselves and their own doctrine , and that they would preach the gospel freely , and so cried down paul and his ministry , therefore in this case paul preached the gospel freely , i was chargeable ( saith he ) to no man , and in all things i have kept my self from being burdensome to you , and so will i keep my self , and what i do in this kinde that i will do ; and the ground of this practise he declareth to avoid scandall , that i may cut off occasion from them which desire occasion ; and that he might stop the boastings of those false apostles , dececeifull workers transforming themselves into the apostles of christ , that wherein they gloried they may be found even as we . . when paul was neeessitated to labour with his hands , he numbers it in the catalogue of his sorrows as part of his sufferings , to this hour we both hunger and thirst , and are naked and buffeted , and have no certain ●welling-place , and labour working with our own hands . . though paul refused maintenance , yet he still taught beleevers that it was a gospel-ordinance to maintain their ministers ; for who goeth to warfare at his own charges ? shall souldiers have no pay because when they are lawfully called forth they offer themselves freely to serve the publike ? who planteth a vineyard and doth not eat thereof ? . when paul in the cases and for the persons above-mentioned refused maintenance , yet he telleth the corinthians , that he received much from others , i robbed other churchss , taking wages of them to serve you ; for that which was lacking to me , they which came from macedonia supplied : and he abundantly commendeth the philippians , who were careful for his outward subsistence ; and their supply sent unto him he calleth an odour of sweet smell , a sacrifice acceptable , well-pleasing to god , and that hereby fruit did abound to their account . the sixth argument is drawn from the promises ; if god hath made particular promises to them that work in this ministry , then this office is by divine institution ; for god did never promise to keep up that office in the church which he hath not set up ; but hath said the contrary , that every plant which our heavenly father hath not planted shall be plucked up . but god hath made peculiar promises to them that work in the ministry . . that his speciall presence shall be with them ; lo , i am with you in this work of teaching and baptizing , though many or most may be against you . . his speciall assistance ; god alone is alsufficient to make them who are insufficient of themselves to think one good thought , able ministers of the new testament , not only of the letter but of the spirit ; god alone continues these abilities from the perpetuall supply of the spirit of jesus christ. from this speciall assistance it is that they which have this ministry faint not under all affronts and discouragements , totally and universally , because they receive new supplies of mercy from the lord. . his speciall protection of them in all assaults : he is present with all his saints to protect and preserve them ; he is in the midst of the seven golden candlesticks , and he walks in the midst of them ; these seven golden candlasticks are declared to be the seven churches of asia ; but god doth more then so to the ministers of those churches , he is not only in them , and walks in the midst of them , but he holds the stars in his right hand . . unto them he promiseth the power of the keys , and engageth himself , that whatsoever they ministerially binde on earth shall be bound in heaven , and whatsoever they loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven ; and this promise first made to p●ter was not limited to peters person alone , for christ after his resurrection makes good the same promise to all the other apostles ; whose sins soever ye remit are remitted , and whose sins soever ye retain are retained ; and that this promise was not liimted to the apostles as apostles , but was given to the apostles as ministers of the gospel , is evident from mat. . , . where the same power is given to the ordinary church-officers that was given to the apostles , and the same encouragement given to them to exercise that censure . . christ jesus promiseth speciall sympathy with them , whatsoever entertainment they meet withall in the discharge of this office ▪ he that receiveth you receiveth me , and he that receiveth me receiveth him that sent me : and when the ministers are despised , hated , and contemned , christ tels us he takes it is to himself , as if these contempts were done to himself in his own person : he that hateth them ( in reference to the r work ) hateth me ; he that despiseth them despiseth me , and he that despiseth me despiseth him that sent m● ; which great promises though eminently given to the apostles , yet are not limited to the apostles as apostles , but extended to all the ministers sent to preach the gospel , for so christ himself expounds these promises ; verily , verily , i say unto you , he that receiveth whomsoever i shall send , receiveth me : now if the promise be to all whomsoever christ sends , then not only to the apostles ; for besides them christ sent other pastors who were not immediatly called and sent , as the . and the . yet they were proved before to have been sent and set in the church by christ. . christ is so tender of the good or bad usage of his ministers , that he hath undertaken to recompence all that good done to them ; he that receiveth a prophet in the name of a prophet , shall receive a prophets reward ; and though this be true also of every righteous man and disciple in his proportion , yet our lord doth evidently there distinguish betwixt the prophet by office and the righteous man or disciple , as he doth also betwixt a prophets reward and a righteous mans reward : and so in all ages god hath taken it kindely when his faithfull ministers have been protected and countenanced : it stands upon record as a token of the sincerity of obadiah , that in that general persecution by iezabel , he had a hundred of the lords prophets , and hid them fifty in a cave , and fed them with bread and water : and of hezekiah that good king who walked before the lord with a perfect heart , there is this testimony recorded , that he spake comfortably unto all the levites which taught the good knowledge of the lord : but those kings and rulers that abused the ministers are noted as enemies to god himself , ahab and amazia , &c. and contempt of ordinances and ministers sent from god , is made the saddest fore-runner of ruine and desolation ; when they mocked the messengers of god , despised his word , and misused his prophets ; then the wrath of the lord rose up against his people , till there was no remedy : the lord was tender of the ministry of the law because glorious . now doth not the holy ghost tell us , that the ministry of the gospel doth exceed in glory ; that among them that are born of women there hath not risen a greater then iohn baptist ; notwithstanding , he that is least in the kingdom of heaven is greater then he , not that their persons are better , but that their ministry is higher . therefore let us all take heed of despising the ministry , lest the lord smite the earth with a curse ; for he that despiseth , despiseth not man but god. so much shall suffice for the first proposition . chap. ii. containing the second proposition . proving , that the office of the ministry is perpetually necessary . that it is so will appear by these ensuing arguments . if all the former arguments which evince the necessity of this office by divine institution be of a moral nature , then are they of perpetuall obligation by divine appointment ; for the commands of the morall law given to the jews oblige all , and precepts of the gospel given both to jews and gentiles in the apostles times , do equally oblige all beleevers in these daies as they did beleevers in the daies of the apostles , to whom they were at first immediatly prescribed ; because those precepts are of a moral nature ; whatsoever duties god r●quired in the churches of galatia , philippi , c●losse , &c. all these scriptures do as really binde now a● they did then binde them , for whatsoever things were written aforetime were written for our learning ; the same evils which were sins then are sinnes now , the duties enjoyned then are duties now , and shall binde all ages until the appearance of christ ; this rule is so exact and perpetuall , that they and they alone which walk according to this rule , peace shall be on them and upon the israel of god. but all the former arguments which prove the office of the ministry to be necessary , are of a morall nature ; not given to apostles as apostles , but to them as stewards and ministers of god , and so appertain to all ministers of christ. and in every argument there are those proofs produced out of scripture , which were not given only to apostles but to ordinary pastors , as may appear by a particular review of all the fore-going arguments . if the ordinances be perpetually necessary in the church by divine institution till the day of jesus christ , then the office of the ministry to dispense those ordinances is perpetually necessary in the church by divine institution ; the reason of this consequence appears thus . if the lord had only appointed ordinances to continue , and had appointed none to administer them , then the ordinanres would fail , because that which is every mans work is usually and effectually no mans work , and though god hath immediatly appointed these ordinances , yet now he doth not immediatly administer them , but the administration of these ordinances he hath committed unto others ; not to angels , for their glory is so great , and our infirmities so many , that we could not endure their visible ministration ; but this ministry he hath committed unto men , to some and not to all , as hath been proved in the former proposition ; and these are called the ministers of christ , stewards or dispensers of the mysteries of god , and are workers together with god , and such have this treasure in earthen vessels , that the excellency of the power might be of god ; the ministry of the word and the dispensing of the sacraments we finde conjoyned in the institution of christ , to whom christ gave commission to preach , to them he also gave commission and command to baptize , and he promiseth to concur with them in their administration : but that any others have any such command to enjoyn them , or commission to enable them , or any such promise of gods concurrence with them , if they undertake these administrations ; or that any su●● practise was in the daies of the apostles , we reade not in the new testament , and because the whole nature and vertue of the sacraments of the new testament , depends solely and wholly upon the authority of god being the institutour of them , therefore we may neither adde to nor detract from his institution , lest the lord adde to the plagues written in this book , and take away our part out of the book of life : so much for the consequence of the major ; now to the minor , which is this . the ordinances be perpetually necessary in the church by divine institution ; which will be evident if we consider the publike ordinances of the word , of baptism , and of the supper of the lord. . for the word ; it is evident that the word preached shall continue in all ages from mat. . . where jesus christ commands his apostles and ministers to teach all nations , and promiseth to be with them in that work to the end of the world ; as also from eph. . , , . christ gave pastors and teachers , for the perfecting of the saints , for the work of the ministry , for the edifying of the body of christ , till we all come to the unity of the faith. . for baptism , we desire these particulars to be considered . . that baptism is an ordinance of the new testament appointed by god himself , iohn was sent to baptize , he did not go about this work till he was sent , and because baptism was first adminis●red by him , therefore he is so frequently called iohn the baptist , not that baptism was his invention , but that the administration thereof was first committed unto him ▪ the institution it self was of god ; god was the authour , iohn only the minister , therefore the baptism of iohn is denied to be of men , and affirmed to be of heaven : and when the pharisees rejected his baptism , it is asserted they rejected the counsell of god against themselves , being not baptized of him : and the lord jesus christ to declare the baptism of iohn to be of god , even he that came to fullfill all righteousnesse , came from galilee to iordan to be baptized of iohn . . it is evident , that baptism was appointed not only to the jew but to the gentile , it was indeed first administred to the jew by iohn and by the disciples of our lord , and after christs resurrection by the apostles to those primitive converts : but when the partition wall was broken down , baptism of repentance was preached unto the gentiles , not only in iudea but in samaria also they that beleeved were baptized both men and women , and so cornelius the roman centurion , and so the jaylor and all his at philippi and corinth , paul baptized crispus and gaius , and the houshold of stephanus . . this ordinance of baptism instituted both for jew and gentile , was not to continue only in the infancy of the church , as the photinians and socinians affirm , but is perpetuall , as may appear by these arguments . . the promise and precept of christ wherein the lord commands the word to be preached unto all , and all nations to be baptized ; and christ promiseth that he will be with his officers in the administration of his ordinances to the end of the world ; if to the end of the world there shall be disciples , and if all disciples must be baptized , then baptism must continue to the end of the world . . the ends for which baptism was ordained , are not temporary , but morall , and so perpetuall ; all the disciples of christ now need the same means as the christians , during the age of the apostles , that we also might be baptized into christ , to be baptized into his death , buried with christ by baptism , that like as christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the father , even so we also should walk in newnesse of life ; neither doth the baptism of the spirit disanull the baptism of water , but rather confirm it ; for by one spirit are we all baptized into one body , whether we be jews or gentiles , bond or free . . if we consider the nature , use , or efficacy of baptism , it is called by the holy ghost a saving ordinance , and is unto believers and their seed in the new testament , as the ark was to noah and his ●amily in the old world ▪ who being in the ark was saved from perishing in the waters , when the rest were drowned ; so baptism that doth now save us not only or mainly the outward part of it , the putting away the filth of the flesh ( which yet is an ordinance to further our salvation ) but when the spirit of regeneration effectually concurs , so that we finde that there is a renewing of the holy ghost , and thereby the answer of a good conscience towards god. thirdly , for the sacrament of the lords supper , it is evident , . that it is an ordinance of god appointed by jesus christ , for he alone who gives grace hath power to appoint the means whereby he will convey grace : as no man can create new articles of faith to be b●●eeved , so no man can appoint new sacraments to be received ; only jesus christ the prince and mediatour of the new covenant , the high priest of our profession , who hath all power in heaven and earth , and who alone is able to fill all his own ordinances ( which in externall appearance seem but mean ) with inward efficacy and sprituall fullnesse ; he hath first instituted this sacrament and also administred it even the same night in which he was betrayed . . this ordinance was not only appointed to and for the apostles , to whom it was first administred , but unto all believers both jews and gentiles , by whom it is to be received , not only once as baptism ( for we reade no institution to baptize the same person more then once ) but our lord hath prescribed the frequ ent reiterated use of this sacrament , that we should often ●at this bread and drink this cup , and accordingly the apostles and the primitive christians did frequently celebrate this ordinance . . it is evident that this sacrament was appointed not only for that age , but for all succeeding generations , therefore believers are commanded to frequent this ordinance , and in eating this bread and drinking this cup , to shew forth the lords death till he come ; for our lord that will have his church to continue in all successions , till the day of his appearance , hath both enjoyned all beleevers as their duty to perpetuate the use of this sacrament in their severall generations , and hath also foretold for their comfort , that this ordinance shall continue till the day of his last coming : so then these ordinances being appointed by god to continue to the end , hereby it appears that the lord hath designed the office of the ministry to hold up and hold forth his ordinances to the end of the world . if the promises which christ hath made to uphold the ministry be perpetuall , then the office is perpetually necessary . but these promises are perpetual . that christ hath made promises to uphold the ministry , hath been proved in the former proposition out of mat. . . &c. the only doubt which can remain , is , whether these promises were limited to that age wherein the apostles lived , or whether they do reach all succeeding ages to the end of the world ; wherein who can better resolve us then christ himself in the words of the promise , go teach and baptize , and lo i am with you alwaies to the end of the world . . this promise ( we grant ) was made first and immediatly to the apostles ; but the query is , whether solely and only unto them as they were apostles ; it cannot be denied but many precepts and promises given to them were of a different nature , . some to the apostles as apostles , and . some to apostles as ministers , and . some to apostles as beleevers . if any demand , how shall we know when christ spake to them as apostles ? when to them as ministers ? and when to them as christians ? we answer , that the best way to discern this , is to consider the nature of these precepts and promises : if they be of an extraordinary nature ●●ove what god hath commanded or promised to all beleever● , o● to all ordinary ministry ; then these commands or promises are peculiar to apostles as apostles , as extraordinary officers ; for instance , when christ had called the twelve , he gave them power against unclean spirits , to cast them out , and to heal all manner of sicknesses , and all manner of diseases : and these being extraordinary promises , it appears they were made to the apostles as apostles , and not to them either as beleevers or as ministers . if they be of a common nature wherein all saints and disciples of jesus christ are equally concerned , then though they were given to the apostles , yet not only to them as apostles , but to them as beleevers , who also partake of like precious faith with them , through the righteousnesse of god and our saviour jesus christ ; when christ commanded them to watch , for ye know not what hour the lord will come ; this duty was laid upon them immediatly and apart from others as appears ; his disciples came to him privately , saying , when shall these things be ? yet this duty is of such a nature as is common to all beleevers ; and so elsewhere christ expounds it , what i say unto you i say unto all , watch : when christ taught his disciples to pray , in them he taught the same duty to all beleevers : and all these commands , to deny our selves , take up the crosse , and follow him , are so given to the apostles as they also oblige all beleevers : so when christ praied for the apostles , that god would sanctifie them with all truth ; he prayed not for them alone , but for all that were given to him of the father , which should also beleeve in him through their word : so all those great and precious promises which pertain to life and godlinesse , whereby all beleevers partake of the divine nature , having escaped the pollutions which are in the world through lust , were given not only to the apostles but to all beleevers . the ignorance or non-observance of this distinction hath led the papists into many absurdities , as when christ gave the cup to the apostles , because they all were ministers , therefore they do not conceive themselves obliged by that example to give the cup to the laity ; whereas christ gave the cup to the apostles not as apostles but only as beleevers , and so ordained it for all beleevers , who did not onely eat the bread , but drink the cup of the lord. the precepts and promises which are of a middle nature betwixt the two former , not so general as to concern all believers , nor yet so strait and peculiar as to be limited to the apostles , as go , teach and baptize , &c. these precepts and promises thereunto annexed , were given to apostles , not as apostles , nor to them as believers , but given to them as ministers and stewards of the mysteries of god ; for the apostles did not administer the sacraments as apostles , for to baptize was no peculiar work of the apostles , as such . now christs promise in matth. . . is to apostles teaching and baptizing . but these are acts ministerial , which therefore appertain to all ministers called of god in his name to perform these duties . if any shall object and say , this promise was not to their persons , but to their doctrine , which shall continue to the end of the world . answ. it is true , the doctrine of the apostles shall continue to the end of the world ; it is such a light as all the breath of men , or rage of hell can never blow out , and one jot or tittle of this word shall not fail ; but this promise is not onely to their doctrine , but to their persons , invested in such an office , not onely to their 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 , but to them 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 , not onely to their doctrine taught , but to their teaching and baptizing . this promise cannot be confined to the persons of apostles ; for where are the prophets and evangelists ? and do the apostles live for ever ? but this promise reacheth all ages ; i am with you alwayes to the end of the world , which strongly argueth , that the office of the ministry shall continue till the second coming of christ ; and though many have endeavoured to suppresse both ministry and magistracy , yet they shall continue till christ deliver up the kingdom to god even the father . then , and not till then , will he put down all rule , and all authority and power . then there shall be no temple , there shall be no need of the sunne , neither of the moon to shine therein , for the glory of the lord shall lighten it , and the lamb is the light thereof . when christ sendeth forth his apostles about a ministerial imploiment , he promiseth to be with them unto the worlds end , which doth not , cannot intimate , either that the apostles themselves should live so long , or that this his promise should be made good no longer then they lived . but that as the imploiment it self then given them in charge ( for the main substance and subject matter of it ) so that promise of his gracious presence and efficacious assistance , should be continued , as to them in particular for their times , so to others that should in those administrations succeed them from time to time in the severall ages ensuing to the worlds end . obj. but may not these words , i will be alwaies with you unto the worlds end , be limited to the particular age or dispensation during the lives of the apostles ? sol. to prevent this objection , the holy ghost useth three expressions to declare the perpetuity of this promise : . 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 , that this promise shall continue so long as the world continues . . 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 , this promise shall have no end till the worlds end . . 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 all dayes and successions of times , not only 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 , not only with you during your dayes , but all the dayes of the gospel , till time shall be no more ; all which words clearly hold out a continuance of the power and function of the ministry , and christs special spiritual presence with the persons assigned to this office in the exercise thereof , not for some particular age , as the lives of the apostles , but in all successive times to the end of the world , which is evident from the terms in this promise used , being duely considered with collation of other places of scripture , in the new testament especially wherein elswhere they are found . and first , the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 , answering to the hebrew word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is taken sometime in the notion of an adjunct , and sometime of a subject . sometime in the notion of an adjunct of time or continuance ; and here most properly , and in its native sense , according to its original , 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 ( as grammarians generally agree ) it is used for eternity , either for the continuance of eternity before time , which is commonly called aeternitas à parte ante , and so it may well be taken , acts . . where it is said , that gods works were known to him , 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 , from eternity ; or for the continuance of eternity , when time shall be no more , commonly called aeternitas à parte post ; as it is manifestly taken where the messias is said to abide , 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 unto eternity , or for ever ; whence 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 for ever , and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 for never , as also 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 for life eternal that shall never have an end . this is correspondent to that psal. . . 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 from eternity unto eternity , thou art god , that is , without either beginning or ending . but from hence with some restriction it is used for some long continuance of time , as the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 also in hebrew is . and more peculiarly applied to the world , it importeth the perpetual continuance of the thing spoken of , untill the world have a period of its present being . thus it seems to be taken where 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 & 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 are both joyned together ; for as one of the jewish doctors well observeth 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the rock of flint , deut. . . and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the flint of rock , deut. . . are in effect the same : so 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 , the perpetual continuance of this world , ephes. . . and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 , the world of this present perpetual continuance , are in effect and substance one and the same . yea where the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is not expressed , as ( 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 ) luke . . acts . . and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 , iohn . . is from the worlds beginning : so 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 , luke . . compared with cor. . , . and luke . . is , unto the worlds end . hence also that distinction of 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 this world , mark . . luke . . & . . or 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 , the world that now is , tim. . . tit. . . and as some copies also have it , matth. . . or 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 , the present world , gal. . . and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 , the world that shall be , matth. . . heb. . . or 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 , that is coming , or that is to come , mark . . luke . . precisely answering that so common with the jewish masters of 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 this world and that to come ? nor is it found where the penmen of the books of the new testament use the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 of a particular present age , or such a short stint of time as some would here restrain it to : they have another word , to wit , 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 answering the hebrew word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which in such cases they use , as where it is said of david , act. . . that he served 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 , his peculiar age , that is , the age wherein he lived , and those forms are common , 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 this age or race mat. . , & . , . where what is said 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 with this age , is by luke . . rendred 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 with the men of this age . now where the holy ghost useth diversity of terms so distinguished , we ought not to confound them . again , sometime the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is used in the notion of a subject , for the frame or fabrick of the creation of the world , as we commonly use that word , yet for the most part in ● figurative sense , as hereafter shall be shewn . thus when the devil is by the apostle stiled 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the god of this world , cor. . . he is by our saviour to the same purpose termed , 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the prince or ruler of this world , joh. . . & . . where yet in a metaleptical manner of speaking , this world , that is , the world here below is put by a metonymy first for men the inhabitants thereof , as also rom. . . . then by a synecdoche , or a 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 rather for the most and worst sort of them , ioh. . . when also that distinction 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 those in the world , joh. . . and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 those of the world , joh. . . & . , 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 psa. . . so termed because they have their share and their lot , their part and their-portion , their hopes and happinesse in the things of this world , and the present life alone , as the psalmist there expounds himself . but thus most expresly is the word used in the plurall form , where it is said of christ , that god by him 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 made the worlds , heb. . , and by faith we understand 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that the worlds were framed that is as the jewish masters use to speak 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the upper world , 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the nether world , the whole frame of heaven and earth ; of which our saviour , vntil heaven and earth passe away , mat. . . whether way then we take the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 here , in the notion of an adjunct or of a subject , according to the holy ghosts manner of speech , is , so long as the world standeth , or for as long time as it lasteth , for to one and the same stint it amounts either way . that which in the other term of 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is so evidently and perspicuously expressed as that nothing can be more pregnant , nor need the words any further glosse or comment , being of themselves so clear : howbeit if any shall be either so dim-sighted or self-wil'd , as to require some further comment upon them , or explication of them , to whom should repair be made for further information in such a case rather then the penman hereof himself ? take we then the evangelist what by this form of speech 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 he intendeth , and he will evidently inform us , ch. . , , . & . . ( where four severall times he useth the very self same form ) that there is no other thing intended then the end of the world ; what time that generall harvest shall be of all sorts of men , good and bad , wherein the angels shall be as gods harvest-men to dispose according to his appointment of either , that which is joyned also with christs second coming , when coming in the clouds in most majesticall manner with fullnesse of power and glory , he shall send forth his angels to gather together his elect , out of all parts of the world , mat. . . , . which compar'd with thes. . , . cannot be any other coming of christ then that which shall be at the last day , and the worlds end , until which coming of his it is also by the apostle averred that these administrations of christs own appointment in the word and sacraments are to be continued , cor. . . unto the worlds end , here , and until he come , there ; both intimating one and the self same period or stint of time , wherein the evangelist having so clearly expressed and expounded himself , it is not frivolous only but presumptuous for any man to attempt to fasten any other forced notionor strange sense upon his words . the fourth argument from the necessity of the elect. if there be . a perpetuall need of the ministry in these daies , as in former times ; and . god hath provided for the necessities of his people in the latter times , as well as in former ages ; and if there be no other ordinary means and remedy provided to supply their necessities but the ministry of the word , then this office of the ministry is perpetually necessary in the church by divine institution ; but first , there is a perpetuall need in these daies as well as in former times ; because . our natures ( though we be born of christian parents ) are as bad as jews and pagans , for there is no difference . the elest by nature till regenerated are children of wrath even as others , dead in trespasses and sins . . our judgements so dark , that whilst we continue in our naturall condition , we do not , cannot discern the things of the spirit ; the wisedom of our flesh is enmity against god. . our wils so alienated that we rebel against the light . . our natures so universally depraved , that whilest we are in the flesh unconverted , we cannot please god ; without faith it is impossible that we should please god , or that god should please us . . the mysteries of the gospel are so high , so transcendant above nature , that till the faculties of the soul be elevated there is a vail upon these mysteries without , and upon our hearts within ; so that if the same question was demanded of us that was of the eunuch , vnderstandest thou what thou readest ? had we that same ingenuity we should return the same answer in the sense of our spirituall disability ; how can we except some man guide us ? . the delusions of satan are so strong , that he prevails over all men naturally , and over most both totally and finally , to keep them under the power of darknesse , and so fit them for chains of darknesse ; he blindes the eyes of them that beleeve not . . the multitude of false teachers is so numerous , as there did arise in former times many false prophets , saying , let us go after other gods ; so in the apostles times , there rose up many false teachers , who desired to be teachers of the law , understanding not what they say , nor whereof they do affirm ; who crept into houses , and did leade captive silly women , laden with sin , and led away with divers lusts ; which false teachers could countenance , or at least connive at any errour , though never so absurd and destructive to the tenents which themselves professed , yet they did ever joyn in resisting the truth , men of corrupt mindes , reprobate concerning the faith : it was the danger of the christian churches planted by the apostles to be assaulted and deluded by false teachers , among the beleeving romans there were some to be marked and to be avoided , which did cause divisions and offences contrary to the doctrine which they had learned ; and those seducers did not serve our lord iesus christ , but their own bellies , and by their good words and fair speeches deceived the hearts of the simple . among the corinthians there were false apostles , deceitfull workers , transforming themselves into the apostles of christ ; and no marvell , for satan though he never change his nature and malice , yet he oft alters his habit and pretences , and when he cannot prevail as an opposer , he turns professour , and preacheth , and so transformeth himself into an angel of light , and therefore it is no great thing if his ministers be transformed as the ministers of righteousnesse . these cried down the ministry and apostleship of paul , to set up themselves and their own errours , which forced that holy apostle to insist so largely in defending his ministry , in the . chapter of that epistle . among the galatians there were some that troubled them , whom paul wisheth were cut off , and these perverted the gospel of christ , and by whom the galatians were soon removed from him that called them into the grace of christ unto another gospel . for even satan and his messengers when they cannot prevail by their cunningly devised fables , then ( as luther observes ) the devil hath his gospel , and his agents will broach new truths , such as paul and the rest of the apostles knew not . among the ephesians paul fore-told that after his departure grievous wolves should enter in among them not sparing the flock : also of your selves shall men arise speaking perverse things , to draw disciples after them . and the apostles have foretold us that in the last times errours shall abound , and men shall not only privily ( as then ) but even boldly and arrogantly ( as it is now ) bring in damnable heresies , denying the lord that bought them , and bring upon themselves swift destruction . and the most groundlesse errours because more sutable to our depraved natures , draw more in a day then the most solid truths can obtain in many years . luther thus complains , it is a grief and lamentation that satan more hinders and wounds the gospel by his ministers and phanatical spirits , then all the kings , princes and prelates which with their open force have persecuted it , or yet continue in the persecution of it . how hard a thing is it to prepare a people for the lord ! ten years are spent before the foundation of a church is well laid , and when it is laid , there creeps in some simple and ignorant fanatick , that can say and do nothing , but rail at gods faithfull ministers , and this silly idiot in one moment overthrows a work of so many years ? whose heart doth not bleed at the thoughts of such a sad disaster ! and therefore the hearers and followers of seducers shall multiply , many shall follow their pernicious wayes , by whom the way of truth shall be evil spoken of . in the church of pergamus , there were some who held the doctrine of balaam , and also some that held the doctrine of the nicholaitans , which thing ( saith god ) i hate . in thiatyra there was the woman iezabel ( though never called of god to any office ) yet she called her self a prophetess , and who taught and reduced many of gods servants to commit fornication . and in the last dayes the holy ghost fore-tels expresly , that men shall depart from the faith giving heed to seducing spirits . and therefore the ministry is and shall be perpetually necessary in the present and future ages . and hence it is that satan and his messengers do so extreamly traduce and vilifie the ministers of god who withstand their errours ; and multitudes of men who drive on various interests , and scarcely agree in any one thing , yet they can all unanimously agree in this to oppose , and so much as in them lies to extinguish the ministers , and will entertain no thoughts of peace , but upon this condition that the ministers be abolished , and then they seem to promise to themselves and others rest , as if they would proceed no further , which is much like that wherewith demosthenes refuted alexander , that that league must needs be destructive to the flock , wherein the keepers and shepherds of the flock must be abandoned . and if this be once obtained the people shall soon finde , that when the shepherd is smitten the flock will be scattered , mat. . . secondly , as the need is perpetual and as great in these times as in former , so god is careful to provide for the necessities of his saints , as well in the later times as in the former dayes . this needs no proof , because many rather now think that god neglected all former saints in comparison to us , and so magnifie the saints of this present age , that they either condemn or lightly esteem the generation of righteous men that lived before us . but however , sure it is that god is tender of his youngest children , and that the primogeniture shall not carry all away : if our elder brethren had a double portion , yet god hath provided some better thing for us , that they without us should not be made perfect . however , we are sure that the covenant is the same to us that it was to them . christ the mediator of the covenant is the same yesterday and to day , and the same for ever . the relation of the church to hi m is tender , acts . . and christ undertaking is as full a ever , so to preserve the church , that the gates of hell shall not prevail against it . thirdly , as our need and gods care are perpetual , so the great and sole ordinary means which our lord in his tender regard to the souls of his hath appointed to heal our nature so corrupt , to clear his mysteries which are so high , to detect the frauds of satan which are so prevalent , and to counter-work seducers which are so many and so active , is the ministry of the word . for god hath not revealed any other way in scripture whereby he hath promised to call home his elect effectually , to separate them from an evil world , to be a peculiar people to himself , then by the preaching of the word . therefore the ministry is perpetually necessary to bring in and build up those that belong to the election of grace , to perfect the saints , and to edifie the body of christ. which ordinance of preaching though it be vilified , and prove the savour of death unto death to them that perish , who stumble at the word , being disobedient , whereunto also they were appointed : yet to them which believe it is the power of god unto salvation . as christ and his ordinances are a stone of stumbling and a rock of offence to the unbelievers : so to them which believe , christ in his ordinances is very precious , and the dispensers of his ordinances very acceptable : for unto them , how beautiful are the feet of them that preach the gospel of peace ! thus christ in his ordinances and messengers , when he is disallowed of men , is made the head-stone of the corner , and when the world by wisdom knew not god , it pleased god by the ordinance of preaching , which a carnal world cals foolishness , to save them which do believe . some object against this argument , that though the ministry was needfull in former times , yet there is no need in times of the gospel , the saints shall be taught of god. and god promises in the new covenant , saying , i will put my law in their inward parts , and write it in their hearts , and they shall teach no more every man his neighbour , and every man his brother , saying , know the lood , for they shall all know me from the lest of them unto the greatest . now if all the saints shall be so taught of god that they shall not need to teach one another , then teaching by way of office is not perpetually needfull in times of the gospel . and another parallel place there is iohn . . the anointing which ye have received abideth in you : and ye need not that any man teach you . but as the same anointing teacheth you of all things , and is truth and is no lie , and even as it hath taught you , ye shall abide in him . to which we answer , . though the light in times of the gospel be farre clearer then under the law , yet it remains a perpetual truth even in gospel-times , that without all controversie great is the mystery of godliness . and this mystery is so great , that flesh and bloud do not reveal it to us . that there is a vail upon our eyes in reading the scriptures , which vail is only done away by c●rist . ● though christ alone doth away this vail , and all the sa●nts be taught of god , yet is neither the vail removed , nor the saints instructed ordinarily without the ministry of the word : when god undertakes to teach his elect effectually , and to take them one of a city , and two of a family , and to bring them to sion , then god promises , saying , i 'le give you pastors after mine own heart , which shall feed you with understanding and knowledge : so the saints are truly taught of god in the ministry of the word , because it is god alone that giveth ministers , and alone also teacheth his people to profit under this ministry , for it is god that giveth to every seed his own body : paul may plant , and apollo water , but it is god alone that giveth the encrease : paul's planting and apollo's watering did not cease to be the ordinances of god , though in reference to the success of their ministry , neither was he that planted any thing , nor he that watered , but god alone that gives the encrease . . when god saith , they shall not teach every man his neighbour , and every man his brother ; this word [ not ] a note of negation , is not absolute but comparative ; as where christ saith , my doctrine is not mine but his that sent me . the world cannot hate you , but me it hateth , because i testifie that the works thereof are evil . when god saith , i will have mercy and not sacrifice . when paul saith , god sent me not to baptize ; and when to the churches he saith , as touching brotherly love ye need not that i write unto you , for ye your selves are taught of god to love one another . yet in the very next verse he exhorts them unto brotherly love , beseeching them that they would encrease more and more : and as touching the ministring of the saints he saith , it is superfluous for me to write to you ; yet in that very chapter he useth many arguments , and professeth that he thought it necessary to prepare their bounty , and to stir up their pure mindes to a liberall contribution to the saints , and unto all men : all which speeches are comparative expressions , whereby not the thing it self , but such a measure and degree is denied ; and so it must be here . . because when these promises that they should not teach every man his brother were fullfilled , and all the saints were taught of god ; yet even then were they taught by an outward ministry : christ himself taught daily in the temple , he even taught in the synagogues ; he sent also out his dis●ples to teach : and the apostles themselves gave themselves continually to the ministry of the word : so that in those primitive times the inward spirituall teaching of god did not take away that teaching which he himself hath ordained to be externall and ministeriall . . this negation in this promise must be only comparative and not universall and absolute , because then it would not only destroy the ministry as unnecessary in publike , but also evacuate and disannull all brotherly admonitions in private , and then all godly conference and fraternall reproofs should be prohibited as sins , which none can deny to be commanded as duties , and such duties as are perpetuall in gospel-times ; for all saints at all times are commanded to consider one another to provoke unto holinesse and good works ; and they should be teaching and admonishing one another to warn them that are unruly , to comfort the feeble-minded , support the weak , to restore a brother that is fallen with the spirit of meeknesse , and to bear one anothers burthen , and so fullfill the law of christ. . the internall teaching of the spirit doth not take away the need of an externall teaching by the ministry , because by the same argument there should be no need of scripture , because the scripture it self also is externall : and this is not a malicious supposition , but de facto there are many men in our times that do so far rely upon this inward teaching as to lay aside the scriptures : and if so , there is no rule left to try the spirits , which is ever needfull , because many false prophets are gone out into the world . then there is no way left to recover them that are fallen , or preserve them that stand , for every one then will wander after his own heart without conviction , and the delusions of satan may prevail undiscovered , as if they were the oracles of god ; then a blinde world and a blinde heart will leade one another till they both fall into the ditch : to prevent these dangers at all times , god hath appointed the ministry as perpetually necessary , and hath enjoyned his saints to repair unto the law and to the testimonies , and if any walking in a spirit of errour under specious pretences of new light speak not according to this word , it is because there is no light in them . if the ends for which christ first appointed the ministry , be perpetually necessary , then the office of the ministry appointed by christ for those ends is perpetually necessary in the church of god by divine institution ; but those ends for which christ appointed the ministry are perpetually necessary , as will appear by a serious consideration of these particulars . . one end for which the ministry was ordained of god was , that the elect might be called and gathered , and there shall be some still in every age to be added to the church of them that shall be saved , and when the number of the elect is fully compleat , then shall christ come in his glory and all his angels with him to be glorified in his saints , in the mean time there are many sheep which are not yet of the fold , many who belong to the election who are not yet effectually called , them also will christ bring in both iew and gen●ile , that there may be one fold as there is on● shepherd : now god hath revealed no other ordinary way to convert and bring these into his fold , but the ministry of his word , for how can they beleeve without a preach●r ? therefore if there be some elect continually to be brought into fellowship with christ , and this end be not fully attained till the end of the world , then the ministry assigned to thi● end must be perpetually necessary . and therefore the apostle paul acquaints us that christ gave the ministers for this among other ends , ephes. . , , , . in which place , because i● is the great charter of the gospel-ministry , we shall crave leave a little to exspatiate : we have , . the fruits or effects of christs ascension , he gave some apostles and some prophets , &c. vers . . . the ends for which these gifts were given , vers . . for the perfecting of the saints , &c. and vers . . that we be not children tossed to and fro , &c. , the duration or continuance of these gifts , which is expresly asserted to be vers . . till we all come in the unity of the faith , &c. now from this place we argue ; . either apostles , or prophets , or evangelists , or pastors and teachers , are to continue till we all come into the unity of the faith . but apostles , evangelists and prophets were not to continue , which we prove thus , that which is here given to continue , and promised that it shall continue , that certainly did and doth continue , otherwise christ should break his promise . but de facto prophets , apostles and evangelists did not continue , as is confessed . therefore pastors and teachers are to continue . . ordinary officers in the church are as truly the institutions of christ , and the fruits of his ascension , as extraordinary , and therefore where god gives ordinary officers , they are to be received as sent by god , as well as extraordinary , both are said to weave one web , to carry on one 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 , one work of the ministry . . whatever god gives to the church , man neither can nor must take it away , except god reverse it . but christ gave this gift to the church , and gave it as appears with intention never to recall it . and therefore woe be to that man that offers to take away this gift , let him take heed lest god take away his part out of the book of life . . though paul was an extraordinary minister , yet he doth both here and elswher● maintain the honour , and assert the necessity of ordinary pastors , quite contrary to the men of our times who pretend to extraordinary inspirations , and thence take occasion to pour contempt upon the ordinary ministry . . it was the intention of jesus christ when he gave this ministry , that it should continue till we all come into the unity of the faith . and if the ministry should not continue , it must be either because he is not carefull to make good his intention , or not able , or not willing to do it . but all these are absurd . indeed if this were a conditional promise , depending upon some thing in us , the non-performance of the condition on our parts might excuse the not accomplishment of the promise on gods part , but it is most evident that the promise here is absolute and independent upon us , and therefore certainly it hath not been , shall not be broken . if it be said , if this argument hold , it will prove , that the apostles shall continue till we all come to the unity of the faith , &c. for they also are mentioned in this chapter . we answer . the words are to be understood not conjunctim but divisim , not conjoynedly that all those should continue , but severally , that some one of these ( at least ) should continue till that time , otherwise this great absurdity would follow , that christ should fail in the fullfilling of his word . , when christ promiseth a ministry until we come to the unity , he is thereby obliged not only to keep his ministry from a finall abolition , but also from a totall interruption . as when god saith to christ , sit thou at my right hand ▪ untill i make thine enemies thy footstool , mat. . . it is therein implied , that christ shall not cease sitting at the right hand of the father till all his enemies be subdued . so here when christ saith , the ministers shall continue till we all come , &c. it follows undeniably that they must not cease till that date be expired . and least of all should the word of christ stand , if god had only set ministers in his church for a hundred or two or three hundred years , and suffered his church to lose the ministry in the apostacy of antichrist , and to be without it for so many hundred years together , as the seekers are not ashamed to affirm . . when the saints are converted , gods end in the word and sacraments is to confirm them in a state of grace , to edifie them and to nourish them up in the words of faith , for the best of saints are not here perfect , but must go from strength to strength , pressing forward towards perfection ; therefore during this life they shall ever need the ministry , ordained of christ for the perfecting of the saints ; and they are bound as new born babes to desire the sincere milk of the word , that they may grow thereby . and it is the character of true converts , that they love the gates of sion , for there the lord commands his blessing , even life for ever more . . the saints are to be united ( and what tears are sufficient to lament our present divisions ? ) god hath promised there shall be an happy union , as of the members to the head , so of the members mutually one to another , that there shall be no schism in his body ; and he hath ordained the ministry for this end , till we all come in the unity of the faith and knowledge of the son of god , unto a perfect man , unto the measure of the stature of the fulnesse of christ. . the saints are to be established in the truth of the gospel , and for this end was the ministry ordained , that from henceforth we be no more children tossed to and fro , and carried about with every winde of doctrine , by the sleight of men and cunning craftinesse whereby they lye in wait to deceive . . besides all these , there will alwaies be gainsayers , who subvert whole houses , teaching things which they ought not for filthy lucres sake ; and their mouths must be stopped , therefore the ministry will be perpetually necessary for the attaining of these ends . obj. if the ministry of pastors and teachers be perpetually necessary for these ends , why then is not the ministry of the apostles , prophets and evangelists perpetuated , for all these are one breeding and feeding ministry , which christ ascending on high , set in his church ? ans. those extraordinary offices were necessary to plant the churches , to lay the foundation as wise master-builders , that all the saints might be built upon the foundation of the prophets and apostles , christ himself being the corner-stone ; but after the foundation was laid , it pleased the father to leave the ministry in the hands of ordinary pastors and teachers , that they might build upon the foundation , even as god raised up moses an extraordinary prophet to give the law , and then left it to ordinary teachers , both to reade the law and give the sense thereof ; for even moses of old time had in every city them that preached him , being read in the synagogue every sabbath day ; so hath the lord appointed ordinary teachers and pastors , and hath committed to them the ministry , and hath commanded them to wait on their ministry , and when they prophesie to prophesie according to the proportion of faith : and as he hath commanded them to fulfill their ministry which they have received of the lord , so hath he also enjoyned the people to be swift to hear , and to esteem them that are over them highly for their works sake . if the removall of the ministry from place to place be threatned by god as one of the saddest curses which can befall a people , and the removing or sleighting of it by men be charged upon them as a grievous sin ; then the ministry is perpetually necessary by divine institution , and to be esteemed a very great blessing , but the removall of the ministry is threatned as one of the saddest curses , &c. for where there is no vision the people perish ; they are destroyed for lack of knowledge . it was the darknesse of those wofull times before king asa , that israel had been a long season without a teaching priest , and so without the true god and without the law. the famine of hearing the word of god is threatned as the worst of famines , worse then that of bread and water . when god delivered up the ark into captivity , then every one had cause as well as eli's daughter in law to cry out ichabod , the glory is departed from israel . as it was thus in the old testament , so in the new ▪ when christ was greatly provoked by the jews for their rejecting of him , one of the greatest judgements that christ threatens against them is , that the kingdom of heaven should be taken from them and given to a nation bringing forth the fruits thereof . when people set themselves to discountenance , disobey and destroy the ministry , god may justly remove the candlestick out of his place . how are those famous asian churches laid desolate ! the wilde beasts of the desart lie down there , their , not only houses , but temples are full of dolefull creatures , the owles dwel there , and the satyres dance th●re , and mahumetanism hath covered the face of the eastern parts of the world , as antichrist hath done in the west . the ministry is the hedge of gods vineyard , which if it be broken down , all that passe by the way pluck it , the boar out of the wood doth wast it , and the wilde beasts of the field devour it . the ministers god in mercy hath set as watchmen upon the wals of ierusalem , which shall never hold their peace day or might . if they be discountenanced , and through carnal fears so dispirited , that they are like unto dumb dogs that cannot bark , it is a forerunner that the flock will be devoured by the wolves , and that such a people is near to ruine . it was the sin of ieroboam , and though he intended it for establishment , yet it became a ruine both to him and to his house , that he contemned the ministry , and made priests of the lowest of the people , which were not of the sons of levi. ahab and iezabel persecuted the prophets of the lord with the sword , and how dolefull was their end , when the dogs licked up his blood , and eat her flesh . it is noted that the contempt of the ministry and the oppression of the people do frequently go together . asa a good king , yet being in rage against the seer , put him in prison ; and the holy ghost observes , that at the same time he oppressed some of th● people . it is noted of amaziah that god had determined to destroy him , because he did evil , and would not hearken to the counsel of the prophet : and that great sin for which god abhorred the excellency of iacob , and sent his own people into captivity , is expressed to be this , that when the lord had sent to them his messengers rising up betimes and sending , because he had compassion on his people and his dwelling place , that then they mocked the messengers of god , and despised his words , and misused his prophets , untill the wrath of the lord arose against his people , till there was no remedy . and in these daies the way of truth is evil spoken of , and there are risen up even among professors , those who are retainers of a form of godlinesse , and yet are despisers of them that are godly , who separate themselves , being sensual , having not the spirit , who despise prophesying , and quench the spirit . and one reason why preaching is not so effectual to the bringing in of souls to christ , is , because of the many multitudes that frequent sermons , there are but few that come to the word as to an ordinance of god , or that seek god in his own ordinance ; there are very few , which when they receive the word of god which they hear of ministers , receive it not as the word of men , but as indeed it is the word of god which effectually worketh in them that do believe . now this evil is not only a sinne against gods free mercy , but is also a sin against the sweetest of remedies : how will our sore prove uncurable , and our disease continue without healing , if we despise the balm of gilead and reject all healing medicines ? it is in the number of those sins which go before us unto judgement , when people put away the ministry of the word from them , they are said by the holy ghost before the day of judgement come , to judge themselves unworthy of eternall life . and thus we have done with the arguments proving the perpetuity of the ministry , there remains one great objection to be answered . chap. iii. wherein the grand objection asserting the loss of the ministry under antichrist , is answered . we confesse that there was a ministry ordained of christ , and continued all the daies of the apostles , and some centuries after , yet the mystery and ministry of the man of sinne was then working , which at length so farre prevailed , that all the world wondered af●er the beast , and power was given him over all kindreds and tongues and nations ; so that be caus●d all , both great and small , rich and poor , bond and free to receive his m●rk in their right hand , or in their foreheads . in this apostacy the church which had been a chaste virgin , became the mother of harlots and abominations , and not only the kings and the inhabitants of the earth were made drunk with the wine of her fornications , but especially the priests in all nations were the abominable pandors to promote the filthinesse of her whoredoms , they were the merchants made rich by her fornications . now under this reign of antichrist , bethel was turned into bethav●n , the ministry was wholly lost , being only in pretence for christ , but in reality for antichrist : and therefore we look upon all ministers now as members of that notorious strumpet , as locusts from the bottomlesse pit , as priests of baal , and limbs of antichrist , and so account it not a sinne , but a duty to contemn their persons , and abhorre their ministry . we acknowledge first that the apostacy under antichrist was exceeding dreadfull . secondly , that not only the people and the princes , but the priests also had a great hand , and were chief agents in this defection . thirdly , that its the duty of gods people to come out of babylon , that they partake not of their sins , nor receive of their plagues . but yet we need the spirit of wisdom and revelation in christ , that we may know the things that differ , that we may not call good evil , and evil good , but according to the word of truth , judge righteous judgement : and therefore we intreat the reader or this objector , conscientiously to ponder these considerations . . consider , as there have been many false christs , so there are and have been many mistaken antichrists ; and the holy ghost bids us , not to beleeve every spirit , but to try the spirits ; when many shall say , loe here is christ , and loe there is christ : and it s as true of antichrist , some say , lo here is antichrist : some , lo there ; yet the lord commands us saying , beleeve them not . the truths , ordinances , servants and ministers of christ , do not therefore cease to be of christ , because some , either by mistake , or by design shall say they are of antichrist . the doctrine of the deity of christ ▪ who is god blessed for ever , will not cease to be a most precious truth , because michael servetus , georgius blandatra , franciscus david , laelius socinus and his adherents condemn it as an antichristian errour . was valentinus gentilis therefore a friend and martyr to god the father , because he died as an enemy to god the son ? were the valdenses who appeared against the romish errours , the limbs of satan , because some of the romanist affirm that satan was let loose in berengarius and his disciples ? how luxuriant and confident are the fancies of many concerning the things contained in the revelations , wherein modest christians would chuse rather to be humbly inquisitive , then dogmatically positive ? was innocent the third the lesse nocent , or was pope calixtus the more holy , because some of their followers make them to be the angel coming down from heaven , having the key of the bottoml●sse pit to binde satan , as if the binding of satan were nothing else , but to excommunicate emperours , and to depresse the imperial power under the papal ? shall dominicus or franciscus , those two great founders of the orders of the friars dominican and franciscan , the great upholders of papacy , shall they be lesse suspected , because some of their disciples admired them , and confidently averred them to be that angel ascending from the east , having the seal of the living god ? rev. . . men have no power to make christian , unchristian or antichristian , either persons or things , according to their pleasure : the word of god is established in the heavens , and his truths do not vary after the variety of mens mistaking fancies : therefore we have great need to be sober and humble , and to beg of the lord the spirit of love and of a sound minde , that we may neither justifie the wicked nor condemn the righteous . . consider , concerning antichrist , though we grant it that antichrist is not an individual person , as bellarmine and the papists generally affirm : but the state and succession of men which with one and the self same spirit oppose christ. . that the seat of this great whore , is not , as some intimate , constantinople ; nor ierusalem , as others affirm ; but rome that great city , that then reigned over the kings of the earth , spiritually called sodom and egypt . and . that the antichrist is not the turk and mahumetanism in the east , but the pope and papism in the west ; yet there is no ground to condemn every thing in that antichristian synagogue for antichristian ; for without all question the books of the old and new testament were wonderfully preserved even in mystical babylon . as formerly when the oracles of god were committed to israel , the lord continued the holy scripture in the jewish church , notwithstanding their spiritual apostacy and babylonish captivity . the good word of the lord is no lesse the word of truth , because the false antichristian synagogue , do acknowledge it ; no more then the scripture ceaseth to be the scripture , because satan the father of lies did alledge it . gold is gold wherever you finde it ; truth is truth , however men either accept it or contradict it . it 's a vast comprehensive errour to reject all tenents , though never so true for errours , because an erroneous society doth confesse them : for all is not false which the false church asserteth ; every errour is founded upon the mistake of some truth ; as every evil doth usually arise from the abuse of some good : in this mixture of good and evil , light and darknesse , where there are many precious truths , yet many abominable falshoods ; it 's our duty to sever between the righteous and the vile , that we neither swallow down all for truth because there is a mixture of truth , nor reject all for false because there is superadded a redundancy of falshood ; antichrist sitteth in the temple of god , and his coming is with all deceivablenesse of unrighteousnesse , therefore we must watch and pray for the spirit of discerning , that we may distinguish between things that differ . . consider as the lord had his truths so he had his church in babylon during the rise , and growth , and reign , and continuance of antichrist . the apostacy though generall over all tongues , and kindreds , and nations , yet it was not so universall in all individuall persons , but that there were a remnant according to the election of grace : as in the baalitish apostacy the lord reserved seven thousand who had not bowed their knees to baal ; so in this antichristian defection , the lamb upon mount sion had ● . times . thousand that adhered to the doctrine of the . apostles , and these had their fathers name written in their forehead , redeemed from among men , b●ing the first-fruits unto god and to the lamb , and in their mouth was found no guile , and they were not defiled with those antichristian whoredomes ; for they are virgins , they were the true seed of the woman which keep the commandments of god , and have the testimony of iesus christ , against whom the dragon raged : and therefore when the romanists ask , where was the church before luthers time ? we answer it was in and among them , though it was not of them . the waldenses , albingenses , berengarians , pauperes de lugduno or lionists , lollards , in severall places having many other severall names and these in the severall ages of the reign of antichrist held the truth of jesus , and opposed the errours of the man of sin : which severall popes endeavoured to destroy but could never effect : all the kings and potentates of the earth were stirred up against them , and a decree made that if any temporall lord did neglect to expell them out of his dominions , that he should be excommunicated , his subjects absolved from allegiance , and all their lands confiscate and given to others ; hence some of the princes of the earth made it treason for any of their subjects either to hear or harbour them , or any waies to releeve them . and the armies raised against the saracens and mahometans were converted against these poor christians and plenary indulgence , pardon of all sin promised to all that would fight against them : and if in france alone as it s reported in the history of that war , there were slain ten hundred thousand , what shall we think the number of them to be who were slain in all other nations ; yet under all these pressures and persecutions , though they were often dispersed , yet they could not be extinguished but these afflicted people of the lord , being scattered fled into provence and the alpes , some into calabria , bohemia , polonia , and into britain , as thuanus in his preface . and though many opinions were imputed to them to make them odious , yet their accusers do wofully and wonderfully contradict themselves , as some of our learned men do prove : and some of them ingenuously confesse : yet their main tenents were that they renounced the church of rome as the mysticall babylon , contemned the pope as the man of sin , and rejected their severall popish opinions as antichristian ; they held the same truths for substance that the protestants now professe , insomuch as some of the adversaries confesse , that they who are now calvinists were anciently called berengarians , and the new protestants are the old waldenses ; this sect some of the papists complain to be of all most pernicious to the church of rome . . because it is most ancient and durable , having continued from the time of pope sylvester : others say from the time of the apostles . . because most generall , no part of the earth scarce free from it . . because it hath the greatest appearance of godlinesse , for they live justly towards men , and believe all things well concerning god , only they blaspheme and hate the church of rome . as the lord had his saints during all the reign of antichrist , so he raised up his ministers who in their severall successive ages in severall places , testified against the spirituall whoredomes , idolatrous worships , and deceiving frauds of antichrist ; it 's true , as the generality of the people , so the generality of the priests in those times did worship the beast , even all that dwelt upon earth , whose names were not written in the lambs book of life ; and some observe , that it was the righteous judgement of the lord upon the church at that time , that such an apostate people should have such apostaticall priests , and the holy ghost maketh this one expresse ground , because men did not receive the love of the truth that they might be saved , therefore god shall send them strong delusions , that they should beleeve a lie , that they all might be damned who beleeved not the truth , but had pleasure in unrighteousnesse : but in this generall defection both of people and of their teachers ; the lamb had a remnant with him who were called , and chosen , and faithfull , even an afflicted poor remnant of pastors as well as of people , reserved in the midst of babyltn , who did trust in the name of the lord , and those godly pious priests were both obedient unto and bold in the faith of jesus . now if there were such ministers during the reign of antichrist , that followed the lamb , did not defile their garments , but preached and prayed , and lived , and died in their constant and consciencious oppositions of the man of sinne , then surely the ministry was not totally lost under the reign of antichrist . but that there were such , appears both by holy scripture-prophesie which foretels it , and unquestionable history of the church that confirms it : in the one , men may learn what god spoke with his mouth ; in the other , what the lord fullfilled with his own hand : the holy ghost expresseth , that there should be some to prophesie in sackcloth one thousand two hundred and sixty daies : now not to dispute , but taking that for granted which the best interpreters assert , and by arguments out of the revelations prove , . that those one thousand two hundred and sixty daies are not naturall daies but propheticall , every day taken for a year , as ezek. . . num. . . . that those two witnesses prophesying were not two individuall persons , as enoch and elias , as bellarmine and other papists affirm ; but a succession of holy men stirred up all that time to testifie the truth of christ against antichrist , as our learned men prove . . that the reign of the beast continuing for moneths , which moneths taken prophetically as before , every day for a year , and reckoning for every mon●th daies , now multiply the by the . and the reign of the beast is years , and though there be great difficulty when to begin the rise and reign , and most expositors herein much vary , yet in the continuance there is a generall accord , and none can rationally make any question about it . . that these sackcloth-prophecies though but very few comparatively to the locusts out of the bottomlesse pit , which were innumerable , called two like their types moses and aaron , who brought israel out of egypt , or as elias and elisha which reduced israel out of baalism , yet these witnesses , though in number few , continue in their successions all the reign of the beast , for the daies of their prophecying in sackcloth are one thousand two hundred and sixty years , and so expire not till the moneths of the beasts reign be expired . now fifthly we adde , that these sackcloth prophesiers were not only saints who mournfully bewailed the abominations of those times , that the holy city should be trampled under foot ; but also that they were holy pious ministers distinct from the saints in office , and in the act of their prophetical function , which is intimated to us , . from the power bestowed upon them ▪ the lord gives to them not only to pray and to mourn , but to prophesie , rev. . . not so much by prediction of things future , as by preaching the everlasting gospel . it was a mighty power from on high that a few contemned , persecuted ministers should have gifts to be able , and power to be couragious to preach against the son of perdition , when all the world wondered after the beast . . from their effectual exercise of that power and that in their publick detecting those antichristian abominations , and denouncing the wrath of god against them . it is said in the daies of their prophesie , though they were poor men and had no carnal weapons to defend themselves or offend their enemies , yet in a spiritual sense fire proceedeth out of their mouths and devoureth their enemies , revel . . . for the lord did make his words in their mouth to be fire , and the people wood , and it devoured them , ier. . . and the holy ghost adds further that these prophets tormented them that dwel upon the earth , v. . . the spirit of truth doth not only call these two by the name of prophets , but elsewhere distinguisheth the prophets and righteous men , he that receiveth a prophet in the name of a prophet , shall receive a prophets reward ; and he that receiveth a righteous man in the name of a righteous man , shall receive a righteous mans reward . where christ incouraging poor preachers of the gospel against all the hard and harsh usage of the world , intimates to us , . that there are some who by way of office and distinction from others , are prophets and preachers . . that there is some eminent reward due to prophets . . that they who do any good to prophets , even because of that office , shall receive a prophets reward . and in this very prophesie concerning antichrist , the spirit maketh these two distinct , the prophets and the saints : babylon is therefore ruined , because in her is found the blood of the prophets and of the saints , rev. . . now if we descend from the words of this prophecy , and come to observe the answerable event in history , we shall finde that in every age there were ministers opposing the tenents of antichrist . their particular names , times , places , and their manner of resisting the man of sin , it will be too large to insist upon , yet a brief catalogue of ministers is here inserted . from the time of christ and his apostles , for years , our famous iewell against the romanists , hath abundantly proved that the truths professed in the reformed churches were maintained by the ancients . and in the succeeding centuries , when the man of sinne began to prevail , there were in their several ages , godly and learned ministers who opposed the popish errours , defending the sufficiency of scripture , communion in both kindes , justification by free grace ; disclaiming the defilements of worship in adoring images , invocation of saints , praying for the dead , worshipping reliques ; and openly testifying against the rising and swelling power of the pope , declaiming against his supremacy and title of universal bishop as antichristian . from the year of christ , to the , besides isidore , hesychius and others ; there were in this island these two famous preachers , aidan , who converted from paganism the kingdom of northumberland , which then contained not only the country now so called , but also cumberland , westmoreland , lancashire , yorkshire , the bishoprick of durham , and some part of scotland . also finan , by whose ministry the lord turned to the christian faith , the kingdom of the east saxons , and of mercia , as our own countryman doth testifie . b●sides our famous countrymen , bede , al●vinus and many others ; there were adlebertus and clemens and sampson , with many other priests , who did mightily withstand pope boniface . besides taurinensis , agobardu● , rabanus maurus , there was scotus accused by the pope for an heretique , and murdered ( as is conceived ) by his own scholars for his opposing the carnal presence . and bertram a priest in france , was so clear a protestant in the point of the sacrament , in a book that he set forth , that some romanists say it was writ by oecolampadius under the name of bertram . and the most learned of the papists confess that walafridus strabo , ionas bishop of orleans , and hin●marus archbishop of rhemes departed from the received opinion of the church catholique . in this age ( the most unlearned and unhappy ) are recounted radulphus flavia●ensis , stephanus eduensis , smaragdus , and our english alfricke whose saxon homily was appointed to be read publikely to the people against the carnal presence ▪ in this age more light began to appear , even in the heat and height of antichristianism , not only by the ministry of fulbert bishop of chartres , anselme of laon author of the interlineal gloss , oecumenius , theophylact and others , but especially by berengarius and his disciples . besides arnulphus the martyr , hugo de sancto victore , robertus tuitiensis , gulielmus de sancto amore , io●chim abbas , niceas , were peter bruis and his scholar henry of tholous● , two famous preachers against popish errours , insomuch as peter was apprehended and burnt . in this age the waldenses appeared , who were the famous opposers of antichrist . in this age are recorded al●●ssiodore , peter de vin●is , arnoldus de nova villa , and those two famous preachers gerardus and dulcinus , who preached that the pope was antichrist , and rome babylon . besides our famous robert grosthead bishop of lincolne , the great hammer of the romanists , who wrote to the pope that he was antichrist . in this age appeared for christ thomas bradwardin , richard armachanus , taulerus a famous preacher in germany ; and that glorious instrument of the lord , iohn wickliff . in this century , besides peter de alliaco , nichol. clemangis and many others , we need name no other , but those great worthies and martyrs savanorola a famous preacher in florence , with iohn huss and hierom of prague , whose memories are pretious throughout all the reformed churches . in this age the father of mercies raised up martin luther , and so many others , and from that time the defection from rome was so eminent , that it hath visibly continued to this day ; and concerning the following times there is no question . and for the more clear understanding of all the persons aforementioned the ministers of the lord , we referre the learned readers to the histories magdeburgens . to illyricus his catalog . testium veritatis , to iacob . vsher , de eccles. succes . & statu . and amongst our english writers , to mr fox his acts and monuments , and to mr sim. birckbeck his treatise called the protestants evidence . and if any further demand saying , though many particular men did appear against antichrist , yet how doth it appear , concerning those multitudes of professors called the berengarians and the waldenses , that their churches had ministers ? we answer , that berengarius is reported to have been so great a friend to learning and learned preachers , that at his own proper cost and charge , he brought up many scholars , specially such as were students of divinity , by whose help his doctrine was spread almost through all france , and the countries adjoyning , which is a great complaint that the popish authors had against him . and when it was objected against the waldenses , that they said , ministers should live upon alms or work for their living , they answer , that they wished that happinesse to their ministers that they might be free from servile labours , for so they should have more time for their studies , and more fitnesse to instruct us . for we are not grown to that superstition or rather madnesse , as to think our ministers do sinne unlesse they labour with their hands . as it is reported of one who of a priest turned husbandman , because it is written in the sweat of thy brows shalt thou eat thy bread . our lord hath not suffered us to fall in this manner . yet many of our ministers are brought to that necessity , that they must either work or starve . but this these holy saints did not account in those times to be the ministers duty , but lamented it as the churches misery . by all which it appears that the berengarians and the waldenses had their ministers , even under the reign of antichrist . as there were saints and ordinances , and ministers under the reign of antichrist : so many of these godly ministers suffered martyrdom during the tyranny of the beast , for their appearing against antichrist . and if these ministers and priests died for the name of christ against antichrist : then surely the ministry was not lost , nor is it antichristian . but that there were such ministers and martyrs for the name of christ in every country , is apparent by the c●talogue of martyrs which you may see more at large in mr fox . in germany , nicholas of antwerp , iohannes pistorius of holland , george sekerter at rustat , mr bersival at lovain , p●ter bruly at dornick in flanders , with many others . in france , laurentius cruceus at paris , iohn du-beck in champaign , aimond at burdeaux , geffery varagle at thuren . what need we relate peter bruis , and other godly ministers , when thuanus records , that all those who would not recant , were burnt alive ; among whom ( he saith ) were many priests . in spain , dr cacalla called the standard-bearer to the gospellers . francis de bivero priest of valladolid , alfonso perez priest of valence . it would be too long to speak of savanarola in florence , of iohn hu● , hierom of prague in bohemia , and many other godly ministers burnt alive for the testimony of jesus . but we need go no farther then to england for examples : and here not to insist on the troubles of iohn wickliff , nicholas herford , philip repington , with other pious ministers in the time of richard the d , nor the cruel burnings of william taylor and william white under henry the th , and many others in the succeeding times . only peruse the history of henry the th and q. mary . under henry the th mr fox records these famous ministers suffering martyrdom . mr thomas bilney . mr ▪ burfield , both burnt anno . iohn fryth , burnt anno . william tyndal , called the apostle of england , burnt anno . . iohn lambert , burnt anno . robert barns , tho ▪ garret , william hierom divines , burnt together in smithfield anno . we instance in these among others , and have named the time of their sufferings , and the pages of the book where their sufferings are recorded : that when you have considered their holy lives and godly death , how they imbraced the flames of fire as beds of roses for the name of christ , you may for ever abhor the thought of accounting such worthy ministers of christ as antichristian . and if you descend to the bloudy dayes of qu. mary , you may finde all the land over , ministers of christ burning for the name of christ. take but the first year of that fiery trial anno dom. . and see how these antichristian flames kindled upon the godly preachers . mr iohn rogers vicar of sepulchres protomartyr , burnt in smithfield , feb. . mr lawrence , burnt at coventry about the same time . mr iohn hooper burnt at glocester , feb. . dr rowland taylor , burnt at hadly , feb. . mr iohn lawrence , burnt at colchester , feb. . mr robert farran , burnt at carmarthen in wales , march . mr george marsh , burnt at westchester , april . mr william flower , burnt at westminster , april . mr iohn cardmaker , burnt at london , may . mr iohn bradford , burnt in smithfield , iuly . mr iohn bland , burnt at canterbury , july . mr robert samuel , burnt at ipswich , aug. . dr nicholas ridley , and mr hugh latimer at oxford , octob. . mr iohn philpot , burnt in smithfield , decemb. . not to name the year following . in this one year you may read of these holy ministers with others , counting not their lives dear unto themselves , so they might finish their course with joy , and fulfill the ministry which they received of the lord : and dare you call these blessed martyrs the limbs of antichrist , who had all their limbs torn in pieces and consumed by antichrist ? if you profess your selves protestants , be not like the papists in their brutish rage who digged up the bones of bucer and paulus fagius . it was the praise of boaz , that he left not off his kindenesse , but it will be your reproach , that you have not left off your unkindenesse neither to the living nor to the dead . the turks so farre honoured s●●nderberg , that when he was buried at lyssa , they with great devotion digged up his bones , counting it some happinesse if they might but see or touch them , and they that could get any part of them , caused them to be set in silver or in gold , and so to hang about their necks as ornaments of greatest worth . if the turks did this to him that was an enemy , and they mahumetans to him a christian , how may they rise up in judgement to condemn many in this generation , who professe themselves christians , yet condemn the most eminent souldiers and martyrs of jesus ? cursed be this anger for it is cruel , and this rage for it is fierce . if you be real protestants , for shame bridle your fury , which in some regards is worse then popish . do you cry out antichrist , antichrist , and yet crucifie christ again in his members ? is not this to partake of antichrists sin ? howsoever , when you have done your worst , these holy ministers and martyrs are happy in heaven , and their memorial shall be in all ages blessed upon earth , when their enemies shall perish and leave their names for a curse unto gods chosen . if the lord had his holy ministers not onely in suffering times to be martyrs , but also in times of reformation ; if the lord stirr'd up his ministers as his chiefest instruments to bring his people from the power of antichrist , as of old he led his people out of egypt by the hands of moses and aaron , then surely the ministers are not antichristian . but the lord did stirre up his ministers in several places to detect the frauds of antichrist , and by their ministry he did reduce his people from that antichristian tyranny . before you heard of many worthies , as wickliff , hus , hierom prague , &c. but in the . century , how wonderfully did the lord raise up for the rescue of his people the ministry of luther , and with him what a troop of expert valiant champions , philip melancthon , conradus pellican , fabricius , capito , osiander , bucer , and many others in germany , zui●glius in helvetia , iohn calvin and farellus that unwearied souldier of christ , as he is called . these with multitudes of others in england , france , and oth●r countreys , held their life in their hands , hazarded all for the gospel of christ , these smit spiritual egypt in her first-born . these , even these bare the heat of the day , and we are entred upon their labours ; and is this all the thank that ye render to god or them , that when they delivered you from antichristianisme , you condemn them as antichristian ? if ever since the beginnings of reformation , the pious , painfull ministers in the reformed churches have stood in the breach , have prevented our spiritual relapsing into aegypt , if they have spent their time , parts and studies night and day to fight the battels of christ against antichrist ; then it is not only a groundlesse mistake , but an ungodly , sinful scandall to censure them as antichristian . how is it that ye are not afraid to speak evil of the servants of the lord , set up by his spirit for the defence of the gospel ? will any rational man versed in the writings of those worthies , believe that zanchius , bullinger , beza , brentius , iunius , pareus , piscator , musculus , scultetus , chamier , or of our countreymen iewel , reignold , whitaker , perkins , with multitudes of others , who were willing to spend and be spent in defending the truths professed in the reformed churches against the romanists ? will any sober christian believe that these were members of the roman harlot ? the popish party cannot so bely them , but have found them to be their greatest adversaries . will any man be so senslesse and stupid as to account david who slew goliah , or eleazar the son of odo , who slew the philistims till his hand was weary , or shammah , who ( when all israel fled from the philistims ) he stood in the midst of a ground full of lentiles and defended it , and slew the philistims , and the lord wrought a great victory ? will any man be so mad as to say that david and his worthies were the only friends of the philistims , and so bury them , and cause them to go down to the grave among the uncircumcised ? forget not the great appearances of christ which have been gloriously seen and felt in the faithfull ministers of this land. have not they preached and pressed to the conscience the practical points of christianity ? and hath not the lord set a visible seal to their ministry in the souls of thousands ? dare you say that these practical ministers greenham , dod , dent , dyke , bains , rogers , hildersham , with a world more , of whom the world is not worthy , that they were antichristian ? who art thou that givest thy mouth to evil , and thy tongue frameth deceit ? thou sittest and speakest against thy brother , and slanderest thine own mothers son . hast thou considered their work of faith , labour of love , patience of hope ? if thou hast not , why wilt thou speak evil of things and persons thou knowst not ? and if thou hast read and considered , confesse and give glory to god , and say , god was in these ministers of a truth . be not like those seduced professours , who measuring themselves by themselves , and comparing themselves with themselves were not wise . these silly or rather proud christians , and their false teachers traduced the great apostle , as if he had not christ , to whom paul answers , and we with him , if any man trust to himself , that he is christs , let him of himself think this again , that as he is christs , even so are we christs . these holy ministers were the precious members of christ , and will you make them as much as is in you the members of an harlot ? god forbid . the thconsideration is drawn from the sad consequences of this censorious , groundles opinion . for as touching our selves , and the ministers of this present age , we say nothing , but we resolve in the strength of christ to be faithfull to the death , and not to fear the revilings of men , and in the midst of all your undeserved reproaches , to persist in the work of the lord , and to commit our selves to him that judgeth righteously . concerning these sad consequences we appeal to your serious and sober thoughts in these few queries , q. . doth not this opinion ( in rejecting all the godly ministers of the reformed churches as antichristian ) much promote the cause of antichrist which you seem vehemently to oppose . now if any build that which he hath destroyed , he makes himself a transgressor : for . is it not the great work of antichrist to destroy our ministers , to smite the shepherd that the flock may be scattered ? * certainly if the lord in his wrath should suffer you so far to prevail as to suppresse learning , trample upon the universities , and ruine the ministers ; that there should be no learned men to detect popish impostures , and refell their errors ; that neither shield nor spear should be left among thousands in israel ; you would in this more advance antichrist , then if you were his sworn vassals , even an army of friars and jesuites deceiving and being deceived . . do not most of your arguments symbolize with the romanists as if they were arrows shot out of their quiver ? they renounce us upon this ground , that we are no true church , have no true ministry , and do not you agree with them in this unchristian principle : and are not we forced to prove the being of our church and ministry in all ages against you , with the same arguments we use against them ? and herein do not you gratifie the common adversary , and strengthen their hands ? , have you not cause to enquire whether you be not acted by the same spirit ? for you know the spirit of christ is a spirit of meeknesse , and that wisedom which comes from above is first pure , and then peaceable , gentle , easie to be entreated : but the spirit of antichrist is high , and hot , and furious , usurping an infallibility of judgement , and unchurching all that differ from him ; and do not you unsaint all persons , and unchurch all societies dissenting from you ? and may not this rise from the spirit of delusion which worketh strongly in the children of disobedience ? . it is the opinion of many , that the slaying of the witnesses is not past , but that the time thereof is very near , when popery shall once again prevail ; and the reformed churches shall be punished by taking away these witnesses for a time , because they received them not according to the dignity of their embassage . and are not you preparing your selves and others to help on this slaughter ? why do so many pray in bloud , and offer strange fire upon gods altar , as if nothing could give content till the ministry be ruined , and doth not this tenent , that the ministers are the limbs of antichrist , binde you to shed their bloud , and to account it good service to god , not only to unsynagogue them ( which you have done already ) but to kill them ; that so among you also may be found the bloud of the prophets and of the saints . q. . do you not hereby wound all the reformed churches , darkning the beauty , and obstructing the progresse of reformation ? when the lord stirred up luther in germany , zuinglius at zurich , calvin at geneva , to set upon this great work , multitudes in all nations begun to embrace the truth , and to fly from the rents of babel : antichrist was made so naked and bare in all the filthinesse of his whoredomes , that the whole world was ready to forsake her : had not satan stirred up this cursed tenent wherewith many were levened , rotmannus , cnipperdoling , iohn leyden , and others opposed luther as a false prophet , as bad as the pope , and of the two they said luther was the worst . antonius pockquius under pretence of spirituall liberty , seduced many into the reality of carnall security , and how furious the antinomians and anabaptists were in germany , we had rather lament then expresse ; and did not satan by these agents prevail to weaken the hands of those heroick worthies , and so caused the work to cease , and many to relapse ? how little hath been the progresse of the protestant religion ever since ? and now of late when the lord stirred up many in this island , to seek to serve the lord with a pure worship , the work went forward with great felicity till this conceited opinion obtained , since which time the spirits of professors have been so alienated and embittered , that the way of truth is every where evill spoken of . q. . hath not the lord greatly testified from heaven against this tenent in his spirituall judgements upon many the great promoters of it ? since they despised the ministry , deserted the ordlnance ; how are they fallen from heaven , some turning scepticks and seekers , others ranters and quakers , and what not ? falling and falling , till at last they grow openly prophane and profligate atheists . q. . doth not this opinion greatly endanger the souls of others ? are not all sinfull enough , naturally hating teachers , and scorning to be reproved , being enemies to light and truth ? why should you strengthen the hands of sinners ? that whereas formerly they could not sin against light , but they had many checks of conscience , now they despise instruction and hate to be reformed , and when they sin most fully and fouly , yet they sin without reluctancy , and glory in their own shame ; so that if these men perish in their gain-sayings , yet may not their bloud be required at your hands , who have not only misled them into errour , but have killed them with prejudice against the remedy which should reclaim them ? q. . is not this opinion the sad abuse of the great liberty now enjoyed ? in times of former trouble , how did professors live sincerely , love fervently , pray , and fast , and mourn together ? but by these tenents the staff of bands and beauty is broken , and dashed in pieces one upon another , which may justly provoke the lord to cut short the day of liberty , that men may learn by the want of liberty how to prise and sadly bewail their wofull abuse of it . q. . if your principles about an universall liberty be true , why are you so untrue to your own principles ? you can well endure men that deny the immortality of the soul , the verity of scriptures , the deity of christ , the god-head of the holy ghost , and those that defend any thing , whatsoever is contrary to sound doctrine ; these you can tolerate , defend , hug in your bosome ; and if any one speak against any the broachers of those errours : you cry out , persecution , persecution , yet at the self same time you persecute ( to your uttermost ) all ministers , who take themselves bound in conscience to defend the ministry , you do and can tolerate the most prophane and hereticall , but these ministers consciences you cannot tolerate : are you not partiall in your selves , and become judges of evil thoughts , whilst you justifie that in your selves as a duty which you condemn in others as an abominable iniquity ? why are your professed principles so uneven , and you so contradictory to your own principles ? be not like the jews who please not god and are contrary to all men . q. . have you not cause to fear , that the lord may leave you as he did your predecessors in germany , who held the same tenents with you , gloried ( as much as you ) in their own confidences , and condemned ( as you do ) all others ; railed first against the ministry , then raged aginst the magistracy , brought both church and state into confusion , put the countrey into burning flames , wherein at length themselves were consumed to ashes ; do not therefore persist in kindling these false fires ; walk no longer in the light of the sparks that you have kindled , lest you have this at the hand of the lord , to lie down in sorrow . chap. iv. containing part of the third proposition . shewing , that none ought to take upon him the office of the ministry without a call. it is manifest by the word of god , that no man ought to take upon him the office or work of a minister , till he be lawfully called and ordained thereunto . as the church and state are distinct polities , so have they subjects laws and officers , distinct alwaies in the formal conception , though materially in divers things they may agree , mat. . . render unto caesar the things that are caesars , and unto god the things that are gods ; the things of god and caesar are distinct . thus luke . . man , who made me a iudge or divider over you ? a preacher and a judge are two distinct callings . these officers for their institution , vocation , incouragement , depend not solely , nor principally upon man , but are given and confirmed to thechurch by christ the king of saints , and great shepherd of souls , for ends and purposes most honourable and necessary in all ages of the world , mat. . , . eph. . , . supposing therefore at present what hath been already proved , that there is such an office in the church to last by divine institution to the end of the world : the present discourse enquires about the subjectum recipiens of this high and weighty office , and the work of it , whether it lie in common , or be appropriated by divine ordinance to some peculiar and speciall persons , who are not only favoured to be christs sheep , but honoured also to be shepherds under him ? this question is not de lanâ caprinâ , nor needlesse ; for . it is manifest , that there be some who constantly supply the room of preachers , and arrogate to themselves the reverence and maintenance due to none but ministers , and yet they themselves were never ordained to this office. by this means many congregations are deprived of government , and of the sacraments , and such as would willingly take care of their souls in a regular and ordinary way are excluded by such intruders , as will neither be solemnly set apart for the , ministry by imposition of hands , with fasting and prayer , nor give way to them that would . . others there be that plead for a liberty of preaching , or ( as they phrase it ) for the exercise of gifts in publick , even in these congregations where there are ordained ministers , and this to be by those who pretend not to be preachers and ministers , strictly and properly so called , when , and as often as such persons please , and that this liberty ought to be given to every christian who desires it , and may probably be presumed to be fitted for it . we therefore that we may as much as in us lies take away the stumbling block which by these practices is laid before blinde papists , and remove the scandal given to reformed churches , and hinder the progresse of this sinne in our own , shall . bear witnesse to these truths : . that none may assume the office of the ministry , unlesse he be solemnly set apart thereunto , i n this chapter . . that none may undertake the work of the ministry , except he be a minister , in the next chapter . . answer all the considerable arguments we could meet with used in defence of the fore-named errours , in the chapter following : and this we shall do with clearnesse and brevity , as the matter shall permit , and in sincerity , and with a spirit of meeknesse , as becomes the ministers of the gospel . thes. . that none may assume the office of the ministry , unlesse lesse he be solemnly set apart thereunto , appears by these arguments . first , we argue from that known text rom. . . and how shall they preach except they be sent ? this is set down by way of interrogation , vt oratio sit penetrantior , saith pareu● . the prohibition is made more emphatical by the interrogation , and the form of expression makes it morally impossible to preach without mission . the apostle useth a four-fold gradation , how shall they call upon him in whom they have not believed ? how shall they believe in him of whom they have not heard ? how shall they hear without a preacher ? how shall they preach except they be sent ? the last link of the chain is of equal truth with the former . as no man can call rightly on him in whom he believes not , and no man can believe in him of whom he never heard , and no man can hear without a preacher ; so also no man can preach except he be sent ; and therefore he that breaks this last link breaks this golden chain of the apostle , and sins against god. besides this last link is an eternal truth . as no man to the end of the world can call upon him in whom he believes not , or believe in him of whom he hears not , or hear without a preacher ; so it is , and will be true to the end of the world , that no man can preach except he be sent . the apostle scrueth up the necessity of mission as high as the necessity of preaching , and if one be perpetual , the other must be so also . now from all this we gather , . that mission is essential to the constitution of a minister . the apostle doth not say , how shall they preach except they be gifted ( though this be true ) but how shall they preach except they be sent ? implying , that gifting without sending doth not constitute a minister . . that this mission is not only of extraordinary , but of ordinary teachers , because faith is as much annexed to their teaching , as teaching to their mission , and faith is not the fruit of humane invention ( such is preaching without mission ) but of divine ordinance and therefore since we have no extraordinary preachers , we must either conclude there is no faith in the world , or that there is an ordinary way of sending ministers , by whom as gods instruments faith is wrought , and if so , their persons must enter that way , and not runne before they be sent . . that there is a necessity of a constant and perpetual , as well as of an ordinary mission . if faith depends upon hearing , hearing upon preaching , preaching upon mission , then if faith be necessary in all ages of the world , mission is also necessary , yea ordinary mission , because extraordinary is ceased . a person may be praedo , but he cannot be praco without mission , and whatsoever may be done in some few extraordinary cases where regular mission cannot be had , yet to run without sending , and to leap over the wall where god hath opened a door , is as high presumption in divinity , as it is in the civil state , to break open an house without humane authority . to all this it is replied , . some say , that this sending is meant of sending by the election of the people , but not by the ordination of ministers . answ. this cannot be , for the people are the parties to whom the preachers are sent : ministers are sent to the people , not by the people . the same party cannot be the person sending , and the persons sent unto . an embassadour is not sent by the state to whom he brings his embassie , but by the states which gave him his commission . . others say , that this sending is to be understood of a providential , not of an ecclesiastical and ministerial sending . answ. this is confuted by the next words in the text , how shall they preach except they be sent ? as it is written , how beautifull are the feet of them that preach the gospel of peace , and bring glad tidings of good things . these words are taken out of isa. . and must needs be understood of a ministerial sending . the ministers he speaks of are called watchmen , isa. . . and the prophet himself is mentioned as one of them , rom. . . they are a prophecy of the acceptation that the ministers sent by god , should have amongst the people of god in the times of the gospel ; and that this text is to be understood of more then a bare providential sending , appears further . because . if providential sending were sufficient , then women-preachers are as much sent of god , and may promise themselves as good successe as the best minister . yea a tyrant , robber or murtherer , may justifie himself in his wickednesse , as being sent by god providentially ; then zimri had as just a warrant to destroy the house of baasha , as iehu had to destroy the house of ahab , and iosephs brethren did well in selling him , since they did it by special providence , gen. . & . . . the apostle speaks of such a sending as must be acknowledged by all to be of god , an authoritative mission , such as embassadours have , who are sent with publick letters of credence , to negotiate the affairs of those that imploy them . for . they are called preachers or heralds , the participle in the original , rom. . . noting the office , as rom. . , . & thess. . . heb. . . so in the parallel place , isa. . . they are called watchmen , both which terms connote authority . . people are blamed for not hearing them , rom. . , . but the not hearing of such as are not sent , is no fault but a vertue , iohn . , . indeed divine truth is ever obligatory who ever brings it , but a double tie lies upon people when truth is conveighed by a divine messenger : otherwise any private person had as much power of binding and losing as a minister . there is a wide difference between an arrest or pardon reported by a private person , and the same applied under the broad-seal by a person delegated from the supream magistrate . . the socinians reply to the text , and say , that a speciall call was necessary in the apostles daies , because the doctrine by them delivered was new and unheard of , but this mission is not necessary in our daies , because we preach no new doctrine , but onely that which the apostles have formerly taught and written . answ. but the answer is easie . for ▪ . we have already proved , that there is a necessity in the church of christ of a constant , perpetual and ordinary mission . . it is false that the apostles and prophets taught any new doctrine , act. . . & . . & . . they believed and taught nothing but old truths , formerly delivered by moses and the prophets , iohn . . new indeed they might be in respect of the manner of proposing , joh. . . or the singular ratification thereof by miracles , mark . . or the apprehension of the auditors , acts . . but not as to the substance of the doctrine . compare iohn . . with epist. of iohn vers . . ioh. . . . as to the first and third consideration , the gospel is alwayes new to children , ignorant persons or heathen , &c. and therefore if socinians will be true to their own principles , they cannot plead against a called ministry . . in the dayes of the apostles the truths of the gospel were owned by all the churches , and so not new as to their apprehensions , yet then came none to the ministry without a call. witnesse the epistles to timothy and titus . thus at last we have vindicated this text from all those mists that are cast upon it to darken it , and made it to appear , that none ought to take upon them the office of a minister , unlesse they be lawfully called and ordained thereunto . our second argument is taken from heb. . , . and no man taketh this honour unto himself , but he that is called of god , as aaron ; so also christ glorified not himself to be made an high-priest , but he that said unto him , thou art my sonne , this day have i begotten thee . no man taketh , ( i. e. ) ought to take . verbs active , as our english annotators upon the place observe in the phrase of scripture sometime import not the act it self , but onely an office , as gen. . . levit. . , . psa. . . this honour ] the priestly office is not only a b●rthen but an honour , what ever the carnal world esteem of it . the apostle here makes a general proposition , no man ought to take the ministerial honour upon him unlesse called by god. this proposition is not limited but illustrated , first , by aaron , who undertook not this office till called thereunto , exod. . . no more did any other of the priests in the old testament , chron. . . & . . it cost c●rah and his company dear for doing otherwise . the prophets also make mention of their commissions in the beginning of their prophecies . the word of the lord came to isaiah , ieremiah , hosea , &c. and when amaziah objected against amos , amos did not plead any general liberty the israelites had of prophesying , but tels amaziah , i was no prophet , i was an herdsman , and a gatherer of sycamore fruit , and the lord took me as i followed the flock , &c. if then the priests and prophets of the old testament could not take this honour upon them , till call'd and appointed , who can shew any just reason , why any under the new testament should do otherwise , especially if we consider , that the gospel-ministry is more weighty and glorious then the legal was . secondly , by christ , who though he be god blessed for ever , the true god , coequal and coeternal with the father , yet he glorified not himself ; to be made an high-priest , but was sealed and inaugurated by his father into this great office. and therefore he saith expresly iohn . . if i honour my self , my honour is nothing , it is my father that honoureth me , of whom you say that he is your god. now we desire all christians in the fear of god to consider , that if the lord jesus would not honour himself to become our mediator till he was anointed by his father , and designed to this office , it cannot but be great presumption for any man to glorifie himself , and make himself a minister before he be lawfully ordained thereunto , we may truly say to such , as christ doth , you that thus honour your selves , your honour is nothing . thirdly , we argue from the titles that are g●ven to the ministers of the gospel : they are called embassadours , cor. . . stewards , tit. . . me● of god , tim. ▪ . compared with . king. . . watchmen , ezek. . . angels , revel , . . which are all names of office , and require a special designation from god. stewards do not use to officiate without warrant , luke . . embassadours do not go forth to treat with forain states without publick commission . as they must have instructions for the matter of their message , so they must be enabled with publick authority for the managing of their work. adde further , that ministers are called gods mouth , and how shall a man take upon him to be gods mouth who is not sent from god ? they are called the good souldiers of iesus christ , souldiers in an eminent degree , to fight against iniquity and heresie , and therefore must be listed by christ into that number , and must have his warrant for the discharge of their duty . they are gods servants and ministers , and therefore must be sent by him , or else they are their own masters , not gods servants . and that all these things concern our ministry as well as theirs in the primitive times , is evident , because these titles are applied not onely to extraordinary , but to ordinary ministers . the ministers of the seven churches of asia are called angels ; the ministers ordained by titus ; stewards , the elders of the church of ephesus , overseers or bishops ; now a ruler is a name of office , and implieth a commission to constitute him in that capacity . fourthly , we argue from the constant distinction that is made in scripture between gifts and calling ; we reade ioh. . , . first christ gives his apostles their commission ; as my father hath sent me even so send i you : then he gives them their gifts , receive the holy ghost : thus also isa. . , , . god touched his lips with a coal from the altar , and gifted him ; afterwards he gives him his commission : thus also it was with the prophet ieremy . , . god sends him , and then puts forth his hand , toucheth his mouth , and fi●s him : even as it is in all civill governments : gifts make not any man a judge , or a lord-maior , sheriff , or common-counsell man , though he be never so richly qualified for these offices , unlesse he be lawfully appointed thereunto ; so is it in church-affairs , it is not gifts but calling that constitutes a minister ; therefore that distinction of a minister by gifts and a minister by calling hath no footing in the word of truth : if gifts were sufficient to make a minister , then women might preach as well as men , for they may have as eminent gifts . indeed gifts are a necessary qualification of the person to be called , but make him not a lawfull minister till called and ordained : and if he take the office upon him unsent , he is an usurper , and may fear to perish in the gain-saying of corah , notwithstanding his gifts . fifthly , we argue from the rules laid down in scripture for the calling of men to the office of the ministry : the word of god doth exactly tell us the qualifications of the person , that is to be called tim. . , . &c. the scripture also directs for the manner of his calling to the work , who are to ordain , how he is to be ordained , tim. . . &c. now either these directions are superfluous and unnecessary , or else it is a truth that no man ought to take this office upon him without such a call ; nor were these directions given for that age only , but for all the ages of the church to the end of the world , as appears evidently from tim. . . compared with tim. . . . in the first place he is charged to keep those commands without spot to the appearance of iesus christ ; and in the second place there is as solemn a charge particularly applied to quicken his diligence and faithfulnesse about matters of the church , and especially the ordination , honour and maintenance of the ministry , in ordinary , as appeareth by the context before , and after from ver . . to ver . . the same charge is laid down also by way of direction , chap. . and particularly committed to timethy's care , ver . . and one main ground why paul chargeth timothy to be so carefull about these particulars especially at ephesus , was , that thereby false doctrine might be prevented , tim. . , . for which there is scarce a more effectuall means in the world , then a publike and regular care of calling persons duely qualified to the ministry : and we cannot but look with sad hearts upon the spreading of errours in these daies of generall apostasie , as the righteous judgement of god upon the supine negligence of men in this particular among others ; the same charge upon the same ground is laid upon titus , cha. . , , . where also the apostle gives singular directions for the qualification of the person to be ordained , both in point of gifts and grace , which are all vain and unusefull , if any may enter upon the ministry without ordination . sixthly , we argue from that confusion which would come into the church , if every man that presumes himself gifted should intrude himself into the office of the ministry , without a regular call : saint ierome held it an infallible sign of a church falling into ruine , vbi nulla ministrorum est electio manifestum cognosce collab●nt is christianismi judicium ; where there is no choice of ministers , acknowledge this a manifest evidence of christianity decaying : the reason is apparent ; the prostituting of this sacred and weighty office to the wils of men , opens a door to all disorders , and the introducing of all heresies and errors ; how much did the church of antioch suffer from such as came from the apostles , and had no commission , act. . gal. . . besides that contempt and scorn which it exposeth the ministry unto ; admit the same in the common-wealth or in an army : might he that would make himself a maior , judge , constable , a colonell , captain , &c. what an iliad of miseries would thence ●nsue is easier to be imagined then expressed . chap. v. containing part of the third proposition . proving , that none may do the work of the ministry without ordination . no man may perform the work of the ministry but he that is solemnly set apart and ordained to be a minister . having in the precedent chapter asserted the necessity of ordination to the work of the ministry against the presumptuous usurpation of such as run and are not sent ; we shall by the grace of god in this chapter vindicate the work of the ministry unto those whom god hath set as officers in his church . that there is a work belonging to the ministry is out of question , and what that work is , is confessed by all ; it belongs to them to dispense the mysteries of god , the keys of the kingdom of god are in their hands ; it is their work to watch for souls as they that must give an account of them at that great day ; to preach the word , and by sound doctrine to convince gain-sayers , to administer the sacraments of baptism and the lords supper , to pray for and blesse the people in the name of god , to rule and govern the church , having a care of discipline , and all these as in the place and person of christ. of how great necessity these works are unto the church , is evident unto understanding christians , and hath been demonstrated already : it now remains to be enquired , whether all or any of these works may be performed by men uncalled , though gifted , or whether they be peculiar unto ministers . those with whom we have to do , yeelding all the rest to the ministry , challenge in their writings a liberty to preach the word , and in their practises ( some of them ) a power of praying for and blessing the people , how justly we shall shew when we have first stated the question , which we shall do briefly and plainly , that we may not seem to disallow what we ought to countenance , commend , nay to command in the name of the lord , and that we may prevent and anticipate the cavils of some gain-sayers . for the right stating of the question , we shall declare what we mean by preaching of the word , and from thence premise some few distinctions , which well considered of , might put an end to this whole controversie . by the preaching of the word we understand an authoritative explication and application of scripture , for exhortation , edification , and comfort , to a congregation met together for the solemn worship of god , in the stead and place of christ ; and we desire that every branch of this description may be well weighed in the balance of the sanctuary . the subject of preaching is the word of god , mat. . . let him that hath my word speak my word faithfully , jer. . . this is that sound doctrine , and form of sound words which the apostle enjoyns timothy and titus to hold fast . and themselves and christ himself taught no other things then were written in moses and the prophets , &c. this work is the explication and application of this word : as ezra read in the book of the law , and gave the sense , and caused all israel to understand , neh. . . and it is to this which paul presseth timothy when he exhorts him to shew himself a workman that need not be ashamed , rightly dividing the word of truth , tim. . . the end of this work is the exhortation , edification , and comfort of the church , cor. . . which is the profitable use of all scripture , tim. . . the object of this work is a congregation met together for the solemn worship of god , cor. . . when you are come together into one place ; it is true , that the word ought to be preach'd to infidels , mat. . mar. . go into all the world ; but the principall object of this work is the church ; prophecy is not ( i. not so much ) for them that beleeve not , but for them that beleeve , cor. . . hence it is , that god hath s●t his officers in the church , cor. . . for the church , eph. . . the manner of the doing of this work , is , authoritatively , not 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 magisterially as lords of faith , but 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 ministerially , as being over the church in the lord , thes. . . thus is titus enjoyned tit. . . these things speak and exhort , and rebuke with all authority , 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 , with all command . secondly , in the stead and place of christ ; thus the apostle cor. . we beseech you , as if god did beseech you , we pray you in christs stead , be reconciled to god ; and hence it is that christ saith to his disciples , luk. . . he that heareth you heareth me , &c. from hence , first , we distinguish between a private brotherly teaching , admonition , exhortation of one another ▪ and an authoritative publique teaching ; the first grounded on charity is the common duty of all christians , by the royall law of love , and prescribed to all , even to women , by the law of god under pain of sin , and this especially in evil times . this practise we are far from disallowing or discouraging ; we call god to witnesse it would be the joy of our hearts to see our people full of knowledge , and full of goodnesse , able and willing to admonish one another with prudence , love , zeal , and a spirit of meeknesse ; and this we exhort and charge in the name of christ that they neglect not : it is authoritative teaching only which we deny . secondly , we distinguish between the teaching of parents and masters in their families ( to which also the teaching of school-masters may be reduced ) and ministeriall preaching : we call upon parents , masters , school-masters , not only to bring their families , and scholars to publike ordinances , but to make their houses the churches of christ ; to reade the scriptures in them ▪ to catechize them , to train them up in the nurture and admonition of the lord , to teach them in their youth , in the trade of their way , as they will answer it at that great day : and unto this duty we exhort even mothers ; but we deny unto them ministeriall preaching , thirdly , we distinguish between the exhortation of a general in the head of an army , and of a judge in his charge upon the bench , and preaching the word of god : though we deny not the lawfulness of the one or the other of the two former , because we have the approved examples of ioab , sam. . of abijah , chro. . of iehosaphat , chro. . . ioshua cha. . . yet we say , first , that properly thus to do was the ministers work ; for thus the lord prescribes deut. . . and it shall be when ye are come nigh unto the battell , that the pri●st shall approach and speak to the people , and shall say unto them , hear o israel , as it follows , ver . . and thus iehosapha● practiseth , chron. . where he joyns priests and levites to the judges whom he sends abroad in all the cities of iudah . secondly , we say that there is a vast difference between this action and the work of the ministry for neither is the object of it a congregation sacred , but meerly civill ▪ neither is the authority ecclesiasticall and from christ , but meerly politicall . these officers perform this work as custodes utriusque ●ab●lae , and their work is rather reducible to a charitative admonition then a ministeriall dispensation ; should it not be done by them , their sin was rather against charity then justice ; and ceased not to discharge the duty of a generall , or a judge , though they ceased to do the duty of a christian generall , or a christian judge . fourthly , we distinguish between divinity-exercises in the schools , and university , and the preaching of the word . for though these lectures are performed either only by such as have received ordination , and ar● ministers of the gospel , or such a● are candidates of the ministry ; either prophets , or the sons of the prophets , and so not wholly without commission , ye● are they not performed to a congregation met together for the solemn worship of god ; they are rather reducible to the work of school-ma●●ers instructing their scholars , and scholars rendring account to their masters , then ministerial preaching . fifthly , we distinguish between the act of members in any sacred or civil assembly , debating , counselling , and admonishing one another out of the word of god , and the preaching of the word ; because this action of theirs towards one another is not authoritative , but meerly brotherly , is rather 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 , a christian conference , then preaching , and no other then private christians met together by mutual consent may perform ; neither is their meeting such a one as is the object of preaching of which we speak . sixthly , before we proceed to argument , we desire it may be observed that we dispute not what may be done in extraordinary cases , either in regard of times or places where ordination may not possibly be had ; whether in such a case private gifted men may not preach , we do not dispute : davids necessity made it lawfull for him and his men to eat the shew-bread , which it was not lawfull for any but only the priests to eat ; but our question is , what may be done in an ordinary way , in churches where ordained ministers either are or may be had ; though we will not prescribe against necessity , yet we would not have necessity pretended where none is : for we reade that the indians were converted to the christian faith by the means of aedesius and frumentius two private men , but we reade not that either of them took upon them the office or work of the ministry ; frumentius was ordained bishop of the indians by athanasius . theod. eccl. hist. l. . c. . and it is observable how great a journey he undertook rather then to run or officiate without a call. the iberians were converted ( as the same authour relates ) by the means of a captive maid , but they sent to constantine for ordained ministers by whom they might be further instructed and guided in the waies of god , which probably our gifted men would never have done . these things thus premised , we come now to prove our proposition , that none may undertake the work of the ministry but he that is solemnly set apart thereunto , not respecting so much the number as weight of arguments . first , we argue thus , that work for the doing of which god hath designed speciall officers of his own , neither ought , nor may be performed by any that are not designed unto that office. but god hath designed speciall officers of his own for the preaching of the word ; therefore , none ought or may preach the word , but such as are designed unto this office. the major of this argument is confirmed by these reasons . first , because god hath severely punished such as have done the work appointed by him to speciall officers , though they had no intent to invade the office unto which that work was by god designed : this appears manifestly ; first in the case of saul , sam. . , . &c. he lost his kingdom for offering sacrifice , though but once , and that in a great straight . the philistims were ready to assault him , he had not made his peace with god , samuel delaied his coming , the people began to scatter from him , whereupon he constrained himself , and offered a sacrifice , yet for this one presumptuous ( though as it might seem ) necessitated act , he hears from samuel that he had done foolishly , i. wickedly , and from god , that his kingdom was irrevocably rent from him . secondly , in the case of vzzah , chro. . , . who put his hand to the ark , and that out of a good intention to keep it from falling , when the oxen shook it , and yet the anger of the lord was kindled against him , and he smote him that he died : better it had been for vzzah to have kept his hands farther off , then to have touched the ark without warrant , and better for the people of god that he had so done , for for his rashnesse god made a breach upon them , and smote him , and this act of his did not help but hinder the bringing of the ark up into the place prepared for it . thirdly , in the case of vzziah , chro. . , , . &c. who when he was strong , had his heart lifted up to his destruction , for he transgressed against the lord his god , and went into the temple of the lord to burn incense upon the altar of incense , but the priests of god withstood him , and said , it appertaineth not to thee uzziah to burn incense to the lord , but to the priests the sons of aaron that are consecrated to burn incense ; go out of the sanctuary , for thou hast transgressed , neither shall it be for thine honour from the lord god , and though he was a king , yet the lord smote him immediatly with the plague of leprosie , of which he was not healed till his death . this famous history holds forth these great truths . . that it is a transgression against god in any to enter upon the work designed by god to another calling . . that the original of this transgression is pride of heart . . that it is the ministers duty to testifie and bear witnesse against such transgressions . . that it is dishonourable in the sight of god ( whatever foolish people may imagine ) thus to transgresse . . that god will not be alwaies silent to suffer such transgression unpunished in the greatest , when his ministers warnings are rejected ; vzziah would enter into the sanctuary , and is separated from the congregation : now though god be not so immediate in the severe punishing of such presumption in our daies , yet these things are written for our instruction , upon whom the ends of the world are come , that we should not be presumptuous , as some of them were , lest we also perish as these did . secondly , because this practice doth make void , or at least unnecessary or insufficient those officers which god hath appointed . this is in it self a truth of clearest evidence : what needs a peculiar officer to be set apart to a common work ? as in the naturall body there is no peculiar member set apart as the organ of feeling , because this sense is common to every member ; so in the body of christ there need not any speciall officer be designed for such a work as is common to , and may be performed by every christian. thirdly , because this practice doth confound and disturb that order which god hath set in his church ; therefore it must needs be sinfull . god is the god of order , and not of confusion , cor. . and hath commanded that every one should do his own work , thess. . rom. . and abide in his own calling , cor. . he hath condemned those that walk disorderly , thess. . and are busie bodies ; he hath placed in his church different orders , some shepherds , some sheep , some teachers of the word , some to be taught , as their places , so their works are distinct , as the different members of the body have different offices ; but now as in the body there would be confusion if any member should do the work of another member ; so is it in the church , if any member shall invade the duty of another . this takes away distinction between shepherds and flock , pastor and people , rulers and ruled , and with the new astronomers casts down stars towards the centre , and advances and wheels the dull earth to , and in an heavenly orb . no marvel such phaetons burn up the spiritual world by presuming to govern the chariot of the sun. thus the major being cleared we come to the minor or assumption ; that god hath set peculiar officers apart for the preaching of the word . for the proof of this , these two things are to be done , first , we must prove , that ministers are officers , the ministry an office set up by god in his church ; for this we referre to the foregoing propositions , in which this point hath been largely discussed . and indeed who can in reason deny that those that are set by god in his church , as stewards , heraulds , watchmen , &c. are set by god as officers in his church ; the apostle himself reckon● them up as special members in the body of the church , having 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a proper office , rom. . secondly , that the preaching of the word ( amongst divers others ) is one work assigned to these officers ; which is manifest both in the old and new testament . the priests work was not only to bring sacrifices and burn incense , but also to teach iacob , deut . ever were the priests lips to preserve knowledge , and the people to enquire the law at his mouth , mal. . and the greatest complain● of god against those officers , was the neglect of tha●●uty , that they were dumb dogs , isa. , i●le idol shepher●s , ezek. ● . our blessed saviour when he had ordained . sent them out to preach , and afterwards sent out the to preach ▪ the apostle saith of himself , that he was 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 , that was his work , rom. . . that he was intrusted with the gospel , tit. . . according to the commandment of god , that he and other ministers were allowed of god to be intrusted with the gospel , thes. . . thus the same apostle gives direction to timothy , tim. . . to commit the things which he had heard of him to faithfull men , who shall be able to teach others : which must of necessity be understood of some speciall trust , because of the speciall qualifications required in the persons that might be trusted ; they must be faithful and able to teach : if the apostle had understood by this word commit , only the making known of these things , this was to be done to all , in which respect paul professeth himself a debtor both to the greeks , and to the barbarians , to the wise and to the unwise , rom. . . but inasmuch as he requires that the parties should be 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 , the two special qualifications of such a one as might be ordained a bishop , it is plain , that by this word commit he understands the giving of the work in especiall charge . indeed the preaching of the word is not only a work assigned to the ministry , which they may not omit without incurring the wo , cor. ▪ because a dispensation is committed to them ; but the greatest , weightiest work they are entrusted with , cor. . . i was not sent ( i. so much sent ) to baptize but to preach the gospel ; a work it is , which the people can least want , because it is the power of god to salvation , and requireth the greatest learning , prudence , meeknesse , faithfulnesse in the dispensers of it , that they may shew themselves workmen that need not be ashamed , tim. . and fullfill their ministry . it is not for nothing that the apostle tels us , that ordinary teachers were set in the church , that we might not be children in knowledge , ephes. . . seeing therefore that god hath provided officers of his own , to whose trust he hath committed the preaching of the word , and no man can without blasphemy averre , that this provision of god is either unnecessary or insufficient , it evidently follows , that the practice of men howsoever gifted , that preach without a solemn setting apart to the office of the ministry , is both unnecessary and unlawfull . and thus much of our first argument against the preaching of un-ordained men . our second argument shall be this ; no religious service may be performed unto god by any other sort of persons then such as are appointed or otherwise warranted thereunto . the preaching of the word is a religious service unto which persons gifted , not ordained , are neither appointed nor warranted : therefore , the preaching of the word may not be performed by gifted persons un-ordained . the major proposition is clear from this principle : every positive act of religion must have an affirmative warrant , and the service which we tender must be obedience , or righteousness , obedience it ●annot be unless it be commended , nor righteousness unless it be at the least indulged . if it be either commanded or indulged , we have warrant sufficient , but if the thing we do be neither required nor allowed , we sin presumptuously , though what we do be to a good intent , and very plausible to humane wisedom . as to the minor or assumption , first , it will not be denied that the preaching of the word is a religious service . secondly , that all gifted persons are not appointed to preach , nor otherwise warranted thereunto , it appears in the parts . first , they are not appointed , for then , . every gifted man that preaches not is guilty of the sin of omission . . preaching must be looked upon as a common duty enjoyned unto all beleevers as such , and every one should study divinity in order to preaching , and wo to him that preaches not , though he could preach but one sermon only , and do not ; the judgement of the unprofitable servant shall be upon him . secondly , they are not otherwise warranted , for the ministry of the word is only cultus institutus , founded in institution , and therefore must be regulated according to it ; for the preaching of publique officers we finde the institution to be clear , but of another institution for the publique exercise of gifts by those who are no ministers , we finde nothing ; that which is pretended concerning prophesying , or the like , we shall answer when we come professedly to deal with objections . thirdly , we argue thus , if no man may do the work of a magistrate in the civil , or of a deacon in the ecclesiasticall state , but he that is called to the office of a magistrate , or of a deacon , then much lesse may any man preach the word ( which is the work of a minister ) but he that is called to the office of the ministry . but no man may do the work of a magistrate in the civil , or of a deacon in the ecclesiasticall estate , but he that is called to the office of a magistrate or of a deacon : therefore , the minor is evident , . that no man may do the work of a magistrate unlesse he be a magistrate , from luk. . . where our saviour christ refuseth to meddle with dividing inheritances , because he was no judge ; man , who made me a iudge ? . that no man may do the work of a deacon in the ecclesiastical state , unlesse called to the office , is evident from act. . where men full of the holy ghost , and faith , chosen by the people to that work , yet might not minister till they were appointed by the apostles ; and that generall rule laid down , tim. . . let him be first proved , so let him minister . now the reason of the connexion is evident , for by how much the work of the ministry is of greater consequence , difficulty and danger , then either of these ; by so much greater care and circumspection is to be taken , that it be not performed promiscuously to quicunque vult , but performed by such men as are triedly sound in the faith , and able to teach others also : galen stomacks empericks and mountebanks in physick , for ( saith he ) if a stone-cutter miscarry he loseth but a stone , if a shoe-maker he spoils but a piece of lether , but if a physician miscarry , he destroys a man ; what may we say of those that intrude upon the work of the ministry , if they miscarry they destroy souls , and this is indeed to destroy the man ; si navem poscat sibi peronatus arator , non meritò exclamet frontem melicerta perisse de rebus ? in brief , shall an exact scrutiny passe upon such as are to feed the bodies of poor men , and not upon such as feed the souls ? act. . . the work of the ministry , the preaching of the word is a work of the highest consequence and importance that ever god committed to the sons of men ; the reconciling of men to god , cor. . . even an heavenly embassy of infinite and eternall consequence : now if god allow not these works which are of an inferiour nature to be done by men untried and unappointed to the office , how shall he approve of such as adventure upon this work of preaching the word , which is negotium negotiorum the work of works , without any trial or commission . if none may administer the sacrament but he that is lawfully called and ordained thereunto , then neither may any preach but he that is lawfully called and ordained . but none may administer the sacraments but he that is lawfully called and ordained thereunto . therefore , the minor is easily granted and proved from the nature of the sacraments : they are seals of the righteousnesse by faith . if it be an intolerable usurpation amongst men for a private man to take the broad seal of the kingdom , and put it to what instruments he pleaseth , much more intolerable is it for a private man to usurp the dispensation of the broad seal of the kingdom of heaven : as in all states there are keepers of the seals appointed , whose office it is to dispose them according to law : even so it is in the church of god , jesus christ hath appointed keepers of his seals , those whom he cals stewards of the mysteries of god , to whom he hath committed the word of reconciliation , and to whom he hath given power to baptize , and to administer the lords supper . the connexion is clear , because that these two works are joyntly in the same commission , mat. . , . and of the two the preaching of the word is the greater work . this the apostle intimates , cor. . . christ sent me not to baptize but to preach the gospel : the negative particle is here ( as in many other places ) taken for the comparative , he was sent rather to preach then to baptize , and by this manner of expression it appears , that to preach was his more proper and especiall work : this account all the rest of the apostles had of it , therefore they did put off ministring to tables , that they might give themselves to the word and praier . in the consideration of the greatnesse of this work , the prophet isaiah being sent about it cries out , wo is me , i am undone ; the prophet ieremiah , ah lord god , behold , i cannot speak , for i am a childe , and paul also , who is sufficient for these things ? of this account it hath been alwaies had in the church of god ancient and modern till these unhappy times of licentiousnesse . and therefore we humbly entreat all those that do conscienciously ( and as we beleeve justly ) scruple to have their children baptized by , or receive the lords supper from the hands of any un-ordained person , that they would seriously consider upon what warrant they hear un-ordained men preach : seeing there is the same commission for preaching , and for baptizing ; and that preaching is the great , if not the greatest work of a minister . to usurp authority over the church is a sin . but to preac● without calling and ordination to the work , is to usurp authority over the church . therefore , the first proposition is clear by its own light , the other is easily proved , by asserting preaching to be an act of authority , which is evident both in that the apostle , thes. . . gives this charge , know them that are over you in the lord , and admonish you , where to admonish is to be over , heb. . without controversie the lesser is blessed of the greater , and this is further evi●enced in that the apostle suffers not women to preach , because they may not usurp authority over the man , tim. . but is commanded to be in subjection , upon which place oecumenius 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 . the very act of teaching is to usurp authority over the man. besides them the publike work of the ministry of the word is an authoritative administration , like unto that of criers , heralds , and embassadors , to be performed in the name of the lord jesus , and therefore may not be performed by any but such as are authorized , and immediatly or mediatly deputed by him , cor. . , . appears , because in preaching , the key of the kingdom of heaven is used , to take men in or shut men out , and this key is in the hand of ordinary teachers as well as extraordinary , yea , the power of binding and loosing is exercised , for though to preach be no act of jurisdiction strictly so called , yet it is an act not only of order but of power , not such as is common to every member of the church , but peculiar to such as are in publike office. now to perform any authoritative act without authority , what is it other then to usurp authority ? gifts conferre the faculty of administration but not the power : the question which the pharisees put to our saviour being propounded to these men , by what authority dost thou these things , and who gave thee this authority ? could they answer as christ ? ioh. . . i am not come of my self . that which the scripture reproves may no man practice , but the scripture reproves uncalled men for preaching : therfore . the major will not be denied : the minor appears , in that the false prophets are reproved , ier. . , . not only for their false doctrine , telling their own dreams , and stealing the word of god from his people , but also for running when they were not sent . i am against them saith the lord : a fearfull commination ; if god be against them who shall be with them ? if they finde not acceptance with god , all that approbati●n and applause which they finde from men , what will it profit ? he is not approved whom man approves , but he whom god approves . the false prophets themselves accuse ieremiah , jer. . . for making himself a prophet , which though it was a most unjust and false imputation , yet it holds forth this truth , that no man ought to make himself a prophet , the false prophets themselves being witnesses . it is very observable , that shemaiah the nehelamite , a false prophet and a dreamer , writes to zephaniah the sonne of maasiah the priest , and to all the priests , and accuseth ieremiah for a mad man in making himself a prophet , and tells them , that upon this account they ought to put him in prison , and in the stocks . it seems by this that it was no little sin , and deserves no little punishment ( even in the judgement of false prophets ) to preach without a lawfull call . the apostles in the synod of ierusalem , speak of certain men that went out from them , and troubled the gentiles with words subverting their souls . they went out , they were not sent out , but they went out of thei● own accord ; this is spoken of them by way of reproof . and then it followes , they troubled you with words , subverting your souls . he that preacheth unsent , is not a comforter , but a troubler of the people of god , not a builder but a subverter of souls . there be many in our daies like ahimaaz , they will be running without either call or message , and haply they may out-run gods cushi's , we wish they meet with no worse successe then he ( in a spirituall sense ) to prove uselesse messengers . we argue from the practice of the ministers of christ , if they have been as carefull to make proof of their mission as of their doctrine , then is mission required in him th●t will preach the word ; but they have been thus carefull , therefore : if any gifted man may preach without a call , why doth the apostle so often make mention of his call , rom. . . gal. . , . cor. . . when the disciples of iohn murmured against christ for baptizing , ioh. . , . iohn answers , a man can receive nothing unlesse it be given him from heaven , ye your selves bear witnesse of me that i said i am not the christ , but that i am sent before him . here christs undertaking to baptize , is justified by his mission . when the chief priests and the scribes with the elders asked christ , luk. . . tell us by what authority doest thou these things , or who gave thee this authority ? christ makes answer by demanding another question , the baptisme of iohn , was it from heaven or of men ? which teacheth us these two truths : first , that none ought to preach without being authorized and sent . secondly , that this call and sending is not only from men , but from heaven . true it is , such as is the ministry , such ought the call to be ; if the ministry extraordinary , the call extraordinary ; if the ministry ordinary , the call must be ordinary ; but we reade of no ministry allowed in scripture without a divine call : there is a threefold call to the ministry mentioned , gal. . . the first is of or from man only , when any is designed to this work errante clave , that hath no inward qualification or call from god. this though it authorizeth to outward administrations in the church , yet will not satisfie the conscience of him that so administers . the second is by man , as the instrument , when any is designed to the ministry by those whom god hath intrusted with the work of ordination according to the rule of the word ; these god cals by man , act. . this is the call of ordinary pastors . the third by jesus christ immediatly , and by this it is that paul proves himself an apostle , an extraordinary minister . lastly , we argue thus : that work may not be performed by any , which cannot by him be performed in faith ; but preaching by a brother gifted , but not called nor ordained , cannot be done in faith : therefore a gifted unordained brother may not preach . concerning the major we shall say little ; the apostles general canon , rom. . whatsoever is not of faith is sin , doth evidently demonstrate it . the truth of the minor appears in that there is no warrant in scripture ( which is the ground of faith ) for such a practice . for first there is no . precept that such should preach ; if there were a precept , it was then a necessary duty that every gifted person ought to perform , it was a sin if any gifted person should not preach , though he could preach but one sermon only in all his life . where is the necessity laid upon them ( as the apostle speaks of himself ) that they preach the gospel ? . there is no precept that any should hear them , or obey them in the lord , or maintain them ; these duties of the people areappropriated to those that are preachers by office , mal. . the priests lips should preserve knowledge , and the people should enquire the law at their lips . luk. . . the hearing of them is the hearing of christ , and the refusing of them is the refusing of christ : it is not so said of any that preach without mission ; but contrarily there is a strict charge not to hearken to such , ier. . . and a complaint of them that heap to themselves teachers , tim. . thus the apostle , heb. ▪ , . remember them , obey them , submit your selves to them that have the rule over you , and have spoken to you the word of god. so tim. . . let the elders that rule well be accounted worthy of double honour , &c. nothing of this is spoken of gifted brethren , yet if they may lawfully preach , all this may they challenge , and all that hear and plead for them are bound in conscience to yield , because all this is due for the works sake , thess. . . secondly , there is no promise in scripture made unto any that preach and are not thereunto lawfully ordained : we say no promise , either of . assistance : a minister must depend upon god for his inabling unto the great work which he undertakes , for all our sufficiency is of god , and we have no sufficiency of our selves so much as to think any thing , cor. . . and god hath promised this assistance only to those whom himself sends . thus exo. . . go , saith the lord to moses , and i will be with thy mouth . isa. . , ▪ god touches the mouth of isaiah and sends him . ioh. . , . christ sends and gives the holy ghost to the apostles , and to them is the promise . ioh. . the spirit of truth shall lead you into all truth . doth god do thus to those that run and are not sent ? o let the great errours broached of old by origen , and others that presumed the the undertaking of this work without a call ; and in our daies by anabaptists , socinians , and others that despise a regular lawfull call , bear witness . surely we may say that if any amongst us preach without a call ▪ and yet preach the truth , they have not their assistance by vertue of any promise from the hand of god. . protection : thus god hath promised to those whom he sends on his message . thus the lord encourageth ieremiah , ch . . , . i have made thee this day a defenced city , and an iron pillar , and a brazen wall against this whole land ; and they shall fight against thee , but shall not prevail against thee , for i am with thee , saith the lord , to deliver thee . thus also act. . . the lord incourageth paul , be not afraid , but speak and hold not thy peace , for i am with thee ▪ and no man shall set on thee to hurt thee . so also act. . . be of good chear paul , &c. and as we finde that god hath promised protection to those he sends , so also the ministers of god have incouraged themselves to a faithfull discharge of their duty against all opposition , especially upon this ground that they had their commission from god , and his immutable promise for protection : isa. . , , , , . isa. . . ier. . , . but no where hath god made any such promise to those that intrude themselves into this work , but threatens to be against them as hath been declared ; the angels of god have a charge to keep us in our waies , psal. . but they that go out of them may fear the portion ●f the sonnes of sceva the jew , act. . . that they be beaten by the evil spirit they undertake to cast out . . success , in respect of the weighty ends of the ministry , the principall the glory of god , the secondary the conversion and salvation of souls ; how is it possible that he who intrudes himself into the work of the ministry should glorifie god in the work , since god is honoured only in his own waies and means , and therefore cannot be glorified when his waies are not observed . to obey is better then sacrifice , saith the prophet , and to hearken then the fat of rams . christ glorified not himself to be made an high-priest ; such therefore as assume the ministry , glorifie themselves and not god. neither is there any promise made , neither is it to be expected , that he who assumes this work of the ministry without a call , should ever become the instrument of the conversion and edification of souls , faith comes by hearing , and hearing by the preaching of such as are sent , rom. . , . but unsent preachers have the curse of god upon their labours , that they shall not profit the people at all , ier. . . luther hath a good saying to this purpose , deus non fortunat labores corum qui non sunt vocati , & quamvis salutaria quaedam afferant tamen non aedificant : that is , god doth not prosper their labours , who are not called , and though they preach some profitable truths , yet do they not profit the people . hence it comes to pass that they that hear uncalled preachers , fall i nto so many errours , as a just punishment of god upon them ; according to that the apostle saith , tim. . , . for the time will come that they will not indure sound doctrine , but after their own lusts shall they heap to themselves teachers , having itching ears , and they shall turn away their ears from the truth , and shall be turned unto fables ▪ gods blessing of conversion is promised only to his own ordinance , which they cannot expect ▪ who either by preaching without a call , or hearing such as so preach , do overthrow . thirdly , there is no one approved example recorded in scripture of any one not being sent and called , either immediatly or mediatly by god , especially in a constituted church , that undertook this work of preaching , or any other work appropriated by god to the ministry . and thus we have also finished this second chapter , and sufficiently and clearly proved , as we suppose , that it is unlawfull for any man not lawfully called and set apart to the office of a minister to undertake and intrude upon the work of preaching appropriated by god to that office. chap. vi. answering the arguments brought for the preaching of men out of office. in this chapter we shall give answers to the chief and main arguments produced by such as maintain this unwarrantable practice of preaching by men out of office ; for though a christian ought not to depart from the plain rule of the word of god , though he be not able to satisfie all the sophistical cavils of gain-saying adversaries , yet that we may remove all stumbling blocks , and occasions to fall out of the way , that if it be possible some may be reclaimed from their ●rrour , others may be more firmly established in the truth , when they see discovered the vanity and invalidity of pretenders arguments for the preaching of gifted men out of office , we shall likewise undertake this task . the first and principal argument is drawn from cor. . . ye may all prophesie one by one , that all may learn , and all may be comforted : whence is thus inferred ; that the apostle giving liberty to the gifted brethren of the church of corinth out of office to prophesie ( you may all prophesie ) warrants this practice of preaching in all men that have gifts , though they be not set apart to this office. in answer to this argument we first lay down this rule , which is also of excellent use for the understanding of many other places of scripture , viz. that this universal all is to be restrained and limited according to the subject or matter treated of . as when the apostle saith , all things are lawfull for me , he means not simply all things , but restrainedly all indifferent things of which he was there treating , . cor ▪ . . and . . in like manner when the same apostle , cor. . . saith , all things are made new . this proposition is to be restrained from the subject and matter of which he was speaking , unto beleevers . the like may be observed in many other places , luk. . . cor. . . isa. . , &c. these things thus premised , we say first , in this place of the apostle , ye may all prophesie , the word all is to be restrained according to the subject of which the apostle speaks : he saith not of the body or people of the church of corinth , that they might all prophesie , but of the prophets in that church , that they might all prophesie . this is evident both from the antecedent and subsequent words . in the th verse the apostle saith , let the prophets speak two or three , &c. then he subjoyns , for ye may all prophesie : and then it follows immediatly , and the spirit of the prophets shall be subject to the prophets . by this discourse of the apostle it evidently appears that the liberty of prophecying was not given to every member of the church of corinth , but only to the prophets that were in that church : now it is clear they were not all prophets ( c. . . are all prophets ? i. all are not prophets : ) and therefore all had not granted them this liberty of prophecying : and thus far we have the consent not only of beza and others upon the place , but even of the most sober of our adversaries , who will not assert a promiscuous liberty of prophecying to every member of the church , but only to such as are gifted and qualified for the work , and desired by the church to exercise that gift . secondly , the prophets both in this place , and where ever else in the scriptures mentioned , were an order of ministry , not only gifted brethren , but constituted officers in the church . thus cor. . . god hath set in his church , first apostles , secondly prophets , thirdly teachers , &c. as the apostles and teachers were officers set by god in his church , so also were the prophets . reade also eph. . , . when christ gave 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 gifts , officers for the good of the church , he gave amongst these officers prophets . and we do not beleeve , that there can an instance be given of any text either in the old or new testament , in which the word prophet doth not signifie one in office peculiarly called and sent . now if this be an irrefragable truth ( as indeed it is ) then the apostles permitting all prophets ( i. men in office ) to prophesie , is no warrant for gifted brethren ( if out of office ) to do that work . thirdly , though what hath been already said be sufficient to infringe the argument drawn from this place to warrant the preaching of men out of office , yet we adde for the more full vindication of this scripture , that the prophets here mentioned , yea , and throughout the new testament , seem not to be only officers in the church , but extraordinary officers immediatly inspired and sent by the holy ghost , which appears in that first , they are not only mentioned and preferred before pastors and teachers , the ordinary officers of the church , act. . . cor. . . but also before the evangelists themselves , eph. . , . who are acknowledged by all to have been officers extraordinarily sent . secondly , the gift of prophecy is reckoned amongst the extraordinary gifts of the spirit , and put in the midst of them , cor. . , , . and contra-distinguished from ordinary gifts , vers . , . the word of wisedom , the word of knowledge ; the word of wisedom denotes the pastors work , the word of knowledge the teachers work ; but prophesying is different from both these , c●●sisting partly in the fore-telling of future events , as act. . , . in those daies came prophets fr●m ierusalem unto anti●●h , and there stood up one of them named agabus , and signified by the spirit that there should be a great dearth throughout the w●rld . . partly in an infallible explication and application of ( the m●st difficult places of ) scripture , not by industry , and labour , but by the immediate illumination , and teaching of the holy ghost by whom the scriptures were inspired . thirdly , it is evident by the series of this chapter , that the prophets herein spoken of , and their prophesying was extraordinary , ver . . when you are come together every one of you hath a psalm , hath a tongue , hath a revelation , hath an interpretation ; tongues , interpretation , revelation , are joyned together , ver . . if any thing be revealed to another that sitteth by , let the first hold his peace , by which it appears that the prophets here spoken of were inspired by the holy ghost ; and that this gift of prophecy was an extraordinary dispensation of god given to the primitive church , but now ceased ; and therefore this text cannot justifie our lay-preachers , who cannot without impudency pretend to such extraordinary revelations as these had . we might fill many pages with quotations of authours that consent with us in this last , calv. inst. l. . c. . sec. . &c. pet. mart. loc . com . clas . . c. . p. . aret. prob . lo. . de prophetia . gerh. com . loc . tom . . de minist . ecc. . diodat . in cor. . , , . gomarus on rom. . . synops. purioris theolog. disp . . thes . . our english annotat. in cor. . against this third position asserting the prophesying in this chapter , mentioned to be extraordinary , there be many things objected which we shall answer for the further manifestation of the truth . object . . the apostle exhorteth the faithfull to desire this gift , vers . . and to seek to excell therein , and therefore it is not likely that it was a miraculous and extraordinary gift . answ. it doth not follow that because it was to be desired therefore it was not extraordinary ; other spiritual gifts were extraordinary , yet saith the apostle desire spirituall gifts , as much as he saith of prophesying ; elysaeus desires a double measure of elias spirit , king. . . was not that extraordinary ? the faithfull might in those daies in which such extraordinary gifts were usually given in the church , lawfully seek after them , especially by praying to god for them , which is the way prescribed , vers . . let him that speaketh in an unknown tongue pray that he may interpret . and it is apparent that in the schools of the prophets many did study and prepare that they might be fitted for this extraordinary gift of prophecy , sam. . . kin. . , . and kin. . . and out of them god usually made choice of such as he emploied as his speciall embassadors to his church . object . . the apostle speaketh of such prophesying as is to the edification , exhortation , and comfort of the church ; therefore of ordinary prophesying . answ. it follows not , because extraordinary prophesying ( as well as ordinary ) was given for the edification of the church , cor. . . the manifestation of the spirit is given to every one to profit withall , eph. . , , . all the extraordinary as well as ordinary officers were given by christ for the gathering and edification of the church : and all gifts are to be emploied to this end , cor. . . whether you have a psalm , or doctrine , or tongue , or revelation , or interpretation , let all things be done to edifying . object . . the apostle in this chapter speaks not of any thing extraordinary , but laies down a generall liberty , for all the members of the church of corinth to prophesie . and this appears because he pres●ribes rules : . for men , how they should order their liberty for edification , and then . for women forbidding them altogether the liberty of prophesying ; let your women keep silence in the churches : women ( say they ) are here named in opposition to men , and they only being prohibited , all men may and ought to be allowed to prophesie in publique . answ. . it is absolutely false to say , that the apostle speaks of nothing extraordinary in this chapter , for he speaks of the gift of tongues , vers . , , ● , . and of extraordinary psalms and revelations . answ. . it is also as false to say , that the apostle gives a generall liberty of prophesying to all , to all the members of the church of corinth ; it hath been already proved that the liberty was given to such only as were prophets , v. , , . and these prophets were persons in office , as hath been demonstrated , and that they were ex●raordinary officers , superiour to evangelists , pastors , and teachers ; now all the members of the church of corinth were not p●ophets , cor. . . nor had the gift of prophe●y , as appears by the apostles prayer for them , cor. . . i would that ye all spake with tongues , but rather that ye prophesied , &c. answ. . women are not mentioned in opposition to the men in corinth simply , but in opposition to such as had extraordinary gifts , whether of tongues , or of prophecy , or any such like : and the scope of the apostle is not to give liberty to all , but to lay down rules to those that were prophets and men in office , how they should regulate their prophesying , for the edification , exhortation , and consolation of the people , and then he wholly excludes the women from this work . answ. . we may further answer , that by women here are not meant women simply , but women-prophetesses , in opposition to men-prophets formerly spoken of . this seems to be intimated in the words of the text , let your women keep silence in the church , i. your prophesying women : that there were women that did prophesie appears from act. . . now the apostle doth inhibit all women-prophetesses from prophesying in the church . it is not permitted to them ( of what rank soever ) to speak , but they are commanded to be under obedience , as also saith the law. thus also tim. . . but i suffer not a woman to teach nor to usurp authority over the man : these prophetesses might teach in private , but nature it self forbids them to usurp authority over the man , by teaching him in publique . object . but doth not the apostle say , cor. . . every woman that prayeth or prophesieth with her head uncovered dishonoureth her head ? it seems by this text that the women did pray and prophesie in publique . answ. women are said to pray and prophesie , not by doing so actually in their own persons , but by joyning with men in praying and prophesying : and the meaning of the text is , every woman that joyneth in praying or prophesying ; thus solomon is said to offer . sheep , not in his own person , but by joyning with the priests that did it . thus pilate is said to scourge jesus , which he did not do in his own person , but by his officers . object . . these prophets were to be tried , examined , and judged , ver . . and therefore they were not officers extraordinarily inspired . answ. . it follows not , their doctrine might be tried , therefore they were not extrordinary officers or immediatly inspired ; for the apostles were extraordinary officers ( as is confessed ) and yet their doctrines were to be tried ; the bereaus are commended for it , act. . . ans. . those who were extraordinarily inspired , thoug● they could not erre , so far forth as they were inspired by the holy ghost , yet might sometimes in some particular cases give an answer out of their own hearts in which they might erre and be deceived ; such was the case of samuel when he saw eliab , sam. . doubtlesse the lords anointed is before me , but it was not so . thus nathan permitteth and encourageth david to build the temple , sam. . but herein he was mistaken , act. . . the foretelling of pauls danger at ierusalem was from god ; but the consequence drawn from hence by the prophesying disciples , that therefore he should not go up to ierusalem , was from their own spirit . vide bezam . object . . a second objection is taken from pet. . , . as every man hath receivid the gift , even so minister the same one to another as good stewards of the manifold grace of god ; if any man speak let him speak as the oracles of god ; if any man minister let him do it as of the ability which god giveth , &c. from hence is inferred , that every man that is gifted may lawfully preach the word , though he be not called and solemnly set apart to this work . answ. to this we reply , . that we heartily assent to this truth , that every man that hath received a gift of god , ought to improve it to the good of others : and we limit not the word gift in the text ( as some do ) only to the gift of liberality ( though the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 be sometimes put for that gift , as cor. . . cor. . , , . ) but extend it , as oecumenius not only to the possession of riches , but to all endowments of nature , which whosoever is possessed of is bound to communicate to those that want them , as having received them of god to be thus distributed , yea , and with piscator , calvin , bullinger , and others , to all spirituall gifts ; as knowing that the manifestation of the spirit is given to every one for the profit of the whole , and mindefull of the heavy sentence pronounced upon the slothfull servant who hid his talent in a napkin . mat. . . but we assert , that these spirituall gifts are to be exercised by every one in his own sphere , by private persons privately , by those that are in office publikely , and in the congregation : it is very observable , that aquila and priscilla , private persons , yet of eminent gifts ( insomuch as they knew the way of christ more perfectly then apollos himself , who was an eloquent man and mighty in the scriptures ) kept their own place , and whereas apollos being a minister in office ( as appears cor. . . ) preached publiquely in the synagogues , they as gifted christians did not undertake to preach publikely but took him to them , and privately expounded to him the way of god more perfectly , act. . this is a notable patern for private christians even of the highest form to walk by ; in this way they may finde emploiment for all their gifts , in this way they may honour god , and be promoters of the gospel , as were those women whom the apostle honours with the title of labourers with him in the gospel , phil. . . they laboured not by publike preaching , for this the apostle permits not to women , tim. . but by private advertisements and admonitions , as opportunities were administred . . therefore it follows not , that because all gifts are to be improved , therefore a gifted brother may preach ; for first , there are other waies of making use of our most excellent gifts then by preaching only : and secondly , it is required in him that will preach warrantably , not only that he be fitted for the work , but that he be appointed to the office of the ministry , as hath been before fully demonsttated ; and therefore that we do not the same work twice , we here supersede . object . but doth not the apostle in the . verse , where he saith , if any man speak , let him speak as the oracles of god , warrant every man that hath the gift of speaking publikely to the edification of the congregation , to preach publikely , provided he speak as the oracles of god. answ. we answer negatively , those words permit not every gifted man to be a preacher , but direct every preacher in the right dispensation of that weighty office ; calvin excellently upon these words , he that speaketh observes , qui publicâ authoritate rite ordinatus est , he that by publike authority is rightly ordained to speak ; let him speak as the oracles of god : and estius , qui ad hujusmodi munus in ecclesiâ vocatur , he that is called in the church to this work , let him speak as the oracles of god , and thus some restrain the word gift in the th verse , as every man hath received a gift , i. an office , even so minister , &c. and that not with out probability , for it is evident that the words 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 are taken sometimes in scripture not for gifts simply but for an office ; as rom. . . 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 , having gifts which the apostle in the verses following expounds of offices : so also tim. . . 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 , neglect not the gift which was given thee by prophecy , that is , the office , if the apostle may be his own interpreter , cha. . . this charge i cummit to thee my son timothy , according to the prophecies that went before of thee , &c. where by the way observe , against those that scornfully ask , what gift the imposition of hands by the presbytery can now conferre ? that it confers as much as the imposition of hands by the presbytery did to timothy , viz. the office of a presbyter ; if timothy had any extraordinary gift , that was given by the imposition of the apostles hands , tim. . . stir up the gift that is in thee by the laying on of my hands ; as it was in those times usuall for extraordinary gifts to be conveighed . so also the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is used in the same sense , eph. . . to me that am lesse then the least of all saints is this grace 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 given , that i should preach among the gentiles , his being made the apostle of the gentiles is called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 , so also rom. . . by whom we have received grace and apostleship , 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 , by the grammaticall figure hendyadis , for 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the grace of apostleship , as piscator in his scholia , and others . secondly , it is worth our observation , to take notice of that order which the apostle seems to make between gifts , administrations , and operations , cor. , , , . gifts qualifie for ministries , ministry authoriseth for operation ; as no man may lawfully undertake a ministry or office , if not qualified ; so may no man do the work of the ministry which he hath not taken upon him ; abilities do not authorize to act out of our own sphere and calling ; a physician might not judge of leprosies though he had skill , nor a butcher kill the sacrifice though he knew how ; these things belonged to the priest ; every able lawyer may not usurp the office or work of a judge , nor every gifted brother undertake either the office or the work of a minister . object . it is argued for the lawfulnesse of preaching by gifted men , not ordained to the ministry : that eldad and medad prophesied in the camp without a calling , and were approved of by moses in the praier , would god that all the lords people were prophets , and that the lord would put his spirit upon them , numb . . , . answ. . to this we reply , that nothing in this story doth in the least patronize the practices of our preaching un-ordained gifted brethren , because , . the prophesying of eldad and medad was extraordinary from an immediate and divine inspiration ; for the spirit of god is said to have rested upon them , as upon those others that were round about the tabernacle , as appears ver . , . but our gifted men are not thus immediatly inspired and taught of god. ans. . this gift of prophecy was given them as a seal of their commission for the government of the state , not directly for the edification of the church : it was visibile signum , a visible sign ( saith calvin ) that god had chosen them to assist moses in the government : non enim erant prophetae , sed voluit deus hâc externâ not â testari novos esse homines , quò majori reverentiâ eos ex●iperet populus : by this spirit of prophecy they were inaugurated to their civil government . thus the spirit of prophecy was given to saul in confirmation of his election to the kingdom of israel , sam. . , . and therefore many learned men are of opinion , that eldad and medad did not prophesie praedicendo or praedicando , that their prophesying was not a prophetical or ecclesiastical preaching , but a politicall or prudentiall speaking of things appertaining to the government of the state : some others think that enthusiasmo acti they did laudes deo can●re , that by divine instinct they did celebrate the praises of god : all agree that it was extraordinary , and therefore makes nothing for the justification of such as preach without office . mr ainsworth observes excellently , that this prophesying of eldad and medad was only for the day , and therefore whereas it is said vers . . they prophosied and did not cease , ainsworth reades the words , they prophesied and did not adde ; so it is in the hebrew non addiderunt , that is , they prophesied no more but that day . the same word is used deut. . . these words the lord spake in all your assembly , and he added no more , that is , spake no more , or in such a manner to the people . thus the septuagint readeth the words , and sol. iarchi saith , they did not adde , i. they prophesied not save that day only . the chaldee indeed translateth it , they ceased not ; and so also it translateth deut. . . the lord spake the ten words , and ceased not , which translation if it be allowed , it will admit ( saith ainsworth ) of this favourable interpretation , the lord ceased not speaking , that is , till all his ten words were finished ; and the seventy elders prophesied , and ceased not , that is , they continued all day prophesying , not alwaies ; ( as saul in naioth is said to prophesie all that day and all that night , sam. . ) for this prophesying of theirs seems ( saith ainsworth ) to be a temporary gift and miracle , for the ratification and confirmation of their office . but howsoever whether this prophesying was for a day or for a longer time , whether it was ecclesiastical or only political , certain we are it was extraordinary , and a visible inauguration of them into their office. answ. . certain we are that these men ha● a lawfull call to do what they did , for they were two of the seventy elders whom the lord commanded moses to choose , and unto whom he promiseth to give his spirit , numb . . , . and therefore this example doth not at all prove the lawfullnesse of private mens preaching : that these two were of the number of the seventy elders , appears by three arguments from the . verse . . it is said ver . . that god took of the spirit that was upon moses , and gave it to the seventy elders , and when the spirit rested on them , they prophesied , and ceased not , then followeth , but there remained two of the men in the camp , that is , two of the seventy . as if we should say , there were seventy men chosen to be common-councell men to sit at guild-hall , but two of the men did remain in their houses , and did not go , must we not necessarily understand that the two remaining were two of the seventy common-councel men . . the spirit of god is said to rest upon these two , vers . . just as it is said of the other elders , ver . . . it is said expresly , that they were of them that were written , but went not out into the tabernacle , that were written , that is , saith deodate , inrolled and delegated among the seventy elders , or as ainsworth saith , they were written by moses in a book , and so were appointed among the rest to come to the tabernacle , ver . . . quest. . but why did not they go unto the tabernacle as the rest did ? ans. tostatus saith , it was out of a modest bashfullnesse and sense of their own unworthinesse , ainsworth saith , that it is probable , that as saul when he was to be made king , withdrew and hid himself among the stuffe , sam. . . so these two , unwilling to take the charge upon them , withdrew their shoulders , and came not to the tabernacle , yet the lord by his spirit found them out : for whether shall men go from his spirit , or whither shall they go from his presence , psa. . . see more for this out of ainsworth upon the place . quest. . but if these were two of the seventy elders , why doth ioshua desire moses to forbid them ? ans. . because he might not know that they were set apart to be members of the senate as well as the rest . . because they obeyed not moses , to come out to the tabernacle as he commanded , for the disciples forbad one that cast out devils in christs name , because he followed not them , luke . , . . especially thus he spake out of an envious zeal for his master moses sake ( as the verse following sheweth ) that he would not have the use of the gift of prophecy common , ●nd therefore moses answereth , ver . . enviest thou , for my sake ? but though ioshua would have had them inhibited prophesying , yet moses did not forbid them , which is argument sufficient to prove , that they were persons lawfully chosen to this office ; for if moses so sharply rebuke corah and his company for intruding into the office of the priesthood without a call ▪ surely he would not have approved of eldads and medads taking upon them the office of prophets without a call. quest. . but what then is the meaning of moses prayer , would god that all the lords people were prophets , and that the lord would put his spirit upon them ? answ. this was an excellent and imitable desire in moses , for though he knew that god had decreed not to diffuse this gift of prophecy unto all , yet he here discovers his humility in wishing that all the lords people had the gift of prophesie . and the man is ●ot worthy the name of a minister , that doth not heartily desire that all gods people might excell in gifts and graces . hunc spiritum charitatis imitentur omnes concionatores ( saith cornelius de lapide ) qui non suam , sed dei unius gloriam quaerunt , petuntque quod martha petiit a christo dic sorori ut adjuvet me . but this doth not at all prove , that a private man without a lawfull call may do the work of a publique preacher , for eldad and medad were lawfully called , and though ioshua knew it not , yet it appears plainly by this very praier of moses , that he knew that they both were prophets , and that the spirit of god did rest upon them even the same that rested upon the other elders , and therefore he praieth , would all the lords people were as th●se two , and the rest of the elders . and this is our daily prayer , that the lord would multiply his gifts and graces upon his people , and because the harvest is great and the labourers are few ; that the lord of the harvest , would send forth more and more able labourers into his harvest . object . . another objection is from the example of iehosaphat , chro. . , , . who in the third year of his reign sent to his princes even to benhail , and to obadiah , &c. to teach in the cities of iudah , and with them he sent levites , even shemaiah , &c. and they taught in iudah , and had the book of the law with them , &c. here the princes are said to teach as well as the levites . answ. . the princes are thought by some to have been sent to teach not ecclesiastically but politically , viz. by countenancing the levites , and by their civil authority , compelling the people to hear them , they taught the people regaliter not ministerialiter ; thus r. sol. iarchi upon the place . it was proper ( saith he ) to the priests and levites to teach , inasmuch as it is written , deut. . . according to all that the priests and levites shall teach you , do ye , but the princes went with them lest they should have rebelled against their words , that they might compell them to obey : great men are said in scripture to have done those things which they did not in their own persons , but were done by their authority and command . solomon is said to offer a sacrifice of oxen , and sheep , that is , not in his own person ( for he should have sinned vzziahs sinne in so doing ) but by the priests . pilate is said to scourge jesus , that is , by his officers ; and the chief eunuch dan . to teach daniel and the rest of the israelitish women , that is , by appointing them masters to teach them , so also in this place , the princes may be said to teach , that is , by the levites whom they did accompany , countenance , and encourage in the work . answ. . iehosaphat intending a full reformation , and establishing his kingdom in righteousnesse and religion , in matters of god and matters of the king , he sends out mixt commissioners , for the civil affairs his princes , for the businesses of god the levites : the princes taught ius regium , the levites ius dei ; and so there was no interfering in their employment ; vide pelican . in loc . this answer seems the more probable , because in his second visitation of his kingdom mentioned ch . . iehosaphat himself making ( as here ) joynt commissioners , divides the work into civil and ecclesiastical , the matters of god and the matters of the king , over the former he sets the priest , over the latter the prince ; as was observed in the stating of the question . object . . some argue from luke . . the man dispossessed went about preaching what christ had done for him ; and from ioh. . the woman of samaria preached christ to the samaritans , and many beleeved ; and the man that had but one talent , and hid it , was therefore cast into hell ; and from the example of the saints in evil times , speaking often one to another ; lastly , from the command of the apostle to stir up the gift of god that is in us . answ. to which we answer shortly ; to the first , we answer , that the dispossessed did no more then he had a commission from christ to do , and therefore is no president for such as preach without a calling ; if he did more he sinned . to the second , the woman of samaria did not preach but only charitatively , and as private persons may , declare what she had seen and heard ; and if any thing can be concluded from hence for preaching without ordination , the lawfulness of womens preaching must be concluded . to the third , the man was cast into hell for hiding and not imploying his talent , that is in his own calling , as hath been often suggested ; it is the duty of every christian to stir up the gift ofgod that is in him , and for christians to speak often one to another in evil times , to teach , admonish , exhort one another , to pray together and one for another ; but all this comes short o● the ministers duty , there being a vast difference between this private charitative way of exhorting which belongs to all christians , and the office , and work of the ministry , as hath been above distinguished . object . . private christians , act. . . & . . when they were scattered abroad , went every where preaching the word , therefore gifted men though not ordained may also preach the word . answ. this instance which is much insisted upon by many , is not of strength to conclude the lawfulnesse of preaching by gifted , un-ordained persons ; for , first , some allowing these scattered christians to have been private persons , yet do rationally distinguish between a church constituted , and a church scattered and dissolved , between what may be done in a church gathered , and in an ordinary way , and in the gathering of a church , and in the ●ase of necessity : it is not recorded that these did preach while they were at ierusalem in a setled church , but when they were scattered , then they went every where preaching ; what warrant soever this instance may give to persons uncalled to preach amongst indians , and in places where no churches nor ministers are , yet can it not warrant them in their preaching in our churches , in which ministers are or may easily be had . secondly , it may justly be denied , that the christians here spoken of were private christians , it may be asserted that they were men in office , and had commission to do what they did . this appears , . from the first verse , where it is said , at that time there was a great persecution against the church which was at ierusalem , and they were all scattered abroad throughout the regions of iudea and samaria , except the apostles ; these all that were scattered must be either all the teachers and church-officers , or all the beleevers ; not all the beleevers , for it is said in the . verse , that saul made havock of the church , entring into every house , and haling men and women , committed them to prison . and act. . . there is expresse mention made of the church at ierusalem , notwithstanding the persecution . had all the beleevers been scattered what should the apostles have done at ierusalem , their tarrying would have been dangerous to themselves and useless to the church . and therefore we judge that by all is meant all the church-officers ( of whom there were many at ierusalem ) were scattered except the apostles , and when they were scattered they went every where preaching the word . to make the interpretation clearer observe , first , that the word all is used here with an exceptive particle , which necessitates it to be meant not of beleevers but of men in office ; for if all relate to beleevers , then it will follow that there was not one beleever left in ierusalem except the apostles . the particle 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 with the genitive case in the new testament , being alwaies exceptive to the utmost , as appears ioh. . . act. . . & . . mar. . . but this we are sure is false , as hath been already proved . secondly , that it is said , that they that were scattered went every where preaching the word ; it is not said teaching which may be actus charitatis , but preaching which is actus officij ; how can they preach except they be sent , rom. . the reverend assembly of divines in their answer to the reasons of the dissenting brethren , observe , that those that were scattered went about 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 , that 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 refers to the act of men in office , and they desire the brethren to produce one scripture where 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is used concerning any that are not preachers by office , they bring many where it is used concerning those that were in office , even by the pen-man of this history , and conclude , that these 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 had their commission to preach before this persecution , though the persecution occasioned their preaching in iudea and other places . thirdly , act. . . there is but one of this scattered number named , and he was a person in office , to wit philip , not the apostle , but who is numbered among the deacons , act. . and called an evangelist , act. . by the singling out of this one who was in office , we may judge that the rest were persons in office as well as he . fourthly , 't is probable , that these that were scattered did baptize as well as preach , which we gather from act. . . it is said there , there was a church setled at antioch , which could not be unlesse they were first baptized , but there were none in antioch to baptize them , if they of the dispersion did not ; for barnabas , agabus , and other prophets came not to antioch till the church was founded , act. . , , . and this church of antioch is expresly said to be founded by the scattered brethren , act. . . now baptism is to be performed only by men in office , mat. . . fifthly , these scattered brethren are said to be prophets and teacher● , act. . . where mention is made of lucius of cyrene , who in all probability was one of the scattered preachers , as appears act. . , . where it is said , that some of these scattered were men of cyrene . if it be said , that there is no where mention made of the ordination of , or any commission given to these scattered brethren : it is answered , that it doth not follow that therefore they had none , because none is mentioned . it is sufficient for us that there are scripture-reasons to perswade us that they had a commission ; they did a work peculiar to officers of the church , as hath been proved , which godly men out of office durst not have done ; they had successe , and the blessing of god upon their labours , which he promiseth not to those that go in an evil way , as hath been demonstrated : but let thus much suffice for this instance . obj. . all the people of god are called priests , rev. . . why then may they not preach ? answ. they are indeed all made priests unto god , and kings unto god not unto men ; they are priests not ministerially but spiritually , not as to the ministeriall function , but as to the offering up of spirituall sacrifices unto god. thus it is expounded pet. . . praier , thanks-giving , and almes-deeds are called sacrifices in scripture , and these a beleever offereth up to god , and so he is made a priest to god. secondly , all are made priests unto god , but are all made prophets ? are not all made kings ? and may therefore all exercise regall jurisdiction amongst men ? may all be magistrates ? away with such fanatick monasterian conceits ; if we be priests let us sacrifice our lusts , if kings let us rule over our passions and our pride , this would quickly prevent such unwarrantable practices , and put a happy issue to these disputes . object . . but if a master of a family may instruct his own family , why may he not preach in the publique congregation ? answ. because he hath a calling to do the one , and no calling to do the other ; you may as well ask , why may not the lord-maior of london exercise his jurisdiction at york as well as at london ? or why may not a justice of peace send warrants out of his own county ? or why might not vzziah as well offer incense in the temple as pray in his own family ? the answer to all these questions is easie , for the one they have a lawfull calling but not for the other . obj. . but why then do you your selves suffer men whom you call probationers and expectants for the ministry , to preach without ordination ? may not private men preach as well as they ? answ. there is a great difference between a private mans preaching that never intends the ministry , and a probationers preaching that intends the ministry , and preacheth by way of triall , that so the people that are to choose him may have experience of his gifts . a probationer , and a minister differ but in degree , but a private man and a minister differ toto genere . in the old testament there were prophets , and sons of the prophets that were trained up in the schools of the prophets : these sons of the prophets did prophesie by way of trial and exercise , sam. . . king. . . king. . , . . that these sons of the prophets , or as they are commonly called , these expectants , are not allowed in the presbyteriall government to preach without approbation and license . the directory stablished by both nations , is , that such as intend the ministry may occasionally both reade the scriptures , and exercise gifts in preaching in the congregation , being allowed thereunto by the presbytery . and therefore even probationers under the presbyterian government are not to preach though but occasionally , and for a little while , without a license and authority so to do , from them to whom christ hath given this power to authorize men for such an employment . so much in answer to objections , and so much for the third proposition . the fourth proposition . concerning the severall waies and means of calling men to the ministry , which is the subject of all the following chapters in the first part. chap. vii . wherein are handled three questions about an imm●diate call to the ministry . having shewed , that no man ought to take upon him the office or the work of the ministry , but he that is lawfully called and ordained thereunto ; we shall now proceed ( according to our method formerly propounded ) to speak something concerning the divers waies and means of calling men unto the ministry . that which we have to say , we shall comprehend in the ensuing propositions . that the power and authority of calling men to the ministry belongs properly to god only ; it is he that is the lord of the harvest , and therefore he only it is that can send forth labourers into his harvest ; ministers are his embassadours , and therefore to be sent by him : he only can give the heavenly unction and make us able ministers of the new testament , cor. . . and it is for the great honour and encouragement of the gospel-ministry , that all the three persons are said to call men to this sacred office . of god the father it is said , cor. . . and god hath set , &c. and mat. . . pray unto the lord , &c. of god the son , eph. . . of god the holy ghost , act. . . that there are two waies by which god doth call men to the office of the ministry , the one immediate , the other mediate . the immediate call is when a man is chosen by god without the intervention of man ; thus were the prophets and apostles called : paul saith of himself , that he was an apostle not of men nor by men , but by christ , &c. where the apostle tels us of three sorts of ministers : . such as are called neither of men nor by men , but by christ and god immediatly , such were the apostles , such as are called by god , and also by men appointed by god for this work , such were the apostles successors . . such as are neither called by god immediatly or mediatly , but only of man , that is , by the meer authority of men ; such were the false apostles . zanchy tels us out of hierom of a fourth sort , and they are such as are neither of man , nor by man , nor by christ , but by themselves ; qui per seipsos ministerium sibi sumunt non vocati , who take upon themselves the work of the ministry uncalled ; and these he saith are omnium pessimi , the worst of all . of these the prophet ieremy speaks , i have not sent these prophets yet they ran , i have not spoken unto them yet they prophesied . we purpose not to speak much of this immediate call ; only because there are some who are ordinarily called anabaptists or enthusiasts , or as chemnitius cals them fanaticos homines fanatick men , that boast much of heavenly revelations and of divine impulses , and pretend to an immediate call , we will for our peoples sake briefly answer these three questions . quest. . how may we distinguish between an immediate call from god ; and the imposture of fanatick men that say they are so called , and are not ? quest. . whether are we to expect any immediate call in these daies ? quest. . whether the call of the first reformers of religion from the errours of popery , was an immediate call or no ? quest. . how may we distinguish between an immediate call from god , and the imposture of men that say they are so called when they are not ? answ. . they that are immediatly called to the ministry are endued by god either with the gift of miracles , or with some other testimony of the spirit , by which they are enabled to give proof of their immediate call. when christ called his twelve apostles , he gave them power against unclean spirits to cast them out , and to heal all manner of sicknesse , and all manner of disease . and the apostle paul cals this power of working miracles a sign of his apostleship , cor. . . truly the signs of an apostle were wrought among you in all patience , in signs and wonders , and mighty deeds . when christ called his disciples he adorned them also with power of miracles , luke . . thus when god called moses immediatly , he inabled him to work miracles , that so the israelites might beleeve that he was not an impostor , but that the lord god of abraham , isaac , and iacob had appeared unto him , exod. . , , , , . after this manner was the calling of elias and elisha confirmed . and yet from hence we dare not ( as some do ) gather a generall rule , that an immediate call is alwaies joyned with the gift of miracles , for it is said expresly of iohn baptist , that he did no miracle , and yet he was immediatly called : neither do we reade of many of the prophets of the old testament , that they wrought any miracles ; but we say , that an immediate call is alwaies joyned either with the gift of miracles , or the gift of tongues , or some other extraordinary thing , by which men are enabled undoubtedly to demonstrate to others their immediate call. thus the prophets were all of them endued with the gift of fore-telling things to come , and iohn baptist was enabled to make proof of his immediate call by shewing the prophecies both of isaiah and malachy that were concerning him ; which prophecies were applied to him by the angel , luke . , , . before he was born ; appropriated by himself , ioh. . . and confirmed by christs testimony of him , mat. . , , . and therefore let all those that boast of their revelations , and say they are called by god to preach as the apostles were , shew the signs and tokens of their apostleship , as the apostles did ; let them shew the gift of miracles , or of tongues , or of foretelling things to come , or some supernaturall prediction , that such as they should be sent into the world , or at least some rare and extraordinary work of god , that so the world may beleeve , that they are in truth sent by god , and are not impostors and seducers , as the false prophets were , ier. . . secondly , they that are immediatly called by god will preach no other doctrine but what is agreeable to the word of god. this is the distinguishing character brought by the prophet ieremy , jer. . . hearken not unto the words of the prophets , &c. for they prophesie a lye unto you , for i have not sent them , saith the lord , yet they prophesi● a lie in my name . thus ier. . , . let not your prophets and your diviners deceive you , neither hearken to your dreams , &c. for they prophesie falsly unto you in my name ; he that boasteth of dreams , vision● , ●nd revelations , and holds forth any doctrine contrary to the written word , he is an impostor and a seducer . and this is the chief note of difference , without which the former i● insufficient ; prima ac praecipua probationis regula ( saith gerhard ) est harmonia & congruentia doctrinae , cum doctrinâ a deo revelarâ , the first and chief rule of triall is the harmony and agreement of the doctri●e they preach with the doctrine of th● script●res . for our saviour christ tel● us , that false christ● should arise and false prophets , and should shew great signs and wonders , insomuch ( if it were possible ) they should de●eive the very elect. and the apostle tels us , that the coming of antichrist shall be after the working of satan , with all power , and signs , and lying wonders . these wonders are called lying wonders , either because they should be false and counterfeit , or if ●rue , yet they may be called lying wonders ( miranda not miracula ) because wrought by satan to confirm erroneous doctrines and lies : such are popish miracles ( falsly so called ) which are ( as our annotations upon the place say ) either lyi●g prodigies , or prodigious lies . this caution was given to the children of israel by moses , deut. . . if there arise among you a prophet , or a dreamer if dreams , and giveth thee a sign or a wonder , and the sign or the wonder come to passe , whereof he spake unto thee saying , let us go after other gods , &c. thou shalt not hearken unto the words of that prophet , or that dreamer of dreams , for the lord your god proveth you , to know whether you love the lord your god with all your heart , and with all your soul , &c. from all which we gather , that whosoever groundeth his authority of preaching upon an immediate call , and braggeth of heavenly visions and divine revelations , if he preach strange doctrine contrary to the doctrine of christ and his apostles , although he should confirm it by signs and wonders , and although he should undertake to foretell things to come , and these predictions should come to passe , yet notwithstanding we are not to hearken unto him but to reject him as a seducer , and his wonders as lying wonders , and to say with the apostle paul , though we or an angel from heaven preach any other gospel unto you then that which we have preached unto you , let him be accursed : excellently to this purpose doth austin answer to the donatists , boasting of their revelations , but departing from the sincerity of evangelical doctrine . * let them not therefore say it is a truth , because donatus or pontius or any other did such and such miracles , or because this brother or that sister saw such a vision , or dreamed such a dream ; let these fictions of deceitful , men or wonders of lying spirits be laid aside , &c. and having laid them aside , let them demonstrate their church , not by such lying prodigies , ( because against giving heed to such we are warned in the word of god ) but by the prescript of the law , the predictions of the prophets by the book of psalms , by the voice of the great shepherd , by the preachings and writings of the evangelists , that is , by ●…the authority of canonicall books of scripture . so much for the first question . quest. , whether are we to expect any immediate and extraordinary call to the ministry in these daies ? answ. though we cannot , nor ought not to set bounds to the infinite power of free-will of god , nor will we dispute what god may do out of his free-grace in times of generall apostacy , yet we shall make bold to give in this answer to this great question . that we do not reade that we are commanded in scripture to wait for and expect such a call , neither do we know of any promise that god hath made to encourage us to wait , nor do we conceive that there is any absolute necessity of such an expectation . for god ( as chemnitius observes ) hath by his apostles delivered and prescribed to his church a certain form by which he would have men enter into the ministry , and that is a mediate call , neither is there now any need of an immediate ; for it is gods will , that the ministry even to the end of the world should be tied to that doctrine which is delivered to the church by the apostles . adde to this , that the apostles , though they themselves were called immediatly by god , yet notwithstanding they did not wait till others that should succeed them in the work of the ministry , were chosen also immediatly by god ; but they themselve● ordained ministers , and gave order to timothy and titus about the way and method of electing and ordaining elders , which we are assured they would never have done if the immediate call had not ceased , together with their persons . when christ went up to heaven he gave two sorts of officers to his church , some extraordinary as apostles , evangelists , prophets , and these were temporary : some ordinary , as pastors and teachers , and these are perpetual . now as we are not to expect in our daies such extraordinary officers , as apostles , evangelists , and prophets , no more are we to expect such an extraordinary way of calling , as they had ; but as our officers are ordinary , so the calling we are to expect is ordinary . adde , that god hath promised to preserve an ordinary ministry in the world till the coming of christ , cor. . . eph. . , . mat. . . isa. . . and therefore there is no need of waiting for and expecting an extraordinary and immediate call. as it is necessary ( saith learned zanchy ) that there shall be alwaies a church upon earth , because christ hath promised , that the gates of hell shall not prevail against it ; so also it is every way as necessary that a lawfull ministry be preserved : vnum enim ab altero separari non potest , nec ecclesia a ministerio , nec ministerium ab ecclesiâ ; for the one cannot be separated from the other , neither the church from the ministry , nor the ministry from the church : and from hence it appears ( saith the same authour ) that even in the church of rome , though the worship of god be most corrupt in it , yet god hath preserved in it so much of the substance of religion as was necessary to salvation ; so that as the church is not wholly extinct therein , so neither was the ministry . we deny not but that there are some learned divines that pleade much for an immediate and extraordinary call in times of publique and generall defection from the truth ; for our parts we will not espouse this quarrell : we cannot , we ought not to set bounds to the infinite power and free-will of god ; we dispute not what god may do at such times , only we say with gerhard , destituimur promissione quòd debeamus hoc tempore post confirmatum novi testamenti canonem immediatam vocationem expectare ; we have no promise that we ought after the confirmation of the canon of the new testament to expect an immediate call . and afterwards he saith , nulla apparet immediatae vocationis necessitas , there appears no necessity of this immediate call. and besides , even those that are for an immediate call do lay down divers limitations which are very worthy to be considered by the people of our age , lest they should suck poison from such a doctrine . one that pleads much for it gives these rules . . that this extraordinary and immediate call then only takes place , when a mediate and ordinary cannot be had , and that such a call ought not to be pretended unto in contempt of the ordinary way . . that whosoever shall pretend to this immediate call ought first to be tried before he be admitted , that his doctrine ought to be examined by the word , that his life and conversation ought to be diligently lookt into , lest he prove one of those concerning whom the apostle speaketh , that serve not our lord iesus christ but their own belly , and by good words and fair speeches deceive the hearts of the simple . after this he puts this question , anne cessante ordinaria vocatione ? &c. whether when the ordinary call ceaseth , it be then lawful for every private christian , verst in the scriptures , to go up into the pulpit , and preach against false doctrines , and assert the truth ? and answers , god forbid ! for this would open a door euivis ubivis , qui se sapientem existimaret , &c. to every one every where who thinks himself wise , under a pretence ( whether true or false ) of confuting false doctrine , to have clandestine meetings , as the anabaptists and libertines of our daies are wont to do , following the evil example of those that first at antioch , afterwards in galatia , and elsewhere , creeping in privately , brought great tumults and confusions into the church ; of whom the apostle speaks : forasmuch as we have heard that certain which went out from us have troubled you with words , subverting your souls , saying , ye must be circumcised and keep the law , to whom we gave no such commandment . thus farre bucanus ; and much more to this purpose in the same chapter . by this it appears , that even they that justifie an immediate call , in some cases , do notwithstanding flatly condemn the disorderly practices of our times : so much in answer to the second question . the third question is , whether the call of luther and the rest of the best reformers of religion from the errors of popery , was an immediate and extraordinary call , or no ? answ. he that would be satisfied about the call of luther to the ministry , let him reade gerhard de ministerio , where he shall finde proved , that luther though he did alwaies pleade his doctrine to be of god , yet he did never so much as pretend to an immediate and extraordinary call , but that he was called after a mediate and ordinary way ; that he was ordained presbyter in the year of our lord . at years of age ; that when he was ordained presbyter he did receive power to preach the word of god ; that the next year after he was called by iohn staupitius , with the consent of elector frederick , to be divinity professor of the church and university of wittenberg , by the statutes of which university he was bound to this , sc. vestrum est legem divinam interpretari & librum vitae docere ; it is your office to interpret the divine law and to teach the book of life . object . if it be objected , that luther received his ordination from the church of rome , and therefore it is null and void . answ. to this gerhard answereth , that although the rite of ordination in the church of rome was corrupted with many superstitious and vnprofitable ceremonies , yet ordination it self was not nullified ; we must distinguish between the impurity of the bishop ordaining , and the ordination which is done in the name of the whole church : and in the ordination we must distinguish that which is divine from that which is humane , that which is essential from that which is accidentall , that which is godly and christian from that which was antichristian . as in the israelitish church they were to use the ministry , sacrifices , and ordination of the scribes and pharisees , who sate in moses chair , yet the people were warned to take heed of the leaven of the pharisees , mat. . . so also is the church of rome ; we use the ministry , sacraments , and ordination of those that were in ordinary succession , but we reject the leaven of their superstition . but to this objection we shall speak more fully in our fifth proposition . the like to that , is said of luther , may be said of zuinglius , oecolampadius , bucer , peter martyr , &c , zanchy saith , that luther was a lawful teacher , and a minister created in the church of rome with imposition of hands , and with authority to create others . the like he saith of zuinglius , bucer , &c. and of himself , qui in papatu fuimus creati doctores cum authoritate alios creandi ; we were made teachers under the papacy with authority to make others . we confesse that zanchy , bucanus , and divers others speak much ( if not too much ) of an extraordinary call that these blessed reformers had ; but yet we desire it may be considered , that the same authours make mention also of the ordinary call which they had . that none of our first reformers ever renounced their ordinary call , but rather asserted it and pleaded it upon all occasions , as gerhard sheweth of luther in particular . bucan tels us , that the call of our first reformers was ordinary and extraordinary . ordinary , because they were doctores pastores & presbyteri ex institutione ecclesiae romanae , sed abstersis istius sordibus à deo ; doctors , pastors , and presbyters by th● institution of the church of rome , god having washed away the defilements that cleaved to that ordination : it was extraordinary , because they were indued with extraordinary gifts , and ( blessed be god ) with incredible successe , even to a miracle . and if this be all that is meant by an immediate and extraordinary call , in this sense we willingly and freely own it ; and acknowledge , that our blessed reformers were men raised up by god after a wonderfull manner , to do great things for his church ; that they had 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 , they were indued with a singular knowledge of divine mysteries , with a rare and peculiar gift of utterance , with an heroique spirit and an undaunted courage , and owned by god with miraculous successe , maugre all the opposition of the enemies of christ against them : the papists upbraid the protestants , and demand what miracles did your first reformers work ? we answer , that this was a great miracle , that so few men under such great opposition without working of miracles , should be able to convert so many thousands to the protestant religion : so much in answer to the . questions , and also about an immediate call. chap. viii . wherein is handled the mediate call of men to the ministry , and therein one assertion about the peoples election of their minister , viz. that the election of a minister doth not by divine right belong wholly and solely to the major part of every particular congregation . the mediate call , is when a man is called to the ministry by men lawfully deputed thereunto . concerning this mediate call we shall offer these propositions . that the mediate call though it be by men , yet it is from god and by divine right as well as the immediate ; a necessary proposition for the people of our unhappy age , that vilifie the gospel-ministry , because they are not called as the apostles were , nor have the apostolical gifts of tongus and miracles . know therefore that when christ went up to heaven , he gave not only apostles and prophets to his church , but also pastors and teachers : that the apostle paul tels the elders of ephesus , that were ordinary officers , that the holy ghost had made them overseers over the flock : he cals not only extraordinary but ordinary officers embassadors of christ and stewards of the mysteries of god. our saviour christ cals the ministers of the seven churches of asia , angels : the apostle commands the thessalonians , to know them that labour amongst them , and to have them in high esteem , &c. who yet notwithstanding were but ordinary ministers . and to the hebrews he commands , to obey them that had the rule over them , and to submit themselves , &c. all which texts prove , that ministers made by men after a lawfull manner , are made by god , are ministers of christ , are to be obeyed , submitted unto , and had in high esteem for their works sake ; and we may adde , that such ministers may expect protection from god , direction and successe of their labours as well as if they were immediatly called : those rare promises isa. . . isa. . . ier. . , . are their rich portion : the apostle joyns apollo with himself , not only in the fellowship of the ministry , but also in the promise of a blessing upon it : who then is paul , and who is apollo ? but ministers by whom ye beleeved , even as the lord gave to every man ; i have planted , apollo watered , but god gave the encrease . that this mediate call is either extraordinary or ordinary ; the extraordinary mediate call is ( as paraeus saith ) proxima immediatae , neer to the immediate , but yet not the same with it . for though every immediate call be extraordinary , yet every extraordinary call is not immediate . thus god chose aaron to be priest after an extraordinary manner , yet it was a mediatecall , by moses his internuncius or messenger . thus also he chose elisha by the intervention of elias : thus matthias his call to the apostleship was extraordinary by the use of a lot , and yet also by the choise of the people . pareus writes a story of the fratres bohemici , the bohemian brethren , who in the year of our lord . when all their ministers were driven from them by persecution , tres ex novem sorte sibi designarunt non sine miraculo , chose three out of nine by lot to be their ministers not without miracle ; but of this immediate extraordinary call we spake sufficiently in the former questions . the mediate ordinary way by which god would have all men to enter into the ministry is by election and ordination . they are both of them distinctly set down in the choise of deacons , act. . , , . look ye out seven men whom we may appoint , &c. now though we do not purpose to speak much concerning popular election , yet because there are many that lift it up too high , and make the whole essence of the ministeriall call to consist in it , and that look upon ordination , if not as antichristian , yet at best but as a circumstance of the ministeriall call which may be as well omitted as used ; therefore we are necessitated to propound unto our people these ensuing propositions concerning popular election . that the election of a minister doth not by divine right belong wholly and solely to the major part of every particular congregation . this we shall prove , . by examining those three texts that are brought for the divine right of popular election . . by shewing the mischiefs that will inevitably follow from this assertion , . we will examine the texts . the first is taken from the choice of matthias into the office of an apostle , which was done ( say they ) by the . disciples there present ; and if the people have power to choose an apostle , much more to choose an ordinary minister . but we answer , . that those words , and they appoined two , ioseph called barsabas , and matthias , do in all probability relate to the apostles , and not to the disciples : they appointed two , that is , the apostles appointed two ; thus our annotators ; they appointed two , that is , the fore-mentioned apostles put two in election . and if the history be well observed , it will appear that the . disciples are named only in a parenthesis , and that peter in his whole discourse relates especially if not only to his fellow-apostles . it is said ver . . he was numbred with us , that is , with the apostles not with the disciples . and so ver . . which have companied with us , that is , with the apostles . ver . . must one be ordained to be a witnesse with us , &c. that is , with us apostles . and then follows , and they appointed , that is , the apostles , and not the . disciples . but suppose that they had been appointed by the . disciples , yet we answer . . that the whole and sole power of choosing was not in the people , for they were guided and directed in their choice by the eleven apostles : it was electio populi praeeuntibus & dirigentibus apostolis , by the guidance and direction of the apostles ; and so it comes not up to the proof of the proposition : the apostle tels them in expresse terms , ver . , . of those men which have companied with us all the time that the lord iesus went in and out among us , beginning from the baptism of john , &c. . that the people cannot ( in any good construction ) be said to have chosen matthias any more then barsabas : for they appointed two : and when the people had made their choice , barsabas was as capable of being an apostle , as matthias . the truth is , matthias was chosen by god himself , and by god only , and therefore it is said , vers . . thou lord which knowest the hearts of all men , shew whether of these two thou hast chosen . it was the divine lot , not the . that chose the apostle . object . but it is said ver . . he was numbred with the eleven apostles , 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 , that is , say they , he was together chosen by suffrage of the . disciples . answ , the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 primarily ●nd properly signifieth to choose by stones or counters , with which they were wont to give voices in commission or judgement . but here it must necessarily be taken in a more general sense , for the generall consent and approbation of the whole company : for it is certain , that matthias was chosen by lot and not by stones , by god and not by the people ; and therefore when it is said he was numbred , the meaning is , he was acknowledged to be one of the . apostles , they all rested contented with the lot , as being confident that god disposed and approved the event thereof , and as our annotations say , by a common declaration of their generall consent he was numbred among the eleven apostles . the second text is , concerning the choise of deacons , where the whole and sole power of choosing is put into the hands of the people : and therefore ( say they ) the choise of a minister belongs by divine right wholly and solely unto the people . answ. . the people had not the whole and the sole choise of the deacons , but were herein guided , directed , and limited by the holy apostles ; they were limited to the number of seven , and to the company out of which those seven were to be chosen , and to certain qualifications which must be in these seven : look ye out among you seven men of honest report , full of the holy ghost , and wisedom , whom we may appoint over this businesse : and we are confident that if the brethren had failed in any of these particulars , the apostles would have refused to have laid their hands upon them . and therefore this text comes not up to the proof of the objection . but suppose , that the people had had the whole and sole choice of the deacons , yet it will not follow that therefore they should have the whole and sole choise of their ministers : for it is a certain rule , argumentum a minori ad majus non valet affirmativè . it is no good way of arguing to say , that because a man is able to do the lesser , therefore he is able to do the greater . now the office of a deacon is inferior to the office of a presbyter . and besides , it will no way follow , that because people are able without advice and direction from others to choose men to gather and distribute money to the poor , that therefore they are able wholly and solely to choose men that shall divide the word of god amongst them , as skilfull workmen that need not be ashamed . the third text is act. . . and when they had ordained them elders in every church , and had praied with fasting , &c. the greek word is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 , &c. which signifieth a choosing by lifting up or stretching out the hand ; and beza translates the words , cumque ipsis per suffragia creassent per singulas ecclesias presbyteros , and when they had created for them by suffrages elders in every city . this text seems to make much for the whole and sole power of the people in the election of a minister . but we answer . that though the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 signifieth primarily and properly to choose by lifting up of the hands , as 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 signifieth to choose by stones or counters , yet also it oftentimes signifieth simply to choose or to appoint , or to ordain without the use of the ceremony of lifting up of hands ; thus it must necessarily be taken , act. . . and thus 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 , act. . . is also to be understood for a bare numbring and accounting ; we could here cite multitude of authors where the greek word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is used for decerning , appointing , constituting , and that without lifting up of hands , but they are reckoned up to our hands by many authors , to which we refer those that desire to be satisfied herein : for our parts , we incline rather to this latter signification of the word . and to the text we say , . that whatsoever is meant by 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 , yet certain we are that the persons that did 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 were paul and barnabas , and not the people ; for it is said expresly , and when they had ordained them elders , this they must needs be paul and barnabas : it is six times used of them in five verses , ver . , . when they had preached , &c. they returned to lystra confirming the souls of the disciples , and ver . . when they had ordained , &c. and had prayed , they commended them to the lord , and ver . . after they had passed throughout pisidia , they came , &c. and they preached : by all which it appears , that the persons that did ordain were paul and barnabas , and therefore whether this 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 were a creating by suffrages ( which we think not , ) for being but two there could be no place for suffrages , or a bare ordaining and appointing ; sure we are that in grammaticall construction this ordaining must be the act of the apostles , and not of the people , and therefore this text comes not up to the proof of the objection . object . it is objected by a learned man , that the syriack version doth insinuate , that the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is to be understood not of the apostles ordination of elders , but of the churches election of elders , thus , and when they , that is , the disciples fore-mentioned had by votes made to themselves elders in every church , and had prayed , they commended them ( that is , paul and barnabas ) to the lord. answ. . this interpretation cannot consist with the antecedents and consequents , as we have already shewed . . if this interpretation were true , it should be 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 not 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 , it is illis not sibiipsis . . tremellius that translates the syriack of the new testament , renders it , et constituerunt eis in omni coetu seniores . and they appointed ( that is , paul and barnabas ) to them that is , to the people . the hebrew is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 illis . object . there is another that confesseth , that the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 , can agree with no other but paul and barnabas , and therefore he labours to finde the election of the people in the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 , which ( saith he ) doth not signifie in every church , as it is translated , but according to the church , instancing in the orators phrase , faciam secundum te , i will do it according to thy minde : so they ( that is , paul and barnabas ) ordained them elders according to the church , that is , according to the will and minde of the church . answ. if this were granted , it would not prove the matter in hand , that the major part of a congregation by divine right have the whole and the sole power of election : it would only conclude an acquiescency in the people , and that they had satisfaction in the ordination carried on by paul and barnabas . a phrase to the same purpose is used , tit. . . where titus is left in crete to appoint elders , 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 , and we may as well say , that the whole city had their vote in election in crete , and that every thing was done according to the minde of the city , as to say here , that every thing was done according to the minde of the church . see more of this in m. blake his treatise of the covenant . so much for the first argument . the second argument by which we prove , that the power of election of ministers doth not by divine right belong wholly and solely to the major part of every particular congregation , is drawn from the mischiefs that will inevitably flow from this assertion . for , . it is certain that every one that is to be made a minister is first of all to be tried and proved whether he be fit for so great an office , tim , . . let these also be proved , &c. these also , that is , the deacons as well as the bishops ; the bishop therefore is to be tried and examined whether he be apt to teach , whether he be able to convince gainsayers , whether he be a workman that needs not be ashamed , rightly dividing the word of truth . now there are many congregations wherein the major part are very unfit to judge of ministeriall abilities , and if the whole and sole power were in them they would set up idol-shepherds instead of able shepherds . . there are some congregations wherein the major part are wicked , and if left to themselves wholly , would choose none but such as are like themselves . . there are some wherein possibly the major part may be hereticall , and will never consent to the election of an orthodox and sound minister . . sometimes there have been great dissentions and tumults in popular elections , even to the effusion of bloud , as we reade in ecclesiasticall story : sometimes congregations are destitute of ministers for many years by reason of the divisions and disagreements thereof , as we see by wofull experience in our daies . now in all these or such like cases if the whole and sole power of election were in the major part of every congregation , how sad and lamentable would the condition be of many hundred congregations in this nation : and therefore it is , that in all well-governed churches great care is had for the avoiding of these church-undoing inconveniences . in the church of scotland the power of voting in elections is given to the presbytery of the congregation , with the consent of the major or better part thereof . and therefore m. gillespie though a great friend to the due right of particular congregations , yet when he comes to state the question about election of ministers , he puts it thus , whether the election of pastors ought not to be by the votes of the eldership , and with the consent ( tacit or expressed ) of the major or better part of the congregation , &c. he durst not state it precisely upon the major part , and afterwards he tels us , that the election of a minister is not wholly and solely to be permitted to the multitude or body of the church , and that an hereticall and schismaticall church hath not just right to the liberty and priviledge of a sound church ; and that when a congregation is rent asunder , and cannot agree among themselves , the highest consistories , presbyteries and assemblies of the church are to end the controversie , and determine the case after hearing of both parties . bucanus tels us , that the election of a minister for the avoiding of confusion ought not to be by every member of a congregation , but by the presbytery , or by the pastors and teachers of neighbouring congregations directing and guiding the people , as being most fit to judge of ministerial abilities . the lutheran churches put the power of calling of ministers into the presbytery , magistracy , and people . to the christian magistrate they give nomination , presentation , and confirmation : to the presbytery , examination , ordination , and inauguration ; to the people , consent and approbation . he that would be further satisfied in this point , may reade the discourse of our reverend brother dr seaman about ordination , where he shall finde the custome and practice of most of the reformed churches in calling of ministers , for the avoiding of the forementioned mischief . so much for the first proposition . chap. ix . wherein a second assertion about election is largely proved , namely , that the whole essence of the ministeriall call doth not consist in election without ordination . that the whole essence of the ministeriall call doth not consist in election without ordination . there are many learned and godly men whom we much reverence , though we dissent from them in this particular , that say , that ordination is ▪ only adjunctum consequens & consummans , an adjunct following and consummating the ministeriall call , but not at all entring into the constitution of it : that ordination is nothing else but the approbation of the officer , and a setling and confirming him in his office , and that election is that which gives him the essentials of his office. dr ames saith , that the vocation of a minister doth properly and essentially consist in election . mr hooker saith , that the election of the people rightly ordered by the rule of christ , gives the essentials to an officer , or leaves the impression of a true outward call , and so an office-power upon a pastor . our brethren in new-england in their platform of church-discipline say , that the essence and substance of the outward calling of an ordinary officer in the church , doth not consist in his ordination , but in his voluntary and free election by the church , and in his accepting of that election , &c. for our parts we crave leave to dissent from these worthy men , and that upon these grounds . arg. . because our brethren do not bring any one text of scripture to prove this their assertion ( as we can finde ) nor do we think that any can be brought . arg. . because that those very texts fore-mentioned , which are the chief ( if not the only ) texts that are brought for popular election , do seem to us to hold forth the quite contrary to this assertion . when matthias was made an apostle , it was not the election of the people that did constitute him an apostle . the people chose two , ( if they chose at all ) but that which did constitute him an apostle was the determination by lot ; as in a corporation , when the community chooseth two , and the aldermen one of these two ; in propriety of speech , it is the aldermen that choose the mayor , not the community : all that the . did ( if they did that ) was to set two before the lord , but it was god that did constitute and appoint matthias to be the apostle : in the choise of deacons the people nominated seven persons to be deacons , but it was the apostles ordination not the peoples election , that did constitute and make them deacons ; so saith the text expresly , look ye out among you seven men whom we may appoint or constitute over this businesse . the essence and substance of the deacons call , is placed not in the peoples nomination but in the apostles ordination . as for act. . . we have already shewed that they that did 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 were the apostles and not the churches ; and that if they did 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 by suffrages , it was per suffragia propria non aliena by their own suffrage not the peoples , though we think ( as we have formerly said ) that the word is to be taken for a bare decerning and appointing , without the ceremony of lifting up of hands , as it is taken act. . . there is nothing at all in this text that proves , that the whole essence of the ministeriall call is in the peoples election ; but it rather proves the quite contrary , that the apostolicall ordination was that which did constitute elders in every church . arg. . all those texts that we shall hereafter bring for the asserting of the divine right of ordination , do prove that the essence of the ministeriall call doth consist in ordination and not in election : there are more and more clear texts for ordination then for election , and texts that make it not to be an adjunct but an essentiall constituent of the ministeriall call , as we shall hereafter ( god willing ) prove at large . arg. . we argue from the nature of popular election ; election by the people properly is nothing else but their designation of a person that is to be made their minister , or that is already a minister , to his particular charge : it is not simply a making of a minister , but the making of him a minister of such a place ; as it is one thing ( saith mr rutherford ) to make a gold ring , another thing to appropriate it to such or such a finger ; election is nothing else but the appropriation of a minister for the exercise of his ministry in such a place : it doth not give him the office , but the opportunity of exercising his officiall authority over those that choose him . this appears in the election of deacons ; all that the people did by election was only to design the persons and to set them before the apostles , but it was the apostles praying and laying on of their hands that made them deacons . this likewise appears from deut. . . which place though it speaks of the choice of civil officers , yet it doth very clearly describe unto us the nature of election ; take ye wise men and understanding , and known among your tribes , and i will make them rulers over you : the peoples taking of men did not give them the essentials of their office ; they nominated the persons , but it was moses that made them rulers . our brethren of new-england in their platform of church-discipline , tell us , that all office-power is proper to the eldership , and that the brotherhood have only a power of priviledge . now then we demand , if the people have no office-power belonging to them , how can they by election make an officer ? indeed they may and do design persons unto office by choosing of them , but that they that have not the power of office neither formally nor virtually committed unto them , and that cannot act or exercise an office-power , that they by a bare election should communicate office-power , and give the essentials of a ministeriall call , is to us a riddle we understand not ; nihil dat quod non habet nec formaliter nec eminenter ; the lesser is blessed of the greater , not the greater of the lesser . adde further , if election be ( as our brethren say ) the constituting of a minister , and the giving him the essentials of his office , why then did the apostles take so much pains to return to lystra , iconium , and antioch , to ordain them elders in every church ? and why did paul leave titus in crete to ordain elders in every city ? why did they not spare their journey , and send to the people to make their own ministers by election ? can we imagine that they took such pains only to adde an adjunct to the ministeriall call , an adjunct , which doth not give essence , but follows the essence , supposing the subject compleat in its essence before ? for our parts we are far from so thinking , but rather conceive it much more sutable to scripture to say , that tit●● was left to make ministers in crete , and that the apostles went about from church to church to give the essence of the ministeriall call , and that all that the people did was to nominate the person to be ordained , or rather to approve and accept of the ministers made them by the apostles . arg. . if election gives the essentials to a minister , then may a minister elected administer the sacraments without ordination . for as mr hooker well saith in another case , he that hath compleat power of an office and stands an officer without exception , he cannot justly be hindred from doing all acts of that office ; for to be an officer compleat without an office , or being compleat in his office , yet according to rule to be hindred from doing any thing belonging to his office , implies a contradiction ; for it 's all one to say a man is bound to a rule , and yet by a rule he should not do it . but a person elected cannot administer the sacraments without ordination ; he cannot do it lawfully , it being cross to scripture-presidents , nor can he do it in the opinion of those reverend men with whom we now dispute : mr hooker cals it an anabaptisticall phrensie , to say , that an un-ordained person may baptize : and besides , this is contrary to their own practice in new-england , where it is frequent to have a man elected , and preach half a year , a whole year , nay ( as mr gi. firmin once a preacher there saith ) he knew one elected , and preached two years to his people , and they maintained him all that while , and yet all that time he never administred a sacrament , but he and they when they would partake the lords supper , went ten miles to the church out of which they issued to receive the sacrament ; which practice without doubt was very unnecessary , if election gives the whole essence of the ministeriall call , and ordination be only an adjunct : we say in logick , forma dat operari , effects depend upon the form , not upon extrinsecall circumstances : this is argumentum ad hominem . arg. . if the whole essence of the ministeriall call consisteth in election , then it will follow , that a minister is only a minister to that particular charge to which he is called , and that he cannot act as a minister in any other place . this consequence is confessed by reverend mr hooker who saith , that a minister preaching to another congregation , though he ceaseth not to be a pastor , yet he doth not preach as a pastor , nor can he do any pastorall acts but in that place , and to that people to whom he is a pastor . thus also it is said in the answer of the elders of severall churches in new-england unto nine positions . pos. . if you mean by ministerial act , such an act of authority and power in dispensing of gods ordinances as a minister doth perform to the church whereunto he is called to be a minister , then we deny that he can perform any ministeriall act to any other church but his own , because his office extends no further then his call : this is also confessed in the new-england platform of church-discipline . and therefore we need not say more for the proof of the consequence . but as for the minor , that a minister can perform no pastorall act out of his own congregation , is an assertion . unheard of in the church of christ before these late years . . contrary to the practice of the brethren themselves with whom we dispute ; it is acknowledged by all of them that the administration of the sacrament is a ministeriall act , and cannot be done but by a pastor or teacher , and yet it is ordinary both in old england and in new england for members of one congregation to receive in another congregation . m. firmin tels us , that m. phillips pastor of the church in water-town , while m. wilson pastor of the church of boston was here in england , went to boston and administred the lords supper to that church ; this surely was a pastorall act , and m. phillips acted herein as a pastor to those that were out of his own congregation . and if we may argue from our brethrens practice we may safely conclude , that a minister may act as a minister out of his own congregation . thirdly , contrary to scripture ; for the scripture tels us , . that there is a church generall visible as well as a particular church visible , act. . . gal. . . cor. . . gal. . . eph. . . cor. . . tim. ▪ . . that ministers are primarily seated in the church generall visible , and but secondarily in this or that particular church , cor. . . teachers are set by god in the same church with the apostles , eph. . , . pastors and teachers are given by christ for the perfecting of the saints , and for the building of the body of christ in general . . that every minister hath a double relation , one to his particular church , another to the church general visible . and though he be actually to exercise his ministry , especially over that charge where he is fixed , yet he hath a virtual and habitual power to preach as a minister in any place where he shall be lawfully called . therefore ministers are spoken of in scripture under a general notion , to shew the indefinitenesse of their office. they are called ministers of god , cor. . . ministers of christ , cor. . . ministers of the new testament , cor. . . ministers of the gospel , thess. . . and ministers in the lord , ephes. . . embassadours for christ , cor. . . but never ministers of the people . indeed they are for the people , but not of the people . that a minister is a minister of the church catholick visible , appears thus : he that can ministerially admit or eject a member into , or out of the church-catholick visible , is a minister and officer of the church-catholick visible : but every minister , by baptism or excommunication admitteth or ejecteth members into , or out of the church-catholick visible . therefore , &c. this argument is urged by apollo●i●s , and also by that godly , learned minister mr hudson ▪ who hath largely handled this point , and to whom we must necessarily referre the reader that would be further satisfied about it . we shall onely relate a passage out of mr ball , in his trial of the new church-way , p. . collected by mr hudson . a minister chosen and set over one society , is to look unto that people committed to his charge , &c. but he is a minister in the church universal . for as the church is one , so is the ministry one , of which every minister ( sound & orthodox ) doth hold his part . and though he is a minister over that flock which he is to attend , yet he is a minister in the church universal . the function or power of exercising that function in the abstract , must be distinguished from the power of exercising it concretely , according to the divers circumstances of places . the first belongeth to a minister every where in the church , the later is proper to the place and people where he doth minister . the lawful use of the power is limited to that congregation ordinarily ; the power it self is not so bounded . in ordination presbyters are not restrained to one or other certain place , as if they were to be deemed ministers there onely , though they be set over a certain people . and as the faithfull in respect of their community between them , must and ought to perform the offices of love one to another , though of different societies ; so the ministers in respect of their communion , must and ought upon occasion to perform ministerial offices toward the faithfull of distinct societies . and one more passage out of mr rutherford in his peaceable plea , pag. . ordination ( saith he ) maketh a man a pastor under christ formally and essentially , the peoples consent and choice do not make him a minister , but their minister , the minister of such a church ; he is indefinitely made a pastor for the church . fourthly , this assertion , that a minister can perform no pastoral act out of his own congregation , as it is contrary to the universal church , to the practice of our brethren themselves , to the holy scriptures ; so also it is contrary to sound reason . for hence it will follow , . that when a minister preacheth in his own congregation to members of another congregation , he doth not preach to them , nor they hear him preach as a minister , but as a gifted brother . and that at the same time he preacheth as a minister by vertue of his office to those of his own congregation , and to others of another congregation then present , onely as a gifted brother ex officio charitatis generali , out of the general office of charity , which to us is very irrational . . hence it will follow , that when a minister preacheth out of his own congregation , he preacheth only as a private christian , and not as an ambassadour of christ , and when he acts in a synod , his actings are the actings of a private christian , and when he preacheth a lecture out of his own congregation ( though it be in a constant way ) yet he preacheth only as a gifted brother . now what a wide door this will open to private men to preach publickly and constantly in our congregations , we leave it to any indifferent man to judge . . hence it will follow , that when a minister baptizeth a childe , he baptizeth him only into his own congregation . for if he be not an officer of the catholick-church , he cannot baptize into the catholick-church , which is directly contrary to cor. . . . hence it will follow , that a christian who by reason of the unfixednesse of his civil habitation , is not admitted into a particular congregation , hath no way left him to have his children baptized , but they must all be left without the church in satans visible kingdom , because they are no particular members , and ( according to our brethrens opinion ) there is no extension of the ministerial office beyond the particular congregation . . we adde , that according to this assertion , there is no way left us by christ for the baptizing of heathens , when it shall please god to convert them to the christian faith . we will suppose an hundred heathens converted . we demand , by whom shall these be baptized ? not by a private christian. this our brethren abhorre as well as we . to baptize is an act o● office , and can be done only by officers . not by a minister : for a minister ( say they ) cannot perform any pastoral act ( such as this is ) out of his own congregation . neither can these hundred converts choose a minister , and thereby give him power to baptize them ; for they must first be a church before they have power to choose officers , and a church they cannot be till baptized . neither can they joyn as members to any other church , and thereby be made capable of baptism by that minister into whose church they are admitted . for in the way of christ a man must first be baptized before he be capable of being outwardly and solemnly admitted as a member of a particular church . the three thousand were not first added to the church , and then baptized , but first baptized , and thereby added to the church . we cannot conceive how such heathen converts should regularly be baptized , unlesse it be granted , that every minister is a minister of the church-catholick , and that every minister hath an habitual , indefinite power to act as a minister in any place of the world where he shall be lawfully called : that the desire of these hundred converts to be baptized is a sufficient call to draw forth this habitual power into act , and that he may ( being thus desired ) according to the rules of the gospel regularly and warrantably baptize them . . hence it will follow , that a minister preaching out of his own congregation , cannot lawfully and warrantably pronounce the blessing after his sermon ( which yet is practised by our brethren . ) for to blesse the people from god is an act of office , and to be done only by an officer , numb . . , , , . compared with revel . . . where the same blessings and persons from whom they come are expresly mentioned ) and so also isa. . . where under the name of priests and levites to be continued under the gospel , are meant evangelical pastors , who therefore are by office to blesse the people , and they onely , deut. . . cor. . . ephes. . . . hence it will also follow , that when a minister of a particular congregation is sick , or necessitated to be a long while absent upon just occasion , that all this while ( though it should be for many years ) the congregation must be without the sacrament of the lords supper , without having their children baptized , and without any preacher that shall preach amongst them , as a minister of christ , but only in the capacity of a private christian. neither can it be answered by our brethren ( as some of them do ) that a neighbour minister ( in such cases ) may come in at the desire of the congregation , and administer the sacraments amongst them by vertue of communion of churches , unlesse they will also hold communion of offices , which they do not . for these acts being acts of office , cannot be done , unlesse there be an habitual , indefinite power of the ministerial office , which by the desire of the congregation is drawn out into act . there are divers other absurdities that flow from this assertion , that a minister cannot act as a minister out of his own congregation , brought by mr hudson , to whom we refer the reader . onely we shall cra●e leave to cite a passage out of mr ball , alledged by the fore-named author . that to suppose a minister to be a minister to his own congregation only , and to none other society whatsoever , or to what respect soever , is contrary to the judgment and practice of the vniversal church , and tendeth to destroy the vnity of the church , and that communion which the church of god may and ought to have one with another . for if he be not a minister in other churches , then are not the churches of god one , nor the flock which they feed one , nor the ministry one , nor the communion one which they had each with others . again , pag. . he saith , if a minister may pray , preach , and blesse another congregation in the name of the lord , and receive the sacrament with them , we doubt not but being thereunto requested by consent of the pastor and congregation , he may lawfully dispense the seals among them , as need and occasion require . that disti●ction of preaching by office , and exercising his gifts onely , when it is done by a minister , and desired of none but ministers , and that in solemn , set , constant church-assemblies , we cannot finde warranted in the word of truth , and therefore we dare not receive it . before we part with this argument we must necessarily answer two objections . obj. if a minister be a minister of the church universal visible , and can act as a minister out of his particular congregation , wherein doth he differ from an apostle ? was it not the peculiar priviledge of the apostles , evangelists , &c. to have their commission extended to all churches ? this objection is made by mr hooker . answ. though we believe that every minister is a minister of the universal church , yet we are far from thinking , that he is actually an universal minister . the apostles had the actual care of the church universal committed unto them , and wheresoever they came had actual power to perform all ministerial offices without the consent or call of particular churches . and besides they were not fixed to any particular charge , but were ministers alike of all the churches of christ. but it is far otherwise with ordinary ministers : they are fixed to their particular congregations , where they are bound by divine right to reside , and to be diligent in preaching to them in season and out of season . all that we say concerning their being ministers of the church universall , is , that they have power by their ordination in actu primo ( as m. hudson saith ) to administer the ordinances of christ in all the churches of the saints , yet not in actu secundo , without a speciall call , which is farre differing from the apostolicall power . object . if a minister may act as a minister out of his own congregation , why do you your selves ordain none but such as have a title to some particular charge ? answ. it is true , we say in our government , that it is agreeable to the word of god , and very convenient , that they that are to be ordained be designed to some particular church or ministerial employment , not hereby limiting their office , but the ordinary exercise of their office. we distinguish between a minister of christ and a minister of christ in such a place , between the office it self and the ordinary ●xercise of it to such or such a people ; and yet notwithstanding we ordain none without a title , thereby to prevent , . a vagrant and ambulatory ministry ; for we conceive it far more edifying for the people of god to live under a fixt ministry . . a lazy and idle ministry ; for when men shall have an office , and no place actually to exercise it , this might in a little space fill the church with unpreaching ministers . . a begging and so a contemptible ministry ; for when ministers want places they are oftentimes wholly destitute of means , and thereby come to great poverty , even to the very contempt of the office it self . so much for the sixth argument . arg. . if the whole essence of the ministeriall call consisteth in election without ordination , then it will necessarily follow , that when a minister leaves , or is put from that particular charge to which he is called , that then he ceaseth to be a minister , and becomes a private person , and that when he is elected to another place , he needs a new ordination , and so toties quoties , as often as he is elected so often he is to be ordained , which to us seems a very great absurdity . that this consequence doth necessarily follow , is confessed by the reverend ministers of new-england in their platform of church-discipline , where they say , he that is clearly loosed from his office-relation unto that church whereof he was a minister , cannot be looked upon as an officer , nor perform any act of office in any other church , unlesse he be again orderly called unto office , which when it shall be , we know nothing to hinder , but imposicion of hands also in his ordination ought to be used towards him again ; for so paul the apostle received imposition of hands twice at least , from ananias act. . . and act. . , . but this seems to us to be a very great absurdity , and contrary to sound doctrine , which we prove , . because every minister hath a double relation , one to the church-catholique indefinitely , another to that particular congregation over which he is set . and when he removes from his particular congregation , he ceaseth indeed to be a minister of that place , but not from being a minister of the gospel ; and when called to another he needs no new ordination , no more ( as m. hudson well saith ) then a physician or lawyer need a new license or call to the barre , though they remove to other places , and have other patients and clients . for ordination is to the essence of the ministeriall office , and not only in reference to a particular place or charge . the reverend assembly of divines in their advice to the parliament concerning church-government , say , that there is one generall church visible held forth in the new testament , and that the ministry was given by iesus christ to the génerall church-visible , for the gathering and perfecting of it in this life , until his second coming ; which they prove from cor. . . eph. . , . compared with ver . , , , , , . of the same chapter . now if ministers be seated by christ in the church-catholique as well as in their particular churches , then it followeth , that they have a relation as ministers to the church-catholique , and though their relation to their particular church ceaseth , yet their ministeriall relation ceaseth not , because they were officers of the church-catholique , and there doth still remain in them a power in actu primo to dispense all the ordinances of christ , though their call ad actum secundum , sive exercitum pro hic & nunc ( as m. hudson phraseth it ) ceaseth . even as every private christian hath also a double relation , one to the church generall , another to the particular place whereof he is a member : and when he removes from his congregation , he doth not cease to be a member of the visible church ( for then his baptism should cease , for every baptized person is a member of the church ) but only of that particular church . and when he joyns with any other congregation he needs not to be baptized again , but is received by vertue of his former baptism ; so it is with a minister of the gospel : when he leaves his particular congregation , he continueth still to be a minister , though not their minister , and needs no more to be ordained anew , then a private christian to be baptized anew ; because neither ordination nor baptism do stand in relation to the particular congregation , but to the church-catholique . secondly , if a minister when he removes or is removed from his particular congregation ceaseth to be a minister , then it will follow , . that if the church that called him prove hereticall , and wickedly separate from him , that then the sin of the people should nullifie the office of the minister ; or. . if the church refuse to give him competent maintenance , and starve him out from them , or if the major part unjustly combine together to vote him out ( for such power our brethren give to particular churches ) that then the covetousnesse and injustice of the people should make void the function of their minister . nay , . by this doctrine there will be a door opened for the people of a city or nation to un-minister all their ministers , which things are very great absurdities , and contrary to sound doctrine . thirdly , because there is no scripture to warrant the iteration of ordination in case of removall . the apostles went about ordaining elders in every church ; and titus was left in crete to ordain elders , &c. but there is no mention made of any command for reiterated ordination , neither indeed can it be ; for ordination being a setting a man apart to the office of the ministry ( as we shall hereafter prove ) and not only to the exercise of it in such a place , though the local exercise should cease yet his office still remains , and therefore needs not be reiterated ; to this truth we have the consent of the universall church , who do not only not allow but condemn a second ordination ; neither do we know any of the reformed churches that teach or practise after this manner , but many that teach and practise the contrary . object . what then will you answer to the example of paul who had hands twice laid upon him , once by ananias , act. . and afterward at antioch , act , ? answ. . it will not easily be proved , tha● the imposition of hands by ananias upon paul was for the consecration of him to the office of an apostle , and not rather for the recovering of his sight , and for that only : the text seems to hold out the last ; sure we are that paul was baptized after this imposition of hands ; and it is not probable that he was outwardly and visibly ordained to his apostolical office before his baptism . as for act. . m. hooker in his survey par . . pag. . saith expresly , that here is no ordination to office at all , for the apostles had their office before , and if so , then it makes nothing for our new-england brethren to prove an iterated ordination unto the same office. of the like minde with m. hooker is learned chamier , who saith , that before this ordination paul and barnabas had preached and exercised the offi●e of their apostleship ; and therefore we doe not think ( saith he ) that this imposition of hands was an ordination properly unto any new ecclesiasticall function , but onely a confirmation of their sending to the gentiles , to whom they were not yet professedly sent : for in that excursion of theirs unto antioch there is no mention made of the gentiles , and that was a kinde of prologue to that great work which now they were to put in full execution . the text it self seems to give countenance to this interpretation , because it saith , separate me paul and barnabas for the work , &c. not for the office but for the work whereunto i have called them ; called they were before , and designed by god to be preachers to the gentiles , and now they were publiquely inaugurated to that great and eminent service . chrysostome , theophylact , and oecumenius ( as they are cited by chamier ) say , that this imposition of hands was unto the office of an apostle : thus deodate , they laid their hands on them , that is , for a sign of consecration unto the office of an apostle . but how can this be , when the apostle paul himself tels us , that he was an apostle , not of men , neither by men , but by iesus christ immediatly ? and also when he was an apostle ( as calvin saith ) long before this time ? and therefore we rather think , that this separation was not unto the apostolicall office , but unto that great and ( as calvin cals it ) now unusual work of preaching unto the gentiles . but howsoever , whether this imposition of hands were unto the apostolicall office , or only unto a peculiar work , it makes nothing for the proof of that for which it is brought , to wit , that an officer loosed from his office-relation , may be ordained again unto the same office : for paul was never loosed from his office after he was once called unto it ; if the imposition of hands by ananias were unto the office of an apostle , as we beleeve it was not , yet if it were , we then demand , either this ordination was afterward null and void , or remained firm and valid ? if it alwaies remained firm , what need a new ordination ? if null and void , we desire a proof of it , which we are sure they cannot produce , and till that be done , this instance makes nothing for the proof of their assertion . besides all this , we adde , that this separation and imposition of hands was by the immediate appointment of the holy ghost ; the holy ghost said , separate me , &c. and ver . . they were sent forth by the holy ghost ; this was an extraordinary thing , and therefore not sufficient to ground an ordinary practice upon . thirdly and lastly , if the whole essence of the ministerial call consisteth in popular election , then will two other great absurdities follow . . that ordination can in no case precede such election . . that there must be churches before there be ministers . first , that ordination can in no wise precede election . now though ordinarily no man is ordained in the presbyterian way without a title to some ch●rge , yet we conceive many cases may be put , in which ordination may lawfully go before election : we shall only give two instances . . when an ordained minister removes upon warrantable grounds from one charge to another , the people to whom he removes ●hoose him not as o●e that is to be made a minister , but as one already made , and now to be made their minister , for his removing from his former place doth not nullifie his ministerial office , as we have sufficiently proved . . when there is a necessity of sending men ( as there is now in new-england for the conversion of heathen people ) we th●●k it very agreeable unto scriptur●-rules , that these men sho●ld be first ordained before they be elected by the heathen to whom they are sent . and the reason is because that the conversion of souls is the proper work of the ministry : when christ went up into heaven he left not only apostles , prophets , and evang●lists , but also pastors and teachers , for the perfecting of the saints , for the work of the ministry for the edifying of the body of christ , eph. . , . and the office of o●dinary ministers is to be embassadors for christ , and in christs name or in christs stead to beseech people to be reconciled unto god , not only to build them up in grace when reconciled , but to be instrumental to reconcile them , to open their eyes and to turn them from darknesse to light , and from the power of satan unto god , &c. we finde no place in scripture to warrant a church to send out gifted brethren without ordination for the work of conversion ; what may be done in extraordinary cases where ordination cannot be had we dispute not ; but where it may be had , there we conceive it most agreeable to the word , that men should be first ordained before sent : hereby they shall have a divine stamp upon them , they shall go with more authority , and shall have power to baptize those whom they do convert , which otherwise they cannot lawfully do : it is an unscriptural opinion , and of pernicious consequence that some amongst us have taken up , that a minister should preach only for the building up of saints , and not for the conversion of sinners , that when a minister converts any out of his own congregation , he doth it not as a minister but as a gifted brother ; that the great work of conversion which is the chief work of a minister , doth properly belong to gifted brethren . all this ariseth from that groundlesse conceit , that a minister is no minister out of his own congregation , which we have abundantly disproved . secondly , it will also follow , that there must be churches before there be ministers , which is against scripture and sound reason : we do not deny but that there must be a church before their minister , but not before a minister : the church-entitative is before the church ministerial , but yet a minister must needs be before a church : for every church must consist of persons baptized ( unbaptized persons cannot make a church : ) and therefore there must be a minister to baptize them before they can be made capable to enter into church-fellowship . our saviour christ chose his apostles for the gathering of churches ; there were first apostles before churches , and afterward● the apostles ordained elders in these gathered churches . and one great work of these elders was to convert the neighbouring heathen , and when converted to baptize them , and gather them into churches ; and therefore elders as well as apostles were before churches : and whosoever with us holds ( as our brethren do ) that none but a minister in office can baptize , must needs hold that there must be ordinary ministers before churches , and that therefore the whole essence of the ministeriall call , doth not consist in the election of the church . so much for the proof of the second proposition . it will be expected that we should answer to the arguments that are brought by these reverend men that hold the contrary to this proposition : as for texts of scripture there are none brought nor ( as we said before ) can be brought . the great argument used by d. ames and improved by m. hooker is this . arg. . one relate gives being and the essentiall constituting causes to the other , but pastor and people , shepherd and flock are relates . ergo. he addes further , that they are simul natura , and that the one cannot be without th● other ; there cannot be a pastor before there be a people which choose him , &c. answ. we shall answer to this argument according to the grounds formerly laid ; that every minister hath a double relation , one to the particular church of which he is a minister , the other to the church universall : as to his relation to his particular church , it is very true , that pastor and people are relates and simul naturâ ; he cannot be their pastor but by their submission to his ministry , and when he leaves them he ceaseth to be their minister . but now besides this particular relation he hath a relation also to the church universall , and by his ordination is invested ( as we have said ) with habituall power to act as a minister beyond his particular church when he is lawfully called thereunto ; and as long as this correlative ( the church universall ) lasteth , so long his ministeriall office lasteth , though his particular relation should cease . in a word , the people give being to a minister as to be their minister but not as to be a minister . another argument brought by m. hooker is , arg. . it is lawfull for a people to reject a pastor upon just cause ( if he prove pertinaciously scandalous in his life , or hereticall in his doctrine ) and put him out of his office , ergo , it is in their power also to call him outwardly , and put him into his office. the consequence is proved from the staple rule , ejusdem est instituere , & destituere , he that hath power to invest hath power to devest . the antecedent is as certain by warrant from the word , mat. . . mat. . . beware of wolves , phil. . . beware of false prophets . answ. if by putting him out of his office be meant only a putting him from being their officer , then the argument must be thus framed ; they that have power to put out a minister from being their minister , have power to choose him to be their minister ; and this we deny not . but if by putting him out of office be meant a putting him absolutely from being an officer , we deny , that the people in this sense have power destituere , to put him out of office , or instituere , to put him into office : and we retort the argument . they that have not power instituere have not power destituere ; they that have not power to put a minister into office , have not power to put him out of office : but people ( not being officers ) have not power to make an officer , as hath been shewed ; ergo. but it seems that mr hooker by the peoples rejecting their pastor , and putting him out of office , doth mean their excommunicating of him , for he saith afterwards , that this rejection cuts him off from being a member in that congregation where he was , &c. for answer to this we refer the reader to what is said by a minister , that is come out of new-england , who saith , that if reverend mr hooker had been alive , and had seen what work church-members make here in england in very many churches , it would have caused him to bethink himself again of the peoples power . something we hear of ( saith he ) is done in a church not farre from the place where he lived , it cannot be kept close , the light of that fire shines into england . afterwards he brings mr cotton to confute mr hooker . mr cotton saith , that excommunication is one of the highest acts of rule in the church , and therefore cannot be performed but by some rulers . then he cites mr burroughs . if the church be without officers , they cannot do that which belongs to officers to do , they have no sacraments amongst them , neither can they have any spiritual iurisdiction exercised amongst them , only brotherly admonition , and withdrawing from such as walk disorderly , for their own preservation . much more to this purpose is brought by this author , to whom we refer the reader . as for those two texts of scripture , matth. . . phil. . . by which mr hooker proves his antecedent , they do not at all come up to the point in hand . though people are to beware of wolves and of false prophets , it doth not therefore follow that a people may excommunicate their minister . indeed this will follow , that people are to be careful to preserve themselves from heretical ministers , and to withdraw from them , and this withdrawing if it be upon just grounds , makes him cease to be their minister , but not from being a minister , as we have often said . we will not trouble the reader with answering any more arguments , because they seem to us to have no weight in them , these two already answered being the chief that are brought . only we shal speak a little to a similitude that is often brought by our brethren of the contrary judgment . for it is ordinarily said ▪ that there is the same relation between a minister and his particularcongregation , as is between a man and his wife . and as it is the mutual choise one of another that makes them man and wife : so it is the peoples choise , and the ministers accepting that choise that makes them to be pastor and flock . dr ames saith , that ordinatio episcopalis sine titulo est aquè ridicula , ac si quis maritus fing●ritur esse absque uxore . and indeed saith mr hooker , it is ridiculous to conceit the contrary . in another place the same doctor saith , oves rationales possunt eligere sibi pastorem , sicut sponsa eligit sibi sponsum , non per jurisdictionem aut gubernationem , sed potius per subjectionem . but we answer , that symbolical theology is not argumentative , similia ad pompam non ad pugnam , similitudes do beautifie not fortifie . there is nothing almost more dangerous in divinity , then to overstretch similitudes , of which fault we believe our brethren are much guilty . as for the similitude it self , we conceive it will not hold . for . if minister and people be as man and wife , then it will follow that they may not separate till death , unlesse it be in case of adultery . the wife is as much bound to the husband as the husband to his wife . but there are few people ( if any ) that think themselves obliged to abide with their ministers till death . ( it is ordinary even with men professing godlinesse to forsake their minister , and that oftentimes upon worldly interest . ) and there are few ministers ( if any ) that think that they may in no case leave their people . there are three cases in which we conceive all agree , that a minister may remove from his people ; if he cannot have his health where he is , if he be denied competent maintenance , and if the glory of god may be in an eminent manner advanced . but we hope that it will not be said that a husband may separate from his wife in these cases . . this similitude sounds ill . for it makes every minister to be as a husband to his church , and so by consequence the head of his church , which complies too much with the antichrist of rome , who cals himself the husband and head of the church . the church hath no husband but christ , cor. . . . this similitude makes christ to have as many wives as there are particular churches . our brethren hold , that every particular congregation is the body of christ , and the spouse of christ , which if it were true christ should have as many bodies and spouses as there are particular churches , which ( we conceive ) cannot be right . for it is as absurd to say , that one head hath many bodies , and one husband many wives , as to say , that one body hath many heads , and one wife many husbands . but now we say , that the whole church of christ throughout the world is but one . that christ properly hath but one body , and one wife . and that particular churches are but members of this one body , and limbs and members of this one spouse , even as every particular saint also is . and that every minister hath a relation to this church-catholick as a member thereof , and seated therein , and as one that by his ordination hath power to act as a minister wheresoever he is ( if called ) for the good of the whole . and that he is placed in a particular church for the actual and constant exercise of his ministry , as in a part of christs body , or a limb or member of his spouse . and that they by their choice make him their minister , their pastor , their shepherd ; but not a minister , a pastor , a shepherd . so much in answer to the arguments against the second proposition , and also concerning election of ministers . chap. x. concerning ordination of ministers , wherein the first assertion about ordination is proved : namely , that ordination of ministers , is an ordinance of christ. that the method which we propounded in the beginning may not be forgotten , we crave leave to put the reader in minde of what we have already said , that the call of men to the ministry , is either immediate or mediate . that the mediate call is by election and ordination . and having finished what we thought fit to say about election , we are now to proceed to speak about ordination , concerning which we shall offer this general proposition . that the work of ordination , that is to say , an outward solemn constituting and setting apart of persons to the office of the ministry , by prayer , fasting and imposition of hands of the presbytery , is an ordinance of christ. for the more methodical proving of this general proposition , we shall undertake to make good these four assertions . . that ordination of ministers is an ordinance of christ. . that the essence of the ministerial call consisteth in ordination . . that ordination ought to be with prayer , fasting and imposition of hands . . that ordination ought to be by the presbytery . that ordination of ministers is an ordinance of christ. for the understanding of this assertion we must distinguish between the substance , essence , and formal act of ordination , and the rite used in ordination . the essential act of ordination , is the constituting or appointing of a man to be a minister , or the sending of him with power and authority to preach the gospel . the rite is imposition of hands . in this assertion we are not at all to speak of imposition of hands , but onely of ordination , as it relates to the setting of a man apart to the office of the ministry . now that this is an ordinance of christ , we shall not need to spend much time in proving it . . because we have already made this out in our third proposition , where we asserted , that no man ought to take upon him the office of a minister , but he that is lawfully called and ordained thereunto . . because the proving of the other three will prove this also . . because we have not so many enemies to contest withall in this , as in the other three propositions . for though there be many that hold ordination to be onely an adjunct of the ministerial call , and not an essential ingredient , which is against the second proposition . and many that deny imposition of hands against the third . and many that say , that a church without officers may ordain against the fourth proposition . and though there be very many that hold , that an unordained man may preach as a gifted brother , yet there are but few ( in comparison ) who say , that a man may enter into the office of the ministry , and preach authoritatively as a pastor , without ordination . our brethren in new-england , in their plat-form of church-government say , that church-officers are not only to be chosen by the church , but also to be ordained by imposition of hands and prayer , &c. and in their answer to the thirty two questions , they say expresly , that ordination is necessary by divine institution . the very socinians themselves , though great enemies to the ministerial calling ( and no wonder , when such great enemies to christ himself ) though they deny the necessity of ordination , yet they acknowledge that for order and decency it is fit to retain it in the church . for our parts we think the scripture to be so clear for the proof of this assertion , that we wonder there should be any found to stand up in opposition against it . for first , in the old testament not onely the high-priest , but all the other priests and levites were by divine appointment inaugurated to their ministerial offices , and when any men unconsecrated intruded themselves into the priestly or levitical office they were remarkably punished by god himself ▪ witnesse corah and his company , of whom we have formerly made mention . now surely this was written for our instruction upon whom the ends of the world are come , to teach us , that it is the will of christ that no man should enter into the ministerial office unordained or unconsecrate . to hint this , the prophet isaiah tels us , that in the times of the new testament the lord would take from among christians some to be priests , and some to be levites , where the new testament ministers are cloathed with old testament titles , and are called priests and levites , not in reference to any real unbloudy and propitiatory sacrifice by them to be offered , as the papists falsly imagine , but as we conceive to signifie unto us , . that there should be an office of the ministry distinct from all other offices unde● the new testament as well as under the old ( and therefore it is said , that god would take of them for priests not take all them for priests . ) and , . that these ministers were to be consecrated to their respective offices , as the priests and levites were . secondly , in the new testament we read , . that in the very choice of deacons , which was but an inferiour office and serving only for the distribution of the temporal estates of people , the apostle requires , that they should not onely be elected by the people , but also ordained to this office . much more ought this to be done in the choise of persons who are called to the work of preaching , and dispensing sacramental mysteries , a service of all others of greatest weight and worth . . that even the very apostle paul , though chosen immediately by christ unto the great office of preaching unto the gentiles , and that in a miraculous way , yet notwithstanding it was the pleasure of the holy ghost , that he must be separated and set apart by men for this great work . and if this was thought necessary for an extraordinary officer : if paul that was separated from his mothers womb to preach christ to the heathen , and was separated by an immediate voice from heaven to bear christ's name before the gentiles , must also have an outward solemn separation by the prophets at antioch unto this work , how much more is this necessary in ordinary officers ? . that paul and barnabas who were themselves separated to the work of the ministry , act. . . went about , act. . . ordaining elders in every church . the greek word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 signifieth ( as we have shewed ) not a choosing by the suffrages of the people , but a special designing and appointing of ministers by the apostles paul and barnabas . . that titus was left at crete to ordain elders in every church , which surely had been very vain and superfluous if ordination be not an institution of christ , and necessary in his church . . that timothy was ordained not only by the laying on of pauls hands , but also by the laying on of the hands of the presbytery . by laying on of hands , as by a synecdoche is meant the whole work of ordination , and hence we see that it is the will of the holy ghost that not only paul an apostle , as formerly , but timothy an evangelist must be set apart unto his office by ordination . . that timothy is commanded to lay hands suddenly on no man , neither to be partakers of other mens sin , but to keep himself pure . this negative command implies an affirmative , that it was his office to lay on hands , that is , to ordain elders , but his care must be not to do it rashly and unadvisedly upon men insufficient , lest he should thereby be made partakers of other mens sins . this text doth necessarily imply a precept for ordination . . that timothy is commanded to commit those things which he had heard from paul among many witnesses , to faithful men who shall be able to teach others also . where we have , . a separation of some men to be teachers in christs church . . the qualification of these teachers , they must be faithfull men , and such as are able to teach others . . we have an injunction laid upon timothy that he should commit what he had heard of paul unto these faithfull men . now this committing was not only to be by way of instruction , but also by way of ordination . pauls charge committed to timothy was not so much to make men fit to teach others , as by ordination to set men apart for the teaching of others , that there might be a perpetual succession of teachers . for the further making out of this truth , let the reader consider what is said by mr gillespy in his miscellany questions , and what we have before said , pag. . . that laying on of hands is reckoned not only as an institution of christ , but as one of the principles of the doctrines of christ : but of this text we shall speak more in the third assertion . by all these places it is evident , that it is the will of christ that those that enter into the ministerial calling should be consecrated , set apart and ordained thereunto . most of the objections brought against this assertion , have been answered at large in the handling of the third proposition . if any shall further object and say , obj. . that these are but examples , and examples do not amount up to a rule . answ. . that apostolical examples in things necessary for the good of the church , and which have a perpetual reason and equity in them , have the force of a rule . of this nature is ordination . . if we should not follow the examples of the apostles in those things in which they acted as ordinary elders , we should be left at uncertainties , and every man might do what seemeth good in his own eyes , which would tend to confusion , and the dissolution of the church . . the apostles taught the churches to do nothing but what they had a commandment from christ to teach them , matth. . . cor. . . and in all their disciplinary institutions , which were not meerly occasional , and had only a temporary reason of their institution ( of which kinde ordination we are sure is not ) are to be imitated as though they were the immediate institution● of christ. . for ordination of ministers we have not only apostolical example , but apostolical pre●●pt , as we have already proved out of tim. . . object . . if it be further objected . that the ordination mentioned in the text fore-named , was onely for those times , and not to continue to the end of the world . answ. . this is not true . for if the ministry he to continue to the end of the world , then the way of entring into the ministry enjoyned by the apostles , is also to continue . and there can no reason be brought why the one should be abolished , and not the other . . timothy is enjoyned to keep this commandment without spot , unrebukable , untill the appearing of our lord iesus christ. beza translates 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 haec mandat● , keep these commandments , that is , ( saith he ) all the commandments commanded him in the whole epistle . thus deodate , that thou keep this commandment , that is , not only that which is contained , vers . . & . but generally all other commandments which are contained in this epistle . now this commandment of laying hands suddenly on no man , is one of those commandments which he was to keep without spot untill the appearing of our lord jesus christ ; which evidently proves that ordination is an ordinance of christ , and is to last to the end of the world . it is worth observing which is also hinted by a reverend minister , that there are . descents of men sent and ordained . . christ himself was sent and had his commission from his father , ioh. . , . iesus christ did not glorifie himself to be made an high-priest , but was anointed thereunto by god his father , act. . . . christ jesus as he was sent of his father , so he sent forth his apostles , ioh. . . it is said mat. . . that christ called unto him his twelve apostles , and sent them forth , and gave them their commission : nay , it is said mar. . . and he ordained twelve ; the greek is , 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 , and he made twelve that they should be with him , and that he might send them forth to preach ; this making was an authoritative appointing them to their office. the apostles would not have dared to have preached the gospel , had they not been commissionated by christ thereunto . . the apostles went about ordaining elders in every church ; paul ordained timothy , tim. . . . timothy and titus did ordain others as they themselves had been ordained , and that by the apostles own appointment , tit. . . tim. . . nay , we reade of a presbytery ordaining , tim. . . and as timothy was intrusted with the word of christ , so he is commanded to commit the same trust to faithfull men able to teach others also , that so there may be a succession of teachers : thus we have four descents recorded in scripture . . god anoints jesus christ and ordains him to his ministerial office . . christ ordains his apostles . . the apostles ordain extraordinary and ordinary officers . . and these ordain others . and this commandment is given to be observed till the coming of our lord jesus christ. and thus ( as the authour fore-mentioned saith ) the apostles admitted men in their own practice into the ministry , and thus they appointed for succeeding times , and can any think that ordination ended with that age ? is there not the same cause , necessity , use and reason for it in after ages as in the first times of the church , when there were as yet extraordinary gifts stirring in the church which are now ceased , and therefore the more need of a standing ministry ? sure we are of two things . . that there are more , and more clear texts for ordination then for popular election ; our brethren in new-england and many in old england are very much for election by the people ; and so are we if it be rightly ordered and managed ; but we desire them to shew us as clear scriptures for election , as we have done for ordination . . that there is as much ( if not more ) in scripture for the justification of ordination as for any other part of church-government , as for the divine right of synods , of excommunication , of ruling elders , or any other part of discipline , in which we agree together . how then it should come to passe that many in our daies should cry up the divine right of election by the people , of excommunication , and other parts of church-government , and cry down the divine right of ordination , we know not : indeed we confesse , that the papists do too much extoll it , calling it a sacrament , and not only a sacrament in a generall sense , as calvin seemeth to do , but a sacrament in a proper sense , as baptism and the lords supper are called sacraments ; and also in appropriating it to bishops , as distinct from presbyters : hence it may be it is , that some in our age running into the other extream ( as the nature of man alwaies is apt to do ) do too much vilifie and undervalue it , and because they like it not , brand it with the black mark ( as they do other of the ordinances of christ ) of antichristian ordination . but we hope better things of our people , and beseech them to take heed of those that call good evil and evil good , and that call the institutions of christ the doctrines of antichrist . so much for the first assertion . chap. xi . proving the second assertion about ordination , to wit , that the essence of the ministeriall call doth properly consist in ordination . the second assertion is , that the essence of the ministeriall call doth properly consist in ordination . the contrary to this assertion is maintained by many reverend divines , who set up election in the room of ordination , and make ordination ●o be but an adjunct unto , and a consequent of this ministeriall call , and a confirmation of a man into that office which he hath bestowed upon him by his election . the essence and substance of the outward calling of an ordinary officer in the church ( say the ministers of new-england in their platform of church-government ) doth not consist in his ordination , but in his voluntary and free election by the church , and in his accepting of that election . in opposition to this we have already endeavoured at large to prove , that the essence of the ministeriall call doth not consist in popular election . and therefore we intend to be very brief in proving the contrary ; that it doth consist in ordination : this we make out by these ensuing arguments . . if election doth not give the essentials of the ministeriall office , then ordination doth : for the outward call of a minister ( as it is agreed on all sides ) doth consist only in his election or ordination . but election doth not , &c. as we have formerly shewed by divers arguments . ergo. ordination doth . . if ordination makes a man a minister that was not one before , then it gives the essence of the ministeriall office. but ordination makes a man a minister that was not one before , ergo , &c. that this is so appears , . from the ordination of deacons , act. . . look ye out seven men , &c. whom we may appoint over this businesse , 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is to put a man into an office which he had not before . thus it is said of ioseph , act. . . and he made him governour over egypt , &c. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 . &c. this act of pharaohs did not confirm him in that office which he had before , but conferred upon him an office he never had . the like we reade deut. . . take ye wise men and understanding , and known among your tribes , and i will make them rulers over you . it was not the peoples taking , but moses his appointing that did make them rulers . thus exo. . . thou shalt provide able men , and place such over them to be rulers of thousands , &c. it was moses his placing that did give them the formality of rulers . the hebrew word in exod. and deut. is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which answers the greek word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 tim. . . where it is said 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 , and it was the apostles appointing of deacons that did make them deacons : all that the people did was to set seven men before the apostles whom they by ordination made deacons . . this appears also from tit. . . for this cause left i thee in crete , that thou shouldest — ordain elders in every city , 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 , et constituas ; and ordain o● appoint : it is evident that there was a great want of elders in crete , and titus was left to appoint and set elders over them : titus was not left only to adde an adjunct ( as we have formerly said ) to the ministeriall call , or to establish and confirm those in their places that had right to them before , but he was left 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 , which is all one as in a civill sense , 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as one saith , or 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 constituere & praeficere rectores & judices , to constitute and make rulers and judges : thus it is said , luk . . who then is that faithfull aend wise steward whom his lord shall make ruler , &c. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 . this act of the lord of the house is that which gives the formall being of a ruler unto this steward . and it is ordination that doth 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 , and is essentiale constituens of the ministeriall office . argum. . if ordination be the sending of a manforth with power and authority to preach the gospel , and administer the sacraments , then it is that which gives the essence of the ministerial office. but ordination is so , ergo. the minor is proved from rom. . . and how shall they preach except they be sent , 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 . this sending it an authoritative mission to preach the word as criers and heralds ( for so the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 signifieth ) and also as embassadors are sent forth by their prince with their letters missive and credentials , which appears by the words immediatly following , as it is written , how beautiful are the feet of them that preach the gospel of peace , and bring glad tidings of good things ! hence it is , that some divines do very well define ordination to be missio potestativa , a sending of a man forth with power and authority to preach and administer the sacraments . it is not an installing of a man into an office to which he hath right before , but it is a giving of him his commission and authority ; and of this kinde of sending is this text to be understood . that it cannot be understood of providential sending we have formerly proved , nor of a sending by the election of the people : for the people cannot be said to be sent to themselves , but ministers are said to be sent to them . and we now further adde , that it cannot be understood only of an extraordinary mission by god , such as the apostles had , which was to cease with the apostles , but it must be understood of such an authoritative sending which was to continue to the end of the world : for the apostle in that climax of his makes it as necessary and perpetuall as calling upon the name of the lord , as beleeving and hearing the word : for this the apostle affirmeth , that as calling upon the name of the lord is perpetually necessary to salvation , so is faith to the calling upon the name of the lord , and so is hearing of the word necessary to beleeving , so is preaching of the word to hearing , and so is ordination and mission necessary to the orderly preaching of the word . and therefore we conclude , that by sending is meant a sending by ordination , and that this sending is a deputation of a man to an ecclesiasticall function with power and authority to perform the same , and that it is to last as long as preaching , beleeving , and praier , which is to the end of the world . arg. . if ordination be that which gives the ministeriall office , then the essence of the ministeriall call consisteth in ordination . but ordination is that which gives the ministerial office . that this it so appears from tim. . . wherefore i put th●e in remembrance that thou stir up the gift of god which is in thee by the putting on of my hands : and by tim. . . neglect not the gift that is in thee which was given thee by prophecy , with the laying on of the hands of the presbytery . by laying on of hands is meant ( as is aforesaid ) the whole work of ordination ; and by gift is meant docendi officium , ( as most interpreters say ) the office of the ministry , and the power and authority conferred thereby upon him . the greek word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is often taken not only for the grace by which we are fitted for an office , but for an office unto which men are through grace fitted . thus it is taken ephes. . . rom. . . and thus it is here to be taken , paul by ordination did not onely declare timothy to be an officer , and confirm him in that office which he had before ●ollated upon him by the choice of the people ▪ but he together with the presbytery gave him the gift or office of the ministry . object . the text saith , that this gift was given by prophecy , and therefore not by the laying on of the hands either of paul or of the presbytery . answ. these words by prophecy do signifie onely the moving cause , and that encouraged paul with the presbytery to lay hands on timothy , viz. it was prophesied , that timothy should be an excellent minister , timothy . . this charge i give unto thee , sonne timothy , according to the prophecies that went before of thee : so that the meaning is , paul by prophecy , that is , according to the prophecies that went before of him , or paul directed by the spirit of prophecy conferd the gift or office of the ministry upon timothy . but here we must of necessity adde one caution left we be mis-understood . when we say that ordination gives the ministerial office , we mean onely as to the essence of the outward call , for we know , that it is the prerogative royall of the lord jesus to appoint officers and offices in his church . it is christ onely that institutes the office , and that furnisheth and fitteth men with graces and abilities for the discharge of so great an employment , with willing and ready mindes to give up themselves to so holy services : it is christ onely that sets the laws and rules according to which they must act . all that man doth in ordination is in a subordinate way as an instrument under christ to give the being of an outward call , and to constitute him an officer according to the method prescribed by christ in his word . all that we say ( that we may be rightly understood ) may be reduced to these three heads . . that it is the will of christ who is king of his church , that men should be outwardly called to the ministry as well as inwardly fitted . and that without this call none can warrantably do any act that belongs to an officer , as not having the specificall form of an officer , and ( as mr hooker saith ) whatsoever is done without this , is void and of none effect . . that this outward call consisteth in election and ordination . . that ordination is that which gives the being of this outward call , that makes a man a minister , that ( in this sense ) gives him his ministeriall office. election doth only design the person , but it is ordination that bestoweth the office upon him . arg. . we might argue in the fifth place from the persons appointed by christ to ordain , and from the great solemnity used in ordination , and from the blame that is laid upon those that ordain unworthy persons unto the ministerial office. . the persons that are said in scripture to ordain , are ( as we shall prove hereafter ) either apostles , prophets , evangelists or presbyters . and this is a sufficient argument to us to prove that it is ordination that constitutes the minister , and not election . for it is not likely , that christ would appoint his apostles , and his apostles appoint extraordinary and ordinary elders to convey onely an adjunct of the ministerial call , and leave the great work of conveying the office-power unto the common people . . the solemnity used in ordination , is prayer , fasting , and imposition of hands . we do not reade the like solemnity expressed in scripture in election , and therefore it is against reason to think , that election should constitute the minister , and give him all his essentials , and ordination only give him a ceremonial complement . . the blame laid upon timothy if he should lay hands suddenly upon any minister , is very great . for hereby he makes himself impure , and becomes accessory to the sins of those whom he makes ministers . now we may thus reason , where the greatest blame lies for unworthy men coming into the ministry , surely there must lie the greatest power of admitting men into the ministry , else the blame is not just . but the greatest blame is laid upon the ministers . ergo. if the constituting cause of the ministerial call did lie in election . the minis●ers may well excuse themselves , and say , we do but ordain , we do but give an adjunct , the people did the main act , they gave the essence , and therefore the blame belongs to them , and not to us . see more of this in separation examined by mr firmin . pag. . much more might be added for the proof of this assertion , but we shall purposely wave what else might be said , least we should be overtedious . chap. xii . wherein the third assertion is proved , viz. that ordination of ministers ought to be by prayer , fasting and imposition of hands . the third assertion is , that ordination of ministers ought to be by prayer , fasting , and imposition of hands . here are two things to be made out , . that ordination ought to be with prayer and fasting . prayer and fasting , though they be not necessary to the very being and essence of ordination , yet they are very necessary to the better being of it , as divine conduits to convey the blessing of god upon it . first , for prayer . it is observable in the old testament , that aaron and his sons did not enter upon their ministry , till they had been sanctified by the holy oyl , and sprinkling of bloud , and had been seven whole dayes before the lord , abiding at the door of the tabernacle of the congregation , levit. . . in the new testament our blessed saviour , when he chose his apostles is said to have spent all the night before in prayer , luk. . , . 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 . and to our remembrance we do not reade that our saviour spent a whole night in prayer , but upon this occasion , which sheweth , of how great consequence it is , that those who preach the gospel should be sent out with solemn and earnest prayer . and this is the more observable if we compare the th of matth. , , . with luke . , , . when christ saw the misery of the people in the want of faithful ministers , that they were as sheep not having a shepherd , he directs them to pray to the lord of the harvest to send forth labourers into his harvest , and then as seemeth by luke's relation , he put that in practice which he commended to do for themselves , he spent the whole night in prayer , and then mat. . , . he chose and sent out his twelve apostles to preach the gospel . secondly , for joyning of fasting with prayer , we may consider , that it was not ordinary and common prayer , or some few and occasional petitions that were put up , but as in c●ses of greatest concernment , when some great evil was to be averted , or some singular mercy to be obtained , fasting was joyned with prayer . in the acts , where you have the records of the primitive churches practice , as the best president for succeeding ages , it is recorded , that persons designed to the work of the ministry , were set apart and commended to god for his assistance , support and successe by fasting and prayer . acts . , , . it is said of the prophets and teachers of antioch , as they ministred to the lord , and fasted , the holy ghost said , separate me barnabas and saul for the work whereunto i have called them . and then when by a new fast , as it may seem purposely called upon that occasion , they had sought god on that behalf , they fasted and prayed , and laid their hands on them , and sent them away to preach . and as it was thus done to paul and barnabas , so when they had travelled farre in preaching the gospel , and had found that happy successe on their ministry , that many among the gentiles were converted , because themselves could not make their constant abode in anyone place ( the greater service of the church calling them forth to other places ) that there might be a foundation of a fixed ministry , for the building up of those that were already converted , and for the bringing in of others yet uncalled . they ordained them elders in every church , which should stay with them , and watch over them in the lord , act. . . and these they sent out with the like solemnity in seeking god by fasting and prayer , and then commended them to the lord in whom they believed . the reasons why ministers should be set a part with prayer and fasting , are weighty , and still the same . . the inidoneousnesse and insufficiency of any meer man ( though of the greatest abilities and indowments , whether for nature , art , or grace ) for such a work wherein we have to do withthe highest mysteries of god and heaven , and with the most precious things on earth , the truths of god , and souls of men . . the discouragements which every where attend this work ( when most faithfully performed ) from satan and wicked men . . the successe of every ones ministry depends wholly on gods blessing . for neither is he that planteth any thing , neither he that watereth , but god that giveth the increase . nor doth the faith of believers depend at all on the wisdome or or power of the minister , but on the power of god , cor. . . and therefore it is necessary in the most solemn manner , that is , by prayer and fasting to implore aid from god whensoever we ordain ministers . but this will be granted by all sides , and therefore we will adde no more about it . the second thing we are to make out , is that ordination of ministers ought to be with imposition of hands . that we may more orderly handle this assertion , which is so much controverted in our unhappy dayes , and be rightly understood , we shall crave leave to premise three things : . that imposition of hands is not a proper gospel-duty , never used but in the new testament , but it is a rite and ceremony borrowed from the old testament , and by christ made a gospel-institution . that which grotius saith in his annotations , that the whole government of the churches of christ , was conformed to the patern of the synagogues , is true in many things , and especially in this of imposition of hands . we finde it was used in four cases under the old testament , . in benediction and blessing , gen. . , . . in offering of sacrifices unto god , lev. . . . in bearing witness , lev. . . . in ordaining or appointing unto an office. thus moses when he ordained ioshua to succeed him , he was commanded by god to lay his hands upon him , and to give him a charge in the sight of the people , num. . , . under the new testament it is used , . in benediction , mark . . . in curing of bodily diseases , luke . . mark . . acts . . . in conveying the miraculous gifts of the holy ghost , act. . , . act. . . . in ordination of church-officers , and of this last way of imposition of hands are we now to speak . secondly , that it is not our purpose accurately to enquire whether imposition of hands be an essential part of ordination , without which it is null and void , or an integral part , without which it is deficient and imperfect , or onely an inseparable adjunct . it is enough for us to assert , that it is lawfull and warrantable , and not onely so , but that it is the duty of all that are to ordain ministers to lay hands upon them , and that it is a sin in any that is to be ordained , to refuse it . thirdly , that though we assert the divine right of imposition of hands , yet we plead for it onely in a scripture-sense , but not in a popish-sense . the papists make it to be an outward sign of an inward and spiritual grace . they make ordination a sacrament , and imposition of hands an operative instrument of conveying not only grace in general , but even justifying grace . hence it is that some few of our divines speak a little too slightly of it ( at which those that are enemies to it take much advantage ) but yet there are no reformed churches ( that we know of ) but do retain it and plead for it , some as a rite and circumstance , and moral sign ; others as an integral part , and others as an essential part of ordination . these things premised , we come now to prove , that it is the will of christ , that all that are ordained ministers should ●lave imposition of hands . this appears . from the examples of this ceremony used by the apostles in ordination , . we finde that the deacons though inferiour officers must have hands laid on them . . we finde that the apostles paul and barnabas , though extraordinary officers had hands layed on them . . we reade that paul layed hands upon timothy , and also the presbytery . hence it is that calvin saith , though there be no certain precept extant concerning imposition of hands , yet because we see it was in perpetual use by the apostles , that , their so accurate observation ought to be in stead of a precept to us . and it is a wonder to us that they that are so exact in urging every other circumstance in church-government , and have suffered much prejudice in their outward estate rather then they would forbear sitting at the sacrament ( which yet is but an outward gesture ) should take such strange liberty to themselves in dispensing with a duty that hath so many examples for the enforcing of it . . from that command of paul to timothy , lay hands suddenly on no man. this is a divine precept for imposition of hands . for when timothy is forbidden to lay hands suddenly , it is implied , that it was his duty to lay on hands . hence it is that the new-england ministers do assert , that church-officers ought to be ordained by imposition of hands . and from this text walaeus hath a memorable passage , which though it be long , yet we will not think much to transcribe . i see this ( saith he , speaking of imposition of hands ) to be required in almost all confessions . and truly since that the apostles have alwayes used it , yea the apostle gives a precept to timothy , to lay hands suddenly on no man ; we judge it ought not to be omitted , because in that negative commandment , an affirmative is included , that he should lay on hands upon men that are worthy , where because it is taken by a synecdoche for the whole calling of a pastor , certainly it is to be esteemed either for a rite , or an essential part , otherwise it could not be taken for the whole , or at least for a proper adjunct , and common to this with all other callings . so far walaeus . thirdly , because the whole work of ordination is comprehended under this ceremony of imposition of hands , tim ▪ . . tim. . . ordination is called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 imposition of hands , and the gift or office of the ministry is said to be given by this as by the sign , tim. . . now then , if imposition of hands , as a part , be put for the whole work of ordination , it seems very strange to us that there should be any amongst us that expresse a willingnesse to be ordained , and yet an unwillingness to have imposition of hands . we rather judge , that they that refuse imposition of hands , which is put for the whole , will in a little time make no conscience of refusing the whole it self . we reade in scripture , that prayer and keeping the sabbath are sometimes put for the whole worship of god , ier. . . isa. . . and as it is a good argument , keeping of the sabbath and prayer are put for the whole worship of god , and therefore they are parts of it , if not chief parts . so it is a good argument . imposition of hands is put for the whole work of ordination , and therefore it is a part of it , if not a chief part . and we desire our people further to consider , that there is but one text for 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or lifting up of hands in the election of a minister ( and this also but a shadow without a substance , as we have proved ) and yet how zealous are many amongst us for popular election ? and why should not they be much more zealous for 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 , or imposition of hands , which hath so many substantial texts for the justification of it , and which is so often put for the whole work of ordination ? fourthly , because it is placed by the apostle heb. . , . amongst the principles of the doctrine of christ , therefore leaving the principles of the doctrine of christ , let us go on unto perfection , not laying again the foundation of repentance from dead works , and of faith towards god , of the doctrine of baptisms , and of laying on of hands , and of resurrection of the dead , and of eternall judgement . the great question is , what is here meant by laying on of hands . the papists understand it of the sacrament of confirmation : but it never hath nor ever will be sufficiently proved , that either there is such a sacrament appointed by christ , or that it was a custome in the apostles daies to lay on hands , or ( as was formerly phrased ) to bishop baptized christians who were grown up to years of discretion ; others by laying on of hands understand the extraordinary gifts of the holy ghost , which in these daies were given by laying on of hands . but this cannot be the meaning . . because it cannot be proved , that the gift of the holy ghost was given with every laying on of hands in those times . for the laying on of hands , tim. . . tim. . . was not for giving the holy ghost , but for ordination . . because the giving of the holy ghost by laying on of hands was proper to the primitive age , and doth not concern after ages ; but the catechetical heads enumerated by the apostle concern all ages . . because it would be hard to think , that the knowledge or profession of the doctrine concerning the giving of the holy ghost by such laying on of hands , was such a principle as that none ignorant thereof , though instructed in all the other articles of christian faith , could be received as a church-member , and as one grounded in catechisticall doctrine . and therefore by laying on of hands , as by a synecdoche , we suppose is meant the whole ministry . thus d. ames in his confutation of bellarmine ; by laying on of hands ( saith he ) is here meant totum ministerium , the whole ministry . bullinger on the place , by laying on of hands , understandeth also the ministry and their vocation , mission , and authority given them . mr. hooker in his survey of church-discipline , par . . pag. . by laying on of hands as by a metonymy of the adjunct , understandeth ordination , and ordination as one particular is put ( saith he ) for the whole of church-discipline . and from this very text he undertakes to prove church-discipline to be a fundamentall point of religion : but we may more safely and more rationally assert the same of the church-ministry : for whosoever denieth a ministry overthroweth all gospel-ordinances and gospel-churches . and here we will make bold to put our people in minde of a passage in m. cartwrights confutation of the rhemists , who was a man sufficiently opposite to the bishops and their ceremonies , yet he is pleased to use these words upon this text. by imposition of hands the apostle meaneth no sacrament , much lesse confirmation after baptism , but by a trope and borrowed speech the ministry of the church upon the which hands were laid , which appeareth in that whosoever beleeveth , that there ought not to be a ministry by order to teach and govern the church , overthroweth christianity ; whereas if confirmation of children were a sacrament as it is not , yet a man holding the rest , and denying the use of it , might notwithstanding be saved . so cartwright . now then ▪ if imposition of hands be taken in scripture not only for the whole work of ordination , but also for the whole ministry ; we may ( we hope ) safely and convincingly conclude , that it is the will of jesus christ , that they that enter into the ministry should have hands laid upon them : and that they that oppose imposition of hands may as well oppose the whole gospel-ministry , and therein overthrow christianity it self . we will not trouble the reader with answering all the objections that are brought against this thesis , but only such as seem to carry most weight in them . object . . we do not reade that the apostles were made ministers with imposition of hands . answ. . no more do we reade that they were made ministers by the election of the people ; this objection fights as much against election as against imposition of hands . . a negative argument from scripture doth not hold in matters of this nature ; it doth not follow , because it is not recorded , therefore it was not done . many things were done by christ which are not written ; it is said , that christ ordained twelve , but after what manner is not set down . . the apostles were extraordinary officers , and had an extraordinary call. our thesis is of ordinary officers ; they that oppose this assertion must prove , that ordinary officers were made without imposition of hands , or else they prove nothing to the purpose . object . . when the apostle left titus to ordain elders in crete , he saies not a word of imposition of hands . answ. . nor a word of election by the people . . the apostle left him to ordain elders as he had appointed him . now it is irrationall to think that he would appoint titus to do otherwise then according to what he himself practised . he ordained deacons , elders , and timothy by laying on of hands : and therefore it is without dispute to us , that he appointed titus to do so also . . if we compare tit. . . with act. . , . it will appear , that by appointing or ordaining elders in crete , is meant , ordaining by imposition of hands : for there is the same word in both , 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 : now 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in act. . was by laying on of hands , and so was 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in tit. . . object . . imposition of hands was used by the apostles only for the present occasion , as other things were observed , as bloud was forbidden , as paul used circumcision and shaving , viz. for the jews sake who had their publique officers thus set apart . answ. . no circumstance of any one text where imposition of hands is mentioned to be used , gives ground for stating this to be the reason of its practise . . this was not only practised at ierusalem but at antioch , and not only among and by the jews , but elsewhere , and by others . it is said of paul and barnabas that they ordained elders in every church . object . . imposition of hands was used by the apostles in a miraculous way , and it did conferre the holy ghost and gift of tongues , &c. and therefore as the miracle is ceased , so ought the ceremony to cease . as in extream unction , &c. answ. . the giving of the holy ghost and conferring of extraordinary gifts was one , but not the only use which the apostles made of imposition of hands . and as praier is still to be continued in the church , though it did sometimes conveigh extraordinary blessings , act. . , , . act. . . iam. . , . because it had other ordinary ends and uses ; so is imposition of hands to be continued upon the same account . answ. . we never read of the holy ghost given by imposition of hands in ordination : that gift which timothy received by the laying on of the hands of the presbytery , is no other then the gift of office. neglect not the gift , i. e. neglect not the office . if timothy had had power by laying on of hands to have conferred due qualifications for the ministry ; why doth paul require him to lay hands suddenly on no man ? and why must he be so carefull to see them first fit , in case his laying on of hands would fit them ? there needed not such triall of their gifts , in case a touch of his hands could have gifted them . this proves clearly , that there was no extraordinary gift conferred in ordination . . there is a double imposition of hands , the one miraculous and extraordinary , which consisted in healing the sick , and conveighing the extraordinary gifts of the spirit . and this was temporary and is now ceased as extream unction is ; the other is ordinary , such is the imposition of hands in ordination , and therefore to be perpetually continued in the church . we reade not only that paul who was an extraordinary officer , but that presbyters who were ordinary officers imposed hands upon timothy . and the example of the primitive churches were intentionally left upon record for this end , that they might be binding patterns in like cases in after ages . and this seems to be one singular ground and reason of the writing of the acts of the apostles , that the apostles acts in the primitive churches might be our rules in succeeding ages . obj. . to what purpose then is imposition of hands used , if the extraordinary gifts of the holy ghost be not conveighed thereby ? answ. . we use it , because the apostles did use it in an ordinary way without giving the holy ghost , as well as in an extraordinary way , because there is the same standing reason , and because the apostle bids us , tim. . . sufficit pro universis rationibus , deus vult . . we use it not as an operative ceremony , but as a moral sign , so declare publickly who the party is that is solemnly set apart to the work of the ministry . . we use it as it is a rite and ceremony by which the office is conveyed , tim. . . . we use it as it is a consecrating , dedicating and offering up of the party unto the lord and his service , as in the old testament hands were laid on for this end . . we use it as it is an authoritative and ministerial benediction of the party ordained , as it was used by iacob in his fatherly blessing of ephraim and manasses , and by christ in his blessing and praying over the little children , mat. . . mark . . and thus we have made out the divine right of imposition of hands , and our exhortation to our people is , that they would not stumble at that way of ordination which hath so much of god in it , nor be easily led aside into by-pathes by the seducers of this age. and that they would not rest contented with ministerial examination ( though that ought to be , and that in all exactnesse ) nor with ministerial approbation , nor yet with authoritative mission without this apostolicall ordinance of imposition of hands . chap. xiii . wherein the fourth assertion about ordination is proved , viz. that ordination of ministers ought to be by the laying on of the hands of the presbyterie . our last assertion is concerning the persons who are by divine authority appointed to ordain , and it is this . that ordin●tion ●f ministers ought to be by laying on of the hands of the presbytery . for this we have an expresse text , tim. . . which that we may the better understand , we will give a brief answer to some few questions . qu●st . . what is meant by the word presbytery ? answ. by presbytery is not meant the office of a presbyter , but collegium f●o● confess●● presbyter●rum , a colledge or company of presbyters . for as mr rutherford well observes , the office hath no hands . and the word is used but in two other places , luke . . acts . . in both which it must necessarily be taken for the officers , and not for the office. for the office of elders could not meet together , as in that plac● of luke , nor could the o●●●ce of elders bea● witnesse to paul , as in that place of the acts. besides as mr hooker well saith , not onely reason doth reject , but the very ear would not relish such an unsutable sense , neglect not the gift which is in thee , which was given thee by prophecy , with the laying on of the hands of the office. how harsh and unpleasant is such an expression ? here calvin is brought in by some who are in other things his utter enemies , to countenance this interpretation . and mr gillespy reckoneth it as one of calvins few ( for they were but very few ) mistakes . but looking upon his commentary upon the place , we finde these words , presbyterium qui hîc collectivum nomen esse putant pro collegio presbyterorum positum , rectè sentiunt meo judicio . they who think presbytery in this place to be a noun collective put for a colledge of presbyters , do think rightly in my judgement . and therefore though he thinks the other interpretation non male quadrare ( which was his errour ) yet he is not to be reckoned amongst those that deny that by presbytery is meant an assembly of presbyters . quest. . whether this presbytery was a presbytery of bishops , or of single presbyters ? answ. to this we shall give this short reply , that in scripture a bishop and a presbyter is all one , as we shall have occasion hereafter to prove . and therfore we answer , that it was an assembly of bishops , that is , of presbyters . quest. . whether this presbytery were congregational or classical ? answ. mr hooker of new-england confesseth , that he never yet heard any argument that did evince either , by dint of undeniable evidence . and for our parts , we do not conceive it necessary , as to our purpose , to disquiet the reader with a debate about it . for we deny not but that a congregation sufficiently presbyterated , that is , wherein there are many ministers , may ordain , though we believe that there are but very few such , if any ; and therefore are of the opinion of the reverend assembly , in their advice to the parliament concerning ordination , that it is very requisite that no single . congregation that can conveniently associate , do assume to it self all and sole power in ordination . quest. . what part hath the ruling elder in ordination ? answ. supposing that there is such an officer in the church ( for the proof of which we referre the reader to our vindication ) we answer , that the power of ordering of the whole work of ordination belongs to the whole presbytery , that is , to the teaching and ruling elders . but imposition of hands is to be alwayes by preaching presbyters , and the rather , because it is accompanied with prayer and exhortation , both before , in , and after , which is the proper work of the teaching elder . quest. . whether may one preaching presbyter lay on hands without the assistance of other ministers ? answ. imposition of hands ought to be performed not by one single presbyter , but by a combination of preaching presbyters . in the ordination of deacons , not one apostle alone , but a company of them laid on hands , act. . . when paul and barnabas were separated unto the work whereunto they were called by god , the prophets and teachers joyned together in laying on of hands . it is observable that in all the texts where mention is made of imposition of hands , 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is joyned with 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in the plural , not with 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in the singular or dual number , and so there must of necessity be more then one imposer of hands . timothy was ordained by the imposition not onely of pauls hands , but also of the presbytery . and therefore when we reade that timothy is enjoyned to lay hands suddenly on no man , and titus left in crete to ordain elders , we must not imagine that they were indued thereby with the sole power of ordination . for surely the apostle would not require timothy or titus to do that which he himself would not do . if paul with the presbytery laid hands upon timothy , then no doubt timothy was also , together with other presbyters , to lay hands upon those whom he should ordain . the naming of one doth not exclude others , especially if we consider that titus was left to ordain elders , as paul had appointed him . now it is without all peradventure , that paul did appoint him to do according as he himself practised . quest. . whether a company of believers associated together may ordain without ministers ? answ. the answer to this question , is that which we especially aim at in this our fourth assertion , and wherein we desire most of all to satisfie the expectation of the reader . for this end we shall offer this proposition in answer to the question . that ordination of ministers doth belong to church-officers , and not to a church without officers . and that ordination by people without ministers is a perverting of the ordinance , and of no more force then baptism by a midwife , or consecration of the lords supper by a person out of office. for the proof of this we might argue from what is recorded by jewish writers , concerning the custom of creating men members of their great council or sanhedrin . when moses by gods appointment assumed the seventy elders to assist him in government , and part of his spirit was by god put upon them , this was done saith maimonides sanhedr . cap. . by moses laying hands upon them . and at length before his departure out of this life , when a successour was to be provided for him , god commands him to take ioshua , and lay his hand upon him , &c. and accordingly it was done , numb . . . and so for those seventy elders , it is certain from the jewish writers , that the succession of these was continued through all ages , by their creating others in the place of those that died by this ceremony of imposition of hands . to this purpose are the clear words of maimonides , moses our master created the seventy elders by imposition of hands , and the divine majesty rested on them , and those elders imposed hands on others , and others on others . and they were found created untill the house of judgement of ioshua , and unto the house of judgement of moses : that is , from time to time ascending to the sanhedrin in ioshua's and moses's time . petrus cunaeus de rep. hebrae●rum cap. . saith , this senatorian dignity , because it was most honourable , was granted to none without a legitimate act , namely , imposition of hands . so moses laid his hand upon ioshua , and the seventy elders , which solemnity being performed , presently a divine spirit from above fell down upon them , and filled their brests . and these being thus initiated themselves , admitted others after the same way . the same authour tels us also out of maimonides of a constitution made , that no man should after such a time use imposition of hands , but by grant from rabbi hillel that divine old man , who was prince of the great council ; and how afterwards it came to cease : and what care was taken by juda the son of baba to support and uphold it . but because these things are not recorded in scripture , we shall wave all such way of arguing , and rather dispute , first , from the constant practice of the church of christ , as it is set down in the apostolical writings . we challenge any man to shew any one text in all the new testament for the justification of popular ordination . we reade of ordination by apostles , act. . act. . and by prophets and teachers , act. . and by evangelists , tit. . tim. . . and by a presbytery , tim. . . but for ordination by the people we meet not at all with it . and without all peradventure , if ordination be an ordinance of christ , it is to be managed according to the will of christ , and that is by ministers , and not by the community of believers . may we not say to such churches that usurp upon this work , as it is said , matth. . . by what authority do you these things ? and who gave you this authority ? shew us your warrant out of the word ? we reade indeed of ordination in churches , act. . . and in cities , tit. . . but no where of ordination by churches , or by cities , taking them for believers without officers . we adde secondly , that ordination by the people is not onely not written in scripture , but it is against the scripture . for to what end and purpose should jesus christ appoint officers extraordinary and ordinary for the doing of that work which the people themselves may do ? to what purpose did paul and barnabas go from place to place to ordain elders ? why was titus left in crete to appoint elders in every city ? might not the people say , what need paul leave titus to do that which we can do our selves ? frastra ●it per plura , &c. if this doctrine were true , the apostles needed only to have preached and to have converted the people to the faith , and when they had done to have said , we have now done our work , you may now elect and ordain your officers your selves , the power to do these things belongs to you . but the apostles did quite contrary , and therefore certainly ordination is not the peoples , but the ministers office. adde thirdly , that which to us seems to be of weight , that all that is written in the epistles concerning the ordainers and the qualification of the ordained , &c. is all written in the epistles unto timothy and titus who were church-officers . in the other epistles which were written unto the churches , there is no mention made of these things , which doth abundantly prove unto us , that the work of ordination is a work belonging to ministers , and not to the people . lastly , we might argue from the nature of ordination . it is a potestative and authoritative mission . it is an eminent act of jurisdiction , not onely confirming a minister in that office which he had before by election , but conveying the very office-power of preaching and administring the sacraments . it is that ( as we have said ) which gives the essentials of the ministerial call. and therefore by the rule of the gospel it belongs to officers , and not to private persons . the scripture doth accurately distinguish between church-rulers and private believers , heb. . , . thess. . . private persons can with no more lawfulnesse convey power to another , to administer the sacraments , then they can themselves lawfully administer the sacraments . church-power is first seated in christ the head , and from him committed to the apostles , and from them to church-officers . and they alone who have received it from the apostles can derive and transmit it to other ministers . and though we freely confesse , that all church-power is in the people , finaliter & objective , that is , for their use and benefit , according to that of the apostle , cor. . . all things are yours , whether paul , or apollo , or cephas , all are yours , i.e. for your service and salvation ; yet we are farre from thinking that all things are theirs formally and originally , that is , of their making and authorizing . or that they that are not ministers themselves can derive the ministerial office to others . this we beleeve to be both against scripture and reason . the serious consideration of these things is of marvellous concernment for the people of our age upon this one account especially , because there are a generation of men risen up amongst us , that renounce and disclaim all ordination from ministers , as unwarrantable and antichristian , and take it up from the people as the only way of the gospel , herein committing amongst many other these three evils . . in renouncing the ordinance of christ , and calling that which is truly christian , antichristian . . in setting up a new way of ordination , which hath not the least footing in the new testament , or in all antiquity . . in plunging themselves into this inextricable difficulty ; for he that renounceth ordination by ministers as antichristian , must of necessity renounce not only our present ministry , but all the ministers and churches in the christian world , he must turn seeker , and forsake all church-communion , as some in our unhappy dayes do . for all ordination by the people is null and void , as being not only not grounded upon scripture , but against scripture . and to intrude into the ministerial office without ordination , is as the sinne of corah and his company , as we have formerly shewed . our desire is that these particulars may be duly weighed by all sober christians . it will not be amiss here to consider what is said against this thesis by the elders of new-england . in four things they agree with us , . they say , church-officers are to be ordained . . and to be ordained by imposition of hands . . that where there are elders imposition of hands is to be performed by those elders . . that where there are no elders , if the church so desire , imposition of hands may be performed by the elders of other churches . but they differ from what we have asserted , when they say , in such churches where there are no elders , imposition of hands may be performed by some of the brethren chosen by the church thereunto . for the proof of this they bring a reason and a scripture . the reason is , if the people may elect officers , which is the greater , and wherein the substance of the office consists , they may much more ( occasion , and need so requiring ) impose hands in ordination , which is the lesse , and but the accomplishment of the other . answ. . if this argument were valid , it would follow that people might ordain their own ministers , not only when they want elders , but when they have elders . for if election give the essence to a minister , and ordination only an adjunct , we see no reason why they that give the essence , should not also give the adjunct ; and why an adjunct should belong to the officers in that church , to whom the essence doth not belong . but . we say , that scripture-light being judge , election is not the greater , and ordination the lesse . it is possible that it is upon this ground that some men have made so slight of ordination , that so they might entitle the people thereunto . but we have abundantly shewed , . that election doth not give the essence of the ministerial call. that election is only the designation of the person that is to be made a minister , not the making of him a minister . . that ordination is that which gives the essence . that it is an authoritative appointing of a person to the ministry , and an actual investing him into the office . that it is held forth in the scripture as the greater , and therefore not given to one and the same persons , but this later referred to the more honourable persons , as appears from acts . , . tit. . . tim. . . tim. . . the text they quote in the margine for the proof of this , is not out of the new testament but the old , out of numb . . , . and thou shalt bring the levites before the lord , and the children of israel shall put their hands upon the levites : and aaron shall offer the levites before the lord , for an offering of the children of israel , that they may execute the service of the lord. ans. . this text doth not prove that for which it is brought , but makes rather against our brethren . for they say , that where there are elders , imposition of hands is to be by the elders , and not by the people , but in case of want of elders . but here aaron and his sons were present . and if it proves any thing , it proves that the people may ordain where there are elders , which our brethren will in no case consent unto . . that the children of israel were commanded by god immediately to lay on hands upon the levites . but in the new testament , we meet with no such command laid upon the people . we reade that timothy and titus , and the presbytery are to lay on hands , but not a word of command for the people , but rather against it , as we have shewed . . when it is said , that the children of israel laid on hands , it is not imaginable that all the israelites did put on hands , but it was done by some chief of them in the name of the rest . and as ainsworth observes , it was done by the first-born : for the first-born was sanctified and consecrated unto the lord , exo. . . because the lord when he destroyed the first-born in egypt , spared the first-born of the israelites , therefore he challengeth a right in all their first-born , and they were to be given to him . and now the levites were taken by god in stead of the first-born , as appears numb . . , . and hence it was that the children of israel , that is , the first-born of israel , were to lay on hands upon them , for the levites gave an atonement for them , and were offered up unto the lord in their stead , and as the rabbins say , every first-born laid on hands on the levite that was for him . which if it be so , will afford us two other answers to this text . . that the children of israel had not onely a special command , but a special reason also for what they did . and therefore this example cannot be made a patern for new testament practice . . that this laying on of hands upon the levites , was not for them to set them apart for the service of the lord , but rather a setting them apart for a sacrifice unto the lord. it was the command of god that the children of israel must put their hands upon the sacrifices they did offer unto the lord. the levites were now to be waved or offered before the lord for an offering of the children of israel , and to be offered in stead of the first-born . and therefore the first-born did put their hands upon them as their propitiation and atonement . it is very observable , that notwithstanding this imposition of hands , the levites were not thereupon invested into their office , and made able immediatly to execute it . but aaron the priest was to wave them before the lord for a wave-offering , that they might execute the service of the lord. it was aarons waving of the levites , and separating them from among the children of israel , that did constitute and make them church-officers . and thus at last we have put an end to our first part concerning the divine right of the gospel-ministry , and have , as we hope , sufficiently cleared to the consciences of our people , that there is such an office as the office of the ministry perpetually to be continued in the church of christ. that no man ought to take upon him either the office or the work of the ministry , unlesse he be lawfully ordained thereunto . that ordination of ministers is an ordinance of christ , and ought to be by the laying on of the hands of the presbytery , &c. we cannot but expect to meet with many adversaries that will oppose what we have here written . some will deny the very office of the ministry . others will grant that there was such an office in the apostles dayes , but will say that it is now quite lost . some will grant that the office of the ministry is perpetually necessary , but will adde , that it is lawfull for all men gifted , to enter upon the publick work of the ministry , though they be not called and ordained thereunto . some are for an immediate and extraordinary call to the ministry . some will deny all ordination of ministers . others will grant ordination but deny imposition of hands . others will grant imposition of hands , but say , that it ought to be done by private church-members , and not by the presbytery . by this it appears that our adversaries differ as much one from another , as they do from us . and therefore we need not be much afraid of their opposition , for in writing against us they will be necessitated also to write one against another . it is , we confesse , a great lamentation , and shall be for a lamentation , that there should be such differences and divisions amongst christians , and especially amongst those that professe the protestant reformed religion , and have made a necessary and just separation from the idolatry and superstition of the church of rome . hereby god is greatly dishonoured . true religion hindered and disgraced . the wicked are hard●ed in their wickednesse . the popish party is encouraged . the godly party weakned , and great stumbling blocks are laid before weak christians to deter them from true conversion . but we hope that this which we have written will contribute something towards the healing of these differences , and uniting of all godly and unprejudiced people in peace and truth . this is our design , this is the success we pray for . we have been necessitated to make frequent mention of a platform of church-discipline , agreed upon by the elders and messengers of the churches in new-england , and have expressed our dissent from some things therein contained . but we desire the reader to take notice , . that in the preface to this platform they assure us of their hearty consent to the whole confession of faith ( for substance of doctrine ) which the reverend assembly presented to the parliament ; and tell us of an unanimous vote of a synod at cambridge , . which passed in these words , this synod having perused and considered ( with much gladnesse of heart , and thankefulness to god ) the confession of faith published of late by the reverend assembly in england , do judge i● to be very holy , orthodox and judicious in all matters of faith , and do therefore freely and fully consent thereunto , for the substance thereof , &c. and do therefore think it meet , that this confession of faith , should be commended to the churches of christ amongst us , and to the honoured court ▪ as worthy of their due consideration and acceptance . . that as we agree wholly in the same confession of faith , so also we agree in many things of greatest concernment in the matter of church-discipline . . that those things wherein we differ are not of such consequence , as to cause a schism between us , either in worship , or in love and affection . our debates with them are ( as it was said of the disputes of the ancient fathers one with another about lesser differences ) not contentiones , but collationes . we can truly say ( as our brethren do in the fore-named preface ) that it is far from us so to attest the discipline of christ , as to detest the disciples of christ ; so to contend for the seamless coat of christ , as to crucifie the living members of christ ; so to divide our selves about church-communion , as through breaches to open a wide gap for a deluge of antichristian and prophane malignity to swallow up both church and civil state. the main intendment and chief drift of this our undertaking , hath been , to oppose those that say , that there is no such office as the office of the ministry ; or , that this office is quite lost ; or , that every man that thinks himself gifted , may intrude into the ministerial office. these opinions we judge destructive to christian religion , and an in-let to popery and all errour , to all disorder and confusion , and at last to all profaneness and atheism . there are four things that justly deserve to be abhorred by all good christians . . an vniversal toleration of all religions . . an vniversal admittance of all men to the lords supper . . vniversal grace , that is , that christ died equally for all , and that all men have free-will to be saved . . vniversal allowance of all that suppose themselves gifted to preach without ordination . this last is that which we have abundantly confuted , and which we conceive to be unsufferable in a well-ordered christian commonwealth . and our prayer to god is , that our respective congregations may be established in the truth against this and all other errours ; and that they may take heed least being led away with the errour of the wicked , they should fall from their own stedfastness . and ( for the preventing of this mischief ) that they may grow in grace and in the knowledge of our lord and saviour iesus christ , to him be glory both now and for ever . amen . the end of the first part. the second part , containing a iustification of the present ministers of england , both such who were ordained during the prevalency of episcopacy , from the foul aspersion of antichristianisme , and those who have been ordained since its abolition , from the unjust imputation of novelty ; that a bishop , and presbyter are all one in scripture ; and that ordination by presbyters is most agreeable to the scripture pattern . together with an appendix , wherein the judgment , and practice of antiquity , about the whole matter of episcopacy , and especially about the ordination of ministers is briefly discussed . cor. . . let a man so account of us as of the ministers of christ , and stewards of the mysteries of god. thess. . , . and we beseech you , brethren , to know them that labour among you , and are over you in the lord , and admonish you . [ . ] and to esteem them very highly in love for their work sake . cor . . if i be not an apostle unto others , yet doubtlesse i am to you , for the seal of mine apostleship are ye in the lord. revel . . . and i will give power unto my two witnesses , and they shall prophesie a thousand two hundred and threescore dayes clothed in sackcloth . acts . . take heed therefore unto your selves , and to all the flock over the which the holy ghost hath made you overseers , or bishops . london , printed by i. l. . the justification of our ministry is comprised undertwo propositions . . that , the call to the office of the ministry which some of our present ministers did receive during the prevalency of episcopacy , was lawfull , and valid ; which is proved , . by arguments drawn from the principles of our adversaries , wherein , by the way , is proved , . that the churches of england are true churches . . the two great objections against them , taken from their parochial and national constitution , are sufficiently answered . . by arguments taken from our own principles , and the nature of the thing . and here our ministry is largely vindicated from that foul aspersion of antichristianisme which is cast upon it , because conveyed unto us ( as is said ) by popish , and antichristian bishops . . that , the call to the office of the ministry which our present ministers do receive , since the abolition of episcopacy , is lawful , and valid . in which is shewed , . that a bishop , and presbyter are all one in scripture . . that the instances of timothy and titus , and the asian angels do not prove the contrary . and because ordination by presbyters without bishops is highly accused of novelty , as having not the least shadow of antiquity , and thereby many candidates of the ministry are discouraged from this way of entring into the ministry , and ordination so received is accounted null , we have therefore added an appendix , wherein is briefly held forth the judgment , and practice of antiquity , both in reference to ordination , and the whole matter of episcopacy . the preface . having sufficiently proved , that there is such an office as the office of a minister , and that this office is perpetual ; and that no man ought to assume this office unless he be lawfully called thereunto ▪ and that this call is by ordination with the imposition of the hands of the presbytery . it remains now that we should speak something concerning the justification of our own ministry . for what are we the better that there is a ministery by divine institution , if our ministry be of man , and not of god ? what are we the better that there is a ministry from christ , if our ministry be from antichrist ? it will be said to us as it was to christ , physitian cure thy self . trouble not the world with a general assertion of the necessity of a ministry unlesse you will bring it down to particulars , and make out unto us the divine right of your ministry . this then is the work that is now before us , which we shall the rather undertake ▪ first , for our peoples sake , that they may with all chearfulnesse and conscienciousnesse submit unto our ministry , when it shall appear plainly unto them , that we are ministers sent by god ; tha● we are over them in the lord ▪ that we are the lords stewards , and the lords ambassadors . and that they may with confidence expect a blessing from god upon our ministry , as not doubting but that god will make use of his own instruments , and that a minister sent by god , will be blessed by god : wh●reas they that hear men not lawfully called , have no promise of a blessing , but rather a threatning that they shall not profit by such preachers , as we have formerly proved . hence it is that such hearers run from one errour to 〈…〉 as a just punishment of god upon them , 〈◊〉 to the saying of the apostle , tim. . , 〈…〉 will come , when they will not endure sound 〈…〉 after their own lusts shall they heap to themselves 〈…〉 having itching ears . they shall make 〈◊〉 upon teacher , they shall heap up teachers . and these teachers shall be sent by themselves , and not by god : and after their own lusts , not after the divine rule . for so saith the text , they shall after their own lusts heap to themselves , &c. and the reason why they do this , is not because they have more judicious eares , then other people , or because they are more holy ; but because they have ●●ching eares . but mark the curse that attends all such , vers . . they shall turn away their eares from the truth , and shall be turned unto fables . secondly , for our brethren's sake in the ministery . for there is nothing that will more inable a minister to discharg● his office with courage , faithfulnesse ; and chearfulnesse , maugre all opposition of unreasonable men , nothing will more encourage him to persevere in it , and to expect a blessing from it , than the evidence that he is deputed by god to this office , that he is feeding the flock over which the holy ghost hath made him overs●er . this was gods encouragement to ieremy and isaiah . there is required in ministers a singular confidence in gods assistance , and a singular expectation of direction , protection , provision , supportation , and benediction , which they cannot have , unlesse they be fully assured , that their function and ministry is from heaven heavenly : hence it is that paul (a) laboureth to make out the authority of his calling to the corinthians , and (b) iohn unto the pharisees , and (c) christ unto the iewes . thirdly , for our enemies sake , that cry down the pr●●ent ministers as ●●als priests , as popish and antichristian ; that goliah-like defie the armies of the living god ▪ that tread under their feet not onely the ministers , but their ministry ; and say to us , bow down that we may go over ; that make our bodies as the ground , and ●s the street for them to go in . that say of us just as the jewes did of christ , crucifie them , crucifi● th●● . now that such as these may know , that when they fight against our ministry , they fight against god , whose ministry it 〈◊〉 ▪ and that when they persecu●e us , they persecute christ , whose servants we are . and that it is in vain to kick against pricks ; that we are 〈◊〉 in christ's right hand , and that they shall feel the power of his right hand , that would pluck us out of his right hand ; that even ieroboam's hand ( though a king ) shall wither , if he stretch it out against a true prophet of the lord ; that we are a plant of gods planting , and therefore shall not be rooted up : therefore it is that we have undertaken this work . the thesis we shall lay down is this , that the ministers of the church of england that now are , and have been since the reformation of religion , are lawfully called to their office , so as they need not renounce their ordination ; nor have their people any just ground of separation from them in that respect . the present ministers of the church of england are of two sorts , either such as have been made ministers since the abolishing of prelacy by the imposition of the hands of preaching presbyters ; or such as were ordained heretofore by the laying on of the hands of the bishop , together with other ministers . and there are two sorts of dissenters amongst us . there are some that dislike our present way of ordination , and say it is invalid , because performed by ministers without a bishop . there are others dislike our former way of ordination , and say it is null , and of no validity , because we were made by antichristian bishops . one side deny our ministry to be of god , because we want bshops to ordain us : the other side deny our ministry to be of god , because we had once bishops to ordain us . and thus is the present ministry like jesus christ himself crucified between two opposite parties . but as christ , though crucified , yet rose again and is ascended up into heaven : so we doubt not but the ministers of christ , though they prophesie in sackcloth for the present , and may perhaps ●e slain , and lye in the streets for three dayes and an half , yet they shall rise in spight of all their enemies , and be called up into heaven in the sight of them . in opposition to these two sorts of dissenters , we shall lay down these two propositions : that the cal● to the office of the ministers , which some of our present ministers did receive during the prevalency of episcopacy was lawful and valid . that the call to the office of ministry , which our present ministers do now receive since the abolishing of episcopacy is lawful , and valid . chap. i. containing the first pr●position , and proving it by arguments drawn from the principles of our adversaries , that the call to the office of the minist●ry , which some of our present ministers did receive during the prevalency of episcopacy was lawful and valid . there are some amongst us that refuse to hear our ministers , because they were ordained ( as they say ) by antichristian bishops , and think they are bound in conscience to renounce our ministery , till we have renounced our ordination . and as the antipaed●-baptist would rebaptize all that are baptized amongst us : so the brownist would re-ordain all that are ordained amongst us . for our parts , we are confident that there is neither warrant out of the word of god for rebaptization , nor re-ordination . that the latter ( which is our present work ) may the better appear , we must premise a distinction which we have formerly made use of in our vindication , where we have also spoken something about this subject . we must distinguish between a defective ministery , and a false ministery ; as we do between a man that is lame or blind , and a man that is but the picture of a man. we do not deny , but that the way of ministers entring into the ministery by prelates ●ad many de●ects in it , for which they ought to be truly and greatly humbled ; but yet we adde , th●t notwithstanding all accid●nt●l corr●ptions , it is not substantially and essentially corrupted , so as there should be need of re-ordination . the scribes and pharisees were not onely wicked in their conversation , but mingled the leaven of false doctrine with their teachings , and had many defects in their entrance ; yet our saviour saith , matth. . , . the scribes and p●●risees si● in mos●s his seat . all therefore , &c. if they that sate in moses his chair were to be heard in all things that they taught according to the word , though they did not live as they taught , and had many failings in their entrance , much more they that s●t in c●th●drá christi , in the ch●i● of christ , and teach 〈◊〉 quae sunt christi , those things which christ would have them teach , and live according to what they ●each , although there were many defects in their entrance into the ministry : a● every defect in a christian , doth not make him no christian , and every defect in the administration of the gospel-ordinances , doth not make them no gospel-ordinances : so ●very defect in the way of entrance into the ministry , doth not make that ministry a false ministry , or no ministry . now that our ministry during the prevalency of episcopacy , was lawfull and valid for the substance of it , though mingled with many circumstantiall d●fect● , appears two manner of wayes . . we will ar●ue ●ccordi●● to the judgement of those , who hold , that the whole essence of the ministeriall call consisteth in the election of the people , and that ordination is nothing else but a solemne installing of a minister into that office , which he had before conveyed unto him by his election : our brethr●n of new ●ngland , though they hold ordination by imposition of hand● to be of divine institution , yet not so necessary , as if a ministers call were a nullity without it ; for , they say in the same place , that the outward call of a minister consisteth properly and essentially in election by the people , and that this election is so necessary , as that the minister● c●ll withou● it is ● nullity ; but not so without ordination . the brownist● and anabaptists doe speake f●rre more slightingly , and undervalui●gly of ordination ; and therefore we ●rave leave to use ●rgumentum ad h●minem * thus they that are lawfully elected by the people , are lawfull ministers . but suc● are the minister● of engl●●● , &c. ergo. or thus , if a minister rightly chosen by the people be a true minister , though not at all ordained , then a minister rightly chosen by the people is a true minister , though ●orruptly ordained . but ( according to these men , ) a mi●ister rightly chosen by the people is a true minister , though not at all ordained . erg● . but many ministers during the prevalency of episcopacy w●re not at all el●cted by the p●ople . but m●ny were , ●nd thi● argument serves to justifie their ministry . . though there are some , that were at first obtruded unjustly and unduely upon the people , yet the p●ople● aft●r ●cceptance ●nd ●pprob●tio● 〈◊〉 supply th● want of el●ction ●t first , 〈…〉 af●er ●onsent ●nd ●●ceptance of leah , made her to be his wife , though he chose her not at first : and by thi● ( s●y o●r brethren in new-england ) we hold the calling of many ministers in england may be excused , who at first came into their places without the consent of the people . but the people that ●hose them were wicked and ungodly , and therefore they were not rightly chosen . this is not true of many place● where ministers , were chosen by congregations , wherein there were many godly people . . visible saints and unblameable livers are sufficient to to make up the matter of a true church ; and who can deny , but that there are such in many , if not in most , of the congregations in england . but what though we judge that the whole essence of the ministeriall call consisteth in popular election , yet the ministers whom we plead against , look upon their ordination , as that which give● them the essence of their call , and think they stand ministers by that . what is that to you what they ●hink their 〈◊〉 ●hin●ing in your opinion is their personal errour , but it c●nnot nullifie their ministry ; for , he that hath the essentials of a true minister , is a true minister ; but he that is rightly elected hath the essenti●ls of ● true minister ●ccord●ng ●o you ▪ and therefore whatsoever his judgement is about ordination , he must stand a true minister to you , unlesse you will crosse your own position . suppose ( as one saith ) a deacon thinks his ordination gives him the essentials of his office , the people think their election doth ; what then ● will you separate fro● him , and not go to him for reliefe in case of want ? he hath election and ordination , so that to be sure a deacon he is : the case is the same with the present ministry . this instance is urged by mr. burroughs , of which we shall have occasion afterwards to make further use . we shall add another argument of the same nature , to prove that the ministry of england , is a true ministrie . if there were true churches in england , during the prevalency of episcopacy , then there was a true ministry : for , ( according to those men ) it is the true being of a church , that giveth being to the truth of ministry , and ordinances , and not the ministry and ordinances that give being to a church . but there were true churches in england , during the prevalency of episcopacy . ergo , &c. that there were true churches appears , from what the new-england ministers say in their answer to the . questions , pag. . . . . and in their apologie for the church-covenant , pag. , , , , . where they shew . . that the gospel was brought into england in the apostles dayes or a little after , and that churches were by them constituted in england according to the evangelicall pattern . . that though popish apostacy did afterwards for many ages overspread all the churches of england ▪ ( as in other countries ) yet still god reserved a remnant , according to the election of grace amongst them , for whose sake he preserved the holy scriptures amongst them , and baptisme in the name of the trinity onely . . that when god of his rich grace was pleased to stir up the spirit of king edward the ●ixt , and queen elizabeth to cast off the pope and all fundamentall errors in doctrine & worship and a great part of the tyranny of popishchurch-government , &c. the people of the nation generally re●●ived the articles of religion , &c. wherein is contained the marrow , and summe of the oracles of god , &c. . that wheresoever the people do with common and mutuall consent , gather into settled congregations , ordinarily every lords day ( as in england they do ) to teach and hear this doctrine , and do professe their subjection thereunto , and do binde themselves and their children ( as in baptisme they do ) to continue therein , that such congregations are true churches , notwithstanding sundry defects and corruptions found in them , wherein ( say they ) we follow the judgement of calvin , whitakers , and many other divines of chief note : nor can we judge or speak harshly of the wombes that bare us , nor of the paps that gave us suck . this also appears , . from that mr. phillips of watertown in new-england saith in a book of his written for the justification of infant-baptisme , and also concerning the form of a church therein he proveth , that there is a true ministry in england , because there are true churches ; and that there are true churches in england and in other reformed churches of the like consideration , he proveth . . because the true visible state of christs church is by gods promise to continue unto the end of the world. luk. . . matth. . . and . . . mat. . , . cor. , . then he argueth . if the visible church-state be to continue , then either it continued in england , and other places of like consideration , or in some other places of the world. but not in other places of the world , &c. ergo. again , if there be no other churches in the world , nor have bin for many hundred years , but popish , or reformed . then ( if the visible state of christs church must abide for ever ) either the popish , or the reformed churches must be the true churches of christ. but not the popish : ergo the reformed . . he argueth : if antichrist must sit in the temple of god , and the courts of the temple be given unto the antichristian gentiles for a certain time to tread under foot , then there was a true church-state where he sate , and whilest he sate there , and it was the true measured temple , whose courts he treads under foot ; nor can there be antichrist , unlesse there be the temple and courts thereof where he is . and if antichrist ●ver sate in england , then there was the temple of god there before he sate in it , and whilest he sate in it : as also in other reformed churches . the temple or church is the subject wherein ; he must sit , the antichristian seat is not the subject , nor constitutes it , but is an accident vitiating the subject ; the removing therefore of antichristianity doth not destroy the subject , or make it to ●ease to be , but changeth it into a better estate . he adds , . if ever there were true churches constituted in england , they remain so still , or else god hath by some manifest act unchurched them . but there were true churches in england in the apostles dayes or a little after , and god hath by no manifest act unchurched them . " ergo. thus farr this reverend author , that there are true churches in england , and so by consequence true ministers , appears further . . where there are a company of visible saints meeting constantly together in publike , to worship god according to his own way prescribed in his word for the substance of it , there are ( according to these mens opinion ) a true church , and a true church-state , and a true ministry . but during the prevalency of episcopacy there were in our congregations companies of visible saints meeting together , to worship god according to his own way , prescribed in the word for the substance of it ; ergo. the congregations in england are not combined together by a church-covenant , which is the essential form of a particular church , and therefore are not true churches , and so by consequence have no true ministry , we acknowledge no such church covenant as commanded in scripture distinct from the covenant of grace . supposing , but not granting , that a church-covenant is necessary to the being of a church , yet we desire that our brethren in new-england may be heard pleading for us . mr. hooker saith , that this church covenant is dispensed after a double manner , either explicitely , or implicitely . an implicite covevant is when in their practise they do that whereby they make themselves ingaged to walk in such a society , according to such rules of government , which are exercised amongst them , and so submit themselves thereunto , but do not make any verbal profession thereof . thus the people in the parishes in england , when there is a minister put upon them by the patron or bishop , they constantly hold them to the fellowship of the people in such a place , attend all the ordinances there used , and the dispensations of the minister so imposed upon them , submit thereunto &c. by such actions and a fixed attendance upon all such services , and duties they declare that by their practise which others do hold forth by their profession . and therefore it is a great scandal for any to say that for want of a church-covenant we nullify all churches but our own , and that upon our grounds received there must be no church in the world but in new-england &c. so likewise in their apology , for a church-covenant they say . though we deny not but the covenant in many congregations of england is more implicite , and not so plain as were to be desired , yet we hope we may say of them with mr parker polit. eccl. l. . c. . pag. . non abest realis & substantialis ( quanquam magis quam par erat implicita ) coitio in faedus , eaque voluntaria professio fid●i substantialis , qua ( deo gratia ) essentiam ecclesiae idque visibilis hucusque sartam tectam in anglia conservavit . that is , there wants not that real and substantial coming together , or agreeing in covenant ( though more implicite then were meet ) and that substantial profession of faith , which ( thanks be to god ) hath preserved the essence of visible churches in england unto this day . but the congregations of england are parochiall churches , and therefore no true churches of christ , and so by consequence have no true ministry . there is much opposition in our dayes against distinguishing of congregations by local bounds , and much endeavour to break this bond asunder , and to leave people at liberty to joyn ( notwithstanding their dwellings ) with what church they please , & with no churches if they please ; and most people speak of parochial churches in a most contemptible way , as of so many cages of unclean birds , and of parochiall ministers , as of so many parish priests : but we hope this ariseth not so much out of malice , and from a spirit of opposition , as from a misunderstanding of our judgement concerning parochial congregations . we will therefore briefly declare what we do not hold , and what we do hold . . we do not say that the bare dwelling in a parish is sufficient to make a man a member of the church of christ within that parish . a turk , or pagan , or idolater may be within the bounds of a parish , and yet we do not hold him a member of the church in that parish . . we do not say , that all that dwell in a parish , and that joyn constantly in hearing of the word of god therein preached , should upon that account be admitted to the lords table . we heartily desire , and sincerely endeavour to keep all ignorant and scandalous people from the sacrament although they dwell within the same bounds with those that are admitted . . we do not allow , but much dislike the unequal division of parishes , and we heartily desire a redresse herein . but we say . . that it is most expedient for edification , and most agreeable to the evangelical pattern , that congregations should be distinguished by the respective bounds of their dwellings . thus all the christians in corinth did belong to the church of corinth , and all the believers in eph●sus , to the church of ephesus . the churches in the new testament are distinguished one from another by the places where the believers dwel● . as the church at corinth from the church at ephesus . and we do not read of any of one town member of a church in another town distinct from it . the reverend assembly gave . reasons for the proof of this assertion . . because they who dwell together , being bound to all kind of moral duties one to another , have the better oportunity thereby to discharge them , which moral tie is perpetual , for christ came not to destroy the law , but to sulful it . . the communion of saints must be so ordered , as may stand with the most convenient use of the ordinances ▪ and discharge of morall duties without respect of persons , cor. . . let all things be done unto edifying . heb. . , . iam . . . . the pastor and people must so nearly cohabit together , as that they may mutually perform their duties each to other with most conveniency . . we say , that all that live within the same parish being baptized persons , and making profession of christianity may claime admission into the society of christians within those bounds , & enjoy the priviledges and ordinances there dispensed , if by their scandalous lives they make not themselves unworthy . for we believe that all baptized persons are members of the church general visible , and have right unto all the ordinances of christ as the circumcised iew had , and wheresoever they come to fix their dwellings may require an orderly admission unto the ordinances there dispensed , unlesse by their sins they have disinherited themselves . . we say , that it is agreeable to the will of christ and much tending to the edification of his church , that all those that live within the same bounds , should be under the care of the same minister or ministers , to be taught by them and governed by them , and to have the other ordinance● dispensed unto them sutable to their condition , as they shall manifest their worthinesse to part●ke of them . and ●hat to remove altogeher those parochial bounds would open a gap to thousands of people to live like sheep without a shepheard , and insteed of joyning with purer chur●he● , to joyn with no churche● ▪ and in a little time ( as we conceive * ) it would bring in all manner of prophanenesse and athiesme . suppose a godly man living under a wicked minister or ●n hereticall minister , or a minister that admits all men promiscuously to the sacrament without any examination ; would you have this man bound to hear him and to receive the sacrament from him ? if the government of the church were once setled , and countenanced by the civil magistrate , care would be taken that there should be no place for such kind of objections . . such a person in such a case ought rather to remove his habitation ( if it may be done without any great prejudice to his outward estate ) then that for his sake that good and old way of bounding of parishes rightly understood should be laid aside . suppose he cannot remove without very great prejudice to his outward estate . in suc● a case , it is much better as we conceive ( till the church government be further setled , and hath further countenance from civil authority ) to relieve such a one by admitting him into another congregation for a while , than wholly to break and dissolve that laudable and church edifying way of distinguishing congregations by local bounds . but would you then have every man bound to keep constantly to the minister under whom he lives ? we are not so rigid as to tie people from hearing other ministers occasionlly even upon the lords day , but y●t we beli●ve that it is most a greeable to gospel order upon the grounds for●mentioned ▪ that he that fixet● his h●bit●tion wher● there is ● godly able orthodox minister , should ordinarily waite upon his ministry , & joyn to that congregation where he dwells rather then to another . in scripture to appoint elders in every church and in every city is all one . they that were converted in a city ( who were at first but few in number ) joyned in church-fellowship with the elders and congregation of that city , and not with any other . but the church of england is a national church , and therefore cannot be a true church , because , the church of the iewes was the only national church , and there are no national churches now under the new testament . this objection lies as a great stumbling block to hinder many christians from joyning with our churches , and therefore we shall take some pains to remove it . for the better answering of this objection , we shall premise this distinction of a national church . a church may be called national in a two fold respect , either because it hath one national officer , worship , and place of worship . thus it was among the iewes , they had one high priest over all the nation ; they had one place to which all the males were bound thrice in a year to assemble , and one special part of worship , to wit , sacrifice which was confined to that publick place , unlesse in case of extraordinary dispensation . such a national church we are far from asserting or endeavouring to establish . or a church may be called national , when all the particular congregations of one nation , living under one civil government , agreeing in doctrine and worship , are governed by their lesser and greater assemblies ▪ and in this sense we assert a national church . but there is no example of any national church in the new testament . the reason is , because we have no example there of any nation converted to the faith . . there are prophesies , and promises of national churches , psal. , , , . isai. . . isai. . , in that day shall five citi●s sp●ak th● languag● of ca●aan , ●nd swear to the lord of host● & ● . and v. . — then shall be an altar 〈◊〉 the midst of the land of egypt and a pilla● at th● border t●●reof to the lord. and so on to vers . . in that day shall isr●●l be the third with egypt , and with assy●ia , ●ven a blessing i● the midst of the land ; whom the lord of hosts shall bless● saying , blessed be egypt my people , and assyria the work of mine hands , and isra●l mine inheritance . from this full place we gather , . that in the times of the new testament there shall be national churches . . that these churches shall combine in one way of worship by oath and covenant . . that the lord own 's those churches thus combined , as hi● own ▪ and promiseth to blesse them . . even the iewes themselves , when their nation shall be turned to the lord , and return to their own land , shall become a national church ; ( not as having one high priest , one place of worship , and one special publick worship in that one place ( for these things were typical , and ceremonial , and so were to vanish but as ) agreeing together in the same way of doctrine , worship , and covenant as other christian nations do●● . this is evident from ezek. . . to the end of the chapter . but we do not find in the new testament , that the particular churches of any nation are called a church in the singular number ▪ but church●● ▪ and therefore we look upon it as an unscriptural expression to call the congregations of this nation the church of england . we find that several congregations in the same city are called a church , as in ierusalem , act. . . that there were many congregations in ierusalem is evidently proved , both in the reasons of the assemblie of divines against the dissenting brethren ( where they prove it both from the variety of languages , and from the multitude of professours , and ministers ) as also in our vindication of the presbyterial government : and so act. , , . and act. . , . thus it was with the ephesians ; called ● church act. . . and revel . . . and yet had many congregations , as appears from the booke● fore-quoted . ( and if five congregations may be called one church , why not five hundred ? ) . we might instance , that the churches in divers cities are called a church : compare gal. . . , . with act. . . where the churches of divers cities are called expresly 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 . . yet further it appears that all the visible churches in the world are called a church , cor. . . ephes. . . cor. . . and if all the churches in the world are called one church , let no man be offended if all the congregations in england be called the church of england . but how doth it appear that it is the will of christ that the churches of one nation should be governed by lesser and greater assemblies , and so become a nationall church . for this we desire the reader seriously and impartially to peruse the vindication of the presbyterial government , wherein this very thing is largely proved both by the light of nature , and by the scripture : see vindicat. p. . & . and thus we have endevoured by two arguments to convince those that oppose our ministry from their own principles , and to give them to understand that according to their own tenents they are bound in conscience to acknowledge many of our ministers , at least , to be true ministers , although it should be granted them , that our ordination is unwarrantable and antichristian . for most of these men are amongst the number of them that vilify ▪ and disregard ordination . the best of them make it but a meer circumstance or adjunct to the call of the ministry . and who knowes not but circumstances may be wanting or corrupted , and yet the substance remain intire ? if we be true churches , then ( according to their own positions ) we are true ministers . if rightly elected , then we have that which ( they say ) is essential to the ministerial call . suppose ordination by bishops should be an humane addition not agreeable to the rule , yet notwithstanding hum●n● additio●● do not nullify divine institution ▪ . mr. burroughs in his heart-divisions hath this saying , i confesse for my part i never yet doubted of the lawfulnesse of the call of many of the ministers of the parishional congregations in england ; though they had something superadded which was sinfull yet it did not nullify that call they had by the church , that communion of saints , amongst whom they exercised their ministery . if a man be baptized in the name of the father , son , and holy ghost , though there should be many ceremonial additions of s●le , spi●●l● , 〈◊〉 , the sign of the crosse , &c. yet these additions would not nullify the ordinance of baptism● . now more can the superaddition of ordination unto our election ( though it be supposed by them to be sinful ) nullify our ministry , which in their judgements is , for the 〈◊〉 of it , confer●ed by election . chap. ii. wherein the same proposition is proved by arguments taken from our own principles . but omitting this way of argumentation , we shall now ( god assisting ) undertake to prove according to our own principles ( who hold that ordination is that which gives the ess●rice to the ministerial call . ) that the call to the office of the ministry which some of our ministers did receive during the prevalency of episcopacy , was lawful and valid , for the substance of it , though mingled with many circumstantial defects . this appears by these ensuing arguments . they that ( for the substance of their call ) were called to the ministry according to the mind of christ , are lawful ministers of christ. but the ministers that were ordained during the prevalency of episcopacy were ( for the substance of their call ) called according to the mind of christ , ergo. ( here we desire the reader to take notice , that in this argument , we shall not at all speak of the peoples election of their minister . not because we are enemies to popular election rightly managed and ordered , or because we think that the ministerial call doth not consist in election as well as ordination ( for we have formerly declared the contrary . ) but because the great stumbling stone and rock of offence against the present ministry is in reference to to their ordination , therefore it is that we insist upon that onely . ) the minor is proved by surveying the book of ordination established by act of parliament according to which ministers were to be ordained , during the prevalency of episcopacy . out of which we thus argue . they who were sufficiently gifted and qualified for the ministry , and were inwardly called by god , and outwardly called by prayer ▪ and fasting , with the imposition of the hands of preaching presbyters , were called to the office of the ministry ( for the substance of it ) according to the mind of christ. but such were they who were ordained during the prevalency of episcopacy , ergo. that they were such that is ▪ ought to have been such according the rule established , and that many were such de facto , and if any were not such , it was vi●ium personae ordinantis , not vitium regulae , the fault of the person ordaining , not of the rule for ordination , appears by viewing the book it self in which we shall find . . that the party to be ordained is to be one that is apt to teach , willing to take pains in the ministry , found in the faith , of honest life and conversation . and sure we are , many were such , and if any were not , it was a personal , not a church error . . the party to be ordained is to be examined touching his perswasion of an inward calling by the spirit , whether he be inwardly moved by god to the work of the ministry , and touching his faith of the sufficiency of the scriptures , his purpose to execute his ministry according to the word of god , to oppose all erroneous and strange doctrines , to fashion his conversation according to what may become a minister of the gospel , &c. . the party thus qualified , after a sermon preached and prayer made to god for a blessing is to be ordained , and set apart to the work of the ministry by the laying on of the hands of the bishop , together with other preaching presbyters . this is the substance of the book as touching the ordination of ministers , from which it appears that ministers made during the prevalency of episcopacy , were ( for the substance of their call ) called according to the mind of christ , and therefore lawful ministers . but it will be objected , that the ministers we plead for were made by bishops distinct from presbyters ▪ who had no power nor authority to ordain them ; and not onely so , but by bishops who held themselves to be a superiour order of ministry by divine right above presbyters , who were not onely bishops but lord bishops , who were wicked and antichristian , and whom we have renounced and sworn to endeavour to extirpate in our late solemn league and covenant . what our opinio n is concerning the divine right of episcopacy , and what difference there is between a presbyter bishop , and a bishop over presbyters , between a scripture bishop and the bishop that obtained in the primitiv● times and the bishop of our times , we shall have occasion to declare hereafter . for the present , before we return an answer to this great objection consisting of many particulars , we must crave leave to premise these few conclusions , many of which we shall in the next proposition prove at large . that according to the mind of god a bishop and a presbyter are all one : the scripture owns no bishop over presbyters , but onely a presbyter-bishop . that the lawes of the realme acknowledge nothing by divine right in a bishop but his being a presbyter . sir edward cook makes it one part of the kings jurisdiction to grant to bishops that ecclesiastical power they now exercise over us ( speaking of his times ) and also to take it from them at pleasure , &c. in henry the th● . dayes there was a book printed for all his subjects to receive , seen and allowed by both houses of parliament , wherein is said of these two orders onely , that is to say , priests and deacons , the scripture maketh expresse mention , and how they were conferred by the apostles by prayer , and imposition of hands . by which it is evident , that the lawes of the realme do not acknowledge the divine right of prelacy . that most of our bishops in king edwards and queen elizabeths dayes did freely confess , that episcopacy as it differed from presbytery was onely of humane right and not from divine institution . this bishop iewel confesseth in his answer to harding , and brings divers of the ancient fathers of the same judgement , whose sayings we shall hereafter mention . the same is affirmed by archbishop whitgift against carewright , and by bishop downam in the preface to his defence of his sermon preached at the consecration of the bishop of bath and wells . that the best learned ▪ even amongst the papists themselves ▪ do confesse , that a bishop is not a superiour order of ministry above a presbyter , but onely a superiour dignity ▪ that sacerdotium , that is , as they call it , the priesthood , is the highest order in the church . that a bishop is onely 〈◊〉 presbyter ; the first presbyter , or , as bellarmine calls him ▪ major 〈◊〉 , episcopacy is not another order distinct from the priesthood saith caepr●●lus . no prelate hath more concerning sacramental power , or of order , then simple priests . so armachanus , as concerning sacerdotal order , and things that pertain to order , they are equal . thus bellarmine himself . although a bishop and presbyter are distinguished , yet as concerning sacrifice they exercise the same ministry , and therefore they make one order , and not two . cusanus goeth further ; all bishops , and haply also presbyters , are of equal power in respect of jurisdiction , although not of execution ; which executive power is shut up and restrained by certain positive lawes , the master of the sentences saith , that the canons acknowledge onely two sorts of holy orders ; diaconatum , sc. & presbyteratum , quia hos solos primitiva ecclesia legitur habuisse , & de his solis praeceptum apostoli ●abamus . that is , the deacon and the presbyter . because the primitive church had no other , and the apostolique precept speaks of no other . estins tells us , that aquinas , waldensis , bonaventure , and most of the other schoolmen are of this opinion : and doctor field in his th . book of the church hath this remarkeable passage touching the preeminence of bishops above presbyters , there is some difference among the school divines : for the best learned amongst them are of opinion that bishops are not greater then presbyters in the power of consecration or order , but only in the exercise of it and in the power of jurisdiction ▪ seeing presbyters may preach and minister the greatest of all sacraments by vertue of their consecration and order ▪ as well as bishops . touching the power of consecration or order , saith durandus , it is much doubted of amongst divines , whether any be greater then an ordinary presbyter : for hierome seemeth to have been of opinion , that the highest power of consecration or order i● the power of a priest or elder , so that every priest in respect of his priestly power , may minister all sacraments , confirm the baptized , give all orders , all blessings , and consecrations , but that for the avoiding of the peril of schisme , it was ordained that one should be chosen , who should be named a bishop , whom the rest should obey , and to whom it was reserved to give orders , and to do some other things which none but bishops do . and afterwards he saith , that hierome is clearly of this opinion , and much more to this purpose . now hence it followeth necessarily . that the power of ordination of ministers exercised for these many hundred years by bishops , did belong to them as presbyters and not as bishops , and that the act and exercise of it was restrained to them potius ad honorem sacerdotii & in remedium schismatis quam ad legis ●●cessitatem : rather for the honour of the priesthood , and ( as was then their opinion ) for the remedy of schisme , then for any necessity of law. for the scripture warrants no such practise , as we shall shew hereafter . now this floweth from the former conclusion . for if episcopacy be the same order of ministers with presbytery , and the ecclesiastical power equal in both , and a bishop be nothing else in the opinion of antiquity , but a chief presbyter , or the president of the presbytery , and of the same rank with them , then all the acts he doth , he must do by vertue of his presbyterial consecration . this is demonstrable ( even our adversaries being judges ) from this argument . because a bishop made per saltum , that never had the ordination of a presbyter , can neither consecrate and administer the sacrament of the lords supper , nor ordain a presbyter , himself being none , nor do any act peculiarly appertaining to presbyters . ordination therefore ( saith mr. ball ) is reserved to the bishop , not in respect of superiority in degree of ministry above his brethren , for if he be no presbyter he cannot make presbyters , but for order sake , and to prevent schisme and division , being for substance of the same order and consecration with them . dr. field manageth the same argument these or words . a presbyter ( saith he ) ordained per saltum that never was consecrated or ordained a deacon , may notwithstanding do all those act● that pertaine to the deacons order ( because the higher order doth alwayes imply in it the lower and inferiour in an eminent and excellent sort . ) but ● bishop ordained per saltum , that never had the ordination of a presbyter , can neither consecrate and administer the sacrament of the lords body , nor ordaine a presbyter , himself being non● , nor do any act peculiarly , pertaining to presbyters . whereby it is most evident ( saith dr. field ) that that wherein a bishop excelleth a presbyter , is not a distinct power of order , , but an eminency and dignitie onely , specially yeelded to one above all the rest of the same rank , for order sake , and to preserve the unity and peace of the church . what peace and order was preserved hereby in the church , we shall shew afterwards : for the present it is most clear , even from the testimony of episcopal men themselves , that a bishop is of the same order and rank with a presbyter , and that his acts of ordination were exercised by him as a presbyter , not as a bishop . these things premised , we now come to answer to the objection , and to every branch of it . the ministers we plead for were made by bishops distinct from presbyters who had no power nor authority to ordain them . the bishop though distinct from his presbyters , yet he did not ordain them alone , but together with the laying on of the hands of other presbyters he being as the first and chief presbyter , or is pr●ses presby●●rii , the president of the presbytery . the bishop that ordained them was also himself a presbyter , and had power as a presbyter to ordain , and therefore by vertue of his presbyterial capacity his ordination must needs be valid and lawful . even as when a bishop conse●rateth the bread and wine at the lords supper , he doth it not as a bishop ( though he be one ) but as a presbyter ; so also when the ordaineth a minister ( which is an act of a far● inferiour nature ) he doth it by vertue of a power belonging to him as a presbyter , not as a bishop distinct from a presbyter , much lesse as a lord-bishop . this is that which is said in the ordinance of parliament for ordination . whereas the word presbyter , that is to say elder , and the word bishop , do in the holy scripture intend and signifie one and the same function , although the title of bishop hath been by corrupt custome appropriated to one , and that unto him a●cribed , and by him assumed as in other things ▪ so in that matter of ordination that was not meet ; which ordination notwithstanding being performed by him , a presbyter joyned with other presbyters , we hold for substance to be valid , and not to be disclaimed by any that have received it . and that presbyters so ordained , being lawfully thereunto appointed and authorized , may ordain other presbyters . in the office and calling of bishops two things ar● to be considered saith mr. ball. . the substance of their office and ministry whereunto they are separated , to wit , to preach the gospel , dispense the sacraments , and administer the discipline of jesus christ. and this is of god. . the superiority they take or challenge over their brethren whether in ordination or jurisdiction , and this is of man. but they make not a difference or nullity in the substance of their ministry . all ministers of the gospel are stewards of jesus chris● , se● apart to do his work wherein if any one shall challenge more th●● of right appertaineth to him , or do ought out of pride , partiality , sinister affection , tyranny , or sedition : or receive such authority to himself alone , as belongeth not to his place and office , or is common to many ; in that he is blame worthy : but thereupon his ministry or ministerial acts done by him are not made void , or of none effect . but the bishop that ordained these ministers you plead for , ordained them as a bishop by vertue of his episcopal consecration , and not as a presbyter , by vertue of his presbyterial order . this is not true of all bishops ▪ for as mr. firmin tells us , he heard a reverend minister of a congregational church in essex , say that when the bishop ordained him , he told him : i do ordain you as i am a presbyter . . suppose he did , this wa● his personal errour , but did not ●word ; his power of ordination as a presbyter . suppose a man made a constable by lawful authority , should afterwards unwarrantably assume the power of a justice of the peace , and should do things which belong to his place as a constable under the title of a justice of peace , should not this act of his be valid though he pretends to do it upon a wrong title . mr. burroughs in his heart-divisions hath this observable passage . if a man doth a thing that he may do by vertue of relations , or either of them , it may be he thinks he stands in one of these relations which indeed he doth not , yet he doth the action by vertue of it in his own thoughts , in this he sins ; but there is another relation wherein he stands , that is enough to warrant the action that he doth to be lawful . now though he doth not intend the acting by this relation , the action may be sin to him , but not at all sin to those that joyn with him in it . if he will go upon a false ground , when he may go upon a true , let him look to it . i will joyn with him in that action as warranted for him to do by vertue of his second relation , which it may be he will not own himself . he gives this instance . giving alms is a work that a man may do either by vertue of church-office , as a deacon , or as a christian , whom god hath blessed in his estate , or betrusted with the distribution of what others betrust him with , now suppose a man is in the place of a deacon , he thinks , himself to be in that office by a right call into it , and he gives out the alms of his church by vertue of his call ; but i am perswaded his call to that office is not right , he is not a true deacon ; yet if i be in want , i knowing that bothhe and those who have given him monies to dispose , may and ought to distribute to those that are in need , by vertue of another relation , as men , as christians , enabled by god , surely then i may receive alms from him lawfully , though his principle by which he gives them me is sin to him . i may communicate with him in this thing , though he acts by vertue of that offece that he had no true call unto &c. much more may the like be said of receiving ordination from a bishop , who hath power to confer it as a presbyter , though he gave it by vertue of his episcopal consecration . but the ministers whose ordinations you defend were made by bishops , who held themselves to be a superior order of ministry above presbyters by divine institution . whether they did so or no , we know not , but sure we are , that the bishops of king edwa●d and queen elizabeths dayes were not of this opinion , as we have shewed . that the lawes of the realm do not countenance it , that the learnedest of the papists are against it , and if any of the bishops of late years were of this opinion , it was their personall error , and not at all essentiall to the episcopall office . the ministers we speak against were made not onely by bishops , but lord bishops . but not as lord-bishops . the lordly dignities of bishops were meere civil additaments annexed to their bishopricks by kingly favour , not essential ingredients into their office. and therefore when they were taken from them they continued not onely presbyters , but bishops . the bishops from whom these ministers received their ordination were wicked and ungodly , and therefore their ordination must needs be wicked and ungoldly . this is not true of all of them . some of them were godly , and some of them have shed their bloods for the gospel sake . and he that shall call such bishops wicked and ungodly , is notoriously guilty of the breach of the . commandement . . supposing , though not granting , that all of them were wicked and ungodly , yet notwithstanding though we are far from justifying their ungodlinesse , we answer . that some evil men may and alwaies have de facto been officers and ministers in the church . in the church of the jewes hophni and phinehas , in the dayes of christ ▪ scribes and pharises . . that the wickednesse of such men did not null or evacuate their ministerial acts . the scribes & pharisees that sat in moses his chair were to be heard , though they said and did not . christs commission did as well authorize iudas as any other to preach and baptize , &c. and surely if the principall acts belongingto the ministerial function , as preaching , baptizing , adminstring the sacrament of the lords supper , be not nulled or made void by the personal wickedness of ministers , then , consequently not their ordination . so that if iudas had been an apostle when christ sent his apostles to ordain elders ▪ his ordination should have been as valid as his preaching , and baptizing formerly had been . the leprosie of the hand doth not hinder the growing of the corn which that hand soweth . but these bishops were antichristian , and their office antichristian , and therefore the ministers ordained by them must needs be antichristian ministers and not the ministers of christ. for satisfaction to this objection , we shall first propose what the ancient learned & godly non-conformists have left in print about it , and then we will lay down our own answer . the old non-conformists by joynt consent have written , that they did not see how our bishops could be called antichrists , or antichristian . . because the word m●rks out antichrist by his false doctrine : nor do we find in holy scripture any such accounted antichrist or antichristian , which holding the truth of doctrine , swerveth , either in judgement or practise , from christs rule for discipline . now it is evident that our bishops do hold and teach all fundamental doctrines and truths , and some of them have soundly maintained them against hereticks , converted many to the truth and have suffered persecution for the gospel . . their hierarchy and other corruptions , charged upon the calling of our bishops , were rather to be esteemed the staires and way to antichristianity , then antichristianity ●t self ; for they were in the church , before the pop● , who is the antichrist , and the chiefe head link of all antichristianity , was revealed . . the antichristian bishops hold their preeminence as from gods law , which is unchangeable ; whereas our bishops since his majesties reign to this day ( for the most part ) hold superiority by no other right then the positive law , which is variable ; yea it appeares by the institution of the court of delegates , and the continuance thereof to this day , that they do and ought by law to hold their jurisdiction , not as from god , but is from the prince . thus they . and as to the ministers ordeyned by bishops , they say . bishops are able to judge of such gifts as are required for the sufficiencie of ministers , that many of them have been such ministers themselves , as to whose labours th● lord hath set to his seal . we are perswaded , that though it were not necessary , yet it cannot be unlawful for him that entreth into the ministery to be approved , and authorized even by them . andif our ordination be in this behalf faultie , how will our brethren justifie the calling of their own ministers that have received ordination ever from the people , who neither by commandement nor example can be found to have any such authority , nor are in any degree so capable of it as the bishops . thus much is said by the old non-conformist . for our own particulars we shall return an answer to this objection by distinguishing of the word bishop and the word antichristian . there are three sorts of bishop , the scripture-bishop , th● bishop of the first primitive times , and the bishop of latter times now we are far from thinking that the scripture bishop ( that is to say the presbyter ) or the bishop of the first primitive times ( who was nothing else but a chief bresbyter or the moderator of the presbytery and had a priority , not of power but of order onely , like a speaker in the parliament ) were antichristian . the question onely is about the bishop of latter times . the word antichristian may be taken prope●ly or improperly . an antichristian minister prope●ly is one that own 's the pope as a visible monarchical head over the church , and that stands a minister with subjection and subordination to the church of rome , and that professedly maintains the popish religion . an antichristian minister improperly is one that in his calling and office hath divers things that are antichristian . in the first sense we believe none will say our bishops were antichristians . but yet we cannot deny , but that those bishops who did take upon them by divine right the care of whole diocesses , and did assume the whole power of jurisdiction over the people and ministers therein ▪ and did challenge a majority and tantum non a sole power in ordination ▪ did symbolize herein too much with antichrist , and had in this sence much of antichristianisme in them ; yet notwithstanding this is not sufficient to denominate them antichristian , no more then the having of some hypocrisy and covetousnesse , doth denominate a godly man , an hypocrite , or a covetous person . the denomination is alwaies á meliore , our bishops for the most part were very orthodox in doctrine and pure in the substantialls of worship , and have written many learned treatises against popery and antichristianisme . indeed in matters of discipline and ceremonies they were exceeding faulty , and some of ●hem of late yeares began to apo●●atize both in doctrine and worship , for which god hath grieviously punished them ; yet all this is not sufficient to make them antichristian properly so called , much lesse to null all their acts of ordination no more then their acts of preaching , baptizing , and administring thelords supper specially if we consider that they had power enabling them to perform all these acts as they were presbyters , though they never had been bishops . b●t let us suppose ( though not grant ) the bishops were antichristian , and their office antichristian yet we answer . that it will not follow that the ministers made by them are antichristian unlesse it can also be made out ( which never can be done ) that they were antichristian in the very act of ordination . for as a maimed man may beget a perfect child , because he begets him not as maimed but as a man. so an antichristian bishop may ordain a true minister , because he ordaines him ; not a● antichristian , but as a presbyter , that by divine warrant hath authority so to do . as austin against the donatists proves the validity of baptisme by hereticks , if they baptized with water in the name of the father , son , and holy ghost , though in other points they were heretical . so certainly a minister ordained to preach the word and administer the sacraments according to the mind of christ is a lawful minister , though ordained by a bishop in other points antichristian , considering that in that one act he is not antichristian , but doth that which he hath warrant from the scripture to do though he were not a bishop . the word sacraments , and ministery are the institutions of jesus christ. and these are not made null and void though the power to dispence them in foro externo be conveighed to us by corrupt instruments , no more then the scriptures were polluted because offered by hophni and phinehas , or the chair of moses defiled , because the scribes and pharisees sat in it . we must carefully distinguish ( as a learned minister well saith ) the acts of office ( which have their form and being from a root or fountain without us ) from the qualities of the man that performes the office . the man may be naught , yet his office good ; and acts done by vertue of his office , just and allowable , although the man and his religion be naught . as for instance . a popish landlord makes you a l●ase of a farme , your lease is not antichristian , but good in law , though he that demised it , be for his religion , a papist . a popish judge doth passe a sentence in court , which stands good in judicature , his sentence is not popish ▪ though he that pronounced it be a papist ; the reason is , because the legall sentence is not of him , nor from him , as a papist , but as a judge , who doth but deliver that which he hath received from an higher root , the law. so in this case , ordination is an act of office received from christ and is not antichristian , though executed by one that is in other things antichristian . we do not rebaptize them that were baptized by a popish priest , because the power ofgods ordinance depends not on theperson that does execute the same , but upon an higher foundation , the institution of christ. ministerial acts are not vitiated or made null , though they p●sse through the hands of bad men ; but stand good to all intents and purposes to such as receive them aright , by vertue of their office authoritatively derived from the first institution . a bishop in his presbyterial capacity hath divine right to ordain , and therefore his ordination is valid , though it be granted that he is antichristian in his episcopal capacity . if a minister made by a bishop be a lawfull minister , why then did you in your late covenant abjure episcopacy with all its dependencies ? we did not swear in our covenant to endeavour the extirpation of scripture episcopacy which is presbytery ; but of prelacy , that is , of those lordly titles which bishops were invested withal , and of their unjust usurpation of a sole power of jurisdiction and of a majority of power in ordination together with their chancellours and commissaries and the rest of the hierarchy ▪ but we never did and never shall ( by god● grace ) renounce them as presbyters , which by consent of all sides are by divine right , nor ordination by them upon that account , which we doubt not but is lawful and valid , and will appear so to be at the great tribunal . and thus we have answered this objection with all the branches of it . there is one objection of great concerment yet behind . but before we mention it we shall propose three other arguments for the justification of the ministry , made during the prevalency of episcopa●y . from the glorious successe god gave unto it during the raign of prelacy . for since our ordination , god hath sealed to the truth of our ministry , and hath blessed it with the conversion of many thousand souls unto god. now that ministry that god doth ordinarily blesse with bringing forth sons and daughters unto god , that ministry must needs be a ministry sent of god ; for god hath threatned ( as we have often said ) that a false ministry shall not profit . and the apostle proves the lawfulnesse of his ministry , by the successe it had upon the hearts of the corinthians . cor. . , . there are many of those that cry down our ministry as antichristian , and separate from us as no ministers , that cannot deny but that they had their conversion ( if they are at all converted ) from us . and if our ministry be antichristian , how is their conversion christian ? from the ends and purposes for which we were ordained . they that were ordained by bishops , together with other ministers for no other end and purpose , but to preach the word , and administer the sacraments according to the will of christ , are lawful ministers of christ. but so were the ministers ordained during the prevalency of episcopacy . ergo. he that shall say , that a minister that preacheth christ and his truths , and administreth ●he sacraments according to the mind of christ , is an antichristian minister , because of some defects in his entrance , doth more advance and honour antichrist , then he doth disparage or disgrace us . mr. ball ( no friend to episcopal government ) in his answer to mr. can , hath these words . in every true church where the word of god is intirely preached and received , and the sacraments for substance rightly administred , there is a true ministry ' and a true calling to the ministry , though in some things maimed and faulty . from the destructive mischiefes , and church-ruining consequences that do naturally flow from this assertion . for he that shall undertake to make good this desperate proposition ( as that learned and godly man so often cited , justly calls it ) that a minister made by a bishop , is no minister of christ , but of antichrist , must also be forced to confesse and acknowledge ; . that mr. bradford , mr. rogers , mr. philpot , dr. tayl●r , mr. saunders , and the rest of those blessed saints and ministers , who laid down their lives in defence of the gospel against antichrist . were antichristian ministers . . he nulli●ieth and and maketh void all the ministerial acts performed by the ministers of england ever since the reformation . for if our ministry be no true ministry , then is our baptisme no true baptisme , the sacrament of the lords supper no true sacrament , our church no true church . . he must acknowledge that there was neither church , sacraments , nor ministry in the whole christian world for many hundred years past . for it is without dispute , that there was no other way of entring into the ministry for many hundred years in the church of christ , but by the ordination of bishops . . he must be forced ( if a minister ) to renounce his ministry , and take it up again from the people , who ( as the old non conformists well say ) have neither commandement nor example in all the new testament , to authorize them to ordain him . and by this means he overthroweth the whole ministry a nd church of jesus christ , and will be necessitated at last to renounce all churches , and all ministry and turn seekers , as some do in our dayes , even upon these very gro unds and principles . now then if the denying of our ministry during the raign of episcopacy to be a lawful● ministry be the parental cause of such horrid and desperate consequences , we doubt not but it will be abhorred and abominated by all sober and godly christians . and that our people that read these lines will be rooted and established in this great truth . that the call to the office of the ministry which some of our ministers did receive during the prevalency of episcopacy was lawful and valid for the substance of it , though mingled with many circumstantial defects . chap. iii. wherein the great objection against our ministry as being derived from rome , is answered . but the great objection ( of which we even now spake ) against this proposition , is , if we justifie the lawfulnesse of episcopal ordination , then it will also follow that we must justifie the ordination that is in the church of rome . for if ordination by our bishops be lawful , then these bishops themselves must be be lawful ministers , and then their ordination must also be lawful , and so by consequence it will follow , that those in the church of rome , from whom the protestant ministers in the beginning of the reformation had their ordination , were true ministers of christ. for if they were not , then were not our ministers made by them the ministers of christ. and if they were , then may a minister of antichrist be a minister of christ , and ordination received from the pope of rome be a scripture ordination . before we answer to this great objection we shall premise this one distinction it is one thing to receive a ministry from the apostate church of rome as the author of it , another thing to receive a ministry from jesus christ through , the apostate church of rome . our antiministerial adversaries , if they would argue aright , their objection must be thus framed . the ministry which hath the pope of rome , or ( which is all one ) that hath antichrist for the author of it , is popish and antichristian . but such is the ministry of the church of england . ergo. we deny the minor : for we say , that our ministry is derived to us from jesus christ. we are his ministers and his ambassadors . it is he that gave pastors and teachers to his church as well as apostles and evangelists .. we say , that ordination of ministers by ministers , is no romish institution but instituted by the lord jesus himself long before antichrist was . that our ministry is descended to us from christ through the apostate church of rome , but not from the apostate church of rome . and that this great objection ( which some say is unanswerable ) must of necessity be summed up into this argument . those ministers which stand by an institution of christ descending to them from the apostles through the antichristian church of rome , are ministers of antichrist and not of christ. but such are our ministers , ergo. but here we deny the major as utterly false ; we say , that the ministry which is an institution ofchrist , passing to us through rome , is not made null and void , no more then the scriptures , sacraments , or any other gospel-ordinance which we now enjoy , and which do also descend to us from the apostles , through the romish church . now that this great truth so necessary to be known in these dayes , may be fully made out to our respective congregations , we shall crave leave a litle to enlarge our selves in the proof of it , and shall for this end offer these ensuing considerations to be seriously weighed by all that fear god amongst us . that the lord jesus hath given the ministery to the church to continue till we all come to the unity of the faith , and of the knowledge of the son of god , unto a perfect man unto the measure of the stature of the fulnesse of christ ; which will never be till the day of judgement . and he hath promised to be with the apostles teaching and baptizing alway even unto the end of the world ; which must needs be understood of them and their successors . he hath promised that the gates of hell shall not prevail against the church ( which mr. hooker mr. cotton and others , expound of the universall visible church existing in its particulars ) the apostle paul also saith , that the sacrament of the lords supper is to be observed , and to continue till the comming of christ. and that glory is to be given to god by christ jesus in the church [ 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 ] throughout all generations and ages . it is also prophesied concerning the kingdom and government of jesus christ , both invisible and visible , that it shall abide to the end of the world . luc. . . isaiah . . . by all these te●ts , it is evident , that there was , i● , and shall be a true church , and a true ministery preserved by jesus christ , even unto the end of the world. how can glory be given to god in the church throughout all ages , if there should be an age in which the church should be utterly lost ? how can the sacrament be continued in the church till christ come , if there were so many hundred years in which there was no true ministery ? how can it be said that christ is with his ministers alway even unto the end of the world , and that the gates of hell shall not prevail against the church , and that there is no end of christs government , if during all the raign of antichrist , there was no true church-state in the world , no true ordinance , as some say , no true ministery ? and therefore though we should not be able to tell how the church and ministry was preserved in the midst of that great and general apostasie that hath been in the christian world ; yet notwithstanding we ought to believe that it is so , because christ hath said it shall be so , and heaven and earth shall ●asse away , but not one title of gods word shall passe away . mr. bartlet , in his model of the congregational way , spends the most part of a chapter to prove that the essentials of a church-state together with the officers , ordinances and administrations thereunto appertaining , hath , and shall abide for ever in the world. this he proveth both by prophesies , promises , and precepts of scripture , and also by divers reasons . the same task is also undertaken by mr. philips of watertown in new-england ; but for brevity we forebear transcribing them . we read revel . . of a great wonder in heaven , a woman cloathed with the sun &c. this woman represents the christian church , she is persecuted by the heathen emperours and overthrows them by the blood of the lambe , and by the word of her testimonie and by not loving her life unto the death . afterward she is persecuted by antichrist , and then she flies into the wildernesse where she hath a place prepared her of god , that they should feed her a thousand two hundred and threescore dayes vers. . and she i● said to be nourished in the wildernesse for a time , times and half a time , from the face of the serpent , verse . note here . . that by the daies , and a time , times , and half a time , is meant the whole time of antichrists raign . . that the church during the whole raign of antichrist should be in a sad lamentable and wildernesse condition . . that maugre all the fury of the ten-headed , or two-headed beast , yet notwithstanding the church of christ should be preserved and kept safe . for there were two wings of a great eagle given unto her to enable her to fly into the wildernesse where she is fed and nourished . moneths . and all this is to be understood not onely of a church entitative , or a church without officers , but of a church instituted or ministerial , a church administring ordinances . for this woman is not onely kept alive in the wildernesse all the time of antichrists raign , but she is fed and nourished by gospel-administra●ions . ●he is fed by the two witnesses ( for the prophesying of the witnesses is contemporary with the womans flight into the wildernesse ) even a● elias was nourished in the wildernesse and kept safe from the fury and rage of iezebel . and as god reserved . that had not bowed their knees to baal &c. and by good obadiah preserved an hundred prophets of the lord alive all the time of ahabs bitter opposition against them ▪ even so was the woman , that is , the church of christ , reserved and nourished by the ordinances , scriptures , and ministry of christ , ( though in a wildernesse-condition ) all the time of antichrist's prevalency . the like to this we read of in the . of the revelation , where we have two things very observable for our purpose . the one concerning the temple measured , and the outward court unmeasured . the other concerning the two witnesses . . concerning the temple measured and the outward court unmeasured . the outward court was to be left out or cast out , to wit , as prophane , and that which god will make no account of ; it was not to be measured , but to be given unto the gentiles ( that is the antichristian party ) to be trod under foot , forty and two moneths ; that is , all the time of antichrists raign . the meaning is , ( as mr. m●de well observeth ) ▪ that the antichristian apostasie which he calls redivivus ethnicismus ) shall prevail over the christian chur●h , and shall bring in a new kind of idolatry into the places where the true religion was professed . but now the temple and the altar , and they that worship therein are to be measured with a divine reed . this measuring is an allusion to ezek. . . &c. where the temple , with all in it , was to be measured by gods appointment , to shew , that that building was of god. so must the true church of christ under antichrist be measured , that is , kept pure from antichrist's idolatry , walking exactly according to the rule of the word , and also kept safe from antichrist's rage and fury . . note here , that though the outward court was given to the gentiles to be troden down , yet the temple with the worshippers therein was not given . . that during the prevalency ofantichrist , the temple and altar and worshippers therein , that is , a true church , and a true ministry , and true gospel-ordinances , are preserved and kept safe . while the outward court is worshipping the beast , the true church is serving god according to his word , as in the inner court of the temple . our english annotations say ; that by the measuring of the temple and altar , and the worshippers therein , is signified . . the fewnesse ●f the true christians under antichrist , in comparison of the id●latrous , ones as the priests and levites , that worshipped in the inner court , were few in comparison of the people that worshipped in the outward . . that gods people , while antichrist raged , should have a place in the wildernesse where they might serve god according to his will , as the jewes offered sacrifices on the alt●r in the temple , and which should be for safety , as a sanctuary unto them , isai. . . ezek ▪ . . therefore temple , and altar , and worshippers , and all are measured . so jerusalem is measured after the captivity , that it may be inhabited again . zech. . , , , . &c. . the second thing observable is concerning the two witnesses , who are said to prophesie in sackcloth . dayes , that is , all the time of the raign of antichrist . by the two witnesses in general are meant omnes veritatis divinae interpretes & assertores ( saith mr. mede ) . all the interpreters and assertors of divine truth , qui soedam illam & lachrymabilem ecclesi ae christi contaminationem assiduis querelis deflere●t &c. who should by their daily complaints bewaile the foul and lamentable pollution of christ's church . these witnesses are said to be two for the fewnesse of them , and because two witnesses were sufficient to confirm any truth , and also in al●usion to mos●s and a●ron in the wildernesse , to elijah and elisha when the israelites worshipped the calves , and baal ; to zerubbabel and i●hoshua in babylon , and after the return of the israelites from captivity . for our parts , we conceive that by the two witnesses in a more especial manner are meant the true ministers of jesus christ who are called witnesses of christ , act. . . and whose proper office it is to bear witnesse to truth and holinesse , against all the heresies , blasphemies , idolatries , and ungodlinesse of antichrist . now these two witnesses are said to prophesie ( though cloathed in sackcloth ) all antichrists reign , which is a clear and demonstrative argument to us , that there hath been a true ministry , preserved by god from the beginning of the christian church even to this very day , notwithstanding the great and universal apostacy that hath been in it . and our learned protestants in divers books have given us a catalogue of the faithful ministers of god , and other godly men whom the lord raised up in all ages of the church to bear witnesse against the growing and spreading abominations of antichristianisme in the christian world. . the third thing we offer to consideration is . to beseech our people , accurately to distinguish between the church of rome and the antichristianisme of the church of rome , as between a man and the plague-sore that is upon him ; and between a field that is full of tares , and yet hath some wheat in it . it is certain that the church of rome was a true church in the apostles dayes when the faith of it was spread throughout the world , and it is as certain that afterwards by little and litle it apostatized , till at last antichrist set up his throne in that church . and yet still we must distinguish between the church , and the apostasie of it ; between the corn and the tares that are in it . thus the apostle seems to do , thess. . . where he puts a difference between the temple of god , in which the man of sin shall sit as god , and between the man of sin sitting in this temple . the man of sin is no part of this temple of god , but as a plague of leprosie infecting , defiling , and polluting it . but yet the temple of god ( which is his visible church , as appears from cor. . , . revel . . , revel . . , . cor. . . ) doth remain where the man of sin sits , even as the church of pergamus did , where the seat of satan was . and though we renounce the antichristianisme which pollutes the temple of god , yet we do not renounce the temple in self . this is that which some of our divines say : that we differ no more from rome then rome differs from it self , and from what it was in the apostles dayes , neither do we refuse any doctrine that they hold , simply because they hold it , unlesse it can appear to us , that that doctrine is part of the antichristianisme of that church . the religion of the church of rome , is like a peece of bread mingled with a great deal of poison . they hold many truthes , but then they poison them by their heretial additions . they hold most that we hold , and their apostasie consisteth rather in adding to the truth , then in detracting from it . they hold the scriptures we hold , but they add apocryphal to the canonical scriptures . they hold christ the head of the church , but the pope also . they hold justification by faith as we do , but they add justification by works also ; they hold praying to god , but add praying to saints ; they hold two sacraments , but add five more &c. thus their religion is bread and poison mingled together , and whosoever living amongst them can separate the bread from the poison , shall find bread enough to nourish him unto eternal life . and the reason why we separated from them , was because they would not suffer us to eat the bread unlesse we would eate the poison also . even as a man that is drinking a cup of wine , and another comes and puts a toade in it , and will not suffer him to drink the wine unlesse he will drink the toade also . this was our condition unlesse we would swallow down all their antichristian additions to gods word , they would not suffer us to live amongst them , and hereupon we separated , and may justly be said to be non fugitivi , sed fugati . not withdrawing , but driven away . and which is very observable ; when the protestant churches did separate , they did not erect a new church but reformed a corrupt church . and therefore ours is called the protestant reformed religion . not , a new religion . we take away their hereticall superstructions , but still keep the truths which they hold ; we put away the poyson , but keep the bread ; we take out the toad , but yet do not fling away the wine ; we remove the rubbish of antichristianisme , but yet we do not renounce any thing of god , or of the scriptures that is yet remaining sincere in that church . all this we the rather observe , that thereby we might heed our people of that great cheat that is now put upon the saints of god in this nation , in crying down all the truths of jesus christ , as antichristian , and scaring people from the doctrine of christ by perswading them to avoid antichrist . there is hardly any truth of christ but it is charged by some or other in our unhappie dayes to be antichristian . thus. . the doctrine of the souls immortality was , excogitata ab antichristo ad stabiliendam suam culinam per fictum purgatorium , et invocationem sanctorum , invented by antichrist to uphold his kitchin &c. as is said by the cracovian-socinians . and in the book called mans mortality it is said , that the most grand and blasphemous heresies that are in the world , the mystery of iniquity , and kingdom of antichrist doth depend upon this doctrine of the souls immortality . . the doctrine of the trinity is said to be a doctrine that hath antichrist for the author of it . zanchius in responsione ad arianos . . that christ is god coaequal and coaeternal with the father , this also is called antichristian doctrine . sic clamat antichristus . so cryeth ▪ antichrist , say the arrians ; zanch. in responsione ad arianos . . the doctrine of the magistrates power in punishing anti istian heresies and blasphemies ( which the scripture saith will be the way by which god will at last destroy antichrist ) is said to be antichristian . thus blackwood in his storming of antichrist . . the doctrine of infant-baptisme is also called antichristian . . the doctrine of humiliation , repentance , sanctification , and of good works , done out of obedience to gods command , is antichristian , as say the antinomians . and who knoweth not , that the very places where we meet to worship god , and the worship which we perform in those places , and that our government of the church by lesser and greater synod● , is called antichristian ? and therefore it is no wonder if our ministry be also so called . for we are now come to that height , that there are some that renounce all churches as antichristian , even those churches themselves that renounce us as antichristian . and thus by the great subtlety of satan under the notion of avoiding antichristianisme there are many people tumbling down apace to direct athiesme ; and are brought to renounce christ himself , lest therein they should comply with antichrist . and therefore we earnestly beseech and intreat our respective congregations not to be affrighted at the bugbear word antichristian or popish . but to examin , whether the charge be true , and to renounce whatsoever is truly antichristian : but to take heed that they be not frighted from christ and from his ordinances , and government , & worship , & ministery under the notion of renouncing antichristianisme . so much for the third consideration ; these three first considerations are more general . we shall now apply our selves more punctually to the answer of the great objection , and desire it may be considered . consid. . in the fourth place . that it hath pleased god out of his infinite wisdom and providence to continue the two great ordinances of baptisme and ordination found for the substantials of them in the church of rome even in their greatest apostacy . we deny not but they have been exceedingly bemudded and corrupted , baptism● with very many superstitious ceremonies as of oyl , spettle , crossings &c. ordination with giving power to the party ordained to make the body of christ &c. but yet the substantials have been preserved . children were baptized with water in the name of the father , the son , and holy ghost . and the parties ordained had power given them to preach the word of god. now the protestant religion doth not teach us to renounce baptisme received in the church of rome , neither is a papist , when converted protestant , rebaptized . nor doth it teach us simply and absolutely to renounce ordination ; but it deals with it , as the jewes were to do with a captive maid when they had a mind to marrie her . they must shave her head and pare her nailes , and put the raiment of ●er captivity from off her , ●nd then take her to wife . so doth the protestant reformed religion . it distinguisheth between the ordinances of god and the corruptions cleaving unto the ordinances . it washeth away all the defilements and pollution● contracted in the church of rome both from baptisme and ordination , but it doth not renounce either the one or the other . . because they are none , of antichrist's posts or antichrist's inventions , but are the institutions of jesus christ , and were in the church of rome long before antichrist sat there . . because they have been preserved sound for the substantials and essentials of them , and the truth is he that renounceth the one must needs renounce the other ; which were well if some of our dissenting brethren would seriously consider . now that this position may not seem strange , we will a a little compare the apostacy of the . tribes with the apostacy of the church of rome . the . tribes did not onely worship god after a false manner by setting up their golden calves in dan and bethel , but afterwards in the raign of ahab they directly worshipped false gods , and set up baal and ashtaroth , and fell away wholy from the true god ; and yet notwithstanding all this , when the prophet came to ●noint jehu , he saith unto him . thus saith the lord god of israel , i have anointed thee king over the people of the lord , ●ve●over israel here note , that they are called the people of god notwithstanding their apostacy . and the ordinance of circumcision , which was retained amongst them in this their apostacy , was gods ordinance and they that were circumcised under that apostacy not onely did not renounce their circumcision , but had sinned against god if they had done it , and were accordingly admitted to the passeover by h●●●kiah as truly circumcised . for gods ordinance● are not to be renounced for mans corruptions cleaving to them , but the corruptions are to be removed and the ordinances embraced . and afterwards in christ● time it is evident , that the office of the priest and the high-priest was exc●edingly corrupted . they came ordinarily into th●ir office by bribery , & faction . and as many learned men think there were two high priest● together ( an●as and caiaphas ) when christ was crucified . the priests and high-priests had their chief stroak in the crucifying of christ. and yet we read iohn . caiaphas is owned by the holy ghost as high priest &c. act. . when paul said to the high-priest , god will s●it● thee thou whited wall &c. and they that stood by said , r●vilest thou the high-priest ? paul answered , i wist not ▪ brethren , that he was the high-priest . for it is written , thou shalt not speak evil of the rul●r of thy people . here also paul as many think , acknowledged him as an high-priest , though the priesthood at that time was tyrannical , heretical , and they came by most unjust wayes into their places and offices . from all this it appears ; that corruption● cleaving to gods ordinances do not null gods ordinances . that we are not to renounce divine ordinances because of circumstantial defilements annexed to them . that baptisme and ordination were found for the substance in the church of rome , and therefore to be reformed , but not renounced . . the fift thing we desire may be considered is . that it is no disparagement to the present ministry of the church of england to say , that we receive our ministry from christ and his apostles , and from the pr●mitive churches , through the impure and corrupt channel of the church of rome . for , . it was no disparagement to jesus christ that he received his humane nature from adam through many unclean channels , as thamar , rahab , bethshebah , &c. . it is no disparagement to the holy scriptures of the old testament , that the christians received them from the church of the iewes even after they had crucified that christ who was the center of the whole old testament . nor is it any disparagement to the old and new testament , that we receive them as delivered to us by sucession from the apostles through the church of rome , although that church by their corrupt glosses and interpretations had much depraved and corrupted them . . it was no disparagement to circumcision that it came from god through the hands of idolaters unto christ and his apostles : nor to baptisme , that it comes to us from christ through the antichristian church of rome ; insomuch as many of those that renounce ordination do yet retain their baptisme , though it may be easily made to appear that it was as much corrupted as ordination . . it is no disparagement to the ordinance of marriage , that many have been married in the church of rome , and married with all the popish ceremonies ; yet we never heard of any that have renounced their marriage as unlawful , because solemnized in the church of rome , which yet notwithstanding doth hold marriage to be a sacrament in a proper sense and have many corruptions in their way of marriage , and yet it is by the law of god and man , valid for the sustance of it . . it was no disparagement to the vessels of the temple that they had been . years in babylon , and abused and prophaned by belshazzar , who in contempt of the god of heaven drank wine in those holy , and consecrated vessels ; for afterwards the israelites made no scruple of receiving them , and restoring them to the temple . this is the fift consideration . . the sixt consideration is ; that the receiving of our ordination from christ and his apostles and the primitive churches , and so all along through the apostate church of rome is so far from nullifying our ministry , or disparaging of it , that it is a great strengthening of it when it shall appear to all the world , that our ministry is derived to us from christ and his apostles by succession of a ministry continued in the church for . years . and that we have . a lineal succession from christ and his apostles . . not onely a lineal succession but that which is more , and without which the lineal is of no benefit , we have a doctrinal succession also . we succeed them in preaching the same doctrine that they did deliver to the churches . the papists boast much of a lineal succession , but they want the doctrinal . they succeed the apostles as darknesse succeeds light , and as manasseh succeded hezekiah . but this is the happinesse of the present ministry , that we have both a lineal and doctrinal succession from christ and his apostles . but doth not this discourse of ours , ( when we say , that the essentials of a 〈…〉 true ministry , and that baptisme and ordination for the substantials of them were preserved in the church of rome during the prevalency of antichrist ) make rome to be a true church of christ. there are indeed some learned orthodox divines that say , that the church of rome is v●rè ecclesia , though not vera ecclesia , is truly a church , though far from being a true orthodox church . there are others that say , that till the last councel of trent the church of rome remained a true church for the essentials and substantials of it , and then it ceased to be a true church . the scripture saith , that antichrist sits in the temple of god , though he be no part of it ( as we have formerly said ) no more then satan who had his seat in pergamus was part of the church of pergamus . but for our parts we conceive we are not at all forced by any thing that we have said to entermeddle with this controversie . for it doth not follow , that because ordination , which is an ordinance of christ for the substance of it , was preserved in the church of rome , that therefore the church of rome is a true church , no more then it followeth that a theefe having the goods of an honest man in his house , which he hath stolen , should thereupon be accounted a true man. surely the theefe is still a theefe . and so is rome still the mother of harlots , notwithstanding her possessing the essentials of ordination and baptisme . even as babylon of old , ( a type of rome was babylon still and far from being the church of god ▪ although it had the vessels of the temple with her : so is the church of rome still an antichristian church , the mother of harlots and abominations of the earth , although it hath had the essentials of a true ministry by gods overruling providence continued in her . . the seventh and last consideration doth more immediately concern the ministry of england , and it consisteth of three branches . . that the first conversion of the english nation from heathenisme unto christia●ity did not proceed from rom● , but from hierusalem . mr. fox , and dr. iohn white have learnedly demonstrated out of gildas and sundry other authors , who affirm that britaine received the gospel in the time of tiberius the emperour , under whom christ was crucified , from some of the apostles , or some apostolical men . it is mostly received , that ioseph of arimathea was sent by philip from france to britaine about the year . and laid the first foundation of the christian faith amongst us . to this tertullian attesteth in his book against the iewes . and therefore it is a falsity for rome to challenge the conversion of the english nation , and no lesse absurdity for us to derive our succession from them . . that the churches of england in their first plantation were rightly gathered and constituted , as being planted by the apostles or men apostolical . and that true christianity after it's first settlement in britaine was never wholy ex●●nguished , but hath continued from the very first plantation of it , to this very day . this dr. vvhite proveth ●gainst the papists in his way to the church , § . . where he sheweth ; that the faith continued here from king lucius to the coming of austin the monk , whom gregory sent hither . years after christ ; who when he came found divers britaine bishops and learned men , with a monastery at bangor who did oppose arrianisme and p●lagianisme , and the pride of austin the popes ambassador . . that during the raign of antichrist here in england , god reserved unto himself many thousands that never bowed their knees to baal , as appears in the book of martyrs . and amongst other● he raised up mr. vvickliffe , and made him a great and famous instrument of church-reformation . our london divines in their appendix to the jus divinum of church government prove out of good authors , that in this church of england the corruptions which the church of rome would have introduced about ordinations of ministers and other ecclesiastical affairs , were withstood , and opposed by the kings of england , &c. so that if the whole be well considered , it will puzzle our antiministerial adversaries to prove that the church of england was beholding to the church of rome for either the first plantation , after reformation , or continuation of the gospel , church and ministry therein , from the begining to this day . we will conclude this consideration , with the remarkable speeches of two new-england ministers . the first is mr. philips of watertown , who having proved . that england was not beholden to rome for its first conversion , nor after reformation , at last hath these words when it pleased god more fully to clear up the light of his gospell in this nation , so as many thousands were redeemed from amongst men antichristian , and were made the first fruits unto god and the lambe , the church-state was not essentially altered all this time nor were these first fruits unto god , new constituted churches , but members of some churches , clearing themselves from corruption , and by reformation recovering themselves out of a desperate diseased condition , into a more healthful and sound estate . in which course the lord went on mightily in many places , especially after luthers time , yea even in england , something by henry the th . more by edward the th . and queen elizabeth , who did not constitute new churches , but reformed the churches deeply degenerated from the first constitution and the pure state thereof ; as they did the like in the state of iudah often , sometimes better and more fully , and sometimes not so fully in the dayes of the judges , david , asa , iehoshaphat , hezekiah , iosiah , ezra , and nehemiah . the other is mr. cotton in his way of the churches of christ in new-england chap. . pag. iii. where he saith : four things , we observe in the state of the churches in england which make way for reformation amongst them . first , the efficient instruments of their first plantation , which were either apostles , or apostolicall men , whether philip , or ioseph of arimathea , or simon zelotes , as any of our countrymen may read in mr. foxe's book of acts and monuments , in the beginning of it next after the story of the ten persecutions , out of gildas , tertullian , origen , beda , nicephorus ; which being so , we cannot but conceive , , the churches in england were rightly gathered , and planted according to the rule of the gospel ; and all the corruptions found in them since have sprung from popish apostacy in succeeding ages ▪ and from want of through and perfect purging out of that leaven in the late times of reformation in the dayes of our f●ther● . so that all the work now i● , not to make them churche● , which were non● before , but to reduce and restore them to th●ir primitive institution , &c. and thus we have ●t l●st finished our several consider●tions , in answer to thi● great objection , and sh●ll here put an ●nd to our first proposition , to wit ▪ that the call to the o ffice of the ministry , which some of our minister● did receive , during the prevalency of episcopacy , was l●wfull and valid , for the substance of it , though mingled with many circumstantiall d●fects . we have proved it by arguments drawn from the principles of our adversaries , and also from our owne principl●● . we have indeavoured to give full satisfaction to all the objection● that are brought against it : we had thought to have given our people a summary recapitulation of the chiefe heads of this large discourse , but because we have been overlong ( we feare ) already , we shall forbeare it , and conclude with that saying of the apostle , consider what w● have said , and th● lord give you understanding in all things . chap. iv. containing the . proposition , and proving it by clearing from scriptures , and other t●stimonies , that a bishop , and a presbyter are all one . that the call to the office of the ministry , which our present ministers doe now rec●ive sinc● the abolishing of episcopacy is lawfull and valid . for this you must know , that this way of making of minister● doth not essentially differ from the former , but is the same for substance , onely this i● more ●urified , and refined and agreeable to scri●ture-pattern ▪ the forme● w●s by bishops that did claim a greater power in many thing● th●● wa● due u●●o th●m by 〈…〉 by b●shops also , bu● they are scrip●●●e-bishop● , that 〈◊〉 pre●byters . there are some among us ( and these not a few ) t●●t do so idolize a bishop over presbyters , as that they ●ffirm ●ll ordi●●tions to be null and void , that are made by the presbyte● bishop , withou● a bishop over pre●by●ers . for their s●tisfaction ( if possibl● ) and for our own people● edification ●nd instruction , we will bri●fly undertake two things . . to prove that a bishop over presbyters is an apocryphall , not a canonical bishop , that a bishop and a presbyter are synonym●'s in scripture . . we will speake something about the a●tiquity of episcopall government , and concerning the judgme●t of the an●ient church ●bout it . . we shall undertake to prove , that according to the scripture pattern ( which is a perfect rule both for doctrine ●nd government ) a bishop and a presbyter are all one , not onely in name , but in office . and that there is no such officer in the church ordained by christ as a bishop over presbyters , this appears evidently . . from titus . . . where the apostle leaves titus in creet to ordain elders in every city , and then shews how these elders are to be qualified , and adds the reason of his advise ; for a bishop must be blam●l●ss . this for is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or causall , and sheweth clearely not onely the indentity of names , but of office between an elder and a bishop , otherwise his argument had not onely been a false reasoning , and failed in forme , having foure termes , but in ●ruth had been no reason at all . if a chancellour ( saith smectymnuus ) in one of the universities should give order to his vice-chancellour to admit none to the degree of bachelour in arts , but such a● were able to p●●●ch or k●ep a divinity act ▪ ( for bachelours in di●in●●y 〈…〉 so ; ) what reason or equity were in this ? so if 〈…〉 so . had ● bishop been an order or calling ●istinct from , o● superiour to a pre●by●er , and not the same , this had been no more rationall or ●quall then th● former : the●efore under the name of bishop in the seventh verse , the apostle must needs intend the elder mentioned in the fifth ve●se ; to this purpo●● spe●keth ▪ g●rrard de minis●●rio eccl●stastico , ex hoc loco manifestum eosdem dici , & fuiss● episcopos qui dicebant●● ▪ & e●ant pr●sbyt●ri , ali●● 〈…〉 in textu apostolic● connexio , quam tam●n particul● 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 [ 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 ] diser●è ponit , qu●●ui● 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 hac forest illi consti●u●ndi sum pr●sbyt●ri , qui sunt s●ne crimin● , quia episcopum , cujus officiu● , potestas , j●risdictio & gr●d●s diff●rt à pr●sbyt●ro , 〈◊〉 esse fine crimine : from this plac● it is manif●s● that the same were called , and were bishops , who were call●d , and w●re pr●sbyt●rs , otherwise there would b● no connexion in the text of the apostl● , which yet the ca●sall particle [ for ] evidently makes out . for what juncture of r●●son would be in this ? they are to be made presbyters who are blamelesse , because a bishop ▪ whose office , pow●r , jurisdiction , and deg●●● diff●●● from a pr●sbyter , ought to blamelesse . . the same is manifested , act. . . . paul sends from miletum to eph●sus , and cals the presbyters of the church , and this he doth when he wa● to leave them , and never see their faces more , vers ▪ . to these elders he saith , take he●d th●●●fore unto your selves , and to all the flock , ●ver which the holy-ghost hath made ●ou over-sears ( or as it is in the greek-bishops ) to feed the church of god , which he hath purch●s●d with his own blood . from hence we gather . . that elder● are called bishops . and not onely so , but , . that the apostle gives the whole episcopall power unto them , and chargeth them 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which signifieth to feed ; by government ●s w●ll as by life and doctrine : if it belongs to bishops to ord●in elders , ●nd to exercise jurisdiction in 〈…〉 , then this also belong● to elders ; for th●y are bishops , and their duty is , 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 & 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 . from pet. . , . the elders which are among you i exhort who am also an elder , and a witness of the sufferings of christ , &c. feed the flock of god which is among you , taking the oversight thereof , ( or ( as in the greek , ) performing the office of a bishop over the flock of god ) not by constraint but willingly , not for filthy lucre , but of a ready mind . here again observe , . that the apostle cals himselfe a presbyter , and so doth iohn epistle , and . epistle , vers . . and therefore the presbyters are the successors of theapostles . . that presbyters are called bishops , and that they have not onely the name but the office of bishops given to them ; for their work and office is , 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the elders are not onely 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 , as it is said , act. . . but here they are comm anded 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 , which is to perform all those offices to the church ▪ which belong to a bishop , which are to preach , ordain and govern , &c. . we argue from tim. . where the apostle makes but two standing ordinary officers , for the service of the church , bishops and deacons : and therefore after he hath set down the qualification of a bishop , he presently propoundeth the qualification of a deacon , not at all interposing the qualification of a presbyter , thereby giving us to understand , that a bishop and a presbyter are all one in scripture language . and from hence we may safely argue , after this manner . * they which have the same name , and same qualification to their office , and the same ordination , and the same work , and duty required of them , are one and the same officer . but a bishop and a presbyter have one and the same name , ( as we have already proved from act. . and . pet. . ) and the same qualification to their office ( as appears here and titus . ▪ . ) and the same ordination ( for ought we can read in scripture ) and the same work and duty , as appears from act. . , and ▪ p●t . . . and shall presently be more fully proved . therefore a bishop and a presbyter are one and the same officer . . this is further manifested from phil. . . — to all th● saints in christ i●sus who are at philippi , with the bishops and d●acons . here again note . . that a bishop and a presbyter are all one . for by bishops cannot be meant bishops over presbyters ; for of such there never was ( as our episcopal men say ) but one in a city . . that there are but two orders of ministry in the church of christ of divine institution , bishops and deacons ▪ and that therefore a bishop over presbyters is not a plant of gods planting , nor an officer appointed by christ in his church . . we argue , from these very texts in which the holy ghost doth on purpose set down all the several sorts of ministry which christ hath ordained in his church , as cor. . . ephes. . , . rom. . . , . when christ went up to heaven he left extraordinary , and ordinary officers , for the perfecting of the saints , and for the work of the ministry , &c. but here is no mention made of a bishop distinct from a presbyter , much lesse of a bishop superiour to a presbyter , in the power of ordination and jurisdiction . here are apostles , prophets , and evangelists , who were extraordinary officers , and temporary , and had no successors ( properly ) in ●undem gradum ; and here is mention of pastors and teachers , who are the onely ordinary standing and perpetual ministers : but no mention of the pope ( by which argument our learned protestant divines prove him to be none of christ's ministers ) nor of patriarches , nor of archbishops , or bishops distinct from pastors and teachers . . all distinct officers must have distinct works and operations ( nam operari sequitur esse ) and they must have distinct commissions . but presbyters have the same commission with bishops , and the same work and operation , erg● they are the same with bishops . that they have the same commission appears from ioh. . . as my father sent me , so send i you . this was said to all the apostles equally , and to all their successors indifferently . and whose sins you forgive are forgiven , &c. this is common with bishops to all presbyters . so matth. . . go teach all nations , baptising them , &c. and lo i am with you alway unto the end of the world . this is common to all presbyters ; and as for their work and operation , the presbyters are called rulers , governours and overseers in scripture tim. . . tim , . . thess. . . heb. . . , . and the keyes of the kingdom of heaven are committed to them matth. . . the scripture puts no distinction between the bishop and the presbyter , nor gives us any the least hint to make us believe , that the key of doctrine should belong to the presbyter , and the key of discipline to the bishop . ordination is performed by the presbytery tim. . . jurisdiction likewise is given to the presbyters . for they are 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and when the apostle saith to the church of corinth , do not ye iudge them that are within ? and put ye away from among your selves that wicked person ; and when christ saith , tell the church , these texts cannot be understood of a biship distinct from a presbyter ; for one man cannot be called a church which signifieth a company . and the apostle speaks to the corinthians , not in the singular , but in the plural number ; nor can they be understood of the whole congregation promiscuously ; for the apostle saith expresly , that the punishment executed upon the incestuous person , was inflicted by many , not by all . and by the church of which christ speaks , and to which scandals are to be brought , must of necessity be meant , a ruling , and governing church . and it is most clear in scripture , that private members are not church-rulers . for the apostle puts a distinction between saints and rulers heb. . . salute all them that have the rule over you , and all the saints . if all were the eye , where were the hands and feet ? and therefore these texts must be understood of the presbytery . from hence then it followes . if jurdifiction and ordination o●dination belong to the presbyter as well as the bishop , then a bishop and a presbyter , are one and the same office . . we might add , that the scripture acknowledgeth no superiority or inferiority , between officers of the same kind . for th●●gh we read that one order of ministery is said to be above another ; yet we never read that in the same order of officers there was any one superior to others of the same order . , we believe , that the apostles were above the evangelist● and the evangelists above pastors and teachers , and pastors and teachers above deacons ; but we likewise believe , that there was no apostle above ●n apostle ; but that they were all equal in power and jurisdiction , no evangelist above an evangelist , no deacon above another , and so by consequence , no presbyter , by divine right over other presbyters . . las●ly , if there be any distinction ▪ between a bishop and a presbyter in scripture , the greater honour and pre●●inence must of necessity be given to the presbyter above the bishop , which we believe will never be granted . for according to our prelatical divines , the office of a bishop as distinct from presbyters , is to rule and govern ; and the office of a presbyter is to preach and administer the sacraments . now sure we are , that preaching and administring the sacraments are far more excellent works then ruling and governing . and the apostle saith expressely , that they that labour in word and doctrine deserve more honour then they that rule well , . tim. . . hence we argue . if there be a bishop distinct from a presbyter , either he is equal , or inferior , or superior . our adversaries will answer , that he is superior . but this cannot be . for superiour orders must have superior acts and honour belonging unto them above their equalls or inferiours . but bishops have not . for preaching is an act above ruling , and most worthy of double honour , and so is administring of the holy sacraments . and therefore the act and honour of a presbyter is above the act and honour of a bishop , and ●rgo , a bishop is not superior , and ergo , there is no bishop at all in scripture distinct from a presbyter . this is all we have to say out of scripture for the identity of a bishop and a pre●byter and that this may not seem to be our own private judgment , or that we do herein hold any thing that is contrary to the doctrine of the catholique church or our own church of england , we shall crave leave to set down what hath been the opinion of the church of christ , and also of our own church concerning the divine right of episcopal government . first we will begin with st. ierome , who upon the first of titus hath these words . a presbyter and a bishop is the same : and before there were , through the dive●● instinct , divisions in religion , and the people began to say , i am of paul , and i of apollo , and i of c●phas ; the churches were governed by the common councel of the presters . but after that each man begun to account those whom he had baptized , his own , and not christs , it was decreed through the whole world , that one of the presbyters should be set over the rest ; to whom the care of al the church should belong , that the seeds of schisme might be taken away . thinkes any that this is my opinion , and not the opinion of the scripture ▪ that a bishop , and an elder is the same , let him read ▪ the words of the apostle to the philippians , saying , paul and timothy the servants of iesus christ to them that are at philippi with the bishops and d●ac●ns . philippi is one city of macidonia , and certainly in one city there could not be many bishops ( as they are now called ) but because at that time they called the same men bishops , whom they called presbyters . therefore he speaks indifferently of bishops , as of presbyters . if thi● yet seems doubtful to any unlesse it be proved by another testimony , let him consider ; that in the acts of the apostles it is written , that when paul came to miletu● he sent to eph●sus and called the elders of that church , and amongst other things saith unto them : take heed to your selves , and to all the flock over which the holy ghost hath made you bishops to feed the church of god which he hath purchased with his own blood . and here let yet be diligently observed : that calling the presbyters of one city of ephesus he afterwards called the same persons bishops . if any will receive that epistle which under the name of paul is written to the hebrewes . there are care of the church is divided amongst many . for thus he writeth to the people : obey them that have the rule over you , and submit your selves , for they watch for your souls , as they that must give an account ▪ that they may do it with joy , and not with grief , for that is unprofitable for you . and peter if called from the firmnesse of his faith saith in his epistle . the elders which are among you i exhort also who am an elder and a witnesse of the sufferings of christ , and also a partaker of the glory that shall be revealed . feed the flock of god which is among you &c. not by constraint but willingly . these things i have written to shew that amongst the ancients , bishops and presbyters were one & the same , and that by little & little , that all the seeds of dissention might be pluckt up , all the care of the church was delegated to one . and therefore as the elders may know , that they are to be subject to him that is set over them by the custom of thechurch , so let the bishops know , that it is more from custom , then from any true dispensation from the lord , that they are above the presbyters , and that they ought to rule the church in common , imitating moses , who though he had it in his own power to govern the people of israel yet notwithstanding chose . with whom he would judge the people . we have thought fit to transcribe this quotation at large , because it gives the same interpretation of scriptures which we do , and makes it the result of all his discourse . that bishops over presbyters are from the custom of the church onely , and not from any divine original . we might here likewise set down the epistle that st. hierome writes to evagrius , wherein he brings not only the scripture forementioned , but most of the other places which we have brought , and gives the same explication of them ; but because it is very long , we think fit to omit it , and desire the diligent reader for his own further satisfaction to peruse it . the next that we shall cite is st. austin who in his th . epistle writing unto st. hierome saith , that though according to words of honour which the custome of the church hath brought in , episcopacy be greater then presbytery , yet in many things austin is inferior to hierome . and in quaest. veteris et novi testamenti quaest. . what is a bishop but the first priest ? that is to say , the highest priest. in the third place we shall add dr. reynolds in his epistle to sir francis knowls , who shewes out of chrysostome , hierome , ambrose , augustin● , theodoret , pri masius , sedulius , theophylact , that bishops and presbyters are all one in scripture , and that aerius co uld no more be justly condemned for heresie , for holding bishops and presbyters to be all one , then all those fathers ; with whom agree ( saith he ) oecumenius , and ansolme arch-bishop of canterbury , and another anselme and gregory , and gratian : and affirmes , that it was once enro lled in the canon law for sound and catholique doctrine , and thereupon taught by learned men ; he adds further , that it is unlikely that anselm● should have been canonized for a saint by the pope of rome , and the other anselme and gregory so esteemed in the popes library , that gratians works should be allowed so long time by so many popes for the golden fountain of the canon law , if they had taught that for sound doctrine , which by the whole church in her most flourishing condition was condemned for heresy , and concludes th at they who have laboured about the reformation of the church , these five hundred yeares ( of whom he names abundance ) have taught that all pastors be they intitulated bishops or priests have equal authority and power by the word of god. in the fourth place we might urge the saying of michael medina lib. . de sacris origin . who affirmes , that not onely st. hierome , but also that ambrose , austin , sedulius , primasius , chrisostome , theodoret , oecumenius , theophylact , were of the same judgement with aerius , and held that there was no difference between a bishop and a presbyter by scripture . the next we shall instance in is cassander in his book of cons●ltation , article , who saith , whether episcopacy be to be accounted an order ecclesiastical distinct from presbytery , is a question much debated between the theologues and the canonists . but in this one particular all sides agree , that in the apostles dayes there was no difference between a bishop and a presbyter , but afterwards for the avoiding of schisme the bishop was placed before the presbyter , to whom the power of ordination was granted , that so peace might be continued in the church . add further , that in the oecumenical councels of constance and basil after long debate it was concluded , that presbyters should have dicisive suffrages in councells as well as bishops ; because that by the law of god bishops were no more then they , and it is expressely given them act . . . erasmus upon . tim. . . saith , that in ancient time there was no difference between a bishop and a presbyter , ( but afterwards for the avoiding of schisme , a bishop was chosen by many , ) and so many pres byters , so many bishops . . bishop iewel in the defence of his apoology part . cap . divi● . . proveth against harding , that aerius could not be counted an heretick for holding that bishops and presbyters are all one iure divino , and citing for it hierom , austin , cyhrsostome , closeth up for answer with these words . all these and many more holy fathers together with the apostle st. paul for thus saying must by hardings advice be held for heretiques . . bishop morton in his cathol . apology part . cap. . affirmeth that divers other divines besides hierom were of the same opinion with aerius , that there was no difference by divine right between a bishop & a presbyter . for which he also citeth medina , anselme , sedulius , erasmus and alphonsus a castro who saith that hierome was of this opinion , that a bishop and a presbyter are ejusdem ordinis et authoritatis of the same order and the same authority . . bishop bilson ( whatsoever he saith to the contrary in his book called the perpetual government of christs church ) in his book against seminaries lib. . pag. . affirmeth out of hierome , that the church at first was governed by the common councel of pr●byters ; and therefore bishops must understand that they be greater then ministers , rather by custome then the lords appointment , and the bishops came in after the apostles times . . dr. whitakers respon ad campiani rationes , ratio , affirmeth that iure divino a presbyter and a bishop are all one . and whereas durans affirmeth with many words that bishops and presbyters were iure divino divers , he telleth him that if he will retain the estimation of a modest divine , he must not so confidently affirm that which all men see to be so evidently false . for , what is so well known , saith he , as this which you acknowledge not . hierom plainly writeth , that elders and bishops are the same , and confirmeth it by many places of scripture . . dr. holland the kings professor in oxford , at an act iuly . . concluded against mr , lanes question ; an episcopatus sit ordo distinctus a presbyteratu , ●oque superior jure divino ▪ and said : that the affirmative was most false against the scriptures , fathers , the doctrine of the church of england , yea , the very school-men themselves , lombard , thomas , bonaventure , &c. we might cite divers others , as arch-bishop whitguife against car●hright , and dr. fulk upon titus the . ver . . and deane nowell , &c. but we forbeare , and the rather because we shall have occasion hereafter to touch upon the same argument . now by all this it appears , that by scripture , & the judgment of the antient church , and our own church of england , a bishop and a presbyter are all one , and that therefore they that are made ministers by presbyters , are made ministers by bishops , and are lawfully ordained because ordained in a way most agreeable to scripture pattern . chap. v. answering objections taken from the pretended episcopacy of timothy and titus . before we leave our scripture-proofs , it will be expected , that we should answer to what is brought out of scripture for for the ius divinum of prelacy , and also to what is brought in answer unto our arguments out of scripture against it . for the first , there are two chiefe and principall arguments , the one from timothy and titus , the other from the . asian angels . as for timothy and titus , it is said , that they were constituted bishops of ephesus , and cree● by the apostle paul , and did exercise episcopall power in these places both in ordination and jurisdiction , and this power was derived by them unto their successors , as being necessary to continue in the church , as well as the power of preaching and administring the sacraments . to this we answer . that timothy and titus were not bishops in a prelatical sense . we deny not but that they did exercise episcopal power both in ordination and jurisdiction , and that this power is necessary to be continued in the church . but we say , that they did this , not as bishops in a formall sense , but as extraordinary officers or evangelists , which were officers in the church distinct from pastors and teachers . to make this out , we will briefly do two things . . we will prove that timothy and titus were not prelaticall bishops . . that they were evangelists . . that they were not prelaticall bishops . this we make out . . because the scripture no where cals them bishop● . but in the postscripts they are called bishops . these postscripts are no part of canonicall scripture . the papists themselves ( baronius , serarius , and the rhemists ) confesse that there is much falsity in them . smectimnu●s hath everlastingly blasted the authority of them . the first epistle is said to be writ from laodicea , whereas b●za in his annotations proves apparently that it was written from macedonia , to which opinion baronius , and serarius and athanasius and theodoret , in his epistle before his commentary upon timothy , subscribe . it is also called the first epistle . but how was paul sure that he should live to write a second ? and it is also said to be written from laodicea , which is the chiefest city of phrygia pa●atiana . but as b●za well observes , there is no mention of phrygia pacatiana in the writers of those ages , sed apud recentiores illos , qui romani ●mperii jam inclinantis provincias descripserunt . the second epistle i● thus subscribed . the second epistle unto timothy , ordained the first bishop of the church of the ephesians , was written from rome when paul was brought , &c. now these words , ordained the first bishop , are wanting saith b●za , in quibusdam v●t●stis codicibus , in veteri vulgatâ editione , & apud syrum interpretem . the syriack interpreter reads it , here ends the second epistle to timothy , written from rome . if st. paul had written this postscript , he would not have said to timothy the first bishop , &c. whereas it was not yet certain whether ever there should be a second . neither would it be said , when paul was brought , &c. but when i was the second time brought before nero. the epistle to titus is said to be written from nicopolis ; whereas it is cleare that paul was not at nicopolis when he wrote it titus . . be diligent to come to me to nicopolis , for i have determined there to winter ; he doth not say , here to winter , but there ; where note for the present he was not there , and besides it is said , that titus was ordained the first bishop , &c. and who was the second ? or was there ever a second ? but we forbear transcribing any more &c. this is abundantly sufficient to invalidate the authority of the postscript written ab hominibus v●l indoctis vel certe non s●tis attentis , as beza saith . but some of the fathers call them bishops . they that call them bishops borrow their testimonies from eusebius , of whom scaliger saith , and dr. r●yn●lds approves of it : that he read ancient histories paru● attente , which they prove by many instances . and all that eusebius saith , is only sic scribitur , it is so reported . but from whence had he thi● history ? even from clemens fabuleus and hegesippus not extant . . it is no wonder that timothy and titus are called bishops by e●sebius and theodoret , because that the apostles themselves are called bishops by the writers of those times , who spake of former times according to their own . thus peter is said to be bishop of rome , and iames of hi●rusalem . now it is evident ( as we shall hereafter prove ) that the apostles were not bishops properly and formally , but onely eminently and vertually . . as they are called bishops , so also they are called apostles , theodoret calles titus 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and timothy 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 . and yet we believe that there are few of our episcopal divines will undertake to prove them to be veri nominis apostolos . some call them archbishops , metropolitans , patriarches , and yet will not be easie to perswade a person disengaged from prelacy that there were archbishops and metropolitans in the apostles dayes . the truth is , that which thucydides saith of the ancient greek historians , may as truly be said of eusebius , irenaeus and others , &c. that those things which they received from their fore-fathers they delivered to their posterity without strict examination , and thereby in many things more deceived themselves , and were the cause of deceiving others , as we shall have occasion to shew afterwards . for our parts we answer clearly ; that the fathers and councels speak of the officers of former times according to the stile of their own times . that timothy had an office above a bishop , ( as wale messalinus saith ) though afterwards from the custome of the church and some acts that bishops did like his ( but not solely ) he was allusively , if not abusively , and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 called a bishop . and as another faith ; timothy and titus are called bishops by the ancients , because they did those acts that by humane custome were afterwards appropriated to bishops in regard of presidency , but they did them not as bishops ( which they are not called in scripture ) hut as evangelists which they were , and so one of them is called , tim. . . . the second argument to prove that timothy and titus were no bishops , relates especially to timothy , and it is this . if timothy was bishop of ephesus , it must be when the first epistle was written . for it is in that epistle in which he is said to receive his pretended charge of exercising his episcopal power in ordination and jurisdiction . but now this first epistle was written when paul was at macedonia ▪ as the learned , both new and old , papists and protestants , agree . and it was after this when paul came to miletum accompanied with timothy , and sends for the elders of the church of ephesus unto him , and commends the government of the church unto these elders whom he calls bishops . now surely if timothy had been constituted their bishop ( in the sence of our adversaries ) the apostle would not have called the elders bishops before their bishops face , and in stead of giving a charge to the elders to feed the flock of christ , he would have given that charge to timothy , and not to them , and no doubt he would have given some directions to the elders how to carry themselves toward their bishop . and because none of these things were done ; it is a clear demonstration to us , that timothy was not at that time bishop of ephesus . to avoid the force of this argument , there are some that say , that timothy was not made bishop of ephesus till after pauls first being a prisoner at rome , which was after his being at miletum . but these men while they seek to avoid the scylla of one inconvenience , fall into the carybdis of another as great ; for if timothy was not made bishop till pauls first being at rome , then he was not bishop when the first epistle was written to him ( which all agree to be written before that time ) and then it will also follow , that all that charge that was laid upon him , both of ordination and jurisdiction , and that intreating of him to abide at ephesus , was given to him not as to the bishop of ephesus ( which he was not , ) but as to an extraordinary officer sent thither upon special occasion , with a purpose of returning when his work imposed was finished . from both these considerations we may safely conclude . that if timothy were neither constituted bishop of eph●sus before pauls first being prisoner at rome , nor after ; then he was not constituted bishop at all : but he was neither constituted bishop before nor after &c. ergo not at all . . to prove that timothy and titus were not bishops in a prelatical sence , we argue from the matter contained in these epistles . in the first epistle ( wherein all that is alledged for episcopacy is contained , for in the epistle there is nothing at all said about it ) chap. . vers. . he beseecheth timothy to abide at ephesus when he went into macedonia , which had been a needless importunity ( as smecttymnuus well observes ) if timothy had had the episcopal charge of ephesus committed to him by the apostles , for then he might have laid as dreadful a charge upon him to abide at ephesus , as he doth afterwards to preach the gospel tim. . , . and in his epistle to titus chap. . . he saith . for this cause left i thee in creete , that thou shouldst set in order the things that are wanting &c. in which words the apostle specifieth the occasional imployment for which he was desired to stay in that place . now ( as the reverend presbyters in their conference at the isle of wight have well noted . ) these expressions — i besought th●e to abide still at ephesus , i left thee in creete , do not sound like words of instalment of a man into a bishoprick , but of an intendment to call him away again . and if we consider his actual revocation of them both ( of which we shall afterwards speake ) and the intimation in these texts of his intention , that they should not stay there for continuance ; and the reason of his beseeching the one to stay , and of his leaving the other behind him , which was some present defects and distempers in those churches , they will put fair to prove , that the apostle intended not to establish them bishops of those places , and therfore did not . add to this , that when paul undertook in tim. . to set out the office of a bishop , he mentioneth nothing in that office which is not competent to a presbyter , and therefore omits the office of a presbyter ( as we have formerly said ) including it in the office of a bishop , which certainly he would never have done , if he had at the same time made timothy an hierachicalbishop , with a power to do that formally which was unlawful for a presbyter to do . and in his epistle to titus , he directly confounds the names and offices of presbyters , and bishops , and makes them one and the same titus . . . which he certainly would not have done , if he had made them at that time distinct order● with distinct offices , or if he had made titus at that time bishop ( or as some would have it ) arch-bishop or primate and metropolitan of the hundred cities that were in creet . so much for the proof that timothie and titus were not bishops in a prelatical sence . . the second thing we are to prove is , that timothy and titus were evangelists , and not onely so in a general signification ( as all preachers of the gospel may be called evangelists ) but in a special and proper sence . this will the better appear , if we consider what an evangelist is , and the difference between evangelists and other officers of the church . evangelists , properly so called , were men extraordinarily imployed in preaching the gospell without a settled residence upon any one charge ; they were comites , et vicarii apostolo●um , vice-apostles who had curam vicariam omnium ecclesiarum , as the apostles had , curam principalem ; and they did ( as ambrose speakes ) evang●lizare sine cathedra . bishops or presbyters were tyed to the particular care and tuition of that flock over which god had made them overseers , act. . . but evangelists were not tyed to reside in one particular place , but did attend upon the apostles , by whose appointment they were sent from place to place , as the necessity of the churches did require . to this agreeth mr. hooker in his ecclesiastical policy ; evangelists , saith he , were presbyters of principal sufficiency whom the apostles sent abroad , and used as agents in ecclesiastical affaires wheresoever they found need . they were extraordinary and temporary officers ( as the apostles and prophets were ) and officers of a rank higher then pastors and teachers , and so they are reckoned ephesians . . now that timothy and titus were such officers is made evident . not onely because one of them is in direct terms called an evangelist tim. . . but also , from the perpetual motion of both of them from place to place , not onely before they were sent to ephesus and creet , but as much after , as before . and that they did so move , appears from divers authors who have exactly set down their several peregrinations both before and after . we shall not trouble the reader with their travailes before they were sent to ephesus and creet , but shall onely relate what is said by the reverend minsters in their humble answer , at the isle of wight of their journeyings after their going thither . and first of timothy . if timothy say they , was bishop of ephesus , he must be so when the first epistle was sent to him , in which he is pretended to receive the charge of exercising his episcopall power in ordination , and government ; but it is manifest that after this epistle sent to him , he was in continual journeyes , or absent from ephesus . for paul left him at ephesus when he went into macedonia , and he left him there to exercise his office , in regulating & ordering that church and in ordaining ; but it was after this time that timothy is found with paul at miletum : for after paul had been at miletum , he went to ierusalem whence he was sent prisoner to rome , and never came more into macedonia , and at rome we find timothy a prisoner with himand those epistles which paul wrote while he was prisoner at rome namely the epistle to the philippians , to phil●mon , to the colossians , to the hebrewes , do make mention of timothy as his companion at these times ▪ nor do we ever find him again at ephesus , for we find that after all this , towards the end of saint paul● life , after his first answering before nero , and when he said his departing was at hand , he sent for timothy to rome , not from ephesus ; for it seems that timothy was not there , because paul giving timothy an account of the absence of most of his companions sent into divers parts , he saith tychieus have i sent to ephesus . now if your majesty shall be pleased to cast up into one totall what is said , the severall journeys and stations of timothy , the order of them ; the time spent in them , the nature of his imployment , to negotiate the affaires of christ in several churches and places , the silence of the scriptures as touching his being bishop of any one church , you will acknowledge that such a man was not a bishop fixed to one church or precinct , and then by assuming that timothy was such a man , you will conclude that he was not bishop of ephesus . the like may be said also concerning titus after he was left at creet , he was sent for by paul to nicopolis , and after that he is sent to corinth , from whence he is expected at troas , and not with paul in macedonia , whence he is sent againe to corinth , and after all this is neere the time of pauls death at rome , from whence he went not into creet , but unto dalmatia , and after this is not heard on in the scripture . from all this we gather . conclusions . that timothy and titus were not bishops in our brethrens sense , that is , were not fixed stars in ephesus or creet . and whereas it is answered , that the necessities of those times made even the most fixed stars planetary , calling them frequently , from the places of their abode , to those services that were of most use for the successe of that great work , yet so that after their errands fully done , they returned to their own charge , and that therefore they might be bishops notwithstanding their severall journeys . we challenge any of them to shew in all the new testament , any one that was appointed overseer of a particucular church , whose motion was as planetary , as we have shewed that of timothy and titus to have been , or if that fail , to shew that after timothy and titus went abroad upon the service of the churches , they did constantly or ordinarily return either to ephesus or creet , and not to the places either of the apostles present abode , or appointment . but we are fully assured that they can shew neither the one nor the other , and therefore we may safely conclude , that they were not bishops in our brethrens sense . that timothy and titus were evangelists , and evangelists in a proper sense , and officers distinct from pastors , and teachers and officers of an higher rank and order . that they were not onely evangelists before they were sent to ephesus and creet , but afterwards also , as hath been abundantly proved . and the truth is , if they were evangelists at any time , we cannot conceive how they can come to be bishops in our brethrens sense . for we thus argue , they that were made evangelists in a proper sense by the apostles , were never afterwards made bishops in our brethrens sense by the apostles . for this had been to degrade them from a superiour office to an inferiour . and if ( according to the councell of chalcedon ) it be not onely incongruous , but sacrilegious to bring back a bishop to the degree of a presbyter ; if it be an eternall reproach and shame to a bishop to be ▪ degraded from a bishop to a presbyter , much more reproach and shame it must needs be , for an evangelist to be brought down unto the office of a bishop . but timothy and titus were once made evangelists by the apostles , when they were chosen to travell up and downe with them as their companions , and before they were setled ( as our brethren suppose ) the one at ephesus , the other at creet . this is confessed by bishop hall , bishop downham , and all episcopall men , that we have read of this subject . and the great debate between them and us is , not whether they were once evangelists , and vice-apostles or no , but how long they continued so , and whether ever they were made bishops in our brethrens sense . and therefore we may undoubtedly conclude , that because they were once evangelists , therefore they were never bishops , neither before they were sent to ephesus and cre●● , nor afterwards . before we leave our discourse concerning timothy and titus , we must of necessity answer one objection . it is said , that the work imposed upon timothy and titus in ephesus and creet , both of ordination and jurisdiction is as necessary to be continued in the church as the work of preaching and adminstring the sacrament , and that after their deaths , those that did succeed them did the same work , and were called bishops by the ancient fathers . and that therefore timothy himselfe was a bishop , because his successors in the same place were called so . timothy and titus were evangelists , and therefore temporary and extraordinary officers , and therefore could not have any successors in office. indeed the power they did exercise in ephesus and creet , was necessary for the church of christ , and there were some that succeeded them in that work , but none in the office , the apostles and evangelists had some that came after them and did the same work that they did in governing ordaining and preaching : but they had no successors in office , for then they had not been extraordinary . and as one wel saith ; when the apostles and evangelists dyed , their offices ceased , what parts of their office were of perpetuall use , as praying , preaching , administring sacraments , and the use of the keyes , were left to those ordinary officers called pastors and teachers eph. . . the distinction made afterward between a pastor-bishop , and a pastor-presbyter , was but an humane invention for order , and to avoid accidental inconveniencies , of which we shall speake more hereafter . in a word the successors of timothy and titus were presbyters , who by common consent govern the church , and ordain elders , and did the same work as ordinary standing officers which timothy and titus did as extraordinary and temporary officers , &c. so it was at first , till afterwards , for avoiding ofschisme , ( as hierom saith ) one was chosen from amongst the presbyters and called a bishop ; but whether this invention were of god , and whether it were hurtfull or profitable for the church , we shall , god willing , shew at large when we come to speak of the practise of antiquity in point of episcopacy . so much for timothy and titus . chap. vi. answering objections from the pretended episcopacy of the seven asian angels . the second scripture ground brought to prove the divine right of prelacy is from the angels of the seven churches of asia . these angels ( say they ) were seven single persons : and ( as one hath lately written ) not onely bishops , but metropolitans and arch-bishops . this is said with so much confidence , that all men are condemned as blinde , or wilfull that indeavour to oppose it . and it is reckoned as one of the great prodigies of this unhappy age , that men should still continue blinde , and not see light enough in this scripture , to build the great fabrick of episcopacy by divine right upon . it is further added , that some of the ancient fathers , mention the very men that were the angels of those churches . some say timothy was bishop of ephesus , when iohn writ his epistle to it : others say onesimus : others say that polycarp was bishop of smyrna . and from hence they conclude with a great deale of plausibilitie , that the angels of the churches were seven individuall bishops . for answer to those things , we must of necessity referre the reader to what is said in the bookes quoted in the margent , wherein they are fully , clearly , and ( as we conceive ) satisfactorily handled , we shall crave leave to borrow a few things out of them , adding something of our own . in answer therefore to this scripture , we do desire those things may be considered . . that st. iohn the pen-man of the revelation , doth neither in it , nor in any of his other writings , so much as upon the name bishop , he names the name presbyter frequently , especially in the revelation ; yea , when he would set out the office of those that are nearest to the throne of christ in his church , revel . . he cals himselfe a presbyter , epist. . and whereas in st. iohn's dayes some new expressions were used in the christian church , which were not in scripture ; as the christian sabbath began to be called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 * and christ himself 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 † now both these are found in the writings of st. iohn . and it is strange to us , that the apostle should mention a new phrase , and not mention a new office erected by this time ( as our brethren say ) in the church ▪ especially if we consider that polycarp ( as i● related ) was made bishop by him ; and no doubt if he had been made bishop in a prelaticall sense , we should have found the name bishop in some of his writings ▪ who lived so long as to see episcopacy setled in the church , as our adversaries would make us believe . add to thi● , . that there is not the least intimation in all st. iohns writngs of the superiority of one presbyter over another , save onely where he names and chides diotrephes , as one ambitiously affecting such a primacy . consider , thirdly , that the same authors , that say that st. iohn made polycarp bishop of smyrna , and that st. peter made ignatius bishop of antioch , do also say that st. iohn himself sate many yeares bishop of ephesus , and was the metropolitan of all asia , which is an evident demonstration to us , that these authors did not use the word bishop in a prelaticall sense . for it is certain that the apostles cannot properly be called bishops : for , though they did eminently contain the episcopall office , yet they were not formally bishops . for , this were to degrade the apostles , and to make their office ordinary and perpetuall , this were to exalt the bishop above his degree , and make him an apostle , and to make the apostle a bishop . it doth not much differ from madness , to say that peter or any one of the apostles were properly bishops , as learned whitaker saith , whom we shal have occasion to cite this purpose hereafter . . consider fourthly , that the word angel ( which is the title given to those supposed bishops ) doth not import any peculiar jurisdiction or preheminence , but is a common name to all ministers , and is so used in scripture : for all ministers are gods messengers , and ambassadours sent for the good of the elect , and therfore the name being common to all ministers , why should we think that there should be any thing spoken to one minister , that doth not belong to all ? the same may be said of the word starre ( which is also a title given to those supposed metropolitans . ) it is evident that all faithfull ministers are called stars in scripture , whose duty is to shine as lights unto the churches in all purity of doctrine , and holiness of conversation . there is nothing in these titles , that argue these ministers to be bishops in our brethrens sense , insomuch as had they not been called bishops , by some authors that succeeded them ( who spake of former times according to the language of their own times ) this way of arguing would have been counted ridiculous . . add lastly , that these titles of stars and angels are mysterious and metaphoricall . it is said rev. . the mysterie of the seven stars , &c. and certainly it cannot be safe or solid , to build the structure of episcopacy by divine right upon mysterious and metaphorical denominations ; theologia symbolica non est argumentativa . especially if we consider , that there are abundance of cleare texts , that make presbyters and bishops to be one and the same : and it cannot be praise-worthy for any men ( though never so learned in the esteem of the world , ) to oppose certain allegoricall , and mysterious titles , to so many express testimonies of scripture . against all this it will be said , that our saviour christ in his epistles to these seven churche● , singles out one angel in every church from all the other ministers that were there , and dedicates his epistle unto these angels , thereby giving us to understand , that these angels were superiour to all the other ministers , angels of an higher orbe , superintendents & not only bishops overpresbyters , arch-bishops over other bishops , as a high prelatist is pleased to tell us . to this objection there are solid and every way sufficient answers given in the books forementioned ; we shall reduce all to these two head● . . that the word angel is not to be taken 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 , but 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 , not individually , but collectively , for all the pastors and ministers of the respective ministers ; this answer we confesse is called a poore shift & vain conceit , and a manifest wresting of the plain words of our saviour by our episcopal men ; but we conceive there are such reasons brought for the justification of it that cannot be answered . as for example . it is certain that our saviour christ speakes to this angel often in the plural number , rev. . . but unto you i say and the rest of thyatira rev. . . fear none of those things which thou shalt suffer . b●hold , the divel shall cast some of you into prison , that ye may be tryed , and ye shall have tribulation ten dayes : be thou faithful unto death &c. this see rev. . . by which is evident , that by the word angel is not meant one singular person , but the collective body of rulers . but some copies leave out the conjunction 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 , and read it , 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 . he that shall view the antecedent , and consequent and consider that verse . . it is said i will give to every one of you &c. and then followes but i say unto you , and in the conclusion of the verse , i will put upon you no other burden , will confesse that the old copies are better then that which is said to be tecla's manuscript . . it is certain that the church of ephesus was a collective body , and that there were many presbyters to whom st. paul at his final departure from them committed the charge of that church . and these presbyters are called bishops , and were all of them stars of the same magnitude , and ange●s of the same order without a difference & distinction . . it is usuall with the holy ghost , not onely in other books of the scripture , but in this very book of the revelation , in mysterious and prophetick writings and visional representations ( such as this of the stars and golden candlestick is ) to expresse a number of things or persons in singulars . and this in visions is the usual way of representation of things , a thousand persons making up one church , is represented by one candlestick ; many ministers making up one presbytery by one angel. thus revel . . . it is said , that iohn say seven angels which stood before god. by these seven candlesticks dr. reynolds doth not understand seven individual angels , but all the angels . for there are no seven individual angels that stand before god , but all do , dan ▪ . there are many more instances brought in the book● forementioned . . add lastly , that though but one angel be mentioned in the fore●front ; yet it is evident , that the epistles themselves ( though we are far from thinking in that formall denomination the angels and candlesticks are the the same ) are dedicated to all the angels and ministers in every church , and to the churches themselves , as appears rev. . . rev. . . . . and therefore when it is said in the singular number , i know thy workes , this thou hast , repent and do thy first workes &c. all these and the like places are not to be understood as meant of one individuall person , but of the whole company of ministers , and also of the whole church , because the punishment threatned is to the whole church rev. . . . . now we have no warrant in the word to think that christ would remove his gospel from a church for the sin of one bishop , when all the other ministers and churches are far from those sins . these are some of those reasons that are brought to prove that this our interpretation is no wresting or offering of violence to the text , but such a one that floweth naturally from it . we might for the confirmation of it cite mr. brightman , mr. perkins , mr. fox , ( who citeth primasius , haymo , beda , richardus , thomas &c. of the same judgment ) dr. fulk , mr. mede , gregory , and st. austin , all of them interpreting this text as we do . but we forbear , because they are quoted by smectimnuus . but it will be said that as some autohors say , that timothy was bishop of ephesus when our saviour wrote this epistle to it ; others b) that onesimus was bishop , ( c ) others that polycarp was bishop of smyrna at that very time ; and therefore these angels must needs be taken individually for for so many single persons . they that say that timothy was then bishop , offer no little injury to him ; for they thereby charge him to be guilty of apostacy , and of losing his first love , and so out of a blind zeal to episcopacy , they make that glorious saint to stand charged as an apostate . the like injurie is offered by objections to onesimus . . we have already proved , that timothy was an evangelist in a proper sense , and therefore cannot be called a bishop of ephesus in their sense . it will not follow because onesimus was bishop of ephesus in . st. johns dayes , that therefore he was the onely person to whom christ wrote his epistle ; for st paul tells us that there were many bishops at ephesus ( besides the supposed onesimus ) and christ may very well write to him and to all the rest as well as him . the like may be said concerning polycarpe : for our saviour speakes to the angel of the church of smyrna in the plural number rev. . . and therefore he may truly be said to write to all the other angels that were at smyrna as well as to one . so much for the first head of answers . . but now in the second place , let us suppose it ( though we will not grant it ) that these angels were personae singulares , and that the word angel is to be taken individually ; yet , we conceive , that this will not at all advantage the episcopal cause . for , . first mr. beza ( no great friend to episcopacy ) acknowledgeth , that by these words to the angel is meant 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to the president as whom it behoved specially to be admonished touching those matters , and by him both the rest of his colleagues , and the whole church likewise . but then he addeth . but that episcopal degree which was afterward by humane invention brought into the church of god , certainly neither can nor ought to be hence concluded ; nay not so much as the office of a perpetual president should be of necessity as the thence arising olig●rchical tyranny ( whose head is the antich●istian beast ) now at length , with ●he most certain ruine not of the church onely , but of the word also maketh manifest ; by which quotation it is evident , that though beza h●ld the angel to be a singular person , yet he held him to be angelus pres●s not ang●lus princeps . and that he was praeses pr● tempore , just as a moderator in an assembly , or as a speaker in parliament . to this effect do the reverend divines speak in their humble answer at the isle of vvight , where they say , that these writings to the angels are directed as epistolary letters to collective bodies usually are ; that is , to one , but intended to the body , which your majestie illustrateth by your sending a message to your two houses , and directing it to the speaker of the hou●e of peers ; which as it doth not hinder , we confesse , but that the speaker is one single person ; so it doth not prove at all , that the speaker is alwayes the same person ; or if he were , that therefore because your message is directed to him , he is the governour or ruler of the two houses in the least , and so your majestie hath given clear instance , that though these letters be directed to the angels , yet that notwithstanding , they might neither be bishops , nor yet perpetual moderators . secondly , dr , reynolds ( who hath written a letter in print against the j●s divinum of episcopacy ) acknowledgeth also , ( in his conference with hart dial . ) that this angel was persona singularis . for he saith , that presbyters when they met together for the carrying on of the affairs of the church by common councel and consent , chose one amongst them to be the president of their company , and moderator of their actions . as in the church of ephesus , though it had sundry elders and pastors to guide it ; yet amongst those sundry , was there one chief , whom our saviour calleth the angel of the church , and writeth that to him , which by him the rest should know . from which saying we may safely conclude , that though we should grant ( which yet we do not ) that this angel is a single person , yet it will not at all help the episcopal hierarchy . for this angel is but a moderator of the presbytery , having no superiority of power either in ordination , or jurisdiction , above presbyters ; is himself also a presbytery , and ( for ought appears to the contrary , from the judgment of dr. reynolds ) a moderator onely pro tempore : which kind of government is purely presbyterial , and not at all episcopal , much lesse ( as some would have it , even from this text ) archiepiscopal and metropolitical . but it is objected by some learned men , that the seven cities in which these seven asian churches had their seat , were all of them metropolitical , and so had relation unto the rest of the towns , and cities of asia , as unto daughters rising under them ; and that therefore these churches were metropolitical churches , and their angels metropolitical bishops . to this we answer , . that it will hardly be proved that these seven cities were all of them metropolitical cities in st. iohn● dayes ; and the situation of the most of them lying near together by the sea side , makes it very improbable . . but suppose it would , yet we answer . . that it is no good argument from the greatnesse of the cities , to inferr the greatnesse of the churches : for , though the cities were great , yet the churches were but small , and the number of believers very few in comparison of the rest of the people . . we do not believe that ever it can be proved , that the apostles did model the government of the church according to the government of the roman state. this was the after-policy of christian emperours and bishops , but no part of apostolical policy ; and therefore it doth not follow , that because there were divers cities under the jurisdiction of these seven cities , that therefore there should be divers churches subordinate to these seven asian churche● . . we are fully assured , that it can never be made out , that any of these asian angels were archbishops , or bishops over other bishops ; or bishops over divers settled churches . the seven starrs are said in scripture to be fixed in their seven candlesticks or churches , not one star over divers candlesticks , or churches . if this opinion were true , then tertullian did no● do well in saying , that st. iohn made polycarpe bishop of smyrna , but he should rather have said , that he made him arch-bishop . and our saviour christ had not given unto these seven angels their due titles . for he must have written . to the angel of the church of ephesus , together with all those churches in the cities subordinate to ephesus . and so likewise of the other six : surely this device was found out for the honour of archiepiscopacy by some that did aspire unto that dignity ; but we hope that our more moderate brethren are far from stamping a divinum jus upon archbishops and prim●tes and patriarchs , for fear lest by the same proportion of reason they be forced to put a divine stamp at last upon the pope himself . and therefore we forbear to say any more about it . for the conclusion of this discourse about the asian angels , we shall add ; . that it can never be proved , that these asian angels were bishops in a prelatical sence , much lesse arch-bishops and metropolitans . for it is agreed upon on al parts , that believers in great cities were not divided into set and fixed congregations or parishes , till long after the apostles dayes . and that parishes were not united into diocesses till . years after christ. and therefore sure we are , that there could not be diocesan churches , and diocesan bishops formally so called in the apostles dayes . these angels were congregational , not diocesan . in the beginning of christianity the number of believers , even in the greatest cities , were so few , as that they might well meet , 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in one and the same place . and these were called the church of the citie , and therefore , to ordain elders 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 , and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 , are all one in scripture . afterwards we conceive , that believers became so numerous in these great cities as that they could not conveniently meet in one place . thus it was in the church of hierusalem : and thus possible , it might be in most of these asian churches in st. iohns time . but yet notwithstanding all this , there are three things diligently to be observed . . that these meeting places were frequented promis●uously , and indistinctly , and that believers were not divided into set and fixed churches or congregations in the apostles dayes . . that notwithstanding these different meeting places , yet the believers of one city made but one church in the apostles dayes , as is evident in the church of hierusalem , which is called a church , not churches , act. . . & . . & . . and so likewise it is called the church of ephesus , and the church of thyatira , &c. not churches &c. . that this church in the city was governed in the apostles dayes by the common councel of presbyters , or bishops . for the apostles went about ordaining presbyters in every church ; and act. . . paul calls for the elders of the church of ephesus ( one of these seven churches ) and calls them bishops , and commits the whole government of the church unto th●m . the like may be said of the other six churches . from all this we gather , that the asian angels w●re not dioces●n bishop● , but congrecongregational presbyter● seated each of them in one church , not any of them in more then one . and though poly●arpe , by tertullian and irenaeus , be called bishop of smyrna , and on●simus by others , bishop of ephesus , yet it is confessed by all , that bishops and presbyters had all one name in the apostles dayes , and long after , even in irenaus his time . and therefore the question still remains , whether they were bishops phrasi apostolica , that is , presbyters ; or phrasi pontificia ; whether bishops antonomastic● , and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 , so called , or whether , as we believe ( and have proved as we conceive sufficiently ) in a general sense , as all presbyters are called . this is all we shall say about the second answer ; though for our parts , we professe that we adhere unto the first answer , that the word angel is to be taken collectively , not individually . and so much in answer to the scripture-argument drawn from the asian angels . chap. vii . containing our reply to the answers given to our scripture-arguments . the next thing we are to take in hand is to make brief replyes unto those answers that are given to some of our arguments ( for to some of them no answer at all is given ) brought against the jus divinum of prelacy , and for the identity of a bishop and presbyter in scripture . the general answer that is returned unto all our texts of scripture is ; that these texts do onely prove an identity of names , but not of offices , and that it is the great presbyterian fall●cy . to argue from the samenesse of names to a samenesse of function . but we answer . . that it is of no small consequence , that there is a constant identity of denomination between a bishop and ● presbyter . for the proper end of names being ( as smect●ymnuus saith ) to distinguish things according to the difference of their nature , and the supream wisdom of god being the imposer of these names , who could neither be ignorant of the nature of these offices , nor mistake the proper end of imposition of names , nor want variety to expresse himself , the argument taken from the constant identity of denomination is not so contemptible as some would make it . . but we answer further , that our argument is not drawn from the identity of denomination onely , but also from the identity of office , & it is this . they that have the same name , and the same office , and the same qualifications for their office , and the same ordination to their office , they are one and the same : but so hath the presbyter , and bishop , ergo . this we proved from titus . . . . . tim. . and other places never yet answered . more particularly , to that place act. . , . where the apostle commits the government of the church of ephesus unto the presbyters of that church whom he there calls bishops &c. it is answered , that these elders were not meer presbyters , but bishops properly so called . and though they were sent for from ephesus , yet they are not said to be all of ephesus . but they were all the bishops of asia called from divers parts , and gathered together at ephesus , and from thence sent for by paul to mil●tum . to make the new-minted answer seem probable , they bring the . verse , where it is said , and now behold i know that ye all among whom i have gone preaching the kingdom of god , shall see my face no more . this must needs relate , say they , to all the bishops of asia amongst whom he had gone preaching the kingdom of god. and so also they bring the . verse . ther●fore watch and remember that ●y the space of three years i ceased not to warne every one night and day with tears . now with whom did paul spend his three years ? not with the elders of one city of ephesus , but with all the bishops of asia . and therefore they conclude , that this was pauls metropolicall visitation , not of a few elders of one city , but of all the asian prelates . to all this we reply . . that this interpretation is a manifest wresting of the text , contrary to most of the ancient fathers , to hierom , theod●ret , chrys. &c. and contrary to many councells , and purposely found out to avoid the deadly blow that this text give● to episcopacy by divine right . . there is no sufficient ground to build that conjecture upon , that the bishops of all asia were gathered together at ephesus when paul sent from miletum to ephesvs . the text saith that paul from miletum sent to ephesus and called the elders of the church . of what church ? surely of that church to which he sent , and that was ephesus . he sent not , for ought we read , for any other elders , neither is there any mention of any other elders then present at ephesus . . the syriack translation reads it . he sent to ephesus and called the elders of the church of ephesus . so hierom , presbyteros ecclesiae ep●esinae . so concilium aquis-granense . . if the apostles by the elders of the church had meant the bishops of all asia , he would have said , not the elders of the church , but of the churches . it is an observation brought by one of those that makes use of this answer we are now confuting , that when the scripture speakes of churches in cities , it alwaies useth the singular number , as the church of hirusalem , the church of corinth &c. but when it speakes of provinces in which were many cities , then it useth the plural number . as the churches of iudaea and the churches of asia rev. . . according to this observation , if the apostle had meant of the bishops of all asia , he would have said , the elders of the churches . but because he saith the elders of the church , it is evident he meanes onely , the elders of the church of ephesus , and so by consequence it is as evident , that by elders ▪ the apostle understands meer presbyters , & not bishops in a distinct sense , unlesse our brethren will confesse ▪ that there were more bishops then one in ephesus which is wholly to forsake theircause , and to confesse that which we affirm , that the bishops of ephesus were true presbyters , and the presbyters true bishops . . whereas it is said , that paul sent not onely for the bishops or superintendents of ephesus , but of all asia . we demand , who was the bishop of ephesus that paul sent for ? surely it was not timothy . for timothy was then present with him , and needed not to have been sent for , and yet timothy was ( according to our brethrens judgement ) the first bishop of ephesus . and if timothy was the first bishop , then surely there was none in ephesus for paul to send for , and if ephesus at that time had no bishop which was the metroplis of all asia ; how came the daughter churches to have bishops before their mothe● church , as they call it ? . but , sixtly , we desire it may be proved , that there were any bishops over presbyters in asia when paul was at miletum . this is taken for granted by episcopall men , but this is the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the very thing which is in question . we say that the bishops of asia were of the same nature with the bishop of ephesus , that is , they were elders and presbyters of the churches to whom the holy ghost had committed the care of teaching and governing &c. . as for that which is gathered from the . verse , it beares no weight at all with it ; for these words , all ye , relate onely to the elders of the church of ephesus that were then present . should a man say unto ten members of the house of lords , and ten of the house of commons , and say unto them , all ye are now dissolved ; would it imply a presence of all the lords and all the commons , because the speech concerned them all , and was true of them all ? who ●nows not it would not ? so it is here , &c. as for that which is hinted from the vers . it doth not ●t all prove that which it is brought for . for if we look into act. . we shall find , that paul spent most of his three years at ephesus o●●ly , and not in other parts of asia . ephesus was the chief city of asia , and greatly given to idolatry , and there p●●l fixed his habitation . it is the observation of hiro●● , that paul tarried . years at ephesus in praedicat●ous evangelis assiduns & 〈◊〉 minister , ●t id●lolatriae arc● destructa facile mi●orum , urbi●●● fa●a & superstitio●●s convell●●et . a daily and stro●uous minister in the preaching of the gospel : that by destroying the chief fort and castl● of idol●try , h● might the ●asilier demolish the temples and , the s●●●●stitions of the less●r cities . the te●t it self ●entioneth two years and three moneths . and therefore this verse doth not at all prove that all the bishops of asia were present with paul at mi●etum . so much for the justific●tion of our ●gument drawn from act. . . . . whereas we have proved from phil. . . that there ●re but two ordinary ●nd st●nding officers constituted by christ in his church &c. to this divers answers are given , and some of them quite contrary one to the other . . first it is said by some , that though in the place cited there be but two orders of the ministry mentioned , yet it doth not follow , but that there may be mention in other scriptures of ●nother standing officer . we desire that these scriptures may be produced : we say ▪ that there is no mention in any place of any others , and we add , that there is no mention of any rules for ordaining any others , or of any way of mission for any others , no qualifications for any others . and therefore that there is no other standing officer in christ's church of his appointing . . it is confessed by others , that the bishops in philippi were meer presbyters , and that the apostles in the churches which they planted , did not at first appoint any bishops , but presbyters onely , to whom they gave the power of preaching , but reserved in their own hands the power of governing , till towards the latter end of their lives . this conceit , though it be frequently urged , and much insisted on by the learnedest of our brethren , yet that it is but a meer conceit , appears . . because that when the apostles placed preaching presbyters over the churches , they did not only give unto them the power of teaching , but also of governing . they are called rulers and governours , and their charge was 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 , and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 , as we have proved at large . our saviour christ committed both the keyes ( as they are called ) the key of doctrine and discipline , into the hands of preaching presbyters . and whom the apostles did constitute teachers , the same they made also rulers and governours . . because that when paul took his solemn leave of the elders of ephesus , and was never to see their faces more , he did not set a bishop over them to rule and govern them , but he left the power of government in the hands of the elders ▪ charging them to feed the flock ( over which the holy ghost had made them bishops ) both by doctrine , and discipline . . this answer doth yeeld thus much ; that the apostles at first did place presbyters in the churches by them planted , and that to these presbyters , he gave the power of teaching , and ( as we have proved ) the power of governing also . now it lyeth upon our brethren to prove a super-institution of a bishop over presbyters by the apostles , in some after times , which we are sure they cannot do . it is evident they did the quite contrary at ephesus : and therefore we may safely conclude , that there was no such officer in the apostles dayes . . as for the apostles reserving in their own hands the power of governing . to this it is well answered by the reverend divines in their humble answer &c. that the apostles could no more devest themselves of power of governing , then ( as dr. bilson saith ) they could lose their apostleship . had they set up bishops in all churches , they had no more parted with their power of governing , then they did in setting up presbyters ; for we have proved that presbyters being called rulers , governours , bishops had the power of governing in ordinary , committed to them as well as the office of teaching &c. nor do we see , how the apostle could reasonably commit● the government of the church to the presbyters of ephesus , and yet reserve the power of governing ( viz. in ordinary ) in his own hands , who took his last farewell of them as never to see them more . as the reserving of that part of the power of governme nt called legislative , in the apostles hands hindred not , but that in your majesties judgment timothy and titus were bishops at ephesus and creet , to whom the apostle gives rules for ordering and governing the church : so likewise there is no reason , why the apostle reserving of that part of the power of government called executive , in such cases and upon such occasions as they thought m eet should hinder the setting up of bishops , if they had intended it ; and therefore the reserving of power in their hands can be no greater reason why they did not set up bishops at first , then that they never did . there is a third answer given which is quite contrary to the second , and that is , that these bishops of philippi were bishops in a proper sence , and that at that time when the apostle wrote his epistle there ▪ were no single presbyters at philippi . . this answer is quite contrary to the sence that hierom , theodoret , and theophylacts , and others give of this text . . this answer supposeth , that there were more bishops then one planted in one city by the apostles , which is quite contrary to the judgment of episcopall divines , and quite destructive of the episcopal hierarchy . theodoret sayth that the apostles by bishops understands single presbyters 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 otherwise it had been impossible for many bishops to go vern one , city . and so also theophylact , the apostle calls presbyters , bishops , 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 , for there were not many bishops in one city . and the truth is , to affirm ▪ that there were many bishops in one city in the apostles dayes is in plain english to grant the cause and to say , that the apostolicall bishops were mere presbyters . . another text brought by us to prove the identity of a bishop , and presbyter was . tim. . where the apostle reckoning up the qualifications of a bishop passeth from bishops unto deacon● , leaving out the qualifications of presbyters , there by giving us to understand that presbyters and bishops are all one . to this it is answered , that because paul wrote to timothy and titus who were bishops , therefore there was no need to write any thing concerning the choice or qualification of any other sort of officers , then such as belonged to their ordination and inspection , which were presbyters and deacons onely , and no bishops . . this answer would have some weight in it , if it could be proved , that timothy and titus were bishops in a for●all sence , or if there could be found any rule for the ordination of an hierarchicall bishop , or for the qualification of him in some other place of scripture ; but we are sure that neither the one , nor the other can be made out . . it is reasonable to think ( as our divines at the isle of wight say ) the apostle when he passeth immediately from the bishop to the deacon ( in the place forementioned ) would have distinctly exprest , or at least hinted , what sort of bishop he meant whether the bishop over presbyters , or the presbyter bishop , to have avoided the confusion of the name , and to have set , as it were , some mark of difference in the eschocheon of the presbyter-bishop , if there had been some other bishop of a higher house . . according to the judgement of episcopal men ( as our divines do well observe ) bishops might then have ordained bishops like themselves ; for there was then no canon● forbidding one single bishop to ordain another of his own rank : and there being many cities in creete titus might have found it expedient , to have set up bishops in some of those cities . so that this answer fights against the principle of those that hold timothy and titus to have been bishops . . this answer is opposite to all those that hold timothy and titus to have been made by the apostle arch-bishops of eph●sus and cr●●t● . if they were arch-bishops , then their office was to constitute bishops in a proper sence . there is one of no little note among our prelatical brethren that stoutly maintains this ; and till our brethren be reconciled among themselves , we need make no other reply to this answer . . whereas out of pet. . we proved ▪ that the elder● are not onely called bishops , but have the whole episcopal power committed unto them , being commanded 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 , and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to feed and take the episcopal charge of the flock of god. to this it is said , that by elders are meant bishops in our brthrens sense ; because these elders are required to feed the flock 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 not as being lords over gods heritage ; so it is translated . but say some , it must be translated , not as being lords ●ver the clergy committed to your care , which hints unto us ( say they ) that these elders were bishops over presbyters , and not meer presbyters . this interpretation is novel , and not to be found for ought we can discern in all antiquity , and we believe , our more moderate brethren are ashamed of it ; and therefore we will be very brief in answer to it . all that we shall say is ; . that though after the apostles dayes there came in this nominal distinction between the people and their ministers , insomuch as the people were called laici , and their ministrs clerici : yet it is evident , that in the apostles dayes there was no such distinction . the people of god are in this very epistle called an holy priesthood pet. . . and a royal priesthood pet. . . and deut. . . the lords portion , and the lot of his inheri●ance . and if the reader wil be pleased to view al the translations that have been of this text , he will never find it translated — as being lords of the clergy but as being lords of gods heritage . . we answer , that the apostle , as if on purpose he had intended to have fore-armed us against this misunderstanding of the words , in the latter clause of the verse he sheweth what he maeneth by 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 . — not as lords over gods heritage , but as being ensamples to the flock . the latter is the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 of the former ; by 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 he means 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and the sense of the whole verse can be no other but this ; that the elders be careful not to lord it over gods heritage , that is , gods flock , but to be examples unto them . we shall not trouble the reader with any other answers to our arguments . these that we have mentioned being the most material . onely for the conclusion of this discourse , we shall crave leave to take notice , that there is a doctor , a high prelatist of great esteem for learning amongst some men , that in a late book of his hath undertaken to make out these two great paradoxes . . that wheresover the word bishop is used in the new testament , it is to be taken in a prelatical sense . for a bishop is superiour to presbyters in ordination and jurisdiction . . that wheresoever the word presbyter is used in the new testament , it is to be understood , not of a meer pr●sbyter , but of a bishop properly so called . and whereas we say , that the scripture-bishop is nothing else but a presbyter , and that there were no bishops distinct from presbyters in the apostles dayes : this author on the contrary saith , that the scripture-presbyter , is a true bishop : and that there were no single and meer presbyters in the apostles dayes . for our parts , we do not think it necessary to take a particular survey of all that is said in justification of these paradoxes . onely we desire it may be considered . . that these assertions are contrary unto antiquity ▪ which yet notwithstanding our brethren do so highly magnify , and boast of in this controversie , and for receding from which ( as they s●y we do ) they do most deeply charge us . . that they are contrary to all that have ever written in defence of episcopacy . and therefore till our brethren can agree amongst themselves , we need not spend time to answer the private opinion of one doctor . . that whosoever will defend these paradoxes , must of necessity be forced to grant ; . that there were more bishops then one in a city in the apostles dayes , which is to betray the cause of episcopacy , and to bring down a bishop to the ranke of a presbyter . . that there were no bishops over presbyters in the apostles dayes . for if there were no presbyters , there could be no bishops over presbyters . . that ordo presbyteratus is not jure divino : for if neither christ , nor his apostles ordained the office of a presbyter . then is the order of presbytery a meer humane invention : which is an assertion , that even the worst of papists will abominate . bellarmine himself saith , that a bishop that is not first a presbyter is a meer figment , and an empty title . . the author himself in justification of this his opinion is forc'd to confesse . . that the ephesius presbyters whom paul sent for to mile●●● , were all the prelates of asia . . that the bishops of philippi whom paul salutes chap. . were not the bishops of that city onely , but of the whole province , whereas theophylact saith , that philippi was 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a little city subject to the metropolis of thessalonica . . that timothy was arch-bishop of ephesus , and that when paul sets down the qualifications of bishops , though he mentioneth no qualification , but such which are common to a presbyter with a bishop ; yet he is to be understood to speak of bishops in a prelatical sence , and not at all of presbyters . and when he saith , the elders that rule well are worthy of double honour &c. that is saith this author , the bishops that rule well &c. thereby holding out this great error , that a bishop that rules well is worthy of double honour though he never preacheth . and when st. paul bid● timothy not neglect the gift that was given him by the laying on of the hands of the presbytery , that i● ( saith he ) of episcopacy . and when the apostle chargeth him not to rebuke an elder &c. and not receive an accusation against an elder &c. this is to be understood of bishops ( saith he ) and not of meer presbyters . . that titus also was arch-bishop of creet , and that he received no commission from st. paul to ordain single elders , but onely for ordaining of bishops in every city . it seems this author slights the postscript where titus is called the first bishop of creet , and slights all those ancient fathers that are cited by his own party to prove that he was bishop of creet . but he must be an arch-bishop , and so must tymothy be also , or else these assertions of his will fall to the ground . now that they were neither bishops nor archbishops hath been sufficiently proved ( as we conceive ) in the former discourse . . fiftly and lastly , those paradoxes are contrary to the very letter of the scripture , as we have made it evident in our arguments against the jus divinum of episcopacy , and would further manifest it , if we thought it necessary . for when the apostle saith iames . . is any sick among you ? let him call for the elders of the church &c. who is there that can be perswaded to believe that all these elders were bishops in the sense that bishops are taken in our dayes ) is this the proper work of bishops to visit the sick ? and , besides , if the apostles by elders had meant bishops in that sense , he would have said , let him call the elder s of the churches , not of the church , unlesse our brethren will say that there were divers bishops in every church in the apostles dayes , in which there were many sick persons . besides , when it is said act. . . paul went in with us unto iames , and all the elders were present . it is supposed by our episcopal men that this iames was at this time bishop of hierusalem . now we demand , who were these elders ? were these also bishops of hierusalem ? will this answer consist with our brethrens judgment ? so likewise when it is said act. . . and when they were come to hierusalem they were received of the church and of th● a●pstles and elders . we demand what is meant by the church ? is it not meant the church of hierusalem , to which place they are said to come ? and if so , then we ask further what is meant by the elders ? must it not be answered , that by elders are meant the elders of hierusalem . and then let any man tell us how these elders can be said to be bishops in a prelaticall sense , especially according to the sense of our brethren who make iames to be at this time the onely bishop of hierusalem . add further , it is said act. . . when paul and barnabas had ordained them elders in every church act. . . they sent relief to the elders &c. can any imagin that this relief was sent onely to bishops , and that paul and barnabas ordained no presbyters in any church but onely bishops . is not this to offer manifest violence to the scriptures ? and instead of upholding of episcopacy is not this sufficient to render it odious and contemptible to all sober and godly and moderate christians ? but we forbear . so much for our scripture-proof , and for our justification out of the word of god of ordination by presbyters without prelats . having now finished our vindication of the present ministers of the church of england , both such as were made by bishops , and such as are now made without bishops , before we come to our appendix ; we shall crave leave to shew in few words unto our respective congregations , not onely the lawfulnesse of the present ministry : but the absolute necessity of adhering to it , and the destructive dangers , and ineffable mischiefs that will follow upon receiving of it . and this will appear upon a fourfold account . . because a true ministery is essential to an organical church , that is , a church administring ordinances . a true church saith cyprian is plebs episcopo adunata . ecclesia non est ( saith jerom ) quae non habet sacerdotem . sure we are ; that there cannot be a true church ministerial , without true ministers . . because the scripture way and the onely ordinary way by which men are set apart to the work of the ministry is by ordination , as we have abundantly shewed . he that comes any other way is a thief and a robber , not a true shepherd . . because that this ordination must be performed either by ministers , or by the people . and if all ordination by ministers be to be accounted antichristian ( because these ministers were made by other ministers , and those by others , and those by such , as before the reformation , were belonging to the church of rome ) then it will follow , that there is no way of ordination left , but by the people . . because there is neither precept nor president in all the book of god for ordination of ministers by the people without ministers . we read of ordination by the laying on of the hands of the presbytery , but never by the laying on of the hands of the people . we find the apostles ordaining , and timothy and titus ordaining ( as we have formerly said ) and the presbytery ordaining ; but no where of the peoples ordaining . we find the people contra-distinguished from rulers and governours , but no where called rulers or governours . and if there be a power by scripture in the people to ordain ministers , why was titus sent to creete to ordain elders ? why did the apostles visit the churches they had planted , to ordain elders in every church ? and why is timothy commanded , to lay hands suddenly on no man , &c. some thing possibly may be said out of scripture : for 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 , but for 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 there is ne 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 quidem in totâ scripturâ . surely , this way of ordination by the people is a devise that hath neither ground for it in the scripture , nor in all antiquity . and for private christians to assume , not onely a power to elect their own ministers , that is , to nominate persons to be made their ministers ( which we no wayes dislike or deny , so it be done in an orderly way by the guidance of the presbytery ) but also to undertake , without ordination , to become publick preachers themselves : and not onely so , but to send forth ministers authoritatively to preach the gospel , and administer the sacraments . this is a sin like unto the sin of vzziah , and of corah and his company . this is to make themselves political popes , and antichristian christians . and therefore for the conclusion of all , we shall make bold to speak two things to all those that renounce their former ordination by ministers , and take up a new way of ordination by the people . . we would intreat them that before they find fault with our way of ordination by ministers , they would first of all justifie by the canon of the scripture , their new way of ordination by the people . . we would desire them , in the fear of god to consider ; that whosoever renounceth ordination by ministers , must of nece ssity not onely renounce our ministry , but all the ministers and churches reformed in the christian world , and as constantine said to acesius the nova●ian ; he must erect a ladder by himself to go to heaven in a new way : he must turn seeker , and forsake all church-communion , as some do in these our unhappy dayes upon this very ground , that we are speaking of . for sure we are , if ordination by ministers be antichristian ; ordination by the people is much more antichristian . but we hope ▪ better things of you , though we thus speak . and our prayer to god is , and shall be ; that the lord would send down the spirit of truth into the hearts of his people to guide them in the truth in these erring dayes ; the spirit of holinesse , to sanctifie them by his truth in these prophane dayes ; and the spirit of charity , and meeknesse , and sobriety , to cause them to speak the truth in love , (a) ephes. . . and to love one another in the truth , (b) joh. . in these sinful and miserable dayes of uncharitablenesse and division . the appendix . having sufficiently proved out of the word of god , that a bishop and presbyter are all one ; and that ordination by presbyters is most agreeable thereunto : we shall now subjoyn a brief discourse about the grand objection , from the antiquity of prelacy , and about the judgement and practise of the ancient church , concerning the ordination of ministers . and this we shall do the rather , because our prelatical divines do herein most triumph and boast . for bishops distinct from presbyters have been ( say they ) in the church of christ for . years and up●ward . and there never was any ordination without them . and when coluthus was ordained by a presbyter without a bishop , his ordination was pronounced null and void : and aerius by austin and epiphanius was accounted an heretique , for holding ( an 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and a 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 ) an equality and identity between a bishop and a presbyter . nay ierom himself saith , that a bishop over presbyters is an apostolical tradition , and that it began when some said , i am of paul , and i of apollos , and i of cephas , which was ( say they ) in the apostles dayes . and from hence it is peremptorily asserted that episcopal government is of apostolical institution . for answer to this great and plausible objection , and for the further declaration of our judgements concerning the antiquity of prela●y , we crave leave to lay down these following proposit●ons . proposition . that whatsoever may be said for prelacy out of antiquity , yet sure we are ( as we hope hath been sufficiently proved ) that it hath no foundation in the scriptures . and as christ , in matter of divorce , brought the iewes to the first institution of marriage : so ought we in the point of prelacy to reduce men back to the first institution of epis●opacy , and to say as christ , from the beginning it was not so . it is a good saying of tertullian , id adulterum quod posterius , id verum quod primum . and it was well observed by cyprian , that christ said , ego sum via , veritas , vita : not ego sum consuetudo : and that consuetudo sine veritate est vet●stas erroris . christ is truth , and not custome , and custome without truth is a mouldy error . and as sir francis bacon saith , antiquity without truth is a cypher without a figure . and if we should seem in what we have asserted about the identity of a bishop and presbyter , to differ from some of the ancient fathers , yet we have the same plea for our selves , which austin had , who being prest with the authority of cyprian , answers ; his writings i hold not canonical , but examin● them by the canonical writings : and in them , what agreeth with the authority of divine scriptures , i accept with his praise , what agreeth not , i refuse with his leave , sure we are , that humane authority can but produce an humane faith ; and when all is done , it is the scripture ( a perfect reconditory of all credenda , petenda , faci●nda ) to which we must flee as the onely rock , upon which we can rightly build our faith ; according to that excellent saying of austin . sunt certe libri dominici , quorum auctoritati utrique consentimus , utrique credimus , utrique servimus , ibi quaramus ecclesiam , ibi dis●●tiamus causam nostram . proposition . that there were many corruptions which crept into the church , in the very infancy of it , and were generally received as apostolical traditions , which yet notwithstanding are not pleaded for by our episcopal men , but many of them confessedly acknowledged to be errors and mistakes . witnesse first , the millenary opinion which iustine martyr saith , that he , and all , in all parts , orthodox christians held it ▪ and calls them christians onely in name , with many other circumstances of aggravation , that denied it . lactantius after a long discourse about it , concludes , haec est doctrina sanctorum prophetarum , quam christiani s●quimur , hac est christiana sapientia . the like is affirmed by tertullian , irenaeus , and divers others as is well known . secondly , we will instance in the necessity of childrens partaking of the eucharist , which was taught by austin and others as an apostolical tradition . rightly ( saith austin ) do the punick christians call baptisme by no other names but health and safety ; nor the sacraments of christs body by no other then life : vnde nisi ex antiquâ , ( ut existimo ) & apostolica tradi●ion● qua ecclesiae christi insitum tenent praeter baptismum , & participâtionem dominica mensae , non sol●m non ad regnum dei , sed nec ad salutem , & vitam ae●ernam posse quenquam hominum pervenire . in which words the absolute necessity of baptism and of the eucharist for all sorts of people is made an apostolical tradition . lastly , to name no more , st. basil in one chapter names . customes as apostolical traditions , to wit , signing men with the sign of the crosse ; praying towards the east ; anointing with oyl ; standing up at prayer from easter to whitsuntide ; which though some of our episcopal divines may perhaps approve of as lawful customes , yet we conceive none of them will believe all of them , especially the two last , to be apostolical traditions . from hence we gather , that there were many doctrines and practises pretended to be grounded upon apostolical institution , which yet notwithstanding are rather to be accounted apocryphal , then apostolical . proposition . that after christs ascension into heaven , the church of god for a certain space of time , was governed by the common councel of presbyters without bishops : this appears , . from the words of ierom forementioned ; idem ergo est presbyter qui episcopus , et antequam diaboli instinctu studi● in religione fierent & diceretur in populis ego sum pauli , ego apollo , ego cephae , communi consilio pr●sbyterorum ecclesiae , gubernabantur . postquam v●ro unusquisque eos &c. and afterwards paulatim vero ut dissensionum plantaria evellerentur , ad unum omnem solicitudinem esse delatam &c. here note , that for a certain time the church was governed by the assembly of presbyter● alone , and that bishops came in postea and paulatim . it is not said simula● corinthi dictum fuit , ego sum pauli &c. sed postquam id dictum . but ierom seems to say , that this was done in the apostles dayes , because then people began to say , i am of paul , i am of apollo , i am of cephas . these words cannot be so understood ; for then ierom should contradict himself ; for the whole design of the place is , to prove bishops to be of humane constitution . besides ierom doth not say , that it was said so among the corinthians ; but among the people , — & diceretur i● populis . he alludes indeed to the apostles words , and speaks in the apostolical phrase ; but not at all of the apostles times . the meaning is as david blondel well observes ; postquam alii passim corinthiorum more dementati i● partes di●cerpti sunt : after that others were intoxicated after the manner of the corinthians , and divided into several factions , then was one set over the rest as their bishop . and that this must needs be so , appears demonstratively by this argument ; because that to prove that a bishop and presbyter are all one , ierom cites places out of the philippians , out of titus , and out of the second and third epistle of iohn , which were all of them written after the epistles to the corinthians . but st. ierom in his . epistle ad evagrium calls the superiority of a bishop over presbyters , an apostolical tradition . a learned writer for the prelatical government triumphs over dr. blondel , and wal● messalinus , because they passe over this objection unanswered ; and he seems to say that it never can be answered : but if he had been pleased to have cast an eye upon the vindication of the answer to the humble remonstrance , written by smectymnuus , he should have found this answer . ierom in that epistle sharpens his reproof against some deacons , that would equalize thewselves to presbyters , &c. to make this repoof the stronger , he saith presbyteris , id est , episcopis , and a little after , he doth out of the scripture most manifestly prove eundem esse presbyterum atque episcopum : and carries this proof by paul , by peter , and by iohn the longest surviver of the apostles : then adds quod autem postea un●s electus qui caeteris praepon●retur , in s●hismatis remedium factum . the reason why afterwards one was elected , and set over the rest , was the cure of schisme . it is hard to conceive how this imparity can be properly called an apostolical tradition , when ierom having mentioned iohn the last of the apostles , saith , i● wa● poste● that one was set over the rest . yet should we grant it an apostolical tradition in ieroms sence , it would be no prejudice to our cause , seeing with him apostolical tradition , and ecclesiastical custom● are the same ; witnesse that instance of the observation of lent , which he writing ad marc●llum saith is apostolica traditio , yet writing adversus luciferianos faith , it is ecclesiae consuetudo : whereby it fully appears , that ierom by apostolical tradition meant not an apostolical institution , but an ecclesiastical custome : thus far smectym●uns . and thus ierom is made to agree with himself , whom our episcopal doctors would make to speak contradictions . but ierom saith , it was toto orbe decretum , and how could this be but by apostolical appointment ? the same author also saith in the same place , that it came in paulatim . it was not decreed in the whole world all at once , but it came in by degrees , in some places sooner , and in some later . the saying of ambrose , or whosoever was the author of it , upon the th . to the ephesians is very remarkable — ideo non per omnia conveni●nt scripta apostoli ord●nationi quae nunc in ecclesiâ est &c. nam & timotheum presbyterum a se creatum episcopum vocat , quia primum presbyteri episcopi appellabantur : ut recedente uno , sequens ei succederet &c. sed quia caeperunt sequentes presbyteri indigni inveniri ad primatus tenendos , immutata est ratio , prospiciente concilio ut non ordo , sed meritum crearet episcopum . this quotation we shall have occasion to mention afterwards : we bring it now onely to shew ; . that the ordination that was in ambrose his dayes ( if he be the author ) was not in all things agreeable to the apostolical pattern . . that the change that was made was prospicie●te concilio , was by the advise of a councel , and therefore it is not to be wondered , if in time the church of christ came to be governed by the lifting up of one presbyter above the rest . but how long was it that the church of christ was governed by the common councel of presbyters without a bishop set over them ? dr. blondel , a man of great reading and learning , undertakes in a large discourse , to make out that before the year . there was not a bishop over presbyters . to whose elaborate writings we refer the reader for further satisfaction in this particular . sure we are , that clemens who lived in the first century , in his famous epistle to the corinthians ( an undoubted piece of antiquity ) makes but two orders of ministry , bishops and deacons . the occasion of that epistle seems to be a new sedition raised by the corinthians against their presbyters , p. . . ( not as b. hall saies , the continuation of the schismes amongst them in the apostles dayes ) clemens to remove their present sedition , tells them how god hath alwayes appointed several orders in his church , which must not be confounded . in the iewish church he appointed a high priest , priests and levites . and then tells them for the time of the gospel that christ jesus sent his apostles through countries , and cities , in which they preached and constituted the first fruits ( approving them by the spirit ) for bishops and deacons , to those who should afterwards believe . here we observe . that in the first and purest times , the custome was to choose bishops in villages , as well as in great cities . afterwards indeed in the year . in the councel of sardica , it was decreed , that no man should be chosen bishop in a village , or in a little city ne vilescat no●e● episcopi : that the name of a bishop might not be rendred contemptible . but in the first age of the church , they appointed bishops 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as well as 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 . . that bishops and deacons were the onely orders of ministry in the first primitive church : and that the apostles appointed but two officers ( that is bishops and deacons ) to bring men to believe : because , when he had reckoned up three orders appointed by god among the jewes , highpriest , priests and levites , coming to recite orders appointed by the apostles under the gospel , he doth mention onely bishops and deacons . the same clemens adds pag. . that the apostles knowing by jesus christ , that there would a contention arise 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 , about the name bishop , and being indued with perfect foreknowledge , they appointed the foresaid ( that is the foresaid orders of bishops and deacons ) &c. here note . that by name is not meant the bare name of bishop , but the honour and dignity as it is taken phil. . . ephes. . . heb. . . revel . . so that 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is here to be rendred by 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 . the controversie amongst the corinthians , was not about the name , but dignity of episcopacy , for it was about the deposition of their godly presbyters , pag. . . . that the onely remedy appointed by the apostles for the care of all contentions arising about episcopacy , is by committing the care of the church unto bishops and deacons . afterwards the church found out another way , by setting up one bishop over another : but clemens tells us , that the apostles indued with perfect foreknowledge of things , ordained onely bishops and deacons for a remedy of all schismes . it would be too long to recite all that is said in this epistle , for the justification of our proposition . let the reader peruse pag. . . . . and take notice ; that those that are called bishops in one place , are called presbyters in another , and that they are 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 , throughout the whole epistle . the like record we have of polycarpe , that famous disciple of iohn the apostle , who lived also within the first century , and wrote an epistle to the philippians , in which he makes also but two orders of ministry , bishops and deacons & perswades the philippians to be subject to their presbyters and deacons as to god , and to christ. nay , bishop bilson himself saith , pag. . . that elders at first did govern by common advise , is no doubt at all to us ▪ that which is doubted and denied by us , is , that these elders were lay-men . gratian in his decrees brings in ierom word for word affirming , that a bishop and a presbyter are the same ; upon which words ▪ the author of the glosse saith . some say that in the first primitive church , the office of bishops and presbyters was common , but in the second primitive church , both names and offices began to be distinguished . and again , a third sort say , this advancing was made in respect of name , and in respect of administration , and in respect of certain ministeries which belong onely to the episcopal office . and the same author himself is of this opinion , saying ; before this advancing , these names , bishops and presbyters , were altogether of the same signification , and the administration was common : because churches were governed by the common advise of presbyters . and again , this advancing was made for a remedy against schisme as is here said by st. ierom. that one should have the preheminence in regard of the name , the administration , and certain sacraments , which now are appropriated to bishops . here we have a distinction of the first and second primitive church , and that in the first primitive church , bishops and presbyters were all one . to all these quotations we shall subjoyn a remarkable passage of the l. digby recorded in a letter of his , full of excellent learning , writen to sr. kenelme digby . this gentleman was a great adorer of monarchical episcopacy , and yet observe what he saith . he that would reduce the church now to the form of government in the most primitive time● , should not take in my opinion , the best nor wisest course ; i am sure not the safest : for he would be found pecking toward the presbytery of scotland , which for my part i believe , in point of government , hath a greater resemblance , then either yours or ours , to the first age of christs church , and yet it is never a whit the better for it ; since it was a form not chosen for 〈◊〉 best , but imposed by adversity under oppression , which in the beginning forc'd the church from what it wish't , to what it might , not suffering that dignity and state ecclesiastical , which rightly belonged unto it , to manifest it self to the world : and which soon afterwards upon the least lucida intervalla , shone forth so gloriously in the happier as well as more monarchical condition of episcopacy : of which way of government , i am so well perswaded , that i think it pitty , it was not made betimes , an article of the scottish catechisme ; that bishops are jure divino . by this passage it is easie to perceive the indiscreet zeal of this gentleman towards lordly and monarchical prelacy , and yet we have here his free clear and full confession ; that in the first , and best , and purest times of the church , the presbyterian government was practised , and not the episcopal , which is the thing which we undertook to make out in this third proposition . against all th●t hath been said in this proposition , it is objected ; that the blessed st. ignatius who lived in the first century hath in his epistles clearly and fully asserted episcopal government , as it is distinct from presbyterial . and that therefore there was no space of time wherein the church ofchrist was governed by the common councel of pre●byters without bishops properly so called . in answer to this , we must intreat the reader to take notice , that in the primitive times there were abundance of spurious and supposititious works put forth under the names of the apostles , and blessed martyrs , which were none of theirs , but father●d upon them ut ementitis titulis fidem authoritatemque erroribus suis ●onciliarent : that by their counterfect titles they might gain belief and authority to their errors . such were the epistle of paul to seneca , and seneca's to paul ; the lawes and constitutions apostolical , the works of dionysius ar●opagita , and divers others ; the like fraud hath been used in ignatius his works . it is certain , that the epistle of the blessed virgin mary to ignatius , and of ignatius to the blessed vi●gin , and two other epistles of ignatius unto st. iohn the apostle , are spurious and counterfeit . and as for his other twelve epistles , five of them are by invincible arguments as we conceive , proved by vedelius , to be written by à pseudo-ignatius . eusebius and ierom make mention but of seven : and for those seven , though with scultetus , vedelius , and rivetus , we do not renounce them as none of hi● , yet sure we are , they are so much adulterated and corrupted ; that no man can ground any solid assertion about episcopacy from ignatius his works . the reverend archbishop of armagh saith , that there are but six of these epistles that are genuine , and that even these six are miserably depraved and corrupted . rivet saith very judiciously , † that in these epistles some things are defective , some things added , some things changed ; and therefore they cannot merit oisr belief , but onely in those things in which th●y agree with the apostolical writings . baronius indeed saith , that all his epistles are come to us integrae & in●orruptae intire and uncorrupted : but yet notwithstanding , it seems forgetting what he had said , he tells that when there is mention made in the epistle to the philadelphians of the marriages of p●ter and paul ; that the word paul i● foysted in . and he also tells us ( as vedelius observes ) that the words gratia and am●● ▪ with which ignatius was wont to conclude his epistles were left out incuria librariorum in all his epistles except two . and whereas it is said in the epistle to the philadelphians , that not onely the bread was given , but the cup also was distributed to all , bellarmin● saith ; that the greek cop●es are corrupt . for our parts ▪ we will not trouble the reader with a large discourse about this subject . if he please he may read that what th● archbishop of armagh , what ●ivet , vedelius and cook in his censura patrum . and what salmasius and d. blondel say about it , who all of them bring divers arguments to evince the invalidity of these epistles . there is a learned doctor that hath undertaken to answer the objection● of the two last . but this doctor should do well to answer also to what the learned archbishop of armagh h●th written about these epistles , who proves at large , that six of them are nothae , the other six mixtae , and none of them to be accounted omni ex parte sinc●rae & g●nuinae . who also tell● us out of casaub●n● that amongst all the ecclesi●stical monuments , there are none in which the papists put more confidence then in ignatius his epistles , that baronius in his first tome , almost in every page , cites igna●ius to confirm his popish traditions . in the second tome anno. . he confesseth , and disputeth it at large . that these epistles are the very tower of the pontifician doctrine , and that it stands upheld by them as by a pillar , and he often saith , that there was never any found , who called the truth of these epistles into question &c. and therefore this reverend doctor ought not to be offended if we advise him to take heed how he complies with baronius in justifying of ignatius from all depravations and interpolations , left out of overmuch love of prelacy he be found an advancer of popery . we shall briefly offer three reasons why we cannot build our judgment concerning the doctrine of the primitive church about episcopacy upon ignatius his epistles . because there are divers things quoted out of his epistles by athanasius gelasius and theo●oret , which are either not to be found in their epistles , or to be found altered and changed , and not according as they are quoted . this is rivets argument , and pursued at l●rge by the archbishop , to whom we refer the reader . from his overmuch extolling himself in his epistle to the trallians , where he saith : that he had attained such a measure of knowledge , that he understood heavenly things . the orders of angels : the differences of archangels , and of the heavenly host : the differences between powers and dominations : the distances of thrones and powers : the magnificencies , or magnitude● of ae●nes or principalities : the sublimity of the spirit : the excellencies of cherubims and seraphims : the kingdom of the lord , and the incomparable divinity of the lord god almighty . all these things i know , and yet am not perfect & c. now who is there that can believe that such arrogant boasting can proceed from such a holy man , and humble saint as ignatius was . the third reason ( which is most for our purpose ) is from his over eager ▪ and over anxious defence of the episcopal hierarchy which he doth with such strange , & hyperbolical expressions ( as if all christianity were lost if prelacy were not upheld ) and with such multiplied repetitions ad nauseam usque ▪ that we may confidently say as one doth : certo certius est has epistolas vel supposititias esse , vel foedè corruptas . and that they do neither agree with those times wherein he wrote , nor with such a holy and humble martyr as he was . we will instance in some few of them . in his epistle to the trallians he saith ; what is a bishop , but he that is possest of all principalitie and authority be●ond all as much as is possible , for men to be possest of , being made an imitator according to th● power of christ who is god. he that can find in these words an apostolical spirit breathing , hath little acquaintance with the apostolical writings . how unlike is this to that of the apostle cor. . . who then is paul , and who apollo , but ministers by whom ye believe ? in the same epistle he saith , (a) reverence the bishop as ye● do christ , at the holy apostles have commanded ; but where is this commanded ? in his epistle to the magn●sians , (b) he saith : it becomes you to obey the bishop and in nothing to oppose him ▪ for it is a terrible thing to contradict him . and again , (c) as the lord christ doth nothing without his father : so must you do nothing without your bishop , neither presbyter , deacon , nor l●y man. let nothing seem right and equal to you , that is contrary to his judgment . for that that is such is wicked and ●nmity to god. in his epistle to polycarpe : (d) it becomes those that marry , and are married , not to marry without the consent of the bishop . and again , my soul for theirs that obey the bishop , presbyters and deacons . in his epistle to the philadelphians : (e) let the princes obey the emperour , the souldiers the princes ; the deacons and the rest of the clergy with all the people and the souldiers , and the princes , and the emperour , let them obey the bishop . observe here how the princes and emperours are enjoyned to obey the bishop , when there were not at this time , nor many years after , any emperour or princes christian . in his epistle to the smyr●enses he saith : (f) the scripture saith , honour god and the king : but i say , honour god as the author and lord of all things , and the bishop as the prince of priests resembling the image of god. of god for his principality ; of christ , for his priesthood &c. there is none greater then the bishop in the church , who is consecrated for the salvation of the whole world &c. and afterwards . he that honours the bishop shall be honoured by god , and he that injur's him shall be punished by god. and if he be justly thought worthy of punishment that riseth up against kings , and is therein a violator of good lawes ; of how much greater punishment shall he be thought worthy that will undertake to do any thing without his bishop , thereby breaking concord , and overturning good order &c. we need not paraphrase upon these passages . onely we desire the reader in the fear of god to passe sentence whether these high and supertranscendent expressions , this prelation of bishops above kings , do savour of the first primitive times , or can be imagined to proceed from blessed ignatius , even then when he was in bonds , and ready to be martyred . in the same epistle he saith let all men follow the bishop as christ the father & . let no man do any thing that belongs to the church without the bishop . let that eucharist be allowed on which is done by the bishop or by his concession &c. it is not lawful without the bishop to baptize , or offer &c. that which he approves on is accepted of god , and whatsoever is so done is safe and firm . it is right that god and the bishop be known : he that honours the bishop is honoured of god. he that doth any thing without first consulting with the bishop , 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is a worshipper of the divel . if this doctrine be true , what shall become of all the reformed churches , especially the church of scotland , which ( as ioannes major saith lib. . hystoria de g●stis scotorum cap. . ) was after its first conversion to the christian faith above . years without episcopal government . we will not cite any more passages of this nature ; these are sufficient to justifie that censure which the reverend presbyterian divines in their humble answer to the second paper delivered them by his majestie at the isle of wight do passe upon ignatius , where they say . that there are great arguments drawn out of these epistles themselves , betraying their insincerity , adulterate mixtures , and interpolations : so that ignatius cannot be distinctly known in ignatius . and if we take him in grosse , we make him the patron ( as baronius , and the rest of the popish writers do ) of such rights and observations , as the church in his time cannot be thought to have owned . he doth indeed give testimony to the prelacy of a bishop above a presbyter ; that which may justly render him suspected , is , that he gives too much honour , saith he , the bishop as gods high priest , and after him you must honour the king. he was indeed a holy martyr , and his writings have suffered martyrdom as well as he . corruptions could not go currant , but under the credit of worthy names . the considerations of these things makes salmasius to believe that these epistles were written by a pse●do-ignatius at that very time when episcopacy properly so called came into the church , that so the people who had been accustomed to the presbyterian government , might the more willingly and easily receive this new government , and not be offended at the novelty of it . and this he the rather thinkes , because in all his epistles he speaks highly in honour of the presbytery as well as of episcopacy . for in the epistle to the trallenses ; he bids them be subject to the presbytery as to the apostles of iesus christ. and a little after , he calle● the pre●bytery 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 ▪ and in the s●me epistle he saith ▪ that the colledge of the presbyters is nothing else but 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 . which passage must needs be understood of the second primitive times . for afterwards , the presbytery was much neglected and laid aside , as ambrose complaines upon tim. . we will conclude our discourse concerning the the epistles of igna●ius with a remarkable saying of rive● in his critica sacra . we are ready to asc●ibe to the genuine writings of the f●thers , as much as ignatius requires of hero , to whom he saith . keep that depositum which i and christ have committed unto you . christ in his word hath concredited this holy depositum ; and whatsoever is agreeable in ignatius to this holy word we imbrace : other things which neither agree with christ ▪ nor with the true ignatius , we reject as adulterin● and not to be born . so much in answer to this objection . proposition . that when it is said by ir●naeus , lib. . cap. . that the holy apostles made bishops in churches , and particularly , that polyca●pe was made bishop of smyrna by the apostles , and that the apostles made linus bishop of rome , after whom succeeded anacletus , and that clemens was made the third bishop by the apostles . and when it is said by tertullian , lib. de praescription . that polycarpe was made bishop of smyrna by s. iohn , and clement bishop of rome by s. peter . this will nothing at all advance the episcopal cause , unlesse it can be proved , that by the word bishop , is meant a bishop as distinct from presbyters ; a bishop ( as gerrhard saith ) p●rasi pon●ificiâ not a bishop phrasi apostolica ; a bishop in a popish , not in an apostolical sense ▪ which is all one with a presbyter . for it is not denyed by any that ever wrote of episcopacy ▪ that the names of bishop and presbyter were used 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 , and were 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in the apostles dayes and many years after . and therefore iren●us in his epistle to victor cited by eusebius ▪ lib. . cap. ▪ calls a●i●etus , pius , higinus , telesphor●s , xist●●s , presbyters of the church of rome — and afterwards , presbyter● 〈◊〉 qui te pracesserunt , the presbyters that went before thee : and so also , nec polycarpus aniceto suasit , ut servaret , qui sibi presbyterorum , quibus successerat , consu●tudinem servandam 〈◊〉 diceba● . t●rtullian also in his apolog. cap. . call● the presidents of the churches , senior● or presbyte●● , when he saith , praesident probati quique seniore● , &c. it is not therefore sufficient for our episcopal brethren to say , that bishops over presbyters are of apostolical institution , because the apostles made bishops in churches ; unlesse they do also prove , that those holy men who are called ●ishop● ▪ were more then presbyters . otherwise we must justly charge them ( of which they unjustly charge us ) to be guilty of endeavouring from the name bishop , which was common to presbyters with bishops , to prove a superiority of bishops over presbyters . adde to this , that when our brethren do frequently urge those places of irenaeus , where he ●aith , that he was able to number those that were madebishops by the apostles , & their successors unto his time , and often urgeth the successions of bishops , unto whom the apostles committed the charge of the church in every place , this will nothing at all ( as we conceive ) advantage the episcopal hier●rchy ▪ unlesse they do also prove , that those bishops were hierarchical bishops , and not the very same with presbyters . for the same autho● doth speak the very same things of presbyters , calling them also bishops . for he saith , lib. . cap. . quapropter ●is 〈◊〉 in ecclesia sunt presbyter●s obaudir● opor●et , his qui succession●● h●be●● ab apostol●s sicu● 〈◊〉 , qui cum episcopa●us successi●●● charis●a veritatis cert●m , secundum placitum patris , acc●perunt . re●iquos vero qui absistu●● à princip●l● successione , & qu●cunque loco colliguntur , suspectos habere , vel quasi h●retic●s & mala 〈◊〉 , vel quasi sci●d●ntes & ●latos & sibi place●●●s 〈…〉 , ●t hypocritas 〈◊〉 grati● & 〈◊〉 gloriae hoc 〈◊〉 . so also 〈◊〉 . ▪ cap. — ab omnibus ●a●ibus absist●re oportet adhaerere vero his qui & apostolorum , sicut praediximus doctrinam custodiunt , & cum presby●●rii ordine s●rmonem sanum , & conversationem sine offensa praestant ad informationem & corr●ctionem aliorum . observe here , . that presbyters are called the successors of the apostles . . that they are also called bishops . . that the apostolical doctrine is derived from the apostles by their succession . . that there is nothing said in the former places of bishops which is not here said of presbyters . and that therefore those place● do not prove , that the apostles constituted bishops in the church distinct from , and superiour over presbyters . as for that which is said about the succession of bishops from the apostles unto irenaeus his time , we shall h●ve ●ccasion to speak to afterwards . adde also , that when in antiquity iames the brother of our lord is said to have been made bishop of hierusalem by the apostles , and peter to be ordained bishop of antioch , or rome , &c. this doth not contribute to the proof of what it is brought for , to wit ▪ that there were bishops properly so called in the apostles dayes . for as dr. reynolds agains● hart , cap. . saith ▪ when the fathers termed any apostle a bishop of this or that city , ( as namely saint peter of antioch or rome ) they meant in a general sort and signification , because they did attend that church for a time ▪ and supply that room in preaching the gospel , which bishops did after ; but as the name of bishop is commonly taken for the overseer of a particular church , and pastor of a several flock , so peter was not bishop of any one place : therefore not of rome . and dr. whitakers , lib. de pontif. qu. . cap. . saith , patres cum iacobum episcopum vo●ant au● etiam p●trum , non propriè sum●nt episcopi n●men , sed vocant eos episcopos illarum ecclesiarum in quibus aliquandiu commorati sunt . et si propri● de episcopo loquatur , absurdum est apostolos fuisse episcopos . nam qui propriè episcopus ●st , is apostolus non potest esse , quia episcopus est unius tantum ecclesiae . a● apostoli pl●●ium ecclesiarum fundatores & inspectores erant . et postea . h●● eni● non multum distat ab insania , dicere petrum fuisse propriè episcopum , aut reliquos apostolos . that the fathers when they call iames or peter bishops , do not take the name of bishop properly , but they call them bishops of those places where they abode for any long time . and in the same place , if we speak properly of bishops , it is absurd , to say , that the apostles were bishops : for he that is properly a bishop , cannot be an apostle . for a bishop is onely of one church . but the apostles were the founders and overseers of many churches . and again , he saith , it doth not much differ from a phrenzy , and madnesse to say , that peter or any of the apostles were properly bishops . for the truth is , this were to degrade the apostles , and to bring them into the rank and order of common and ordin●ry officers of the church , which is no little sacriledge . and therefore such kind of quotations out of antiquity do little avail our brethren . so much for the fourth proposition . proposi●ion . that when the distinction between a bishop and presbyter first began in the church of christ , it was not grounded upon a ius divinum , but upon prudential reasons and arguments . and the chief of them was ( as hierom and divers after him say ) in remed●●m schismatis , & ut dissensionum plantaria evellerentur , for the remedy of schisme , and that the seeds of errour might be rooted out of the church . now that this prudential way ( invented no doubt at first upon a good intention ) was not the way of god , appeares ( as smectymnuus hath well shewn ) thus , because we read in the apostles daies there were divisions , rom. . ▪ and schismes , cor. . . & . . yet the apostle was not directed by the holy ghost to ordain bishops for the taking away of those schismes . neither in the rules he prescribes for healing of those breaches doth he mention bishops for that end . neither doth he mention this in his directions to timothy and titus for the ordination of bishops or elders , as one end of their ordination , or one peculiar duty of their office . and though the apostle saith , oportet haereses esse ut qui probati sunt manifesti fi●●t inter vos ; yet the apostle no where saith , oportet episcopos esse , ut tollantur haereses quae manifest● fiunt ; there must be bishops that those heresies which are manifest amongst you may be removed . . because the holy ghost , who could foresee what would ensue thereupon , would never ordain that for a remedy , which would not onely be ineffectual to the cutting off of evil , but become a stirrup for antichrist to get into the saddle . for if there be a necessity of setting up one bishop over many presbyters for preventing schisms , there is as great a necessity of setting up one archbishop over many bishops ; and one patriarch over many archbishops , and one pope over all , unlesse men will imagine that there is a danger of schisme only among presbyters , and not among bishops and archbishops , which is contrary to reason , truth , history and our own experience . hence it is that musculus having proved by act. . phil. . . titus . . pet. . . that in the apostles times a bishop and a presbyter were all one , he addes , but after the apostles times when amongst the elder● of the church ( as hierome saith ) schismes arose , and a● i verily think , they began to strive for majority by little and little , they began to choose one among the rest out of the number of elders that should be above the rest in a higher degree , and called bishop . but whether that device of man profited the church or no , the times following could better judge , then when it first began . and further addeth , that if hierome and others had seen as much as they that came after , they would have concluded , that it was never brought in by gods spirit to take away schismes , as was pretended ; but brought in by satan to wast and destroy the former ministry that fed the flock ▪ thus far musculus . sadeel also hath this memorable passage ; the difference between bishops and other ministers came in for remedy of schisme . but they that devised it little thought what a gate they opened to the ambition of bishop● . hence also dr. whi●akers asking , how came in the inequality between bishops and presbyters , answereth out of hierome , that the schisme and faction of some occasioned the ancient government to be changed — which , saith he , how ever devised at first for a remedy against schisme , yet many holy and wise men have judged it more pernicious then the disease it self ; and although it did not by and by appear , yet miserable experience afterward shewed it . first ambition crept in , which at length begat antichrist , set him in his chair , and brought the yoak of bondage upon the neck of the church . the sense of these mischiefs made nazianz●n wish , not onely that there were no 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 . no dignity or tyrannical prerogative of place , but also that there were no 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 , no principal dignity , to wit , in the church of which he is speaking . but now ( saith he ) contentions about the right hand and the left , about the higher and the lower place , &c. have bred many inconveniencies even among ministers that should be teachers in israel . proposition . that there is a wid● and vast difference between the bishops of the primitive times , and the bishops of later times , as much as between ancient rome , and rome at this day . a bishop at his first erection was nothing else but primus presbyter , or episcopus praeses ( as a moderator in a church-assembly , or a speaker in a parliament ) that governed communi concilio presbyterorum , and had neither power of ordination , nor of jurisdiction , but in common with his presbyters . ambrose upon the tim. . saith , that there is one and the same ordination of a bishop and a presbyter ; for both of them are priests , but the bishop is the first . * dr. reynolds saith , that when elders were ordained by the apostles in every church through every city to feed the flock of christ , whereof the holy gost had made them overseers : they to the intent they might the better do it by common counsel and consent , did use to assemble themselves and meet together . in the which meetings , for the more orderly handling and concluding of things pertaining to their charge ; they chose one amongst them to be the president of their company , and moderator of their actions — and this is he whom afterward in the primitive church the fathers called bishop . for as the name of ministers , common to all them who serve christ in the stewardship of the mysteries of god , that is , in preaching of the gospel , is now by the custome of our english speech restrained to elders who are under a bishop ; so the name of bishop common to all elders and pastors of the church , was then by the usual language of of the fathers appropriated to him who had the presidentship over elders . from which quotation it appeares , that in the judgment of learned dr. reynold , a bishop at his first appearing was nothing else but 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 . the president or moderator of the presbytery . d. blondel , a man of vast reading , indeavours strenuously to make it out , that when episcopacy first came up in the church , the custome was to choose the eldest of the company of the presbyters ( whom he calls 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that is the first of those that were ordained ) to be their bishop or moderator . and after his decease , the next in age succeeded him , not advanced in degree of ministry or power above his brethren , but onely in order and dignity as being the first presbyter . this opinion is agreeable to that passage out of st. ambrose ) if that book be his where he saith — nam & timotheum presbyterum à se creatum episcopum vocat , quia primum presbyteri episcopi appellabantur , ut rec●dente uno , sequen● ei succederet — sed quia ceperunt sequentes presbyteri indigni inveniri ad primatus tenendos immutata est ratio , prospiciente concilio , ut non ordo , sed meritum crearet epis●opum multorum sacerdotum judicio constitutum , ne indignus tem●re usurparet & esset multis scandalum . i● lege nascebantur sac●rdotes ex genere aaron levi●ae , &c. whether this conjecture of 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 be true or no , or whether ( as others think ) it was true in some churches and not in others , we , will not now debate . but sure we are , that in alexandria , as st. ierom tells us , the bishop was chosen not onely out of the presbytery , but by the presbytery , and by them constituted bishop , and placed in excelsi●ri gradu in an higher degree of honour , not office. he was not made by . bishops , sed presbyteri unum ex se electum in excelsiore gr●an collocatu● , episcopum nominabant . indeed afterwards in processe of time , this ep●scopus p●aeses came to be episcopus princeps and usurped sinfully upon the priviledges of ministers and people , and made way for the coming in of antichrist . famous is that ( so often mentined in several writings in this age ) saying of ambrose upon tim. vnde & synagoga & post●a ecclesia seniores habuit quorum sine consilio nihil agebatur in ecclesia . quod quâ negligentiâ obsolev●rat nescio , nisi forte doctorum desidi● aut magis superbiâ dum volunt aliguid videri ▪ from hence came that distinction of beza's between episcopus divinus , humanus , and diabolicus ; by the divine bishop he means the presbyter ; by the humane bishop , he means the bishop chosen by the presbyters to be president over them , and to rule with them by fixed lawes and canons ; by the diabolical he means a bishop with sole power of ordination and jurisdiction , lording it over gods heritage and governing by his own will and authority . and therefore when men argue from the practise of the primitive times , and from the bishops of those dayes to the bishops of our dayes , they do but 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 , they commit a fallacy , just as if a man should argue , that the church of rome is now a true church , because it was so in the apostles dayes . for the further handling of this proposition ▪ we refer the reader to sm●ctym●●us , where he shall have many pages spent to prove the imparity between the bishops of the primitive times and our dayes . onely we shall crave leave to relate a passage from a reverend divine now with god , who holdeth forth this assertion : that the ancient fathers in the point of episcopacy differ more from the high prelatist then from the presbyterian ▪ this he proveth . because the presbyterians alwayes have ● president to guide their actions , which they acknowledge may be perpetual d●rante vitâ ●●do s● ben● g●sseri● : or temporary to avoid inconvenience . which bilson in his preface ( & again and again in his book of the perp. government ) takes hold of , as advantagious , because so little discrepant ( as he saith ) from what he maintain● : but now the high prelatists exclu●e a presbytery , ●s having nothing to do with jurisdiction , which they put as far above the sphaere of a presbyter , as sacrificing above a levites , to wit , an act restrained to an higher order ; whereas the fathers acknowledge a presbytery , and in divers cases , councels tie the bishop to do nothing without them . and so it is clear , the high prelatist● are at a further distance from the fathers , then the prebyterians : afterwards he also adds , if we differ from the fathers in point of prelacy ( wherein our opponents are in no better terms with them , then we ) yet i would have them consider in how many thing● we jumpe with the fathers , wherein many of them have been dissenting both in opinion , and practise ; as . touching promiscuous dancing , especially upon the lords day . . touching residency of pastors in their churches , which excludes all pluralities . . frequency and diligence in preaching . . touching the abuse of health-drinking , or drinking ad aequales calices . . touching bishops not intanling themselves with secular affairs , or businesses of state in princes courts . . touching gaming at cards or dice , and such like , so that they can with no great confidence triumph in the fathers , against us , in this one point ( wherein themselves also are at a distance from them ) while we keep closer to the fathers ▪ then they do in many others . proposition . that the great argument that is brought for episcopacy from the lineal succession of bishops from the apostles daies to our d●●e● , hath not that validity in it that is imagined . bishop bilson and others ●ake a great deal of pains to give us a catalogue of the bishops in rome , al●xandria , hierusalem , and antioch , from the apostles daies unto constantine's time . but we desire the reader to consider ▪ first , that these catalogues labour much of an homonymy in the word bishop . for the bishops of later times were bishops of a f●r different nature from the bishops of the first times . though the same name be common to all in the catalogue , yet in the nature of their office they differed very much . the later , peece by peece , taking that authority to the● which the former neither might nor did ●njoy . the later were diocesan , the former were bishop● onely of one congregation . at first the churches were governed by the common councel of presbyters , and the line of succession was drawn ( saith d. blo●del ) from the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 , that i● , the first ordained minister . even ●s amongst the athenian● there were ▪ . archontes or chief ruler● equal in power and authority , and yet the succession of governours in athens was desi●ed from one of them on●ly who w●● the first ar●bon or ruler , which was not done to diminish the ●●thority of the ●est , sed ut compendi●sio●●● minus 〈…〉 . but that the enumer●●i●n of the 〈◊〉 of their successive governour● might 〈…〉 compendious and expedite . even so at first ▪ there were divers presbyters in every city which did govern with equal power and authority , and yet the line and succession was deduced from one who was the first of those that were ordained , not thereby incroaching upon the joynt authority of the rest : but for the more expedite way of reckoning . and when afterwards one was chosen out of the presbytery , he was , for a long time ▪ but as the moderator of a synod amongst the scotch and dutch , and at most but as a superintendent amongst the germa●s ; of whom zepp . lib. . cap. . saith , that they are of the same degree with other ministers , they are only president● while the synod lasteth , when it is dissolved , their prerogative ceaseth . they have no prerogative over their fellow-ministers ▪ they are subject to their presbyteries . the synod ended , they return to the care of their particular churches . secondly , that these catalogues the nearer they come to the apostles daies are the more ●ncer●in ▪ and indeed contradictory one unto another : some say , that clemens was first bishop of rome after peter : some say , the third ▪ and the intricacies about the order of succession in linus , anacletus ▪ clemens ▪ and another called cletus ▪ as some affirm , are inextricable . some say , that titus was bishop of cr●te , some say archbishop ; and some , bishop of dalmatia . some say , that timothy was bishop of ephesus ; and some say , that iohn was bishop of ephesus at the same time . some say , polyca●ps was first bishop of smyrna ; another saith , that he succeeded one bu●olus : and another , that arist● was first . some say , that alexandria had but one bishop , and other cities two ▪ and others , that there was but one bishop of one city at the same time . and how can these catalogues be unquestionable , that must be made up out of testimonies that fight one against another . learned iunius speaking of that great controversie about the succession of the first bishops or presbyters of rome , whether linus was the first , or clemens , or anacletus , hath this remarkable passage ; that these or some of these were presbyters or bishops of rome at the same time , ruling the church in common . but the following writers , fancying to themselves such bishops as then had obtained in the church , fell into these snares of tradition , because they supposed , according to the custome of their own time● ▪ that the●e could be but one bishop in one church at the same time , which i● quite crosse to the apostolic all times . thirdly , this is also to be considered , that they that made the catalogues spake according to the language of the times in which they lived , in which there was a distinction between bishops and presby●ers ; and therefore call them who went before them bishops ▪ whereas indeed they were not so in a proper sence . nor can the bishops of after-times be said to succeed them any otherwise ( if so much ) then caesar is said to succeed the roman consuls . fourthly , these catalogues do resolve themselves into an apostle or an evangelist ▪ as at rome into 〈◊〉 ; at alexandria into mark ; at ephesus into timothy ; a● ●ret● into titus . now it is certain , that the apostles and evangelists cannot be said to be bishops in a formal sence . for they had an universal commission , and their offices were extraordinary , and they had no successors properly in idem officium . indeed bishops or presbyte●s did succeed them in some part of their work , but not in their office. ordinary offices succeed extraordinary , not in the same line and degree as one brother succeeds another in his inheritance , but as men of another order , and in a different line . they are , we confesse , called bishops by ecclesiastical writers , but that was onely by way of allusion , and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 , as we have formerly shewed . we will conclude this proposition with part of a passage out of the conference of the reverend presbyters at the isle of wight , where they say ; and left your majesty might reply , that however the catalogues and testimonies may varie , or be mistaken , in the order , or times , or names of those persons that succeeded the apostles , yet all agree , that there was a succession of some persons ; and so though the credit of the catalogues be infirmed , yet the thing intended is confirmed thereby : we grant , that a succession of men to feed and govern these churches , while they continued churches , cannot be denyed ; and that the apostles and evangelists , that planted and watered those churches ( though extraordinary and temporary officers ) were by ecclesiastical writers in compliance with the language and usage of thir own times , called bishops ; and so were eminent men , of chief note , presiding in presbyteries of the cities or churches , called by such writers as wrote after the division and distinction of the names of presbyters and bishops : but that those first and ancientest presbyters were bishops in proper sence , according to your majesties description , invested with power over presbyters and people , to whom ( as distinct from presbyters ) did belong the power of ordination , giving rules and censures ; we humbly conceive can never be proved by authentick or competent testimonies . and granting , that your majesty should prove the succession of bishops from the primitive times seriatim , yet if these from whom you draw , and through whom you derive it ▪ be found either more then bishops , as apostles , and extraordinary persons , or lesse then bishops , a● meerly first presbyters , having not one of the three essentials to episcopal government ( mentioned by your majestie ) in their own hand ; it will follow , that all your majestie hath proved by this succession , is the homonymy and equivocal acceptation of the word episcopus . proposition . that whatsoever may be said of episcopacy out of antiquity , yet notwithstanding it is an opinion generally received by the learned in all ages , that there are but two orders of ministers in the church of christ , bishops and deacons , according to the saying of paul to the philippians , where he salutes the bishops and deacon● , that is , the presbyters and deacons . of this opinion i● clement in his epistle to the corinthians , and polycarp● in his epistle to the phil●delphians , as we have shewed . thi● also i● the opinion of most of the school-men . lombard saith ; whereas all the seven orders are spiritual and sacred ; yet the canons think that two onely are called sacred orders by an excellency , to wit , the order of deaconship and priesthood : because the primitive church , so far as we can read , had onely these two ; and of these only we have the apostles precept . bonavent●r● saith , that episcopacy i● no order , but an eminency and dignity . the like saith a●re●lus upon the . sent. distinct . . nav●rrus saith , that it is the common opinion of the divines , that episcopacy is not an order , but an office. see more of this in forbesii i●●nicu● , lib. . cap. . and in the addition of m. mason to his defence of the ministry of the church of england , where there are very many authors cited to prove , that presbytery is the highest order of ministry , is not a different order , but a different degree of the same order . see also d. blo●de● , sect. . . where he sheweth out of divers councells , that under the name of priests and levites , the whole gospel-ministry were comprehended . in our own nation that blessed man mr. wickloffe did judge , that there ought onely to be two orders of ministers in the church , to wit , presbyters and deacons . and iohn lamber● a martyr in his answer to articles objected against him ▪ saith , as touching priesthood in the primitive church , when vertue bore ( as ancient doctors do deem , and scripture in mine opinion recordeth the same ) most room , there were no more officers in the church of god then bishops and deacons that is ministers ; as witnesseth , besides scripture , hierome in his commentariesupon the epistles of paul. but we shall give one instance instead of many that might be added . in the year . there came out a book called , the institution of a christian man , made by the whole clergy in their provincial synod , set forth by the authority of the kings majestie , and approved by the whole parliament , and commanded to be preached to the whole kingdom , wherein speaking of the sacrament of orders , it is said expresly , that although the fathers of the succeeding church after the apostles instituted certain inferiour degrees of ministery ; yet the truth is , that in the new testament there is no mention made of any other degree or distinction in orders , but onely of deacons or ministers ; and presbyters , or bishops , and thoroughout the whole discourse makes presbyters and bishops one and the same . but of this proposition we have had occasion to speak formerly , to which we refer the diligent reader . now from hence it followeth inevitably , that ▪ if according unto the judgments of our episcopal divines , episcopacy be the same order of ministry with presbytery , th●● it hath no more intrinsecal power of ordination and jurisdiction , then presbytery hath . and that all that distinction that was put between them by antiquity , was meerly in restraining the use and exercise of that power which was truly and really inherent in them . the actus primu● was common to both , although for order sake the actus secundus was inhibited the presbytery . and this leads us to speak something about the practise of antiquity in the point of ordination of ministers : which is that in which we believe the reader doth desire especially to be satisfied , and which is that for which we have undertaken this discourse about antiquity , and in which our adversaries do most triumph . for it is said by all anti-presbyterians , that the way of ordination now in use is quite contrary to antiquity , and that whatsoever is done in this kind without a bishop over presbyters , is null and void . in answer to this we shall crave leave to hold forth these ensuing propositions about ordination , out of antiquity ( for as to what the scripture saith , of that we have already spoken . ) several propositions declaring the iudgment and practise of the ancient church about ordination of ministers . proposition . that in the first and purest times , when the church of christ was governed by the common councel of presbyters , there was ordination of presbyters without bishops over presbyters . for these bishops came in postea & paulatim , as hierome saith . and panormitanus lib. . decretal . de consuetudine cap. quarto , saith , olim presbyteri in communi regebant ecclesiam , & ordinabant sacerdotes , & pa●iter conferebant omnia sacramenta . proposition . that after that bishops were admitted into the church , yet notwithstanding ordination by bishops without the assistance of his presbyters was alwaies forbidden and opposed . cyprian in his exile writing to his charge , certifies them , that aurelius was ordained by him and his colleagues , who were present with him . by his colleagues , he meanes his presbyters , as appears epist. . and firmilianus saith of them that rule in the church , quod baptizandi , manum imponendi & ordinandi possident potestatem . and who those be , he expresseth a little before , seniores & praepositi ; by whom the presbyters as well as the bishops are understood . in synodo ad quercum anno . it was brought as an accusation against chrysostome , 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 , that he had made ordinations without the company and sentence of his clergy . in the councel of carth●ge it was decreed , can. . vt episcopus sine consilio clericorum suorum clericos non ordinet . and can. . cum ● dinatur presbyter episcopo eum benedicente , & manum super caput ejus tenente ; etiam omnes presbyteri qui praesentes sunt , manus suas juxta manum episcopi super caput illius teneant . when a presbyter is ordained , the bishop blessing him , and holding his hand upon his head , all the presbyters that are present , shall likewise lay their hands upon his head , with the hands of the bishop . by this laying on of the hands of presbyters , is not onely signified the presbyters consent to what the bishop doth , but ordo ipse confertur & gratia ordini necessa●ia impe●ratur , quemadmodum per impositionem manuum episcopi ; the order it self is conferred , and grace necessary is impetrated as it is by the hands of the bishop : as saith forbefius in his irenicum . the presbyters impose hands ( saith the same author ) non tanquam duntaxat consentientes ( ad consensum enim sufficiunt suffragia , & plebs etiam consentit , nec tamen ejus est manus imponere ) sed tanquam ordinantes , se● ordinem conferentes , & ex potestate ordinandi diuinitùs acceptâ , gratiam ordinato , hoc adhibito ritu , apprecantes ; not onely as consenting ( for to manifest their consent their suffrages had been sufficient , and the people also gave their consent , and yet they impose not their hands ) but as ordaining , and conferring orders , and by the power of ordination conferred to them by god , praying for grace upon him that is ordained , using the ceremony of laying on of hands . the same author brings a famous example of pelagius bishop of rome , the first of that name , who was made bishop of rome by two bishops and one presbyter named andreas . in the councel of nice it was decreed , that no bishop should be made but by three bishops at least . and yet this pelagius being by iustinian , anno . appointed to be bishop of rome , and not being able to obtain three bishops to ordain him , ( he being suspected then of a crime from which he afterwards cleared himself ) he received ordination from two bishops and one presbyter . and this ordination canonica habita est in hunc usque diem , is accounted canonical even to this day . by which it is evident that presbyters lay on hands in ordination together with the bishop as partners in the power . and that pelagius and his successours would never have owned this way of ordination , had they not believed , that a presbyter had a power derived to him from christ to confer ecclesiastical orders . and this leads us to a third proposition . proposition . that even according to the judgment of antiquity , presbyters have an intrinsecal power and authority to ordain ministers , and when this power was restrained , and inhibited , it was not propter legis necessitatem , but onely propter honorem sacerdotii ; it was not from the necessity of any divine law for bidding it , but onely for the honour of episcopacy . it was not from the canon of the scriptures , but from some canons of the church . leo primus ep . . upon complaints of unlawful ordinations , writing to the germane and french bishops , reckons up what things are reserved to the bishops . among which he sets down presbyterorum & diaconorum consecratio ; and then adds , quae omnia solis deberi summis pontificibus authoritate canonum praecipitur . and isidore hispalensis , lib. . de offi●iis ecclesiasticis , cap. . speaking of presbyters saith , his enim sicut episcopis dispensatio mysteriorum dei commissa est . praesunt enim ecclesiis christi ; & in confectione divina corporis & sanguinis consort●s cum episcop● sunt ; similiter & in doctrina populorum , & in officio praedicandi . sed sola propter authoritatem summo sacerdoti clericorum ordinatio & consecratio reservata est ; ne à multis ecclesiae disciplina vendicata , concordiam solveret , scandala generaret : and afterwards he proves by scripture texts , that bishops and presbyters are one and the same . so also concilium aquisgran . . canon . solum propter authoritatem clericorum ordinatio & cons●cratio reservata est summo sacerdoti . dr. forbes professor at aberdeen ( though a great friend and pleader for episcopacy , yet , he saith , habent presbyteri de jure divino , ordinandi , sicut praedicandi , & baptizandi , potestatem : quamvis haec omnia exequi debeant sub regimine & inspectione episcopi in locis ubi est episcopus . and mr. mason a known writer in defence of episcopacy saith also , that a presbyter , as he is a presbyter , is indued with intrinsecal power and ability to ordain , and was restrained from the exercise of it onely by the church for disciplines sake , and that when the power of ordination was reserved to the bishop , the power of the presbyter was not at that time utterly extinguished , but onely restrained as the faculty of the flying of a bird , when hi● wings are tyed . what authority the church had to tye these wings , or whether the church did well in tying them when the scripture had left them untyed , is not now under debate . all that we produce this authour for , is to prove , that the wing● of presbytery were not cut off , though they were tyed up ; and that according to the judgment of episcopal writers themselves , presbyters have an intrinsecal power of giving orders . the same authour proves this his assertion thus ; because that a bishop is intrinsecally inabled to give orders , not by his power of jurisdiction , but by his power of order . and because a presbyter hath as much of the sacrament and character of order ( according to the papists themselves ) as a bishop , and therefore every presbyter hath an intrinsecal power of giving orders . now that episcopacy and presbytery are one and the same order of ministry , and that that which is added in episcopal consecration , whereby a bishop is distinguished from a presbyter , is only a degree of dignity and eminency , and is neither the sacrament of order , nor imprinteth a character , he proveth by a world of witnesses , even from popish writers : from lombard , aquinas , durandus , dominicus soto , richardus , aureolus , and divers other● . tostatus saith , it is in the consecration of bishops , as of the pope : in which there is not imprinted a character , seeing they are not orders but dignities or degrees of ecclesiastical preeminence . gerson saith , above priesthood there is no superiour order ; no not the function of a bishop or archbishop . armachanus saith , a bishop in such things hath no more in respect of his order , then every single priest ; although the church hath appointed that such things should be executed by those men whom we call bishops . aureolus hath a notable passage ; every fo●m in as much as it is in act , hath power to communicate it self in the same kind : therefore every priest hath power to celebrate orders . why then do they not celebrate them ? because their power is hindred by the decree of the church . whereupon when a bishop is made , there is not given unto him any new power , but the former power being hindred is set at liberty : as a man when the act of reason is hindered , and the impediment is removed , there is not given unto him a new soul. from all these things it appears , that presbyters have an intrinsecal power to ordain presbyters . proposition . that even during the prevalency of episcopacy it was not held unlawful for a presbyter to ordain without a bishop . a presbyter had not onely an inherent power of ordination , but in some cases he did actually ordain . s. ambrose upon eph. . saith , apud aegyptum presbyteri consignant , si praesens non sit episcopus . austine ( or whosoever was the author ) in quaestionibus ex utroque testamento mixtim quast . . in alexandriâ & per totam aegyptum , fi desit episcopus consecrat presbyter . which words cannot be understood ( as a learned defender of prelacy would have them ) of the consecration of the eucharist . for this might be done by the presbyter praesente episcopo ; but it must be understood either of confirmation , or ( which is more likely ) of ordination , because ambrose in that place is speaking of ordination . but howsoever it is not much material . for confirmation was restrained to the bishop as well as ordination ; and if the presbyter might confirm si desit episcopus , then he might also ordain . hierome saith of the alexandrian bishops , presbyteri unum ex se electum , in excelsiori gradu collocatum , episcopum nominabant , &c. that the presbyters for many years did ordain their bishops . and certainly if it were not held unlawfull in antiquity for presbyters to ordain bishops , much lesse could it be held unlawful for presbyters to ordain presbyters . dr. forbes saith , that in all those churches which are governed by the common councel of presbyters without bishops , valida & efficax est ordinatio quae fit per impositionem manuum solius presbyterii . quin & ubi est episcopus , possunt presbyteri ordinare ; consentiente , licet non simul manus imponente , episcopo . dr. field of the church , lib. . cap. . tells us ; that presbyters in some places , and at some times did impose hands , which when gregory bishop of rome would wholly have forbidden , there was so great exception taken at him for it , that he left it free again . and afterwards , not onely armachanus , a very learned and worthy bishop , but , as it appeareth by alexander of hales , many learned men in his time and before , were of opinion , that in some cases , and at some times presbyters may give orders , and that their ordinations are of force , &c. and that ordination by presbyters was held lawfull and warrantable by the ancient church , appears further by these ensuing arguments . . because the chorepiscopi , who were but single presbyters , had liberty by the church to ordain , if they had a licence , from the bishop . that they had liberty appears from the . canon of the councel at a●●yra . 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 . chorepiscopis non licere presbyteros , vel diaconos ordinare , sed neque urbis presbyteris nisi cum literis ab episcopo permissum fuerit , in alienâ parochiâ . this councel was held before the councel of nice in the year . and in the councel of antiochia , which was anno . can. . it is decreed , that the chorepiscopi should not dare to ordain presbyters or deacons , 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 . from these two canons we may collect these two observations . . that before these councels the chorepiscopi did ordain presbyters without any licence at all from the bishop of the city . otherwise to what purpose are they inhibited ? . that after these councels they might ordain by vertue of a licence , which sheweth evidently that in the judgment of these reverend fathers , the chorepiscopi had an intrinsecal power to ordain derived to them from christ. for a licence doth not confer a power to him that hath it not , but onely a faculty to exercise that power he hath . and this is the conclusion that d. forbes drawes from this practise of these councels . surely , saith he , the church would not have granted this power to the chorepiscopi . nisi judicasset validam esse eam ordinationem , qua per solos p●ragitur presbyteros . it cannot be denied , but that pope damasus made a constitution for the abolishing of this office of the chorepiscopi : but it seems this constitution was not put in execution in all churches for above . years after . isidore hispalensis who lived anno. . in libro de officiis ecclesiasticis cap. . speaks of these chorepiscopi as yet continuing in the church , and saith , chorepiscopi , id est , vicarii episcoporum , juxta quod canones ipsi testantur , instituti sunt ad exempla . seniorum , tanquam sacerdotes propter solicitudinem pauperum . hi in vicis & vitis constituti , gubernant sibi commissas ecclesias , habentes licentiam constituere lectores , subdiaconos , exorcistas : presbyteros autem & diaconos ordinare non audeant praeter conscientiam episcopi , in cujus regione praeesse noscuntur . hi autem à solo episcopo civitatis , cui adjacent , ordinantur . observe here , that isidore translates those words of the canon , 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 , not as gentianus hervetus , absque urbis episcopo , but praeter conscientiam episcopi . quae versio optime explicat mentem concilii , saith forbesius , estque ipso rei usu & exequutione firmata , ut nimirum , possent chorepiscopi etiam presbyteros & diaconos ordinare , permittente , licet non simul ordinante episcopo loci . but how will it be proved ▪ may some say , that these chorepiscopi were onely presbyters and not bishops ? for if this can be clearly made out , it will undeniably follow , that according to the judgment of antiquity , presbyters had not onely the inward power , but also the outward exercise of ordination for a long space . now that these chorepiscopi were meer presbyters , appeares ; . because they were to be ordained but by one bishop — à solo episcopo civitatis cui adjacent , saith the councel of antiochia . but by the canons of the church , a bishop properly so called , was to be ordained by three bishops . . because they were to be subject to the bishop of the city . so saith the canon , ab episcopo civitatis cui subjicitur fiat chorepiscopus . now we read no where of the subjection of one bishop and his charge to another ▪ cyprian pleads the freedome of bishops , telling us , that each of them hath a portion of christs flock assigned to him , for which he is to give account to god. . because they could not , nay , they must not dare to exercise the power of ordination without the leave of the bishop . con●il . ancyr . saith , non licere , nisi cum literis ab episcopo p●rmissum fuerit . concil . antio●h . saith , non audeat praeter conscientiam episcopi . none of this would have been said , if they had been bishops in a prelatical sence . : because they were bishops in villis & regionibus ; and therefore ( as some think ) called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 . but according to the canons of the church , bishops in ● proper sence , were not to be made , unlesse in great cities , n● vil●sca● nomen episcopi , as damasus argues , when he pleads for the abolition of the chorepiscopi . . because thi● power was afterwards taken away from the chorepiscopi by the same authority of the canons and ecclesiastical constitutions , by which it was first appropriated to bishops themselves , as leo epist. . witnesseth ; which to us is a firm argument to prove , not only that they once had it , but that they had it as presbyters . for if they had it as bishops , the taking of it away would have been a degradation of them . . we might bring an argument ad homin●m , because they are said concil . n●ocaesar . can. . to have been appointed in the church after the manner , or in imitation of the seventy ▪ now ▪ according to the opinion of the hierarchical men , bishops succeed the apostles , not the seventy . . we might also here urge the authority of leo , epist. . who saith , that the chorepiscopi , juxta canones neocaesarienses , sive secundum aliorum patrum decreta , iid●m sunt qui presbyteri ; and of isidore hispalensis before mentioned , and of damasus , epist. . to whose sentence concil . hispal . can. . doth subscribe ; and also of dr. field of the church , lib. . cap. . who saith , neither should it seem strange to our adversaries , that the power of ordination should at some times be yeelded unto presbyters , seeing their chorepiscopi , suffragans , or titular bishops that live in the diocesse and churches of other bishops ; and are no bishops according to the old course of discipline , do daily in the romish church confirm children and give orders . and again — seeing that chorepiscopi , or suffragans , as they call them , being not bishops , but onely presbyters , do daily with good allowance ordain presbyters , and all other episcopall acts . but we forbear multiplying of argument● , these are sufficient to prove , that they were but single presbyters : and that therefore single presbyters did ordain even during the prevalency of episcopacy . to avoid the strength of this argument , bellarmine invents novum quoddam & antea inauditum chorepiscoporum genus . he saith , that there were some of them that were meer presbyters , and others that were veri nominis episcopi . and that the councel of antiochia speaks of the last in the beginning , and of the first sort in the latter end . but certain it is , that the canon speaks of chorepiscopi in generall , without any distinction throughout the whole . and the scope of damasus his letter is to prove , that all the chorepiscopi whatsoever their ordination was , were nothing else but presbyters . we shall not undertake to answer bellarmine at large , because it is done to our hands by that learned man so often mentioned , who though a lover of episcopacy , yet surely he was a very moderate and meek spirited man , and hath fully answered all that is brought by bellarmine against what we have asserted . the reader may view him if he please for his further satisfaction . there is another , whom we forbear to name , that saith , that the chorepiscopi of whom the canon speaks were bishops . but he adde● , though they were bishops , yet they were bishops made but by one bishop , and bishops meerly titu●an , and sine cathedrâ ▪ which is all one , as if he should say , they were not properly bishops . for according to the canons then in force , a bishop properly so called was to be made by . bishops , ●nd if he were ordained sine titulo , his ordination was null and void . we will conclude this discourse of the chorepiscopi with a pass●ge out of gabri●l vasquez , postquam proposuisset istud b●llarmini somnium , ●aec subjungit v●rba . alii ●amen non minor●s authoritatis existimant chor●piscopos fuisse tantùm presbyteros . ita expresse sentit ayala de traditionibus ecclesiasticis . part . consideratione . ubi ha●c r●m ex pr●f●ss● disputat ; & noster franciscus turrianus in annotationibus ad consilium nicaenum can. . ●it ordin●m chorepiscoporum non fuisse nisi presbyterorum tantùm : eandem sententiam sequuntur docti aliqui rec●ntiores , &c. porro damasum duo illa genera chorepiscoporum minimè distinxisse , sed de omnibus etiam illis , quoru● m● minit , concilium antiochenum , pronunciasse , veros non esse episcopos ; ita ut si presbyteri ess● nollent ; nihil om●ino essent , probat ex instituto ayala loce citato ; potestque ex ipso damaso s●aderi — nunquam dicit damasus hos chorepiscopos diversos esse à prioribus , aut verè episcopos esse ; imo verò ex professo probat , licet à pluribus consecrati , verè tamen episcopos non esse . haec vasquez . so much of this argument . a second argument to prove , that it was not held unlawful in antiquity for presbyters to ordain , may be drawn from the opinion of the schoolmen and canonists during the prevalency not onely of episcopacy , but even of papal tyranny . for it is a received opinion in the church of rome , that the pope may by his commission authorize a single presbyter to ordain presbyters ; he cannot , say they , commissionate a lay-man , but he may a presbyter . mr. francis mason cite● many authors to attest this . the author of the glosse saith , di●o quod papa potest hoc delegare simpli●i sacerdot● , & non laico ( sicut credo ) & sic ex tali delegatione , & adminiculo habiti sacramenti , potest conferre quicquid habet . imo quilibet cl●ricus hoc facere potest ; qui ver● non habet , non potest conferre . ros●llus also saith , v●lunt doctores , quod papa potest committere cuilibet clerico , ut conferat quae babet ipse , ut si est presbyter , possit ordinare presbyterum , & diaconus diaconum , ex man●ato papae . and again , ego teneo , quod papa possit demandare presbyter● , quod conferat omn●s sacros ordines , & in hoc 〈◊〉 cum senten●ia canonistarum . dr. forbes brings also many quotations to this purpose , some of which we shall recite as being very observable . panormita●●● saith , — ego potiu● p●tarem ut sacerdoti hoc possit delegare indistinctè , quia 〈◊〉 de sacr●●●nto eucharisti● sit disposit●m institutione domi●ic● , qu● ha●●ant illud administrare : hoc tamen non est dispositum in collation● ordinum . nam olim presbyteri in comm●ni r●geba● ecclesiam , & ordinabant sacerdotes . vnd● quemadmodum olim poterant , ita videtur quòd papa possit hoc concedere sacerdoti , maximè delegando , quum nihil exerceat delegatus nomine proprio . in decretalibus gregorii . de consuetudine cap. . &c. it is said , dico quod papa potest hoc delegare simplici sacerdoti , et non laico , sicut credo , et sic ex tali delegatione , et in adminiculo habiti sacramenti , potest conferre quicquid habet . very remarkable is that passage in petrus aureolus , in quartum sent. distinct. . in habente animam rationalem quandoque impeditur ●ctus rationis , et postea removetur impedimentum ; non datur nova anima , vel forma , sed tantum removetur illud quod impediebat prius animam , n● exiret in actum rationis . sed ordinare in sacerdotem est actus conveniens sacerdoti , in quantum sacerdos est , & tantùm est actus impeditus in ●o . probo . quia nemo dat quod non habet , sicut in naturalibus , ubi forma transfundit seipsam : ergo non sacerdotis non est ordinare in sacerdotem : sed hoc pertinet ad sacerdotem , qui habet formam illam in actu potentem transfundere seipsam . vnde papa non posse● ordines committere , nisi sacerdoti , ut diacono , vel laico ; potest autem committere cuicunque sacerdoti : ergo videtur , quod conferre ordines sit pertinens ad sacerdotem . probo . quia pone , quod sit sacerdos , omni alio circumscripto , potest papa committere ●i ordines : pone autem alia omnia & circumscribe sacerdotium , non poterit papa committere potestatem ordinandi ; hoc videtur satis rationale , quia omnis forma , ex quo est in actu , videtur quod possit se communicare infra eandem speciem ( apud capreolum est , in eandem speciem ) ergo sacerdos hoc modo , quantum est ex potestate sibi conveniente absolutè , poterit ordines celebrare : ergo si potestas ●lla modo sit impedita , sicut est de facto , & impedimentum removeatur per hoc , quod fit episcopus ; non datur ●i nova potestas , sed tantummodo pristina potestas prius impedita reducitur ad usum impedimento remoto , & haec reductio illius potestatis ad usum dicitur ampliatio potestatis . hac aureolus . from these two arguments , and the quotations alledged , we may safely gather these conclusions : . that there was a time when presbyters did govern by common councel , and did ordain without bishops . so saith panormitan , olim presbyteri in communi regebant ecclesiam , & ordinabant sacerdotes . . that whole nations have been converted to the faith and governed for hundreds of years without bishops . this conclusion is abundantly proved by d. blondel , sect. . de ordinationibus , where he tells us , that ioannes major de gestis scotorum lib. . cap. . saith , per sacerdotes & monachos sine episcopis scoti in fide eruditi , that ioannes fordonius saith , ante palladi● adventum , hab●bant scoti fidei doctoros , ac sacramentorum ministratores presbyteros solummodò vel monachos , ritum sequentes ecclesia primitivae . the scots were christians . years and more without episcopal government . the like he proves of the gothes and french. for brevity sake we refer the reader to the author himself . . that in aegypt , when the bishop was absent , presbyters did consecrate . . that in alexandria for almost . years the presbyters constituted and ordained their bishop . . that though by the canons of the church the power of presbyters in ordaining was restrained , yet it was the judgment of antiquity , that every presbyter hath actum primum , and an inward power to ordain , and that though his power was impedited by the canons , yet it was not utterly extinguished . . that when a presbyter is made a bishop , he hath no new power conferred upon him , but onely his former restraints and impediments are removed , as saith aureolus . . that the chor●piscopi for a certain space did ordain of their own authority , without receiving authority from the bishop . afterwards ( though they were meer presbyters ) yet notwithstanding by the leave of councels had liberty , with the bishops licence , to ordain . . that to this day it is the opinion of schoolmen and canonists , that the pope may give liberty to a presbyter to ordain . from whence , saith dr. forbes , it evidently followeth , ordinationem quae per solos presbytero● peragitur non esse de jur● divino invalidam , neque ordination●m esse de jure divino ita propriam episcoporum , ut non possit validè peragi per solos presbyteros : that is , that ordination which is by presbyters alone , is not by divine right invalid , neither is ordination so proper by divine right to a bishop , that it may not be done ( even in the opinion of papists themselves ) by presbyters alone . for otherwise the pope could not commit ordination unto presbyters . for bell●rmine saith expresly , in jure divino non potest papa dispensare , the pope cannot dispense in things that are by divine right . and aureolus saith , ea quae sunt ordinum omnes recipiunt immediatè à christo , ita quod in potest●te nullius imò nec papae est ill● auferre : qua sunt autem jurisdictionis , potest ea p●pa suspendere . now then from hence we may argue . that which by divine authority is to be done onely by bishops , that neither bishops nor councels , nor pope can commit to presbyters that are not bishops . nam in jure divino papa non potest dispensare . but ( according to the judgment and practise of antiquity ) the pope may give the liberty and power of ordaining to presb●ters that are not bishops . and bishops also may do the like . therefore the liberty and power of ordaining is not by divine right belonging to bishops onely , but may be lawfully done by others , the papists themselves being judges . and so much for our fourth proposition . proposition . that when hierome saith , quid facit episcopus quod non facit presbyter except● ordinatione ? this passage cannot be understood as if hierome had thought , that ordination was by divine right appropriated to bishops , and not to presbyters ( as bishop bilson saith ) . for in the very same epistle he tells us , that by divine right a bishop and a presbyter are all one . and that in alexandria , for a long time the presbyters ordained their bishop . but he must b● understood of the practise of the church in his dayes ; and his meaning i● , quid facit episcopus secundum cano●●s ecclesia quad non facit presbyte● excepta ordinatione ? proposition . that when ischyras was deposed from being a presbyter , because mad● by collu●hus , that was but a presbyter himself , and not a bishop ; this was done , not because the act of collu●●us was against the canon of th● scriptures , but onely because it was against the canons of some councel● . thu● dr. fi●ld answereth , whereas , saith he , the fathers make all such ordinations void 〈◊〉 are made by presbyters , it is to be understood according to the strictnesse of the canon in use in their time , and not absolutely in the n●ture of the thing ; which appears , in that they likewise make all ordinations sine titulo to be void : all ordination● of bishops ordained by fewer then three bishops with the metropolitane ; all ordinations of presbyter● by bishops out of their own churches without leave . whereas i am well assured , the romanists will not pronounce any of these to be void , though the parties so doing are not excusable from all fault . thus far dr. field . but now whether the church in th●se dayes did well or no in restraining that by their canons , which the canons of the scripture hath left free , we leave it to all sober christians to judge and determine . proposition . that a●rius was never condemned , by any councel , o● heresie , for holding the identity of a bishop and a presbyter . but on the contrary , concil . aquisgranens ▪ sub ludovico pio imp. ● . an . . hath approved it for true divinity out of the scripture , that bishops and presbyters are equal , bringing the same texts that aerius doth , and which epiphanius indeed undertakes to answer ; but how slightly , let any indifferent reader judge . we confesse , that he is called an heretick by epiphanius and austin● ; but this was especially , if not onely , because he was an arrian , epiphanius , saith he , did arrium ipsum dogmatum novitate superare . austine saith , that he did in arrianorum haeresin labi . but as for his opinion , that there ought to be no difference between a bishop and a presbyter , austine indeed calls it , proprium dogma . and epiphanius calls it dogma furiosum & stolidum . but neither of them both call it an heresie . but suppose they did , ( for so it is commonly thought ) yet that this was the private opinion of these two doctors , and not much to be regarded , appears ; . because ( as smectym●uus hath well observed ) the same authors condemn aerius as much for reprehending and censuring praying and offering for the dead , and the performing of good works for the benefit of the dead . epiphanius accused him , because he said , that superstitum preces did not opitulari ●is qui ex h●c vita discesserunt . and austine accused aerius because he said , non licet orare , vel offerr● pro mortuis oblationem . he is further condemned for reprehending stata jejunia , and the keeping of the week before easter as a solemn fast. which things if worthy of condemnation , would bring in most of the reformed churches into the censure of heresie , and would make most of our episcopal men themselves hereticks . . because not onely saint hierome , but austine himself , sedulius , primasius , chrysostome , theodoret , oecumenius , theophylact , were of the same opinion with aërius ( as michael medina observes in the councel of trent , and hath written lib. . de sacr. hom . origin . ) and yet none of these do deserve the name of fooles and mad men , much lesse to be branded for hereticks . adde to this , that alphonsus de castro advers . haeres ▪ titul . episcopus , saith , that hierome was of the same opinion with aërius . and our learned professor dr. whitakers resp . ad campian . rat . . hath these words , a●rium epiphanius & augustinus in haereticis nume ant , & praeter eos antiqui pauci . et si presbyterum episcopo aequare sit haereticum , nihil catholicum esse potest . cum aerio hieronymus de presbyteris omnino sensit . illos enim jure divino episcopis aequales esse statuit . this is sufficient to answer the objection about aerius . proposition . that even many , if not most ▪ of those that hold episcopacy , and episcopal ordination to be divini juris , yet ( as we in charity believe ) they do not hold it to be so of divine institution , as to be perpetually and immutably necessary ●n the church of christ ; but they say , that those church●● are true churches that want bishops , and those ministers true ministers who are ordained by presbyters without bishops . thus bishop downame in his consecr . sermon , professeth , pag. . not so to maintain the calling of bishops to be divini juris , as intending thereby a general and perpetual necessity thereof . and afterwards in his defence , though ordinary right of ordination belongeth to bishop● in the judgment of the ancient church ; yet it was not to be understood , as so appropriating it to them , as that extraordinarily ▪ and in case of necessity , it might not be lawful for presbyters to ordain ; and much lesse teaching absolutely a nullity of the ordination which is performed without a bishop ; which answer i confirmed by divers reasons , ( see them ) whereunto i now adde , that there seemeth to be the like reasons for the imposition of hands , in confirmation of the baptized , in the reconciliation of publick penitents , as in the ordination of ministers . but although the two former were reserved as well as the third , to the bishop , yet extraordinarily ▪ in the case of necessity , and in the want and absence of the bishop , the ancient church held it lawful for ministers to impose hands , either for confirming of parties baptized , or for reconciliation of the penitents . the former is testified by ambrose upon eph. . and austin qu. ex vet. & nov. test. mixt . qu. . the latter by cyprian , lib. . ep. . and divers councels ▪ concil . carthag . graec . cap. . carth. . cap. . concil . ara●sic . cap. . and the popish writ●rs themselves do teach , that the pope may give license to him that is not a bishop , to ordain , so that he to whom such licence is given , have those orders himself which he would give to another , summa angel. ordo , &c. if therefore by the popes license a presbyter may ordain presbyters , much better may a company of presbyters , to whom in the want of a bishop , the charge of the church is devolved , be authorized by necessity , which , as they say , hath no law . so far b. downame . thus also mr. francis mason , — if by jure divino you mean , that which is according to scripture ; then the preeminence of bishops is jure divino . but if by jure divin● , you understand a law and commandement of god , binding all christian churches universally , perpetually , unchangeably , and with such absolute necessity , that no other form of regiment may in any case be admitted : in this sence neither may we grant it , nor yet can you prove it to be jure divino . and no doubt it were a most cruel and unmerciful opinion so to cry up episcopacy and episcopal ordination , as to condemn all the reformed churches of france , scotland , holland , helvetia , &c. as no churches , and their ministers as no ministers , and their sacraments as no sacraments . but we shall say no more of this proposition , because there is a reverend minister hath spoken largely to it , and hath proved , that it was the opinion of dr. field , b. downame , b. iewell , saravia , b. alley , b. pilkinton , b. bridges , b. bilson , d. nowel , and divers others , that ordination by presbyters in some cases is lawful and valid : and hath also fully and excellently discovered the woful and unsufferable miseries and mischiefs that would flow from the contrary assertion . to him we refer the reader , that desires to be further satisfied herein . we shall name but one proposition more , and then we have done . proposition . that our episcopal brethren that do so much inveigh against the presbyterian● in all their writing● for walking contrary to antiquity in the matter of ordination , do themselves fall under the same accusation in many particulars which we could easily name , if we did desire to recriminate . we will instance only in two . . the ancient bishops would do nothing without their presbyters . cyprian professeth he would do nothing without the clergy ; he could do nothing without them , nay he durst not take upon him alone to determine that which of right did belong to all . the fourth councel of carthage condem●s the sentence of the bishop as irrita nisi clericorum praesentia confirmetur : the church had it● seniores sine quorum cons●lio nihil ag●batur in ecclesiâ . there are a multitude of quotations of this nature which we might transcribe out of d. blond●● and smectymnuus , but we forbear . now how contrary our episcopal men walk to this practise , i● sufficiently manifest to all the christian world . . d. blondel that great antiquary undertakes in a very long discourse to make it out , that for . yeares the people had free liberty in the choyce of their bishops ; he proves it by undoubted authors in all the several countries . and cyprian tells us , that this power did descend upon the people de divina authoritate . and yet our brethren in their practise go quite antipodes to this part of antiquity , and would be loath to be charged with the black brand of innovators and despisers of all antiquity for so doing . and therefore let them not accuse us for walking contrary to antiquity , ( when as we are sure that we walk agreeably unto the scriptures , and to the first and purest antiquity ) but consider how deeply and how justly they themselves may be charged with this guilt . and thus we have finished all that we thought fit to adde concerning the judgment and practice of the ancient church in the point of episcopacy . not that we intend to be finally concluded by the determination of apostolical traditions unwritten , or by the fathers , or canons of the church , in this great controversie , for , though we are amongst the number of those that do much reverence antiquity ; yet we do not idolize it . for we know that the ancient church was much beguiled in receiving many things as traditions apostolical , which are confessed by all to have been apocryphal . irenaeus * tells us , that s. iohn told those that told him , that christ lived here upon earth , and preached ultra quadragesimum , aut etiam quinquagesimum annum , beyond . or . years ; which to be a counterfeit tradition will be by none denyed . the bishops of asia in victor's time , who was bishop of rome , celebrated the christian passeover or the feast of easter , upon the th . day of the moneth , according ●s the jewes were commanded to eat their passeover ; this they did as a received tradition , not onely from polycarpe , but from s. iohn himself : but now , on the contrary , the bishops of the western churches kept it upon the day of christ's resurrection , which they did from a tradition received from s. peter . now sure we are that both of these cannot be true . and as for the ancient fathers , though they were famou● lights in the church , yet they have their naev●s , and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 , and their writings are much defaced by the popish index expurgatorius . a learned gentleman undertakes in a short epistle to make out their contradictions one to another . their variance from themselves . their repugnancies both to protestants , and papists . their want of ability in many points of our controversies : in most , of will to decide them . and therefore we appeal from men to god ; from the canons of the father● , to the canons of the holy scriptures , as the onely infallible judge of this , and all other controversies of religion . we say with the prophet , ad legem , & testimonium , to the law , and to th● testimony , if they speak not according to this word , it is because there is no light in them . and yet we have spoken something in brief even to the matter of antiquity , which we have done upon a double account : . for the vindication of presbytery from the prejudice of novellisme . . for the satisfaction of young students , who scruple the ordination by presbyters for this reason onely , because it is , as they think , a receding from the judgment and practice of all antiquity ; the contrary to which we have clearly manifested . and now we hope , at last , we may safely conclude from all the premisses , that the way of ordination which is now , for the present , in use in england , by scripture-bishops , that is , presbyters , is not onely lawful , but more desirable than the former way , because more agreeable to scripture-patterne . and therefore they that are so ordained , their ordination is valid , and they need no re-ordination . subscribed in the name , and by the appointment of the assembly , novemb. . . roger drake , moderator . samuel balmford , assessor . allen geer , assessor . matthew pool , scriba . iohn s●abrook , scriba . the ingenuous reader is earnestly desired to correct with his pen , before he readeth , those errata which he perceives to be most materiall , either by the omission , or addition or change of words ; and for lesse mistakes in letters , pointings , or accents , either to correct them or excuse them , as he passeth by them in reading . part. . errata . in the epistle to the reader , page line reade herein . page line r. purposely . in the book , p. l. r. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 p. l. for and r. are p. ▪ l●ne r. add to us , ibid. l. ult . r. from heaven . p. l. ult . r. ministers . p. l. r. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 . p. . l. for reduced r. seduced . in marg r. iniri . p. l. r. christs . p. l. for righteous r. precious . p. l. for best r. first . p. l. . for fifth proposition r. second part . p. l. for thirdly r. eighthly . p. l. . r. commanded them to do for themselves . in the second part and appendix errata . page line read ministry . page . . line read these . page l. . read what p. . l. . for now r. no. p. in marg . r. concl. . and l. r. ministry . p. . l. . r. in these , and dele or , and l. . for is r. as p. l. . r. this makes . p. l. . for is r. as . and l. r. even . p . l. . r. presbyter . p. l. for scriptures r. sacrifices . p. . in marg . by l. . put consid. . and l. . r. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 . p. . l. . in marg . put consid. . p. . l. r. preserved . p. l. dele true church and. p. in marg r. tertul. adv . judaeos cap. . br●tannorum . p. l. . r. jurisdiction . p. l. . r. decisive . p. l. . r. and that , and l. . dele ratio . p. l. . for not r. met . p. . l. dele . ●p . l. for in that r. that in p. l. r. the object●r . p. l. for r. p. l. r. samenesse . p. . l. r. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 . p. l. . r. argument . p. l. . r. w●re p. l. for confesse , r. maintain . p. in marg . r. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 , and l. for officers , r. orders , and l. for care , r. cure p. l. for lawes r. canons . p. l , dele that . p. l . for their r. his , p. ▪ l. and for on r. of . p. l. dele the p. l. r. intangleth . p. l. after ministry put and that episcopacy . finis . notes, typically marginal, from the original text notes for div a -e in a letter of his unto a godly minister named ambro●i●a bla●r●rus . euseb. lib. , de vita constant. vobis or● persuadeatis , tam cupide me amplecti concordiam , quam cupide velim mihi dominum iesum propitium semper fore . luth. eccl. argentinensis pastoribus . heart-divisions . matth. . tim. . , . notes for div a -e mat. . . cor. . . cor. . . heb. . . mat. . , . rev. . . chap. . . heb. . . cor. . . cor. . . chap. . . ephes. . . cor. . , isa. . . ezek. . . king. . . notes for div a -e rom. . . ioh. . . act. . pet. . . mat. . , . cor. . . heb. . . tim. . . tim. . . act. . ▪ tit. . . tim. . . argum. . exo. . . pet. . rev. . . pet. . . exo. . . mumb. . . deut. . . & . . heb. . . isa. . . isa. . . pet. . . mat. . , . mar. . . luke . , . & . , . mat. . . act. . , act. . , , . tim. . . col. . . cor. . ● . ver. . eph. . . act. . . gal. . . act. . ● . cor. . , cor. ▪ , col. . . argum. . rom. . . eph. . . pet. . . act. . . cor. . . gal. . . tim. . . heb. . . heb. . . cor. . . tit. . . gal. . . luke . . pet. . . luke . . cor. . . tit. . . rom. . . co. . , . act. . . pet. . . pet. ● . rev. . . r●v . . . v. ● . . . rev. . , , . a●gum . . tim. ● . ● . tim. . . i●m . . . tim. . . tit. . . tim. . . not only 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 but 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 . luk. . ● . tim. . . tim. . ▪ . cor. . . mal. . . tim. . . argum. . ● tim. . . pet. . , . tim. . . ● tim. . . act. . , . tim. . . . ● tim. . . tim. . . cor. . . cor. . , mat. . . cor. . . cor. . ● . cor. . . tim. . . tim. . . heb. . . heb. . . tim. . . tit. . . tim. . . argum. . thes. . . heb. . . the. . . ● tim. . . 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the. . . rom. . . pet. . . eph. . , . heb. . . heb. . . gal. . . cor. . . to . v. . v. . thes. . , . act. . . cor. . . comp . ver . . cor. . . com . with . cor. . ● . to . v. , . cor. . , cor. . , . v. . to . cor. . . phi. . , , , , . argum. . mat. . . mat. . . cor. . , . phil. . . cor. . . rev. . . mat. . . ioh. . . mat. . . luk. . . ioh. . . v. . . kin. . . chr. . . chro. . . cor. . . mal. . . thes. . . rom. . . rom ▪ ● . . aryum . . iud. . . dan. . , cor. . . cor. ● . . cor. . . rev. . , ioh. . . mat. . , , mat. . . luk. . . matth. . . with . mat. . . ioh. . . act. . , . act. . . act. . . act. . . co. . , mat. . . gal. . . rom. . , ▪ co● . . . pet. . . matth. . , , . co. . . co. . . act. . , . . . cor. . . th. . , . argum. . pet. . . matth. . . compared with v. , . mar. . . mat. . . to ioh. . . pet. . , . cor. . . cor. . . matth. . . rev. . , joh. . . & . , . joh. . , . matth. . . luk. . . rom. . . . , eph. . . cor. . . rom. . . col. . . rom. . . heb. . . cor. . . ▪ tim. . last . act. . . co. . . deut. . , . tim. . . tim. . . v. . rom. . , i cor. . . v. . v. . gal. . . with . . act. . , pet. . . nos hodiè conquerimur & deploram●s quod satan plus nocuerit evangelio nostro , per suos n inistros , spiritus illos phanaticos , quam per omnes reges principes & episcopos qui illud vi persecuti sunt , & adhuc persequuntur . luther . in galat. c. . v. . and after pag. . quanta difficultate paratur domino plebs perfecta ! decem annos laboratur antequam ecclesia rect & piè instituta paratur , & u●i parata est irrepit aliquis fanaticus , & quidem idiota , qui nihil novit , quam contumeliose loqui contra synceros verbi doctores , is in uno momento evertit omnia : quem non vehementer movet ista indignita● ? v. . revel . . , revel . . . tim. . . perperam foedus inire cum grege hac conditione si gregis custodes fuerint sublati . sad. de vocatio●e pastorum . p. . heb. . . heb. . . heb. . . matth. . . acts . . rom. . . cor. . . pet. . . rom. . . pet. . . rom. . . cor. . . esay . . ier. . . heb. . , . tim. . ult . mat. . . cor. . . ier. . , . cor. . . cor. . , . heb. . . joh. . . joh. . . hos. . . mat. . . c r . . . thes. . . v. . luke . . joh. . . joh. . . heb. . . col. . . the. . . gal. . , . jhoh . . . mat. . . isa. . . argum. . joh. . . rom. . . act. . . phil. . . pet. . psal. . . cor. . . eph. . . eph , . . tit. . . rom. . , . arg. . pro. . . chro. . . amos . , mat. . . rev. . . isa. . . psal. . . king. . . king. . . king. . . king. . ▪ chr. . . chr. . . chron. . , . jude ver . . thess. . , . thess. . . objection . rev. . v. . ver. . rev. . . rev. . . soluti●n . rev. . . mat. . v. , , . stapleton orat. academ . . jacob usher de statu & success . ecclessiae cap. . p. . nicola lyran. in apocalyps . cap. . jacob. usher ibid. pag. . bonaventure in vit ▪ francis. cap ▪ . jaco . usher . ib. pag. . heylin in his late geograph . p. , . h. grotius in . thes . . . & tractat. de antichristo . bellarmin . de antichristo , cap. . màlum in aliquo bono fundatur , aquin. contra gentil . lib ▪ . cap. . rom. . . rev. . , , . rev. . . si dominus temporalis terram suam neglexeri● purgare ab h●retica praevitate excommunicationis vinculo innodetur , & summus pontifex vasallos ab ejus fedelita●e demintiet absolut●s & terram exponat alijs occupandam . con lateran . sub innoc. . vid. alphons . d●cr●tum in jacob. usher pag. . m. mede in apocalyps . c. . . huc & illuc dipersi ubique cum exegitarentur , tamen extitere semper per intervalla qui corum doctrinam inter-mortuam renovarunt . thuan. l . ad an . . ja. usher . ibid. p. . ad . thuan. ibid. qui hodie sunt calvinist ae olim dicti fuerunt berengariani . serar . who was created pope an. . ut onuph . inter omnes fectas quae sunt vel fuerunt non est periculosior ecclesiae d●i quam pauperum de lugduno , tribus de causis . . quia diuturnior quidam dicunt quod duraverit a tempore sylvestri , alij dicunt quod a tempore apostolorum . . quia generalior fere enim nulla terra est , qua haec secta non serpit . . quia magnam habet speciem pietatis , eo quod coram hominibus justè vivunt & bene de deo omnia credunt , solum romanam ecclesiam blasphemant & oderunt , cui multitudo facilis est ad credendum . rainerius contra hereticos . cap. . pag : . consider . . rev. . . romana ecclesia ad hunc statum venit , ut non esset digna regi nisi per reprobos . petr. aliac . de informatione . d. usher ibid. pag. . ● thes. . , , . rev. . . brightman , mede , iunius , paraeus in apocalyps . bellarm. de antichristo . c. . paraeus in apocalyps . c. . . . century . bed● histor . l. . . century . albertus , & clemens , & sāpson , & complures ali● à bonifacio dissen●●r●●t , ●ist●r . magdeburg . cent. . albertus gallus & ejusdem secta s●●erdot●s p. bonifacio adversari vehem●ntissime caep●ru●t . aven● . anal. l. . . century . baronius tom . balae . possevi● . acts monum . pag. . vid. sim. birckbeck , pag. . baron . t●m . . . century . . century . . century . mr. fox . part pag. . . century . robertus grostedus romanorum malleus . mr. fox . part pag. . . century . . century . . century . berengarius egenos scholares praesertim theologiae studios●s , quotidiana stipe ( cum opulentu● esset ) ita sollicitavit , ut eorum opera omnis p●n● gallia & vicinae gentes eo malo quam citissime laborarent . alan . de euchar. per eg●●●s scholares quos quotidia●●● stipendiis sustentabat , &c. mat. paris . jacob. usher . pag. . minis●ris quid●m nostris optaremus cam faelicitatem , ut se su●sque absque illis adminiculis operar●m honestarum alere possent , ita enim plus temporis saltem ad studia sua ipsis suppeteret , & occasio major esset instituendi nostros doctrina & eruditione necessaria . n●n enim superstitiose , vel dem●nter potius , manibus opus facere mandamus nostros , quod nisi hoc saciunt peccare eos judicamus . sicut de quodam memorari audimus , qui ex sacerdote agricola factus fuerit , quòd scriptum esse diceret , in sudore vultus comedes panem tuum . ad eum modum ( christo gratia ) non est passus nostros labi dominus : sed plerique ex nostris necessitate eo adiguntur ut opus faciant , &c. in scripto edito anno . jac. usher ▪ p. . . consider . m● . fox acts and monum . part . d. pag. . pag. . cae●eri qui errorem ●uebantur , ignibus ●xusti sunt , in quibus pleriqu● sacerdotes . thuan. l. . act. and m●n . par . . p. ● . act and mon. pa●t . . pag. . . . . . . ruth . . isa. . . . consider . indefessus christi miles . calv. opusc . . consider . sam ▪ . sam. . . consider . psal. . , cor. . . cor. . . cor. . . . consider . * peruse what a subtle jesuite and politician ( adam co●tzen by name ) hath written in his politicks , lib. . c. . § . where among divers other means prescribed for the reducing of people to pope●y , this is one , haer●siarchae & doctores ●rrorum republica pellendi sunt . vna quidem vice , si commode fieri queat , sin mìnus , se●sim & paulatim : non opus est hac quid●m in re probatione , nam turbulentis & vertiginosis aeolis abactis , mare , quod imò fundo exciverunt , sponte conquiescet : et error , cui patro●imum deerit , sine pugna concidet , &c. that is , hereticall teachers and masters of errours ( so he cals the ministers of the gospel ) are to be banished out of the common-wealth , and that at once , if it can conveniently be , if not , insensibly and by degrees ▪ that this is a sure way to reduce a nation to the true religion ( so he miscals popery ) needs not much proof ; for when the turbulent windes are diverted or driven away , the waves of the sea will be quiet and the tempest will cease ▪ and errour ( so he nicknames the truth ) when it wants patrons , will fall without striking a stroak . thus far coutzen . so that in the judgement of this crafty jesuite there is no way more likely to introduce popery , then to throw down protestant ministers , whether by blasting their reputation , or taking away their subsistence , or persecuting their persons , ( all comes to one thing ; ) and therefore you poor souls that are seduced into this anti-ministeriall design by iesuiticall craft , consider what you are doing , whose projects you are carrying on ; look to your selves , smite your hand upon your thighs , and say , what have we done ? m●de in rev. . . duo prophetae injusti , pontisex & lutherus , & hic quidem illo deterior . sleidan . l. . ad ann. . calv. adversus libertin . ad ann. . propos. . argum. . otherwise then providentially . argum. . argum. . argum. . argum. . argum. . argum. . argum. . argum. . argum. . argum. . argum. . argum. . argum. . 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 . in loc . in loc . loring tostatus . corn. a lapido . 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 propos. . ius summum & 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 vocandi ministros ad deum solum pertinet . gerhard . de minist . eccles. propos. . gal. . . zanch. in . praecep . p. . ier. . . . mat. . . ioh. . . gerhard . do minist . eccl●s . p. . mat. . ● . thes. . . gal. . , . * non dican● ideo verum esse , qui● illa & illa mirabilia fecit donatus vel pontius , vel quilibet alius , &c. aut quia ille frater noster & illa soror nostra tal● visum vigilans vidit , ●el ●ale visum dormiens somniavit . removeantur ista v●l figmenta menda●ium bominum , vol portenta fallacium spirituum , &c. remotis ●mnibus istis , ecclesi●m su●m demon●tron● non in signis & prodigi●s fallacibus , ( quia etiam contra ista verbo domini praep●rati & ca●ti re● liti sum●s ) sed in praescripto legis ▪ in prophetarum praedictis , in psalmorum cantibus , in ipsi●s p●storis vocibus , in evangelist●r●m praedicationibus & laboribus , hoc est , in omnibus canonicis sanctorum librorum autoritatibus . august . de unita●e eccles. c. , , in edi●ione lov●niensi . ann. . nec habemus mandatum ut expect●mus immediatam vocationem , nec promissionem deum velle hoc tempore mitt●re operarios in messem suam per immediatam vocationem . s●d per apostolos tradidit , & ecclesiae praescripsit certam formam qu●modò nunc velit mitt●re & vocare ministros nimirum p●r mediatam vocationem . neque enim opus nunc est immediatâ vocatione . deus enim omnino vult ut ministerium usque ad consummationem seculi alligatum sit ad vocem doctrinae quae a filio d●i accepta , & ab apostolis immedia●è vocatis ecclesiae tradita est . chemnit . loc . commun . de ecclesiâ . zanch. in . praecep . p. . idem liquet in ecclesiâ romanâ , corruptissimus fuit magna ex●parte cul●us dei ; interim servavit ibi deus integros fid●i articulos , & baptismum ad substantiam quod attinet , & quantum erat satis ad salutem electorum , ita ut sicut non peni●ùs extincta ibi fuit ecclesia , sic neque penitùs interierit ministerium . zanch. ut supra . gerhard . de minist . eccles. p. . bucan . loc . communes de ministerio . quest . . rom. . . act. . . pag. . . quamvis vero ritus ordinationis in ecclesiâ pontificiâ multis superstitiosis ac inutilibus ceremonijs sit vitiatus , ex ●o tamen ipsius ordinationis essentiae nihil decedit . distinguenda igitur episcopi ordinantis impuritas ab ordinatione , quae sit totius ecclesiae nomine , & in ipsa ordinatione distinguendum est divinum ab humano , essentialè ab accidentali , pium & christianum ab antichristiano . sicut olim in ecclesiá israelitica super cathedram moses sedebant scribae & pharisaei , mat. . . quorum ministerio , sacrificiis , ordinationibus utendum , interim tamen a sermento ipsorum cavendum erat , mat. . . ita quoque in ecclesiâ romanâ , illorum qui erant in ordinariâ successione , ministerio , sacramentis , ordinationibus utendum erat , interim tamen fermentum admixtum à puritate massae distinguendum . zanch. in . praecep . p. . of the same judgement is amesius who in his medulla theologiae . l. . cap. . saith thus ; wiclephus , lutherus zuinglius , & similes evangelij restauratore● primi non fuerunt propriè loquendo extraordinarij ministri : extraordinarij tamen non malè à quibusdam appellantur . . quia aliquid praestiterum simile eorum , quae ab extraordinarijs ministris praestita fuerunt olim . . quia quoad gradum , singularia quaedam dona acceperunt à deo , prout res ipsa postulabat , quod etiam affirmari potest de multis inter martyres illustriores . . quia ordine tunc temporis perturbato & collapso , necesse habueru● nonnulla tentare praeter ordinem communem . propos. . eph. . . act. . . cor. . . cor. . . th. . , heb. . . cor. . , . propos. . paraei comm●n . in romanos . propos. . propos. . act. . . communibus calculis eligere . act. . . selden de synedrijs . m. gillespies treatise of miscellany questions . ● . . p. , . idem pag. . pag. . pag. , . bucani loc . commun . de minist . gerhard . de minist . p. diatribe . propos. . ames . med ▪ p , . m. hookers survey of church-discipline . vocatio propriè & essentialiter consistit in electione . ames . survey of church-discipline . par . . pag. . act. . . 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 . act. . . act. . , . tit. . . m. hooker par . . cap. . pag. . m. firmin separation examined . pag. . survey of church-discipline . par . . cap. . pag. , . separation examined , pag. . m. hudson of the essence and unity of the church-catholick , and his vindication . pag. . act. . . m. hudsons vindication , p. , , . pag. . m. balls trial of the church-way , p. . survey of discipline , part , c. . p. . hudson vindication . p. . austin contra parmenianum lib. . c. . de bono conjugali . contra iovinian . c. . m. hook●● survey of church-discipline . par . . cap. . pag. , . pag. . m. firmin separation examined . pag. . key ● , pag. . ames . medull . theol. l. . c. . survey of disciplin . p. . par . . bellarm. enervatus , tom. . l. . cap. . pag. , . assert . . chap. . chap. . socin . tract . de eccles. nicolaides de ecclesia & missione ministerii . levit. . num. . esa. . . act. . . , , . gal. , , . act. . ▪ gal. . . tim. . . tim. . . tim. . ▪ tim. . . heb. . , . rom. . tim. . . m. lyford in his apology for the ministry . anselme , lombard , thomas , cajetane , gerson , bucerus . part. . pag. . . cor. . . annotat. upon acts . . totum regimen ecclesiarum christi consormatum fuit ad synagogarum exemplar . licet nullum extet certum praeceptum de manuum impositione , quia tamen suisse in perpetuousu apostoli● videmus , illatam accurata c●rum observatio praecepti vice nobis esse debet . calv. instit . l. . c. . sect. . platform , ● . . walaeus de pastoribus . p. . video in omnibus confessionibus nostrarum ecclesiarum , praeter unam & alteram , illam requiri : et san● cum apostoli semper eam usurparent , imò apostolus praecep●um dat timotheo , tim. , . ne cito eniquam manus imponito , nos omittendam non judicamus : quia in negativo illo mandato etiam affirmativum continetur , ut dignis manus imponat : ubi cum pro tota electi●ne pastor●s sumatur per synecdochen , certe pro ritu aut parte essentiali habenda est , alioquin pro to●o sum●●on posset , aut saltem pro adjuncto proprio & omnibus vocationibus communi . bellarminus enervatus , tom . . pag. . assert . . hooker . part . . cap. . part. . chap. . prop. platform of church-disc . chap. . notes for div a -e jer. . . jer. . , , , , . isai. . , , , , . isa. . . (a) cor. . , , . (b) joh. . , . (c) joh. . joh. . isa. . . propos. . propos. . notes for div a -e propos. . answer to the . quest . pag. . * an argument taken from their own principles . object . . answ. . . object . . answ. . object . . answ. argu. . object . . answ. . hooker's survey part . cap. . page . object . . answ. deut. . . . matth. ● . matth. . . exod. . . cor. . . rom. . . . * as our experience abundantly shewes . object . answ ▪ object . answ. quest. answ. object . answ. object . answ. . object answ. . object . . answ. pag. . notes for div a -e arguments . object . answ. conclusion . conclu . . sir ed. cook de jure regis eccles. fol. . printed . and called the institution of a christian man. co●c●● . . conclu . . armach . lib. . c . bell. de cleric . lib. . cap. . cusa , concor . lib. . cap. . lombard lib. . dist . . estius in libr. quart & dist . . duran . in ▪ sentent . dist . . qu. . conclu . answer to mr. can. pag. . of the church lib. . cap. . object . . answ. . answ. . answer to can. pag. . object . answ. . pag. . object . . answ. object . . ans. objct. . ans. . object . . ans. from the better part . ans. object . . ans. argument . jer. . . argu. . argu. . mr. ball. notes for div a -e object . answ. object . answ. object . ans. eph. . . . · matth. . math. . . hooker part. . c. . . cor. . . eph. . . mr. bartlet . ch . . mr. philips against tho. lambert . p. ▪ . rom. . , . heathenism revived . dr. whites way to the church dig● . . bishop vsher de successione eccl. simon berkbeck protestants evidence . catalogus testium veritatis . revel . . . theses cracovia impressae . dout. . . ● . . k. . . exod. . . . . . chron. . . ▪ jer. . ▪ . ●za . . ▪ . ezi● . · object . answ. acts and mon. lib. . pag. . &c. whites way to the church sect. . tert. adv . iudaeis cap . britannarum inaccessa romanis loca christo verò subdita . tim. . . notes for div a -e propos. . revel . . . rev. . . 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 . * post episcopum diaconi ordinationem subjicit : quave ? nisi quia episcopi & presbyteri unae ordinatio est ? uterque enim sacerdos est , &c. ambros. in tim. . heb. . . thess. . ▪ tim. . . cor. . , . matth. . . cor. · . idem ergo est presbyter qui episcopus & antequam diaboli instinctu , studia in religione fierent & diceretur in populis , ego sum paul● ego apollo , ego ●ephae , communi presbyterorum ▪ consilio ecclesiae gubernabantur . postquam verò unusquisque eos quos baptiza verat , suos putabat esse , non christi ▪ in to●o orbe decretum est , ut unus de presbyteris electus super poneretur cae●eris , ad quem omnis eccl●siae cura pertineret , & schismatum semina tollerentur ▪ putat aliquis non scripturarum sed nostram esse sententiam , episcopum & presbyterum unum esse , & aliud aetatis , aliud esse nomén officii , relegat apostoli ad philippenses verba , dicenti● , paulus , & timotheus servi iesu christi qui sunt philippis , cum episcopis & diaconis . philippi una est urbs macedoniae : & certè in una civitate plures , ut nuncupantur , episcopi esse non poterant . sed quia eosdem episcopos illo tempore quos & presbyteros appelabant , propterea indifferenter de episcopis qu●si de presbyteris est locu●us . adhuc alicui hoc videatur ambiguum ▪ nisi altero testimonio comprobetur . in actibus apostolorum scriptum est , quòd cum venisset apostolus miletum , miserit ▪ ephesum : & vocave●i● presbyteros eccle●●ae ejusdem : quibus postea inter caterae sit locutus : attendi●e vobis & omni gregi : in quo vos spiritus sanctus posu●t episcopos pascere ecclesiam domini , quam acquisivit per sanguinem suum . et hic diligentiùs observate , quom●do unius civitatis ephesi presby●eros vocans postea eosdem episcopos dixe●it . si quis ●ult recipere eam epistolam , quae sub nomine pauli ●d hebraeos scripta est : & ibi aequalit●r inter plures ecclesiae cura dividitur . siquidem ad plebem scribit ; parete principibus vestris , & subjecti estote , ipsi enim sunt qui vigilant pro animabus vestris , quasi rationem reddentes , ne suspirarites hoc faciant siquidem hoc utile vobis est . et petrus qui ex fide● firmitate nomen accepit in epistola suae loquitur dicens : presbyteros ergo vos obsecro compresbyter , & teslis christi passionem : qui & ejus gloriae quae in futuro rev●lando est socius sum . pascite eum qui in vobis est gregem domini : non quas● cum necessitate , sed voluntariò hac propterea , ut ostenderemus apud veteres eosdem fuisse presbyteros quos & episcopos , pulbatim vero ut dissensionum plantaria ●oellerentur ad unum omnem solicitudinem esse delatam . sicut ergo presbyteri sci●nt se ex ecclesiae consuil●dine ei qui sibi prapositus fuerit esse subjectos ; ita episcopi noverint se magis consu●●●dine quam dispositionis dominicae veritate , presbyteris esse majo●●s : & in communi debere ecclesiam regere , imitantes moysen : quis cum haheret in potestate solus piae esse populo israel , septuainta elegit cum quibus populum judicaret . hi●ronymus evagrio tom. . quamvis secundum honorum vocabula quae ecclesiae usus obtinuit episcopatus pre sbyterio major est , in multis tamen augustinus hiero●●mo minor est . an ep●scopatus inter ordines ecclesiasticos pon●ndus sit ▪ inter theologos et canon●stas non convenit ; convenit autem inter omnes in apostolorum aetate int●r episcopos et pr●sbyteros nullum discrimen ●uisse , sed post-modum schismatis ●vitandi causa episc●pum presbyterii suisse praepositum , cui 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 , id est , ordinandi pot●stas concessa est sine quà ordinandi disti●ctione pax vel politica vel ecclesiastica retineri vix possit . notes for div a -e object . answ. object . . answ. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 quae a majoribus acceperunt posteri , ea , 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 securi examinis , suis iter posteris tradiderunt . ●ib . . 〈◊〉 . capel . s●●ectymnuus . . tim. . . h●b . . . phil. ▪ . philem. . col. . . heb. . . . t●m . . . . . . . titus . . . cor. . . cor. . . . cor. . . tim. . . conclus . . conclus . . conclus . . object . answ. . notes for div a -e in tacta iuce adhuc caecutire aliquos inter pessima , & in●auspicatissimi , seculi prodigia numerandum est . smectimnuus . the vindicati of sme●tym . the humble answer of the divines at the isle of wight . * l ords day , † the word ▪ hoc enim non multum distat ab iusania , dicere petrum fuisse propciè episcopum , ut reliquos apostolos . answ. object . answ. object . ) ribera , tyra , pererius . b) tertul. ignatius , eusebius . answ. sed hinc stutui episcopalis ille gradus postea humanitus in eccl●siam dei invectus certe nec potest nec debet , imo ne perpetuum quidem istud 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 munus esse necessaria ●portucsse , sicut ●xorta inde tyrannis oligarchia ( cuus apex ●st antichr●stian● bestia cetissima cum totius , non ecclesiae modo sed etiam orbis pernicie , nunc andem declar●t . object . answ. act. ▪ . & . & . . a●t . . . notes for div a -e reply ▪ hierom , in praefatione epist. ad ephesios . reply . reply . reply . reply . (a) 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 . (b) 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 . notes for div a -e lib. con●ra . crescon . . cap. . austin lib. . de peccat . merit . & remiss . basil de spiritu sancto cap. ● object . . answ. object . . answ. answ. object . . answ. quest. answ. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 . clemens ad . corinth . p. . 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 . 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 . perpetual government of christs church . distinct. . cap. legimus . obje●t . answ. † ex quibus constat quaedam esse resecta . quaedam assuta , quaedam mutata , ac proinde epistolas illas fidem facere non posse , nisi in iis in quibus cum apostolorum scriptis conveniunt . riveti critica sacra . reason . reason . 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 & ● . reason . coci censura . 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 . (a) 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 , &c. (b) 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 , &c. (c) 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 , &c. (d) 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 , &c. (e) 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 , &c. (f) 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 &c. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 &c. walo messalinus . cap. . nos sane genuinis scriptis parati sumus deferre quantum jure bono poscere ab herone potuit . custod● , inquit depositum meum quod ego & christus concredimus , ubi christus in verbo suo depositum sacrum concredidit , cui qu● apud ignatium ▪ concinnat amplecti●ur ; cae●●ra vero quae nec cum ●hristo , nec cum vero ignatio conveniut ut adulterin● & non ●erenda 〈◊〉 . irenai lib. . cap. . lib. . cap. . lib. . cap. . episcopi & presbyteri una est ordinatio ; uterque enim sacerdos est , sed episcopus primus . * in conference with hart , in the end of the third , and beginning of the fifth division . mr. iohn gerce his sisters sieve broken , cap. . iun. con●rv . lib. . cap. . not . . . sent. distinct . . non est ordo praecise loquendo , sed ordinis eminentia vel dignitas . ponav . in . sent. dist●●ct . . catalogus ●●stium tom . . tantum duos ordines ministrorum esse deb●re judicavit , presb●t●ros , viz. & di●conos . cypr. ep. . apud cyprian epist. . lib. . cap. . cap. ▪ cap. . the addition of francis mason unto his defence of the ministry of the church of england , wherein the ord nation of the ministers of the reformed churches is maintained . lib. ▪ d. . artic . . forbes●i irenicum , cap. . 〈◊〉 tertiam partem thomae disp . . cap. . de potestate imperatoris & papae , part . . cap. . lib. . de concil . cap. . lib. de matrim . cap. . lib. . cap. . mr. baxter in his christian concord and agreem●nt . epist. . . . epist. . * lib. . cap. . euseb. lib. . cap. , . lord digby . isa. . . the pulpit guarded with xvii arguments proving the unlawfulness, sinfulness and danger of suffering private persons to take upon them publike preaching, and expounding the scriptures without a call ... : occasioned by a dispute at henly in arden in warwick-shire, aug. , ... : in the close are added six arguments, to prove our ministers free from antichristianism / composed and compiled by a friend to truth and peace. hall, thomas, - . this text is an enriched version of the tcp digital transcription a of text r in the english short title catalog (wing h ). textual changes and metadata enrichments aim at making the text more computationally tractable, easier to read, and suitable for network-based collaborative curation by amateur and professional end users from many walks of life. the text has been tokenized and linguistically annotated with morphadorner. the annotation includes standard spellings that support the display of a text in a standardized format that preserves archaic forms ('loveth', 'seekest'). textual changes aim at restoring the text the author or stationer meant to publish. this text has not been fully proofread approx. kb of xml-encoded text transcribed from -bit group-iv tiff page images. earlyprint project evanston,il, notre dame, in, st. louis, mo a wing h estc r ocm this keyboarded and encoded edition of the work described above is co-owned by the institutions providing financial support to the early english books online text creation partnership. this phase i text is available for reuse, according to the terms of creative commons . universal . the text can be copied, modified, distributed and performed, even for commercial purposes, all without asking permission. early english books online. (eebo-tcp ; phase , no. a ) transcribed from: (early english books online ; image set ) images scanned from microfilm: (early english books, - ; : ) the pulpit guarded with xvii arguments proving the unlawfulness, sinfulness and danger of suffering private persons to take upon them publike preaching, and expounding the scriptures without a call ... : occasioned by a dispute at henly in arden in warwick-shire, aug. , ... : in the close are added six arguments, to prove our ministers free from antichristianism / composed and compiled by a friend to truth and peace. hall, thomas, - . [ ], p. printed by j. cottrel, for e. blackmore ..., london : . "epistola dedicatoria" signed: tho. hall. reproduction of original in british library. marginal notes. eng lay preaching -- early works to . clergy -- appointment, call, and election. a r (wing h ). civilwar no the pulpit guarded with xvii arguments proving the unlawfulness, sinfulness and danger of suffering private persons to take upon them publik hall, thomas f the rate of defects per , words puts this text in the f category of texts with or more defects per , words. - tcp assigned for keying and markup - aptara keyed and coded from proquest page images - olivia bottum sampled and proofread - olivia bottum text and markup reviewed and edited - pfs batch review (qc) and xml conversion the pulpit guarded with xvii arguments proving the unlawfulness , sinfulness and danger of suffering private persons to take upon them publike preaching , and expounding the scriptures without a call ; as being contrary to the word of god , contrary to the practice of all reformed churches , contrary to the three and twentieth article of religion , contrary to two ordinances of parliament , and contrary to the judgement of a whole jury of learned , judicious , pious divines , both forraign and domestick . occasioned by a dispute at henly in arden in warwick-shire , aug. . . against lawrence williams , a nailor-publike-preacher . tho. palmer , a baker-preacher . tho. hinde , a plough-wright-publike-preacher . henry oakes , a weaver-preacher . hum. rogers , ( lately ) a bakers boy-publike-preacher . here you have all their arguments ( never yet compiled in one tract ) refelled and answered many texts of scripture cleared , the quintessence and marrow of most of our modern authors ( in reference to this controversie ) collected , with references to such authors as clear any doubt more fully ; many incident cases resolved , the utmost extent of lay-mens using their gifts in eleven particulars demonstrated , and above thirty objections answered . in the close are added six arguments , to prove our ministers free from antichristianism . tim. . . they shall proceed no further : for their folly shall be manifest unto all men . gen. . . o my soul , come not thou unto their secret : unto their assembly , mine honor , be not thou united . isa. . . ye have made lyes your refuge , and under falshood have ye hid your selves . veritas impugnata magis elucet . bern. composed and compiled by a friend to truth and peace . london , printed by i. cottrel , for e. blackmore , at the angel in pauls church-yard . . ornatissimo viro , amico amicissimo , necnon patri celeberrimo , dno iohanni prapp , pastori de bello-vado , {non-roman} {non-roman} {non-roman} {non-roman} {non-roman} . licèt epistolas scribo rarissimus , ad te tamen , ad te inquam ( insignissime pater , moderator mitissime , {non-roman} {non-roman} {non-roman} {non-roman} {non-roman} ) non possum literas non exarare . munusculum hoc levidense , & pingui ( ut aiunt ) minervè contextum , tanquam {non-roman} {non-roman} {non-roman} {non-roman} {non-roman} meae erga te observantiae , quarn libentissimè & lubentissimè emitto . ad te haec scripsi , non propterte : lege hâc ad te haec veniunt , ut castigentur , ut emerdentur , ut er●●torum poenas & ungue & oboliscis luant : quisquis mihi ho● crimini dederi● , ipse crimine inscitiae non carebit . tute enim clarus , quòd praeclara feceris , clarior quòd multa protuleris , clarissimus prop●er {non-roman} {non-roman} {non-roman} {non-roman} {non-roman} longè latéque notissimam . libellulos tuos vidit mu●dus , dignissimi qui vel in arce minervoe collocentur singuli . digna legi scribis , facîs & dignissima scribi ; scripta probant doctum te t●a , facta probum . sed quid ago ? epistolam volui non panegyrin ; néque si voluissem , aut etiam possem , permittit tua modestia , &c. invitus in hanc arenam descendi , vocatus , imò propalàm provocatus fui ; mihi venit in mentem heroicum illud lutheri , verbum dei injuriam patitur , & ego qui literis eò vocatus sum me conferam ; haec est dies quam fecit dominus ; vocatus ego v●nio , vocatus ingredior , in nomine domini nostri jesu christi , etiamsi scirem tot esse diabolos wormaliae , quot sunt tegulae aedium tectis . crescit amor fidei , quantum ipsa perecula crescunt . forti itáque simus animo , licèt montes dimoveantur in ima maria , & terra locum commutaret , succumbendum tamen non est , quia deus robur suis , auxilium in angustiis praesentissimum . — illos sifractus illabatur orbis , impavidos ferient ruinae . hor. pertimescendum ●on est , christum enim ferimus , & veritatem christi ; si ruimus nos , ruit & christus . in monte jehova providebitur : cum duplicantur lateres , moses venit ; eadem manus omnipotens quae coelum fecit , ecclesiam fulsit suam . christus tenet stellas in dextr sua manu , manus verò est {non-roman} {non-roman} {non-roman} {non-roman} {non-roman} praesertim dextra , in hâc tenet christus stellas susuas , hâc potentiâ dat pastores & dirigit , confortat contra inferni portas , mundi plagas , & confirmat : hos amat , hos tuetur in hisce propugnandis summa ei est cura , summa potestas . probè nôsti epistolam lutheri languescenti melancthoni , &c. nolite ( inquit ille ) timere , estote fortes & laeti , nihil soliciti . dominus propè adest . agant quicquid possunt henrici , episcopi , atque adeò turca & ipse satan ; nos filii regni sumus , qui consputum illum & occisum salvatorem colimu● & expectamus . haeretici rarò longaevi , hujusmodi non diu splendent meteora , nullum fictum est diuturnum : testis rex iste leydensis becold , testis cnipperdolingus , testis phifer , testis muncer , &c. perfregit deus capita cetorum , praegrandia balaenae capita , depit cibo ipsi populo per deserta proficiscenti , cibo mentis , non dentis , fidei non palati . nonnullas hîc offendes facetias ; neminem , ut opinor , offendent hi sales , nisi qui ipsi salem non habent . — ridentem dicere verum quid vetat ? hor. nonne fervens ille elias irridet cultores baal ? nonne justus ille iob {non-roman} {non-roman} {non-roman} {non-roman} {non-roman} usus est in ami●os dolosos ? nonne gravissimus ille calvinus reliquiis pontificiis animum relaxavit suum ? ut velitatio itaque non sit omnino frigida , sales aliquando innoxios adhibui , nec est cur mihi vitio detur , si quando seriis delassatum animum , ludicris reficiam , cum apud hesiodum rideat & maximus ille {non-roman} {non-roman} {non-roman} {non-roman} {non-roman} . spero tamen me sic ad vivum monstra ista anabapt . depicturum , ut unicuique ea e●iam eminùs animadvertere & cavere liceat . durissimam suscepi provinciam , & in immen sum quoddam stupendorum deliriorum mare penè demergor ; vetas est illa oratoris querela , proveniebant oratores novi , stulti adolesce●tuli . proveniunt hâc nostr â tempestate , non oratores , sed aratores novi , stulti fabri ferrarii , aerarii , lignarii , rastris quàm rostris aptiores . pistores , nunc pastores , textores , & tonsores , sutores & sartores , coquinarii & cupedinarii , milites & mul●●res , puelluli & puellulae , &c. necnon quam plurimi alii ejusdem furfuris , quos vulgò vocamus gifted brethren . hem ! linguâ utendum est belluinâ , ne bell●ae istae nos dilacerent . dotati sanè & donandi rude . rude ? imo sude , verberibus quàm verbis , argumentis bacillinis quàm aristotelicis digniores . rem acu tetigit insignis ille calvinus , haereticorum malleus . quan●a hinc nascitur & nascetur malorum ilias facile est conjecturam facere : sunt in hâc infelici sectâ nonnulli atque ii praecipuè qui doctores agere volunt , qui superbiâ & arrogantiâ praeoccupati in omnibus quae ipsis propo●untur , caligant : aut pervicaciâ potiùs & obsti●a●â malitiâ cl●udunt oculos , ne claram lucem cum eis proponitur , intueri possint , ita ut cum eis rationibus agere , quò in viam reducantur , sit operam ludere ; nisi quod saltem haec utilitas redìt , cum boni impudentiam eorum deploratam vident , sese ab eis semovent , & tanquam venenum lethale effugiunt . hos nulla occîdet litera ; de hujusmohi homunculis salsè epigrammat . tu benè cavisti ne te ulla occidere possit litera , nam nota est litera nulla tibi . libemus & libremus eorum dogma , quod si ad veritatis calculum revocetur , apparebit merè esse umbratile , & chimaera chimaerissima . en pro thesauro carbones , pro amphora urceus ! in lucem haec traxisse , est vicisse . creant sibi subitos ministors , & uno momento factos , ut divellant ecclesiam , populum distrahant , caetùsque ineant inter se contrarios , ne dei nomen uno omnium consensu , & e● quâ decet concord â invocetur . inclamant , vociferantur , universitates vestrae sunt universae pestes , ergò versae sint universae : seminaria pietatis ? imè impietatis & nequitiae ; fontes divinitatis , vel potiùs humanitatis , ut oggannivit carbonarius quidam , carbone notandus . talibus malis magis prolixi gemitus , quàm prolixi libri debentur . quid multa ? {non-roman} {non-roman} {non-roman} {non-roman} {non-roman} , ut fummatim omnia perstringam mellifluâ illâ bernardi querelâ . clerici nostri habitu milites , questu clericos , actu neutrum exhibent ; nam neque ut milites pugnant , neque ut clerici evangelizant , cujus ordinis sunt ? cum utrúmque esse cupiunt , utrúmque confundunt , &c. o miserandam sponsam talibus creditam paranymphis ! &c. sed hîc sigendum est baculum . macte tua virtute pater , sie itur ad astra . perge , ut caepi●ti , labascentem adjuvare ecclesiam , nec blateratorum aut sciolorum aculeos reformides ; nunquam caruere invidi â egregii fortésque conatus . sed quid facem soil ? facere laudanda quàm audire laudata maluisses . in summ● vive dum vivis , sis carbo & lampas ; carbo tibi , lampas aliis . vive deo , vive ecclesiae , vive tuis . prolixitatem jam excusarem meam , ni id agendo fierem prolixior . deus opt . max. te servet incolumem , unà cum prosapia tuâ peracutâ . ita precatur , e musaeo meo norton-regis in agro wigorn. ian. . . {non-roman} {non-roman} {non-roman} {non-roman} {non-roman} , tuus tho. hall . to my beloved parishioners , and approved friends , the inhabitants of kings-norton , grace and peace be multiplyed . my dearly beloved in the lord , my hearts desire and prayer for you is , that you might be saved : and since none can attain to happiness , but such as walk in the way of holiness ; my desire is , that you may be kept pure and holy , not onely from those gross blots which abound in this degenerate generation , but also from the spots of the times , such as separation , independency , &c. 't is your glory and my comfort , that when other people by their pride and censoriousness , by their sects and schisms are a dayly vexation and heart-breaking to their ministers , yet you have been unanimous , though you be a great body , and many of you a knowing people , having enjoyed the means in one part of the parish for almost fifty years together , and that by a succession of very eminent and able divines , conformable non-conformists , conformable to the canon of the scripture ( gal. . . {non-roman} {non-roman} {non-roman} {non-roman} {non-roman} ) though not to the bishops canons : where the lord raise ●p that valiant and religious knight sir richard greavis , who by his wisdom and courage sheltred these reverend ministers from those episcopal storms which otherwise had fallen upon them . i have found you also a very tractable people ; few families but have submitted to examination before the sacrament , and have freely sent in some hundreds of your children and servants to that end . you have begun well ; persevere , that no man get your crown from you . i have now served you above three prentiships ; and as iacob said of himself , few and evil had his days been , so mine have been few , but full of trials , internal and external . so soon as i began to exercise , my refusing to read the book of sports on the sabbath endangered me . that lustre of years which i spent at mosely , i was threatned by the episcopal party for nonconform●ty ; since i came to you , i have suffered deeply by the cavaliering party ; often times plundred , five times their prisoner ; oft cursed , accused , threatned , &c. yet the lord delivered me out of all , and hath made my latter end better then my beginning . 't is now my motto , per vincula cresco . we never lose by serving or suffering for christ . and now at last i have been set upon by the sectaries , who sometimes have spoken to me in the middle of sermon , sometimes after , sometimes challenge me to dispute , &c. but my comfort is , that he that hath delivered me from the paw of the lion , will also deliver me from every evil work , of evil and ungodly men . now i beseech you by all the mercies of god , by all the pains and service amongst you , and sufferings for you ; that you all minde the same things ; let there be no divisions , no sects nor schisms found amongst you ; but labour to keep the unity of the spirit in the bond of peace . pauls farewel to his corinthians , shall be mine to you , cor. . . finally , brethren , farewel : ●e perfect , be of good comfort , be of one minde , live in peace ; and the god of love and peace shall be with you . and since errours are so rife amongst us , and some begin to creep in amongst you , to draw you from the publike ordinances ; i shall give you a little preventing physick . get your judgements rightly informed : the understanding is the eye and guide of the soul ; if that be corrupt , and mislead you , you must needs fall into the ditch : if a disease get the brain , 't is hardly cured ; hence the learned observe , that corruption in judgement is worse then corruption in manners , especially when the mind has been enlightned with the knowledge of the truth . leprosie in the head , was of all other leprosies the most dangerous and destructive , and he was to be pronounced utterly unclean : he was unclean if he had the leprosie in his hands or feet ; but if 't were in his head , then he was utterly unclean . be real christians ; think it not sufficient that you are christians in name , and have a form of godliness , but be christians indeed , and walk in the power of godliness ; be nathanaels , israelites indeed ; then , and never till then , you are worth beholding and admiring , ioh. . . behold , an israelite indeed , &c. the reason why so many fall away , is , they were formalists , never humbled under the sight and sense of their sins , never received the truth in love , thes. . , . but lived in pride , hypocrisie , barren under the means of grace , and therefore god gives them up to strong delusions , to believe lyes : in his just judgement he punisheth one sin with another : when men be ungrateful , unfruitful , unanswerable to times and means , not walking worthy of the gospel , then god gives them up to heretical and soul-damning ways and errours : if ahab will not hearken to micaiah a true prophet , he shall be deluded by lying spirits ; if the gentiles when they know god by the light of nature , will not glorifie him as god , in giving that honour and respect to him which they could not but apprehend to be due to the divine majestie , &c. god will give them up to vile affections ; so punishing the breach of the first table , by giving them up to the violation of the second . get meek and humble spirits ; these the lord hath promised to teach his way , when spiritual pride is punished with a fall : those high-flown heresies which abound amongst us , whence come they but from pride ? hunt not after novelties , neither be wise above that which is written . let your principal care be about practical fundamental points , such as faith , obedience , a good conscience , how you may mortifie your special corruptions , and crucifie the flesh with its affections and lusts ; study how you may live soberly in the use of the creature , religiously towards god , righteously and justly in all your dealings with the sons of men ; for if you do these things , you shall never fall : and that you may do them , is , and shall be the prayer of him who is the weakest of all his brethren , and the meanest in his fathers house , even from my study in kings-norton march . . your servant , t. h. to the lay-preachers at henly , warwick , a●lcester , &c. and to all their factors , favourers , followers , and abettors , &c. truth and peace . brethren for so in the judgement of charity i cannot but call you , though withal i must tell you that you are erring brethren , and such as are troubled with the falling-sickness ; a disease very common in these last and worst times . had you faln forward , you might have gained by your fall : to fall backward is more dangerous ; as we see in old eli , who fell backward , brake his neck , and died . but , which is worst of all , you are faln backward into one of the most dangerous paths that men can fall into ; viz. the way of the anabaptists who are ( as * histories tell us ) a turbulent sect , subverters of the very foundations of states , ( viz. magistracy and ministery ) satans factors , his seedsmen to sowe errours and heresies in the nations ; and how fruitfull they have been in this kind , we have sad experience amongst us . heresie is of a spreading nature : sowe but a few tares , and they quickly overspread the whole field : with fair words , and fine speeches , they deceive the si●ple ; with plaistred words they parget over the matter : like the whore of babylon , that hath a golden cup to hold out to her followers . and that the world may see i do them no wrong , i shall present you with a looking-glass ( collected out of approved authors ) wherein you may clearly see the wrinkles and deformities , the deliriums and delusions of that deluded sect ; that by their fall , we may learn to tremble , and fear , lest we also be tempted , and led away with the errours of the wicked . a looking-glass for anabaptists . their first tenent is , that infant-baptism is a childish , needless thing ; and that none must be baptized til he come to a perfect age , and can make a confession of his faith ; that infant-baptism came from the pope and the devil . . that all gifted-persons may preach without ordination . . that god reveals his will , not onely by the written word , but also by dreams and * visions ; which they beleeve more then the word . they deny all consequences from scripture , though never so clear ; requiring express , syllabical scripture . . that the saints in this life are pure , without spot , and need not use that petition , forgive us our sins . . no man can with a good conscience exercise the office of a magistrate under the new testament . . they are rigid seperatists ; they seperate themselves from all reformed churches . . they are tumultuous : they raised tumults in germany , and filled it with the fire of sedition , to the loss of six hundred thousand men , saith alsteed . their doctrine being seditious , their lives are answerable . god punisheth unmortified , ungodly lives , with base and loose opinions . . they deny original sin to be in infants , that so they might overthrow baptism . . they hold free-will by nature in spiritual things . . that a man may have more wives then one . . that cloaths discover sin ; therefore they being as perfect and pure as adam in his innocency , ought to go naked . . that christ died intentionally for all . . no christian ought with a safe conscience take an oath , nor by o●th promise fidelity to a m●gistrate . . that a christian cannot with a safe conscience possess any thing proper to himself ; but he must let all be common . . that wives of a contrary religion may be put away , and then 't is lawful to take others . . universities , humane arts and learning , they cry down as needless ; they burnt all books save the bible . . that 't is unlawful to go to law : . wars are unuseful , or any use of the sword . . that preaching , praying , sacraments , singing of psalms , and all ordinances , are legal . the spirit is all . . the magistrate must compell none in matters of religion ; but must tolerate all . . that the father , son , and holy ghost are not three distinct persons , and in essence one god . . that the soul sleepes when it parts from the body , and neither goes to heaven or hell till the day of judgement ; and that the souls of men are but terrestrial vapours , like the life of beasts , perishing with the body ▪ . that christ hath removed the law , and now the pure gospel is our onely rule . . the old testament is abrogate and useless ; and at least , they prefer their new lights before the gospel . . that the saints are freed by christ from all laws , covenants , vowes , paying of tythes , or debts . . after rebaptization they cannot sin . we may dissemble our religion , deny christ before men , so we keep the truth in our hearts : god delights not in our blood , nor requires that we die for the truth . the scripture is to be turned into allegories . . heaven and hell are nowhere but within a man . . they give a supream and independent power , in ●ll ecclesiastical causes and censures , to their single congregations , &c. thus you have a taste out of a full sea , whereby you may see that anabaptists are no such harmless creatures as some imagine . he that desires to see more of their errors , let him peruse mr. edwards gangrene . part . . p. , &c. and especially mr. baxter against tombes , p. , , &c. and the learned spanhemius , with whose words i shall conclude this point . out of all that hath been said , it is evident how needfull it is both for church and commonwealth to joyn the labour of the vniversities with that of the church , for the confutation of anabaptists ; and with united hearts and hands endeavour to hinder this doctrine , which brings so certain destruction to church , common-wealth , and our own souls : both that the consciences as yet addicted to the truth , may not be drawn into deceit and error ▪ by their fair shews and counterfeit vizard of innocence , holiness and simplicity ; and that those who have hitherto been deceived , either by the flattery of the sectaries , or the whited face of the sect , may be stirred up in the fear of god , to take this matter into serious meditation ; and consider with themselves , how many horrible and pernicious tenents , and how hurtfull ●oth to * publike and private quietness , lie hidden , as it were behind a curtain , under this simple name of anabaptists . to whom we wish from the lord , with all our hearts , the knowledge , love , and practice of that truth , which by the special grace of god is preserved in the orthodox churches ; and therewithall , both present and perpetual happiness . neither go we about to stir up the magistrate against these men , nor would we have any force offered to their consciences ; but think those means onely ought to be used , which may conduce to the information of those that erre ▪ the reproving of their errors , and confirmation of the truth , ●o far as it may stand with christian prudence and charity . thus he . obj. but you will say as hazael ; are we dogs , that we should hold such errors as these ? the old anabaptists peradventure might hold them ; but we abhor them : we hold but this one tenent , viz. that all gifted-brethren may preach ; and we hope there is no great hurt in that . answ. we find by sad experience , that the anabaptists in england have equalized ▪ yea , super-superlatively exceeded , in gross errors , their predecessors in germany . this i could easily prove but that two very moderate , pious , and judicious divines have saved me that labour . . whereas you say you hold but one of these tenents ; i must tell you , that i never yet knew the man that had but one error : if the devil can but draw you into one , he 'll quickly lead you into more ; as in logick , grant but one absurdity , and an hundred will follow . he that saith yea to the devil in a little , shall not say nay when he pleaseth . he that tumbleth down the hill of error , will never leave tumbling , till he come to the bottom . evil men and seducers shall wax worse and worse , deceiving and being deceived . how many ( once seemingly-precious souls ) are now led away with the errors of the time ; and that such desperate ones , that , without a miracle of mercy , there is little hope of their recovery ! as goodness is gradual , so is wickedness ; and as no man attains to perfection in vertue , suddenly ; so neither in vice . 't is a proverb amongst the naturalists , that except a serpent do eat a serpent , it cannot become a dragon . a man must first swallow many poysonous tenents , before he can become a ripe and compleat anabaptist . i shall give you a doleful instance of the fall of a friend of mine , a man of excellent parts , of strict life , and pious conversation ; a carefu observer of the sabbath one that trained up his children and family in the way of the lord ; able to speak excellently in defence of sabhaths , ordinances , trinity , baptism , &c. yet now is faln from all , most fearfully and obstinately , and is become a socinian , an arminian , and what not ? ' i is time for us to fear , when professors shall turn blasphemers ; and those that prized and pleaded for ordinances , shall now abhor them . when the cedar falls , let the fir-tree howle . how many of these errors are yours ▪ your selves best know ; i can accuse you but of one ; and if you persist in that , assure your self satan will not let you rest there . sin is modest at first , and desires but a little ; but he that is unfaithful in a little , will be unfaithful in much . you se● your danger 't will be your wisdom , not to trust to your own strength but deny all self-conceits , self-willedness , self-ends ( for self-seeking is self-undoing ; but self-denyal , is self-saving . ) pray with that good man , deliver me , o lord , from that evil man my self . obj. we bring scripture for what we hold . answ. so did the devil , when he disputed against christ : he wrested and misalledged scriptures . i would know what error is there that comes abroad without verbum domini , the word of the lord in the mouth of it : arrians , arminians , anabaptists , all plead scripture for what they hold ; but falsly , and mis-interpreted . obj. this tract is unseasonable at this time . answ. then you must be blamed , who put me on such unseasonable work . but , in my judgement , 't was never more seasonable then now : for if physick be seasonable when the patient is sick , and a plaister seasonable when the sore is ripe ; this tract cannot be unseasonable , since the disease is epidemical , and like a morphew , hath over spread the face of the whole kingdom . a judicious divine hath well observed , that 't is never in season to speak , till , . we have a call ; . till we are rightly informed of the thing in question : . though we do know the state of the question , yet there must be sutable preparation . i had the first , and have laboured for the rest , being bound by the national covenant , so solemnly sworn and taken , in my place and calling to labour the extirpation of error , and heresie , &c. i have forborn all gall and bitterness , and have tempered my sharpest reproofs with love and meekness : all my pills i have rowled in sugar , that they might go down the better . 't was recreationwork , and i was willing it should be pleasant , ( take not that with the left hand , which is offered you with the right ) though i might justly have come with the rod of sharpness , considering the pride , censoriousness , ignorance and untruth that i met with from you : for though you want the latin , yet some of you want not a lying - tongue ; witness he that openly affirmed , melancthon , calvin , bucer , beza , approved of lay-preachers . yet i pitty and spare you , and have dipt all my nails in oil , that they might drive the better ; and have driven them up to the head , and clencht them with arguments , that they might not stir ; and steeled them with scripture , that they might last ; and have used variety of nails , that if some should chance to go awry , to blunt , or turn crooked yet others might hold ; and o that they might be as nails fastned by the masters of the assembly , to keep us stedfast and unmoveable in the truth ! my record is on high , that i have not done any thing out of envy , spleen , or passion , against the persons or parts of any : i can freely wish that all the lords people were prophets ; and that those private persons that have gifts , would use them more in their families and spheres then they do . it troubles not me to see christ preached , but it troubles me to see him dishonoured , by antinomians , arminians , anabaptists , familists , &c. who under pretence of preaching christ , preach their own fancies . nor do we fear the loss of our imployment : the foyl sets off the iewel ; and bunglers make workmen more esteemed : and when i speak against preaching-artificers yet i speak not against their arts , but against their usurpations of anothers office . there is not the poorest servant that washeth pots , in whom i shall see but aliquid christi , any thing of christ , but i shall love and honour them , and esteem them as my fellow-servants and brethren of the church of god ; remembring 'tis god that gives us our several callings ; and a scavenger may honour god in his place , as well as a minister in his . philip king of macedon , being troubled with two dissolute subjects , he made one to run out of the kingdom , and the other to drive him ; and so was shut of both . authority hath wisely provided banishment for some of your sects ; but i shall rather desire your repentance . onely adde not obstinacy to your folly , lest it prove your ruine . this is finis operis , the end of the work , though not finis operantis , the end you aym it : for as piety hath the promise , and brings its reward with it ; and though no man should recompence the good we do , yet doing good is recompence it self : so every evil work brings its punishment with it ; and though no man should punish it , yet the evil we do is punishment it self . read all , before you censure ; for one part helps to uphold the other , like stones in an a●ch . if this little tract cannot satisfie , yet you have references to learned men that will . all the imperfecti●ns , weaknesses , &c. i own as mine ; let not the truth suffer for them . consider , 't was work redeemed from a double calling , from rest and recreations . there is no man can judg● so me only of me , my work and pains , but i shall desire to judge my self yet lower , 〈◊〉 knowing more by my self then he doth , or can ; and though mine adversary should write a book against me full of lyes and reproaches , yet would i wear it as a crown , in token of triumph ; esteeming reproaches for christ greater riches then the treasure of the world . to conclude , if any shall reap any satisfaction by this tract , they may accidentally thank you : if your cause receive any hurt , you may thank your selves , who called me to the work . it hath cost me some pains and study : as demosthenes said of his enthymems , they did olere lucernam ; so doth this savour of some reading : but so it may be useful to the church of god , i have enough , i have now used all means to do you good , by preaching , praying , disputing , and now by writing ; if none of these means can reclaim you , but you will walk on in the by-paths of seperation , anabaptism &c. yet i have discharged my duty ; and my ●oul shall weep in secret for your pride , mine eyes shall drop down tears . this is the desire and resolution of your friend and servant in the service of christ , tho. hall . a list of those authors whose works are cited and made use of in this treatise . a abbot against separat . a lapide . al●teed . ames . annota●ions on the bible . answer to spencer . antidote against lay-preach . apollonius . aretius . augustine de h●res . b. ball . baine . bayly . baxter . bellarmine bernard bernard of batcombe b●za bowles brinsly bullinger burges byfield c. calvin chemnitius cheynel . d. davenant de ▪ loque a frenchman dell diodati dithmar dixon doway bible . e. edwards . f. feild of the church . g. greenhill . h. hall against seperat . harmony of confessions . j. jacksons johnsons junius . l. lavater leigh . dr. love sir h. lynd. m. p. martyr mayer mornay dr. morton moulin musculus . n. nalton . o. owen oxford account . p. pareus . paget perkins piscator prideaux . r. rathband ricraft robinson rollock rutherford . s. seaman sleiden smith on the creed . spanheim . simpson hi●t . synopsis purioris the . t. taylor on tit : thompson concio ad cler. thorndike topsel trap . v. dr. vines . vind ▪ of presbytery . w. willet . workman . z. zanchy zepper . imprimatur . feb. . . edm. calamy . the thesis discussed was this ▪ that private persons ( though they be gifted , yet ) may not preach in a constituted church without a call . the * arminians , socinians , anabaptists , libertines , separatists , &c. affirm . we , with all the reformed churches in christendome , &c. deny . in the handling of this controversie , i shal observe this method . i will briefly explain the terms , as they lye in order : i shall have occasion to enlarge upon them in the answers . i shal confirme the thesis with divers reasons and a●guments drawne from the word of god . i shal answer all those objections which ( in my little reading ) i have met withall . first , by private persons , i meane such as the apostle cals the flock , the people of god , hearers , such as must obey their teachers in the lord , &c. the scripture is cleare , that some in the church are superiours , some inferiours ; some are as eyes , some ears , some feet ; and as in the body natural , some members are for more honourable employment , some less honourable , but all useful in their proper places . this is fully set forth , c●r . . from v. to . these private persons we call ( only for distinction sake ) lay-men , as being contra-distinct to ministers and preachers , who are men in office : and if we thus use the term , not as opposed to clergie , ( for all the godly are called gods clergie , pet. . . not lording it over gods heritage , a or clergy ) god is their lot and portion , and the church is his ) but to ministery , and to a man that is a preacher in office ; so it cannot be offensive : for laicus is only one {non-roman} {non-roman} {non-roman} {non-roman} {non-roman} of the people . hence a b learned man distinguisheth thus : . there is clerus ecclesia , & clerus ecclesiae . clerus ecclesia est sors domini , quae omnes includit fideles , pet. . . rev. . . . clerus ecclesiae sunt certae inter fideles personae segregatae & legitimè vocatae ad munus ministerii ; ut act. . . titus . . secondly , though gifted , ( though excellently gifted , so that they excel many ministers in praying , elocution , learning , &c and other abilities ) yet without a call they may not preach , as wil appeare by the ensuing discourse : for if bare gifts were sufficient to make a minister , how many women in this kingdom ( who are forbidden preaching , yet ) would be preachers ! two things are required in every minister . . c gifts , abilities and endowments both of life and learning , fit for so high and so holy a calling . . power and authority from the church to exercise those gifts . gifts qualifie ; but the churches ordination gives authority for execution . dona dant aptitudinem , ecclesia verò executionem . but though gifted persons may not preach without a call , yet they may and must use their gifts in their private families , and for the good of their brethren . i shall shew them how farre they may goe without offence . . they may and must read the word to their families , because 't is expresly commanded , deut. . , , . . gen. . . col. . . . privately and occasionally they may reprove an offending brother . this likewise is commanded , levit. . . they must exhort , admonish , and comfort one another , heb. . . thes. . , . mal. . . thus the righteous feed many , prov. . . they must in all gentlenesse and meeknesse support the weake , and set him in joynt again that falls through infirmity , gal. . . iob . . and instruct others , acts . . . they must pray one for another , jam. . . and may , as occasion requires , adde private fasting in their families , esth. . . nehem. . . acts . . they may meet together to confer one with another , luke . , . they may examine and d try the doctrine which they heare , provided it be done soberly in humility , and orderly . the bereans are commended for this , act. . . private persons must encourage each other to the publike worship of god , isa. . . they may catechize their families . david and bathsheba instruct young solomon , prov. . . and . . lois and eunice teach timothy betimes , tim. . , and . . they must set up discipline in their family . so did david , psal. . . i●b . . deut. . . to . they may sing psalmes in their houses , col. . . . not only men , but women also may instruct their families , catechize children and servants , yea , and performe other family-duties , in case the husband be absent , or not able , or not willing to discharge them , &c. and thus a priscilla , in a private way , may communicate her knowledge to a learned apollos ; and as a very e reverend divine hath excellently set forth . . a private godly man , endowed with the knowledge of the languages , arts , &c. may , for the benefit of his family , give the sence of a text , and interpret scripture ; yet may not take upon him the function of preaching without a call . see this case fully debated by that judicious casuist . object . if private men may exhort , admonish , &c. then they may preach likewise . answ. anon sequitur ; it doth not follow : for private exhortation is commanded to private persons , but preaching is forbidden them . there 's a great difference between private exhortation and preaching , though materially they may be the same . e. g. the pastor rebuketh drunkennesse as an officer and publike watch-man , ex officio specialis delegationis , authoritatively , by the power of the keyes : but the private christian rebuketh drunkennesse ex communi officit charitatis , privately and occasionally , without any pastoral charge ; not authoritatively , as one in office . thus the watch-man giveth warning , the common souldier doth the same ; the school-master teacheth one lesson , the school fellow teacheth the same : the one , by vertue of his office ; the other , of common charity . but the pastor doth rebuke sinne , not only out of common charity , but by vertue of his office ; not only privately , but publikely , by a pastoral obligation . thus we see both use their gifts , but 't is in their own sphere : the pastor publikely , as an officer ; the private christian in a private way of edification . others object , that many young schollars , and some private men of singular abilities , that intend the ministery , doe preach before ordination . so did the sons of the prophets , say they , sam. . . they likewise urge , king. . . & king. . . & . . this block must be removed before i can proceed . i answer , that your argument is not ad idem : because the sons of the prophets , and such as are trained up for the ministery , do preach , ergo , every gifted brother may preach ; it will not follow . for , . these young men and sons of the prophets are educated , fitted , and set apart for the ministery , and so are in the way to the ministery , and not altogether out of office ; but may be said to be ministers vertualiter ▪ inchoativè & dispositivè , licèt non actualiter & realiter ; as the kernel is said to be a tree potentia , licèt non actu . but it is not thus with artificers , naylors , taylors , &c. they never were educated , fitted , or set apart for the ministery , as these are ; therefore they may not doe what these may doe . their preaching is for preparation and trial , per modum probationis , as probationers and expectants ; and that before pastors and elders , who can judge of their gifts , and must try before they trust ▪ laying hands upon no man suddenly , but as the apostle commands , i tim. . . let them first be proved , and then minister : though we cannot expect perfection , yet there must be some fit proportion for so great work , which co●sists in three things . i. in sanitate doctrinae . . in sanctitate vitae . . in facultate docendi . his doctrine must be sound , his life holy , besides a natural dexterity for teaching . how can these be seen and known , but by preaching ? but the preaching of artificers , &c. is not for trial ; for then they should goe preach before ministers who can judge of their abilities ; but as gifted brethren they preach without a call to giftlesse persons . thus i have shewed how far private persons may goe , and have not willingly or wittingly concealed one tittle of their right : it will be their wisdome ▪ so to use private duties , as that the publike be not hindered or neglected , and the ministery in no wise sleighted , as the apostle excellently commands both , i thes. . , , . they must edifie one another ▪ and prize their ministers . thirdly , the third terme to be explained , is , preaching . and here we must distinguish , before we can define . preaching may be taken , . largely , for any declaration of gods wisdome , power , goodnesse ; and thus every creature may be called a preacher : thus the heavens preach . psa . . coeli praedicant gloriam dei . thus reading the word may be called preaching . but the question is not ( as a f reverend divine wel observes , in that remarkable sermon ) whether reading in some sence may not be called preaching ( taking preaching for any declaration of gods truth : ) but whether it be ministerial preaching ; whether when the apostle saith , he must divide gods word aright , he meaneth no more then to read : whether when he saith , who is sufficient for these things ! he meaneth , who is able to read ? when he saith , give thy selfe to study , that thy profiting may appear to all men , he meaneth that all men may see thou readest better then thou didst . thus hee . but take it strictly and properly , and then preaching is thus defined . 't is an action of a minister , soundly interpreting and opening the sence of scripture by scripture , in an authoritative way , applying it to the use of the hearers , by doctrine , exhortation , rebuke and comfort . this is the duty and formal act of the ministery ; 't is a pastoral act , and is not common to every gifted brother of the flock . fourthly , in a constituted church . the church must be considered under a double notion . there is ecclesia constituta , a constituted , reformed , setled , planted church : and here none may preach but such as are proved and authorized by the presbytery , tim. . . and . . and , . and . , . where the rule is set ( as in our church ) there men must not flee to extraordinaries , but walke according to the ordinary rule which god hath appointed . there is ecclesia constituenda , a church to be planted , settled , constituted ; as amongst heathens , turkes , infidells : and here , where no ordination can be had , gifted persons ( in such extraordinary cases ) may preach : that may be done in the infancy of a church , which may not be suffered when the church is growne to maturity : that may be suffered in the planting of a church , which may not be suffered when a church is planted , and the rule set . a positive law may yeeld in a case of necessity , matth. . , . g where no ministers can be had , there gifted men may preach : but in a setled church , we must follow the ordinary way . in a collapsed and corrupted state of the church , when the ordinary pastors are persecuted , banished , or slain , then god calls such as have gifts to supply that defect : but when the church is setled and restored , then they must to the rule . when there was no king in israel every man did what seemed good in his own eyes ; it doth not follow that therefore they might do so when they had a king . in a general disorder men respect not alwaies the formalities of order h saith the noble mornay . fifthly , without a call . no man may take this office upon him without a call , either ordinary or extraordinary , i mediate or immediate . ● some were called extraordinarily and immediately by god himself ; as the prophets , apostles , and evangelists : elisha is called from the plough , amos from the stals , the apostles from their nets . and of these under the new-testament , there are three sorts . i. apostles : these were called by christ immediately and extraordinarily , and they shewed it by their extraordinary gifts and abilities with which christ endowed them . they were universal ministers , appointed by christ to preach the word thorow the world : they were twelve especially : their office was temporary , being ordained for the propagation of the gospel . these are now ceased . ii. prophets : these had a gift of fore-telling things to come ; as agabus fore-tels a famine , act. . . and the four daughters of philip , act . . in those times they had a singular gift and faculty in expounding ▪ and interpreting prophetical scripture , in opening hard places , and fitly applying to their hearers for their edification . they were endowed with languages , because the church was to be gathered out of all nations . these were temporary and to indure only for that time . iii. evangelists , who were coadjutors and helpers of the apostles in preaching the gospel , and for the most part did attend on them , and watered what they had planted ; they were of two sorts . . some were called immediately , as philip , who was called by the instinct of the spirit , act. . , . others were called by the apostles ; as timothy , titus , marke , tychicus , sylvanus . these latter were most frequent , yet were but temporary . those ministers which are ordinary and perpetual , are of two sorts ; pastors and teachers . . pastors , to see to the manners of the flock , to preach the gospel , deliver the sacraments , direct them in their practice . see their duty , act. . tim. . pet. . , . . teachers and doctors , whose office is plainly and soundly to expound the scriptures , that the people might have the right sence and understanding of them : and being indued with tongues , arts , and sciences , they are to clear the truth from corruptions of heretickes . that these are two distinct officers , is cleare from roman● . , . he that reacheth , let him waite on teaching ; and he that ●xhorteth , on exhortation ; which argueth a difference of their functions , by the distinctions of their proper actions . these officers are called by ordinary means , and endowed with ordinary gifts , and must indure in the church to the k end of the world , mat. . . ephes. . . til the house be built and finished , the workmen are not dismissed ; til all the saints be gathered , the ministery cannot ceafe . many are affraid the ministery will bee rooted up : let pastors and people do their duty , l and then their turning of things up side downe shal be but as the potters clay . now if our gifted brethren are called , then 't is either ordinarily or extraordinarily . if extraordinarily , then they are either apostles , prophets , or evangelists : but these were temporary and are ceased . if ordinarily , then they are either pastors or teachers : if so , then they are men in office ; but that themselves deny : for they say they preach not as officers , but as gifted brethren , &c. this is such a preacher as we never read of in al the book of god , as i shal ( god willing ) make clear by the ensuing arguments , the summe of them all is thus much : that a man out of office , though endowed with gifts , yet cannot authoritatively expound the scripture , and apply it to the people , in a setled , constituted church , without an external cal of the church , authorizing and enabling him therunto . the arguments against the preaching of gifted brethren . the first argument . if god were angry with those in the time of the law that did usurp the priests office , then he ( being jehovah , the same for ever ) wil be angry with those in the time of the gospel that do usurp the ministers office ? but god was angry with those in the time of the law that did usurpe the priests office : ergo , he wil be angry with those in the gospel that do usurp the ministers office . the major is cleare from the immutability of gods nature , heb. . he is the same yesterday , &c. look what sin he hated formerly , the same he hates still . the minor i proved by induction thus : . the lord was angry with vzzah , and smote him dead for medling with the arke , which none might touch but the priests , numb. . . vzzah's intention was good , ( viz. ) to stay the arke from falling ; for the oxen stumbled and shook it : vzzah layes hold on it , for feare it should have fallen . ( he had better have ventured the falling , then the fingering of the arke . ) for this , the lord strikes him dead in the place . a notable example of gods displeasure against those that transgresse the bounds of their callings . as our saviour saith to apostates , remember lots wife : so i say to all usurpers and intruders into the ministers office , remember , oh remember vzzah ! his rashnesse was his ruine ; and and his presumption ( though 't is conceived he might be a good man , and did not intend any ill , yet ) in usurping the priefts office , 't was his death : for , to make an action morally good , these circumstances must be observed : rectus , recta , rectè . the person must be rectus , truly godly . he must doe recta , such acts as be agreeable to the rule . he must doe them rectè , in a right manner : and here vzzah , with our gifted brethren , fail . that of the schoolmen holds here . quod intrinsiè & ex natura su● malum est , nunquam bene fieri potest , etiamsi fit ob bonum finem , ut furari , mentiri . requia circumstantie extrin●icae & accidentales non mutant intrinsicam rei naturam & essentiam . the lord smote vzziah the king with a leprosie , for presuming to burne incense in the temple , which belonged to the priests , and was their office . . but most remarkable is gods hand on korah , dathan , and abiram , numb. . . to . who thrust themselves into the priests office , and would offer incense themselves , and that upon this ground , because all the congregation was holy : ver. . yee take too much upon you , seeing all the congregation are holy , every one of them , &c. and therefore they may approach unto god , and offer their sacrifices themselves : and just like many amongst us , that cry up the saints ; the people are holy , and the lord is amongst them ; and therefore , why may not they preach as wel as these black-coats ? &c. but remember the end of these men , who thought to level both magistracy and ministery , v. . . and cryed down moses and aaron ; the lord shewed a dreadful judgement on them and their consorts ; why ? ver. . to be a memorial to the children of israel , that no stranger , which is not of the seed of aaron , come neer to offer incense before the lord , that be be not as korah and his company . 't is dangerous for men to preach without a call ; and 't is dangerous for people to heare such : by so doing , you give a tacite and interpretive approbation of their exorbitancies , and so make your selves accessary to their sin . not onley korah , but his companions perish with him : the earth it selfe , as not able , or not willing to beare so great an evil , ( as this rent , division , and separation was ) cleaves a sunder , ( one division punished with another ) and swallowes up some of the authours of it ; fire from heaven consuming the residue . never such a judgement doe we read of in all the scriptures executed upon any sinne , as this . 't is the observation of a pious and judicious divine of our age , in an excellent tract against separation , that private persons may become accessary not only by yeelding maintenance or countenance ; but even by affording their presence , in an ordinary and constant way , at such meetings , where by the open profession and practise of separation , there is a flag of defiance held forth to the rest of the churches . i come now to the answer which the gifted brethren ( as they call themselves ) gave to this argument . first , i called for the naylor , a publike preacher , with whom i had an open challenge before a ful congregation , to dispute and defend what i had delivered against private persons publike preaching . i mention this the rather , that the world way see i take no pleasure in disputes of this nature ; but was constrained to defend the truth i taught . ) but not a word of answer could i get from the naylor , with all my hammering ; ( hic nec {non-roman} {non-roman} {non-roman} {non-roman} {non-roman} nec {non-roman} {non-roman} {non-roman} {non-roman} {non-roman} quidem ad rem ; ) he was even as dumbe and deafe as a door nayle : so we left him to his anvile , as being fitter for that then the pulpit . but they had gained an achilles , t. p. and he , as soon as ever he heard of a syllogism , cries out , no syllogisms , we no logick . i replyed , that logick was nothing but reason brought into method and form , and therefore he could not with reason deny it . at last , after a many dark speeches , and m cloudy words , little or nothing to the purpose , ( as the man that was shearing his hoggs , complained , there was a great cry , but a little wool ) he granted this first argument , and acknowledged its truth . then i proceed to a second . the second argument . if none may preach but such as are sent , then every gifted brother may not preach . but none may preach but such as are sent : ergo , every gifted brother may not preach . the minor was denyed : men might preach , though they were not sent . i proved the contrary , from rom. . . how shall they preach , except they be sent ? the interrogation is a strong negation : q. d. they cannot preach authoritatively , without a mission and commission from god . well they may preach as usurpers , but not as god's ambassadours . hence the lord so often reproves them for impostors and false prophets , that preach without authority and sending , ier. . . and . . and . . i have not sent these prophets , yet they run ; i have not spoken to them , yet they prophesied . so that he is not onely a false prophet that teacheth lyes , but he also that teacheth without a commission or calling , ( as a judicious divine wel observes ) sive vera praedicet , sive falsa ; whether he preach true or false . the question is not in ) what he teacheth , but by what warrant : it 's no asking what they teach , since they have no calling to teach . faith commeth by hearing a sent preacher , and not an intruder : and therefore isaiah ( chap. . . ) wil not stirre til god give him a commission , and bid him goe . paul doth not preach til christ bid him arise and goe , act. . the father thrusts forth labourers matth. . . the son gives pastors and teachers , eph. . and , the holy ghost makes them over-seers , act. . , . and . . great is the presumption of those who are self-called , and make themselves preachers : those are bolder then o the priests and prophets in the old testament , or christ and his apostles in the new testament ; who never preached til they were sent . this mission implies three things . . election by the church , . probation and examination by the presbytery , ( for , the spirit of the prophets is subject to the prophets ) whether sound in doctrine , of godly life , and apt to teach , tim. . , , . . a separation by ordination of the presbytery , when by the word , and prayer , and imposition of hands , he hath power given him to preach the word , and administer the sacraments , acts . , . and . . tim. . . tit. . . so that a divine call or mission to preach , must precede preaching : for none can preach savingly , with a good conscience , and hope of success , unlesse divinely sent and called . object . there is one great objection lieth against this truth , viz. that gifting is sending : all gifted persons are sent , gifts being the seale of mission . preaching is not so much an act of office , as of gifts . gifts , and talents carry with them letters patents of commission to trade with them , &c. answ. gifts are one thing , and sending is another : there are thousands in the kingdome which are gifted ; yet may not , dare not preach ; praching being a formal act of pastors who are sent , rom. . , . none may preach ( though singularly gifted ) in a constituted church without authoritative sending . barnabas and saul had singular gifts , yet must be ordained notwithstanding , acts . , . and if bare gifts be a sufficient call , it must of necessity follow , that all that have gifts are called to preach : then gifted boyes must preach ; as the little gifted boy now at stafford preacheth redemption against the baptizing of infants , &c. for now they begin to boast , that out of the mouthes of babes and sucklings their foes shall be confounded . . then gifted women , who have better gifts then many of these preachers , must also preach ( as some of them hold and p practise ) though the apostle permit not a woman to speake in the church , but to keep silence . there is one place which fully cleares this scruple , matth. . . . where christ distinguisheth gifting of men , from authoritative sending . vers. . he gifts them ; vers. . he sends them , and gives them their commission , goe . we may not confound what the word distinguisheth . briefly , there are two things that must concur to the making of a minister . first , gifts , abilities , and qualifications both of life and learning , fit for so high and holy a calling : and these consist of many branches , as a learned divine of our age wel observes . * opus est hic intellectu tam verborum quàm rerum ; opus est judicio , quod abstrusa eruat ●bscura illustret , ambigua distinguat , diversa conferat , hyperbata ( si tulerit occasio ) disponat , & reponat ordinatâ serie . requiritur demum memoria & lingua , jugi excitata praxi ut praecepta retineantur , & efferantur in bonum publicum . ista perficiunt constant lectio , penetrans meditatio , fida & tempestiva collatio . thus you see there are more gifts required in a minister then the world dreames of ; as arts , sciences ; latine , greek , hebrew ; reading , meditation , conference , utterance , memory , &c. besides temperance , humility , piety , gravity , mortification , self-denyall in many lawful liberties which others may take &c. secondly , he must have power and q authority given him from the presbytery to exercise those gifts : he must not run before he is sent , but must have an outward call as well as an inward , tim. . . christ himselfe was sent , and he sent his disciples iohn . , , . as my fath●r hath sent mee , so send i you . these mysteries must be committed onely to faithful men , who are able to teach others , tim. . . they must be scribes instructed for the kingdome of god , &c. matthew . . else , as one wel observes , in tam praeposterâ disciplinae ruinâ tot essent sensus , quot capita , tot dissensus , quot sensus , & plures procul dubiò praedicantes loquacissimi , quàm auditores humanissimi . all preachers are sent either by god , or by the devil : they that cannot prove their cal from god , may know who sends them . r tertullian shal tel them , what is not of god comes from the devill . i shall conclude this point with the words of a s reverend and learned man . it hath been generally received in the church , that both matter and forme , mission and vision , gifts and calling , must concur to the constitution of him who exercises a publick ministery . for even our lord jesus christ , in whom all fulnesse dwels , glorified not himselfe to be made a high-priest , but was t called of god as aaron was , heb. . . and the rule is there given , that no man takes {non-roman} {non-roman} {non-roman} {non-roman} {non-roman} , an honour or office to himselfe , whatsoever be his parts or abilities . and the apostle saith not . how shall they {non-roman} {non-roman} {non-roman} {non-roman} {non-roman} , publickly preach the word . without gifts and abilities ? but , except they be sent , rom. . . it must not be denyed , but that every member in the body hath {non-roman} {non-roman} {non-roman} {non-roman} {non-roman} , his proper office , rom. . , . whereby it may contribute to the good and edification of the whole . the word of god that dwells in any , ought to diffuse it selfe for the benefit of others , in their families , relations , and conversations . the talent which god hath given to every one , is to be put forth to use . the samaritane-woman may call out her neighbours to christ , and the shepheards may spread abroad what they have heard of him , though they be but shepheards , and neither priests nor levites ; but every star in his owne orb or sphere . diversa est ratio membri & instrumenti publicì ; there 's a difference between a private member of the church , and a publike instrument : for all the freemen of this city or corporation are not aldermen : and the edification of the body by ministers , and by membership , are plainely distinguisht , ephes. . . & . if every phaeton that thinkes himself able , may drive the chariot of the sun , no wonder if the world be set on fire . i should not doubt to say , that as in some cases , omnis homo miles ; against a sudden assaulter or invader , every man is a souldier : so , as the case may be , omnis christianus evangelista ; every christian is an evangelist ; as edesius and frumentius publisht the gospel to the indies , and the woman to the iberians ; as the ecclesiastical history reporteth , &c. thus he . 't is for wolves and false prophets to be self-called , and to come of their owne accord : true prophets are alwayes sent ; as moses , isaiah , amos , the levites , christ and his apostles , &c. but false ones t come ; they are not sent. but what said the gifted brother to this argument ? altum silentium ! not a word ; the brightnesse of this truth shone so strongly in his face , that he was fain to face about , and desire of the u reverend moderator , that he might first urge his own arguments , and i should have liberty to urge mine after ; which being granted him , è postico discedit , having finish'd his own arguments , he never staid to heare mine , but left his followers ( of which we had more then a good many ) to shift for themselves , &c. goliah being non-plust , vanquisht and fled , i set upon the multitude , and with this following argument routed them all . the third argument . if all that have gifts may preach , then all that have gifts may baptize . but all that have gifts ( say you ) may preach : ergo , all that have gifts may baptize . here the gifted brethren ( for i know not what else to call them : should i call them lay-preachers , it may be t would be offensive : ) denied the sequel of the major : for though private persons might preach as gifted men , yet none might baptize but officers . and herein they agree with mr. robinson and the independents , who confesse , that none may baptize but men in office . to this i replyed thus , what christ hath joyned together none may separate . but christ hath joyned preaching and baptizing : therefore none may separate them . he that hath the power of preaching , to him christ hath given the power of baptizing . q. but where say they , do you prove this ? a. i answer , matth. . . go , preach and baptize , where , that christ speakes not onely to the apostles , but also to all ordinary pastors , their successors , is clear , verse . lo , i am with you , &c. he speaks it to such officers as were to remaine in the church to the end of the world . here i called againe for an answer ; but the gifted brethren wanted the gift : they were like men in a net ; they could neither go forward nor backward , but like cuckowes they still sung one and the same song , viz. though they might preach as gifted brethren , yet none but men in office might baptize . i replyed , if they had power to do the one , they had power to do the other ; which i proved thus . those that have power to do the greater work , have power to do the lesse . preaching is the great work , and baptizing the lesse . here the apostle prefers preaching before baptism , cor. . . christ sent me not to baptize , but to preach the gospell , ( i. e. ) comparatively ; not so much to baptize , as to preach . now if none may baptize without a cal , then , à fortiori , it concludes more strongly that none may preach without a cal : if i may not do the lesse without a cal , surely i may not do the greater uncalled . see whas w absurdities follow this absurd tenent : for , if men may preach without a call , then they may baptize without a call ; and if they may baptize , they may deliver the lords supper , and church censures , &c. then gifted boyes , and gifted women , and gifted midwives , may preach and baptize ; and if all gifted persons be sent , it will necessarily follow . i proceed now to those arguments which i could not prosecute in publike for want of time , and by reason of x tumult . the fourth argument . if no priest or prophet might offer sacrifice under the law without a call , then ( à foriori ) none may preach the word , or deliver the sacrament under the gospel without a call . but no man might offer sacrifice under the law without a call : ergo . that no man might offer sacrifice under the law but a priest , and one in office , is cleare , exod. . numb. . , . the levites , not the children of israel , must doe the service of the tabernacle . and chron. . . for a man not in office to have offered sacrifice , had been death . god is the same stil , and hates presumption now , as much as ever : and though he punish not with such visible external judgements as he did under the law , as stoning &c. yet he punisheth with spiritual judgements , which are sorer ; as pride , self-confidence , apostacie , strong delusions , the stone in the heart , &c. . preaching is as great a work , if not a greater , then sacrificing ; and the sacraments of the new testament , more excellent then the sacrifices of the old : hence ( y matth. . . christ prefers the least minister of the gospel before iohn , because he preach'd christ more fully , more clearly then he did . and if neither christ nor aaron , ( who were so richly gifted ) would take upon them the priesthood without a call , heb. . , . no man taketh this honour to himselfe , but he that is called of god , as aaron was : so christ glorified not himselfe to be made an high-priest , but his father cals him ; he did not call himselfe : how great then is the rashnesse and presumption of those who fraud ulently and violently assume this office to themselves , without an ordinary call ! it 's a note of a false prophet , and a wolfe , he comes without a call , acts . . many creep into the ministery at some window or back-doore , like a thief ; as iude ( vers. . ) complaines of some that were ( z ) crept in amongst them : and tim. . . of this sort are they that creep into houses , and lead captive silly women , &c. we have many sects now abroad , ranters , seekers , shakers , quakers , and now creepers , such as creep into pulpits , and creep to conventicles , deceiving others , and being deceived themselves . from such turne away . a a true minister preacheth in god's name , by vertue of a call from god : he dares not teach without it . hence paul , to shew the truth of his apostleship , and that he was no impostor , oft mentioneth his call , gal. . . col. . , . there are many reasons to convince men of the necessity of a call to this sacred function . . reas. without it , all their preaching and baptizing is a meere nullity : as a man that usurpes the office of an ambassadour without the princes commission , ( though haply he may deliver his minde better then a reall ambassadour , yet ) he declares but his owne fancies , and not the princes minde ; and so not only loseth his labour , but also endangereth his neck for his presumption . he cannot speake as from god , because he hath no call or authority from him so to doe . . he can expect no successe , because he is not in gods way : god wil be found of us onely in his owne way , and there he wil protect us , psal. . such as have a call from god , may expect his blessing , ass●stance , and deliverance : and this sweetens all our sufferings . that we are in gods way . the knowledge of a call to a worke , wil help a man thorow the difficulties of the work , ( as a b sweet divine observes : ) to such that text is ful of encouragement , isa. . . i the lord have called thee in righteousnesse . what followes ? i will hold thy hand , and will keep thee , &c. people cannot heare such a one with comfort and profit if they be not perswaded that god hath sent him , rom. . . such as chuse and call themselves , labour in vaine , because they have no promise of a blessang from god : he may justly say to them , let him that sent you , protect you ; let him that called you , blesse your labours . to this agrees that of the learned bucan. a call ( saith he ) to the ministery is very necessary , . in respect of gods glory ; . the honour of the ministery : . for the peace and comfort of the conscience of the ministers themselves : . that the people may know they have lawful ministers , and so may obey their ministery , &c. god wil have all things done according to that rule and order which himselfe hath prescribed . now gods method and order is this : . to call and separate men for the ministery . . and then preach . the principal call is from god ; the manifestation and declaration of it is from the church : and such are said to be made by the holy ghost , though men ordaine them , acts . . and if upon trial they approve of thee , and bid thee go , t is as effectual a call , as if god from heaven should call thee . as one of your owne sayes of the ministery , he that pretends to be taught without the word , is not taught of god , but of the devil : so he that pretends he is called of god , without and against the rule of the word , is not called of god , but of the devil . true , many in our dayes boast of the spirit ; it moves them , it cals them , iude . you have two notes of such as have not the spirit : they are , . separatists , dividing and separating themselves from the true church of christ , renouncing their communion , forsaking their assemblies like apostates , and so cast off publick ordinances . sensualists , following the dictates of corrupt nature and carnal reason , forsaking their callings , and giving themselves up to idlenesse , ease , and carnal delights , &c. these have not the spirit , unlesse it be the spirit of delusion . the fifth argument . from the absurdities which would follow , if this were once granted ; though i should be loath to dispute with these men from such a topick : for they are men of large swallows , and surpasse the man i have read of , qui toto devorato bove defecit ; in cauda ; who having swallowed an ox : could not get down the tail : but these men wil swallow head , horns , and tail , skin and bones , and yet make no bones on 't . arminianism , socinianism , anabaptism , &c. all goes down be it never so rotten . yet i shal take a little pains ( if it may be ) to convince them . absurdity . if bare gifts be a sufficient call to an office , this would confound all callings and societies . for then samuel , who had a physical and natural power to kil agag , had a sufficient call to authorize him to kil him . then an ability to discharge the office of the high priest in a man of the tribe of iudah , were a good call for one so gifted to thrust himselfe into aarons chair , which god tyed only to levies tribe . then every souldier that hath a commanders gift , may be a commander , and a general without a call . then he that hath gifts for magistracy , may be a magistrate , and execute justice on malefactors without a call . then a lawyer having a judges gift , may step up into the judges feat , and sentence men without a call . and he that hath gifts to be a parliament-man , may be a parliament-man without a call , &c. et sic in infinitum . then farewel magistrates , ministers , judges , parliaments , &c. if every man may execute these offices without a call , what need we any of them ? austin writing upon iohn , tels a story of a certaine man that was of an opinion , that the devil did make the fly , and not god ; saith one to him , if the devil made flyes , then the devil made worms , and god did not make them ; for they are living creatures as wel as worms . true , said he , the devil did make worms . but , said the other , if the devil did make worms , then he made birds , beasts , man . he granted all . thus , saith austin , by denying god in the fly , he came to deny god in man , and to deny the whole creation . then every gifted boy , and every gifted woman , should be preachers . then all that have gifts to baptize , and deliver the lords supper , may baptize and deliver the lords supper . this would open a flood-gate to all errors , heresies , and blasphemies : for in the scriptures are many things ●ard to be understood , which many wrest ( for want of judgement ) to their owne destruction . we have had woful experience of this , since artificers , souldiers , women , &c. have turned preachers . i never heard but one of this new tribe of gad , and that was a souldier , lieutenant phelps ( as i remember he call'd himselfe ) a dipper , &c. ( for i never yet knew the man that had but one error . ) his sermon was as ful of errors , as a dogge is ful of fleas : universal redemption , free-wil , dipping , against baptizing , &c. then all vain-glorious hypocrites ( who think they have gifts beyond all others ) would turne preachers : the emptiest barrels make the lowdest sound , the worst metal the greatest noise , and the lightest ears of corn hold their heads highest . then the church , which is christs mystical body , would be monstruous , all eye , all ear , all head : contrary to that of the apostle , who tels us the church is not one member but many , cor. . . . &c. and v. , . christ hath set some ( not all ) in the church apostles . and then asketh the question , are all apostles ? are all prophets ? &c. the interrogation is a strong negation . if this be tolerated , it wil make both ministers and ministery contemptible , both the preaching and the preachers vile . 't was ieroboams sin ▪ king. . . he made of the lowest of the people priests of the high-places : whosoever would , be consecrated him , and ●e became a priest . but marke what followes , v. . this thing became sinne to the house of jeroboam , even to destroy it , and cut it off from the face of the earth . the toleration of such irregularities , is not so smal an errour as some imagine . the sixth argument . every preacher must be able ( in some good measure above ordinary christians ) not only to divide the word aright , ( tim. . ) soundly to interpret and give the true sence and meaning , applying the same to edification : but he must be able also to convince gain-sayers , as tit. . . but every gifted tradesman , naylor , taylor , &c. is not able to divide the word aright , nor to convince a learned adversary and gainsayer : ergo , the major is clear of it selfe . the minor i prove thus : those that want learning both humaine and divine , cannot be sound interpreters , nor solid disputants . but most of our gifted artificers want learning both humaine and divine : ergo . obj. we have the translations ( say they ) and by them we can help our selves . a. translations are excellent helpes ; c yet in regard of the emphasis and fulnesse of the original , we may say as the queen of s●eba did to solomon , that which shee heard was nothing to the glory which she saw . then came in errour and superstition , when it was heresie , or atleast suspition of it , to understand the greeke and hebrew . what miserable wrackings and rentings of texts have come into the world , through ignorance and want of understanding the languages , not onely in the latter , but especially in former times , is fully declared by that d learned casuist . i shall only adde the fryar that would prove god made ten worlds , from the words of christ , annon decem facti sunt mundi ? and he that would prove that melchizedecke offered salt with bread , because he read in the text , rex salem , ( i. e. ) king of peace , were sir iohn lack-latines . i would willingly know of such as contemne humaine learning and the languages , how they would expound and reconcile differences in these following texts , without learning . how wil you interpret that place , iob . . it may be my sons have sinned , and blessed god ? so 't is in the original ; benedixerint , non maledixerint . a. here 's neede of rhetoricke ; this is {non-roman} {non-roman} {non-roman} {non-roman} {non-roman} , an euphemismus ; when we put a good name on a bad thing . ( so king. . . ) the scripture in loathing a vice , omits its name , and sets down the contrary vertue . . cor. . . hic calix est sanguis ; this cup is my blood . the cup is not christs blood . a. calix . i. e. vinum in calice ; continens , pro re contetâ . met. subj . . when there is difference in translations ; as eph. . . the geneva reads redeeming the season ; ours , redeeming the time . which of these is most genuine ? a. the former ; because the word in the original is not {non-roman} {non-roman} {non-roman} {non-roman} {non-roman} , but {non-roman} {non-roman} {non-roman} {non-roman} {non-roman} , opportunitas temporis , not spatium temporis . so eph. . . the popish translation reads it , h●c est magnum sacramentum ; but ours , this is a great mystery . which is the truest ? ours , because it agrees with the original , {non-roman} {non-roman} {non-roman} {non-roman} {non-roman} . the socinians deny the deity of the holy ghost , and that up on this ground , because he is called the gift of god . he that is the gift of god , is not god . but the holy ghost is the gift of god . luk. . . a. here is need of rhetorick . the spirit is oft in scripture put for the gifts of the spirit ; meton-effici . so thess : . . quench not the spirit ; i. e. the gifts of the spirit . faith , hope , love . hence , what luke calls the spirit ; matth. . . cals good things . thus we see how needfull arts and languages bee . hence the holy ghost commends learning in the saints : moses was learned in all the wisdome of the egyptians , and was mighty both in word and deed , acts . . daniel and his companions had skill in all learning and wisdom , dan. . , . apollos was eloquent , and mighty in the scriptures . paul could speake languages more then they all ; and oft makes use of his humaine learning : he cites epimenides the poet to convince the cretians , titus . . and aratus , acts . . menander , cor. . . and useth syriack and hebrew termes , as abba , &c. hence wee read in scriptures of the schooles of the prophets , and colledges erected , where the sonnes of the prophets were trained up in learning , and studied the lawes of god , that they might be fitted to teach others ; as at naioth , sam. . , . iericho and bethel , schools of the prophets , king. . , . how shall a man bee able to preserve the truth in its purity , against heretickes , without learning ? how shall a man bee able to analize and open many obscure phrases in scripture , without logick , rhetorick , tongues ? &c. as a e reverend divine , in an excellent tract , doth fully declare . great is the pride and wantonnesse of this age , to tread all that learning under foot , without which the knowledge of the scripture is not to be had , upon humane endeavours : to undervalue the abilities of a learned age , in comparison of the boldnesse of mechanick persons , in spending the mouth without sense underneath ▪ seemeth to be the wantonnesse of this time , for after ages to admire : but for private persons against publicke order , and the unity of the church ▪ to cal assemblies , and to exercise their pretended abilities in such assemblies as publike order forbids , is neither more nor lesse then schisme . let them that do it advise at whose door the sin of that schism lyeth ; as a learned man complaines . obj. we see many private christians of eminent parts called to the ministery that want the languages , yet do much good in their places . ans. many private christians that are called to publick service , by pains and industry have gained the languages , and some insight into the arts , &c. and those that want them , lament their defect ( they do not contemn them as needlesse and uselesse , but ) would give much for the attaining of them ; and they reverence such as have them . true , a man may be a minister , and yet want these ; but he 's a defective and lame one : a man is a man , though he have but one leg , or one arm ; but he is not so compleat a man as he that hath two : and when he comes to wrestle with an adversary , he finds his wants , &c. to conclude , arts , and sciences are requisite for a divine , non necessitate absolutâ , as if a man could attain no knowledge in divinity without them ; sed necessitate expedientiae , & {non-roman} {non-roman} {non-roman} {non-roman} {non-roman} . scite aquinas , theologia non accipit sua principia ab aliis scientiis , tanquam â superioribus ; sed utimur illis tanquam inferioribus & ancillis . the seventh argument . from the sinfulnesse of it . whatsoever is not of faith , is sin ▪ heb. . . but whatsoever we do , if we do it not by vertue of some command or call , is not of faith : ergo , 't is sin . a man must have some warrant from the word , to assure him of a cal , before he can do it in faith . hence christ refuseth to divide the inheritance , luk. . . who made me a judge ? q. d. ' i is not within the compasse of my calling . now what command or cal our gifted brethren have to preach , i shal examine in the answers to their objections . the eighth argument . if none may preach but such as be ordained , then every gifted person may not preach . but none may preach but such as be ordained , tit. . . i will that thou ordain elders , what need paul leave titus in crete to ordaine men , if every gifted brother may preach without ordination ? men may not run and ordaine themselves ; but upon tryal , being found sufficient and fit , must be ordained . in a constituted church , ordination is alwaies necessary . the apostles would have none to preach but ordained men . they must be elders in office before they preach , as appeares . acts . . separate barnabas and saul for the worke of the ministery . acts . . and . . they ordained them elders in every church with prayer and fasting , f tim. . . and . . and . . and . . . and this was to continue in the persons succeeding them for ever , as appeares by the charge imposed on timothy , tim. . , . it must endure till the comming of christ ; which could not be in tymothies own person , but in his successors . the ninth argument . if no man might be an inferiour church-officer or deacon without a call , and ordination from the church , then ( à fortiori ) no man may be a preacher and superiour church-officer without a cal and ordination . the antecedent is clear , from act. . , , . therefore the consequent must needs be granted . if in the commonwealth none may intrude into anothers calling , but must proceed in an orderly way , and first serve an apprenticeship , then much lesse may any intrude into the ministers calling ; but he must first proceed in an orderly way , and be first qualified and fitted for it . to this agrees that complaint of hierome , that men are uncapable of other arts and sciences without a call ; onely in divinity , every man is bold to interpret scripture . sola scripturarum est ars quàm sibi vendicant . hanc garr●l● anus , hanc delirus senex , hanc sophista verbosus , hanc universi praesumunt , lacerant , docent antequam discunt , &c. the pratling old woman , the doting old man , the brabling sophister , and the generality of men , tear the scriptures , and presume to teach before they have learned themselves . where he doth not condemne the reading of the scripture by all sorts , but only presumptuous ignorant reading and expounding by such as taught before they had learned themselves . for elsewhere he commends the reading of the scriptures by lay-men , and would have it dwel in them not only sufficiently , but abundantly . so chrys. hom. ▪ in epist. ad coloss. audite seculares , comparata vobis biblia : ye men of the world , get you bibles . read , but read with prayer , with humility , with piety , prudence , and feare . this spiritual word cals for a spiritual reader . 't is only a gracious heart that can discern these mysteries . the tenth argument . if every man must study to be quiet , doe his owne work , and keep the bounds of his proper calling ; then private men may not be pulpit-men . but the apostle commands , thess. . . that every man g study to be quiet , yea , seek after quietnesse with a kinde of holy emulation , esteeming it an honour to be of a meeke , quiet , calme , contented temper , and peaceable conversation . but how shal they attaine this ? by doing {non-roman} {non-roman} {non-roman} {non-roman} {non-roman} , our owne things , i. e. that which comes within the compasse of our general or particular calling . hence the apostle condemnes such as are busie-bodies in another mans diocesse , pet. . . let no man suffer as a busie-body . — tractent fabrilia fabri . let the naylor keep to his hammer , the husband-man his plough , the taylor to his shears , the baker to his kneading-trough , the milner to his toll , the tanner to his hides , and the souldier to his armes , &c. they must not leap from the shop to the pulpit , from the army to the ministery , from the blue apron to the black gowne , &c. but if ever men would have comfort , let them keep the bounds and limits of their particular callings . god hath set every calling its bounds , which none may passe . superiours must govern ; inferiours obey , and be governed : ministers must study and preach ; people must hear and obey , &c. as in an army , the general appoints every man his place and station ; one in the front , another in the reare , &c. there he must abide against the enemy ; there he must live and dye : so 't is in humaine societies ; the great lord general hath appointed to every man his particular calling , and in doing it he must live and dye . the apostle makes this ●lear , cor. . . let every man abide in the same calling wherein he was called : every man must continue and even dwel in that particular function to which he is called . god abhors ataxy , and disorderly confounding of those callings which he hath separated . q. whether a man may change his calling ? a. he may not lightly , or for any base end of his owne , change it : but if he can finde a clear and just call , he may . q. but when hath a man a call ? a. . when he is called from one calling to another immediately by god , as elisha from the plow , amos from the herds , to be prophets , &c. or immediately by the church of god , when upon the improvement of gifts they are called ( they must not be their own judges , and call themselves ) by those whom christ hath authorized , to some higher place in church or common-wealth . thus he that used the office of a deacon wel , was promoted to the ministery , tim. . . a diligent man ( as one wel observes ) stayes not long in a low place . thus a private man may come to be a magistrate ; a phisitian , a minister , &c. when the calling that a man hath wil not maintaine his family , then the artificer may either change his calling , as the artificer may become an husband-man , &c. or adde another calling to his owne , to support his family . . that he may not be burthensome to others . thus paul preacht and made tents , that he might not be burthensome to the church of god , act. . . obj. if paul kept a double calling ( say they ) why may not we nayl and preach , patch and preach , weave and preach ? &c. a. you may not argue ad idem : for there is a great difference between you and paul . he had much learning , and great abilities ; you have no learning , and meane abilities . he was an apostle , had an extraordinary measure of the spirit ; had his learning given ; we gotten : he by revelation , and inspiration , we by industry and study , reading , meditation , &c. yea paul himselfe had his parchments . hence , in t●mo●●y , he commands all ministers to give attendance to reading , to meditation , and to give himself wholly to them . the work of the ministery is a most laborious work , ( being rightly followed ) insomuch that the apostle puts a {non-roman} {non-roman} {non-roman} {non-roman} {non-roman} on it , w●o is sufficient for these things ? cor. . . every man is not fit to be a carver to a king : there are many qualifications required of a minister , tim. . . &c. titus . , , . act. . , . pet. . , . mal. . . . the work of the ministery is a distinct calling hath dist●nct offices and duties belonging to it and distinct promises made to it ▪ mat. . . & . . iohn . , . the power of the keys is not given to the whole church , but one peter and his successors , ministers of the gospel . . the apostle labours , . that he might not be burdensome to the church of thessalonica , which was poor thes. . . he takes double pains , act. . . . that he might stop the mouths of the false prophets , who would have accused him for making advantage of the gospel . . that he might be an example of industry . . 't is confessed by all godly divines , that a man may keep two callings : if they be subordinate and subservient one to another , furthering , not hindring each other , and be no way offensive , but rather adorning our profession ( if god give strength and ability , and it be done out of conscience , not covetousness ; to advance gods glory , not our selves ; for the common good , more then our own ) we may with comfort undertake them . thus , to tutor and teach children , is subservient to our ministery , and furthers it ; we enrich our selves with arts and languages , and benefit others . thus samuel a prophet had a school of young prophets at ramah , and elisha at gilgal , sam. . . king . . but baking and preaching , nayling and preaching , patching and preaching and that by men of little abilities , will not hold . a minister must not entangle himself with the affairs of this life , tim. . . christ would not meddle with secular affairs . luk. . . who made me a iudge ? yea ▪ works of humanity must give place to preaching , as burying the dead bidding farewel , luk. . . because the practise of the one hindered the other . the apostles would not serve tables , that they might give themselves to prayer and preaching , act. . . and if we must give our selves wholly to reading , where is the nayling ? &c. the eleventh argument . they which have no promise from god of divine assistance , cannot comfortably or successfully undertake a work . but private persons turning preachers ( without a call ) have no promise of divine assistance : ergo , they cannot comfortably and successfully undertake that work . the major is undenyable . the minor is grounded on mat. . . lo , i am with you , &c. the promise is made there to apostles and their successors ; therefore when they meet with any opposition , they comfort themselves by their call : god sent them , ergo . the the twelfth argument . that way which breeds disorder , error and confusion , is not the way of god . but toleration of private persons out of office to expound and interpret scripture in publike , is a way that breeds disorder , error and confusion . ergo . 't is not of god . the major is cleer from cor. . , . god is not the author of confusion , but the god of order ; and blames his people because they did not things according to order , chron. . . what is a church without order , but a little hell above ground ? v●i ordo nullus , horror sempite● nus . where order is wanting , it fills a kingdom with sedition , confusion , errors , blasphemies and heresies . h order is the beauty of churches . hence god hath set an order in the sensible creatures ; order in the insensible , among the stars ; order in the rational , order in heaven ; yea , there 's some kinde of order in hell ; there 's beelzebub a prince of devils ; and some harmony , his kingdom is not divided . the church is never so terrible to her adversaries , as when every one in it keeps his station and bounds which god hath set him ; then she 's terrible as an army with banners , as l. g. cromwel in a reply to the scots ( who were troubled that men in civil imployment should usurp the calling of the ministery ) tells them , that an approbation from men hath order in it , and may do well , &c. , for the minor , that toleration of such uncalled preachers breeds error , 't is proved by woful experience in this kingdom , and in new-england : mistris hutchinson , under a coulourable pretext of repeating sermons , held a weekly exercise . whereby in a little time she had impoysoned a considerable part of that plantation with most dangerous and damnable errors and blasphemies . hence the arminians , socinians and anabaptists plead for this , as a way to uphold their errors , and destroy truth , the thirteenth argument . if the church be gods house and family , then no man may presume to exercise any function there , without a call from god . but the church is gods house , , pet. . . that god should rule and appoint officers in his own house , is but reason . hence the apostle tells us he was i made a minister of the church ; but how ? not according to his own presumption , but {non-roman} {non-roman} {non-roman} {non-roman} {non-roman} , juxta dispensationem dei ; according to the houshoud-dispensation of god : i am made a minister , i did not make my self . 't is little better then * sacriledge so to do . the fourteenth argument . from the rise of it . that which springs from pride and self-conceitedness , cannot be good , ( qualis causa , talis effectus ; an evil tree cannot bring forth good fruit . ) but this kind of preaching springs from pride and self-conceitedness : ergo , it cannot be good . the major none will deny . the minor is cleer . that this usurpation of another mans office without a call , comes from p●ide , appears by their actions : ( we judge of springs by their streams , and of trees by their fruit : ) if i see a man intrude into the judges seat , and take upon him the office of a judge without a call , i say the man is proud and self-conceited . obj. we have gifts ; and it 's no pride to use our gifts . a. we must first distinguish of gifts : some are real ; and those that have these , are so modest and humble , that they must be thrust into the ministery . . those that have imaginary gifts , are oft most forward : 't is the dry keck and scratching bramble that desires the rule , iudg. . . . the using of gifts is twofold ; regular or irregular : this latter springs from pride . the fifteenth argument . if christ at his ascention gave onely [ some ] to be pastors and teachers , then all gifted men may not be teachers . b●t christ at his ascension gave onely [ some ] to be pastors and teachers , eph. . and cor. . , . he hath set [ some ] in the church , &c. are all apostles ? &c this would confound pastors and people , teachers and hearers ; when christ himself distinguisheth between a righteous man ( though gifted ) and a prophet in office , mat. . . so that the calling of a minister is not common to all , but only to some ( id est ) such as christ sends : for as all the body is not eye , so all the body of christ is not a minister , whose office is to be in the mystical body , as the eye is in the natural . the sixteenth argument . that which hath neither precept nor president , is neither commanded not commended in the word of god , may not be tolerated in the church of god . but this kind of preaching by gifted brethren ; hath neither precept nor president in all the word of god : ergo , it may not be tolerated in the church of god . we never read in all the old and new testament of any that took this office , but that he was called either mediately or immediately , ordinarily or extraordinarily . his new-found officer , a gifted preacher out of office , is not to be found in the bible , &c. i have but one argument more , and then i come to examine the proofs . the seventeenth argument . from the practice of all reformed churches . that which is condemned by all the churches of god , and is contrary to their practice , ought not to be tolerated in our church . but this practice of private mens preaching without a call , is condemned by all the churches of god , and is contrary to their practice . ergo . for the major , that the practice and custome of the church of god ought to be regarded by us , appears by that apostolical phrase , cor. . . we have no such custom , nor the churches of god . and cor. . . we are forbidden giving offence either to jew or gentile , or the church of god . for the minor , ( lest any should think that i am singular in this point , and write out of affection more then judgement ) i will call forth all reformed churches , and impannel a jury of good old orthodox divines , who have witnessed with one consent against this new-found creature , the lay-prophet . and because i would not erre , i will proceed in a fair legal way of trial , and will , . arraign the prisoner at the bar , being taken captive by sat●n . . i will impannel the jury , and produce evidence against him . the inditement . lay-prophet , thou art here indited , by the name of lay-prophet of the city of amsterdam in the county of babel , for that thou , contrary to the peace of our soveraign lord and saviour , his crown and dignity , hast usurped another man's office , and thereby hast brought disorder , anarchy , and confusion into the church of god , together weth a bastard-brood of arrians ▪ arminians-socinians anti-trinitarians ▪ anti-nomians , anti-sabbattarians , anti-scripturists , anabaptists , mortalists , familists , separatists , millenaries , enthusiasts , seekers , shakers , quakers , ranters , libertines , erastians , scepticks , independents , &c. j. what sayst thou ? art thou guilty , or not guilty ? p. not guilty , my lord . j. by whom wilt thou be tried ? p. by the independents , my lord . j. alas , the wiser and better sort of those know no such creature , neither will they own thee . p. then , my lord , i appeal to the k anabaptists and libertines . j. these are thy l fellow-prisoners , and so can be no fit iudges in this case . p. my lord , if there be no remedy ; i am content to be tried by the jury . j. thou hast well said : thou shalt have a full , a fair , and free hearing . cryer ▪ call the iury . . call in reformed churches . vous avez reformed churches , call the french church . j. what can you say against the prisoner at the bar ? fr. ch. my lord , we believe that 't is not lawful for any man upon his own authority to take upon him the government of the church ; but that every one ought to be admitted thereto by a lawful election , so neer as may be , and so long as the lord giveth leave , &c. and we detest all those fanatical spirits , who , as much as in them lie●h , desire that both this sacred ministery or preaching of the word , and administration of the sacraments , were utterly abolished . j. call the church of scotland . vous avez the church of scotland . p. my lord , i except against this church ; they are presbyterians , and they never prophesie good to such prophets as we are . j. but you will acknowledge them to be a reformed church ? p. yes ▪ my lord . j. you must needs ; for m king james gloryed that he was king of one of the purest churches in christendome . and for their government by presbyteries , 't is the way of all reformed churches , and that we are bound by covenant to labour for , as appears by that learned and excellent vindication of the presbyterial government , published by the ministers and elders in london , novemb. . where this government is proved to be of divine right , the cavils made against it fully answered , and its excellency above the congregational way demonstrated . 't is the honour of that nation in the sight of the nations , that by the blessing of god on this government , they were kept pure and peaceable for many years together . since you have acknowledged it to be a reformed church , let us hear what you can say against the prisoner at the bar. ch. scotl. my lord , we allow ●one to preach with us , but pastors and the sons of the pr●phets , and such who aym at the holy ministery ; and that authority ecclesiastical must warrant them , is cleer by our law and practice . j. you have spoken well and to the purpose . call the rest of the reformed churches ; the church of helvetia , bohemia , ausperg , &c. what can you say against this new-found officer ? ref. ch. we do all with one consent condemn all those which run of their own accord , being neither chosen , sent , nor ordained . j. are there any more ? yes , my lord , there is the church of england , which will testifie much against them . j. what can you say against the prisoner at the bar ? ch. of engl. my lord , they have foully wronged and abused me divers ways ; they have made me loathsome in the sight of the nations , and have broached many destructive errors ; so that i am become a proverb and astonishment to the churches round about me . whilst my sons spake trembling and durst not usurp , they were exalted ; but since they have offended in this kinde , they are dead . . they have offered violence to my publike confession , where i told them that the minister must lawfully , duly , and orderly be preferred to that office , and that no man hath power to wrest himself into the holy ministery at his own pleasure . wherefore these persons do us the greater wrong , which have nothing so common in their mouths , as that we do nothing orderly and comely , but all things troublesomely ●nd without order , and that we allow every man to be a priest , to be a teacher , and to be an interpreter of the scriptures . j. can you say any more against them ? ch. engl. yes , my lord , they have broken the article , where i told them , that 't is not lawful for any man to take upon him the office of publike preaching or ministring the sacraments in the congregation before he be lawfully called and sent to execute the same ; and those we ought to judge lawfully called and sent , which be chosen and called to this work by men who have publike authority given to them in the congregation , to call and send ministers into the lords vineyard . j. this is to the purpose : have you yet any more say ? ch. eng. yes , my lord , i have two ordinances of parliament against them ; the first was april . . it is this day ordained and declared by the lords and commons assembled in parliament , that no person be admitted to preach , who is not ordained a minister either in this or some other reformed church , except such as intending the ministery shall be allowed for the the tryal of their gifts , by those who shall be appointed thereunto by both houses of parliament . it is this day ordered by the lords and commons assembled in parliament , that this ordinance be forthwith printed and published , and sent to sir tho. fairfax , with an earnest desire and recommendation from both houses , that he take care that this ordinance may be duly observed in the army ; and that if any shall transgress this ordinance , that he make speedy representation thereof to both houses , that the ●ffenders may receive condigne punishment for their contempts , &c. decemb. . . the commons assembled in parliament do declare , that they do dislike , and will proceed against all such persons as shall take upon them to preach or expound the scriptures in any church , or chappel , or any other publick place , except they be ordained either here or in some other reformed church , as it is already prohi●ited in an order of both houses of of april , . and likewise against all such ministers , or others , as shall publish or maintain by preaching , writing , printing , or any other way , any thing against , or in derogation of church-government which is now established by the authority of both houses of parliament ; and also against all and every person or persons who shall willingly and purposely interrupt or disturb a preacher , who is in the publick exercise of his function . and all iustices of the peace , sheriffs , majors , baylisfs , and other head-officers of corporations , and all officers of the army , are to take notice of this declaration , and by all lawful ways and means to prevent offences of this kind , and to apprehend the offenders , and give notice hereof to this house , that thereupon course may be speedily taken for a due punishment to be inflicted on them . j. have you any more evidence besides these ordinances , to batter the tower of babel ? ●h . yes , my lord , i have one more , and then i have done ; and that is the solemn league and covenant . j. cryer , call solemn league and covenant . cryer . solemn league and covenant , come in and give evidence agai●st the prisoner at the bar. cov. my lord , i cannot come in . j. no , who keeps you out ? cov. my lord , here 's a crowd of libertines , anabaptists , sectaries &c. that hinder me . j. cryer , make way for the covenant to come in . pr. my lord , i except against this witness above all the rest ; for it 's onely a scotish covenant , a useless thing , like an old almanack out of date good for little , that is expired , and binds no longer . j. do you know what you say ? how can you call it a scotish covenant , when 't was ratified , framed , sealed , and confirmed by both kingdoms ? secondly , for its duration ; the matter of it is such , that we are bound all the dayes of our lives to observe zealously and constantly against all opposition , &c. art . . i suppose every good man thinks himself bound to preserve the purity of religion , to extirpate heresie and prophanenesse in his place and calling , to endeavour reformation in himselfe and others , &c. not only till our enemies were subdued and overcome , but these are duties to bee practised all our dayes : a well grounded covenant ( and such was this ) is a sure , firme , irrevocable act ; 't is eternitati sacrum , as a very reverend divine affirms . p : but wherein have i broken the covenant ? cov : my lord , he hath broken me well nigh-in every branch . br : they vowed reformation and now they bring in deformation ; we vowed uniformitie , and these bring in multiformitie ; we vowed for discipline , these hinder it . in the branch , we vow to root up heresie , schisme , prophanenesse , & whatsoever shall be contrary to sound doctrine and the power of godlyness , &c. but these are satans seeds-men , that sow the tares of errour , heresie and prophaneness in the kingdom , &c. j : we cleerly see that all the churches of god are against lay-preachers ; yet for the better and fuller convincing and convicting of them , let us heare what further evidence you have against them . cryer : here 's renowned zanchy to testifie against them . j : what is your judgement of these men ? z : i esteeme that anabaptisticall tenent of permitting all to teach in the church , to be a seditious and devilish tenent . thirdly , let us heare what the learned apollonius can say to this purpose . my lord , our judgement is , that none may publickly in the church-assembly of the faithfull , preach the word of god , in the name of christ and of god , but hee who is sent by a divine calling for that worke , &c. and this hee testifies to bee the practice of the belgick church . fourthly , heare reverend beza on cor : . , , . the apostle speaks not of any in the congregation promiscuously , but of prophets lawfully called to instruct the church of god ; therefore they are not to be hearkned to , who from hence doe gather that any in the assembly may speak in the church , &c. pris : these are strangers and of another nation ; but there 's no solid divines of our own kingdom that ever writ against us . j : wee shall cleere that presently ; call renowned perkins , a man famous both at home and abroad , on isay , whom shall i send ? thus hee speaks : the lord would teach us , that no man is to undertake this function , unless god call and send him ; therefore here are condemned the profane fancies of the anabaptists , and all like them , who think that any man upon a private motion may step forth and undertake the duties of a prophet , to preach and to expound , &c. object : but , say they , these motions come from gods spirit . answ : surely they can say little for themselves , who cannot say so much : . but that cannot serve their turn ; for if we say nay , but they are from the devil , or at least from your own vanity and pride , how can th●y disprove it ? and might not the prophet have alledged this , and that with a better pretence and colour then they ? yet he stayeth till god here call him ; even so all good ministers are to stay gods calling . and mark how he concludes : these men deserve both the censure of the church and the sword of the magistrate , who dare so boldly offer and obtrude their own fancies and dreames , as extraordinary motions of gods spirit : thus he . and that i may drive this nayle to the head , let us hear what the sages of latter times have said . you shall have the judgement of * mr. hildersham , the oracle and honour of his time . a master of a family ( saith he ) when he reads a chapter in his family , may give notes , and observe what he learneth out of it , for his own and their instruction ; yea , he may ask his family also what they learn and observe out of that they read ( for , rom : . . whatsoever is written , for our learning it is written ; ) yet may he not take upon him to interpret scripture , or to teach any thing out of them to his family , but what he hath learned from the publick ministery . say a man have been trained up in schools of learning , and have never so great gifts and fitness to exercise a publick office of the church , yet may he not take upon him to minister , till he first be proved , tim: . . much lesse may a privat christian take upon him to analyse or interpret ( which is the most difficult thing , and requireth most skill of any thing that belongs to the work of the ministery ) not being approved to have such a gift . what qualifications he requires in a minister , for brevities sake , i shall refer you to his elaborate lectures on psal : . p. , . that i may leave these men without excuse , heare what the acute dr. love saith in his serm. isa. . . p. , , , &c. having shewed that 't is the watchmans proper charge to watch , and no man must serve in that charge but who is there set by god , either immediatly or mediatly , &c. he shews that lay-men may teach and instruct their families at home , in the fundamental grounds of pietie and religion , such as they understand : god forbid i should open my mouth against it ; nay , let my mouth be for ever shut , when it shall not be ready to open it self in approbation of it , and exhortation to it , &c. but for the publique charge , the pulpit , that is the chayr of moses , let nadab and abihu take heed how they approach unto it , there to offer up the strange fire of their preposterous zeal , lest fire come down from heaven and so devour them , &c. god is my witnesse , i speak not this out of any spirit of pride or contempt of the gifts or persons of others , be they never so mean , much lesse out of any spirit of envie at their parts , be they never so great . i can say ( i trust ) with moses , and in the spirit of moses , that is , in the spirit of meeknesse would god that all the lords people were prophets and that the lord would put his spirit upon them . but wee must give god leave to bee the orderer of his own ordinances , who being the god of order , will doubtlesse revenge the breach of order ; and wee must take leave to call upon men to keep their callings , not to touch the mount lest they die ; quam quisque norit artem ; in the fear of god let every man hold him to his trade . ne sutor ultra crepidam : let not the taylor , instead of a garment , cut out a text , and it may bee with some stoln shreds patch up a sermon ; let him not mistake the lords board for a shop-board . no , let not every man as hee list venter to be a watchman , or meddle with the watchmans charge . surely , if this bee suffered wee shall all suffer ; god will never take it at our hands . hee quarrelled once , that the meanest or lowest of the people were made priests by ieroboam , though the truth is , that service was only for calves , at the best but golden calves . what is it then for the meanest of the people to make themselves ministers of god ? nay , not themselves neither ; ministers of god they will be ; yet neither so made by god nor man : 't is easie then to guess from whence they come , and by what spirit they are led . these are not vigils , but noctambulones ; disturbers of the watch , not watchmen ; these are not led by the spirit , but scared with spirits : like the seven sons of sceva , that without commission would conjure out ●ll spirits , &c. hear the judgement of reverend dr. seaman in his diatrib : propos : . the practise of those in these dayes , who commonly preach , and receive maintenance for so doing , refusing or neglecting to bee ordained , is not to bee justified by scripture , or by the doctrine of , or approved example in any of the reformed churches ; but forbidden in their books of discipline , and condemned by their divines , as the opinion and practise of anabaptists , libertines , arminians and socinians : and for clearing of this , hee cites many authors . pris : my lord , these are presbyterians and rigid men , and therefore i except against their testimony . iudg. had they been sectaries , or some ignis fatuus , some newlight-men , you might justly have excepted against them ; but since they are ( as you say ) presbyterians , that is , men that stand for government , yea that government which all reformed churches practise , and would have o●der in the church of god , their testimony is so much the more solid and valid . . whereas you call them rigid men , it doth not appear by their speeches ; they speak the words of sobriety and truth : but the truth is , hee that deals with such rigid sharp thorns as some of you are , had need to bee fenced with iron and the staff of a spear . but yet that i may leave no stone unturned , nor any means unattempted to convince you , i shall produce the testimonies of more moderate men , and some of them of your own way . hear what rev●rend mr. greenhill saith , in his elaborate lect : on ezek : . . p. , . christ hath given pastors , teachers , elders , deacons , to bee standing officers in the church , and their callings wee acknowledge holy and lawfull ; but all others are of humane institution , and so unholy and unwholsome for the church . again , hee gives gifts and graces to men , and then sends them ; the spirit entred into ezekiel , and then i send thee : hee hath the power of sending ; it depends on his will , and that is sacred ; hee would not put in an insufficient or corrupt man , upon any terms ; and therefore hee hath set rules and laws to shew what men hee would have in those hol● functions , &c. hear what reverend mr. brinsly saith in that seasonable and learned sermon : as for private persons , teaching-bretheren ( as they are called ) i dare give no allowance to the publique exercise of their gift ( as they call it ) for which i know no warrant that they have either from god or man , unlesse it bee in case of necessity , which ( blessed bee god ) is not our case . again , private christians , how great soever their abilities bee , yet may not exercise their gifts in a publique way to the publique edification of the church ; much lesse may they intermeddle with the government of the church . what can bee more fully said to this point ? iudg : have you any more evidence ? yes , my l. we have one more , and that is judicious m. cotton . pris : my lord , he 's a new-england man , and is of our judgement , ( viz : ) that all gifted-bretheren may preach . i : call in mr. cotton : vo●● avez mr. cotton : do you approve of these mens preaching ? speak out that we may hear you . mr. cotton : my lord , i have fully declared my judgement against it , in my treatise called the keys of the kingdome , p. . where i speak thus : though all might prophesie ( in the church of corinth , as having extraordinary gifts for it ) yet the like liberty is not allowed to them that want the like gifts . in the church of israel , none besides the priests and levites did ordinarily prophesie , either in the temple or in the synagogues , unlesse they were either furnished with extraordinary gifts of prophesie , ( as the prophets of israel were ) or were set apart and trained up to prepare for such a calling . when amos was forbidden by the high-priest of bethel to prophesie at bethel , amos doth not alledge nor plead the liberty of an israelite to prophesie in the holy assemblies , but alledgeth only his extraordinary calling , amos . , &c. j. heer 's evidence sufficient . lay-prophet thou seest thy self condemned both by god and man , by friend and foe ; and therefore now i shall proceed to passe sentence on thee . cryer . my lord wee desire your patience but to hear one witnesse more , and then we have done . j. who is that ? c. 't is learned m. ainsworth . p. my lord , he is a rigid separatist , and one of our way . j. his testimony will be the stronger against you . what can you say , mr. ainsworth , against the prisoner at the barr ? a. my lord , i cannot more fitly compare him , than to korah , dathan , and abiram . j. why , what did they ? a. numb : . . the presumption of their own holinesse , brought them to ambition and affectation of the priest-hood , an honour which no man should take to himself but he that is called of god , as aaron was , heb : . . again , on v : . to usurp , affect , or seek this office of priest-hood without the calling of god , was a great sin against divine order and authority , severely punished here in korah and his company . j. have you called a full iury ? cr. my lord , i think so ; if please you we 'll call them over . j. do so . cr. answer to your names . reformed churches , one : zanchy , two ; apollonius , three ; beza , four ; perkins , five ; hildersham , six ; dr. love , seven ; dr. seaman , eight ; mr. grenhill , nine ; mr. brinsly , ten ; mr. cotton , eleven ; mr. ainsworth , twelve : good men and true . iury : my lord , you have heard our evidence against the prisoner at the bar ; wee now crave justice against him . j : what would you have done to him ? iury : my lord , some of them offend through weaknesse , and are seduced , these wee would have burnt . how ? with the fire of love ; these are to bee pittied , prayed for , admonished , and all good means used to win them . others offend through willfullnesse , and are seducers ; who though they bee convinced , yet will not bee convinced ; but walk turbulently , disorderly , troubling both church and state with their errours : these we would have more severely dealt withall . j : you have said well , and therefore i shall now proceed to sentence . lay-prophet , thou hast been indicted by the name of lay-prophet , for bringing disorder and confusion into the church of god ; thou hast been found guilty , and art condemned both by god and man ; by all reformed churches ; by most learned and judicious divines , both forraign and domestick ; by friends and foes : and therefore i adjudge thee to perpetuall silence , that thou no more disturb the peace of this church and state , lest iustice doe arrest thee . diluuntur sophismata : or , an answer to all the cavils , scruples , scriptures , objections and arguments , which are brought in defence of lay-preachers . the first objection . gen . . . the lord commends abraham for teaching his familie : ergo , private persons may be preachers : ( this was a long cutlers argument ; and 't is like their logick . ) answ. the answer is easy : 't is one thing to instruct ones family , and another thing to preach : a private person that hath gifts , may use them in the teaching of his family the way of the lord , ( as abraham did ) because he is commanded so to doe ; but he hath no command for preaching . this is all that can be gathered out of this place , as appears by our large annotations on the place . that which is here said of abraham , should bee done by every father of a family , who is so religiously to order his houshould , as to make it like unto a church , &c. should wee grant that abraham did teach publickly , yet it will not be any advantage to you ; for abraham was one of the patriarchs , and so was called by god immediately ; for the patriarchs were the prophets and teachers of their age , and the lord for that end prolonged their lives , that they might be lights of the world . besides , abraham is expresly called a prophet , gen. . . which title is never given to a meer privat man , in all the scripture , but only to one in office . now let 's see how this hangs together : because abraham ( who was a man that had singular familiarity with god , was a patriarch , a prophet , and one immediatly called by god ) did teach : therefore , every naylor , taylor , artificer , &c. that is neither patriarch , prophet , nor hath any call either mediate or immediate , may be a preacher . the second objection . from numb : . . to . eldad and medad prophesied ; and moses wisheth that all the lords people were prophets : ergo , all that have gifts may prophesie and preach . answ : if the prophesying of the seventy elders were extraordinary , then it will not any way help you , who are to walk in an ordinary way ; but that their prophesying ( what ever it were ) was extraordinary , is confest on all sides ; even mr. robinson grants it ; and m. ainsworth acknowledgeth it to have been a temporary gift and miracle , for confirmation of their office , and continued but for that day , as sauls did , sam : . , . so then they prophesied by an extraordinary instinct and impulsion of the spirit , who both gifted them and called them . now let our gifted-artificers shew us how they are endowed ( as these were ) with an extraordinary spirit of prophesie , and wee shall bee so far from envying them , that we shall gladly heare them . but alas , we find that instead of an extraordinary spirit of prophesie , they are led by an ordinary spirit of delusion , &c. the spirit of prophesie here spoken of , was a spirit of government , as appeares by the context , vers . . moses being not able to beare the burthen of government alone , the lord sen●s him helpers , seventy elders , men furnished with his spirit ; these the lord calls extraordinarily to assist moses in the work of government : hence the lord takes of the spirit of moses , and gives to these seventy judges ; i. e. the lord gave the same of wisdome and judgement to them , as he did to moses : this done they prophesie vers : , id est , they publish gods prayses , and have a spirit of government put upon them , whereby they utter prudential things concerning the government of the people : for , as an acute commentator observes , they prophesied , nec praedicendo , nec praedicando ; but by uttering grave and wise sentences , apothegms or couns●ls ( as moses did ) concerning the publike affaires of israel ; by political and prudential speaking of things ap e●tay●ing to government : so that this is not meant of salvifical teaching others , but a political discoursing unto others : thus he . this spirit of prophecie did include five things , as à lapide observes : prudentiam regendi . doctrinam & cons●●ium ad dubia tam juris & justitiae , quam ceremoniarum & religionis , aliaque quael●●et resolvenda . occultorum cognitionem ad decidendas lices & causas occultas . propriae fu●urorum praenotionem , ad ea vel accersenda , vel praecavenda & arcenda à populo . dei laudes & hymnos , u● saul dici●ur prophetâsse , cùm quasi enthusiasmo actus dei laudes cecinit , sam. . moses his wish is not that all might preach ; but that god would give his people his spirit , that they might bee able to rule : q. d. oh that the lords people had a spirit of government put upon them , that so they might know how to behave themselves towards their god , and towards those seventy elders which the lord had extraordinarily designed for that purpose ! neither doth hee simply desire that all might prophesie , but that all were prophets , i. e. gifted and called for such imployment : so that his wish implies that none might prophesie till they are prophets and men in office ; so that this place , take it which way you pl●ase , makes against lay●mens preaching . as first , because those that were called extraordinarily , did prophesie , ergo , such as are not called ordinarily may preach . secondly , because the lord gave a spirit of government to these seventy , that they might be able to utter prudentiall sayings , ergo , artificers may preach . thirdly , because moses wisheth that all the lords people were prophets , i. e. men in office , and so might prophesie , ergo , lay-men who never were called to bee prophets , might prophesie , &c. these things hang together tanquam arena sine calce , like ropes of sand ; and come as neer together as st. germans lips , which were nine miles asunder . the third objection . from chron : . , , . and chron : . . to . & . , &c. here ( saith mr. robinson against yates , p. . ) are most pithy and excellent sermons of king jehosaphat and hezekiah , both to the iudges and the levies . besides hee sent his princes to teach in the cities of iudah . now if jehosaphat and his princes taught ▪ ( who were not men in office ) then private gifted persons may also teach , though they bee not called , nor in office . answ : i shall white two walls with one brush , and answer to both these objections under one head . a : as i did before , pag : . distinguish of preachig so i must now of teaching . teaching in scripture is taken two wayes . sometimes largly for a fathers teaching of his children , a master his servants : thus gen : . . abraham teacheth his family ; and the lord commands fathers to teach their children , deut : . . & . . & . . thus kings and princes are to teach their inferiors , by quickning them , and exhorting them to doe their duties in their places thus judges at an assize exhort both pastors and people to live quietly and godlily in their particular callings ; yet this is not preaching properly so called : for all teaching is not p●eaching ; b a master teacheth his schollar , and a father his child yet doth not preach . thus iehosaphat makes a generall exhortation to the judges and levites , to bee faithfull in the discharge of their places as judges on the bench use to doe ; yet this is not preaching , neither is it so called : read but the text , and it will clear it selfe , chron : . , . iehosaphat exhorts the judges to bee impartiall and sin●●ere : v : , , . hee exhorts the levites to fidelity and sincerity ; to this end hee sets up a presbytery and appeals , v : , . for in ierusalem they had a high state or councell of sanedrim , to which all appeals were made from inferior courts , and to which all causes of difficulty were referred , both for ecclesiasticall and civill affairs : a notable place against independency . thus did the princes teach : they did not take upon them to bee expounders of the law , or usurp the priests office ; they did not preach sermon-wise , or in the same manner as the levites did : else why doth iehosaphat send levites to teach the word of the lord , if the princes might or could have supplyed their office ? take teaching strictly for a pastorall act , and so none but priests , levites and prophets may teach : and thus the levites are said to teach , v : , . and they i. e. the priests and levites , which iehosaphat sent , taught the people ; how ? not as the princes in a generall exhortation , but , v : . they have the book of the law of the lord with them ; it they expound , and out of it they teach the people : and see two excellent fruits and effects of their teaching , v : . the fear of the lord fell upon all the kingdomes round about , so that they made no warr against iehosaphat . oh that magistrates would promote the ministery ! this would bee a means to preserve our peace , and free us from the fear of enemies . . exalting and incouraging a faithfull ministery , is a means to blesse and increase our temporalls , v : , and iehosaphat waxed great exceedingly , and built castles and cities of stone : hee had riches in abundance . we must distinguish between regall teaching and ministeriall teaching . kings teach in a civil , coactive , commanding way : but pastors in a ministeriall pastoral way , as men in office . . the princes teach efficienter , i. e. by causing the levites to do their duty . he set princes to teach , i. e. to see the people taught , saith a reverend divine ; formaliter , they taught not by themselves in their own persons ( for magistracy and minestery are two distinct callings , and have distinct duties , upon which there must be no incroachments ; yet one may be helpful to another , in suo genere , for the good of both ) but by the levites , who expounded the law , the princes onely accompanyed them , and by their civil authority did countenance and assist them in preaching : now 't is a rule quod quis per alium facit id per se facere videtur ; what i command my servant to doe i am said to doe my selfe . so christ is said to baptize , but 't was by his disciples ; ●or hee baptized none himselfe , ioh : . . hence iunius in loc. reads it thus : shalac lesarau ; misit cum praefectis suis levitas ad docendum : iehosaphat sent with his princes levites to teach ; hee sent them to take care that the levites should doe their office in that time of apostacie . i answer by way of concession ; dato , sed non concesso : suppose we should give you that which we doe not grant you ; viz. that the princes did preach ; yet here 's a vast difference between them and our gifted-brethren : for , these princes were sent to teach , by the magistrates command , but our iehosaphats have by many acts and ordinances prohibited our gifted-brethrens preaching . these were princes , and so men of choice breeding , of rare abilities , able to teach : what is this to our naylors , taylors , &c. who have no such breeding nor abilities . they had levites to joyn with them , who were men in office : but you ( many of you ) scorn at ministers , nick-name them , and revile them . as antichristian , baals-priests , legalists , troublers of israel , their calling anti-christian , and their maintenance antichristian , &c. here 's convitiorum plaustra , whole loads . let such know that christ takes the indignities done to his embassadors as done to himselfe : he that despiseth you , despiseth me : wee are oft commanded to love our ministers , yea to have them in singular love , to count them worthy of double honour , not to rebuke an elder , but to intreate him as a father , tim: . . and the lord gives a special caveat , that wee take heede that wee forsake not the levite as long as wee live upon the earth , deut : . . how contrary to these precepts doe many in our times walke , who hate not so much the person as the function ; and rail upon us not for personal failings , but because wee are ministers : let such learn of those princes to countenance and assist the levites , if they would prosper . admit they did preach , yet 't was but once , and that in a time of extraordinary reformation , when the church was in a collapsed condition , and the people fell to idolatry . now let 's gather up all , and see what wild conclusions our opposites draw from hence . because kings and judges may exhort magistrates and ministers to do their duties ergo lay●men may preach . b●cause princes goe with the levites , to countenance and assist them , engo ▪ gifted-brethren may go against levites , to ruine and overthrow them . because princes teach in a collapsed church , when the people were fallen to idolatry , ergo , lay-prophets may teach in a constituted church , where all the rags and reliques of idolatrie are ruined . these are arguments à baculo ad angulum : because my staffe stands in the corner , ergo , 't will rain to morrow , &c. the fourth objection . from sam : . , . saul did prophesie and his servants did prophesie , sam. . , . answ. this was extaordinary , as being a supernaturall work of the spirit ▪ and not an office : saul by the instinct of the spirit prayseth god , and thereby was confirmed in his kingly calling ; and for confirmation of him in that office the spirit of the lord came upon him ; and so his servants for a time were transported with divine raptures , as in an extasie , and joyned with the sons of the prophets in pra●sing god with psalms and songs ▪ and speaking of divine matters ; and were so transported with a spirit of prophesie , like the prophets , that they forgot their businesse , which was to take david . here 's no preaching to oth●rs ▪ no usurping the levites office ; but all extraordinary ; which makes nothing for your usurped ordinarie teaching . the fift objection . the example of elisha called from the plough , king . . and amos ( chap. . . . ) from the stalls . answ : these were called extraordinarily , and shewed it by their extraordinary gifts in the discharge of their places and callings ; and therfore amos when hee was forbid to preach , doth not plead that hee was a gifted-man , but pleades and proves his extraordinary call , and that hee was sent of god to preach his word , amos . . the lord tooke mee as i followed the flock , ond bid mee goe , prophesie ; i did not runn on my owne head , nor call my selfe , but the lord gave mee my commission . a sixth objection . joel . . where the lord promiseth in the gospel t●mes to pour out his spirit upon all flesh , and their sons and daughters should prophesie , &c. and isa : . . all thy children shall bee taught of god , jer : . , . joh : . . answ : the scripture is the best interpreter of it self ; and one place , compared , helps to illustrate another : if wee looke into acts . , , . it will illustrate this place ; there luke applies this text in ioel to the dayes of the messias , when christ should p●ur out his spirit abundantly , and that upon all sorts of people , without distinction of nations , or conditions of persons , be they n●ver so meane , never so low and contemptible , be they sons or servants , male or female , bond or free , rich or poore , jews or gentiles : yet i will pour on them , saith god , and that abundantly , not only dona gratis data , common gifts , as the gift of tongues and languages , the gift of working miracles , the spirit of prophecie and divine revelation , whereby they shall bee able ex tempore , without study , to expound prophetick scripture , and foretell things to come , as agabus did , and the four daughters of philip ; their old men by divine dreames should foretell things to come , and their young men should see divine and prophetick visions , &c. acts . . & . . cor : . but i will also give them dona gratum facientia , my speciall grace , as the spirit of illumination , sanctification , regeneration , faith , love , obedience ; i will teach all beleevers , all my elect , of what age , sex or condition soever , this precious and more excellent way . this promise was fullfilled initially , and in part , * acts . , . when at the feast of pentecost , christ did pour out the spirit abundantly on the apostles , and they spake variety of languages ; but it 's now fulfilled in all the elect , to whom god gives his spirit abundantly , yet with this difference ; formerly , they had extraordinary gifts of the spirit ; but now , ordinary . so then wee see these words are only a promise , but no precept for lay-preaching : now to argue thus ; because in the primitive times god endowed beleevers with an extraordinary measure of the spirit ; so that they could prophesie ex tempore ; therefore men that want now this extraordinary gift may turn preachers . b●cause the lord promiseth to bless his people , not only with temporal but spiritual blessings , ergo , they must all preach and use their gifts in publick . because the lord promiseth to pour his spirit on his handmaids ( they did prophesie and foretell things to come in the primitive times ) therefore women ( who are forbidden yet ) now may preach , &c. this is naylors , logick and smels very strong of the anvile . as for these promises , ier : . , &c. the sum of them is but thus much , viz. that in the dayes of the gospel , gods people shall by his spirit have a more full and cleere unders●anding of divine mysteries , that there shall not need so much labour in teaching them , as formerly with little fruit : for now they shall all be taught of god . allegations out of the new-testament for lay-preaching , answered . the first allegation . from the example of christ : if hee disputed in the temple , and preached in the synagogues without a call : then lay-men , that have gifts , may likewise preach without a call : and this is the argum●nt of their achilles ; if it were ( saith he ) the received order in israel , of old , for men out of office , to speake and teach in publick , how was jesus the son of mary admitted to dispute in the temple with the doctors , luke . , . and to teach and preach in the synagogues so commonly as hee did ? matth. . . luke . , . answ : all christs actions are not for our imitation ; hee did many things which wee may not , cannot doe ; wee must live by rules , and be led by them , and not follow any ones example against or besides the rule ; for that which was lawfull in christ to doe , may bee unlawfull in us . . 't is true christ disputed with the doctors at twelve years old , but hee did not preach to them . disputing is one thing and preaching is another . christ was called extraordinarily , and sent by his father to preach glad tidings to the meek . ioh : . . as my father sent me : ( who sends our lay-prophets , i have told you before ; ) and the people took him for a teacher sent of god ; for it was a faishion amongst the jews ( as reverend diodate on the place observes ) that if any one did come to their ecclesiasticall meetings , who was known to have some gift of understanding in the holy scripture , which was read every sabbath day , act : . . and . . they would intreat him to make them partakers of it for their common edification . so that it appears that the people took him for a prophet , a famous prophet . luk : . . . there went out a fame of him thorow all the regions round about , and hee taught in their synagogues , being glorified of all , both for his doctrine and his miracles ; and this was the ground of that liberty granted him in the synagogue . now let our artificers and lay-prophets shew such a life , such doctrine , such miracles as christ , and i know no man will envy their teaching . the question still will bee , whether christ ta●ght publiquely before hee was thirty , and before hee was baptized , or after ? the most received and approved opinion is , that he did not observe this custome of publique preaching in the synagogues , till the time of his ministery , ioh : . this the learned gather from luke . . that jesus ( after his baptism ) returned in the power of the spirit to preach in galilee , {non-roman} {non-roman} {non-roman} {non-roman} {non-roman} , ( i. e. ) in potentia , robore , vi spiritûs q. d. iesus à baptizmo potenti impulsu spiritûs s. reversus est in galilaeam , &c. ● lap. and 't is improbable that christ would preach all these sermons from matth : . to matth : . before hee entred on the ministery ( which they must grant that hold this opinion : ) for hee preached at capernaum and galilee , and the places adjacent , and after comes to nazareth , matth : . . luk : . . hee was bred there , and so his low and private kind of life being known to them , hee comes last to them . let us grant it , that 't was the practice of the jewish church to admit all gifted artificers , &c. to preach ; yet this corrupt and irregular practice of theirs , can bee no president to us , who are to walk by rule , and the canon of the word , and not by such disordered examples . the second allegation . secondly , they alledge the example of the apostles , mat : . , , , who preached before they were sent ; and the disciples preach , yet were not men in office , luke . answ : the apostles were men in office and not lay-preachers . they had their call from the first election of christ . they had commission from him before his resurrection : matth : . . he gives them power ; v : , . he sends them & commands to go . true , they had a larger commission granted after christs resurrection ; then 't is goe to all nations , matth : . . before 't was , rather goe to the lost sheep of the house of israel ; they had a further confirmation after , and greater measure of gods spirit to lead them into all truth ; as a justice of peace may be put into office , and yet receive a further confirmation ; yea , and a greater means to perform his place . christ calls them apostles before his resurrection , matth : . . now the names of the twelve apostles were these . the power of the keys was committed to them , both doctrine and discipline , ioh : . . which strikes the nayl dead , they had power to baptize , which no man out of o●fice hath , our bretheren themselves being judges . that the disciples were pastors in office , is clear , luk : . christ appointed other seventy also and sent them out : as hee had before sent forth the twelve , now also hee sends forth these , and satan falls like lightning before their powerfull preaching , v : , . so that ch●ists appointing these was a designation to a publique office , as the originall signifies , a creating and ordering of them , as that pious and industrious critick , to whom the church of god oweth very much , hath well observed . the third allegation . obj : the scribes and pharises were not pastors in office , yet they preached , ergo , private-gifted . bretheren may preach . a●s● : you doe w●ll to rank your selves amongst scribes and pharises ▪ l●ke lettice , like lips ; r●m acu tetigistis ; you have hit the nayl on the head : since you can have no help from true apostles , now you flee to false ones . this is petitio principii , a beggerly begging of that which is to be proved . . you must prove that the scribes and pharisees were not pastors in office . so we did ( say you ) at the disputation , thus : all priests were to be of the tribe of levi . but the scribes and pharisees were not of the tribe of levi : ergo , they were not priests , and so by consequence not men in office . a. we desired you to prove your minor , viz. that the scribes and pharisees were not of the tribe of levi ; which you did , thus : paul was a pharisee , but not of the tribe of levi : ergo no pharisees were of the tribe of levi . a. we replyed , that this was but one particular instance , and so could not make a rule , no more then one swallow can make a spring : besides you were told , a particulari ad universale non valet consequentia ; because one man is blind , ergo all men are blind ; because one lay-preacher is a caviller , ergo all are cavillers ; because one nayling preacher is ignorant , ergo all are ignorant , &c. this was your bakers logick , and it savours of the peel . but to clear this doubt , i shall give you one place that plainly proves the pharisees to be priests and levites , ioh. . . compared with v. . the jews sent priests and levites from hierusalem : and who were they ? v. . they that were sent , were of the pharisees ▪ so then you see they were pharisees , yet of the tribe of levi . . giving ▪ though not granting , that they were not of the tribe of levi , yet that they were not bare gifted men , but preachers in office , is clear , mat. . secondly , they sit in moses chayr , ( i. e. ) had the ordinary office of teaching the people committed to them : they were doctors of the law ; and christ bids the people , hear them . . the priests were to be of the tribe of levi , but the scribes and pharisees were prophets ; and these might be of any tribe , as ieremah was , and other extraordinary prophets . the fourth allegation . acts . stephen being a deacon , and no pastor in office , yet preached , ergo , un-officed men may preach . answ. we must distinguish of deacons : . some were called extraordinarily , as philip , acts . who was an evangelist , acts . . he was not self-called , but by a speciall commission from the spirit he goes from ierusalem to samaria ▪ and thence called by an angel to instruct and baptize the eunuch . an angel calls philip , but these men want men and angels to bring them in . . others were called ordinarily , when by improving their talent , the church had experience of their industry , ability , and piety , they were promoted to be pastors , tim. . . they that have used the office of a deacon well , purchase to themselves a good degree ; that is , they make themselves fit and worthy to be promoted to higher degrees in the churches service . . stephen's was no sermon ; but being accused of blasphemy , he makes an apologetical oration for himself , and a confession of the faith before his persecutors : and if this be preaching ▪ then those women-martyrs in queen maries time that did confess and profess the truth before their adversaries were preachers . the fifth allegation . act. . . they that were scater'd abroad went everywhere preaching the word . hence they gather that all that can may preach . these were not the apostles ( say they : ) for ver. . they stayed at hierusalem , ergo , they were private christians that did preach . hence the socinians gather that vocation and ordination are needless ; because they do not read that these were sent or ordained . this is that {non-roman} {non-roman} {non-roman} {non-roman} {non-roman} , their argumentum decumanum , nodus decumanus , their achilles invincibilis , their strong hold ; which being pulled down they are left naked . a. this is a non sequitur : because they that were dispersed preached , ergo , all that can may preach . for , . it cannot be proved that all these dispersed were private men out of office : philip was one of these scattered and dispersed ones , who was an evangelist , v. . &c. therefore they were not all private men : there were besides the apostles , prophets , evangelists , and the seventy disciples ; they might be some of these , and not private professors . . the apostles might give them a commission to preach when they went thence , act. . , . obj. the text doth not say so . a. ab authoritate negativè , nihil concluditur . arguments drawn from silent authority , conclude nothing . we do not read of adams faith or repentance ; it doth not therefore follow that he had no faith and repentance . we do not read of his sacrificing , observing the sabbath , or performing any pious exercise ; yet we cannot in the judgement of charity conclude that he omitted these things . we read of no parents that melchizedek had ; it doth not therefore follow he had none , &c. . did not the lord give them commission by immediate revelation , giving them the spirit of prophecie , and so calling them extraordinarily ( as he did many in those primitive times ? ) this i think i can prove from the text : and if so , you are gone : for extraordinary examples make no ordinary rules . though god permit the israelites to rob the egyptians , yet i may not steal . . i prove their extraordinary call , by the extraordinary effects of their preaching , acts . . and the hand of the lord was with them ▪ and a great number believed and turned to the lord . . the hand of the lord was with them , as it was wont to be with extraordinary gifted prophets . thus the scripture usually speaks of the prophets . king. . , thus , the hand of the lord came upon elisha ; i. e. the spirit of prophecie . so ezek. . . the hand of the lord was strong with me . luke . . & . , by the hand of the lord is meant the mighty power and assistance of god in miracles , and inward working in the hearers accompanying their ministery . so deod . large annot. chrysost. oecum . & à lap. deus suâ potenti manu aderat eis ad faciendum miracula in confirmationem fidei , ad praedicandum tant â sapientiâ & efficacia , ut multos gentiles converterent ad christum . . the extraordinary number of converts , their great and quick harvest , shews more then ordinary assistance . to this assents reverend perkins . some ( saith he ) the lord calls by special instinct ▪ and extraordinary inspiration of the spirit . the dispersed preached without any outward call , no doubt by the instinct of the holy ghost as appears , in that the hand of god was with them . and whereas false prophets oft plead an extraordinary call , he sets down marks , by which we may discern their illusions from gods call . i. extraordinary calling never takes place , but when ordinary calling fails ; and that is at two times especially : . in the founding and planting of a church . so apostles and evangelists were called extraordinarily . . in times of universal apostacie , when the church is ruined and defaced . ii. you may know them by their doctrine . iii. by their lives . iv. by their gifts : whom god calls extraordinarily , he endows with extraordinary knowledge , courage , &c. lastly , i answer by way of concession , giving , though not granting your desires . say these were private christians , yet i shall clear all by asking you two questions . . q when did these dispersed disciples of the apostles , though not apostles , preach ? a. not in times of peace and settlement , but in times of sore persecution ▪ when steven was stoned , and the church was scattered about , and forced to flee up and down , act. . , , . . very emphatical is the word therefore , ver. . speaking before of the persecution of the church , and of the stoning of steven , the holy ghost infers , therefore those that were scattered , preached ; implying , that had not that persecution been , and the apostles constrained to abide at ierusalem , with their converts , those men might not have done what they did . are our times such ? are our stevens stoned , our flocks scattered and dispersed our ministers all banished and gone ? &c. if so ▪ then you that have gifts may supply their room , &c. . q. where did they preach ? a. not at hierusalem , a planted , setled , constitured church , v. . but at phenice , cyprus , antioch , &c. amongst heathens , infidels and idolators , where no church was planted , as appears , act. . , . they preach at antioch to the grecians , who were gentiles and heathens without christ , and without god in the world , as appears rom. . that may be lawful in ecclesia constituenda in an unplanted church , in the begining of a reformation , when no rule is set , no ministers , no magistrates , no teaching , no knowledge , no ordination can be had , none to ordain &c. which is utterly unlawful in ecclesia constituta , in a planted , constituted church , where there is a setled ministery , setled ordinances setled worship , according to the rule , &c. here must be election , probation ordination . full to this purpose is that quotation of that ingenuous and studious gentleman : lay-men may preach upon occasion to churches disordered , and to persons not yet gathered to any church . those which were dispersed upon the persecution of steven , did publish the gospel where there was no church . but how eminent soever mens abilities are , how well soever known to themselves or the world , to undertake the instruction of the people without publike order , in publike assemblies , is a thing that no scripture , no time , no custom of the primitive church will allow . thornedike service of god at relig. assemb. . cap. . now let us gather up all , and put it into a parallel , that our gifted brethren may the better see how neer they come to their pattern . the parallel . . those dispersed had extraordinary gifts . but our gifted brethren have not ordinary . . these had an immediate call . but ours have not a mediate . . those converted many souls . these pervert many . . the hand of the lord was with those . the hand of the lord is against these . . those preached the word if god , act. . , . these deny the law , and preach new-lights . . those preached in times of persecution . these in times of peace . . those preached in unplanted churches , amongst heathens . these in planted churches amongst christians . by this time i hope i have levelled your strong hold , and laid him in the dust . i now march on to the rest . the sixth , a fort . acts . . paul and barnabas coming into the synagogue , the rulers sent to them ( not as apostles , which they acknowledged not , but onely as men having gifts ) that if they had any word of exhortation , they should say on . a. paul and barnabas were men in office true and faithful prophets and apostles , and so had commission to teach the nations wheresoever they went . 't is a non-sequitur , because men in office were desired by the rulers to exhort , ergo , men out of office may do so . . they were known to be teachers in office , and ( in all probability ) were so reputed by the rulers of the synagogue : having heard the fame of their preaching and miracles , which might easily come from cyprus to antioch , they desire a word of exhortation from them , v. . act. . . they were known prophets . . this was practised in corrupt times , and times of great confusion . so the learned apollonious acknowledgeth , that in corrupt times especially it was permitted to some out of order , to teach and exhort ; but they were alwayes such as had testimony of their gifts , and of whom there was a general opinion of their mission , extraordinary or ordinary , by reason of the doctrine they preached , and the works they did . thus at nazareth christ was permitted in the synagogue to read and explain the writings of the prophets , luke . . as one who by reason of his majesty and miracles did everywhere obtain audience , as reverend beza here noteth ; by which right he taught both in the temple , and everywhere ; wherefore also the ordinary doctors demanded of him by what authority he did is , mat. . . so we find that paul and barnabas were allowed , ( act. . . ) publikely to speak and exhort in the synagogue at antioch , as being such whose fame was already known to those of antioch ; for they had before this time for a whole year preached the word of god to many there , and brought many to the faith of christ , &c. but observe his conclusion : but in the practice of the new testament , none but prophets by gifts and office , either ordinary or extraordinary , were permitted publikely in the assembly of beleevers to preach the word of god in christs name , &c. thus he . what have we to do with jewish corrupt customes ? we are to wal● by rule , and not by such new lights . the liberty given in their synagogues , can be no president to us , no more then the custome of persecuting the godly , and casting them out of their synagogues . let 's sum up all . . because paul and barnabas , who were men in office , preached ; ergo , such as are not in office , may preach . . because such as were known to be teachers , and were famous , preached ; ergo , such as are unknown teachers , and infamous , may preach . . because the jews had a custome , in corrupt times to call forth gifted men to speak in their synagogues ; ergo , we must leave the word , and follow their superstitious customes . this is sure some shooe-makers logick : it 's set upon the last , and stretcheth well . the seventh , a tower . the example of apollos , act. . , &c. an eloquent man , and mighty in the scriptures , instructed in the way of the lord , taught diligently , &c. because he preached without a call , ergo , gifted brethren may preach without a call . this is a tower , a strong tower ▪ in our brothers conceits ; here they triumph ( though it be before the victory : ) apollos , apollos preached without a call , &c. but let us approach neer it , and we shall discern this tower to be a tower of babel . too weak and sandy a foundation for their high and haughty building : like the apples of sodom , glorious to the eye ; but touch them , and they fall to dust and ashes . and therefore i answer , . this is an example , but no precept : examples may not be followed , without observation of the like causes , and like conditions . now i doubt not but i shal prove your case & apollos's to be different ; and then this instance will do you no good . in following examples , ( saith a very learned man ) we must mark four things : . how they did it . . when they did it . . where they did it . . why they did it . these will give some light in this business . . we will inquire who it was that preached ? apollos . what was he ? a minister . how is that proved ? cor. . . who is paul ? and who apollo ? but ministers , &c. he is in terminis , expresly called a minister . obj. he was ordained afterwards . a. you may do well to prove that . affirmanti incumbit probatio : qu●d enim non lego , nec credo . where the scripture hath not a tongue to speak , we must have no ears to hear . . he was a coadjutor to paul , and therefore oft joyned with him , cor . , . and . . . and . . and . . paul may plant , apollo water ; q. d. i paul first planted and preached the word , apollos came after me , and by his ministery expounded the same doctrine of christ to you , and so watred what i had taught . hence the learned zanchy ranks him with evangelists ; timothy , titus , silvanus , apollos : these were not tyed to any one place , but were assistants to the apostles , to water what they had planted . . what were the gifts and endowments of the minister ? surely ▪ more then ordinary ; few in all the scripture so highly commended for endowments and abilities , as he . such as god calls extraordinarily , he gifts extraordinarily . the text tells us he was an eloquent man ; he was both prude●t and eloquent , he had skill in the words , and could expound well ; he had good elocution to express 〈◊〉 exposition . matter well habited , is more acceptable . mighty in the scriptures ( i. e. ) well instructed and grounded in them , and endowed with a singular grace of gods spirit , to propound , expound , and perswade them to men . instructed in the way of the lord ; he had learned the coming of christ into the world , and his doctrine , when iohn the baptist had taught obscurely and imperfectly of it ; but had not participated of the clear and large declaration which christ and his apostles had made of it . . fervent in spirit . he was no cold , dead teacher ; but he taught powerfully , livelily , experimentally . . he taught diligently : he was no idle , strawberry-preacher . . he doth not preach his own fancies , but the things of the lord , viz. the baptism of iohn , ( i. e. ) the doctrine which iohn the baptist had delivered concerning christ , and had sealed to his disciples by baptism . . he teacheth boldly in the synagogues , not fearing the face of man . . observe his rare humility : he doth not disdain ( though he were a man of singular abilities ) to be taught what he knew not of mean persons ; an humble man can learn of the meanest ; a little child shall lead him , isa. . . to see a master in israel sit by an aquila , a tent-maker , and a priscilla his wife , and to be instructed by them , to learn of his auditors , was no less an act of meekness then of wonder ; but a wise man looks more at the counsel then the counsellor ; he regards not so much who , as what the instruction is ; an abraham can hearken to the counsel of sarah , and iob of his servants . . he hath the approbation of the church of god for his abilities , ver. . the brethren of the church of ephesus write letters commendatories in his behalf to the disciples at corinth to receive him . . his teaching was operative and fruitful ; he did not labour in vain : for , . he furthered the faith of beleevers and helped them much . . he was able to convince gain-sayers , vers. . he convinced , he mightily convinced the jews , and that not privately , for fear of opposition but he undertakes them publikely ; and this he doth not by weak humane inventions , but by the scriptures , ( out of isaiah , daniel , the psalms , moses and the prophets ) he doth theologically demonstrate , and infallibly conclude , that this jesus the son of mary was the true messias promised to the fathers , &c. thus you have seen this good man in his colours ; how like our gifted brethren are to him , we shall see in the parallel . the second quaere will be ▪ when he preached ? a. 't was in a time when churches were planting , in the primitive times , when god gave extraordinary gifts , and poured out the spirit of prophecie in abundance , for the gathering and perfecting of his church , &c. . 't was in a time when that corrupt custom was in practice among the jews , of giving liberty to some ( though not in office ) to preach . . i answer by way of concession : should we grant that apollos was not a man in office , yet 't will not help you : for this is but an instance ( as a judicious divine well observes ) of the liberty given by the jews , or taken , when as yet there was no church in being . take in all the commendations of the man , and , in a like juncture of time , others of like abilities may do the like . i come now to the parallel , that our brethren may see how like , or rather how unlike they are to their pattern , and , as they conceive , their patron . . apollos was a man of extraordinary abilities . these ( most of them ) have not ordinary . . he is called a minister , and was a preacher . these are diminishers , and praters . . he was an helper to the apostles . these are hinderers to their successors . . he was eloquent . these are loquent . . he was mighty in the scriptures . these in raptures . . he taught the things of god . these their own fanries . . he taught frequently . these firily . . he taught boldly and openly in the synagogues . these clancularly creep into houses and corners . . he was very humble and lowly . these very proud and self-conceited . . he had the approbation of the church of god . these preach without it . . he convinced and converted many . these will not be convinced in themselves , nor do they convert any ; yea , they pervert many . deliberandum est de remedio praesertim cum non cynthius , sed apollos aurem vellat . the eighth is a bulwark . cor. . , . where the apostle exhorts them to desire spiritual gifts ▪ but rather that they might prophesie ; and tels them , vers. . they may all prophesie , &c. hence our brethren conclude , that all that have gifts may prophesie in publike . our gifted brethren build very much upon this text ; and being pursued , they run hither for shelter ; but in vain , being meerly deluded with the word all , as if the apostle had commanded all the godly promiscuously to preach , when he speaks onely to prophets , as the context clearly shews . the question then will be , who are meant by this word , all v. . ye may all prophesie . a. . i answer negatively , it cannot be meant of all the saints collectively ; for then women , who have gifts , should preach , who yet are forbidden . secondly , private professors are nowhere commanded to leave their callings , and go study arts and sciences , that so they may be preachers ; but are commanded to abide in their callings cor. . . thirdly , then all should baptize ; ( for christ hath joyned preaching and baptizing ) and then what need christ give pastors and teachers ? are all prophets ? cor. . . . i answer positively , by all is meant , all such as are prophets : the text is clear , v. . let the prophets speak two or three , &c. v. . if any thing be revealed , &c. they were extraordinary prophets , and spake by immediate revelation , without study : then follows , v. . for ye may all prophesie , i. e. all you that are gifted and called to be prophets ; for so it follows , v. . the spirits of the prophets , i. e. the doctrine of every prophet , must be subject to the examination adn censure of the other prophets ; and therefore ( saith the apostle ) every prophet may speak in publike , to the end that he may be discerned and approved by the rest . general words must be confined to the particular argument of the speech : so that the word all must be confined to the prophets ; prophets ▪ prophets , all ye that are prophets may preach , but these were prophets by gift and office ; therefore they might and did preach publikely in christs name in the assembly : so that the apostle speaks not of all beleevers in common , nor of any in the congregation promiscuously but of the prophets lawfully called to instruct the ●hurch of god . and 't is worth observing ▪ that the word prophet is never given to any in the old testament , or the new , but onely to ministers and men in office ; and therefore our saviour expresly distinguisheth a prophet from a righteous man , mat. . . q. d. all you that are prophets , and have the gift of prophecie , and extraordinary revelations , so that you can dextrously open hard prophecies ex tempore , without any study , and interpret prophetick scripture to edification , &c. whilst these miraculous and extraotdinary gifts endure ▪ ye may , all that have them use them . . it appears they were prophets , because the duties of prophets are ascribed to them , v. ▪ , , , , . they must interpret , convince , confute edifie ▪ &c. all which are the duties of a prophet . thus its clear , that the●e were prophets ; and if so ▪ this place cannot help our brethren ; for thus they must argue hence : because prophets who were men in office , yea , extraordinary prophets , did preach : therefore , we gifted brethren , who are no prophets , nor men in office , may preach . hoc est dialectica independentica . obj. t. p. objected , that these were ordinary , not extraordinary prophets . a. habemus confitentem reum ; you have betray'd your cause : for if these were prophets , as you confess they were , and i have proved from the text ; then unless you can prove your selves to be prophets , and men in office , this place will no whit availe you . but secondly , i shall easily prove them to be extraordinary prophets ●rom the text , v. . if any thing be revealed ▪ &c. they preached ●xtemporary revelations ; they were able by the singular revelation of the spirit to give the sence of prophetick scripture , without study or pains gal. . . and sometimes they would foretell things to come , as agabus , act. . . and the four daughters of philip . in the beginning of the gospel and first planting of it , the lord was pleased to confirm it by extraordinary gifts of miracles , healing , tongues , interpretation , prophesying , and foretelling things to come . these were temporary , and to endure onely in those primitive times ; they are now ceased ; so that he 's a miracle that should desire now such miracles . fully to this purpose is that of a learned man : the grace of prophesying under the new testament was of immediate revelation and inspiration of the holy ghost to all purposes , as under the old. v. , if revelation be made to another that ●i●teth by , let the first hold his peace to shew us that some were in●pired upon the very point of time with the truth of matters in debate at their assemblies , as chron. . . act. . . thus he . these prophets are set amongst extraordinary offic●rs , eph. . . three things t. p. objected against this answer . . that these could not be extraordinary prophets , because ( v. . ) their doctrine was to be tried . answ. this trying and judging did not consi●t in calling them to account , as for the truth of that which the holy ghost inditeth ; but to consist in the judging the meaning and consequence of things inspired , which even the persons from whom they came though not ignorant thorowout , yet were not able of themselves to sound to the bottom . . an extraordinary prophet ( though in penning scripture infallible , yet ) in other points might erre . aaron erred , exod. . . peter erred about the calling of the gentiles , acts . . and gal. . , the apostles were ignorant of christ's resurrection , and his sufferings ▪ &c. and therefore they were commanded to try the spirits ; and luke commends the bereans for trying the doctrine of a paul and silas ▪ acts . . for although these prophecies were infused by the holy ghost that cannot erre , yet all things are not revealed to one ; and that which is not revealed to one , is oftentimes revealed to more , and sometimes in a clearer manner . there might be also something mingled with that which the prophets received : and it might so fall out , that that which they added of their own , by way of confirmation , illustration , or application , might be justly ▪ subject to censure : withal , it must be tried and judged by others , whether the prophecies proceed from the inspiration of the holy spirit , and according to the rule of faith , isa. . . . 't was objected , that these could not be extraordinary prophets , because ( v. . ) they spake to edification , exhortation , and comfort , as ordinary prophets did . a. the answer is easie : the extraordinary prophets , as amos , isaiah , ezekiel , &c. did preach to edification , exhortation , and comfort ▪ as well as the ordinary . . 't was objected , that the apostle forbidding women , did give liberty to men to preach . a. i see you will play at lowe game before you will ●it out . i answer therefore by way of concession , and grant that the apostle forbids women and enjoyns men to preach : but what men ? not all gifted men in general , but all men gifted , and called to be prophets , as i have clearly proved ▪ p. . . if you will argue fitly from this place ▪ it must be thus : the apostle forbids all women ▪ gifted or ungifted , to preach ; there fore all men , gifted or ungifted , are allowed by the apostle to preach . no doubt but then we should have good preaching ! . no woman may administer the sacrament ; therefore , any man may . i shall conclude this point in the words of a reverend divine . it 's granted ( saith he ) that all orders officers , or members of the church above ministers , may preach as well as they , whether ordained , or uno●dained ; as apostles ▪ evangelist ▪ and prophets . for prophets ▪ such as are under the new testament , they are always placed next unto the apostles and before pastors & teachers cor. . , . eph. . . in the primitive times there were many such ; yea ▪ many in one church , as at antioch and corinth : whether these were ordinary or extraordinary , it is easie to judge , by the continuance or discontinuance of them in the church in after-ages ▪ an at present . if there be any so gifted by the holy ghost , above ordained persons , that they are worthy to take place of them , and of evangelists ; let them by all means have the liberty of their gifts , and their proper denomination : i think ordinary ministers should give them the right hand of fellowship , and place . as for any kinde of prophets or prophesying in the publike congregation belowe ministers and their ministery , there is none to be found in any enumeration of scripture , either in rom. . cor. . or eph. . where we were most like to finde it : and therefore it is still with me resolved , that the prophets and prophesying which we read of , cor. . was extraordinary . he that believes three kindes of prophets under the new testament let him distinguish them . thus he . i shall gather up all into a parallel ▪ because logick doth not please you . . t●ose were prophets . but our gifted brethren are no prophets . . t●ose were extraordinary prophets . these no● ord●nary . . t●ose had a spirit of revelation . th●se of d●lusion . . those could dext●rously expound prophetick scripture . th●s● are dextrous in dark●●●ng t●em , and some in d●ny●ng them . the ninth objection . rom. . , , . having the● gifts differing according to the grace that is given to us , whether prophecie , let us prophesie , &c. hence they gather , that all that have the gifts of prophecie , may pr●phe●ie , &c. a. 't is granted , that they who have the gift of prophecie may prophe●ie ; and they that have the gift of ministery ( or deaconship ) must do the duty of a deacon . but who are they that have this gift ? they that are prophets by office , and not those that have abilities onely , as one very well observes ; and this will appear more fully by the context and scope of the chapter . having exhorted to duties of piety in general v ▪ . he comes , v. to . to particular duties of ecclesiastical persons and officers viz. that they should not be proud of their spi●itual gifts ( whi●h in those days abounded ) but to think soberly and self-denyingly of themselves . . he sets down a disti●ct and perfect enumeration of all the standing off●cers in the church , and exhorts them to discharge the duties of their sev●ral functions , v. , , . these off●ces are reduced to two general heads : . prophecie ; ( not the extraordinary gift of foretelling future things , &c. but the ordinary , in the right understanding and interpreting of scripture . ) under this are contained , first , he that teacheth i. ● . the doctor or teacher ; secondly , he that exhorteth , i. e. the pastor . under ministery are comprised , . he that giveth ▪ i. e. the deacon ; . he that ruleth , i. e. the ruling elder . so then , by prophecie , here , is not meant the extraordinary gift of interpreting scripture by revelation without study , ( which were it so yet could it not help you ) but the ordinary gif● of preaching and expounding scripture by an ordinary minister and set church-o●ficer , of which the apostle is here speaking , who must give himself to exhortation and teaching : and this is that prophesying which we are comm●nded to prize , thes. . . despise not prophesying , i. e. preaching by men in office , by sent prophets . now let us see what they can gather hence . because pastors and teache●s , who were prophets and men in o●fice are commanded to prophe●ie and expound the word , &c. therefore private gifted persons , who are not men in o●fice may prophesie and expound the word . this is kneading-trough-l●gick . the tenth objection . ▪ cor. . . every woman that prayeth or prophesieth with her head covered &c. here ( say they ) were women that did prophecie . now if gifted women did prophecie , then much more may gifted men . ●hus mi●●am , anna and h●lda prophesie , king. . . and deborah . iudg. . . and philips four daughters . so rom. . , ▪ . ph●be a servant of the church aquila and priscilla my helpers , . andr●n cus and junia of note among the apostles &c. a. here 's chalk for cheese . we speak of ordinary gifted men in office , . and they flee to women that were called extraordinarily , as miri●m , hulda &c. as for ph●be , she was a diaconess to minister to the ●●ck , and not a pra●dicantess to preach , or have peters keys jingling at her girdle . aquila and priscilla ▪ by their private instruction and admonition , were {non-roman} {non-roman} {non-roman} {non-roman} {non-roman} , adjutores mei ▪ my helpers . and so not onely men ▪ but women should teach their children , servants and neighbours the way of the lord , pro. . . & . & , . act. . . t it . . . tim. . . yea , a woman in her husbands absence ( and presence too , if he be not able ) may teach her children , pray with the family &c. as for that place , cor. . . the words are not be taken actively for womens preaching ▪ but passively for their attending on praying and prophesying with reverence , and joyning with such as pray or prophesie ▪ and going along with them in their heart . . we must distinguish of prophecying . . there is prophecying which is preaching and expounding scripture ; and thus ( say some ) these women did not prophesie . . prophecying is taken for any publishing and singing the praises of the lord in psalms and hymns . so psal. . the lord gave the word , great was the company annunciatricum , of she-preachers and publishers of gods praise : in those dayes ▪ after the obtaining of some great victory ▪ the women were wont to sing songs unto god ; as miriam . deborah , &c. and so the word prophesie is oft used in scripture , numb. . sam. . . chron. . , , . . suppose i should grant ( as many judicious divines do and i conceive it to be the most natural and genuine sense ) that women in those primitive times were inspired with an extraordinary spirit of prayer and prophecie ; according to that promise , ioel . . i will pour my spirit in those days on my handmaids , and they shall prophe . this was their practice ; but they failing in the manner , and abu●ing thir liberty , the apostle enjoyns them silence in publike for ever , cor. . . let your women keep ●ilence in the churches ; for 't is not permitted for them to speak : and tels them 't is a shame , because not onely against a positive law , but against the order of nature . in tim. . ii , . he prohibits their publike teaching , and that for two reasons : i. in respect of mans precedency in his creation , ver. . for adam was first formed and then eve ; the woman was made after the man , and for the man ; and therefore for her to take upon her the office of teaching , or to usurp authority over the man ; what were it but to invert the courte and order of nature ? . from the womans priority in her de●ection : adam was not deceived , but the woman being deceived was in the transgression . adam was not deceived , viz. not p●imarily ; he was not first deceived , but the woman , &c. . not immediately by the serpent as the woman was ▪ but by the means of the womans solicitations and intici●g ▪ to whom he yeelded ex amicabile quadam benevolentiâ ; out of a loving and indulgent affection towards her ▪ &c. as a very reverend divine hath well observed . taking upon her to be a teacher at first she became a seducer and undid all her posterity : hence she is suspended from publike teaching for ever . the eleventh objection . . cor. . . the house of stephanas addicted themselves to the ministery of the saints &c. hence the anabaptists ignorantly gather , that a man may call himself to preaching , and needs no ordinary call to the ministery . a. it doth not appear that the house of {non-roman} {non-roman} {non-roman} {non-roman} {non-roman} were ministers and preachers , but rather deacons and church-officers who did serve and administer to the necessities of the saints , in collecting and distributing alms for their support ; and to this end they freely gave up themselves ( as being lawfully called to that ministery and service ) 〈◊〉 , to the service of the saints : they were not compelled or hired to it , but ( which was their glory ) they chearfully and spontaneously gave themselves to the the service of the saints , to succour the poor , to harbour strangers and exiles , to attend the sick and languishing saints , &c. . take it which way yo please either for the service of the ministery , or of the presbytery , or deaconship , still this is the sun that they being lawfully called did freely give up themselves to the service . those anabaptists ( the fire-brands of societies , as one rightly stiles them , that make these saints to call themselves do make the scripture to contradict it self : for it tells us , no man may take this honour to himself without a call . eph . ii. christ gave some pastors , &c. they did not un of themselves , &c. obj. the apostle ( v. . ) commands them to submit themselves to such : ergo , they were gifted preachers . a had you concluded , herefore sure they were gifted officers , you had hit the nail on the head . had they been usurpers , the apostle would never have enjoyned subjection , i. e. reverence and honour sutable to their offices and submission to their pious admonitions and godly exhortations q. d they have spent themselves to further you and submitted themselves to the meanest for your good ; therefore , do you spend your selves for them , and submit your selves to all acts of love and kindnels for their good . this submission must be mutual , eph. . the twelfth objection . heb. . , . when for the time ye ought to have been teachers , &c. here ( say they ) the apostle blames them because they were not all teachers . a. the fallacy lieth in the word teachers ; there are two sorts of teachers . . some are publike teachers , who teach as officers , authoritatively by vertue of a call . rom . . these teachers must attend on teaching . now the apostle doth not blame them because they were not such teachers : for he blames women and children , as well as men , for being dull of hearing , &c. . others are private persons , who must teach in a private way ; and these the apostle blames , that when for the time they might have been to full of knowledge ▪ that they might have been teachers of others in a private way , by exhortation , admonition , counsel , and reproof , &c. yet they had need of milk , and to be taught their catechism , when considering the great means of knowledge , which they had long enjoyed , they might have been fit for stronger meat . the thirteenth objection . pet. . . ye are a royal priesthood . rev. . . and . . and hast made us unto our god kings and priests and we shall reign on earth . exod. . . all priests must teach ; but all believers are priests ; ergo , all beleevers may teach . answ. the fallacy lies in the word priest . we read in scripture of two ●orts of priests . . some were priests by office , and these were to offer sacrifice , and teach the people , &c. these are called a ●ituall priesthood : this is swallowed up by the priesthood of christ . . there is a royal priesthood proper to all believers , who are called priests comparatively . . the priests , the sons of levi , are said to come neer to god , deut. . . so believers by saith have boldness and access of god , and draw nigh to him . . in respect of the sacrifices they offer , viz. prayer and praise , psal. . . . good works , heb. . . . . themselves , they must slaughter their sins , and mortifie the old man , and offer up their souls and bodies in sacrifice to god ; and so they are kings spiritually , because they raign over ●in and satan . . in respect of the common anointing . priests were anointed ; so all believers have an unction , even the spirit of god , which shall lead them into all truth , ioh. . . and being thus taught , they may , and must teach others privately according to their places and stations , the way of the lord ; but not publikely ; for then the whole body should be eye , &c. . a. i shall shew the weakness of this argument per iaem , thus : the office of a king is to rule : but every beleever is a king ; ergo . 〈◊〉 ●o ye not get into the throne , put on your kingly robes , take state upon you , ride on with king iohn a leyden the taylor , who had fifteen wives , and at last came to hanging ? &c. the fourteenth objection . pet. . , . as every man hath received the 〈◊〉 even so minister the same one to another . &c. every 〈…〉 the talent which god hath given him . mat. . else g●● will take it from him and curse him . thus they argue : all that have gifts must use them . but many private men have gifts ; ergo , they must use them . answ. all that have gifts must use them , true ; but where ? not ministerially and publikely , for then many women who have excellent gifts should be preachers ; but privately , in that sphere and place where god hath set him ; publick persons must use their talent publickly , and private persons by private instruction , admonition , and in their families . this place onely enjoyns every man to be helpful in his place according to the gifts which god hath given him ; but are no command for lay-men to turn preachers : having spoken of the use of gifts in general , v. . he descends to two particulars , v. . first ▪ to the gift of prophesie : secondly , the ministring according to our abilities . the fifteenth objection . revel. . . the two witnesses prophesie ; not onely the clergy , but all the faithfull . answ. . borrowed speeches make no grounded arguments . . these witnesses consisted both of pastors and people ; the pastors witnessed by publike preaching against antichrist , and private persons by making an open confession and profession of the truth against him ; and so many women were martyrs , yet no preachers ; and this is that peter commands , pet. . . to be ready to make confession of the truth , not preach . the last objection is a skeleton . a penniworth of their small reasons , a parcell of bare bones , the very naming them is confutation sufficient ; as cor. . , . god hath chosen the foolish things &c. ergo , lay-men may preach . cor. . . what knowest thou o wife , whether thou shalt save thy husband ? and cor. . . and thes. . . command private instruction ; and phil. . ▪ . luk. . . christ having delivered the man possessed , bids him go , and shew how great things god hath done for him ; and he went and preached ; published it , saith our translation . a. . he had christs command to do so . . he onely tells 〈◊〉 christ had done for him , which in a large sense may be called preaching : yet 't is one thing to publish a mi●acle , and another thing to be a 〈◊〉 . obj. robinson obje●●s , the word is commonly used for preaching which luke 〈◊〉 sets down . a. the word in the original signifieth also to publish ( ●s our translation hath it ) and as an her●lsd to deliver a m●tter in open 〈◊〉 in the hearing of a multitude that many may take ●●tice of it ; as that noble critick who hath do●e ●orthily in ephra●a ▪ and therefore is deservedly famous in our bethlem ▪ hath well ob●e●ved ; and in his comment on this place ; christ comm●nds him to report it as the work of god , &c. lastly , they 〈◊〉 the ex●mple of the ●om●n of s●maria , ioh. . ▪ &c. she preached christ to her neighbors ; ergo , they may do so too . a ▪ now they have no help from men ▪ they flee to women ▪ but in vain : for this woman did not take upon her to teach them , or convert them her self ; but seeketh onely to bring them to christ by whom she was converted . 't is one thing to preach ▪ and another thing to bring tidings of a saviour , as this woman and the shephe●ds did . . admit she had preached , yet where was it ? in samaria , amongst heathenish neighbours , where no 〈◊〉 was yet planted : and here we grant that in such 〈…〉 a woman may occasionally declare the gospel in ● no 〈…〉 . now because a woman may publish christ in an unplanted church , ergo ▪ gifted men may preach in a ●l●nt●d , is such logick , as none but such gifted men as you are , will u●e . i should now conc●ude ; but th●●● was one thing more ●bjected viz. that our min●stery w●s antichrist●●n : of which o●e 〈◊〉 then i have done . object . your ministery is a●●ichristi●n ; you are 〈◊〉 divines , egyptian enchanters , ●ug●●rs limbs of the d●vil 〈◊〉 covetous lordly sed●tious 〈◊〉 the troubl●●● 〈…〉 ● riest ring-leaders to babylonish confusion , trained up in 〈◊〉 hea●h● ism ▪ vain philosophy , ung●dly ar●s ; legal 〈…〉 lions persecutors of the saints ; y●ur maintenance antichri●●ian lik● simon the sorcerer ; priestly s●rib●s and pharisees , hypocrites ▪ &c a whole load of such ignominious titles you may finde in a little pamphlet of one * collyer , a very dangerous sectary . answ. lo this is the livery we must look for from the ungrateful world ● 't is no new thing : mat. . , . thus did they persecute and revile the prophets which were before us : let us not fret , but rejoyce , and with those apostles , esteem it our honour to be dishonoured for christ . had they been enemies , we could the better have born it ; but these are the wounds with which we are wounded in the house of our friends ; those that not many years ago were ready to pull out their own eyes for our good , now forsake us , and are ready to pull out ours . god is beholding to us for the kindness which we shew to his embassadours . if david were so displeased with hanun , for abusing his servants , sam. . . surely then the righteous lord will not alwayes ●ndure the indignities which are done to himself ; for he that despiseth you , despiseth me . but he will arise , and smite thorow the loyns of them that rise against him , and of them that hate his embassadors , that they rise not up again . though moses bear the reviling of miriam , yet the lord will not ; while he is dumb , god speaks ; while he is deaf , god hears and stirs . the more silent the patient is , the more shrill will the wrong be . and whereas they say our ministery is antichristian , because we were ordained by antichristian bishops : we answer ; this is easily said , but not so easily proved ; for , . we have our ordination from christ by bishops and presbyters ; we receive it not so much from them ▪ as from christ our lord and theirs . his sevants we are , and in his name do we execute our ministerial functions , and not in the bishops . the authority of the presbytery is onely ministerial service ▪ whereby it restifies , declares , and approves of those whom god approves and calls . . neither were the bishops which ordained us , antichristian ; which i prove thus : those who by their life and doctrine have witnessed against antichrist , could not be antichristian . but our bishops ( since the reformation ) have witnessed against antichrist : ergo . witness our cranmer , ridley , hooper latimer , farrar , iewel ▪ pilkington , sands , babington , a●bot , davenant , hall , morton vsher &c. . consider they were ministers , and did ordain us not quâ lord bishops ▪ but qudâ presbyters , and had other presbyters to joyn with them ; so that our ordination from them is valid , and may in no wise be disclaimed . . many of them were able ministers , and painful preachers ; no man can truly a●firm , that all our bishops were wicked and antichristian , many of them were men fearing god . . admit some of them have been popish and wicked yet we must not condemn all the apostles for one iudas ; there have alwayes been de facto , some evil officers and ministers in the church . hophni and phine as , scribes and pharisees , some envious and perverse teachers , acts . , . phil. . . yet the wickedness of such ministers did not null their acts , mat. . . their ordination , as well as their teaching , was valid , notwithstanding their personal wickedness ; the leprosie in the hand doth not hinder the growing of the corn : elijah may not refuse his bread , because brought by a raven . suppose they be wicked , antichristian , heretical , &c. that ordain , yet our ministery is firm . now since man is a rational creature , and is easier led then forced , i shall briefly use some arguments to convince the judgement , and refer you to larger treatises for fuller satisfaction . . arg. those whose ordination was right for substance , ( though it fail in some circumstance , yet ) is valid : but our ordination was right for substance ; we had the inward call , and the outward ; we were examined for our life and learning , and approved of ; we had imposition of hands by elders , with prayer and exhortation to diligence in our places ; the bible is given to us with a command and authority to preach the word , and dispence the sacraments . we having these substantials , the failing in some circumstantials cannot invalidate the action . a man that hath a mole on his face , yet is a man still , &c. . arg. if the baptism of ministers in times of darkest popery was true baptism ( because right for substance , though corrupted with many superstitious ceremonies ) then the ministers also were true ministers , ( for substance , though some corruptions were mixed with it ) else their baptizing had been invalid , and no better then a midwives baptizing . but 't is acknowledged that their baptism was effectual : therefore their ordination was effectual . if no reformed church did ever re-baptize such as were baptized by them , why should ministers be re-ordained , more then re-baptized ? . arg. if the papists disclaim us , as having no call from them , the our calling cannot be antichristian : but they disclaim us from having any call from them . so that one of you two must needs erre : the papist saith , we are no ministers , because not called by the pope : the separatists say we are no ministers , because we have our call from the pope . as paul set the pharisees and sadduces at variance to help himself , act. . , . so i shall leave the papist and the separatist to reason this case , whilst i step forth to the fourth argument . . arg. if your ordination be antichristian , then cannot you ( with modesty ) ●ccuse us . but your ordination is antichristian : ergo . the minor i prove . that ordination which is contrary to the rules of christ is antichristian . but your ordination is contrary to the rule of christ : ergo . the minor i prove . you allow the people to ordain ministers , and private persons to ordain pastors : but christ commands pastors to ordain pastors . as the priests were ordained by priests ▪ ezra . so the apostles by christ , ioh. . . bishops and elders by apostles act. . . tim. . . tit. . . shew one precept or president if you can , that ever private persons did ordain a pasto● . . if your ordination by plebeian artificers be valid , then ( à fortior● ) our ordination by learned , orthodox godly . divines , will be valid . . arg. those ministers which are elected , proved , ordained by the presbytery , according to the mind of christ , cannot be antichristian . but our ministers now are elected , proved , ordained by the p●esbytery , according to the mind of christ : ergo . ▪ arg. those ministers which are diametrically opposite to the priests and shavelins of antichrist , cannot be antichristian . but our ministers are so : e●go . this will appear by the ensuing parallel . popish priests are ordained to sacrifice . but our ministers are sent to preach and pray . . they teach the traditions of men . but ours teach the perfect word of god . . they mixe the sacraments , and alter both their nu●ber and their nature . but ours preser●e them in their purity both ●or number and nature . . they a●e for mass. but ours abhor it as a filthy idol . . they are the popes sworn vassals . b●● ours have witnessed with their blood against him and his . . these pervert souls , and draw them from christ . ours c●nvert souls , and bring th●m to christ , as your selves can witness : for , consider whether you did not receive the work of conversion from sin unto god , which you presume to be wrought in you first of all ▪ in these publike assemblies from which you now separate . and if once you found christ walking amongst us , how is it that yo do now leave us ? are we less , and not rather more reformed then we were ? if the presence of christ , both of his power and grace be with us , why will you deny us your presence ? are ye holier and wiser then christ ? is not this an evident token that we are true churches , and have a true ministery , because we have the seal of our ministery , even the conversion of many sons and daughters unto god ? doth not the apostle from this very ground , argue the truth of his apostleship ? cor. . . is it not apparent that our ministers are sent by god ▪ because their embassage is made successful by god for the good of souls ? did you ever read of true conversion ordinarily in a false church ? will the lord concur with those ministers whom he sends not ? doth not the prophet seem to say the quite contrary ? ier. . , . and therefore either renounce your conversion , or be converted from that great sin of seperating from us ; for 't is a greaat aggravation of your sin , that you seperate from us in a time of reformation : whilst publike authority hath been at work to find out gods way , private persons have taken their advantage to set up their own . whilst the one hath been reforming , the other ▪ instead of joyning with them to strengthen their hands , have been withdrawing and separating themselves and others from them . and what , separate from a reforming church ! a church that professeth so much willingness and readiness to be conformed to the rule of the word ! brethren , let me tell you , there is more in this circumstance , then haply some have been or are aware of . when god is coming towards a church , then to run from it ! when god is turning his face towards it , then to turn our backs upon it ! when god is building it up , then to be active in pulling it down ! this is a sad thing ; and surely if rightly apprehended , must sit sadly upon the spirits of some . had it been some yeers since , when god seemed to have been about to depart from us , when innovations and corruptions were breaking in upon us , then to withdraw , then to forsake the church , ( however i dare not avouch it for a work so transcendently meritorious as some conceive of it , yet ) i grant it tolerable . but now to do it , now that ( as them●selves conceive of it ) the church is coming up out of the wilderness now that she begins to boyl out her scum , now that she begins to be more refined and reformed ; now to forsake her , truely this is no small aggravation to this desertion . for mariners at sea to forsake their ship when she is ready to sink , ( though possibly it may be an errour and over-sight in them so to do , yet ) it is pardonable . but if the ship shall begin to rise and float again , so as they see apparent hopes that with a little pumping and baling she may be saved , now to leave her , ( much more to cut holes in her sides ) their owners will give them little thanks for it . some yeers since , the church of god amongst us seemed to be in a sinking condition ; then to leave her ▪ might be pardonable . but now , now that through the merli of god she begins to be somewhat floatsome and boyant , so as aycttle industry and pains in the pumping & purging , may free her and save her , shall we now de●ert her ? ( that i do not say cut holes in her sides . ) surely , surely , never was separation from this church ●o unwarrantable as it is at this day : warrantable it never was since she was a true church . in the last age an error it was , a s●hism ; and that not onely mr. ainsworths more rigid , but mr. robinsons more moderate separation , so accounted and censured at all hands ; surely then at this day it cannot be warrantable . make the fairest of it , an unadvised separation it is : as a judicious and pious divine ( in that satisfactory and elabora●e tract against this sin ) hath fully proved ; whose words being so suitable and seasonable to this purpose , i could not but for thy good transcribe . and with them so fully and clearly expressing my minde , i shall conclude . i have now finished my work , and well-nigh my time together . it was far from my thoughts ( the lord he knows ) ever to have published a tract of this nature ; but being openly challenged to make it good , i fell to study the point ; and upon perusal of authors , i found that some had done excellently in answering objections , but omitted arguments which confirm the thesis : others had some arguments , but omitted the answering of objections ; some answer to some objections ▪ others to other some ; but here thou hast seventeen arguments to convince the judgement ; an answer to above thirty objections , even all that eve● my little reading could attain , with references to larger tracts , which handle any point more fully . cover all the solaecisms , barbarisms , and imperfections , with the mantle of love ; consider 't was the work of successive hours , redeemed from rest and recreations , framed in the midst of double imployment ▪ besides personal trials , &c. if thou reap any benefit , give god the glory , who hath brought this light out of darkness , and the good out of the oppositions of our brethren : if thou see any imperfections , defects , weaknesses , &c. as i am conscious to my self of many ) yet let not , o let not the truth of god suffer through my weakness and failings , but ascribe them to me , even to me , to whom of due they belong : i am very well content to decrease , so his glory may increase ; let my name perish , so his may flourish ; let me dye , so my gods honour may live , i have enough . now to the onely wise god , who hath given both heart and hand , will and deed , the way and the work , be given all praise and glory from angels , men , and every creature , from henceforth and for ever . amen . amen . finis . notes, typically marginal, from the original text notes for div a e- com. in n. t. v. t. psal. . reg. . . job . . calvin opusc. collyer against the ministery , & c. ●p . , &c. bern. lib. . d● consider . notes for div a e- isa. . . heb. . . feb. . there were three sermons in a house in the parish , by a long cutler , a na●lor , and a milner . an ignorant and uncha●echised person is a fit prey for the devil . when men are children in knowledge , then they are tosse● too and fro with every winde of doctrine . epnes . . . levit. . . many become i● matters of religion meer s cep●●ks , because they would not 〈◊〉 practicks , s. ward . rom. . , , &c. anabaptism ▪ socinianism , armin●anism , &c amee scourges to plague formal pro●essors , and rotten hypocrites non est hodiè sciens q●i novitates non invenit . notes for div a e- s●m . . . * sleid. comment , l. . and l. . simpson . hist. p. . spanheim . eng. wa●ning by g●rmanies 〈◊〉 , p. , . pet. . . {non-roman} {non-roman} {non-roman} {non-roman} {non-roman} rev. . notes for div a e- hudson against ellis ▪ p. . bri●sly for paedobapt . p. , &c. * vixfas est credere visis s●pè satan tali in lumine luce nocet ▪ a●steed , tom. . p. . baylis's disswas . part . p. , . & p. , simpson hist. p. . bellum rusticorum in univers● germania supra homines sustulit . alst. tom. . p. mi●i , . sleid. com. l. . & . marshals ser. for inf. b. p. , . bayl●'s dissw● . part . p. . rutherf. again . antinomians , p. , . brinsly antid . ag . blasph . p. , . rutherf. ag . antinom . p. . ▪ bayly's dissw . p . en epulum diaboli ! — sic , sic glomerantur in unum ▪ innumer ● pestes erebi . claud. eng. warning by germans wo , p. , . * that bloody and abominable war in germany was occasioned by lewd anabapt. preachers , of whom muncer was chief . luther wrot against his murder and ●ischief , sleid. ● . . b●yli's dissw . . part . p. , . baxter against tombs , p. , &c. tim. . . & . , . nemo repentè 〈◊〉 turp●ssimu● . zac●● . ▪ . justi●ia peccati 〈…〉 , aug. a me , me salva domine . aug. calvin opus● . p. . v●nes ser. ag . heresie , p. . vos dum argumentis prosequor , non probris insector , quia in hoc abteroc●rtaminis genere vincere , est vinci : praeclarè olim artexerxes rex militi , hostem convitiis proscindentio , non ut maledicas 〈◊〉 alo ( inquit ) sed ut pugnes . dr. morton . alterum è macedonia fugere alterum persequi jussi● . culpam pertinaciter tueri , cu●pa est altera . job . , . as jerome said to austin : quod signum est majoris gloriae , omnes hae●e●ici ●e detestantur . notes for div a e- * vide socin. tract. de ecclesia . catech. racoviens . c. . thcop . nicolaid . in defens . socin. cap. . vide ruth●●f . du● r●ght of presbyt . p. the . part . anabaptistae omnes sumunt sibi praedicandi offi ium . gajtius , p. . vide hom. disput p. . mr. fry , though he approve not of this distinction , yet he useth it for distinction sake . fry ag . clerg . p. . a {non-roman} {non-roman} {non-roman} {non-roman} {non-roman} . b prid. fascicul . controvers . p. . & iunius contra bell. de cler. l. . c. . paul was a man of strong parts , great learning , and rare abilities , yet pleads his call , gal. . col. . . . apolloni . p. . c {non-roman} {non-roman} {non-roman} {non-roman} {non-roman} . {non-roman} {non-roman} {non-roman} {non-roman} {non-roman} . vide owen , duty of pastors and people , p. . &c. d a synod is judex judicandus ; and congregations are to examine with a judgement of discretion what is sent from them unusquisque in domo suâ est episcopus . aug. e m. brinsley in his looking-glasse for good women , p. . d hall , c. c. dec. . cas. . object . yates plea for prophesying . pag. . . answ. vide rutherf. dae right of presbyt . p. . and . prius distinguendum , antequam definiendum : qui bene distinguir , bene docet . f mr. ant. burges on mar. . , . dr. pocklington ( that popish ●riest ) would fain prove reading to be ●re●ching sunday no sab. p. , , cum versemur in constitutis ecclesis in quibus auditur vera doctrina , ordinem set vare debemus , ut omnia ●iant {non-roman} {non-roman} {non-roman} {non-roman} {non-roman} . nam immediatae vocatio deus tum ●titur , cum vel ecclesia nulla est constitutave olim constituta , degeneravit . aretius prob. par . . p. vide wi●●●t in levit. . q. . p . pet. mart. in cor. . p. . b. ☜ laicus tractet spiritualia ex charitate & necessitate , deficiente clerico , non ratione officii prid. fa●cicul . p. . apollon. considerat . c. . q . s. . h mornay du plessis of the church , ch. . p. , . &c. i a third way is not to be found in scripture . vide leigh on rom . , vide cottons way of the churches , p. , . he speakes fully to this point . and zanchy on eph. . . k th●● mr. fry is deceived , who judges by many probable fig●●s , that our kingdom is even ●t an end . fry , on the clergy , p. and our interest is dying , p. , l isa. . , . . out of which the lord will frame a vessel of honor to himself . notes for div a e- a damno . sam. . , . sam. . , . saul will offer sacrifice : the worke was good in it self ; but in saul , who had no call to it , ' was impious and unla● full . chron. . . to . 〈…〉 by this most famous s●hism , and terrible punishment thereof al are warned to keep order , unity and peace withi● the church of god , and in no wise to communicate with hereticks or schism●ticks , in the act of heresie or sch●sm . doway annot. mr. j. brinsley . the arraignm . of schism . p. . m pro thesauro carpones , pro junone nubem . in fr●ticoso gaudet auceps , piscator in turbido , fur in tenebris . verborum ambigutate & obscuris in volucris sese occultant , ne foeditas eorum appareat . calvin advers. libertin●s . ▪ a vocatione & missione . hinc pater , neminem esse audiendum , nisi legitimè mit●atur ad praedicandum à de a lap. smith on the crced , p. . d. vines serm. against herefies , on pet. . . p. , , &c. calv. instit. l. . c. . s. , . bowls pastor evang. p. . & . h●m . disput. p. . o zanchy in praecept . p. ames medul . i , . cap. . 't is not a mans able parts which makes ●im the steward of any of your houses , but your committing the keys into his hand not abilities , but a commission , make an ambassadour . dr. vines . vide rutherf. due right of presbyt . p. . and , , . p edwards gangraena , part . p. . among all the confusion and disorder in church-matters , both of opiniens and ●ractices , all forts of mechanicks taking upon them to preach and baptize ; as smiths , taylors , shoo-makers , pedlers , weavers , &c. there are also some women● preachers in our times , who keep constant lectures , preaching weekly to many men and women , both in lin ▪ colnshire and london , &c. antidote against lay-preaching , p. . * ●rid . ser. lat. p. . bernard against s●paration , p. . perkins treat. of calling , p. . &c. vide autidote against lay-preaching p. . . &c. am●s c. g. l. . c. . quaest. . q ld tantum possumus , quod jure possumus to teach i● the church , is an act of power and authority . antidote against lay-preaching . p. . ● . prid. orat . r al●erius esse non sunt nisi diabol , quae dei non sunt . tert. s dr. vines ser. on pet. . . p. . &c. t the very having of learning either a quiredly or i●●piredly , is not sufficient to authorize preaching without a special cal . antid . ag . lay-preaching . p. &c. though thou be able to teach thy brother , and thy brother thee , yet neither of you ought ministerially to do so , till thereunto you have ( as the apostles ) a specia●cal . idem ibid. bell. de eccles. milit. ☜ socrates , l. . c. . . theodor . l. . c. . t john . . al that com● before me &c. u mr. jo. trap . these men comemeerly to dispute not to see , or be convinced . divino praecepto intonante , obediendum est non disputandum . aug. cottons keyes , p. . c. . and his way of the churches in new-england , c. . f. . p. . it is a harder work to preach , then to baptize infants . w vide p. . x mihi est cordi aug. illud , statui nihil de hac ●e agere cum antagonistis nisi per literas ub● nullus turbarum tumultus . aug. a pari . vide willet in levit. . doct. . p. . lev. . , . v. prid. orat. . totaliter . synopsis purioris theo. p. . y a rule . minimum maximi , majus est maximo minimi . aaron was not only gifted inwardly , but separated and called outwardly . z {non-roman} {non-roman} {non-roman} {non-roman} {non-roman} . subrepo , furtim intro . a the dignity of a minister stands in three things : . that he 's g●ds ambassadour : . that by his commission he is sent to gods people , who are the only worthies of the world : . that a great part of the efffi●acie of the word rests by gods appointment upon him and his office . byfield , in col. . ames c. c. . c. . q. . s. . m●hi p. . to preach is the duty of a publike offic●r , not of a g●fted brother , 't is meer usurpation to take up a publ●ck o●fice , not being an officer . ut qui se absque vocatione gerit pro legato ad princip●m , pro impossore hibetur : ita qui se absque voctione in 〈◊〉 erit impostor est , imo fur & latro . joh. . . par. b bur h s. . . p. . . magna semper fec●runt , qui deo vocante docuerunt . lut. buea● . loci . q . p. . &c. bell serm. isa. . {non-roman} {non-roman} {non-roman} {non-roman} {non-roman} segregantes seipsos ab eccles●● & coetu sidelium . a l●p . ab absurdo . vide ruther● . due right of presbyt . p. . concesso uno ab●urdo , consequentur mille . errour is prolifical : grant one , and the dev●l will lead you to a thousand ; open but one gap in the hedge , and way is made for all the wilde heasts to enter , &c. mal. . . mat. . . act. . , . c mr. ant. burges sermon on mark . p. . dulcius ex ipso fonte libuntur aquae . workman against lay prea . p. , . d dr ▪ hal cases of conscienc● . ca. . dec. . p. . to . vide caryl on job . p. . vide d. prid. fascic . controvers ▪ p. . &c. spanheim . d●b . . qui dedit pe●rum piscatorem , dedit cypriarnm rhetorem . the excellency and 〈◊〉 fulnesse of humane le●ruing is fully proved by convincing a gu●●e●ts , a●d all objections 〈◊〉 , in a retius , probl. par . . p. . &c. 't is not phil●sophy , but the abuse of ph●losophy , which paul condemns col. . . v. davenant in l●cum ☜ e bowls pastor eya● p. . &c. prid. conc. . de sap. aegypt . trapp common place arts p. . thorndyke of relig. assemb. . p. . dithmar ethic. p. . . ruthers . due right of presbyt . p . par . sewan's diatrib. . p. . . & . f presbyterio competit examen , ordinario & inauguratio . a minori . hieron. epist. ad paulinum . hie●on , in col. . . ●aici non sufficienter , sed abundanter verbum d●ihabere debent . pium & prudentem lectorem requirit s. scriptur● . g {non-roman} {non-roman} {non-roman} {non-roman} {non-roman} contendatis , sanctâ sc. quadam aemulatione . b●za . as basil said to the emperours steward mis-interpreting scripture to defend arrianism , as some of you do to defend armînianism ; tuum est pulmentum caesari praeparare , non evangelium exponere . if thou be a cleaver of wood , to thy w●●ge and ax● ; if a hinde , to thy masters plough : but meddle not with gods affairs , lest he break out upon thee , a●d destroy thee . dr. parry pref. to ursin . catech ▪ tim . . ▪ . o●us vel humeris ang●li cis form●dancum . vide robinsons plea for prophes. p. , . antidote p. &c. priorem prolixitatem b●evitate compensari . h ubi ordo dominatur , ibi splendiscit pulchritudo . nazian. can● ▪ . . i col. . , . * merum est sacrilegium si quis non vocatus à deo in domum dei irruat . danaeus loci . p , . ab origine . vine berna●d against separat , p. , . baylies disswasive from the errours of , &c. . part , p. , . &c. ☜ ricraft looking-glass , p. . heb. . . v. synops. pur. theolog. p. . forsitan hae● aliquis ( nam sunt qu●que ) parva v●cebat . at quae non presunt singul● , juncta juvant . ovid . this way cannot be offensive to any , since it hath been long since practised by two very learned and godly divines , m. w. burton in his second sermon of the arraignment of the man of the earth , p. . and m. b●rnard isle of ma●● , who pro●es the lawfulness of such pleadings , in fine lib. nathan caught david by an allegory ; & christ himself oft taught by parables . k sententia à non judice suo lata , nullo est ipso jure , ut log . iurisc●ns . testes ex ●inu non sunt admittendi , vt loq . iuriscons . a iury against lay preachers . v. moulins buckler of faith , p. , &c. harm. of cons. engl. p. ● . &c. m he would often say , that presbyterial government 〈◊〉 haereticorum malleus , a hammer to ●eat down heresies . vindication of presb. p. , , &c. est ecclesiae scoticanae privilegium rarum prae multis , in quo ejus nomen apud oae●eros fuit celebre , q●od circiter annos plus . sine schismate , nedum haeresi , unitatem cum puritate doctrinae retinuerit . synt confes. in praef. p. . assembly at edinburgh assembly at glascow . see more , seaman , d●atrabe p. . propos. . vide harm. of con●es . engl. p. , , , ● , . ha● . . . harm. cons ▪ p. . art. . amongst the . so the ordin-●or ordination , p. . no man ought to take upon him the office of ● minister , till he be lawfully called and ordained thereunto , &c. v rut●erford against tole●at . chap. . p. . &c. caryl , ser. 〈◊〉 . est dogma seditiosum & diabolicum , dogma anabap●isticum de hominibus sine discrimine permittendis functionem eccle●iasticam suscipere , & in ecclesia d●cere . zanchy in , praecept . l. . c. mihi p appolon . engl. p. . & . bezala●ge annot. perkins ▪ vol. on isa. . p. nullus teme●e ocu● detur re●entino cuipi ●m & extraordina●io ▪ 〈◊〉 ▪ tui , q●o vix qu●● quam est in ec●l●sia periculo●ius . b●za t is a dange●ous thing to ●ay our 〈◊〉 at gods door , and fa●her them upon him . * on ●oh . p. . act. . , ▪ sam. . , . ● looking-glass or good women ● . . & . peter martyr on cor. . urg● th eight arguments against laypr●aching , and answereth . objections . igne charitatis sunt comburendi , luth. dr. cheynel , on the ●rinity , p . &c. mr. leigh treat. of divinity , prologom in fine . rutherf. against tolerat. p . notes for div a e- abraham wa● a k●ng , a prie● a prophet in 〈◊〉 own fam●ly . dr. cheyne● ser. on gen. . p. . . vide robinson against yates , p. &c. ainsworth on numb. . subter●ugere conantes illud ●nus , in lucom protracti f●erunt per signum , miraculosum , atque ita ad illud munus vocat i atque constituti sun● . piscat. fuit do num temporale . v. caiv in loco . non idem numero , sed specie , i. e. aliquid spirhul ●uo simile pr●●ucam . a lap. trapp in locum 〈◊〉 prophetasse , aliquid de eo q● . 〈◊〉 ebat ad gub●●nati 〈◊〉 p●li & ex instincta dei laudes dei 〈…〉 . lap. unâ fideliâ duos parietes dealbalo . b 〈…〉 if kings and princes might be pastors and teache●s , they should be papes to carry both swords , temporal● and spirituall . to all . ruth . we may not so expound scri●●ure ▪ as to make 〈◊〉 contradict it self , or to con●ound distinct ●allings . amiae semper scripturarumlites . hildersham 〈◊〉 , joh. p v. large annot. on bible . princ pum illorum officium non erat docere : sed id intelligendum est de procuratione docendiquâ procurabant u● d●cerent levitae ▪ suâ praesenti● authoritatem illis conciliantes apud populum , cum que ad illos audi●ndos coh●rtantes . piscat. in loc. v rutherf. due right of p. . &c. ☜ v. rathbard . against sepa●at . p. v. col●iers 〈◊〉 books against both trinity ministery . 〈…〉 〈…〉 extraordinarium non facit regulam commun●m . ●●can loci , p. . &c. v. owen duty of pastors and people , p. . , &c. optimus interpres seriptura●●st scriptura . p●ophet a ●ic donum h●guarum , ali●qu●●● ss charisma●● significat . 〈◊〉 lap. * see this more fully cleared in that clear little t●act ▪ antidor . against lay preach . p. . notes for div a e- r● binson ag . 〈◊〉 . p. . vivendum est ●egibu● , non 〈◊〉 weems . ●●●ewith syn. ●art . p. . h●e pro●sus ex●r●ordinarium ●uit . beza ●nnot . maj. in cor. . . v. beza in loc. joh. . . wee know that th●u art a teacher come from god , &c. galilae & alij , propter doctrinam & miracula caeperun● p●aeclare , h●norific● seu gl●riose de ipso se●tire & i●qui , magnam ip si 〈◊〉 tribuere , ac cum revetentia in singul●ri honore ipsem habere . chemnit . in loc. &c. p. . v. a lap. in luc. . . stella in luci . p. . rutherf. due right , p . gal. . . {non-roman} {non-roman} {non-roman} {non-roman} {non-roman} . robinsons pl●a , p. . see this point mo●e ●ully debated by r●ve ●end mr. 〈◊〉 . p. ● , &c. ●oh . . {non-roman} {non-roman} {non-roman} {non-roman} {non-roman} , de●igno , 〈◊〉 , & constituo , 〈◊〉 eigh . v. leigh's comment 〈◊〉 n t luk . 〈◊〉 ruthe●f . p. ●● . 〈…〉 multi ex scribis & pharisaeis erant sacerdotes vel levitae . a lap. per cathedram meton . intelligi● honorem , gradum , dignitatem , auctoritatem docendi & jubendi , quam apud judaeos habuit moses , quàm scribae mosen acceperint . a lap. diaconi bene fungentes officio acquirunt libertatem & auct●ritatem , ut bomines etiam potentes non curent : sed liberè ●a quae fides christi exigit , profite . antur , doceant , arguant & proficiant . a lap. robinson , p. , &c. see more fully on ●●is , t. workman against lay-preach . p. , . ●antidote , p. , &c. seaman diatrib . preface . argumentum ab authoritate negante , sed non ab authoritate negativâ , valet in theologicis . ut , non meminit hujus rei scriptura , ergo non est admittenda . prid. ex●raordinar●am vocationem non temerè damnant apostoli , sed ex effectis judicant . beza piscat. rutherf. due right , p. , &c. manus est symbolum energiae , index rei , & instrumentum operationis . vide greenhil in loc. perk. vol. p. . singulari dei impulsa hoc factum . cal. bucan. loci , p ▪ , &c. privilegium non tollit legem . p●tet hoscum ●yprios evangelist ● evangeli , zas●e gent●libus . a lap. quum antiochena eccl●sia per ministr●s extraordinem vocatos plantata sit ; non est in quod in plantandis ecclesii , semper ordinariam vocationem requiramus . piscat. in act. . . leigh com. on n. test. acts . . the {non-roman} {non-roman} {non-roman} {non-roman} {non-roman} and thing in question is n●t whether a gifted man may preach in an untlanted , but in a planted church . hic dignus vindice nodus . ubi similes causae & circumstantiae , ibi locum habet exemplum . weems iewish synag . part . p. , &c. by grace . this may have a relation to apollos , who by his authentical ministery called grace , rom. . . & . . cor. . . deodat . zanchy in eph. . . bucan. loci , p. . formatus ●uit à natura , informatus curâ , confirmatus praxi , in iis quae sunt domini . prid. vide ruther● . pl●● for pres● . p. , &c. vide large annot. hoc aliquid nihil est nuci cass●● simillimum , quod si cultro veritatis ape●iat●r , nihil intus inveni●tur nis● vani●as & inanitas . hoc {non-roman} {non-roman} {non-roman} {non-roman} {non-roman} . he that desires fuller satisfaction on this text ' let him peruse reverend m. rutherf. due right of presb. p. and workman ag . lay-preach . p. , &c. thorndike on rel. assem . c. . contraria juxta se ●osi●a magis elucescunt . m. wo●km●n ag . lay preach p. , , &c. p●opheti●m non vid●●u● in●elligere facu●●●tem d●vinandi even●us fu●uros qua ē accepe●●a●tvet●res prophet● & q●id●m n●vi post christum , ut agab s , & ● . qu● p●ae i●it de ordinariis & p●rp●●u●s h●ud dubio ch●rismatis : sed r●ctam s●ripturarum pro●●etica rum i●telligentiam & ●●plicandi fac●tatem , &c. par&us . vide leigh comment. loc. egoloq●or de a●●i● , hi dis●ep●●nt de cepis ex●●a●rdin●●y 〈◊〉 cannot m●k● an ord●●ary rule being in the church whilst the act of preaching is performed deod . so pisca●or in locum . vide leigh's comment in locum . and the large annotat. engl. v●ainsworth , in psal. . . sic a lap. in loc. apostolis loquitur de mulier●bus spi●i●u precum & prophetiae 〈◊〉 , &c par●●● in l●c . v. 〈◊〉 in locum . duplicivitio l●bor bin● : quod ape●to●cap●e incede●e●t . . q●od 〈◊〉 loquerentur . pet. m●tryr ▪ in l●● ▪ b●in●l . looking●gl●ss ▪ p. , . {non-roman} {non-roman} {non-roman} {non-roman} {non-roman} signif. servato gradu & statione in qua quis ●ollocatus ●uerit , ●e●e opibus cum ●fficio conjun●ctis addicare , q. d. eos sesequidem totos ultrò ●anctorum ministerio devorisse , legitime tamen vocatos , &c. leigh critic . tumofficium docendi tum quamvis functionem ecclesiasticam denotar . leigh . quodvis fignificat ministerium . aurenius problem . p. . anabaptist● omnis ordinis tubatores . par. si scriptur● per scripturas explicamus , nibiltic , pro anabaptistarum 〈◊〉 inveniemus . oportebar vos post tam longā institutionem esse doctores ; at in primis pietatis elementis quasi alphabeta●ii iyrones ab●duc haeretis : imò quasi infan●ei estis , quibus ●ac in●●illari , non solidum cibum ingeri , nec●●●● e●● . par. in loc. est fallacia aequivocationis , seu homonymiae , insunt termini . v. owen du●y of past . & peop . p. , , &c. nos omnes & reges & ●●cerdotes spiritualiter . p. matt. 〈…〉 p. . robi s●against yates . , &c. antidote , p. , , &c. v. p. . rutherf. due right , p. . theologia symbolica non e●t argumentativa . v. rutherf. due right , p. . hac reci●âsse est re●u●âsse . ● pet. . . jam. . , . robins . against yates , p. , &c. v. rutherf. due right , p. . {non-roman} {non-roman} {non-roman} {non-roman} {non-roman} , propr●ē , alta v●ce 〈◊〉 m●re c●amare , &c. leigh 〈◊〉 . robins . plea , p ▪ , &c. 〈…〉 carbone notandus . gratias ago deomco , quod d●gnus sim q●●●m mundus o●erit . hier. z●ch . ▪ . to be derided by egyptians , is t●●eatned as a misery , h●s . . ult. but to be reproached by professors , is very g●i●●ous . d●ut. . . a particulari ad universale , ab ●ypothesi ad thesin , non v●let consequentia . duci vul● ▪ non cogi vult● vide append. ad ius divinum , p. , &c. rutherf , due right , p ▪ . , &c. ☜ sadeel op●ra , p. , &c. hom. disp. p. zanc. in quar● . praecept . p. , , &c. bern. against sep. p. . prid. fascic . p. , &c. perk. vol. p. , , &c. mornay on the church , chap. . p. . r●thb . ag . sep. p. . shall ordinat . be thought more necessary to the being of a minister , then baptis● is to the being of a ●h●istian ? &c. we distinguish between a defective ministery and a fals ministery , as we do betw●en a man that is lame or blinde , and a man that is but the picture of a man , &c. b●ll ag . can , p. , , , , , , , , quis tul●rit gracchos ▪ bernard against sep. p. , &c. vide rutherf. plea , p , . and , , &c. ☜ vid. that excellent satisfactory vindication of the presbyterial governm . by the synod of london , nov. . . p. , &c. lond. vind. of pre●● . p. . ame●us unitat●m , ●imea●mus separatione●● . aug. m. brinsly ar●raign . of sep. p. , . me me adsum qui ●eci , in me convertite ferrum . domine deus , quaecunque dixi de tuo , agnoscant & tui ; si qua de meo , & tu ignosce & tui . aug. the hirelings ministry none of christs, or, a discourse touching the propagating the gospel of christ jesus humbly presented to such pious and honourable hands whom the present debate thereof concerns by roger williams. williams, roger, ?- . this text is an enriched version of the tcp digital transcription a of text r in the english short title catalog (wing w ). textual changes and metadata enrichments aim at making the text more computationally tractable, easier to read, and suitable for network-based collaborative curation by amateur and professional end users from many walks of life. the text has been tokenized and linguistically annotated with morphadorner. the annotation includes standard spellings that support the display of a text in a standardized format that preserves archaic forms ('loveth', 'seekest'). textual changes aim at restoring the text the author or stationer meant to publish. this text has not been fully proofread approx. kb of xml-encoded text transcribed from -bit group-iv tiff page images. earlyprint project evanston,il, notre dame, in, st. louis, mo a wing w estc r ocm this keyboarded and encoded edition of the work described above is co-owned by the institutions providing financial support to the early english books online text creation partnership. this phase i text is available for reuse, according to the terms of creative commons . universal . the text can be copied, modified, distributed and 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(eebo-tcp ; phase , no. a ) transcribed from: (early english books online ; image set ) images scanned from microfilm: (early english books, - ; : ) the hirelings ministry none of christs, or, a discourse touching the propagating the gospel of christ jesus humbly presented to such pious and honourable hands whom the present debate thereof concerns by roger williams. williams, roger, ?- . [ ], p. [s.n.], london : . reproduction of original in the harvard university library. eng clergy -- office. a r (wing w ). civilwar no the hireling ministry none of christs, or a discourse touching the propagating the gospel of christ jesus. humbly presented to such pious an williams, roger c the rate of defects per , words puts this text in the c category of texts with between and defects per , words. - tcp assigned for keying and markup - spi global keyed and coded from proquest page images - john latta sampled and proofread - john latta text and markup reviewed and edited - pfs batch review (qc) and xml conversion the hireling ministry none of christs , or a discourse touching the propagating the gospel of christ jesus . humbly presented to such pious and honourable hands , whom the present debate thereof concerns . by roger williams of providence in new england . london , printed in the second moneth , . in this discourse are briefly touched these particulars . . the nationall and parishional constitution of churches , is found to be the grand idoll of the nation . . the inforcing of the nation to such a constitution , is the greatest soul oppression in this nation . . the hireling ministrie attending upon such assemblies or others , is none of the ministrie of christ iesus . . the universities of the nation , as subordinate and subservient to such ministries and churches , are none of the institutions of christ iesus . . it is the absolute duty of the civil state to set free the souls of all men from that so long oppressing yoake of such ministries and churches . yet . ought the nation and every person in it , be permitted to see with its own eyes , and to make free choice of what worship and ministrie , and maintenance they please , whether parochial or otherwise ? . the apostolical commission ▪ and ministrie is long since interrupted and discontinued . yet . ever since the beast antichrist rose , the lord hath stirred up the ministrie of prophesie , who must continue their witness , and prophesie until their witness be finished , and slaughters probably neer approching accomplished , . the provocation of the holy eyes is great in all courts throughout the nation , by millions of legal oaths , which if not redressed , may yet be a fire kindled from his iealousie ; who will not hold him guiltless which taketh his name in vain . . the free permitting of the consciences and meetings of conscionable and faithful people throughout the nation , and the free permission of the nation to frequent such assemblies , will be one of the principal . meanes and expedients ( as the present state of christianity stands ) for the propagating and spreading of the gospel of the son of god . to all such honourable and pious hands , whom the present debate touching the propagating of christ's gospel concernes : and to all such gentle bereans , who with ingenious civility desire to search whether what 's presented concerning christ iesus , be so or no . all humble respective salutations . it being a present high debate ( honourable and beloved ) how the gospel of christ jesus might more be propagated in this nation : . and being desired by eminent friends , to cast in my mite towards it : . and having been engaged in several points of this nature , in my former and later endeavours , against that bloody tenent of persecution for cause of conscience : . and also having been forced to observe the goings of god , and the spirits of men , both in old and new england , as touching the church , the ministry and ordinances of jesus christ ; i did humbly apprehend my call from heaven ; not to hide my candle under a bed of ease and pleasure , or a bushel of gain and profit ; but to set it on a candlestick of this publike profession , for the benefit of others , and the praise of the father of all lights and godliness . . for the substance and most of this , i suddenly drew it up , and delivered two copies unto two eminent friends of jesus christ , and this nation : but being importuned for more copies then i was possibly able to transcribe , and being ( therefore ) advised by some honourable friends , to use the help of the press ; i am thus beyond my first intentions and desires ) held forth in publike . . if ought i have expressed seem harsh , dissatisfactory , or offensive ; i am humbly bold ( i hope in the power of the most high ) to profess my readiness to discuss ; debate ; dispute ; either by word or writing , with whom , or before whom soever the present debate concerns , with all christian meekness , and due submission . . it is true , i do absolutely deny it ( against all commers ) to be the burthen of the civil state to take cognisance of any spiritual cause ; and i do positively assert it , to be the proper and alone work of the holy son and spirit of god in the hands of his saints and prophets , to manage heavenly and spiritual causes ( and that only with spiritual weapons against spiritual oppositions . ) and therefore that the higher powers have been constantly deceived by the mercenary and hireling ministry ; who being themselves deceived , deceive ; and tack about ( as the wind , and time , and advantage blows ) from popery to protestanisme , from protestanisme to popery , from popery to protestanisme again ! from prelacy to presbyterie , from presbyterie , many to independency ; and will again to presbyterie and prelacy , if not to popery ( in some cases ) rather then lose ( as they say ) the liberty of preaching . but what that loss is of somwhat else ( gain , honour , &c. ) let themselves , and all men , judge impartially in the fear of god . yet . i humbly acknowledge ( as to personal worth ) i deal with men , for many excellent gifts , elevated above the common rank of men ; yea , and for personal holiness ( many of them ) worthy of all true christian love and honour : in which respects when i look down upon my self , i am really perswaded to acknowledge my unworthiness to hold a candle or a book unto them . and yet , if i give flattering titles unto men , my maker ( said elihu ) would quickly take me away ; and why therefore ( since i have not been altogether a stranger to the learning of the aegyptians , and have trod the hopefullest paths to worldly preferments , which for christ's sake i have forsaken ) since i know what it is to study , to preach , to be an elder , to be applauded ; and yet also what it is also to tug at the oar , to dig with the spade , and plow , and to labour and travel day and night amongst english , amongst barbarians ! ) why should i not be humbly bold to give my witness faithfully , to give my counsel effectually , and to perswade with some truly pious and conscientious spirits , rather to turn to law , to physick , to souldiery , to educating of children , to digging ( and yet not cease from prophecying ) rather then to live under the slavery , yea and the censure ( from christ jesus and his saints , and others also ) of a mercenary and hireling ministery ? . to which end , my humble and hearty cry is to the father of lights , to plead with all his children of light effectually ; so that they may look up , wonder , and say , am i a child of light ? is the father of lights my father , and the saints my fellow brethren and schollars in christ jesus , the children of light also ? what make i then in dark places , like those that have been dead of old ? what make i amongst the graves and tombs ; the livings , benefices , promotions , stipends & c ? i have been told a quick passage between the truly noble earl of essex ( in queen elizabeth her days ) and a truly able and zealous non-conformist : i have said the earl , been studying a great while these two points ; first , the persons of the bishops ; and i have laboured with the queen to prefer none but good men to her bishopricks . the next thing is their places ; which if i find them to be as bad as their persons be ; then , then &c. but they soon cropt off that noble head &c. that same blessed spirit breaths ( i doubt not ) in many heavenly spirits of our times in parliament , in councel in the army ; and their holy desire hath been to prefer the choice and flower of able and godly men to places in city ▪ in country , in university . it may yet so please the father of spirits , to stir up their noble minds to meditate as well hirelings places , as they have too well known their persons . it may also be , that his most holy and pure eye sees they have been highly honoured , and enough already : more work is left for growing sprigs , for whom some crownes are kept to which their fathers heads were not so fitted . . and yet although i humbly give the civil state it 's right , to wit , to take down places or persons which themselves or fathers have erected : yet am i also far from taking off a yoke from one , to clap on the neck of others . let the townes , the parishes , and divisions of people in the three nations be undisturbed by any civil sword , from their consciences and worships ; though traditional , though parochial : and let their maintenance be by tenths and fifths , or how they freely please . . only let it be their souls choice and no inforcing sword , but what is spiritual in their spiritual causes . . i plead for impartiality and equal freedom , peace , and safety to other consciences and assemblies , unto which the people may as freely goe , and this according to each conscience , what conscience soever this conscience be ( not transgressing against civilities ) whether of jews or gentile . object . but would you have say some , jews , turks , and papists live in protestant countries ? i answer , i judge it here only seasonable to say , that i humbly conceive , that this objection , and all that can be said ( as to piety or policy ) is satisfied in my late unwashing of m. cotton's washing of the bloody tenent : in that late endeavour , i humbly hope , i have made it evident , that no opinion in the world is comparably so bloody , or so blasphemous as that of punishing , and not permitting , in a civil way of cohabitation , the consciences and worships , both of jewes and gentiles . ireland hath been an akeldama , a field of blood ; probable it is , that the guilt of all that blood , protestant and papist , will fall upon this bloody tenent , of which both papist and protestant are guilty ; to wit , of not permitting the hereticks , the blasphemers , &c. as the sword falls either into the hand of a popish or a protestant victor . what a voice from heaven is there , in the forepast ages of our fathers , now rotten under us ! from henry the second his time , when englands first yoke was clapt on poore irelands neck , i say from henry the second his time , unto henry the eight , while their consciences had freedom under popish kings of england , how little bloud was spilt , english or irish , compared with the showers and rivers both of one and the other , spilt in the few years of our protestant princes , while the consciences of the catholicks have been restrained by the civil sword and penalties ? eightly , in the discourse it will appear , how greatly some mistake , which say i declame against all ministries , all churches , all ordinances ; for i professedly avow and maintain , that since the apostasie , and the interrupting of the first ministry and order , god hath graciously and immediatly stirred up and sent forth the ministrie of his prophets , who during all the raigne of antichrist , have prophesied in sackcloth , and the saints and people of god have more or less gathered to and assembled with them : they have praid and fasted together , and exhorted and comforted each other , and so do , notwithstanding that some are not perswaded and satisfied , ( as others conceive themselves to be ) as touching the doctrines of baptismes , and laying on of hands . lastly what ever be the issue of all their publick agitations , my humble and hearty cry to the father of mercies , is for every soul in the three nations , that desire to fear him ; whether of higher or lower rank , that we may more and more cry and endeavour for assurance of personal reconciliation in the blood of the lambe , more and more for participation of the divine nature in the purity and holiness of the spirit of god : more and more lament ( with jeremy ) the division and desolations of god's people and the holy ordinances and worship of god in christ jesus ; more and more press after love and all possible communion with god's people in the midst of many differences : more and more abound in mercy and compassion to the soules and consciences ; and wofull conditions of others , jews or gentiles , and more and more prepared with the golden shoes of the preparation of the gospel of peace , ready for all the good pleasure of god in christ jesus ; for prosperity , for adversity , for abundance , for want , for liberty , for imprisonment , for honour , for dishonour for life for death , as knowing that they that suffer with jesus , shall not only reigne with him , but here also in the midst of outward sorrows , be filled with joy unspeakable , and full of glory . being desired by some loving friends to cast in my mite as to that heavenly proposition of propagating the gospell of christ iesus , i am humbly bold to propose these conclusions , and their consectaries following . the two great prophets of gods revealed councell , moses ( the servant ) and christ iesus ( the lord ) as they have both declared unto us a creation , a creatour , the shipwrack of mankind , the restauration , the restorer , so have they both revealed unto us a visible company of the holy worshippers of this one most glorious creatour and redeemer , and that as for his owne most glorious praise , so in opposition to all false gods , who also are attended with their visible worships and worshippers . in order to gods visible worship the lord iesus hath broken downe the wall of division between the iewes and the rest of the nations of the world , and sent forth his ministers ( wisedomes maidens ) unto all nations , to bring in ( by the gospels invitation ) proselites , converts , disciples , such as should eternally be saved , to begin that heavenly and eternall communion in heaven , here in an holy and visible worship on the earth . this going forth of the true ministers of christ iesus is represented under the figure of the white troopers in the opening of the first seale where the lord iesus in his first messengers rode forth upon the white horse , or horses of the word of truth and meeknesse ( psal. . ) conquering and to conquer in the souls of men . thirdly , from the . of the revelations to the . we hear no more of those white-horsemen , that is ( as i conceive ) of the apostles or messengers of iesus christ , ( the whole streame of the intervening prophecies , from the . to the . insinuating a totall routing of the church and ministry of christ iesus , put to flight , and retired into the wildernesse of desolation ) . fourthly , during the dreadfull apostacy and desolation , the lord hath not left the world without witnesse , but hath graciously and wonderfully stirred up his holy prophets and witnesses , such as were before the waldenses more obscure , but more eminently the waldenses , the wicklevists , the hussites , the lutherans , the calvinists ( so called ) who have as witnesses prophecyed and mourned in sack-cloath dayes or years ( prophetically ) i say mourned for the routing ▪ desolating of the christian church or army : and panted and laboured after the most glorious rally thereof , and restauration . this testimony is probably neer finished , and the saints by their late and yet following wars ( i say probably ) must in rage the antichristian world , so far as to provoke the nations , to their great and generall slaughter , called the slaughter of the witnesses , revel. . after which and their shame three years and a halfe , followeth their most glorious and joyfull rising . these witnesses , these prophets , are probably those one hundred forty four thousand virgins , mysticall israelites , twelve times twelve , which stand with the lamb on mount zion , against the romish beast , and are the same number sealed twelve times twelve , revelations . but there is in the same seventh chapter , a numberles number , which no man can number , to wit , the converts of the nations of the world , which must yet come flowing unto christ iesus , after this his famous second conquest over the devil , the dragon in the romane popes having before triumphed over him in the romane emperours . the world divided ( say our ablest cosmographers ) into thirty parts , as yet but five of thirty have heard of the sweet name of iesus a saviour : his messengers must yet goe forth into the other twenty five , after the downfall of the papacie , when also at the fullnesse of the gentiles , or nations comming in , shall be the joyful raising us from the dead of the ( accursed , and yet beloved nation of the ) iewes , rom. . revel. . & . the civill state of the nations being meerly and essentially civill , cannot ( christianly ) be called christian states , after the patterne of that holy and typical land of canaan , which i have proved at large in the bloudy tenent , to be a non-such and an unparalel'd figure of the spirituall state of the church of christ iesus , dispersed , yet gathered to him in all nations . the civill sword ( therefore ) cannot ( rightfully ) act either in restraining the souls of the people from worship , &c. or in constraining them to worship , considering that there is not a title in the new testament of christ iesus , that commits the forming or reforming of his spouse and church to the civill and worldly powers . seventhly , no man ever did nor ever shall truly go forth to convert the nations , nor to prophecy in the present state of witnesses , against antichrist , but by the gracious inspiration and instigation of the holy spirit of god ; according to cor. . where the holy spirit discoursing of those three [ gifts , administrations , operations ] tells us that no man can say that iesus is the lord , but by the holy spirit : and revel. . i will give power to my two witnesses , &c. i prejudice not an externall test and call , which was at first and shall be againe in force at the resurrection of the churches ( as mr. cotton himselfe calls it in revel. . ) but in the present state of things , i cannot but be humbly bold to say , that i know no other true sender , but the most holy spirit . and when he sends , his messengers will goe , his prophets will prophecy , though all the world should forbid them . from the former conclusions we may first see upon what a false sent or word our fathers and our selves have run as to the true ministry appointed by christ iesus : how many thousand pretenders have been and are ( protestants and papists ) to that grand commission , matth. . goe into all nations , teach and baptise , & c ? in the poor small span of my life , i desired to have been a diligent and constant observer , and have been my selfe many wayes engaged , in city , in countrey , in court , in schools , in vniversities , in churches , in old and new-england , and yet cannot in the holy presence of god bring in the result of a satisfying discovery , that either the begetting ministry of the apostles or messengers to the nations , or the feeding and nourishing ministry of pastors and teachers , according to the first institution of the lord iesus , are yet restored and extant . it may then be said , what is that ministry that hath been extant since luther and calvins time ( especially what is that ministry that hath been instrumentall in the hand of the lord , to the conversion of thousands ? ) i answer , the ministry of prophets or witnesses , standing with christ iesus , against his great corrivall , and competiour antichrist , revel. . . the whole books of martyrs ( or witnesses ) is nothing else but a large commentary or history , of the ministry of witnesses , during all the reigne of the beast , to this day . look upon berengarius with the saints enlightned by him ; look upon waldus with his waldenses in france , wickliffe in england , iohn hus , and ierome of prague in bohemia ; luther in germany , calvin in geneva ; what were they but the holy prophets of christ iesus , in those parts , and other places , and countries , now examine their witnesses in two particulars . . negatively , wherein they witnessed against the false , against the vsurpations and abominations of antichrist ; and therein they were the infallible witnesses , and prophets of christ iesus , preaching and oft times suffering to the death for his names sake . but , . view them in their positive practise and worships , as they have assumed and pretended to such and such ministries , and titles , and churches , and ministrations , and there is not one of them , no not calvin himselfe ( the greatest pretender to church-order ) but the father of lights , in our times of light , hath been graciously pleased to discover their great mistakes , and wandrings from the first patternes and institutions of christ iesus . i know the multitudes of interpretations given upon revel. . as touching the two witnesses , and that many , if not most , incline to beleeve , at least to hope and desire , that their slaughter may be past and over : unto which in all humble submission to the holy councells of god , for zions sake , i most heartily say as ieremy once said in another , something a like case , amen . but all the interpretations extant , that ever i have yet heard or read of , they seem to me to look up the sun in a chamber , they are too narrow and particular , and like some almanacks , calculated for one meridian and climate . for antichristianisme is an vniversall plague-sore spread over all the empire that was romane : the romane popes , as vicars of christ iesus , pretend to a romane catholicisme , or vniversality also . the lord iesus his cause therefore , and the cause of his saints , is of a a more generall and universall concernment , such hath the witnesse of his servants been in all ages and countries of europe . now notwithstanding many particular slaughters ( as the book of martyrs and other catologues of christs witnesses testifie ) yet i see it not possible that that scripture can be satisfied , but that after the vniversall finishing of the witnesse , there must follow an universall persecution and slaughter unto which an universall provocation , and exasperation by the saints must probably precede and give occasion . wherein hath the former and latter ministry been defective ? i answer , in all these four , their gifts , their calling , their worke , their wages . first , in their gifts , for notwithstanding they pretend to the apostles commission , and to succeed them , mat. . yet they have never pretended to the gifts and quallifications of such a ministry , nor have they ever been able to clear up those two foundations of the christian religion ( heb. . ) the doctrine of baptisme , and the laying on of hands . secondly , notwithstanding that some plead their succession from the apostles or messengers , yet are they forced to run into the tents of antichrist , and to plead succession from rome , and neither such nor others which plead their calling from the people , can prove to my conscience , from the testimony of christ iesus , that either , christs succession did run in an antichristian line , or that two or three godly persons might first make themselves a church , & then make their ministers , without a preceding ministry from christ iesus unto them , to gather , and to guide them in such their administrations . thirdly the worke of that commission ( mat. . ) was exercised and administred to the nations , as nations , and the world , but all our professed ministrations , former and latter have been carried on ( in a grand and common mistery ) for the converting of a converted people , for if we grant all protestant nations to be christians , and so act with them in prayer as christians , and the children of god ; how can we pretend to convert the converted , and to preach unto them to convert them ? one or other must be denied , to wit , that they are converted , or if unconverted , that we may offer up christian and spirituall sacrifices with them . no herauld , no embassador sent to a city or army of rebels did ever ( constantly least of all ) performe such actions of state with those rebels , which represents or renders them in a capacity of honest and faithfull subjects . oh the patience and forbearance and long-suffering of the most high , whose eyes yet are as a flame of fire . fourthly , in their wages , whether by tithes or otherwise , they have alwayes run in the way of an hire , and rendred such workemen absolute hirelings between whom and the true sheapheard ( joh. . ) the lord iesus puts so expresse and sharp a difference : so that in all humble submission , i am bold to maintaine , that it is one of the grand designes of the most high , to breake downe the hireling ministry , that trade , faculty , calling and living , by preaching , and that if all the princes , states , parliaments and armies , in the world should joyne their heads and hearts and armes and shoulders to support it , yet being a part of babel and confusion , it shall sinke as a mil-stone from the angels hand into the deeps for ever . but is not the labourer worthy of his reward ? i answer , there is no reward ( by infinite degrees ) comparable to an hundred fold ( though with persecution ) in this life , and in the world to come eternal life , to all that deny themselves in this life , and doe , and teach , and suffer for the name of the son of god . more strictly and particularly i answer , first , he that makes a trade of preaching , that makes the cure of souls , and the charge of mens eternall wellfare , a trade , a maintenance , and living , and that explicitely makes a covenant or bargaine ( and therefore no longer penny no longer paternoster , no long pay no longer pray , no longer preach , no longer fast , &c. ) i am humbly confident to maintaine , that the son of god never sent such a one to be a labourer in his vineyard : such motions spring not from the living and voluntary spring of the holy spirit of god , but from the artificiall and worldly respects of money , maintenance , &c. wherein consists the making of the hirelings , explicit , and implicit bargaine . i answer , t is explicite , expresse and plaine , when there is a mutuall declaring and agreeing , for so much or so much , in one kinde or another , as the levite agreed with micha in the iudges . of this sort of explicite and plaine bargaines by way of tithes , stipend , &c. how is our owne and other nations full , and how many thousands are there of the instances of moving and removing from leaner to fatter benefices , like the former levite , from the poor chaplain-ship of micahs family , to the more rich and eminent devotion of a tribe of dan , just like servants hired by the yeare ( more or lesse ) stay not when they hear of proffers of more ease and better wages . secondly , an implicite or implied bargaine or compact is when there passeth no expresse agreement for so much or so much , but having been brought up ( as we say ) to that only trade , they must make their living of it , and therefore being something convinced of the grosser way , they are content as water-men , porters , and the like , with some kind of intimations by word of mouth , or in course which shall amount to such a promise as this expresse : i know your fare , your due , i will content you , &c. trust to my courtesie : the triall of this is plaine , for without such an implication or implicite promise , the hireling will not , indeed he cannot ( having no other way to live on ) move his lip or tongue , no more then a waterman or porter , his hand or foot . secondly , as to the labourer worthy of his reward , i answer , we find no other patterne in the testament of christ iesus , but that both the converting ( or apostolicall ministry ) and the feeding ( or pastorall ministry ) did freely serve or minister , and yet were freely supported by the saints and churches , and that not in stinted wages , tithes , stipends , sallaries , &c. but with larger or lesser supplies , as the hand of the lord was more or lesse extended in his weekly blessings on them . thirdly , when either through poverty or neglect , support and maintenance failed , yet still they eyed ( as sea men and souldiers say ) the good of the voyage , and the battel ( the common cause of the lord iesus ) and their owne hands day and night , supplied their owne and others necessities . and this was and will be the onely way of the labourers of the son of god . the priests and levites under the law had setled and constant maintenance . i answer , blessed be the father of lights who hath shewne his people of late times , the great difference between the stated and setled nationall church , the ministry , and maintenance thereof , and the ( ordinary ) afflicted , moving , flying , state of the church , and churches of christ iesus all the world over . although it be granted that the hireling ministry , both explicite and implicite , is none of christs , yet this is wonderfull , what should be the reason why so much good hath been wrought thereby , as the conversion of thousands ? &c. i answer , all the wisedome , mercy , goodnesse , and piety that is in us , is but a drop to the ocean of that which is in the father of mercies , who with infinite pity and patience , passeth by the ignorances and weaknesses of his children . hence luther and other monks , cranmer and other bishops , calvin and other presbyterians , god hath graciously covered their failings , and accepted his owne grace of good desires , good affections and endeavours , though many wayes defiled with sin . thus was his infinite goodnesse pleased to overlook the sin of poligamie , or many wives , in which so many of the fathers or patriarchs of israel , were brought forth . thus was he pleased to passe by the sins of the high places , where solomon himselfe offered sacrifice . and yet as to this great point of good being done , we may with truth assert two things . first , where god hath been pleased to bring in one soule to himselfe by the hireling ministry , many more have been brought home by the voluntary and more single preachings of some , whether publick or private ; by the endeavour of private christians , by the reading of the holy scriptures , by godly examples , by afflictions , &c. hence wofull experience hath made it evident , that many excellent men ( in their persons , and the graces of gods spirit ) have laboured a score of yeares and more , in an hireling way , without the birth of one child to god : while others singly out of love to christ iesus , have despised bargaines and hire , and been more abundantly blest with mercifull successe and fruitfulness . hence sure it is that there have been and are many excellent prophets and vvitnesses of christ iesus , who never entred ( as they say ) into the ministry , to wit , lawyers , physitians , souldiers , tradesmen , and others of higher and lower rank , who by gods holy spirit ( breathing on their meditations of the holy scriptures , and other private helps ) have attained and much improved , an excellent spirit of knowledge , and vtterance in the holy things of jesus christ , which spirit they ought to cherish , and further to improve , to the praise of christ . amongst so many instances ( dead and living ) to the everlasting praise of christ iesus , and of his holy spirit , breathing and blessing where he listeth , i cannot but with honorable testimony remember that eminent christian , vvitness , & prophet of christ , even that despised and yet beloved samuel how , who being by calling a cobler , and without humane learning ( which yet in its spheare and place he honoured ) who yet i say , by searching the holy scriptures , grew so excellent a textuary or scripture learned man , that few of those high rabbies that scorne to mend or make a shoe , could aptly and readily from the holy scripture , out-go him . and however ( through the oppressions upon some mens consciences , even in life and death , and after death in respect of burying , as yet unthought and unremedied ) i say , however he was forced to seek a grave or bed in the very high way , yet was his life , and death , and buriall ( being attended with many hundreds of gods people ) honourable , and ( how much more his rising againe ) glorious . but secondly , true and right prophecying and preaching , at first was , and shall be ( because after gods own way and ordinance ) beyond all compare with present times , gloriously and wonderfully successfull . thus acts . & . &c. poore sinners came mourning after a saviour by thousands . the church and people of god since the apostacy , is an army routed , and can hardly preserve and secure it selfe , much lesse subdue and conquer others , like a vessell becalmed at sea , which though it make some way by rowing and towing , yet not comparable to what it doth when the mighty gales of gods holy spirit breath ( as most he useth to doe ) in the wayes of his owne most holy appointments . thirdly , we may see a great mistake as touching that great point of conversion : there is a great breathing in the souls of gods people after the conversion of the english , irish , iewes , indians , and blessed be god for those breathings . yet doubtlesse the first great worke is the bringing of the saints out of babel , or confused worships , and the downefall of the papacie , after the witnesses slaughtered . hence it is probably conceived by some upon revel. . that untill the vyals be powred forth upon antichrist , the smoak so filleth the temple , that no man , that is ( few of the iewes or gentiles ) shall by conversion enter in . some will say , haue there not been great and mighty conversions of whole nations , england , scotland , french , dutch , &c. from popery to be good protestants , & c. ? i answer , if the holy scripture , the first pattern , and dolefull experience may be judge , as an eminent person lately spake ( upon occasion of a debate touching the conversion of the indians ) we have indians at home , indians in cornewall , indians in wales , indians in ireland , yea as to the point of true conversion , and regeneration by gods spirit , who can deny but that the body of this and of all other protestant nations ( as well as popish ) are unconverted , and ( as formerly ) ready to be converted and turned forward and backward , as the vveather-cock , according as the powerfull wind of a prevailing sword and authority , shall blow from the various points and quarters of it . by the mercifull assistance of the most high , i have desired to labour in europe , in america , with english , with barbarians , yea , and also i have longed after some trading with the iewes themselves ( for whose hard measure i feare the nations and england , hath yet a score to pay ) but yet ( as before ) i cannot see but that the first and present great designe of the lord iesus is to destroy the papacy , in order to which , two great vvorks are first to be effected . first , his calling of his people more and more out of the babel of confused vvorships , ministries , &c. and the finishing of their testimony against the beast . secondly , the great sufferings and slaughters of the saints , upon occasion of which christ iesus in his holy wrath and jealousie , will burne and teare the bloody whore of rome , in pieces . after which effected , the numberlesse number , rev. . the fullnesse of the gentiles or nations ( rom. . ) together with the iewes , shall flow to iesus christ . thirdly , we may hence see our great mistakes , both of our selves & our fore-fathers , as to the pretended seed-plots and seminaries for the ministry , the vniversities of europe , and the vniversities of this nation , for alalthough i heartily acknowledge that among all the outward gifts of god , humane learning and the knowledge of languages and good arts , are excellent and excell other outward gifts , as far as light excels darknesse , and therefore that schools of humane learning , ought to be maintained , in a due way and cherished ; yet notwithstanding , in ordine ad ministerium , as to the ministry of christ iesus ( any one of those ministeries , ephes. . & cor. . ) upon a due survey of their institutions and continuall practises compared with the last will and testament of christ jesus , they will be found to be none of christs , and that in many respects . first , as to the name schollar , although as to humane learning , many wayes lawfull , yet as it is appropriated to such as practise the ministry , have been at the vniversities ( as they say ) it is a sacrilegious and theevish title , robbing all believers and saints , who are frequently in the testament of christ , stiled disciples or schollars of christ jesus , and only they as beleevers , and this title is so much theirs , that both men and women beleeving , were called schollars , act. . there was a certaine disciple or schollar called dorkas . secondly , as to their monkish and idle course of life , partly so gentile and stately , partly so vain & superstious , that to wet a finger in any pains or labor , it is a disgraceful and an unworthy act : but the church is built upon the foundation of the apostles & prophets , who were labourers , fishermen , tent-makers , iesus christ ( although the prince of life yet ) a poor carpenter , the chief corner stone . and i cannot but conceive , that although it should not please the most holy and jealous god to stir up this renowned state , and their renowned cromwell ( the d ) to deale with our refined monasteries , as that blessed cromwell the first did with the more grosse and palpably superstitious in henry the eighth his days : yet in his time the lord iesus whose is all power in heaven and earth will spue out these seminaries of hirelings , and misticall merchants out of his mouth , as he hath done their fathers the superstitious and bloudy bishops before them . thirdly , as to their popish and vaunting titles , so strange from the new testament and language of christ iesus , or any word of title that came forth of his blessed mouth , [ bachellors of divinity ( or godlinesse ) doctor of divinity , so clearly and expresly opposite to the command of the lord iesus : call no man father , doctor , &c. that is , by way of eminency in spirituall and heavenly regards , rabbi , rabbi , doctor , doctor , &c. i omit ( because possibly for shame left off in these dayes ) their childish ceremonies ( used even by the most holy and consciencious ) in their superstitious commencings and creatings , &c. their holy gownes ( black and red ) holy cassocks , holy caps , , holy scarfs , holy rings , yea , and holy bootes also , &c. all as far from the purity and simplicity of the son of god , as far as the honest-attire of some sober and chast matron , from the wanton and flaunting vanities , of some painted harlot . fourthly , as to their ( pretended ) spirituall and holy exercises proper onely to the churches and assemblies of the saints ( the onely schools of the prophets appointed by christ iesus : ) how have they been by courts imposed upon every naturall and unspirituall man , who ( in truth ) perceives not the things that be of god : how have they been prostituted to every prophane and unclean lyp ; unto whom saith god ( psa. ) what hast thou to doe to preach my word , and to take my name into thy mouth ? fifthly , as to their being prepared and fitted by these means , as in a way of prentiship , to set up the trade and way of preaching , the science or faculty of spirituall merchandize ( revel. . in a deep mistery ) of all sorts of spices and precious things , the precious sweet truths and promises of holy scripture ; yea , ( which we may with holy trembling add ) a trade of selling god himselfe , christ iesus , the holy spirit , heaven and hel , and ( too too often ) their own souls , and the souls of thousands . but have there not come excellent men from thence , famous for learning , holinesse , labours , successe in the souls of thousands , & c ? i say , there have been excellent men ( some say popes and cardinals , and we are sure ) lord bishops and monks in their personall holinesse , gifts , learning , labours , successe , and therein famous prophets and witnesses of christ iesus ; yea , they have sealed the holy truths of god , which they have learned from the holy scriptures , and which they have declared to others , i say they have sealed them with their heart blood , but that 's no justification of their evill standings , institutions , administrations , &c. which ( as by degrees it hath pleased the father of lights to discover unto them ) they have come out of such bondage with shame and sorrow , and laboured after the purity and simplicity of the son of god . but extraordinary gifts be ceased , how shall now the people of this nation be supplyed with ministers , but from such seminaries of learning , which fit men both with learning to know , and eloquence to utter the heavenly mysteries : or would you have the people be of no religion at all , meer atheists , without god , without his word , without a ministry , & c ? i answer , 't is true , those glorious first ministeriall gifts are ceased , and that 's or should be the lamentation of all saints , to wit , the desolation and widow-hood of zion : yet i humbly conceive that without those gifts , it is no ground of imitation , and of going forth to teach and baptise the nations , for , the apostles themselves did not attempt that mighty enterprise , but waited at ierusalem untill the holy spirit descended on them , and inabled them for that mighty work : least of all is that a ground of counterfeiting , and of suborning a livelesse picture of that first ministry ( like ieroboams institutions ) when every one that hath friends may be preferred to fellowships in colledges , to the superstitious degrees and titles of divinity ( as they call it ) and by these staires ascend up the gospel preferments of rich and honourable benefices . yet secondly , far be it from me to derogate from that honourable civility of training up of youth in languages , and other humane learning , whether in the city of london , or other townes and cities , &c. all that i bear witnesse against , is the counterfeiting and sacrilegious arrogating of the titles and rights of gods saints , and churches ( as before ) which are the only schools of the prophets : as also against their sacrilegious and superstitious degrees ( as they call them ) in the profession of divinity , as if they only knew divinity , godlinesse , holinesse , and by such skill in godlinesse , and by such degrees might succeed the ancient scribes and pharisees , in the uppermost seats in synagogues and feasts , in reverend titles and salutations , as the only masters and teachers of religion and godlinesse , and all this in the way of the hireling , dividing ( dan. . ) the whole land for gaine : so that there hath not been roome ( without some speciall and extraordinary priviledge and license ) for the poorest cottager to live in england , out of the bishops diocesse and the priests parish , and payments : therefore , thirdly , in all humble reverence and due submission to the higher powers , i affirme , there was never meerly civill state in the world ( for that of the iewes was mixt and ceremoniall ) that ever did or ever shall make good work of it , with a civill sword in spirituall matters , and therefore have but builded & pluckt down , planted and pluckt up , churches , ministries , disciplines , &c. i acknowledge with thankfulnes , that many heavenly spirits , in k : edwards , q : elizabeths days , and since that , have been forming and reforming the states and nations , religion , worship , ministry , &c. doubtlesse intentions were holy ( as davids ) labours great , & gods mercy , and pity and patience infinite : yet experience long and ever hath told us that there was never a nation yet born in a day to god , that the bodies of all nations is a part of the world , and although the holy spirit of god , in every nation where the word comes , washeth white some blackamores , and changeth some leopards spots , yet the bodies and bulks of nations , cannot by all the acts and statutes under heaven , put off the blackamores skin , the leopard spots , &c. o why then should the wisedome of so many ages , still each after other , be preacht ( by the prevailing hirelings of each time , againe and again ) into the selfe-same delusion of washing the blackamore , & c ? there is not a towne , nor a parish , nor a person in england , but judge themselves christian , and to that end challenge the right and use of ( a minister , in sacris some ( as in all religions in the world it is ) to serve the dietie they worship , ex officio , as sacerdotes , or holy persons for and with them , in prayers and holy rites . this mine eyes have often seen among thousands of the wild , yet wise americans , who yet ( alas ) as all the nations of europe , and the world are utterly uncapable of formes and ministers ( or officers ) of christian worship , while yet in their naturall and worldly capacities , not borne againe , made spirituall and heavenly , by the holy spirit of god . yet , fifthly , i desire uprightly to be far from divers waights and measures in the things of god ( especially ) : and therefore i desire not that liberty to my selfe , which i would not freely and impartially weigh out to all the consciences of the world beside : and therefore i doe humbly conceive , that it is the will of the most high , and the expresse and absolute duty of the civill powers to proclaim an absolute freedom in all the nations , yea in all the world ( were their power so large ) that each towne , and division of people , yea , and person , may freely enjoy what worship , what ministry , what maintenance to afford them , their soul desireth . to this end i am humbly bold to offer , that it is not the will of the father of spirits , that all the consciences and spirits of this nation should violently ( vi & armis ) be forced into one way of worship , or that any towne or parish ( so called ) in england , scotland , or ireland , be disturbed in their worship , ( what worship soever it be ) by the civill sword : if the people freely choose that way of worship , and ministry , and maintenance they walk in , yea if they will freely pay them the tenths or fifths , i shall not envy their ministers maintenance , nor disturb either minister or peoples conscience by any other sword , but with that spirituall sword of two edges , the sword of gods spirit , the holy word of god . grant the bodies of the nations to be but naturall , but civill , and therefore cannot without the changings of gods spirit , be possibly fit as spirituall flocks of sheep , for spirituall pastors , or shepheards to feed and build them up with the spirituall ordinance of christ iesus ? yet , need they not a converting or begetting ministry of christ iesus , to preach repentance to them , to spiritualize and change them ? and if so , where shall ten thousand ministers be had to goe to ( about ) that number of parishes in england , without the constant supplies of the seed-plots and seminaries , the vniversities of the nation ? i answer , first , there are great disputes among gods people whether apostles or messengers sent out to teach and baptise , that is , to convert the nations , be yet an ordinance of christ iesus continued , or being extraordinary ceased ? there is a great dispute whether the ministry of the twelve ( matth. . ) or of the ( luk. . ) be continued since they both had an immediate call from christ . and secondly , such excellent gifts , abilities , and furniture from christ , which now we find none are furnished with , as healing the sick , raising the dead , casting out devils , &c. further , whether all these gifts and administrations , ephes. . & cor. . be to be expected ? for my selfe i am sure of two things . first , it is but little of the world yet that hath heard of the lost estate of mankinde , and of a saviour , christ iesus , and as yet the fullnesse of the gentiles is not yet come , and probably shall not , untill the downefull of the papacy . yet secondly , the ministry or service of prophets , and witnesses , mourning and prophecying in sack-cloath , god hath immediately stirred up and continued all along the reigne of the beast , and antichrist of rome . this witnesse is ( probably ) neer finished , and the bloudy storme of the slaughter of the witnesses , is yet to be expected and prepared for : but this , and the time , and many passages of revel. . is controversiall , and something like that of christs expected personall presence , the state of the new ierusalem , the new heavens and earth , &c. however this is cleare , that all that are betrusted with spirituall or temporall tallents , must lay them out for their lord and master , his advantage . that , all ( of what rank soever ) that have knowledge & utterance of heavenly mysteries , & therein are the lords prophets & witnesses against antichrist , must prophecy against false christs , false faith , false love , false ioy , false worship , and ministrations , false hope , and false heaven , which poor souls in a golden dream expect & look for . this prophecy ought to be ( chiefly ) exercised among the saints in the companies , meetings , and assemblies of the fellow-mourners , and witnesses against the falshoods of antichrist : if any come in ( as in cor. . ) yea if they come to catch , god will graciously more or lesse vouchsafe to catch them if he intends to save them . but for the going out to the nations , cities , townes as to the nations , cities , and townes of the world , unconverted , untill the downefall of the papacy , revel. . and so the mounting of the lord iesus , and his white troopers againe , revel. . &c. for the going out of any to preach upon hire , for the going out to convert sinners , and yet to hold communion with them as saints in prayer : for the going out without such a powerfull call from christ , as the twelve and the seventy had : or without such suitable gifts as the first ministry was furnished with , and this especially without a due knowledge of the period of the prophecies to be fulfilled , i have no faith to act , nor in the actings and ministrings of others : for there is but one god , lord and spirit , from whom those gifts , administrations and operations proceed , cor. . without whose holy & heavenly concurrence in all those three , both gifts and administrations and operations , instead of glorifying the name of christ , and saving souls , we may blaspheame his name , and grieve his spirit , and hinder and harden poor souls against repentance , when by fellowship in prayer with them as with saints , we perswade them of their ( already ) blessed state of christianity , and that they are new-born , the saints , and sons , and daughters of the living god ; therefore . lastly , if it shall please our most noble governours , to search into the institution and constitution ( as they have done of the diocesan so also ) of the national and parish churches ▪ ( concerning which i shal humbly subjoyn some queries in the close of all ; ) if they please to take off the yoaks , the soul yoaks of binding all persons to such parochiall or parish formes , permitting them to injoy their own belief , whether within or without such parish worships , parish maintenance , parish maryings , parish buryings , by which the souls and consciences of so many have been inbondaged in life and death , and ( their bodies , in respect of buryings ) after death . if they shall please so far ( if not to countenance yet ) to permit impartially all consciences , and especially the consciences , the meetings and assemblings of faithfull and conscionable people , ( the voluntiers in preaching christ iesus ) : so as that what people and persons please , may peaceably frequent and repaire to such spirituall meetings and assemblies , as they doe the parish churches : i am humbly confident , that as to the point of converting souls to god ( so far as the present state of christianity can be so promoted ) the souls of thousands will blesse god more , then if millions of hirelings were sent abroad from all the vniversities , both of popish and protestant countries . fourthly , upon the grounds first laid , i observe the great and wonderfull mistake both our owne and our fathers , as to the civill powers of this world , acting in spirituall matters . i have read ( as blessed latimer once said ) the last will and testament of the lord iesus over many times , and yet i cannot finde by one tittle of that testament , that if he had been pleased to have accepted of a temporall crowne and government , that ever he would have put forth the least finger of temporall 〈◊〉 civill power , in the matters of his spirituall affairs an●kingdome . hence must it lamentably be against the testimon● of christ iesus , for the civill state to impose upon the soules of the people , a religion , a worship , a ministry , oaths ( in religious and civil affairs , ) tithes , times , days , marryings and buryings in holy ground , yet in force , as i have ( i hope ) by the helpe of god , fully debated that great question with master cotton , and washt off all his late washings of that bloody tenent of persecution , &c. what is then the expresse duty of the civill magistrate , as to christ iesus his gospell and kingdome ? i answer , i know how wofully that scripture , kings shall be thy nursing fathers , &c. hath been abused , and elswhere i have at large discussed that , and other such objections : at present , i humbly conceive , that the great duty of the magistrate , as to spirituals , will turne upon these two hinges . first , in removing the civill bars , obstructions , hinderances , in taking of those yoaks , that pinch the very soules and consciences of men , such as yet are the payments of tithes , and the maintenance of ministers , they have no faith in : such are the inforced oaths , and some ceremonies therein , in all the courts of iustice , such are the holy marryings , holy buryings , &c. secondly , in a free and absolute permission of the consciences of all men , in what is meerly spirituall , not the very consciences of the iews , nor the consciences of the turkes or papists , or pagans themselves excepted . but how will this propagate the gospell of christ iesus ? i answer thus , the first grand design of christ iesus is , to destroy and consume his mortal enemy antichrist . this must be done by the breath of his mouth in his prophets and witnesses : now the nations of the world , have impiously stopt this heavenly breath , and stifled the lord iesus in his servants : now if it shall please the civill state to remove the state bars , set up to resist the holy spirit of god in his servants ( whom yet finally to resist , is not in all the powers of the world ) i humbly conceive that the civill state hath made a fair progresse in promoting the gospel of iesus christ . this mercy and freedome is due to the ( meerly ) religious consciences of all men in the world . is there no more due from the magistrate to christ iesus his saints and kingdome ? i answer , while i pleade the conscience of all men to be at liberty , doubtlesse i must plead the liberty of the magistrates conscience also , and therefore were his bounties and donations to his bishops and ministers , as large as those of constantine ; who , but the holy spirit of god in the mouths of his prophets can restrain him ? onely let not caesar , ( as constantine in his setled prosperity did ) rob the god of heaven of his rights , the consciences of his subjects their heavenly rights and liberties . but under the pretence of propagating the gospell of christ iesus ( it may be said ) what horrible opinions and spirits will be vented , as woefull experience hath manifested : i answer , opinions offensive are of two sorts : some savouring of impiety , and some of incivility . against the first , christ iesus never cald for the sword of steel to helpe the sword of the spirit that two-edged sword that comes out of the mouth of the lord iesus : and therefore if a world of arrians deny the deity of christ iesus : if a maniche his humane nature : if the jews deny both , and blasphemously call our christ a deceiver : nay , if the mahumetans the turkes ( the greater number by far of one religion in the world ) if they i say , pefer their cheating mahomet before him , what now ? must we raile , revile , &c. and cry ou blasphemers , hereticks ? must we run to the cutlers shop , the armories and magazines of the cities and nations ? must we run to the cities or nations , and senates , and cry , helpe you men of ephesus , helpe o inhabitants of ierusalem , &c. or must we fly up to heaven by prayers and curses , to fetch downe fire upon the persecuting captains and their fifties ? this doe the nations , this doe false christs and christians , but this did not , this will not doe the lambe of god , the lyon of iudah's tribe , who with his word and spirit alone ( which the father hath promised to put into his mouth , and the mouth of his seed , and the mouth of his seeds seed ( isa. . ) will either kill or save the gain-saying opposite . the second sort , to vvit opinions of incivility , doubtlesse the opinions as well as practices , are the proper object of the civill sword : according to that magna charta for the civill magistrate , rom. . and that true apothegme or saying , ex malis moribus bonae leges : good laws occasioned by evill manners . but ought not the civill magistrate to repeal their ordinance for tithes , and also to appoint some course for the maintenance of the ministry ? i answer , upon that ground of removing soule yoaks , and not restraining , nor constraining conscience , i humbly conceive , that the civil state cannot by any rule from christ iesus , either forbid the payment of tithes to such whose conscience is to pay them , or enjoyne them where the conscience is not so perswaded : for the further clearing of which assertion , i distinguish of the people of this nation into two sorts . first , such as have a freedome in their minde to frequent the publick parish assemblies of the nation , and they are also of two sorts . first , such as conscienciously frequent such places , either out of a consciencious zeale of worshipping of god , or out of a superstitious and traditionall awe . secondly such as can goe or not goe , and care not what religion themselves and the state be of . there is a second sort of people in this nation , which out of conscience dare not frequent such places , and they are such ; first , such as indeed feare god , and are in their consciences perswaded of an indelible character of holinesse upon such temples , as temples dedicated to a parish worship . secondly , such as out of an utter dislike of all protestant worship , and an high esteem of their owne catholick faith , are as far from love to such places as the former sort . now all these consciences ( yea the very conscience of the papists , iewes , &c. ( as i have proved at large in my answer to master cottons washings ) ought freely and impartially to be permitted their severall respective worships , their ministers of worships , and what way of maintaining them they freely choose . but if the civill state injoyne not the maintenance of the ministry : if they quite let loose the golden raines of discipline ( as the parliament exprest , and the scots objected ) what will become of the ministry of the gospel ; and the soules of men ? for if each mans conscience be at liberty to come to church or not , to pay to the minister or not , the prophane and loose will neither pay nor pray , but turne atheisticall and irreligious : the ministers of worship will be discouraged and destitute , and parents will have little mind to expend their monies to make their children scholars , when the hope of their preferment is cut off . i answer , first that supreame court in their declaration never declared to barre up all the doors and windows of that honorable house , so that no further light from heaven should breake into their souls and councels from the most glorious sun of all righteousnes the lord iesus , although the loose will be more loose ( yet ) possibly being at more liberty they may be put upon consideration and choice of wayes of life and peace yet however it is infinitely better , that the prophane and loose be unmasked , then to be muffled up under the veile and hood of traditionall hypocrisie , which turnes and duls the very edge of all conscience either toward god or man . thirdly , it is not to be doubted , but that each conscience , the papists and the protestants , both presbiterians and independents will aemulously strive for ( their not onely conscience but ) credit sake , to excell and win the garland in the fruits of bounty , &c. thus a iesuite once in new-gate boasted of the papists charity to a protestant ( put in also for his conscience by the bishops ) for , pulling out his hand full of gold , look here ( said he ) are the fruits of our religion . fourthly , such parents or children as aime at the gaine , and preferment of religion , doe often mistake gaine and gold for godlinesse , god-belly for the true god , and some false for the true lord iesus : i adde , such priests or ministers as can force a maintenance of tithes or otherwise , by the sword , or else cease preaching for want of such or such a maintenance , or can remove from bishopricks or benefices ( as calves and bulls of bashan ) for fatter and rancker pastures : or wanting spirituall worke and maintenance , are too fine to worke with their hands , as the first patternes , christ first ministers did , how can they say as peter to christ iesus , lord thou knowest all things , thou knowest i love thee ? &c. therefore lastly , the father of spirits graciously be pleased to preserve the spirits of our higher powers from laying on of hay and stubble , though upon the golden foundation christ iesus , for all such worke in matters spirituall , which our forefathers either popish or protestant in their severall changes in this nation have made , they have been consum'd and burnt ( like hay and stubble ) and come to nothing . the summa totalis of all the former particulars is this , first , since the people of this nation have been forc't into a nationall way of worship , both popish and protestant ( as the wheels of times revolutions , by gods mighty providence and permission have turned about ) the civill state is bound before god to take of that bond and yoak of soul-oppression , and to proclaime free and impartiall liberty to all the people of the three nations , to choose and maintaine what worship and ministry their soules and consciences are perswaded of : which act , as it will prove an act of mercy and righteousnesse to the inslaved nations , so is it of a binding force to ingage the whole and every interest and conscience , to preserve the common-freedom and peace . however , an act most suiting with the piety and christianity of the holy testament of christ iesus . secondly , the civill state is humbly to be implored , to provide in their high wisdome for the security of all the respective consciences , in their respective meetings , assemblings , worshippings , preachings , disputings , &c. and that civil peace , and the beauty of civility and humanity be maintained among the chiefe opposers and dissenters . thirdly , it is the duty of all that are in authority , and of all that are able , to countenance , incourage , and supply such true voluntiers as give and devote themselves to the service and ministry of christ iesus in any kind : although it be also the duty , and will be the practise of all such whom the spirit of god sends upon any work of christs , rather to work as paul did , among the corinthians and thessalonians , then the work and service of their lord and master , should be neglected . such true christian worthies ( whether endowed with humane learning , or without it ) will alone be found that despised modell which the god of heaven will onely blesse ; that poor handfull and three hundred out of israels thirty two thousand by whom the work of the god of israel must be effected . and if this course be effected in the three nations , the bodies and soules of the three nations will be more and more at peace , and in a fairer way then ever , to that peace which is eternall when this world is gone . a few queries subjoyned as to the former high question , of propagating the gospel or glad newes of a saviour . . first , whether the yet remaining division of the whole land , into nationall and parish churches , and the centuring and assembling of people into a parish church , be suitable to the true religion and testament of christ iesus : or rather an invention of satan and antichrist , to divide the land for gaine , into nationall , provinciall , diocesan , parochiall , so that there is not a foot of land left in the whole nation , for the holiest or the highest ( without some extraordinary priviledge ) where to finde a resting place out of such a church compasse . and whether is not such a profession of christ iesus , a denyall of christ iesus , whether is it not to make a state-religion and the ministry thereof ( like the dutch ) state ministers , as it was truly said of late , that the bishops were the kings bishops : and if so , since the head of the nationall church , or parishes is civill , the body be not so likewise , and consequently the whole frame of worship , but civill and politicall , and consequently the grand idoll of iealousie , before the flaming eyes of the son of god . . whether this nationall and parishionall forme of worship be a state-act , and so removeable at their pleasure . or is it the peoples act and choise , and not removeable without the peoples free consent : to which end , can the nation give , or the parliament take a power of framing and imposing a religion upon the people , any more ( if not comparably so much ) then of choosing and imposing husbands and wives ( in way of marriage ) to all the people of this nation : and whether therefore to inforce an vniformity of a nation to one religion or worship ( after the jewish patterne ) be not a soul oppression and usurpation , not after moses , much lesse after christ iesus the son of god . . if such an holy division of the land be a state-act , and removeable at pleasure , whether the not removing of such a forme will not be set upon the parliaments score , and be a controversie from the god of heaven against them ; for sure it is , being a plant which neither god nor the son of god ever planted , it must irresistibly be plucked up and cast into the fire . . if the state be found the founders and owners of the parish churches ( the meeting places ) whether ought they not to demolish them as iehu did , or at least slight the holinesse and forme of them by reducing them to a civill forme and use , as the army of late dealt with some such holy places . and whether is it possible for all the men in the world , or angels in heaven , to wash off that popish character of holinesse while still onely reserved for holy use , which both papists and protestants ( successively and interchangeably ) have made of them , as the temple for the parish worship , and so consequently the high places , and idol temples . . is it not more conducible a thousand fold to the peoples eternall welfare , that each towne and division of people in the land , be impartially permitted to make a stand , to examine and choose their way of worship ministry , and maintenance : yet whether or no is it not absolutely better that they did freely choose rather a false religion ( iewish , popish , turkish , &c. ) then without their owne free choise , to be nusled up in a way of traditionall and customary religion , or else in an enforced hypocrisie against perswasion and conscience ? . whether that policie that refuseth to search into these things , pretending danger of discomposing the present government and peace of the nation , the dismounting of the present governers , the misse of state-ministers in every towne , to keep the people in obedience , by publishing their acts unto them ; i say , is not such policie , ungodly , irreligious , unchristian , and the next way to provoke the jealousie of the most high , against both state and statesmen , and to cause from heaven , some other turne upon this power and common-wealth . . whatever the duty of the civill state be found to be , as touching the parish formes and churches , yet is not the unquestionable duty of the state to take off the soul yoaks from the necks of all that doe or may inhabite this nation , iewes or gentiles : and as to civill things ( the proper object of the civill state ) to cast the nation into a civill forme , and to appoint civill officers thorow-out the nation ; to record the birth of children : to take order as to marriages and buryings of all people impartially in a civill way : the want of which civil ordinance , as to the latter , hath been a second death in this nation to multitudes of yoak-fellows , parents , &c. who being not able to walk in the parish wayes of burying in holy ground , and by the parish officers , they have been forced ( not without danger also ) to the high-wayes for succour to their own consciences , and to their dead-beloveds . whether since the most high hath made bare and naked his holy arme from heaven for this nation , this parliament , this army , in most wondefull and singular deliverances , preservations , victories . and since this nation is set in the midst of the nations of the world , wearing a crowne of advantage to be exemplary and presidential to the whole world about us : whether hath not the most high reserved some wonderfull and singular acts for the trial of their singular love and gratitude : and since he rewarded iehu with temporall honour to many generations , and will not forget to pay richly for a cup of cold water , &c. since he hath promised an hundred fold in this life , to such as loose for his sake , and in the world to come life everlasting : is it not the best policy , wisedome and reason under heaven to search out only what is his only and acceptable pleasure in christ iesus , and to trust his infinite power , wisedome and goodnesse , what ever be the present successe or consequents . an appendix as touching oathes , a querie , although it be lawfull ( in case ) for christians to invocate the name of the most high in swearing : yet since it is a part of his holy worship , and sometimes put for his whole worship , and therefore proper unto such as are his true worshippers in spirit and truth : and persons may as well be forced unto any part of the worship of god as unto this , since it ought not to be used , but most solemnly , and in most solemne and weighty cases , and ( ordinarily ) in such as are not otherwise determinable ; since it is the voice of the two great law-givers , from god , moses and christ iesus , that in the mouth of two or three witnesses ( not swearing ) every word shall stand : whether the inforcing of oaths and spirituall covenants upon a nation promiscuously , and the constant inforcing of all persons to practise this worship in the most triviall and common cases in all courts ( together with the ceremonies of booke , and holding up the hand &c. ) be not a prostituting of the holy name of the most high to every unclean lip , and that on slight occasions , and a taking of it by millions , and so many millions of times in vaine , and whether it be not a provoking of the eyes of his jealousie who hath said it , that he will not hold him ( what him or them soever ) guiltlesse that taketh his name in vaine . an humble and christian proffer of disputation . whereas in the epistle i intimated my readiness to debate the particulars of this discourse , &c. i am here humbly bold to professe , as in the holy presence of the most high , that i am not conscious to the least designe or aime , but that of a conscionable and peaceable presenting verbum opportunum ( an apple of gold in a picture of silver ) into those honorable hands whom it so highly concernes . 't is true , my long exile into and in america , have rendred me now a stranger , and ( after the dispatch of some civill affaires ) i should unspeakably rejoyce to be gone to morrow ; but while the most high is pleased to force my stay : he hath also ( as i beleeve ) inforced my spirit , againe to proffer , in all christian meekness and humility to agitate with whom or before whom soever , these following proposals . first , since the remoulding of this nation into the modell of protestanisme : the clergy or ministry ( so call'd ) of this nation , both prelaticall , presbiterian and independent , and ( however in their persons many of them precious and excellent , yet ) as to their functions and offices , as to procuring the magistrates actings in spiritual cases , as to the worships and consciences of this nation , they have been bewildred , if not wholly blinded : for as the hireling way of ministry is none of christs : so for this hire , have not only the popish , but the protestant clergy , tost up and downe ( even like tenis-bals ) the magistrates and laws , the consciences and worships , the peace and war , the weale and woe of this nation . secondly , in all ages since constantine , the hireling ministry have must wofully mislead the consciences of the civill state by preaching them out of their civill spheare and line , sometimes into an headship , sometimes into a footship , ( now over and above , and againe as the revolutions have been ) inferiour to , and under the church : out of this civill line or sphear as this present age is forced to confesse , that the civill magistrates our fathers before us never made true christian worke of it , so i am humbly bold to maintaine they never shall : and therefore thirdly , as the civill permission of all the consciences and worships of all men in things meerly spirituall is no wayes inconsistent with true christianity and true civility : so is it the duty of the civill magistrate to suppresse all violencies to the bodies and goods of men for their souls beliefe , and to provide , that not one person in the land be restrained from , or constrained to any worship , ministry or maintenance , but peaceably maintained in his soul , as well as corporall freedome , to which end i add , that the violent putting in , and putting out of the severall sorts of the ministers of worship in this nation ( if against the peoples free choice and desire ) hath ever and will be yet , while so practised , a grand oppression , and a powerfull occasion , both of civill insurrections , and soul mischiefs . fourthly , the lord jesus christ , hath not forgotten to be infinitely faithfull , and infinitely wise and tender to the soules of his chosen , but hath in all ages , and in all conditions and changes of his spouse , stirred up by his holy spirit , and sent such voluntary labourers into his vine-yard , and so will , as have been , and shall be abundantly sufficient for this nation and all nations , as may best suit the holy ends and periods of his time and kingdome . fifthly , as he never appointed , so he never needed the casting of whole nations into oecumenicall , nationall , provinciall , parochiall or parish forms and classes : to feed which churches and the ministries thereof , he never appointed nor needed , the divinity ( or godlinesse ) degrees of universities and colledges , nor the enforcing of all the people of a nation to come to church ( as they call it ) nor the distinction between inforcing to some ordinances , but not to others , as to the word and prayer , and singing and paying , but not to the lords supper . all which are plants which god his father never planted , and therefore ( as all such like , though ●●irer plants and inventions ) must all in his holy season be plucked up , and cast into the fire . finis . notes, typically marginal, from the original text notes for div a e- the author's call to this endeavour . contrary to intention and desire . the civil power in all ages , deceived by the deceived and deceiving hirelings , the excellent gifts and spirits of many , who are yet captivated with a mercenary spirit and principle . the author 's humble advice to such excellent and worthy spirits as are ●et captivated in the trade of hirelings . holy persons most unfit for unholy places : god most wisely disposeth of his work , some to the fathers , and some to the children . impartial soul freedom to all the people of the nation . where the guilt of all the bloud spilt in ireland lies . the ministry of prophets , and the people of god have assembled with them all the reigne of antichrist . the duty of each particular child of god in the midst of differences and dictractions . notes for div a e- . conclus . moses & christ reveale from god a visible worship . . conclus . prov. . christs messengers sent into the world . the white troopers . . conclus . the white troopers routed . . conclus . a state of witnesses during the apostasie , revel. . & . . conclus . the . virgins , the twelve times . mysticall israelites , prophets and witnesses . a two-fold famous number of the followers of christ iesus in these times . the fullnesse of the gentiles , and conversion of the iewes . . conclus . the civill state cannot restraine or constraine in spiritualls . no other present sender but the holy spirit of god . consectarie . pretenders to that grand commission ▪ matth. . mistaken . not the true begetting or feeding ministry appointed by christ iesus , yet extant . quest . the ministry of prophets immediately stirred up by god . the two prophets in sack-cloath . a glance on revel. . the apostacy the witnesse the slaughter , the after rising all universall . quest . gifts . pretences to mat. . examined . cal●ing . worke . a stupendious m●stery of preaching to convert the converted . wages . object . christ iesus never made bargaine with his messengers or pastors . qu●st . the lands & countries divided for gain as daniel speaks , and men know in a way of hire what to be sure of expresly . an implicit bargaine ( like an onion ) is a bargaine infolded and wrapt up with more subtle peelings , &c. the first patterne of ministers maintenance . objection . objection . gods infinite patience in bearing with his peoples failings . the most voluntary preaching ever most fruitfull . excellent prophets of god , who never knew the pretended school of the prophets . an honourable remembrance of a despised witnesse of christ iesus , samuel how . no successe in preaching now comparable to the first , and why . . consectarie . no remarkable conversion of the nations , as yet to be expected . quest . the bodies of protestant nations yet unconverted . the present designes and purposes of christ iesus . . consectary . universities as to the ministry of christ iesus , none of his institutions . the title schollar appropriated to the ministers , a sacrilegious title . universities in order to christs ministery but refined monasteries . pharisaicall and popish titles , and ceremonies in their creatings and commensings . spirituall exercises proper only to the churches and assemblies of saints , the true schools of the prophets . the hirelings wofull trade and merchandize . object . answ. excellent & holy men in the bondage of sinfull institutions , superstitions . quest . the counterfeit of the apostolical ministry . institution of youth in humane learning withall instructing them with the knowledge & feare of the lord , most christian and honourable . the civill state never made good work in spiritualls . the body of a civill state or nation , and the elect or chosen of god out of each nation , must be rightly distinguished . absolutes f●●●●dome in ●●●●ters meer●● spirituall 〈◊〉 all the consciences i● the world . the people ought not to be forced to nor from the paying of tenths , or fifths , according to their conscience . objection . the apostolicall ministry to the lost nations interrupted . yet of the prophets and witnesses mourning in sackcloth continued . the ministry of prophets more opened . gods prophets of high or low condition , must not keep silence , and hide their talents , &c. the apostolicall ministry to the nations and peoples . the apostolicall ministry to the nations and peoples . the lords worke only in the lords way . the grand oppression of the whole nation is the parish inforced constitution . freedom for the people to frequent the word in other assemblies beside the parish , a great and hopefull means of blessed and soul-saving fruit to the nation . consectary . christ iesus no founder of covill power , in spirituall causes . quest . the civill magistrates duty , as to spirituals , turning upon two hinges . quest . the breath of christ iesus by which he consumes antichrist , stopt by the nations . quest . the magistrates and all men ought to excell in fruits of piety and mercy , according to conscience . object . no sword to be used against the most horrid blasphemies & heresies , but the two edged sword of the word , the sword of the spirit of god . quest . tithes ought not to be injoyned , or forbidden . the people of this nation according to their severall consciences distinguished . objection . the sun of righteousnesse is able to shine more light upon the wisest and the highest . some prophanesse better then inforced hipocrisie . severall consciences sometimes emulate each other . gain godlinesse and god belly the wonderfull burning of hay and stubble in this nation . soul-liberty , ought to be impartially restored to the three nations . all christs true followers , and especially the leaders among them , are a willing people and voluntiers . notes for div a e- dan. . queries as touching the parochiall division of the whole land . the inforcing of a nationall way , a national oppression . the parish churches , idol temples . there is a strange prophecy extant , henry the th abbeys and cels , henry the ninth churches and bells . traditionall religion the nurse of hypocrisie and destruction . dangerous state-policy . the want of civill officers in this nation as to birth of children , marriages and burials being all but naturall & civill things . singular mercies call for singular acts of exemplary and singular gratitude . notes for div a e- the holy name of g●d highly dishonoured by the legall oaths of this nation . the political mischiefs of popery, or, arguments demonstrating i. that the romish religion ruines all those countries where 'tis establish'd ii. that it occasions the loss of above millions of livres ... to france in particular, iii. that if popery were abolished in france, that kingdom would become incomparably more rich and populous ..., iv. that it is impossible that france should ever be re-established whilst popery is their national religion / by a person of quality. souligné, de. approx. kb of xml-encoded text transcribed from -bit group-iv tiff page images. text creation partnership, ann 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(eebo-tcp ; phase , no. a ) transcribed from: (early english books online ; image set ) images scanned from microfilm: (early english books, - ; : ) the political mischiefs of popery, or, arguments demonstrating i. that the romish religion ruines all those countries where 'tis establish'd ii. that it occasions the loss of above millions of livres ... to france in particular, iii. that if popery were abolished in france, that kingdom would become incomparably more rich and populous ..., iv. that it is impossible that france should ever be re-established whilst popery is their national religion / by a person of quality. souligné, de. ridpath, george, d. . [ ], p. sold by j. harris, london : . "translators letter to the book-seller" signed: g. ridpath. reproduction of original in the union theological seminary library, new york. created by converting tcp files to tei p using tcp tei.xsl, tei @ oxford. re-processed by university of nebraska-lincoln and northwestern, with changes to facilitate morpho-syntactic tagging. gap elements of known extent have been transformed into placeholder characters or elements to simplify the filling in of gaps by user contributors. eebo-tcp is a partnership between the universities of michigan and oxford and the publisher proquest to create accurately transcribed and encoded texts based on the image sets published by proquest via their early english books online (eebo) database (http://eebo.chadwyck.com). the general aim of eebo-tcp is to encode one copy (usually the first edition) of every monographic english-language title published between and available in eebo. eebo-tcp aimed to produce large quantities of textual data within the usual project restraints of time and funding, and therefore chose to create diplomatic transcriptions (as opposed to critical editions) with light-touch, mainly structural encoding based on the text encoding initiative (http://www.tei-c.org). the eebo-tcp project was divided into two phases. the , texts created during phase of the project have been released into the public domain as of january . anyone can now take and use these texts for their own purposes, but we respectfully request that due credit and attribution is given to their original source. users should be aware of the process of creating the tcp texts, and therefore of any assumptions that can be made about the data. text selection was based on the new cambridge bibliography of english literature (ncbel). if an author (or for an anonymous work, the title) appears in ncbel, then their works are eligible for inclusion. selection was intended to range over a wide variety of subject areas, to reflect the true nature of the print record of the period. in general, first editions of a works in english were prioritized, although there are a number of works in other languages, notably latin and welsh, included and sometimes a second or later edition of a work was chosen if there was a compelling reason to do so. image sets were sent to external keying companies for transcription and basic encoding. quality assurance was then carried out by editorial teams in oxford and michigan. % (or pages, whichever is the greater) of each text was proofread for accuracy and those which did not meet qa standards were returned to the keyers to be redone. after proofreading, the encoding was enhanced and/or corrected and characters marked as illegible were corrected where possible up to a limit of instances per text. any remaining illegibles were encoded as <gap>s. understanding these processes should make clear that, while the overall quality of tcp data is very good, some errors will remain and some readable characters will be marked as illegible. users should bear in mind that in all likelihood such instances will never have been looked at by a tcp editor. the texts were encoded and linked to page images in accordance with level of the tei in libraries guidelines. copies of the texts have been issued variously as sgml (tcp schema; ascii text with mnemonic sdata character entities); displayable xml (tcp schema; characters represented either as utf- unicode or text strings within braces); or lossless xml (tei p , characters represented either as utf- unicode or tei g elements). keying and markup guidelines are available at the text creation partnership web site . eng catholic church -- france. catholic church -- controversial literature. clergy -- france. - tcp assigned for keying and markup - apex covantage keyed and coded from proquest page images - judith siefring sampled and proofread - judith siefring text and markup reviewed and edited - pfs batch review (qc) and xml conversion the political mischiefs of popery : or , arguments demonstrating , i. that the romish religion ruines all those countries where 't is establish'd . ii. that it occasions the loss of above millions of livres or millions sterling , per an. to france in particular . iii. that if popery were abolished in france , that kingdom would become incomparably more rich and populous ; and the king's revenues would advance above millions of livres , or millions sterling per annum . iv. that it is impossible that france should ever be re-established , whilst popery is their national religion . by a person of quality , a native of france ; author of the desolation of france demonstrated . london : sold by j. harris , at the harrow in little britain . . to the honourable the house of commons . this treatise which i take the liberty to dedicate to your honours , with all imaginable respect , was published sometime ago in french , and by several persons of great judgment , thought not unworthy to be presented to your view in english , because of the importance of the matter , and the profit which they thought might from thence redound to church and state. the design of it is , to prove by political arguments , ( a method new and extraordinary ) that the romish religion is the falsest of any that hath hitherto appeared in the world , because it is the destruction and plague of all countries where it is established , and ruins nations more ▪ than any other false religion that we have yet heard of . this i demonstrate by the instance of france , and make it evident , that popery occasions the loss of above millions of livres per annum to that kingdom ; whence it follows , that even as to temporals , the kingdom of england reaps unspeakable advantages by the reformation , which hath delivered her from that cruel and unsupportable yoke . i have so much the greater reason to hope that this book will not be unacceptable to your honours , because it tends more and more to confirm the protestant religion in this kingdom , for the defence of which , against the tyranny of popery , you have on all occasions testified an ardent zeal . the tender care and great charity which you have manifested towards the poor refugees , who suffer for the said religion ; but above all , the courage and zeal you have discover'd in this last war , by sparing nothing that was necessary for the preservation of the protestant interest , have made it gloriously appear to all the nations of the earth , that you value neither your treasures nor your blood , when there 's a necessity of spending them in defence of your religion ; and in effect , there was no less at stake , than the loosing or preserving it , for your selves and your posterity ; nay , i may say for the whole protestant world , and together with that you must have lost your precious liberties , and all that is dear to you as men and christians ; that it would please god that by your genenerous example and sage resolves , you may transmit to all succeeding parliaments , that same prudence , magnanimity and zeal , for the mainte●…ance of the protestant religion and your publick liberties , against all attempts of popery , is and shall be the constant prayer of him , who is with all possible submission and profound respect , your honours most humble and most obedient servant , de soulignê grandson to m. du plessis mornay . the preface to the reader . about a year ago , i published a treatise , for the service of this nation , upon the present state of france , entituled , the desolation of france demonstrated : and there , in short , i made it evident , that popery was the principal cause of all the misery and ruin that hath befall'n that kingdom . the book was pleasing to this nation in general ; but some were apt to think i had aggravated matters , and that the condition of france was not so bad as i had represented it . amongst others , a certain gentleman of great parts , was pleased to write a manuscript upon that subject , full of wit , and diametrically opposite to what i had advanced , but did not think fit to publish it . the events that happened since , have confirmed , in part , what i then said ; whereupon that ingenious person hath acknowledged , in a curious piece lately published , that i had reason on my side , for what i had writ in general , as to the condition of france . but diverse other persons of worth , having wished that i would justifie the proposition which i had advanced , in the same book , viz. that popery occasions the loss of millions per an. to france ; which to them seem'd a paradox , i thought my self obliged to sa●…isfie their desire . to this end i publish'd what i had writ upon that subject sometime ago in french , that by the iudgment which others gave upon it , i might be the better enabled to conjecture what was proper to be added or corrected in the english edition , which i n●…w present to the publick , with several additions ; and had done it sooner , but for some reasons not fit to be here related . but i supposed besides , that people will have more inclination to read such pieces now the war is over , during which they lov'd to hear of nothing but bloody battles , and princes dethron'd , according to the humour of the romans in horace his time , as he expresseth it in the following lines , — pugnas & exactos tyrannos densum humeris bibit aure vulgus . i doubt not but some people will say , that i write with too much heat against popery : to which i reply , . that those persons don't know popery well enough , nor have they ever examined it throughly . they are misled by some common prejudices , and judge of that religion not according to its essential principles , and constant practise , but only by the external behaviour of some that profess it , as laicks who are s●…metimes as well polished , civilized , learned and honest in outward appearance , as protestants , and here those people stop with●…ut consulting the scripture , or considering that the d●…ctrine , morals and tyranny of the romish clergy , are more becoming devils than men. i confess , that they are men and women , as well as others , and that there are people morally honest among them , as there are among pagans , iews and mahumetans ; and even among the romish clergy , there are sone who are honester as to the matter of society , than their religi●…n obliges them to be . but those gentlemen i speak of , think there 's no hurt in their idolatry , nor don 't consider the mischiefs their religion does to ail mankind in general , because they think it never did them any ; so that according to this maxim of theirs , all religions should be alike , for there are rational and moral people of all perswasions . . i may reply , that there was never any protestant that had more reason than my self , to write sharply against popery , there having been no man hitherto , who hath studied that point so thoroughly as i have done , in regard of the infinite mischiefs , which it occasions to states ; as wi●…l appear by the following treatise . . no man can exceed bounds in expressing his abhorrence of popery , provided he forbear reflecting upon innocent persons , as i have carefully done , for certainly the malignity of t●…e romish religion and clergy , goes beyond all expression or idea ; and if i have reason on my side , as it appears i have , all honest papists will think the●…selves obliged to me ▪ fo●… disabusing them , and if they can convict me of a mistake , i am wi●…ling to bear the reproach of it . the wits of this age will perhaps find fault with my stile and manner of expression , and complain that it is dull and not genteel , for most people now a days look for a fine stile in books . but besides , that my matter will not admit of a fl●…urishing stile nor sallies of fancy , i freely own , that i am none of those who are fond , of the title of a fine wit , an orator or polite writer : i am concent if i can discover , in my rude method , such things as are of the highest importance , and use to men and christians , which no body else hath taken notice of . and i hope that those who love solid and important discoveries , and the order and good of the commonwealth , will do me iustice. those that have finer pens t●…an i , may perhaps handle this subject better after me , correct my faults , supply my defects , and add to my discoveries , it being a maxim as true ●…s common , facile est inventis addere . for my own part , i must confess that i expect more from works of this na●…ure , towards the destruction of popery , than from all the books of controversies that shall be writ henceforward . great men never read them , and for the most part , they govern themselves meerly by sensible reasons and visible interest . those that i propose here are uncontrovertible , beyond all exception , and intelligible to people of the meanest capacities , if they have but patience to hear them ; so that all that remains to be controverted , is the degree of the mischief occasioned by popery , and whether it be so great , as ihave represented it or not . i have chosen to insist on the instance of france , to prove the infinite malignity of the romish religion , rather than on that of any other popish state , because that country is best known to me , and that last year i undertook to make it appear that the ruin of france proceeded mostly from popery ; so that ●…is treatise is an appendix of that . i am forced contrary to my inclination , to represent the mischiefs of the government of france , but what i say is the truth , and with no design to offend any man , my intention being only to display the desperate malignity of popery . i own that those who govern in france , are endowed with many grea●… and rare qualities , but popery striveth continually either to stiste them , or to employ t●…em to base and pernicions ends. there is nothing more certain than that all would do well there , were it not for the popish clergy , and especially the iesuites , wh●… carry the chief sway in that nation . i propose ●…o other end to my self in this , but to serve the church of god , and my present country the kingdom of england , in which i have hitherto found some bread , and where i hope i shall not be suffered to starve in time to come : whereas on the contrary , i have been robb'd of all in france , for serving go●… according to my own conscience ; and it 's probable that if i and others ●…ad slaid there till now , we should not only have been d●…riev'd of our lives , but had the same endeavours us'd to ruine our souls , that have been made use of to ruine those of others . and moreover , it may be easily evinced , that all i say might be of infinite advantage to france , if she knew how to make use of it , seeing she might thereby become ab●…ndantly mo●… rich , po●…ent and happy , than ever she was ; so that in t●… respect i discover a thousand times more love for france , than those do who govern her , or than ind●…d she discovers for her self . the translator's letter to the book-seller . sir , the following book being now tra●…slated , must take its fa●…e in the world. the worthy author hath performed his part to admiration , and as it became a grandson of the gre●…t du plesfis mornay , though under a much greater disadvantage than he : th●… grandfather when he wrote his books , which have eterniz'd his fame , was one of the chief of the protestants of france , ( then a flourishing and formidable ●…ody , ) and abounded in all things necessary for his undertaking ; but the grandson , on the contrary , hath had much ado to escape with his life , and is cast upon our island as part of the valuable wreck of that once renown'd protestant church : yet in that forlorn condition , with little encouragement from men , and as little help of books , he hath given us many proofs of his zeal and abilities to serve the protestant interest . his book entituled , the desolation of france demonstrated , &c. met with deserv●…d applaufe ; and if the dignity of the subject , depth of thought , and strength of argument , have any influence upon mankind , there 's no reason to think that this he now offers to the publick , can meet with less . as for the translation , which is my own part , you know i have performed it du●…ing a hurry of other business ; so that if it be passable english it is as much as you can expect . the author will bear me witness , that i have kept to his sense , and indeed , as there is something uncommon in his thought , there is the same in his manner of expression , which is more adap●…ed to inform the judgment , than to please the fancy , and therefore to have attempted to set off or rather to disguise by flourishes of stile , what the author designed should be intelligible to every one , would have been an injury to the pattern he hath set me . i have nothing to add , but that as in the last century god raised up many great men ●…o discover the false doctrines of the r●…mish church , which made such people as had any due regard to their salvation , to come out of her . who knows ●…ut that he same providence , by raising up others to dis●…over the p●…li ical mischiefs of that religion to kingdoms and states , m●…y thereby stir up the kings and princes of th●… earth to hate the whore , and burn her flesh with fire . that this m●…y be one of the effects of this book ( the best , if n●…t the only trea●…ise that ever was writ upon the subject ) and that it ma●… a●…swer your expect●…tion , and procure the author that re●…pect and esteem , which he deserves ●…rom all good men , is the unfeigned wish and hearty desire of your humble servant , g. ridpath . errata . pag. . line . . less read more . p. . l. . r. flesh-meat . p. . l. . r. bought in lent. p. . l. . violenc r. violence . p. . l. . r. but when shall they be able to do it ? p. . l. . as r. an . political arguments , proving that the popish religion ruines all those states where it is the publick religion . to justifie my proposition , i will make it appear in eighteen articles , that the popish religion occasions the loss of above millions of livers per annum to france . the i. article which concerns this affair , is the cheats of the clergy , by which they pillag'd the people to the value of or millions per annum , thirty years ago , when the kingdom was in a good condition . part of the methods they took to do this were as follows . the chief are their masses , which they say for the living , and the dead , viz. to deliver the souls of the deceased , not from hell , but from a place ( unknown to scripture , nay to god himself ) which they call purgatory ; and to expiate the sins of the living , who either pay for those masses , or assist at saying them . this is the clergies greatest traffick , and that which contributes most of any thing to retain all popish states and kingdoms under the pope's tyrannical yoke , by the multitudes of priests and monks that it entertains , who are as so many armies to support that usurper , and who render him master of all those kingdoms . there are churches where above or such masses are said every day upon a great number of altars , as they call them , which raises subfistance for a great number of priests & monks , and did formerly maintain a greater number . it is here proper to be observed , that to the end they may entertain the greater number of 'em , at the same time they recommend the mass as the principal part of divine worship and religion , and oblige the people to frequent it every day ; the priests are strictly forbid to say above two per diem , except in some priviledg'd places , as in picardy , and the country of arras , because the parishes there are poor and small . which makes it plain that they have no essential reason why a priest may not say divers maises in one day , but that the court of rome was resolv'd to maintain as many of her pensioners or life-guard men , at the charge of others , as she could . the parliament of paris hath regulated their pay at d. per mass , and in divers provinces they have not above d. or d. apiece , which is as good , at least , as the pay of horse and foot , tho' they be more useful , and their calling less dangerous . abundance of masses are said for the cure of diseases , both in men and women , children , beasts and birds ; as hogs , dogs , geese , &c. as also for a happy journey , safe return of a ship , a happy marriage ; as also for meer trifles ; as for the finding again of a lost ring , fork , spoon , &c. nay ev'n for success in an assassination or plot against a prince , or a robbery , &c. that is to say , they do really sacrifice ( as they themselves pretend ) the body of jesus christ in all those cases , and many others of the same nature . being herein more blind than the very pagans , who thought it enough to offer some cakes , or to sacrifice some low-priz'd animal to their gods and goddesses , when they pray'd them to succeed their designs , according to that of the poet : — o pulchra laverna da mihi fallere , da justum sanctumque videri noctem peccatis & fraudibus objice nubem , — & tibi farre litabo . which may be englished ad sensum thus . o fair laverna , pre'thee never fail ore all my villanies to spread a vail , and thou shalt have thy fill of cakes & ale. i am also well assured , that in order to bring money into the priests pocket , they have in some places introduced a custom of playing at dice and cards for masses , as well as for prayers , and he that loses pays the priest , who does really next morning , as he pretends , sacrifi●…e jesus christ , ( but in an unbloody sacrifice however ) for the expiation of the winners sins and crimes , how heinous soever they may be . i own that i never saw them play for masses , but have divers times seen them play for prayers , and know no reason why they may not as well play for the other : in the time of pope leo the xth. the preachers of indulgence plaid for the pardon of the sins of towns and cities in germany . they get also money by those masses another way , which is , that those who assist at them do many times put money into the box , which falls all to the share of the priests . sometimes it happens that a dying person orders , , nay masses to be said for the repose of his soul after his death for which his heirs pay thro' the nose . there are very few roman catholicks who are not guilty of this weakness at their death , but if some of those who understand better , despise those fooleries upon their death-bed , their friends who are not so well informed , are sure to order masses for them , and pay the priests for their pains ; nay , the very poorest of them always take care to have some masses said . besides this , there 's every year an anniversary , as they call it , for most people which have left any estate behind them , or whose friends are well to pass , that is to say a mass sung for the soul of the deceased , by a great number of priests , sometimes or together ; who must all of them be splendidly treated afterwards , where they usually fuddle themselves , and each of them must have a piece of money besides . it is then upon the account of the great profit which the mass brings to the clergy , that they have made it one of the most essential parts of their worship . the invention of their fraternities or brotherhoods , is another grand method , by which they pillage the people , who being as ignorant as pagans , the monks take advantage of it , and perswade them that whoever enters into the order , shall have a share in the merits of the same , nor do they admit them without a considerable present at first , which they oblige them to repeat from time to time . sometimes there are people of quality of both sexes , nay , even generals of armies , that have been much esteem'd in the world , who do so far forget themselves , and become so weak , as to desire to die in the habit of these rascally monks , who impose upon them so far as to make them to believe that they cannot fail of being saved and of going directly to paradice , without touching at purgatory , provided they die in the habit of their order ; and that the habit of their st. francis , is as much worth as the baptism of jesus christ. many considerable persons in the courts of justice , and abundance of others are guilty of this weakness as well as silly women ; whence it comes to pass that they serve the order , into which they have entred , with all their might ; and it may be justly said that they divide the kingdom into diverse factions , who are in a continual c●…nspiracy against god , and the king , and their neighbours ; for as those different orders subsist and enrich themselves meerly by the idolatry , superstition and ignorance of the people , they foment it as much as they can , and engage in the interests and designs of the court of rome , to favour the same against the king and the state , and every one of those orders hate and despise one another , both out of a principle of envy , and because they know one another at bottom ; and then their devotionists , who are join'd to their fraternities espouse all their passions , quarrels and interests . those monks do likewise persuade abundance of silly women of quality and others , to enter their very sucking infants into their fraternities , persuading them that there 's no better method to make them to live ; insomuch that sometimes we shall see those poor little creatures muffled up in a monks hood and cassock , by which the order lose nothing . another method made use of by the ecclesiasticks , to catch the wealth and substance of the people is their indulgences , which they obtain of the pope from time to time , for some churches or monasteries , which whosoever visits , during such a number of days , which serve as a fair , or so many market days to the place , shall infallibly receive a pardon of all their sins , provided they give bountifully also to the said church or monastery ; for that is always to be understood , and there are very few but what give more or less in such cases . another of their baits to fish for the peoples money , is the holy relicks as they call them , in their churches , monasteries , and convents . and when the peoples devotion grows cold for the old relicks , they never fail of bringing new shrines or boxes full of new and fresh . and ordinarily they say they come from holy rome . it is well enough known , that oftentimes those reliques are pieces of past-board fashioned like bones , sometimes they are the real bones of an humane creature , and sometimes of beasts , as it hath been often proved ; the priests and monks making it the matter of their diversion to insult over the foolish credulity of th●… people in this impudent manner , and yet at the same time make them pay for seeing and touching those reliques . there are also miracles to be performed from time to time , when the priests and monks please , by the statues , images , or bones of some dead man or woman , under the name of reliques or shrines of some saints , as they call the bones and boxes in which they keep them . those miracles are of great advantage to the clergy , for by this means they bring abundance of offerings to their churches ●…nd chappels . there are moreov●…r legacies , dirges and donatives , whether they be voluntary by persons whom they have seduced , or suborn'd , or altogether false , which the priests or monks forge , in order to dispoil families , whereof the world has had millions of examples , and some such happen every day . auricular confession is also one of their most gainful inventions , by which they shear their flock four times a year . there are few people who don 't at such times give them a piece of money , especially those who are guilty of great crimes , and thereupon the●… receive absolution , provided that together with this they do some little troublesome thing , which the priests impose upon them under the notion of penance , the better to colour that infamous traffick , and to make the people believe that 't is not for the money they absolve them , for that would appear odious ev'n to the most dissolute wretch in the world. i take no notice here of the great advantage the pope and his clergy make of this confession , to dive into the secrets of princes and grandees , and of all people in general , that so they may make their own use of it , and take their measures thereupon to pry into the greatest secrets of men and women , which gives the ecclesiasticks an opportunity to debauch all the sex , or to squeeze money out of them ; for by this means they lead captive silly women , laden with sins , and carried away with divers lusts , according to the words of the text. there 's another thing very gainful to the romish clergy , and that is burials , not only in that they sell the ground at dear rate in their churches and convents , and that they make a great deal of profit as i have said already by masses for the dead , but they get also a great deal of money for the singing of a multitude of the priestly-herd at ordinary interments , where there is commonly a great number , who have each of them a piece of money and a good treat , at which they use to fuddle themselves , as well as at the aniversaries above-mentioned . i don't here condemn a reasonable allowance for one or two ministers or priests who go before the corps , and cannot subsist without those little profits , or who are there to comfort the friends of the deceased , or to instruct the company , by putting them in mind of their latter end ; or to preach the funeral sermons of persons of great merit ; but i condemn only the great excess of that pretended church , in imploying such a great number of priests at funerals without necessity , who sing in the streets like so many priests of bacchus , things which neither the people , nor the greatest part of themselves understand , and which occasions a great charge to the friends of the deceased , who frequently have not one bit of bread left after they have paid for the funeral , and the masses , that are to be said afterwards for the deceased . in my time it was a complaint at paris , that the meanest person , such as a footman , could not be buried for less than four pistoles . perhaps the court has moderated the charge , since they have erected so many offices of buriers of the dead , and criers of burials , and that there 's a tax as i am inform'd of eight crowns laid on every burial for the king ; for it would be very hard that the priests and the king should squeeze so great a sum from the poor people all at once upon this account . the gain which the priests have by marriages and baptisms , is also very excessive . let them in gods name have some profit thence as the ministers have in england , who cannot subsist without it , but this matter ought to be moderated , and there should be a distinction made betwixt poor and rich. at present i confess , that those profits of the popish priests in france are much di●…inished , because as times are now , there are but few marriages or baptisms in that kingdom . these are the most general and common methods that the idolatrous clergy of france make use of to cheat the poor ignorant people of their money and substance . i take no notice here , of what they gain by their schools and boarders , because it may be said in some sense , that what they gain that way is honestly got : yet herein also they occasion a loss to the state to which they are commonly e●…emies . and hereby they do likewise take the bread out of the mouths of abundance of school-masters , who are honester men than themselves , have nothing else to live on , have families to maintain , and pay taxes to the king proportionably to their income . whereas those ecclesiasticks have enough to live on without teaching school , being for the most part too rich already , and on the other hand , they pay almost nothing to the king , ruine the kingdom , and have no families to maintain . nay that which is worse , they acknowledge a foreign authority , viz. that of the pope , to be superior to his majesties authority , and they are accustomed to inspire their scholars with those injust and pernicious sentiments , as also a false and bastard devotion , which enclines them to shake off all subjection to their parents , to make themselves jesuits , or priests of the oratory , and to give their estates to the order into which they enter themselves , or at least to make their relations pay them a good pension , of which the convent reaps the profit . they do likewise corrupt those children in another manner , at least the jesuits labour under the scandal of it , and indeed there 's no wickedness of which they are not capable . the other monks who neither keep schools nor boarders , do nevertheless seduce abundance of young people , under pre●…ence of confessing them , and by vertue of the credit which they have to creep into houses , they ensnare and seduce also the parents to become monks and nuns , and to give them their estates , especially in the time of widowhood , nay sometimes they persuade them to be unmarried on that account , and so create divisions betwixt man and wife , and their children . they do likewise debauch their wives and daughters , know all the secrets of old and young , and make their own advantage of the weakness of every one . in many places the nuns do likewise take young boarders , who oftentimes learn somewhat else than virtue among them , and by degrees they persuade them also to turn nuns , especially if there be any profit to be had by it to the convent , for the relations of the girls give them either a considerable sum of money for ever , or a good annual pension , which is so much loss to the capital stock of the kingdom , seeing it falls into mainmort or becomes dead . there are also many of those convents , both of monks and nuns , who for money take in the young bastards of persons of quality , that would not have the thing known , and many times they make away with 'em ▪ there have been found in ponds , cisterns and houses of office , several corps and bones of those poor infants . they plunder the people also by their tapers , wax-candles and torches , which they use in grand processions ; for they oblige the people to furnish those things , and all that is not spent belongs , as they alledge , to the church , that is to say , to the priests or monks . it is well enough known , that on certain days , which they look upon as great festivals , they oblige every corporation or company , in great towns , to furnish huge torches , each of which does sometimes represent an history of the old and new testament , or fabulous legend ; or sometimes they will have the images of or persons , or as many beasts , in wax at large , so weighty that they must have or men to carry one of these torches . twenty such they carry in procession , which costs more sometimes than or livres ; and the profit of this is to be reap'd by their clergy , at the expense of the poor idolatrous people . this is chiefly to be seen on that ●…day , which they call the feast of god , for the popes , good men , have thought fit that god should have a festival , as well as dominic , loyola , & xavier , &c. and if the inquisition were established in france , as many people imagine it may be done in this reign , which however , i believe not , it would still pillage the nation more , as it hath done spain and portugal . there 's yet another secret way , that the monks are charged with using , to levy a great summ of money upon the people and their own devotionists , all at once , which is thus , when their convent and its dependencies , or their church , is old and does not please them , they set it on fire themselves , and then make heavy lamentations for that sad accident which it hath pleased god to permit , and then they go a begging for money to re-build what is burnt . if it require livres , more or less , to re-build it as it was , they will raise at least upon the people , leaving always the work unfinished , and give out , that the summs raised were but very small , and not enough to carry on the work ; for none but themselves know perfectly what is given , or what the building hath cost , because they take care that no body shall be acquainted with their affairs , and so this furnishes them with a pretence to beg constantly , and to procure legacies from some silly people when a dying , on pretence of finishing that work. there are many orders who sell little relicks , that they say have been consecrated by the pope , and beads that have touch'd some miraculous images . the carmelites have what they call the apparel of the virgin , &c. the holy days are moreover very gainful to the ecclesiasticks of all sorts , because the people go to church on those days , with more devotion than on sundays , cause abundance of masses to be said , and besides paying for them , give money also to the box. those festival days are like so many fairs ▪ wherein the clergy make money of their merchandize ; they are likewise very advantagious to the pope , not only in that they contribute to the enriching of his ecclesiastical troops , which he entertains , as i have already said , at the expence of those whom he has brought under his yoke , and of whom , he assures himself more and more by that method , both by weakening them , and keeping in their kingdoms armies and garrisons , of priests and monks , who have sworn to him , as being in their opinion , superiour to the king ▪ and having a right to claim obedience from him in every thing ; so that they are constantly ready , either to revolt or to kill kings , when the pope desires it , or when princes would have them contribute to the charge of the state. but those festivals we now treat of , are above all advantagious to the popes in this , that they raise him above all humane authority ▪ nay , above that of god himself ; for 't is they who have institured or authoriz'd all those pretended holy days , by which they give laws to the consciences of men , and oblige them to adore and invoke whom they please , and for the most part villains , that is to say , the popes themselves and the ministers of their tyranny ; and by this means the popes don't content themselves to be ador'd while they live , but they hope to be invok'd and ador'd after their death . they have also this satisfaction thereby , that they see the holy days of their own appointment , more devoutly observed than those of god's appointment , which is the sabbath . thence also they reap another grand advantage , viz. the money which they squeeze from the people for canonizing such and such saints . i must not forget here , the profit which they make by means of their father titrier , or title maker , as they call him , especially in the religious communities , for whom he forges titles , that they may bereave the laicks of their estates . the popes having erected marriage into a sacrament , is also a gainful contrivance for the clergy ; besides by this means they render themselves judges of the birth and legitimacy of the children of princes and great men , which keep them in a dependance upon the popes ; for under pretext that marriage is a sacrament according to them , and that the pope is the sovereign judge of sacraments , he can bastardize or legitimate whom he pleases . they often attempt to draw within their own cognisance , all testaments , treaties , acts and contracts 'twixt man and man , under the pretext that the oaths , by which they are confirm'd , are matters whereof the violation concerns the conscience . in this manner they would render themselves absolute masters of all the estates , as well as of the quiet and honour of mankind . the exemption which the ecclesiasticks plead from the ordinary courts of justice , occasions a great disorder in society , of which the popish clergy make their advantage . they get money also by granting dispensations , for eating meat in lent , and at other times . they also squeeze money from sick persons , or their friends , for carrying their pretended sacrament and holy oils to them . their mischievous clergy have a great number of other methods , to plunder the people of their substance , and they invent new ones from time to time , or extend and enlarge the old ones . i confess , that all the riches of which the clergy do thus cunningly bereave the people , is not absolutely lost to the kingdom , because they either spend it themselves , and so it circulates again among the people , or else they hoard it up , by which they do great prejudice to the state ; but however , soon or late the money comes out of their hands , at least after their death , and has its ordinary co●…se among the people : but it is certain that this money would have been much more profitable to the state , had it been in the hands of those addicted to trade , husbandry or handicrafts , and who have children to breed up . all men agree , that money robb'd or taken upon the high-way by villains , and spent lavishly , as it always happens in that case , or that money got at game by professed cheats , would do much more good to the state , if it were in the hands of industrious citizens , and those that are useful to the commonwealth , than in the hands of such profligates . and hence it comes to pass that in all countries , where there 's good discipline , these disorders are punish'd , tho' the money that they rob and cheat people of , does not go out of the kingdom . it signifies nothing to tell me , that the money which the priests catch by these methods , is given ●…hem freely ; for grant it be so , the state being so much dammag'd by it , ought not to suffer it . the master of a family , who wants management , does often times waste his estate to little purpose , tho' he does it willingly , yet he is nothing the less injurious to his family and creditors , and therefore the magistrates in some well-govern'd countries ▪ appoint a guardian over such , and that many times too at the request of their children . but moreover , 't is not true that the ignorant papists give their estates willingly to the priests , for they are the poor people whom they have made drunk with the wine of their fornications , according to the scripture-phrase , that is to say , with their idolatries and superstitions , threatning them with hell and purgatory , if they don't give them , and promising them heav'n if they give . therefore those who believe their follies , are under a moral necessity of giving them . it may be truly said , they rob the people of all they get in that manner , seeing the more they give that way , the less they have to maintain their families , carry on their trade and to breed up and give portions to their children . if they imployed that which they rob the people of in trade , handicrafts , manufactures , husbandry or fishing , it would still remain a great piece of injustice and disorder , 〈◊〉 the state would not suffer so much by it . 〈◊〉 they imployed it in buildings , profitable to the society , or purchasing jewels , or lasting mo●…oles , the state would not lose so much by it , but many times they spend it in excess of eating and drinking , and other lewd debauches ; or otherwise hoard it up in their coffers , or turn usurers . if those ecclesiasticks had not enough to subsist on , without all those cheating tricks above ▪ mentioned , it were much better for the people , how useless soever they may be , to make a publick fund , for their maintenance , than to suffer them to follow the trade of cheating ; as all men agree , it were better for them to provide thus for other robbers and cheats , if it were found to be an effectual method to divert them from that wicked way of living . but it hath always been thought , that it would be ineffectual as to highway-men by profession , and we may say the same , as to the popish clergy , who for the most part have enough to subsist on without cheats ; yet they find what they catch that way , sweeter than all the rest , and look upon it as the fruit of their cunning and parts . the shortest way then , would be to suppress six parts in seven of all those ecclesiasticks , which would be a good thing , even for themselves , because by that sort of robbery , they not only destroy their own souls , but also those of the people , whom they have bewitched and besotted , ruining besides a vast number of families ; and thus by their pernicious example , instruct and bring up all the world to imposture , cheating and hyp●…crisie , and make people to conceive monstrous opinions of the deity , by transforming the same either into a brutish idol that hath no understanding , or into a daemon as wicked as possible . so that all being considered , i do verily believe , that without reckoning the scandal occasioned by these disorders , there was no less than one third of loss to the kingdom , by those or millions which all those cheats brought to the popish clergy of france before this war. if it be said , that there are many other useless lewd fellows , that plunder the state as well as the clergy , that does not one whit excuse them , nor those who suffer such disorders , and might easily prevent them . but on the contrary , the more there are of others , the ●…ewer there ought to be suffered of these who are doubly hurtful , as being contrary to the salvation of the peoples souls , and the welfare of the government . the ii. article relates to the excessive multitude of ecclesiasticks in france , which are six to one in england , their respective proportions and extents being considered , ( and yet it is known there are more in england than in any other protestant country ) whence it appears , that there are proportionably so many more people in france that don't work , being idle fellows for the most part , altogether useless , nay , do a great deal of mischief . they are computed at altogether males and females , whereof i am sure males would be sufficient for the service of their pretended church , such as it is ; so that there remain useless ecclesiasticks . then it is to be observed , that adult persons , such as they , are worth double the number of others taken out of the common mass of people , especially if we consider that the greatest part of those ecclesiasticks are males . le ts reckon the work then to which those useless persons ought to apply themselves , if the world were not turned upside down , only at d. per day one with another ▪ without victuals ; and let us suppose also , that they work days in a year , the unprofitable holy days being abolish'd , that amounts to above millions livres per annum pure loss . i am willing to abate a million and a half for the lace , points , &c. made by some nuns , and for what some poor priests and monks work in their gardens , yet there remains still above millions of pure lo●…s , without taking notice of the contagion of their bad example of idleness , which corrupts the people , and besides 't is certain that they spend their time in doing mischief . i take no notice neither of their maintenance , which is ill bestow'd , and another robbery that they commit on the nation , seeing it ought to be imployed in maintaining others , who are more useful , and have so much the less , as those ecclesiasticks have too much , who are as drones that eat up the honey of the industrious bee. this article amounts to as much as the other ; for these people , as i have said , own , that by their professions , they are not to work nor to marry , and so devour the rest of the laborious people that have families . this , i say , is a robbery upon the common-wealth , according to that axiom , non nobis nati sumus sed patriae & liberis . we are not born for our selves , but for our country and children . some ignorant people will perhaps say , that they pray to god for others : i answer , that others either do pray , or ought to pray for them ; so that , as to that matter , they are ev'n with them . but i can tell them besides , that god doth not regard the prayers of the wicked , and their clergy are every whit as idolatrous and incomparably more vicious than the people , and that which is worse , do make them idolaters and seduce them a thousand ways . god also hates the worship and prayers of idolaters and hipocrites , especialy seducers , and chiefly when they call themselves christians , because then they make jesus christ the author of their idolatry and strange worship , which is the greatest of all impieties . article iii. mendicant-fr●…ars in particular , are a very great charge to the kingdom , all of them being absolutely needless , whereas amongst the secular clergy the bishops with a few canons , curats , and priests , are necessary and fit enough for the ordinary service of their church , such as it is ; and those begging friars are so much more intollerable than the endowed monasteries , as by their voluntary begging and laziness , they are very chargeable to the people , who maintain them richly one way or other . for ordinarily they eat the best , and drink abundance of wine , whilst many honest people who are useful subjects in the kingdom , have much ado to get bread by their labour . those wretched monks are also highly injurious to the real poor , who are robb'd of so much alms as those idle bellies receive . they are moreover greater hypocrites , and more ignorant than the rest of the clergy , and abundance of handsome young women chuse them for their confessors , because of their seeming devotion and mortification , under which pretext the●… commit a deal of uncleanness . it 's suppos'd that there are above of those monks in the kingdom ; let us reckon then that they cost the kingdom but d. a piece per day one with another , that will exceed six millions of livres per annum . this is the least they spend , for most part of them live in good cities or towns , where they fare deliciously , but take care as much as they can to conceal their good chear , because that would prevent the peoples giving them so much . i have several times seen divers spits full of choice p●…llets , venison and wild-fowl roasting for them in by houses , ( at a little distance from their convents ) where the people followed that way of living , and they wo●…ld tell me that those things were sent out of charity to the good fathers . article iv. all those several sorts of ecclesiasticks live unmarried , whereas protestant churchmen marry for the most part , and contribute to the peopling of the kingdom . the popish ecclesiasticks in france are comp●…ted as i said , at , who being all of 'em unmarried they render other adult persons which nature had designed 'em for wives or husbands useless for propagation . if the rest of the nation , should do thus , it would be entirely extinguished in or years . it is observed from the registers of births an●… 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 kingdoms , that there is near the matter equal proportion betwixt the birth and death of both sexes ; which is a proof that they are born one for another . now if according to the observation of 〈◊〉 , persons , double in 〈◊〉 years time , and produce , these in years time ought to be nine millio●…s according to the ordinary progress of generation . but because the number of ecclesiasticks was not ne●…r so great at that time as at present , fo●…●…e nearer we approach to the dregs of time , the more that vermin multiplies ; especially since the reformation , by which the empire of antichrist was shaken , and he endeavours to support it by an extraordinary multitude of guards and pensioners , who are in the same interest with himself ; and moreover because france was nothing near so well peopled in those days , as it hath been since , we shall content our selves with a fourth part of those nine millions which we suppos'd might have been born in years time , if the popish clergy had married . let 's see then to how much that loss might have amounted per annum , according to the valuation which we might have made of the people of france years ago . i have made it plain elsewhere , that without people a country is worth nothing , and that about years ago , the people of france might have been valued at livres a piece one with another , so that the loss of two millions and souls , which is the fourth part of the nine millions above-mentioned , that might have been born in years time of the romish clergy , had they been married , amounts to millions , which being divided by , is above four millions loss each year , and this is so much the more palpable , that those two millions and a half of people , being added to those that were already in the kingdom , would have increased in value , and have augmented the value of the kingdom , and of all the people ; for the better peopled a country is , the more valuable it is , as is also every individual in the kingdom , so that this occasions an annual loss of four millions at least , one year with another . article v. the popish clergy possesses one half of the estates real and personal in the kingdom of france , which half about years ago , we have computed elsewhere at millions per annum ; then it is to be noted that those estates are in mainmort , that is to say , lye dead , because they can neither engage nor alie●…ate 'em , nor imploy them in trade , so that they are less advantagious to the country than if they were in the hands of men fit for commerce , handicrafts ▪ husbandry or manufactures , or that those estates pass'd by inheritance from father to son , so that by necessary consequence , their being in the hands of the clergy , is very much against the good of the kingdom . hence also it follows , that the ecclesiasticks may well increase their own riches at the expense of the people , whose estates they are able to acquire , whereas the people can never make any advantage of them . they are moreover as so many usurers , and make profit from the industry and labour of the people , by lending them money at a great interest , which is very pernicious to a state. they are in this respect abundantly worse than the iews , who ordinarily are very covetous , spend little , and are great usurers , nor are there any land-estates to be purchas'd from them , because they ordinarily have none . yet they are abundantly more profitable to a state than the popish clergy , because divers of 'em traffick by sea , imploy vessels , marriners and other people of business , and do moreover maintain and breed up families . for our better understanding how prejudicial it is to a state to have a great part of their fund or stock in mainmort , we must consider , that if all the riches of a state w●…re so , it could not subsist , as the world is managed at present . trade , arts , ma●…factures , sciences and industry , &c. must necessarily f●…ll , all hope of advancing ones self , or of acquiring estates by labour and industry , or of distinguishing our selves from others would evanish , all people would by this means be alike wealthy , there would be neither poor nor rich , knowing nor ignorant ; there could be no subordination in any thing , and all should be in confusion . such a nation would be uncapable of making war , or defending it self : for a neighbouring nation whose funds should not be in mainmort , must immediately become master of that nation that were so , for by dividing their funds amongst their soldiers , they would encourage all their soldiers to take arms against the other nation , and to dispoil them of all . for suppose those two nations are equal in number of men , and extent of dominions , that nation whose wealth is not in mainmort , and has more poor people than rich , according to the usual course of the world , might make an effort twenty times greater than the other , seeing their stock is ordinarily of times more value than their revenue at the th penny. so that one very inconsiderable nation might by this method , easily conquer the whole world , if the wealth of all other nations besides it self were in mainmort , for as soon as ever they should have subdued another , they would dispose of their stock in favour of their soldiers , and of all others that should follow their party . if that should take place , there would be no such thing as getting of riches , nor would there be any need of money , but people would only barter one commodity against another with their neighbours for a few days , and in very small quantities , for the use only of a few persons . credit must either be totally abolish'd , or extend only to a small part of each ones revenue , and only for a few days or weeks , and there would likewise be a necessity of assurance , that he who borrowed was not already indebted to another in some part of his revenue . who then would take upon him the trouble of administring justice , if there were no estate to be acquir'd by his labour ? or who is it would be physician or divine , or serve the publick in any station for nothing ? suppose that in such a country i have an estate in land , which i cannot engage , and i have a desire to take up my abode in a neighbouring nation , where their estates are not so dispos'd in mainmort , and that i have occasion for two , ten , or l. in money , for something that may be advantagious to the state , or my own family , as carrying on a trade , opening shop , &c. who will lend me that money , if i can●…ot mortgage my estate ? or suppose i have money to lend , to whom shall i lend it ? where are my sureties , seeing no person can alienate his estate ? whereas when a man may mortgage his estate for ready money , all those funds enter into commerce , every industrious and diligent person imploys himself in hopes that sometime or other he may get some share of it , and thus all is in motion , and circulates as it ought to do in a body politick , without which it should not be able to make use of its members , but labour under a civil or political palsie . the soldier hopes to purchase some estate one time or other ; men of ingenuity and parts , if poor , entertain the like hopes , and therefore set themselves to business ; ●… good mechanick or mariner does the like , and so the rest , for which there would be no room , if estates were inalienable ; for in this case prodigality , liberality , covetousness , industry or idleness , could neither profit or hurt us ; if there were no riches , and by consequence no honours to be acquir'd amongst men . hence then it is clear , that the kingdom of france is depriv'd of the use of one half of its members , because one half of its substance is in mainmort , for the more of a countries wealth that there is so , the less they have of activity , motion , commerce or credit one among another , or with strangers . hence it comes to pass , that popish countries , who have a great part of their wealth in mainmort , cannot drive any considerable trade , ev'n tho' their mischievous religion should not have unpeopled them , as it in●…allibly does , unless they have abundance more of ready circulating money than other nations , which have more credit and hopes for trade , because they have more funds proper to be engaged in the same . tho' there be some popish countries in italy , that have still a considerable trade , as genoa , venice and leghorn : this is occasioned partly b●…cause the clerg●… is not so numerous and rich there , and partly that private persons are forbid the putting out of money to use , and that for the most part in times of peace , interest of money does not exceed per cent in those places , which obliges the people to be frugal , and to improve their money in a way of trade , without which popery would reduce them low enough in a little time . and yet notwithstanding ●…his , if all protestant nations would fix the interest of money among themselves at the same rate , they should quickly engross all the commerce into their hands , and in a little time those popish people would come to nothing , for naturally popery is good for nothing else but to ruin kingdoms , and to render the pope and the ecclesiasticks masters of all . the banks and lombards in those towns of italy are also very useful to them , but after all , these are but two or three cities in that country , which is no great matter , and which with all those helps would be much less considerable , if it were not that they have extended their dominion in a manner over all the rest of italy , of whose land estates they possess a great part by the purchases they have made , whereas on the other hand fr●…nce and england are generally fitter for trade , and without doubt the italians would be four times more proper for it than they are , and their country abundantly better peopled , were it not for their religion , and italy by remaining papist , would be much more unpeopled than 't is , were it not the seat of the papacy , but it is in some manner compensated for its losses by the popish religion , with the booty which the court of rome draws thither from all other nations , as those who live in the neighbourhood of algier are advantaged by the robberies of that nest of pyrats . it must be considered that in a great state or country , let it be what it will , and let them drive what trade they please , except it be in the provinces of holland and zealand , the real estates are abundantly more valuable for the capital fund than personal estates , tho' the latter do very near afford as much revenue . but if all those real estates were in mainmort , and could not be alienated , the personal estate would be abundantly more valuable , because any man who is possessed of such . might therewith purchase an estate in a neighbouring country which should not be in mainmort , and whereof he might dispose at pleasure . it is also certain , that how much land. estate soever any person may have , if his estate were in mainmort , he could not be said to be worth so much as the real value of his land , because a man cannot be accounted rich , but in proportion to that estate which he has power to dispose of . it 's true , that in a plentiful year , he should be able to maintain abundance of people , but then all of them would run the risk of being starved in a year of dearth and scarcity , because not being able to alienate his estate , he should not have credit to buy provisions ; and besides , those people that serve him must needs be slaves , for none else would serve him , but in hopes to gain something ; and what is it they could gain , when there is no stock to be acquir'd , nor no money , and if there were , it would be of no use to them . some may perhaps imagine , that if there were great publick store-houses of metals . cloaths , linnen , hides , and such things which might be alienated , and purchas'd by industry , either in whole or in part , that they might serve instead of real estates , as to that matter . but it is easily perceived , that this could satisfie none at best , but the poorer sort , who live from hand to mouth , and not aspiring persons , or those of a refin'd spirit . moreover , except it were steel and iron , which are indispensably necessary for the use of life , gold , silver and other metals , would be of little worth ; for there being no commerce , money would be out of use , for that very reason : and as for those other commodities above-mentioned , viz. linnen , hides , cloath , &c. they are so very apt to spoil , that they could not be kept any long time ; and besides with what should they be exchang'd , there being little or no money , because it would not be necessary , there being no trade nor estate to be alienated . further , if all those real estates were in mainmort , and unalienable , there would be no room for industry , and by consequence not the th part of the personal estates , that there are at present . for , as i have already said , money would be useless , navigation , ships , merchandize , and all moveables , superfluous ; all arts would decay ; no man would work but for his own use , and that of his family and pressing occasions ; persons of dignity and honour , if there were any such , could not make any figure or pomp , to distinguish them from others ; and in a word , the whole face of the universe would be chang'd , or rather turn'd upside down . of all riches , those which are most generally desir'd , and without which there could be no other , are real estates , to wit , lands and houses , because they are most profitable , durable and visible , and cannot be stoln ; and besides , they occasion their possessors to be most taken notice of in the world. these are things which cannot be wanted , whereas we may well enough be without most of the other things , and it 's the natural and general desire of all mankind ▪ to attain to such estates , which cause t●…e subsistance of society , arts , sciences , and commerce . if it be objected that in our time , there are abundance that love money better , and prefer it to real estates : i answer , that it 's because they know that therewith they can purchase houses and lands , when they have a mind to them . but if they had never so much money in a country , where such estates could not be alienated , they would find themselves very uneasie , and be perfect beggars , for where there 's no commerce , they would not know what to do with their money , nor would they any way be taken notice of . according to the present posture of affairs , a man may buy or farm an house and land for his money , without being oblig'd to any body , because such things are always to be had , either for a longer or shorter time , and that there is a flourishing trade amongst men , for which there could be no place , if all those estates were in mainmort . at present we may reckon kingdoms and states , as to the capital stock , and as to the revenue of this stock , we may reckon all the real and personal estates of a people , and of every particular person apart ; we can now fix the value of an entire nation , at a certain rate , but all these would be worth nothing , if real estates were in mainmort ▪ because there could be neither industry , commerce , revenue , nor money , &c. as for example , i have valued elsewhere , the revenues of all the estates , real and personal , of france , and the fruits of the peoples industry altogether at millions of livres per annum ; and the whole stock therein , comprehending the people at millions , at years purchase ; and likewise in england , i have valued the same stock and product at millions of livres per annum , and the whole stock therein , comprehending the people at millions , at years purchase . but if all those estates were in mainmort , they would not be worth the th , nay , the th part so much , nor indeed worth any thing , but the present enjoyment of the people , who would be very few in number , as i have already said , and like so many savages , having neither commerce , arts , manufactures , sciences nor money , as has been often said ; for no man would work but for himself and his family , and that too but from hand to mouth . these and many more are the inconveniencies , that would follow upon having all estates in mainmort . lands and houses are in a state , when they can pass from one hand to another , like bills of assurance or good security , which are worth as much or more than gold and silver , when those things can pass by way of commerce , there 's less need of gold and silver , and other personal effects ; and if this were not so , there would be an immediate obstruction of commerce , and the state must fall into a consumption . herein it is that the want of publick registers in england , is very prejudicial to the trade of the nation , because for want of this , those who would traffick with diverse persons that have estates , which might be purchased , dare not venture ●…pon it , for fear that those estates are already engaged to others , which for a time , has the same effect to those particular persons , as if their estates were in mainmort ; so that the publick and the proprietors lose abundantly by this means , besides the numerous suits , which are thereby occasioned ; so that 't is neither easie to sell them , nor to borrow money upon them . and hence it is observed , that in the town of taunton , where there are publick registers for lands and houses thereon depending , and for such estates as are morgag'd or not morgag'd , that that town is in a flourishing condition , for that very reason . but tho' the want of publick registers be a very great disorder in england , yet it comes far short of that which is occasioned by estates being in mainmort in popish countries . for in the first place , this may be remedied when the nation pleases , whereas in popish countries the pope and the clergy , who tyrannize there , and make their own advantage of those disorders , would rather over-turn a country , than suf●…er any reformation , as to that head , unless princes of great power and authority , such as the present king of france , undertakes it . in the next place , those dubious funds in england , are not perhaps the th part of those in the kingdom , neither are they constantly left out of commerce , as are those of the popish ecclesiasticks . and last of all , it 's well known , that this is no effect of the protestant religion , as the disorder whereof we now speak , is certainly an effect of the romish religion in france . but some perhaps may say , that entails are allowed in all countries , which hinders those that enjoy such estates from alienating them ; so that they cannot enter into commerce , so long as the entail lasts , and that by the same reason the popish clergy , may also enjoy estates that are inalienable without any great inconvenience . i answer , that those entails don't take place , but where men can't do better , that it is an inconvenience and not an indifferent thing ; but besides it is not usual for the entail to be perpetual , only for a little time , for assoon as the children , in whose favour it is made , become masters of the estate , it returns again into the publick commerce , and may be morgag'd and alienated , and pass from one hand to another , either in whole or in part . . there is not perhaps the th part of any country so entail'd all at once , and there 's no reason to doubt , but in a well-govern'd state , where the governours have sufficient authority , they would find a remedy for those entails , if there were too many of them , and that they would find out some other method for ensuring the estate to infants or heirs , without having the estate cut off from the publick commerce . . but besides that this is not so common ; it must be agreed , that there 's much more reason to have regard to poor innocent children , whom a father that 's an ill husband , might ruine , and who may one time or other be very useful to the publick , who are moreover recommendable for the sake of their grandfathers , grandmothers , or other ancestors , whose memory is dear to the publick . i say there 's more regard to be had to those infants , to whom that estate ought naturally and lawfully to be transmitted by hereditary right , than to ecclesiasticks who have no natural nor acquir'd right to those estates ; and who are besides unprofitable , for the most part , to a state , scandalous persons ▪ and i●… whose hands , and those of their successours , the half or more of the wealth of a nation , is always to remain cut off from publick commerce . but perhaps some opinionative persons may say , that to carry on the trade of a nation , 't is enough that the half of the wealth of a country is not in mainmort , which is just as much as if he should say , that it is as good to have half the body paralitick , and depriv'd of the use of half of its members , as not to be so at all , because they still live in that condition . but who is it that does not perceive that it is a distemper'd and a languishing condition , and that in such a case , a man cannot do half the business that he might do , if he were in perfect health . it cannot be reasonably denied , that the more vigorous a body is , the better it does work ; so that the more credit there is in a nation , the more all its effects are in motion ; the more arts , industry , agriculture and commerce flourish there , and the country becomes populous in proportion . what a mighty disorder then does it occasion that all those monks and priests ( who are the subjects of a foreign prince , seeing they have taken the oaths to him , and who is moreover of necessity the hereditary enemy of the state ) should be thus with all their wealth , sequestred from the state , in respect of all those things , wherein they might be useful to it , viz. in regard of imposts , and the charges of the state , and trade ; as also in regard of propagation , and obedience to their sovereign , as other subjects ; that they , i say , should be no otherwise united to a state , but so as to ruine it , and enrich themselves by its spoils . let us suppose the estates that are in mainmort among the ecclesiasticks , possessed by merchants or tradesmen , the commerce would have been much greater in france , and by consequence the kingdom should have been more rich and potent . let us suppose , that they had been in the hands of the generals of armies , collonels , and other military officers , who like the turkish timariots should entertain upon those estates so many thousands of married men as might cultivate them . what an incredible ease would that give to the poor people , who should thereby be reliev'd from the burden of maintaining so many troops ; what increases of people , and w●…at riches would not that produce ? or let us suppose , that those estates were in possession of people of quality , or others who either had serv'd , or might serve the king in his camp , tho' not in the manner of timariots , they would spend those estates in the service of the king , by doing him honour at court , or generously in fine buildings , sculptures , paintings , gravings , or other magnificent curiosities and ornaments , which would embellish and set off the provinces and towns , make arts to flourish , imploy a vast number of people , and cause money to circulate incessantly from one hand to another . or suppose they were possess'd by laicks of all ranks indifferently , as the other half of the estates of the kingdom are at present , and that as to other things the government should remain on the same footing as it is at present , ( which however is not much to be desired : ) the king in that case should mightily increase his revenue ; the officers of justice , of the police or discipline of cities , and those of the treasury , as also those of the imposts , and all their train , would get twice as much riches as they do , except their number should be augmented in proportion : in which case the king would be enrich'd by the sale of great number of places . it 's true , the people should always continue miserable if they were as much tax'd in proportion , but the king's revenues would be doubled . nay the very name of mainmort imports , that those estates in such hands are unprofitable to the society . i have enlarg'd a little upon this article , beyond what i intended , because it is of the highest concern in politicks , and that i have met with several men of parts , who did not ●…ightly apprehend the mischief of having so much wealth in mainmort . article vi. relates to the great quantity of plate which they have in their churches and convents , and in those places they call their treasuries , as st. denis near paris , notre dame de liesse , and des ardillieres , and other places of that nature . this one superstitious and foolish custom , must needs have robb'd the publick commerce of divers millions , at such time as the clergy had amass'd a great quanti●…y of it as before this war , which was the true cause that a great part of it was melted down by the king's order . suppose that in the whole it had not exceeded millions , that would have at least amounted to several millions amongst the people per annum . however i will not take upon me to determine how far this loss extended , because i dont know what quantity of plate they had , for the popish clergy never tell the truth in these cases , and very seldom in any others . article vii . relates to the constant practice of their clergy in hoarding up money , which is of more importance than the preceding article , for seeing many of them possesses great revenues , and are neither allowed to trade nor to marry , and by consequence have no lawful off-spring , they do ordinarily betake themselves to the amassing of vast sums of money , under the pretext of providing for their nephews and neeces as the popes do , and they don't provide for them neither , for the most part , till after their death , which is doubly prejudicial to commerce . it hath moreover been the constant observation of such persons that they are very covetous and don't love to give alms to the poor , altho' they be thereunto obliged by the intention of their founders ; so that taking of their avarice for granted , which is in●…eparably annex'd and natural to that sort of people , together with their sordid principles of parsimony , at least in all their communities , where they spend little in comparison of their vast incomes , tho' at the same time they eat and drink a great deal ; these things , i say , being taken for granted , as they are certainly true , there 's ground to believe , that all their clergy together , secular and regular of both sexes , might have constantly , before this war , at least millions of useless money to the publick , in their coffers , or the hands of the publick notaries . whence 't is easie ●…o perceive , that the publick lost considerably by this money , which in commerce , would have brought abundance of profit to the kingdom , helped to pay taxes , imployed abundance of people , and contributed to propagation . this article must certainly amount to sev●…ral millions ; i will not determine how many , but without doubt this , and the preceding article , are to be reckoned at or millions loss per annum at least . article viii . relates to the ridiculous festivals that they observe ; wherein the poor idolatrous people lose their time , besides the debaucheries which this abuse occasions indispensibly in popish countries , which together can't be reckoned at less than ●… millions of livr●…s loss per an. for supposing that the industry of the nation might have been formerly valued at above millions per annum , as i have made it appear elsewhere , if it were not for the abuses of popery , whereof this is one of the most prejudicial : supposing , i say , there are above working days lost in a year , by festivals in general , without reckoning sundays and some remarkable festivals , that would be the th part of the peoples industry lost , which amounts to millions per annum . we must also take notice , that besides those general festivals and holy days , there are many particular festivals , viz. those of every parish , who have their particular saint , whose image they adore according to the doctrine of their councils , the festivals of saints for every profession , trade and distemper , when they practise the like , the festivals of beasts or saints that are patrons of beasts ; so that there 's much above the th part of the peoples time lost . i confess that the time of those holy-days , is not absolutely lost , for then they mind house-keeping , dress victuals , and take care of their cattle on sunday , &c. and some other profitable things are done , as travelling by land and sea , and mariners are imployed on those days as well as others ; which to observe by the by , is still a great advantage , that protestants and trading nations have above others , who have not so much trade by sea. but then if we consider that those holy days debauch the people , teach them bad habits of idleness , drunkenness and immodesty , which hinders them from working on other days , ruins their families ▪ occasions abundance of disorders , quarrels , diseases , fires , and the death of many people ; one may easily perceive , that the dammage occasion'd by these festivals , amounts to above millions per an. and in effect , as men do generally ●…e those days , they look more like as if they were consecrated to the devil than to god. master●… suffer ve●…y much by this libertinism of their servants and apprentices ; and the poor wives at home are grieved , to consider that their husbands are at the publick houses , where they spend all that they had gained in several days , and will come home drunk , and perhaps beat them into the bargain . if it be pretended , that men work the better , and are the more vigorous the days after the festival , because they have had some rest ; that may be true , as to some of the honest people , but as for the greatest part , it hath a contrary effect ; their idlenefs and debauchery makes them lose those days and many others , and if all of them don't debauch themselves on those days , they spend them at least in races and unprofitable walks , which fatigues them more than their ordinary work , and to tho●…e who are of a regular ▪ temper , those holy-days are perfectly irksom . god who is wiser than man , hath appointed but one day in seven as a day of rest ; not that i would reproach those christian nations , who have but a small number of holy-days , that i think tollerable , provided there be no excess in their number , as there is an horrible excess in the popish church . i am really of opinion , that the disorders above-mentioned , which are the result of , or inseparably annex'd to those festivals , do almost as much mischief as the holy-days themselves , and experience shews us daily , that there 's more insolence and disorder committed on one holy-day than on three others , and that by an ill habit they contract on those days ; they do likewise break out in profanity on the lords day ; and most masters of shops in towns , complain that they cannot find journey-men to work the day after holy-days , nay , nor on mondays , because of the sunday preceding , the rabble usually disordering themselves so much on those holy-days , that they cannot work the day after . i take no notice here of the disorders and debaucheries that are committed at their midnight-masses . to this i may joyn their loss of time in their scandalous pilgrimages , it being known that sometimes they go as far as rome , and loretto , and st. james de compostella in spain , &c. and now and then as far as jerusalem . besides , they lose abundance of time in shrieving or confessing themselves , and at their anniversary days , ash-wednesday , &c. and by carrying their pretended sacrament or god about e●…ery day , by persons at a time , besides the priest who holds it in his hands ; and this is perhaps in places at once in some great cities . they lose also abundance of time in their daily masses , which are said without any shadow of necessity , but meerly to subsist the popes troops in the country at the charge of the people . they have moreover their private masses for the cure of their cattle , at which every one who is interested is obliged to assist . they lose abundance of time at all those follies , of which i might make an article apart , as also their ambarvalia and rogation weeks ( which they have borrowed from the pagans , as they have done most of the rest of their religion ) by which they think to procure rain , or divert boisterous seasons , when they threaten their corn. and this loss of time is so much the more ruinous to france , that there are abundance of more people in it unfit for work proportionably , than in england , viz. lawyers and other civil officers , clergy-men , & c. article xi . relates to the summ ▪ which the pope draws from france every year , under different denominations as annates , bulls , dispensations , indulgences , relicks , provisions , agnus dei , and consecrated grains , all sorts of expedition , consecrations of prelates , dedications of churches , jubilès now and then , both at france and at rome , &c. which is so much the more ridiculous for france to endure , that the nation since many ages , has not had greater enemies than the popes , and yet the money drain'd out of the kingdom by this means , amounts to diverse millions annually . mr. dè sully surintendant of the finances , under henry the iv. having well examin'd the matter , found that in that time the pope got every year one with another , above millions of livres from france ; and since that time it has doubled at least ; suppose it were but millions of livres per annum , 't is millions in years time . article x. is concerning the great summs which the cardinals protectors of france , and divers other romish prelates , who are pensioners of france , besides the knights of maltha , &c. draw yearly out of the kingdom by benefices which they possess in it . this amounts also to several millions yearly . article xi . relates to the tapers , wax-candles , and oil that is spent in their foolish superstitions , as burning them before images , statues , hosties , and at funerals , &c. which did formerly cost the kingdom of france , perhaps or millions per annum , the greatest part of the wax being imported from other countries , and for that which is the product of france , it must be also reckoned , because it is as unprofitably spent , as if they should take the wine and brandy , which is their prod●…ct too , and that they sell to strangers , and pour it out upon the ground . i don't reckon here the incense which they burn to little purpose , because that is no great matter , and is grateful to the smell ; neither do i take notice of the ornaments and raiment of their statues , images , and other idols , because they last long , nor of their mysterious vestments , adorn'd with fine lace , of linnen , silver or gold , or gold-fringes or imbroidery , with which their priests are deck'd , when they perform what they call divine service . nor do i take notice of the great quantity of wine , which is spent in their multitude of masses daily , because it nourishes those that drink it ; nor yet of their wafers or consecrated hosties , that they keep , tho' it be so much flower lost : so that i content my self here , only to reckon the loss of their tapers and oil , which i do verily believe , including their loss of time , in making or lighting their candles , and cleaning and lighting their lamps amounted to or millions per annum . the expence of the wax is more perceptible to abundance of people than that of their oil , and especially to protestants who don 't go often into the popish churches , because they have seen times in the streets and at the gates of the churches , prodigious quantities of great long tapers , flambeaus and torches , burning all at once , whereas they don't so much see the consumption of the oil. but on the contrary , the papists will judge that the expence of the oil is much greater , because they see in many churches , , , or lamps burning all at once , night and day , and in truth i am of opinion , that the expence of the oil is the greater . to convince any man that it was great , let 's suppose there were only lamps burning continually in the churches , monasteries , convents and chappels of the kingdom , before their pretended sacrament , their images and statues in the middle of the churches to enlighten the night , whether they be fed with oil of oli●…e , oil of rape or other fat ; yet it 's known that for the most part they spend the best oil , which in many places is brought a great way by land , is very dear ; and oftentimes the principal trade of the grocers , and wax-chandlers in cities , is to furnish oil and wax for the churches , funerals and processions . i am of the mind , that the least we can reckon for every lamp in hours is d. which at the rate of lamps , amounts to livres per day , which is almost millions per annum for oil alone . there are many lamps which spend above d. per day in oil where it is dear , or the lamps great , and have a large wick and cast a great light . it is to be considered , that there are parishes in the kingdom , besides what is in the new conquests ; and that there are few churches , nay , even in the country , but what have two lamps ; and that in cities there are churches that have , , or above , continually burning , besides what are in monasteries , convents and chappels both in town and country . there are many places in france , as well as in spain , portugal , italy and other countries where those that light the lamps in the churches maintain their families perfectly , by robbing the lamps of their oil , and giving out that it is drunk by night-owls . as to the wax , after having considered it well , i believe that formerly it amounted to no less ●…han millions of livres per annum ; which would in whole amount to millions ; but this i submit to the judgment of such who are more throughly acquainted with those things than i ; but if it should not amount to above millions , it is still a considerable loss to the kingdom . article xii . concerns their lent , ember-weeks , and other fast-days , as they call them , viz. the fryday and saturday of every week , with the orders of monks and nuns , who are never allowed to eat flesh , eggs nor butter . all those things occasion abundance of mischiefs , which i shall here present to view , that we may be better able to judge of the great prejudice done to the state by this one head , which is of the greatest consequence . . by this means , great summs of money are exported out of the kingdom for dry a●…d fresh cod ▪ stock-fish , white and red-hering . salmon , pilchards , sardines , &c. it 's certain ▪ that formerly there were several millions , above at least , went out of the kingdom every year for fish. it it be said , that the french for a considerable time , have fish'd cod enough in new-●…ound-land . it is however certain , that 't is not many years since they bought that sor●… of fish from foreigners , and as for the other sorts of salt-fish , they buy them almost wholly still from foreigners and protestants . . these superstitions prevent the breeding of many cattel of all sorts , and likewise of fowl in the kingdom , as there would be otherwise , because for almost one half of the year they dare not eat any flesh , which by necessary consequence diminishes the revenues of land. . for this very reason of the want of flesh ▪ it is impossible that a country can maintain and breed up so many people , because next to bread , there 's nothing does so much nourish a man as flesh , nor any thing that renders him so proper for labour and generation . they must not pretend to tell me , that that land which is fi●… for feeding cattle , is fit for other things , and that what they lose on the on●… hand , they gain it on the other , for 't is very well known , that there are many grounds proper for cattle , pasturage , and hay , that are fit for nothing else ; and on the other hand , suppose that those grounds were equally fit for corn , wine or wood , as for breeding of cattle , 't is known that the profit of cattle is the greatest . i have known several quarters of france that abounded with meadows along the rivers , where a load of hay weighing l . weight , and drawn by six great oxen , and sometimes two or three horses join'd to them besides , was not worth above three livres , and sometimes not above two and an half , which would not have been so , but for their lent and other fast-days ▪ . it is known that the profit of cattel comes with less expence and labour , for the cattel go of themselves to the places where one would have them , and so save carriage . . it is also known that cattle when they feed , are at work for their owner , without any need of his being present with them , so that he may apply himself to some other thing . . a little meat with b●…ead , nourishes better than three times as much b●…ead alone . . cattel give rise to abundance of important manufactures , that imploy and afford subsistance to great numbers of people , such as wools , hides , horns , suet , butter , cheese , &c. . this want of cattel makes meat dear to those imployed in manufactures , and other handicrafts , as also to merchants whom i●… costs a great deal dearer to victual their ships . it likewise occasions the dearness of candle , butter , cheese , hides , and wool , &c. in a country , which is an hindrance to mechanicks , trade , and propagation , and makes other provisions dearer in general than in those countries where that superstition is unknown . it particularly occasions the dearness of bread , because the people for want of flesh-meat are obliged to eat abundance of bread. this want of cattel occasions also the laying out of great sums in foreign rice , hide●… , suet , butter , cheese , and fat or grease for coaches , and other carriages . . those extravagant superstitions are the cause of maladies and distempers , languishings , and of the death of an infinite number of poor people , and of infirm , aged , and scrupulous persons ▪ to whom meat would be more proper than any thing else , and yet they cannot have that relief , because ●…hey either cannot or will not give it them , or that they dare not eat it , because of the scruples that the idolatrous priests have form'd in their minds , so that they suffer extreamly during that time , and abundance more people die in that season than in others . this superstitious lent falls likewise precisely out at a time when the husbandman , and other country people labour very hard , about digging their vines , dunging their ground , sowing their march corn , and manuring their gardens ; so that the peasants are in much the worse condition to work , that they are ill fed , not being allowed to eat flesh-meat , and their garden stuff being many times spoil'd by the hard frosts in the winter . . besides this the lent falls just at the end of winter , when the poor , sickly and ancient people have suffered more than they do ordinarily at other seasons , and instead of recovering strength as they would , or might do , were they allowed to eat such good meat as the season affords , as fresh eggs , lamb , veal , kids , pigs , &c. instead of that , the lent compleats their ruin and kills them . . lent , and their other pretended fast-days , and their monks and nuns that never eat flesh , destroy all the fish in the rivers , without a possibility of being stock'd again , nay they hinder those of the very ponds from coming to maturity or a competent growth . . it occasions abundance of people to lose their time by fishing i●… those rivers , without almost catching any thing , because they wil●… have fish , and can have no other but such . . lent occasions the loss of the advantage and income of eggs ▪ which are good a●… that time , and they don't know what use to put them too , and after lent they are either too old or of no value . . it 's a shame to humane nature , to see those excesses which the poor idolatrous papists are guilty of , during the time of the carnaval , when they conceive they have a priviledge to dishonour , violate , and degrade their nature , by all sorts of infamy , excess and disorders , and by their masquerades and changing the habit of their sex , to make themselves amends for being condemned by their priests to eat no flesh during lent , and when that is over , they believe themselves authoriz'd again to commit the like riots at easter , which is so much the more dangerous to the health of many people , that they ●…ed slenderly before , in hopes of being sooner delivered from the fire of purgatory after their death . . lent and other fast-days which the priests command them to observe on pain of eternal damnation , makes them disrelish and loath all sea and shell-fish , and are the cause that there are fewer mariners and fishers than otherwise there would be , because people do without comparison eat abundance less of sea-fish than otherwise they would do , and by this means the kingdom loses a great advantage , and an inestimable revenue , which nature presents to them without trouble and charge . . the country people throughout the whole kingdom lose abundance in the time of lent , of what they might reap from their calves , lambs , kids , pigs , and other young animals that are bred during that time , and have for the most part need of the milk of their dams ; for either the peasants must dispense with the want of that milk which does highly incommode them , or else they must throw part of those creatures to the dogs . they lose also by their poultry , which they can neither eat nor sell , and yet must keep them , tho' many times they have not corn to feed ' em . . the country people do many times lose part of their great and small cattel by the lent , for if the winter be long , and the spring backward , and they have not gathered together abundance of forage the year foregoing , their cattel die of hunger , which would not be if they were either allowed to sell them to the butcher , or to eat them themselves . . the peasant not daring to eat neither flesh nor eggs , because they are forbid to eat them under the notion of a great sin , and having no fish to eat , because it is scarce and dear , nor roots , nor herbs , because the winter has destroy'd them , they are oblig'd to maintain themselves by the milk of their cows , which occasions their calves bei●…g starv'd , and is partly the cau●…e why the cattel are so poor in france , and this occasions an incredible prejudice to the kingdom . . there 's more counterfeit devotion at that time than at others , which exhausts the purses , and wastes the time of those poor ignorant people . i say nothing of those monstrous opinions unworthy of god and man , which these base and foolish superstitions do nourish and maintain , as if it were more pleasing to god , to see people eat fish or pulse than to eat flesh , and at one time rather than another , i say i wont speak of those things here , for that belongs more to divines than to me ; for all these reasons above-mentioned and others , i make no scruple to say , that the keeping of lent does above millions of livres prejudice to the kingdom of france per annum . and being upon this subject , it may not perhaps be unseasonable to confute the errors of those who fancy that lent , and other fast-days are advantagious to a nation , because say they , it saves abundance of cattel , puts people upon fishing , and consequently to the getting of more profit by sea , than they would otherwise do , and by that same means also more seamen are bred . i confess that lent and feast-days are useful to some nations , not by observing them themselves , but by selling fish to those who do so , as the english , scotch , dutch , &c. who furnish the french and others . in england the nation was quickly sensible , that the keeping of lent was a mistake in politicks , for after lent had been observed there , a while , since the reformation , on pretence of ●…ome such political reasons , as the encouragement of fishing , &c. they soon left it off , because they ●…ound it did more hurt than good . they saw it did not increase the number of seamen , but rather diminish'd them , and that there was not more fish taken and spent , but rather less , by reason that people being under that servit●…de , were disgusted with it , and did eat it against their will upon the very fish days , and could not at all endure it at other times ; whereas they eat it at all times indifferently now , and there 's constantly good store of all sorts to be found at the fishmongers , as well sea as fresh-water-fish , and all sorts of shell-fish ; so that now those who love fish better than meat , may please themselves , which they could not do , if they were tyrannically commanded to do it . besides , fisher-men could not then make their constant trade of fishing but only in lent , and about fridays , and saturdays , whereas they both can and do fish actually every day . 't is true , france does not afford such plenty of fish ▪ meat as england , but this must also be granted , that the people in france who have means , do not feed so much upon meat , even on flesh-days , as they call them , as the english comm●…nly do ; and be●…ides most part of the french have not wherewith to do it . but i say further , that france is in greater want of fish than of flesh , and that there would have been flesh enough in the nation , if lent , the four ember-weeks , and other fast-days , and the orders of monks and nuns had not been set up by superstition , for this occasion'd a neglect in breeding of cattle ; and even at present , tho' most of the kingdom lies desolate , there would be cattle enough , if lent were abolish'd and lands not abandoned ; and tho' france is at less expence now , as to the buying of foreign fish , than it was before the war , yet it still expends very great summs that way , tho' the poorest sort of people in the remotest provinces from the sea , seldom taste fish of any sort , and ev'n very rarely of flesh-meat . but lest any body should imagine that i contradict my self , in saying that the people of england don't eat less fish since the observation of lent , but rather more , and that i pretend nevertheless , that the notice of such a superstition does prejudice to the revenues of land in france , and hinders the breeding and consumption of cattel ; i shall answer that specious objection ; i call it specious , because it seems that if so be the abolishing of lent , and other fish-days in england produce that effect , that more fish is eaten in it since , it would seem to follow , that less flesh-meat should be consum'd , and so consequently if lent , and other pretended fast-days were abolished in france , more fish would be eaten , and less flesh destroyed . i answer , that there is no real contradiction in what i have asserted , but only a seeming one , and that also to those who do not weigh things rightly ; my reason is this , that in england the people have always and at all seasons , plenty both of meat and fish ; no place in the kingdom being very remote from sea , and there being many rivers full of fresh-water fish , and the tide coming up a great way in many of those rivers , the sea-fish is conveyed into the country at a very small charge . they have also plenty of good cattel , so that they may at all times eat that they like best , or find cheapest , without that aversion which the tyranny of imposition occasions , when they are commanded upon eternal damnation to eat , or not to eat such and such things , at such and such times , whereas france is generally much more remote from the sea , and fish there very scarce or dear . now in those places at a great distance from the sea , if it were not for the superstition of lent and other fast-days , as they call them , in those places they would eat much more meat than they do , and more also than is eaten on the sea-coasts , where fish is more plentiful and cheaper , and consequently they should breed more cattle . more fish would also be eaten in the sea ▪ ports and other places near the sea , than is eaten at present , if it were not for the tyrannous impositions upon their consciences , which forbids them to eat meat at such times , and creates , in most part of them , a kind of abhorrency of fish , which they are forced to eat ; and hence it comes to pass that less fish is taken in the sea-ports , than there would be were it not for this superstition ; and less cattle is also bred in the country than would be , were it not for the same abuse , which forbids the eating of meat above five months in the year , and so puts all things out of order ; for by this means , those that live near the sea are disgusted at fish , which nature and providence affords them very cheap , nay , almost for nothing ; which would be a great treasure to them , if it were not for the tyranny impos'd upon them , and those who live in remote places of the country , and have an opportunity to breed abundance of cattle and eat meat very cheap , are forced to abstain from it , and lose that great advantage , tho' they cannot have fish but at a very dear rate . it deserves likewise our observation , that france has lost considerably in respect of the profits they made of their cattle , by the expulsion of the protestants , because they bought those young cattle , poultry , &c. in the towns and countries where they liv'd , which otherwise had been lost or very chargeable to the owners . article xiii . relates to the injustice , violence and spiritual tyranny of the popish clergy , which causes an unestimable dammage to the kingdom of france . this spirit of injustice and inhumanity , which is essential to popery , was the cause of the last war , which they kindled secretly , and of the last persecution , and of all the massacres and civil wars , that have been in france . that same spirit of violenc sets them , whenever they meet with princes obnoxious to them , to persecute all those with the utmost fury , that differ from them in their opinions , though they have no other foundation sor them , but their own ambition , pride and covetousness , that spirit , i say , of injustice has been one of the great causes of the ruin of france ; i leave it to the vvorld to judge whether they did not take advantage of the ambition of that potent prince , who was perhaps possessed with the design of an u●…iversal monarchy , to make him believe that it was convenient for him , in order to a●…tain his end , to destroy the reformation in england , holland , france and all other parts , and under that pretence to bring king james , who was known to be a bigoted prince , into the same design , and to oblige him to do all what we know he did . 't is by such methods as these , that the court of rome ruines all the princes and states of christendom ; when she is in any way affraid that they will grow too potent , then to be sure she inspires them by her emissaries and confessors , with such designs , as will lay them desolate , and unpeople their country , when at the same time they have no mistrust of any such thing●… i shall not offer to compute the dammage done by this article , at any certain sum●… of money , for every one may easily perceive , that this is a fountain of innumerable mischiefs . article xiv . shews plainly how ruinous the popish ●…lergy is to the state of france , in this that the●… contribute little to the great charge of ●…e ●…tion , tho' they enjoy the half of all estates real and personal of the kingdom , and ●…ught consequently to pay as much proportio●…ably to the king , as those do who possess the other half of the kingdom . for the clergy , even at present scarcely , pay millions o●…●…vres towards the millions , which the king hath exacted every year from the nation , one way or other , since the war ; that is to say , that the clergy and religious orders , as they call them , of france , who make up per●…aps souls , enjoy as much reven●… as or millions of other people , that may ●…ill be reckoned to be in the kingdom o●… ●…rance , or as much as was enjoy'd by or 〈◊〉 millio●…s , that might have been in it ye●…rs ago , ●…nd that ▪ tho' every one of the clergy and ●…uch like religious persons , have one with a●…other , as much to spend now , in relation to the reven●…e of the real and personal esta●…es , as or other persons of the promiscuous multitude , taken one with another , that yet for all that the clergy and those religious orders taken in bulk , don't bear above the th part of the charges of the government . to this may be added , that before the war , when the king did raise by the ordinary impositions , millions yearly , besides the casualties , as they term them , that did amount some years to , , and millions , the clergy did not pay above or millions yearly ; for the poll-tax , by which they were obliged to pay millions per annum during years , was establi●…hed since . but that we may the better comprehend how much the clergy is eased above all other subjects o●… the kingdom , it must be known that the officers of judicature , and other civil officers in the nation , as those of the finances , civil government and others , who all purchas'd their of●…ices at a very dear rate , the farmers of the imposts with all their dependants , and the clergy themselves did cost the people altogether , above millions of livres yearly , about or years ago , besides the other vexations and losses of time , which they suffered by continual wranglings at law , oppressions and depredations of their goods by the said officers , or by the superstition of the clergy ; of all which vexations , losses of time , and other calamities , as the marches , counter-marches and quartering of souldiers , if they had been free , they might have probably saved or earned millions per annum more , but those i don't reckon , because they turn'd to no bodies account . now the clergy is not only ●…ree from all those mischiefs and losses of money and time , to which the other subjects are obnoxious , but they likewise get money from the people and plunder them ●…y their false devotions , and a thousand new ways suggested by their covetousness , abusing the peoples credulity , endeavouring continually to involve them in greater ignorance , that they might domineer over them more easily , and so dispoil them . 't is very well known , that the officers of judicature indulge the clergy much more than they do the other subjects , and that the farmers of the impositions have little or nothing to do with them . the clergy are moreover respected and feared by the lawyers , and maintani some judges , advocates and attorneys , who are their pensioners . there is not one community of religious persons , but what have pensioners in all the notable tribunals ▪ where their business lies , who order it so that they gain almost all their suits at law , how unjust soever they be against the laity , who have neither so much money nor so great protection as they . then by the help of a father titler , which they have in every community , they forge false titles every day ; and this they account a pious fraud , as well as the false donatives and legacies , which they often pretend to have been bestowed upon them . in this manner they bereave the poor laity of their estates by the favour and protection they find one from another ; for they stand by one another as thieves do , and are all of them supported by the pope , who has a secret influence upon their affairs : and many times they are also supported by courtiers . then as to the farmers general and particular of impositions , and their servants , the romish clergy is not exposed to their robberies , because they are not obnoxious to the publick taxes ; but on the contrary that sort of men are obnoxious to the clergy , for they flatter them with the hopes of a pardon for all their extortions and robberies , if they will but employ 'em to say masses , make them presents , or enter into their fraternities and pay them for it . nor do they suffer by the cheating tricks of other ecclesiasticks as the rest of the subjects do , for one raven never picks out the eyes of another . the estates , farms and tenants of the clergy , are moreover in a better condition than those of others , because their landlords are better able to support them ; so that their houses and lands are always in better order , and stock'd with the best cattle of the land. the clergy moreover are not liable to be forced to buy new offices , nor to lose the old ones , as other subjects are , or to buy letters of nobility ; nor are they crushed with ordinary or extraordinary taxes , nor with forced loans to the king , nor with quartering of soldiers , whereby so many thousands of other people have been every day plagued ; nor are they obliged to go to war , nor to the arrier-ban ; by which means it comes to pass that the clergy , who are for the most part burthensom and unprofitable to the nation , nay , even to their own pretended church , are free from all the calamities under which the useful subjects groan . i grant the curates and country priests are so laden with taxes that they can hardly subsist , yet they fare a great deal better than the greatest part of the laity who formerly had estates , which now they have lost by the taxes ▪ and are charged with debts and children besides . whereas tho' the priests be never so poor , yet still they have some bread left them without any toil for it , for they neither labour nor preach , nor are bound to do any work but what the dullest peasant might do , if he could but read and had memory enough to learn by long practise , how to handle the musquet ; for the mass-trade can be learnt as easily . they enjoy a church-living gratis , which they neither merit for their capacity nor services , neither had they it left them by inheritance from their ancestors , nor can they be seized upon for debts . i grant 't is but reason they should live by their trade , since they do that which the people would have them to do , but as for the great numbers of rich monastries , convents , & ●… . which contribute little or nothing to the government ; is it not ridiculous they should enjoy the half of all the estates in that kingdom , and not pay the th part towards the support of the government of what the rest of the nation pays ? for , as i have said before , those wealthy clergy-men pay almost nothing of what the clergy pays in general , all the burden falls upon the little curates and priests , who are left without protection . what 〈◊〉 then is it that the diligent and laborious for●… of people in a nation should perish , and be destroyed like victims , meerly to fatten the lazy and idle sort of people , and that so many millions of useful subjects should be sacrific'd to such sluggish belly-gods . we can never enough bewail such blindness as this , nor express all the mischiefs which such injustice brings along with it . this very thing alone is capable of ruining the kingdom by degrees : if it be objected that the ecclesiasticks , who possess one half of it , are not ruined ; i answer , they are properly no more a part of the kingdom , than a cancer is which devours the body that it seizes on , or tha●… a palsie which renders diverse of the members of the body useless , can be a part of the same ; and this is so much the truer that the clergy , as i have already said , acknowledge the authority of , and have sworn obedience to another sovereign prince , who must of necessity be a natural enemy to france , because of the usurpations that he hath made , and designs to make o●… that kingdom , in which he cannot maintain his old , nor make new usurpations , without e●…feebling the kingdom from time to time proportionably , as he sees its power , and the authority of the kings increase , and to this end he serves himself of his ecclesiasticks , who , under a cloak of religion , have attain'd a mighty credit , and are maintain'd on the fat of the land , at the expence of others , and that which is a wonderful thing , have their generals in great number , and garrisons in all ci●…ies , consisting of diverse regiments of di●…erent liveries , that is to say , the different orders of ecclesiasticks , who under spiritual pretences , enjoy the temporal estates of the kingdom , keep princes and subjects under the popes yoke , and so constitute one formidable empire within another , imperium in imperio . it is certain , tho' it can't be denied that the taxes in france are excessive , that if the clergy had contributed proportionably to their revenues , with the rest of the people , the kingdom had been worth one half more than 't is , except the king had augmented the taxes in proportion , and in that case he would have almost doubled his revenues . if the clergy had paid the share they ought to have paid of the impositions , the kingdom would have been much less harras'd and ruin'd than it is ; so that this article reaches a great way throughout the kingdom . that we may the better understand it , suppose that any man has two slaves or two carriage-horses of equal stre●…gth in his possession , capable of working or carrying considerable burdens , it is certain if he work them equally and load neither of them above their ability , that both of them may hold out a long time ; but if he overcharge the one excessively , to ease the other , that which is overloaded cannot hold out , but must languish by degrees and become unable either for work or carriage , except it be little or nothing , and does quickly die . suppose then that it does not hold out above half the time that it might have done , had it been treated as the other , or that it does not work half so much as it might have done otherwise , there is one half lost , or if it hold not out , or work not above a th part , that is three fourths loss . thus it is with the people of france , they are much less profitable to the king and state , than they would be if the clergy bore one h●…lf of the charge of the kingdom , as they ought to do . i believe this article may amount to forty or fifty millions per annum ; for besides the taxes from whence they are exempted , they are not subject , as i have already said , to any of the vexations which are committed in the levying 'em , nor to quartering of soldiers , nor are they pillag'd by civil officers & farmers general and their underlings , but on the contrary they pillage them . article xv ▪ relates to their practice and morals , i mean those of the clergy ; this occasions an infinite number of crimes which are committed without scruple ; nay , they think they merit heaven by the commission of them , for they act them by a principle of conscience . the mischiefs which they have committed on the account of their pretended religion are to be ascribed to their morals : they have consecrated and canoniz'd perfidiousness , cruelty , murther , the ravishing of matrons and virgins , and the stealing of children and estates . it is not easie to compute this loss in money , but all people of sense must needs perceive that this does ruin or very much incommode trade , arts , manufactures , navigation , and all sort of handy-labour , for the persecutors as well as the persecuted suffer incredibly thereby ; without mentioning the value of the men and women , whom they massacre and kill in a hundr'd manners , either all at once or gradually . this doth moreover occasion a general and incredible corruption in the whole nation , for people perceiving that the crimes committed on the account of religion , which of all things in the world ought to be the most sacred , are not punish'd , but applauded and rewarded by the clergy , or at their suggestion , by those who govern them , they readily conclude , that if it be lawful to commit such things for the good of the church , it is more lawful to commit them for other ends . by this means the people become desperately wicked at the heart , and if they were not afraid of secular justice , would become a meer society of thieves and robbers . that we may the better understand this , let us suppose that the civil magistrate should approve crimes in the same manner , promise heaven to the criminals , and reward them also in this life , as the clergy have compensated those who were the most zealous in committing all sorts of cruelties and indignities against the protestants ; i say , if the civil government should thus countenance the destruction of honest and substantial men , all humane society must be forthwith dissolv'd and unable to subsist . or otherwise , let us suppose that a multitude of villains should prevail over mankind , and commit all imaginable crimes out of a principle of conscience , in order to oblige men to say that they believe an onion , a tree , a stone or an horse are adorable , and deserve the worship , which the papists call dulia and latria , as well as god , and force them in effect to invoke and adore those creatures ; and that this numerous multitude of villains should call themselves infallible at the same time , and by all sorts of cruelty and torture , force people to acknowledge them as such , and that none durst oppose them on pain of losing their liberty , estate , honour and life , what unspeakable disorders would this occasion in a state ? for honest men who would not be guilty of such unbecoming & unmanly practices should be outragiously persecuted , put to death by their orders , and the multitude would think themselves oblig'd to take party with those villains , to avoid their own ruin , and for fear of becoming suspected to those wretches , become as wicked themselves . but the divine providence hath not permitted humane justice to be deprav'd to that height ; as is the religion of the church of rome , which is abundantly more wicked than the most wicked of men ; and herein it is directly opposite to other religions , which tho' they be wicked in themselves , do nevertheless teach better morals than those of the people that profess them ; whereas on the contrary , the laicks of ●…he church of rome are more honest and less villainous than their religion . i think it proper also to observe in this place , that setting aside the interest of that which they call their religion and their church , which relates wholly and finally to the profit or ambition of the ecclesiasticks ; the clergy of the church of rome consider'd , as to their civil life , are not much wickeder than their laymen , as i have already said , which proves that the devil reigns principally in that church , in regard of the legislative authority of popery , as it relates to the affairs and interest of their religion and church , that is to say of the pope and his guard of pensioners or catchpoles . this excepted , i have known many honest enough men of their clergy , nay , even of the jesuites , whose conduct as to civil life , was near the matter as good externally as those of their honest laicks . and there are diverse persons who assure me , that how abominable soever the court of rome may be in general , as their principles and maxims have been for several ages , yet there are prelates , nay , even cardinals among them , who have very good moral qualities , and are persons of merit . article xvi . relates to that spirit of despotical government , with which the church of rome inspires princes in regard of their subjects . this is it that hath produc'd the severity of the government of france , which hath so much contributed to the desolation of that fine kingdom . the jesuites especially do infuse it in princes , who are ruled by them not only in matters of religion , but likewise in affairs of political government , by advising them to make use of the most absolute authority , because that how much the more the princes whom they govern , are authoriz'd and fear'd of their subjects , so much the more are the jesuites their tutors authoriz'd and dreaded also . france smarts at present under the effects of this ; and england has but lately escap'd the like danger . that spirit of tyranny which makes up a great part of the essence of popery , is yet more peculiar to the society of the jesuites , than to any other in popery , and it is known that the principles of their order , as they call it , do give their general an absolute and unlimited power , to command and to do what he lists , wherein they are to render him a blind-fold obedience . it 's also known that they look on the popes pretended monarchy , over the universal church and world , to be the most perfect pattern of government , in assuming to himself the authority to destroy all nations and persons in soul and body , that oppose his temporal interest . the church of rome reaps great advantage from this despotical power of the princes of her communion , for those princes being govern'd by their confessors , who are govern'd by rome , the more authority those princes have the more the pope hath over all the kingdom , and then this great authority of the princes is imploy'd to oppress those they call hereticks , both within and without their dominions , and to purchase more slaves to the pope ; or otherwise , they ingage them in war for humbling some popish state , that the court of rome would have brought low , and many times with a design to ruin that very prince , whom they so engage in war. for it is highly the interest of the court of rome , that their neighbouring nations be kept poor , because that spirit of bondage , slavery and ignorance , which is so useful and agreeable to the religion which they impose , is not consistent with the liberty of a rich people , and the popes are constantly affraid that if the dominions of those states and princes that are subject to him , be very populous and rich , they will at sometime or other shake off their yoke . this is it they had in view by inspiring the french king with a design to ruin his protestant subjects , so manifestly contrary to the true interests of france and the kings honour . that same was the reason of their engaging him in a war against so many potentates all at once , to the end they might weaken him , and prevent his setting his thoughts upon enterprizes a thousand times more great , glorious , and profitable , such as that of delivering his own kingdom from the slavery of the pope , and so many foolish superstitions of popery , of which the honest papists themselves are ashamed , and also that they might prevent his pushing on his conquests on the side of italy , where he might have made war with much more success and advantage , than against so many powerful states , and strong towns as he had to rencounter elsewhere . article xvii . relates to the incontinence and whordom of the romish clergy , which is a large field , and much might be said upon it , but many authors have enlarg'd on this head already . it 's known to every body by experience , that the celibacy of that wretched clergy is the source of an universal and loathsom impurity among them , and that the least crimes committed by those of that order , are fornications and adulteries . it 's well enough known that their divines teach , that sins against nature of every sort , don't render an ecclesiastick irregular , but marriage does , and that their casuists do continually cram their books with extenuations of those crimes , and add more and more fewel to the impure flames , by their obscene questions , and the niceties and subtleties they have found out to advance and encrease those impure pleasures . it is also known that the pope authorizes publick stews , and protects them in order to draw a considerable revenue from them ; but it is not so universally known , that to advance the reputation of that crime , which indeed is not accounted any by the court of rome , the popes will not suffer any women to prostitute themselves , unless they be christians , and therefore by order of his holiness , jewish , pagan and mahometan women , who have a mind to set up that trade at rome , must first be baptized . this makes it the more relishing to anti-christ to think that jesus christ is thereby the more offended . but seeing the church o●… rome is already branded in the holy scriptures , with the name of sodom and the mother of harlots and of the abominations of the earth ; both upon the account of her corru●…tion , and because of her idolatries , here●…ies and blasphemies , we have no reason to doubt that she is so , and therefore i shall not insist upon this as a vice which is so much favoured and nourished by that church , but only in relation to the infinite number of mischiefs which it occasions in humane society . it many times happens that the popish princes are no better in this respect than the clergy that hath corrupted them , or don 't teach 'em their duty in this matter ; so that being wholly given up to unchastity themselves , the subordinate magistrates and officers are corrupted by their example , and consequently take no care to suppress that vice , which ruins and lays wast nations , and fills them with all sorts of crimes , for experience teaches us that this one crime draws all others after it ; and mankind perceiving that princes and magistrates neglect to punish this vice ( which they ought to do with all manner of rigour , for the good of society , tho' there were neither an heaven nor an hell ) come insensibly to be of opinion that it is only a peccadillo . but if they considered the consequences of it only with reference to the good of society , and to the innumerable mischiefs which it occasions , they ought to look upon it as a very great crime , and by consequence that it must provoke god highly , who is the preserver of society , tho' it were not so expresly forbid in his word , which excludes such persons from the kingdom of heaven . for it occasions an infinite number of murders of men and children , miscarriages and poisonings ; it destroys a great number by nasty distempers , as well among adult persons as among infants , of which a great number die or are lame during their lives , by the infection of their fathers , mothers or nurses , or else live in misery and are uncapable of serving the publick ; it shortens the lives of one and t'other , enfeebles the wit , destroys courage , makes people renounce honour and probity , and renders those who are addicted thereunto uncapable of undertaking or performing any thing glorious or profitable for the publick welfare : it ruines families ; and fathers and mothers who are addicted to this crime , neglect the education of their children , who for the most part too , are born feeble and infirm , and generally become prof●…igate like their parents ; it generally debauches all sorts of people from their work and imployments ; is always accompanied with idleness , laziness , great loss of time , luxury , drunkenness , gluttony , perjury , false evidence , pilfering , robbery , tricking , cheating , cozening , breaking , blasphemy , impiety and irreligion ; and by consequence occasions the abandoning of true religion and the embracing of a false one. and to support themselves in this vice , men become coiners and clippers , highway-men , pirates , forgers and knights of the post. this practice brings many to the gallows , occasions some to make away themselves , their conscience and the bad condition of their affairs , throwing them into despair ; children , that they may have wherewith to maintain themselves in this vice , rob their parents , as do servants and apprentices their masters . it wholly corrupts the minds of those that belong to the courts of justice , whordom bereaves them of all probity , makes them unjust and trickish , or at least occasions them to suck the blood of their clients by prolonging their suits . this vice occasions the superiour officers of an army to rob their subalterns and souldiers , and many times the government . it has the like influence upon those that are imployed in any other publick post ; so that those who are addicted to this vice do always abundance of mischief , and but little good . it hinders marriage , because for want of discipline , men can with impunity find debauched women and girls in great numbers for their purpose , whom they quit at pleasure and take others , without any trouble , servitude or dependance , and this begets in them a general contempt of the sex ; so that they think them all alike and worth nothing , judging none of them worthy to be their wives but only their concubines . on the other hand those loose women are affraid of being subject to or depending on an husband , because either he would be jealous if they kept company with others , or should not be able to satisfy their brutish appetites ; so that this vice is altogether destructive to mankind , it ruins those that are addicted unto it , and prevents the birth of others in their stead . this vice does moreover make men and women lyars and dissemblers , children disobedient to their fathers and mothers , and without any natural affection to them , because having nought else in their eye , but their impure pleasures , they conceive no other ways of their parents , and think that they brought them into the world , just as a brutish animal doth its young , in a manner 〈◊〉 their will , having no other design bu●…●…o asswage their brutish lusts , and beget them , as it were , only by accident , and that they are no otherwise oblig'd to them ●…or their being then so . this vice doth likewise render men cruel and unnatural to on●… another , as also to beasts , which they look upon 〈◊〉 as a little matter form'd by chance . i●… a ●…rd , i don't believe there is any vice wh●…ch corrupts the heart to the same d●…gree that this doth , both in regard of their duty towards god 〈◊〉 ●…wards men , yea , and towards themselves , 〈◊〉 they accustom themselves by the ●…requent ●…deas of vice and by a judicial blindn●…ss , which always attends it , to regard every thing in a carnal and corrupt manner . it is true , that those desires are many times violent in youth , both because of the boyling of the blood at that age , and because their experience and reason are but feeble . but it must also be own'd , that it is not so much the temper of the body and the heat of youth , which occasions that disorder , as bad example , ill education , and the filthy discourse of mankind , who are for the most part infected with this vice ; so that we see in some nations even the publick stages , and all the publick shews poisoned and pestered with all sorts of obscenity , without any censure by the magistrates . the very pagans were sensible of the danger of bad example to children , when they said , maxima debetur puero reverentia : i. e. we ought to have a very great respect for young ones , and neither do nor say unhandsom things before them ; and the publick stage amongst them was not poisoned with impurity as 't is now a days . but in this age few fathers or mothers or magistrates take care of that , they act and speak themselves before their young ones and all people , all that their wicked habits suggest to them . servants are also drown'd in those vices , and remain ignorant , and without instruction , either from the church or magistrate ; so that they act and speak a thousand profane things with one another , b●…re children , which makes a deep impression upon the mind of young ones , which is so much the more dangerous , that na●…urally all mankind is too much addicted to this vice ; so that now a days we many times see young girls of or years of age , and sometimes those of quality too , that know a thousand filthy things , and by that time they arrive to the age of or , they renounce all subjection to their fathers and mothers , and prostitute and marry themselves to serving-men or idle fellows , who at last despise and abuse them ; the consequence of which is many times despair , and this occasions their making away with themselves , after one sort or other , and thus their families are every way dishonoured . this vice doth also beget a general contempt among men for one another , because it renders marriage vile and dishonourable in their eyes , tho' it be the source of mankind , hallow'd and instituted by god himself , and therefore ought to be accounted sacred by all men , for that very reason . it does as much as can be to frustrate the end which god propos'd by the formation and distinction of two sexes , viz. the propagation and multiplication of mankind by means of marriage , and therefore he did not give two wives to adam nor two husbands to eve. those who are addicted to this vice have no regard for one another , but only with respect to their impure inclinations , and if they don't think them as bad as themselves , they do all they can to make them so , and to corrupt them by all methods , either directly by themselves or indirectly by others ; hence it comes to pass , that we see every day so many handsom women of good natural parts , and many times of good families , thus seduced and drawn away , which is a horrid mischief , for which those who have any remainder of conscience left , cannot but grieve . in the esteem of those debauchees , i say , ( who assoon as they immerse ' emselves in those villanies , lose all sense of religion , and of the excellency of man and the nobility of his extraction ) mankind is valued but little above dogs and swine , which they see engender much in the same manner as they do themselves , that is to say indifferently , with all of their species that they meet , according to their brutal appetites , without reason or consideration , without any regard to god , the good of society , or the honour and dignity of man ; so that they corrupt themselves in what they know naturally , as bruit beasts , as the holy scriptures express it . hence it is , that in society there is so little charity , friendship and respect for one another , a debauch'd man looks upon all women to be tained with this vice. women commonly shew less disrespect for debauched men , than men shew for lewd women ; yet at the same time , they would have more esteem for those that they believe to be free from that vice , which renders those that are tainted with it contemptible , even to persons that are most vicious themselves , tho' they make use of them for asswaging their brutish lust ; and hence it comes that they do readily call all women whores and bitches , and children sons of whores or young dogs , which occasions many quarrels , law-suits , and insolences , yea , sometimes murthers . it is not to be expressed what prejudice this vice does to commerce , in those countries which lye commodiously for traffick by sea , and therefore are oblig'd to take more care therein than others , because plenty produces , nourishes and entertains this vice ; if the magistrates be not persons of honour , love the publick welfare , and keep good discipline ; and the consequences of it are more mischievous in such countries than elsewhere ; from this it was that plato said , mare improbitatis magister , the sea teaches wickedness ; and hence also it was that the poets feign'd that venus was bred of the froth of the sea ; and that a latine poet express'd it thus , hispanae navis magister , dedecorum pretiosus empt●…r , implying , that masters of ships spare no cost to debauch women . there is nothing more contrary to the growth of a state , either in number of men or riches , than to suffer whordom to go unpunished . it troubles me to think that amongst so many able men who have treated of commerce , and of what is contrary to it , none of them have observ'd that this vice is one of the chief obstacles to the prosperity of a nation . i know a state , to which i wish well from the bottom of my heart , to which it occasions the loss of diverse millions per annum , which i could ea●…ily demonstrate , and am very certain that if they would give necessary orders in good earnest , for preventing it , which would not be so difficult to do neither , as is generally believed , at least for the greatest part , there would be abundance of more people than there are , and trade , arts , manufacture and agriculture would thrive there a great deal better than they do ; men , women and children would be abundantly more healthsul , and fewer of them would in comparison die of consumptions . this vice must be abundantly greater in popish than protestant countries , because the popish clergy favour it by their principles , auricular confession , their own example , and that of the court of rom●… , as also by the easiness of absolution in confessing themselves to a priest , who is himself immers'd in such impurities , or by giving him money , a good dinner , or hireing him to say masses , &c. the unchastity of all their clergy , male and female , caused by their celibacy and execrable morals , as well as by the example of the chiefest prelates at rome , is a very great prejudice to popish kingdoms , which it fills with adulteries , fornication , incests and crimes yet more execrable , yea with millions of open and hidden crimes , as abortions , murthers and such like , for the clergy who are guilty of those vices , make no scruple so they can but conceal them , to murther both the mothers and children . as to protestant states , it 's well enough known , that they are infected with this vice by the neighbourhood of the popish ones , and it 's confidently asserted , & not without ground , that in the two last reigns , all those sorts of disorders were favoured in england , for the better and more easie establishment of popery . article xviii . relates to the drunkenness of the popish clergy , which as well as their incontinence is chargeable upon the morals of their church ; for the greatest part of the clergy-men except some bishops and curates in the biggest towns , and some particular men in monastries , are drunkards , and by their example the common people do mostly become so . this vice does likewise occasion abundance of mischief , tho' much less than the other , as i could here demonstrate , contrary to the opinion of some men , if it were proper . the truth of this appears by this one thing , viz. that the popish clergy are unchaste by principle , and in a manner of necessity , because marriage is forbid to them , that so they may have less dependance upon the state , and may be more profitable , and apply themselves with the greater application to the interests of the pope , which they call the church . and besides , this libertinage which pleases them infinitely , makes them love the pope and his religion , which grants them so great priviledges , whereof others are depriv'd , viz. that they may enjoy women without any trouble , as it 's said to be practis'd by the republick of venice , who to assure themselves of the fidelity of their clergy , grant them a greater liberty in this matter , than is allowed in other parts of italy . now one may easily judge what disorders this example of the libertinage of the clergy must necessarily produce in society , and what ravage they make of the womens chastity , by their auricular confession and absolution , and what influence those things have upon the women and maids , who are by this means delivered into their hands as a prey . another reason which proves that fornication is incomparably more mischievous in a country , than drunkenness ; is this , that it is a crime common to both sexes ; so that it is hard to say , which of the two is most addicted to it , whereas drunkenness is more particularly the vice of men. another reason is this , that whordom being contrary to propagation , as i have said already , and corrupting all the sources of generation in a particular manner , and ruining the bodies of men , women and children , as much and more than drunkenness ruins those of men , it is certain that it is abundantly more pernicious than the other . i could bring more reasons to prove this , if the place were proper . this last article concerning their drunkenness , makes it evident that this crime does great prejudi●…e to a country , if it were no more but by the loss of the wine , brandy , cider , &c. which they consume without necessity . but besides , this vice ruins abundance of families , shortens the days of abundance of men as well as the other , tho' in lesser number , occasions the loss of a great deal of time , with many quarrels and murders , and makes people brutish and dull as well as fornication . but we will lay aside those two last articles , if the reader pleases , and count them as nothing ( tho' the prejudice they do , goes farther than can be imagined ) for it's clear enough that the others which i have proposed already , occasion above two hundred millions loss per annum , throughout the kingdom of france , and they can be ascrib'd to nothing else but popery , whereas they may perhaps cavil at the two last , and say that the protestants are incontinent and likewise drunken as well as the papists . if it be well adverted to , it will be found that four of the articles , that i have propos'd , do alone amount to above millions of livres per annum , viz. those of their holy-days , the estates of the church that are in mainmort , lent and other fast-days , and the few taxes that the french clergy pays in comparison of the rest of the people . popery occasions the same mischiefs proportionably in all other popish countries , and in some more , as spain and portugal , which it hath greatly dispeopled , by the incontinence , and celibacy of their clergy , and the consequences of these disorders , by the great number of their ecclesiasticks , the spirit of persecution and the perfidiousness of popery , in the expulsion of the moors and jews , and by their inquisition , &c. but as italy is nearest to the court of rome , she hath thereby contracted greater vices also than other nations . all sins against nature are in vogue there , and poysoning , cozenage , imposture , and a certain effeminacy and cowardliness which the priests and monks have introduc'd there , with all vices imaginable ; whence it comes to pass that there is not the least spark of the courage , greatness of soul , and generosity of the antient romans , to be seen , and that there is no country more easie to be conquered by a powerful neighbour than that . france is also owing to popery and the court of rome , for their having infected her in some measure , with the habits of diverse of those unnatural crimes , which are so common in italy , that the spaniards say of the italians that are infected therewith , in italia todos ; and of those crimes the religious convents and monastries , the monks , jesuites and their scholars , with some great men in france , are accused . it is also well enough known , that the art of poysoning was brought into france , from italy by the ecclesiasticks . the maltotes , or the great impositions , is another calamity introduc'd upon france by its communion with the court of rome . the popes that are the greatest tyrants of the world , furnish'd examples of it upon their own subjects in italy , and the romish religion and the confessors of princes , and of their ministers have furnished them with lessons of the same . equivocations , perfidiousness in all treaties , ambig●…ous expressions in all transactions and publick acts , have been consecrated by the example of popish councils , especially that of trent , which form'd a great number of decrees , capable of diverse contrary senses , which have occasion'd divisions among diverse sects of their monks , and many of their divines ; whereof that infallible tribunal , as they call it , of the pope and his cardinals , would never determine the sense , for fear of disobliging some one of the parties , though they do it every day in the most insolent and impudent manner , in regard to the word of god , to which they attribute the most absurd and extravagant sence imaginable , with a surprizing impiety . all europe in general is oblig'd to the court of rome , for the false and cursed politicks that reigns almost in all its courts , and hath banished thence , probi●…y , sincerity , upright intentions , fidelity , justice , truth , generosity ; so that they are n●…w fill'd with cozenage , deceit and e●…eminacy . the court of rome is moreover become a grand pattern and teacher of irreligion and prophanity , now for several ages . it is from the popes that roman catholick princes have learned to profane the christian religion , and to corrupt people daily , by offers of temporal rewards , to abjure the religion of jesus christ to follow theirs , of which we see sad examples every day , as to the church of rome , and even of some sovereign princes . we have reason to say when we consider all those things well , that the papacy or the pope , deserves abundantly better the title of infidel , or hereditary enemy of christendom than the turk , tho' ●…e assumes to himself the name of the common father of christendom . if any opiniater will still take upon him to deny that popery does not occasion the loss of millions per annum , through the kingdom of france , i am satisfied that he wont be accounted any great master of reason , by such judicious persons as have read my arguments . but i say however , that tho' it should not amount to above one half or one third of that summ , it would be an argument cogent enough for the abolishing it , and sufficient proof ▪ of the falshood of that pretended religion . amongst those direful effects which popery occasions perpetually and necessarily in the dominions that are thereunto subject , i have not taken any notice of those which may be call'd passing and accidental , though they have also a determinate cause , and proceed from the same original , viz. the first principles of popery , which we may call the soul of it , and constitute the essential form of the church of rome , viz. ambition , pride and avarice ; which have made , and do make from time to time , an horrible ravage in christian countries , nay , through the whole world. i am certain , that if we should reckon up those accidental mischiefs , which popery occasions from time to time in france , the sum would be much ●…bove millions per annum . how many unjust wars hath it kindled in france , both intestine and foreign ? history tells us , that the ambition of the popes was the cause of the mahometans subduing part of europe , and that the empire of the east , of christian became mahometan ; the ambition of the popes hath also torn in pieces the empire of the west , and spoil'd its emperours of part of their dominions , even of rome it self , and made them their vassals and slaves in a manner , so as to tread upon them in person sometimes with impunity ; so that by the ambition of the roman clergy and their popes , the empire is no other than a meer shadow of what it formerly was . it is very well known that by the perfidiousness of the pope , the turks rendred themselves masters of hungary , the court of rome having oblig'd the unhappy king uladislaus to violate his faith and break the treaty he had made with them , which violation was followed by a total defeat of that king , at the battle of varn●… and the loss of the kingdom , which the infidels seized upon , as may be seen by the following distich , wherein that ●…nfortunate king is made to complain that the pope and his clergy had ruined him by their perfidious counsel ▪ me nisi pontifices jussissent rumpere faedus , non ferret scythicum pannonis or a jugum . may be thus english'd , by popes command had i my league ne'r broke , pannonia ne'r had felt the scythian yoke . for above years the popes and their clergy , have been constantly aspiring to the universal monarchy , and have made it their constant business to sow divisions betwixt christian princes and their subjects , and to kindle war amongst those princes , to weaken them by one another , that so they might bring them all under their yoke . by this method they make themselves arbitrators and masters of their differences , and always cast the ballance on the side of their own interest , without any regard to honour or justice , and that not by armies or open force , but by the intrigues of confessors , monks and prostitutes , or as the scripture represents it by their cups , draughts and witchcrasts , as becometh the great prostitute that hath made the kings and the princes of the earth drunk with the vvine of her fornication . they still foment now as formerly , and without ceasing , divisions and factions in all the countries of europe , yea , even amongst protestants , by their secret emissaries whom they imploy in great numbers in order to bring them gradually under their yoke , one way or other , by a million of crimes . a famous spanish polititian * who knew their game well enough , said that there is not so much as a sword drawn , no●… a pike carried in christendom , that hath not been sharpen'd in the forge of rome . no se saca espada , non se arbola pica , cuyo el hierro no estuviere aguzado en la fraga de roma . they had the greatest share in the war newly concluded , and made their profit on 't , tho' the simple vulgar are apt to think they have no hand in it . no body is ignorant of the cunning invention , made use of by the popes formerly , to bring part of asia under their yoke , without putting themselves to any charge , and at the same time to increase their own authority and conquests in europe , at the expence of the christian princes , whom they dispoil'd . their way was to perswade those poor innocent princes to go in person to asia , with great fleets and navies , to chase the mahometans from that country , for which end the popes call'd it the holy land ; as if that land had been holier than another , after having put the lord jesus christ to death . and while those princes were in that country , with numerous armies of their subjects , by which they dispeopled their own dominions , the popes endeavoured to make themselves masters of t●…e same , or at least suck'd their subjects to the bone , and drain'd out all the riches of their countries by means of their clergy . france and england suffered very much by this means , and we have no reason to doubt but they would have been much more rich and populous , had it not been for that . all the world knows that the romish clergy or church , hath destroyed or caus'd to be destroyed by their orders , more people ●…nder pretence of religion , than all the heathen emperours , and more than all the nations of the habitable world , have done upon that account since the creation of the world. france and england can testifie this from sad experience . it 's well enough known , that their councils , that is to say the luminaries of popery , the most enlightned , and sincere part of the church of rome ( a mark of the absolute reprobation of that church , for several ages . ) it 's well enough known , i say , that those councils have establish'd it as a maxim or rule for several ages past , that they are not oblig'd to keep faith with hereticks , and that princes are obliged on pain of eternal damnation and the loss of their dominions to destroy them . whence it comes to pass , that not only all the murders , robberies , perjuries , rapes , and all crimes in general are permitted , but commanded against all those christians who oppose themselves never so little , to the interests , tyranny , or ambition of the pope and clergy ; which sentence doth à fortiori , include also jews , pagans and mahometans , when the church of rome shall think meet , seeing it is clear that they ought not to have any more favour shew'd them than those they call hereticks . from those principles have proceeded so many massacres , persecutions , violations of faith , religious wars , croisades and leagues to extirpate those who were called hereticks . hence also proceeded many assassinations of princes , and attempts upon their lives , which france hath often had experience of ; hence came the civil wars in england and ireland , the burning of towns , and conspiracies against the state. one of the kings of france was formerly whipp'd at rome , in the person of his ambassador , by the popes order , which is the highest ignominy that can be done to a nation or prince . and if we have not fresh and daily instances from their church , of such decrees as those of the councils of constance and lat●…ran , or such remarkable demonstrations of their pride and cruelty ; it 's not because they have chang'd their principles , but because there is no opportunity offers to do it with safety , and for the advantage of the pope . it is not want of good will ; the habit remains still , though the acts are not continually exerted . a shoemaker , says horace , though he lays aside all the tools of his art , and shuts up his shop , is a shoemaker still . — alfenus vafer , omni abjecto instrumento artis , clausâque tabern●… sutor erat , &c. we see what that church hath occasion'd to be done lately , and does yet at present in france against the protestants , and what they would have done in england ; and for their inquisition , it continues still the same . it may be clearly seen , by all those proofs which we have produc'd of the natural and necessary opposition there is betwixt the church and religion of rome , and the happiness and prosperity of princes , states and people , that the said church and its religion is false to the highest degree , there never having been any religion in the world so contrary to the good of mankind . it hath no remainders of old christianity , but just so much as is necessary to constitute the form of antichristianism , by way of excellence , that is to say the most perfect enmity against jesus christ , by ascribing to him all sorts of idolatry and impiety , making him the author of their tyranny and cruelty , and feigning an adherence to him , like judas , in order to betray him , and to dishonour him the more , as an adulterous woman dishonours her husband , while at the same time they persecute his followers with the height of rage , and fill the universe with blood and confusion , and trample under foot , ruin and devour princes and their subjects , and all in the name of jesus christ. the true religion being come from god , who is the creator and preserver of men and society , cannot tend to the ruin and destruction of states , except we establish with the manichees two eternal principles , one good and the other evil , which is so gross that it deserves no con●…utation . if the romish religion be good , with all those mischiefs and disorders which we have seen , it produces naturally and necessarily in all countries where it obtains , god who is all just , all holy and holiness it self , the preserver of nations , and mankind , and the author of the old and new testament , can neither be just , holy , good , wise , true , nor the author and preserver of humane society , and the old and new testament cannot have proceeded from any other but the wicked spirit . absit blasphemia . god must likewise , if the religion of the church of rome be true , be contrary to the propagation of mankind , which it appears to be one of the favourite designs of providence . he must also , according to them , approve of deceit and imposture , and cozenage in the ministers of his religion , and in his worship , he must likewise love injustice , impiety , perfidiousness , tyranny , laziness , idleness , cruelty , incontinence , robbery , profanity , perjury , hypocrisy , murder and calumny , which are so essential to the popish religion and the roman clergy . i leave it to divines to treat of the idolatry , heresie , superstitions , &c. of this pretended church , which agree so well , and are so very becoming to all the rest which we have seen , and which cannot indeed be otherwise , and are the natural effects of the ambition of those mischievous creatures , as well as the rest ; for as saint chrysostome says well ▪ 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 i. e. that ambition or a desire of dominion , is the mother of heresies ; and therefore st. paul reckons heresie amongst the works of the flesh. for the popes not being able to establish their authority in the world , but by introducing those practices into the church , and the disorders , of which we have spoke before , that ruine all the popish nations , have been oblig'd entirely to corrupt the morals and doctrine thereof ▪ and to suppress the light of the gospel ▪ which would have discover'd their exorbitanci●…s and iniquity to mankind , and have inclin'd them to oppose their ambition . for this reason they favoured all manner of ignorance and vice , that they might the better extinguish amongst men , all fear and knowledge of god , and all generosity . and seeing men could not live without religion good or bad , they afterwards hurry'd them head-long into all sorts of idolatry and impiety . if they had not intirely corrupted and falsified the christian religion , and people had known the doctrine of the old and new testament , they would never have submitted to practices and customs so contrary to the publick good ; princes and their ministers would never have suffered a religion to be established among them , which is so much contrary to their rights , arts , husbandry , manufacture , commerce , propagation , good morals , and the ●…ublick peace of nations . let us but read and consider the old an●… new testament , or only the ten commandments of gods law , we shall find nothing commanded therein , but what is excellent and worthy of god , and wonderfully suited not only to the temporal good and advantage of every man in particular , but also to that of people and countries , and the whole world in general ; so that if the great wits of this age , who pretend to be men of parts , though they be indeed meer fools , would consider this sedately , they would be obliged to own , whether they would or not , by comparing this with the conduct of all the politicians in the world , and their pretended skill in the government of their people , that there are no o●…her rules of true policy , for regulating of morals and making every particular man as profitable as can be to society , but those that the law of god and the gospel furnish us with , and that every thing which does not agree with that , and is not conformable thereunto , is nothing else but errour and destruction . i don't mean only the political laws of moses , as they are call'd to distinguish them from the moral law , under which the commonwealth of israel became so flourishing , and was peopled in such a manner , as seems incredible to those that read their history ; but i mean also and chiefly the moral law , which certainly contributed still more than the political laws of that people , tho' but very ill observed , to make them so rich and powerful . i joyn also thereunto at present , the gospel which not only regulates our actions , but also our thoughts and words , and hath giv'n us a model of incomparable charity , and furnish'd us with new and powerful motives to this vertue , by revealing to us clearly the saving grace of god , that we may live all in general , princes and people , and every one in particular , soberly , justly and religiously , which comprehends all our duty to god , our neighbours and our selves , wherein if we did acquit our selves , men would not only be happy in the life to come , but also in this , and nations would become incomparably more powerful , populous and rich than they are ; for godliness hath the promises of this life , and that which is to come : which of it self might be enough to convince our deists ( many of whom value themselves highly on the account of their sense and ability , and think they are able to govern kingdoms ) of the divine authority of the holy scriptures , if there were no other proofs of it . in that divine book alone are the true rules of policy to be found . all the world agrees in this without thinking on it , when they say that honesty is the best policy , that is to say , to observe the law of god , and cause it to be observ'd by others , which is no less essentially necessary for the good of the state than for salvation . but ●…he church of rome hath confounded all those notions , as i have already said , and having govern'd the world for a long time , hath introduced a cursed sort of politicks into the same , quite contrary to that which the law of god prescribes , but suited indeed to her ow●… doctrine and morals , by which after she hath blinded the eyes of princes and people , she leads them whither she pleases . it is certain , that if princes and magistrates applyed themselves , as they ought , if it were no more but for their own temporal interest , and the good of the state , to make the laws of god to be observed ▪ by punishing delinquents severely , and if the church concurring with the magistrates , did her best by doctrine , example and discipline , and if every particular person would also do their du●…y , they would see their dominions , provinces , cities and families flourish otherwise than ever they did hitherto . if it were thus , no body would do to another what they would not have done to themselves : every one would have his own ; industry and diligence would be much more in vogue than 't is ; injustice which reigns so much at present in courts of judicature and elsewhere ; rapine , robbery , idleness ; imposture , cozenage , and deceit in matters of religion , which have rendred the popish clergy so powerful by the ruin of the people ; bankrupts , coiners , murders , knights of the post , lying , unfaithfulness , all of them so contrary to the repose and prosperity of countries , would be banish'd in a great measure ; cruelty and perfidiousness so essential to the church of rome , incontinence which at this day makes such a ravage amongst men , and is look'd on as a meer trifle without punishment or publick censure , tho ▪ i make bold to say , it is the root of all other crimes ▪ and occasions more disorders at present than murder and robbery both , because those are in some measure punished ; drunkenness , unfaithfulness in treaties , and publick and private contracts ; the spirit of tyranny in princes towards their subjects , the rebellion of subjects against their princes , the disobedience of children to their parents , &c. all of them so contrary to commerce , propagation , and the repose of people , should be exterminated for the most part . in a word , vice being either banished or repressed by the method of this true policy , vertue would take place , by which nations should prosper at another rate than they do , and princes would be incomparably more potent . in this case also men would be abundance more long-liv'd , healthful , and vigorous , marriages would become more numerous ; by which together with the mildness of the government , the industry and diligence of all sorts of people , countries would become infinitely more populous . once more still , i will adventure to say that it is in the holy scriptures alone , that those wise politicks are to be found , which are capable of enriching a nation and making it potent ; so that the false politicians of the world have sought for it in vain elsewhere for so many ages , and all of them complain that they could never hitherto find it . this does not hinder , but the wisdom of god out of his profound and just judgment , suffers tyrants sometimes to prosper in their wicked designs , by contrary maxims , as may be seen by the example of the popes , who making use of the credit that they had acquird in the quality of bishops of rome , to domineer over sovereigns and their people , under pretence of religion , have subjected both the one and the other , by millions of crimes of all sorts . this is so far from destroying what i have said , that it confirms the same , for if they ▪ have rais'd themselves by those wicked methods , they have done incredible mischiefs to mankind ; which is just the same as in every country and city , there are villains who succeed in robberies and injustice , though they be look'd upon with horror , as the plagues of society , who violate the laws of god and the state , and deserve to be totally rooted ●…ut ▪ this is it which hath oblig'd the popes , in order to cover their injustice , as i have already said , to corrupt and change the law of god , and to conceal the scriptures from the people , and after having established morals contrary thereunto , to over-turn the doctrine of the faith , that so there might be a proportion betwixt the maxims of their government and their opinions , and that their tyranny might not be discovered by the inequality betwixt them . this is it that brought forth the fine doctrine of transubstantiation , of the sacrifice of the mass , the in●…allibility of the church , and many others . for if they had not over-turn'd the rights of god and man in their doctrine and worship , as well as in the government and discipline of the church ; and if they had not extinguished all the light of revelation , as well as that of reason , the light that should have remained in the doctrine , would have discover'd their tyranny and injustice , and the intention they had to make themselves masters of the world , and bring the same under their subjection . so likewise if their ecclesiastical government , their maxims and practice had been conformable to the scriptures and good sense , and had contain'd nothing contrary to good order , and the prosperity of people and nations , and that together with this , the doctrine and worship of their church had been extravagant and senseless , as they are at present , men would have still preserved one of their eyes , and not have been altogether so blind , but must have perceived the falshood and injustice of the one or the other , that is to say either of the doctrine which the popes had impos'd upon them , or of their conduct in the government of their church , and so would either have demanded a reformation , or shook off their yoke ; so that it 's visible that it was absolutely necessary for the interest of the church of rome , that their morals and also the external government of their church , and in one word , their whole tyrannical economy and their doctrines , should answer one another . it is nothing but ambition at the bottom w ch hath occasion'd all these disorders , and that also by degrees , for no one man could form the project thereof all at once , but during the many ages that this mystery of iniquity has been at work , the court of rome has improv'd all occasions , and the circumstances of time , place and persons . all this is apparently come to pass very naturally , and by the little that we know of the corruption of mens hearts , we may perceive that those who are very ambitious are able to commit insensibly and by degrees , proportionably to the opposition they meet with , whether it be by the established laws or by men , millions of crimes , and trample under foot all laws humane and divine . we have all of us those seeds of injustice and pride , and if god did not restrain us by his providence , but presented such opportunities unto us as he hath done to the popes , to become masters of the world , we should by degrees become as wicked as they . nemo repente fit turpissimus , no man arrives to the height of wickedness but by degrees ; and in this case ambitious persons would reason with themselves , much after the same manner as he did formerly , who said , si violandum est jus , regnandi causa violandum est ; if it be lawful to break through law in any case , it is lawful to do it for a crown and a scepter . the heart of man is universally and at all times the same . let us suppose , that some ambitious prelate had authority enough among the pro●…estants to form such designs , as were those of the bishops of rome , to raise themselves in the first place above other bishops and priests , and afterwards over princes and people , they would go near to make use of the same methods as the popes and their clergy did ; and as they should receive opposition from time to time from those that would endeavour to restrain and tie them up to the laws of god and men if they and their successors should overcome those oppositions , they would by degrees suppress the holy scripture , over●…throw all morality , and introduce an universal dissoluteness of manners ; so that the protestant or christian religion , without changing its name , for that to be sure they would not do , should become in the first place like that of the church of rome , in government and discipline , and next in doctrine and worship , that is to say , a perfect brigandage or robbery , and that protes●…ant pope should become a tyrant over protestant princes and people , by calling himself their common father , and should likewise become master of the states , honour and repose of their subjects , without any hopes of reformation , but by a miracle wrought by the almighty . they would also establish an inquisition , and infinitely multiply the number of their ecclesiasticks , that is to say their guard-men , and would neither spare perfidiousness nor cruelty to accomplish their designs , and to maintain and augment their authority . they would pretend to infallibility as well as the pope , and claim as much right as he to change the law of god , and to make that sin , which is no sin , and sin to be accounted duty . they would pretend to all power in heaven and earth , and would labour incessantly to divide protestant princes amongst themselves , and with their subjects , weaken them by all means , that they might keep a curb in their jaws , and hold them in dependance upon themselves . they would raise wars for them without number , massacre those that should oppose their impieties and ambition from time to time ; nor would they be wanting if they found it necessary to have orders of clergy-men , resembling the monks and jesuites , or worse than those if they could , under other names , and would likewise assemble councils , wherein they would establish and make decrees , like those of constance , lateran and trent : et totus orbis protestantium miraretur se esse antichristianum ; so that the whole protestant world should wonder at its being become anti-christian . so that while the pope and the romish clergy , are possessed of a power of dominion and rule , and that they will always be , unless god stir up some great and poten●… prince to bring that rascally crew to themselves , as i hope he will ; but until that time they must always of necessity be cruel and perfidious by their principles and maxims , and pretend to infallibility in their doctrine , worship and moral●… , because they have neither titles nor foundation for their usurpations , which are palpable and gross ; for if they had , they could no more be charg'd with usurpations and injustice , and if they were not usurpers , they would not maintain their own rights nor gods , as they impiously pretend , by committing so many crimes , and pretending to infallibility , with so much impudence as they do , when they find no other way to colour their impieties ▪ there 's none but unjust and barbarous usurpers , who can make use of those pretences as they do . the most clear sighted protestants ordinarily look upon the church of rome , in regard of its doctrine , as a medly of idolatries , heresies , superstitions ▪ errors and blasphemous doctrines ; and in regard of their morals , as a composition of perfidiousness and infideliy , cruelty , impurity and pride ; and they judge that all those together constitute , and make up the es●…ential form of that church , and they are not deceived . but at the bottom it is ambition alone , as i have said , which hath produc'd and maintains all those things , and is the soul of their church . one proof of this is , that there 's no men who do less believe their doct●…ines than the men of parts amongst themselves , who govern all , but chiefly the court of rome . in their civil conversation among other men , they don't appear much worse than they , as has been said already ; and there 's no room to doubt , but if the pope and his clergy could be assur'd by the orthodox church , that in case they would embrace the pure christian religion of the protestants , they should have the same dominion and power over the kings , princes and people of the earth , and the same revenues , dignities and means to advance all those who adhere to them ; there 's no doubt , i say , but they would prefer it , how wicked so ever they may be , because it is more conformable to scripture , reason and the natural light of conscience , which oft pinches them , notwithstanding their profound and inveterate habits of error and crimes . i confess that it were impossible for their tyranny and authority to subsist with that religion , which is pure christianity , and the only religion becoming the excellence of man , and therefore they were obliged to root it out of the church of rome , that so they might reign in it . but they have at least so much equity , that men of sense among them who would perswade others to embrace their communion , don't demand that they should believe their doctrines , which they have no esteem of themselves , but only that they should go to their church , and for other things , permit them to believe as they please . it must then be purely and simply ambition , and a desire of dominion , which hath ruined the church of rome or the clergy , and which continues to ruin them still ; take but that vice away from them ▪ their tyranny will cease , christian morality would reassume its place , they would neither be idolatrous , superstitious nor heritical , cruel nor perfidious . transubstantiation , and the infallibility of their church , and all other monstrous opinions would fall , their discipline , observations , customs and usages so pernicious to the wel●…are of people and countries , should be abolish'd , and we s●…ould see industry , arts , manufactures , commerce , agriculture , sciences flourish every where , and their clergy themselves would become christians upon the matter , and honest men. though there never was any religion in the world more contrary to the gospel and reason , than that of the pope , in regard of doctrine and worship ; yet i will adventure to say , that it is still more detestable , in regard of the tyranny which is exercised therein by the pope and his clergy . for the better understanding of this , i maintain that if it were possible there were but two religions in the world , one whose doctrine , was well founded on scripture and reason , but the morals impious , and the maxims of ecclesiastical government tyrannical , and tending to the oppression and ruin of princes and their dominions . and that on the contrary , the doctrines of the other were abominable , contrary to scripture and good sense , but its moral practise good , and its ecclesiastical government tending to the advantage of sovereigns and their people , to make countries flourishing , rich and populous , and maintaining peace and tranquillity in them . there 's no man of sense , but would confess the second religion would deserve the protection of the state better than the first ▪ so that if the protestants should become idolaters and hereticks , & teach transubstantiation , purgatory , the invocation of saints , adoration of the half of one of the two sacraments , and that of statues and images , or such like doctrines ; their morals and maxims of ecclesiastical government , remaining the same as they are at present , that is to say , allowing to god , princes and people all their rights , as to what relates to morals and the government of church and state , their religion should better deserve the protection of the state , than that of a church , which should detest transubstantiation , purgatory , &c. and at the same time by their maxims , observations and tyranny fill the world with desolation and vice , and ruin princes and people , as the roman religion does . so that it appears hence , that the church and religion of rome , are yet more abominable by their tyranny and morals , than by their idolatries and errors . the pope and his clergy are more antichristian by the tyranny that they exercise over the souls and bodies , the estates , honour , life and repose of princes and people , than in regard of their speculative impieties and worship . but i confess , that the one cannot be without the other . where there is such an horrible tyranny , religion cannot long remain pure in doctrine , and where the opinions are so monstrous , their morality and church-government must needs become detestable and tend to the ruin of states . i confess that in relation to god , it is equally impossible , according to scripture , for private idolaters , and those that practise a morality destructive to society , to be sav'd ; so that in that respect the matter is equal , but it is not so with reference to the state. experience teaches us that there are idolaters who are morally honest , as to dealings betwixt man and man , and good country-men , who deserve the protection of magistrates , and that there are ill men amongst the orthodox , who deserve to be cut off , or chastised severely , as murderers , fornicators , robbers , &c. as to sovereigns and all magistrates , the good of the state is always preferr'd to that of the church , as nature in order preceeds grace , and the light of reason that of faith. for the church cannot subsist without the state , but the state can subsist well enough without the church ; hence it follows that disturbers of the publick peace , and those that plunder and ruin people , deserve better to be cut off or banished out of a country than idolaters or hereticks , that don't trouble the state. and that the church of rome who is guilty of both , that is to say , ruines states and is idolatrous , deserves more to be destroyed upon the former account than the latter . history informs us , that the spirit of domineering and tyranny began first in the church of rome , after which vice and ignorance , and next idolatries and herefies infected her in crouds , and destroyed all her doctrine and worship . for the popes did first attack the temporal rights of sovereigns and people , before they made any attempt upon the publick worship . had they been chastis'd for their ambition , and kept und●… as they ought , the christian religion had not been destroyed utterly among 'em , and people and princes would have preserved their rights . it is the natural order of the ambition of the popes and their clergy ▪ that in order to promote their designs upon the temporal rights of sovereigns and people , they make use of what they call spiritual methods , to attain their end . whence it follows , that sovereigns ought to abhor them more for their ambition and tyranny , than for their doctrine , tho' the one cannot subsist without the other , and they ought not to delay one moment the exterminating of such a religion out of their dominions , when it is so clearly demonstrated to 'em , as i have done that it lays them desolate in such a terrible and amazing manner . after so great a number of political reasons ▪ which so manifestly prove the falshood of the romish religion , the papists , who hence●…orth continue obstinate , must find out other metho●…s to palliate it , and not apply themselves to refu●…e all our arguments from scripture , reason and sense against their opinions and pretended mysteries , but to prove , if they can , that all the re●…sons i have bro●…ght ag●…inst them are false , and that the xviii articles , by which i ●…ave made it appear ▪ that they lay countries desolate , are supposititious or of ●…o 〈◊〉 . but tho' they should be able to do it : they will not find it easie to 〈◊〉 themselves from the argumen●…s 〈◊〉 ●…aid dow●… ▪ which are so 〈◊〉 and obviou●… to sense . it will ●…e to no purpose for them to alledge the i●…fallibility of their church , as they have successfully done to maintain transubstantiation , for here their sophisms c●…nnot so much as impose upon a servant-maid , who of her self may judge of my arguments , which relate to matters of fact that they themselves touch and manage , are visible , and plain , and proportioned to the capacities of the most ignorant , and which may all be examined to the bottom in a very little time . there 's no need of understanding hebrew , greek or latine for this , nor divinity and philosophy , nor so much as to read the old and new testament , or those they call the fathers : the discussion of this point is not ●…edious , and it will be to no purpose for the papists to alledge prescription in this , no more than it would be for a troop of highway-men , pickpockets or false coiners , who had been acc●…stomed to the cutting of purses without being taken notice of , or had for a long time cheated and ruined a senseless people , who did not observe that their money was cou●…terfeited . the mischiefs are too great and mani●…est ▪ not to have a remedy attempted assoon as possible , when ever ▪ they are discovered , otherwise princes and people , who are so much concern'd therein , must have lost their senses . it appears plain by what i have said , that so many pe●…sons , who for diverse ages , have pass'd ●…or grea●… ministers of state and politicians , in popis●… states and kingdoms , were in reality nothing ; but on the contrary mean spirited men , that either did not perceive those disorders of opery , which are obvious to every mans view , nay , as i may say , leap on his face , or suffered a religion so ridiculous and ruinous to sovereigns and their people , and so contrary to good manners , to take place , and be the religion of the state. this treatise which proves so evidently , and in a method suited to the capacity of the most ignorant and unlearned persons , thé falshood and transcendent malignity of the church of rome and her religion , and which i defie all or any of them ever to answer , will hence-forward take off the mask from all the hypocritical clergy of that church , who though they believe nothing of their religion themselves , yet they pretend to be sincerely of her communion , under a counterfeit allegation , that the holy scripture is obscure , and that the said church is infallible ▪ whereas they are in good earnest retain'd in her ▪ communion meerly by their love of ease , and the world , and a spirit of profanity , that they may enjoy the sensual plea●…ures , and carnal delights , which are the lot or inheritance of the romish clergy . so that henceforward the popish clergy can't but be understood , ev'n in popish countries them●…elves , to be the greatest enemies of the state and of mankind . and henceforward we shall have reason also to look upon all the other papists , who can read or have heard those reasons dis●…ours'd of ▪ as impious profane people without religion , and that love nothing but the world ; if they still continue in the unhappy communion of that great harlot , seeing her shame and uncleanness cannot in any wise be conceal'd . we shall moreover have more reason now than ever to look upon all protestants , great or small , princes or subjects , that renounce the reformation or rather christianity , to embrace popery , as declared enemies of the state , seeing popery is so evidently prov'd to be the bane of all countries , where it is the obtaining religion : nor can we in particular , entertain any more favourable opinion of those english ●…rotestants who continue jacobites , though they do not change their religion . this should also make such protestants blush who entertain , or rather would bring others to entertain a good opinion of the church of rome , as if it were still a true church , and comparable in any degree to the church of england , or other reformed churches ; whereas there 's no more comparison to be made between them , than between christ and belial , the temple of god and that of idols . i hope also by this way of writing , to deliver the world from abundance of disputes and vain questions , about the popes supremacy , whether he be the center of unity , the source and fountain of ecclesiastical ministry , that is , of the mission of all bishops and ministers , to which pretensions , he has no more right than the muphti ; as also about the insallibility of the pope and his church , transubstantiation , invocation and adoration of saints and angels , and a thousand inanimate creatures ; in which vain and foolish disputes , the protestants lost abundance of time , in endeavouring to convince the popish clergy , of the folly and falshood of those opinions , which they themselves know to be false , as well as we , and without foundation , and laugh at us in their sleeve , that we should think them so simple , as to believe those nonsensical and ridiculous opinions . if they believed their own doctrines and pretended mysteries , they would not prosa●…e them as they do , forcing people by a thousand torments to go to their mass , and to swallow down their pretended god of bread , which the protestants profess publickly to abominate , as they do their other mysteries . by this means i hope i have also delivered our divines from a sort of necessity they lay under , by reason of their controversies with the papists , to read again and again those books call'd the fathers , ecclesiastical history , the history of councils , the school-divines , canonists and decretals of the popes , &c. which are all of 'em vain studies , for the most part ; yet they were oblig'd to spend a great deal of time in following them ▪ which might have been better improved in applying themselves only to meditating and searching out the meaning of the holy scriptures , which ha●… been much better understood since the reformation than in all the ages preceding , and is the only study in which a mans whole life can be profitably spent . hence we may also perceive of how little consequence it is to us , in regard of our controversies with the church of rome ▪ to know which of the two histories of the council of trent is the truest and most faithful , viz. that of the incomparable fra. paolo , or that of the profane candinal pallavicini , call'd of a long time his new gospel , which does not deserve to be read , seeing we have a thousand other stronger proofs of the impiety of the court of rome , and their pretended religion , than that history of father paolo , though excellent in it self , as to the matter of fact. we may very well say , that the council of constance and lateran , did evidence and establish as great impieties as the council of trent diverse ages before it . that which was most fatal to christianity in that impious last council , was , that all the idolatries and heresies of the church of rome , as also her tyranny , were therein consecrated and established in form of laws , with anathemas ; so that if there were any remainder of christianity in that pretended church before the council of trent , which is indeed very much to be doubted , it was absolutely destroyed thereby ; especially if we consider , that by vertue of the decisions of that pretended council , where the protestants could not assist , because it was not free , and all was done therein by bribes , violence and treachery , against the protestations of almost all the princes of europe even papists , who had demanded a free council : by vertue i say , of the decisions of that profane and impious assembly , the pope and his clergy did afterwards put in practise all the cruelties and barbarities imaginable , in order to quench the light of the gospel in the blood of the reformers , and did also highly raise the fury of their inquisition , which tribunal alone proves the absolute reprobation of the romish church , better than any thing that was done in the council of trent . the church of rome has retain'd nothing of christianity but the name , and some small appearances of it , in order to enrich her self by them , just as the rouers of algiers , who put out a christian flag when they design to enslave and swallow up the christians ; for at the bottom there 's nothing in the church of rome but idolatry , perfidiousness , cruelty and tyranny . it would seem reasonable also , that after so many and so evident prooss , that the pope is the greatest enemy of all the christian states , and of christianity it self , that protestant travellers should be more scrupulous to kiss the popes foot , when they are at rome ; for 't is not as a temporal prince that the pope imposes upon them such as ignominious and abject submission , but as the antichrist or vicar of christ , for the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 signifies that , as 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 fignifies a viceroy , and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a proconsul . the pope , i say , and all his court take it to be a religious worship , and an acknowledgment of his almighty power , both in heaven and earth , as being the vicar of christ , or the antichrist not as enemy of christ , which the word fignifies also by the special providence of god , tho' he be such a one 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 i know travellers commonly have but a mean idea of religion ▪ and do this meerly out of a base covetousness to get the popes golden medal , and fancy that 't is only a civil aspect which they pay to him as to a temporal prince , and not a religious one . but it s a horrid mistake : for the pope pretends it is due to him , by vertue of a prophecy in the old testament , by which it 's said of the messias , that all nations shall bow down and submit to him , and lick the dust of his feet . otherwise the pope has no ground to pretend to that excessive and shameful submission , above so many princes in the world , who have a greater temporal power and revenue , are of a far nobler pedegree , and are infinitely better in all respects than he is ; so that all those travellers who are guilty of that , commit besides the sin against god , a horrid baseness against ' emselves and christianity , and in truth , i should think that those who will be so base hereafter , as to stoop to that villany for the golden medal , would make no great scruple to prostitute themselves also for money to the other roman prelates at rome & muliebria pati . there is nothing in my opinion more capable of inspiring one with low and abased thoughts of mankind , than to see kings and princes , and their counsels , who ought to be the most clear-sighted and prudent of all men , as to what concerns the welfare of their dominions and people , to suffer themselves to be led by the nose , by the most vile and abject rascals in the world , who have imposed such a foolish and shameful religion upon them , under pretext of which they pillage , ruine , and lay waste their countries , without their perceiving it , or at least endeavouring to deliver themselves from that yoke of slavery . the church of rome is not contented thus to treat those that she hath already brought under , but would also swallow up all others , and yet if you 'l believe her , she is , as i have said , infallible , and there 's no salvation to be hop'd for , but in her communion , and by submitting to her yoke ; which is all one as if the most dissolute prostitute in a city , should alledge that all the honest women are debauched , and cannot learn how to behave themselves except they come to her school : or just as if a multitude of profligate , impious debauchees , thiefs , false coiners and murderers , pretended to impose a new religion upon men , to administer justice to all the world , under pretence that some of their ancestors , from whom they claim a direct and legal succession , were honest men , and acted in those stations a thousand years ago . for it is just the same : the popes pretend to be successors to the bishops of rome ; who were , as they pretend , the successors of saint peter ▪ but what consequence can they draw from it , if it were true ; seeing they are now all idolaters , hereticks and the greatest tyra●…s in the world , and have been such for several ages ▪ is it not certain that judas , tho he was an apostle himself , forfeited his right to his office , by betraying his master ? how much more have the popes and the popish church forfeited it , who out-do him as much as the prototype use●… to out-do it's type . let 's suppose that the mahometan 〈◊〉 who are a kind of christians , as well as the popes , since they acknowledge christ for a great prophet , did pretend that they are the successors of those bishops of asia to whom st. iohn in his revelation , directs some admonitions , who had at least as much right to pretend to be the successors of the apostles , as the now bishops of rome . let us suppose , i say , that those muphtis did pretend now , not only to have their mission from christ , but to be the center of unity amongst christians , and under that pretence oblige us to 〈◊〉 mahometans , would the popish church think their arguments good ; and yet they have as much right to such pretensions as the pope and his clergy , who are more antichristian than they . the pope then and his clergy being without controversy , as i have demonstrated , the greatest enemies to jesus christ , and to the christian church ; is it not a horrid piece of impudence ▪ and folly , to pretend that they are or may still be the fountain of the ecclesiastical mission and ministry ? it is against god's holiness ▪ truth and wisdom to think so ▪ and blasphemy to speak so ? for did ever any wise prince trust his authority , his person and family to rebels and his greatest enemies , does not he on the contrary , deprive them of all their offices , and of all his favours ▪ for otherwise he should countenance their rebellion and crimes ; but when they have submitted and sworn fidelity afresh , then if he thinks fit to pardon them , and give them their offices again , there must be new patents and a new commission ▪ on else he would be guilty of folly against his own crown and dignity ; just the same as if our lawful sovereign king william , did trust his authority , person , and people to the irish , who are in the late kings service in france , and his own greatest enemies , and that they should exercise that authority without renouncing popery , idolatry , and the late king. this might justly be called a trusting the sheep to the wolves . unless peter after the abjuring of his master , had repeated of that great sin , and been also restor'd by his master to the apostleship , by a thrice repeated commission to feed his sheep , as he had three times abjured him ; unless , i say ▪ christ had so sealed his pardon and renew'd his commission , he had forfeited his apostleship : how much more then hath the popish church forfeited all her pretended priviledges , by the multitude of her idolatries , heresies , execrable morals , and by her tyranny over princes and nations ? it 's a folly in protestants to dispute seriously with the roman clergy , and quote scripture , or bring reason against them ; for they know very well that the scripture is against them , otherwise they would not prohibit the reading of it , nor speak with that disrespect of the same , as they do ▪ it is just the same as if you would endeavour to dispute highway-men or prostitutes out of their way of living , which they have chosen before all others , with a resolution never to abandon the same . it 's a maxim in logick , that one ought not to dispute with those who deny principles , nor with those who impudently controvert certain truths . and can any society be more guilty of this , than the church of rome , who orders those of her communion to violate all the commandments of god , all the maxims of christianity , and all the laws of nature and society , to convert men , as she calls it , to her religion ? can there be any thing more effronted and impudent than that pretended church , when in her debates with us , she asserts also , as i have said already , her own infallibility , in pillaging , ruining and laying desolate those nations that submit to her yoke ▪ and likewise by denying that there was any persecution in france , or that their pretended sacrament is real bread , &c. to what purpose is it to dispute of religion with such a church , which for several ages hath impudently anathematiz'd those who communicate in both kinds , though she own'd at the same time , that jesus christ commanded we should do so , when he instituted that sacrament , and that the apostles and primitive church did the like . it exceedingly delights the popish clergy , so find the protestants seriously disputing against their ridiculous doctrines , for they value themselves upon it as having wit enough to make all their extravagancies seem problematical at least . for it requires as much ingenuity to put a fair colour on their follies , as if a man should undertake to prove that the devil loves truth , justice and holiness , or that that which is call'd truth and holiness , is false and sinful . what delight would not the devil take to hear men disputing , whether he is to be worshipp'd and religiously served as well as god. this comparison is not too harsh , for in many places of the scripture , the adoration of creatures , both animated and inanimated , such as the papists are guilty of , is call'd the adoration of devils ; to drink the cup of idols , is call'd a drinking the cup of devils ; to sacrifice to idols ( as the papists do when they invoke and adore so many creatures in heaven or earth , and when they offer the sacrifice of their mass to pretended saints , who are dead , and meer idols ) that 's call'd in scripture , a sacrisice to devils , the adoration of images of gold and silver , is joyn'd with the adoration of devils . and several doctrines which seem to be none of the most impious of the romish church , are call'd the doctrines of devils , such as is their prohibiting their ecclesiasticks to marry , and eating such and such sorts of meat , &c. i mention all this by the by , without quoting the places of scripture , because ▪ i am no divine , but those who read the scriptures know what i say is true . they know also that the romish church is call'd in scripture by the names of sodom , egypt and babylon , as if the spirit of god had fought for the harshest terms , to denote to us in some degree , the infinite malignity of the romish church , which is beyond all expression and idea . their clergy , i say , take a great delight to see our divines busied in confuting their opinions , as those who undertake the apology of folly , do when they see others seriously confuting their foolish arguments . if it were not for the riches of popery , and the princes and the numbers of people , who follow that beast and false prophet , according to the prophecies of the new testament , it would appear to the judgment of the papists themselves , the most execrable religion that ever was , and i hope there will come a time , when all the world will be amazed , to understand by history that there hath ever been in the world such a portentous and monstrous religion as that is ▪ i promis'd at the beginning of this work , to demonstrate the great advantages which the king and kingdom of france might reap by abolishing popery ; in order to shew by that single example , what advantage other popish nations might reap by the same , and the great ones that england and other protestant countries enjoy by the reformation : i shall therefore now say , that should it please god to put it into the heart of the k. of france , who reigns at present , and who of a long time seems to a great many people , to be destin'd to do great things , to deliver his kingdom from the tyranny of the pope , he would reap abundance of more true glory from it before god and man , than he would have done , had he been able to conquer the whole world. that would be an action truly heroick , infinitely greater than ▪ any thing he hath done hitherto , and would be a clearer demonstration to the world , that he ●…ath a great and noble soul. this return to god , to himself and to his people , would compensate for all the past miscarriages of his reign , and preserve those great titles , which have either been given him by others , or assum'd by himself , as also the glory of all the great things that he may have done . then indeed he would deserve the title of most christian king , which can never be properly given to a popish prince , because popery and christianity are antipodes to one another , at least as much as darkness is to lig●…t . it is well known that ever since he ascended the throne , the honester sort of papists in that kingdom , have entertain'd hopes that this great and glorious prince would deliver it from the popes disgraceful yoke ▪ by creating a patriarch . but the court of rome by the pernicious counsels of her clergy , who have sold themselves to iniquity , diverted him from that design , by inspiring him with false ideas of the glory and grandeur he would acquire by extirpating the protestant religion , which they call heresie , out of his kingdom , that is to say ▪ to persecute such true christians as were in the same , with all manner of fury , in order to subject them to the pope , instead of making war upon that grand enemy of jesus christ , the greatest that ever he had or can have . it must be confessed that the design of establishing a patriarch in france , was very considerable , seeing by that means they had design'd to deliver the kingdom from a foreign yoke , as ruinous as possible , but it must be acknowledged on the other hand , that it would be abundantly and more assuredly glorious and advantagious to reform the national ▪ religion entirely from so many frightful errors in doctrine , and so great a number of customs and superstitions , that are pernicious to the state , and were introduc'd into the same under the favour of that profound darkness , which the tyranny of the pope hath spread therein , and which in their turn maintain and support that tyranny ▪ for if we consider things duly , that horrid darkness and ignorance could not have been dissipated by the meer creation of a patriarch , for notwithstanding that , most of those ruinous disorders , represented in the forementioned articles , would still have continued , because they are the natural dependances and necessary consequences of the other principles of the romish religion , which would have remain'd entire notwithstanding the creation of a patriarch , the abolition of the papal authority only being excepted . besides such an inconsiderable change as this , the rest of the popish religion being continued , would neither have been advantagious for the salvation of men , glorious to the king , nor profitable to the state. for idolatry and the other heresies remaining , there would have always been an impossibility of being saved in that religion , and the greatest part of the oppression attending it , being also continued , the people would have had but little relief by it , nor would the king of france have reap'd the fourth part of the advantage , which he might expect from a thorough reformation . neither is it to be thought that so small a change , could be solid and durable ; for at the bottom , it 's certain that it 's the popes who have made the religion of the church of rome to be what it is , either by corrupting the doctrine of the apostles ▪ or adopting the idolatry and worship of the pagans , or by forging now and then new articles of faith , for their own private interest , and that of their clergy : and it is certain that their religion is founded on no other authority but that of the pope , and therefore cardinal pallavicini had reason to say in his history of the council of trent , call'd by some , his new gospel ▪ tutti gli articoli della religione unitamente considerati non hanno altra certezza prossima ed immediata che l'autorita del summo pontefice ; i. e. that all the articles of their religion , considered together , have no other certain and immediate foundation , but the authority of the pope . so that if we reason consequentially from this principle , the popish religion cannot be preserved but by the preservation of the papal authority , from which it derives all the authority , that gives it any value in the eyes of the world. it is also probable , that if a greater reformation were not made immediately upon the creation of a patriarch , the popes authority would be again re-established ; ●…or he should without doubt have always a great party in the kingdom , under the ●…avour of that horrid darkness which must have continued therein , if it had been no other but for the jesuites and monks , who would be constantly jealous that the patriarch would pair their nails . one party of the nation would always have entertained a correspondence with the popes friends , being united by their communion in the same religion , excepting the opinion of the authority of the pope , tho'some would have made semblance of rejecting that too , for fear of their king , yet they would effectually endeavour the re-establishment of the papal authority . and so much the more , that the court of rome would have been prodigal of their treasures , and have spar'd nothing on this occasion to maintain their tyranny : and moreover , i●… the king who had created a patriarch , should come to have died before the reformation should have been compleated , and a prince of less authority had succeeded , there would have been an end of the patriarchat . this erecting of a patriarch would not have pleased the popish princes neither ; so that they would have joyned with the pope and the party that adher'd to him in france , and would either have stirr'd up civil wars there , or have made war upon it themselves . nor could this imperfect change have satisfied the protestant princes , who would always have look'd upon france as idolatrous and heretical , and ready to return again to wallow in that mire , whence she had made some effort to get out , and begun to lift up her head ; so that they would never put any confidence in her . it should happen to france in this case , as it always happens to neutral princes in the quarrels of neighbouring potentates , their neutrality does not reconcile them with their enemies , nor yet procure ●…hem any friends . neutralitas ne●… amicos pari●… neque inimicos tollit , saith tacitus : in such cases we must be either t'one or t'other , and avoid that which is call'd consilia media . such a faint reformation would have serv'd for nought , but to awake all the malice of the pope , and the mischievous ecclesiasticks of the kingdom , who would have reap'd the same advantage from this , that a strong man does from the impotent menaces of his enemy , which serve only to put him on his guard and set him at work , to prevent the threatned mischief , according to the italian proverb , le minaccie sono l'armi del minaccia●…o . threats sound an allarum to the threatned man , to take arms , either to de●…end himself or offend his enemy , as occasion requires . whereas if the king of france did not do things by halves , but should , together with his subjects , renounce all at once the false doctrines , worship , superstition and abuses of the church of rome , and free his kingdom from that tyranny , by establishing the light of the gospel , to enlighten his people , amongst whom it is hid under a candlestick , he might assure himself that such an evangelical reformation would be followed by unexpressible advantages to himself and his people , both in regard of temporal and eternal life . some may perhaps object that such a comple●…t and sudden reformation , must needs shake the kingdom of france , and that there 's no passing so suddenly from one extream to another without danger , that is to say , from the thick darkness of popery , to the bright shining light of christianity , and therefore it mu●…t be done gradually , as our saviour did when he restored sight to the blind , they did not at first see all objects dis●…inctly ; but men walking like trees , and that god does not make us pass from the dark night to the bright day , but by the dawning of the morning , and therefore according to that wisdom , it were proper first to establish a patriarchat in france , before they endeavour a gospel-reformation . to this i answer , that as to the authority of the pope , which the creation of a patriarch would have over-turn'd , all the parliaments of france , and amongst others that of paris , all persons of learning , sense and honesty , ev'n amongst the clergy themselves , do not acknowledge that authority in their heart ; nay , they despise all other doctrines contrary to those of the protestants , as being evidently false or unprofitable . the kings authority and the respect or fear that they have for him , are the only ties which retain them , lest he should destroy or ruine them , if they did ●…urn protestants . they have had many doctors of a long time , who have opened their eyes in regard of the popes authority , and diverse other such doctrines , as the chancellor gerson , and the drs. richer , de launoy , the author of the book call'd , les moyens seurs & honnetes , sure and honest methods , elias du pin , and many other , without mentioning the books of protestants ; and besides , the jansenists , the new philosophy and the present quietists , do something of that nature ; and there 's ground of hope that all the nation will be moved at the infinite number of mischiess , which popery occasions in the state when they are set before their eyes . we must also consider , that the rigor and length of the last persecution of france , nay which continues still , and hath been one of the longest and most cruel that ever the christians endur'd since the establishment of christianity ; that grand rigor , i say , and the continuance of the persecution , have giv'n occasion to all persons of the romish communion , who had not absolutely divested themselves of all conscience and humanity , and become perfect bruits , to inquire into those opinions , ●…or which the protestants have suffered , and suffer still so many evils , and have found them reasonable and christian , contrary to what the monks represented them to be , and diverse of the honestest of their clergy-men who were formerly very ignorant , have instructed themselves in them . all of them have been terrified to find so much courage , firmness , humility and surprizing patience amongst an infinite number of persons of all sexes , ages and conditions , which made them to think , that in all this , there was something divine , 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 ; they are also surpriz'd to find , by the zeal which those poor people , discover at present when persecuted in diverse places with the utmost rage , that they are less papists than ever , which occasions many thoughts of heart amongst those who have any judgment . besides the bad success of that persecution which hath been accompanied with this long and bloody war , a violent famine , and the dethroning of the late king james , with whom it was concerted , and which , in fine , hath issued in the ruine of the kingdom of france , hath made it evident that it was not a woŕk which god approv'd , and that he did without all doubt avenge himself on the nation for their perfidiousness and cruelty committed against his people , at the instigation of the court of rome and the clergy of france ; and those who are not judicially blinded , or have any sense of god upon them , understand and perceive clearly that god concern'd himself in the cause of the protestants , and the evils they suffered . which ought to be another strong argument , to incline the papists to embrace the protestant religion . so that there 's no cause to doubt but the people of france , have a mighty disposition to shake off the popes yoke , and to embrace the doctrine of the gospel ▪ if the king of france would declare himself for it , above half the business would be done . never prince had nor can have so fair an occasion to acquire immortal glory , and to render his people happy , as the king of france has at present in putting that great work in execution , for besides all the dispositions thereunto abovementioned , he hath the most authority in his dominions of any prince in the world , and hath the finest and most numerous army that ever was seen in france , and if he should s●…and in need of any assistance to carry on a work so glorious , so magnificent and advantagious to mankind , there 's no doubt but the incomparable william , and other protestant powers , would lend him their helpi●…g ha●…d . it seems that the present state of the kingdom of france , doth moreover indispensibly require this general reformation , and the abolition of the papacy , to the end the king may appropriate to himself all or at least the greatest part of the riches of the church , which belong to no body , and whereof he might dispose for the ●…afety of the state , without any injustice , by which means he would be enabled to pay his debts to every one , and to prevent a civil war , which seems to threaten france unavoidably , if there come a k ▪ of lesser authority than lewis the xiv . by reason of the desperate condition into which people of all ranks are upon the brink of being reduc'd , because of the ill condition of their affairs . all his troops seem to require it also , to prevent their being cashier'd , for they must either perish in foreign countries , or starve , or be hang'd at home ; the great numbers of brave officers and noblemen , ruined by the kings service do also require it ; and 't is a thousand times more just that they should be compensated by the riches of the church which belong to no body but the king and state , than that they should be enjoy'd by such an herd of scandalous and unprofitable ecclesiasticks . the great numbers of others who have been forced by several ways to lend money to the king , or to buy places , or letters of nobility , and must unavoidably be cashier'd and ruined , or who have lost all they had by the taxes , do also require such a general reformation , that the king may be enabled ●…o pay or give them some compensation , and to furnish them bread , of which they have none left . and besides those above-mentioned ▪ all ranks of people through the kingdom in general require it , that they may be delivered from those prodigious losses , that they suffer continually by popery , which amount , as has been said , to above millions per annum , that so they may be re-established and repeopled a little ; for which end the monks , nuns and other ecclesiasticks might be very useful , if their monasteries were dissolved . the general desolation of the cities and countries do also demand it , that so that king may be in a condition to moderate the impositions and taxes , with which they are overwhelm'd at present , and will continue so to be . without this all arts , manufactures and husbandry , will infallibly decay more and more , and the art military will come to nothing in france , where it hath flourished so much in this reign . the interest of the church of france , as they call it , and all the honest ecclesiasticks among them , seem also to require it ; because if after the present king and dauphin , there should happen to come a weak prince , the kingdom also being so much weakned as 't is at present , and as it will continue to be still , may be for ever ruin'd unless this general reformation be set about speedily : if , i say , a weak prince should happen to come to the crown at such a time , the popes will treat france in a more tyrannical and cruel manner than ever , because of the fears they have laboured under , that france would shake off their yoke , and of the attempts which they will pretend have been made upon their authority in this reign , which they will never pardon . then the pope will establish the inquisition in france , deprive the gallican church of that she calls her liberties , rob the king of his regale , oblige him to restore the seculariz'd estates to the church , and certainly despoil the bishops of their lawful jurisdiction over the regular clergy . then they must believe the infallibility of the pope , or at least pretend to do so , both in matters of fact and right , his almighty power in heav'n and earth , his superiority over councils , his absolute power over the temporal rights of kings , and their lives , as well as in the matters of their salvation , and the like over their subjects : the pope , the monks and the jesuites will render themselves masters of all under a weak prince , and the kingdom will be more expos'd to the cheats , impostures and scandalous vices of the clergy than ever . the king of france should hereby gain the affection of all protestant princes and states intirely , which would be much more useful to him than that of the popish princes , because they are honester in their treaties , and at present much more powerful especially by sea , and more able to hurt or help him . and moreover , france cannot subsist without commerce with them , and the king knows very well that they have no thoughts of regaining any thing from france , as the popish princes have , because she hath never taken any thing from them ; nor have they any thoughts of making conquests upon him , as being more sage and judicious than that comes to : neither has he any reason to fear that the court of rome will employ them to do mischief to france , as they have imployed , and may still imploy popish princes to do . but if france neglect such a fair opportunity as this is , to shake off the yoke of popery , ( when there is such an indispensible necessity ●…o do it for the fafety of the kingdom , which must otherwise perish ) after having seen so evidently , that popery is the ruin of states , and by consequence a false religion , all the world will have reason to believe , that his majesty does not only hate the protestant religion , but the very persons of all protestants , especially if he does not re-establish his subjects of the reformed religion in the free exercise of the same , and in a full and entire liberty in all respects , as his other subjects , and with all possible assurance for time to come , seeing no man can reproach them with disloyalty towards the king , nor on the account of their doctrine , which the most learned of the papists themselves acknowledge to be very sound , and conformable to the scripture , and make their boasts that they believe the same things as they do , having nothing else to reproach them with , but only that they don't believe enough , because they don't believe transubstantiation , nor fifty other fooleries of the like nature ; nor adore the half of one of the two sacraments , which has not so much as the honour to be bread , but is only an elil elilim , a nothing , an idol , which according to st. paul is a meer nothing ; of this number of learned men is the bp. of meaux , as appears by his exposition of the catholick doctrine . without ●…his reformation , france will become as desolate in years time , as spain and portugal is at present , though there should be a continued peace all that while . for the women and girls who are at present three thirds of the people of france , will for the most part be dead without children , because there are not men enough at present to marry them ; so that this want of people will be much more apparent then , than now . it may very well be said that the kingdom of france hath for or years had a great ascendant over all the other nations of europe , by means of the kings vigour and absolute power . but the kingdom will lose that ascendant , come to nothing , and be despicable to all the world , and especially to the court of rome , without hopes of being ever able to recover it self , if such a reformation be not made ; and i dare venture to say , that without this the kingdom is in danger to be torn into pieces by civil wars ere it be long , or involved in short in another new war , on the account of religion , by the jesuites at the secret suggestion of the pope , who are still afraid of that kings great authority , tho his kingdom is ruined . there 's no other method left , as i have intimated already , to put the king in a condition to pay his numerous debts , but this evangelical reformation ; and because diverse persons of great merit have desir'd of me to give some account of the ways and means they take , to find money to borrow , and places to sell in a kingdom so much ruined as france ; i could not refuse to obey them in imparting what is publickly known of that matter in france , therefore i shall here make a little digression . we must observe then that the court entertains a great number of people in provinces and towns , who make it their business to discover those who have yet any money left ' em . whereupon the intendant , governour or other chief men of the place , have orders either to call for such persons , or to go to their houses , and tell them that the king has a mind to sell such and such new places , or augmentations of salleries to all civil officers who are already in place , or letters of nobility to commoners , or some other priviledges , or to create rents upon the town-house of paris , or to alienate the revenues of the post-office , or some part of his demain , &c. then they are acquainted civilly that they will oblige the court to lay out their money on such thing●… , and do a piece of good service to the state , that their principal and interest will both be sure , and their gain considerable . if they answer that they have no money , after being desir'd thus to lay it out , then they find it to be , as tacitus says , preceserant , sed quibus resisti non poterat . they were prayers indeed , but such as they could not resist . those officers inform themselves more partic●…larly of the sta●…e of their affairs , from scriveners and notaries , who are oblig'd to tell all they know of it ; after this they proceed to threaten the persons , that so they may squeeze money out of them . but there are few who let it come to this extremity , because they see so many examples before them of people ruined by such refusals , for either they are tax'd extraordinarily as rich persons , or are accused that either they themselves or their friends , whose estates they inherit , robb'd the publick when they were in office , and thereupon despoil them of their estates . otherwise all the actions of their whole life are canvass'd , or if that fail , the conversations of their children and other relations , are enquired into , on purpose to vex them , and their tenants are over-whelm'd with ▪ impositions , or quartering of soldiers . there are a hundred other such methods ; and their children and relations are never advanc'd neither in the church , in the army , nor otherwise . and they are besi●…es accounted at court enemies to the government , sometimes imprisoned , and if they have any suit at law , the adverse party is sure to find favour , &c. it 's true , there are some who are known to be extreamly rich , or in great business , ●…hat prevent ●…he court on purpose ●…o gain favour , and lend their money upon the town-house of paris , nor do they know how to dispose of their money otherwise , trade being quite ruined , houses and land being of no value , and all people almost being broke ; so that there 's no safety in lending it to private hands ; besides they are affraid of the species being cry'd down , the same having been augmented one th part during the war. th●…n the interest is upon the foot of twelve , fourteen , eighteen or twenty years purchase more or less , and most of those persons live at paris on those revenues : here i shall take notice by the way , that above two thirds of all the kingdoms money , plate and jewels are at paris ; and that there was plenty of money in france years ago , as 't is necessary for trade , in a country where the half of all estates are in mainmort . we must suppose that court was perswaded that the last war was just and necessary , and that the kingdom was in great danger , had it not been for the help of such methods , and they reasoned as that man , who said formerly ; praestat aliquam habere rempublicam quam nullam , that is , 't is better to have some republick than none : and we must think also , that they thought the kingdom was able soon or late to pay and reimburse all those loans , both principal and interest , and that the money was useless during the war , in the hands of private men who had it , or might even be prejudicial to the kingdom , if the owners had applyed themselves to usury , as 't is in such circumstances in some countries . so that 't is no wonder , that the court having such an authority , made use o●… such ways and means . how then can all those publick debts , old and new , be paid without abolishing popery ? how can those who have bought their places , of whom three fourths at least must be cashier'd , be otherwise reimbursed ? and this last alone may amount perhaps to a thousand millions , besides what is due to those who have purchas'd augmentations of salleries , and titles of nobility , which together with other priviledges sold also , must be abolish'd ; or how can the interests of all those debts be paid , seeing the kingdom is every day more and more dispeopled ? for there 's at least three women for one man , and by consequence there are but few marriages , and more people die than are born . what hopes then can that ki●…gdom entertain from trade and husbandry , when they have no men to manage them ? and besides , the continuance of the persecution will more and more alienate the hearts of all true protestant strangers , who either will not travel , or at least not stay any long time in france , where so much perfidiousness and cruelty abounds , against their brethren , and where they cannot promise safety to them●…elves , for ei●…her ●…hey are in hazard of being knock'd on the head , by the furious and idolatrous people , if they don't kneel before their breaden god in the streets , or are always at the mercy of their landlords , masters of exercises , or idolatrous and bigotted physitians , &c. for it is now the mode in france to be mad bigots , and if they fall sick there , they will be persecuted to the death , in order to make them abjure their religion . nor can they have leave to eat meat for six months almost in the year , without buying permission of the priests , for they are now more ridiculous in france , in those matters than at rome it self : because the pope is well satisfied to draw strangers thither , and to have their money , and that france should lose so much by it . so that the great pro●…it which the kingdom of france did ordinarily reap from protestant strangers , must reasonably be supposed to diminish considerably . there will happen also another inconvenience by the abating of the value of money , which must yet of necessity be done , and will occasion abundance of disorder in the kingdom . i confess that the abolishing of popery , which we have demonstrated to be so necessary , cannot prevent that diminution of the value of the coin which is so just , but it would occasion that that loss and all the rest would be nothing so sensibly felt by the kingdom , because the affairs of the king and the subject both would be abundantly better'd by it . i think it necessary to observe here , that the rents of the town-house of paris , before-mentioned , consist in taxes laid upon all sorts of things , that are exported or imported into that city , for the use of man and beast , as provisions , cattle , corn , vvine , cloaths , firing , hay , straw , &c. nor is there any thing but what is liable to this impost , whether it be the product of the kingdom or of foreign countries , and it is the same as to all manner of goods exported from paris , as manufactures , all sorts of things ●… la mode for dresses , either of men or women , and whether it be to the provinces of france , or to foreign countries ; so that there 's nothing but what pays , the very herbs and flowers not being excepted . about years ago the king had at least millions of livres , or above a million and a half sterling yearly by this impost , but it is without all doubt much diminished at present . the salt alone which is sold at and d. per pound , did formerly yield livres per annum , which was appropriated for the use of the kings table , and those of the officers of his houshould , tho' paris be nothing near so big , rich and well peopled as london ; and by consequence spends much less . then besides the tax on all things imported into that city , for the use of man and beast , which pay by the gross , either at the ga●…s , the entrance of the suburbs , or to the pataches on the river , ( which are boats with officers of the custom-house , and guards to levy the said tax on all things imported or exported by water ) there is moreover a tax laid upon every thing that is retail'd within the city and surburbs ; and because that this revenue must necessarily fall in proportion to the decrease and poverty of the people , the court who are unwilling that it should do so , augment the tax on every thing , to make up what they lose by this fall of the revenue , which occasions abundance less to be consumed , and this branch of the revenue to fall more and more , and people to suffer extremly by it . those taxes are so many that there are several books writ for ascertaining them . it is the same in several of the biggest towns of the kingdom and 't is at present the best par●… of the k●…ngs revenues , bec●…use the great cities are not so depopulated as the country . but let 's return to our subject : i shall suppose here the popish religion to be good as to its doctrine and wo●…ship , and the protestant religion false ; yet the king of france , by embracing the latter , should be ●…ssoon saved if he paid his debts , reliev'd his people from their pressures , and his kingdom from a foreign yoke which ruines it ▪ if he labour'd incess●…ntly to re-establish and re-people his kingdom , doing justice to all , rewarding such as have been undone by his service in one manner or other , making reparation to his reformed subjects for the dammage he hath done them , making ver●…ue and learning to flourish , and ba●…ishing vice , ignorance and imposture ; all which he may do by abolishing popery , and which can't be done without it . i say , that he would assoon be saved in a religion that is fal●…e , as to doctrine and worship by doing those things , as he could be in the popish religion , supposing it to be orthodox in worship and doctrine , and that he did not perform his du●…y in all those respects , as it is certain he cannot do whilst his kingdom continues popish . vengeance in 〈◊〉 cases displeases god ▪ but that which the french k. should hereby take of the court of r●…me might well be called an holy vengeance ; seeing the popes have ruin'd france by their religion , secret intrigues , and by the spirit of pecsecution , with which they have inspired her princes , &c. the king on the other hand , would re-establish fr●…nce by the ruine of the popes ; which were no more but thebruising of the scorpion upon the wound that it makes . by this means the king of france would ob●…ain a mighty ascendant over the house of austria , by the augmentation of his power and riches , and the favour which he should find among protestants ; and the pope would not be any thing formidable to the french king. it 's time now to draw to a conclusion , and therefore i sháll only say , that it is clear as the sun shine , that the court of fr●…nce by saving that dammage which popery occasions to the ki●…gdom , might easily upon the millions which the kingdom would at least gain by it , encrease its revenue millions , without reckoning the revenues of the church , the plate in their churches and treasuries , and their gro●…ing-timber , which the king might dispose of as he should think fit , and at the same time the blessing of god would attend the king and the nation , whereas they have great reason to dread the contrary , if they don't follow this me●…hod . but whereas , it continues too evident that the romish clergy influences the king to persecute and murder still his protestant subjects with all manner of outrage , it it a certain proof that the pope is a●…raid of his power still , and does not think him reduced low ●…nough , and therefore if he can , he will certainly prompt him to undertake new enterpri●…es against some nation and perhaps a protestant state , and the truth is while the french court continues to treat their own reformed subjects at that rate , there 's very good reason for protestants to be jealous of them . by this persecution we may perceive that the morals of the church of rome are far worse ●…han those of the civilized pagans , as appears by that saying of tacitus , apud optimum quemque ●…am miserum est occidere quam perire : that is to say , all honest men account it as u●…grateful to nature to kill others as to be kill'd themselves ; but on the contrary , that which is call'd the church of rome , accounts it a thing meri●…orious to be drunk with the blood of the saints , & esteems it more advantagious to those that shed it , or occasion it to be shed than the blood of the cross ; so that i cannot forbear to say , that it would seem that persecuting clergy are certain of their own reprobation , for if they were in any doubt concerning it , or had the least hope of salvation , or that their church were not wholly abandoned by god , they would not so defile and pollute it , by such a desperate conduct , and by the commission of so many cruelties , perjuries , profanities and sacriledges to advance its interest . finis . consult the errata . notes, typically marginal, from the original text notes for div a -e * las empres●… politicas de savedra . the young divines apologie for his continuance in the vniuersitie with certaine meditations, ritten by nathaniel povvnoll, late student of christ-church in oxford. pownall, nathaniel, or - . approx. kb of xml-encoded text transcribed from -bit group-iv tiff page images. text creation partnership, ann arbor, mi ; 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(eebo-tcp ; phase , no. a ) transcribed from: (early english books online ; image set ) images scanned from microfilm: (early english books, - ; : ) the young divines apologie for his continuance in the vniuersitie with certaine meditations, ritten by nathaniel povvnoll, late student of christ-church in oxford. pownall, nathaniel, or - . fletcher, giles, ?- . [ ], p. printed by cantrell legge printer to the vniuersitie of cambridge, [london] : . and are to be sold in pauls churchyard: by matthevv lovvnes at the signe of the bishops head. prefatory material signed: g. fletcher. some print show-through; pages and - stained. pages - from the emmanuel college (university of cambridge) library spliced at end. reproduction of the original in the bodleian library. created by converting tcp files to tei p using tcp tei.xsl, tei @ oxford. re-processed by university of nebraska-lincoln and northwestern, with changes to facilitate morpho-syntactic tagging. gap elements of known extent have been transformed into placeholder characters or elements to simplify the filling in of gaps by user contributors. eebo-tcp is a partnership between the universities of michigan and oxford and the publisher proquest to create accurately transcribed and encoded texts based on the image sets published by proquest via their early english books online (eebo) database 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where possible up to a limit of instances per text. any remaining illegibles were encoded as <gap>s. understanding these processes should make clear that, while the overall quality of tcp data is very good, some errors will remain and some readable characters will be marked as illegible. users should bear in mind that in all likelihood such instances will never have been looked at by a tcp editor. the texts were encoded and linked to page images in accordance with level of the tei in libraries guidelines. copies of the texts have been issued variously as sgml (tcp schema; ascii text with mnemonic sdata character entities); displayable xml (tcp schema; characters represented either as utf- unicode or text strings within braces); or lossless xml (tei p , characters represented either as utf- unicode or tei g elements). keying and markup guidelines are available at the text creation partnership web site . eng church of england -- clergy -- early works to . bible. -- o.t. -- psalms vi -- meditations -- early works to . clergy -- office -- early works to . - tcp assigned for keying and markup - spi global keyed and coded from proquest page images - emma (leeson) huber sampled and proofread - emma (leeson) huber text and markup reviewed and edited - pfs batch review (qc) and xml conversion the yovng divines apologie for his continuance in the vniuersitie , with certaine meditations , written by nathaniel povvnoll , late student of christ-church in oxford . printed by cantrell legge printer to the vniuersitie of cambridge . . and are to be sold in pauls churchyard : by matthevv lovvnes at the signe of the bishops head . ❧ to the reverend father in god , iohn , l. bishop of london . right woorthie , and reuerend father in god. blame not your ancient obseruer , if nowe , after he hath recouered in a manner , at cambridge , that life , which he lost at his departure from oxford , he rises aniew , as it wear out of his ashes , to do his humble seruice to your lordship : and , indeede , to whome can any fruit that comes from him , bee with more right presented thē to him , in whose garden , and vnder whose shadow it griew ? into whose hand should this small booke , though wanting his owne epistle , be deliuered , but vnto that , to which it hath before giuen so many epistles ? whear can it looke for protection with more hope thē whear it hath formerly , with all fauour , founde it . if your lordship thearfore will be pleased to be the defender of this apologie , and to breath , as i may truely say , the breath of life againe into his sequent meditations , that so beeing annimated aniew with those vnspeakeable sighs , and alike feruent zeale of spirit , whearwith they wear first , as in fierie chariots , carried vp into heau'n ; i doubt not but they will seeme , beeing so quickned , to any that shall reade them ( especially if , as iob wished in a case not much vnlike , his foule wear in his foules stead ) no cold , or dull , or dead lettets : and in so doing , you shall not onely followe him into his graue , but call him out of it with this so speciall a benefit , binding with the dead in one knot of thankfulnesse all his friends that yet liue , and cannot but ioy to see your lordships fauour out-liue the person , on whom it is bestowed : of whome my selfe , being the least , shal euer thinke i am most bound to be . your l. to command in all good seruice , g. fletcher . to the reader . the authour of this small discourse , or rather ( giue mee leaue so to call him ) the swan that , before his death , sung this divine song , is now thear , whear he neither needs the praise , nor feares the envy of any : whose life , as it deserued all , so it was covetous of no mans commendation ; himselfe beeing as farre from pride , as his desert was neere it . yet because it was his griefe , that hee should die before hee was fit to doe god the service hee desired ; and his freinds desire , that beeing so fit as hee was for his seruice , hee might ( if it had been possible ) neuer haue died at all : thearfore his booke was bould to thrust it selfe into that world , which the authour of it had lately left , therby to satisfie both his makers desire , in doing the church of god some seruice ; and his friends griefe in not suffering him altogether to lie dead . and truely what better seruice can it doe , then to persuade with reason , since authoritie forces not , our young neophytes to abide awhile in the schooles of the prophets , at bethel , before they presume to enter the temple at hierusalem , and if reason can doe little with them , because happily they want it , yet let his example ( an argument that prevailes much with the common people , of whome such prophets are the tayle ) make them at least see , and confesse , though they know not how to amend their fault . ten yeares had hee liued in the vniversitie , eight languages had hee learnt , and taught his tongue so many seuerall waies by which to expresse a good heart ; watching often , daily excercising , alway studying , in a word , making an ende of himselfe in an ouer-feruent desire to benefit others ; and yet , after hee had , as it wear out of himselfe , sweat out all this oyle for his lampe , after hee had with the sunne ran so many heauenly races , and , when the sunne was laied abed by his labours , after hee had burnt out so many candles to giue his minde light ( hauing alwaies s pauls querie in his minde , 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 ; ) hee neuer durst adventure to doe that , after all these studies done , and ended , which our young novices , doeing nothing , coumpt nothing to doe : but still thought himselfe as vnfit , as hee kniew all men weare vnworthy of so high an honour , as to be the angells of god. i could wish that he had left behinde him , if not all his learning , yet some of his modesty to be deuided among these empty sounding vessels , that want both : but since in him so great examples of piety , knowledge , industrie , and vnaffected modestie are all fallen so deepely a sleep , as i am afraid we shall hardly find in any of his age the like , ( which i speake not to deny iust praise to the liuing , but who wil not affoard a fiew flowers to strowe the cophine of the dead ? ) thear was no way to awaken them , and in them him , but by layeing them vp , not with him in his graue , but in these immortal monuments of the presse , the liuing tombes proper to dead learning , wherin these flowers may liue , though their ●oote be withered , and though the trunke be dead , the branches flowrish . let rich men therefore , in the guilded sepulchres , and proud monuments of their death , beg for the memorie of their liues : the righteous shall be had in euerlasting remembrance , without any such proud beggary : nor shall he euer be behoulding to a dead stone for the matter : and good reason . righteousnes beeing a shadow of that diuine substāce , which hath in it no shadowe of change , much lesse of corruption ▪ only i could wish that their liues wear as long as their memories ; that so this crooked age might haue as great store , as it hath need of them . g. f. an apologie for yovng students in diuinitie why they stay in the vniversitie to learne , before they presume to teach abroad . written , and sent by nathaniel povvnall , for his owne defence , to his parents . most gracious , and deare parents , i could neuer yet perswade my selfe to be of galbas mind , who thought it needlesse that any man should be tied to giue an accoumpt of his idle time ; much lesse of pericles , that hauing ill stewarded the common-wealths treasurie , did not thinke so much how to make his accompt , as how to make no accompt at all : but since the season doth in a manner now require , that i send you some fruits of your so long , and so well manured , and so carefully planted , & yet so long barren vine , ( as whose fruits you haue with patience for many more yeares expected , then that husbandman did the fruits of his barren figtree ) though as yet it beeing the first spring , it can send forth but small grapes , yet such as they are , since they be not wild grapes , i hold it honest so farre to serue the time ( though no time seruer ) as of mine owne accord ( vnlike those bad husbandmen in the gospel ) to offer them vnto you . and because i know that as it is your greatest desire , so it would be your greatest delight , if now after you haue mist me from you ( not as mary and ioseph did christ for three dayes ) but for many yeares , you should at last find me ( as they did christ ) in the temple praying , and going about the busines of my heauenly father ; therefore i had once , i confesse , in my resolution pledged my self ( as iudah made himselfe suretie neuer to return or see his fathers face againe , vnlesse he brought beniamin with him ) not to come againe vnto you , except as s. paul assured his comming , in the abundāce of the blessings of the gospel : that my thanks might not onely be , like those angels ascending on iacobs ladder , in continuall prayers for you , but also as angels descending by the graces of gods word vnto you . for good reason it seemed to me ( to invert s. pauls argument ) reaping your temporall things , to make you partakers of those spirituall things , that i haue here learned at your charges in christs schoole . in this conceit somewhat i conceiued , but in a word ( to expresse my issue in the prophets phrase ) when the children came to the birth , there was not strength enough to bring thē forth : howsoeuer , i thought it wisedome to deferre that expectation of me , which i was not yet able to satisfie by this short apologie of my long seeming silence . for since you haue beene vnto me farre vnlike iobs vnnaturall ostrich , which , depriued of vnderstanding leaueth her egges in the dust , and forgetteth them : or his wilde hindes , and goats , that bow themselues and bruise their young , and cast forth their sorows , and so leaue them , but rather as pious anna , hauing placed her samuel in the temple , did not so leaue him , but yearely brought him vp a coat , and other necessaries , out of your continuall care ministring to mee yearely maintenance , haue still watered what you haue planted , farre be it from me in vnthankefulnesse to resemble iobs young hinds , that growing vp , and waxing fat , goe forth , and neuer returne vnto their dammes : but rather as the young storkes ( emblems of naturall pietie ) are said to bring corporall foode vnto the old : so shall it be my care and endeauour hereafter to bring you whatsoeuer spirituall food i can prouide , and cause all my fruits , such as they are , to bow downe towards the root that bears both them , and me . in the meane time , my apologie in a word is the same that is expressed in the gospel in the behalfe of the fig-tree : that my time of fruit is not yet ( by gods grace ) past , but onely that it is not yet come ; neither shall it ( i trust ) preiudice my cause , that in the like case the fig-tree was neuertheles accursed , since ( as calvin , the best interpreter i finde , cleares the place ) christ did it not in splene , to reuenge himselfe on the harmelesse tree , but onely tooke occasion to worke a miracle for the propagation of gods glorie , diuerting , and satisfying his hunger with the bread he speakes of , ioh. . . making that his meat to do the wil of his father . but ( that i may solue the meane obiection ) since there are so many praecoces fructus , rathe , and forward fruit , ripened , and readie in lesse then halfe my time , whatsorie seed and soile is mine , that my time of fruit is not yet come : i graunt , both may be true in mee , but for the other , i rather pitie , then envie them ; so farre is it , that their laste should be the measure of my foote , or i be induced to be the eccho to such voyces , or speake after them , because they speak , that indeede like the spartans nightingales , are meere sound , and nothing els . but as iacob said of those brethren in euill , into their courses , & counsells let not my soule come , my glory be not thou ioyned with their assemblies : for so to shunne shame , and seeke glorie , what were it else , but ( as the spaniard speaketh ) to escape the thunderbolt , and fall into the lightnings slash ? for alas , what a fond conceit is that of theirs ( it beeing the guise of fooles ( as the italian hath it ) to thinke themselues wise ) so easily to perswade themselues like those foolish laodiceans , that they are quickely learned , able and sufficient enough , as if nox nocti indicaret scientiam , and the blind could lead the blind , or could with that little learning they haue gotten ( as christ with a few loaues and fishes did by miracle ) feede whole multitudes , and haue remainder enough for other times ; expecting that god should miraculously ( as to the widow ) multiply their little oyle , for the discharging of so great a dutie , and filling of so many emptie vessells : yea , although they haue too little oyle for themselues , yet ( which the wise virgins would neuer doe ) they must needs be storing others , as if ( leviathan-like ) they could swallow vp whole riuers at once , and thinke to drinke vp iordan too : so that their learning is put into a bottomlesse bagge , that cannot hold it , and their little wit , but as a secret in a fooles mouth , and quae semel innata est , rupto iecore exierit caprificus ; if once in , like young eliphaz they will burst , if they vent not . and when all is done , what is it that thus splents those tombes , but steriles mala robora ficus , which though it make much shift to come forth , is but a barren wilde figg-tree , that neuer brings forth fruit to maturitie : so that their ouer-hastines is no other then as a hatchet that cutts off their better growth . for howe many that happily ( as antigonus said of pyrrhus ) might prooue some bodie , if they would staie their time , by this meanes spoile their growth , and euer staie at the same stature , that they first attained vnto . and therfore no more then he , when he would accomplish that by strength of armes , which in his youth , and in the flower of his age with facilitie he performed ( as he found by lamentable experience beeing made a pray to beasts , whilest being ould he sought to rend a splinted oake ) should they arrogate vnto themselues a task of elder years , thinking that ( like the palme tree , and camomill ) they shall grow the better for beeing burdened and pressed downe . as for the fruit of this their arrogancie and ostentation , whereof they are ( or should be , had they so much grace ) ashamed , it is but as the italian hath it , where pride rides , shame lackies , or rather as the prophet , while they sow the winde , they reape the whirlewind . for while they doe verba dare , ( the periphrasis of an imposture ) giue nothing but words ( which are nought but winde ) what reape they but the whirlewinde , euen the curse of the prophet , and are so farre from edifying , that their hastie fruit prooues but windfalls , and their greene wood rather smothers away in smoak , then burnes , and casts out heat , as an ardens lucerna should , and their issue , as the vntimely fruit of a woman , becomes abortiue , and so indangers the wombe that bare it . for as great a danger as befalls the commonwealth when children are the princes , and gouernours thereof , the like betides the church when these which are indeed but children , & babes in christ , will take vpon them to be the fathers thereof . a woe i say , when euery empiricke wil take vpon him to heale the soares of sion , to the danger of as many soules , as those vnskilfull practitioners doe hazard the liues of diuers bodies . s. gregorie in his book de cura pastorali saith , that it is as dangerous for such nouices to vndergoe the burden of a pastorall charge , as to lay the roofe of the house vpon the walls while they are greene ; a readie means to ruine , not to build . and indeed for any burthen they sustaine in the church ( for rather like the pharisies , they bind heauie burthens on other mens consciences , but put not so much as a finger thereto themselues ) i cannot better compare them , then to those little statues , or angelets that we often see affixed to the pillers of our churches , stooping the head , & bending the back , as if they did support the whole fabricque , whereas they sustaine nothing at all , but are rather themselues supported . good cause therefore had saint paul to put in that caution to timothie , that such a one as he made choise of for the ministerie of the word , should in no hand be a young scholler , least he being puffed vp , fall into the condemnation of the deuill . for indeed to suffer such to take a charge vpon them , what else were it , but as if the trees of the forrest should rest themselues vnder the shadow of the bryer ; the issue whereof was but this , the fire came out of the brier , and deuoured the cedars of lebanon . such fruit as this well argues , what is the tree : and for my part i wonder not if such fruits as these like wilde grapes , and crabbes come vp in aboundance . for it is as easie ( god wot ) as lightly to runne away , like an horse , with an emptie cart : ( as one well compares it , whom for his worth i deseruedly rank with my best authors ) no matter to stand , speake , and exercise after their manner , and with such dexterity to out-runne their fellowes ( as hasty ahimaaz did cushai , though he had none , or but sorrie newes to carry ) since they can be content to run the playner , though the worser way . and so little cause is there to enuy such , that in compare of these vntimely fruites , the barren wombe that bears no children may reioyce , and they that trauell not , break forth and crie : yea , the desolate ( in good time ) may haue many more children , thē they that ar so wedded . and happily these haire-braind vpstarts , whilst they glory in their own shame , may be truely answered , as that italian answered that busie bodie , cracking how earely he had been vp , and how much idle busines he had dispatched , while the other lay in bed , that one dreame of his was better worth then all the others busines : and in the ende , as it fell out in zeuxis & parrhasius their emulation , which had the masterie in his art , though the one perchance with his painted grapes ( whereof there was the colour , but not the sap , or nourishment ) might ouerreach some silly birds , ( fond auditors : ) the other with his figured artificiall vaile , ( the true embleme of iudicious silence ) wil ouer-reach and goe beyond many such superficiall artizans as these : only herein stands the difference , that whereas zeuxis triumphing vpon the fond birds arbittrement , imagined there was a picture vnder the others curious vaile , where there was none ; and therefore bid him drawe his curten : on the contrarie , our insulting novices thinke there is nothing at all couered vnder the vaile of iudicious silence : whereas indeede , as in the aunciēt sileni ( curious statues so cunningly contriued , that while they were closed , they seemed rough hewne and deformed , but vnioyned appeared most curious ) there is much beautie within , though at first little shewe without . so that in the end all will with the orator , prefer the discreete silence of the one , before the others fond babling . and if nature do nought in vaine ( as the philosophers hold ) it is not for nought that our curious anatomists obserue that she hath giuen the tongue ( the least , but most dangerous member of all other ) most bonds and ligaments , euen nine flowing from the heart , like so many raynes to restraine and gouerne it , that it set not on fire the bodies frame . neither makes it any thing for these bablers ( for so may i as iustly terme them , as saint paul was vniustly ) that the apostles were inspired , since long agoe it hath beene ordered , that miracles , and extraordinary callings ceased with the primitiue church : whereunto it was requisite as water for a new planted garden ; but now , that it is come to further growth , vnnecessarie : or if they will needes looke for miracles , such as these are as vnlikely to be the subiects therof , as dirt is to open the eyes of the blind ( though christ once powerfully vsed it to that ende , ) a meanes rather to destroy , then restore the sight . and though it be a question among schoolemen , whether in the creation god first brought forth the flower , or the fruit , the seed , or the plant , the hen , or the egge ( which is defined , that he brought forth all in their full perfection ) yet now it is no question at all , but god proceedeth orderly to bring all things to maturitie , and perfection by degrees , and so must man , if he will imitate his heauenly father , or haue his blessing . to be short , i haue said inough to proue that this their custome should be no prescription vnto me , and therefore giuing care to that prince of preachers , who hath set downe the summarie of this my motiue , that we should take heed vnto our feet , entring into the house of the lord , and be more ready to heare , then to offer the sacrifice of foolese i leaue these ba●tologists to that due account of euery idle word they must iustly make him , who hath made himselfe accountable for euery haire . now as i had sufficient reason , why these cords of vanitie should not draw me the faster on , so it stands me as much vpon on the other side , to demonstrate for your satisfaction , that it is a cause of great importance , and no bad , base , or by end that drawes me backe . god himselfe can witnesse with my conscience , that it is no excuse for negligence , or pretence for idlenesse , as if , with salomons sluggard , i did only desire a little more sleepe ; and a little more folding of the hands ; or that like that drowsie shepheard ( so famoused amongst the poets for an afternoones nap of . years long ) did intend to sleepe out my life here in the vniversitie , as in a caue , or set vp my rest ( as tullie did his felicitie after his turmoiles ) in vacatione rerum omnium : and like is●achar , seeing the rest good , and the land pleasant , to sit me downe betweene my burthens : so that , as one buried aliue , there should want nothing but senocas epitaph passing by the house of a sluggish citizen , hìc situs est vatia ; here lies one that only serued to make one , qui nulla re alia nisi otio notus consenuit , only by keeping tale of the many yeares of his age , & standing , grew old , & died . for such a life , if it be any thing , at the best it is but as pyndarus prizes it ; a shadow , a dreame : such a bodie , but the soules sepulchre ; and such a soule fit for nothing but to embalme a carcase , and keepe it from putrefaction . but though such be the quiet , contented , and pleasing life we lead here in the vniuersitie ( which from the pleasant situation thereof hath long since wonne the surname of bellositum ) such indeed ( that i may borrow the italians proverbe of venice ) that he who hath not seene it , and liued in it , cannot prise it ( marrie he that liues there , it costs him deare ) though such , i say , be the content i find here , that had i liued neuer so many yeares , yet ( according to the epitaph of that noble romane , who dying old , professed he had beene long indeed , but liued onely seauen yeares , which free from the seruice of the court , he had past quietly at his countrie farme , ) i might well number the daies of my life onely from the time i beganne my studie here , and iustly blesse the meanes thereof , as farre as euer augustine did his freinds liberalitie strayning themselues to maintaine him at the vniversitie of carthage : yet farre be it from me to make that quiet , and content , which god hath giuen but as meanes for the furthering of better ends , my vtmost end : or as ( if i were in my proper place , where each bodie is quiescent ) to set vp my rest , and make me a tabernacle here . no ; man ( i know ) was expulsed paradise to labour , and not to make himselfe another paradise elsewhere for ease , and pleasure : and as farre doe i wish from our vniuersitie all such priests as sacrifice here to vacuna , the goddesse of idlenes , as her temple was remooued out of the gates of rome . for mine owne part , as fearefull , and as breefe as the trumpe of iudgement alwaies sounded in saint hieromes cares , is saint pauls woe euer before mine eyes , if i preach not the gospel : and when i leaue my diligence in my calling , or loue my ease , or pleasure more then that ; nay , if i preferre not sion in all my mirth , then god do so to me , and more , and leaue me likewise , as indeed vnlesse he leaue me , i cannot leaue his seruice . for ( according to that reason , which that glorious martyr gaue the tyrant , why he could not choose , but alwaies remember the name of iesus ) it is written in my heart , it cannot out . and therefore i will gladly make the prophets contestation my owne , let my right hand forget that little skill it hath , when i forget gods seruice ; yea , let my tongue cleaue to the roofe of my mouth , and forget to speake , when it forgets to speake of thy word and testimonies . but though this ease and quiet hath not had power to captiuate me , yet peradventure i stand off , as ashamed of the gospel of christ iesus , repenting me of my choise , as if , like demas , i could be content to forsake the ministerie , and follow the world . no ; i shall euer magnifie my calling , as my crowne , & my reioycing , and thinke my selfe much more bound to giue thankes to almightie god in this behalfe , then plato , because he was made a grecian , rather then a barbarian : and so farre euer was i from hercules crosse-way , to demur and debate the matter , that as if this one thing were necessarie i euer minded , and intended it alone ; and howsoeuer in other things i wish to put off childishnes , and grow in wisedome as in yeares : yet shall i neuer be ashamed in this behalfe , stil to thinke , as when i was a child : but rather it shall be my daily prayer ( as it was gods for the israelites when their heart was right ) that the same heart be euer in me , and for euer so affected to my calling . but happily as the louelinesse thereof hath allured me , so the difficultie therof now deterreth me , and the greatnes of the charge , beeing as one tearmes it , onus angelicis humeris formidandum , such a burden that the angels themselues would tremble to vndergo it , doth so discourage mee , that with gedeons faint souldiers , for feare i desire to be dismissed from this warfare , and beeing called to so great a charge , like feareful saul seeke to lurke , and avoide so troublesome a function . indeede if i thought it enough to pretend authorities , as that braggadochian said , hee would be with them paulò post principia , after the fraie was well begunne , and the worst past : and good reason why , for fecerunt herules & pyrrhus ; i haue presidents inough before me to countenance my weakenes , and fearefulnesse . for moses thrice refused , and excused himselfe , euen till god was angrie : ezechiel , for all god so laboured to strengthen and confirme him ; yet went vnwillingly , yea in bitternesse , and indignation of his spirit ; and ionas directly turned his backe , & fled an other way . how many of the fathers , whilst they tooke counsel with flesh and blood , withdrew their hāds from the lords plough . this made ambrose hide himselfe , and three times flie from millaine , and when he was miraculously brought backe ( after he had trauelled all night , finding himselfe in the morning but at an other gate of the same citie ) though one of singular integritie , he sought to defame himselfe , to trie if by any means he might avoid this pastorall charge . this drove gregorie nazianzene to flie againe and againe to the studie of philosophie : and this caused s. augustine to absent himselfe from churches where pastors were wanting , and euen to weepe , when ( taken vnawares ) he was to be ordered , and to deprecate the episcopall function ( put vpon him by valerian ) in these tearmes ; quid vis ? vt peream ? as if it stood him as much vpon , as his life , and soules saluation came vnto . but of all , chrysostome is most plaine in this point , ex ecclesiae ministris non arbitror multos saluari , translating vpon ministers that hard saying of our sauiour , with what difficultie rich men shall be saued , because of the greatnesse of their charge , and their negligence therin . but though this difficultie haue made many so backward , that the lord of the haruest hath been forced euen to thrust out labourers into his vinyard ; yet , while i remember nihil esse difficilius &c. sed apud deum nihil beatius , &c. the one so ballanceth the other , that i professe , the difficultie thereof , though i duly waigh it , yet waighing withal , from whome and to what ende it is , it daunts me not a whit , but i rather in that respect embrace the pains and toile thereof , as those virgins in eusebius did their martyrdom , running thereunto , tanquam ad nuptias , as if they were to meete their bridgroomes ; and digesting the greatnes of the charge ( if i may compare small things with great ) as that great alexander plunged in a daungerous exploit , boasted , that he had now encountred a perill parallel to the greatnes of his minde : so doe i reioyce , that in this depth i haue met with that at once , that is alone able to employ and exatiate the infinite desire and ardour of my minde , ( which god alone , that is infinite , can doe , and the studie of his will ) and wil aske , and chalenge to it selfe all my strength , soule , and minde with the powers , and faculties thereof , which as i owe of dutie , so doe i destinate to gods seruice : being thereunto lessoned by s. augustin ; ingenium , prudentia , eloquentia sunt dona dei : cui meliùs seruiant , quàm ei à quo donantur , vt ita custodiantur , augeantur , perficiantur ? for no more then the raine could extinguish the fire of the sacrifice , nor the winde breake the piller of smoake ascending , no more can any difficultie breake off what is destinated to gods seruice : neither indeede ( a little to varie and amplifie s. pauls phrase ) is my life deare vnto me , or my paines precious , so i may attaine that ende , and finish my course with ioy : not that i contemne , or set light by the greatnes of the charge , but rather worke it out , as a case concerning my saluation with feare , and trembling onely i professe that ( as i shall haue occasion to say more at large ) it produceth this effect with me , to make me , not more cowardly , but more cautelous , nor so much to prepare for flight , as to prouide , and to arme my selfe the better , how to beare the brunt of the battell , and the heat of the day . but howsoeuer the perfection of this high calling hath rather attracted , then any way daunted me ; yet it may be the consciousnes of mine owne infinite disproportioned imperfections make me ( like him in the gospel , that with a verie small force was to encounter with a far greater puissance ) thus in the plain field to giue ouer : especially since according to our philosophicall axiome , there is no dealing or proportion at all , betweene that which is infinite and boundlesse ( such as is the studie of diuinitie ) and what is finite , and streightened within narrowe bounds ( as is my small abilitie ) i haue learned of s. augustine ( whome ( as he was wont to stile tertullian ) i willingly call my master ) that he , who cannot hold the first place of wisedome , should yet hold the second place of modestie . and therefore i rather ingenuosly acknowledge my imperfections , then seeke to colour or couer them with adams art , especially in compare of that transcendent reference , which man can no more comprehend , then ( like god ) he can measure the heauens with his spanne ; and what the most absolute men are inferiour vnto , much more am i , that am inferior to so many . but to grieue and repine at mine inabilitie , because there are many better inabled , were but an argument of an euill eye . nay rather , as farre as moses was from grudging that others prophesied besides himselfe , who wished that all the people of the lord might likewise prophesie ; so farre am i from murmuring at the lords gifts , and graces elsewhere , that i heartily wish not onely those many , but euen all the prophets & ministers of the lord were before me , for the better building vp of the bodie of christ : and i shall euer reioyce with that worthie lacedemonian in behalfe of his common-wealth ( after he had stood in election , but mist to be in the number of the . senators ) that the church hath so many hundreds better then my selfe , in whose rank & number i am not worthy to stand . and i shall euer thank amighty god , that i haue in some measure receiued of his fulnes , ( & am in hope yet to receiue ) neither can i denie but that i haue had a childs portion , yea larger then many that are euery way my betters ; yet as i dare promise nothing of my selfe , beeing but one of his meanest instruments for the building of his temple : so will i dispaire of nothing because of my weaknesse , knowing that the lords arme is not shortned , but his abilitie still the same to perfect his power in weaknes , that the glorie may be wholy his . and for mine own part to helpe the matter what i may , i will onely vse the wise mans soueraigne restoratiue for the repayring of my strength : that is , whereas the instrument is blunt , and dull , to put the more strength thereunto , and adde the more to my studies , and endeauours . it is not then any bad , base , or by end , that diuerts me , neither is it a cloake for idlenesse , nor figge-leaues to couer nakednesse , that i seeke : neither is it any loathing of the manna i am to feed vpon , that takes away my stomacke , nor the narrownesse of the way , that makes me to baulk it , nor the height of my calling , nor mine owne vnworthinesse , that can separate me from christ iesus . what then may be the cause of this my fabian-like cunctation and long pausing ? in a word ; a due , and serious consideration of the length , breadth , and depth of the great mystery of godlinesse , the studie of diuinitie that i vndertake ; which i haue found right like that riuer the fathers compare it vnto , wherin , though the lambe may wade , the greatest elephant , presuming on his owne strength , may swim , and sinke at last : such is that vnaccessible light wherein god inhabiteth , and that wisdome of god , whereof saint paul cries out , o altitud● , beeing vnsearcheable almost , and past finding out , at the least wise , not to be found on the suddaine , nor attained vnto like angelicall motion , in an instant , nor to be gotten like hesiods poetry , or esops eloquēce , in a dreame . let the vaine lullists boast of the prodigious proficiencie of some of their sectaries , that by the rule of their great arte of idiots , in a short time prooued excellent clarks , and attained to the summary perfection of all artes and sciences . and let our profound bacon measure other wits by his owne , and vndertake , by his methode , to teach the three learned tongues ; latine , greeke , and hebrew , in three daies a peice : ( i would soone haue credited him , if he had said so much of the three next principall tongues of our european world ; the italian , french , and spanish , whose facilitie is such , by reason of their exceeding affinitie with the latine , that a scholler may goe very neare to attaine vnto them in the like terme of time : ) it is not so in the infinite abysse of the studie of diuinitie , wherein one depth doth call vpon another , and now that speciall inspirations are ceased , there is no such precocitie , or sudden ripenes . but what hippocrates saith of physicke ( which concernes the health of the bodie ) is much more true in diuinitie ( which concernes the health of the soule , ) that vita breuis , & ars longa ; it is not the short span , or scantling of any mortalls life , can measure the length thereof , but euen the angels , and saints in heauen , after this liues vnperfit glasse is broken , find worke enough in this diuine study , to employ themselues for all eternitie . no wonder then , if all our indeauours in compare can do no more , then ( according to s. augustines vision , walking by the sea side , in deepe contemplation of the trinitie ) as if a child with a cockle shell , should labour , by continual lauing , to empty the maine ocean sea into a little ditch , ( the one , if we looke here for exact comprehension , beeing as endlesse as the other . ) and though it be a fond , & ridiculous question that velleius the epicure makes in tullie , that if god did indeed make the world , how , or whence had he ferramenta , & machinas , instruments great enough for so great a worke : yet it may with better reason be doubted , how a mortall man can possibly frame fit instruments proportionate to the immensitie of such an immortall worke . for when all is done , ( as a philosopher said ) all our knowledge makes not vp the least part of our ignorance : yea , ( as a father better obserued ) our highest degree of knowledge is to professe ignorance , since what we see here , we see but vnperfectly , as in a glasse ; these imperfect shadowes beeing onely conueied as it were by setting perspectiue glasses from so farre a distance , as the heauen and earth are distant . since then all our liues labour can attaine to little more then the alphabet and rudiments of this infinite studie , blame me not , if i , hauing yet scarce dipt my foote , nor gone vp to the anckles in that riuer of ezechiel , be somewhat timorous how i goe further on , before i haue fathomed the depth thereof , and found some foord or passage . for if the greatest orators at the rostra , beeing to speake but before the people in ciuil affaires , ( as tullie often professeth of himselfe ) did quake euery ioynt of them : and ( according to the poet , lugdunensem rhetor dicturus ad aram palluit , vt nudis qui pressit calcibus anguem ) were so appalled , as if they walked among snakes , because they ventured in triall the extreame hazard of their fame , & credit for euer after : how much more ought we to feare , and tremble , standing in his temple , the place where his honour dwelleth , and speaking in the sight of god , men , and angels . and therefore i thinke , i haue the same reason to borrow respite , as that philosopher had to deferre his resolution from day to day of hieroes question concerning god , because the further i goe , and the more i thinke of these diuine mysteries , the more difficulties i meet withall . i must confesse indeede , there was a time heretofore , when dulce bellum inexperto , i thought i might with as great facilitie promise , and performe a sermon , as i had done heretofore a declamation : but as while the sun shines not , the house seemes cleare , but the sunne-beames once shining in at the windowes , so thicke of motes , and dust , that it hath gained a prouerbs place to make comparison of thicknes thereunto : so now ( & not before ) that i am a little inlightened , and entred , i see those wants and imperfections , that before in the shadow of philosophie i neuer dreamed of , and those difficulties i heretofore did little thinke of . indeed if i could content my selfe with a perfunctorie performance as many doe , it may be , little ado would serue the turne : but i dare not so take vp my rest , when as my very soule and eternall life is at stake and pawne vpon it ; fully perswading my selfe , that if my paines exceed not the complementall formalitie of these pharisies , i shall neuer come to the kingdome of heauen . wherefore as the shekel of the sanctuarie ( as interpreters do gather from diuers passages of scripture ) was double to the commō shekel : so doe i well perceiue , that double paines , and space , to that i heretofore bestowed in my other studies of phosophie , and humanitie , is requisite to sanctifie me for the lords sanctuarie : and howsoeuer it may be faultie in other ciuill , and worldly affaires , which apelles was wont to reprehend in curious protogenes , quòd manum de tabula continere non potuit , thinking it neuer perfect enough ; yet in diuinitie , zeuxis reason will answer any that is reasonable , diu pingo , quia pingo immortalitati , that as he was wont to be long a drawing , because he desired so to drawe , that it might last for euer : so in this diuine studie , we must haue the longer leaue to limate the lineaments of our portraicts , because the impresses we make , are to hold their impression for al eternitie . experience teacheth vs , that euery triuiall mechanick trade , doth ask at least seauen yeares apprentiship , or learning ( for so the french word signifieth ) and that so much more time is allotted to each worke , by how much the worke is more exquisite ; how then can they be excused , that so farre abase the valuation hereof , ( as though there were no difference betweene prophesying , and selling doues in the temple ) and in stead of polishing the corner stones of the temple , for hast , daube it vp with vntempered mortar . i feare , i confesse , the woe of such negligent workmen ; and feare withall , i should prooue no better , did i like those hot-spurres , vnripe and vnready as i am , make so suddain an adventure . for as those captiue kings said of gedeons young , and therefore vnwarlike son , such as the man is , such is his strength : no wonder , if as young dauid i cannot yet march in compleat armour , neither yet vpon the strength of a little meat dare eliah-like vndertake so great a iourney , neither yet in this weakenes venture ( in publike ) into the open aire to my further danger , but rather keepe close within , till i growe the stronger . there was fiue yeares silent hearing enioyned a pythagorist for the learning of his symbolls , and therefore with safety may i a while awaite like elihu vpon the words of the ancient , thereby to aspire to the knowledge of our christian mysteries . and indeed our vniuersities hath well prouided in this case , calling none to publique course of preaching till he be of fowre yeares stāding master of arts : which authoritie though it might iustly sway me , since when we proceede we are bound by a formall oath to keepe the customes , as well as the statutes and priuiledges of the vniuersitie ; yet haue i also a greater authoritie then that for my warrant , euen that of our sauiour , ( to passe the like example of iohn baptist his coetanean , born the same yeare ) who beeing the wisedome of his father , in whome is the fulnesse of all graces , so that he could aswell haue preached at twelue yeares old , as haue disputed with doctors : yet because it was the maner of the iewish synagogue , ( grounded vpon the example of ioseph , that came to his authoritie , and of dauid , that came to his kingdome at those yeares ) not to professe , or teach publikely before that age , vndertooke not the charge of a priest , or prophet , till he were thirtie yeares of age , as all comments gather out of saint lukes computation . whereupon s. gregorie makes an excellent collection fitting my purpose , redemptor noster in coelis , doctor angelorū , ante tricennale tempus noluit fieri doctor hominū , vt praecipitanti vim saluberrimā timoris incuteret , cùm ipse qui labi non poterat , perfectae vitae gratiā non nisi perfecta aetate praedicaret ; whose actions i euer held for instructions , and herein his example a perfect lawe , in so much that i am emboldened to commence my suit ( being the like with his ) in the same tearmes , that my master ( s. augustine i meane ) hath taught and done before me , who ( as possidorus his scholler witnesseth ) soone after he was vnexpectedly ordered , called by good old valerius bishop of hippo ( a man of great sanctitie , but inferiour in learning ) to bee his coadiutor in his episcopall function ( for his part out of an admiration , and high conceipt of his learning , though as himselfe confesseth , at that time hee was set to guide the sterne , before he knewe how to handle the oare ) with such incredible vehemencie , earnestnesse , and importunitie ( euen with the same that paul adiureth timothie before god , and beefore the lord iesus christ , that shall iudge the quicke and dead at his appearing ) doth beseech and implore valerius ; obsecro te per veritatem & seueritatem christi , per misericordiam & iudicium eius , per eum qui tantam tibi inspirauit charitatem erga nos ; and againe , ipsam charitatem & affectum imploro , for which he professeth he had made great suit by friends before time , impetrare volui per fratres , & nunc per has literas volo ; but what is it that he would buy so dearely , with all these importunate praiers ? a matter , surely hee thought highly concerned him ( and therefore out of his iudgement i haue reason to thinke it also greatly concernes my selfe ) all is for this in conclusion , vt miserearis mei & concedas mihi ad hoc negotium quantum rogaui tempus : ( as seemes by the circumstances about a yeares respite ) s. augustine might well think this inough for him , and hath herein also said enough for me , his case being an idea , and sampler of mine owne . but least relying vpon bare authorities i incurre socrates censure of the sophisters of his time , whom ( because when they knew not how to tell their owne tales , they vsed onely to cite others authorities ) he compared to idiots , that making a feast , are glad to send for fidlers in , because they knowe not otherwise how to entertaine the time with plausible discourse of their owne : i wil also interpret his minde , and mine in myne owne phrase . to vse then a little variation , my suite in effect is the same with his to redeeme time ( or ( as in some of our stricter colledges , wher there is large allowance of al things saue vacant time ) to borrowe a few dayes ) and ( according to that excellent counsell our sauiour at his departure , gaue his disciples to tarrie at ierusalem ) to keep here at the vniuersitie , till i shall finde my selfe indued with power from aboue , and furnished with gifts meete for so high a calling ; least shewing my selfe abroad before riper yeares , and endowments sutable , some more auncient taxe me , as eliab did dauid his younger brother , quare veristi ? ego noui tuam superbiim & nequitiam cordis tui , since i cannot reply as dauid did , quid feci ? nunquid non verbum est ? hauing prooued my cause , which i hope will prooue allowable , tending to no other end , but ( with him , who by deliberate delaies & staies wearied hannibal and reestablished the ruinated estate of rome ) cunctando rem restituere , to strengthen and enable my weaknesse by a little staie : that so ( to passe the poor virgil , quātum vertice , &c. ) i may according to our sauiours description of good seed in good ground , by taking deeper root , bring forth better fruit ; and hauing according to the first , and best course of nature , an euening and a morning for my daie , an euening for contemplation , rest , & repose , and a morning , for labour , and exercise , i may in the one , make my waxe , and combe , and in the other , bring honie to the hiue , in the one , gather my stubble , and in the other , make vp my full tale of bricke ; in the one , by my priuate meditations ( as moses in the wildernesse ) learne to feed my flocke ; in the other , beeing sent with moses , call the children of gods spirituall israel from the flesh-potts of egypt , their concupiscible bodies , to the land which flowes with milke , and hony ; from the bondage of their spirituall pharaoh , to the glorious liberty of the sons of god. and you , seeing the fruits of my labours ( whome next god i euer willingly remember , and thankefully acknowledge , both the plantors , and waterers thereof ) may thereby be induced to giue mee your blessing , and therewithall your hearty praiers to almightie god , that it please him so to encrease in mee his spirituall graces , that i may still go forward from grace to grace , and from vertue to vertue , till i become a perfect man in christ iesus . his meditation vpon the calling of the ministerie at his first institution vnto it . i know my vncleane hands , o god , are not fit to carrie thy arke , or touch those things that are hallowed , and consecrate vnto thee , my polluted lippes most vnworthy to take thy name into my mouth . what am i that i should speake vnto my lord , by prayer , from my selfe , and others , and yet liue , much lesse speak from my lord , by his word , vnto others to make them liue in thee ? yet since it hath pleased thee to call mee , standing idle in the market-place , and attending the vanities of this world so early into the vinyeard , it behooueth mee to labour , and willingly to beare the heate of the day , and gladly ( while the light of the gospel lasteth ) to doe the worke of my heauenly father , the workes of light . it is a burden , indeed , that i vndergoe , but thine , o christ , and therefore light , and easie ; it is a yoake , but thine , and therefore sweete . much more blessed are thine , then the seruants of salomon , much more blessed , since in this ministerie the heauenly angels are their seruants : not vnto vs , not vnto vs , lord , but vnto thy name giue the glorie ; thou art still the same gratious god , that shewest grace vnto the humble , and callest publicans , and sinners , and poore silly soules ( such as weare thy fishermen ) vnto thee , because thou art able to get thee praise out of the mouthes of verie babes , and sucklings , and euen of stones to raise thee vp children : and with the follie of thine to confound the wisedome of the world , let my soule therefore euer magnifie thy holy name , because thou hast ruised mee out of the dust to stand before thee , and hast shewed mee the light of thy countenance , and let mine eyes see thy saluation . to be a seruant of seruants was once a curse , but to be a seruant of one of thy seruants , is one of the highest blessings ; thou thy selfe beeing lord of all , deigning to serue thy seruants , washing their feete , and it beeing an office wherein thy blessed angels doe reioyce . but howsoeuer it is an honourable calling , yet it is vnto thee a seruice , and not vnto ease , or pleasure . those that are in princes courts may goe in soft rayment , and liue at their ease , but not so they that serue in thy courts , o lord. thy selfe didst begin thy preaching with a fast of fourtie daies , and didst enioyne to all that did follow thee to leaue all earthly pleasures , which together with the world , they were to forsake , & in stead thereof to take vp thy crosse , that so thy members maybe conformable vnto their head . men are all borne to labour , as a spark to flie vpwards , it is a curse that followed mans fall : but to labour in thy vineyard , is a blessing following mans repayring , and redemption to keepe and dresse thy paradise , thy inclosed garden , as it was adams charge , in the happie estate of his innocencie , so is it now the ministers , after the happie restoring thereof . thy vineyard laie desolate , and the wild bore of the forrest spoyled it ; but thou hast new digged , planted , and hedged it , and built a tower therein , and thou hast set it forth at a price to thy ministers to be the keepers thereof ; wherefore if it yeeld thee not the fruit , or doe not well entreate thy seruants , or suffer it to grow wast , they can looke for no other but to be cast thence out of thy paradise . not without a cause did thy seruants reioyce that they were thought worthy to suffer for thy sake , and thy martyrs gladly shed their blood for the seed of thy church , and to water what thou hadst planted . thy first grace to thy seruant paul , after thou hast chosen him for a vessell of thine honour , was to shew him what great things he should suffer for thy sake , as thou hast done before for ours : but , alas , let vs doe what we can , or suffer whatsoeuer we are able for christs sake , yea though we should laie downe our liues for him , or his sheepe , as hee for vs , and them , yet weare we but vnprofitable seruants . neuerthelesse as blessed were the pappes that gaue thee suck , so blessed also are those , whom thou hast made the nources of thy church to giue them meate in due season : blessed the wombe that bare thee , and so that which beares thy children : the wombe indeed that bare the lord was deliueuered without paine or labour ; but thy children must be borne with labour , and trauell , and the ministers are as it were daily to trauaile in birth with such as are begotten by them vnto thee , but they soone forget their trauaile , and reioyce , so that children be borne vnto thee , and thou makest them fruitfull , and takest away the reproach of their barrennesse . i know , lord , i am no more able to doe the seruice , then thou hast need of my seruice , and yet since it hath pleased thee , thogh all-sufficient , and all-powerfull of thy selfe , to vse the weake things of this world as thine instruments thereby the more to manifest thy power , able to worke by the most vnlikely meanes , i humbly , and willingly yeeld my selfe ( as if i were euen nowe in thi●e hands new to be framed , and created ) as clay to the hands of the potter , to be made whatsoeuer vessel , either of honour , or dishonour , ( yea though it weare to be an anathema ) to thy seruice . for now that i haue 〈◊〉 my hand to the plough for the tilling of that good ground , wherein the seed of thy word is to be sowne , i may not looke backe to sodome , to the world , whence thou hast called mee , but wholy intend the worke thou hast set me to doe . thy seruants must know they are vnder a taskmaster ( though a righteous one , vnlike those of egypt ) that will duely , and daily exact their work of them , and see that hauing straw giuen them , they make bricke for the building of thy house , and multiplie the talents committed vnto them . and now there is a woe for me , if i preach not the gospel , and that sincerely ; not can i ( vnlesse i will be worse then baalim ) for a world goe farther , then thy holy word will warrant mee . graunt , o lord , that my delight be wholy in thy word , that i may thinke alwaies i therein heare thee speaking , and as thy sheepe , knowing thy voice , may follow the sheapheard of my soule whether soeuer hee call mee . o let not the booke of thy holy word , i beseech thee , be a sealed book vnto mee , but thou that hast the key of dauid , the lambe that art onely found worthie to open it , vnfold it , and giue me an vnderstanding heart , ( which , aboue all things , hauing vndertaken so great a charge , i desire with salomon ) that i may be a right dispenser of thy holy word , and go out and in before thy people . for i knowe , lord , they which will preach in thy name , if thou send them not , and assist them , are but like those , who , without authority from thee , would cast out deuils in thy name , which prevailed against them : yea euen those whom thou hast called , and set apart to thy ministerie , if they do not wel , and abide in thee , and thou in them , the deuill will enter into them , as he did into iudas , and make them the sonnes of perdition tenne times worse thē before . giue me grace therefore first to direct mine owne wayes according to the dictat of thy holy spirit , and word , that beginning with my selfe , and so speaking out of the treasure , and abundance of my heart , and knowing the things which belong to saluation , i may be blessed , if i doe them : let me first worke out myne owne saluation with feare , & trembling , and so saue both my selfe , and others , least otherwise i be beaten with many stripes : first , o christ , make the vessel newe , make me a new man , and then put in new wine , turne thou my water to wine . and because thy ministers are as the eies of thy mysticall , and militarie bodie ( for as thou art the light of thē , so they are the light of the world ) o let there be no beames in their eyes , who are to be eyes to the blind ; but make their verie feete to shine as the starres in the firmament , make them conuert many to righteousnesse , and beeing first guided by thee , the bright morning starre , let them become themselues starres also ( though shining in the night , and with thy beames ) to guid , and direct others to the house of the lord , that so hauing found the messias , they may , wi●h the wise men , noise it abroad , and cause others , as philip did nathaniel , to come & see . o make them lampes to burne alwaies before thee in thy temple , willing euen to consume themselues to giue light vnto thy house , and readie beeing set on fire , as it were in a burnt offering spend themselues for thine , and thy churches seruice ; and let me , the least of them all , finde grace with my lord , to see my candle also lightened by the father of lights , and so set it in thy temple , not suffering it at any time to be remooued out of the candlestick ; but in thy mercie as thou didst encrease the widowes oile , all the time of the famine ; so also increase thy grace in my lampe , that it may , with the wise virgins , be found burning , and shining at the comming forth of the bridegroome , and so i receiued into the rest of my master . guide the armie of thy ministers with thy principall spirit , o lord , & lead them out of egypt with a stretched out arme , that all the powers of darknesse , bandied especially to assault them , preuaile not against them . it is sathans desire to grinde and winnowe them , to make the watchmen of thy holy city to sleepe , that so it may be betraied . out of his hatred to thee , he seekes most to persecute these , whome thou hast set in thy stead , that the light of thy temple beeing extinguished , and put out , and their candlesticks remooued , he may walke himselfe in the darke , and that their eies beeing darkened , the bodie blinded , may fall into his pits , and snares . thou therfore , o god , goe forth with our armies vnto battell , the cause is thine , set bounds vnto the raging sea , that it ouerflow not thy holy land. and now , lord , since i am come into thy seruice , and haue left all to followe thee , let me neuer leaue thee to followe any other thing . for as thou couldst neuer haue chosen a worse seruant , so shall i neuer find so good a master , or meet with such a seruice , it beeing fit onely , indeede , for thy heauenly angels : but because it hath pleased thee ( as that king ) to set earthē vessels among the golden ones of thy temple , therefore as euerie creature , euen the silly worme doth striue to doe the seruice , in his kind , and order , so among the vnworthiest of them , doe i present my humble seruice vnto thee , and knowing not what other thanks to render thee , who hast made me fellow-seruant with thy angels , ( that are ministring spirits , sent for the good of thy choosen ) i will euen render thy grace vnto thy glorie , and ioyfully yeeld vp my selfe , and my soule , which thou hast so graciously accepted , vnto the hands of my faithful redeemer : there is nothing worthy to haue part with thee , nothing shal vsurpe thy right in me , or robbe thee of thine honour . though , o lord , it is not i that doe , or can do thee seruice . it is thou , that seruest thy selfe by me , as by an instrument : i haue not so much as moouing of my selfe , it is thou that workest in me both the wil and the power . i am of my selfe but a iarring instrument , quite out of tune : it is thou that tunest me , and makest what soeuer musique , and harmonie is in mee , that so i , among the rest of the leuites , might with ioy , and mirth helpe to bring home thine arke vnto hierusalem , that is aboue . i haue nothing that i can call properly mine owne , but my sinnes , weakenesse , and imperfections , and wretchednesse : whatsoeuer is else in mee more then these , is thine o god , of thy free gift , and grace , and therefore bound vnto thy seruice . a meditation vpon the first of the seauen paenitentiall psalmes of dauid . psalm . . vers . . o lord rebuke me not in thine indignation , neither chastice mee in thy displeasure . i require not , o lord , that thou rebuke mee , or chastice mee not at all : it beeing the prerogatiue of thy children here in this world to be chastened , and punished for their sinnes , whereas thou sufferest the wicked , without troubling , to heape vp wrath against the day of wrath , till they haue filled vp the measure of their iniquitie . my sinnes , i know exact chasticement , onely i desire that thou correct mee in thy mercie , not in thine anger , as a sonne , not as a bastard , with the correction of thy israel , not with the plagues of egypt , to amendment , not destruction , to the humbling , not the hardening of my heart , to my comfort , not confusion : that thou reaching out thy helping hand , as thou didst to peter , when he was sinking , i be not ouerwhelmed in the waters of temptation , or as the burning bush , or three children , be not consumed in the fire , and furnace of affliction : but that they may be to mee as the whale to ionas , not to swallow , but to preserue , and to my sinnefull soule as salt to tainted flesh , to keepe it from putrefaction . set bounds , o lord , to the raging seas , that they ouerflow not , and put thy bridle , and hooke into the mouth of the beast , that it deuoure not the heart of the turtle . if thou rebuke in thy wrath , who can beare it , if thine anger be kindled , yea but a little , who can stand before thee , if thou but touch the mountaines , must they not smoake for it ? the least breath of thy displeasure is able to blast all the beautie of the world , and as a word of thy mercie made all , so a word of thine anger is able to destroie all . how glad would they be , that beare the insupportable burthen of thine anger , if in exchaunge thereof , the mountaines would fall vpon them , and the hills couer them . oh how light a load are the greatest mountaines in comparison of thy least heauie displeasure ? at the day of thy wrath the heauens shall be rowled vp as a peece of parchment , the starres fall from the firmament , the moone be turned into blood , and the sunne darkned : then , lord , who am i withwhom thou shouldst be angrie , or what is flesh and blood , what seely man that thou shouldest striue with him ? turne the edge of thy wrath , o lord , against those principalities , and powers of darknesse , that resist thee from vs poore soules , that submit our earthen vessells euen to be broken in peeces by the potter that made vs. o thou lion of the tribe of of iudah , spare them that lie prostrate before thee ▪ and pardon vs , if not thy punishment , yet thine anger : then if thou killest vs , we shall loue thee , and in death it selfe remember thee , in the pit giue thee thankes . vers. . haue mercie vpon me , lord , for i am weake ; o lord heale me , for my bones are vexed . o god , whose mercie is thy greatest glorie , and whose glorie , and power is most seene in mans weaknesse , and frailtie ( as wherein there is no other power seene ) let not thy invincible strength striue with so weake an adversarie , as an arme of flesh ; wrastle not , o god , with thy poore seruant ( as with iacob ) vnlesse ( as vnto him ) thou chaunge his name to israel , and giue him the blessing of preuailing with god. for , o lord , thy yron rodde , if it , as that of moses , he turned into a serpent , would soone deuoure ours , and if our earthen vessells should encounter with thine , stronger then brasse , how can they escape breaking , must not our weake ships , if , driven with the tempest of thine anger , they fall vpon that rocke of thine , be needs grinded into their owne elements of dust . therefore be mercifull vnto mee , o lord , because i am weake . the strong will arrogate the glorie to themselues , and say , by the strength of their owne arme they haue gotten themselues the victorie , but in shewing mercie to the weake , not vnto them , but vnto thy name thou giuest glorie . for there are none so reprobate , but in thy mercie to the weake , they will confesse that it is the finger of the lord. let not then the sun-shine of thy grace go downe in thy wrath , but refresh , and releeue a pore lazar , a weak fainting soule , lying begging at the doore of thy rich mercie , and desiring to be satisfied but with the crummes , that fal from thy heauenly table , with the least ( if any little ) of thy graces . for thy least grace ( as those fiue loaues ) is able to suffice thousands , as thy least anger ( if thy mercie should not meete and kisse it ) were enough , as an other deluge , to ouerwhelme the whole world . that is the two-edged sword , that pierceth the very bones , and diuideth vnto the marrow ; so that for selfe-guiltines , and horrour therof , my very bones are vexed , and euen that small strength i had powred out , as water , vpon the ground . it is only the powring out of thy bowels of compassion , that can gather me vp againe , onely the soueraigne hand of thy mercie , that can heale the wounds , wherewith the seuere hand of thy iustice hath so deepely impierced me . vers. . my soule is also sore troubled , but lord how long wilt thou punish ? if thy lightning ▪ o lord , had onely ceazed on my bones , and had not past my bodily sheath , and entred into my soule , my spirit ( like a faithfull companion ) should haue giuen some rest to my earthly tabernacle , and helpt to heale my infirmitie : but a wounded spirit in a bruised , and broken bodie , who can beare ? thou hast melted my very soule within mee , the venime of thine arrowes hath drunke vp my spirits : so that now both my bodie is vexed , because my soule hides it selfe from his comfort , and because thou hidest thy face , my soule is troubled . and in what waters doth that behemoth delight to drinke , but in such as are most troubled , who nowe ( like a cunning fisher ) hath laid his baites , and hooks in euery part of my soule , while i in these troubled waters am not able to discerne or discouer them : but since thou hast sent thine angel , o lord , ( as into the poole of bethesda ) to trouble the waters , and they are gone ouer my soule ; and my bodie ( with ionas ) is cast into the tempest , o let me come out in thy good time , whole , and recured of all my infirmities , let the tempest of thine anger be at lēgth appeased . how long shall my sacrificed soule vnder this altar of flesh , wherein it hath been so long crucified , cry vnto thee ; how long lord holy , and true , before thou wilt heare the voice and auenge the cause of our martyred spirits , iustly complaining against the men of the earth , our earthly ly members ? thine answer is , but for a little season : but euen a little time , o lord , semeth long without thee , and as a thousand yeares is but a day with thee , so a day is as a thousand yeares without thee . but is this a question for me , who can make no ende of sinning , to aske , when thou wilt be pleased to make an ende of thy punishment ? may not thy answer be to me iustly the same with that of iehu to sinfull ahabs motion of peace : what hast thou to doe with peace , as long as the iniquities of iesabel , nay farre worse , remaine in thee ? true lord , if thou still looke on me with the eie of thy iustice , ( which is as those eies which kill , what they behold ) i knowe thou must needes still punish me , since the bow , and sword of thy iustice neuer depart emptie from the battells of the lord against sinne , and sinners : but thou hast two eies , o god , one of iustice , another of mercie : o let thine eie of iustice looke vpon the merits of thy sonne , an obiect able to delight euen that iust eie : but bend thine eie of mercie vpon the miseries of thy seruant , that so when thy iustice hath seene my miseries made his , his merits by thy mercie , maie be made mine . vers. . turne thee , o lord , and deliuer my soule , o saue me for thy mercie sake . if thou but turne thee , o lord , and looke gratiously out of heauen vpon me , the powers of darkenesse , with the shadowes of death , will at thy first fight , as at the daie breaking flie all away : but because i turned from thee with my father the first adam by pride , and returned not vnto thee by humility with thy sonne , the second adam , but would needes leaue ierusalem to goe to iericho , therefore am i fallen among theeues , who haue spoiled and wounded me , leauing me nothing but a cureles bodie , and a carelesse soule , that sending out perpetuall streames , and issues of blood , readie presently to die : this not knowing , but denying thee his maker , by whome onely it is able to liue . o if thou wouldst but turn aside with the mercifull samaritan , or turne backe , as to the woman diseased with a fluxe of blood , or turne thine eie onely vpon me , as vpon peter , my wounds should be washed , the issues of blood stopped , and my deniall pardoned . turne thee therefore , and remember dauids troubles , o lord. shall the hand of little dauid , o thou most mightie , if a rauenous beare breake into his flocke , and steale awaie a sheepe , or if a roaring lion sallie out of his denne , and rent awaie a lambe from him , be able to deliuer them both from the mouth of the beare , and the pawe of the lion ; and shalt not thou be much more able to rescue the sheepe of thy fold , and lambs of thy flocke ? or is that wild beast of the wood , or that roaring lion , that going about hath long sought , and now , while thy face is turned away , hath found whome to deuoure ( euen my dismaied soule ) able to make greater resistance against thee , then those against dauid ? or was his flocke dearer to him , thē thine is to thee ? or can dauid become more mercifull , then his god ? or , if thou be that gratious god of whom dauid hath so often sung , that thy mercie endureth for euer , thy mercie endureth for euer , is thy mercie come now vtterly to an end , or hast thou forgotten to be gratious , and shut vp thy bowells of compassion for euer and euer ? or what is it ; is my sinne greater then it can be forgiuen , that so my wickednesse should exceed thy goodnesse ? no , no , none of these . if david deliuered his lambe from the pawe of the beare , thou deliueredst dauid frō the pawe of the lion : if he loued his flocke , by which he liued , sure thou must needs loue thine for whom thou diedst ; nor is it likely , that thou hast shut vp thy bowells of compassion , since thou hast opened so large an entrance for vs in the side of thy sonne , wherein all thy tender bowells of compassion are laied vp : and how can our sinnes be aboue thy mercie , when thy mercie is aboue all thy workes , and and thy workes aboue all others workes , nay when our wickedst worke hath something good in it , beeing an action , and so done by thy vertue , but thy least goodnesse hath in it not the least euill , beeing , like the author , ful of perfection . turne thee therefore , o lord , and deliuer my soule , o saue me for thy mercies sake . vers. . for in death no man will remember thee , and who will giue thee thanks in the pit ? thou , o god , art the liuing god , the god of the liuing , and of the land of the liuing . while we liue , we are bound to remember thee , & though we are worthie to die , yet death is not worthy to take away the remembrance of thee . thy glorie , and praise ought to be eternal , as thou art . let them not perish then , o lord , whom thou hast created vnto that end , the most excellent ende of all things created . how fewe such swans are there , o god , who sing vnto thee in their death , and perishing how fewe that will remember thee , with ionas , in the bellie of the whale , or with ioseph in the pit , or with daniel in the liōs den ? who will not rather with ezeckiah mourne , whē they are to goe downe into the pit , and with iob , beeing cast downe , curse the day of their birth , and shewe themselues almost forgetfull of all thy benefits ; so farre will they be from giuing of thanks . in the pit there is mourning , and howling , and gnashing of teeth , but the voice of the turtle , and the singing of birds is not heard there , the ioyfull shout of a king is not heard among them . it belongeth vnto the followers of the lambe , in that euerlasting sabbath , and iubile to sing perpetuall halleluias , and to cast downe their crownes before thy throne , and to giue thanks , glory , and honour vnto him that sitteth therupon : and yet it belongeth vnto vs also , o lord , in what measure , and proportion we are able , to doe thy will on earth euen aswell , though not so well as it is done in heauen . o let not isaac onely , but euen ismael liue in thy sight : let vs sinners also liue , and not goe downe altogether into the chambers of death ; not because we are worthy but to glorifie thy holy name . for the confession of sinners , as of thine enemies , is most glorious . vers. . i am wearie of my groanings , euery night wash i my bed , and water my couch with teares . did holy david , a man after gods owne heart , feele the hand of him , whose heart he so wel pleased , so angrie with him , that euen in the night season , when others eyes quietly reposed themselues , his flowed so abundantly with teares , as if he would haue washed both his eies , and bed , ( the places where his adulterie beganne , and ended ) from the defilement of his sin ? oh then why should i be wearie of my groanings ? for what teares will serue to wash out my leopard spots , or cleanse my ethiopian hew ? if i had a fountaine running in my head , with ieremie , to make vp lamentations , yet weare it all too little ; but i , as if the verie fountaine were dried vp , am become harder then the rocke in the wildernesse stricken with moses rod : for that gushed out with abundance of waters , whereas i shed no teares when the lord striketh . thy seruant , o lord , is a suiter for euerie plant , which thy heauenly father planteth , because it shall neuer be rooted vp againe : but let all thy plants o god , be watered with the teares of repentance , and then they will be fruitfull indeed , and bring forth euen an hundred folde . they are the most acceptable drinke-offering vnto thee , and more pleasing then if riuers of oyle were powred out before thee . these doe , as it were anew baptise vs in christ iesus , and wash away the filth of our flesh , as the waters of iordan did naamans leprosie , or as those waters of bethesda , which , when they were troubled , euery one knew there was an angel in them , and that some cure should presently be wrought . no water so precious , and of such vertue , as teares distilling from a repenting heart ; it holdeth the next place to the water of life , and is as the water powred out vpon elias sacrifice , which was consumed with fire from heauen , or as a heauenly dewe retourning thither from whence it fell , and falling downe againe in showers of grace , and mercie . to other men , and in other causes , teares are like the bitter waters of marrah , but when the children of israel , gods children drinke thereof , they are streight-waies made sweet , and pleasant . for what if they now sowe in teares , they shall hereafter reape in ioy , and the eyes of the spouse , that are nowe as doues eies , ouer the riuers of water , euer mourning and weeping , shall hereafter , when all teares shall be wiped away from them , instead thereof , be filled with laughter , & anointed with the oile of gladnesse aboue all others . how oft is it mentioned that the teares of the godly come vp to the lord , beeing onely their propertie , whereas al other teares doe descend , naturally to moue vpwards tovvards heauen . and indeede though the heauens be as moulten brasse , these ( much more powerfull thē the droppes of raine , whose often fall , doth hollowe , & peirce the hardest stones , ) would supple , and mollifie them ? we finde in common calamities they moue the most obdurate heart to pittie , yea euen to a sympathie in our sorrowes , and one enemie forgiues another , and relents ; if he seek it with teares : much more will they mooue the lord to mercie , who stiles himselfe the god of pitie and compassion . wherefore christ professeth himselfe wounded , and ouercome with the eies of his spouse . no water , but the teares of repentance is of force to quench the fierie darts of sathan , and put out the flames of hell kindled against vs. therefore i will be no more weary of my groanings , but euery night will vvash my bed , and vvater my couch vvith my teares . vers. . my beautie is gone for verie trouble , and worne away , because of mine enemies . all worldly beautie , alas , is nothing else but vanitie ; what more goodly then that of the lillie of the field ? ( salomon is not so glorious ) yet how soone it vadeth , and perisheth ? but , alas , the losse of this outward beautie were nothing , though the sunne looke vpon mee in the heate of affliction , while i keepe thy vineyard , i may be blacke , but comely : but my losse is of that inward beautie , wherwith thy spouse , the faithfull soule , is all glorious within . i know , lord , thou hadst once new made mee after the image of thy divine beautie , which all the beautie of the world cannot so much as shadow , but i haue fallen , and defaced it , that now it cannot be knowne whose image , and superscription it is : and now that the beautie of my flourishing is gone , what remaineth , but the old man , full of the wrinkles , and furrowes , and frosts of winter , so exceedingly deformed , and so great a malefactor , that it is time for him now to die , and i may with iustice crie , crucifie him . in this is the description of the naturall old man rightly verified in a spirituall sence . the sunne of righteousnesse is darkned in him , and the clouds returne after the raine , one sinne after an other , one miserie after an other : the keepers of the house tremble , the strong men bowe , and they waxe darke that look out of the windowes : faith is weake , hope fainteth , and charitie faileth . o graunt , o lord , that as the eagle reneweth her youth , i may cast off this old man , and put on the new iesus christ , thine , and thy churches welbeloued , whose countenance is all white , and ruddie , the fairest of ten thousand , so exceeding aspectable , that it is able to change this vile body , whose beautie is quite gone , and worn away , and make it like his glorious bodie . vers. . away from me all yee that worke vanitie , for the lord hath heard the voice of my weeping . behold here how the lord after his whirlewinde that tore all the mountains of pride in me , and burst in sunder my heart of rocke , commeth at length in the still , and soft voice . the lord hath wounded , but loe he bindeth vp againe , hee hath brought vnto the graue , & loe hee bringeth backe againe . for whē my tongue failed , i spake vnto him in the silence of my soule , and when my soule fainted , mine eies flowed out with teares to speake vnto him , and loe he hath answered the request of my heart , & heard the voice of my weeping . now therefore since the lord deigneth to come vnto me in his mercie , and build vp my ruines , and dwell with mee againe , what haue i to do with my olde companions the workers of iniquitie , shall they , and my god keepe together ? or shall i entertaine my soueraigne lord with such houshold seruāts ? no , they shal not enter into my house , or come within my roofe . nowe the sunne is risen , it is time these shadowes were parted away . for neither can thy light dwell with darkenes , nor their works of darknes abide the triall of thy light . therefore away from me , both all ye workers , and all yee workers of vanitie . i knowe , lord , there will be a hard parting between my olde pleasures , and my old heart : the syrens will sing many a sweete song , and cast many a faire looke , and weepe many a false teare , before they will part with me : but it is no matter what the harlots do ▪ since thou hast heard the voice of my weeping , i haue nothing to doe with the voice of theirs ; since my voice vttered in the bitternesse of my heart , was so well accepted of thee , nothing shall henceforth pleasure me , but such bitter songs , wherewith they are litle acquainted : & though i cannot cast out these iebusites , but they will still dwell with me , yet , thorough thy grace , i will keepe them in subiection , and if they grow insolent in my bodie , the temple of thy holy spirit , i wil weep for their sinnes , and so , crying daily vnto thee with teares for pardon , wil make them serue me , at the least , to draw water for the house of the lord. o that i could make an integrall separation of my self from them , and might not carrie my greatest enemies in my bosome so neere my heart , the lusts of it ; but , in stead of that fountaine of death , be ioyned vnto the fountaine of life , christ iesus , in whome there is so vnseparable an vnion betweene god , and man , that neither death , nor hell , no not the strongest things of this world ( weake vnto thee ) much lesse the weakest , the vanities thereof , can euer be able to separate vs from thee . vers. . the lord hath heard my petition : the lord will receiue my prayer . it is a great grace of thee , o my lord , to suffer dust , and ashes to speake vnto thee , but it is as common with thee , as it is great . for thou sufferest many to say vnto thee , lord , lord , whome neuerthelesse thou knowest not . it is a greater therefore that when we call vpon thee in the time of trouble thou wilt heare vs : and yet this also may seeme to be not so singular a mercie : for whatsoeuer is spoken , shall not he that made the eare , heare it ? but so to heare our praiers , as to receiue , and grant them , and then to heare the crie of our petitions , when the lowder crie of our sinnes would drowne their voice , this is a goodnes as neere vnto thy nature , as it is far from our desert . o how vnlike are thy eares , that are alwaies open to the request of the poore , and needie , to those of the deaf adder , that old serpent , that stoppes his eares , and is inexorable , charme the charmer neuer so sweete ? how vnlike to vs , o lord , that ( hauing eares ) yet whē thou callest for our obedience , haue none to heare thee , where contrariwise , thou ( hauing none ) when we call to thee , inclinest thine eares to heare vs. but certenly , o lord , it is impossible that thy iust eares should heare the praiers of such as we are : for we know god heareth not sinners . true lord : and therefore thou hast got thee new eares , and least we should thinke these like thy other , hast set them euen vpon our head iesus christ : with them thou hearest vs if we speak vnto thee , and our words passing through his mouth ( as how can we speak vnto thee , but by our head ) are set on fire by that golden censor , and , like holy incense , make a sweet sauour vpon thine altar . so that henceforth though our workes be all , like our selues , wicked , though our rough hands be the hands of esau , yet our voice is iacobs voice , and wee haue got the apparrell of our eldest brother esau , and therefore we know that thou wilt blesse vs , we are sure thou wilt heare vs , and spare vs , though more sinnefull , then euer sodome was . what though abraham , moses and elias were now liuing , and prayed for vs , we are sure thou wouldst much lesse heare them for vs , then for their , and thine owne people of the iewes : yet thou hast heard him for vs , and without conditioning , as with abraham , for the sparing of sodome , if fiftie , twentie , or ten iust men were found therein , hast spared vs all onely for one iust mans sake . in him therefore , with boldnesse , doe all thy saints offer vp their golden vyals of odours , their prayers , before thee . for hee onely is worthy to make our prayers well-pleasing vnto thee , in whom only thou art well pleased . vers. . all mine enemies shall be confounded and sore vexed , they shall be turned backe and put to shame suddainely . behold the bountie , and seueritie of god : seueritie towards mine enemies , that haue fallen ; bowntie towards mee , that when i , and they stood before thine altar , as the two goats , one of vs to be sacrificed , to appease thy wrath , and as ionas with the marriners , in the tempest of thine anger , one of vs to be cast out , hast pleased to let the lot of the scape-goate , fall on mee , and to make them the sin-offring . nor weart thou content , o lord , to repaie mee good for euill , that rendered thee euill for good , but after thou hadst pardoned me thou wouldst not pardon mine enemies , as though thou hatest thy childrens enemies more then thine owne , and louest them better then thy selfe : giuing thy selfe for them when they were thine enemies , and when we , for want of spirituall senses , had no sence of our spirituall wants , then redeeming vs : but confounding , and sore vexing , and suddainly turning backe , and putting to a perpetuall shame those that hate vs , and not vs , that hated thee . now , lord , taught by thy example , that art so good to thine enemies , and hauing thine owne word for it , i cannot but loue mine enemies , and pray for them , that curse mee . if it be a fault , or a folly ( as the world esteemes it ) thou hast taught it mee , and i would willingly erre with thee my god ; it is inough for the disciple to be as his master is . but yet there are some of mine enemies , i confesse , that made mee first an enemie vnto thee , o lord , whom i hate with a perfect hatred , who are growne now so ill , as they are past my prayers , and haue gone further then thy mercie will follow them , euen into the gates , and mouth of hell , that gap't so wide to deuoure me , with thē . o let the sword of thy iustice be drunkē vvith the slaughter of these great , & arch-enemies of thy innocent , & little flock , & blessed be my lord for carrying away , like samson , the gates of hel , that they should not preuaile ouer mee , and so leading my captiuitie captiue , and casting my soules enemies into the pit they had prepared for me . many farre greater starres , and fairer lights , then , i o god , hath the taile of that dragon dravvne dovvne after him from heauen , & hadst not thou ( to vvhom onely the fame belongeth ) taken my cause into thine ovvne hand , i had also been vvinnovved , & caried like dust , and chaffe before the wind . therefore , as thou hast broken these mine enimies in peices , so also scatter them , that the peices of the mangled serpent may neuer come together againe . o let not the deadly vvound of the head of the beast be healed , to make vvarre against thy saints , and against the lambe for euer . his daily sacrifice . how commeth it to passe , o lord , that thou art so mindefull of man , man beeing so forgetfull of thee ? sure but that mercie is essentiall vnto thee , and thou canst assoone forget to bee , as forget to bee gratious , it were impossible but such a man of sinnes and sorrovves , as i am , rather a vvorme , and no man , or more truly dust , and ashes , and none of all thy liuing creatures , nothing , indeed , but a verie bundle of vanitie , vanitie of vanities , should dispaire of pardon , and thinke my sinnes greater then they could be forgiuen . i that haue seconded the first fall of man vvith so many fallings from thy grace , ( and if that one were so powerfull to condemne all , ah what are so many to conuince one ) i that haue as often denyed thee in my deeds , as i haue sinned , and that not thrice , not seuen times , but seauēty seauen times in a day . i that haue so often when thou hast by thy graces come in and lodged with me , for a vile price of base peasures betraied thee , i that whereas i should haue mortified the old man , and crrucified the lusts thereof , so oft haue grieued thy good spirit , and crucified the lord of life within me , and so buried , and sealed him vp in an obdurate , and stonie heart , that it must be a great worke of thy power , and mercie to rise againe in me , and rowle away the stone : i that haue thus filled vp my measure of iniquitie with sodō , how dare i with abrahā , so often mooue the lord for mercie : i that haue so often rebelled , how can i hope to be receiued again to grace , and pardon : i that haue no other plea , but guiltie , how dare i importune the iust iudge , vnlesse , as that woman did the vniust iudge , for iustice . hath my best seruice vnto thee been betthen theirs , who kneeling , & saluting thee , haile king of the iewes , yet crucified thee ? wherein haue my prayers , and teares been better then those , of the hypocritall pharisies , onely seeming for a time , and so full of sinne , that when i haue praied for forgiuenes , i had neede pray again for forgiuenes of my prayers . ah my wretched soule mocke not thy sauiour any longer with thy kneeling , and prayers , like those soldiers that crucified him ; thou hast gone alreadie further then iudas , not onely betraying him , but beeing ( which he denied to be ) guiltie of the shedding of his innocent blood ; think with thy selfe , how oft thou hast grieued his holy spirit , turning the grace thereof into wantonnes : how oft thou hast , when he of this mercie had healed thee , presently fallen into a relaps far worse then thy former disease ; how oft thou hast walowed thy self again in the mire , when hee had washt not thy feete onely , but thy head , and hands also ; how oft , when thy heauenly physition had purged thee , returned to thy vomit . and now , lord , with what fig leaues shall i couer the shame of my sinne , since i know thou hast cursed the fig-tree , that bore leaues only ? oh tell mee how with the prodigall shall i returne to my father ? or if i doe returne , say , hast thou any more kisses , and embraces lest , for such a riotous sonne ? if the mountaines , which yet offended not , did tremble , and melt away at thy presence , and if euen thy holiest saints at thy presence fell downe to the groūd almost for dead , troubled , and amazed , saying , surely they should die , because they had seene the lord , if the cherubins , that stand alwaie before thee , couer their faces , looking but vpon thy mercie-seate , o with what face shall a guiltie soule come before thee , when it appeares before thy seate of iustice ? haue i not reason to hate my sinnes , that are able to make the sight of thee , which is so amiable , and beatificall , and to thy happie seruants a vision wherein their whole felicitie consists , so full of horrour to mee ? o how the verie thought thereof confounds mee , and , as if now , like balthazar , i sawe the handwriting against mee , makes mee tremble , and stand amazed , smiting my knees one against another ; what can i say for my selfe , or what can i doe ? what sinne-offring , what peace-offering shall i bring to make attonement with the lord ? what moses , or aaron haue i to stand betweene gods destroying angel , and mee ? whom haue i to make intercession for mee ? i dare not approach to my sauiour , whom my sinnes may iustly make of a meeke lambe , an enraged lion vnto mee , i see no other but a two-edged sword proceed out of his mouth for my destruction , and me thinkes hee is a prouiding whips to scourge me out of his temple , returning those stripes , those thornes , those wounds vpon mee , which he hath vnworthily borne for mee , denying any more to beare my crosse : so that now though i crie vnto him lord , lord , he will not know mee , nor suffer mee any more to haue a part in the sonne of ishai . since therefore thy sword is drawne , o lord , against mee , what can i doe but laie downe my necke , and submit my selfe to the stroke of that axe , that cutteth downe all vnfruitfull , and ill-fruitfull trees . for if euen the death of a sinner , and ruine of a wretched soule please thee , and may any way satisfie thy iustice ( as indeed it cannot , for thou delightest not in the death of a sinner ) oh how willingly should i cast away my selfe , with ionas , to accalme the tempest of thine anger against mee : but , alas , it is not my sacrifice can expiate my sins . it were a good fruit of my bodie , if it might be offered for the sin of my soule : but how can that satisfie for sinne , which it selfe is most sinnefull ? o no , i confesse , o lord , that i haue no other sinne-offering but my repentance left , nor other burnt-offering then an aggrieued heart , nor other drink-offering then teares , nor other incense then my sighes , nor other propitiation , or priest , and mediatour then thy selfe , o christ. thou art our king to protect vs , our prophet to teach vs , our priest to make an attonement for vs , and thou hast promised to make vs also kings , priests , and prophets vnto thy father ; but such is my vnworthinesse , o lord , that often when i would take vpon mee the priests office , and offer my prayers ( as thou hast taught mee ) vnto my father , which is in heauen , for pardon , that i am quite confounded , and haue nothing at all to say for my selfe , and though i knowe thou art able to cure my dumbnesse , yet it is safer for mee to heare thee open thy mouth to thy father for mercie , then let my mouth be opened to crie for vengeance against my selfe . for i , more vnnaturall then caine , haue slaine , not my yonger brother , but my selfe , nor my selfe only , but my elder brother , & therefore my blood cannot but , with abells , crie to heauen for vengeance against him , that spilt it : but when i listen what the crie of thy blood , my elder brother , is , whom my sinne hath slaine , o how much better things doe i heare it speake , then the blood of abel , father forgiue him : besides , if i speake for my selfe , my words are like the winde , that passe away , and goe i know not whither , but most likely with my selfe into the land where all things are forgotten : but thine are like thine owne essence , o lord , who art the eternall word , such as heauen , and earth may sooner passe away , thē one tittle of thē . do thou therfore , o gratious sauiour , speake , and mediat for me ; let the many wounds inflicted on thee for my sinnes be as so many mouthes to craue mercie for me : o let thy blood , as when thou wert wounded it fel on the base earth , be distilled also by the grace , and merit thereof vpon me a vile , and vnworthy sinner ; how happie were i if , as thou madest adam of red earth , so thou hadst made me of that fruitfull red ground which thou vouchsafedst to water with thine owne blood . let thy stripes , o christ , goe for the many stripes wherewith i , as an euill seruant , deserue to be beaten , thy death for that eternall death my sinnes haue as their hire deserued , and thy descent into hell for mine to free me from thence . indeede if thou wert , as man is , prone to anger , nay were thine anger kindled but a little , and were not thy mercy rather as farre aboue mans reason , as his merit , how long since had i perished from the land of the liuing ? if i looke vpon my sinnes , me thinks i should alwaies see thee before me ( as thine angel in the way of baalim ) with the sword of thy iustice drawne against me , vpon which ( as mad men doe vpon weapons ) my sinnes make mee wilfully to runne , and i seem to my selfe to lie ( as isaac ) vnder thy sword for sacrifie , still expecting when thou shouldst come by mee in the whirlewindes , earthquakes , and tempests of thy iudgements : yet to see , how thou ( that no man might denie it to proceed only of grace , and not of merit ) chusest rather to come in the still , and soft voice of thy mercies euen vnto vs sinners , & wilt that thy holy spirit ( the spirit of meeknes ) come down rather in the forme of a doue , without gal , thē of a consuming fire vnto vs. how far art thou from desiring the death of a sinner , that whē we were both branch , and roote vnder the axe of thy iudgements , and ( as isaac ) readie to be sacrificed , and made a sinne offring , didst prouide thy selfe a lambe , ( yea thy selfe the lambe ) to saue vs , and to set vs free . how readie art thou to snatch the perishing brand out of the fire , how soone entreated to forbeare , and spare the fruitlesse figtree , not doing that vnto the dry tree , which thou hast done vnto the greene ? o see if euer there were loue like thy loue ! thy loue and mercie , as thy selfe , transcending all . if euer thou repentest , it is of thine anger , not of thy mercie , if euer thou hearest not our prayers , it is because they tend to our owne hurt , if thou hidest thy face , it is that we might seek thee , and if thou fliest frō vs , that we might follow after thee more eagerly : if thy iustice take vengeance , it shall bee onely vpon those that hate thee , and in thē , but to the fourth generation , but if thy mercie begin to shewe it selfe , it will content it selfe with no lesse then a thousand generations . o thou immortall goodnes , and beauty of heauen , draw me vnto thee with the bands of thy loue , and with the same cordes bind me , that i breake not from thee , let me be ward vnto the king of heauen , & thy grace be my guardian . then shal mine inheritāce , and my lines fall vnto mee in a faire land , euen in the vineyard , and paradise of my god , whereof though the first could not , yet the second adam with his blood ( as nabaoth ) hath kept possession , out of which neither the serpent , nor all the powers of darknes shal be euer able to expell me , so thou onely but suffer the weak hand of my faith to lay hold on thy crosse , and to eate of the fruit of that tree of life . for if thou be with me , i shall be safe , death shall haue no sting , sinne no poyson , hell no victorie . for thou hast ouercome all the power of hell , and death , not for thy selfe , ouer whome it could haue no power , but for vs , whose weakenesse could make no resistance ; but if thou absent thy selfe , though but for a while , my weake faith which had the boldnes to cast me out vpon the sea of thy mercie , that so , with peter , i might meete thee walking vpon the waters , will neuer haue the courage , if it see the waues rise , to vphold it self . lord stretch out thy hand , and saue me from sinking , and so henceforth binde the sacrifice with cords vnto the altar , fasten me vnto thy crosse , o christ , and spread thy selfe in thy merits , and mercies ( as elias ) vpon me , that i may recouer life , and though out of due season be borne vnto thee . o graunt me any one of the menest places of the many mansions of thy fathers house , and when israel , thy chosen children , and thy invited ghests set with thee , at thy great marriage feast , and many come from east to west to set with abraham in thy kingdom : when thy seruants are placed , may but i take the lowest place at thy table , & so when thou hast fedde thousands behold thee breaking vnto me , but of thy broken bread ; or but be suffered to gather vp the crummes vnder that heauenly table , and my hungrie and thirstie soule satisfied , with that angelicall manna , & made drunk with the pleasures of thy house , shall neuer hunger , or thirst more . in the mean time , while i dwell in this corruptible tabernacle , o let that grace of thine which shines vpon thy worthier seruants ( if any worthy vnder whose roofe thou shouldst come ) as thou visitest other publicans , and sinners turne in vnto thy seruants house , and dine with him . finis . notes, typically marginal, from the original text notes for div a -e plutarch ) . gen. . . gen. . . isa. . . . sam. harmon . pag. . plutarch . in ages . gen. . . revel . matt. . . iob . . pers. sat. . bion apud laert. plut. ier. . . eccl. . . . cor. . . part . . c. . matt. . . . tim . iudg. . matt. . . king on ionas . . sam. . . isa. . . plin. l. . cael. rh. cicer. aristot. l. phys. act. . . ioh. . . aquin. eccl. . . prou. . . & . cicer. de orat. epist. ad luc. aul. gell. confess . ●●b . . alex. ab alex. epist. . cor. . . ps. . . ps. . . cicer. tusc. qu. luk. . . deut . . chrysost. iudg . . sam. ter ▪ ●un . exod. . ezek. . . ion. . paul. in vita ambr. in eius vita à scipso scripta . possido . aug. epist. . ad val. homil. . in acta apost . matt. . . aug epist. . in inst . quint. curt. matt. . aug. epist. act. . . act. . . phil. . . in tersinitum , & insinitum , &c. prolog . in lib. retr . num. . ● plut. eph. . . greg. rom. . . preface in lull . psal. . . hipp. proem . in apho . possidor . in eius vita . . de nat. deor. rom. . . ezek. . . cic. totis artubus contremisco . . cor. . . tull. l. . de nat . deor. calvin . in exod. ● . & gen. . . plin. l . plut. laert. tu iurabis , &c. luk. . ioseph . antiq . gregor . de curâ past. part . . c. possidor . . tim. . seneca . magni emit . qui precatur . ad finem epist. predict . . sam. . , . notes for div a -e eccl. . a treatise of the nature of a minister in all its offices to which is annexed an answer to doctor forbes concerning the necessity of bishops to ordain, which is an answer to a question, proposed in these late unhappy times, to the author, what is a minister? lucy, william, - . approx. kb of xml-encoded text transcribed from -bit group-iv tiff page images. text creation partnership, ann arbor, mi ; 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(eebo-tcp ; phase , no. a ) transcribed from: (early english books online ; image set ) images scanned from microfilm: (early english books, - ; : ) a treatise of the nature of a minister in all its offices to which is annexed an answer to doctor forbes concerning the necessity of bishops to ordain, which is an answer to a question, proposed in these late unhappy times, to the author, what is a minister? lucy, william, - . [ ], , [ ] p. printed by thomas ratcliffe for the author, and are to be sold by edward man ..., london : . reproduction of original in cambridge university library. attributed to william lucy. cf. nuc pre- . chiefly a criticism of thomas hooker's a survey of the summe of church-discipline. table of contents: p. 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ascii text with mnemonic sdata character entities); displayable xml (tcp schema; characters represented either as utf- unicode or text strings within braces); or lossless xml (tei p , characters represented either as utf- unicode or tei g elements). keying and markup guidelines are available at the text creation partnership web site . eng hooker, thomas, - . -- survey of the summe of church-discipline. forbes, john, - . -- irenicum. church of england -- clergy. clergy -- office. - tcp assigned for keying and markup - aptara keyed and coded from proquest page images - judith siefring sampled and proofread - judith siefring text and markup reviewed and edited - pfs batch review (qc) and xml conversion a treatise of the nature of a minister in all its offices . to which is annexed an answer to doctor forbes concerning the necessity of bishops , to ordain . which is an answer to a question , proposed in these late unhappy times , to the author , what is a minister ? london , printed by thomas ratcliffe for the author , and are to be sold by edward man at the sign of the swan in the strand near york-house . . to my ever most dear and now only brother francis lucy , esq my most dear brother , i send you here no new present , but such , as you have been long acquainted with ; and did first by sending me the question in the title , occasion my writing : and what i remember st. basil saith in his epistle ad amphilochium , in putting the question , you taught me . for although a studious man cannot but read of these things here discussed , yet i am confident they had never by me been digested into method , and by that been so conclusive to mine own and other mens judgments , without your satisfaction had provoked it . indeed in those sad times when this was writ , there was a rebellion against virtue it self , and mens friendship was extirpate , root and branch ; for the communication of friends , scatter'd about the kingdome , was broken , by the intercepting , yea , the betraying of letters , to the writers prejudice , which i felt : but yet we kept an intercourse by that dumb mans language , of inviting , as oft as we could with safety ; and communicated our thoughts by letters , when we could not personally meet . you were tyed to live in london , by a necessary duty you had to a very near and dear friend of ours , who was committed to your care ; i at a parochial charg to attend my flock , so long as i could in that time ; how were my thoughts perplexed for you when those accursed oaths ( for which with their dependencies i know the land ought to mourn , or else i fear will suffer more ) flew about , fearing by some surprise , you might be ensnared , to act that , which your soul abhorred . i was often satisfied by letters of your freedom , yea , sometimes by the questions you sent me about these inquiries which were then started ; as my fears were great before , so my joy in your integrity was high afterwards , as my admiration , how it could be : but do you praise god daily for that , whose providence invisibly looked over and protected you from those evils ; and trust in him , who will always preserve you loving and fearing him ; amongst others this was one question , you enticed me to write about , which , at such leasure , as i could steal from domestique troubles , i answered in a treatise : you writ to me to print it ; i knew not , nor could remember any such thing , which i medled with ; when i came to london , you shew'd it me , i knew my good freind mr. thomas otwayes hand , who took the pains to transcribe it for me ; read it , and knew mine own notions some of them , and so gave way to the press : if there be any thing which adds to the common notions of scholars , let the reader thank you , who were the occasion and informer of my studies in it ; and not so only , but a preserver of it ; in the first , you were a father ; in the second , a foster to it and by this other men may take notice of our mutual kindnesses and wherein our friendship did consist in those times ; when men could scarce know , how to live ; our thoughts were imploy'd about thinking , how to live for ever . farewel , god bless you you , is the hearty prayer of him , who is not more truly your brother , than . most dear brother your most real and hearty servant william st , david's to the reader . reader , there are some things which i thought fit to acquaint you with ; first , with my self who am here stiled a bishop , and so may be mistrusted to speak , as a man biassed in the cause , writing for my self , and our order ; but although i am one , yet when this was writ , i was none : but a presbyter only , and never thought to be a bishop , or to see one in england , nor could ; unless i could have foreseen such a miraculous deliverance , as it pleased god to give the king ; for which his name ought always to be magnified ; so that the writer , should not prejudice the cause , being then impartial . the next thing is concerning my medling with mr. thomas hooker of new england in this controversy , which i cannot call to mind by what reason : but this i remember , that there was a clergy-man of mine acquaintance , who warping that way , highly commended that author , and had some conference with me about his book , and it was much honoured by a friend of mine in london , who occasioned my buying of it , an ingenious man he was , with a very logical and methodical head ; but so overcome with his own opinions ; that even opposite expressions appear to him , as if they were for him , as will appear in perusing the treatise . my way of writing was to follow my businesses , as they lay before me ; not consining my self to any others method , who had treated of such things ; many times you may find me writing the same things , which twenty before me have done , aliter non sit avitaliber it must needs be so ; but sometimes again you may be rewarded with such notions , as are not ordinary ; without which , a book is but repetition , but in all you shall find mine own manner of expressions , which may possibly meet with some , understanding more agreeingly , than others have done ; and so may be profitable to the quieting of different judgments , the greatest and most noble work of any mans industry ; and if i have done it , but in part , i am ●atisfied and god should be glorified , which is all the endeavour of your brother in christ jesus . william st. david's . an answer to a question proposed in these late unhappy times to the author , what is a minister ? chapter . i. what the word minister signifies . in this question first we must clear the quid nominis , and then discourse of the essence of it . first , in the greek , this word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in its own genuine signification is properly rendered some serving work , or industrious serving , so luke . . martha was cumbred with much s●rving ; the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is there rendred serving . the places which would illustrate this truth might be exceeding many , but , as needlesse , i let them passe ; from hence it comes , that sometimes this word is used in the new testament for such service as is done about spiritual things , by such as are destined to that work : so saint paul , cor. . , . if the ministration of death was glorious , how shall not the ministration of the spirit be rather glorious ? and so likewise in the . verse . in all which is signified under this word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 , the whole negotiation that spiritual officers perform for the spiritual good of men . again , it is used for a particular office , which was allotted to the taking care of the poor ; thus ye may find it , acts . . in those dayes there arose a murmuring of the grecians against the hebrews , because their widowes were neglected in the daily ministration : there is the same word again ; and upon that ground the apostles ins●ituted the office of a deacon , as you may see afterwards , and for that reason because of their ministration they were called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 , that is , as we use to call them , deacons , but indeed is ministers . again , from hence it comes , that this office being the lowest , and the foundation of the ecclesiastical hierarchy , because all that serve god for the good of mens souls , are at the least deacons or ministers : that this word is sometimes in its general notion applied to the very apostleship , acts . . speaking of judas who was one of the . apostles , he obtained part of this ministry : and verse the . speaking of him whom god should choose , that he may take part of this ministry and apostleship from which , &c. where you see the apostleship called ministry ; so likewise cor. . . are they ministers of christ ? i speak as a fool , i am more , speaking of the apostles , i am more , more ministerial , more industrious . thus , as we may say , a man is a vegetable creature , which is the remote genus , so are these said to be ministers ; but i can never observe , that in any particular application , this word minister is used for that second order of presbyter either in scripture or antiquity , as in this corrupt age by usurpation it is abused ; but i think in this question you understand by it the whole body of the clergy by what titles soever , and in that sense i mean to speak of it , and so addresse my self to the consideration of what a minister is , and i conceive that i may thus define him . chap. ii. what a minister is , in his definition . a minister is an officer ordained by god to do something conducing to the salvation of mens souls . in the first place , his genus is an officer , which nature he hath in common with multitudes of others , who are such , either magistratical or servile . i need not discourse now of that , it is so apparent ; secondly , in his difference : the first phrase is , ordained by god ; that is , by the command or institution of god : there are many officers that are instituted and ordained by men , who have power from god to do this act of instituting officers ; but a minister is an officer instituted by god : from him he hath power in divine things , these no man can have power over , but he who hath this authority granted him from god , and that is it which st. pa●l affirms , heb. . . no man taketh this honor to himself but he who is called of god , as was aaron . nay presently after he affirmeth of christ , that he assumed the priesthood not of himself , but from the father ; so then this ministerial function requireth gods ordination : but by the word ordination i not only conceive an institution of god , but likewise some duty commanded which god orders thereunto ; so that by giving this order ( so the school , and we in english , call these holy functions ) god exacts a duty in these men who exercise it : for the graces given these men being such as the school calls gratis datae , not sanctifying the person who hath them , but such as are for the sanctification of others , god who gives nothing in vain , will require an account of these graces and abilities . and to this purpose st. paul , cor. . . let a man so account of us as of the ministers of christ ▪ and dispensators or stewards of the mysteries of god ; vers. . moreover , it is required in stewards that they should be faithfull ; that is , to lay out the moneys according to their lords appointment and direction , according to the lords ordinance ; but there is more intimated in this word ordinance , to wit , an enabling the person who is ordained to do some supernatural work , but the enabling must be understood in actu primo , not secundo , that is , he is enabled with authority to do that is required . a man gives his keyes to his steward , bids him search such rooms , such boxes for such occasions as he hath need ; here he hath clavem , the authority and right power to do this duty to open the doors in actu primo , but perhaps his hands are weak , he cannot turn the key , or he is ignorant , he knows not how to do it , yet what he doth is regular , he hath power and authority to do it , and should another who hath more ability , do it in the second act , and not in the first , he doth it like a thief , not like a steward : this first right is certainly conveyed by the ordinance of god with holy orders , but not the second : and they who do these duties without this authority given them from christ , are therefore called by christ thieves and robbers ; john . . he that entreth not by the door into the sheepfold , but climbeth up another way , he is a thief and a robber ; they are thieves , but they who come by the door , by authority from christ , are the right shepherds , and have authority to go into the ●old and do their duty there ; so that though a minister have authority given him to do holy things , yet he may not have the science or integrity to do accordingly , but what he hath , so far is ratifyed by god , but others who have not this authority , though they do the same things , yet they are responsible for a presumption ; as may appear out of acts . v. . where certain exorcists took upon them the power divine of casting out devils , which was apostolical ; but they stole the keyes of this power , had them not given them , and the devils rent and tare them ? from all which it appears , that the enabling with this power such as may be justifyed , comes from a divine ordination , and not else . the next term is , to do something conducing to the salvation of mens souls : i put this phrase ( to do something ) more largely than the schools , and the great consent of the church of rome use to do , who restrain it only to the holy communion ; as if holy orders were only referred to that mysterie , and so with wresting , bring in those little ecclesiastical officers into the number ; but we may observe , that for ought i find , a deacon by his institution or practice at the first in the new testament had nothing to do with the communion , nor indeed hath more now than to assist with the cup : and the great power of the keyes toucheth not the act of communion immediately , but by reason of admission or prohibiting such as shall or shall not communicate : i choose therefore this phrase ( to do something ) which comprehends all , even that and preaching , and whatsoever else conduceth to mans salvation , but yet we must apply this to what went before likewise , and take all together ; there are many acts done by men , who are not ministers , which conduce to others salvation , and are very usefull , and commendable in them , nay are done out of duty ; as the example of a good life , discreet admonishing men of their faults , incouraging others to virtue , and the like , which are all acts of duty from one christian man to another , but not acts of office ; acts of charity as they are christians , not as they are this or that sort of men . we must therefore recall the first term , ( that they must do . something conducing to the salvation of men . ) this phrase must be a little farther cleared likewise . there are things which conduce accidentally to the salvation of others , as persecution , affliction ; so it was with st. paul ; sometimes assisting in villany , which starts up some divine speech or action ; so those wicked persons , who assisted in the crucifying of our saviour , their wicked act made them spectators and auditors of those supernatural words , which then declared him to be god , and made them receive that faith in him , and confesse that he was the son of god ; but these persons are in themselves the devils ministers , though gods almighty power and providence conjured them about , as he will the very devils themselves , and draw his honour out of their wickednesse , his light out of their darknesse ; these acts in themselves conduce to hell , but god wrought them miraculously about to heaven , and therefore not understood here , but such as in themselves are disposed to it ; and because heaven is not a result or an effect naturally arising out of our works , but a blessing bestowed upon the workers according to their works , for christs sake , therefore those things which conduce to heaven in themselves must be such as god is pleased to covenant with us , that upon them and the doing of them he will give this salvation ; for no man can obtain that by fraud or violence , and therefore it must be on such terms as he covenants for : and these things are those of the word and sacraments , ( as the whole christian world hath named them , though they have no such name given them in the new testament ) to wit this : god hath provided salvation in heaven for his servants , the means for them to get this heaven is by these covenants , sealing these deeds , obeying these ordinances of his ●or which he hath appointed officers , and given them power and authority to administer these covenants , ( letters of atturney ▪ for it is a legal , juridical businesse ▪ and a legal phrase befits it ) to act these things betwixt him and men , and teach them his lawes and will , by which they shall be sharers of this blessing , and they who have an office , ) and from that office authority to do all or some of these things , are the ministers we speak of : and i think this may suffice to speak , what a minister is ; how he is ordained , and who they are , will follow . sect . ii. these powers must be given by god. to understand these heads , we must first conceive , that a man can receive or assume no such power ( that is effectual ) to himself , unlesse it be given him from heaven , as st. john speaks , john . . heaven being gods gift , the powers , the covenants which bring men thither , must be by his appointment , and the officers who work and effect these powers must be by him authorized likewise ; i write these conclusions briefly , being of great evidence in themselves , and for ought i know denyed by none . sect . iii. the way to understand who these are . and now , in my conceit , the readiest way to clear this truth , will be , to shew what officers christ hath appointed to this purpose , and this must be done two wayes : first , to shew historically what was done ; and secondly , to shew how that history shall agree with the design it had to bring men to heaven , and how unfit other pretentions are to it . the history i shall divide into two parts ; first , to lay the foundation of this glorious building , to shew what our saviour acted himself in it , what the church discipline was in embrione , in ovo , in the foundation , then to shew what superstructures the apostles built upon it , what it was in the birth when it was a chick . the first must be sought out of the gospells , or the beginning of the acts , where the story of our saviours immediate commerce with this world both in his life , and after his death , is set down for us : the second part must be cleared from the later part of the acts and the epistles ; and thus my design is layd . chap. iii. the election of the apostles , and what to do . the first remarkable business in the gospel , is the election of the apostles , which we may find recorded in the d. of st. mark v. . and the th . of st. luke v. . in st. mark we may observe that he ordained twelve , that they should be with him , and that he might send them forth to preach ; and in st. luke we may note , that he gave these twelve the name of apostles : out of this we may consider , that our saviour having many disciples such as had leaned and listned to his doctrine , he chose out of them twelve , which he gave particular favours to , and gave them that name of office to be apostles ; that there was some mystery in that number of twelve i am perswaded , because that after the apostacy of judas , in the . of the acts , v. . st. peter saith , that according to the prophet david , psal. . . another should take his office : it was necessary another should succeed him in that ministry , and they chose one and no more to compleat the number . what that mystery is , is not so apparent : that which fits my apprehension is this , that our saviour did , in very many things , lay the platform of his ecclesiastical government according to the pattern of the jewish polity , and in this particular he resembled the twelve patriarchs ; but this he laid as pillars only or a foundation , intending it only to support the rest , not to figure out the number of these officers which were afterwards to be , a number i know by none pretended to : but yet they then were so many pillars to support this building , and whatsoever structure should be raised must be erected upon these : but besides their number we may mark their office , which was two-fold , about our saviour , and about the church , or other men ; about our saviour , that they should be with him hearing and learning his doctrine , spectators of his miracles , and most exemplar manner of life , that so they being to bear witnesse of him and his actions afterwards , might the more constantly and confidently do it , when they had in such a manner been conversant with him . that which concerned other men , was , that he might send them forth to preach . here was an office instituted , as st. mark records it , and to have power to heal sicknesse , &c. this gift of miracles was not the office it self , but a sign and token by which men might know that they were sent from god ; for they taking upon them a new office , and pretending that they received it of god ; executing it for him , it was necessary that they should bring with them some evidence that they had it from him , and this evidence or sign of it was this power of miracles , which accompanyed them . thus st. mark hath described the office , and because men should not be mistaken in these officers , st. mark and st. luke have set down the particular names and characters of many of them ; upon which i insist not , as not material to my work . but then it must be marked farther , that st. luke sets down the name of the office , as well as the officers , and saith the name was imposed by christ , which he called apostles , which name is derived from 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 , which is mitto , to send , and an apostle is missus , one sent ; thus the general nature of the word signifies , and so the word is used john . . neither is he that is sent greater than he that sent him ; 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 , he that is sent , but in this place it is perpetually put for the name of this office ; and to the same sense is that word angel , which with apostle , amen , and divers other words , all languages observe and derive from the original ; angel is derived from 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 , which is nuntius , a messenger to relate some affairs to others , now the apostles received this name as men sent about the most excellent errand that ever was ; the messengers , the men sent . in a word , we see there were a certain number of men chosen , they are set down what they are , what their names were , and the number of the committee , and we see the names of their office , as likewise what their authority hitherto was , that is , to preach . no doubt but beza's word which he interposeth , ( to preach the gospel ) is a good glosse , though i think it not the right text. but although they have election into an office provided for them , and a power and authority to execute this office , when they are sent , yet they must not go before t●ey are sent ; we will consider therefore their mission in the next place . sect . ii. how and to whom the apostles were sent . and for that we must come to st. matthew . . and to st. luke . . there we may observe , in either place , that as before they had the power given them , so in these places they were commanded to execute this power . in st. mark it is said , that he ordained twelve , that they might be with him , that he might send them forth to preach ; ready they were for the bunesse , they lacked nothing but mission , and that they had in the former places . in st. matthew , . . we may observe these twelve sent forth , we shall see there the place where they were to execute the commissions described ; first , negatively , verse the . go not into the way of the gentiles , and into any city of the samaritans enter ye not : then positively , but rather go ye to the lost sheep of the house of israel , vers . . not that our saviour would forbid salvation to any soul in the world , for others besides jews were converted ; [ but accidentally ] the office of the apostles , in our saviours time , was while he lived restrained to them ; and therefore we may observe , that st. peter himself , in the th . of the acts , until he was admonished by a vision of his errors , was of opinion , that it was not lawfull for a jew to have any communication or keep company with a gentile , as he expresseth it to cornelius , vers . . so then you see their commission restrained in place ; and , secondly , you may observe their commission explained , what they were to preach . sect . iii. what they were to preach . before , they had commission to preach , now a command what to preach , st. luke the th . ver . . to preach the kingdom of god ; st. matth. . . the kingdom of heaven is at hand ; the kingdom of god , and the kingdom of heaven , are the same , called from god as the king ; as we may say caesars kingdom or empire , called from heaven as the place , the empire of rome , the kingdom of jerusalem : now this kingdom is from the eminency of it called the kingdom of heaven , because there is as it were the court where gods glory is most manifestly apparent , that is called his kingdom , as rome ; but though his court be there , his kingdom is on earth ; though heaven be the court , yet earth is the country of this kingdom ; though heaven be his throne , yet earth is his foot-stool : so then , by his kingdom , or , the kingdom of heaven is at hand , is meant , that christs kingdom was comming near ; that now the time was comming , in which he should conquer the devil , and lead captivity captive ; now the time was comming in which he should settle his dominions in the world : and this was much the same with the subject of st. john baptist his sermons , mat. . . repent ye , for the kingdom of god is at hand ; nor indeed could other doctrine be preached , for christ had not yet conquered the devil , nor setled his government , and therefore , as their commission was setled and restrained to a place ; so it was in the doctrine much unlike what it afterwards came to . thus you see that the apostles had now at the last ▪ a commission to preach ; you see their diocesse , to the lost sheep of the house of israel ; you see likewise what they were to preach . the next thing to be considered , will be , what other officers our saviour instituted , and what enlargement he gave to this commission , whether any or no. sect . iv. what other commission our saviour gave to other men . to understand this , let us consider luke . . where we shall find that our saviour called and sent seventy , or seventy and two other disciples besides these twelve before named : the diverse lection of the number is not material to any thing in hand ; but we may observe , first , that there was the same businesse , in which they were employed , as the very apostles were , out of the th . verse , where they were commanded to preach the same doctrine : the kingdom of god is come nigh unto you : that they had the same assistance for their preaching , the power of miracles ; that they had the same way of congratulating cities or houses , whither they came ; that there was the same curse upon them that received them not ; that they were so to demean themselves both to the receivers and them who did not receive them : but herein we see some difference ; the apostles were first ordained , and then sent ; these ordained and sent together . secondly , the apostles were taken into a near attendance about christ , and from that had a more intimate acquaintance with both his life and doctrine ; and from thence , although these were sent equally with them in all respects , yet they only had the name of apostles , given them by a prerogative eminence , which throughout the gospel is not attributed to these later disciples ; besides these , i read not of any persons which had any mission from christ to do these great works concerning mans salvation . but hitherto we find onely the authority of preaching given . we will therefore in the next place consider who were made ministers of these covenants of heaven , called baptism , and the lords supper ; whether these , all these , or other besides them . sect . v. who were made ministers of the sacraments . to begin with baptism : that baptism was instituted in our saviours life time , is very evident out of the d. of st. john , v. . where it is said , that our saviour camo into judea , and there tarried with them , and baptized , that 's expounded chapter . v. . that he did not baptize , but his disciples : out of which it is evident , besides the conference he had with nicodemus in the beginning of the d. chapter , that there was a baptism used and instituted by our saviour , and they who were the ministers of it were his disciples ; but now , when it was instituted ; and what it was that was instituted , are mighty difficulties , not fully cleared : for the first part , i leave all those parties which fix it to any times , which are these two , either when st. john baptized our saviour , of which we may read mat. . . or else in his conference with nicodemus , john . . where he uttered these words ; except a man be born again of water and the holy spirit , he cannot enter into the kingdom of heaven ; i can consent to neither of these : not to the first , for we find nothing like an ordination ; but indeed by the descending of the holy ghost , and the voice from heaven , a foundation for an ordinance , but not an ordinance it self : not the second , for it was a private conference between our saviour and that man , wherein he might well declare that there had been some such thing , or that there should be such a power given ; but this did not settle any such power , nor any form or minister of it : i conclude therefore , that as many things were done , without doubt , which are not written , as st. john speaks in the last chapter of his gospel , and the last verse : so amongst many things this is one , which yet was done , we may safely conclude , because it would be a mighty presumption for the disciples , to usurp a power of baptizing without a commission , and that they did baptize is apparent , i therefore conclude that it was done , but when is not apparent : and now let us examine what was done . sect . vi. concerning baptisme . this question seems to me to be very unsatisfactorily handled by those who have treated of it . to understand what can be comprehended in it , conceive with me , that there comes a three-fold baptism in consideration in this question : the baptism which we are baptized with , which in expresse terms was ordained by our saviour after his resurrection ; the baptism of john baptist ; and the baptism of the disciples of our saviour in the time of his residence upon earth : the baptism of john , and the baptism of our saviour , have been disputed with a great deal of vehemency betwixt calvin and the church of rome , whether it were the same with our saviours or no ? and i am in this conclusion against calvin , and do think that he causlesly rejects the fathers with a sleight in his institutes , when certainly in it self the question is of no great use to any design of faith or piety ; i will not trouble the controversie now , but shall be ready to give an account of it to any man that shall require it ; but hint out to the reader that one place acts . . where st. paul finding disciples at ephesus , asked them , whether they had received the holy ghost ? they answered , that they had not so much as heard that there was an holy ghost : and he replying , to what were ye then baptized ? they answered ; unto johns baptism : then in the th . verse , st. paul tells them , that john indeed baptized with the baptism of repentance , saying unto the people , that they should believe on him who should come after him , that is , on jesus christ. when they heard this , they were baptized in the name of the lord jesus : observe , that it could not be the same which was instituted by our saviour , because they had not heard of the holy ghost , which is an expresse phrase appointed by our saviour ; and then , that they were baptized by st. paul , which was a sign the first was not perfect ; this particular is miserably shifted off by beza , and that shift wonderfully extolled by chamier , when the text is evident that they were rebaptized . sect . vii . whether the. baptism of the disciples before christs death , was the same with johns ? there is a second controversie , whether the baptism of the disciples before christs death , differed from johns ? sure it seems to differ ; because johns disciples came to him in the d. of john , v. . and told him how christ baptized , and seemed enviously to clamour , that he and his baptism was followed more than st. johns ; which , if it had been the same , they would never have done : because by that their own church was encreased ; but wherein this difference was placed , we can hardly discern , by the gospel ; for , as i have shewed , their doctrine was the same , that the kingdom of god was at hand , and they could not go further but as prophets , for yet it was not come , but comming . now there could be no baptism into any other faith , than that was taught : thus briefly of that second question . sect . viii . whether our sacramental baptism be the same with that before christs death ? now the third , may be betwixt that sacramental baptism , which we have , and that which they administred before our saviours death , whether they are the same ? for my part i am against it , and not i alone , but many more , both ancient and later writers . first , because that preaching the word , was only out of office to be done to the jews , and they retained circumcision still , the legality of the ceremonial law being not yet abolished , untill our saviour put a period to it with his consummatum est : it is finished , at his death ; for although there might be an use of both together , yet both could not be used sacramentally ; and although baptism might have an institution , and have laws made and directions for it before , as must needs almost be in the making of any laws , yet these laws had not their legal force till the execution was ordained , which could not be untill the abolishing of the old , which was not ( as i say ) untill our saviours death ; so heb. . . for where a testament is , there must be the death of the testator ; for a testament is of force after men are dead , otherwise it is of no force , while men are living . now although christ might make these covenants , and this will and testament , in his life , yet it is of no force , untill after his death . again , the signification and mystery of baptism , which it imparts to every baptized man , is not , nor could be before his death ; for as st. paul speak● , rom. . . know you not , that as many of us as were baptized into jesus christ , were baptized into his death : ( baptized into i●sus christ ) that is , by baptism incorporated into his mystical body , or as he speaks , planted , verse . ( were baptized into his death ) by the same phrase incorporated into his death , dead with him , and this enforceth the th . verse ; therefore we are buried with him by baptism into death : if we be incorporated into him by baptism , if incorporate into his death by baptism , then we must be buried with him , and then we must be raised with him : now this mystery could not effected untill our saviours death and resurrection ; for , although i doubt not that the death of christ was powerfull to the saving of believers , which believed in his death to : come , before it came ; yet it was a diverse way of faith which looked upon christ to come , and christ already come . and again , as the faith was diverse , so the means to get this faith and the covenants , by which christ was impar●ed , were diverse . now this baptism looks upon christ dead ; it could not therefore in this notion be applyed to them before his death , and after his death too , and to confirm this , we may observe , that the very apostles themselves were slow in the belief of this fundamental truth , the death and resurrection of christ , untill after it was done , as you may observe luke . . where our savour chides their slownesse of belief in these articles : now if they had not a strong ●aith in these articles themselves , it is not reasonable to believe that they preached them to others , and then not baptized others into it . these reasons are not observed by bellarmine , or gamacheus , or estius , or any others i meet with who handle this ; gamacheus , in general , affirmeth something to this last argument , that christs death was powerfull to the salvation of souls even before it was , which i grant ( but not by that means which takes his death , for a pattern or a stock , in which it must be grafted ; for the graft supposeth the stock and the thing drawn the pattern ) to such means as are types or figures of christ to come , not impressions or signs of christ already come . again , he answers , that it were enough without his death , if he institute such a power ; but it must be proved then , that he did institute such a power : for it is most certain , that whatsoever covenant god makes , that he will perform ; and since god hath pleased to make such expressions of this baptism as have their foundation upon his death , it is not probable , nor can we be easily induced to think that he should do it without his death . another answer he hath , which bears some shew of prosecution of the first argument : that although baptism was not compleat omni ex parte , in all circumstances , in respect of its remote effect , which is to open the gate of heaven , untill the resurrection of christ , yet it was essentially perfect to the production of original grace , which is its nearest and formal effect . i reply : neither could it do this ; for since circumcision was yet on foot , which had that effect proper to it , these two had not both the same operation at the same time ; and again , since the introduction of original or any grace must be by the death and merit of christ , men must receive this blessing by that , and that communicated by baptism ; for although these mercies were given by other covenants before his death , which related to his death to come , yet not by those which referred to his death passed , as this complanting by baptism did , gamach . in . qu●st . . cap. . sect . ix . another objection answered . but what i find not objected by them troubled me more than their arguments , untill i studyed the reason of it , which was , what meant all our saviours covenants and promises concerning baptism before his death , which are understood by all consent to be applicable to our baptism which we use , if then this sacrament was not ordained to be exhibited ? and to this we shall find this answer ( i think ) most reasonable : that our saviour did settle laws , and rules and covenants for baptism in his life , which had not their life and operation till his death , when he setled the frame and manner of it . so you may find the doctrine , and law and covenant concerning eating his body and blood delivered in the th . of st. johns gospel , ver . , , &c. which yet had not its truth and force untill the institution of the communion , and commission to celebrate : so likewise for the power of the keyes , matth. . . tell the church , which could not be in force till churches were setled , and so must needs these places be understood . i will examine one , john . . except a man be born of water and the spirit , he cannot enter into the kingdom of god : this cannot be understood at that instant according to that generality , a man ; any man in general , which must be taken inde●initely , as the context doth mightily evince , because in the d. verse preceding it is said , except a man be born again , which hath an indefinite truth : so likewise in the following th . verse , that which is born of flesh is flesh , that which is born of the spirit is spirit ; this involves all that are in the world. flesh and blood cannot inherit the kingdom of god ; therefore that which is not born again , and so not of water and the spirit : now this cannot have this extent at this time ; for , as i said before , circumcision was not yet abolished : for it was impossible that this law could at this time be divulged and communicated to men , and therefore it was impossible , that a law made in a corner without publication of it could exact an obedience , and therefore it could not be but like other laws , it was then made , christ taught nicodemus the doctrine which afterwards should have its force and vigor , when the time came , that it should be divulged and taught . well then , out of this that hath been said , it may appear , that although there might be an institution of this sacramental baptism , wh●ch we now use by the mercy of god for our admittance into the church , for our incorporation into his body , although this might be instituted , and many laws concerning it made in his life , yet those lawes were not of force till after his death , and the promulgation of them then . we will in the next place consider the communion , and examine what minister was appointed for that in the gospel , for we find none for baptism yet in christs life . chap. iv. what minister was appointed for the communion . this communion was instituted by our saviour a little before his death , in those famous places of three of the evangelists , ( for only three mention it ) mat. . . mark . . luke . . to speak of which , is only pertinent to the thing in hand . the two first evangelists affirm , that only his disciples were with him ; see mat. . . the disciples came and said to him ; so mark the . . the disciples went forth , but st. luke comes more close , and in the th . verse of the . chapt. saith , and when the hour was come , ( that was to eat the passeover ) he sat down with the twelve apostles : so then , here we have them who were with him , not intimated only by their general name of disciples , which they had in common with the seventy , but the name of their particular office , which was appropriate only to them : st. luke doth particularize in the case of these men sent into the town , st. matthew vers . . where before , leaves it at large ▪ that he sent disciples , but how many , or who , is not discovered by him , st. mark chap. . v. . punctually sets down the number , he sent two of his disciples ; but st. luke , . . tells who they were , james and john. i put down this , to shew the punctuality of that evangelist in his description , who writing after the other , seems more particuarly to set down some things than the other did ; especially in this story . well , we see who they were that were with our saviour at the celebration of his last passeover , and the last indeed that ever was , or could be exacted of the jews : that at the celebration of it , and so likewise at the institution of the lords supper , his twelve apostles were those that were with him ▪ now they being at supper , in the places before alledged , you may observe , that he took bread , &c. but in the th . of the . of st. luke , at the later end of the verse , he said , this do in remembranc● of me ; this do , hoc facit● , do this thing , this thing ye see me do : it cannot relate to their own actions , which were only eating and drinking , which could in no resemblance communicate the death of christ ▪ but consecrate the bread and wine with a benediction with this expression , this is my body , this is my blood , and so in my place distribute this in commemoration of me ; for although in st. luke this very phrase , do this , is only applyed to the bread , yet st. paul , according to what he had received from the lord , cor. . . saith , that he used the same to the cup likewise , this do ye as oft as ye drink it , in remembrance of me ; and indeed , st. luke doth most punctually imply the same , although not expresly enforce it , in verse . likewise also the cup after supper , saying . this likewise referring , as st. paul expresseth , to the conclusion of the . verse , do this likewise in remembrance of me ; he said the same likewise ter the same manner concerning the cup. well , you see both of these how they are to be celebrated according to christs institution ; now there is a question raised , which i do not find from christs time downward , untile now , who is the minister of this sacrament ? sect . ii. who the proper minister of this sacrament ? there are many disputes , i grant , but moved newly there is ( as i hear , though i read it not ) a question , whether there be any proper minister , or no , of the communion ? consider therefore with me this text : there were none with our saviour but the twelve apostles , it is said to these , do this ; from that time downward , it hath been held , that none but apostolical men , successors of them , should do it : it is a thing of the greatest and highest concernment to a mans soul that ever was , heaven or hell is at stake upon it , if we misse . consider , it is a kind of lifting up a creature beyond its nature , bread and wine to the body and blood of christ , it is no matter which way , one way or other ; it is a command given to a selected number of men : these are described by that office , not by a general notion , to be the men are spoken to ; who then can conceive but so great a power , with so great a blessing , should be committed to such men ? well then , i think it clear , here was a covenant instituted , what it was , is in other places and laws of our saviour described ; and belongs not to my businesse ; this only appertains to my businesse , that the apostles were instituted , and they only the ministers of it ; only this little i will adde , lest some mens observation may stagger at it . sect . iii. the communion was instituted before our saviours death . that though our baptism may , perchance , appear to take its force from some command of christs , after his death , yet this of the lords supper was now instituted before , and yet doth relate to his death ; first , because circumcision was not determined , but the passeover was , which prefigured the lords supper ; and this which he now celebrated , and had finished , was the last which by gods command should be celebrated among the jewes ; secondly , because the death of our saviour was at hand , so near , that there could be no communion interposed betwixt this and that ; and therefore it was , as it were , given in the very nick of time ; and , as while the passeover was on foot , no communion could be expected : so ; as soon as that is expired , no i●terim betwixt this and that . this must appear in its institution : i have done with this : i only consider , that as in humane affairs , he that should take upon him the kings person , to act as he , without he make him chancellor , or judge , enters into an high presumption ; so , and much greater must his pride be , that dares to act christ in the sacrament , to call for a sacramental virtue to the elements without his authority , which seems to be granted only to this sort of men , and to none other , thus i think you see the full commission of the apostles , until now restrained to the jews , and they were instituted as yet preachers of the kingdom of god to come ; at this institution of the communion the celebraters of that ; that they and the other disciples did baptize , before is evident ; that they did not do it without a commission , in honour to them and their piety , i am resolved it could not be ; but what that baptism was , or when , or how farr they had a commission i find not , and therefore dare determine nothing . chap. iv. gods method for mans salvation . when our saviour was dead , and had suffered for the sins of mankind , he then brake down the partition wall that was betwixt the jew and gentile ; he then , as he suffered for the sins of the whole world : so he took care how all the world should be partakers of these sufferings of his ; he could by divine power have stamped their souls with infused graces , and by compulsion have forced men to that ●aith which should be saving ; but then heaven and hell had not been praemium & poena ; he took therefore such a course as might most ordinately bring men to his service , without compulsion ; and since he was to leave the world himself , he took order with his servants to act as if he were present , and negotiate the great work of salvation of souls by a delegate power from him . therefore in the th . of st. mark v. . you may observe , that he appeared to the eleven , that is , to the eleven apostles , for one of them , judas ; had apostatized , and had hanged himself ; and in the th verse , he gave them commission , go ye into all the world , and preach the gospel to every creàture , that is , to every creature that is capable of it , &c. there was their commission . the same story is thought by many to be a little more fully described by st. john , chap. . . after he had appeared to them as before , he said , peace be unto you , as my father sent me , so send i you , and then he breathed on them the holy ghost . mark this phrase , as my father sent me ; it is a particular phrase not used elsewhere , and therefore intimates some extraordinary matter . god had sent many men before , but never any besides christ with the fulnesse of authority , as it is described mat. . . all power is given me in heaven and earth . all power was never given to any before : i send you therefore with all power , as my father sent me ; so the power then of giving powers to others , which was never given before but to my self ; and therefore in that place of st. matthew before cited , in the last verse too , i am with you to the end of the world , with you teaching , baptizing , giving orders to others , for that is mightily enforced out of the word sicut , as my father sent me ; and , indeed , else he could not be with them in their persons to the end of the world , but in their succession , by which means he might well be said to be with them to the worlds end . having now touched upon these places , i will collect this , here was in the of matthew , vers . . baptism instituted , matter , and form ; in the name of the father , of the son , and of the holy ghost , which we read not prescribed before : we see the officers appointed , these eleven in their personal bodies , or succession ; wee see their diocesse enlarged , preach to all nations , and as preaching , so baptizing as large , they go together ; we see the subjects of their sermons enlarged , before christs death . when they had to do with the jews only , it was , the kingdom of god is at hand : now it is , to observe all things that i have commanded you ; so that then we see , first , before our saviours death two sorts of officers , apostles , disples , their office at the first , limited to preaching , and that to the israelites ; that they did baptize we are assured , but not in what form , nor by what commission , untill after our saviours death ; then we have seen the holy communion instituted just before his death in matter and form , and commissioners appointed to celebrate it , to wit , the apostles ; we see after his death a full and absolute commission granted to these persons , to whom the communion was committed , to do all things , baptise , preach , celebrate , forgive sins , to choose and send forth others ; and for ought i can collect in this story , the whole ministerial power invested in them ; but because something may be objected against this which hath been delivered , which i take to be the foundation of what shall follow , i will clear those objections which seem most troublesom to me , and so proceed to shew how the apostles managed this stewardship committed to them . sect . ii. whether the power of preaching was given only to the apostles ? first , it may be questioned , whether the power of preaching was given to the apostles , and them only ? to understand this , we must look back and remember , that the seventy likewise were sent , but that was to the israelites only , their commission extended no farther , before our saviours death ; and after his death we find no commission given , but to the apostles , and what authority they , or any else could have to preach the gospel , it must be from them ; let no man trouble this or any other part of my discourse with that frivolous objection which is often intruded into these controversies ; we read not that these , or these men , that these presbyters received new commissions from the apostles , and yet find them preaching ; for answer , once for many other times in which it may be needfull ; it was impossible that the acts or epistles could keep a register of all that were ordained by the apostles , or bishops in their age ; it is enough for us to know , that all power for these things was given to the apostles , and we may reasonably think , that of these . which were chosen by our saviour , such as proved worthy , should be commissioned by the apostles , and such as were unworthy , ( as some were ) should be suspended ab officio : but for these particular registers , and how and when each man was , is not apparent , nor to be expected . well then , now it seems the apostles had all the power of preaching , none others being sent in this embassy to the world but themselves . but could none else preach ? not gifted men ? consider these men , never any so extraordinarily gifted as these were , yet see ( as i observed ) they preached not , without an outward calling , by christ , nor then untill he sent them . again , it is observable , that by his outward word , he directed their doctrine to the jews , that they should preach the kingdom of god was at hand ; and to the gentiles , mat. . . teaching them to observe all things whatsoever i have commanded you ; so then , christ had given them command before what they should preach . i do not find , no not in these , yet any inspired sermon , but upon direction ; and although these men had ( no doubt ) the most immediate call that ever any had , and the most extraordinary gifts , in the most extraordinary way , yet for to enable them for their preaching , they had conversation with christ , which doth the most resemble the most industrious life of studious scholars , which in books converse with god , as possibly a thing can do : so that in that time , in the time of our saviours life , and untill his ascention , we can find no place for inward calling , without an outward , nor an outward execution , without means to enable them for this great ministry of preaching , but throughout a most methodical course . sect . iii. whether these , and these only were commissioned for baptism ? the next thing to be looked upon , is , whether these and these onely had the power of baptizing ? no doubt we may say of this , that they had the duty only , none other obliged to either , but they ; and when i have named the duty , i think i may justly adde the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 , the right and authority will go along , for it seems to be a branch , and a main one , of that great commission , mat. . and , without doubt , a great piece of the power of the keyes , john . now then , they and they only , that we read of , had from christ this commission ; those questions come not to be handled , whether bishops , priests , or deacons have this power ? there was yet no such distinction of them , as i find , but whether the apostles only or no , i do not find any other ; the seventy had a commission to baptize among the hebrews , as well as they , their commission of preaching and baptizing , equal , but what that was i know not ; but here all the power is granted to the apostles . in whom and whom alone , i can discern all the ministerial power belonging to mens souls ; so that they , or men sent by them , have this power or none ; i know there is a great dispute , whether laymen can baptize ? and the church of rome is mightily offended with calvin , for saying they cannot ; but i do not find the least argument out of scripture to confute him , and certainly this place of mat. . seems exceeding strong for his cause , and they themselves grant , that the ordinary minister of baptism is sacerdos , by which word they understand bishop and priest , that in their absence a deacon may , and so go on to the little orders , but in extremity a layman : for my part , i grant for certain , that the apostles were the only men ordained for it . i conclude , that baptism is necessary , and that it is a great mercy of god to the children of believing parents , that they are capable of it ; that baptism is necessary , is evident out of the dialogue betwixt our saviour and nicodemus , john . . except a man be born agai● he cannot enter into the kingdom of god , vers . . except a man be born of water and the spirit , he cannot , &c. vers . . a reason is given , that which is born of the flesh is flesh , as if he should s●y , nothing can work ultra sphaeram ; flesh there ore cannot inherit more than flesh , nor be in a better than ●●eshly estate , and that is not the state of heaven ; therefore there must be some way by which that which is flesh and blood may become spiritual , which alone is by baptism . that which calvin most ●●g●niously urgeth , that children which dye uncircum●ised are not to be judged damned , may thus be answered , that their bond of circumcision was dated the eighth d●y , and therefore nor due before the date ; but ours of baptism , being without da●e , is due presently ; so that then ours is like the state of those who were not circumcised the eighth day , when circumcision was due , not of those before the eighth day , when it was not due : now upon this reason , the care of the church layd a mighty charge upon all preachers , to be diligent , to preach all dangers which might surprise children before they come to do their duty . now although i place such a necessity as that we see no ordinate means , without it , of assurance of heaven , yet i will not despair of gods mercy to such , who adde not evil of their own acting which should hinder the effect of christs death , and the daily prayers of the church for all men : and therefore , with calvin , i think it a rash adventure of any man to open the gate of heaven , who hath not the key committed to him , which was not given to him ; yet i question , if he hath turned the key in the lock , whether it do not open the door , although he hath not the legal power , which calvin cannot deny , but that it hath been an universal opinion of the church ; and for all ● see , in his th section of his th . book of his institutes , he doth not deny but it is valid ; and i believe he would not allow to re●b●ptize such a child which he knew had true b●ptism according to matter and form ; but i am confident , no man ever had ●his power given him from god , but the apostles , and therefore it must needs be a mighty presumption in that man , who without authority ●ven him , should dare ●o put gods seal to any article or covenant , by which he might be obliged to any duty . sect . iv. whether administring the communion was appropriated to the apostles , in our saviours life ? the next thing to be examined would be , whether in his life-time our saviour did appropriate the administration of the communion to the apostles only ? and because we see that commission only given to them , nor ever semblance of any thing to the contrary , because it is a work of so great height in its self ; because , as the other , so this sacrament conveys with it a covenant on gods part ; and because from christs time downward the right of consecrating was never pretended to by any man untill now , i cannot but think it a monstrous pride , in such men , who having no authority from the apostles should dare to undertake it ; and although i have heard of such an opinion , yet i never heard or read any reason for it . sect . v. whether the power of the keyes was given to them only ? and then next i will examine , whether the power of the keyes was given to them , and them only ? by which power , i understand the power of binding and loosing , the power of government and ruling in the church , and church affairs . here are two pretenders ; the on● , that it was given to st. peter only ; the other , that it was given to the whole church . i will examine both . first , for st. peter ; this controversie betwixt the church of rome and us , hath been so vastly handled in such large volumes , as it would be a little impudence to offer at it in these few sheets , and to stop my intended course with tedious disputes , which have so often been repeated and canvased by others ; only i will point my singer at that which i think may occasion a reader in studying this controversie to fix himself upon what is pertinent , and to take notice of such things as may easily induce him to the truth ; for though i am perswaded i could adde something , at least ●llustrations to some arguments which are discussed in this controversie , yet that would drive me from satisfying your doubt , and make my few lines swell to a volume . i only say thus much , that in all those places , mat. , . john . , , . which are the main pillars upon which st. peters prerogative is setled , no man living can shew me other power , which a man can conceive reasonably to be conferred on him , than on the whole body of the apostles ; in those two places , mat. . &c. and . john . if we should understand him a rock in the . of st. matthew , which yet without partiality a man cannot do ; but rather think that st. peters confession was that rock , upon which the church was built , or that our saviour , who by his confession was acknowledged the son of god , was that rock , hath with some a great consent of antiquity ; yet should we grant him there to be termed a rock , yet it must be no otherwise than derivativè , secondarily , christ is the chief corner stone , the spiritual rock , cor. . . and then there was no more s●id to him , that st. paul expounds of them all , ephes. . . and are built upon the foundation of the apostles and prophets , jesus christ himself being the chief corner stone to them all ; the apostles were secondary foundations and rocks as well as he , were that place to be understood to call him a rock : nor can there be any stronger foundation affirmed of him , either in person , or succession , than of the rest , mat. . i will be with you to the end of the world ; that is , assisting them in executing their duty . for the second place , mat. . . i will give thee the keyes of heaven , it is but a promise , and he performed it to him and the rest , john . . for the third , feed my sheep , it is a poor argument drawn from a meer simile of pastorizing ; but let it be what it can , there can be no more in it , but preach , baptize , give the communion , give orders , govern the church ; all which are involved in those two places insisted upon before ; and therefore i desist from further discourse of them ; and supposing that the apostles had equal authority to minister divine mysteries to the whole world with st. peter , we will now come and enquire , whether any other men had any such commission given them by christ , or not ? sect . vi. how it is to be understood , that the power of the keyes is given to the church . the chief place , if not the only , which i have observed in the gospel , pretended to be wrested to any such intent , is mat. . . if he shall neglect to hear them , tell it to the church ▪ thence it is by some enforced , that the church is made the judge in ecclesiasti●al discipline ; and by the church they will understand others besides the apostles . to apprehend which , conceive with me : first , that this was one of those things which our saviour delivered for a rule , to govern the church and christian men by ; not at that present , but afterwards , when church discipline was setled , for as yet there was no such thing as any discipline setled , but like a commonwealth in the ●raming by degrees , laws projected , ye● contrived and enacted , which might take their rise and force afterwards , when established . it is a poor conceit ( methinks ) of beza on this place , who would have it understood of the jewish synagogue , since he himself confesseth that the word church is no where else used for the synagogue , nor indeed can it be , and why it should be forced to that meaning here i see no reason ; and therefore the true understanding of it must be taken , from those setled laws which our saviour made after his death , of which i have discoursed : now that this law could not extend to any other men , but these apostles , who had all the powers given them , as i have explained , will appear first ; first , because it seems to be a juridical way of proceedings ; and it is impossible that the multitude should have juridical discretion to make a man as an heathen or a publican , being many of them illiterate men , and we should con●ine the limits of christian men and religion in much too narrow bounds , to say it belong only to the learned , or men enabled for such or so high a work . but there must be officers in a church to hear and judge of such a cause , which officers we understood by the church , and although this censure ought to be done in publick in the face of the church , or the court , where such matters are discussed , yet it is not necessary , nor can have a face of reason with it , that every one of the church should be there present , or they who are present should have the nature of judges , only such men as are officers enabled to act in this power ; then if officers , these men who h●d the power given them in the th . of st. john , are these which are here in the th verse said to bind and loose ; so that then , i can see nothing that can hinder us from agreeing , that after our saviours death all ecclesiastical power was seated in the apostles ; how they understand it , we shall consider , in the future discourse , by their actions set down to us , which must be our next undertaking . sect . vii . the apostles authority , and management of it . now we see the eleven inthroned in the chair of ecclesiastical power ; they and they only having interest in it , but yet they had only power , the right and authority ; they received 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 , the vertue and qualities , enabling them to execute this power according to the extent throughout the world afterwards , when the power of tongues was given them , acts . . and you may find this word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 used for this virtue , acts the . v. . where it is promised ; so that they had all power and authority before , but this faculty of tongues they had not untill then , and this will be of little use in our discourse , being a gift of no constant succession in the church , but only those authorities of administring the sacraments , of preaching , of giving orders , of governing ; these will always be necessary in the church , and therefore must be insisted upon . for this therefore ; the first thing we find them acting in this kind , was to settle their own society , and compleat the number of twelve , and this you may find recorded in the . of the acts , v. . where we may observe first , that they referred the election of this apostle to god by ●asting lotts , they chose two , barsabas and mathias , and referred it to divine election ; the reasons of which , guessed at by divines , rather than demonstrated , i omit ; but now there are twelve apostles , bishops ; for if judas was a bishop , by being an apostle , ( as he is termed , vers . . ) the rest likewise were , or twelve deacons or ministers , for that phrase is affirmed of judas in regard of his apostleship , vers . . sect . viii . what additions were made to the apostles . but yet we must not leave them , but examine , whether there were any addition made to these apostles , and what that was ? to understand this : we may find st. paul in abundance of places called an apostle ; instead of many , take this one instance , galat. ▪ . paul an apostle not of men , neither by man ; but by jesus christ ; an apostle , not of men , not by man , that is , who received my apostleship not from the authority given to men as before , when christ sent his apostles , as his father sent him with power to give these powers , john . as my father sent me , so send i you ; not then , of men ; that is , from this authority given to them ; nor by man , that is , by any ministerial act of mans . he received his baptism by the ministery of man , as you may find acts . . but his apostleship he received of god , and by god , as the other apostles did , by the immediate ordination of christ ; and in this i should place the difference betwixt these apostles and others , that they are made such by an immediate ordination of christ ; for it is not enough that ( some sa● ) to be an apostle , was to be such a minister as conversed with christ in his humanity , or saw him in the flesh , for this did all the seventy , which yet were not called apostles ; nor is it sufficient , which others say , they were such whose office extended to the whole world ; for so we shall find in the acts almost none confined to any place , but that others as well as st. paul had a care of all churches ; but upon this a man may justly enquire , why st. paul should in such distinct terms ( not of men , nor by man ) describe himself , since it seems every apostle was such . to clear this , and give further illustration to this truth , observe , that others besides these were called apostles , so you may find first barnabas , as well as st. paul , acts . . which when the apostles barnabas and paul heard , &c. apostles , in the plural number ; some have thought that this barnabas was the same with barsabas , who acts . . w●s competitor with mathias , for the apostleship ; but ( methinks ) missing the place then , it were strange he should be called an apostle afterwards ; and indeed their names differ , their original names and their additional names , for acts his name was joseph called barsabas sirnamed justus ; but in acts . . instead of joseph is joses , and instead of barsabas is barnabas ; but besides him , we read rom. . . of and●onicus and junia , of whom st. paul saith , that they were his kinsmen , his fellow prisoner , and of note among the ap●stles : which words , although they have received a double sense , either that they were eminent persons among the apostles , or else esteemed and noted by them to be such persons of esteem ; yet there are many both ancient and modern writers , both such as are for and against bishops , that agree they were apostles , as the words very naturally bear it ; and to take away the scruple , both the centuries and baronius agree upon it , which if there were scruple they would not have done : then turn to phil. . . there you shall find st. paul calling epaphroditus my brother , and companion in labour , and fellow souldier , but your messenger . here i cannot but wonder at our translators , who render it messenger , such a mean phrase intimating any common or trivial man , who is sent on an errand : beza did much better , who called him legatum , an embassador , a nobler phrase ; but indeed the word is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 , your apostle ; and so those epithetes before express him , my brother , &c. this may likewise be shewed ●ut of the cor. . . god hath set forth us the apostles last , the translation here likewise is not good ; for it is not , he hath set forth us last , but us last apostles , us that were the last apostles , who are they ? in particular , vers . . he names apollo , these things i have in a figure transcribed to my self and to apollo , that ye might learn of us , not to think of men above that which is written . now then , although he may mean others beside himself and apollo , yet it is sit to conceive that he should be in the number of those are called apostles , because he is one of those from whom they must learn , not to think of men above what is written ; and among other arguments , this is a main one , that we the last apostles , apollo and my self , and perhaps more , are unhappy wretched people marked out for misers , to be made a spectacle of contemptible people , to the world , to angels , and men . i could here likewise treat of gal. . , where james the brother of the lord is called an apostle , who by many is thought , and from good reason , to be none of the two james's which were of the twelve , but a third who was made bishop of jerusalem ; but i desist : it is evident out of scripture , that the holy writ mentioneth more apostles besides the twelve and st. paul ; and if besides the scripture , any mans language may be heard , consider that of ignatius , who was contemporary ( as he speaks ) with the apostles , paul , john and timothy , in his epistle to the ephesians , who there speaks in the language of the times , and by that language calls timothy an apostle . sect . ix . a reason of this . now then , to draw this discourse to some period , there were other apostles besides the first twelve , and st. paul the thirteenth but why so ? because , as theodoret speaks , upon phil. . . in the case of epaphroditus before handled , that he was called their apostle , to whom the care of them was committed . and again , upon the tim. . . heretofore they called presbyters bishops , and those which we call bishops , they called apostles ; but , saith he , in processe of time they left the name of apostles to them who were truly apostles , and they gave the name of bishops to those which were formerly called apostles : so likewise st. hierome , on gal. . . procedente tempore & alii ab his quos dominus elegerat ordinati sunt apostoli ; in progresse of time other apostles were ordained by those which the lord had chose● ; and this is the reason why st. paul , where before gal. . . saith , he was an apostle not of men , nor by man , but by jesus christ ; to distinguish him from those others , who were apostles by constitution of apostles , not immediately by god : and to the same purpose may that be understood of st. paul , cor. . . i suppose i was not a whit behind , or lesse , or inferiour to the chiefest apostles . amongst the apostles the twelve , there were not some chief , and some inferiour ; but the twelve were the chief , and the rest inferiour . now he having his calling and enabling from christ immediately , was not inferiour to them . and though i read , i know not where , the authority of theodoret slighted , yet i do not remember what satisfaction is given to his reason : nor can well conceive how these scriptures can in any other sense be reasonably expounded . chap. v. the extent of the apostolical power . and now ( me-thinks ) i see the apostles in the church , as divines say , adam ( if he had lived innocent ) and his posterity would have been in the world , they had been emperors of the whole world , and all the world would have been every mans ; yet being in their integrity , would have so enjoy'd all , that it should have been to the good of all , and hurt of none : so these holy men were bishops , apostles of all the world , all the churches throughout the world , had absolute , not order only , as the school speaks , to give holy sacraments to any any where , but jurisdiction to govern and rule all . that which eusebius saith , hath some truth , that they divided themselves into several parts of the world , but not appropriating to themselves any piece , nor excluding any other from that share or portion which they superintended , but rebounding back often where they had been before ; and diverting as occasions offered themselves into other precincts : this they did , and might do , by that vast authority was given them ; go preach to all nations : and by that power equalling their authority which was conferred at the pentecost ; but it was not with other men , that universal authority would not besit the meaner powers of those who were to succeed and to follow them ; and therefore we will , in the next place , consider in what proportions they communicated these authorities to others . sect . ii. how the apostolical power was communicated . the virtue of which communication we enjoy at this day , some for place , some for authority , some in part , some in the lump . for the first , we shall for place consider , that their successors were confined in place , titus in creet , timothy in ephesus , epaphroditus in philippi ; not that they were confined or pegg'd here immovably , ( so is no bishop in his diocesse , no not quoad officium , as if his holy duties which he performed out of his diocesse were invalid , or of no force ; for without doubt , if a bishop baptize , preach , celebrate the communion , give holy orders , secundùm materiam & formam , canonically , according to matter and form , out of his diocesse , they are firm and good to the receivers , although perhaps without leave , or extreme necessity , they are not commendable ; nay , without doubt , if either bishop or presbyter remove to other diocesse or parish he takes not a new ordination , but an acceptation or just election to that place sufficeth . ) now his confining to that place , is to restrain the ministring of his office out of duty there ; so that he is out of duty to have a care of that place , and to look to that flock which is committed to his charge , which is part , not the whole as it was committed to the apostles ; and no doubt ( that which dr. field hath learnedly discoursed upon this subject ) in ancient times bishops were the pastors of their diocesse solely , presbyters their assistants and associates , as the apostles with that almost immense power were made bishops of the world , yet being men with confined bodyes , were forced to use deputyes , and the help of other men in their charge even whilst they lived ; and certainly the church was better governed by that subordination , than if every one who hath not apostolical integrity should assume apostolical authority ; so it was by these , they had great diocesses committed by the apostles , and ( as i shall shew anon ) they had many inferiors assisting them ; but these were their places over which they were made overseers , and they had not authority of jurisdiction over others ; thus i could set down how almost all the world was divided in the apostolical age ; but i let this alone . sect . iii. how the apostolical power was divided to particulars ; and concerning the office of deacons . next we will consider , how the very office of the apostleship was divided : and the first thing that comes into our consideration ( to begin at the foot , and climb upward ) will be the office of deacon ; in handling which i find some matter of dispute : first , about the institution of him , when this function was first erected : there is a general claim to acts . the story may thus be observed ; in the infancy of the church , when it pleased god by the preaching of the word to encrease the church beyond the expectation of men , or lesse power than apostolical , there were many poor among the disciples ; but the piety of the christians was such , as you may read acts . . in ver . . of the th . chapter , there was no lack , for as many as were possessors of lands or houses , sold them , and brought the price and cast it at the apostles feet , and barnabas is presently particularly instanced in ; but in the th . chapter we read the fearfull story of ananias and sapphira ; who would seem righteous , to do as the fashion of godly men was ; but being hypocrites , were punished for their hypocrisies . now these sales bringing in great sums for the relief of the poor , the apostles , as it seems , were troubled with it , and the care to relieve the poor took them off from attendance upon that mighty work of planting the gospel ; this was the rather awakened , by a murmuring of the grecians against the hebr●ws ; that is , either such grecians as were made proselytes , or else such hebrews as lived , and perhaps were born amongst the greeks , ( for as yet the apostles had no communication with the gentiles , ) now these grecian jews murmured , because it seems the apostles ( as i can guess ) had left the administration of this charity to some who had dealt partially ; for i am confident they themselves would not ; wherefore they convented the disciples together , and bid them with all care ( who must needs know the integrity of mens conversations better than the apostles , who could not search hearts ) select some men fit for such a purpose , and appointed the number of seven ; the disciples did accordingly , and they chose stephen , and philip , &c. as you may read in the . vers . of the . chap. and set them before the apostles ; when the apostles had prayed , they laid their hands upon them , no doubt , rectifying their choice , and authorizing them to the work : thus we see these men receiving title to execute this office. sect . iv. reasons why the office of a deacon was not instituted , acts . but for my part ( salvo semper meliori judicio ) i cannot conceive how this should prove that ministerial office of a deacon , which was afterwards used in the church , from this place , for these reasons ; first , because this was an occasional office , necessary for that time , in which there being many poor , which lived under the correction , and rod , and persecution of the politick magistrate , no legal course could be taken for the relief of them , but such as came by charity out of the bowels of their own fraternity , to wit from christians , who might be perswaded , not compelled to that duty ; and by reason of this , there was a necessity to have some officers chosen overseers of the poor , which by a religious tie , where could be no legal , should be bound to the execution of this duty , for which they instituted this office ; but why these should be called deacons , that ministerial office used in the church , i see neither authority nor ground in the scripture for it . that they should not be annual officers , as our overseers of the poor , i can see no reason ; or why in a setled commonwealth , where the politick lawes provide for the poor , and law makes such charity a duty to the commonwealth , there is no ground . it is true , in the times of persecution these things are necessary , as there is often mention both in st. pauls epistles and the ecclesiastical story ; and julian the apostate himself , in an epistle to arsalius , the heathen pontifex , or chief priest of galatia , the wicked galileans , saith he , ( under which name he vented his malice against the christians ) relieve not their own poor only , but ours , with a counterfeit holinesse ; there he acknowledgeth the christians abundant charity in those dayes , when he made all christians poor ; and because he would not be out-acted in a work of so much piety , he gave that priest the collection of vast sums towards the relief of necessitous people . this was necessary in time of persecution ; but what further use is there of it in particular churches , than those collectors for the poor which we have , and charity and sweetnesse preached to men , whereby they may be spurred on to enlarge their hearts , beyond the exactions of statute-duties , to the overflowing of charity . now then , because it was an occasional office necessary then and there , at such times in such places ; we cannot conceive why it should enforce such an office perpetual in the church , and universally in all places or churches . sect . v. another argument to prove the former conclusion . secondly , consider the businesse they were designed to , we shall not find that ascending to these ministerial duties , it being only to relieve the body , not the soul , to take care of the tables , to look that the grecian widows , and poor be not despised , in consideration of the native jews ; i know it is objected by catherive , that these tables there spoken of , was the lords table , and the ministration they were imployed about , was the communion ; but these phrases of daily ministration , and the murmure of the grecians , do inforce the other : for if they had a daily communion , it is not to be imagined the apostles would be standers by at so heavenly a duty ; and if they were actors , it cannot be thought that any should be neglected in it : i therefore , with a mighty consent of writers , conclude , that it was an administration of temporal things ; but the administration of such maketh not to that ministry we speak of , which concerns things so spiritual as affect the soul immediately with some divine blessing , when these immediately only concern the body and temporal things , and therefore could not belong to our ministry . sect . vi. a third reason for the former conclusion . a third reason may be drawn from the persons which were elected into the office , which were ( as epiphanius reports in the end of his . chapter of his first book , contra haereses ) of the seventy two disciples , of which number there he reckons many more of equal rank , if not an higher esteem than these . now then if they were of those seventy two , it is not reason to think that they should be ordained into an inferiour order of clergy , and the lowest of all ; for all hold that they were presbyters at the least , either by their first ordination from our saviour , when he sent them to preach , and baptize the lost sheep of the house of israel ; or else by a confirmation from the apostles , after they were invested with the whole ecclesiastical power in themselves , by that grand charter , as my father sent me , &c. now then , this had been a disparagement to presbytery . but lest any man should doubt , whether these were presbyters or no ? let him consider that extraordinary work of st. stephen , who went up and down ( as you may read in the latter part of the th . chapter of the acts , doing miracles , and disputing and preaching ( i dare call it so , say mr. thomas hooker what he can ) with such a spirit as they could not resist . but mr. thomas hooker , in his survey of church discipline , part . chap. . pag. . denyes st. stephen to be a preacher , and that most sermon-like discourse ( i am sure ) of his acts . he calls an apology , not a sermon ; truly , i see little of apology in it , and i know some have drawn a little body of divinity out of it ; and i know that vers . . he draw● a most powerfull invective against their manners , which cost him his present life in this world. if mr. hooker will not allow this to be a sermon , he can find few in the whole new testament . sect . vii . some of these were preachers . but he shall not escape me so : though this propagation of the gospel will not be allowed to be a sermon , because i cannot find an express term , so p●rasing his discourse , i will shew him another of these deacons in the next chapter , acts . whose discourses to this purpose are called preaching , & that is of philip , acts . . then philip went down to the city of samaria , and preached christ to them : the very word used for preaching in english as well as the original is there placed ; hooker himself , where before alledged , although he omits this verse , yet cites the th verse of that th . chap. where philip is said to baptize the ●unuch ; therefore more than a deacon by his doctrine : but in vain that , as i shall shew hereafter . but now i will examine his answer . sect . viii . whether philip were an evangelist , and what an evangelist ? philip ( saith he ) was an evangelist , and so appointed by god , as afterwards appears , and by virtue of that , and not of his deaconship , he did baptize . indeed he is called an evangelist , acts . . and lest we might think them two philips , the text saith , he was one of the seven ; that is , one of those seven was chosen , acts . to take care of the poor , ( but by the way consider , that neither then or elsewhere in scripture are these seven called deacons . ) well , first consider , here was a great space of time betwixt the . and the . chapt. he might be an evangelist long after , and not one then ; degrees and dignities came by steps , not the highest at first ; but suppose he were , and suppose he was one before he was made treasurer or overseer of the poor , and suppose i conceive an evangelist did preach the gospel , might baptize ; then i conclude that such a man was at the least a presbyter , and that he was as it were degraded in being made such a deacon , by his consent a deacon hath nothing to do with spiritual things , but only the treasure of the church : and therefore it is strange , that both he and my lord say , and nathaniel fiennes , in their speeches at the beginning of this parliament , affirmed , that because the apostles would not have ecclesiastical men meddle with temporal things , they instituted a new office out of their rank for the performing even these duties of charity , which in nothing agrees with the text ; for it seems , at the first , the church layd all the burthen upon the apostles , when they put it off , then they chose ecclesiastical men again , and such as were next them either of the septuagint , or else evangelists ; certain we may be , famous churchmen , st. stephen , philip , and the rest , who have honourable mention in ecclesiastical story . sect . ix . an objection answered . but before i conclude this argument , i will frame one great objection , acts . . the apostles said , it is not reason we should leave the word of god , and serve tables ; was it not reason that they should , and why should others do it ? yes , much differen●● : one sermon of the apostles and prayer of theirs , is of greater power and force with god than twenty others ; they out of duty must travell through the whole world , they cannot attend the care of the poor in a particular city , the others , though being evangelists , may upon particular occasions be called off from their place , yet they shall return again and overview their charge , the people ; therefore , when they could not have their particular eyes over that blessed work , took those that were next them in that dubious time , to take care of the poor , and these men could not therefore be chosen to an inferiour constant office , such as they feign their deacons to be , because ●hey were men of higher employment and greater concernment in the church , but were chosen for that occasion ( how long i know not ) to attend that duty . sect . x. another argument for the former conclusion . a fourth reason may be drawn from the design which mr. hooker takes for this office , which is such as would make any nation tremble to think upon , an erection of the greatest tyranny which ever was exercised in any commonwealth ; you shall find it described in the , pages where before ; for first , he is treasurer ; this may be without exception . secondly , he must addresse himself to receive what is brought into the treasury , but mark , not what is , but what ought to be brought into the treasury , to be committed to his trust ; for this ( briefly i will set down his sense ) purpose he must inform himself , by advice and counsel from the body , what every mans free-will offerings should be ; this upshot results out of his discourses , that only free-will offerings should be accepted ; yet because the maintenance of church and poor must not be arbitrary , they must understand mens estates as well as they can , if they be negligent , admonish them , then if they stirr not , go to christs discipline , tell the church : and so upon contempt of that , to eccleliastical censure . to this purpose he cites two places , deut. . . and levit. . , . in both which places , if he had transcribed the words without further trouble there could have no more appeared , but that men should bring their free-will offerings , and then do this or this , but the sin lay upon him who was to bring it in , he was not to be compelled to it , nor do they , perhaps they will say ; but i will reply , ecclesiastical censure of putting out of the church , making a man an heathen , is the greatest compulsion in the world , and as they order it upon the consultation and advice of the deacon ( it will arise to be upon the imagination of the deacon ) and instead of his judgement , perhaps oftentimes , unlesse they be better than those the apostles used before this election , the partial affection of the deacon , which would betray souls to a most unhappy and arbitrary government for religion , for estates . sect . xi . the opposing arguments answered . upon these reasons i am perswaded , that the office of a deacon was not established in that of acts . to be as a rule for all churches , but only these 〈…〉 of and authorized in this great 〈…〉 that di●y in the church at that time ; and thus i have disproved those answers which mr. hooker seems to frame to my reasons , his arguments for confirmation of his cause i shall undertake in a more proper place presently ; yet least men may think i introduce a new opinion into the world , know , that this was the opinion of st. chrysostom , and oecumenius : estius in sent. dist . . sect. . observes as much ; and for oecumenius , throws him out with cujus authoritas non ita magni est momenti ; for st. chrysostom ( it is in his homily upon the acts , about the middle ) he saith , it is so obscure , that it may be suspected of corruption i answer , it is very clear , and no man will corrupt a father without a design , which cannot appear in this what it should be ; but rather than yield , he will charge the rest of his doctrine , because , saith he , he affirms , non fuisse episcopos tunc in ecclesia , when acts . it is said , let another take his bishoprick , to this i reply , that he saith not there were no bishops , but apostolos solos , only the apostles , and this is true , nor presbyter neither yet , as will appear hereafter . but now it may be enquired , was there no such office as that of a deacon proper to the church ? sect . xii . whether there be such an office as a deacon proper to the church ? yes , without question , in the of tim. . . st. panl describes at large the qualifications of such a man who must be chosen to that office. i shall need no proof of it , because all consent to this conclusion ; but if a man should enquire when and where he was ordained , i must answer , i know not ; nor do i find any register of it in the new testament , nor amongst any learned men any consent ; the greatest is upon that place in the . of the acts , which seems to me to be built upon weak grounds ; the church of rome in general makes all their seven orde● to be erected at the institution of the communion by our saviour ; but i leave that imagination as of no moment , since there is no word in scripture which seems to countenance it , and i will passe from this question to the other ; what his office was to do ? chap. vi. what is the office of a deacon . the office what it was , receives the greatest illustration from his name , which signifies a minister , a servant to the ecclesiastical officers , bishops or presbyters ; so that as when a man is known to be a minister or servant to another , he is by that made apparent to do such things as conduce to the assistance of him who is his superiour or prelate in his office , so do these in respect of their superiours , bishops and presbyters . i do not find one word in scripture setting down what their office was , we can therefore have no knowledge of it , but from the history of the church , from which we receive , that their office was to baptize , to assist at the communion with delivering the cup , and sometimes the body ; but not to consecrate : so likewise to assist in the divine service ; some other things we find various , according to the customs of churches , but all these are subordinate and ministerial offices ; likewise they had power to preach upon particular occasions ▪ and licenses given , to wit , by that order they had a qualification to receive a license ; these things i can particularly give an account to be the sense of the ancient church , if any man require it , but am loath also to lose time about it ; only i will now undertake mr. hooker . sect . ii. mr. hookers opinion concerning a deacon examined . he therefore , part . chap. . falsly printed , for chap. . page . in his third acception of his deacon , defines him thus . lastly , when it ( that is , this word deacon ) is taken shortly , and as it concerns our purpos● in hand , it sets out such officers who are designed by the church , to dispose the state and treasures , to those several purposes for which god hath appointed them , as the occasions and necessities of the body , and any member thereof may require . this is his definition , or rather description at large of a deacon , which i conceive to be very short , because it toucheth but the poor ; concerning whose care i acknowledge , that in the primitive time there were certain persons employed , because those times were times of persecution , and the poor of the church could not exist without some such collections by church officers to take care of them ; but that this was the sole office of a deacon i deny . he proves it thus ; romans . . he that distributes , &c. here ( saith he ) the apostle reckons these as a distinct kind from those that went before . in our translation it is , he that giveth ; or in the margent , imparteth , and that most naturally ; but to make it an office , he changeth the phrase : well , from hence , in this place , he thus argues . here , saith he , the apostle reckons these as distinct offices . this term ( these ) might well relate to prophesy , to ministry , in the th . verse ▪ as well as the rest , which is the most general way with the ancient fathers discourse upon that text ; but he explayned himself before in the first chapter of this d . part , pag. , . that prophesy is a genus to teaching and exhortation , and these two distinct offices under that one head , of which i shall discourse hereafter , ( god willing ) ; but giving , or , as he calls it , distributing , ruling , shewing mercy , are three distinct species's or several offices under 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 , or ministry : so then this word ( these ) must be by him applyed only to these five at the last named ; which exposition he had , as he acknowledgeth , from beza , and before him , as i find , none . ●or calvin himself , upon that place , seems to make all these distinct gifts ; but i passe by this , and will examine his ground upon which he builds . [ it being ( saith he ) the apostles aime by a similitude drawn from the body , ver . . to discover several parts , by the actions which were in a peculiar manner appropriate to them ; as there are many members in the body , and all have not one office or action , so in the church there be many members , but their several offices appropriate to them . whereas , were this a christian duty common to all , he should overthrow his own purpose ; for he should have shewed things agreeing to all alike , when he should have shewed that some things are peculiar . thus i have set down his words , and the arguments , as by him urged . sect . iii. rom. . . expounded . here he puts me to a great deal of trouble to enlarge my self in expounding this place , which i intend to do , and shew what i conceive of it , and then refute his imagination , and shew how inconsistent it is with the sense of these words . he begins his exposition from the th verse of the . chap. to the romans ; but he that will expound it aright must go further , because that verse begins with a for , and that relates to the d. verse , and that likewise begins with another for , which must look upon what went before . let us therefore first examine the first verse ; i besceeh you , &c. present your bodies , &c. which is your reasonable service ; vers . . be not conformed , &c. but be transformed , &c. that you may prove what is that good , that acceptable and perfect will of god : the presenting the body a sacrifice , the not conforming to the world , the transforming by renewing the mind , all tend to this , that we may prove what is that good and acceptable , &c. that is , have some arguments by which you may know it ; he that doth thus mortify , &c. and presents his body thus , that doth transform and conform his mind , shall find arguments to prove what is gods will for him to do ; vers . d. for i say unto you , &c. you ought to know this , because ye ought to perform this will of god ; therefore do these things which may make you prove it . now this good and acceptable will of god , is , that you do not think too highly , ( or higher , ) for this phrase ( of himself ) is a glosse of our translators , not the text ; and indeed this same too high thinking , whether it concerns a mans self , or his work he hath to do , is that which disturbs a man in his duty , whatsoever he is , or it is ; as if he think himself too good to be an hearer only , it makes him thrust himself into the preachers office ; or when he hath that office , he thinks too highly of himself , that he is too good for it ; or when he thinks too highly of that duty which he doth , it makes him , with the pharisee , despise his brother , who is not excellent or eminent in that way ; so that this same high thinking puts a man besides the way of gods will ; and therefore he adds , but to think soberly , temperately , modestly ; he must not plus sapere , think more or higher than his condition , but he must think soberly , be lowly in his own eyes , not to intrude into others businesse , or go beyond his own qualification , according as god hath dealt to every man the measure of faith : by faith ▪ i conceive as most do , fidelity ; that is then , according as he is intrusted by god , according to that measure of trust which god hath layd upon him ; there will not be difference , i guesse , about that , and therefore i let it passe ; verse . for as we have many members in one body , and all members have not the same office ; so we being many are one body in christ , and every one members one of another . sect . iv. no argument can be enforced from a simile , farther than the paralell leads . here we see all christians are one body , of which christ is the head ; that as they have a duty towards the head , of obedience , so they being fellow members , one towards another , have that duty one towards another as fellow member , not to think too highly , but to consider their mutual assistance each ought to give to the other . here now , if i would stop , let us consider , how it were possible to urge me farther : comparisons are not to be haled and pulled farther than the letter , there may be more in one part , than another ; but an argument cannot be drawn farther than the comparison leads . it is true , st. paul saith , in the th . verse , that all members have not the same office ; but can i force that to the parallel , when st. paul doth not mention it ? we may find the like in many places of scripture , as that parable of our saviour of the sower of the tares , mat. . where our saviour expounds pieces of the parable ; we may according to those pieces , from thence draw arguments in questions of religion ; but from the rest , which he expounds not , the arguments will be but probable ; so here i may say , mr. hookers argument is weak , because members have diverse offices in the natural body ; and st. paul saith , we are a body , and one anothers members , like the other so far , but leaving out the rest , and diverse offices distinct ; might i not say , that this doth not enforce it . but let us go on : i will not say so ; for although i think this text doth not enforce it , yet i think it true doctrine , that there are diverse offices in the body of the church , like diverse members in the body ; anselm , h. rabanus maurus , with others , have paralelled them in their comments on this text. let us now go on . although it be true doctrine , that as in the body many members have distinct offices and abilities to perform their dutyes , which are not competible to other : so it is in the church , there are diverse member● , which have distinct offices , and those offices assisted with diverse graces peculiar to them , and not to others ; yet this text goes , not to discourse of the distinction of officers , but of the manage of them : it never parallels that , ( and all members have not the same office ) but only that ( we are one body , and one anothers members . ) sect . v. diverse gifts and offices . having then , &c. i will stand upon no criticism here , to talk of an hebraism without necessity ; methinks the text is full , having then diverse gifts ; mark , diverse gifts : there are many organical members , which have besides their offices , abilities and gifts , as beauty , strength , and the like , which are powerfull assistants ad benè operandum , to do their office more dexterously and commendably ; now then , as we find amongst us there are diverse officers , and diverse gifts amongst these officers , abilities of utterance , of knowledge , and the like , so may in these men here spoken of ; but indeed , the very authority is a gift of god , to do these things of god , and these authorities or gifts whatsoever are distinguished by the grace of god that is given us , not our own merits , but his favour and grace , both gives the gift and the difference ; but since it is a gift of a member , therefore it must be used to the good of the members , and not for our own private ends : and here the apostle doth not make that division of gifts so contradistinct , that they cannot come together ; but saith , that whatsoever gift any man ●ath of doing good , as he must acknowledge it the gift of god , so he must use it to the good of his neighbour , whether prophesy or ministry : that this is the sense , appears out of that clause in the similitude not parallel'd . so we see it doth by this instance made by the apostle , where is no opposition in the persons , but only a difference in gifts , which may well be in the same office , without any inconsistency or reluctancy . if any man will see this discourse more fully , let him read the same apostle cor. . . there are diversities of gifts , but the same spirit ; then go to verse , . to one is given by the spirit the word of wisdom , &c. let any man peruse them all , and see whether they were offices or gifts , and the same word is used for those gifts there as here , which is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 ▪ and in the . verse , to make these places meet , he deduceth the same simile out of these premisses of these gifts , as in this text he deduceth the condition or scope of the gifts from that simile : so that then i conclude some of these gifts being the same , are used there , the word the same that is used there , and it is impossible to force those to offices ; therefore it should be a violence to force these : let us come to the particulars , whether prophesy , &c. whether this be an office , or no , is hard to determine , i am sure it is mentioned amongst those were no offices , cor. . . but let us conceive what it is ? it is possible that it was the gift of prophesy to foretell the will of god concerning things to come , of which there were diverse in the first age of the church ; or else by prophesy may be meant preaching , which expounds the will of god revealed in scripture : of both which i may justly affirm that of st. paul cor. . . he that prophesyeth speaketh unto men to edification , and to exhortation and comfort . sect . vi. a conceit of some commentators refuted . now see here the conceit of beza , tolet the jesuit , ( i know not which had i● from the other ) cornelius à lapide , with other late writers upon this place of my text in hand ; see how vain their conceits are who make prophesy here a genus of teaching and exhortation , because they would make them two sorts of officers ; and prophesy only a general name predicated of them ; when st. paul makes edification , which is the same with teaching and exhortation , to be gifts or qualities of a propher , both belonging to the same offices . concerning prophesy . prophesy , if you will , is a gift sometimes as well as an office , every office is a gift , but not every gift an office ; but whether prophesy be taken for a gift , or an office ; it is not a genus to the other two , but the other are rather integral parts or qualifications belonging to it : and therefore i wonder at these men , that they expound this text to such an impossible sense . hooker gives this reason , because , saith he , if these ( prophesie he means , & ministry ) were several functions , then there should be seven : what if there were seventeen ? if there be so many , what is that to the purpose ? this he speaks , chap. . of his second book , p. . well , but what saith the apostle ? he saith not this is a distinct office , as the eye in the body , but drives at the main , that we are one anothers members ; that this man must not think too highly , but follow his businesse ; let him prophesy according to the proportion of faith : what that is , i will not examine , it is something for the good of others , who are his fellow members . concerning ministry . the second is : or ministry ; let us wait on our ministry : hath a man received the gift of ministry ; here a man might have looked for a deacon , for the very word is put ; but because the word is not to his sense , he lets that slip , and takes his sense without his word . and it is worth any mans marking , that in his treating of the office of a deacon , which begins chap. . page . he first sets down the acceptation of the word , and page . he explains the word strictly as it concerns our purpose , but shews not one place , where this word is used to his sense , and indeed he cannot ; he had shewed phrases in the scripture for the other , but not for this ; but in this very place the word is used according to his sense , for the genus of three officers , but another for his office. well , let us examine it : this is the general nature ( saith he ) to a sort of ministring officers , which come after ; he faith so , what proof ? none but his own authority ; and then ask him , where it hath that restrained sense to these three officers , he cannot shew it in scripture , nor beza , nor tolet , nor any other ; st chrysostom upon the place , saith , it signifies all ministration , even apostleship ; and oecumenius , with theophylact , is to the same sense , and anselm something like it , sive habentes ministerium sicut diaconu● ut ministremus sacris altaribus , vel ministerium , ut terrena alimenta sanctis ministremus . now consider the meaning : if you have received the gift of ministry , in what kind soever , use i● as a member of that body , think not so highly of your self , to be too good for that office which god hath enabled you for , but serve in it : i go on . concerning teaching and exhortation . or he that teacheth on teaching : here now the authors before mentioned will make this a species of prophesy ; but this and exhortation are not species's of prophesy , but parts , endowments , qualities , for there can be no prophet without these powers and acts , nor can they be severed ; the same man that teacheth a doctrine , in that exhorts to a duty ; suppose it the most speculative in the world , the doctrine of the trinity , he that teacheth , when he teacheth it , exhorts to the adoration of each person ; and so for exhortation , no man can exhort , but upon grounds of doctrine , he exhorts foolishly else ; therfore they cannot be distinct offices , but parts or gifts in the same office ; for one preacher may have a greater power in logick to prove his doctrine or conclusion , and another in rhetorick to perswade the practise , and these diverse abilities and gifts bestowed upon those men by the grace of god : and therefore in these , as in the other , have you the whole gift of prophecy , use it as a member , not thinking too high , but use it for the good of your brother , who is your fellow member : so likewise the spirit is given in measure , one excells in one piece , another in another , do all like fellow members ; but no one word , that these are distinct offices , as that of the hand , or the eye , or the ear , that piece was not parallel'd , nor is exemplified . and therefore these sentences cannot be enforced for two offices , but two qualities of the same office , which may and must be in him who is a prophet ; but because they may according to their eminency well be severed , one may have one eminently , and not the other , and likewise because they cannot be both actuated at the same instant ; therefore directions are given either to the diverse persons or to the same man of his several seasons to do both these . sect . vii . his deacon , enforced hence , confuted . now we come to that , which he makes a deacon : he who giveth in simplicity ( he who distributeth he reads it , ) but why he and beza should do so , since they pretend nothing out of the original to force it , ( but their own conceit only of making this a species of the minister or deacon before spoken of ) and all antiquity , both greek and latine fathers reading it otherwise , and no one that i can find putting in one word to this purpose , is a strange conceit ; i cannot conceive why , unlesse it be a too much love of their own newly hatch'd opinion . but see what weight mr. hookers opinion hath : by this is meant a deacon ; what word shews it ? he saith it is but a species of that deacon before spoken of ; and if that deacon which was before mentioned be the name , then the two other species must be deacons as well as he , which he will deny , as you shall see hereafter ; then , that this is a distinct office of a deacon , that is , was an office spoken of , no man can prove , but a pious duty , which god gives men gifts to do for others good , and therefore no word of distinction here , but without all question a prophet may do this , a minister or deacon , a doctor or exhorter ; yea , it will be a good argument in exhortation , to do as i have done my self . i should go on with the next , but i reserve that for another time , and the rather stayed so long upon this , because in part i shall stop two gaps with one bush ; but i will leap to the last , which is , ( he who shews mercy , let him do it with chearfulness . what is meant by he that sheweth mercy . what a deal of doo beza , and he , and lapide the jesuit have , to make an office of this ? they make it to be the widdow ; he , masters of hospitals : when antiquity insists chiefly upon the inward act of mercy , which is larger than giving ; mercy is in forgiving , as well as giving , and the like : but what one word is there all this way , of distinction of offices ? not one ; but of gifts , which like members of the same body , must with lowlinesse of mind be used to the good of our fellow members . now i having shewed what appears to me to be the meaning of the text , and although by this his sense is already confuted ; yet in a logical manner i will now undertake it again . sect . viii . the first confutation of his conclusion out of this text. that sense must not be wrung out of the text , which the text in nothing invites to . but his sense is such . ergo , his sense is : that by this ( that distributes , ) is meant an office , designed by the church to dispose the state and treasure of the church , &c. and so pag. . but pag. . he saith , those several ( meaning these offices expressed in this text ) are set forth by way of opposition , and contradistinct one to another , and therefore cannot be subordinate , and meet in one subject , where they should be both formally acted . a strange kind of discourse to deceive men with ( as it seems to me ) by great words ; for first , the parts in the text he makes subordinate , to wit , teaching and exhorting , to prophesy ; secondly , distributing , ruling , having mercy , to ministry : and again , these things which are subordinate are in the same subject , as animal and corpus are in homine . but that they are not opposed , or distinct , or any way inconsistent , will appear presently . to prove my minor then : first , whereas he saith this phrase ( he that distributes ) doth signifie an office , i can deny the words , and say , they are not found in that place . secondly , i say , that those words there do not signifie an office , no more than those about them , but a gift , as it is called by the apostle . where he saith it is that office called deacon , he himself disproves it , since it is distinct and inconsistent with the minister or deacon , which is both one . thirdly , whereas he saith it is an office to dispose the state and treasure of the church , is there the least mention made of church , or treasure of it ? not a word : this word gift would import otherwise . sect . ix . another argument . now to this last , in page the th , i frame this syllogism : those gifts which have been , and are many times in the same , are not so contradistinct as they cannot subsist in the same subject . but many of these gifts in the text have been , and often are in the same subject ; ergo. my major is clear from the act : that which hath been , and is , is possible , and crosseth not the nature of any thing . my minor may be proved in the lump : first , i doubt not to say , that the apostles had all these ; for they were prophets , they were minsters , they were doctors , teachers , exhorters , did give to the poor , did rule , had bowels of mercy , with all the requisites . take prophesy for preaching , many a man now hath all these in the same lump . secondly , teacher and exhorter cannot be severed : this gentleman stiles himself , pastor of the church of hertford upon connecticutt , in n. england , mr. cotton teacher of boston in n. england , both of them have written concerning these businesses . if a pastor be an inconsistent office with a teacher , why doth mr. hooker teach , and so logically endeavour to prove his doctrine ? and mr. cotton the teacher , use rhetorick to perswade ? these things seem to me inconsistent , a teacher , and not an exhorter , or an exhorter , and not a teacher : so farre they are from being inconsistent one with the other , that they cannot exist well one without the other ; and for this particular phrase , distributer , or giver , neither one nor other be good men , unlesse they be both ; the clergy must not be altogether upon the receiving hand , there is time and place for them to give , as well , yea rather than others , and take care of the poor , and have bowels of compassion towards them , and by their good example exhort others to do as they do . i have been something too tedious here ; but this will save future labour . sect . x. his second argument refuted . his second argument to prove his kind of office , is drawn from the● tim. . . where the description how he must be qualified , is set down : i grant it ; but is it set down , that he is an officer to dispose church treasure , and nothing else , which he disputes for ? for he offers at such a thing , and therefore that place , in his own judgement , can speak nothing , for it proves only , that there is such an office as a deacon ; and how he should be qualified , but no one word what the duty of that office is , and therefore he draws no argument from it , but only sets it down with a figure of . for his second argument , although he argue nothing from it . his third argument refuted . his third argument is drawn from the place before hand led , acts . to which i have ( i doubt not ) spoken enough ; but that it may appear wherein he and i agree , and wherein differ , in this point ; consider with me , that he saith , that this was a publike office ; i grant it . secondly , that this service was about tables : i grant it . thirdly , page , that the full and carefull attendance upon this work , could not stand with carefull , constant , and consciencious attendance upon the ministry of the word , as the office of a minister so employed did require ; this i deny : because i have proved they were ministers of the word , and have before answered his arguments drawn from the apostles , it is not meet , &c. vers . . and do now adde ; it is one thing to say , it is not meet ; another to say , it is inconsistent , it cannot stand with it . again , many things might be and were sit for inferior ministers , which were not fit for the apostles : it is not meet , was truly said by the apostles : but now i doubt , whether this office was for this occasion only , or for their lives . i dly . affirm , as before , that these men were ministers . and dly , i deny that this was of that deacon st. paul speaks of , and was after used in the church . his continued discourse is but a repetition , only a passionate expression or two , that we make a deacon half a priest , or a preparation to it , and he saith , that this was the first in-let into the usurpation of bishops . i let these things passe , and come to his dispute against us . his first argument from reason , answered . that which is made by christ a distinct office from pastor and teacher , that cannot be any part of either , or a preparation to either . but so the office of a deacon is . i answer : that , first , i deny that ever the office of a deacon was instituted by christ ; but by the apostles . secondly , although i grant that the apostles instituted this o●●●ce distinct from them , yet it may be a preparation or part of either ; for that which is a preparation , is distinct from that it is prepared for , and although all the parts united together do not differ really from the whole , yet any one part doth . and thirdly , i say , that although it were neither part nor preparative , yet it may be subservient to them , in which consists the office of a deacon . his second argument from reason , answered . his second argument : that office which is to attend tables , hath nothing to do with pastors , or doctors , &c. but this office is to attend tables . to the major : that office may do both , those in the acts did . to the minor ; i deny that the office of a deacon is solely to attend tables ; but if he leave out that word solely , his whole argument is lame ▪ that which he urgeth out of acts . is not to the purpose , for as i may deny them to be deacons , because never so called in the scripture : so i do deny them to be those deacons st. paul directs , . tim. . his third argument answered . his third argument : if the apostles who were extraordinary persons , could not , shall men of ordinary abilities be sufficient ? i have answered this before . it is no where said , that they could not , they could without doubt have done much more ; but as they were men of extraordinary abilities , so they were men of extraordinary employments ; and it was not meet , that that employment should be impeded by any of these lesse affairs . again , we deny that the office of a deacon exacts the duty of a pastor from him , but only that he should minister to the pastor , which he may do well with such a charge upon him . page . number . i understand not those figures ; he saith somewhat that would be answered . another argument from tim. . . answered . the gifts of deacons which are required by the apostle , are such as will not furnish a man to be a minister ; ( he means a presbyter , i think ) for such should be apt to teach : to be a teacher , and not apt to teach , is to be a bell without a clapper . i could answer this in his own coyn , but i love not scurrility and sharpnesse in these grave and serious things ; they taste not of that lowlinesse of mind which should be amongst fellow members . i answer therefore ; that the gifts of deacons are not such as qualifie a bishop , of which st. paul spake there ; but i will tell you , very like them ; and as that clause is not inserted to a deacon , that he should be apt to teach : so it is not required of him ; but when he is found fit to teach , and it is required , he may : i think i have spoken enough to him . if i knew any more of this kind , i would not account it lost time to handle it , although tyred with this . chap. viii . sect . i. of a ruling elder . the next particle or branch of ecclesiastical authority which i will undertake to handle , is that they call a ruling elder , or a lay elder : he is called an elder , but i am confident that the name is new , and the office not known in the primitive church ; nor hath any mention in scripture , but by phansy . now to understand this , i shall first shew , what manner of office this man is imagined to have , and then answer such arguments as are brought for him ; and so conclude , with mine own reasons against him : first , the examination of his office , what it is to do , is set down by mr. hooker , part . chap. . pag. . i will not transcribe all he saith , but set down the heads . sect . ii. what those lay elders are , according to hooker . before the assembly meet , he is of the common council , and his voyce is to be taken in with the rest in the consultation and consideration of the businesse , ( by which , i think , he means the businesse should be agitated that day ) here he ciphers out . places of scripture , i think to no such purpose ; read them he that will , heb. . . cor. . . acts . . when offences are to be brought to the congregation , it belongs to them to ripen and prepare the businesse , by way of praeconsideration , to state the cause right , &c. thirdly , when the church is met , he may interpose his judgment , without asking leave . these he hath in common with other elders : what he hath peculiar to himself , is ; first , visiting the sick , and such as are any way under spiritual wants , these men should send for these elders , and they shall be the physitians of their souls ; for this he quotes james . . but no word there , of a lay elder . secondly , by the same reason he should seek out such , and visit them . thirdly , he is to make peace amongst members . fourthly , if there be a fame of a member , that he misbehaves himself towards such as are without , ( that is , i think , not of their church ) by which the church may be scandalized , he is to enquire of the truth , and ( i think ) inform , or else all is in vain . fifthly , he is to consider of the persons that are to be admitted into the church , and to pronounce excommunications . thus , in general , we see what manner of office this is ; let us now examine , whether there be semblances of any such thing in scripture , which they pretend should be the guide in these affairs . and ●irst , i will begin where i left ; for that , in the first place , he cites romans . . as he found a word for his deacon , he that distributes : so he hath another for his elder , he that ruleth , with diligence . sect . iii. whether any such elders truly in scripture . this question mr. hooker enters upon in the same st . chapter of the d . part , pag. . here he saith , he hath nothing to doe but with the hierarchical party , whose main arguments are , a pursuivant , and a prison , armed with authority of an high commission . this man , ( i observe ) though civil in many places to others , yet very passionately bitter , when any thing crosses him , to speak against that cause which i conceive right , and do not doubt but i shall prove it . first , he undertakes to prove this office , that there is such an office , from the former place ; but goes now somewhat higher , rom. . . he argues for it first , thus ; the gifts here mentioned and considered , are not such as have reference to a civil , but to an ecclesiastical condition ; so the words , vers . . we are one body in christ. this is no strong argument , we are one body in christ , therefore that which is spoken of that body or members , must be ecclesiastical , not civil . in the same body , consisting of the members of christs church , his mystical body , there are many civil duties , even as they are christians , exacted from them , and as members of that body : duties of kings to subjects , of subjects to kings , husbands to wives , and theirs to their husbands , betwixt masters and servants , and so they mutually ; a little of this divinity will make all things ecclesiastical , and reduce all obedience for christs sake to a pastor or teacher , an elder or deacon . secondly , the operations which issue from these functions evidence as much , prophesying , &c. exhorting , &c. i would he had put in shewing mercy too , but we see they do not ; shewing mercy , giving , ruling , may relate to any member of this body . there is nothing therefore in these arguments that enforce , these should be ecclesiastical duties of members in the mystical body of christ. he hath another figure of , i think he means by it another argument for the cause , that is , pag. . an argument of his answered . gifts here , are not such as are common , and belong to all christians , as faith , hope , charity , &c. what if they are not ? are they ecclesiastical orders ? that will never follow ; but he proves it , although to no purpose , if it were proved . first , those gifts are here meant , by which the members of the body are distinct one from another , and have several acts appropriate to them . he proves that , because verse . 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 , &c. all members have not the same office ; this , i have said , is not parallel'd in the simile , and therefore not to be urged further ; but , saith he , common graces are not so distinct , for in them they do agree . i answer , these are not common , nor yet ecclesiastical only , nor the duties required , witnesse this one which is instanced in , he that ruleth with diligence : to be a ruler , is not only in ecclesiastical affairs , but civil ; and he that ruleth in civil affairs , is to do it with diligence ; so origen upon this very place : so st. ambrose , st. hierom , theophylact , anselm , h. rabanus maurus , out of them ; all of which use phrases to this purpose , qui praest vel fratribus vel ecclesiae . so that by this , although there is not a common grace that is universal to all christians , yet it is so common , as that it belongeth to all governors whether lay or ecclesiastical , nemine contradicente , but these late men ; and the duty enjoyned , is as common as the grace given , to wit , to govern or rule , not barely , but with diligence . so that this conclusion is confuted out of this very instance , and may as easily out of any other , but prophesy , and teaching and exhorting , although , perhaps , something of this sense may be affirmed of them . again , he urgeth the emphasis of the phrase 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 , &c. the weight ( saith he ) of the phrase having the article in that manner added , notes not every member , but some by way of eminency , to whom these appertain ; it is true , and so doth this instance ; he who ruleth , notes not all men , but rulers only ; but doth it note by these caveats a lay-man , ruling in ecclesiastical affairs ? or if it should , why not a chancellor ? that were a fearfull exposition . his d. argument , drawn from the distinction mentioned in the th . verse , is abundantly answered before , and his new division of these offices ; i come therefore to his d . argument , to prove that there is such an office. another argument of his answered . this is drawn from cor. . . where the apostle expressing many other offices or gifts which god hath given to his church , he names governments , or , as we read it , helps in governments ; or as beza and he , helps governments : i shall not trouble my self with that phrase much , here he layes this foundation , that the apostle names here some ordinary , some extraordinary offices ; amongst those ordinary ones which are to last in his church , he reckons ( what he pleaseth , and how ) teachers , helps , which were deacons , governments which were elders ; were all this granted , will all this prove them lay elders ? i can grant likewise his second foundation that he requires , that the gifts themselves are put in the abstract , yet the persons who were possessors of them were understood in the concrete ; by these abstract phrases i can grant his third foundation likewise ; which is , that although some , as the apostles , had all these gifts , yet they might formally be in some subjects , as appointed by christ to that purpose . i deny not this ; but because they might be , will it follow affirmatively , therefore they were ; certainly à potentia ad actum valet argumentum negativè , it cannot be , therefore it is not ; but not affirmatively , it may be , therefore it is . now let us consider his arguments : as the apostles , prophets and teachers were distinct , so are helps and governments distinct ; for the apostle puts them in the same rank ; i deny that , for they are put in distinct ranks , first , second , third , and then these phrases put ( after that ) then , ( then ) and no distinction betwixt . gifts of healing , helps , governments . i could here shew the expositions of st chrysostom , ambrose , theophylact , anselm , st. hierom , in no one of which do i find a lay elder understood , by this phrase governments . i could shew you the expositions of others , some making him an arch-deacon , some a parochian ; but i study brevity where there is no proof , and i will adde but one thing , which i find observed by none , which is , that , as if the apostle would prophetically in his manner of writing , as well as the words he writes , confute this man , and this side of men , if they prove such an office from this place , they must prove , that this phrase government signifies a distinct order , and that this phrase signifies that thing they intend it for ; this latter is against antiquity , and hath no colour for it the former , upon which the latter is grounded , he thinks he hath proved , because that apostles and prophets , &c. were distinct offices or gifts in distinct persons . i answer , it follows not ; for st. paul in the two following verses , , . reckoning up a distinction of the other gifts , are all apostles , are all pr●phets , & c ? doth never say , are all helps , are all governments ? but doth reckon that which comes after this , do all speak with tongues ? so that methinks the apostle doth , as it were of purpose , to make this not appear a distinct office from the rest . indeed all the other are helps , and most of them governments , and therefore he could not use this phrase to them , are all helps , & c. ? as he did to the other ; but he stands not much upon this , these are too weak grounds to support this new building : the achilles which is ex●lted of follows , and that it is taken out of ( as mr. hooker calls it ) that famous place tim. . . this is , pag. . where before . here he spends a great deal of rhetorick in commendation of this place to his purpose , and in scorn and contempt , and vilifying his adversaries , which might have been better spared , and he immediately fallen to his businesse , as i will. sect . iv. his argument from tim. . . answered . the words of the text , are , let the elders which rule well , bt worthy of honour , especially they who labour in the word and doctrine . first , we may observe , that from hence is pretended no institution of such an order . secondly , that there is not pretended any demonstration , that there was any such office executed with the approbation of the apostles ; for that although the institution were not registred , yet it would argue there was such an office , without which they could not execute the office ; but the force of argument is only drawn from this , that the apostle should here name two distinct officers , one , whose office was to rule onely , and another , to labour in the word and doctrine . i will first endeavour to expound the text , and then satisfie the objections ; in the exposition i find these pieces necessary to be opened ; who are meant by this word ( elders ; ) dly . what is meant by ( ruling well ; ) dly . what by ( double honour ; ) ly . what by ( labour in the word and doctrine ; ) lastly , what by ( especially . ) first , this word elder is diversly used in these epistles , and in this very chapter , either for a man of ancient years , which is its genuine signification , or else for an officer in the church , and of the church ; for there may be officers in the church concerning politique affairs , which must have a discipline , in the church ; of this sort are all officers in a christian commonwealth , which are officers in the church , but not of it ; but an elder is taken for an officer in and of the church , having to meddle in ecclesiastical affairs ; and this latter is a borrowed sense of it , because that gray hairs are stayed and judicious , which are attributes belonging to the office of a presbyter ; therefore they have their denomination from that . in the first sense it is taken in the . verse of this chapter , by the consent of all , where it is said , rebuke not an ●lder , but intreat him as a father ; there the elder in age is understood , as all agree , both antient and later writers : this word is again used in this chapt. a little after this text , verse . against an elder receive not an accusation , but before two or three witnesses ; how an elder is understood here , is disputable : the grecians , st. chrysostome , theophylact , oecumenius , understand an elder in age only , as beza observes ; but it is not so universally true , as he affirms ; for theodoret upon that place expounds it of a presbyter by office ; and the latines , st. ambrose , &c. with one consent suppose it an office. here is a difference , and the arguments of no moment that are brought of one side or the other , nor much material ; for the doctrine is true of the least elder , there is capitis reverentia cani , some civility to be paid to gray hairs ; such men should not so easily be accused , or if they be , accusations not so easily entertained , as those are made against others ; but i have writ this , to shew that this word elder is not alwayes taken for an officer , no not in this epistle , in this chapter ; yet here i doubt not but it is taken for an ecclesiastical officer , both because of the word rule , as likewise labour in the word ; but whether two officers or one , will be questioned . sect . v. that elder here signifies but one office. first , no man can shew any where in the new testament any usage of this word , but either for a meer senior in age , or this one presbyter , which is the ecclesiastical officer ; and besides this place , they themselves will confess , that no strong argument can be produced , it were hard then , if there were nothing else , that this word here should enforce it . again , this word elder is used but once , which hath influence upon both these actions of ruling and labouring , which were not proper in speech , if they were two offices , without some term of distinction ; for it would be more rightly and significantly put , an elder that ruleth , and an elder that laboureth ; but this word elder being named but once , it should seem to enforce but one office , with diverse actions ; for there are but two sorts of elders , as i find : either that lay elder , which is an elder by age , or an ecclesiastical elder , who is described how he should be qualifyed , either in the d. chapter of this epistle , or the first of titus ; but the first sort are not pretended to here , nor the second as they pretend ; some other word then must afford it , not this word elder . sect . vi. what ruling well imports . the next is , rule well , that is , certainly , govern his flock committed to him ; now this word will imply no distinction from the other , presbyter , by their own consent , this is a part of that other teaching elder , he is a ruler too ; and if a ruler , then no doubt , if a good teacher , he rules well ; or else as may happen out , he may be a good teacher , and a weak ruler , and again , a good ruler , and a weak teacher : so that if ruling do not make a distinction in the office , ruling well doth not ; for offices are not distinguished by the diligence or qualities of their officers , the men that use them , but their officers , the men that use them , by their offices ; there are good and bad in every office , and so in the ministry , but his goodnesse or badnesse in execution of his office makes a man a good or bad officer , but not of another kind of office. by this phrase then , that ruleth well , cannot be understood any thing which can enforce a new office ; i will therefore remove to the d. phrase , ( labour in the word and doctrine . sect . vii . what is labouring in the word . and certainly , this phrase yields no matter for an argument against the unity of this office ; for he nor they cannot deny , but that both these are joyned in one , that the same man who is a labourer in the word , is a ruler ; but let us observe , that this word labour signifies an industrious and painfull doing that he labours for ; so that it is more than an ordinary prosecuting his undertaking : now both these phrases being affirmed of that one word elder , they cannot signifie diverse officers , but diverse performances in that office ; that one man is more carefull in ruling , another in teaching ; the one rules well , the other labours well . sect . viii . what double honour signifies . we will passe to the th . ( double honour , ) that is by all understood to be a double proportion , or much larger maintenance than that of widows ; i will not trouble it therefore ; but considering that it is but once used , though in two places applyed , as double honour to rulers well , and much rather to labourers , it being the same word and sense in both , and in both applyed distinctly where distinctly put , and implyedly ▪ where implyedly put , as the same word ●lder is expresly or implicitely delivered ; that therefore cannot enforce a difference ; if it be any where , it must be in [ especially . ] sect . ix . the force of the word especially . but neither doth that do it ; for that addes but an encrease of the debt , when majus & minus non variant speciem ; it is due to one , but rather there is a greater obligation to the other , not another due ; or if there were another debt , yet that would not prove another kind of office , but more obliging acts of that officer . it is then , as if we should speak of shepherds ; that shepherd deserves his wages who takes care of his flock , even he that shall fold them at night carefully , and let them out in the morning , and do many shepherdly duties ; but when there are diverse shepherds belonging to the same flock , he shall best or chiefly deserve it , who having cunning to do it , shall industriously , and with great labour of his own , cure their diseases , and heal them , and both these may be shepherds , and deserve their wages , but especially the latter , and yet not distinct offices ; and the first sort may grow up to the latters abilities , and then as well deserve as he ; or as we may say of a privy counsellor , he hath a two-fold relation , to the subject , and to the king ; he deserves his honor well , that rules well ; but especially he that adviseth his king well : yet these are not two offices , but two dutyes of the same office , and , as we have seen , distinct abilities have shewn themselves in these diverse effects . this is the sense of the text , there are two duties in these elders , to rule , to labour in the word and doctrine ; they that rule well , and do that piece well , are worthy of double honour , but especially they that labour in the word and doctrine , their flock ought to have a more particular care of them ; thus the text being explained , as appears to me clearly , the next thing to do , will be to vindicate it from such arguments which seem to be deduced out of this text , for that imaginary office which is so much boasted of , to be already with great ●vidence confirmed by it . sect . x. the arguments answered . mr. hooker , where before , part . chap. . p. . thus layes his foundation : the words carry a distribution , 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 , ( neither of which are in the text , but 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 , but i let passe these things , as mistakes in him , though a most supine negligence . ) and this ( saith he ) tractatur collatione imparium à majoribus . all this i can grant , but the imparity must be in the execution of the office , one doth it better , or more industriously than another . the summe ( saith he ) of the verse is expressed in a discreet axiom , the arguments are comparata imparia ▪ the things compared are the persons , a ruling elder , a teaching elder , i will not cavill at the phrase , the singular number for the plural ; it is ruling elders , and teaching elders : but i deny that proposition absolutely , it is not a ruling elder and a teaching elder , but such ruling elders and such teachers , which labour not in the word ; there is a great difference in this sense , it is a falacy à benè conjunctis ad male divisa : see it explained , every elder is a ruling elder , but if he rule ill , he is not worthy of double honour , no , he deserves reproof ; it was a mighty falacy put upon the reader , to say the comparison is made between ruling elders and preaching : when the words of the text say , it is such as rule well , and teaching elders are not the second branch , extemporary preachers have nothing to do with it , but such as labour and take pains in the word , as st. chrysostom most excellently descants upon that place ; and the very letter introduceth it 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 , from whence 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 , here used , signifieth as much as one that with great labour and pains effecteth what he doth ; not the sweat in the pulpit but the study , as may be most apparent , is it , which makes him capable of this double honour . i wonder much at the writer therefore , not that he was deceived , for that is humanum , subject to humane nature ; but that he who seems so punctual in logick , should offer such a fallacy , the fraud whereof is so manifest ; but he goes on , and i. it is ( saith he ) especially to be observed , that their works are not the things compared , but the persons notified by the kind of their works ; for the words are not , the elders because they rule well , and because they labour , but those elders that are ruling , those elders that are labouring in the word . see again , what a mist he layes before the readers eyes , in his exception , he puts the phrase aright in the first place , it is not because they rule well , rule well is the phrase of the text ; but in his affirmative it is ( those elders that are ruling ) there that emphatical epithete ( well ) is left out . and then again in his second exception , that it is not because they labour ; there ( in the word ) is left out ; but in his affirmative it is put in , ( but those elders that are labouring in the word . ) this is meer jugling ; but to his sense . i grant that the persons are notified by their works , although not by such kind as he expresseth ; the persons i grant distinct , but the diverse persons , and the same office , the office is not distinct . he proceeds to this sense , that their phrases are the subject of the proposition only , and therefore the persons and officers being the things compared , it is certain they must be distinct persons . this is the very phrase , he names here only distinct persons , which i grant , but deduceth this concession out of that addition of offices to persons , but i will grant they are distinct officers too , but not distinct offices , which is the question . he goes on : first , those conceits vanish , that elders are not attended for their holinesse or private conversation , i grant it , but for their demeanour in the church . secondly , ( saith he ) nor will the conceit hold , which saith , there be not diverse elders , but divers works of one elder attended , when 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 , are persons compared , not acts. these phrases , 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 , are not in the text , or if they were , it would but inforce diverse men , or diverse officers , not diverse offices , which he must prove , or he proves nothing to the purpose ; but consider how fallaciously he deals ; now he labours to prove thence diverse persons , which is granted ; then diverse officers , which is granted , under these notions hoping to beg●ile the heedlesse reader ; when he never comes close to prove diverse offices , which is his only work. afterwards he comes to discourse of the consequent , as he calls it , ( let him call it what he will ) i will follow him : the consequent part ( saith he ) of this discreet axiom , is , the first elder is worthy of this double honour , the second elder is worthy of double honour , but with this difference , it is chiefly his due , ( the second he means ) first , in the order to be attended ; dly ▪ in measure , more of it is due and debt to him . now ( saith he ) it is well known , it is required that the two parts of a discreet axiom be not only discreet , but true in themselves : i consent ; let us see what he deduceth . whence ( saith he ) again that conceit utterly van●sheth , which makes the comparison to be betwixt the two acts of one man , namely , the well ruling of a pastor is worthy of double honor , be it alone in its self considered ; which is an assertion grosly crosse to the rule of divinity , as the former was to the rule of logick . what the logick of his deduction is , i have shewed , what the divinity , will appear anon ; he seems to prove it against divinity thus . that interpretation which makes the performance of the least part of a pastoral calling , though it be with the neglect of the greatest work , worthy of double honour ; that is grosly contrary to the mind of god , and the verdict of scripture , &c. rather a double wo is to be denounced against them , than a double honor bestowed upon them . but this interpretation doth this . ergo , sect . xi . neither ruling nor preaching are more excellent absolutely , but in relation to circumstances . i will discourse first upon his major : suppose we now , which is most true , that there are diverse duties in a pastoral c●arge , preaching , administring sacraments , ruling , guiding his flock , put the question which of these is most excellent , take them distinct in sensu diviso , only in themselves , without consideration of times and persons , and whosoever shall affirm either of these most excellent or usefull for the church , shall be confuted by another , who will say that at such a time or to such persons the other is most necessary , most honourable : without question to heathen people that have not heard of christ , preaching is most necessary , no man can come to god , unlesse he believe that he is , and that he is a rewarder of them that seek him diligently , heb. . . but faith comes by hearing , rom. . . so then , to that state of men in that condition preaching is most necessary to generate faith , and lay the seeds of religion ; but when men are converted to a belief in the principles of religion , so that they are ready to cry out with the converted people in acts . . men and brethren , what shall we do ? then is necessary and usefull that which the apostles did with them ; baptize them after conversion by preaching , baptism is necessary , then the holy communion to confirm and strengthen them in all godlinesse and righteousnesse . now it is possible that a soul , after he is converted , and studious , himself may persevere in godlinesse , and improve ( no doubt of it ) without hearing more sermons , but by study and contemplation , as in the times of persecution multitudes do ; and in those places where they are persecuted , yet their obedience to church-discipline and the canons of ecclesiastical government , such as concern such persons , are necess●ry ; yea , because many administer sacraments who cannot have the oportunity of preaching , the●efore things may be necessary then and there , and more necessary than the other , as likewise in the case of dying men ; not the doctor and disputer in the mysteries of divinity , nor their lay elder , ( whose duty they make it to visit the sick , and not to authorize to preach ) are the welcome men ; but he that can bring the seals of gods covenants by absolution by the communion , is necessary . consider again , such a church ( as many there have been ) which is furnished with learned pre●chers abundantly , in such a time a man with discretion of ruling may be most acceptable ; and his endeavours applyed that way will be more gratefull , and better to gods church , than his preaching , where is no need : and as the use of these things is in differing places and occasions most necessary , so the application of men to them ( supposing all these belonging to every officer ) in their several sit occasions , deserves double honour , although they do neglect that which is most excellent . it is the most excellent endowment for a man to be a scholar , and learned , ●nd ●he greatest excellency mans soul is capable of ; yet he is an honest man 〈◊〉 deserves honour , that applyes himself to husbandry , and a con●cientious manage of a trade , although he neglect the ●est ; a man is not bound to be best , but to be good ; to rule well , not best ; to labour in the word , not to be most excellent : yea , in such cases , it is better for such a man to apply himself to ruling , than preaching , that being more needfull . and again , that ●ord to neglect the better , which is inserted in his major , is ●oo h●rsh to be applyed upon s●ch occasions , for , that is better for one , which is not for another , at one time in one place , which is not at another , in another : where there is pre●chi●g abundant , and many such as abound in divine eloquence , there prudence of ruling is more necessary ; the best preachers are not alw●yes the wisest men . again , where the abilities of a man are more sitted to the one , than to the other , there he ought principally to apply his endeavour : so that if his ●bilities in ruling 〈◊〉 g●●●ter , he ought to apply himself to that 〈◊〉 , and ●or force himself to that which his disposition is not so fit for . again , as i said , to dying men , who can feed their souls with that store of doctrine which they had stored themselves with before , but lack the seals of gods covenants , these are most necessary ; but i wonder what a lay elder should do with them , who must neither preach , nor apply gods seals to any ? again , we may observe out of the text , that it is not said , doth not preach , the negative is not there ; yes he will object , because it is opposed to those that labour in the word ; it is true : but there is a difference betwixt those who do not labour in the word , and those who do not preach ; labouring , as i have shewed , signifies one industriously doing it , spending his main source and bent to it : now they , who finding their abilities and the necessities of the times and places in which they converse , requiring ruling from them , rather than preaching , do not bend their endeavours to preaching , but to ruling , and yet may sometimes preach likewise ; as st. paul , who was the most glorious preacher in the world , yet took sometimes from preaching to bestow upon ruling : so may they likewise , who give their labour and endeavour to ruling well , take off some time from it , and give it to preaching , and yet not be 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 , men labouring in the word . sect . xii . another argument answered . so then , to his argument ; having layd these premisses , thus expounded , i answer , that labouring in the word is not absolutely greater to all persons at all times , in all places , at all occasions . if he urge the text , that because there is especial honour due to these labourers , therefore their labour deserved it . i answer , in the dayes of st. paul , at the planting of the gospel , it was most necessary ; but since not in such places where it is planted . ly . i deny that upon such occasions , as i have said ; it is his duty , who finds great abilities in himself for ruling , to labour in the word , but to labour in th●t by which he may do most good , which is ruling . if he object , that to convert souls , is the best work , which is the proper effect of preaching . i answer , yet when men are converted , keeping them in ecclesiastical discipline is more beneficial . and again , although it be the best work for him that is excellently gifted , yet it is not for him who hath greater abilities for others , and lesse for it ; and therefore , although he may be more excellent , who as st. paul himself did , can rule well , and labour in the word likewise , yet he may well deserve double honour who rules well , and more seldom preacheth ; but if he can do both , have this word especially added to his double honour . sect . xiii . another argument answered . but pag. . he hath another of the same , the same argument framed another way with this phrase , or thus i may reason ; if the apostle in this text doth not speak only of elders , preachers , then he speaks of elders no preachers . but the first is true : ( what the first is , i know not , for there is no second , it being but one proposition . ) he speaks in the place of some elders , which are no preachers , which is thus proved . if he speak only of preachers , then there were some preachers , who preached not at all ; but there be no preachers who preach not at all . the second part is past denyal ; the consequence is proved . if these elders who are most worthy of double honour are said but to labour in the word : then they who are accounted but worthy of , &c. did not labour in the word , but &c. i have put down his argument verbatim word for word , that the whole force of it may appear , as well as the weaknesse shall be manifest : and i answer in a word , it is one thing not to labour in the word , and another not to preach it all . to labour , as i have said and shewed out of the word , is to do it industriously , with his chief endeavour and might ; which doth not imply that he doth it not at all , yea rather that he doth it , and that he cannot rule well if not preach at all , but not with his might and main . i will retort this argument . if none may preach but clergy elders , then it seems here , that these must be clergy not lay elders , which rule well ; for the text that sayes the one labours in the word , implyes with that , that the other doth it , but not industriously , and therefore must be such elders who may preach , and would have more honour if they did it laboriously , or rather that honour more due . sect . xiv . a digression concerning preaching . but because tbese men seem to place the whole work of the ministry in preaching , i would learn from some of them , what this preaching is , which they magnifie so much , which i could never know to be so defined , as to make a peculiar work of a minister , so that it should , as they make it , swallow up his function , and belong to none but such as they call ecclesiastical presbyters . i hope it will not be unuseful to the explication of the text ; nor unprofitable nor unpleasant to the reader , if i , beyond the bounds of an answer digresse a little , to discourse of this theam ; labouring in the word , is not only labouring with the word in the pulpit , but an industrious and studious endeavour ; and therefore , in the th . chapter of this epistle , vers . . he adviseth timothy , to give himself unto reading , that is , studying , exhortation , doctrine ; and vers . . meditate on these things , this is labouring in the word , and this labour is such as is expressed , like an oxe , as he expresseth it vers . th . of this chapter , thou shalt not muzzle the mouth of the oxe that treadeth out the corn : it must be as much , or greater , or else his argument would not hold ; it is the labour of the mind by day and night , reading , meditating . and such are worthy in an especial manner of double honour ; but because the apostle adviseth to exhortation and doctrine , and every ecclesiastick officer is not for himself , but for the church , this reading and meditating , must not be for his private contemplation , but for the publique , to teach him to rule well , upon occasions to exhort to all piety , to teach the truth of gods will , both to believe , and to do all these at their several occasions ; not only in the pulpit , but in writings , and in conferences : every man who is fit to be a presbyter , is not cut out for a popular auditory , he may have gifts of an higher strain , and they ought to bestow their pains upon those greater dutyes : as i have heard it was answered erasmus , when he scrupled to receive a benefice in england , because he had not that language to teach the people , you teach their preachers , which is more than to teach them ; so may we say of these , that they may teach preachers , which is a greater work : preach to them in conference , preach to them in their writings . i have known in mine experience a learned man , who had not himself the faculty of pulpit-preaching , yet did more good by directing and teaching others to preach , and advanced the cause of christ more than twenty peeachers could have done : did not this man labour in the word think you ? others again who have not that convenience of doing it by conference , have written learned books for preachers to study , and by them preachers preach : did not these men labour in the word ? it is reported of salvianus , that he wrote and penned homilies , which others preached and repeated , which of these ( think you ) was the preacher ? i think both : and both took pains , and did their utmost endeavour , and laboured in the word and doctrine ; perhaps , one could not pen exactly , perhaps the other could not orator-like deliver ; or , perhaps , and it is likely , salvianus could do both ; but his sermon might serve both places , and did good and was applauded , in both his own church and his that preached his sermon ; he preached , perhaps , in two places at once , and both thes● put their talents out to use ; and i doubt not but they may hear , well done , good and faithfull servant , thou hast been faithfull in a little , i will make thee lord over much . but let us a little consider what preaching is . sect . xv. what preaching is . i can think it nothing but teaching the gospel of christ , that is , his life for example , his doctrine for precepts , and his death and resurrection for our meditation ; now then this is done by words written or spoken , either of these a man preacheth by : he preacheth , that writeth such arguments as convince or perswade , as well as he that speaks them ; yea , perhaps , doth more by that , and makes an everlasting sermon , like a persume when the body is gone , yet there is a sweetnesse remaining behind , which is gratefull to all such as converse with it ; so , the preacher being dead , the sermons yet live ; the fruit remains , when the tree is felled . that this is preaching , is most evident , because these teach the truth of doctrine , and these perswade to godlinesse , again , it is pre●ching , and he pre●cheth , who using others words and matter in the pulpit , perswades the auditory either to christian faith or manners , this is preaching ; and for my part , i conceive the saying or reading a godly homily , to be preaching , and more usefull than those vain sermons which trivial presbyters and proud men utter , even in pulpits with you in london ▪ i call them proud , bacause many take upon them to preach , who scarce ever did read a body of divinity , nor are able to ballance the doctrine they deliver , by the analogy of faith , or if they could do it by leasure and study , take not time to do it , being alwayes preaching , but never learning ; these men , if they were humble , would content themselves either with such sermons as are penn'd by the church to be read or got without book ; or with such excellent sermons which st. chrysostome , bazil , gregory , or the like made , as the whole church of the muscovites do ; for by that means both the people should be instructed in the fundamentals of faith and life , and they secured from that fearfull presumption , of undertaking to teach , being not taught , and that vanity of being unestablished in the faith , and being carryed about with winds of doctrine , and that other pride of seeking their own vain-glory ; truly these thoughts have often made me startle , when i go about to study a sermon , and not da●e to adventure on any thing , which i have not carefully considered on . to repeat anothers homily or sermon is preaching , it is teaching the people the gospel of christ ; for it is not material who penn'd it , so the message of god be delivered : and because nihil dictum quod non fuit dictum prius , i know not why men should be so squeamish of it . but i will stoop one degree lower ; since preaching is evangelizing , and that is teaching the gospels , who can say , that reading the scripture in a known tongue is not preaching , which teacheth the people out of scripture all that they ought to know concerning their souls good. let no man trouble this discourse with st. pauls saying , cor. . woe is me if i preach not the gospel , and then glosse upon it , that st. paul meant none of these preachings i have named ; it is true , he did not ; but yet consider , that st. pauls preaching was infallibly inspired , and there he might have full assurance of what he delivered with ease , without pre-thought what he should deliver , which we have not without mighty pains and study ; therefore his preaching was by the power of his utterance : and yet he , st. paul , did not only use vocal preaching , but writing , and those sermons he wrote have been , i dare say , more beneficial to the church than those he preached , and then we read those very sermons which he wrote : his epistles are very sermons , we have the same , and there is reason , if we be not self-conceited , that they should do as much good amongst us , as the ro●ans , corinthians , galathians , &c. if they be hard to us in many places , i doubt not but they were hard to them , and we have besides these , expositions of the fathers in the ancient church , by which souls were directed to heaven , and all that have been saved these . or years have been saved by them , unlesse some few of late , who have found a new road to heaven . well then , to end ; this is a low degree of preaching , but is pre●ching , and preaching the gospel : these are sermons which st. paul and the church thought fit to be divulged , for the salvation of men . sect . xvi . to what preaching every presbyter is bound . i have expounded what preaching is ; now let us see to what preaching every presbyter is bound . first , without question , every presbyter should be a ruler ; so st. paul in the d. chapter of this epistle , verse . for if a man know not how to rule his own house , how shall he take care to rule the church of god ? there he supposeth , that he must be a ruler ; otherwise his conclusion were nothing , drawn from the governing his own house . there ruling is necess●ry in a bishop or presbyter , for you will see hereafter , that these offices had one name , and in many things agreed . now there you see ruling is required in a presbyter , and he himself will not say that this was a lay presbyter ; but then consider , that in this whole character of a presbyter , there is no one word of preaching , although there is of ruling , and can you think if a presbyter were chosen , such as st. paul here nominates , it were amisse ? but it is objected , tit. . . there it is required , that he should be holding fast the faithfull word as he hath been taught , that he may be able by sound doctrine , to exhort and convince the gainsayers . i may well think this to be a caution of advice , not necessity : but if timothy had chosen and ordained such as were prescribed him , they might have been men sufficiently qualified , yet ex abundanti , if this might be had in another condition , although that were well , yet this would be better ; there is a latitude in good , though not in truth ; but then let let us scan the text , suppose it be a requisite . ●irst , let us observe , that [ he must hold fast the faithfull word ] that is , the word , i conceive , of the gospel ; hold fast , that is , apprehend it strongly , adhere close to it , as he hath learned , so we in our translation ; or in learning , as the margent ; or secundùm doctrinam sermonis , as beza ; the businesse will not be much . it must either be holding fast that doctrine which he hath learned , heretofore , and then there will be little left for new invention ; or else it must be , he must hold the faithfull word in his teaching ; and then i answer , this will be made good in the reading the scriptures , in the reading or repeating homilies ; the next clause is , [ that he may be able to exhort and convince gainsayers , ] this likewise will be acted in the other ; but consider first , can any man think , that this ability must be understood in such a vast capacity , as that every presbyter must be able to convince all ill opinions of gentilism , judaism ? surely , i believe not ; if so , i dare say , nor he , nor any fellow he hath is a presbyter . i remember once in a conference with a gentleman of his mind , a presbyter , i proposed to him an old heresie which i had newly lighted on , and those arguments were made for it , he was forced to confesse an inability for that time , and yet a man of as great a name as any in england of that side . well then , what must it be ? that there must be some capability to this purpose , upon occasions , not pulpit work , but by discourse , when any such thing shall be objected , and that such men should endeavour to improve themselves in their abilities to this purpose ; so that here is a great latitude , and mens abilities in all elections and ordinations should be considered , how far they extend to this purpose : but i perceive not here that kind of preaching which is now so magnified , at all exacted . so the heresie be convinced , so the men be exhorted to piety , whether by an homily out of some ancient father , or such which the wisdom of the church prescribes , or a declamation of a mans own penning , it is not material ; for although those who have least abilities , commonly do most magnifie the latter , and practise it , yet without question the former is much safer , both for the strong convincing of ancient heresies , and likewise for sure grounds of exhortation . put the case that it were as it was in queen elizabeths dayes , that there was such a reformation , as abundance of learned men would not yield to , but rather leave their benefices than subscribe , it is necessary that those churches should have each a presbyter in them , you will have ▪ men gifted with abilities to preach , and make sermons of their own invention , i presume there were not then an hundred such in all england . st. paul had then provided ill for this church , who should require as necessary , such conditions as could not be found ; put the case as it is , that there be four or five hundred , yea a thousand , two or three thousand , that have abilities fit to be licensed to preach sermons of their own making , it is a mighty matter , yet what are they amongst those multitudes of churches and parishes , certainly but an handfull , the parishes are . it cannot be then , that there is a necessity of more abilities to a presbyter than to do these duties in that general way , which i have discoursed , and so to endeavour in and by such means to instruct others , and upon study and industry either from himself , or more learned men , upon the starting any new doubt , by study convince the gainsayers , it is not required he should do it ex tempore . sect . xvii . what peculiar interest a presbyter hath in this kind of preaching . having thus considered preaching in its latitude , it will now be worth our thoughts to reflect upon this officer called a presbyter , and see what peculiar interest he hath in it , distinct from other men . first then , without question , such a preaching as is occasional , by private conference , or in publike assemblies , when in publick opportunity is offered to manifest the glory of god , or convert or confirm by conference any soul to or in the christian religion , or godlinesse of living , which indeed is a great part of christianity , when upon occasions of discourse or otherwise , opportunities shall be granted to any man , he may , if he have abilities , so conferre , as to perswade men to a newnesse of life ; and this is preaching in its latitude , it is preaching the gospel of christ , and each man that hath abilities ought to do it , but each man is not bound to have abilities ; a private mans strength is chiefly discerned in holding fast the word of truth , that so he be not carryed away with the wind of doctrine : he hath other offices which are his duties , and in which he ought to expend his studies and endeavours ; but to have abilities , or to endeavour to have some abilities for this purpose , is the duty and office of a presbyter . it is the duty of the shepherd to take care of his masters sheep , but it is a comely charity in every servant , though he be not the shepherd , when he finds his masters sheep run astray , or ready to starve , to throw them a lock of hay , or call them back to the fold ; nay it is his duty out of charity , though not out of office ; but to take upon him the office when he is not authorized to it , would be intrusion , and it would bring a great confusion into the church , as it would into a great family , where every man , or every man that would , might take upon him the manage of any office he would . st. paul therefore saith of such , how shall he preach , unlesse he be sent ? that is , how shall he take upon him the office of doing it , unlesse he be authorized for it ; let us then consider who is authorized . sect . xviii . who is authorized to preach . that this authority must be joyned to every presbyter that hath power to administer the sacraments , preaching must be taken in a large sense , for reading homilies , for reading the scriptures in known languages ; for it is not possible to find men of abilities to do the other , in such a nation as ours is , and yet it is necessary that they should have these sacraments , because by them men receive the covenants of god concerning their souls , which to teach and incourage us to , is the chief duty of preaching ; and this is done ( i am perswaded ) more securely , by the other way projected before ; but then if we will have men preach nothing but what they make themselves , there had need be a mighty ability for a weekly preacher to do that , and such indeed as cannot be expected from every presbyter that may be fit for the other ; and therefore , that way of penning their own sermons , is not , nor can be exacted from every presbyter : and to preach sermons not penned , although upon urgency there hath been or may be such a thing , yet it is nothing but laziness and supine negligence , and undervaluing of that great work ( by those to do it constantly ) and not worthy the thought of christians . but whether presbyters alone may do this , is a question started in this age , but was disputed long since by learned men , and how determined i will set down , with mine observations upon it . the story is thus ; origen , a man most eminent for learning of any man in that age , both for humanity and divinity , and indeed such as may not only be accounted so for that age in which he lived , but deserved to be placed in the first rank of scholars , both of his own or any other age , when he lived at cesarea , by authority given him from the bishops of palestine , interpreted the scriptures publikely in the church when he was not a presbyter , nor , that we know of , had received any degree in ecclesiastick office ; demetrius the bishop of alexandria , who envyed the deserved glory of origen , and that honour which rather as a debt was paid to , than given him , for his excellency in preaching , inveighs bitterly against him , and having little else to be offended with him for , saith , it was an unheard●of thing that a layman should preach , and writes to the bishops of palestine about it ; they patronage that excellent work of their own , and gave him instance in three or four that they knew of ; and no doubt , ( say they ) there were more which had been licensed by bishops to do so , and did preach even before them . i could have wished that the dispute had been larger set down , that so the arguments from scripture or reason might have been set down for our instruction , but for defence of him , who it is pity did not write his own apology . if any man object st. pauls how can he preach unlesse he be sent ? i shall answer , he was sent , and by that power that had authority to send , that was the bishops in that province in which he lived , who had authority to delegate as apostles , ( of which i shall treat hereafter ) by our saviours charter , as my father sent me , so send i you , to send others , not with a plenipotency , but as they saw expedient with divided powers , to baptize and no more , to administer the sacraments and no more , and why not preach and no more ; this way of preaching ; penning , and contriving orations to the people , requires great abilities inherent , acquired by mighty industry and pains ; and when men are found so gifted and enabled , although they think themselves not worthy to take a pastoral charge upon them , or to administer the sacraments ; yet when they find abilities for this , and their bishop think fit ; why should they not preach ? but not without the bishop ; he is the supream pastor , he may , if he find an inferiour fit for that place , give him authority to feed , or fold , or drive his flock , and no more ; and he that is authorized by the supream pastor , may do it , and others who without his leave undertake to do it , are intruders ; but he being so authorized doth it orderly , lawfully ; thus did origen , who had he lived in our age , could have discoursed much more powerfully to this theam ; and i can guesse , that this may satisfie most of that which many in our age object concerning their gifts . if they are gifted , let their gifts be examined , and if he ( the bishop ) find them to be such as can enable them for such a work , let them be licensed , otherwise not . chap. xix . his argument answered . i have been over tedious in this discourse . here you may discern the vanity of his argument from that text , if preaching be taken in that late sense , as i have expounded it , i deny that there are any presbyters which are not teachers . if preachers be taken in this strict sense for such as preach studied orations , i say that there are many presbyters which are not preachers , and do not labour in the word in that sense , and yet there are no presbyters which have not the power of administring the sacraments . it is very weak that he saith there must be preachers , which are no preachers ; for presbytery , doth not depend upon preaching in this kind , nor doth the name or office signifie a preacher ; but if he will , there may be preachers who do not labour , make it their chief pains to preach ; there may be differences in the industries of men , and industrious men may be industrious in one piece of their office , and not in another , cor. . . st. paul saith , he laboured more than they all , that was , without doubt , in preaching , aud yet cor. . . he baptized but a few , industriously attending one , and not so much the other ; but the sense of the text is apparent , i think , and do you forgive my tedious digression . but he urgeth , that the bishops factors provide ill for them ; for by the apostles determination , the meanest minister that is conscientious and laborious in preaching should have more respect than his diocesan , who sits , &c. but labours not to feed them with the word of life . the text doth not say the meanest conscientious minister , &c. but saith , that those who rule well , and labour in the word likewise , are more deserving that honour , than they that rule well only . it may be it is spoken only of bishops ; howsoever it is only an addition of the obligation to him who labours ; and truly i think that bishop who doth not labour in the word is worthy of little ; but i confine not labouring in the word to preaching only studyed sermons ; but to instruct preachers , to write , to overthrow ill opinions , and the like , and this is labouring in the word and doctrine . sect . xx. st. ambrose expounded . lastly , he hath found a piece of an antient and truly to be honoured father of the church , st. ambrose , which he rejoyceth in , like one that had met with some unexpected blessing ; see how he commends it ; it carries ( saith he ) an amazing evidence , and again after the place quoted , the brightnesse and patenesse of the witnesse is such as though it had been writ with a beam of the sun , and dazles the eyes of almost envy it self . but observe this one thing , as he and that sort of writers when they will urge scriptures which they cannot find to make any thing for them , they put not down the words but ciphers : so here the words seem to serve his turn , but the place where they are put overthrows it ; ( but it is not set down by him ) i have hunted it out , and it is upon the first verse of the tim. . the words are these . apud omnes ubique gentes honorabilis est senectus , unde & synagoga & postea ecclesia seniores habuit , sine quorum consilio nihil agebatur in ecclesiâ , quod quâ negligentiâ obsoleverit , nescio , nisi forte doctorum desidiâ , aut potius superbiâ , dum soli volunt aliquid videri . now consider , this is writ upon the first verse before . the words he comments on are these , rebuke not an elder , but entreat him as a father , and the younger men as brethren . st. ambrose , with all commentators ( even beza ) doth acknowledge this word elder to signifie an elder in age ; st. ambrose his words before these written down are , propter honorificentiam aetatis majorem natu , cum mans●ctudine ad bonum opus provocandum . and upon that he brings the words cited , amongst all nations old age is honourable ; and this word is as it were put of purpose to overthrow those men , he useth senectus , not presbyter , which word senectus was never used for an officer ; so then what doth st. ambrose mean , but that in the jewish synagogue and in the church , they used grave men to assist and counsell , without whose advice nothing was done in the church ; i grant it ; but these men were not your elders , but grave and learned men to advise with ; i will put in , it is fit to be so still ; and for that reason chancellors , men learned , used to sit in the consistory . but he gives two cautions pag. . wherefore let him know , ( that is , the reader ) that the elders mentioned by ambrose , were such that their places and offices were almost worn out ; ( i agree ) but such were not the preaching elders , ( i agree to that likewise ; ) but say withall , that these men were not such elders who had office in the church , but were counsellors , as he saith . his second observation upon st. ambrose , is , that the defacing of the power and rule of these elders , came , as he conjectures , by the sloath , especially by the pride of the teachers , because they alone might be lifted up . the word in st. ambrose was doctorum , of doctors , which was a phrase applyed to bishops , who in his time were the only preachers , as appears in the famous story of st. austin , who when he was a presbyter , was fain to have a license to preach ; now then , why he should say the sloath of the bishops , i cannot tell , for sloathfull men are willing to have others joyned in commission with them , that so others may act what through lazinesse they are unwilling to meddle with ; but what he saith of pride may have some colour , that they would act all alone , and so have all the curchy and application made to them ; therefore they would admit none of these lay counsellors with them . here is the drift of his speech , and what word in all this tends to the addition of any ecclesiastical officer ? much lesse by a divine right which is pretended to , but only some chancellor , as i have said , to advise with ; and now suppose , i say , clean contrary to him , that the sloath and pride of bishops put all business upon these lay men , so that indeed in our times they are more bishops than the bishops , and all through their sloath , because they would not act in businesse , and pride , because they disdained to stoop to petty occasions , i doubt i should say true , and yet neither his saying nor mine make one word for their elders jure divino ; the rest that he saith vanisheth of its self ; thus they would make thems●lves eminent , by the disannulling the honor of others places , they could not be such as were of their own rank , or did possess any of their places , i grant it , neither were they such elders as we speak of , nor you . thus now is apparent , i hope , how weak his arguments are , and what he said of that place of st. ambrose , that it had an amazing kind of discovery with it , i may say of this whole discourse , that it hath an amazing kind of discovery ; but what it discovers , is the strangenesse of these men , who opposing a known truth , and the universal practise of the christian world from christs time downward , dare urge these places for their conceits , which had very little semblance for them , although they had been expounded by practise ; but having none but great words and commendations of their own to that purpose , it will easily perswade men that they made first their form , and then hunted for something to insinuate a belief , that they were induced by scriptures ; and thinking with my self upon what design they should introduce this kind of ministry , i could imagine no reason , but as when cunning people would change a monarchy into an aristocracy , or oligarchy , they have no way to divert the people from their old obedience , and introduce it to themselves , but by making them believe they should have some share in that government which was ingrossed by one . so these men breaking from episcopacy , would perswade the people from the old to the new yoak which they would impose , that they had a share in ecclesiastical government , and that they should send out of them into the consistory their lay elders , which would wonderfully provide for their security and good , much better than before , with other things of the like nature of which i may speak hereafter ; but indeed their hopes are frustrate in all this design , for they could never set up any thing more tyrannical or arbitrary than this . chap. vii . sect . i. what a true presbyter is . the name first expounded . i have done now with their presbyter , of which i see no footing in the word of god , or antiquity ; i now come next to treat of our own presbyter , what he is : and first , that we may avoyd all equivocations and doubtfull interpretations of scripture , we will discourse of the quid nominis , what is meant by this and other phrases which are used in scripture to intimate this office. first , he is called a presbyter , which as it naturally signifies an elder in age , so from that analogy it signifies a grave and reverend man ; another word is bishop , which we alwayes render for 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 , and signifies alwayes a superintender , and it is applyed to presbyters , who have a particular charge to overlook and see to . i stay little upon this , because it hath received very little controversie ; but yet say somewhat of it , because it will illustrate some future passages ; they are likewise called pastors or shepherds , because when they are in a charge they look over it , as a shepherd over his flock , to govern or ●ule , to feed them , and do such duties ; they are called doctors and teachers , because they instruct the people in the mysteries of godlinesse , although perhaps this word may be extended farther than to them ; but these were the chief names by which that superiour order which succeeded the apostles were called in the primitive church , in the writings of the apostles and after ; and this is the sense implyed by these names . sect . ii. certain concessa by all who have engaged in this controversie . but now to sever granted truths from questioned , and not to wast my time in unnecessary discourses , it is granted by all that i have seen , that these all were ordained by the apostles to do these duties , to administer the sacraments of baptism and the communion , to preach the gospel ; although , i think , no man can shew me any place of scripture expressing such a canon , which shall enable such men bearing such names , under such titles to be authorized to such duties , but only a constant practice of it ; but it being supposed that they were authorized to do this duty , we may find rules directing how these should be performed by them ; i let that passe therefore ▪ and shall now enter the lists against two opinions which i oppose , one which makes pastors and teachers two offices ; a second which makes no distinction amongst these . sect . iii. mr. hookers distinction of pastors and teachers handled . for the first , mr. hooker disputes in his book before cited , part. . chap. . pag. , . and first to understand his opinion , consider , that he makes two sorts of teaching elders , one he calls pastors , and the other teachers ; the scope of the pastors he describes with a great deal of handsom circumlocution , exceeding fine expressions of the rhetorical perswasive part of a preacher , the result of all which is , to perswade by such arguments as have power over the will and the affections , as it is pag. . the teachers office is to lay the fundamental points of christian faith , the principles of religion , as he expresseth it in the bottom of page , and the top of . these two parts he makes distinct offices in the church , both of them being ruling elders as well as teaching , and both of them having power to administer the sacraments ; but in their preaching the one is to bend his force , his endeavour , to the teaching and informing the understanding , the other to the perswading and moving the affection ; the first he calls teachers , the second pastors : look for a reason for this distinction unheard-of till of late ; i find none but in a reply to mr. rutterford , pag. . where it seems mr. rutterford urged , that these formal objects of these two offices ( information of the judgement and exhorting ) are not so different as that they should be incompetible , pag. . chap. . to this he replyes , that in themselves , and full breadth , ( that is his phrase ) these are not so incompetible , but look at the specialty of the gift that fits for one , and which furnisheth for the other to attend mainly and chiefly upon each according to the gift , they will prove inconsistent ; these are his words , and these imply , that where there are distinctions of gifts and they diversly to be endeavoured , there should be diverse offices , or else i see no force in this discourse ; but this hath no probability of colour for it : consider civil offices , a justice of peace , one justice hath a great cunning in the statutes , in rendring them to a legal sense , he applyes himself and endeavours to that most ; another hath a great ability in reconciling and taking up quarrels , and perswading men to friendship , he endeavours that most ; and perhaps did either of these by framing himself to endeavour what he were least fit for , lesse attend what he were more dexterous in ; he might attend his office in general , but the lesse profitable way , and these are both one office , though in it diverse gifts or abilities , which cannot both be attended with any mans utmost endeavour . passe from civil to ecclesiastical offices , and this very businesse : among presbyters preachers , one hath great excellency in giving the grammatical sense of the text , another in expounding it scholastically , a third in the historical part of divinity ; and these are several gifts or abilities , and men according to them apply their utmost endeavours , but these make not distinct offices , but several gifts and abilities in the same office , which is just the same with these ; and as there is no foot-step in the historical part of divinity , to shew any one president : so is there no colour of reason for it ; but he quotes scripture . the first is that place so largely discoursed of before , rom. . , . he that teacheth , on reaching , he that exhorteth , on exhortation . this place i have at large shewed in the case of their deacon , not to signifie distinct offices , but diversities of gifts , and it imports no more , than that he who finds in himself abilities of teaching or exhorting , should use his talent as a member of the same body , to the good of his brother . but i wonder , why they should not rather distinguish th●se offices by the names of teacher and exhorter , because these names in this place signifie distinct abilities and endeavours , in those two wayes which they intend them to ; but there is nothing in either word which intimates the nature of a pastor , which is to gove● as well as feed ; but these words are found eph. . . where the words pastor and teacher are used , and are urged for this distinction in his treatise of the preachers office , part . chap. . pag. . but how unluckily , let any man consider : the words are these , and he gave some apostles , and some prophets , and some evangelists , and some pastors and teachers ; let any man consider this place , and think whether the apostle should put these as distinct : those which are distinct , he distinguishes with this phrase , ( some apostles , some prophets , some evangelists , some pastors ; now mark , he doth not say , some teachers , but some pastors and teachers ; coupling these together as one , not distinguishing them as the other ; and therefore , let him not dare to sever them whom god hath joyned . but he ●ites beza upon this place to answer mine argument which he toucheth ; let us examine therefore what he saith , i assent , ( saith he ) to ambrose , who makes these offices distinct , for ratio parum firma est ; for ( saith he ) the reason is not firm which moved hierom and austin to confound them ; that is , because the copula is put without the article , he saith it is not firm , but he offers no reason why it is not firm ; the apostl● distinguisheth the rest , with 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 ▪ and joyns these with , 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 , then 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 , and , is put to joyn these together , can any man imagine these to be severed , he names hierome and austin , but he might have cited st. crysostome , theophylact , theodoret , all the greek fathers , whom any man would credit in the greek tongue , before beza , when he hath no reason for what he saith ; but the trick of these men , when they have no reason , they speak great words in commendation or disparagement of what is for or against them ; it is parum firma ratio , saith beza , but gives no reason , when besides the propriety of speech , he hath all learned men against him : i , but beza hath ambrose ; it is true , ambrose doth in his comments upon this place distinguish these ; but beza will not stand to ambrose , for first , he begins with apostles , they ( saith he ) are bishops , prophets , expounders of scripture , evangelists , deacons , pastors , lectors , that is , readers , magistri , masters , which we translate teachers , were exorcists ; this last beza mentioneth to be not agreeing with his opinion , i may say , nor any one of the rest . but take this note of ambrose , he took the words as they lay , and so expounded them , but not observing that criticism , which perhaps he looked not on , he gave an exposition such as was agreeing to the present face of the church in which he lived , which it is possible easily for any man to do ; but did ever any man , who observed and marked the language of st. paul , think it fit to be cast off with a parum firma est ratio , amongst these i have named who marked it amongst the latinet , as beza , hierom , austin , i can adde to them anselm most punctually , and our bede likewise upon the place : so that sense is invincible with an uninterrupted exposition , and a strong literal sense of the text ; for st. ambrose , although beza agree with him in the division , yet his authority prevails not with him for the office , what it should be , nor beza's opinion with hooker : so they serve one anothers turn so far as their own design leads them , but no further ; for beza makes this teachers place to be such as should read a divinity lecture , scholam regere ecclesiasticam ; but hooker denyes this : there is ( saith he ) doctor in schola , & doctor in ecclesia , and ( saith he ) the second is here meant ; but i would fain know the difference betwixt a teacher in the schools , and in the church , for i conceive these men not putting difference in the places ; and if they take the church for the congregation of men , i know no difference betwixt one and the other , nor can there be this exposition of mr. hookers , which as it is most singular , so it is farre from the language of st. paul. i will adde this only note , that he nor any other can shew me that place of scripture directing any duty to either of these offices , in their distinct notions as they expresse them , which will not agree to both , and therefore they have no ground upon which to build this phansie . sect . iv. whether there be a distinction of offices . i come now to the other dispute , whether there be any distinction amongst these offices , by apostolical right ? this is a question which hath been mightily debated , and therefore a man can scarce handle any thing which hath not been often discoursed on before ; yet if by varying the method of handling it , or by other manner of expressions , or applying other mens expressions in another way than they have done , that which i shall write shall fit some mens understandings better than other mens words before me have done , i shall think it an happy work , and not repent me of my pains : and although i think that other men have abundantly spoken of this question , and so fully , that they have satisfied my self ; yet because i find others are not satisfied , i conceive our blessed saviours command to st. peter to be a precept to all of us , when thou art confirmed , strengthen thy brethren , luke . . and although it be but little i can speak , yet put in that little . for the understanding therefore of this question , first , know , that although this question about that order we now term bishops , whether they have distinction and a right of preheminence beyond presbyters that are barely such , yet it is not de nomine , barely of the name , whether this word bishop be such as must alwayes be applied to that office ; but of the thing , whether there be such a thing as a degree instituted by the apostles , which hath a preheminence above other presbyters ; and then , because the word bishop , or superior , or superintendent , or superinspector , being a word applyed to this office , will by consent of a perpetual language in the church be well fitted to the expression of that office , we may use it often in this discourse without prejudice as we shall see occasion . secondly , let us conceive ( as was before taught ) that all ecclesiastical power was seated in the apostles , and none else , from those words , as my father sent me , so send i you ; and therefore they had power to settle offices for the church as they pleased , and there is no office which had not its foundation from them : so that although this question be often handled under these terms , whether bishops be a distinct order jure divino , yet they that hold it affirmatively , must defend it with this phrase apostolico divino , apostolical , by such a divine right ; not as if christ immediately instituted it , for he instituted none but the apostles , as we read of , for the whole world ; but by such a divine right as christ gave his apostles power to institute , and they did institute . thirdly , let us conceive , that although perhaps there can be found no law or decree by either one or more apostles , which shall in expresse terms say , that by the authority given us we do erect and institute such an office ; for such registers ( as i have said ) we have not : yet when it shall appear to be the apostles practice to ordain such officers so qualified , we may be confident it was not without authority ; for men of such exemplar obedience and humility , even to death , would not in their practice act without law and authority . fourthly , that where any place of scripture that directs our practice , shall abide a double interpretation , because quisque abundat sensu suo ; there the doctrine and practice of such men who were apostolical , conversed and lived with those apostles , themselves must needs be the best glosse upon such a text , because as it is reasonable to think that they should best understand the apostles meaning : ( for when laws are newly made , their sense likewise how they should be understood is fresh in mens apprehension ; but laws antiquated or grown old must be intrusted to the letter ) so likewise it is most reasonable to think , that they could not write or do amisse in these publike acts or writings without controll ; and therefore , certainly , it must needs be the best comment , when the text abides a doubtful interpretation , to shew , that the apostles disciples which conversed with them , did so understand them . fifthly , that the preheminence that i place in a bishop over a presbyter consists in these two things ; the power of giving these orders , which a bare presbyter hath not ; and secondly , the power of jurisdiction over such as are only presbyters of the lower rank . these truths being granted , as they must without impudence , i addresse my self to the question , wherein i can complain for lack of mine adversaries books ; for such as write for the opinion , i professe i care for none ; the scriptures and antient fathers which i have by me serve my turn : but i have their hooker , and i shall , i think , in re●utation of his arguments , discusse most of that matter which is necessary to this question ; if i find any thing unhandled which is necessary to this question , i shall treat of it afterwards . sect . v. mr. hooker undertaken in this controversie . for their hooker , he undertakes this controversie , part . chap. . pag. . in which he wastes that page and the d . upon a bitter invective distinction of a three-fold bishop , divine , humane , and sathanical , and his description of them , which i let alone , as impertinent ●roth and fury of a man that is angry , not charitable , and as one inquisitive after truth , disputing ; but page . he comes to some sober dispute , and to bring reasons against this vsurped order ( as he calls it ) which i undertake at this present . his ●irst reason is , as he saith , the expresse testimony of scripture , than which nothing can be more pregnant , titus . . . he only ciphers out the place , i will put down the words ; for this cause left i thee in creet , that thou shouldest set in order the things which are wanting , and ordain elders in every city , as i had appointed thee : then verse . for a bishop , &c. now ( saith he ) the apostle having enjoyned his scholar to appoint elders in every city , and how they must be qualified , he adds ●he reason of his advice ; for a bishop , &c. where the dispute of the apostle shews , not only the community of the name , but likewise the identity of the thing signified thereby , otherwise his argument had not only been a false reason , but false in form , having four terms , but in truth , had not reasoned at all ; for it had been ready to reply ( here is a gap , as if the copy had been imperfect , but may easily be made up , thus ) a bishop is another thing from presbyter . sect . vi. his expressions very unhandsome . i will examine this discourse , and see how partial his expressions are to trouble the truth . first , he disparageth titus with , although a true , yet a diminishing term ; he calls him st. pauls scholar only ; st. paul , in the th verse , calls him his son , yea , his own son after the common faith ; and the postscript or direction is , to titus , ordained the first bishop of the cretians . secondly , he diminisheth likewise that phrase which is of great force to this purpose , that is , the phrase to ordain elders , he saith , to appoint elders , thus when they cipher scripture , for the most part scripture is abused , and the heedlesse reader swallowes in a misconstruction , before he is aware : thus having examined his misrepeating the story in things of importance , we will sift his arguments . sect . vii . his argument examined . the force of it is this , that there a bishop and elder are one thing as well as name , i grant it for this dispute ; but let us see what will result out of it , no more but this , that in the apostolical age this name of bishop and presbyter was used for one office ; the name apostle was that which was used for the superiour dignity , which , as i shewed before out of theodoret , when i treated of the name apostle , that in their time many were called apostles which were none of the twelve ; but afterwards , to avoid confusion and an indistinction betwixt the original apostles and the derivative , for such as were made by men , the church used this name of bishops , and reserved the name of apostle , to those men who were so constituted by our saviour , and that one who was made by election of lott into judas his place : so we find diverse phrases not used to such purpose in the new testament , yet prevailed with the succeeders of the apostles in such a manner , as they gained a constant use among ecclesiastical writers ; such is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 amongst the grecians , and sacerdos amongst the latines , words not used for any order in the church of christ any where in the new testament , and yet amongst the ancients are used for the whole order of priesthood as it includes bishops , and sometimes for bishops alone ; but as they are the superiour order in that sort of men , and in the latter age are solely appropriated by the use of writers , to that order , which the scriptures and the most ancient term presbyter , inferiour to the suprea● , called by the scripture apostles , and to their successors , called bishops among the ancients ; therefore in the reading of authors , not the institutions only , but the usus loquendi is to be considered in words . cambden in his remains hath a long discourse like a lexicon , where we may see to how various senses in our english language the same words have arrived , by tract of time losing their old , and gaining a new sense , especially in offices ; so hath it happened with the words bishop and presbyter : they were most frequently in scripture taken for one and the same thing ; but the word apostle , or angel , i can never find given to the inferiour sort of presbyters ; but now this word apostle is appropriated , in the language of divines , to the twelve , and st. paul only , the word bishop to the superiour sort , the word priest or presbyter to the inferiour sort of presbyters . i shall leave therefore to discourse of the names , and come to examine the text concerning the thing , whether there be in this text a parity of ministers prescribed ? sect . viii . the first argument for a parity answered . for this parity he urgeth nothing , but the attributing these two names which we use , in a distinct sense , to one and the same thing , which proves no parity of office , but only the use of these words in those dayes . but i will go further , and prove this office we call bishop distinct from the presbyter , out of that very text ; st. paul saith , i have left thee in creet to do these two things , that thou shouldest set in order the things that are wanting , and ordain elders in every city ; mark here , st. paul had been in creet himself , he had layd the foundation of the gospel , he being to go further into the world , leaves titus to build upon his foundation ; and he leaves him to do two things ; that he should set in order , or correct , or supercorrect those things which were not perfected by himself ; here is episcopacy in one piece , he had authority to correct , to set in order , things that were out of order , to correct what was amisse ; then secondly , to ordain elders in every city ; not to appoint only , but to ordain authoritatively , to s●ttle them : i do not know how a bishop could more exactly be described , in so few words ; and i wonder much , why these men should produce this text , which without a mind much prejudicated with another opinion , cannot be wrested to any other sense . hooker takes no notice of this , but some others say , that titus was an evangelist . their exception , that titus was an evangelist , answered . they say so ; but do they produce one word out of scripture or antiquity for it : they might say he was an apostle as well , and with much more semblance ; and i think he was of the inferiour rank ; but then , can they tell me what an evangelist was ? this is a shrewd question ; those four that writ the gospels , are only known by that name amongst ecclesiastical writers : so that if a man should say , the ●vangelist saith so , we would conclude one of them . philip is indeed called an evangelist ▪ acts . but no man else in the new testament ; it may be , because he was an excellent and powerfull preacher . beza , with those who affect new opinions , makes an evangelist to be one who was an associate and companion to the apostles in their travell ; but there is nothing in scripture or antiquity to give light to that conclusion : i am sure st. chrysostome , theophylact , &c. are against it in expresse terms , upon the th . to the ephes. st. ambrose makes him a deacon to the apostles , which hath some shew of reason for it , because philip was an evangelist . this word evangelist is but three times used in scripture , acts . . where philip is called an evangelist ; ephes. . . where an evangelist is reckoned amongst the ecclesiastical officers ; t●m . . . where he is bid do the work of an evangelist ; which could be nothing but industrious preaching the gospel of jesus christ ; or , as some of the ancients , suffering for christ , because he is bid in the same verse , immediately before these words , to endure affliction , and in the words follow●ng , to make full proof of his ministry ; but is there the least colour that this office should enable him to ordain presbyters , or correct misdemeanors , or to regulate things that are amisse , which titus was commissioned to do . again , it is generally agreed amongst them , that this office of an evangelist was a temporary office ; but these duties of correcting , of ordaining elders , must needs be perpetual in the church , and therefore could not constitute the nature of that temporal office : well then , to dispell that cloud that would darken the light of this text for episcopacy , by saying that titus was an evangelist , there is no word in scripture , nor any author in antiquity of any reputation in the world , which offers any thing towards that opinion . dly . if they did , yet they would be at as great a losse to shew me , that the office of an evangelist was to do such things as titus is here commanded to do . dly . if they could shew evangelizing to consist in the performance of such duties ; yet we might justly then conceive them to he bishops , such as we require , and a standing office in the church , because these duties are so : and it is evident , that titus had authority in both these kinds ; therefore there were some men which had such authority above others . but let us go on with hooker , as he doth confirm his mistaken opinion . sect . ix . hookers illustration from acts . answered . paul ( saith he ) acts . sends for the elders of ephesus , and professeth in the th . verse , that christ had made them overseers or bishops ; where not only the name is common , but the thing signified by that name is enjoyned as their duty ; ( he means , to take heed to all the flock over which the holy ghost had made them bishops or overseers ) here , as before , are left gaps or interruptions ; i will fill them as well as i can , to make up his sense , thus ; what he implyes or requires in a bishop , that they ( that is , these presbyters ) were to do , if he shall require to lay on hands , to exercise jurisdiction in foro externo , that they must do , and should they have been reproved for so doing , they might have shewed their commission , thus farr he . but i wonder where that commission was given or read : i can find no such thing in that place , but that they should take heed , or have a care of their flock , which they might execute according to that authority was dispensed before , by labouring in the word , diligent baptizing , administring the communion , but to convent or summon their flock , or censure them , or give orders and a like authority to others , of this there is no one word in particular . to expresse my self : although many men reasonably have thought , that st. paul convented both bishops and presbyters under that general name of presbyters , as writs are sent out ●o summon the barons of the kingdom to parliaments , by which word was understood both earls and dukes , although by the name and notion called the house of lords , so bishops were called along being presbyters , under that name they are all called both from ephesus and the adjacent parts , though that be put down only ; and then st. paul gave them all their charge , to look to their several duties , and execute their several commissions , which they had before received ▪ which is all that these words can enforce ; although this is reasonable , yet methinks this is more probable , that they were all , or for the most part , but bare presbyters ; for in the first age of the church , when the conversion of men to christ was new , and there were but few christians , few presbyters were necessary , and then much sewer bishops , especially the apostles living and episcopizing , one of them enough for twenty of us ; and therefore one bishop for a great nation , as titus for creet , where were an hundred cities , was sufficient ; but religion increasing in the hearts of men , more presbyters are necessary , and they increasing , there must be a greater necessity likewise of bishops , but that any of these should be such as we call bishops , to have power over other presbyters , and to give them orders , is no way apparent ; this therefore proves nothing for their parity . but he addes , that the word bishop is never used in the new testament , but the actions therein required belong to any presbyter . he excepts the case of judas , acts . . for my part : it is not material how the word is used , but what i labour for , is , that there is such a thing as the word bishop now used doth signifie ; and that the more he or any other trouble themselves against it , it will appear the more clearly , as hitherto it doth . i will proceed therefore with him , page . he frameth his second reason thus . sect . x. his second argument answered . if they be distinct , the bishop is superiour ; but he cannot be superiour ; every superiour order hath superiour acts and honours belonging thereunto , above the inferiour ; but bishops have neither above those that are presbyters ; for if labouring in the word and doctrine be an act above ruling , and is most worthy of double honour : then the act and honour of a presbyter is above the act and honour of a bishop ; for they only assume the acts of rule , but give the presbyters leave to labour in the word and doctrine . i have at large discoursed what labouring in the word and doctrine is . i will not repeat now , but begin with his last [ for they only assume , &c. ] which is the foundation upon which this whole discourse is built ; and i answer , that the bishops do not only assume the acts of rule , but esteem it their duty to labour in the word . and if mr. hooker would without prejudice consider , even of that kind of labouring which he and his sort understand it , pulpit-preaching , the world never yielded more fruitfull industries than those of our bishops , whose works live to bear witnesse for them being dead ; and therefore i conceive this to be an argument of spleen , rather than reason ; and for the second clause of this foundation , that they give the presbyter leave to labour in the word ; they do much more , for they episcopize over them , and look to them , and by authority over them make them do it , encourage them who do , and punish those who do not ; if men have misdemeaned themselves in their office , no doubt but twenty presbyters have done so for one bishop ; but yet neither the one nor the other are lesse jure divino , for that ; judas his office was good , he was an ill officer . nicholas his office was good , he an ill officer , this chose by the apostles , that by christ himself ; thus offices are not disparaged by the officers . but consider further , that although labouring in the word with the people , may be a more excellent work than governing or ruling the people , as it is more excellent to perswade , than to compell men to vertuous actions . they are but half vertues that are forced ; yet governing presbyters , which is a proper act of bishops , is more excellent than labouring in the word to the people , by how much the extent of the benefit is more general : it produceth the good of a diocesse , as that of a ●arish . but once again , although i had thought enough had been said to that text , tim. . . let the elders that rule well be accounted worthy of double honour ; but especially they who labour in the word and doctrine ; yet i will adde somewhat for illustration . suppose this speech were turned from the church to the army , and a man should say thus ; let the elders , the officers of the army who govern or rule well their regiments , or the army , be worthy of double honour , but especially they who labour and toyl in the heat of the battel ; could any man collect from hence , that it were a better act to labour in the act of fighting , than to steer and direct the fighting ? no sure : it is an act becomming a private officer , and concerns a few ; but the other who rules well , hath the whole fortune of the day , the fate of a whole kingdom sometimes depending on him ; yet if he can and do upon desperate occasions thrust himself into great hazard , he hath an especialty of this double honour due to him , and yet it would not befit him to hazard the day , which depends on his providence , by neglecting direction , to thrust himself into perpetual dangers . these bishops are the generals of this spiritual militia , they are to direct and oversee their diocesse , to encourage , to command inferiour officers to their duties ; when they do this well they are worthy of double honour ; but if when great occasions shall require , they act themselves what at other times they command , and take care that others shall do it likewise , they have an especialty of double honour due to them , which is the full sense of that text ; elders which rule well have a double honour , because they have a double excellency ; both do their own , and make others do their duty ; but if they who have abilities do rule well , and labour too , then especially much more is that honour due . sect . xi . his third argument answered . i come now to examine his third argument , which i am sorry to read ; for it is so full of illogical deductions , as methinks it should not be possible for any man to think he could perswade by them : it is thus framed , if they differ from presbyters jure divino , then there are some ministers by divine authority necessary for the gathering of the church , and perfecting the body of christ , besides that of the presbyter ; for if the church can be perfected without these , there is no need of these . i will stay here a while . this consequence is not good ; for ministers may be necessary for the gathering , which are not necessary for the perfecting the body of christ : we see prophets were necessary for the gathering , and the extraordinary part of apostles , which are not necessary for the perfecting . now here is a conjunction gathering and perfecting . his second consequence is as bad : if the church can be perfected without these , there is no need of these ; this doth not follow : things may be necessary ad esse , ad perfectum esse , and yet other things may be necessary to the easie obtaining this esse . i do but give you the non-consequence of his manner of argument ; observe his minor. but there is no minister necessary for the gathering and perfecting of the church , besides that of the presbyters : he proves this : because the apostle setting down the several ministries which christ had purchased , and by ascention bestowed upon his church , when he gave gifts to men for that end , they are only comprehended in these two , pastors and teachers , ephes. . , . and they who are given for this end , can and shall undoubtedly attain it . consider here the inconsequence of this argument : because ( saith he ) the apostle in that place sets down none other ; therefore there is no other . we have examined that text sufficiently ( i thought ) already , but this starts another negative note , the apostle doth not say there , that there are no other but what he sets down , nor doth he put any exclusive term , as these , and these only are they . i am sure in the . to the romans he hath another reckoning of things like offices , and so in the cor. . . i know he may say , that with a trick of wit these may be brought about by subordination to amount to the same thing and number , and so i can reduce them to two only , extraordinary , and ordinary , or ruling and teaching , a principal and subservient ; but unlesse he can shew a negative or exclusive term in the text , he cannot draw a negative inference : so that although the means that our saviour appoints shall attain its end , yet the means he appoints must be totally taken , not one piece without another , and this text doth not say , that is the total means : this is known in logick , posita causa ponitur effectus , but it must be totalis causa , not partialis . but now suppose his consequence were good in logick , will the text bear him out in the matter ? doth the text name none but these pastors and teachers ? yes sure : and although these two ( as i have shewed ) are but one , yet apostles are different , and these seem without distinction to be necessary to the perfecting of the body of christ , and bishops by all consent succeed the apostles in t●is duty ; i will not des●ant upon prophet , to shew the sense and meaning of it , as not pertinent ; this is enough to shew the weaknesse of his argument if the text were granted to allow his deduction out of it . but he proceeds as unluckily , as if all this were granted . where ( saith he ) the issue is , if pastors and doctors be sufficie●t teaching ministryes , to perfect the church ; then there needs no more but these . i will not lose my self in his long period ; suppose these were sufficient teaching ministries , is there no more requisite but teaching ? yes ; to look to them that they do teach , and teach right doctrine . but ( saith he ) if these be enough , all others be superfluous . i answer , these are enough for their own work , if they would be good , and all industrious workmen ; but there is necessity for some custodire custodes : i am weary with this . sect . xii . his fourth argument concerning jurisdiction answered . his fourth argument is thus framed ; distinct offices must have distinct operations : operari sequitur esse ; but they ( that is , bishops ) have no distinct operations from presbyters : if there be any , they must be ordination and jurisdiction ; but both these belong to presbyters : jurisdiction , john . . whosesoever sins ye remit , &c. binding and loosing imply a power of censuring , as well as preaching , and both are given in the apostles to their successors , the rulers and elders of the churches , who succeed them in their commission . let him prove , that these who are here elders of the inferiour rank succeed the apostles in that part of their commission , and his conclusion is granted ; but that he can never do , and therefore labours not for it : otherwise i have shewed that there were parts of the apostles fulnesse of power imparted to one , and part to another , as the divine wisdom directed them to divide it for the good of the church ; this they must grant , who make pastors , rulers , teachers , distinct offices . sect . xiii . ordination not given by presbyters . for the second , ordination , he brings scripture , tim. . . he only ciphers the text , i will put down the words ; neglect not the gift that is in thee , which was given thee by prophesy with the laying on of the hands of the presbyters ; his collection hence is , that this gift was his presbyterial or episcopal office , and that this power was conveyed to him , by the laying on of the hands of the presbyters ; and therefore presbyters have power of ordination . i will not here dispute what is meant by prophesie , as not pertinent to this cause ; nor will i trouble my discourse with what is meant by this gift , which hath received another interpretation by some of best authority , but will pitch upon the word presbytery , and , it may be , of imposition of hands ; for this word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 it is used only three times in the new testament , luke . . where we render it the elders of the people ; but it is in the original in the abstract , not the men , but the presbytery of the people ; the second place is acts . . where we read all the estate of the elders , the word is the same , 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 , the whole presbytery ; now the third place , is this in my text. in the two first places , presbytery is taken for the magistrates or senate of the people of the jewes , no christian order ; then from the use of the word in other places , it cannot be collected that this should particularize this lower order , which he fancieth , sith there is no place to parallel it : but because presbytery doth signifie an ecclesiastical order in the ministery , therefore this presbytery should do so likewise ; but in as large a sense as presbyter , not more restrained . now presbyter takes in its latitude the whole order of priestood , both bishop and presbyter , ( it were in vain to insist upon particular places ▪ ) so then must this be would be know , which i am confident all antiquity understand it of that rank of presbyters which we term bishops , st. chrysostome , theophylact , theodoret , no man contradicting , but these late expositors ; then let us adde one word more , were that gift understood for the ecclesiastical authority which he had ; or secondly were presbytery understood for a synod of presbyters , as they call them , which none but themselves affirm , yet it would not follow , that they received it from their imposition of hands , but with it , saith the text , with the imposition of hands of the presbytery : when in tim. . . he speaking , i think of the same gift , he saith , which thou hast received by the imposition of my hands , here , by , as there , with , and so is the phrase varied in the original , 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 , and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 , st. pauls imposition had some signal force , but theirs was only a circumstance by the by , not operative : but i enforce not this , although i am perswaded the text would make it good ; but answer peremptorily , that presbytery , there meant , was not a presbytery of the inferiour order , and i speak no more than st. chrysostome in expresse words , this is not understood of presbyters but bishops , and all the ancients ; if he shall require me to prove it out of scripture , that presbytery ever signifies a company of bishops , which kind of disputing is used amongst some : i answer , in this place i am not to prove , but answer ; and i reply , that neither they , nor any , i think , can shew me this word presbytery used in any other place than these i have named , and then i am sure it cannot be proved that it should signifie that inferiour order . thus have i done with this reason of his , i could collect even hence a strong argument against them , but i will referr it . sect . xiv . mr. hookers argument out of st. hierome answered . at the last hooker comes to that canvased place of st. hierome , and here he begins to boast of antiquity ; if ( saith he ) we look to ancient times , that prime place of hierome ad evagrium shews the charter whence all the authority is derived , unum ex se electum in altiori gradu collocarunt , quem episcopum nominaverunt . this piece of st. hierome somewhat amazed me upon the first view of it , not but he was a man , and might by passion be somewhat transported ; but although i have read it in him before , and often urged in the school , yet me thought not in such significant words . to understand him therefore , conceive that he writ this epistle to evagrius against a custom that had crept into the church of rome , as it seems , that some men did pref●rre deacons before presbyters ; this i can guesse to happen upon the rise of cardinal deacons , which began to flourish in those days ▪ upon this st. hierome magnifies the presbyterian order , shews how presbyters and bishops were one , and were called by the same name in scripture , which elsewhere he affirmeth likewise , and there he seems to make the difference betwixt a bishop in respect of jurisdiction , not to be as two orders , but gradus in ordine ; and therefore he saith , that in alexandria which was founded by st. mark , in the time of heraclius and dionysius , presbyteri semper unum ex se electum in excelsiori grad● collocatum episcopum nominabant . but presen●ly he makes a bishop in the same epistle like a general in an army , and yet comes off , quid enim facit episcopu● exceptâ ordinatione ▪ quod non facit presbyter ; and at the conclusion of that epistle , compares bishops , presbyters and deacons , to aaron , the inferiour priests and levites . whence it abundantly appears , that not only st. hierome otherwhere , but even here opposeth these men expresly in the case of ordination , and surely evidently enough in the business of jurisdiction , comparing the bishops to generals and aaron ; but then mark these mistakes in his quotation , where he puts collocaverunt for collocatum , as if the presbyters had given him his place or dignity ; when it is no more but this , that from st. marks time down-ward the presbyters of alexandria had one chosen out of their presbytery which was elected above the rest , and called bishop , which was , that their bishop was chosen among them , whether by them or no , i dispute not now . so that this epistle of hierom being read , and this place considered , i know no reason why it should be urged against their power of ordination or jurisdiction ; first , because this was the practice only of a particular church , and as he disputes concerning rome in the same epistle , may much easier be objected to alexandria , si authoritas quaeritur , orbis major est urbe . and again in the same epistle , quid mihi praeter unius urbis c●nsu●tudinem ? this might be : but i yield not that there is any force to this purpose out of st. hieromes phrase , but only that they had one elected out of their number which was placed in an higher degree , and called a bishop , not naming who ordained him , or who elected him ; but suppose they should elect him , would it follow that they had power of ordination ? certainly no ; the people or patron may elect their parson , but not ordain him : or , if they should elect and ordain him , which will never be granted ; yet would it follow , that he had jurisdiction and sole power of ordaining others : a master of a colledge is elected to his office by the fellows , and ordained according to the lawes , yet unlesse by authority delegated from him , no fellow can choose , much lesse make the least fellow or scholar in the house . take st. hieroms instance ; the emperor or general of an army dies , in his place the army chooseth and constitutes another emperor , as often happened in rome , when they had made their election , then he had power both of jurisdiction in governing them who chose him , and of ordaining inferiout officers which were under him , but over the rest of the army : so that although it be true in nature , that which can do the greater , can do the lesse ; yet it is not true in politick affairs , as thus . in an elective kingdom , or the empire , they who have power to choose the emperour himself , yet , when they have chosen him , have not power to choose the least constable or inferiour officer , but the emperor only : so that here are wonderfull inconsequences in this discourse , if much more were granted than indeed is any way true ; and yet , as if all were true , he deduceth strange conclusions ; whence it followes ( saith he ) first , that bishops were first presbyters : i grant it ; secondly , that they had their first constitution and election from them : i deny that proposition ; first , st. paul and the apostles constituted many bishops in their several precincts , timothy , titus , many more : then i deny the consequence or dependance it hath upon the premisses ; ●or although all that were true in alexandria , yet that is no rule to the whole world , besides that the same method was used any where ●lse , which is apparently grosse ; his next deduction is as bad , ergo , ( saith he ) presbyters had their rise and ordination before bishops ; if they had , what would follow ? it is possible the apostles might make presbyters first , and chuse and make bishops out of them , if not , the apostles we have , and shall prove were bishops , who were before presbyters . he saith , if they can give ordination to bishops , they may to presbyters ; both the proposition and the deduction have been confuted already . last of all , he deduceth , they who have the same commission , have the same power from christ. but they all have the same commission , john . . prout mis●● me pater , ego mitto vos ; i put the words , as he doth , in latine , it was said to all the apostles equally , and to all their successors indifferently . i deny that the plenipotence spoken there was spoken to all that succeeded the apostles in any part of their o●fice ; there are diverse things communicated to one , which were not to another , according to their very doctrine , only bishops succeeded them in their fulnesse of power , in ruling , and giving orders ; and therefore these are bold conclusions , which are only spoken , not proved by him . sect . xv. the truth explained . i have done with his arguments , and now apply my self to se● down what i conceive ●it to prove my conclusion , which is , that there was such a thing as episcopacy setled by the apostles in the church ; if i had no other reason , ●t might perswade men easily to credit it , because that the church in the old law seems to be governed by such a discipline , where ( as i said out of st. hierome ) there was aaron , the priests and the levites ; for although this argument be not necessary , yet because the wisdom of god is not to be parallel'd in polity so well as nature , it should be reasonable for men to think , that where is no ground for a difference in this second church under the new testament , from that former under the old , there god should not vary in the discipline ; and , i think , no man can shew me a reason for such a difference : either that men are more united , or that the church doth require a lesse union now , than then ; which two , as they are the heads from which we enforce episcopacy in that matter of government : so they must be the heads from which any strong argument of force must be deduced , to shew the difference . this being so , it is fit for us to conceive , ( without strong reason against it ) that there is such a conformity , especially if to this be added the great uniformity and convenience that the ancient levitical law had to our ecclesiastical ( which might abundantly be shewed ) in other things , without some language expressing a difference in a dubious case , it were ●it we should adhere to gods former practice . but then again , our saviour in his life-time hatching a church in embrione . he , as i have shewed , made two distinct orders , apostles , and the seventy , and these both preaching orders , without there were some main reason to the contrary , we cannot easily subscribe to another discipline , nor surely would have quarrell'd at that , but by reason of pride in themselves , that they would be all bishops , like the conspirators against moses , numbers . who being men of quality in israel , were not content to be princes in their condition , but would be equal to the supream ; so these men are not content with their rank , which is high and great in the church of god , unlesse they shall pluck down the highest of all ; and not be subordinate , but supream in their prelatical principalities ; or else , which is a spice of the same vice , there is amongst them an abhorring of obedience , which indeed is the mother and ground of all virtue ; and although they would have all their subjects obey them in an insolent manner , yet they would obey none other themselves : and for a countenance to this prid● and stubbornenesse study scripture , and wrest it to their purpose , which how weak it is for them , hath been shewed , how strong against them , i shall now urge . sect . xvi . my first argument from scripture to prove episcopacy . my first argument from scripture shall be thus framed , that government which the apostles did settle in their government of churches , that is apostolical . but the apostles did settle such an episcopacy as i require ; ergo , such an episcopacy is apostolical . my major ● conceive not to be denyed ; for , as i have shewed , we ought not to seek for expresse terms to shew that they made a law in such peremptory words , that this or this we enact perpetually for the government of all churches , this or the like is not to be found any where , nor doth any government pretend to it . there is no book unquestionable of their canons extant , but only registers of their acts , and certain epistles , which set down what they did do , and from that assure us what we should do . the first place i shall insist on , will be that i formerly touched , tit. . . for this cause left i thee in creet , that thou shouldest set in order the things that are wanting , and ordain elders in ev●ry city , as i have appointed thee . this text i have handled before , and have shewed that in more exp●esse terms st. paul could not authorize one man to that office , which we pretend to , than he did here ; i have spoken likewis● of that shift they have for it , to say he was an evangelist , and by that authority did act these things ; to which i think may be irresistably objected , that it can no where be shewed that he was an evangelist ; and dly . it can no wher● be shewed that an evangelist had such an aut●ority belonging to his off●ce ; and therefore that must needs be but a weak refuge to fly unto : a second shift of some is , that this commission was gi●● to titus but in common with others , as one of the presbyters , conjunctim ▪ not divisim , joyned with them , not severed 〈◊〉 them ▪ but by such tricks men may cast off all scripture ; but 〈◊〉 i would have them shew me where ever there was such a commission given to a presbytery , which they can never do . secondly , let them consider , it would be as safe , nay much safer , for me to say , that power given to the presbytery , must be by the sole virtue of association with the supreame , as they can , when i shew a commission given to one man , say it is meant of him in the company of others , and the more agreeing to sense ; because when this commission is granted , it implyes at the least that he must be of the quorum , which to none others could be enforced : and again , when we read such a precept given to any man , it must be understood , that he must have power to execute that authority , which certainly if he could only act in commission with others , he could not ; because suppose st. paul chargeth him to ordain elders in every city , such , and so qualified , he might answer , in many cases the others will not joyn . suppose he should stop the mouths of deceivers , it is likely the great deceivers would be amongst the presbytery themselves ; he can do nothing without their consent , which is nothing of himself ; not he , but they therefore must have the charge given them ; for he is not , by these men , capable of performing it ; and as for their charge , it is no where given : upon these reasons , i cannot see a possible colour to avoid this text , but that titus had such a commission episcopal , as episcopacy is taken with us . sect . xvii . a second argument to prove episcopacy . my next place shall be out of tim. in which we may discern the same commission , as fully delivered as before concerning ordination , chap. . . lay hands suddenly on no man. the qualities of the persons upon whom he should lay on hands , described chap. . from vers . to . for this all may be said as was before in the case of titus ; here is a command and direction to ordain the clergy officers given to one man , and therefore by the way of episcopizing ; it was a strange unlucky violence to the text which the glosse of beza gives : do not lay hands ( saith he ) upon any suddenly , quantum in te est , as much as in thee lies ; for ( saith he ) this power was not in timothy alone , but an election being made by the consent of the whole church ; the priest a chief man in the name of the presbytery , by imposition of hands , did consecrate him who was chosen to the lord , is not this a strange abusing of the word of god , and forcing it to serve mens carnal designes ; st. paul bids him not do it suddenly , that supposes he could and should do it , beza saith , he cannot do it not at all , but is only the mouth of the rest , he hath no power to do any thing more than another ; but never shews any reason for what he saith , but referres the reader to chapter th . ver . th . where timothy is said to receive the power by the imposition of hands of the presbytery , of which i have spoken somewhat already , and god willing shall more hereafter ; but what is all this to the purpose ? timothy is commanded , therefore he could do it , yea , he is commanded not to do it suddenly ; therefore he could do it both wayes , leasurely and suddenly ; and he himself , in his short notes upon the same text , saith , that the command is , neminem antistes leviter ordinato , do thou bishop , for so antistes is often used , do thou ordain none lightly ; but this exposition hath no colour for it , nor could st. paul properly speak more distinctly ; for it had not been according to the usual language of men , to say , do thou alone do this , when a man is authorized to do any thing ; or , do it by thy sole power : they are not languages used , nor do we use to bid a man do any thing which he cannot act alone , but bid him joyn with others in doing , such others who are necessarily co-operators with him in the work he is to do . sect . xviii . episcopal jurisdiction proved . for his jurisdiction i need not speak much , all that epistle is full of it ; only ● will touch upon one place , which being me thinks of great brightnesse in it self , will serve likewise to give light to the rest , and that shall be , tim. . , . against an elder receive not an accusation , but before ( or , as the margin , under ) two or three witnesses ; vers. . them that s●n , rebuke before all , that others also may fear . from whence thus i discourse : timothy was capable of receiving accusations against presbyters , or not receiving , which is a great piece of judicial authority ; he was likewise authoritatively to rebuke or correct presbyters , in such sort , as if they were sinners , and guilty of the accusation laid to their charge , that others by their punishment might learn to avoyd their faults do these things sound like fellow presbyters without a superiority of jurisdiction ? can one fellow presbyter censure another , or he who is barely a temporal speaker or mouth of the rest ? this seems to me as full as could be , how his authority was not like presbyters , only over their flock , but like a superiour shepherd over inferiours . but here , with some more colour , in the case of timothy they plead he was an evangelist ; because , tim. . . he is bid do the work of an evangelist , and therefore , by the prerogatives belonging to that office , he might do these works of jurisdiction ; surely , although he was bid do the work of an evangelist ; yet that may ●e without being one ex officio . an evangelist is nothing but either a writer or a preacher of the gospel ; so that , do the work of an evangelist , is no more , but preach the gospel : and i cannot ●●nd one man among the ancients that makes timothy an evangelist by office ; but , i do find st. chrysostome upon ephes. . peremptorily saying , that both timothy and ●itus were not evangelists ; and i find no one man among the ancients , nay i may adde beza himself , or calvin , no one man making it a part of an evangelists office either to give orders , or the power of jurisdiction . but these later make them a subservient office to the apostles ; and if we should allow that , what more proper service than that their name implies , to preach the gospel about with them , as they travelled ? so that it seems to me , that these writers when they utter such things , being learned men some of them , and reasonable , cannot deceive themselves with those shadowes , but think to drive on their design with the people , who ●earing the name of an evangelist , and not knowing what it is , imagine any thing of it what they please to insinuate , which in this particular is , that an evangelist had some transcendent power over presbyters , both to ordain and govern them , which was not communicable to others ▪ but they never shew , that any such authority is assigned them , or any such duty exacted from them . well , it appears that timothy had episcopal jurisdiction , as well as titus , and this name evangelist given by them for this occasion only is but a meer illusion , i shall here therefore for a while leave st. pauls epistles , and go to st. john , in the revelation , chap. . vers . . the seven stars are the angels of the seven churches . sect . xix . the revelation asser●ing episcopacy . here these angels were such men as had episcopal jurisdiction , appears most reasonably to any indifferent reader , upon these grounds ; first , because this word ang●l , as i have shewed , hath in its own signi●ication genuinely the same sense with apostle , and therefore may well be fitted to the same office ; and as that was never applyed to any under a bishop ; so neither this , as any man can shew me in the whole new testament . that it is a name likewise appropriated to spirits sent about apostolical employments , and endowed by god who sends them with apostolical authority : so that then , whether angel be applyed to spirits , or men , it will in both or either receive this common sense to be understood , that these persons , whether spirits or bodies , have divine authority to act those things they are employed about : now then , thus the word being of such a sense , and no where otherwise understood , we may from hence think it most reasonable , that this name should be affixed to such men ; nor do i find any man adventuring to shew any place where this word doth lesse than signifie a bishop . then let us consider , that they are called after in the second chapter , the angel of the church of ephesus , the angel of the church of smyrna , &c. which being great and populous regions , could not reasonably but have many presbyters in them , and then to write to one angel ( if the name angel did stoop so low as presbyter ) were to write to no man knew whom , because there were so many there ; but if angel ( as it is ) be understood of one in an higher and more exalted state than the rest , who might be known by this name angel , as peculiarly due to him ; then and then only we may understand who it is that is meant by it ; but if any man should allow nothing but scripture to prove so clear truth , and say there was but one presbyter in each of these churches , he may find that acts . ver . , . st. paul sent for the presbyters ( in the plural number ) of the church of ephesus , and when they were come to him he said to them ; still they and them , in the plural number . that text will require a further examination perhaps hereafter . in the mean time take this , because it is urged for a unity of office betwixt a bishop and a presbyter , from the th verse ; where st. paul saith , take heed to your selves and to all the flock over which the holy ghost hath made you overseers , that is , bish●ps ; then those that were called presbyters before , were called bishops afterwards : i have often said before , that the name bishop and presbyter , i conceive to be taken promiscuously in the new testament for the same office ; that the word apostle was solely that name which was used , by the way of propriety to that office , both to themselves who were originally such , and to those who by their appointment succeeded them ; but this is it i contend for , that amongst them which they made their successors , they gave to some of them a greater and fuller power than to others , both to govern , and to ordain , which since the church hath called bishops . now then from hence , whether there were many bishops in the province of ephesus , or many presbyters only , yet many there were , and these many were so inferiour to one , that he is called the angel , which name was so appropriated to him , as he might know to whom the letter was directed ; or else , as if a man should write a letter , and superscribe it , to the alderman of london , where are many , no man could know whither to send it , or who should receive it ; but if a man superscribe it to the mayor , every man knows who that is : thus must it be with these , he to whom this letter is superscribed must have this angelical condition so fitted to him that he must be known by that name , that name solely agreeing to him . but some here offer at an answer , that he might be like a mayor , have a superiour dignity above the rest , such as is notified by that name angel , which yet may not make a bishop such as we require . he may be a temporary governour such as the presbyterian allows , a president of a synod who this year governs , but the next resig●s his place , and when he is there he hath no more to do but regulate the synod , no greater authority than the rest . to both these in their order ; no temporary bishop or superiour , i am confident that i never read of any such thing , and therefore am perswaded , that no man can shew me out of ecclesiastical story , that any man was outed of his bishoprick , but for heresie , schism or gross impiety of life ; when men have grown , through old age or infirmities , otherwise incapable of ●xecuting their office , they have had coadjutors and helpers in their office , but not been deposed , but by death , or some such occasion as before described ; and those that by ecclesiastical story were reckoned bishops of these places , at this time are recorded to dye bishops . and it seems a mighty selfishnesse to me , that any man should oppose his reasonlesse conjectures against all story , when indeed these epistles cannot be expounded but by story , as in particular , the th verse of the d . chapter , where speaking to the angel ( or bishop i may call him most con●idently ) of the church of pergamus , he commends him , because thou hast not denyed my faith , even in those days wherein antipas was my faithfull martyr ; if a man would ask what commendation of his faith was this ? what was the excellency of it ? can any man answer me but out of ecclesiastical story ? where it is recorded , that after a long and pious life full of all virtue led in pergamus , he was in the dayes of domitian , for the testimony of his religion , put into a brazen bull , and in that bull burnt : now then this bishops faith was eminent , that in such a cruel and fiery tryal he kept his integrity , even in such a time when tha● horrid president of the death of antipas was set before him . thus , i say , ecclesiastical story is necessary for the exposition of these epistles , as you may find prophane story necessary for the exposition of the prophets in the old testament ; for a man then to talk of such an officer , concerning which there is no mention in the word , nor any in story , but a poem , a fictio● of their own imagination , is not like men that guided themselves by scripture , to undertake . i close therefore with the d . exception , which is , that their government was not such as is episcopal ; but only such as is the president of a synod , to direct the businesse , not command more than others , and this certainly the frame of these letters doth confute mightily , for they make the ang●ls responsible for the faults and heresies which were under the government , which they could not be , if they had only the authority of presidents , but not of bishops ; for a president of a synod hath no coercive power in himself , but as conjoyned with the rest of the synod , and involved : nor hath he any particular interest in the ruling or swaying the affairs of the church , but is the mouth of the synod ; therefore , although if he neglect his duty in the synod he may well be censured for it ; yet he cannot have the faults of the inferiour clergy or people layd to his charge in particular : take one instance in the th verse of the d . chapter ; the angel of the church of pergamus is censured , because he had them which held the doctrine of the nicholaitans , which christ hates : should any one ask why the president should be censured for these things ; he could answer , i am but one man , perhaps they can master me in the synod , i have nothing to do alone ; but a bishop who hath coercive power , and can both examine and censure any who are in his diocesse , he may be punished , because he did not oversee the flock of christ , over which the holy ghost had made him a ruler . and now here again discern the necessity of ecclesiastical story , to expound this scripture ; what , can any man tell , is the doctrine of the nicholaitans which god hates , and so we ought to hate , but by ecclesiastical story ? which sets it down to be as well in the error of opinion , the doctrine concerning the creation , that it was not by god ; as likewise that of practise , that it was lawfull to have wives in common ; now by ecclesiastical story we are taught , that these things were the nicholaitans opinions , and these are they which god abhorrs . and now consider , what fault would it be in the angel , that these things were he●d in his church , but that he had co●rcive authority to command , and hinder the proceedings of these opinions . a third exception is , that these epistles were written to the angels , the presidents , but by name , but to the whole synod by intention : so that although he direct his epistle but to one , yet it is intended unto all ; as when a man should send a letter to the speaker which is to be read in parliament . but this is confuted in the text most evidently , because all these things that are commended or censured in any of these epistles , are in the singular number : so chap. . vers . . i know thy works and thy labour , &c. thy , in the singular number , and so in the rest ; now if he had meant it to the whole synod , although directed to the president , it would have been your works ; nor could the speech be proper to say thy works , when the whole body was intended ; nay it is not imaginable , that those eminent virtues with which he and the other bishops are honoured should appertain to the whole assembly or synod of them : so likewise the fault he condemns that angel of , vers . . that he should forsake his first love , is not likely to be affirmed of the synod ; so it is most remarkable in the epistle to the bishop of smyrna , vers . . when he speaks of the rest , he changeth his phrase , the devil shall cast some of you into prison , and the like ; so likewise to the angel of the church of thyatira , vers . . to you i say and unto the rest in thyatira , as many as have not this doctrine , &c. here it is evident , that when the things concern others , he advertiseth the bishop to acquaint them with it , and he changeth his manner of speech , that notice may be taken what was personal to him , and what to others . thus you see with how much wit , and with what shuffling the intention of these scriptures hath been diverted , but to little purpose , among such as consider and weigh them . chap. viii . sect . i. concerning ordination . i come now at the last to handle ordination , because i find many things discussed about that , the clearing of which will conduce much to the opening my businesse in hand ; and then that being finished , i shall review my work , and if there appear any thing unsatisfied , i shall insert such discourses as shall be usefull to remove those scruples : mr. hooker undertakes this , where before , part . chap. . pag. . and in the handling of it , pag. . he proposeth these questions . whether . ordination be before election ? . ordination gives all the essentials to an officer ? . what this ordination is , and wherein lies the full breadth and bounds of the being thereof ? . in whom the right of dispensing it lyes , and by whom it may be dispensed ? i have put down his very words , and do intend ( god willing ) to handle all these questions ; but because he seems to me to follow an unjust method , i shall begin with his third question , to shew what that ordination is of which we dispute ; for till that be cleared , we dispute de non concessis , as he doth in this discourse . i will first examine his definition , because i will not multiply unnecessary contentions . he defines it thus . sect . ii. his definition of ordination confuted . ordination is an approbation of the officer , and solemn setling and confirmation of him in his office by prayer , and laying on of hands . in this definition , that which i can blame , is , first that which he makes the genus , to wit , an approbation of the officer . this is a prevenient circumstance , not an essential part constituting ordination ; first , men are approved , then ordained ; and although he calls it a description not a definition , which phrase abides a larger sense than definition doth ; yet even there this term is faulty , for it must be a description of ordination of which this is no part , no more than many other circumstances belonging to it . again , where he saith it is a setling and confirming him in his office. if by office he conceive a particular congregation , as by his whole discourse he seems to do ▪ then that is not large enough to contain that act which it is directed to ; for men may , yea must be ordained before they are setled in particular congregations : so that as his genus , approbation , on , precedes ordination , so setling thus in his office , is consequent to it ; last of all , the whole description is too wide for the thing described . he takes setling in his office in that sense i have shewed , for it agrees to the mission of barnabas and saul , acts . , . who were ordained before , as will appear after , and is yielded elsewhere by him . this description of his is page . where before . sect . iii. my definition set down and explained . his definition being thus briefly perused , now take mine . ordination is an act by which some man is constituted in some ecclesiastick order of divine institution . this i conceive to be a logical definition , for definitions should be as short as may be , so they be full , and explain the nature of the thing defined . the genus is an act in general which agrees to it , and diverse others ; the object of this act is a man ; the immediate effect and end it aims at is the constitution of an ecclesiastical order ; the explication of which will be the chief businesse to understand the whole definition : order is the disposition of things either accor●ing to their place or time ; for time , as yesterday , to day , order disposeth when it should be done , or in place , before , behind , at the right hand or the left , above , below ; now because there are many degrees in church affairs , where one is above or below another ; therefore , when any man is put into any degree of these , this is called a church order ; that which hath no degrees , but is where it was , is the lay sort of men ; these are ( as we speak in logick ) of individuums , they are not in serie praedicamentali . now therefore it is said ecclesiastical order , because there are orders which are not ecclesiacal , as kings , judges , &c. where there is a sub & supra in the common-wealth , but belong not to our businesse . again , because there are many ecclesiastick orders in the church of rome , which are not truly such ; but only additions of human invention , according as their church fancyed would conduce to the decorum of gods service , i adde this term of divine institution , which must be understood of divine apostolical constitution , and then it may again be put in these prases , that ordination is an act by which a man is constituted a minister , as at the beginning of this treatise the minister is defined , for the man ordained , and the minister before will be all one . and so now the nature of ordination being explained , i shall encounter with hooker in his first question , whether ordination is in nature before election ? sect . iv. ordination is not before election . in answering this question , we shall agree to say , no , it is not before election ; nor surely can it possibly be : for a man must be elected and chosen , as fit to be ordained , before he is ordained . but because mr. rutherford , as he expresseth it , page , doth conceive this election belongs to the people , and that ordination is like the making of a king , the election of the people like the giving and appropriating this ring to the finger , by choosing this man to this place , which hooker opposeth ; i shall quit my self from rutherford , and then apply my self to hooker : i say therefore , that first a man must be chosen , before he is ordained a pres●yter ; but it is not necessary he should be chosen by the people , there is no semblance of any such thing in the scripture ; nor indeed do rutherford or hooker exact it , but out of his mistake , that they suppose no man should be made a presbyter which should not at that instant or before be elected to some benefice of the which the people should be electors . sect . v. men may be ordained without the election of the people . now the contrary is most apparent in some case ; as suppose mr. hooker and mr. cotton were adjudged fit men for the conversion of the indians , they had need be sent with presbyterial a●thority , for else they could not have right authority to admit converted men into christs church , but the people to whom they were sent could not choose them , these men must be ordained presbyters before they are sent , and elected before ordained , but not by the people to whom they are sent , or the people , that is , the commonalty from whom they are sent , who are not capable to discern the fitnesse for such a work ; but their drift is , the people over whom they are to pastorize . thus then it is evident , that in some cases election of the congregation or church over which a presbyter is put , cannot alwayes precede his ordination . but suppose again , a company of christians whose presbyter is dead , in many cases they may elect one to be ordained , before he is ordained ; and in many cases they may elect one to this charge after he is ordained , ( supposing that the power of election were in them ) as thus ; in the first case they find an able and fit man , they desire to have him ordained ; in the second , they find an able man already ordained ( sine curâ , ) i put the cas● without exception ; as suppose his or mr. cottons congregation destroyed by enemies , cannot he be elected to another church , or if elected , must he have another ordination ? i believe he will not say so ; well then , in this question the answer must be , the election must precede ordination , but election to ordination , not election to a cure in the second sense ▪ election to a cure may and may not precede ordination . sect . vi. st. cyprian explained . in all hookers discourse upon this businesse , i find n●thing remarkable produced to confirm this conclusion , but some flashes against the papists , and then against the prelates ; but page . he brings certain quotations of authors , to which he assents , amo●g which there is only one worth the insisting on , and that is st. cyprian , out of whom , lib. . epist. . which is a true quotation according to the old , and erasmus his edition ; but according to pamelius , in epist. lib. . the words are , videmus de divina authoritate descendere ut sacerdos pleb● praesente sub omnium oculis delegatur , & dignus & idoneus publico judicio & testimonio comprobatur . this place he cites rightly , but what is here , but that the people must be present as they are at our consecrations , to this purpose , to know whether they have any thing to object against the man , or his life ; but here is no word of his election : and i must commend the ingenuity of the man ; for it is evident out of the following part of the epistle , that he meant no more , because his arguments inforce no more but the presence of the people ; yet indeed the words immediately preceding do seem upon the first view , to carry another meaning , they are these , speaking of the people ; quando ( saith he ) ipsa maximr● habeat potestatem , vel eligendi dignos sacerdotes , vel indignos recusandi , which words , if they be understood of more than a custom of the church which is confirmed by many canons , that there should be no clandestine consecration , as well as marriage ▪ but that the consecration of priests and bishops should be in the publick church , where any man may except against them if they have any thing to that purpose ; i say , if this potestas eligendi & recusandi , be more than this , which st. cyprians arguments do not enforce ; yet if there be more meant , it is nothing , but that the people did elect their sacerdos , which is understo●d of a bishop , as i have intimated heretofore , and is clear in this place , because the case disputed of , in which st. cyprian is consulted , is concerning a bishop ; now it is apparent in story , that many times it was indulged to the people to choose their bishop , especially abou● that age , wherein there was a kind of impossibility of doing otherwise ▪ when the world was divided into so many great schismes , and the emperors peremptorily abetting none , nor destroying any ; so that you might know three bishops together in a city , one orthodox , the other arian , another novatian ; now in these cas●s th● people chose their bishop when the old was dead , and adhered to whom they would when he was alive , unlesse the emperor interposed , as oft he did , or some council provincial , which likewise was used ; but for divine right , st. cyprian speaketh of nothing , but plebe praesente , they were chosen in the presence of the people , but to the benefice , whether bishoprick or parsonage , the electors have been various in all ages , and may be so ; there being nothing determined , by apostolical constitution , or practise ; yet there is nothing in all this that shews that election to a benefice must be before ordination , not the least word , but rather after ; for if it lies in the people to elect a worthy priest ( i so translate sacerdos ) to his benefice , then he must be a worthy priest before : for else it should be , they should elect a worthy man to be priest , not elect a worthy priest to a benefice , of which st. cyprian seems to speak , and which is his aym ; for his other quotations , they are of such men as are of little use with me , or with any their adversaries ; and therefore i trouble not my self to examine them . sect . vii . his argument from the election of deacons , acts . examined . at the last , he urgeth page , acts . about the election of the deacons that were chosen , first by the people , and after ordained by the apostles , i set down mine opinion of that act before , never dreaming then of this design , which it is aymed at here ; but what i said then , will serve my turn now ; first , that election was occasional , and therefore cannot be drawn to a president ; but when there is the like occasion . dly . it was to such an office which might easily fall under the cognizance of the people , to wit , the caring for the poor , and they might better discern the sufficiency of men for such a purpose , than the apostles themselves ; first then we see here falls to the ground , that if the people had this liberty in an under officer , there was much greater reason they should have it in an officer of higher degree , in whom they had greater interest , and by whose administration they were to receive greater good . this follows not , for this office was of such a thing as they might best know , the integrity of those men with whom they conversed ; but the other , of an higher nature , they could not be judges of so well : and therefore there is a diverse case , the people may be fit to choose a collector for the poor , a tithing-man , but can they be fit to choose a judge ? and indeed it favours of an high presumption , which his delight in this conceit transports him with , when he saith , as he doth in that page , that the liberty of the apostles in ordaining was not so great , as the peoples in choosing ; when the apostles had all divine authority from christ solely delegated to them , and the apostles did not only ordain these men but their very office it self . i may adde to this , that the people in this inferiour office did not authoritativè of themselves choose these , but by particular direction and command from the apostles . i have answered , as i conceive , all that he speaks concerning his first question , whether ordination or election be first ? he conceives it not much material ; and therefore concludes , the proof of this will appear in the explication of the other particulars , which he undertakes , and i will follow him . sect . viii . whether ordination gives all the essentials to an officer ? his second question is , whether ordination gives all the essentials to an officer ? in handling of which he examines two things . first , how farr the essentials of the ministry or minister may be given by man ? if they may be given and conveyed by man , by what means men may be said to do this , whether by ordination , or any other appointment of christs ? how their ministerial offices may be given by men . concerning the first of these , he makes his first conclusion thus ; there is a causal virtue put forth in a subordinate way by some under christ , to bring the formality or specifical being of an ecclesiastical office to a person or party that is called thereunto , or stands possessed thereof . alas ▪ what mighty words are these , and how easily might the businesse of this proposition have been expressed to the capacity of any reader , if he had said , there is some power under christ to constitute ecclesiastical officers ; there is no need of such high and difficult terms of causal virtue , formality , or ecclesiastical being , which do amuse a weak capacity , and no way satisfie an intelligent . the drift of his conclusion is to prove , that there is an outward call necessary to a minister , which , he saith , is by none denyed , but by anabaptists and familists , which folly and madnesse labours ( as he saith ) with the loathsomnesse of it self : so he contemns them , but truly they are now grown a considerable enemy ; but i let them passe to answer for themselves , which i am considen● they cannot justly ; and indeed i grant this whole conclusion , and let alone his proofs of it . but yet because he placeth a necessity upon it as surely is tru●h , i would ask , whether the necessity be not required out of the part of such as are to receive the pastor or elder ? and i am sure he must yield it ; for there is no reason men should receive such a p●stor who is not lawfully called , ( to use his own phrase ; ) but then why doth he despise the bishops seal and parchment in a box , as he speaks page . when there can be none other evidence to the people of his call , but this ? and again , because this is a● 〈…〉 a causal virtue , which he useth , i shall adde something 〈◊〉 explication of it , which he hath omitted ; there is a physical cause , and a moral cause . this word cause at the first reading sounds like a physical operation ; and although in his second conclusion he addes this term , instrument or means , yet that is not to be allowed in a physical notion ; for these powers in men have no physical influx into these effects , no not as instruments ; for , as the philosophers speak , an instrument hath its particular work in the effect : so a knife or axe , which be both instruments , have their several wayes of operation , though used by the same hand , and do their work according to their particular and proper dispositions ; but now these agents have no influence on the subject , but only as moral instruments ; as a hand and feal have no physical nature to pay a debt , but only a moral force , which is granted it by the law of the realm ; and from thence it hath this moral force , not a physical . of this nature i conceive this power granted to men to give orders , and it is founded upon that great commission ; as my father sent me , so send i you , with that authority to grant powers to other men ; so that the powers , the authority granted by them , are confirmed by god ▪ they having a moral causality to do such things which god will confirm , but they working not so much as instrumentally any physical effect . thus the conclusion being explained , i grant it , but in his handling of it , many things deserve censure ; for although he bragg at the top of the th ▪ page , that he will lend such help to the weakest reader , that he may lay his finger upon the several things ; yet indeed he is mightily perplexed and intricate , which i passe , and granting his conclusion , will not disturb his manner of handling it , only repeate what he saith at the bottom of the page , whoever in a compleat way hath received this outward call , he is then a compleat and true officer , and may act any part of his office , though not inwardly graced or fitted worthy of such a place or work by god ; this i put down , lest he may start from it hereafter , and so will passe it over , and proceed with the same succinctnesse to his second conclusion , which is p. . and is this . it is an act of power as an instrument or means under christ to give an officer the being of an outward call in the church . here an instrument being taken , as i expounded it before , a moral instrument : this conclusion hath truth granted likewi●e , and so i passe to his second head , pag. . by what means the essential of this power may be conveyed ? sect . ix . whether ordination doth communicate the essence to the outward call. his first conclusion is , ordination as it is popishly dispensed under the opinion of a sacrament , and as leaving the impression of an indelible character , doth not communicate the essence of this outward call. in the handling this conclusion , there are two thing● he insists upon ; first , to shew that the prelatical party are popishly affected in this doctrine ; dly , to dispute against the indelible character : for the first , he draws it from the answer in the catechism which is in the book of common prayer , where it is said , that there are only two sacraments as generally necessary to salvation , not as he puts it down , two only absolutely necessary to salvation , and then glosses on it , q.d. there are more , and those necessary , but not absolutely necessary . these are his words , which you see is a false quotation ; but because that ever-to-be-honoured book the common prayer is named , i will first vindicate that , and then proceed : know then , it is the first time that ever read the prelatical party accused under that notion , that the common-prayer book held the doctrine of the church of rome , because it was the most authentique piece which expressed the doctrine and religion of the church of england ; ly . let the reader observe , that this word sacrament is a term not found in the new testament , but an ecclesiastical term taken up by the ●athers , and used by all christians for that thing which is ordinarily defined , a visible sign of an invisible and spiritual grace ; now if that have the notions which the word sacrament expresseth , then mr. hooker cannot deny orders to be a sacrament , because he grants an outward call to be necessary , which is an outward sign , and he grants the effect of that call to be the order given by it , which is an invisible grace , as grace is taken largely for gratia gratis data ; and yet the common prayer book is most true , which saith , there are two only generally necessary , that is , to all men ; for orders are not generally necessary to all men , as baptism and the lords supper are , but only to such persons as undertake such duties . let this suffice to have been spoken to that which he unnecessarily to his businesse or mine inserted . sect . x. of the character left after ordination . and such another pass●ge i shall have with his d . discourse , concerning the indelible character , a thing not material to his businesse , but only to vaunt and shew his reading in the school . ●or this understand , that this character that he and they speak of , is the relict of that gift of ordination , by which the ordained is enabled to do these duties he is ordained to . now that there is some such thing he must needs confesse , who discourseth of the causation of these essentials , which imports an effect , and certainly this effect must be permanent , remain in the ordained , or else he hath nothing in him which should authorize and enable him for those duties . now then , it is in vain for him to fustian the reader with the various opinions of the school ; whether this effect be a qu●lity or relation , and such unnecessary discourse , unlesse he could shew what it is , if not one of these , since he holds that it is somwhat , & i must needs say , that the worst of those writers hath done better than he , because those authors have expressed something with a guesse of reason to it , but he without reason to the contrary laughs at them all , and yet hath said so much as invincibly proves there is a character , but not said what . if it were pertinent to his or my discourse , i would insist upon it , but although he is tedious in such impertinencies , i will not follow him in them , it is enough that there is a character , something left in the person of a man , ( perhaps that is a righter phrase , than to say in either soul , or understanding , or will , unlesse for subjectum quo . ) but something there is left by that act of ordination , by which that man in whom it is left is capable to do those divine duties , whether this be delible or not , is not yet material to this question ; we will come therefore to his second conclusion , where will be new dispute . sect . xi . his second conclusion discussed . his second conclusion , is page . that ordination administred according to the method and mind of mr. rutherford ; namely , as preceding the election of the people , it doth not give essentials to the outward call of a minister . an uncouth kind of phrase doth not give essentials to the outward call ; no , it doth not , for it is the outward call of a minister , what 's that ? a deacon : he should have spoken clearly , as his meaning expressed afterwards is , and have said to a presbyter ; but his meaning is in clear terms , that without the election of the people to a cure of souls by no ordination preceding , a presbyter doth receive his being a presbyter : and this i oppose : his first argument to prove it is taken from acts . where it is said to the multitude , vers . . look ye out among you seven men , &c. contrary ( saith he● to their present practice . ver. . and the saying pleased the people , and they chose , and they set them before the apostles : his collection hence is . if none but those who were first elected by the people should be ordained , and all such who were so chosen could not be re●used , then to ordain before choice i● neither to make application of the rule , nor communion of the right in an orderly manner ; ( i set down his very words , lest it might be urged upon an alter●tion i spoyled his argument . ) but the first is plain from the place alledged . then he answers that seeming objection , that this is only concerning deacons . when ( saith he ) the reason is the same in both , and stronger in presbyters , because the people have a greater dependance upon the other , and are engaged to greater subjection to them , and to provide for their honour in a more especial manner . this kind of arguing forceth me to a repetition : conceive therefore that this instance being singular and occasional , cannot be fitly called a rule , which must give others , but only prudentially , when the like circumstances concurre ; ly . though the people may have a fitnesse to choose such an officer for such an employment as that was , the relief of the poor ; yet not ●it to choose such as should be their judges in spiritual things , and have authority over them , and guide them , and assist their souls to eternal salvation . but here he inserts an objection against himself , which he saith is ordinarily in the mouth of the prelates , and indeed deserves to be likewise in their heart , tit. . . for this cause have i left thee in creet , that thou shouldest ordain elders in every city , as i have appointed ; there the power of ordai●ing elders in cities is left to one man , not to the people . he answers ; the apostle did appoynt him to do this work , but to do it according to his mind , and in the order which christ had instituted , and of which he had given him a precedent pattern . ( to skip unnecessary discourse ) acts . . when they had created them elders in every church , or ( as the geneva reads it ) when they had ordained elders in every church by election , and prayed and fasted , they commended them to god. ● first , this text i have sufficiently examined before , but now must make application again in this businesse , it is urged , for titus was bid do it , that is apparent ; and no doubt if our saviour had instituted any particular way of doing it , that would have been implyed in st. pauls command , it should be done that way , and none other ; but neither he nor any man living can shew me any way prescribed by our saviour ; therefore that was in vain . dly . for st. pauls own practice , it might be various upon diversities of occasions , and therefore if he had urged that , he would have said , as thou hast had me for an example at such a time ; but this is not shewed for this particular . take the geneva reading , that the ●lders were ordained by election , yet let us consider what election can be meant there , certainly that election of which i have formerly d●scoursed , which must precede ordination , an ●lection of paul and bar●abas ; for if we will mark the story at the beginning of this chapter , they were both frighted by the persecution from iconium , then they fled to ●ystra , in the th verse , you may observe st. paul stoned at lystra and iconium , where they ordained elders in every church , by election , saith the geneva ; suppos● it . but can it be imagined that such concourses of people , which according to these men should be the electors of their elders , durst assemble together in places where the persecutors were powerfull ; without an uproar this could not be imagined ; and therefore no other election can be understood , but that of the apostles , that they chose whom they thought hittest , and dismissed them to their parishes ; and yet i am confident that geneva reading cannot be enforced out of the original , as i shall more largely discourse elsewhere , god willing ; and if that reading were true , yet you see what election must be understood ; for although if these apostles barnabas and paul had been in quiet places , and ordained these men for those quiet places they were in , there might be some colour ; yet since they were in places of hot persecution , and this phrase every church , implies all those adjacent church ; it necessar●ly follows in a moral necessity , that this election was made by the apostles , and not by those churches , who could not there be then assembled in such full companies as would become such a duty ; and herein observe a strange license of expounding scripture , to abuse a cle●r and evident text by wresting it with a glosse ( according as he had done before ) to a dubious text ; yea such an one as cannot be expounded to their sense without violent partiality . but he urgeth at the latter end of this argument , that this was the apostles mind and meaning in this charge to titus , the words of the text shew ; for it is added , that he should redresse things that are amisse : and ( saith he ) must not this be done by the officers , and the church also , according to the rule of christ ? i reply , there is no rule of christ given , which saith so , he should have shewed the rule , for that which perhaps may be aimed at ; our saviours rule , tell the church , must be understood of the church officers , it can have no other sense ; for the church totally , for every person cannot ordinarily be assembled , and totally can never , but the church quoad hoc , for this purpose in its officers , and no other way ; and therefore the rule was given to him , and him only , to redresse such things as were amisse . sect . xii . his second argument answered . his second argument in the bottom of page . is thus framed : it is not the scope of ordination , by god appointed , to give the essentials of an officers call ; therefore from thence it is not to be expected in an orderly way . he supposeth the consequence undeniable , and therefore undertakes only the proof of the antecedent , for which he cyphers out that place , tim. . . neglect not the gift which is in thee , which was given thee by prophesy , with the laying on of the hands of the presbytery , out of this he would prove his conclusion ; he therefore in the fear of god ( as he speaks ) addresseth himself to the consideration of three things . what the gift is here said to be in timothy ? ly . how it was given by prophesy ? ly . what the laying on of the hands of the elders was , and why used ? in the search of which he spends many pages , page . he begins , and ends page . i will draw the summe of what he saith ; for the first 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 , rendered gift , he after discourse of diverse acceptations , conceives page . that those spiritual graces and abilities with which timothy was enabled to do his great work of his supposed evangelizing are meant ; but before i go further , here he contradicts himself ; in the beginning of page . where he produceth this and this only place to prove that ordination is the work of the whole presbytery ; but here he distinguisheth the abilities from the office , as contradistinct expositions . for the d . term , what was meant by ( given by prophesy ) he first discourseth impertinently of the office of an evangelist , to shew it was extraordinary ; yet sometimes given by means , neither of , which hath any foundation in scripture : that he saith , philip was made an evangelist immediately , without the mediation of man , hath no one word of scripture for it , but only acts . where he is called an evangelist , but not described which way authorized , either immediately or mediately . for the d . that one should be made an evangelist by the ordination of men , he produceth this text , where there is no word of scripture nor exposition of any antiquity , which saith , that he was by this ordination made an evangelist , but antiquity , theophylact , and abundance ▪ say bishop . again , he confesseth it , against his own exposition of this word gift , which before was only ability , but now must be both ability and office : so hard a thing is it for error to be constant , and to raise a strong building upon a tottering foundation . then he proceeds , which is most pertinent to his intent , to shew what is meant by prophesy ; and concludes , pag. . that prophesy is taken here for a dictate of the spirit to the apostle to ordain timothy . i will not oppose this , as not prejudicial to this cause . then he comes to his d. term , eldership or presbytery , which he saith , notes not the office , but officers ; i will yield it , although unconstrained to it : then he sayes , that this imposition of hands added not to the constitution of timothy his office , gave not essentials thereunto , but only a solemn approbation : i will yield it , but not his reasons ; that which was ( saith he ) beyond the power of the presbytery , that they could not communicate ; but to give the essentials to timothies place was beyond the power and place of the presbytery : where can he read that ? he proves it , because his office was extraordinary , and theirs ordinary : by this office extraordinary he intends an evangelist , i suppose , which he cannot prove to be an extraordinary office. much inconstancy is in this discourse , just now he brought this instance , to prove that an evangelist might be called by the mediation of men , now he is above their reach ; and then his second reason confounds this ; for , he saith , he hath proved , that an office was not meant by this , but by gift was meant an ability to do it . a strange uncouth way of argument . he concludes , pag. . the outward gifting and fitting an officer to his place , especially extraordinary , as beyond the power and place of a presbytery . but the first is here . this is most fearfull incongruous stuff to abuse readers with ; who can but guesse by his unusual language there is something in it , but he cannot tell what . who can tell what that is which he calls the outward gifting and sitting an officer for his call ? i thought this gift here spoken of had been an inward ( as he calls it elsewhere a gracious endowment of the soul ) which enabled him to serve god in his bishoprick , which gift was bestowed upon him , as st. paul describes , not an outward thing , nor can any man imagine what that outward thing should be . then he draws this conclusion , that the sense of the place is , despise not those gracious qualifications which god by his spirit in the extraordinary way of prophesy hath furnished , and betrusted thee withall , the laying on of the hands of the eldership by way of consent and approbation concurring therewith , to thy farther incouragement and confirmation in this work . now suppose all this were true , will this prove , that the scope of ordination by gods appointment , is not to give the essentials of an officers call , which was his antecede●t to be confirmed from this text , there is no manner of coherence betwixt these two propositions ; suppose this were not an ordination of timothy to an office , yet doth this prove that the word of st. paul , tim. . . by the laying on of my hands , mark the phrase 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 , as i before observed , and indeed he now observes out of didoclavius ; ( although i wonder what use they can make of it against us , though perhaps it may be of force against mr. rutherfords presbyterian ordination . ) i say , all this doth not prove , that timothy was not ordained by st. pauls laying on of his hands ; or if it did , doth it prove that timothy was not ordained at all , because we do not read of it ? or , that he could not ordain without a prae-election of some congregation to a cure , when he is commanded , tim. . . not to lay hands suddenly on any ? these things are all silently passed over , and the inference from the tedious vaunting discourse can be nothing to this purpose : whosoever will read it ●t large , with these notes , must needs loath it as unreasonable . his inferences pag. . are without all relation to the former discourse ; hence it is plain ( saith he ) that ordination therefore prae-supposeth an officer constituted , doth not constitute . the rest are like this , in which there is no manner of dependance betwixt the antecedent and the consequent : so that i cannot imagine , that a man of so fine words could have so little reason , but that these things were fragments found in his study , and crowded into this place . sect . xiii . his third argument answered . his third argument , is , that action which is common to persons and performances , or imployments , and applyed to them , when there is no office at all given ; that action cannot properly be called a specificating act to make an officer , or give him a call. but the act of imposition of hand● is applyed to persons and performances as special occasion is offered , when there is no office given , nor intended ; therefore it is not an act which gives in the essentials to an officer . consider , in this argument , how it never enforceth the conclusion which he is to prove . his conclusion is this , ordination , a● preceding the election of the people , doth not give essentials to the call of a minister . now instead of ordination he brings in only an outward ceremony , which is imposition of hands ; as if a man disputing of the efficacy of the lords supper , should say , other men may take bread and bre●k it which do not communicate ; for such , and such only is the force of his argument , imposition of hand● is used in such acts where orders are not given ; therefore the essentials are not given by the imposition of hands . to understand this therefore , conceive , that imposition of hands may be and hath been used in apostolical times , for other purposes than this , for confirmation ; and in that instance he gives , acts . , , . it was a confirm●tion of that mission of paul and barnabas . now although imposition of hands be sometimes taken for that most holy rite which we call confirmation , as acts . . and sometimes for this holy mystery of giving o●ders , as we have had it oft repeated in this discourse , or some expression of a designment to a particular duty , as in this place acts . yet we find the adjacent cirumstances easily ●ixing a mans understanding upon which particular he should look , and breaking of bread is an action common to diverse occasions , yet is sometimes used in scripture for the communion : so likewise imposition of hands , which is used in other duties , is sometimes particularly proposed to signifie ordination , although it be used in other religious duties , and be but a ceremony of this ▪ yet it is a ceremony used by the apostles , and pointed out by st. paul , lay not hands negligently on any man , to timothy as before ; and therefore argues a spirit of opposition in the church of scotland , which , as hooker saith , reject this ceremony , and use it not in ordination : well , there is no force in this argument to prove his conclusion , but only that imposition of hands is a ceremony common to other duties , which i grant , and passe to his next . sect . xiv . his fourth argument answered . his fourth argument is ; if ordi●ation give the essentials to an officer before election , there may be a pastor without people ; an officer sine titulo , as they use to speak , and a pastor should be made a pastor at large ; the rest is nothing but an application to mr. rutherford's simile of a ring , which concerns not us : but this argument of his invites me to speak of a pastoral ordination , which will perhaps give farther illustration to the whole body of this discourse : a pastor and a ●lock are relatives , and do mutually se ponere & tollere ; where one is , the other must be ; where one is not , the other cannot be . now then , to be made a pastor , will require to have a flock ; this shall be presupposed : and again , every pastor hath not all pastoral offices . i can well suppose a mighty great flock which requires many shepherds , but one chief above the rest , he hath all pastoral offices ; folds , feeds , drives to field , prescribes p●stures , medicines , and doth all this by the supream pastoral power that is granted him , either by his own hands , or by the ministry of those inferiours which are under him ; but they have partial authorities , only to feed or ●old , or catch or drive , as their several shares are d●signed ; the second part of the division of the pastoral charge , these men must grant , who divide their governours into several offices , pastors , teachers , rulers , which have their several duties assigned them , and it is most unreasonable for them to deny the first , that one should have superiority over the rest , since as reason would direct , without some body to over-look and attend them , they would easily entrench upon one anothers duties , or neglecting their own , invite those others to put their hands to their work ; and what this reason directs , that i think i have shewed the scripture likewise crowns with its approbation : now the first sort of pastors are those we term bishops , the second presbyters ; the flock they are to feed is the church of christ , when they are admitted pastors , and so ordained according to their several duties ; that which hooker page . brings out of one mr. best , as if st. austin or some general councel had d●creed it , is absolutely to be denyed , namely , that an apostle differeth from a pastor , that the apostle is a pastor throughout the whole christian world ; but the pastor is tyed to a certain congregation , out of which he is not to exercise pastoral acts. this i deny , if he affirm it by divine right ; but if by ecclesiastical authority only , which hath designed particular bishops and presbyters to particular places , i shall yield much of it . for the first part , concerning the apostles , know , that their commission was universal , as it is set down , mat. . . go teach all nations , &c. and john as my father sent me , &c. and we must conceive this to be divisim , not conjunctim only , every one had all this power , not all only ; nor as bellarmine would have , lib. . de romano pontifice , cap. . st. peter only and the rest from him , for we see the commission granted to all ; but yet we must know , that their authority was habitu or potentia only , in every one , it was not act● in any , they might episcopize , apostolize in any place of the world : they did episcopize , apostolize only where they were r●sident ; just as i have conceived , if adam had lived in his integrity , every man had had an habitu●l and potential royalty over all the creatures in the world , yet he would have exercised that royalty only where he lived , yet he might have travelled any where , and have justly enjoyed any part of the world , although actually he could possesse but his share ; now this was the jurisdiction of every apostle in all the whole catholick church , habitually , not actually , as the church of rome would have their apostolical man as they call him , the pope , and all this was necessary for them as apostles , which is , men sent for the propagation of the gospel , to the planting and confirming of churches , other powers they had of languages , of miracles , which were necessary to the first plantation , but no longer ; and therefore they were not peculiar to them , but others had them besides , as likewise that mighty power of being inspired to write scripture , which did not appear in all of them ; and some others besides them had that power , as st. luke and marke ; and some think st. james to be the bishop of jerusalem who writ that epistle . but now of those which were the apostles , it is evident that these gifts were not apostolical , as belonging so to them as apostles , and it will appear in the other cause , that the bishops succeeded them in every thing that was apostolical , although not in these extraordinary endowments , for the apostolical power of planting , setling churches , of propagating the gospel throughout the whole world , and enlarging the kingdom of christ , must remain for ever , and therefore , though the manner of doing it by such signs and wonders be not communicated , yet the office must ; and therefore he who is a bishop or presbyter by divine right , is such throughout the whole word ; to this purpose you may observe in that famous place of acts . . so much and so often canvased by them who handle these controversies in other points , but not thought on in this , you may observe , that st. paul speaking to divers presbyters or bishops , ( which you will ) he saith , take heed therefore to your selves , and to all the flock over which the holy ghost hath made you overseers or bishops , to feed the church of god which he purchased with his own blood . observe here that he spake to many , and diverse bishops or presbyters , ( i stand not upon th●t now ) he sp●ke to them in the plural number ; but when he speaks of the flock they were to pastorize over , he puts it in the singular number ; now if the holy gho● had made them bishops of particular congregations only , it must have been the flock , every one his several ; but being all made pastors of the catholick church , he names it one flock ; and so likewise to feed or sheperdiz● over , not the churches but the church of christ , which indeed were no way congruous , if the holy ghost had made them officers of particular churches , and confined them there , but making them officers of the vniversal church which christ had purchased with his blood , and all officers of that , it is rightly put in the singular number flock , and church . this likewise the holy ghost intimates , every where describing the church to us by the name of a ●ield , a vineyard , a city , and multitudes of such expressions , which as much as this of a flock intimate the unity of that body , which is his church , his ●lock , over which these are pastors in their several wayes , not only their little congregations . now the wisdom of the church , finding that although the potential and habitual power is universal , yet the actual cannot be exercised further than where they have some manner of residence , hath therefore restrained the execution of it in other places than where they have that residence , both to avoid confusion , which otherwise must necessarily arise out of the intermedling in other mens precincts , and likewise because the main scope of their endeavours may be applyed to that place in a near obligation , every one being for the most part worthy of the incumbents utmost labour . and this they did by the apostles own example , who appointed timothy , titus , epaphroditus , their several diocesse ; yet we must further concei●e , that this alotment of the church is not such as doth lay any restraint upon the power given by the spiris , but directs it only ; for although a particular man may offend by intruding into another mans pastoral precincts , and officiating there , yet factum valet : so that if a bishop give orders in another mans diocesse , as was the famous case of epiphanius bishop of cyprus , in st. chrysostoms diccesse at constantinople , or a presbyter administer the communion in anothers parish , which is the common practice ; these things although done without leave from the peculiar pastor , are valid to the receivers , although punishable in the actors : yea , yet once again , although a man be placed in a pastoral charge , and shall either find upon his own certain experience , or the judgement of his superiours , that he can advance the glory of god , or improve his own commission by removing to another place , either for a time , as timothy and titus , and the rest beneficed in particular places , were yet upon urgencies of the publick good called aside from the more particular charge to the more publick , where they were employed ; or else , if their whole residence may more advance the general good of the whole flock , over which they are made overseers , they ought to remove totally to that great occasion : so when a man of great abilities shall be beneficed in a private corner , where perhaps lesse abilities would as well , if not better agree , it becomes him to be removed to a place better befitting his qualifications , or a man indowed with the strength of rational divinity , such a man to be sent to the propagating the gospel in the indies among the heathen , and he ought to endeavour to put himself into such an employment ; because he is a pastor of the whole flock for which christ dyed : so that now i think it appears manifestly , that an apostle and another pastor differ not in this , that one was an universal pastor , and the other a particular ; but contrarywise they are both habitually , or potentià , pastors of the whole word , actually pastorizing in some particular only . this caused all those admonitions from one bishop to another , of which the fathers are full ; this made sometimes contentions ; because it was the duty of every man that was a pastor to take care of the whole flock he is pastor over ; and therefore to endeavour their good : so that here you see his argument fully answered by a flat denial of his minor , he is not a pastor without a flock , nor an officer sine titulo , he hath title to the whole catholick church , he is pastor at large ; he hath a long dispute with mr. rutherford about preaching and administring the communion out of his own congregation , and the communication of sister churches , which touch me not ; yet i will give the reader a note , that whereas before he made preaching almost the whole act of a presbyter , he now seemes to make it no proper duty of a pastor , pag. , . but i let these things passe as not pertinent , and apply my self to his fifth and last argument , pag. . which is . sect . xv. his fifth argument answered . if ordination gives essentials to a pastor before election , then by that alone he hath pastoral power . against which he disputes thus , he that hath compleat power of an office , and stands an officer without exception , he cannot be hindred justly from doing all acts of that office ; but this is the condition of a pastor . ordained without the election of the people , he may according to rule be justly hindred from executing any act of a pastor . i could quarrel , were i pinched with this argument , with almost every word ; as first , the changing of the terms of that proposition he was to prove . in the proposition he was to prove the terms were , give the essentials of a pastor , now they are , a compleat power and an officer without exception . many things are essentially right which lack completion , and are not without exception : then again , where it was in his first proposition , a pastor before election ; here is added in his second , election of the people . but i insist upon this , upon which the ground of his argument is founded , that an ordained officer may according to rule be hindred from executing any part of his office , as he enforceth : suppose all congregations full . to which i answer , ordination doth not give the act , but the jus , or right to execute , and a man may have the essentials when these do not work : mark , mr. hooker was a pastor when asleep , and had the essentials of it , but not the operation : essentials do work their proper work , omnibus positis ad agendum requisitis : the fire it self , although it have the essentials of sire , cannot burn things too remote , or such things which are not combustible ; the reason is , that those things which are requisite to burning , as fit distance , disposure of the matter , are not rightly disposed ; i may say the same of the eye ; place the object too near , too far , in the dark , it cannot see ; the requisites to sight are not sittingly disposed , although the eye have all the essentials belonging to sight : so i may ●ay of a man ordained , if there be not a place , not any piece of the flock of christ which hath need of him , or having need he knoweth not of their need , or knowing their need , cannot by distance , or some such moral impediment come to supply then need , the circumstances required to his operations are so taken away that he cannot do the duties in act which he hath power to do . st. paul himself could not officiate any where where others of authority were labouring , yet he had authority and was ordained by god ; but saith he , if all places are full , he may according to rule , be hindred from executing any part of pastoral office , i would fain know by what rule the apostles were authorized by christ to preach to all nations , and so are all pastors by ordination , they have authority over the world , but are restrained by ecclesiastical law founded upon the law of nature , which forbids any thing to go into a full place , which with another law saith , deus & natura nihil faciunt frustra . and again , non sunt multiplicandae entia sine necessitate : so that when one looks to this part , then the other should not intermeddle without the first give way to him , yet he hath the power and can do the work of a pastor , when any place is empty , and he invited to it ; but yet consider , with me , he doth not only build who layes on the bricks , and mortar , or timber , but he who brings these materials , and helps to make the mortar ; yea chiefly he who steers the work , and directs this or that way : so is it in building this house , this city of god , his church . the builders may study to provide materials for it , and improve their abilities by study in the universities , and if they are not called thence may live there , and write such things as may direct the workers in this building , and by that rather build than they ; however they have such a power as may be reduced into act , when all circumstances are fit , which is enough to give the ●ssentials to an officer . and thus you see an answer to his arguments out of this discourse , conceive it applyed to that proposition , he that hath compleat power of an office and stands an officer without exception cannot justly be hindred from doing all parts of his office . this should have been , who hath the essentials of an officer , as i said before ; but let it run as it doth , i deny it slatly in these terms , ab actu ad potentiam non valet argumentum negativè , he can be hindred from working , therefore he hath not the power , doth not follow ; when a man sleeps he is hindred , and that justly , from working , yet is a pastor ; it is true , in nature ; it is true in moralty , that which hath essentially the power of working may be hindred in nature , you may put the light out of your chamber , which essentially hath power to enlighten it . in morality , he who hath the virtue of valour in a gallant and high portion , i speak of active valour , of military valour , as suppose our saviour himself , of whom this question is disputed in the school , he had all virtues in the highest degree , and yet for lack of opportunity to use this virtue , did never produce an act of this virtue . in policy the same , we have in england many barresters , learned men in the law , yea perhaps as learned as any pleaders , who by their degree of barresters have power to plead in any cause at any barr , yet because not entertained by clients , do not plead , yea cannot plead , are justly hindred from pleading ; the same footsteps of that axiom are evident in all practique businesses : so that that consequence , he may be hindred from working , therefore he hath not the power to work , is very weak , when the hindrance is without ; but if it be within that omnibus positis ad agendum requisitis in outward accommodations . if then he cannot do his pastoral duties , then it is an argument he is no pastor ; but his case is otherwise ; i say again , he who is a bishop or presbyter may officiate to the flock of christ any where throughout the world , when places are voyd , and opportunities given , otherwise not . thus you see i have enlarged my self upon this conclusion , which being little spoke of by others , required more discourse , and i hope not impertinent . he saith now , that he hath finished the negative part of his discourse : what it is doth not give the essentials of the call of a pastor ; and i think i have shewed he hath prevailed little in this , because he builds upon that false foundation , that a pastor must have a particular flock . then he comes to the positive and affirmative part , to shew what doth give the essentials , pag. . which i find is false printed , and should be pag. . as the former ● . sect . xvi . his conclusion , that the pastor rightly ordered by the rule of christ , gives the essentials to ordination , discussed . his conclusion is , election of the people rightly ordered by the rule of christ , gives the essentials to an officer , or leaves the impression of a true outward call , and so an office , power upon a pastor . this is the proposition he undertakes to prove ; and here i expected an explication of his terms , especially of that , what he means by leaves an impression ; for since he before had despised the schools for treating of an indelible character , not only for making it indelible , but for making it a character , and contemned both its being quality or relation ; i did justly expect he should expound what he means by this impression of an out-outward call , left in the receiver ; but not a word . it must certainly be one of those , either quality or relation ; for it cannot he substance , or quantity , and nothing else can pretend . but again , i expected he should have shewed , what was that rule of christ he spake of , which should order the election of the people , for without we know that , we dispute at random ; for that must be our sole guide ; and indeed , at the first blush , when christ is called and his rules to countenance any cause , it will stagger any heedlesse reader ; but be not troubled with it , christ never gave rule to the people to do any such thing , if he had , this man would have shewed it ; but the truth is , he did not , all the rules he gave were by his apostles , as before expressed , and therefore christ cannot countenance that cause with which he had not the least businesse to do : and therefore although the lawes of disputations would have required this at his hands , yet he wisely avoids them , and from his conclusion leaps into proofs of it ; the first of which is . sect . xvii his first argument answered . one relate gives being and the essential constituting cause to the other . but p●stors and peo●le , shepherd and flocks are relates . he introduceth not his conclusion , nor is it possible for him , out of these premisses ; for the natural result out of these propositions can be only , that therefore pastor and people give the essentials one to another , in which is not one full term of his conclusion . but i will examine his major , one relate gives being , &c. relationis esse est ad aliud , non ab alio ; and therefore relation , the whole predicament is termed by the translators of aristotle , ad aliquid , not ab aliquo , the whole being is a relation to another , not from another : it is true they cannot exist severed , without either is neither is in a relative notion ; yet so we may say an accident , it cannot be without its substance , yet that accident doth not give the essentials to the substance . so here you see were high amazing words to amuse the reader with , but no force to his purpose : it may happen indeed , that one relate may cause the other , for cause and effect are relates ; the father causeth the son , but the son doth not give essential being to a father , no not as a father , but that act which made him a father did it . i write this to let a reader see , that when propositions are delivered even by such a one as mr. hooker , who may have authority with the reader , and it may be thought will deliver nothing as an axiom , which is not such , yet men are as partial to their opinions as their children , and will expound every thing that comes in their way to the advantage of them , yea , it will seem so to them ; and therefore even these propositions are not to be swallowed without examination . but yet suppose this were granted , that one relate ( as he phrases it ) did give the essentials to another , would this prove , that the election of the people by the rule of christ did it ? certainly no : for the pastor and people are the two relates , not the pastor and election of the people ; people , and the election of the people are two things ; this latter an act of the former . he sayes mr rutherford seems to be much moved with this argument ; i have not seen his books , but by that i have heard of him ; it would be strange he should ; but i leave them together , and see what he urgeth for confirmation of this argument which may concern my businesse ; pag. . he saith , the proposition is supported by the fundamental principles of reason , so that he must raze out the received rules of logick that must reject it ; high language ! but why so , i ask ? he answers immediately , relata sunt quorum unum constat mutua alterius affectione ; this is non-sense ; for should i ask , if vnum , which of the two ? he could not answer , the reason is , because as relates there is the same reason of one as of the other ; but i think he means utrumque ; but consider then , what is this to his purpose ? suppose they did consist in a mutual affection one of another , could one properly be said to give the essentials to the other ? the father indeed gives the essentials to his son , and father and son do mutually as father and son depend upon a reciprocal affection , as he calls it , one upon the other , but the son cannot be said properly to give the essentials to the father , no not as father , because all he hath he hath from his father ; as suppose again a master and servant are relates , neither of these give the essentials one to another ; but properly that covenant which engaged them in their mutual duties , that covenant gave them the essentials of that relation , not one another ; and therefore this discourse , though he think it very evident , yet begets no acceptance in me , although declared with the name of a fundamental principle : that which he deduceth , that relata are simul natura is most true , but not deduced , yea it is against that principle he deduceth it from , for that which constitutes anothers being is prius natura to that which is constituted , but these are simul , and therefore cannot give essentials one to another . his assumption , that pastor and flock are relates , no man ( saith he ) that hath sip'd in logick , can deny ; i grant it : then ( saith he ) the conclusion follows , but he sets not down what ; i am sure his doth not , that this election gives the essentials to an officer , in the conclusion he saith , hence again it follows , that ordination , which comes after , ( he means election , ) is not for the constitution of the officer , but the approbation of him so constituted in his office , for relata are unum uni , saith the rule ; there is no connexion in this neither ; and for unum uni , that must be understood in that particular relation , a father may have many sonnes , and so one to many , but there are distinct paternities , and the logicians say , that although absolute accidents numero tantùm distincta , cannot exist in the same subject at the same time , yet relative may . so one flock may have many pastors , the catholick church a thousand visible ones , invisible only christ. the church of rome would desire no more , but that you grant , one ●lock must have but one pastor ; they will quickly prove the catholick church one flock , and then will follow , the pope to be the universal pastor ; for none else pretends to it ; but indeed they themselves grant many pastors to the same slock , for their teachers are pastors , and their lay-elders have pastoral authority of governing . but now punctually after a long discourse : a paster and flock are relates , there may be many pastors to one flock ; where the flock is great there must be ; the flock of christ is the vniversal church , in which he hath placed many pastors , and there is no christian man who is a member of christs flock , wheresoever he is , in the world , and finds any pastor , but he may receive and require the duty of a pastor from him , and he ought to give it him . again , there is no pastor wheresoever he is in the world , if he find any of his masters flock in any place who have need of him , but he ought , out of duty , if he can to supply his lack . and thus are the mutual bond● and relations betwixt christs pastors and his flock supplyed ; as soon as he is made a pastor , the church of christ is his flock ; and which way he can advance the good of it , he ought , and i● bound in duty to do it . his second argument answered . and so i passe to his second argument , which is this ; it is lawfull for a people to reject a pastor upon just causes , ( if he prove pertinaciously scandalous in his life , or haeretical in his doctrine ) and put him out of his office ; ergo , it is in their power to call him outwardly , and to put him into his office. the consequence is plain from the staple rule , ejusdem est instituere ( he would say i think ) & destruere . the antecedent is as certain by gods word , beware of wolves , mat. . . beware of false prophets , phil. ● . . now because he begins with his consequence , i will so likewise ; and that which he so highly commends for a staple rule , i will examin● , and from henceforth receive this rule : that great words with him are forced to be the cloaks of least performances ; i do not believe he read that staple rule in any logick author ; and am very confident it is absolutely false in all sciences . in nature it is most evident , that water which destroyes fire cannot make it . if he answer , that in general the power of nature which by water doth destroy fire , by another hand of power doth make . i will apply this to our particular , and say , that in general men destroy it ; therefore men give it , by the same way as nature by water destroyes fire , and by fire makes it . if we look into policy , we shall find that sometimes when kings have setled power , the people have pluckt them down ; those whom the people have instituted , kings have destroyed ; but perchance he may say , that lawfully out of right the same power can destroy , that did institute ; perhaps there may be legality in some of these instances , but see a clearer : a tithing man is elected by his parish ( like as he would have pastors ) afterwards he is sworn by the steward of the court ( like his ordination ) or perhaps by some justice of peace ; the parish for his misdemeanours cannot pu● him out , but the justices who cannot choose him , may . a barrester who received his degree at the innes of court , is degraded by the judges , who cannot make him a barrester . i think i speak law ; if i do not , i am sure this may be law without any prejudice to the policy of this nation , and then i am sure this rule is false ; and indeed besides instances , there is reason that that which gives life should preserve , not destroy , and that men should look for other hands to pluck down , besides those that set up ; but as it is not universally true , so it is not universally false ; and i think will not be false in this instance he speaks of , and therefore i will apply my self to his antecedent , concerning which , he saith , it is as certain as the other by warrant from the word , and no more certain : his places out of scripture are , beware of wolves , mat. . . beware of false prophets , phil. . . here i expected to have found these two texts in these two places ; but it is not so : both in the same manner are in the first , and something like that he saith in the other . the words of the first are , beware of false prophets which come to you in sheeps cloathing , but inwardly they are ravening wolves . a man may wonder how he could deduce hence that conclusion , that it is lawfull for a people to reject , or put a pastor out of his office ; consider the words , suppose it had been said , beware of a wicked judge when your cause is to be heard , or beware of false lawyers which will come to you in sheeps cloathing with fair and excellent language , but within are ravening wolves , will secretly destroy you ; would any man think , that here were commission granted to put either out of their office ? it is just so here , beware of false prophets , such as pretend they are prophets , but are not , or false prophets , such as prophesie f●lse things , nor can there be more meant in this , than that we should not be deceived by them ; for though they come in sheeps cloathing , speak never so fair words , commend their doctrine never so much , it will destroy you , there can be no more in it ; this speech is spoke , no doubt , to all and every person in singular , yet i hope mr. hooker doth not think that although every man must beware he is not deceived by them , yet that every man , every p●rticular man can depose his pastor . the same reasons which have disproved the force of this allegation , will likewise ▪ overthrow the strength of the second against this cause . the d . text is , phil. . . beware of dogs , beware of evil doers , beware of the concision : suppose all or some of these were pastors , which can in no strength of reason be induced , yet what can this word beware enforce ? can it imply depose ? there was never such an exposition , but only take heed of them , that ye be not deceived by them ; so that there is not the least thing in the word of god to prove that the people may depose their pastor , and yet all his discourse which follows in page . is as if this were most true , sublato uno relatorum tollitur alterum ; but where is either relatum taken away , or by whom ? again , ( saith he ) this rejection cuts him off from being a member of that congregation where he was , and so from every visible congregation , and therefore cuts him off from having any visible church-communion with christ , &c. consider how he builds upon a foundation in the air , hath no reality ; nor indeed were his foundation good , are his consequences , and see what an unhappy condition such a pastor were in , s●th it is evident these texts of cautions are directed to every particular man , and then the malice of one particular man may destroy a pastors interest in heaven , because he can put him from church-communion with christ : but suppose these texts were understood of whole congregations , yet sometimes they are very few : or , if an hundred , it is hard that the opinion and error for the most part of ignorant men , though an hundred , should shut a man out of the pale of church-communion ; these things fall of themselves ; beware , therefore depose , is not , cannot be admitted amongst reasonable men ; yea the clean contrary might rather be urgent ; beware , therefore they cannot depose , for what a man can depose , he need not much caution about it , the work is quickly done . but here if any should ask , what , must the people submit to any pastor , though heretical , though scandalous in his life ? if not , what can they do ? certainly , to the first ; there are some things which heresie or wickednesse of life do not hinder , that is , administring the seals of gods covenants in the holy sacraments . to this purpose he himself speaks , as i think , i forewarned , in the latter end of page . and the beginning of page . in higher and fuller expressions than i make , but i need not set down ; only consider this , that such heresies as deny the trinity , because they will not nor can baptize in the form prescribed by our saviour , that is , the name of the father , the son , and the holy ghost , their baptism is not valid , and by their ministry , erring in the root , cannot effectually apply those seals ; but for other mistakes in opinion , not fundamental , nor such as immediately reflect upon that seal they administer ; so they set the seal rightly to , according to matter and form , their act is good ; and a man , a lay-man may submit unto them , but take care not to be misled either by his false doctrine or wicked life , of which he is not to take upon him , like a judge , to censure his person , but like a cautelous hearer to avoid what is ill , and suck out what is good ; the sheep do not refuse the good hay , though they swallow not the worse , which the shepherd delivers ; they may complain to them who have authority , the bishops , who are to receive the complaints made against elders , and so have him soberly convented and adjudged , but without this course they have no power to depose him ; and this i think they ought to do , and more than this they have no power granted them to do . his third argument answered . i come now to his d. argument , into which he enters slowly himself , with a long discourse , the heads of which being examined , will remove the difficulty ; pag. . he saith , this argument is taken from the manner of the communication and conveyance of this power , to expresse this , he bids you know that conveyance of power is done two wayes , either by authoritative commission or delegation from office , or office , power , or voluntary subjection . the first is , when a particular person or body and corporation , delegates a power to another , of themselves and from themselves alone , leave an impression of authority upon another . here he hath a mighty tedious discourse of the way of communicating this power of many little inferences and consequences , which he drawes from his imagination of no such power left to men , which , lest i should vex the reader , i omit , and direct him to page , , . for the foundation being destroyed , the invective and scorning of his ●nemies , ( as many have done with an imagination only or rumor of victory , when there was no such thing ) will fall of its self . there is a power left by christ to men , by which they communicate powers to others . first then , i shall shew that there is such an office , power amongst men , whereby they can convey an office , power authoritativ● to others . this may appear out of our saviours commission , as my father sent me , &c. john . and the like . now then , if our saviour was sent to appoint officers , then so were they , i will be with you to the end of the world , that cannot be understood of their persons , it must be of their succession , and that succession they communicated by the former authority ; so acts . they sent ba●nabas and saul ; so . . they ordained elders in every church ; so titus was by st. paul left in crete , timothy received from imposition of his hands his power ; so in succession timothy and titus are directed to lay on hands themselves upon others , which is by all understood of ordination : so then there is evident a delegate power given by men of authority , by which others are authorized to operate in this divine administration , i need say no more to this , but enter his second conclusion , which he is briefer in , but is indeed the foundation of this other . this you may find page . thus . secondly , there is a communicating power by voluntary subjection , when though there be no office , power formaliter in the people , yet they willingly yielding themselves to be ruled by another , desiring and calling him to take that rule , he accepting of what they yield possessing that right which they put upon him by free consent ; i put down his very words which are not sence , making no compleat proposition , but it may be the fault of the printer , and therefore read it possesseth that right , &c. ( for possessing . ) the reason ( saith he ) is , those in whose choice it is , whether any shall rule over them or no , from their voluntary subjection it is , that the party chosen hath right , and stands possessed of rule and authority over them . this argument is mighty lame , for the minor which is not set down , if produced , would be , that the case stands thus with christians ; that it is in their choice whether any shall rule over them or no , which is absolutely false , taking christians for such men who have given themselves and their names to christ in baptism , and supposing that they intend to be saved by persevering according to that covenant , for without doubt such must submit to this government ; and indeed i wondered how any man had confidence to obtrude such a conclusion concerning so high and material points , without pretence of reason or scripture , as he doth in this place ; but i remember how heretofore i had read something to this purpose , in his first part , and it seems he supposeth this granted out of his former grounds , although he might have done well to have eased the reader with a reference to it ; but i have hunted it out , and god willing will pursue the chase wheresoever . chap. ix . sect . i. mutual covenanting of the saints gives not being to a visible church . in his first part therefore of this book , page . he discourseth of the formal cause of a visible church , and he puts this conclusion ; mutual covenanting and confederating of the saints in the fellowship of the faith according to the order of the gospel , is that which gives constitution and being to a visible church . this term consederating of the saints is indefinite , and seems therefore that he should mean all the saints should confederate , which is impossible in any of their congregations ; if he had meant of any limited company of saints , he should have said of a company of saints , or a number of them , which he did not , but puts it indefinite , of the saints . secondly observe , that whereas he interposeth in his conclusion ( according to the order of the gospel ) neither doth he , nor can any man living shew any likenesse or resemblance of any such order in the gospel , nor doth he in his whole discourse endeavour to shew any such thing . upon my perusal of this discourse , i find that i have treated of it already in some papers which passed betwixt me and another , who is since ( as i hear ) dead , and i think i sent them you ; therefore i shall speak only briefly to it , first setting down his conceit , then answering his arguments , then consuting his conclusion . sect . ii. his opinion explained . his conceit is , as i apprehend it , that a company of saints , as he calls them , enter into a covenant one with another , and with one which they call pastor , to submit to him in pastoral duties , and he to perform pastoral offices among them , as likewise in respect of themselves to submit to and exercise churchly censures one towards another ; some such covenant ( if i can reach his sence ) is that which gives to the receivers an obligation and bond , and it is in conscience one towards another , which bond is the formal essence and being of a church ; i conceive this , but for lack of some copy of one of their covenants , i can only guesse at it ; by the main drift of his discourse he denyes baptism or profession to give the being to a member , and only makes a covenant to be it , a superadded covenant beyond baptism . page . he delivers , that this covenant is either explicite or implicite ; explicite , when there is an open expression and profession of this engagement in the face of the assembly ; implicite , when in their practice they do that whereby they make themselves engaged to walk in such a society , according to such rules of government which are executed amongst them , and so submit themselves thereto , but do not make any verbal profession thereof . and thus he saith the people in the parishes of england , where there is a minister put upon them by the patron or bishop , they constantly hold them to the fellowship of the people in such a place , &c. this being warned , that upon their grounds there could be no church in the christian world , but in new england , he could not choose but allow this implicite covenant to be sufficient ( which is the common opinion among them ) although i doubt in some other things he will reject an argument drawn from an universal practice . sect . iii. his conclusions concerning this covenant . page . he addes some conclusions . first , an implicite covenant preserves the true nature of the visible church . secondly , ( which is much the same ) an implicite covenant in some cases may be fully sufficient . thirdly , it is much agreeing to the compleatnesse of the rule , ( what rule i would know ) and for the better being of the church , that there be an explicite covenant . he gives reasons of this conclusion ; for thereby the judgement of the members comes to be informed , and convinced of their duty more fully . his reasons of his third conclusion answered . i would ask , whether a new duty added by this covenant , or an old duty which arose out of baptism ? if a new , i cannot judge of the fitnesse without i knew the particulars , but am assured , that whatsoever is added to the covenant in baptism , although it may have possible allowance in acts of religion to some particular men upon some particular occasions , yet in general to presse such a thing upon all christians , is not tollerable ; if it be no addition to that covenant , the only refreshing of that covenant to the memory of a christian is abundantly enough . this likewise answers his d argument , page . they are ( saith he ) thereby kept from cavilling and starting aside from the tenure and terms of the covenant which they have professed and acknowledged before the lord , and so many witnesses . i answer , as before , if the terms be additions to what was in baptism , he ought not in general to prescribe them to all christians . if they are not additions , then that covenant is the strongest he can make which was made in baptism . the same answer may be applied to his third reason ; for ( saith he ) thereby their hearts stand under a stronger tye. i answer , no stronger than baptism . sect . iv. this covenant of his cannot agree to travellers . then he enters into a second question , how far this covenant requires cohabitation ? his handling of which is very weak , in my judgement ; for since he allows merchants and others upon diverse occasions to be absent sometimes divers years , he gives no satisfaction at all to shew how these men in their absence can partake of church-blessings : but me-thinks they must live without preaching , without sacrament , or any blessing of any covenant of gods , because their pastors and officers reside at their constant place ; but contrarywise our doctrine , which makes each presbyter an officer of the catholick church , and each christian a member of it ; it follows , that any ship may carry a pastor , and every man receive the comforts and blessings of gods covenants from him , which is like our saviours providence for all and every particular . but i omit this , at this time , as not necessary for our businesse ; and apply my self to his reasons for his conclusion , that this covenant gives the essentials to a church ; which he begins , page the th . sect . v. his reasons answered . his first argument is thus framed , in these words , every spiritual or ecclesiastical corporation receives its being from a spiritual combination . but the visible churches of christ are ecclesiastical or spiritual ; therefore . i can justly complain here , that the terms are altered , which in a logical discourse should be the same ; i will reduce them therefore , and so discourse upon it ; combination must here be taken for covenant , or a combination by covenant ; so that the sence of that proposition is , every ecclesiastical corporation receives its being from a combination by covenant . in the examination of this proposition , i will follow his own expressions , because i will dispute , ex concessis ; he inst●nces in the corporations of towns and cities : there ( saith he ) they have their charter granted them from the king or state , which gives them warrant to unite themselves , to carry on such works , for such ends , with such advantage : so ( saith he ) their mutual engagements each to other to attend such terms to walk in such orders which shall be sutable to such a condition , gives being to such a body . thus he . co●sider now , that the form of every thing is that which last comes , to give every thing its being , and make it compleat ; secondly , it is that which enables every thing to do its proper work . now consider , a corporation hath first a charter by which they are enabled to unite , by authority of which they assemble and come together , and perhaps enter into some engagement required by that charter ; by this engagement they are made the matter of this corporation ; but the form is the influence of the charter , by which these men so engaged by covenant are authorized to do this : so in every question when it is moved concerning any action , we have recourse to the form ; ask why this did heat or burn ? it is answered , because it was fire , had the form the burning form of fire : why did that grow ? because it had a vegetable form . now ask , why did a corporation do this or that , let this lease , make that man free ? the answer is not made , because they were combined by a covenant , but because they have a charter to do it ; so that the influence which that charter hath upon the corporation , is the thing which gives that corporation its being , not their union by covenant , which makes them but the matter , when the other gives the life and being , force and operation solely to the corporation . to apply this to our purpose : suppose every little particular church were a corporation , first they must have a charter to unite in a covenant , which nor he nor any man living can shew me ; and although these men vaunt mightily of scripture , and contemn all doctrine which is not delivered there , yet this which seems to me their corner stone and main foundation they have , no not the least shew of any words of scripture , which can authorize , much lesse exact any such covenant ; but then suppose they had some such commission , yet not their union upon the commission , but the other authorities expressed in the charter must be it which enables them to do whatsoever they do , not their union by that covenant ; for ask , why any man preacheth , administreth the sacraments , or the like , the answer is not made from any union , but from the charter which granted it . now i come to his minor , but the visible churches of christ are ecclesiastical or spiritual corporations . i deny this proposition absolutely , that every particular church is a distinct corporation , ( and else he saith nothing to his purpose ) but are members , or branches of that great corporation the whole catholick church . sect . vi. scripture phrases abused by him . he offers at scripture to prove this , page . every particular church ( saith he ) is a city , heb. . . an house , tim. . . the body of christ , ephes. . , . cor. . , , . here is cyphered scripture , all these places ( saith he there ) are spoken of particular visible churches . when i viewed the places i was amazed , to read the holy scripture so injured , and that mighty article of our creed , i believe the holy catholick church , to be made such a nothing , as by his application of these texts it is . let us consider the particulars ; the first place is heb. . . but ye are come unto mount sion , and unto the ●ity of the living god , ( this is the phrase he must pitch upon to prove it a city , but mark what follows , ) the heavenly jerusalem , and an innumerable company of angels ; then vers . . to the general assembly and church of the first-born , which are written in heaven , and to god the judge of all , and to the spirits of just men made perfect . i cannot imagine with what colour of reason this can be applyed to a particular church ; for although it may be affirmed , that such men who are religiously united to such churches are come to this glorious society , yet that that peculiar church should be this city , this mount sion , this heavenly jerusalem , cannot be admitted ; for first it is called city , not cities : now if one church be this city , another cannot be it ; it is the heavenly jerusalem , an innumerable company of angels , the general assembly , the church of the first-born , which can be spoken of none but the universal catholike church , of no particular in the world . that it is this , and such a company ; let us look then upon his second place , where he saith his particular church is called an house , tim. . , that thou mayst know how to behave thy self in the house of god , which is the church of the living god. hence he collects , or no where , that a particular church is a corporation , because an house ; a poor consequence , but see , is this spoken of a particular church ? mark the words following , the pillar and ground of all truth : can this be spoke of any particuliar , of a little handfull of men in new england , or in one corner there ? i am sure the church of rome hath much more semblance for rome , than they can have for any of their congregations , which have been and are most unstable themselves , much lesse supports for christs truth . his d. place to prove this , that particular churches are corporations , is because they are termed the body of christ , for this he produceth eph. . , . the th verse hath not that phrase body ; but only saith in general , that christians must grow up in the unity of ●aith to the perfect stature of christ ; but in the th verse there is the name body , from whom the whole body fitly joyned together and compacted , by that which every joynt supplyes , according to the effectual working , &c. to understand this , read the preceding verse , where christ is called the head , and then think with your self , whether this little congregation can be his body spoke of , or the whole church ? or whether christ be the head to so many bodies ? or whether all christians are not members of the same body ? his last place is , cor. . . for as the body is one and hath many members , &c. i am weary of transcribing ; consider , the body is one ; therefore not every church a distinct body , but there is one body , the catholick church . then he urgeth , ver . , . of the same chapter , verse . now ye are the body of christ , and members in particular : can a man choose but wonder , to think that any man should offer to apply this to a particular church , to say it is the body of christ ? the th verse reckons up the diverse officers which god gave to govern these churches , which can be affirmed of none but the universal , i am sure not of their particulars , they have no apostles neither literally nor successively bishops , no way . this doth weary me ; but now you see all that is brought to prove this mighty conclusion out of scripture . in brief , to illustrate this truth a little farther : conceive , that the universal church of christ is like a city , of which he is the king , or supream . all men in baptism submit themselves to his government . he institutes officers over the whole , as i have before expressed , these cannot actually be present every where , and therefore by consent appoint these and these in their particular wards or precincts ; and as any man when he comes to plant in this or that city , implicitely submits to the government , as of the city , so of that particular part of the city where he lives : so is it with christians where they go any where in the christian world , having in general by baptism submitted themselves to christ and his discipline , take it in all places wheresoever it is . so likewise the church is an house , christ the master , in which every person , in what room soever he rests , can receive nothing but from his officers . the church universal is a body , he the head , from which flow all those spirits and graces by which the body is enlivened . now , as nothing can induce me to believe , that each house in this city should be the city , each chamber in the house should be the house , each member should be the body : so a man cannot be perswaded that these particular congregations which are parts of the whole , should be that whole which is called by these names . chap. x. another argument answered . i now come to his second argument , which is thus framed : those who have mutual power each over other , both to command and constrain in conscience , who were of themselves free each from other , they must by mutual agreement and engagement be made partakers of that power . but the church of believers have mutual power each over other to command and constrain in conscience , who were before free . therefore they must by mutual agreement and engagement be made partakers of that power . i can guesse what he means by his discourse , but make no sense of this syllogism , for in his minor there is a nown of the singular number put to a verb of the plural , against grammar ( the church have ) ; when indeed if he would have expressed his meaning ; it should have been , men in the churches of believers , or all men in all churches of believers ; were such , but i take it so . sect . ii. the text , if thy brother offend thee , tell the church , vindicated . he offers to p●ove his minor by mat. . . if thy brother offend thee tell the church ; in which ( saith he ) we have a legal and orderly way laid forth by our saviour , in which brethren only of the same church ought to deal one with another , which they cannot exercise with infidels , nor yet with other christians , as our own experience , if we will take a taste , will give undeniable evidence . i deny his minor , being understood as i expressed , for that ambiguous way of his delivering it in nonsence , poseth a reader , what to speak or think . i say then , that every particular man in a church hath not power to command or constrain anorher ; let us examine his reason therefore , out of mat. . . if thy brother , that is , one of the same church , not an in●idel , nor yet other christians . this is his collection , but extreamly amisse , for i dare confidently affirm , that every christian is our spiritual brother of what congregation soever he is , and it is an high kind of impiety to deny it : nay , he is nearer than a brother , a member of the same mystical body of which christ is the head , and therefore this argument falls in the very first setting out , and can proceed no further ; but to understand the text , and so more abundantly the weaknesse of this argument . sect . iii. what is meant by church . first know , that by the church we must understand the visible catholick church , which hath this power , and indeed almost all the promises of christ , which is his city , his house , his spouse , his body , but then it is understood of her according to that part which hath that faculty of receiving complaints ; he who bids you tell a man any story , bids you not speak it to its ●eet , or hands , but his ears , which are fit parts to receive the story , or if he be deaf , you must do it by writing , that his eyes which are organized for that purpose , may entertain that relation : again , when a man commands , he doth it not with his eyes , or ears , but his tongue , which is the part fitted for that purpose . the church is christs body , it hath many parts ; when you are bid tell the church , you are not bid tell the feet or hands , but the ear , those who are proper for that work ; when the church speaks , it is not with hands or eyes , but with the churches tongue , which are the officers for that purpose ; these men would make the body of christ all ear , all tongue , every member of the church fit to receive complaints , and fit to judge and censure , which is ridiculous ; take his own simile , suppose the church universal a corporation ; there was never any such where every man was a judge : it cannot be therefore so here ; tell the church , that is , tell those officers in the church , who are designed , and organized , authorized for such a purpose ; and then if he refuse to hear them , let him be , &c. and this that very word brother , which he introduceth for the prop of his cause , evinceth , for all christians throughout the catholique church are brethren , and the duty belongs to them ; this i think doth satisfie , and what he adds is of no moment , for he ( being full with his conceit , that by church is meant a particular congregation , and each man in it ) labours to build upon that foundation , which being overthrown , his building perisheth . he urgeth a place out of whitaker , to prove that lay-men have authority of censuring , pag. . but because he confesseth , that whitakers meaning is of a general council , that it hath power over any particular pastor ; in the conclusion of that page , and the top of the . he forms this syllogism . sect . iv. another argument of his answered . every member of a general council hath power in the censuring of a delinquent . brethren or lay men ( as they are termed ) are members of a general council . i deny this minor ; he brings no proof , although if he had studied this question , he could not choose but know it is generally denyed by such writers as treat of it . although he is extraordinarily confuted , i am unwilling to let any thing slip which may disturb a reader . he saith , the proposition is proved by instance and experience , but i know not where . he addes immediately , if others had not church power over this or that party , if he would have refused to have come into their fellowship and joyned with them , then it was his voluntary subjection and engagement that gave them all the power and interest they have . to understand this ; there is voluntary engagement in baptism , and besides this there is no more needfull ; for it is true , he who lives in scotland cannot be governed by the bishops of england , because they cannot have cognizance of his state ; and because that the church hath confined the exercise of that habitual power which they have every where , that it shall not break out into act in such places , and upon such causes which they cannot have a full knowledge of ; but if he who now lives in scotland will come and live in england , and receive the blessings of gods mercies in his covenants from the church of england , if he offend , he must be admonished and convented before the ●hurch quoad hoc , that is , the church officers , and if he obey them not , be as an heathen . if he refuse to communicate with us in these spiritual blessings , he makes himself as an heathen : so that in some sence there is a covenant required , that which he calls implicite , even in a baptized man ; for else he makes himself an heathen towards us , in regard of us : but this implicite is not like their covenant , which seems to be perpetual ; this is only pro tempore , for the time of his abode and no ●onger . that which he yet urgeth , that men travell into farre coun●ries , where are churches planted ; certainly that man , if they be protestant churches , he will claim a right in the church seals , if he be a protestant ; if a papist , and they papists , he will do so likewise , or else he will be as an heathen . to conclude this , he brings some places of scripture to shew that some would not joyn with the apostles , as acts . . where heathens refused to joyn with the apostles ; luke . . the pharisees and lawyers rejected the council , &c. but can he shew me , that any who were christians refused communion with them , of what church soever ? it is not imaginable , his third argument is only against presbyterians ; i meddle not with it : his fourth argument is thus framed . sect . v. another argument of his answered . that society of men who may enjoy such priviledges spiritual and ecclesiastical , unto which none can be admitted but by approba●ion of the whole , that society must be in an especial combination . but a particular combination is such a society who enjoy such spiritual priviledges , &c. ergo. i deny this minor : laymen in a particular congregation have no such power , to admit , allow , and approve of every man who comes into that congregation ; they may inform , but they cannot judge . his last argument from an induction avails nothing , where he saith , if the inventory of all other respects being brought in , none can constitute a church visible , then this only must , he reckons up mutual affection and cohabitation only , which are insufficient to make his indu●ion . i shall therefore set down what makes a church visible . chap. xi . sect . i. what makes a church visible . consider what makes a church , that if it be visible constitutes a church visible ; and certainly for the first , if we consider the church to be the body of christ , the city of god , the heavenly jerusalem , then as we must conceive it consisting of many men , we must conceive it likewise having these men united in some form of government under christ , and like a city , an house , a body ruled by their king and head christ , who by his inferiour ministers and officers rules and governs this body , this city ; he is of this city , who is ruled and governed by the lawes of this city ; of this house , who is governed by the oeconomical discipline of this house ; of this body , who is guided and governed by the head of this body ; so he is of christs church who is governed by the lawes of his church ; we are not born citizens of the heavenly jerusalem , but re-born by baptism , by which we submit to that discipline , and are incorporated into his body : now then , as a man of any city if he live in the east part , so long as he lives there , is governed according to the laws of that city by the constables and officers , whose authority is there prevalent ; yet if he remove to the west part , by the lawes of the same city he is governed by other officers , yet by force of the same law which ruled him before ; so a christian submitting himself to christs discipline by baptism , if he live in any part of this city , submits to those governours which are there , if in another , to those which rule in that , and all because a citizen of that city ; and these are the powers of that city ; yea , perhaps there are kinds of governments in one part of the city diverse from another , according to the condition of the pl●ce , one fittest for that one , and another for that other , and 〈◊〉 he submitting to the law of that city , varies in the manner of his subjection ▪ according to the exigencies & rules of every place , by that general rule of submission to the government of that ●ity . this likewise is apparent in an house ; a servant admitted into an house ( so a man by baptism ) submits himself to the oeconomical discipline of that house , and according to the diverse rules of that house in diverse rooms of it , submits himself to divers men , perhaps diverse disciplines : so in the hall he meets with one governour , with another in the kitchin , another in the larder , another in the pantry , and in all these he hath diverse officers to submit to , and diverse wayes of submission in diverse things . consider it a body , and in a body consider those parts which walk up and down , and go to several parts of the body , as blood and spirits ; each of these , by that general rule and law of being ministerial parts of the body , in their passages through diverse parts receive diverse disciplines , and are obedient to several lawes in the heart , the hand , the head , yet all by that obedience they have to the law of humane bodies , not by a new covenant in every particular place , but by virtue of that first covenant to be servants to that head which governs all : now then , thus you see by baptism we are made citizens of the heavenly jerusalem , and that being a visible sign , makes us visible members of this visible church . sect . ii. baptism is not the form which constitutes a● church-member , but the visible act , by which men are made such . i would willingly leave this truth so clearly expressed , as it might be without question ; therefore consider a little further ; that i do not conceive that baptism is the form which constitutes a church member , but that baptism is that visible act by which a man is made a member , a visible member of christs church , and the effect of that act is that form which ●o constitutes him . the indenture is not the form of an apprentice , but the deed by which he is made an apprentice , and that relation or quality which is got in the person bound , is the effect of that indenture , and is the formality of his apprenticeship . now because mr. hooker seems to oppose this doctrine , i will examine his arguments , which he enters upon , part . chap. . page . proposing this question , whether baptism doth give formality to make a member of a visible church ? he answers negatively . his first reason is . sect . iii. his first argument , and the answer to it . if there be a church , and so members , before baptism ; then baptism cannot give the formality . but the church as to●um essentiale is before baptism ; ergo. he proves his minor , because ministers are before baptism ; this he proves , because there must be a church of believers to choose a minister lawfully , for none but a church can give a call. one absurdity granted a thousand follow ; consider which were first , ministers or churches , and whether the churches did choose their ●●rst minister ; did the church , or christ choose their first ministers , the apostles ? did crete choose , or st. paul ordain titus their minister ? in the second part he supposeth all true which he had discoursed in the first ; in the first part he supposeth all true which he means to discourse of in the second , and indeed both grosly false , ministers were before churches , and did constitute churches , not they them ; but he gives an instance page . let it be supposed the coming of some godly man ( i draw up his sence ) amongst pagans , and they are converted by him ; may not these men choose him for their pastor , &c. i answer , instances upon extraordinary occasions cannot make general rules ; but in particular , i deny that ( if he were not a presbyter before ) they could make him their pastor , or that he hath power by any call of theirs to administer the seals ; and i can give instances in particular passages of the same nature in ecclesiastical story ; but that which is an invincible reason against this , and the whole force of this matter , is , that although people may have power to dispose of their own obedience to whom they will give it , yet they cannot of divine benedictions which god shall give them ; they must in that submit to gods ordinance ; and they who are not authorized by him cannot be chosen by them : and therefore they cannot choose him a pastor , where god doth not make him his officer for that purpose ; which , unlesse he is a presbyter ; he is not . sect . iv. his second argument answered . his second argument is , if baptism gives the form to visible membership , then whiles that remains valid , the party is a visible member . but there is true baptism resting in the party , who hath no visible membership ; ergo. he proves his minor from short instances ; in an excommunicate man , in him who renounceth the fellowship of the church , or when the church is absolutely destroyed , then all church membership ceaseth . to understand the force of this argument i must deviate a little , and discourse of what it is to be a member of the church , of the force of baptism in this work . know then that the church is a body , and an org●nical body , which hath many members which have diverse offices , an eye , a foot , &c. and as st. paul philosophyes cor. . and all this body is animated and informed by the same soul , the holy spirit , the head of this body is christ , all this needs no proof i think ; but then , that men are made members of this body by baptism , that i shall apply my self to . consider therefore the . verse of that chap. of cor. by one spirit we are baptized into one body , whether we be jewes or gentiles , &c. having in the preceding verse shewed that there are many members , he shews here which way we are made members of it , that is , christs body ; to wit , being baptized by the same spirit into christ ; the spirit which enlivens us makes baptism effectual to the incorporating a man into the body of christ ; for what else can that phrase be , into the body , as a work of baptism but into the body of christ , his church ? well then , baptism is the act , the relict of baptism , as before , is the thing which makes us members and parts of this body . consider then next , gal. . , . ye are all the children of god by faith in christ jesus ; for as many of you as have been baptized into christ , have put on christ. here you see phrases wonderfully expressing the same thing . as god is considered in oeconomicks so he is a father , so by baptism we are adopted the children of god ; as christ is the head of the body , so we are baptized into him and engrassed ( as the spirit speaks elsewhere ) into the body . suppose christ to be an holy garment , with which the crimes and sins of his servants are hid , by baptism you cloath your selves with his righteousnesse , and you put on christ , under whom your unrighteousnesse shall be hid , and your sins covered ; or else , as others expresse it , matters put on a form , &c. but then if you will adde the last verse , if ye be christ , ye are abrahams seed , & heirs of the promise , you may see these . things , children , members , heirs , most heavenly united in the second answer of our catechism , in my baptism , wherein i was made a member of christ , a child of god , and an inheritor of the kingdom of heaven ; which three in expresse terms are put down ●y st. paul : and what necessary thing and essential ( as he calls it ) of another covenant can adde to a further union than this , matters not much ; well then , it is proved that baptism doth constitute a member . now i will examine how this may be justified against his objection , which consists only of instances against this , and no proof of them ; an excommunicate man ( saith he ) hath no membership , he that renounceth the fellowship of the church , or when a church is utterly dissolved , there is no church-membership . chap. xii . his instances examined and confuted . the dissolution of a church doth not destroy membership . i will take all these apart , and discourse the evidence of them , and begin with the last , of which i may justly say , posito quolibet sequitur quidlibet , let it be granted , that the church should be dissolved and torn to pieces , that being the entire body of christ , christ could have no body , and then there would be no members ; but it is impossible , the gates and powers of hell shall never have power to dissolve it ; the winds shall bluster and the rain fall , but not have force to beat down the city of the living god ; it shall be in persecution , and suffer many miseries ; but the darknesse shall not be able to comprehend or suppresse the light of it ; it is true , one of their poor particular congregations may be and hath been shaken and sc●ttered , and their union dissolved , because it is wrought by man , and mans hand guards it ; but it shall never be so with christs body , it shall be a pillar , a strong support of all truth , yea the ground and foundation in which truth is inherent , and by which truths are supported : that instance therefore falls of its self , the foundation is cast down , and then the castle hangs only in the air. sect . ii. how excommunication doth extirpate baptisme . i apply my self then to the first instance of an excommunicated man , in which case i would have wished he had brought some reasons to have proved they were not of the church ; but he not doing it , i will undertake the question against such opposition as i can find elsewhere . the question is , whether an excommunicate man be a visible member of christs visible church ? i put the terms as strict as i can , because i will avoid all future cavilling , and i answer affirmatively , he is ; he brings no proof to the contrary : so we are upon even terms , if i should say no more , only the difference will be in the authority of the speaker , in which i think he will prevail ; and therefore i will examine it by reason , and as well as i can satisfie the objections made by some jesuites against it . to understand this : consider that any part continues so long a member of its body , as it is united to it , and so long it is united to it , as it can receive influence from the head , and be active and operative in its proper works , by the fountains and originals of those motions , assisted any way , by any outward applications or inward medicines ; the members of a mans body ( as it haps out in some palsies ) may be utterly unactive , so that they cannot stirre or move , no not feel or be sensible of any hurt , and yet these parts remain members of the body still , and it may be by physicians directions be restored to former vivacity , and be quickened by spirits as before coming from the same fountain , and this is a sign it is a member still of this body . that which is a member of another body , canot by any act be made a member of this , nor that which is an entire body of it self ; so that when physick can restore a member , though it appear to our senses never so dead , yet it is still a member . again , consider for the other term of distinction , that if a baptized man though excommunicate be a member by his baptism , he is likewise a visible member by the same baptism , for baptism is a visible sign of the effect it produceth , and is as visible in the excommunicated man , as in him that communicates . thirdly , consider that many parts of the body are by obstructions hindred from that influence of blood and spirits which would enable them to do their duties , which yet , that obstruction removed , hold the same commerce and society , with giving and receiving mutual correspondence in their several offices again with both head and members . these things premised , as i think apparent truth , i now addresse my self to the businesse . sect . iii. bellarmines arguments answered . there is a great dispute betwixt cardinal bellarmine and others , whether an excommunicated person be a member of the church ? i must oppose bellarmine ; for although the conclusion seems the same in thomas hooker and him , yet hooker offers at no reason for it , bellarmine doth , lib. . de ecclesia militante , cap. . and he saith , excommunicated persons are not in the church ; his first argument is drawn from mat. . . if he will not hear the church , let him be as an heathen , &c. this ( saith he ) is understood of excommunication , i yield . but , ( saith he ) heathens are not of the church , i grant that likewise ; but do adde , neither doth the text say they are heathens , no more than publicans , but resembling , as , sicut , being in that like them , that they are severed from the actual partaking of the sacraments . he addes cor. . . as he reads it with an introduction , why rather have you not sorrow that he who hath done this might be taken away from among you ? then he s●ips to verse . a little leaven leaveneth the whole lump ; and therefore in the last verse . put away therefore from among your selves that wicked person . in which words ( saith he ) the apostle describes what excommunication is . i yield all this ; but this doth not prove , that this man was out of the visible ●hu●ch ; for although he be severed from actually participating many blessed covenants o● god's , yet not severed from his membe●●●●p this is but physicking the sick part , you shall ●ind vers● . . to deliver such an one to sathan , for the destruction of the flesh , that the spirit may be saved in the day of the lord ; like as a man who hath 〈…〉 member exposeth ●●to the chirurgion , that he may be cured of his former malady , so that i observe two ends of excommunication in this chap●er : the separation of the person from the conversation with 〈◊〉 members , lest they should be corrupted by him , lest the lump should be leav●ned ; and a punishment and chastisem●nt of the person , that he m●y amend ; now if that chirurgery doth at ●ny time produce 〈◊〉 effect of amendmen● , he then 〈◊〉 where he was to the actual enjoying and participating of all ●ods mercies and church-blessings : the ob●truction is removed but 〈◊〉 man ought to be excommunicated for destruction , but for amendment of his own person ; or the saving others from the con●agion of his 〈◊〉 ; so that it is a sign whilst he is ●xcommunicate that he is member , a sick one , only obstructed from the par●icipation● of m●ny ●cclesi●stical felicities , but not taken away from the esse and being of a christi●n . his d . argument is dr●●en from a rule of the canon law ; that violators of churches should be put out of the communion of christianity . this is nothing but the participation of those actual blessings that are communicated to such in w●om there is no ob●truction ; as suppose a mo●tified and numbed member , it partakes not of that influence of spirits and blood which others which ●re livelyer members are indued with , but yet it remains a member . thirdly , he argues from the fathers , hillary , st. chrysostome , theophylact , who say , to be made as an heathen is to be cast out of the people of god , cast out of the church : so likewis● st. austin , every christian qui à sac●●dotibus excommunicatur sathanae tr●ditur , he who is ex●ommunicated by the ●acerdotes , the priests of god , ( i render it ) is delivered to sathan : now , because out of the church the devil is , as in the church christ , i grant all these phrases to have their truth : that the excommunicated man is out of the church , as i said before , that is , out of the participation of all those heavenly covenants and mercies which are appropriated to them who in a more constant conversation and fellowship have commerce with it , yet he loseth not all union . suppose then the church a body politick , a city , this baptized person one of the corporation , for some fault by him committed he is by them expelled the city , untill such time as either he humble himself for his fault , or else give such satisfaction as is enjoyned ; this man so long as he is out of the city loseth all priviledges of a citizen , yet not all union ; when he satisfies , he is re-admitted upon his first title : so that excommunication is a kind of suspension from the participation and execution of those divine benedictions which other members have ; it is not a degradation from his christian being ; like a tree which is dead in the winter , and brings forth neither fruit , nor leaf , yet revives in the spring ; or else like a withered part , which by chirurgery is recovered to a lively being . consider st. pauls expression , rom. . . and the following part , we are said to be graffed into christ ; now that act which grafts us in is baptism : now , as we may see some branch of a graft in the fruit season bearing neither fruit nor leaf , giving forth no expression of livelyhood ; yet when we find by any experience that there is any hope in it , or a possibility of restoring it to a vivacity with care of husbandry , we know that branch is not dead , nor utterly hath lost union , because his restitution is by physick , not re-grafting : so it is with baptized persons , which being grafts , not sprouts , when any decay whatsoever is restored or repaired by repentance and sorrow for sins , not by re-grafting by baptism , it is a certain and undoubted sign that it retains still an union by the former grafti●g : so that this act of excommunication is nothing but his suspension from his acting many duties of a christian , and an obstruction of the influences of many graces of god to him , but yet not a total destruction of either ; for as he may pray , repent in himself , and upon that justly require absolution , and the church is bound to give it : so before these he may receive motions and incitements to them , and upon the use of those talents proceed from grace to grace , until he obtain such a measure of humiliation and repentance as ought to be accepted of the church , and accepted upon humiliation , not baptism again ; which is a sign the branch was not cut off , but sick only : so that now having spent ( i hope not wasted ) so much time and paper in explicating what excommunication doth , conceive my answers to these pieces of fathers thus ; by excommunication a man is put out from many actual priviledges and blessings , which those who are not excommunited enjoy , that they are put out of the lap , the bosom , the near caresses and embraces of the church ; not out of the absolute being in or with her : and lest any man should think this a forced explication , take an instance in mat. . . our saviour complains , my god , my god why hast thou forsaken me ? how can this be understood ? not that the deity had taken away that supe●natural hypostatical union ; but that , for that while there was a suspence of the influx of the fulnesse of those all-comforting graces , which were other whiles constantly attending his humanity . lastly , bellarmine disputes out of reason : first , because excommunication deprives a man of all spiritual commerce ; and he urgeth a piece out of tertullian for it , cap. . of his apology : but the sence of him and bellarmines supposition is to be understood as i before explained , he is deprived of the actual conversation of ●he church in many things , not the union ; and therefore tertullian in that place saith , summum futuri judicii praejudicium , the greatest prejudice in this world of the future judgement , the greatest injury towards it that a man can have , to be barred from the communion , from the association of prayers ; but it canot exclude his own praying , or the power of it by jesus christ to obtain mercy , to whom he remains knit by his baptism . again he urgeth , it is the greatest punishment the church can inflict . i answer , the greatest excommunication is the greatest punishment , but neither man nor men have power to sever that member from ●hrists body which he hath joyned . again bellarmine , excommunication cannot be to any but contumaci●us and incorrigible sinners , because they will not hear the church . i answer , what follows ? but that they who now are contumacious , anon at another time will be humble . ●ast of all he urgeth , in absolution the phrase is , restituo te , i restore thee to the unity of the church , and participation of members . i answer , he might have added what follows by way o● explication in their forms of absolution , and to the communion of the faithfull . a man is restored to the full enjoying his union , his membership , by such a communion which he had not before , but only an union : so now i think it appears , if you apprehend the church as a body natural , excommunication is an obstruction which stops many influences with which both head and members communicate , but not union . if you apprehend the church a political body , excommunication is a suspension from city powers and priviledges untill some satisfaction , but conditional , not an absolute annihilation of his charter , and this will appear out of that phrase of st. paul in the chapter urged by bellarmine , cor. . . deliver such a man to sathan for the destruction of the flesh , that the spirit may be saved in the day of the lord jesus ; so that it seems by this , excommunication is a sharp physick for the good of that man , to make him ashamed , to humble him , for his correction , not destruction ; and it appears again by his restitution , which is only an absolution , not a new engra●●ing , or an absolution by a new readmission , not a new incorporation ; and this answers all the objections that i have read either in bellarmine or in any other . sect . iv. such as renounce the fellowship of the church , are members . i must now addresse my self to hookers second objection , which is , that such as renounce the fellowship of the church , though they have true baptism , yet are not ●●embers of the church . by this renouncing , i think he means professing against it , or let it be what it will , turning turk , renouncing christ , he is yet a member , he retains his true baptism , for by baptism a man is accepted a child of god ; and no more than he who renounceth his father doth by that act make himself not his son , no more can he unchild himself by any of these actual oppositions . here in this he only sets down his conclusion , but brings no argument for proof . i will hunt them out amongst the school and jesuites , and clear the truth as perspicuously as i can ▪ cardinal bellarmine in his d. book de ecclesià militante , cap. . handles this question under this title , whether hereticks and apostates which are baptized be parts and members of the church ? he denyes it . his fi●st argument against it is drawn from scripture , tim. . . where it is said , that some concerning faith have made shipwrack . where ( saith he ) by the metaphor of shipwrack he understands hereticks ; who , one part of the ship being broken , is fallen into the sea. ●or answer , i grant them to be hereticks and apostates , i grant the church their ship , i grant them in the sea ready to perish , yet even when they are there they belong to the ship , and perhaps were principal members of it , not in it , but of it ; and therefore read the next verse , of whom were hymeneus and alexander whom i have delivered unto sathan , that they may learn not to blaspheme . this great pilot took care of them , as members of his ship , and endeavoured their recovery , which was a sign they were still in union with the church . but ( saith he ) this is signified by the parable of our saviour , luke . of the net which was broken by the multitude of fishes ; that word parable slipt from the cardinal un●dvisedly . it was a real story ; but the learnedest man in the world may let slip such an expression . but why any such sence should be forced on that story , i know not , but only that such a thing was done , and if such a sence were granted , it yields no more , but that some men are slipt out of the blessing of the church , when they are ready to come to the shore , even to heaven . but he urgeth further , titus . . a man that is an heretick after the first and second admonition , reject , vers. . knowing that he that is such is subverted , and sinneth , being condemned of himself ; now ( saith he ) if this heretick were in the church , titus would not have been commanded to reject him , but exhort him . i answer , reject him for a time , for his conviction to amendment , as became a carefull ●astor , and a loving father , who intends the good of his children by withholding temporary favour for a season : that so his son may be ashamed , and shame breed an amendment . bellarmine adds out of st. hier●me , that he is not put out of the church , but puts himself out ▪ i grant it , out of that glorious communion and participation of heavenly mysteries , which belong to men of right faith and manners . but he addes another place out of the of john . . they went out from us , but they were not of us ; which he expounds out of st. augustine , that they went out of the church , but if they had been of the church by election , they would not have gone out from us i am sorry to read so learned a man forget himself ▪ i am sure in another controversie he would not allow this exposition , nor can i allow it in this ; for without doubt many elect do go out of the visible church , understand election in the most rigid way , they do go out and come in again ; that cannot be the right exposition therefore . if you would have my sence of it , we may observe , that in the preceding verse the apostle speaks of many antichrists , of these he saith , that they went out of us , that is , out of the communion with us ; now ( saith he ) they were not of us ; that is , when they went out from us ; it may be they had been before , but then they were grown to a defiance of us ; for if they had been of us , they would not have gone out from us ; if they had had the same principles they would not have left us . this i conceive the sence of this text ; and indeed , i know not whether any man hath given it this exposition . those which i have looked in have given me no satisfaction , of what religion soever : now let us see what concerns this text ; and perhaps will serve to illustrate other doubts . the difficulty will be in this phrase , to be of us , that is , our society ; that may be diverse wayes , in respect of that inward thing which unites us to christ , either in a perfect union , or in a remisse , or in the lowest degree : in a perfect union , that is , by it which st. james phraseth a lively faith , a faith quickned and infl●enced with charity , that dare with abraham forsake all lands , wife , children , yea offer his son himself a sacrifice to the good pleasure of god ; this the church of rome calls an informed saith , actuated and informed with charity ; this is the highest union and communion . then there is an union lower than this , which is , the faith which believes aright , and makes a profession of it , but will not bide the test of a confession , when it comes to the touch , and these are by all held so long to be in the church , as they have this union with christ , and so long retains its community , untill some temptation of fear , or hope , or perhaps some carnal argument perswade otherwise , and then they fall into heresie or apostacy , to have or g●in something ; and these i think to be those of whom the apostle spake , men who lived in a formal shew of a right faith , by conversing in a seeming manner with the godly and the church , but then went from them , ( i will not dispute the falling from grace here . ) but thus , when men had this faith before spoken of , and professed it ; or professed it , and had it not ; they had an union with the church , at the least outward , if but by profession , but inward likewise if they had that second sort of faith , yet they were not of us , the number of those who had justifying faith then when these left us ; but now there is another union , and that is per sacramentum fidei , by the sacrament of faith , as baptism is called , the which no man leaves ; and this is an union by which a wicked man after his repentance hath a title to claim mercy and absolution , as likewise the church owes it him : so that i dare say bellarmine , nor any jesuite i have read against this doctrine , can deny that there is such a title , or that that title is not by this union : so then they went from us , that is , the communion with us , that shewed they were not then of us , of that dear union of a lively faith , for then they would not have left us ; you see this cannot be understood of lack of election : the elect may go out , and come in again : it cannot be understood that they left union , but communion ; for the antichrist himself hath a union with the church , though he keeps a communion against it . i think this is enough to shew , that although this departure which st. john speaks of be by heresie or apostacy , as bellarmine insinuates , yet it is not a leaving all union of and with christ , but only communion , as i have before expressed . reader , be not hasty to judge of this conclusion , and then i hope thou shalt find it most agreeing to all principles of religion . secondly , bellarmine quotes the council of nice , can. . & . where , saith he , hereticks are said to be received into the church , if they will return , upon certain conditions . for answer : it is worth our marking , that those two canons are made for two sorts of hereticks , the th canon for the cathari or puri , as the canon calls them ; or the novatians , as balsamon expounds it , for they were the same ; these the canon receives into the church upon repentance , with imposition of hands only , but they must expresse their profession in writing . the other in the th canon were the pauliani , or paulianites , who were re-baptized upon their re-admission ; the first was a reception of such who had gone out of the communion of the church , by denying re-admission of penitents , who forsook their religion , by sacrificing to idols , and communication with the digami , such as had been twice marryed , whom they held unclean . these things were their heresies , and therefore were called cathari , because they must by these things pro●esse themselves holyer than other men ; but these being not things which nulli●ed baptism , although pertinaciously held , they could not be rebaptized . but for the paulinians , because they they denyed the trinity , they could not baptize according to christs institution , and therefore such as came from them to the church were re-baptized . you see now , how upon examination of these canons of that most sacred council , the case is stared for me , because it seems the cathari had but left the communion , as is before expressed , and therefore the removing the obstruction with proper physick 〈◊〉 ; but the paulinians had no union , and therefore to be grafted into the body . i have insisted the longer upon this , because the story of these several heresies is not perhaps apparent to every one , and that difference of condition upon the diversity of the heresie , perhaps , by a negligent reader would not have been observed . what he produceth out of the council of lateran , that the church is congregatio fidelium , i need not examine , i yield it ; but he saith , that hereticks are not fideles , is denyed by many of his own religion ; for although that they have not a fulnesse of faith , which he cannot exact in a member , yet they may have faith in many articles , which may preserve them in the unity of members , though sick members ; but this serves not my turn , comes not home to my businesse ; i therefore say , that as homo is animal rationale , which is one of the compleatest definitions given to any thing , and the most exemplar , yet every part of man is not rationale ; the hand cannot discourse , nor the feet : so the church is congregatio fidelium ; but it doth not follow , that every part of the church is faithfull ▪ infants are members of the church , and such members as are in a saving condition , yet they have but sacramentum fidei , and faith in potentiâ , they are not actually sideles , nay , perhaps not habitually , i am certain as we know of , they have no habit of it . but it may be objected , that these non ponunt obicem , as the school speaks ; as they reach not out their hands of faith to lay hold on christ , so they do not hinder or oppose it , but these men do with violence thrust christ from them : i answer , that violence returns to their own soul , in thrusting themselves out of the state of grace and favour with god protempore , for that time they do so , and it hinders grace in its operari , in its great and noble effects which it drives at , but doth not extinguish it in its first act , which is to make a man a member ; yea therefore they are more sinfull , than if done by an heathen or any who had not knowledge of gods law , nor been admitted into his membership : therefore the apostle urgeth this argument , shall i take the members of god , and make them the members of an harlot ? in a word therefore , the church is the congregation of the faithfull ; the essential and constituting parts of it are such , yet many parts of it are not such : which no man can deny if understood actually , because no man can have actual faith at all times , nor is it necessary that faith should be habitual in every member ; for infants cannot be proved to have it , but only sacramentum fidei , which is the first hand which gives an interest in christ , and thus much these have of whom we dispute . the sentences which he alledgeth out of the fathers , may be answered out of what hath been already delivered . his only reason is , that because the church is a multitude united , and this union chiefly consists in the profession of the faith , and in the observation of the same lawes and rights , no reason will permit that we should have any of the body of the church , which have no conjunction with that body ; he means in these things , but he handles this controversie negligently . i answer : the perfection of the union consists in these things he names , such are in the highest , and nearest and dearest way in the church , but the absolute union consists in baptism . i have perused many later jesuites , but they are almost all excerpta out of him , scarce changing his words ; but because in his answer to one argument which is objected against him , he confesseth in my judgement what i require , i will put down that , and so passe on . it is objected dly . ( saith he ) that hereticks are in the church , because they are judged by the church . so saith st. paul , cor. . . what have i to do to judge them which are without ? therefore they are in the church . he answers , that although hereticks are not of the church , yet they ought to be . this is poor hitherto , for then they ought not to be judged untill they are of the church ; and yet he addes , et proinde ad eam pertinent ; how do they pertain to it , if they are not of it ? yes ( saith he ) as a stray sheep belongs to the fold , as we use to say , this sheep belongs to this fold ; this speech pleaseth me , that fold hath an interest in that sheep , and that sheep in that fold ; though it have now no communion with it , yet it hath an union and interest in communion , whensoever he shall legally lay claim to it , to be sed with the rest , and every way provided for as they are : thus i think all stray sheep which are mark'd by christ for his , belong to his fold , his church , and by his mark in baptism may claim it , and the church exact a christian observance from it , neither of which can be in another man. thus i apprehend bellarmines confession hath assisted me in giving him satisfaction ; hut because this question hath been little pryed into by such writers as have come into my hands , i will for far farther illustrations adde some propositions which may clear it from some oppositions , which arise out of mine own understanding , rather than in the perusing any adversaries writing . sect . v some difficulties cleared . the mighty difficulty which troubled my mind all this while i have been discoursing of this union , was , how it may be said that the same person shall be a member of christ , and yet in the state of damnation , as without doubt many a baptized person is ? somewhat like this i read in cardinal cajetan , who in his treatise of the pope and a council , chap. . having been pinched with an argument against the popes supremacy , and being the visible head of the visible church , that the pope may be an heretick , yea an apostate , and so no member , much lesse the head of the visible church ; he flyes to my conclusion for refuge ; ( i will not meddle with the force of it against the conclusion he treats of , but only as he handles it in its self ) that the pope must be a baptized person , and that union of baptism will retain him in his membership ; then ( saith he ) if we will cast the eyes of our minds a little higher , we shall see that he who hath only the character of faith , ( which is a baptized man ) is at the same instant b●●h faithfull and unfaithfull , a member of christ and his church , and extra membra christi , without the members of christ and his church in diverse respects , and therefore diverse and contrary things are affirmed of such a man by the doctors : in a word , he saith , that such a man , as much as is in his own power , is out of the church ; but christ by his power keeps him in . this is his sence , and he goes further , that he who hath this character is a member , though in hell. but his expressions and explications of this conclusion are not so full as i could have desired ; he saith , he is aliqualiter membrum , after a sort a member , but sets not down clearly after what sort : bannes in his large notes upon . dae quest. . art. . saith , that in the constitution of the visible church there are two things considerable , one visible , and the other invisible ; one internal ▪ and the other external : in respect of what is visible a baptized man is a member of the church ; but if he be an apostate or an heretick , he is not a member internally . this is somewhat he saith , but it is not e●ough ; for if there be no internall adhesion , it will be rather a shew , and outward appearance of a thing , than a reality of it . other expressions made by jacohus granado , or such later writers as i have seen , scarce come up so far ; secundum quid ( saith he ) they are members , and such phrases , which make a man to know no more than if they had said nothing . i shall therefore express my self in this manner ; first , if you take the proportion of this body , called the church , from that communion it hath with a naturall body , as st. paul seems to do , we shall then find a baptized man grafted into the stock , and whilest he clings to it by faith , and brings forth fruit , by charity he is a lively member of this body , as those branches in all bodies are which bring forth their fruit in due season ; the best branch bringeth not forth fruit in all seasons , not in winter , and yet is a lively branch ; if it bring forth its fruit in its proper time , and so more or less excellent in its severall kinds , as it enlargeth its self in bringing forth fruit ; but if it bring not forth fruit when the season for fruit requires it , then it is not a lively branch , but yet living , which we may know , because many such a branch hath afterwards brought forth fruit again , by the discipline of pruning and husbandry . the same may be said of the parts of a mans body ; and yet to express this fuller , it is likely that this branch is then in the state of mortality , and would perish , were it not repaired by husbandry . here you perceive a baptized man ingrafted into christs body , you see him bringing forth fruit , and lively , you see him not lively , but living , and whilest he yet lives in the state of death and destruction , unless he be pruned and disciplined by repentance . now it is an invincible sign that that branch is yet knit to the body , because its livelihood is repaired by pruning , not grafting again , and this according to the analogy betwixt a natural body and its members , and the church and her members . secondly , draw the proportion from a politick body , a corporation . suppose a corporation , with this fundamentall clause in its statutes , that whosoever is once admitted , though he may be thrust out of it for such and such offences , though he thrust himself out , yet if he return again , making satisfaction , although not of equality , yet such acknowledgement as being ordained by law shall be accepted , this man shall be admitted into his former community of the priviledges of that corporation . this man by being once admitted loseth not this union , untill he come unto that condition of never laying hold of the priviledges of that charter ; he keeps his union , though he enjoys not the communion of that corporation . this is the state of this apostatizing man , and by the laws of god granted by all he is upon these terms admitted again , whether he thrust himself out of the communion , or be thrust out . thus this man ( in answer to the former argument ) is at the same time in the state of a man that is damned , having put himself out of noahs ark , the church , in which alone is salvation , and without repentance ; and untill repentance , which is commonly called , secunda post naufragium tabula , he is in that state of damnation ; and yet if he lay hold on that planck after his shipwrack , he shall be saved , and hath title to a room in that ship , a place in that corporation ; and this is the union i labour for , and that which sufficeth to answer mine own argument and hookers : the same member is at the same time a member of christs mysticall body , and in the state of damnation , a member though not lively , but only living ; and in the state of dead men , and without repentance must be in that state for ever , yet by his baptism hath a foundation for that to work upon ; thus to my self , then to mr. hooker . this man who is baptized , is still by that covenant in the church , tanquam pars in toto , though not tanquam locatum in loco ; he is a member in the first act , though he by his sins and opposition neither may nor can use any priviledge of a member in the second act , to receive blessings from or with them , like a dead branch ; dead to the second act , though alive in the union : he hath not lost his membership by these acts , but only communion in the second . sect . vi. another argument answered . another argument i can frame somewhat like this former out of scripture ; first , from rom. . . ( as it is urged after by such who draw conclusions from curtalled scripture ) there is no condemnation to them who are in christ jesus . these apostates who are baptized , by your doctrine should be in christ , therefore there should be no condemnation to them , which is impossible to be ; for if there be none to them , then there is none to any . this argument may be blown away by the very air and breath of the following words , rather than need any answer ; for the following words are , who walk not after the flesh , but after the spirit : but to such who are in christ by baptism , and in their lives are far from him , their condemnation is more abundantly just , and their very baptism , by which they covenanted to serve god , will arise in judgement against them . again it may be objected , john . that christs sheep hear his voice and follow him ; these run away from him , therefore not his sheep . it may be answered ; his sheep who are in his fold do hear his voice , so long as they keep in that blessed communion ; but when they leave that , and go into the wilderness with the stray sheep , then they listen not to it , nor follow him , but go from him , as is in the parable of the lost sheep , luke . but yet it is evident that sheep belonged to his flock , by the shepherds search after him , and that it was called his sheep , though a stray one , and gone cle●n from the fold and communion with the rest of the flock ; so that it owed obedience to his voice , and to his steps , to follow him , though it ran from him : and this is all i require , a bond of duty , the obligation of a covenant , not the force of any violent tye. sect . vii . rom. . . answered . it may be objected once again , that the baptized are by that made the sons of god , and if sons , then heirs , as st. paul disputes the case , rom. . . but these apostates cannot be accounted heirs of heaven , therefore they lose their filiation and their sonship by such wickedness , and so may all those other consequences of the adoption of that covenant . this question is fully handled by our saviour , luke . in the story of the prodigall son : there is no apostate can do more than that dissolute young man did , but only perseverance , and yet when he returned was not begot anew , that cannot be , but admitted into his former estate of a son. take it therefore logically , by way of answer ; he that is a son , quatenus , as a son , he is by that title an heir , but yet he may so dispose of himself , like the prodigall , like esau , that he may aliene and sell his birthright , and in that state he is not heir , though a son : so that a son , non ponenti obicem , if he alien not his birthright , in himself is an heir , but if he do , he hath no inheritance , though an heir , he loseth his birthright . but how then , may one say , is st. pauls saying true , if a son , then an heir ? thus ; because by being a son , he hath a title to the reversion of his fathers estate , but he may aliene it , which he could not do , unless he had title to it : and yet we may say , that although he is by his adoption the right heir , yet he is by his lewdness disinherited . so that as the prodigall son , so long as he lived in that dissolute and prodigall estate , received no favour from his father , nor any relief from his estate , yet when he returned , he was restored to all again . so it is with a christian ; a baptized christian once adopted the son of god , hath heaven so entayled , that he cannot aliene it without a power of revocation , which power it then acted , when with true repentance and humiliation he shall prostrate himself before the throne of grace for mercy , when he shall with the prodigall son have a sence of his misery , by living in that dissolute condition , and longing after the blessings of his fathers house , shall creep to him , confessing his sins and begging his favour , with a , father i have sinned against heaven , and before thee , &c. this is the state of every baptized man , who by that is adopted a son of god. i will not enter into those large and tedious discourses of gods hardening mens hearts , by dereliction of them , or of that which is termed the sin against the holy ghost , how these may devest a man of his inheritance . it is enough for my purpose that any baptized man hath such an interest in god , as when he repents he is sure of admission ; and therefore though many laws have been severe in punishing delinquents , as enjoyning penances for many years , sometimes more or less , as sins were adjudged greater or less , and of later times , and at this present in the church of rome , there are casus reservati , reserved cases not to be pardoned , some not by the parochian , some not by the bishop of the diocess , some reserved only for the pope , yet in case of death all these ecclesiastick constitutions are adjudged dissolvable by the best casuists , and the parochian hath power to absolve and remit them . so that , for answer to this argument , i may justly say that these baptized apostates are still heirs of heaven , but such as have aliened their estate , with a power of revocation upon certain conditions , which when they perform , the estate is theirs again : and agreeing to this will the answer be to another place , which is much insisted upon by the antinomians , and many others symbolizing with them . sect , viii . the . of st. john . . expounded . that is , john . . whosoever is born of god , doth not commit sin ; from which is deduced , that sinners are not gods children , are not born of god , not heirs , therefore have not title to him and his blessings : if not sinners , much less so great sinners as apostates . to understand which text , and farther to illustrate this truth , conceive with me , first , that this phrase sinneth not , or committeth not sin , ( that will not be materiall ) cannot be understood of doing nothing that is sin , for our apostle in this very epistle hath declared the contrary , chap. . . if we say that we have no sin , we deceive our selves , and the truth is not in us . again , verse . if we say that we have not sinned , we make him ( that is , god ) a liar , and his word is not in us . again , chap. . verse , . if any man sin , we have an advocate with the father , jesus christ the righteous , and he is the propitiation for our sins . then , they sinned , and in such manner , as they have need of christ for a propitiation . secondly , i cannot conceive these words so as beza expounds them , in the th verse , which he would have guide the whole sence of the phrase , throughout this chapter ; he saith , that 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 doth differ from 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 ; to commit sin , differs from sinning , because to commit sin , is to do it knowingly against his conscience . to conclude , he makes it an high kind of sinning , and to sin with reigning sin . i know no necessity to force any such exposition from the phrase , and i am sure he chose a most unlucky verse to obtrude that exposition upon ; for in that place the apostle saith , he who commits sin transgresseth the law , for sin is the transgression of the law ; phrases which are affirmed of him that committeth sin , but agree to all sins , for every sin is the transgression of the law ; and therefore 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 , to commit , or do , or make sin , is no more than to sin : and to this inconsideration in beza , fuller , the apostle in verse . useth only 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 , he who remains in him , sinneth not . there , because the sence is as pregnant to shew the inconsistence of the birth or being in christ , and sin , as before he refers the reader to the fourth verse , so that there was a distinction in the th verse betwixt sinning and committing sin , but here there is none in the th verse ; but to sin , must be to do it , as is expounded , with an high hand . but i have shewed , there could be no such sence in that verse , and therefore much less in this , where was not the least phrase guiding to it . i come now to the text ; i have tumbled over divers expositors , and he that pleaseth me best is cardinal cajetan in his comments upon the text , who seems to me to dive deeper into , and drive closer to the sence of the text than others . vasques comes in a word or two towards it likewise , and many touch upon it ; his sence is , that he who is born of god , and he who remains in him , sins not , nor can sin : this must be taken ( saith he ) formaliter , formally , quatenus , say the logicians , as he is born of god. this we may perceive to be the sence of the text , because throughout this chapter the apostle describes two sorts of actions , good and evil , two principles from whence they came ; the good from god , whose sons we are called that do good , and are as●imilated to him by such actions ; the evil from the devil , verse . now these two principles are in every man ; when he doth well his actions come from god , and so far forth he is from god ; and when he doth evil his actions are from the devil , and so far forth he is from the devil : nay we may not only find these two principles working their effects in the same man , but like jacob and esau , strugling at the same time in the same womb , who shall come out first , and like fire and water contending at the same time for preheminence , as st. paul wonderfully describes , rom. . insomuch that in the th verse it made him cry out like a woman in labour of this birth , o wretched man that i am , who shall deliver me from the body of this death ? so that these two principles are in the same man ; perhaps sometimes he sins , in that he sins , quatenus , as he sins , he is not born of god ; then he doth righteousness , out of that regard as he doth righteously he is born of god. now yet that you may farther see that this is the sence , see that this thread , this clew , must lead ●ord● to the exposition of the pieces in this same business of this chapter , verse . he who sinneth hath not seen god , nor known god. this must be understood , quatenus , in that regard every man hath sinned , then no man hath seen or known god , no , but quatenus , in that regard that he sinneth , he hath not seen god , nor knoweth him , he sets not god before his face , so that there is a necessity of this exposition from the like speeches of the apostle ; so likewise from that phrase in the th verse , he cannot sin . ( certainly he who cannot sin , cannot but do righteously ) because he is born of god , out of that cause and principle , whilest he keeps himself close to that , quatenus , as he is born of god ; as likewise he sinneth not , because the seed remaineth in him : yet st. paul , whilest the seed was in him , did sin , but not quatenus . a man may have the seed of god , and the seed of the devil together ; the seed of god brings forth good fruit , the seed of the devil that which is ill ; as he works from the seed of god he cannot sin : and a lapide expresseth in another phrase , much conducing to the same purpose , in sensu composito , concerning a man working by that principle he cannot sin , or working by the devil he shall sin , but taking a man in sensu diviso , as not knit to that principle , nor working by the divine seed , he may sin . let us see then this text applied to this business , he who is born of god by baptism , sinneth not , not quatenus , not so long as he works according to the design and intent of baptism , which is to forsake the devil , and follow christ ; and this seed of this covenant remaineth in him , to produce sanctity and holiness of life , which so long as it is watered and cherished , it will do : and be sure when you do evil , you work from another principle ; but this no whit derogates from the constant union which such a person keeps as a member , or a filiation . sect . ix . another argument against the filiation wrought in baptism , answered . i would willingly clear this from all seeming opposition , and therefore will discuss whatsoever appears to me of any difficulty . i seem to place the adoption , the filiation of a son of god , in the covenant of baptism , and because that remains firm , therefore this filiation doth so likewise , and is not extirpate by these greater sins . but now if it appear that this work is done by other things , and not by it , then the foundation of this discourse perisheth , and what is built upon it must fall to the ground ; but the antecedent is true , gal. . . ye are all the sons of god by faith in christ jesus ; there faith , not baptism , is set down as the mean of our filiation . i do not find faith put there as a constituting cause of our regeneration , but may well be a motive to it , and have a proper influence in it , but not the constitution of it . to understand which , consider , that this filiation is an adoption , and so there is two things requird , the consent of the parties , and the obligatory covenant which they both enter into . this is in this adoption ; christ would have all men to be saved , to repent and come to him : they do covenant with him by baptism to serve him , as the children of israel covenanted in circumcision , to serve god according to their judaicall laws , so do they with him in baptism , according to his evangelicall laws . now as no man will submit himself to any father , by being adopted to him , unless he believe that he will bless him , that his covenants upon adoption shall be made good to him ; so no man cometh unto god , as st. paul , heb. . . he that cometh to god must believe that he is , and that he is a rewarder of them who seek him . this act of faith must precede every access to god ; no man would take this covenant , no man be baptized and adopted without it : and therefore although faith do not constitute the child of god , yet it is the means of his constitution , but without which no man would be constituted , and indeed not only sine quà non ( as the logicians speak ) but likewise a means moving , and inclining men to it . there is commonly objected the case of infants , that they can have no faith preceding their baptism . i must not entangle my self in all controversies of these times , and here handle this question otherwise than this objection exposeth it self against this conclusion ; and therefore answer , that as infants have not actuall faith of their own that any man can know of , so they do not come with their own feet to christ , neither doth christ exact it of them , or any other , more than they can do : and therefore we may observe in that famous story recorded in our baptism , mat. . . mark. . . luke . . that when they brought little children , or infants , ( as st. luke calls them ) and the disciples rebuked them who brought them , our saviour rebuked the disciples , and said to them , suffer little children to come unto me . first , mark this here , that these three evangelists recording this fact , although they varied in other phrases , yet all agree in these two , that these little ones were brought by other men , and that our saviour said , suffer little children to come unto me ; whereas in things not substantiall to a story , the evangelists most oft vary in the relation : and we may observe so great difference both in the phrases by which they are exprest , and likewise in the very matter , that mens wits are much troubled to reconcile them . so in materiall points the matter is constantly the same ; but when the phrase is the same likewise , it is a most assured argument that things were so disposed in that very manner and words , and some excellent thing of high note is delivered , which i conceive thus ; if the disciples had here replyed , we do not hinder them from coming , we forbid only others to bring them , oru saviours reply was couched in the very words . children , infants , come with others feet when they bring them ; now no men come to god but believers ; they come then with others feet , why not believe with others faith as well ? nay there seems to be great reason for it , because faith is necessary to coming , that is , personall in them that can have personall faith , as their own feet in them that have feet , but other mens feet serve the turn for them who have none of their own , & so other mens faith : and for my part i wonder why we should be so shy to allow this faith , since there is nothing more frequent in scripture , than ( as the bishop spake of st. austin , though a man of a loose life , and carried away with those wicked and horrid opinions of the manichees , filius tantarum lachrymarum non potest perire ; he who had a mother so zealous for him with such showers of tears , would not perish ; her piety was powerfull with god for his good . ) that other mens faith and prayers are prevalent with god for their childrens or friends good , i need not repeat the story of the centurion , mat. . whose faith was powerfull to the curing of his servant , verse . so likewise mark . where christ cured a mans son by the prayer of the ●ather , and did it upon the fathers faith , as is evident by verse . if thou canst believe , all things are possible to him that believeth ; all things , then for other men as well as for themselves . there are many such stories , but men throw them off with this shift , that those things are concerning their bodies , not their souls : alas , what more reason is there for one than the other ? but see it more closely ; read mark . . there many men bring one sick of the pulsie , who was carried of four , and let down from the top of the house , verse . it is said , that jesus seeing their faith , said to the sick of the palsie , s●n , thy sins be forgiven thee . observe ▪ they were divers persons whose f●ith he saw , and but one to whom he spake ; and because some avoid it , and say , that within this word ( their ) is involved his who was sick , his faith as well as theirs who carried him : although this will appear a forced explication to them who consider the text , yet let it be granted ; i hope they will no● say his faith alone , then theirs co-operated with him in the work , then they could operate themselves , for no second causes do cooperate one with another , but when each hath the power , then they had force of themselves towards the procuring of this blessing . consider then the blessing , son , thy sins are forgiven thee ; what this was appears by the dispute which followed : the scribes said , he spake blasphemy , none can forgive sins but god ; and our saviour proved immediately that he was god , in the . verse , by saying to the sick of the palsie , arise , take up thy bed , and walk , and did the miracle : so that it appears evidently , first , that faith precedes to induce baptism , before men can come to god , that the coming of infants is by others feet , that the faith pre-required in children is other mens faith : for as it is with all supernatu●all works , there is a passive faith in the object , necessary to make it capable of that miracle , without which , miracles ( in the course of gods ordinary doing them ) are not wrought , and with which all things are possible , both for our selves , or those which belong to us ; and this faith in a father is powerfull for his son , in a master for his servant . so is it in b●ptism ; faith is necessary to this great work of adoption , but faith of others in children is only necessary : and this is excellently exprest in the practice of the civil law , which whether it received its rise from this , or circumcision , or that the same principles which direct one , are evident in the other , i dispute not , but it is some comfort even in religion to see it illustrated by the wayes of prudent nature , and the universall axiomes of it . this then is so illustrated , although adoption requrie the consent of both parties , yet personally that is only done in such as are sui juris , grown to such years as they are masters of themselvs , and their own actions : but such as are of such weak years , as they are governed , and under parents , they can be , and are adopted by their parents to another ; an adopting father , and their covenants for the behalf and in the name of the child , both oblige the child to filiall duties towards his new father , and likewise the father to a fatherly care of the son , both in life by protecting him , and in death by estating him in his inheritance . thus did god with the children of the jewes at circumcision ; that act by the parents made the child a debtor to that law , and god to his covenant of mercy to him . so here is the hand of god accepting this act of parents for their children , in nature , in the law , and in all footsteps of gods government , the same discipline is observed . i will conclude somewhat like that passage in petrus claniacensis , a man famous for learning and piety as any of that age , in the treatise of his against the petro-brusians , whose opinions agreed in the point with our anabaptists ; you see multitudes of men in scripture had a faith prevalent for others , and those but single persons , or a few men that carried the paralytick ; shall not the faith of the world of the whole church be effectuall to these infants ? a father begs for his son , a master for his servant , shall not christian parents , yea the christian church , be heard in prayer for these infants ? god hath covenanted , whatsoever ye shall ask the father in my name , he will give it you , john . . ask ( say divines ) constantly , faithfully , for good things , according to gods will , non ponenti obicem , either for himself or others , who do not stop by self-wickedness the power of prayers ; can then the constant prayers of the church , with that unshaken faith of hers , be denyed its efficacy , in a thing so pleasing to god , to such persons who actually can put no hinderance to the power and efficacy of that prayer ? these things in christian men canot be denyed ; and therefore in brief to the argument : faith in all introduceth this covenant in baptism , and moves the receiver to be adopted to god ; and therefore observe , that the apostle , as he , verse . ye are all the children of god by faith ; so in the th verse he brings a reason , for as many as are baptized into christ have put on christ. the reason why they are the children of god by faith , is because that such as have this faith are moved to be baptized , and they put on christ. the faith of him who is master of his own actions , makes him be baptized ; the faith of him who is master of his childs actions , causeth him to bring his child to this adoption : and yet ( methinks ) it hath not only power concerning this blessing , before the act of adoption , to bring men to it , but even in it to accept it ; for although there were all the affection in the world to it before , yet if faith fail in the act , that man would hold from accepting such a covenant , whereby he had no confidence to be blessed : but this faith doth only make him covenant , but it self is not the covenant . thus i suppose i have spoken abundantly to mr. hookers second argument , and to such objections which i have thought upon , as most opposing this doctrine i have delivered : and although i could frame many more of this nature , yet what is said to these will serve the turn for them likewise ; and therefore i let them pass . sect . x. mr. hookers third argument answered . thomas hookers third argument , page . is thus framed , this tenent doth necessarily evidence the church of rome to be a true church , which is thus gathered . where all the members are true members , there the church is a true church . but all the members in all the congregations of rome are true members , ergo. this minor he proves , because they are baptized . i would first know , what is the harm if we allow the church of rome to be a true church ; true in the essentials of a church , though sick , and full of corrupt doctrines . i have shewed , and it is most true , that many men be in a church , yea in the catholick church , and not be saved ; and perhaps there may be an whole church , such as mr. hooker would have , and scarce a man of them saved without the same means , as many in the church of rome are saved by . and therefore by the way i adde , that the church of rome is not only a church , but a saving church , such as i doubt not but multitudes are saved in ; for they have not only a doctrine of essentially true baptism , to admit men into the church , but they have a doctrine essentially true of repentance , to let men out of it : and i am confident , that those men which so die , with their repentance and contrition for sins , and a desire of a new life , and a trust in christ , that he hath satisfied for their sins , and have no wilfull errors , but their other errors are such as are invincible , and upon that ground beg , with david , the lord to forgive them their secret sins ; i say , such a soul shall be saved , notwithstanding multitudes of errors both in belief and practice . and this doctrine is taught in the church of rome , although mixed with many errors , for which yet they have many such seeming reasons , as to such who are not allowed to converse with men , or read books of another belief , may be sufficient to excuse them at the last day . so that although the errors taught in the church of rome are not safe , yet the fundamentals taught among them , annexed to that doctrine of repentance , may be accepted by almighty god , according to his covenant in jesus christ , to their salvation . this controversie hath been most learnedly handled by chillingworth , and others : i let it pass therefore , and will examine his major , which is extreamly far from truth . where all the members are true members , there the church is a true church . this proposition is false : all the members of a dog are true members , all the members of a man are true members ; but there is no true church where that turk is , or where that dog is . thus as he sets it down , it is grosly false ; nor can i adde any one term to mend it : the likeliest i can may be this ; that church where every member is a true member , that church is a true church : but yet this is false , according to themselves ; for a church as we dispute of , it is totum integrale , under that notion we conceive it to have members , but many times there may be many hands and many feet which stick together , and yet do not make a true totum integrale , which consists of a perfect body , with all its severall parts , and yet these are true parts of their severall bodies , these hands of richard , those of william : so there may be divers lay-men congregated , or divers pastors , which are severally each of them true members perhaps of other congregations , yet in that body make not up a true church , which consists of all parts , pastors , teachers , &c. let me adde one term more ; in that church where all the members are true members of it , there that church is a true church . this is false likewise : for in a representative officer , each member is a true member of him ; of a false or counterfeit king , each member is a true member of him , but he is not a true officer , or true king ; and for him to urge that he who is a false officer is no officer , and that congregation which is not a true church is no church , then he by making these members of the church of rome , and calling it a church of rome , makes it a true church himself . so that either this proposition means nothing , or it is absolutely false . this i speak , to shew that although the conclusion which he conceives of an undeniable evidence , were true , ( as i have proved it false ) yet it would in no means be deduced from that major , no not with the addition of two or three the most assisting terms i could adde to it ; and so i come to his fourth argument , which is thus framed . sect . xi . his fourth argument answered . that which is a seal of the covenant , and our incorporation into the church visible , that cannot be the form of it . at primum verum , ergo. i put down his very words , which forceth me to adde his minor , but baptism is the seal , &c. ergo , baptism is not the form . this proposition he proves thus , because the seal comes after the thing sealed , but the form goes before . these things are so grosly delivered , and so without all illustration , that it is hard to speak to it , for this is all he speaks in that place to this business : what he addes against mr. rutherford , i am nothing concerned in , nor do i know what mr. rutherford replyes to this , nor can conceive it by him . in a word , i deny his major . that ( say i ) which is the seal may be the form of the covenant , in such cases where the seal is made an essentiall part of it , as in such deeds where sealing is necessary , as in law , where signing , sealing , and delivering , altogether , make the form of that covenant where they are so required ; and baptism is all these : so that if he had said , that which is a seal alone cannot make the form , i would have denyed his minor , and have said , that baptism is not a bare sign , as he will and doth confess , but signing and delivering on both sides . now to illustrate this proposition ; in such cases such seals as i have described , are the form of those covenants . consider , that the form of every thing is that which gives it ability to work that which is its proper work ; this doth signing , sealing , and delivering do : every deed is like a dead body before , but when sealed it receives a soul , and is able to work , which it could not do before . again , the form of every thing is the last addition to it ; that which he speaks , in his proof that a form goes before the thing sealed , or rather informed or constituted , and a seal comes after , is very vain and weak : for it is true , as it being a constituting principle , and a cause of that it produceth , it is therefore , as the logicians speak , prius naturâ , non effectu , before it in nature , not in time . the sun is in nature before its light , because its light proceeds out of it ; fire before heat , yet they are simul tempore , children of the same birth , and one cannot be without both are . the soul of man is before a man in nature , because it is a constituting cause ; yet by them that hold it created , creando infunditur , & infundendo creatur ; and they that hold it ex traduce , give it no prae-existence in time to the man ; and what he sayes of a seal , it comes after : in such cases where seals are essentiall , they are before the seal comes , and like a soul put into a body , it gives it ability to work , and in that state is precedent in nature . so that you see , seals in such deeds as well as forms , are before the vivacity of a covenant in nature , though both are simul in time ; and therefore such seals may be forms , and indeed are forms , as is before exprest , being that which gives the covenant sealed its form and power to work , and likewise the last thing which comes to actuate that thing in which it is : but because that when the seal is gone , yet the form of the covenant remains , and forms having permanent beings as seals transient , it may be further doubted how seals can be forms . this i urge , though not a book-objection , ( as indeed i do not find the question disputed in the school under this notion ) but only which started it self in my thoughts whilest i was writing , and indeed may do so with others , for i am unwilling to let any thing pass which may disturb a readers assenting ; and therefore in answer to this objection do say , that although the seal be gone , yet its image , its likeness , when it is gone , remains in the wax , which is as valid to all its intentions , as it self , and is the seal , effective , in its morall existence , to all those morall effects which it produceth : so it is in baptism ; there is that the school calls the character , which remains after the act of baptism is gone , and is powerfull to all its effects . i did avoid to speak of this intricate business , hoping i might have escaped it ; but since i cannot , do thus undertake it now , and define it thus . chap. xiii . what the character left in baptism is ; and this character defined . the character or relict of baptism , by which a christian is constituted a member of the catholick church , is a spiritual power , by which the baptized man is interessed with right , both to receive and do what belongs to a member of christs church . first , it is a power : powers are either active , or passive ; active , to do , as fire to burn ; passive , to suffer , or receive , as wood hath a passive power to receive the ignifying nature of fire , which gold hath not . this relict of baptism doth both these , both enable a man to demand and receive confirmation ; to joyn with the christian congregation in devo●ions and prayers ; to demand and receive absolution , the communion , with all other things which a christian man doth in his severall duties and occasions . but we must here distinguish betwixt natural powers , and moral ; the first are faculties in man , by which he is enabled by that internall principle , to act what the power directs him to , and no man obtains any such , but by a reall change and alteration in himself to some absolute quality , as a power to walk , to speak , or the like , that he had not before . but in moral powers , as the right to an estate or to an office , these may come to a man without any such alteration : as the father dyes , the son is immediately invested with the power of his fathers estate , and yet the son is the same in all absolute things , hath no such change in himself . again , a man is chose a generall , a king , he h●●h in himself no such change , no such alteration , but is the same he was before in all absolute things . in moral powers we are not to expect an alteration in the party who receives them , to any absolute reality : so that although in a baptized person , who receives these mighty powers , we can discover no alteration , yet these powers are in him , by the force of this moral form , which enables him to act or receive such or such things . next let us consider that it is a spiritual power : that attribute is given it in regard of its object , and end , because the power aims at spirituall blessings , and is conversant about spirituall means , to obtain this end : for as it is called morall , because it considers not naturall actions , but such as concern a mans manners , his doing well or ill in relation to god , and that christian community in which he lives ; so it is spirituall , in respect of the spirituall conversation it hath with god , and those men of whose society it is . and now we seeing the genus in this definition , let us examine the difference , a power by which he is interessed with right : here is apparent that which was implyed before , that it is not a naturall but a morall power : naturall powers enable a man to do , as the power to move , to speak ; but the morall power gives him not ability , but authority and right to move or speak thus ; or now he hath interest and right to do it , to receive and do ( this power is both active and passive , as before ) what belongs to a member of christs church . this gives him interest in no civill right , nor office in the church , but only a right as a member , that is , such a right as by christs laws appertain to him : if a sinner , in such a degree , he is shut out of the communion ; if a penitent , he may require absolution , and by his being baptized , he is made capable of these , which otherwise before , and without baptism , he was not . sect . ii in what predicament this character is . thus this definition being explained , there is a great question , what manner of thing , in what predicament this relict power is ] for my part , without disparagement of my great master in philosophy , aristotle , i think that these spiritual & theological powers need not be tugged into any of his predicaments , nor was he to be blamed as insufficient in his number , because he being acquainted only with naturall things , found out names for them in his ten ; but being ignorant of spirituall , must of necessity leave them , ●nd such as studied them , to shift for their room elsewhere : and we might therefore with more ease invent another for them , than be forced with unjust violence to hale them to these , which were only provided for naturall things . but yet because those old names would better please a reader , i will keep my self to them . and first , i opine that this relict is of a relative nature , in its proper being , for it is that interest which a man hath as before in christ as his head , and the rest of the church as his fellow-members , which is a relation , for pars & totum , part and the whole are relates , so are head and member , in such bodies as have heads ; and in this consists the nature of this relict , and therein are seated all the interests and powers which a baptized man hath . aquinas , with that great army of learned men who follow his colours , sight against this conclusion vehemently , with many arguments seemingly powerfull , the nature of which consisting of such matter as is not usuall in english authors , it may chance not be unpleasing to him who reads this , to study a little that christian philosophy which will be opened in this discourse ; and i am confident , it will by drawing aside such curtains as are interposed , give admittance to such light as will illustrate the business in hand to any easie sight : and therefore i undertake them . the first argument urged by cabrera , ( for i will take them where i find them strongest maintained ) cabrera in . quest. . art. . disp. . sect. . conclus . . thus argues , there is no motion to a bare relation , ( ad relationem per se , is his phrase ) for this he produceth aristotle , . phys. text. . for saith he , all change is to an absolute form , but there is a motion to this character , ( as he and the whole school call it ; i term it the relict ) for the sacramentall motion is terminated in this character , as is evident in him who should feignedly take this sacrament ; he receives nothing but the meer character , no grace , nor any other supernaturall quality , but only this character . i may urge it further , because , as i have shewed , this relict may remain in a man who is void of all grace , and full of all impiety , and therefore is something in it self , which is the terminus , the bound , the effect of that motion . ] sect . iii. motion is to relation . i answer to this , that motion is to relation , and that relations may be the effects of motions , that language which scotus and his followers use in the explication of this conclusion , is not amiss ; that it is true , such relations which arise ab intrinseco , from some inward principle , cannot be produced without a change in the subject , or fundamentum , or the object to which it is referred ; but such relations which arise ab extrins●co , from abroad , are terms and proper effects of motions . his followers , franciscus de pitigianis , ruiz , faber faventinus , in q. . dist. . quest. . amongst the later : as likewise the more ancient touching upon it , explain this distinction thus , these relations arise from within , out of the very nature of both the relates , which putting both the relates in actuall being , that respect must needs arise out of them , ( and this indeed must shew such relation to arise from an inward principle , because it results from their being , like heat from ●ire , as soon as it is . for instance , a son and a father are no sooner in the world both at the same time , but there ariseth out of them that mutuall relation of fatherhood and filiation ; so likewise no sooner is one paper dyed black , but there ariseth that mutuall similitude and likeness it hath with another paper which was black before : that relation comes from abroad , which doth not naturally arise out of the being of the relates , but requires something else to give it a proper being . they illustrate it thus ; an agent and patient have relation one to the other , but the agent , as fire , and the patient , as wood , may both he in being , yet not have their relation one to another : they may be at such a distance , as the fire cannot work upon the wood ; yea in a sit distance , and all things else disposed , there may be some medium interposed , and the fire not be agent , nor the wood patient , and without any new change in either of them , but the removing the interposed body , they shall have instantly the relation of agent and patient ; and the motion only of the interposed body , without any new absolute quality introduced into either , the fire or the wood , shall cause that relation : thus they ; but see it clearer in those morall relations which have a nearer affinity with this of my business in hand ; a man is chosen mayor of a town , judge in a circuit , he is the same in all absolute things he was before , can do no physicall or naturall act which he could not before , he was as wise before , could before give sentence as well as after , but his sentence was not definitive before this , only that relation which the power of the magistrate gave him of being a judge or mayor , enabled him with , and this was extrinsecall , from abroad ; for he was before , the town or parties to be judged were before , but only this outward investiture in his office , ( outward in respect of both the relates ) gave him this being . so it is with the business in hand ; the baptized man had all the absolute qualities before that he hath afterwards ; he could receive the communion , he could pray with the congregation , he could be absolved , the same things he could do or suffer , but he had right to none , he could not do or receive these blessings effectively before he was baptized : he was before , christ was before , the church was before , but his relations to neither were before , but this act of baptism introduced them . and thus relation we see may be the term and effect of such motion , for mutation or change is whatsoever hath novum , else a new thing is something which it was not before , now that which hath a new relation , is something that it was not before : the mayor is the governor of his town , the judge of his circuit ; so a baptized man , a christian , which he was not before . i think there needs no more be spoken to the first argument ; for the place in aristotle , the scotists say , it is only to be understood of those relations which have their being from an inward principle , not such as are from abroad , that it is true of those which are in the predicament of relation , not of all respects which are transcendent , or of which the six last predicaments are constituted ; for suarez makes angelicall motion to be to the predicament of ubi , which is one of those respects which constitute a predicament of themselves , but are not in the predicament of relation : and we may observe , that our transposition of our body in our place to a new situs , is a motion to a relation , which is another predicament of the same nature . but cabrera , where before , saith , that dominicus soto despiseth this answer , in . dist. . quest. . art. . you may read it towards the later end of that article ; his answer is , that there is no such thing as a relation arising out of any outward cause , for every relation ariseth immediately out of its foundation : the instances of scotus he seems to overthrow . first , that of fire , ( saith he ) the foundation of the relation , to the patient the wood , is the action of warming , not the heat ; but let that warming act to the wood have its being , presently the relation results : and for the action to vbi , he denies vbi to be a relation , but the esse in loco , to be in a place , which is a reall thing . i will not dispute these instances , although they are the only instances given by the scotists , and they do not observe this reply in this place ; but my instances of a mayor or judge can in no manner be excepted against , for there is the mayor absolutely the same way endowed with all qualities and defects as before , who is the foundation of this relation , and he living in the same town , conversing with the same men , and yet hath this new relation of being mayor , arising from the constitution of an outward power , and that motion from an outward cause works no change in him to any reall and absolute quality . but perhaps he will say , that this mayoralty is the foundation of that relation , and so the relation immediately results out of it : let him tell me then what that mayoralty is , but that relation he hath to that society of which he is mayor ; for certainly he can make it nothing else , but that very mayoralty must be that relation . sect . iv. relation may be the principle of action . i come therefore to his second argument , which is clean contrary to that before : for as he said , motion could not be terminated in relation ; so now he saith , relation cannot be the principl● of any reall action or passion : but this relict or character of baptism is the principle of those receivings of those blessings , before spoken of ; therefore it cannot be a relation . to this i answer , his major hath no foundation to build upon . look upon all moral relations , as i have before shewed , yea upon moral powers in natural relations ; as you may see , a father is no sooner a father , but presently out of that fatherhood ariseth that moral power to have dominion over his son , and that duty of providing for him : so likewise from the relation of mayoralty ariseth that power of governing and ruling in the corporation ▪ so that although perhaps naturall relations are not principles of naturall actions , nor do they give men naturall powers , as by being a father , a man neither eats , nor drinks , nor sleeps the better ; yet relations are principles of morall actions and passions , and give their morall powers interests and duties , which immediately result out of those relations : and of this nature is this , they are morall endowments , spiritually morall , as before explained , to act or receive the blessings appertaining to such members . sect . v. one relation may be the foundation of another . a third reason of his is , that one relation cannot be the foundation of another ; this is by some confirmed , that if it could be founded in another , there would be relation upon relation , infinitely . this is absolutely false likewise as well as the other major . to prove this , the instances of scotus and his followers are such as abide dispute ; i will avoid that , and make it as clear as day : two sheets of paper have the same writings , or ( if you will ) but black spots in them , these two sheets have a similitude or likeness in them ; then take two sheets of parchment , and let them have the same writings or spots in them ; there the first relation is the foundation immediately of the second similitude , as relations ; yet clearer , fatherhood in thomas is a relation , so is fatherhood in peter ; from hence results a likeness betwixt these two , thomas and peter , which is founded only upon the former relation of fatherhood . it is in vain for men to say that similitude is only in qualities ; for whether it be equality in quantities , or identity in substance , or convenience in any other predicament , a relation results from one as well as the other . so then although this relict of baptism be a relation , yet it may found and support , be the subjectum quo , the immediate subject , by reason of which other relations are in the substance . now that which was urged for confirmation , that then relations might be multiplyed infinitely , is of no force , for there is , as we see in the former instances , a fixation , that there must be a bound beyond which it cannot go : nor is the argument of more force in relations , then because there is a cause of a cause , therefore there should be infinite causes ; for we know there must be one fixed . sect . vi. where is the foundation of this character . i leave cabrera , and come to didacus nuguewin . quest. . art. . difficult ▪ . who enquireth , if this character be a relation , ● where is its foundation , that must be either natural or supernatural ; natural it cannot be , because it is spiritual ; and supernatural it cannot be , because it self is the first spiritual thing in man : now , every relation must have some absolute thing to found it on . this argument i do not find obsorved by any of the school of scotus , and therefore must say somewhat to it , which to me seems not yet delivered in the school in this conclusion . i say therefore , that it is one thing to speak of the foundation of a relation , another thing to speak of the terminus , or subject , or correlate : as thus , the subject of a fatherhood is the man who is the father , the correlate is his son , the foundation is his power of getting a son , or his act , in that permanent being in which it remains . so in two white sheets of paper , the relate or subject is the white sheet , the correlate to which it is referred is the other white sheet , the foundation is the whiteness . thus it is in all these relations which are natural , because their relations arise from within , their foundation must be internall ; but in morall relations , whose originall is from abroad , there the foundation of this relation must be abroad : as thus , what is the foundation of this mans mayoralty , but either the charter by which it is supported , or else the will of the supream , or both , or whatsoever from without gave him that being of that relation . now therefore in this case , i say , the foundation of this relation , this relict , which is the membership of christ , is the will of god , who hath thus constituted a baptized man a member of his church ; and this is a supernatural thing , and that which alone can endow a man with this membership : this he doth by his sacred word , which hath confirmed this to us . sect . vii . another argument answered . there is one little argument more , which is , that the disposition to every form is reducible to that ●a●k and series of things in which the form it disposeth to is ; but this character is a disposition to gods graces , which are reduced to qualities ; therefore . the major again is false , most eminently false , so that the contrary is almost 〈◊〉 : see it so ; heat is a disposition to ●●re , cold to water , yet they are subst●nces : these accidents , most differing relations , are dispositions to many great actions of piety in parents , of duty in clergy-men , of governing well in magistrates , of obedience in all their subjects , yet these things of divers natures . i conclude then resolutely , that this relict of baptism is a relation . now , next , in a relation would be enquired , whether real or rational ; whether a real relation , or that of reason only . chap. xiv . whether the relict be a reall relation , or of reason . dvr●nd●● , in . dist. . quest. . prope finem , stands alone against all the schools of thomas and scotus , and ocham , and whosoever : his opinion is , that this character is only ens rationis ; i cannot approve of his reasons , nor altogether of his conclusion , yet do think him unconfuted by all that i have seen , and i have looked over fourty i think at least . the principall arguments which are urged against him are authorities , first , out of the florentine councill , in that decree of union , which indeed might rather be called the decree of eugenius the th ; but howsoever that decree hath no more , but that these three sacraments , baptism , confirmation , and orders , imprint an indelible character , which is a sign , all which may be allowed ens rationis . secondly , out of the councill of trent , sess. . cap. de sacr. ca● . . which saith no more than the other , that this character is a spirituall indelible sign , so that were i of the church of rome , according to their own principles , even in this age , ( for he is excused from heresie by them , writing before these decrees , but his opinion is condemned by most now after these canons ) yet i say , even now amongst themselves he might be defended by these canons , much better than they who hold it to be a reall absolute quality ; for if it be a sign , a sign is a relation : and that is but a shift to say this word sign is put for an explicatory term , not as the genus , since in these two councills it enjoys the place of a genus , as is evident in these canons ; and then signs may be entia rationis , as most be which are not natural signs , but by institution , of which nature this is . the chief reason that i find may be that of pitigianus , in theol. spec . & moral . dist. . quest. . art. . that if the characters of these sacraments should be entia rationis only , then the priesthood of the new testament should no othewise impress its character , than the priesthood of the old law. to this i answer , that i know no need that it should : but yet vasquez , quest. . art. . disp. . cap. . num. . in . saith , that this character differs from the other , because that was delible , this not ; but this is weak , because delibility or indelibility are extrinsecall things to the nature of a character , and both what is delible and what is indelible may have their beings upon reason , or else be real . cabrera , in quest. . art. . disp. . sec. . urgeth arguments , as before against relation , so here against this , characters being ens rationis : first , a real action hath a real term ; but this character doth terminate a real action , therefore . the major is so extreamly false , that indeed there is no ens rationis in the world which doth not terminate a real act : take the most fictitious chymaera that ever was , which is the most purely the work of humane reason ; yet even when i say it is the work of reason , i make it the effect and term of a real act , which is mans reason . again , ( saith he ) if a character should be relatio rationis , then the effect of every sacrament should be a character , because there are relations of reason in them all . this hath no consequence at all ; for although a character were a relation of reason , yet it doth not follow that every relation of reason should be a character . thus i conceive the arguments opposed to durand , answered , out of their own principles who contend against him . sect . ii. the constitution of man , and likeness to god. now to understand the truth of this question ; paulo majora canamus , conceive , as it is described in the first of genesis , that god made all the world , and the things that are in it ; when he had done , he made man after his own image , as it is described there ; a little god to govern the world which he had made , under god ; and not so only , but this image did gloriously appear in the soul of man , not only that as god made the creatures , so he gave man the authority to give them their names , but likewise that he gave his soul a power to make another world as he had done this : so that as god hath made one world , so man , in the power of his imagination , of his reasonable imagination , hath made a thousand more ; and can imagine that the infinite power may , and hath made so many worlds , that this to that number should be but as a mote to this . he can make a world in the moon ; and as wise men do concerning this , so such men can and have philosophized what men do and ought to do in that : he can make nations of pigmies , silves , nymphs , and philosophize what their natures are , and what their manners ; yea some have told what their religion and duty to god is : he can go further , and take in pieces this world , and joyn a man , an horse , and a bird together ; and his busie fancie can bring forth births monstrous , to all the effects of god in nature ; yea you may observe these expressions wonderfull in the prophets . now as the works of god which he made are such as we call reall things , both those absolute entities , and those which are relations , for those relations which god hath made by the hand of nature , ( as smoak and fire , father and son , and the like , are reall relations ; so those works which are wrought by mens reason alone , those are entia rationis , the things of reason , all chimaera's , all men in the moon , all imagined things , which have no existence in the world , out of mans head and intellect ; these are things of mans making , and attain not that excellency of gods works to be reall things , but barely things of reason . yet besides this , god hath not only given man power to make these strange beings , existing in mans own intellect , but likewise to mix them , and joyn them with his own reall things . so we may see amongst men which are gods creatures , and reall things ; men make by the power of their intellect this man a master , that a servant : this humane power gives the particular interests which severall men have in these reall estates ; for although the right of dominion which one hath over another , or over any of the creatures , is confirmed by god , and the duties belonging to those relations , the reall duties exacted by him , yet the particular way of interest is allowed to humane institution . thus have men power to adde to divine works and beings , their relations , which so far as they are of humane making , are things of reason , nor reall ; and these are the works , rationis ratiocinatae , which reason finds some foundation in the things for , but not ratiocinantis only , which have not being out of mans soul which made them . now then to apply this to our purpose ; this relict of baptism is a relation of gods constituting barely , where man hath nothing to do , but meerly as a morall instrument , to administer , of himself giving no influence , making no constitution concerning it , and therefore cannot be ens rationis ; all such things as exist without humane power , without humane invention , are reall , such is this : did no man in the world contribute any thing to it , but only that instrumentall application ; did no man think upon it , yet god had a near particular interest in that baptized person , and would exact his proper duties from him , which were not in a man unbaptized : so then this being a work of gods , must be a reall relation , not only of reason . sect . iii. baptism hath all things necessary to a real relation . again , observe that it hath all things requisite to a real relation : the ●irst requisite is , that it have subjectum capax , a subject capable of it ; this i mean to be man , as i intend to demonstrate anon . secondly , that it have a fit foundation , that is , the will or law of god. thirdly , that it have its terminus , or correlate co-existing , which is christ as his head , and the rest of the church as his fellow members , both which are and shall be alwayes co-existing ; and therefore this must be a real relation ; and therefore now to come to answer durands reasons , why it is relatio rationis : the first of which is , as ( saith he ) money receives its value and price from humane institution , so ( saith he ) do natural things receive the nature of a sacrament from divine institution : but money receives its price and value from a relation of humane reason so appointing it ; therefore , ( saith he ) these things receive the nature of a sacrament from a relation of divine reason so appointing it : therefore again ( saith he ) since a character is that by which in orders one man is capable of giving the sacraments , and another in baptism to receive them , it is nothing but a relation of reason by divine institution . i consent so far as he saith it is a relation , without any dispute ; but it is a relation of divine making and confirming , and therefore not barely a relation of reason , which in its use of speaking is referred to the constitution of mans soul , but it is a real relation , such as god makes ; for if those are real relations which naturally result out of the principles of nature , because that is gods ordinance , much rather are those real which by the immediate hand and power of god are ordained , as this : and therefore although i think he hath better explained the nature of this character than others , yet he spake too diminishingly of such a most heavenly and divine work , to call it a relation of reason ; and therefore that learned man had very ill luck to boast of that place , ecclesiastic . . . as in the vulgar , qui elucidant me vitam aeternam habebunt , they who manifest , or make me ( that is , wisd●me ) clear and easie , shall have everlasting life . this , as if he had done , he modestly glories in , but , as i said , most unhappily , for this text is only in the vulgar , not in the most original copy , which is the greek , which is the most original language that book is delivered to us in . i must confess the sentence is heavenly ; it is a noble work to clear an obscure piece of wisdome , and free it from the incumbrances of scholastick discourses ; and i am perswaded , as he was of himself , he did it , only he gives it too poor a name , for by this way all the great effects of baptism are justified , of making us the sons of god , members of his body , the church ; and yet men need be troubled with none of these nicityes which the school is perplexed with : as when a covenant is made with men , and their seal set to it , they will be forced to make it good , though their will be wicked , by the justice of the land ; so god who is justice it self , will make good whatsoever promise he hath made , and set his seal to . we need not seek for new entities in the soul , whether powers or habits ; here is this real relation stampt , which is most invisible , but yet most sure , and therefore the safest way for any man to speak in this case . sect . iv. what is the subject of this relict . if any man shall enquire , in what subject this relation is placed , i must oppose all in that , as well as the former . some put it in the soul immediately ; some in the understanding , which hath most prevailed ; some in the will ; i in neither , but the whole man , who is made a member of god ; the very body is a member of god ; shall i take the members of god , and make them the members of an harlot ? and therefore the whole man is the subject of this relation , or rather the relate , for relations whose nature is ad aliud , their beings do not so properly exist in , as ad : and because the man is the subject of this blessed covenant , therefore this indelibility of the covenant consists only in this life , where the soul of man and his body are united ; not with the soul in heaven or hell , as is imagined in generall by the school , for which i see no argument of strength objected : that which is said , that if a man baptized , after his death with lazarus should be raised again , or a priest who had received orders ; should that man be consecrated or baptized again ? ● answer , no ; for although there was a suspension of the personality of that man , yet he is the same individuall person he was , and hath the same relations he had : if he arise in the same flesh , he hath the same fatherhood , and filiation to the same persons ; he hath the same similitudes and dissimilitudes , the same equalities and inequalities ; and therefore likewise as in these , so in this , he is the same . thus the nature of this relict being explained , as i hope , so far as is usefull to the understanding of any man , we see which way to expound that place before touched , gal. . . as many as are baptized into christ have put on christ. what , have they in the preterperfect tense ? have they renewed themselves according to righteousness and true holiness ? have they cast off the polluted raggs of their corrupted nature , and cloathed themselves with the glorious robe of christs righteousness ? no , not in act , but in obligation , like him who is admitted into any corporation , or office of government , he presently is a governor , and we may say , hath taken upon him , and put on the government of that place , when perhaps he never did , nor perhaps ever will do act of justice , yet he hath the bond and obligation to do it immediately , he is responsible for his neglect ; so is it with men baptized ; when they are baptized into christ , they have taken this duty upon them , and they are by a new bond , which is the relict of this baptism , made debtors to christian duties , whether they pay them or no. sect . v. my definition reconciled with this discourse . there is yet one objection left which i think my self bound to satisfie , which is , that i defined this relict of baptism by the genus of a power ; but in all my discourse i have made it a relation : for answer to this , i say , i defined it by that which delivered the nature of it most clearly to our capacity , the essence of powers being more easily discerned than that of relations . but farther conceive , that these moral relations either are powers , or the immediate foundations of them , as we may discern in those which are instanced in before , as a king , a judge , a mayor , and the like : these either are those powers , or have those powers most naturally flowing out of them ; about which if any will contend , i am weary of dispute : let him correct the definition , and say , it is a relation by which a man hath a spiritual power , and it will come all to the same effect . i have done now with mr. hooker his third argument , from page . to . of the second part ; as also that which for confirmation of it was in many arguments produced , part . chap. . pag. . to overthrow my conclusion , that baptism doth make a member of a visible church . chap. xv. how there may be pastors of pastors . i come therefore now to the satisfaction of his fourth and last argument in this cause , which is thus framed , pag. . of the second part. chap. . if the essentials of a pastor be communicated by the eldership or bishop meerly , then there will be pastor of pastors , and that in propriety of speech . he no way illustrates this , or proves it , but only thus : for ( saith he ) the pastor that is made by them hath reference to them , and dependance upon them , as pastors only , for it is that which is contended for in the question in hand , that it should be appropriate to their places to make officers . for answer , first , to this last ; if this were it which is contended for , he should have proved what he contended for : see his proof , how weak by a retortion ; if this consequence were true , that if the essentials of a pastor were communicated by the elders , &c. then there will be pastors of pastors , &c. then the truth of this ariseth out of this , that because elders give pastors their office , therefore they should be their pastors : then it holds by the same logick , that if the people give the pastor his essentials , then the people should be pastors of their pastors , then the flock should be shepherds of their shepherds , which would have served well in the play of the antipodes , and compleat the jest of that witty man , who said , that heretofore god led the people like sheep by the hands of moses and aaron , but now they lead moses and aaron like sheep by the hands of the people . and indeed thus it happens with them in this controversie , they give the people power of ordination and correction of their pastors , so that the corporation judges their mayor , the scholars whip their masters , the sheep have power to expell their shepherd , the children to punish their spiritual parents ; than which nothing can be conceived more abhorring to reason . but then leaving the examination of this rerortion , let us consider the argument it self ; if pastors should be made by elders or bishops , then pastors should be pastors of pastors : doth he mean , that these inferiour pastors should be sheep to the superiour ? that follows not : see an invincible instance ; suppose a superiour pastor-shepherd should have power given him to constitute all the inferiour shepherds or officers , ( which is the polity agreeing in the analogy to all states , and all great families which resemble little states ) in this case , it would not follow that the inferiour pastors were sheep , but under-shepherds , which he governs , not as sheep , but as officers , somewhat inferiour to himself . secondly , let it be taken , that the inferiour pastors are governed like inferiours , which are accountable to the superiour , this is so far from bringing any inconvenience with it , that it is most consenting to all the ecclesiastick and politick governments which are setled by god in church or state , and all those prudent authorities which our wise men , imitating god , have established in any commonwealth . so that then this argument falls to the ground ; and this being all that he hath urged in this case , he hath said nothing to prove , that the election of the people gives the essentials to an officer . so i have now ended his third question , viz. what ordination is . secondly , his first question , whether ordination precede election . thirdly , his second question , whether ordination gives all the essentials to an officer . now i come to his fourth and last , part. . pag. . to whom the right of dispensing this ordinance doth appertain . chap. xvi . to whom the right of dispensing this ordinance doth appertain . in the handling of this question , he seemeth to me to discourse most wildly ; yet he proposeth this method ; . to state the question , then to confirm his conclusion . in that which he calleth stating the question , he discourseth upon some propositions : the first is , page . when the churches are compleated with all the officers of christ , the right or rite of ordination ( the margent cannot tell whether it be right or rite ) belongs to the teaching elders ; the act appertains to the presbyters of ruling and teaching elders , when an officer is invested in his place ; for of these it is expresly spoken , tim. . . this is all his proof , of which place i have spoken , i think , abundantly , in the handdling the case of episcopacy : but consider the conclusion ; . he supposeth a church compleated with all its officers ; then there is none lacking , then there can be none elected or ordained by him , because in his divinity election is ordination . . he sayes , that the right of ordination belongs to the teaching elders . mark ; here a man would think were a learned distinction , and an heedless reader would be beguiled by such a distinction of right and act : but , consider , that the right of ordination is nothing but the jus , the authority to do it , for ordination is an act ; how can one have the right to act , and yet the acting belong to others ? that which follows is nothing but great words against bishops , which like froth vanisheth of it self . his second proposition is ; though the act of ordination belongs to the presbyters , yet the jus & potestas ordinandi is conferred firstly upon the church by christ , and resides in her ; it is in them instrumentally , in her originally . the right of ordination just now was in the teaching elders , but the jus & potestas is now in the church ; the church hath the latin names , and they the english ; i , but the right is firstly in the church : mark , the jus , the right to ordain , that is , to act , and then the ●lders do not ordain , but the church ; the elders , saith he , instrumentally , she originally ; this is not well said : the elders cannot be the churches instruments , but christs ; they cannot be guided or directed by the church , but are the guides and directors of the church . nay , i will go further than these men , and say , the elders are not physicall instruments of this ordination , but only morall ; it 's christ that works all in all , and these only come in like morall instruments appointed by christ to do this great work , which christ blesseth ; but , to say , they are instruments of the church , is a strange phrase : they are the churches ministers , objectivè , busied about the church ; but they are gods ministers , as i may so speak , subjectivè , subject only to his commands and directions . i should have wished that he had endeavoured to confirm these propositions either out of scripture , reason , or antiquity ; but i see neither ; neither do i think that the matter will afford either : he indeed names three or four late writers , which never trouble me to examine , but yet i could answer them if there were need ; but the argument from them is of no force at all , and that the very quotations are of no force , were the persons . see his collection from them , page . which perhaps he means a third proposition , because he saith , thirdly , in case the face and form of all the churches are generally corrupted , &c. i need adde no more , posito quolibet sequitur quidlibet ; suppose impossibilities , and you may collect untruth enough . christ hath promised not to leave his church destitute : it is true , there is no promise to their particular congregations , but to his church in generall ; and therefore to dispute upon an impossible ground , yeelds little or no strength to that argument ; and so i desist from it . his second argument begins in the end of that page , and proceeds in the next . it is thus urged : if the church can do the greater , then she may do the less ; the acts appertaining to the same thing , and being of the same kind . but the church can do the greater , namely , give the essentials to a pastor , ut supra ; ergo , i put his words down verbatim ; but now he should have named the less , which must be , or he speaks nothing ; dispence this ordinance of ordination , and then i would know what that is , if not giving the essentials to this officer : so here is idem per idem , the conclusion proved by it self , and therefore must be denyed upon the same grounds which i spake of before ; and this is all he puts down for his second argument . his third argument , page . is thus framed : that which is not an act of power , but of order , the church can do : he proves this proposition ; for , ( saith he ) the reason why it is conceived and concluded that it is beyond the power of the people , is , because it is an act of supream jurisdiction : but this is an act of order , not of power . suppose i should deny his major ; have the people power to do any thing that is an act of order ? indeed , i know no ecclesiastick power they have , or any spirituall power of acting any thing , that concerns more than their particular demeanour , and all the rest is obedience . but then to his minor : to dispence ordination is an act of power ; for although the thing dispensed ( as i have shewed ) is called an order , yet it is an act of power that gives it , as in a civil state , the precedency of place is meerly an order , but yet it is an act of power in the supream magistrate that gives it . now such is this ; although we should conceive it meerly an order , yet it must be given by an act of power : but this besides that notion of order , hath in it self great powers which are conveyed by it , of which i have treated somewhat in their distinct notions : and this argument is absolutely unvalid . he hath another argument which follows , but it concerns only the presbyterians ; yet from thence he takes occasion to asperse bishops thus : it is as certain ( saith he ) that it cannot firstly belong to a bishop , which by humane invention and consent is preferred before a presbyter in dignity , only , if they will hold themselves either to the precedent , ( he writes , but i think he means president ) or pattern whence they raise their pedigree , and it is from hierom ad evagrium , vnum ex se electum in altiori gradu collocarunt . how many ( to speak modestly ) weaknesses may be observed in this discourse ? first , that it is imputed and obtruded upon the defenders of episcopacy , that they should consent that it is an humane invention , than which nothing is more against their discourses . secondly , that they found their opinion only upon this place of st. hierome , which is as flat against apparent reason , as the other , since this place is commonly objected against them ; and although st. hierome hath spoken enough otherwhere , yet in this epistle being pressed somewhat with the p●ide of de●cons , who were lifted up above presbyters , by the sloath and vanity of many , he somewhat passionately defended the cause of presbyters , and here of all other places speaks the least for bishops , making the name be used reciprocally in scripture . but then lastly , he quotes the place false , and by the change of a letter makes him speak what he meant not : to whom it may be answered in this , as bishop andrews did to bellarmine in the like case , verbum caret litera cardinalis fide ; he saith , vnum ex se electum in altiori gradu colloc●runt , when it is , c●llocatum episcopum nominaverunt ; in which sence there is a mighty difference : in the first , as if they had placed and given their bishop his authority which he had ; in the other only , that they called him bishop , who was set over the other presbyters ; so that it intimates , that the name grew distinct not from the first instant of the office. i am sure i have spoke of this place before , and let us consider it in its fullest and most averse sence that it can abide : consider , that just there in the heat and height of his disputation against deacons , and upon that ground his extolling of presbyters , to which only order he was exalted , he proves that the difference betwixt bishops and presbyters , and the exaltation of them , was apostolical , and from the apostles derived to his age , from the church of alexandria , which was founded by st. mark , where to his time from st. mark was a succession of bishops above presbyters ; and it is a derogation from the reverence due to the apostles , to call their institutions meerly humane inventions , in such things which concern ecclesiasticall government , concerning which they had that great commission , as my father sent me , &c. and in this case it is most weak of all other , since concerning ordination , st. hierome in this very epistle , immediately after these words , saith , quid facit episcopus excepta ordinatione , quod non faciat presbyter ? thus in english , what doth a bishop except ordination , which a presbyter cannot do ? here then a presbyter cannot ordain ; and yet to shew the full sence of the words , understand that a presbyter may do any thing , ( i upon a sudden can except nothing , not it may be he when he wrote that sentence ) i say , he can do any thing that a bishop doth , except ordain ; but the affairs of ruling other elders or judging them , he cannot do by an original ; or to use hookers language , by an authority firstly ●eated in him , or given to him , but by a delegated ; but no delegation can serve the turn in ordination , because it was given to the apostles by christ , in those words , as my father sent me , so send i you , to give authority to ordain ; and they , and they only who were so authorized by the apostles , can do it . thus you see that place out of st. hierome expounded ; his arguments deduced from thence falls of its self : if presbyters elected and gave first being to a bishop , then were they before him , and could not receive ordination from him . at primum ex concessis . ergo , i set down his words , and all his words ; where hath he shewed that presbyters elected their bishop ? which yet may be true , and the consequence most weak : for after their ordination by bishops , they may elect their bishop , but not ordain him . elections may be , and are various , according to humane constitutions , assigning this or that pastor to this or that particular congregation ; sometimes the parish , sometimes the patron , sometimes a bishop ; but the ordination , and giving him power to officiate , must be only by the bishops : the bishop ordains and makes a man a presbyter ; a bishop of the catholick church , he may by humane laws and his own consent be tyed to officiate and execute that pastoral duty in this particular place : nor can any man shew me authority from scripture , or the times near to the scripture-writers , where any man was instituted and ordained to do these spirituall duties , by any other authority than episcopal . nay i think since the apostles age , no considerable church , or body of men , did conceive election to be of validity to do these duties , till now . well then , all the premisses considered , which have a full consent of scripture , and the practice of all ages to confirm them , conceive with me , that it must be a bold and impudent thing of such men , who dare officiate in these divine duties , without authority granted from christ , which he only gave to the apostles , and they to their successors , bishops ; and it is a foolish rashness in those men , who adventure to receive the covenants of their eternall salvation from such men , who have no atturnment from christ to seal them . if the case were dubious , which to me seems as clear as such a practick matter can be , i should speak more ; but it being clear , i need write no more in this theam . i intended to have spoken to mr. hobs ; but lately there came to my hands a book of learned dr. hammond , entituled , a letter of resolution to six queries ; in the fifth of which , which is about imposition of hands , you may find him most justly censured for that vain and un-scholastick opinion , pag. . but the business is handled sufficiently in the beginning of that treatise , pag. . wherefore my pains were vain in this cause . an appendix . &c. chap. i. in which is an introduction to the discourse , and the question stated . since i came back to my study , i found one conclusion delivered in this treatise , opposed by a learned scotchman , one doctor forbes , in a treatise intituled ironicam , and in it he hath divers arguments not inserted in my former papers , against this proposition : that it is a proper and peculiar act of episcopacy to ordain priests and bishops , which he denyes in his second book , chap. . proposition . in his exposition , and proofe of that proposition , page . and i observing it whilest my papers are with the printer , thought it ●it to interpose that which satisfied my self in his arguments . in the top of the page before named he begins thus . gradus quidem episcopalis est juris divini . ( here we agree ; ) ita tamen ut ecclesia esse non desinit . sed esse possit , & sit quandoque vera ecclesia christiana in qua non reperitur hic gradus ; here we begin to differ ; i say there neither is , nor ever was a christian church without a bishop : and i will now begin to distinguish , there is the universal church , and there are particular churches . the particular churches we may , yea must conceive to be sometimes without bishops , yea without presbiters , as by the death of their bishops or presbiters , or by such persecutions , as may so scatter them , that they dare not shew themselves in their churches . in such cases these places must needes be without these magistrates . and yet those christians who are by such means defrauded of this divine and blessed government , keeping their first faith continue members of the catholick church , and of that universal church , which have and ever shall have bishops as long as the world stands , so that if that proposition be meant of particular congregations ; it is true they may be without a bishop : but if the universal , they shall never be by the promise of our saviour , ( i will be with you to the end of the world ) without a bishop . and those particular churches , which may by such means be without bishops , may be without presbiters likewise , upon the same occasions . this i think is clear , i shall now examine his arguments , which oppose this which i have delivered . his first argument drawn from scripture answered . he saith , he will prove it before the institution of bishops and after . first , before ; i am perswaded he can shew me no church before the institution , for their episcopal authority was given in its fulness to the apostles in that language of our saviour , as my father send me so send i you , as i have explained . all the commission was given to them , and they imparted all or part of it as they pleased ; they were the first and only bishops , untill they setled provincial bishops ; they were of the whole world , as those latter of particular diocesses ; he proves that there were churches before bishops out of scripture , but it is ciphered scripture first , acts . . there philip the deacon ( so he terms him ) converted souls to christ , where was no bishop : and by his leave , if philip were but a deacon , there was no presbiter neither , and by the by , the independant thomas hooker of new england , and his fellows may take notice , that a deacon may preach and baptize ; for so did philip in samaria in that verse . but reader take notice , that although men may be converted by presbiters , yea lay-men , any ; and when they are converted and baptized , are members of the catholick church , and parts of the mystical body of christ , and have no bishop resident in that place ; yet without a bishop it cannot be ; for the providence of god over the church is such , as that there shall always be such an authority resident in the church universal , whither men may in convenient time , such as will be accepted of god , repair for church-discipline . the next place be vergeth is acts . , . but there is nothing observable to any such purpose , but only that they who were scattered upon the persecution of stephen , converted many souls to the true faith . his third place is acts . , , . he should have added the , without the which all the former were imperfect to his purpose , and in that verse are the words which he argues out of , that is , they ordained elders , 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 . now there was a church he in●er●s , and no bishop ; i will tell him there was a church and no presbyter , untill the apostles ordained them , and the apostles barnabas and paul ordained these presbiters , not a presbitery , and they themselves ●ineran●● throughout the world , visited their churches with letters and directions , sometimes when they could not personally be present , untill they setled bishops amongst them . his next place urged is acts the . he leaves me to looke the verse , but affirmes that the church of ephesus was governed first by presbiters , only from that chap. afterward they had a bishop , who was called , the angel of the church of ephesus , apocalyps . that which hath any colour for this in this chap. must be deduced out of the th . verse , where it is said : that from miletum paul sent to ephesus for the elders of the church , therefore it seems the church was governed by elders at that time ; but let the reader consider whether st. paul did not episcopize over them , conventing the elders before him , and giving them that most heavenly charge ; and then consider that these men in the . verse are called bishops , take heed to the flock over which the holy ghost hath mad● you overseers , ( we read it ; ) but it is bishop in the original indeed , as i have shewed in this treatise . the words were not distinguished at the first , but they were promiscuously used untill the great increase of christianity , when the name of apostles began to weare away , and they had more generally setled churches and planted bishops over the other presbiters in the chief cities , and then these were called bishops ; and indeed every presbiter , who hath a charge of souls , is a little bishop in the superintendency of his parish , though no● in the nature of the office ; he must look to his little fl●ck , as bishop over them ; so that nominally every presbiter with charge of soals , is a little bishop superintend●ing them for their souls good ; but a bishop is higher , over them and their flocks to take care that he doth his duty in these places of scripture . i see no manner of argument to shew that a church may exist without a bishop , for they had apostles , and then bishops in their places . chap. iii. his argument drawn from panormitan answered . he then urgeth a sentence out of panormitan , olim presbyteri in communi regebant ecclesiam , & ordinabant sacerdotes , & consecrabant omnia sacramenta . sed postmodum ad schismata sedanda fecerunt se● ordinaverunt apostoli & crearentur episcopi . let me examine this bold assertion of panormitan , and of st. hierom , who hath much the same word ( olim ) that was in the first plantation of the churches ; i know no record of any authentick authority in the case , but the acts of the apostles or their epistles , in which i can never find that any man or company of men , who were barely presbiters , did ordain priests , or did perform any act of jurisdiction in communi , as he speakes , which would intimate a sentorian government ; of which , as they urge none , so i cannot imagine what words in these acts or epistles should tend thereunto ; but then his last clause i in part yeeld to , that the apostles did ordain bishops , and am confident they did it by divine right , which was given them by our saviour , saying : as my father sent me , so send i you ; but whether only as they say , ad sedanda schismata , to appease schisme , upon the occasion of some that said they were pauls , or else for the absolute better government of the church , ( which i rather adhere to ) i leave to the readers judgement ; but in general think it too great a boldness for men to limit gods designes to their weake measures , when god hath not determined or exprest them ; therefore such a passage in panormitan is of no vallidity . chap. iv. his first argument to prove their ordination after bishops were instituted , answered . he proceeds with the second number of his distinction , to shew that not onely this was done before bishops were instituted , but after likewise the same was done ; and he gives this reason : for saith the doctor , non enim ad esse , sed ad melius esse ecclesiae necessaria est haec oeconomia , this discipline is not necessary to the being , but well-being of the church ; suppose i grant it , 't is true , no discipline is necessary to the being of a christian but baptisme , by which we are made members of that mystical body of christ , of which he is the head ; political lawes , civil or ecclesiastical , are not necessary to our being men , or englishmen of this country ; but to our happy being in it , we may be christians and members of christs church , where is no presbiter as well as no bishop ; as suppose a diocess and kingdom conquered by a pagan , as alass too many have been , not a bishop or a priest left remaining , those noble christians who remain without them have the being of christians , but not the well-being of church-communion , enjoying the blessed sacrament which requires sacerdotal administration , and likewise church-discipline , which conduce to the well-being of a church ; but here we see the same necessity of one as the other , for bishops as presbiters . chap. v. an argument out of johannes major answered . but he proceeds and produceth a place out of johannes major de gestis scotorum , that he should write that the scots were governed by priests and monks until anno domini ( . ) from whence he collects , that they were two hundred and thirty yens without bishops , he might have urged other late writers likewise in it . but i answer to this , that the registers of that illiterate age were very ill preserved throughout christendom , but worse in those parts amongst the picts and scots , then almost any where , by reason that they were miserably oppressed with the almost perpetual warrs they had with their neighbours , brittaines and romanes , the saxons , and scarce any eminent man for learning , who recorded any thing , was acted amongst them ; and in that gap of time in which they place this lack of bishops , their troubles were at the height ; for as there was all that space warrs for dominion , so there was persecution for destruction of christianity , and the scots in general were banished that country . the christians fled every where for safety to the adjacent isles to ireland , from whence they came , to normandy , to denmarke , any where for safety ; which it may be , although unhappy to their wordly content , yet advanced the propagation of the gospel , as it was in the apostles time upon the persecution of st. stephen . well then , i think in this unhappy season , they can find good record for neither bishops nor presbiters , but every chri●●ian shifting for himself , and especially those who were in authority , and in christian office , because they of all others were sought after , and therefore were concerned to hide their heads ; besides this , it being the custome of bishops to place themselves in some eminent cities , whereby they might be the more eminent , and the better oversee their diocesses : there were few such in scotland then , but these bishops which were then in the kingdom were forced to inhabit many obscure places . all which considered , it is not possible for any man to expect a pedigree of their bishops , as it hath been preserved in more eminent churches , and yet in the best of them there are mighty difficulties to make them certain , but yet they may know , that they might have bishops in that time and presbiters ordained by them , although the register's not apparent ; for it is evident out of such stories as we have , that king lucius the first christian king we read of in our nation , when he setled christianity here , he was to extirpate the former pagan religion , used by the druids in these countreys . now they had here three arch-flamins , besides divers other flamins inferior , according to their method : so he setled christianity , he made three arch-bishops , yorke , london , caerlyon ; this last governed wales and divers adj●cent countreys , london the mediterranean part of this island of brittaine , but york had the northern part of england and scotland for his government , and this lasted untill anno ( ) or thereabouts , at which time there was erected one arch-bishop at st. andrews ; so that there was a place , to which in case of necessity men might repair for orders when they would , as we know by our late sad experience in these last sad times ; and no doubt but many did where they knew were bishops , as since the first plantation of christianity there was in wales . but to come nearer to this , crathling king of scots in dioclesians time , which was in this interim he mentions , entertained all christians who fled out of these parts of brittaine , and g●ve them the isle of man to plant in , and setled amphibolus their bishop there , and built a church , and endowed it nobly , who governed all the adjacent isles , and had a succession of bishops after him ; so that they could never lack bishops either to give orders to priests , or to order any thing that were amisse . beside this , in this time i read of ninias , who was bishop of candida casa , and of regulas amongst the picts ; and i think it would be hard , if not impossible , for john major or any of his followers , to shew me so many presbiters men of note as i have shewed bishops . it is true for a while after maximus had extirpated the scots ; upon the cruel , mercyless ; malicious ; and indeed foolish instig●tion of the picts , against the disposition and manners of a roman conquerour , there was about forty years , in which there was not seen in that territory so much as a scotchman or woman , but all forced to ●ly their countrey , and therefore hollandsilde might well say that their bishops and priests were forced to fly away , but that is a signe there they had bishops then ; yet as soon as fergusus that gallant person came with his conquering army thither , no doubt he brought all such persons with him as were ●it for the plantation fo the church , as well as his kingdome ; and therefore i may affirm that there were bishops within this time , prefixed by major before the extirpation of the scots in the time , and after by the bishop of man and his successors . as likewise those which that gallant heroique king fergusius did bring with him ; and certainly throughout the world where were presbiters , there were bishops either in particular diocesses or hard by , from whom men might receive orders , or somewhere in christendom where they might hunt them out , if there were any number of christians which might provoke that industry , if particular persons , as heretofore have been , and may be cast away or cast in a pagan or impeopled land , they may be without a presbiter , although that may be more easily purchased , yet they may be without him , or having one he may die , and they still continue in a christian condition , man or men , and all the defects of these officers may be supplied with soliloquies , and a holy conversation with godly prayers ; but the same , though a greater misfortune , is theirs , who cannot have so much as a priest with them , who may be sufficient for a ●ew christians ; but if many , the other is necess●ry both to ordain their priests , and to govern priests , and them likewise ; so that in answer to john major , hector boethius , bacanan , and all others of that crew , i answer , there was never any time ( i mean any considerable time ) in which the scots lacked bishops after there was a considerable conversion of them to christ. but they had bishops to repair to at york or at man , candida casa , or other where ; and then because major saith that they were governed by priests only and not bishops , i think it will be a mighty hard thing for him to shew any judicial act of government performed by presbiters , unless they were commissioned by some bishop , and therefore all he said is only said , and cannot be proved ; i have done with this . chap. vi. another argument drawn from the church of rome , answered . his next argument begins page ( ▪ ) where he says : ecclesiae etiam romanae sede vacante presbiteri per undecem menses & quindecem dies post caedem secundi romani pontificis immanissima persecutione comitia pontificalia romae prohibente , anno domini ( . ) i will yeeld all this , and perhaps that sea may be vacant a longer space at another time , or any other sea ; but what then , the colledge of presbiters may govern ; but what can he shew from onuphrius or platina , binius , or any other who write those stories , that they gave orders which they set down constantly at the end of every popes life ? what orders they gave ? or can they shew that they did confirm , which are proper to episcopal duties ? or only order the pontifical affairs , which they might do ; but not as bishops ? they never say they did ; his next reason followes . chap. vii . his argument answered drawn from deacons . de iure divino est ut in ecclesiis diaconi sint clerici canonici per manuum impositionem ordinati , & per totam vitam adstricti , here he ciphers two places of scripture , acts . tim. . . now consider that he saith that these are jure divino ; then i have shewed bishops to be by apostolical constitution ; i could trouble this speech , but i let it alone , only this must be questioned , what he meanes by this , ut in ecclesiis diaconi sint clerici ; there is no question but every church throughout the world acknowledgeth , that deacons are an inferior sort of clergy , which is all that these words imports ; but i think his meaning is ut sint in ecclesiis , diaconi clerici , that there should be in every church such inferior clergy as deacons ; and this the following words with the force of his argument will make good , and then i can reply to him that there is no such divine law , that there should be deacons in every parochial church ; that he speakes of in the acts was an occasional office set up for that purpose , and that cannot be a law , no not a president , but upon the like occasion . that in tim. hath no one word of the ceremonies of ordaining in particular churches , but onely what manner of persons they should be who are to be ordained , this is his major , now let us examine his minor. in nostrâ tamen ecclesia reformata scotanica id haberi nondum potuit propter ecclesiasticam pa●pertatem bonis ecclesiasticis laicorum hominum sacrilegio dir●ptis . the force of this argument runs thus : although deacons be a divine ordinance , yet the scots by reason of their poverty , are not able to maintaine such an officer , and there is the like reason for bishops in such places where the supream authority will not allow them : so that necessity may excuse men , even where the divine laws requires any thing ; i must confess that invincible necessity excuseth many acts , but it will lie upon the souls of these churches who live without bishops to answer at the last day to allmighty god , and make it good before him that their omission is such ; but the difference betwixt bishops and deacons is exceeding great ; i do not find any one place so much as directing that deacons should be in every particular church ; in many there is no need of them , where a small congregation of twenty or a hundred may well be os●iciated in the meanest duty by a presbiter onely ; but in cathedral churches , where are many little offices , for which perhaps we cannot find presbiters so fit , or that it is not fit that we should take them from their greater imployments , to bestow their time upon those lesser duties , in such cases there is a necessity for those lesser offices to be used ; but if they shall think their deacons to be ordained for that imployment mentioned in the sixth of the acts to minister to the poor , i may say that such an imployment can hardly complain of necessity by sacriledge , since that out of the collection for the poor he may be allowed a stipend competent for such an office ; but then to consider that which he would have to paralel a bishop , where is any such a small congregation as i have before specified , all things may well be regulated by a presbiter , and he alone supply all the duties belonging to the salvation of souls . but if there should be many such congregations , or that presbiter who did govern there die in that government , it is necessary for him or them to seek out some bishop to authorize him or them for this duty . the upshot of all this is , that deacons are not instituted as necessary for all lesser congregations , that bishops are authorized to give orders , to dispose of such affairs as are usefull or necessary to the government of little or great congregations , but especially in the latter , where are usually more , and more dangerous exorbitancies . that which follows in that page is onely a discourse , but no proof , and so i passe to . page , where he labours to prove that the presbitery , as he calls it , or company of presbiters gathered together , may give orders thus . chap . an argument drawn from scripture , answered . apostolus paulus manuum impositionem per quam ordinatus est timotheus , modo vocat impositionem manuum s●arum . tim. . . modo impositionem manuum presbiterii . . tim. . . idest concessus presbiterorum , sic enim in novo testamento passim et apud antiquissimos scriptores ecclesiasticos . the effect of which is , that st. paul in those two places , termes the giving orders to timothy in one place the laying on of his hands , and in another the laying on the hands of the presbitery ; which , saith he , was the company or colledge of presbiters , as that word is often used in the new testament ; and amongst the most antient ecclesiastical writers : i have expounded these two places already ; and though he say presbitery is often used for a colledge , or concessus of presbiters , i have shewed it is no where so used in scripture , and for the most ancient ecclesiastical writers i would have been glad to have read , where i should seek them , for remember them i do not ; i will trouble the reader no further with this argument , it would be but a repetition . chap. . an argument drawn from saint hierome , answered . he comes next to the formerly examined place of st. hierome and evagrinus , but he puts it down more truly than thomas hooker doth ; and after adds one phrase , which the new-england-man left out , which is , sicut exercitus imperatorem faciaet , quibus verbis , non abscurè indicat presbiteros alexandrinos initio ordinasse sibi episcopum ; by which words , as an army makes an emperour , he doth not obscurely intimate that they did ordain their bishops . thus forbes , if instead of ordain he had said elect , i should not have been offended ; but to take upon them the power to ordain was too much , unless they had the armies to maintain their act by force , as they did ; the souldiers upon the death of the emperour proclaim and cry up commonly their general to be the emperour , and make it good with their sword ; but would doctor forbes or hierom think that they did ordain or make him emperour , or rather according to their power elect ? it was often seen even in the age about st. hierom , that two or three armies in their several places chose so many emperours : and it is not impossible that the presbiters in alexandria might have the election of their bishop , as in most places , but the consecration of him was by others ; and mark this place of st. hierom , the phrase he useth is presbiteri not presbiterium , which he calls the antient language ; howsoever there is nothing in these words which can instance a consecration from presbiters , no not in the simile of an army , unless a rebellious election might pass for a consecration ; i think i need not speak no more to that at this time , but if there be any further need , i foresee that the answering other arguments will further illustrate this business . chap. x. an answer to the argument drawn from the consecration of pelagius the first pope of that name ; in which is discussed the story of his consecration ; as likewise that no argument can be drawn from that act , that popes consecrations and elections have been erronious . he proceeds , page . pellagium hujus nominis primum romanum episcopum ordinarunt duo episcopi & unus presbiter ostiensis nomine andreas qui tanquam episcopus munus illud ordinationis obivit dum non invenientur tres episcopi qui secundum canones pelagium ordinarent . the summe is , that this pope , when there could not be three bishop● got , which according to canons should joyn together in the ordination of a bishop , there being no more to be found , they took in a presbiter to officiate with them : and therefore he thinks presbiters may ordain ; for answer , let no man think that i will undertake to defend the consecrations of rome , it is a task too hard for me to manage , or i think any other , and materially no doubt but this was irregular , yet it may be excused and perhaps justified by what i shall say ; take therefore the story of these times . sect . i. where is the story of the matter of fact in his consecration . the first bishops of rome who succeeded st. peter were chosen by the clergy , the nobles and ●eople , who were christians , and durst assemble together for such purpose ; and indeed were men of such excellency that they accepted that bishoprick with a design to be martyrs , which they were , many , one after another ; afterwards when it pleased god to bless the church with christian emperours , they proved nursing-fathers to their bishops , and under them the bishop grew great ; which being discerned , the emperours considering what a great stroak the bishop of rome had in the management of all affairs of the empire , they put in for an interest in their election , and there was no pope elected but by their approbation , untill the emperour granted his conge de liere ( as i may term it . ) now at this time italy was full of souldiers . narses that gallant general of justinians lay then about rome , whose favourite pelagius was ; and doctor forbes must forgive me , if i think he is somewhat mistaken in the story , when in the next page he writes that pelagius was but a deacon , when binius calls him arch-deacon ; and again where he saith there , that he was chosen by the command of the emperour justinian , when it is recorded by platina that after the election he sent to justinian at constantinople to excuse the consecration without his approbation , which could not be had in those busles ; but narses was as good as justinian , and 〈◊〉 doubt but by him the will of justinian might be intimated well ( rebus sic stantibus ) pelagius must be the man , he lay under the scandall of being accessary to his predecessors death , upon this the generality of the bishops refuse to be present at his consecration , onely two , and these took a presbiter to them , and ordained pelagius in that act , rather complying with the canon so much as in them lay , than violating it in contempt . it is a sure rule , silent leges inter arma , so they are not gods laws . now it is evident that there was the terrour of that army upon them ; for the story related both by platina and by binius , and others , affirm , that a multitude of the nobles as well as the people and clergy fled , because their consciences would not allow them to be assistant . and the terrour of the army would not permit them to oppose ; that this ordination was not questioned was , because the pope purged himself of that scandal afterwards , and so that which made them desert him at his consecration being removed , made them wink at small faults when he was pope . thus the story being cleared for matter of fact , i will examine this argument logically ; it must run thus : sect . ii. the argument discussed , and his major disproved . his argument termed must be thus : that which was acted in the consecration of a pope , that is lawfull for us to do ; but a presbiter did consecrate pope pelagius , therefore he may consecrate a bishop or a presbiter with us : for the major it must run so ; for there can be no difference of pope pelagius from other popes of rome ; i deny the major then , and i will disprove it by the predecessors of pelagius , vigillius : his consecration cannot be lawfull , for he was intruded into the papacy by justinian the emperour , and belisarius his other generall , his predecessors ; silverius being by violence forced from rome , cast into banishment , and so died in misery starved as baronius . this vigillius was put into his chair , and yet for all that silverius being of a mighty invincible courage ▪ got a few bishops together , and excommunicated vigillius ; from which he never released vigillius ; silverius dies , vigillius then renounced his former election , and by the interest of bellisarius , vigillius was again elected , being an excommunicated person , and abominated for that and many other crimes , as even baronius confesseth , who was his friend in his story as much as he could . now then doctor forbes his major failes , the instances in the church of rome must not be ●residents , nor are they arguments for us to build upon : i but he will and doth say this , if so , pelagius would have been punished by his successor , if it had beeen nought . i answer , that doth not follow ; there is not that law of god or man which hath not been violated unquestioned : i remember binius writes of it , that it had never been so before ; baronius onely tells the story , but passeth not his judgement upon it . they mention the scandal he lay under , it being that he was accessary to vigillius his death . they mention his purgation which he made , as doth platina , and in that it is evident , that they who were scandalized at his imagined offence , were satisfied with his purgation ; and so we see that block of offence being removed which made him unfit to be chosen and consecrated pope , they never questioned his consecration its self ; but this is sufficient for satisfaction to his major . now let us come to his minor ; and here we must examine whether this presbiter did consecrate the pope or no ; and first we will undertake that question , whether it be essentially necessary to the being of a bishop that he should be consecrated by three bishops ? chap. xi . sect . i. that question entred upon , whether three bishops are necessary to the consecration of a bishop . gabriel vasques , a very learne jesuit , and one that doctor forbes acknowledgeth much to countenance his opinion , in his . disp . upon the third of thomas , cap. . page . justly complaines , that pauci ex nostra schola , few of our schoolmen have handled this question exactly , or delivered it defined in their writings ; i shall undertake him , and endeavour now to shew a more clear truth than i have observed delivered by others ; for indeed , because some canons of councels seem to make for it , and they have been swallowed without chewing , and have not been ex mined , it hath passed undoubtedly by a generall practise in all quietly setled churches . but i much mistrust that there is not an absolute necessity in persecuted and unsetled churches ; after vasques had produced arguments against this necessity , he puts his own determination fully , mihi tamen probabilior visa est sententia ; that opinion seems to me to be more probable of them , who say , first , that to the right ordination of a ●ishop three bishops at the least are necessary by divine law , as the ordinary ministers but by commission ( he means from the pope ) two may do it , or one ; thus far he . i will take it peicemeale ; and first i say this canon , that three bishops should consecrate a bishop hath no collour to challeng● a divine right ; for that can have a lawful claim to a divine right , must either draw it from god himself prescribing it , or else from such men who were immediately authorized by god , as the apostles ; for if we will go further , we must make all humane laws divine ; for if the next to the apostles should have their dictator termed divine , from their authority , the same reason will be for the next to them , and so to the last , and so even the prescriptions of the now living bishops should be divine , than which nothing can be more abhorring to reason . well then , what i have said before , will serve likewise here , that is , that what divine laws were established by the apostles we may find in the acts and epistles ; now there is no such decree observable any where in them ; the commission given to the apostles , by which they and their successors were and are authorized to send others , was not given to them conjunctim , as if they should act onely altogether , much less was there specified that three of them should joyne in it ; but without doubt separately every one had this power given , to punish , to forgive sins , to baptize , give the communion , ordain ; and we find upon this foundation it is that st. paul gave commission to particular persons , to titus , to timothy , and the like ; but i need not trouble the scriptures about it ; i do not find the patrons of that opinion producing any ; and therefore i wonder that vasques did term it a divine right , when he attempts no where to prove it , nor his predecessors or followers , in this conclusion . the consecration of st. james to be bishop of jerusalem , discussed . but they urge the decretall epistles of anacletus , and out of him amcetus , that st. peter , james , and john , ( i mean james the great , as the other is called james the less ) that these three apostles did consecrate the other james bishop of jerusalem : and st. peter , by whom he saith himself anacletus was made priest , told him , that it should always be a law hereafter that there should be three bishops to consecrate one ; i do wonder if this were so , how st. peters pretended successors should be bold to dispence with this law of st. peters ; of which we shall see more hereafter ; but it is well known by learned men how unlike these epistles are to be these mens writings upon whom they are fathered : but i acknowledge the story so far as it affirms the consecration of st. james , for by better authority then theirs it is justified , which is by eusebius , lib. cap. . but eusebius sayth not that st. peter gave it for a rule for the future , which this anacletus seems to inforce ; nay eusebius doth not name this anacletus in his relation , which if there had been any such epistle extant in his time , no doubt but he would have done as well as clemens ; but i grant the story ; and as adam tanner a learned jesuit speaks , tom. . scholasticae theologiae disputatione prima , quest. . dubio . . numero . it might be done ad quandem solemnitatem ordinis episcopalis ; i may say episcopatus ejus , than whom never man deserved more honour in his consecration , for he is esteemed the father of that epistle which goes under his name , then he was the brother ( that is the nearest kinsman ) of our blessed saviour ; then a man so honoured for vertue , that he was called james the just , and so esteemed by josephus a jew , who attributes the great judgement of god upon the jews in the destruction of jerusalem to their iniquity of stoning that just man ; so that if ever there was a man to be honoured with so glorious a consecration , it was he . but give me leave by the by to say , that from this i can add one strong scholastick reason to the excellent industry of doctor hammond , who in his preface to st. james the apostle proves from antiquity that this bishop of jerusalem was none of the twelve , either the son of zebedee or alpheus ; i can add this , for if he had been any of them it is not reasonable to think , that he had need of a new consecration to a bishoprick , whom christ himself had ordained an apostle , or our saviour made him onely bishop of jerusalem , as many affirm ; let no man think that he could be consecrated again by these three ; for orders must not be given twice ; and no man can think that either our saviours ordination to make him an apostle , or bishop , was insufficient ; but let it be which you will , it is not needfull to trouble the reader with discussing the truth of it , nor indeed in actions so far remote , where are such great authorities of both sides . is it possible to conclude any thing peremptorily ? i therefore let it pass , and for the present grant he was consecrated by these three . but what can follow but this , that so great a person , of such an extraordinary merit , was so honoured by these apostles , who ( as clemens saith ) did not contend for the honour themselves , but pitched upon him to be the first bishop of that sea , which without doubt was then the most glorious episcopal seat in the world ; but is there any rule given that every bishop should have that honour done him , which was given to st. james ? sect . ii. the first of these are called apostolicall canons , examined . the next thing in order to this dispute to be examined , will be the first of those which are called apostolicall canons ; the words of which canon are ( let a bishop be ordained by two or three bishops ; ) this canon comes next to be examined , and by them who require three bishops to the consecration necessarily ; it is answered , that these two bishops are required , but with an addition of an archbishop , two bishops & an archbishop . so cardinall bellarmine in his fourth book de ecclesia militante , which is , de notis ecclesiae cap. . and from him the latter schoolmen with one consent . but let a man consider whether this be not a violence to the text , when the name of archbishop is not mentioned in these canons , nor in the scripture ; for if these canons were of the apostles constitution ▪ then they must be penned in the language of scripture-phrase , bearing the same date with them , and so not to vary from their sence ; for although archbishops are of great necessity , and antiquity , where there are many bishops to keep them in peace and unity with ecclesiastical discipline , so a patriarch over them ; yet neither he , nor a patriarch , have any thing but jurisdiction , by ecclesiastical authority , nothing of order by divine right more than a bishop , and therefore no more necessity of him than another bishop , in the consecrating of a bishop , but onely by the canons of the church , and therefore it is a violence offered to that canon by them who have a veneration of it . sect . ii. some canons of councels examined . the next thing to be considered will be the fourth canon of the first councel of nice ; episcopum apparet maxime quidem ab omnibus qui sint provincia constituit , si autem hoc sit difficile , vel propter urgentem necessitatem , vel viae longitudinem , tres omnino in eundem locum congregatos , absentibus quoque suffragium ferentibus , scriptisque assentientibus tunc electionem fieri , eorum autem quae conficiunt confirmationem in una quaque provincia , à metrapolitano fieri . the meaning of the canon is , that a bishop ought to be constituted by all the bishops of that province , if it be possible ; but if that be difficult to get the bishops together , either by urgent occasions , or by reason of the length of the journey , yet three being together in the same place , and the other which are absent , giving their suffrages in writing , then he shall be chosen ; this councel was held anno christi ( . ) according to baronius , when it is not material to our business ; there are divers opinions , majus & minus , non variant speciem , be it more or less ; we see a metropolitan , and they were before certainly . let us now examine the canon , which indeed i cannot but wonder how it should be arrested to such a sence , as if it did import a necessity that three bishops should consecrate every bishop . to which purpose here belsarman ; who was patriarch of antioch , and surely had great reasons to understand the great councels , better than cardinall bellarmine , binius , or any other of these latter learned men ; he saith in his notes upon the word ( constituit ) that the councel here provides against popular elections , which indeed were very scandalous , and oft bred tumults , as almost in all cases they do ; the councel therefore orders the election of a bishop to the bishops of the whole province , which if that cannot be had , to three at the least of that province , and the arch-bishop is to confirm the election ; but he referrs the reader to the th canon of the councel at carthage ; the words of the canon in him are these . non licere episcopum nisi a multis eligi ; sin autem nec esse si● , etiam vel a tribus eligatur ; aurelius episcopus dixit , quod adhoc dic it vestra sanctitas , ab omnibus episcopis dictum est , quae ab iis qui nos praecesserunt constituta sunt , debent a nobis observari , quae quidem temere & inconsulte , qui in quavis provincia prima tum tenent , audent , negligere : multi ergo congregati episcopi episcopum eligent , si autem necesse sit tres episcopi in quccunque loco fuerint primatis jussa eligent episcopum : et si quis in alique propriae consessioni vel subscriptioni adversatus fuerit , ipse seipsum honore privabit . i need not trouble the reader with a translation , his notes will clear all ; his observation here is , that the word which is here rendred eligi in latin , is in the original greek 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 , and not 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 , the first of which signifies election , by holding up the hands ; the other ordination by imposition of hands ; so then according to his understanding of that word ( which is the usual sence in almost all writers ) these canons are understood of election , not of ordination . but then observe his reasons , which he delivers afterwards ; you may find that it is necessarily to be understood so in these canons , both of nice and this of carthage ; the nicene saith , that all the bishops shall send their suffrages by writing ; what can they ordain by suffrages ? it is not possible but they may elect. it is as clear here , for saith belsarman , in the end of this canon it is shewed , in which it is provided , that if any bishop shall oppose his own confession or subscription , he shall deprive himself of his honour , which subscription is not to ordination or consecration , but to election ; for indeed conceive if you can , how a man should be ordained by subscription ; a man may subscribe his consent to an election , and give his voice , which may in many cases pass in an election ; a man may subscribe that such a man shall be ordained , which indeed is election , but a man cannot be ordained by subscriptions : so that here you have the authority of the learned patriarch , which perswades much with me you have the sence of the words , and his reason , which may have the authority to perswade any reasonable man ; and then i am sure there is nothing in these canons to inforce three bishops to the consecration of a bishop , but onely to the election : and here , as i cannot but wonder how these men should deduce the necessity of three bishops to the consecration of a bishop , so i do admire that none of them , neither bellarmine , binius , vasques , hurtado , occhogamia , occandus , nor multitudes of others , which have urged this canon at the fourth of the councel of nice , have so much as taken any notice of balsamans exposition of it , to return any but pretended satisfaction to it . the rest of authorities which are produced i slight , as not worthy the troubling the reader with the naming of them ; but i shall meet with the chief hereafter . sect . iv. the second part of vasques his proposition examined , that the pope may dispence with the triplicity of bishops . but now the second part of vasques his proposition , is , that although it be by divine right that three bishops should consecrate a bishop , yet the pope may dispence with it , and allow two or one to do it ; as in the case of austin the monk , when he came into england , but afterwards the first arch-bishop of canterbury , pope gregory the first , say they , granted him a dispensation to consecrate bishops alone , untill there were a good number to joyn with him . how can the pope dispence with divine law ? this is too much ; but let us consider the story , as it is set down even by the admirers of the popes greatness ; austin the monk being made arch-bishop of canterbury , wrote to the then pope gregory the first , a very learned man , and one whose works are full of devotion , and indeed by whom he was sent first hither , to satisfie him in divers questions of which he doubted , how he should demean himself in his government in england ; amongst which this was one , peto si long inquitas it ineris long a interiavit , ut episcopi facile non possunt convenire , an debent sine aliorum episcoporum presentia episcopos ordinare . in english thus ; i require if the great length of a journey should interpose it self , that bishops cannot meet easily together ; whether he ought without the presence of other bishops , ordain bishops himself . mark , here the question is put somewhat after the language of the former examined canon , upon the difficulty of the journey . i need not put down the popes answer verbatim , but it is to this effect ; that the having no bishops in england but himself , might do it ; but he should take care to settle them near together , that hereafter there might be no excuse , and when they were near , they should meet together , to celebrate that spiritual marriage of that bishop ; this is called a decretall epistle : but consider , reader , if there be a word like as decree in this or any other answer in that epistle , but only an advice upon reason . thus the popes decrees having been made laws , his councels come to be decrees ; in this epistle there is not one word like a decree , but onely an advice to him ; nothing like a commission , as vasques , and divers others phrase it , for then it should be mandamus , or concedimus potestatem , we command or grant you power ; nor of dispensation , as cardinall bellarmine , and others , for then it should be in that language , we dispence with you , or non obstante , notwithstanding any law to the contrary , but here is no such thing ; but sometimes he saith , fraternibus vestra , your brotherhood knows this or that , and the like , and here shews him the reason why he should come by more bishops to assist him , ( although i think he was deceived in his supposals , for there were bishops in brittain at that time ; howsoever that reason was good to authorize austin at that time , and the like may be good for any man in the like condition ; for this triplicity of bishops to consecrate , cannot be necessary to consecration , according to any divine constitution , but onely ecclesiastical , which cannot be understood to exact impossibilities , or else to make a particular church to lose all the benefit of episcopall government ; but then consider the language of all these men , and see how inconsistent it is with their first principles , that there must be three bishops by divine right , to the consecration of a bishop ; can the pope dispence with what is due by divine authority ? or can he grant a commission to act against divine laws ? i hope they will not say so , unless they will set themselves against all that is called god , and make an earthly god above our father which is in ●eaven ; then let us consider how it was possible that christian religion could have been planted , unless the power essentially had been in one bishop to consecrate : when timothy , titus , and st. john , who you will , that went about with the power of tongues into unknown countreys , to plant religion , and god blessing their industry , the churches increased , learned men were converted , fit to make bishops of . can you think that these itinerants would suffer them , like austin here in england , to send to rome for advice in such a matter , or much less for a commission , or dispensation , to use their language ? it is not imaginable ; nay when a church is in persecution , ( i know a little what belongs to that ) can they send to many bishops in the same province , to send their votes in writing ; or without that , there can be no consecration ? it cannot be ; i conclude thus , although in a setled church there is a great decency in practiseing , according to that rule of having three bishops at a consecration , yet in these cases it is not necessary , and it may be validly acted by one alone , and no commission or dispensation is necessary . and now reader , having walked through this intricacy , i cannot think my self nor the reader satisfied , untill i have applied another question ; which is , what is it which so enables a consecration , that we may say when that is done ; this man is a bishop . chap. xii . in which is discoursed what is essentially to the constitution of a bishop . the question introduced . to understand which ( that i may write distinctly , take this for a praecognitum , that since the power was given to the apostles in these words , as my father sent me , so send i you : therefore when this power is given by apostles and apostolicall men , then this dignity is conferr'd upon men , but again , because that it is necessary for the church of christians , not onely that they have the power , but that this power should be so administred , as that other men who are to receive blessings from it , should be able to take notice ; ( for else how is it possible to repair to the wells head , unless they can know where it is ) that there is such a blessing bestowed upon them ; therefore this power must be given by some such means as are visible , and that men may discern when it is granted : for if it should be given by the apostles , without any outward sign , onely with a vehitie , a kind of secret grant , it must be most uncertain to other men , because each man may pretend to it , and there is no confuting but by some outward sign , which being proper to this action , may be an infallible assurance that then and not till then it is given : and here will be required a diligent and curious inquest ; there are divers things pretended to , which are not right , and they being severed , we may then safely pitch upon what is the truth ; to do which , let us first consider that ad●m tanner in his fourth tome of scholasticall divinity , upon the third of thomas , and the supplement , disp. . quest. . dubio . . handling the doubt , what is the matter and form of a priest and bishop , at the last page ( . ) he names as a concessum , and things to be supposed , eight actions at the consecration of a bishop : he quotes the romane pontificall for it ; i will not set them down , the writing them is too much paines ; but what hath grown in reputation amongst scholars , i shall examine . but yet i must make another pause . sect . ii. a discourse of petrus arcadius illustrated and applied . there is a learned man , one petrus arcadius , who hath writ a book with a most pious title , which is of the concord betwixt the occidentall church , or the latine and orientall , under which head● he reduceth the african , and sometimes the rutherian , in the administration of the sacraments , which controvercy he hath very industriously and happily handled in very many things in particular in this business ; having handled before the form used in both churches , at the ordination , title . de sacramento ordinis , cap. . he comes to reconcile them , and doth it upon this found●tion i am now handling , that is , that they agree in the essentialls , that is , the doctrine of all the three churches , and the difference is onely in accidentalls ; this saith he , may be done , first , by saying our saviour did so institute this sacrament , that the consecration of ministers should be by certain words and outward signs , by which it should sufficiently appear to what part of ministry ; they were ordained but he left it to the arbitrement of the church , what these signs and words must be , this he illustrates by the councell of trent , wherein s●ssion . canon . the councell decrees the thing , that holy ordination should be made with signs and words , but determines not what ; so that it excludes not the graecian or african ordination . again he illustrates this by marriage most rightly , ( for they make matrimony a sacrament , as well as ordination ) there the word of god establisheth for men how they should live in holy wedlock , but never determines what shall be the manner , with what words or signs they shall be married , but leaves that to the determination of every church , yea common-wealth ; thus you may perceive his conclusion how strengthned . i will set down my judgements and reasons , and so pass on : first then , that our saviour did institute many holy offices in themselves , you may say ( even his sacraments ) so as there may be divers ceremonies , according to the prudence of divers churches , is app●rent ; for let us consider baptisme , the matter , as it is positively set down in the institution , is water , this must not be altered ; and that which is called the form , which is the words by which this baptisme is administred are in part set down ; it must be , in the name of the father , the son , and the holy ghost ; but now whether it should be , i baptize thee , as the latine church ; or , let the servant of god be baptized ; or he is baptized , which are severally used in other churches , is not determined by our saviour , and the words of either do fully express the meaning of baptisme ; so that neither doth the latine church re-baptize those who are baptized by the graeci●ns , nor the graecians such as are baptized by the latines , although both are bitter enough one against another ; so that you may see , there may be variation in the administration of these duties in their circumstances , where there is a communion in the substance ; and truly for my part i think in such a man who lives in either of these churches , it would be a schismatical act for any of them to vary from that usage , which is in the churches wherein he lives ; for although these things are indifferent in them●elves , yet when they are determined in the gree● euthology , and the roman rituals , they are not indifferent to them which live amongst them in their several churches , but a varying from the church wherein they live makes a breach of charity and violates the band of peace . sect . iii. another precognitum explained . another introduction may be , that whatsoever is instituted by scripture , in any of these holy performances , whether as form or matter must not be altered , nor can lawfully by any man ; for since the blessing which is bestowed , is onely gods gift , and man is only ministerial in it ; he must act according to that method whic● god hath prescribed , and that only having his covenant , can bring the blessing . sect . iv. another observation expounded . another note may be that additions explicatory , so they are certainly such , and are not intruded for essentials , do not destroy the notion of that which they explain ; it is necessary , for otherwise why should men expound the scriptures in sermons or otherwise ; yea , our saviour expounded his own parables , and after his exposition to his disciples , we write further comments our selves , but that there is in none of these an alteration but a dilatation of the conceit of them ; these things being premitted , i shal return where i left at tanner and the roman ponti●ical . sect . v. many mistakes about ceremonies in the church of rome . it is an apparent truth that the church of rome doth very of● clog divine duties with so many ceremonies , and its mischief is frequent in that mischance , that even their learned writers do in a little time grow o such mistakes , as to think that some of those which are ecclesiastical ceremonies , only instituted by the authority of the church : to be the essentials , and that which is essential , to be but accidents ; this particular business i have in hand will demonstrate this conclusion . sect . vi. it is an error to think that the anointing the bishops hand , is a necessary essential . the third ceremony by tanner , out of the ponti●ical , is the anointing of the bishops hand , which is to be consecrated in these words , ungantur manus istae oleo consecrato ; that is when he anoints his hands , he saith , let these hands be anointed with holy oyl : and francis silvius , i must say truly a learned man and most perspicuous writer in his fortieth quest. upon the supplement of thomas art . in resp . ad m. , saith that the essential consecration of a bishop consists in this unction , and the words pronounced with it ; ( for the church of rome calls the o●tward sign the matter , and the words the form ) and this to be it , he proves by a very strong argument against the romanist : because in the whole frame of ordination , the bishop consecrated , is cal●ed in the ponti●ical untill then , bishop elect only ; but then absolutely bishop from that time ; and his argument is as weakly answered by tanner where before quoted that , neque obstat quod in pontisicali ordinandus episcopus post unctionem primum vocatur consecratus , antea vero solum electus id ●nim ad scriptorem rubrici & modum l●quendi pertinent , plus non significat quam ante unctionem nondum esse plene consecratum , that is that the language of the ponti●ical ought to be attributed to the writer of the rubrick , and that there is no more imported in it , but that before the unction he is not fully bishop : truly i think silvius doth desire no more , but if men can shift off such grave and weighty observations with saying it was a fault in the writer or printer ; there can no authority be produced but may be so answered : but he is more to bl●me who transcribed it false , but why hath it not been amended , and that fault corrected : the truth is , the ponti●ical it self is to blame , there is no such thing in that much more antient ponti●ic●i , i mean the fourth councel of carthage , canon . i will put down t●e words , because i am likely to make use of them hereafter ; the words are these . episcopus quum ordinatur duo episcopi ponant & teneant evangeliorum codicem super caput & cervicem ejus & uno fundente benedictionem reliqui omnes episcopi qui adsunt , manibus suis caput ejus tangant . that is , a bishop when he is ordained , two bishops shall put and hold the book of the gospel over his head and neck , and one giving him the blessing ; the other bishops shall put and hold the book of the gospel over his head and neck , and one giving him the blessing ; the other ●ishops which are present shall touch his head with their hands ; here is not any word of anointing , and therefore according to this canon neither of these unctions , i mean head and hand are necessary , for although the canon may name somethings which are not necessary , yet it is not to be imagined that it should leave out any thing which is necessary . sect . vii . another error concerning the book , confuted . there is therefore another opinion which has gained great reputation with many schoolmen , and that is of some who place the essentials of a bishops ordination in the first ●eremony named in the pontifical , and that is the same with that of the councel of carthage ; to wit the putting the book upon the head of the consecrated bishop , and the laying on of hands , and the benediction ; this certainly is most conform to that canon of carthage , but as i said before , as it is not reasonable to think that these canons should omit any essential thing by divine apostolical institution ; so it is reasonable to conceive it may add something ecclesiastical to that which is divine , so it be not destructive to the foundation , of which nature i shall show there is somewhat in this canon : for the book which was imposed on the head and shoulders of the bishop to be consecrated , is the book of the gospel , or four evangelists ; now it is impossible that that ceremony should be necessary , because what is necessary to any thing must agree , to all of that kind which this cannot , because there were bishops when this book was not written ; yea when not one of the ●ospels were written , this therefore cannot be essential to the consecration of a bishop , which must needs follow his consecration ; this argumenr is taken notice of by divers although not in this ●ase , but in that which concerns a deacon , where the book of the gospels is delivered at his ordination to the deacon , and by most of the church of rome is made the matter essential to that ordination as they call it , or as we , the outward sign of it , you see this argument which they are pinched with : let us consider how they shift from it , vasques in his ( ) disp. cap. . number . and ochogamia in his book of sacraments in his title of orders cap. . out of him affirmed that this order of deacons , ( as well as is evident of bishops ) was before the gospels were written , and they were then ordained without that ceremony , but by a dispensation of christ , that is ochogamia's phrase ; but vasques by a commission of his , the phrase doth not materially differ ; with these kind of shifts any thing may be affirmed , can they shew any the least word in the new testament intimating any such probability , a dispensation must be upon a former law , there could be no law made to ordain with giving gospels before either all , or any of them were written , and it is most evident that none of them were writ , when the first bishops were made , gasper hurtado goes therefore another way to work , and although he grants that at first they were ordained only by the imposition of hands , yet he saith that it is probable that afterwards christ instituted , that when the gospels were writ , they should be delivered to the ordained : it is an easy thing to say , it is probable but he should give a reason why we should think it reasonable ; i have reason to think that when the gospels do abundantly deliver to us such things which are necessary for us to know concerning the will of christ , and there is no such thing in the gospels , and they would be of great ease to the satisfaction of such men as expect to receive divine blessings from some men in holy orders ; it is necessary that they should have some means chalked out to them , by which they might be assured , that these are such hands by which they expected those blessings are promised to be given them ; but above all others , i wonder at henricus henriques , who is so bold in his sum of moral divinity lib. ● . cap. . tit. . in his comment to affirm , that probabilius videtur quod in primitiva ecclesia dabatur diacono charta in qua continebantur mysteria fid●i quae habentur in evang●lio , which is , that it seems probable , that in the primitive church there was given to the de●con som● paper in which were contrived written the mysteries of faith which are in the gospel : he saith it seems so , i would ask to whom it seems so ; certainly to no man living fifteen hundred years after and upwards , nor did ever any man say , he saw any such scripture , nor heard of it before ; it cannot therefore seem probable to any man , for sure such a scripture would have given a glorious light to many other doctrines which now lye in darkness , i therefore love occandus for a clear and ingenious con●ession in this point who in quartum sententiarum ●ist . . proposition . page . saith thus , contra hoc est unum argumentum cujus solutionem fateor me nescire , & gaudenter & libentur ignorabo . against this conclusion , which is that the delivery of the book should be essential to the order of a deacon ; against this there is one argument whose answer i know not , and am chearfully and willingly ignorant of . and then he urgeth this argument of mine , and shews that even st. mathews gospel who was his tutelar saint , was not writ when deacons were instituted , he calls him pater meus spiritualis , this ●s it was honest , so it was ingenious ; and then he quotes durandus rightly in quartum dist. . quest . who agrees with me much in my opinion conce●ning this matter , and saith , that in the arician diocess where he was bishop ; this ceremony of the book was never used , so that there is neither scripture for it , nor any universal tra●ition , and therfore hath no strong ●ound●tion ; the chiefest argument that ●ives me any consideration , is that canon of the fourt● councel of carthage , of which i spake before , where in express terms , the use of the book of the evangelists is enjoyned in the ordination of a bishop ; but doth that follow , it is therefore necess●ry essentially , i think i have writ before that it is reasonable to think that eminent councell consi●●ing of . and odd bishops many of them as eminent for learning and piety as the world h●d ; we may justly think that such a councel would omit no essentially mater●all circumstance , but that it should add nothing to the apostolical canons is not reasonable , and this might now be , because now that book was extant which ●t the first in the apostles time was not , so that i am confident that such who lived in obedience to that church ought to observe it , there being no opposition to the essential part ; but indeeed rather an explication of it , and yet i may say that the church of rome did not , doth not observe the manner of using the ●ook there enjoyned ; for as hu●tado difficultate decima de ordine ( olim ) saith he , heretofore the book was not imposed by bishops as that canon requires but by deacons , and now by the bishops ●hapl●ines , for the use of the book was impossible to be apostolical as it is before proved , it may be used , and ought to be when ordained in a well governed and setled church , but it is not essential to the ordination or consecration ▪ chap. xiii . in which , what is essential to this consecration , is set down . thus having removed the principal rubbige which might impede my structure . i come now to lay my foundation concerning the building , first then let us conceive that what is essential must be apostolical , and what is so , may probably be thought to be essential , for although it is a most assented conclusion that the sacraments which conveigh grace , must be of divine institution , of which nature they make orders ; ( i contend not about words ) and the apostles were instituted with full authority to act since , after his departure to the end of the world : it is necessary therefore for us to think that such things as are delivered by them are divine , for although canons of councels general or particular , are excellent guides for the establishing peace and unity in the church , and so may require obedience from their subjects , yet because they are but men without an annexed infallibility ; without doubt they may vary in their practice and discipline , and their dictates being introduced upon occasions may be altered ; and therefore cannot add essentials to any thing , for the essences of things are always certain and necessary . this is my major : now to search what is apostolical in this business , we must examine the scriptures where first we find our saviour authorizing his apostles , as my father sent me , so send i you to give power to others . we find him using no ceremony , but bre●thing upon them gave them the holy ghost , and truly that breathing was most significative of that blessing he bestowed upon them ; but from thence we find not the apostles using that ceremony , for they being enabled with this plenarty of power to give others that blessing , they only gave it , and for a sign that they did establish it laid their hands upon them ; so that as we conceive these two places tim. . . by the laying on of my hands or the tim. . . with the laying on of the hands of the presbytery to be ordination , so likewise we shall find this ceremony taken for the whole 〈◊〉 or ord●nation . tim. . . lay hands suddenly on no man. now then without doubt if any outward act must be essential to this heavenly work ; this only being apostolical must be esteemed most essential ; and there i think it most proper for men to conceive that this is the only ceremony essentially necessary ( if any be ) to the performance of that duty , for the power originally being given to the apostles nakedly and absolutely without any qualification or mode , in what manner they should use it to others ; we are to receive the manner at their acting it , for our best rule and guidance which is only in scripture delivered to be imposition of hands : thus much for that which the doctors of the church of rome called the material part in the essence of consecration , and we may truly term , the outward sign . let us now examine that which they call the form , and we may term the words which express it ; the words which our saviour used john . . are , receive ye the holy ghost ; these words expresly are used in the roman consecration and ordination , but in the graecian the words are varied , but the sence reserved , not giving this blessing in the imperative-mood , ( which is much stood upon by many schoolmen and casuists ) but in a more humble stile , the grace of god creates or promotes thee to this dignity of a bishop , or priest , or deacon , where we find the truth more largly expounded though materially the same , for certainly the grace of god is that which impowers men with these authorities are given , and men are only instrumental , but that they are , and therefore there is added how this is given by the suffrage of the bishops , which denotes them instrumental , for the african church you may discern in the canon of carthage before cited , that the consecration is expressed in a language of such extent as may be applied to them both , which is ( uno fundente benedictionem ) one of them pouring out the benediction or blessing , but implying strongly the sence , such as is proper for this work ; to confirm which , all the present bishops lay on their hands ; and this universally so consented unto as agreeing to the holy scripture , that although in the heat of disputation , i find men sometimes over peremptorily asserting their own opinions , yet i do not find that either church did refuse such as were consecrated in either , although in wayes and modes differing from their own , so that i may justly say that the whole catholick church concenters in this conclusion , that when words importing the blessing are delivered by a consecrating bishop , and those words are sealed by imposition of hands , then these holy orders are effectually given ; i shall then need to do little more in this point than to answer such objections , which are commonly made against it , or i can apprehend proper to be opposed to it . sect . ii. the first objection against the truth , answered . the first is common in the school made against the ponti●ical , in this point , because that in all that part of the ponti●ical it is said only , receive ye the holy ghost , and that language is the same in the ordination of priests ; as likewise the imposition of hands ; so that by this no man can know what order is given ; in the church of rome it is answered that the design which they are about will shew it , whether to one or to the other order ; and again the manner of the imposition of hands , in the consecration of a bishop , divers bishops impose hands , in the ordination of a priest one bishop only with some presbyters , in the ordination of a deacon the bishop alone , but in our church that scruple is clearly taken away by a great prudence , where at the ordination of a priest , the consecrating words are , receive the holy ghost , for the office and work of a priest , and at the consecration of a bishop the words are , receive the holy ghost for the office and work of a bishop in the church of god ; where wee see that universal cause of all spiritual blessings , ( i mean the holy ghost ) applied to that particular duty , in which at that time he works , and therefore the consecration is free from that exception . sect . iii. another objection drawn from the councel of carthage , answered . another ojection may be , that the councel of carthage before cited ; mentions the laying on the book by two bishops upon the head and shoulders of the bishop to be consecrated , and therefore that is necessary ; i answer that i much reverence that councel in which was st. augustine , and divers other b●shops famous for learning and piety in their generations ; but yet as i have said before , this was never practiced any remarkable time , as sundry doctors in the church of rome observe , and again it is impossible to be essential because not apostolical and that because the holy bible , and that highest part of it the new testament was not writ when bishops and priests were ordained , it is therefore worth our marking , that there is a difference in the decrees of councels concerning doctrine and discipline , or ceremonies of the church in a point of doctrine , they shew in what sence they understand such and such a conclusion , but in the other they set down what is to be practiced to preserve orders and decency in those churches where they have to do ; and indeed there can be no more required of obedience than in quiet and setled times , in which times only councels can be congregated , and in other times as things necessary by divine right must always be kept close unto , so what is only humane may be spared . it is not possible for humane power to add any thing of absolute necessity to divine justice which cannot be altered ; now of this nature in this ceremony of the gospel as is most apparent . for first the pontifical varyes extreamly much in this very point from the councel of carthage , not only in adding to it that the book must be open which is not expresed in carthage but by changing those few circumstances which are particularized there , as first where it is said in carthage that two bishops shall lay on the gospel , the ponti●ical saith , that it must be done by the consecrator and the assisting bishop . antonius is peremptory out of hostiensis that it must be done by three in the third part of his sums tit. . cap. . sect. . towards the end of that section , secondly where the councel saith that the book shall be put upon the head and the neck of the consecrated bishop . the ponti●ical saith super scapulam & cervicem upon the shoulders and the neck , thirdly whereas the councel saith ( uno fundente benedictionem ) one pouring out the blessing ; they make them altogether to give it in these words , receive the holy ghost , antonius where before is peremptory that three must do it ; thus you see how in the doctrine of the church of rome the compiler of that book is prefer'd before that ever to to be honoured councel consisting of above two hundred bishops ; amongst which were many most eminent men and indeed the popes legates likewise , although they could only keep up his pretensions to it , not prevail for his universal superiority , besides this i observe in the ceremoniale romanum put out by pope leo the tenth and licensed by him in the second sect. litera charta ( as the printer calls it ) or as we , fol. . the ordinator and the rest put the book only upon the neck of the elect pope when he is made bishop ; so that here in these records of the church of rome , besides these other practices of chaplaines or ●eacons before mentioned we find a great liberty taken in varying from the councel of carthage ; and amongst themselves the councel appointing the book to be put upon the head and neck , the pontifical upon the shoulders and the neck , the ceremonial names only the neck which evidently makes it appear that this clause hath been looked upon only as an humane ordinance , subject to change and alteration , but the other of imposition of hands , as divine which no humane power could abrogate or alter : give me leave since i am in the canvasing of the canon to make one observation for the further illustration of a conclusion before treated of , that is the phrase ( uno fundente benedictionem , ) the blessing is given by one , when the pontifical makes it to be given at the same time by many , and so divers doctors in the church of rome , which certainly may be very confused one begining sooner and so ending , but to avoid that , the ceremonial before cited saith , that the consecrator with the rest of the bishops saith , accipe spiritum sanctum , receive the holy ghost , but he adds the consecrator alte , the rest submisse , he with a loud voice , the rest with a soft ; and now consider that one is called the consecrator as surely he must be , and the rest do but come into his assistance to lay on their hands in token of the assurance of it , and therefore they speak lowly and humbly , he that is the consecrator doth consecrate , the rest come in as assistants and to this purpose they speak lowly and submissly , and to this purpose vasques after a long discourse about this question concludes disp. . number . that it is enough that one speaks the words and lays on his hands likewise , where we may observe by him that the consecrators words are , that they call the form of consecration , we may say conveigh the consecrating virtue , this being received in all christian churches but the other unconstant amongst themselves . another argument may be objected against us of the church of england who use a giving of the bible to the bishop who is to be ordained in our consecration . sect . iv. an objection against our practice answered , and the force of the argument satisfied . it is true and it is according to the first ceremony used in the pontisical ; where it is said that the consecrating bishop takes the book from the shoulders of the consecrated , and with the other assisting bishops , gives it shut to the consecrated with these words accipe evangelium receive the gospel , we use this , and with it a godly exhortation to the bishop , but it is after his consecration , for that is perfected in the first act , receive the holy ghost for the office of a bishop in the churches of god now committed unto thee by the imposition of our hands . in the name of the father , the son and the holy ghost ; this only is essentially the consecration , and if the arch-bishop should be struck dead immediately after the pronouncing these words ; the consecrated bishop should receive no other consecration , we use likewise an examination before the consecration according to the first canon in the fourth councel of carthage although not punctually the same yet virtually containing all substantial matter in it ; that reflected principally upon those heresies which afflicted that church at that time , our examination as it included these , so it particularizeth upon such as more neerly concerned the disturbance of our own , but neither that proceeding , nor this subsequent exhortation are essentially necessary ad esse to the being of a bishop , but conduce to the gravity and decency of the administration of so high a duty , as likewise for a memorial to every bishop to put him in mind of the bene esse the well and good execution of his order , which is a most excellent office , and being no where forbid but indeed in many places of the new testament taught , yea commanded , no man can think but that at such a holy time as his consecration , it is seasonable to put the bishop to be consecrated in mind of such performances which the holy ghost requires of him ; this is all i hope is needful for the satisfaction of that argument ; drawn from the consecration of pope pelagius the first , who was consecrated by the imposition of hands from two bishops and one presbyter , , first it is evident th●t one particular act cannot satisfie a right to do that again which hath been done once , because there is no rule or law against which no man ever trespassed . secondly , that the errors committed in elections and consecrations of popes are no presidents , because they have too often much transgressed in that kind . thirdly , that consecration in necessary occasions when more cannot be had , may be by two or one only bishop , and yet be essentially good . fourthly that nothing is essential but giving the proper blessing with imposition of hands : for the addition of one presbyter to the two bishops is served only to fill a gap , and to comply with an unnecessary received ceremony ; it added no virtue of its self , no● impeded the virtue of the consecration . chap. xiv . his discourse examined , and an argument from some father , answered . sect . i. the preface to his argument examined now we will enter upon another argument being page . towards the bottom , a discourse unnecessary for me to write down at large , but i will set down what is material in it , and so pass to his argument ; thus saith he , habent presbyteri presbyters have by a divine right the power of ordaining ( sicut ) like as they have the power of preaching and baptizeing ; he expounds this , that where there is a bishop there this should be done , sub regimine & inspectione episcopi under the government and eye of the bishop , but in other places where the church is governed by the common councel of presbyters , that ordination is valid and good which is made by the imposition of the hands of the presbytery ; thus he , but i desire , and so do many more , to know where that church was ever in the christian world that gave simple presbyters power to ordain others ; before these latter times ; the practice whereof i think nothing can excuse in some reformed churches , but a meer necessity in which case the vote supplies the act ; but i will proceed no further with this , all to the midst of the next page is only discourse , his conclusion there , is , that presbyters may ordain , i come with him and will consider his following arguments . sect . ii. his argument from st. ambrose and st. augustine answered . he begins with st. ambrose upon the epistle to the ephesians cap. . the words are truly cited by him which are apud aegyptum presbyteri consignant si praesens non sit episcopus , i will not disturb this , before i observe his second quotation , and make one answer serve both which is augustinus sive quicunque sit author in quaestionibus ex utroque testamento mixtum quest. . in alexandria inquit presbyter consecrat , the force of this argument is this , that in alexandria and throughout egypt in the absence of a bishop a presbyter or presbyters do consecrate , by these fathers in the citation of st. augustine he ingeniously saith , sive quicunque author est illius operis , whether he or whosoever is author of that work , indeed it is evident that it is not his , and he might have said as much of st. ambrose as is app●ren● , because these comments are much suspected upon strong grounds , but indeed are thought to be some author of that age , and then though an heretique or schismatique in a matter of story which concerns not that business for which he is branded , i see no reason why that matter of fact may not be credited , i therefore must allow that authority neither will i quarrel at that word in him which is not consecrat ( as in the counterseit augustine ) but consignat which is of a largersence ; but ye because that word is often used for consecration , i will allow that likewise , yea i will add that , which some schoolmen who incline to doctor forbes his opinion have observed , which is that the word consecrat cannot here be taken for consecrating the holy eucharist of the consecrating the lords supper , for that was allowed lawful in any place , now this seems to intimate a peculiar custom in alexandria and egypt for that , therefore know that other things are in ecclesiastical story said to be consecrated besides these of bishops or the elements of the communion , to wit , holy houses , churches , virgins and utensils but some may object that this cons●●ration may be understood of bishops ; i answer no , out of a famous story recorded by athanasius , which is in his second apologue , and a letter writ by the marcotici praesbyteri & diaconi ( as they stile themselves ) to curiasus and evagrius . it is there registred that one colluthus counterfeiting himself to be a bishop when he was none , but only a presbyter ordained divers persons amongst others , one ischyras for which he was condemned by hosius and other bishops in a general councel , that he should leave off episcopising and be reduced into his former order , and therefore saith the letter , ischyras could be no priest , who was ordained only by him who was no bishop : give me leave now to shew the truth of this story ; it hath so great authority for it as athanasius , who was bishop of alexandria , in his apology for himself writ to his adversaries , both lay and ecclesiastical ; if he had been a man of less sanctity , yet out of policy he durst not tell such an errant lie ; granting this , i say , that if the other authorities were authentique which they are not , that word consecration must be understood of other , consecrations not of bishops or priests , because in alexandria this act was condemned . and so i think that there is enough said to that argument drawn from the pretended ambrose and augustine . chap. xv. sect . i. his argument drawn from the councel of antioch answered .. and now i proceed to another argument drawn from the councel of antioch canon . in which it is ordained that chori episcopi ( which saith he , were only presbyters ) might ordain readers , sub-deacons and exorcists , but neither priests nor deacons as dionisius eriquus translates it , p●aeter civitatis episcopum we may render it besides the bishop of the city . gentianus hervetus renders it absque vrbis episcopo without the bishop of the city , but he saith hidorus hispalensis hath a third reading which he favours above all that is praeter ▪ ●anscientiam episcopi , as i may say without the conscience of the bishop : here he puts down three various translations or readings , i can add a fourth which is of another isidore , isidori mercator , who put out the councels by the advice of fourscore bishops as he himself writes in his epistle before them , but indeed hath no remarkable difference from the rest , although it varyes from them ; now saith doctor forbes , pope damasus in his first epistle to purisper bishop of the prime seat of numidia and other orthodox bishops , he condemns the chori-episcopi as an irregular order being in themselves but praesbyteri , and taking upon them episcopal power . to go methodically in the examination of this argument , i propose to my self three things , . the consideration of the authority of the canons made in this councel ; next the examination of pope damasus his decree ; and last the nature of those chori-episcopi or country bishops who are therein mentioned . and first i apply my self to the councel which i am content to admit because the canons thereof were antiently received into the code of the universal church , and mentioned both in the councel of chalcedon and the councel in trullo , though estius in quartum distinct. . sect. . is bold to reject the canons of this councel because there was an ill use made thereof against two eminent fathers of the church st. athanasius and st. john chrysostome who suffered much trouble and persecution upon the pretence of the iv. and xii . canons thereof from their adversaries , and were sentenced by them before they well heard . but in particular concerning the canon of this councel about the power of the chori-episcopi it is well observed by estius ( ubi supra ) that the words thereof are very intricate and perplexed , as we shall now declare in the chapter following . chap. xv. the argument to prove these chori-episcopi and their power to ordain presbyters examined . i think the likelyest man in the world to expound this canon is balsamon who was patriarch of that church , and although he lived a good while after this councel , yet the sence and meaning of the decrees of his own church is likelyer to be preserved by him and them in that church , than in any other places , and men which lived further remote : therefore in his comment upon the canon and those particular words upon which the whole fo●ce of this argumentis built , illud autem sine episcopo qui est in urbe non accipitur pro eo quod est sine ejus mandato , sed pro eo quod est sine ejus ordinatione , seu consecratione ; et si enim fuerit chori-episcopo mandatum ut praesbyterum ordinet , & hoc fecerit , irrita erit ordinatio , quia non sit data praesbyteris ordinandi potestas , than which words nothing can be more clear to shew that these chori-episcopi here spoken of could not ordain , so now in answer to this argument of doctor forbes drawn from the tenth canon of the antiochian councel it is not of any force , because the councel is of none , being made by heretiques in a wicked schism , conspiring against that ever to be honour'd person athanasius , and urged to the destruction of that incomparable person john chrysostome . secondly granting it to be of force yet by the best expositor in the world for that councel balsamon expounds the dubious language of that canon against doctor forbes , now then the business of pope damasus his decree falls of it self , which introduceth a new work for me . sect . ii. pope damasus his decree examined . this epistle in crabbs edition of the councels is the fourth , but in binius the fifth epistle of damasus , and it is sufficiently pontifical , it destroys all chori-episcopi , and saith , that they were prohibited as well by that seat of rome , as by all the bishops in the world , this he saith there , and we must take his word for it only , for i find no such thing upon record before or after , as will appear when i treat of the nature of them , but he inveighs justly agaisnt the laziness of bishops , which saith , he brought them into , like nurces to suckle their children for them , whilest they the bishops might enjoy their ease and pleasure . to conclude , the whole drift of that epistle is to prove that these country bishops are ▪ but presbyters and therefore have no power to ordain priests , and doctor forbes saith clean contrary , that although they were but presbyters , yet by that accursed councel of antioch they might ordain priests ; the words of that canon damasus mentions , although he do not name the councels and truly these words seemed to me to be of great force , quamquam impositionem episcoporum perceperint , where he observes the plural number , imposition of hands of bishops , many in the plural number , of which more hereafter : now if they did , i know not what can hinder them by any canon from a remote power to ordain , which may be acted by only leave from the bishop himself , but this is enough for the business of the decree of damasus , it seems he was angry with them , and disputes against them , and condemns them , but as doctor forbes well observes this decree of his , was but little or not at all obey'd ; either because this was no true but a counterfeit epistle , or whether these decrees of popes extra cathedram were not valid , i know not , but do know this , that it was not observed , so here we see a wicked councel condemned by a pope ; and that pope neglected by all men afterwards ; what he urgeth out of isidore hispalensis is of no consideration ; but only to mark that the popes decree was not observed in his time , for isidore there which is lib. . de ecclesiasticis officiis cap. . sets down only the bare words of the two councels of neocaesarea and this of antioch , that of neocaesarea only compares the chori-episcopi to the disciples , this of antioch will prove a most perplexed decree in its self , and such which may probably be objected against doctor forbes , as well as expounded for him , for that out of neocaesarea which compares the chori-episcopi to the seventy disciples , damasus shews that they ordained , but only the apostles , and isidore hath not one word of discourse concerning this office , as he uses to have concerning all others , but only sets down the words of the canons ; so that it remains for all him , just as it was , which is most intricate , damasus seems to conceive that the records of this canon did allow them with leave of the bishop to ordain deacons and priests and that the laziness of bishops connived at it , for which reason he condemns them , not the fault only , but for the faults sake , the very office , this office we find continued in isidores time , after him in the church , and in late times as i shall shew , so that as the pope thought the canon of that councel not obliging , so the christian world thought his decrees invalid , wherefore i might well lay them both aside . sect . iii. this canon reviewed . but i will examine the canon to see if it have any necessary construction that way . there are two principal things which are disputeable in this canon , first , whether these chori-episcopi might give orders to presbyters with leave of the bishop of the city whereto they appertain ; secondly , whether any of them were bishops by episcopal ordination , in both which we may find the canon so perplexed as it will be hard to collect a clear conclusion of it . for the first , it is urged by doctor forbes that the words of the canon in all editions , of which he quotes three , make for him , the first is of dionysius exig●us a grave author and he urgeth his words truly , nec praesbyterum nec diaconum audeant ordinare praeter civitatis episcopum , speaking of chori-episcopi , they should not ordain a priest or deacon , praeter besides the bishop of the city , to whom he with his possession is subject ; is not this rightly termed by estius a perplexed canon ? then next take the edition of gentianus hervetus which reads it absque vrbis episcopo , he must not ordain these without the bishop of the city , this i take to be in his edition of balsamon , for so it is there , and then why balsaman who was patriarch of antioch , although a good while after , should not be thought ●itter to understand the practice of that church , than those who lived after him in other churches , i apprehend not : his comment upon the text is this sine vrbis episcopo without the bishop of the city , is not to be understood without his command ( as we term it his fiat ) but saith he , his ordination or consecration , for saith he , if the bishop command the chori-episcopus to ordain and he should do it , that ordination were void , so that by this learned author this perplexed canon must be understood against doctor forbes , but he hath a third edition of isidore hispalensis which reads it praeter conscientiam episcopi without the conscience of the bishop , and here he magnifies this edition and calls it probatissima versio the most approved version ; but he doth not set down by whom this is approved , besides himself , neither do i think he can , nor doth shew any reason why it should be so approved , but his own authority ; and let us see what he hath got by it , for certainly it seems not to me to inforce his interpretation , which is that he may ordain these offices with the leave of the bishop , for it is not praeter consensum ; but conscientiam ; now conscience is not the same with consent , consent is most proper to another mans action , conscience to his own , the great actions of conscience being to accuse or excuse a mans self , or to judg of a mans own act , or whether they have been done according to right science ; but it meddles not with what concerns other men either to judge , accuse , or excuse them , unless we are authorized in foro publico , or privato in confession , and then it is an act of the confessors conscience only out of this regard that he is bound in duty to apply his knowledg to others ; and therefore to understand this phrase better , let us conceive that praeter or beside the conscience of the bishop , is non-sence , but if he or any others are delighted with this word conscience in this canon , i will shew them a fourth reading where he may find it used most properly and significantly , which is cresperius his sum word chori-episcopus where he quotes this canon , and therein saith that a chori-episcopus must not ordain priests or deacons propter conscientiam episcopi for the conscience he hath of the bishop of his city , that is because his conscience tells him that the bishop is only to ordain such ; thus i think that it is no way evident from the canon that these men did ordain priests or deacons , we come next to the second , whether any of these chori-episcopi had episcopal ordination , and so might in a case of necessity ordain . sect . iv. doctor forbes to blame for censuring bellarmine too sharply in this point . in this question doctor forbes falls soul upon cardinal bellarmine which i was sorry to read , gives him ill language , calls his opinion ridiculous and childish , and again page . detestanda est bellarmini impudentia , bellarmines impudence is to be abhorr'd or else miseranda imperitia , his ignorance is to be pityed ; for although the cardinal may seem to deserve such language himself , after giving learned men who differ from himself in judgment , as bad or worse , yet these pen-combates should in that resemble those with swords , where the first engagers in the quarrel being high with animosities against each other will give no quarter , but after the experience of a continued warr hath taught , that what happens to one , this day , may be the fortune of the other to morrow , they manage the warr more civilly in the future , so it should be with us now , when the warrs have continued a long time : and experience hath taught us that the most learned writer is a man , and subject to error ; may be mistaken in his judgment , may sometimes in quotations miss the right conceit of them : we should spare such reproachful languages , and deal with one another even our enemies more courteously ; but let us see why he is so severe against bellarmine , because saith he , bellarmine doth oppose damasus and all antiquity , in saying that there are some chori-episcopi which had episcopal consecration , and some which had only presbyterial ; to this i say , bellarmine may be mistaken and so may vasques the jesuit who opposeth him in that conclusion ; but i doubt it doth not clearly appear out of antiquity , which is mistaken ; bellarmine de clericis in his seventeenth cap. conceives that these chori-episcopi which he and all writers make to be vicarii episcoporum may be of two sorts , either such as are meer presbyters or else such as are suffragans or titular bishops ; the first sort are they which pope damasus condemns , and will not suffer to encroach upon the episcopal office ; the other he saith which were suffragan bishops or titular might do it with leave from the bishop of the city ; the fault of this saying appears not to me ; for they being vicarii may be of either sort or both , and i spoke it knowingly ( as will appear presently in the next cap. ) if they were such as are called suffragans ( as is reasonable to think ) then they were ordained episcopally and might ordain priests , yea bishops , and did do it , nor doth any thing in vasques or doctor forbes necessarily confute it , first for cardinal bellarmine , he seems to be of opinion , that this canon doth approve of the consecration of these chori-episcopi , and that they might give the order of priesthood with leave from the chief bishop , to avoid that , that they who were presbyters might then do it , he puts down this distinction , that some had but presbyterian ordination and some episcopal and this he thinks this canon implyes when it saith speaking of the chori-episcopi , etiamsi manus impositionem episcoporum acceperint 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 , mark it is in the plural number , they had the imposition of hands of bishops , not of one only , as presbyters , and then again it is said , & ut episcopi consecrati fuerunt and are consecrated as bishops , which words saith doctor forbes were by the translator added , and are not in the original greek , it is probable pope damasus who lived near that time , a thousand years and more nearer than he , and is reported to be learned in the greek as well as latin , should know the words of the councel , as well as he or any other , yet he puts down these words , and they are in both the lections of peter crabb i will not trouble my self to look further , but pope damasus writing against them , and condemning them , would not have put down this argument against himself , if it had not been the language used in that canon ▪ what force his arguments have i shall examine speedily , but now let us consider the argument which is only touched by bellarmine , if they were a sort of chori-episcopi which had the imposition of hands from divers bishops , what reason can be imagined why such should not ordain priests , vasques in answer to this saith , that the imposition of the hands of bishops is not to be understood of many bishops laying on their hands at the same time upon the same man , but that several bishops at several times laid their hands upon several chori-episcopi , but to this may be urged that word ( quamvis ) as one , or etiamsi as another edition , why should the canon say , although he be ordained by the imposition of hands of bishops , and consecrated as a bishop , this although would there signifie nothing for he should not be by it distinguished from a presbyter , but because some were and some were not ordained by bishops , it reacheth even those who were so ordained , doctor forbes is not content with this answer of vasques but adds another of his own at the bottom of page . and throughout , where before cited , the sence of which is that the imposition of hands here mentioned is not to be understood passively for the imposition of hands which they receive themselves , but actively for that imposition of hands which they had power of to give . i think i have set it down as clearly as his words can be rendered , for indeed his language is as obscure as the canon it self , but this is most forced , nor indeed can a man conceive canonically , how a chori-episcopus could receive that active which he mentions , unless he had received it passively first , by the imposition of hands of divers bishops , nor can a man well imagine in that language , & ut episcopi ordinantur , what that ( ut ) should mean if it did not come to explain the former phrase of imposition of hands of divers bishops ; so that then for ought i see bellarmines exposition against both these adversaries is the most clear and congruous to the canon , let us now examine pope damasus's arguments as they are scholastically urged by vasques and that is the marrow of all that is in this epistle . sect . v. damasus his first argument against the chori-episcopi answered . damasus seems to me , eitheir with bellarmine to think there were two sorts of chori-episcopi in the time of making the canon which may be perswaded , because although he begins with this argument from the plural number before urged , yet he never endeavours an answer to it ; or else believing them all but presbyters , he thinks that his other argument may invalid this ; and notwithstanding this , being deficient in other things they are not bishops by it . his first argument is drawn from the word ( chori ) which signifies countrey , they were but country bishops , when as all bishops should be of a city : to this i answer that although such canons may be made for the establishment of the government of churches in a setled kingdom , where are such cities for the decorum and honour of the episcopal sea , yet it cannot be in unsetled states , as suppose the gospel should be preached in the barbarous places of the west-indies , where are no such places to give episcopacy that honour , yet the church may and ought to be planted and governours put into them to regulate their discipline o● else things will go backward faster than forward in the matters of religion . again we may conceive if such canons be insisted upon , that they should be understood of prime and chief bishops , not such as are vicarii episcoporum that is vicars of the chief bishops ; now it may happen that there be a necessity of such vicars , and they may be of great use to the bishop of the city whose diocess is large , as will appear shortly , and these chori-episcopi although they may be impeded in the execution of their office by the superior authority of the bishop of the city , yet with his consent are impowred to ordain in these cases , which is most agreeing to the letter of the canon according to any edition , either sine or praeter or whatsoever it is . this is enough i think for the first argument of pope damasus . sect . vi. his next argument answered . another is thus framed , there are but two orders of priesthood , bishops and presbyters , this he enlargeth and proves from the church under the law , where were aaron and his sons only in the priesthood , as likewise from our saviour himself who had only apostles and disciples ; so saith he , it should be in the present church , now it seems these chori-episcopi are neither , they esteem themselves greater than presbyters and yet are not bishops , wherefore nothing in answer ; what they esteem themselves i know not , but we have good reason to think some were bishops and some only presbyters , and they who were bishops might act these great offices of ordaining priests and deacons with leave of the bishop of the diocess , those who were only priests , could not ; thus damasus his arguments are are of no force against that canon of antioch , and therefore vasques himself acknowledgeth in that . disp. cap. . that damasus did conceive that in the time of the council of antioch , some chori-episcopi were bishops , and he affirms that if they had episcopal consecration , although they were but titular bishops , and so had no place assigned at their consecration where they should officiate , yet they had that power granted them at their consecration , which might be reduced into act whensoever a place was assigned them , and yet damasus condemns them for the future which was never obeyed . sect . vii . one word in the canon more explained . there is one word more in the canon which may abide a misinterpretation and is somewhat insisted upon by doctor forbes ; that is in the latter end of the canon , it is said that he the chori-episcopus must be ordained by the bishop to whom he and his possession are subject ; now if he be ordained by one bishop only , certainly he is but a presbyter , for although as i have said in a case of necessity , one bishop hath been allowed to consecrate , and the power apostolical was to them separative to every one to ordain , yet when laws were substituted by ecclesiastique authority , for the well government of the church and severe punishments inflicted upon the violation of them ( as are in this case ) it is not reasonable to think that men living in obedience to that church , should dare ●o break them in publique , and that constantly as it seems , this is for answer to this , i say that this makes it evident , that this canon is delivered concerning a double sort of chori-episcopi , some that were made by the imposition of hands of divers bishops , and others that were ordained by one only , which is all is required , and so i will pass to my last proposal to shew what these chori-episcopi were , chap. xvi . what the chori-episcopi were . it is a hard task which i do not find clearly delivered by any , what i find shall be set down and leave the determination to others ; in general my conceipt of them is this , that as it happens in other parisnes where presbyters have the charge , that where they are large and require chappels of ease , the parson sometimes gets a deacon to officiate in a chappel and do all the lesser duties for him : reads the prayers and lessons , yea baptize where he cannot be present to act it himself ; yet if he have a chappel at which he cannot reside , ( as it is too often in my diocess ) he must have a compleat presbyter to do that work ; so it was in those greater parishes of bishops ( which we call diocesses , but were heretofore called parishes ) when they are large and cannot well be super-intended by a bishops care ; he had chori-episcopi , such as being presbyters only might do his work , of which they were capable by commission : but yet if they were very large ; for which it would be troublesome for the diocess to receive the episcopal duties which were beyond the presbyterian authority , there it was necessary to have such chori-episcopi which were bishops ; and as that country parson may restrain his curate in the exercise of his authority , you shall not absolve such and such faults , nor give the communion at such and such times without my particular leave , because i mean to be present at those times , so may be the case of those chori-episcopi , who were bishops , they might ordain those lesser orders , as they are called , sub-deacons and readers but not priests or deacons , which indeed are orders , but by leave from their superior bishops . and this i think may fairly meet with the council of antioch , and all that i can find any where in antiquity spoken of them ; that this may appear more clearly , consider first , that this office is by some made as antient as the apostles times , they say that linus and clemens were chori-episcopi to st. peter at rome , so platina with others , and there may appear some reasons for it , because when st. peter had pitched upon that place for his diocess ( if he did so ) and was necessarily to prosecute his great apostolical design about the world in other places ; as well as rome ; it was necessary that he should have some men of eminent worth to episcopize for him in his absence , but then i find not that they in his life time did ordain any to these orders ( although perhaps they might do it ) until they came to be bishops themselves at rome . sect . ii. the decrees of divers councils examined . the next piece i find concerning them is in concilio ancirano canon the effect of which is , that chori-episcopi should not ordain priests or deacons , or priests act any thing without leave from the bishops letters , or under his hand , here is nothing , whether they were bishops or no : the next , the council of neocaesarea in which it is thought were the same bishops as in the other , and did immediately follow that at ancira canon . where the chori-episcopi are compared with the seventy which amounts to nothing ; whether they were bishops appears not by that , but that they were assistants to the supreme bishops , as the seventy were to the apostles : the n●xt , shall be the council of laodicea , the two former are mentioned by doctor forbes , but not this , this council in the fifty seventh canon decrees this quod non oporteat in villis & pagis episcopos constitui sed visitatores , veruntamen jamdudum constituti nihil facient praeter conscientiam episcopi civitatis , saith one edition , sine mente episcopi , saith another ; we may perceive in this canon two things , first , that it forbids these chori-episcopi or country-bishops , secondly , that although it forbids them , yet it supposeth , that of themselves they had authority to episcopize , and therefore restrains the execution of that authority to the leave from the bishop of the city , and therefore from that time they were to be regulated by him . the next thing i meet with in order , is the eighth canon of that great and glorious council of nice the first where i find that upon the reconciliation of the novations which called themselves catharei or puri ( as more holy than other men ) when these came into the church and were received , if they had been ordained by the novations as bishops ; before they were admitted upon repentance into favour , they were admitted into the same order in which they were before , but if there were an orthodox bishop in that diocess , he might allow him the honour and name of a bishop if he would , if not , he might allow him the place of presbyter or country bishop in his diocess ; but to avoid a clashing of competitors in the same city ; he must have no power there in the city , where i observe that chori-episcopus may be such , as his episcopal consecration would have been good in a vacant bishoprick to entitle him to it although if he was , where was a full bishoprick he would be , but a chori-episcopus . that which follows next is that canvased council of antioch which occasioned all this discourse , and then comes in the decree of damasus to which i have spoken , and i may add the epistle of st. basil which is writ chori-episcopis , and that contains a sharp reproof of their negligence in giving orders , and a prohibition that there should not any from thenceforth be admitted without his examination , and that these unworthy persons who had been brought into the list of the clergy should be separated , with much more tending to that purpose ; where i observe that not the defect of power , but their abuse of their powe● was it they were blamed for , that which isidore hispalensis or hrabarus maurus delivers concerning it , is not more than was in the former councils ; balsamon saith , they were almost worn out in his time , the meldensian allows them to be , but abridgeth their power , yet commands bishops not to authorize them by their own negligence or infirmities , so now although pope damasus his decree could not prevail to extirpate them , yet this council thought fit to restrain their practice , this councel was eight hundred years after christ and more , i will not write how vasques remembers some in his time but come close to our own age and country ; if these men were the same with suffragans , which i know no reason to deny , then no doubt but they had episcopal ordination and did consectate , not priests only , but bishops also ; to prove this let any man peruse that excellent piece of francis mason de ministerio anglicano he shall find that in the dayes of henry the eighth , and edward the sixth , and queen elizabeth , the suffragans of bedford , chichester , taunton , were episcopally consecrated and did joyn in the consecration of other bishops . so now i have finished this undertaking out of this debate concerning the . canon of antioch in which i have shewed that if the council it self be admitted , yet that particular canon to be most perplexed , but if it lean any way it is against doctor forbes , since it is most reasonable to think by that story which i have set down concerning them , that there were at the least divers of the chori-episcopi , which had episcopal consecration , although perhaps some , who had not ; and i think there is little of moment to be found in antiquity concerning them which is not observed by me , there is an epistle of john , the third pope of that name but it is rejected by binius and so slighted by me , and yet me thinks some may ask my opinion of those churches where are no bishops , first i dare censure no man , much less such large congregations amongst which i know there are many learned men , and no doubt , but full of piety , i may be deceived and so may they , humanum est errare but certainly in that acquaintance that i have with antiquity there seems to me no ground for them there , nor in the scripture ; these few pieces which this learned gentleman had collected are but old totered rags , which cannot abide to be stitched to this new garment , they have nothing to excuse themselves but necessities which whether they have sufficient or no , to excuse them , let their own souls judge , god will , i dare not . finis . the table . a apostles , their election , and to what . . their number , whence their name , their office. . to whom sent . . what to preach . . the apostles power whence . . the apostles truly had the power of preaching to all the world . . . the apostles only commissioned to baptize . . the apostles only to administer the communion . . b baptism instituted by our saviour . . the baptism of our saviour and st. john not the same . . whether our sacramental baptism be the same with that before christs death . . . not the same , the objections answered . . . the baptism instituted by christ not in force till after his death . . whether baptism administred by laymen be valid . . of bishops their distinction from presbyters . ▪ first argument from scripture for their points . . the argument examined . . and answered . . the exception that titus was an evangilist but not a bishop answered ▪ . objection for their points from acts . . answered . . c an outward call necessary to a minister . . this call hath a moral , not a phys●cal influence . . the character left after ordination . . the communion instituted by our saviour . . the apostles ministers of it . . . instituted before our saviours death . . . mutual covenanting of the saints gives not the being to a visible church . . what this covenant is , explicit , or implicit . . the reasons for it answered . , &c. other arguments answered . . , &c , d the election of the seventy disciples . . the differences betwixt them and the apostles . . deacons , as afterwards used in the church not instituted . acts . , . arguments proving this . . . the opposing arguments answered . . some of the first deacons preachers . . what the office of a deacon . . e of lay-elders . . what a lay-elder is in the disciplinarian sense . . no such elders in scripture . . places of scripture urged for them , answered . ibid. third argument of mr. thomas hooker for lay-elders answered . , &c . . . st. ●auls elder signifies but one office. . st. ambrose's words urged for lay-elders expounded . . &c. the design of making lay-elders . . what the word especially imports . tim. . . . what an evangelist is . . g gifted men may preach , if licenced by the bishop , otherwise not . , . h what double honour signifies tim. . . . mr. thomas hookers opinion concerning deacons examined . , . rom. . . expounded against him . , . &c. his deacon enforced from this place of scripture confuted . . the first confutation of mr. thomas hooker out of this text. , . his second argument refuted . . his third argument refuted . . his first argument from reason refuted . . his second and third argument from reason answered . . another argument answered ▪ . mr. thomas hookers distinction of pastors and teachers refuted . , &c. i episcopal jurisdiction proved . : l what labouring in the word imports , tim. . . . . m what the word minister signifies . . the definition of a minister . the definition explained . . &c. the power to be a minister must come from god. . . motion is to relation . , . o touching ordination . . mr. thomas hookers definition of ordination confuted . . what ordination is . . ordination not before election . . men may be ordained without the election of the people . . whether ordination gives all the essentials to an officer . . of pastoral ordination . . p st. peter had no greater power given him by christ , than the other apostles . the chief arguments for his superiority answered : ibid. a vindication of our common prayer-book in the number of the sacraments . . a digression concerning preaching . . what preaching is . . to what preaching every presbyter is bound ▪ . the peculiar interest a presbyter hath in preaching . . who is authorized to preach . . what a true presbyter is . . a power is left by christ to some men , whereby they communicate power to others . . r relation may be the principle of action . . one relation may be the foundation of another . . what ruling well imports . tim. . . . a the apostles only intrusted with the power of the keys , . other apostles besides the twelve . , , . the reason of it . . the apostolical power extended to all the world . . how the apostolical power was communicated . . how the apostolical power was communicated to particulars . . b second argument for parity answered . . third argument for it answered . . fourth argument concerning jurisdiction answered . . an argument from ordination by presbyters answered . . an argument out of st. hierome answered . . bishops succeeded the apostles in all that is apostolical , though not in their extraordinary endeavours . . baptism not the form which constitutes a church-member , but no visible act by which he is made a member . . mr. thomas hookers arguments against this opinion answered , , &c. baptism hath all things necessary to a real relation . . e episcopacy setled by the apostles in the church . . first argument from scripture to prove episcopacy . . a second argument to prove it . . the revelation of st. john assorts episcopacy . . st. cyprian urged as favouring . the people having the power of electing their ministers explained , the objection answered . . arguments from the election of the deacon , acts . examined . . other arguments answered . , &c. , &c. an excommunicate man is a member of the church . . bellarmines arguments against this opinion answered . , &c. c scriptures written of the catholique church grossely misapplyed by mr. thomas hooker to particular churches . , &c. what is meant by the church , and our saviours saying , tell the church . . what makes a church visible . . such as renounce the fellowship of the church are yet members of the church . . the arguments against this opinion answered . , &c. , &c. some difficulties of this opinion cleared . . what the character left in baptism is , and the definition of it . . in what predicament this chara●●er is . the foundation of this character is the will of god. . . durandus holds this character to be ens rationis . . is opposed by all the schoolmen , but their arguments do not confute him . ibid. the subject of this character is the whole man. . the table of the appendix . a the apostles were bishops , prov'd . . the first of the apostolical canons examined . . the anointing the bishops hand , no necessary essential to his constituion . . sect. . athanasius's testimony that meer presbyteers could not ordain , even in alexandria ● . the council of antioch , schismatical and illegal . . b bishops have ever been in the church . . whether three bishops be necessary to the consecration of a bishop . . sect. . ans. reg. the consecration of st. james bishop of jerusalem , objected and answered . . what is essential to constitute a bishop ? . . baptism not void by different circumstances in the celebration of it . p. . balsamon patriarch of antioch's interpretation of the canon of that council approved . , & . bellarmine too hardly dealt withall by dr. forbes . . not confuted by him . , . st. basil's opinion of the chori-episcopi . . c the church universal never was nor can be without a bishop . . the church of ephesus not governed by meer elders , but bishops . . the church was without elders , till the apostles ordained them . . christianity may be continued , but church-communion and ordinances cannot , without bishops . . the consecration of st. james bishop of jerusalem , discussed . . three bishops are not by divine right necessary to a bishops consecration . . the canon called the apostles canon , about the consecration of bishops examined . . the canon of the council of nice examined . , . and proved to concern the election , not the consecration of bishops . ibid. the second canon of the council of carthage concerning the consecration of bishops . . the catholike church does concentre in this conclusion that when words importing the blessing , are delivered by a consecrating bishop , and those words are sealed by an imposition of hands , then those holy orders are effectually given . . in the begin : no church in the christian world ever gave simple presbyters power to ordain . . the chori-episcopi have not power to ordain , proved . . unless they be suffragans . . & . cresperius's reading of the canon of antioch alledged for the chori-episcopi , viz. not praeter but propter conscientiam episcopi . . chori-episcopi were but presbyters , because ordained by one bishop alone . . s. . ☞ two sorts of chori-episcopi . p. . what they were . . d dr. forbes's arguments answered from p. , to . deacons not necessary in every parochial church . . difference in the form or words does not disanull a sacrament . . the distinction of orders is known by the manner of the laying on of hands and the form of words ( as in our church ) used in the pronunciation of the blessing . . sect. . damasus his reading upon the canon of antioch . vid. . which doth sufficiently answer dr. forbes his arguments against all chori-episcopi having power of ordination , answered . . his second argument answered . . decrees of divers councils examined . , . e the church of ephesus not governed by meer elders , but bishops . . 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 translated eligi to be elected or chosen . lin . elders were not in the church , till the apostles ordained them . what is essential to the constitution of a bishop ? . explicatory additions do not destroy the notion of that which they explain , . in the end . the only essential ceremony ( if any be ) in the consecration of bishops is the laying on of hands . . the essence of ordination cheifly consists in the pronouncing the blessing with the notes of distinction of the orders then conferred . . vid. . s. . the errors committed in the inauguration of popes no president for reformed churches in the consecration ●f bishops . . the church of england's rites of consecration defended . sect. . . f dr. forbes's first argument from scripture answered . . his first argument to prove their ordination after bishops were instituted , answered . his argument taken out of johannes major answered from . to . his argument from the church of rome answered . . his argument from deacons answered . . his argument from scripture answered . ibid. his argument out of st. hierome answered . . his argument from pelagius's ordination answered . . . his argument from st. ambrose and st. augustine answered . . his argument from the council of antioch . . to . g gasper hurtado's opinion about the consecration of bishops examined . . ☞ the gospel laid upon the bishops neck , not essential to his consecration , because there were bishops befo●e the gospel was written . . vid. . to . gentianus hervetus his reading of the canon of antioch . . the begin : h henricus henriques opinion that some papers wherein the gospel was written might be given to the primitive bishops in their consecrations ; is found invalid . . i imposition of hands the only necessary and essential ceremony ( if any be ) to the consecration of bishops . . inauguration of popes no president for the consecration of reformed bishops . p. . vid. . imposition of the hands of presbyters alone is not sufficient for ●rdination . . ischyras was no priest , because ordained by no bishop . . the begin : isidore hispalensis his reading of the canon of antioch makes nothing for dr. forbes . . l the laying on of hands only essentially necessary to the constitution of a bishop . . linus and clemens were chori-episcopi to st. peter . about the midst . laodicean canon forbids the chori-episcopi to act any thing without the leave of their diocesan . . m the manner of the imposition of hands distinguisheth what orders are conferr'd . . s. a. moderation to be used towards every opponent though never so much mistaken . . s. . n necessity only can justify the ordination of presbyters . . no church ever gave meer presbyters power to ordain . ib. the canon of nice examined . , . the eighth canon of the council of nice . o objections against the authors opinion concerning the consecration of bishops answered . . the first objection answered . ib. objection from the council of carthage answered , from . to . objection against the church of englands rites of consecration answered . . objection taken from the council of antioch answered . from , to . p panormitan's argument answered . , presbyters may elect , not ordain a bishop . . pelagiu ' s ordination related . sect. . p. . the patriarch of antioch his interpretation of the canon of the council of nice . . &c. the pope cannot dispence with divine laws . . petrus arcadius's discourse illustrated and applied . sect. . , &c. the pontifical differs in many things from the canon of the carthaginian council in the rites of consecration . . presbyters alone could not ordain in alexandria . . the begin . r the church of rome doth much differ in its rites of consecration from all other churches and from the words of the canon of the council of carthage . to . the church of rome hath various practices in those rites . ibid. reproaches not to be used in stead of arguments . . s. . s sacerdotal administration not to be enjoy'd without bish●ps . scotland never without bishops either in it , or near it . , . to . scotland not governed by presbyters in the time of johannes major . ibid. variation from the customs of the church , of which we are members , is schism . suffragan-bishops by the leave of the bishop of the city may ordain priests or deacons . . proved by example . : v variation from the particular church of which we are members is schism . . vasques assertions that three bishops are required jure divino to the consecration of a bishop disproved . , . the second part of vasques●s argument examined viz. that the pope may dispence with the triplicity of bishops . , , &c. vasques's plea for the laying the book of the gospel upon the bishop neck to be necessary for his conseration , examined . . these quotations out of the new testament are directed to , by the several pages of this book . st. mathew . ch. v. p. .   .   . .   . .   . ● ● . . .   .   .   . . .   . . .   . .   ● ▪ . .   . .   . . .   . . . . .   . . .   . . . . . .   . .   .   . . st. mark ▪ ch. v. p. . . . ▪ . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . st. luke . ch.   v. p. .   . . .   . . .   . .   . .   . .     . . .   . .     . . . . ▪   . . .     . . .   . . st. john. . . .   . . . .   . .   . .   .   . . .   . . .   . . .   . . .   . . . . .   . . . .     . . .   . . . , acts. ch.   v. p. .   . . . .   . . .   . .   . .   . .   . .   . .     . . .   . .   . .   . . .   . .   . .   . . .   . . . :   . .   . . .   . . .   . . .   . . .   . . . . .   . .   . .   . . .   . .   . . .   . .   . . . .   . . . .   ● . . romanes : .   . . . . .   . .   . .   . .   . . .   . . .   . . .   . .   . . . . .   . . corinthians . .   . ▪ . .   .   . .   . . . .   . .   . . .   . .   . : .   . : .   . : . . .   : . .   . .   . . . .   . .   . . .   . . corinthians . .   . . ▪ .   . .   . galatians . .   . . .   . .   .   . . . . ephesians . .   . . .   . .   . . .   . . .   . philippians . . . . . . . . timothy . :   . . . .   . .   . .   . . . . .   . . . .   . .   . . .   . . . .     . . .     . . . timothy . . . . . . . . . titus : .   . . .   . . . .   . .   . . hebrews . . . . , . . . . . . . . . . st. john. .   . . . . . .   . .   . .   . . revelations . .   . . . . . .   . .   .   . . , .     . . . . .   , , ● . . chap.   acts. p. .   . . .     . .     . .     . . .   . .   . . .     . .     . . . .     . . .   . .   . . .   . .   . .     . . . . .     . . .     . romanes . chap. . .     . .   . .   . ▪ , , .     .     . . .   . .   . .   , . .     . . . .     . . .     . . .     . corinthians . chap. .     . . , ,     .     . . . . .   . .   ▪ . .   . .   . . .   . . . .   , . .     . .     , ▪ ● . .   . . .   . . corinthians . chap.   pag. . . .   . .   . ,   . . . .   . . acts. .   . .     . . . . . .     . .     . .   . .   . .     . .   . .   . . . .   . . .   . . . .     . . .     . . . .     . .     . corinthians . . .   . . .   .   . . . . .   .   , . . timothy . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . galatians . . . . . . . . . . , . , . ephesians . . .   . . . . . , .   . . .   . philippians . ● . . , . . . . timothy . .     . .   . .   . . , . .   . .   , . . .   . . .   . . timothy . . . . . . . . . titus . . . . . . . . . . . , .   . hebrews . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . st. john. . . .   . . . . . . . .   . revelation . . .   . . . . . . . . st. iohn : . . . . . deut. . , . levit. . . . . st. mathew . . .   . .   . . .   . . .   . . ,   . .   . .   . . . . . . . . . . .   . .   .   . .   . . .   . . :   . . . . .   . . . st , mark. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . , . . st. luke . . . . ● . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . , : . ▪ . . , . ▪ st. john : . . . . . . . . . . : . . . . . . . . . . . finis . historical collections of the church in ireland during the reigns of k. henry viii, edward vi and q. mary wherein are several material passages omitted by other historians concerning the manner how that kingdom was first converted to the protestant religion and how by the special providence of god, dr. cole, a bloody agent of q. mary was prevented in his designs against the protestants there : set forth in the life and death of george browne, sometime archbishop of dublin, who was the first of the romish clergy in ireland that threw off the popes supremacy and forsook the idolatrous worship of of [sic] rome : with a sermon of his on that subject. ware, robert, d. . approx. kb of xml-encoded text transcribed from -bit group-iv tiff page images. text creation partnership, ann arbor, mi ; oxford (uk) : - (eebo-tcp phase ). a wing w estc r ocm this keyboarded and encoded edition of the work described above is co-owned by the 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(eebo-tcp ; phase , no. a ) transcribed from: (early english books online ; image set ) images scanned from microfilm: (early english books, - ; : ) historical collections of the church in ireland during the reigns of k. henry viii, edward vi and q. mary wherein are several material passages omitted by other historians concerning the manner how that kingdom was first converted to the protestant religion and how by the special providence of god, dr. cole, a bloody agent of q. mary was prevented in his designs against the protestants there : set forth in the life and death of george browne, sometime archbishop of dublin, who was the first of the romish clergy in ireland that threw off the popes supremacy and forsook the idolatrous worship of of [sic] rome : with a sermon of his on that subject. ware, robert, d. . browne, george, d. . [ ], p. and sold by randal taylor, printed at london : . written by robert ware. cf. watt's bibl. brit., ii, p. . caption title: the reformation of the church of ireland in the life and death of george browne, sometime archbishop of dublin, &c. reproduction of original in duke university library. created by converting tcp files to tei p using tcp tei.xsl, tei @ oxford. re-processed by university of nebraska-lincoln and northwestern, with changes to facilitate morpho-syntactic tagging. gap elements of known extent have been transformed into placeholder characters or elements to simplify the filling in of gaps by user contributors. eebo-tcp is a partnership between the universities of michigan and oxford and the publisher proquest to create accurately transcribed and encoded texts based on the image sets published by proquest via their early english books online (eebo) database (http://eebo.chadwyck.com). the general aim of eebo-tcp is to encode one copy (usually the first edition) of every monographic english-language title published between and available in eebo. eebo-tcp aimed to produce large quantities of textual data within the usual project restraints of time and funding, and therefore chose to create diplomatic transcriptions (as opposed to critical editions) with light-touch, mainly structural encoding based on the text encoding initiative (http://www.tei-c.org). the eebo-tcp project was divided into two phases. the , texts created during phase of the project have been released into the public domain as of january . anyone can now take and use these texts for their own purposes, but we respectfully request that due credit and attribution is given to their original source. users should be aware of the process of creating the tcp texts, and therefore of any assumptions that can be made about the data. text selection was based on the new cambridge bibliography of english literature (ncbel). if an author (or for an anonymous work, the title) appears in ncbel, then their works are eligible for inclusion. selection was intended to range over a wide variety of subject areas, to reflect the true nature of the print record of the period. in general, first editions of a works in english were prioritized, although there are a number of works in other languages, notably latin and welsh, included and sometimes a second or later edition of a work was chosen if there was a compelling reason to do so. image sets were sent to external keying companies for transcription and basic encoding. quality assurance was then carried out by editorial teams in oxford and michigan. % (or pages, whichever is the greater) of each text was proofread for accuracy and those which did not meet qa standards were returned to the keyers to be redone. after proofreading, the encoding was enhanced and/or corrected and characters marked as illegible were corrected where possible up to a limit of instances per text. any remaining illegibles were encoded as <gap>s. understanding these processes should make clear that, while the overall quality of tcp data is very good, some errors will remain and some readable characters will be marked as illegible. users should bear in mind that in all likelihood such instances will never have been looked at by a tcp editor. the texts were encoded and linked to page images in accordance with level of the tei in libraries guidelines. copies of the texts have been issued variously as sgml (tcp schema; ascii text with mnemonic sdata character entities); displayable xml (tcp schema; characters represented either as utf- unicode or text strings within braces); or lossless xml (tei p , characters represented either as utf- unicode or tei g elements). keying and markup guidelines are available at the text creation partnership web site . eng cole, henry, ?- . browne, george, d. . church of ireland -- history -- sources. clergy -- ireland -- biography. - tcp assigned for keying and markup - apex covantage keyed and coded from proquest page images - ali jakobson sampled and proofread - ali jakobson text and markup reviewed and edited - pfs batch review (qc) and xml conversion historical collections of the church in ireland , during the reigns of k. henry , viii . edward , vi. and q. mary : wherein are several material passages ( omitted by other historians ) concerning the manner how that kingdom was first converted to the protestant religion ; and how by the special providence of god , dr. cole , a bloody agent of q. mary , was prevented in his designs against the protestants there : set forth in the life and death of george browne , sometime arcbishop of dublin , who was the first of the romish clergy in ireland that threw off the popes supremacy , and forsook the idolatrous worship of of rome ; with a sermon of his on that subject . printed at london , and sold by randal tayler , . the reformation of the church of ireland , in the life and death of george browne , sometime archbishop of dublin , &c. george browne , by birth an englishman , of the order of st. augustine in london , and provincial of the fryars of the same order in england , being a man of a meek and peaceable spirit , was preferr'd to the archiepiscopal see of dublin by king henry the eighth , and consecrated before his arrival into ireland , by thomas archbishop of canterbury , two other bishops assisting him , viz. john then bishop of rochester and nicholas then bishop of sarubury , on the th of march , anno . the reverend james vsher late primate of armagh , amongst his memorials of ireland , gives this holy father this description ; george browne was a man of a cheerful countenance , in his acts and deeds plain down right , to the poor merciful and compassionate , pitying the state and condition of the souls of the people , advising them , when he was provincial of the augustine order in england , to make their applications soly to christ , which advice coming to the ears of henry the th he became a favourite , and upon the decease of john allen late archbishop of dublin became his successor ; within five years after that he had enjoyed that see , he ( much about the time that king henry the th began to demolish the priories , abbeys and monasteries formerly built by the romish clergy within these his majesties dominions of england and ireland ) caused all superstitious reliques and images to be removed out of the two cathedrals in dublin , and out of the rest of the churches within his diocess ; he caused the ten commandements , the lords prayer and the creed to be placed , being gilded and in frames , about the altar in the cathedral of christ-church in dublin ; he was the first that turned from the romish religion of the clergy here in ireland , to embrace the reformation of the church of england ; for which fact he was by queen mary laid aside , and his temporality taken from him , yet he patiently endured affliction for the truth to the end . upon the reformation of king henry th in england , and at his renouncing the papal power or supremacy of rome , the lord thomas cromwell then lord privy seal wrote unto george browne then archbishop of dublin , signifying from his highness ( then terming the king by that title ) that he was fallen absolutely from rome in spiritual matters within his dominion of england , and how it was his royal will and pleasure to have his subjects there in ireland to obey his commands as in england , nominating the said george browne archbishop one of his commissioners for the execution thereof , who in a short space of time wrote to the lord privy seal , as followes : my mos● honoured lord , your humble servant receiving your mandate , as one of his highness's commissioners , hath endeavoured almost to the danger and hazard of this temporal life , to procure the nobility and gentry of this nation to due obedience , in owning of his highness their supream head as well spiritual as temporal , and do find much oppugning therein , especially by my brother armagh , who hath been the main oppugner ; and so hath withdrawn most of his suffragans and clergy within his see and jurisdiction , he made a speech to them , laying a curse on the people whosoever should own his highness supremacy ; saying , that isle , as it is in their irish chronicles , insula sacra , belongs to none but to the bishop of rome , and that it was the bishop of romes predecessors gave it to the kings ancestors . there be two messengers by the priests of armagh , and by that archbishop , now lately sent to the bishop of rome . your lordship may inform his highness , that it is convenient to call a parliament in this nation , to pass the supremacy by act ; for they do not much matter his highness's commission which your lordship sent us over . this island hath been for a long time held in ignorance by the romish orders ; and as for their secular orders , they be in a manner as ignorant as the people , being not able to say mass , or pronounce the words , they not knowing what they themselves say in the roman tongue : the common people of this isle are more zealous in their blindness than the saints and martyrs were in truth at the beginning of the gospel . i send to you my very good lord these things , that your lordship and his highness may consult what is to be done . it is feared o neal will be ordered by the bishop of rome to oppose your lordships order from the kings highness ; for the natives are much in numbers within his powers . i do pray the lord christ to defend your lordship from your enemies . dublin . kalend. decembris , . the year following a parliament was called in ireland , the lord leonard grey being then king henry's vice-roy of that nation , in which george browne , then being not many months above a year in his archipiscopal chair in dublin , stood up and made this short speech following : my lords and gentry of this his majesties realm of ireland . behold , your obedience to your king is the observing of your god and saviour christ ; for he , that high priest of our souls , paid tribute to cesar ( though no christian ) greater honour then surely is due to your prince his highness the king , and a christian one ; rome and her bishops in the fathers days acknowledged emperors , kings and princes to be supream over their dominions , nay christs own vi●ans ; and it is as much to the bishop of romes shame , te deny what their precedent bishops owned ; therefore his highness claims but what he can justifie the bishop elutherius gave to st. lucius the first christian king of the britains ; so that i shall without scrupling vote his highness king henry my supream over ecclesiastick matters as well as temporal , and head thereof , even of both isles england and ireland , and that without guilt of conscience or sin to god ; and he who will not pass this act , as i do , is no true subject to his highness . this speech of george browne startled the other bishops and lords so , that at last through great difficulty it passed , upon which speech justice brabazon seconded him , as appears by his letter to the lord thomas cromwell then lord privy seal of england , which original is in that famous library of sir robert cotton , out of which sir james ware , that learned antiquary , tanscribed the same . within few years after that the act of supremacy had past in ireland we do find a letter written by george browne to the lord cromwell , complaining of the clergy how they fell off from what had past , and how the bishop of rome had contrived matters against the then reformation : collected by sir james ware , out of an old registry some time in the custody of adam loftus , hugh corwins successor , and also archbishop of dublin . right honourable and my singular good lord. i acknowledge my bounden duty to your lordships good will to me , next to my saviour christs , for the place i now possess ; i pray god give me his grace to execute the same to his g lory and his highness's honour , with your lordships instructions the people of this nation be zealous , yet blind and unknowing ; most of the ( lergy , as your lordship hath had from me before , being ignorant , and not able to speak right words in the mass or liturgy , as being not skilled in the latin grammar ; so that a bird may be taught to speak with as much sense as several of them do in this country . these sorts , though not scholars , yet are crafty to cozen the poor common people , and to dissuade them from following his highness's orders : george my brother of armagh doth underhand occasion quarrels , and is not active to execute his highness's orders in his diocess . i have observed your lordships letter of commission , and do find several of my pupils leave me for so doing . i will not put others in their livings till i do know your lordships pleasure ; for it is meet i acquaint you first , the romish reliques and images of both my cathedrals in dublin , of the holy trinity and of st. patricks , took off the common people from the true worship , but the prior and the dean find them so sweet for their gain , that they heed not my words : therefore send in your lordships next to me an order more full , and a chide to them and their canons , that they might be removed . let the order be , that the chief governours may assist me in it . the prior and dean have written to rome , to be encouraged , and if it be not hindred before they have a mandate from the bishop of rome , the people will be bold , and then tugg long before his highness can submit them to his graces orders . the country folk here much hate your lordship , and despitefully call you in their irish tongue the blacksmiths son. the duke of norfolk is by armagh , and that clergy , desired to assist them , not to suffer his highness to alter church rules here in ireland : as a friend i desire your lordship to look to your noble person ; for rome hath a great kindness for that duke ( for it is so talked here ) and will reward him and his children . rome hath great favours for this nation , purposely to oppose his highness ; and so having got , since the act passed , great indulgences for rebellion , therefore my hope is lost , yet my zeal is to do according to your lordships orders . god keep your lordship from your enemies here and in england . dublin the d. kalends april . . your lordships at commandement , george browne to the lord privy seal his honourable good loraships ex autographo . soon after this letter had been written , news came to the castle of dublin , that the bishop of rome had sent over a bull of excomunication of all those who had or shall own the kings supremacy within the irish nations ; whichcaused the archbishop to write accordingly . right honourable , my duty premised , it may please your lordship to be advertised , sithence my last there has come to armagh and his clergy a private commission from the bishop of rome , prohibiting his gratious highness's people here in this nation to own his royal supremacy , and joyning a curse to all them and theirs who shall not within forty days , confess to their confessors , ( after the publishing of it to them ) that they have done amiss in so doing : the substance , as our secretary hath translated the same into english , is thus . i a b. from this present hour forward in the presence of the holy trinity , of the blessed virgin mother of god , of st. peter , of the holy apostles , archangels , angels , saints and of all the holy host of heaven , shall and will be always obedient to the holy see of st. peter of rome , and to my holy lord the pope of rome and his successors , in all things as well spiritual as temporal , not consenting in the least that his holiness shall lose the least title or dignity belonging to the papacy of our mother church of rome , or to the regality of st. peter . i do vow and swear to maintain , help and assist the just laws , liberties and rights of the mother church of rome . i do likewise promise to confer , to defend and promote , if not personally , yet willingly , as in ability able , either by advice , skill , estate , mony or otherwise , the church of rome and her laws against all whatsoever resisting the same . i further how to oppugn all hereticks , either in making or setting forth edicts or commands contrary to the mother church of rome , and in case any such to be moved or composed , to resist it to the uttermost of my power , with the first convenience and opportunity i can possible . i count and value all acts made or to be made by heretical powers of no force or worth , or be practised or obeyed by my self , or by any other son of the mother church of rome . i do further declare him or her , father or mother , brother or sister , son or daughter , husband or wife , vncle or aunt , nephew or neece , kinsman or kinswoman master or mistress , and all others , nearest or dearest relations , friend or acquaintance whatsoever , accursed , that either do or shall hold for the time to come , any ecclessastical or civil , power above the authority of the mother church , or that do or shall obey , for the time to come , any of her the mother of churches opposers or enemies , or contrary to the same , of which i have here sworn unto : so god , the blessed virgin , st. peter , st. paul , and the holy evangelists help , &c. his highness vice roy of this nation is of little or no power with the old natives , therefore your lordship will expect of me no more than i am able : this nation is poor in wealth , and not sufficient now at present to oppose them : it is observed , that ever since his highness's ancestors had this nation in possession , the old natives have been craving foreign powers to assist and rule them ; and now both english race and irish begin to oppose your lordships orders , and do lay aside their national old quarrels , which i fear will , if any thing will , cause a foreigner to invade this nation : i pray god i may be a false prophet , yet your good lordship must pardon my opinion , for i write it to your lordship as a warning . dublin may your humble and true servant , george browne , to the lord privy seal with speed . upon the feast of st. john baptist following the said geo●ge browne seized on one thady ô brine , one of the order of ●t . francis ▪ who had papers from rome , as follows , being sent to the lord privy seal by a special messenger . my son ô neal , thou and thy fathers were all along faithful to the mother church of rome : his holiness pau● 〈◊〉 p●●e , and the council of the holy fathers there , have la●ely found out a prophecy , there remaining , of one st. lac●rianus an 〈◊〉 bishop of cashell ; wherein he saith , that the mother church of rome falleth when in ireland the catholic faith is ov●●●●me : therefore for the glory of the mother church , the honour of st. peter , and your own secureness , suppress heresie and his holiness's enemies ; for when the roman faith there perisheth , the see of rome falleth also : therefore the council of cardinals have thought fit to encourage your country of ireland , ( as a sacred island ) being certified , whilst the mother church hath a son of worth as your self , and of those that shall succour you , and joyn therein , that she will never fall , but have more or less a holding in britain , in spite of fate . thus having obeyed the order of the most sacred council , we recommend your princely person to the holy trinity of the blessed virgin , of st. peter , st. paul , and of all the heavenly host of heaven . amen . romae kalend. may . episcopus metensis . upon further examinations and searches made , this thade ô birue was pillor'd , and confined a prisoner until his highness's further order for his tryal ; but news coming over , that he must be hanged , he made himself away in the castle of dublin , on the eve of the feast of st. james ; yet his dead corps was carried to the gallows green and hanged up , and after there buried : but it was said , by the register of st. francis monastry of dublin , that they brought him from thence and buried him in that monastry . george brown having enjoyed the see of dublin seven years or thereabouts , king henry the th , upon the dissolution of the abbeys , priorys and monastrys here in ireland , changed the priory of the blessed trinity of dublin into a deanery and chapters , since which mutation , it hath generally bore the name of christ church . upon this alteration , as it appears upon record , this cathedral consisted of a dean and chapters , a chanter , a treasurer , six vicars . chorals and two singing boys , allowing to them two l. s english . ( durame bene placito ) which sum his daughter queen mary confirmed for ever , having confirmed the deanery , yet with alterations , as she was a romanist . this catheral continued after this said form ( though not in popery ) even until king james his days , who then altered all what king henry and his daughter had done , and upon this second alteration he constituted a dean , a chanter , a chancellor , a treasurer , three prebends , six vicars , chorals and four singing boys , ordering likewise that the archdeacon of dublin should have a place in the quire and a vote in the chapters . as for a further description of this cathedral , we shall omit it ; having reserved the same for a large narrative of the sald cathedral , in a book which is ready for the press , entituled , the amiquities of the city of dublin . king henry the th deceasing , and his hopeful offspring king edward the th succeeding within a short space after his royal fathers death , that hopeful prince ( by the advice of his privy council ) began to consider what good effects the translation of the holy bible had done , also how much it had enlightened the understanding of his subjects , they altered the liturgy book from what king henry had formerly printed and established , causing the same to be printed in english , commanding the same to be read and sung in the several cathedrals and parish churches of england , for the common benefit of the nobility , gentry and commonalty ; and that his subjects of ireland might likewise participate of the same sweetness , he sent over orders to his vice roy sir anthony st. leger then being lord deputy of that nation , that the same be forthwith there in ireland observed within their several bishopricks , cathedrals and parish churches ; which was first observed in christ church at dublin , on the feast of easter . before the said sir antbony , george browne , and the mayor and bayliffs of dublin , john lockwood being then dean of the said cathedral . the translation of the copy of the order for the liturgy of the church of england to be read in ireland runs as follows . edward by the grace of god , &c. whereas our gratious father , king henry the th of happy memory , taking into consideration the bondage and heavy yoak that his true and faithful subjects sustained under the iurisdiction of the bishop of rome , as also the ignorance the commonalty were in , how several fabulous stories and lying wonders missed our subjects in both our realms of england and ireland , grasping thereby the means thereof into their hands , also dispensing with the sins of our nations by their indulgenses and pardons for gain , purposely to cherish all evil vices , as robberies , rebellions , thefts , whoredoms , blasphemy , idolatry , &c. he , our grations father king henry of happy memory , hereupon dissolbed all priors , monastrys , abbeys , and other pretended religious houses , as being but nurseries for vice or luxury , more than for sacred learning ; he therefore , that it might more plainly appear to the world , that those orders had kept the light of the gospel from his people , he thought it most fit and convenient for the preservation of their souls and bodies , that the holy scriptures should be translated , printed and placed in all parish churches within his dominions , for his faithful subjects to encrease their knowledg of god and of our saviour iesus christ . we therefore , for the general benefit of our well-beloved subjects vnderstandings , when ever assembled or met together in the said several parish churches , either to pray or to hear prayers read , that they may the better joyn therein , in vnity , hearts and voice , have caused the liturgy and prayers of the church to be translated into our mother tongue of this realm of england according to the assembly of divines lately met within the same for that purpose . we therefore will and command , as also authorize you sir anthony s. leger knight , our vice-roy of that our kingdom of ireland , to give special notice to all our clergy , as well archbishops , bishops , deans , archdeacons , as others our secular parish priests within that our said kingdom of ireland , to perfect , execute and obey this our royal will and pleasure accordingly . given at our mannor of greenwich , febr. . in the fifth year of our reign . e. r. to our trusty and well-beloved sir. anth. st. leger knight our chief governour of our kingdom of ireland . several collections from anthony martin , formerly bishop of meath before proclamations were issued out , sir anthony st. leger , upon this order , called an assembly of the archbishops and bishops , together with other of the then clergy of ireland , in which assembly he signified unto them as well his majesties order aforesaid , as also the opinions of those bishops and clergy of england , who had adhered unto the order , saying that it was his majesties will and pleasure , confenting unto their serious considerations and opinions , then acted and agreed on in england as to ecclesiastical matters , that the same be in ireland so likewise celebrated and performed . sir anthony st. leger having spoken to this effect , george dowdall , who succeeded george cromer in the primacy of armagh , stood up , who ( through his romish zeal to the pope ) laboured with all his power and force to oppose the liturgyof the church , that it might not be read or sung in the church ; saying , then shall every illiterate fellow read service ( or mass ) as he in those days termed the word service . to this saying of the archbishops , sir anthony replyed , no , your grace is mistaken , for we have too many illiterate priests amongst us already , who neither can pronounce the latine , nor know what it means , no more than the common people that hear them ; but when the people hear the liturgy in english , they and the priest will then understand what they pray for . upon this reply , george dowdall bade sir anthony beware of the clergles curse . sir anthony made answer , i fear no strange curse , so long as i have the blessing of that church which i believe to be the true one . the archbishop again said , can there be a truer church than the church of saint peter , the mother church of rome . sir anthony returned this answer , i thought we had bin all of the church of christ ; for he calls all true believers in him his church , and himself the head thereof . the archbishop replied ▪ and is not st. peter the church of christ ? sir anthony returned this answer , st. peter was a member of christs church , but the church was not st. peters , neither was st. peter but chrise the head thereof . then george dowdall the primate of armagh rose up , and several of the suftragan bishops under his jurisdiction , saving only edward staples then bishop of meath , who tarried with the rest of the clergy then assembled , on the kalends of march according to the old stile , . but if we reason as from the annunication of our lady , which was the th of march , it was . sir anthony then took up the order , and held it forth to george browns archbishop of dublin , who ( standing up ) received it , saying ; this order , good brethren , is from our gracious king , and from the rest of our brethren , the fathers and clergy of england , who have consulted herein , and compared the holy scriptures with what they have done ; unto whom i submit , as jesus did to caesar , in all things just and lawful , making no question why or wherefore , as we own him our true and lawfull king. after this several of the meeker or most moderate of the bishops and clergy of ireland cohered with george browne the archbishop of dublin , amongst whom edward staples bishop of meath , who was put out from his bishoprick , for so doing , in queen mary's days on the th of june . john bale , who on the second of february . was consecrated bishop of ossory for his fidelity , and afterwards by queen mary expulsed . also thomas lancaster bishop of kildare , who was at the same tim● put from his bishoprick , with several others of the clergy , being all expulsed upon queen maries coming to the crown . when these passages had passed : sir anthony was in a short time after recalled for england , and sir james crofts of herefordshire knight , placed chief in his stead ; who began his government from the th of april , . sir james crofts upon his coming over endeavoured much for the perswading of george dowdall to adhere to the order asoresaid ; but dowdall being obstinate , his majesty and the learned privy council then of england , ( for his perversness ) upon the th . of october following took away the title of primate of all ireland from him , and conferred the same on george browne then archbishop of dublin , and to his successors , by reason that he was the first of the irish bishops who embraced the order for establishing of the english liturgy and reformation in ireland ; which place he enjoyed during the remainder of king edwards's reign , and for a certain time after ; as you shall know further in its due course and place . alterations following one after another , ( even upon this reformation of the church of england ) and the title of primacy being disposed of , as we have already mentioned ▪ unto george brown aforesaid ; some writers saying that george dowdall was banished , others that he was not , but went voluntary of his own will ; yet , not to dispute the case , another archbishop was consecrated in lieu of him , though then living ; by which it was then held lawful ; as also that constituting of archbishops and bishops was in the power of kings , and not in the power of popes , or of the bishop of rome , which would be much to the abasement of the powers of the crown of england ever to resign , or to acknowledge to the contrary . hugh goodacre bachelour of divinity was consecrated archbishop of armagh by the said george browne , together with john bale bishop of ossory , ( already mentioned ) in christ church in dublin , on the second of february , anno . thomas bishop of kildare and tugenius bishop of down - and connon assisting him ; yet notwithstanding hugh goodacre's consecration ▪ george browne then held the title of primacy of all ireland . this reformation and alteration having not time to settle , or to take root , it was soon quashed and pulled down , by that lamentable loss of that hopeful prince king edward the sixth , who died at greenwich the th of june ▪ . upon king edward's decease , the council having met to consult together upon the affairs of these dominions , as also how they might confirm and establish what they had already ordered and enacted , as well in ecclsieastical matters as temporal , a division soon sprung up , some being for the choice of the lady jane gray , others for queen mary , at last upon conclusion mary the kings sister was voted queen , upon the proposals and promises which she made to the council , to confirm all that had been perfected by her father king henry the th . and her brother king edward and his honoured council . after she had been crowned and enthroned , she , for the space of three or four months , seemed moderate to the protestant reformers , yet all that while combining with rome and her emissaries ; but having accomplished her designs , she revoked her fair promises , ( which with papists is a rule ) esteeming it no sin to break contracts or covenants with hereticks and protestants , numbred with such sort of people , especially with papists , these promises vanished ; and then began the romish church not only to undo what king henry and his son king edward had reformed , but to prosecute the reformers and reformed with fire and faggot . but to our purpose , upon the th of november anno . she recalled sir james crofts , and sent over sir anthony st. leger lord deputy into ireland . this sir anthony had not been half a year chief governour of ireland , before queen mary revoked the title of primacy from george browne , expulsing hugh goodacre out of the archbishopric of armagh , and recalling george dowdall to his see , and restoring him to the primacy of all ireland , as formerly , which title hath ever since stood firm in armagh , without any revocation , either by queen elizabeth , or by any of her successors . george browne , upon this revocation , was by george dowdall expulsed , and not thought fit to continue in his see of dublin , as being a married man , and it is thought , had he not been married he had been expulsed , having appeared so much for the reformation ▪ in both these former kings days , upon the expulsing of this george browne , all the temporalities belonging to the archbishoprick were disposed of unto thomas lockwood then dean of christ church in dublin . it having been an antient custom ever upon the translation or death of any of those archbishops , to deposite the temporalities into the hands of the priors formerly of that cathedral when it was a priory , and called by the name of the cathedral of the blessed trinity and it is observable , the last prior became the first dean upon the alteration as aforesaid . the see of dublin after this expulsion lay vacant for two years or thereabouts , until hugh corrin alias corwine was placed therein : this hugh was borne in westmoreland , a doctor of the law , being formerly archdeacon of oxford and dean of hereford , he was consecrated archbishop of dublin in the cathedral of st. pauls in london on the th of september , anno . he after , upon the th of the same month , was by queen mary made chancellor of ireland , and upon the th of the said september , he received this letter from the queen , directed to thomas lockwood the dean of christ-church , it being an antient custome formerly to recommend the archbishop , whensoever constituted for that see , to the prior of that said cathedral . queen maries letter to the dean and chapter of christ church in dublin , to receive the archbishop of dublin honourably , and with due respect . copia vera , ex libro nigro sanctae trinitatis dublinii . mary the queen . trusty and wellbeloved , we greet you well ; and for asmuch as the right reverend father in god , our right trusty and wellbeloved counsellor the archbishop of dublin , being lately chosen for that see , reparieth speedily to that our realm of ireland , as well to reside upon the cure of his bishoprick , which now of long time hath been destitute of a catholick bishop , as also to occupy the office of our high chancellor of that our realm ; albeit we have good hopes ye will in all things of your selves carry your selves towards him as becometh you , yet to the intent he might the better govern the charge committed unto him , to the honour of almighty god , and for the remain of our service we have thought fit to require and charge you , that for your part ye do reverently receive him , honour and humbly obey him in all things , as appertaineth to your duties tending to gods glory , our honour , and the common-weal of that our realm ; whereby ye shall please god and do us acceptable service . given under our signet at our mannor of greenwich , the th of september , in the second and third years of our reign . to our trusty and well beloved the dean and chapter of the cathedral of christ church within our realm of ireland . i have here inserted this letter , upon two accounts , first as being a record remaining in the cathedral ; secondly , because there hath been some discourse of late , whether the archbishop of dublin had power herein , or whether it was upon king henrys mutation made a deanery as whitehall chappel is , and no cathedral ; but by this letter it shews it is both still a cathedral , and subject to the archbishop of dublin . george browne lived not long after the consecration of this hugh corwine , yet i have among my manuscripts a writting of a papist , who would fain have perswaded the world that this george browne dyed through joy , having had a bull from the pope to be restored to his see of dublin , which must needs be false , upon this account of sir james wares , who writeth these very words of him , in his book entituled de praesulibus hiberniae ▪ pag. . . circa tempus georgius browneys ( quod conjugatus esset ) per dowdallu●● archiepiscopum armachanum & alios delegatos ex authoritatus est ; otherwise the pope , if he had granted such a bull , must likewise have dispensed with his marriage , it being contrary to the romish tenents for bishops to marry . having related thus much of george browne , and of ecclesiastical matters during his life , we shall proceed a little further concerning a short sermon of his , preached unto the people in christ church , upon the first sunday after easter , anno . being a copy of the same given to sir james ware knight , by anthony martin late bishop of meath , who formerly was tutor to the said sir james ware , when he was a student in trinity colledge dublin . the text , psal . . ver. . open mine eyes , that i may see the wonders of thy law. the wonders of the lord god have for a long time been hid from the children of men , which hath hapned by rome's not permitting the common people to read the holy scriptures ; for to prevent you , that you might not know the comfort of your salvation , but to depend wholly on the church of rome , they will not permit it to be in any tongue but in the latin , saying that latin was the roman tongue : but the wonderful god inspired the holy apostles with the knowledge of all languages , that they might teach all people in their proper tongue and language , which caused our wise king henry , before his death , to have the holy scriptures transcribed into the english tongue , for the good of his subjects , that their eyes may be opened to behold the wondrous things out of the law of the lord. but there are false prophets at this instant , and will be to the end of the world , that shall deceive you with false doctrines , expounding this text , or that , purposely to confound your understandings , and to lead you captive into a wilderness of confusion , whom you shall take as your friends , but they shall be your greatest enemies , speaking against the tenents of rome and yet be set on by rome ; these shall be a rigid people full of fury and envy . but to prevent these things that are to come , observe christ and his apostles ; let all things be done with with decency , with mildness , and in order , servently crying unto god , open thou mine eyes , that i may behold the wondrous things out of thy law , then should you rightly keep the law and the prophets . it is the part of a prince to be wise , for he hath a great charge to rule and govern a nation : your late king foreseeing rome and her pope's intentions , how that he intended to inslave his subjects , and to keep them in the state of ignorance , consulted with the learned of his realm , knowing that youth might quickly be wrought on , therefore he prepared before his death a wise and learned sort of counsellors for his sons overseers , not trusting to one or two , but to several , that he might the better rule his people , whose eyes the lord god almighty hath opened betimes , to behold his wondrous works . though the words of my text be plainly thus ( open thou mine eyes ) the meanest of you that hear me have eyes , but the true meaning of the words is , endue us with understanding ; for a fool hath eyes , and sees men , women , beasts , birds , and other things , but yet wants understanding : so when we say , open thou our eyes , we desire the lord god to instruct and teach us the knowledge of his laws . when you were lately led in blindness , your eyes beheld the images that then stood in several of the monasteries and churches until they were removed ; yet all this while were your understandings blinded , because ye believed in them , and placed your trust in them . suppose an artist or workman make an image either of man or woman , and at last a clergy man of rome give it such a name , calling it st. peter , or st. paul , or st. mary , or st. anne ; must not that man , though he behold his own handy work , and knows in his heart that it was his own work , blind , and void of and understanding of the law of god , and of the wondrous things that are contained in the law of the lord ; yes surely , he must be blind , and void of reason , and of the true faith , that would worship the same . the workman carved the eyes , but these eyes see not ; he likewise carved the ears , but they hear not ; the nose , and it smells not ; the mouth , and it neither breaths nor speaks ; the hands , they feel not ; the feet , but they stand st●●k still . how therefore can your prayers be acceptable unto this image , that sees you not approaching towards it , that hears you not when you pray to it , that smells not the sweet smells , be they of myrrhe or frankincense burning before it ? how can it absolve you , when the mouth is not able to say , thy sins are forgiven thee ▪ and if you place a certain sum of money in the palm of the hand of that image ; come you again to morrow , the money , it is true shall find a customer , but the image never the wiser who took it ; and if you desire to have it come unto you it cannot without help ; therefore the workman that made this image , is as blind , as deaf , as dumb , and as void of sense as the image it self , and so be ye all that put your trust in them . therefore of late new artificers , by springs have made artificial ones , which for a certain time shall move , and ye shall believe it to be real and certain : but beware good people , for they be but lying wonders , purposely that ye may break the law of god. and thus hath the devil devised a lying wonder , that ye may be deluded to break the law of the lord , which is , thou shalt not make unto thy self any graven image . o lord , open thou our eyes , our ears , and our understanding , that we may behold the wondrous things that are in thy law. the law of god is an undefiled law. oh! why should we be so wicked then as to defile that law , which the almighty god hath made so pure without blemish . jesus came to fulfil the law , and not to abolish the law. but there are a new fraternity of late sprung up , who call themselves jesuits , which will deceive many , who are much after the scribes and pharisees manner : amongst the jews they shall strive to abolish the truth , and shall come very near to do it ; for these sorts will turn themselves into several forms , with the heathen , an heathenist ; with atheists , an atheist ; with the jews , a jew ; and with the reformers , a refomade , purposely to know your intenations , your minds , your hearts , and your inclintions , and thereby bring you at last to be like the fool that said in his heart there was no god. these shall spread over the whole world , shall be admitted into the council of princes , and they never the wiser ; charming of them , yea , making your princes reveal their hearts , and the secrets therein unto them , and yet they not perceive it ; which will happen from falling from the law of god , by neglect of fulfilling of the law of god , and by winking at their sins ; yet in the end , god to justifie his law , shall suddenly cut off this society even by the hands of those who have most succour'd them , and made use of them ; so that at the end they shall become odious to all nations : they shall be worse than jews , having no resting place upon the earth , and then shall a jew have more favour than a jesuite . now , to arm you all good christians against these things that are to come , lest ye be led into temptation ; cry unto the lord your god , and heartily pray that he would be so merciful unto you as to open the eyes of your understanding , that you may behold the wonders and pleasantness that is in his law. which god of his mercy grant that you may all do . thus concluding with the acts and deeds of this reverend father , we shall end with queen maries designs , how she intended to have persecuted the protestants in ireland ; but by providence prevented ; as you shall further know by this following relation being averred by several sufficient persons , as well ecclesiastical as civil . qu. mary having dealt severely with the protestants in england , about the latter end of her reign , signed a commission fo● to take the same course with them in ireland , and to execut● the same with greater force , she nominates doctor cole one of the commissioners , sending the commission by this doctor , who in his journey coming to chester , the mayor of that city hearing that her majesty was sending a messenger into ireland , and he being a churchman waited on the doctor , who in discourse with the mayor taketh out of a cloak-bag a leather box , saying unto him , here is a commission that shall lash the hereticks of ireland , calling the protestants by that title ; the good woman of the house being well affected to the protestant religion , and also having a brother named john edmonds of the same , then a citizen in dublin , was much troubled at the doctors words ; but watching her convenient time , whilst the mayor took his leave , and the doctor complementing him down the stairs , she opens the box and takes the commission out , placing in lieu thereof a sheet of paper with a pack of cards , the knave of clubs faced uppermost , wrapt up . the doctor coming up to his chamber , suspecting nothing of what had been done , put up the box as formerly . the next day , going to the waterside , wind and weather serving him , he sails towards ireland , and landed on the seventh of october , . at dublin ; then coming to the castle , the lord fitz walters being lord deputy sent for him to come before him and the privy council , who coming in , after he had made a speech relating upon what account he came over , he presents the box unto the lord deputv , who causing it to be opened , that the secretary might read the commission , there was nothing save a pack of cards with the knave of clubs uppermost , which not only startled the lord deputy and council , but the doctor , who assured them he had a commission , but knew not how it was gone ; then the lord deputy made answer , let us have another commission , and we will shuffle the cards in the mean while : the doctor being troubled in his mind went away ▪ and returned into england ; and coming to the court obtained another commission ; but staying for a wind at the waterside , news came unto him , that the queen was dead , and thus god preserved the protestants in ireland . this being a copy of richard earl of cork his memorials , as also of henry vsher sometime lord primate of armagh , being also entred amongst sir james wares manuscripts ▪ who hath often heard the late james vsher , nephew to the said henry , and also primate of armagh , avert the same , and wondred that mr. fox had not inserted it in his acts and monuments ; there is yet living a reverend father of the church , henry now lord bishop of meath , who can affirm this relation from the said james vsher late lord primate of all ireland . upon the recalling of the lord fitz walters into england , queen elizabeth who succeeded her sister , dscoursing with the said lord concerning several passages in ireland ▪ amongst other discourses he related the aforesaid passage that had hapned in ireland , which so delighted the queen , that her majesty sent for the good woman , named elizabeth edmonds , but by her husband named 〈…〉 gave her a pension of forty pound durant● vitae , for saving 〈◊〉 protestant subjects of ireland . finis . notes, typically marginal, from the original text notes for div a -e george cromer then arch bishop of armagh . the form of their confession to their popish priest . extraneus vapulans: or the observator rescued from the violent but vaine assaults of hamon l'estrange, esq. and the back-blows of dr. bernard, an irish-deane. by a well willer to the author of the observations on the history of the reign of king charles. heylyn, peter, - . approx. kb of xml-encoded text transcribed from -bit group-iv tiff page images. text creation partnership, ann arbor, mi ; oxford (uk) : - (eebo-tcp phase ). a wing h thomason e _ estc r this keyboarded and encoded edition of the work described above is co-owned by the institutions providing financial support to the early english books online text creation partnership. this phase i text is available for reuse, according to the terms of creative commons . universal . the text can be copied, modified, distributed and performed, even for commercial purposes, all without asking permission. early english books online. (eebo-tcp ; phase , no. a ) transcribed from: (early english books online ; image set ) images scanned from microfilm: (thomason tracts ; :e [ ]) extraneus vapulans: or the observator rescued from the violent but vaine assaults of hamon l'estrange, esq. and the back-blows of dr. bernard, an irish-deane. by a well willer to the author of the observations on the history of the reign of king charles. heylyn, peter, - . [ ], , - , [ ] p. printed by j.g. for richard lowndes at the white lyon, neere the little north-door of st. paul's church., london, : . "to the reader" signed: p. heylyn. the author of the observations = peter heylyn. a reply to "the observator observ'd" by hamon l'estrange and "the life & death of the most reverend and learned father of our church dr. james usher" by nicholas bernard. the first leaf is blank. annotation on thomason copy: " . june.". reproduction of the original in the british library. created by converting tcp files to tei p using tcp tei.xsl, tei @ oxford. re-processed by university of nebraska-lincoln and northwestern, with changes to facilitate morpho-syntactic tagging. gap elements of known extent have been transformed into placeholder characters or elements to simplify the filling in of gaps by user contributors. eebo-tcp is a partnership between the universities of michigan and oxford and the publisher proquest to create accurately transcribed and encoded texts based on the image sets published by proquest via their early english books online (eebo) database (http://eebo.chadwyck.com). the general aim of eebo-tcp is to encode one copy (usually the first edition) of every monographic english-language title published between and available in eebo. eebo-tcp aimed to produce large quantities of textual data within the usual project restraints of time and funding, and therefore chose to create diplomatic transcriptions (as opposed to critical editions) with light-touch, mainly structural encoding based on the text encoding initiative (http://www.tei-c.org). the eebo-tcp project was divided into two phases. the , texts created during phase of the project have been released into the public domain as of january . anyone can now take and use these texts for their own purposes, but we respectfully request that due credit and attribution is given to their original source. users should be aware of the process of creating the tcp texts, and therefore of any assumptions that can be made about the data. text selection was based on the new cambridge bibliography of english literature (ncbel). if an author (or for an anonymous work, the title) appears in ncbel, then their works are eligible for inclusion. selection was intended to range over a wide variety of subject areas, to reflect the true nature of the print record of the period. in general, first editions of a works in english were prioritized, although there are a number of works in other languages, notably latin and welsh, included and sometimes a second or later edition of a work was chosen if there was a compelling reason to do so. image sets were sent to external keying companies for transcription and basic encoding. quality assurance was then carried out by editorial teams in oxford and michigan. % (or pages, whichever is the greater) of each text was proofread for accuracy and those which did not meet qa standards were returned to the keyers to be redone. after proofreading, the encoding was enhanced and/or corrected and characters marked as illegible were corrected where possible up to a limit of instances per text. any remaining illegibles were encoded as <gap>s. understanding these processes should make clear that, while the overall quality of tcp data is very good, some errors will remain and some readable characters will be marked as illegible. users should bear in mind that in all likelihood such instances will never have been looked at by a tcp editor. the texts were encoded and linked to page images in accordance with level of the tei in libraries guidelines. copies of the texts have been issued variously as sgml (tcp schema; ascii text with mnemonic sdata character entities); displayable xml (tcp schema; characters represented either as utf- unicode or text strings within braces); or lossless xml (tei p , characters represented either as utf- unicode or tei g elements). keying and markup guidelines are available at the text creation partnership web site . eng bernard, nicholas, d. . -- life & death of the most reverend and learned father of our church dr. james usher -- early works to . l'estrange, hamon, - . -- observator observ'd -- early works to . church of england -- clergy -- early works to . clergy -- appointment, call, and election -- early works to . - tcp assigned for keying and markup - aptara keyed and coded from proquest page images - john latta sampled and proofread - john latta text and markup reviewed and edited - pfs batch review (qc) and xml conversion extraneus vapulans : or the observator rescued from the violent but vaine assaults of hamon l'estrange , esq . and the back-blows of dr. bernard , an irish-deane . by a well-willer to the author of the observations on the history of the reign of king charles . amicus socrates , amicus piato , magis amica veritas . london , printed by j. g. for richard lowndes at the white lyon , neere the little north-door of st. paul's church . . to the reader . good reader , i am to give thee notice , that in one week of the last term , i was plundered twice , first of my name , and secondly of my good name . first , plundered of my name by one william leak a book-seller , who publishing a discourse of mine , under the title of france painted to the life , ( but publishing it by a false & imperfect copy ) hath father'd it in the stationers hall on one richard bignall , a fellow to me utterly unknown . next , plundered of my good name by mr. hamon l' estrange , the authour of the history of the reign of king charles , who taking me to be the author of the observations on his history , not long since published , hath loaded me , both in my owne person , and in that of the observator , to whom i am made the alter idem , or the same man with him , with many foule , unworthy , and opprobrious names , not more unfit for me to take , than for him to give . reproached in my own person by the name of a theologaster , called in the way of scorn a doctor in cosmography , impeached for impudent forging and falsifying records , accused for loving the world , none like me , with many things of like odious nature ; which with the like titles of honour , conferred upon me in the person of the observator ( too many and too long to be here repeated ) thou shalt find briefly summed together in c. . and p. , . of this present book . i must confesse i was somewhat the more amazed at this strange proceeding , because i had not been of late accustomed to such billingsgate language . there was indeed a time when my name was in almost every libell , which exercised the patience of the state for seven years together ; & yet i dare confidently say , that all of them together did not vomit so much filth upon me , as hath proceeded from the mouth of the pamphleteers , whom i have in hand . but then i must confesse withall , that i had been much more amazed at this strange alarme , had i not been prepared before-hand to receive the charge . for being informed , that the historian looked upon me as the author of the observations , that he was hammering out an answer , and that he would not handle me with over●much tendernesse , when once he had me on the anvill ; i used some means , to get into my hands , the printed , but unpublished sheets of his first edition , whereof thou shalt heare more in its proper place . i found there , that the gentleman had a personall malice , an old grudge against me , and was resolved to make his , history doe the drudgery of his owne despight ; though in the preface to the reader , he professe ▪ the contrary . i found my selfe there called , the bold champion of the prelates , a dr. in cosmography , a theologaster , accused of ignorance , and virulence in a book bungled up ( for so he words it ) against the bishop of lincoln , on whom i am after said to fawne , and to cringe to him , no man more , &c. evident arguments , that his quarrell is not with the observator , but with dr. heylyn ; though i was still to seek ( not without some trouble ) quid vel in vita , vel in gratia , vel in hac mea mediocritate despicere posset , what there might be in one of my meane parts , and meaner fortunes , that might provoke the mightiness of his indignation . not being oedypus enough for so dark a sphinx , he sends me in good time , his pamphlet , called , the observator observed ; which when i had perused , i perceived the grounds of his displeasures , and needed not that any body should tell me , where the shoo did wring him . for finding him to be stiffly principled in the puritane tenets , a semi presbyterian at the least , in the forme of gouernment , a non con●ormist in matter of ceremony , & a rigid sabbatarian in the point of doctrine , as ill a looking a fellow as he makes me , i could easily see , that my known contrariety in opinion , had raised this storme : it being the humour of too many of the stoicall sect , neither to treat their opposites , with that civility which belongs to them , as men , nor with that charity and meeknesse which becomes them as christians . parcius andromachen vexavit achaia victrix , in the poets language . our historian was not so uncivilly dealt with by the observator , and he seemes much displeased at it ; the intemperancy of his own pen , being thereby made the more apparent , & the less excusable . if the observator tell him , that he hath his parts and person in an high esteem , he is wished to spare that cost of complement , his bits being as little cared for , as his knocks . if he give him the commendation ( as he doth ) of a good historian , when he proceeds upon the grounds of true intelligence , then — out upon this observator , shall be all his thanks . if he direct his lines to him , with the tile of worthily esteemed , it shall be sent back againe , as not worth the keeping . what should a poore man doe to get a good word from him , if this will not do it ? thou maist perhaps expect , good reader , that after so many neglects & provocations , i should cause him to be paid in the same coyn which i have received ; and if i should , i have a good example for it , from these words of cicero , non tractabo illum ut consulem , nec ille quidem me ut consularem ; but i have so much power on the hand which writes this tractate , as to hold it back from any unbecoming language , considering rather what is fit for me to give way unto , than what he deserves . and besides , our author may pretend unto some especial privilege , of which both the observator & his alter idem , may be thought uncapable ; there being some creatures mentioned by laertius , in the life of socrates , which are not to be kick'd again , kick they never so often . indignation may sometimes transport him beyond his naturall disposition , but never hurry him beyond the bounds of wit or manners , which both the observator and my self are affirmed to want , and therefore sent to schoole to learn them . lastly , i am to let thee know , that though our author doth pretend to have written animadversions on the observations , yet he hath done it but in part , more than half of the observations being left untouch'd . and as for those which he hath pleased to touch upon , they are but touch'd , not cured of any of the evils , of which he hath rendered them suspected . the whole body of the observations , and every branch and clause thereof ( not above one or two excepted ) remaining in the ●ame condition in which he found them , as the discourse ensuing , will sufficiently evidence . and as for the discourse ensuing , that it may look more like to a methodicall , and well-composed discourse , i have not bound my self to the tract and method of the pamphlet , but digested all the scattered limbes thereof under severall heads , to the end thou maist peruse them with the more content and satisfaction . yet so , that there is not any one paragraph , or any one part or member of it , which in some place or other , of this following tractate , is not fully answered . our author shall finde no cause of complaint , as to that particular ; nor any just reason to give out , that any thing which hath passed his pen ( be it great or little ) hath not been fully taken into consideration . in that respect more justly and exactly dealt with , than is accustomed in these cases , or that he hath reason to expect by the unquestionable prescript of his own example . the points in difference by this meanes will be brought more punctually and succinctly under thy perusall . judge thou according to the truth , and god blesse thee in it : so wisheth he , who would not with the losse of truth buy the greatest victory ; p. heylyn . lacies court in abingdon , june . peter heylyn dr. in divinity , to hamon l'estrange , esq . sir , on saturday may . i received a pamphlet from you , called the observator observed , inclosed in a paper superscribed with your own hand , to the worthily esteemed the observator , peter heylyn no title added of degree , profession , or any other mark of discrimination , no , not so much as d. in cosmography , which out of your abundant bounty you have elsewhere given me , and that twice for failing . the strangenesse of the present , and the more than ordinary disrespect in the superscription , put me upon a sudden perusall of it ; which having done ( and indeed before it was half done ) i was both sorry and ashamed , to see so much of the coat , and so little of the gentleman in it ▪ intituling me unto the observations in your superscripti●n , and 〈…〉 from it in your pamphlet ▪ ( where you call it a groundless suspition , by me professedly disavowed ) fol. . you make your self an adversary of you know not whom , & then proceed in handling him you care not how . but let them pass for mine this once , because the generall drift of your discourse , will have it so ; and the designe will fall to ground , of raising trophees to your self , on the promised victory , without this concession . but then it seemes , you take me for a man of so dead a courage , that nothing but the sense of smart can quicken me to accept your challenge ; and therefore lay upon me the worst kinde of blowes , even reproachfull words , as scurrilous and unbecoming , as scorn & envy can suggest , or impatience utter . nor stay you here . the challenge of your superscription , being sent in private , no body being able to testifie the delivery of it , might have been pocketed up in silence , without any engagement on my part , or satisfaction on yours . you have therefore added to the first a more publick and more bold defiance , to provoke an answer . proclaiming in the pamphlet , fol. . how scarce credible it seemed unto you , that this doctor of all men durst be so bold , as to meddle with you : that is to say , so bold as to finde fault with any thing , which had passed your pen , or to presume to rectifie the story in such particulars , wherein either your intelligence or diligence failed you . i was not wont to sit down tamely under such , and so many provocations ; nor find i any thing to affright me , from taking up the bucklers against such an enemy , whose tongue hath pro●ed his sharpest weapon . yet were it otherwise , i durst have said with cicero in another case , catilinae gladios contempsi , non pertimescam tuos ; i have not feared the swords of more dangerous enemies , and therfore shall not now shrink back at the sight of yours ; nor needed you to have given me so much gall and vinegar , to quicken me to an encounter ; had you conceived i might have gotten any thing from such an adversary , whom nothing but a few hard words , could render formidable . and therefore if i have withdrawne my self from the present action , put out the worke to some bold champion , as you know who phrased it , and left the quarrel to be managed by a quicker hand ; i would not have it charged upon me , as a tergiversation , a turning back ( as those of ephraim did of old ) in the day of battaile . there are so many interessed in your bold defiances , that i could neither want hands to fight this combat , nor you be disappointed of the satisfaction which you chiefly aime at . onely , i feare , you will be somewhat disapointed of your expectation , and not of your own onely , but of that which you have raised in others , by promising a rejoynder , added at the latter ●nd of your volume ; and that , both in the title of your history , and the pamphlet too . great men love nothing more than to be attended , and are commonly better knowne by their train of followers , than by any other outward bravery . but in this you have made your self too large a promise , and presume more upon your greatness , than you have just ground for . the rejoynder , whosoever writes it , will not march in the reare of your ragged regiment , or fill up the list of your attendants , or be dragged after your triumphant chariot , like a conquered captive , and much lesse serve as an apocrypha , to your pure canonical . we poor cavies have all somwhat in us of the independent , and love to stand and go alone , without such weak crutches , as either the countenance of your name , or the fag end of your reply , can afford unto us . i hope you will not find here any such reproachfull language , as you stand justly charged withall ; not onely in the whole course of your pamphlet , but in much of the history it selfe , as it was first printed , and intended for the publique view a good cause need not be so managed , though by interdicting all civil addresses to you by the name of complement , there be lesse cost bestowed in holy-water , than may possibly stand with your contentment . i deny not , but that the writer hereof may now and then incur the guilt of some luxuriances ( you shall call them follies , if you please ) and sport himself with greater liberty , than the gravity of a severe judgement can dispense withall . but i desire , you would impute it , rather to an honest zeal unto his friend , than to a purpose of detracting any thing from you , when either the solidity of your discourse , or the weight of your arguments , might have required a more solid manner of proceedings , than such serious vanities . how my adventurer will come off , must neither be left to your opinion nor to mine , both of us being too much interressed to determine in it . the reader is made judge between us , and to him i leave it . only i shall crave leave to say in the poets words ( and i hope it may be said without any of the selfe-deceivings of love or flattery ) haec mala sunt , sed tu non meliora facis . lacies court in abingdon , june , . extraneus vapulans , or , the observator rescued from the vain ( but violent ) assaults of hammond l' estrange . chapt . i. the laws of historie , verified by josephus , but neglected by our historian . his resolution to content himself with saving truths ; the contrary resolution of the observator . the observator charged unjustly for writing against king charles , and enveighing against king james . king charles affirms not any where that he did well in excluding the bishops from the parliament . the observator justified in the second passage which concerns that king. our authors intended bitterness against the generall government of king. charles . the observator is no inveigher against king james . our authors smart & un●ustifiable censure of king james . the queen abused by our author for bishop lands indulgence towards the catholick party . his advocating for the fame against the countess of buckingham ; his uningenuous censure of the duke of buckingham , the lord deputy wentworth , the earl of portland , mr. noye , and the courtiers generally , not sparing mr. prynne and the presbyterians ; then censureth scandalously and uncharitably of the clergy , and prelates in the generall , and in particular , the court-clergy , and the late arch-bishop . the bishops neile , juxton , williams , mountague , manwaring , and wren , &c. the faint amends made by him unto two of that number ; his mischievous intent in an unnecessary advocating for bishop potter . there were two cautions given anciently to those who undertook the composing of histories , that is to say , ne quid fals● audeant , ne quid veri non audeant ; that they should neither dare to write any thing which was false , nor fear to write any thing which was true . to these josephus addes a third , touching the beautifying of the style , and from him take them all together in these following words . nam qui historiam et rerum propter antiquitatem obscurarum expositionem , &c. for they ( saith hee ) that make profession to write histories , and to recite such things as are observed by antiquity , ought not only studiously to conform their style , but also to beautifie the same with ornaments of eloquence ; to the intent the reader may converse in their writings with the more delectation . but above all things they must have an especiall care , so exactly to set down the truth , that they who know not how these things came to pass , may be the more duly and fitly informed and all this , to the end , as before he telleth us , that we neither omit any thing through ignorance , nor bury ought in forgetfulnesse . and certainly , if history be the great instructor of succeeding times , the concealing of necessary truths , will as much conduce to the misunderstanding , or not knowing the true state of things , as any unnecessary falshoods ( and i conceive no falshood can be counted necessary ) are presumed to do . but our author was not of this mind when he writ his history , and therefore came resolved , as his preface telleth us , to content himself with saving truths ; the first historian , i dare confidently say it , which ever published a profession so contrary to the nature and rules of historie . for he that is resolved to write nothing but saving truths , must of necessity conceal much truth , which he ought to write , and consequently subduct from the eye of the reader , the greatest part of those instructions , which the true representing of affairs would afford unto him . and therfore it was well said by mr. fuller in his church-history newly published , that though it be dangerous to follow a truth too neer the the heels , yet better it is that the teeth of an historian be struck out of his head for writhe truth , than that they remain still , and rot in his jaws by feeding too much on the sweet-meats of flattery . lib. . fol. . the observator ( as it seemeth ) was resolved thus also , professing , that as he undertook that business , with a mind free from love or hatred , or any of those other affections , which pre-engagements in a party do possess men with , so he would carry it all along with such impartiality and considence , as might witness for him that he preferred truth before interess : without respect to fear , self-ends , or any particular relation of what sort soever . but my author , though he will not be thought to love the world so well , as the observator is said by him to do , yet knoweth he much better how to save his stake , than twenty such observators , and church-historians ; and therefore is not only content to enjoy himself in writing nothing but saving truths , but falls upon the observator , for writing truths which are not saving . how so ? marry saith he , the title of his pamphlet , might rather have been formed into the observations against king charles , than observations upon his history . fol. first . what , all or altogether against king charles ? i presume no● so , for fol. the fourth , he telleth us of the observator , that he falleth foul upon king james , inveighing against , and withall detracting from his king-craft , and for that sends him to squire sanderson to learn wit and manners . squire sanderson ; with scorn and contempt enough . squire sanderson , for ought i know , may be as good a gentleman as squire l ' estrange , there being at this time one lord , and some knights of that family , which is as much as the historian , or any of his fathers house can pretend unto . now to the matter of the charge , he telleth us , that the observations are not so much upon his narrative , as against king charles , and yet takes notice only of two passages , which seem to him , to be upon or against that king. had there been more , my auth or was the more to blame to keep the observators counsell , and conceal the crime , rendring himself thereby an accessary to the fact , and at least parcel-guilty of it , if not as guilty altogether as the observator . the first of these two passages is , that the bishops had sate longer ( in the house of peers , ) in their predecessors , than any of the lay nobility in their noblest ancestors , having as much right of voting there , as either the prerogative royall , or the laws could give them ; and therfore , it was ill done of our author to exclude them then , and not well done ( by him that should have kept them in ) to exclude them afterwards . for this the observator is called canis palatinus , a court-cur at the least , a fellow unconcerned in the business , and therefore not to snarl at the kings heels now his back is turned . and why all this ? fol. . marry because the king hath told us , that he did it out of a firm perswasion of their contentedness to suffer a present diminution in their hights , and honour , for his sake . our author herexsupon undertakes for the contentedness of almost all ( not for all ) the bishops in suffering that diminution for their soveraigns sake . but what makes this unto the purpose ? doth the king say he did well in it , or doth he not rather say elsewhere , ( in his declaration , as i take it , of the of august ) that he gave way unto the bill for excluding the bishops from sitting in the house of peers , in hope by that means to preserve their station in the house of god. two evils being laid before him , he made choise of that which seemed the least , and yet affirms not any where ( for ought i can find ) that he did well in choosing either . so as the king not saying that he did well in it , nor my author proving that he did , my author hath no reason to deal thus with the observator , but that some men have so much in them of the curre , that they will be alwaies barking though they cannot bite . the other passage charged upon the observator , is taxing the king and the lords of the scotish councell for oversights , great oversights , in not punishing the principal authors of the tumuls of edenburgh , my author thereupon infers with disdain and scorn , how gallantly all things will he ordered , when the observator comes to be of a 〈◊〉 of state , fol. . but sir , the observator did not only say it , but he proved it too , and it had shewn more judgement in you to confute his reasons , than to fall foul upon his person . errors in conduct of affairs , and effects in councell are not unprofitably noted by the best historians , and that too in the greatest princes . their successors might be else to seek in the knowledge of some things of weight and consequence , and such as most nearly do concern their own preservation . he that soweth pillows under the elbows of great princes , when they are alive , shall be termed a flatterer ; and he that flatters them being dead , to the prejudice and wrong of their posterity , deserves not to pass for an historian . that wit is alwaies better cheap , which is purchased with the price of another mans errors , than with the feeling of our own . and here i might have left king charles , would my author let me , who though he tell us in his preface , that the very failings of kings have been in former times accompted , like their persons , so sacred , that to touch them , though never so tenderly , hath been esteemed petty treason ; yet at the present he makes bold to touch him , and to tax him too . for in those printed sheets of his , which were not thought fit to goe abroad with the rest of the book , he telleth us , that he never reflected upon his late majesty , otherwise than upon a man that was within the incidence of fra●lty ; that he miscarried in his regal ministration , by departing to arbitrary power ; that he and his father failed extremely , in congesting and heaping honours upon so incredible a croud , yet not more ill advised in the number than the choice of the men ; that mo●● was the main , if not the only turn-key to promotion , and honours as vendible at court , as coals at newcastle ; that though kings might by their prerogative make as well leathern lords , as leathern mony , yet make such noble men they could no more , than transubstantiate leather into gold . his aiding the rochellers is taxed by him as not sufficiently warranted , either by their communication with us , in divine principles ( as he words it ) that is to say in being of the same belief or perswasion with us , or by the french kings breaking his faith with them in the demolishing of fort lewis , according to the conditions granted at this kings instance , & mediation , adding withall , that he could have no christian license to draw his sword for those , who in his own opinion wanted it for themselves ; that as there was little christianity in it , in regard of the premises , so there was lesse policy in it , with reference to monarchical interess : and finally , that standing thus a supin● and negligent spectator in the defection of the subjects of other princes , but much more by abetting and siding with them , he could expect nothing , but a total desertion of all his friends , when he most should need them . he renders him inexcusably guilty , in advancing such as had been censured in open parliament , which act ( saith he ) could in a literal construction mind nothing else , but the defiance of his people ; as also in his effuse & liberal indulgence to recusants , not only convicted , but condemned remitting to them the penalties of their offences , notwithstanding the epidemical and general out-cries against them . his majesties declaration about lawfull sports upon the sunday , he calls a sacrilegious robbing of god , a maculating of ●is own honour , a profane edict . and finally ●he telleth us of him , that he was wondrous slow , no man living more , to believe amisse of those he trusted , which confidence not only followed , but led him to the fatal block ; that no king ( setting solomon aside ) was ever able to give better , or ever followed worse advice ; & that being swayed by supine and implicit faith , in the either wisdom or integrity of those who seemed to advise him , he was precipitated upon designs which could promise nothing but confusion , there being nothing more easie than to impose upon the incuriosity of the kings faith. all this & more than this in the printed , but not publish'd sheets of my authors history , a history as 't was intended not so much of , as agaitxsst that king , the grand concernment of his annals , as the preface cals him ; which renders him a most unfit censurer of that innocent and modest freedom , which is taken by the observator , whose observations are entituled , oblique descants , not only upon his narrative , but against king charles . but it is usual with most men , omnia sibi remittere , nihil aliis , to condemn that in others which they allow in themselves ; not verified so much in any , as my present author . next for king james , he telleth us 〈◊〉 the observator , that he falls foul on him inveighing against , and withall detracting from his king-craft . this is a general charge , and answereth not to any of those particulars , in which tha● king is thought to have failed in the act● of government ; and therefore without more adoe may be remitted by the observator to the former passage , in which he cleareth himself from the like charge or crimination about king charles . besides , our author cannot chuse but know , who tells us , that the noble verulam hath not violated those laws of history which he gave to all the world , by signifying , tha● one of the wisest of our english kings had his empson , and dudly , and treated the ear● of oxford most disagreeably . it seems by this , that even our wisest kings , may fail sometimes in the arts of king-craft ; and that those failers may be also signified as documents to succeeding times , without violating the laws of history , or being sent to school to learn wit and manners , there being no reason in the world why that should be allowed of in the noble verulam , which is so sharply taxed , so severely censured in the observator . assuredly a man would think that our historian was a professed champion for defence of the honour of the two last kings , whereas indeed the gentleman is only troubled , that any man should usurp upon his prerogative of taking the two kings to task , or noting any thing ●misse in their several governments . qui ●alterum incusat probri , seipsum intueri opor●et , is a good old rule , learnt by our author in his grammar , but forgotten now , he had not else enveighed so much against king james , and detracted also from his king-craft , as he after doth , and then accuse the observator of the self-same crimes : for hath he not told us in his history , as it is now extant ? that in religious exercises , where the extern demeanor is a grand part of that sacred homage , he was somewhat too incurious and irreverent ; that he was too indnlgent to his palate , and had a smack of the epicure in him ; that being over-studious in pursute of peace , he incurred the note of pusillanimitie , which made the thought of warr be so terrible to him , that he was cajolled , and kept in delusory chat with specious fallacies by the austrian faction , whilst his children were exterminated from their lawfull patrimony ; that in the severall negotiations of carlile , belfast , bristoll and weston , he spent so vast summes , that the moiety thereof disposed in military levies , would have totally dissipated all the forces of those usurpers , and re-estated the palsgrave ; that there could be no stronger evidence of defect of courage , than his tedious courting the alliance of spain , whom his predecessors had so often baffled . and finally , that by his faint-heartedness on the one side , and his undue levies on the other , he grew into such disaffection and contempt with his people , that though those dismal calamities which befell his sonne , were ampliated by a superfetation of causes , yet was their first and main existence , derivative from the grounds which were layed by the father . thus also hath he told us , in his printed , but not publisht sheets , that never any treaty was by a wise prince so bungled up ( the treaty with spain it is he meaneth ) upon concessions so imprudent , so inconsistent with the welfare of his dominions , by making such an ample resignation of the protestant interess ; and that his excessive indulgence in pursute of those articles mightily exasperated , nothing more , the acute distempers , and irritated the bilious animosities of his people against him . what hath been said of him , touching his liberal and promiscuous bestowing of honors , we have seen before ; take this now for the close of all , that by his luxury and dissolute pastimes , which were the only delights of his times , he wasted and decocted the publick treasury ; and by his most extravagant largesses to his minions , he entailed a perpetuity of indigence upon his posterity , squandring his wealth , till he had given away even liberalitie herself , &c. what call you this my most dear historian ? is not this an inveighing against king james , and a detracting from his king-craft ? greater i think , but i am sure with less excuse , than any thing which you have found in the observator . your hand then , gentle sir , for the observator , and get you gone together to squire sanderson to learn wit and manners , or let him rather stay at home , as not worth the teaching . vel neutrum flammis ure , vel ure duos , as you know who said . follow this game a little further , now we are on the ●ents , and we shall find no sex , no order or degree of men , no persons of eminent imployment in church or state , who are not brought under the censorious lash of our authors pen. and first the queen , notwithstanding all the miseries which have fallen upon her , must be made the more miserable in bearing the blame of that indulgence , which the late arch-bishop shewed to them of the romish faction . the observator gives two reasons why that arch-bishop might afford some favours to the catholick par●y , the one grounded upon point of state , the other on prudentiall considerations . but our author not content with these , he subjoyns a third , and that which he conceives to be the very true cause thereof , fol. . and so conceives not upon dubious reports , as formerly , but upon certain information ; that is to say , that it was done to please the queen . assuredly , if it had been so , the arch-bishop was not of such weak parts , and so ill a keeper of his own counsel , as to make any such preclaration of his reason for it ; that being a readier way to displease than to please the queen , who although she were willing that all offices of grace and favour should be extended to that party , yet was not willing , that the burden of it should be laid upon her shoulders . and besides this our author cannot choose but know , that at such time as the archbishop made his complaint unto the king , at the counsell table , against mr. walter mountague , and sir toby matthews , the queen was almost at the highest of her power and greatness , and therefore had the arch-bishop favoured the romish factions on a'desire to please the queen , when her power was only in the increase , he would not have hazarded her displeasure when it was at the full . this therefore only serves to accuse the queen , not to justifie him , or otherwise might have been spared at this time , when there was no necessity or occasion for it , but that our author had a mind to fly at the whole covy , as he knows who saith ; and therefore having made so bold with the king , as we saw before , he thinks it fit the queen , like a loving wife , should bear him company . but being so great a person as the queen must not go alone , without some ladies to attend her ; the countesse of buckingham comes in next , of whom our author told us in the first edition of his history , that ( if fame belied her not ) she loved the bishop of lincoln better than was fit . reproved for this impudence by the observator , he hath left that passage out of his new impression : but fearing lest the lady might come off with too much honour , he pleadeth very strongly for the fame , which , though not always an infallible informer , some rumours being begot by malice , and nursed up by credulity , yet true it is , ( saith he ) that she is sometimes a publike testimony , and the wise tacitus doth many times present her in the like concernments , fol. . and this ( i take it ) is not a righting of the wronged lady , but an authorizing rather of the scandal which was laid upon her . nor will he have her innocence as to that particular to be grounded on her own vertue , but the bishops impotency : not that the bishop was ●unuchus ab utero , as was ridiculously affirmed by brother wilson , who went too far in that , as my author telleth us ; but that he was made impotent when he was a boy , by falling on a stake , as it after followeth . of this the observator is not pleased to inquire any farther , nor is there reason why he should ; only i can assure our author , that welden ( another of the same tribe ) was perswaded otherwise , as is apparent in the pamphlet called the court of king james , page . which i had rather you should look for in the author , than expect from me . on from the mother to the son , from the countesse to the duke of buckingham , accused of luxury and witchcraft ; of witchcraft first , telling us in the unpublished and suppressed papers , that by the diabolical practises and fascinations of dr. lamb , he won and preserved the high esteem he possest in the affections of both his soveraigns : and next of luxury , affirming that he was a great sensuallist , giving his appetite free scope , and taking the greater pleasure in repletion , because it was subservient to the pleasure of evacuation in venereal excursions ( a little rosewater , some good body for my authors mouth ) to which excessivly addicted , being in that as in all other points a perfect courtier . he telleth us of the lord deputy went●worth , that he rather frighted than perswaded the convocation in ireland to re●eal , ( much against their wills ) the sy●teme or body of articles formed by that church , anno and in their place ●o substitute the articles of the church of england , and that upon no o●her design than to advance the arminian tenets , and to cry down the honour of the lords day , though uniformity of liberty was pretended openly . of the earl of portland it is said , that being at first of a slender fortune , it was thought he did not reflect with so much intention of spirit upon the kings profit , as the advancing of his own estate ; of mr. noye the famous atturney general ( besides those uningenious passages of him which are still left standing ) he telleth us also , that he became so servilely addicted to the prerogative , as by ferretting old penal statutes , and devising new exactions , he became for the small time he enjoyed that power , the most pestilent vexation to the subjects that this latter age produced . finally he assureth us of all courtiers generally , that they are to be cleared from all imputation of pretio , as being incompatible with court-qualifications , the most part of which tribe resigning themselves to debauchery , and dissolutenesse , abandon religion as too rigid and supercillious a comptroler over them . nay mr. prynne himself cannot scape the hands of our historian , of whom though he borrow the whole story of the discovery made by andreas ab haberfeild ( which make up three whole sheets of his history ) yet he disdains to be beholding to his author for it , whom he esteems of little credit , saying expresly , that he inserts it , not on the accompt of mr. prynnes faith , who first made it extant , but because he was further assured of the truth of it by a more credible person , and one of principal relation to to sir william boswell : and that mr. prynne may have some company of his own to go along with him , he telleth us of the presbyterians , that by their demure formality , and supple mildnesse , they prevailed dayly on the affections of such , who little thought such out side lambs had claws and asperities ( so cunningly did they conceal them ) far more sharp and terrible than the prelates had , whereof they gave some years after sensible demonstration . our author cares not much who knoweth it , tros , tyriusque mihi nullo discrimine habentur , that all men are alike to him when they come before him . a man would think our author were that john kinsaider mentioned in the comedy , called the return from parnassus , who lifted up his leg , and pissed against all the world , as it is there said , the vice in an old english play , or some turkish santo , whose port and privilege it is to snap at every one he meets , and yet no hurt done : but he is neither of all these , no such matter verily . our author ( he doth not care who knows it ) is a gent. every inch of him , except his tongue ; a man at armes , or lineally descended from the house of knocking , so furiously doth he deal his blows on all sides of him , that without any trouble to the herald , one may find his pedigree ; but for a further proof hereof , we will see how he layeth about him when he comes to the clergy , of whom in general he assures us in the unpublished pages before mentioned , that there is nothing so sordidly base , which will not find partisans amongst the professors of sacred orders , whose portly pride , portly ambition , or indiscretion at the best , all so mainly conduced to englands miseries , and their own ruine . the like of the prelates , that they were many of them notoriously wicked blasphemers of gods sacred name , addicted to drunkennesse , lasciviousness , & such enormities ; some of them also guilty of a turgid swelling pride , and intollerable insolencie , all of them charged with obtruding extravagancies , and erecting an arbitrarinesse in holy things , as others did in civil , whose actions and proceedings he calls afterwards prelatical whimzies , the fictions and chimeraes of their giddy brains . of the court-clergy more particularly he assures us this , that they were deeply tinctured and stained with the massilion and arminian errours , and withall vehemently inclined to superstition . but most particularly he telleth us of the late arch-bishop of canterbury , that he was of a pragmatical and factious spirit , a bold as●●rtor of some dangerous and superstitious tenets , that being by the kings extraordinary goodne●se promoved to that dignity , he thought he was now plenipotentiary enough , and in full capacity to domineer as he listed , and to let his professed enemies feel the dint of his spirit , that impetuously pursuing his over vast , and vain desires of rearing a specious throne , agreeable to his projected models , he put both church and state into combustion , he being the man who most eminently moved the king to obtrude upon the scots that unsavoury liturgy , and to order the dissolution of the parliament on the fifth of may ; finally , that he was too undiscreet , too full of fire , and too pragmatical for so great trust , whose acting in things exorbitant , and out of the sphear of his both cognisance & calling , ruin'd all . the most reverend arch-bishop neile , he calleth most disgracefully an empty tub , and fathers that phrase upon king james , who being a very able discerner of men , had questionlesse never raised him to so many bishopricks ( rochester , leichfield , lincoln , durham ) if he had not found in him some especial merit . thus gives he unto bishop williams , the title of an insolent and ungratefull person . to mountague and manwaring bishops both , the scornefull appellation of unworthy wretches . doctor fuxon the lord bishop of london , censured for none of the best scholars , though he might passe in a throng for one of the worst bishops ; and bishop wren condemned of turgid , swelling pride , and intollerable insolency , in which he carried away the garland from all the rest , a simple man , and elevated by a petit blaze of mistaken honours to an height of frenzie . and though our author be a high flyer , and loves to flye at none so much as high peers and prelates , yet he will play at small game rather than sit out , there being one ( and but one ) of the inferiour clergy whom he hath in choice , and that is peter heylyn dr. in cosmography ( 't is well he will allow him to be dr. in somewhat yet ) as he calls him there a theologaster , as with scorn and disdain enough he is called there also ; of him he telleth us in those printed but unpublished sheets , fol. . that the court bishops netled with this antithesis , this opposition ( he means that which was made by the bishop of lincoln against placing the communion table altar-wise ) to their grand design , laboured as vehemently to maintain their own proceedings , and put out the work to their bold champion dr. heylyn , who thereupon undertakes the bishop , and bungleth up a reply to him full of ignorance and virulence , so much the fiercer because he thought the bishop not in the state of operating any thing considerably noxious to him . but the next lustre this bishop became for a while illustrious , and then he did fawn upon and cringe to him , on whom he had formerly trampled , no man more . what a goliah have we here stretching himself upon his tiptoes , and bidding a general defiance to the hoste of israel ! the blatant beast broke loose again , and no sir laniorack , or sir calidore to hunt him back unto his den , and there tie him up . a second mar-prelate at the best , fit to be dealt withal by none , but tom nashes ghost , and to that i leave him . the honour he hath done the dr. in giving him a place amongst so much good company , requireth from any friend of his , a more gentle usage , then pap with anhatchet in those times to the elder martinists . and though it is to be confessed , that much of this strain stuffe died under the press , & never was permitted to come abroad ( whether upon the second & more sober thoughts of the author himself , or the care and modesty of some friends who perused the sheets , doth not concern me to enquire ) yet doth our author stand convicted in his first intention , & may be counted , voto saltem si non opere , as guilty of the crime of defamation , as any other whatsoever in these last ill times : great pity certainly , that such a two-hand sword as this , shou'd be kept in the scabbard , and that he was perswaded not to draw it out , though he had only fenced and flourished with it ( like a whiffler in my lord maiors show ) to delight the multitude . and yet ( a blessing on him for it ) he would be sain thought to write some of them , but leaves them at the last in a worse condition , then he had brought them to at first . he is content to leave out the first part of that character , which he h●d given my lord of london , whom he had formerly affirmed to be none of the best scholars ; and now stands only to the last that he was none of the worst bishops , not that he finds himself to be fully satisfied with the observator touching the abilities of that prelate , but that he was loath to abide any misconstructions , finding the historians noate verified , virorum ut magna admiratio , ita censura difficilis est , fol. . and therefore he stands to it still , that he saw no reason , why he might not safely say , that this bishop was none of the greatest scholars , without disparagement to his function , scholarship , or his own prudence , entring upon a wild discourse , touching the measure of learning , required to the qualification of a bishop , and so resolves upon the point , that a bishop may be scholar sufficient for his place , though he be none of the greatest magnitude . which , whether it be a righting of the person , or rather a wronging of the bishop , i leave unto the consideration of the critical reader . and for that part of the character which he hath left standing by it self , without that deleatur which he seems to brag of , it is such a sorry peece of commendation , as the historian gives us of a noble roman , of whom he sayth , that he , was magis extra vitia quam cum virtutibus , rather not guilty of any notorious vices , than adorned with any eminent virtues . no hearty commendations , this , according to the old style of england , but a cold negative commendation , a commendation stylo novo , and such a one as i conceive our author would not be well pleased with from another man. none of the worst bishops , and none of the worst historians , may seem to intimate , that neither are positively good in their several kinds , or though amongst so many bad ones ( as almost all the bishops are by him presented ) they may pass for tolerable ; and therefore i desire our author , if either the history or pamphlet live to another edition , that he would pass a deleatur upon this part also , leaving this reverend person unto that amends which our author hopes he hath made in the rest that followeth . less candidly doth he deal with the other bishop , accused for saying ( in his pontificall ruffe , as he elsewhere phraseth it ) that he hoped to live to see the day when a minister should be as good a man , as any iack-gentleman in england . for , though he doth confesse , that his information was not then so good as it hath been since , and hath therefore corrected that expression according to the observators ( for so i think he meaneth by that authors own copy ) and added vpstart to jack-gentleman in the new edition , yet will he not allow that the observators vindication of him , from any such distemper in his words or actions , as he freeth him from ; or that the expression so corrected , doth argue much of that temper or wisdom , which the observator crieth up in him . fol. . this is hard dealing in our author , first to expose a man , one of the fathers of the church , for words which were never spoken by him , and not so spoken as presented to the eye of the reader , to the publique hatred , and after when the expression stands so qualified and corrected in the author himself , as to admit a justification with all sober men , to keep him still under the same uncharitable terms of reproach and obloquy . for why a minister should not be as good a man as any vpstart jack-gentleman in all the pack , i can see no reason ; the dignity , office , function , and the civillity of his breeding , with other necessary qualifications required in him , being well considered . with greater zeal , but with as mischievous intention , doth he advocate for bishop potter , of whom the observator telleth us , that his preferment unto the bishoprick of carlile , could not get the king any love in the hearts of his people . our author hereupon inferreth , fol. . that this must necessarily signifie something of abominable quality , in either the person or doctrine of dr. potter , or both , to be efficatious to obstruct and impede the affection of the subject . the gentleman telleth us , fol. . that really there are many better historians than himself , which i readily grant , but addeth withal , that there are some worse disputants also , which i more than doubt . for who can say which hath but the least smattering in the rules of l●gick , that the observators premises about the bishop , must necessarily inferr any such conclusion as our author maketh ? he might as well conclude from that passage in the observator , ( and perhaps more truely ) that there was something of abominable quality , in the kings calling in of montagues book , as in the person and doctrine of dr. potter , which might obstruct the affection of the kings liege people , both being joyned together by the observator to rove this aphorisme , that it never falls out well with christian princes , when they make religion bend to policy ; there being no reason eminently visible why that doctor ( being a thorow-paced calvinian , and otherwise unqualified for so great a charge ) should be made a bishop , but only ad faciendum populum , to gain the king some reputation and esteem with the rest of that party . but the vindication of this bishop is not the main point which our author driveth at . for taking an occasion by the word calvinian , he telleth us , that though a man be never so great a scholar , never so pious , never so conscientious in all his actions , he must ( if he passe under the notion of a calvinist ) be said to dote , or to be an hypocrite , or be called a knave , with all which titles of honour ( as our author saith ) he hath known the gallantest men in this nation dubbed . he had done well to have specified the names of those , who have given any of those vile terms to such gallant persons , and not to leave it as a brand on all those of the contrary perswasion , so much the more odious and uncharitable , because delivered in the general . thus i have layed together such particular passages as serve best to discover our authors temper , and the ill spirit which doth guide him in all his characters and censures ; that when it comes either to the doctors turn , or the observator to be arraigned ( but not convicted ) before his tribunal , it may not seem any wonder to a charitable and judicious reader , to see them charged so frequently with the like reproaches . which premonition being given , i shall proceed in order to the rest that followeth . chapt . ii. our authors affecting of hard words no part of eloquence . the sorry plea made by him for his justification . his incorrigibility therein , & a course prescribed for his cure . neither the observator nor the dr. so ignorant in the meaning of the word stylus as the pamphleter makes them . titles of honour given by the pampleter to the observator , and the dr. also . a general view of the five charges laid upon them . the observator freed from falsifying the authors preface , and vindicated in his credit from the pamphleters scandals . the authors faint plea for calumniating the english clergy . the dr. vindicated from that extreme love of the world , which the pamphleter hath charged upon him . the answer to his second charge , deferred to the chapter of the sabbath . the dr. freed from any servile fawnings on the bishop of lincoln . a true relation of the drs. carriage toward that bishop , and the committee of parliament at the time of these supposed fawnings . the author corrupts his own text , to make it justifie his pamphlet in these four particulars , viz. first in the matter of the kings power . ly . in the jurisdiction of the vice-admirall . ly in the informations about arminianism . and ly . touching the repeal of the articles of the church of ireland . it is the counsel of josephus , as before is noted , that they who make profession to write histories , should beautifie the same with ornaments of eloquence , to the end that the reader may converse therein with the more delectation . our author likes this counsell well , but thinks all eloquence to consist in the affectation of new-minted and out-landish words , which rather seem to astonish and confound , than delight the reader . for which being admonished by the observator in a friendly and ingenuous way he laboureth more to justifie than refor● the errour . and first he tells us for himsel● that being conversant with authors 〈◊〉 the noblest and chief remarque in several languages , not only their nation● but their very words , especially being 〈◊〉 the most elegant import , became a● length so familiar with him , as when he applyed himself to that present work , he found it very difficult to renounce his former acquaintance with them . fol. . assuredly i cannot doubt but that many others are as conversant in writers of severall tongues , and as familiar with their words and phrases , as our author is , who yet disdain to diaper their style with such in inckhorn tearms , as none but rhombus or rhomboides ( that is to say the son of old father rhombus ) would vouchsafe to use . but our author hath borrowed his plea from ignoramus , who could not speak out of the dialect of the law , and therefore urged these words for his justification , viz. linqua mea vadit ad verba accustumata , that is to say in our authors english , that they were grown so familiar to him , that he found it very difficult to renounce his former acquaintance with them . he telleth us next , that livy and salust , two historians , lye under the same censure ; the first for his patavinity , as asinius called it , the oother for his obsolete words extracted from cato de originibus , as augustus said . but sir , the censure under which livy●ay ●ay was not for affectation of new-minted words extracted from the tyrian , gallick , or greek originalls ; but for the flourishing verdure of his style , agreeable in some sort unto the fertility and redundancy of the soyle of padua , his patavinity , as for that cause asinius called it . and for the obsolete words which are found in salust , they are but very rarely used , nor were so obsolete , but that the romans very well understood their meaning , without any such interpreter to be sent along with them , as our author hath been fain to send with some hundreds of foreiners . i know sir philip sidney in his defence of poesie hath for the same cause , blamed edmund spencer , our chief english poet , for affecting in his pastorals the like obsolete words , considering that neither any of the greeks or latines in their eclogues , or bucolicks , did affect the like . nor did spencer , though he lived long after it , endeavour to justifie himself , as our author doth : the affectation of new words never heard before , and of old words , worne out of use by long tract of time , being equally faulty and ridiculous . and though our author promiseth ( twice for failing ) to reform this errour , yet i see little reformation in the new impression of his history , wherein the greatest part of those new-coyned tearms , are still left remaining : as one that rather seems resolved as well in this , ( as many other things besides ) not to alter any thing , than to take any hint for it from such an inconsiderable fellow as the observator , or one of so mean parts , as his alter idem , doctor heylin must be thought to be . i see our author is past cure by any ordinary means and applications . no way to bring up these hard words , but that prescribed by ben iohnson to his poetasters , and practised by coln , and cupes on their ignoramus , and to that i leave him . and first with reference to his style , so high , as the observator noted , that no english reader could climb over it he telleth us , that it is a wooden conceit made by as wo●den an observator , who had not his head ( all but the face ) been made of blocks , or had he consulted with ancient authors , he might have known that the word style used by writers was not made of wood , as this observator supposeth , but of metal , the very same with his own face , &c. fol. . now the thunder-thumping jove transfund his dotes into the pericranion of our learned author , who seems like rhombus in sir philip ( old father rhombus , well may the bones rest of that good old father ) to be even gravidated with child untill he hath endoctrinated our plumbeus cerebrolities in the ad●equate sence , and perceptibility of the word stylus , which neither that unconcerned fellow , the observator , whose head is made of blocks and his face of brass , nor that dull piece of ignorance the poor dr. of cosmography ( of whom wee shall hear more anon ) ever heard before . but sir , in good earnest can you think , that neither the doctor or the observator could understand the meaning of a common ordinary word ( with the help of a dictionary at the least ) untill they were instructed by your learned commentary . assuredly , but that the gentleman lieth continually at rack and manger with my lady philologie , and is so conversant with authors of the noblest remarque in several languages , that a poor english writer cannot get a good look from him , he might have known that in the first edition of his cosmography , writ but when years of age , or not much above , the doctor understood the meaning of the old word stylus . it is an instrument ( saith he , pagina . of the book called micorocosm . ) with which they wrote , & was a sharp-pointed iron , which they called stylus , a word now signifying ( the original hence taken ) the peculiar kind of phrase which any man used , as negligens stylus in quintilian , and exercitatus stylus in cicero . and if the doctor and the observator make but the same one person , as our author telleth us , the observator is as free from this piece of ignorance , as the author himself , how poorly and scornfully soever he is pleased to think and speak of the one , and the other . to clear our way to that which followeth , i think my self obliged to present the reader with a catalogue of those scornfull names , and reproachfull charges , which he hath laid upon the observator and the doctor too , that i may shew what manner of man we have to deal with ; & what necessity there is of wiping off those slanders and calumniations which with a prodigal hand he bestoweth upon them . for if they be such men as our author maketh them , the very truth will prove unwelcome for their sakes ; little credit being commonly given unto any such thing , as is commended by the pen of unworthy persons . dividing therefore all these slanders and calumniations which are meerly verbal , from such as carry with them some charge of consequence , we will only make a generall muster of the first , and so pass them over , knowing full well , convitia spreta exolescunt , that obloquies of this nature have been better contemned than answered by the wisest men . and for such charges as our author hath reproached them with , we doubt not but we shall be able to wipe them off , and to retort the intended imputation on the authors head . first then , he telleth us of the wooden observator , that his head is made of blocks , and his face of metal , fol. . sends him to squire sanderson to learn wit and manners , fol. . gives him the name of an impudent observator , fol. . of canis palatinus , court-curre , a fellow so unconcerned , &c. fol. . of this man in the moon , fol. . of doctor coale whom the bishop of lincoln carbonadoed , fol. . of one between hawk and buzzard , fol. . of the light-fingered observator , fol. . of a modern poet , and a wit every inch of him , fol. . of an ill-looking fellow , fol. . of as arrant an errant as ever was , fol. . accuseth him of metaphysical whim-whams , folio . of failing and forging fouly , fol. . of notorious corrupting and falsifying , fol. . of juggling and supposititious foistings , fol. . of being more shamefully out than ever man was , out of the story beyond all measure , and out of charity beyond all religion , fol. . then for the doctor he honoreth him with no other title than that of a doctor in cosmography , fol. . the which he so vehemently affected , that though it was damned in one of the unpublished sheets , yet he must needs vent it in this second pamphlet : in which unpublished sheets he makes him amends indeed ( and we thank him for it ) by calling him the bold champion of the prelates , or prelalatical party , to all which they need say no more ( but that the accusations shall be answered in their proper places ) than as a wise man once did upon the like provocations , viz. tu linguae nos aurium domini sumus , that is to say , that they have as much command of their eares to hear with patience , as our author hath of his tongue to speak his passions , our author being like those who love to say , with our tongue we will prevail , our lips are our own , who is lord over us ? psal . . v. . then , for the charges they stand thus , first for the obsetvator , that he hath fouly forged and failed , in leaving out a word in the authors preface , fol. . for which called impudent observator there , and taxed with notorious corrupting and falsifying in the latter end of this present pamphlet . and ly . that the observator doth save him part of his labour , ( that is to say in naming any of those men whom he had accused of being vicious even to scandall ) in naming himself for one of them , fol. . then of the doctor it is said , that cosmography was a work very proper for him , there being none fitter to describe the world than he , who all his life hath loved the world , none like him , fol. . ly . that in the business of the sabbath he hath falsifyed the words of pareus by changing quando into quomodo ; it being submitted thereupon unto all the world , to consider what it is for a doctor of divinity , for so great a champion of antiquity against noveltie , not in an idle circumstance , but in the grand concernment of a controversie , to forge and falsifye a record so boldly , the modest gentlemam not daring ( as he telleth us ) to say , so impudently , fol. . ly . that having , as all the world knoweth , most insolently trampled and insulted upon this bishop , ( the bishop of lincoln he means ) he no sooner heard of his inlargement , but instantly he came creeping and cringing , and crawling , and crouching to him so servilely , as made his lordship merry at the uncouth sight , and all this to stand his friend , or at least not appear his foe at that time , when that doctor was in a most sorry plight , fol. . somewhat to this effect occurs in the unpublished sheets of our authors history , which hath been touched upon already in their proper place , and therefore do not stand in need of a repetition . these are the charges which our author hath drawn up against his adversaries , and unto these in generall , we shall say with phaeton . — pudet haec appropria nobis est dici potuisse , et non potuisse refelli . that is to say , foul shame it were , should he such men defie , and we stand mute , not able to reply . first then , it is charged on the observator , that he hath fouly failed and forged , in leaving out a word in the authors preface . how so ? marry because our author having expressed himself in these very words , viz. confident i am , i stand secure against any substantiall falshoods , and i hope against circumstantiall also ; the observator in trimming or abbreviating these words of the author , leaves out i hope , making the whole sentence to run thus , viz. that he is confident he stands secure , not only from substantiall falshoods , but even from cercumstantial also ; and this he calls a notorious corrupting and falsifying of his preface , fol. . with pride and insolence enough , parturiant montes &c. you have shewed us the mountain gentle sir , but pray you sir where is the mouse ? for though you seem to qualifie your confidence in standing secure against circumstantial falshoods , especially in point of temporalities , with this word , i hope ; yet you are bold to say , in the following words , that no one thing or action , is so in those annals of yours mislaid , as to super-annuate ; no hoping here in referrence unto superanuating ( as you please to phrase it ) but an absolute confidence , as absolute a confidence as these words of yours , i will be bold to say , can express or signifie , & t is in reference to your superannuating , if you mark it well , that the observator puts you in mind of your confident preface , for thus it followeth word for word in the observations , that is to say , this is a very strange hysteron proteron , setting the cart before the horse , as we use to say , for certainly the articles at lambeth , being made part of the confession of the church of ireland , anno . as indeed they were , could not before that time be sent to the assembly , or synod of dort , which was not held till three years after , anno . and this i take to be somewhat more ? than a super-annuating as he calleth it in his temporalities , though he be confident in his preface , that he stands secure , not only from substantiall falshoods , but even from circumstantiall also , in assigning all , both things and actions , their proper places . how ill this confidence is grounded we have seen in part , and shall see more hereof hereafter , as occasion serveth . what think you now on the whole matter , my most precious pamphleter ? do not those words you quarrel in the observator follow immediatly upon so grosse a super-annuating , as you stand convinced of , and was it not of your not super-anunating that you speak so boldly , without that qualifying hope , which though it may save your credit in some other circumstantiall falshoods , cannot d● it here ? take therefore back unto your self , your failing and your forging , your notorious falsifying and corrupting , and your impudence too , into the bargain ; the observator hath no title unto either of them . it is charged next on the observator , that he saveth our author part of his labour ( that is to say ) in nameing any of those men whom he had accused of being vitious even to scandal , in naming himself for one of them . this is good fish indeed if it were well fryed , but who shall have the cooking of it ? it must sure be some cook of the devills sending , one who is accusator fratrum , a slanderer or calumniator of the brethren , as before was noted : for this charge he grounds himself on these words of jerome , quando sine nomine contra vitia scribitur , qui ir●scitur accusator sui est , that is to say , when vices are declamed against , and no person named , he who is angry , accuseth himself . a very saving maxim , i assure you that ; as saving and advantageous to our authors purpose , as all the saving truths which are found in his history . and should that use be made of the fathers maxim , which our author mak●s of it in this case , any men might ponere os in coelum , libell archbishops , bishops , a whole national clergy , proclame them guilty of a vitiousnesse to the height of scandal , and lay unto their charge even things they know not , in the psalmist language ; yet none must dare to advocate for the common innocence , for fear of being 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 , or a felo de se , as our lawiers call it , a self condemnor at the least , and in this case a murderer of his own good name . the pamphletter seems to have some knowledge of the observator , telling us fol. . that he hath met him in the same shop near a hundred times , and not less than ten times after the publication of this doubty history ; and questionless hath inquired with a diligent malice into the whole course of his life and actions . if therefore he can prove him guilty of any one vitious qualy , either in the habit or the disposition if at the least our author be so conversant amongst the moralists , as to know the difference between them ) let him speak out , & do it boldly , none shall blame him for it . but to talk thus of vitiousnesse even to scandall , and not be able to name any one ( when invited and required to do it ) but by the saving inferences of a generall maxim , makes him unworthy of any further answer , than what michael the arch-angel gave unto you know whom . and whereas our author pleadeth after for his justification to this particular , that history is not only , the repository of the virtues of heroick spirits , but ●he testimony of the vices of bad men ; and therefore that he could do no lesse than ●ake some notice of this exorbitancy of some of the clergy ; he should have named as well the vices , as the men , that so ( as it was hinted to him by the observator ) the rest of the clergy might have ●een discharg'd of that foul reproach , fol. . but we know who it was that said , do●olosus versatur in generalibns , that fraudu●ent and deceitfull men keep aloof in generals , that being a more saving way to preserve themselves from the danger of a ●tricter examination , than if they should ●lescend to particular instances . nor do i ●hink our author was indeed afraid of ●eing accused of i know not what , had he ●mitted this calumniating of some of the clergy , as he seems to be ; but rather ●hat it had conduced very much to his ●onour , either in leaving it quite out of ●he first edition , or suppressing it wholy ●n the second . the third in course , but first in order ●f these charges which he lays on ●he dr. the dr. of cosmography , in his ●aunting language , is , that cosmogra●hy was a work very proper for him , there being none fitter to describe the world , than he who all his life loved the world , none like him . none like him ? that were strange indeed ; what more philargurous ( one of your fine words dear sir ) and more addicted unto fil●hy lucre than the presbyterians , according to your character of them in both editions ? if so , the cavaliers will be ashamed of him , and send him home to these men , with whom you make him to agree in such base affections . but good sir do you speak in earnest ? hath he lost such a fair revenue , above l. per annum in ecclesiastica● preferments , l. at the least in books● plate , & moveables , for the testimony of a good conscience ? hath his poor tempora● estate been first brought under sequestration , under a decimation since , onl● for his adhesion to those sacred verities to which he hath been principled by education , and confirmed by study , and ca● he be challenged notwithstanding , fo● loving the world all his life , and loving i● in such a measure , as no man like him ? the● frange leves calamos & scinde thalia li●bellos , in the poets language ; it will b● high time for him to burn his books , & gi● over his studies , to abandon his forme● interess , like a right time-server , to assert none but saving truths , as our author doth , and so to settle and apply himself to the love of the world indeed . when the pampleter shal give as great , & as many testimonies of his not loving the world as the dr. can , i may perhaps think fit to tell him , that i am confident as many men ( not being domestiques ) have eaten of the doctors bread , and drunk of his cup , during the whole time of his constant house-keeping , as ever did of his who objects this to him . but being as it is , the doctor , though a doctor of cosmography only , may not unfitly use the words of a modern poet , and one that was a wit every inch of him , as you know who said , a little being altered in the close to make it fit and suitable to his purpose ; thus . have i renounc'd my faith ? or basely sold salvation , or my loyalty for gold ? have i some former practice undertook by poyson , shot , sharp knife , or sharper look to kill my king ? have i betray'd the state to fire , or fury , or some newer fate ? if guilty in these kindes i am content to be thus branded for my punishment . the charge laid upon the doctor , and the th . in order , is said to be the falsifying of the words of pareus , by changing quando into quomodo , in the great businesse of the sabbath , which with the inference thereupon shall be considered of at full , in its proper place : let the reader keep it on account , and when we come to that chapter ( which relateth to the sabbatarian quarrels ) i shall quit that score . . the charge laid upon the doctor , and the fifth in course , is a matter of fact , viz. that having , as all the world knoweth , most insolently trampled and insulted upon the bishop when he was down , he no sooner heard of his inlargement , but instantly he came creeping and cringing , and crawling , and crouching to him so servilely , as made his lordship merry with the uncouth sight , and all this to stand his friend , or at least not appear his foe at that time , when that doctor was in a most sorry plight . a pretty tale , whether a winter tale , or the tale of a tub , ●is no matter now , our author having no ground for it , but a tris●ing heresay , without producing his tales-master to make it good , he only says that he hath been told , & told it by some credible persons , but who those credible persons were is a great state-secret , though many times it may so happen , that credible persons may be over credulous , and being such , may be as forward in divulging incredible ●hings , and consequently both may and doe , mendacium dicere , re●ort a thing that is not true , though they think ●●t be ; but since he hath desired the reader , courted him by the name of the gentle reader , and conjured him ( if thou lovest me ) to put the dr. to the question whether so or not ; i have accordingly asked the question , & am answered negatively , no , not a word true in all the ●able , so that i might here end with these words of cicero , quid m●nus est non dico oratoris , sed hominis , quam id ob●icere ●adve●sar●o , quod si ille verbo negaver it , longè progredi non possis ? a bare denial is a sufficient answer to a groundlesse slander . but since he layeth it home to the observator , and would gladly know of him , whether so or no , partly to satisfie in behalf of the observator , and partly to vindicate the doctor from the scorns of contempt and laughter , i shall lay down the whole story from his own mouth , not only in reference to that bishop , but to the sorry plight which the pamphleter telleth us he was in , at the time of the supposed crouching and cringing . the reader ( if he please ) may passe it over , as a thing impertinent , being written principally to undeceive , and disabuse our present author , who otherwise taking it ( as he doth many things else ) on the credit of hear-say , may give it some place in the next edition of this famous history ; the most part of it being offered to the world already , in the printed but unpublished sheets so often mentioned . to him it only is intended , and to him thus dedicated , sed tibi quando vacat , quando est jucunda relatu , historiam prima repetens ab origint pandam . that is to say , your leasure serving , and the story fit , from the beginning i will open it . know then , that the doctor having done his service to the king at the opening of his last parliament , novemb. . an. . retired himself into the country , that being far off , and out of sight , he might the lesse provoke the indignation of some turbulent men , who were resolved to bear all down that stood before them ; not startled with the stones thrown at him in the speeches of sir benjamin rudyard , and some others , he continued there , till the news , that dr. bastwick , mr. burton , and mr. prynne were sent for from their several prisons , brought him back to westminster , there to abide such fortune , whether good or ill , as that conjunction of ill planets , which seemed destructive to so many , should portend to him . no sooner was he come , but he was advertised , that his retreat into the country , was taken by most men for a flight from england ; and wagers offered to be laid , that he should be seen no more while the parliament lasted . the better to cry down this clamour , and satisfie all such as conceived so of him , he went the next morning in his gown and tippet into westminster hall , shewing himself with no lesse confidence than courage to the eyes of many , who would have been much better pleased with his room than his company . to the bishop of lincoln , then released from imprisonment , he gave no attendance at all , in his private lodging or elsewhere , till meeting him one day in jerusalem chamber , where the prebends were then met together , he gave him in as few words as might be the common civility of a complement , for his return unto the college . the doctor knew that mr. bagshaw , and mr. prynne , had been in private with the bishop some two days before ; and he knew too much of that prelate , ●nd his exasperations , either to look for aavour from him , or rely upon him . summoned to attend before the committee for the courts of justice , about the beginning of december , on the complaint of mr. prynne , who had joyned him in a petition with the lord arch-bishop , as the chief agents and contrivers of all his sufferings , he appeared accordingly . in what a sorry plight he was , or rather how far from being in any such sorry plight , how little dijectednesse there appeared in his spirits , with what vivacity of countenance , and with what readiness of speech , he behaved himself in the several times of his attendance , not only mr. prynne himself , but several members of that committee , who are still alive , are best able to testifie . the sequel of the whole was this , that though he made his first appearance with all those disadvantages of prejudice and prepossession , which commonly obstruct the way to an equal hearing , yet got he so much ground of them , by his own modest confidence on the one side , and want of fit ▪ roofs on the other , that in the end he was dismissed , not only with cheerfull countenance from them all , but with expressions also of esteem and favour from divers of them . and whereas it was ordered and resolved upon the question , on tuesday april . . that the sentences against mr. prynne in the star-chamber were illegal , and without just ground , that he should be released of his impris●nment and fine , that reparation should be made him by all those lords of his majesties council , whose names were to the warrant for his commitment ; it was ordered at the same time that the charge against the doctor should be transmitted to the committee for religion , to be considered of with such other charges and complaints as were come against him . so mr. prynne relates the businesse in the story of his own proceedings , page , and . after which time the doctor never heard more of this businesse , nor of any other which did or might create any trouble to him from the houses of parliament , or any of the committees or members of it . it hapened in the mean season , that the doctor preaching in the abby-church at westminster , on the next sunday after his first appearance before that committee , was interrupted in his sermon , ( after a very unusual manner ) by the bishop of lincoln , knocking with his staff upon the pulpit , and saying aloud , no more of that point , no more of that point , with which alarm the doctor was so little disturbed , that without any haesitance in speech , or change of countenance , he addressed himself unto his auditors , telling them , that he had not much to come of the present point , but being that he was commanded not to presse it further , he would proceed unto the next , which he did accordingly . no sooner was he brought back to his stall , but the bishop calling one doctor wilson ( another of the prebendaries ) to bear witness of that which passed between them , required the doctor to deliver a copy of the sermon by him preached , to which the doctor chearfully yeelded , and presently gave his lordship the whole book of sermons which he had then with him : a thing , in which it was much feared by some of his friends , that he had been suddenly surprised , and gi●en thereby a great and notable advantage to a dangerous enemy but the doctor knew well enough on what grounds he went , expecting without any trouble the successe of that daies adventure . the same day , as they came from the evening service , the bishop sent one of his gentlemen , to desire the sub-dean , doctor wilson , and doctor heylyn to come to his lodging , to which it was answered openly , and in a full cloyster , by doctor heylyn , that he would not go : that he would meet his lordship in either of the houses of parliament , or any of the courts in westminster-hall , or the publique chapter-house of the church , and would there answer any thing he could charge him with , but that he would never shuffle up the business in the bishops lodging , or take a private satisfaction for a publick baffle . scarce had he put off his church-vestments , when his most honoured friends the lord bishop of peterborough , and sir robert filmer ( who had heard all that passed before ) came to spend an hour with him , and not long after comes the subdean , from the bishop of lincoln , with the book of sermons , assuring him that the bishop meant him nothing but well , that he had read none of the sermons but that which had been preached that morning , that he professed himself much beholding to him for committing into his hands so great a trust , and finally , that since the doctor would not come to receive the book , he had sent it to him . to which the dr. made reply , that the book was taken from him in the sight of hundreds , and that he would not otherwise receive it , than either in the same place , or a place more publick , that therefore he should carry back the book to him that sent it , to the end that he might read over all the rest of the sermons , and pick out of them what he could to the doctors disadvantage ; that as he did not court his favours , or expect any thing from him , so neither did he fear his frown , or any further mischief which he could do to him , equall to what he had done already ; and finally , that he was more ashamed of the poorness of this prostitution , than at the insolencies of the morning , which being the best answer that the sub-dean could at that time obtain from him , he threw the book into the room , and so went his way . the cariage of this business on the drs. part was variously censured the next day , as men stood affected , laudatnr ab his , culpatur ab illis : some thinking that he had carried it with too high a hand , others , that he had done no more , than what he was obliged to do for his own justification . what think you my most precious author , where is the creeping aud cringing , the crawling and crouching which your pamphlet speaks of ? where that servility of carriage which made his lordship merry at the sight thereof ? though possibly as the case then stood , & in that very nick of time when the bishop might either stand his friend or appear his foe , a little cringing in the doctor had not been scandalous as the gentleman makes it . nor did the doctor only consult his fame , but he took order to provide for his safety also . and therefore understanding what reports had been spread abroad upon the accident , some saying that the bishop had interrupted him for preaching against the scots ( some of whose ( ō nissioners were then present ) others , for preaching in defence of transubstantiation & others for arminianism , and i know not what , he gave an accompt thereof to the king , and then transcribed a copy of the whole passage , which had been and was to have been spoken , and sent it in a letter to mr. john white of the temple , whom he observed to be at the sermon , desiring him to communicate it at the next sitting of the committee , that when he was to appear before them the second time , they might be satisfied in all things touching that particular . which addresse took so good effect , that mr. white ( though most eagerly bent against the doctor at his first appearance ) did the businesse for him , reading the whole passage to that committee , and testified what he saw and noted when he was at the sermon ; and thereupon it was declared by the unanimous voice of all then present , that there was nothing in that passage which did not become an honest man to speak , and a good christian to hear ; and not so only , but that the bishop was transported beyond his bounds , and failed in his accustomed prudence . and this perhaps both smoothed the way unto the doctor for his next appearance , where he found better entertainment than he did at the first ; and drew the bishop unto gentler ; and more moderate counsels . but to proceed , matters continuing between them in this state till aftre candelmas , the sub-dean findeth the doctor ! walking in the common orchard , perswades him to apply himself to the bishop , as being better able to help or hurt him than any other whatsoever , pressing the point with such a troublesom importunity , that the doctor asked him at the last whether that proposition came from himself , or the bishop of lincoln ? if from himself , it would no otherwise be look'd upon than a fruitles motion ; if from the bishop , it would require some further time of consideration . being assured that it came from the bishop , and that he should not doubt of a fair reception , he took some time to consider of it , and to acquaint some friends therewith , for removing of all such umbrages and misapprehensions , as otherwise that interparlance might have occasioned , which having done , he signified to the subdean about days after , that he would wait upon his lordship in the evening following , being saturday night , when he conceived his lordship would be most at leasure from the businesse and affairs of parliament . his lordship being thus prepared , the dr. went accordingly to perform his visit , but finding some company in the room , whom he knew to be of the scotish nation , he recoyled again , followed immediatly at the heels by a gentleman , whom the bishop sent after him , to let him know , that the company was upon the parting , and that he should find his lordship all alone , at his coming back , as indeed he did ; being returned , he was presently taken by his lordship into his private gallery , his servants commanded to withdaw , and the doctor left in private with him , where after some previous expostulations on the one side , and honest defences on the other , they came by little and little unto better terms , and at the last into that familiarity and freedom of discourse , as seemed to have no token in it of the old displeasures ; the bishop in conclusion , accompanying the doctor out of the gallery , commanding one of his servants to light him home , and not to leave him till he brought him to his very door . after which time the doctor never saw him more ( except at the church ) till his second commitment to the tower ; whither the doctor going on some other occasion , resolved to pay unto him the homage of a dutifull attendance , l●st else his grace ( for then he was archbishop of york ) hearing that he had gi●en a visit to the rest of the bishops cōmitted at the same time for the protestation , might think the former breach between them , was not well made up . and at this time i trow , there was no need of creeping , and ●ringing , and crouching ; the doctors affairs being at that time and ●ong before ●n a good condition , and that arch-bishops in as bad as the fury of a popular ●atred could expose him to . this is the ●ruth , the whole truth , and nothing but the ●ruth , as to the doctors carriage in this particular , and to the sorry plight , which ●he pamphleter makes him to be in , at ●he time of these supposed cringings and ●servile crouchings . the readers pardon being asked ( if any shall vouchsafe to read it ) for this long but not unnecessary digression , i goe on again . the observator being freed from those failings and forgings , those falsifyings and corruptings , which the pamphleter had charged upon him , it will be worth our time to see , whether our author be not truly guilty of the self same crime , which he falsly lays unto his charge , in falsifying and corrupting the text of his own history , by soisting many words into it , to make his quarrel with the observator the more just and rational . for as i have some where read of calvin , that having first made his book of institutions , he did afterwards so translate and expound the scripture as to make it speak agreeable to the sense and doctrine which he had published in that book : so i may very safely say , that our author having framed his answer to the observations , as much to the disadvantage of the observator as he possibly could , did after change and alter the very sense of his history , to make it speak agreeable to the words of his pamphlet ; as for example . . the observator faulted it in the historian , for saying , that as a man without a female consort , so a king without his supreme councel , was but a half-formed sterill thing , the natural extracts of the one , ( for so it followeth in the author ) procreated without a wife , being not more spurious , than the politique descendents of the other , without the caution of a representative . this looked on by the observator , as a paradox most dangerous to supreme authority , in making parliaments so necessary to all acts of state , as if that kings , or they that have the power of kings , could do nothing lawfully , but what they do with their assistance , and by their consent . what saith the pamphleter to this ? marry he hopes , ( for he still saves himself by hoping ) that no man of any ingenuity , can so much as question , but that his politique descendents imply statute laws , which no king of england hath power to make without common consent in parliament , fol. . and that the text may speak agreeably to the words of this comment , he hath foisted the word laws into it , where before it was not ; as may appear to any man who will be pleased to compare the editions . ly . the historian had affirmed for certain that sir robert mansell as vice-admirall had an unquestionoble right of the chief conduct of that enterprize ( against the spaniard ) upon the dukes default . for which being contradicted by the observator , grounding himself on the authority and common practice of our kings , in granting those commands to any , as they see cause for it ; the pamphleter stands stil to his former errour , upon this ground , that many men of wisdome and experience , hold it for a rule , not only in this particular , but in all such as have vicariam potestatem , fol. . but yet to make sure work withall , he hath thrust these words , as they thought , into the text of his history , and thereby made his own position , that sir robert mansell had an unquestionable right to the chief comduct in that enterprize , to be the opinion of those many men of wisdome and long experience , whom the comment points too . new if we ask what these men were , who thought so of it , we find them in some lines before to be the mariners ; men ( i confesse ) of long experience , but of no great wisdome , and such as better understand the jurisdiction of their masters-place , than of the vice-admiral of england , and what such men as these may hold , touching the powers and privileges of such as have vicarium potestatem , is so inconsiderable , that i shall not trouble my self to insist more on it . ly . the historian had declared , that for armianism , the informations were very pregnant , &c. for which being blamed in many things by the observator , he puts off the odium from himself , to mr. pym and the committee for religion , professing that he only recited , what that committee declared as the product of their enquiries , and with this answer he conceiveth he might easily avoid no less than pages of the observation , fol. . so he , and that it may be thought so by the reader too , he hath thrice foisted in these words , they said , into that part of his narrative , which concerns this business , as fol. . l. . for , arminianisn , they said , informations were very pregnant , &c. and fol. . l. , . the hazard conceived from rome , &c. flowed , they said , partly from the uncontrouled publishing of severall points tending and working that way , and ibidem ●ine , . the greatest danger was from popery direct , and from this , the danger they said appeared very great , &c. here have we dicnnt , ferunt , aiunt , these words they said , no lesse than thrice , in half a leaf , foisted in the text , to make it suitable to the pamphlet . and we had a praedicant in it too , ( that you may see , i have still some smattering of my grammar , ) an accusation of some men for their uncontrouled preaching of several points tending and warping towards popery , though now upon an admonition from the observator , he hath turned preaching into publishing , as appears , fol. line . guided thereto , by the illustration of his comment , and a desire to do some right to doctor cozens , which i thank him for , whom he had formerly accused for preaching many things which warped towards popery , but now agreeth so far with the observator , as to excuse him from publishing and direct popery , in his hours of prayer . . the observator had declared , that the primate had conceived a displeasure against the lord deputy for abrogating the articles of religion established by the church of ireland , and setling in their place the articles of the church of enggland , to which the pampleter replyeth , that the articles of religion established in the church of ireland were never abrogated , though those of england were received and approved by that convocation , fol. . for proof whereof he hath produced a certificate under the hands of doctor barnard , and one samuel pullain , whose title and degree i know , and therefore am not to be blamed , if i give none to him . whether this superinduction of the articles of the church of england amount not to an abrogation of those of ireland , shall be considered of hereafter in that chapter which concerns armianism . now i shall only tell you this , that whereas our author had it thus in his first edition , fol. , viz. that in the synod assembled in ireland , the body of articles formed by that church , anno . were repealed , and in their places were substituted the thirty nine articles of the church of england : now to conform his text to the former comment , he hath left out the word repealed in his new edition , fol. . and tells us a clean contrary story to that before , which shall be looked upon in the place before mentioned , as more proper for it . and so i close this chapter , intended chiefly for the justication of the observator , and the retorting of some foistings , on the authors head ; withall confuting many of the pamphleters answers , which could not be so well considered of in an other place . chap. iii. the affairs of the two kings considered . of the impowering or not impowering the earl of bristol , by letters of proxie . the proxie granted to the king of spain ; and don charles his brother . our author qualifieth the word ever , to make it serve his turn , and yet cannot do it . the letter of philip the . to olivarez : nothing contained in it against the restoring of the palanate , but the contrary rather . king james communicated not with the parliament in the breach with spain : our author pleadeth a demonstration , but produceth none . our authors nicety between taking coach to and for white-hall , and the vanity of it . some solid grandure , contributed to the throne of kings in their coronations . his catholick majesty how concerned in our authors scoffs . that heretofore some kings in spain have been crowned and anointed ; though of late those ceremonies be disused , and upon what reasons . the pamphleters weak defences for our authors mistake , about taking the great seal from the bishop of lincoln , and the observator justified , as to that particular . our authors annuating and superannuating , in his temporalities . his superannuating , or subtertriennuating rather , in the ●ynod of do●t , how weakly justified and excused . the observators running leap made good , and his reasons for it . a transition to the following disputes about the sabbath or lords day . wee are now come to the main body of the pamphlet , in which we shall begin ( and good reason for it ) with such particulars as do relate to the two kings , and such of their personal affairs as our author treateth of . the first exception made by the observator , is the impowering of the eat● of bristol , to celebrate by proxie in the princes name , the marriage with the lady infanta . that so it must be understood , appeareth by the words foregoing . the spaniard ( saith he ) importunately moves his highnesse ( the● ready to depart for england ) that b● would be pleased to assign in his absence some proxie to contract with th● infanta , after a new dispensation ha● from rome , to whom the prince returned answer , that he would impower the earl of bristol , to give his majesty all satisfaction in that particular , which accordingly he did . the gentleman seems much displeased , that any such inference should be made from the former words , as the impowering of the earl by proxie , to proceed to the celebration of the marriage , and cals it an adoe about nothing . how so ? because ( saith he ) the observator might have found his meaning in the page next following , where he speaks of the earls delivering of the proxie , clearly importing , it was only in his custody to consign to another , fol. . but gentle sir , men that write histories , must write both properly and plainly , and not post off the reader from one place to another , to finde out their meaning , or else be forced to put such a sense and understanding on their words , as they will not bear , whereof we shall speak more anon on another occasion . in the mean time he proceeds to tell us , first that the proxie was to be consigned to the king of spain only , not to him and don charles , as the observator saith ; and secondly , that he would gladly know , who this don charles was , he being the first don charles , as he , or any body else he thought had ever heard of , ibid. to reply first unto the last , he need not be desirous to know who this don charles was , the observator having told him positively and plainly enough , that he was the king of spains brother ; and though the gentleman pretending to the spanish tongue ( as his encuerpoes , and accollados do most plainly fignifie ) conceives the observator should have called that prince by the name of don carlo , as the spaniards do : yet , if he please to look into the general history of that kingdome , written in french by lewis de mayerne , and translated into english by grimstone , he shall not fail of finding there the name of don charles many scores of times . but for his confident asseveration that the proxie was made , or consigned only to the king , and not unto the king and his brother , or to either of them , as the observator hath enformed him ; if that prove true , i must renounce my knowledge in all other languages , but my natural english . for in the instrument of the proxie , it is said expresly , that the prince , personam nominaturus magnitudini rei , ita praeexcelsae parem , & quae nomine suo , seque ipsum repraesentando , qua per est dignitate , & authoritate actui adeo solenni , henorifico & sumno possit satisfacere , & praedictum mat●imonium celebrare , & ad exitum perducere ; serenissimi regis catholici philippi . majestatem eligit , item & carolum hispaniarum infant●m ejus fratrem , unicuiqs eorum in solidum vices suas committendo , prout de facto & cum effectu , & melioribus via & forma commisit & dedit , & utrumquemq , eo um facit & constituit suum verum & legitimum & indubitabilem procuratorem , concedens unicuique &c. ut praedicto serenissimo carolo walliae principe , & ejus nomine , propriamque illius personam referendo , repraesentando , nuptias & matrimonium contrahat &c. cum praedicta serenissima domina maria hispaniarum infante &c. th●se are the very words of the publick instrument , which if they do not prove , and prove most undeniably , that the proxie was made unto the king of spain , a●d his brother charles , or to either of them , the pamphleter must have more knowledge in the latine tongue , then all men else that ever learn'd it . the next thing faulted in our author , is , his affirming , that england had ever found the spaniard a worse friend then enemy . the contrary whereof being proved by the observator , the pamphlet telleth us , that any fair mannered man , would understand the word ever , with reference to the state of reformation , fol. . and then the meaning must be this , that the spaniard hath ever been an ill friend to england , that is to say , ever since the time of her reformation . this was perhaps the gent. meaning , but we poor men that cannot search into his thoughts , must know his meaning by his gaping , by what he speaks or writes , not by what he thinks : and sure i am , the words can bear no such grammatical construction as he puts upon them . nor is his proposition true , with that limitation which he gives us of it ; the spaniards never troubling our proceedings in the reformation in the reign of king edward , nor in the first beginnings of queen elizabeth ( of whose life next under god himself he was the principal preserver ) till first by an underhand fomenting , and after by appearing visibly in the broyles of the netherlands , he was in forced to arm against her : reasons of state , and not the interests of religion , being the motives of the long war which after followed . but he goeth on and telleth us , that the observator seemeth to confesse it . he doth but seem so them , that 's one thing , and he doth not seem so , that is another : the observator saying only , that if upon the provocations given by queen elizabeth in supporting the netherlands , the spaniard took up armes against us , he had all the reason in the world for his justification ; which certainly is not so much as a seeming confession , that either religion or reformation , was any cause of that quarrel , on the spaniards part . next for the businesse of the pal●tilate , the observator telleth us from some letters of the earl bristols , that the spaniard really intended the restoring o● it . our author doth oppose to this , a letter of the king of spain to the count of olivarez his especial favourite , in which it may be found ( saith he ) that neither the match it self , nor the restitution of the palatinate , was sincerely intended , but delaies meerly sought for by the spaniard to accomplish his pe●fidious ends . now how he hath abused this letter , in making it to speak of things which he findeth not in it , will best be seen by looking on the letter it self , which is this that followeth . philip the . to the conde of olivarez . the king my father declared at his death , that his intention never was to marry my sister the infanta donna maria with the prince of wales , which your unkle don balthaser well understood , and so treated this match ever with an intention to delay it ; notwithstanding it is now so far advanced , that considering withall the aversnesse unto it of the infanta , as it is high time to seek some means to divert the treaty , which i would have you finde out , and i will make it good whatsoever it be , but in all other things procure the satisfaction of the king of great britain , who hath deserved very much , and it shall content me , so that it be not the match . this is that letter in the cabala , to which the author doth direct us , and refer himself , in which it is to be observed , first , that there is not one word in it touching the palatinate , that being a point which the spaniards would not hear of in that long treaty , and without which the match was finally agreed on , as was plainly shewn by the observator : which makes it evident how ill credit is to be given to our present pamphleter citing this letter for a proof , that the restoring of the palatinate , was never sincerely intended by the court of spain . this letter rather seems to prove , that the spaniard would not stick at the palatinate , if he could come off handsomely from the match it self . the king commanding olivarez , in all other things to procure the satisfaction of the king of great britain ; and therefore why not amongst other things , in the restitution of the palatinate to the prince elector ? in the next place we are to know that this letter was written before the prince went into spain : where by the gallantry of his carriage , and his prudent conduct of the businesse , he not only overcame all those difficulties , which had before been interposed , but conquered the aversnesse of the lady infanta , who became afterward extremely affectionate to him . and for the rupture which ensued , it is most clear and evident , that it proceeded from the english , not from the fraudulency or delays of the spanish counsels . after this followes the negotiation of the match with france , communicated by king james ( as the historian would inform us ) to his houses of parliament , by whom it was entertained with unanimous consent . the improbability of which , is proved by the observator , by the aversnesse of that king from parting with such a speciall branch of his royal prerogative , and the disdain with which he entertained the like proposition from them , a few years before . to this the pampletter replieth , that it was no more lessening of his prerogative , to communicate with them in the entrance into , then in the breach of a treaty of that nature , as he did in that of spain , which was the main businesse debated in the parliament of the . of king james . but sir , who told you that king james communicated with his houses of parliament , in the breach with spain ? i trow you finde not any such thing in the journals of either of the houses , with which you seem at other times to be very conversant ; and doubtlesse would have vouched them now , had he found this in them . that king had no design or purpose of breaking off his correspondence with his catholick majesty , and could not communicate those counsels with his houses of parliament , which he never had . in the course of that businesse , he was meerly passive , forcibly drawn to yeeld unto it at the last , by the continual solicitation of the prince , and the duke of buckingham , and an importunate petition of the lords and commons , presented by dr. abbot then archbishop of canterbury , a principal agent in promoting the intended breach . it followeth by our authors logick , the king communicated not with his parliament in the breach with spain ; ergo ( which is in english therefore , as we know who said ) he did not communicate with them neither in his treaty with france . of the observators not inveighing against king james , we have spoke already , and of king james his stickling against the arminians ( so far forth as the pamphleter leads me to it ) i shall speak hereafter . the error about the day of that kings interment , and the new kings marriage is confessed and mended by the author , but so that he would fain have the first error accompted but a st●p of his pen , fol. . and putteth on some reasons , signifying nothing , to conclude it for him . and for the second error , that about the marriage , he confesseth that he was mistaken . but saith withall , he could insallibly demonstrate , that it was designed upon the . concerning which i would first know , whether this demonstration were à priore , or à posteriore , as the logicians have distinguished , or that it was not rather some such sorry argument , drawn from the common topick of heresy , as he commonly builds on , or possibly some fallacy put upon him , a dicto secundum quid , ad dictum simpliciter , or some such like elench . but let it be the first for this once , and then i shall next ask him , why he communicated not the infallible demonstration to us , which he saith he had , since otherwise we are not bound to believe him in it ; he being no niggard of his story , when there is lesse occasion for it , then was given him now . and we know the rule in logick to be very true , viz. non existentium & non apparentium , eadem est ratio , a demonstration not produced , is as good as none . in their majesties goings to whitehall , the pamphleter still adheres to his first expression , and seemeth displeased , that the observator should not have so much ordinary capacity , as to discern the difference between the taking coach to and for whitehall , fol. . but sir , a good historian ( amongst which number you would fain count your self for one ) must write both properly and plainly , as before was said , and not trouble and torment the reader , in drawing dun out of the mire , in a piece of english . and he that shall compare those words , with the rest that follow , will finde no reason to collect any thing out of them , but that their majesties went all the way by coach , till they came to london . he that shall say , that any gent. of grays-inne , takes coach for westminster , when he alighteth out of the coach at the temple-gate , walketh on foot to the stairs , from thence takes boat to the kings bridge , and so walketh on foot again till he come to the hall , must needs be thought to speak improperly at the least , that i say not worse : no man of ordinary capacity being able to understand him otherwise , but that the gent. went by coach all the way to westminster , and not the least part of it only . but our author will not yeeld himself to be out in any thing , whereof we have had many examples already , and have more to come . of restraining the kings power in acts of state to the will of parliaments , and the wrong supposed to be done to sir robert mansell , with our authors falsifying his own text on those occasions , we have spoke before . the next thing which occurs de novo , is the scorn , put by our author on the coronation of kings , which he plainly cals a serious vanity , affirming that they cannot be i●le to better purpose . reproved for this by the observator , and those solemn inaugurations being proved , to be very ancient , directed by the holy spirit in the book of god , exemplified not only , in david , and many other kings of judah , but also in the son of david , the chief king of all : our author standeth unto it still , because ( saith he ) it conferreth no one dram of solid grandure to the throne , kings being perfect kings , and qualified fully to all intent of royalty without it , fol. . igrant indeed , that kings are perfect kings without this solemnity . the case of clark and watson in the first year of king james , and of many murderers and felons in the first year of king charles , make this plain enough : all of them being indited for their several felonies and treasons , committed by them against the peace of those several kings , their crowns and dignities , they neither of them crown'd at the time of those trials , so that i shall not trouble my self with looking into the case of the post-nati , as to that particular . but yet i cannot yeeld unto him , that these solemnities confer not so much as a single dram of solid grandure to the throne . for certainly the kings ▪ entry into a cognizance or stipulation with his people , to govern them according to their several lawes , and their atturning subjects to him , or acclaiming him to be their king , in our authors language , must needs contribute much to the establishment of the regal throne . were it not thus , king charles had been very ill advised , in putting himself to such immeasurable charges for receiving the poor crown of scotland ; and the scots , not more advised then he , in threatning him , that if he long deferred the duty of a coronation , they might perhaps be inclined to make choice of another king. for which consult our author , fol. . it seems by this , that neither of them did esteem it a serious vanity , and that the king conceived it to have somewhat in it of a solid grandure ; and this our author saw at last , and therefore is compell'd by the light of reason , and the convicting of his judgement ( whether by the observator , or not , shall not now be questioned ) to conclude thus with him , that there is something of a solid signification in those serious vanities . but then he adds withall , that all christian kings are not concerned in it , as is affirmed by the observator , his catholick majesty not being touched in it , because not crowned . nor doth this inference hold good by the rules of logick , that because his catholick majesty is not crowned at all , therefore the rites of coronation are not accompted sacred by him , or that he is unconcerned in those scoffs and scornes , which are put upon it by our author . betwixt all kings there is that sacred correspondence , that the violating of the rites or person of one concerns all the rest : and though the catholick king hath not been crowned in these last ages , yet do they still retain a solemn initiation into regality , as our author calleth it , at their first entrance into state. not crowned , i grant in these latter ages , though they were of old ; that which our saviour spake in the case of marriage between man and woman , viz. non fuit sic ab initio , that it was not so from the beginning , being true in the political marriages of these kings and kingdomes . for in the history of spain written by lewis de mayerne , it is said of inigo arista the . king of navarre , that he was anointed and crowned , after the manner of the kings of france ( of which he i● said to have been a native ) that custome being afterwards observed in the following kings . and though it be believed by some , that this custome came only into navarre , after they had kings of the house of champagn , yet that will give it the antiquity of four hundred years , and prove withall that crowning and anointing , was observed by some kings in that continent . nor was it thus only in navarre , but in castile also , alfonso the third of that name , king of castile and leon ( fortunate in his wars against his neighbours ) causing himself to be crowned emperour of spain in the cathedral church at leon , with the solemnities and ceremonies requisite in so great an act , receiving the holy unction , and the crown from don raymond archbishop of toledo : performed in leon , anno . and afterwards iterated in castile ( as some writers say ) for the crown of toledo as a distinct and different kingdome . the chargeable repetition of which solemn act in so many kingdomes , as now and of long time have been united in the persons of the catholick kings , may possibly be the reason of the discontinuance of it in these latter daies : each kingdome in that continent , being apt to think it self neglected ( as the scots did here ) in case the king received not a particular coronation for it . considedering therefore that one coronation could not serve for all , it was the thriftiest way in respect of charges , and the way most like to please the particular nations , not to receive the crowns of any of them , in that solemn way , which was and is observed to this day in most christian kingdomes . the coronation being past , the king prepareth for the parliament approaching ; also in the way of preparation , he thought it fit , that some who in the last , had been uncivil towards the duke , should be made examples ; upon which accompt ( saith our historian ) the lord keeper williams fell , and his place was disposed of to sir thomas coventry . from which what can be possibly concluded by a knowing man , but that the displacing of the lord keeper williams , must fall between the coronation and the following parliament ? and then our author will not yeeld , that he was out in this temporality . how so ? because ( saith he ) i never intended it , to be in that moment of time to which that paragraph relates , fol. is not this like to prove a brave historian think you , who professeth openly that he writes one thing and intends another ? is not the reader like to be very well edified by such reservations , as the author keeps unto himself , and are not to be found , either positively , or by way of inference , in the book he reads . our author certainly is put hard to it , when he can finde no other way to ev●de the errors of his pen but these silly shifts . and yet solamen miseris , as the old verse hath it . it is some comfort to him , that the observator should be out himself , in saying that the great seal was taken from him in october , whereas it is said by mr. howell , that he departed from the seal in august , fol. . but what if mr. howels intelligence fail him , who though a very honest man pretends not to the spirit of infallibility , as our author doth ? then certainly the observator is not out , nor my author in . but that we may not spend more time in tossing this debate like a tenice ball , from one hand to another ; the pamphleter may be pleased to know , first , that the committing of the great seal to sir thomas coventry , is placed by the continuator of stowes chronicle after the . of september , which makes it very near october if it were not in it . secondly , it is affirmed by those who have cause to know it , that the seal was committed to that gent. precisely on the first or second sunday of october , neither sooner nor later . and thirdly , i am very certain , that whensoeuer it was given to sir thomas coventry , it was taken from the bishop of lincoln but a day or two before , the newes of taking it from the one , and giving it to the other , being brought to oxford in the same letters . but then admitting fourthly , that the bishop parted with the seal in august , yet what makes this to our authors justification ? makes it not to his further condemnation rather ? who placeth it after candlemas , and makes it one of those things in which the king thought fit to prepare himself ( the coronation being ended ) for the following parliament . never had writer such ill luck , or so little modesty ; such ill luck , in calling after any thing which comes in his way , but finding nothing that will keep him up from sinking in his own mistakes ; so little modesty , in yeelding to no evidence which is brought against him : our author being like the bold wrastler , i have somewhere read of , who though he had many fals , and was often foiled , would still perswade the company that he had the better . but yet he makes us some amends in the next that followes , confessing that he was mistaken in making dr. laud bishop of bathe and wells , when he officiated at the coronation . but then withall , he slights the error , calling it scornfully grande nefas , an horrid crime no doubt , ibid. not noted by the observator as a crime , or a horrid crime , but as an error or mistake in his temporalities ; concerning which he saith , and will be bold to say it , in the end of his preface , that no one thing or action is so mislaid , as to superannuate , and not many to vary from the very day of their prime existence . not from the very day of their prime existence ! that were brave indeed , but braver if it were good in the course of the history . some variations from the very day of their prime existence , being seen already . we have here a super-semi-annuating ( a fine word of our authors new fashion ) in making doctor laud bishop of bathe and wells , seven moneths at least before his time : a superannuating in the great rout given to tilly by the king of sweden placed by our author in the year . whereas that battle was not fought till the year next following ; a super-triennuating in placing the synod of dort , before the convocation of ireland held in the year . that synod not being holden untill three years after , and if i do not finde a super-supe-annuating ( that is to say , a lapse of six years ) either in the pamphlet or the history , i am content , our author shall enjoy the honour of a publick triumph ; he must take greater pains then this to relieve his preface , from the purgatory of the observator , of which he telleth us fol. . or otherwise it is like to lie there , till the next general gaol-delivery by a bull from rome . now for the superannuating in the businesse of the councel of dort , ( a subterannuating call'd in the true sense of the thing ) our author hath very much to say , though little to the purpose , in his own defence ; for he resolves to act the wrastler above mentioned , and will not yeeld himself foyled , fall he never so often . and first he flyeth as formerly to his private intentions , telling us , that he intended his not superannuating of such things and actions , as have reference to the sixteen years of king charles , whereof he treateth in that history , not of such things as antecedently occurred , and were taken in by the by , fol. . and this is like an help at maw , kept in his hands to turn the fortune of the game , when it seemeth most desperate . but besides this subtersuge of his private intentions , he not only telleth us , that in things taken in by the by , he never will , nor did ever mean , to warrant the truth to every particular year ; but that this errour being extravagant , and out of the bounds of his principal narrative , may come within the confidence of his not superannuating . a rule and resolution no lesse saving then the truths he writes , and such as ill-becomes the mouth of a good historian ; who if he please to walk abroad into forein countreys , or look back into former times , must have as great care in the circumstances of time and place ( his temporability and localities in our authors language ) as in relating the ●ansitions and affairs at home , though these h●s principal concernment . but lest this should not serve the turn , he hath a trick to make all sure above all dispute , which is by fathering this mistake on the committee for religion , whose report , he there did , or at least intended ( he will be sure that his intentions shall not fail him ) to compleat . but dares he stand to this ? dar●s he stand to any thing ? no , we finde the contrary . for though he telleth us , that the observator would be wondrous blank , at his ridiculus mus , and after such a ranting triumph , if the error should be found to be none of his , but the infallible committees , yet in the end it will appear , that it was infallibly his own , himself confessing , that thinking fit to contract the report of that committee to a narrow scantling , not minding the words , so he secured the substance , he failed in the transcript of his copy , which did erroneously ( he grants ) present the articles sent to dort , before those of ireland , which makes it on the whole matter the greater wonder , that the man having made this ingenuous accompt as himself entituleth it , should reckon as a defence of his not superannuating in this particular ; which is ind●●d a plain confession of the fact , a taking to himself , or his own copy of the report , the mistake committed , and clearing of the committee for religion , upon which he had laid it . or granting that the copy was not of his own transcribing , but the copy rather of some others , the broken fragments , and loose notes of that report , wherewith some mercenary pen-man had abu●ed his credulity ; yet how can this be justified before that committee ; that such a bold affront should be offered to their infallibility , by laying this mistake on them : or that gent. mr. pym ▪ should be conjured from the royal sepulchres like samuel by the witch of e●dor , to bear witness to it ? but our author will not leave it so . the observator must be charged for fetching a running leap to pag. . rather then not finde another mistake ( sor so i think he meaneth ) in the history which is now before us . i thought the observator had in this deserved a more fair acknowledgement , in laying these mistakes together , then if he had took them one by one , as they came in his way , especially considering that he gives a good reason for it , that is to say , that he might not trouble himself with the like observation at another time : and did i think the pamphleter would be ruled again by reason , i could give him another reason for it : that he was now to take his leave of those observations which personally related to the two kings , in their several and distinct capacities : this of king james in sending the articles of lambeth to the convocation of ireland , and the assembly at dort being the last point in which he was concerned in his own particular , without relation to king charles , and not seconded by him . it 's true , we finde them acting afterward in the same design , but in several times ; king james first setting out the declaration about lawfull sports , and king charles seconding the same by a more strict command , to have it punctually observed throughout the kingdome . which giving the occasion to some observations , and those observations occasioning a sharp and uncivill answer in our authors pamphlet ; i shall here take another leap to fetch in those controversies before we do proceed to the examination of the rest that followes : though the debates touching the spreading of arminianism , and the supposed growth of popery , according to the course of time , and the method of our authors history do occur before it . only i must crave leave to hoop in here the duke of york as a considerable member of the royal family , before i close this present chapter . of him our au●hor telleth us in his printed but unpublished sheets , that he was by birth-right duke of york ; but to avoid the scilla of that mistake , he fals into the charybdis of another as bad , telling us in that leafe new printed , ( but not new printed only , if at all , on that occasion ) that he was after styled duke of york . for which , being reprehended by the observator , as one that did accommodate his style to the present times , the gent. seemeth much distressed , and in the agony of those distresses , asks these following questions : . how it is possible to escape the observators lash ? . what shall an honest historian do in such a case ? fol. . in these two doubts i shall resolve him , and resolve him briefly , letting him know , that an honest historian should have said , he was after created duke of york , and not styled so only : and . that if our author shewed himself an honest historian , the observator hath no lash for him , and so it will be possible enough to scape it . which said , we shall go on to that grand concernment , in which our author spends his passions to so little purpose . chap. iv. the pamphleters mistake , in making discontinuance equall to a calling in . the uncharitable censure of h. b. and our historian , upon the first and second publishing of their two majesties declarations about lawful sports . the divinity of the lords day not known to mr. fryth , or mr. tyndall , two eminent martyrs in the time of king henry . nor to bishop hooper , martyred in the time of queen mary . the opinions of those men , how contrary to this new divinity . this new divinity not found in the liturgies , articles , or canons of the church of england ; nor in the writings of any private man before dr. bound , anno . the observator justified in this particular by the church historian . the authors ill luck in choosing archbishop whitgift for a patron of this new divinity ; and the argument drawn from his authority , answered . an answer to the pamphleters argument from the book of homilies ; the full scope and analysis of the homilie , as to this particular . the pamphleters great brag of all learned men on his side , reduced to one , and that one worth nothing . the book of catechestical doctrine ascribed to bishop andrewes , neither of his writing , nor approved of by him . our authors new book in maintenance of this new divinity . the doctor vindicated from the forgings and falsifyings objected against him by the pamphleter . proofs from the most learned men of the protestant and reformed churches , ( ) that in the judgement of the protestant divines , the sanctifying one day in seven , is not the moral part of the fourth commandement . ( ) that the lords day hath no other ground on which to stand , then the authority of the church . and ( ) that the church hath power to change the day , and to translate it to some other . we are now come unto the business of the lordsday , in which our author sheweth himself a stiffe sabbatarian , taking his rise from the kings declaration about lawful sports , first published by king james at greenwitch , may , . anno . and by king charles at westminster , octob. . anno . when published first , it raised so many impetuous clamours , as our author told us in his first , that the book was soon after called in ; in which being otherwise informed by the observator , and so far satisfied in the point that the book never was called in , though the execution of it ( by the remisnesse of that kings government ) was soon discontinued , will notwithstanding keep himself to his former error , and thinks to save himself by this handsome shift , that the discontinuance of the execution of it , ( no matter upon what occasion , for he leaves that out ) was a tacite suppressing and calling of it in , fol. . this is a piece of strange state doctrine , that the discontinuance of the execution of any law , ordinance , canon , or act of state , should be equivalent unto the calling of them in . our author hath not found it so in the act for knighthood , nor have the subjects found it so in such penal statutes , as having lain dor● 〈◊〉 many years , were awakened afterwards ; nor can it be inferred from hence , that any of the lawes against priests and jesuites are at the present , or have been formerly suppressed , and tacitely call'd in , because by the clemency of king james , the prudence of king charles , and the temper of the present government , there was and is a discontinuance of such executions , as only are to be commended , when they may not , then when they may possibly be spared . what the occasion was in publishing of this declaration , the observator tels at large from the books themselves . but h. b. in his seditious sermon ( most undeservedly ) entituled , for god and the king , gives another reason for the publishing of it by king james , which , being not pertinent to my businesse with our present author , i forbear to mention , that being already canvassed in another place . but the design of the re-publishing of it in the reign of king charles , was by our author in the first draught of his history , as it was sent unto the presse , and printed , though suppressed with others of like nature spoken of before , affirmed to be a plot to gall and vex those godly divines , whose consciences would not vail to such impiety , as to promote the work ; and for the not promoting of it to compell them to desert their stations , and abandon their livings , in which their very vitality and livelihood consisted , fol. . then which there could be nothing more uncharitably , or untruly said . this as he makes there the first project of exasperation which archbishop laud and his confederates of the same stamp pitched upon , to let his professed enemies feel the dint of his spirit ; so doth he call it in the king a profane edict , a maculating of his own honour , and a sacrilegious robbing of god. all which , though afterwards left out , declare his willingnesse to make both prince and prelates , and the dependants of those prelates ( the poor doctor of cosmography among the rest ) feel the dint of his spirit ; and pity 't was he was not suffered to go on in so good a purpose . our author having intimated in the way of a scorn or j●ar that the divinity of the lords day , was new divinity at the court ; was answered by the observator , that so it was , by his leave , in the countrey too , not known in england till the year . &c. the observator said it then , i shal prove it now , and having proved it in the thesis , or proposition , will after return answer to those objections which the pamphleter hath brought against it . and first it is to be observed , that this new divinity of the lords day was unknown to those , who suffered for religion , and the testimony of a good conscience , under henry . as appeareth by john fryth ( who suffered in the year ) in a tract by him written about baptism . our fore-fathers , saith he , which were in the beginning of the church , did abrogate the sabbath , to the intent that men might have an ensample of christian liberty , &c. howbeit because it was necessary , that a day should be reserved , in which the people should come together , to hear the word of god , they ordained in stead of the sabbath , which was saturday , the next day following , which is sunday . and though they might have kept the saturday with the jew , as a thing indifferent , yet they did much better . next to him followeth mr. tyndall , famous in those times , for his translation of the bible , for which , and for many of his doctrines opposite to the church of rome , condemned unto the flames ann● . in the same kings reign , who in his answer to sir thoma● more , hath resolved it thus : as for the sabbath , we be lords over the sabbath , and may yet change it into munday , or into any other day , as we see need , or may make every tenth day holiday only , if we see cause why , neither was there any cause to change it from the saturday , but to put a difference between us and the jewes : neither need we any ▪ holy day at all , if the people might be taught without it . the same doctrine publickly defended in the writings of bishop hooper , advanced to the miter by king edward , and by queen mary to the crown , the crown o● martyrdome , in a treatise by him written on the ten commandements , anno . who resolves it thus : we may not think ( saith he ) that god gave any more holinesse to the sabbath , then to the other daies . for if ye consider , friday , saturday , or sunday , in as much as they be daies , and the work of god , the one is no more holy then the other , but that day is alwaies most holy , in the which we most apply and give our selves unto holy works . no notice taken by these martyrs of this new divinity : the first speaking of the observation of the lords day , no otherwise then as an institution grounded on their forefathers , a constitution of the church ; the second placing no more morality in a seventh-day , then in a tenth-day sabbath ; and the third making all daies wholly alike , the sunday no otherwise then the rest . as this divinity was new to those godly martyrs , so was it also to those prelates , and other learned men who composed the first and second liturgies in the reign of king edward , or afterwards reviewed the same in the first year of queen elizabeth , anno . in none of which there is more care taken of the sunday then the other holydaies ; no more divine offices performed , or diligent attendance required by the old lawes of this land upon the one , then on the other . no notice taken of this new divinity in the articles of religion as they were published , anno . or as they were revised and ratified in the tenth year after ; no order taken for such a strict observation of it , as might entitle it unto any divinity , either in the orders of . or the advertisements of . or the canons of . or those which ●ollowed anno . nothing that doth so much as squint toward● this divinity in the writings of any learned man of this nation , protestant ▪ papist , puritan , of what sort soever , till broached by dr. bound , anno . as formerly hath been affirmed by the observator . but because the same truth may possibly be more grateful to our author , from the mouth of another , then from that of the ignorant observator , i would desire him to consult the new church history , writ by a man more sutable to his own affections , and so more like to be believed . about this time ( saith he ) throughout england , began the more solemn and strict observation of the lords day ( hereafter both in writing and preaching commonly call'd the sabbath ) occasioned by a book this year set forth by p. bound dr. in divinity ( and enlarged with additions , anno . ) wherein the following opinions are maintained . . that the commandement of sanctifying every seventh day , as in the mosaical decalogue , is moral and perpetual . . that whereas all other things in the jewish church were taken away ( priesthood , sacrifices , and sacraments ) his sabbath was so changed as it still remaineth . . that there is a great reason , why we christians should take our selves as strictly bound to rest upon the lords day , as the jewes were upon their sabbath , it being one of the moral commandements where all are of equall authority . lib. . sect . . after this , he goeth on to tell us , how much the learned men were divided in their judgements about these sabbatarian doctrines ; some embraced them as ancient truths consonant to scripture , long disused and neglected , now seasonably revived for the increase of piety ; others conceived them grounded on a wrong bottome , but because they tended to the manifest advance of religion , it was pity to oppose them , seeing none have just reason to complain , being deceived into their own good . but a third sort flatly fell out with these positions , as galling mens necks with a jewish yoke against the liberty of christians . that christ as lord of the sabbath had removed the rigour thereof , and allowed men lawful recreations : that his doctrine put an unequal lustre on the sunday ; on set purpose to eclipse all other holy daies , to the derogation of the authority of the church : that this strict observance was set up out of faction to be a character of difference , to brand all for libertines who did not entertain it . sect . . he telleth us fin●lly , that the book was afterwards called in and command●d to be no more printed . the doctrine opsed by the archbishop , and the maintainers of it punished by judge popham ; though by the diligence and counterworking of the brethren it got ground again . this being said , we shall proceed unto the answering of the pamphleters arguments not more remarkable for their paucity , then they are for their weaknesse . he telleth us first that archbishop whitgift in his defence of the answer to the admonition , saith , in the present tense , that the sabbath is superstitiously used by some , and speaks soon after of a sabbath , then commanded by the fourth precept . the pamphleter hereupon inferreth that he could not mean the jewish sabbath , and if not that , it must of necessity be the lords day , fol. . here is a stout argument indeed , able to knock down any man which thinks the contrary ; for mark the inference thereof . archbishop whitgift , gives unto the lords day ( in a metaphorical and figurative sense ) the name of sabbath , ergo , which is in english , therefore , it must be kept with all the rigors and severities which were ●equired unto the observation of the sabbath by the law of moses : or therefore , which is in latine ergo , there is as much divinity in the lords day now by whomsoever it was ordained , as had been heretofore ascribed to the sabbath-day of gods own appointing . and then again , the lords day is by him called a sabbath , and said to be there commanded by the fourth precept , therefore there is such a divinity in it as dr. bound ascribes to his lords daies sabbath , according to his articles and petitions laid down . did ever man so argue in a point which he makes to be of so great concernment , or make so ill a choice both of the medium and the author , which he groundeth upon ? first of the medium ; for may we not conclude by the self-same logick that there is a divinity in all the holydaies of the church ; because all grounded on , and warranted by the fourth commandement , as all learned writers say they are ? and that there is a divinity in tithes and churches , because both places set apart for sacred actions , and maintenance also for the persons , which officiate in them , as the pamphleter afterwards alledgeth , are included also in this precept ? if there be a divinity in these , let our author speak out plainly , and plea● as strongly for the divinity or divine institution of tithes and churches , as he hath done ( or endevours to do at least ) for the divinity of the lords dayes sabbath . if none in these , and i conceive our author will not say there is , though grounded on the warrant of the fourth commandement , let him not d●eam of any such divinity in the lords day , because now kept by vertue of that precept also . but worse luck hath the g●nt in the choice of his author , then in that of his medium ; there being no man , that more disrelished and opposed this new divinity of the sabbath , and all the sabbatarian errors depending on it , then this most reverend prelate did , insomuch that he commanded bounds book to be called in , upon the first discovery of the doctrines delivered in it : which cert●inly he had not done , if he had been of the same judgement with that doctor , or had meant any such thing in his defence of the answer to the admonition , which our pamphlete● hath put upon him . assuredly unless the pamphleter had been bribed to betray the cause , and justifie the observator , he would have passed over the debating of this new divinity , or else found more then one man in the space of years ( so long it was from the first of queen elizabeth to the coming out of bounds book ) to have spoken for him ; and such a man , as had not shewed himself so professed an enemy to the newnesse of it , by causing the book to be called in , that the brethren commonly used to say , that out of envy to their proceedings , he had caused such a pearl to be concealed . let us next see what comfort he can finde from the book of homilies , of which he saith , that there was not any thing more especially taught in them , then the divinity of the lords day . this he affirmes , but they that look into that book , will finde many points more specially taught , and more throughly pressed , then this divinity he talketh of ; witnesse those long and learned homilies , upon the peril of idolatry , against disobedience and rebellion ( of these last six at least in number ) besides many others . but if it can be proved at all , no matter whether specially or more specially , that shall make no difference , and that it may be proved he telleth us , that they say [ god in that precept ( speaking of the ●ourth ) commandeth the observation of the sabbath , which is our sunday ] fol. . if this be so , and to be understood of such a divinity , or such a divine institution of the lords day , as our author would fain put upon it : first then we must have some expresse warrant , and command from god himself , altering the day , from the seventh day of the week , on which he commanded it to be kept by the law of moses , unto the first day of the week , on which it is now kept by the church of christ . but secondly that homily ( i mean that of the time and place of prayer ) doth inform us thus : that the goldly christian people began to follow the example , and commandement of god , immediately after the ascension of our lord christ , and began to choose them a standing day of the week to come together , yet not the seventh day which the jewes kept , but the lords day , the day of the lords resurrection , the day after the seventh day , which is the fi●st day of the week &c. and thirdly , it is said in the same homily , that by this commandement we ought to have a time , as one day in the week , wherein we ought to rest , yea from our lawful and needful works , &c. which passages being laid together , will amount to this , first that the homilie doth not say that by the fourth commandement we ought to have one day in the week , which is plainly peremptory ; but that we ought to have a time , as one day in the week , which is plainly arbitrary . secondly , that being arbitrary in it self , and so esteemed of by the christians in the primitive times , they thought it good , immediately after christs ●scension , to choose a standing day of the week to come together in , namely the lords day , or the day of the resurrection . not that they were required so to do by the fourth commandement , which limited the sabbath ( the ordinary time of worship ) to the day foregoing ; nor commanded so to do by christ , this choice of the day not being made till after his ascension , and no command of his approving in the holy scripture ; nor finally by any precept or injunction of the holy apostles : of which as the scriptures are quite silent ; so the homilie ascribes it wholly to the voluntary choice of godly christian people , without any mention made at all of their authority . so the then meaning of those words , produced by our author , for the ground of this new divinity , will be only this , that as god rested on the seventh day , and commanded it to be kept wholly by the jewes , so the godly christian people after christs ascension , following his example , and warranting themselves by his authority , did choose a seventh day of the week , though not the same which had been kept holy by the jewes for the day of worship . and this is all we are to trust to for the divinity , or divine institution of the lords day sabbath , from the book of homilies ; neither so positively , nor so clearly rendred , as to lay a fit or sure foundation for so great a building . in the next place , the pamphleter quarrels with the observator , for making it a prodigie and a paradox too , that neither the order nor revenues of the evangelical priesthood , should have any existence , but in relation to the divinity of the lords day . but sir the observator doth not only say it , but he proves it too , and proves it by the authority of the holy scriptures , mentioning the calling of the apostles , of the seventy disciples of s. paul and others to the work of the ministery , and pleading strongly in behalf of an evangelical maintenance , as belonging to them ; at such time as the lords day no such existence , no such divinity of existence , as our author speaks of . in stead of answering to these proofs , the pamphleter telleth us , that there is not a man of note , who treateth of the . commandement ( himself especially for one , and the chief one too ) that owneth not this prodigious opinion ; and therefore aske●h , where this observator ha●h been brought up , that this tenet of his , ye● of all learned men , should be so wondred at to be called a prodigie . fol. . but the reply to this will be very easie . for first , all the men of note which write upon the . commandement , all learned men ( our author too into the bargain ) are no fit ballance for s. paul , nor able to counterpoise the expresse and clear authority of the holy scriptures . and secondly , the pamphleter after his great brag , that all learned men , almost all men of note , which write upon the commandement , are of his opinion , is fain to content himself at the present with only one , and such an one , who though he be insta● omnium with the pamphleter , is not so with me , nor with the observator neither . not that we fail in any part of due honour to that reverend prelate , whose name he useth to make good the point which is in question , but that we think the work imputed to him by the pamphleter to be none of his , never owned by him in his life , nor justified for his by any of relation or nearnesse to him , therefore to undeceive so many , as shall read these papers , they may please to know , that in the year . mr. andrewes was made the catechist of pembrook-hall , for the instruction of the younger students of that house in the grounds of divinity ; that though he was then but a young man , yet his abilities were so well known , that not only those of the same foundation , but many of other colledges in that university , and some out of the countrey also , came to be his auditors ; that some of them taking notes of his lectures as well as they could , were said to have copies of his catechizing , though for most part very imperfect , and in many points of consequence very much mistaken ; that after his coming to be bishop he gave a special warrant unto one of his chaplains , not to own any thing for his , that was said to have been taken by notes from his mouth . and finally that hearing of the coming out of that catechism , as in discourse with those about him he would never own it , nor liked to have it mentioned to him , so he abolished ( as it seemeth ) his own original copy , which they that had command to search and sort his papers could not finde in his study : and though this catechism came out since in a larger volume , yet not being published according to his own papers ( although under his name ) it can no more be said to be his , then many false and supposititious writings foisted into the works of ambrose , augustine , and almost all the ancient fathe●● , may be counted theirs . of all this , i am punctually advertised by an emin●nt person of near admission to that prelate , when he was alive , and a great honourer of him since his death , and have thought fit to signifie as much upon this occasion to disabuse all such whom the name of this most reverend prelate might else work upon : which said , there needs no answer to this doughty argument , which being built upon a ruinous and false foundation , fals to the ground , without more ●doe , as not worth the answering . we see by this that all the learned men which our author brags of , are reduced to one , which one upon examination proves as good as none , if not worse then nothing . but the pamphleter may be pardoned for coming short in this present project , in regard of the great pains he had taken in writing a book of the doctrine of the sabbath , or divinity of the lords day , published in the year . unto which treatise he refers all men who shall desire his judgement in that subject , that book being never yet answered by any , as he gallantly braves it , fol. . in this there are many things to be considered . for first it is probable enough that this treatise to which we are referred for our satisfaction , was either so short lived , or made so little noise abroad , that it was not heard of . for had it either moved so strongly , or cryed so loud , that it intituled our author ( the dear father of it ) to any estate of reputation for term of life , as tenant by the courtesie of the gentle reader ; it is not possible , but that we should have had some tale or tidings of it in so long a time , and therefore i conceive that it was still-born , and obscurely buried , and perhaps buried by the man-midwife , i mean the bookseller or printer , who gave it birth , before the godfathers and godmothers , and the rest of the good gossips could be drawn together , to give a name unto the in●ant , or at the best like the solstitial herb in plautus , quae repentino orta est , repentino occidit , withered as soon as it sprang up , and so came to nothing . secondly , if it were not answered , i would not have the gent ▪ think , that it was therefore not answered , because unanswerable ( though he were apt enough to think so without this praecaution ) but for other reasons . for first the year . was a busie year , and brought so much trouble and encumbrance on the english clergy , as gave them neither list nor leisure to answer all impertinent scribbles , which by the liberty of that time , and the audaciousnesse thereby prompted unto severall men , did break out upon them : securi de salute , de gloria certemus , as you know who said . men have small edge to fight for honour , and undertake unprofitable and fruitlesse quarrels , when unsecure of life and safety , and all things else which are most near and dear unto them . but secondly , taking it for granted , that some men were at leisure to attend those services , how may we be assured , that there was any thing in the book which was worth the answering , or that any credit could be gotten from the work or author ? for it is possible enough , that every man might not have such opinion of you , as you say the observator had , who did therefore ( if you judge aright of his intentions ) professe an high esteem of your parts and person , only to make the world believe , that you were worthy the overcoming . and if they did not think so of you , they had all the reason in the world to decline a combate , ubi & vincere inglorium esset , & atteri sordidum , in which to overcome , or to be conquered , is like inglorious . but whatsoever opinion the observator had of you , you have not the like opinion of his alter idem , the doctor in cosmography , as you please to taunt him , whom you accuse , for forging and falsifying a record so boldly , the modest gent. will not say so impudently , and that too not in an idle circumstance , but in the grand concernment of a controversie with spight and calumny enough . and why all this ? marry say you in the second book and . chapter , of his history of the sabbath , published in the year . he hath misreported the words of pareus in putting down quomodo for quando , adding withall , in vindication whereof , he never attempted any thing as yet , fol. . this i confesse is grave crimen , & ante hoc tempus inaudi●um , a grievous c●ime , the like to which was never charged upon him by his greatest enemies . in answer whereunto , i must tell you for him that being plundred of his books , and keeping no remembrances , and collections of his studies by him , he cannot readily resolve what edition he followed in his consulting with that author . he alwaies thought , that tenure in capite , was a nobler and more honourable tenure , then to hold by copy , and therefore carelesly neglected to commit any part of his readings unto notes and papers , of which he never found such want as in this particular , which you so boldly charge upon him . or were it so as you inform us , both he and i have cause to wonder why our learned author did not rather choose to confute that whole history of the sabbath , then spend his time in hammering some petit tractate ; of which the world hath took no notice ; that being a work , which might have rendred him considerable , and made more noise then all the geese in the capitol to the awakening of the dull doctor , and the drowsie clergie : or if he thought this task too great , and the burden too heavie for his shoulders ; why did he let these falsifyings and forgings sl●p years together , and never call to an accompt for it till this present time , when it may justly be supposed , that not your zeal unto the truth , but secret malice to his person did ex●ort it from you ? thirdly , i am required to tell you that if there be such a mistake in the citation , which he more then doubts , it was not willingly and wilfully committed by him , and therefore not within the compasse of those forgings and falsifyings which you tax him with . for he would fain know cui bono , or cui malo rather , to what end , whether good or bad , he should use those forgings or falsifyings , in that author , when he was compassed about with a cloud of witnesses , attesting positively and plainly to the point in hand ; or what need there should be of practising on pareus to appear fair for him , when more then a whole jury of learned and religious men , as learned and as good as he , had given up their verdict in the case ? now that this may appear to be so indeed , and that withall the re●der may understand the true state of the question , i will lay down that section which the pamphleter doth refer us to , together with the next before it and the next that followes , and so submit the whole controver●ie to his better judgement . this only is to be premised , that the . section shews , that the reformators found great fault , both with the new doctrine of the papist , about the natural and inherent holinesse , which they ascribe to some daies above the rest , and the restraints from labour on the lords day and the other holy daies ; upon which it followeth in these words , viz. ( ) indeed it is not to be thought , that they could otherwise resolve and determine of it , considering what their doctrine is of the day it self ; how different they make it from a sabbath day : which doctrine , that we may perceive with the greater ease , we will consider it in three propositions , in which most agree : . that the keeping holy one day of seven , is not the moral part of the fourth commandement , or to be reckoned as a part of the law of nature . . that the lords day is not founded on divine commandement , but only on the authority of the church ; and . that the church ●ath still authority to change the day , and to transfer it to some other . first for the first , it seems that some of rome ( considering the restraints before remembred , and the new doctrine thence arising , about the natural and inherent holinesse , which one day had above another ) had altered what was formerly delivered amongst the schoolmen : and made the keeping of one day in seven , to be the moral part of the fourth commandement . this calvin ( instit . l. . c. . . . ) chargeth them withall , that they had taught the people in the former times , that whatsoever was ceremonial in the fourth commandement , which was the keeping of the jewes seventh day , had been long since abrogated : remanere vero quod morale est , nempe unius diei observationem in hebdomade , but that the moral part thereof , which was the keeping of one day in seven , did continue still . which what else is it , as before was said , then in dishonour of the jewes to change the day ; and to affix as great a sanctity thereunto , as the jewes ever did ? as for his own part he pro●esseth , that howsoever he approved of the lords day meetings : non tamen numerum septenarium ita se morari , ut ejus servituti ecclesias astringeret ; yet stood not he so much for the number of seven , as to confine the church unto it . if calvin elsewhere be of another minde , and speak of keeping holy one day in seven , as a matter necessary ; ( which some say he doth ) either they must accuse him of much inconstancy , and forgetfulnesse ; or else interpret him , with rivet ( in decalog . ) as speaking of an ecclesiastical custome , not to be neglected ; non de necessitate legis divinae ; and not of any obligation layed upon us by the law of god. neither is he the only one that hath so determined . simler ( in exod. . ) hath said it more expresly , quod dies una cultui divino consecratur , ex lege naturae est ; quod autem haec sit septima , non octava , nona , aut decima , juris est divini sed ceremonialis : that one day should be set apart for gods publick worship , is the law of nature , but that this day should be the seventh , and not the eighth , ninth or tenth , was not of divine appointment , but ceremonial . aretius ( loc. ) also in his common places distinguished between the substance of the sabbath , and the time thereof : the substance of it , which was rest , and the works of piety , being in all times to continue ; tempus autem , ut septimo die observetur , hoc non fuit necessarium in ecclesia christi , but for the time , to keep it on the seventh day alwaies , that was not necessary in the church of christ . so also francisc . gomarus , that great undertaker against arminius , in a book written purposely , de origine & institutione sabbati , affirms for certain , that it can neither be made good by the law of nature , or text of scripture , or any solid argument drawn from thence , unum è septem diebus ex vi praecepti quarti ad cultum dei necessario observandum , that by the fourth commandement , one day in seven is of necessity to be dedicated to gods service . and rivet as profest an enemy of the remonstrants , though for the antiquity of the sabbath , he differeth from the said gomarus ; yet he agreeth with him in this : not only making the observance of one day in seven , to be meerly positive , as in our first part we observed ; but laies it down for the received opinion of most of the reformed divines , vnum ex septem diebus non esse necessario eligendum , ex vi praec●pti , ad sacros conventus celebrandos ; ( in exod. . p. . ) the very same with what gomarus affirmed before . so lastly for the lutheran churches , chemnitius makes it part of our christian liberty , quod nec sint allegati , nec debeant alligari ad certorum vel dierum , vel temporum observationes , opinione necessitatis in novo testamento , &c. that men are neither bound , nor ought to be , unto the observation of any daies or times , as matters necessary , under the gospel of our saviour : though otherwise he account it for a barbarous folly , not to observe that day with all due solemnity , which hath for so long time been kept by the church of god. therefore in his opinion also , the keeping of one day in seven , is neither any moral part of the fourth commandement , or parcel of the law of nature . as for the subtle shift of amesius ( medull . theolog . l. . . ) finding , that keeping holy one day in seven , is positive indeed , sed immutabilis plane institutionis , but such a positive law , as is absolutely immutable ; & doth as much oblige , as those which in themselves are plainly natural and moral : it may then serve , when there is nothing else to help us . for that a positive law should be immutable in it self ; and in its own nature , be as universally binding as the moral law ; is such a piece of learning , and of contradiction , as never was put up to shew in these latter times . but he had learnt his lirry in england here ; and durst not broach it but by halves amongst the hollanders . ( ) for the next thesis , that the lords day is not founded on divine commandement , but the authority of the church : it is a point so universally resolved on , as no one thing more : and first we will begin with calvin , who tels us ( institut . l. . c. . n. . ) how it was not without good reason , that those of old , appointed the lords day , as we call ●it , to supply the place of the jewish sabbath . non sine delectu dominicum quem vocamus diem , veteres in locum sabbati subrogarunt : as his words there are . where none , i hope , will think that he would give our saviour christ , or his apostles , such a short come off , as to include them in the name of veteres only : which makes it plain , that he conceived it not to be their appointment . bucer resolves the point more clearly : ( in mat. . ) communi christianorum consensu dominicum diem publicis ecclesiae conventibus ac requieti publicae dicatum esse , ipso statim apostolorum tempore ; viz. that in the apostles times , the lords day by the common consent of christian people , was dedicated unto publick rest , and the assemblies of the church . and peter martyr upon a question asked , why the old seventh day was not kept in the christian church ; makes answer , that upon that day , and on all the rest , we ought to rest from our own works , the works of sin . sed quod is magis quam ille , eligatur ad externum dei cultum , liberum fuit ecclesiae per christum ut id consuleret quod ex re magis judicaret : nec illa pessime judicavit , &c. ( in gen. . ) that this was rather chose then that , for gods publick service , that , saith he , christ left totally unto the liberty of the church , to do therein what should seem most expedient ; and that the church did very well , in that she did prefer the memory of the resurrection , before the memory of the creation . these two i have the rather thus joyned together , as being sent for into england in king edwards time , and placed by the protector in the universities , the better to establish reformation , at that time begun : and doubt we not , but that they taught the self-same doctrine ( if at the least they touched at all upon that point ) with that now extant in their writings . at the same time with them lived bullinger , and gualter , two great learned men . of these , the first informs us , hunc diem , loco sabba●i , in memoriam resurgentis domini delegisse sibi ecclesias . ( in apoc. . ) that in memorial of our saviours resurrection , the church set apart this day , in the sabbaths stead , whereon to hold their solemn and religious meetings . and after , sponte receperunt ecclesiae illam diem ; non legimus eam ullibi praeceptam . that of their own accord , and by their own authority , the church made choice thereof for the use aforesaid ; it being no where to be found that it was commanded . gualter ( in act. apost . hom. ) more generally , that the christians first assembled on the sabbath day , as being then most famous , and so most in use : but when the churches were augmented , proximus à sabbato dies , rebus sacris destinatus , the next day after the sabbath was designed to those holy uses , if not before , then certainly not so commanded by our saviour christ : and if designed only , then not enjoyned by the apostles . yea beza , though herein he differ from his master calvin , and makes the lords day meetings , apostolicae & verae divinae traditionis , ( apoc. . . ) to be indeed of apostolical and divine tradition : yet being a tradition only , although apostolical , it is no commandement . and more then that , he tels us in another place ( in act . ) that from st. pauls preaching at troas , and from the text , cor. . . non inepte colligi , it may be gathered not unfitly , that then the christians were accustomed to meet that day ; the ceremony of the jewish sabbath , beginning by degrees to vanish . but sure the custome of the people makes no divine traditions ; and such conclusions , as not unfitly may be gathered from the text , are not text it self . others there be , who attribute the changing of the day to the apostles ; not to their precept , but their practise . so mercer ( in gen. ) apostoli in dominicum converterunt , the apostles changed the sabbath to the lords day . paraeus attributes the same apostolicae ecclesiae , unto the apostolical church , or church in the apostles times : quomodo autem facta sit haec mutatio , in sacris literis expressum non habemus : but how , by what authority such a change was made , is not delivered ( as he confesseth ) in the scripture . and john cuchlinus , ( in thesib . pag. . ) though he call it consuetudinem apostolicam , an apostolical custome ; yet he is peremptory , that the apostles gave no such commandment : apostolos praeceptum reliquisse , constanter negamus . s. simler ( de festis chr. p. ) cals it only consuetudinem tempore apostolorum rec●ptam : a custome taken up in the apostles time . and so hospinian , although , saith he , it be apparent , that the lords day was celebrated in the place of the jewish sabbath , even in the times of the apostles ; non invenitur tamen vel apostolos , vel alios , lege aliqua & praecepto , observationem ejus instituisse : yet finde we not , that either they , or any other did institute the keeping of the same , by any law or precept , but left it free . thus zanchius ( in . praecept . ) nullibi legimus apostolos , &c. we do not read , saith he , that the apostles commanded any to observe this day : we only read what they and others did upon it ; liberum ergo reliquerunt : which is an argument , that they left it to the churches power . to those adde vrsin in his exposition on the fourth commandment , ( in catech. palat. ) liberum ecclesiae reliquit alios dies eligere , that it is left unto the church , to make choice of any day ; and that the church made choice of this , in honour of our saviours resurrection : and so aretius in his common places : christiani in dominicum transtulerunt : that by the christian people the sabbath was translated to the lords day . gomarus and ryvet , in the tracts before remembred , have determined further , viz. that in the choosing of this day , the church did exercise as well her wisdome , as her freedome : her freedome being not oblig●d to any day , by the law of god : her wisdome , ne majori mutatione judaeos offenderet ; that by so small an alteration , she might the lesse offend the jewes , who were then considerable . as for the lutheran divines : it is affirmed by dr. bound , that for the most part they ascribe too much unto the liberty of the church , in appointing daies for the assembly of the people : which is plain confession . but for particulars ; brentius , as dr. prideaux tels us , cals it civilem institutionem , a civil institutionem , and no commandement of the gospel : which is no more indeed then what is elsewhere said by calvin , when he accounts no otherwise thereof , then ut remedium retinendo ordini necessarium , as a fit way to retain order in the church . and sure i am , chemnitius tels us , that the apostles did not impose the keeping of this day as necessary upon the consciences of gods people , by any law or precept whatsoever : sed libera fuit observatio ordinis gratia ; but that for orders sake , it had been voluntarily used amongst them , of their own accord . ( ) thus have we proved by the doctrine of the protestants , of what side soeever , and those of greatest credit in their several churches , eighteen by name , and all the lutherans in general , of the same opinion ; that the lords day is of no other institution then the authority of the church : which proved the last of the three theses . that still the church hath power to change the day , and to transfer it to some other : will follow of it self , on the former grounds : the protestant doctors before remembred , in saying that the church did institute the lords day , as we see they do ; confessing tacitely , that still the church hath power to change it . nor do they tacitely confesse it , as if they were affraid to speak it out : but some of them in plain terms affirm it , as a certain truth . zuinglius , the first reformer of the switzers , hath resolved it so , in his discourse against one valentine gentilis , a new arrian heretick ( tom. . p. . a. ) audi mi valentine , quibus modis & rationibus , sabbatum ceremoniale reddatur . hearken now valentine , by what waies and means the sabbath may be made a ceremony : if either we observe that day which the jewes once did , or think the lords day so affixed to any time , ut nefas sit illum in aliud tempus transferre : that we conceive it an impiety , it should be changed unto another ; on which , as well as upon that , we may not rest from labour , and hearken to the word of god : if perhaps such necessity should be , this would indeed make it become a ceremony . nothing can be more plain then this : yet calvin is as plain ; when he professeth , that he regarded not so much the number of seven , ut ejus servituti ecclesias astringeret , as to enthral the church unto it . sure i am , doctor prideaux ( in orat. de sab. ) reckoneth him , as one of them , who teach us , that the church hath power to change the day , and to transfer it to some other . and that john barclaie makes report , how once he had a consultation , de transferenda dominica in feriam quintam , of altering the lords day unto the thursday . bucer affirmes as much , as touching the authority : and so doth bullinger , and brentius , vrsine and chemnitius , as doctor prideaux hath observed . of bullinger , bucer , brentius , i have nought to say , because the places are not cited ; but take it , as i think i may , upon his credit . but for chemnitius , he saith often , that it is libera observatio , a voluntary observation ; that it is an especial part of our christian liberty , not to be tyed to daies and times , in matters which concern gods service ; and that the apostles made it manifest by their example , singulis diebus , vel quocunque die : that every day , or any day , may by the church be set apart for religious exercises . and as for vrsine , he makes this difference between the lords day and the sabbath ( catech . qu. . . ) that it was utterly unlawful to the jewes , either to neglect or change the sabbath , without expresse commandment from god himself , as being a ceremonial part of divine worship : but for the christian church , that may design the first , or second , or any other day to gods publick service ; so that our christian liberty be not thereby infringed , or any opinion of necessity or holinesse affixt unto them . ecolesia vero christiana primum , vel alium diem , tribuit ministerio , salva sua libertate sine opinione cultus vel necessitatis ; as his words there are . to these adde dietericus , a lutheran divine , who , though he makes the keeping of one day in seven , to be the moral part of the fourth commandment ; yet for that day , it may be dies sabbati , or dies solis , or quicunque alius , sunday , or saturday , or any other , be it one in seven . ( som. . post trinit . ) and so hospinian is perswaded : dominicum diem mutare , & in alium transferre licet , &c. that if the occasions of the church do so require , the lords day may be changed unto any other : provided it be one of seven ; and that the change be so transacted , that it produce no scandal or confusion in the church of god. nay , by the doctrine of the helvetian churches , every particular church may destinate what day they please to religious meetings , to publick prayers , preaching the word , and ministring the sacraments . for so they gave it up in their confession ( cap. . ) deligit ergo quaevis ecclesia sibi certum tempus ad preces publicas , & evangelii praedicationem , nec non sacramentorum celebrationem . and howsoever for their own parts , they kept that day , which had been set apart for those holy uses , even from the time of the apostles ; yet , that they conceived it free , to keep the lords day , or the sabbath ; sed & dominicum , non sabbatum , libera observatione celebramus . some sectaries since the reformation , have gone further yet , and would have had all daies alike , as unto their use , all equally to be regarded : and reckoned that the lords day , as the church continued it , was a jewish ordinance ; thwarting the doctrine of s. paul , who seemed to them to abrogate the difference of daies , which the church retained . this was the fancie or the frenzie rather of the anabaptist , taking the hint perhaps from something which had formerly been delivered by some wiser men ; and after them , of the swinckfieldian , and the familist : as in the times before , of the petro-brusians , and ( if waldensis wrong him not ) of wicklef also . by this it will appear , that the doctor had no reason to forge and falsifie pareus , as the pamphleter saith he did , when the whole current of protestant and reformed divines do affirm that point for which paraeus is produced . a greater vindication needs not in a case so clear ; and sooner had this vindication been made , if this foul charge had sooner come unto his ears . the pamphleter findes fault with the observator , in that he did not , viva vo●e , by conference , or by letters , hint those mistakes to him which were found in his history , as fit considerations for a second impression . fol. . the dr. findes the same fault in him , by whom he stands accused of forging and falsifying a record , and thinks it would have represented him to be a man of more christian , yea moral principles , to have given him a private admonition touching that mistake ( if it prove such upon the search of all editions , then lay so soul a charge upon him in so great a controversie . by this it also will appear , . that in the judgement of the protestant divines , the sanctifying one day in seven , is not the moral part of the . commandement . . that the lords day hath no other ground on which to stand , then the authority of the church . and . that the church hath power to change the day and to transfer it to some other . crack me these nuts my most learned sir , and when you have broke your teeth about them , as i doubt you will , throw me your never-yet-answered piece of . and if the doctors eyes and leisure will not serve to do it , 't is ten to one but i will finde some friend or other that shall kick you an answer . chap. v. our authors opinion touching the divine right of episcopacy ; and his intention doubted in it . bishops and presbyters not alwayes of equivalent import in holy scripture . proofs that the word bishop in the first of tim. c. . is taken properly and restrictively , drawn , . from the word there used in the singular number . . from his fitness for government . . from the hospitality required in him ; and . from his being no novice , but of longer standing in the church . presbyters there included , under the name diaconi , more properly in that place to be rendred ministers . the like acceptions of the word in other places . proofs that the author speakes his own opinion under that of others ; . from the word asserted , which is here explained . . from some passages in the published and unpublished sheets . 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 not rendred senior ( as the pamphleter would fain have it ) in all learned authors . the word presbyter fitter to be used then elder in our english translations . mr. selden no good friend to bishops , and the reason why . the reason why king charles his testimony in behalf of episcopacy was not produced by the observator . the pamphleters rage , for being said to make episcopacy but a thing of indifferency ; that so he must be understood proved from the history it self , and the weak arguments brought by the pamphleter to the contrary ; an answer to those arguments . having thus vindicated the declarations of the two kings about lawfull sports , satisfied the objections of the pamphleter , and cleared the dr. from the forgings and falsifyings , so maliciously imputed to him ; and therewithall layed down the true state of the controversie , touching the lords day , out of the writings of the most learned men of the protestant and reformed churches : it is high time we should proceed to the rest that follows , and free the bishops and their actions , from those odious calumnies , which are charged upon them . our author fol. . and . hath not unhandsomely stated the whole point of episcopacy , ascribing a divine right to it , and thinks it as demonstrable out of scriptures , as any thing whatsoever not fundamentall . that there was a prelacy or superiority , of some one over other presbyters , within some certain walks and precincts ; that this superiority was appointed by the very apostles , to be exemplary , and to give law to succeeding times . concerning which and many other good expressions , which follow after , i may justly say , as bellarmine did of calvin in another case ; viz. vtinam sic semper errasset , would he had never erred otherwise , then he doth in this . only i could have wished , that for the better clearing of his own intentions , and satisfaction unto others , he had exprest himself more fully as to this particular , viz. whether the superiority of such persons over such presbyters in the church apostolique , was fixed in them during life ; or that passed from one to another in their severall turns like the m●deratorship , in the generall assembly of the kirk of scotland , or the chair-man , in the conferences , and debates of councell in the rest of the calvinian churches . for if he mean in this last sense , as i hope he doth not , episcopacy is no more beholding to him , then it was to beza ; who notwithstanding he maintained a party of ministers without any fixed superiority which one may claim above another , yet he allows a moveable presidency to be not unusuall , nor unfrequent in the very times of the apostles . and yet that some such secret meaning may be gathered from him by such as have a minde to interpret all things to their own advantage , will be made not improbable by his standing to this proposition , that there is no place in holy text , wherein presbyters import not bishops , and bishops presbyters . considering therefore that he still stands to his former principle , that bishops and presbyters in scripture phrase are of equivalent import , and denote the self same persons without the least distinction , and requireth it of the observator , or of any man else . to tell him where such persons in holy text , are distinguished so really , that a bishop doth not import a presbyter , and a presbyter doth not import a bishop . i think my self as much concerned as the observator , to make answer to it . first , then say i , that though those words may be sometimes , though but rarely used promiscuously , the word presbyter denoting a bishop , and the word bishop importing nothing but a presbyter , yet that more frequently and in other places they are used in a more limited and distinct sense , as in times succeeding . and . i say that the word episcopus , timothy . . and the description of a bishop which is therein made , is meant of a bishop truly , and properly so called , according as the word was used and appropriated by the antient writers , and not appliable to the presbyters or inferior ministers . for proof whereof , i shall offer some few considerations , out of the text it self , leaving them to the judgement of the sober and intelligent reader . and first , st. paul speaks of a bishop in the singular number , but of inferiour ministers in the plurall . one church , or city , though it had many presbyters , had one bishop only . and therefore we may reasonably conceive , that the apostle speaking of a bishop in the singular number , speaks of him in his proper and true capacity , as one distinguished from , and above the presbyters . . the apostle seemeth to require in him an act of government , as being a man , that is to take care of the church of god : and thereupon gives order for an inquisition to be had upon him , whether he hath ruled his house well , &c. a charge of too transcendent , and sublime a nature , to be entrusted unto every common presbyter , or discharged by him , who as our hooker well observeth , though he be somewhat better able to speak , is as little able to judge as another man. and if not fit to judge , no fit man to govern . . st. paul requireth in a bishop , that he be given to hospitality , i. e. that he receive the stranger , entertain the native , and in a word , admit all comers . hierom doth so expound it , saying , that if a lay-man entertain but two or three , hospitalitatis officium implebit , he hath exceeding well complyed with all the rules of hospitality ; episcopus nist omnes receperit , inhumanus est , but that the b●shop is accounted a churle or niggard , if his house be not open unto all . which howsoever it might possibly agree in those antient times to the condition of a bishop , who had the keeping and disposing of the churches treasures ; yet i can see no possibility , how it could be expected from the presbyters , that out of his poor pittance from the sportula , he should be able to perform it . for i believe not that the lord intended to work miracles daily , as in the lengthning and increasing the poor womans oyle . fourthly and lastly , it is required by st paul , that his bishop must not be neophytus , a novice , as our english reads it , and exceeding rightly ; that is , as chrysostom , and out of him theophylact expound the word : one newly catechized as it were , lately instructed in the faith. now who knoweth not , but that in the beginnings of the church , some of these new plants , these neophyti , must of necessity be taken into holy orders , for the increase and propagation of the gospel ? the presbyters were many , but the bishops few . and therefore howsoever there must be found sufficient standards , upon the which to graffe a bishop ; yet i can hardly finde a possibility of furnishing the garden of the church , with a fit number of presbyters , unless we take them from the nurserie . it then it be demanded , whether st. paul hath utterly omitted to speak of presbyters , i answer no ; but that we have them in the next paragraphe , diacones similiter ; which why it should not comprehend the presbyters , and all inferior ministers under the degree of bishops ; i can see no reason , there being no qualification requisite in or to the presbyter , which is not found in the apostles character of these diaconi . and though the word in our last translation , be rendred deacons : yet in our old translation , and in that of coverdale , we read it ministers , according to the generall and native meaning of the same . an exposition neither new , nor forced . not new , for calvin doth acknowledge alios ad presbyteros referre episcopo inferiores , that some referred those words to presbyters , subordinate or inferiour to the bishop . not forced , for if we search the scriptures , we shall there perceive , that generally diaconus is rendred ministers , and that not only in the gospel , before that deacons had been instituted in the church of god ; but also in st. pauls epistles , after the planting of the church , when all the officers therein had their bounds and limits . thus tychicus is called , 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 , a faithful minister , eph. . . and col. . . and so is epaphras entituled , col. . , &c. and hereunto i shall further add , that i can see no convincing reason why the episcopi , and deacons , or the bishops and deacons mentioned in the first words of st. pauls epistle to the philippians , may not be understood of the bishops ( properly so called ) of philippi and the bordering cities , and of the presbyters or inferiour ministers under their authority . not to say any thing of the subscription of the epistle to titus , and the . to timothy ; in which the word bishop is taken in this proper and limited sense , because ( whatsoever opinion i have of them ) the pamphleter perhaps may not think them to be authentick . next that the word presbyter is used sometimes in the same strict , and limited sense , as it denotes a person inferiour to the bishop , and subject unto his authority aud jurisdiction , appeareth plainly , by that text in the first of timothy , c. . v. , . where it is said , adversus presbyterum accusationem noli recipere , &c. against a presbyter , and elder ( as our english reads it ) receive not an accusation , but before two or three witnesses . but if they be convicted , them that sin rebuke before all , that others also may fear . in the declaring of which power , i take for granted , that the apostle here by elder doth mean a presbyter , according to the ecclesiastical notion of that word , though i know that chrysostom , and a●ter him theopbylact and oecumenius , do take it only ●or a man well grown in years . and then the meaning of st. paul will be briefly this , that partly in regard of the devils malice , apt to calumniate men of that holy ●unction ; and partly to avoid the scandal which may thence arise ; timothy , and in him all other bishops should be very cautious in their proceedings against men of that profession . but if they finde them guilty on examination , then not to smother or conceal the matter , but censure and rebuke them openly , that others may take heed of the like offences . the commentaries under the name of ambrose , do expound it so , quoniam non facile credi debet & presbytero crimen , &c. because a crime or accusation is not to be credited against a presbyter ; yet if the same prove manifest and undeniable , st. paul commandeth that in regard of his irregular conversation , he be rebuked and censured publiquely , that others may be thereby terrified . and , saith he , non solum ordinatis sed & plebi proficit , will not be only profitable unto men in orders , but to lay people al●o . herewith agreeth , as to the making of these elders to be men in orders , the comment upon that epistle a●cribed to jerome . presbyters then are subject unto censure ; but to whose censure are they subject ? not unto one another surely , that would breed con●usion , but to the censure of their bishop . see to the same purpose also epiphanius adversus haeres . . n. . and theophylact upon the place ; not to say any thing of lyra and some others of a later standing . and in this limited sense , i understand those presbyters ordained by st. paul in many of the churches of his plantations , whom we finde mentioned in the acts ; some of which he afterwards made bishops , and over other placed such bishops as he thought most fit . thus having satisfied our author , in telling him where presbyters import not bishops , and bishops presbyters ; we next proceed to answer those objections which are made against the observator . and first , it is objected , that our author doth not at all deliver his own opinion in this particular , but what many did then assert , fol. . to which i answer , first , that our author puts the opinion down so savourly , and with such advantages , as any man would easily take it for his own , or at the least , that he himself was also of the same opinion . this not improbably to be gathered from the word assered , which plainly intimates that those many whom he speaks of did not only affirm or say , that bishops and presbyters in scripture phrase were of equivalent import , &c. but had proved it too . for thus be understands the word in another place , where speaking of the bishop of lincolne , he telleth us that he published a book , asserting positively , that the holy table was to stand in gremio or nave of the quire , fol. . by which if he means only a bare affirming of the thing , it then signifies nothing , and concludes as little to his purpose . for the word assero ( if he be critick enough to understand the true meaning of it ) not only signifieth simply to affirm , or say , but to confirm that affirmation , and make good that saying . once for all take this out of ovid in his metamor . lib. . at tu , si modo sum coelesti stirpe creatus , ede notam tanti generis , meque assere coele . that is to say , but if i be descended from above , by some known signe , make good my birth from jove . . though he tells us that if the observator had not been an ill looking fellow , he might with half an eye have discerned , that he doth not at all deliver his own opinion in this particular ; but i have a bird in a corner which singeth the contrary . for fol. . of the printed but unpublished papers , it is said expresly that the truth contended for , touching the right on which the hierarchy was founded was ( as his late majesty hath ( no man better ) sufficiently demonstrated ) to be awarded to the prelates ; which speaks more plainly for episcopacy , then the reservedness of your last expressions , which in your pamphlet you have given us for your full sense in this controversie , enough ( you say ) to satisfie spirits of the most modest and sober temper . fol. . but in the book as it comes published to our hands , these words are totally left out , which shews as plainly , that you have either altered your opinion ( if you ever were of that opinion ) or else for fear of offending the weak brethren , dare not own it now . what meaneth else , this bleating of the sheep in mine ears , and the lowing of the oxe which i hear ? as you know who said ; that is to say , your placing episcopacy amongst those things of indifferency , for the establishing whereof , to exact an oath , was ( as you say hist . fol. . ) an aff●ont to the very fundamentals of government ; your positive declration , that the truth contended for , between the bishops and those of the puritans party , lay then so deep as few had perspicacity enough to discern ti . f. . adding in your unpublished sheets , that in the generality of votes , the bishops were much worsted in that contest ; which layes a greater prejudice upon them , then you found them in ; your quarrels with the observator , for disproving the identity or sameness of name , of ordination , of office , &c. which is affirmed to be in presbyters and bishops without any distinction , telling him that his arguments are nothing ad rem , and clear besides the cushion , fol. . which layed together , make up a clearer and fuller evidence , that you are but half episcopall , and the worst half too , then all the fine flourishes you have given us in the present pamphlet can perswade to the contrary . your next quarrel with the observator , is a meer 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a strife and quarrell about words , because forsooth he doth not like that the word presbyter , when it signifieth one in holy orders , should be rendred elder . to which the pamphleter objects , that all latine expositors , and greek lexicons , translate 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 senior , fol. . what all expositors , all without exception ? so i hear you say , and so you must be thought to mean too , in case you have not here ( as elsewhere ) your most secret intentions . what think you of the author of the vulgar latine , a man as learned i believe , as any of those whom you have consulted in the point ? yet he translateth not the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 , ( when it is used to signifie a man in orders ) by that of senior , but by that of presbyter ; as , et cum constituissent illis per singulas ecclesias presbyteros , &c. act. . . qui be●e praesunt presbyteri , &c. tim. . . adversus presbyterum accusationem noli admittere , . . as on the other side , when the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is used to signifie a man in years , and not in orders , he rendreth it by senior , and not by presbyter-seniorem increpaveris , sed obsecra ut patrem , tim. . . and this is that which the observator faulted in our english translators , viz. that they did not keep the word presbyter , as the latines did , which in short time would have been as familiar to an english ear ( in the ecclesiasticall notion of it ) as those of bishop or of deacon , being both of them greek of the same originall , whereas the word elder being of ambiguous sense , hath given occasion to the factiousness of the troublers of israel , to grub up by the roots those goodly cdars of the church the bishops , and plant their stinking elders in the place thereof . but you go on and say , that you believe it will puzzle the observator , to finde any one who ever interpreted senior by priest , fol. . but gentle sir , the observator never told you that it was so rendred ; so that you need not trouble him to prove what he never said , or charge him with any vast difference in this particular from dr. heylyn , unless you can finde in him , that the antients did not call the minister of the sacrament of the altar , sometimes presbyter , elder , and sometimes sacerdos , priest , as i think you cannot . if you come off no better in your other criticismes , then you do in this , your best way were to keep your self to plain grammar learning , & leave my lady philology to more learned mercurists to whom contracted by martianus capella , before you made love to her . you quarrel next with the observator , first , for bringing in mr. selden amongst his lay champions for episcopacy , who ( as the pamphleter saith ) seems clear of another minde , in his book de synedriis , where he extols salmasius , and wal● massalinus ( both enemies to the episcopal order ) a note above ela for their pains in this argument , &c fol. . but had the observator been observed here , as he should have been , he might have found that the learned mr. selden is not brought in by him , as a champion ●or bishops , but as not totally against them . and this he proves by the retortion made to mr. grimstons double argument in the house of commons . the observator knew as well as the pamphleter , that mr. selden was no friend to bishops , as constituted and established in the church of england ; and he knew too , which perhaps the pamphleter doth not , what moved him to appear against them , when by the complexion of affairs , he might safely do it . for being called before the high commission , and forced to make a publique acknowledgement of his error and offence given unto the church , in publishing a book entituled the historie of tithes , it sunk so deep into his stomack , that he did never after affect the men , or cordially approve the calling , though many wayes were tryed to gain him to the churches interest . the pamphleters quarrels against church-men ( perhaps as good a man as himself , or , i am sure , as true ) i shall defer unto a time and place more proper ; keeping my self here to those he hath with the observator . and the next quarrel is , that he findes not king charles amongst his assertors for episcopacy . of whose performance in that argument he makes indeed a very fair and ingenuous declaration , fol. . though all that he hath said can add nothing to him . but sir , if you will look but with half an eye on the observations , you will finde there , that in the naming of his lay champions as you call them , he made choice of such only , as were not likely to be suspected of partiality , men no wayes interessed ( but onely by their good affections ) in the churches quarrels . according to which choice , he could not make use of that royall pen , which gave the deaths wound to henderson in the town of new-castle , and foyled the presbyterians in the isle of wight . it was the interess of king charles to maintain episcopacy , as one of the chief supporters of the regall throne . no bishop , no king , the known old maxime of king james , in the sad events thereof , hath been found propheticall . and therefore if the observator had produced his testimony , the pamphleter might have objected ( as perhaps he would ) that the kings judgement was corrupted by partiality , and swayed with interess , which rendred him no fit witness in the present tryall . and to say truth , if all be oracle which com●s from the deserts of cyrene , there is good reason for saving all advantages of exception , against the testimony of that king , had it been produced . the pamphleter telling us , that he did not only employ the pen , but took up the bucklers in good earnest to defend episcopacy , fol. . but sir , who told you in good earnest , that his majesty either drew the sword , or took up the bucklers in that quarrell , or on that occasion ? his majesty in all his messages , and declarations , professed solemnly , that he was forced to take up armes to preserve himself : his forts , castles , royall navy , and the militia of the kingdome , being taken from him . his negative voice denyed , his magazine at hull employed against him , his faithfull servants threatned under the name of evill counsellors , and nothing left unto him but the name of a king. episcopacy not so much as touched on for a ground of that quarrel ; nor was there reason why it should . the king by former acts had yielded up their place and vote in the house of peers , and abrogated the coercive power of their jurisdiction : that which remained being then thought so inconsiderable , that in the . propositions , containing the whole demand of both houses , the abolition of episcopacy was not touched upon . so that there is not any thing more fals , then that the king took up the bucklers to defend episcopacy . but i know well enough what the author aims at . the wars designed by this king against the scots , is by our pamphleter in his historie , called the bishops wars , and he hath layed some grounds here , to have the long wars raised in england , called by that name also , the bishops war , no doubt of that , if he should fortune to go on with the rest of the story . of which the reader may take notice , and our author too . his last quarrel with the observator , with reference to the point of episcopacy , is that he makes our author take it for granted , that the government of the church by bishops is a thing of indifferency , and thereupon was much agrieved that the clergy should binde themselves by oath not to consent to any alteration of it . on this occasion the pamphleter flies out against them with no less violence and fury , then tully against cataline in the open senate , crying in these great words , quousque abuteris patientia nostra , how doth this observator provoke us ? assuredly the gentleman is extreamly moved ; his patience much off the hinges , & patientia laesa fit furor , as the saying is . one cannot tell what hurt or mischief he may do us now he is in this rage and fury , and therefore peace for the lords sake , harry , lest he take us , and drag us back , as hercules did cacus . t is best to slip a side a while and say nothing , till his heat be over , and the man in some temper to be dealt with ; and then we will not fear to tell him , that his own words shall be the only evidence we will use against him . the introduction which he makes to his discourse against the oath required by the new canons instruct us , that many asserted in good earnest , that bishops and presbyters in scripture phrase were of equivalent import , and denoted the self same persons , without the least distinction , &c. that thereupon , the prelates seeing their deer palladium so deeply concerned , and heaved at , did first cause the press to swarm with books , setting forth the right upon which episcopacy was founded ; and finding how little this advantaged them , they took measure from their professed adversaries the generall assembly of scotland , and by their example framed the oath as an anti-covenant . this is the substance of the preamble to those objections , but that i would not stir the mans patience too much , i had called them cavils , which our author makes against that oath , that some things were expresly to be sworn to which were never thought to have any shew or colour of sacred right , but were conceived arbitrary , and at the disposition of the state ; and to exact an oath of dissent from civill establishments , in such things of indifferency , was an affront to the very fundamentals of government . now the oath being made for maintenance of the doctrine and discipline , or government , established in the church of england , the doctrine being confessed on all sides to be signanter , and expresly pointed at , and the discourse driving at the government of the church by bishops ; who can conceive but that his argument or objection must tend that way also , and that episcopacy must be reckoned in the number of those things of indifferency for which there was no reason to require the oath ? and though the pamphleter would fain have it that episcopacy is not in those things of indifferency , but excluded rather , yet this will do him as small service , as the press when it was said to have swarmed with books , had done the bishops . for first he doth not say that episcopacy was not pointed at , at all , in those things of indifferency , but not signanter and expresly ; our author keeping a reserve , or secret intention to himself , upon al occasions . nor doth it help him , secondly , to say , that the things there spoken of are such , as never had any shew or colour of sacred right , whereas episcopacy in the very account of its adversaries , hath some colour and shew of it , fol. . where first , he pleadeth but very coldly for episcopacy in giving it only some shew and colour which all heresies , enthusiasticks , and fanaticall fancies , all that have set up any other government , papall , anarchicall , presbyterian , do pretend unto . and secondly , it is not true , hath any such colour or shew in the account of its adversaries . episcopacy , as it stood in the primitive times , being by beza called humanus , and diabolicus , as it stood in these latter ages . an humane invention in the first , a diabolicall institution in the last times of the church ; and therefore questionless without any shew or colour of sacred right . nor doth he help himself much by the little army raised out of the northampton and kentish forces under the command of the lord digby ; which is so far from putting the matter out of all dispute in the sense he meaneth , that it rather doth conclude against him . for if the northampton-shire and kent exceptions limit themselves to arch-bishops , arch-deacons , &c. our author certainly is to blame in these two respects : first , that he did not limit his things of indifferency as they did before him ; and secondly , that speakin such generall termes as he should think to help himself in the postfact by their limitations . t is true , the history rendreth the lord digby as friend to episcopacy , when the london petition came to be considered of in the house of commons , before which time he had begun to look toward the court , but telleth us not that he was so in the very first openings of the parliament , when the oath required in the canon was in most agitation . and this i hope is fair for a senior sophister ( as you please to call the obfervator ) who could have pressed these answers further , but that the gentlemans patience must not be abused , nor himself provoked . we must take care of that , though of nothing else . and so much for ou● authors flutterings in the point of episcopacy ; we will next see , whether the persons be as pretious with him , as the calling is . chap. vi. the light excuse made by the pamphleter for our author in pretermitting bishop bancroft : not bettered much in shewing the differences , between the doctrine of st. augustine and calvin . our authors learned ignorance in the word quorum . the observator cleared from foisting any thing into the text of the history ; with our authors blunderings in that point . the disagreement between the comment and the text in the unfortunate accident of archbishop abbot . foisting returned upon the author , no injury done to bishop andrewes by the observator . of doctor sibthorps sermon , and whether the archbishop were sequestred from his jurisdiction for refusing to license it . the pamphleters nice distinction between most and many , in the repairing of st. pauls , and that these many did keep off in reference to the work it self . the war against the scots not to be called the bishops war ; not undertaken by the king in defence of their hierarchy , nor occasioned by archbishop laud. the scots rebellion grounded upon some words of the king touching abby-lands in the beginning of his reign ; hammered and formed , and almost ready to break out before the liturgy was sent to them . the archbishop neither the principal nor sole agent in revising that liturgie . good counsels not to be measured by successe . on what grounds the liturgie was first designed to be sent to the scots . disusing implies not an abrogation . abeiance what it is in the common law. the communicants by what authority required to come unto the ray●e to receive the sacrament . the . canon explained and regulated by the kings declaration , anno . the pamphleters ipse dixit no sufficient ground for his london measure . our author satisfied in placing the communion table altar-wise , and adoration toward the east ; the liberty granted by the church in the last particular . the bishops charged with the undiscreet practise of some private persons . the gloria patri an epitome of the apostles creed . why kneeling is required at the saying of gloria in excelsis . the pamphleters &c. our author miserably out in the meaning of the statute . eliz. c. . that statute opened and expounded , in the case alledged . the pamphleter in danger of the statute by out-running authority . his excellent proof that standing at the gloria patri had been obtruded by the bishops anno . because inquired into in bishop wrens visitation anno . the pamphleter confuted by our author , and our authors panegyrick by himself . the clergie freed from doctrinal popery by our author himself . the scandal since given unto the church by bishop goodman . from episcopacy passe we to the bishops , where the first thing we meet with is the rectifying of a mistake about archbishop whitgift , whom our author had made the predecessor penultime , or next predecessor but one to archbishop laud. this he confesseth for an error , but puts it off , not as a want of diligence ( he will by no means yeeld to that ) but a lapse of memory , fol. . a priviledge which if all other writers of history should pretend unto as frequently as our author doth , we should finde little truth among them , and not much assurance of any thing upon which to rest : this not being the first time in which our author hath been forced to use this remedy , as in these words ( as is beforesaid ) is here acknowledged . we had the same excuse before in the mistake about marriage of the one king , and funeral of the other , as also in that hysteron proteron in placing the synod of dort before that of ireland ; so that by this time this defence must needs be worn as threed bare as the observators coat , fol. . of dr. abbot , the immediate predecessor to archbishop laud , the historian telleth us , that he was stifly disciplined in the doctrine of st augustine , which they who understand it not call calvinism . charged for this by the observator , and some points produced in which calvinism and the doctrine of st. augustine , do extremely differ ; he answereth that he makes them not to be all one in all concernments , but only in opposition to the massilian and arminian tenets , fol. . and this i look on as another of our authors priviledges , who when he hath given us any things in general termes , thinks all is well if he can make it hold good in a few particulars . whereas if he had limited his proposition to those points alone , and told us that he was stifly principled in that part of st. augustines doctrine , which was in opposition to the tenets before remembred , there had been no occasion given to the observator to except against him . but the best is , that seeming to make a question of that which is out of question , viz. whether st. augustine and calvin differ in the point of episcopacy , he telleth us , that they differ in the point of the sabbath or lords day , which is more then the observator had observed , and for which we thank him . in the story of the sequestration of archbishop abbot , there are four mistakes noted by the observator , . that in the commission granted to the bishops bishop laud is said to be of the quorum . . that the declared impulsive cause of it was a supposed irregularity . . that this supposed irregularity was incurred upon the casual killing of the keeper of his ( the archbishops ) game . and . that the irregularity is said to be but supposed only , and no more then so . to this the pamphleter first answereth in his usual way , that he should keep his own supposititio●s foistings at home , and that by the same art of jugling his own words into the text , he that made them four , might have made them four hundred , fol. . why so ? because ( saith he ) i never said that bishop laud was of the quorum more then any other , but only that he was of the quorum , meaning thereby that he was one of the five . auditum admisse risum teneatis amici ? can any man hear this fine stuffe and abstain from laughter ? such a ridiculous piece of intelligent non-sense , as might make heraclitus grin , and put democritus into tears , producing contrary operations on their several humours . i thought before i read this passage , our gent. had been one of the right worshipful of the bench , in comission for the peace at least , if not one of the quorum but i see now that he is not so well skilled at it , as a justices clerk. did the man ever hear of any commission in which five or more persons were nominated , of which one or two are named to be of the quorum , and by that word understand , with such an abundant want of understanding , that nothing more was meant in it , but that the said one or two , were to be of the number ? confident i am ( and i think may confidently say it ) that we have not had such a learned piece of ignorance , since jack maior of brackley being by his place a justice of the peace , and one of the quorum by the publick charter of that town , threatned to binde a poor countrey fellow ( who had carried himself somewhat sawcily to him ) not only to the peace , but to the quorum too . passe we on to the next that followes . and there , or no where , we shall finde one of those many supposititious foistings which are charged upon the observator . the historian having said that the archbishop was sequestred from his function , and a commission granted by the king to five bishops ( bishop laud being of the quorum ) to execute episcopal jurisdiction within his province ; addes presently in the very next words , that the declared impulsive to it , was a supposed irregularity in him by reason of a homicide committed by him per infortunium &c. can any intelligent reader understand otherwise by these wo●ds , but that the impulsive to this sequest●ation , whatsoever it was , was declared , or supposed to be declared in that commission ? for who but the king , that granted the commission , should declare the impulsive causes to it ? or wh●r● else should they be declared but in that commission ? yes , saith the pamphleter , the king granted the commission , and common fame , our author , or i know not who , declared the impulsives to it . what pity 't is our author had not served seven years to the clerk of the crown , before he undertook the history of a king of england , that so being better versed in all kinde of commissions he might the better have avoided these ridiculous errors which he falleth into ? and yet this is the only thing , namely , that the irregularity or supposed irregularity of the said archbishop , was not touched upon in the commission as the impulsive cause unto it ; for which not one alone , but many ( no man knoweth how many ) supposititious foistings are charged with so much noise and clamour on the observator . somewhat more modestly in the third , but with as little thought of rectifying any thing , as in those before . told by the observator , that the person whom this archbishop so unfortunately killed , was not the keeper of his own game , but a keeper of the lord zouches in bramzill park ; he acknowledgeth his error in it , fol. . and yet not only keeps it in the text of his new impression , as before it was ; but stands unto the truth of it in the very same pamphlet , fol. . and this he stands to on the authority of aulicus c●quinariae , and mr. prynne ; men elsewhere of no credit with him , though here they be , but both mistaken in this point on uncertain hearsay . confessed for an error in the pamphlet , because upon a further inquiry he could do no otherwise ; justified for no error in the very same pamphlet , because he must not yeeld ( as inconsistent with his credit ) to be out in any thing ; and finally retains still , in the text of the history , because he loves not to walk single in those paths of error , but must have many followers for the greater state. the fourth thing noted by the observator , namely , that some pio●s and learned men being nominated and elected bishops , refused to be consecrated by him , in regard that they conceived that there was more incurred by that misadventure , then a supposed irregularity only , is by the pamphleter passed over ; in place whereof he foists in another , which he thinks may be more easily answered , that is to say , his vouching bishop andrewes for a vin●icator of the archbishops regularity , fol. . might i not here f●ll foul upon the pamphleter , and pay him home in some of his own billingsgate language , for falsifying so boldly , i will not say so impudently ( as you know who did ) the plain and manifest words of the observator ; who is so far from vouching this amongst the rest of his errors , that he affirmes it to be true , that the learned bishop andrewes ( as our author telleth us ) did do the archbishop very great service in this businesse . here is no fair dealing in this to begin withall , and far more sophistry then ingenuity in the rest that followes . for though the whole scope of that commission , was to inquire into the matter of fact , and to resolve whether the archbishop ( notwithstanding that mischance ) was regular or not regular , as the pamphleter tels us , fol. . yet bishop andrewes in the executing of that commission , might proceed with favour , and was not bound to presse the point to the utmost extremity , when he saw what further inconveniencies might ensue upon it . that learned bishop might do this , and did really do it , without drawing blame upon himself , or being belied in it by the observator , as in the ordinary eloquence of the pamphleter he is said to be . but stay a while , we have another impulsive found out for this irregularity , and found out chiefly ( as it seems ) because the observator so dislikes the other , fol. . and yet i trow the observator never manifested any such dislike , as to the cause impulsive of his ( the archbishops ) irregularity ; no such matter verily , but only shewed that the unfortunate accident which our author speaks of , was not the declared impulsive cause in the commission for sequestring him from his jurisdiction , and granting it to the five bishops which are therein named , as indeed it was not . the impulsive cause it might be , though not there declared ; the commission only saying in the general , that the said archbishop could not at that present , in his own person , attend those services , which were otherwise proper for his cognizance and jurisdiction ; not rendring any certain impulsive cause , whereby he was conceived uncapable of performing his office . and now what new impulsive will he give us in exchange for the other ? marry he telleth us , that though it was not publickly declared , yet it was by knowing men in those affairs beheld as the reall and genuine cause of this commission ; that the arch-bishop had refused to license dr. sibthorps book , fol. . the book here meant , was a sermon preached at no●thampton by that doct●r before the judges of assize anno ▪ and after printed with the name of apostolical obedience . a sermon made of such a temper , that if our author be in the right , and mr. prynne be not in the wrong , it hath pleased all parties . refused to be licensed by archbishop abbet , as our author telleth us , though he doth not tell the reasons of it ; but if it were refused to be licensed by him , it was because it had too much of the court , as tending partly to the justification of the generall l●an which was then required of the the subjects . not suffered to be licensed by bishop laud , because it had too little of the court , till some passages which seemed offensive in it touching the profanation of the sabbath , and toleration of popery ( as we are told by mr. prynne ) had been first expunged . but whatsoever the sermon was , the archbishops refusal to license it ( if it were brought to him to be licensed ) could be no such crime , as to draw after it both his removing from the court , and sequestring from his jurisdiction , if other things of greater moment had not then concurred . passe we unto the next archbishop , of whom , being then bishop of london , our author telleth us , that many had no fancy to the work ( the repairing of st. pauls church ) meerly because he was the promoter of it . but the contrary being proved by the observator , most of the clergy , nobility and gentry , contributing very largely to it , because he promoted it , he only answereth , that many , and most , may be consistent , and that many may be opposite to the major vote , fol. . but proveth not that any of those many , did dislike it in respect of the the bishop , or that it was not rather disliked by them in regard of the work , which was there proved from a base and scurrilous passage in bastwicks letany . and to this last , our very author himself hath hinted somewhat in his history , fol. . where he affirmes , that some did not forbear to cry , what needs this cost to decore a superstitious relique ? this the chief cause , why the work went so slowly forward , that at length the distempers of the state spoiled the temper of the mortar , as our author there . next look upon him as archbishop , in which capacity we shall finde him made by our historian , a principal occasion of the scottish war ; reproved by the observator for calling the war against the scots , the bishops war , he now stands to it that it was , and might be so called for these reasons following : first , because not the covenanters only , but many an english protestant did so call it also , fol. . some english protestants ! i beleeve not so . the english protestants were otherwise perswaded of it , though the puritans were not , and 't was the english puritan , not the english protestant , who joyned with the covenanters in scotland in the main design , and gave it consequently the name of the bishops war. he asketh us secondly , if it were not a war undertaken at first for defence of their hierarchy . which question being equivalent to an affirmation , doth amount to this , that the war was first undertaken in the bishops quarrel , and in defence of their order . this is well said indeed , if it were well proved ; but this the pamphleter doth not prove , i am sure he cannot : the king who best knew the reasons of his taking armes , and published a large declaration of the proceedings of the scots , imputes the causes of the war to their continuing the assembly at glascow when by him dissolved , ejecting such of the clergy , as had refused to subscribe to the acts thereof , then commanded to do , suspended and repealed lawes without his authority , putting the subjects into armes , seizing upon his forts and castles , and intercepting his revenues . all which , or any one of which might have moved the king to undertake a war against them , without consulting with our author how to bring the poor bishops into that engagement , and make it rather seem their quarrell , then the kings own interesse , which inforced him to it . but he saith thirdly , that one of that order ( he means the late archbishop of canterbury ) was the main cause of that war , by introducing the liturgie amongst them , and thereupon he doth conclude , that the war which the archbishop occasioned , and which was entred into for maintaining that hierarchy , may , he hopes , without offence , be called the bishops war. and now we are come to that we looked for , a very pretty tale indeed , and one of the finest he hath told us ; none of the hundred merry tales , nor such a tale as made his lordship wondrous merry , which we had before , but a new canterbury tale , and the esquires tale too . our author , a more modederate and sober gent. then the pamphleter is , hath told us , that the kings demand of the abby lands in scotland , in the first year of his reign ( made by the observator ) was the true cause of the war , and the bug-words spoke by the scottish lords on that occasion , first generated a mutuall and immortal distance between them , which being in the unpublished sheets , fol. . is seconded in the book now extant , where we are told that those discontents ( upon which the war was after grounded ) did break out in scotland , anno . four years before the liturgie was commended to them ; that the next year after , these discontents began to contract a little more confidence in his absence , and to attempt his patience by a most malicious plot against his fame , as preambulatory to another against his person : that the first work and operation in the method of sedition , being to leaven the masse of the peoples mindes with mischievous impressions , they first whispered and instilled into them close intelligence of some terrible plot against their liberties ; and after sent abroad a venemous libel , in which amongst other things , they suggested formidable fictions of his tendency to the romish belief , fol. . and finally , that for the liturgie ▪ it self , there was a purpose in king james , to settle such an one amongst them , as might hold conformity with that of england ; and that king charles in pursuance of his fathers purpose , gave directions to the archbishop of canterbury , the bishop of ely , and to divers bishops of that kingdome , to revise , correct , alter , and change as they pleased , the liturgie compiled in his fathers time ; and finally , that the book so altered , was by the king sent by the counsel of that kingdome , with order to proclaim the reading of it upon next easter day , fol. by this we see that sacriledge and rapine was the first ground of these discontents , these discontents brake out into sedition , and that sedition ended in an open war , to which the introducing of the liturgie could not be a cause , though it might be made use of by those factious and rebellious spirits for a present occasion : and so much is confessed by the pamphleter himself , in that there was no doubt , but many of them had other then religious designs , as hoping to obtain that honour and wealth in a troubled state , which they were confident they should never arrive at in a calm , fol. . adeo veritas ab invitis etiam pectoribus erumpit , said lactantius truly . by this it also doth appear , that the arch-bishop had not the sole hand in the scotish liturgie , the book being revised by many , by the kings directions , and sent by him to the lords of his councell in that kingdome , with order and command to see it executed accordingly . but the best is , that the pamphleter hath not only his tale ready , but his tales master too , fathering it on the ingenious author of the elenchus motuum , in which he findes the arch-bishop named for the main cause of introducing that liturgie among the scots , and that he did it spe quidem laudabili , eventu vero pessimo , with a good intent , but exceeding ill success , fol. . i have as great an esteem for the author of that book ( whosoever he was ) as any pamphleter can have of him ; but yet could tell him of some things in which he was as much mistaken as in this particular , but since the pamphleter hath made that authors words his own , and seems to approve of the intent , though the success proved not answerable ; i shall only put him in mind of a saying in ovid , viz. — careat successibus opto , quisquis ab eventu facta notanda putat . that is to say , ill may he prosper in his best intents , that measures counsels by their sad events . but to satisfie both the pamphleter , and the ingenuous author by him alleadged , i shall say somewhat here of the business of the scotish liturgie , which is not commonly observed , and tends both to the justification of the king himself , and of those whom he intrusted in it . know then that when the scots required aid of queen elizabeth ( in the beginning of their reformation ) to expell the french , they bound themselves by the subscription of their hands to embrace the form of worship , & other rites and ceremonies of the church of england . religionis cultui , & ritibus , cum anglis communibus , subscripserunt , as buchannan , their own historian , and no friend unto the anglican church , informs us of them . but being cleared of the french forces , and able to stand on their own legs , they broke their faith ( t is hard to say they ever kept it ) in this particular , and fell on those extemporary undigested prayers , which their own fancies had directed , or were thought most agreeable to knoxes humour . the confusion , inconveniencies , and sad effects whereof being well known to king james , he thought himself concerned ( i will not say obliged ) to bring them back again , to that first subscription ; or to commend such a liturgie to them , as might hold some conformity with that of the church of england . to this end having restored the bishops , and setled the five articles of perth , as necessarie introductions to it , he gave order to the bishops , and the rest of the clergy then assembled , to compose a liturgie for that church , desiring it might be as near the english forms as they could conveniently . wherin as he did little doubt of their ready obedience , so questionless , it had been finished by the sitting of the next assembly , if the long and dubious expectation of the match with spain , and the kings death not long after had not layed it by . so that king char. had not only the general subscription of the nation never yet lawfully reversed , but the order of king james registred in the acts of the general assembly , to proceed upon ; and he proceeded on it accordingly , as soon as by the coronation , and the ensuing parliament he had given contentment to that people . and therefore they who can conclude that the liturgie first grounded on their own subscription , designed by their own generall assembly , revised by their own bishops , and confirmed by their own naturall and native king , was or could be the ground of their taking armes ( for i must not say the scots rebelled , though the irish did ) may by the same logick conclude as well , that the doctrine of luther , was the cause of the insurrections of the boors in germany , or that tenterden steeple was the cause of goodwins sands . we left the late arch-bishop acquitted ( as we hope ) from being a principal occasion of the scotch war , we must next free him and the rest of the bishops from introducing innovations , popery , arminianisme , and i know not what . and first , our author told us of him , that be tampered to introduce some ceremonies bordering up on superstition , disused by us , and abused by them , that is to say , by those of rome . and being told by the observator , that if they were disused only , they were still in force , as appeared by the case of knighthood ; the pamphleter answered thereunto , the word disused doth not at all imply , that those ceremonies were in force , but rather layed aside by the reformators , observing how much they were abused by the church of rome , and therefore not fit to be retained , fol. . a piece of law like this we had in the former chapter , where the pamphleter had broached this doctrine , that the discontinuance of the execution ( that is to say , of the declaration of king james about lawfull sports ) was a tacite suppressing and calling of it in . to that we referre the reader for an answer to this . i adde now only by the way , and ex abundanti , that many things may be in abejance ( as your lawyers phrase it ) which are not utterly lost , and irrecoverable , but carry with them a hope or longing expectance , that though for the present they be in no man , yet be in the hope and expectation of him who is next to enjoy them . for as the civilians say of haereditas jacens , that goods and lands do jacere whilst they want a possessor , and yet not simply because they lately had one , and may shortly have another ; so the common lawyers do say , that things in like estate are in abejance . thus dr. cowell hath defined that word in his interpreter . and this i take to be the case of those antient ceremonies , which were reduced into the church by the arch-bish . though a while disused : and this may serve for answer to the last objection of this pamphleter in the present point , viz. that things abused may be lawfully restored to the primitive use ; but then it must be ( saith he ) by lawfull authority , and in a lawfull manner . which rule of his i hold to be undoubtedly true in the proposition , but of no use at all in the application , the arch-bishop having in himself a lawfull power of restoring such antient rites and ceremonies , as had been formerly disused only , and not also abrogated , and what he had not in himself , was made up by the kings authority , of which more anon . but next our author tells us of this arch-bishop , that he commanded in his metropoliticall visitation , that the communion-table which formerly stood in the midst of the church or chancell , should be placed at the east end , upon a graduated advance of ground with the ends inverted , and a wooden traverse of railes before it . to which the observator answereth , that the king had given sufficient authority to it , a year before the visitation which our author speaks of , in the determination of the case of st. gregory church , november . . the pamphleter hereunto replyeth , that by the arch-bishops out-running authority , he intended not , his placing the communion table altar-wise , at the east of the chancell ( so then we have gained that point , if nothing else ) but by enjoyning a wooden traverse of railes to be set before it , and commanding all the communicants to come to it to receive the sacrament , fol. . which said , he makes a long discourse to prove that by the queens injunctions , and the . canon , the table is to be placed within the church or chancell , that the communicants may in greater numbers receive the sacrament , which is best done ( saith he ) when the table is in the body of the church or chancell . and against this , or in defence of setting railes before the table , so as the communicant should come up to those railes to receive . he is sure , that there is no such thing in the declaration , not a syllable that tends that way . these colworts have been boyled already , served in , and set by the bishop of lincolne on his holy table ; so that there needs no other answer , then what we finde in the antidotum lincolniense , chap. . and therefore i referre him thither for his satisfaction . but since he hath appealed to the declaration ; to the declaration he shall go . in which it is expresly said , that for asmuch as concerns the liberty given by the said common book or canons , for placing the communion table in any church or chappell with most conveniency ; that liberty is not so to be understood , as if it were ever left to the discretion of the parish , much less to the particular fancy of any humorous person , but to the judgement of the ordinary , to whose place and function it doth properly belong to give direction in that point , both for the thing it self , and for the time , when and how long as he may find cause . so that his majesties declaration leaves it to the power of the ordinary ; and the archbishop as chief ordinary enjoyneth the table to be placed at the east end of the chancell , and the communicants to come up to it to receive the sacrament ; to which the adding of a rail as a matter of decency , and for keeping off disorders and profanations , is but as an accessary . but he hath one more fling at the observator , by which he is like to get as little as by that before . the observator telleth us , that the arch-bishop proceeded in his visitation according to his majesties declaration above mentioned , made the year before anno . and this saith he is london measure , and he proves it stoutly , because , i say ( this must be understood as speaking in his own proper person ) metropoliticall visitation was . and therefore the declaration being made , . cannot be said to have been made the year before , but by london measure , fol. . what a pythagoras have we here , with his ipse dixit ; if not the whole man , yet the soul at least of that grave philosopher , transfused into our authors body by a metempsuchosis . i say it , therefore nothing truer , nothing to be replyed against it . but good sir , not so fast , let a poor man speak and he wi●l tell you , if your mastership will hear him out , that though perhaps the metropoliticall visitation was not held till the year . in those parts and parishes , in which you served , as one of the e●ders of the vestry , yet i am very well assured , that it was held in other places of the kingdome , and more particularly ( if my memory deceive me not ) in all the counties or arch-deaconries , of the diocess of lincoln , anno . which was the next year after the declaration , without making any such london measure as you sport your self with . wee must next see how far the rest of the bishops were concerned in those innovations . they were first charged with the audacious obtruding of divers superstitious ceremonies , as erecting of fixed altars , and dopping and cringing towards them . but in the pamphlet we hear nothing of these fixed altars , or against placing the communion table altar-wise , at the east end of the chancell ; the author seeming so far satisfied , that he sees not now any out-running of authority in that particular . and he is so far satisfied also out of his own knowledge in the m●numents of most pure antiquity , which the observator had appealed to , that bodily adoration and worshipping toward the east , was an antient custom of the primitive church , of which he grants that there is evidence enough in the antient writers : adding that as it was antient , so he could not say it was illaudable in them , and might be tolerable in us , as he conceiveth , were all men satisfied in the decorum of it ; or a liberty left to those who are still dubious of the lawfulness thereof , to forbear it , fol. . in this we both agree , none better . antient , laudable , and tolerable , who can wish for more ? yes , liberty to be left those who are dubious of it , either to use it or not use it , according to the light of their understanding . that if we do not grant him , we shall not deal so friendly with him as he hath deserved . let him therefore consult the . canon of the year . in which the church commending the reviving of this antient laudable custome to the serious consideration of all good people ( and not obtruding it on any ) concludeth the whole with this desire , that in the practise or emis●ion of this rite the rule of charity prescribed by the apostle may be observed , which is , that they that use this rite , despise not them who use it not , condemn not those who use it . and in requitall of this kindness , i shall not stick to allow of his discourse ensuing , about the not using of such words and names , by the ambiguity whereof not easily discerned in ordinary discourse , any thing may seem to be intended not consonant to the christian faith , according to that golden saying of reverend saint augustine , which is cited by him . but now comes in the naughty cow of frier richard of roughton , which gave a good meals milk with one heel ( it should seem a bull rather then a cow , by the lowing of it ) and kicks it down with the other . for he telleth us that for dopping or cringing to , or towards the altar or holy table , as oft as they approached to , or retreated from it , which was oft practised by some indiscreet pretenders to conformity with the primitive church , he finds not the least trace thereof in any genuine author , of the first years , fol. . let us indulge him this also for his former kindness , yet what makes this unto the purpose ? the bishops stand accused ( whether before the committee or not , is all one to me ) of an audacious obtruding of new rites and ceremonies , and in particular of this cringing to , or towards the altar , or holy table . this is the charge , a very heavy charge indeed , and but lightly proved ; the charge is of obtruding ; but the proof of practising ; the obtruding charged upon the prelates , but the practise layed on some indiscreet pretenders to conformity with the primitive times ; who if they did it on their own heads , and had no warrant for it from their superiours , let them stand or fall unto themselves . but that the children should eat sowre grapes , and the fathers teeth should be set an edge , is such a manner of proceeding , as neither proverb , law , nor gospel , can give countenance to . the next innovation , affirmed to be obtruded by the bishops , is standing up at the gloria patri , to which the observator answered , that the rubrique of the church requiring us to stand up at the creed , obligeth us by the same reasons to stand up at the gospels , and gloria patri , the gospels being the foundation of the creed , as gloria patri is the abstract and epitome of it . what saith the pamphleter to this ? marry he first askes the theologaster ( the dr. or the observator 't is no matter which ) of what creed the gloria patri is by him said to be the epitome ; and then resolves it of himself , that it is not that of the apostles , at which the rubrick enjoyned us to stand up , because there are in that creed some other points , which relate not the doctrine of the trinity , fol. . but good sir have a little patience , and i will pay you all . in the mean time take this for earnest or in part of payment , that though that creed containeth the profession of our faith , in some other points , then those of the father , of the son , and of the holy ghost , included summarily in the gloria patri ; yet are they all reducible to that part of the creed , as being the repetition of such signall benefits , as redound to us by the death and resurrection , of the son , our most blessed saviour , or communicated to us by the influences of the holy ghost . so that if this be all you have to object against us , we may stand up at the gloria patri , and stand up at it by the authority of that very rubrick , which requireth our standing at the creed . but then he telleth us not long after , that as standing is not improper ( we are glad to hear that howsoever ) so is it not a posture peculiar to the action of doxologie and glorifying god , as is evident by our church , which sometimes ( as in our communion service ) requireth it from our knees , fol. . an objection easie to be answered . the observator no where saith that standing is a posture peculiar to the gloria patri , as not to be communicated to any other part of divine worship , it being practised at the gospels , and required at the creed , and so the first part of this objection falls without more ado . and . though the communion book require kneeling in the people , when gloria in excels●s , is said or sung by the priest ; yet is not this required unto it as it is a doxologie , a giving of glory unto god , but as it is an invocation on christ our saviour to have mercy on us , and to receive those prayers which are offered to him . and kneeling doubtless is the most proper posture in the act of prayers , required therefore in all such as receive the sacrament , because it is given them with a prayer by the priest or minister . that many things may be retained in a church reformed , ex vi catholicae consuetudinis , especially , where there is no rule to the contrary . the pamphleter alloweth well enough with a bene , bene ; but sayes withal that it is litle to the purpose , there being in the act of uniformity a vae or woe , to him who shall willingly use any other rite or ceremony , &c. then is set forth in the book of common prayer , fol. . i thought our author had been such an enemy to all etcaeteras , because of the mysterious import , as you know who said , which they carry with them , especially in a law or canon , that no such sham●full thing ( for he calls it somewhere a shamefull &c. if my memory fail not ) should have been found in all his writings ; but i see he can make use of them when there is occasion ; and that too in the citing of a law or statute , which , as he saith , doth binde all men to a strict conformity to the very letter of it . i finde by this , that our author is better at the bar then upon the bench ; not so much studied in the querks and quorums of a commission , as in the ferreting and fingring of a statute-law , in which no barrester of them all , no not the utter barrester of lincolns inne is to be named the same day with him . for what an argument had here been for mr. prinne , if he could have seen so far into this mill-stone of the law , as our author can , against bowing at the name of jesus ; no where appointed in the rubricks of the publique liturgie , but first retained , ex vi catholica● consuetudinis , required afterwards by the queens injunctions , and finally by the canons of . neither of which could stand before the face of an act of parliament , if produced against them . what a brave argument could our author have hinted and held forth to harry burton ( never the princes tutor sir , you are out in that , though honoured by you with that title in the sheetes unpublished ) against standing up at the holy gospels , had he been consulted in the case , as he should have been ? against how many men might he have brought his action in the times of conformity , for standing up at the athanasian and nicene creeds , at the te deum , benedictus , and the other hymnes ? all trespasses against this statute , which binds all men ( as we are told by this man of law ) to a strict conformity to the very letter of it . but the best is , there is no such thing in all that statute , as our author speaks of , no vae or woe to him , who shall willingly use any other rite , or ceremony , &c. then what is set forth in the book of common prayer . the statute speaks of parsons , vicars , or other whatsoever ministers , that ought or should sing or say the common prayer , or minister the sacraments ; enjoyning such ( under the penalties therein mentioned ) not to use any other rite , ceremony , order , form , or manner of celebrating the lords supper openly or privily , or mattens , evensong , administration of the sacraments , or other open prayer , then is mentioned and set forth in the said book . nothing in this to restrain men from using any one or none single rites or ceremonies , which had been formerly in use , and against which there is nothing directed or commanded in the publique rubricks , no such matter verily ; but a command , that no man in the quality of a man in orders , shall use any other rite , ceremony , order , form , or manner of celebrating the lords supper , or officiating the morning and evening prayer ; it is then the whole form and order of celebrating divine offices which is here required , and not the restraint from using any one single rite or ceremony , other then such as are contained in that book . for were it otherwise to expound or understand , none but such men as were enabled to officiate , the publique liturgie , had been restrained from using any such rites , or ceremonies , as were here cut off with an &c. the people being left at liberty to use such rites and ceremonies , &c. as they had a minde to without any vae or woe at all , or any penalty whatsoever in that statute mentioned ; unless it may be granted , as i think it will not , that every person so offending , is or may be possessed of some spiriturall benefices and promotions , of which to forfeit one whole years profits for the first offence . nor doth the statute speak ▪ of such , who shall willingly use any other rite or ceremony , &c. ( our man of law is out in that too , as in all things else ) but of such only as shall willfully and obstinately stand in the same . and i conceive our author is so good a ●ritick in a plain piece of english , as to understand the difference between the doing of a thing willingly , and standing obstinately and wilfully to it after it is done . had any of these things been found in the observator , he had been told of forging and falsifying the record , and i know not what . but in our author it is only one of those piae fraudes which necessarily conduce to the advancing of the holy cause , and so let it goe . i might expect a fee of my author for this point of law , whom otherwise i finde like enough to have entangled himself in the danger of that statute , pleading so strongly as he doth for stand●ng not only at the gospels , but also at the epistles and second lessons ; though neither the rubricks of the liturgy , nor any canon of the church do require it of us . his following maxime , that standing is the most proper posture of attention , i like wondrous well ; and i like better , that he saith it becometh him not , to have his hat on , when his lord and master speakes to him , fol. . but for all , i would have him take a speciall care , lest whilst he thus zealously pursueth order , he out-run authority , as we know who did . for certainly the canon which he built upon will not bear him out in it against the statute , if the statute were to be so expounded , as to restrain the use of all rites and ceremonies , not specified and appointed in the book of common prayer , as he told us lately . for though genuflexion or bowing of the knee cannot be done ( saith he ) but in a stationary posture , yet men that sit may tender due and lowly reverence at the name of jesus , by the humble bowing of their bodies , and testifie by that sign and gesture , their inward humility , christian resolution , and due acknowledgement that the lord jesus christ , the true and eternall son of god , is the only saviour of the world , &c. as in the . canon of . but one good turn requireth another . the pamphleter in requitall , shall advise the observator , not to be too confident , in saying , he was sure , that standing at the gloria patri , was never obtruded by the prelates ; for fear there should prove some flaw in his assurance , whosoever was of his counsell in it , fol. . this is a friendly admonition , and i shall make the best use of it accordingly . but how doth he weaken this assurance , and abate this confidence ? marry because in bishop wrens articles framed for the diocess of norwich , sure he is chap. . there are these words , viz. do they , i. e. the people , at the end of every psalm stand up , and say , glory be to the father , &c. and he thinks things inquired after in diocesan visitations , may be said to be urged and obtruded , fol. . hic rhodus , hic saltus ; this is the man , and that 's his leap , ma●ch him he that can . but sir , though i have heard some men ascribe insallibility to the houses of parliament , yet i never heard of any man till now , that did intitle them , their committees instruments , and agents to the spirit of prophecy ; and 't is impossible , that they could otherwise tell , anno . what bishop wren would do at norwich above seven years after , anno . for marke the story as it lieth . the committee for religion declared in anno . that upon due inspection they found it in a very tottering and declining condition , &c. partly from the audacious obtruding of divers superstitious ceremonies by the prelates , as standing at the gloria patri , &c. hist . fol. . this is the information , but what proofs have they of it ? the information is in matter of fact , of divers superstitious ceremonies , standing up at the gloria patri , &c. at that time and before obtruded by some audacious prelates . the proof is given them by the spirit of prophecy , in telling them what was , or should be done above seven years after , when bishop wren should hold his first visitation for the diocess of norwich . i see our author is as good at logick as he is at law. for mark the argument in bishop wrens articles , framed for the diocess of norwich ( anno . why was that left out ? ) it is enquired into , whether the people at the end of every psalm did stand up and say , glory be to the father , &c. ergo , which is in english , therefore , this superstitious ceremony of standing at the gloria patri , was obtruded by the audacious prelates above seven years before . anno . brave man at arms i must confess , though weak to baltazar . and now i hope i am quit with him for his theologaster . but yet i have not payed him all , there is some behinde . for is not this the man that telleth us , that the remissness of the government of archbishop abbot , made the future reduction of tender conscienced men to long discontinued obedience , interpreted an innovation , hist . fol. . yet he remembreth it well enough ; for he tels us in his pamphlet , fol. . oportet esse memorem , but he leaves out the most significant word of all , that which most properly doth concern him , mendacem : oportet mendacem esse memorem , was the rule of old , and it concerns our author to take notice of it . i well remember those words saith he , but never meant they should relate to the setting railes before the holy table , fol. . well then allowing our author his more secret meaning , we have gained thus much , that placing the table altar-wise , and bowing towards it , and standing at the gloria patri , are no more to be reckoned for innovations , but reductions rather , as our author freely hath acknowledged . for telling us that he never meant , that the words alleadged should relate to the setting railes before the holy table ; he doth ingenuously confess he meant it in all the rest ; according to the good old rule , exceptio firmat regulam in non exceptis . and again , is not this the man that tels us anno . in his new edition , that he who desires to pourtray england in her full stature of externall glory , may now take her dimensions ; he shall behold her church shining in transcendent empyreall brightness , and purity of evangelicall truth . her religious performances , her holy offices , ordered and regulated agreeable to the strict expedient of such sacred actions . her discipline , modell , sutable to the apostolick form . the set and suite of her holy tribe renowned for piety and learning , and all those in so supereminent a degree , that no church on this side of the apostolique , can or ever could , compare with her in any one , fol. . here is an euge tuum , & belle , an excellent panegyrick i confess , and i thank him for it , but very different from those taxes , charges , and obtrusions , which we finde elsewhere . out of which i shall only note , as proper to my present purpose . first , that this panegyrick is placed by him anno . at what time placing the communion table altar-wise , and bowing towards it , and standing at the gloria patri were grown more generally in use , then they had been formerly . and secondly , that it is here said , that her religious performances , and holy offices , were then regulated agreeable to the strict expedients of such sacred actions . if regulated by the strict expedients of such sacred actions , as he saith they were , then neither placing the table altar-wise , nor bowing towards it , nor standing at the gloria patri , no nor the very railes themselves coming within the compasse of these strict expedients , are to be reckoned of as innovations , and obtrusions by the committee for religion of which we speak , anno . the prelates being thus freed , and freed even by our author himself , from innovating in the worship of god , here by law established , we must next see , what danger there was feared from doctrinal poperie , by the uncontrouled preaching of severall points , tending and warping that way , by mountague , goodman , cozens , and others , as in the history , fol. . to which the observator answered , that neither mountague nor cozens , were questioned for preaching any thing which warped toward popery ; but the one of them for writing the book called appello caesarem , the other for publishing a body of devotions , according to the hours of prayer , in neither of which , an equall and judicious reader will find any popery . what saith the pamphleter to this ? why , first he doth confesse , that in stead of preaching , he should have said publishing : and this mistake ( with more then ordinary ingenuity ) he hath rectified in the last edition , fol. . secondly , as for dr. cozens , he grants ingenuously enough , that in his book , there is no direct popery , though something ( as he saith ) which might raise a jealousie of his tendency that way ; but yet forbears to presse it further ( and it is well for him , that he had so good a colour to forbear the pressing of that , which he could not prove ) seeing that doctor hath appeared of late so stout an advocate for the reformed church ; as he hath been informed by some , and assured by others , fol. . to the observators defence of bp. mountague , there is no reply : so that the action being withdrawn against one of the parties , and the other quit by proclamation , we may discharge them of the court , without more adoe . finally , as for bp. goodman , the observator hath informed you , that though he preached something once which might warp towards popery , yet he did not preach it uncontrouled , being not only questioned for it , but sentenced to a recantation before the king. to this i find no reply neither , and i wonder at it , considering the great advantage given by that bishop at his death , to increase the scandall ; a scandal so unseasonably , and untimely given , as if the devil himself had watched an opportunity to despight this church . and though some men have gladly cherished this occasion , to draw the rest of the prelates , and prelatical party , into a generall suspicion , of being as much inclined to popery , as that bishop was ; yet christian charity should instruct them , not to think evil of all , for the fault of one , or prejudge any one man , much lesse the whole body of a clergy , for the fault of another . it rather should be wondred at by all moderate and discerning men , that notwithstanding so many provocations of want , and scorn , which have of late been put upon them , there should be found but one of that sacred order , and but three more ( that i have heard of ) of the regular clergy to fall off to popery : though to say truth , it was not in this bishop a late falling off , but a pursuance rather of some former inclinations which he had that way , that being thought to be the reason why he refused subscription to the canons of . mentioned in our historian fol. . but , oportet esse memorem , as we know who said : and now it will be time to passe from those anomalous innovations , which seemed to threaten , that tiber would drown the thames , in our authors language , to those designs which tended to the bringing in of arminianisme , if all be true , which was brought in to the committee , or by our author is reported to be brought in to them . chap. vii . our author not so little concerned in the controversies of arminianism , as he would be thought . the arminians not called a faction by the observator , nor said by him to be unsufferable in a common-wealth . the lawes and privileges of the netherlands never more violated , than in the proceedings against barnevelt . the conspiracy of barnevelts kinred not to be imputea to the arminians . the moderation of king james on the like occasion . the arminians no way turbulent , but as calvinists only . st. augustine did not think himself infallible , though the pamphleter doth . the observator misreported in delivering the tenets of some calvinists . the pamphleters trifling in so great a matter as eternity . the judgement of king james altered in the paints of arminianism . sir humphries tale of the two bishops canvassed and confuted . the bishop of winchester vindicated . of dr. more , dr. marshal , and their several grudges against that bishop . the lambeth articles confessed by our author not to be taken for the doctrine of the church of england . the observators mistake in the first . years of dr. baro , and the grounds thereof . the observator not disproved concerning that doctors retiring into france , nor in the storie of those articles ; with the pamphleters mistakes in both . the articles of ireland abrogated , by superinducing those of england , proved first by the certificate of the two subscribers , and after by some parallel cases in scripture , and the statute-laws . the two subscribers speak improperly for themselves , and deal unjustly with the observator . of the differences in the convocation of ireland , between the lord primate , and the bishop of derry . an errour of the printers charged on the observator . but first we must remove a block which lieth in our way , our author telling us , how little he is concerned in these arminian controversies , which are to be the subject of this present chapter , fol. . thus do i hear our author say , but i find the contrary , and then , quid verba audiam cum facta videam ? the bitternesse of his style against those poor men whom he so nick-nameth , and all who seem to incline towards their opinions , declare plainly of what spirit he is , how very little concerned soever he would seem to be . of this we shall not need to look for any further evidence , than the character he gives both of the men and of the doctrine . their doctrin branded by the name of errours , and the contrary opinions honoured with the title of orthodox , hist . fol. . their tenets joyned with those of the massilians and semipelagians , fol. . . their persons stigmatized in the pamphlet , as men having a strong tang of the jesuites , in practical or dogmatical concernments ; and indeed a faction , a turbulent seditious faction , and so found all along by the united provinces from the first of their spawning there , fol. . the lord deputy of ireland stands accused upon this accompt in the unpublished sheets of the history , to have frighted , rather than perswaded the convocation of ireland to repeal the articles of that church , principally to advance these arminian tenets ; the court-clergy generally defamèd , as deeply tinctured and stained with the massilian and arminian errors , and mr. mountague ( afterwards bishop of chichester ) called unworthy wretch , because he was supposed to incline that way . strong arguments that our author doth not think himself so little concerned in this businesse ; as he would make the world believe , if he had the art of it . but whereas the pamphleter hath told us , that the observator p. . hath very aptly stiled them , by the name of a faction , if he consult the place again but with half an eye , he will not find them stiled so by the observator , but by dr. whitacres , dr. willet , mr. chatterton , mr. perkins , and certain others , desiring the archbishops assistance to suppresse that faction , which was like to grow against them in that university . and here i think it not amisse to take another running leap , from fol. . to fol. . where he inferreth , out of i know not what words in the observations , that reason of state and king craft , will not tolerate the arminians in a commonwealth . but no such thing occurs there , i am sure of that ; all that the observator saith , being only this , that king james tendring the safety of the prince of orange , and the peace of those provinces , thought it no small piece of king-craft , to contribute toward the suppression of the weaker party , blasting them not only with reproachfull names , but sending such of his divines to the assembly at dort , as he was sure would be sufficiently active in their condemnation . can any man inferre from hence by the rules of logick , that reason of state and king-craft will not tolerate the arminiaus in a commonwealth ? because as the case then stood in the belgique provinces , betwixt barnevelt and the prince of orange , king james thought fit to countenance the partie of the prince of orange , and suppresse the other . next as for barnevelt himself , one of the wisest men that ever those countries bred , he saw and feared that the great power to which the prince of orange had attained , if not evenly ballanced , might end at last in the suppression of the publique libertie ; and make those provinces , unius quasi familiae haereditas , the patrimonie and inheritance of the nassovian familie . hereupon finding that the prince had made himself the head of the rigid calvinists , he joyned himself to those , whom our author calls arminians , but passed in their own country by the name of remonstrants ; and thereby brought the prince into such a streight , that to preserve his power , and make sure of barnevelt , he violated all the privileges of those several states , for which they had first took up armes against the spaniards . for first drawing out such forces as were most at his devotion , he passeth from one town to another , displaceth the magistrates , changeth the garrisons , and removes the governours , putting none into the rooms , but such as were of the other party , and assured unto him ; and ly , having thus altered the whole face of the common-wealth , barnevelt by these new magistrats is seized upon , and contrary to the fundamental laws of holland ( whereof he was a native ) put over to certain delegats appointed by the states gen. ( men utterly uncapable of dealing in matters of that nature ) to hear his process , by whō he was condemned , and accordingly executed . and this is that wicked conspiracy , for which he suffered so condignly , as our author telleth us ; but whether it were so or no , the moderate and unconcerned reader , but some what lesse concerned than the pamphleter is , will be better able to discern , if he peruse the apologie of the remonstrants , in which are many things of note which concern this businesse . as for that damnable and hellish plot about three years after , wherein the states sitting in councel at the hague , and after them all , other anti-arminian magistrates were destin'd to slaughter , as the pamphleter hath it , fol. . if all be true that is reported , and the design as damnable and hellish , as the pampleter makes it , yet doth not this concern the arminian partie , but only the children and kinred of barnevelt , whose design it was ; who to revenge his death , so unworthily and unjustly contrived ( and , as they thought ) so undeservedly , and against their lawes , might fall upon some desperate counsels , and most unjustifiable courses in pursuance of it . but what makes this to the arminian and remonstrant partie ? barnevelts children were convicted of a damnable and hellish plot against the state ; ergo , the arminians or remonstrants are a turbulent , seditious faction ; and conseq●ently , not to be suffered in a commonwealth . king james approved not of this logick , when it was moved by some hot-headed members of the lower house , to seize upon the persons , and confiscate the fistates of all english papists , as guilty of the gunpowder treason , because some discontented , turbulent and ambitious spirits had designed the plot ; i know ( saith he , in his speech to both houses of parliament , anno . ) that your hearts are so burnt up with zeal in this errant , and your tongues so ready to utter your dutifull affections , and your hands and feet so bent to concurre in the execution thereof , ( for which , as i need not to spurre you , so can i not but praise you for the same : ) as it may very well be possible that the zeal of your hearts shall make some of you in your speeches rashly to blame such , as may be innocent of this attempt : but upon the other part , i wish you to consider , that i would be sorry that any being innocent of this practice , either domestical or foreign , should receive blame or harm for the same : for although it cannot be denied , that it was the only blind superstition of their errours in religion , that led them to this desperate device ; yet doth it not follow , that all professing the romish religion were guilty of the same . so he . and how far different this is from the pamphleters logick , ( though that the best logick of these times ) is left to the consideration of all equal and indifferent men . and ly , admitting that the whole arminian partie were engaged in these treasons , either in voto or in re , yet doth it not follow hereupon with reference to other countries ; that they are none of the best subjects , be their doctrine as orthodox as they pretend : which is the corollary which the pamphleter hath inferred upon it . my reason is , because arminianism it self , as it relates to the five points in difference ( which in our authors style is called arminianism ) disposeth not the professors of it to any such practices . and therefore if the arminians should prove to be as turbulent and seditious , as the pamphleter makes them , yet must we not impute it to them , as they are arminians , that is to say , as men following the melancthonian way , and differing in those five points from the rest of the calvinists , but as they are a branch of the sect of calvin , to whose discipline in all particulars , they conformed themselves , and to his doctrine in the most , as was declared by the observator . and we know well what dangerous practices and positions have been set on foot within this island , by such as have pursued the one , and embrace the other . this said , i must turn back again , where i find the observator put to an unnecessary , but invidious task . the observator had affirmed , that st. augustines zeal against the pelagians , transported him into such inconvenient expressions , as the wisest men may fall into on the like occasions . to this the pamphleter replieth , that it were a work very proper for the observator , to instance in those inconvenient expressions , and to undertake the confutation of them , fol. . and this i call , both an unnecessary and invidious task : unnecessary , as being no way pertinent to the present businesse ; invidious , in regard of that high esteem which that great father hath attained to in the christian world . and yet i shall crave leave to say , that if he had not run himself into some inconvenient expressions , in condemning infants unbaptized to the pains of hell , he never had incurred the name of infanto-mastix : a more particular accompt whereof i had rather the reader should take pains to collect from his writings , than expect from me . all i shall further add is this , that st augustine , when he was alive , did neither think himself infallible , or exempt from errours ; nor was displeased with st. hierome , for canvassing or confuting any point of doctrine by him delivered . this liberty they mutually indulged on one another , and good reason for it ; non tam stultus sum ut diversitate explanationum tuarum me laedi putem , quia nec tu laederis si nos contraria senserimus . this was st. hieromes resolution to st. augustine in a point between them ; equally full of piety , and christian courage . the next thing required of the observator , is , to produce the men of the calvinian party , who say , that a man is forcibly drawn and irresistibly with the cords of grace in the work of conversion . fol . he grants indeed , that they take away an actual resistance of the will , as inconsistent , simul & semel , with efficacious grace , and i grant that too : grace not being efficacious , or deserving so to be accompted , when all mans actual resistance is not took away . but such an irresistibility , as the observator mentioneth , he thinks that none of them assert . but he doth but think it , and he is able to think more then the most subtle disputant of that party is able to prove : but the calvinists , or contra-remonstrants , have thought otherwise of it , who in the conference at hague maintained an irresistibility no lesse evident in the workings of grace , then in those of the natural generation , or supernatural resurrection from the dead , man being no more able in their opinion to resist the operations of grace , then he is able either to hinder his own begetting , or his last raising from the grave : quemadmodum non est humani arbitrii nasci aut non nasci , excitari ex mortuis aut non excitari , ita neque ex nostro arbitrio pendet ullo modo nostra conversio . so they collat. hague , pag. . a more particular accompt , together with the names of those who maintain this tenet , the observator will produce , when required of him . but then the pamphleter must have an explanation of this metaphysical whim-wham , viz. how eternity ( for so saith he the observator saith ) not salvation , can recipere majus & minus , receive either augmentation or diminution from man , ●ol . . but sir , without any of your whim-whams , where find you any such thing , or any thing that looks that way in the observator ? cannot the observator say , that by the doctrine of some calvinists , and rigid lutherans , a man contributes nothing to his own eternity , but presently you must cry out of i know not what metaphysical whimwhams , as if he had affirmed , that eternity might recipere majus & minus ? for though eternity cannot recipere majus & minus , as indeed it cannot , yet i hope the pamphleter or our author will not stick at this , that some men do contribute more or less , to their own eternity , or towards the attaining of their own eternity ( if that will better please the man ) than some other do . but had the observator used the word salvation , as the pamphleter sayeth he should have done , had he spoken properly , then this great quarrel had been saved ; salvation being susceptible of a majus et minus , ( what else can be inferred from the pamphleters words ? ) though eternity be not : which indeed i will not say is such a metaphysical whimwham , but such a fine piece of norfolk drapery , that t is pitty we should have no more of the remnant , as well and wisely said the gentleman on another occasion . next for king james , the pamphleter seems much displeased , that having been inclinable unto the calvinian tenets , as well by the course of his education , as by the insinuations of dr. james mountague , first dean of the chapell , and afterwards bishop of bathe and wells , and at last of winchester , he should be thought to change his judgements in those points on reading of mr. richard mountagues book against the gagger , and this ( saith he ) is most unlikely , it being well known , that in theological controversies king james was able enough to go alone , and needed not , like a child , be led up and down by the hanging sleeves from one opinion to the other , fol. . but then it is but unlikely only , though most unlikely , that it should be so ; and being but unlikely , though most unlikely , there is no such impossibility in it , but that it may be certified without any injury to the abilities of that king in theological controversies : it being no unusuall thing in the greatest scholars , not only to alter their opinions , in matters of opinion only , and not fundamentll ( as the pamphleter makes these not to be ) but retract and recognize ( as bellarmine and saint augustiue did ) what they said before . and that the king had either altered his opinion in those points , or abated much of his rigor in it , appeareth by the countenance which he gave to mountagues book , and the incouragements which the author had from him , to vindicate both his fame and doctrine against ward aud yates , the two informers ; a full accompt whereof we have in the observations . fol. . but the pamphleter will not have done with master montague , telling us a very pretty tale , that in the year this mr. mountague then bishop , together with doctor neile bishop of winchester , being remonstrated to the king , as abettors of those tenets , professed with tears in their eyes , that they hated those opinions , and before his majesty and his counsell renounced them , fol. . here is indeed a dolefull ditty , the lamentation of a sinner , to the tune of lachrymae ; a tale like this wee had before , but that it was the squires tale then , and the knights tale now . for if we ask what authority , what proof he hath to make good the story ; marry saith he , it was so averred by sir humphrey mildmay in open parliament , nemine contradicente , no one near the chair contradicting . never was story better proved , nor proved by more particulars of such waight and moment . it was averred by sir humphrey mildmay ( whether mistaken in the name , or man , i regard not , ) and therefore most infalliblly true , for if sir humphrey said the word , it must needs be so : and yet i do not think that sir humphry , or sir what you will , was any of the kings councell , or called into the conncell chamber , to behold the comaedie . it was averred secondly in the open parliament , there●ore there can be nothing truer ; nothing being told within the walls , ( whether the tales of dutch skippers , or of danish flee●s , or the plague-plaster sent to mr. pym , or saying mass daily in the streets at oxford , and all the rest of the discoveries of sir walter earl ) but ipso facto , by a strange kind of alcumy , it was made a truth , a most unquestionable truth . it was averred thirdly , nemine contradicente , and very good reason for that too ; there being none perhaps then present , who were admitted to the sight of that enterlude , as sir humphry was , or otherwise its worth the while to disprove the fable . but here i find something worth the learning , which is , that nemine contradicente doth not signifie only ( as the poor theologaster might conceive it did ) no one contradicting , but no one contradicting who stood near the chair . a pretty piece of grammar-learning , and i thank him for it ; the rather , in regard it may be gathered from these words , that though no man who stood near the chair did or durst contradict sir humpry in this pretty figment ; yet others who stood farther off ( and being procul à jove , might be procul à fulmine ) did presume to do it . and this i hope will satisfie the pamphleter , and sir humphry too . we have now done with bishop mountague , but we must have another pull about bishop neile , then bishop of winchester , by whose , and the bishop of londons prevalencie , we were told in the history , the orthodox party were depressed , and the truth they served , scarce able to protect them to impunity . reproved by the observator , for speaking thus at randome , and without any proof , of those great prelates , ( both being counsellors of state ) the pamphleter comes in to make good the matter , telling us , that sir daniel norton , and sir robert philips , informed the house , that doctor more and doctor marshall , were chid by the bishop of vvinchester , for preaching against popery , both drs. being ready to bear witness of the truth thereof , fol. . now mark the justice of the man , and his logick too . the information is brought against the bishops of london and vvinchester , but the proof ( such as it is , ) against the bishop of vvinchester only ; no reparation being made unto the other for so great an injury . i trow this is but sorry justice , and yet the logick of the proof is a great deal worse . the information was about the danger of arminianism , the spreade●s of those errors advanced by the prevalency of those bishops to great preferment , the orthodox party in the mean time depressed , and under inglorious disdain . hist . fol. . how doth he make this good in the bishop of vvinchester ? because for sooth he had chidden doctor more and doctor marshall for preaching against popery . this is the logick we must look for . the premises are of arminianism , the conclusion of popery . or else it must be argued thus , the bishop of vvinchester chid doctor more and doctor marshall , for preaching against popery , ergo , which is in english therefore , the two bishops of london and winchester advanced the arminian party , and depressed the orthodox . our author telleth us fol. . of this present pamphlet , that there are some worse disputants than himself ; but if i know in what place to find them , may i burn my ke●kerman . but if the man were chidden , and chidden for preaching against popery , it will as much conduce to the dishonor of the bishop of winchester , as if they had been chidden on the other accompt , and therefore we must take some time to inquire into it , it being possible enough , that they might be chidden by that bishop not for their preaching against popery , but for some indiscretion in the way of their preaching , & possibly enough ( let me adde that too ) that they might have some private grudges against that prelate . doctor marshal claimed some fewell yearly out of that bishops woods , in the right of his parsonage , which that bishop ( being an old courtier , but of no great courtship ) did refuse to make him . this gave him occasion of displeasure , and being withall a man of some indiscretion , he might possibly , not carry the matter so discreetly , but that he might be liable to some just reproof . but as for doctor more , i shall need no other matter against him , than what i find in the unpublished sheets of our author himself , where he tells us of him , that ●he was a man of an acute , but somewhat an ●aculeated wit , fol. . a man ( it seems ) of more sting than hony , and was not sparing of it ( in his heats of zeal ) upon all occasions ; insomuch that there goeth a story of him , that mr. hugh may who had commended archie to the court not long before , obtained a turn for this doctor before king james , in which he shewed so much heat , and so little discretion , that the king told hugh may when he saw him next , that he thanked him more for his fool than he did for his preacher . besides our author telleth us of him in the place above mentioned , that preaching after the dukes return from the isle of rhe , he took occasion in his sermon , to speak of the defeat given to the roman army , under the command of quintilius varus , by the german nations , adding these words of the historian , that this army perished , propter inscitiam & temeritatem ducis : in which being thought to have put a scorn upon the duke , and reprehended for it by his diocesan , he was judged fit to be made use of against that bishop , when the teeth of the informers were edged against him . proceed we next to the lambeth articles , the great diana of the ephesians of our times . it was affirmed by the observator , that they were never looked on as the doctrin of the church of england , nor intended to be so looked upon by them that made them . but this the pamphleter puts off to mr. pym , and the committee for religion ; but grants withall , that it is very probable , that the compilers of the book of articles , and the book of homilies , differed from calvins sense in the point of predestination , and its subordinates , fol. . nor doth he only grant it to be probable , but he proves it also , it being ( saith he ) very rare for two , even of the same party , to agree exactly in all parcels of these controversies . so then , whether it were our author , or the committee for religion , which declare these articles of lambeth to speak the sense of the articles of the church of england , it comes all to one , the pamphleter leaving them in the plain field , and siding with the observator in this particular . in the occasion of these articles , or rather in one circumstance of it , the observator was mistaken , affirming page . that on the coming of these articles to cambridge , dr. baro found himself so discouraged & discountenanced , that at the end of his first years he relinquished his professorship , and retired not long after into france ; to this the pamphleter makes answer , that peter baro relinquished not his professorship at the end of his first three years , proved by his lectures upon ionah , to be professor there , anno . and confessed to be so by the observator , anno . . that that professorship is not eligible , from years to years , but at the end of each second year ; proved by the statutes of the lady margaret ( countesse of richmond and derby ) the foundresse of it . . that peter baro never went or retired into france , after the resignation of his professorship , but lived and dyed in crutched friers , as may be proved by the testimony of a son of his , who is still alive . in the two first of these we have confitentem reum , the observator crying peccavi , and confessing guilty , but so that he had good authority for his errour in it ; for first the pamphleter hath told us , that very many were of the contrary belief , that is to say , to the election of that professor every second year , & so the wonder is the lesse , if the observator should be one of those very many . . he had found in the history of the lambeth articles printed at london . that baro at the third years end ( for so long he was to hold that lecture by their antient ordinances ) relinquished his professorship , and betook himself to his private studies . baro ( saith he ) elapso tri●nnii spatio ( nam vetere instituto in illius lectura triennalis est professio ) professione abiit & in privata se studia recondidit . . he had read in a book called responsio necessaria , published by the remonstrants , anno . that notwithstanding the coming of those articles , he continued in his professorship , donec exacto suo triennio ( professio utique il a qua in collegio fungebatur , in triennium solum prorogabatur ) professione se abdicavit , & tranquillam ut viveret vitam privatis se studiis totum dedit ; that is to say , that his three years being expired ( that professorship being continued in that university but for three years only ) he left the place , retired unto a private life , and gave himself wholly to his studies . . he hath found also in the history of cambridge , writ by mr. fuller a cambridge man , and one that should have known the customs and statutes of that university , that the end of doctor peter baro ( the marguaret professor ) his triennial lectures began to draw near , &c. sect. . which layed together , i would fain know of the equal and impartial reader , first , whether the observator may not be excused for making that lecture to continue from three years to three years ; and secondly , whether the exacto suo triennio , in the book called responsio necessaria , and the end of his triennial lectures in fullers history , might not induce him to conceive , that dr. baro gave over the professorship at the end of his first three years . in the last point the cause is not so clear on the pamphleters side , nay it will rather go against him . mr. prynne , a man diligent enough in the search of any thing which concerns his argument , hath told us positively , in his auli-armianism , pag. . that being convented before the heads of that university , he was not only forced to forsake the university , but the kingdom too ; for which he citeth dr. ward in his concio ad clerum , anno . and thytius in his preface ad fratres belgas ; nor do the pamphleters proofs come home to conclude the contrary ; unlesse the argument be good , that baro lived and died in london , and was buried there in st. olaves church . ergo he retired not into france , upon his first relinquishing of the university . and if it be true which the pamphleter telleth us , that the bishop of london ordered the most divines in that city to be present at his interment ; it is a good argument , that both the bishop , and most eminent divines of london , were either inclinable to his opinions , or not so much averse from them , as not to give a solemn attendance at the time of his funeral . as for the story of these articles , as layed down in the observator , he tellerh us it was never heard off , till the year . which sheweth how little he is versed in his own concernments , the same story , let him call it a tale if he will , being published in the responsio necessa●ia , anno dom. . which was years before , and but the th year from the meeting at lambeth . and though the kentish man he speaks of , whosoever he were , might be unborn at the time of the making of the articles , as he saith he was , yet the remonstrants who published the responsio necessaria , must be born before , and probably might have the whole story from baro himself , with whom they coresponded in these points of controversie . adeo absurda argumenta ineptos habent exitus , as lactantius hath it . on what accompt these articles were made a part of the confession of the church of ireland , hath been shewen elsewhere , we must next come unto the abrogating or repealing of them , for saying which the observator stands accused , although repealing be the word of our author himself in the first edition , fol. . yet now he singeth a new song , and telleth us many things quite different from the common opinion , and from his own amongst the rest : assuring us , that the articles established in the church of ireland , anno . were never abrogated , and proving it by a certificate under the hands of doctor bernard , and one mr. pullein , ( if he be not of a higher degree , ) both of them convocation men , and present at the conclusion of it , anno . but this certificate will prove upon examination to conclude nothing to the purpose . it is acknowledged both in the certificate and canon that they did not only approve ( which might a been a sufficient manifestation of their agreement with the church of england , in the confession of the same christian faith ) but that they also did receive the book of articles of religion , agreed upon by the archbishops , and bishops , and the whole clergy , in the whole convocation holden at london , anno dom. . now the receiving or superinducing of a new confession , will prove equivalent in the fact , and i think in law , ) to the repealing of the old , for otherwise there must be two confessions in the same church , differing in many points from one another ; which would have been so far from creating a uniformity of belief between the churches , and taking away thereby the matter of derision which was given the papists , in two distinct ( and in some points contrary ) confessions , yet both pretending unto one and the same religion ; that it would rather have increased their scorn , and made a greater disagreement in ireland it self , than was before between the churches of both kingdomes . and this the certificate it self doth seem to intimate . in which we find , that one of the assembly ( some rigid calvinist belike ) stood up , and desired that the other book of articles , ( that is to say in the year ) should be be joyned with it which proposition , being it might have made some rub in the business , if it had been absolutely denied , was put off , by this cleanly and handsome temperament , that this would be needless , that book having been already sufficiently ratified by the dcer●e of the former synod . with this all parties seem contented , and the canon passed . so easily may the weak brethren be out-witted by more able heads . to make this matter plainer to their severall capacities , i will look upon the two subscribers , as upon divines , and on the pamphleter , our author , as a man of law . of the subscribers i would ask , whether saint paul were out in the rules of logick , when he proved the abrogating of the old covenant by the superinducing of the new . dicendo autem novum , veteravit prius , &c. that is to say , as our english reads it , in that he saith , a new covenant , he hath made the first old . heb. . . and then it followeth , that that which decayeth and waxeth old , is ready to vanish away , that is to say , the old being disanulled by the new , there must necessarily follow the abolishment of its use and practice . nor find they any other abrogation of the jewish sabbath , than by the super-inducing of the lords day , for the day of worship ; by means whereof , the sabbath was lesned in authority and reputation by little and little , & in short time , was absolutely laid aside in the church of christ ; the th cōmandement , by which it was at first ordained , being stil in force . so then , according to these grounds , the articles of ireland were virtually , though not formally abbrogatad , by the super-inducing of the articles of the church of england , which is as much as need be said for the satisfaction of the two subscribers , taking them in the capacity of divines , as before is said . now for my man of law , i would have him know , that the first liturgy of king edward the sixth , was confirmed in parliament , with severall penalties to those who should refuse to officiate by it , or should not diligently resort and repair unto it . , . edw. th c. . but because divers doubts had arisen in the use and exercise of the said book , ( as is declared in the statute of , . edward . c. . ) for the fashion and manner of the ministration of the same , rather by the curiosity of the ministers , and mistakers , than of any other worthy cause ; therefore as well for the more plain and manifest explanation hereof , as for the more perfection of the said order of common service , in some places where it is necessary to make the same prayer and fashion of service more earnest and fit to stir christian people to the true honouring of almighty god ; the kings most excellent majesty , with the assent of the lords and commons in this present parliament a●embled , and by the authority of the same , hath caused the foresaid order of common service , entituled the book of common prayer , to be faithfully and godly perused , explaned , and made fully perfect . which book being thus fitted and explaned , approved by the king , and confirmed in the parliament in the , years of his reign , was forthwith generally received into use and practice , in all parts of the kingdom , the former liturgy being no otherwise suppressed and called in , than by the superinducing of this , the statute upon which it stood continuing un-repealed , in full force and vertue , and many clauses of the same related to in the statute which confirmed the second . but fearing to be censured by both parties , for reading a lecture of the wars to annibal , i knock off again . now , forasmuch as the observator is concerned in this certificate , being said , to have abused the said convocation with such a grosse mistake , so manifest an untruth , i would fain know in what that grosse mistaking , and the manifest untruth which these men speak of is to be discerned . the premises which usher in this conclusion are these , viz. but that the least motion was then or there made for the suppressing of those articles of ireland , hath no truth at all in it : the conclusion this , therefore the observator , and whosoever else hath , or doth averr , that the said articles either were abolished , or any motion made for the suppressing or abolishing of them , are grosly mistaken , and have abused the said convocation in delivering so manifest an untruth . but first the observator speaks not of any motion made there for the suppressing of those articles . the proposition for approving and receiving the confession of the church of england might be made effectually ( and so it seems it was ) without any such motion : and therefore if the observator stand accused in that particular , the manifest untruth , and grosse mistake which those men dream of , must be returned upon themselves . and on the other side if he be charged with this grosse mistake and man fest untruth , for no other reason , but that he saith , those articles were abolished , as they charge it on him ; they should have first shewed where he saith it , before they fell so rudely and uncivilly on a man they know not : the observator never said it , never meant it , he understands himself too well to speak so improperly . the word he used was abrogated , and not abolished : the first word intimating that those articles were repealed , or disannulled , & of no force in law , whereas to be abolished signifieth to be defaced , or raced out , that so the very memory of the thing might perish . the word abrogated ( rightly and properly so taken ) is terminus forensis , or a term of law , derived from the custom of the romans , who if they did impose a law to be made by the people , were said rogare legem , because of asking , moving , or perswading to enact the same , velitis iubeatisne quirites , &c. from whence came prorogare legem , to continue a law which was in being for a longer time , and abrogare to repeal or abrogate it for the time to come , unlesse upon some further consideration it were thought fit to be restored : but giving these men the benefit and advantage of their own expression , and let the two words abrogated and abolished signifie the same one thing ; where is their equity the while , for charging that as a grosse mistake , and manifest nntruth in the observator , which must be looked on only as a failing , or an easie slip , within the incidence of frailty , as we know who said , in their friend our author , the systeme , the body of articles formed by that church , anno , were repealed , saith the historian , fol. . for abrogating the articles of religion established in the church of ireland , saith the observator . pag. , . both right , or both wrong , i am sure of that ; a grosse mistake , a manifest untruth , in both , or neither . and so farewell good mr. pullein ; wi●h doctor bernard i shall meet in another place . in the next place , whereas the observator said , that the abrogating of the articles of ireland was put on the lieutenants score , because doctor bramhall , ( once his chaplain , and ) then bishop of derry had appeared most in it : the pamphleter answereth , that there was never any controversie in that synod , between the lord primate and that bishop , concerning those articles , fol. . but tell me gentle sir , might not the bishop of derry be most active in it , without a personal controversie betwixt him and the primate , if so , then was the primate more engaged in the quarrel , about receiving , or not receiving the articles of the church of england , than you would gladly seem to have him ; if otherwise , your answer is nothing to the purpose , nor confutes any thing affirmed by the observator . some disagreement he confesseth to have been between them in that synod , about the canons , not the articles of the church of england , but neither he nor the observator being present at it , they must rely upon the credit of their authors . the observator ( as he telleth me ) had his intelligence from some of the bishops of that kingdom , men of integrity and great worth , present at all debates and conferences amongst those of their own order , and so most like to give a just account of all passages there . the pamphleter takes his ( it seems ) from two members of the lower house of convocation , who neither were bound to tell more than they knew , nor to know more than the advantages of the place they served in could communicate to them . which of the two intelligences , have , or should have most power in moving the sphear of any common understanding , let the reader judge . the pampheter is almost spent , and now plays with flies , quarrelling the observator , for saying that this convocation was held in ireland anno . whereas dr. heylyn , whom he makes to be his alter idem , hath placed it in his history of the sabbath , anno . it could not then proceed from ignorance in the observator , you have cleared him very well for that , and it will be very hard for you to prove , that it proceeded from negligence , or from ( your ordinary excuse ) a lapse of memory . printers will fall into such errours do we what we can , though the calculation be put down , in words at length , and not in figures , more easily and frequently , when they meet with figures , not words in length . and so much for all matters which relate to arminianism . the rest that follows shall be reduced into two chapters , the first for parliaments and convocations , and the points coincident ; the second for all such other matters as cannot be contained under those two heads . chap. viii . a voluntary mistake of the author , charged on the accompt of the observator . the pamphleter agreeth with the observator , about the sitting and impowering of the convocation . our author satisfied in the &c. left so unhappily in the canon of . that the clergy in their convocation may give away their own money without leave from the parliament . the difference in that case between a benevolence and a subsidie . the impulsives to that benevolence . the king not unacquainted with the differences between the liturgies . the words of distribution in the first liturgy of king edward , no more favourable to transubstantiation , than those which are retained in the present liturgy . the reason why so many papists have been gained of late to the church of england . the convocation of the year appeared not by their councel in the house of commons . new lords created in time of parliam●nt , not excluded from their suffrage in it . the difference between the loan and the tax made reconcileable ; the commons in the parliament , . not to be called petty kings . our authors weak excuses for it , and the damages of it . the pamphleters great libertie in calculating the estates of the peers and commons to make good his estimate . the bishops purposely left out in the valuation . the true stating of the time of the charge against the late arch-bishop . the bishops not excluded by the canon-laws , from being present at the intermediate proceedings in the businesse of the earl of strafford . our authors resolution , not to warrant circumstances , but the things themselves , of what not able advantage to him . the observator justified in the day of taking the protestation . the four bishops sent to the king , and not sent for by him . the bishop of london supernumerary . the pamphleters weak argument upon his silence in that meeting . the primate of armagh , not made use of by the lord leiutenant in framing the answer to his charge ; why chosen to be with him , as his ghostly father , before , and at the time of his death . a fair and friendly expostulation with dr. bernard . from the convocation held in ireland , proceed we now to that in england , both yeelding matter of observation , and both alike unpleasing to the presbiterian or puritan party . and the first thing the pamphleter layeth hold on , is a mistake , occasioned chiefly by himself . he told us of a new synod made of an old convocation , and fathers the conceit , such as it is , on a witty gentleman . but now the witty gentleman proves to be a lord , and therefore the observators descant on sir edward deering , must be out of doors fol. . had the historian spoke properly , and told us of a witty lord , who had said so of that convocation , the observator would have took more pains in inquiring after him , but speaking of him in the notion of a gent. only , though a witty gentleman , the observator had some reason to conceive it spoken by sir edward deering , one of whose witty speeches , was made chiefly upon that occasion . but as this lord is here presented to us in the name of a gentleman , so mr. secretary v●ne is given unto us in the unpublished sheets , by the name of a lord. had he corrected himself in this expression , as he did in the other , he might have eas'd himself of some work , excused the observator from some part of his trouble , and freed sir edward deering from the descant ( as he calls it ) of the observator . the historian had affirmed , that the convocation was impowered to sit still by a new commission . to this the observator answereth , no such matter verily ; the new cōmission which he speaks off , gave them no such power ; the writ by which they were first called , and made to be a convocation , gave them power to sit , and by that writ they were to sit as a convocation , till by another writ proceeding from the same authority , they were dissolved . doth the pamphleter deny any part of this ? no , he grants it all , and takes great pains to prove himself , a most serious trifeler ; confessing , that though the convocation were not dissolved , by the dissolutiof the parliament , yet that it had so little life in it , as the king thought fit to reanimate it with a new commission , fol. . not one word in this impertinent nothing of above lines , till the close of all where the light-fingered observator is said to have pocketed up the break-neck of the businesse , in suppressing what the lawyers sent along with their opinions ; viz. that they would advise the convocation in making canons to be very sparing . and this , he saith he is informed by a member of that convocation , and one as knowing and credible a person as that assembly had any , fol. . for this we are to take his word , fot either he hath no witness to it , or else his witnesse is ashamed to own the testimony ; there being otherwise no danger or inconvenience likely to fall upon him , for giving evidence in the cause . and thetefore i would fain know of this nameless witness , how , and by whom , the lawyers sent this advice to the convocation ; whether in the same paper in which they had subscribed to their opinions , or by some message sent along with it , by word of month . not in the paper i am sure , there was no such matter ; i having opportunity both to see and transcribe the same , as it came from their hands . and if by message i would know , who it was that brought it , not the archbishop i am sure , by whom the paper was communicated , containing their opinions , with their names subscribed . the lawyers durst not be so bold as to send him upon their errant ; or if they were , he lost his errant by the way , or betrayed the trust reposed in him , for he delivered no such message or advice , when he acquainted both houses with their subscription . and if by any body else , i must know by whom , when , where , and in whose presence , whether to one or both the houses of convocation , or only to this credible and knowing person , whose name must be concealed like an arcanum imperii , fit only for the knowledge of he councill of state. when i am satisfied in these particulars , he shall hear more of me , till then i look upon a nameless witnesse sa no wirness at all . in the declaration of the meaning of that unhappy &c. left so improvidently in the oath , the pamphleter seems to be very well satisfied , objecting not one word against it . only he finds himself aggrieved , that these faults imputed to the canon , and contrived by others , should be said or thought to be delivered as of his own suggestion , the exceptions being taken by the kentish and northamptonshire men , but especially by those of devonshire , presented septemb. . to the lords of the councel , and touched at in the lord digbi●s speech novemb. . fol. . if so , ( and be it so this once ) i doubt not but all the said parties , or so many of them as are living , will be satisfied also , in the plain meaning of that canon , which seemed to carry such a mysterious import with it , in our authors language . concerning the benevolence granted by that convocation , our author told us , that it was beheld as an act of very high presumption , and an usurpation upon the preheminence of parliament ; no convocation having power to grant any subsidies or aid , without confirmation from the lay senate . to which the observator saith , that never was any rule more false or more weakly grounded ; nor doth he only say it , but he proves it too . he proves it first by the powers granted to the procurators or clerks of the convocation , from the several and respective diocesses for which they serve ; next by a president of the like in queen elizabeths time , anno . exemplified and followed word for word by this convocation . against this the pamphleter makes these two objections : the first drawn from the most infallible judgement of the house of commons , in which so many wise and learned men had declared it so , fol. . to which there needs no other answer , but that many things passed in that house , rather to pursue their own interest , and carry on the design which they had in hand , than that they should be urged in suceeding times , as a rule to others . the next drawn from the practice of convocations , constantly praying and desiring their grants and subsidies may be confirmed and ratified by the high court of parliament , ibid. a practice taken up in the latter times of king henry the th . when the censures of the church were grown invalid , and held on in the reign of king edward th . when the authority of the clergy was under foot ; and though continued afterwards in the times of queen elizabeth , and the kings succeeding , as the shorter and most expedite way ; yet not so binding , but that they did and might proceed by their own sole power , as is apparent by the president in the observator . the parliaments ratification , when desired by the clergy , signifies all ; but when the clergy have a mind to proceed without it , then it signifieth nothing . this said , i shall ex abundantia let the pamphleter know , that the convocation had in this particular , the advice of the kings counsell learned in the laws , who at first were of opinion , that the clergy could not make this grant , but by way of parliament ; but when they had perused the instrument , and found that the grant passed not by the name of a subsidie , but of a benevolence or extraordinary contribution , according to the president before mentioned , they then changed their minds , and gave their counsell and encouragement to go on accordingly . so then , according to this criticism of the councel learned , the convocation may be delivered of a benevolence , without the help and midwifry of an act of parliament , but of a subsidie it cannot . now the impulsives to this grant were not only the consideration of their duty owing to his majestie , for his constant defence of the faith , and protection of christs holy church , by the maintenance of the happy government , &c. but also of those great expences , whereat he was then like to be , as well for the honourable sustentation of his royal estate at home , and the necessary defence of this his realm , as also for the effectual furtherance of his majesties most royal and extraordinary designs abroad . this gives me some occasion to look toward the scots , and to consider so far of the liturgie recommended to them , as it lyeth before me in my author ; of this liturgy he telleth us , how unhappily the king had been perswaded , that it little differed from the english ; to which the observator answered , that the king needed no perswasion in this point , the difference between the two liturgies ( whether great or little ) being known unto him before he caused that to be published ; the pamphleter replyeth , that though the king was shewed the alteration of the scotish liturgy ; yet might he so apprehend or be perswaded that the differences were small , and yet might they be great for all that , and perhaps not discovered by him . but might be and perhaps are but forry mediums , on which to huild a conclusion of such weight and consequence . . for if they might be great for all that , they might for all that not be great , the one as probable as the other ; if perhaps discovered by him , it is but a perhaps they were not , and perhaps they were ; so that his argument concludeth nothing to the contrary , but that the difference between the two liturgies ( whether great or little ) were ( not only shewn , but ) made known unto him . the observator noted next , that the alterations in the liturgy being made and shewed to the king , he approved well of them ; in regard that comming nearer to the first liturgy of king edward the sixth , in the administration of the lords supper ( and consequently being more agreeable to the ancient forms ) it might be a means to gain the papists to the church , who liked far better of the first , than the second liturgy . in this the pamphleter very cunningly ( that i say no worse ) leaves out these words , and consequently being more agreeable to the ancient forms fastning the hopes of gaining papists to the church , on the nearness of the scotish liturgie to the first of king edwards , without relating to the forms of more elder times , to which the papists stand affected , fol. . this is no fair dealing by the way . but let that pass , he grants it is a matter beyond dispute , that the papists liked the first liturgy of king edward , better than the second . why so ? because the words of distribution of the elements are so framed , as they may consist with transubstantiation . fol. . if that be all , the papists have as good reason to like the liturgy of the church of england now by law established , as they had or have to like the first liturgy of king edward the sixth , the words of distribution used in the first liturgy being still retained in the present , together with the words of participation ( take and eat , take and drink , &c. ) which only did occur in the second liturgy . no more consistency with transubstantiation , in the words of distribution used in the first liturgy of king edward , nor consequently in that for scotland , than in that continued in the first year of queen elizabeth . but then the pamphleter subjoyns , that the gaining of papists to our church , was indeed the great pretended project of forty years continuance , and yet in all that time not so much as one taken with that bait. in answer unto which i desire to know , where the fault was , that for the space of forty years the intended project of gaining papists to the church took no more effect . the project certainly was pious , and intended really , and where the fault was we shall hear from our author himself , the bishops of late yeares ( saith he ) supinely , either careless or indulgent , had not required within their dioceses , that strict obedience to ecclesiastical constitutions , which the law expected , upon which the liturgy began to be totally laid aside , and inconformity the uniform practice of the church . hist . fol. . the papists loving comlinesse and order in gods publique service , will not be taken with the hatefull bait of inconformity , and forty years of generall conformity will be hardly found , in which we might have gained upon them . had bishop laud succeeded bancroft , and the intended project been followed without interruption , there is little question to be made , but that our jerusalem ( by this time ) might have been a city at unity in it self . besides , the pamphleter might have observed , had he been so minded , that the observator speaks these words of gaining papists to the church , as a thing hoped for by the king , of the scotish liturgy , and the nearnesse which it had to the first of king edward , which they liked better than the second . if the pamphleter can prevail so far with my lord protector , as to settle the scotish liturgy in scotland , and the first of king edward in this kingdom , we may in lesse than forty years give him a better accompt of the papists gained unto the church , than can be made ( for the reasons above mentioned ) for the like space of time now past . if any true protestants have been lost hereby , as here is affirmed , when he hath told me who , and how many they are , he shall find me very ready to grieve with him for it . in the mean time i shall grieve for him who so vainly speaks it . we have one only thing to adde , relating to this convocation , the observator saying , that he had some reason to believe , that the clergy of that convocation did not appear in the parliament by their councel learned , sufficiently authorized and instructed to advocate for them . to this the pamphleter replyeth by halves , professing that he will not determine ( 't is because he cannot ) how the councel for the clergy were instructed by them ; but withall confidently averring , that by their councell they did appear , first by mr. chadwell of lincolns inne , novemb. . then again by mr. holburn , the day of decemb. who argued two hours in defence of them , fol. . that these two gentlemen appeared in this businesse for the clergy , i shall easily grant , that is to say , that they appeared in it , out of a voluntary piety , and an honest zeal to doe them the best offices they could in their great extremities . if the pampleter mean no otherwise than thus , he shall take me with him ; but there he takes the word equivocally , and not according to the legal acception of it , and there can be no legal appearance , but by men authorized and instructed by the parties whom it doth concern , and that these gentlemen were so , the pamphleter can neither say , nor will determine . and certainly if the members of that convocation had been so ill-advised as to submit their persons , cause , and jurisdiction , which i am very well assured they did not , and would never doe , to the iudgement of the house of commons , it had been more proper for them to have made this appearance by his majesties attourney and solliciter , and others of his councell learned ; the kings interesse and theirs , being so complicated and involved , as the case then stood , that the one could not fall without the other . being thus entered on this parliament , i will look back to those before , and take them in their course and order . and the first thing we meet with , is an ancient order , said in the history to be found by the lords , ( that is to say , the lords which were of the popular party against the duke ) that no lords created sedente parliamento should have voice during that session , &c. whereupon their suffrage was excluded . the vanity and improbability of which report , is proved by the observator by these two arguments ; first , that the lords seymore , littleton , capel , &c. created sedente parliamento , anno . were admitted to their suffrages , without any dispute , though in a time when a strong party was preparing against the king. and ly . that when a proposition of this nature was made unto the king at york , he denied it absolutely , though then in such a low condition , that it was hardly safe for him to deny them any thing which they could reasonably desire , which arguments the pamphleter not being able to answer , requireth a demonstration of his . errous from the records themseves , or otherwise no recantation to be looked for from him , fol. . whereas indeed it doth belong unto our author , according to the ordinary rules of disputation , both to produce a copy of that ancient order , and to make proof out of the journals of that house , that the new lords were excluded from their suffrage accordingly : and this since he hath failed to doe , the observators arguments remain un-answered , and the pretended order must be thought no order , or of no authority . in the businesse of the levy made upon the subject , anno . there is little difference , the observator calling it a loan , because required under that name , in relation to the subsidies intended and passed by the commons in the former parliament , our author calling it a tax , as being a compulsory tribute , imposed upon the subject at a certain rate , and such is this affirmed to be in the following words , fol. . and this is no great difference , nor much worth our trouble ; only the pamphleter is mistaken , in making this loan or tax to be imposed upon the subject at a certain rate ; whereas the commissioners ( if i remember it aright ) imposed not any certain rate upon the subject ; but scrued them up as high as they could , with reference to their abilities in estate , and charge of familie . our author calling the members of the house of commons , anno , . not only petty lords and masters , but even petty kings ; and finding that the observator marvelled at this strange expression , fitst puts it off upon king james , who having said the like before ( but rather in the way of jear than otherwise ) he thinks it no great marvell that a poor subject should use the same expression also , fol. . the difference is , that the pamphleter speaks that in earnest , which the king ( most probably ) spoke in jest ; and proves it by the power which the commons assumed unto themselves in the late long parliament , of whom he telleth us , that they were not petty lords , but lords paramount ; not petty kings , but superiours to kings themselves , ibid. t is true , he hath a kind of plaister to salve this sore ( for he would willingly write nothing but saving truths ) advertising that the expression above mentioned , doth not import what these gentlemen were de jure , but what de facto , and what in reputation ; but then withall he leaves it standing in the text , as a plain position , to serve as a president to the commons of arrogating the like powers unto themselves in succeeding parliaments . and in this he may be thought the rather to have some design , because he makes no answer to that part of the observation , which declareth out of the very writs of summons , that they are called only to consent and submit such resolutions and conclusions , as should be then and there agreed on by the kings great councill , or the great council of the kingdom ; that is to say , the lords spiritual and temporal , assisted by the reverend judges , and others learned in the laws . to make this position the more probable , our author telleth us , that the house of commons was then able to buy the house of peers , though , thrice over , that is to say , although there were lords in the house of peers . for this being called to an accompt by the observator , in regard of the low value which was put upon the peerage by it , he thus proceeds to make it good , valuing the estates of each l. in the house of peers ato more than l. per annum , and each member in the house of commons at no lesse than l . per annum , one with another . whereas , unlesse he make the baronage of england to be very despicable , there were but few whose estates could be valued at so mean a rate , as on the other side there were not very many members in the house of commons whose estates exceeded the proportion which he puts upon them , some of them being of mean estates , and some of very little or none at all . but give him leave to set the members of each house at what rate he pleaseth , then he may as well enable the house of commons to buy the house of peers ten times over , as to buy it thrice . the observator having entred into a a consideration , why the bishops or spiritual lords should be left out by the author , in this valuation , as if they were no members of the house of peers , is answered , that if the bishops were members of the house of peers , then these words of his were turn-key enough to let them in ; if the observator say not , their exclusion is his own manufacture ? fol. . well applyed john ellis , and possibly intelligible enough in a place of manufactures , but nothing proper to the true meaniug of the word in the vulgar idiome . but let us take his meaning whatsoever it be , and in what country dialect soever , we may trade the word ; and yet all will not serve the turn to save our author from the purpose of excluding the bishops from the valuation , and consequently from being members of the house of peers ; my reason is , because it is affirmed by the observator , that there were at that time about an hundred and eighteen temporall lords , in the upper house , and therefore that the bishops were not reckoned in the calculation . this is so plain , that the pamphleters turn-key will not serve to let them in ; and i have reason to believe that he had as great a mind as any to thrust them out : it being one of his positions in the sheets unpublished , that the root of episcopacie had not sap enough to maintain so spreading and so proud a top as was contended for , fol. . whether the king did well or not , in passing a way the bishops votes , in the late long parliament , hath been considered of already , and therefore we shall need to say nothing here as to that particular . no parliament after this , till those of the year . where the first thing that offers it self , is the stating of the true time of the charge brought in against the arch-bishop of canterbury , and his commitment thereupon . the observator following the accompt of that prelates diary , abbreviated and published by mr. prynne , anno . doth state it thus , viz. that on wednesday the th day of december , a committy was appointed to draw up a charge against him ; that on the same day he was named an incendiary by the scotch commissioners , who promised to bring in their complaint on the morrow after , and that on friday morning , december . mr. hollis was sent up with the impeachment , and presently came in the charge of the scotch commissioners the pamphleter tells us from the journals ( if we may believe them , ) that on thursday december . there was a conference between the two houses , at which time the lord paget read the scotch charge against the archbishop , in which charge he was named an incendiarie , fol. . a man would think that the arch-bishops own diary written with his own hand , and in a matter which so nearly concerned his life , should find as much credit in the world , as any thing which the pamphleter pretends to have found in the journals , especially , considering how easie a thing it was ( as was proved before ) to abuse his credulity , and make him pay for false copies as if true and perfect . we found him in the snare before , when he was fain to rouse up mr. prynns ghost , to help him out of it ; and now there is do remedy ( for ought that i can see ) but to conjure up the silly shaddow of iohn brown , that famous clericus parliamentorum ( as he stiled himself ) to give him a cast of his old office in the present plunge . and yet upon these sorry grounds he builds his triumph , and doth not only reckon this among the observators mistakes , fol. . but tells him , that in this particular , he is as arrant an errant as ever was , fol. . if he must needs be an errant as you please to make him , you will allow him to be a knight errant at the least , i presume of that , and then none fitter than our author to be made his squire ; 't is pitty that such a don quixot should not have his sancho , especially considering how easily he may fit him , with some ifland , or other of the terra incognita , wherein the vice may spend his wit , and abuse his authority . our author telleth us , that the bishops , upon consideration of some antient canons forbidding them to be assistant in causes of blood or death , absented themselves at the tryal of the earl of strafford : in which he more mistakes the matter than i thought he did , or the observator hath observed . for whereas he conceivs the bishops to absent themselves , as if they did it by their own voluntary act , of their own accord , in reference to some antient canons : certain it is , that they were purposely excluded by the votes of both houses , from taking examinations , and hearing the depositions of witnesses in the course of that businesse , contrary to the former practice , and their antient rights , long time before this cause was btought to a publike tryal ; and that not in relation to any such canons , but for fear they might discover some of those secret practices which were to be contrived and hatched against him . against which preparations to a finall tryal , or taking the examinations , or hearing the depositions of witnesses , or giving counsell in such cases as they saw occasion ; the council of toledo saith nothing to their disadvantage ; and therefore is produced here by the pamphleter , to no end at all , but only for the ostentation of his mighty reading . the canon is , si quis sacerdotum discursor in altenis periculis extiter it apud ecclesiam proprium perdat gradum , that is to say ( in our own authors very words ) if any priest shall intermeadle in cases endangering the life of others , let him be degraded , fol. , . hereupon i conclude against him , that the bishops were to be admitted to all preparatory examinations in the present businesse , because their counsell and assistance would have tended rather to the preservation , than conduced to the endangering of the parties life . our author being told by the observator , that the paper which contained the names of the straffordians , was not pasted on the gates of vvestminster , but on the corner of the wall of sir vvilliam brunkards house , makes answer , that the reports were various , concerning this paper , that some of them agreed with the observator ; and finally that for his part , he had fastned upon another place ; not undertaking to warrant the circumstance , but the thing , fol. . a very saving declaration , and of great advantage , of which if our author had bethought himself when he made his preface , it would have served his turn better and with less exceptions than to exempt himself so confidently from substantial falshoods , and as he hopes , ( i must be sure not to leave out that ) circumstantiall also . not undertaking to warrant the circumstance but the thing ? what a brave medicine have we here , a panpharmacon fitted for all diseases in his temporalities , and localties too . he may now confidently go on , in mistaking not only daies but years , in his super-semi-annuating , super-annuating , subter-trienniating , and subter-sexenniating ( for i must cant to him in his own language ) without all controul . he doth not undertake to warrant the circumstance , but the thing . he may misplace battels , feasts , and entertainments , with equal privilege . it is but a matter of locality , and mere point of circumstance , and t is resolved , his undertakings extend only to warrant the things themselves , and not the circumstances . how easily might the observator have excused the errour about the first trennium of p. baro , could he have gotten but a lick on my authors gallipot , and helped himself with the same medicine , when his need required . but this preservative , our author keeps only to himself , not having so much charity , as to allow any part of it to the observator , should he mistake only in a day . he makes it one of his mistakes in the generall catalogne , fol. . that he had erred concerning the protestation , that is to say , for saying the protestation was taken the very same day in which it was framed , before the members were permitted to go out of the house . whereas saith he , the protestation was debated on the day of may , the ordering and framing thereof kept the house all that day , till late at night . so the journals of that week , which also present us with the reading , and taking thereof the next day by the whole house . fol. . these journals are an other of our authors helps , but upon examination prove to be only false and imperfect copies , as hath appeared by our inquiry into some of those which before were cited . but say his copies what they will , the observator shall not vary from what he said , nor save himself by declaring his undertataking , not to warrant circumstances so he had the thing . the author of the book entituled , a brief and perfect relation of the answers and replies of thomas earl of strafford , to the articles exhibited against him by the house of commons , &c. a very intelligent person , whosoever he was , and very punctuaal in the circumstances of time and place , doth declare it thus , viz. the house of commons sate all that day ( monday ) till at night , nor were they idle all that time , but brought forth that protestation , or bond of association ( as they term it ) which is now in print , it was then drawn up , and without further processe or delay , before they came out subscribed by the whole house , except the lord digby , and an unkle or friend of his , pag. , . if this suffice not as a countercheck to the pamphleters journals , let him consult the protestation it self , as it was first printed , where he shall find it with this title , viz. the protestation taken in the house of commons , may the . . i could adde somewhat of my own knowledge , living then near the place , and taking notice of all businesses from day to day , but that i will not light a candle in so clear a sun-shine . if no consideration could be had of the observator , in the mistake but of a day only , had it hapned , so he is not to expect it in offences of a higher nature , wherein he is said to be so shamefully out , as never man was , out of the story beyond all measure , and out of charity beyond all religion , fol. . charged thus in general , the pampheter sets upon him with particulars , relating to the conference between the king and the bishops in the businesse of the earl of strafford , that is to say : . these bishops were not sent by the parliament to the king , but sent for by him . ly . they were five , not four . ly . if any of them depended upon the judgement of the others , it was the bishop of london , who at the last meeting and consultation spake not one syllable . ly . the lord primate had no sharp tooth against the lieutenant . and ly . the convocation of ireland was not . as the observator placeth it . to the last of these we have already answer'd in the former chapter , to the three first there are no proofs offered , but his ipse dixit , and therefore might be passed over without more adoe , but being magisterially delivered , and delivered ad appositum , to that which had been said by the observator , i will examine them one by one as they lie before me . and first he saith , that these bishops were not sent by the parliament to the king , but sent for by him , fol. . and for this we have his own word , worth a thousand witnesses , without further proof . but first i remember very well , that on saturday the th . of may , as soon as the house of peers was risen , i was told of the designation of the four bishops , that is to say , the lord primate of armagh , the bishops of durham , lincoln , and carl●le , to go the next day unto the king , to satisfie and inform his conscience in the bill of attainder . ly . the king had before declared , the satisfaction which he had in his own conscience , publickly , in the house of peers , on good and serious deliberation ; and therefore needed not to send for these bishops , or any of them , to inform it now . ly . if any doubt were stirred in him after that declaration , it is not probable that he would send for such men to advise him in it , in some of which he could place no confidence in point of judgement , and was exceedingly well anured in the disaffections of the other . for ( not to instance any thing in the other two can any man of wisdome think , that the king , out of so many bishops as were then in london , would put his conscience into the hands of the bishop of lincoln , a man so many times exasperated by him , newly re●ca●ed from a long imprisonment , and a prose●ed servant at that time to the opposite party in both houses , and with whose ●requent prevarications , he was well acquainted ▪ or that , he would confide any thing in the judgement of bishop potter , a man of so much want , so many weaknesses , that nothing but the lawen sleeves could make him venerable and , so most like to be the man whose syllogism the king faulted for having four tearms in it , of which the pamphlet tells us , fol. . none but a man of such credulity as onr authors is , can give faith to this , and i must have some further proof , than his ipse dixit , before i yield my assent unto it . he saith next , they were five , not four , fol. . and five there were indeed , i must needs grant that , but neither sent to him , or sent for by him . for the truth is , that the king hearing of the designation of the other four , sent for the fifth , the bishop of london , to come to him in the morning betimes , with whom he had s●●e preparatory conference , with reference to the grand encounter which he was to look for ; and from him he received that satisfaction mentioned in the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 chap. . that bishop counselling him , not to consent against the vote of his own conscience , as is there affirmed . so we have here five bishops , in all , that is to say , four sent to him by the houses of parliament , and the fifth sent for by the king ; ei●her the diligence or intelligence of ou author being wanting here , as in many other things besides , though he will by no means ye●ld to have failed in either . but thirdly , if any of them depended on the judgment of the others , it was the bishop of london , ibid. whether with greater injury to that bishop , to have his judgement thus pinned on another mans sleeve , or to the king in choosing so unfit a counseller to inform his conscience , it is hard to say . our author in the first edition had told us of him , that he was none of the best scholars ; and the pamphleter brings this argument now in full proof thereof . but how is this dependency proved ? because ( saith he ) at the last meeting and consultation he spake not one syllable . a most excellent argument . he spake not a syllable at the last meeting ; ergo , he spake nothing in the first . for if it be granred , that he declared himself in the first conference , though not in the last , it is enough , accotding to our authors logick , to save himself from the imputation of depending on another man. or thus , admitting it for true , that the bishop spoke nothing in the first conference neither , the argument will be as faulty as it was before . the bishop of london , spoke nothing , not one syllable , during the whole time of the consultation , ergo , which is in english therefore , he depended on the judgment of the other four . for if he spake nothing all the while , how can the pamphleter assure us , what his judgment was , or upon whom it did depend ? but the truth is , that wise prelate , knew the temper of those present times , and how unsafe it would be for him to declare himself against the sense of the houses , and therefore having declared his judgment in the morning privately , and thereby given the king the satisfaction before mentioned , he rather chose to hear what the other said , than to say any thing himself . whether the lord primate had any sharp tooth against the lord lieutenant or not , i dispute not now , the parties being both dead , and the displeasures buried in the same grave with them , which for my part i am not wilto revive . but as to the occasion of them ( whatsoever they were ) in repealing the first articles of the church of ireland , and the debates between the lord primate and the bishop of derry , i have already vindicated the observator in the former chapter . the rest which doth remain in this redious nothing , which taketh up so great a part of rhe pamphlet , consisteth of some offers of proof , that there was a more than ordinary dearnesse between the lord lieutenant and the lord primate ( by consequence no sharp tooth , no grudge upon either fide ) a thing ( saith he ) so likely , that it is almost demonstrable . and first ( saith he ) the lieutenant did from time to time advise with the primate concerning his answer to his change , fol. . a thing so far from being almost demonstrable , that it is not likely . for let me ask ( for i hope it will be no abusing of your patience , my most eloquent cicero , to ask one question ) whether he advised with the primate in point of matter , or of form , in framing his answer to the charge . i know you do not think the primate so great a lawyer as to be counselled and advised with , for putting the answer into form. the lord lieutenant being furnished with more learned counsell as to that particular . and i think also that you know , how able the lord lieutenant was , how well studied in his own affairs , how well provided of all advantages , in order to the following tryal , and consequently how unusefull the lord primate must needs be to him , as to the matter of his answer . and whereas it is secondly said , that after sentence he desired and obtained of the parliament , that the primate might be sent to him , to serve him with his ministerial office in his last and fatal extremity , fol. . there was good reason for this too , though it make nothing at all to our authors purpose . for first the english bishops were engaged in a dayly attendance , both in parliament and convocation , not to be taken off ( had he desired it ) upon his concernments , especially considering , that the lieutenant had desired the lord primates company , not only from the time of his sentence ( as the pamphleter saith ) but from the very time that the bill of attainder was formed against him . and ly . had he made it his request to have some or any one of the english bishops to assist him , and advise with him in that last necessity , it is most probable , the fears and jelousies of the time considered , that the sute had absolutely been rejected . as for his taking him by the hand , and leading him along with him to the scaffold , there wanted not very good reasons to induce him to it . . to declare to all the world the reality and sincerity of their reconciliaty , the utter abolition of all former differences . and ly . that the christianity and piety of his last deportment , reported from the mouth of one , who was known to be none of his greatest friends , might find the greater credit amongst his enemies . i see my man of law is a sorry advocate , though he may be good for chamber-councel ; for never was good cause more betrayed , nor ill worse managed . having thus done with the pamphleter , as to this particular , i should proceed to my next and last chapter ; but that i must needs meet with doctor bornard , whom i left but now upon that promise . not thinking he had edified sufficiently by the general doctrine of the certificate , without a particular application , he makes a use of admonition and reproof to the observator , and fearing that might not be enough to confound the man ( for it appeareth not , that ●e aimed at his conversion ) he must needs have a fling at him in his sermon preached at the lord primates funeral ; in which he had some words , to this , or the like effect , as i am credibly informed , viz. there is one thing which i cannot forbear ( and am wished by others also to it ) and that is to vindicate him from the unjust a●persions of a late observator , as though he had advised the king to sign the bill for the earl of straffords death , and afforded some distinction between his pe●sonal and politique conscience : a matter altogether false , as the lord primate himself had declared in his life time , adding , that there was something in the presses to justifie him against that presumptuous observator . this is the substance of the charge , in the delivery whereof i think the preacher might have made a better panegyrick , had he been quite silent , and not awakened those inquiries , which are so little advantagious to the memory of that learned prelate . howsoever , if his zeal had not eaten up his understanding , he should have gone upon good grounds , and not have charged that on the observator , which he finds not in him . where finds he in the observator , that the lord primate advised the king to sign the bill for the earl of straffords death ? nowhere i dare be bold to say it , and if h● can find no body else upon whom to father it , the calumny ( if such it were ) must rest at his own dores as the broacher of it . the observator only saith , that he was one of those four bishops sent to the king by the parliament to inform his conscience , and bring him to yeeld unto the bill . that the primate had couceived a displeasure against him , for abrogating of the articles of religion established in the church of ireland , anno , . and that the kings conscience was not like to be well informed , when men so interessed were designed unto the managing and preparing of it . all this might be , and yet for all this it might not be , that the lord primate advised the king to sign the bill . so that in brief , the preacher first raised this calmny against the primate , and then calumniates the observator to make it good , audacter calumniare necesse est ut aliquid haereat , charge but the observator home , the presumptuous observator ( so the preacher called him ) and that will be sufficient proof to make good the calumny . lesse reason is there in the next , the second part of the charge , though none in this , there being no such thing in the observator , as the distinction between the kings personal and politique conscience ; the preacher must look for that elsewhere , if he mean to find it . the presumptuous obsertator was not so presumptuous as to write things which till that time he never heard of , and possibly had never heard of them at all , if as well he as others had not been awakened by the preacher to a further search . and now upon a further search , i can tell the preacher where he may easily satisfie himself , if his stomack serve him . let him but rake a walk in the second part of dodonas grove , he shall find it there . and if not satisfied with that , i shall direct him to some persons of worth and honour , from whom he may inform himself more fully in all particulars . but as it had been better for him had he not startled this inquiry in a publique audience , for which he could not find just grounds in the observations ; so i conceive that he will do that reverend person , and himself some right , if he suffer it to die with the party most concerned in it , without reviving it again by his double diligence . non amo ●inium dilige●tes , is a good old rule ; but causa patrocinio non bona pejor erit , is a great deal better . chap. ix . the duke of buckingham and the earl of bristol absolved from treason by our author . of the papers found sticking in feltons hat , and that they prove not , that the late remonstrance of the house of commons , was the motive to his killing the duke . the historian seems not unpleased with the fact , or involves a great part of the nation in the guilt thereof . fame and reports much built on by our author in the course of his history , and to what intent . the history rectified b● the observations in the case of knighthood , the subjects summoned to the coronation were to receive that order , in ( our authors own confession ) if tbe king so pleased . sir edward cooks opinion in the case examined . the pamphleters notable arguments for the sw●ord and surcoat . of the earl of newcastles two great feasts at welbeck and and belsover . our author removes one of his mistakes from guild-hall to cornhill . the pamphleters causeless quarrell with the observator , in reference unto the battel at rostock ; no such beleguering of that town , no such battel , nor any such ingagement of the armies , ( before the battel of lipsique , ) as the history mentioneth . the history rectified in the first issuing out of the writs for ship money . and the observator quarelled for directing in it . the pamphleters grosse errour in pursute of that quarrell , together with his equity and ingenuity in the managing of it . young oxenstern was denied audience by king charles . of what authority an eye witniss is , in point of history . the pamphleters weak defences , for his errour in that particular . he rectifieth his own discourse of the first differences between the king & the scotish lords by the observator . his quarrels with him , and corrections of him , quite besides the cushion . the observator justified touching the constituting of the lords . of the articles in the scotish parliaments . our authors false arithmetique in substracting from his own errours , and multiplying the supposed mistakes of the observator . his sharp expostulation , how unjustly grounded . the close of all . this chapter will be like that of champion in his decem rationes , which he calls testes omnium generum ; an aggregate body , a collection of incoherencies , as commonly it hapneth in the fag-end of such discourses , in which a man hath not the liberty of using his own method , otherwise than as the author whom he deals with shall give way unto it . and the first thing we meet with , is the absolving of the duke of buckingham , and earl of bristoll from the crime of treason , wherewith our author had reproached them in the first edition : where shewing ▪ how passing jocund many good men were at the contest betwixt those great persons , h● addeth , that the question seemed not in the sense of many , which was the traytor , but which the most , hist . fol. . both charged as traytors , in the first , and both absolved from being traytots by leaving out this passage in the second edition . for this he is beholding to the observator , from whom he a●so takes a hint , of giving us a full copy of the dukes charge against that earl , which before we had not . now i would fain learn of him , whether this censure thus expunged were true , or false , whether it seemed so in his own sense , or in the sense of others . if if be false , why was it put in the first ; if true , why is it left o●t in the second . if so they seemed in his own sense , why doth he not declare how , and by whom his sense was altered in that point ? but if it were the sense of others , i would know the reason why he should suppresse it in this place , where it relates only to a private person , and stand unto it in all points concerning episcopacie , the clergy , and the convocation , which still stand under the same tearms of reproach & obloquy , as before they did , how so ? because saith he , he speaks the sense of others and not his own , and passing as the words of others , they shall remain in evidence to succeding times , against all those concerned in it , though it be proved how much they are calumniated and abused in those scandalous passages . yet deals he better with these great persons , than he doth with mr. attorney noye ; whom ( notwithstanding the vindication of him , by the observator , which he is not able to refute , ) he leaves still under the defamation of prating and bawling , giving him the odious title of a projector , a subtile enginier , a man of cinicall rusticity , with others of like nature , unworthy appellations for so brave a man. but kissing goeth by favour , as the saying is , and our author loves to write ( none more ) with respect of persons , and to make history do the drugery of his own despight , though his preface ( if it could ) would perswade the contrary . the next thing which occurs , but not so easily reducible to any of the former heads relates to the sttory of that horrible paricide , cōmitted by john felton , on the person of the duke of buckingham . concerning which our author had told us in his history , that the said felton had stiched a paper in his hat , wherin he declared his only motive to the fact was , the late remonstrance of the commons against the duke , & that he could not sacrifice his life in a nobler cause , than by delivering his country from so great an enemy . to which the observator answereth , first in the way of position , not that there were no papers found stitched in his hat , as the pamphleter fasly charged on him , fol. . but that there were no such papers foundin his hat or elsewhere about him , as the historian mentions , and ly . in the way of explication , that the first to whom that particular motive was communicated , was one dr. hutchenson , sent by the king ( upon the first hearing of the news , ) to sift it out of him . against this last the pamphleter hath nothing to say . for taking it upon his word , ( which we need not do ) that captain harvey signified as much , in his letter dated the same day , fol. . yet this concludes not in my logick , nor in no mans else ( but his that thinks himself an allsteed ) that that vile murtherer did first communicate it unto him , before the doctor by working on his conscience had first got it out of him . but this is like the rest of our authors arguments , viz. captain harvy , being one of those to whose custody he was committed , did signifie it on the same day to his friends at london , ergo it was not first confessed to doctor hutchenson . but captain harveys letter saith more than this . felton ( saith he ) told me he was to be prayed for next day in london , therefore ( for one of these conclusions must needs follow on it ) either felton had acknowledged to him , that the late remonstrance did induce him to kill the duke ; or that it was affirmed to be so , in the papers which were stitched in his hat . now for the matter of those papers ; that which they are produced for , is to prove this point , namely , that his only motive to the fact , was the late remonstrance of the commons against the duke . and if they prove not this , as i think they doe not , they prove nothing against the observator , nor to the purpose of our author . now the first paper had these words , as the pamphleter telleth us , viz. i would have no man commend me for doing it , but rather discommend themselves : for if god had not taken away their hear●s for their sins , he had not gone so long unpunished . the second paper had these words , viz. the man is cowardly base in mine opinion , and deserves neither the fame of a gentleman or souldier , that is unwilling to sacrifice his life , for the honour of god , his king , and country . to both these he subscribes his name , and copies of both these were sent the same day by captain harvy to his friends in london , but neither of them do declare , that his only motive to the fact , was the late remonstrance of the commons against the duke . the man might possibly be set on , and his discontents made use of to this barbarous murder , by some of those who wished well to this remonstrance ( i deny not that ) and it may be believed the rather , because the pictures of the wretch being cut in brasse , and exposed to sale , were caught up greedily by that party , and being the copies of these letters were printed in the bottom of it , it is more probable that our author might have them thence , than from the letters of the captain ; but that he was induced to it by the remonstrance is more than any man of common sense can collect from those papers ; and therefore very ill brought in with so much confidence and ostentation , to prove that positively , which by no logical inference can be gathered from them . if ever man were animal rationale risibile , that is to say , a creature ridiculous for his reasoning , it must needs be this . but certainly , our author could not possibly be so much out , in his rational and discursive faculties , had he not wished well unto the man , and approved the fact. he had not else accounted it an exploit of glory , or put that glosse upon the meaning of the wretch , that he had stitched those papers into the lining of his hat , for fear , lest the supposition of private revenge would infame and blemish the glory of the exploit ; nor had he told us , that it pleased the common man too well , and that in vulgar sense , it rather passed for an execution of a malefactor , and an administration of that justice dispensed from heaved , which they thought was denied on earth , fol. . never did man so advocate for a willfull murder , or render a whole nation so obnoxious to it , and so guilty of it ; there being little difference , if any , between the rejoycing at such facts , when done , and consenting to them ; cicero speaking of the murder of julius caesar , hath resolved it so , viz. quid interest utrum velim fieri , an gaudeam factum ? he that applaudes a murder acted , rendreth himself an accessary to it , before the fact . we have not done with felton yet , for our author told us that his bodie was from thence conveyed to portsmouth , and there hung in chains , but by some stole and conveyed away gibbet and all . the contrary being proved by the observator , and the thing too plain to be denied , he hath since rectified his history , as to this parricular , not on the credit of the observator ( no , take heed o● that ) but because told so by his betters . yet still he must be standing on his justification , and as long as he hath any common fame , or confident report ( be it never so erroneous ) to pretend unto , he conceives that sufficient for him , fol. . upon this ground , the honour of the countess of buckingham shall be called in question ; and an affront falsly reported to be done to publique justice , shall passe into his annals as a matter of truth . he could not else instruct posterity , or the present age , how to defame the honour of ladies , or commit the like rapes upon the law , without fear of impunitie , if either such superfaetations of fame ( in his canting language ) should not passe for truths , or otherwise be wondred at as no grounds for history . if no such consequent follow on it , we must not thank the history , but the observations . in the next place , our author had told us in his history , that there was an old sculking statute long since out of use , though not out of force , which enjoyned all subjects , who had not some special privilege , to appear at the coronation of every king , ad arma gerenda , to bear armes , not to be made knights as was vulgarly supposed . in this passage there are two things chiefly faulted by the observator ; first his reproaching of that law , by the name of an old skulking statute , which lay not under the rubbish of antiquity , but was printed and exposed to open view , and therefore needed no such progging and bolting out , as is elsewhere spoken of ; and ly . his glosse upon it , as if it only signified the hearing of arms , and not receiving the order of knighthood , as had been vulgarly supposed , the contrary whereof was undeniably , and convincingly proved by the observator . he hath now fully rectified the first expression ▪ but seems to stand still upon his last . the first expression rectified thus , viz. by the common law there was vested in the kings of this realm , a power to summon ( by their writs out of the chancery ) all persons possessing a knights fee , and who had no special privilege to the contrary , to appear at their coronation , &c. fol. . so then , the antient common law , explained and moderated for the ease of the subject , by the statute of king edward . is freed from the reproachfull name of an old skulking statute ; we have got that by it , the observator being justified in our authors pamphlet , for so much of his discourse as concerns that point . and to the rest of that discourse , proving that all those who were masters of such an estate as the statute mentioneth , were by the same bound to be made knights , or to receive the order of knighthood , and not simply to bear arms , or to receive a sword and surcoat out of the kings wardrobe , as the author would have had it in his first edition ; he comes up so close , as could be scarce expected from him . for first he telleth us in the text of his new edition , that such as appeared at the coronation , were to receive a sword and surcoat ( he still stands to that ) as the ensignes of knighthood : and therefore questionless to receive the order of knighthood also , if the king so pleased : and ly , he confesseth in his comment on it out of matthew paris , that king henry the . fined all the sheriffs of england five marks a man , for not distraining every one having l. per annum , to be made knights , as he had commanded ; adding withall , that he had read of the like precept of king edward the first , fol. . so then , the subjects were not called together to the coronation , ad militiae a●ma gerenda , to bear arms only , but to receive the order of knighthood ; we have got that too . but all this while the king is like to get nothing by it , if our author might be suffered to expound the law ; against which he opposeth only the authoritie of sir edward coke ; a learned lawyer i confess , but not to be put in equal ballance with the law it self . well , what saith he ? now ( saith he ) tempora mutantur , the times are changed , and many a yeoman purchaseth lands in knights service , and yet ( non debet ) ought not , for want of gentry , to be a knight : and a little after , the fine to the mark , which is chiefly aimed at , fol. . and in these words , taking the citation as i find it , i observe these things , . that sir edward cokes non debet cannot bind the king , who may as well make leathern knights as leathern lords , ( as our author phraseth it elsewhere ) the sword of knighthood taking away the blemishes of vulgar birth , and stating the receiver of it , in the rank and capacitie of gentry . were it not thus , the door of preferment would be shut against well deservers , and neither honour gained in war , nor eminencies in learning , nor fidelity in service , nor any other consideration in the way of merit , would render any person capable of the order of knighthood , for want of gentry , or being descended only from a house of yeomanrie . ly , i observe , that though he would not have such petsons honoured with the title of knighthood , ( lest else perhaps that honourable order might grow despicable , were it made too common ) yet he confesseth , that they were to fine for it ( if i understand his meaning rightly ) at the kings pleasure . ly . i observe how lamely and imperfectly the pamphleter hath delivered the last words of his author ; which makes me apt enough to think , that he intended to say somewhat to the kings advantage , if he had been suffered to speak out . and ly , if sir edward coke should resolve the contrary , and give sentence in this case against the king , yet i conceive it would have been reversible by a writ of error ; that learned lawyer , having been a principal stickler for the petition of right in the former parliament , and therfore not unwilling to lay such grounds , whereby the king might be forced to cast himself on the alms of his people . as for the sword and surcoat , affirmed to be delivered by the lord high chamberlain , out of the kings wardrobe , to such as were summoned to appear ; he still stands to that , not thinking it agreeable to his condition to yield the cause , if not found against him by the jury ; the point to be made good is this , that such as were summoned to the coronation , were to have every man of them a sword and a surcoat delivered to him out of the kings wardrobe by the lord high chamberlain , if the kings service so required ; which he proves by these infallible witnesses . gent. of the jury , stand together , & hear your evidence . the first witness is an eminent antiquary , than whom none can be fitter to give testimony to the point in hand ; but he alas is long since dead , and it were pity to raise him from the dust of the grave , ( as we have done the cl●ricus parliamentorum , and mr. john pym , in another case ) for fear he put the coutt into a greater fright , than when the solemn assizes was at oxford . such a witness we had once before in the case of the late convocation , a credible and a knowing person , as the pamphletet told us ; but nameless he , for blameless he shall be , quoth the gallant sydney ; and here we have an eminent antiquary , but the man is dead , dead as a door-nail , quoth the pamphleter in another place . a nameless witness there , a dead witness here , let them go together . the next witness is old matthew of westminster , who , though dead , yet speaketh , who tells us , that king edward the . sent forth a proclamation , that all such persons , who had possessions valued at a knights fee , should appear at westminster , &c. what to do , he tells you presently , admissuri singuli ornatum militarem ex regia garderoba , to receive military accoutrements out of the kings wardrobe , fol. . this witness speaks indeed , but he speaks not home . the point in issue , is particularly of a sword and a surcoat , the witness speaks in general , of ornatus militaris only ; but whether it were a sword , a surcoat , or a pair of spurs , or whatsoever else it was , that he telleth us not . so the first witness speaking nothing , and the second nothing to the purpose , the pamphleter desires to be non-suited , and so let him be . he tels the observator , fol. . that his arguments are nothing ad rem , and besides the cushion . but whatsoever his arguments were , i hope these answers are not only ad rem , but ad rhombum , and rhomboidem also , and so i hope the pamphleter will find them upon examination . in the great feast at welbeck there is no such difference , but may be easily reconciled . that the earl of newcastle entertained the king at vvelbeck , is granted by the observator , and that it was the most magnificent entertainment which had been given the king in his way toward scotland , shall be granted also ; which notwithstanding , it was truly said by the observator , that the magnificent feast so much talked of , was not made at vvelbeck , but at balsover castle ; nor this year , but the year next after , and not made to the king only , but to the king and queen . in the first of which two entertainments , the earl had far exceeded all the rest of the lords , but in the second exceeded himself , the first feast estimated at l. to our author at york , but estimated on the unwarrantable superfaetations of fame , which , like a snow-ball , groweth by rowling , crescit eundo , saith the poet : or like the lapwing , makes most noise when it is farthest from the nest , where the birds are hatched . the observator took it on the place it self , when the mo●ths of men were filled with the talk , and their stomacks not well cleared from the surquedries of that mighty feast ; by whom it was generally affirmed , that the last years entertainment ( though both magnificent and august in our authors language ) held no comparison with this . so that the one feast being great , and the other greater , the observator is in the right , and our author was not much in the wrong . more in the wrong he doth confess in the great entertainment given to the city by the king , affirmed before to have been made at the guild-hall , but now acknowledged upon the reading of the observations , to have been made at alderman freemans , fol. . this he hath rectified in part , in the new edition , and it is but in part neither . for whereas he was told by the observator , that the entertainment which the city gave at that time to the king , was at the house of alderman freeman , then lord mayor , situate in cornhill , near the royall exchange , and the entertainment which the king gave unto the city , by shewing them that glorious masque , was at the merchant-tailors hall in thread-needle street , on the backside of the lord mayors house , an open passage being then made from the one to the other : our author placeth both of them in the aldermans house . thei● majesties saith he , with their train o● court-grandees , and gentleman revellers , were solemnly by alderman freeman , then lord mayor , invited to a most sumptuous ▪ banquet , at his house , where that resplendent shew was iterated and re● exhibitted . hist . fol. . this ( by his leave ) is but a tinker-like kind of reformation , they mend one hole , and make another , that gallant shew , not being ●terated and exhibited in the lord mayors house , but in the merchant-taylors hall , as more capable of it . it is an old saying and a true , that it is better coming to the end of a feast , than the beginning of a fray. which notwithstanding , i must needs goe where the pamphleter drives me , that is to say , to a great and terrible fight near rostock , which i can find in no place but my authors brains . he tells us in his history , that tilly condacted a numerous army of thirty three thousand foot , and seven hundred horse for the relief of rostock then besieged by the king of sweden ; that the king alarmed herewith drawes out of his trenches , to entertain him , seventeen thousand foot , and six hundred horse ; that in conclusion of the battle tilly was put unto the worst , and his army routed ; and that finally upon this victory he immediately stormed the town , and carried it , hist. fol. . the observator finding no such rout given to tilly near rostock anno . where our author placeth it , conceived it might be meant of the battell near lipsique , anno . and made his observations accordingly . and upon this he might have rested , had the pamphleter pleased , who in his introduction to the feast at welbeck advertise●h that the observator mentioneth a battel at lipsique , spoken of before , but where he knows not , only conjectures that he had a good will to take him to task for a misplacing a battel , he supposes at rostock , but upon better consideration , he found his errour to be his own , and not the authors , and therefore cut out the leafe containing the , pages , wherin his mistake lay , leaving that paragraph tyed head and heels together fol. . did ever man so lay about him in a matter of nothing , for such is both his fight near rostock , and this long prattle which he makes of the observator . for first , the lease which contained the and pages , was never cut out ; ly there is no such incoherence in any of the paragraphs there , as if head and heels were laid together ; ly . the leaf which was cut out , contained and pages , and was cut out , not in regard of any thing there spoken of our authors battel , but the misplacing the train of captives , and the rear of the triumphant masque , occasioned by the negligence of the printers only : ly . that , in the leaf containing pages , . the author might have found mention of the battell of lipsique , which he saith he knows not where to find , saying , that he , the observator , mentioneth a battel at lipsique spoken of before , but where he knows not , one evident argument , that either he looked but carelesly after it , or was not very willing to find it . and to say truth , it had been better for him , to have passed it by , for then he had been only chargeable with some prudent omissions ( as we know who was ) whereas by speaking in his history of a battel of rostock , and seeming offended to be taxed for misplacing of it , he layeth himself open to the assaults of his adversaries . i have consulted diligently , the history of the sweedish war in germany till the death of that king , writen in latin by cluverut , together with that translated out of italian by the earl of mo●mouth , ( on whose authority the pamphleter relieth in another place , ) but can find nothing in either of them , either of any such seige or of any such battell , or of any such storming of that town as my author speaks of . all that i find concerning rostock , shall be summed up thus , namely , that having sollicited , and practised the people of rostock to declare for him in that war , he was peaceably received into it ; that having left no garison in it , it was surprized by the imperials , and strongly fortified ; that the king having recovered all the dukedom of mecklenburg , except the towns of rostock and wismer , and not willing to waste time in besieging either , he fortified anclam , to bridle the garisons of those towns , and secure the country ; and finally , that after the great battel of lipsique , the duke of mecklenburg , and marshal tod , a commander in the swedish army , laid siege to rostock and reduced it , the town not being otherwise stormed than by want of victuals . next for the engagement of the armies , i find that tilly having mustered up his united forces , and finding them to consist of . fighting men , drew thrice toward the king ; first as he lay intrenched between landsperge and franckford on the oder , in the marches of brandenburg . ly , as he lay intrenched near werben , not far from the territory of magdeburg . and dly , in his retreat by tangermond to his faster holds : that there was no ingagement between the armies at all in the two first times , and only some light skirmishes in the third , without considerable disadvantage unto either side ; the armies never engaging , till the battel of lipsique , in which tilly received that dismal rout , which opened the kings passage into franconia and the rest of germany . besides which , it is more than certain , that if tilly had received any such rout , as our author speaks of , he could not have proceeded , as he did , to the sack of magdeburg ; nor would he king have suffered him to recruit again after such a rout , wherein he had taken . canons , ensigns , and cornets of horse , and scattered the whole imperial army , opening thereby a way to relieve that city , which tilly had besieged for declaring in his behalf , without any other provocation . so that i must behold this siege , this battel , and the s●orming the town upon it , as matters to be found only in the pamphleters dreams ; not otherwise to be excused , but that our author writing the history of the reign of king charles , intends only to justifie such things and actions , as have reference to the years whereof he treateth in that history , and that he neaver meant it of such things as were taken in by the by , as he declares himself , fol. . a very saving declaration , and of as great advantage to him , as the parliament journals , or any of his witnesses , either dead or namelesse . our author had told us in his history , that presently on the discovery of mr. atturney noyes design , he issued writs to all the counties in the realm , requiring that every county should for defence of the kingdom , against a day prefix'd , provide ships of so many tun , &c. to this the observator answereth , that in the first year of the payment of shipmoney , the writs were not issued to all the counties in england , as our author tells us , but only to the maritime counties , &c. and that in the next year , not before , the like writs issued out to all the counties in england , that is to say , anno . what saith the pamphleter to this ? first he acknowledgeth his error , and hath rectified it in the last edition ; but adds withall , that the observator gives him two for one : in saying first , that the ship writs were directed in the first year to the mari●ime counties , whereas it was to the port towns only ; and ly , in saying that the ship writs were directed to all the counties , anno . whereas saith he , it was . fol. . for the first of these , he offereth no proof but his ipse dixit , and of what authority that is , we have seen already . he telleth us positively in his preface , that for matter of record he hath not consulted the very originals , but hath conformed himself to copies ; and having been so often cozened in the false copies of journals and rep●rts , i can see no armour of proof about him , to keep his credulity from the wounds made by false records . but ly , taking it for true , as perhaps it is , that the first writs were directed to the maritime or port towns , only ; yet being the maritime or port towns , stand in the maritime counties , it is not very much out of the way , to say that the first writ● were directed to the maritime counties : not so much , i am sure , as to say they were directed to the mediterraneans or highlanders , in our authors canting , unlesse by such a fictio juris as our common lawyers call an action of trover , a port town may be said to be in the midland countries . for the second he offereth us some proof , telling us those writs were issued out anno . as a consequent of the opinion of the judges in that novemb. but will the pamphleter stand to this , will he stand to any thing ? if so , then certainly he is gone again . the opinion delivered by the judges , was grounded on a letter sent unto them from the king , with the case inclosed ; which letter bears date the d . of february in the th year of his majesties reign , anno . and is so dated by our author , fol. . considering therefore that this letter led the way unto their opinion , it is impossible to any common apprehension , that the judges should deliver their opinions moneths before the letter came to them , that is to say , in the moneth of novemb. anno . and this i take to be a subter or a super-annuating in his temporalties , and that too in such things and actions as relate to the history of king charles , and not in things extrinsecal , as the battel of rostock , or in things taken in on the by , as the synod of dort. but for the ingenuitie of the man , and his equitie too , the observator had informed him of some other mistakes about this business ; as first , his making the earl of northumberland admiral of the first years fleet , whereas it was the earl of lindsey ; and ly , in affirming , that the king upon the archbishops intreaty , had granted the clergy an exemption from that general payment , whereas in●●●● there was no such matter . the first of these he hath rectifyed in the history , and confessed in the pamphlet ; the second he hath rectifyed without any acknowledgement , either of the observators information , or his own mistake : and finally ( so indulgent is he to his own dear self ) ranking it amongst the errors ascribed by him to the observator , for making the first writ to be directed to the maritime counties , whereas saith he , it was to the maritime or port towns only , he reckoneth it not amongst his own , in saying that they were directed to all the counties of the kingdom , the mediterraneans and highlanders amongst the rest . rather than so , ships shall be sayling on the mountains , and cast anchor there , whales shall be taken up in cotswold , and shelfish crawl in shoals on the top of the chilterne , as they did once in the dayes of pythagoras , whom our author hath so often followed in his ipse dixi● , that he will credit him in this also ; of which thus the poet , — vidi factas ex aequore terras , et procul a pelago conchae jacuere marinae et vetus inventa est in montibas anchora summis . that is to say . oft have i seen that earth , which once i knew part of the sea , so that a man might view huge shels of fishes on the up-land ground , and on the mountains top old anchors found . in the embassage of young oxenstern to the court of england , it is said by our author , that he was denied audience by the king. the contrary affirmed and proved by the autoplie , ( one of our authors own words ) of the observator , whose curiosity had carried him to behold that ceremony . i have heard it for a rule amongst some good women , that a man ought to believe his own wife , before his own eyes ; but i never heard it for a good rule in law or history . not in the practice of the law , in which it is a noted maxim , plus valet occulatus testis unus , quam auriti decem , that is to say , that one eye-witnesse speaking to a matter of fact , is of greater credit than ten that take it up on hear-say . much lesse in history , the word being anciently derived 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 , which signifieth to see , intimating the relation of such remakable accidents at the performance of which the author himself was present . apud veteres enim ( saith isidore in his origines ) nemo scribebat historiam , nisi is qui interfuisset , et ea quae scribenda essent vidisset ; and though the customary use of the word , hath now taught it a more ample signification , yet an eye-witnesse in point of story is more to be believed than any of those which take up matter upon trust . which notwithstanding against this ocular observation ( as he calls it in another place ) of the observator , he opposeth the authority of an italian author in his history of the wars of christendom , he confesseth in the pamphlet , to be no competent judge of our affairs ; and yet because the earl of monmouth doth translate it so , it can be no otherwise . how so ? because , saith he , that earl is a person of so much honour and knowledge in this businesse , as he would have given us some marginal caveat , had it been so wide of truth as the observator would make it , fol. . here is a non sequ●tur , with a witnesse : the history of galiazzo , was translated by the earl of monmouth , ergo his testimony taken upon hear-say , to be believed before that of the observator , though speaking as an eye-witnesse to the thing or thus , the earl of monmouth is a person of honour , ergo he must confute his author by some marginal note , in a matter which he never heard of ; or thus , the earl is a person of great knowledge , ergo he knoweth all things which are done in court , though not present there . the premises i grant for truths , most undoubted truths , but the conclusion follows as unluckily , as it doth in this enthymeme , homo est animal implume bipes ; ergo , gallus gallinaceus non vertit stercorarium . as sweet a conclusion in the one as there is in the other . in laying down the true occasion of the scotist broils , the pamphleter seems willing to contribute something to the observator , but in effect adds nothing pertinent which he finds not there . only i shall observe two things in the course of his narrative . for first , whereas he undertakes to illustrate and rectifie the story , as he finds it in the observator , he hath indeed rectified his own errour by it . in the unpublished , sheets where this narration was to passe , as a part of the history , we find it said , that when the lord maxwell came and entr●d the councel of scotland , the lords refuse● to admit him , as many ways uncapable of such authority . fol. . but in the story as it lyeth before us in the present pamphlet , be hath rectified this passage by the observator , ●elling us that he went no further than barwick where being informe● that his person was so generaly ha●ed as even to the very undoing of his glorious coach , he dust goe no further , but po●●ed back again unto the court , fol. . but ly . finds he nothing faulty in the story of the observator ? yes , he first finds fault with him for saying , that the king intending a parliament in that kingdom , appointed the earl of niddisdale to preside therein , and furnished him with instructions , for passing of an act of revocation of abby-lands and lands of bishopricks ; whereas ( saith he ) he was commissionated with the earl of anandale , for summoning a parliament ( not for revoking of church and other lands formerly invested in the crown ) but for contribution of monies and ships against the dunkirkers , fol. . but this assuredly thwarts with nothing delivered by the observator , the observator no where saying , that the parliament was to be summoned , for revoking of church and other lands formerly invested in the crown ; but that the lord maxwell , or earl of nidisdale ( call him which you will ) was furnished with instructions for passing an act , to the purpose above mentioned . and furnished he might be , with such secret instructions , though there was nothing to that purpose in the writ of summons , by which that parliament was called , or in the commission it self , by which he was appointed and authorized to preside therein . much lesse doth that thwart any thing in the observator , which the pamphleter gives us in the close , when the scotch lords and maxwell were brought face to face before the king , and when upon some bugwords spoken by the scots , his majestie told them , and not before , he would make them restore all to the crown , which they had taken from it in his fathers minority , fol. . which , whether it be true or not , is neither ad rem , nor ad rhombum , as to this particular ; it being no where said by the observator , that the king had told him so beofre . so that this long impertinency , might have well been spared , but that the pamphleter had a mind to say something in it , though , he knew not what . concerning the election of the lords of the articles for the parliament in scotland , there appeareth some difference between the observator ; and the historian ; to justifie himself , the historian telleth us , in his answer , that his informer being a person of such eminency of that nation , and so versed in the affairs of that kingdome , is ( as he thinks , ) more credible in this particular , than a foreiner , fol. . this is another namelesse witnesse , given to us under the nation of a person of eminency , one of that nation , and versed in the affairs of that kingdome ; though where to find him out , and how to speak with him about it , we may seek elsewhere . but of these nameless and dead witnesses , we may speak so lovely , that wee need not put our selves unto the trouble of a repetition , nor the observator want a witnesse of unquestioned credit , that is to say the famous camden clarentius king of arms , a man so well versed iu the affairs of that kingdome , as few natives better . the rest that follows in the pamphlet , confisteth first in an enumeration of the observators and his own mistakes , and s●●condly , in a sharp and severe expostulation with him for the close of all . his own mistakes , with great indulgence to himself , he restrains to . which yet for quietness sake , and out of his superabundant goodness , he is willing to allow for ten ; whether they be but few or not , and whether the mistakes charged upon him by the observator , are of such a nature , wherein the fame of no one man , the interest of no one ca●se , is either damnified or advantaged , as he fain would have it : and on the contrary , whether all and every of the points which lie in debate between us ( be they great or little ) besides which the pamphleter hath pretermitted in the course of his answer , prove not so many errours and mistakes on the authors side ; is left unto the judgment of the equall and indifferent reader . the errours of the observator , he hath raised to no fewer than which is more than one for every sheet , one of which , as he saith , tends to the very destruction of sacred worship , as that of the sabbath , another to the defamation of one of the most glorious lights , of our church , besides his ( the observators ) most notorious corrupting , and falfying his preface , and such like odious imputations , not to be pardoned in a man , pretending either to learning or ingenuity . how far the observator is excusable , in these three last charges , and with what folly he is taxed with so many mistakes , the reader hath seen before this time , if he hath seriously considered all the points and circu●stances in dispute between us . and that we may the better see it , i shall present him with a catalogue of those e●rours , which being perused , will need no other refutation , but to read them only . now the eighteen are these that follow . . denying the papers found in feltons hat. , , . concerning peter baro and the marguaret professorship . saying standing at gloria patri was never obtruded , , . concerning the sabbath . , . concerning the setting forth of ships . . sir edward deering for the lord digby . . archbishop of canterbnry voted an incendiary . decemb. . for the . . concerning the protestation . , , , , , . concerning the bishops sent to the king , the primate , and the irish articles . this is the pamphleters bill of lading , wherewith he fraughts the small bark of the observator , consisting more in tale than it doth in weight ; his generall muster of mistakes , many of which like souldiers in a poor foot company ) are counted over and over again , to increase the captains pay , and make up his numbers ; his catalogue , or his comedy of errors rather , which ●ike the gallypots and boxes in the shop of a young apothecary , serve onely to make good the shelves , and create him some credit with the vulgar . for which , and for how many of which the observator stands accomptable before god and man , or whether any of them may be charged on his score , or not , is left ( like that before ) to the readers judgement . in the expostulation there is nothing which requireth an answer . but a complaint against the observator , for want of christian , yea moral principles , in the course and way of his proceedings , with which had he been furnished in any measure or proportion , he should have hinted these mistakes , either by conference or by letter , as fit considerations for a second impression , and this he doth the rather insist upon , because of those many opportunities which the observator had of conferring with him , meeting together not only a hundred times in the same shop , but ten times after the coming out of the history , and thereupon it is concluded that it was not the information of the author , but some precious quarrel rather , which was desired , fol. , . to answer first unto the last , the observator doth protest in his own behalf , that he had no desire or thought of such precious quarrels , as the author ( conscious to himself of his own impatiencies ) doth accuse him of , and that he aimed at nothing else in those observations , than the illustration of the story , and rectifying some mistakes in the course thereof , as the title promiseth . how often they have met in the same shop , i am not able to say , the observator telling me , that he never changed words with him above thrice , and then took such a scant survey of his stature , countenance , and habit , that he might meet him , a hundred times since , as the author sayes he did in transitu , or intermixt with other company , without taking any notice of him . nor doth the obsertor please himself in these paper quarrels , or would have took the least part of the pains he did , if he had found himself concern'd in his own particular , either in point of fame or fortunes , but 't is a good rule in st. hierome , in suspitione haereseos se nolle que●quam fore patientem . and if patience may be counted for a dull stupidity in a mans own case , when himself is subjected to the guilt of such suspitions , it may deserve a far worse name , when a whole national clergy , a provincial synod , many great men of power and eminent degree , shall be taxed and branded with tendencies to papery and arminianism , unpardonable irregularities in their proceedings , vitiousness ( even to scandal ) in their lives and actions , and in ●eed what not ; which may expose them , in this low estate of their affairs , to the publique hatred . if in these points and upon these considerations , the observator thought himself obliged to right the church , disabuse the reader , and lay before the historians eyes , those many particulars , in which either his intelligence or diligence failed him , or his judgement was not well informed , or that he had been by●ssed from the mark of truth by the exeesse and transport of his own affections , i hope that god himself will pardon , and all good men excuse me in the undertaking . in seconding which undertaking , and justifying all the injured parties , against the recriminations of the pamphleter , if i have carried my discourse with too quick a hand , it is my hope , that it will rather be imputed to his own indiscretions , and the frequent provocations given , than to any propensions in my self , to deal ruggedly with him ; medicum severum intemperans aeger facit . the patients intemperancy doth many times occasion the physician to be more severe , than he would be otherwise . for my part , as i came not willingly to this employment , but was necessitated and thrust on by those many indignities , which both the history and the pamphlet had heaped on those , whose memory and good name , is most precious with me ; yet i despair not , but that the honest zeal which hath moved me to it , and the great pains i have taken in it , may merit a pardon at the least , if it gain not praise . hic interim liber professione pietatis , aut laudatns eri . , aut saltem excusatus , in the words of tacitus . so god blesse us all . an advertisement to the reader , concerning some additions to the former work . good reader , as well for thy fuller satisfaction , as for the taking away of all exception from the pamphleter , i have thought good , to add some further passages to the book foregoing : which , without further preamble , i shall here present unto thee in this order following . addend . ad page . line . — the dignity of his function , and the civilitie of his breeding , with other necessary qualifications required in him , being well considered . but that i may do that reverend person the greater right , i shall lay down the whole state of the business , as it passed indeed , and not as taken up by our author , upon vulgar fame , though vulgar fame be one of the best authors he relyeth upon in the whole course of his history . one captain gunter , as they called him , having purchased the advowzon of a benefice , in which one mr. brasgirdle was incumbent , resolved to make some present advantage by it , and to that end articled against brasgirdle in the high commission . brasgirdle was advised by his counsel to a recriminatio● , in which he charged gunter , for sweating that he would spit in his face whensoever he met him , and swearing afterward that he had spit in his face accordingly , as also that the ordinary or official meeting with gunter at a time , when the said brasgirdle had preached at a general meeting of the clergy , took the said gunter to dinner with him , and placed him at the head of the board , above all the ministers , where the said gunter spent the greatest part of the meal in railing at and against the preacher , to the great scandal and offence of all the company . and to this charge or recrimination the proofes came so home , that though gunter did deny the fact , as to his spitting in the ministers face , yet it was proved sufficiently , that he had sworn he would and did it , as before is said . the cause being pleaded on both sides , and the reverend person above aimed at , being then to passe censure on it , he openly declared , that he would proceed then , as at other times , secundum allegata & probata , according to the proofes and evidences which had been produced , that it had been proved that the minister had taken the degree of a master of arts , and after of a batchelor of divinitie also , and had lived . years and upwards , in the place of his present dwelling , without any discredit or reproach ; that there was no proof made of gunters being a captain , and he had reason to believe that he was no gent. that he was confident no gent. in england would either spit in the face of a minister , or find no other way to shift off the shame and punishment , but by telling a lie ; and finally that the official had deserved to be censured , for placing such a jack-gentleman as this , above all the ministers at the publique meeting of a clergy . these were the words then spoken by that reverend prelate , of this particular man , and not in any such general terms as our author hath presented them in both editions . and for the further proof of this , i shall give these reasons : first , that although he desire not to blazon himself ; yet he hath too much in him of the blood of the antient gentry , to lay any such disparagement , or contempt upon them : and ly . that no such thing was articled or insisted on by the house of commons in their impeachment brought against him . in which impeachment , being many months in hammering , and liberty given to all manner of persons to inform against him , they would certainly have pitched on this , as a matter of most general concernment to them , if any proof could possibly have been produced to make good the charge . and with this declaratiō of the true state of the businesse . i hope the reader will be satisfied , though our author be not ; the impeachment being printed by an order of the house of commons , and easie to be seen by any who desires to see it . with greater zeal , but with as mischievous intention , &c. addend . ad page . l. . — as for that cause asinius called it . keckerman , building on some words of seneca in his book de ira , placeth the patavinitie imputed to him in this point alone ; and hereunto that of fabius ( an old latin writer ) gives a very good ground , who much commends that lactea ubertas , that milky redundance , or overflowing of style , which he noted in him . but if our author , ( as some of our modern criticks doe ) conceive this patavinity to consist rather in some phrases , which savoured more of the paduan than the roman idiome , yet neither are they so frequent , nor so much affected , nor of such strange originations , as to give just cause to any but such severe censurers as asinus was to except against him . small comfort can our author find from this patavinity , to justifie that long catalogue of ourlandish and new-minted words , which is subjoyned unto the end of the observations . and for the obsolete words which were found in salust , &c. addend ad page . l. . — the observator will produce when required of him . but that i may be free from his importunities at another time , and that i be not chidden now with a quid gaudia nostra moraris , for delaying his contentment so much and so presently desired , i shall give him both the names and words of some of that party , to justifie all that was said of them by the observator . and first we will begin with calvin , the father and founder of the sect , and he tells us thus , illud toties a chrysostomo repetitum repudiari necesse est , quem trahit volentem trahit ; quo insinuat deminum porrecta tantum manu expectare an suo auxilio juvari nobis adlubescat . so he in the second of his institutions , cap. . those words ( saith he ) so often repeated by chrysostom , viz. that god draws none but such as are willing to go , are to be condemned . by which he intimates that god expecteth only with an outstretched and ready arm , whether we be willing to accept of his help or not in which , though calvin doth not express clearly that good fathers meaning , yet he plainly doth shew his own , insinuating that god draws men forcibly and against their own will to his heavenly kingdome . gomarus one of later date , and a chief stickler in these controversies , comes up more fully to the words and desire of the pamphleter . for putting the question in this manner an gratia haec detur vi irresistibili , id est , effiicaci operatione dei , ita ut voluntas ejus qui regeneratur , facultatem non habeat illi resistendi , he answereth presently , credo & profiteor ita esse . the question is whether the grace of god be given in an irresistable manner , that is to say , with such an efficacious operation , that the will of him who is to be regenerated , hath not rhe power to make resistance ; and then the answer follows thus , i believe and professe it to be so , so he in his declaration , page . peter martyr , a more moderate man than the most amongst them , in his common place de libero arbitrio , hath resolved it thus . per absurdum sane est , ut ad immutationem seu regenerationem , aliquid active conferemus , quandoquidem nemo quicquam agit , ad seipsum generandum , quod si verum est in eis ●hy sicis atque carnalibus , quanto magis est dandum in spiritualibus , quae à nostris vi●ibus longius distent . it is very absurd ( saith he ) to think , that we contribute any thing activly in our regeneration , considering that we are able to doe nothing towards our generation ; and if it be so in these natural and carnal acts ; how much more must we grant it to be so in spiritual actions , which are more beyond the reach of our power . the whole body of the calvinists or contra-remonstrants in their collatio hagiensis , before mentioned , have affirmed as much , ascribing no more unto a man in the work of his own regeneration , or in the raising of himself from the death of sin to the life of righteousnesse , than they ascribe unto him in his generation , to the life of nature , or in his resurrection from the dead to the life eternal . for thus say they , sicut ad nativitatem suam , nemo de suo quicquam confert , neque ad sui excitationem ex mortuis nemo quicquam adfert de suo ; ita etiam ad conversionem suam nemo homo quicquam confert , sed est purum putum opus ejus gratiae dei in christo , quae in nobis operatur , non tantum potentiam credendi sed etiam fidem ipsum . put this together , and then tell me whether the rigid sort of calvinians do not hold and teach , that a man is drawn forcibly , and irresistably with the cords of grace in the work of conversion , without contributing any thing to , or towards his own eternity . nay dontelock goeth further yet , and is so far from ascribing any thing to man , in order to his own salvation , that he counts all his best endeavours which tend that way , to be vain and fruitlesse , and to conduce more to his hurt than benefit , before faith and the spirit of regeneration by irresistable operations , ( so i understand his meaning ) are iufused into him . concludimus omnem zelum , omnemque curam quam promovendae saluti suae h●mines adhibent , variam & frustraneam esse , magisque obesse quam prodesse , ante fidem & spiritum renovationis . but i am weary with raking in these dead mens graves , whose heterodoxies and unsound expressions should ( for me ) have lien buried in the same grave with them , if the pamphleter had not put me to this troublesome and thanklesse office . but then the pamphleter must have an explanation , &c. addend . ad pag. . l. . — at the time of his funeral . but whereas the pamphleter addeth , that of this he hopes he is credibly informed by his ( the said doctor baroes ) own son , who is still alive : the certain falsity of this , may very well seem to disprove all the rest of the story . for doctor baroes son died above twenty years since , and therefore is not still alive , nor could our author consu●t with him about it by a saving hope , on which he grounds the credibility of his information . it must be a strong faith , not a saving hope which can raise the dead , though newly gathered to their fathers ; and therefore how our author could receive this credible information from the son of baro , without pretending to a greater power of working miracles , than ever was granted to any of the sons of men , is beyond my reach . the pamphleter must find out some other author for this his credible information , or else it might remain as a thing incredible , for any proof that he hath brought us . but this is not the first time that our author hath endeavoured to raise the dead to bear witness for him , and i think it will not be the last . as for the story of these articles , &c. addend . ad pag. . l. ult . — non bona pejor erit , is a great deal better . t is true indeed , the words of the doctors sermon , as it came out yesterday in print ( viz. monday june . ) seems at first sight , to differ somewhat from the passage before recited , as it was sent to me in writing : but first the reader is to know , that the sermon comes not to our hands , as it came from his mouth , it being confessed in the title , that it hath not only been revized , but enlarged also ; of which enlargements , that of dodonas grove may perhaps be one . ly . if if be not so , yet the observator , as well as the rainger of that forrest stands charged with this , viz. that the lord primate had coined a distinction , between the kings personal and political conscience . for having eased his stomach on the rainger of the vocal forrest , upon that occasion , he addeth , that there was a presump●uous observator , who had of late more ridic●lously and malitiously abused him in it . out of which premises it cannot otherwise be concluded , but that the distinction of a personal and political conscience must be found in the observations also , and so found there , as to be charged on the lord primate by the observator . and if the preacher can find this in the observations , the observator was too blame , and the preacher hath made the alteration to a very good purpose . but if it be not so , as indeed it is not , where lieth the malice or ridiculousnesse which the pulpit rang of ? not in imposing on the lord primate the pretended distinction above mentioned ; for that hath found another father , and was perhaps begotten under some shady oake in dodonas grove , in which the observator is not so much as verderer , and hardly hunteth in the pourlieus ; but for conceiving that the l. primate gave this pretended distinction ( for let it be but pretended still i dispute not that ) as if the root of it was in revenge for the earls suppressing the articles of ireland . serm. pag. . admit it to be so conceived and said by the observator , how doth the preacher goe about to prove the contrary ? why certainly by a most unavoidable argument , declaring thus ; that both are of like falshood , as hath been already apparent in an answer to him . ibid. this is just mulus mulum fricat ( one galled horse rubbeth another ) in the ancient proverb . the pamphleter justifieth himself on the certificate of doctor bernard and his brother pullein ; doctor bernard justifieth himself on the answer of the learned pamphleter , which is now before us . the falshood of that one thing which is touched on by the observator , not being made apparent in the pamphleters answer , and to the other thing , the pretended distinction which he wots of , the pamphleter makes no answe● at all , as finding no ground for it in the observations . but bernardus non vidit omnia , as the saying is . and though he be not such an ill-looking fellow as the observator is made to be by his friend the pamphleter ; yet having lost himself in a vo●al forrest , he may sometimes mistake wood for trees , as well as another ; only i could have wished he had forborn that passage in the close of all , where he relates , that when upon a rumour of the lord primates death , this businesse of the earl of strafford was objected against him ; the king with an oath protested the innocency of the lord primate in it ; or else that he had given us the name of that person of quality , which was an earwitnesse to the words , for i can tell him , and will tell him , if he put me to it , that there are persons of another manner of quality than those whom he pretends unto , who heard the contrary from the kings own mouth , and will not spare to give testimony to the truth in that particular when required of them . but i forbear to presse it further , and could have wished the preacher had permitted me not to say so much . i leave him at this time , with non tali auxilio , &c. and so fare him well . finis . errata . page . for effects read defects . pag. . for impudence r. imprudence . p. . for liberty r. belief . p. . for office r. of his . p. . for seem r. serve . p. . l. . for one r. none . p. . for est r. et. p. . for r. . p. . for masters place r. masters mate . p. . for super superannuating r. super sexannuating . ibid for called r. rather . p. . for transitions r. transactions . p. . for petitions r. positions before . p. . l. . del . not . p. . for party r. parity . p. for must r. might . p. . l. . for but r. yet . p. . l. . for hath r. that it hath . p. . for hath pleased r. displeased . p. . l. . del . ) was . p. . for sent by r. sent to . p. . for . r. . p. . l. . ad . and they that use it not condemn not those who use it . p. . for when it was moved r. when it was signified to him that it would be moved . p. . for the walls r. these walls . ibid. for its r. thought it . p. . for a been r. have been . ibid. l. . del . whole . p. . for impose r. propose . p. . for so many r. no more . p. . for was denied r. was not denied , p. . for prating and bawling r. progging and bolting . a parish looking-glasse for persecutors of ministers ... or, the persecuted ministers apologie published by richard culmer ... in defence of his father, richard culmer ... culmer, richard, th cent. this text is an enriched version of the tcp digital transcription a of text r in the english short title catalog (wing c ). textual changes and metadata enrichments aim at making the text more computationally tractable, easier to read, and suitable for network-based collaborative curation by amateur and professional end users from many walks of life. the text has been tokenized and linguistically annotated with morphadorner. the annotation includes standard spellings that support the display of a text in a standardized format that preserves archaic forms ('loveth', 'seekest'). textual changes aim at restoring the text the author or stationer meant to publish. this text has not been fully proofread approx. kb of xml-encoded text transcribed from -bit group-iv tiff page images. earlyprint project evanston,il, notre dame, in, st. louis, mo a wing c estc r ocm this keyboarded and encoded edition of the work described above is co-owned by the institutions providing financial support to the early english books online text creation partnership. this phase i text is available for reuse, according to the terms of creative commons . universal . the text can be copied, modified, distributed and performed, even for commercial purposes, all without asking permission. early english books online. (eebo-tcp ; phase , no. a ) transcribed from: (early english books online ; image set ) images scanned from microfilm: (early english books, - ; : ) a parish looking-glasse for persecutors of ministers ... or, the persecuted ministers apologie published by richard culmer ... in defence of his father, richard culmer ... culmer, richard, th cent. [ ], p. printed by abraham miller, london : . reproduction of original in bodleian library. eng culmer, richard, d. . clergy -- england. a r (wing c ). civilwar no a parish looking-glasse for persecutors of ministers. wherein such persecuting people may behold their ugly-faced sinfull condition, and the culmer, richard c the rate of defects per , words puts this text in the c category of texts with between and defects per , words. - tcp assigned for keying and markup - aptara keyed and coded from proquest page images - taryn hakala sampled and proofread - taryn hakala text and markup reviewed and edited - pfs batch review (qc) and xml conversion a parish looking-glasse for persecutors of ministers . wherein such persecuting people may behold their ugly-faced sinfull condition , and the judgments of god falling on their heads . or , the persecuted ministers apologie . published by richard culmer for the common good . especially , that the christian magistrate may take more notice of , and be more zealous against persecutors and oppressors of faithfull ministers : which persecutors endeavour , first , to ruine ministers which are weaker in power than magistrates ; intending afterwards more easily to ruine magistrates also , and level all . and that people ( sectaries and others ) which despise , mock , revile , slander , defraud , oppress faithful ministers , sent by the care and wisdom of the christian magistrate , may be warned by the judgements full of horrour , upon such persecutors , herein recorded , which god hath set forth for example to others . and published by him more especially , in defence of his father richard culmer , minister of mynster , in the county of kent , in the isle of thanet , near canterbury . to prevent his said fathers causless ruin , which is now endeavoured by those , who ( as the ensuing history shews , after many publick , shameless , savage persecutions of him , by word and deed , to the shedding of his bloud , only for his actings for god and the present state ) now go about by secret false suggestions , to have him cast out of his living ; and of their confidence to prevail against him it is boasted in canterbury , and elswhere publickly , which hath caused this publick apology . psal. . . god ordaineth his arrows against the persecutors . matth. . . o hierusalem , hierusalem , thou that killest the prophets , and stonest them that are sent unto thee , &c. cor. . . i have fought with beasts at ephesus , after the manner of men . cor. . . persecuted , yet not forsaken . london , printed by abraham miller , . to the honourable collonel robert gibbon , governour of the isle of jersey , &c. right honourable , your native countrey ( the county of kent ) hath many obligations of much due respect unto you , for your prudent and valiant actings formerly , and at present , for the welfare and safety thereof . and your courteous respests to all , and to my father in special ( heretofore and lately , in that you were pleased to honour him , by calling on him to accompany you , when you surveyed the places of danger for landing a forreign enemy along the sea-coasts in the isle of tanet , which lies over-against the coasts of flanders . ) and your undeserved favours to my self , have encouraged me to presume of , and crave your worthy patronage of the ensuing apologie , which the law of filial love and duty hath compelled me to write , in the speedy and necessary defence of my aged father , whose ministerial imploiments will not give him leisure to do it with his own pen : i do unfeignedly profess it rather a grief , than any delight to me , that ( upon this occasion ) i am necessitated to publish that any such savages , as are here described should be found in old-england , in kent or christendom , after so long continued gracious means of extraordinary civility and christianity : but hereby may be seen in what ignorant , barbarous , profane condition , prelates , and dean and chapter , non-resident doctors ( à non docendo ) and their ignorant , drnnken , leud curates , have left people , which is the miserable sad case of many parishes , as hundreds of faithful ministers have found by wofull experience . but it is apparent , that the all-seeing righteous god will not have the persecutions and oppressions herein recited to be buried in the grave of silence and oblivion , seeing a publick discovery thereof is called for exraordinarily , and necessited and extorted , not only by open slanders , by written and printed libels , but by publick revealings , and loud boastings of secret actings of enemies , by enemies themselves ; all which could not but be made use of , without dishonour to god , and injury to justice it self . for those that have made lies their refuge , and calumnies the weapons of their rage against my father , and have by a confederacy withheld all their tythes wholly from him , for above three years last past , do grow now more than ever publickly clamorous against him . and their malice is grown to that monstrous height of rage , that it hath so blinded the little common reason that was left in them , that they have presumed impudently ( distrusting the merits of their cause ) to pass by his highnesses worthy commissioners for ejecting of ignorant and scandalous ministers , and to wave the common law , and have petitioned against him to his highnesse himself ; upon what grounds , fancies or vain hopes , they only know ; but this is certainly known , that in their boastings ( before they have put on their armour ) they vaunt much of their potent military friends : but i am consident none of those worthies will ingage against my father , but cashier them out of their good affections , when they are informed of the truth , by the ensuing defensive narrative , which is my fathers defensive weapon , which their extraordinary alarm have forced him to arm himself withall , and to stand upon his guard and defence , to prevent the ruine of his good name and family , which nearly concerns me in particular , who am a souldier also at this present in commission for the present state . and this cause is of greater concernment , than is at first conceived , not only to him , but to the publick ; and gods glory is much concerned in it : for if his adversaries could by subtilty prevail to have him sacrificed to their malice & covetousnes , by the hands of abused justice and authority : it would not only prove his undeserved ruine , but much encourage the mutinous enemies of reformation to endless oppositions , and persecutions of faithful ministers , and would discourage ministers to be faithful , for fear of ruine , for want of just defence from the higher powers , to which they adhere in the cause of god : which is not written out of fear of any such thing , which his adversaries are so confident of , to take effect against him ; as of old against absent mephibosheth ; and although means of defence and preservation are to be used , and to this end the ensuing apologetical history , or historical apologie is written , concerning things that have not been acted in a corner , but publickly and lately , and are notorious , and will not be denied : yet ( as nicodemus saith ) our law judgeth no man before it hear him , and know what he doth . no ziba nor haman , though he may boast of his friends at court , can now procure such hasty decrees , blessed be god , by whom kings reign , and princes decree justice , and who puls down mighty ones without number , and sets up others in their rooms : he is the lord of hosts , who hath taught your hands to warre , and your fingers to fight : i beseech him to be your shield , and your great reward : so craving pardon for my boldness , i humbly take leave , and remain , sir , your obliged , assured servant and souldier to be commanded richard culmer . a parish looking-glasse for persecutors of ministers . the persecutors of faithfull ministers in these times , may behold as in a glasse , the vilenesse of their sinne , and the great displeasure of god against them for it : if they look into the scripture , or later histories , and daily experience . we read ( chron . , . ) and the lord god of their fathers sent unto them by his messengers , rising up betimes , and sending them : because he had compassion on his house , and on his dwelling place : but they mocked the messengers of god , and despised his words , and misused his prophets , untill the wrath of god arose against his people , till there was no remedy : therefore he brought upon them the king of the chaldees , who slow their young men with the sword , in the house of their sanctuary , &c. and ahab and jezabel persecuted the prophets of god , but dogs licked up the bloud of ahab , after he was slain , and dogs did eat persecuting jezabel . the children which did mock , and miscall elisha the prophet and minister of god , were two and fourty of them torn in pieces by wilde bears ( kings . ) they were the children of persecutors of gods ministers , and spake their parents language . the persecutors of the prophet jeremiah , said , come let us devise devices against jeremiah , let us smite him with the tongue ( jer. . . ) therefore god delivered up their children to the famine , and their bloud was poured out by force of the sword . those that persecuted our saviour the great shepherd , and did perswade people not to hear him preach , saying , he is mad , and hath a devil , why hear ye him ? ( joh. . . ) and would stone him , though he spake as never man spake , and did works which never man did : yet they having begun to persecute him , did sinne against the light of their own conscience , and against the holy ghost , to make good their begun acts , and hold up their reputation , and did persecute him to the death : what became of those persecutors ? is not their judgement eternal in hell for their unpardonable sinne ? alexender the coppersmith , and other persecutors of the apostles have their woful reward , though they clamoured and articled against st paul , as a pestilent fellow , a mover of sedition , &c. these things are written for our admonition , upon whom the ends of the world are come , and teach ministers now for their comfort what christ spake , blessed are ye when men shall revile you , and persecute you ; for so persecuted they the prophets that were before you ; and if they have persecuted me they will also persecute you . but some men will not be warned by other mens harms , and examples ; therefore they are made examples to others . our late bishops and their adherents are a rare and remarkable president of gods judgments on persecutors of faithfull ministers , which sin made them ripe for their deserved downfall : but their persecutions ended at the beginning of the long parliament : then the iron teeth of those beasts were knockt out , and the iron yoaks , which they had put on ministers necks were all pull'd off : but when the ecclesiastical courts were taken away , the people took lawlesse liberty to themselves , to put ( as it were ) a hogs yoak on ministers necks , and did persecute faithful ministers sent unto them , as sheep among wolves : oh what woorying and wearying out most precious ministers by word and deed , by tearing and tugging , lyings and slanderings , revilings and defraudings , and withholding their maintenance by confederacy ! and these persecutions ( especially in point of maintenance ) continue very great at this day all the nation over ; people being encouraged hereunto , for want of better laws for tything , and of more speedy execution of justice , according to the laws that are in force . many hundreds of faithfull ministers in england may justly write such books against their persecutors , to awaken the christian magistrate , and warn persecutors , against whom their cries are gone up to heaven , and have brought down vengeance upon very many : and their complaints and moans by words are daily heard , and may be read , some in print , and in their bils against thousands in the court of exchequer , where relief is certain , but so long waited for , that in the mean time the poor ministers and their families perish ; and oft-times the parties , or witnesses , or both die , or the tyth-robber breaks , and runs the countrey , which is usuall , before the cause come to hearing . i could shew persecutors many very fresh examples of their sinne , and of punishments on people , that have lately persecuted faithfull ministers in several parishes , as that of mr e. k. of dover in . who came out of his seat , and joyned in the hurliburly made in st james church against mr vincent a godly able minister , who was sent thither by the parliament , and persecuted him otherwise : but the persecutor persecuted himself a little after by laying violent hands on himself , and was a self-executioner by hanging himself . this and many such bleeding examples may be produced touching the hand of god against such persecutors , enough to fill volumes . but i shall now only instance in the persecutors of mr richard culmer ( heretofore of magdalen colledge in cambridge , master of arts , and ) now minister of mynster in the isle of thanet in the county of kent , whose persecutors are now very few living in that parish ; but mighty and numerous elswhere ; even those of the popish , prelatical and cavalier party that never saw him , because of his activenesse against their cause . they have printed two libellous books against him , and often articled against him , and raised persecution against him to the shedding of his bloud , &c. as the ensuing history shews ; and to have their wils against him ( if it be possible , to ruine him ) they have lately petitioned against him to his highnesse himself , and since publickly boasted against him in their confidence now to prevail against him ; which hath caused this apology to be published in his just defence , and for vindication of the truth . this man after he left the free grammer-school at canterbury ( being senior of all that school , then consisting of above two hundred scholars , in the time of mr roger raven , the king of schoolmasters , as he was deservedly styled at his funeral , an eminent , godly , learned , yet persecuted and silenced minister ) lived about eight years a student in magdalen-colledge in cambridge . and being afterwards minister of goodnestone in east-kent , was persecuted from thence by arch-bishop laud , only for refusing to publish the kings book for sabbath-recreations : ( see the history of that arch-bishops tryal in the index letter c. culmer . ) and he continued three years and seven moneths silenced before the first parliament was called ; in all which time he got not one farthing by his ministry , having seven children so little , that he could , and did carry them all at once on his back : and ( to adde to his persecutions by the prelate ) he was persecuted by the patronesse mrs p. ( whose posterity hath felt some reward of persecution ) who immediately upon his silencing gave his living away to mr a. h. who for lucre of that benefice , did joyn in the persecution , and did publish that prophane book in that parish church on the sabbath-day , in the presence of mr culmer ; and of the people there : but a year after he lost his goods by fire , and the next year he himself was drowned in the water . and mr d. ( yet living ) then curate to the bishop of rochester at barham , did that sabbath also publish in the church at goodnestone the unjust decree of suspension made against mr culmer in the arch-bishops ecclesiastical court , by the arch bishops special order and command to sr n. b. but a little after this , the people of barham fell to dancing on the sabbath , and a quarrel arose about a wager between two dancers , and he that won the wager had his brains knockt out that sabbath . but at the first coming in of the scots into england , the persecuting arch-bishop ( who a little after was beheaded at tower-hill for treason , &c. ) presently absolved mr culmer , who might justly say , garamercy good scot for his absolution . and he being at liberty to preach , was presently called by dr robert aus●in ( now living ) to be his assistant at harbledown near canterbury , where he preached divers years , and had very many auditors from that famous city . but there also he was persecuted for his actings against drunkennesse , and against prophaning the sabbath by crickit playing before his door , to spite him , which when he had reproved privately and publickly , they removed that sport to a field near the woods , where they threw stones at his sonnes , whom he sent to see if they played there ; and upon publick reproof , the church-warden ( whose wise was for just cause denied the sacrament ) bought boards to keep the people of canterbury out of the church seats . and the grandee persecutor j. w. used to go with his crew of brawlers and railers , his wife especially , upon the sabbath to the parsonage-house , and there did clamour and bawl to the doctor to move him , that mr culmer might preach no more there ; and one of them s. s. cried out , saying , it is a shame to speak what he hath done ; and being asked by the doctor , what mr culmer had done , the only answer of the accuser was , why was he turned out of goodnestone ? and being urged to speak what he could say more , he could not alledge any thing else : by this the magistrate may see , that some people are like a kennel of hounds , that will bark for company ; if one or two bark against a minister , then presently one and all , right or wrong : as of old they all cried , not him , they all cried , crucifie him , &c. the upholding of the noise and cry was , oh our souls , our souls , will you damn our souls ! we cannot edifie by one we love not : but when their clamours prevailed not , they writ articles against mr culmer , as followeth , that he refuseth to administer the sacrament according to the church of england : that he raised scandals of the parish in the pulpit : that he made differences between neighbours : that some refuse to hear him , and others declare they cannot edifie by him . these , and only these articles they exhibited to the doctor , who having heard all things objected against mr culmer , gave them an answer , that what they objected he found either frivolous , or false ; and he reproved a rich widow mrs r , who being asked , why she clamoured ? her only answer was , that mr culmer had said to the overseers of the poor , that he wondered that she refused to pay her assessement of s . d . to the poor . but the doctor being elsewhere provided of a benefice , wholly left that place to the patron , who placed a minister there ; and when they were told a little after , that they had made a sorry exchange in the room of m culmer ; it was answered , we care not whom we have , n●w we are rid of m. culmer : but what is become of those persecutors of m. culmer is famously known : one of them e. br. ( because m culmer would not give him the sacrament immediately after he had been drunk , and did pursue his wife with a drawn sword , did thereupon write a petition against m. culmer , and went about the parish to get subscriptions to it ) was a little after found guilty of felony , and was burnt in the hand at the sessions at canterbury : and you may now finde the grandee persecutor j. w. in the goal at canterbury ( his sonne used to thresh corn on the sabbath mornings for fodder : ) and now after the death of two ministers , the third ( having little encouragement amongst them ) left them destitute . and after m. culmer lest preaching at harbledown , he preached in canterbury ; and there he and other ministers were appointed by authority or parliament , to detect , and cause to be demolished the superstitious inscriptions , and idolatrous monuments , in the cathedral in canterbury ; and when they came to the great high priz'd most idolatrous window , in the chappel of thomas becket , in that cathedral ( the labourers , not acting as was desired ) m. culmer laid , if we neglect this opportunity , we may repent it ; and thereupon threw off his cloak , and took a whole pike in his hand , and went up a ladder fifty six steps high , and did full execution upon the idolatrous monuments there : whereupon some stirres began , a prebends wife cried out , save the childe , meaning christ lying in the manger pictured there ; and m. culmers bloud was then threatned by some that stood without the iron grates , in the body of the church : but m. john lade then maior of canterbury , sent a file of musqueteers , who conveyed mr. culmer safe home to his own house . and a little after m. culmer published a book entituled , cathedral news from canterbury , which is a true history of the sins and plagues of that cathedral babel ; the title page of that book is , cathedral news from canterbury , shewing the canterburian cathedral to be in an. abbey like corrupt and rotten condition , which cals for a speedy reformation or dissolution , which dissolution is already foreshewn , and begun there by many remarkable passages upon that place , and the prelates there : recorded and published by richard culmer minister of gods word , dwelling in canterbury , heretofore of magdalen colledge in cambridge , master of arts : if i should hold my peace the stones would immediately cry out , luk. . . imprimatur john white . i have perused this relation of cathedral news , and therein observe , that the hand of providence hath indeed wrought a new thing in our israel , worthy to be lookt upon by all , with a due mixture of wonder and thankefulness : and therefore conceive it necessary to be published to the view of all : jo. caryl . printed for fulk cliston , &c. but this book being the finger in the bile , and swelling ulcer of prelacy and cathedrals ; immediately upon the first publishing of it , the nest of cathedral hornets at canterbury , and their waspish malignant adherents , flew about m. culmers ears , bombalizing and toating so loud , that city and countrey rang of their railing and libellings . they presently published in print two lying libels against him ; one called , the razing of the record , or , an order to forbid any thank●sgiving for the canterbury news , published by richard culmer , printed at oxford , in the year , . the other entituled , antidetum culmerianum , or , animadversions upon a late pamphlet , entituled , cathedral news from canterbury ; oxford , printed by h. hall , . these libels of private concernment m. culmer thought fit to answer only with scorn and contempt amidst so many publick differences ; being confident that no wise man would believe that , which no man doth avow , or set his name to . they publish in the libels , that he was famous in cambridge for foot-ball playing and swimming ; but never thought to be cut out for a mercury : but he gave some specimen to the contrary in many publick acts , in the university ; i name only that in print , in the book , called lacryma cantabrigienses , upon the death of queen anne , viz. cyxthia lucisluo conjungitur aurea phoebo : phoebeo in terris conjux fuit anna jacobo : ecclipsin patitur phoebe ; sic deficit anna : phoebus in orbe micat : sic 〈…〉 lendet in vrbe jacobus : luna praeest undis : lachrymas tulit anna britannis : sol radiis undas siccat : splendore jacobus . richard culmer col. mag. and that report in the libel , touching his pulling out the spigots in the colledge-cellar , at cambridge , and his escape , and running away , and expulsion from the university , is a meer forgery , as many now living , that were of that colledge , can testifie : that also is a meer slander touching richard pising of canterbury , who is yet living there , and can witnesse the contrary to that which the libellers publisheth against m. culmer : and as touching that which they record touching m. culmers being cast into the fleet ; it was a crying persecution and injury done to him by the arch●bishop , which the other lords knew well , and therefore released him , upon their next sitting , within five dayes : but m. b. may thank sir j. f. for his head ; and may thank his own prating tongue ( first and last ) for all his trouble then . many other silly fictions they invented and published in those railing libels ; as that m. culmer tied a rope about his fathers cows horns to let himself down the cliff in thanet to reach daws . by such feigned stories the cathedrallists endeavoured to confute that true , real history , written by m. culmer , which caused them to gnaw their tongues for pain , and to put so much gall in their ink , in their pretended confutation of his book , by those forgeries , which are falsly called , culmerianum antidotum : being deadly poyson to take away the life of his good name and reputation : but i am confident , that these ensuing testimonials , which are not forged , but real , under so many names of worth , will be a general antidote , and {non-roman} {non-roman} {non-roman} {non-roman} {non-roman} against all infection and prejudice to m. culmers good name and reputation from those pestilent libels , whose authors are de terra incognita , of the unknown land , and {non-roman} {non-roman} {non-roman} {non-roman} {non-roman} namelesse : but these testimonials are not namelesse . civit. cant. ss. we the maior and aldermen of the city of canterbury , and other inhabitants there ( at the request of richard culmer of the said city clerk , who hath lived in , or near the said city for many years last past ) do hereby certifie , that the said richard culmer is a man of exemplary life and conversation , and an able and diligent preacher of gods word : in testimony whereof we have hereunto subscribed our names , this tenth day of august , anno dom. . cleve carter maior , avery sabin . james master , wil . wbiting , john stanly , john lade , william bridge , danicl masterson , john terry , john watson , george knot , john pollen . paul pettit , vispasian harris , peter pyard , richard juxon , themas player , george yong , roger sympson , william cullen , francis maplesden , george milles , edward norden , thomas kingsford , thomas trusser , john sympson , walter mond , john routh , edward master , john nutt , william man , edward berry , john james , henry james , giles master , nicholas knight , henry white , allen epps , john bix , william russel william jones , william master , robert beak , george nichels , william cullen sen. william glover , matthew spencer , john woodware , richard hardris , christopher harslet , edmond crisp , thomas den , robert lade , edward engeham , edmona randolph , edward aldy rector of st andrews in canterbury , james nicholson , philip delme , thomas ventris rector sanctae margaretae , john player , thomas courthop , john lee , michael page , william taylour , thomas ventris . this is a true copy of the original remaining in the assembly . henry roborough scriba , adoniram bifield scriba , john wallis . to the honourable committee of parliament for plundered ministers . honourable sirs , vve are bold to move you in the behalf of mr richard culmer , a minister , who lives in canterbury ; the burgesses , maior , and principal inhabitants whereof , do give a very good testimony of him under their hands in writing , whom we also know to be as they testifie of him ; and we further testifie , that he hath been a very forward advancer of the common cause , by his ministry , and otherwise , from the beginning of these distractions ; and was long suspended for not publishing the book for sabbath sports : but now is altogether unprovided of a setled ministry . our earnest request is , that he may be taken into your consideration , and provided for somewhere in these parts : we are very unwilling such men should be discouraged , or that the ill-affected should point at them , as unregarded ▪ so we humbly take leave , and remain , octob . . your loving friends to be commanded , john lade maior , james oxinden , john boys , william man , michael lewsie , ri. hardres , edward scot , thomas westrow , mark dixwell , edward boys , john boys . this is a true copy of the original remaining in the assembly , henry roborough scriba , adoniram bifield scriba , john wallis . to the honourable the committee appointed by the parliament for plundered ministers . gentlemen , i do herewith present unto you m. richard culmer , a minister of canterbury , who though i cannot properly say he hath been plundered , yet hath lost much for not publishing the book for sabbath sports : and i have had personal experience from the first of these distractions of his fidelity , and great activenesse in the common cause . and now seeing a testimonial under the hands of the burgesses for canterbury , and of the maior , and many well-affected chief inhabitants there ; that he is a man of exemplary life , and an able , and diligent preacher : and seeing also letters directed to you in his behalf , from many of the deputy-lieutenants of kent : and for asmuch as i am certified that the archdeacon of canterbury hath deserted his cure at ickham near sandwich in kent : my earnest request to you is , that mr culmer may by your order officiate that cure , and be setled in it , if the archdeacon shall be removed out of it : and i am the rather willing to move you on mr culmers behalf , for that i know the house of lords ( taking him into special consideration ) did order that he should succeed the dean of canterbury in the parsonage of chartham ; but at my motion he sate down , and gave way that my lord generals chaplain should have that benifice : and so with my affectionate respects commended to you , i rest , warwick-house , feb. . . your very assured friend . warwick . and to proceed , after those libels were spread abroad in print : a libel was written against him at canterbury , and in the night thrown under the door of the then maior of canterbury , who sent it up to the committee for plundered ministers : and ( to cause the people to destroy him ) they raised a false report against him , that he had broken the earthen pots or pipes , which conveyed water to the city , and that he was seen to break them ; and that he had said , that all that neither could or would give any thing to the parliaments proceedings , should be put into a house , and the house fired on them ; and that the king would be at canterbury at such a day , and then mr culmer should be hanged , but threatned folks live long . and mr culmer being so recommended to the committee for plundered ministers , as afore-said ; they thereupon resolved to place him in the sequestred vicarage of mynster in kent ; but the malignants and cathedrallists from canterbury , and some from harbledown presently endeavoured to make the minds of the people of mynster ill affected against him ; and it was said often openly in the streets at canterbury , blue dick should be set out of mynster ; and divers ministers that seemed to be his friends , did him ill offices there , for their own ends : one that aimed at that living himself , told them , that although the committee had voted mr culmer the place , yet if they would stir and shew great opposition against him , they might remove him : an other ( when he saw he could not get it for himself ) advised them maliciously , saying , clog it with a lecture , clog it with a lecture ; but after the people had heard mr culmer preach there , nineteen of the parish subscribed , that they were willing to receive him as their pastor : and one of the chiefest did then give him loving entertainment , but desired him to entertain his brother-in-law mr p. then curate to be his assistant , and to give him lb by the year , which mr culmer desired to be excused in , saying , he was able to officiate alone , and that if lb per annum fifts , and as much in taxes , and lb to his assistant , were paid out of lb , he should have little himself : but the truth is , that curate was very scandalous , called the father of drunkards , because divers toffe-pots in the parish called him father , and he called them sonnes : but one day in a cellar they complained to him , that he called them sonnes , but gave them no portions : then he gave them portions ; to one knaves-acre , to another duns-acre , to another cuckolds-corner , to another a patent to hug and buss , to another meretrix-hall : he would tipple with them in the tap-house near the church every day in the week , and on holy-dayes , out of the ale-house to the church , and from the church to the ale-house , and come out hollowing at midnight , and was so drunk that he could not stand : he would bowl with them on the sabbath , and forced the people by threats openly in the church to come up and kneel at the alter rails ; and said , prince rupert came over to right his vncles wrongs . and when mr culmer came to the vicarage-house , there was a large picture of a man in the window , and underneath it was written , salvator mundi , the saviour of the world . but mr culmer said before many present , this is not the saviour of the world , for it cannot save it self , and thereupon dashed it in pieces ; but the curate reviled him , and said , it was there in many doctors times , and in m. bromwels time ; he had served above twenty years as curate there , and was well beloved . and his predecessor curate would go to sandwich and fetch bottles , hanging round under his priests coat ; he was wont to huddle up forenoon and afternoon service altogether , and tell the people he did it , because there was a merry meeting in the afternoon ; and the priest ( as they call'd him ) was sure to be present , and it was their glory to have him amongst them , in their drunken courses , and to laugh at the drunken priest . another thing was then propounded to mr culmer at his first coming , viz. that he would give under his hand in writing , to take the tythes as the sequestred doctor had them : but he refused to make any composition , whereupon differences arose : and the brother-in-law to the curate said , he would spend lb to keep out mr. culmer , and procured divers others to joyn with him to keep out mr culmer , and to bring in some other minister . but when they saw they could not prevail to bring in whom they would ; they went up to the reverend assembly of divines , sitting at westminster , to get any , they cared not whom , to supplant mr culmer ; being confident that any member of that assembly would carry it from him : there they first met with dr smith , who hearkned to them at the first : but having discoursed with mr culmer , and seen his testimonials , and enquired of mr herbert palmer , and others touching him ; he came to mr culmer and told him , that if his living were worth lb per annum , he would not have it from him , but would assist him against his adversaries : but afterwards they surprized one of that assembly , who accepted of that place ; but when it was moved in the assembly for his approbation from them to the committee for plundered ministers ; mr herbert palmer , who had known mr culmer for many years , made a speech in his behalf of at least half an hour long , as if it had been penned , and ( amongst the rest ) he said , if mr culmer be supplanted of this living , i am confident the malignants in canterbury will make bonfires for joy : then dr gouge , mr wilson , dr corpet , and others there , which knew mr culmer , spake also in his behalf : whereupon the vote of the assembly was , that their brother should be intreated to sit down , and give way to mr culmer for that place : and thereupon after that assembly had certified to the committee for plundered ministers , touching mr culmers fitnesse to officiate at mynster , that committee granted him their order of sequestration . but when news of this came to mynster , some began to rage at it , saying , such a devilish round-headed priest , that brake the windows at canterbury , and refused to give the sacrament to all at harbledown , and would not use the service-book , should not come there : and it was given out , that a band of women should meet him at sarwall , and throw him into a ditch : but one mrs o , that had heard well of mr culmer , said to the gossips in the church-porch , what band ? who shall be captain ? one named , such a woman ; the other replied , oh she , she was brought a bed a moneth after she was married , we are like to have a good band i hear , either whores , or with childe before marriage . and upon this occasion i cannot but recount what fell out lately in a vestry there at a debate about putting out apprentices , it was voted by mr culmers adversaries , and set down in the seffe-book , that such a girl ( a bastard ) should be mr culmers apprentice : but he afterward addressed himself to the justices , and desired them , that such an affront might not be put on him , and said further , there were yet but eight bastards since his coming thither , and desired he might be excused until the tenth fell : the justices smiled , and ordered him another apprentice . i rehearse this , because i hear the accusation against mr culmer is his rehearsing of a same of words of the feminine gender . but the band of women never advanced nor charged , but with their sharp tongues . but the lb man , with others , went presently ( before mr culmer came down with his order ) with a petition to divers peers of the realm , which were then in the isle , upon pleasure of hawking and hunting , and lay there : but when the earl of warwick had read their petition against mr culmer , he said , i know mr culmer well , he is an honest man , i pray receive him according to order ; if need be , i have a better living for mr culmer ; but we must not oppose authority , &c. a little after a chief parishioner of another parish ( brother-in-law also to the said curate , since a sequestred cavalier ) went with two of mynster to canterbury to a committee of deputy-lieutenants , and there they clamoured against mr culmer , who was thereupon sent for to the chequer-inne : but after they had heard him speak , sir james oxinden said , now we have heard mr. culmer speak , all that you have said against him , falls from him as water from a tiled house : and mr. boys of bettishanger ( then knight of the shire for kent ) said , their allegations were of no weight , and would not prevail : and he said , i pray oppose him not ; i am confident you will never prevail against him to remove him , he hath been so eminently active for the common cause , and you have nothing to alledge against him , i pray receive him , he is sent unto you by authority , i dare ingage for him he will be an honest quiet man amongst you if you will be quiet . but he that was of another parish said , they had scouts out against . mr. culmer , and would finde enough against him , he were better leave them quietly . and indeed they sent out to all places where mr. culmer had lived , or had any dealing , to find matter against him : the chief thing which they then alledged against him was ; that he was a contentious man at harbledowne : whereupon the committee sent to dr austin , who is an eminent godly minister , to know the truth of matters concerning mr culmer at harbledowne : the doctor returned them an answer in writing as followeth : octob. . . whereas i am desired to testifie what i know concerning mr culmers carriage and behaviour at harbledowne , especially for matters of contention between him and some there ; i doe hereby truely testifie , that having heard all that hath any wayes been objected against him , i judged it rather to proceed out of malice , than from any ground of truth : and the contention spoken of , to have been rather out of his zeal to the cause of god , than any private cause of his own : and though they did alledg matters against him , yet i judged them but frivolous ; and i have been thanked for his ministry there ; which many of the city of canterbury also thought so well of , as they took the pains to travell thither to enjoy it , and that for many years : and i also testifie , that i have had much dealing with mr culmer for at least twelve years , yet if he were now mine enemy , i must say , i have never found him but an honest man , both in word and deed : in testimony whereof i have hereunto set my name , robert austin . about that time the committee of deputy-lieutenants for kent , made the order following , ( viz. ) whereas we are informed , that there is a weekly lecture at st johns in the isle of thanet , in the county of kent ; we think fit that mr culmer , being a very well-affected man , and put in by the parliament into a cure in the said isle , shall take his turn in preaching the said lecture . alsford june . richard hardress , anthony welden , robert scot , william miller , john boys , william kenrick ▪ but after this order , and mr culmers preaching there , that lecture soon ceased , because ( it seems ) mr culmers preaching was not pleasing to the cavaller party : the minister there was afterward sequestred for malignancy , and not one of the seaven ministers of that isle but was neuter or two pockets at the best , or rather the worst at that time ; and could make his mill goe with any winde . but the ceasing of the lecture did not satisfie them ; but their chief project was to remove mr culmer out of that isle : they ( as the event proved ) having a designe to raise a new warre , they knew that isle to be a fit place for landing an enemy : there is ramsgate alias roman-gate , where the romans landed when they conquered this nation : and not far from thence , there is at this day found ( after a great rayne ) romane coyn , with the title and effigies of romane emperours : and they considered mr culmers disposition , activeness , and resolution against them and their cause : thereupon they procured divers to go to sandnich to a committee of deputy-lieutenants , where sir edward boys ( a parliament man and governour of dover castle ) was chair-man ; there at least fourty in their best cloathes , and with their best friends and sollicitors , did earnestly petition , and clamour as for life , that mr culmer might be removed from mynster . but sir edward boys asked them , what they 〈…〉 ad to object against mr culmer ? it was answered , they had nothing for the present , but they might have in time : ( non ame to volusi . nec possum dicere quare . hoc tantum possum dicere , non ame tc . ) they clamoured that they could not edifie by him , and desired the committee to pity their souls , &c. but sir edward boys answered them saying , i have known mr culmer many years to be an honest man , and zealous for god in the worst times , and a good preacher ; you do ill to oppose a man sent unto you by authority without shewing cause : if he should be removed upon such opposition , it would open a flood-gate to ruin all good ministers , and encourage opposition against them : i am a plainman , and love to deal plainly , i like not these courses , and untill you have matter against him , i shall engage for him , and engage all the friends i have in england for him against you ; therefore pray honest men be quiet , untill you have just and sufficient cause to complain of him . at another time they came to a committee at eastry , and the lb man spake against mr culmer a long time ; then sir edward replyed saying , he had heard him patiently , and all was in their own commendations , but nothing alledged against mr culmer ; but ( said he , ) when you have said all , mr culmer hath lent more voluntarily to the state than all your parish , besides his personall actings : pray trouble us no more with your clamours till you have cause . and afterwards sir edward boys ( hearing of some potent agents , which they had procured against mr culmer at westminster ) wrote a letter as followeth . to the honourable committee of the house of commons assembled in parliament , for plundered ministers , present these . honoured sirs , i and many of the deputy lieutenants of kent , have heretofore written earnestly unto you , in mr richard culmers behalf , whom you have since setled in the vicarage of mynster in the isle of thanet in kent , for which i , amongst others , heartily thank you : some of which parish ( being men of note for religion , and activeness in the common cause ) have this day been with me , earnestly moving me to be a means , that he may be upheld and continued there against a few violent opposers , who , having begun to oppose him , endeavour to make good their own wills and acts , and leave no stone unremoved to that purpose , although i have once and again shewed my dislike upon good grounds ; i doubt not but when you understand the truth of things , you will be sensible of this cause , which is of great concernment , and will be such a president if his enemies prevail , as will be of very ill consequence ; and i am certified , that there is no such cordiall opposition in the most of the parish as is pretended ; but if two or three would surcease , all were at an end ; his life and doctrine being such , that it hath prevailed already with divers . i shall not trouble you further , only i intreat this honorable assembly , to continue him there untill be shall give just cause to be removed , or outed in a legall way ; which i presume to crave at your hands , for him ▪ that in the worst times suffered under the tyranny of the archbishop ; and for a man which ( to my knowledg ) hath been most famously active for the parliament many wayes , from the first of these distractions , and for a man so well attested as he is by so many godly ministers and others . so i rest . your humble servant edward boys . dover castle this th of january . a little after this , when mr culmer had ended his morning sermon at mynster , on the sabbath day , one r. h. came crouding up to his desk door , and clamoured saying ; neighbours , you that have set your hands against mr culmer , for a more abler man , pray stand to it against him ; we have had no communion this blessed nativity , nor prayers all this christmas holydayes : whereupon one or two clamoured , but mr culmer went out presently : and the afternoon sermon being ended , the clamourer came , and cried out as in the morning ; then a chief man of the parish cryed all , all : and the clamourer said aloud in the church to the forenamed scout , who was of another parish and then present ; captain i hope you will joyn with us : the scout answered aloud in the church saying , i will both ride and write : but mr culmer soon left them clamouring and talking . not long after that they raised a slander against him , that he said they were malignauts : which i have often heard him say , they meerly forged against him , and that he only said , he knew it was a plot of malignants to incense them against him : upon this the lb man and some others went to the committee of the county at alesford , and there accused him of that saying , which they indeed had forged for their own ends , to strengthen themselves to get a certificate from that committee , that some of them being of the trayned bands , did advance towards arundell , and that they conceived them to be no malignants . the certificate was drawn up by the clerk of that committee , and upon debate about it , colonel blunt said , i see you have cloathed mr culmers opposers , but you send him away stark naked , one mr culmer : i dwell far from him , yet i have observed his activeness in the common cause : and once i made a speech in the lords house , and he presently made another there , to good purpose : what say you gentlemen of east-kent , who are his neighbours ? whereupon they cloathed mr culmer so well with commendations , that his adversaries were unwilling to make use of their certificate . a little after that , mr culmer was advised to call the parishioners together after evening sermon , and to read his certificates unto them ; which he did accordingly : but so soon as they were read , the lb man clamoured saying ; mr culmer , mr culmer , now the people have heard your papers , they are as much against you as ever they were , if you be not speak ho : whereupon only one man ( j. w. ) spake , he cried out all , all , all , all : then the lb man and some others spake against mr culmer to incense the people against him : the lb man fell a jeering him about his little flock at mynster , because he had mentioned that day , fear not little flock . and one accused him saying , mr culmer , you make dissention in the parish ; you say when you begin your sermons , you that fear god , hearken to the word of god ; as if some in the parish did fear god , and some in the parish did not fear god ; and so you divide the parish , and set us all at difference . another cried out , mr culmer , you may preach , but you get no tythes of me but by law , if you can come by them by law , so it is : nor of me but by law , said another , &c. then said one , mr culmer , you gave thanks for a lye , for taking of scarborow castle , which is not yet taken . but mr. culmer did indeed give thanks for the taking of scarborow town , and regayning of weymouth . then the clamourer j. w. said he would take his oath on it , although it was false which he would so attest against mr. culmer . but j. w. ( that so clamoured all , all , and offered to swear falsly ; ) about a week after being drunk , fell ( in his drunken reel ) under the wheels of a wagon laden with house-tyles , and was crushed to death , vomiting up his bloud at his throat and mouth : god is known by the judgments which he executeth . but some notwithstanding continued after that to revile mr. culmer , publikely calling him devillish roundheadid priest ; and ha blew dick , the devil break your neck : and roaring out of the alehouse window , as he went by ; you sirra jack priest , &c. and some came of purpose from other parishes to jeer the priest , and affronted him at his door in such a manner as is unfit to be named , much less committed to paper . and because he used not the service-book , they called it the round-headed kinde of service . come , will you hear the roundheaded kinde of christning too . and one that was married by him , affronted him in the church at the time of marriage , and told him he did not say right &c. but he had not done right , who had made a whore of the bride divers moneths before the marriage . and he was much reviled because he did not officiate at the grave : but he said , he would not be chaplain to the wormes , to say grace to them before they go to dinner and feed on the dead corps : upon this account he was threatned to be buried alive . he desired them to go into the church after the corps was interred , and said he would there give them a word of exhortation , seeing so many were there met together : but their usuall answer was , if we can have nothing at the grave , we will have nothing in the church . it were well if all ministeriall speakings at the grave were prohibited , to take away all appearance of evill ; for by such officiating of the minister , there is hardning of popish , ignorant and superstitious people ; as if some good came to the dead by the ministers speaking over the dead at the grave , and as if the devil will not come nigh holy priesthood , holy church ground , holy service : and upon this account there is much enmity raised against good ministers , because some ministers practice it out of superstition , and some to humour and please the people , least they should article against them , or not pay their tythes well . at one buriall when they began to raise at mr. culmer , because he did not officiate there ; one j. d. ( a common swearer ) fell flat on his belly , and thrust his arm into the grave , and said aloud , we shall have him here , here , here shortly : but this man ( a young man ) died a little after stark mad , cursing and calling out , the devil , the devil . and one t. d. who had two wives living , and children by them both , who did beat his own aged dearest father , was instrumentall in the persecution of mr. culmer , whom he used to affront , and said , he had as much to do at the vicarage as he ; and said , he would go no more to the steeple-house : this man was a little after hanged in sussex . and when mr. culmer gave meat and money to divers poor people , the persecutors told the people , that mr. culmer did that in policy to get their good wills , that they should not joyn with the rich men against him ; but they should not finde him so liberall afterwards . a grandee of the faction did use to lead many after him on the sabbath as they went to the next parish , which when a worthy gentleman of that parish observed ; he sent the grandee word , that it was a badge of malice to leave mr. culmer , to come to hear at that parish , where there was a preacher , whose gifts were farre inferiour to their own ministers : but this is an ordinary persecution of ministers , as now , when lately in that isle , a drunken , scandalous , railing priest was ejected , there comes scarce one of ten to hear the godly minister , placed in his room . and when mr. culmer reproved them for setting up a tree may-pole , it was told him to his face , that there was a bough strong enough to hang him on it : and when he preached not on their christmasse-day , as they call it ; he was reviled for it in the church , and called rogue , and assaulted in the church-yard ; and it was told him , such a minister did preach then , and why not you ? the usual saying of the lb man , and his faction was , we don't take you for our minister . at last the persecutors plotted to advance their design against mr culmer by articling against him , before the committee for plundered ministers , thereby to make publick shews of numerous witnesses , and to manifest their implacable and violent opposition against him ; only by that pretence of enmity against him , to prevail to remove him ; because thereupon it would be conceived , that he was not like to do any good amongst them , who acted with such animosity , charge , trouble , or travel : that was the mystery of the iniquity of all that opposition , a confidence to prevail meerly upon the account of pretended opposition , and unlikelihood of not edifying by him upon that account : that 's the knack of it all the nation over ; when only self-will , and malice , and private interest , and self-ends , are the weights that set all the wheels a going : for they could not be so sottish , as to imagine to prevail by the merits of the cause . they had a treasurer ( at warre , as i may so say ) who kept the money which was collected to defray the charges in pursuance of those articles , to pay witnesses , &c. they raised and spent above lb , ( as appears by their own confession ) in prosecuting of him some of the articles are verbatim in the printed libels , viz. that he was a fantastick narrow brain'd man . that false news was by a proverb called culmers news . that he made a popular shew , but gave very little . that he denied to pay parliament texis . that he is an impudent man , and did pisse in the cathedral in canterbury . that he gave not the communion at harbledown as he ought , &c. and ( to steel their numerous , frivolous , woodden articles , and to set an edge on them ) they accused him to be a common swearer , and a protector of malignants . they carried whole coaches full of witnesses through canterbury , in a triumphant bravado ; but at the hearing before the committee , they could not produce one witness that ever heard him swear one oath , it is true , that one wilde of vpstreet ( a ditcher ) was fitted with russet-boots , and yeoman-like , and carried up to westminster to witness one oath against m. culmer ; but when he came to the committee door , his heart failed him : for the truth is , that he had falsly accused mr. culmer ; whom he met one morning , and told him , he did ride upon a round-headed horse ; but mr. culmer said little to him , using no oath or evil word against him , as thomas heath who heard all that was spoken was ready to witness , if mr. culmer had been called to his defence : but a little after wilde fell sick , and consumed , and died in a fearfull manner . and that scandal touching mr. culmers protecting of malignants ; it was raised by the persecutors from harbledown , because he dealt courteously with a gentleman , who was taken to be the lord digby , being found at an inne there in the night : but the true lord digby rid through canterbury that day , and escaped over sea . the gentleman in his frolick put his scarlet cloak on the can-maker , and he put on the can-makers lethern apron , and so danced in his gold lace ; but upon suspicion ) the house was beset , and mr. culmer ( then minister there ) was called up at midnight , and went to the justice at canterbury , and did write a warrant at the justices bed side , and called up richard redwood then constable : the young spark kept his room with his naked rapier , which be thrust thorow the glasse-window : but mr. culmer entred in upon him alone , and he yielded and put up his rapier ; whereupon mr. culmer promised him gentle carriage , which was performed : for he went ( as he desired with his 〈◊〉 by his side , and with mr. culmer alone , and the rabble not near him , and was brough a back way privately to the justice , and there delivered to the constable ; but he proved no lord digby , but , &c. and that mr. culmer was no protector of malignants , his recited cathedral history , and the records of the committee for examinations , and of the councel of state can testifie . one of canterbury that said , he would fain go like himself to westminster , to witnesse against m. culmer , had about five pounds towards his charges , when he went up to witnesse , where mr. culmer made water in a dusty corner behinde old boards and rubbage , in the body of the cathedral ( where afterwards the ammunition-wagons stood , as in pauls london , and where afterwards the dutch prisoners were kept ) which mr. culmer was necessitated unto , at the time of the demolishing the idols there , when all the doors were shut , and those without ready to knock out his brains , if he had gone forth to make water . and a gentlewoman ( then of mynster , now of canterbury ) being asked by the chair man of that committee , what she could witness against mr culmer , answered , that she heard mr. culmer say , that if her husband william goldfinch , would not agree to pay his small tythes at a rate in money , he expected his tythes in kinde of t 〈…〉 , pigs . and she said further , sir , i told mr. culmer at our house , that i wondered that he would not go away from mynster , and that it did not move his patience to be so hated and houted at . and sir , his answer to me was , that he was a cholerick man by nature , and soon moved , but he did wear a hat with broad brims , which did keep the rain from his collar . this was all she did , or could accuse mr. culmer of , as appears in the records of that committee ; which committee said , they found nothing against mr. culmer fit for their cognizance to eject a minister : and the worthy chair-man gave them good counsel , and in conclusion bid them go home and live quietly : whereupon the faction to have their wils against mr. culmer , then offered a petition to the committee , wherein they freely offered to give mr. culmer during his life , the whole revenue of the vicarage , and to provide a minister at their own charge , upon condition that mr. culmer might be removed from them : and in that petition it is propounded as an argument to have him cast out , that they had spent in prosecuting him , two hundred and fifty pounds , and clamoured by word of mouth , that they had spent about three hundred pound . but the answer to that was very unpleasing ; and mr. culmer said , beneficium propter officium , and officium propter beneficium . but flictere si nequeo superos acheronta movebo . presently after that the prosecutors , being returned home , two of them stirred up others to confederate to carry away all mr. culmers tythe-corn that harvest , which they did ( almost all ) accordingly ; one that paid him a little was reproved for it by one of the confederates , who said to him , you wrong all the parish in paying your tythes , seeing we are all agreed to pay none . one ( when the tythes were demanded ) answered , saying , others do not pay , i am loath to foul the vicarage-barn with our little tythe-corn . another said , we have possession , which is eleven points of the law : the first point in hawking is hold-fast . another said , i will pay no tythes , but go along with my neighbours , as dogs go to church , and take neighbours fare , come what will come ; but he a little after riding in a cart , it overthrew and killed the childe that was with him in it , and crushed his own leg so , that it cannot be cured , but remains with wounds and bruises that he ( continuing lame ) cannot go along with his neighbours . a little before that , he ( hearing mr. culmer say in his prayer , lord , thy mercy is great to us ; there be many in hell , that never sinned as we have done , and yet are out of it , it is thy mercy we have time to call for mercy ; thereupon ) vowed , never to come to church more , if m. culmer preached : and being disabled to go elswhere , remains obstinate to this day , and glorieth in keeping his vows : he is called will wounds , because of his usual oaths , by wounds , &c. but now he & others may read his sin in his punishment . another ( a sectary leveller of another parish ) denied his tythes , and gave this reason of it , saying , i desire the ruine of all the ministers in england , and know no way better to effect it , than by starving them out , by keeping their maintenance from them ; and if it were in my power , i would sheath my sword in the bowels of all the ministers in england . another refusing to pay his tythes , said , if the parliament set mr. culmer on work , if they provide us servants , let them provide them wages . the tythe robbers servants would cry out in the field , when the tythe was gone , ha! the bird is flown , the bird is flown , and would hollow and hoop like mad men . come ( said a sectary ) don't the priests men want boughs to mark out their tythes , & c ? some did threaten his servants from off their ground , saying , we know the law forty thing : by law you have nothing to do to meddle about setting out the tythe , we by law can tythe when we list , whether you be present or absent : his tything servant was knockt down , and beaten , and bruised , and was after stripped before the justice , who , with others , saw the bruises . they would not tythe in his servants presence , but some left a little tythe-corn in their absence , to colour the matter . if his servants waited all day , they would let the corn lie unheaped , and go home at night , and after arise at midnight , and leave what tythe they pleased , and change the tythe , and bring bad corn from elswhere , and trash out of the barn to put in the room of good tythe : come ned arise , we must go and do righteous things ; no knave to the pretended religious knave ; no enemy to the pretended , yet false friend : as he that overtook the honest traveller over night , and supped , and lay with him ; but next day morning , when thieves assaulted and robbed the true man , the pretended friend joyned with them . and many other tythe-robbing tricks were used , against which tricks there is no-remedy provided in the law : whereupon mr. culmer printed two books touching the frauds in tything , hoping that upon such discoveries of the defects of law and justice about tythes , either ministers should have been left wholly to the charity of people , or that better laws would be made for their enjoyment of tythes , which are esteemed as their livelihood , and in consideration of them they pay taxes , fifths , &c. yet the frauds of the lawlesse tythe-robber are such , that upon the matter ( though not intended by the makers of former laws ) tythes in kinde are but a state-cheat , or mock-maintenance , those good laws being now outplodded by malicious and covetous people : i pray god that those books , especially that called the lawless tythe-robber discovered , may never rise up in judgement against the higher powers , or against any other that have read them . but those confederated tyth-robbers acted so against m. culmer , that for two years together he had not half so much tythe-revenue ( one way or other ) as would pay his fifths , and tenths , and taxes , which were severely exacted of him , when almost all his tythes were in the peoples hands : he had ten troopers at a time quartered upon him , horse and man ; and was constrained to borrow money of the next justices mr. thomas paramor and major foach to pay his taxes , which taxes have been assessed and exacted to the utmost farthing of his living , and more , when all the parish was eased a fifth part , some a full half . the persecutions and oppressions that way have been unparallel'd , and yet he never complained of it , untill they made that injury a rule of other assessements , wherein they ease themselves and burden him . there was then little or no relief for ministers in sequestred livings , though he made many journeys for relief about his tythes : and the sesse-book was denied him , that he might see who occupied marshland , and the order of the deputy-lieutenants slighted by the persecutors , who answered them at canterbury , that mr. culmer should not see it , but by law , and so matters rested . and to adde to his oppressions , besides the scoffs formerly rehearsed , it was clamoured to him as he rid in mynster-street , look how the priests horse ears loll , he goes so oft to london , and can get nothing : yet these men paid their tythes in corn to the full to the non-resident doctor , who had s . d . per acre for the marshland , and mr. culmer was contented with s , yet could not , nor cannot enjoy that , as the minister of w. h. in kent , abated d . of s . due by custome for the acre , hoping they would pay that freely , but i heard him say , that if he had abated d , and took d , he findes they would have been as backward to pay that . and although mr culmer have forborn many for five , seven , ten years , and hath not sued them ; yet he findes it to redound to his greater losse , and to their , and others hardning , only to avoid contention ; least thereby they should prejudice the gospel ; but they now finde by experience , wofull experience , that their forbearance hath hardened men to be more unrighteous , as soft fires harden some things : by bearing one injury wicked men are invited to do more injury . a minister in essex ( mr willet ) for peace-sake remitted lb due to him for tythes taken from him in harvest , . and the same tythe-robber carried away all his tythe-corn in harvest , . and mr. culmer had the same experience in mynster , because he sued not those that carried away all his tythe-corn in harvest , . they carried away all also in harvest , . but before harvest , . the sword of the lord , and of gideon made them pay their dues . oh blessed law and sword of magistracy , thou prevailest more with wicked men , than the law of nature , of conscience , of reason , or the law in judgements of god himself ! but this is observable , that there is not one of the wilfull tythe-robbers then , or now , but are confounded as to their estates , one , and all , to admiration : one being a prisoner at the suit of others had thirty pound forgiven him by mr culmer ; yet within two dayes after the first parliaments dissolution , he clapt two actions on mr. culmer , who afterwards had eight pound costs in those suites ; now their own ears loll in other parishes , while they make their houses their prison for fear of lawyers , and have no revenue out of which they may pay tythes , unlesse it be tythe lice . and it is to be considered , that these oppressors of mr. culmer did not only pay their dues fully and quietly to the non-resident , but were exceeding bountifull to their beloved curates , and paid a kinde of tythe or contribution of hay and pease , &c. to him for horse-meat , besides continual gifts and entertainment of him and his wife . and to oppresse mr. culmer the more , they regard not the limits of their parish that he may know his maintenance , utterly refusing to go the bounds of it , though he have often privately and publickly intreated them . and besides all these oppressions , one thing more in point of livelihood , i thought fit to mention , that mr culmer having laid out about lb in demolishing the monuments of idolatry at mynster , by special order according to the act of parliament for their demolishing , cannot get his money so laid out . at his first coming thither he often desired the churchwardens to do that work according to that act : but the lb man being churchwarden refused to act , and said , he could not get a sailor at sandwich to climb up to the crosses on the spire of the steeple under lb . so that that work was left undone about a whole year after mr culmers coming thither ; but then mr. culmer was jeered by a sequestred malignant priest , who said to him , physician heal thy self ; telling him of his actings at canterbury : these words took such deep impression on him , that he would no longer wait the churchwardens leisure : but a day or two after , being the th of novem. he got up into the steeple before day , and by moon-light , got up to the top of the spire , seven roods or poles from the ground , and did sit on the round globe there ; and did with a rope affix ladders so , that it was then little danger to go up & down from the flat steeple to the top of the spire . and then he came down and hired peter wotton , and thomas austin to go up the ladder , and demolish the two crosses there : the huge wooden cross covered with lead under the vane , and the iron cross above that . and many other idolatrous monuments , were demolished , and the chancel ground levelled , &c. by the workmen and masons , whom mr. culmer satisfied , but to this day he cannot get one farthing of those charges repayed him , though the justices have ordered it according to that act : and although he never demanded any thing for his own actings about that work of reformation . and all this oppression did not quench the burning malice of the lb man and his faction : they said , the greatest crosse ( the priest ) was yet remaining . and they suffered the churchyard to be without a gate , that the pasture there might be common , and so it continued : at last they put a wattle or hurdle , in stead of a gate , which continued so for divers years , to the laughter and derision of all that passed by : and they handled the matter so , that none durst help the sexton to ring the great sermon-bell on the sabbaths : but mr culmers own servants did constantly do that service . after that one of the chief of the faction took away the key of the church from the sexton , and kept the doors locked , when about two hundred people ( parishioners and others ) were assembled in the churchyard , on the sabbath morning , so that they were all constrained to return home without any publick worship . a grandee said aloud , the church-doors shall not be opened : another crouded up to the door , and said , let me see who dares break open the church-door ? and the next sabbath mr culmer got into the church at the broken chancel windows , which were left unrepaired about half a year by the lb man , in hope that mr. culmer should pay for all the ruines , which came through the wilfull neglect of the lb mans speedy reparations of those windows , which belong'd to him to repair as parson , according to the said act of parliament ; there was not at first ten foot of glasse broken there : and when mr. culmer was gotten into the church , he rung the bels , and when people were come thither , he unbolted one door , which had no lock , and let them into the church : but about a quarter of an hour after he had begun the publick worship , there came into the church seven men of the parish with their hats on , clamouring and yelling like tygers : five of them rushed into his desk : one called him thief , because he came not in at the door , but at the window : and those five laid hands on him , and thrust him violently , and the other two at the door tugged and pulled him ; but they could not move him , untill the constable robert wells ( seeing him look pale , as if he were fainting ) prayed him to give way : they thrust his ribs on the edge or point of a plank , and bent them , and crushed his body so , that he vomited bloud , and purged bloud : they dragged him by head and shoulders out of the church ; but he did not lift up his hand against them ; yet i have heard him say , he could easily have killed them every one with his steeletto : but he often said , he blessed god , who kept his hands from shedding their blouds ; and that he admired at the goodnesse of god to him , that gave him such a spirit of meeknesse upon such an occasion , contrary to his natural and usual disposition in his own defence , when violence hath been done him : but when he was gotten out of their clutches in the churchyard , he presently ran into the church at the other church-door , and went on in the publick worship , and anon the rioters came in again , clamouring with their hats on : but mr. culmer went on in his reading of the chapter , and then many good people were come into the church : and mr. har 〈…〉 is of birchington , and many parishioners came out of their seats , one said , they should have his heart-bloud before they should touch mr. culmer again : and then they laid hands on the rioters , who pressed forwards to come at mr. culmer : but they were all crouded and tugged in a throng down to the lower end of the church , where being left , they went out into the churchyard , to 〈…〉 themselves ; but while mr. culmer was praying before serm 〈…〉 he pulpit , they came in again clamouring as before , but 〈…〉 presse towards him ; but they interrupted him , and said , he should not preach then , though it should cost them their lives : then said m●culmer , though you will not let me preach , yet ( i hope ) you will let me read a little scripture out of the bible , and i will come down : they yeelded to that : then he read out of gen. . how they pressed upon lots door in sodom , and how fire and brimstone presently consumed them , and he applied it to the rioters . then he read numb. . of corah , dathan and abiram ; and chron. . . they abused his messengers , &c. then jer. . . and matth. . oh hierusalem , hierusalem , thou that killest the prophets , &c. then they clamoured : but mr. culmer desired them to hear one text of scripture more , and he said , he would come down ; whereupon they were silent : then he read , rom. . all powers are ordained of god , &c. and he that resisteth receiveth damnation . then he dismissed the congregation , and came down . no marvel if his highnesse in his commission for ejecting scandalous ministers , and placing godly ministers in their rooms , provide against riots , which , it seems , there was just cause to fear . such practices have been in many other parishes also , where the bishops , non-residents , and ignorant , and drunken curates have let in the devil , who , now he is to be cast out in these blessed dayes of the sonne of man , rends and tears , as he dealt with the possessed man in the gospel , when he saw he must be cast out : when there was like priest like people , and where it is so now , and the strong man is in possession , all was and is in peace , and honey-love between minister and people in many parishes , where there is no articling or complaint against most scandalous priests , that humour the people in their superstition and prophanenesse . but if faithfull ministers be placed in their rooms ; then the devil roars against such ministers ; he moves his vassals to spend their bodies in journeys , their estates in expences , their souls in tythe-robbings , lies , slanders , riots , persecutions , to worry out such ministers ; they seem to say , when such ministers of christ are sent to them , as the devils said to christ himself , art thou come to torment us before the time ? neighbours , stand to it against this devilish round-headed priest , and either keep him out , or weary him out , or else we shall be weary of our lives , we shall be so plagued with him , with his bawling at church , and new round-headed tricks . but ( to proceed ) in the afternoon of that rioted sabbath , they placed a guard of men under the broken chancel windows , which they had be daubed with filthy sir-reverence ; but mr. culmer vaulted over the heads of the guard , who had not the hearts to touch him ; and ( being got into the church ) he tolled the bels , and unbolted the church-door , and preached that afternoon , and no rioters acted against him ; but the next sabbath ( when he was got into the church in the morning , and went to ring ) the clappers were all taken out of all the five bels , so that none of the bels could speak ( as they use to say : ) but he went home , and took his wives great iron-pestle , and went up into the steeple , and tonged the bels with the pestle , in stead of clappers , and did preach twice that sabbath . one of these rioters , who said mr. culmer was a thief , was after that a pirate , a thief at sea , being a cavalier captain , and was slain at sea . and another of the rioters that pulled out the clappers , a lusty young man , was the first of that parish that wanted a clapper to ring his knell : he used , when he saw mr culmer returned from london ( whether he was necessitated to go often in his own defence , and needs must he runne whom the devil drives ) the rioter used to swear fearfully , and say , hath not the devil broke his neck yet ? is he not hanged yet ? and the next sabbath after the riot , they sent about the parish , to warn people from coming to church , and when any said , they would come , then the messenger prayed them that they would not tell that they were sent ; but now the messenger is lame , and another looks behinde him . at last there came a warrant from the committee of parliament for plundred ministers , to the sheriff to raise forces and assist mr culmer against the ricters ; and some of the parish , who opposed the rioters , went to the earl of warwick , who was lord admiral then , and lay at walmer castle ; he presently sent his warrant to have the peace kept . afterward two justices did sit upon the riot , and the rioters were bound over to the sessions ; and there indicted and found guilty , and fined each of them fourty shillings , which they received again from their good masters and dames , by a collection in the parish . but mr culmer did not prosecute the law against any of them for the assault and battery , neither had he his charges expended at the justices sitting about the riot , and about journeys , warrants , &c. about lb . he had no recompence for his bloud and bruises , though the physicians and chyrurgions bils were costly . when the justices sate at mynster upon the riot , a godly man of the next parish ( st laurence parish ) where they had no minister at all , seeing these actings , said , here is a stirre against a minister , we would praise god if we had a minister : then the lb man , and three more ( i have their names in writing ) said , would to god , if it were gods blessed will , that we were in your case , and had no minister neither , if it were gods sweet will and pleasure . at the sessions the ring-leader and incendiary of the rioters , being called to the bar , the judge called him the trumpeter , because he being decrepid and limping , only clamoured : but he put up a petition , and these articles to the bench against mr culmer ; these articles , i say , and only these , . that the said mr. culmer did preach , that many be like the dogge in the manger , that will not let the horse eat , nor eat himself . . that he preached , that a man was taken up at sea alive , swimming with a testament in his bosom , and his flesh soaked , as if sodden . . that the popish-priest did drink all , supernaclum . . that the papists reserve the communion bread in a box , and give it to dying men , who die with their mouths full of it . . that satan was a subtil fox , and was above five thousand year old . . that one called him a soul-murtherer , and he took no course to clear himself . . that he said in his prayer , lord , thou knowest there be many in hell , better than we , which is a dangerous thing to bring weak christians into the sin of despair . . that he prayed , lord , how long wilt thou avenge our bloud on them that dwell on the earth ? lord , give the scarlet whore plenty of bloud to drink , for she is worthy : we do think it a dangerous thing to meddle with the judgement of god , to direct him how he shall punish sinners . . he said the rebels in ireland caused a protestants guts to be wound out alive . . that he laid aspersion of malignants upon some of the parish . . when the parishioners pitched upon mr. to be their minister , mr. culmer said , the poor of the parish did set their hands , because he would give two messes of porridge to mr. culmers one , which is enough to discourage any minister from coming amongst us , as if we more regarded the food of our bodies , than of our souls , which are immortal . these articles are to be seen under their own hands , they were delivered to mr. culmer after the justices had perused them : but the two last articles were wholly forged against him ; and that of the man taken up at sea , is in the book of martyrs . and after this riot , the minister of the next parish dying , most of that place came usually to mynster church ; and especially two justices of peace , and deputy-lieutenants came with their families constantly , for about two years , untill it did please god to provide a godly minister for them in their own parish : but their coming pleased not the faction ; for ( to use the gentlemens own words ) the style over which they were to come on the sabbath to the church , was bedawbed with reaking hot sir-reverence , of purpose by some that waited their coming , so that they were constrained to have a gap made in the hedge to go thorow . and the wife of the lb man ( who told her husband , she edified most by mr. culmer's ministry , and desired him to carry her no more about to other parishes with him on the sabbath ) when she was gone home in the sabbath noon-tide , a sir-reverence was laid in her pew in the church : but a stranger ( a gentlewoman of london ) coming from the next parish before her to church , when divine worship was begun , kneeling down suddenly in the pew , was so bedawbed with that stinking excrement , that she was constrained to strip her white sattin-peticoat over her feet in publick , in the church , in the time of divine worship , and wrapping it up , gave it to her man over the pew , in the face of all the congregation . and many other abuses at home and abroad have been put upon m. culmer for his good affection to the present powers and government , enough to fill a volume . one of the grandees of the faction that cried all , all in the church at mynster ( seeing him in sandwich when the mock-prince was there , the day before the kentish petitioning with swords ) made a clamour against him in the open streets as he passed by , to incense the numerous crew there against mr. culmer , but he then escaped . and at canterbury , he coming thither from london about noon upon the th day of december , . called christmas-day ; and being in his inne , a tumult was made in the streets against godly men which opened their shops that day ; and when mr. culmer heard the maior was knockt down , he was running out to help the maior : but mr joseph phillips at the sign of the saracens-head , shut his doors , and he and his men laid hands on master culmer , and kept him in , and a little after he was perswaded to ride out at the back gate ; but he was not gone half a quarter of an hour , but the rioters came in , and searched for him , and would not be perswaded but that he was in the house , and swore , they would hang the round-headed rogue ; and afterward he was informed , they would have hanged him over the cathedral-gate , where he helped to pull down the large image of christ , with the holy ghost in form of a dove over his head , in full proportion . and he then riding thorow the back-street , there were few people there : for all were in a tumult in the high-street , after some plumporridge-priests ( as m. culmer used to call them ) had ended their sermons : but at north gate street , some women seeing him ride that day with his cloak bag behinde him , railed at him , saying , oh rogue , will not you give christ his day ? he was compelled to escape the dirt thrown at him , to runne the gantlet , or thorow purgatory , as they call it . and on moonday-morning ( according to his promise to a friend ) he returned to canterbury , having heard nothing of their search for him the saturday before : and at north-gate-street there were few people : but two women there asked him , if he were mr. culmer , which when they knew , oh sir , said they , ride no further , for the city-gates are shut , and they are all together by the ears , and some in canterbury swore , if they had taken you upon saturday , they would have stoned you to death , or hanged you : but ( being mindfull of his promise ) rid on to the midst of ruttenton-lane ; but upon better consideration , he took this as a warning from god , and returned to forditch , where he wrote a letter to excuse his not coming according to promise , and then he rode to sir james oxendens , where after dinner the news being seconded of the rising in canterbury , he and his sonne ( being deputy-lieutenants ) sent orders to raise the trained bands ; and a regiment came from the wilde of kent , which quelled the rioters , who were many of them carried to leeds castle : but when mr. culmer came to canterbury at the coming in of those forces , a woman in north-gate said oh mr culmer , there 's good quarter for you now in canterbury . but i cannot conceive for which of mr. culmers good works in canterbury any there should stone him , whose ministry they enjoyed gratis for many years , and where he endeavoured with the hazard of his life , to quench their fires in dover-lane , and elswhere , and where he hath leaped into a deep whirl-pit , and dived to save life , and fetched up the party from the bottom , when he was minister at harbledown , as hundreds there know , being eye-witnesses thereof . but in the year . the scout and the lb man , and their faction , one , and all , all , all , proved themselves malignants with a witnesse , by their practice and actings in the kentish rising , wherein divers of them were commanders , and were sequestred ; the scout was a captain therein . two dayes before the rising they summoned a meeting at church , to sign the cavaller-petition , which when mr. culmer had read , he earnestly disswaded them from subscribing it ; the petition cried down taxes , and would have the army disbanded , &c. but mr. culmer shewed them the necessity of taxes , to defend our selves against the enemies of our religion , lives , &c. and that wars were chargeable , as physick in sicknesse , more chargeable than ordinary diet , and that we were in a tempest , and at such times men throw their goods overboard , to save their lives , and that these taxes were not ordinary , but upon necessity ; and that the kings taxes of ship-money , &c. were made without a parliament , and without necessity , and that these illegal pressures were taken away . then one of the chief of the faction ( who after was a commander , and an imprisoner ) said , the parliament hath taken a flea out of our bosome , and put in a serpent : and mr culmer speaking against the disbanding the souldiers , said , the wolves would make peace with the shepherds , upon condition they would hang up their dogs ; the shepherds desirous of peace , hung up their dogs , but when the dogs were gone , the wolves devoured sheep and shepherds too : and this my father applied , shewing , that the army kept us , governours and people from bloudy wolves in ireland , papists , atheists , &c. many thereupon refused to subscribe , but the all , all , all-man cried out , pen and ink : then mr culmer left them subscribing : and the next day richard langley of st laurence parish ( a very godly man , and active for the state ) was set upon , and put to it to flie for his life , and was pursued to mynster , and murdered there upon thourn-down : but the gentleman cavalier that sent out the pursuers , and furnished them with horse and pistols , did afterwards cut his own wife in pieces , and was hanged at sandwich . this man was a great jeerer at praying by the spirit , a contemner of publick ordinances , a great incendiary against mr. culmer , and came to him , reviled and berogued him before hundreds of people at a publick meeting in the tents at mynster at a muster . and mr. culmer being at home , when the rising began , knew nothing of it , or of the murder of langley , untill his servant came home , and told him how matters stood , and that they were arming in the street to fall upon him , and that there was a court of guard at ebbsfleet , and at sarr : whereupon he ( knowing himself unable to defend himself in his own house ) presently escaped out , before they came to his house ; and ( night coming on ) he went to the river side next ash , and did swim in his cloaths over the river ; and having left his boots when he took water , he went without shoes on the south of the river , till he was past ebbsfleet , where the court of guard was , on the other side of the river : and then he crossed the haven again nearer sandwich , at a place called little-joy . and who it was shot at him , god knoweth , but he was fain to play the dydapper , and crossing the haven again below sandwich ( mr wade now gentleman usher at white-hall can tell more of this . ) then he travelled bare-foot on the sands to deal , where he had entertainment at pilot culmers house , whither he came at break of day , and there he had a gray sute , and refreshed himself : but presently there begun a tumult before the door against him , and they swore , they would hang the round-headed priest , and the rout increased ; but by means of mr wood a physician there , and his said kinsman john culmer and mr potter , he escaped and got safe to deal-castle to col. rainsborow , which was his intent , when he first set out . the noble collonel used him very courteously . and mr ●●lmer of sandwich ( coming newly out of the isle ) told mr. culmer how his friend richard langly lay in his bloud , and that they said , if they had taken him , he should not have died that death ; and that he had no way to escape them , but by swimming . and that day the collonel carried mr culmer aboard with him in his long-boat , and put him aboard captain nubery , in the hunter frigot , which was then dispatcht for london , whither m culmer came one saturday night late . and the next day he preached in his gray pilots sute at mr whitakers church , called st mary bermonsey , and incouraged the people to stand fast and cleave to the present cause , &c. and when the lord fairfax marched into kent , he returned homeward with the army , and came safe to his family and charge , where they had plundred him of horses and other goods : but in mr. culmers absence , the faction had got a like priest , like people , and they had service-book worship , gloria patri , and dominus vobiscum , &c. afterwards they compelled mr. culmer to pay what they had lavished upon a malignant priest in his absence , and he ( for peace sake ) gave them their demands . and in his absence a grand persecutor of his of another parish ( who came to the ale house at mynster ) incensed them against him , jeering and calling him , the godly , able , orthodox divine . this man sent word to mr paramour ( at his first advance in that rising ) that he never did see a sword scarletted , but he was slain at wye , and left stark naked lying in his bloud . and a little after that rising the lb man died : and for divers years after mr. culmer lived peaceably without disturbance , untill he entred upon the administration of the lords-supper , and refused to give it to all , as all the island ministers then gave it . ( hinc illae lachryma ) then some opposed that way publickly , and a new stir began against him ; the communion-table carpet was cut out into breeches , slanders raised , tythes detained . and divers did hate him upon other grounds also , because after private and publick means used by him in his ministry to reform abuses in the parish , and that not prevailing , and all others refusing to act by complaints to the magistrate , mr. culmer complained against divers swearers and drunkards , and prophaners of the sabbath ; and ( amongst the rest ) he complained of the scouts prodigious executions ; and he indicted him ( with the consent of divers of the parish ) for erecting two new cottages there , to the great prejudice of the commonwealth , and of that parish , which hath been lately charged with above lb a year to the poor , who cannot all be imployed there , and will ( in all likelihood , if cottages and inmates be so increased ) pull the rich men out of their houses , as they have done the minister out of the church . it is not so proper , i confess , for a minister to indict such men , and to attend the publick sessions , with such complaints , though for the common good , as england finds by experience , and will finde more need of , and incouragements to such indictments : but in that parish none dare act or shew themselves publickly in such things , although the parish be undone by them : but i heard mr. culmer say , he was resolved to wave the scandal , and odium , and prejudice , that came to him by such actings , seeing they were of neicessity for the common good , and all others refuse to act , the conceived himself to have a calling from god to do it as a parishioner there . upon which account he conceives himself bound in conscience , never to cease such endeavours for the common good , though it much prejudice his private . and mr culmer indicted the scout for barring a common sheep-way , for which he had a verdict against him at the last summer sessions at canterbury . for these and other actings for the publick , mr culmer is hated and persecuted , especially now by the scout , who ( being no parishioner of mynster , yet occupying lands there ) to be avenged of mr. culmer , hath detained his tythes for three years last past , and hath procured five more to joyn with him to put into the exchequer a joynt answer with him , wherein they inserted scandalous and false articles , and did swear , that mr. culmer is an enemy to the present state , &c. but the honourable barons of that court , ordered mr. culmer five pounds costs meerly for the scandal in their answer , which they ordered to be expunged . whereupon the enraged scout , and his adherents went lately to a justice of peace , who is a commissioner for ejecting of scandalous ministers in kent , to whom they accused mr. culmer , as followeth , viz that his breath smelt of drink one evening . that he said , that pontius was his christen-name , and pilate his sir-name . that he preached on psal. . . and said , by sion was meant the church , and by jerusalem the civil state . that he preached . that a toleration was better than a persecution . and when the justice said , he was sorry to hear complaints against a minister upon such weak grounds : it was replied ( by him that first clamoured against mr. culmer for want of prayers in his christmas-holy-dayes , and trumpeter in the riot on the sabbath ) that if they above had that about a toleration before them , they would make something of it . this man was lately brought in to be parish-clark by the faction , for his good service done against mr. culmer many wayes , especially in being ring-leader in that riot , and for railing at mr culmer at the church-wall before and after sermon , and never going to church elswhere , only attending that evil work , and affronting mr culmer coming and going to church for divers years , they would have no assistant to the minister to save charges , so that mr culmer besides praying , reading , expounding , and preaching twice every sabbath , and catechizing constantly , was constrained to name and read the psalms to the people , for this man reads very false , and now he comes to church for gain ; he useth when mr culmer is preaching on the sabbath to make mows and apes faces , and laugh , and make other ridiculous gestures in the church , to move contempt against mr culmer , and laughter ; which divers godly men make great complaint of , to see gods name so taken in vain , and his ordinances and sabbaths so prophaned , which is no small persecution of , and grief to mr culmer . but the truth is that mr culmer said , pontius was as his christen-name , &c. and the scout said openly at the sessions , ( when the verdict was given against him ) mr. culmer , you have let my purse bloud , but i will let your bloud to some tune ere long , i 'll warrant you ; but he may be silent about bloud , if he look home ( but i forbear impertinent recriminations . ) and ( in prosecution of that blood-letting ) one of the said answerers ( endeavouring to fill up the measure of his deceased fathers persecutions against mr. culmer , from whom he hath detained his tythes for above three years , to a great value , and who is a prophane scoffer at the communicants , calling them , mr. culmer's disciples : and in opposition leaves the chancel windows unrepaired , so that the rain dashed into mr culmers face lately at that administration , and rained into the cup , and wet the bread exceedingly , and the communion table-cloath was as wet as if it had been taken out of the water ) came lately alone to the said commissioners house , and offered to put in articles against mr culmer , but he said , he had none written , only he desired to see the ordinance for the ejecting of scandalous ministers , which was read to him , as to the sca●dals therein enumerated , as just causes of the ejection of such ministers ; and he answered to every article by it self , that he had nothing against mr. culmer touching it . but in conclusion he said , although i have nothing against m. culmer , which the articles will reach , yet i will denl somewhere else against him for words he hath sp●ken of my wife : whereupon he petitioned and complained of mr culmer to his highness , and thereupon it is since boasted in canterbury , that mr. culmer shall be cast out of mynster . a quondam singing-man of the cathedral , said in the open streets , that he heard mr culmer had routed c. s. at the sessions , but c. s. would rout him out of mynster ; and a cavalier of canterbury said to one of mynster , n●w your round-headed priest of mynster shall be cast out . and they boast of their friends above in the army . but they need not seek further revenge for that then their own avenging themselves by their calumnies , and false accusations and railings against mr culmer ; besides the real wrongs they have done mr culmer , especially in keeping his maintenance from him , and combining to undo him by charges in law . but it seems nothing will satisfie their malice and rage , but his purses bleeding to death , by taking away his means of livelihood and subsistence , by his ejection or removal from his place and station . but if this project against mr culmer should prevail without the merits of the cause , to have their wils of him at such a cheap rate without their price of near lb per annum , or ( rather than fail ) i suppose so much as haman offered to pay into the exchequer for the ruine of mordecai , and others : then what triumph would the cathedral , prelatical , cavalier party in canterbury , and elswhere , make against him , and against all his worthy friends , and against that cause of god to which he hath constantly adhered ? how would they insult , against whom personally he hath acted , for the suppressing of vice , and brought them to condign punishment ? they triumph already in hope and confidence to prevail ; but then ( no doubt ) they would rejoyce , and send gifts one to another , at the ruine of him , who had tormented them ; they would make , if not bonfires , yet books and ballads , as they did in the rehearsed libel , called , the razing of the record , viz. when the strongest was king , there rose up a thing some call 't a divine for a cause a , &c. and there was found in canterbury , at the beginning of this parliament , a base jeering , quibling catch , or libel , written against mr culmer , viz. and what 's the news in kent ? they want a parliament : i drink to thee jack bennet , and what 's the news in tennet ? blew dick must out of mynster , his wife must now turn spinster : he lov'd the parliament ; but now he doth lament : the bishops he did hate ; but now dick's out of date : cathedral he did maul ; but now he spits his gall : he broke the painted-glass , but now he cries alas : then drink to me brave jack , and let the round-head pack and if pretences of not edifying be cause of oppositions , and general enmity should prevail to remove a minister without the merits of the cause ( which i fear is the only ground of the present attempt against mr culmer ) especially when such a rioting , mutinous , persecuting crew act against him : if they should be so indulged , as to wave the commissioners and common-law ; would not other parishes be thereby incouraged to endless unwearied , impudent persecutions of faithfull ministers , in hope to prevail and weary him out one way or other , one time or other , especially under that pretence of not edifying . and many times there is pretence of universal cordial opposition in a parish , when only one or two lead all the rest , to subscribe petitions , clamour , &c. against a minister , and all follow the ring leaders for company , or other respects , as sheep follow a ramme drawn through a gap , or leap out of a boat , as daily experience shews , as they at harbledown did , where they barked for company . it 's a sure sign commonly , that a minister is good , when all the parish is against him : and commonly when a whole parish loves a minister , and speaks well of him , he is stark naught ( woe be unto you when all men shall speak well of you ) a like priest like people ; as a neighbour-priest to mr culmer said to the parishioners , when he had called them up into the chancel ; neighbours , i would gladly give you all content , pray do i read too much or too little of the service-book ? and every parish hath as much right to have the minister removed , because they oppose him , as any one parish , and thereby faithfull ministers shall be runagates , and wandring levites , all the nation over . besides the very removal of a minister , which is not voluntary , is scandalous and prejudicial to his ministry , whithersoever he is removed ; mr culmers persecution from goodnestone was taken up as a scandal , and cause of opposition , and clamour against him at harbledown : and whithersoever m. culmer is removed , he ( above all ministers ) must expect hatred , and opposition , and persecution from ignorant , prophane , disaffected persons , which abound in every parish ; for not only the persecutors that have their wils of him to remove him , will pursue him , and stir up enmity against him whithersoever he goes , as they at harbledowx did incense them at mynster , and those at mynster did incense them at cliff against him , if he had been removed thither , which was endeavoured . but some of the parliament opposed it for reasons of state , that mutineers should not be incouraged , &c. it is the nature of persecutors so to pursue the persecuted ( read act. . . ) and he must the rather expect such opposition , because the ly-bels , printed and published , and spread all the nation over , have many lyes so loud against him in all places : he was assaulted at billingsgate in london ( in the time of the kentish rising after he was fled to london in . ) where the people were incensed against him by a scribe that did belong to the archbishops registry at canterbury , and mr. culmer hardly escaped with his life , retreating in summers-key with his rapier-cane , and mr mapsden took him into his house : and about two years since p. k. a debauched malignant-priest , incensed the people against him in the minories without algate ; but the gentleman that is now deputy there , prayed mr. culmer to come into his house , lest they should murder him . and an elder and preacher of j. t. pretended separate congregation ( who is curate to that non-resident pastor , who lives near thirty miles from divers of his scandalous flock at mynster ) meeting mr culmer lately upon the road , affronted him , and used opprobrious tearms , and cried out , mr. culmer , mr. culmer , pray sell me four pounds-worth of the holy ghost , repeating those words again and again , and said , i know you had enough of the holy ghost from the bishop to afford a good penny-worth . and afterwards overtaking travellers , boasted of this , and told them , how he had handled the antichristian priest . and this sectary said at sandwich to mr. culmer before many witnesses , if you be not all antichristian priests then the devil fetch me away before all this company ; and being reproved for his execration , he said , if you be not all antichristian priests , then i pray god to command the devil to fetch me away body and soul before all this company . so that it is now come to passe that m. culmer may say with st paul , in journeying often , in perils of waters , in perils of robbers , in perils by mine own countreymen , in perils by the heathen , in perils in the city , in perils in the wildernesse , in perils in the sea , in perils amongst false brethren , cor. . . but to conclude , whatsoever the adversaries of mr culmer suggest against him in their secret or publick accusations , and calumnies as if he were such a pestilent fellow , &c. yet he is still the same man as he was before attested to be , both in his life , and doctrine , and good affection to the present powers : and of this assertion , i will only set down some late testimonials , and conclude : one of these testimonials is from captain thomas wilson , who is the present deputy governour of dover-castle , and a commissioner for ejecting of scandalous ministers , as followeth , for my very loving friend mr. richard culmer , minister of the word at mynster in the isle of thanet , these . worthy sir , i have herein inclosed sent you ( knowing your active and publick spirit ) some of the armies declarations , which shew the grounds of the late acts ; pray let major foach receive one , with my due respects ; and use the best means you can to let them be published , and made known to the honest people of the isle , as in your wisdom you shall judge meet . in haste i remain , sir , dover-castle , april . . your assured friend , thomas wilson . another testimonial is subscribed by nine of the said commissioners in kent , as followeth : we whose names are here under written , do hereby testifie , that richard culmer minister of mynster in the isle of thanet , in the county of kent , is of good life and conversation , and a diligent preacher of gods word , and hath constantly and eminently shewed his good affection to the state , and to reformation . dated the th of june , . henry oxenden , john boys , john dixwell , thomas foach , thomas monius , francis tayleur preacher of christs-church canterbury , john durant preacher there likewise , john player , john swan , nicholas thorowgood minister of muncton , robert webber minister of sandwich . another testimonial is from the chief sea-town in that isle ( where mr culmer ( with others ) preacheth a weekly lecture gratis ) as followeth , we parishioners of s 〈…〉 s in the isle of thanet , in the county of kent , whose names are here under written , do hereby freely certifie , that mr. richard culmer minister of mynster in the said isle , doth ( with others ) freely preach a weekly lecture in the said parish , to the good liking of the said parishioners ; and that we receive much benefit by his ministry , to our edification and consolation : in witnesse whereof we have hereunto set our hands this ninth day of august , . gregory parker , stephen bishop churchwarden , richard genuey , william rook , william prince , john busher , john piers , john tomlyn , humphrey pudner , william grant , thomas mussared , william terry , roger wright , richard omer , john biggs , thomas watts , &c. and it may adde something to this apology and defence , for the continuing and upholding of mr culmer in his place , that he being threescore years of age , hath laid out ( besides fifths and taxes ) above lb in reparations , buildings , gardens , orchyards , pond , fences , &c. at the vicarage-house in mynster , which was an unfit habitation at his first coming thither ; there having lived no resident hous-keeping vicar in fifty years before ; and he was at all this cost upon a sequestred vicarage , chiefly relying on the justice & favour of his highness , knowing that vicarage to be only in his highnesses personal patronage and disposal ; after the death of the present sequestred incumbent ; and all this mr. culmer often said he did , in faith and confidence of gods continuing to own his own cause , and the present government under his highness , whom god preserve . but that which doth especially blast and weaken the project and pretences , for his removal from his place and station ( wherein he was setled by authority , and hath been upheld by the justice of the higher powers , and preserved by the special providence of god ) is , that there he hath edified souls ; having ( maugre the devil and all his instruments ) the seal of his ministry there , by the beating down with the spiritual weapons of his warfare the strong-holds of satan , ignorance , drunkenness , &c. he having by his ministry there , turned many from darkness to light , and from the power of satan to god which the most obstinate adversaries have confessed in divers places . there was lately one of canterbury , who being with his tenant at the inne at mynster , heard one railing on mr culmer , to whom he said , i have heard you speak evil of mr. culmer , i have known him better spoken of : but have you no good to say of him ? pray deal plainly , doth he no good amongst you ? the answer was , we think the parish is better for him in two things , one is , that there is more knowledge , ( because besides his preaching ) he doth constantly c 〈…〉 chise . and the other is , that there is not half so much drunkenness in the parish , as there was before he came to be minister here . and if any should maliciously and impudently deny this seal of his ministry , and clamour , whisper , or suggest , that he ought to be removed , because he doth no good there , nor never will , because he is opposed , which ( as is shewed before ) is the usual plea of persecutors , to have their wils without the merits of the cause , in an arbitrary way , and move the christian magistrate to joyn in the persecution ; yet the thing it self doth speak and confute that untruth : for many in the parish ( the chiefest ) are convinced by the power of the word in his ministry ; and are come in freely to the wayes and government of jesus christ in church-fellowship , giving a particular account of their christian knowledge ; and promising to be willing to be admonished , &c. and the number of visible saints increaseth in that parish daily , blessed be god : and there is not only a very great reformation in that parish , but in the whole isle , as to good affection to the present state , and to reformation ; since the establishing of a godly , well-affected magistracy there , and since the settling of a faithfull ministry , almost in all the seven parishes of that isle , wherein ( as in zabulon and napthali ) by the way of the sea , the people that sate in darknesse see great light . finis . a clergy-man of the church of england his vindication of himself for reading his majesties late declaration. with allowance. elys, edmund, ca. -ca. . approx. kb of xml-encoded text transcribed from -bit group-iv tiff page images. text creation partnership, ann arbor, mi ; oxford (uk) : - (eebo-tcp phase ). a wing e estc r this keyboarded and encoded edition of the work described above is co-owned by the institutions providing financial support to the early english books online text creation partnership. this phase i text is available for reuse, according to the terms of creative commons . universal . the text can be copied, modified, distributed and performed, even for commercial purposes, all without asking permission. early english books online. (eebo-tcp ; phase , no. a ) transcribed from: (early english books online ; image set ) images scanned from microfilm: (early english books, - ; : ) a clergy-man of the church of england his vindication of himself for reading his majesties late declaration. with allowance. elys, edmund, ca. -ca. . sheet ([ ] p.) printed, and publish'd by randal taylor, near stationers-hall, [london : ] signed at end: edmund ellis, rector of east-alling in devon. caption title. imprint from colophon. reproduction of the original in the bodleian library. created by converting tcp files to tei p using tcp tei.xsl, tei @ oxford. re-processed by university of nebraska-lincoln and northwestern, with changes to facilitate morpho-syntactic tagging. gap elements of known extent have been transformed into placeholder characters or elements to simplify the filling in of gaps by user contributors. eebo-tcp is a partnership between the universities of michigan and oxford and the publisher proquest to create accurately transcribed and encoded texts based on the image sets published by proquest via their early english books online (eebo) database (http://eebo.chadwyck.com). the general aim of eebo-tcp is to encode one copy (usually the first edition) of every monographic english-language title published between and available in eebo. eebo-tcp aimed to produce large quantities of textual data within the usual project restraints of time and funding, and therefore chose to create diplomatic transcriptions (as opposed to critical editions) with light-touch, mainly structural encoding based on the text encoding initiative (http://www.tei-c.org). the eebo-tcp project was divided into two phases. the , texts created during phase of the project have been released into the public domain as of january . anyone can now take and use these texts for their own purposes, but we respectfully request that due credit and attribution is given to their original source. users should be aware of the process of creating the tcp texts, and therefore of any assumptions that can be made about the data. text selection was based on the new cambridge bibliography of english literature (ncbel). if an author (or for an anonymous work, the title) appears in ncbel, then their works are eligible for inclusion. selection was intended to range over a wide variety of subject areas, to reflect the true nature of the print record of the period. in general, first editions of a works in english were prioritized, although there are a number of works in other languages, notably latin and welsh, included and sometimes a second or later edition of a work was chosen if there was a compelling reason to do so. image sets were sent to external keying companies for transcription and basic encoding. quality assurance was then carried out by editorial teams in oxford and michigan. % (or pages, whichever is the greater) of each text was proofread for accuracy and those which did not meet qa standards were returned to the keyers to be redone. after proofreading, the encoding was enhanced and/or corrected and characters marked as illegible were corrected where possible up to a limit of instances per text. any remaining illegibles were encoded as <gap>s. understanding these processes should make clear that, while the overall quality of tcp data is very good, some errors will remain and some readable characters will be marked as illegible. users should bear in mind that in all likelihood such instances will never have been looked at by a tcp editor. the texts were encoded and linked to page images in accordance with level of the tei in libraries guidelines. copies of the texts have been issued variously as sgml (tcp schema; ascii text with mnemonic sdata character entities); displayable xml (tcp schema; characters represented either as utf- unicode or text strings within braces); or lossless xml (tei p , characters represented either as utf- unicode or tei g elements). keying and markup guidelines are available at the text creation partnership web site . eng clergy -- legal status, laws, etc. -- early works to . oaths -- england -- early works to . - tcp assigned for keying and markup - spi global keyed and coded from proquest page images - jonathan blaney sampled and proofread - jonathan blaney text and markup reviewed and edited - pfs batch review (qc) and xml conversion a clergy-man of the church of england his vindication of himself for reading his majesties late declaration . with allowance . tho' my averseness from all appearance of opposition to our most reverend metropolitan , and the reverend bishop of this diocess made me resolve ( as i acquainted a learned man in answer to a letter i lately received from him ) that i would not publish any thing upon ●…ion of this great controversy ; yet upon second thoughts of my duty 〈◊〉 our gracious sovereign , and the regard i ought to have to my own reputation in reference to that apostolical injunction , let no man despise 〈◊〉 i now resolve to make known to the world what reasons i had to 〈◊〉 the declaration . i receiv'd it from the hands of the totness-apparitor , without the least doubt or scruple but that it came from my lord bishop of exeter : i read it the sunday after i receiv'd it . the saturday following i receiv'd a letter from the apparitor , acquainting me that it was my lord bishops pleasure that i should not read the declaration . since that time i have often said that i shall not make the least scruple to read it again , if i shall receive an order so to do from the king , or the bishops : and yet amongst a multitude of the foulest calumnies imaginable that have been rais'd against ●…e upon this occasion , this is one , that i am so vext and disquieted in mind for ●…aving read this declaration that i am like to be quite distracted ●…rough anguish that ever i did such a thing . this is so prodigious a lye , at god is my witness i never had the least inclination to repent of it . ●…ave written to several learned men of the church of england , that in a ●●ere desire to keep a conscience void of offence both towards god , 〈◊〉 towards men , i resolv'd to submit to this order , upon these , and the 〈◊〉 considerations , " that our sovereign lord the king , has a right to declare or make known his mind as to any matter whatsoever , to every ●…e of his subjects : and consequently that he has a right to constrain ●…l priests and deacons to be his instruments to make his mind known by ●…eading any declaration , &c. i was prompted to these thoughts my remembrance of those words of st. gregory , which i took special 〈◊〉 of twenty years since . st. greg. regist . l. . ep . greg. — gregorius mauricio augusto . ego quidem jussioni subjectus , eandem legem per diversas terrarum pa●… transmitti feci , & quia lex ipsa omnipotenti deo minime concordat , ecce per 〈◊〉 gestionis meae paginam serenissimis dominis nunciavi utrobique ergo quae d●… exolui , qui & imperatori obedientiam praebui , & pro deo quod sensi minime t●… since i am subject to your command , i caus'd the law ( you had sent me ▪ 〈◊〉 be dispers'd through diverse parts of the world ; and , because the law it self i●… so agreeable to the will of almighty god , behold i have declar'd the same by 〈◊〉 paper which suggests my reasons . and by doing so , i have in both regards pa●… duty i ow'd ; while i both perform my obedience to the emperour , and 〈◊〉 known my sentiments in relation to god. i suppose all the learned clergy of the church of england know w●… saying this is : if the exemption from obedience be not as eviden●… 〈◊〉 the command to obey , it must needs be sin not to obey . this i 〈◊〉 fastly believe ; and therefore i am resolv'd by the help of god to do 〈◊〉 thing that his majesty shall command me , unless i find it to be of s●… nature , that i shall be ready to declare to his majesty and all the w●… that i am so confident that the performance of such an action wou●… 〈◊〉 contrary to the law of god , declar'd in the holy scriptures , or to 〈◊〉 law of the land , or to some canon or constitution ecclesiastical , that i 〈◊〉 be ready to lay down my life in testimony that my refusing to do ▪ 〈◊〉 the king commands is not in disobedience to him , but in true ●…ence to the king of kings : and with this resolution i pity all my ●…mies ; and i desire my friends not to be troubled when they hear m●… bitterly censur'd , and revil'd ; but to consider that some of the rep●… that are dayly cast upon me make me expressly conformable to th●…●…ferings of our blessed lord , of whom it was said : he hath a dev●… 〈◊〉 is mad , why hear ye him ? edmund ellis , rector of east-alling in devon. finis . london printed , and publish'd by randal taylor , near stationers-hall . ●●● lent-preachers appointed by the lord bishop of london to preach on wednesdays and fridays for the year / at st. michael's cornhill. st. lawrence's st. dunstan's in the west. st. james's. approx. kb of xml-encoded text transcribed from -bit group-iv tiff page image. text creation partnership, ann arbor, mi ; oxford (uk) : - (eebo-tcp phase ). a wing l estc r ocm this keyboarded and encoded edition of the work described above is co-owned by the institutions providing financial support to the early english books online text creation partnership. this phase i text is available for reuse, according to the terms of creative commons . universal . the text can be copied, modified, distributed and performed, even for commercial purposes, all without asking permission. early english books online. (eebo-tcp ; phase , no. a ) transcribed from: (early english books online ; image set ) images scanned from microfilm: (early english books; - ; : , : ) lent-preachers appointed by the lord bishop of london to preach on wednesdays and fridays for the year / at st. michael's cornhill. st. lawrence's st. dunstan's in the west. st. james's. church of england. diocese of london. bishop ( - : compton) sheet ([ ] p.). printed for walter kettilby at the bishop's-head in st. paul's church-yard., london, : . reproduction of originals in the henry e. huntington library and art gallery ( : ) and the bodleian library ( : ) . created by converting tcp files to tei p using tcp tei.xsl, tei @ oxford. re-processed by university of nebraska-lincoln and northwestern, with changes to facilitate morpho-syntactic tagging. gap elements of known extent have been transformed into placeholder characters or elements to simplify the filling in of gaps by user contributors. eebo-tcp is a partnership between the universities of michigan and oxford and the publisher proquest to create accurately transcribed and encoded texts based on the image sets published by proquest via their early english books online (eebo) database (http://eebo.chadwyck.com). the general aim of eebo-tcp is to encode one copy (usually the first edition) of every monographic english-language title published between and available in eebo. eebo-tcp aimed to produce large quantities of textual data within the usual project restraints of time and funding, and therefore chose to create diplomatic transcriptions (as opposed to critical editions) with light-touch, mainly structural encoding based on the text encoding initiative (http://www.tei-c.org). the eebo-tcp project was divided into two phases. the , texts created during phase of the project have been released into the public domain as of january . anyone can now take and use these texts for their own purposes, but we respectfully request that due credit and attribution is given to their original source. users should be aware of the process of creating the tcp texts, and therefore of any assumptions that can be made about the data. text selection was based on the new cambridge bibliography of english literature (ncbel). if an author (or for an anonymous work, the title) appears in ncbel, then their works are eligible for inclusion. selection was intended to range over a wide variety of subject areas, to reflect the true nature of the print record of the period. in general, first editions of a works in english were prioritized, although there are a number of works in other languages, notably latin and welsh, included and sometimes a second or later edition of a work was chosen if there was a compelling reason to do so. image sets were sent to external keying companies for transcription and basic encoding. quality assurance was then carried out by editorial teams in oxford and michigan. % (or pages, whichever is the greater) of each text was proofread for accuracy and those which did not meet qa standards were returned to the keyers to be redone. after proofreading, the encoding was enhanced and/or corrected and characters marked as illegible were corrected where possible up to a limit of instances per text. any remaining illegibles were encoded as <gap>s. understanding these processes should make clear that, while the overall quality of tcp data is very good, some errors will remain and some readable characters will be marked as illegible. users should bear in mind that in all likelihood such instances will never have been looked at by a tcp editor. the texts were encoded and linked to page images in accordance with level of the tei in libraries guidelines. copies of the texts have been issued variously as sgml (tcp schema; ascii text with mnemonic sdata character entities); displayable xml (tcp schema; characters represented either as utf- unicode or text strings within braces); or lossless xml (tei p , characters represented either as utf- unicode or tei g elements). keying and markup guidelines are available at the text creation partnership web site . eng church of england -- clergy -- early works to . clergy -- england -- london -- registers -- early works to . broadsides -- england -- london -- th century - tcp assigned for keying and markup - spi global keyed and coded from proquest page images - mona logarbo sampled and proofread - mona logarbo text and markup reviewed and edited - pfs batch review (qc) and xml conversion lent preachers appointed by the lord bishop of london to preach on wednesdays and fridays for the year / ; at     st. michael's cornhill . st. lawrence's st. dunstan's in the west . st. james's . 〈◊〉 ●● ash-wednesday d r hickes . dean of s t asaph ▪ d r stratford . dean of canterbury , d r tillotson . dean of peterborow , d r patrick . — friday d r whincop . d r scott . d r dove . dean of windsor , d r hascard . — wednesday d r hollingsworth . m r smith . m r orme . m r leach . — friday d r pettis . d r martyn . d r cave . d r only . march wednesday m r gatford . m r wickes . m r pullyn . m r wake . — friday d r milles. d r greene. d r horden . d r horneck . — wednesday m r kiddar . m r richardson . m r burgess . m r pelling . — friday d r meriton . d r fowler . d r freeman . d r clagget . — wednesday m r payn. m r williams . m r waple . dean of norwich , d r sharpe . — friday dean of s t paul's , d r stillingfleet . d r puller . d r grove . d r tennison . — wednesday m r staino . m r hesketh . m r sherwin . m r sill. — friday d r lake . d r woodroff . m r hopkins . d r moore . — wednesday m r lynford . m r wagstaffe . m r audly . d r hickman . april . good friday d r beveridge . d r mapletoft . m r graunt . m r birch . london , printed for walter kettilby at the bishop's - head in st. paul's church-yard . . an account of the life and death of mr. philip henry, minister of the gospel near whitechurch in shropshire, who dy'd june , , in the sixty fifth year of his age henry, matthew, - . approx. kb of xml-encoded text transcribed from -bit group-iv tiff page images. text creation partnership, ann arbor, mi ; oxford (uk) : - (eebo-tcp phase ). a wing b a estc r ocm this keyboarded and encoded edition of the work described above is co-owned by the institutions providing financial support to the early english books online text creation partnership. this phase i text is available for reuse, according to the terms of creative commons . universal . the text can be copied, modified, distributed and performed, even for commercial purposes, all without asking permission. early english books online. (eebo-tcp ; phase , no. a ) transcribed from: (early english books online ; image set ) images scanned from microfilm: (early english books, - ; : ) an account of the life and death of mr. philip henry, minister of the gospel near whitechurch in shropshire, who dy'd june , , in the sixty fifth year of his age henry, matthew, - . [ ], , [ ] p. printed for tho. parkhurst ... and john lawrence ..., london : . written by matthew henry. cf. halkett & laing ( nd ed.). errata: p. [ ]. advertisements: p. [ ]-[ ] at end. reproduction of original in harvard university libraries. created by converting tcp files to tei p using tcp tei.xsl, tei @ oxford. re-processed by university of nebraska-lincoln and northwestern, with changes to facilitate morpho-syntactic tagging. gap elements of known extent have been transformed into placeholder characters or elements to simplify the filling in of gaps by user contributors. eebo-tcp is a partnership between the universities of michigan and oxford and the publisher proquest to create accurately transcribed and encoded texts based on the image sets published by proquest via their early english books online (eebo) database (http://eebo.chadwyck.com). the general aim of eebo-tcp is to encode one copy (usually the first edition) of every monographic english-language title published between and available in eebo. eebo-tcp aimed to produce large quantities of textual data within the usual project restraints of time and funding, and therefore chose to create diplomatic transcriptions (as opposed to critical editions) with light-touch, mainly structural encoding based on the text encoding initiative (http://www.tei-c.org). the eebo-tcp project was divided into two phases. the , texts created during phase of the project have been released into the public domain as of january . anyone can now take and use these texts for their own purposes, but we respectfully request that due credit and attribution is given to their original source. users should be aware of the process of creating the tcp texts, and therefore of any assumptions that can be made about the data. text selection was based on the new cambridge bibliography of english literature (ncbel). if an author (or for an anonymous work, the title) appears in ncbel, then their works are eligible for inclusion. selection was intended to range over a wide variety of subject areas, to reflect the true nature of the print record of the period. in general, first editions of a works in english were prioritized, although there are a number of works in other languages, notably latin and welsh, included and sometimes a second or later edition of a work was chosen if there was a compelling reason to do so. image sets were sent to external keying companies for transcription and basic encoding. quality assurance was then carried out by editorial teams in oxford and michigan. % (or pages, whichever is the greater) of each text was proofread for accuracy and those which did not meet qa standards were returned to the keyers to be redone. after proofreading, the encoding was enhanced and/or corrected and characters marked as illegible were corrected where possible up to a limit of instances per text. any remaining illegibles were encoded as <gap>s. understanding these processes should make clear that, while the overall quality of tcp data is very good, some errors will remain and some readable characters will be marked as illegible. users should bear in mind that in all likelihood such instances will never have been looked at by a tcp editor. the texts were encoded and linked to page images in accordance with level of the tei in libraries guidelines. copies of the texts have been issued variously as sgml (tcp schema; ascii text with mnemonic sdata character entities); displayable xml (tcp schema; characters represented either as utf- unicode or text strings within braces); or lossless xml (tei p , characters represented either as utf- unicode or tei g elements). keying and markup guidelines are available at the text creation partnership web site . eng henry, philip, - . clergy -- england -- biography. - tcp assigned for keying and markup - apex covantage keyed and coded from proquest page images - emma (leeson) huber sampled and proofread - emma (leeson) huber text and markup reviewed and edited - pfs batch review (qc) and xml conversion an account of the life and death of mr. philip henry . minister of the gospel near whitchurch in shropshire . who dy'd iune . ▪ in the sixty fifth year of his age. london : printed for tho. parkhurst at the bible and three crowns in cheapside , and iohn lawrence at the angel in the poultrey . . to his much honoured friend sir henry ashurst , baronet . sir , the ministers of the gospel , are in the scripture language , stars in the right hand of christ , to signifie their diffusive light , and beneficial influences . as in the future state of the resurrection , some stars shall differ from others in glory ; so in the present state of the regeneration , some ministers are distinguish'd from others , by a brighter eminence in their endowments , and a more powerful emanation of light in their preaching . of this select number was mr. philip henry , in whom there was union of those real excellencies , of parts , learning , and divine graces , that signaliz'd him among his brethren . this does evidently appear in the narrative of his life , drawn by one very fit to do it : as having had intire knowledge of him , by long and intimate conversation : and having by his holy instructions , and the impression of his example , been made partaker of the same sanctifying spirit . the describing the external actions of saints , without observing the holy principles and affections from whence they derived their life and purity , is a defective and irregular representation of them . 't is as if an account were given of the riches and faecundity of the earth , from the flowers and fruits that grow upon it , without considering the mines of precious metals contain'd in its bosom . now , only an inward christian that has felt the power of religion in his heart , can from the reflexion upon himself , and his uncounterfeit experience , discover the operations of grace in the brests of others . mr. henry was dedicated to the service of christ by his mother , in his tender age. his first love and desires ( when he was capable to make a judicious choice ) were set upon god. he entred early into the ministry , and consecrated all the powers of his soul , understanding , memory , will and affections , with his time and strength , to the servio●… of christ. and such was the grace and favour of god to him , that he lost no days in his flourishing age , by satisfying the voluptuous appetites , nor in his declining age by diseases and infirmities , but uncessantly applied himself to his spiritual work. he was called to a private place in wales , but his shining worth could not be shaded in a corner . a confluence of people from other parts attended on his ministry . indeed the word of truth that dyes in the mouths of the cold and careless , ( for they are not all saints that serve in the sanctuary ) had life and spirit in his preaching : for it proceeded from a heart burning with zeal for the honour of christ and salvation of souls . accordingly he suited his discourses to the wise and the weak : and imitated the prophet , who contracted his stature to the dead body of the widows son , applying his mouth to the mouth of the child , to inspire the breath of life into him . the poor and despised were instructed by him , with the same compassionate love and diligence as the rich , notwitstanding the civil distinction of persons , which will shortly vanish for ever : for he considered their souls were of the same precious and immortal value . in the administration of the lord's supper , he exprest the just temperament of sweetness and severity : with melting compassion he invited all relenting and returning sinners to come to christ , and receive their pardon sealed with his blood : but he was so jealous of the honour of christ , that he deterr'd by the most fearful consequences , the rebellious that indulg'd their lusts , from coming to partake of the feast of the unspotted lamb. he was not allur'd by temporal advantage ( which is the mark of a mercenary ) to leave the first place , where by the divine disposal , he was seated . when the fatal bartholomew-day came , tho ▪ he had fair hopes of preferment , by his attendance upon the king and duke of york , in their early age , of which the remembrance might have been reviv'd ; yet he was guided by a superiour spirit , and imitated the self-denyal of moses ( a duty little understood , and less practised , by the earthly minded ) rather choosing to suffer affliction with the people of god , than to enjoy the good things of this world. as the light of heaven , when the air is stormy and disturb'd , does not lose the rectitude of its rays : so his enlightned conscience did not bend in compliance with the terms of conformity , but he obeyed its sincere judgment . after his being expell'd from the place of his publick ministry , his deportment was becoming a son of peace . he refus'd not communion with the church of england , in the ordinances of the gospel , so far as his conscience permitted . yet he could not desert the duty of his office , to which he was , with sacred solemnity set apart . he was faithful to improve opportunities for serving the interest of souls , notwithstanding the severities inflicted on him . and after the restoring our freedom of preaching , he continued in the performance of his delightful work , till death put a period to his labours . after this account of him , as a minister of christ , i will glance upon his carriage as a christian. his conversation was so holy and regular , so free from taint , that he was unaccuseable by his enemies : they could only object his nonconformity as a crime . but his vigilant and tender conscience , discover'd the spots of sin in himself , which so affected his soul , that he desir'd repentance might accompany him to the gate of heaven : an excellent testimony of humility , the inseparable character of a saint . his love to god was supreme , which was declar'd by his chosen ▪ hours of communion with him every day . the union of affections , is naturally productive of union in conversation . accordingly our saviour promises , he that loveth me shall be loved of my father ; and i will love him , and will manifest my self to him : and he repeats the promise , if a man love me he will keep my words : and my father will love him , and we will come to him , and make our abode with him . to his special and singular love to god , was joined a universal love to men : he did good to all according to his ability . his forgiving of injuries , that rare and difficult duty , was eminently conspicuous in the sha●…pest provocations . when he could not excuse the offence , he would pardon the offender , and strive to imitate the perfect model of charity exprest in our suffering saviour : who in the extremity of his sufferings , when resentments are most quick and sensible , pray'd for his cruel persecutors . his filial trust in god was correspondent to god's fatherly providence to him . this was his support in times of tryal , and maintain'd an equal temper in his mind , and tenor in his conversation . in short , he led a life of evangelical perfection , most worthy to be honourably preserved , in the memory of future times . the following narrative of it , if read with an observing eye , how instructive and affecting will it be to ministers , and apt to transform them into his likeness ? thus , sir , i have given a short view of the life of that man , for whom you had such a high veneration and dear love. it argues a clear rer spirit and a diviner temper than is usual in persons of conspicuous quality , when holiness is so despicably mean in the esteem of carnal men , to value it above all titles and treasures , and the perishing pride of this world. i am perswaded it will be very pleasing to you , that your name and excellent mr. henry's , are join'd in the same papers . i am , sir , your very humble and faithful servant , william bates . a preface to the reader . that which we aim at in this undertaking , and which we would set before us , at our entrance upon it is , not so much to embalm the memory of this good man ( though that also is blessed ) as to exhibit to the world a pattern of that primitive christianity , which all that knew him well , observed to be exemplified in him , while he lived ; and when they saw the end of his conversation , as it were with one cons●…t , desir'd a publick and lasting account of , or rather demanded it , as a just debt owing to the world , by those into whose hands his papers came , as judging such an account likely to conduce much to the glory of god's grace , and to the edification of many , especially of those that were acquainted with him . he was one whom the divine providence did not call out ( as neither did his own inclination lead him ) to any very publick scene of action : he was none of the forward men of the age , that make themselves talked of : the world scarce knew that there was such a man in it . but in his low and narrow sphere he was a burning and shining light , and therefore we think his pious example is the more adapted to general use , especially consisting not in the extasies and raptures of zeal and devotion , which are looked upon rather as admirable than imitable : but in the long series of an even , regular , prudent , and well order'd conversation , which he had in the world , and in the ordinary business of it , with simplicity and godly sincerity ; not with fleshly wisdom , but by the grace of god. it hath been said , that quiet and peaceable reigns , though they are the best to live in , yet they are the worst to write of , as yielding least variety of matter for the historians pen to work upon : but a quiet and peaceable life in all godliness and honesty , being the sum and substance of practical christianity , the recommending of the example of such a life , in the common and familiar instances of it ; together with the kind and gracious providences of god attending it , may b●… , if not as diverting to the curious , yet every whit as useful and inctructive to the pious readers . if any suggest , that the design of this attempt is to credit and advance a party , let them know , that mr. henry was a man of no party , but true catholick christianity ( not debauch'd by bigottry , nor leaven'd by any private opinions or interests ) was his very temper and genius . according to the excellent and royal laws of this holy religion , his life was led , with a strict and conscientious adherence to truth and equity ; a great tenderness and inoffensiveness to all mankind ; and a mighty tincture of sincere piety and devotedness to god : and according to those sacred rules we shall endeavour , in justice to him , as well as to our reader , to represent him in the following account ; and if any thing should drop from our pen , which may justly give offence to any , ( which we promise industriously to avoid ) we desire it may be looked upon as a false stroke ; and so far not truly representing him , who was so blameless and harmless , and without rebuke . much of our materials for this structure we have out of his own papers , especially his diary , for by them his picture may be drawn nearest to the life , and from thence we may take the truest idea of him , and of the spirit he was of . these notes being intended for his own private use in the review , and never communicated to any person whatsoever ; and appearing here ( as they ought to do ) in their own native dress , the candid reader will excuse it , if sometimes the expressions should seem abrupt , they are the genuin , unforced , and unstudied breathings of a gracious soul ; and we hope will be rather the more acceptable to those , who through grace , are conscious to themselves of the same devout and pious motions ; for as in water , face answers to face , so doth one sanctified and renewed soul to another ; and ( as mr. baxter observes in his preface to mr. clark ' s lives ) god's graces are much the same in all his holy ones ; and therefore we must not think that such instances as these , are extraordinary rarities ; but god hath in wonderful mercy rais'd up many , by whose graces even this earth is perfumed and enlightned . but if one star be allowed to differ from another star in glory ; perhaps our reader will say , when he hath gone through the following account , that mr. henry may be ranked among those of the first magnitude . errata . pag. . lin . . for o - read others . p. . l. . for make r. makes . p. . l. . for becoming r. unbecoming . p. . l. . between and & with , add not . p. . l. . for sixth , r. six . p. . l. . add of . p. . l. . add is . p. . l. . for must r. much . besides which the reader is desir'd to excuse some running mistakes : as equivolent for equivalent . p. . l. . hapn'd for happen'd . p. . l. . presevering for persevering . p. . l. . sitting for setting . p. . l. . elegible for eligible . p. . beging for begging . p. . beginning for beginnings . p. . incuring for incurring . p. . words for word . p. . intecessor for intercessor . p. . and any such that may occurr . an account of the life and death of m r. philip henry , &c. chap. i. mr. henry's birth , parentage , early piety , and education at school . he was born at white-hall , in westminster , on wednesday august . . being bartholomew-day . i find usually in his diary some pious remark or other upon the annual return of his birth-day : as in one year he notes , that the scripture mentions but two who observed their birth-day with feasting and joy , and they were neither of them copies to be written after : viz. pharaoh , gen. . . and herod , mat. . . but ( saith he ) i rather observe it as a day of mourning and humiliation , because shapen in iniquity and conceived in sin. and when he had compleated the thirtieth year of his age , he noted this , so old and no older alexander was when he had conquered the great world , but ( saith he ) i have not yet subdued the little world my self . at his thirty third year he hath this humble reflection ; a long time lived to small purpose , what shall i do to redeem it ? and at another , i may mourn as caesar did when he reflected upon alexander ' s early atchievements , that others younger than i am , have done much more than i have done for god , the god of my life . and ( to mention no more ) when he had lived forty two years he thus writes ; i would be loth to live it over again , least instead of making it better , i should make it worse , and besides , every year and day spent on earth is lost in heaven . this last note minds me of a passage i have heard him tell of a friend of his , who being grown into years , was asked how old he was , and answer'd , on the wrong side of fifty : which ( said mr. henry ) he should not have said ; for if he was going to heaven , it was the right side of fifty . he always kept a will by him ready made , and it was his custom yearly , upon the return of his birth-day , to review , and ( if occasion were ) to renew and alter it ; for it is good to do that at a set time , which it is very good to do at some time . the last will he made bears date , this th day of august , . being , as he said , the day of the year on which i was born , . and also the day of the year on which by law i died , as did also near two thousand faithful ministers of iesus christ , . alluding to that clause in the act of uniformity , which disposeth of the places and benefices of ministers not conforming , as if they were naturally dead . his father's name was iohn henry , the son of henry williams of brittons ferry , betwixt neath and swansey in glamorganshire . according to the old welsh custom ( some say conformable to that of the ancient hebrews , but now almost in all places laid aside ) the father's christian name was the sons sirname . he had left his native country and his father's house very young , unprovided for by his relations ; but it pleased god to bless his ingenuity and industry , with a considerable income afterwards , which enabled him to live comfortably himself , to bring up his children well , and to be kind to many of his relations ; but publick events making against him at his latter end , when he dy'd he left little behind him for his children , but god graciously took care of them . providence brought this mr. iohn henry when he was young , to be the earl of pembroke'●… gentleman , whom he served many years : the earl coming to be lord chamberlain , preferred him to be the king's servant : he was first made keeper of the orchard at white-hall , and afterwards page of the back stairs to the king 's second son , iames duke of york , which place obliged him to a personal attendance upon the duke in his chamber . he liv'd and dy'd a courtier , a hearty mourner for his royal master king charles the first , whom he did not long survive . he continued , during all the war time in his house at white-hall , though the profits of his places ceased : the king passing by his door , under a guard ; to take water , when he was going to westminster , to that which they call'd his tryal , enquir'd for his old servant mr. iohn henry , who was ready to pay his due respects to him , and pray'd god to bless his majesty , and to deliver him out of the hands of his enemies , for which the guard had like to have been rough upon him . his mother was mrs. magdalen rochdale , of the parish of st. martins in the fields , in westminster . she was a vertuous pious gentlewoman , and one that fear'd god above many : she was altogether dead to the vanities and pleasures of the court , tho' she liv'd in the midst of them . she look'd well to the ways of her houshold ; prayed with them daily , catechized her children , and taught them the good knowledge of the lord betimes . i have heard him speak of his learning mr. perkins his six principles , when he was very young ; and he often mentioned with thankfulness to god , his great happiness in having such a mother , who was to him as lois and eunice were to timothy , acquainting him with the scriptures from his childhood : and there appearing in him early inclinations both to learning and piety , she devoted him in his tender years to the service of god , in the work of the ministry . she dyed of a consumption march . . leaving behind her only this son and five daughters . a little before she dyed she had this saying , my head is in heaven , and my heart is in heaven , it is but one step more , and i shall be there too . his susceptors in baptism were philip earl of pembroke ( who gave him his name , and was kind to him as long as he lived , as was also his son philip after him ) iames earl of carlile , and the countess of salsbury . prince charles and the duke of york being somewhat near of an age to him , he was in his childhood very much an attendant upon them in their play , and they were often with him at his father's house , and were wont to tell him what preferment he should have at court , as soon as he was fit for it . he kept a book to his dying day , which the duke of york gave him ; and i have heard him bewail the loss of two curious pictures , which he gave him likewise , arch-bishop laud took a particular kindness to him when he was a child , because he would be very officious to attend at the water-gate ( which was part of his fathers charge in white-hall ) to let the arch-bishop through when he came late from council , to cross the water to lambeth . these circumstances of his childhood he would sometimes speak of among his friends , not as glorying in them , but taking occasion from thence to bless god for his deliverance from the snares of the court , in the midst of which it is so very hard to maintain a good conscience and the power of religion , that it hath been said ( though blessed be god it is not a rule without exception ) exeat ex aulâ qui velit esse pius . the breaking up and scattering of the court , by the calamities of . as it dashed the expectations of his court preferments , so it prevented the danger of court entanglements : and though it was not , like mofes's choice of his own , when come to years , to quit the court ; yet when he was come to years he always expressed a great satisfaction in his removal from it , and blessed god who chose his inheritance so much better for him . yet it may not be improper to observe here what was obvious as well as aimable to all who convers'd with him ; viz. that he had the most sweet and obliging air of courtesie and civility that could be ; which some attributed in part to his early education at court. his meen and carriage was always so very decent and respectful , that it could not but win the hearts of all he had to do with . never was any man further from that rudeness and morofeness which some scholars , and too many that profess religion , either wilfully affect , or carelesly allow themselves in , sometimes to the reproach of their profession . 't is one of the laws of our holy religion , exemplifi'd in the conversation of this good man , to honour all men. sanctify'd civility is a great ornament to christianity . it was a saying he often us'd , religion doth not destroy good manners ; and yet he was very far from any thing of vanity in apparel , or formality of compliment in address , but his conversarion was all natural and easie to himself and others , and little appear'd in him , which a severe critick could call affected . this temper of his tended very much to the adorning of the doctrine of god our saviour ; and the general transcript of such an excellent copy , would do much towards the healing of those wounds which religion hath received in the house of her friends by the contrary . but to return to his story . — the first latin school he went to was at st. martin's church , under the teaching of one mr. bonner . afterwards he was removed to battersey , where one mr. wells was his school master . the grateful mention which in some of his papers he makes of these that were the guides and instructors of his childhood and youth , brings to mind that french proverb to this purpose : to father , teacher , and god all-sufficient , none can render equivolent . but in the year . when he was about twelve years old , he was admitted into westminster-school , in the fourth form , under mr. thomas vincent then usher , whom he would often speak of , as a most able diligent school-master ; and one who grieved so much at the dulness and non-proficiency of any of his scholars , that falling into a consumption , i have heard mr. henry say of him , that he even killed himself with false latin. a while after he was taken into the upper school , under mr. richard busby ( afterwards dr. busby ) and in october , . he was admitted king's scholar , and was first of the election , partly by his own merit , and partly by the interest of the earl of pembroke . here he profited greatly in school-learning , and all his days retained his improvements therein to admiration . when he was in years , he would readily in discourse quote passages out of the classic authors that were not common , and had them ad unguem , and yet rarely us'd any such things in his preaching , ( though sometimes ( if very apposite ) he inserted them in his notes . ) he was very ready and exact in the greek accents , the quantities of words , and all the several kinds of latin verse ; and often pressed it upon young scholars in the midst of their university learning , not to forget their school-authors . here and before his usual recreation at vacant times , was either reading the printed accounts of publick occurrences , or attending the courts at westminster-hall , to hear the trials and arguments there , which i have heard him say , he hath often done to the loss of his dinner , and oftner of his play. but paulo major a canamus — soon after those unhappy wars begun , there was a daily morning lecture set up at the abby-church , between six and eight of the clock , and preached by seven worthy members of the assembly of divines in course , viz. mr. marshal , mr. palmer , mr. herl , dr. staunton , mr. nye , mr. whitaker , and mr. hill. it was the request of his pious mother to mr. busby , that he would give her son leave to attend that lecture daily , which he did , not abating any thing of his school-exercise , in which he kept pace with the rest ; but only dispensing with his absence for that hour : and the lord was pleas'd to make good impressions on his soul , by the sermons he heard there . his mother also took him with her every thursday to mr. case's lecture at st. martins . on the lord's days he sat under the powerful ministry of mr. stephen marshal in the morning at new chappel , in the afternoon at st. margarets westminster ( which was their parish church ) in the former place mr. marshal preached long from phil. . , , &c. in the latter from ioh. . . of our freedom by christ. this minister , and this ministry , he would to his last , speak of with great respect , and thankfulness to god , as that by which he was through grace , in the beginning of his days begotten agāin to a lively hope . i have heard him speak of it , as the saying of some wise men at that time , that if all the presbyterians had been like mr. stephen marshal , and all the independents like mr. ieremiah burroughs , and all the episcopal men like arch-bishop usher , the breaches of the church would soon have been heal'd . he also attended constantly upon the monthly fasts at st. margarets , where the best and ablest ministers of england preached before the then house of commons ; and the service of the day was carried on with great strictness and solemnity , from eight in the morning till four in the evening . it was his constant practice from eleven or twelve years old to write ( as he could ) all the sermons he heard , which he kept very carefully , transcribed many of them fair over after , and notwithstanding his many removes , they are yet forth-coming . at these monthly fa●…s , ( as he himself hath recorded it ) he had often sweet meltings of soul in prayer , and con●…ession of sin , ( particularly once with special remark , when mr. william bridg of yarmouth prayed ) and many warm and lively truths came home to his heart , and he daily increased in that wisdom and knowledge which is to salvation . read his reflections upon this , which he wrote many years after : if ever any child ( saith he ) such as i then was , between the tenth and fifteenth year of my age , enjoy'd line upon line , precept upon precept , i did . and was it in vain ? i trust not altogether in vain . my soul rejoyceth and is glad at the remembrance of it ; the word distilled as the dew , and dropt as the rain : i lov'd it , and lov'd the messengers of it , their very feet were beautiful to me . and , lord , what a mercy was it , that at a time when the poor countries were laid waste , when the noise of drums and trumpets , and the clattering of arms was heard there , and the way to sion mourn'd , that then my lot should be where there was peace and quietness , where the voice of the turtle was heard , and there was great plenty of gospel opportunities ! bless the lord , o my soul , as long as i live , i will bless the lord , i will praise my god while i have my being . had it been only the restraint that it laid upon me , whereby i was kept from the common sins of other children and youths ; such as cursing , swearing , sabbath breaking and the like ; i were bound to be very thankful : but that it prevailed through grace , effectually to bring me to god , how much am i indebted , and what shall i render ! thus you see how the dewes of heaven sof●…ned his heart by degrees . — from these early experiences of his own . he would blame those who laid so much stress on peoples knowing the exact time of their conversion , which he thought was with many not possible to do . who can so soon be aware of the day-break , or of the springing up of the seed sown ? the work of grace is better known in its effects than in its causes . he would sometimes illustrate this by that saying of the blind man to the pharisees , who were so critical in examining the recovery of his sight : this and 'tother i know not concerning it , but this one thing i know , that whereas i was blind , now i see , ioh. . . . he would bear his testimony to the comfort and benefit of early piety , and recommend it to all young people , as a good thing to bear the yoke of the lord iesus in youth . he would often witness against that wicked proverb , a young saint an old devil , and would have it said rather , a young saint , an old angel. he observ'd it concerning obadiah ( and he was a courtier ) that he feared the lord from his youth , king. . , and it is said of him , v. . that he feared the lord greatly . those that would come to fear god greatly , must learn to fear him from their youth . no man did his duty so naturally as timothy did ( phil. . . ) who from a child knew the holy scriptures : he would sometimes apply to this that common saying , he that would thrive , must rise at five ; and in dealing with young people , how earnestly would he press this upon them . i tell you you cannot begin too soon to be religious , but you may put it off too long . manna must be gathered early , and he that is the first must have the first . he often inculcated eccl. . . remember thy creator in the days of thy youth , in the original , of thy choice . i remember a passage of his in a lecture sermon , in the year . which much affected many ; he was preaching on that text , matt. . . my yoke is easie ; and after many things insisted upon , to prove the yoke of christ an easie yoke , he at last appealed to the experiences of all that had drawn in that yoke . call now if there be any that will answer you , and to which of the saints will you turn ? turn to which you will , and they will all agree that they have found wisdoms ways pleasantness , and christ's commandments not grievous : and ( saith he ) i will here witness for one , who through grace have in some poor measure been drawing in this yoke , now above thirty years , and i have found it an easie yoke , and like my choice too well to change . . he would also recommend it to the care of parents , to bring their children betimes to publick ordinances . he would say , that they are capable sooner than we are aware , of receiving good by them . the scripture takes notice more than once of the little ones in the solemn assemblies of the faithful , deut. . . ezra . . acts . . if we lay our children by the pool-side , who knows but the blessed spirit may help them in and heal them . he us'd to apply that scripture to this , cant. . . those that would have communion with christ must not only go forth by the footsteps of the flock , themselves , but feed their kids too ; their children , or other young ones that are under their charge , beside the shephards tents . . he would also recommend to young people the practise of writing sermons . he himself did it not only when he was young , but continued it constantly till within a few years before he dyed , when the decay of his sight obliging him to the use of spectacles , made writing not so ready to him as it had been . he never wrote short-hand , but had an excellent art of taking the substance of a sermon in a very plain and legible hand , and with a great deal of ease . and the sermons he wrote he kept by him , in such method and order , that by the help of indexes , which he made to them , he could readily turn to almost any sermon that ever he heard , where he noted the preacher , place , and time ; and this he call'd hearing for the time to come . he recommended this practise to others , as a means to engage their attention in hearing , and to prevent drowsiness , and to help their memories after hearing , when they come either to meditate upon what they have heard themselves , or to communicate it to others ; and many have had reason to bless god for his advice and instructions herein : he would advise people sometimes to look over the sermon-notes that they had written , as a ready way to revive the good impressions of the truths they had heard , and would blame those who made waste paper of them ; for ( saith he ) the day is coming when you will either thank god for them , or heartily wish you had never written them . but it is time we return to westminster-school , where having begun to learn christ we left him in the successful pursuit of other learning , under the eye and care of that great master dr. busby ; who , on the account of his pregnancy and diligence took a particular kindness to him , call'd him his child , and would sometimes tell him he should be his heir ; and there was no love lost betwixt them . dr. busby was noted for a very severe school master , especially in the beginning of his time . but mr. henry would say sometimes , that as in so great a school there was need of a strict discipline , so for his own part , of the four years he was in the school , he never felt the weight of his hand but once , and then ( saith he in some of the remarks of his youth which he wrote long after ) i deserv'd it : for being monitor of the chamber , and according to the duty of his place , being sent out to seek one that play'd truant ; he found him out where he had hid himself , and at his earnest request promised to make an excuse for him , and to say , he could not find him , which ( saith he in a penitential reflexion upon it afterwards ) i wickedly did . next morning the truant coming under examination , and being ask'd whether he saw the monitor , said , yes , he did , at which dr. busby was much surprized , and turned his eye upon the monitor , with this word , 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 ; ( what thou my son ) and gave him correction , and appointed him to make a penitential copy of latin verses , which when he brought he gave him six pence , and receiv'd him into his favour again . among the mercies of god to him in his youth ( and he would say t were well if parents would keep an account of those for their children , till they come to be capable of doing it for themselves , and then to set them upon the doing of it ) he hath recorded a remarkable deliverance he had here at westminster-school , which was this : it was customary there among the studious boys , for one or two or more to sit up the former part of the night at study , and when they went to bed about midnight to call others , and they others at two or three a clock , as they desired . his request was to be call'd at twelve , and being awaked , desired his candle might be lighted , which stuck to the beds head ; but he dropt asleep again , and the candle fell , and burnt part of the bed and bolster , e're he awaked ; but through god's good providence seasonable help came in , the fire soon quenched , and he received no harm . this gave him occasion long after to say , it is of the lord's mercies that we are not consumed . when he was at westminster-school he was employed by dr. busby , as some others of the most ingenious and industrious of his scholars were , in their reading of the greek authors , to collect , by his direction , some materials for that excellent greek grammar , which the doctor afterwards publish'd . but be the school never so agreeable , youth is desirous to commence man by a removal from it . this step he took in the sixteenth year of his age. it was the antient custom of westminster-school , that all the king ' s scholars who stood candidates for an election to the university , were to receive the lord's supper the easter before , which he did with the rest , in st. margarets church at easter , . and he would often speak of the great pains which dr. busby took with his scholars , that were to approach to that solemn ordinance , for several weeks before , at stated times ; with what skill and seriousness of application , and manifest concern for their souls , 〈◊〉 ●…ed to them the nature of the ordinance , and 〈◊〉 the work they had to do in it , and instructed them what was to be done in preparation for it , and this he made a business of , appointing them their religious exercises , instead of their school exercises . what success this had through the grace of god upon young mr. henry ( to whom the dr. had a particular regard ) read from his own hand . there had been treaties ( saith he ) before , between my soul and jesus christ , with some weak overtures towards him ; but then , then i think it was that the match was made , the knot tied : then i set my self in the strength of divine grace , about the great work of self-examination , in order to repentance ; and then i repented , that is , solemnly and seriously , with some poor meltings of soul , i confessed my sins before god , original and actual , judging and condemning my self for them ; and casting away from me all my transgressions , receiving christ jesus the lord , as the lord my righteousness , and devoting and dedicating my whole self absolutely and unreservedly to his fear and service . after which , coming to the ordinance , there , there i received him indeed , and he became mine , i say mine . bless the lord , o my soul. dr. busby's agency under god in this blessed work , he makes a very grateful mention of in divers of his papers : the lord recompense it ( saith he ) a thousand fold into his bosome . i have heard him tell how much he surprized the doctor , the first time he waited upon him after he was turn'd out by the act of uniformity : for when the doctor asked him , prithee ( child ) what made thee a nonconformist , truly sir , saith mr. henry , you made me one , for you taught me those things that hindred me from conforming . encouraged by this experience , i have my self ( saith he in one of his papers ) taken like pains with divers others at their first admission to the lord's table , and have through grace seen the comfortable fruits of it , both in mine own children and ●…to god be glory . mr. dyke's book of the sacrament , i have heard him say was of great use to him at that time , in his preparation for that ordinance . thus was this great concern happily settled before his lanching out into the world , which through grace he had all his days more or less the comfort of , in an even serenity of mind , and a peaceful expectation of the glory to be revealed . may . . he was chosen from westminster-school to christ's-church in oxford , jure loci , with four others , of which he had the second place . at his election he was very much countenanced and smiled upon by his god-father the earl of pembroke , who was one of the electors . chap. ii. his years spent at oxford . though he was chosen to the university in may , yet being then young , under sixteen , and in love with his school-learning , he made no great haste thither . 't was in december following , . that he removed to oxford . some merciful providences in his journey ( he being a young traveller ) affected him much , and he us'd to speak of them , with a sense of god's goodness to him in them , according to the impressions then made by them ; and he hath recorded them with this thankful note , that there may be a great mercy in a small matter ; as the care that was taken of him by strangers , when he fainted and was sick in his inn the first night , and his casual meeting with mr. annesly , son to the viscount valentia ( who was chosen from westminster-school , at the same time that he was ) when his other company going another way , had left him alone , and utterly at a loss what to do . thus the sensible remembrance of old mercies may answer the intention of new ones , which is to engage our obedience to god , and to encourage our dependance on him . being come to oxford , he was immediately entred commoner of christ-church , where dr. samuel fell was then dean ; the tutor assigned to him and the rest of that election was mr. underwood , a very learned ingenious gentleman . his godfather the earl of pembroke had given him ten pounds to buy him a gown , to pay his fees , and to set out with . this in his papers he puts a remark upon , as a seasonable mercy in regard of some straits , which providence , by the calamity of the times , had brought his father to . god had taught him from his youth that excellent principle , which he adher'd to all his days , that every creature is that to us , and no more , than god makes it to be ; and therefore while many seek the rulers favour , and so expect to make their fortunes , as they call it , seeing every man's iudgment proceedeth from the lord ; it is our wisdom to seek his favour who is the ruler of rulers , and that is an effectual way to make sure our happiness . to the proper studies of this place he now vigorously address'd himself ; but still retaining a great kindness for the classick authors , and the more polite exercises he lov'd so well at westminster-school . he was admitted student of christ-church march . / . by dr. henry hammond , that great man , then sub-dean , who called him his god-brother , the earl of pembroke being his godfather also , and prince henry the other , who gave him his name . the visitation of the university by the parliament happen'd to be in the very next month after . oxford had been for a good while in the hands of the parliament , and no change made ; but now the earl of pembroke , and several others thereunto appointed , came hither to settle things upon a new bottom . the account mr. henry in his papers gives of this affair , is to this purpose . the sole question which the visitors propos'd to each person , high and low , in every colledge , that had any place of profit , was this , will you submit to the power of the parliament in this present visitation ? to which all were to give in their answer in writing , and accordingly were either displaced or continued : some cheerfully complied , others absolutely refused , ( among whom he would sometimes tell of one that was but of his standing , who gave in this bold answer , i neither can nor will submit to the power of the parliament in this present visitation , i say i cannot , i say i will not j. c. ) others answer'd doubtfully , pleading youth and ignorance in such matters . mr. henry's answer was , i submit to the power of the parliament in the present visitation , as far as i may with a safe conscience and without perjury . his reason for the last salvo , was because he had taken the oaths of allegiance and supremacy a little before , at his admission ; which he was ( according to the character of the good man , that he fears an oath ) very jealous of doing any thing to contradict or infringe ; which hath made him sometimes signifie some dislike of that practise of administring oaths to such as were scarce past children , who could hardly be supposed to take them . with iudgment , as oaths should be taken . however this answer of his satisfied ; and by the favour of the earl of pembroke he was continued in his students place . but great alterations were made in that as in other colledges , very much ( no question ) to the hinderance and discouragement of young scholars who came thither to get learning , not to judge of the rights of government . dr. samuel fell the dean was removed , and dr. edward reynolds afterwards bishop of norwich was put in his room ; dr. hammond and all the canons , except dr. wall were displaced , and mr. wilkinson , mr. pocock , and others of the parliaments friends were prefer'd to their places . his thoughts of this in the reflection long after was , that milder methods might have done better , and would have been a firmer establishment to the new interest , but considering that many of those who were put out ( being in expectation of a sudden change , which came not of many years after ) were exasperating in their carriage towards the visitors ; and that the parliament ( who at this time rode masters ) had many of their own friends ready for university preferments , ( which oxford having been from the beginning a garrison for the king they had been long kept out of ) and these they were concern'd to oblige , it was not strange if they took such strict methods . and yet nothing being requir'd but a bare submission , which might be intepreted but as crying , quarter , he thought withal , that it could not be said , the terms were hard , especially ( saith he ) if compar'd with those of another nature imposed since . among other student-masters removed , his tutor mr. underwood was one , which he often bewail'd as ill for him , for he was a good scholar , and one that made it his business to look after his pupils , who were very likely by the blessing of god to have profited under his conduct : but upon the removal of mr. underwood , he with some others were turn'd over to mr. finmore , who was then in with that interest which was uppermost , and was afterwards prebendary of chester ; a person ( as he notes ) able enough , but not willing to employ his abilities for the good of those that were committed to his charge ; towards whom he had little more than the name of a tutor . this he lamented as his infelicity , at his first setting out . but it pleas'd god to give him an interest in the affections of a young man , an under-graduate then , but two or three years his senior from westminster , one mr. richard bryan , who took him to be his chamberfellow while he continued at oxford , read to him , overlook'd his studies , and directed him in them . of this gentleman he make a very honourable mention , as one who was through gods blessing an instrument of much good to him . mr. iohn fell also , the dean's son , ( afterwards himself dean of christ-church , and bishop of oxford ) taking pity on him , and some others that were neglected , voluntarily read to them for some time ; a kindness which he retain'd a very grateful sense of , and for which he much honour'd that learned and worthy person . here he duly perform'd the college exercises , disputations every day , in term-time ; theams and verses once a week , and declamations when it came to his turn ; in which performances he frequently came off with very great applause : and many of his manuscripts which remain , shew how well he improved his time there . and yet in some reflections i find under his hand , written long after ( wherein he looks back upon his early days ) he chargeth it upon himself , that for a good while after he came to the university , ( though he was known not to be inferior to any of his standing in publick exercises yet ) he was too much a stranger to that hard study which afterwards he became acquainted with , and that he lost a deal of time which might have been better improved . thus he is pleas'd to accuse himself of that which ( for ought i ever heard ) no one else did , or could accuse him of . but the truth is , in all the secret accounts he kept of himself , he appears to have had a very quick and deep sense of his own fallings and infirmities , in the most minute instances , the loss of time , weakness and distractions in holy duties ; not improving opportunities of doing good to others , and the like ; lamentably bewailing these imperfections , and charging them upon himself , with as great expressions of shame and sorrow , and self-abhorrence ; and crying out as earnestly for pardon and forgiveness in the blood of jesus , as if he had been the greatest of sinners : for though he was a man that walk'd very closely , yet withal he walk'd very humbly with god , and liv'd a life of repentance and self-denial . this minds me of a sermon of his which one might discern came from the heart , on that scripture , rom. . . o wretched man that i am , who shall deliver me from the body of this death ! a strange complaint ( saith he ) to come from the mouth of one who had learn'd in every estate to be content . had i been to have given my thoughts ( said he ) concerning paul , i should have said , o blessed man that thou art , that hast been in the third heaven , a great apostle , a spiritual father to thousands , &c. and yet a wretched man , all this while in his own account and esteem . he never complains thus of the bonds and afflictions that did abide him , the prisons that were frequent ; the stripes above measure ; but the body of death : that is , the body of sin , that was it he groan'd under . how feelingly did he observe from thence , that the remainders of indwelling corruption are a very grievous burthen to a gracious soul. but to return : it may not be amiss to set down the causes to which he ascribes his loss of time when he came first to the university . one was , that he was young , too young , and understood not the day of his opportunities , which made him afterwards advise his friends not to thrust their children forth too soon from school to the university , though they may seem ripe , in respect of learning , till they have discretion to manage themselves ; while they are children , what can be expected but that they should mind childish things ? another was , that coming from westminster school , his attainments in school-learning were beyond what generally others had that came from other schools , so that he was tempred to think there was no need for him to study much , because it was so easie to him to keep pace with others , which , he saith , was the thing that dr. caldecott , chaplain to the ea●… of pembroke , and his great friend warn'd him of at his coming to oxford . another was that , there were two sorts of persons his co-temporaries , some of the new stamp , that came in by the visitation , and were divers of them serious pious young men , but of small ability , comparatively , for learning , and those for that reason he desired not to have much fellowship with . but there were others that were of the old spirit and way , enemies to the parliament , and the reformation they made ; and these were the better scholars , but generally not the better men. with them for a while he struck in because of their learning , and conversed most with them , but he soon found it a snare to him , and that it took him off from the life of religion , and communion with god , elanguescere mox cepit ( saith he in his latin narrative of his younger years , ) pristinae pietatis ardor , &c. but for ever praised be the riches of god's free grace ( saith he in another account ) that he was pleased still to keep his hold of me ; and not to let me alone when i was running from him , but set his hand again the second time , ( as the expression is , isa. . . ) to snatch me as a brand out of the fire . his recovery from this snare he would call a kind of second conversion ; so much was he affected with the preventing grace of god in it , and sensible of a double bond to be for ever thankful , as well as of an engagement to be watchful and humble . 't was a saying of his , he that stumbleth and doth not fall , ●…ets ground by his stumble . at the later end of the year , he had leave given him to make a visit to his father at white-hall , with whom he staied some time ; there he was ian. . when the king was beheaded , and with a very sad heart saw that tragical blow given . two things he used to speak of , that he took notice of himself that day , which i know not whether any of the historians mention . one was , that at the instant when the blow was given , there was such a dismal universal groan among the thousands of people that were within sight of it , ( as it were with one consent ) as he never heard before ; and desired he might never hear the like again , nor see such a cause for it . the other was ; that immediately after the stroke was struck , there was according to order , one troop marching from chearing-cross towards kings-street , and another from kings-street towards chearing-cross , purposely to disperse and scatter the people , and to divert the dismal thoughts which they could not but be fill'd with , by driving them to shift every one for his own safety . he did upon occasion testifie his dislike of this rash action , which he always said was a thing that could not be justify'd , and yet he sometimes said he saw not how it could be call'd a national sin , for as the king urg'd upon his trial , it was certain that not one man of ten in the kingdom did consent to it ; * nor could it becall'd the sin of the long parliament , for far the greatest part of them were all that time while the thing was in agitation imprison●…d , and kept under a force , and scarce of the that were left to carry the name of a parliament did give their vote for it ; which the commissioners for the. trying of the kings judges in the year . ( some of whom had been themselves members of the long parliament ) urged again and again , in answer to that plea which the prisoners stood so much upon , that what they did was by authority of the parliament : but 't is manifest it was done by a prevailing party in the army , who ( as he us'd to express it ) having beaten their plowshares into swords , could not so easiely beat their swords into plowshares again , as having fought more for victory and dominion , than for peace and truth ; but how far these men were acted and influenced by another sort of people behind the curtain , the world is not altogether ignorant . for some years after king charles ii. came in , he observ'd the yearly day of humiliation for this sin , desiring that god would not lay the guilt of blood to the charge of the nation : but afterwards finding to what purposes it was generally observed , and improved even to the reproach and condemning , not only of the innocent but of some of the excellent ones of the land , and noting , that there is no precedent in scripture of keeping annual days of humiliation for particular sins ; especially after the immediate judgment is at an end , zech. . . heb. . , . he took no farther notice of it . but in his diary , he adds this tender remark , ( according to the spirit he was of ) yet good men no doubt may observe it to the lord , rom. . . thus he judged not , and why then should he be judged ? in the year ●… he took his batchelor of art's degree , and he hath recorded the goodness of god in raising him up friends , who help'd him out in the expences . such kindnesses have a peculiar sweetness in them to a good man , who sees and receives them as the kindness of god , and the tokens of his love. he would often mention it with thankfulness to god , what great helps and advantages he had then in the university , not only for learning but for religion and piety . serious godliness was in reputation , and besides the publick opportunities they had , there were many of the scholars that us'd to meet together for prayer , and christian conference , to the great confirming of one anothers hearts , in the fear and love of god , and the preparing of them for the service of the church in their generation . i have heard him speak of the prudent method they took then about the university sermons on the lord's day in the afternoon , which us'd to be preached by the fellows of colledges in their course , but that being found not so much for edification , dr. owen , and dr. goodwin performed that service alternately , and the young masters that were wont to preach it , had a lecture on tuesday appointed them . the sermons he heard at oxford he commonly wrote , not in the time of hearing , but afterwards when he came home in his reflection upon them , which he found a good help to his memory . in december , he proceeded master of arts , and in ianuary following preach'd his first sermon at south-hincsey in oxford-shire , on ioh. . . whosoever committeth sin , is the servant of sin . on this occasion he writes in his diary , what was the breathing of his heart towards god , the lord make use of me as an instrument of his glory , and his churches good in this high and holy calling . his great parts and improvement notwithstanding his extraordinary modesty and humility had made him so well known in the university that at the following act in iuly . he was chosen out of all the masters of that year to be iunior of the act , that is , to answer the philosophy questions in vesperi is , which he did with very great applause , especially for the very witty and ingenious oration which he made to the university upon that occasion : his questions were : an licitum sit carnibus vesci ? aff. . an institutio academiarum sit utilis in republicâ ? aff. . an ingenium pendeat ab humoribus corporis ? aff. at the act in . he was chosen magister replicans , and answer'd the philosophy questions in comitiis with a like applause . his questions then were , . an melius sit sperare quàm frui ? neg. . an maxima animi delectatio sit agrave ; sensibus ? neg. . an utile sit peregrinari ? aff. dr. owen who was then vice-chancellor hath spoken with great commendation of these performances of mr. henry's to some in the university afterwards , who never knew him otherwise than by report ; and i have heard a worthy divine ( who was somewhat his iunior in the university , and there a perfect stranger to him ) say , how much he admired these exercises of his , and lov'd him for them , and yet how much more he amir'd , when he afterwards became acquainted with him in the country , that so curious and polite an orator should become so profitable and powerful a preacher , and so readily lay aside the enticing words of mans wisdom which were so easie to him . there is a copy of latin verses of his in print among the poems which the university of oxford published upon the peace concluded with holland , in the year , which shew him to be no less a poet than an orator . he hath noted it of some pious young men , that before they removed from the university into the country , they kept a day of fasting and humiliation for the sins they had been guilty of in that place and state . and in the visits he made afterwards to the university , he inserts into his book , as no doubt god did into his , — a tear dropt over my university sins . chap. iii. his removal to worthenbury in flint-shire ; his ordination to the ministry , and his exercise of it there . worthenbury is a little town by dee side in that hundred of flint-shire , which is separated some miles from the rest of the county , and known by the name of english mailoes , because tho it is reputed in wales , as pertaining to flint-shire , yet in language and customs it is wholly english , and lies mostly between cheshire and shrop-shire . worthenbury was of old a parochial chapel belonging to the rectory of bangor , but was separated from it in the year by the trustees for uniting and dividing of parishes , and was made a parish of itself . but what was then done being vacated by the kings coming in , it then came to be in statu quo , and continued an appurtenant to bangor , till in the second year of the reign of king william and queen mary , it was again by act of parliament separated , and made independant upon bangor . that was the only act that passed the royal assent with the act of recognition , at the beginning of the second parliament of this reïgn . the principal family in worthenbury parish , is that of the pulestons of emeral . the head of the family was then iohn puleston serjeant at law , one of the iudges of the common-pleas . this was the family to which mr. henry came from christ-church , presently after he had compleated his master's degree , in . order'd into that remote , and to him unknown , corner of the country , by that over-ruling providence which determineth the times before appointed , and the bounds of our habitation . the judges lady was a person of more than ordinary parts and wisdom , in piety inferiour to few , but in learning superiour to most of her sex , which i could give instances of from what i find among mr. henry's papers , particularly an elegy she made upon the death of the famous mr. iohn selden , who was her great friend . this was the lady whose agency first brought mr. henry into this country . she wrote to a friend of hers mr. francis palmer student of christ-church , to desire him to recommend to her a young man to be in her family , and to take the over-sight of her sons ( some of whom were now ready for the university ) and to preach at worthenbury on the lord's-dayes , for which a very honourable encouragement was promised . mr. palmer proposed it to his friend mr. henry , who was willing for one half year to undertake it , provided it might be required of him to preach but once on the lord's-day , and that some other supply might be got for 'tother part of the day , he being now but twenty two years of age , and newly entred upon that great work. provided also , that he should be engaged but for half a year , as little intending to break off so soon from an academical life , which he delighted in so much . but preferring usefulness before his own private satisfaction , he was willing to make trial for a while , in the country , as one that sought not his own things , but the things of jesus christ , to whose service in the work of the ministry he had intirely devoted himself , bending his studies wholly that way . in the latter part of his time at oxford , as one grown weary of that which he used to say he found little to his purpose ; he employed his time mostly in searching the scriptures , and collecting useful scripture observations , which he made very familiar to him , and with which he was throughly furnished for this good work. he got a bible interleav'd , in which he wrote short notes upon texts of scriptures as they occur'd . he would often say , i ●…ad other b●…k , that i may be the better al●… to ●…nderstand the scripture . 't was a stock of scripture knowledge that he set up with , and with that he traded to good advantage . tho he was so great a master in the eloquence of cicero , yet he prefer'd far before it , that of apollos , who was an eloquent man , and mighty in the scriptures , act. . . he bid very fair at that time for university preferment , such was the reputation he had got at the late act , and such his interest in dr. owen : but the salvation of souls was that which his heart was upon , to which he post-poned all his other interests . in september , he came down to emeral , from whence a messenger was sent on purpose to oxford to conduct him thither . long after when it had pleased god to settle him in that country , and to build him up into a family , he would often reflect upon his coming into it first , what a stranger he then was , and how far it was from his thoughts ever to have made his home in those parts , and passing over the brook that parts between flint-shire and shrop-shire would sometimes very affectionately use that word of iacob's , with my staff i passed over this iordan , and now i am become two bands . at emeral he pray'd in the family , was tutor to the young gentlemen , and preach'd once a day at worthenbury , other help being procur'd for the other part of the day , according to his request , out of a fear , being so young , to take the whole work upon him . but it soon hapn'd , that one lord's-day the supply that was expected , fail'd , and so he was necessitated rather than there should be a vacancy to preach twice , in which he found the promise so well fulfill'd , as the day is so shall the strength be , and to him that hath ( i. e. that hath and useth what he hath ) shall be given , and he shall have abundance , that to the great satisfaction of his friends there , from thence forward he wav'd , looking out for other help than what came from above , and would sometimes speak of this as an instance that we do not know what we can do , till we have try'd . here he apply'd himself to a plain and practical way of preaching , as one truly concern'd for the souls of those he spoke to . he would say sometimes , we study how to speak that you may understand us . and , i never think i can speak plain enough when i am speaking about souls and their salvation . i have heard him say , he thought it did him good , that for the first half year of his being at worthenbury , he had few or no books with him , which engaged him ( in studying sermons ) to a closer search of the scripture , and his own heart . what success his labours had in that parish , which before he came to it , ( i have been told ) was accounted one of the most loose and prophane places in all the country , may be gather'd from a letter of the lady puleston's to him , at the end of the first half , year after his coming to emeral , when he was uncertain of his continuance there , and return to settle at christ-church . take the letter at large , dear mr. henry , the indisposition that my sad●… hath bred , and the stay of mrs. v. here yesterday , hindred my answering your last expressions . as to ordering the conversation , and presevering to the practise of those good intents , taken up while one is in pursuit of a mercy : you and i will confer , as god gives opportunity , who also must give the will and the deed , by his spirit , and by the rule of his word . as to begging that one thing for you , god forbid ( as samuel said ) that i should cease to pray , &c. this i am sure , that having wanted hitherto a good minister of the word among us , i have oft by prayer and some tears , above five years besought god for such a one as your self ; which having obtain'd , i cannot yet despair , seeing he hath given us the good means , but he may also give us the good end. and this i find , that your audience is increased three for one in the parish , ( though in winter more than formerly in summer ) ; and five for one out of other places . and i have neither heard of their being in the ale-house on our lords day , nor ball-playing that day , which before you came was frequent ( except that day that young ch. preached ) i think i can name four or five in the parish , that of formal christians are becoming or become real : but you know all are not wrought on at first , by the word . ( some come in no misfortune like other men , and this is the cause they be so holden with pride , &c ) hypocrites also have converted conversion itself : yet god may have reserved those that have not bow'd the kne●… to baal , &c. and may call them at the latter part of the day , though not in this half year , it is a good sign most are loth to part with you ; and you have done more good i●… this half year , then i have discern'd these eighteen years . but however , whether they will hear , or whether they will forbear , you have deliver'd your own soul. i have pray'd , and do pray , seeing god hath sent you , that you may be for his glory , and not for our condemnation . it is easie to imagine what an encouragement this was to him , thus at his first sitting out to see of the travel of his soul , and what an inducement it was to him not to leave those among whom god had thus own'd him . however that spring he returned to oxford . the lady puleston soon after came to him thither , with her five sons , of whom she placed the two eldest under his charge , in the colledge . in the following vacation he went to london to visit his relations there ; and there in october he received a letter from judge puleston , with a very solemn and affectionate request subscribed by the parishoners of worthenbury , earnestly desiring his settlement among them , as their minister , which he was perswaded to comply with , having fix'd to himself that good rule , in the turns of his life , to follow providence , and not to force it : so in the winter following he came down again , and settled with them . he continued in his students place in christs-church for two or three years , attending the service of it once a year ; but disposing of most of the profit of it for the use of poor scholars there . the tithe of worthenbury belong'd to emeral family , paying some rent to the rector of bangor ; this tithe judge puleston was willing to give ( clear of that charge ) to the minister of worthenbury for ever : but such was the peculiar and extraordinary kindness he had for mr. henry , upon the experience of his merits , that he chose rather by deed of indenture , bearing date octob. . . between himself and mr. henry , in consideration of his being pleas'd to undertake the cure of souls , and to preach and teach , and perform other duties of divine service in the parish-church of worthenbury ( so the deed runs ) to give , grant and confirm for himself and his heirs , unto the said , philip henry , the yearly rent of one hundred pounds , charged upon all his messilages , lands and tenements in the several counties of flint , denbigh , and chester , to be paid quarterly , until such times as the said philip henry shall be promoted or preferred to some other spiritual or ecclesiastical living or preferment , with power of distress in case of non-payment . a hundred a year was more than worthenbury tithes were worth at that time ; and the manner of the gift freed the maintenance from much of that loss and incumbrance which commonly attends the gathering of tithe . he still continued for some years in emeral family , where he laid out himself very much for the spiritual good of the family , even of the meanest of the servants , by catechizing , repeating the sermons , and personal instruction , and he had very much comfort in the countenance and conversation of the judge and his lady . yet he complains sometimes in his diary of the snares , and temptations that he found in his way there , especially because some of the branches of the family who did not patrizare were uneasie at his being there , which made him willing to remove to a house of his own , which when judge puleston perceived , in the year . out of his abundant and continued kindness to him , he did at his own proper cost and charges build him 〈◊〉 very handsome house in worthenbury , and settled it upon him by a lease , bearing date march. . . for threescore years , if he should so long continue minister at worthenbury , and not accept of better preferment . he hath noted in his diary , that the very day that the workmen began the building of that house , mr. mainwaring of malpas , preached the lecture at bangor , from psal. . . except the lord build the house , they labour in vain that build it . there never was truth ( saith he ) more seasonable to any than this was to me : it was a word upon the wheels . he hath recorded it as his great care , that his affections might be kept loose from it , and that it might not incroach upon god's interest in his heart . when it was finished he thus writes . i do from my heart bless god , that no hurt or harm befel any of the workmin in the building of it . thus was his maintenance settled at worthenbury . in the year . he was by a writing of judge puleston's , collated , nominated and presented to the church of worthenbury , and ( the powers that then were , having so appointed ) he had an approbation thereof from the commissioners for approbation of publick preachers . some little opposition was made to his settlement at worthenbury by mr. fogg then rector of bangor , because he conceiv'd it an intrenchment upon his right to worthenbury . and thought it might prejudice his recovering of it by course of law. i only mention this for the sake of the note he hath upon it in his diary , which is this , i do earnestly desire that the iudge may give mr. fogg all reasonable satisfaction , that there may be no appearance of wrong to him , or any other in this thing . and when mr. fog insisted upon it , that he would have mr. henry give it under his hand , that he desired the consent of the said mr. fogg to be minister of worthenbury ; he yielded to do it for peace-sake , and from thence forward there was an intimate intire friendship between mr. fogg and him . being thus settled at worthenbury his next care was touching ordination to the work of the ministry , to which he would-see his call very clear , before he solemnly devoted himself to it . and though afterwards in the reflection ( especially when he was silenced ) it was some trouble to him that he had so long deferred to be ordain'd ( and he would often , from the consideration of that press those who intended the ministry , not to put it off ) yet as the times then were , there was something of a reason for it . the nearest acting class of presbyters , was in the hundred of bradford . north in shropshire , wherein mr. porter of whitchurch was the leading man , of whom mr. baxter gives so high a character in his life , part . pag. , and who was one of those whom he recommended to the lord chancellor , as fit to be made a bishop part . p. . this class was constituted by ordinance of parliament , in april . the members of it then , were the aforesaid mr. porter , mr. boughy of hodnet , mr. hougton of prees , mr. parsons of wem , and mr. iohn ruby by , and afterwards mr. malden of newport , mr. binney of ightfield , and mr. steel of hanmer , ( though in flintshire ) were taken in to them , and acted with them . this class in twelve years time publickly ordained sixty three ministers . mr. henry was very desirous to have been ordained at worthenbury , plebe praesence , which he thought most agreeable to the intention , but the ministers were not willing to set such a precedent : however that was one thing which o●…asioned the delay , so that he was not ordained till sept. . . the way and manner of his ordination was according to the known directory of the assembly of divines , and the common usage of the presbyterians ; and yet he having left among his papers a particular account of that solemnity , and some of the workings of his soul towards god in i●… ; i hope it may be of some use both for instruction and quickning to ministers and for the information of such as are perhaps wholly strangers to such a thing , to give some account of te whole transaction . he made addresses to the presbytery , in order to his ordination iul. . at prees , when he submitted to trial , and enquiry was made in the first place , concerning his experience of the work of grace in his heart ; in answer to which he gave a reason of the hope that was in him , with meekness and fear ; that the spirit of grace had been dealing with him when he was young , and he hoped had discovered to him his need of christ , and had bow'd his will in some measure to close with him upon his own terms , &c. his skill in the original languages of the scripture was then tried ; and he read and construed two verses in the hebrew bible , and two in the greek testament : he was then examined in logick and natural philosophy , next in divinity , what authors he had read , and what knowledge he had touching the mediation of christ , &c. and his skill in the scripture was tried , by propounding to him a difficult text to give his sense of ; a case of conscience was also put to him to be resolv●…d , and enquiry made into his acquaintance with church history . lastly , a question was given him to provide a thesis upon against next meeting , which was this , an providentia divina extendat se ad omnia 〈◊〉 aff. on this question he exhibited his thesis , aug. . and defended it . several of the ministers oppos'd , and mr. porter moderated . he then produced two certificates , which he left with the register of the class , one from oxford subscribed by dr. wilkinson , dr. langley , &c. the other from the neighbour ministers , mr. steel , mr. fogg , &c. both testifying of his conversation , &c. the lord forgive me ( saith he in his diary upon this ) that it hath not been more exemplary as it ought for piety and industry . amen , lord , in christ. the day for ordination was appointed to be sept. . at prees , of which notice was given at worthenbury by a paper , read in the church , and afterwards affixed to the church-door the lord's day before , signifying also , that if any one could produce any just exceptions against the doctrine or life of the said mr. henry , or any sufficient reason why he might not be ordained , they should certifie the same to the classis , or the scribe , and it should be heard and considered . on the day of ordination there was a very great assembly gathered together ; mr. porter began the publick work of the day with prayer , then mr. parsons preached on tim. . . i thank christ iesus who hath enabled me , for that he counted me faithful , putting me into the ministry . putting men into the ministry is the work of jesus christ. after sermon mr. parsons , according to the usual method , requir'd of him a confession of his faith , which he made as follows . the ground and rule of my faith towards god , is the scripture of the old and new testament ; i believe they were written by holy men , immediately inspir'd by the holy ghost ; having found the efficacy of them in some measure upon my own heart ; i believe they are further able to make me wise to salvation . concerning god , i believe that he is , and that he is the rewarder of those that diligently seek him . the trinity of persons in the unity of the godhead , i receive and own as a truth , i admire and adore as a mystery ; though no man hath seen god at any time , yet the only . begotten son , which is in the bosom of the father , he hath declared him , and what he hath declared concerning him that i believe . i believe that god is a spirit , for the son hath said , god is a spirit . i believe that he hath life in himself , and that he hath given to the son to have life in himself . i believe all things were made by him , and without him was not any thing made that was made . i believe by his providence he preserves , guides , and governs all the creatures , according to the purpose of his own , will to his own glory ; for the father worketh hitherto , and the son also worketh . i believe he made man upright after his own image and likeness , which image consisted in knowledge , righteousness , and true holiness , but man by sin lost it . i believe we were all in the loins of our first parents , and that they stood , and fell as publick persons , and upon that account justly , without any colour of wrong , we bear our share , both in the guilt of their disobedience , and also the corruption of nature following thereupon ; so that we come into the world children of wrath , and heirs of the curse , one as well as another ; enemies to god , hating him , and hated of him : averse to what is good , and prone to all manner of evil. though all are born in , this condition , yet there are some that do not dye in it . i believe , there is a mediator , and there is but one mediator between god and men , the man christ iesus . those whom the father hath from everlasting pitched his love upon , and given to christ , not because of works or faith foreseen , but meerly of his free grace ; for those , i believe christ was sent forth into the world made of a woman , made under the law ; for their sakes he sanctified himself , and became obedient to death , even the death of the cross ; wherefore god also highly exalted him ; and having raised him from the dead on the third day , se●… him at his own right hand , where he ever lives , to make intercession for those for whom he shed his blood. all these elect redeemed ones i believe are in due time , sooner or later , in their lives effectually called , washed , sanctified , justified in the name of the lord jesus , and by the spirit of our god. i believe the righteousness of christ alone , apprehended by faith , is the matter of our justification before god ; and that no flesh can stand in his sight upon any other terms , for he is the lord our righteousness , and in him only the father is well pleas'd . i believe the work of sanctification , managed by the spirit , who dwelleth in us , though in respect of parts it be compleat , for the whole man is renewed ; yet in respect of degrees it is not fully perfected till we come to glory ; and i believe all that are justified shall be glorifi'd , for we are kept by the fower of god , through faith unto salvation . i believe the gathering in and building up of saints , is the special end why pastors and teachers are appointed in the church ; and that jesus christ , according to his promise , will be with them , in that work to the end of the world. the two sacraments of the new testament , baptism and the lord's supper , i receive and own as signs and seals of the covenant of grace ; the former instituted by our lord jesus , as a sign and seal of our engrassing into him , due of right to all the infants of believing parents , and but once to be administred ; the other instituted by our lord jesus in the night wherein he was betrayed , to shew forth his death , and to seal the benefits purchased thereby to his church and people , and to be often repeated . when the body returns to the dust , i believe the soul returns to god that gave it ; and that immediately it receives from him the sentence , according to what hath been done in the flesh , either come inherit the kingdom , o●… depart accursed into everlasting fire . i believe besides this , a day of general judgment in the end of the world , wherein we must all appear before the tribunal of jesus christ ; and that our bodies being raised by an almighty-power from the dust , shall be united to the same souls again , and shall partake with them in the same condition , either of happiness or misery ; to all eternity . those that have done good shall come forth unto the resurrection of life , and those that have done evil to the resurrection of damnation : this is the sum and substance of my faith , into which i was baptized , and in which , by the grace of god i will live and dye . mr. parsons then propos'd certain questions to him , according to the instructions in the directory , to which he return'd answer as followeth : question . what are your ends in undertaking the work and calling of a minister ? answer . as far as upon search and enquiry i can hitherto find , though there be that within me that would seek great things for my self ( if indeed they were to be found in this calling ) yet with my mind i seek them not . but the improvement of the talent which i have received in the service of the gospel , for the glory of god and the salvation of souls , i hope is in my eye ; if there be any thing else i own it not , i allow it not ; while so many seek their own , it is my desire , and shall be my endeavour , to seek the things of jesus christ. qu. . what are your purposes , as to diligence and industry in this calling ? answ. i do purpose and resolve , by the help of god , to give my self wholly to these things ; to prayer , reading , meditation , instant preaching in season and out of season , wherein i shall very gladly spend and be spent , if by any means i may both save my self and them that hear me . and when at any time i fail herein , i desire god by his spirit , and my christian friends , neighbours and brethren , by seasonable reproof and admonition , to put me in mind of this engagement now made , in the presence of this great congregation . qu. . do you mean to be zealous and faithful in the defence of truth and unity , against error and schism ? answ. i believe what the spirit hath foretold , that in the last days , perilous times shall come , wherein men will not endure sound doctrin , but after their own lusts shall heap unto themselves teachers . 't is my resolution by the grace of christ to watch in all things ; to contend earnestly for the faith , to hold fast the form of sound and wholsom words , even the words of our lord jesus , and the doctrine which is according to godliness , in meekness as i am able ; instructing those that oppose themselves : and for peace and unity if my heart deceive me not , i shall rather chuse to hazzard the loss of any thing that is most dear to me , than be any way knowingly accessary to the disturbance of these in the churches of christ. qu. . what is your perswasion of the truth of the reformed religion ? answ. my perswasion is , that the bishop of rome is that man of sin and son of perdition , whom the lord jesus will consume with the spirit of his mouth , and whom he will destroy by the brightness of his coming . and the separation which our first reformers made i do heartily rejoyce in , and bless god for , for had we still continued to partake with him in his sins , we should in the end have partaked with him also in his plagues . qu. . what do you intend to do when the lord shall alter your condition , and bring a family under your charge ? answ. when the lord shall please in his providence to bring me into new relations , i hope he will give me grace to fill them up with duty , it is my purpose to wait upon him and to keep his way , to endeavour in the use of means , that all that are mine may be the lords . qu. . will you in humility and meekness submit to admonition and discipline ? answ. i believe it to be a duty incumbent upon all that profess the name of christ to watch over one another , and that when any is overtaken in a fault , those that are spiritual are to set him in joynt again with the spirit of meekness . it shall be my endeavour in the strength of jesus christ to walk without rebuke , and when at any time i step aside ( for who is there that lives and sins not ) i shall account the smitings of my brethren kindness , and their wounds faithful . qu. . what if troubles , persecutions , and discouragements arise , will you hold out to the end notwithstanding ? answ. concerning this i am very jealous over my own heart , and there is cause , i find a great want of that zeal and courage for god , which i know is requir'd in a minister of the gospel , nevertheless i perswade my self that no temptation shall befall me but such as is common to man , and that god who is faithful will not suffer me to be tempted above that which i am able , but that with the temptation he will also make a way to escape , that i may be able to bear it . i promise faithfulness to the death , but i rest not at all in my promise to god : but in his to me , when thou goest through the fire , and through the water , i will be with thee . when this was done , mr. parsons pray'd ; and in prayer he and the rest of the presbyters ( mr. porter , mr. houghton , mr. malden and mr. steel ) laid their hands upon him with words to this purpose , whom we do thus in thy name set apart to the work and office of the ministry . after him there were five more after the like previous examinations and trials , professions and promises at the same time in like manner set apart to the ministry . then mr. malden of newport clos'd with an exhortation , directed to the newly ordained ministers , in which ( saith mr. henry in his dairy ) this word went near my heart . as the nurse puts the meat first into her own mouth , and chews it , and then feeds the child with it , so should ministers do by the word , preach it over before-hand to their own hearts , it loses none of the vertue hereby , but rather probably gains . as that milk nourisheth most which comes warm , from the warm brest , so that sermon which comes warm from a warm heart . lord quicken me to do thy will in this thing . the classes gave him , and the rest , instruments in parchment certifying this , which it may satisfy the curiosity of some to read the form of . whereas , mr. philip henry of worthenbury , in the county of flint master of arts , hath addressed himself unto us , authorised by an ordinance of both houses of parliament , of the th of august , for the ordination of ministers , desiring to be ordain'd a presbyter , for that he is chosen and appointed for the work of the ministry at worthenbury in the county of flint , as by a certificate now remaining with us , touching that his election and appointment appeareth , and he having likewise exhibited a sufficient testimonial of his deligence and proficiency in his studies , and unblameableness of his life and conversation , he hath been examin'd according to the rules for examination in the said ordinance expressed ; and thereupon approved , there being no just exception made , nor put in against his ordination and admission . these may therefore testifie to all whom it may concern , that upon the sixteenth day of september . we have proceeded solemnly to set him apart for the office of a presbyter , and work of the ministry of the gospel , by laying on of our hands with fasting and prayer , by virtue whereof we do declare him to be a lawful and sufficiently authoriz'd minister of iesus christ : and having good evidence of his lawful and fair calling , not only to the work of the ministry , but to the exercise thereof at the chappel of worthenbury in the county of flint : we do hereby send him thither , and actually admit him to t●…e said charge , to perform all the offices and duties of a faithful pastor there , exhorting the people in the name of iesus christ , willingly to receive and acknowledge him as the minister of christ , and to maintain and encourage him in the execution of his office , that he may be able to give up such an account to christ of their obedience to his ministry , as may be to his joy , and their everlasting comfort . in witness whereof we the presbyters of the fourth class , in the county of salop , commonly called bradford-north class , have hereunto set our hands , this th day of september , in the year of our lord god , . tho. porter , moderator for the time . andrew parsons , minister of wem . aylmar haughton , minister of prees . john malden . minister of newport . richard steel , minister of hanmer . i have heard it said by those who were present at this solemnity , that mr. henry did in his countenance , carriage and expression , discover such an extraordinary seriousness and gravity , and such deep impressions made upon his spirit , as greatly affected the auditory , and even struck an aw upon them . read his reflection upon it in his diary . methoughts i saw much of god in the carrying on of the work of this day●… , o how good is the lord , he is good and doth good ; the remembrance of it i shall never loose , to him be glory . i made many promises of diligence , faithfulness , &c. but i lay no stress at all on them , but on god's promise to me , that he will be with his ministers always to the end of the world. amen , lord , so be it . make good thy word unto thy servant , wherein thou hast caused me to put my trust. and in another place , i did this day receive , as , much honour and work , as ever i shall be able to know what to do with ; lord iesus proportion supplies accordingly , two scriptures he desir'd might be written in his heart , cor. . , , &c. and chron. . . two years after , upon occasion of his being present at an ordination at whitchurch , he thus writes ; this day my ordination covenants were in a special manner renew'd , as to diligence in reading , prayer , meditation , faithfulness in preaching , admonition , catechizing , sacraments , zeal against error and profaneness , care to preserve and promote the unity and purity of the church , notwithstanding opposition and persecution , tho' to death . lord thou hast filled my hands with work , fill my heart with wisdom and grace , that i may discharge my duty to thy glory , and my own salvation , and the salvation of those that hear me . amen . let us now see how he applied himself to his work at worthenbury . the sphere was narrow , too narrow for such a burning and shining light : there were but forty one communicants in that parish , when he first set up the ordinance of the lord's suppe ; and they were never doubled : yet he had such low thoughts of himself , that he not only never sought for a larger sphere , but would never hearken to any overtures of that kind made to him : and withal , he had such high thoughts of his work , and of the worth of souls , that he laid out himself with as much diligence and vigor here , as if he had had the over-fight of the greatest and most considerable parish in the country . the greatest part of the parish were poor tenants , and labouring husbandmen ; but the souls of su●… ( he us'd to say ) are as precious as the souls of the rich , and to be look'd after accordingly . his prayer for them was , lord , despise not the day of small things in this place where there is some willingness , but much weakness . and thus he writes upon the judges settling a handsome maintenance upon him : lord , thou knowest , i seek not theirs but them : give me ●…he souls . — he was in labours more abundant to win souls ; besides preaching , he expounded the sciptures in order , catechized and explain'd the catechism at first he took into the number of his catechumens some that were adult , who ( he found ) wanted instruction ; and when he had taken what pains he thought needful with them , he dismiss'd them from further attendance , with commendation of their proficiency , and counsel to hold fast the form of found words ; to be watchful against the sins of their age , and to apply themselves to the ordinance of the lord's supper , and make ready for it ; afterwards he catechized none above seventeen or eighteen years of age. he set up a monthly lecture there of two sermons , one he himself preached , and the other his friend mr. ambrose lewis of wrexham , for some years . he also kept up a monthly conference in private from house to house , in which he met with the more knowing and judicious of the parish ; and they discoursed familiarly together of the things of god , to their mutual edification , according to the example of the apostles ; who tho' they had the liberty of publick places , yet taught also from house to house , acts . . . . that which induced him to set and keep up this exercise as long as he durst ( which was till august , . ) was , that by this means he came better to understand the state of his flock , and so knew the better how to preach to them , and pray for them , and they to pray one for another . if they were in doubt about any thing relating to their souls , that was an opportunity of getting satisfaction . it was likewise a means of encreasing knowledge and love and other graces ; and thus it abounded to a good account . he was very industrious in visiting the sick , instructing them , and preying with them ; and in this he would say , he aimed at the good , not only of those that were sick , but also of their friends and relations that were about them . he preach'd funeral sermons for all that were buryed there , rich or poor , old or young , or little children ; for he looked upon it as an opportunity of doing good : he called it , setting in the plow of the word when the providence had softned and prepared the ground he never took any money for that or any o●…er ministerial performance , besides his stated salary , for , which he thought himself obliged to do his whole duty to them as a minister . when he first set up the ordinance of the lord's supper there , he did it with very great solemnity . after he had endeavoured to instruct them in his publick preaching , touching the nature of that ordinance , he discoursed personally with all that gave up their names to the lord in i●… touching their knowledge , experience , and conversation , obliged them to observe the law of christ , touching brotherly admonition in case of scandal ; and gave ●…otlce to the co●…gre ga●…on who they were that were ●…mitted ; adding th●… 〈◊〉 concerning these , and my self , i have two things to say , . as to what is past we have sinned , if ●…e should say we have n●… ; we should deceive our selves and the truth were not in us ; and yet this withal we can say , and have said it some of us with tears , we are grieved that we have sinned . 〈◊〉 for time to come we are resol●…ed by god's g●…ce to walk in new obedience ; and yet le●…g . we are not angels , but men and women , compassed about with infirmities and temptations , it is possible we may fall , but if we do , it is our declared resolution to submit to admonition , and censure according to the rule of the gospel . and all along he took care so to manage his admissions to that ordinance , as that the weak might not be discouraged , and yet the ordinance might not be profaned . he would tell those whom he was necessitated to debar from the ordinance for ignorance , that he would undertake , if they were but truly willing , they might in a weeks time by the blessing of god upon their diligent use of means , reading , prayer , and conference , get such a competent measure of knowledge , as to be able to ●…scern the lord's body . and those that had been scandalous , if they would but come in and declare their repentance and resolutions of new obedience , they should no longer be excluded . to give a specimen of his lively administrations of that ordinance , let me transcribe the notes of his exhortationat the first sacrament that ever he administred , nov. . . i suppose they are but the hints of what he enlarged more upon , for he had always a great fluency upon such occasions . dearly . beloved in our lord and saviour jesus christ , we are met together this day about the most solemn weighty service under heaven ; we are come to a feast , where the feast-maker is god the father , the provision god the son , whose flesh is meat indeed , and whose blood is drink indeed ; the guests a company of poor sinners , unworthy such an honour ; the crumbs under the table were too good for us , and yet we are admitted to tast of the provision upon the table ; and that which makes the feast is hearty welcome : god the father bids you welcome ; and ten thousand welcomes this day , to the flesh and blood of his son ; think you hear him saying it to you , ô believing souls , cant. . . eat , o friends , drink , yea , drinkabundantly , o beloved . the end of this feast is to keep in remembrance the death of christ , and our deliverance by it , and thereby to convey spiritual nourishment and refreshment to our souls . but withal , give me leave to ask you one question , what appetite have you to this feast ? are you come hungring and thirsting ? such have the promise , they shall be filled . he filleth the hungry with good things , but the rich are sent empty away ; a honey-comb to a full soul is no honey-comb — canst thou say as christ said ? with desire i have desired to eat this . in this ordinance here 's christ and all his benefits exhibited to thee . art thou weak ? here 's bread to strengthen thee ; art thou sad ? here 's wine to comfort thee : what is it thou standest in need of , a pardon ? here it is seal'd in blood , take it by faith , as i offer it to you in the name of the lord jesus , though thy sins have been as scarlet , they shall be as wool , if thou be willing and obedient . it may be , here are some that have been drunkards , swearers , scoffers at godliness , sabbath-breakers , and what not ? and god hath put it into your hearts to humble your selves , to mourn for , and turn from all your abominations ; o come hither , here 's forgiveness for thee . what else is it thou wantest ? o ( saith the poor soul ) i would have more of the spirit of grace , more power against sin , especially my own iniquity ; why , here it is for thee , from the fulness , that is in jesus christ we receive , and grace for grace , joh. . . we may say as david did , psal. . , . god hath spoken in his holiness , and then gilead is mine , and manasseh mine . so god hath spoken in his word sealed in his sacrament , and then christ is mine , pardon is mine , grace is mine , comfort mine , glory mine ; here i have his bond to shew for it . this is to those among you , that have engaged their hearts to approach unto god this day . but if there he any come hither with a false , unbelieving , filthy , hard heart , i do warn you seriously , and with authority , in the name of jesus christ , presume not to come any nearer to this sacred ordinance , you that live in the practice of any sin , or the omission of any duty against your knowledge and conscience ; you that have any malice or grudge to any of your neighbours , leave your gift and go your ways ; be reconcil'd to god , be reconciled to your brother , and then come — ! better shame thy self for coming so near , than damn thy self by coming nearer : i testifie to those , who say they shall have peace , though they go on still in their trespasses , that there 's poyson in the bread ; take it and eat it at your own peril ; there 's poyson in the cup too , you drink your own damnation : i wash my hands from the guilt of your blood , look you to it . on the other hand , you poor penitent souls that are lost in your selves , here 's a christ to save you , come , o come ye that are weary and heavy laden , &c. it may not be amiss to transcribe also some hints of preparation for the administring of the ordinance of baptism , which i find under his hand at his first setting out in the ministry , as follows . it is a real manifestation of the goodness and love of god to believers , that he hath not only taken them into covenant with himself , but their seed also ; saying , i will be thy god , and the god of thy seed . tho' to be born of such , doth not necessarily intitle infants to the spiritual mercies of the covenant , for grace doth not run in a blood ; we see the contrary many times , even godly parents have wicked children ; abraham had his ishmael , and isaac his esau , yet questionless it doth entitle them to the external priviledges of the covenant . the like figure unto noah's ark , even baptism doth also now save us : noah , and all that were his , entred into the ark , though we have cause to doubt whether they all entred into heaven . while our lord jesus was here upon the earth , they brought little children to him , and he laid his hands on them , and blessed them ; and said moreover , suffer little children to come unto me , and forbid , them not , ( there are many at this day that forbid little children to come to christ ) ; he adds the reason , for of such is the kingdom of heaven . whether it be meant of the visible church , often so called in the gospel , or of the state of glory in another world ; either way it affords an argument for proof of infant baptism . when either parent is in covenant with god , their children also are in covenant with him ; and being in covenant , they have an undoubted right and title to this ordinance of baptism , which is the seal of the covenant . so that in the administration of this ordinance this day , according to the institution of jesus christ , we look upon you who are the father of this child , as a person in covenant with god : how far you have dealt unfaithfully in the covenant , is known to god and your own conscience ; but this we know , the vows of god are upon you ; and let every one that nameth the name of christ depart from iniquity . but before we baptise your child , i am to acquaint you in a few words what we expect from you . q. ( . ) do you avouch god ●…n jesus christ this day to be your god ? — see to it that this be done in truth and with a perfect heart : you may tell us you do so , and you may deceive us , but god is not mocked . q ( . ) and is , it your desire , that your children also may be received into covenant with the lord , and that the lord 's broad-seal of baptism may be set to it ? q. ( . ) and do you promise in the presence of god and of this congregation , that you will do your endeavour towards the training of it u●… in the way of godliness , that as it is by you through mercy that it lives the life of nature , so it may by you also , through the same mercy , live the life of grace ; else i must tell you , if you be wanting herein , there will be a sad appearance one day , when you shall meet together before the judgment-seat of christ , and this solemn engagement of yours will be brought in to witness against you . these were but the first instances of his skilfulness , in dispensing the mysteries of the kingdom of god. he declin'd the private administration of the lord's supper to sick persons , as judging it not consonant to the rule and intention of the ordinance . he very rarely , if ever , baptised in private ; but would have children brought to the solemn assembly upon the lord's day , that the parents engagement might have the more witnesse●… to it , and the child the more prayers put up for it , and that the congregation might be edified . and yet he would say there was some inconvenience in it too , unless people would agree to put off the feasting part of the solemnity to some other time , which he very much perswaded his friends to ; and observed , that abraham made a great feast the same day that isaac it is weaned , ( gen. . . ) not the same day that he was circumcised . his carriage towards the people of his parish was very exemplary , condescending to the meanest , and conversing familiarly with them ; bearing with the infirmites of the weak , and becoming all things to all men. he was exceeding tender of giving offence , or occasion of grief to any body , minding himself in his diary upon such occasions , that the wisdom that is from above , is pure , and peaceable , and gentle , &c. yet he plainly and faithfully reproved what he saw amiss in any , and would not suffer sin upon them ; mourning also for that which he could not mend . there were some untractable people in the parish , who sometimes caused grief to him , and exercised his boldness and zeal in reproving . once hearing of a merry meeting at an ale-house on a saturday night , he went himself and broke it up , and scattered them . at another time , he publickly witnessed againt 〈◊〉 ●…rolick of some vain people , that on a saturday night came to the church with a fidler before them , and dress'd it up with flowers and garlands , making it ( as he told them ) more like a play-house ; and , was this their preparation for the lord's day , and the duties of it ? &c. he minded them of eccl. . . rejoyce , o young man in thy youth , but know thou — many out of the neighbouring parishes attended upon his ministry , and some came from far , though sometimes he signifi'd his dislike of their so doing , so far was he from glorying in it . but they who had spiritual senses exercised to discern things that differ , would attend upon that ministry which they found to be most edifying . he was about eight years from first to last , labouring in the word and doctrine at worthenbury , and his labour was not altogether in vain : he saw in many of the travel of his soul to the rejoycing of his heart , but with this particular dispensation ( which i have heard him sometimes speak of ) that most or all of those in that parish whom he was ( through grace ) instrumental of good too , died before he left the parish , or quickly after ; so that within a few years after his removal thence , there were very few of the visible fruits of his ministry there ; and a new generation sprung up there who knew not ioseph . yet the opportunity he found there was there of doing the more good , by having those that were his charge near about him , made him all his days bear his testimony to parish order , where it may he had upon good terms , as much more elegible , and more likely to answer the end , than the congregational way of gathering churches from places far distant ; which could not ordinarily meet to worship god together . from his experience here ( though he would say , we must do what we can , when we cannot do what we would ) he often wished and prayed for the opening of a door , by which to return to that order again . he had not been long at worthenbury , but he began to be taken notice of by the neighbouring ministers , as likely to be a considerable man. though his extraordinary modesty and humility ( which even in his youth he was remarkable for ) made him to sit down with silence in the lowest room , and to say as elihu , days shall speak ; yet his eminent gifts and graces could not long be hid , the ointment of the right-hand will betray it self ; and a person of his merits could not but meet with those quickly , who said , friend , go up higher ; and so that scripture was fulfilled , luke . . he was often called upon to preach the week-day . lectures , which were set up plentifully , and diligently attended upon in those parts , and his labours were generally very acceptable and successful . the vox populi fasten'd upon him the epithet of heavenly henry , by which title he was commonly known all the country over , and his advice was sought for by many neighbouring ministers and christians , for he was one of those that found favour and good understanding in the sight of god and man. he was noted at his first setting out ( as i have been told by one who was then intimately acquainted with him , and with his character and conversation ) for three things , . great piety and devotion , and a mighty savor of godliness in all his converse . . great industry in the pursuit of useful knowledge ; he was particularly observed to be very inquisi●…ive when he was among the aged and intelligent , hearing them , and asking them questions ; a good example to young men , especially young ministers . . great self-denial , self-diffidence , and self-abasement ; this eminent humility put a lustre upon all his other graces . this character of him , minds me of a passage i have sometimes heard him tell us , a check to the forwardness ▪ and conference of young men , that once at a meeting of ministers , a question of moment was started , to be debated among them ; upon the first proposal of it , a confident young man shoots his bolt presently , truly ( saith he ) i hold it so ; you hold sir , ( saith a grave minister ) it becomes you to hold your peace . besides his frequent preaching of the lectures about him , he was a constant and diligent attendant upon those within his reach , as a hearer ; and not only wrote the sermons he heard , but afterwards recorded in his diary what in each sermon reach'd his heart , affected him , and did him good ; adding some proper pious ejaculations , which were the breathings of his heart , when he meditated upon and prayed over the sermon . what a wonderful degree of piety and humility doth it evidence , for one of so great acquaintance with the things of god , to write , this i learnt out of such a sermon ; and this was the truth i made up to my self out of such a sermon ; and indeed something out of every sermon . his diligent improvement of the wo●…d preach'd , contributed ( more than any one thing , as a means ) to his great attainments of knowledge and grace . he would say sometimes , that one great use of week-day lectures , was , that it gave ministers an opportunity of hearing one another preach , by whi●…h they are likely to profit , when they hear not as masters , but as scholars , not as censors , but as learners . his great friend and companion , and fellow labourer in the work of the lord , was the worthy mr. richard steel ( minister of hanmer , one of the next parishes to worthenbury ) whose praise is in the churches of christ , for his excellent and useful treatises , the husbandman's calling ; an antidote against distractions , and several others . he was mr. henry's alter idem , the man of his counsel ; with him he joined frequently at hanmer and else-where , in christian conference , and in days of humiliation and prayer : besides , their meetings with other ministers at publick lectures ; after which it was usual for them to spend some time among themselves in set disputations in latin . this was the work that in those days was carried on among ministers , who made it their business , as iron sharpens iron , to provoke one another to love and to good works . what was done of this kind in worcestershire , mr. baxter tells us in his life . in the beginning of his days he often laboured under bodily distempers ; it was fear'd that he was in a consumption ; and some blamed him for taking so much pains in his ministerial work , suggesting to him master spare thy self : one of his friends told him , he lighted up all his pound of candles together ; and that he could not hold out long at that rate ; and wished him to be a better husband of his strength : but he often reflected upon it with comfort afterwards , that he was not influenced by such suggestions : the more we do , the more we may do ( so he would sometimes say ) in the service of god. when his work was sometimes more than ordinary , and bore hard upon him , he thus appealed to god ; thou knowest , lord , how well contented i am to spend and to be spent in thy service ; and if the outward man decay , o , let the inward man be renewed . upon the returns of his indisposition he expresseth a g●…eat concern , how to get spiritual good by it ; to come out of the ●…urnace , and leave some dross behind ; for it is a great loss to loose an affliction . he mentions it as tha●… which he hoped did him good , that he was ready to look upon every return of distemper , as a summons to the grave ; thus he learn'd to dye daily . i find ( saith he ) my earthly . tabernacle t●…tering , and when it is taken down , i shall have a building in heaven , that shall never fail . blessed be god the father and my lord iesus christ , and the good spirit of grace , even so , amen . this was both his strength and his song , under his bodily infirmities . while he was at worthenbury he constantly laid by the tenth of his income for the poor , which he carefully and faithfully dispos'd of , in the liberal things which he devis'd , especially the teaching of poor children : and he would recommend it as a good rule to lay by for charity ( in some proportion , according as the circumstances are ) and then it will be the easier to lay out in charity ; we shall be the more apt to seek for opportunities of doing good when we have money lying by us , of which we have said , this is not our own but the poors . to encourage himself and others to works of charity , he would say , he is no fool who parts with that which he cannot keep , when he is sure to be recompensed with that which he cannot loose . and yet to prove alms to be righteousness , and to exclude all boasting of them , he often express'd himself in these words of david , of thine own , lord have we given thee . in the year . the ministers of that neighbourhood , began to enlarge their correspondence with the ministers of north-wales ; and several meetings they had at ruthin and other places that year , for the settling of a correspondence , and the promoting of unity and love , and good understanding among themselves , by entring into an association , like those some years before of worcestershire and cumberland , to which , as their pattern ( those two having been published ) they did refer themselves . they appointed particular associations ; and ( notwithstanding the differences of apprehension , that were among them ; some being in their judgments episcopal , others congregational , and others classical ) they agreed to lay aside the thoughts of matters in variance , and to give to each other the right hand of fellowship ; that with one shoulder and with one consent , they might study each in their places to promote the common interest of christ's kingdom , and the common salvation of precious souls . he observ'd that this year , after the death of oliver cromwell , there was generally throughout the nation , a great change in the temper of god's people , and a mighty tendency towards peace and unity , as if they were by consent weary of their long clashings , which in his diary he expresseth his great rejoycing in , and his hopes that the time was at hand , when iudah should no longer vex ephraim , nor ephraim envy iudah , neither should they learn war any more . and though these hopes were soon disappointed by a change of the scene ; yet he would often speak of the experience of that and the following year in those parts , as a specimen of what may yet be expected ; ( and therefore in faith prayed for ) when the spirit shall be poured out upon us from on high . but alas , who shall live when god doth this ? from this experience he likewise gather'd this observation , that it is not so much our difference of opinion that doth us the mischief ; ( for we may as soon expect all the clocks in the town to strike together , as to see all good people of a mind in every thing on this side heaven ) but the mismanagement of that difference . in the association of the ministers it was referred to mr. henry to draw up that part of their agreement which concerned the worship of god , which task he performed to their satisfaction : his preface to what he drew up begins thus : though the main of our desires and endeavours be after unity in the greater things of god ; yet we judge uniformity in the circumstances of worship , a thing not to be altogether neglected by us , not only in regard of that influence , which external visible order hath upon the beauty and comliness of the churches of christ ; but also ; as it hath a direct tendency to the strenthning of our hands in ministerial services , and withal to the removing of those prejudices which many people have conceiv'd even against religion and worship itself . we bless god from our very souls , for that whereunto we have already attained ; and yet we hope some further thing may be done , in reference to our closer walking , by the same rule , and minding the same things . the word of god is the rule which we desire and resolve to walk by in the administration of ordinances ; and for those things wherein the word is silent , we think we may and ought to have recourse to christian prudence , and the practise of the reformed churches , agreeing with the general rules of the word : and therefore we have had ( as we think we ought ) in our present agreement , a special eye to the directory , &c. these agreements of theirs were the more likely to be for good , for that here ( as in worcestershire ) when they were in agitation , the ministers set apart a day of fasting and prayer among themselves to bewail ministerial neglects , and to seek to god for direction and success in their ministerial . work. they met sometimes for this purpose at mr. henry's house at worthenbury . one passage may not improperly , be inserted here , that once at a meeting of the ministers , being desired to subscribe a certificate concerning one whom he had not sufficient acquaintance with ; he refus'd , giving this reason , that he preferred the peace of his conscience before the friendship of all the men in the world. sept. . . the lady puleston dyed . she was ( saith he ) the best friend i had on earth , but my friend in heaven is still where he was , and he will never leave me nor forsake me . he preached her funeral sermon from isa. . last , cease from man whose breath is in his nostrils . he hath noted this expression of hers not long before she dy'd : my soul leans to iesus christ , lean to me sweet saviour . about this time he writes , a dark cloud is over my concernments in this family , but my desire is , that whatever becomes of me and my interest , the interest of christ may still be kept on foot in this place . amen , so be it . but he adds soon after that saying of athanasius , which he was us'd often to quote and take comfort from ; nubecula est & citò pertransibit . it is a little cloud , and will soon blow over . about a year after , sept. . . judge puleston dy'd , and all mr. henry's interest in emeral family was buryed in his grave . he preached the judges funeral sermon from neh. . . wipe not out my good deeds that i have done for the house of my god , and for the offices thereof ; the design of which sermon was not to ●…pplaud his deceased friend ; i find not a word in the sermon to that purpose : but he took occasion from the instance of so great a benefactor to the ministry , as the judge was , to shew that deeds done for the house of god and the offices thereof , are good deeds : and to press people according as their ability and opportunity was , to do such deeds . one passage i find in that sermon which ought to be recorded ; that it had been for several years the practise of a worthy gentleman in the neighbouring county in renewing his leases , instead of making it a condition that his tenants should keep a hawk or a dog for him , to oblige them that they should keep a bible in their houses for themselves , and should bring up their children to learn to read and to be catechized . this ( saith he ) would be no charge to you , and it might oblige them to that which otherwise they would neglect . some wish'd ( saith he ) in his diary , that i had chosen some other subject for that sermon , but i approved my self to god , and if i please m●…n , i am not the servant of christ. what personal affronts he received from some of the branches of that family at that time need not be mentioned , but with what exemplary patience he bore them , ought not to be forgotten . in march , ●… . he was very much sollicited to leave worthenbury , and to accept of the vicaridge of wrexham , which was a place that he had both a great interest in , and a great kindness for , but he could not see his call clear from worthenbury , so he declin'd it . the same year he had an offer made him of a considerable living near london , but he was not of them that are given to change , nor did he consult with flesh and blood , nor seek great things to himself . that year he had some disturbance from the quakers , who were set on by some others , who wished ill to his ministry ; they challenged him to dispute with them ; and that which he was to prove against them , was , that the god he worshipped was not an idol ; that iohn baddely ( a blacksmith in malpas , and the ring-leader of the quakers in that country ) was not infallible nor without sin ; that baptism with water , and the lord's supper are gospel ordinances ; that the scriptures are the word of god , and that jesus christ will come to judge the world at the last day : but he never had any publick disputes with them , nor so much disturbance from them in publick worship , as some other ministers had elsewhere about that time . he had some apprehensions at that time , that god would make the quakers a scourge to this nation ; but had comfort in this assurance , that god would in due time vindicate his own honour , and the honour of his ordinances , and those of them who will not repent to give him glory , will be cast into the fire . one passage i cannot omit , because it discovers what kind of spirit the quakers were of : a debauch'd gentleman being in his revels at malpas , drinking and swearing , was after a sort reproved for it by baddely the quaker , who was in his company ; why ( saith the gentleman ) i 'll ask thee one question , whether is it better for me to follow drinking and swearing , or to go and hear henry ? he answered , of the two , rather follow thy drinking and swearing . the cheshire rising this year ( in opposition to the irregular powers that then were ●…ppermost ) under sir george booth ( afterwards lord delamere ) and that of north-wales under sir thomas middleton , could not but affect worthenbury , and the country thereabouts . mr. henry's praye●… for them in ●…his di●…y the day of their first appearing is , lord own them , if they truly own thee . he note●… , that lambert's forces which came down to suppress them , did in that neighbourhood espouse the quakers cause , and offer injury to some ministers ; and therefore , ( saith he ) unless god intend the ruin of the nation by them , they cannot prosper : nor did they long , though in that expedition they had success . in their return some of lambert's soldiers were at worthenbury church hearing mr. henry upon a lord's day ; and one of them sat with his hat on , while they were singing psalms , for which he publickly admonish'd him : and there being many anabaptists among them , he hath recorded it as a good providence , that those questions in the cate●…hism which are concerning baptism , came in course to be expounded that day . the first rising of the cheshire forces was aug. . . and the th following they were worsted and scattered by lambert's forces , near northwich , a strange spirit of fear being upon them , which quite took off their chariot wheels . the country call'd it not the cheshire rising , but the cheshire race . some blamed him , that he did not give god thanks publickly for the defeat of sir george booth ; to whom he answer'd with his usual mildness , that his apprehensions concerning that affair , were not the same with theirs . we are now ( saith he ) much in the dark , never more . he preach'd the lecture at chester soon after , just at the time when mr. cook , a●… eminent minister in chester , and several others were carried prisoners to london , for their agency in the late attempt : and the city was threatned to have their charter taken away , &c. the text in course that day ( for they preached over the latter part of that epistle , if not the whole , at that lecture ) happen'd to be heb. , . we have here no continuing city , which he thought a word upon the wheels at that time . he notes in his diary , that when , after that , the army rul'd , disturb'd the parliament , and carry'd all before them , with a high hand , there were great grounds to fear sad times approaching ; and his prayer is , lord , fit thy people for the fiery trial. he was a hearty well-wisher to the return of the king , the spring following , april , . and was much affected with the mercy of it . while others rejoyce carnally , ( saith he ) lord , help thy people to rejoyce spiritually , in our publick national mercies . 't was upon that occasion that mr. baxter preached his sermon of right rejoycing , on luke . . but he and others soon saw cause to rejoyce with trembling , and to sing both of mercy and judgment ; for about that time he hath this melancholy remark ; religion loses ground exceedingly , and profan●…ss gets it : help lord ! however he was very industrious to quiet the minds of some who were uneasie at that great revolution ; and that scripture yielded him much satisfaction : ioh. . . the father loveth the son , and hath given all things into his hands . if christ be not only head of the church , but heir over all things to the church , we may be assured , that all things shall be made to work together for good to it . the text also which the lord put it into his heart to preach upon , on the day of publick thanksgiving for the king's restoration , was very comfortable to him ▪ prov. . . the kings heart is in the hand of the lord. his sence of that great mercy of god to the nation , in the unbloody , peaceable and legal settlement of king charles the d , upon the throne , was the same with that of multitudes , besides both ministers and others that were of the quiet in the land , who yet not long after suffered very hard things under him . soon after the return of the king , he notes , how industrious some were to remove him from worthenbury , on which he writes this as the breathing of his soul towards god ; lord , if it please thee , fasten me here as a nail in a sure place ; if otherwise , i will take nothing ill which thou dost with me : and when press'd by his friends more earnestly than before to accept of some other place ; lord , ( saith he ) mine eye is up unto thee , i am wholly at thy disposal , make my way plain before my face , because of mine enemies ; my resolution is , to deny my self if thou callest me . here ( or any where , 't is no great matter where ) i am . many years after the king's return , he dated a letter may . 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 . there are two things further which i think it may be of use to give some account of in the close of this chapter . . of the course of his ministry at worthenbury , and . of the state of his soul , and the communion he had with god in those years : the former out of his sermon-notes , the latter out of his diary . as to the subjects he preached upon , he did not use to dwell long upon a text. better one sermon upon many texts , ( viz. many scriptures opened and applied ) than many sermons upon one text : to that purpose he would sometimes speak . he used to preach in a fixed method , and linked his subjects in a sort of a chain ; not confining himself to the method of the assemblies catechism ; ( which some commend ) but he adapted his method and style to the capacity of his hearers , fetching his similitudes for illustration , from those things which were familiar to them . he did not shoot the arrow of the word over their heads in high notions , or the flourishes of affected rhetorick , nor under their feet by blunt and homely expressions , as many do under pretence of plainness , but to their hearts in close and lively applications . his delivery was very graceful and agreeable , far from being either noisie and precipitate on the one hand , or dull and slow on the other . his doctrine did drop as the dew , and distil as the soaking rain , and came with a charming pleasing power , such as many will bear witness to , that have wonder'd at the gracious words which proceeded out of his mouth . he wrote the notes of his sermons pretty large for the most part , and always very legible ; he wrote most of them twice over . but even when he had put his last hand to them , he commonly left many imperfect hints , which gave room for enlargements in preaching , wherein he had a very great felicity . and he would often advise ministers not to tye themselves too strictly to their notes , but having well digested the matter before , to allow themselves a liberty of expression , such as a man's affections , if they be well rais'd , will be apt to furnish him with . but for this , no certain rule can be given , there are diversities of gifts , and each to profit withal . he kept his sermon-notes in very neat and exact order ; sermons in course , according to the order of the subject ▪ and occasional sermons according to the scripture-order of the texts ; so that he could readily turn to any of them . and yet , tho' afterwards he was removed to a place far enough distant from any of that auditory , yet ( though some have desired it ) he seldom preach'd any of those hundreds of sermons which he had preach'd at worthenbury , no not when he preach'd never so privately , but to the last he studied new sermons , and wrote them as elaborately as ever ; for he thought a sermon best preach'd , when it was newly meditated : nay , if sometimes he had occasion to preach upon the same text , yet he would make and write the sermons over ; and he never offered that to god which cost him nothing . when he went to oxford , and preach'd there before the university in christ-church , as he did several times , his labours were not only very acceptable , but successful too ; particularly one sermon which he preach'd there , on prov. . . fools make a mock at sin ; for which sermon , a young master of arts came to his chamber afterwards to return him thanks , and to acknowledge the good impressions , which divine grace by that sermon had made upon his soul , which he hoped he should never forget . in his diary , he frequently records the frame of his spirit in studying and preaching . sometimes blessing god for signal help vouchsafed , and owning him the lord god of all his enlargements ; at other times , complaining of great deadness and straitness . it is a wonder ( saith he ) that i can speak of eternal things , with so little sense of the reality of them . lord , strengthen that which remains , which is ready to die . and he once writes thus upon a studying day ; i forgot explicitly and expressly when i began to crave help from god , and the chariot wheels drove accordingly . lord , forgive my omissions , and keep me in the way of duty . as to the state of his soul in these years , it should seem by his diary , that he was exercised with some doubts and fears concerning it . i think , ( saith he ) never did any poor creature pass through such a mixture of hope and fear , ioy and sadness , assurance and doubting , down and up , as i have done these years past — ( the notice of this may be of use to poor drooping christians , that they may know their case is not singular ; and that if god for a small moment hide his face from them ; he deals with them no otherwise than as he useth sometimes to deal with the dearest of his servants ) . it would affect one ; to hear one that liv'd a life of communion with god , complaining of great straitness in prayer . no life at all in the duty , many wandrings ; if my prayers were written down , and my vain thoughts interlined , what incoherent nonsense would there be ? i am ashamed , lord , i am ashamed , o pitty , and pardon . to hear him suspecting the workings of pride of heart , when he gave an account to a friend , who enquired of him , touching the success of his ministry , and that he should record this concerning himself , with this ejaculation annexed , the lord pardon and subdue : 't was a sign that he kept a very watchful eye upon the motions of his own heart . to hear him charging it upon himself , that he was present at such a duty in the midst of many distractions not tasting sweetness in it , &c. when a fire is first kindled ( saith he ) there is a deal of smoak and smother , that afterwards wears away ; so in young converts , much peevishness , frowardness , darkness : so it hath been with my soul , and so it is yet in a great measure . lord pity , and do not quench the smoaking flax ; though as yet it do but smoak , let these sparks be blown up into a flame . great mercies , but poor returns , signal opportunities , but small improvements : such are his complaints frequently concerning himself . and though few or none excell'd him in profitable discourse , yet in that he often bewails his barronness , and unprofitableness . little good done or gotten such a day for want of a heart ; 't is my sin and shame . o that i had wings like a dove . yet when he wanted a faith of assurance , he li●…'d by a faith of adherence . such a day ( saith he ) a full resignation was made of all my concernments , into the hands of my heavenly father , let him deal with me , as seemeth good in his eyes ; i am learning and labouring to live by faith , lord help my unbelief . another time he notes , that many perplexing fears being upon his spirit , they were all silenced with that sweet word which was seasonably brought to his remembrance , fear none of those things which thou shalt suffer . he very frequently kept days of fasting and humiliation in secret , which he calls his days of atonement . sometimes he observed these monthly , and sometimes only upon special occasions ; but the memorandums in his diary ( not only while he was at worthenbury , but often after ) shew what sweet communion he had with god in those solemn duties , which no eye was witness to , but his who sees in secret , and will reward openly . remember ( o my soul ) such a day , as a day of more then ordinary engagements entred into , and strong resolutions taken up of closer walking , and more watchfulness , o my god , undertake for me ! and upon another of those days of secret prayer and humiliation , he notes , if sowing in tears be so sweet , what then will the harvest be when i shall reap in ioy ? bless the lord , o my soul , who forgiveth all thine iniquities , and will in due time heal all thy diseases . chap. iv. his marriage , family , family religion , and the education of his children . his removed from emeral , to the house in worthenbury , which the judge had built for him , in february , / , and then had one of his sisters with him to keep his house . no sooner had he a tent , but god had an altar , in it , and that a smoaking altar . there he set up repetition on sabbath-evenings , and welcom'd his neighbours to it . his christian friends often , and sometimes his brethren in the ministry , kept days of , fasting and prayer at his house . he us'd to tell people when they had built new houses , they must dedicate them ( referring to deut. . . and psal. . ult . ) that is , they must invite god to their houses , and devote them to his service . providence having thus brought him into a house of his own , soon after provided him a help-meet for him . after long agitation , and some discouragement and opposition from the father , apr. . . he married katherine , the only daughter and heiress of mr. daniel matthews , of broad-oak in the township of iscoyd , in flint-shire , ( but in the parish of malp●… , which is in cheshire , and about two miles distant from whitchurch , a considerable market town in shropshire ) . mr. matthews was a gentleman of a very competent estate ; such a one as king iames the first us'd to say was the happiest lot of all others , which set a man below the office of a justice of peace , and above that of a petty-constable . this was his only child : very fair and honourable overtures had been made for her disposal ; but it pleased god so to order events , and to over-rule the spirits of those concern'd , that she was reserv'd to be a blessing to this good man , in things pertaining both to life and godliness . his purpose of marriage was published in the church three lord's days before ; a laudable practice , which he greatly approved , and perswaded others to . the day before his marriage , he kept as a day of secret prayer and fasting . he us'd to say , those who would have comfort in that change of their condition , must see to it , that they bring none of the guilt of the sin of their single state with them into the married state. and the presence of christ at a wedding , will turn the water into wine ; and he will come , if he be invited by prayer . he took all occasions while he liv'd , to express his thankfulness to god , for the great comfort he had in this relation , a day of mercy ( so he writes on his marriage day ) never to be forgotten . god had given him one ( as he writes afterwards ) every way h●… helper , in whom he had much comfort , and for whom be thanked god with all his heart . he writes in his diary , april . . this day we have been married twenty years , in which time we have received of the lord more than twenty thousand mercies ; to god be glory . sometimes he writes ; we have been so long married , and never reconciled ; that is , there was never any occasion for it . his usual prayer for his friends in the married state , was according to his own practise in that state ; that they might be mutually serviceable to each others faith and holiness , and joyntly serviceable to god's honour and glory . her father , though he put some hardships upon him in the terms , and had been somewhat a verse to the match , yet by mr. henry's great prudence , and god's good providence , he was influenced to give a free consent to it ; and he himself , with his own hand , gave her in marriage . from this , as from other experiences , mr. henry had learned to say with assurance ; it is not in vain to wait upon god and to keep his way . mr. matthews settled part of his estate before marriage upon them and theirs ; he lived about seven years after ; and when he dyed , the remainder of it came to them . this competent estate which the divine providence brought into his hand , was not only a comfortable support to him when he was turn'd out of his living , and when many faithful ministers of christ were reduced to great poverty and straits ; but it enabled him likewise , as he had opportunity , to preach the gospel freely , which he did to his dying day ; and not only so , but to give for the relief of others that were in want , in which he sow'd plentifully , to a very large proportion of his income ; and often blessed god that he had wherewithal , remembring the words of the lord , how he said , it is more blessed to give than to receive . such was his house , and such the vine which god graciously planted by the side of his house . by her god gave him six children , all born within less than e●…ht years ; the two eldest sons , iohn and matthew : ●…he other four daughters , sarah , katharine , eleanor and ann. his eldest son iohn dyed of the measles in 〈◊〉 sixth year of his age ; and the rest were in mercy continued to him . the lord having built him up into a family , he was careful and faithful in making good his solemn vow at his ordination , that he and his house would serve the lord. he would often say , that we are really that which we are relatively . it is not so much what we are at church , as what we are in our families . religion in the power of it will be family religion . in this his practise was very exemplary ; he was one that walked before his house in a perfect way , with a perfect heart , and therein behav'd himself wisely . his constant care and prudent endeavour was not only to put away iniquity far from his tabernacle , but that where he dwelt , the word of christ might dwell richly . if he might have no other church , yet he had a church in his house . he made conscience of closet-worship , and did abound in it , not making his family-worship to excuse for that . he hath this affecting note in his diary , upon the removing of his closet , but from one room in the house to another ; this day ( saith he ) my new closet was consecrated , if i may so say , with this prayer ; that all the prayers that ever should be made in it , according to the will of god , morning , evening , and at noon-day , ordinary or extraordinary , might be accepted of god , and obtain a gracious answer , amen and amen . it was the caution and advice which he frequently gave to his children and friends ; be sure you look to your secret duty , keep that up whatever you do ; the soul cannot prosper in the neglect of it . he observed that apostasy generally begins at the closet-door . secret prayer is first neglected , and carelesly performed , then frequently omitted , and after a while wholly cast off ; and then farewel god and christ and all religion . he also advis'd , that secret duty be perform'd secretly , which was the admonition he gave sometimes to those who caused thei●… voice to be heard on high in that duty . besides this , he and his , wife constantly prayed together morning and evening ; and seldom if they were together at home or abroad was it intermitted ; and from his own experience of the benefit of this practise , he would take all opportunities to recommend it to those in that relation , as conducing very much to the comfort of it , and to their furtherance in that , which he would often say , is the great duty of yoke-fellows ; and that is , to do all they can to help one another to heauen . he would say , that this duty of husbands and wives praying together , is intimated in that of the apostle , . pet. . . where they are exhorted to live as heirs together of the grace of life , that their prayers ( especially their prayers together ) be not hindred ; that nothing may be done to hinder them from praying together , nor to hinder them in it , nor to spoil the success . of those prayers . this sanctifies the relation , ●…nd fetcheth in a blessing upon it , makes the comforts of it the more sweet , and the cares and crosses of it the more easie , and is an excellent means of preserving and encreasing love in the relation . many to whom he hath recommended the practise of this duty , have blessed god for him , and for his advice concerning it . when he was abroad and lay with any of his friends , he would mind them of his rule , that they who lye together must pray together . in the performance of this part of his daily . worship he was usually short , but often much affected . besides these he made conscience , and made a business of family-worship in all the parts of it ; and in it he was uniform , steddy and constant , from the time that he was first called to the charge of a family , to his dying day ; and according to his own practice , be too●… all occasions to press it upon others . his doctrine once from iosh. . . was , that family-worship i●… family-duty . he would say sometimes , if the worship of god be not in the house , write , lord have mercy on us , upon the door ; for there is a plague , a curse in it . it is the judgment of arch-bishop tillotson , in that excellent book which he published a little before his death upon this subjecct ; that constant family worship is so necessary to keep alive a sense of god and religion in the minds of men , that he sees not ho●… any family that neglects it , can in reason be esteemed a family of christians , or indeed to have any religion a●… all . how earnestly would mr. henry reason with people sometimes about this matter , and tell them what a blessing it would bring upon them and their houses , and all that they had . he that makes his house a little church , shall find , that god will make it a little sanctuary . it may be of use to give a particular account of his practise in this matter , because it was very exemplary . as to the time of it , his rule was , commonly the earlier the better both morning and evening ; in the morning before worldly business crowned in , early will i seek thee : he that is the first should have the first ; nor is it fit that the worship of god should stand by and wait while the worlds turn is served . and early in the evening , before the children and servants began to be sleepy ; and therefore if it might be he would have prayer at night before supper , that the body might be the more fit to serve the soul in that service of god. and indeed he did industriously contrive all the circumstances of his family-worship , so as to make it most solemn and most likely to answer the end . he always made it the business of every day , and not ( as too many make it ) 〈◊〉 by-business . this being his fixed principle , all other affairs must be sure to give way to this . and he would tell those who objected against family-worship , that they could not get time for it ; that if they would but put on christian resolution at first , they would not find the difficulty so great as they imagined ; but after a while , their other affairs would fall in easily and naturally with this especially where there is that wisdom which is profitable to direct . nay , they would find it to be a great preserver of order and decency in a family , and would be like a hem to all their other business , to keep it from ravelling . he was ever careful to have all his family present at family-worship ; though sometimes living in the country he had a great houshold ; yet he would have not only his children and sojourners , ( if he had any ) and domestick servants , but his workmen and day-labourers , and all that were employ'd for him , if they were within call to be present , to join with him in this service ; and as it was an act of his charity many times to set them to work for him , so to that he added this act of piety , to set them to work for god. and usually when he paid his workmen their wages , he gave them some good counsel about their souls : yet if any that should come to family-worship were ●…t a distance , and must be staid for long , he would rather want them , than put the duty much out of time ; and would sometimes say at a night , better one away than all sleepy . the performances of his family-worship were the same morning and evening . he observed that under the law , the morning and the evening lamb , had the same meat-offering and drink-offering , exod. . — . he always began with a short , but very solemn prayer , imploring the divine presence and grace , assistance and acceptance ; particularly beging a blessing upon the word to be read , in reference to which he often put up this petition ; that the same spirit that indited the scripture , would enable us to understand the scripture , and to make up something to our selves out of it that may do us good : and esteeming the word of god as his necessary food , he would sometimes pray in a morning , that our souls might have a good meal out of it . he commonly concluded even this short prayer , as he did also his blessings before and after meat , with a doxology , as paul upon all occasions , to him be glory , &c. which is properly adoration , and is an essential part of prayer . he next sung a psalm , and commonly he sung david's psalms in order , throughout ; sometimes using the old translation , but generally mr. barton's : and his usual way was to sing a whole psalm throughout , thô perhaps a long one , and to sing quick ; ( yet with a good variety of proper and pleasant tunes ) and that he might do so , usually the psalm was sung without reading the line betwixt , ( every one in the family having a book ) which he preferred much before the common way of singing , where it might conveniently be done , as more agreeable to the practise of the primitive church , and the reformed churches abroad ; and by this means he thought the duty more likely to be performed in the spirit and with the understanding ; the sense being not so broken , nor the affections interrupted , as in reading the line betwixt . he would say , that a scripture ground for singing psalms in families , might be taken from psal. . . the voice of rejoycing and of salvation , is in the tabernacles of the righteous ; and that it is a way to hold forth godliness ( like rahab's scarlet thread , iosh. . . ) to such as pass by our windows . he next read a portion of scripture , taking the bible in order ; and would sometimes blame those who only pray in their families , and do not read the scripture : in prayer we speak to god , by the word he speaks to us ; and is there any reason ( saith he ) that we should speak all . in the tabernacle the priests were every day to burn incense , and to light the lamps ; the former figuring the duty of prayer , the latter the duty of reading the word . sometimes he would say , those do well that pray morning and evening in their families , those do better that pray and read the scriptures ; but those do best of all , that pray and read and sing psalms , and christians should covet earnestly the best gifts . he advised the reading of the scripture in order ; for though one star in the firmament of the scripture differ from another star in glory , yet wherever god hath a mouth to speak , we should have an ear to hear ; and the diligent searcher may find much excellent matter in those parts of scripture , which we are sometimes tempted to think , might have been spar'd . how affectionately would he sometimes bless god for every book and chapter , and verse and line in the bible . what he read in his family he always expounded : and exhorted all ministers to do so , as an excellent means of encreasing their acquaintance with the scripture . his expositions were not so much critical , as plain and practical , and useful ; and such as tended to edification , and to answer the end for which the scriptures were written , which is to make us wise to salvation . and herein he had a peculiar excellence performing that daily exercise with so much judgment , and at the same time with such facility and clearness , as if every exposition had been premeditated ; and very instructive they were , as well as affecting to the auditors . his observations were many times very pretty and surprizing , and such as one shall not ordinarily meet with . commonly in his expositions he reduced the matter of the chapter or psalm read , to some heads ; not by a logical analysis , which often minceth it too small , and confounds the sense with the terms ; but by such a distribution as the matter did most easily and unforcedly fall into . he often mentioned that saying of tertullian's , i adore the fulness of the scriptures ; and sometimes that ; scriptura semper habet aliquid relegentibus . when sometimes he had hit upon some useful observation that was new to him , he would say afterwards to those about him ; how often have i read this chapter , and never before now took notice of such a thing in it . he put his children , while they were with him , to write these expositions ; and when they were gone from him , the strangers that sojourned with him did the same . what collections his children had , though but broken and very imperfect hints ; yet , when afterwards they were disposed of in the world , were of good use to them and their families . some expositions of this nature , that is , plain and practical , and helping to raise the affections and guide the conversation by the word , he often wished were publish'd by some good hand , for the benefit of families : but such was his great modesty and self-diffidence ( though few more able for it ) that he would never be perswaded to attempt any thing of that kind himself . as an evidence how much his heart was upon it , to have the word of god read and understood in families , take this passage out of his last will and testament : i give and bequeath to each of my four daughters mr. pool ' s english annotations upon the bible , in two volumes , of the last and best edition that shall be to be had at the time of my decease ; together with mr. barton ' s last and best translation of the singing psalms , one to each of them ; requiring and requesting them to make daily use of the same , for the instruction , edification , and comfort of themselves and their families . but 't is time we proceed to the method of his family worship . the chapter or psalm being read and expounded , he requir'd from his children some account of what they could remember of it ; and sometimes would discourse with them plainly and familiarly about it , that he might lead them into an acquaintance with it ; and ( if it might be ) impress something of it upon their hearts . he then pray'd , and always kneeling , which he looked upon as the fittest and most proper gesture for prayer ; and he took care that his family should address themselves to the duty , with the outward expressions of reverence and composedness . he usually fetch'd his matter and expressions in prayer , from the chapter that was read , and the psalm that was sung , which was often very affecting , and helped much to stir up and excite praying graces . he sometimes observ'd in those psalms , where reference is ●…ad to the scripture stories , as psal. . and many others , that those who are well acquainted with the scriptures , would not need to make use of the help of prescribed forms , which are very necessary for those that cannot do the duty without them , but are becoming those that can ; as a go-cart is needful to a child , or crurches to one that is lame , but neither of them agreeable to one that needs them not : 't was the comparison he commonly used in this matter . in family-prayer he was usually most full in giving . thanks for family-mercies , confessing family-sins , and beging family-blessings . very particular he would sometimes be in prayer for his family ; if any were absent , they were sure to have an express petition put up for them . he us'd to observe concerning iob. chap. . . that he offered burnt-offerings for his children , according to the number ' of them all , an offering for each child ; and so would he sometimes in praying for his children , put up a petition for each child . he always observ'd at the annual return of the birth day of each of his children , to bless god for his mercy to him and his wife in that child ; the giving of it , the continuance of it , the comfort they had in it , &c. with some special request to god for that child . every servant and sojourner , at their coming into his family and their going out , ( besides the daily remembrances of them ) had a particular petition put up for them , according as their circumstances were . the strangers that were at any time within his gates , he was wont particularly to recommend to god in prayer , with much affection , and christian concern for them and their concernments . he was daily mindful of those that desired his prayers for them , and would say sometimes , it is a great comfort that god knows who we mean in prayer , though we do not name them . particular providences concerning the country , as to health or sickness , good or bad weather , or the like , he commonly took notice of in prayer , as there was occasion ; and would often beg of god to fit us for the next providence , whatever it might be : nor did he ever forget to pray for the peace of ierusalem . he always concluded family-prayer , both morning and evening , with a solemn benediction , after the doxology ; the blessing of god almighty , the father , the son , and the holy ghost , be with us , &c. thus did he daily bless his houshold . immediately after the prayer was ended , his children together , with bended knee , ask'd blessing of him and their mother ; that is , desired of them to pray to god to bless them : which blessing was given with great solemnity and affection ; and if any of them were absent , they ever remembred , the lord help you and your brother , or you and your sister that is absent . this was his daily worship , which he rarely altered ( unless as is after mentioned ) though he went from home never so early , or returned never so late , or had never so much business for his servants to do . he would say , that sometimes he saw cause to shorten them ; but he would seldom omit any ; for if an excuse be admitted for an omission , it will be often returning . he was not willing ( unless the necessity were urgent ) that any should go from his house in a morning before family worship ; but upon such an occasion would mind his friends , that prayer and provender never hinder a iourney . he managed his daily family-worship , so as to make it a pleasure and not a task to his children and servants ; for he was seldom long , and never tedious in the service ; the variety of the duties made it the more pleasant ; so that none who join'd with him had ever any reason to say , behold what a weariness is it ! such an excellent faculty he had of rendring religion the most sweet and aimable employment in the world ; and so careful was he ( like iacob ) to drive as the children could go , not putting new wine into old bottles . if some good people that mean well would do likewise , it might prevent many of those prejudices which young persons are apt to conceive against religion , when the services of it are made a toil and a terror to them . on thursday evenings ( instead of reading ) he catechized his children and servants in the assemblies catechism , with the proofs , or sometimes in a little catechism , concerning the matter of prayer , published in the year . and said to be written by dr. collins , which they learned for their help in the gift of prayer , and he explain'd it to them . or else they read , and he examined them in some other useful book , as mr. pool's dialogues against the papists , the assemblies confession of faith with the scriptures , or the like . on saturday evenings , his children and servants gave him an account what they could remember of the chapters that had been expounded all the week before , in order , each a several part , helping one anothers memories for the recollecting of it . this he call'd gathering up the fragments which remained , that nothing might be lost . he would say to them sometimes as christ to his disciples , have ye understood all these things ? if not , he took that occasion to explain them more fully . this exercise ( which he constantly kept up all along ) was both delightful and profitable , and being managed by him with so much prudence and sweetness , helped to instil into those about him betimes , the knowledge and love of the holy scriptures . when he had sojourners in his family , who were able to bear a part in such a service , he had commonly in the winter time set weekly conferences on questions propos'd , for their mutual edification and comfort in the fear of god ; the substance of what was said , he himself took and kept an account of in writing . but the lord's day he called and counted the queen of days , the pearl of the week , and observed it accordingly . the fourth commandment intimates a special regard to be had to the sabbath in families , thou and thy son and thy daughter , &c. it is the sabbath of the lord in all your dwellings . in this therefore he was very exact , and abounded in the work of the lord in his family on that day . whatever were the circumstances of his publick opportunities , ( which vari'd , as we shall find afterwards ) his family religion on that day was the same : extraordinary sacrifices must never supersede the continual burnt-offering and his meat-offering , numb . . . his common salutation of his family or friends , on the lord's day in the morning , was that of the primitive christians ; the lord is risen , he is risen indeed ; making it his chief business on that day to celebrate the memory of christ's resurrection ; and he would say sometimes , every lord's day , is a true christians easter - day . he took care to have his family ready early on that day , and was larger in exposition and prayer on sabbath-mornings , than on other days . he would often remember , that under the law the daily sacrifice was doubled on sabbath-days , two lambs in the morning , and two in the evening . he had always a particular subject for his expositions on sabbath mornings ; the harmony of the evangelists several times over ; the scripture prayers ; old testament prophesies of christ ; christ the true treasure ( so he entituled that subject ) sought and found in the field of the old testament . he constantly sung a psalm after dinner , and another after supper , on the lord's dayes . and in the evening of the day his children and servants were catechized and examined in the sense and meaning of the answers in the catechism , that they might not say it ( as he used to tell them ) like a parrot , by rote . then the days sermons were repeated , commonly by one of his children when they were grown up , and while they were with him ; and the family gave an account what they could remember of the word of the day , which he endeavoured to fasten upon them , as a nail in a sure place . in his prayers on the evening of the sabbath , he was often more than ordinarily enlarged ; as one that found not only god's service perfect freedom , but his work it s own wages ; and a great reward ; not only after keeping , but ( as he used to observe from ps. . . ) in keeping god's commandments . a perfect reward of obedience in obedience . in that prayer he was usually very particular , in praying for his family and all that belong'd to it . it was a prayer he often put up , that we might have grace to carry it as a minister , and a minister's wife , and a minister's children , and a minister's servants should carry it , that the ministry might in nothing be blamed . he would sometimes be a particular intercessor for the towns and parishes adjacent : how have i heard him , when he hath been in the mount with god , in a sabbath evening prayer , wrestle with the lord for chester , and shrewsbury , and nantwich , and wrexham , and whitchurch , &c. those nests of souls , wherein there are so many , that cannot discern between their right hand and their left in spiritual things , &c. he closed his sabbath work in his family with singing psalm . and after it a solemn blessing of his family . thus was he prophet and priest in his own house ; and he was king there too , ruling in the fear of god , and not suffering sin upon any under his roof . he had many years ago a man servant that was once over-taken in drink abroad ; for which , the next morning at family-worship , he solemnly reproved him , admonish'd him , and prayed for him with a spirit of meekness , and soon after parted with him . but there were many that were his servants , who by the blessing of god upon his endeavours , got those good impressions upon their souls , which they retain'd ever after ; and blessed god with all their hearts , that ever they came under his roof . few went from his service till they were married , and went to families of their own ; and some after they had been married , and had bury'd their yoke fellows , return'd to his service again , saying , master , it is good to be here . he brought up his children in the fear of god , with a great deal of care and tenderness , and did by his practise , as well as upon all occasions in discourses , condemn the indiscretion of those parents , who are partial in their affections to their children , making a difference between them , which he observed did often prove of ill consequence in families ; and lay a foundation of envy , contempt and discord , which turns to their shame and ruine . his carriage towards his children was with great mildness and gentleness , as one who desir'd rather to be loved than feared by them . he was as careful not to provoke them to wrath , nor to discourage them , as he was to bring them up in the nurture and admonition of the lord. he rul'd indeed , and kept up his authority , but it was with wisdom and love , and with a high hand . he allowed his children a great degree of freedom , with him , which gave him the opportunity of reasoning them , not frightning them into that which is good . he did much towards the instruction of his children , in the way of familiar discourse , according to that excellent directory for religious education , deut. . . thou shalt whet these things ( so the word is which he said noted frequent repetition of the same things ) upon thy children , and shalt talk of them when thou sittest in thy house , &c. which made them love home , and delight in his company , and greatly endear'd religion to them . he did not burthen his childrens memories by imposing upon them the getting of chapters and psalms without book ; but endeavoured to make the whole word of god familiar to them , especially the scripture stories , and to bring them to understand it and love it , and then they would easily remember it . he us'd to observe from psal. . . i will never forget thy precepts , for with them thou hast quickned me ; that we are then likely to remember the word of god when it doth us good . he taught all his children to write himself , and set them betimes to write sermons , and other things that might be of use to them : he taught his eldest daughter the hebrew tongue when she was about six or seven years old , by an english hebrew grammar , which he made on purpose for her ; and she went so far in it , as to be able readily to read and construe a hebrew psalm . he drew up a short form of the baptismal covenant , for the use of his children ; it was this : i take god the father to be my chiefest good , and highest end. i take god the son to be my prince and saviour . i take god the holy ghost to be my sanctifier , teacher , guide and comforter . i take the word of god to be my rule in all my actions . and the people of god to be my people in all conditions . i do likewise devote and dedicate unto the lord my whole self , all i am , all i have , and all i can do . and this i do deliberately , sincerely , freely and for ever . this he taught his children , and they each of them solemnly repeated it every lord's day in the evening , after they were catechized , he putting his amen to it , and sometimes adding , so say , and so do , and you are made for ever . he also took pains with them , to lead them into the understanding of it , and to perswade them to a free and cheerful consent to it . and when they grew up , he made them all write it over severally with their own hands , and very solemnly set their names to it , which he told them he would keep by him , and it should be produced as a testimony against them , in case they should afterwards depart from god , and turn from following after him . he was careful to bring his children betimes ( when they were about sixteen years of age , ) to the ordinance of the lord's supper , to take the covenant of god upon themselves , and to make their dedication to god their own act and deed ; and a great deal of pains he took with them , to prepare them for that great ordinance , and so to transmit them into the state of adult church-membership : and he would often blame parents , who would think themselves undone if they had not their children baptized , and yet took no care when they grew up and made a profession of the christian religion , to perswade them to the lord's supper . 't is true ( he would say ) buds and blossoms are not fruit but they give hopes of fruit , and parents may and should take hold of the good beginning of grace which they see in their children , by those to bind them so much the closer to , and lead them so much the faster in the way that is called holy. by this solemn engagemement the door wich stood half-open before , and invited the thief , is shut and bolted against temptation . and to those who pleaded that they were not fit , he would say , that the further they went into the world the less sit they would be . qui non est bodie cras minus aptus erit . not that children should be compell'd to it , nor those that are wilfully ignorant , untoward and perverse , admitted to it , but those children that are hopeful and well inclin'd to the things of god , and appear to be concern'd in other duties , of religion , when they begin to put away childish things , should be incited and encouraged and perswaded to this , that the matter may be brought to an issue . nay , but we will serve the lord ; fast bind , fast find . abundant thanks-givings have been rendred to god by many of his friends for his advice and assistance herein . in dealing with his children about their spiritual state , he took hold of them very much by the handle of their infant-baptism , and frequently inculcated that upon them , that they were born in god's house , and were betimes dedicated and given up to him , and therefore were oblig'd to be his servants , psal. . . i am thy servant , because the son of thy handmaid . this he was wont to illustrate to them by the comparison of taking a lease of a fair estate for a child in the cradle , and putting his life into it ; the child then knows nothing of the matter , nor is he capable of consenting ; however , then he is maintained out of it , and and hath an interest in it ; and when he grows up and becomes able to chuse , and refuse for himself , if he go to his landlord , and claim the benefit of the lease , and promise to pay the rent , and do the services well and good , he hath the benefit of it , if otherwise , it is at his peril . now children ( would he say ) our great landlord was willing that your lives should be put into the lease of heaven and happiness , and it was done accordingly , by your baptism , which is the seal of the righteousness that is by faith ; and by that it was assur'd to you that if you would pay the rent and do the service , that is , live a life of faith and repentance , and sincere obedience , you shall never be turn'd off the tenement ; but if now you dislike the terms , and refuse to pay this rent ( this chief rent , so he would call it , for it 's no rack ) you forfeit the lease ; however you cannot but say , that you had a kindness done you , to have your lives put into it . thus did he frequently deal with his children , and even travel in birth again to see christ formed in them , and from this topick he generally argued , and he would often say , if infant baptism were more improved , it would be less disputed . he not only taught his children betimes to pray , ( which he did especially by his own pattern , his method and expressions in prayer being very easie and plain ) but when they were young he put them upon it , to pray together , and appointed them on saturdays in the afternoon , to spend some time together , none but they and such of their age , as might occasionally be with them , in reading good books , especially those for children , and in singing and praying ; and would sometimes tell them for their encouragement , that the god with whom we have to do , understands broken language . and if we do as well as we can in the sincerity of our hearts , we shall not only be accepted but taught to do better : to him that hath shall be given . he sometimes set his children in their own reading of the scriptures , to gather out such passages as they took most notice of , and thought most considerable , and write them down : though this performance was very small , yet the endeavour was of good use . he also directed them to insert in a paper book , which each of them had for the purpose , remarkable sayings and stories , which they met with in reading such other good books as he put into their hands . he took a pleasure in relating to them the remarkable providences of god , both in his own time and in the days of old , which he said , parents were taught to do by that appointment , exod. . , . your children shall ask you in time to come ; what mean you by this service ? and you shall tell them so and so . what his pious care was concerning his children , and with what a godly jealousie he was jealous over them , take in one instance ; when they had been for a week or fortnight kindly entertained at b. ( as they were often ) he thus writes in his diary upon their return home . my care and fear is , lest converse with such so far above them , though of the best , should have influence upon them to lift them up , when i had rather they should be kept low . for as he did not himself , so he was very sollicitous to teach his children , not to mind high things , not to desire them , not to expect them in this world. we shall conclude this chapter with another passage out of his diary , apr. . . this day fourteen years the lord took my first-born son from me , the beginning of my strength , with a stroke . in the remembrance whereof my heart melted this evening : i beg'd pardon for the jonah that raised that storm , i blessed the lord that hath spar'd the rest , i beg'd mercy , mercy for every one of them , and absolutely and unreservedly devoted and dedicated them , my self , my whole self , estate , interest , life , to the will and service of that god from whom i received all . father hallowed be thy name . thy kingdom come &c. chap. v. his ejectment from worthenbury , his non-conformity , his removes to broad-oak , and the providences that were concerning him to the year . having thus laid together the instances of his family religion , we must now return to the history of events that were concerning him , and are obliged to look back to the first year after his marriage , which was the year that king charles the second came in ; a year of great changes and struggles in the land , which mr. baxter in his life gives a full and clear and impartial idea of ; by which it may easily be guess'd , how it went with mr. henry in his low and narrow sphere , whose sentiments in those things were very much the same with mr. baxter's . many of his best friends in worthenbury parish were lately removed by death ; emeral family contrary to what it had been ; and the same spirit which that year reviv'd all the nation over was working violently in that country , viz. a spirit of great enmity to such men as mr. henry was . worthenbury , upon the kings coming in , returned into its former relation to bangor , and was look'd upon as a chappelry dependant upon that . mr. robert fogg had for many years held the sequestred rectory of bangor , to which now dr. henry bridgman ( son to iohn bishop of chester , and brother to the lord keeper bridgeman ) return'd to the possession of . by which mr. henry was soon apprehensive that his interest at worthenbury was shaken , but thus he writes . the will of the lord be done . lord if my work be done here , provide some other for this people that may be more skilful , and more successful , and cut out work for me elsewhere ; however , i will take nothing ill which god doth with me . he laboured what he could to make dr. bridgman his friend , who gave him good words and was very civil to him , and assured him that he would never remove him till the law did . but he must look upon himself as the doctors curate , and depending upon his will , which kept him in continual expectation of a removal ; however , he continued in his liberty there above a year , though in very ticklish and precarious circumstances . the grand question now on foot was , whether to conform or no. he us'd all means possible to satisfy himself concerning it , by reading , and discourse , ( particularly at oxford with dr. fell ( afterwards bishop of oxford ) but in vain , his dissatisfaction remain'd ; however ( saith he ) i dare not judge those that do conform , for who am i that i shall judge my brother : he hath noted , that being at chester , in discourse with the dean and chancellor and others , about this time , the great argument they used with him to perswade him to conform was , that else he would lose his preferment , and what ( said they ) you are a young man , and are you wiser then the king and bishops ? but this is his reflection upon it afterwards , god grant i may never be left to consult ●…ith flesh and blood in such matters . in september . mr. fogg and mr. steel and mr. henry were presented at flint-assizes for not reading the common prayer , though as yet it was not enjoyn'd , but there were some busie people , that would out-run the law. they entred their appearance , and it fell ; for soon after the king's declaration , touching ecclesiastical affairs came out , which promised liberty and gave hopes of settlement , but the spring-assizes afterwards mr. steel and mr. henry were presented again . on this he writes . be merciful to me o god , for man would swallow me up . the lord shew me what he would have me to do , for i am afraid of nothing but sin. it appears by the hints of his diary that he had melancholy apprehensions , at this time about publick affairs , seeing and hearing of so many faithful ministers distur'b , silenced , and ensnared ; the ways of sion mourning , and the quiet in the land treated as the troublers of it ; his soul wept in secret for it . and yet he join'd in the annual commemoration of the king's restauration , and preach'd on caesar's , ) considering ( saith he ) that it was his right ; also the sad posture of the civil government through usurpers , and the manner of his coming in , without bloodshed . this he would all his days speak of as a national mercy , but what he rejoyced in with a great deal of trembling for the ark of god ; and he would sometimes say , that during those years between forty and sixty , though on civil accounts there were great disorders , and the foundations were out of course , yet in the matters of god's worship , things went well ; there was freedom , and reformation , and a face of godliness was upon the nation , tho' there were those that made but a mask of it . ordinances were administred in power and purity , and though there was much amiss , yet religion at least in the profession of it did prevail : this ( saith he ) we know very well , let men say what they will of those times . in november . he took the oath of allegiance at orton , before sir thomas hanmer , and two other justices , of which he hath left a memorandum in his diary , with this added , god so help me , as i purpose in my heart to do accordingly : nor could any more conscientiously observe that oath of god than he did , nor more sincerely promote the ends of it . that year ( according to an agreement with some of his brethren in the ministry , who hoped thereby to oblige some people ) he preached upon christmas-day . the sabbath before it happen'd that the d chapter of leviticus ( which treats intirely of the jewish feasts , called there the feasts of the lord ) came in course to be expounded , which gave him occasion to distinguish of feasts into divine and ecclesiastical ; the divine feasts that the jews had were those there appointed ; their ecclesiastical feasts were those of purim and of dedication : and in the application of it he said , he knew no divine feast we have under the gospel but the lord's day , intended for the commemoration of the whole mercy of our redemption . and the most that could be said for christmas was , that it is an ecclesiastical feast ; and it is questionable with some , whether church or state , though they might make a good day , esth. . . could make a holy day : nevertheless , for asmuch as we find our lord iesus ( joh. . . ) so far complying with the church feast of dedication , as to take occasion from the peoples coming together to preach to them , he purposed to preach upon christmas - day , knowing it to be his duty in season and out of season . he preached on ioh. . . for this purpose was the son of god manifested , that he might destroy the works of the devil . and he minded his people , that it is double dishonour to iesus christ , to practise the works of the devil , then when we keep a feast in memory of his manifestation . his annuity from emeral was now with held , because he did not read the common prayer : ( tho' as yet there was no law for reading of it ) hereby he was disabled to do what he had been wont , for the help and relief of others ; and this he has recorded as that which troubled him most under that disappointment ; but he blessed god , that he had a heart to do good , even when his hand was empty . when emeral family was unkind to him , he reckoned it a great mercy , which he gave god thanks for ( who makes every creature to be that to us that it is ) that mr. broughton and his family ( which is of considerable figure in the parish ) continued their kindness and respects to him , and their countenance of his ministry , which he makes a grateful mention of more than once in his diary . many attempts were made in the year . to disturb and ensnare him , and it was still expected , that he would have been hindred ; methinks ( saith he ) sabbaths were never so sweet as they are , now we are kept at such uncertainties ; now a day in they courts is better than a thousand ; such a day as this ( saith he of a sacrament day that year ) better than ten thousand ; o that we might yet see many such days ! he was advis'd by mr. ratcliff of chester and others of his friends to enter an action against mr. p. for his annuity , and did so ; but concerning the success of it ( saith he ) i am not over sollicitous ; for though it be my due , ( luke . . ) yet it was not that which i preached for ; and god knows i would much rather preach for nothing than not at all ; and besides i know assuredly , if i should be cast , god will make it up to me some other way . after some proceeding he not only mov'd but sollicited mr. p. to refer it , having learned ( saith he ) that it is no disparagement but an honour , for the party wronged , to be first in seeking reconciliation ; the lord ( if it be his will ) incline his heart to peace . i have now ( saith he ) two great concerns upon the wheel , one in reference to my maintenance for time past , the other as to my continuance for the future ; the lord b●… my friend in both , but of the two rather in the latter . but ( saith he ) many of greater gifts and grace than i are laid aside already , and when my turn comes , i know not , the will of god be done ; he can do his work without us . the issue of this affair was , that there having been some disputes between mr. p. and dr. bridgman , about the tithe of worthenbury , wherein mr. p. had clearly the better claim to make , yet by the mediation of sir tho. hanmer they came to this agreement , septemb. . . that dr. bridgman and his successors , parsons of bangor , should have and receive all the tithe corn and hay of worthenbury , without the disturbance of the said mr. p. or his heirs ( except the tith-hay of emeral demesn ) upon condition that dr. bridgman should before the first of november following , avoid and discharge the present minister or curate philip henry , from the chappel of worthenbury , and not hereafter at any time re-admit the said minister philip henry , to officiate the said cure. this is the substance of the articles agreed upon between them , pursuant to which dr. bridgman soon after dismiss'd mr. henry ; and by a writing under his hand , which was published in the church of worthenbury , by one of mr. puleston's servants october the th following , notice was given to the parish of that dismission . that day he preached his farewel sermon on phil. . . only let your conversation be as becomes the gospel of christ. in which ( as he saith in his diary ) his desire and design was rather to profit then to affect ; it matters not what becomes of me ( whether i come unto you , or else be absent ) but let your conversation be as becomes the gospel . his parting prayer for them was , the lord , the god of the spirits of all flesh , set a man over the congregation . thus he ceased to preach to his people there , but he ceased not to love them , and pray for them ; and could not but think there remained some dormant relation betwixt him and them . as to the arrears of his annuity from mr. p. when he was displaced ; after some time mr. p. was willing to give him l. which was a good deal less , than what was due , upon condition that he would surrender his deed of annuity , and his lease of the house , which he for peace-sake was willing to do , and so he lost all the benefit of judge puleston's great kindness to him . this was not compleated till september , . until which time he continued in the house at worthenbury , but never preached so much as once in the church , tho' there were vacancies several times . mr. richard hilton was immediately put into the curacy of worthenbury by dr. bridgman ; mr. henry went to hear him , ( if he were at home ) as long as he continued at worthenbury ; and join'd in all the parts of the publick worship , particularly attending upon the sacrament of baptism ; not daring ( saith he ) to turn my back upon god's ordinance , while the essentials of it are retained , tho' corrupted circumstantially in the administration of it , which god amend . once being allow'd the liberty of his gesture , he join'd in the lord's supper . he kept up his correspondence with mr. hilton ; and ( as he saith in his diary ) endeavoured to possess him with right thoughts of his work , and advis'd him the best he could in the soul affairs of that people ; which ( saith he ) he seemed to take well ; i am sure i meant it so , and the lord make him faithful . immediately after he was removed and silenced at worthenbury , he was sollicited to preach at bangor , and dr. bridgman was willing to permit it , occasionally ; and intimated to his curate there , that he should never hinder it ; but mr. henry declin'd it : tho' his silence was his great grief , yet such was his tenderness , that he was not willing so far to discourage mr. hilton at worthenbury , nor to draw so many of the people from him , as would certainly have followed him to bangor : but ( saith he ) i cannot get my heart into such a spiritual frame on sabbath-days now , as formerly ; which is both my sin and my affliction . lord quicken me with quickning grace . when the king came in first , and shew'd so good a temper , as many thought ; some of his friends were very earnest with him , to revive his acquaintance and interest at court , which it was thought he might easily do . 't was reported in the country , that the duke of york had enquired after him ; but he heeded not the report : nor would he be perswaded to make any addresses that way . for ( saith he ) my friends do not know so well as i the strength of temptation , and my own inability to deal with it . qui benè latuit benè vixit ; lord lead me not into temptation . he was greatly affected with the temptations and afflictions of many faithful ministers of christ at this time , by the pressing of conformity ; and kept many private days of fasting and prayer in his own house at worthenbury , seeking to turn away the wrath of god from the land. he greatly pitied some , who by the urgency of friends , and the fear of want , were over perswaded to put a force upon themselves in their conformity . the lord keep me ( saith he ) in the critical time . he preached sometimes occasionally in divers neighbouring places , till bartholomew-day . the day ( saith he ) which our sins have made one of the saddest days to england , since the death of edward the th ; but even this for good , though we know not how nor which way . he was invited to preach at bangor on the black bartholomew-day , and prepared a sermon on ioh. . in the last day , that great day of the feast , &c. but was prevented from preaching it ; and was loth to strive against so strong a stream . as to his nonconformity , which some of his worst enemies have said was his only fault , it may not be amisshere to give some account of it . . his reasons for his nonconformity were very considerable . 't was no rash act , but deliberate and well weigh'd in the balance of the sanctuary . he could by no means submit to be re-ordain'd ; so well satisfied was he in his call to the ministry , and his solemn ordination to it , by the laying on of the hands of the presbytery , which god had graciously own'd him in ; that he durst not do that which looked like a renunciation of it , as null and sinful , and would be at least a tacit invalidating and condemning of all his administrations . nor could he truly say , that he thought himself moved by the holy ghost , to take upon him the office of a deacon . he was the more confirm'd in this objection , because the then bishop of chester , dr. hall ( in whose diocess he was ) besides all that was requir'd by law , exacted from those that came to him to be re-ordain'd , a subscription to this form. ego a. b. praetensas meas ordinationis literas , à quibusdam presbyteris olim obtentas , jam penitus renuncio , & dimitto pro vanis ; humiliter supplicans quatenus rev. in christo pater & dominus dominus georgius permissione divinâ cestr. episc. me ad sacrum diaconatus ordinem juxta morem & ritus ecclesiae anglicanae dignaretur admmittere . this of reordination was the first and great bar to his conformity , and which he mostly insisted on . he would sometimes say , that for a presbyter to be ordained a deacon , is at the best , suscipere gradum simeonis . besides this , he was not at all satisfied to give his unfeigned assent and consent , to all and every thing contained in the book of common-prayer , &c. for he thought that thereby he should receive the book it self , and every part thereof , rubricks and all , both as true and good ; whereas there were several things which he could not think to be so . the exceptions which the ministers made against the liturgy , at the savoy conference , he thought very considerable ; and could by no means submit to , much less approve of the imposition of the ceremonies : he often said , that when christ came to free us from the yoke of one ceremonial law , he did not leave it in the power of any man or company of men in the world , to lay another upon our necks . kneeling at the lord's supper he was much dissatisfied about , and it was for many years his great grief , and which in his diary he doth often most pathetically lament ; that by it he was debared from partaking of that ordinance , in the solemn assembly : for to submit to that imposition he thought whatever it was to others ( whom he was far from judging ) would be sin to him . he never took the covenant , nor ever-express'd any foundness for it ; and yet he could not think , and therefore durst not declare that ( however unlawfully impos'd ) it was in itself an unlawful oath , and that no person that took it , was under the obligation of it : for sometimes quod fieri non debuit factum valet . in short , it cannot be wondred at , that he was a nonconformist , when the terms of conformity were so industriously contrived , to keep out of the church such men as he ; which is manifest by the full account which mr. baxter hath left to posterity of that affair ; and it is a passage worth noting here , which dr. bates in his funeral sermon on mr. baxter relates ; that when the lord chamberlain manchester told the king ( while the act of uniformity was under debate ) that he was afraid that the terms were so hard , that many of the ministers would not comply with them ; bishop sheldon being present replied , i am afraid they will. and it is well known how many of the most sober , pious , and laborious ministers , in all parts of the nation , conformists as well as nonconformists did dislike those impositions . he thought it a mercy ( since it must be so ) that the case of nonqonformity was made so clear as it was , abundantly to satisfie him in his silence and sufferings . i have heard that mr. anthony burgoss , who hesitated before , when he read the act , blessed god that the matter was put cut of doubt . and yet to make sure work , the printing and publishing of the new book of common-prayer was so deferr'd , that few of the ministers , except those in london , could possibly get a sight of it much less duly consider of it before the time prefix'd ; which mr. steel took notice of in his farewel-sermon at hanmer , august . . that he was silenced and turn'd out , for not declaring his unfeigned assent and consent to a book which he never saw nor could see . one thing which he comforted himself with in his nonconformity was , that as to matters of doubtful disputation touching church-government , ceremoni●…s and the like , he was unsworn either on one side or the other , and so was free from those snares and bands in which so many find themselves both ty'd up from what they would do , and entangled that they knew not what to do . he was one of those that fear'd an oath , eccl. . . and would often say , oaths are edg-tools , and not to be played with . one passage i find in his papers which confirm'd him in this satisfaction ; 't is a letter from no less a clergy-man than dr. f. of whitchurch to one of his parishioners , who desired him to give way that his child might be baptized by another without the cross and godfathers , if he would not do it so himself ; both which he refus'd : 't was in the year / . for my part ( saith the doctor ) i freely profess my thoughts , that the strict urging of indifferent ceremonies , hath done more harm than good ; and possibly ( had all men been left to their liberty therein ) there might have been much more unity , and not much less uniformity . but what power have i to dispense with my self , being now under the obligation of a law and an oath ? and he concludes , i am much grieved at the unhappy condition of my self , and other ministers , who must either lose their parishioners love , if they do not comply with them , or else break their solemn obligations to please them . this he would say was the mischief of impositions , which ever were and ever will be bones of contention . when he was at worthenbury , though in the lord's supper he used the gesture of sitting himself , yet he administred it without scruple to some , who chose rather to kneel ; and he thought that ministers hands should not in such things be tied up ; but that he ought in his place ( though he suffered for it ) to witness against the making of those things the indispensable terms of communion , which jesus christ hath not made to be so . where the spirit of the lord , and the spirit of the gospel is , there is liberty . such as these were the reasons of his nonconformity , which as long as he liv'd , he was more and more co●…firm'd in . . his moderation in his nonconformity was very exemplary and eminent , and had a great influence upon many , to keep them from running into an uncharitable and schismatical separation ; which upon all occasions he bore hi●… testimony against , and was very industrious to stem the tide of . in church government , that which he desired and wished for , was usher's reduction of episcopacy . he thought it lawful to join in the common-prayer in publick assemblies , and practis'd accordingly , and endeavoured to satisfie others concerning it . the spirit he was of , was such as made him much afraid of extreams , and sollici●…ous for nothing more than to maintain and keep christian love and charity among professors : we shall meet with several instances of this , in the progress of his story , and therefore wave it here . i have been told of an aged minister of his acquaintance , who being as'd upon his death-bed , what his thoughts were of his nonconformity , replied , he was well satisfied in it , and should not have conformed so far as he did ( viz. to join in the liturgy ) if it had not been for mr. henry . thus was his moderation known unto all men. but to proceed in his story . at michaelmas , . he quite left worthenbury , and came with his family to broad-oak , just nine years from his first coming into the country . being cast by divine providence into this new place and state of life , his care and prayer was , that he might have grace and wisdom to manage it to the glory of god , which ( saith he ) is my chief end. within three weeks after his coming hither , his second son was born , which we mention , for the sake of the remark he has upon it . we have no reason ( saith he ) to call him benoni , i wish we had not to call him i●…habod . and on the day of his family-thanksgiving for that mercy , he writes , we have reason to rejoyce with trembling , for it goes ill with the church and people of god , and reason to fear worse , because of our own sins , and our enemies wrath. at the latter end of this year he hath in his diary this note . it is observed of many who have conformed of late , and fallen from what they formerly professed , tha●… since their so doing , from unblamable , orderly , pious men , they are become exceeding dissolute and profane , and instanceth in some : what need have we every day to pray , lord lead us not into temptation . for several years after he came to live at broad-oak , he went constantly on lords days to the publick worship , with his family , at whitewell-chapel ( which is hard by ) if there were any supply there , as sometimes there was from malpas , and if none , then to tylstock , ( where mr. zachary thomas continued for about half a year , and the place was a little sanctuary ) and when that string fail'd usually to whitchurch ; and did not preach for a great while , unless occasionally , when he visited his friends , or to his own family on lords days , when the weather hindred them from going abroad . he comforted himself , that sometimes in going to publick , he had opportunity of instructing and exhorting those that were in company with him , by the way , according as he saw they had need ; and in this his lips fed many , and his tongue was as choice silver ; and he acted according to that rule which he often laid down to himself and others , that when we cannot do what we would , we must do what we can , and the lord will accept us in it . he made the best of the sermons he heard in publick ; it is a mercy ( saith he ) we have bread , though it be not as it hath been , of the finest of the wheat . those are froward children who throw away the meat they have , if it be wholsome , because they have not what they would have . when he met with preaching that was weak , his note is , that 's a poor sermon indeed , out of which no good lesson may be learned . he had often occasion to remember that verse of mr. herbert's : the worst speaks something good , if all want sense , god takes the text , and preacheth patience . nay , and once he saith , he could not avoid thinking of eli's sons , who made the sacrifices of the lord to be abhorred : yet he went to bear his testimony to publick ordinances ; for still ( saith he ) the lord loves the gates of zion , more than all the dwellings of jacob , and so do i. such then were his sentiments of things , expecting that god would yet open a door of return to former publick liberty , which he much desir'd and prayed for , and in hopes of that was , backward to fall into the stated exercise of his ministry otherwise , ( as were all the sober nonconformists generally in those parts ) but it was his grief , and burthen , that he had not an opportunity of doing more for god. he had scarce one talent of opportunity , but that one he was very diligent and faithful in the improvement of . when he visited his friends , how did he lay , out himself to do them good ! being asked once ( where he made a visit ) to expound and pray , which his friends return'd him thanks for ; he thus writes upon it , they cannot thank me so much for my pains , but i thank them more , and my lord god especially , for the opportunity . read his conflict with himself at this time : i own my self a minister of christ , yet do nothing as a minister ; what will excuse me ! is it enough for me to say , behold , i stand in the market place , and no man hath hired me : and he comforts himself with this appeal , lord thou knowest what will i have to thy work , publick or private , if i had a call and opportunity ; and shall this willing mind be accepted ? surely this is a melancholy consideration , and lays a great deal of blame somewhere , that such a man as mr. henry , so well qualified with gifts and graces for ministerial work , and in the prime of his time for usefulness ; so sound and orthodox , so humble and modest , so quiet and peaceable , so pious and blameless , should be so industriously thrust out of the vineyard , as a useless and unprofitable servant , and laid aside as a despised broken vessel , and a vessel in which there was no pleasure . this is a lamentation , and shall be for a lamentation ; especially since it was not his case alone , but the lot of so many hundreds of the same character . in these circumstances of silence and restraint , he took comfort himself , and administred comfort to others from that scripture isa. . . let mine out-casts dwell with thee moab . god's people may be an out-cast people , cast out of mens love , their synagogues , their country ; but god will own his people when men cast them out ; they are out-casts , but they are his , and somewhere or other he will provide a dwelling for them . there were many worthy , able ministers thereabouts turn'd out , both from work and subsistence , that had not such comfortable support for the life that now is , as mr. henry had , for whom he was most affectionately concern'd , and to whom he shew'd kindness . there were computed within a few miles round him , so many ministers turn'd out to the wide world , stript of all their maintenance , and expos'd to continual hardships , as with their wives and children ( having most of them numerous families ) made up above a hundred , that liv'd upon providence ; and though oft reduced to wants and straits , yet were not forsaken , but were enabled to rejoyce in the lord , and to joy in the god of their salvation notwithstanding : to whom the promise was fulfilled , psal. . . so shalt thou dwell in the land , and verily thou shalt be fed . the world was told long since , by the conformists plea , that the worthy mr. lawrence ( mr. henry's intimate friend ) when he was turn'd out of baschurch , and ( if he would have consulted with flesh and blood ) having ( as was said of one of the martyrs ) eleven good arguments against suffering , viz. a wife and ten children ; was ask'd how he meant to maintain them all , and cheerfully replied , they must all live upon the th of matthew , take no thought for your life , &c. and he often sung with his family psal. . . and mr. henry hath noted concerning him in his diary , some time after he was turn'd out , that he bore witness to the love and care of our heavenly father , providing for him and his in his present condition , beyond expectation . one observation mr. henry made not long before he dyed , when he had been young and now was old , that though many of the ejected ministers were brought very low , had many children , were greatly harrassed by persecution , and their friends generally poor and unable to support them ; yet in all his acquaintance he never knew , nor could remember to have heard of any nonconfor mist minister in prison for debt . in october . mr. steel and mr. henry , and some other of their friends , were taken up and brought prisoners to hanmer , under pretence of some plot , said to be on foot against the government : and there they were kept under confinement some days , on which he writes ; it is sweet being in any condition with a clear conscience : the sting of death is sin , and so of imprisonment also , 't is the first time ( saith he ) i was ever a prisoner , but perhaps may not be the last . we felt no hardship , but we know not what we may . they were after some days examin'd by the deputy lieutenants , charged with they knew not what , and so dismissed , finding verbal security to be forth-coming upon twenty four hours notice , whenever they should be called for . mr. henry return'd to his tabernacle with thanksgivings to god , and a hearty prayer for his enemies , that god would forgive them . the very next day after they were released , a great man in the country , at whose instigation they were brought into that trouble , died ( as was said ) of a drunken surfeit . so that a man shall say , verily there is a god that judgeth in the earth . in the beginning of the year . when the act for a royal aid to his majesty of two millions and a half came out ; the commissioners for flintshire were pleas'd to nominate mr. henry sub-collector of the said tax for the township of iscoyd , and mr. steel for the township of hanmer . they intended thereby to put an affront and disparagement upon their ministry , and to shew that they look'd upon them but as lay-men , his note upon it is , it is not a sin which they put us upon , but it is a cross , and a cross in our way , and therefore to be taken up and born with patience . when i had better work to do , i was wanting in my duty about it , and now this is put upon me , the lord is righteous . he procured the gathering of it , by others only took account of it , and saw it duly done and deserv'd , ( as he saith , he hoped he should ) that inscription mentioned in suetonius 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 . to the memory of an honest publican . in september the same year , he was again by warrant from the deputy lieutenant's fetch'd prisoner to hanmer , as was also mr steel and others . he was examined about private meetings : some such ( but private indeed ) he own'd he had been present at of late in shropshire , but the occasion was extraordinary ; the plague was at that time raging in london , and he , and several of his friends having near relations there , thought it time to seek the lord for them , and this was imputed to him as his crime . he was likewise charged with administring the lord's supper , which he denied , having never administred it since he was disabled by the act of uniformity . after some days confinement , seeing they could prove nothing upon him , he was discharged upon recognizance , of l. with two sureties to be forth-coming upon notice , and to live peaceably . but ( saith he ) our restraint was not strict for we had liberty of prayer , and conference together , to our mutual edification : thus , out of the eater came forth meat , and out of the strong sweetness , and we found honey in the carcase of the lion. it was but a little before this , that mr. steel setting out for london , was by a warrant , from the justices , under colour of the report of a plot , stop't and search'd , and finding nothing to accuse him of , they seiz'd his almanack in which he kept his diary for that year ; and it not being written very legibly , they made what malicious readings and comments they pleas'd upon it , to his great wrong and reproach ; though to all sober and sensible people , it discover'd him , to be a man that kept a strict watch over his own heart , and was a great husband of his time , and many said they got good by it , and should love him the better for it , psal. . , . this event made mr. henry somewhat more cautious and sparing in the records of his diary , when he saw how evil men dig up mischief . at lady-day . the five-mile act , commenced , by which all nonconformist ministers , were forbidden upon pain of sixth months imprisonment to come , or be within five miles of any corporation , or of any pla●…e , where they had been ministers , unless they would take an oath : of which mr. baxter saith , 't was credibly reported , that the earl of southampton then lord high treasurer of england said , no honest man could take it . mr. baxter in his life , hath set down at large , his reasons against taking this oxford oath , as it was called , part . . p. . &c. part . . p. . &c. mr. henry , set his down in short . 't was an oath , not at any time , to endeavour any alteration of the government in the church or state. he had already taken an oath of allegiance to the king , and he look'd upon this to amount to an oath of allegiance to the bishops , which he was not free to take , thus he writes , march. . / . this day methoughts it was made more clear to me than ever , by the hand of my god upon me , and i note it down , that i may remember it . ( ) that the government of the church of christ , ought to be managed by the ministers of christ. it appears , heb. . that they are to rule us , that speak to us the word of god. ( ) that under prelacy , ministers have not the management of church-government , not in the least , being only the publishers of the prelates decrees , as in excommunication , and absolution , which decrees sometimes are given forth by lay chancellors . ( ) that therefore prelacy is an usurpation in the church of god upon the crown and dignity of jesus christ , and upon the gospel-rights of his servants the ministers . and therefore ( ) i ought not to subscribe to it , nor to swear not to endeavour in all lawful ways the alteration of it , viz. by praying , and perswading , where there is opportunity . but ( ) that i may safely venture to suffer in the refusal of such an oath , committing my soul , life , estate , liberty , all to him who judgeth righteously . and on march . the day when that act took place , he thus writes . a sad day among poor ministers up and down this nation ; who by this act of restraint are forced to remove from among their friends , acquaintance , and relations , and to sojurn among strangers , as it were in mesech , and in the tents of kedar . but there is a god who tells their wandrings , and will put their tears , and the tears of their wives , and children into his bottle , are they not in his book ? the lord be a little sanctuary to them , and a place of refuge , from the storm , and from the tempest , and pity those places , from which they are ejected , and come and dwell where they may not . he wished their removes might not be figurative of evil to these nations , as ezekiel's were , ezek. . . . . this severe dispensation forced mr. steel , and his family from hanmer , and so he lost the comfort of his neighbourhood ; but withal it drew mr. laurence from baschurch to whitchurch parish , where he continued till he was driven thence too . mr. henry's house at broad o●…k was but four reputed miles from the utmost limits of worthenbury parish , but he got it measured , and accounting yards to a mile ( according to the statute eliz. cap. . ) it was found to be just five miles and threescore yards , which one would think might have been his security : but there were those near him who were ready to stretch such laws to the utmost rigor , under pretence of construing them in favour of the king , and therefore would have it to be understood of reputed miles : this obliged him for some time to leave his family , and to sojurn among his friends , to whom he endeavoured wherever he came to impart some spiritual gift . at last he ventured home , presuming among other things , that the warrant by which he was made collector of the royal aid , while that continued , would secure him , according to a promise in the last clause of the act , which when the gentlemen perceived , they discharged him from that office , before he had served out the time. he was much affected with it , that the burning of london happned so soon after the nonconformists were banished out of it . he thought it was in mercy to them , that they were removed before that desolating judgment came , but that it spoke aloud to our governours , let my people go that they may serve me , and if ye will not , behold thus and thus will i do unto you . this was the lord's voice crying in the city . in the beginning of the year . he removed with his family to whitchurch , and dwelt there above a year , except that for one quarter of a year , about harvest he returned again to broad-oak . his remove to whitchurch was partly to quiet his adversaries , who were ready to quarrel with him upon the five mile act , and partly for the benefit of the school there for his children . there in apr. following he buried his eldest son , not quite six years old , a child of extraordinary praegnancy and forwardness in learning , and of a very towardly disposition , his character of this child is , praeterquam aetatem nil puerile fuit . this child before he was seized with the sickness whereof he died , was much affected with some verses , which he met with in mr. whites power of godliness , said to be found in the pocket of a hopeful young man , who died before he was twenty four years old . of his own accord he got them without book , and would be often rehearsing them , they were these . not twice twelve years , ( he might say not half twelve years ) full told a wearied breath i have exchanged for a happy death . short was my life ; the longer is my rest , god takes them soonest whom he loveth best . he that is born to day and die's to morrow , loses some hours of joy , but months of sorrow ; other diseases often come to grieve us , death strikes but once and that stroak doth relieve us . this was a great affliction , to the render parents : mr. henry writes upon it in the reflection , quicquid amas oupias non placuisse nimis . many years after he said , he thought he did apply to himself at that time but too sensibly that scripture , lam. . . i am the man that hath seen affliction . and he would say to his friends upon such occasions , loosers think they may have leave to speak . but they must have a care what they say , lest speaking amiss to god's dishonour , they make work for repentance and shed tears that must be wipt over again . he observed concerning this child , that he had always been very patient under rebukes , the remembrance of which ( saith he ) teacheth me now how to carry it under the rebuke's of my heavenly father . his prayer under this providence was , shew me , lord , shew me wherefore thou contendest with me ; have i over-boasted , overlov'd , over-priz'd ? a lord's day intervening between the death , and burial of the child , i attended ( saith he ) on publick ordinances though sad in spirit , as job who after all the evil tidings that were brought him , whereof , death of children was the last and heaviest , yet fell down and worshipped . and he would often say upon such occasions , that weeping must not hinder sowing . upon the interment of the child , he writes , my dear child , now mine no longer , was laid in the cold earth , not lost , but sown to be raised again a glorious body , and i shall go to him , but he shall not return to me . a few days after his dear friend mr. lawrence ( then living in whitchurch parish ) buried a daughter , that was grown up and very hopeful , and giving good evidence of a work of grace wrought upon her soul ; how willing ( saith he ) may parents be to part with such when the lord calls ; they are not amissi but praemissi . and he hath this further remark , the lord hath made his poor servants , that have been often companions in his work , now companions in tribulation , the very same tribulation ; me for my sin , him for his trial. while he liv'd at whitchurch , he attended constantly upon the publick ministry , and there ( as ever ) he was careful to come to the beginning of the service , which he attended upon with reverence and devotion ; standing all the time , even while the chapters were read . in the evening of the lord's day , he spent some time in instructing his family , to which a few of his friends and neighbours in the town would sometimes come in ; and it was a little gleam of opportunity , but very short , for ( as he notes ) he was offended at it , who should rather have rejoyced , if by any means the work might be carried on in his peoples souls . he observes in his diary this year , how zealous people had generally been for the observation of lent , a while ago . and how cold they are towards it now . the same he notes of processions in ascention week ; for ( saith he ) what hath no good foundation , will not hold up long ; but in that which is duty , and of god , it is good to be zealously affected always . in this year ( i think ) was the first time that he administred the lord's supper ( very privately to be sure ) after he was silenced by the act of uniformity ; and he did not do it without mature deliberation . a fear of separation kept him from it so long ; what induced him to it at last , i find thus under his own hand : i am a minister of christ , and as such i am obliged , virtute officii , by all means to endeavour the good of souls . now here 's a company of serious christians , whose lot is cast to live in a parish , where there is one set over them , who preacheth the truth ; and they come to hear him , and join with him in other parts of worship ; only as to the lord's supper ; they scruple the lawfulness of the gesture of kneeling ; and he tells them , his hands are tyed , and he cannot administer it unto them any other way ; wherefore they come to me , and tell me , they earnestly long for that ordinance ; and there is a competent number of them , and opportunity to partake ; and how dare i deny this request of theirs , without betraying my ministerial tr●…st , and incuring the guilt of a grievous omission . in february / . mr. laurence and he were invited by some of their friends to betley in staffordshire , and ( there being some little publick connivance at that time ) with the consent of all concerned , they adventured to preach in the church , one in the morning , and the other in the afternoon of the lords day , very peaceably and profitably . this action of theirs was presently after reported in the house of commons , by a member of parliament , with these additions , that they tore the common-prayer book , trampled the surplice under their feet , pull'd the minister of the place out of the pulpit , &c. reports which there was not the least colour for . but that , with some other such like false stories , produced an address of the house of commons to the king , to issue out a proclamation , for the putting of the laws in execution , against papists and nonconformists , which was issued out accordingly ; though the king at the opening of that session . a little before , had declared his desire , that some course might be taken , to compose the minds of his protestant subjects , in matters of religion ; which had raised the expectations of some , that there would be speedy enlargement ; but mr. henry had noted upon it , we cannot expect too little from man , nor too much from god. and here it may be very pertinent to observe , how industrious mr. henry was at this time , when he and his friends suffered such hard things from the government , to preserve and promote a good affection to the government notwithstanding . it was commonly charged at that time upon the nonconformists in general , especially from the pulpits , that they were all a factious and turbulent people , and as was said of old , ezra . . hurtful to kings and provinces ; that their meetings were for the sowing of sedition and discontents , and the like ; and there is some reason to think , that one thing intended by the hardships put upon them , was to drive them to this ; there is a way of making a wise man mad : but how peaceably they carried themselves , is manifest to god , and in the consciences of many . for an instance of it , it will not be amiss to give some account of a sermon , which mr. henry preached in some very private meetings , such as were called seditious conventicles , in the year . when it was a day of treading down , and of perplexity ; it was on that text , psal. . . against them that are quiet in the land ; whence ( not to curry favour with rulers , for whatever the sermon was , the very preaching of it had it been known , must have been severely punished , but purely out of conscience towards god ) he taught his friends this doctrine , that it is the character of the people of god , that they are a quiet people in the land. this quietness he described to be an orderly , peaceable subjection to governours and government in the lord. we must maintain a reverent esteem of them , and of their authority , in opposition to despising dominion , pet. . . we must be meek under severe commands , and burthensome impositions , not murmuring and complaining , as the israelites against moses and aaron ; but take them up as our cross in our way , and bear them as we do foul weather . we must not speak evil of dignities , iude . nor revile the gods , exod. . . paul checked himself for this , acts . , 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 : i did not consider it , if i had , i would not have said so . we must not traduce their government as absalom did david's , sam. . . great care is to be taken , how we speak of the faults of any , especially of rulers , eccl. . . — the people of god do make the word of god their rule , and by that they are taught , ( . ) that magistracy is god's ordinance , and magistrates god's ministers ; that by him kings reign , and the powers that be , are ordained of him . ( . ) that they as well as others , are to have their dues , honour and fear , and tribute . ( . ) that their lawful commands are to be obey'd , and that readily and chearfully , tit. . . ( . ) that the penalties inflicted for not obeying unlawful commands , are patiently to be undergone . this is the rule , and as many as walk according to this rule , peace shall be upon them , and there can be no danger of their unpeaceableness . they are taught to pray for kings and all in authority , tim. . . . and god forbid we should do otherwise : yea , thô they persecute , ier. . . peaceable prayers bespeak a peaceable people , psal. . . if some professing religion have been unquiet , their unquietness hath given the lye to their profession . iude . , . quietness is our badge , coll. . . ' ●…will be our strength , isa. , , . our rejoycing in the day of evil , ier. . . it is pleasing to god , tim. . , . it may work upon others , pet. . , . the means he prescribed for the keeping of us quiet , were to get our hearts fill'd with the knowledge and belief of these two things , . that the kingdom of christ is not of this world , ioh. . . many have thought otherwise , and it hath made them unquiet . . that the wrath of man worketh not the righteousness of god , iam. . . he needs not our sin to bring to pass his own counsel . we must mortifie unquietness in the causes of it , iam. . . we must always remember the oath of god , eccl. . . the oath of allegiance is an oath of quietness , and we must beware of the company and converse of those that are unquiet , prov. . , . thô deceitful matters be devis'd , yet we must be quiet still ; nay , be so much the more quiet . i have been thus large in gathering these hints out of that sermon , ( which he took all occasions , in other sermons to inculcate , as all his brethren likewise did ) that if possible it may be a conviction to the present generation ; or however , may be a witness in time to come , that the nonconformist ministers , were not enemies to caesar , nor troublers of the land ; nor their meetings any way tending to the disturbance of the publick peace , but purely design'd to help to repair the decays of christian piety . all that knew mr. henry , knew very well that his practise all his days , was consonant to these his settled principles . in may . he return'd again with his family from whitchurch to broad-oke , which , through the good hand of his god upon him , continued his settled home , without any remove from it , till he was removed to his long home above twenty eight years after . the edge of the five mile act began now a little to rebate , at least in that country ; and he was desirous to be more useful to the neighbours , among whom god had given him an estate , than he could be at a distance from them , by relieving the poor , employing the labourers , and especially instructing the ignorant , and helping as many as he could to heaven . he made that scripture his standing rule , and wrote it in the beginning of his book of accounts , prov. . , . honour the lord with thy substance , &c. and having set apart a day of secret prayer and humiliation , to beg of god a wise and an understanding heart , and to drop a tear ( as he expresseth it ) over the sins of his predecessors , formerly in that estate ; he laid out himself very much in doing good . he was very serviceable upon all accounts in the neighbourhood , and though it took up a great deal of his time , and hindred him from his beloved studies , yet it might be said of him , as the bishop of salisbury saith of arch-bishop tillotson , in his sermon at his funeral , that he chose rather to live to the good of others than to himself ; and thought , that to do an act of charity , or even of tenderness and kindness , was of more value both in it self , and in the sight of god , than to pursue the pompous parts of learning , how much soever his own genius might lead him to it . he was very useful in the common concernments of the township and country , in which he was a very prudent counsellor ; it was indeed a narrow sphere of activity , but ( such as it was ) to him as to iob , chap. . , . men gave ear and waited , and kept silence at his counsel , after his words they spake not again ; and many of the neighbours who respected him not as a minister , yet lov'd and honour'd him as a knowing , prudent and humble neighbour . in the concernments of private families , he was very far from busying himself , and further from seeking himself , but he was very much busied , advising many about their affairs , and the disposal of themselves and their children , arbitrating and composing differences among relations and neighbours , in which he had an excellent faculty , and often good success , inheriting the blessing entail'd upon the peace-makers . references have sometimes been made to him by rule of court , at the assizes , with consent of parties . he was very affable and easie of access , and admirably patient in hearing every ones complaint , which he would answer with so much prudence and mildness , and give such apt advice , that many a time to consult with him , was to ask counsel at abel , and so to end the matter . he observ'd in almost all quarrels that happened , that there was a fault on both sides ; and that generally they were most in the fault , that were most forward and clamorous in their complaints . one making her moan to him of a bad husband she had , that in this , and 'tother instance was unkind ; and ( sir , ) saith she , after a long complaint which he patiently heard , what would you have me to do now ? why truly ( saith he ) i would have you to go home , and be a better wife to him , and then you 'll find that he will be a better husband to you . labouring to perswade one to forgive an injury that was done him ; he urged this , are you not a christian ? and follow'd that argument so close , that at last he prevailed . he was very industrious , and oft successful in perswading people , to recede from their right , for peace sake ; and he would for that purpose tell them luther's story of the two goats , that met upon a narrow bridge over a deep water ; they could not go back , nor durst not fight ; after a short parley , one of them lay down , and let the other go over him , and no harm done . he would likewise relate sometimes a remarkable story , worthy to be here incerted concerning a good friend of his , mr. t. y. of whitchurch , who in his youth was greatly wrong'd by an unjust uncle of his , being an orphan ; his portion , which was l. was put into the hands of that uncle ; who when he grew up , shuffled with him , and would give him but l. instead of his l. and he had no way of recovering his right but by law ; but before he would engage in that , he was willing to advise with his minister , who was the famous dr. twiss of newberry ; the counsel he gave him ( all things considered ) was , for peace-sake , and for the preventing of sin and snares , and trouble to take the l. rather then contend ; and thomas ( saith the doctor ) if thou dost so , assure thy self , that god will make it up to thee and thine , some other way , and they that defraud thee will be the losers by it at last . he did so , and it pleased god so to bless that little which he began the world with , that when he dy'd in a good old age , he left his son possess'd of some hundreds a year , and he that wrong'd him fell into decay . many very pious worthy families in the country would say of mr. henry , that they had no friend like minded , who did naturally care for their state , and so affectionately sympathize with them , and in whom their hearts could safely trust . he was very charitable to the poor , and was full of almsdeeds , which he did ( as is said of tabitha , acts . ) not which he said he would do , or which he put others on to do , but which he did himself , dispersing abroad and giving to the poor , seeking and rejoycing in opportunities of that kind : and whenever he gave an alms for the body , he usually gave with it a spiritual alms , some good word of counsel , reproof , instruction or comfort , as there was occasion , and in accommodating these to the persons he spoke to , he had a very great dexterity . he was very forward to lend money freely , to any of his poor neighbours that had occasion , and would sometimes say , that in many cases there was more charity in lending than in giving , because it obliged the borrower both to honestly and industry . when one of his neighbours , to whom he had lent three pound , fail'd , so that he was never likely to see a farthing of it , he writes thus upon it ; notwithstanding this , yet still i judge it my duty to lend , 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 , nothing despairing , so dr. hammand reads it , luke . . though what is lent in charity be not repaid , yet it is not lost . when those that had borrowed money of him paid him again , he usually gave them back some part , to encourage honesty . he judged the taking of moderate interest for money lawful , where the borrower was in a way of gaining by it : but he would advise his friends that had money , rather to dispose of it other ways , if they could . it must not be forgotten , how punctual and exact he was in all his accounts with tenants , workmen , &c. being always careful to keep such things in black and white ( as he us'd to say ) which is the surest way to prevent mistakes , and a man's wronging either himself or his neighbour ; such was his prudence , and such his patience and peaceableness , that of all the time he was at broad-oak , he never sued any , nor ever was sued , but was instrumental to prevent many a vexatious law-suit among his neighbours . he used to say , there are four rules to be duly observed in going to law ; ( . we must not go to law for trifles , as he did who said , he would rather spend a hundred pound in law then lose a penniworth of his right . matt. . , , . ( ) we must not be rash and hasty in it , but try all other means possible to compose differences wherein he that yields most , as abraham did to lot , is the better man , and there is nothing lost by it in the end , cor. . . ( ) we must see that it be without malice or desire of revenge . if the undeing of our brother be the end of our going to law , as it is with many , 't is certainly evil , and it speeds accordingly . ( ) it must be with a disposition to peace , whenever it may be had , and an ear open to all overtures of that kind . the two motto's proper for the great guns are applicable to this , ratio ultima regum , and sic quaerimus pacem . four rules he sometimes gave to be observed in our converse with men : have communion with few ; be familiar with one ; deal justly with all ; speak evil of none . he was noted for an extraordinary neat husband about his house and ground , which he would often say , he could not endure to see like the field of the sloathful , and the vineyard of the man void of understanding . and it was strange , how easily one that had been bred up utterly a stranger to such things ; yet when god so ordered his lot , acquainted himself with , and accommodated himself to the affairs of the country , making it the diversion of his vacant hours , to over-see his gardens and fields ; when he better understood that known epode of horace , beatus ille qui procul negotiis , than he did when in his youth ; he made an ingenious translation of it . his care of this kind was an act of charity to poor labourers , whom he employed ; and it was a good example to his neighbours , as well as for the comfort of his family . his converse likewise with these things was excellently improved , for spiritual purposes , by occasional meditations , hints of which there are often in his diary , as those that conversed with him had many in discourse ; instances of this were easie , but endless to give . he us'd to say , that therefore many of the scripture parables and similitudes are taken from the common actions of this life , that when our hands are employed about them , our hearts may the more easily pass through them to divine and heavenly things . i have heard him often blame those , whose irregular zeal in the profession of religion , makes them to neglect their worldly business , and let the house drop through ; the affairs of which the good man will order with discretion ; and he would tell sometimes of a religious woman , whose fault it was , how she was convinced of it , by means of an intelligent godly neighbour ; who coming into the house , and finding the good woman far in the day , in her closet , and the house sadly neglected , children not tended , servants not minded ; what saith he , is there no fear of god in this house ? which much startled and affected the good woman that over-heard him . he would often say , every thing is beautiful in its season ; and that it is the wisdom of the prudent , so to order the duties of their general callings as christians , and those of their particular callings in the world , as that they may not clash or interfere : i have heard it observed from eccl. . . that there may be over-doing in well-doing . i cannot omit one little passage in his diary , because it may be instructive : when he was once desired to be bound for one that had , upon a particular occasion been bound for him , he writes , solomon saith , he that hateth suretiship is sure ; but he saith also , he that hath friends must shew himself friendly . but he always cautioned those that became sureties , not to be bound for any more than they knew themselves able to pay , nor for more than they would be willing to pay , if the principal fail . his house at broad-oake was by the road-side , which tho' it had its inconveniencies , yet ( he would say ) pleased him well , because it gave his friends an opportunity of calling on him the oftner , and gave him an opportunity of being kind to strangers , and such as were any way distressed upon the road , to whom he was upon all occasions cheerfully ready , fully answering the apostles character of a bishop , that he must be of good behaviour , ( 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 , decent , affable , and obliging ) and given to hospitality , tim. . like abraham , sitting at his tent door , in quest of opportunities to do good . if he met with any poor near his house , and gave them alms in money , yet he would bid them go to his door besides for relief there . he was very tender and compassionate towards poor strangers and travellers , though his charity and candor were often imposed upon by cheats and pretenders , whom he was not apt to be suspicious of ; but would say in the most favourable sense , thou knowest not the heart of a stranger . if any ask'd his charity , whose representation of their case he did not like , or who he thought did amiss to take that course ; he would first give them an alms , and then mildly reprove them : and labour to convince them that they were out of the way of duty , and that they could not expect that god should bless them in it ; and would not chide them , but reason with them : and he would say , if he should tell them of their faults , and not give them an alms , the reproof would look only like an excuse to deny his charity , and would be rejected accordingly . in a word , his greatest care about the things of this world , was how to do good with what he had , and to devise liberal things ; desiring to make no other accession to his estate , but only that blessing which attends beneficence . he did firmly believe ( and it should seem , few do ) that what is given to the poor , is lent to the lord , who will pay it again , in kind or kindness ; and that religion and piety is undoubtedly the best friend to outward prosperity , and he found it so ; for it pleased god abundantly to bless his habitation , and to make a hedge about him , and about his house , and about all that he had round about : and though he did not delight himself in the abundance of wealth ; yet which is far better , he delighted himself in the abundance of peace , psal. . . all that he had and did observably prospered , so that the country oftentimes took notice of it , and called his family , a family which the lord had blessed . and his comforts of this kind were ( as he us'd to pray they might be ) oyl to the wheels of his obedience , and in the use of these things he served the lord his god with joyfulness and gladness of heart , yet still mindful of , and grieved for the affliction of ioseph . he would say sometimes , when he was in the midst of the comforts of this life , as that good man ; all this and heaven too ! surely then we serve a good master . thus did the lord bless him , and make him a blessing ; and this abundant grace , through the thanksgiving of many , redounded to the glory of god. having given this general account of his circumstances at broad-oak , we shall now go on with his story , especially as to the exercise of his ministry there , and thereabouts ; for that was his 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the thing in which he was , and to which he wholly gave himself , taking other things 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 . after this settlement at broad-oak , whenever there was preaching at whitewell chappel ( as usually there was two lord's days in the month ) he constantly attended there with his family , was usually with the first , and reverently joined in the publick service ; he diligently wrote the sermons ; always staid if the ordinance of baptism was administred , but not if there were a wedding , for he thought that solemnity not proper for the lord's day . he often din'd the minister that preach'd ; after dinner he sung a psalm , repeated the morning sermon , and pray'd ; and then attended in like manner in the afternoon . in the evening he preach'd to his own family ; and perhaps two or three of his neighbours would drop in to him . on those lord's days when there was no preaching at the chappel , he spent the whole day at home , and many an excellent sermon he preach'd , when there were present only four besides his own family ( and perhaps not so many ) according to the limitation of the conventicle act. in these narrow private circumstances he preached over the former part of the assemblies catechism , from divers texts . he also preached over psalm . besides many particular occasional subjects . what a grief of heart it was to him , to be thus put under a bushel , and consin'd to such a narrow sphere of usefulness , read in his own words , which i shall transcribe out of an elegy he made ( to give vent to his thoughts ) upon the death of his worthy friend mr george mainwaring , sometime minister of malpas , ( who was silenced by the act of uniformity , and dy'd mar. . / ) wherein he thus bewails ( feelingly enough ) the like restraints and confinements of his friend . his later years he sadly spent , wrap't up in silence and restraint . a burthen such as none do know , but they that do it undergo . to have a fire shut up and pent within the bowels , and no vent ; to have gorg'd breasts , and by a law those that fain would , forbidden to draw . but his dumbsabbaths here did prove , loud crying sabbaths in heaven above . his tears , when he might sow no more , wat'ring what he had sown before . soon after his settlement at broad-oak , he took a young scholar into the house with him ; partly to teach his son , and partly to be a companion to himself to converse with him , and to receive help and instruction from him ; and for many years , he was seldom without one or other such ; who before their going to the university , or in the intervals of their attendance there , would be in his family , sitting under his shadow . one of the first he had with him , in the year . ( and after ) was mr. william turner , born in the neighbourhood ; afterwards of edmund hall in oxford , now vicar of walberton in sussex , to whom the world is beholden for that elaborate history of all religions , which he published in the year . and from whom is earnestly expected the performance of that noble and useful project , for the record of providences . betwixt mr. henry and him there was a most intire and affectionate friendship ; and notwithstanding that distance of place , a constant and endearing correspondence , kept up as long as mr. henry liv'd . it was observ'd that several young men who had sojourn'd with him , and were very hopeful , and likely to be serviceable to their generations , dy'd soon after their removal from him ; ( i could instance in six or seven ) as if god had sent them to him , to be prepared for another world , before they were called for out of this ; yet never any dy'd while they were with him . he had so great a kindness for the university , and valued so much the mighty advantages of improvement there , that he advis'd all his friends who design'd their children for scholars , to send them thither , for many years after the change , though he always counted upon their conformity . but long experience altered his mind herein , and he chose rather to keep his own son at home with him , and to give him what help he could there , in his education , than venture him into the snares and temptations of the university . it was also soon after this settlement of his at broad-oak , that he contracted an intimate friendship with that learned and pious , and judicious gentleman mr. hunt of boreatton , ( the son of colonel hunt of salop ) and with his excellent lady frances , daughter of the right honourable the lord paget . the acquaintance then begun betwixt mr. henry and that worthy family continued to his dying day , about thirty years . one lords day in a quarter he commonly spent with them , besides other interviews : and it was a constant rejoycing to him to see religion and the power of godliness uppermost , in such a family as that ; when not many mighty , not many noble are called , and the branches of it , branches of righteousness , the planting of the lord. divers of the honourable relations of that family contracted a very great respect for him , particularly the present lord paget , now his majesty's ambassador at the ottoman court , and sir henry ashurst , whom we shall have occasion afterwards to make mention of . in the time of trouble and distress , by the conventicle act , in . he kept private , and stirr'd little abroad , as loth to offend those that were in power , and judging it prudence to gather in his sails , when the storm was violent : he then observ'd , as that which he was troubled at , that there was a great deal of precious time lost among professors , when they came together , in discoursing of their adventures to meet , and their escapes , which he feared tended more to set up self , than to give glory to god. also in telling how they got together , and such a one preached , but little enquiring what spiritual benefit and advantage was reaped by it ; and that we are apt to make the circumstances of our religious services , more the matter of our discourse , than the substance of them . we shall close this chapter with two remarks out of his diary , in the year . which will shew what manner of spirit he was of , and what were his sentiments of things at that time . one is this , all acknowledge that there is at this day a number of sober , peaceable men , both ministers and others , among dissenters , but who either saith or doth any thing to oblige them ; who desireth or endeavoureth to open the door to let in such ; nay , do they not rather provoke them to run into the same extravagancies with others , by making no difference , but laying load on them , as if they were as bad as the worst . 't is true , that about this time the lord keeper bridgman and bishop wilkins , and the lord chief justice hale , were making some overtures towards an accommodation with them ; but it is as true , that those overtures did but the more exasperate their adversaries , ( who were ready to account such moderate men , the worst enemies the church of england had ) and the event was greater acts of severity . another is this , if all that hath been said and written , to prove that prelacy is antichristian , and that it is unlawful to join in the common prayer , had been effectually to perswade bishops to study and do the duty of church rulers , in preaching and feeding the flock , according to the word , and to perswade people to be serious , inward , and spiritual in the use of forms , it had been much better with the church of god in england , than it now is . consonant to the spirit of this remark , was that which he took all occasions to mention as his settled principle . in those things wherein all the people of god are agreed i will spend my zeal , and wherein they differ , i will endeavour to walk according to the light that god hath given me , and charitably believe that others do so too . chap. vi. his liberty by the indulgence in . and thence forwards , to the year . notwithstanding the severe act against conventicles , in the year . yet the nonconformists in london , ventur'd to set up meetings in . and were conniv'd at ; but in the country there was little liberty taken till the king's declaration of march . / . gave countenance and encouragement to it . what were the secret springs which produced that declaration time discovered ; however , it was to the poor dissenters , as life from the dead , and gave them some reviving in their bondage , god graciously ordering it so , that the spirit he had made might not fail before him . but so precarious a liberty was it , that it should never be said , those people were hard to be pleased , who were so well pleased with that , and thanked god who put such a thing into the king's heart . the tenor of that declaration was this ; in consideration of the inefficacy of rigor , tryed for divers years , and to invite strangers into the kingdom , ratifying the establishment of the church of england , it suspends penal laws against all nonconformists and recusants , promiseth to license separate places for meetings , limiting papists only to private houses . on this mr. henry writes , it is a thing diversly resented , as mens interests lead them ; the conformists displeased , the presbyterians glad , the independents very glad , the papists triumph . the danger is ( saith he ) lest the allowing of separate places help to over-throw our parish-order , which god hath own'd , and to beget divisions and animosities among us , which no honest heart but would rather should be healed . we are put hereby ( saith he ) into a trilemma , either to turn independents in practise , or to strike in with the conformists , or to sit down in former silence and sufferings ( and silence he accounted one of the greatest sufferings ) till the lord shall open a more effectual door . that which ( he saith ) he then heartily wished for , was , that those who were in place , would admit the sober nonconformists , to preach sometimes occasionally in their pulpits ; by which means he thought prejudices would in time wear off on both sides , and they might mutually strengthen each others hands against the common enemy the papists ; who ( he foresaw ) would fish best in troubled waters . this he would chuse much rather than to keep a separate meeting : but it could not be had ; no , not so much as leave to preach at whitewel chapel when it was vacant , as it often was , though 't were three long miles from the parish-church . he found that some people , the more they are courted , the more coy they are ; however , the overtures he made to this purpose ; and the slow steps he took towards the setting up of a distinct congregation yielded him satisfaction afterwards in the reflection , when he could say , we would have been united , and they would not . 't was several weeks after the declaration came out , that he received a license to preach , as paul did , in his own house , and elsewhere , no man forbidding him . this was procur'd for him by some of his friends at london , without his privity , and came to him altogether unexpected . the use he made of it was , that at his own house , what he did before to his own family , and in private , the doors being shut for fear , he now did more publickly ; threw his doors open , and welcomed his neighbours to him , to partake of his spiritual things : only one sermon in the evening of the lord's day , when there was preaching at whitewel chapel , where he still continued his attendance with his family and friends , as usual ; but when there was not , he spent the whole day , at publick time , in the services of the day , exposition of the scriptures read , and preaching , with prayer and praise . this he did gratis , receiving nothing for his labours , either at home or abroad , but the satisfaction of doing good to souls ( which was his meat and drink ) with the trouble and charge of giving entertainment to many of his friends , which he did with much cheerfulness ; and he would say , he sometimes thought , that the bread did even multiply in the breaking ; and he found , that god did abundantly bless his provision , with that blessing , which , as he used to say , will make a little go a great way . he was wont to observe , for the encouragement of such as had meetings in their houses , ( which sometimes drew upon them inconveniencies ) that the ark is a guest , that always pays well for its entertainment . and he noted , that when christ had borrowed peter's ●…oat to preach a sermon out of it , he presently repaid him for the loan , with a great draught of fishes , luke . 〈◊〉 , . many thoughts of heart he had , concerning this use he made of the liberty , not knowing what would be in the end hereof ; but after serious consideration , and many prayers , he saw his way very plain before him , and addressed himself with all diligence , to the improvement of this gale of opportunity . some had dismal apprehensions of the issue of it ; and that there would be an after-reckoning : but ( saith he ) let us mind our duty , and let god alone to order events , which are his work , not ours . it was a word upon the wheels , which he preached at that time for his own encouragement , and the encouragement of his friends , from that scripture , eccl. . . he that observes the wind shall not sow , and he that regardeth the clouds shall not reap . those that are minded either to do good , or get good , must not be frighted with seeming difficulties and discouragements . our work is to sow and reap ; to do good , and get good ; and let us mind that , and let who will mind the winds and clouds . a lion in the way , a lion in the streets ; a very unlikely place ( he would , say ) for lions to be in ; and yet that serves the sluggard for an excuse . while this liberty lasted , he was in labours more abundant ; many lectures he preached abroad in shrap-shire , cheshire , and denbighshire , laying out himself exceedingly for the good of souls , spending , and being spent in the work of the lord. and of that neighbourhood , and of that time it was said , that this and that man was born again , then and there ; and many there were who asked the way to sion , with their faces thitherwards , and were ( not proselyted to a party , but ) savingly brought home to jesus christ. i mean this ; such as had been vain and wordly , and careless , and mindless of god and another world , became sober and serious , and concern'd about their souls , and a future state. this was the conversion of souls , aimed at , and laboured after , and through grace not altogether in vain . whatever lectures were set up in the country round , 't was still desired that mr henry would begin them ( which was thought no small encouragement to those who were to carry them on ) and very happy he was , both in the choice and management of his subjects at such opportunities , seeking to find out acceptable words . take one specimen of his address , when he began a lecture with a sermon , on heb. . . i assure you , ( saith he ) and god is my witness , i am not come to preach , either sedition against the peace of the state , or schism against the peace of the church , by perswading you to this or that opinion or party ; but as a minister of christ , that hath received mercy from the lord , to desire to be faithful : my errand is to exhort you to all possible seriousness , in the great business of your eternal salvation , according to my text , which if the lord will make as profitable to you , as it is material , and of weight in it self , neither you nor i shall have cause to repent cur coming hither , and our being here to day ; looking diligently , lest any of you fail of the grace of god. if it were the last sermon i were to preach , i did not know how to take my aim better to do you good . in doing of this work , he often said , that he looked upon himself , but as an assistant to the parish ministers , in promoting the common interests of christs kingdom , and the common salvation of precious souls , by the explication and application of those great truths , wherein we are all agreed . and he would compare the case to that in hezekiah's time , when the levites helped the priests to kill the sacrifice , which was something of an irregularity , but the exigence of affairs called for it ; the priests being too few , and some of them not so careful as they should have been , to sanctifie themselves , see chr. . . and wherever he preached , he usually pray'd for the parish minister , and for a blessing upon his ministry . he hath often said how well pleas'd he was , when after he had preached a lecture at oswestry , he went to visit the minister of the place , mr. edwards , a worthy good man ; and told him , he had been sowing a handful of seed among his people , and had this answer , that 's well , the lord prosper your seed and mine too , there 's need enough of us both . and another worthy conformist that came privately to hear him , but was reprimanded for it by his superiours , told him afterwards with tears , that his heart was with him . his heart was wonderfully enlarged in his work at this time , the fields were white unto the harvest ; and he was busie , and god did remarkably own him , setting many seals to his ministry , which much confirm'd him in what he did . he hath this observable passage in his diary , about this time , which he recorded for his after benefit , ( and the example of it may be instructive ) remember , that if trouble should come hereafter , for what we do now in the use of present liberty , i neither shrink from it , nor sink under it ; for i do therein approve my self to god , and to my own conscience , in truth and uprightness ; and the lord whom i serve , can and will certainly , both bear me out , and bring me off with comfort in the end . i say , remember , and forget it not , this th day of march , / . 't was at the beginning of this liberty , that the society at broad-oak did commence ; made up ( besides the neighbourhood ) of some out of whitchurch , and whitchurch parish , that had been mr. porter's people , some out of hanmer parish , that had been mr. steel's , and some out of the parishes of wem , prees , and ellismere , persons generally of very moderate and sober principles , quiet and peaceable lives , and hearty well-wishers to the king and government ; and not rigid or schismatical in their separation , but willing to attend ( though sometimes with difficulty and hazard ) upon those administrations which they found most lively and edifying , and most helpful to them , in the great business of working out their salvation . to this society he would never call himself a pastor , nor was he willing that they should call him so ; but a helper , and a minister of christ for their good . he would say , that he look'd upon his family , only as his charge , and his preaching to others was but accidental , whom if they came , he could no more turn away , than he could a poor hungry man , that should come to his door for an alms. and being a minister of iesus christ , he thought himself bound to preach the gospel , as he had opportunity . usually once a month he administred the ordinance of the lord's supper . some of his opportunities of that kind he sets a particular remark upon , as sweet sealing days , on which he found it good to draw near to god. when about the years end there was a general expectation of the cancelling of the indulgence : he hath this note upon a precious sabbath and sacrament day , as he calls it ; perhaps this may be the last , father thy will be done ; it is good for us to be at such uncertainties ; for now we receive our liberty from our father , fresh every day , which is best and sweetest of all . on the d of march , / . being saturday night , the town of wem in shropshire ( about six miles from him ) was burnt down ; the church , market house , and about one hundred twenty six dwelling houses , and one man , in little more than an hours time , the wind being exceeding violent ; at which time mr. henry was very helpful to his friends there , both for their support under , and their improvement of this sad providence . it was but about half a year before , that a threatning fire had broke out in that town , but did little hurt ; some serious people there , presently after celebrated a thanksgiving for their deliverance , in which mr. henry imparted to them a spiritual gift ( oct. . ) from zech. . . is not this a brand pluck'd out of the fire ? in the close of that sermon , pressing them from the consideration of that remarkable deliverance , to personal reformation and amendment of life : that those who had been proud , covetous , passionate , lyars , swearers , drunkards , sabbath-breakers , would be so no more ; and urging ezr. . , . he added , if this providence have not this effect upon you , you may in reason expect another fire ; for when god judgeth he will overcome ; and minded them of lev. . where 't is so often threatned against those who walk contrary to god , that he would punish them yet seven times more . the remembrance of this could not but be affecting , when in so short a time after , the whole town was laid in ruins . the first time he went thither after that calamity , a neighbouring justice having notice of it , sent to forbid him to preach , to his own grief , as well as to the grief of many others , who came expecting . but ( saith he in his diary ) there was a visible sermon before us , the ruins preaching , that sin is an evil thing , and god a terrible god. however , a few days after , he got an opportunity of preaching to them a word in season , which some will not forget , from hos. . . come , and let us return unto the lord , for he hath torn — and at the return of the year , when the town was in the rebuilding , he gave them another very suitable sermon , from prov. . . the curse of the lord is in the house of the wicked , but he blesseth the habitation of the just . though it be rising again ( saith he in his diary ) out of its ashes , yet the burning of it should not be forgotten , especially not the sin that kindled it . he oft pray'd for them , that the fire might be a refining fire . in the years , , and , in the course of his ministry at broad-oak , he preached over the ten commandments , and largely open'd from other texts of scripture the duties requir'd , and sins forbidden , in each commandment . for , thô none delighted more than he in preaching christ and gospel-grace ; yet he knew , that christ came not to destroy the law and the prophets , but to fulfil ; and that , though through grace we are not under the law , as a covenant ; yet we are under it as a rule , under the law to christ. he was very large and particular in pressing second table duties , as essential to christianity . we have known those ( saith he ) that have called preaching on such subjects , good moral preaching ; but let them call it as they will , i am sure it is necessary , and as much now as ever . how earnestly would he press upon people , the necessity of righteousness and honesty , in their whole conversations . a good christian ( he us'd to say ) will be a good husband , and a good father , and a good master , and a good subject , and a good neighbour , and so in other relations . how often would he urge to this purpose , that it is the will and command of the great god , the character of all the citizens of sion , the beauty and ornament of our christian profession ; and the surest way to thrive and prosper in the world. honesty is the best policy . he would say , that these are things in which the children of this world are competent iudges . they that know not what belongs to faith and repentance , and prayer , yet know what belongs to the making of an honest bargain : they are also parties concern'd , and oftentimes are themselves careful in these things ; and therefore those who profess religion , should walk very circumspectly , that the name of god and his doctrine be not blasphemed , nor religion wounded through their sides . thus he preached , and his constant practise was a comment upon it . one thing i remember he was more than ordinarily enlarged in the pressing of , which was upon the ninth commandment , to speak evil of no man , from tit. . . if we can say no good of persons , we must say nothing of them . he gave it as a rule , never to speak of any ones faults to others , till we have first spoken of them to the offender himself . he was himself an eminent example of this rule . some that have convers'd much with him , have said , that they never heard him speak evil of any body ; nor could he bear to hear any spoken evil of , but often drove away a backbiting-tongue with an angry countenance . he was known to be as faithful a patron of offenders before others , as he was a faithful reprover of them to themselves . whenever he preached of moral duties , he would always have something of christ in his sermon ; either his life , as the great pattern of the duty , or his love , as the great motive to it ; or his merit , as making atonement for the neglect of it . in the year . he preached over the doctrines of faith and repentance , from several texts of scripture . he us'd to say , that he had been told concerning the famous mr. dod , that some call'd him in scorn , faith and repentance , because he insisted so much upon those two , in all his preaching . but ( saith he ) if this be to be vile , i will be yet more vile , for faith and repentance are all in all in christianity . concerning repentance he hath sometimes said , if i were to dye in the pulpit , i would desire to dye preaching repentance ; as if i dye out of the pulpit , i would desire to dye practising repentance . and he had often this saying concerning repentance ; he that repents every day , for the sins of every day , when he comes to dye , will have the sins but of one day to repent of . even reckonings make long friends . that year also , and the year he preached over the duties of hearing the word and prayer ; of the former , from the parable of the four sorts of ground ; of the latter , from luke . , &c. when he preached over the lord's prayer , in above thirty excellent and elaborate discourses . helook'd upon the lord's prayer , to be not only a directory or pattern for prayet , but ( according to the advice of the assembly of divines ) proper to be us'd as a form ; and accordingly he often us'd it , both in publick and in his family . and as he thought , 't was an error on the one hand , to lay so much stress upon it , as some do , who think no sol●…mn prayer accepted , nor any solemn ordinance or administration of worship compleat without it ; and so repeat it five or six times , and perhaps oftner , at one meeting ; so he thought it an error on the other hand not to use it at all ; since it is a prayer , a compendious comprehensive prayer , and may be of use to us , at least as other scripture prayers ; but he thought it a much greater error to be angry at those that do use it , to judge and censure them , and for no other reason to conceive prejudices against them , and their ministry . a great strait ( saith he ) poor ministers are in , when some will not hear them , if they do not use the lord's prayer , and others will not hear them if they do ; what is to be done in this case ? we must walk accord-to the light we have , and approve our selves to god , either in using or not using it , and wait for the day when god will mend the matter ; which i hope he will do in his own due time . he was in the close of his exposition of the lord's prayer , when a dark cloud was brought upon his assemblies , and he was necessitated to contract his sails . chap. vii . the rebukes he lay under at broad . oal●… , betwixt the years . and . in the beginning of the year . in april and may , the country was greatly afflicted and threatned by an extream drought ; there was no rain for several weeks , the grass fail'd ; corn that was sown languished , and much that was intended to be sown could not ; the like had not been known for many years ; 't was generally apprehended that a dearth would ensue , especially in that country , which is for the most part dry . and now it was time to seek the lord ; and ( according to his own appointment ) to ask of him rain in the season thereof : several serious thinking people being together at the funeral of that worthy minister of jesus christ , mr. malden ; it was there said how requisite it was that there should be some time set apart on purpose for fasting and prayer , in a solemn assembly upon this occasion . thomas millington of weston in hodnet parish in shropshire , desired it might be at his house ; and tuesday iune . was the day pi●…ch'd upon . the connivance of authority was presumed upon , because no disturbance of meetings was heard of at london , or any where else . mr. henry was desired to come and give his assistance at that days work . he ask'd upon what terms they stood with their neighbouring justices , and 't was answered well enough . the drought continuing in extremity , some that had not us'd to come to such meetings , yet came thither , upon the apprehension they had of the threatning judgment , which the country was under . mr. edward bury of bolas ( well known by several useful books he hath published ) pray'd , mr. henry prayed and preached on psal. . . if i regard iniquity in my heart , the lord will not hear me ; whence his doctrine was , that iniquity regarded in the heart , will certainly spoil the success of prayer . when he was in the midst of his sermon , closely applying this truth , sir t. v. of hodnet , and mr. m. of ightfield , two justices of the peace for shropshire , with several others of then retinue , came suddenly upon them ; disturb'd them , set guards upon the house door , and came in themselves , severely ralli'd all they knew , reflected upon the late honourable house of commons , and the vote they pass'd , concerning the present unreasonableness . of putting the laws in execution against protestant dissenters , as if in so voting , they had acted beyond their sphere , as they did who took away the life of king charles i. they diverted themselves with very abusive and unbecoming talk ; swearing and cursing , and reviling bitterly ; being told , the occasion of the meeting was to seek to turn away the anger of god from us in the present drought : 't was answered , such meetings as these were the cause of god's anger . while they were thus entertaining themselves , their clerks took the names of those that were present , in all , about one hundred and fifty , and so dismiss'd them for the present . mr. henry hath noted , in the account he kept of this event , that the justices came to this good work , from the ale-house upon prees-heath , about two miles off ; to which , and the bowling-green adjoining , they with other justices , gentlemen and clergy-men of the neighbourhood , had long befor obliged themselves to come every tuesday , during the summer time , under the penalty of twelve pence a time if they were absent ; and there to spend the day in drinking and bowling ; which is thought to be as direct a violation of the law of the land , viz. the statute of . henry viii . cap. . for debarring , unlawful games , which was never yet repealed , as the meeting was , of the stat. of car. ii. and as much more to the dishonour of god , and the scandal of the christian profession ; as cursing and swearing , and drunkenness , is worse than praying and singing psalms , and hearing the word of god. it is supposed that the justices knew of the meeting before , and might have prevented it by the least intimation ; but they were willing to take the opportunity of making sport to themselves , and trouble to their neighbours . after the feat done , they returned back to the ale-house , and made themselves and their companions merry , with calling over the names they had taken , making their reflections as they saw cause ; and recounting the particulars of the exploit . there was one of the company , whose wife happened to be present at the meeting , and her name taken among the rest ; with which upbraiding him , he answered , that she had been better employed than he was , and if mr. henry might be admitted to preach in a church , he would go a great many miles to hear him . for which words he was forthwith expelled their company , and never more to shew his face again at that bowling-green ; to which he replied , if they had so order'd long ago , it had been a great deal the better for him and his family . two days after they met again at hodnet , where , upon the oath of two witnesses , wh●… ( as was supposed ) were sent on purpose to inform , they sign'd and seal'd two records of conviction . by one record they convicted the master of the house , and ●…in'd him l. and l. more as constable of the town that year , and with him all the persons present whose names they had taken , and fined them l. apiece , and issued out warrants accordingly . by another record they convicted the two ministers , mr. bury and mr. henry . the act makes it only punishable to preach or teach in any such conventicle ; and yet they fined mr. bury l. though he only prayed , and did not speak one word in the way , either of preaching or teaching , not so much as let us pray ; however they said , praying was teaching , and right or wrong he must be fined ; though his great piety , peaceableness , and usefulness , besides his deep poverty , one would think , might have pleaded for him , against so palpable a piece of injustice . they took l. off from him , and laid it upon others , as they saw cause ; and for the remaining l. he being utterly unable to pay it , they took from him by distress , the bed which he lay upon , with blanket and rug ; also another feather-bed , nineteen pair of sheets , most of them new ; of which he could not prevail to have so much as one pair return'd , for him to lye in ; also books , to the value of l. besides brass and pewter . and though he was at this time perfectly innocent of that heinous crime of preaching and teaching , with which he was charged ( for so the record runs again and again , concerning mr. henry and mr. bury , quòd ad tun●… & ibidem precaverunt , praedi●…averunt & docuerunt . ) yet he had no way to right himself , but by appealing to the justices themselves in quarter sessions , who would be sure to affirm their own decree ( as the justices in montgomery-shire had done not long before in a like case ) especially when 't was to recover to themselves treble costs . so the good man sat down with his loss , and took joyfully the spoiling of his goods ; knowing in himself , that he had in heaven a better , and a more enduring substance . but mr. henry being the greatest criminal , and having done the most mischief , must needs be animadverted upon accordingly , and therefore he was fined l. the pretence of which was this : in the year . oct. . mr. kynaston of oatly , a justice of peace in s●…shire , meeting him and some others coming as he supposed , from a conventicle , he was pleas'd to record their conviction , upon the notorious evidence and circumstance of the fact : the record was fil'd at salop the next sessions after ; but no notice was ever sent of it , either to mr. henry , or the justices of flintshire ; nor any prosecution upon it , against any of the parties charged ( the reason of which mr. henry in a narrative he wrote of this affair , supposeth to be not only the then favourable posture of publick affairs towards dissenters , but also the particular prudence and lenity of mr. kynaston ) so that having never smarted for this , he could not be supposed to be deterred from the like offence ; nor if he were wronged in that first conviction , had he ever any opportunity of making his appeal . however , the justices being resolv'd he should have summum jus , thought that first record sufficient to give denomination to a second offence , and so he came to be fined double . this conviction ( according to the direction of the act ) they certifi'd to the next adjoining justices of flintshire , who had all along carried themselves with great temper and moderation towards mr. henry , and had never given him any disturbance ; tho' if they had been so minded , they had not wanted opportunities ; but they were now necessitated to execute the sentence of the shropshire justices . 't was much press'd upon him to pay the fine , which might prevent his own loss , and the justices trouble . but he was not willing to do it , partly because he would give no encouragement to such prosecutions , nor voluntarily reward the informers , for that which he thought they should rather be punished for ; and partly because he thought himself wronged in the doubling of the fine . whereupon his goods were distrain'd upon , and carried away ; in the doing of which many passages occurred , which might be worth the noting , but that the repetition of them would perhaps grate and give offence to some . let it therefore suffice ( waving the circumstances ) to remember only that their warrant not giving them authority to break open doors , nor their watchfulness getting them an opportunity to enter the house ; they carryed away about thirty three cart load of goods without doors , corn cut upon the ground , hay , coles , &c. this made a great noise in the country , and rais'd the indignation of many , against the decrees which prescribed this grievousness ; while mr. henry bore it with his usual evenness and serenity of mind , not at all mov'd or disturb'd by it . he did not boast of his sufferings , or make any great matter of them ; but would often say , alas , this is nothing to what others suffer , nor to what we our selves may suffer before we dye : and yet he rejoyced and blessed god that it was not for debt , or for evil doing , that his goods were carried away . and ( saith he ) while it is for well-doing that we suffer , they cannot harm us . * he frequently expressed the assurance he had , that whatever damage he sustain'd , god is able to make it up again : and ( as he us'd to say ) though we may be losers for christ , yet we shall not be losers by him in the end . he had often said , that his preaching was likely to do the most good when it was seal'd to by suffering ; and if this be the time ( saith he ) welcome the will of god ; even this also shall turn to the furtherance of the gospel of christ : benè agere & male pati verè christianum est . soon after this was the assizes for flint-shire held at mold , where sir george ieffries , afterwards lord chancellor , then chief justice of chester sate judge . he did not in private conversation seem to applaud what was done in this matter , so as was expected ; whether out of a private pique against some that had been active in it , or for what other reason is not known ; but it was said , that he pleasantly ask'd some of the gentlmen , by what new law they pressed carts , as they passed upon their occasions along the road , to carry away goods distreyn'd for a conventicle . it was also said , that he spoke with some respect of mr. henry ; saying , he knew him and his character well , and that he was a great friend of his mothers , ( mrs. ieffries of acton near wrexham , a very pious good woman ) and that sometimes at his mothers request , mr. henry had examin'd him in his learning , when he was a school-boy , and had commended his proficiency . and it was much wonder'd at by many , that of all the times sir george ieffries went that circuit , ( though 't is well enough known what was his temper , and what the temper of that time ) yet he never sought any occasion against mr. henry , nor took the occasions that were offered , nor countenanced any trouble intended him , though he was the only nonconformist in flintshire . one passage i remember , not improper to be mentioned ; there had been an agreement among some ministers ( i think it began in the west of england , where mr. allen was ) to spend some time , either in secret or in their families , or both , between six and eight a clock every monday morning , in prayer for the church of god , and for the land and nation more fully and particularly than at other times , and to make that their special errand at the throne of grace ; and to engage as many of their praying friends , as ever they could , to the observance of it . this had been communicated to mr. henry , by some of his friends at london , and he punctually observ'd it in his own practise ; i believe for many years . he also mentioned it to some of his acquaintance , who did in like manner observe it . it happened that one in denbighshire , to whom he had communicated it , was so well pleas'd with it , that he wrote a letter of it to a friend of his at a distance ; which letter happen'd into hands that perverted it : and made information upon it , against the writer and receiver of the letter , who were bound over to the assizes , and great suspicions sir george ieffries had , that it was a branch of the presbyterian plot , and rally'd the parties accus'd severely . it appear'd , either by the letter , or by the confession of the parties , that they received the project from mr. henry , which ( it was greatly fear'd ) would bring him into trouble ; but sir george , to the admiration of many , let it fall , and never enquir'd further into it . it seems there are some men , whose ways so please the lord , that he makes even their enemies to be at peace with them ; and there is nothing lost by trusting in god. mr. henry , at the next assizes after he was distrain'd upon , was presented by one of the high constables ; . for keeping a conventicle at his house ; and . for saying , that the law for suppressing conventicles ought not to be obey'd , and that there was never a tittle of the word of god in it . as to this latter presentment , 't was altogether false . he had indeed , in discourse with the high constable , when he insisted so much upon the law , which requir'd him to be so rigorous in the prosecution ; objected , that all humane laws were not to be obey'd , meerly because they were laws . but as to any such reflections upon the law he suffered by , he was far from it , and had prudence enough to keep silence at that time ; for it was an evil time , when so many were made offenders for a word . but these presentments met with so little countenance from judge ieffries , that mr. henry only entred his appearance in the prothonotaries office , and they were no more heard of ; wherein he acknowledged the hand of god , who turneth the hearts of the children of men , as the rivulet of water . as to what was taken from him by the distress , they who took it made what markets they pleas'd of it , pay'd those they employ'd , and what the remainder was , is not known for certain ; but it was said , that the following summer about l. was paid to sir t. v. of which ( and the rest that was levy'd in other places , which amounted to a considerable sum ) it was c●…edibly reported , ( and i have not heard it contradicted ) that neither the king nor the poor had their share , ( which by the act is to be two thirds ) nor the informers theirs neither ; but people said , the gentleman had occasion for it all . but as they that had it were never the richer for it , so he that lost it , would often say , that he found that god did so abundantly bless the remainder to him , that he was never the poorer ; which he would mention for the encouragement of his friends , not to balk duty , ( as he us'd to express it ) for fear of suffering . in the same year . happen'd a publick discourse at oswestry , betwixt the then bishop of st. asaph ( dr. william lloyd , now bishop of coventry and litchfield ) and some nonconformist ministers , of which mr. henry was one . the story in short this . that learned bishop , at his first coming to the diocess of st. asaph , in his zeal for the establish'd church , set himself with vigor to reduce dissenters to it ; and that he might do it with the cords of a man , he resolved , before he took any other methods , to reafon the matter with them , and to endeavour their conviction by discourse , in which he had a very great felicity , both by his learning and temper . if there were any that declin'd discoursing with him , he improv'd that against them very much ; urging ( as he wrote afterwards to mr. henry ) that no man can pretend conscience for not coming when he is requir'd , to give an account of his religion , to them that have authority to demand it , by the laws under which he lives , and to hear from their mouths what can be said for the established religion . these are things from which conscience is so far from exempting , that the great rule of conscience requires it , as an indispensable duty ; that we should be always ready to give an account of the hope that is in us ; and that we should hear them that are in moses ' s chair , &c. and therefore those who refused this , he would consider as men governed , not by conscience , but obstinacy . he publickly discoursed with the quakers at lanvillin in montgomery-shire ; their champion was dr. lloyd a physician ; one of the most considerable nonconformist ministers in his diocess , was mr. iames owen of oswestry , then very young , but well known since by his learned book , which he calls , a plea for scripture ordination ; proving ordination by presbyters without diocesan bishops , to be valid , ( published in the year ) a point of controversie , which he was then obliged in his own defence to search into . several discourses the bishop had with him in private ; at last his lordship was pleas'd to appoint him , to give him the meeting in the town-hall of oswestry , on tuesday sept. . . there to give account by what right he exercis'd the ministry , not having episcopal ordination . he directed him also to procure what other ministers he could to assist him , for he would be glad to hear what any of them had to say for themselves . the notice was very short , not above four or five days : some whose assistance was desired , apprehended it might do more hurt than good , and might be prejudicial to their own liberty , and therefore declin'd it . it was not agreeable to mr. henry's mild and modest temper , to appear in such circumstances ; but he was loath to desert his friend mr. owen , and so with much importunity , he was prevail'd with to come to oswestry , at the time appointed ; and there came no other but he and mr. ionathan roberts of denbighshire , in the diocess of bangor , a plain man , of great integrity , and a very good scholar . the bishop came according to appointment , and brought with him for his assistant , the famous mr. henry dodwell : mr. henry , who was utterly a stranger to the bishop , press'd hard to have had the discourse in private , before a select number , but it would not be granted . he also desir'd his lordship , that it might not be expected from him , being of another diocess , to concern himself in the discourse , but only as a hearer : nay mr. henry ( said the bishop ) it is not the concern of my diocess alone , but it is the common cause of religion , and therefore i expect you should interest your self in it , more than as a hearer . his lordship was pleas'd to promise , that nothing that should be said by way of argument , should be any way turn'd to the prejudice of the disputants , nor advantage taken of it to give them trouble . there were present divers of the clergy and gentry of the country , with the magistrates of the town , and a great number of people , which if it could have been avoided , was not easie to mr. henry , who never lov'd any thing that made a noise ; herein like his master , who did not strive nor cry . the discourse began about two a clock in the afternoon , and continued till between seven and eight at night ; much was said pro and con , touching the identity of bishops and presbyters , the bishopping and unbishopping of timothy and titus , the validity of presbyterian ordination , &c. 't was managed with a great deal of liberty , and not under the strict laws of disputation , which made it hard to give any tolerable account of the particulars of it . the arguments on both sides , may better be fetch'd from the books written on the subject , than from such a discourse . the bishop managed his part of the conference with a great deal of gravity , calmness and evenness of spirit , and therein gave an excellent pattern to all that are in such stations . mr. henry's remark upon this business in his diary is this ; that whereas many reports went abroad far and near concerning it , every one passing their iudgment upon the result of it as they stood affected ; for my own part , ( saith he ) upon reflection , i find i have great reason to be ashamed of my manifold infirmities and imperfections ; and yet do bless god , that seeing i could manage it no better , to do the truth more service , there was not more said and done to its disservice ; to god be glory . but there were others , who said that mr. henry was an instrument of glorifying god , and serving the church in that affair , almost as much as in any thing that ever he did , except the preaching of the gospel . and some who were adversaries to the cause , he pleaded , thô they were not convinced by his arguments , yet by his great meekness and humility , and that truly christian spirit , which appear'd so evidently in the whole management , were brought to have a better opinion of him , and the way in which he walked . the conference broke off a little abruptly ; the bishop and mr. henry being somewhat close at an argument , in the recapitulation of what had been discoursed of ; mr. ionathan roberts whisper'd to mr. henry , pray let my lord have the last word ; which a justice of peace upon the bench over-hearing , presently replied , you say my lord shall have the last word , but he shall not , for i will ; we thank god we have the sword of power in our hands , and by the grace of god we will keep it , and it shall not rust , and i hope every lawful magistrate will do as i do : and look to your selves gentlemen , by the grace of god i 'll root you out of the country . to which a forward man in the crowd said amen , throw them down stairs . this the bishop heard with silence , but the mayor of the town took order for their safety . two days after this discourse , the bishop wrote a very obliging letter to mr. henry , to signify to him , how very much he was pleased with the good temper and spirit that he found in him at oswestry , and that he looked upon him , as one that intended well , but laboured under prejudices ; and to desire further acquaintance and conversation with him ; particularly that he would come to him straitway to wrexham , and about three months after , sent for him again to chester ; in both which interviews a great deal of discourse , with much freedom , pass'd between them in private , in which they seem'd to vye nothing more than candor and obligingness , shewing to each other all meekness . i remember the bishop was pleas'd to shew him his plan for the government of his diocess , and the method he intended to take in church-censures , which mr. henry very well approv'd of ; but pleasantly told his lord-ship , he hoped he would take care that iuvenal's verse should not be again verified , ( sat. . ) dat veniam corvis , vexat censura columbas . which the bishop smil'd at , and told him he would take care it should not . his lordship observing his true catholick charity and moderation , told him he did not look upon him as 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 , but only as 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 , and that if he were in his diocess , he did not question , but he should find out some way to make him useful . but all his reasonings could not satisfie mr. henry's conscience of the lawfulness of being re-ordain'd and conforming . the bishop for some years after , when he came that way , towards london , either call'd on mr. henry at his house , or sent for him to him , to whitchurch , and still with all outward expressions of friendship . the trouble which mr. henry was in , about the meeting at weston , obliged him for a while , to keep his sabbaths at home , somewhat private ; but in the year . he took a greater liberty , and many flocked to him on lord's dayes , through the kind connivance of the neighbouring magistrates ; but in the year . when the meetings were generally suppress'd throughout the kingdom , he was again necessitated to contract his sails , and confine his labours more to his own family , and his friends that visited him . he continued his attendance at whitewell chappel , as usual ; and when he was abridged of his liberty , he often blessed god for his quietness . once when one of the curates preached a bitter sermon against the dissenters , on a lord's day morning , some wonder'd that mr. henry would go again in the afternoon , for the second part . but ( saith he ) if he do not know his duty , i know mine ; and i bless god i can find honey in a carcass . in this time of treading down , and of perplexity , he stirred little abroad , being forced ( as he us'd to express it ) to throw the plough under the hedge ; but he preached constantly at home , without disturbance ; and often comforted himself with this , when we cannot do what we would , if we do what we can , god will accept of us ; when we cannot keep open shop , we must drive a secret trade . and he would say , there is a mean , if we could hit it , between fool-hardiness , and faint-heartedness . while he had some opportunity of being useful at home ; he was afraid lest he should prejudice that by venturing abroad . one of his friends in london , earnestly solliciting him to make a visit thither in this time of restraint in the country ; he thus wrote to him ; i should be glad once more to kiss my native soil , though it were but with a kiss of valediction ; but my indisposedness to travel , and the small prospect there is of doing good to countervail the pains , are my prevailing arguments against it . i am here ( 't is true ) buried alive , but i am quiet in my grave , and have no mind to be a walking ghost . we rejoyce , and desire to be thankful , that god hath given us a home , and continued it to us , when so many better then we , have not where to lay their head , having no certain dwelling place ; ( 't was at the time of the dispersion of the french protestants ) why , they exiles , and not we ? they strangers in a strange land , and not we ? we must not say we will dye in our nests , lest god say nay ; nor we will multiply our days as that bird , the phaenix , ( referring to iob . . ) lest god say , this night , &c. our times and all our ways are at his dispose , absolutely and universally , and it is very well they are so . at the time of the duke of monmouths descent , and the insurrection in the west , in the year . mr. henry , as many others , ( pursuant to a general order of the lord lieutenant , for securing all suspected persons , and particularly all nonconformist ministers ) was taken up by a warrant from the deputy lieutenants , and sent under a guard to chester castle , where he was about three weeks a close prisoner : he was lodg'd with some gentlemen and ministers that were fetched thither out of lancashire ; who were all strangers to him ; but he had great comfort in the acquaintance and society of many of them . he often spake of this imprisonment , not as matter of complaint , but of thanksgiving , and blessed god he was in nothing uneasie all the while . in a sermon to his family , the day after he came home , he largely and affectionately recounted the mercies of that providence : as for instance , that his imprisonment was for no cause : 't is guilt that makes a prison . that it was his security in a dangerous time . that he had good company in his sufferings , who pray'd together , and read the scriptures together , and discoursed to their mutual edification . that he had health there , not sick , and in prison . that he was visited and prayed for , by his friends . that he was very chearful and easie in his spirit , many a time a sleep and quiet when his adversaries were disturb'd and unquiet . that his enlargement was speedy and unsought for , and that it gave occasion to the magistrates who committed him , to give it under their hands , that they had nothing in particular to lay to his charge ; and especially that it was without a snare , which was the thing he fear'd more than any thing else . it was a surprize to some that visited him in his imprisonment , and were big with the expectations of the duke of monmouth's success , to hear him say , i would not have you to flatter your selves with such hopes , for god will not do his work for us in these nations , by that man ; but our deliverance and salvation will arise some other way . it must not be forgotten how ready he was , nay , how-studious and industrious to serve and oblige such as had been any way instruments of trouble to him , as far as it lay in his power , and he had any opportunity to do it ; so well had he learn'd that great lesson of forgiving and loving enemies ; of this it were easie to give instances . when a gentleman who had sometimes been an instrument of trouble to him , had occasion to make use of his help to give him some light into a cause he had to be tryed , mr. henry was very ready to serve him in it ; and though he might have declin'd it , and it was somewhat against his own interest too , yet he appeared a witness for him , which so won upon the gentleman , that he was afterwards more friendly to him . mentioning in his diary the death of another gentleman in shropshire ; he notes , that he was one that had been his professed enemy ; but ( saith he ) god knows i have often prayed for him . some have wonder'd to see how courteously and friendlyly he would speak to such as had been any way injurious to him , when he met with them , being as industrious to discover his forgiving of wrongs , as some are to discover their resentments of them . it was said of arch-bishop cranmer , that the way to have him ones friend , was to do him a diskindness ; and i am sure it might be said of mr. henry , that doing him a diskindness would not make him ones enemy . this minds me of an exemplary passage , concerning his worthy friend mr. edward lawrence , once going with some of his sons , by the house of a gentleman that had been injurious to him ; he gave a charge to his sons to this purpose , that they should never think or speak amiss of that gentleman , for the sake of any thing he had done against him ; but whenever they went by his house , should lift up their hearts in prayer to god for him and his family . and who is he that will harm those , who are thus followers of him that is good , in his goodness . it is almost the only temporal promise in the new testament , which is made to the meek , matt. . . that they shall inherit the earth ; the meaning whereof , dr. hammond in his practical catechism takes to be especially this , that in the ordinary dispensations of god's providence , the most mild and quiet people are most free from disturbance . those only have every man's hand against them , that have theirs against every man. chap. viii . the last nine years of his life in liberty and inlargement at broad-oak , from the year . it was in the latter end of the year . when the stream run so very strong against the dissenters , that mr. henry , being in discourse with a very great man of the church of england , mentioned king charles's indulgence in . as that which gave rise to his stated preaching in a separate assembly ; and added , if the present king iames should in like manner give me leave , i would do the same again : to which that great man replied , never expect any such thing from him , for take my word for it , he hates you nonconformists in his heart . truly ( said mr. henry ) i believe it , and i think he doth not love you of the church of england neither . it was then little thought , that the same right reverend person who said so to him , should have the honour , as he had soon after , to be one of the seven bishops committed to the tower by king iames ; as it was also far from any ones expectation , that the same king iames should so quickly give liberty to the nonconformists : but we live in a world , wherein we are to think nothing strange , nor be surprized at any turn of the wheel of nature , as 't is called , iam. . . the measures then taken by king iames's court and counsel were soon laid open , not only to view but to contempt , being in a short time , by the over-ruling providence of god broken and defeated : however the indulgence granted to dissenters in april , . must needs be a reviving to those , who for so many years had lain buried in silence and restraint ; nor can any , who w●…ll allow themselves the liberty of supposing the case their own , wonder that they should rejoyce in it , though the design of it being manifest , they could not chuse but rejoyce with trembling . mr. henry's sentiments of it were , whatever mens ends are in it , i believe god's end is to do us good . there were many that said , surely the dissenters will not embrace the liberty which is intended only for a snare to them . mr. henry read and consider'd the letter of advice to the dissenters , at that juncture ; but concluded , duty is ours , and events are gods. he remembred the experience he had had of the like in k. charles's time , and that did good and no hurt ; and why might not this do so too . all power is for edification , not for destruction . did ieremiah sit still in the court of the prison , because he had his discharge from the king of babylon . nay , did not paul , when he was presented by his country-men , for preaching the gospel , appeal to caesar ; and find more kindness at rome , than he did at ierusalem ? in short , the principle of his conversation in the world being not fleshly wisdom , or policy , but the grace of god , and particularly the grace of simplicity and godly sincerity , he was willing to make the best of that which was , and to hope the best of the design and issue of it . doubtless it was intended to introduce popery ; but it is certain , that nothing could arm people against popery more effectually , than the plain and powerful preaching of the gospel ; and thus they who granted that liberty , were out-shot in their own bow , which manifestly appear'd in the event and issue . and as they did good service to the protestant religion among scholars , who wrote so many learned books against popery at that time , for which we return them our best thanks ; so they did no less service among the common people ( who are the strength and body of the nation ) that preached so many good sermons to arm their hearts against that strong delusion , which mr. henry ( as the rest of the nonconformists generally did ) took all occasions to do . how often would he commend his hearers ( as dr. holland divinity professor in oxford was wont to do ) to the love of god , and the hatred of popery . besides his preaching professedly to discover the errours and corruptions of the church of rome , ( which he would have taken occasion to do more fully , had he seen those he preached to , in any immediate danger of the infection ) there could not be a more effectual antidote against popery , than the instructing and confirming of people in the truth , as it is in jesus ; and advancing the knowledge of , and a value and veneration for the holy scriptures ; to which , how much mr. henry in his place did contribute , all that knew him well bear record . he us'd to observe , that the fall of babylon followed , upon the free and open preaching of the everlasting gospel , rev. . , . he apprehended this liberty likely to be of very short continuance , and to end in trouble ; and because he could not see how his not using of it would help to prevent the trouble ; but he did see , that his vigorous improvement of it , would help to prepare for the trouble , he set himself with all diligence , to make the best use he could of this gleam , both at home and abroad , on sabbath-days , and week-days , to his power , yea , and beyond his power . the great subject of debate at this time in the nation , was concerning the repeal of penal laws and tests ; mr. henry's thoughts were , as to the penal laws , that if those against the dissenters were all repeal'd , he would rejoyce in it , and be very thankful both to god and man ; for he would sometimes say , without reflection upon any , he could not but look upon them as a national sin ; and as for those against the papists , if our law-givers see cause to repeal them in a regular way ; i will endeavour ( saith he ) to make the best of it , and to say , the will of the lord be done . when king iames came his progress into that country , in september . to court the compliments of the people , mr. henry joined with several others , in and about whitchurch , nantwich and wem , in an address to him , which was presented when he lay at whitchurch ; the purport of which was , not to sacrifice their lives and fortunes to him and to his interest , but only to return him thanks for the liberty they had , with a promise to demean themselves quietly in the use of it . some time after , commissioners were sent abroad into the country , to enquire after the trouble that dissenters had sustain'd by the penal laws ; and how the money that was levy'd upon them , was disposed of , little of it being found paid in the exchequer ; they sent to mr. henry to have an account from him of his sufferings ; he returned answer by letter , that he had indeed been fined some years before , for a conventicle , and distreyn'd upon , and his goods carried away , which all the country knew , to which he referred himself . but being requir'd particularly to give account of it upon oath ; though , he said , he could be glad to see such instruments of trouble legally removed ; yet he declin'd giving any further information concerning it ; having ( as he wrote to the commissioners ) long since , from his heart , forgiven all the agents , instruments and occasions of it ; and having purposed never to say any thing more of it . it was on tuesday iune . . that he was disturb'd at weston in shropshire , when he was preaching on psal. . . and on tuesday iune . . that day six years he preached there again without disturbance , finishing what he was then prevented from delivering , concerning prayer , and going on to v. . . but verily god hath heard me , — blessed be god. — concerning the duty of thanksgiving . this seventh year of their silence and restraint , prov'd , through god's wonderful good providence the year of release . in may , . a new commission of the peace came down for the county of flint , in which ( by whose interest or procurement was not known ) mr. henry was nominated a justice of peace for that county . it was no small surprize to him , to receive a letter from the clerk of the peace , directed to philip henry , esquire , acquainting him with it , and appointing him when and whither to come to be sworn . to which he return'd answer , that he was very sensible of his unworthiness of the honour , and his unfitness for the office , which he was nominated to , and therefore desired to be excus'd , and he was so , and did what he could , that it might not be spoken of in the country . there were some , who upon this occasion unhappily remembred , that a few years before , a reverend clergy-man in shropshire told mr. henry to his face , that he had done more mischief in the country , than any man that ever came into it ; and that he himself hoped shortly to be in the commission of peace , and then he would rid the country of him . but alas , he ●…as quite disappointed . thus honour is like the shadow , which flies from those that pursue it , and follows those that flee from it . for two years after this liberty began , mr. henry still continued his attendance , as usual , at whitewel-chappel , whenever there was preaching there ; and he preached at his own house only when there was no supply there , and in the evening of those days when there was . for doing thus he was greatly clamour'd against , by some of the rigid separatists , and call'd a dissembler , and one that halted between two , and the like . thus ( as he notes in his diary ) one side told him he was the author of all the mischief in the country , in drawing people from the church ; and the other side told him , he was the author of all the mischief , in drawing people to the church : and which of these ( saith he ) shall i seek to please ? lord , neither , but thy self alone , and my own conscience , and while i can do that , i have enough . in a sermon at whitewel-chappel , one lord's-day in the afternoon , where he and his family , and many of his congregation were attending , much was said , with some keen reflections , to prove the dissenters schismaticks , and in a damnable state : when he came immediately after to preach at his own house , before he begun his sermon , he expressed himself to this purpose ; perhaps some of you may expect now that i should say something in answer to what we have heard , by which we have been so severely charged ; but truly i have something else to do ; and so , without any further notice taken of it , went on to preach iesus christ and him crucified . it was not without some fear and trembling , that mr. henry received the tidings of the prince of orange's landing , in november . as being somewhat in the dark concerning the clearness of his call , and dreading what might be the consequence of it . he us'd to say , give peace in our time , o lord , was a prayer that he would heartily set his amen to . but when secret things were brought to light , and a regular course was taken to fill the vacant throne with such a king and such a queen ; none rejoyced in it more heartily than he did . he celebrated the national thanksgiving for that great deliverance , with an excellent sermon on that text , rom. . . what shall we then say to these things ? if god be for us , who can be against us ? soon after that happy settlement , there were overtures made , towards a comprehension of the moderate dissenters , with the church of england , which mr. henry most earnestly desired , and wished for , if it could be had upon any terms less than sinning against his conscience ; for never was any more averse to that which looked like a separation than he was , if he could possibly have helped it , salvâ conscientiâ . his prayers were constant , and his endeavours as he had opportunity , that there might be some healing methods found out and agreed upon . but it is well known , what was the vox cleri at that time , viz. that forasmuch as the oaths , subscriptions , and ceremonies were impos'd only to keep out such men , they would never consent to their removal , for the letting them in again . nolumus leges angliae mutari , was a saying perverted to this purpose : and the fixed principle was , better a schism without the church , than a faction within it , &c. this was at that time publish'd and own'd , as the sense of the clergy in convocation . which temper and resolve , so contrary to that which might have been expected , upon that happy and glorious revolution , did a little alter his sentiments in that matter ; and he saw himself perfectly driven from them . despairing therefore to see an accommodation , he set himself the more vigorously to improve the present liberty . in iune . the act of indulgence pass'd , which not only tolerated , but allowed the dissenters meetings , and took them under the protection of the government . soon after which , though he never in the least changed his judgment , as to the lawfulness of joining in the common-prayer , but was still ready to do it occasionally : yet the ministers that preached at whitewel-chappel , being often uncertain in their coming , which kept his meeting at broad-oak at like uncertainties , to the frequent disappointment of many of his hearers that came from far ; he was at last prevailed with to preach at publick time every lord's-day , which he continued to do while he lived , much to his own satisfaction , and the satisfaction of his friends . an eminent minister in lancashire , who did in like manner alter his practise about that time , gave this for a reason , that he had been for twenty seven years striving to please a generation of men , who after all would not be pleased , and therefore he would no longer endeavour it as he had done . it may be of use to give some account how he managed his ministerial work , in the latter part of his time , wherein he had as signal tokens of the presence of god with him , as ever ; enabling him still to bring forth fruit in old age ; and to renew his youth like the eagles . though what he did , he still did gratis , and would do so , yet he was not willing to have any constant assistant , nor had he any ; so much was he in his element , when he was about his master's work : 't was his meat and drink to do it . . as to his constant sabbath work , he was uniform , ●…nd abundant in it . he began his morning family-worship on lord's dayes , at a clock , when he read and expounded pretty largely , sung a psalm and prayed ; and many strove to come time enough to join with him in that service . he began in publick just at nine a clock winter and summer . his meeting-place was an out-building of his own , near adjoining to his house , fitted up very decently and conveniently for the purpose . he began with prayer , then he sung psal. . without reading the line ; next he read and expounded a chapter in the old testament in the morning , and in the new testament in the afternoon . he looked upon the publick reading of the scriptures in religious assemblies , to be an ordinance of god ; and that it tended very much to the edification of people by that ordinance , to have what is read expounded to them . the bare reading of the word , he used to compare to the throwing of a net into the water ; but the expounding of it , is like the spreading out of that net , which makes it the more likely to catch fish ; especially as he managed it with practical profitable observations . some that have heard him read a chapter with this thought ; how will he make such a chapter as this useful to us ? have been surprized with such pertinent useful instructions , as they have owned to be as much for their edification as any sermon . and commonly when he had expounded a chapter , he would desire them when they came home , to read it over , and recollect some of those things that had been spoken to them out of it . in his expounding of the old testament , he industriously sought for something in it concerning christ , who is the true treasure , hid in the field , the true manna hid in the dew of the old testament . take one instance ; the last sabbath that ever he spent with his children at chester , in the publick morning worship , he read and expounded the last chapter of the book of iob : after he had gone through the chapter , and observed what he thought fit out of it , he expressed himself to this purpose : when i have read a chapter in the old testament , i use to enquire what there is in it that points at christ , or is any way applicable to christ ; here is in this chapter a great deal of job , but is there nothing of christ here ? yes ; you have heard of the patience of job , and have in him seen the end of the lord. this in job is applicable to christ , that after he had patiently gone through his sufferings , he was appointed an intercessor for his unkind friends . v. . go to my servant iob , and my servant iob shall pray for you , for him will i accept . if any one hath an errand to god , let him go to iesus christ , and put it into his hand , for there is no acceptance to be hoped for with god , but by him , who is his beloved son ; not only with whom he is well pleased , but in whom , viz. with us in him : he hath made us accepted in the beloved . after the exposition of the chapter he sung a psalm , and commonly chose a psalm suitable to the chapter he had expounded ; and would briefly tell his hearers how they might sing that psalm with understanding , and what affections of soul should ●…e working towards god , in the singing of it ; his hints of that kind were of great use , and contributed much to the right performance of that service ; he often said , the more singing of psalms there is in our families and congregations , on sabbath-days , the more like they are to heaven , and the more there is in them of the everlasting sabbath . he would say sometimes , he loved to sing whole psalms rather than pieces . after the sermon in the morning , he sung the th psalm , without reading the line . he intermitted at noon about an hour and a half , and on sacrament days not near so long , in which time he took some little refreshment in his study , making no solemn dinner ; yet many of his friends did partake of his carnal , as well as of his spiritual things , as those did that follow'd christ , of whom he was careful they should not faint by the way . the morning sermon was repeated , by a ready writer , to those that staid in the meeting place , as many did , and when that was done , he begun the afternoons exercise ; in which he not only read and expounded a chapter , but catechized the children , and expounded the catechism briefly before sermon . thus did he go from strength to strength , and from duty to duty , on sabbath-days ; running the ways of god's commandments with an enlarged heart . and the variety and vivacity of his publick services , made them exceeding pleasant to all that joined with him , who never had cause to complain of his being tedious . he us'd to say , every minute of sabbath time is precious , and none of it to be lost ; and that he scarce thought the lord's day well spent , if he were not weary in body at night ; wearied with his work , but not weary of it , as he used to distinguish . he would say sometimes to those about him , when he had gone through the duties of a sabbath ; well , if this be not the way to heaven , i do not know what is . in pressing people to number their days , he would especially exhort them to number their sabbath-days , how many they have been , and how ill they have been spent ; how few 't is like they may be , that they may be spent better ; and to help in the account he would say , that for every twenty years of our lives , we enjoy above a thousand sabbaths , which must all be accounted for in the day of reckoning . as to his constant preaching , it was very substantial and elaborate , and greatly to edification . he us'd to say , he could not starch in his preaching ; that is , he would not ; as knowing that where the language and expression is stiff , and forced , and fine ( as they call it ) it doth not reach the greatest part of the hearers . when he grew old he would say , sure he might now take a greater liberty to talk , as he call'd it , in the pulpit ; that is , to speak familiarly to people ; yet to the last he abated not in his preparations for the pulpit , nor ever delivered any thing raw and undigested ; much less any thing unbecoming the gravity and seriousness of the work. if his preaching were talking , it was talking to the purpose . his sermons were not common place , but even when his subjects were the most plain and 〈◊〉 , yet his management of them was usually peculiar and surprizing . in those years as formerly , he kept for the most part in a method for subjects , and was very seldom above one sabbath upon a text. and his constant practise was , as it had been before , when he concluded a subject that he had been a good while upon , he spent one sabbath in a brief rehearsal of the marrow and substance , of the many sermons he had preached upon it ; which he call'd the clenching of the nail , that it might be as a nail in a sure place . so very industrious was he , and no less ingenious in his endeavours , that his hearers might be able , after his decease , to have these things always in remembrance , pet. . . and it is hoped , that by the blessing of god , the effect did not altogether disappoint his expectation . in the later times of his ministry , he would often contrive the heads of his sermons to begin with the same letter , or rather two and two of a letter ; but he did not at all seem to affect or force it ; only if it fell in naturally and easily , he thought it a good help to memory , and of use , especially to the younger sort . and he would say , the chief reason why he did it , was because 't is frequently observed in the scripture , particularly the book of psalms . and though it be not a fashionable ornament of discourse , if it be a scripture ornament , that is sufficient to recommend it , at least to justifie it against the imputation of childishness ; ( mr. porter of whitchurch very much us'd it , so did mr. malden ) but the excellency of his sermons , lay chiefly in the enlargements , which were always very solid , grave and judicious ; but in expressing and marshalling his heads , he often condescended below his own judgment , to help his hearers memories . some of his subjects ( when he had finished them ) he made some short memorandums of in verse , a distich or two of each sabbaths work , and gave them out in writing , among the young ones of his congregation , many of whom wrote them , and learned them , and profited by them . it might be of use ( especially to those who had the happiness of sitting under his ministry ) to give some account of the method of his sabbath subjects , during the last eight or nine years of his ministry ; and it was design'd , till 't was found 't would swell this narrative into too great a bulk . . as to the administration of the sacraments , those mysteries of god , which ministers are the stewards of . as to the sacrament of baptism , he had never ( that i know of ) baptized any children ( except his own ) from the time he was turn'd out in . till this last liberty came , though often desir'd to do it ; such was the tender regard he had to the established church ; but now he reviv'd the administration of that ordinance in his congregation . the occasion was this ; one of the parish-ministers preaching at whitewe●… chappel , mr. henry and his family , and many of his friends being present , was earnestly cautioning people not to go to conventicles , and us'd this as an argument against it , that they were baptized into the church of england : mr. henry's catholick charity could not well digest this monopolizing of the great ordinance of baptism , and thought it time to bear his testimony against such narrow principles , which he ever expressed his dislike of in all parties and perswasions . accordingly he took the next opportunity that offer'd it self , publickly to baptize a child , and desir'd the congregation to bear witness , that he did not baptize that child into the church of england , nor into the church of scotland , nor into the church of the dissenters , nor into the church at broad-oak , but into the visible catholick church of iesus christ. after this he baptized very many , and always publickly , though being in the country they were commonly carried a good way . the publick administration of baptism , he not only judged most agreeable to the nature and end of the ordinance , but found to be very profitable and edifying to the congregation ; for be always took that occasion , not only to explain the nature of the ordinance , but affectionately and pathetically to excite people duly to improve their baptism . he usually received the child immediately out of the hands of the parent that presented it , and return'd it into the same hands again , with this or the like charge , take this child , and bring it up for god. he us'd to say , that one advantage of publick baptism was , that there were many to join in prayer for the child , in which therefore , and in blessing god for it , he was usually very large and particular . after he had baptized the child , before he gave it back to the parent he commonly used these words ; we receive this child into the congregation of christ's church , having washed it with water , in the name of the father , and of the son , and of the holy ghost , in token that hereafter it shall not be ashamed to confess christ crucified , and manfully to fight , &c. he baptized many adult persons , that through the errour of their parents , were not baptized in infancy , and some in publick . the solemn ordinance of the lord's supper he constantly celebrated in his congregation once a month , and always to a very considerable number of communicants . he did not usually observe publick days of preparation for that ordinance , other than as they fell in course in the weekly lectures ; nor did he ever appropriate any particular subject of his preaching to sacrament-days , having a great felicity in adapting any profitable subject to such an occasion : and he would say , what did the primitive christians do , when they celebrated the lord's supper every lord's day ? his administration of this ordinance was very solemn and affecting . he had been wont to go about in the congregation , and to deliver the elements with his own hand ; but in his latter time , he delivered them only to those near him , and so they were handed from one to another , with the assistance of one who supplied the office of a deacon , as having also the custody and disposal of the money gathered for the use of the poor ; mr. henry taking , and carefully keeping a particular account of it . such as desir'd to be admitted to the lord's supper , he first discoursed with concerning their spiritual state ; and how the case stood between god and their souls , not only to examine them , but to instruct and teach them , and to encourage them as he saw occasion ; gently leading those whom he discern'd to be serious , though weak and timorous : he usually discoursed with them more than once , as finding precept upon precept , and line upon line necessary : but he did it with so much mildness and humility , and tenderness , and endeavour to make the best of every body , as did greatly affect and win upon many . he was herein like our great master , who can have compassion on the ignorant , and doth not despise the day of small things . but his admission of young people , out of the rank of catechumens into that of communicants , had a peculiar solemnity in it . such as he catechiz'd , when they grew up to some years of discretion , if he observed them to be intelligent and serious , and to set their faces heaven-wards ; he marked them out to be admitted to the lord's supper ; and when he had a competent number of such , twelve or fifteen perhaps , or more ; he order'd each of them to come to him severally , and discoursed with them of the things belonging to their everlasting peace ; put it to their choice whom they would serve ; and endeavoured to affect them with those things with which by their catechisms they had been made acquainted ; drawing them with the cords of a man , and the bands of love , into the way which is called holy. for several lord's days he catechized them , particularly in publick , touching the lord's supper , and the duty of preparation for it , and their baptismal covenant , which in that ordinance they were to take upon themselves , and to make their own act and deed. often telling them upon such occasions , that they were not to oblige themselves to any more than what they were already obliged to by their baptism , only to bind themselves faster to it . then he appointed a day in the week before the ordinance ; when in a solemn assembly on purpose , he prayed for them , and preached a sermon to them , proper to their age and circumstances ; and so the following sabbath they were all received together to the lord's supper . this he looked upon as the right confirmation , or transition into the state of adult church membership . the more solemn our covenanting with god is , the more deep and the more durable the impressions of it are likely to be . he hath recorded it in his diary , upon one of these occasions , as his hearts desire and prayer for those who were thus admitted ; that it might be as the day of their espousals to the lord jesus , and that they might each of them have a wedding garment . . the discipline he observed in his congregation was , not such as he could have wished for , but the best he could get , considering what a scatter'd flock he had , which was his trouble , but it could not be helped . he would sometimes apply to the circumstances he was in , that of moses , deut. . , . however , i see not but the end was effectually attained by the methods he took , though there wanted the formality of officers and church-meetings , for the purpose . if he heard of any that walked disorderly , he sent for them , and reproved them , gently or sharply , as he saw the case required . if the sin had scandal in it , he suspended them from the ordinance of the lord's supper , till they gave some tokens of their repentance and reformation . and where the offence was publick and gross , his judgment was , that some publick satisfaction should be made to the congregation , before readmission . but whatever offence did happen , or breaches of the christian peace , mr. henry's peculiar excellency lay in restoring with the spirit of meekness ; which , with his great prudence and love , and condescension , did so much command the respects of his people , and win upon them , that there was a universal satisfaction in all his management ; and it may truly be said of him as it was of david , sam. . . that whatsoever he did pleased all the people . and it is an instance and evidence , that those ministers who will rule by love and meekness , need no laws or canons to rule by , other than those of the holy scripture . how forceable are right words ? iob. . . . he was very strict and very serious in observing the publick fasts appointed by authority , and called them a delight . he had seldom any one to assist him in carrying on the duties of those days , but perform'd the service of them himself alone . he began at nine of the clock , or quickly after , and never stirred out of the pulpit till about four in the afternoon , spending all that time in praying and expounding , and singing , and preaching , to the admiration of all that heard him , who were generally more on such days than usual . and he was sometimes observed , to be more warm and lively towards the latter end of the duties of a fast-day , than at the beginning ; as if the spirit were most willing and enlarged when the flesh was most weak . in all his performances on publick fast-days ; he did , hoc agere , attend to that which was the proper work of the day ; every thing is beautiful in its season . his prayers and pleadings with god on those days , were especially for national mercies , and the pardon of national sins ; how excellently did he order the cause before god , and fill his mouth with arguments in his large and particular intercessions for the land , for the king , the government , the army , the navy , the church , the french protestants , &c. he was another iacob , a wrestler , an israel , a prince with god , before a fast-day he would be more than ordinarily inquisitive concerning the state of publick affairs , as nehemiah was , neh. . . that he might know the better how to order his prayers and preaching : for on such a day ( he hath sometimes said ) as good say nothing , as nothing to the purpose . he made it his business on fast-days , to shew people their transgressions , especially the house of iacob their sins . 't is most proper ( said he ) to preach of christ on lord's days , to preach of sin on fast-days , and to preach duty on both . he went over the third chapter of the revelation , in the fast sermons of two years . another year he preached over the particulars of that charge , zeph. . . hypocrisie in hearers , and flattery in preachers ( as he would sometimes say ) is bad at any time , but it is especially abominable upon a day of humiliation . . he preached a great many lectures , in the country about , some stated , some occasional , in supplying of which he was very indefatigable . he hath sometimes preached a lecture ; ridden eight or nine miles , and preached another , and the next day two more : to quicken himself to diligence he would often say , our opportunities are passing away , and we must work while it is day , for the night cometh . once having very wet and foul weather to go through to preach a lecture ; he said , he comforted himself with two scriptures , one was tim. . . endure hardness as a good soldier of iesus christ. the other ( because he exposed and hazarded his health , for which some blamed him ) was sam. . . it was before the lord. he took all occasions in his lectures a broad , to possess the minds of people with sober and moderate principles , and to stir them up to the serious regard of those things wherein we are all agreed . we are met here together ( said he once in an exhortation , with which he often began at his lecture ) not because we think our selves better than others , but because we desire to be better than we are . he was very happy in the choice of his subjects for his week-day lectures . at one which was stated , he preached against errors in general , from iam. . . do not err my beloved brethren , particularly from divers other scriptures he shewed , that we must not err ; concerning god and christ , and the spirit , concerning sin and repentance , faith and good works ; concerning god's ordinances , concerning grace and peace , and afflictions and prosperity , and the things of the life to come . at the monthly lectures at his own house , he chose to preach upon the four last things death and iudgment , heaven and hell , in many particulars , but commonly a new text for every sermon . when he had in many sermons finished the first of the four ; one that us'd to hear him sometimes , enquiring of his progress in his subjects , asked him if he had done with death ? meaning that subject concerning death ; to which he pleasantly replied , no , i have not done with him yet ; i must have another turn with him , and he will give me a fall ; but i hope to have the victory at last . he would sometimes remove the lectures in the country from one place to another , for the benefit of those that could not travel . once having adjourned a lecture to a new place , he began it there with a sermon on acts . . these men that have turned the world upside down , are come hither also ; in which he shew'd how false the charge is as they meant it ; for religion doth not disturb the peace of families or societies , doth not cause any disorder or unquietness , &c. and yet that in another sense there is a great truth in it ; that when the gospel comes in power to any soul , it turns the world upside down in that soul , such is the change it makes there . all this he did gratis , and without being burthensome to any ; nay he was best pleas'd , when at the places where he preached , nothing was got for his entertainment , but he came home ( though some miles ) fasting ; as in other places it was a trouble to him to see his friends careful about much serving , tho' it was out of their respect to him . lastly , as he was an excellent preacher himself , so he was an exemplary hearer of the word , when others preached , though every way his inferiours , so reverent , serious , and attentive was he in hearing , and so observant of what was spoken . i have heard him tell , that he knew one ( and i suppose it was as paul knew a man in christ ) who could truly say , to the glory of god , that for forty years he had never slept at a sermon . he was diligent also to improve what he heard afterwards by meditation , repetition , prayer and discourse ; and he was a very great encourager of young ministers that were humble and serious , though their abilities and performances were but mean. he hath noted in his diary , ( as that which affected him ) this saying of a godly man , a hearer of his , i find it easier to go six miles to hear a sermon , than to spend one quarter of an hour in meditating and praying over it in secret , ( as i should ) when i come home . as to the circumstances of his family in these last nine years of his life , they were somewhat different from what they had been ; but the same candle of god which had shined upon his tabernacle , continued still to do so . in the years , and . he married all his five children , the three eldest in four months time , in the year . and the other two in a year and a half after ; so many swarms ( as he us'd to call them ) out of his hive ; and all not only with his full consent , but to his abundant comfort and satisfaction . he would say , he thought it the duty of parents to study to oblige their children in that affair . and though never could children be more easie and at rest in a father's house than his were , yet he would sometimes say concerning them , as naomi to ruth , ruth . . shall i not seek rest for thee ? two advices he us'd to give , both to his children and others , in their choice of that relation : one was , keep within the bounds of profession , such as one may charitably hope is from a good principle . the other was , look at suitableness , in age , quality , education , temper , &c. he us'd to observe from gen. . . i will make him a help meet for him ; that where there is not meetness , there will not be much help . and he would commonly say to his children , with reference to that choice ; please god and please your selves , and you shall never displease me ; and greatly blamed those parents , who conclude matches for their children , and do not ask counsel at their mouth . he never aim'd at great things in the world for his children , but sought for them in the first place the kingdom of god , and the righteousness thereof . he us'd to mention sometimes the saying of a pious gentlewoman , that had many daughters . the care of most people , is how to get good husbands for their daughters ; but my care is to fit my daughters to be good wives , and then let god provide for them . in this as in other things , mr. henry steer'd by that principle ; that a man's life consisteth not in the abundance of the things that he possesseth . and it pleased god so to order it , that all his children were disposed of , into circumstances very agreeable and comfortable , both for life and godliness . he was greatly affected with the goodness of god to him herein , without any forecast or contrivance of his own . the country ( saith he in his diary ) takes notice of it , and what then shall i render ? surely this is a token for good . all his four daughters were marry'd at whitewel chappel , and he preach'd a wedding sermon for each of them , in his own family after . he would often tell his friends , that those who desire , in the mar●…ied condition , to live in the favour of god , must enter upon that condition in the fear of god. for it 's an ill omen to stumble at the threshold ; and an error in the first concoction , is seldom amended in the second . while he lived , he had much comfort in all his children and their yoke fellows , and somewhat the more , that by the divine providence , four of the five families which branched out of his , were settled in chester . his youngest daughter was married april . . the same day of the year ( as he observes in his diary ) and the same day of the week , and in the same place that he was married to his dear wife , twenty eight years before ; upon which this is his remark , i cannot desire for them , that they should receive more from god than we have received , in that relation and condition ; but i would desire , and do desire , that they may do more for god in it than we have done . his usual complement to his new-married friends , was , others wish you all happiness , i wish you all holiness , and then there is no doubt but you will have all happiness . when the marriage of the last of his daughters was about to be concluded on , he thus writes ; but is joseph gone , and simeon gone , and must benjamin go also ? we will not say that all these things are against us , but for us : if we must be thus in this merciful way bereav'd of our children , let us be bereav'd ; and god turn it for good to them , as we know he will if they love and fear his name . and when , sometime after she was married , he parted with her to the house of her husband , he thus writes ; we have sent her away , not as laban said he would have sent his daughters away , with mirth , and with songs , with tabret , and with harp , but with prayers and tears , and hearty good wishes ; and now ( saith he in his diary ) we are alone again , as we were in our beginning ; god be better to us than twenty children . upon the same occasion he thus writes to a dear relation ; we are now left as we were , one and one , and yet but one one ; the lord , i trust , that hath brought us thus far , will enable us to finish well ; and then all will be well , and not till then . that which he often mentioned , as the matter of his great comfort that it was so , and his desire that it might continue so , was , the love and unity that was among his children ; and that ( as he writes ) the transplanting of them into new relations , had not lessened that love , but rather increased it ; for this he often gave thanks to the god of love ; noting from iob . . that the childrens love to one another is the parents comfort and joy. in his last will and testament , this is the prayer which he puts up for his children , that the lord would build them up in holiness , and continue them still in brotherly love , as a bundle of arrows which cannot be broken . when his children were removed from him , he was a daily intercessor at the throne of grace , for them and their families . still the burnt-offerings were offered according to the number of them all . he used to say , surely the children of so many prayers will not miscarry . their particular circumstances of affliction and danger , were sure to be mentioned by him with suitable petitions . the greatest affliction he saw in his family , was the death of his dear daughter in law , catharine , the only daughter of samuel hardware , esq who , about a year and a half after she was transplanted into his family ( to which she was the greatest comfort and ornament imaginable ) dy'd of the small-pox in child-bed , upon the thanks giving day for king william's coming in . she dy'd but a few weeks after mr. henry had married the last of his daughters , upon which marriage he had said ; now we have a full lease , god only knows which life will drop first . she comforted her self in the extremity of her illness with this word , well , when i come to heaven , i shall see that i could not have been without this affliction . she had been for some time before under some fears as to her spiritual state , but the clouds were through grace dispell'd , and she finished her course with joy , and a cheerful expectation of the glory to be reveal'd . when she lay ill , mr. henry ( being in fear not only for her that was ill , but for the rest of his children in chester , who had none of them past the pikes of that perillous distemper ) wrote thus to his son , on the evening of the lord's day ; i have just done the publick work of this day , wherein , before many scores of witnesses , many of whom i dare say , are no little concerned for you : i have absolutely , freely , and unreservedly given you all up to the good will and pleasure of our heavenly father , waiting what he will do with us , for good i am sure we have received , and shall we not receive evil also . he preached at chester , upon occasion of that sad breach in his family , on iob . . shew me wherefore thou contendest wich me . when two of his children lay ill , and in perillous circumstances , after he had been wrestling with god in prayer for them , he wrote thus in his diary ; if the lord will be pleased to grant me my request this time concerning my children , i will not say as the beggars at our door use to do , i 'll never ask any thing of him again ; but on the contrary , he shall hear oftner from me than ever ; and i will love god the better , and love prayer the better , as long as i live . he us'd to say , trades-men take it ill , if those that are in their books , go to another shop ; while we are so much indebted to god for past mercies , we are bound to attend him for further mercies . as he was an intercessor for his children at the throne of grace , so he was upon all occasions a remembrancer to them , both by word and letter , to quicken them to that which is good . how often did he inculcate this upon them ? love one another , and the god of love and peace will be with you . do all you can , while you are together , to help one another to heaven , that you may be together there , for ever , and with the lord. when the families of his children were in health and peace , the candle of god shining upon their tabernacles , he wrote thus to them ; 't was one of iob's comforts in his prosperity , that his children loved one another , and feasted together : the same is ours in you , which god continue . but you will not be offended , if we pray that you may none of you curse god in your hearts . remember , the wheel is always in motion , and the spoke that is uppermost will be under , and therefore mix tremblings always with your joy. he much rejoyced in the visits of his children , and made that as other things , which were the matter of his rejoycing , the matter of his thanksgiving . his usual saying at parting , was , this is not the world we are to be together in , and 't is well it is not , but there is such a world before us : and his usual prayer was , that our next meeting might be either in heaven , or further on in our way towards it . he had in eight years time , twenty four grand-children born , some by each of his children , concerning whom he would often bless god , that they were all the sealed ones of the god of heaven , and enroll'd among his lambs . on the birth of his second grand-child , at a troublesome time as to publick affairs , he thus writes , i have now seen my childrens children , let me also see peace upon israel ; and then i will say , lord , now lettest thou thy servant depart . some were much affected with it , when he baptized two of his grand-children together at chester , publickly , and preached on gen. . . they are the children which god hath graciously given thy servant . he observed in what a savory , pious , gracious manner iacob speaks . he had spoken good sense if he had only said , they are my children , but then he had not spoken like iacob , like one that had so lately seen the face of god. though our speech be not always of grace , yet it must be always with grace , grace pour'd into the lips. there is a kind of language , the air of which speaks it the language of canaan ; christians should speak like christians . it was not long after his children were married from him , but his house was fill'd again with the children of several of his friends , whom he was , by much importunity , perswaded to take to table with him . all that knew him , thought it a thousand pities , that such a master of a family , should have but a small family , and should not have many to sit down under his shadow . he was first almost necessitated to it , by the death of his dear friend and kinsman , mr. benyon of ash , who left his children to his care. some he took gratis , or for small consideration ; and when by reason of the advances of age he could not go about so much as he had done , doing good , he laid out himself to do the more at home . he kept a teacher to attend their school-learning ; and they had the benefit , not only of his inspection in that , but ( which was much more ) his family-worship , sabbath instructions , catechizing and daily converse , in which his tongue was as choice silver , and his lips sed many . nothing but the hopes of doing some good to the rising generation could have prevailed with him , to take this trouble upon him . he would often say , we have a busie house , but there is a rest remaining . we must be doing something in the world while we are in it ; but this fashion will not last long , methinks i see it passing away . sometimes he had such with him , as had gone through their course of university learning , at private academies , and desired to spend some time in his family , before their entrance upon the ministry , that they might have the benefit , not only of his publick and family instructions , but of his learned and pious converse , in which , as he was throughly furnished , for every good word and work , so he was very free and communicative . the great thing which he used to press upon those who intended the ministry , was to study the scriptures , and make them familiar . bonus textuarius est bonus theologus , was a maxim he often minded them of . for this purpose he recommended to them the study of the hebrew , that they might be able to search the scriptures in the original . he also advised them to the use of an inter-leav'd bible , wherein to insert such expositions and observations , as occur occasionally in sermons or other books ; which he would say , are more happy and considerable sometimes , than those that are found in the professed commentators . when some young men desir'd the happiness of coming into his family , he would tell them , you come to me as naaman did to elisha , expecting that i should do this and 'tother for you , and alas , i can but say as he did , go wash in iordan ; go , study the scriptures . i profess to teach no other learning but scripture learning . it was but a little before he dyed , that in reading isa. . he observed from v. . the lord god-hath given me the tongue of the learned &c. that the true learning of a gospel minister consists not in being able to talk latin fluently , and to dispute in philosophy , but in being able to speak a word in season to weary souls . he that knows how to do that well , is a learned minister . chap. ix . his sickness , death , and burial . in the time of his health , he made death very familiar to himself , by frequent and pleasing thoughts and meditations of it ; and endeavoured to make it so to his friends , by speaking often of it . his letters and discourses had still something or other which spoke his constant expectations of death ; thus did he learn to dye daily : and it is hard to say , whether it was more easie to him to speak , or uneasie to his friends , to hear him speak of leaving the world. this minds me of a passage i was told by a worthy scotch minister , mr. patrick adair , that visiting the famous mr. durham of glasgow . in his last sickness , which was long and lingring ; he said to him , sir , i hope you have so set all in order , that you have nothing else to do but to dye : i bless god ( said mr. durham ) i have not had that to do neither these many years . such is the comfort of dying daily , when we come to dye indeed . mr. henry's constitution was but tender , and yet by the blessing of god upon his great temperance , and care of his diet , and moderate exercise by walking in the air , he did for many years enjoy a good measure of health , which he us'd to call the sugar that sweetens all temporal mercies , for which therefore we ought to be very thankful , and of which we ought to be very careful . he had sometimes violent fits of the cholick , which would be very afflictive for the time . towards his latter end he was distress'd sometimes with a pain , which his doctor thought might arise from a stone in his kidnies . being once upon the recovery from an ill fit of that pain , he said to one of his friends , that ask'd him how he did , he hoped by the grace of god , he should now be able to give one blow more to the devil's kingdom ; and often profess'd , he did not desire to live a day longer than he might do god some service . he said to another , when he perceived himself recovering ; well i thought i had been putting into the harbour , but find i must to sea again . he was sometimes suddenly taken with fainting fits , which when he recovered from , he would say , dying is but a little more . when he was in the sixty third year of his age , which is commonly called the grand climacterick , and hath been to many the dying year , and was so to his father , he numbred the days of it , from august . . to august . . when he finished it : and when he concluded it , he thus wrote in his diary . this day finisheth my commonly dying year , which i have numbred the days of ; and should now apply my heart more than ever to heavenly wisdom . he was much pleased with that expression of our english liturgy in the office of burial , and frequently us'd it . in the midst of life we are in death . the infirmities of age , when they grew upon him , did very little abate his vigour and liveliness in preaching , but he seemed even to renew his youth as the eagles ; as those that are planted in the house of the lord , who still bring forth fruit in old age ; not so much to shew that they are upright , as to shew that the lord is upright , psal. . , . but in his latter years , travelling was very troublesome to him ; and he would say , as mr. dod us'd to do , that when he thought to shake himself as at other times , he found his hair was cut ; his sense of this led him to preach an occasional sermon not long before he dyed , on iohn . . when thou wast young thou girdedst thy self , &c. another occasional sermon he preached when he was old , for his own comfort , and the comfort of his aged friends , on psal. . , . o god thou hast taught me from my youth , &c. he observed there , that it is a blessed thing to be taught of god from our youth ; and those that have been taught of god from their youth , ought to declare his wondrous works all their days after . and those that have been taught of god from their youth , and have all their days declared his wondrous works , may comfortably expect , that when they are old he will not forsake them . christ is a master that doth not use to cast off his old servants . for some years before he dyed , he us'd to complain of an habitual weariness , contracted he thought , by his standing to preach , sometimes very uneasily , and in inconvenient places , immediately after riding . he would say , every minister was not cut out for an itinerant ; and sometimes the manifest attention and affection of people in hearing , enlarged him both in length and fervency , somewhat more then his strength could well bear . it was not many months before he dy'd , that he wrote thus to a dear relation , who enquir'd sollicitously concerning his health . i am always habitually weary , and expect no other till i lye down in the bed of spices . and ( blessed be god ) so the grave is to all the saints , since he lay in it who is the rose of sharon , and the lily of the vallies . when some of his friends perswaded him to spare himself , he would say , it 's time enough to rest when i am in the grave ; what were candles made for , but to burn ? it doth not appear that he had any particular presages of his death ; but many instances there were of his actual gracious expectation of it , somewhat more than ordinary for some time before . the last visit he made to his children in chester , was in iuly , . almost a year before he dy'd , when he spent a lords-day there , and preached on the last verse of the epistle to philemon , the grace of our lord iesus christ be with your spirit . by grace he understood nor so much the good will of god towards us , as the good work of god in us , call'd the grace of christ , both because he is the author and finisher of it , and because he is the pattern and samplar of it . now the choicest gift we can ask of god for our friends is , that this grace of our lord iesus christ may be with their spirit . this is the one thing needful , the better part , the root of the matter , the whole of man , the principal thing , the more excellent way , a blessing indeed , and the thing that accompanies salvation . the grace of christ in the spirit , enlightens and enlivens the spirit , softens and subdues the spirit , purifies and preserves the spirit greatens and guides the spirit , sweetens and strengthens the spirit , and therefore what can be more desirable . a spirit without the grace of christ , is a field without a fence , a fool without understanding ; it is a horse without a bridle , and a house without furniture ; it is a ship without tacle , and a soldier without armour ; it is a cloud without rain , and a carcass without a soul ; it is a tree without fruit , and a traveller without a guide . how earnest therefore should we be in praying to god for grace , both for our selves and for our relations . he had intended to preach upon that text , when he was at chester the year before , but was then prevented , by a particular sad occasion , which obliged him to a funeral sermon , divine providence reserving that benediction ( which his heart was much upon ) for his valediction . the thursday following , being kept as a fast in his sons congregation at chester , he preached on luke . . he beheld the city and wept over it , which proved his farewel to the town , as the former was his farewel to his friends and relations in it . it was not many weeks before he dyed , that he wrote thus to one of his children , we are well here , thanks be to god , and are glad to hear that you and yours are well also , god in mercy continue it : but why should we be well always ? do we deserve it ? are there no mixtures in our obedience ? are there any persons or families , at whose door sickness and death never knock'd ? must the earth be forsaken for us , or the rock removed out of its place ? is it not enough that we be dealt with according to the manner of men ? and that we have a promise , that it shall end well , everlastingly well . to another of his children , about the same time he writes , we are sensible that we decline a pace , but the best of it is , that as time goes , eternity comes ; and we are in good hope , through grace , that it will be a comfortable eternity . it was in april , . a few weeks before he dy'd , that his sons father-in-law , robert warbinton , esq was gather'd to his grave in peace , in a good old age ; upon the tidings of whose death , mr. henry wrote thus to his son ; your fathers , where are they ? your father-in-law gone , and your own father going ; but you have a god-father that lives for ever . he was wont sometimes to subscribe his letters , your ever-loving , but not ever-living father . it was not a month before he dy'd , that in a letter to his very dear and worthy friend and brother , mr. tallents of shrewsbury , he had this passage ; methinks it is strange , that it should be your lot and mine , to abide so long on earth by the stuff , when so many of our friends are dividing the spoil above , but god will have it so ; and to be willing to live in obedience to his holy will , is as true an act of grace , as to be willing to dye when he calls , especially when life is labour and sorrow . but when it is labour and joy , service to his name , and some measure of success and comfort in serving him ; when it is to stop a gap , and stem a tide , it is to be rejoyced in ; 't is heaven upon earth : nay , one would think , by the psalmists oft repeated plea , psal. . & . & . and . and . that it were better than to be in heaven itself , and can that be ? a little before his sickness and death , being summer time , he had several of his children , and his childrens children about him , at broad-oak , with whom he was much refreshed , and very cheerful ; but ever and anon spoke of the fashion he was in , as passing away ; and often told them , he should be there but a while to bid them welcome . and he was observed frequently in prayer , to beg of god , that he would make us ready for that which would come certainly , and might come suddenly . one asking him how he did , he answer'd , i find the chips fly off apace , the tree will be down shortly . the last time he administred the lord's supper , a fortnight before he dy'd , he closed the administration with that scripture , ioh. . . it doth not yet appear what we shall be ; not yet , but it will shortly . the sabbath but one before he dy'd , being in the course of his exposition , come to that difficult part of scripture , the th of ezekiel , and the following chapters ; he said he would endeavour to explain those prophecies to them ; and added , if i do not do it now , i never shall : and he observed , that the only prophetical sermon which our lord jesus preached , was but a few days before he dy'd . this many of his hearers not only reflected upon afterwards , but took notice of at that time with a concern , as having something in it more than ordinary . on the lord's day , iune . . he went through the work of the day with his usual vigor and liveliness . he was then preaching over the first chapter of st. peter's second epistle , and was that day on those words , add to your faith virtue , v. . he took virtue for christian courage and resolution in the exercise of faith ; and the last thing he mentioned , in which christians have need of courage , is in dying ; for ( as he was often us'd to say ) it is a serious thing to dye , and to dye is a work by itself . that day he gave notice , both morning and afternoon , with much affection and enlargement , of the publick fast , which was appointed by authority the friday following , iune . pressing his hearers as he us'd to do upon such occasions , to come in a prepared frame , to the solemn services of that day . the tuesday following , iune . he rose at six a clock , according to his custom , after a better nights sleep than ordinary , and in wonted health . between seven and eight a clock he performed family worship , according to the usual manner ; he expounded very largely , the former half of the th psalm , and sung it ; but he was somewhat shorter in prayer than he us'd to be , being then ( as it was thought ) taken ill . blessed is that servant , whom his lord , when he comes , shall find so doing . immediately after prayer he retired to his chamber , not saying any thing of his illness , but was soon after found upon his bed in great extremity of pain , in his back , breast and bowels ; it seem'd to be a complicated fit of the stone and cholick together , with very great extremity . the means that had been . us'd to give him relief in his illness were altogether ineffectual ; he had not the least intermission or remission of pain , neither up nor in bed , but in a continual toss . he had said sometimes , that god's israel may find iordan rough ; but there 's no remedy , they must through it to canaan ; and would tell of a good man who us'd to say , he was not so much afraid of death as of dying . we know they are not the godly people , part of the description of whose condition it is , that there are no bands in their death , and yet their end is peace , and their death gain , and they have hope in it . in this extremity he was still looking up to god , and calling upon him , who is a present . help in the needful hour . when the exquisiteness of his pain forced groans and complaints from him , he would presently correct himself with a patient and quiet submission to the hand of his heavenly father , and a cheerful acquiescence in his heavenly will. i am ashamed ( saith he ) of these groans , i want virtue , o for virtue now when i have need of it ( referring to his subject the lord's day before ) for give me that i groan thus , and i will endeavour to silence them ; but indeed my stroak is heavier than my groaning . it is true what mr. baxter said in his pain , there 's no disputing against sense . it was his trouble , as it was mr. baxter's , that by reason of his bodily pain , he could not express his inward comfort ; however that was it , with which god graciously strengthned him in his soul. he said to those about him , they must remember . what instructions and counsels he had given them when he was in health , for now he could say but little to them , only to refer them to what he had said , as that which he would live and dye by . it was two or three hours after he was taken ill , before he would suffer a messenger to be sent to chester for his son , and for the doctor , saying , he should either be better or dead before they could come ; but at last he said , as the prophet did to his importunate friends , send . about eight a clock that evening they came , and found him in the same extremity of pain , which he had been in all day . and nature being before spent with his constant and indesatigable labours in the work of the lord now sunk , and did perfectly suceumb under its burthen , and was q●…ite disabled to grapple with so many hours uncessant pain . what further means were then us'd proved fruitless , and did not answer the intention . he apprehended himself going a pace , and said to his son when he came in , o son you are welcome to a dying father : i am now ready to be offered , and the time of my depart●…e . is at hand . his pain continued very acute , but he had peace within . i am tormented ( said be once ) but blessed be god not in this flame ; and soon after i am all on fire ( when at the same time his extreme parts were cold ) but he presently added , blessed be god it is not the fire of hell. to some of his next neighbours who came in to see him ( for those at a distance had not notice of his illness ) he said , o make sure work for your souls , by getting an interest in christ while you are in health , for if i had that work to do now , what would become of me ? but i bless god i am satisfied . it was a caution he was often wont to give ; see to it , that your work be not undone , when your time is done , lest you be undone for ever . towards ten or eleven a clock that night , his pulse and sight began to fail ; of the latter he himself took notice , and inferred from it the near approach of his dissolution . he took an affectionate farewel of his dear yoke-fellow , with a thousand thanks for all her love and care , and tenderness , left a blessing for all his dear children , and their dear yo●…e-fellows and little ones , that were absent . he said to his son who sat under his head ; son , the lord bless you , and grant that you may do worthily in your generation , and be more serviceable to the church of god than i have been , such was his great humility to the last . and when his son reply'd , o sir , pray for me that i may but tread in your steps ; he answered , yea follow peace and holiness , and let them say what they will — more he would have said to bear his dying testimony to the way in which he had walked , but nature was spent , and he had not strength to express it . his understanding and speech continued almost to the last breath , and he was still in his dying agonies calling upon god , and committing himself to him . one of the last words he said , when he found himself just ready to depart , was , o death , where is thy ; — with that his speech falter'd , and within a few minutes ( after , about sixteen hours illness ) he quietly breathed out his precious soul , into the embraces of his dear redeemer , whom he had trusted , and faithfully served in the work of the ministry , about forty three years . he deparetd betwixt twelve and one a clock in the morning , of iune . midsummer-day , in the sixty fifth year of his age. happy , thrice happy he , to whom such a sudden change was no surprize , and who could triumph over death , as an unstung , disarmed enemy , even when he made so fierce an onset . he had often spoke of it as his desire , that if it were the will of god , he might not out-live his usefulness ; and it pleased god to grant him his desire , and give him a short passage from the pulpit to the kingdom , from the height of his usefulness , to receive the recompence of reward . so was it ordered by him , in whose hands our times are . after the account we have given of his great usefulness , it is easie to imagine what sorrow and mourning there was among his friends , when they heard that the lord had . taken away their master from their head. one that liv'd so much desir'd , could not but dye as much lamented . the surprize of the stroke put people into a perfect astonishment ; and many said , the lord remov'd him so suddenly , because he would not deny the many prayers that would have been put up for his recovery , had it been known that he was in peril . one thing that aggravated this severe dispensation , and made it in the apprehension of many look the more dismal , was , that this powerful intercessor was taken away just before a fast-day , when he would have been wrestling mightily with god , for mercy for the land. however it proved a fast-day indeed , and a day of humiliation to that congregation , to whom an empty pulpit was an awakening sermon . the broad-oak was then like that under which rebekah's nurse was buried , gen. . allon-bacuth bochim , a place of weepers . they who had many a time fitten with dry eyes , under melting ordinances , could not sit so under such a melting providence , by which the lord god call'd so loudly to weeping and to mourning , and to girding with sack cloth . but because mr. henry had been wont to give it for a rule , that weeping must not hinder sowing ; a mite was cast into the treasury of the nations prayers , and a word spoken to bring the work of the day , and the event of the day together , from kings . . the day following being saturday , iune . the earthen vessel , in which this treasure had been lodg'd was laid up in the grave , in whitchurch church , attended thither with a very great company of true mourners , all the country round ; many from chefler and shrewsbury , and the towns about , came to do him honour at his death : and besides the floods of tears that were shed , there were abundance of testimonies given to him , by persons of all sorts , like that iehojadah , chron . . that he was one that had done good in israel . and there were those who said , he was a man that no body did or could speak evil of , except for his nonconformity . he was us'd to say to his relations , when i am dead make little a do about me , a few will serve to bring me to my grave ; but his mind could not be observed in that ; 't was impossible such a burning and shining light could be extinguished , but there must be a universal notice taken of it . multitudes came unsought unto , not to fill their eyes ( as mr. vines expresseth it ) but to empty them ; nor was there any other noise there , but that of general lamentation . that morning , before the removal of the corpse , a most affectionate sermon was preached in mr. henry's meeting place , by his dear and worthy friend mr. tallents of shrewsbury , who was eleven years elder than he , and through god's goodness still survives him . he was willing to take that opportunity , to testifie the great love and honour that he had for mr. henry , whom he call'd a friend that is nearer than a brother . his text was rom . . and not only they , but our selves also , which have the first fruits of the spirit , even we our selves groan within our selves , waiting for the adoption , to wit the redemption of our body . in his application he shew'd excellently , and with much affection , how the consideration of the spirit and life of this eminent servant of god , would greatly lead us to believe on christ , and to have the spirit of christ and live after it ; and to suffer with christ , and to groan for our adoption . several things were hinted concerning him , which have been mentioned already in this narrative , and a very honourable testimony born to him . from a long acquaintance with him , he witnessed concerning him , to those who knew his record to be true , that he was humble and meek , kind and peaceable , wise and charitable , and one in whom the fruits of the spirit were eminently : that he was a friend and a counsellor , and a father to many ; that his expounding and preaching was plain and pleasant , warm and savory , full , and such as few could reach , and greatly blessed by god ; and that in it he labour'd more abundantly than any . and after a great encomium of him , it was excellently observed , and must be mentioned here , as that which was highly agreeable to mr. henry's spirit , and his expressions upon all occasions ; that it was not his own righteousness that saved him , nor his own strength that quickned and upheld him , but christ's righteousness and christ's strength , for to him to live was christ : and in all his discourses , sermons and letters , he was very careful to ascribe the honour of all to christ , and to make christ his all in-all . he concluded with some words of seasonable advice to those of that society and neighbourhood . . give thanks to god , that ever you had him or saw him , and that you had him so long , above thirty years in this place . do not many of you owe even your very souls to him under god ? while you mourn , give thanks to god that you ever knew him ; old and great mercies must be thankfully remembred . . rejoyce in the glory that he now enjoys ; weep not for him , but weep for your selves : 't was the text on which he preached , not much above a year ago , at the funeral of that intelligent , holy , useful man , mr. william lawrence of wem . the primitive christians buried their saints with hymns and psalms of joy. chrysostom on the hebrews saith , we are to glorifie god , and give thanks to him , that he hath crown'd the deceased , and freed them from their labours ; and chides those that mourn'd and howl'd . and the days of their death were called natalitia martyrum & sanctorum , the birth-days of the saints and martyrs . and hierom in his epitaph on holy paula ( and in the lives of other holy persons , writ by him ) saith , that at her funeral no shreeks were heard , but multitudes of psalms and hymns were sung in divers languages . . bewail the loss , the general loss , and yours in particular , yet so as to have hope in god. i need not tell you how great your loss is , you teel it more than i am able to express . if any rejoyce that he is gone , because he tormented them , say as the church , mic. . , . . seek out for a supply ; do not mourn and sit still , but up and be doing in your places ; you have had a cheap gospel hitherto ; god sent you one that could preach freely , and which is more that would do so too ; one that sought not yours but you ; and now god will see what you will do for your selves , that now the shepherd is smitten , the sheep may not be scattered . pray to god to raise up others like him , and graciously to give you one . . take heed of liking no preacher , now he is gone . this a usual fault among many that have had excellent preachers , no body can please them . but god may bless weaker means , and make your souls live and thrive under them . . hold fast that which you have ; it is the advice given to philadelphia , the best of the churches , rev. . . keep that good thing which is committed to you , that savoriness of heart , that love to christ and to saints , to all saints , that knowledge of the truth . keep to his sober principles . remember his dying counsel , follow peace and holiness ; have these things always in remembrance . take heed of falling off , take heed of falling away ; the world will draw you , and satan will tempt you , and your own busie hearts will be apt to betray you ; but go on humbly and honestly in the strength of christ , and fear not . be not like those jews that turned aside , when iohn baptist was dead , iohn . . the lord keep you from being such , and give you to go on so his heavenly kingdom . it would have swelled this book too much , if we had inserted the sermon at large , and therefore we forbear it . the next day being lord's day , mr. owen of oswestry preached a most excellent sermon in the morning , agreeable to that sad occasion , upon that pathetical farewel which elisha gave to elijah , kings . . my father , my father , the chariots of israel and the horsemen thereof , and he saw him no more ; and he took hold of his own cloths , and rent them . he observed , . that faithful ministers are the fathers of a people , and their chariots and horsemen ; the former a metaphor taken from a family , a peaceable society ; the latter from an army , a warlike body . fathers to provide good things , chariots and horsemen to protect from evil things . . there is a time when we shall see these fathers , these chariots and horsemen of israel no more . their time is appointed , their work cut out for them , and when those are finished they are removed . . when god takes away our fathers , the chariots of our israel , and the horsemen thereof , it is a proper season for mourning and lamentation . under this he did most affectionately excite us , . to be sensible of our loss , which is better felt than exprest . 't is the loss of one that was a father ; a father to his family , to whom he was constant , in unfolding the holy oracles ; a father to the prophets , for counsel , and conduct , and example ; the sons of the prophets never conversed with him , but they were , or might have been the better for him ; a father to his congregation , now left orphans : 't is the loss of one of the chariots and horsemen of our israel ; so eminent was he for prevalency in prayer , courage in duty , conduct in affairs , constancy in religion , and a firm adherence to his ministerial vows , and lastly , a contempt . of the world , in which , as he that warreth , he did not entangle himself . . to be sensible of those sins , which have provoked god to deprive us of him . barrenness and unfruitfulness under his ministry ; 't is for this that god hath a controversie with us . . to bless god that we enjoy'd him so long ; eaten bread must not be forgotten . . to be followers of him , as he was of christ. he was a pattern for ministers , excelling in the knowledge of the scriptures , which made this man of god perfect , and industrious to advance the honour of jesus christ , whom he made the alpha and omega of his religion ; not addicted to controversies , but walking in the good old way , unwearied in the work of god ; it was the delight of his heart , to be laying out himself for the good of souls . exemplary for humility and low thoughts of himself , and his own performances , for meekness and readiness to forgive injuries , for candor in speaking of others , and their words and actions , on which he ever put the best construction , and was never apt to speak evil of any man. eminent for family-religion , and in that an excellent copy to all masters of families . those things therefore which you have heard and seen in him do , and the god of peace shall be with you . these were the heads which were copiously and excellently enlarged upon in that sermon . in the afternoon of that sabbath , another sermon was preached by a near relation of mr. henry's , on heb. . . and by it , he being dead yet speaketh , 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is yet spoken of by us , and yet speaketh to us . the wednesday following , iuly . being the lecture in course at danford in whitchurch parish , mr. samuel lawrence of nantwich , whose turn it was to preach that lecture brought up the-long train of mourners , ( as he express'd it ) in a most savoury and pertinent discourse on heb. . . remember them which have ( or have had ) the rule over you , who have spoken unto you the words of god , whose faith follow , considering the end of their conversation . bishops no doubt ( saith he ) are here meant , scripture primitive bishops , the pastors of particular congregations , for they were such as had spoken to them the word of god , and watched for their souls , v. . such a one mr. henry was , that great man , who is fallen this day in israel , removed from us , but hath left behind him a good name to be remembred , a good example to be imitated ; many a good word spoken to us , and many a good prayer put up for us . remember him with thankfulness , that god has given such power , such gifts and graces unto men. i never knew a man ( said he ) in all my acquaintance , in whom i have seen so much of god as in good mr. henry , whose holy , humble , heavenly , gracious conversation hath been to me , no small confirmation of the truth of the christian religion ; that god gave him to you , and continued him so long , to see the church in a better state than he had sometimes seen it ; that god crown'd his labours with such great success . many souls in heaven , and some on earth blessing god that ever they saw his face , and that god continued him in his usefulness to the last . remember him with a quiet submission to the hand of god in his removal from us . sensible we must be of the stroke ; 't is a publick loss , a loss to to the ministry , our hands are this day weak ; a loss to the nation , for which he was a powerful intercessor ; a loss to this country , in which he was a burning and shining light ; but yet we must acquiesce in the divine will. the treasure was in an earthen vessel , and god will bring us to depend more upon himself ; and he is teaching us to live , and live to christ without good mr. henry , though we have sometimes said , we did not know how we could live without him . remember him to pay all honour and respect to his name and memory ; rise up , and call him blessed . that 's a foul tongue , as well as a lying one , that can say any thing of him unbecoming a disciple , servant , and minister of jesus christ. remember him , to imitate his good example . many of you will be called mr. henry's followers , be so indeed . he was a pattern to ministers of diligence , zeal , humility , and great meekness in dealing with all people , which contributed abundantly to his success ; his preaching affectionate , without affectation . to all people he was a pattern of faith and charity , and contempt of the world , of zeal and moderation , patience in suffering , and of constancy and perseverance to the end . remember him , and remember your sins which have provoked god to take him away . have not we grieved this good man's spirit ? &c. remember him , and remember christ's fulness , who is the same , v. . and hath the residue of the spirit . instruments shifted , cisterns emptied , but there is the same in the fountain . remember him , and remember your own death , and heaven where he is : we may think the worse of this world. which is much impoverished , and the better of heaven which is somewhat enriched , by the removal of this good man. thus we have gleaned a little out of the sermons , which very well des●…ed to have been published at large some of the testimonies that were born to him , by such as had had long and intimate acquaintance with him , that knew his excellencies very much , and knew as little to give flattering titles ; nor was it any invidious piece of service , to speak thus honourably of one , who like demetrius , had a good report of all men , and of the truth it self . nor was it there only , but from abroad , that very honourable testimonies were given of him . sir henry ashhurst ( whose great worth and usefulness the world hath been made to know , by some of the best pens of the age ) besides the personal acquaintance he had with mr. henry , both at boreatton and in london , had kept up a constant correspondence with him , by letter , for many years . read the character he gave of him , in a letter to a near relation of mr. henry's , upon the tidings of his death . i need not tell you how sadly i received the doleful news of mr. henry ' s translation , who , i do think , liv'd the greatest example of sincere godliness , with prudenc●… and sweetness of temper , of any i ever knew . and i●… another letter , not only proposing , but pressing th●… publication of an account of his life , he professeth he thought there was none like him in his day , at lea●… of his acquaintance , which is known to be both o●… the largest and of the best : and ( saith he ) if si●… fulk grevil , would have it inscribed upon his tomb●… stone , that he was a friend to sir philip sidney . i m●… well be pleased to have it told the world , that i lov'd an●… honour'd blessed mr. henry ; a man of so much prudence , and withal so much sincerity , of so good a temper , so much a gentleman , and yet of such strict pie●… and devotedness to god , that i scarce ever knew his fellow . the reverend mr. william turner , now vicar of walburton in sussex , ( of whom mention was made before ) lately sent to me a very kind letter , ex mero motu , with his free consent to have it inserted in this account ; some hints whereof i think sit to subjoin . worthy sir , i am glad to hear that you have been prevailed with to set upon so good a work , as recording the most remarkable passages of mr. henry's life . i doubt not but you will meet with some , that will give such a history but a cold reception . all that part of the world that lies in darkness , will be offended , when beams of clear light and sun-shine first dart into their faces . virtutem praesentem odimus . a little before i went to the university , i was , upon the commendation of my worthy school-master mr. e. ( yet living ) and with my father's consent , half a year a domestick with him ; partly as a tutor to his young ones , and partly as a pupil to himself ; and in some little degree as a companion ; where i had the opportunity of informing my self more fully concerning the humour and principles , and conversation of a sort of people ( and especially him and his family ) whom i had heard aspers'd very freely in former companies , and represented to the world , as very hypocritical and disloyal people . at my first going i resolved to stand upon my guard , and pry into the cause , which was then the great subject of difference and dispute ; and upon the whole do say , that mr. henry was a man of so clear a brain , so gentle a behaviour , so steddy a conversation , so regular a devotion , was so courteous and condescending to inferiors , so respectful and dutiful to superiours , so sweet and obliging to all ; was so careful to improve his time well , to do as much good as possible to every body , so constantly affectionate in his prayers for the king and government , so desirous to keep up a fair correspondence and communion with his conformable brethren , so very indifferent in making proselytes to his particular opinions ; and withal , so zealous to promote substantial goodness and true christianity , so mighty inoffensive and peaceable in all his expressions and actions ; so prudent , pure , pious , just , sober , charitable , chearful and pleasant , that i profess i am almost afraid to give him his due character without some correctives , lest they that knew him not should suspect my veracity , and imagine my pen to be managed by some mercenary hand . i remember the worshipful rowland hunt of boreatton , esq speaking of mr. henry , thus expressed himself to me ( and if i mistake not , the lord embassador pagett was present ) i was ( said he ) near seven years resident in the universities , and seven more at the inns of court in london , and had opportunity of knowing and acquainting my self with the most eminent divines and preachers in both those places ; yet i never found any every way so accomplished , for clearness and quickness of apprehension , solidity of judgment , and roundness of style , as mr. henry is . i have noted in my book of providences , the remark i made upon the temporal blessings god had rewarded him with ; viz. a good and virtuous consort , who brought him a good estate , gave him a due reverence , lov'd him with an intire affection , an ingenious and hopeful off-spring , well affected , well educated , and well dispos'd of in the world , the favour of men , and a quiet undisturb'd habitation upon earth , in great measure , &c. sic testatus , sic monet , sic precatur . amicus maerens , anhelus , superstes . w. turner , a. m. another very worthy conformist , formerly of his acquaintance , but now living at a great distance , having occasion to mention him in a letter to a friend , calls him the great , good. and now glorious mr. henry , whose memory ( saith he ) shall ever be precious , and even sacred to me . such as these were the honourable testimonies which all that knew him , and knew how to value true excellency attended him with . it is part of the recompence of charity and moderation in this world , that it obtains a good report of all men. the kingdom of god ( saith the blessed apostle , rom. . , . ) is not meat and drink ( which were then the matters of doubtful disputation ) but righteousness , and peace , and joy in the holy ghost ; and he that in these things serveth christ , is not only acceptable to god , but approved of men ; as on the contrary , they that judge will be judged , and with what meas●…re we meet , it will be measured to us again . and this is the excellency of a good name , that it is out of the reach of death , and is not buried in the grave , but rather grows up from it . it is not for nothing that solomon hath joined this good name , which is better than precious oyntment , with the day of ones death , which upon that account is better than the day of ones birth , that it compleats the character of those that finish their course well , and are faithful unto death ; whereas a great name , like the names of the great ones of the earth is often wither'd and blemished by death . we read of those that bear their shame when they go down to the pit , though they were the terror of the mighty in the land of the living , ezek. . . at a meeeting of the dissenting ministers of cheshire at knutford , in may . ( a few weeks before mr. henry dyed ) it was agreed , that their next meeting should be at chester ( though inconvenient to many of them ) upon condition that he would meet them there , and give them a sermon . it was with much difficulty that he was prevailed with to promise it , but his master called for him before the time appointed came . mr. flavel of devonshire dyed when he was under a like appointment . but happy they that are come to the general assembly , and church of the first born , and to the spirits of just men made perfect . as to his bodily presence , he was of a middle stature , his complexion not approaching to any extream , of a very pleasant aspect , and an unusual mixture of gravity and sweetness in the air of his countenance , which was the true index of his mind . when some of his friends have sollicited him to have his picture drawn , he would put them off with this , that the best picture of a minister is in the hearts of his people . chap. x. a miscellaneous collection of some of his sayings , observations , counsels and comforts , out of his sermons , letters and discourses . mr. henry , through the excess of his modesty and self-diffidence , never published any of his labours to the world , nor ever fitted or prepar'd any of them for the press ; and yet none more valued the labours of others , or rejoyced more in them ; nor have i heard any complain less of the multitude of good books , concerning which he often said , that store is no sore , and he was very forward to perswade others to publish ; and always express'd a particular pleasure in reading the lives , actions and sayings of eminent men , antient and modern , which he thought the most useful and instructive kind of writings . he was also a very candid reader of books , not apt to pick quarrels with what he read , especially when the design appear'd to be honest , and when others would find fault , and say , this was wanting , and 'tother amiss , his usual excuse was , there is nothing perfect under the sun. it will be but a small repair of this want of the publishing of some of his works , ( but i doubt it will prove the best we can make ) to glean up some few of many of his sayings , observations , and good instructions ( as his remains ) which we shall not marshal in any order , but give them as they occur , besides those which have been already inserted into this narrative . 't was a saying he frequently us'd , which hath been mentioned already , that every creature is that to us , and only that which god makes it to be : and another was , duty is ours , events are god's : and another was , the soul is the man , and therefore , that is always best for us , which is best for our souls : and another was , the devil cozens us of all our time , by cozening us of the present time . in his thanksgivings for temporal mercies , he often said , if the end of one mercy were not the beginning of another , we were undone : and to encourage to the work of thanksgiving he would say , that new mercies call for new returns of praise , and then those new returns will fetch in new mercies ; and from psal. . . he that offers praise glorifies me , and to him that orders his conversation aright . — he observ'd , that thanksgiving is good , but thanks-living is better . when he spoke of a good name , he usually described it to be a name for good things with good people . when he spoke of contentment , he us'd to say , when the mind and the condition meet , there 's contentment . now in order to that , either the condition must be brought up to the mind , and that is not only unreasonable but impossible ; for as the condition riseth , the mind riseth with it ; or else the mind must be brought down to the condition , and that is both possible and reasonable . and he observed , that no condition of life will of it self make a man content , without the grace of god ; for we find haman discontented in the court , ah●…b discontented on the throne , adam discontented in paradise , nay ( and higher we cannot go ) the angels that fell discontented in heaven it self . the three questions which he advised people to put to themselves in self examination before the sacrament , were , what am i ? what have i done ? and what do i want ? he us'd to recommend to his friends these four scripture arguments against sin. expressed for memory sake in four verses , to be ready in an hour of temptation . is this thy kindness to thy friend ? it will be bitterness in the end . the vows of god upon me lye ; should such a man as i am fly ? he said there were four things , which he would not for all the world have against him , the word of god , his own conscience , the prayers of the poor , and the account of godly ministers . he that hath a blind conscience which sees nothing , a dead conscience which feels nothing , and a dumb conscience which saith nothing , is in as miserable a condition as a man can be in , on this side hell. preaching on pet. . . if need be , you are in heaviness . — he shew'd what need the people of god have of afflictions . the same need that our bodies have of physick , that our trees have of pruning , that gold and silver have of the furnace , that liquors have of being emptied from vessel to vessel , that the iron hath of a file , that the fields have of a hedge , that the child has of the rod. preaching on that prayer of christ for his disciples , iohn . . that they all may be one , which no doubt is an answer'd prayer ; for the father heard him always : he shewed , that notwithstanding the many sad divisions that are in the church , yet all the saints , as far as they are sanctified , are one ; one in relation , one flock , one family , one building , one body , one bread : one by representation , one in image and likeness , of one inclination and disposition : one in their aims , one in their askings , one in amity and friendship , one in interest , and one in their inheritance ; nay , they are one in iudgment and opinion ; though in some things they differ , yet those things in which they are agreed are many more , and much more considerable , than those things wherein they differ . they are all of a mind concerning sin , that it is the worst thing in the world ; concerning christ , that he is all in all ; concerning the favour of god , that is better than life ; concerning the world , that it is vanity ; concerning the word of god , that it is very precious , &c. preaching on gal. . . concerning the conversion of paul , he began his sermon with this remark , to raise attention : much is said in story concerning the seven wonders of the world , the temple of ephesus , the pyramids of egypt , the tomb of mausolus , &c. all which are now no more ; but i have been sometimes thinking , whether i could not name seven things which i would call the seven wonders of the church ; and what do you think of these seven ? are they not wonderful ? . our redemption by jesus christ , who is called wonderful ; . the salvation of noah in the ark ; . the faith of abraham in offering up isaac ; . the patience of iob ; . the providences of god towards the nation and people of the iews ; . the pouring out of the spirit upon the apostles ; . the conversion of paul. but it would be endless to gather up such passages as these out of his sermons , which were full of them , and we mention these only because they occur first . he us'd to observe concerning the nation of the iews , that before the captivity in babylon , no people could be more strongly addicted to idols and idolatry than they were , to admiration , considering what clear warnings they had against it . but after that captivity , never was any people more averse to idols and idolatry than they , that the promise might be fulfilled , ephraim shall say , what have i to do any more with idols ; and he looked upon it , that the idolatry of the papists was one of the greatest obstructions to the iews conversion , which he did expect and look for , as not apprehending how the promises , rom. . have yet had their full accomplishment ; not that they shall again be incorporated into a people , but shall join themselves to the churches of christ , in the several nations whither they are scatter'd . the great thing that he condemned and witnessed against in the church of rome , was their monopolizing of the church , and condemning all that are not in with their interests , which is so directly contrary to the spirit of the gospel , as nothing can be more . he sometimes said , i am too much a catholick , to be a roman catholick . he often exprest himself well pleas'd with that healing rule , which if duly observed would put an end to all our divisions : sit in necessariis unitas , in non necessariis libert●… , in omnibus charitas . let there be in necessary things unity , in every thing charity , and then there need not be in every punctilio uniformity . by the institutions of the gospel ( he said ) he knew of no holy place , one holy day , two holy sacraments , and four holy canons . let all things be done in charity : let all things be done to edifying : let all things be done decently and in order : and let all things be done to the glory of god. when his opinion was asked about any doubtful matter , as playing at cards , the marriage of cosin-germans , or the like , he was very cautious in determining such things to be sinful ; but he would say , its good keeping on the safer side ; and a man would not chuse to go upon a precipice , when he might go upon even ground , prov. . . he that walks uprightly , walks surely , in opposition to walking at all adventures . in the observations he made of god's providences , he frequently took notice in discourse with his friends , of the fulfilling of the scripture in them , for ( saith he ) the scripture hath many accomplishments , and is in the fulfilling every day . speaking of a wicked son in the neighbourhood , that was very undutiful to his mother , he charged some of his children to observe the providence of god concerning him ; perhaps ( saith he ) i may ●…ot live to see it , but do you take notice , whether god do not come upon him with some remarkable iudgment in this life , according to the threatning implyed in the reason annexed to the fifth commandment : but he himself lived to see it fulfilled not long after , in a very signal providence . he observed from scripture instances , as well as from some providences which he had taken notice of in his own day , that if any began well in the ways of religion and godliness , and afterwards cast off their profession , and returned to profaneness again usually god sets a mark of his displeasure upon them , by some visible judgment in this world ; their estates ruined , their reputation blasted , their families sunk , or themselves brought to misery ; so that all who passed by might say , this was an apostate . if any man draw back , my soul shall have no pleasure in him . he observed from numb . . . that all our removes in this world , are but from one wilderness to another . upon any change that is before us , we are apt to promise our selves a canaan , but we shall be deceived , it will prove a wilderness . once pressing the study of the scriptures , he advised to take a verse of psalm . . every morning to meditate upon , and so go over the psalm twice in the year , and that ( said he ) will bring you to be in love with all the rest of the scripture ; and he often said , all grace grows , as love to the word of god grows . one asking his advice , what to do when ( as often unavoidably ) we are in the sight and hearing of the wickedness of the wicked , and whether we are to reprove them ; why ( saith he ) you know what an angry countenance doth , and we may sometimes give a reproof by our looks , when we have not opportunity of giving it otherwise . he would not bear that any should be evil spoken of in his hearing , 't was to him as vinegar to the teeth . he would mind those who reflected upon people behind their backs , of that law , lev. . . thou shalt not curse the deaf . those that are absent are deaf , they cannot right themselves , and therefore say no ill of them . a friend of his enquiring of him concerning a matter which tended to reflect upon some people ; he began to give him an account of the story , but immediately broke off , and checked himself with these words , but our rule is , to speak evil of no man , and would proceed no further in the story . 't was but the week before he dyed , that one desired him to lend him such a book ; truly ( saith he ) i would lend it you , but that it rakes in the faults of some , which should rather be covered with a mantle of love , 't were easie to multiply instances of this . to quicken people to diligence and liveliness in the worship of god , he would sometimes observe , that the temple was built upon a threshing-floor , a place of labour . he would also urge , that in answer to those who turn'd it to his reproach , that his meeting place had been a barn ; no new thing ( would he say ) to turn a threshing-floor into a temple . when some zealous people in the country would have him to preach against top-knots , and other vanities in apparel , he would say , that was none of his business ; if he could but perswade people to christ , the pride and vanity , and excess of those things would fall of course ; and yet he had a dislike to vanity and gaiety of dress , and allowed it not in those that he had influence upon . his rule was , that in such things we must neither be owles nor apes ; not affect singularity , nor affect modishness ; nor ( as he used to observe from pet. . . ) make the putting on of apparel our adorning , because christians have better things to adorn themselves with . when some complained to him of a relation of theirs , that would not let them dress his children with ribbands , and other fine things , why truly ( said mr. henry ) those things are fit for children ; thereby reproving both him that would not allow them to his children , and them that perhaps minded them too much themselves . he often , both in sermons and discourses , would press people to fix to themselves some good principles , and to come off from the corrupt and carnal principles that worldly people go by . he took all occasions to recommend such principles as these : that god who is the first and best , should have the first and best ; that a part in christ is a good part ; that soul prosperity is the best prosperity , and that it is well or ill with us , according as it is well or ill with our souls ; that honesty is the best policy ; that those that would have the comfort of relations , must be careful to do the duty of them ; that all is well that ends everlastingly well ; that time and the things of time , are nothing compared with eternity and the things of eternity ; that it is better to suffer the greatest affliction , than to commit the least sin ; that it highly concerns us to do that now , which we shall most wish we had done when we come to dye ; that work for god is its own wages ; that it is folly for a man to do that which he must certainly undo again by repentance , or be undone to all eternity such as these were the principles he would have christians to govern themselves by . speaking of the causes of atheism , he had this observation ; that a head full of vain and unprofitable notions , meeting with a heart full of pride and self-conceitedness , dispose a man directly to be an atheist . a gentlewoman , that upon some unkindness betwixt her and her husband , was parted from him , and lived separately near a twelve-month , grew melancholy , and complained of sin , and the withdrawing of the light of god's countenance , and the want of assurance ; he told her , she must rectifie what was a miss between her and her husband , and return into the way of duty , else 't was in vain to expect peace . her friends were against it ; but he said , he was confident it would prove so . he said he had observed concerning himself , that he was sometimes the worse for eating , but never for abstinence ; sometimes the worse for wearing too few cloaths , but never for wearing too many ; sometimes the worse for speaking , but never for keeping silence . as to his letters , he was very free in writing to his friends . a good letter , he would say , may perhaps do more good than a good sermon , because the address is more particular , and that which is written remains . his language and expressions in his letters were always pious and heavenly , and seasoned with the salt of grace ; and when there was occasion , he would excellently administer counsels , reproofs or comforts by letter . he kept no copies of his letters , and it is impossible if we should attempt it , to retrieve them from the hands into which they were scatter'd . mr. rutherford's , and mr. allen's letters , that ( like some of the most excellent of paul's epistles ) bo●…e date out of a prison , have a mighty tincture of their peculiar prison-comforts and enlargements ; we have none such to produce of mr. henry's , no pastoral letters or prison letters ; he was himself , in his whole conversation , an epistle of christ. but we shall only glean up some passages out of such of his letters as are in our hands , which may be affecting and edifying . to his son when he was abroad for improvement at london , in the year , and , with the common business of his letters , which was always written with a savor of religion , he would intermix such lines as these : we are all well here , thanks be to god , the divine providence watching about our tabernacle , and compassing us about with favour , as with a shield . our great enquiry is , what shall we render ? alas ! our rendrings are nothing to our receivings ; w●…re like the barren field , on which must cost is b●…wed , but the crop is not accordingly . our heavenly father is loading us with his benefits , and we are loading him with our sins , grieving him that comforts us ; and how long , how long shall it be so ? o that it might be otherwise ! that our mercies might be as oyl to the wheels , to make us so much the more active and lively in our masters work , especially considering how it is with our fellow servants , they empty and we full , they marah and we naomi . there may a day come , when it may cost dear to be honest , but after all . to fear god and keep his commandments , is the whole of man. i therefore commend it to you , and you to god , who is a shield and buckler to them that fear him . we are well , but in daily expectation of that which we are born , and born again to , and that is trouble in this world , yet rejoycing in hope of the glory of god , which we are reaching after , and pressing towards , as we trust you are also . where you are , you see more of the glittering vanities of this world in a day , than we here do in an age ; and are you more and more in love with them , or dead and dying to them ? i hope dead and dying to them , for they are poor things , and perish in the using ; make many worse that enjoy them , but none better . what is translated vexation of spirit , eccl. . . may be read feeding upon wind , comp . hos. . . and can wind satisfie ? the lord preserve and keep you from all evil , the lord preserve and keep your soul. we both send you our love , and bless you together , and apart , every day , in the name of the lord. amen and amen . be sincere and humble and choice in your company , always either getting go●… or doing good , gathering in or laying out . re●…ber to keep the heart with all diligence and above all keepings , for there the fountain is , and if that be well kept and clean , the streams will be accordingly . 't is some short refreshment to friends and relations , to see and hear from one another , but it passeth away , and we have here no continuing city , no abiding delights in this world ; our rest remains elsewhere ; those we have , lose much of their sweetness , from the thoughts of parting with them while we enjoy them , but the happiness to come is eternal . after millions of millions of ages ( if we may so speak of eternity ) as far from an end as the first moment ; and the last of glory will be glory ( so some read prov. . . ) keep that in your eye ( my dear child ) and it will as much as any thing dazzle your eyes , to all the fading deceiving vanities of this lower world ; and will be a quickning motive to you , to abound always in the work of the lord , forasmuch as you know your labour shall not be in vain in the lord. the lord bless you , who blesseth indeed . see that you walk circumspectly , not as the fools , but as the wise ; many eyes are upon you , his especially , who is all eye ; cave , deus videt , memento hoc agere ; our blessing with chr. . . the same which is yet the prologue of yours , is of ours also . ommia bene . laus deo ! but he that girdeth on the harness , must not boast as that puts it off . while the world we live in is under the moon , constant in nothing but inconstancy ; and such changes are made in other families , why should we alone promise our selves immunity from the common lot ? there would be no need of faith and patience which are winter graces , if it should be always summer time with us . we have three unchangeables to oppose to all other mutabilities ; an unchangeable covenant , an unchangeable god , and an unchangeable heaven : and while these three remain the same , yesterday , to day , and for ever ; welcome the will of our heavenly father in all events that may happen to us ; come what will , nothing can come amiss to us . keep the invisible things of the other world always in your eye . he that ventures the loss of an eternal crown and kingdom , for a cup or two of puddle water ( such as all ter●…ene pleasures in comparison are ) makes a bargain , which no less a space than that which is everlasting will be sufficient to bewail and repent of . how much better is it to lay up in store now a good foundation for time to come , and to lay hold on eternal life ? doing those works which we would be willing should hereafter follow us , yet still making the blessed jesus our all in all . the further progress you make in your studies , you will find them the easier ; 't is so with religion , the worst is at first . it is like the picture that frown'd at first entrance , but afterwards smiles and looks pleasant . they that walk in sinful ways , meet with some difficulties at first , which custom conquers , and they become as nothing . 't is good accustoming our selves to that which is good . the more we do , the more we may do in religion . your acquaintance ( i doubt not ) increaseth abroad , and accordingly your watch must be ; for by that oftentimes , e're we are aware , we are ensnar'd . he that walketh with wise men shall be wise . the return of the spring invites our thanksgiving for the mercy of it . the birds are singing early and late , according to their capacity , the praises of their creator ; but man only , that hath most cause , finds something else to do . 't is redeeming love that is the most admirable love ; less than an eternity will not suffice to adore it in . lord , how is it ! lord , what is man ? as the streams lead to the fountain , so should all our mercies lead us to that . we both of us send you our most affectionate love and blessing ; blessing ? that is , we pray and beseech the most blessed god , even our own god , to give you his blessing for he only can command the blessing ; and those whom he blesseth are blessed indeed . let us still hear to our comfort , that you walk in the truth . living above the things of the world , as dead to them . the lord in mercy fit us for his will in the next providence , publick and personal , for time is always teeming . your improvement is our ioy. be sincere and serious , cloathed with humility , abounding always in the work of the lord ; and when you have done all saying , i am an unprofitable servant . 't was the good advice of the moral philosopher , in your converse with men , 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 ( distrust ) but i must add , in every thing towards god 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 ( believe ) expect temptation and a snare at every turn , and walk accordingly . we have a good cause , a vanquished enemy a good second , and extraordinary pay ; for he that overcomes , needs not desire to be more happy than the second and third of the revelation speaks him to be . the god of all mercy and grace compass you about always with his favour as with a shield . i would have you redeem time for hearing the word in season and out of season ; your other studies will prosper never the worse , especially if you could return immediately from it to the closet again , without cooling divertisements by the way . see your need of christ more and more , and live upon him ; no life like it , so sweet , so safe . christus meus mihi in omnia . we cannot be discharged from the guilt of any evil we do , without his merit to satisfie ; we cannot move in the performance of any good required , without his spirit and grace to assist and enable for it ; and when we have done all , that all is nothing , without his mediation and intercession to make it acceptable ; so that every day , in every thing . he is all in all. though you are at a distance from us now , we rejoyce in the good hope we have through grace , of meeting again in the land of the living , that is , on earth , if god see good , however in heaven , which is the true land of the truly living , and is best of all . the lord god everlasting be your sun and shield in all your ways : see time hasting away a pace towards eternity , and the judge even at the door , and work accordingly , where-ever you are , alone or in company ; be always either doing or getting good , sowing or reaping . as for me , i make no other reckoning , but that the time of my departure is at hand , and what trouble i may meet with before , i know not , the will of the lord be done : one of my chief cares is , that no iniquity of mine may be laid up for you , which god grant for his mercy sake in christ jesus . amen . be careful of your health . remember the rule , venienti occurrere ; but especially neglect not the main matter . the soul is the man ; if that do well , all 's well . worship god in the spirit ; rejoyce in christ iesus , and have no confidence in the flesh. god be gracious unto thee my son. redeem time , especially for your soul : expect trouble in this world , and prepare for it ; expect happiness in the other world , and walk worthy of it , unto all pleasing . a good book is a good companion at any time , but especially a good god , who is always ready to hold communion with those that desire and seek communion with him . keep low and humble in your thoughts and opinion of your self ; but aim high in your desires and expectations , even as high as the kingdom of heaven it self , and resolve to take up with nothing short of it . the lord guide you in all your ways , and go in and out before you , and preserve you blameless to his heavenly kingdom . immediately after his son was ordained to the work of the ministry at london , in the year . he thus wrote to him : are you now a minister of jesus christ ? hath he counted you faithful , putting you into the ministry ? then be faithful ; out of love to him feed his lambs : make it your 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 , as a workman that needs not be ashamed , rightly dividing the word of truth . i hope what you experienced of the presence of god with you in the solemnity , hath left upon you a truly indelible character , and such impressions , as neither time , nor any thing else shall be able to wear out . remember psal. . . it is in the eye of sense , a bad time to set out in ; but in sowing and reaping , clouds and wind must not be heeded . the work is both comfortable and honourable , and the reward rich and sure ; and if god be pleased to give opportunity and a heart , though there may be trouble attending it , 't will be easily born . if we suffer with him , we shall also reign with him . i am , and shall be , according to my duty and promise , earnest at the throne of grace , on your behalf , that the lord will pour out upon you of his holy spirit , that what he calls you to , he would fit you for ; especially that he would take you off your own bottom , and lay you low in the sense of your own unworthiness , inability and insufficiency , that you may say with the evangelical prophet ; wo is me , i am undone ! and with ieremiah , i am a child ; and with paul , i am nothing ; where this is not , the main thing is wanting ; for god resists the proud , but gives grace to the humble . now the lord give you that grace to be humble ; and then , according to his promise , he will make you rich in every other grace . it were very easie to transcribe many more such lines as these , out of his letters to his son , but these shall suffice . we shall next gather up some few passages out of some of his letters to a person of quality in london , ( such of them as are come to our hands , which are but few of many . ) the beginning of his correspondence with that gentleman , ( which continued to his death , and was kept up monthly for a great while ) was in the year . and the following letter broke the ice . honour'd sir , hoping you are by this time , as you intended , returned to london , to your home and habitation there . i make bold , according to my promise , to salute you in a few lines . in the first place to be your remembrancer of the vows of god which are upon you , upon the account of the many mercies of your journey , both in your going out and in your coming in . was not every step you took hedg'd about with special providence ? had not the angels charge over you ? did not they pitch their tents where you pitched yours ? did not goodness and mercy follow you , and should it not then be had in thankful remembrance ? where mercy goes before , should not duty follow after ? if you have mr. angier's life , you will find there , page , . a collection out of his diary , of ten heads of mercies , acknowledged in a journey , to heighten god's praises , and to quicken his own and others hearts therein , and they are certainly very affecting next ( sir ) i am to acquaint you , that i have faithfully dispos'd of the money you left with me at parting , to eight poor praying widows in this neighbourhood , as you appointed . and this among all the rest of your alms deeds is had in memorial before god ; 't is fruit that will abound to your account , bread sent a voyage upon the waters , which you and yours will find again after many days ; for he is faithful that hath promised . the apostles prayer shall be mine , cor. , . now he that ministreth seed to the sower , both minister bread for your food , and multiply your seed sown , and increase the fruits of your righteousness . amen . and some time after he writes , your acknowledging god in all your affairs , i cannot but rejoyce in , as an evidence of the uprightness of your heart towards him ; 't is the life and soul of all religion ; 't is indeed to walk with god : that includes as much as any other scripture command in so few words , in all thy ways acknowledge him ; in every thing thou dost have an eye to him ; make his word and will thy rule , his glory thy end ; fetch in strength from him ; expect success from him ; and in all events that happen , which are our ways too ( whether they be for us or against us ) he is to be acknowledged , that is ador'd : if prosperous with thankfulness , if otherwise with submission ; as iob , the lord hath given , and the lord hath taken , and blessed be the name of the lord. this is to set the lord always before us , to have our eye ever towards the lord ; where this is not , we are so far without god in the world. in another letter , as to the accession lately made to your estate , much good may it do you ; that is , much good may you do with it , which is the true good of an estate . the lady warwick would not thank him , that would give her a thousand a year , and tye her up from doing good with it . i rejoyce in the large heart which god hath given you with your large estate without which heart the estate would be your snare . i have lately met with a letter of mr. henry's , to a couple related to him , who in a very short time had buryed all their children of the small pox , to their great grief , 't was in the year . what comfort and counsels he administred to them , may be of use ●…o others in their afflictions , and therefore i shall transcribe the whole letter , though it be long . dear cosins , this is to you both , whom god hath made one in the conjugal relation , and who are one also in the present affliction ; only to signifie to you that we do heartily sympathize with you in it . the trial is indeed sharp , and there will be need of all the wisdom and grace you have , and of all the help of friends you can get , both to bear and to improve it aright . you must bear it with silence and submission . surely it is meet to be said unto god , i have born chastisement . he is sovereign lord of all , and may do with us and ours as pleaseth him . it is not for the clay to quarrel with the potter . it was mercy you had children , and comfort in them so long ; it is mercy that yet you have one another , and your children are not lost , but gone before , a little before , whither you your selves are hastning after . and if a storm be coming , ( as god grant it be not ) it is best with them that put first into the harbour . your children are taken away from the evil to come , and you must not mourn as they that have no hope . sensible you cannot but be , but dejected and sullen you must not be , that will but put more bitterness into the cup , and make way for another , perhaps a sharper stroke . you must not think , and i hope you do not , that there cannot be a sharper stroke , for god hath many arrows in his quiver ; he can heat the furnace seven times hotter , and again and again seven times hotter , till he hath consumed us ; and if he should do so , yet still we must say , he hath punished us less than our iniquities have deserved . for examples of patience in the like kind , we have two eminent ones in the book of god , those are iob and aaron ; of the latter it is said , lev. . he held his peace ; and that which quiered him , was what his brother moses said to him , this is that which the lord hath said i will be sanctified ; and if god be sanctified , aaron is satisfied ; if god have glory from it , aaron hath nothing to say against it . of the former it is said , iob . . he fell down , but it was to worship ; and we are told how he expressed himself , the lord gave , &c. he acknowledgeth god in all : and indeed after all , this is it ( my dear cosins ) that you must satisfie your selves with under this sad providence , that the lord hath done it , and the same will that ordered the thing it self , ordered all the circumstances of it ; and who are we that we should dispute with our maker : let the potsherds strive with the potsherds of the earth , but let not the thing formed say to him that formed it , why hast thou made me thus ? and as for the improvement of this affliction , ( which i hope both of you earnestly desire , for it is a great loss to lose such a providence , and not be made better by it ) i conceive there are four lessons which it should teach you , and they are good lessons , and should be well learned , for the advantage of them is unspeakable . . it should for ever imbitter sin to you ; you know what she said to the prophet , kings . . art thou come to call my sin to remembrance , and to slay my son ? 't is sin , sin that is the old kill-friend , the ionah that hath raised this storm , the achan that hath troubled your house ; then how should you grow in your hatred of it , and endeavours against it ? that you may be the death of that which hath been the death of your dear children ; i say the death of it , for nothing less will satisfie the true penitent , than the death of such a malefactor . . it should be a spur to you , to put you on in heavens way ; it may be you were growing remiss in duty , beginning to slack your former pace in religion , and your heavenly father saw it , and was grieved at it , and sent this sad providence to be your monitor , to tell you , you should remember whence you were fallen , and do your first works , and be more humble and holy , and heavenly , and self-denying , and watchful , abounding always in the work of the lord. o blessed are they that come out of such a furnace thus resined , they will say hereafter , 't was a happy day for them that ever they were put in . . you mu●… learn by it as long as you live , to keep your affections in due bounds towards creature comforts . how hard is it to love and not to over-love , to delight in children or yoke-fellows , and not over-delight ; now god is a jealous god , and will not give his glory to any other ; and our excess this way doth often provoke him to remove that mercy from us , which we do thus make an idol of ; and our duty is to labour when he doth so , to get that matter mended , and to rejoyce in all our enjoyments with trembling , and as if we rejoyced not . . it should be a means of drawing your hearts and thoughts more upwards and home-wards ; i mean your everlasting-home . you should be looking oftner now than before into the other world. i shall go to him , saith david , when his little son was gone before . it is yet but a little while e're all the things of time shall be swallowed up in eternity . and the matter is not great , whether we or ours die first , whilst we are all dying ; in the midst of life we are in death : what manner of persons then ought we to be ? now our lord iesus christ himself , and god , even our father , be your support under , and do you good by this dispensation , and give you a name better than that of sons and daughters . we are daily mindful of you at the throne of grace , in our poor measure , and dearly recommended to you , &c. we shall next gather up some passages out of his letters to his children , after they were married and gone from him . to one of his daughters with child of her first child , he thus writes , you have now one kind of burthen more than ever you had before to cast upon god , and if you do so , he will sustain you , according to his promise . and when the time of travel was near , thus , you know whom you have trusted , even him who is true and faithful , and never yet did , no●… ever will forsake the soul that seeks him . though he be almighty , and can do every thing , yet this he cannot do , he cannot deny himself , nor be worse than his word : but what is his word ? hath he promised that there shall be always a safe and speedy delivery ? that there shall be no iabez , no benoni ? no , but if there be , he hath promised it shall work together for good ; hath promised , if he doth not save from , he will save through : if he call to go , even through the valley of the shadow of death , ( and what less is child-bearing 〈◊〉 ) he will be with you , his rod and his staff shall comfort you , and that 's well : therefore your faith must be in those things as the promise is , either so or so , and which way soever it be , god is good , and doth good . therefore ( my dear daughter ) lift up the hands that hang down , cast your burthen upon him , trust also in him , and let your thoughts be established . we are mindful of you in our daily prayers but you have a better intecessor than we , who is heard always . to another of them in the same circumstance ; he thus writes , your last letter speaks you in a good frame , which rejoyced my heart , that you were fixed , fixed waiting upon god ; that your faith was uppermost , above your fears ; that you could say , behold the handmaid of the lord , let him do with me as seemeth good in his eyes . we are never fitter for a mercy , nor is it more likely to be a mercy indeed , than when it is so with us ; now the lord keep it always in the imagination of the thoughts of your heart . and he concludes , ' forget not tom. . last . when one of his daughters was safely delivered , in a letter to another of them that was drawing near to that needful hour , he observ'd , that when david said , psal. . . what shall i render ? he presently adds , v. . i will call upon the name of the lord. as if ( saith he ) calling upon the name of the lord for mercy for you , were one way of rendring unto the lord , for the great benefit done to your sister . on occasion of affliction in their families by the sickness or death of children , or otherwise , he always wrote some word in season . in the furnace again ? ( saith he ) but a good friend sits by , and it is only to take away more of the dross . if less fire would do , we should not have it so much and so often ; o for faith to trust the refiner , and to refer all to his will and wisdom , and to wait the issue — for i have been young , and now am old , but i never yet saw it in vain to seek god , and to hope in him . at another time he thus writes , tough and knotty blocks must have more and more wedges ; our heavenly father when he judgeth will overcome . we hear of the death of dear s. t. and chide ourselves for being so often pleased with his little pretty fashions lest we offended therein , by being too much so . no rival must sit with him in his throne , who deserves all our love and ioy , and hath too little of it . at another time , upon the death of another little one , the dear little one ( saith he ) made but a short passage through this to another world , where it is to be for ever a living member of the great body , whereof jesus christ is the ever-living head ; but for which hope there were cause for sorrow indeed . if he that gives takes , and it is but his own , why should we say , what dost thou ? at another time upon the like occasion ; our quiver of childrens children is not so full , but god can soon empty it : o for grace , grace at such a time , which will do that that nature cannot . the god of all grace supply your need and ours , according to his riches in glory . the lord is still training you up in his good school ; and though no affliction for the present be joyous but grievous , nevertheless afterwards it yields well ; your work is in every thing to bring your will to the will of god. to one of his daughters concerning her little one , he thus writes ; they are but bubbles : we have many warnings to sit loose ; the less we rely upon them in our ioys and hopes , the more likely to have them continued to us . our god is a jealous god , nor will he suffer the creature to usurp his throne in our affections . upon the death of a little child but few days old , he thus writes ; the tidings of the death of your little one were afflicting to us , but the clay must nor say to the potter , what dost thou ? if he that took be the same that gave , and what he gave and took was his own , by our own consent , it becomes us to say , blessed be the name of the lord. i hope you have been learning to acknowledge god in all events , and to take all as from his hand , who hath given us to know isay , to know ( for paul saith so ) that all things do work together , ( not only shall , but do ) for our good , that we may be more and more partakers of his holiness . he can make the two left as comfortable to you as all the three , as all your five could have been . however , if all the cisterns were drawn dry while you have your fountain to go to , you are well ; you may also by faith look forward , and say , it was a covenant-child , and through mercy , we shall see it again in a better world. upon the sickness of a dear child , he thus writes to the parent ; you and we are taught to say , it is the lord ; upon his will must we wait , and to it must we submit in every thing ; not upon constraint , but of choice ; nor only because he is the potter and we the clay ; and therefore in a way of soveraignty he may do what he pleaseth with us and ours : but because he is our father , and will do nothing but what shall be for good to us . the more you can be satisfied in this , and the more willing to resign , the more likely to have . be strong therefore in the grace which is in christ iesus ; it is given for such a time of need as this . i hope your fears and ours will be prevented , and pray they may ; but thanks be to god , we know the worst of it , and that worst hath no harm in it , while the better part is ours , which cannot be taken away from us . to one of his children in affliction he writes thus ; t is a time of trial with you , according to the will of your and our heavenly father . though you see not yet what he means by it , you shall see . he means you good and not hurt ; he is shewing you the vanity of all things under the sun , that your happiness lies not in them , but in himself only ; that they and we are passing away , withering flowers , that therefore we may learn to die to them , and live above them , placing our hope and happiness in better things , trusting in him alone who is the rock of ages , who fails not , neither can fail , nor will fail those that fly to him . i pray you , think not a hard thought of him , no not one hard thought , for he is good , and doth good in all he doth , and therefore all shall work for good ; but then , as you are called according to his purpose ( blessed be his name for it ) so you must love him , and love ( you know ) thinks no evil , but puts the best construction upon all that the person loved saith or doth , and so must you , though now for a season if need be , you are in heaviness . and at another time ; your times and the times of yours are in the lord 's good hand , whose will is his wisdom . 't is one thing ( as we read and observ'd this morning , out of ezek. ) to be put into a furnace and left there as dross to be consumed ; and another thing to be put in as gold or silver to be melted for use , and to have the refiner set by . you know whom you have believed , keep your hold of the everlasting covenant : he is faithfull that hath promised . we pray for you , and we give thanks for you daily , for the cup is mixed , therefore trust in the lord for ever , and rejoyce in the lord always ; again i say rejoyce . to one of his sons in law that was a little engaged ●…n building , he thus writes ; be sure to take god along with you in this , as in all other your affairs ; for except he build the house , they labour in vain that build it . count upon troublesome o●…crrences in it , and keep the spirit quiet within : and l●… nor god's time nor dues be entrenched upon , and then all will be well . 't was but a little before he died that he wrote thus to one of his children ; we rejoyce in god's goodness to you , that your distemper hath been a rod shaken only , and not laid on . he is good , and doth good ; and should we not love him , and rest in our love to him ? he saith , he doth in his to us , and rejoyceth over us with singing , zeph. . . and have not we much more cause ? what loveliness in us ? what not in him ? i pray let me recommend him to your love ; love him , love him , with all the powers of your soul , and out of love to him please him . he is pleas'd with honest endeavours to please him ; though after all , in many things we come short , for we are not under the law , but under grace . to one of his children recovered from sickness he gives this hint ; remember that a new life must be a new life indeed ; reprieves extraordinary call for returns extraordinary . the last journey he made to london was in august . before he went he sent this farewel-letter to his son at chester : i am going forth this morning towards the great city , not knowing but it may be mount nebo to me : therefore i send you this as full of blessings as it can hold , to your self , my daughter your wife , all the rest of my daughters , their husbands , and all the little ones , together and severally . if i could command the blessings , i would ; but i pray to him that hath and doth , and i trust will ▪ the lord bless you , and keep you , and lift up the light of his countenance upon you . as you have received , and you for your part preached christ iesus the lord , so walk in him : keeping conscience always void of offence , both towards god , and towards all men. love your mother , and be dutiful to her , and live in love and peace among your selves , and the god of love and peace that hath been , will be with you . amen . to one who desired his direction for the attaining of the gift of prayer , he wrote the following letter of advice . if you would be able in words and expressions of your own , without the help of a form , to offer up prayers to god , observe these following rules of direction , in the use whereof , by god's blessing you may in time attain thereunto . . you must be throughly convinced that where such a gift is , it is of great use to a christian , both very comfortable and very profitable , and therefore very desi●…able , and worth your serious endeavours ; this must first be , or else all that follows will signifie nothing : for it is as the wise man saith , prov. . . through desire a man having separated himself , seeketh and intermedleth with all wisdom ; that is , till we are brought in some good measure to desire the end , we shall never in good earnest apply our selves to the use of means , for the obtaining of it . it is a gift that fits a person to be of use to others in the duty of prayer , according as there is occasion , either in a family or in christian communion . it is also of great advantage to our selves ; for how can any form ( though never so exact ) be possibly contrived , so as to reach all the circumstances of my particular case , and yet it is my duty , in every thing to make my requests known to god. . as you should be perswaded of the excellent use of it , where it is attained , so also you should believe , that where it is not , it may be attained , and that without any great difficulty . no doubt but many are discouraged from endeavouring after it by an opinion they have , that it is to no purpose ; they think it a thing so far above their abilities , that they were as good sit still and never attempt it : this is of very bad consequence , as in other matters of religion , so particularly in this , and therefore watch against this suggestion , and conclude , that ( though it may be harder to some than others ) yet it is impossible to none : nay , this wisdom is easie to him that understandeth , where means are used in the fear of god. . you must rightly understand and consider who it is , with whom you have to do in prayer , for your incouragement to come to him , though in the midst of many infirmities and imperfections . he is your father , your loving , tender hearted father , who knows your frame , and remembers you are but dust ; who is not extream to mark what we do amiss , in manner and expression , where the heart is upright with him . you may judge a little concerning his love , by the disposition that is in you towards your children , when they come to ask things needful of you : and believe him to be infinitely more merciful and compassionate , than the most merciful and compassionate of fathers and mothers are or can be : especially remembring that we have an advocate with the father jesus christ the righteous , who is the great high priest of our profession , and whom he heareth always . . you must pray that you may pray ; beg of god the father of lights , from whom every good and perfect gift comes , to bestow this gift upon you . we read , luke . . that one of the disciples came to jesus christ upon this errand , lord teach us to pray , and he had his request granted presently . go you to him on the same errand . you may plead the relation of a child , from that scirpture , gal. . . and because you are sons , god hath sent forth the spirit of his son into your hearts , crying , abba , father : and the promise also from that scripture , zech. . i will pour upon the house of david , and the inhabitants of jerusalem , the spirit of grace , and of supplication ; which two , relation and a promise , if they be not sufficient to encourage your faith and hope in this address , what is or can be ? . it is good before you address your self to the duty , to read a portion of holy scripture , which will be of great use to furnish you both with matter and words for prayer , especially david's psalms , and paul's epistles . the holy spirit hath provided for us a treasury or store house , of what is suitable for all occasions , and where both the word and the matter are his own , and of his own framing , and inditing , if affections be stirring in us accordingly , we have great reason to believe he will accept of us . in divers places he hath himself put words into our mouths for the purpose , as hos. . . take with you words ; matth. . . after this manner therefore pray ye , and often elsewhere . . there must be some acquaintance with our own hearts , with our spiritual state and condition , our wants and ways , or else no good will be done in this matter . 't is sence of need , hunger , thirst , cold , nakedness , that supplies the poor beggar at your door with pertinent expressions and arguments , he needs not the help of any friend or book to furnish him ; so if we know our selves , and feel our condition , and set god before us as our god , able and ready to help us , words will easily follow wherewith to offer up our desires to him , who understands the language even of sighs and tears , and groanings which cannot be uttered , rom. . . . it is of use in stated prayer , ordinarily to observe a method , according to the several parts of prayer , which are these four : . compellation or adoration , which is the giving of due titles to god in our addresses to him , and therein ascribing to him the glory due unto his name . with this we are to begin our prayers , both for the working of a holy aw and dread upon our hearts towards him , on the account of his greatness and majesty ; as also for the strengthning of our faith and hope in him , upon the account of his goodness and mercy . . confession ; sin is to be confessed in every prayer : original sin as the root , spring head and fountain ; and actual sin as the fruit and stream proceeding from it . herein you must not rest in generals , as the most do , but especially when you are in secret before the lord you must descend to particulars , opening the whole wound , hiding nothing from him , also aggravating the fault from the circumstances of it , judging and condemning your self for it in the sight of god ; and for your help herein , you must acquaint your self with the divine law , the precepts and prohibitions of it , especially their extent and spiritual nature , as the rule , and then bring your own thoughts , words , and actions to it daily , to be tryed by it . . petition , for such good things as god hath promised , and you have need of , both concerning this life and that which is to come . as to the latter , you are to pray for mercy to pardon , and grace to help in time of need . as to the former , for bread to eat , and raiment to put on , and a heart to be therewith contented . you are to pray for others also , the church of god , the land of your nativity , magistrates , ministers , relations , and friends , not forgetting the afflictions of the afflicted . . thanksgiving , which should have a considerable share in every prayer ; for our duty is , in every thing to give thanks for mercies received , publick and personal , which is the will of god in christ iesus concerning us . this rule of method is not so necessary to be observ'd in prayer , as in no case to be varied from ; but it is certainly very useful and expedient , and a great help to young beginners in that duty . . my advice is , that you would delay no longer , but forthwith apply your self in the strength of jesus christ , to this sweet and excellent way of praying 〈◊〉 and i dare say , in a short time you will find , through the aids and supplies of divine grace , what is at first hard and difficult , will by degrees be easie and delightful . the promise is , that to him that hath , i. e. that hath , and useth what he hath , more shall be given . though you cannot do what you would , yet fail not to do what you can , wherein the lord will accept of you , according to his everlasting covenant in christ jesus , for we are not under the law but under grace . chap. xi . a short account of some of his friends , especially his brethren in the ministry , that dyed before him . we think our selves obliged to add this account out of his own papers , partly as an evidence of the great esteem he had of the gifts and graces of others , to whom he delighted to do honour ; ( an instance of that humility , which he was in all respects a great example of ) ; and partly that we may preserve the remembrance of some in that country , whose names ought not to be bury'd in oblivion . it is part of that honour which we owe to them that fear the lord ; to mention them with respect when they are dead and gone , that we may contribute something to the fulfilling of the promise , that the righteous , and especially they who turn many to righteousness , shall be had in everlasting remembrance . while their glorified souls shine as the stars in the firmament of our father , it is fit that their embalmed memories should in these lower regions go forth as a lamp that burneth . the jewish rabbins read prov. . as a precept , let the memory of the iust be blessed . we will take them in the order wherein we find them in his diary , according to the time of their death , premising only this note of his , occasioned by a particular instance ; such a day i read the life of old mr. bruen of stapleford , in which i met with some things that shame me , some things that confirm me , and some things tha quicken me . blessed be god for that cloud of wit nesses we are encompassed about with . mr. iohn machin was buried at newcastle , septemb. . . a worthy instrument in gospel work : laborious , faithful , and successful above his fellows ; taken away in the midst of his days ; the first candle i have heard of put out by god , among the many hundreds put under a bushel by men. [ an account of his holy exemplary life was printed many years after , drawn up , i think , by mr. newcome . ] mr. heath , late minister of iulians church in salop , was buried may . . he was of christ's-colledge in cambridge , where he was much valued for his great learning , especially in the oriental tongues , in which he was one of the greatest masters of his age. he was employed to correct the syriac and arabick of the polyglot bible , which was sent down to him in sheets for that purpose , for which bishop walton gave him a copy . he read the liturgy till august . . and then was silenced , because he could not come up to the imposed terms of conformity . when the five mile act commenced , march . . he removed to wellington , and there within a few weeks dyed , and was buried . when he lay upon his death bed , mr. lawrence asked him what reflections he had upon his nonconformity ; truly ( said he ) i would not but have done as i did for a thousand worlds . he had great confidence , that god would provide for his widow and children , according to promise . [ the character mr. baxter gives of him is , that he was moderate , sedate , quiet and religious . ] much about the same time mr. york dyed in salop , a holy good man , and well approved in the ministry , who wasted his own candle in giving light to others , even after he was removed out of the candlestick . lord , is this the meaning of rev. . concerning the witnesses . mr. thomas porter , late minister of whitchurch , dyed at salop in a good old age , iune . . he was born in northamptonshire , bred in cambridge ; he was settled minister of hanmer in flintshire , long before the wars , by the means of sir iohn hanmer , the patron , who was a very worthy , pious gentleman , and a great promoter of religion in that parish ( but dyed in the midst of his days . ) here mr. porter's ministry was blessed with wonderful acceptance and success , both in that and the neighbouring parishes ; and a great harvest of souls was there gathered in to christ. after the wars were over ( during the heat of which he was forced to withdraw ) he procured mr. steel for hanmer , and he removed to whitchurch , where he continued an instrument of much good , till the king came in , and then he gave way to dr. bernard , a worthy moderate man. he preached his farewel-sermon at whitchurch , august . . on col. . . and spent the rest of his days in silence and affliction . he was exercis'd long with pain upon his bed , and the multitude of his bones with strong pain : if this be done to the green tree , what shall be done to the dry ? his dying counsel to the lord's people , was to stick to christ , and not to let him go , come life come death . the worthy colonel thomas hunt dyed at his house in shrewsbury , april . . a true nathaniel , an israelite indeed , in whom was no guile : one that like caleb , followed the lord fully in difficult trying times ; he was a member of the long parliament for shrewsbury , and very active for god in his generation , abounding in good works , and his memory is blessed . i was going to shrewsbury upon an appointment of his , and by the way met the sad news of his death , which was sudden , but not surprizing , to one that was always ready . he was twice at publick ordinances the day before , being lord's day , worshipped god with his family in the evening , went to bed well as at other times ; but about two or three a clock in the morning wak'd very ill , and before five fell asleep in the lord. help , lord , for the godly man ceaseth . mr. george mainwaring , a faithful minister of jesus christ , and my worthy friend , dyed in a good old age , march . / . gathered as a shock of corn in his season . he was born in wrenbury parish in cheshire , supported at the university by mr. cotton of cumbermere , where he had the reputation of a good scholar ; he was brought acquainted with the ways of religion , by means of mr. buckly his uncle , a strict puritan . he was first chaplain to sir henry delves , afterwards rector of baddely , and chaplain to sir thomas mainwaring . after the wars he was removed to malpas , whence he was ejected upon the king's coming in . his conversation was exemplary , especially for plainness and integrity ; he was eminent for expounding scripture . while he was at malpas , he constantly gave all the milk which his dairy yield ed on the lord's day to the poor . mr. iohn adams of northwood , was buried at ellesmere , april . . he was a faithful minister of the gospel . mr. zechariah thomas , my worthy friend , dyed of a consumption at nantwich , september . . in the forty first year of his age. he was bred up for a tradesman in suffolk , but always addicted to his book , and was ordained a minister after the king came in , and entertained curate at tilstock , under dr. bernard , but by reason of his nonconformity could not continue there long . on the monday before he dyed , he said to those about him , that towards wednesday he should take his leave of them , and did so . he was buried at acton , mr. kirkes vicar of acton , preached , and gave him a worthy character ( and such as he deserved ) for uprightness , humility , moderation , prayer , faithfulness in reproving , patience under affliction ; and in saying he was an israelite indeed without guile , he said all . the lord make me a follower of him , and of all the rest , who through faith and patience inherit the promises . mr. ioshuah richardson , my truly worthy friend and brother , dyed at alkinton in whitchurch parish , september . . blessed be god for his holy life and happy death . he was several years minister of middle in shropshire , and was turned out thence for nonconformity . he was a holy , loving , serious man. dr. fowler preached his funeral sermon at whitchurch , on dan. . . highly praising him ( as he deserv'd ) for wisdom , piety and peaceableness . mr. samuel hildersham dyed near bromicham in april . the only son of mr. arthur hildersham of ashby ( whose works praise him in the gates ) fellow of emanuel colledge in cambridge , batchelor of divinity , . settled rector of west-felton in shropshire , in the year . and continued there till silenced by the act of uniformity . he was one of the assembly of divines ; a father to the sons of the prophets in and about shropshire . he was learned , loving , and charitable , an excellent preacher , an eminent expositor , and very much a gentleman ; he was about fourscore years of age when he dyed . he ordered by his will this inscription upon his grave-stone : samuel hildersham , b. d. rector of west-felton , in the county of salop , years till august . . mr. richard sadler , my worthy friend and fellow labourer , dyed at whixal in prees parish , april — . he was born in worcester ; went , when young , with his father into new-england ; after the wars he returned into england ; was ordained at whixal chappel , may . . and was removed thence to ludlow . being turned out there upon the king 's coming in , he spent the rest of his days in privacy at wrexal : a man of great piety and moderation . mr. rowland nevet dyed at his house near oswestry , december . . and was buried at morton chappel . i preached his funeral sermon at swinny , on pet. . . knowing that i must shortly put off this my tabernacle : thence shewing that the ministers of christ must certainly and shortly dye . he was born in hodnet parish , anno dom. . brought up at shrewsbury school , was afterwards of edmund-hall in oxford , commenced master of arts , in the year . he was episcopally ordained ; and anno . he was presented to the vicaridge of stanton in shropshire , where he continued many years , with great success in his ministry . while he was single , he kept house , judging that more for the furtherance of his work among his people , than to table . after the war he removed to oswestry , where he laboured abundantly in the work of the lord ; and even after he was silenced for nonconformity , he continued among his people there to his dying day , doing what he could , when he might not do what he would . he would say , he thought most of his converting work was done at oswestry , the first seven years of his being there . he loved to preach , and to hear others preach concerning the great things of religion , redemption , reconciliation , regeneration , &c. for these ( said he ) are the main matter . when the plague was at oswestry , he continued with his people , and preached to them , and it was an opportunity of doing much good . his conversation from his youth was not only blameless , but holy and pious ; he was exemplary for family religion , and great care and industry in the education of his children . he was looked upon as congregational in judgment and practise , and was not satisfied to join in the common prayer ; but he was free to communicate with those that did . it was his judgment , that ministers should be ordained by ministers ; and that a minister is not only a minister of the particular congregation in which he labours . he greatly bewailed the divisions of the church , and the intemperate heats of some of all perswasions . he was exceeding kind and loving to his friends , very frequent in pious ejaculations to god. being often distemper'd in body he would say , he was never better than in the pulpit , and that it was the best place he could wish to dye in . he often blessed god for a fit of sickness which he had , which he said , he would not have been without for a world , the foundation of his comfort , and hope of heaven being laid then . when he was sometimes much spent with his labours , he would appeal to god , that though he might be wearied in his service , he would never be weary of it . his dying prayer for his children ( after many sweet exhortations ) was , that the mediator's blessing might be the portion of every one of them : adding , i charge you all , see to it , that you meet me on the right hand of christ , at the great day . a little before he dyed he had this expression , go forth ( my soul ) go forth to meet thy god ; adding by and by , it is now done ; come lord iesus , come quickly . one present saying to him , that he was now going to receive his reward , he replied , it is free grace . [ mr. henry was much importun'd to print his sermon at mr. nevet's funeral , with some account of his life and death , which he was somewhat inclined to do , but was discouraged by the difficulties of the times , and it was never done . but some materials he had for it , out of which we have collected these hints . ] mr. robert fogg , my old dear friend , was buried at acton near nantwich , april . . he dyed in a good old age , about eighty . he was minister of bangor in flintshire , till after the king came in , and thence forward to his death , was a poor silent nonconformist , but of a bold and zealous spirit , giving good counsel to those about him . a little before he dyed , he had this weighty saying among others , assure your selves the spirit of god will be underling to no sin. [ mr. andrew parsons , sometimes minister of wem , dyed at london , october . . he was born in devonshire , and was minister there some years before the war ; being driven thence to london , he became well known to mr. pym. who sent him down to wem , when that town was garrison'd for the parliament ; there he continued in the exercise of his ministry , till the year . he was an active , friendly , generous man , and a moving , affecting preacher . mr. baxter in his life , part . page . commends him for a moderate man , and speaks of his being in trouble , for seditious words sworn against him , which were these : preaching from tim. . . he said , the devil was like a king that courted the soul , and spoke fair till he was gotten into the throne , and then play'd pranks . the witnesses deposed contrary to the coherence of his discourse , that he said the king was like the devil . he was tryed at shrewsbury before my lord newport , mr. serjeant turner and others , may . . it was also charged upon him , that he had said , there was more sin committed now in england in a month , than was heretofore in seven years : and that there had been more and better preaching in england for twenty years past , then was ever since the apostles days . he had council assigned him , who pleaded that the time limited by the stature , in which he was indited was expired : the court yielded it was so , allowing twenty eight days to a month ; but they would understand it of thirty days to a month ; so he was found guilty , and fined two hundred pound ; and ordered to be imprisoned till it should be paid . mr. hugh rogers , a worthy faithful minister of jesus christ , turn'd out for nonconformity from newtown in montgomery-shire , was buried at welshpool , march . / . he was look'd upon as congregational ; but his declared judgment was , that ministers ought to be ordained by ministers , and to give themselves wholly to that work ; and that none but ministers have authority to preach and govern in a constituted church ; and that christ's ministers are his ministers in all places ; and that where the word of christ is preached , and his sacraments administred , there is a true church . he was a man of excellent converse , and whose peculiar felicity lay in pleasant and edifying discourse . iuly d and d , . these two days brought tidings of the death of mr. haines , sometime minister of wem in shropshire , and since at new chappel in westminster ; and of mr. richard edwards minister at oswestry , both worthy conformists , pious , peaceable and good men , whom i hope , through grace to meet shortly in heaven . the lord raise up others in their room to be and do better . mr. robert bosier , my dear friend and kinsman , having just compleated the twenty third year of his age dyed , of a fever , september th . at mr. doelittle's house in islington , whither he was gone but a few weeks before for improvement in learning ; being formerly a commoner of edmund-hall in oxford ; and since having spent some years in my family , and designed himself for the service of christ , in the work of the ministry . he was a young man of pregnant parts , great industry , and exemplary seriousness and piety ; and likely to be an eminent instrument of good in his day . his friends and relations had promised themselves much comfort in him , but we know who performeth the thing that is appointed for us , and giveth not account of any of his matters . mr. iohn malden , my dear and worthy friend , turned out from newport in shropshire , for nonconformity , dyed at alkington near whitchurch , may d , . a man of great learning , an excellent hebrician , and of exemplary piety , and a solid preacher ; as he lived so he dyed , very low in his own eyes ; esteeming himself good for nothing , though really good for every thing , which was manifestly a prejudice , both to his comfort , and to his usefulness . he said , he was far from repenting his being a sufferer against conformity . the relicks of so much learning , piety , and humility , i have not seen this great while laid in a grave : but blessed be god we had such a one so long . dr. ioshua maddocks , a beloved physician , our very dear friend and kinsman , dyed of a fever at whitchurch , in the midst of his days , iuly th , . a very pious man , and especially eminent for meekness ; an excellent scholar , and particularly learned in the mathematicks : he lived much desired , and dyed as much lamented . mr. thomas bridge , who had been rector of the higher rectory of malpas about fifty seven years , being aged about eighty two years , was buried at malpas , octob. . . in his last sickness , which was long , he had appointed mr. green , one of the curates there , to preach his funeral sermon on tim. . . howbeit , for this cause i obtained mercy , that in me first , iesus christ might shew forth all long-suffering : and to say nothing in his commendation , but to give a large account of his repentance upon his death-bed , &c. he was a taking popular preacher , preaching oft●…n , and almost to the last . when old , he could read the smallest print without spectacles . mr. william cook , an aged , painful , faithful minister of jesus christ in chester , finished his course with joy , iuly . . in the midst of the cloudy and dark day . [ see mr. baxter's character of him in his life , part . pag. . ] and an honourable account given of him by mr. samuel bold , of steple in dorsetshire , in a large preface to his book of man's great duty ] . he was eminent for great industry , both in publick and private work ; great self-denial , mortification , and contempt of the world , and a strict adherence to his principles in all the turns of the times . [ he was first minister at wroxal in warwick-shire ; there he published two treatises against the anabaptists . from thence he was by the advice of the london ministers , removed to ashby in leicestershire , whence he was turn'd out for refusing the engagement , and afteward settled in chester , where he was minister of michael church , 'till he was outed by the act of uniformity . he was an active man for sir george booth , when he made that attempt to bring in the king , in . for which he was brought up a prisoner to london , and continued long in confinement in lambeth-house ; and had not the times turned had been tried for his life . during the usurpation , his frequent prayer was ; that god would pull down all usurped power , and restore the banished to their right . after he was silenced by the bartholomew act , he continued to his death , in a pastoral relation to a society of many worthy eminent christians in chester ; though during the heat of the five-mile act , he was forced to withdraw to puddington in wirral , where ( as in chester , 'till king charles's indulgence ) he constantly attended on the publick ministry ; and he himself preached in the intervals . he would say sometimes to his friends , when he was in that retirement , that he thought what little peace and quietness there was in this world , god's people enjoyed it in their corners . soon after he was silenced , he was committed to the common goal of chester for preaching in his own house ; by the mayor , at the instigation of the then bishop hall. he was very indefatigable in his ministerial labours , in which he never sought the assistance of any other minister ; though while he had liberty , he constantly kept a publick fast in his congregation every month , as he did also a private fast in his own closet and family every week . he usually set apart one afternoon every week , to visit the families of his congregation , and to catechise their children and servants , and discourse with them personally about their souls ; his visits were short and edifying ( and he managed them as one that was a great husband of his time ) and he seldom or never parted without prayer . he was not free to joyn in the common-prayer , and bore his testimony against prelacy and the ceremonies with something of zeal ; but his great piety , integrity , mortification , and charity , recommended him to the respects even of many that differed from him . if any ask'd his advice to any thing which might draw suffering upon them , he would be very tender , and desire them not to depend upon his judgment ; but since it was a matter of suffering , to be fully perswaded in their own minds . he was a great scholar , and a hard student to the last ; and was far from entangling himself in the affairs of this life , not knowing ought he had , save the bread that he did eat . in worldly matters he was not very conversable , but in discourse of the things of god none more free and affable , or more ready to do good. he lived and died a great example of strict and close walking with god , and a heavenly conversation ; and his memory is very precious with many . he died in the seventy third year of his age. when he lay on his death-bed , an aged friend of his asking him if he had not comfort in reflection upon his labours in the work of god , he presently replied , i have nothing to boast of . he was buried in michael's church in chester ; and though for some time before he died , such was the heat of the persecution , that he durst not shew his face in the city , yet many considerable persons were very forward to do him honour at his death . ] mr. ionathan roberts of slanvair in denbighshire , my dear and precious friend , and a faithful minister of christ , died at mr. thomas's house in west-felton , and was buried there sept. . . a true nathanael , an israelite indeed , for plainness and integrity ; a silent sufferer for his nonconformity , for which he quitted a good living in denbighshire . he was a learned man , a master of arts of oxford ; he died with comfort in his nonconformity , and with confidence of a return of mercy in god's due time . the summer before he died he had been at oxford , cambridge , and london , where he heard and saw that which much confirmed him in his dissent . mr. zechariah cawdrey , minister of bart●…mley in cheshire , a learned and godly divine , was buried decemb. . . a conformist , and formerly a great sufferer for the king , but in his later times much maligned and reproached by some people for his moderation towards dissenters , for his book of preparation for martyrdom , and for his zeal in keeping up the monthly lectures at nantwich and tarvin . but he is gone to the world of peace , and love , and everlasting prai●…es . mr. titus thomas , minister of the independent congregation in salop , was buried at felton , decemb. . . he was a worthy good man , and not so strait laced as some others ; we were six nonconformist ministers there at the funeral and the seventh dead in the midst of us , saying to us , therefore be ye also ready . mr. iohn cartwright , my worthy friend and brother , a faithful minister of jesus christ , was buried at audlem in cheshire , feb. . / . formerly minister of west-kirby in wirral , afterwards chaplain to the pious lady wilbraham at woodley . mr. edward greg of chester , a worthy gentleman , and my dear friend , died iuly . . of a fever , in the midst of his days . he was one that feared god above many , of a meek and quiet spirit , and eminently active and useful in his generation . the lord is pulling our earthen props from under us , that we might lean upon , and trust in himself alone , and might learn to cease from man. mr. daniel benyon of ash , my dear friend and kindsman , died iune . . a very serious pious gentleman , and an israelite indeed , a true lover , and ready benefactor to all good men , especially good ministers . he told me a little before he died , god had made use of me ( though most unworthy ) as an instrument of his conversion ; for which i bless his holy name . he had a long and lingering sickness , which he bore with great patience . mrs. crew of utkinton in cheshire , an aged servant of the lord , was buried iuly . . she kept her integrity , and abounded in works of piety and charity to the last , and finished well ; to god be praise . mrs. hunt of shrewsbury , the relique of colonel hunt , another rare pattern of zealous piety , abounding charity , and eminent usefulness in her place , finished h●… course october . . after two days sickness . the reverend , and learned , and holy mr. richard baxter , died at london , december . . aged seventy six , and one month ; as much vili●…ed by some , and magnified by others , as most men that ever were ; but it is a small thing to be judged of man's day . he was buried at christ church , london , with great honour . mr. iohn wood , my good friend , died september . . at mitton in shropshire , aged about seventy ; he was sometime fellow of magdalen college in cambridge , where he was outed for nonconformity ; a learned man , but wanted the faculty of communicating ; one that feared god , and walked in his integrity to the last ; had no certain dwelling place on earth , but i trust hath one in heaven . hic tandem requiescit . mr. richard steel , my old and dear friend , and companion in tribulation , and in the kingdom and patience of jesus christ , died at london , november . . in the sixty fourth year of his age ; a man that had been greatly useful in his generation , both in the country and at london . mr. thomas gilbert , died at oxford , iuly . . formerly minister of edgmond in shropshire , aged . a learned good man. luke lloyd , esquire , of the bryn in hanmer parish , my aged wor●…hy friend , finished his course with joy , march . . being lord's day . he was in the eighty seventh year of his age , and had been married almost sixty nine years to his pious wife ( of the same age ) who still survives him . he was the glory of our little congregation , the top branch in all respects of our small vine , and my friend indeed . [ when he made his will , under the subscription of his name he wrote , iob . , , . on which text of scripture ( i know that my redeemer liveth , &c. ) mr. henry , at the request of some of his relations , preached a sermon at the licensed house near hanmer , some time after his funeral ; in which sermon , he bore a very honourable testimony to that worthy gentleman , who ( as he saith ) went to heaven without a blot , held fast his integrity , and was lively and zealous in the christian profession to the end of his days . he was very exemplary for his love to the ordinances of god , and his delight in attending on them , his living upon christ for strength and righteousness , his great humility and condescending obliging carriage in all his converse . he was a man of great courage and resolution ; and yet in prayer , tender and self-abasing , to admiration , often melting into tears in the confession of sin ; and his charity and moderation were known unto all men. he lived and died a pattern of piety , and primitive christianity , and still brought forth fruit in old age ; his vigour , both of body and mind , being wonderfully preserv'd to the last ; and by the grace of god he finished well , and his sun set under no cloud . such good men are intended to be to us as the star that led the wise men to christ ; and as far as they do so , we are to follow them . mark the perfect man , and behold the upright , for the end of that man is peace . mr. samuel taylor , an aged minister of jesus christ , and my true friend , and fellow labourer , died at wem , iune . . he was turned out from edstaston chappel near wem , by the act of uniformity ; choosing rather to beg his bread than to wrong his conscience . he continued in wem ever since , and preached there as his strength and liberty would permit . he had his house burnt in the dreadful fire that was there in . and had a child born that very night . he was a man of a very tender spirit , humble and low in his own eyes , of approved integrity , and finished well . [ mr. henry preached his funeral sermon at wem , on cor. . . we have this treasure in earthe●… vessels ] . september . . i heard of the death of two holy , aged bartholomew witnesses . mr. richard mayo of london , and mr. henry newcome of manchester , psal. . . mr. edward lawrence of london , my dear and worthy friend , and a faithful minister and witness of the lord jesus , died november — . about the seventieth year of his age ; born at moston in shropshire , of magdalen college in cambridge , turned out from baschurch in shropshire , by the act of uniformity , in . was driven from whitchurch by the violent persecution of the convenricle act , in . when he removed to london , and there spent the rest of his days . he had many children , but great affliction in some of them , which gave occasion to his book , entituled , parents groans over their wicked children . [ it is a very high but just character , which mr. vincent hath given of him in his sermon at his funeral ; of which , let me take leave to add some few instances that occur to us , which may be instructive , besides those which we have already mentioned occasionally . at his meals , he would often speak of using god's creatures as his witnesses that he is good ; and we cannot conceive how much good our god doth every moment . an expression of his great regard to justice , was that common caution he gave his children , tremble to borrow two-pence ; and of his meekness and tenderness this , make no man angry nor sad . he often said , i adore the wisdom of god , that he hath not seen meet to trust me with riches . when he saw little children playing in the streets , he would often lift up his heart in an ejaculatory prayer to god for them , calling them the seed of the next generation . when his friend chose to ride the back-way into town , he pleasantly check'd him , telling him , that his heart had been often refreshed , when he hath look'd out at the window , and seen a good man go along the streets . he us'd to say , that cromwell did more real prejudice to religion by his hypocrisie , than king charles the second did , that never pretended to it . as also , that he feared the sins of the land more than the french. a friend of his in the country , writing to him not long before he died , desired his thoughts concerning the differences among the london dissenters , to which he return'd this answer : i can say little concerning our divisions , which , when some mens iudgments and tempers are heal'd , will be also healed . but , when will that be ? they that have most holiness are most peaceable , and have most comfort . m. s. philippus henry , de broad-oak , in comitatu flint , a. m. sacri minister evangelii ; pastor olim worthenburiensis ; in aulâ regiâ natus piis & honestis parentibus ; scholae westmonasteriensis , indéque aedis christi oxon. alumnus regius : vir priscâ pietate & verè christianâ , judicio subacto & limato , memoriâ prastanti , magno & soecundo ingenio , eruditione perpolitâ , summo animicandore , morum venustate inprimis spectabilis , & in exemplum natus : cui sacra semper sua fides aliorumque fama : divini numinis cultor assiduus ; divini verbi interpres exquisitissimus ; aliorum affectûs movere non minùs pollens , quam suis moderari : concionando pariter ac vivendo palàm exhibens christi legem & exemplar christum : prudens peritusque rerum ; lenis , pacificus , hospitalis , ad pietatis omnia charitatisque ossicia usque paratus ; suis jucundus ; omnibus humanus ; continuis evangelii laboribus succumbens corpus , nec tantae jam par ampliùs animae , in dormitorium hîc juxtà positum demisit , jun. o. anno dom. m dc xcvi , aetatis lxv . viro opt . multùmque desiderato moerens posuit gener ejus j. t. m. d. finis . books printed for tho. parkhurst , at the bible and three crowns , cheapside . a body of practical divinity , containing sermons on the assemblies lesser catechism . by tho. watson , formerly minister of st. stevens walbrook , london . fol. sermons and discourses on several divine subjects , by the late reverend and learn'd david clarkson , b. d. and sometime fellow of clare-hall camb. fol. mr. pool's annotations upon the holy bible , in two vol. fol. the third edition , with an addition of a concordance , and contents to each chapter . by mr. sam. clark. theological discourses in letters and sermons , on the sacred trinity . part st . to . theological discourses and sermons on several occasions , part d . to . both by iohn wallis , d. d. professor of geometry in oxford . mediocria : or the middle way between protestant and papist , in a paper of justification . the d . edit . with additions of a letter to mr. williams . to . peaceable disquisitions in some animadversions on a discourse , writ against owen's book of the holy spirit . to . pacification touching the doctrinal dissent among our united brethren . the righteousness of god revealed in the gospel : or , an impartial enquiry into the genuine doctrine of st. paul , in the great , but much controverted article of justification : to which are prefixed the epistles of the right reverend the bishops of worcester , and chester , these four by mr. iohn humfrey . the glorious reward of faithful ministers declared and improved in a sermon , upon occasion of the funeral of that excellent minister of jesus christ henry newcomb , a. m. late pastor of a congregation at manchester . by iohn chorlton . to . a funeral sermon on the death of that pious gentlewoman mrs. iudith hammond , late wife of the reverend mr. george hammand , minister of the gospel in london . by mr. iohn howe . a sermon preached at st. mildred poultrey , ian. d , , . by iohn lord bishop of chichester , and late rector of the said church , upon his leaving the said parish . the fountain of life opened : or , a display of christ in his essential and mediatorial glory . containing sermons on various texts . to . pneumatalogia , or a treatise of the soul of man. to . both by mr. iohn flavel , late minister of the gospel in dartmouth . discourses upon the rich man and lazarus . by tim. cruso , in vo . the swearers doom : or , a discourse setting forth the great sinfulness and danger of vain and rash swearing ; by iohn rost , a. m. rector of offwel and gittisham in devon. scripture light about the gospel ordinance of baptism , in a letter to some scrupulous friends , by a sincere lover of the christian community . ves . the church catechism enlarged and explained , in an easie and familiar method ; with the scripture proofs annexed . vo . the good and faithful servant set forth , in a sermon preached at hatfield , broad-oak in essex . august . the day before the funeral of mr. iohn warren , sometime minister of the gospel there , with a brief account of his life and character . by henry lukin . a paraphrase on the new testament , with notes , doctrinal and practical , fitted for the use of religious families , in their daily reading of the scriptures . by the late reverend mr. richard baxter . d edition corrected , vo . jehovah our righteousness : or , the justification of believers , by the righteousness of christ only , asserted and applied in several sermons ; by sam. tomlins a. m. and minister of the gospel . ves . prayers for the use of private families , with grace both before and after meat . vo . rules and motives to holy prayer . by daniel burgess . vo . the golden snuffers : or christian reprovers and reformers characterized , cautioned and encouraged : a sermon preached to the societies for reformation of manners in london . by d. burgess . ves . proofs of god's being , and of the scriptures divine original , with directions for the profitable reading of them . by d. burgess . ves . a most familiar explanation of the assemblies shorter catechism , corrected and much amended , by ios. allein . ves . spiritual songs , or songs of praise to almighty god , upon several occasions ; together with the song of songs which is solomon's , first turn'd , then paraphras'd in english verse ; to which may be added penitential cries . vo . the psalms of david in metre , commonly called the scots psalms . recommended by divers ministers . books printed for john lawrence . at the angel in the poultrey . mr. pool's english annotations . folio . the life of the reverend mr. richard baxter . folio . lorimer's apology for the ministers , who subscribed only unto the stating of the truths and errors in william's book , in answer to trail's letter to a minister in the country . to . an answer of mr. giles firmin to mr. grantham , about infant baptism . to . some remarks upon two anabaptists pamphlets . by giles firmin . to . firmin's review of richard davis his vindication . to . shower's winter meditations : or , a sermon concerning frosts and snow , and winds , &c. and the wonders of god therein . to . slater's thanksgiving sermon , october th . to . — his sermons at the funerals of mr. iohn reynolds , and mr. fincher , ministers of the gospel . to . burton's discourses of purity , charity , repentance , and seeking first the kingdom of god. published with a preface , by dr. iohn tillotson , late archbishop of canterbury . vo . remarks on a late discourse of william lord bishop of derry , concerning the inventions of men in the worship of god. also a defence of the said remarks against his lordship's admonition . by i. boyse . vo . bishop wilkin's discourses of the gifts of prayer and preaching ; the latter much enlarged . by the bishop of norwich and bishop williams . vo . slater's earnest call to family religion ; being the substance of sermons . vo . addy's stenographia : or , the art of short writing compleated , in a far more compendious way than any yet extant . vo . the london dispensatory , reduced to the practise of the london physicians : wherein are contained the medicines both galenical and chymical , that are now in use : those out of use omitted ; and those in use , and not in the latin copy , here added . by iohn peachy of the colledge of physitians in london . ves . a sermon preached at a publick ordination , to a countrey congregation . by mr. s. clark. to . cambridge phrases . by a. robinson . vo . hammond's sermon at steel's funeral . vo . shower's discourse of tempting christ. ves . — his discourse of family religion , in three letters . ves . burgess's discourse of the death , rest , resurrection , and blessed portion of the saints . ves . hammond's , and barker's discourses of family worship . written at the request of the united ministers of london . ves . the triumphs of grace : or the last words and edifying death of the lady margaret de la musse , a noble french lady , aged but sixteen years , in may , . ves . the map of man's misery : or the poor man's pocket book , being a perpetual almanack of spiritual meditations ; containing many useful instructions , meditations and prayer , &c. ves . man's whole duty , and god's wonderful intreaty of him thereunto . by mr. daniel burgess . ves . advice to parents and children . by mr. daniel burgess . ves . gibbon's sermon of justification . to . vincent's funeral sermon . preached by mr. n. taylor . to . addy's short hand bible . shower's sermon on the death of mr. nat. oldfield , who departed december , . vo . the dying man's assistant : or , short instructions for those who are concerned in the preparing of sick persons for death . ves . shower's thanksgiving sermon , april th , . to . clark's brief concordance to the whole bible , of the most usual and useful places , which one may have occasion to seek for . in a new method . ves . stephen's sermon before the lord mayor and aldermen , at st. mary le bow , ian. . . to . — his thanksgiving sermon , april . . to . woodhous's sermon , preached to the societies for reformation of manners , at salters-hall . vo . sir howard's free discourse , wherein the doctrines that make for tyranny are displayed ; the title of our rightful and lawful king william vindicated ; and the unreasonableness and mischievous tendency of the odious distinction of a king de facto and de jure , discovered . vo . mr lorrimer's answer to goodwin's to . calamy's discourse of vows . vo . notes, typically marginal, from the original text notes for div a -e since well abbreviated by mr. faldo . notes for div a -e * see the bishop of chichester's sermon before the king , ian. . . p. , . where he saith , he did not see how it could be call'd a national sin. notes for div a -e pet. . . tim. . . heb. . . . ioh. . . ioh. . . ioh. . . ioh. . . ioh. . . eccl. . . gen. . . col. . . eph. . . ps. . . eph. . . zech. . . rom. . . gen. . . tim. . eph. . , . rom. . . gal. . . ioh. . . phil. . , . eph. . . . heb. . . ioh. . . rom. . . cor. . . ro. . . ps. . . ier. . . mat. . . rom. . . col. . . cor. . , . pet. . . eph. . . matt. . . rom. . . matt. . ●… rom. . . acts . . matt. . . cor. . . eccl. . . matt. . , . acts . . cor. . . cor. . . ioh. . . notes for div a -e * thus he writes in his diary upon it , how oft have we said that changes are at the door , but blessed be god there is no sting in this . a treatise concerning the right use of the fathers, in the decision of the controversies that are this day in religion written in french by john daille ... traité de l'employ des saints pères pour le jugement des différences qui sont aujourd'hui en la religion. english daillé, jean, - . approx. kb of xml-encoded text transcribed from -bit group-iv tiff page images. text creation partnership, ann arbor, mi ; 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(eebo-tcp ; phase , no. a ) transcribed from: (early english books online ; image set ) images scanned from microfilm: (early english books, - ; : ) a treatise concerning the right use of the fathers, in the decision of the controversies that are this day in religion written in french by john daille ... traité de l'employ des saints pères pour le jugement des différences qui sont aujourd'hui en la religion. english daillé, jean, - . [ ], , p. printed for john martin, and are to be sold by robert boulter ..., london : . includes bibliographical references. translation of traité de l'employ des saints pères pour le jugement des différences qui sont aujourd'hui en la religion. reproduction of original in huntington library. created by converting tcp files to tei p using tcp tei.xsl, tei @ oxford. re-processed by university of nebraska-lincoln and northwestern, with changes to facilitate morpho-syntactic tagging. gap elements of known extent have been transformed into placeholder characters or elements to simplify the filling in of gaps by user contributors. eebo-tcp is a partnership between the universities of michigan and oxford and the publisher proquest to create accurately transcribed and encoded texts based on the image sets published by proquest via their early english books online (eebo) database (http://eebo.chadwyck.com). the general aim of eebo-tcp is to encode one copy (usually the first edition) of every monographic english-language title published between and available in eebo. eebo-tcp aimed to produce large quantities of textual data within the usual project restraints of time and funding, and therefore chose to create diplomatic transcriptions (as opposed to critical editions) with light-touch, mainly structural encoding based on the text encoding initiative (http://www.tei-c.org). the eebo-tcp project was divided into two phases. the , texts created during phase of the project have been released into the public domain as of january . anyone can now take and use these texts for their own purposes, but we respectfully request that due credit and attribution is given to their original source. users should be aware of the process of creating the tcp texts, and therefore of any assumptions that can be made about the data. text selection was based on the new cambridge bibliography of english literature (ncbel). if an author (or for an anonymous work, the title) appears in ncbel, then their works are eligible for inclusion. selection was intended to range over a wide variety of subject areas, to reflect the true nature of the print record of the period. in general, first editions of a works in english were prioritized, although there are a number of works in other languages, notably latin and welsh, included and sometimes a second or later edition of a work was chosen if there was a compelling reason to do so. image sets were sent to external keying companies for transcription and basic encoding. quality assurance was then carried out by editorial teams in oxford and michigan. % (or pages, whichever is the greater) of each text was proofread for accuracy and those which did not meet qa standards were returned to the keyers to be redone. after proofreading, the encoding was enhanced and/or corrected and characters marked as illegible were corrected where possible up to a limit of instances per text. any remaining illegibles were encoded as <gap>s. understanding these processes should make clear that, while the overall quality of tcp data is very good, some errors will remain and some readable characters will be marked as illegible. users should bear in mind that in all likelihood such instances will never have been looked at by a tcp editor. the texts were encoded and linked to page images in accordance with level of the tei in libraries guidelines. copies of the texts have been issued variously as sgml (tcp schema; ascii text with mnemonic sdata character entities); displayable xml (tcp schema; characters represented either as utf- unicode or text strings within braces); or lossless xml (tei p , characters represented either as utf- unicode or tei g elements). keying and markup guidelines are available at the text creation partnership web site . eng clergy -- office. fathers of the church -- history and criticism. authority -- religious aspects. - tcp assigned for keying and markup - aptara keyed and coded from proquest page images - john pas sampled and proofread - john pas text and markup reviewed and edited - pfs batch review (qc) and xml conversion a treatise concerning the right use of the fathers , in the decision of the controversies that are at this day in religion written in french by john daille , minister of the gospel in the reformed church at paris . hieron . apol. adv . ruffin . fieri potest , ut vel simpliciter erraverint ( scriptores ecclesiastici ) vel alio sensu scripserint , vel à librariis imperitis eorum paulatim scripta corrupta sint . vel certè , antequam in alexandria quasi daemonium meridianum arius nasceretur , innocenter quaedam , & minùs cautè locuti sunt , & quae non possint perversorum hominum calumniam declinare . london , printed for john martin , and are to be sold by robert boulter at the turks head in cornhill . m.dc.lxxv . to the noble lady , anne mornay , lady of tabarriere , and baroness of st. hermine , &c. madam , it is now almost four years since that your son , the late baron of st. hermine , acquainting me with what manner of discourse he was ordinarily entertained at court , by those who laboured to advance the roman religion , the rather to make him disgust the reformed , told me , that the chiefest argument which they urged against him , was , antiquity , and the general consent of all the fathers of the first ages of christianity . and although of himself he understood well enough the vanity of this argument of theirs ; yet notwithstanding , for his own fuller satisfaction , he desired me that i would discover unto him the very bottom and depth of this business . this therefore i did , as exactly as possibly i could , and gave him my judgment at large in this particular : which discourse of mine he was pleased to like so well , that conceiving some hopes from thence , that it might happily be of use to others also , i shortly after put pen to paper , and digested it into this treatise you now see . it having therefore been composed at first for his service , i had resolved also with my self to have dedicated it to his name ; purposing , by this small piece of service , to testifie to the world the continuation of the affection i bare to his progress in piety . but that deadly blow which snatched him from us in the flower of his age , about two years since , at the famous siege of bosledue , having left us nothing of him now , save onely the spoils of his mortality , and the memory of his vertue , together with our great sorrow for having enjoyed him here so short a time ; i am constrained , madam , to change my former resolution . for , to dedicate my book to him , in the state wherein he now is , in heaven ; following the example of many , both ancients , and modern writers , who have not stuck to direct their discourses from hence below , to those whom god hath taken up into heaven ; i cannot perswade my self , that the practise is either lawful , or fit. for , besides the vanity of the thing , should we hold discourse with one , who , being at so great , and almost infinite a distance from us , cannot possibly hear what we say ; i should account it also , if so be he could hear us , a point of extreme inhumanity , i had almost said , impiety , to disturb that perfect rest his blessed soul now enjoyeth ; which hath now no more to do with our debates or discourses here below , but sees the truth now in a most pure light , and enjoys that everlasting bliss wherewith our saviour hath out of his mercy crowned his faith , and perseverance in the fear of his name . i shall therefore content my self with cherishing , and preserving , whilst i live , the precious memory of his worth , the excellency of his wit , the soundness of his judgment , the sweetness of his nature , the fairness of his carriage , and those other choice parts , wherewith he was accomplished ; but above all his singular piety , which clearly shone forth in his words , and actions , till the hour of his death . and madam , as for this small treatise , which was at first conceived and composed for him , i thought i could not , without being guilty of a piece of injustice , present it to any other , but your self : seeing it hath pleased god , notwithstanding the common order of nature , to make you heir to him , to whom it belonged . this consideration only hath emboldned me to present it to your hands ; knowing that the nature of this discourse is not so suitable to that sorrow which hath of late cast a cloud over your house ; it having pleased god , after the death of the son , to deprive you of the father ; and to the loss of your children , to add that also of your noble husband . but , my desire of avoiding the being vnjust , hath forced me to be thus vncivilly troublesome : seeing i accounted it a kind of theft , should i have any longer withheld from you that which was your right , by this sad title of inheritance . be pleased therefore , madam , to receive this book , as a part of the goods of your deceased son ; which i now honestly restore , in the view of the whole world , after some times concealment of it in my study . this name , i know , will oblige you to afford it some place in your closet , which is all that i can at present desire . for , as for the reading of it , besides that your exquisite piety ( which is built upon infinitely much firmer grounds , than these disputes , ) hath no need at all of it ; i know also , that your present condition is such , as that it would be very troublesome unto you. and if you shall chance to desire to spend some hours in the perusal of it ; it must be hereafter , when the lord , by the efficacy of his spirit , shall have comforted yours , and shall have allayed the violence of your grief : to whom i pour out my most earnest prayers , that he would vouchsafe powerfully to effect the same , and to shed forth his most holy grace upon you , and yours ; and that he would by his great mercy preserve , long , and happily , that which remaineth of that goodly , and blessed family , which he hath bestowed upon you. this , madam , is one of the most hearty prayers of your most humble , and obedient servant , daille . the design of the whole work . the fathers cannot be the judges of the controversies in religion at this day betwixt the papist and the protestant . . because it is , if not an impossible , yet at least a very difficult thing to find out , what their sense hath been touching the same . . because that their sense and judgment of these things , ( supposing it to be certainly , and clearly understood . ) not being infallible , and without all danger of errour , cannot carry with it a sufficient authority for the satisfying the vnderstanding ; which neither can , nor indeed ought to believe any thing , in point of religion , but what it knows to be certainly true. the first of these reasons is proved by these mediums following . i. we have very little of the writings of the fathers , especially of the first , second , and third centuries , pag. . ii. those writings which we have of the fathers of those times , treat of matters very far different from the controversies now in hand . p. . iii. the writings , which go under the names of the fathers , are not all truly such , but are , a great part of them , supposititious and forged , either long since , or of later times . p. . iv. those of the writings of the fathers , which are legitimate , have been in many places corrupted , by time , ignorance , and fraud , both pious and malitious , both in the former , and later ages . p. . v. the writings of the fathers are hard to be understood , by reason of the languages , and idioms they wrote in ; the manner of their writing , which is for the most part incumbred with figures , and rhetorical flourishes , and nice logical subtilties , and the like ; and also by reason of the termes which they for the most part used-in a far different sense , from what they now bear . p. . vi. when we meet with an opinion clearly delivered , in the writings of any of the fathers , we must not from hence conclude , that the said father held that opinion : seeing that we often find them speaking those things , which themselves have not believed ; whether it be , when they report the opinion of some other , without naming the persons ; ( as they frequently do in their commentaries : ) or in disputing against an adversary ; in which kind of writing they take liberty to say one thing , and believe another : or whether it be that they concealed their own private opinion purposely , as they have done in their homilies , meerly in compliance to such a part of their auditory . p. . vii . supposing that we are well assured , that a father hath clearly delivered his opinion in any point , we ought notwithstanding to enquire into the time wherein he wrote that opinion of his , whether it were before , or after he arrived to ripeness of judgment . for we see , that they have sometimes retracted in their old age , what they had written when they were young . p. . viii . but suppose that a father hath constantly held one opinion ; it will nevertheless concern us to inquire , how he held it , and in what degree of belief , whether as necessary , or probable only : and then again , in what degree of necessity , or of probability he placed it : beliefs being not all equally either necessary , or probable . p. . ix . after all this we are to examine , whether or no he deliver this , as his own particular opinion only , ( for this cannot necessarily bind our faith ; ) or whether he deliver it , as the opinion of the church in his time . p. . x. in the next place it will concern us to enquire , whether he deliver it for the judgment of the church vniversal , or of some particular church only : those things which have been received by the major part , having not always notwithstanding been received by some particular parts of the church . p. ● ● . xi . and after all this , whether you take the church for the collective body of christians , or only for the body of the clergy , or pastors ; it is notwithstanding impossible to know , what the belief of the whole church in any age hath been ; for as much as it frequently so falls out that the opinions of these men , who have appeared to the world , have not only not been received , but on the contrary have also been opposed , and contradicted by th●se members of the same church , who have not at all appeared to the world ; who notwithstanding , both for their learning , and piety , deserved perhaps to have had as much , or more esteem , and authority than the other . p. . the second book . the second reason , namely , that neither the testimony nor the preaching of the fathers is altogether infallible , is proved by these following considerations . p. . ii. the fathers themselves witness against themselves , that they are not to be believed absolutely , and upon their own bare word . p. . iii. it appeareth plainly , by their manner of writing , that they never intended that their writings should be our judges . p. . iv. they have erred in divers points , not only singly , but also many of them together . p. . v. they have very much contradicted one the other , and have maintained different opinions , in matters of great importance . p. . vi. lastly , to say the truth , neither party alloweth them for judges ; but reject them boldly , and without any scruple , both the one and the other ; maintaining divers things which the fathers were ignorant of , and rejecting others , which were maintained by them : the protestants , in those things , where the fathers have gone either against , or besides the scripture ; the church of rome , where they oppose against them the resolutions of their popes , or of councils . seeing therefore that both parties attribute the supream authority to some other judges , the fathers , though perhaps their resolutions should be grounded on divine authority , could never be able notwithstanding to clear their differences , and to reconcile the two parties . p. . so that it followeth from hence , that our controversies are to be decided by some other means , than that of their writings ; and that we are to observe the same method in religion , that we do in all other sciences , making use of those things wherein we all agree , for the clearing of those wherein we differ ; comparing exactly the conclusions of both parties with their principles , which are to be acknowledged and granted by both sides ; whether it be in reason , or divine revelation . and as for the fathers we ought to read them carefully and heedfully ; and especially without any prejudication on either side , searching their writings for their opinions , and not for our own : arguing negatively , concerning those things which we find not in them , rather then affirmatively ; that is to say , holding all those articles for suspected , which are not found in them , it being a thing altogether improbable , that those worthies of the church were ignorant of any of the necessary and principal points of faith : but yet not presently receiving for an infallible truth , whatsoever is found in them , for as much as , being but men , though saints , they may sometimes have erred , either out of pure ignorance , or else perhaps out of passion , which they have not been always wholly free from ; as appeareth clearly by those books of theirs which are left vs . the testimonies of the lord faulkland , lord digby , doctor taylor , doctor rivet , concerning this learned book . reader , the translation of this tract hath been oft attempted , and oftner de●●●ed by many noble personages of this and other nations : among others by sir lucius cary , late lord viscount faulkland , who with his dear friend mr. chillingworth made very much use of it in all their writings against the romanists . but the papers of that learned nobleman , wherein this translation was half finisht , were long since involved in the common loss . those few which have escaped it and the press , make a very honourable mention of this monsieur , whose acquaintance the said lord was wont to say was worth a voyage to paris . pag. . of his reply he hath these words , this observation of mine hath been confirmed by consideration of what hath been so temperately , learnedly , and judiciously written by monsieur daille , our protestan-perron . and what the same lord in a treatise , which will shortly be publisht saith concerning the popish perron , viz. him i can scarce ever laudare in one sense , that is quote , but i must laudare in the other , that is praise , who hath helpt the church to all the advantages which wit , learning , industry , judgment , and eloquence could add unto her , is as true of this our protestant . i shall add but one lords testimony more , viz. the lord george digbies in his late letters concerning religion in these words , p. , . the reasons prevalent with me whereon an inquiring and judicious person should be obliged to rely and acquiesce are so amply and so learnedly set down by monsieur daillé in his employ des pe●●s that i think little , which is material or weighty can be said on this subject , that his rare and piercing observation hath not anticipated . were it needful to wander to foreigners for testimonies i could tell you how highly this author is esteemed by the learned and famous doctor andr. rivet , upon whole importunity his book des images and other tracts have been translated : but writing to englishmen i will only name the judicious doctor jer. taylor libert . of proph. sect. . n. . in these words , i shall chuse such a topick as makes no invasion upon the great reputation of the fathers , which i desire should be preserved sacred as it ought . for other things let who please read mr. daillé du vrai usage des peres . et siquis eueulo locus inter oscines , i must ingenuously profess , that it was the reading of this rational book which first convinced me that my study in the french language was not ill employed , which hath also enabled me to commend this to the world , as faithfully translated by a judicious hand . and that if there were no other use of the fathers , there is very much , while , testem quem quis adducit pro se , tenetur accipere contra se , is a rule in reason , as well as civil law : and that the works of cord. perron . ( for whose monstrous understanding [ they are the words of viscount faulkland p. . ] bellarmine and bironius might , with most advantage to their party , and no disgrace to them , have been employed in seeking citations ) being built upon the principle . that whatever the fathers witness to be tradition and the doctrine of the church must be received of all for such and so relied on . and this principle being here throughly examined . you have here as sufficient a constitation of perrons book against k. j. and by consequence of the marquess of worcesters against k. c. and dr. vanes , and other epitonizers of the cardinal , as you have of mr. cressys in the preface to the lord faulkland , by the learned i. p. chr. coll. aug. . . t. s. the preface . all the difference in religion , which is at this day betwixt the church of rome and the protestants , lies in some certain points which the church of rome maintaineth as important , and necessary articles of the christian faith : whereas the protestants , on the contrary , neither believe , nor will receive them for such . for , as for those things which the protestants believe , for their part ; and which they conceive to be the fundamentals of religion ; they are so evidently , and undeniably such , as that even their adversaries themselves do also allow of , and receive them , as well as they : for as much as they are both clearly delivered in the scriptures , and expresly set down by the ancient councils and fathers ; and are indeed unanimously received by the greatest part of christians in all ages , and parts of the world. such , for example , are these maxims following : namely , that there is a god , who is supreme over all , and who created the heavens and the earth . that having created man after his own image , this man , revolting from his obedience , is faln , together with his whole posterity , into most extreme and eternal misery , and become infected with sin , as with a mortal leprosie , and is therefore obnoxious to the wrath of god , and liable to his curse . that the merciful creator , pitying mans estate , graciously sent his son jesus christ into the world : that his son is god eternal with him , and that having taken flesh upon himself in the womb of the virgin mary , and become man ; he hath done and suffered , in this flesh , all things necessary for our salvation , having by this means sufficiently expiated for our sins , by his blood : and that having finished all this , he is ascended again into heaven , and sitteth at the right hand of the father ; from whence he shall one day come , to judge all mankind , rendering to every one according to their works . that to enable us to communicate of his salvation , by his merits , he sendeth us down his holy spirit , proceeding both from the father and the son , and who is also one and the same god with them ; in such sort , as that these three persons are notwithstanding but one god , who is blessed for ever . that this spirit enlightens our vnderstanding , and begets faith in us , whereby we are justified . that after all this , the lord sent his apostles , to preach this doctrine of salvation throughout the whole world. that these have planted churches , and placed in each of them pastors , and teachers ; whom we are to hear with all reverence , and to receive from them baptism , the sacrament of our regeneration ; and the holy eucharist , or lords supper , which is the sacrament of our communion with jesus christ . that we are likewise all of us bound to love god , and our neighbour , very fervently ; observing diligently that holy doctrine which is laid down unto us in the books of the new testament , which have been inspired by his spirit of truth ; as also those other of the old ; there being nothing , either in the one , or in the other , but what is most true . these articles , and some other few the like , which there perhaps may be , are the substance of the protestants whole belief : and if all other christians would but content themselves with these , there would never be any schism in the church . but now their adversaries add to these , many other points , which they press , and command men to believe , as necessary ones , and such , as without believing of which , there is no possible hope of salvation . as for example : that the pope of rome is the head , and supreme monarch of the whole christian church throughout the world. that he , or at least the church which he acknowledgeth a true one , cannot possibly erre in matter of faith. that the sacrament of the eucharist is to be adored , as being really jesus christ , and not a piece of bread. that the mass is a sacrifice , that really expiates the sins of the faithful . that christians may , and ought to have in their churches the images of god , and of saints , to which they are to use religious worship , bowing down before them . that it is lawful , and also very useful , to pray to saints departed , and to angels . that our souls after death , before they enter into heaven , are to pass through a certain fire , and there to endure grievous torments ; thus satisfying for their sins . that one neither may , nor ought to receive the holy eucharist , without having first confessed himself in private to a priest . that none , but the priest himself that consecrated the eucharist , is bound by right to receive it in both kinds : and a great number of other opinions , which their adversaries protest plainly , that they cannot with a safe conscience believe . and these points are the ground of the whole difference betwixt them ; the one party pretending , that they have been believed , and received by the church of christ in all ages , as revealed by him : and the other maintaining the contrary . now seeing that , none of these tenets having any ground from any passage in the new testament ( which is the most ancient and authentick rule of christianity ) the maintainers are fain to fly to the writings of the doctors of the church , which lived within the four or five first centuries after the apostles , who are commonly called the fathers ; my purpose is in this treatise to examine , whether or no this be a good and sufficient means , for the decision of these differences . and for this purpose , i must first presuppose two things , which any reasonable person will easily grant me . the first is , that the question being here about laying a foundation for certain articles of faith , upon the testimonies or opinions of the fathers , it is very necessary that the passages which are produced out of them , be clear , and not to be doubted of ; that is to say , such as we cannot reasonably scruple at , either touching the author out of whom they are alledged , or the sense of the place , whether it signifie what is pretended to . for a deposition of a witness , and the sentence of a judge , being of no value at all , save onely for the reputation of the witness , or judge ; it is most evident , that if either proceed from persons unknown , or suspected , they are invalid , and prove nothing at all . in like manner , if the deposition of a witness , or sentence of a judge be obscure , and in doubtful terms , it is clear , that in this case the business must rest undecided , there being another doubt first to be cleared , namely , what the meaning of either of them was . the second point that i shall here lay down for a foundation to the ensuing discourse , is no less evident than the former ; namely , that to allow a sufficiency to the writings of the fathers , for the deciding of these controversies , we must necessarily attribute to their persons very great authority , and such as may oblige us to follow their judgment in matters of religion . for , if this authority be wanting , how clear and express soever their opinions be , in the articles now controverted , it will do nothing at all toward their decision . we have therefore here two things to examine in this business : the first is , whether or not we may be able now certainly and clearly to know , what the opinion of the fathers hath been touching the differences now in hand . the second , whether their authority be such , as that whatever faithful person shall clearly and certainly know what their opinion hath been in any one article of christian religion , he is thereby bound to receive that article for true. for , if the church of rome be but able to prove both these points , it is then without all dispute , that their proceeding is good , and agreeable to the end proposed , there being so many of the ancient fathers writings alledged at this day by them . but if , on the contrary side , either of these two things , or both of them , be indeed found to be doubtful , i should think that any man of a very mean judgment , should be able to conclude of himself , that this way of proof , which they have hitherto made use of , is very insufficient ; and that therefore they of necessity ought to have recourse to some other more proper and solid way in the proof of the truth of the said opinions , which the protestants will not by any means receive . the first book . chap. i. reason i. touching the difficulty of knowing the sense of the fathers , in reference to the present controversies in religion ; drawn from hence : namely , because there is very little extant of their writings , for the three first centuries . if we should in this particular take the same course , which some writers of the church of rome make use of against the holy scriptures , it would be a very easie matter to bring in question , and render very doubtful , and suspected , all the writings of the fathers . for , when any one alledgeth the old or new testament , these gentlemen presently demand , how , or by what means they know , that any such books were truly written by those prophets , and apostles , under whose names they go . if therefore , in like manner , when these men urge justin , irenaeus , ambrose , augustine , and the like , one should take them short , and demand of them , how , and by what means they are assured , that these fathers were the authors of those writings , which at this day go under their names , it is very much to be doubted but that they would find a harder task of it , than their adversaries , in justifying the inscriptions of the books of holy writ ; the truth whereof is much more easie to be demonstrated , than of any humane writings whatsoever . but i pass by this too-artificial way of proceeding , and onely say , that it is no very easie matter to find out , by the writings of the fathers , what hath really beeen their opinion , in any of those controversies which are now in debate , betwixt the protestant and the church of rome . the considerations which render the knowledge of this so difficult , are many : i shall therefore in this first part handle some of them onely , referring the rest to the later , examining them one after another . the first reason , therefore , which i shall lay down for the proving of this difficulty , is , the little we have extant of the writings of the ancient fathers , especially of the first , second , and third centuries ; which are those we are most especially to regard . for , seeing that one of the principal reasons that moveth the church of rome to alledge the writings of the fathers , is to shew the truth of their tenets , by the antiquity , which they reckon as a mark of it ; it is most evident , that the most ancient ought to be the most taken notice of . and indeed , there is no question to be made , but that the christian religion was more pure , and without mixture , in its beginnings and infancy , than it was afterwards , in its growth and progress : it being the ordinary course of things , to contract corruptions , more or less , according as they are more or less removed from their first institution : as we see by experience in states , laws , arts , and languages ; the natural propriety of all which is continually declining , after they have once passed the point of their vigour , and , as it were , the flower and prime of their strength and perfection . now i cannot believe , that any faithful christian will deny , but that christianity was in its height and perfection in the time of the blessed apostles : and indeed it would be the greatest injury that could be offered them , to say , that any of their successors have either had a greater desire , or more abilities , to advance christianity , than they had . it will hence follow then , that those times which were nearest to the apostles , were necessarily the purest , and less subject to suspicion of corruptions , either in doctrine , or in manners , and christian discipline : it being but reasonable to believe , that if there be any corruptions crept into the church , they came in by little and little , and by degrees ; as it happens in all other things . if any one shall here object , that even the very next age immediately after the times of the apostles was not without its errours , if we may believe hegesippus ; who , as he is cited by eusebius , witnesseth , that the church continued a virgin till the emperour trajan's time ; but , that after the death of the apostles , the conspiracy of errour began to discover it self with open fce . i shall not oppose any thing against this testimony ; but shall only say , that if the enemy , immediately upon the setting of these stars of the church , their presence and light being scarcely shut in , had yet the boldness presently to fall to sowing his evil seed ; how much more had he opportunity to do this in those . ages which were further removed from their times ; when as the sanctity and simplicity of these great teachers of the world having now by little and little vanished out of the memories of men , humane inventions , and new fancies began to take place . so that we may however conclude , that supposing that christianity , even in the first ages , hath not been altogether exempt from alteration in doctrine ; yet are they much more free from it , than the succeeding ages can pretend to be ; and are therefore consequently to be preferred before them in all respects : it being here something like what the poets have fancied of the four ages of the world , where the succeeding age always came short of the former . for , as for the opinion of those men , who think the best way to find out the true sense of the ancient church , will be , to search the writings of those of the fathers chiefly who lived betwixt the time of constantine the great , till pope leo , or till pope gregory's time ; that is to say , from the end of the third century , till the beginning of the seventh : i take this as a confession onely of the small number of books that are left us of those ages before constantine ; and not that these men allow , that the authority of these three later ages , ought to be preferred to that of the three former . if we had but as much light , and as clear evidences of the belief of the one , as we have of the other , i make no question but they would prefer the former . but if they mean otherwise , and are indeed of a perswasion , that the church was really more pure after constantine's time , than before ; they must excuse me , if i think that they by this means confess the distrust they have of their own cause , seeing they endeavour to get off as far as they can from the light of the primitive times ; retreating back to those ages wherein it is most evident there was both less perfection , and light , than before : running clean contrary to that excellent rule which s. cyprian hath given us ; that we should have recourse to the fountain , whenever the channel and stream of doctrine , and ecclesiastical tradition is found to be any whit corrupted . but however , let their meaning be what it will , their words , in my judgment , do not a little advantage the protestants cause ; it being a very clear confession , that those opinions about which they contest with them , do not at all appear clearly in any of the books that were written during the three first centuries . for , if they were found clearly in the same , what policy were it then in them to appeal to the writers of the three following centuries , to which they very well know , that their adversaries attribute less , than to the former ? but besides this tacite confession of theirs , the thing is evident ; namely , that there is left us at this day very little of the writings of the fathers of the three first centuries of christianity , for the deciding of our differences . the blessed christians of those times contented themselves , for the greatest part of them , with writing the christian faith in the hearts of men , by the beams of their sanctity , and holy life , and by their blood shed in martyrdom , without much troubling themselves with the writing of books : whether it were , because , as learned origen elegantly gives the reason , they were of opinion that the christian religion was to be defended by the innocency of life , and honesty of conversation , rather than by sophistry , and the artifice of words : or whether , because their continual sufferings gave them not leisure to take pen in hand , and to write books ; or else , whether it were for some other reason perhaps , which we know not . but this we are very well assured of , that except the writings of the apostles , there was very little written by others in these primitive times : which was the cause of so much trouble to eusebius in the beginning of his history , having little or no light to guide him in his undertaking , and treading , as himself saith , in a new path , unbeaten by any that had gone before him . besides , the greatest part of those few books which were written by the christians of those times , have not come down to our hands , but were lost , either through the injury of time , that consumeth all things , or else have been made away by the malice of men , who have made bold to suppress and smother whatsoever they met with , that was not wholly to their gust . of this sort were those five books of papias bishop of hierapolis , the apology of quadratus atheniensis , and that other of aristides , the writings of castor agrippa , against the xxiv books of the heretick basilides , the five books of hegesippus , the works of melito bishop of sardis , dionysius bishop of corinth , apollinaris bishop of hierapolis , the epistle of pinytus cretensis , the writings of philippus , musanus , modestus , bardesanes , pantaenus , rhodon , miltiades , apollonius , serapion , bacchylus , polycrates bishop of ephesus , heraclius , maximus , hammonius , tryphon , hippolytus , julius , africanus , dionysius alexandrinus , and others of whom we have no more left , save onely their names , and the titles of their books , which are preserved in eusebius , s. hierome , and others . all that we have left us of these times , which is certainly known to be theirs , and that no man doubts of , is , some certain discourses of s. justin the philosopher and martyr , who wrote his second apology a hundred and fifty years after the nativity of our saviour christ ; the five books of s. irenaeus , who wrote not long after him ; three excellent and learned pieces of clemens alexandrinus , who lived toward the end of the second century ; divers books of tertullian , who was famous about the same time : the epistles and other treatises of s. cyprian bishop of carthage , who suffered martyrdom about the year of our saviour cclxi , the writings of arnobius , and of lactantius his scholar , and some few others . for , as for origen , s. cyprian's contemporary , who alone , had we but all his writings entire , would be able perhaps to give us more light and satisfaction in the business we are now upon , than all the rest ; we have but very little of him left us , and the greatest part of that too most miserably abused , and corrupted ; the most learned , and almost innumerable writings of this great and incomparable person , not being able to withstand the violence of time , nor the envy and malice of men , who have dealt much worse with him , than so many ages , and centuries of years that have passed , from his time down to us . and thus have i given you an account of well-nigh all that we have left us , which is certainly known to have been written by the fathers of the three first centuries . for , as for those other pieces which are pretended to have been written in the same times , but are indeed either confessed to be supposititious by the romanists themselves , or are rejected by their adversaries , and that upon very good and probable grounds ; these are not to have any place at all , or account here , in clearing the controversie we have now in hand . the writings of the fourth and fifth centuries have , i confess , out-gone the former for number , and good fortune too ; the greatest part of them having come down safe to our hands : but they come much short of the other in weight and authority ; especially in the judgment of the protestants , who maintain , and that upon very probable grounds too , that the christian religion hath from the beginning had its declinings by little and little , losing in every age some certain degree of its primitive and native purity . and besides , we have good cause perhaps to fear , lest the multitude of writers of these two ages trouble us as much , as the paucity of them in the three preceding ; and that , as before we suffered under scarcity , we now be overwhelmed with their multitude . for , the multitude of words , and of books , serves as much sometimes to the suppressing of the sense and opinion of any publick body , as silence it self ; our minds being then extremely confounded , and perplexed , while it labours to apprehend what is the true and common opinion of the whole , amidst so many differently-biassed particulars , whereof each endeavours to express the same : it being most certain , that amongst so great and almost infinite variety of spirits , and tongues , you shall very hardly meet with two persons , that shall deliver to you one and the same opinion , ( especially in matters of so high a nature , as the controversies in religion are ) after the same form and way of representation , how unanimous soever their consent may otherwise be in the same opinion . and this variety , although it be but in the circumstances of the thing , makes notwithstanding the foundation it self to appear different also . chap. ii. reason ii. that those writings which we have of the fathers of the first centuries , treat of matters very far different from the present controversies in religion . but suppose that neither the want of books in the three first centuries , nor yet the abundance of them in the three following , should bring along with it these inconveniences ; it will however be very hard to discover out of them , what the opinion of their authors hath been , touching those points of christian religion now controverted . for the matters whereof they treat , are of a very different nature ; these authors , according as the necessity of their times required , employing themselves either in justifying the christian religion , and vindicating it from the aspersion of such crimes wherewith it was most falsly and injuriously charged ; or else in laying open to the world the absurdity ▪ and impiety of paganism ; or in convincing the hard-hearted jews ; or in confuting the prodigious fooleries of the hereticks of those times ; or in exhortations to the faithful to patience and martyrdom ; or in expounding some certain passages and portions of the holy scripture : all which things have very little to do with the controversies of these times , of which they never speak syllable , unless they accidentally or by chance let a word drop from them , toward this side , or that side , yet without the least thought of us , or of our controversies ; although both the one and the other party sometimes lights upon passages , wherein they conceive they have discovered their own opinions clearly delivered , though in vain for the most part , and without ground : just as he did , that hearing a ring of bells , thought they perfectly ●ounded out unto him , what he in his own thoughts had fancied . justin martyr , and tertullian , theophilus , and lactantius , clemens , and arnobius , shew the heathen the vainness of their religion , and of their gods ; and that jupiter and juno were but mortals , and that there is but one onely god , the creator of heaven and earth . irenaeus bends his whole forces against the prodigious opinions of basilides , the valentinians , and other g●osticks , who were the inventors of the most chimaerical divinity that ever came into the fancy of man. tertullian also whips them , as they well deserve it ; but he especially takes marcion , herm●genes , apelles , praxcas ▪ and others , to task ; who maintained , that there were two gods , or two principles , and confounded the persons of the father and the son. cyprian is wholly upon the discipline and the vertues of the christian church . arius , macedonius , eunomius , photinus , pelagius , and afterwards nestorius and eutyches , made work for the fathers of the fourth and fifth centuries . the blasphemies of these men against the person or the natures of our saviour christ , or against the holy ghost and its grace , which have now of a long time lay buried , and forgotten , were the matters debated in those times , and the subject of the greatest part of the books then written , that have come to our hands . what relation hath any thing of all this to the business of transubstantiation , and the adoration of the eucharist , or the monarchy of the pope , or the necessity of auricular confession , or the worshipping of images , and the like points , which are the business of the present controversies , and which none of the ancients hath handled expresly , and of set purpose ; and perhaps too never so much as thought of ? it is very true indeed , that the silence of these fathers in these points , which some set so much by , is not wholly mute ; and perhaps also it may pass for a very clear testimony : but certainly not on their side who maintain them affirmatively . but however , this is a most certain truth , that throughout the whole body of the genuine writings of these fathers , you shall not meet with any thing expresly urged , either for or against the greatest part of these opinions . i shall most willingly confess , that the belief of every wise man makes up but one entire body , the parts whereof have a certain correspondence and relation to each other ; in such sort , as that a man may be able , by those things which he delivers expresly , to give a guess what his opinion is touching other things , which he declares himself not at all in : it being a thing utterly improbable that he maintains any one position which shall manifestly clash with his other tenets , or that he rejects any thing that necessarily followeth upon them . but besides that this manner of disputation presupposeth , that the belief of the ancient fathers hangs all close together , no one position contradicting another , but having all its parts united , and depending one upon another ; which notwithstanding is not altogether unquestionable , as we shall shew elsewhere : besides all this , i say , it requireth also a sharp piercing wit , which readily and clearly apprehends the connexions of each several point ; an excellent memory , to retain faithfully whatever positions the ancients have maintained ; and a solid judgment , free from all pre-occupation , to compare them with the tenets maintained at this day : and what man soever is endued with all these qualities , i shall account him the fittest man to make profitable use of the writings of the fathers , and the likeliest of any to search into the bottom of them . but the mischief of it is , that men so qualified , are very rare , and hard to be found . i shall add here , that if you will believe some certain writers of the church of rome , this whole method is vain and useless ; as is also that which makes use of argumentation , and reason ; means which are insufficient , and unable ( in the judgment of these doctors ) to bring us to any certainty , especially in matters of religion , wherein , their opinion is , we are to rely upon clear and express texts onely . so that , according to this account ▪ we will not , if we be wife , believe that the fathers held any of the aforenamed points , unless we can find them in express terms delivered in their writings ; that is to say , in the very same terms that we read them in the decrees and canons of the council of trent . seeing then that according to the opinion of these men , those testimonies onely are to be received , which are express , and likewise , that of these points now controverted , there is searcely any thing found expresly delivered by the fathers : we may , in my opinion , very logically and reasonably conclude , that it is , if not an impossible , yet at least a very difficult thing ( according to these men ) to come to the certain knowledge of the opinion of the ancients , touching the greatest part of the tenets of the church of rome , which are at this day rejected by the protestants . chap. iii. reason iii. that those writings which go under the names of the ancient fathers , are not all truly such ; but a great part of them suppositions , and forged , either long since , or of later times . i come now to more important considerations ; these two former , though they are not in themselves to be despised , or neglected , being yet but trivial ones in respect of those which follow . for there is so great a confusion in the most part of these books whereof we speak , that it is a very hard thing truly to find out who were their authors , and what the meaning and sense of them is . the first difficulty proceeds from the infinite number of forged books , which are falsly attributed to the ancient fathers : the like having hapned also in all sorts of learning and sciences ; insomuch that the criticks at this day are sufficiently troubled in discovering , both in philosophy , and humanity , which are forged and supposititious pieces , and which are true and legitimate . but this abuse hath not reigned any where more grosly , and taken to it self more liberty , than toward the ecclesiastical writers . all men complain on this , both on the one side , and on the other , and labour all they can to deliver us from these confusions , though oftentimes with little success , by reason of the eagerness of their passion , by which they are carried away , ordinarily judging of books according to their own interest , rather than the truth , and rejecting all those that any whit contradict them ; but defending those which speak of their side , how good or bad soever they otherwise chance to be . so that , to say the truth , they judge not of their own opinions by the writings of the fathers , but of the writings of the fathers by their own opinions . if they speak with us , it is then cyprian and chrysostome ; if not , it is some ignorant modern fellow , or else some malicious person , who would fain cover his own filthiness under the rich garment of these excellent persons . now if it were passion onely that rendered the business obscure , we should be able easily to quit our hands of it , by stripping it , and laying it open to the world ▪ and all moderate men would find enough to rest satisfied with . but the worst of it is , that this obscurity oftentimes falls out to be in the things themselves ; so that it is a very hard , and sometimes an impossible thing , to clear them ; whether it be by reason of the antiquity of the errour , or else by reason of the near resemblance of the ●alse to the true. for these forgeries are not new , and of yesteryesterday ; but the abuse hath been on foot above fourteen hundred years . it is the complaint of the greatest part of the fathers , that the hereticks , to gain their own dreams the greater authority , vented them under the names of some of the most eminent writers in the church , and even of the apostles themselves . amphilochius bishop of iconium , who was so much esteemed by the great s. basil , archbishop of caesarea , wrote a particular tract on this subject , alledged by the fathers of the seventh council , against a certain passage produced by the iconoclasts out of i know not what idle treatise , entituled , the travels of the apostles . and i would to god that tract of this learned prelate were now extant ! if it were , it would perhaps do us good service in discovering the vanity of very many ridiculous pieces , which now pass up and down the world under the names of the primitive and most ancient christians . s. hierome rejecteth divers apocryphal books , which are published under the names of the apostles , and of their first disciples ; as namely , of s. peter , of barnabas , and others . the gospel of s. thomas , and the epistle to the laodiceans , are put in the same rank by the seventh council . now if these wretched knaves have been thus sawcy with the apostles , as to make use of their names , how much more likely is it , that they would not stick to make as bold with the fathers ? and indeed this kind of imposture hath always been very ordinary . thus we read , that the nestorians sometime published an epistle under the name of s. cyril of alexandria , in the defence of theodorus bishop of mopsuestia , who was the author and first broacher of their heresie : and likewise that the eutychists also vented certain books of apollinaris , under the title of the orthodox doctors , onely to abuse the simple people . leontius hath written an express tract on this subject ; wherein he shews , that these men abused particularly the names of s. gregory of neocaesarea , of julius bishop of rome , and of athanasius , bishop of alexandria : and he also saith particularly , that the book entituled , 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 , a particular exposition of the faith , which is delivered unto us by turrianus the jesuite , gerardus vossius , and the last edition of gregorius neocaesariensis , for a true and legitimate piece of the said s. gregory , is not truly his , but the bastard issue of the heretick apollinaris . and the like judgment do the publishers of the bibliotheca patrum give of the xii anathema's , which are commonly attributed to the same s. gregory . the monothelites also , taking the same course , forged an oration under the name of menas patriarch of constantinople , and directed to vigilius bishop of rome : and two other books under the name of the same vigilius , directed to justinian and theodora ; wherein their heresie is in express terms delivered : and these three pieces were afterward inserted into the body of the fifth council , and kept in the library of the patriarch's palace in constantinople . but this imposture was discovered , and convinced in the vi council : for otherwise , who would not have been deceived by it , seeing these false pieces in so authentick a copy ? i bring but these few examples , to give the reader but a taste onely of what the hereticks not onely dared , but were able also to do , in this particular : and all these things were done before the end of the seventh century , that is to say , above nine hundred years ago . since which time , in all the disputes about the images in churches , and in the differences betwixt the greek and latine churches , and indeed in the most part of all other ecclesiastical contestations , you shall find nothing more frequent , than the mutual reproaches that the several parties cast at each other , accusing each other of forging the pieces of authors which they produced each of them in defence of their own cause . judge you therefore , whether or not the hereticks , using the same artifice , and the same diligence ▪ now for the space of so many centuries since , though in different causes , may not in all probability have furnished us with a sufficient stock of spurious pieces , sent abroad under the names of the ancient fathers , by their professed enemies ? and do but think whether or no we may not chance to converse with an heretick sometimes , when we think we have a father before us ; and a professed enemy , disguised under the mask of a friend ? so that it will hence follow , that it may justly be feared , that we sometimes receive and deliver for maxims and opinions of the ancient church , no better than the very dreams of the ancient hereticks . for we must conceive , that they were not so foolish , as to discover their venom at the first dash , in the height of their heretical positions ; but rather , that they onely cunningly cast in here and there some sprinklings of it , laying the foundation of their heresie as it were afar off onely ; which makes the knavery the more hard to be discovered , and so consequently the more dangerous . but supposing that this jugling trick of the hereticks may have very much corrupted the old books ; yet notwithstanding , had we no other spurious pieces than what had been forged by them , it would be no very hard matter to distinguish the true from the false . but that which renders the evil almost uncurable , is , that even in the church it self this kind of forgery hath been both very ordinary , and very ancient . i impute a great part of the cause of this mischief to those men , who before the invention of printing , were the transcribers and copiers out of manuscripts : of whose negligence and boldness in corrupting of books , s. hierome very much complained even in his time : scribunt ( saith he ) non quod inveniunt , sed quod intelligunt ; & dum alienos errores emendare nituntur , ostendunt suos : that is , they write , not what they find , but what they understand ; and whilst they endeavour to correct other mens errors , they shew their own . we may very well presume , that what liberty these men took in corrupting , they took the same in forging books too : especially since this last course was beneficial to them , which the other was not . for by altering or corrupting the books they wrote , they could not make any advantage to themselves : whereas in forging new books , and venting them under great and eminent names , they put them off both faster and dearer . so likewise if there came to their hands any book , that had either no authors name ; or having any , it was but an obscure , or a tainted one : to the end that these evil marks might not prejudice the venting of it , they would rase it out without any more ado , and inscribe it presently with some one of the most eminent and venerable names that was in the church ; that so the reputation and favour that that name had found in the world , might be a means of the better putting off their false wares . as for example : the name of novatianus , who was the head of a schism against the roman church , became justly to be odious to christian ears ; as that of tertullian was the more esteemed , both for the age , wit , and learning of the person . now the transcriber considering this with himself , without any other design , or end , than onely of his own private gain , hath , in my judgment , made an exchange , attributing to tertullian that book of the trinity , which is indeed novatianus his ; as we are given to understand also by s. hierome . and i am of opinion , that both the birth and fortune of that other piece de poenitentia hath been , if not the very same , yet at least not much unlike that of the other . so likewise that book which beareth title , de operibus cardinalibus christi , which was composed and sent by the author of it to one of the popes , without setting down his name , as himself there testifies , hath been vented abroad under the name of s. cyprian , onely because by this means it is the more profitable to the manuscript-monger ; and it hath formerly always passed , and doth still pass for his ; notwithstanding that , in my judgment , it is clear enough , that it cannot be his , as is ingenuously confessed by a very many of the learned , both of the one , and of the other side . ruffinus had some name in the church ; though nothing near so great a one as cyprian had : and this is the reason why the afore-named merchants have inscribed with s. cyprian's name that treatise upon the apostles creed , which was written by ruffinus . besides the avarice of these librarii , their own ignorance , or at least of those whom they consulted , hath in like manner produced no small number of these spurious pieces . for when either the likeness of the name , or of the stile , or of the subject treated of , or any other seeming reason , gave them occasion to believe , that such an anonymous book was the work of such or such an ancient author , they presently copied it out under the said author's name ; and thus it came from thenceforth to be received by the world for such , and by them to be delivered for such , over to posterity . but all the blame is not to be laid upon the transcribers onely , in this particular : the authors themselves have contributed very much to the promoting of this kind of imposture . for there have been found in all ages some that have been so sottishly ambitious , and so desirous , at what rate soever , to have their conceptions published to the world , as that finding they should never be able to please , and get applause abroad of themselves , they have vented them under the name of some of the fathers ; chusing rather to see them received , and honoured , under this false habit , than disdained , and slighted , under their own true one . these men , according as their several abilities have been , have imitated the stile and fancy of the fathers , either more or less happily ; and have boldly presented these issues of their own brain to the world , under their names . the world , the greatest part whereof hath always been the least subtile , hath very readily collected , preserved , and cherished these false births , and hath by degrees filled all their libraries with them . others have been moved to use the same artifice , not out of ambition but some other irregular fancy , as those men have done , who , having had a particular affection either to such a person , or to such an opinion , have faln to write of the same , under the name of some author of good esteem and reputation with the world , to make it pass the more currantly abroad : just as that priest did , who published a book entituled , the acts of s. paul , and of tecla ; and being convinced of being the author of it , in the presence of s. john , he plainly confessed , that the love that he bare to s. paul was the onely cause that moved him to do it . such was the boldness also of ruffinus , a priest of aquileia , ( whom s. hierome justly reprehendeth so sharply , and in so many places ) who to vindicate origen's honour , wrote an apology for him , under the name of pamphilus , a holy and renowned martyr ; although the truth of it is , he had taken it partly out of the first and sixth books that eusebius had written upon the same subject , and partly made use of his own invention in it . some such like fancy it was , that moved him also to put forth the life of one sextus , a pythagorean philosopher , under the name of s. sixtus the martyr , to the end that the work might be received the more favourably . what can you say to this ? namely , that in the very same age there was a personage of greater note than the former , who , disliking that hierome had translated the old testament out of the hebrew , framed an epistle under his name , wherein he maketh him repent himself of having done it ; which epistle , even in s. hierome's life-time , though without his knowledge , was published by the said author , both at rome , and in africk ? who could believe the truth of this bold attempt , had not s. hierome himself related the story , and made complaint of the injury done him therein ? i must impute also to a fancy of the same kind , though certainly more innocent than the other , the spreading abroad of so many predictions of our saviour jesus christ , and his kingdom , under the names of the sibylls ; which was done by some of the first christians , onely to prepare the pagans to relish this doctrine the better ; as it is objected against them by celsus , in origen . but , that which is of greater consequence yet , is , that even the fathers themselves have sometimes made use of this artifice , to promote the interest either of their own opinions , or their passions . we have a notable example hereof , which was objected against the latins by the greeks , above two hundred years since , of two bishops of rome , zozimus and boniface ; who to authorize the title which they pretended to have of being universal bishops , and heads of the whole christian church , and particularly of the african , forged , about the beginning of the fifth century , certain canons in the council of nice , and alledged them for such divers times , in the councils in africa ; which notwithstanding , after a long and diligent search , could never yet be found in any of the authentick copies of the said council of nice , although the african bishops had taken the pains to send as far as constantinople , alexandria , and antioch , to get the best and truest copies that they could . neither indeed have the canons and acts of the council of nice at this day , though it hath since that time passed through so many several hands , any such thing in it● no , not in the editions of those very men who are the most interested in the honour of the popes ; as that of dionysius exiguus , who published his latin collection of them about the year of our saviour christ . nor in any other either ancient or modern . for at for that authentick copy of the council of nice , which one frier john , at the council of florence , pretended to have been the onely copy that had escaped the corruptions of the arrians , and had for this cause been always kept under lock and key at rome , with all the safety and care that might be ; out of which copy they had transcribed the said canons : i confess , this copy must needs have been kept up very close , under locks and seals , seeing that three of their popes , namely , zozimus , boniface , and celestine , could never be able to produce it , for the justification of their pretended title , against the african fathers , though in a case of so great importance . and it is a wonderful strange thing to me , that this man , who came a thousand years after , should now at last make use of it in this cause ; whereas those very persons who had it in their custody , never so much as mentioned one syllable of it : which is an evident argument , that the seals of this rare book were never opened , save onely in the brains of this doctor , where onely it was both framed and sealed up , brought forth and vanished , all at the same instant ; the greatest part of those men that have come after him , having laid aside this chimerical invention , being ashamed to make use of it any longer . and to say truth , that which these men answer , by way of excusing the said popes , is not any whit more probable ; namely , that they took the council of nice , and that of sardica , in which those canons they alledge are really found , for one and the same council . for whom will these men ever be able to perswade , that two ecclesiastical assemblies , betwixt which there passed near twenty two whole years , called by two several emperors , and for matters of a far different nature ; the one of them for the explanation of the christian faith , and the other for the re-establishing of two bishops in their thrones ; and in places very far distant from each other : the one at nicaea in bithynia , the other at sardica , a city of illyricum : the canons of which two councils are very different , both in substance , number , and authority ; the one of them having always been received generally by the whole church ; but the other having never been acknowledged by the eastern church ; should yet notwithstanding be but one and the same council ? how can they themselves endure this , who are so fierce against the greeks , for having offered to attribute ( which they do notwithstanding with more appearance of truth ) to the sixth council , those cii canons which were agreed upon ten years after at constantinople , in an assembly wherein one party of the fathers of the sixth council met ? how came it to pass that they gave any credit to the ancient church , seeing that in the greek collection of her ancient canons , those of the council of sardica are quite left out ; and in the latin collection of dionysius exiguus , made at rome eleven hundred years since , they are placed , not with those of the council of nice , nor yet immediately after them , as if they all made up but one body betwixt them : but are put in a place a great way behind , after the canons of all the general councils that had been held till that very time he lived in ? and how comes it to pass , that these ancient popes , who alledged these canons , if they believed these councils to be both one , did not say so ? the african bishops had diverse and sundry times declared , that these canons , which were by them alledged , were not at all to be found in their copies . certainly therefore , if those who had cited them , had thought the council of nice , and that of sardica to have been both but one council , they would no doubt have made answer , that 〈◊〉 canons were to be found in this pretended second part of the council of nice , among those which had been agreed upon at sardica ; especially when they saw that these careful fathers , for the clearing of the controversie betwixt them , had resolved to send to this purpose as far as constantinople , and alexandria . and yet for all this , there is not the least syllable , tending this way , said by them . and certainly if the canons of the council of sardica had been in those days reputed as a part of the council of nice , it is a very strange thing , that so many learned and religious prelates as there were at that time in africk , as namely ▪ aurelius , alypius , and even s. augustine , that glorious light , not of the african onely , but of the whole ancient church , should have been so ignorant in this particular . but it is a wonder beyond all belief , that three popes , and their legates , should leave their party in an ignorance so gross , and so prejudicial to their own interest ; it being in their power to have relieved them in two words . we may safely then conclude , that these popes , zozimus , and boniface , had no other copies of the council of nice , than what we have : and also , that they did not believe that the canons of the council of sardica were a part of the council of nice ; but that they rather purposely alledged some of the canons of sardica , under the name of the canons of the council of nice . and this they did according to that maxim which was in force with those of former times , and is not utterly laid aside even in our own ; namely , that for the advancing of a good and godly cause , it is lawful sometimes to use a little deceit , and to have recourse to your piae fraudes . they therefore firmly believing as they did , that the supremacy of their see , over all other churches , was a business of great importance , and would be very profitable to all christendom ; we are not to wonder , if for the establishing this right on themselvs , they made use of a little legerdemain , alledging sardica for nice : reckoning with themselves , that if they brought their design about , this small failing of theirs would in process of time be abundantly satisfied for , by the benefit and excellency of the thing it self . yet notwithstanding this opposition made by the african fathers against the church of rome , pope leo , not many years after , writing to the emperour theodosius , did not forbear to make use of the old forgery , citing one of the canons of the council of sardica , for a legitimate canon of the council of nice : which was the cause that the emperour valentinian also , and his empress galla placidia , writing in the behalf of the said pope leo to the emperour theodosius , affirmed to him for a certain truth , that both all antiquity , and the canons of the council of nice also , had assigned to the pope of rome the power of judging of points of faith ; and of the prelates of the church ; leo having before possessed them , that this canons of the council of sardica was one of the canons of nice . and thus , by a strong perseverance in this pious fraud , they have at length so fully perswaded a great part of christendom , that the council of nice had established this supremacy upon the pope of rome , that it is now generally urged by all of them , whenever this point is controverted . i must crave pardon of the reader , for having so long insisted on this particular , and perhaps longer somewhat than my design required : yet , in my judgment , it may be of no small importance to the business in hand . for ( will the protestants here say ) seeing that two popes bishops , and princes , which all christians have approved , have notwithstanding thus foisted in false wares ; what ought we to expect from the rest of the bishops and doctors ? since these men have done this in the beginning of the fifth century , an age of so high repute for its faith and doctrine , what have they not dared to do in the succeeding ages ? if they have not forborn so foully to abuse the sacred name of the council of nice , the most illustrious and venerable monument of christianity , next to the holy scriptures ; what other authors can we imagine they would spare ? and if in the face of so renowned an assembly , and in the presence of whatever africk could shew of eminency , both for sanctity and learning ; and even under the eye of the great s. augustine too , they made no conscience at all to make use of so gross a piece of forgery ; what have they not since , in these later times , while the whole world for so many ages lay covered with so thick darkness , dared to do ? but as for my part , i shall neither accuse nor excuse at present these mens proceedings ; but shall onely conclude ; that seeing that the writings of the fathers , before they came to us , have passed through the hands of those who have sometimes been found to use these jugling tricks ; it is not so easie a matter as people may imagine , to discover out of those writings which now pass under the names of the fathers , what their opinions were . the like inclinations produced the very same effects in the fifth council ; where a letter forged under the name of theodoret , touching the death of s. cyril , was both read , and by a general silence approved by the whole assembly ; which yet notwithstanding was so evidently false , that those very men who caused the body of the general councils to be printed at rome , have convinced it of falshood , and branded it as spurious . such another precious piece is that foolish story of a miracle wrought by an image of our saviour christ in the city berytus , which is related in very ample manner , in the vii council , and goes forsooth , under the name of s. athanasius , but is indeed so tasteless a piece , and so unworthy the gallantry and clearness of that great wit , that he must not be thought to have common sense , that can find in his heart to attribute it to him . and therefore we see , that notwithstanding the authority of this council , both nannius , bellarmine , and possevine , have plainly confessed , that it was not written by athanasius . i shall place in this rank the so much cried up deed of the donation of constantine , which hath for so long a time been accounted as a most valid and most authentick evidence , and hath also been inserted into the decrees , and so stifly maintained by the bishops of agobio , against the oppositions of laurentius valla. certainly those very men who at this day maintain the donation , do notwithstanding disclaim this evidence , as a piece of forgery . of the same nature are the epistles attributed to the first popes , as clemens , anacletus , euaristus , alexander , sixtus , telesphorus , hyginus , pius , anicetus , and others , down to the times of siricius ; that is to say , to the year of our saviour christ ccclxxxv . which the world read under these venerable titles at the least for eight hundred years together ; and by which have been decided , to the advantage of the church of rome , very many controversies , and especially the most important of all the rest , namely , that of the pope's monarchy ; which sheweth plain enough the inclination , ( shall i call it● ) or rather the purposed design of the merchant that first vented them abroad . the greatest part of these notwithstanding , are accounted forged even by many of the learned of their own party ; as namely , henricus k●ltheisen , nicolas cusanus , jo. de turrecremata , both cardinals ; erasmus , jo. driedo , claudius espensaeus , cassander , simon vigor , baronius , and others : as indeed their forgery appears plain enough , by the barbarousness of their stile , the errors that you meet with every foot in computing the times , and in history ; the pieces that they are patched up of , stollen here and there out of several authors , whose books we have at this day to shew : and also by the general silence of all the writers of the eight first centuries , among whom there is not one word mentioned of them . now i shall not here meddle at all with the six or seven last centuries ; where , in regard of diverse articles of faith , most eagerly by them pressed and established , there hath been more need than ever of the assistance of the ancients ; and where , in respect of the dark ignorance of those times , and the scarcity of opposers , they had much better opportunity than before to forge what books they pleased . this abuse the world was never free from , till the times of the light breaking forth in the last century ; at what time erasmus by name , gives us an account , how he himself had discovered one of these wretched knaves , whose ordinary practice it was to lay his own eggs in another man's nest , putting his own fooleries on s. hierome particularly , and on s. augustine , and s. ambrose . and who knows what those many books be , that are daily issued out of the self-same shops , that of old were wont to furnish the world with these kind of knacks ? is it not very probable , that both the will , and the dexterity , in forging and venting these false wares , will rather in these days increase , than abate , in the professors of this trade ? so that , if besides what the malice of the hereticks , the avarice and ignorance of transcribers of manuscripts , and the ambition and affection of men hath brought forth of this kind , there have yet so many others bent their endeavours this way , and that in a manner all along , for the space of the last fourteen hundred years , although they had their several ends ; we are not to wonder at all , if now in this last age we see such a monstrous number of writings falsly fathered upon the ancients : which , if they were all put together , would make little less than a fourth or a fifth part of the works of the fathers . i am not ignorant , that the learned have noted a great number of them , and do ordinarily cast them into the later tomes of editions ; and that some have written whole books upon this very subject ; as namely , ant. possevine's apparatus , bellarmine's catalogue , scultetus his medulla patrum , rivet's critick , and the like , both of the one and the other religion . but who can assure us that they have not forgotten any thing they should have noted ? besides , that it is a new labour , and almost equal to the former , to read so many books of the moderns as there are . and when all is done , we are not presently to sit down upon their judgments neither , without a due examination had of them . for each of them having been prepossest with the prejudices of the party in which they were brought up before they took this work in hand , who shall warrant us , that they have not delivered any thing in this case , in favour of their own particular interest , as hath been touched before ? the justness of this suspicion is so clear , that i presume that no man that is but any whit versed in these matters , will desire me to prove my assertion . neither shall i need to give any other reason of it , than the conflict ; and disagreements in judgments which we may observe in these men : the one of them oftentimes letting pass for pure metal , what the other perhaps will throw by for dross : which differences are found not onely betwixt those that are of quite opposite religions ; but , which is more , even betwixt those that are of the self same perswasion . those whom we named not long before , who were all of the roman church , cry down ( as we have said ) the greatest part of the decretals of the first popes . franciscus turrianus , a jesuite , receives them , and defends them all , in a tract written by him to that purpose . baronius calls the recognitions which are attributed to clemens romanus , a gulf of filth and vncleanness ; full of prodigious lies , and frantick fooleries . bellarmine says , that this book was written either by clemens , or else by some other author as learned and as ancient as he . some of them hold those fragments , published by nicol. faber , under the name of s. hilary , for good and legitimate pieces ; and some others again reject them . erasmus , sixtus senensis , melchior canus , and baronius , are of opinion , that the book of the nativity of the virgin mary , is falsly attributed to s. hierome : christophorus à castro , a spanish jesuite , maintains the contrary . cardinal cajetan , laurentius valla , erasmus , and some others , hold the books of dionysius the areopagite for suspected , and spurious : baronius , and almost all the rest of their writers , maintain that they are true and legitimate . turrianus , bovin , and some others , commend unto us the constitutions of the apostles , for a legitimate piece : but baronius , possevine , petavius , and a great many others , speak doubtfully of them . and a man shall find in the writings of those of the church of rome , infinite variety of divided judgments , in such cases as these . he that hath a mind to furnish himself with examples of this nature , may have recourse to their books , and particularly to the writings of the late cardinal perron , who differs as much from the rest , in this point of criticism , as he doth for the most part in the method he observes in his disputations . now i would willingly be informed , what a , man should do , amidst these diversities of judgment ; and what path he should take , where he meeteth with so disagreeing guides . but yet suppose that these authors have done their utmost endeavour in this design , without any particular affection , or partiality ; how , notwithstanding , shall we be satisfied concerning their sufficiency for the performance of their undertaking ? is it a light business , think you , to bring the whole stock of antiquity to the cruzet , and there to purifie and refine it , and to separate all the dross from it , which hath so deeply , and for the space of so many ages , been not only as it were tied , and fastned on to it , but even throughly mixed , united , and incorporated with it ? this work requireth the most clear and refined judgment that can be imagined , an exquisite wit , a quick piercing eye , a perfect ear , a most exact knowledge in all history , both ancient and modern , both ecclesiastical and secular ; a perfect knowledge of the ancient tongues , and a long and continued conversation with all sorts of writers , both ancient , of the middle ages , and modern ; to be able to judge of their inclinations , and which way their pulse beat ; to understand rightly the manner of their expression , invention , and method in writing ; each age , each nation , and each author , having their own peculiar ways in all these . now such a man as this , is hardly produced in a whole age . as for those men who in our times have taken upon them this part of criticism , who knows not , who sees not , that but reads them , how many of these forenamed qualities are wanting in them ? but yet suppose that such a man were to be found , and that he should take in hand this discovery ; i do verily believe that he would be able very easily to find out the imposture of a bungling fool , that had ill counterfeited the stamp , colour , and weight , in the piece which he would father upon some other man ; or that should , for example , endeavour to represent either s. hierome , or s. chrysostome , with a stammering tongue , and should make them speak barbarous language , bad latin , and bad greek ; or else perhaps should make use of such terms , things , or authors , as were not known to the world till a long time after these men ; or should make them treat of matters far removed from the age they lived in , and maintain opinions which they never thought of , or reject those which they are notoriously known to have held : and of this sort , for the most part , are those pieces which our criticks have decried , and noted unto us as spurious . but if a man should chance to bring him a piece of some able master , that should have fully and exactly learnt both the languages , history , manners , alliances , and quarrels of the family he hath boldly thrust himself into , and should be able to make happy use of all these , assure your self , that our aristarchus would be here as much puzled to discover this jugler , as they were once in france , to convince the impostures of martin guerre . now how can we imagine , but that among so many several persons , that have for their several purposes employed their utmost endeavours in these kinds of forgeries , there must needs have been , in so many centuries of years , very many able men , who have had the skill so artificially to imitate the fancy and stile of the persons whom they act , as that it is impossible to discover them ? especially , if they made choice of such a name as was the onely thing remaining in the world of that author , so that there is no mark left us either of his stile , discourse , or opinions , to guide us in our examination . and therefore , in my judgment , he was a very cunning fellow , and made a right choice , that undertook to write under the name of dionysius the areopagite : for we having not left us any true legitimate piece of this author , by which we may examine this cheat , the discovery must needs be difficult ; and it would have proved so much the more hard , if he had but used a more modest and less swelling manner of expression : whereas for those others , who in the ages following made bold with the names of s. hierome , s. cyprian , s. augustine , and the like ; of whose legitimate writings we have very many pieces left us : a man may know them at the first sight , meerly by the stile ; those gothick and rude spirits being no more able to counterfeit the graces and elegancies of these great authors , than an ass is to imitate the warblings of the nightingale . i confess , there is another help , which , in my judgment , may stand us in more stead , in this particular , than all the rest ; namely , the light and direction of the ancients themselves , who oftentimes make mention of other writers of the church which lived either before , or in their own times : s. hierome among the latins , having taken the pains to make a catalogue of all those whose names and writings he knew of , down from the apostles time to his own ; which was afterward continued by gennadius . to this we may also add that incomparable work of the patriarch photius , which he calls his bibliotheca , and is now published in this our age ; where this great person hath given us his judgment of most of the authors of the greek church . now this help we may make use of two manner of ways : the one is , in justifying a book , if it be found mentioned by these authors : the other is , in rejecting it , if they say nothing of it . as for the first of these , it concludes onely according to the quality of the authors who make mention of a suspected book . for , some of the fathers themselves have made use of these kind of forgeries , as we have formerly said ; others have favoured them , because they served their turn ; some have not been able to discover them ; and some others have not been willing to do so , whatsoever their reason hath been . i shall not here repeat the names of any of those that have done these things themselves : and as for those that have favoured them , there are good store of examples , as justin martyr , theophilus , and others , who alledge the sibylls verses , as oracles ; which are notwithstanding the greatest part of them forged . clemens alexandrinus , the most learned , and most polite of all the fathers , in s. hierome's judgment , how often doth he make use of those apocryphal pieces which go under the names of the apostles and disciples , to whom they were most falsly attributed ; citing under the name of a barnabas , and of b hermes , such writings as have been forged under their names ? and did not the vii council in like manner make use of a supposititious piece , attributed to athanasius , as we have shewed before ; and likewise of divers others which are of the same stamp ? that even the fathers themselves therefore have not been able always to make a true discovery of these false wares , no man can doubt ; considering that of those many necessary qualifications which we reckoned up before , as requisite in this particular , they may oftentimes have failed in some . s. hierome himself , the most knowing man among all the latin fathers , especially in matters of this nature , sometimes lets them pass without examination ; as there , where he speaks of a certain tract against mathematicians , attributed to minutius foelix , if at least ( saith he ) the inscription represent unto us the right author of the book . and in another place , whatsoever his reason was , he delivers to us for legitimate pieces , the epistles that go about under the name of s. paul to seneca , and of seneca to s. paul ; which , notwithstanding , cardinal baronius holds for suspect●● and spurious , as doubtless they are . but even those men who have been able to discover these false pieces , have not sometimes been willing to do it ; either being unwilling to offend the authors of them , or else not daring to cast any disrepute upon those books , which having many good things in them , had not in their judgment any false or dangerous positions in them . and this is the reason why they made choice to let such things pass , rather than out of a little tenderness of conscience to oppose them ; there being , in their apprehension , no danger at all in the one , and much trouble and envy in the other . and therefore i am of opinion , that s. hierome , for example , would never have taken the pains , nor have undergone the envy , in laying open the forgeries of ruffinus , if the misunderstanding that hapned to be betwixt them , had not engaged him to it . neither do i believe that the african fathers would ever have troubled themselves in convincing the false allegation of zozimus , but for their own interest , which was thereby called in question . for wise and sober men never use to fall at variance with any body , till they needs must ; neither do they quickly take notice of any injury or abuse offered them , unless it be a very great one ; and such as hath evident danger in it : which was not at all perceived or taken notice of at first , in these forgeries ; which nevertheless have at length , by little and little , in a manner born down all the good and true books . these considerations , in my opinion , make it clearly appear , that the title of a book is not sufficiently justified by a passage or two being cited out of it by some of the ancients , and under the same name . as for the other way , which rendreth the authority of a book doubtful , by the ancients not having made any mention of it , i confess it is no more demonstrative than the other : forasmuch as it is not impossible , that any one , or divers of the fathers , may not have met with such a certain wri●●r that was then extant ; or else perhaps that they might omit some one of those very authors which they knew . yet notwithstanding is this the much surer way of the two ; there being less danger , in this case , in rejecting a true piece , than in receiving a forged one ; the want of the truth of the one , being doubtless much less prejudicial , than the receiving the opposite falshood of the other . for as it is a less sin to omit the good , than to commit the evil that is opposite to it , in like manner is it a less errour not to believe a truth , than to believe the falshood which is contrary to it . and thus we see what confusion there is in the books of the ancients , and what defect in the means which is requisite for the distinguishing the false from the true : insomuch that , as it often falls out , it is much easier to judge what we ought to reject , than to resolve upon what we may safely receive . let the reader therefore now judge , whether or no these writings having come down along through so many ages , and passed through so many hands , which are either known to have been notoriously guilty , or at least strongly suspected of forgery , the truth in the mean time having made on its part but very weak resistance against these impostures ; it be not a very hard matter to discover , amidst the infinite number of books that are now extant , and go under the names of the fathers , which are those that truly belong to them ; and which again are those that are falsly imposed upon them . and if it be so hard a matter to discover in gross onely which are the writings of the fathers ; how much more difficult a business will it be to find out what their opinions are touching the several controversies now in agitation . for we are not to imagine , that it is no great matter from which of the fathers such an opinion hath sprung , so that it came from any one of them : for there is altogether as much difference amongst these ancient doctors , both in respect of authority , learning , and goodness , as among the modern . besides , that an ages being higher or lower ; either raiseth or lesseneth the repute of these writings , in the esteem both of the one party , and of the other , as it were , so many grains , as years : and certainly not altogether without good reason ; it being most evident to any one that hath been but the least versed in the reading of these books , that time hath by degrees introduced very great alterations , as well in the doctrine and discipline of the ancients , as in all other things . our conclusion therefore shall be , that whosoever shall desire to know what the sense and judgment of the primitive church hath been , touching our present controversies ; it will be first in a manner as necessary for him , as it is difficult , exactly to find out both the name and the age of each of these several authors . chap. iv. reason iv. that those of the writings of the fathers which are legitimate , have been in many places corrupted by time , ignorance , and fraud , both pious and malicious , both in the former and later ages . but , put the case now here , that you had by your long and judicious endeavours severed the true and genuine writings of the fathers , from the spurious and forged : there would yet lie upon you a second task , whose event is like to prove much more doubtful , and fuller of difficulty than the former . for it would concern you in the next place , in reading over those authors which you acknowledge for legitimate , to distinguish what is the author 's own , and what hath been soisted in by another hand ; and also to restore to your author , whatsoever either by time or fraud hath been taken away ; and to take out of him whatsoever hath been added by either of these two . otherwise you will never be able to assure your self , that you have discovered out of these books , what the true and proper meaning and sense of your author hath been ; considering the great alterations that by several ways they may have suffered , in several times . i shall not here speak of those errours which have been produced by the ignorance of the transcribers ; who write ( as hierome hath complained of them ) not what they find , but what themselves understand : nor yet of those faults which necessarily have grown up out of the very transcribing ; it being an impossible thing , that books which have been copied out an infinite number of times , during the space of ten or twelve centuries of years , by men of so different cap●●cities ▪ and hands , should all this while retain exactly , and in every particular , the self-same juyce , the same form and body that they had when they first came forth from the author 's own hand . neither shall i here say any thing of the sufferings of these books , by moths , and a thousand other injuries of time , by which they have been corrupted ; while all kind of learning , for so many ages together , lay buried , as it were , in the grave ; the worms on one side feeding on the books of the learned , and on the other the dust defacing them ; so that it is impossible now to restore them to their first integrity . and this is the sad fate that all sorts of books have lain under ; whence hath sprung up so great variety of readings as are found almost in all authors . i shall not here make any advantage of this ; though there are some doctors in the world , that have shewed us the way to do it , taking advantage from this consideration to lessen the authority that the holy scriptures of themselves ought to have in the esteem of all men , under this colour , that even in these sacred writings there are sometimes found varieties of reading , which yet are of very little or no importance , as to the ground-work . if we would tread in these mens steps , and apply to the writings of the fathers , what they speak and conclude of the scriptures , we could do it upon much better terms than they ; there being no reason in the earth to imagine , but that the books of the ancient writers have suffered very much more than the scriptures have ; which have always been preserved in the church , with much greater care than any other books have been whatsoever , and which have been learnt by all nations , and translated into all languages ; which all sects have retained , both orthodox and hereticks , catholicks and schismaticks , greeks and latins , moscovites and ethiopians ; observing diligently the eye , and the hand , one of the other : so that there could not possibly happen any remarkable alteration in them , but that presently the whole world , as it were , would have exclaimed against it , and have made their complaints to have resounded throughout the universe . whereas , on the contrary , the writings of the fathers have been kept , transcribed , and read in as careless a manner as could be ; and that too but by very few , and in few places , being but rarely understood by any , save those of the same language ; which is the cause that so many faults have both the more easily crept into them , and likewise are the more hard to be discovered . besides , that the particular stile and obscurity of some of them , renders the errours the more important . as for example : take me a tertullian , and you shall find , that one little word added , or taken away , or altered never so little , or a full-point or comma but out of its place , will so confound the sense , that you will not be able to find what he would have . whereas in books of an easie , smooth , clear style , as the scriptures for the most part are , these faults are much less prejudicial , seeing they cannot in any wise so darken the sense , but that it will be still easie enough to apprehend it . but i shall pass by all these minute punctilioes , as more suitable to the enquiries of the pyrrhonians and academicks , whose business it is to question all things ; than of christians , who onely seek , in simplicity and sincerity of heart , whereon to build their faith. i shall onely here take notice of such alterations as have been knowingly and voluntarily made in the writings of the fathers , purposely by our holding our peace , to disguise their s●nse , or else to make them speak more than they meant . and this forgery is of two sorts : the one hath been made use of with a good intention ; the other out of malice : again , the one hath been committed in times long since past , the other in this last age , in our own days , and the days of our fathers . lastly , the one is in the additions made to authors , to make them speak more than they meant ; the other in subtracting from the author , to eclipse and darken what he would be understood to say . neither ought we to wonder , that even those of the honest , innocent , primitive times also made use of these deceits , seeing that , for a good end , they made no great scruple to forge whole books , taking a much stranger and bolder course , in my opinion , than the other . for without all doubt it is a greater crime to coin false money , than to clip , or a little alter the true . this opinion hath always been in the world , that to settle a certain and assured estimation upon that which is good and true ( that is to say , upon what we account to be such ) it is necessary that we remove out of the way , whatsoever may be a hinderance to it ; and that there can be no great danger either in putting in , or at least in leaving any thing in , that may yield assistance to it , whatsoever the issue of either of these may in the end prove to be . and hence hath it come to pass , that we have so many ancient forgeries , and also so many strange stories of miracles , and of visions ; many taking a delight in feigning ( as s. hierome says ) great combats which they have had with devils in desarts : all which things are meerly fabulous in themselves , and acknowledged too to be so by the most intelligent of them ; yet notwithstanding are tolerated , and sometimes also recommended to them , forasmuch as they account them useful , for the setling or encreasing either of the faith or devotion of the people . what will you say , if at this day there are some , even of those men who make profession of being the greatest haters in the world of these subtilties , who cannot nevertheless put forth any book , but they must needs be lopping off , or falsifying whatsoever doth not wholly agree with the doctrine they hold for true ; fearing , as themselves say , lest such things coming to the eye of the simple common people , might infect them , and possess their heads with new fancies ? so firmly hath this opinion been of old rooted in the nature of man. now i will not here dispute , whether this proceeding of theirs be lawful , or not : i shall only say by the way , that in my judgment it is a very great shame for the truth , to be established or defended by such falsifications and shifts ; as if it had not sufficient weapons , both defensive and offensive , of its own , but that it must be fain to borrow of its adversary : and it is besides a very dangerous course too ; because that the discovery of any one cheat , oftentimes renders their cause , who practised it , wholly suspected ; insomuch that , by making use of such slights as these in christian religion , either for the gaining to you , or confirming the faith of some of the simpler people , it is to be feared , that you may give distaste to the more understanding sort ; and so by this means at length may chance to lose the affections of the simpler sort too . but whatsoever this course of cheating be , either in it self , or in its consequences ; it is sufficient for my purpose , that it hath been a long time practised in the church , in matters of religion ; for proof whereof , i shall here produce some instances . the hereticks have always been accused of using this artifice : but i shall not here set down what alterations have been made by the ancientest of them , even in the scriptures themselves . if you would have a taste of this practice of theirs , go but to tertullian and epiphanius , and you shall there see , how marcion had clipped and altered the gospel of s. luke , and those epistles of s. paul , which he allowed to be such . neither have those other of the ages following been any whit more conscientious in this particular , as may appear by those complaints made by ruffinus a , in his exposition upon the apostle's creed ; and in another treatise written by him purposely on this subject : which is indeed contradicted by b s. hierome , but onely in his hypothesis , as to what concerned origen ; but not absolutely in his thesis : and by the like complaints of a s. cyril , and divers others of the ancients : and among the moderns , by those very persons also who have put forth the general councils at rome , who inform us , in the preface to the first volume , b that time , and the fraud of the hereticks , have been the cause that the acts of the said councils have not come to our hands , neither entire , nor pure and sincere , that which hath remained of them : and before , they grievously bewail , that we should be thus deprived of so great and so precious a treasure . now this testimony of theirs , to me , is worth a thousand others ; seeing it comes from such who in my opinion are evidently interested to speak quite otherwise . for if the church of rome , who is the pretended mistress and trustee of the faith , hath suffered any part of the councils to perish and be lost , which is esteemed by them as the code of the church ; what then may the rest have suffered also ? and what may not the hereticks and schismaticks have been able to do ? and if all these evidences have been altered by their fraud , how shall we be able by them to come to the knowledge of the sense and judgment of the ancients ? i confess i am very much ama●ed , to see these men make so much reckoning of the acts of the councils , and to make such grievous complaints against the hereticks , for having suppressed some of them . for if these things are of such use , why then do they themselves keep from us the acts of the council of trent , which is the most considerable council , both for them , and their party , that hath been held in the christian church these eight hundred years ? if it be a crime in the hereticks , to have kept from us these precious jewels ; why are not they afraid , lest the blame which they lay on others , may chance to return upon themselves ? but doubtless there is something in the business , that renders these cases different : and i confess i wonder they publish it not ; the simpler sort ; for want of being otherwise informed , thinking perhaps , ( though , it may be , without cause ) that the reason why the acts of this last council are kept so close from them is , because they know that the publishing of them would be either prejudicial , or at least unprofitable , to the greatness of the church of rome : and they also again , on the other side , conceive , that in those other acts , which they say have been suppressed by the hereticks , there were wonderful matters to be found , for the greater advancing and supporting of the church of rome . whatsoever the reason be , i cannot but commend the ingenuity of these men , who , notwithstanding their interest , which seemeth to engage them to the contrary , have yet nevertheless confessed , that the councils which we have at this day are neither entire , nor uncorrupted . but let us now examine , whether or no even the orthodox party themselves have not also contributed something to this alteration of the writings of the primitive church , epiphanius reports , that in the true and most correct copies of s. luke it was written , that jesus christ wept ▪ and that this passage had been alledged by s. irenaeus : but that the catholicks had blotted out this word ▪ fearing that the hereticks might abuse it . whether this relation be true , or false , i must relie upon the credit of the author : but this i shall say , that it seems to me a clear argument ▪ that these ancient catholicks would have made no great scruple of blotting out of the writings of the fathers any word that they found to contradict their own opinions and judgment ; and that with the same liberty that they inform us the hereticks used . for seeing that , as this father informs us , they made no conscience of making such an attempt upon the gospel of the son of god himself ; with how much greater confidence would they adventure to geld the books of men ? certainly ruffinus , a man so much applauded by a s. hierome , before their falling out ; and so highly esteemed by b s. augustine , who very much bewails the breach betwixt those two ; and whom c gennodius hath placed , with a very high elogie of his worth , in his catalogue of ecclesiastical writers ; hath so filthily mangled , and so licentiously confounded the writings of origen , eusebius , and others , which he hath translated into latin , that you will hardly find a page , in his translations , where he hath not either cut off , or added , or at least altered something . s. hierome also , although his enemy , yet agrees with him in this point ; a confessing in several places , that he had indeed translated origen , but in such sort , as that he had taken liberty to cut away that which was dangerous , and had left only that which was useful , and had interpreted only what was good , and had left out the bad ; that is to say , that if he found any thing there , that was not so consonant to the common judgment and opinions of his time , and so might possibly give offence to the simple people , he suppressed it in his translation ; affirming also , that s. hilary , and eusebius bishop of verceil , had done the like . and again , in his preface to eusebius his book , de locis hebraicis , he confesseth , that he had left out that which he conceived was not worth remembring ; and that he had altered the greatest part of it . and to make it appear , that this hath been his constant practice , we need but compare his latin chronology , with the greek fragments which remain of eusebius ; where you may plainly see what liberty these ancients allowed themselves in the writings of others . and what doubt is there to be made , but that those men that came after them , following the authority of so great an example , carefully either took out of their copies , or else left out of their translations , the greatest part of whatever they found to be dissonant to the opinions and customs which were received in the church in the times they lived in ? and likewise , that for adding the greater authority to them , some have had the boldness to add in some places what they conceived to be wanting ? from whence else could it proceed , that we should have so many unseasonable breakings off in many places , and so many impersinent additions in others , as there are to be met with frequently in the ancient authors ? whence otherwise should we have those many course patches , that are ready to grate the skin off our fingers , in the midst of their soft sattin and velvet ? and that inequality of pulse and breath , that we may observe in one and the same author , in a quarter of an hours reading ? it would prove a troublesom business , to bring in here all the examples of this kind that we might ; there being scarcely any of the moderns , that have taken any pains in writing upon the fathers , but have noted and complained of this abuse : and hence it is , that we oftentimes meet with such like notes as this , in the margins of the fathers : hic videtur aliquis assuisse nugas suas , and the like . and that which is observed also by vives , upon the xxi book of s. augustine de civitate dei , a namely , that ten or twelve lines which we find at this day in the xxiv chapter of that book , which contain a positive assertion of purgatory , were not to be found in the ancient manuscripts of bruges , and of collen ; no , nor yet in that of paris , as is noted by those that printed s. augustine , anno . one b holsteinius also , a dutchman , testifieth , that he had met with divers pieces among the manuscripts of the king's library , of chrysostome , proclus , and others , that had in like manner been scratched in divers places by the like hands , by some interpolators of the later and worst ages . but i may not here forget to note , that this alteration hath taken place , even in the most sacred and publick pieces also ; as namely , in the liturgies of the church , and the like : and i shall give you this observation , to the end it may carry with it the greater gracefulness and weight , in the expressions of andreas masius , a man of singular and profound learning ; yet of such candor and integrity as renders him more admired , than his knowledge doth ; and which , together with his other excellencies , endears him to all moderate men of both professions . this learned person taking notice , that the liturgy of s. basil was not so long in the syriac , as in the greek , gives this reason of it : for ( saith he ) men have always been of such a humour and disposition in matters of religion , as that you shall scarcely find any that have been able to content themselves with the ceremonies prescribed unto them by their fathers , how holy soever they have been in themselves : so that we may observe , that in tract of time , according as the prelates have thought fittest to move the affections of the people to piety and devotion , many other things have been either added , or altered ; and ( which is much worse ) many superstitious things have been introduced also : in which particular , i conceive the christians of syria to have been more moderate , and less extravagant than the greeks and latins , as having not the opportunity of enjoying that quiet and plentiful state of life , which the others had . thus the learned masius . and cassander , who hath also turned over the writings of the ancients with innocent hands , confesseth , and proveth out of other authors , that the ancient liturgies have by little and little been enlarged , by the several additions of the moderns . thus proportionably as the world it self hath changed , so would it have whatever there remained of antiquity , to suffer its alterations also ; imagining , that it was but reasonable that these books should in some measure accommodate their language to the times , forasmuch as the authors of them , in all probability , would have done so themselves , believing and speaking with the times , had they been now living . now to render them the more acceptable , they have used those arts upon them , that some old men are wont to practise ; they have new coloured their beard and mustachioes , cutting off the rude and scattered hairs ; they have polished their skin , and given it a fresh complexion , and taught them to speak with a new voice , having changed also the colour of their habit : insomuch , that it is much to be feared , that we oftentimes do but lose our labour , when we search in these disguised faces , and mouths , for the complexion and language of true antiquity . thus have they taught eusebius to tell us , in his chronicon , that the fast of lent was instituted by telesphorus ; and the observation of the lords day , by pius , both bishops of rome : which is a thing eusebius never so much as dreamt of , as may appear out of some manuscripts of him , where you shall find him wholly mu●e , as to these points , wherewith the moderns so much please themselves . but to return , and to take the times all along as they lie , we may observe that this licence grew stronger daily , as the times grew worse ; because that the greater the distance of time was from the author 's own age , the more difficult the discovery of these forgeries must necessarily be : the example also of some of the most eminent persons among the ancients , who had sometimes made use of these sleights , adding on the other side boldness to every one , and courage to venture upon what they had done before them . for , i pray you , is it not a strange thing , that the legats of pope leo , in the year . in the midst of the council of chalcedon , where were assembled bishops , the very flower and choice of the whole clergy , should have the confidence to alledge the vi canon of the council of nice , in these very words , that the church of rome hath always had the primacy : words which are no more found in any greek copies of the councils , than are those other pretended canons of pope zozimus : neither do they yet appear in any greek or latin copies , nor so much as in the edition of dionysius exiguus , who lived about fifty years after this council . when i consider , that the legats of so holy a pope would at that time have fastned such a wen upon the body of so venerable a canon , i am almost ready to think , that we scarcely have any thing of antiquity left us , that is entire , and uncorrupt , except it be in matters of indifferency , or which could not have been corrupted , without much noise ; and to take this proceeding of theirs , which is come to our knowledge , as an advertisement purposely given us by divine providence , to let us see , with how much consideration , and advisedness we ought to receive for the council of nice , and of constantinople , and for cyprian , and hiero●o's writings , that which goes at this day for such . about seventy four years after the council of chalcedon , dionysius exiguus , whom we before mentioned , made his collection at rome , which is 〈◊〉 printed at paris , cum privilegio regi● , out of very ancient manuscripts . whosoever shall but look diligently into this collection , shall find divers alterations in it , one whereof i shall instance in ; only to shew , how ancient this artifice hath been among christians . the last canon of the council of la●dicea , which is the . of the greek code of the church universal , forbidding to read in churches any other books , than those which are canonical ; gives us withal a long catalogue of them . dionysius exiguus , although he hath indeed inserted in his collection num. . the beginning of the said canon , which forbiddeth to read any other books in the churches , besides the sacred volumes of the old and new testament ; yet hath he wholly omitted the catalogue , or list of the said books : fearing , as i conceive , lest the tail of this catalogue might scandalize the church of rome ; where , many years before , pope innocent had , by an express decree to that purpose , put into the canon of the old testament , the maccabees , the wisdom of solomon , ecclesiasticus , tobit , judith , &c. of which books the fathers of the council of laodicea make no mention at all , naming but xxii books of the old testament ; and in the catalogue of the new , utterly omitting the apocalypse . if any man can shew me any better reason of this suppression , let him speak : as for my part i conceive this the most probable that can be given ; however , we are not at all bound to divine , what the motive should be , that made dionysius out off that part of the canon . for , whatsoever the reason were , it serves the turn well enough , to make it appear , that at that time they made no great conscience to curtal , if need were , the very text of the canons themselves . so that if we had not had the good luck to have had this canon entire , and perfect , in divers other monuments of antiquity ; as namely , in the collections of the greeks , and also in the councils of the french church ; we should at this day have been wholly ignorant , what the judgment of the fathers of l●●odices was , touching the canon of the holy scriptur●s ▪ which is one of the principal controversies of these times . it is true , i confess , that the latins have their revenge upon the greeks , reproaching them in like manner , because that in their translation of the code of the canons of the african church , they have left the books of the maccabees quite out of the roll of the books of the scripture , which is set down in the . canon of their collection , expresly against the faith of all the latin copies of this collection , both printed , and manuscript ; as cardinal perron affirmeth : and yet there are some others , * who assure us , that no book of maccabees appears at all in this canon , in the collection of cres●bnius , a bishop of africk , not yet printed . the greek cud● represents unto us vii . canons of the i ▪ council of constantinople ; which are in like manner found both in balsamon , and in zonaras , and also in the greek and latin edition of the general councils , printed at rome . the three last ▪ of these do not appear at all , in the latine code of 〈◊〉 though they are very considerable ones , as to the business they relate to , which is , that order in proceeding , in passing judgment upon bishops accused ▪ and in receiving such persons , who forsaking their communion with hereticks , desire to be admitted into the church . 〈…〉 very hard to say , what should move the 〈…〉 this council thus . but this i am 〈…〉 in the vi. canon , which is one of those 〈…〉 hath omitted , and which treateth of judging of bishops accused , there is not the least mention made , of appealing to rome , nor of any reserved cases , wherein it is not permitted to any , save only to the pope himself , to judge a bishop : the power of hearing and determining all such matters being here wholly , and absolutely referred to the provincial and dioce●an synods . now whether the greeks added this tail to the council of constantinople , ( which yet is not very probable , ) or whether dionysius , or the church of rome curtalled this council , it will still that way also appear clearly , that this boldness in g●lding , or making additions to ecclesiastical writings , is not at all in use in these dayes . after the canons of constantinople , there follow in the greek code , viii . canons of the general council of eph●sus , set down also both by balsamon , and zonaras , and printed with the acts of the said council of ephesus , in the first tome of the roman edition . but dionysius exiguus : hath discarded them all , not giving us any one of them : and you will hardly be able to give a handsome guess , what his reason should be : unless perhaps it were , because that the business of the eighth canon displeased him : which is , that the bishops of cyprus had their ordinations within themselves , without admitting the patriarch of antioch to have any thing to do with it : and that the same course ought to be observed in all other provinces , and diocesses : so that no bishop should have power to intrude into a province , which had not from the beginning been under his , and his predecessors jurisdiction : * for fear , that under the pretence of the administration of sacred offices , the pride of a secular power should thrust it self into the church ; and so by this means we should lose ( said these good fathers ) by little and little , before we were aware , the liberty that our lord jesus christ , the redeemer of all mankind , hath purchased for us with his own blood. i know not , whether this constitution , and these words , have put the latines into any fright , or not : or whether any other reason hath moved them , not to receive the canons of the council of ephesus into their code . but this is certain , that they do not appear any where among them , and it is now at the least seven hundred and fifty years and upward , that a●astasius bibliothecarius , the popes library keeper , testified , that these canons were not any where to be found , in the most ancient latine copies ; withal accusing the greeks of having forged them . but let them try out this dispute among themselves : yet whether these canons were forged by the greeks ; or whether they have been blotted out of this council , and smothered by the latins ; it is still a clear case , that the cheat is very near of eight hundred years standing . but in the next example that follows , the business is evidently clear , without any more ado . for whereas the greek code , numb . ● . sets before us in the xxviii ▪ canon of the general council of chalcedon , a decree of those fathers , by which , conformably to the first council of constantinople , they ordained , that seeing that the city of constantinople was the seat of the senate , and of the empire , and enjoyed the same priviledges with the city of rome ; that therefore it should in like manner be advanced to the same height , and greatness in ecclesiastical affairs , being the second church in order , after rome ; and that the bishop of it should have the ordaining of metropolitans , in the three diocesses of pontus , asia , and thrace ; which canon is found both in balsamon and zonaras ; and also hath the testimony of the greatest part of the ecclesiastical historians , both greek , and latine , that it is a legitimate canon of the council of chalcedon ; in the acts of which council , at this day also extant , it is set down at large : yet notwithstanding in the collection of dionysius exiguus , this canon appears not at all , no more than as if there had never been any such thing thought of at chalcedon . we know very well , that pope leo , and some others of his successors rejected it : but he that promised us , that he would make an orderly digestion of the canons of the councils , and translate them out of the greek , why , or how , did he , or ought he to omit , this so remarkable a canon ? if all other evidences had been lost how should we have been able so much as to have ghessed , that any such thing was ever treated of at chalcedon ? where , or by what means could we have learnt , what the opinion was of the dcxxx . fathers , which met here together , touching this point ; which is the most important one , of all those that are at this day controverted betwixt us ? and it is now eleven hundred years , and upward , since this omission was first on foot . and who will pass his word to us , that among so many other writings , whether of councils , or particular mens works , whether greek or latine , the like liberty hath not been at any time used ? rather by these forgeries which have come to our knowledge , who can doubt , but that there have been many other the like , which we are ignorant of ? thou hast gone along innocently perhaps , reading these books of the ancients , and believing , thou there findest the pure sense of antiquity ; and yet thou seest here , that from the beginning of the sixth century they have made no scruple of cutting off , from the most sacred books they had , whatsoever was not agreeable to the gust of the times . and therefore , though we had no more against them than this , it were , in my judgment , a sufficient reason to move us to go on here very warily , and , as they say , with a stiff rein , through this whole business . in the next place , there is a very observable corruption in the epistle of adrian i. to the emperour constantine , in the time of the second council of nice . for in the latine collection of anastasius , made about seven hundred and fifty years since , adrian is there made to speak very highly , and magnificently of the supremacy of his see , and he rebukes the greeks very shrewdly , for having conferred upon tarasius , the patriarch of constantinople , the title of vniversal bishop . and all this while , there is not so much as one word of this to be found , neither in the greek edition of the said vii . council , nor yet in the common latine ones . the romanists accuse the greeks of having suppressed these two clauses : and the greeks again accuse the romanists , of having foisted them in : neither is it easie to determine , on which side the guilt lies . however , it is sufficient for me , that wheresoever the fault lies , it evidently appeareth hence , that this curtalling and adding to authors , according to the interest of the present times , hath now a very long time been in practice amongst christians . which appears also very evidently , in the next piece following in the same council , namely , the epistle of adrian to tarasius ; which is quite another thing in the greek , from what it is in anastasius his latin translation ; and that in points too of as high importance , as those other before mentioned . and so in the v. act likewise , where both in the greek text , and also in the old latin translation , tarasius is called vniversal bishop ; this title appears not at all in anastasius his translation . in the same act the fathers accuse the iconoclasts , of having cut out many leaves out of a certain book in the library at constantinople ; and that at a certain city called photia , they had burned to the number of thirty volumes ; and that besides all this , they had rased the annotations out of a certain book ; and all this out of the malice they bore against images , which these books spake well and favourably of . but yet i do not see , how we can excuse the romanists , from being guilty of corrupting anastasius , in those passages above noted ; nor yet of the injury they do eusebius , in the exposition which they give of some certain words of his , only to render him odious ; * objecting against him , that he saith , that the carnal form of jesus christ was changed into the nature of the deity : whereas , all that he saith is , that it was changed by the deity , dwelling in i● . whence it appears , how much credit we are to give to these men , when they alledge here and there divers strange and unheard of pieces ; and on the contrary , scornfully reject whatever their adversaries bring ; as , for example , they did a remarkable passage , alledged by them out of epiphanius : which passage they refused as supposititious ; because ( said they ) if epiphanius had been of the same judgment with the iconoclasts , he would then in his panarium , have reckoned the reverencing of images among the other heresies . and may not a man by the same reason as well conclude , that epiphanius was a favourer of the iconoclasts ; for otherwise he would have reckoned their opinion among the rest of the heresies by him reckoned up ? i shal not here say any thing of their refusing so boldly , and confidently , those passages alledged out of the odotui ancyranus , and others . since that time you shall find nothing more ordinary , in the books both of the greeks and the latins , than the like reproaches , that they mutually cast upon each other , of having corrupted the pieces and evidences wherein their cause was the most concerned : as for example , at the council of florence , mark bishop of ephesus disputing concerning the procession of the holy ghost , had nothing to answer to two passages that were alledged against him ; the one out of that piece of epiphanius , which is entituled , ancoratus : the other out of s. basils writings , against eunomius ; but that that piece of epiphanius had been long since corrupted : and so likewise of that other passage out of s. basil , that some one or other who favoured the opinion of the latin●s , had accommodated that place to their sence : withall * protesting , that in all constantinople there was but four copies only of the said book that had that passage alledged by the latins ▪ but that there was in the said city above a thousand other copies wherein those words were not to be found at all . then had the latins nothing to return upon them more readily , than that it had been the ordinary practice , not of the west , but of the east ; to corrupt books ▪ and for proof hereof , they presently cite a passage out of s. cyrill , which we have formerly set down : where notwithstanding he speaks not any thing , save only of the hereticks ; that is to say , of the nestorians , who were said to have falsified the epistle of athanasius to epictetus ; but not a word there of all the eastern men , much less of the whole greek church . the greeks then charged back upon the latines the story of pope zozimus , mentioned in the preceeding chapter . and thus did they bandy stifly one against the other , each of them , as may be easily perceived , having much more appearance of reason and of truth , in their accusation of their adversary , than in excusing or defending themselves . i shall here give you also another the like answer , made by one gregorius , a greek monk , a strong maintainer of the vnion made at florence , to a passage cited by mark bishop of ephesus , out of a certain book of john damascene ; affirming , that the father only is the cause , to wit , in the trinity : these words ( saith this monk ) are not found in any of the ancient copies : which is an evident argument , that it had been afterwards foisted in by the greeks , to bring over this doctor to their opinion . petavin● hath in like manner lately quitted his hands of an objection , taken out of the . canon of the apostles , against the fasting on saturdays , which is observed in the roman church : pretending , that the greeks have falsified this canon . but whosoever desires to see how full of uncertainty the writings of this later antiquity are , let him but read the viii . council which is pretended by the western church , to be a general council , and but compare the latine and the greek copies together , withal taking especial notice of the preface of anastasius bibliothecarius ; who after he hath very sharply reproved the ambition of the greeks , and accused the canons which they produce of the third general council , as forged , and supposititious ; to make short work with them , he says in plain terms , that the greeks have corrupted all the councils , except the first . what then have we now left us to build upon , seeing that this corruption hath prevailed even as far as on the councils , which are the very heart of the ancient monuments of the church ? neither yet hath the nicene creed , which hath been approved and made sacred in so many general councils , been able to escape these alterations . for , not to speak any thing of these expressions , which are of little importance ; de coelis , from heaven ; secundum scripturas , according to the scriptures ; deum de deo , god of god ; which cardinal julian a affirmed , at the council of florence , were to be found in some creeds , and in some others were not : it is now the space of some ages past , since the eastern church b accused the western of having added filioque and the son , in the article touching the procession of the holy ghost ; the western men as senselesly charging back upon them again , that they have cut it off : which is an alteration , though it seem but trivial in appearance , that is of great importance , both to the one side , and to the other , for the decision of that great controversie , which hath hitherto caused a separation betwixt them ; namely , whether or no the holy ghost proceed from the son , as well as from the father ? which is an evident argument , that either the one or the other of them , hath , out of a desire to do service to their own side , laid false hands upon this sacred piece . now whatever hath been attempted in this kind by the ancients , may well pass for innocence , if compar'd but with what these later times have dared to do ; their passion being of late years so much heated , that laying all reason and honesty aside , they have most miserably and shamelesly corrupted all sorts of books , and of authors . of those men that go so desperately to work , we cannot certainly speak of their baseness as it deserveth : and in my judgment , laurentius bochellus , in his preface to the decreta ecclesiae gallicanae , had all the reason in the world to detest these men , as people of a most wretched and malicious spirit , who have most miserably gelded and mangled so infinite a number of authors , both sacred and prophane , ancient and modern ; their ordinary custom being , to spare no person , no not kings , nor even s. lewis himself , out of whose pragmatica sanctio ( as they call it ) they have blotted out some certain articles ( principally those which concerned the state of france ) out of the bibliotheca patrum , the constitutiones regiae , and the synodical decrees of certain bishops , lately printed at paris . wo , wo ( to speak with the prophet ) to these mischievous knaves , who do not only lay such treacherous snares for the venerable chastity and integrity of the muses , but do also most impudently and wickedly d●flour , under a false and counterfeit pretence of religion , even the muses themselves ; accounting this jugling to be but a kind of pious fraud . but we do not here write against these men : it is sufficient for us to give a hint only of that which is as clear as the sun ; namely , that these men have altered , and corrupted , by their additions in some places , and gelding of others , very many of the evidences of the ancients belief . these are they , who in this period of the xii epistle of s. cyprian , written to the people of carthage ; * i desire that they would but patiently hear our counsel , &c. that our fellow-bishops being assembled together with us , we may together examine the letters , and desires of the blessed martyrs , according to the doctrine of our lord , and in the presence of the confessors , & secundum vestram quoque sententiam , and according as you also shall think convenient : have maliciously left out these words , & secundum vestram quoque sententiam : by which we may plainly understand , that these men would not by any means have us know , that the faithful people had ever any thing to do with , or had any vote in the affairs of the church . these be they , who in his fortieth epistle , have changed a petram into petrum , a rock into s. peter , and who following the steps of the ancient corrupters , have foisted in , in his tract , de vnitate ecclesiae , here and there , as they thought fit , whole periods , and sentences , against the faith of the best and most uncorrupted manuscripts : as for example , in this place ; b he built his church on him alone ( s. peter ) and commanded him to feed his sheep : and in this , c he established one sole chair : and this other , d the primacy was given to peter , to shew , that there was but one church , and one chair of christ : and this , e who left the chair to peter , on which he had built his church : which are additions that every one may see what they aim at . these are the men who cannot conceal the f regret they have for not having suppressed an epistle of firmilianus , archbishop of caesarea in cappadocia , who was one of the most eminent persons in his time ; which epistle manutius had indeed omitted in his roman edition of s. cyprian ; but was afterward put in by morellius in his , amongst the epistles of s. cyprian , to whom it was written : and all because it informs us , how the other bishops in ancient ▪ times had dealt with the pope . so that we may hence observe , of what temper these men have always been ; and may guess how many the like pieces have been killed in the nest . out of the like shop it is , that poor s. ambrose is sent abroad , but so ill accoutred , and in so pittiful a plight , that nicolas faber hath very much be wailed the corruption of him . for those gentlemen , who have published him , being over ingenuous ( as he saith ) in another mans works , have changed , mangled , and transposed divers things ; and particularly they have separated the books of the interpellation of job , and of david , which were put together in all other editions ; and to do this , they have , by no very commendable example , foisted in , and altered divers things : and they have likewise done as much in the first apologie of david ; and more yet in the second , where they have rased out of the eighth chapter five or six lines , which are found in all the ancient editions of this father . they have also attributed to this author certain tracts which are not his ; as that , of the forbidden tree , and that other upon the last chapter of the proverbs . and we may by the way also take notice , that this is the edition which they followed , who printed s. ambrose his works at paris , anno. . such hands as these they were that have so villanously curtailed the book of the lives of the popes , written by anastasius , or rather by damasus ; leaving out , in the very entry of it , the authors epistle dedicatory , written to s. hierome , because it did not so well suit with the present temper of rome : leaving out in like manner in the life of s. peter , the conclusion of all , which i shall here set down , as it is found in all manuscripts . * he consecrated s. clement bishop , and committed to his charge the ordering of his seat , or of the whole church , saying , as the power of binding and loosing was delivered to me by my lord jesus christ , in like manner do i commit to thy charge the appointing of such persons , as may determine of such ecclesiastical causes as may arise ; that thou thy self mayst not be taken up with worldly cares , but mayst apply thy whole studies only to prayer , and preaching to the people . after he had thus disposed of his seat , he was ●rowned with martyrdom . this is the testament that s. peter made , but it hath been suppressed and kept from us , because in it he hath charged his successors with such duties as are quite contrary both to their humour and practice . and in another place , in the same book , in stead of papa vrbis ; that is to say , the pope or bishop of the city , namely , of rome , as all manuscripts have it ; these worshipful gentlemen will needs have us read , papa orbis , that is , the bishop of the whole world ▪ forasmuch as this is now the stile of the court , and this hath now long since grown to be the title of the bishop of rome . these are the men , who in * fulbertus , bishop of chatres , where he cites that remarkable passage of s. augustine , this then is a figure , commanding us to communicate of the passion of the lord , have inserted these words , figura ergo est , dicet haereticus ; it is a figure then , will an heretick say : cunningly making us believe this to be the saying of an heretick , which was indeed the true sense and meaning of s. augustine himself , and so cited by fulbertus . these be the very men also , who in s. gregory have changed exercitus sacerdotum , into exitus sacerdotum ; reading in the epistle of his fourth book , thus ; all things , &c. which have been foretold , are accomplished . the king of pride ( he speaks of antichrist ) is at hand ; and which is horrible to be spoken , the failing , ( or end ) of priests is prepared : whereas the manuscripts ( and it is so cited by bellarmine too ) read , an army of priests is prepared for him . these be they who have made aimonius to say , * that the fathers of the pretended viii general council had ordained the adoration of images , according as had been before determined by the orthodox doctors : whereas he wrote quite contrary , that they had ordained otherwise than had been formerly determined by the orthodox doct. as appears plainly , not only by the manuscripts , but also by the most ancient editions of this author ; and even by card. baronius his alledging of this passage also , in the tenth tome of his annals , an. dom. . these are they who have quite rased out this following passage out of oecumenius ; for they who defended and favoured the law , introduced also the worshipping of angels ; and that , because the law had been given by them . and this custom continued long in phrygia , insomuch that the council of laodicea made a decree , forbidding to make any addresses to angels , or to pray to them : whence also it is , that we find many temples among them , erected to michael the archangel : which passage david h●eschelius , in his notes upon the books of origen against celsus , p. . witnesseth . that himself had seen and read , in the manuscripts of oecumenius ; and yet there is no such thing to be found in any of the printed copies . who would believe but that the breviaries and missals should have escaped their razour ? yet , as it hath been observed by persons of eminent both learning and honesty , where it was read , in the collect on s. peter's day , heretofore thus , deus , qui b. petro apostolo tuo , collatis clavibus regni coelestis , animas ligandi , & solvendi pontificium tradidisti : that is , o god , who hast committed to thy apostle s. peter , by giving him the keys of the heavenly kingdom , the episcopal power of binding and loosing souls : in the later editions of these breviaries and missals , they have wholly left out the word animas , souls ; to the end that people should not think that the popes autority extended only to spiritual affairs , and not to temporal also . and so likewise in the gospel upon the tuesday following the third sunday in lent , they have printed , * dixit jesus discipulis suis ; that is , jesus said to his disciples , whereas it was in the old books , a respiciens jesus in discipulos , dixit simoni petro , si peccaverit in te frater tuus : jesus looking back upon his disciples , said unto simon peter , if thy brother have offended against thee , &c. cunningly omitting those words relating to simon peter , for fear it might be thought that our saviour christ had made s. peter , that is to say , the pope , subject to the tribunal of the church , to which he there sends him . and if the council of trent would but have hearkned to thomas passio , a canon of valencia , they should have blotted out of the pontifical all such passages as make any mention of the peoples giving their suffrage and consent in the ordination of the ministers of the church ; and , among the rest , that , where the bishop at the ordination of a priest saith , that b it was not without good reason , that the fathers had ordained , that the advice of the people should be taken touching the election of those persons who were to serve at the altar ; to the end , that having given their assent to their ordination , they might the more readily yield obedience to those who were so ordained . the meaning of this honest canon was , that to take away all such authorities from the hereticks , the best way would be to blot them all out of the pontifical , to the end that there might be no trace or footstep of them left remaining for the future . c but they have not contented themselves with corrupting onely in this manner some certain books , out of which perhaps we might have been able to discover what the opinion and sense of the ancients have been ; but they have also wholly abolished a very great number of others . and for the better understanding hereof , we are to take notice , that the emperours of the first ages took all possible care for the stifling and abolishing all such writings as were declared prejudicial to the true faith ; as namely , the books of the arrians , and nestorians , and others ▪ which were under a great penalty forbidden to be read , but were to be wholly supprest and abolished , by the appointment of these ancient princes . the church it self also did sometimes call in the books of such persons as had been dead long before , by a common consent of the catholick party , as soon as they perceived any thing in them that was not consonant to the present opinion of the church ; as it did at the fifth general council , in the business of theodorus , theodoreius , and ibas , all three bishops , the one of mopsuestia , the other of cyprus , and the third of edissa , anathematizing each of their several writings , notwithstanding there persons had been all dead long before : dealing also , even in the quiet times of the church , with origen in the same manner , after he had been now dead about three hundred years . the pope then hath not failed to imitate , now for the space of many ages , both the one and the other of these rigorous courses , withal encreasing the harshness of them from time to time : in so much that , in case any of the opinions of the ancients hath been by chance found at any time to contradict his , we are not to make any doubt , but that he hath very carefully and diligently suppressed such pieces , without sparing any , though they were written perhaps two , three , four , or five hundred years before , more than the others . as for example : it is at this day disputed , whether or no the primitive church had in their temples , and worshipped the images of christ , and of saints . this controversie hath been sometime very eagerly , and with much hea● , and for a long time together , debated in the greek church . that party which maintained the affirmative , bringing the business before the vii council , held at nicaea , it was there ordained , that it should be unlawful for any man to have the books of the other party ; withal charging every man to bring what books they had of that party to the patriarch of constantinople , to do with them , as we must conceive , according as had been required by the legats of pope adrian ; that is , t●at they should burn all those books , which had been written against the venerable images : including , no doubt , within the same condemnation , all such writings of the ancients also , as seemed not to favour images ; as namely , the epistle of eusebius to constantia ; and that of epiphanius to john of hierusalem , and others , which are not now extant , but were , in all probability , at that time abolished . for , as for the epistle of epiphanius , that which we now have , is only s. hieromes translation of it , which happened to be preserved in the western parts ; where the passion in the behalf of images was much less violent , than it was in the eastern : but the original greek of it is no where to be found . adrian ii. in his council ordained in like manner , that the council held by photius , against the church of rome , should be burnt , together with his other books , and all the books of those of his party , which had been written against the see of rome : and he commanded the very same thing also in the viii . council , which is accounted by the latines for a general council . it is impossible , but that in these fires very many pieces must needs have perished , which might have been of good use to us , for the discovering what the opinion of the ancients was , whether touching images , which was the business of the vii . council ; or that other controversie , touching the power of the pope ; which was the principal point debated in the synod held by photius ; some of whose pieces they , for the self same reason , do at this day keep at rome under lock and key ; which doubtless they would long ere this have published , had they but made as much for the pope , as in all probability they make against him . this rigorous proceeding against books came at length to that height , as that leo x. at the council of lateran , which brake up an. . decreed , that no book should be printed , but what had first been diligently examined , at rome , by the master of the palace ; in other places , by the bishop , or some other person deputed by him to the same purpose ; and by the inquisitor , under this penalty ; that all book sellers offending herein , should forfeit their books , which should be presently burnt in publick ; and should pay a hundred ducats , when it should be demanded , towards the fabrick of s. peter ; ( a kind of punishment , this , which we find no examples of in all the canons of the ancient church , ) and should also be suspended from exercising his function , for the space of a whole year . this is a general sentence , and which comprehendeth as well the works of the fathers , as of any others ; as appeareth plainly by this , that the bishop of malfi , having given in his opinion , saying , that he concurred with them , in relation to new authors , but not to the old ; all the rest of the fathers voted simply for all ; neither was there any limitation at all added to this decree of the council . this very decree hath been since strongly confirmed by the † council of trent , which appointed also certain persons to take a review of the books , and censures , and to make a report of them to the company , * to the end that there might be a separation made , betwixt the good grain of christian verity , and the darnel of strange doctrines : that is in plain terms , that they might blot out of all manner of books , whatsoever relished not well with the gust of the church of rome . but these fathers , having not the leisure themselves to look to this pious work , appointed certain † commissaries , who should give an account of this matter to the pope : whence afterward it came to pass , that pope pius iv. first , and afterward sixtus v. and clement viii . published certain rules , and indexes , of such authors and books , as they thought fit should be either quite abolished , or purged only ; and have given such strict order , for the printing of books , as that in those countries where this order is observed , there is little danger that ever any thing should be published , that is either contrary to the doctrine of the church of rome , or which maketh any thing for their adversaries . all these instructions , which are too long to be inserted here , may be seen at the end of the council of trent , where they are usually set down at large . and in order to these rules , they have since put forth their indices expurgatorii , ( as they call them ; ) namely , that of the low countries , and of spain , and other places ; where these gallants come with their razor in their hand , and sit in judgment upon all manner of books , rasing out , and altering , as they please , periods , chapters , and whole treatises also often times , and that too in the works of those men , who for the most part were born , and bred up , and dyed also in the communion of their own church . if the church for eight or nine hundred years since , had so sharp razors as these men now have ; it is then a vain thing for us , to search any higher , what the judgment of the primitive christians was , touching any particular point : for , whatsoever it was , it could not have escaped the hands of such masters . and if the ancient church had not heretofore any such institution as this ; why then do we , who pretend to be such observers of antiquity , practise these novelties ? i know very well , that these men make profession of reforming only the writings of the moderns : but who sees not , that this is but a cloak which they throw over themselves ; lest they should be accused as guilty of the same cruelty that jupiter is among the poets ; for having behaved himself so insolently against his own father ? those pieces which they raze so exactly in the books of the moderns , are the cause of the greater mischief to themselves , when they are found in the writings of the ancients , as sometimes they are . for what a senseless thing is it , to leave them in , where they hurt most ; and to raze them out , where they do little hurt ? the inquisition at madrid puts out * these words in the index of athanasius , adorari solius dei est ; that is , † god alone is to be worshipped : and yet notwithstanding , these words are still expresly found in the text of athanasius . the same father saith , * that there were some other books , ( besides those which he had before set down , ) which , in truth , were not of the canon ; and which the fathers had ordained , should be read to those , who were newly come into the christian communion , and desired to be instructed in the word of piety : reckoning in this number , the wisdom of solomon , ecclesi●sticus , judith , esther , tobit , and some other . nevertheless these very cens●rs put out , in the † index of athanasius his works , those words which affirm , that the said books are not at all canonical . in the index of st. augustine they put out these w●rds , christ h●th given the sign of his body : which yet are evidently to be seen in the text of this father , in his book against adimantus , chap. . they put out in like manner , these words : augustine accounted the eucharist necessary to be administred to infants : which opinion of s. augustine is very frequently found expressed , either in these very words , or the like , throughout ▪ his works , as we shall see hereafter . they likewise put out these words ; we ought not to build . temples to angels : and yet the very text of s. augustine saith , if we should erect a temple of wood , or of stone , to any of the holy angels , should we not be anathematized ? and this is the practice of the censors , both in the low countries , and in spain , in many other particulars , which we shall not here set down . now if thou cuttest off such sentences as these , out of the indexes of these holy fathers ; why dost thou not as well raze them out of the text also ? or if thou leavest them in the one , why dost thou blot them out in the other ? what can the meaning be of so strange a way of proceeding in so wise men ? but yet , who sees not the reason of it ? for , these sentences , which these men ●hus boldly and rudely correct , are as displeasing to them in the ancients , as in the moderns ; and where they may safely do it , they expunge them , as well out of the one , as out of the other . but this they dare not do openly , for fear of giving too much scandal to the world , which they are unwilling to do : because if they should deal so uncivilly , and make so bold with antiquity , they would quite take off that respect , which all people bear toward it ; which being a matter which very nearly concerns themselves , it is a special point of wisdom in them , carefully to keep up the reputation of it . but in lashing the poor moderns , who have made indexes to all the works of the fathers , they save their credit , and do their business too ; ruining the opinions which they hate , by chastising the one ; and yet withal preserving the venerable esteem of antiquity , which they cannot subsist without , by sparing the other . and yet i cannot see , why bertram a priest , who lived in the time of the emperour charles the bold , which is about some seven hundred and fifty years since , should be reckoned among the moderns : and yet his book , de corpore & sanguine domini , is absolutely , and without any limitation , forbidden to be read , in the index of the council of trent , in the letter b● among the authorsof the second classis , as they call them . but yet the censors of the low countries have dealt with him more gently , shall i say , or rather more cruelly ; not taking his life away quite , only maiming him in the s●veral parts of his body , and leaving him in the like sad condition with deiphobus in the poet : — lacerum crudeliter ora , ora , manusque ambas , populataque tempora , raptis auribus , & truncas inbonesto vulnere nares . for they have cut you off , with one single dash of their pen , two long passages , consisting each of them of twenty eight , or thirty lines a piece , and which are large enough to make up a very considerable part of a small treatise ; such as his is . and that the reader may the better judge of the business , i shall here set down one of these passages entire as it is . † we ought further to consider ( saith bertram , speaking of the holy eucharist , ) that in this bread is represented not only the body of christ , but the body of the people also , that believe in him . and hence it is that it is made up of many several grains of wheat , because that the whole body of believing people is united together , and made into one , by the word of christ . and therefore as it is by a mystery , that we receive this bread , for the body of christ : in like manner it is by a mystery also , that the members of the people believing in christ , are here figured out unto us . and as this bread is called the body of believers , not corporally , but spiritu●lly ; so is the body of christ also necessarily to be understood to be represented here , not corporally , but spiritually . in like manner is it in the wine , which is called the blood of christ ; and with which it is ordained , that water be mixed ; it being forbidden to offer the one without the other : because that as the head cannot subsist without the body , nor the body without the head ; in like manner neither can the people be without christ , nor christ without the people : so that in this sacrament , the water representeth the image of the people . if then the wine , after it is consecrated by the office of ministers , be corporally changed into the blood of christ , of necessity then must the water also be changed corporally into the body of the believing people : because that where there is but one only , and the same sanctification , there can be but one and the same operation : and where the reason is equal , the mystery also that fellows it is equal . but now as for the water , we see that there is no such corporal change wrought in it : it therefore follows , that neither in the wine is there any corporal transmutation . whatsoever then of the body of the people is signified unto us , by the water , is taken spiritually : it followeth therefore necessarily , that we must , in like manner take spiritually , whatsoever the wine representeth unto us , of the blood of christ . again , those things , which differ among themselves , are not the same : now the body of christ which died , and was raised up to life again , now dieth no more , being become immortal ; and death having no more power over it , it is eternal , and free from further suffering . but this , which is consecrated in the church , is temporal , not eternal ; corruptible , not free from corruption ; in its journey , and not in its native country . these two things therefore are different one from the other , and consequently cannot be one and the same thing . and if they be not one and the same thing , how can any man say , that this is the real body and real blood of christ ? for if it be the body of christ ; and if it may be truly said , that this body of christ is really and truly the body of chri●t : the real body of christ being incorruptible and impassible , and therefore eternal ; consequently this body of christ , which is consecrate● in the church , must of necessity also be both incorruptible and eternal . but it cannot be denied , but that it doth corrupt ; seeing it is cut into small pieces , and distributed ( to the communicants , ) who bruise it very small with their teeth , and so take it down into their body . thus bertram . his other passage , which is longer yet than this , is of the same nature ; but i shall not here set it down , to avoid prolixity . now these gentlemen finding , that the language of both these passages did very ill accord with the business of transubstantiation , they thought it the best way to cut them clear out : for fear , lest coming to the peoples knowledge , they might imagine , that there had been sacramentarians in the church , ever since the time of charles the bald. thou then whoever thou art , that thinkest thy self bound to search in the writings of the fathers for the doctrine of thy salvation , learn from this artifice of theirs , and those many other cheats which we , to their great grief , are now searching into , what an extreme desire they have to keep from us the opinion , and sense of the ancients in all those particulars , where they never so little contradict their own doctrine : and remembring withal , how they have had , and still have every day , such opportunities of doing what they please in this kind , thou canst not doubt , but that they have struck deep enough , where there was cause : which blows of theirs , together with the alterations and changes , that time , the malice of hereticks , the innocent and pious fraud of the primitive church , and the passion of the later christians have long since produced , have rendred the writings , and venerable monuments of antiquity , so imbroiled and perplexed , that it will be a very hard matter for any man to make any clear and perfect discovery of those things , which so many sevéral artists have endeavoured to conceal from u● . chap. v. reason v. that the writings of the fathers are hard to be understood , by reason of the languages and idioms they wrote in , the manner of their writing , which is for the most part incumbred with figures , and rhetorical flourishes , and nice logical subtilties , and the like ; and also by reason of the terms , which they for the most part used in a far different sense from what they now bear . if any man , either by the light of his own proper wit , or by the assistance and direction of some able and faithful hand , shall at length be able thereby , as by the help of the clew the poets speak of , to winde himself happily out of these two labyrinths , and to find any pieces of the ancients , that are not onely legitimate , but also entire , and uncorrupt ; certainly that man hath very good reason to rejoyce at his own good fortune , and to give god hearty thanks for it . for i must needs confess , that it is no very small satisfaction to a man , to have the opportunity of conversing with those illustrious persons of the ages past , and to learn of them what their opinions were , and to compare our own with theirs ; — versasque audire , & reddere voces . but yet this i dare confidently pronounce , that if he would know out of them what their sense and opinion hath : truly been , touching the differences now in agitation , he will find , that he is now but at the very beginning and entrance of his business ; and that there remain behind many more difficulties to be overcome in his passage , than he hath yet grappled with . one of the two disagreeing parties , refusing the scriptures for the judge of controversies , by reason of its obscurity , lays this for a ground ( and indeed rationally enough ) that no obscure books are proper for the decision of controversies . now i do not know , why a man may not , with as much reason , say of the most of the writings of the fathers , as s. hierome did of some certain expositors of some parts of the scrip●ures , that it was more trouble to understand them well than those very things which they took upon them to expound : that is to say , that it is much harder rightly to understand them , than the scriptures themselves . for , that a man may be able fully to understand them , it is in the first place necessary , that he have perfect and exact skill in those languages wh●rein they wrote ; that is to say , in the greek , and latin , which are the tongues that most of them wrote in . for , as for those of the fathers who have written either in syriack , or arabick , or ethiopian , or the like vulgar tongues of their own ; whose writings perhaps would be as useful to us , in the discovery of the opinions of the ancient church , as any others ; we have not , that i know of , any of these monuments now publickly to be seen abroad , but only some translations of them , in greek , or in latin : as namely , the works of s. ephraem ( if at least those books which go abroad under his name , be truly his : ) and the comment . de paradiso of moses bar-cephas , translated into latin by masius ; and perhaps some few other the like . i know very well , that for the most part men trust to the translations of the fathers , whether they be in latin , or in the vulgar languages ; and that the world is now come to that pass , that people will not stick to take upon them to judge of the greek fathers , without having ( at least , that can be perceived out of their writings ) any competent knowledge of the greek tongue : which cannot in my judgment , be accounted any thing less than a point of the highest boldness and unadvisedness that can be . the thing is clear enough of it self , that to be able to reach the conceptions and sense of a man , especially in matters of importance , it is most necessary that we understand the language he delivers himself in , his terms , and the manner of their coherence ; there being in every particular language a certain peculiar force , and power of significancy , which can very hardly be so preserved in a translation , but that it will lose in the passage something of its natural lustre and vigour , how knowing , able , and faithful soever the interpreter be . but this , which is very useful indeed in all other cases , is most necessary in this particular business we have now in hand ; by reason of the little care and fidelity that we find in the translations of the greatest part of the interpreters of the fathers , whether ancient , or modern . we have before seen how ruffinus , and even s. hierome himself too , have laid about them , in this particular ; and , long after them , anastasius also , in his translation of the vii council ; who notwithstanding , in his preface to the viii , gives us this for a most infallible rule ; namely , that whatsoever is found in his translation , is true , and legitimate ; and on the contrary , whatsoever the greeks have said , either more or less , is suppositious and forged . if all the other interpreters of the councils and fathers , had been men of the same temper that anastasius here would have us believe him to have been of , we might then indeed very well lay by the greek text , and content our selves with such dull latin as he hath furnished us with in his translation : but the mischief of it is , that all the world doth not believe this testimony which he hath given of himself ; and that , although he hath such a special gift in valuing his own translation above the original , yet this will hardly ever be allowed to the rest of translators , especially the modern ; who having been men that have been for the most part carried away with their aff●ction to their own party , he must needs be a very weak man , that should trust to them in this case , and relie upon what they say . whosoever hath yet a mind to be further satisfied how far these mens translations are to be trusted , let him but take the pains to compare the greek preface to origen's books against celsus , with the latin translation of christophorus persona ; and , if he please , he may do well to run over some part of the books themselves : and if he hath a mind to sacrifice himself to the laughter of the protestants , let him but produce them , upon the honest word of this trusty trucheman , this passage out of the fifth book , for the invocation of angels ; we ought to send up our vows , and all our prayers , and thanksgivings to god , by the angel , who hath been set over the rest , by him ●ho is the bishop , the living word , and god : in which words he seems to intimate , that jesus christ hath appointed some one of the angels to hear our prayers ; and , that by him we ought to present them to god. whereas origen says the clean contrary ; namely , that we ought to send up to god , who is above all things , every of our demands , prayers , and requests , by the great high-priest , the living word , and god , who is above all the angels . you have a sufficient discovery also of the affections of translators , who many times make their authors speak more than they meant , in jo. christophorson's translation of the ecclesiastical historians ; as likewise in most of the translators of these later times , excepting only some very few of the more moderate sort . but we shall not need to insist any longer on this particular , which hath been sufficiently proved already , by the several parties of both sides , discovering the falseness of their adversaries translations ; as every man must needs know , that is any whit conversant in these kind of writings ; where you shall meet with nothing more frequent , than these mutual reprehensions of each other . now in the midst of such distraction , and contrariety of judgments , how can a man possibly assure himself , that he hath the true sense and meaning of the fathers , unless he hear them speak in their own language , and have it from their own mouth ? i shall here lay down then for a most sure ground , and undeniable maxime , that to be able rightly to apprehend the judgment and sense of the fathers , it is necessary that we first understand the language they write in ; and that too , not slightly , and superficially ; but exactly , and fully : there being in all languages certain peculiar terms , and idioms , familiarly used by the l●arned , which no man shall ever be able to understand throughly and clearly , that hath but a superficial knowledge of the said languages , and hath not dived even to the depth and very bottom of them . if you would see how necessary the knowledge of an authors language is , and how prejud●cial the want of it ; do but turn to that passage of theodoret , where speaking of the eucharist , he saith thus ; 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 . the protestants , and all their adv●r●●ries ( before cardinal perron ) interpret this place thus ; the mystical symbols , after consecration , do not leave their proper nature : for they continue in their first substance , figure , and form. now what can be said more expresly against transubstantiation ? but yet the above-named cardinal , having it seems consulted those old friends of his among the grammarians , who had heretofore taught him that 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 signified to smoak or evaporate , will needs perswade us , that this passage is to be interpreted otherwise ; namely , that the signs in the eucharist continue in the figure and form of their first substance : which would be tacitely and indirectly to allow transubstantiation . now it is true , that this exposition is contrary not onely to the design and purpose of the author , but to the usual way of speaking also among the greeks . but , in case you had not exact skill in the language , how should you be able to judge of this interpretation ? especially seeing it put upon you with so much confidence , and unparallel'd boldness , according to the ordinary custom of this doctor , who never affirms or recommends any thing to us more confidently , than when it is most doubtful and uncertain . it is out of the same rare and unheard of grammar , that the said cardinal hath elsewhere taken upon him to give us that notable corr●ction of his , of the inscription of an epistle written by the emperour constantine , to miltia●es bishop of rome , set down in the tenth bo●k of eusebius his ecclesiastical history , reading it thus : constantinus augustus , to miltiades bishop of the romans ( wisheth long time ) or long opportunity : ) whereas all copies , both manuscript , and printed , have it , constantinus augustus , to miltiades bishop of the romans , and to mark : fearing , i suppose , lest some might accuse the emperour of not understanding himself aright , in making this mark here companion to the pope , who in all things ought to march without a copesmate . i should never have done , if i should but go about to set down all those other passages , in which he hath used the same arts , in wresting the words of the ancients to a wrong sense , which otherwise would seem to make for the protestants : whence it may plainly appear , how necessary the knowledge of the languages is , for the right understanding of the sense of the fathers . so that in my judgment , the result of all this will clearly be , that as we have before said , it is a difficult thing to come to the right understanding of them . for , who knows not what pains it will cost a man to attain to a perfect knowledge of these two tongues ? what parts are necessarily required in this case ? a happy memory , a lively conceit , good bringing up , continual pains-taking , much and diligent reading , and the like ; all which things do very rarely meet in any one person . but yet the truth of this assertion of ours is clearly proved also , by the continual debates and disputes of those , who though they have referred the judgment of their differences to the decision of the fathers , ●o yet no●●●thstanding still implead each other at their b●● , and cannot possibly be brought to any agreement 〈…〉 . many of the writers of the church of r●me obj●ct ●gainst the protestants , as an argument of the obscu●●y of the scriptures , the controversies that are be●●●x● themselves and the lutherans , against the calvinists touching the eucharist ; and of the calvinists against the lutherans , and the arminians , in the point of predestina●ion . if this argument of theirs be of any force at all , who sees not that it clearly proves that which we maintain in this particular ? for , the greeks and the latius , who both of them make profession of submitting themselves to the authority of the fathers , and to plead all their causes before them , have not as yet been able to come to any agreement . do but observe the passages betwixt these two , at the council of florence , where the strongest and ablest champions on both sides were brought into the lists , how they wrangled out whole sessions , about the exposition of a certain short passage in the council at ephesus ; and some other the like out of epiphanius † , s. basil * , and others : and how , after all their disputes , how clearly and powerfully soever each party made their vaunts the business was carried on their side , they have yet left us the sense of the fathers much more dark and obscure than it was before ; their contestations having but rendred the business much more perplexed ; each side having indeed very much appearance of reason , in what they urge against their adversaries ; but very little solidity in what they have said severally for themselves . certainly the latins , who are thought to have had the better cause of the two , and who , upon a certain passage of s. basil , alledged by themselves , triumphed as if they had got the day , baffling and affronting the greeks in a very disdainful manner , and giving them very harsh language also , used notwithstanding such an odd kind of logick to perswade the receiving of the exposition which they gave , as that even at this day , in the last edition of s. basil's works , printed at paris , and revised by fronto ducaeus , the latin translation follows , in this particular , not their exposition , but that of the greek schismaticks . and some of the protestants having also had the same success in some particular points controverted betwixt themselves , it lies open to every mans observation , how much obscurity there is found in the passages cited by both sides . if tertullian was of the opinion of the church of rome , in the point concerning the eucharist , what could he have uttered more dark and obscure , than this passage is of his , in his fourth book against marcion : christ having taken bread , and distributed it to his disciples , made it his body , in saying , this is my body ; that is , to say , the figure of my body ? if s. augustine held transubstantiation , what can the meaning be of these words of his ; the lord stuck not to say , this is my body , when he delivered onely the sign of his body ? if these passages , and an infinite number of the like , do really and truly mean that which cardinal perron pretends they do , then was there never any thing of obscurity either in the riddles of the theban sphinx , or in the oracles of the sibyls . if you look on the other side , you shall meet with some other passages in the fathers , which seem to speak point-blank against the protestants : as for example ; where they say expresly , that the bread changeth its nature ; and , that , by the almighty power of god , it becomes the flesh of the word : and the like . and so in all the controversies betwixt them , they produce such passages as these , both on the one side , and on the other : some whereof seem to be irreconcileable to the sense of the church of rome , and some other , to the sense of their adversaries . if cardinal perron , and those other subsime wits of both parties , can have the confidence to affirm , that they find no difficulty at all in these particulars , we must needs think , that either they speak this but out of a bravado , setting a good face upon a bad matter ; or else , that both the wits ; and eye-sight of all the rest of the world are marvelous dull , and feeble , in finding nothing but darkness there , where these men see nothing but light. but yet for all this , if there be not obscurity in these writings of the fathers , and that very much too ; how comes it to pass that even these very men find themselves ever and anon so tormented to find out the meaning of them ? how comes it to pass , that they are fain to use so many words , and make tryal of so many tricks , and devices for the clearing of them ? whence proceeds it , that so often , for fear of not being able to satisfie their readers , they are forced to cry down either the authors , or the pieces , out of which their adversaries produce their testimonies ? what strange sentences , and passages of authors are those , that require more time , and trouble in the clearing them , than in deciding the controversie it self ; and which multiply differences , rather than determine them ; oftentimes serving as a covert , and retreating-place to both parties ? the sense , and meaning of these words is debated ; this is my body . for the explaining of them , there is brought this passage , out of tertullian ; and that other , out of s. augustine . now i would have any man speak in his conscience , what he thinks ; whether or not these words are not as clear , or clearer , than those passages which they alledge out of these fathers , as they are explained by the different parties . i desire , reader , no other judge than thy self , whosoever thou art ; only provided , that thou wilt but vouchsafe to read , and examine that which is now said upon these places , and withal consider the strange turnings and windings-about , that they make us take , to bring us to the right sense and meaning of them . in a word , if the most able men that are , did not find themselves extreamly puzled , and perplexed , in distinguishing the legitimate writings of the fathers from the spurious ; it is not likely , that the censors of the low-countries , who are all choice , pickt men , should be forced to shew us so ill an example of finding a way to help our selves , when the authority of the ancients is strongly pressed against us by our adversaries , as they do , in excusing the expressions of the fathers sometimes , by some handsoml● contrived invention , and imputting some convenient probable sense upon them . that which hath been said , i am confident is sufficient to convince any reasonable man of the truth of this assertion of ours ; namely , that it is a very hard matter to understand the sense and opinions of the fathers by their books . but , that we may leave no doubt behind us . let us briefly consider some few of the principal causes of this difficulty . certainly the fathers , having been wise men , all of them both spoke , and wrote , to be understood ; insomuch that , having both the will , and the ability to do it , it seemeth very strange , that they should not be able to attain to the end they aimed at . but we must here call to mind , what we have said before ; namely , that these controversies of ours being not in their time yet sprung up ; they had no occasion , neither was it any of their design , either to speak , or write any thing of them . for these sages stirred up as few doubts , in matters of religion , as they could : besides that their times furnished them with sufficient matter of disputes , in points which were then in agitation ; without so much as thinking of ours , now on foot . and they have very clearly delivered their sense , in all those controversi●s , which they have handled . even tertullian himself , who is the most obscure amongst them all , hath notwithstanding delivered himself so clearly , in the debates betwixt him and marcion , and others , that there is no place left for a man to doubt , what his opinions were , in the points debated of . i am therefore fully perswaded , that if they had lived in these times , or that the present controversies had been agitated in their times , they would have delivered their judgment upon them very plainly , and expresly . but seeing they have not touched upon them , but only by the by ; and as they c●me accidentally into their way , rather than upon any set purpose ; we are not to think it strange , if we find them not to have spoken out , and given their sense clearly , as to these debates of ours . for as any man may easily observe in the ordinary course of things , those things that happen without design , are never clear ; and full , but ambiguous , and doubtful ; and oftentimes also contrary perhaps , either to the sense , or the affection of the person from whom they proceeded . thus before the springing up of that pernicious doctrine of arius , who so much troubled the ancient church ; there wa● very little said , of the eternity of the divine nature of jesus christ : or if the fathers said any thing at all of it , it was only in passage , and by the by , and not by design : and hence it is also , that what they have delivered in this particular , is as obscure , and hard to be rightly understood , as those other passages of theirs , that relate to our present controversies . do but explain the meaning a little , if you can , of this passage of justin martyr , in his treatise against tryphon ; wher● he saith , that , † the god which appeared to moses , and to the patriar●hs , was the son , and not the father : for as much as the father is not capable of local motion , neither can properly be said to ascend , or descend : and , that * no man ever saw the father but only heard his son , and his angel ; who is also god , by the will of the father . which words of his cannot be very well explained , without allowing a difference of nature , in the father and the son ; which were to establish arianisme . do but observe , what tertullian also ●ays , in this particular ; namely , † that the father , bringing him forth out of himself , made his son : and , * that the father is the whole substance , and the son , a portion , and a derivation of that whole : and many other the like passages , which you meet with here and there in that excellent piece of his , written against praxeas , which will hardly be reconciled to any good construction . in like manner doth dionysius alexandrinus call the son , † the work or workmanship of the father : which are the very terms that were so much quarrelled at in arius . and the lxxx . fathers , who condemned paulus samosatenus , bishop of antioch , said expresly , that the son is not of the same essence with the father : that is to say , they in express terms denied the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 , or consubstantiality of the son , which was afterwards established in the council of nice . it were no very hard matter to make good this observation , in reference to all the other disputes that have arisen in the church , against macedonius , pelagius , nestorius , eutyches , and the monothelites ; to wit , that the fathers have spoken very obscurely of these matters , before the controversies were started ; as persons that spoke accidentally only thereof , and not of set purpose . it is now a good while since , that s. † hierome said , that before that arius , that impudent devil , appeared in the world , the fathers had delivered many things innocently , and without taking so much heed to their words , as they might have done ; and indeed some things , that can hardly escape the cavils of wrangling spirits . and this hath also been observed by some of the most learned among the moderns ; as namely , cardinal † perron , and the jesuit * petavius , a man highly esteemed by those of his own party ; who writing upon epiphanius , and endeavouring to clear lucian the martyr from the suspicion of being an arrian , and a samosatenian ; saith , * that in this question touching the trinity , as also in divers others , it hath so fallen out , that most of the ancient fathers , who wrote before the springing up of those particular heresies in the church , have in their . writings let fall here and there such things , as are not very consonant to the rule of the orthodox faith. since therefore they have done thus in other points ; what marvel is it if they have likewise done the same in these particular controversies at this day debated amongst us ? and that , having lived so long before that the greatest part of these controversies were started , they have spoken to them so obscurely , doubtfully , and confusedly . for my part i think , it would have been the greater wonder of the two , if they had done otherwise , and shall account it as a very great signe of forgery , in any piece which is attributed to antiquity , when ever i find it treating expresly , and clearly of these points , and as they are now adays discoursed of . do but compare the expressions of the most ancient fathers , touching the divinity , and eternity of the son of god , with their expressions touching the nature of the eucharist ; and certainly you will find , that the one are not more wide of the truth at this day professed , touching this last point ; than the other were from the doctrine long since declared in the council of nice . the council of nice expresly , and positively declared , that the son is consubstantial with the father : the council of antioch had before denied this . whether the fathers therefore affirm , or deny , that the eucharist is really the body of christ , they will not however therein contradict thy opinion , whosoever thou art , whether romanist , or protestant , any more , than the fathers of the council of antioch seem to have contradicted those of the council of nice . we may add hereto , that as the arians ought not in reason to have alledged , in justification of their opinion , any such passages of the ancient fathers , as had innocently , in passage only , and in discoursing on other subjects , without any thought of this opinion of theirs , fallen from them , so neither to say truth , is there any reason , that either thou , or i , should produce , as definitive sentences upon our present controversies , which have been started but of late years , any such passages of the fathers as were written by them , in treating of other matters , many ages before the breaking forth of our differences , whereof they never had the least , thought ; and concerning which they have confequently delivered themselves very diversly , and obscurely , and sometimes also seemingly contradicting themselves . and as we find , that some of the faithful christians , who lived after these primitive fathers , have endeavoured to reconcile their sayings to the truth which they professed ; as athanasius hath done in some passages of dionysius alexandrinus , and of the fathers of the council of antioch ; in like manner ought we to use our utmost endeavour to make a handsome interpretation of all such passages in the writings of these men , and the like as seem to clash with the true orthodox belief , touching the eucharist , and the like other points : and withal not accounting it any great wonder , if we sometimes chance to meet with passages , which seem to be utterly inexplicable . for it may so fall out , that they may be really so ; seeing it is very possible , that in the points touching the person , and the natures of the son of god , some such expressions may have fallen from them ; as is very well known to those , who are versed in their writings . possibly also we may meet with some passages of theirs , which though they may be explicable in themselves , may notwithstanding appear to us to be indissoluble ; by reason perhaps of our wanting some one of those circumstances , which are necessarily requisite for the enlightning , and clearing the same : as for example , when we are ignorant of the scope and drift of the author , and of the connexion and dependencies of his discourse , and other the like particulars , which are requisite for the penetrating into the sense of all sorts of writers . for it is with mens words , as it is with p●eces of picture : they must have their proper light , to shew , themselves according to the meaning and intention of the author : and according to the difference of the lights we see them by , they also have a different appearance . as for example , if any one should now 〈◊〉 , alone , and barely , without reference to the rest of the discourse , and history of its author , this short passage of dionysius alexandrinus , where he calls the son of god , 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 , the workmanship , or manufacture of the father ; and adds certain other very shange terms also touching this particular ; ( as we daily see , the custome of some is , in the business of our present controversies , to produce the like shreds , and little short passages ; severed from the main body of the discourse whereof they are a part ; ) which of us , how able so ever he be , could possibly imagine ●ny thing e●se , but that this is an absolute 〈◊〉 expression , and such as cannot be interpreted to any other sense ? and yet athanasius , in the places before cited , makes it plainly appear that it is not so ; and by the advantage of those through lights which he had in the subject there treated of by the author , he demonstrates unto us , that this expression of dionystus , how strange soever it appear , hath notwithstanding a good , and allowable sense in that place . and that we may be able more fully to apprehend the truth of this our assertion , we shall in the next place take into consideration some other causes of the obscurity of the fathers : among which i shall rank in the first place , their having sometimes purposely , and upon design , endeavoured either wholly to conceal their conceptions from us ; or at least to lay them down , not naked , and open , but as it were with a curtain ( and that sometimes a very thick one too ) drawn over them ; to the end that none but those of the quickest , and most piercing eyes should be able to penetrate into them : some of their meditations having been such , as they themselves accounted either less useful , or else perhaps such as it was not so safe to commit to weak , vulgar spirits . whether this practice of theirs were raised upon good grounds , or not , i shall not here stand to examine : it is sufficient for me to shew , that it was usual with them , as may appear , among the rest , out of clement alexandrinus , about the beginning of his stromateis , where giving an account of the design of his book , he saith that , he had passed over some things in silence ; fearing to write that which he made some simple even to speak of ; not that he envied his readers any thing , but fearing rather lest they might happily , out of a misunderstanding of them , fall into errour ; and so he might seem to have put a sword into the hand of a child . he adds further , that he had handled somethings clearly , and some other obscurely ; laying the one open to our view , but wrapping up the other in riddles . but that which makes most to our present purpose , is , that they are known to have taken this course particularly in some certain of those points which are now controverted amongst us ; as namely , in that touching the sacraments of the church . for as they celebrated their holy mysteries in secret , and apart by themselves , not admitting either the pagans , or the catechumeni , nor yet ( as some assure us ) any person whatsoever , save only the communicants , to the sight of them ; in like manner also in their writings , especially in those that were to be read openly to the people in their publick assemblies , they never spake but very obscurely , and darkly , as hath been observed , in point of the eucharist , by cardinal perron , and by casaubon , petavius , and others , in the points of baptism , confirmation , and other holy ceremonies of the christians . do but observe , how wary theodoret , epiphanius , and other of the ancient writers are , in naming the matter of the eucharist , describing it in general terms only , and such as they only could understand , who had been formerly partakers of that holy sacrament . i shall not here take upon me to examine the end which they proposed to themselves in so doing ; which seems to have been , to beget in the minds of the catechumeni a greater reverence , and esteem of the sacraments , and withal a more earnest and eager desire to be admitted to partake of them : fearing , lest haply the laying open , and discoursing plainly of the matter and manner of celebration of the sacraments , might something take off from one of these two affections in them . seeing therefore that not only in this , but in divers other particulars also , they have purposely , and upon design , concealed their sense and opinions from us ; we ought not to account it so strange a matter , if we many times find their expressions to be obscure , and ( which is a consequence of obscurity ) if they sometimes also seem to clash , and contradict one another . and indeed it were more to be wondred at , if these men , who were for the most part able , learned men , having a purpose of writing obscurely on these points , should yet have left us their opinions clearly and plainly delivered in their writings . but there is more in it yet than so ; for sometimes also , even where they had no purpose of being so , they yet are very obscure ; and sometimes again the little conversation they have had with those arts which are requisite for the polishing of language , was the cause of their not expressing themselves so clearly : and sometimes perhaps their genius , and natural disposition might be the reason hereof ; all their study and industry they could take , not being able to correct this natural defect in them . i believe we may very safely reckon epiphanius in the first rank of these kind of writers ; who was indeed a good and holy man , but yet had been very little conversant in the arts , either of rhetorick , or grammar ; as appeareth sufficiently out of his writings , where you shall often find him failing , not only in the clearness of his expressions , and the course and fit contrivance of his periods , but also even in the order and method , which is the true light of all discourse : which defects must necessarily be the cause of much obscurity in very many places ; as indeed is much complained of by the interpreters of this father . others perhaps there have been , who have endeavoured to polish their language by arts , who yet have not been able to compass their desire , whether it were , because they began too late ; or else perhaps through the dulness of their wit , and want of capacity , as we see , all natures are not capable of receiving all forms , what pains and industry soever they take , for the making such impressions . in this number you may reckon that victorinus , of whom s. hierome gives this so favourable testimony , saying , that though indeed he wanted learning , he wanted not a desire and good will to learning . such another also was ruffinus , whose language and expressions the same great censor of the ancients so sharply reproveth , noting in him very many improprieties of speech , and other absurdities : * and yet , for all this , he would not be taken off from his scribling humour ; and which is more , he did not want those who admired him too : it being commonly observed , that those who wrote most in any age , were not always the ablest men ; this itch reigning rather in the ignorant , than in the other . photius in his bibliotheca hath noted the like defects in some of his greek writers . but yet this obscurity in the fathers hath proceeded , not from their ignorance , but rather from their great learning . for , those among them who were furnished with all manner of secular learning , and had been trained up from their infancy in the eloquence and knowledge of the greeks , could not but retain this tincture , and sometimes also had their flyings out , and made shew of this their treasury ; by this means mixing with the christian philosophy many exotick words , customs , and discourses : which mixture , though it give indeed much delight to the learned , yet it must necessarily render the sense of these authors the more dark and perplexed . what can you name me more mixed , or fuller of variety , than clemens alexandrinus his stromata , as he calls them , and his other works ; which are throughout interlaced with historical allusions , opinions , sentences , and proverbs , out of all sorts of writers , both sacred and profane ; being here heightned with rich , lightsom colours , there shaded with darkness ; in such sort , as that it is a vain thing for an ignorant person to hope ever to reach his meaning ? what shall i say of tertullian , who , besides that natural harshness and roughness which you meet with in him throughout , and that carthaginian spirit and genius which is common to him with the rest of the african writers , hath yet shadowed and overcast his conceptions with so much learning , and with so many new terms and passages out of the law , and with such variety of allusions , subtilties , and nice points , as that the greatest stock both of learning and attention that you can bring with you , will be all little enough to fit you for a perfect understanding of him . i shall not here speak any thing of s. hilary , and the loftiness of his fancy , and the height of his language , and that cothurnus gallicanus which s. hierome hath noted in him , and some other of his country-men . neither shall i here take any notice of the copiousness of the africans , nor of the subtilty of the athenians , and of those that had their education among them ; the consideration of all which particulars would afford matter for a just tract . i shall only say in general , that whereas the manner of the christians writing and expounding the scriptures , was at first very plain , easie , and brief ; it in a very short time came to be changed , and to be clogg'd with subtilties , and flourishes of secular learning ; as methodius in epiphanius testifieth . * the doctors ( saith he ) no longer regarding an honest , plain , and solid way of teaching , began now to endeavour to please , and to be favourably received by their auditors ; just as sophisters are wont to do , who reckon their labours rewarded by their auditors applauding their learning ; selling themselves at this so cheap a rate . for as for the ancients , their expositions were always very brief ; their utmost ambition in those days being , not to please , but to profit their hearers . gregory nazianzen also very sadly , and eloquently , as his manner is , complains of this . * there was a time ( saith he ) when our affairs flourished , and we were in a happy estate , when as this vain and wanton kind of divinity , which is every where now in fashion , together with all its artifices and delicacies of language , was not at all admitted into the sheepfolds of the lord. in those days , to hearken after , or to vent any novelties or curiosities in divinity , was reckoned all one as to play the jugler , and to shew tricks of leigerdemain , with cunning and nimble shiftings of balls under a cup , deceiving the eyes of the spectators ; or else by delighting them with the various and effeminate motions and windings of a lascivious dance . on the contrary , rather a plain , masculine , and free way of discourse was then accounted the most pious . but now , since that the pyrthonians , and those of sextus his faction , together with the tongue of contradiction , have , like some grievous , malignant disease , broken in upon our churches ; since that babling is now allowed for learning ; and , as it is said in the acts , of the athenians , since we spend our time in nothing else but in hearing or telling some new thing ; o for some jeremy , to bewail the confusion and darkness we lie under ; who might furnish us , as that prophet was only able to do , with lamentations suitable to our calamities ! and certainly s. hierome * , in his epistle to pammachius , hath as good as said , that even for his writings also , it is necessary that the reader be acquainted both with all the sleights of logick , and all the flourishes and heights of rhetorick . which censure of his reacheth also to the writings of origen , methodius , eusebius , apollinaris , tertullian , cyprian , minutius , victorinus , lactantius , hilary , and others ; whom he affirmeth to have all observed the same method in their writings . now although any rational man must needs willingly grant me , that the translations of terms and ●igures , either in the word only , or else in the things themselves , and such other the like ornaments of rhetorick ; as also the subtilties of logick , and , in a word , all the artifices in what other sorts of learning soever there are , must necessarily render any discourse the more obscure and shaded : yet for the fuller clearing of this point , i shall here add some few proofs and examples . s. hierome declareth himself on our side sufficiently , where he attributeth the cause of the obscurity that is found in the writings of some certain authors , to their being too learned and eloquent . a sixtus senensis observeth , that the fathers have uttered many things in the heat of their passion , which we are not to take in the strict literal sense . and petavius hath of late also noted , b that the fathers have let fall from them , up and down in their homilies , very many things , which cannot be reconciled to any good sense , if we should examine them by the exact rule of truth . we both of us excuse this in them oftentimes thus , by shewing that under so many flowers and leaves , wherewith they crown their discourses , they many times couch a quite different sense , from that which their words in apperance seem to carry . who hath not observed the strange hyperboles of s. chysostome , s. hilary , s. ambrose , and the like ? but that i may make it plainly and evidently appear unto you , how much these ornaments do darken the clearness of the sense of an author , i shall onely here lay before you one instance , taken from s. hierome ; who , writing to eustochium , giveth her an account , how that for his being too much addicted to the study of secular learning , he was brought before the presence of our lord , and was there really with stripes chastised for it . and think not ( saith he ) that this was any of those drowsie fancies , or vain dreams , which sometimes abuse us . i call to witness hereof that tribunal , before which i then lay , and that sad judgment which i was then in dread of . so may i never hereafter fall into the like danger , as this is true ! i do assure you , that i found my shoulders to be all over black and blue , with the stripes i then received , and which i afterwards felt when i awaked : so that i have ever since had a greater affection to the reading of divine books , than i ever before had to the study of humane learning . now hearing him speak thus , who would not believe this to be a true story ? and who would not be ready to understand this narration in the literal sense ? and yet it appears plainly , from what he hath elsewhere confessed , that all this was but a meer dream , and a rhetorical piece of artifice , frequently used by the masters in this art ; contrived only for the better and more powerful diverting men from their too great affection to the books of the heathens . for , ruffinus picking a quarrel with him for this , and objecting against him , that contrary to the oath which he had before taken , he did notwithstanding still apply himself to the study of pagan learning : s. hierome , after he had alledged many things to quit himself from this accusation , * thus you see ( saith he ) what i could have urged for my self , had i promised any such thing waking : but now do but take notice of this new and unheard of kind of impudence ; he objects against me my very dreams : and then presently doth he refer him to the words of the prophets , saying , we must not take heed to dreams ; for neither doth an adulterous dream cast a man into hell , nor that of martyrdom bring him to heaven : and so he at last plainly says , that this promise of his was made onely in a dream ; and that therefore consequently it carried no obligation with it . and who knows but that the life of malchus , which he hath so delicately and artificially described unto us , and some other the like pieces of his , and of some others , may be the like essays of wit ? we see he doth not stick to confess , that the life of paulus eremita was accounted for such , by some of his back-friends : * and it is very probable , that his ● epistle , which is so full of learning and eloquence , is but an essay of the same nature ; he having there fancied to himself a fit subject only whereon to shew his own eloquence , as the usual manner of orators is . thus thou seest , reader , how great darkness is cast over the writings of the ancients by these figures , and flourishes of rhetorick , and other artifices of humane learning , which they so often and so over-licentiously use , at least for our parts , who , to our great disadvantage , find , that so many ornaments and embelishments , do rather disguise and hide from us the bottom and depth of their conceptions . who shall assure us , that they have not made use of the same arts in their discourses touching the eucharist , to advance the dignity of the divine mysteries , and to increase the peoples devotion ? as likewise touching the power of the prelates , to procure them the greater respect and obedience from their people ? what probability is there that they would spare their pencils , their colours , their shadows , and their lights , in those points where this their art might have been imployed to so good purpose ? and to this place i shall refer those other customs of theirs , which are so frequent with them , of denying and affirming things as it were absolutely ; notwithstanding the purpose and intent of their discourse be to deny or affirm them only by way of comparison , and reference to some other things . who could chuse but think that s. hierome was tainted with the heresie of marcion , and of the eneratites , hearing him so fiercely inveigh against marriage , as he doth in his books against jovinian , and oftentimes in other places also ? insomuch that there have sometimes fallen from him such words as these : seeing that in the use of the woman there is always some corruption ; and that incorruption properly belongeth to chastity ; marriage ( saith he ) cannot be accounted of so high esteem as chastity . and a little after : my opinion is , that he that hath a wife , till such time as he returneth to that pass , as that satan tempts him not , ( that is to say , so long as he makes use of her , as of a wife , ) he sowes in the flesh , and not in the spirit . now he that soweth in the flesh , ( it is not i that say it , but the apostle , ) the same shall reap corruption . now these words , taken literally , condemn marriage , and the use thereof , as defiling a man , and depriving him of blessed immortality . yet notwithstanding , in his epistle to pammachius he informeth us , that these passages of his , and all other the like , are not to be understood as spoken positively and absolutely , but only by way of comparison ; that is , he would be understood to say , that the purity and felicity of virgins is such , as that in comparison of it , that of the marriage-bed is not at all to be mentioned . this key is very necessary for the finding entrance into the sense of the ancients : and the fathers of the vii council made very good use of it , in giving the sense of two or three passages that were objected against them by the iconoclasts . the first was out of s. chrysostome : through the scriptures we enjoy the presence of the saints , having the images , not of their bodies , but of their souls . for , the things there spoken by them , are the images of their souls . the second was out of amphilochius : our care is , not to draw in colours on tables the natural faces of the saints ; ( for we have no need of any such thing ) but rather to imitate their life & conversation , by following the example of their vertue . the third was out of austerius : draw not the portraiture of christ on thy garments ; but rather bestow upon the poor the price that these expences would amount to . for as for him , it is sufficient that he once humbled himself , in taking upon him our flesh . would not any man , that hears these words , believe these three fathers to have been iconoclasts ? i confess , i cannot see , what almost could have been said more expresly against images : and yet the second council of nice pretendeth , * that these fathers here speak only by way of comparison ; meaning to say no more , than that the images of jesus christ , and of the saints , are much less profitable than the reading their books , or the imitation of their lives , or than charity toward the poor . i know very well , that it is no very easie matter , handsomly to apply this answer to the words of these fathers : however we may make this use of it ; that seeing that the council of nice hath followed this rule , it is an evident argument to us , that the sayings of the fathers both may , and ought sometimes to be taken in a quite different sense from what they seem to bear : so that it will clearly follow from hence , that they are very hard to be understood . consider then with your self , whether or no among the so many several passages , as are brought on the one side , and on the other , touching the present controversies , there may not be very many of them , which are to be understood , as hath formerly been said , by way of comparison only ; that is to say , quite contrary to what they seem to say . now as the rhetorick used by the fathers hath rendred their discourses made to the people full of obscurity ; in like manner hath their logick sown a thousand thorns , and difficulties , throughout their polemical writings . for many times , while they are in the heat of their disputations , they have their mind so intent upon the present scope they drive at , as that having regard to nothing else , they let fall such expressions , as look very strangely , if they be considered in reference to some other points of christian religion . sometimes also , whilst they use their utmost endeavour to beat down one errour , they seem to run into the contrary error : in like manner as those who would streighten a crooked plant , are wont to bow it as much the contrary way ; that so having been worked out of its former bent , it may at length rest in a middle posture : which similitude † theodoret also maketh use of , upon this very subject . and in this manner also did athanasius explain those words of dionysius alexandrinus , which were urged against him by the arrians , as seeming to make very much for them , as we have touched before . he wrote not this , ( † athanasius answereth , ) positively , and with a purpose of giving an account of his belief in these words , but as being led on to utter them , by the occasion , and the persons he discoursed with . in like manner ( saith he ) as a gardiner ordereth the same trees in a different manner , according to the difference of the soil where they are . neither may any one blame him , for lopping off some , and graffing others , for planting this , and plucking up that by the roots . on the contrary rather , whoever knows the reason of this , will admire the variety , and several ways of his industrious proceeding . and then afterwards he saith , that * dionysius maintained those positions , upon occasion of the errour of certain bishops of pentapolis , who maintained the opinion of sabeliius ; and that he did this , by dispensation , as he there speaks ; that is to say , not positively and simply , but as in reference to such a certain case only . now no man ought † saith he ) to wrest to the worst sense , those things which are either said , or done by dispensation ; or to interpret them as himself pleaseth . and in another place he in the same manner explaineth the words of the fathers of the council of antioch , who had denied the consubstantiality of the son ; * shewing that their intention was , only to overthrow a position which paulus● somos●●enus had laid down ; namely , that the father , and the son , were both one and the self same person , and had not any distinct subsistence . by this very rule also doth s. basil interpret that saying of gregonius ne●eaesariensis , namely , that the father and the son are two , according to our apprehension only ; but that in hypostasis they are but one : saying , that he spoke this , not dogmatically , but only let it fall from him in the heat of disputation . whence it appeareth , that in all such writings of the fathers , the opinion which they oppugn , is the rule and measure of whatsoever they are to be understood therein either to affirm , or deny . this is that which varieth their sense and meaning , though oftentimes expressed in the same manner , and with the very same words , with that of the hereticks . when they dispute against the valentinians , or the manichees ; a man would then believe them to be pelagians : and so likewise , when they are contesting with the pelagians , you would then imagine , that they defended the opinions of the manichees . if they dispute against arius , you would think they favoured sabellius ▪ and again , when they oppose sabellius , you would believe that they were arians : as hath been observed by the bishop of * biponto , particularly in s. augustine . the like practice to this , we may every day observe in our preachers . when they preach against covetousness , they seem in a manner to cry up prodigality : and if they declaim against prodigality , they then seem to approve covetousness . thus is it also with the protestants : when they would overthrow those empty figures , which are fathered by their adversaries upon those they call sacramentarians , you would judge that they maintained the reality of the eucharist , as the manner of speaking is . and when they dispute against transubstantiation , and the real presence , you would then swear , that they defended the opinion of these very sacramentarians . there is , amongst athanasius his works , a certain very learned , elegant , and acute tract , wherein is debated , as strongly as may be , that point , touching the distinction of the two natures in jesus christ . do but read what he there says , in the beginning of that discourse , and you will think it could not proceed from any but from nestorius his mouth . and yet you will perceive plainly by the last chapter of the said book , that he was not any whit of his opinion . now if by any misfortune it should so have hapned , that this last chapter had been lost , athanasius must necessarily have been taken for a nestorian , by reason of the dangerous expressions which he hath there made use of , being occasioned thereunto through the heat of this dispute , which he maintained against the opinions of the eutychians . and for the very same reason also , julius bishop of rome , seemeth to have favoured the contrary errour , namely that of eutyches , in that epistle of his cited by gennadius ; which was indeed heretofore of good use , against the opinion of those men , who maintained two persons in christ ; but which † now is found to be pernicious , ( saith he ) by fomenting the impieties of eutyches and timotheus : which hath given occasion to some of the more * modern authors , who have written since gennadius his time , to think that this epistle was not truly pope julius his , but had been put upon him by the false dealing of the hereticks . the case was the same with these ancient fathers , as it is with a pilot of a ship , who is to stear his vessel betwixt two rocks , one only whereof he hath discovered , the other lying hid under water : so that taking no other care , save only to avoid the danger which he seeth before his eyes , he very easily falleth into that other , which he never so much as suspected : so that if he split not his vessel upon it , and so be utterly cast away , he will very hardly however avoid receiving a brush at least by it . thus these fathers saw indeed the rock of paulus samosatenus his doctrine , and that of nestorius ; but did not at all observe that of arius , or of eutyches , which lay yet under water , and concealed ; and so imploying their utmost endeavours to avoid the danger of the two former , which they then only feared , they have very hardly escaped falling into , or at least touching very near upon the two latter , which they then had no thought of at all . do but imagine then , how w●rily and carefully it concerneth us to walk , amidst these disputes of the ancients , which are so beset with thorns ; and with how much judgment we are to distinguish betwixt what things are principal , and what but accidental only ; betwixt the cause , and the means ; and betwixt the excess , or defect in their expressions , and their true sense , and meaning : and then tell me whether you think it reasonable , or not , that two or three words only , which may perhaps accidentally have fallen from them in their disputations , either against the valentinians , and marcionites , or against the nestorians , or eutychists , should be taken as their definitive sentences upon such points as are now controverted amongst us , whether touching free-will , or the properties of the body of christ , and the nature of the eucharist . but , before we close up this matter , we are to take notice , that the changing of customs , both civil , and ecclesiastical especially , and the variation of words in their signification , do not a little contribute to this difficulty of understanding the writings of the fathers . who knoweth not , and indeed who confesseth not , both on the one side , and on the other , that the outward face of the world , and even of the church it self too , is in a manner wholly changed ? i speak not here of the doctrine ; but only of the upper garment , as i may call it , and the outward part of the church . where is the ancient discipline ? what is become of the rigid and severe rules of those ancient times ? where are those so mysterious ceremonies in baptism , and in the administration of the eucharist ? where are those customs then used in the ordination of the clergy ? all these things are now quite forgotten and buried ; the church by little and little having apparelled it self in other colours , and in another different garb. the books then of the ancients being full of allusions to th●se things , which we are in a manner now wholly ignorant of ; it must necessarily follow from hence , that it will be a hard matter for us to guess at their meaning in any such passages . but yet there ariseth much more confusion out of the words they used ; which we have still retained , though in a different signification . we have indeed these words , pope , patriarch , mass oblation , station , procession , mortal sins , penance , confession , satisfaction , merit , indulgence , as the ancients had , and make use of an infinite number of the like terms ; but understand them all in a sense almost as far different from theirs , as our age is removed from theirs : just in like manner as of old , under the roman emperours , the names of offices , and of things , for a long time continued the same that had been in use in the time of the old republick , but with a sense clear different from what they had formerly born . thus when we light upon any passage in the ancients , where the bishop of rome is called papa or pope ; we presently begin to fancy him with all his pontificalibus about him , and all the glory at this day belonging to this name ; not bating him so much as his guard of switzens , and his light-horses : whereas they , that are but indifferently versed in these books , know , that the name papa or pope , was given to every bishop . so likewise when we meet with the word exomologesis or confession , we presently fancy a man down upon his knees before his confessor , shriving himself before him in private of all the sins he hath committed . the word mass likewise makes us prick up our ears , as if , even from those ancient times , the whole liturgy , and all the ceremonies used at the celebration of the eucharist , had been the very same that they are at this day : whereas the learned of both parties acknowledge , that these names have , since that time , lost very much of their old , and acquired new significations . but this , which hath been said , is enough , if not more than needed , for the clearing this point , touching the obscurity in the writings of the fathers : so that we shall here conclude , what we proposed at the beginning ; namely , that it is not so easie a matter , as people may imagine , to discover by their writings , what the sense of the ancient church hath been , touching the points at this day controverted amongst us. chap. vi. reason vi. that the fathers oftentimes conceal their own private opinions , and speak those things which themselves believed not ; whether it be , when they report the opinion of some others , without naming the persons ; as they frequently do in their commentaries ; or in disputing against an adversary , where they make use of whatsoever they can ; or else whether they have done so , in compliance to their auditory , as may be observed in their homilies . the writings of the fathers are , for the most part , of three sorts ; that is , they are either commentaries upon the holy scriptures ; or homilies delivered before the people ; or else they are polemical discourses , and disputations with the hereticks . now we have formerly seen , how much their ornaments of rhetorick have darkned , and rendred their sense obscure , in their writings of the first and second sort ; and what their heats of disputation , and logical wranglings have caused , in those of the later . let us now see , if having drawn the expressions of the fathers out of these thick clouds , and attained to a clear and perfect understanding of the sense of them ; we may be able at length to rest assured , that we have discovered what their opinions have been . i confess , i could heartily wish that it were so : but considering what they have themselves informed us , concerning the nature , and manner of their writings ; i am much afraid , that we neither may , nor indeed ought , to reckon our selves in any sure condition , even then , when we are upon these very terms . for as concerning their commentaries , which we have often occasion to consult , upon sundry passages of scripture , touching the meaning whereof we disagree among our selves ; hear what s. hierome saith , who was the most learned of all the latins , and who gives place but very little to any of the greeks in these matters . what ( saith he ) is the business of a commentary ? it expoundeth the words of another man , and declareth in plain terms the sense of things obs●urely written ; it representeth the several opinions of others , and saith , some expound this passage thus , and others interpret it thus . these endeavour to prove their sense and meaning , by such testimonies , and such reasons ; to the end that the intelligent reader having several expositions before him , and reading the judgments of divers men , some bringing what he may , and others perhaps what he cannot admit of , he may judge which among the rest is the truest ; and , like a wise banker , may refuse all adulterated coin. now i would fain ask , whether he ought to be accounted guilty of diversity in his ▪ interpretations , or of contradiction in the senses given , who in one and the some commentary shall deliver the expositions of divers persons ? and so on , as it there followeth in the place afore-cited . he speaketh likewise to the same sense in divers other places throughout his works . * this ( saith he ) is the usual manner of commentaries , and the rule that commentators go by ; to set down in their expositions the , several opinions they have met withal ; and to deliver both what their own , and what the judgment of others is upon the place . and this is the practice not only of the interpreters of the scriptures , but of the expositors also of all kind of secular learning , as well in the greek as in the latin tongue . now i must needs say , that this seems to be a very strange way of commenting . for , what light , or what certainty can a reader be able to gather out of such a rhapsodie of different opinions , tumbled together in a heap , without so much as intimating either which is good or bad , or probable , or necessary , or to the purpose , or not ? but seeing it hath pleased s. hierome to follow this course , whatsoever his reason be , you see plainly , that we are not to take as his , whatsoever he hath delivered in his commentaries . and seeing also he speaks in general terms , as he doth , of the nature and manner of a commentary , we are not to doubt , but that the rest of the fathers have been the greatest part of them of the same judgment , and that consequently they took the same course in those expositions which we have of theirs . so that it will hence follow , that notwithstanding that we should chance to find in these kind of writings of theirs , an opinion , or an interpretation , clearly delivered ; yet may we not from thence presently conclude , that this was the authors own opinion ; for , perhaps he only delivered it as the opinion of some other man. now if the fathers had been but careful to have taken in water out of wholesom fountains only , filling up their commentaries with no other opinions or interpretations , save only those of persons of known piety , faith , and learning , this mixture would have proved the less dangerous by much . for , notwithstanding that we should often be at a stand , and doubt , whether that which we there find be the true sense and opinion of the father whose name it goes under ; yet however we might still rest assured , that though it should not perhaps be his , yet must it certainly be the opinion of some other good author , if not of equal , yet of little less authority than he . but the mischief of it is , that they took a quite contrary course , many times stuffing up their commentaries with very strange senseless expositions , and sometimes too with dangerous ones , and such as were taken out of very suspected authors , and which had no very good name neither in the church . s. hierome tells us often , ( and whoever shall but diligently and attentively read him , may easily observe as much ) that his commentaries ( which make the greatest and most considerable part of his works ) are interwoven throughout with expositions taken out of origen , didymus , apollinaris , and others , who were at that time ill spoken of , as men who too presumptuously put upon the world their own private opinions , fashioning the mysteries of the church out of their own private fancies ; as s. hierome himself sometime said of origen . now this is wonderful strange to me : for , no man is morce fierce in crying down these authors , than he , being indeed one of the principal heads of that holy league of theophilus and epiphanius , against origen and his party . no man ever reproved any one so sharply , as he hath done ruffinus , for offering to present to the view of the latins the poysonous doctrines of origen , in those books of his which he had translated : and in the mean time he himself stuffs up his own commentaries with the same ; many times without using any preparation at all about them , or furnishing his reader with any counter-poyson , in case he meet with any of them . so likewise , in his commentaries upon the prophets , he ever and anon bringeth in divers expositions out of the jews themselves ; insomuch that when you think you are reading and searching after the opinion and sense of s. hierome , upon such or such a passage , you often read that of an heretick , or of a jew . if the fathers would have but taken the pains to have given us notice every time , who the author was whose opinion they alledged ; this manner of commenting upon the scriptures would have been much more beneficial unto us , and less troublesom . for , the name would have been useful to us , in directing us what account we were to make of such opinions and expositions . but this they do but very seldom ; as you may observe out of the expositions of s. hilary , s. ambrose , and others ; who robbing poor origen without any mercy , do not yet do him the honour so much as to name him scarcely . this is certain , that you shall find in s. ambrose many times whole periods , and whole pages too , taken out of s. basil : but , unless my memory fail me very much , you shall never find him once named there . these men deliver you the opinions and words of other men , just as if they were their own ; and yet will not be bound to warrant them us for good and sound . s. hierome , in his commentary upon the epistle to the galatians , expoundeth that passage where there is mention made of s. paul's reproving s. peter , by way of dispensation ; telling us , that s. paul did not reprehend him , as if he had indeed accounted him blame-worthy ; but only for the better edification , and bringing in of the gentiles , by this seeming reprehension of his ; who did but act this part with s. peter , a to the end ( saith he ) that the hypocrisie , or false shew of observing the law , which offended those among the gentiles who had believed , might be corrected by the hypocrisie , or false shew of reprehension , and that by this means both the one and the other might be saved : whilst the one , who stood up for circumcision , followed s. peter ; and those other , who refused circumcision , applaud , and are taken with s. paul's liberty . s. augustine , utterly disliking this exposition of s. hierome , wrote unto him in his ordinary , grave , and meek way ; modestly declaring the reasons why he could not assent unto it : which epistles of his are yet extant . the other answers him a thousand strange things ; but particularly he there b protesteth , that he will not warrant for sound whatever shall be found in that book of his : and to shew that he doth not do this without good reason , he setteth down a certain passage out of his preface to it , which is very well worth our consideration . for after he hath named the writings of origen , didymus , apollinaris , theodorus , her●clas , eusebius emisse●us , alexander the heretick , and others , he adds , that i may therefore plainly tell the truth , i confess , that i have read all these authors ; and collecting together as much as i could in my memory . i presently called for a scribe , to whom i dictated either my own conceptions , or those of other men , without remembring either the order , or the words sometimes , or the sense . do but think now with your self , whether or no this be not an excellent rare way of commenting upon the scriptures , and very well worthy both to be esteemed and imitated by us ! he then turneth his speech to s. augustine , saying , if therefore thou lightedst upon any thing in my exposition , which was worthy of reprehension , it would have stood better with thy learning , to have consulted the greek authors themselves , and to have seen whether what i have written be to be found in them , or not ; and , if not , then to have condemned it , as my own private opinion . and he elsewhere gives the same answer to * ruffinus , who upbraideth him for some absurd passages in his commentaries upon the prophet daniel . now , according to this reckoning , if we would know whether or no what we meet with in his commentaries be his own proper sense , or not ; we must first turn over the books of all these ancient greeks ▪ that is to say , we must do that which is now impossible to be done ; seeing that the writings of the greatest part of them are utterly lost : and must not attribute any thing to him , as his proper opinion , how clearly and expresly soever it be delivered , unless we are first able to make it appear , that it is not to be found in any of those authors out of whose writings he hath patched up his commentaries . for , if any one of them be found to have delivered any thing you here meet with , you are to take notice , that it belongeth to that author , s. hierome in this case having been onely his transcriber , or at most but his translator . so that you may be able , perhaps , by the reading of books in this manner collected , to judge whether the fathers have had the skill to make a handsom and artificial connexion and digestion of those things which they took out of so many several authors , or not : but whether or no they believed all that they have set down in their books , you will be no more able to discover , than you can judge what belief any man is of , by the books he transcribeth ; or can guess at the opinions of an interpreter , by the books he translateth . whence we may conclude , that testimonies brought out of such books as these , are of little or no force at all , either for or against us . and this seemeth to have been the opinion of cardinal bellarmine also , where , to a certain objection brought out of one of s. hierome's books , he makes this answer ; that the author in that place speaketh according to the opinion of others ; as he often doth in his commentaries upon the epistle to the ephesians , and in other places . the like course hath cardinal perron taken , where the protestants have urged against the church of rome , the authority of s. hilary , touching the canon of the scriptures of the old testament ; confidently answering , that the notes cited out of that place of s. hilary , are not his , but origen's , in his commentary upon the first psalm ; part of whose words he had transcribed , and put into his own prologue upon the psalms : and yet s. hilary neither so much as nameth origen , nor yet gives us any intimation at all , whether we are to receive what is there spoken touching the scriptures , as from origen , or from himself . and the ground of this answer of his is taken from what s. hierome hath testified in divers places ; namely , that s. hilary hath transcribed the greatest part of his commentaries out of the said origen . now if we but rightly consider the account which s. hierome hath given , as we shewed before , of all commentaries in general , how can we have any assurance whether that which the fathers deliver in these kind of writings , be their own proper opinion , or only some other man 's transcribed ? and if we can have no assurance hereof , how can we then account them of any force at all , either for or against us ? so that it is most evident , that this method which the fathers have observed in their expositions of the scriptures , must needs render the things themselves very doubtful , how clearly and expresly soever they have delivered themselves . but hath it not concerned them to be more careful in their homilies , or sermons ; and to deliver nothing there , save only what hath been their own proper opinion , and belief ? may we not , at least in this particular , rest assured , that they have spoken nothing , but from their very soul ; and that their tongues have vented here their own opinions only ▪ and not those of other men ? certainly , in all reason , they should not have uttered any thing in this sacred place , from whence they taught their people , save what they conceived to have been most true . and yet , besides what we have formerly noted , as to this particular , namely , that they did not always speak out the whole truth , but concealed something of it , as not so fit for the ears either of the pagans , or of the weaker sort of christians ; cardinal perron , that great and curious inquirer into all the customs of the ancients , hath informed us , that in regard of the aforesaid considerations , they have sometimes gone further yet . for , in expounding the scriptures to the people , where the catechumeni were present , if by chance they fell upon any passage where the sacraments were spoken of , that they might not discover these mysteries , they would then make bold to wrest the text a little , and instead of giving them the true and real interpretation of the place , which they themselves knew to be such , they would only present their auditory with an allegorical and symbolical , and ( as this cardinal saith ) an accidental and collateral one , only to give them some kind of small satisfaction ; forasmuch as , if in such cases they should have been utterly filent , it would questionless have much amazed their auditors , and in some sort also have scandalized , and given them offence . to satisfie therefore their expectation , and yet to keep these mysteries still concealed from them , they waved the business handsomly , laying before them that which they accounted not the best and truest , but the fittest for their purpose and design . thus do we sometimes please little children with an apple , or some little toy , to take them off the desire they have to something of greater value . those therefore who take all that the fathers deliver in the like places for good and solid expositions , and such as they themselves really believed , do very much deceive themselves ; and believing they have a solid body in their arms , embrace only an empty shadow . now we should hardly believe those holy men to have been guilty of any such jugling dealing as this , had we not the word of this so great a cardinal for our warrant ; upon whose authority we have , for this once , adventured to propose it to the readers consideration , and shall withal produce some few examples , taken out of the same author . s. augustine being to expound the sixth chapter of the gospel of s. john , where , as he conceives , our saviour christ is very copious in his discourse concerning the eucharist ; he presently falls to overshadow and disguise the mystery , with such a number of allegories , riddles , and ambiguities , as that , if you dare believe the cardinal , throughout the whole xxvi tract there is not one period but hath in it some elusion , diversion , or diminution of the true and solid definition of this article . thus doth he interpret the bread which came down from heaven , to be the gift of the holy ghost : our saviour ( saith he ) purposing to send down the h. ghost , saith , that it is the bread which descended from heaven . you may , if you please , believe , upon the faith of this father , that this is the true sense and meaning of the place : but yet the cardinal makes it appear , out of calvin , that it cannot be so . he likewise contradicteth after the same manner , that which the same father saith a little after ; to wit , that the purpose of our saviour was , to let us understand that this meat and drink , whereof he speaks in s. john , is the communion and fellowship , that is betwixt his body , and his members , who are the holy church , in his faithful servants , predestinated , called , justified , and glorified . had not the cardinal given us this information , who would ever have imagined , that this author ( who was so conscientious , as that he made it a great quarrel against s. hierome , only for having laid dissimulation to st. pauls charge , ) should here himself say , that our saviour christ would have us to understand his words thus , unless he himself really believed this to be the true sense and meaning of them ? the cardinal applies also this very consideration , to the greatest part of those other passages , cited out of this father , by the protestants ; as namely to this : to believe in christ , is , to eat the bread of life : and to this other , he that believeth in him , eateth of it ; and he is invisibly fed by it , because that he is also invisibly born again : and this other : whosoever eateth of this bread , he shall never die : but this is to be understood of him that eateth of it , according to the vertue of the sacrament , and not according to the visible sacrament ; of him that eateth of it internally , and not externally ; of him that eateth of it with his heart , and not of him that cheweth it with his teeth . in all which places the cardinal pretendeth , that s. augustine suppresseth the true , full , and solid definition of this manducation , or eating of the flesh , and drinking the blood of christ ; and instead thereof , presenteth this allegorical , and accidental meditation to the catechumeni , only to cast a mist , as it were , before their eyes , and to elude their curiosity . he makes use of the same course also , in answering those passages , which are alledged by the protestants out of theodoret , and gregory nazi●nzen * ; who , he saith , † called the eucharist , the antitype of the body and blood of christ , in the same manner as abrah●m , being among infidels , called sarah , his sister ; concealing something of what was true , but yet affirming nothing that was false . he likewise explaineth after the same manner this passage , out of clemens alexandrinus his paedagogus : † the 〈◊〉 , and the blood of christ , is ▪ faith ▪ and the promise . in a word , he is so much pleased with this observation , as that he fetcheth it in at every turn : * and indeed we may very well say , that this is his main treasury , out of which he produceth the greatest part of those subtile , and so admired solutions that he giveth to the passages objected against them out of the fathers . those that have a mind to examine these places of his , may happily find something to return upon him , in some of those applications which he hath there made . it is enough for our present purpose , that he grants us , that the fathers in their sermons and discourses made to the people have oftentimes made use of this piece of art , it following clearly from hence , that we cannot then possibly have any assurance , that they themselves accounted , as solid and full , such expositions , and opinions , as they have delivered in these writings of theirs . for , as the cardinal endeavoureth by this means to weaken the force of those passages of s. augustine , gregory nazianzen , theodoret , and clemens alexandrinus ; may not the protestants , when you alledge against them any passages out of the homilies of st. chrysostom , or eucherius , which seem to make strongly against their opinions , be allowed to have the same liberty , and to answer ; that these fathers speaking before the people , made use of this dispensation , speaking that which they thought to be , not the best , and truest , but the most proper for the edification of others ? and that they had an apprehension , that a bare and down wright expression of the truth , might possibly have taken off the heat of the peoples devotion ? there being apparently ( say they ) more cause to doubt , that the people might di●-esteem and ●●ight the sacrament , than to fear lest they should adore it : as indeed the fathers are much more careful in concealing the matter of the sacrament , the outward appearance whereof is apt to make it di●esteemed ▪ than they are in concealing the form , which is of so venerable a nature : saying often , and in express terms , that it is the body of christ ; but ordinarily forbearing to say ▪ that it is or that it was a piece of bread. we come now to the third sort of the writings of the ancients , wherein the fathers dispute against the adversaries of their faith ; namely , the pagans , jews , and hereticks . we have formerly touched how much obscurity the earnestness and heat of spirit have caused in the expressions of the fathers ; and this defect proceedeth from the weakness of their passion only ; and not from any design or purpose that they had of speaking thus , rather than otherwise . for , seeing that all manner of passions do disturb , and in some small measure , as it were , confound the judgment ; and seeing it is hard for a man , how holy soever he be , to go through with a disputation , without some alteration in his temper , especially if it be of any importance , as all those touching religion are : we are not to wonder at it , if in these cases we sometimes find the language of the fathers something mixed , and appearing of several colours , such as passion usually dyeth both the countenance and the words withal of such persons , as it hath seised on . but besides this confusion , which is caused meerly by the agitation of the spirits , without the fathers so much as thinking of it ; we are here further to take notice , that the proper design , and the law of the method that is observed in disputations , is the cause of our incountring with so many , and so great difficulties . for their opinion was , that in this kind of writing it was lawful for them to say , and make use of any thing , that might advance their cause , although it were otherwise but light and trivial , or perhaps also contrary to what themselves believed ; and so , on the other side , to conceal and reject whatsoever might prejudice their cause , though otherwise true , and allowable . now that this observation may not seem strange , and incredible , as coming out of my mouth ; let us hear what they themselves say ▪ in this particular . and first let us hear s. hierome , who was the greatest critick of them all , and who by often exercising the strength of his admirable wit , both by himself , and with others , hath observed more , touching the style , method , natural disposition , and opinions of the fathers , than any other . † we have learned together , ( saith he , writing to pammachius , ) that there are divers sorts of discourse ; and among the rest , that it is one thing , to write 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 , by way of dis●utation ; and another thing , to write 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 , by way of instruction . in the former of these the disputes are free , and rambling where , in answering an adversary , and proposing one while one thing , and another while another , a man argueth as he pleaseth ; speaking one thing , and doing another ; shewing bread ( as it is in the proverb ) and holding a stone in his hand . whereas in the second kind ? an open forehead , and that i may so speak , ingenuity is necessarily required . it is one thing to make inquiries , and another to de●ine : in the one we must fight , in the other we must te●ch . thou seest me in a combat , and in peril of my life ; and dost thou come with thy grave instructions , like some reverend schoolmaster ? do not wound me by stealth , and from whence i least expected it . let thy sword strike directly at me : it is a shame for thee to wound thy enemy by guile , and i●t by strength : as if it were not a piece of the greatest mastery in fighting , to threaten one part , but hit another . i beseech you read demosthenes , read tully : and lest perhaps you should refuse oratours , whose profession it is to propose things rather probat●e , th●n true ; read plato , theophrastus , xenophon aristo●le , and others ; who springing all from socrates his fountain , as so many several rivolets ran several ways : what can you find in them , that is clear and open ? what word in them but hath its design ? and what design , but of victory only ? origen , methodius , eusebius , apollinaris , have written largely against celsus , and porphyrie : do but observe what manner of arguments , and how slippery problems they made use of , for the subverting of those works , which had been wrought by the spirit of the devil : and how that being sometimes forced to speak , they alledged against the gentiles , not that which they believed , but that which was most necessary to be said . i shall not here speak any thing of the latin writers , as tertullian , cyprian , minucius , victorinus , lactantius , and hilary , lest i might seem rather to accuse others , than to defend my self . thus s. hierome . for , as for that which he presently addeth , touching st. paul , whom he believeth to have practised the very same arts , this is no proper place to examine , either the ▪ truth , or the use of this opinion of his ; ●or as much as our purpose is here to treat of the fathers only . now you see , that he testifieth clearly , that they were wont , in their disputations , sometimes to say one thing , and believe another ; to shew us bread , and keep a stone in their hand ; to threaten one part , and to hit another ; and that they were sometimes constrained to fit their words , not to their own proper thoughts , but to the present necessity . and the very same thing is confessed also by athanasius , speaking of dionysius alexandrinus , as hath been said before : namely , that he wrote , not simply , and plainly , as giving us an account of his own belief ; but that he was moved , and as it were forced to speak as he did , by reason of the occasion , and of the person he disputed against . the like account doth s. basil give of a certain passage of gregorius neocaesari 〈◊〉 answering for him with this distinction ; that he spake not in that place . dogmatically , but only by way of oeconomy , or dispensation . by which term is meant , that a man keepeth to himself what he believeth , and proposeth some other thing , lying wide of his own opinion , either this way , or that way ; being concerned so to do out of some certain particular considerations . and as we sometimes see , that the water ascendeth ; being forced to mount up , to fill some space , which otherwise would remain void : ( now you will not , i hope , conclude from hence , that this is its natural and ordinary motion : ) in like manner was it with the fathers ; who , being sometimes distressed , and hard put to it in disputation ; for to avoid , as i may so speak , some certain vacuum , which they were afraid of , they sometimes left their natural motion , and their proper sense and opinion , and took up some other contrary one , according to the necessity of the present occasion . and indeed , although st. hienome had not given us this notice , the thing it self would evidently enough have appeared , out of their writings . for otherwise , how could any one possibly have believed , that they could have spoken so diversly as they have done in many particulars , blowing hot and cold with one and the same mouth ? how could they possibly have delivered so many things contrary either to reason , or to the scriptures , or to the fathers ? for ( as the same st. hierome saith ) who is so very a block head , and so ignorant i● the art of writing , as that he will praise and condemn●ne and the same thing ; pull down what he hath b●ilt ; and build , what he had pulled down ? now the * fathers are often observed to have done this very thing . we are therefore to conclude , that they have been forced to it , out of some special design ; and that they did it , as they use ●o speak , by oeconomy , or particular disp●nsation ▪ se●ing that it is evident , that the greatest part of them were very able men. st. hierome by namo recommending the going in pilgrimage to jerusalem , went thus far , as 〈◊〉 say ▪ † that it was a part of our faith , to go and 〈◊〉 in ●●ose places , where the feet of our saviour , once st●●d ; and to 〈◊〉 a sigh● of the 〈◊〉 which at this day continue fresh , both of his nativity , cross , and passion . now how doth this agree with that large discourse , which he hath made in another place , to a quite contrary sense ? namely , in his epistle to paulinus ; where at length concluding , he gives him this reason of the length of his discourse ; * to the end ( 〈◊〉 he ) that thou maist not think that any thing is wanting to the compleating of thy faith because thou hast not visited jerusalem ; or , that we are any whit the better for having the opportunity of dwelling in this place . and here he concurs with gregory n●ssen , who ●ath written a discourse , expresly against the opinion of those , † who account it to be one of the parts of pi●●y to have visited jerusalem . let any rational man therefore now judge , whether or no this course must not necessarily embroil , and inwrap in a world of almost inexplicable difficulties , the writings of the fathers . for , how is it possible that we should be able to judge , when they speak as they thought , and when not ? whether they mean really what they say , or whether they make but a flourish only ? whether the bread which they shew us , be to deceive , or to feed us ? whether the problems they propose be solid , or slippery ones ? whether their positions be dogmatical , or oeconomical ? certainly , if our court judgments were framed after this manner , we should never hope to have an end in any suit of law. for as for that which s. hierome saith , that an intelligent , and favourable reader ought to judge of those things which seem hard , out of the rest of the discourse : and not presently to accuse any author of blockishness , for having delivered in one and the same boo● , two contrary opinions : i confess that this is very true ; but yet it doth not remove the difficulty . for how intelligent and discerning a man soever the reader be , it will very often be impossible for him , to make a right judgment in this particular : as for example , when those other things are wanting which s. hierome would have a man to make the measure of his judgment : or , when one bringeth us no more of an author , save only a bare sentence ; the chapter , and book where these words are , which have need to be explained , being quite out of his memory . and how many such are alledged every day , in our disputations ? what can we now do , or which way shall we turn our selves , if meeting with a passage out of any of the fathers , that needeth to be explained , we can find no other place in him concerning the same point ; or if there be none found , but what is as doubtful as the other ; or that is not in some other book controverted it self ? who shall regulate us , amidst such contradictions as these ? but , which is yet worse , those things which s. hierome prescribeth us for a rule , and direction to our judgment , are now in these days of ours very unseasonable , as being harsh , as to the one side , and pleasing to the other ; according to mens several affections , and interest ; according to which they are wont to interpret , and judge of the fathers ; whereas we should rather search in them , which way we are to direct our judgments . and that favourableness which s. hierome requireth in us , cannot be here of any use at all ; but may possibly besides do very much hurt . for the greater the affection is that we bear to any father ; the greater care and pains will we take in vindicating his words , and interpreting them in a sense as far different as we can from what we have long since condemned , as erroneous and unsound ; though possibly this may have been his real sense , and opinion . as for example , in those passages before-cited , out of s. hierome , and gregory nyssen , the protestant accounteth that a very harsh piece of doctrine , which yet his adversary is very well pleased with : the one of them sweats , and torments himself much , in the explaining of such a passage , as appears very easie to the other ; the one takes that for text , which the other accounts but as a gloss . and thus the greater affection men bear to the name , and authority of any one of the fathers , the more do they labour and use their utmost endeavours , to bring him over to speak to their opinion ; that is to say , in plain truth , to force him out of his own ; it being impossible that we should hold both opinions at once . we shall here therefore conclude , that how clear and express so ever the words of the fathers may be , yet nevertheless will it very often so fall out , as that we cannot have any assurance that we have their sense expressed in them ; whether it be in their expositions of the scriptures , or in their homilies and sermons before the people , or lastly , in their disputations with their adversaries , touching their faith. chap. vii . reason vii . that the fathèrs have not always held one and the same belief ; but have sometimes changed some of their opinions , according as their judgment hath grown riper , through study , or age. amongst all the ecclesiastical writers , the pen men of the old and new testament only have received the knowledge of divine things by an extraordinary inspiration : the rest have acquired their knowledge by the ordinary means of instruction , reading , and meditation ; in such sort , as that this knowledge came not unto them in an instant , as it did to the others ; but increased in them by degrees , ripening and growing up by little and little , in proportion as they grew in years : whence it is , that their writings are not all of them of the same weight , nor of the same value . for , who seeth not , that what they , as it were , sportingly wrote in their younger years , is of much less consideration than those other pieces which they wrote in their riper age ? who , for instance , would equal the authority of that epistle of s. hierome to heliodorus , written by him when he had but newly left the rhetorick schools , being yet a child , and full of that innocent and inconsiderate heat which usually attendeth those years , to that of those other graver pieces , which he afterwards sent abroad into the church , when he had now arrived to his full strength , and ripeness of wi● , and to the perfection of his studies ? s. augustine hath left us a remarkable testimony , that the fathers profited by age and study in the knowledge of the truth , when as in his old age , taking pen in hand , he reviewed and corrected all that he had ever written during his whole life ; faithfully and ingenuously noting whatsoever he thought worthy of reprehension , and giving us all those his animadversions collected together in the books of his retractations ; which , in my judgment , is the most glorious and most excellent of all those many monuments which he hath left to posterity ; whether you consider here the learning , or the modesty and sincerity of the man. s. hierome reporteth , that origen also , long before , had in his old age written an epistle to fabianus bishop of rome , wherein he confesseth , that he repented him of many things which he had taught and written . neither is there any doubt , but that some such like thing may have hapned to most of the other fathers ; and that they may have sometime disallowed of that which they had formerly believed , as true . now from this consideration there falls in our way a new difficulty , which we are to grapple with , in this our inquiry into the true , genuine sense of the fathers , touching our present controversies . for , seeing that the condition and nature of their writings is such , it is most evident , that when we would make use of any of their opinions , it will concern us to be very well assured , that they have not only sometime either held or written the same ; but that they have moreover persevered in them to the end . whence vincentius lirinensis , in that passage of his which is so often urged , for the making use of the ancient authors in deciding our present controversies , thinks it not fit that we should be bound to receive whatsoever they have said , for certain and undoubted truth , unless they have assured and confirmed it unto us by their perseverance in the same , as he there speaketh . cardinal perron also evidently sheweth us the same way , by his own practice : for , disputing about the canon of the holy scriptures ( which he pretendeth to have been always the very same in the western church , with that which is delivered unto us by the iii council of carthage , where the maccabees are recko●ed in among the rest ; ) and finding himself hardly pressed by some certain passages alledged by the protestants out of s. hierome to the contrary , he answereth the objection , by saying , among other things , that this father , when he wrote the said passages , was not yet come to the ripeness of his judgment , and perfection of his studies ; whereas afterwards , when he was now more fully instructed in the truth of the sense of the church , he changed his opinion , and retracted ( as this cardinal saith ) both in general , and in particular , whatsoever he had before written in those three prologues , where he had excluded the maccabees out of the canon . and so likewise , to another objection brought to the same purpose , out of the commentaries of s. gregory the great , he gives the like answer , saying , that s. gregory , when he wrote that piece , was not yet come to be pope , but was a plain deacon only , being at that time employed at constantinople , as the popes nuncio to the greeks . now these answers of his are either insufficient ; or else , it will necessarily follow from hence , that we ought not to rest certainly satisfied in the testimony of any father , except we first be assured , that not only he never afterwards retracted that opinion of his ; but that , besides , he wrote it in the strength and ripeness of his judgment . and see now how we are fallen into a new labyrinth : for , first of all , from whence , and by what means may we be able to come truly and certainly to the knowledge of this secret ; when as we can hardly meet with any light conjectures , tending to the making of this discovery , namely , whether a father hath in his old age changed his opinion , touching that point for which it is produced against us , or not ? if they had all of them been either able , or willing to have imitated the modesty of s. augustine , we should then have had little left to trouble us . but you will hardly find any , either of the ancients , or of those of later times , that have followed this example ; unless it be cardinal bellarmine , who hath lately thought good to revive this piece of modesty , which had lain dead and buried for the space of so many ages together , by writing a book of retractations : which book of his is very diversly received by the learned , as well of the one , as of the other religion . but yet , if you will stand stiff upon it , with cardinal perron , and not allow the saying of a father to be of any value , unless it were written by him after the ripeness of his studies ; i shall then despair of our ever making any progress , so much as one step forward , by this means , in the business in hand . for , ( will the one and the other party say , upon every testimony that shall be produced against them ) how do we know whether this father had yet arrived to the ripeness of his judgment , when he wrote this book , or not ? who can tell whether or no those days of his life that he enjoyed after the writing hereof , might not have bestowed as well clearness on his understanding , as whiteness on his head ; and have changed his judgment , as well as his hair ? we suppose here , that no such thing appeareth in any of his other writings . how many authors are there who have changed their opinions , and yet have not retracted what they had formerly written ? but suppose now , that we should have lost that particular tract wherein the author had given testimony of the changing of his opinion ; what should we do in this cafe ? if time should have deprived us of s. augustine's retractations , and some other of his later writings , as it hath of an infinite number of other pieces , both of his , and other of the fathers , which would have been of as great importance to us , we must certainly have thought , that he had believed , that the cause of predestination is the prescience or foreseeing of the faith of men , reading but what he saith in one of the books which he first wrote , namely , a that god hath not elected the works of any man , according to his prescience ; seeing that it is ▪ he himself that gives the same to a man : but , that he hath elected his faith by his pres●ience ; that is , he hath elected those who he foresaw would believe his word ; that is to say , he made choice of them to bestow his holy spirit upon , that so by doing good works they might attain everlasting . life . now would the pelagians and semipelagians have brought this passage as an infallible argument that s. augustine was of their opinion ; but that his retractations , and his other books which were written afterwards , in his later time , clearly make it appear , that this argument is of no force at all ; forasmuch as this learned father , having afterwards better considered of this point , wholly altered his opinion : b i had not ( saith he ) as yet diligently enough inquired into , nor found out , what the election of grace was , whereof the apostle speaketh in these words ; there is a remnant ( to be saved ) according to the election of grace : which certainly is not grace , if any merits preceded it ; so that that which is given , should be rendred rather as due to the merits , than as given freely by grace . now who knoweth , but that among those fathers whom we so confidently alledge every day , some of them may have retracted those things which we at this day read in their works ; and that time may have devoured their retractations of those their opinions , and may have left us only their errors ? besides , who knows , and can truly inform us , what date their writings bear ? whether they were the fruits of their spring , or of their summer , or of their autumn ? whether they were gathered green , or were suffered to ripen upon the tree ? doubtless this whole inquiry is very dark ; there being scarcely any mark of their season to be found upon the greatest part of them . there are indeed some few of them , that have some of these marks ; but yet they are so doubtful and uncertain ones , as that the most able and choicest wits are sometimes deceived in this their inquiry . and when all is done , who knoweth not , that there are some trees that bear their summer-fruit even in the very beginning of the summer , when as the spring-time is yet hardly past ? and again , the fruits which are gathered at the end of the later season , are not always the ripest : for time , in stead of ripening , many times rotteth them . in like manner is it also with men , and consequently with the fathers . sometimes their summer yieldeth much more , and better fruit than their autumn . for , as for the winter , that is to say , the last part of our age , it is evident that it usually brings forth nothing at all , or if it do chance to force it self beyond nature , the fruits it bringeth forth are yet worse , and more crude and imperfect , than those even of the spring . seeing therefore it is for the most part impossible to give any certain judgment of these things , either by the history of these authors , or by their books themselves ; and that again on the other side , without this we ought not to sit down upon any thing we find in their writings , as reckoning we have made a discovery what their opinions have been : we may safely conclude in this point also , as we have done in the former , that it is a very hard matter to know truly and precisely what the opinions and sense of the ancients have been , touching the differences at this day debated amongst us . chap. viii . reason viii . that it is necessary , and withal very hard , to discover how the fathers have held all their several opinions ; whether as necessary , or as probable onely ; and in what degree of necessity , or probability . logick teacheth us , that true propositions are not all equally so ; some of them being but contingent only , as the schools speak ; and others being necessary : and again , both the one and the other being more or less either contingent or necessary , according to that admirable division which the philosopher hath made , into those three degrees of necessity , explained by him in the first book of his demonstrations . and hence it comes to pass , that the knowledge or ignorance of these degrees is the more or less important , in those sciences whereunto they appertain ; there being some of them , as namely , those which they call principles , that are so necessary , as that a man cannot be ignorant of them , without overthrowing the whole science wherein they ought to have place : and there being others again , on the contrary side , that a man may be ignorant of , so far , as to hold their contradictories for true , and yet nevertheless not run any great hazard . as for example , these here following are philosophical principles of the first sort ; namely , that there is motion ; and , that every body occupieth some certain place , and the like . for , i beseech you , what strange philosophy would it be , that should either be ignorant of , or should deny these principles ? but these other following are of the second sort ; namely , that there are precisely but five senses in living creatures ; and , that the heavens are not of an elementary substance , and the like . for , although these propositions are by most held to be true , yet notwithstanding are they not so necessary , but that a man may pass for a philosopher , and yet not only be ignorant of these positions ; but may also , if he please , maintain even those things that are contradictory to them . now if there be any science where this consideration ought carefully to be applied , it is , in my judgment , in this of divinity . for , there is very much difference betwixt the truths whereof it consisteth ; some of them being evidently more necessary than others , as origen proveth plainly , in his xxvii homily upon s. matthew . do but compare these two propositions together ; christ is god ; and , christ suffered death , being of the age of thirty four or thirty five years : who seeth not , that though both these propositions are true , yet notwithstanding there is a very vast difference betwixt them . for , the former of these is necessarily true , that is to say , it is true in such sort , as that it is impossible but that christ should be god ; the salvation of mankind , which is the end of our religion , being otherwise not possibly to be obtained : but as for the second , notwithstanding that it is true , and is collected clearly enough out of the scriptures , yet is it not at all necessary . for , christ might , if he had so pleased , have suffered at the fortieth or fiftieth year of his age , without any prejudice at all to our salvation , which was the end of his suffering . now according to this diversity of d●grees , the belief or ignorance of these two propositions are also of very different importance . the first of them we may not be ignorant of , and much less deny , without renouncing christianity . the second we may be ignorant of , and even deny too , as supposing it false , yet without any great danger . to be able therefore to come to a clear and perfect understanding , what was the sense of the fathers touching the points of religion at this day controverted amongst us , it is necessary that we should know , not only whether they believed , or not believed them ; but also , how they believed , or not believed them : that is to say , whether they held them as propositions necessarily , or probably , either true , or false ; and besides , in what degree either of necessity , or probability they placed them . now that this inquiry is very necessary , cardinal perron hath clearly demonstrated in that learned epistle of his , written to casaubon , against k. james . for , the king attributing to himself the name of catholick , under pretence that he believed , and held all those things , that the fathers of the four or five first centuries did ; the cardinal denies his sequel ; replying , among other things , that to be of the communion of the ancients , a man ought not only to believe what they believed , but also to believe it in the same manner , and in the same degree , that they did : that is to say , to believe as necessary to salvation , what they believed as necessary to salvation ; and to believe as profitable to salvation , what they held for such ; and for lawful , and not repugnant to salvation , what they held for lawful , and not repugnant to salvation . and thus he goes on , and gives us a long and exact division of the different degrees of necessity , which may , and ought to be considered , in all propositions touching religion . i could heartily wish that this occasion had carried on this learned prelate so far , as to have made an exact application of this doctrine , and to have truly enformed us , of what the greatest part of the world is at this day ignorant ; namely , in what degree each point of the christian faith is held , either by the church of rome , or by the ancient fathers ; & what things are absolutely necessary in religion ; and what are those other things , that are necessary under some certain conditions only : which again are necessary by the necessity of the means ; and which , by the necessity of the precept ; ( as he there speaks : ) that is to say , which are those things , that we ought to observe , either by reason of their profit , as being means which are profitable to salvation : and which we are to observe , by reason of the commandment only , being enjoined us by such an authority , as we owe obedience to : and after all these points , which again all ▪ and every of the faithful are bound to believe expresly ; and , which are those , that it is sufficient to believe in gross only , and by an i●plicite faith : and lastly , which are those things that we ought actually to do ▪ and , which are those , that it is sufficient if we approve of them only , though we do them not . so that it appeareth clearly out of these words of his , that to be able to know , what the belief of the fathers hath been , especially in the points now in debate , we ought first to be assured , in what degree they believed the same . and that this distinction was of very great consideration with the antient church , it appears sufficiently out of the special regard which it always had unto it ; opening to , or shutting the door against men , first of all , according to the things which they believed , or not believed : secondly , according to the different manners , how they believed , or not believed them . for it excommunicated those who rejected those things that it held as necessary ; and so likewise , those , who pressed as things necessary , such as it held for things probable only . but it received , with all the sweetness that might be , all those who either were ignorant of , or doubted of , or indeed denied those things which it accounted though true , yet not necessarily so . this appeareth clearly , out of an epistle written by irenaeus to victor bishop of rome , set down by eusebius , in his ecclesiastical history : where this holy man testifieth , that although there had been before victors time , the same difference betwixt the asian and the roman church , touching the celebration of easter-day ▪ yet notwithstanding they lived in peace , and mutual amity together ; neither were any of the asian bishops ever excommunicated at rome , for their dissenting from them , either in this , or in any other point : but that rather on the contrary , polycarpus , coming to rome , in the time of pope anicetus , after they had had a conference touching the differences betwixt them , and each of them continued still firm in his former opinion ; yet notwithstanding did they not forbear to hold fair correspondence with each other , and to communicate together ; anicetus also , out of the respect he bare to polycarpus , allowing him the use of his own church , to celebrate the eucharist in . tertullian in his book , † de praescriptionibus adversus haereticos , requires only that the rule of faith ( as he calls it ) should continue in its proper form , and order ; allowing every man , in all other particulars , to make what inquiries and discourses he please , and to exercise his curiosity to the height of liberty : which is an evident argument , that he admitted into his communion all those who not contradicting the rule of faith , broached any other opinions ; if so be they held them but as probable only ; and proposed not any thing which was contrary to the rule of faith. the author of the * apology of origen published by ruffinus ▪ under the name of pamphilus , was of the same opinion also ▪ for , having confessed , that origen , if not held , yet published some certain very strange opinions , touching the state of the soul before the birth of man , and concerning the nature of the stars ; he wi●hal maintains , that these opinions do not presently make a man an h●retick ▪ and that even among the doctors of the church there was diversity of opinion touching the same . but besides all this , it is evident that this difference of judgment is even at this day to be found in the church of rome ; where you shall find the jacobins and the franc●s●ans maintaining opinions utterly contradictory to each other , touching the conception of the virgin mary ; the one of them maintaining that she was conceived without sin ; whereas the other utterly deny it . and , that which makes me wonder the more , is , that they suffer such contradictory opinions as these to be held amongst them , in such particulars , as considered barely in themselves , seem yet to be of very great importance . as for example , a man may either believe that we oug●● to yield to the cross the adoration of latria ; or , if he please , he may believe the contrary ; without losing , either by reason of the one , or the other , the communion of the church , and salvation . and yet notwithstanding if you but consider the thing in it self , it will appear to be a matter of no such indifferency as people take it for . for , if the former of these opinions be indeed true ; then must those that are of the other opinion , needs sin very grievously , in not worshipping a subject , that is so worthy of adoration . but if it be false , then are those men that maintain the same , guilty of a much greater sin , by committing so horrible idolatry . what point is there in religion , that seemeth to be of greater importance than that , touching the foundation , and head of all ecclesiastical power , upon the authority whereof the whole faith , and state of the church turneth ? and yet , touching this particular also , which is of so great consequence , do they suffer men to maintain contradictory opinions ; some attributing this dignity to the pope ; and others , to a general council . now if the opinion of the first of these be true , then is the faith of the later built upon a very erroneous ground : but if the opinion of the later be true , than doth the faith of the former depend upon a cause , which is not infallible ; and consequently is null . now these different opinions are reconciled , by saying , that the church accounting neither of these beliefs as necessary to faith ; a man is not presently an heretick , for holding the false opinion of the two ; nor yet is he to be counted orthodox , meerly for holding the true one . seeing therefore that this particular concerns the communion of the church , and our salvation also , which dependeth thereon ; it will behove us to know certainly , in what degree the ancients placed those articles , which are at this day so eagerly pressed upon the protestants ; and whether they held them in the same , or in a higher , or else in a lower degree of necessity , than they are now maintained by the church of rome . for , unless this be made very clear , the protestants , though they should confess , ( which yet they do not , ) that the fathers did indeed really believe the same ; might yet alledge for themselves , that notwithstanding all this , they are not bound to believe the same ; for as much as all opinions in religion are not presently obligatory , and such as all men are bound to believe ; seeing that there are some that are indeed necessary , but some others that are not so . they will answer likewise , that these opinions are like to those at this day controverted , betwixt the dominicans , and the franciscans ; or to those other points , debated betwixt the sorbonists and the regulars : wherein every one is permitted to hold what he pleaseth . they will urge for themselves the determination of the council of trent , which in express terms distinguisheth betwixt the opinions of the fathers ; where having thundred out an anathema , against all those that should maintain , that the administring of the eucharist was necessary for little infants , they further declare , that this thunderbolt extended not to those antient fathers , who gave the communion to little infants ; for as much as they maintained , and practised this , being moved thereunto upon probable reasons only , and not accounting it necessary to salvation . seeing therefore that some errors , which have been condemned by councils , may be maintained in such a certain degree , without incurring thereby the danger of their thunderbolts : by the same reason a man may be ignorant of , and even deny some truths also , without running the hazard of being anathematized . who can assure us , ( may the protestants further add ) that the articles which we reject , are not of this kind ? and such , as that though perhaps they may be true , it is nevertheless lawful for us not to believe . my opinion therefore is , that there is no man now that seeth not , that it concerns the doctors of the roman church , if they mean to convince their adversaries out of the fathers first to make it appear unto them , that the antients held the said points , not only as true , but as necessary also , and in the very same degree of necessity that they now hold them . now this must needs prove a business of most extream difficulty , and much greater here , than in any of the other particulars before proposed . and i shall alledge no other argument for the proof of this , than that very decree we cited before , where the council of trent hath declared , that the fathers did not administer the communion to infants , out of any opinion that it was necessary to salvation ; but did it upon some other probable reasons only . for , we have not only very good reason to doubt , whether the fathers held this opinion , and followed this practice , as probable only , but it seemeth besides ( with all reverence to that council be it spoken , ) to appear evidently enough out of their writings , that they did hold it as necessary . for , do but hear the fathers themselves ▪ and st. augustine in the first place : who saith , † that the churches of christ hold , by an antient , and as i conceive ( saith he ) an apostolical tradition , that without baptism , and the communicating of the lords table , no man can come either into the kingdom of god or unto salvation , or eternal life . and afterwards having , as he conceives ▪ proved this out of the scriptures , he addeth further : seeing therefore that no man can hope either for eternal , life , or salvation , without baptism , and the body and blood of christ , ( thus doth he call the sacrament of the eucharist , according to the language of his time ; ) as hath been proved by so many divine testimonies ; in vain is it promised to infants , without the participating of these . and some three chapters before , treating of those words of our saviour in s. john , except you eat my flesh , and drink my blood , you can have no life in you : which words he understandeth , both there an● 〈◊〉 where , of the communicating of the e●charist ; he makes a long discourse to prove , that they extend as well to little infants , as to people of riper ag● . † 〈◊〉 there any man saith he , that dares affirm that thi● sp●ech belongeth not to little 〈…〉 o● that they may have life in them ▪ without participating of this body ▪ and of this blo●d ? and this is this constant manner of speaking , in eight or ten other passages in his * works , which are too long to be here inserted ▪ pope innocent i ▪ his contemporany ▪ speaketh also after the same manner ▪ proving against the pelagians , that baptism is necessary for infants , to render them capable of eternal life ; for as much as , without baptism they cannot † communicate of the e●charist , which is necessary to salvation . * s. cyprian also , long before them spake to the very same sense : and this † maldonate affirmeth ▪ to have been the opinion of the six first centuries . these things considered , we must needs think one of these two things following ; namely , that either the council of trent , by its declaration , hath made that , which hath been , to be as if it never had been ; which is a power , that the poet * agath● in aristotle would not allow to god himself : or else , that the fathers of this council , either out of forgetfulness , or otherwise , mistook themselves in this account of theirs , touching the opinion of the ancient church in this particular : which , in my judgment ▪ is the more favourable , and the more probable conceit of the two : and if so , i shall then desire no more . for , if these great personages , who were chosen with so much care , and circumspection , out of all parts of christendom , and sent to trent , to deliberate upon , and determine a business of the greatest importance in the world ; and were directed by the legats of so exquisite a wisdom ▪ and digested their decrees with a judgment so ripe , and slow-paced , as that there is scarcely any one word in them , but hath its design ; if after all this , i say , these men should be ●ound to have erred in this their inquiry , in affirming , that the fathers held only as probable , that which they evidently appear to have held as necessary : if pope pius vi. with his whole consistory , consisting of so many eminent , and wise men , hath approved and confirmed this mistake of theirs , not perceiving it at all : what can we , or indeed what ought we to expect from any other hands , whose soever they be , as touching the points now controverted betwixt us ; in comparison of which , a man may very well say , that all the difficulty , that this matter now spoken of yieldeth , is nothing at all , wherein notwithstanding this whole council mistook it self ? where shall we find a m that after this their failing , can have the courage to adventure upon so difficult , and so intricate an undertaking ? who can promise himself success there , where so great a council hath failed ? the very hope of effecting so weighty a matter can hardly be excused from the guilt of high pr●sumption . for , first of all , the fathers tell us very seldom , in what degree either of necessity , or probability , they held their opinions : and even when they do tell us , their expressions being such , as we have observed of them , we ought not presently to conclude any thing from them , without first examining them throughly . for , many t●mes , when they would recommend unto us such things , as they accounted profitable for us ; they would speak of them , as if they had been necessary : and so again , to take off our belief of , and to divert our affections from such things as they conceived either to be simply false , or otherwise unprofitable for us ; they represented them as the most detestable and pernicious things that could be . whosoever fasteth upon the lords day , or upon any saturday , except that one saturday , ( he meaneth easter-eve ) he is a murtherer of christ , said s. ignatius . who would not think , hearing these so tragical expressions of his , that certainly he was speaking of the very foundation of the whole christian religion ? and yet the business he there speaks of , was only the observation of a certain part of a positive law , and which yet ( as most are of opinion ) was at that time received but by a part onely of the church ; the belief and observation whereof was so far from being reckoned among those things that were necessary , that it was scarcely placed in the first degree of probability ; and is now at length utterly abolished too . this manner of discoursing is very frequently used by tertullian , s. ambrose , and especially by s. hierome ▪ who are all so eager for the side which they take to , that you would think , in reading them , that all those whom they commend , were very angels ; and all those other , whom they speak against , arrant devils : that whatsoever they maintain , are the very foundations and ground-work of the christian religion ; and whatsoever they refute , is meer atheism , and the highest impiety ▪ that may be . certainly s. hierome , writing to a certain roman matron , named furia , who was a widow , and disswading her from marrying again , discourseth of this matter in the very same manner as he would have done in disswading her from the committing of murther . and here are we to call to mind again the divers reasons of the obscurity of the fathers , and particularly that of their rhetorick , all which have place in this particular , rather than in any other . so that there seemeth to be but one onely certain way left us to discover in what degree they placed the propositions of christian doctrine ; namely , their creeds , and expositions of their faith , whether they were general or particular ones ; and the determinations of their councils and ecclesiastical assemblies . for we may very well believe , that they held as necessary all such points , as they made profession of in such a manner , anathematizing all such as should deny the same . and by this rule we may indeed assure our selves , that they held , as necessary , the greatest part of all those points wherein we at this day agree among our selves . and some of these we have formerly set down in our preface ; for they are most of them either delivered expresly in their creeds , or else positively determined in their councils ; and the contradictors of them , there expresly condemned . but yet this rule will scarcely be of any use at all to us , in the decilion of our present controversies : for , some of them appear not at all , neither in that rule of faith so often mentioned by tertullian , nor in the nicen creed , nor in that of co●stanti●ople , nor in the determinations of the council of ephesus , nor yet in those of chalcedon . the first of these councils anathematized arius ; the second , macedonius ; the third , nestorius ; and the fourth , eutyches : and yet nevertheless are the several tenets of these very men at this day received , and maintained by one side or other . nay , which is more , the aforesaid articles do not at all appear neither in the two following councils ; namely , the second council of constantinople , which condemned certain writings of theodorus , theodoretus , and ibas , as we have touched before ; nor yet in the iii council of constantinople , which anathematized the monothelites , and was held about the year of our lord dclxxxi . and yet have these six first councils ( if you will believe the fathers of the vii ) established and confirmed all those things which had been taught in the catholick church , down from the primitive times , whether by writing , or by vnwritten tradition . so that it will hence follow , that these points , which appear not here in the said six first councils at all , were not delivered from the beginning , neither in writing , nor otherwise . only about the eighth century , and so for a good while afterward , we find mention of one of those points now controverted among us , namely , that touching images ; which was diversly and contrarily determined in the councils of constantinople , of nicaea , and of francfort : the second of these councils enjoyning the vse and adoration of images ; whereas the first had utterly forbid it ; and the last of these councils taking off , and correcting , as it were , the excesses of the other two. what can you say to this , that neither in the writings of particular men , which yet are usually more copious , and fuller , than the determinations of councils are , there is so much as any mention made of the said points ? epiphanius , in the conclusion of his treatise of heresies , gives us two discourses ; in the one whereof he setteth down the order , customs , and discipline of the church in his time : wherein i must needs say , that there are very many things which much differ from the customs that are at this day observed by us , both of the one side , and of the other . in the other is contained an exposition of the faith of the church , set down at large , which he calleth , * the pillar of the truth , the hope and assurance of immortality . and yet of all those controversies which are at this day debated amongst us , you shall there meet with onely one which is touching the local descent of our saviour christ into hell : which yet is an article of very small importance , as every one knows . in the acts of the sixth council we have a synodical epistle of sophronius , patriarch of jerusalem , wherein , as the usual custom was , he explaineth the faith , in a very large and particular manner : and yet notwithstanding , you shall no there meet with any of those points which are now controverted amongst us . those that shall search more narrowly into the business , will be apt positively to conclude from this their silence , that these points were not at that time any part of the belief of the church : and certainly this their way of argumentation seems not to want reason . but as for my own particular , it is sufficient for me , that it confirmeth the truth of my assertion , which is , that it is , if not an impossible , yet at least a very hard thing , to discover in what degree either of necessity , or probability , the ancient fathers held each of those points which are now debated amongst us ; seeing that they appear not at all , neither in the expositions of their faith , nor yet in the determinations of their councils ; which are as it were the catalogues of those points which they accounted necessary . chap. ix . reason ix . we ought to know what hath been the opinion , not of one , or more of the fathers , but of the whole ancient church ; which is a very hard matter to be found out . those who make most account of the writings of the fathers , and who urge them the oftnest in their disputations , do inform us , that the weight of their sayings in these matters proceeds from hence , that they are as so many testimonies of the general sense and judgment of the church ; to which alone these men attribute the supreme power of judging in controversies of religion . for , if we should consider them severally , each by himself , and as they stand by their own strength onely , they confess , that they may chance to erre . so that it will follow hence , that to the end we may make use of the testimonies of the fathers , it is not sufficient for us to know whether such or such sayings be truly theirs ; and , if so , what the meaning of them is : but we ought further also to be very well assured , that they are conformable to the belief of the church in their time : in like manner as in a court of judicature , the opinion of any single person of the bench is of no weight at all , as to the passing of judgment , unless it be conformable to the opinion of all the rest , or at least of the major part of the company . and now see how we are fallen again into new difficulties . for , whence , and by what means may we learn , whether the whole church , in the time of justin martyr , or of s. augustine , or of s. hierome , maintained the same opinions in every particular , that these men severally did , or not ? i confess , that the charity of these men was very great ; and that they very heartily and constantly embraced the body and substance of the belief of the church , in all particulars that they saw apparently to be such . but , where the church did not at all deliver it self , and expresly declare what its sense was ; they could not possibly , how great soever their desire of so doing might have been , follow its authority , as the rule of their opinions . wheresoever therefore they treat of points which were long since decided , believed , and received , expresly , and positively , by the whole christian church , either of their own age , or of any of the preceding ages ; it is very probable that they did conform to what was believed by the church ; so that , in these cases , their saying may very well pass for a testimony of the judgment and sense of the church ; it being very improbable , that they could be either ignorant what was the publick doctrine of the church ; or that knowing the same , they would not follow it . as for example , when athanasius , s. ambrose , s. hierome , s. augustine , and others , discourse touching the son of god , they speak nothing but what is conformable to the belief of the church in general ; because that the belief of the church had then been clearly and expresly delivered upon this point : so that whatsoever they say , as to this particular , may safely be received , as a testimony of the churches belief . and the like may be done in all the other points , which have either been positively determined in any of the general councils , or delivered in any of the creeds , or that any other way appeareth to have been the publick belief of the church . if the fathers had but contained themselves within these bounds , and had not taken liberty to treat of any thing , save what the church had clearly delivered its judgment upon ; this rule might then have been received as a general one ; and , what opinion soever we found in them , we might safely have concluded it to have been the sense of the church that was in their time . but the curiosity of mans nature , together with the impudence of the hereticks , and the tenderness of conscience , whether of their own or of others , and divers other reasons perhaps , having partly made them willingly , and partly forced , and as it were constrained them to go on further , and to proceed to the search of the truth of several points , which had not as yet been established by the universal and publick consent of all christians , it could not be avoided , but that necessarily they must in these inquiries make use of their own proper light , and must deliver upon the same their own private opinions ; which the church , which came after them , hath since either embraced , or rejected . i shall not here stand to prove this my assertion , since it is a thing that is confessed on all hands , and whereof the romanists make special use upon all occasions , in answering several objections brought against them out of the fathers . as , for example , where cardinal bellarmine excuseth the error of pope john xxii , touching the state of the departed souls , before the resurrection , by saying , that the church in his time had not as yet determined any thing touching this particular . and so likewise , where he applies the same plaister to that ( in his judgment ) so unsound opinion of pope nicolas i , who maintained that baptism administred in the name of jesus christ onely , without expressing the other persons of the holy trinity , was not withstanding valid and effectual . * this is a point ( saith bellarmine ) touching which we find not the church to have determined any thing . and , how dangerous , and almost heretical soever the opinion of those men seem to him to be , who hold , that the pope of rome may fall into heresie ; yet doth he permit pope adrian to hold the same , not daring to rank him among the hereticks , because that the church had not as yet clearly and definitively delivered it self touching this point . the same bellarmine , in another controversie of great importance , touching the canonical books of the old testament , finding himself hardly put to it , by his adversaries urging against him the authority of s. hierome , who casts tobit , the book of wisdom , ecclesiasticus , and the maccabees , out of the canon , contrary to the judgment of the church of rome , which receiveth them in ▪ rids his hands of this objection , after the same manner . i confess ( saith he ) that s. hierome held this opinion , because that no general council had as yet ordained any thing touching these books . seeing therefore it is most clear , both from the confession of our adversaries , and also by the consideration of the thing it self , that the fathers have ven●ed in their writings very many of their own particular opinions , digested out of their own private meditations , and which they had not learnt in the school of the church ; who sees not , that before we give any certain credit unto their sayings , we ought first to be assured of what nature they are ? whether they were their own particular opinions onely , or the publick sense of their age ? since it is confessed by all , that those of the former sort are not always obligatory necessarily ; but are such as oftentimes may , and sometimes ought to be rejected , without any scruple at all . you will object , perhaps , to a protestant , that s. hierome ▪ worshipped the reliques of departed saints . how shall i know ( will he reply upon you again ) whether this was his private opinion onely , or not ? if the authority of this father , for want of being grounded upon some publick declaration of the church , could not bind bellarmine to receive his opinion , touching the canon of the old testament ; why should this opinion of his , which is not any whit better grounded than the other , perswade me to the worship of reliques ? the same will he reply upon you , and many times with much more appearance of reason , concerning divers other testimonies produced out of the fathers . so that , whether you would confirm your own faith , or whether you would wrest out of your adversaries hand this manner of reply , and make good all such allegations ; it will concern you to make it clear , concerning any passage whatsoever , that you shall urge out of a father , that it is not his own private opinion , but was the opinion of the church it self wherein he lived : which , in my judgment , is a thing that is as hard , or harder to be demonstrated , than any one of all those things we have yet discoursed of . for , those means by which we might easily attain to this knowledge , are wanting unto us ; and those which we have left us , are very weak , and very little concluding . if the fathers themselves had but taken so much pains as to have distinguished betwixt these two sorts of opinions , informing us in every particular case , which were their own private opinions only , and which were taught by the whole church ; or , at least , had but proposed some of them as doubtful , and others again as assured truths , in like manner as origen hath sometimes done ; they would indeed have eased us very much : though , to say the truth , they would not have wholly cured us of our grief : forasmuch as sometimes ( as we shall hereafter make it appear ) they attribute to the church those things , which it is most evident that it never held . but they very seldom use to make any such distinction , but commonly ●ent their own private opinions in the very same manner as they do the publick ▪ and sometimes also , by reason of the passion , which these authors may chance naturally to have been subject unto , be the thing what it will , we shall have them recommending unto us with more eagerness , that which they have conceived , and brought forth themselves , than that which they have received from any other hand : so that we shall meet with very little in them , that may give us any light in this particular . there would be left us yet another help in this business , by comparing that which they say here and there throughout their writings , with the publick opinions of the church , which would be a pretty safe and certain rule to go by , had we any where else besides their books , any clear and certain evidence , what the belief of the church hath been , in each several age , touching all points of religion : and if this were so , we should not then need to trouble our selves with the studying the writings of the fathers ; seeing that we read them for no other purpose , but only to discover out of them , what the opinion of christendom hath been , touching those points which are at this day controverted betwixt us . but now there is no man but knows , but this help is wanting to us . for , setting aside the creeds , and the determinations of the six first general councils , and of some few of the provincial , you will not meet with any piece of this nature , throughout the whole stock of antiquity . now , ( as we have already made it appear in the preceding chapter , ) the ancient church hath not any where declared , neither in its creeds , nor in the aforesaid councils , what the opinion and sense of it hath been , touching the greatest part of those points , which are now in dispute amongst us . it followeth therefore , that by this means we shall never be able to distinguish , in the writings of the fathers , which were their own private opinions , and which they held in common with the rest of the church . if we could indeed learn from any creditable author , that the present controversies had ever been decided by the ancient church ; we should then readily believe , that the fathers would have followed this their decision : and then , although the co●stitutions themselves should not perhaps have come down to our hands , yet notwithstanding should we be in some sort obliged to believe , that the fathers who had both seen , and assented to the same , would also have delivered over the sense of them unto us in their writings . but we meet with no such thing in any author : but it rather appears evidently to the contrary , through the whole course of ecclesiastical story , that these matters were never so much as started , in the first ages of christianity ; so far have they been from being then decided . so that it manifestly appeareth from hence , that if the fathers of those primitive times have by chance said any thing of them ; they fetched not what they said from the determinations of the church , which had not as yet declared it self touching the same ; but vented rather their own private thoughts and opinions . neither will it be to any purpose to object here , that the testimonies of many fathers together do represent unto us the sence of the church ; although the voice of one or two single persons only is not sufficient to do the same . for , not to answer , that that which hath hapned to one , may have hapned to many others ; and , that if some particular persons chance to have fallen upon some particular opinions , possibly others may either have accompanied , or else have followed them in the same : i say further , that this objection is of no force at all in this particular . for , seeing that the church had not as yet declared its opinion publickly , touching the points at this day controverted ; it is as impossible that many together , that lived in the same time , should represent it unto us , as that one single person should . how could they possibly have seen that ; which lay as yet concealed ? how could they possibly measure their belief by such a rule , as was not yet visible to the world ? the chiliasts alledge the testimonies , not of one , not of two , but of a very great number of the most eminent and the most ancient among the fathers , who were all of their opinion as we shall see hereafter . the answer , that is ordinarily made to the objection , is , that the church having not as yet declared its sence touching this point , the testimonies of these men bind us not to believe the same : which is an evident argument , that a great number , in this case , signifies no more than a small , in the representing unto us , what the belief of the church hath been ; and that it is necessary , that either by some general council , or else by some other publick way , it must have declared its judgment touching any question in debate that so we may know whether the fathers have been of the same judgment , or no. so that according to this account , we are to raise up again the whole ancient church , and to call it to account , touching every of these particular points now debated , touching which the testimonies of the fathers are alledged ; it being impossible otherwise to give any certain judgment , whether that which they say be their own private , or else the publick opinion ; that is to say , whether it be fit to be believed , or not . so that any man , that is but of the meanest judgment , may easily perceive how that it is not only a difficult , but also almost an impossible thing , to gather out of the writings of the fathers so much light , as is necessary we should have , for our satisfaction in matters of so great importance . chap. x. reason . that it is a very hard matter to know , whether the opinions of the fathers , touching the controversies of these times , were received by the church vniversal , or but by some part of it only : which yet is necessarily to be known , before we can make use of any allegations out of them . but suppose that a father , relieving us in this difficult , or rather impossible business , should tell us in express terms , that what he proposeth , is the sense and opinion of the church in his time ; yet would not this quite deliver us out of the doubtful condition we are in . for , besides that their words are many times , in such cases as these , liable to exception , suppose that it were certainly and undoubtedly so ; yet would it concern us then to examine , what that church was , whereof he speaketh ; whether it were the church vniversal , or only some particular church , and whether it were that of the whole world , or that of some city , province , or country only . now that this is a matter of no small importance is evident from hence ; because that the opinions of the church vniversal in points of faith are accounted infallible , and necessarily true : whereas those of particular churches are not so , but are confessed to be subject to errour . so that the question being here touching the faith , which ought not to be grounded upon any thing , save what is infallibly true ; it will concern us to know , what the judgment of the church vniversal hath been ; seeing the opinion of no particular church can do us any service in this case . and , that this distinction is also otherwise very necessary , appears evidently by this ; because that the opinions and customs , which have been commonly received by the greatest part of christendom , have not always presently taken place in each particular church ; and again , those which have been received in some certain particular churches , have not been entertained by all the rest . thus we find in story , that the churches of asia minor kept the feast of easter upon a different day from all the other parts of christendom : and although the business it self seems to be of no very great importance , yet did it nevertheless cause a world of stir in the church ; victor , bishop of rome , by reason of this little difference , excommunicating all asia minor . now each party here alledged their reasons , and apostolical tradition for what they did ; speaking with so great confidence in the justification of their own opinion , as that hearing them severally , a man would verily believe , that each of their opinions was the very sense of the whole church ; which notwithstanding was but the opinion of one part of it only . the greatest part of christendom held the baptism of hereticks to be good and effectual ; and received all those , who forsaking their heresie , desired to be admitted into the communion of the church , without re-baptizing them ; as appears out of st. cyprian , who confesseth that this had also been the custom formerly , even in the african churches themselves . and yet notwithstanding † firmilianus , archbishop of caesaria in cappadocia , testifies , that the churches of cappadocia had time out of mind believed and practised the contrary ; and had also in his time so declared and ordained , together with the churches of galatia and cilicia , in a full synod , held at the city iconium . and about the same time also st. cyprian and the bishops of africk fell upon the same business , and embraced this opinion of re-baptization of hereticks . the acts of the council held at carthage are yet extant ; where you have bishops , who with one unanimous consent established the same . the custom at rome in tertullians time , was , to receive into the communion of the church all fornicators and adulterers , after some certain penances , which they enjoyned them . tertullian , who was a montanist , exclaimed fearfully against this custom , and wrote a book expresly against it ; which is also extant among his works at this day . who now , that should read this piece of his , would not believe that it was the general opinion of all catholicks , that such sinners were not to be excluded from penance , and the communion of the church ? and yet for all this it is evident , out of a certain epistle of st. cyprian , that even some of the catholick bishops of africa were of the contrary perswasion : and the jesuit petavius is further of opinion , that this indulgency was not allowed , nor practised in the churches of spain , till a long time after ; and , that the ancient rigour , which excluded for ever such offenders from the communion of the church , was in practice among them , till the time of pacianus , bishop of barcellona , who left not any hopes of ecclesiastical absolution , either to idolaters , murtherers , or adulterers ; as may be seen in his exhortation to repentance . in the year of our lord . the council of laodicea ordained , that none but the canonical books of the old and new testament should be read in churches , giving us withal a catalogue of the said books , which amount in all , in the old testament , to the number of twenty two only ; without making any mention at all of those other books , which cardinal perron calls posthumous , namely ecclesiasticus , the book of wisdom , the maccab●es , judith , and tobit . all the canons of this council were afterwards inserted into the code of the church universal ; where you have this very canon also , num. . that is as much as to say , they were received , as rules of the catholick church . who would believe now , but that this declaration of the canon of the scriptures was at that time received by all christian churches ? and yet notwithstanding you have the churches of africk , meeting together in the synod at † carthage , about the year of our lord . and ordaining quite contrary to the former resolution of laodicea , that among those books which were allowed to be read in churches , the maccabees , judith , tobit , ecclesiasticus , and the book of wisdom , ( which two last they also reckon among the books written by solomon , ) should be taken into the number . who knoweth not the difference that there was , in the first ages of christianity , betwixt the eastern and the western churches , touching the * fasting upon saturdays ; the church of rome maintaining it is lawful , and all the rest of the world accounting it unlawful ? whence it was , that we had that so † bold canon passed in the council at constantinople , in trullo , in these words : vnderstanding , that in the city of rome , in the time of the holy fast of lent , they fast on saturdays , contrary to the custom , and tradition of the church ; it seemeth good to this holy council , that in the roman church they inviolably also observe that canon , which saith ; that , whosoever shall be found to fast either upon the lords day , or upon the saturday , ( excepting only that one saturday , ) if he be a clergie-man , he shall be deposed ; but if be be of the laity , he shall be excommunicated . who knoweth not , after how many several ways the fast of lent was anciently observed in divers churches , an account whereof is given you by irenaeus , in that pious * epistle of his , which he wrote to victor ; part whereof eusebius setteth down in his ecclesiastical history ? who doth not also know , that the opinions , and expressions of the greek church , touching free-will , and predestination , are extremely different , from what the church believed , and taught in s. augustines time , and so downward ? and as concerning the discipline of the church , do but hear anastasius bibliothecarius , upon the vi canon of the vii general council , which enjoyneth all metropolitans to hold provincial synods once a year . † neither let it at all trouble thee , ( saith he ) that we have not this decree ; seeing that there are some others found among the canons , whose authority nevertheless we not admit of . for , some of them are in force , and are observed in the greek church ; and others again in certain other provinces only . as for example , the xvi and xvii . canons of the council of laodicea are observed only among the greeks ; and the vi ▪ and the viii canons of the council of africk , are received by none , but the africans only . i could here produce divers other examples ; but these may suffice , to shew , that the opinions and customs , which have been received in one part of the church , have not always been entertained in all the rest . whence it evidently follows , that all that is acknowledged , as the opinion , or observation of the church , ought not therefore presently to pass for an universal law. the protestant alledgeth , for the justifying his canon of the scriptures , the council of laodicea , before mentioned . thou answerest him perhaps , that this indeed was the opinion of the churches ; but it was only of some particular churches . i shall not here enter into an examination , whether this answer be well grounded , or not : it is sufficient for me , that i can safely then conclude from hence , that according to this account , before you can make use of any opinion , or testimony out of any of the fathers , it is necessary , that you first make it appear , not only that it was the opinion of the church at that time ; but you must further also clearly demonstrate unto us ▪ what churches opinion it was ; whether of the church universal , or else of some particular church only . it is objected against the protestants , that epiphanius testifieth , that the church admitted not into the higher orders of the ministry , any save those that were virgins , or professed continency . now to make good this allegation , it is necessary that it be first proved , that the church he there speaks of , was the church universal . for ( will the protestant reply upon you , ) as laodicea hath had , as it seems , a particular opinion touching the canon of the scriptures ; possibly also cyprus may in like manner have had its particular resolutions touching the ordination of the clergy . the like may be said of the greatest part of those other observations and opinions of the ancient church . now how difficult a business it will be , to clear these matters , which are so full of perplexity , and to distinguish of antiquity , at this so great a distance of time , severing that which was publick from what was particular , and that which was provincial from what was national , and what was national from that which was vniversal , any man may be able to give some kind of guess ; but none can throughly understand , save he that hath made trial of it . do but fancy to your selves a city that hath lain ruinated a thousand years , no part whereof remains , save onely the ruines of houses , lying all along here and there confusedly ; all the rest being covered all over with thorns and bushes . imagine then that you have met with one that will undertake to shew you precisely where the publick buildings of the city stood , and where the private ; which were the stones that belonged to the one , and which belonged to the other ; and , in a word , who , in these confused heaps , where the whole lies all together , will , notwithstanding , separate ye the one from the other . the very same task , in a manner , doth he undertake , who ever shall go about truly and precisely to distinguish the opinions of the ancient church . this antiquity is now of eleven or twelve hundred years standing : and the ruines of it are now onely left us , in the books of the writers of that time , which also have met with none of the best entertainment , in their passage through the several ages down to our time , as we have shewed before . how then dare we entertain the least hope , that amidst this so great confusion , we should be able yet to distinguish the pieces , and to tell which of them honoured the publick temple , and which went to the furnishing of private chappels onely ? especially considering , that the private ones have each of them ambitiously endeavoured to make their own pass for publick . for where is the province , or the city , or the doctor , that hath not boastingly cried up his own opinions , and observations , as apostolical ? and which hath not used his utmost endeavour to gain them the repute of being vniversal ? s. hierome allows every particular province full liberty to do herein as they please . let every province ( saith he ) abound in its own sense ; and let them account of the ordinances of their ancestors , as of apostolical laws . it is true indeed , that he speaks in this place onely of certain observations of things which are in themselves indifferent : but yet , that which he hath permitted them in these matters , they have practised in all other . i shall not here trouble my self to produce any other reasons to prove the difficulty of this inquiry , because i should then be forced to repeat a great part of that which hath been already delivered . for , if it be a very hard matter to attain to any certain knowledge what the sense of the writings of the fathers is , as we have proved before ; how much more difficult a thing will it be , to discover whether their opinions were the opinions of the particular churches wherein they lived , or else were the opinions of the church universal in their age : the same things which cause obscurity in the one , having as much or rather more reason of doing the like in the other . and if you would fully understand how painful an undertaking this is , do but read the disputations of the learned of both parties , touching this point ; where you shall meet with so many doubts and contradictions , and such diversity of opinions , that you will easily conclude , that this is one of the greatest difficulties that is to be met withal throughout the whole study of antiquity . chap. xi . reason xi . that it is impossible to know exactly what the belief of the ancient church , either vniversal or particular , hath been , touching any of those points which are at this day controverted amongst us . before we pass on to the second part of this treatise , it seemeth not impertinent to give the reader this last advertisement , and to let him know , that though all these difficulties here before represented were removed , yet notwithstanding would it still be impossible for us to know certainly , out of the fathers , what the judgment of the whole ancient church , whether you mean the church universal , or but any considerable part thereof , hath been , touching the differences which are now on foot in religion . now that we may be able to make the truth of this proposition appear , it is necessary that we should first of all explain the terms . we understand commonly by the church , ( especially in these disputations ) either all those persons in general who profess themselves to be of the said church , of what condition or quality soever they be ; or else , in a stricter sense , the collective body of all those who are set over , and who are representatives of the church ; that is to say , the clergy . so that whether you speak of the church universal , or of some particular church , as , for example , that of spain , or of carthage , this term may be taken in either of these two senses . for , by the church universal , we understand either all those persons in general who live in the communion of the christian church , whether they be of the laity , or of the clergy ; or else , those persons onely who are ecclesiastici , or church-men , as we now call them . for , in the primitive times , all christians that lived in the communion of the catholicks , were called ecclesiastici . in like manner , by the church of carthage , is meant either generally all the faithful that live in the particular communion of the christian church of carthage ; or else particularly , and in a stricter sense , the bishop of carthage , with his whole clergy . now i do not believe that there is any man but will easily grant me , that if we take the church in the first sense , it is impossible to know , by way of testimony given of the same , what the sense and judgment of it hath been in each several age , touching all the points of christian religion . we may indeed collect , by way of discourse , what hath been the belief of the true members of the church : for there being some certain articles , the belief whereof is necessarily requisite for the rendring a man such an one ; whosoever rightly understands which these articles be , he may certainly conclude , that the true church , whether universal , or particular , hath believed the same . but now , in the first place , this doth not extend to all the points of christian religion , but onely to those which are necessary : besides which , there are divers others , concerning which we may have not only different , but even contrary judgments too ; and yet not thereby hazard the loss either of the communion of the church , or of our inheritance of everlasting salvation . so then , this ratiocination concludeth not , save onely of those who are the true members of the church . for as for those who make but an outward profession onely of the truth , it being not at all necessary that they should be saved , there is in like manner no more necessity of their embracing those beliefs which are requisite for that end . they may , under this mask , hide all manner of opinions , how impious soever they be . lastly , that which makes most for our purpose is , that this knowledge is acquired by discourse , whereas we speak here of such a knowledge as is collected by the hearing of several witnesses , who give in their testimonies touching the thing which we would know . now the fathers having written with a purpose of informing us , not what each particular man believed in their time , but rather what they thought fit that all men should have believed ; we must needs conclude , that certainly they have not told us all that they knew touching this particular . and consequently therefore , partly their charity , and partly also their prudence , may have caused them to pass by in silence all such opinions , either of whole companies , or of particular persons , as they conceived to be not so consonant to the truth . but supposing that they had not any of these considerations , and that they had taken upon them to give us a just account , each man of the opinions of his particular church wherein he lived ; it is evident however , that they could never have been able to have attainēd to the end of this their design . for , how is it possible that they should have been able to have learnt what the opinion of every single person was , amongst so vast a multitude , which consisted of so many several persons , who were of so different both capacities and dispositions ? who will believe , that s. cyprian , for example , knew all the several opinions of each particular person in his diocess , so as to be able to give us an account of the same ? who can imagine , but that among such a multitude of people as lived in the communion of his church , there must needs have been very many who differed in opinion from him , in divers points of religion ? even at this very day , that we may not trouble our selves to look so high , we see by experience , that there is scarcely that parish to be found , how small soever it be , where there are not particular persons that maintain , in many points of religion , different opinions from those of their minister . but if we take a whole diocess together , and pass by all those who trouble themselves not at all with the difference of opinions in religion , whether it be by reason of their want of years , or their weakness of judgment , or their malice ; and take notice only of the rest , dividing them according to the difference of their opinions , i am verily perswaded , that that part which shall agree in all points with the bishop of that diocess , will many times be found to be the least . let a bishop preach or write what he will , touching the points which are now in controversie , he will very hardly represent unto you the judgment of half the people of his diocess . now we must conceive , that the temper of the world of old was no other than what it is at this present day : and therefore also , for this very reason , the liberty of embracing what opinions a man pleased , was much greater then , than it is now ; forasmuch as the church of rome did not exercise its power then throughout christendom so absolutely as it doth now adays : neither did the pastors , or the princes , use that severity and rigour which is now every where practised in our days ; for the repressing this diversity of opinions . we must therefore necessarily believe , that the opinions of the faithful were in those days altogether as different , if not much more , than they are now . whence it will also follow , that even the doctors themselves , who lived in those times , could not know all the different opinions of men , much less could they represent them unto us in their writings . but we shall not stand any longet upon a thing that no man can deny us ; but shall rather proceed to the consideration of that which every one no doubt will be ready here to reply upon us , touching this particular ; namely , that it is not necessary that we should know the opinions , in points of religion , of all particular persons , which are almost infinite in number , and for the most part very ●ill grounded , and uncertain : but that it is sufficient if we know what the belief hath been of the pastors , and those that have been set over the church , that is to say , of the church taken in the latter sense . but yet i confess i do not see that this rule is so absolutely right , as that we ought to walk by it . for , if we are to take the church for the rule and foundation of our faith , ( as the authors of this reply pretend we ought to do ) the people , in my judgment , ought not then to be here excluded , and passed by , as a thing of no consideration . i confess , the opinions of particular persons are very different one from the other ; and the knowledge of some of them is very mean , and sometimes also is none at all . but yet possibly this reason may chance to exclude even a good part of the clergy also , from the authority which they lay claim to in this particular ; being it cannot be denied , but that both ignorance and malice have oftentimes as great a share here , proportionably , as they have among the very people it self . who sees not , that , if we must have regard to the capacity of men , there are sometimes found , even among the plain ordinary sort of christians in a church , those that are more considerable , both for their learning and piety , than the pastors themselves ? * one of those fathers , of whom we now discourse , hath informed us , that many times the clergy have erred , the bishop hath wavered in his opinion , the rich men have adhered in their judgment to the earthly princes of this world ; mean-while the people alone preserved the faith entire . seeing therefore that it may sometimes happen , and that it hath also many times hapned , that the clergy have held erroneous opinions , while the people onely held the true , it is very evident , in my judgment , that the opinion of the people in these cases ought not wholly to be neglected . and truly , s. cyprian telleth us in divers places , that the church in his time had the people in very great esteem ; no business of any importance being then transacted , without communicating the same to the people ; as may be seen by any one , in the epistles of this father : insomuch that , * the greatest part of the people also were present at the council of carthage , where the question touching the baptism of hereticks was debated ; whereof we have already spoken somewhat a little before . but because this point is still controverted , i shall let it alone for this time . let us therefore grant , ( since our adversaries will needs have it so ) that it is sufficient in this case to know what the belief was of the church , taken in the later and stricter sense ; that is to say , of the clergy : for even this way it is evident enough , , that it is a very hard , if not an impossible thing , truly to discover what it hath been in each several age. for , there is no less diversity of opinion among the clergy , than there is among the people : and many times too there is much more ; the being conversant in books , ordinarily reducing things into nicer subtilties , and giving occasion of raising divers opinions upon the same . who is he that will undertake to give us an account what the opinion is of all the clergy of one city onely ; i do not say of a kingdom , or of all christendom ; touching all the articles of religion ? who would be able to perform this , if he should undertake it ? never was there more exact care taken for the conservation of uniformity in judgment among christians , than is now at this day ; when there is use made , not only of the censures and thunderbolts of the church , but even of the fire and the sword of the secular powers also . and yet , notwithstanding all this , how many ecclesiastical persons are there to be found , even in those very places where these rigorous courses are observed with the greatest strictness , even at rome it self , and as it were in the popes own bosom , who differ very much in judgment touching points of religion , both from their equals , and from their superiours ? in france , where , by the blessing of god , the liberty of conscience is much greater than in other places , it would be a wonder , if , where four clergy men of the more learned , and politer sort were met together , two of them should not , upon some point or other of the faith , differ in judgment from the main body of their church . and here i am to intreat all those who follow cassander in great numbers , adoring the monuments of the fathers , and who take whatsoever they find in him , for the general sense of the ancient christians , but to turn their eyes back a little upon themselves , and to consider , how many opinions they themselves hold , which are not only different , but even quite contrary too to the church , in the communion whereof they live , and of which they profess themselves to be members , and by which indeed they subsist . the difference is here so great , as that it seems to be , as it were , one state within another state , and one church within another church . and yet notwithstanding , when any of the doctors of that party , to which they adhere , deliver unto us , either in their definitions , or in their sermons , or in their books , the common sense , and judgment of their church , this intermixture of opinions is quite laid aside , and appears not at all . they speak only of the opinions of others , passing by those of cassander , which are contrary to them , in silence , as if they did not at all concern the church of rome neither more nor less : and yet it is very well known unto us , even to us who live at this very day , that they are favoured , and maintained by very many of the most eminent persons of the roman clergy it self . and if this senseless sect , who forsooth think themselves much more refined in their opinions than the rest of the body whereof they are a part , should chance in time either to fail of it self , or to be supprest by force ; their ▪ memory would so utterly come to nought , as that posterity would not know any thing of their belief , but only by conjecture . every one will then believe , that the church of rome at this time precisely held to the doctrine and opinions that he reads in the decrees of trent , and in other the like books : and yet notwithstanding we both know , and see , that among those very persons , which have been anointed , consecrated , and preferred also by the said church , there is a party that dissenteth from it in judgment , touching divers important articles of faith. let us therefore reckon , that the ancient church had also its cassanders , and very many even among the clergy it self , who held many opinions which were different from that which was the common belief of the church , and which it hath at length by little and little sunk , as it were , under water , and wholly swallowed up , so that now there is not any tract of them left us . christianity was either different in the ancient times from what it is now , or else it was the same . if it was different , it is then a piece of meer sophistry , to endeavour to make it seem to be the same ; and a very great abuse , to produce unto us , for this purpose , so many several testimonies out of antiquity . if it were the same , it must then without all doubt have produced the same accidents , and have sown the same seeds of diversity of opinions in the spirits of its clergy . those opinions and observations which now give offence to the cassandrists , would then also have offended some persons or other , that were endued with the like moderation . for we are not to conceive , but that those first ages of christianity brought forth spirits , that were as much , and more refined and delicate , than ours have done . but that we may insist upon this particular no longer , it is sufficient for me , that i have thus clearly made it appear , that in the ancient church , the whole clergy of a city , or of a nation , much less of the whole world , had not necessarily one and the same sense and opinion , touching points of religion . so that it will follow from hence , that we cannot know certainly , whether those opinions which we meet withal in the fathers , were received by all and every of the pastors of the church at that time , or not . all that you can gather thence is but this at the most ; that they themselves , and some others perhaps of the most eminent amongst them ( if you please , ) maintained such or such opinions : in like manner , as that which bellarmine , and others have written , touching the sacrament of the eucharist , will inform posterity , that these men , and many others of our time , held these opinions in the church of rome . but as those who shall conclude from the books of these authors , that there is at this day no other opinion maintained , among the clergy themselves of the church of rome , touching this particular , would very much abuse themselves ; so is it much to be feared that we in like manner deceive our selves , when , from what we find in two or three of the fathers , we conclude , that there was at that time no other opinion held in the christian church , touching those points whereof they treat , save that which they have delivered . it is a very hazardous business , to take eight or ten men , how holy and learned soever they may have been , as sureties for all the doctors of the church universal , that lived in their age. this is too little security , for so great a sum. now there are two things , which may be objected against that which we have before delivered . the first is , that if there had been in antiquity any other opinions touching the points now in debate , which had been different from those which we now meet with in the books , either of all the fathers , or at least of some few of them ; they would then both have mentioned , and also refuted them . but we have already heretofore answered this objection , by saying , that the fathers forbare to speak any thing of this diversity of opinion , partly out of prudence , lest otherwise they might have provoked the authors of the said opinions , which were contrary to their own ; and so might increase the difference , instead of appeasing it : and partly also out of charity ; mildly bearing with that , which they accounted not any whit dangerous . i only speak here of those differences in opinion , which they knew of : for there might be a great number of others , which they knew not of . who can oblige you to believe , that a monk , for example , that had retired into a corner , and as it were forsaken the world , professing only to instruct a small number of men and women in the rules of devotion , must needs have known , what the opinions in points of religion of all the prelates of his age were ? who will pass his word unto us , in his behalf , that he doth not sometimes reprove that in some men , which yet the church allowed in an infinite number of others ? who will warrant us , that all christendom in his time embraced all his opinions , and had no other of their own ? possevine answering an objection made by some , touching the works of dionysius the areopagite , which s. hierome hath made no mention of at all , saith ; that it is no great marvel , that a man that lay hid in a corner of the world , should not have seen this book , which the arrians endeavoured to suppress . may not a man with as much reason say , that it is no great wonder , if s. hierome , or epiphanius , or any other the like authors , who were taken up all of them with their particular charges , and imployments , did not know of some opinions of the prelates of their age ; or that either their modesty , or their charity , or the little eloquence , and repute they had abroad , might have made them conceal the same ? the other objection is drawn from hence , because that these doctors of the ancient church , who held some opinions different from those which we read at this day in the fathers , did not publish them at all . but , i answer first of all , that every man is not able to do ) so . in the next place , those that were able , were not always willing to do so . divers other considerations may perhaps also have hindred them from so doing : and if they are wise , and pious men , they are never moved , till they needs must . and hence it is , that oftentimes those opinions , which have less truth in them , do yet prevail ; because that prudence , which maintains the true opinion , is mild , and patient : whereas rashness , which defends the false , is of a froward , eager , and ambitious nature . but now let us but imagine , how many of the evidences of this diversity of opinion may have been made away , by those several ways before represented by us ; as namely having been either devoured by time , or suppressed by malitious men ; for fear lest they should let the world see the traces of the truth , which they would have concealed ? but that i may not be thought to bring here only bare conjectures , without any proof at all , i shall produce some examples also , for the confirming , and clearing of this my assertion . epiphanius maintains against aerius , whom he ranks among his haeresiarchae , or arch hereticks that a bishop , according to the apostle saint paul , and the original institution of the thing it self , is more than a priest : and this he endeavours to prove in many words , answering all the objections , that are made to the contrary . if you but read the passage , i am confident that when you had done , you would not stick to swear , that what he hath there delivered , was the general opinion of all the doctors of the church ; it being very unlikely , that so great , and so renowned a prelate would so slatly have denied the opinion which he disputed against , if so be any one of his own familiar friends had also maintained the same . and yet for all this , saint hierome ( who was one of the principal lights of our western church , and who lived at the same time with epiphanius , who was his intimate friend , and a great admirer of his piety , ) saith expresly , † that among the ancients , bishops , and priests , were the same ; the one being a name of dignity , and the other of age. and that it may not be thought , that this fell from him in discourse only , he there falls to proving the same at large , alledging several passages of scripture , touching this particular ; and he also repeats the same thing , in two or three several places of his works . whereby it evidently appears , that even positions which have been quite contradictory to the opinions which have been delivered , and maintained by some of the fathers , and proposed in what terms soever , have notwithstanding been sometimes either maintained , or at least tolerated by some others of 〈◊〉 less authority . s. hierome himself hath ●al● extreamly foul upon ruffinus , and hath traduced divers of his opinions , as most pernicious and deadly : and yet notwithstanding we do not any where find , that ever he was accounted as an heretick , by the rest of the fathers . but we shall have occasion hereafter to consider more at large of the like examples ; and shall only at present observe , that if those books of s. hierome , which we mentioned a little before , should chance to have been lost ; every man would then assuredly have concluded with epiphanius , that no doctor of the ancient church ever held , that a bishop and a priest were one and the same thing , in its institution . who now after all this will assure us , that among so many other opinions , as have been rejected here and there by the fathers , and that too in as plain terms , as these of epiphanius , none of them have ever been defended by some of the learned of those times ? or , is it not possible that they may have held them , though they did not write in defence of the same ? or , may they not perhaps have written also in de●ence of them , and their books have been since lost ? how small is the number of those in the church , who had the ability , or at least the 〈◊〉 to write ? and how much smaller is the number of tho●● , whose wri●ings have been able to secure themselves , against either the injury of time , or the malice of men ? it is obj●cted against the protestants , as we have touched before , that s. hierome commendeth , and maintaineth the adoration of reliques : but yet he himself testifieth , that there were some bishops , who defended vigilantius , who held the contrary opinion ; whom he , according to his ordinary rhetorick calleth * his consorts in wickedness . who knows now , what these bishops were ; and whether they deserved any such usage at s. hieromes hands , or no ? for , the expressions which he useth against them , and against their opinion , are so full of gall , and of choler , as that they utterly take away all credit from his testimony . but we have insisted long enough upon this particular , and shall therefore forbear to instance any further in others . for as much therefore as it is impossible to discover exactly , out of the fathers , what hath been the sense and judgment of the ancient church ; whether taken universally or particularly ; or whether you take the church for the whole body of believers , or for the prelates and inseriour clergy only ; i shall here conclude , as formerly , that the writings of the ancients are altogether insufficient , for the proving the truth of any of those points , which are at this day controverted amongst us. the second book . chap. i. that the fathers are not of sufficient authority for the deciding of our controversies in religion . reason i. that the testimonies given by the fathers , touching the belief of the church , are not always true and certain . we have before shewed how hard a matter it is to discover what the sense of the fathers hath been touching the points at this day controverted in religion ; both by reason of the small number of books we have left us of the fathers of the first centuries ; and those too which we have , treating of such things as are of a very different nature from our present disputes ; and which besides we cannot be very well assured of , by reason of the many forgeries and monstrous corruptions which they have for so long a time been subject to ; as also by reason of their obscurity , and ambiguity in their expressions ; and their representing unto us many times the opinions rather of others , than of their authors : besides those many other imperfections which are found in them , as namely , their not informing us in what degree of faith we are to hold each particular point of doctrine ; and their leaving us in doubt , whether what they teach be the judgment of the church , or their own private opinion onely : and whether , if it be the judgment of the church , it be of the church universal , or of some particular church only . now , the least of these objections is sufficient to render their testimony invalid : and again , on the other side , that it may be of force , it is necessary that it be clearly and evidently free from all these defects ; forasmuch as the question is here , touching the christian faith , which ought to be grounded on nothing , save what is sure and firm . whosoever therefore would make use of any passage out of a father , he is bound first to make it appear , that the author out of whom he citeth the said passage , lived , and wrote in the first ages of christianity ; and besides , that the said person is certainly known to be the author of that book out of which the said passage is quoted : and moreover , that the passage cited is sincere , and no way corrupted , nor altered : and likewise , that the sense which he gives of it , is the true genuine sense of the place ; and also , that it was the opinion of the author , when he was now come to ripon●●s of judgment , and which he changed not , or retr●cted afterwards . he must also make it appear , in what degree he held it , and whether he maintained it as his own private opinion onely , or as the opinion of the church : and , lastly , whether it were the opinion of the church universal , or of some particular church onely : which inquiry is a business of so vast and almost infinite labour , that it makes me very much doubt whether or no we can be ever able to attain to a full and certain assurance what the real positive sense of the ancients hath been , touching the whole body of controversies now debated in this our age. hence therefore our principal question seems to be decided ; namely , whether the alledging of the fathers be a sufficient and proper means for the demonstrating the truth of all those articles which are at this day maintained by the church of rome , and rejected by the protestants , or not ? for who doth not now see , that this kind of proof hath as much or more difficulty in it , than the question it self ? and that such testimonies are as obscure , as the controverted opinions themselves ? notwithstanding , that we may not be thought too hastily , and upon too light grounds , to reject this way of proceeding , we will pass by all that obscurity that is found touching the opinions of the ancients ; and supposing it to be no hard matter to discover what the opinion and sense of the fathers hath been touching the aforesaid points , we will now in this second book consider , whether or no their authority be such , as that we ought , or may , without further examination , believe on their score , what we know them certainly to have believed , and to hold it in the same degree that they did . there are two sorts of passages to be observed in the writings of the fathers : in the one , you have them speaking only as witnesses , and testifying what the belief of the church was in their time : in the other , they propose to you , like doctors , their own private opinions . now , there is a world of difference betwixt these two things : for in a witness there is required only faithfulness and truth ; but in a doctor , learning and knowledge . the one perswadeth us , by the opinion we have of his veracity ; the other , by the strength of his arguments . the fathers are witnesses onely , when they barely tell us , that the church in their times held such or such opinions : and they are then doctors , when getting up , as it were , into the chair , they propose unto us their own opinions , making them good either out of the scripture , or out of reason . now , as concerning the testimonies that they give , touching the faith held by the church in their time , i know not whether we ought to receive all they bring , for certain truths , or not : but this i am sure of , that though they should deserve to be received by us for such , yet nevertheless would they stand us in very little stead , as to the business now in hand . the reason which moveth me to doubt of the former of these , is , because i observe , that those very men who are the greatest admirers of the fathers , do yet confess , that although they erre very little , or not at all , in matter of right , yet nevertheless , they are often out , and have their failings in matter of fact : because that right is an universal thing , which is every way uniform , and all of one sort ; whereas , matter of fact is a thing which is mixed , and as it were enchased with divers particular circumstances , which may very easily escape the knowledge of , or at least be not so rightly understood by , the most clear and piercing wits . now , the condition of the churches belief , in every particular age , is matter of fact , and not of right ; and a point of history , and not an article of faith : so that it followeth hence , that possibly the fathers may have erred , in giving us an account hereof ; and that therefore their testimonies , in such cases , ought not to be received by us , as infallibly true : neither yet may we be thought hereby to accuse the fathers of falshood . for , how often do the honestest persons that are , innocently testifie such things as they thought they had seen , which it afterwards appeareth that they saw not at all ? for goodness renders not men infallible . the fathers therefore , being but men , might both be deceived themselves in such things , and might consequently also deceive those who have confided in them , though innocently , and without any design of doing so . but besides all this , it is very evident , that they have not been wholly free from passion neither , and there is no man but knows , that passion very o●ten disguiseth things , and ma●●●h them appear , even to the honestest men that may be , much otherwise than they are ; insomuch that sometimes they are affectionately carried away with one opinion , and do as much abhor another . which secret passion might easily make them believe , that the church held that opinion , which they themselves were most taken with , and that it rejected that which they themselves disliked ; especially , if there were but the least appearance or shadow of reason to incline them to this belief : for men are very easily perswaded to believe what they desire . i conceive we may hereto impute that testimony of s. hierome , where he affirms , * that the churches of christ held , that the souls of men were immediately created by god , at the instant of their entrance into the body . and yet notwithstanding , that doubt which s. augustine was in , touching this particular , and his inclining manifestly to the contrary opinion , which was , that the soul was propagated together with the body , and descended down from the father to the son ; this doubt , i say , of his , manifestly proveth , that the church had not as yet at that time embraced or concluded upon the former of these opinions : it being a thing utterly improbable , that so modest a man as s. augustine was , would have cast off the general opinion of the church , and have taken up a particular fancy of his own . but the passion wherewith s. hierome was at that time carried away against ruffinus , a great part of the learned men of his time being also of the said opinion , easily wrought in him a belief , that it was the common judgment and opinion of the whole christian church . from the same root also sprung that errour of john bishop of thessalonica , ( if at least it be an errour , ) who affirmed , that the opinion of the church was , that angels are not wholly incorporeal , and invisible ; but that they have bodies , though of a very rare and thin substance , not much unlike those of the fire , or the air. for those who published the general councils at rome , conceive this to have been his own private opinion onely : a and if so , ( neither shall we need at present to examine the truth of this their conceit ; ) you then plainly see , that the affection this author bare to his own opinion , carried him so far away , as to make him father upon the whole church , what was indeed but his own particular opinion : though otherwise he were a man who was highly esteemed by the vii council , b which not onely citeth him among the fathers , but honours him also with the title of a father . epiphanius must also be excused in the same manner , where he assures us , that the church held by apostolical tradition the custom which it had of meeting together thrice a week , for the celebration of the holy eucharist : which yet c petavius maketh evidently appear not to have been of apostolical institution . the mistakes of venerable bede , noted and censured elsewhere by d petavius , are of the fame nature also : e the belief of the church , if i mistake not , ( saith he ) is , that our saviour christ lived in the flesh thirty three years , or there about , till the time of his passion : and he saith moreover , that the church of rome testifieth , that this is its belief , by the marks which they yearly set upon their tapers , upon good friday ; whereon they always inscribe a number of tears , which is less by thirty three than the common aera of the christians . he likewise saith in the same place , that it is not lawful for any catholick to doubt whether jesus christ suffered on the cross the xv day of the moon , or not . now petavius hath proved at large , that both these opinions , which beda delivers unto us as the churches belief , are nothing less than what he would have them . * the curious reader may observe many the like carriages in the writings of the fathers : but these here already set down , in my judgment , do sufficiently justifie the doubt which i have made , namely , that we ought not to receive as certain truths the testimony which the fathers give , touching the belief of the church in their time. nevertheless , that we may not seem to make a breach upon the honour and reputation of the fathers , i say , that though we should grant , that all their depositions and testimonies in this particular were certainly and undoubtedly true ; yet notwithstanding would they be of little use to us , as to our present purpose . for , first of all , there are but very few passages wherein they testifie plainly , and in direct terms , what the belief of the church in their time hath been , touching the points now controverted amongst us . this is the business of an historian , rather than of a doctor of the church , whose office is to teach , to prove , and to exhort the people committed to his charge , and to correct their vices and errours ; telling them what they ought to do , or believe , rather than troubling them with discourses of what is done or believed by others . but yet when they do give their testimony what the belief and discipline of the church in their time was , this testimony of theirs ought not to extend save onely to what was apparently such , and which besides was apparent to themselves too . now , as we have formerly proved , they could not possibly know the sense and opinions of every particular christian that lived in their time ; nor yet of all the pastors and ministers who were set over them : but of some certain particular christians onely . forasmuch therefore as it is confessed , even by those very men who have the church in greatest esteem , that the belief of particular churches is not infallible , we may very easily perceive , that such testimonies of the fathers as these can standus in very little or no stead , seeing they represent unto us such opinions as are not always certainly and undoubtedly true , and which consequently are so far from confirming and proving ours , as that , they rather stand in need of being examined aud proved themselves . but , yet , suppose that the church of rome did hold , that the beliefs of particular churches were infallible , ( which yet it doth not ) yet would not this make any thing at all against the protestants , forasmuch as they are of the clean contrary opinion . now , it is taken for granted on all hands , that proofs ought to be fetched from such things as are confessed and acknowledged by your adversary , whom you endeavour to convince ; otherwise you will never be able to move him , or make him quit his former opinion . seeing therefore , that the testimonies of the farthers , touching the state of the faith , and ecclesiastical discipline of their times , are of this nature ; it remaineth , that we now consider their other discourses , wherein they have delivered themselves , not as witnesses , deposing what they had seen ; but as doctors , instructing us in what they believed . and certainly , how holy and able soever they were , it cannot be denied but that they were still men , and consequently were subject to error , especially in matters of faith , which is a business so much transcending humane apprehension . the spirit of god onely was able to direct their understandings , and their pens in the truth , and to withhold them from falling into any error ; in like manner as it directed the holy prophets and apostles , while they wrote the books of the old and new testament . now , we cannot be any way assured , that the spirit of god was present always with them , to enlighten their understandings , and to make them see the truth of all those things whereof they wrote . they neither pretend to this themselves , nor yet doth any one , that i know of , attribute unto them this assistance , unless it be perhaps the author of the gloss upon the decrees , * who is of opinion , that we ought to stand to all that the fathers have written , even to the least tittle : who yet is very justly called to a round account for this , by * alphonsus à castro , and * melchior canus , two spanish doctors . for as much therefore , as we are not bound to believe any thing , save that which is true ; it is most evident , that we neither may , nor ought to believe the opinions of the fathers , till such time as they appear to us to have been certainly true. now , we cannot be certainly assured of this , by their single authority ; seeing that they were but men , who were not always inspired by the holy spirit from above : and therefore it is necessary , that we make use of some other guides in this our inquiry ; namely , either of the holy scriptures , or of reason , or of tradition , or of the doctrine of the present church , or of some other such means , as they themselves have made use of : so that it hence follows , that their bare assertions , are no sufficient ground for us to build any of our opinions upon : they only serve to encline us before hand to the belief of the same ; the great opinion which we have of them , causing us to conclude , that they would never have embraced such an opinion , except it had been true. which manner of argumentation how ever is , at the best , but probable ; so long as the persons we have here to do withal , are only men , and no more : and in this particular case , where the question is , touching points of faith , it is by no means in the world to be allowed of ; since that faith is to be grounded , not upon probabilities , but upon necessary truths . the fathers are like to other great masters in this point , and their opinions are more , or less valid , in proportion to the reason , and authority , whereon they are grounded : only they have this advantage , that their very name begets in us a readiness , and inclination , to receive whatsoever comes from them ; while we think it very improbable , that so excellent men as they were , should ever believe any thing that was false . thus in humane sciences , the saying of an aristotle is of a far different value , from that of any other philosopher of less account ; because that all men are before-hand possessed with an opinion , that this great philosopher would not maintain any thing , that was not consonant to reason . but this is prejudice only : for if upon better examination , it should be found to be otherwise , his bare authority would then no longer prevail with us ; what himself had sometime gallantly said , would then here take place ; namely , that it is a sacred thing , always to preferre the truth , before friendship . let the fathers therefore if you please , be the aristotles in christian philosophy : and let us have a reverent esteem of them and their writings , as they deserve ; and not be too rash in concluding , that persons of so eminent , both learning , and sanctity , should maintain any erroneous , or vain opinions , especially in a matter of so great importance : yet notwithstanding are we bound withal to remember , that they were but men , and that their memory , understanding , or judgment , might sometimes fail them ; and therefore consequently , that we are to examine their writings , by those principles from whence they draw their conclusions ; and not to sit down upon their bare assertions , till such time as we have discovered them to be true. if i were to speak of any other persons than of the fathers , i should not add any thing more , to what hath been already said , it having been already , in my judgment , clearly enough proved , that they are not of themselves of authority enough , to oblige us necessarily to follow their opinions . but seeing the question here is , touching these great names , which are so highly honoured in the church ; to the end that no man may accuse us of endeavouring to rob them of any of the respect which is due unto them , i hold it necessary to examine this business a little more exactly , and to make it appear , by considering the thing it self , that they are of no more authority , neither in themselves , nor in respect of us , than hath been already by us attributed unto them . chap. ii. reason . that the fathers themselves testifie against themselves , that they are not to be believed absolutely , and upon their own bare word , in what they deliver in matters of religion . there is none so fit to inform us , what the authority of the writings of the ancients is , as the ancients themselves , who in all reason must needs know this better than we : let us therefore now hear , what they testifie in this particular ; and if we do indeed hold them in so high esteem , as we make profession of , let us allow of their judgment in this particular , attributing neither more nor less unto the ancients , than they themselves require at our hands . st. augustine , who was the principal light of the latine church , being entred into a contestation with st. hierome , touching the interpretation before-mentioned , of the second chapter of the epistle of saint paul to the galatians ; and finding himself hardly pressed , by the authority of six , or seven greek writers , which were urged against him by the other ; to rid his hands of them , he was fain to make open profession , in what account he held that sort of writers : * i confess ( saith he ) to thy charity , that i only owe to those books of scripture , which are now called canonical , that reverence and honour , as to believe stedfastly , that none of their authors ever committed any error in writing the same . and if by chance . i there meet with any thing , which seemeth to contradict the truth , i presently think that certainly either my copy is imperfect , and not so correct as it should be ; or else , that the interpreter did not so well understand the words of the original : or lastly , that i my self have not so rightly understood him. but as for all other writers , how eminent soever they are , either for sanctity , or learning , i read them so as not presently to conclude , whatsoever i there find , to be true , because they have said it ; but rather , because they convince me , either out of the said canonical books of scripture , or else by some probable reason , that what they say is true. neither do i think , brother , that thou thy self art of any other opinion : that is to say , i do not believe that thou expectest that we should read thy books , as we do those of the prophets , or apostles ; of the truth of whose writings , as being exempt from all errour , we may not in any wise doubt . and having afterwards opposed some other the like authorities , against those alledged by st. hierome , he addeth , that he had done so , * notwithstanding , that to say the truth , he accounted the canonical scriptures only to be the books , to which ( as he said before ) he owed that ingenuous duty , as to be fully perswaded , that the authors of them never erred , or deceived the reader in any thing . this holy man accounted this advice to be of so great importance , as that he thought fit to repeat it again , in another place ; and i must intreat my reader , to give me leave to set down here the whole passage at length . * as for these kind of books ( saith he , speaking of those books which we write , not with authority of commanding , but only out of a design of exercising our selves , to benefit others ; ) we are so to read them , as not being bound necessarily to believe them , but as having a liberty left us , of judging of what we read . yet notwithstanding , that we may not quite shut out these books , and deprive posterity of the most profitable labour of exercising their language , and stile , in the handling and treating of hard questions ; we make a distinction betwixt these books of later writers , and the excellency of the canonical authority of the old and new testament ; which having been confirmed in the apostles time , hath since by the bishops , who succeeded them , and the churches , which have been propagated throughout the world , been placed as it were upon a high throne , there to be reverenced and adored , by every faithful and godly vnderstanding . and if we chance here to meet with any thing that troubleth us , and seemeth absurd , we must not say , that the author of the book was ignorant of the truth ; but rather , that either our copy is false , or the interpreter is mistaken in the sense of the place ; or else , that we understand not him aright . and as for the writings of those other authors , who have come after them , the number whereof is almost infinite , though coming very far short of this most sacred excellency of the canonical scriptures ; a man may sometimes find in them the very same truth , though it shall not be of equal authority . and therefore if by chance we here meet with such things as seem contrary to the truth , by reason perhaps of our not understanding them only ; we have our liberty , either in reading , or hearing the same , to approve of what we like , and to reject that which we conceive not to be so right . so that except all such passages be made good , either by some certain reason , or else by the canonical authority of the scriptures ; and that it be made appear , that the thing asserted either really it , or else at least , that it might have been ; he that shall reject , or not assent to the same , ought not in any wise to be reprehended . and thus far have we s. augustine testifying on our side , ( as well here , as in many other places , which would be too long to be inserted here ; ) that those opinions which we find delivered by the fathers in their writings , are grounded , not upon their bare authority , but upon their reasons ; and , that they bind not our belief otherwise , than so far forth as they are consonant either to the scripture , or to reason ; and that they ought to be examined by the one , and the other , as proceeding from persons that are not infallible , but possibly may have erred . so that it appears from hence , that the course which is at this day observed in the world , is not of sufficiency enough for the discovery , and demonstration of the truth . for , we are now in doubt , suppose , what the sense and meaning is of such a piece of scripture . here shall you presently have the judgment of a father brought , upon the said place ; quite contrary to the rule s. augustine giveth us , who would have us examine the fathers by the scriptures , and not the scriptures by the fathers . certainly , according to the judgment of this father , the protestant , though a passage as clear and express , as any of the canons of the council of trent , should be brought against him , out of any of the fathers , ought not to be blamed , if he should answer , that he cannot by any means assent unto it , unless the truth of it be first proved unto him , either by some certain reason , or else by the authority of the canonical scriptures ; and that then , and not till then , he shall be ready to assent unto it . so that according to this account , we are to alledge , not the names , but the reasons of books ; to take notice , not of the quality of their authors , but of the solidity of their proofs ; to consider what it is they give us ; and not the face , or hand of him that gives it us ; and , in a word , to reduce the dispute , from persons , to things . and s. jerome also seemeth to commend unto us this manner of proceeding , where in the preface to his second commentary upon hosea , he hath these words : then ( saith he , that is , after the authors of books are once departed this life ) we judge of their worth , and parts only ; not considering at all the dignity of their name : and the reader hath regard only to what he reads , and not to the author whose it is . so that whether he were a bishop , or a lay-man ; a general and a lord , or a common souldier , and a servant ; whether he lie in purple and in silk ; or in the vilest , and coursest rags ; he shall be judged , not according to his degree of honour , but according to the merit and worth of his works . now he here speaks either of matter of right , or of fact : and his meaning is , that either we ought to take this course in our judgments ; or else it is a plain affirmation , that it is the practice of the world so to do . if his words are to be taken in the first sense , he then clearly takes away all authority from the bare names of writers , and so would have us to consider the quality only , and weight of their writings , that is to say , their reasons , and the force of the arguments they use . if he be to be understood in the second sense , he seemeth not to speak truth , it being evident , that the ordinary course of the world is , to be more taken with the titles and names of books , than with the things therein contained . but supposing however , that this was s. hieroms meaning ; we may notwithstanding very safely believe , that he approveth of the said course ; for as much as having this occasion of speaking of it , he doth not at all reprehend it . if therefore thou hast any mind to stand to his judgment , lay me aside the names of augustine , and of hierome , of chrysostome , and of cyril ; and forget for this once the rochet of the first , and the chair of the second , together with the patriarchal robe of the two last : and observe what they say , and not what they were : the ground and reason of their opinions ; and not the dignity of their persons . but that which makes me very much wonder , is , that some of those who have been the most conversant in antiquity , should trouble themselves in stuffing up their books with declamatory expressions , in praise of the authors they produce ; not forbearing to recount to you so much as the nobleness of their extraction , the choiceness of their education , the gallantry of their parts , the eminency of their see , and the greatness of their state. this manner of writing may perhaps suit well enough with the precepts of rhetorick : but sure i am , that it agreeth ill enough with s. hierom's rule , which we gave you a little before . but let us now observe , out of some other more clear , and express passages of his , what the judgment of this great aristarchus , and censor of antiquity hath been , touching this point . * i know ( saith he , writing to theophilus , patriarch of alexandria ) that i place the apostles in a distinct rank from all other writers : for as for them , they always speak truth : but as for those other , they erre sometimes , like men as they were . what could he have said more expresly , in confirmation of our assertion before laid down ? * there are others ( saith he ) both greeks , and latins , who have erred also in points of faith ; whose names i need not here set down lest i might seem to defend origen by the errors of others , rather than by his own worth. how then can we confide in them , unless we examine their opinions by their reasons ? a i shall ( faith the same author ) read origen , as i read others , because i find he hath erred , in like manner as they have done . and in another place , speaking in general of ecclesiastical writers , that is , of those which we now call fathers , and of the faults and errors that are found in their books ; b it may be ( saith he ) that either they have erred out of meer ignorance , or else , that they wrote in some other sense than we understand them ; or , that their writings have by degrees been corrupted , through the ignorance of the transcribers ; or else , before the appearing of that impudent devil arius in the world , they let some things fall from them innocently , and not so warily as they might have done , and such as can hardly escape the cavils of wrangling spirits . which passage of his is a very excellent and remarkable one , and containeth in it a brief , yet a clear and full justification of the greatest part of what we have hitherto delivered in this our discourse . do but think therefore with how much circumspection we are to read and to weigh these authors , and how careful we ought to be in examining , in their books , whether there be not either some fault committed by the transcriber , or some obscurity in the expression , or some negligence in the conception , or lastly , some error in the proposition . in another place , having set down the opinions as for their expositions , he resuseth them openly , whensoever they do not please him . thus doth he find fault with the exposition which is given by the greatest part of the fathers , of the word israel ; which they will have to signifie , a man seeing god : m notwithstanding that those who interpret it thus , are persons of very great both authority and eloquence , and whose very shadow ( saith he ) in sufficient to bear us down ; yet cannot we chuse but follow the authority of the scriptures , and of the angel , and of god , who gave this name of israel , rather than the power of any secular eloquence , how great soever it be . and in his cxlvi epistle , written to pope damasus , he saith , n that there are some , who not considering the text , conceive superstitiously , rather than truly , that these words , in the beginning of the xliv psalm , e●●ctavit cor meum verbum bonum , my heart is inditing a good matter , are spoken in the person of the father . and yet the greatest part of those who lived in the time of arius , and a little after him , understood these words in the same sense . it was likewise the general opinion , in a manner , of all men , that adam was buried upon mount calvary , and in the very same place where our saviour christ was crucified : and yet s. hierome o rejecteth this opinion , and which is more , he makes himself merry with it , without any scruple at all . so likewise , there were some among the afore-named ancient fathers , who out of a pious affection which they bare to s. peter , maintained , p that he denied not god , but man ; and that the sense of the words of his denial is , i know not him to be a man ▪ for i know that he is god. q the intelligent reader ( saith the same s. hierome ) will easily perceive , how idle and frivolous a thing this is , to accuse our saviour as guilty of a lie , by excusing his apostle . for , if s. peter did not deny him , our saviour must necessarily then have lied , when he said unto him , verily i say unto thee , &c. r he takes the same liberty also in reprehending s. ambrose , who understands by gog , spoken of in the prophet ezechiel , the nation of the gothes : neither do those other fathers scape his lash ; who pleasing themselves too much with their allegories , take bosra in isaiah , for the flesh , whereas it signifies a fortress . i might here produce very many the like passages , but these few shall now serve as a taste onely : for who seeth not by this time , that these holy men took not the fathers who went before them , for the judges , or arbitrators , touching the opinions of the church ? and that they did not receive their testimonies and depositions , as oracles , but reserved the right , which s. augustine alloweth to every man , of examining them by the rule of reason , and of the scripture . neither are we to take any notice at all of s. hierome , when he seems to except out of this number , the writings of athanasius , and of s. hilary ; writing to laeta , and telling her , that her daughter paula might walk securely , and with firm footing , by the epistles of the one , and the books of the other ; and therefore he counselleth her ſ to take delight in these mens writings ; forasmuch as in their books the piety of faith wavereth not : and as for all other authors , she may read them ; but rather to pass her judgment upon them , than to follow them . for , first of all , although perhaps there should be some piece of a father , that should have no error at all in it , ( as questionless there are many such ) yet would not this render the authority of the same infallible . how many such books are there , even of the moderns , wherein neither the one party , nor the other , hath been able to discover any the least error in matter of faith ? and yet , i suppose , no man will presently conclude from hence , that we ought to admit of these authors as judges of our faith. a man may there find of several authors , touching a certain question that had been proposed unto him , that so the reader might make choice of the best ; he gives this reason of his so doing : c because ( saith he ) we ought not , according to the example of pythagoras his scholars , to have an eye to the prejudicated opinion of the proposer , but rather the reason of the thing proposed : which words of his do sufficiently confirm the sense which we have formerly given of that passage of his , in the preface to his second commentary upon hosea . he presently afterwards adds ; d my purpose is to read the ancients , to prove all things , and to hold fast that which is good , and not to depart from the faith of the catholick church ; according to the rule which he hath commended unto us , in his lxxvi epistle , where he adviseth us e to read origen , tertullian , novatus , arnobius , apollinaris , and some other of the ecclesiastical writers ; but with this caution , that we should make choice of that which is good , but take heed of embracing that which is not so ; according to the apostle , who bids us prove all things , but hold fast onely that which is good . and this is the course he constantly takes , censuring , with the greatest liberty that may be , the opinions and expositions of all those who went before him . he gives you freely his judgment of every one of them ; affirming , e that cyprian scarcely touched the scriptures at all ; that victorinus was not able to express his own conceptions ; that lactantius is not so happy in his endeavours of proving our religion , as he is in overthrowing that of others ; that arnobius is very uneven and confused , and too luxuriant ; that s. hilary is too swelling , and incumbred with too long periods . i shall not here set before you what he saith of origen , theodorus , apollinaris , and of the chiliasts ; whose professed enemy he hath declared himself , and whom he reproveth very sharply upon all occasions , whensoever they come in his way ; and yet himself confesseth them all to have been men of very great parts ; giving even origen himself , who is the most dangerous writer of them all , this testimony , f that none but the ignorant can deny , but that , next to the apostles , he was one of the greatest masters of the church . but that i may not meddle with any , but such whose names have never been cried down in the church ; do but mark how he deals with rhetitius augustudunensis , an ecclesiastical author : g there are ( saith he ) an infinite number of things in his commentaries , which in my judgment , shew very mean and poor : and a little after , h he seemeth to have had so ill an opinion of others , as to have a conceit , that no man was able to judge of his faults . he taketh the same liberty also , in rejecting their opinions and expositions ; and sometimes not without passing upon them very tart girds too . he justifies the truth of the hebrew text of the old testament , and findeth an infinite number of faults in the translation of the lxx , against almost the general consent not onely of the more ancient writers , but also of those too who lived in his own time , who all esteemed it as a divine piece . i he scoffs at the conceit of those men who believed , that the lxx interpreters , being put severally into seventy distinct cells , were inspired from above , in the translation of the bible . k let them keep , ( saith he , speaking of his own backbiters , by way of scorn ) with all my heart , in the seventy cells of the alexandrian pharos , for fear they should lose their sails of their ships , and be forced to bewail the loss of their cordage . perhaps the same truth , ( as s. augustine saith a little before ; ) but it will not be of equal authority with that of the canonical books . besides , as cardinal baronius hath observed , this last passage of s. hierome ought to be understood onely in the point touching the holy trinity , concerning which , there were at that time great disputes betwixt the catholicks and the arians : for otherwise , if his words be taken in a general sense , they will be found to be false , as to s. hilaries particular , who hath had his failings in some certain things , as we shall see hereafter . in a word , although s. hierome were to be understood as speaking in a general sense ( as his words indeed seem to bear ) yet might the same thing possibly happen to him here , which he hath observed hath oftentimes befallen to others ; namely , to be mistaken in his judgment . for we are not to imagine , that he would have us have a greater opinion of him , than he himself hath of other men. and s. augustine told him , as we have before shewed , that he did not believe that he expected men should judge any otherwise of him . and i suppose , we may very safely keep to s. augustine's judgment , and believe with him , that s. hierome had never any intention that we should receive all his positions as infallible truths ; but rather , that he would have us to read and examine his writings with the same freedom that we do those of other men. and if we have no mind to take s. augustine's word in this particular , let us yet take s. hierome's own , who in his second commentary upon the prophet habakkuk , saith , t and thus have i delivered unto you my sense in brief : but if any one produce that which is more exact and true , take his exposition rather than mine . and so likewise upon the prophet zephaniah , he saith , u we have now done our utmost endeavour , in giving an allegorical exposition of the text ; but if any other can bring that which is more probable , and agreeable to reason , than that which we have delivered , let the reader be swaied by his authority , rather than by ours . and in another place he speaketh to the same purpose , in these words : x this we have delivered according to the utmost of our poor ability , and have given you a short touch of the divers opinions , both of our own men , and of the jews ; yet if any man can give me a better and truer account of these things , i shall be very ready to embrace the same . is this now , i would fain ask , to bind up our tongues , and our belief , so , as that we have no further liberty of refusing what he hath once laid down before us , or of searching into the reasons and grounds of his opinions ? no , let us rather make use of that liberty which they all allow us : let us hearken to them , but ( as they themselves advise us ) when what they deliver is grounded upon reason , and upon the scriptures . if they had not made use of this caution , in the reading of those authors who went before them , the christian faith had now been wholly stuffed up with the dreams of an origen , or an apollinaris , or some other the like authors : but neither the excellency of the doctrine , nor yet the resplendency of their holy life , which no man can deny to have shone forth very eminently in the primitive fathers , were able so to dazle the eyes of those that came after them , as that they could not distinguish betwixt that which was sound and true in their writings , and that which was trivial and false . let not therefore the excellency of those who came after them , hinder us either from passing by , or even rejecting their opinions , when we find them built upon weak foundations . you see they confess themselves , that this may very possibly be : we should therefore be left utterly inexcusable , if after this their so charitable admonition , we should still believe all they say , without examining any thing . y i take it for a favour ( saith s. ambrose ) when any one that readeth my writings , giveth me an account of what doubts he there meeteth withal : first of all , because i may be deceived in those very things which i know . and besides , many things escape us ; and some things sound otherwise to some , than perhaps they do to me . i shall further here desire the reader to take notice , how careful the ancients were , in advising those who lived in their own time , to take a strict examination of their words : as for example , where origen adviseth , z that his auditors should prove whatsoever he delivered , and that they should be attentive , and receive the grace of the spirit , from whom proceedeth the discerning of spirits ; that so , as good bankers , they might diligently observe , when their pastor deceiveth them , and when he preacheth unto them that which is pious and true. cyrill likewise , in his fourth catechesis , hath these words : a believe me not ( saith he ) in whatsoever i shall simply deliver , unless thou find the things which i shall speak , demonstrated out of the holy scriptures : for the conservation and establishment of our faith is not grounded upon the eloquence of language , but rather upon the proofs that are brought out of the divine scriptures . if therefore they would not have those who heard them speak vivâ voce , to believe them in any thing , unless they had demonstrated the truth of it out of the scriptures , how much less would they have us now receive , without this demonstration , those opinions which we meet with in their books , which are not onely mute , but corrupted also , and altered so much , and so many several ways , as we have formerly shewed ? certainly when i see these holy men on one side , crying out unto us , that they are men subject to errours ; and that therefore we ought to consider , and examine what they deliver , and not take it all for oracle : and then , on the other side , set before my eyes these worthy maxims of the ages following : to wit , * that their doctrine is the law of the church vniversal : and , that we are bound to follow it , not only according to the sense , but according to the bare words also : and that we are bound to hold all , that they have written , even to the lest tittle : this representation , i say , makes me call to mind the history of paul and barnabas , to whom the lycaonians would needs render divine honour , notwithstanding all the resistance these holy men were able to make ; who could not forbear to rend their garments , through the indignation they were filled with , to see that service paid to themselves , which was due to the divine majesty alone , running in amongst them , and crying out aloud ; sirs , why do ye these things ? we also are men of like passions with you . for , seeing that there is none but god , whose word is certainly and necessarily true : and , seeing that , on the other side , the word , whereon we ground and build our faith , ought to be such : who seeth not , that it is all one , as to invest man with the glory , which is due to god alone , and to place him in a manner in his seat , if we make his word the rule and foundation of our faith , and the judge of our differences concerning it ? i am therefore stedfastly of this opinion , that if these holy men could now behold from their blessed mansions , where they now live in bliss on high with their lord and saviour , what things are acted here below , they would be very much offended with this false honour , which men confer upon them , much against their wills , and would take it , as a very great injury offer'd them ; seeing that they cannot receive this honour , but to the prejudice and diminution of the glory of their redeemer ; whom they love a thousand times more , than themselves . or if , from out their sepulchres , where the reliques of their mortality are now laid up , they could but make us hear their sacred voice ; they would ( i am very confident ) most sharply reprove us for this abuse , and would cry out in the words of s. paul ; sirs , why do ye these things ? we also were men , of like passions with you . but yet what need is there , either of ransacking their sepulchers , and disturbing their sacred ashes ; or , of calling down their spirits from heaven ; seeing that their voice resoundeth loud enough , and is heard so plainly , in these very books of theirs , which we so imprudently place in that seat , which is only due to the word of god ? we have heard , what the judgment was of s. augustine , and of s. hierome , ( the two most eminent persons in the western church , ) touching this particular : let us not then be all afraid , having such examples to follow , to speak freely our opinions . but now , before we go any further , i conceive it will be necessary , that we answer an objection , that may be brought against us ; which is , that athanasius , s. cyrill , and s. augustine himself also , often times cite the fathers . besides , what some have observed , that the fathers seldom entered into these lists but when they were provoked by their adversaries ; i add further , that when we maintain , that the authority of the fathers is not a sufficient medium , to prove an article of faith by ; we do not thereby presently forbid either the reading , or the citing of them . the fathers often quote the writings of the learned heathens , the oracles of the sibylls , and passages out of the apocryphal books . did they therefore think , that the●e books were of sufficient authority to ground an article of faith upon ? god forbid , we should entertain so ill an opinion of them : their faith was grounded upon the word of god : but yet to evidence the truth more fully , they searched into humane records ; and by this inquiry , made it appear , that the light of the truth , revealed unto them , had in some degree shot its beams also even into the schools of men , how close , and shady soever they had been . but , if they should have produced no other , but humane authority , they would never have been able to have brought over any one person to the faith. but after they had received , by divine revelation , the matter of our faith ; it was very wisely done of them , in the next place to prove , not the truth , but the clearness of it , by these little sparks , which shot forth their light in the spirits of men. and for some the like reason did s. augustine , athanasius , cyrill , and many other of them , make use of allegations out of the fathers . for , after that each of these had grounded upon the authority of divine revelation , the necessity , and efficacy of grace , the consubstantiality of the son with the father , and the union of the two natures in christ ; they then fell to producing of several passages out of those learned men , who had lived before them ; to let men see , that this truth was so clear in the word of god , as that all that went before them had both seen and acknowledged the same : the consideration whereof was both pleasing , and useful unto them . for what can more delight a faithful heart , than to find , that the chiefest and most eminent persons in the church , had long since held the same opinions , touching our saviour jesus christ , and his grace , that we now hold at this day ? but yet it does not hence presently follow , that though these holy men should have met with these articles of our faith , in the writings of their predecessours only , without finding any foundation of them in the canonical scriptures , they would notwithstanding firmly have believed , and embraced the same , contenting themselves with the bare authority of their predecessours . s. augustine professeth plainly , that in such a case they might better have rejected them , and not be blamed for so doing neither ; than have received them , unless they would incur the imputation of being over credulous . for , it is a point of too much credulity , to believe any thing without reason : and he further affirmeth , that where men speak without either scripture , or reason ; their bare authority is not sufficient to oblige us to believe what they propose unto us . so that it hence appeareth , that humane testimonies are alledged , not to prove the truth of the faith , but only to shew the clearness of it , after it is once well grounded . now the question at this day betwixt us , and the church of rome , is not concerning the clearness of the truth of the articles they believe , and press upon the world : but it yet lies upon them to prove , even the very ground , and foundation of them . shew me therefore ( will a protestant here say , ) either out of some text of scripture , or else by some evident reason , that there is any such place as purgatory ; and that the eucharist is not bread ; and , that the pope is the monarch , and head of the church universal : and then , i shall be very glad to try , if for our greater comfort we may be able to find , in the authors of the third , or fourth century , these truths embraced by the fathers of those times . but , to begin with these , is to invert the natural order of things . we ought first to be assured , that the thing is ; before we make inquiry , whether it hath been believed or not . for , to what purpose is it to find , that the ancients believed it , unless we find withal in their writings , some reason of this their belief ? and again on the other side , what harm is it to us , to be ignorant , whether antiquity believed it or not ; so long as we know , that the thing is ? and whereas there are some , who to establish the supream authority of the fathers , alledge the counsel which sisinnius , a novatian , and agellius , his bishop , gave of old to nectarius , archbishop of constantinople , and by him to theodosius the emperour ; which was , that they should demand of the arrians , whether , or not , they would stand to what the fathers , who died before the breaking forth of their heresie , had delivered , touching the point debated betwixt them : this is hardly worth our consideration . for , this was a trick only , devised by a subtil head , and which is worse by a schismatick ; and consequently to be suspected , as a captious proposal , purposely made to entrap the adverse party ; rather than any free , and ingenuous way of proceeding . for , if this manner of proceeding had been right , and good ; how came it to pass , that among so many catholick bishops as there were , none of them all advised it ? how came it to pass , that they were so ignorant of the weapons , wherewith the enemies of the church were to be encountred ? how came it about , that it should be proposed only by a young fellow , who was a schismatick too ? and , if it were approved of , as right , and good counsel ; why did gregory nazianzene , s. basil , and so many other of the fathers , who wrote in that age against the arrians , deal with them wholly , in a manner , out of the scriptures ? and certainly those holy men , besides their christian candor , which obliged them to this way of proceeding , took a very wise course in so doing . for , if this controversie had been to be decided by the authority of humane writers , i know not how any man should have been able to make good that , which this gallant so confidently affirmeth , in the place aforecited ; namely , that none of the ancients ever said , that the son of god had any beginning of his generation ; considering those many strange passages that we yet at this day meet with , touching this particular , in the books of the first fathers : which is the reason also why the arrians al●ledged their testimonies ; as we see they do , in the books of athanasius , hilary , and others of the ancients , who wrote against them . but what need we insist so long upon a story , which is rejected by cardinal * baronius , as being an idle tale devised by zozomene , who was a novatian , in favour of those of his own sect. the counsel of vincentius lirinensis , which he gives us in a certain little discourse of his , which is very highly prised by † gennadius , is accounted by many men much more worthy of our consideration . for , having first told us , that he speaks not of any authors , * save only of such , who , having holily , wisely , and constantly lived , preached , and persevered in the catholick faith , and communion , obtained the favour at length , either to dye faithfully in christ , or else had the happiness of being crowned with martyrdom , for christs sake : he further addeth ; that we are to receive , as undoubtedly true , certain , and definitive , whatsoever all the aforesaid authors , or at least the greatest part of them , have clearly , frequently , and constantly affirmed , with an vnanimous consent receiving , retaining , and delivering it over to others , as it were joyntly , and making up all of them but one common and vnanimous council of doctors . but this passage of his is so far from advancing the supreme authority , which some would attribute to the fathers , in matters of faith ; that on the contrary i meet with something in it , that makes me more doubt of their authority , than i did before . for , i find by this mans discourse , that whatsoever his reason was , whether good or bad , he clearly appears to have had a very great desire of bringing all differences in religion , before the judgment seat of the fathers ; and to the same end , he labours to prove , with the same eagerness and passion , that their judgment is in●allible in these cases . but in the mean time i find him so perplexed and troubled in bringing out that which he would have , as that it appears sufficiently , that he saw well enough , that what he desired , was not so agreeable to truth . for he hath so qualified his proposition , and bound it in with so many limitations , as that it is very probable , that if all these conditions , which he here requires , were any where to be found , we might then safely , perhaps , rely upon the writings of the fathers . but then on the other side , it is so very difficult a matter , to meet with such a conjunction of so many several qu●lifications , as that i very much doubt , whether we shall be ever able to enjoy this happiness , or not . for first of all , for the persons of those men , whose testimonies we alledge , he requireth that they should be such , as not only lived , but also taught : and which is more , persevered too , not only in the faith , but in the communion also of the catholick church . and then , for fear of being surprised , and taken at this word , he comes over us with a new supply , and qualifies his words with a restriction of three adverbs ; and tells us , that they must have lived , and taught holily , wisely , and constantly . but yet this is not all : for besides all this , they must have either died in christ , or for christ . so that if they lived , but did not teach ; or if they both lived , and taught , but did not persevere ; or if they both lived , taught , and also persevered in the faith , but not in the communion ; or else in the communion , but not in the faith of the catholick church ; or if they yet lived , and taught holily , but not wisely ; or on the contrary , wisely , but not holily ; and if , in the last place after all this , having performed all the particulars before set down , they did not at last die either in christ , or for christ ; they ought not according to this mans rule , be admitted as witnesses in this case . certainly he might have stopped here , and not have gone on still with his modifications , as he doth , limiting the number and the words of these witnesses . for what christian ever made scruple of receiving the opinion of such a one , as had both holily , wisely , and constantly lived , and taught in the faith , and communion of the catholick church ? for you might hence very well rest assured , that whatsoever he had delivered , was true ; and consequently , fit to be believed : for how could he have taught wisely , and constantly , if he had taught any false doctrine ? all tha he here therefore promiseth us , is no more but this ; that we should be sure not to be deceived , provided , that we believed no other doctrines , save what were holy , and true. this promise of his is like that , which little children are wont to make , when they tell you , that you shall never die , if you but eat always . neither do i believe , that there is any man in the world so perverse , and wilful , as not readily to assent to such a man , as he assuredly knew to be so qualified , as vincentius lirinensis would here have him to be . but seeing that it is necessary , that we should first know the quality of the witness , before we hear him ; it remaineth , in my judgment , that before we do so much as hear any of the fathers , we ought to be first assured , that he was so qualified in every particular , according to vincentius his rule before layed down . now i would very fain have any one inform me , how it is possible for us to know this ? who will assure us , that athanasius , st. cyrill , or what other father you please , both lived , taught , persevered , and died holily , wisely , and constantly in the faith , and communion of the catholick church ? this can never be done , without a most exact inquiry made , both into their life , and their doctrines , which is an impossible thing , considering the many ages that have passed , from their times , down to ours . but yet supposing , that this were a possible thing , it would nevertheless be of no use at all , as to this authors purpose . for , he will have us hear the fathers , to the end , that we may be by them instructed in the truth . now , that we may be rightly informed , whether or no , they were so qualified , as is before required ; we ought necessarily to know first of all , what the truth is . for how is it otherwise possible , that we should be able to judg , whether they have taught holily , and wisely ? and if you were before-hand instructed in the truth , what need have you then to hear them , and to desire to be instructed in it , by them ? you may indeed make use of them , for the illustration and confirmation of that which you knew before ; but you cannot learn any truth from them , which you knew not before . and if you understand the maxime before alledged in another sense , and take this wisdom , and holiness , this faith , and communion of the catholick church , therein mentioned , for a shadow onely , and the superficies and outward appearance of these things , and for a common and empty opinion , grounded meerly upon the publick voice of the people , and not upon an exact knowledge of the thing it self , it will then prove to be manifestly false ; those persons who have but the outward appearance only , and not the reality of these qualities , being no way fit to be admitted as witnesses , much less to be receiv'd as the supreme judges , in the point of the christian faith. so that this proposition is either impossible , if you understand it as the words seem to sound ; or else it is false , if you take it in any larger sense . the like exceptions may be made against those other conditions , which he there further requires , touching the number and the words of these witnesses : for he alloweth not the force of a law to any thing , but what hath been delivered either by all , or else by the greatest part of them . if he here , by all , mean all the fathers that ever have been , or but the greatest part of them onely , he then puts us upon an impossibility . for , taking the whole number of fathers that ever have been , the greatest , and perhaps too , the best part of them have not written any thing at all : and among those that have written , how many hath time devoured ? and how many hath the false dealings of men either wholly suppressed , or else corrupted , and altered ? it is therefore evidently impossible to know , what the opinions have been , either of all , or of the greatest part of the fathers , in this sense . and if he restrains this all , and this greatest part , to those who appear at this day , either in their own books , or in historians , and the writings of other men ; it will concern us then to inquire , whether or no , by all , he means all promiscuously , without distinguishing them by their several ages wherein they lived ; or else , whether he would have us distinguish them into several classes , putting together in the same rank all those that lived in one and the same age ; and receiving for truth whatsoever we find to have been held and confirmed by the greatest part of them . now both these ways agree in this one thing ; namely , that they render the judgment of the christian faith wholly casual , and make it depend upon divers and sundry accidents , which have been the cause of the writings of the fathers being either preserved , or lost . for , put the case that vincentius should have cleared , by this excellent course of his , some point or other , which had been controverted ; he must have thanked the fire , the water , the moths , or the worms , for having spared those authors which he made use of , and for having consumed all those other that wrote in favour of the adverse party : for otherwise he should have been an heretick . and if we should decide our differences in matters of faith after this manner , we should do in a manner as he did , who gave judgment upon the suits of law that came before him , by the chances he threw with three dice . do but imagine now , what an endless labour it would be , for a man either to go and heap up together , and run over all the authors that ever have written , one with another ; or else to distinguish them into their several ages they wrote in , and to examine them by companies . and do but imagine again , what satisfaction a man should be able to get from hence ; and where we should be , in case we should find ( as it is possible it may sometimes so fall out , as we shall shew hereafter ) that the sense and judgment of this greatest part should prove to be either contrary to , or perhaps besides the sense and meaning either of the scriptures , or of the church . and again , how senseless a thing were it to make the suffrages of equal authority , of persons that are so unequal themselves , either in respect of their merit , learning , holy life , and soundness of faith : and that a rheticius , whom s. hierome censured so hardly a little before , should be reckoned equal with s. augustine ; or a philastrius be as good a man as s. hierome ? there is perhaps among the fathers such a one , whose judgment is of more weight than a hundred others ; and yet forsooth will this man have us to make our doubles , and our sons , to go for as much as our crowns and pistols . and lastly , what reason in the world is there , that although perhaps the persons themselves were equal in all things , we should yet make their words also of equal force , which are oftentimes of very different and unequal authority ; some of them having been uttered , as it were , before the bar , the books having been produced , both parties heard , and the whole cause througly examined : and the other perhaps having been cast forth by their authors at all adventure , as it were , either in their chamber , or else in discourse walking abroad , or else perhaps by the by , while they were treating of some other matter ? but our friend here , to prevent in some sort this later inconvenience , requires , that the word of this greatest part , which he will allow to be fit to be authorised , must have been uttered by them clearly , often , and constantly ; and then , and not till then , doth he allow them for certain and undoubted truth . and now you see he is got into another hold. for i would very fain be informed , how it is possible for us to know whether these fathers , which we thus have called out of their graves , to give us their judgment touching the controversies in religion , affirmed those things which we find in their writings , clearly , often , and constantly , or not ? if in this his pretended council of doctors , you will not allow the right of giving their suffrage to those of whom it may be doubted , that they either expressed themselves obscurely , or gave in their testimonies but seldom , or have but weakly maintained their own opinion ; i pray you tell me , whom shall we have left at last , to be the judges in the decision of our present controversies ? as for the apostles creed , and the determinations of the four first general councils , ( which are assented unto , and approved of by all the protestant party , ) i confess we may , by this way of trial , allow them as competent judges in these matters . but as for all the rest , it is evident , by what hath been delivered in the first part of this treatise , that we can never admit of them , if they are thus to be qualified , and to have all the afore-mentioned conditions . we may therefore very well conclude , that the expedient here proposed by this author , is either impossible , or else not so safe to be put in practice ; so that i shall rather approve of s. augustine's judgment , touching the authority of the fathers . i should not have insisted so long upon the examination of this proposal of his , had i not seen it to have been in so high esteem with many men , and indeed with some of the learned too . for in earnest , after s. augustine and s. hierome have delivered their judgments , it matters not much what this man shall have believed to the contrary . but yet , before we finish this point , let us a little examine this author , both by s. augustine's , and by his own rule before laid down . s. augustine thinks us not bound to believe the saying of any author , except he can prove the truth of it unto us , either by the canonical scriptures , or else by some probable reason . what text of scripture , or what reason hath this man alledged , to prove the truth of what he hath proposed ? so that , whatsoever his opinion be , he must not take it amiss , if , according to the advice and practice of s. augustine , we take leave to dissent from him : especially , considering we have so many reasons to reject that , which he without any reason given , would have us to receive . and thus you see , that according to the judgment of s. augustine , the saying of this vincentius lirinensis , although you should reckon him among the most eminent of the fathers , doth not at all oblige us to give our assent unto it . and yet you will find , that his testimony would be yet of much less force and weight , if you but examine the man by his own rule . for , according to him , we are not to hearken to the fathers , except they both lived and taught holily and wisely , even unto the hour of their death . who is there now that will pass his word for him , that he himself was one of this number ? who shall assure us , that he was not either an heretick himself , or at least a favourer of hereticks ? for , is it not evident enough , that he favoured the semipelagians , who at that time swarmed in france , railing against the very name and memory of s. augustine ; and who were condemned by the whole church ? who may not easily see this , by his manner of discourse in his a commonitorium , tending this way ; where he seems to intimate unto us under hand , that prosper and hilary had unjustly slandered them ; and that pope b celestine , who also wrote against them , had been misinformed ? and may not he also be strongly suspected to have been the author of those objections made against prosper , which are called , c objectiones vincentianae , vincent's objections ? the great commendations also which are given him by d gennadius , very much confirm this suspicion ; it being clear , that this author was of the same sect , as appears plainly by the great account he makes of ruffinus , a priest of aquileia , who was the grand patriarch of the pelagians ; saying of him , that he was not the least part of the doctors of the church : tacitely also taxing s. hierome , his adversary , and calling him , a malicious slanderer ; as also by the judgment which he gives of s. augustine , who was flagellum pelagianorum , the scourge of the pelagians , passing this insolent censure upon him , and saying , e that in speaking so much , it had hapned to him , what the holy ghost hath said by solomon , to wit , f that in the multitude of words there wanteth not sin . so that i cannot sufficiently wonder at the boldness of cardinal perron , who when he hath any occasion of alledging this author , ordinarily calleth him saint vincent de lerins , saint vincent of lerius ; thus , by a very ill example , g canonizing a person who was strongly suspected to have been an heretick . since therefore he was such a one , why should any one think it strange , that he should so much cry up the judgment and opinions of the fathers ; seeing that there is no man but knows , that the pelagians and semipelagians had the better of it , by the citing their authorities , and laboured by this means to bear down s. augustine's name ; and all this forsooth , only by reason that the greatest part of the fathers , who lived before pelagius his time , had delivered themselves with less caution than they might have done , touching those points which were by him afterwards brought into question ; and many times too in such strange expressions , as will very hardly be reconciled to any orthodox sense ? yet notwithstanding , should we allow this vincentius to have been a person who was thus qualified , and to have had all those conditions which he requireth in a man , to render him capable of being hearkned to in this particular ; what weight , i would fain know , ought this proposal of his to carry with it , which yet is not found any where , in the mouth of any of all those fathers who went before him ; who is also so strongly contradicted , both by s. augustine , and s. hierome , as we have seen in those passages before alledged out of them ; and who , besides , is full of obscllre passages , and inexplicable ambiguities ? so that , ho●● le●●ned and holy a man soever , he might be , whe●he● he were a bishop , confessor , or martyr , ( which yet he was not ) this proposal of his ( according to his own maxims ) ought to be excluded from the authority of publick determinations , and to be accounted of only as his own particular private opinion . let us therefore in this business rather follow the judgment of s. augustine , which is grounded upon evident reason ; a person whose authority ( whenever it shall be questioned ) will be found to be incomparably greater than vincentius lirinensis his : and let us not henceforth give any credit to any sayings or opinions of the fathers , save onely such , the truth whereof they shall have made appear evidently unto us , either by the canonical books of scripture , or else by some probable reason . chap. iii. reason iii. that the fathers have written after such a manner , as that it is clear , that when they wrote , they had no intention of being our judges in matters of religion . some few examples of their mistakes and oversights . whosoever will but take the pains diligently to consider the fathers manner of writing , he will not desire any other testimony for the proof of this truth . for , the very form of their writings witnesseth clear enough , that in the greatest part of them they had no intention of delivering such definitive sentences as were to be obliging , meerly by the single authority of the mouth which uttered them : but their purpose onely was , rather to communicate unto us their own meditations upon divers points of our religion ; leaving us free to our own liberty of examining them , and to approve , or reject the same , according as we saw good . and thus hath s. hierome expresly delivered his mind , as we shewed before , where he speaks of the nature and manner of commentaries upon the holy scriptures . and certainly , if they had had any other design or intention , they would never have troubled themselves , as they ordinarily do , in gathering together the several opinions of other men. this diligence , i confess , is laudable in a teacher ; but it would be very ridiculous in a judge . their stile also should then be quite of another kind , than now it is : and those obscurities which we have observed in the former part of this treatise , proceeding either from the rhetorical ornaments , or the logical subtilties which they made use of , should have no place here . for , what use would there be of any such thing in pronouncing a sentence of judgment , or indeed , in giving ones bare testimony only to any thing ? but that which makes the truth of this our assertion , more clearly to appear than all the rest , is , the little care and diligence that they took , in composing the greatest part of these writings of theirs , which we now would so very fain have to be the rules of our faith. if these men , who were endued with such exquisite sanctity , had had any intention of prescribing to posterity , a true and perfect tenor and rule of faith ; is it probable that they would have gone carelesly to work , in a business of so great importance ? would they not rather have gone upon it with their eyes opened , their judgments setled , their thoughts fixed , and every faculty of their soul attentively bent upon the business in hand ; for fear , lest that in a business of so great weight as this , something might chance to fall from them , not so becoming their own wisdom , or so suitable to the peoples advantage ? a judge , that had but never so little conscience , would not otherwise give sentence concerning the oxen , the field , and the gutters of titius and moevius . how much more is the same gravity and deliberation requisite here , where the question is touching the faith , the souls , and the eternal salvation of all mankind ? it were clearly therefore the greatest injury that could be offered to these holy persons , to imagine , that they would have taken upon them to have passed judgment in so weighty a cause as this , but with the greatest care and attention that could be . now it is very evident on the other side , that in very many of those writings of theirs , which have come down to our hands , there seemeth to be very much negligence , or , to speak a little more tenderly of the business , security at least , both in the invention , method , and elocutio● . if therefore we tender the reputation either of their honesty or wisdom , we ought rather to say , that their design in these books of theirs , was not to pronounce definitively upon this particular , neither are their writings judiciary sentences , or final judgments , but are rather discourses of a far different nature , occasioned by divers emergent occurrences ; and are more or less elaborate , according to the time , judgment , age , and disposition they were of when they wrote them . now although this want of diligence and of deliberation , appears of it self evidently enough to any man , that readeth the fathers , but with the least attention that may be , yet notwithstanding that i may not leave this assertion of mine only said , and not proved at all , i shall here give you some few instances for a taste only . first of all , there are very many pieces , among the works of the fathers , which were written in haste ; and some too , which were meer extemporary discourses , and such , as in all probability the authors of them themselves would have found many things therein , which would have required correction , had they had but leisure to have reviewed the same . st. hierome in a prologue of his to some certain homilies of origen , translated by him into latine , saith that origen made them and delivered them in the church , ex tempore . touching these therefore , we are pretty well satisfied by st. hierome ; but how many in the mean time may there be of the like nature , among those so many homilies of st. chrysostome , st. augustine , and others ; all which we perhaps imagine to have been leisurely and deliberately studied , digested , and composed , which yet some sudden occasion might perhaps have put forth into the world upon an instant , and which were as soon born as conceived , and as soon published as made ? st. hierome often telleth us , that he dictated what he wrote in haste . thus at the end of that long epistle , which he wrote to fabiola , he confesseth , that he had dispatched it in one evening only , when he was now setting sail for a journey . and ( which is a matter of much more importance ) he saith in another place , † that he had allotted himself but three days , for the translating of the three books of solomon ; namely , the proverbs , ecclesiastes , and the canticles ; which yet a man will hardly be able to read over , well , and exactly , in a month , by reason of the great difficulties he will there meet withal , as well in the words and phrases , as in the sense . and yet for all this ( if , what the church of rome pretends to , be true ) this little three-days work of st. hierome hath proved so fortunate , as to deserve , not only to be approved , and highly esteemed , but even canonized also by the council of trent . now whether the will of god be , that we should receive this translation of his , as his pure word , or not , i shall leave to those , who have a desire and ability to examine : however i dare confidently affirm , that st. hierome himself never had any the least thought , or hope , that ever this piece of his , should one day come to this honour , it being a thing not to be imagined , but that he would have taken both more time , and more pains in the thing , if ever he had either desired , or foreseen this . and thus it sometimes falls out , that men have better fortune , than ever they wished for . the same author saith , at the end of another piece of his , that it was an extemporary , and running business , as he there speaks , and hudled out so fast , as that his tongue over-run the hands of his amanuenses , and by its volubility and swiftness , in a manner confounded them and their cifres , and abbreviations . he elsewhere excuseth in like manner another work of his of no small importance neither , which is , his commentary upon the gospel of st. matthew ; telling us , that by reason he had been straitned in time , he was constrained to dictate it in very great haste . and so likewise in the preface to his second commentary , upon the epistle of st. paul to the ephesians , he confesseth , that he wrote it in so great haste , as that he many times made as much of it , as came to a thousand lines in a day . in a word , that i may not cloy the reader with producing all the instances of the same kind , that i could here bring in , it is his ordinary way of excusing himself either in his prefaces , or else at the closing up of all his discourses , to say , that either the messenger was in haste , or some other design called him away ; or else some other the like cause , whatsoever it were , was pretended . so that he never did any thing almost but in haste , and at full speed . sometimes again , either some sickness had taken him off his metal ; or else , the study of the hebrew had let his tongue grow rusty ▪ or his pen is not now able to reach its wonted pitch . now i would fain know if so be he would have us receive all his sayings , as oracles ; and did not indeed desire us to excuse rather some things in him , and to forgive him some others ; why should he use these speeches unto us ? who ever heard a judge excuse himself , by reason of the shortness of the time ? would not this be rather to accuse , than to excuse himself , by making such an apology as this for himself ; for as much as the giving of over-hasty judgment , in any cause , is a very great fault ? and in my opinion , the fathers could not more clearly have deprived themselves of this dignity of being our judges , wherewith we will invest them , whether they will or no , than by writing and speaking after this manner . but yet although st. hierome had not given us these advertisements , which yet ought to make us look well also to the rest of the fathers ; it appeareth evidently enough , out of their very writings themselves , how little both time and diligence they bestowed , in composing the greatest part of them . for , otherwise how could so many small trifling faults , both in history , grammar , philosophy , and the like , have escaped so great and eminent persons , who were so well furnished with all sorts of literature ? how happened it , that they so either forgot , or else mistook themselves , as they have sometimes done ? i shall here give the reader some few examples of this kind , not to take off any thing from the praises due to these learned persons ; as if we thought them really to have committed these errours out of ignorance ; but rather to let the world see , that they did not alway● make use of their whole stock of worth and learning ; and that sometimes they either could not , or else would not make use , but of some part only of their knowledge , and of their time : which is a most certain argument , that they had never any intention of being received by us as judges in points of faith. i shall not say much of their errours in matter of time , which are both very notable ones , and also very frequent with them : as , for example , where justin martyr * saith , that david lived fifteen hundred years before the manifestation of the son of god ; it being very apparent , by observing the course of times , derived along through histories , both sacred and profane , that from the death of david , to the birth of our saviour christ , there passed no more than a thousand and twenty five , or thirty years , or thereabout . so likewise , when * epiphanius writeth , that moses was but thirty years old , when he brought forth the children of israel out of egypt : whereas the scriptures clearly testifie , that he was fourscore years of age : and so , where he affirmeth , * that the taking of the city of jerusalem , happened sixty five years after the passion of our saviour christ . and truly the chronology of all the ancients is generally very strange , and for the most part very far wide of the truth ; as hath been observed , and also proved at large , by all the moderns , as scaliger , petavius , and others . but these matters are so very nice and ticklish , that oftentimes the most diligent inquirers into them , may chance to mistake : i shall therefore forbear to insist any longer upon this particular ; and shall now lay before you some examples of another nature , and such as shall most evidently discover the security and negligence of these authors . justin martyr , speaking of the translation of the lxx interpreters , saith , † that ptolemy , king of egypt , sent his ambassadors to herod king of judaea . whereas the truth of the story is , that he sent to eleazar the high priest , two hundred forty and odd years , before herod came to be king of judaea . * epiphanius tells us , in two or three places , that the peripateticks and pythagoreans were one and the same sect of heathen philosophers ; which yet were as much different one from the other , as the stoicks and epicureans were , as every child knoweth . the same author confidently affirmeth also , though contrary to the saith of all ancient history , † that the several sects and opinion in philosophy sprung from some certain mysteries brought to athens , by orpheus , and others ; and , that the stoicks believed the immortality , and transmigration of souls ; both which are as false , the one as the other : and likewise * that nebuchadonosor sent a colony , into the country about samaria , after the taking of hierusalem ; whereas in truth , it was salmanassar , who had so done , long before the others time . what can you think of him , when you find him mistaken in such things , as happened not many years before he was born : as namely , when he says † that arius died before the council of nice : and when he relates the story of meletius , and his schism , clean otherwise than the truth of it was ? justin martyr likewise assures us , for a certain truth , * that in the reign of the emperour claudius , there was erected at rome a statue to simon magus , in the river tiber , betwixt the two bridges , with this inscription , to the holy god simon : whereas , as our learned * criticks now inform us , it was only an inscription to one of the pagan d●mi●gods , in these words , ●semoni deo sanco ; which this good father mistook , instead of semoni , reading simoni , and for sanoo , reading sancto . † eusebius saith , and * st. hierome divers times repeateth it after him , that josephus , the jewish historian reporteth , that at the time of our saviours passion , the heavenly powers forsook the temple of hierusalem ; and that there was a great noise heard , and a voice saying , 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 , let us depart hence ; and yet nevertheless the truth of the story is , that josephus reported this to have happened at the same time , when the city was besieged , that is to say , above thirty five years after the death of our saviour . * the same authors , and in a manner all others after them , have constantly delivered as a certain truth , that philo judaeus in that book of his , entituled de vitâ contemplativâ , describeth unto us the manner of life of the christian 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 , or monks : and yet that book of philo , which we have at this day under this title , proclaimeth loud enough , that he there speaks , not of the christians , but of the essenes , who were one of the three sects among the jews ; as hath been observed by † scaliger , and by divers others after him . we have touched , how * st. ambrose , without giving us any account of his reasons why he doth so , understands by gog and magog , mentioned in † ezckiel , the nation of the goths , who in his time over-run all christendom . he tells us in another place , with the very same confidence that * zacharias , the father of john baptist , was the high priest of the jews ; which yet † baronius hath clearly proved to be false . thus you see how little the later writers are beholding to those that went before them , as to this particular . † epiphanius affirmeth , that pison , which was one of the four rivers that watered the terrestrial paradise , mentioned by moses , was the same that the indians and ethiopians call ganges , and the greeks indus : which river passing at length through ethiopia , discharged it self at last into the ocean at cales . what wonderful strange geography have we got here , ( if at least we may call it by this name , ) which jumbleth together the east and the west , and confoundeth , and maketh all one , places , which are very near a whole hemisphere distant from each other . * st. basil also , who is otherwise an excellent author , hath mistaken likewise , though not so much , the course of the river danubius ; for he hath only made it to spring out of the pyrenean mountains . the speaking of these rivers puts me in mind , that † all the fathers do unanimously understand by gihon , one of the rivers of paradise , the river nilus ; which hath so deceived cardinal * perron also , as that he so delivers it to us , as the express text of the scriptures , by this means making it guilty of a manifest absurdity , how innocent soever in it self it be , and free from intending any such thing ; seeing that it is evident , that neither in the hebrew , greek , nor latine text , it is ever said , that the river nile watered the land of paradise : it being only a dream of the fathers , that one of these rivers of paradise , must needs have been the nile ; though this fancy of theirs ( as † scaliger makes it appear , and as it is confessed by † petavius also ) is built upon no ground , or reason at all . neither hath their philosophy also been sometimes less wonderful , than their geography : as for example ; when * tertullian maintains , that plants are endued both with sense , and understanding too . so likewise where † epiphanius holds , that it is possible for a dead man to return to life again , without the reunion of the soul to the body . as also where a s. ambrose saith , that the sun , to the end he may allay his extreme heat , refresheth himself with the nourishment which he draweth up from the waters : and that from hence it is , that we sometimes see him appear as it were all over wet , and dropping with dew . and so again , where you have some of them entertaining the doctrine of the spherical figure of the heavens , with very great scorn ; and b maintaining , that it is onely as it were an arch , which is built upon the waters , as on its base . c some others of them you have , who will not endure to hear of the earths being of a round , spherical figure , or of the antipodes ; and account those men little less than infidels , that shall offer to maintain any such opinions . but these are not bare mistakes , and oversights onely ; but are rather errors which proceeded from the want of a due examination , and a right apprehension of things . as for their grammatical errors , they are more frequent and usual with them , than any other : and the reason of their so often mistaking here , is , the little knowledge they had in the hebrew tongue ; as , for instance , when d optatus , and some others of them , will needs deduce the name cephas , from the greek 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 , which signifies a head , whereas copha is a syriack word , and signifies e a stone , as the evangelist expresly testifieth . s. ambrose is in the like manner mistaken , where he derives the word f pascha , which is of hebrew extraction , and which signifieth properly a passing , from a greek word , signifying to suffer ; in which etymologie of his he is faithfully followed by pope innocent iii. in an oration of his , which he made at the opening of the council of lateran . we have formerly given a touch at some errors of theirs of this nature , observed by s. hierome , to whom the church is very much obliged , both for the great pains that he took , in endeavouring to attain unto so exquisite knowledge in the hebrew tongue ; as also for the great courage that he had , in taking so much liberty to himself , as freely to note all such impertinences , whensoever he met with them ; who , or how great persons soever the authors of them were . all the rest of the fathers , a very few only excepted , do here but , as it were , grope out their way in the dark : and hence it is , that we have so many wild etymologi●s given by them , of the proper names that we meet with in the scriptures . who can read , without amazement , that which g irenaeus hath delivered , touching the derivation of the name of jesvs , which he will have to be composed of two letters and a half ; adding moreover , that in the ancient language of the hebrews it signifieth the heavens , notwithstanding that the angel expresly testified , at the very beginning of s. matthew's gospel , that our saviour christ was called jesvs , because he was to save his people from their sins . of the like nature is that , where he saith , that the name of god , adonai , signifieth wonderful : or , if you write it thus , addhonei , it then signifieth . him that boundeth and separateth the earth from the water . and the like etymologies doth he give us of the word sabaoth , and of jaoth . like to these , are those mysteries which he informs us of , in the afore-cited treatise of his , which no author else , either ancient or mode●n , ever heard of : telling us withal , that barneth is the name of god in hebrew ; and that the first and most ancient hebrew letters , which were called sacerdotales , were onely ten in number , and were written five manner of ways . out of the same storehouse hath h clemens alexandrinus produced us that precious etymology which he hath given of the name of abraham , saying , it is by interpretation , the elect father of a sound : and that other of the name rebecca , which he will have to signifie , the glory of god. i s. hilary saith , that schon signifieth a fruitless tree . but s. k hierome informs us , that s. hilary understanding nothing at all in hebrew , and being not so very excellent at the greek neither , he was fain to make use of a certain priest named heliodorus , to interpret to him out of origen whatsoever he himself understood not , who no● discharging his trust sometimes so faithfully as he should have done , was the cause of this father's committing some certain errors of this nature , in his commentaries . l theophilus antiochenus saith , that before melchisedeck's time the city of jerusalem was called hierosolyma ; but that afterwards it was called hierusalem , from him : which is a very strange fancy of his , and such a one , as it is no very easie matter to guess what ground he should have for it . what strange dreams doth m s. ambrose entertain his readers withal , where he expounds the names of chorah , and of oreb ; the one whereof , with him , signifieth , the vnderstanding , and the other , the whole heart , or , as the heart ? and so likewise in n his exposition of the cxviii psalm , where he gives us the meaning of each of the hebrew letters wherewith the first verses begin of every one of the octonaries whereof the said cxviii psalm , according to the hebrew reckoning , consisteth . but o he is by no means to be pardoned , where he is so much out in the greek tongue , which he understood reasonably well , as to derive the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 , essence , from 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 , always , and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 , being : which is so gross a mistake , as would not have been pardoned a school-boy at the grammar-school . and as for s. hierome , it is true , that he is sometimes at this sport too ; though i should think he does it of purpose , and to make himself merry onely , rather than any way mistaking himself : as for example , p when he derives the latin word nugae from the hebrew 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 nogè , which you read in the prophet zephaniah , chap. . vers . . and so likewise when q he searcheth in the hèbrew for the signification of paul , philemon , onesimus , timothy , and other words which are purely greek . and even in the very scriptures themselves , which they were both better acquainted with , and which they had also in greater veneration than any other books whatsoever , they often mistake themselves in citing them . as for example , when r justine martyr alledgeth a passage out of the prophet zephaniah , which yet is not found any where but onely in the prophet zechariah ; and in another place , where he names jeremiah in stead of daniel . so likewise when ſ s. hilary tells us , that s. paul , in the chapter of the acts , alledgeth a certain passage out of the first psalm , which yet is found only in the second● whereas s. paul in that place speaks not one syllable of the first psalm , but expresly nameth the second . so also when t epiphanius says , out of the chap. ver. . of the acts of the apostles , that the number of those that were in the ship with s. paul , when he suffered ship wrack , was one while . and by and by souls ; whereas the text saith expresly , that they were in all . so likewise when in another place he affirmeth , out of the gospel , u that our saviour christ said to his mother , touch me not ; whereas it appears plainly out of the text , that these words were spoken onely to mary magdalene . so where x s. hierome troubles himself very much in reconciling a certain passage alledged by s. paul out habakkuk , to the original , telling us , that s. paul had cited it in these words , the just shall live by my faith : whereas it is most evident , that he apostle , both in the first chapter of the epistle to the romans , as also in the epistle to the galatians , hath it only thus , the just shall live by faith ; and not , the just shall live by my faith. athanasius in his synopsis ( or whoever else was the author of that piece ) reckoning up the several books of scriptures , evidently takes the third book of esdras , which hath been always accounted apocryphal by the common consent of all christendom , for the first , which is received by all , both christians and jews , into the canon of the scriptures . we might reckon to this number ( if at least so foolish a piece deserve to have any place among the writings of the fathers ) that gross mistake which we meet with in an epistle of pope gregory ii. who raileth fiercely against vzziah , for breaking the brazen serpent ; calling him , for this act of his , the brother of the emperour leo the iconoclast , which , as he thought , was all one , as to reckon him amongst the most mischievous and wretched princes that ever had been : and yet all this while the scripture tells us , that this was the act , not of vzziah , but of the good king hezekiah ; and that he deserved to be rather commended for the same , than blamed . as for their slips of memory , he had need to have a very happy one himself , that should go about to reckon them all up . for example ; y s. ambrose tells us somewhere , that the eagle dying , is revived again out of her own ashes . who sees not , that in this place he would have said , the phoenix ? but however , in another place giving us an account of the story of the phoenix , as it is commonly delivered , he says , that this we have learned from the authority of the scriptures . by a like mistake it was , that he affirmed , that these words , z for this very purpose have i raised thee up , that i might shew my power in thee , were spoken to moses ; to whom notwithstanding the lord never said any such word , but rather to pharaoh . in like manner doth he attribute to the jews those words in the ninth chapter of s. john , which were indeed spoken by christ's disciples , who asked him , saying , a master , who did sin , this man , or his parents , that he was born blind ? i impute that other mistake of his , to the heat of his rhetorick , where he brings in one of the seven brethren in the maccabees , who suffered under king antiochus , and makes him , in his height of gallantry , alledge the example of john , and of james , the sons of thunder , two of our saviour christs apostles , who came not into the world , as every one knows , till a long time after this . it was a slip of memory also in tertullian , where he tells us , b that the lord said unto moses , they have not rejected thee , but they have rejected me ; which words were indeed spoken to * samuel , and not to moses . s hierome also was overtaken in the like manner , c when he tells us , that none of the fathers ever understood the word knew , in the last verse of the first chapter of s. matthew , otherwise than of the conjugal act ; not remembring , that his own dear friend epiphanius takes the word in a quite different sense , and will have the meaning of the place to be , that joseph , before the miraculous birth of our saviour christ , knew not what glory and excellency was to befal the blessed virgin ; knowing nothing else of her before , save only that she was the daughter of joachim and of annae , and cousin to elizabeth , who was of the house of david : whereas he at that time knew clearly , that god had done him that honour of sending his angel to him , and of chusing his espoused wife mary to be the only woman on earth , on whom he would confer that so great and wonderful benefit and advantage , above all others . but we intend not here to give you an inventory of all the errors of this nature , which are to be found in the writings of the ancients : these patterns may well enough serve to shew , what the whole pieces are . i shall only add here , that , besides this carelesness and security , which is so ordinary with them , in writing thus confidently whatsoever came in their mind , or whatever others had delivered over unto them , for sound and good , without ever examining it throughly , they had yet another kind of custom , which seems not to suit so well with the person of judges , as we will needs have them to be . and this is , that in their writings they are sometimes so jolly and sportful , coming over us with such rare allegorical observations as have scarcely any more solidity or body , than those castles of cards that little children are wont to make . these cardinal perron calls , des gayetez joyeuses , chearful frolickings . i know very well , that allegories are useful , and many times also necessary ; if so be they be but sober , clear , and well-grounded . but i speak not here save only of such as rack the text , and , as it were , drag it along by the hair , and , which make the sense of the scripture evaporate in empty fumes . and of these are the writings of the fathers full . s. hierome often complains of the strange liberty that origen and his disciples took herein . certainly he himself often flies out in this kind ; and whosoever hath a mind to fee it , may read but his epistle , where he expounds the d parable of the prodigal son : or let him but turn to the discourse which he hath made touching the e genealogy of the prophet zephaniah , and concerning the city of damascus ; and also upon the history of f abishag the shunamite ; and also upon the five and twenty men , and the two princes , spoken of in g ezechiel , chap. . and upon the destruction of tyre , of h egypt , and of i assyria , foretold by the same prophet ; as also his subtile observations upon k numbers , and upon king l darius , and upon that command of our saviour m christ , where he bideth us turn the left cheek to him that hath smitten us on the right : and many other the like discourses of his . s. hilary is so much taken with this manner of writing , as that his expositions upon the scripture are half full of these allegories : and to be sure to make himself the more work , he sometimes frames n certain impossibilities and absurdities , which he would make the scripture seem to be guilty of , which yet it is not ; only that he may have some pretense to have recourse to his allegories . as for example , in the psalm , he will needs have the letter of the text to be utterly inexplicable , where it says , that the jews sate down by the rivers of babylon , and hanged up their harps upon the willows ; as if , in this country , that was watred with tigris and euphrates , there had been neither river , nor willow , nor any aquatick tree . the same o author also demandeth , as if it had been a most indissoluble question , if taken in the literal sense , who the daughter of babylon is ; and , why she is called miserable ? which is so easie a question , as that any child almost might very easily resolve it , without torturing the text with allegories . so likewise , in his exposition of the psalm , he understandeth by the p clouds wherewith god is said to cover the heavens , the writings of the prophets ; and by the rain which he prepareth for the earth , the evangelical doctrine ; by the mountains which bring forth grass , the prophets and apostles ; by the beasts , he understands men ; and by the young ravens , the gentiles : assuring us withal , that it would not be onely erroneous , but rather very irreligious , to take these words in the literal sense . may not this be called rather sporting with , than expounding of the scriptures ? so likewise in another place , speaking of the fowls of the air , which our saviour said , neither reaped nor gathered into barns , he understands , by these , the devils ; and by the lilies of the field , which spin not , the angels . i should much abuse the readers patience , if i should here set down the strange discourses he hath upon the story of the two possessed with devils , who were healed by our saviour in the country of the gergesens ; and upon the leap which the devils made the neighbouring herd of swine take into the sea ; and of the swine-herds running away into the city , and of the citizens coming forth , and intreating our saviour to depart out of their coasts : or if i should but give you the whole entire exposition which he hath made of these words , vers . . chap. . of st. matthew : are not two sparrows sold for a farthing , &c. where by the two sparrows , he understandeth sinners , whose souls and bodies having been made to flye upward and to mount on high , sell themselves to sin for meer trifles , and things of no value by this means becoming both as one , the soul by sin thickning , as it were into a body : and such other like wild fancies , the reading whereof would astonish a man of any judgment , rather than edifie him . neither is st. ambrose any whit more serious , where expounding those words of our saviour , matth. . . if you have faith as a grain of mustard seed , ye shall say to this mountain , remove hence to yonder , place , &c. by this mountain ( saith st. ambrose ) is meant the devil . it would be too tedious a business , to set down here at length all that might be collected , of this nature , out of him : he that hath any mind to see more examples of this kind , may read but his homilies upon the . psalm ; which piece of his , will indeed be otherwise very well worth any mans reading , as being a very excellent one , and full of eloquence and sound doctrine . but yet perhaps a man would find it a troublesom business to make any handsom defence for him , where he makes bold sometimes to use the sacred words of the scriptures in his own sportful fancies : * as where he applies to valentinian and gratian , that which is spoken of christ and the church , in the canticles : o that thou wert as my brother , that sucked the breasts of my mother ! when i should find thee without i would kiss thee , &c. i would lead thee , and bring thee into my mothers house , &c. i would cause thee to drink of spiced wine , and of the juyce of my pomegranates . his left hand should be under my head , and his right hand should embrace me . in this place ( saith he ) is mean● the emperour gratian , of r●nowned memory , who te●●eth his brother that he is furnished with the fruits of divers vertues . and to the same purpose doth he make application of divers other passages of this sacred canticle ; and with so great licence , as to say the truth , no poet ever lashed out with more liberty and freedom than he hath done in that book of his . i shall here purposely pass by , what i might produce , of this nature , out of gregory nazianzen , st. augustine , and almost all the rest of the fathers : for , this that we have already brought , is enough , and indeed more than we needed for our present purpose . let the reader therefore now judge , whether or no the fathers , by this their manner of writing , have not clearly enough witnessed against themselves , that their intention , when they wrote these their books , never was either to bound and determine our faith , or to decide our differences touching the same . i must needs confess , that they were persons who were endued with very large gifts of the spirit ; and with a most lively and clear understanding , for the diving into the truth . but yet those , that have the greatest ●hare of these gifts , have it yet to very little purpose , if so be they imploy it not all , and every part of it , to the utmost of their power , when the business they are to treat of is of so great both difficulty and importance ; and such , as to the deciding and discussing whereof we can never bring either more attention or diligence , than is needful . now that the fathers have not observed this course in their writings , appeareth clearly enough by what hath been formerly said : their books therefore are not to be received by us , either as definitive sentences , or final judgments upon our present controversies . i confess that these small , trivial errors ought not to take off any thing of the opinion we have of the greatness and gallantry of their parts . i believe they might very easily have avoided the falling into them , if they would but have taken the pains to have looked a little better about them . and i ●m of opinion , that they fell into them meerly by inadvertency only , which may also sometimes happen even to the greatest masters that are , in any sciences whatsover . i shall as willingly also yield to you , ( if you desire it , ) that they have sometimes done these things purposely ; letting fall here and there throughout their writings such little slips from their pen , sportingly , and by way of recreation ; or else out of a design of exercising our wits . but certainly , whatsoever the reason were , seeing that they had no mind to use any more either care or diligence in the composing of their books , we may very well , and indeed we ought to conclude from hence , that they had never any intention that these books of theirs should be our judges . these innocent faults , these mistakes , these oversights , these forgetfulnesses , and these sportings of theirs , do sufficiently declare for their part , that we are to make our addresses to some others ; and , that they have not so sadly delivered their opinions , as if they had sate on the seat of judgment ; but rather have spoken as in their chamber , venting their own private opinions only ; and not as our judges . these considerations , joyned to what hath been said , in this particular , by some of the chiefest and most eminent among themselves , as we have formerly shewed , do make it , in my judgment , evidently enough appear ▪ that their own will and desire is , that we should not embrace their opinions , as oracles , or receive them as definitive sentences , but that we should rather examine them by the scriptures , and by reason ; as being the opinions of doctors , who were indeed very able and excellent men ; but yet notwithstanding they were still men , subject to errour , and who had not always the good fortune to light upon what was true and sound , and who peradventure , even in this very case in hand , have not always done what they might ; by reason of their employing either less time , or less and diligence , than they should have done , if at least they had had any serious purpose of doing their utmost endeavour in this particular . chap. iv. reason iv. that the fathers have erred , in divers points of religion ; not only singly , but also many of them together . i conceive , that that which hath been delivered in the two preceding chapters , is sufficient to make it appear to any moderate man , that the authority of the fathers is not so authentick , as people commonly imagine it to be . thou therefore whosoever thou art , if thou beest but an indifferent and impartial reader , mayest omit the reading of this , and the following chapter ; both which i am fain to add , though much against my will , to answer all objections that may yet be made by perverse and obstinate persons . for the prejudice , wherewith they are before-hand possessed , may hinder them perhaps from seeing the clearness of reason , and from hearing the voice of the fathers themselves ; whose words they perhaps will be ready to impute to their modesty , rather than they will consent to yield unto them no more honour than they themselves require . the stubbornness therefore of these men , and not any need that thou hast of my doing so , hath constrained me to lay aside some of that respect , that i bear towards antiquity ; and hath obliged me to give them a sight of some errours of the fathers , which are of much more importance than the former , if by this means at least i may be able to overcome this their obstinacy . for , when they shall but see , that the fathers have erred in divers very considerable points ; i hope they will at length confess , that they had very good reason , gravely to advise us not to believe , or take upon trust any of their opinions , unless we find that they are grounded either upon the scriptures , or else upon some other truth . i confess , i enter upon this inquiry very unwillingly , as taking very little pleasure in discovering the infirmities and failings of any men , especially of such , as are otherwise thought worthy of so great estimation and honour : but yet there is nothing in the world , ●how precious or dear unto us soever it be , that we ought not to account as dung , if it be compared with truth , and the edification of men . and i am verily perswaded , that even these blessed saints themselves , were they now alive again , would give us thanks for the pains we have taken , in endeavouring to make men see , that they were but men ; and would account themselves beholding to us , for having taken the boldness upon us , for the same reason to discover those imperfections and failings of theirs , which divine providence hath suffered them to leave behind them in their writings , to the end only that they might serve as so many arguments to us of their humanity . if there be any notwithstanding , that shall take offence hereat , i must intreat them once again to consider , that the perversness only of those men , with whom i have to deal , hath forced me to this irreverence , ( if at least we are to call it so ) together with the desire i have to manifest to the world so important a truth as this is . if i would go about to defend my self by examples , i could here make use of that of cardinal perron ; who , to justifie the church of romes interdicting the reading of the bible to any of the laity , save only such as should be allowed so to do ; makes no more ado but falls to laying open to the view of the world ( not all the faults ) for there are no such there ; but ) all the false appearances of faults , that are found in the bible , making a whole chapter expresly of the same . how much more lawfully then may we adventure here , to expose to publick view some few of the failings of the fathers , unto whom we owe infinitely less respect , than unto god ; only to moderate a little , and to allay the heat of that excessive devotion , that most men bear towards their writings ; that so the one party may be perswaded to seek out for some other weapons , than the authority of these men , for the defence of their opinions ; and that the other party may not so easily be induced to give ear to the bare testimony of antiquity . it was the saying of a great prince long since , that the vilest and most shameful necessities of his nature , were the things that most clearly evinced him , that he was a man , and no god , as his flattering courtiers would needs have made him believe he was . seeing therefore it stands us so much upon , to know , that the fathers were but men , let us not be afraid to produce here this so clear and so evident argument of their humanity . let us boldly enter into their most hidden secrets , and let us see what ever marks of their humanity they have left us in their writings ; that we may no longer adore and reverence their authority , as if it were wholly divine . yet i protest here , before i begin , that i will not make any advantage at all of those many arguments of their passion , which we meet withal ; partly in their own writings , and partly in the histories of their life . i heartily wish rather , that all of this kind might be buried in an eternal oblivion , and that we would account of them , as of persons that were most accomplished for purity and innocency of life , as far forth at least , as the frail condition of humane nature can bear . i shall only touch upon the errours of their belief , and those things wherein they have failed , not in living , but in writing . the most ancient of them all is justin martyr , a man so renowned in all ancient histories for his great knowledge , both in religion and philosophy ; and also for the fervency of his zeal , which is so evidently manifesied , by his suffering a glorious martyrdom for our saviour jesus christ . and yet for all this , how many odd opinions do we meet withal in his books , which are either very trivial , or else are manifestly false ? do but hear how he speaks of the last times , immediately preceding the day of judgment , and the end of the world. * as for me , ( saith he ) and the rest of us that are true christians , we know that there shall be a resurrection of the flesh , and that the saints shall spend a thousand years in jerusalem , which shall be rebuilt , enriched , and enlarged , as the prophets assure us , ezechiel , isaiah , and others . and to this purpose he citeth that which is written isaiah , chap. . and besides , that other passage in the revelation , where it is said , † that those which had believed in christ , should live and reign with him a thousand years in jerusalem ; and that after this there should be a general and final resurrection and judgment . in which words you see plainly , that he holds with the chiliasts , that the saints shall reign a thousand years in jerusalem , before the resurrection be perfectly accomplished . which is an opinion that is at this day condemned as erroneous , by the whole western church , both on the one side , and on the other . he seems in another place to have held , that the essence of god was finite , and was not present in all places ; where he endeavours to prove against a jew , that it was not the father , * who rained fire and brimstone upon sodom , because that he could not then have been at that time in heaven . that which he hath delivered , concerning the angels , is altogether as senseless , though not so dangerous ; namely , † that god having in the beginning committed unto them the care and providence over men and all sublunary things , they had broken this order , by suffering themselves to be overcome by the love of women , by companying with whom had been also born children , which are those we now call demons , or devils . i know not neither , whether he will be able easily to bring any one over to that other opinion of his where he says ; that * all the souls of the saints , and of the prophets , had fallen under the power of evil spirits , which were such , as were the spirits of python : and that this was the reason , why our saviour christ , being now ready to give up the ghost , recommended his spirit to god. i pray you tell me , out of what part of gods word he learnt this doctrine , which he delivers in his second apologie : where he says , † that all those , who lived according to the rule of reason , were christians , notwithstanding that they might have been accounted as atheists ; such as among the greeks , were socrates , heraclitus , and the like ; and among the barbarians , abraham and azarias : repeating the same doctrine , within a few lines afterward , and saying , that * all those who lived , or do now live according to the rule of reason , are christians , and are in an assured , quiet condition . irenaeus , bishop of lyon , who lived very near his time , was also ▪ of the same opinion with justin , touching the state of the soul , after it is once departed out of the body , till the hour of judgment . for , towards the conclusion of that excellent book of his , which he wrote against heresies ; after that he hath told us , that our saviour christ had descended into hell , and had been in the place where the dead were ; which place he opposed to the light of this world : he further addeth , that a it is evident , that the souls of the disciples of our saviour , for the love of whom he did all these things , shall go also into a certain invisible place , which is pr●vided for them by god , there to expect the resurrection ; and shall afterwards resume their bodies , and be raised up again in all perfection ; that is to say , corporally , in the same manner as our saviour was raised up again , and so shall they come into the presence of god. and this opinion he opposeth against that of the valentinians , and gnosticks , which he had before produced in the beginning of that chapter of his , who held , that the souls of men , immediately after they were departed out of the body , were carried up above the heavens , and the creator of the world , and went to that mother , or that father , which these hereticks had fancied to themselves : which opinion of theirs , is in like manner rejected by justin martyr , in the passage a little before alledged , out of his book against tryphon : whence it plainly appears , ( that we may not trouble our selves to produce any other proofs ) that justin and irenaeus were both of the same belief , touching the state of the soul after death . but to return to irenaeus , in his second book against hereticks , he maintains very s●iffely ▪ that our saviour christ was above forty years of age , when he suffered death for us : bringing in , in defence of this opinion of his , which so manifestly contradicteth the evangelical histories , certain probabilities onely ; as namely , that our saviour passed through all ages , as heing come into the world to sanctifie and save people of all ages ; urging also those words of the jews to our saviour , thou art not yet fifty years old , and hast thou seen abraham ? in the conclusion of all , saying , that s. john had delivered it by tradition to the priests of asia , that christ was somewhat ancient when he began to preach , being then about the age of forty or fifty years . this fancy of his appeased so ridioulous to cardinal baronius , as that , notwithstanding the faith of all the copies of this father , and the contexture , which appears evidently to be his , together with the vein and marks of his fancy and stile ; he hath yet had the confidence to say , that this whole passage had been soisted into the text of irenaeus , either by some ignorant , or some malicious person , and that it could not be irenaeus his own . but it seemeth , that he had no great reason for this his suspicion , as the jesuite b petavius hath clearly made it appear , in his notes upon epiphaniu● . however you may hence perceive , that baronius thinks that very possible , which we have endeavoured to prove in the former part of this treatise , namely , that there may possibly have been very many and great alterations and corruptions in the books of the writers of the first ages , by many passages and clauses having been either inserted into them , or else maliclously rased out of them . the same c irenaeus holds , and endeavours to prove , in the same book , that the souls of men , after death , retain the character ( that is to say , the figure ) of the bodies to which they were formerly united , and that they represent the shape of the said bodies , so as to make men take them for the same . i shall here pass by that which he d saith in the chapter of the same book , namely , that our saviour christ did not at all know when the day of judgment should be , neither according to the one , nor according to the other of his natures : although these words of his look as if they would very hardly be reconciled to any good fense . neither shall i yet take notice of what both he and justin martyr have in divers places so rashly delivered , touching the strength of humane nature , in the business of salvation ; because i conceive , with e cassander , that all those passages may , and indeed ought to be understood with respect had to the scope and drift of these authors , whose business there was to confute those hereticks of their time , who maintained , that there was a fatal necessity in the actions of men , by this means depriving them of all manner of election , or judgment . neither hath the great learning of f clemens alexandrinus kept him from falling ▪ in●o very many the like , errors : as for instance , where in divers places he says plainly , that the heathen , who lived before the coming of our saviour christ , were justified by philosophy , g which was then necessary for them whereas it is now only vseful unto them ; and that this philosophy was tho●● choolmister of ●he gentiles , which brought them to christ , or served to guide them till the time of his coming , in like manner as the law did the jews ; and that the greeks were justified by i● alone● ; and , that it was given unto them , as their h covenant , being a step to , and , as it were , a foundation laid for christian philosophy . he was of opinion also , in order to this , i that our saviour went down into hell , to preach the gospel to the departed souls ; and that he saved many of them , that is , all that believed : and that the k apostles also , after their death , descended likewise into the same place , and for the same purpose : conceiving , that god otherwise should have been unjust , and an accepter of persons , if so be he should have condemned all those who died before the coming of his son. for ( saith he ) if l he preached to the living , to the end they might not be condemned vnjustly ; why should ●e not , for the same reason , preach also to those who were departed this life before his coming ? from these and the like considerations , he concludeth , that it was necessary that the souls of all the dead , as well gentiles , as jews , should have been made partakers of the preaching of our saviour , m and should have had the be●●fit of the same dispensation , which he used towards others here upon earth , in order either to their salvation , through repentance ; or their just condemnation , for their impenitency . he plainly maintains also , in several places of his works , that all the punishments which god inflicts upon m●n , tend to their salvation , and are sent them for their instiuction and amendment ; comprehending also within this number , even those very pains which the damned endure in hell : and from hence it is , that he somewhere also affirmeth , that wicked men are to be purged by fire : and hereto doth he refer the conflagration spoken of by the stoicks , alledging also to this purpose certain passages out of plato , and out of a certain philosopher of ephesus , which i conceive to be heraclitus ; by all which it clearly appears , that he had the same belief touching the pains of hell , that his scholar origen had , who maintains in an infinite number of places up and down his works , that the pains of hell are purgative only ; and consequently are not eternal , but are to have an end , when the souls of the damned are once throughly cleansed and purified by this fire . n he believes also with justin martyr , that the angels fell in love with the first women , and that this love of theirs transported them so far , as to make them indiscreetly to discover unto them many secrets which they ought to have concealed . but now , quite contrary to irenaeus , who maintains , that our saviour christ lived upon earth to the age of fifty years ; clemens will have him to have preached in the flesh but one year onely , and to have died in the thirty first year of his age. but since it is confessed by both parties , that there are very many absurd tenets in this author , i shall not meddle any further with him . as for tertullian , i confess his very turning montanist , hath taken off indeed very much of the repute which he before had in the church , both for the fervency of his p●ety , and also for his incomparable learning . but yet , besides that a great part of his works were written while he was yet a catholick ; we are also to take notice , that this his montanism put no separation at all betwixt him and other christians , save only in point of discipline , which he , according to the severity of his nature , would have to be most harsh and rigorous . for , as for his doctrine , it is very o evident , that he constantly kept to the very same rule , and the same faith , that the catholicks did : whence proceeded that tart speech of his , p that people rejected montanus , maximilla , and priscilla , not because they had any whit departed from the rule of faith , but rather because they would have us to fast oftner than to marry . and this is evident enough out of all those books which were written by him , during the time of his being a montanist , wherein he never disputeth or contendeth about any thing , save onely about discipline . and this is ingenuously confessed also by the learned q nicalaus rigaltius , in his preface to those ix books which he hath lately published . now notwithstanding the great repute which this father had in the church , and his not departing from it in any thing , in point of faith ; yet how many wild opinions and fancies do we meet withal , in his books ? i shall here speak onely of some of the principal of them , passing by his so dangerous expressions touching the person of the son of god , as having touched upon this particular before . but how strange is his manner of discourse touching the nature of god , r whom he seems to render subject to the like passions that we are ; as namely , to anger , hatred , and grief ? he attributes also to him a ſ corporeal substance , and does not believe ( as he saith himself ) that any man will deny , but that god is a body : so that we need the less to wonder , that he so confidently affirms , t that there is no substance which is not corporeal : or , that with justin martyr , and clemens alexandrinus , he makes the u angelical nature obnoxious to the carnal love of women ; which occasioned those words in that book of his , de virginibus velandis , where he says , x that it is necessary that so dangerous a face should be veiled , which had scandalized even heaven it self . we need no , after this , think strange of his doctrine , touching the y nature of mans soul , which he will have to be corporeal , and endued with form and figure , and to be propagated and derived from the substance of the father , to the body of the son , and sowed and engendred with the body , increasing and extending it self together with it ; and many other the like dreams : in the maintaining whereof , he useth so much subtilty , strength of reason , and eloquence , as that you will hardly meet with , throughout the whole stock of antiquity , a more excellent and more elegant piece , than that book of his de anima . he also , with irenaeus , shuts up the souls of men , after they are departed this life , into a certain subterraneous place , where they are to remain till the day of judgment ; the heavens not being to be opened to any of the faithful , till the end of the world : onely he allows the martyrs their entrance into paradise , which he fancies to be some place beneath the heavens ; and here he will have them continue till the last day . z it is thy blood ( saith he ) which is the onely key of paradise . and this place , whither the souls of the dead go , is to continue close shut up till the end of the world , according to him ; who besides is of a quite contrary opinion from that of justin martyr , spoken of before , and maintains , that all apparitions of dead men are onely meer illusions , and deceits of the devil ; and that this inclosure of the souls of men shall continue till such time as the city of the a new jerusalem , which is to be all of precious stones , shall descend miraculously from heaven upon the earth , and shall there continue a thousand years , the saints so long living in it in very great glory : and , that during this space , the resurrection of the faithful is to be accomplished by degrees ; some of them rising up sooner , and some later , according to the difference of their merits . and hence are we to interpret that which he says in another place , to wit , that b small sins shall be punished in men , by the lateness of their resurrection : and , that c when the thousand years are expired , and the destruction of the world , and the conflagration of the day of judgment is past , we shall all be changed in a moment into the nature of angels . i pass by his invectives against second marriages , and also his evil opinion of all marriage in general ; these fancies being a part of the discipline of montanus his paraclete . but as for his opinions touching the baptism of hereticks , he hath many fellows among the fathers , who held the same ; namely , that their d baptism signified nothing : and therefore they never received any heretick into the communion of the catholick church , but they first rebaptized him , cleansing him ( saith he ) both in the one , and in the other man ; that is to say , both in body and soul , by the baptism of the truth , accounting an heretick to be in the same , or rather in a worse condition than any pagan . and as for the rest , he is so far from pressing men to the baptizing of their children while they are young , which yet is the present custom of these times , that he allows , and indeed perswades the contrary , not onely in children , but even in persons of riper years ; counselling them to defer it , every man according to his c condition , disposition , and age. and as his opinion , touching this particular , is not much different from that of the anabaptists of our time ; so doth he not much dissent from them neither in some other . for , he will not allow , no more than they do , that a christian should take upon him , or execute any office of judicature , or f that he should condemn , or bind , or imprison , or examine any man ; or that he should make war upon any , or serve in war under any other ; saying expresly , that our saviour christ , by disarming s. peter , hath from henceforth taken off every soldiers belt : which is as much as to say , that the discipline of christ alloweth not of the profession of soldiery . so that i cannot but extremely wonder at the confidence ( shall i say , or rather the inadvertency ) of g some , who will needs perswade us , from a certain passage of this author , which themselves have very much mistaken , that this so innocent and peaceable father maintained , that hereticks are to be punished , and to be suppressed , by inflicting upon them temporal punishments : which rigorous proceeding was as far from his thoughts , as heaven is from earth . i shall add here , before i go any further , that * he held , that our saviour christ suffered death in the thirtieth year of his age , which is manifestly contrary to the gospel : and he thought also that the † heavenly grace , and prophecy ended in st. john baptist , the fulness of the spirit being from henceforth transferred unto our saviour christ . st. cyprian , who was tertullians very great admirer , calling him absolutely , the master , and * who never let any day pass over his head , without reading something of him , hath confidently also maintained some of the aforesaid opinions ; as namely , among others , that of the nullity of baptism by hereticks , † which he desendeth every where very stiffely ; having also the most eminent men of his time consenting with him in this point ; as namely , * firmilianus , metropolitan of cappadocia , † dionysius , bishop of alexandria , together with the councils of africk , cappadocia , pamphilia , and bithynia , notwithstanding all the anger , and the excommunication also of stephen , bishop of rome , * who for his part held a particular opinion of his own , allowing of the baptism of all sorts of hereticks , without rebaptizing any of them ; as it appeareth by the beginning of the lxxiv epistle of st. cyprian ; whereas the church , about some lxv years after , at the † council of nice , declared null the baptism of the samosatenians , by permitting , as it seems , that all other hereticks whatsoever should be received into the church , without being rebaptized . but the fathers of the * ii. general council went yet further , rebaptizing all those , no otherwise than they would have done pagans , who came in from the communion either of the eunomians , montanists , phrygians , or sabellians ; or indeed any other hereticks whatsoever , save only the arrians , macedonians , sabbatians , novatians , quartodecimani , and apollinarians ; all which they received without rebaptization , as you may see in the greek copies of the said council , and the vii . canon , which canon you also have in the greek code of the church universal , num. clxx . and thus you see , that stephen and cyprian maintained each of them their own particular opinion in this point ; the one of them admitting , and the other utterly rejecting the baptism of all manner of hereticks : whereas the two aforenamed general councils , neither admitted , nor rejected , save only the baptism of some certain hereticks only . but st. cyprian however seems to have dealt herein much more fairly than his adversary ; seeing that † he patiently endured , and was not offended with any of those , who were of the contrary opinion ; as it appears clearly by the synod of carthage , and as it is also proved by * st. hierome : whereas stephen , according to his own hot , cholerick temper , a declared publickly against firmilianus his opinion , and b excommunicated all those , that dissented from himself . the same blessed c martyr of our saviour jesus christ , was carried away with that errour also of his time , touching the necessity of administring the sacrament of the holy eucharist to all persons when they were baptized , and even to infants too , as appears by his lix epistle , where , by the suffrages of lxv other bishops , he admitteth infants to baptism , and the lords supper , so soon as ever they are born ; against the opinion of one fidus , who would not admit of them till the eighth day after they were born : and also by that story of his , that he tells us of a certain young girl , who being not as yet of years to speak , by a remarkable miracle , put back the liquor which had been consecrated for the blood of our saviour , and was presented unto her by a deacon to drink in the church ; as judging her self unworthy to receive it , by reason that not long before , she had been carried to the celebration of some certain pagan sacrifices . now the original of this errour of theirs was , the belief they had , that the eucharist was as necessary to salvation , as baptism ; as may easily be collected out of the words of the said author , delivered lib. . test . ad quirin . where having first laid down this for a ground ; to wit , * that no man can come into the kingdom of god , unless he be baptized and regenerated ; he produceth , for a proof hereof , first that passage out of st. john , where it is said , that except a man be born of water , and of the spirit , he cannot enter into the kingdom of god , &c. and then this other : except you eat the flesh of the son of man , and drink his blood , ye have no life in you : urging the first of these places to prove the necessity of baptism ; and the other for that of the eucharist , accounting each of them necessary to regeneration . and hence it is , that we find him speaking so often of being born again , by virtue of the one , and of the other sacrament : in which words he doth not mean baptism and confirmation ( as some will needs perswade us ) but rather baptism , and the lords supper ; as is evident also by the following words , namely , that † it is to very little purpose to be baptized , and to partake of the holy eucharist , unless a man proceed in good works , &c. i shall here pass by some words , which he hath sometimes let fall , * touching the point of the baptism of hereticks , by which he seems to make the efficacy of the sacrament , to depend upon the integrity and sanctity of the person who administreth it . we should now come in the next place to speak of origen ; but since that there have been some since his time , who have very much cryed down both him and his doctrine ; and others again on the other side , who have as stifly defended him , we shall forbear to say any thing of him , that we may not ingage our selves in so long and tedious a quarrel : we shall only observe , from this example of his , that neither the antiquity , nor yet the learning or holy life of any man , necessarily withholdeth him from falling into very strange and gross errours . for , origen was one of the most ancient among the fathers , having lived about the middle of the third century ; and having been so eminent for those two other excellencies , of innocence and learning , as that his fiercest adversaries cannot deny , but that he had them both in a very high degree . neither ought the a story of his fall , related by epiphanius , to take off any thing from the reputation of his vertue : for though perhaps it might have been true , yet hath it frequently hapned to others of the faithful to fall into great temptations also ; as appears evidently enough , by the example of saint peter himself . but , that i may not dissemble , i profess my self much inclined to be of cardinal b baronius his opinion ; who thinks this story to be an arrant fable , maliciously devised by those who envied the fame of this excellent , admirable wit ; and that it was soisted into epiphanius by some such hand ; or else ( as i rather believe , ) was taken upon trust by himself , and thrust into that book of his , without any further examination , as many other things have been ; in the relating whereof this father hath shewed himself a little over-credulous ; as is also observed by his † last interpreter . and yet origen , notwithstanding all those excellent gifts of his , hath not spared to broach very many opinions , which by reason of the absurdness of them , have been utterly rejected ( and certainly very deservedly too ) by the church in all the ages succeeding : which is an evident argument , that how ancient , learned , and holy soever an author may have been , we ought not however presently to believe him , and to urge him as infallible : since there is no reason in the world to be given , why the same thing which hath befallen origen , in so many points , may not in some or other have also befallen any other author , whosoever he be . but this i am very well assured of , that those very men , who have written against origen , have not been so throughly happy in their undertaking ; but by opposing to the utmost some certain errour of his , have sometimes fallen into as great a one of their own . * one of them for example , methodius by name , as he is cited by epiphanius , maintains , that after the resurrection , and final judgment , we shall dwell for ever upon the earth , leading there a holy , blessed , and everlasting life , exercising our selves in all good things , like as the angels do in heaven . he also as well as the rest , maketh the angels obnoxious to the love of women : and he will have gods providence to extend it self only to vniversal causes , affirming , that † he hath committed the care of parlicular things to the angels : which opinions of his , if they be throughly examined , will be found to be not much less dangerous , and contrary to the scriptures , than some of those very opinions , which he reproves in origen . i shall also , for the same reason , pass by eusebius , didymus , apollinaris , and the like ; who though they are very ancient authors , yet there is ordinarily little account made of them , by reason of the hard opinion , that the greatest part of the church had of them . as for the two first of these , ( although perhaps their faith may not have been much freer from stains than the rest , ) they have yet been more favourably dealt withal by posterity , than their brethren ; whether it were , because that the time they lived in being so far distant from the ages of our aristarchi , and censors of other men , they have so much the less moved their envy and passion : or else because that they were willing to spare them , by reason of the great opinion that the ordinary sort in the church had of them . lactantius firmianus , whose repute was scarcely questioned at all among the ancients , had notwithstanding his errours too . for it is a long time since , that * st. hierome observed one very strange one in him , in an epistle that he wrote to demetrianus ; where he denies , that the holy ghost is a distinct person in the godhead , subsisting together with the father and the son. his other errours are not so dangerous , and are indeed common to him , with some other of the fathers : as , where he says , † that the angels defiled themselves with women ; and that from this their companying with them were born demons , or devils . as likewise where he teacheth , * that the souls of men , after this life , are all shut up together in one common prison , where they are to continue till the day of judgment : and , that our saviour christ shall come again upon the earth , before the last and final resurrection ; and that † those who shall then be found alive , shall not dye at all , but shall be preserved alive , and shall beget an infinite number of children , during the space of a thousand years ; living all of them peaceably together , in a most happy city , which shall abound with all good things , under the reign of our saviour jesus christ , and of some of the saints , who shall be raised from the dead . but what will you say , if st. hilary also himself who flourished about the middle of the fourth century , hath his tares also ; which are so much the more observable in him , by how much the greater his estimation was among the ancients . the principal and most dangerous of all is , that strange opinion which he held , touching the nature of christ's body , which he maintained had no sense , or feeling of those stripes and torments which he suffered , * but that he really suffered indeed at that time , when he was beaten , and when he was put upon the cross , and fastned unto it , and died upon it : but , that this passion falling wholly upon his body , notwithstanding that it was a real passion ; yet did it not shew upon him the nature of a passion ; and that while the furious strokes were dealt upon him , the strength and vigour of his body received the force of the strokes upon it , yet without any sense of the pain . i shall confess ( saith he ) that the body of our saviour had a nature susceptible of our griefs , if the nature of our body be such , as that it is able to tread upon the water , and to walk upon the stoods without sinking , or without the waters yielding to our footsteps , when we stand thereon : if it can penetrate solid bodies , or can pass with ease through doors that are shut . and within two or three lines after : such is the man sent from god , having a body capable of suffering , ( for he really suffered ; ) but not having a nature capable of pain . when the blows ( said he a little before ) fell upon him , or a stripe pierced his skin , it brought indeed with it the violence and impetuosity of passion , but yet it wrought no pain in him : in like manner as when a sword is thrust through and through the water , or through and through the fire ; it goes through indeed , and pierceth the water , or the fire , but it woundeth it not ; these things having not a nature that may be wounded or hurt , notwithstanding that the nature of the sword be to work the said effect . and in conclusion , that you may not think this to be a sudden fancy , that he fell upon by chance , before he was aware ; you must know that he repeats the same thing in divers several places : as namely , in his comment upon the psal . . † the passion of christ ( saith he ) was undergone by him voluntarily , to make an acknowledgment , that pains were due ; not that he that suffered , was at all touched by them . * and again , in another place ; christ is thought to have felt pain , because he suffered ; but he was really free from all pain , because he is god. do but think now , whereunto all this tendeth , and what will become of our salvation , if the passion of our saviour christ , which is the only foundation whereon it is built , were but a meer imaginary passion , without any sense of pain at all . and , as one absurdity being granted , there will necessarily others always follow upon it ; so hath this strange particular fancy of his made him to corrupt and spoil the whole story of our saviours passion . for , he supposeth that , in that dismal night , wherein christ was delivered up for our sins , all his anguish , his distress , and drops of bloody sweats , proceeded not from the consideration of the torments , and the death which he was now going to suffer , ( and indeed , according to his account , since he will not allow him to have felt any pain , he was neither bound to be , nor indeed could be in any agony , ) but rather from the fear that he was in , a lest his disciples , being scandalized at these sad sights , might haply have sinned against the holy ghost , by denying his godhead : and that from hence it was , that s peter , in his denial of his master , used these words , non novi hominem , i know him not as man ; because that whatsoever is spoken against the son of man , may be forgiven . b and so likewise in these words of our saviour , o my father , if it be possible , let this cup pass from me : his opinion is , that our saviour did not here desire that he himself might be delivered from his passion , but rather , that after he had suffered , his disciples might also suffer in like manner : that this cup might not rest at him , but that it might pass on to his disciples also ; that is to say , that it might be drunk by them in the same manner , as he himself was now going to taste of it ; to wit , without any touch of despair or distrust , and without any sense of pain , or fear of death . what could have been written more coldly , or more disagreeing with the truth and simplicity of the gospel ? but yet i cannot sufficiently wonder at him , that having thus ratified the flesh of our saviour christ into a spirit , he should in another place condense our spirits into bodies . c there is nothing ( saith he ) which is not corporeal in its substance and creation , &c. for , the species of our souls themselves , whether they be united to the body , or are separated from them , are still a nature whose substance is corporeal . he believeth also , that d baptism doth not cleanse us from all our sins ; and therefore he holds , that all men must at the last day pass through the fire . e we are then ( saith he ) to endure an , indefatigable fire : then is the time that we are to undergo those grievous torments , for the expiation of our sins , and purging our souls . a sword shall pierce through the soul of the blessed virgin mary , to the end that the thoughts of many hearts may be revealed . seeing therefore , that that virgin , who was capable of receiving god , shall taste of so-severe a judgment , where is he that dares desire to be judged of god ? i know not whether he might heretofore have perswaded any store of people to embrace this doctrine of his , or not : but sure i am , that were he alive at this day , he would take but a vain piece of labour in hand , if he should go about to win the franciscan friers over to this belief . s. ambrose , one of the most firm pillars of the church in his time , is not yet free from the like failings , no more than the rest . for , first of all , he agrees with s. hilary in this last point , and maintains , that all in general shall be proved by fire at the last day ; and , that the just shall pass through it , but that thevnbelievers shall continue in it . f after the end of the world ( saith he ) the angels being sent forth to sever the good from the bad , shall that baptism be performed ; when all iniquity shall be consumed in a furnace of fire , that so the just may shine like the sun in the kingdom of god their father . and although though a man be such a one as peter , or as john , yet nevertheless shall he be baptized with this fire . for the great baptizer shall come , ( for so i call him , as the angel gabriel did , saying , he shall be great ) and shall see a multitude of people , standing before the gate of paradise , and shall brandish the fiery sword , and shall say unto those who are on his right hand , who are not guilty of any grievous sins , enter ye in , &c. he says the same in another place also , where he exempteth none from this fiery trial , save onely our saviour christ alone . g it is necessary ( saith he ) that all that desire to return into paradise , should be proved by this fire . for it is not without some mystery that it is written , that god having driven adam and eve out of paradise , he is said to place at the entrance of paradise a flaming sword , which turned every way . all must pass through the flames , whether it be john the evangelist , whom our saviour loved so much , that he said concerning him , to peter , &c. or whether it be peter himself , who had the keys of heaven committed unto him , and who walked upon the sea ; he must be able to say , we have passed through the fire , &c. but as for s. john , this brandishing of the flaming sword will soon be dispatched for him , because there is no iniquity found in him , who was so beloved of the truth , &c. but the other ( that is , peter ) shall be tried as silver is ; and i shall be tried like lead , i shall burn till all the lead is quite melted down : and if there be no silver at all found in me , ( wretched man that i am ! ) i shall be cost into the lowest pit of hell. as for the resurrection of the dead , his opinion is , that h all shall not be raised at once , but by degrees , one after another , by a long , yet certain order ; those who were believers rising first , according to the degrees of their merits : whereto we are to refer that which he hath elsewhere delivered , saying , that i those who are raised up in the first resurrection , shall come to grace , without judgment ; but as for the rest , who are reserved for the second resurrection they shall burn with fire , till they have fulfilled the full space of time betwixt the first and the second resurrection : or , if they do not finish this time , they shall continue very long in their torments . i shall leave to the reader to take the pains in examining , whether or no that passage of his can be reconciled to any good sense , where he says , that before the publication of the law of moses , adultery was not an unlawful thing . k we are to take notice in the first place ( saith he ) that abraham living before the giving of the law by moses , and before the gospel , in all probability , adultery was not as yet forbidden : the crime is punished after the time of the law made , which forbiddeth it ; for things are not condemned before the law , but by the law : and whether those discourses of his , which you meet with in his books , de instit . virg. & ad virg. & de virg. and in other places , do not much disgrace , and cast slurs upon the honour of marriage . i shall also leave to the consideration of the judicious reader , whether there be more of solidity , or of subtilty , in that exposition which he gives us of the promise made by god to noah after the flood ; telling him , that he had set his bow in the clouds , to be a token of a covenant betwixt him and the whole earth : upon which words , s. ambrose utterly and fiercely denies , that by this bow is meant the rain-bow ; but will have it to be i know not what strange allegorical bow. l far be it from us ( saith he ) that we should call this god's bow ; for this bow , which is called iris , ( the rain bow ) is seen indeed in the day time , but never appears at all in the night . and therefore he understands by this bow , the invisible power of god , by which he keepeth all things in one certain measure , enlarging and abating it as he sees cause . neither do i know whether that opinion of his , which you have in his first book de spiritu sancto , is any whit more justifiable , where he affirms , that m baptism is avialable and legitimate , although a man should baptize in the name either of the son , or of the holy ghost onely , without mentioning the other two persons of the trinity . epiphanius , as he was a man of a very good , honest , and plain nature , and ( if i may have leave to speak my own opinion ) a little too credulous , and withal very eager and fierce in maintaining whatsoever he thought was right and true ; so hath he the more easily been induced both to deliver and to receive things for solid , which yet were not so ; and to stand stifly in the defending of them , after he had once embraced the same . it would take up both too much time and paper , if i should go about to give you a list of all those things wherein he hath failed : if you please , you may have an account of a good number of them in the notes of the jesuite petavius , his interpreter ; who makes bold to correct him many times , and sometimes also very uncivilly too . as , first of all , he accuseth him of obscurity , and of falshood also , in the opinion he held touching the year , and day of our saviour's nativity ; saying , that some of his expressions , touching this point , are more obscure and dark than the riddles of sphinx . and truly he hath reason enough to say so , of what he hath delivered touching the year of our saviours nativity ; but , as for the day of that year , whether it were the sixth of january , as n epiphanius held , with the church of egypt , or else , whether it were the twenty fifth of december , which is the general opinion at this day ; i think it very great rashness for any man to affirm either the one or the other , neither of these opinions having any better ground the one than the other . he likewise in plain terms gives him the lie , upon that place where he says , that in the beginning of the church the apostles had ordained , that the christians should celebrate the passeover at the same time , and in the same manner that those of the circumcision did : and that those who were then made bishops at jerusalem being of the circumcision , it was necessary that all the world should follow them , and should likewise keep the passeover as they did . neither do i see whereupon he could ground that fancy of his , which he proposeth to us as a certain truth ; namely , o that the devil , before the coming of christ , was in hopes of grace and pardon ; and that , out of this perswasion of his , he never all that while shewed himself refractory toward god : but that having understood by the manifestation of our saviour , that there was left him no hopes of salvation , he front thenceforth had grown exceedingly enraged , doing as much mischief as possibly he could against christ and his church . s. hierome , the boldest and most judicious censurer of the ancients , hath also left to posterity something whereon they may exercise the same critical faculty that he hath so happily employed upon others . for , how should a man be able to make good that which he hath affirmed so positively , touching god's providence , where he says , that it takes care of all men indeed in general , and also of each particular man ; but not of other things , whether they be inanimate , or irrational . p it is an absurd thing ( saith he ) so to abase the majesty of god , as to make him take particular notice how many gnats are bred , or die every hour ; and how many puneses , fleas , and flies there are through the whole earth ; and , how many fishes swim in the water ; and , which among the smaller fishes are to be a prey to the greater . let us not be such foolish flatterers of god , as by making his power descend even to the lowest things , to disparage our selves , while we say , that his providence in like manner extendeth both to rational and irrational creatures . i shall not examine here , whether this opinion be justifiable , or not : but this i am sure of , that you will hardly be able to make it good , out of these words of our saviour christ , are not two sparrows sold for a farthing ? and yet one of them shall not fall on the ground without your father . but yet supposing that this opinion might be defended , it is however evident , that this father hath lashed out a little too much , when he derides all those , as fools , and absurd people , who chuse rather to adore the knowledge of god , as infinite , than to bound it , and make it finite : and for my part , i should rather fear , that there would be much more rashness in the one , than foolishness in the other . this same man , who here limiteth the knowledge and providence of god , in another place extendeth to an infiniteness the presence of the souls of departed saints ; by no means enduring them to be confined , and shut up in any certain place . and the reason which he gives us of this his opinion , is indeed very wonderful : for , q they always follow the lamb ( saith he ) whithersoever he goeth ; forasmuch therefore as the lamb is present everywhere , we ought to believe that they also , who are with the lamb , are present every where . where are those logick-schools , how loose and remiss soever they be , that would not give a scholar the ferula , if he should but offer to argue thus , confounding the divinity and humanity of our saviour together ; and from that which is spoken in respect of the one , concluding that which is proper to the other ? so in another place , for to bring all the several pieces of an allegory together , and to make them meet in their proper point , r he makes the souls of the blessed saints , and of the angels themselves , subject to sin. i shall pass by what he hath spoken so reproachfully , both against marriage in general , and against second marriages in particular ; where he useth such unsavoury expressions , as that though we should in the explaining of them , follow those very rules which he himself hath laid down to us , in an epistle of his , written to pammachius , upon this very subject ; it seems notwithstanding an impossible thing to acquit him from holding the same opinion touching marriage , that tertullian did , which was condemned by the church , as being contrary to the honour of marriage , and the authority of the scripture . as for example , what honey , or how much sugar would be sufficient to sweeten that which he says , f writing to a certain widow , named furia , where he tells her , that she was not so worthy to be commended , if she continued a widow , as she would be to be cursed , if she married again ; seeing she was not able , being a christian , to preserve that , which many women of her family bad done , being but pagans . which expressions of his he repeateth again in the following epistle , where he disswadeth one ageruchia from marrying again ; and for this purpose makes use of very unbeseeming comparisons ; applying to such women as marry again , that proverb which st. peter made use of in another sense ; the dog is turned to his own vomit again ; and the sow that was washed , to her wallowing in the mire . is not this all one , as if he in plam terms ranked second marriages among unclean and polluted things ? not unlike to this is that which he saith in another place , in these words . † i do not at all condemn those , who marry the second , third , or ( if any such thing may be ) the eighth time : nay , more than so , i receive also even a penitent whore : placing those women that marry the second time , in the same rank with those that keep in the stews . and he is so full of such expressions as these , as that the whole canary islands themselves would hardly be sufficient to sweeten them . certainly if he had not believed , that there was some uncleanness in marriage , he would never have been so unwilling , * as he was , to speak out , and confess in plain terms , that adam should nevertheless have had carnal knowledge of eve his wife , though they had both of them contiued in their state of innocence : which thing is evident enough to any one that shall but consider the second chapter of genesis , from vers . . to the end of the chapter . nevertheless this father durst not positively affirm any such thing , fearing lest he might so impose some unclean thing upon the state of innocence , in case he should have allowed them the use of marriage . neither is his opinion more sound , touching the eating of flesh , which being unknown to the world before the flood , was afterwards permitted unto mankind ; but ( as he believes ) in the very same manner , as divorce was heretofore permitted to the jews , only for the hardness of their heart . whence it followeth , ( as he also says in express terms ) that it also was abolished by our saviour christ , in like manner as divorce and circumcision were . † and whereas it is objected against us by jovinian , ( saith he ) that god in the second benediction permitted the eating of flesh , which he did not in the first : he is to take notice , that in like manner as the liberty to put away a mans wife , according to the words of our saviour , was not granted from the beginning , but was afterwards permitted to mankind , for the hardness of their heart : in like manner was the eating of flesh unknown , until the flood ; but after the flood , the sinews and virulency of flesh were thrust into our mouths , as the quails were given to the people of israel murmuring in the wilderness . certainly divorce is a thing which is evil in it self , and is contrary to the creation of the man and of the woman , and to marriage also , which was instituted by god in paradise : as is divinely proved by our saviour , disputing with the jews touching this point . if therefore the eating of flesh be like it , this also is evil and unlawful in it self . marcion , and the manichees could hardly have said more than this . in another place he seems to be of opinion , * that our saviour hath utterly forbidden the use of an oath to christians : which piece of doctrine is evidently contrary both to the scriptures , and to reason . it will be a hard matter also to clear him from the suspicion of that errour , some traces whereof are apparently to be seen in st. cyprian , touching the efficacy of the sacraments ; as we have observed before . for , do but hear what he says . † the priests also , ( saith he ) who serve at the eucharist , and distribute the blood of our saviour to his people , commit a great impiety against the law of christ , in thinking that the eucharist is made by the words , and not by the life of the person that consecrates it ; and that the solemn prayers only of the priests are necessary , and not their merits also . touching the state of the blessed after the resurrection , he says neither but very faintly , that they shall live without eating . * what then will you say , ( these be his own words , ) shall we then eat after the resurrection ? i know not that , i confess ; for we find no such thing written : yet if i were to speak my opinion , i do not think we shall eat . and to give our judgment in general of this author , i do not know whether or no we may allow for good , and perfectly conformable to the discipline of our saviour-christ , the course which he ordinarily observes in his disputations , wresting the words of his adversaries , quite besides the authors intention ; and framing to himself such a sense , as is not at all to be found in them ; and then fiercely encountring this giant of his own making , mixing withal strange abusive language , and biting girds , and the like tart expressions borrowed from profane authors ; in which kind of learning he was indeed very excellent . st. augustine in the contestation that he had with him , said , that the † holy ceremonies of the jews , though they were abolished by jesus christ , might yet notwithstanding in the beginning of christianity be observed by those , who had been brought up in them from their infancy , even after they had believed in jesus christ , provided only , that they did not put their trust in them : because that that salvation , which was signified by these holy ceremonies , was imparted unto us by jesus christ : which doctrine of his is both godly and consonant also to what is urged by st. paul , in the first epistle to the corinthians , and elsewhere , touching christian liberty , by which we both may , and ought to use , or abstain from such things , as are in themselves indifferent , according as shall be requisite for the edification of our neighbour . now * st. hierome here will needs make him believe , that his meaning is , that all those who believed among the jews , were subject to the law , and that the gentiles were the only people , whom the faith in christ had exempted from this yoak . and then presently doth he hereupon take occasion to pass as tart , and as biting a jear upon him , as he could ; saying , that since it was so , that all the believers among the jews were bound to observe the law , st. augustine himself , who was the most eminent bishop in the whole world , should do well to publish this his opinion , and to endeavour to bring over all his fellow bishops to be of his mind . but he had then to deal with an able adversary , and one that knew well enough how to make good his words , and to clear them from that interpretation that the other had put upon them , and to overthrow whatsoever he had impertinently urged against him ; as any may see , in that † excellent and divine answer of his to st. hierome , touching this point , and the whole substance of his letter . the case was otherwise betwixt him and ruffinus : for there he grappled with one much below his match , and dealt his blows upon an arrant wooden statue ; one that had scarcely any reason in what he said , and yet much less dexterity in defending himself . but the sport of it is , to see that after he hath handsomly belaboured , and pricked this pitiful thing , from head to foot , and sometimes till the blood followed , he at length protesteth , * at the end of his first book , that he had spared him for the love of god , and that he had not afforded words to his troubled breast , and had set a watch before his mouth ; according to the example of the psalmist . and in another place he reads him a long lecture , † telling him that they were not to use railing language in their disputations , nor to leave the question in hand ; and to labour to bring in what accusations they could against each other , which are more proper at a bar , than in the church , and fitter to stuff a lawyers bill , than a church-mans papers . 't is true indeed , that those who have been galled by him , are themselves to blame : for as much as * he , out of his own candid disposition , courteously gave them warning himself ; telling them before-hand , that those that meddle with him , had to do with a horned beast . and yet some perhaps may still very much wonder , how it should come to pass , that all those watchings , and strict discipline which he endured in bethlehem , and the desart of arabia should not have mortified these horns : to which i have no more to say , but this ; that god by a certain secret and wise judgment , hath suffered these holy men , notwithstanding all those excellent gifts of charity , patience , and meekness wherewith they were abundantly endued , sometimes to let fall such slips as these upon several particular occasions ; to let us understand , that there is nothing absolutely perfect , but god alone ; all men , how accomplished soever they can possibly be , carrying always about them some reliques of humane infirmity . but however it be , this course of st. hierome's makes me doubt , that he hath dealt no better with others than he hath with st. augustine , wresting their words much further than he ought to have done . but sometimes he goes further yet , and speaks even of the pen-men of the old and new testament in so disrespectful a manner , as that i am very much unsatisfied with these his doings . as , for example , where he says in plain terms without any circumlocution , that the † inscription of the altar at athens was not expressed in those very words which are delivered by st. paul , in the acts , chap. . to the unknown god , but in other terms , thus : to the gods of europe , asia , and of africk ; to the vnknown and foreign gods. so likewise where he tells us , and repeats the same too in many several places , that * st. paul knew not how to speak , nor to make a discourse hang together : and , that he makes soloecisms sometimes ; and that he knew not how to render an hyperbaton , nor to conclude a sentence : and that he was not able to express his own deep conceptions in the greek tongue : and that he had no good utterance , but had much ado to deliver his mind . and again in another place he tells us , that it was not out of modesty , but it was the plain , naked truth that he told us , when the apostle said of himself ; that he was imperitus sermone , rude in speech ; because that the truth is , he could not deliver his mind to others , in clear and intelligible language . and he says moreover , which is yet much worse than all the rest , that * the apostle disputing with the galatians counterfeited ignorance , as knowing them to be a dull , heavy people , and that he had let f●ll some such expressions , as might possibly have offended the more intelligent sort of people , had he not before hand told them , that he spake after the manner of men . whosoever shall have had but the least taste of the force and vigour , and of the candor of the spirit , and discourse of this holy apostle , can never see him thus used , without being extremely astonished at it : especially if he but consider , that these kinds of speeches , although they had perhaps some ground , ( which yet they have not , ) must needs scandalize , and give offence to the weaker sort of people , and therefore ought not to have been uttered , without very much qualification , and sweetning of the business . st. augustine , i confess , is much more discreet in this particular , every where testifying ( as there is very great reason he should ) the great respect he bare to the authors of the books of the holy scriptures ; and never speaking of any of them , whether it be of their style , or of their sense , but with a singular admiration . but as for his own private opinions , and those of other men which he embraceth , he is not without his errours also . such is that harsh sentence of his , which he hath pronounced upon all infants that dye before baptism ; whom he will have not only to be deprived of the vision of god , which is the punishment that the ordinary opinion of the church condemns them to ; but he will further have them to be † tormented in hell fire : wherein he is also followed by gregorius armininensis , * a famous doctor in the schools , where he is called , by reason of this rigour of his , tormentum infantium . he maintaineth also , that the eucharist is necessary for little infants , as we have formerly noted , to another purpose . to which we must also add that other opinion , to which he evidently inclines ; namely , * that the soul is derived from the father to the son , and is engendred of his substance , as well as the body , and is not immediately created by god , which is the common opinion at this day . there is no man but knows , that † he every where attributes to the angels a corporeal nature : and also that he conceives , against all sense and reason , * that the whole world was created all in an instant of time ; and refers , the six days space of time , wherein the creation is said to have been perfected , to the different degrees of the knowledge of the angels . he believed also , with the most of the ancient fathers , † that the souls of men departed , are shut up into i know not what secret , dark receptacles , where they are to remain from the hour of their departure , till the resurrection . but we need not trouble our selves any further , in proving that he also might erre in matters of religion , seeing that himself hath made so clear and so authentick a confession hereof , in his books of his retractations , where he correcteth many things which he had formerly written , either besides , or against the truth . i must here confess also , that in my opinion , it would have added very much to the great and high esteem , which we generally have of his parts and worth ; if he had been more positive , and more resolved , in the decision of things , which he hath handled , for the most part , after the manner of the academicks , doubtingly and waveringly all the way ; insomuch that he leaveth undecided not only * whether the sun and the other stars be endued with reason , but also , * whether the world it self be a living creature , or not . he that will but exactly and carefully read the rest of the fathers , may very easily observe in their writings divers errours of the like nature ; and a man shall scarcely meet with any one father , of any note or repute , from whom some such thing or other hath not escaped . as for my own part , who have taken upon me this troublesom business very unwillingly , i shall content my self with these few instances already set down , seeing they do , in my judgment , make this business very clear ; the discovery whereof , i have been necessitated to undertake , though i wish rather they might have been concealed . for , seeing that these so eminent persons , who were of the greatest repute amongst all the ancients , have through humane infirmity fallen into such errors , in point of faith ; what ought we to expect from others , who come very much behind these , both in respect of their antiquity , learning , and holiness of life ? since justin martyr , irenaeus , clemens alexandrinus , tertullian , cyprian , lactantius , hilary , ambrose , hierome , augustine , and epiphanius , that is to say , the most eminent , and most approved persons that ever were , have yet stumbled in many places , and have quite fallen in some other ; what hath cyril , leo , gregorius romanus , and damascene done , who have come after them , and in whom hath appeared both much less gallantry of spirit , and sanctity , than in the former ? besides , if these men have been mistaken in matters of so great importance ; some of them , for instance , in the point touching the nature of god ; some , touching the humanity of our saviour christ ; others , touching the quality of our soul ; and some , touching the state and condition thereof after death , and touching the resurrection ; why , for gods sake , must they needs be infallible , when they speak of the points now debated amongst us ? why may not the same thing have hapned to them in the one , that hath so manifestly befallen them in the other ? it is not very probable ( as we have said before ) that they so much as ever thought of our differences : and it is much more improbable , that ever they had any intention of being our judges in the decision of them , as we have before proved . but now put the case that they were acquainted with the business , and that they did intend to clear our doubts , and to give us their positive determination touching the same in their books ; who shall assure us , that they have had better success here , than they had in so many other things , wherein we have before heard them , give their verdict , so utterly against all justice and reason ? he that hath erred touching the point of the resurrection , is it not possible that he should be in an errour touching the state of the soul after this life ? he that could be ignorant what the nature of christ's body was , must he necessarily have a right judgment touching the eucharist ? i do not see what solid reason of this difference can possibly be given . it cannot proceed , but from one of these two causes , neither of which have yet any place here . for it happens sometimes , that he who is deceived in one particular , hath yet better fortune in another ; by reason perhaps of his taking more heed to , and using more attention in the consideration of the later , than he did in the former , or else , by reason that one of the points is easier to be understood , than the other . for , in this case , though his attention be as great in the one , as in the other ; yet notwithstanding he may perhaps be able to understand the easie one , but shall not be able to master the hard one . but now , neither of these reasons can be alledged here : for , why should the ancients have used less care and attention in the examination of those points wherein they have erred ? or , why should they have used more in those points which are at this day controverted amongst us ? are not those ancient points of religion of as great importance , as these latter ? is there less danger in being ignorant touching the nature of god , than touching the authority of the pope ? or touching the state of the faithful in the resurrection , than touching the punishment of souls in purgatory ? the real qualities of the body of christ , than the nature of the eucharist ? the cup of his passion , than the cup of his communion ? is it more necessary to salvation , to know him sacrificed upon the altar , than really suffering upon the cross ? who sees not , that these matters are of equal importance ? or , if there be any difference betwixt them , that those points wherein the fathers have erred , are in some sort more important than those which we now dispute about ? we shall therefore conclude , that if they had had both the one and the other before their eyes , they would questionless have used as much diligence at least , and attention , in the study of the one , as of the other ; and consequently , in all probability , would have been either as successful , or else have erred as much in the one , as in the other . neither may it be here objected , that those points wherein they have failed , are of more difficulty than those other wherein these men will needs have them to have been certainly in the right : for whosoever shall but consider them more narrowly , he will find that they are equally both easie and difficult : or , if there be any difference betwixt them in this particular , those which they have erred in , were the easier of the two to have been known . for , i would fain have any man tell me what he thinks in his conscience , whether it be not as easie to judge by reason , and by the scripture , whether or no the saints shall dwell upon the earth after the resurrection ; as it is to determine , whether , after they are departed this life , they shall go into purgatory , or not ? is it a harder matter to know , whether the angels are capable of carnal love ; than it is to judge , whether the pope , as he is pope , be infallible , or not ? and if it be answered here , that the church , having already determined these latter points , and having not declared it self at all touching the other , hath taken away all the difficulty of the one , but hath left the other in their former doubtful state : this is to presuppose that which is the main question ; or rather , it is manifestly false : the church in the first ages having not , that we know of , passed any publick and authentick judgment , touching the points now in controversie , as we have before already proved . forasmuch therefore as these holy men ( if at least they had any thought at all of these our quarrels ) had an equally clear insight in these things ; both according to all reason , and all probability , they would have also come unto them with an equal both attention and affection . and i believe that there is no man but sees , that if they might erre in the decision of the one , it is altogether as possible that they might be mistaken also in their judgment upon the other . now those books of theirs , which are left us , proclaim aloud , and openly enough , ( as we have seen by those few testimonies which we have but just now produced out of them ) that they have erred , and sometimes also very grievously , touching those first questions : it remaineth therefore that we say , that their judgment is not any whit more infallible in our present controversies . i could be content that you had demonstrated to any protestant , by clear and undeniable reasons , that s. hilary , in those passages which are produced out of him for the same purpose , hath positively taught the real presence of christ in the eucharist : and i could be well contented that he should grant you the same , which yet perhaps he will never do . however , after all , he hath this still to put you in mind of , namely , that this is the self-same s. hilary , who in the same book maintains , that the body of christ felt no pain at all upon the cross . and if he were in an error in this particular , why must he necessarily be in the right in the other ? the question touching the body of christ , is of as great importance as that of the eucharist : and it is besides much more clearly decided in the scriptures , where there is nothing in the earth that obligeth in the least degree to fancy any such thing of the body of christ , as s. hilary hath done : but where , on the contrary , there seems to be some kind of ground for the opinion which he is pretended to have had , touching the eucharist . forasmuch therefore ( will the protestant say ) as that in a thing which is of equal importance , and of much less difficulty , he hath manifestly erred , who can assure me , that in this point here , which is both less necessary , and more difficult he may not also be mistaken ? the same hath he to reply upon you , touching those other allegations which you produce out of the rest of the fathers ; every one of whom hath either really erred , o● else possibly might have erred in matters of religion . neither can you hope , that any solid answer should be given to these things ; especially if you but consider , that the practice both of the fathers , and also of our adversaiies themselves , hath clearly confirmed this our position . for , * s. augustine , in that dispute of his which he maintained against s. hierome , seeing him produce the testimonies of seven authors , he ( taking no notice at all of the words of the first four of them ) answers no more but this , that some of them were guilty of heresie , and the rest of error : which answer is very insufficient , unless you allow , that the testimony of a man who hath erred in any one particular point of faith , is null and invalid . the fathers of the ii council of nice took the very same course in answering an objection brought against them by the iconoclasts , who alledged a certain passage for themselves out of eusebius bishop of caesarea , answering them no more but this , that the author they cited was an arian . we need not examine whether this answer of theirs be true , or no ; and if so , whether it be to the purpose , or not : it is sufficient for us , that it appears hence , by their making use of this kind of answer , that they took it for granted , that he that had failed in one point , was not to be trusted in any other . cardinal perron , and the rest of the learned of that party , oftentimes makes use of the same shift , rejecting the testimonies that are brought against them out of socrates , or sozomen , two ecclesiastical historians , because they say they were novatians . those who put forth the general councils at rome disauthorize gelasius cyzicenus , who was the compiler of the acts of the council of nice , by producing many gross oversights committed by him in that piece of his . forasmuch therefore , as we are not to build upon the authority of any author that may justly be accused of error ; it is most evident , that the authority of the greatest part , and indeed in a manner of all the fathers , may very well be called in question : seeing that you will hardly find any one of them that is not liable to this exception . but it will here be objected perhaps , by some especially , that although it be confessed , that the opinion of one single father possibly may be , and many times is really false ; yet however it is a very hard , or indeed an impossible thing , that what hath been delivered unanimously by many of them together , should be otherwise than true. but we have answered something already to this objection , where we took occasion to examine that maxime of vincentius lirinensis , touching this particular . and in short , this is all one , as if having confessed that every particular person of such a company is sick of some disease , we should notwithstanding still deny , that the whole company , taken all together , can possibly fall into any common distemper of body . it is not indeed altogether so probable , that many should be sick of any disease , as that one single person should : yet neither is the thing altogether impossible , especially when the disease is contagious , and besides , not so well known ; as for the most part the errors of great persons are , whose very name bears them out , and makes them easily received by the ordinary sort , who run after them , and suck them in without the least suspicion at all . but yet if reason will not do the turn , let experience however perswade us to receive this truth . for it is most evident , that some of those errors before-specified , have been maintained , not by one , nor by two , nor by three of the fathers onely ; but by many , by the major part , and sometimes also by all the fathers of the same age , at least of all those whose names and writings have come to our hands . we have heard how that justin martyr maintained the opinion of the millenaries , which is both manifestly false in it self , and also very dangerous in its consequences . now this opinion he did not maintain alone , the rest of the learned of his time were in a manner all of the same perswasion , as it appeareth by his own words . for , writing against tryphon , and the jews that held with him , he saith , a that if they had by chan●e met with some who bare the name of christians , but did not believe this article of faith , blaspheming the god of abraham , of isaac , and of jacob , and saying , that there shall be no resurrection of the dead , but that the souls , immediately after death , are transported up to heaven ; they must not take these persons for christians , no more than , in speaking truly and precisely , the samaritans , or any other sect of judaism , ought to be called jews . the false christians which he here speaks of , were the valentinians , and others of the gnostick● . he goes on by and by , and says , b but as for me , and the rest of us , who are right and orthodox in our opinions , and who are perfectly christians , we know , that there shall be both a resurrection of the flesh , and that the saints shall afterwards also spend a thousand years in jerusalem , which shall be rebuilt , beautified , and enlarged . by which words of his he seems to testifie , that all the catholicks in his time maintained this erroneous opinion , and that the hereticks onely rejected it . i know very well , that he confesseth before , c that there were divers who were perfect and religious christians , who yet did not embrace the said opinion : but let any man that can , reconcile these two contrary sayings ; that all orthodox christians held this opinion ; and , that there were some of the orthodox party , that did not receive the same . let any man that will , search also into justin's works , and see whether this contradiction hath not been foisted in by the zeal of the following ages , who haply might take offence at the business , in seeing such an opinion fathered upon all the true christians , by so great a martyr . it is sufficient for us , that however it appears clearly by this passage , that a very great part of the doctors , and of the faithful people of those times , maintained this errour . we see that irenaeus , who lived in the same time , and also tertullian , who followed not long after him , were both of the same perswasion ; no one man all this while , that we hear of , offering to contradict them . d eusebius , and * s. hierome , and divers other authors inform us , that papias bishop of hierapolis , who flourished about the year of our lord cx , was the author of this opinion . it followeth then from hence , that the consent of all the fathers that are now extant , who lived in the same age , and maintained all the same opinion , is no infallible argument of the truth . and if you go down ●ower , you will find that the very same error was defended by several doctors of very great repute in the church . s. hierome , who in divers places of his commentaries hath excellently and solidly refuted this foolish fancy , says , e that many among the learned christians had maintained the same , and to those , whom we have already mentioned † he addeth lactantius , victorinus , severus , and apollinaris , who is followed in this point , ( saith he in another place ) by great multitudes of christians about us , insomuch that i already foresee and presage to my self , how many folks anger i shall incur hereby : namely , because he every where spoke against this opinion . whence it plainly appears , that in his time , that is to say , about the beginning of the fifth century , it was still in great request in the church . and indeed how fierce soever he seem to be in his onset , yet he dares not condemn this opinion absolutely . * although we embrace not this opinion , ( saith he ) yet can we not condemn it ; for as much as there have been divers eminent personages , and martyrs in the church , who have maintained the same . let every man abound in his own sense , and let us leave the judgment of all things to god. whence you see , ( as we may observe by the way ) that the fathers have not always held an opinion in the same degree that we do . for , st. hierome conceived this to be a pardonable errour , which yet we at this day will not endure to hear of . if it be here answered , that the church in the ages following condemned this opinion , as erroneous ; this is no more , than to say , that the churches in the ages following acknowledged , that the joynt consent of many fathers together , touching one and the same opinion , is no solid proof of the truth of the same . if dionysius alexandrinus had been of any other judgment , he would never have written against irenaeus as he did ; as † st. hierome also testifieth , in one of his books of commentaries before cited . and if we are to have regard to authority only , the judgment of the succeeding church cannot then serve us , as a certain guide in this question , to inform us on which side the truth is : for , to alledge it in this case , were rather to oppose one authority against another , than to decide the controversie . as dionysius alexandrinus , st. hierome , gregory nazianzene , and others , conceived not themselves bound to submit to the authority of justin martyr , irenaeus , lactantius , victorinus , severus , and others ; so neither are we any more bound to submit to theirs : for , their posterity oweth them no more respect , than they themselves owed to their ancestors . it seemeth rather , that in reason they should owe them less , because that look how far distant in time they are from the apostles , who are as it were the spring and original of all ecclesiastical authority ; so much doth the credit and authority of the doctors of the church lose and grow less . if antiquity ( as we would have it ) be the mark of truth , then certainly that which is the most ancient , is also the most venerable , and the most considerable . and if there were no other argument but this , against the authority of many fathers , unanimously consenting in any opinion ; yet would it clearly serve to lessen the same : but there are yet behind many others ; some whereof we shall here produce . we have heard before , justin martyr , irenaeus , tertullian , and st. augustine , affirming all of them , that heaven shall not be opened , till the day of judgment ; and that during this space of time the souls of all the faithful are shut up in some subterraneous place , except some small number of those who had the priviledge of going immediately to heaven . the author of those questions and answers , that go under the name of justin martyr , maintains the same opinion , as you may see in the answers to the lx , and lxxiv questions . and that i may not unprofitably spend both time and paper , in bringing in all the particular passages , i say in general , that both the major part , and also the most eminent persons among the ancient fathers held this opinion , either absolutely , or at least in part . for , besides justin martyr , irenaeus , tertullian , and st. augustine , and the author of those questions and answers we before mentioned , which is a very ancient piece indeed , though falsly fathered upon justin martyr , it is clear , that origen , lactantius , victorinus , st. ambrose , st. chrysostome , theodoret , oecumenius , aretas , prudentius , theophylact , st. bernard , and , among the popes , clemens romanus , and john xxii . were all of this opinion , as is confessed by all ; neither was this so admirable and general consent of theirs contradicted by any declaration of the church , for the space of fourteen hundred years ; neither yet did any one of the fathers so far as we can discover , take upon him to refute this errour , as dionysius alexandrinus , and st. hierome did to refute the millenaries ; all the rest of the fathers being either utterly silent , as to this particular , and so by this their silence going over in a manner into the opinion of the major part ; or else contenting themselves with declaring sometimes here and there in their books , that they believed that the souls of the saints should enjoy the sight of god , till the resurrection , never formally denying the other opinion . but that which doth further shew , that this opinion is both very ancient , and hath been also very common among the christians , is , because that even at this day it is believed , and defended by the whole greek church : neither is there any of all those , who make profession of standing to the writings of the fathers , as the rule of their faiths , who have rejected it , save only the latines , who have expresly also established the contrary , at the council of florence , held in the year of our lord . which is not above two hundred and twelve years ago . do but fancy now to your selves a vicentius lirinensis , standing in the midst of this council , and laying before them his own oracle , before mentioned ; which is , that we ought to hold for most certainly , and undoubtedly true , whatsoever hath been delivered by the ancients unanimously and by a common consent : and do but think , whether or no he should not have been hissed out by these reverend fathers , as one that made the truth , which is holy and immutable , to depend upon the authority of men ? for , these men regarded not at all neither the multitude , nor the antiquity , nor the learning , nor the sanctity of the authors of this foolish opinion ; but , finding it to be false , without any more ado rejected it , as they thought they had good reason to do , and withal ordained the contrary . now i am verily perswaded , that there are very few points of faith , among all those which the church of rome would have the protestants receive , for which there can be alledged either more , or more clear and evident testimonies out of the fathers , than for this . for as much therefore as that after all this it hath not only be called in question , but hath been even utterly condemned also ; who seeth not , that the consent of many fathers together , although any such thing were to be had , upon all the points now in debate , would yet be no sufficient argument of the truth of the same ? but i shall pass on to the rest . we have before heard , how that tertullian , st. cyprian , who was both a bishop and a martyr , firmilianus metropolitan of cappadocia , dionysius patriarch of alexandria , together with the synods of bishops both of africk , cappadocia , cilicia , and bithynia , held all , that the baptism of hereticks was invalid and null . st. basil who was one of the most eminent bishops of the whole eastern church , held also in a manner the very same opinion ; and that a long time too after the determination of the council of nice ; as appeareth by the epistle which he wrote to amphilochius ; which is also put in among the publick decrees of the church , by the greek canonists . and yet this opinion is now confessed by all to be erroneous . many in like manner of the fathers , as namely † tertullian , * clemens alexandrinus , † lactantius , and * africanus , believed , that our saviour christ kept the feast of the passeover but once only , after his baptism . and yet notwithstanding this consent of theirs , the opinion is known to be very false , as † petavius also testifieth ; and besides is expresly contrary to the text of the gospel . i shall not here say any thing of the opinion of a st. chrysostom , b st. hierome , c st. basil , and the fathers of the council held at d constantinople under the patriarch flavianus ; who seem all to have held , that an oath was utterly unlawful for christians , under the new testament . neither shall i take any notice in this place of that conceit of athanasius , st. basil , and methodius , as he is cited by e john bishop of thessalonica , who all believed that the angels had bodies : to whom we may also add , ( as we have shewed before , ) st. hilary , justin martyr , tertullian , and very many more of the fathers , who would all of them have the nature of angels to be such , as was capable of the passions of carnal love ; of which number is even f st. augustine also . whosoever should now conclude from hence , that this fancy of theirs ( which yet is of no small importance ) is a truth ; would he not be as sharply reproved for it by the romanists , as by those of geneva ? but i must not forget , that besides st. cyprian , st. augustine , and pope innocent i. whose testimonies we have given in g before , all the rest of the doctors , in a manner , of the first ages maintained , that the eucharist was necessary for young infants ; if at least you dare take maldonat's word , h who affirms , that this opinion was in great request in the church , during the first six hundred years after our saviour christ . i cassander also testifieth , that he hath often observed this practice in the ancients ; as indeed is also witnessed by carolus magnus , and by ludovicus pius , who lived a long time after the sixth century ; both of which assure us , that this custom continued in the west , even in their time , as they are cited by cardinal k perron : and the traces of this custom do yet remain to this day , amongst those christians who are not of the communion of the latine church . for l nicolaus lyranus , who lived somewhat above three hundred years since , observed , that the greeks accounted the holy eucharist so necessary , as that they administred it to little children also , as well as baptism . and even in our fathers time , the patriarch m jeremias , speaking in the name of the whole creek church , said , we do not only baptize little children , but we also make them partakers of the lords supper . and a little after : we account ( saith he ) both sacraments to be necessary to salvation for all persons ; namely , baptism and the holy communion . the n abyssines also make their children in like manner communicate of the holy eucharist , as soon as ever they are baptized . which are most evident arguments , that this false opinion , touching the necessity of the eucharist , hath been of old maintained , not by three or four of the fathers only , but by the major part , and in a manner by all of them . for we do not hear of so much as one , among all the ancient fathers , who rejected it in express terms ; as the council of trent hath done , in these later times . to conclude , the jesuit o pererius hath informed us , ( and indeed the observation is obvious enough to any man , that is never so little conversant in the writings of those authors , who lived before st. augustines time ) that all the greek fathers , and a considerable part also of the latines , were of opinion , that the cause of predestination was , the fore sight which god had , either of mens good works , or else of their faith : either of which opinions , he assures us , is manifestly contrary both to the authority of the scriptures , and also to the doctrine of st. paul. so that i conceive we may , without troubling our selves any further in making this envious inquiry into the errours of the fathers , conclude from what hath been already produced , that seeing the fathers have erred in so many particulars , not on singly , but also many of them together ; neither the private opinion of each particular father , nor yet the unanimous consent of the major part of them , is a sufficient argument certainly to prove the truth of those points , which are at this day controverted amongst us. chap. v. reason v. that the fathers have strongly contradicted one another , and have maintained different opinions , in matters of very great importance . bessarion , a greek born , who was honoured with the dignity of cardinal , by pope eugenius iv. as a reward of his earnest desires to , and the great pains he took in endeavouring a reconciliation betwixt the eastern and the western church , in a book which he wrote upon this subject to the council of florence , will have the whole difference , betwixt the greek and latine churches , to be brought before the judgment seat of the fathers . and for as much as he knew , that unless the judges did all agree , and were of one opinion , the cause ( especially in matters of religion , ) necessarily remains undecided ; he strongly labours to prove , that he hath all the fathers consenting not only with him , but , ( which is yet much harder to prove ) that they are all of the same opinion also among themselves ; insomuch that he commands us , when ever there appeareth any contrariety in their writings , that we should accuse our own ignorance , rather than blame them for contradicting each other . we may conclude therefore , from what is here laid down by this author , who was both as acute , and as learned a man , as any was at this council , that to render the fathers capable of being the judges of our controversies , it is necessary that they should be all of the same judgment and opinion , in point of religion . and certainly , this is a most clear truth : for , if there be any contradiction amongst them , or dissenting in opinion , they will leave our controversies more perplexed , rather than decided ; and in stead of uniting , will rather distract us , and rend us into many parts . that we may therefore be able to come to the knowledge of the truth in this particular , it will concern us first of all to examine , whether that which bessarion addeth hereupon , be true also , or not ; namely , that the opinions of the fathers do never clash one with the other , touching the points of our religion . now although this were so , yet would it not necessarily follow from hence , that their judgment must needs be therefore infallible ; forasmuch as even an error may , either by the consent of the several parties , or by accident , or else by some other the like means , happen to meet with an unanimous entertainment by several persons . but now in case this should prove to be false , then certainly we may make this infallible conclusion , that we ought to seek out for other judges of our controversies , than the writings of the fathers . we shall therefore shew , by way of addition to the rest of our proofs , that this assertion of his is more bold than true ; and , that there are very many real differences to be found among the ancient fathers , in matters of religion . we have already touched before upon some of them , by the bye onely , as lying in our way , speaking of other matters , and therefore we shall onely lightly run them over again ; as namely , first of all , that disagreement in opinion of the most ancient among the fathers , justine martyr , irenaeus , and tertullian , on the one side ; and dionysius alexandrinus , gregory nazianzene , and s. hierome on the other : the first of these promising us very seriously the delights and pleasures of a thousand years , and the diamonds and the saphires of a new earthly jerusalem , with all its glory and prosperity : but the other very coursely , and in downright terms reproving this their conceit , as being an idle fancy , fit to be entertained by little children , and old women only ; and which seems to have been derived rather from the dreams of the jews , than from the doctrine of the apostles . the like to this was that difference betwixt the bishops of asia , and pope victor , about the observation of easter-day ; and of cyprian , and stephen , about the baptism of hereticks : in all which differences , the heat was so high , as that it went on as far as to excommunicating each other . if bessarion now could but make it appear to us , that these were not real , but seeming contradictions onely , i should then make no question at all , but that he would as easily reconcile fire and water , or whatever things else in nature are the most contrary the one to the other . we have heard that tertullian maintained , that the soul was ex traduce , and was propagated from the father to the son , by the natural course of generation ; and that s. augustine likewise enclined to the same opinion : to whom , if we will believe a s. hierome , we must add a very considerable number of the western church also , who were all of the same perswasion . but b s. hierome rejects them all , and their opinion , and says , that the soul is created immediately by god , at the very instant that it is united to the body ; adding withal , ( as we have formerly noted unto you ) that this is the belief of the church in this point . s. hierome , and those of his faction held , that all that reprehension used by s. paul to s. peter , which we find mentioned in the epistle to the galatians , was onely a feigned business , purposely acted betwixt the two apostles , by an agreement made betwixt themselves . s. augustine , with those of his side , maintains the contrary , and says , that the thing was real , and was meant heartily and seriously , and as it is related by s. paul ; and that there was no cunning , or under-hand dealing in the business , or any scene laid betwixt s. peter and him . and s. hierome pursued this dispute with so much heat and earnestness , as that besides those epistles of his , which are full of gall and choler , written against s. augustine , touching this particular , he yet in his c commentaries also , which were pieces that he wrote in his quieter tempe● , many times takes occasion to gird underhand at s. augustine , upon this old quarrel betwixt them . so that certainly he must needs be quite out of his wits , whoever shall seriously go about to maintain , that these two fathers were perfectly of one opinion , and agreed upon this point . d justine martyr is of opinion , that it was the real ghost of samuel , that appeared to saul , being raised up by the enchantments of the witch at endor . e others say it was but a fantasm . f some of them hold , that the meeting together of the faithful at the eucharist thrice a week , is an apostolical tradition . g others believe the contrary . h some enjoyn us to fast on saturdays ; i others forbid the same , under the penalty of being accounted no less than the murtherers of christ . k some of them conceive , that our saviour christ suffered death in the fortieth or fiftieth year of his age : l others again would perswade us , that he died in the thirtieth or thirty first year of his age : both which opinions are manifestly contrary to the text of the gospel , which tells us clearly , that after his baptism , that is to say , after the thirtieth year of his age , he conversed above three , and under five years , upon the earth . some of them ( as we are informed by these m latinized greeks ) allow of these terms , cause , and effect , in the doctrine of the trinity ; but some others again do not so . some of them are of opinion , that there is a certain order , or distinction of priority , in the persons of the trinity : others again there are , who will not endure to hear of this expression . those of the western church call the son only , the image of the father ; but the greek church maketh this name extend to the holy ghost also . s. basil will not allow of the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 , in discoursing of the son : others again make use of it , without any scruple at all . i doubt very much , whether bessarion had ever seen the apologies and invectives of s. hierome , and of ruffinus ; who were yet both of them fathers , and of good repute too in the church , both that of their own time , and of the ages following ; although they were not both of them of equal esteem . neither do i believe he remembred that quarrel that there was betwixt theophilus and epiphanius on the one part , and s. chrysostome on the other . for certainly , their carriage toward each other in this their debate , doth not shew them to have been so very good friends , and so well agreed upon the point debated . but now , to overthrow this bold assertion of his at once , we need go no further than to the very point it self , touching which he proposed it . for , whom will he ever be able to perswade , that all the fathers have written and said the very same things , touching the procession of the holy ghost ? it is evident , that sometimes they will have it to proceed from the son also ; as s. basil by name hath expressed himself , in that passage of his , which is alledged by the latins out of his book against eunomius ; ( which piece yet the greeks say is forged : ) and as the fathers of the western church have most expresly declared themselves in many places . but yet i cannot possibly see ; how we can say , that they have all been of this opinion . i shall not here meddle with those other authorities , produced by the greeks out of the fathers ; which their adversaries put by as well as they can , oftentimes most miserably wresting and stretching upon the rack the words and meaning of the fathers . but that passage of theodoret , in his refutation of s. cyril's anathema's , is so clear and express , as that nothing can be more . n s. cyril had said , in his ix anathema , that the holy ghost proceeded properly from the son. o theodoret answereth , that it is both impious and blasphemous to say , that the holy ghost hath its subsistence from the son , or by the son. if he mean ( saith he ) that the holy ghost proceedeth properly from the son , as heing of the same nature with it , and as proceeding from the father , we shall willingly agree with him , and shall receive his doctrine as sound and pious : but if he mean , that the holy ghost hath its subsistence from the son , or by the son , we must then reject it , as impious , and blasphemous . he could not have thrown by this proposition of s. cyril more bluntly , or in courser terms : and yet for all this so flat giving him the lie , as it were , and his so insolent rejecting of an opinion that was then received by the church , as the latins pretend , p s. cyril replies no more but this , that the holy ghost , altbough it proceed from the father , yet nevertheless is not a stranger to the son , since he hath all things common with the father . why did he not cry out against him as an heretick , as he many times elsewhere doth , with much less reason ; if at least you must needs have it granted you , that the opinion of the church at that time was , that the h. ghost proceeded from the son ? why did he not take it very ill at his hands , that he should in so insolent a manner reject as impious and blasphemous , a proposition that was so holy , and so true ? why did he not call the whole church in , to be his warrant for what he had said , if so be it had really been the general belief of the church at that time ? and how comes it to pass , that in stead of all this , he rather returns so tame an answer , as seems rather to betray his own cause , and something also to encline to the contrary opinion of his adversary ? for , it is evident , that neither theoderet , nor yet any of the modern greeks ever held , that the holy ghost was a stranger to , or was unconcerned in the son , seeing they all confess , that these three , to wit , the father , the son , and the holy ghost , are one and the same god , who is blessed for ever . whosoever shall but diligently consider these things ▪ ( for we cannot stand any longer upon the examination of them ) he cannot , in my judgment , but confess that the church had not as yet declared it self , or determined any thing touching this point ; and , that these doctors spake herein each man his own private opinion only , and according as the present occasion of disputation led him to speak ; where you shall have them contradicting one another , in like manner as is usual in speaking of things not as yet throughly examined , or expresly determined : insomuch that it would grieve a man to see how the greeks and the latins toil and sweat to no purpose , each of them labouring to bring over the fathers to speak to their side , and fearfully wresting their words , whensoever they seem to be but never so little ambiguous ; and ever and anon accusing one another of having corrupted the ancients writings , whensoever they are found to speak expresly against them : and when all is done , leaving those who either read or hear them without any prejudice , very much unsatisfied ; whereas it had been much more easie , to have honestly confessed at first , that which is but too apparent , that the fathers , as in this , so in many other points of religion , have not all been of one and the same perswasion . and whereas q bessarion , that he may clude this testimony of theodoret , affirms , that he was cast forth of the church for having denied that the holy ghost proceeded from the son ; and that he afterwards publickly confessed his error , at the council of cbalcedon , where he was received into the church again : all this , i say , is only a piece of grecian confidence , which shews more clearly than all the rest , how much this man was carried away with his passion , and the violence of his affection to the latin church . for , i beseech you , in what ancient author had he ever read , that theodoret was , i do not say , condemned , or excommunicated , but so much as reproved , or accused onely , for having maintained any erroneous opinion touching the procession of the holy ghost ? we have the acts of the council of ephesus , where he was excommunicated : we have the letters of s. cyril , wherein he again received into the communion of the church john patriarch of antioch , and all his followers , of which number theodoret was the chief . we have the council of chalcedon , where theodoret , after some certain cryings out of his adversaries against him , was at length received by the whole assembly as a catholick bishop , and was admitted to sit amongst them . in which of all these authentick pieces is there so much as one word spoken , touching this opinion of his , concerning the point of the proceeding of the holy ghost ? s. cyril himself , that is to say , those of his party , did not at all condemn what he said , touching this particular ; but he rather contented himself in excusing , or , if you please , in defending onely his own opinion . the business for which theodoret was questioned in the councils of ephesus , and of chalcedon , had nothing in the world to do with this , touching the procession of the holy ghost : for , the question was onely there , touching the two natures of our saviour christ , whom nestorius would needs divide into two persons ; john patriarch of antioch , theodoret , and divers other eastern bishops , favouring in some sort his person , or being indeed offended rather at the proceeding of the council of ephesus against him ; and withal rejecting several things that were contained in the anathemas of s. cyril . now with what face could this man tell us , after all this , that theodoret had been deposed from his bishoprick , for having maintained an erroneous opinion touching the procession of the holy ghost ? but enough of this . i would in the next place fain know , how this reconciler of differences could compose that debate betwixt the dcxxx fathers of the council at chalcedon , and leo bishop of rome ; and how he can reconcile the xxviii canon of the one , with those many epistles written by the other , touching this point , to anatolius patriarch of constantinople , to the emperour marcianus , and his empress , to the prelates who were there met together in that council , and to the patriarch of antioch : the fathers of this council advancing the throne of the patriarch of constantinople , above those of alexandria , and of antioch , and making it equal even with that of rome it self : pope leo in the mean time sending out his thunderbolts against this decree of theirs , and charging them as guilty of a most insufferable injury offered him . and when this our conciliator shall have done his business at chalcedon , if he please , he may pass over into africk , and there also reconcile the fathers of that country to the bishops of rome ; the former of these forbidding their clergy to make any appeals to rome ; and the other in the mean time to their utmost endeavouring to prove , that it is their proper right , to have such appeals brought before them . and when he hath finished this work , our greek may then in the next place try to remove all misunderstanding betwixt the fathers of the council of francfort , and those of the ii. council of nice ▪ touching the point of the use of images ▪ the later of these ordaining † that we ought to pay unto them salutations , and adoration of honour , and that we ought to honour them with incense and lights : and the other , as every man knows , having not only rejected this greek council ; but having written 〈◊〉 expresly , against it , by the command of the emperour carolus magnus . certainly he that shall but read the fathers themselves , will easily and quickly perceive , that they clash and contradict each other , in most plain and irreconcileable terms , and that there is no other way of bringing them honestly together , but by receiving every one of them , with his own private opinions ; imitating herein the marvellous wisdom of the council of * constantinople in trullo ; which receiveth and alloweth of all in gross , without distinction , both the canons of the apostles , and the whole code of the church vniversal , together with those of sardica , carthage , and laodicea ; amongst which notwithstanding there are found strong contradictions . as for example , the † council of sardica will have the right of receiving the appeals of all bishops to belong to the see of rome ; whereas * chalcedon gives this priviledge to that of constantinople . the council of † laodicea leaveth out of the canon of the scriptures , the maccabees , ecclesiasticus , the book of wisdom , tobit , and judith : * that of carthage puts them in expresly . but now these honest fathers of constantinople , to the end they may give content to all the world , take no notice at all of these their differences ; but receive each of them , with their own particular canons , and opinions , without obliging them to any one common rule ; doing this , i believe , upon condition , that themselves may not be required , by those whom they thus admit , to receive any more from them , than they shall think convenient . i know no man , that would not at this rate readily admit of , as canon , all the writings of the fathers ; provided that he might but have liberty to take , or leave therein what he thought good . so that we may very well from henceforth rest satisfied , that , notwithstanding bessarion's resolution to the contrary , the fathers have not always been of the same judgment in matters of religion : and that consequently they ought not to be received by us , as our judges touching the same . for , seeing that i find them contradicting each other , in so many several points of very great importance ; how shall i be assured , that they are all unanimously agreed , touching those points which are now debated amongst us ? why may they not have had the same diversity of opinion , touching the point of the eucharist , the authority of the church , the power of the pope , free-will , or purgatory , that they had in those other points which we have before presented to the readers view ; which were of as great importance as these , and no less easie to be determined ; as we have proved in the chapter preceding ? epiphanius and st. hierome are as opposite in their judgments , touching the ancient condition of priests and bishops , as theodoret and st. cyril are , touching the procession of the holy ghost . neither are some opinions of tertullian , and of damascene ; theodoret , and of eusebius emisenus ; of eusebius caesareensis , and of the vii . council , touching the point of the eucharist , less opposite to each other ; than are those of cyprian and of stephen● , touching the baptism of hereticks : and so likewise in many other particulars . why then should we take so much pains , and trouble our selves so to no purpose , in reconciling these men , and making them speak all the same thing ? why should we so cruelly , and so uncivilly rack them as we do , to make them all of one opinion , and to say the same things , whether they will or no ; and , sometimes too against our own conscience ; but , certainly , for the most part , without any satisfaction to the reader ? why should we not rather honestly confess , that their opinions were also different , as well as their words ? we make no scruple at all to confess , that they have been of contrary opinions , touching those other points of religion ; which are not at all now controverted amongst us : how much greater harm , for gods sake , would it be , if we should confess , that they have not any better agreed among themselves , touching these points now in debate ? but we shall not need to press this matter any further : it is sufficient for us that we have proved , that they were of different opinions in point of religion : so that it clearly follows from hence , that we ought not to admit of their writings , as the proper judges of our controversies . i have formerly touched , though very lightly only , upon their diversity of opinion , and contrariety , in their expositions upon the scriptures , which yet is a business of no very small consideration . for if we take them for our judges , we shall necessarily then have occasion every minute of having recourse to them , touching the sense of those passages of scripture , about which we disagree among our selves . if now there be as great contrarieties , and difference in judgment touching these things among them , as there is amongst our selves ▪ what have we then left us to trust to ? this passage for example , in the gospel according to st. john , i and my father are one , is of very great importance , in the disputes against both sabellius and arius . would you now know the true sense and meaning of these words , lest otherwise by misinterpreting the same , you might chance to fall into the one , or the other of these two precipices ? if you have recourse to the fathers in this case , you shall have † some of them referring it to the vnion of the affection , and of the will ▪ and * others again , to the vnity of essence and of nature . so likewise this other passage in the same evangelist ; a my father is greater than i , is very considerable also , in the question touching the divinity of jesus christ : and yet there are b some among the fathers , who understand the words as spoken indefinitely of the son of god ▪ although the rest of them do ordinarily restrain them to his humanity . these words also of st. john , c the word was made flesh , are of no small consideration , in the disputes against nestorius and eutyches . now if you bring the business before the fathers , you shall have d some of them expounding these words , by comparing them with those passages in st. paul , where it is said that e christ was made sin , and a f curse for us : but g st. cyril saith , that we must take heed how we interpret the words so . it would be an endless task , if i should here go about to reckon up all the differences , and contrarieties of judgment , that are to be found in the fathers . those that have a mind to see any more of them , may have recourse to some of our late commentators , whose usual course is , to bring in all together the several interpretations of the fathers , upon those books which they comment upon : as maldonate hath done , upon the gospels ▪ cardinal tolet , upon st. john , bened. justinianus , upon the epistles of st. paul , and others : where they will find , that there is scarcely any one verse , that the ancients have understood all of them after one and the ●ame manner . and which is yet worse than this , besides this contrariety and difference of interpretation , you will often meet with very many cold and empty expositions ▪ and it is very seldom that you shall find there that solid simplicity which we ought to expect from all those , who take upon them the interpretation of the holy scriptures . for as much therefore as we many times meet with contrariety of judgment , as well in their expositions of the scriptures , as in their opinions , we may safely conclude , that they are not of sufficient authority to be admitted as the supreme judges of our controversies : that contradiction , which is often found amongst them , evidently shewing , that they are not infallible judges , such as it is requisite that they should be , for the making good of all those points , which are at this day maintained by the church of rome against the protestants . chap. vi. reason vi. that neither those of the church of rome , nor the protestants do acknowledge the fathers for their judges in points of religion , but do both of them reject such of their opinions , and practices , as are not for their gust . an answer to two objections , that may be made against what hath been here delivered in this discourse . thus far have we laboured to prove that the writings of the fathers have not authority enough in themselves , for to be received as definitive sentences passed upon our differences in religion . let us now in the last place see , how much they have in respect of us . for although a sentence of judgment should be good , and valid in it self , as being pronounced by one who is a competent and lawful judge , duly and according to the forms of law ; yet notwithstanding would not this serve to determine the controversie , if so be the authority of this judge be denied by either of the parties , ( unless , as it is in worldly affairs , the law be armed with such a power , as is able to force those that are obstinate to submit to reason : ) for as much as the question is here touching religion , which is a holy and divine thing , to the embracing whereof men ought to be perswaded , and not compelled , since force hath no place here . for although perhaps they could compel men outwardly to render some such respect to the writings of the fathers , yet notwithstanding would not this serve to make any impression of the belief of the same , in the heart of any one . the same divisions would still remain in the minds of men , which you are first of all to pull up by the roots , if ever you intend to reconcile them to each other , and to make them agree in point of religion . for the certain determination therefore of all differences of this nature , it is necessary that both parties be perswaded , that the judge , who is to pronounce sentence upon the same , hath as much authority as it requisite for that purpose . notwithstanding therefore that the fathers should have clearly and positively pronounced what they had thought , touching the point in hand , which yet they have not done , as we have proved before : let us suppose further , that they had been endued with all those qualities , which are requisite for the rendring a man fit to be a supreme judge , and from whom there can be no appeal , which yet is not so , as we have already clearly proved : yet notwithstanding would all this be to no purpose , unless this authority were acknowledged by both parties . the old testament is a book which was written by divine inspiration , and is endued with so supreme an authority , as that every part of it ought to be believed . yet doth not this work any whit at all with a pagan , because he doth not acknowledge any such excellent worth to be in it . in like manner is it , between the new testament and the jew : neither can it decide the differences betwixt the jews and us ; not because it is not of sufficient authority in it self ; but , because it is not so to the jew . and indeed he were worthy to be laughed at , whosoever should alledge , in disputing against the pagans , the authority of the old testament ; or that of the new , for the bringing of a jew over to our belief . suppose therefore , that the writings of the fathers were clear , upon our questions : nay which is more , let it be granted moreover ( if you please , ) that they were written by divine inspiration , and are of themselves of a full and undeniable authority : i say still , that they cannot decide our debates , if so be that either of the parties shall refuse to acknowledge this great and admirable dignity to be in them ; much less if both parties shall refuse to allow them to have this priviledge . let us now therefore see , in what account the several parties have the fathers ; and , whether they acknowledge them as the supreme judges of their religion ; or at least as arbitrators , whose definitive sentence ought to stand firm and inviolable . as for our protestants of france , whom their adversaries would fain perswade , if they could , to receive the fathers for judges in religion ; and to whom consequently they ought not , according to the laws of a legitimate disputation , to alledge for the proof of any point in debate , any other principles , than what they do allow of ; it is evident , that they attribute to the fathers nothing less , than such an authority . for , in the confessing of faith they declare , in the very beginning of it , that they hold the scriptures to be the rule of their faith ▪ and as for all other ecclesiastical writings , although they account them to be useful , yet nevertheless do they not conceive , that a man may safely build any article of faith upon them . and indeed seeing that they believe , ( as the tell you immediately after , ) that the scripture containeth all things necessary both for the service of god , and the salvation of mens souls , they have no need of any other judge , and should in vain have recourse to the writings of the ancients ; the authority whereof , how great soever it be , is still much less , both in it self , and also in respect of us , than that of the bible . in the next place they seriously profess , that their intent is to reform the christian doctrine according to this rule ; and to retain firmly what articles of faith soever are therein delivered ; and to reject constantly all those , that are not there found laid down , how high and eminent soever the authority be , that shall resci●d the one , or establish the other in the belief of men. it is not lawful ( say they ) for men , nor yet for the angels themselves , either to add to , or to diminish from , or to alter it ; neither may antiquity , nor customs , nor multitude , nor judgments , nor humane wisdom , nor definitive sentences , nor edicts , nor decrees , nor councils , nor visions , nor miracles be brought in opposition to it : but on the contrary rather , all other things ought to be examined , regulated , and reformed by it . these be their own words . if therefore they will not depart from this their belief , which is as it were the foundation and key of their whole reformation , they cannot receive the fathers who lived in the second , third , and fourth , and so in the following centuries , as judges , nor yet absolutely and simply as witnesses , in the points of faith. for they all hold , that that pure , simple , and holy doctrine , which was taught and preached by the apostles at the beginning of christianity , and delivered over unto us by themselves in the new testament , hath been by little and little altered and corrupted ; time , which changeth all things , continually mixing among it some corruption or other ; sometimes a jewish or a heathenish opinion ▪ and sometimes again some nice observation ; otherwhiles some superstitious ceremony or other ; whilst one building upon the foundation with stubble , another with hay , a third with wood ; the body seems at length , by little and little , to have become quite another thing than it anciently was ; we having , in stead of a palace of gold , and of silver , a house built up of plaister , stone , wood , and mud , and the like pitiful stuff . in like manner , ( say they ) as we see , that brooks of water , the farther distant they are from their springs , the more filth they contract , and the more doth their water lose of its first purity . and as a man , the more he groweth in years , the more doth that native simplicity which appeared in him in his infancy , decay ; his body and his mind are changed , and he is so much altered by little and little , through study , art , and cunning , that at length he seemeth to be clean another man : in like manner ( say they ) hath it ●ared with christianity . and here they presently urge that notable passage out of s. paul , in his second epistle to the thessalonians , where he speaks of a great falling away , which then in his time began already to work secretly and insensibly , but was not to break forth till a long time after ; as you see it is in all great things , whether in nature , or in the affairs and occurrences that happen to mankind , which are all conceived and hatched slowly , and by degrees , and are sometimes a whole age before they are brought forth . now , according to this hypothesis , which , as i conceive , is equally common to us of france , and all other protestants whatsoever , the doctrine of the church must necessarily ▪ have suffered some alteration in the second age of christianity , by admitting the mixture of some new matter into its belief , and policy : and so likewise in the third age some other corruption must necessarily have got in ; and so in the fourth , fifth , and the rest that follow ; the christian religion continually losing something of its original purity and simplicity ; and on the other side still contracting all along some new impurities , till at length it came to the highest degree of corruption : in which condition , they say , they found it ; and have now at last , by the guidance of the scriptures , restored it to the self-same state wherein it was at the beginning ; and have , as it were , fixed it again upon its true and proper hinge , from whence , partly by the ignorance , and partly by the fraud of men , during the space of so many ages together , it had by little and little been removed . this therefore being their opinion , they cannot admit of , as the rule of all their doctrine , the writings of any of the fathers , who lived from the apostles time down to ours , without betraying and contradicting themselves . for , according to what they maintain , touching the progress of corruption in religion , there hath been some alteration in the christian doctrine , both in the second , third , and all the following ages . and then again , according to what they conceive , and believe of their own reformation , their doctrine is the very same that was in the time of the apostles , as being taken immediately out of their books . if therefore they should examine it by what the fathers of the second century believed , there must necessarily be something found in the doctrine of the fathers , which is not in theirs : and the difference will be much greater , if the comparison be made betwixt it , and the doctrine of the third , fourth , and the following ages ; in all which , according to their hypothesis , the corruption hath continually encreased . for , if their doctrines were in every respect conformable to each other , and had in them neither more nor less the one than the other , there must necessarily then follow one of these two things ; namely , that either this corruption , which they presuppose to be in the belief , and politie of the church , is not that secret which worked in s. paul's time ; or else , that their reformation is not the pure and simple doctrine of the apostles : the members of which division are contradictory to those two positions , which , as we have said , they all of them unanimously maintain . so that to avoid this contradiction , it concerns them constantly to persevere in that which they profess is their belief , in their confession of faith : to wit , that there are no ecclesiastical writings whatsoever , that are of so sufficient authority , as that a man may safely build upon them , and make them the judges of faith : and , that the holy scripture is the onely rule by which all these things are to be examined . and this is that which they all agree upon ( as far as i have either read , or known ; ) as any man may see in the books of calvin , bucer , melancthon , luther , beza , and the rest ; who all relie upon the authority of the scriptures onely , and admit not of any part of the authority of the fathers , as a sufficient ground whereon to build any article of their belief . it is true , i confess , that some of their first authors , as namely , bucer , peter martyr , and j. jewell bishop of salisbury , and in a manner all the later writers also , alledge the testimonies of the fathers ; but ( if you but mark it ) it is onely by way of confutation , and not of establishing any thing : they do it onely to overthrow the opinions of the church of rome , and not to strengthen their own. for , though they hold , that the doctrine of the fathers is not so pure as that of the apostles ; yet do they withal believe , that it is much purer , than that which is at this day taught by the church of rome ; the purity of doctrine having continually decayed , and the impurity of it encreased , in such sort , as that the further they are removed from the time of the apostles , the nearer they approach ( as they say ) towards the afore-mentioned falling away , spoken of by s. paul. although the protestants therefore allow the scriptures onely for the true foundation of their faith ; yet notwithstanding do they account the writings of the fathers to be necessary also , and of good use unto them ; first of all , in the proving this decay , which they say hath hapned in christianity ; and secondly , for the making it appear , that the opinions which their adversaries now maintain , were not in those days brought into any form , but were as yet onely in their seeds . as for example , transubstantiation was not as yet an article of faith ; notwithstanding that long ago they did , innocently , and not foreseeing what the issue might prove to be , believe some certain things , out of which , being afterwards licked over , by passing through divers several languages , transubstantiation was at length made up . so likewise the supremacy of the pope had at that time no place in the belief of men : although those small threds , and root-strings , from whence this vast and wonderful power first sprung ▪ long since appeared in the world. and the like may be said of the greatest part of those other points , which the protestants will not by any means receive . and that this is their resolution and sense , appears evidently by those many books which they have written upon this subject , wherein they shew historically the whole progress of this decay in christianity , as well in its faith , as in its polity , and discipline . and truly this their design seemeth to be very sufficient , and satisfactory . for , seeing that they propose nothing positively , and as an article of faith , necessary to salvation , which may not easily and plainly be proved out of the scripture ; they have no need to make use of any other principle ▪ for the demonstration of the truth . furthermore , seeing that those positive articles of faith which they believe , are in a manner all of them received , and confessed by the church of rome , as we have said before in the preface to this treatise , there is no need of troubling a mans self to prove the same , those things which both parties are agreed upon , being never to be proved , but are always presupposed in all disputations . yet notwithstanding , if any one have a mind to be informed , what the belief of the fathers hath been touching the said articles ; it is an easie matter for them to make it appear , that they also believed all of them , as well as themselves : as , for example . that there is a god , a christ , a salvation , a sacrament of baptism , a sacrament of the eucharist , and the like truths ; the greatest part whereof we have formerly set down , in the beginning of this discourse . and as for those other articles which are proposed to the world , besides all these , by the church of rome ; it is sufficient for them , that they are able to answer the arguments which are brought to prove them , and to make it by this means appear , that they have not any sure ground at all , and consequently neither may , nor ought to be received into the faith of christians . and this is the vse that the protestants make of the fathers ; evidently making it appear to the world ( out of them ) that they did not hold the said articles , as the church of rome doth at this day . so that their alledging of the fathers to this purpose onely , and indeed their whole practice in these disputes , declare evidently enough , that they conceive not the belief of the church of rome to be so perfectly and exactly conformable to that of antiquity ; especially of the four or five first ages : which accords very well with their hypothesis touching the corruption of the christian doctrine : but yet no man may conclude from hence , that they do allow of the authority of the fathers as a sufficient foundation to ground any article of faith upon ; for this is repugnant both to their doctrine , and to the protestation which they upon all occasions make expresly to the contrary . so that i cannot but extremely wonder at the proceeding of some of our modern authors , who in their disputations with the protestants endeavour to prove the articles of their faith by testimonies brought out of the fathers ; whereas the protestants never go about to make good their own opinions , but onely to overthrow those of their adversaries , by urging the fathers testimonies . for seeing that they of the church of rome maintain , that the church neither hath , nor can possibly err in points of faith ; and , that its belief in matters of faith hath always been the same that it is at this day ; it is sufficient for the protestant to shew , by comparing the doctrine of the ancient fathers with that of the church of rome , that there is great difference betwixt them : neither doth this in any wise bind them to believe throughout whatsoever the fathers believed ; it being evident , according to their hypothesis , that there may have some errors crept into their belief ; though certainly not such , nor so gross ones , as have been since entertained by the church in the ages succeeding . we shall conclude therefore , that the protestants acknowledge not , neither in the fathers , nor in their writings , any so absolute authority , as renders them capable of being received by us , as our supreme judges in matters of religion , and such from whom no appeal can be made . whence it will follow , that although the fathers might really perhaps have such an authority ; yet notwithstanding could not their definitive sentence put an end to any of our controversies : and therefore it concerns the church of rome to have recourse to some other way of proof , if they intend to prevail upon their adversaries to receive the aforesaid articles . but what will you say now , if we make it appear to you , that the church of rome it self doth not allow that the fathers have any such authority ? i suppose , that if we are able to do this , there is no man so perverse , as not to confess , that this proceeding of theirs , in grounding their articles of faith upon the sayings of the fathers , is not onely very insufficient , but very inconvenient also . for , how can it ever be endured , that a man that would perswade you to the belief of any thing , should for that purpose make use of the testimony of some such persons as neither you nor himself believe to be infallibly true , and so fit to be trusted ? let us now therefore see whether those of the church of rome really have themselves so great an esteem of the fathers , as they would be thought to have , by this their proceeding , or not . certainly several of the learned of that party have , upon divers occasions , let us see plain enough , that they make no more account of them , than the protestants do . for , whereas these require , that the authority of the fathers be grounded upon that of the scripture ; and therefore receive nothing that they deliver , as infallibly true , unless it be grounded upon the scripture , passing by , or rejecting whatsoever they propose , either besides , or contrary to the sense of the scripture : the other in like manner will have the judgment of the fathers depend upon that of the church in present being in every age ; and approve , pass by , or condemn all such opinions of theirs , as the church either approveth , passeth by , or condemneth . so that although they differ in this , that the one attributeth the supremacy to the scripture , and the other to the present church of their age ; yet notwithstanding they both agree in this , that both the one and the other of them equally deprive the fathers of the same . insomuch that they both of them spend their time unprofitably enough , whilst they trouble themselves to plead their cause before this inferiour court , where the wrangling and cunning tricks of the law have so much place ; where the judgments are hard to be got , and yet harder to be understood ; and , when all is done , are not supreme ; but are such as both parties believe they may lawfully appeal from : whereas they might , if they pleased , let alone these troublesom and useless beatings about , and come at the first before the supreme tribunal , whether it be that of the scriptures , or of the church ; where the suits are not so long , and where the subtilty of pleading is of much less use ; where the sentences also are more clear and express , and ( which is the chiefest thing of all ) such as we cannot appeal from . but that we may not be thought to impose this opinion upon the church of rome unjustly , let us hear them speak themselves . cardinal cajetan , in his preface upon the five books of moses ▪ sp●●king of his own annotations upon the same , saith thus : if you chance there to meet with any new exposition , which is agreeable to the text ▪ and not contrary either to tbe scriptures , or to the doctrine of the church , although perhaps it differ from that which is given by the whole current of the holy doctors ; i shall desire the readers , that they would not too hastily reject it , but that they would rather censure charitably of it . let them remember to give every man his due : there are none but the authors of the holy scriptures alone , to whom we attribute such authority , as that we ought to believe whatsoever they have written . but as for others , ( saith st. augustine ) of how great sanctity , and learning so ever they may have been , i so read them , as that i do not believe what they have written , because they have written it . let no man therefore reject a new exposition of any passage of scripture , under pretence that it is contrary to what the ancient doctors gave ; but let him rather diligently examine the text , and the contexture of the scripture ; and if he find that it accordeth well therewith , let him praise god , who hath not tyed the exposition of the scriptures , to the sense of the ancient doctors , but to the whole scripture it self , under the censure of the catholick church . melchior canus , bishop of the canary islands , having before declared himself , according as st. augustine hath done , saying , that the holy scriptures only are exempt from all error , he further adds : † but there is no man , how holy , or learned soever he be , that is not sometimes deceived , that doth not sometimes dote , that doth not sometimes slip . and then alledging some of those examples , which we have before produced , he concludes in these words : * let us therefore read the ancient fathers with all due reverence , yet notwithstanding for as much as they were but men , with choice and judgment . and a little after he saith , that the fathers sometimes fail , and bring forth monsters , besides the ordinary course of nature . and in the same place he saith , that to follow the ancients in all things and to tread every where in their steps , as little cbildren use to do in play , is nothing else but to disparage our own parts , and to confess our selves to have neither judgment , nor skill enough , for the searching into the trut● . no , let us follow them as guides , but not as masters . a it is very true ( saith ambrosius catharinus in like manner ) that the sayings and writings of the fathers have not of themselves any so absolute authority , as that we are bound to assent to them in all things . the jesuits also themselves inform us sufficiently in many places , that they do not reckon themselves so tyed to follow the judgment of the fathers in all things , as people may imagine . petavius in his annotations upon epiphanius confesseth freely , b that the fathers were men ; that they had their failings ; and , that we ought not maliciously to search after their errors , that we may lay them open to the world ; but that we may take the liberty to note them , when ever they come in our way , to the end that none be deceived by them : and , that we ought no more to maintain , or defend their errors , than we ought to imitate their vices , if at least they had any : and again , c that many things have slipped from them , which , if they were examined according to the exact rule of truth , could not be reconciled to any good sense : and , that himself hath observed , d that they are out sufficiently , whensoever they speak of such points of faith , as were not at all called in question in their time . and to say the truth , he often rejects both their opinions , and their expositions also ; and sometimes very uncivilly too , as we have touched e before , speaking of his notes upon epiphanius . and in one place , the authority of some of the fathers , which contradicted his opinion , touching the exposition of a certain passage in st. luke , being objected against him , he never taking the least notice at all of their testimonies , answers ; f that we ought to interpret , and expound the fathers by st. luke , rather than st. luke by them ; because that they cannot herein say any thing , but what they have received from st. luke : which , in my judgment , was very judiciously spoken of him ; and besides , exactly agrees with what st. augustine said before , and which may very well be applied to the greatest part of our differences ; in all which the fathers could not know any thing , save what they learnt out of the scriptures : so that their testimonies , in these cases , ought according to the opinion of this learned jesuit , to be expounded , and interpreted by the scriptures , and not the scriptures by them. and this is the language of all the rest of them . ma●donate , who was a most bitter enemy of the protestants , as ever there was any , having delivered the judgment of some of the fathers , who were of opinion that the sons of zebedee answered not so rightly , when being asked by our saviour , whether or no they were able to drink of his cup , and to be baptized with the baptism that he was baptized with , they said unto him , that they were able ; adds , g that for his part , he believes that they answered well . and in another place , expounding the verse of the chapter of st. matthew , having first brought in the interpretations of divers , and indeed in a manner of all the fathers , he says at last , h that he could not be perswaded to understand the place ; as they did . and here you are to note by the way , that the meaning of that place is still controverted at this day . how then can this man conceive , that the protestants should think themselves bound necessarily to follow the judgment of this major part of the fathers , which themselves make so light of ? in another place , where he hath occasion to speak of those words of our saviour ; which are at this day in debate amongst us , the gates of hell shall not prevail against it . he is yet much more down-right , and says , i the sense of these words is not rightly given by any author , that i can remember ; except st. hilary . so likewise upon the chapter of st. matthew , vers . . where it is said , the least in the kingdom of heaven is greater than john baptist : k the opinions of the fathers upon this passage ( saith he ) are very different : and to speak my mind freely , none of them all pleaseth me . in like manner upon the sixth chapter of st. john ; l ammonius ( saith he ) st. cyril , theophylact , and euthymius answer , that all are not drawn , because all are not worthy . but this comes too near to pelagianism . salmeron , a famous jesuit says thus : m our adversaries bring arguments from the antiquity of the fathers ; which i confess hath always been of more esteem than novelties . i answer , that every age hath yielded unto antiquity , &c. but yet we must take liberty to say , that the later the doctors are , the more quick sighted they are . and again , n against all this great multitude , which they bring against us , we answer , ( saith he ) out of the word of god. thou shalt not follow a multitude to do evil ; neither shalt thou speak in a cause , to decline after many , to wrest judgment . michael medina , disputing at the council of trent , touching the superiority of a bishop above a priest ; the authority of st. hierome , and of st. augustine being produced against him , who both held , that the difference betwixt them was not of divine , but only of positive , and ecclesiastical right , o answers before the whole congregation , that it is no marvel , that they , and some others also of the fathers fell into this heresie ; this point being not as then clearly determined of . and that no man may doubt of the honesty of the historian , who relateth this , do but hear bellarmine● who testifieth ; p that medina assureth us , that st. hierome was in this point of aerius his opinion ; and , that not only be , but also st. ambrose , st. augustine , sedulius , primasius , chrysostome ; theodoret , oecumenius , and theophylact maintained all of them the same heresie . we need not bring in here any more examples : do but read their commentaries , their disputations , and their other discourses , and you will find them almost in every page , either rejecting , or correcting the fathers . but i must not pass by the testimony of cornelius mussus , bishop of bitonto , who indeed is more ingenuous , and more clear than all the rest . † o rome ( saith he ) to whom shall we go for divine counsels , unless to those persons to whose trust the dispensation of the divine mysteries hath been committed . we are therefore to hear him , who is to us instead of god , in things that concern god , as god himself . certainly , for my own part ( that i may speak my mind freely ) in things that belong to the mysteries of faith , i had rather believe one single pope , than a thousand augustines , hieromes , or gregories , that i may not speak of richards , scotusses , and williams . for , i believe , and know , that the pope cannot erre , in matters of faith , because that the authority , and right of determining all such things , as are at all points of faith , resides in the pope . this passage may seem to some , to be both a very bold , and a very indiscreet one : but yet whosoever shall but examine the thing seriously , and as it is in it self , and not as it is in its outward appearances only , which are contrived for the most part only to amuse the simpler sort of people . i am confident he will find , that this author hath both most ingenuously , and most truly given the world an account , what esteem the church of rome hath of the fathers . for , seeing that these men maintain that the pope is infallible , and they confess withall that the fathers may have erred : who seeth not , that they set the pope very much above the fathers ? neither may it be here replied , that they do not all of them hold , that the pope is infallible . for , besides that those among them , who do contradict this opinion , are both the least , and the least considerable part also of the church of rome ; these very men attribute to the present church in being , in every age , this right of infallibility , which they will not allow the pope : insomuch that a council , now called together , is , according to their account , of much greater authority than the ancient fathers . so that there is no more difference at all , betwixt these men and the fore-mentioned italian bishop , save only that whereas they will have the authority of the ancient fathers to submit to the whole body of modern bishops assembled in a general council ; he will have their authority to be less , than that of a single pope alone . all that can be found fault with in that speech of his , is perhaps that his hyperbolical way of expression , of a thousand augustines , hieromes , and gregories ; all which joyned together , he , in too disdainful a manner , casts down beneath the feet of one single pope . but this height of expression may be somewhat excused in him , considering that such excesses as these , are very ordinary with all high and free-spirited persons . but the practice of the church of rome it self will be able to inform us more truly and clearly , what esteem they have of antiquity . for , if we ought to stand to the fathers , and not to depart from any thing that they have authorized ; nor to ordain any thing that they were ignorant of , how comes it to pass , that we at this day see so many several observations and customs , which were observed by the ancients , now quite laid aside ? and whence is it , that we find in antiquity no mention at all of many things , which are now in great request amongst us ? there are as it were three principal parts in religion ; namely , points of belief , of ceremony , and of discipline . we shall run them over lightly all three , and so far as is necessary only for our present purpose ; that so we may let the world see , that in every one of these three parts they have both abolished , and established very many things , expresly against the authority of the ancients . as for the first of these , we have formerly given the reader some tasts only , in the preceding chapters . for we have seen , that the opinion of the greatest part of the ancient church , touching the state of the soul , till the time of the resurrection , which besides is at this day also maintained by the greek church , was condemned , not much above two hundred years since , by the church of rome , at the council of florence ; and a quite contrary belief there established , as an article of the christian faith. we have seen besides , that the opinion of the fathers of the primitive church , and even down as far as to the end of the sixth century after our saviour christ , and afterwards , was , that the eucharist was as necessary to salvation , as baptism ; and that consequently it was therefore to be administred to little children . and yet for all this , the council of † trent hath condemned this opinion , as an error in faith ; withal anathematizing , by a canon made expresly for that purpose , all those who ever should maintain the same . let him be accursed ( say they ) whoever shall say , that the eucharist is necessary for little children , before they are come to years of discretion . only , that the fathers might not take offence hereat , as having so fearful an affront put upon them ; these men have endeavoured to perswade both them and others , that they never did believe that , which themselves have most clearly , and in express terms protested that they did believe , as we have before made it appear : which is , to double the injury upon them , rather than to make them any reparations for it ; seeing that they deal with them now , not as hereticks only , but as fools also ; whom a man may at pleasure perswade that they do not believe that which they really do believe . we have abundantly heard out of st. hierome's mouth , how that the opinion of the chilasts was of old maintained , by several of the ancient fathers ; which yet is now condemned as an error in faith. and indeed the number of these kind of differences in opinions is almost infinite . it was accounted no error in those days to believe , that the soul was derived from the father down to the son , according to the ordinary course of generation : but this opinion would now be accounted an heresie . a the ancients held , that it would be an opposing of the authority of the scriptures ; if we should bang up the picture of any man in the church : and b that we ought not to have any pictures in our churches , that that which we worship and adore , be not painted upon a wall. but now the council of trent hath ordained the quite contrary ; and says , c that we ought to have , and to keep , especially in our churches , the images of christ , of the virgin the mother of god , and of the other saints ; and that we are to yield unto them all due honour and veneration . d all the ancient fathers , as far as we can learn out of their writings , believed , that the blessed virgin mary was conceived in original sin. if now the fathers of the council of trent accounted them to be the judges of faith , what moved them then to imagine , that we ought not to believe , that they maintained any such opinion ? for , having delivered their definitive sentence in a decree there passed to this purpose , and declared , that this sin , which hath spread it self over the whole mass of mankind , by propagation , and not by imitation , hath seised on every person in particular ; e they at length conclude , that their intention is not to comprehend within this number the blessed and vnspotted virgin mary , the mother of god : which words of theirs it is impossible so to expound , as that they shall not in plain terms give the lie to all the fathers . for , if they mean by these words , that the virgin mary was conceived without sin , they flatly establish an opinion which is contradictory to that of the fathers ; which is the grossest manner of giving them the lie that can be . if they mean here no more than this , ( which sense yet their words will hardly be ever made to bear , ) that it is not known as a certain truth , that the virgin mary was conceived in sin ; they however honestly say in plain terms , that these good men affirmed , as true , that which is yet doubtful ; and maintained as certain , that which was but problematical onely , and questionable . the council of laodicea , which is inserted into the code of the church universal , f putteth not into the canon of the old testament any more than twenty two books onely ; excluding by this means out of this number the book of tobit , of judith , the book of wisdom , ecclesiasticus , and the two books of the maccabees . g melito bishop of sardis , h origen , i cyril of hierusalem , k gregory nazianzene , l s. hilary , m and epiphanius , do all of them the same . n athanasius , o ruffinus , and p s. hierome expresly reject these very books , and cast them out of the canon . and yet notwithstanding , the aforesaid council of q trent anathematizeth all those who will not receive , as holy and canonical , all these books , with every part of the same , as they are wont to be read in the church , and as they are found in the old latin edition , commonly called the vulgar translation . where , besides the affront which they have offered to so many of the ancient and most eminent among the fathers , and indeed to the whole primitive church it self , which received this conon of laodicea in amongst its vniversal rules ; they have also established a position here , which was not till then so much as ever heard of in christendom , namely , that the old vulgar translation of the bible is to be allowed of as canonical and authentick in the church of god. the cl fathers of the r second general council , and the dcxxx . of the ſ fourth , were all of them of opinion , that the ancients had advanced the see of rome above that of other bishops , by reason of the preeminence and temporal greatness of the city of rome , over other cities : and for the same reason they also thought good to advance , in like manner , the throne of the patriarch of constantinople to the same height with the former , by reason of the city where he resided being now arrived to the self-same height of dignity with rome it self . i assure you , that for all this , he should now be anathema maranatha , whosoever should go about to derive the supremacy of the pope from any other original , than from tv es petrvs ; & , pasce oves meas . the council of trent anathematizeth all those , whosoever shall deny , that t bishops are a higher order than priests : and yet u s. hierome , and divers others of the fathers have openly done the same . we have already told you here before , that the church of rome long since excommunicated the greeks , because they hold , that the holy ghost proceedeth not from the son , but from the father onely . and yet for all this , theodoret , who expresly also demed in terms , that the holy ghost proceeded from the son , as we have shewed in the preceding chapter , was received by the ancient church , and in particular by pope leo too , as a true catholick bishop , without requiring him to declare himself any otherwise , or to give them any satisfaction touching this point . and indeed , we might reckon up very many the like differences betwixt the roman and the ancient church : but these examples we have here produced will suffice , to let the world see , how the church of rome holdeth , that the authority of the opinions of the ancients ought to be accounted supreme . we shall proceed in the next place to say something of the ceremonies in the christian religion . the first of all is baptism , which takes us out of natures stock , and engraffs us into jesus christ . now it was a custom heretofore in the ancient church , to plunge those they baptized over head and ears in the water , as both a tertullian , s. cyprian , c epiphanius , and others testifie . and indeed they plunged them thus three several times , as the same d tertullian , and e s. hierome both inform us . and this is still the practice both of the greek , and of the russian church , even at this very day . and yet notwithstanding , this custom , which is both so ancient , and so universal , is now abolished by the church of rome . and this is the reason that the f muscovites say , that the latins are not rightly and duly baptized , because they are not wont to use this ancient ceremony in their baptism , which , they say , is expresly enjoyned them in the canons of joannes metropolitanus , whom they hold to have been a prophet . and indeed g gregory , the greek monk , who was notwithstanding a great stickler for the vnion in the council of florence , doth yet confess , in his answer to the epistle of mark bishop of ephesus , that it is necessary in baptism , that the persons to be baptized should be thrice dipped over head and ears in the water . at their coming out of the water ; in the ancient church they gave them to eat milk and honey , as the same h authors witness ; and immediately after this , they made them all partakers also of the blessed communion , both great and small : whence the i custom still remains in aethiopia , of administring the eucharist to little children , and making them take down a small quantity of it , as soon as ever they are biptised . what have these our so great adorers of antiquity now done with these ceremonies ? where is the milk , or the honey , or the eucharist , which the ancient fathers were wont to administer to all , immediately after baptism ? certainly these things , notwithstanding the practice of the ancients , have been now long since buried , and forgotten at rome . in ancient times they often deferred the baptising both of infants , and of other people , as appears by the history of the emperours k constantine the great , of l constantius , of m theodosius , of valentinian , and of gratian , in n s ambrose ; and also by the orations and homilies of o gregory nazianzen , and of p s. basil upon this subject . and some of the fathers too have been of opinion , that it is fit it should be deferred ; as namely , tertullian , as we have formerly noted of him . how comes it to pass now , that there is not so much as any the least trace or footing of this custom to be found at this day in the church of rome ? nay , whence is it besides , that they will not so much as endure the very mention of it , and would abhor the man that should but go about to put it in practice ? i shall here forbear to speak of the times of administring baptism ; which was performed ordinarily in the ancient church but onely upon the eves of easter-day , and of whitsunday : neither shall i say any thing of the ceremony of the paschal taper , and the albes , or white vestments , q that the new baptised persons were used to wear all easter-week ; because that it may be thought perhaps , that these are too light circumstances : although , to say the plain truth , if we are to regard the authority of men , and not the reason of the things themselves , i do not at all see , why all the whole rites should not still be retained , as well as those exorcisms , and renouncings of the devil and the world , with all its pomp and vanities , which in imitation of antiquity , are at this day , though very improperly , acted by them over little infants , though but of a day old . as for the eucharist , r cassander sheweth clearly , that it was celebrated in the ancient church with bread and wine , offered by the people ; and , that the bread was first broken into several pieces , and then consecrated afterwards , and distributed among the faithful . notwithstanding , the contrary use hath now prevailed ; neither do they consecrate any bread which is offered by the people , which was the ancient custom , but onely little wafer cakes , made round in the form of a deneere , ſ which yet is very sharply reproved in the old exposition of the ordo romanus , &c. the same t cassa●der also gives us an account at large , how that in ancient times the canonical prayer , and the consecration of the eucharist was read out with a loud voice , and in such sort , as that the people might all of them be able to hear it , that so they might say amen to it : whereas the u priest now pronounceth it with a very low voice , so that none of the congregation can tell what he says ; and hence it is , that this part of the liturgy is called secret. we have * formerly shewed , how that the ancient fathers concealed heretofore , as carefully as they could , the matter and the rites used in the celebration of this holy sacrament ; which they never performed in presence either of the catechumeni , or of unbelievers . but now there is not any such care taken at all herein , but they celebrate the eucharist openly and publickly , even before jews , pagans , or mahometans , without any more regard had to these ancient rules , than as if there had never been any such thing . and as if the design of these men were to run cross to antiquity in all things , whereas they concealed the sacrament as much as they could , these shew it now openly , and carry it publickly abroad every day through the streets , and sometimes also go in solemn procession with it : which custom of theirs is of very late standing among christians , and which heretofore would have looked not onely very strangely , but would have been accounted rather profane and unlawful . and thus have the customs and observations of the ancient fathers been quite laid aside , and other new ones , which they never heard of , instituted in their place . the fame a cassander also proveth , that in ancient times they never celebrated the eucharist , save onely in the presence of those that were to communicate ; and , that all the rest withdrew . it is most clear , that s. chrysostom very bitterly reproves those who would assist at the celebration of the eucharist ; though not communicate . and indeed we at this day see in the ethiopick liturgy , that the gospel being read , the deacon cries aloud , all you that will not receive the sacrament , depart : withdraw you , catechumeni , and again , after the creed is sung , he saith to the people , c let them that will not communicate , depart . but now a days , for the most part , none of those who assist at the celebration , communicate of it : they content themselves with adoring the sacrament onely , without partaking of it at all : whence you have this manner of speaking ; to hear mass ; and , to see mass . d s. chrysostome saith , whosoever shall stay here , and not participate of the mysteries , behaves himself like an impudent , shameless person . i beseech you ( saith he ) if any one that were invited to a feast , should come and sit down , after he hath washed his hands , and fitted himself to come to the table , and at length should forbear to touch any of those dishes which are served in upon it , would not this be a very great affront to him who invited him ? had he not better to have forborn coming at all ? it is the very same case here . thou hast come , and hast sung the hymn ; and , seeing thou hast not retired with those that were not worthy , hast thereby also professed thy self to be of the number of those who are worthy . how comes it to pass , that seeing thou hast staid behind , thou dost not communicate of this table ? and so on , as followeth in s. chry●ostome . if any man should now preach this doctrine to the romanists , would they not laugh at him , as a ridiculous fellow ? forasmuch as their custom in this particular is far different ( as every one sees ) from what it was heretofore in the ancient church . it is as clear as the day , that all along in the ancient church , it was lawful for any of the faithful to take home with them the holy eucharist , which they might keep in any private place , to take it afterwards by themselves alone , whenever they pleased . whence it is , that tertullian adviseth those who durst not communicate upon the days appointed for that purpose , for fear of breaking their fast , to keep the body of christ by them . a receiving the body of christ ( saith he ) and keeping it by thee , both are preserved entire , both the participation of the sucrifice , and the discharge of thy duey . and this appears also by a story related by s. cyprian , of a certain woman , b who going about to open , with unworthy hands , a coffer of hers , where the eucharist was laid up , she presently saw fire breaking forth thence , which so amazed her , as that she durst not touch it . and s. ambrose also , a long while after s. cyprian , testifieth sufficiently , that this custom in his time continued in the church ; where he tells the story of his brother satyrus , who being upon the sea , and in danger of shipwrack , c and fearing withal lest he should go out of the world without the holy mysteries , ( for he was yet but of the number of the catechumeni , ) he made his addresses to those whom he knew to have been initiated , and desired of them to give him the divine sacrament of the faitbful : not that he might therewith satisfie the curiosity of his eyes , but that it might strengthen his faith. and so having put it into a handkerchief , and then tying the handkerchief about his neck , he threw himself into the sea , and was saved . if rome doth indeed bear so great respect to the fathers , as they would make us believe , why hath it not then retained this custom ? why then should that which was then so ordinarily practised , be now in our days so much disliked , as that they will not by any means d permit the fryers to keep the eucharist in their covent , nor yet in their quire , nor in any other place , save only the publick church . st. ambrose informs us moreover , that in those times they made no scruple at all of carrying the eucharist upon the sea : which custom of the ancients is so much disliked by the church of rome in our days , as that they hold it an unlawful thing , either to consecrate , or to carry the sacrament ready consecrated , upon any water whatever , whether it be that of the sea , or of rivers . this very custom of the ancients keeping the sacrament by them , proves unto us very clearly , that the faithful in those days received the sacrament with their hands : which is also plainly enough intimated unto us by tertullian ; where inveighing against those among the christians , who were gravers , or painters by their profession ; he reproveth them , a for touching the body of our saviour with those very hands , which bestowed bodies on devils : that is to say , with those hands , wherewith they made idols . b st. cyprian is clear in this point in divers several places : c gregory nazi●nzene also testifieth the same in his lxiii poem . and in the canons of the council of constantinople in trullo , holden in the year of our lord dc . lxxx . there is one , d which appointeth , that he , who is to communicate , place his hands in the form of a cross , and so receive the communication of grace : which had been the practice , down from the time of st. cyril of jerusalem . and yet notwithstanding there is no man but knows , that this custom hath no place now in the church of rome ; where the communicants receive the eucharist , not with their hand , but with their mouth , into which it is put by the priest . i would also very gladly be informed , by what canon of the ancient church those single masses , which are now celebrated , and said every day , where none communicates but the priest alone who consecrates the host , were instituted , or permitted : and withal , how that respect , which they pretend they bear to antiquity , can stand with that canon of the council of trent , which saith : e whosoever shall say , that those masses , wherein the priest alone communicateth sacramentally , are unlawful , and fit to be abolished , let him be accursed : seeing that these kind of masses were utterly unknown to the ancient church , as f cassander proveth at large , in his consultatio de articulis religionis , written to the emperour ferdinand . but that which most of all gives offence to those that are devoted to a●●tiq●ity , is , the custom which the church of rome hath introduced , and established , by the express decrees and canons of two of their general councils , the one holden at g constance , and the other at h trent , of not allowing the communion of the cup to any , save only to the priest who consecrates the same ; excluding by this means , first of all , all the laity , and secondly all the priests also , and other of the clergie , who had not the consecrating of it : whereas the whole ancient church , for the space of fourteen hundred years , admitted both the one and the other to the communion of the holy and blessed cup , as well as to the participation of the consecrated bread ; as those of these two councils themselves confess , in the i preface to this new constitution . and this is still the practice also at this day , among all christians throughout the world , both russians , k greeks , armenians , l ethiopians , m protestants , and all others in general , except the latines only , who are of the communion of the church of rome . but besides that the ancients permitted this communion under both kinds , ( as they use to speak , ) it seemeth ( which is yet much more , ) that , unless it were in some extraordinary cases , they did not at all permit the communicating under one kind only . for otherwise , why should pope n leo give this very thing , as a mark to distinguish the manichees from the catholicks ? when they sometimes are present at our mysteries ( saith he ) that so they may hide their infidelity , they so order the matter in their participating of these mysteries , as that they receive the body of christ into their unworthy mouth , but will no● take into it one drop of the blood of our redemption : and he further adds ; that he gives his auditory this advertise●●●● , that th●y may know these men by this mark. should this pope now arise from his grave , and come into the world again he would certainly believe , that all those , who adhere to his see , were turned manichees , except the consecrating priests only . how b●sides will you be able , without this hypothesis , to explain that d●cree of pope o gelasius , which saith : we are informed , that there are some , who having taken a small portion of the sacred body only , forbear to partake of the cup of the consecrated blood ; doing this , as we hear , out of i know not what superstitious conceit wherewith they are possessed : we therefore will , that they either partake of the whole sacrament , or else that they be wholly put back from communicating of either : for asmuch as there cannot , without very great sacriledge , any division be made in one and the same mystery . and in the last place , what can you otherwise say to that story which is related by the accusers of p ibas , bishop of edessa ; how that having one time made but a very scanty provision of wine for the service of the altar , which , after it had been begun to be distributed about to the communicants , began quickly to fail ; he perceiving this , beckned to those , who delivered about the holy body , that they should come back again ; because there was no more left of the blood of our saviour ? for , what need was there of making them to give over their business , because there was no more wine , if so be it was at that time lawful , to distribute the bread alone , without the other kind , of wine ? if the councils of trent , and of constance had accounted the authority of the fathers to have been supreme , how came it to pass that they abolished that , which had for so long time , and so constantly been observed by them ▪ and , how again doth this other canon of the council of trent suit with that respect , which they pretend to bear toward antiquity ; where it is said , that , q whosoever shall say , that the holy catholick church hath not been induced by just causes , and reasons , to communicate to the laity , and even to the priests too , who do not cons●●rate , under the kind of bread only ; or that it hath ●rred in this point , let him be accursed ? for , it seemeth to be no very easie matter , to be able to acquit the modern church , without condemning the ancient , seeing their practices have been manifestly contradictory to each other ; the modern church forbidding that , which the ancient permitted ; and the ancient church seeming to have expresly forbid that ; which the modern commandeth . how can you say , that the one had just reasons for what it did ; unless you withal grant , that the other in doing the contrary , had either no reason at all , or else but very unjust ones ? seeing it is most clear , that neither the world , nor the times are any whit changed , within this two hundred years , from what they were before . for , it is impossible for any man to alledge any reason , for the practice of the moderns , which should not in like manner have obliged the ancients : nor again to produce any reason for the contrary practice of the ancients , which doth not in like manner oblige the moderns . so that of necessity , either the one or the other of them must needs have been guilty either of errour , or at least of negligence , and of ignorance . we may very well therefore conclude , that the church of rome , seeing it believes it self to be infallible , manifestly in this particular condemned the ancient church , as guilty of ignorance , or of negligence at the least ; which , in my judgment , seems not so well to become those persons , who do nothing else but continually preach unto us the honour of antiquity . but here now will all the true honourers of antiquity have as good sport as can be . for , as for those reasons , by which the fathers of the council of trent were induced to make the aforementioned decree ; how ( will they say ) may we be able to come to the knowledge , whether they were just or not ; seeing that they themselves produce none at all ? whereas the reasons , which moved the ancients to do as they did , and which you have set down at large in a certain discourse printed at paris , at the end of cassanders works , are very solid , and clear , and , in my judgment , very full both of wisdom and of charity . but we shall not need to enter any further into this contestation : it is sufficient for my purpose , that the church of rome , in doing thus , hath manifestly abolished a very ancient custom in the church . besides these ceremonies , which were practised by the fathers in baptism , and in the eucharist , they have said by many other also , which have been heretofore in use in the church . i shall not here speak of the fasting upon saturdays , which is observed by the church of rome , contrary to the ancient practice of the whole christian church besides , who all accounted it unlawful : because this difference in practice is as ancient as a st. augustine's time , and therefore ought not to be imputed to the modern church of rome . i shall for the same reason also pass by that which b firmilian●s saith ; namely , how that in his time , that is to say , about two hundred and fifty years after the nativity of our saviour christ , those of rome , did not in all things observe , whatsoever had been delivered from the beginning ; and , that they did in vain alledge the authority of the apostles . but this i shall desire the reader to take notice of , that anciently it was a general custom throughout all christendom , not to kneel , neither upon the lords days , nor upon any day b●twixt easter day and whitsunday ; which custom hath been generally abolished by the whole church of rome : and yet notwithstanding , whether you consider , the antiquity , or whether you look upon the authority of those who both practised this themselves , and also recommended it to our observation , you will hardly find any more venerable custom than this . for , the c author of the questions and answers , attributed to justin martyr , makes mention of this custom , and withal gives the reason and ground of it ; and besides , proveth by a certain passage , which he produceth out of irenaeus , that it had its beginning in the apostolical times . d tertullian also speaks of it ; and both e epiphanius , and f st. hierome reckon it among the institutions of the church : and , which is yet more than all this , the sacred general council of nice authorized the same , by an express canon , made to that purpose . g for as much as there are some , ( say these ccc . xviii . venerable fathers ) who kneel upon the lords day ; and upon the days of pentecost , to the end that in all parishes , or ( as we now speak ) dioceses , there may be the same order observed in all things , this holy synod ordaineth , that ( on these days ) they all pray standing . and this ancient constitution was revived again , and explained , in the h council of constantinople in trullo , toward the end of the seventh century ; where it was expresly forbidden to kneel , during the space of those twenty four hours that pass betwixt saturday evening , and sunday evening . every body knows also , how that they have abrogated the fast , that was wont to be observed upon the fourth day of the week , that is to say , on wednesday ; which yet was the practice of the ancients , as appears by what we find in i ignatius , in k peter , bishop of alexandria and a martyr , in l epiphanius , m clemens alexandrinus , and others . by the same liberty have those vigils been abolished , which were ordinarily kept by the ancient church , and both approved , and defended also by n st. hierome , against vigilantius , who found fault with them ; though his opinion hath now at length found more favour in the world , than st. hierome's . the same o father in another place delivers unto us , for an apostolical tradition , that custom , which they had in his time , of not suffering the people to depart out of the church , upon easter eve , till midnight was past . what is now become of this custom ; which was not only an ancient one , but was derived also from the apostles themselves , if you dare believe st. hierome ? we are informed from several hands , that that command of abstaining from blood , and from things strangled , was for a long time observed in the church . and it appears evident enough , that i● was most religiously kept in the primitive times , both by the testimony of p tertullian , and of q eusebius . and the r council of constantinople in trullo excommunicates all those of the laity , and deposeth all those of the clergie , that shall offend therein . and ſ pamelius , in his notes upon tertullians apologeticks , informs us , that it is not long since the observation of this custom was first laid a side among christians ; it being not much above four hundred 〈◊〉 , since there was some certain penalties appointed for those that should violate the same . and yet notwithstanding , for all its antiquity , and vniversality , it is at length quite vanished ; the church of rome having in very gentle wise , and by little and little laid it asleep ; ●no man , that i know of , having taken the least notice either of the time , when , or the manner , how this was done : only this we all see plainly enough , that it is now quite out of use . the like may be said of that custom of praying for the saints departed , which was clearly the practice of the ancients . t we pray ( saith epiphanius ) for the just , the fathers , the patriarchs , the prophets , apostles , evangelists , martyrs , &c. that we may distinguish the lord jesus christ from the order of men , by that honour which we pay unto him. we have also some of their prayers to this purpose yet remaining ; as namely , in the liturgy of u st. james . and in the x syriack liturgie of st. basil , after they had mentioned the patriarchs , the prophets , john baptist , st. stephen , the virgin mary , and all the rest of the saint , they at last added ; we daily send up our prayers and supplications unto thee for them . and a little after ; lord , remember also ( saith the priest ) all those , who are departed this life , and the orthodox bishops , who have made a clear and open profession of the true faith , from the apostles , peter and james , to this day ; of ignatius , dionysius , &c. and then he saith , with a loud voice : remember also , lord , those who have persevered even to blood , for the word of a good fear . so likewise in the liturgy of y st. chrysostom ; we offer unto thee this reasonable service , for all those who hav● departed in thy faith , &c. and yet notwithstanding the church of rome hath utterly abolished this custom ; and without all question , believes , that you could not do the saints a greater injury , than if you should now make any such supplications for them . those that are curious may obserue many other the like differences betwixt the antients and the church of rome , in their customs and ceremonies . neither is there any whit less in their discipline . one of the chiefest of these differences , and which is indeed the original of a great part of the rest , is , in the elections and ordinations of ecclesiastical ministers , which is the true basis and ground-work of the discipline and ministry of the church . it is clear , that in the primitive times they depended partly on the people ; and not wholly on the clergy ; but every company of the faithful , either chose their own pastors , or else had leave to consider , and to approve of those , that were proposed unto them for that purpose . z pontius , a deacon of the church of carthage , saith , that st. cyprian , being yet a neophyte , was elected to the charge of pastor , and the degree of bishop , by the judgment of god , and the favour of the people . st. cyprian also telleth us the same in several places . a in his lii . epistle , speaking of cornelius , he saith , that he was made bishop of rome , by the judgment of god , and of his christ , by the testimony of the greatest part of the clergi● , by the suffrage of the people , who were there present , and by the colledge of pastors , or ancient bishops , all good and bious men . and in another place he saith ; that b it is the ●eople , in whom the power chiefly is , of chusing worthy prelates , or refusing the vnworthy . which very thing ( saith he ) we see is derived from divine authority , that a bishop is to be thosen in the presence of all the people ; and is declared either worthy or vnworthy , by the judgment and testimony of all . therefore ( saith he a little after ) ought men diligently to retain , and observe , according to divine tradition , and apostolical custom , that which is also observed by us , and in a manner by all other provinces : namely , that for the due and orderly proceeding in all ordinations , the neighbouring bishops of the same province are to meet together at that place , where a bishop is to be chosen ; and the election of the said bishop is to be performed , in the presence of the people of that place , who fully know every mans life , and by their long conversation together , understand what their behaviour hath been . and hence it was that eusebius , bishop of nicomedia , finding fault with many things in the ordination of athanasius , reckoned this also among the rest , c that it had been performed without the consent of the people . to which answer was made again , by the d council of alexandria , that the whole people of alexandria had all with one voice de●ired him for their bishop , giving him the largest testimonies that could be , both for his piety and his fitness for the undertaking that charge . in like manner julius , bishop of rome , among other faults which he found in the ordination of gregory , who had been made bishop of alexandria , adds , e that he had not been desired by the people . and it appeareth clear enough both out of f st. hierome , and by the acts of the councils of g constantinople , and of h chalcedon , and also by the i pontificale romanum , and several other pieces , that this custom continued a long time in the church . but it is now above seven hundred and eighty years , since the church of rome ordained , in the viii . council , ( which notwithstanding hath been always unanimously and constantly rejected by the eastern church to this very day , ) that the promotions and consecrations of bishops should be performed by the election and order of the colledge of bishops only ; forbidding , upon pain of excommunication , all lay persons whatsoever , even k princes themselves , to meddle in the election or promotion of any patriarch , metropolitan , or any other bishop whatsoever ; declaring withal , that it is not fit , that lay persons should have any thing at all to do in these matters : it becoming them rather to be quiet , and patiently to attend , till such time as the election of the bishop that is to be chosen be regularly finished , by the colledge of clergy-men . and thus have they by this one canon-shot beaten down the authority of the fathers , and of the primitive church ; who always allowed to the faithful people some share in the elections of their pastors : neither hath this custom been able ever since to lift up its head again ; the people being ( as every man knows ) now , more than ever , defrauded of this their right , and having not the least share in the elections , not of popes , primates , or archbishops only , but not so much as of the meanest bishop that is . and as the people anciently had their voice in the election of their pastors ; so probably also they had the like in all other affairs of importance , that hapned in the church . there happening in st. cyprians time a very great persecution , many , who had been forced to yield by the cruelty of the pagans , being afterwards touched with a sense of their fault , desired to return to the church again : but yet to avoid the shame , and the length , and rigour of those penances , which were usually imposed upon all such offenders , the greatest part of them begged of their confessors to be favourably dealt withal , and corrupted their priests , that so they might be received again into the communion of the church , without undergoing canonical penance . st. cyprian , who was a strict observer of discipline , wrote many things against this abuse ; by which it evidently appeareth , that the people had their right also in the hearing and judging of these causes . for in his x. epistle he saith , l that those priests that had received any such offenders rashly , and contrary to the discipline of the church , should give an account of what they had done , to himself , to the confessors , and to the whole people . and in another place , writing to the people of carthage , m when the lord ( saith he ) shall have restored peace unto us all , and that we shall be all returned to the church again , we shall then examine all these things , praesentibus vobis , & judicantibus , you also being present , and judging of them . and it is in this same epistle , and touching this very point , where he addeth that passage , which we have before produced , in the chapter touching the corruption of the writings of the ancients . i desire them ( saith he ) that they would patiently hear our council , &c. to the end that , when many of us bishops shall have met together , we may examine the letters and desires of the blessed martyrs , according to the discipline of the lord , and in the presence of the confessors , and also according as you shall think fit . and hence it is , that in one of his former epistles he protested to his clergy , n that from his first coming to his bishoprick he had ever resolved to do nothing of his own head , without their advice , and the approbation of his people . he that would yet be more fully satisfied in this particular , may read the o xiv . epistle of the same father , and the xxviii . touching the business of philumenus and fortunatus , two subdeacons ; as also the xl. touching the business of felicissimus ; and the lxvii . which he wrote to the clergie and people of spain joyntly , commending them for having deposed their bishops , who were guilty of hainous crimes . but now that no man may think that this was the practice of the church of carthage only , i shall here take occasion to inform the reader , that the p clergie of rome also approved of this resolution of his , of bringing to tryal , so soon as they should be at rest , this whole business , touching those who had fallen , during the persecution , in a full assembly of the bishops , priests , deacons , and confessors , together with those of the laity , who had continued constant , and had not yielded to idolatry . and that which , in my judgment , is very well worth our observation , is , that q st. cyprian himself writing to cornelius , bishop of rome , saith , that he doth not doubt but that , according to that mutual love which they ought , and paid to each other , he did always read those letters which he received from him , to the most flourishing clergie of rome that were his assistants , and to the most holy and most numerous people . whence it appears , that at rome also the people had their vote , in the managing of ecclesiastical affairs . i shall not need here to add any more , to shew how much the authority and example of the ancients in this particular are now slighted and despised : it being evident enough to every man , that the people are not only excluded from the councils and consistories of the bishops , but that besides , that man would now be taken for●an heretick , that should now but propose , or go about to restore any such thing . but i beseech you now , do but a little fancy to your selves an archbishop , who writing to the pope , should say unto him thus : most dear brother , i exhort you , and desire of you , that what you are wont honourably to do of your own accord , you would now do it at my request : namely , that this epistle may be read to the flourishing clergie , that are your assistants there ; and also to the most holy and most numerous people . should not the writer , think you , of such a letter as this be laught at , as a sensless , foolish fellow ; if at least he escaped so , and met with no worse usage ? and yet notwithstanding , this is the very request that st. cyprian made to pope cornelius . but as the bishops , and the rest of the clergie , have deprived the people of all those priviledges , which had been conferred upon them by antiquity , as well in the election of prelates , as in other ecclesiastical affairs : in like manner is it most evident , that the pope hath ingrossed into his own hands not only this booty , which they had rob'd the people of ; but also in a manner all the rest of their authority and power ; as well that which they heretofore enjoyed , according to the ancient canons and constitutions of the church ; as that which they have since , by many several admirable means , by little and little acquired , in the space of some whole centuries of years . all this is now quite vanished , i know not how , and swallowed up by rome , in a very little time . the ccc . xviii . fathers of the council of nice ordained , † that every bishop should be created by all the bishops of that province , if it were possible ; or at least by three of them , if so be the whole number could not so conveniently be brought together : yet with this proviso , that the absent bishops were conse●ting also to the said ordination : and that the power and authority in all such actions should belong to the metropolitan of each several province . which ordinance of theirs is both very agreeable to the practice of the preceding ages ; as appears by that lxviii . epistle of st. cyprian , which we cited a little before : and was also observed for a long time afterward , by the ages following : as you may perceive by the epistle of the fathers of the i. council of constantinople to pope damasus ; and also by the discourse of those that sate presidents at the council of chalcedon , touching the rights of the patriarch of constantinople in his own diocess . and yet notwithstanding all this , the whole world knows and sees , what the practice of the church of rome at this day is , and how that there is not at all left to the metropolitans , and to their councils , any true power or authority , in the ordinations of the bishops within their own diocesses ; but the whole power , in this case , dependeth upon the church of rome , and upon those whom it hath intrusted herein , either with their own liking , or otherwise . and indeed all bishops are to make their acknowledgments of tenure to the pope ; neither may they exercise their functions , without his commission ; which they shall not obtain neither , without first paying down their money , and compounding for their first-fruits , calling themselves also in their titles thus ; we n. bishop of n. by the grace of god , and of the apostolical see ; of which strange custom and title , you shall not meet with the least trace or footstep , throughout all the records of antiquity , not so much as any one of all that vast number of bishops , whose subscriptions we have yet remaining , partly in the councils , and partly in their own books , and histories , having ever thus styled himself . and as for provincial and diocesan synods , where anciently all sorts of ecclesiastical causes were heard , and determined ; as appeareth both by the canons of the councils , and also by those examples that we have left us ; as in the history of arius , and of eutyches , who were both anathematized ; the one in the synod of alexandria , and the other in that of constantinople ; they dare not now meddle with any thing , a except some small , petty matters , being of no use in the greater causes , save only to inquire into them , and give in their informations at rome . neither may any , the meanest bishop that is , be iudged , in any case of importance , and which may be sufficient to depose him , by any but the pope of rome : his metropolitan , and his primate , and the synod of his province , and that of his diocess , ( in the sense that the ancients took this word , ) having not all of them any power at all in these matters , unless it be by an extraordinary delegation ; and having then only power to draw up the business , and make it ready for hearing , and so to send it to rome : none but the b pope alone having power to give sentence in such cases , as it is expresly ordained by the council of trent . i shall here pass by their taking away from the bishops , contrary to the canons , and practice of antiquity , all jurisdiction , and power over a good part of the monasteries , and other companies of religious persons , both seculars and regulars , within their diocesses ; their assuming wholly to themselves the power of absolving , and of dispensing in several cases , which they call reserved cases : whereas in ancient times this authority belonged equally to all bishops ; as also their giving of indulgences , and their proclaiming of jubilees : a thing which was never heard of in any of the first ages of christianity . and as for the discipline which was anciently observed in the church towards penitentiaries , whether in the punishing them for their offences , or else in the receiving them again into the communion of the church , it is now wholly lost and vanished . we have now nothing left us save only a bare idea and shadow of it ▪ which we meet with in the writings of the ancients ; as namely , in the canonical epistles of gr●gorius neo●aesare●ns●s , of st. basil● ▪ and others and in the councils , both general and provincial . where are now all those several degrees of penance , which were observed in the ancient church ; where some offenders were to bewail their sins without the church ▪ some might stand and hear the word among the c●tech●me●i ; others were to cast themselves down at the feet of the faithful : some of them might partake of the prayers only of the church ; and others were at length received again into the communion of their sacraments also ? where are those eight , those ten , those twenty years of penance , which they sometimes imposed upon offenders ? all this whole course of penance , some kind of account whereof we meet with in the writings of the ancients , is now wholly swallowed up by auricular confession , wherein no part of the penance appears at all to the world. and as these kinds of punishments , which were most wholesom for the penitentiaries have been quite abolished by them ; so have they on the other side introduced other kinds of penalties , which are indeed very beneficial and advantageous to the temporal estate of the church of rome , but are most pernicious for the souls of offenders ; such as are their interdictions , when , for the offence ( and that oftentimes too , rather a pretended , than a true one , ) of one , or two single persons , or perhaps of a corporation , they will excommunicate a whole state , wherein there are perhaps many millions of people ; depriving them of the benefit of partaking of the holy sacraments ; which are the means , by which the grace and the life of jesus christ is communicated unto poor mortals : an example of which kind of proceeding i remember to have been practised by them , since my time , against the state of venice . in what code of the ancient church can you find , where any such strange kind of punishment was ever instituted , as that for the offence of a few , many millions of souls should be damned ? how can you call that power apostolical , that punisheth in this manner ; seeing that the apostolical power was given for edification , and not for destruction ? i would also very fain learn of any man , that could tell me , upon what canons of the ancient church that bloody discipline of the inquisition is grounded ; where after they have got out of a poor soul , by crafty , subtile dealing , and many times also by such barbarous , inhumane usage , as would make a man tremble to read , a confession of his being guilty of heresie ; instead of instruction , they give him the sentence of death ; and so he is forthwith delivered over to the secular magistrates : to whom notwithstanding , in a plain mockery both of god and men , a they give an express charge , that they do not put him to death . b yet in case they fail of so doing , and if within six or seven days after at the most , they do not burn him alive ; and all this c without ever hearing his cause , or what his offence is ; they themselves shall be prosecuted by ecclesiastical censures , and shall be excommunicated , deposed , and deprived of all dignities , both ecclesiastical and temporal . and , that which yet surpasseth all belief , is , that although the person questioned should confess his fault , and should express his hearty sorrow for the same , and should by way of satisfaction submit himself to the sharpest penance that could be ; yet notwithstanding should not the poor wretch escape death ; d if so be he be of the number of those , whom they call , the relapsed . o most inhumane cruelty ! and worthy of the scythians , and of the margaias only ! but very ill becoming the disciples of him , who commanded his apostle to pardon his brother , not seven times only , but seventy times seven : & as ill beseeming those , who so highly boast of being the successors & inheritors of those mild and tender-hearted ancients , who taught , e that it is the part of piety not to constrain , but to perswade , according to our saviours example ; who constrained no man , but left every man to his own liberty , to follow him or not . and , that the f devil , as he hath no truth in him ▪ comes with axes and with hammers to break open the doors of those that must receive him . but our saviour is so meek as that his manner of teaching is , if any one will follow me : and ▪ he that will be my disciple ; neither doth he constrainany one , that he cometh unto , but rather standeth at the door of every one , and knocketh , saying ; open to me , my sister my spouse ; and so entreth , when any open unto him : but if they delay , and will not open unto him , he then departeth . because the truth is not to be pressed with swords , and arrows , nor with souldiers , and armed men , but by perswasion , and counsel : who also so sharply reprehended the arrians , for going about to establish , and maintain their religion by force ; saying , g of whom have they learnt to persecute their brethren ? certainly they cannot say , that they have learnt it of the saints : no , they have rather had the devil for their tutor herein . and again ; jesus christ hath commanded us to fly , and the saints have indeed fled sometimes : but persecution is the invention of the devil . and in another place they protest , that h by that very course which the arrians took in banishing ( which yet is much less , than burning , ) all those , who would not subscribe to their decrees , they clearly shewed themselves to be contrary to all christians , and to be the friends of the devil , and his fiends . in like manner hath another of the ancient fathers exclaimed , against the proceeding of these arrians , who made use not only of the terrour of persecution , but of the enticements also of worldly ●iches , that so they might the more easily draw men over to their belief . i but now alas ! ( saith this father , ) these are the suffrages , that recommend the faith in god : christ is now become weak and void of power , and ambition gains credit to his name . the church terrisieth by banishment , and imprisonment , &c. she , that was consecr●ted ▪ by the terrour of her persecutors , depende●● now upon the dignity of th●se , who are of her communion . she , who hath been propagated by banished priests , now her self banisheth priests . she boasteth now , that she is beloved of the world ; who could not be christs , unless the world bated her : agreeable to what k another of them saith ; namely , that the church of christ was founded , by shedding of blood , and by suffering reproaches rather , than by reproaching others : and , that it hath grown up by persecutions , and hath been crowned by martyrdoms . another also of the chiefest among the ancient fathers reproached an arrian , for having made use of the sword and axe , in ecclesiastical matters . l those whom he could not deceive by his discourse , ( saith he ) he thought good to make use of his sword upon , uttering with his mouth , and writing with his hand bloody laws ; and thinking that a law can command mens faith. and that you may not imagine , that he himself thought that lawful , which he found fault with in the arrians , m he says in another place that in a certain journey which he made into gallia , he refused to communicate with those bishops , who would have some certain hereticks to be put to death . the emperour marcianus in like manner , who called together the council of chalcedon , and was a prince that was highly commended for his piety , solemnly protesteth that n he had forced no man to subscribe , or to assent to the council of chalcedon , against his will. for , ( saith he ) we will not draw any man into the way of life by violence or by threats . and indeed o hosius , bishop of corduba , long before testified , that the most catholick emperour constans never compelled any man to be orthodox . and this is the course , which is approved of by all the ancients . p god ( saith st. hillary ) hath rather taught us the knowledge of himself , than exacted it of us ; and authorizing his commandments by the wonderfulness of his heavenly works , he hath refused to force us to confess his name , &c. he is the god of the whole world ; he hath no need of a compelled obedience ; he requireth not any forced confession . which are the reasons this author brought , with some other the like , to disswade the emperour constantius from using violence , and forcing the consciences of men. st. ambrose saith ; q christ sent his apostles to plant the faith ; not that they should compel , but that they should instruct men ; not that they should exercise the force of power , but that they should promote the doctrine of humility . and hence is that which st. cyprian hath , comparing the manner of proceeding in the old testament with that of the new : r then ( saith he ) the proud and the dis●bedient were out off by the fl●shly sword , n●w they suffer by the spiritual , being thrown out of the church . certainly then they still live , at this very day , under the old testament in spain and italy , and all those other places , where the inquisition is in force : and , i b●lieve , he would find a very hard task of it , that should take in hand to reconcile this passage of st. cyprian to that ſ opinion of pope pius v. who said , that bishops might have their officers , and executioners of justice , for the causes that appertained to their jurisdiction ; and might put their sentences in execution against offenders ; and , that the reason of their having recourse upon all occasions to the secular powers , was , not because the church could not make use of its own proper officers of justice in such cases , but rather because it had no such ; or if it had , they were so weak , and so few in number , as that for the suppressing and punishing of d●linquents , it would however stand in need of the assistance of the temporal power . i shall shut up this point with tertullian , the most ancient author of the latine church , whom pamelius ( as we have touched before ) will needs have us believe to have been a persecutor of hereticks ; who yet was a man , that would not allow a christian so much as to draw a sword , neither in war against a publick enemy , nor yet in discharging the office of a magistrate upon offenders ; whom all civil laws whatsoever punish with death . let us now therefore see what he says , touching religion . a consider ( saith he to the pagans ) whether this be not to add to the crime of irreligion , to take away the liberty of religion , and to interdict a man the choice of his god , by not suffering him to worship , whom he would ; but to compel him to worship , whom he would not . there is none , no not among men , that takes pleasure in being served by any against their will. and some few chapters afterward : b this is a thing ( saith he ) that seemeth very unjust , that free-men should be constrained to do sacrifice against their will. for , in the performing of service to god , a willing heart is required . and in another book , but speaking of the same thing , he saith : c it is a point of humane right , and a natural power that every man hath to worship that which he thinks fit . the religion of another man neither hurteth , nor profiteth any one . neither is it indeed the part of religion ; to compel religion ; which ought to be entertained willingly , and not by force ; forasmuch as sacrifices themselves are required only from willing minds . upon which passage of his pamelius gives us a marvellous , rare gloss , saying ; that we ought not indeed directly to compel men to our religion , but yet we may punish them , if they will not change their opinion . certainly he thinks it is no compelling of a man , to force him to do a thing under pain of death . let any man that can , reconcile the practice of the inquisition , and the popes thunderbolts against king henry viii . and his daughter queen elizabeth , and against some of the kings of france also , to this constant opinion of all antiquity . now after they have thus boldly slighted the beliefes , the ceremonies , and the discipline of the ancients , by changing , and abolishing whatsoever they have thought good ; with what face can they still cry up the fathers , and alledge their testimonies , and besides place them upon the seat of judicature , and make them the judges of our differences ? or although they still do thus , who would no● be ready here to bring against them those words of tertullian , which he made use of i● another the like case ? d i would be very glad ( saith he ) that these great●● and most religious defenders and 〈◊〉 of the i●w● and customs of their fathers would 〈…〉 a little touching their own saith 〈◊〉 and obedience towards the constitutions of their ancestors whether they have not departed from and forsaken some of them ? 〈…〉 they have not razed out those things 〈◊〉 which were most necessary , and most useful in their science ? what is become of those ancient laws ? &c. where is the religion ? where is the reverence which is due from you to your ancestors ? you have renounced your fore-fathers , both in your habit , apparel , manner of life , opinion , and in your very speech also . you are always crying up antiquity , yet every day your selves take up a new manner of life . whether therefore they of the church of rome have upon just grounds dealt thus with the ancients , or not ; it serves my turn however to conclude , that by this their proceeding they have given us a sufficient testimony , that they do not acount their authority supreme in matters of religion . and if so , what reason have they to urge it for such , against the protestants ? seeing they have weakned the authority of so many of those judgments , touching points of religion , which have been given by the fathers , how can they expect that their authority should pass for authentick in any one ? let us suppose for instance , that they held , that there was such a place as purgatory . but by your favour , ( will the protestant say ) if you have found their belief to be so erroneous touching the state of the souls of departed saints , till the day of the resurrection ; why would you impose upon me a necessity of subscribing to what they held touching purgatory ? the laws of disputation ought to be equal ; and therefore if you , by examining this opinion of the fathers by reason , and by the scriptures , have found it to be erroneous ; why will you not give us leave to try that other , touching purgatory , by the same touch-stone ? certainly , should we but speak the truth , it is the plainest mocking of the world that can be , to cry out , as these men do continually , the fathers , the fathers , and to write so many whole volumes upon this subject , as they have done ; after they have so dealt with them , as you have seen . and if it be here objected , that the protestants themselves do also reject many of those articles which we have before set down ; we answer , that this is nothing at all to the purpose ; forasmuch as they take the scriptures , and not the fathers , for the rule of their faith ; neither do they press any man to receive any thing from the hands of the ancients , unless it be grounded upon the word of god. and if , lastly , you say , that the authority of the fathers hath no place , nor is at all considerable , in the points before set down , because that the churcb hath otherwise determined touching the same ; this is clearly to grant us that which we would have , namely , that the authority of the fathers is not supreme . and as for the church , that is to say , how far the authority of it extends in these things , this is a new question to be disputed of , which i shall not meddle withal at this time . only thus much i shall say , that what authority soever you allow it , whether little , or much , you will still find , that it will very hardly be able to do any thing , touching the decision of our present controversies ; forasmuch as you can never be able to make any use or benefit of this position , till such time as you are assured , both what , and where the church is , seeing that the protestants stiffly deny , that it is that which appears at this day at rome ; and the greatest difficulty of all consisting in the demonstrating this unto them . for , if they did but once believe , that the church of rome was the true church , they would immediately joyn themselves with it ; so that there would not henceforth be need of any further dispute . we shall here conclude therefore , that the alledging the testimonies of the fathers , upon the differences that are at this day in religion , is no proper course for the decision of them , seeing it is no easie matter to discover what their judgment hath been touching the same , by reason of the many difficulties that we meet with in the writings of the ancients : neither is it of so sufficient authority in it self , as that we may safely build our belief upon it ; since the fathers themselves have been also subject to errour : neither , lastly , is it of any force , either a●●●nst the one , or the other party ; seeing that they both regulate , and examine the opinions , ceremonies , and discipline of the ancients ; the one by the rule of the scriptures , and the other by that of the church . but here i find , that upon this conclusion , two questions may arise . for , seeing that the alledging the fathers is not sufficient for the deciding of those points that are now in debate amongst us ; it may be demanded , in the first place , what other course we ought to take , for the attaining to the truth in these controversies ? and then secondly , how , and in what cases the writings of the fathers may be useful unto us ? now although both these questions are without the compass of our present design , yet notwithstanding , in regard they so nearly border upon it , we shall in the last place say a word or two in answer of them . as for the first , it would be a hard matter , in my judgment , to find out a better way for satisfaction herein , than that which one scholarius , a greek , who is very highly accounted of by those who printed the general councils at rome , hath proposed . this learned man , in a certain oration of his , which he made at the council of florence , for the facilitating of the vnion which was then treated of betwixt the latins and the greeks , and was afterwards concluded on , lays down for a ground , first , e that we ought not to reject all those things which are not clearly , and in express terms delivered in the scriptures ; which is a pretext and shift that many of the hereticks make use of : but that we ought to receive with equal honour , whatsoever directly followeth from that which is said in the scriptures ; and to reject utterly whatsoever shall be found to be co●●trary to those things which are undoubtedly true. he says further , that in those things wherein the scripture hath not clearly expressed it self , we must have recourse to the scripture it self , as our guide , to give us light therein , by some other passage where it hath spoken more plainly . and after all this , he requireth , that we should use our utmost endeavour fully to reconcile those seeming contradictions which we sometimes there meet withal , in several passages ; to that purpose taking notice of the diversity of times , customs , senses , and the like . and going on , he saith , f that the fathers of the council at nice after this manner concluded , by the scriptures , upon the true belief touching the son of god. and then applying all this to his present purpose , he adds , g that the scripture saith clearly and expresly , that the holy ghost proceedeth from the father ; and that this is agreed upon by both sides , both by the greeks , and the latins : but that it hath not so expresly declared it self , whether the holy ghost proceed also from the son , or not : and that this is the thing now in question , the latins affirming it , and the greeks on the other side denying it . h we ought therefore ( saith he ) to prove this , from some other things which are there more clearly delivered : which he afterwards performeth , and indeed , in my judgment , very learnedly , and happily ; proving this doubtful point out of other passages that are more clear. and this was the judgment of this great person ; which will not give any offence to those of the church of rome , because it came from one that was of their side . neither do i see what could have been spoken more rationally . and indeed , this is the course that is observed in all sciences whatsoever : if thy adversary doubt of the truth of what thou proposest , thou art to prove it by such maxims as are acknowledged and allowed of by him , making good that which is doubtful , by that which is certain ; and clearing that which is obscure , by that which is evident . and this is the rule that i conceive we ought to walk by , in the disputes that are betwixt us at this day . the word of god is our common book ; let us therefore search into it , for that upon which we may ground our own belief , and by which we may overthrow the opinion of our adversary . as for example , it is there said clearly and expresly , that that which our saviour christ took at his last supper , was bread : and herein we all agree . but it is not at all there expressed , whether this bread were afterward changed , or annihilated , or not . and this is now the question in dispute amongst us . we ought therefore ( according to the counsel of scholarius ) to prove this by some other things which are there delivered clearly . and if thou dost this , thou hast got the victory : if not , i do not at all see why or how thou canst oblige any one to believe it . in like manner , the scripture telleth us , in as express terms as may be , that our saviour christ commanded his apostles to take and eat , and to drink , that which he gave them in celebrating the eucharist . but it doth not at all say , that he commanded them to offer the same in sacrifice , either then , or afterwards . and this is now the question : which it concerns those of the church of rome , if they will have us believe it , to prove by some other things , which are clearly and expresly delivered in the word of god. the scripture in like manner saith expresly , that jesus christ is the mediator betwixt god and man : and , that he is the head of the church ; and , that he purgeth us by his blood from our sins . now in all this both sides are fully agreed . but it is not at all there expressed , that the departed saints are mediators ; and , that the pope is the head of the church ; and , that our souls are in part cleansed from their sins by the fire of purgatory . and herein lies the controversie betwixt us . the learned scholarius his opinion herein would now be , that certainly those who propose these points as articles of faith , deduce , and collect them from some things which are clearly delivered in the scriptures : for otherwise they are not to be pressed , as truths . and although that in matters of religion , or indeed in any other things of importance , a man may very well be excused for not believing a thing , when there appears not any such reason as may oblige him to believe it ; yet notwithstanding , if those who reject the articles now debated betwixt us , have a mind to go further yet , and to prove positively the falseness of them ; you see this author hath laid them down the way by which they are to proceed . he accounteth those very absurd , that require at your hands that you should shew them all things expresly delivered in the scripture : and this ought principally to be understood of negative propositions , of which no science giveth you any certain account : forasmuch as to go about to number them all up , would be both an infinite , and also an unprofitable , useless piece of work. it is sufficient to deliver the positive truth . for , as whatsoever rightly followeth thereupon , is true ; in like manner , whatsoever clasheth with , or contradicteth the same , is false . wouldst thou therefore demonstrate those propositions that are pressed upon thee , to be false ? do but compare them with those things that are clearly and expresly delivered in the scripture . and if thou findest them contrary to any thing there set down , receive them not by any means . as for example , if a protestant , not contenting himself with having answered all those reasons which are brought to prove that there is such a place as purgatory , shall yet desire to go further , and to make it appear , that the opinion is false ; he is in this case to have recourse to the scriptures , and to examine it by those things which are there clearly and expresly delivered , touching the state of the soul after it is departed this life , and touching the cause and means of the expiation of our sins , and the like . and if the opinion of purgatory be found to contradict any thing there delivered , then ( according to scholarius ) it ought not to be received by any means . but the brevity which we proposed to our selves in this discourse , permitteth us not to prosecute this point any further . as for the second question , it is no very hard matter to resolve it . for , although we do not indeed allow any supreme and infallible authority to the writings of the fathers , yet do we not therefore presently account them vseless . if there were nothing of vse in religion , saving what was also infallible , we should have but little good of any humane writings . those who have written in our own age , or a little before , are of no authority at all , either against the one or the other party . yet notwithstanding do we both read them , and also reap much benefit from them . how much more advantage then may we make , by studying the writings of the fathers , whose piety and learning was , for the most part , much greater than that of the moderns ? s. augustine believed them not in any thing , otherwise than as he found what they delivered to be grounded upon reason ; and yet notwithstanding , he had them in a very great esteem . the like may be said of s. hierome , who had read almost all of them over , notwithstanding that he takes liberty sometimes to reprove them something sharply , where he finds them not speaking to his mind . though you should deprive them not onely of this supremacy , which yet they never sought after ; but should rob them also of their proper nomes : yet notwithstanding would they still be of very great vse unto us . for , books do not therefore profit us , because they were of such or such a man 's writing , but rather because they instruct us in those things that are good and honest , and keep us out of errour , and make us abhor those things that are vicious . blot out , if you please , the name of s. augustine out of the title of those excellent books of his de civitate dei , or those other which he wrote de doctrinâ christianâ . his writings will instruct you never a whit the less , neither will you find any whit the less benefit by them . the like may be said of all the rest . first of all , therefore , you shall find in the fathers very many earnest and zealous exhortations to holiness of life , and to the observation of the discipline of jesus christ . secondly , you shall there meet with very strong and solid proofs of those fundamental principles of our religion , touching which we are all agreed : and also many excellent things laid open , tending to the right understanding of these mysteries , and also of the scriptures wherein they are contained . in this very particular their authority may be of good use unto you , and may serve as a probable argument of the truth . for , is it not a wonderful thing to see , that so many great wits , born in so many several ages , during the space of fifteen hundred years , and in so many several countries , being also of so different tempers , and who in other things were of so contrary opinions , should notwithstanding be found all of them to agree so constantly and unanimously in the fundamentals of christianity ? that amidst so great diversity in worship , they all adore one and the same christ ? preach one and the same sanctification ? hope all of them for one and the same immortality ? acknowledge all of them the same gospels ? find therein all of them great and high mysteries ? the exquisite wisdom , and the inestimable beauty it self of the discipline of jesus christ , i confess , is the most forcible and certain argument of the truth of it : yet certainly this consideration also is , in my opinion , no small proof of the same . for , i beseech you , what probability is there , that so many holy men , who were endued ( as it appeareth by their writings ) with such admirable parts , with so much strength and clearness of understanding , should all of them be so grosly overseen , as to set so high a price , and esteem upon this discipline , as to suffer , even to death for it ; unless it had in it some certain heavenly virtue , for to make an impression in the souls of men ? what likelyhood is there , that seven , or eight dogs , and as many atheistical hogs , that bark , and grunt so sottishly , and confusedly against this sacred , and venerable religion , should have better luck in lighting upon the truth , than so many excellent men , who have all so unanimously born testimony to the truth ? as for atheists , their vicious life ought to render their testimony suspected to every one ; notwithstanding they may be otherwise ( as indeed they conceive themselves to be ) able men. for , i beseech you , what wonder is it , if a whoremaster , or a bawd , or an ambitious person cry down that discipline , that condemneth these vices to everlasting fire ? that he that drowneth himself every day , and at length vomiteth up his soul in wine , should hate that religion , which forbiddeth drunkenness , upon pain of damnation ? the great reason that these men have , to wish that it were false , must needs make any man cease to wonder at their pronouncing it to be false . to take any notice of what such wretched things as these say , is all one , as if you should judge , by taking the opinion of common strumpets , of the equity , or injustice of the laws that enjoin people to live honest . but the case is clean otherwise with these holy men , who have so constantly , and so unanimously taught the truth of the christian religion . for seeing they were men , born , and brought up in the very same infirmities with other men ; we cannot doubt but that they also naturally had strong inclinations to those vices , which our saviour christ forbiddeth ; and very little affection to those virtues , which he commandeth . for as much therefore , as notwithstanding all this , they have yet all of them constantly 〈◊〉 intained , that his doctrine is true ; their testimony certainly in this case neither can , nor ought in any wise to be suspected . so that although they had not any of those great , and incomparable advantages of parts , and learning above the enemies of christianity ; their ●are word however is much rather to be taken , than the others● seeing that these men are manifestly carried away by the force of their own vile affections , of which the other cannot possibly be suspected guilty . and as for those differences in opinion , which are sometimes found amongst them , touching some certain points of religion , some whereof we have formerly set down ; these thing are so far from taking off any thing from the weight of their testimonies , as that on the contrary they add rather very much unto the same . for this must acquit their consenting of all suspicion , that some perhaps might have , that it proceeded from some combination , or some correspondence , and mutual intelligence . when thou findst them so disagreeing among themselves , touching so many several points ; it is an evident argument , that they have not learnt their knowledge from one another , nor yet have all agreed upon the same thing by common deliberation ; but have all of them collected it out of a serious examination , and consideration of the things themselves . and if we received no other benefit by the writings , of the fathers than this , yet were this however very much . but now , that the benefit , and contentment , which we shall receive from this consideration , may not be interrupted , and disturbed ▪ by our meeting with so many several private opinions of theirs ; we are to take notice , that christianity consisteth not in subtilties , nor in the great number of articles . the efficacy of them is much more considerable , than the number . a great part of these points of faith and the end of all the ●est , is , sanctification ; that is to say , a pure worship of god , and , a hearty charity towards men. thou maist therefore boldly conclude , that man to be a true observer of this discipline ; that thou shalt find to have a true , and right sense , and apprehension of these two points . though perhaps he be ignorant of those other , that lie rather in speculation , than in practise , thou oughtest not to reject him for that . and if , being carried away with his own curiosity , or some other reason , he chance to err in some of those other articles , bear with him notwithstanding . as god forgives us our sins , so doth he also forgive us our errours . the hay , and the stubble , and the chaffe shall be consumed : but yet he that buildeth therewith , shall be saved , if so be he but hold fast to the foundation . neither oughtest thou to be troubled , if thou now and then meetest with some ignorant , or perhaps some erroneous passages in the fathers , touching these points . they are never a whit the less christians for this ; and may for all this , have been most faithful servants of jesus christ . there is not any face in the world so beautiful , but that it hath some speckle , or blemish in it . yet is it not either the less esteemed , or the less beloved for this . the natural condition of mortal men , and things , is , to have some mixture in it of imperfection . but now , besides what hath been hitherto said , we may , in my opinion , make another very considerable vse of the fathers . for there sometimes arise such troublesome spirits , as will needs broach doctrines , devised of their own head , which are not at all grounded upon any principle of the christian religion . i say therefore , that the authority of the ancients may very properly , and seasonably be made use of , against the impudence of these men : by shewing , that the fathers were utterly ignorant of any such fancies , as these men propose to the world. and if this can be proved , we ought then certainly to conclude , that no such doctrine was ever preached to mankind ; either by our saviour christ , or by his apostles . for what probability is there , that those holy doctors of former ages , from whose hands christianity hath been derived down unto us , should be ignorant of any of those things , which had been revealed , and recommended by our saviour , as important , and necessary to salvation ? it is true indeed , that the fathers , being deceived either by some false manner of argumentation , or else by some seeming authority , do sometimes deliver such things , as have not been revealed by our saviour christ ; but are evidently either false , or ill grounded ; as we have formerly shewed in those examples before produced by us . it is true moreover , that among those things which have been revealed by our saviour christ in the scripture , which yet are not absolutely necessary to salvation , the fathers may have been ignorant of some of them ; either by reason that time had not as yet discovered what the sense of them was ▪ or else , because that for lack of giving good heed unto them , or by their being carried away with some passion , they did not then perceive , what hath since been found out . but that they should all of them have been ignorant of any article , that is necessarily requisite to salvation , is altogether impossible . for , after this account , they should all have been deprived of salvation ; which , i suppose , every honest soul would tremble at the thought of . i say then , and , as i conceive , have sufficiently proved in this treatise , that an argument which concludeth the truth of any proposition , from the fathers having maintained the same , is very weak , and ill-grounded ; as supposing that , which is clearly false ; namely , that the fathers maintained nothing , which had not been revealed by our saviour christ . for , this would be such a kind of argumentation , as if a man should prove , by the general agreement herein of the fathers , that all the departed souls are shut up together in a certain place , or receptacle , till the day of judgment : or , that the encharist is necessarily to be administred to little infants ; and the like ; where every one sees , how insufficient , and invalid this way of argumentation is and , to say the truth , such is the proceeding of the church of rome , when they go about to prove , by the authority of the fathers , those articles which they propose to the world , and which are rejected by the protestants . i say moreover , that to conclude upon the nullity , or falseness of any article , that is not of the number of those that are necessary to salvation , from the general silence of the fathers touching the same , is a very absurd way of arguing ; as supposing a thing which is also manifestly false ; namely , that the fathers must necessarily have seen , and clearly known all , and every of those things , which jesus christ hath revealed in his word . such a kind of argument would it be thought among the franciscans , if any one should conclude against them , from the silence of the fathers , that our saviour christ hath not at all revealed , that the blessed virgin mary was conceived without sin. but yet i confess again on the other side , that in those points that are accounted as absolutely necessary to salvation , an argument that should be drawn from the general silence of the fathers , to prove the nullity or falseness of it , would be very pertinent , and indeed unanswerable . as for example , his manner of argumentation would be very rational , and solid , that should conclude that those means of salvation which are proposed by a mahomet , suppose , or a david george , or the like sectaries , are null , and contrary to the will of our saviour christ , ( how much soever these men may seem to honour him , ) seeing that none of ehe ancient christians speak so much as one syllable of it , and are utterly ignorant of all those secrets , that these wretches have preached to their disciples , and delivered as infallible and necessary means of salvation . after this manner did irenaeus dispute against the valentinians , and other of the gnosticks ; who vented their own sens●less dreams , and absurd issues of their own brain , saying , that the creator of the world was but an angel● and , that there were above him certain divine powers , which they called aeones that is to say ages : some of them making more of these , and others fewer , and some reckoning to the number of ccclxv . and an infinite number of other the like prodigies ; never shewing any ground for the same , either in reason , or out of the scripture . * irenaeus therefore , that he might make it appear to the world , that this so strange doctrine was produced out of their own brain only , goes about , and visiteth the arohives of all the churches , that had been either planted , or watered by the holy apostles , turns over all their records , evidences , and ancient monuments ; and these aeones , achamot , and barbele of the gnosticks no where appearing , nor so much as any the least part or trace of them . he concludeth , that the apostles had never delivered over any such thing to their disciples , neither by writing , nor by word of mouth , as these impostors pretended they had . for certainly if they had done so , the memory of it could not have been so utterly lost . this is also the method that tertullian followed , in his disputations against these very hereticks , and others the like , in the chapter of his book de praescriptionibus adversus haereticos , and in other places . the practice of these great persons , who made use of it themselves , will here serve to prove unto us , that this course is right , and good. and thus you see , that the authority of the fathers is of very great use in the church , and serveth as an out-work to the scriptures , for the repelling the presumption of those , who would forge a new faith. but forasmuch as those , who broach new doctrines of their own head , do ordinarily slight the holy scriptures ; as those very hereticks did , whom iraeneus confuted ; who impudently accused them of not being right ; and that they are of no authority ; and speak in very ambiguous terms ; and that they are not able to inform a man of the truth , unless they are acquainted with tradition ; the truth having been delivered ( as these men pretended ) not in writing , but by word of mouth : for this reason , i say , and for other the like , are the writings of the ●athers of very great use in these disputes ; and i conceive this to be one of the principal ends for which the divine providence hath , in despite of so many confusions , and changes , preserved so many of them safe , down to our times . if therefore the protestants should propose , of their own head , and should press as absolutely necessary to salvation ; any positive article , which doth not at all appear in antiqui●y ; without all question this course might , with very good reason , be made use of against them. but it is most evident , that there is no such thing at all in their belief : for they maintain only such things , as are eithe expresly delivered in the scriptures , or else are evidently deduced from thence ; and such as have also been expounded , the greatest part of them , and interpreted by the ancients not in their own private writings only , but even in their creeds and synodical determinations also . they pretend not either to any particular revelation , o● secret tradition , or any other new principle of doctrine . their faith is grounded only upon the old , and ( which is the most authentick instrument of christianity ) the new testament . only in their expositions either of the doctrines therein contained , or other passages , they produce some few things , that are not at all found in the fathers . but these things being not necessary to salvation , the argument which is brought from the silence of the fathers herein , is not sufficient to prove the falseness of them . time , experience , assistance of others , and the very errours also of the fathers , having ( as they say ) now laid that open to them , which was heretofore more difficult , and hard to be discovered and taken notice of , in divine revelation . who knoweth not that a dwarf , mounted upon a giants shoulders , looketh higher , and seeth further , than the giant himself ? it would be ridiculous in any man that should conclude , that that which the dwarf pretends to discover , is not at all in nature , because then the giant must also have seen it . neither would he be much wiser , that should accuse the dwarf of presumption ; because forsooth , he hath told us that , whereof the giant said not a word : seeing that it is the giant , to whom the dwarf is beholding for the greatest part of his knowledge . and this is our case , say the protestants : we are mounted upon the shoulders of that great , and high giant , antiquity . that advantage which we have above it , by its means enables us to see many things in divine revelation , which it did not see . but yet however this cannot be any occasion of presumption to us , because we see more than it did ; for as much as it is this very antiquity , to which we owe a great part of this our knowledge . it is certainly therefore very clear , that as for the protestants , and what concerns the positive points of their faith , they are wholly without the compass of this dispute . and as for those of the church of rome , they cannot , for the reasons before given , make any advantage of the testimony of the ancients , for the proving of any of those points of doctrine which they maintain , save only of those wherein their adversaries agree with them ; and therefore , if they would have us to come over to their belief , they must necessarily have recourse to some other kind of proofs . but yet i do not see , but that we may very well make inquiry into antiquity touching many articles , which are now maintained by those of the church of rome : and if we find , that the ancients have not said any thing at all of the same , we may then positively conclude , that they are not to be accounted as any part of the christian religion . i confess , that there are some of them , against which this argument is of no force at all ; as namely , those which they do not account necessary to salvation , and which both the ancients heretofore might have been , and we also at this day may be ignorant of . but certainly , this argument , in my judgment , would be utterly unanswerable , against such points as they press as necessary , and whereon indeed they would have our salvation wholly to depend : as for example , the supreme authority of the pope , and of the church which owneth him as its head ; the adoration of the holy sacrament of the eucharist ; the sacrifice of the mass ; the necessity of auricular confession , and the like . for , if so be they are of so great importance , as they would make us believe , it would be a point of high impiety to say , that the fathers knew not any thing at all of them ; in like manner as it would be a most absurd thing to maintain , that though they did know them , they would not yet speak any one word of them , in all those books which we have of theirs at this day . and , if they had said any thing at all of them in their writings , we have no reason in the world to suspect , that possibly those passages , where mention was made of them , may have been rased out , or corrupted and altered by false hands ; seeing that this piece of knavery would have been done to the disadvantage of those who had these books in their custody . we have rather very good reason to suspect , that whatsoever alterations there are , they have been made in favour of the church of rome , as we have proved before in the first book . if therefore , after so long a time , and after so many indexes as they of the church of rome have put forth , and so great a desire as they have had to find these doctrines of theirs in the writings of the fathers , and the little conscience that they have sometimes made of foisting into the writings of the fathers , what they could not find there ; we can still notwithstanding make it appear , that they are not to be found there at all : after all this , i say , who can possibly doubt , but that the fathers were ignorant of them ? who will ever be perswaded to believe , that they held them as necessary to salvation ? and if they were not known to be such then , how can any body imagine , that they should at length come to be such now ? my opinion therefore is , that although the authority of the fathers be not sufficient to prove the truth of those articles which are now maintained by the church of rome against the protestants , although the ancients should perhaps have believed the same ; it may notwithstanding serve to prove the falseness of them , in case that we should find by the fathers , that the ancients were either wholly ignorant of them , or at least acknowledged them not for such , as they would now have us believe them to be : which is a business that so nearly concerns the protestants , as that to be able to bring about their design , i conceive they ought to employ a good part of their time in reading over the books of the ancients . onely it is requisite , that either party , when they undertake so tedious and so important a business as this is , should come very well provided of all necessary parts ; as namely , of the knowledge of the language , and of history , and should also be very well read in the scriptures , and , that they use herein their utmost diligence and attention , and withal read over exactly whatsoever we have left us of the fathers , not omitting any thing that possibly they can get ; because a little short passage many times gives a man very much light in the finding out their meaning : and not think ( as some , who much deceive themselves , do ) that they perfectly know what the sense and belief of the ancients was , because perhaps they have spent four or five months in the reading of them over . but above all , it is necessary that they come to this business void of all passion and prejudication : which is indeed the greatest , and the most general cause of that obscurity which is found in these writings of the fathers , whilst every one endeavours to make them speak to his sense ; whereas in the greatest part of these points of religion which are now controverted amongst us , these ancient authors really believed much less than the one party doth , and some little matter more than the other doth : and there are but a very few points of all this number , wherein they are fully and absolutely of the same judgment that either of the two parties is . neither is it sufficient in this business to take notice of such testimonies as either positively affirm or deny those things which we look after ; because that how clear soever they perhaps may be , it will go very hard but a quick wit will find something to darken the sense of them : as you may observe in all books of controversies , where you shall have them so baffle , and make nothing of such testimonies as are brought against them out of the ancients , as that you would hardly know what to hold to . but you must also observe , what the necessary consequences are of each particular article ; it being impossible to conclude upon any one point , that is of any importance , but that there will presently follow upon it divers consequences , as well within , as without the church . as for example : you are to consider what the consequences are of the transubstantiation of the eucharist , as it is now held by the church of rome ; of purgatory ; and of the monarchical authority of the pope : and when you have observed them well , you are then to mark , in reading the books of the ancients , whether they appear there in whole , or in part. for , if you find them not there at all , it is a most certain argument , that the doctrine from whence they proceed , and upon which they follow , is new and vnsound . but i shall not proceed any further in this discourse , since divers have already treated hereof at large ; it being , in my judgment , no hard matter to collect , from what we have here delivered , how we ought to read the fathers . finis . notes, typically marginal, from the original text notes for div a -e euseb . hist . eccles lib. . cap. . 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 . cassand . consult . ferdinan . p . perron . epist . to casaub . cypr. ep . . p. . orig ▪ praef operis contra cels . p. , . euseb . hist eccles . l. . c. . 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 . hieron l. de scriptor . &c. euseb . in hist . passim . tertul. aliquorum meminit . gontery , veron , and others . hegesippus apud euseb . l. . c. . concil . . act. . tom. p. . hier. l de scrip . eccles tom. . p. b. & . c. concil . act . concil . . collat . . marian. ep ad . mon. alex. ad calcem concil . ●halc . t. . p. . e. leont . lib. extat . bibl. ss . pp . t part . . greg. thaumat . op . par. ann . . pag. . ubi vide voss . bibl. ss . pp . t. . gr. lat. concil . . act. . & act. . t. . concil . concil . . act. . & act. . t. . concil . concil . . act. . refut . iconoclast . tom. . concil . florent . sess . . t. . hier. ep. . ad lucin. tom. . hier. apol. . contr . ruff. auctor operis , de operibus card. christi , inter cyprian . oper . p. . a erasmus in edit . cypr. suâ sixtus senens . biblioth . lib. . bellar. de euchar . l . cap. . de amiss . grat . l. . c. . p●ssevin . in apparat. scult . medulla patr. andr. rivet . l. . c. . crit. sacr. aubert . de euchar . l. . c. . hier. de script . eccl. tom. . p. . ex tertul. li. de baptismo , cap. . hier. l. . apol. contr . ruffin . tom. . p. . & ep. . t. . & apol. contr . ruff. ad pammach . et marc. tom. . hier. in jerem. com . . tom . . hier. l. . apol. contra ruffin . tom. . orig contra cels . lib. . concil . flor. sess . . p . concil . afric . . cap. . concil . flor. sess . codex can. ec. vn . dionys . exig . p. . leo in ep . ad theodos . imp. tom. . concil . valentin . in ep . ad theod. tom. . concil galla placid . in ep . ad theodos . tom. . concil . act. . tom. . concil . concil . . act. . tom. . concil . nannius in edit . op . athan. bellar de imag . l. c. . & lib. de script . eccles . in athan possevin . in appar . in athan. d. . c. constantino nostro . . augusti . steuchius de dona. constant. baron . in annal . melchior canus locor . theolog . l. . p. . hen. kaltheis . ap . magdeb. cent . . nic. cusan . conc. cath. l. . c. . jo. de turrecr . de eccl. lib. . c. . jo. driedo de dogm . & scrip . eccl. l. . c. . cl. espens . de contin . l. . c . g. cassand . defens . lib. de officio pii viri , p. . sim. vig. ex respons . syn. basil . &c. en la lettre contr . durand . baron . annal. t. . an . . & an . . erasm . praefat . in hieron . baron . annal. tom. . an . . bellar. de lib. arbit . t. . c. . nos fatemur librum esse corruptum , &c. sed tamen vel esse clementis romani , vel alterius aequè docti , ac antiqui . hier. ep . . ad magn. tom. . a clem. alex. strom. l. . b id. strom. l. . & l. . & alibi passim . hier. ep . . ad magn. tom. . id. in catal. tom. . baron . annal. tom. . an . hier. ep . . ad lucin. tom. . hier. ep . . ad rustic . tom. . daemonum contra se pugnantium p●rtenta co●fingunt . a ruffin . in expos . symbol . & lit . de adult . script . origen . b hier. ep . . tom. . & apol. . contr . ruff. a cyril . ep . ad ich. antioch . in act. conc. eph. b in praefat. in tom. . concil . gen. epiphanius in anchor . 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 . a hier. ep . . ad flor. & ep . . ad ruffin . b aug. ep . ad hier. quae est inter ep . hier. . & iterum ep . . c gennald . in catal. inter op . hier. a hier. ep . ad theoph. alex . & lib. . apol. contra ruffin . hier. ep . . id. praefat . in lib. euseb . de loc . hebr. tom. . op . amb. p. . lib. . de abra. in marg . annot . a lud. vives in lib. . de civ . dei , c. . in antiquis libris . brug . & colon. non le guntur isti decem aut duodecim qui sequuntur versus . b holstein . op . lim . praef . tom . op . athan. neque solius athanasti ea fortuna , ut ineptissimorum interpolatorum manus subiret , cùm chrysostomi , procli , aliorumque homilias similibus sequiorum saeculorum ineptiis faedatas , in iisdem regiis codicibus invenerim . andr. masius praef. in litur . syr. cassand . in liturg . cap. . euseb . in chro. edit●num . . & . vide scalig. in loc . p. a. & a. see also card. perron's reply to k. james , observ . . c. . concil . chalced . act. . tom. . concil . innocent . . ep . . ad exup . tholos . c. . perron repl. l. . c. l. * christ . justel . in not. ad can. . god. gr. eccles . afric . * concil . eph. can. . qui in vii . gr. est . cod. can. eccl. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 . anastas . biblioth . praef. in synod . viii . tom. . concil . gen . conc. chalc. can. . cod. graec. eccl. vni● . . 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 . concil . vii . act. . tom. . concil . conc vii . act. . tom. . conc. ib. p. . * concil vii . act. . advers● synod . iconocl . sect. . 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 . ibid. p. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 . ib. p. . 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 , concil florent . act. . to. . conc. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 . * ib. act. . apol. gregor . mon. protosyn . contr . ep. marc. eph. tom. . concil . petavi●● not. in epiphan . a concil . flor. sess . . b concil flor. sess . & . & conc vii act. . quo loco videnda annot . marg . laur. bochel praefat ▪ in decret ▪ eccles gal. taceo innumeros auctores sacros , protanos , veteres , recentiores , ab is●i● tam improbi quàm in●oelicis ingenii homin●bus miserab 〈◊〉 decurtatos , vel ipsis regibus parcero non assuetis , nedum s. ludovico , cujus ▪ pragmaticae ( ut vocant ) sanctionis articulos nonrull●s , maximè ad rei gallicae statum pertinentes , abs bibliotheca illa ss . pp . constitutionibus regiis ; & statutis episcoporum quorundam synodalibus reginae urbium lutetiae nuper impressis expunxerunt . vae , iterum vae , ut cum vidente exclamem , nebulonibus , qui tales musarum castitati & integritati venerandae non solum insidias struunt , sed & musas ipsas impudenter , & nequiter subdolo religionis zelo , nullius frontis homines devirginant , sucumque istum pietatis nomen ementitum , inter pias fraudes numerant . * cypr. ep. . extr. audiant quaeso patienter consilium nostrum ; expectent regressionem nostram , ut cùm ad vos per dei misericordiam venerimus , convocati coepiscopi plures secundum domini doctrinam , & confessorum praesentiam , beatorum martyrum literas & desideria examinare possimus . cypr. pamel & gryph . lugd. an. . l . ep . . p. . aliae editiones , ut manutii , item morellii , par. an. . p. . legunt secundum vestram quoque sententiam . a cypr. pamel . epist . . p. . cathedra una super petrum domini voce fundata . gryph . an . p. . morel . an. . p. . habebant , super petram . b cypr. pamel . p. . super illum unum aedificat ecclesiam suam & illi pascendas mandat oves suas . quae verba desiderantur in edit . gryph . anno ● & morel . anno . c cypr. pamel . ibid. unam cathedram constituit : quae verba defiderabantur in editione gryphii , anno . & morel anno . d cypr. pamel . ibid. primatus petro datur , ut una ecclesia christi , & cathedra una monstretur ; & pastores sunt omnes ; sed unus grex ostenditur , qui ab apostolis omnibus unanimi consensione pascatur : quae verba omnia , exceptis illis , ( ut una ecclesia monstretur ) non habebantur in edit . gryph . neque morel ●ti sup . e cypr. pamel p. . qui cathedram petri , super quam sundata est ecclesia , absunt à gryph . & morel . edit . f pamel . in arg . ep . . cypr. atque adeo fortassis consultius foret , nunquam editam fuisse hanc epistolam ; ita ut putent , consultò illam omisisse manutium . nic. faber , in ep . ●d front. ducaum in opusc p. . ibid. p. . * hic b. clementem episcopum consecravit , eique cathedram , vel ecclesiam omnem disponendam commisit , dicens : sicut mihi gubernandi tradita est à domino meo jesu christo potestas ligandi solvendique ita & ego tibi committo , ut ordines dispositores diversarum causarum , per quos actus ecclesiasticus profligetur ; & tu minimè in curis saeculi deditus reperiaris , sed solummodo ad orationem , & praedicationem populi vacare stude . post hanc dispositionem martyrio coronatur . habentur haec ex euchar. salm ad sirmond . cap. . editio par. anno . p. . anastas . in stephano v. p. . dei ordinante providentiâ papa orbis consecratus est . ms . habent , papa urbis : ex salm in euchar . ad sirmond . p. . * vid fulbert . carnot . edit . à villersio , anno . par. p. . gregor . m●ep . l. . ep . . omnia , &c. quae praedicta sunt ▪ fiunt . rex superbiae prope est ; & quod dici nefas est , sacerdotum ei praepatatur exitus ms . habent , sacer●o●um ●i praepatatur exercitus ex tho. james . in vindic. gregor loc . . quo modo citatur etiam à bellarmino hic locus , lib. . de rom p●nt c. . sect. addit . & ex●r . c. sect. pari ratione . * aimon . de gest . franc. l. c. . in quā synodo , ( quam octavam universalem illuc convenientes appellarunt , ) de imaginibus adorandis . secundum quod orthodoxi doctores anteà definierant , ●tatuerunt : legendum , al●tèr quàm orthodoxi definierant ; sic enim legit ipse baron . annal. tom. x. an . . 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 . simon . vigor l. . de la monarch ecclesiastique , ch . . f. paolo di vinet . apol. contr . bellarm sic legitur in b●ev . clement . viii . jussu recognitis , p. . * sic legitur in bre●iar . clem. viii jussu reco●n . p. . a sic legebatur in brev. impres . paris . . per jo. de prato . b pontif. rom. de ordinat . presbyt . fol. . neque enim fuit frustrà à patribus institutum , ut de electione illorum , qui ad regimen altaris adhibendi sunt , consulatur etiam populus ; quia de vita & conservatione praesentandi , quod nonnunquam ignoratur à pluribus , scitur à paucis ; & necesse est , ut faciliùs ei quis obedientiam exhibeat ordinato , cui assensum praebuerit ordinando . c pet. soavez . hist . concil . trident. l. . conc. v. col. viii . id. col. v. & col. viii . anath . xi . concil . vii . act. . car. . idem act. . 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 . cap. . habetur in concil . viii . act. . ibid. act. . in ep. adriani . conc. later . sub leone x. sess . . ibid. responderunt omnes placere , excepto r. p. d. alexio , episcopo malfitano , qui dixit , placere de novis operibus , non autem de antiquis . † concil . trid. sess . decreto de edit . & usu sacror . lib. * idem sess . . quo faciliùs ipsa possit varias , & peregrinas doctrinas , tanquam zizania , à christianae veritatis tritico separare . † concil . trident . sess . . decreto de indice lib. * ind. 〈◊〉 gat . sandoval . in athanas . ind. . † athanas . orat . ●●●tra arian . 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 . * id. in frag. & fest . 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 . id. in august . infr. l. . c. . ind. exp. sandov . in august . august . contr . maxim. lib. nonne si templum alicui sancto angelo excellentissimo de lignis & lapidibus faceremùs , ana thematizemur à veritate christi , & ab ecclesia dei , &c. † bertram . presbyt . lib. de corp. & sangu . dom. considerandum quoque , quod in pane illo non solùm corpus christi , verùm etiam corpus in eum credentis populi figuretur : unde multis frumenti granis conficitur , quia corpus populi credentis multis per verbum christi fidelibus augmentatur , ( al. coagmentatur ) qua de re ficut mysterio panis ille christi corpus acc●pitur ; sic etiam in mysterio membra populi credentis in christum intimantur . et sicut non corporaliter , sed spititualiter panis ille credentium corpus dicitur : sic quoque christi corpus non corporaliter , sed spiritualiter necesse est intelligatur . sic & in vino , qui sanguis christi dicitur , aqua misceri jubetur , nec unum sine altero permittitur offerri , quia nec populus sine christo , nec christus sine populo , sicut nec caput sine corpore , vel corpus sine capite valet existere . igitur si vinum illud , sanctificatum per ministrorum officium , in christi sarguinem corporaliter convertitur , aqua quoque , quae pariter admixta est , in sanguinem populi credentis necesse est corporaliter convertatur . ubi namque una sanctificatio est , una consequenter operatio ; & ubi par ratio , par quoque consequitur mysterium . at videmus in aqua secundum corpus nihil esse conversum , consequenter ergo & in vino nihil corporaliter ostensum . accipitur spiritualiter , quicquid in aqua de populi corpore significatur ; accipiatur ergò necesse est spiritualiter quicquid in vino de christi sanguine intimatur . i●em , quae à se differunt , idem non sunt : corpus christi , quod mortuum est , & resurrexit , & immortale factum jam non moritur , & mors illi ultrà non dominabitur , aeternum est , jam non passibile . hoc autem , q●od in ecclesia celebratur , temporale est , non aeternum ; corruptibile est , non incorruptibile , in via est , non in patria , differunt igitur à se , quapropter non sunt idem . quòd si non sunt idem , quomodo verum corpus christi dicitur , & verus sanguis ? si enim corpus christi est , & hoc dicitur verè quia corpus christi in veritate corpus christi est , & si in veritate corpus christi , incorruptibile est , & impassibile , ac per hoc aeternum . hoc igitur corpus christi quod agitur in ecclesia necesse est ut incorruptibile sit , & aeternum . sed negari non potest corrumpi , quod per partes commutatum dispertitur ad sumendum , & dentibus commolitum in corpus trajicitur . index expurg . belq . in bertram . non malè aut inconsultè omittantur igitur omnia haec à fine p●ginae : considera●dum quoque quod in pane illo , &c. usque ad illud mul●ò post , sed aliud est quod ex●eri●● geritur , &c. in cad . pag. et seq . pag omnia illa sequentia , item quae idem sunt , unâ definitione comprehenduntur , &c. usque ad illud , hoc namque quod agitur in viâ , spiritualiter , &c. seq . pag. hier. ep . ad cypr. plerumque nimium disertis accidere solet ut major sit intelligentiae d●fficultas in eorum explanationibus , quàm in iis quae explanare conantur . bellarmine . origen , christoph pers●na , lib. . contr . celsum vota namque & preces omnes , & gratiarum insuper actiones ad deum , sunt per angelum transmittenda . qui per pontificem , & vivens verbum , & deum , angelis praefectus est caeteris . orig. contr . cels . l p. . 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 . theod. dial. . perron . repl p. ● . answ . to the instit . where he takes this word to signifie , to sume ; whereas the true signification is , to pollute , on defile . euseb . l. . c. . hist . eccl. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 . perron in his repl. saith , we ought to read it thus ; 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 . but it seems more probable that we should read , 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 , and to merocles , wh● was at that time bishop of millane , as is observed by optatus , lib. . pag. . conc. flor. sess . . de decreto qu●dam concil . eph. act. . sess . , & . † concil . flor. sess . , , & . * concil . flor. sess . . ibid. loc . basil . 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 basil . in orat. in sacr. baptis . p. . tom. . edit . paris apud michael . sonnium anno . tertul. contr . marc. l. . c. . acceptum panem , & distributum discipulis , corpus suum illum fecit , hoc est corpus meum , dicendo , id est , figura corporis mei . aug. contr . adimant . c non enim dominus dubitavit dicere , hoc est corpus meum , cum signum daret corporis sui . ind. exp. belg. in bertr . plurimos in c●tholicis veteribus errores excogitato commento persaepè negamus , & commodum iis sensum affingimus , dum opponuntur in disputationibus , aut in confilctibus cum adversariis . † just . contr tryph. p. ● . & . edit . paris . . * ibid. p. . 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 . &c. † tertul. lib. . co●tr . marc. c. . quem ex semetipso proferendo , filium fecit . * id. l. cont . prax. cap. . & passim in eo opere . pater tota substantia est , filius verò derivatio torius , & portio . † dion . alex. apud athanas . ep . de fide dion . alex. vide & basil ep . . t. . p. . 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 . athan ep . de syn. arim. & seleu. vide & hilar. de syn. octoginta episcopi olim respu erunt 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 . † hier. apol. . contr ruff. vel certe antequam in alexandria , quasi daemonium meridianum arius nasceretur , innocenter quaedam , & minus caute locuti sunt , & quae non possint perversorum hominum calumniam declinare . † perron . repl. obs . . c. . * dion petau . in panar , epiph . ●d haer. . quae est arian . quod idem plerisque veterum patrum , cùm in hoc negotio , ( trinitatis , ) tum in aliis fidei christianae capitibus , usu● venit , ut ante errorū atque haerese●n quibus ea sigilatim oppugnabantur originem nondū satis illustrata & patefacta rei veritate , quaedam scripris suis asperserint , quae cum orthodoxae fidei regula minimè consentiant . athan. ep . de fid . dionys . alex . & ep . de syn. arim. & seleuc. ubi supra . 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 . clem. alex. strom . 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 , &c. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 cassand . in liturg . c. . casaub . in bason . exercit . . hier. ep . . ad magn. victorino martyri in libris suis licet desit eruditio , tamen non deest eruditionis voluntas . * in apol . in ruff ▪ & apol. . & apol. ad ruff. * method . apud epiph. haer. . 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 . * greg. naz. enc. athan. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 . * hieron . ep . . ad pammach . & passim . ibid. id. ibid. hier. sup ep . . ad cypr. a sixt. senens . biblioth . lib. . annot. . b petav. not. in epiph. multa sunt à sanctissimis patribus , praesertimque à chrysostomo in homiliis aspersa , quae si ad exactae veritatis regulam accommodare volueris , boni sensus inania videbuntur . hier. ep . . ad eustoch . ibid. nec verò sopor ille suerat , aut vana somnia , quibus saepè deludimur . testis est tribunal illud , an●e quod jacui ; testis judicium triste quod timui . ita mihi nunquam contingat in talem incidere quaestionem ! liventes fateor habuisse me scapulas , plagas sensisse post somnum , & tanto dehinc ●udio divina legisse , quanto non ante mortalia legeram . ibid audiat prophetarum voces , somn●is non esse credendum ; quia nec adulterii somnium ducit me ad tartarum , nec corona martyrii in coelum levat . * hier. apol. adv . ruffin . haec dicerem , si quippiam vigilans promisissem : nunc autem , novum impudentiae genus , objicit mihi somnium meum . ibid. tu à me somnii exigis sponsionem . * hier. in vit. hilarion . hier. lib. . advers . jovin . si corruptio ad omnem coitum pertinet , incorruptio autem propriè castitatis est ; praemia pudicitiae nuptiae possidere non possunt . ibid. existimo quòd qui uxorem habet , quandiu revertitur ad id ipsum ne tentet eum satanas , in carne seminet , & non in spiritu . qui autem in carne seminat , ( non ego , sed apostolus loquitur , ) metit corruptionem . id. ep . . ad pammachium . concil . vii . act. . 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 . ibid. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 . ibid. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 . concil vii ubi supra . † theod dial. . c. . 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 . sic & bas . de dion . alex. ep . . † a●han . ep. de fid . dion . alex. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 , &c. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 * athan ibid. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 . † athan ibid. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 . basil . ep. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 . ibid. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 , &c. * corn. mussus episc . bipont . comment . in ep . ad rom. c. . t. . oper. athan . par. impr . a● . . 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 . † gennad . in catal. inter op. hier. nunc autem perniciosa probatur . fomentum enim est eutychianae & timotheanae impietatis . * facund . herm. defens . . capit . lib. p. . quo loco vide sirmondum . hier. ep . ad pammach . & marc. apol. advers . ruff. commentarii quid operis habent ? alterius dicta edisserunt ; quae obscurè script● sunt , plano sormone manifestant , multorum sententias replicant , & dicunt , hunc locum quidam sic edisserunt , alii sic interpretantur ; illi sensum suum & intelligentiam his testimoniis , & hâc nituntur ratione firmare ; ut prudens lector cùm diversas explanationes legerit , & multorum vel probanda vel improbanda didicerit , judicet quid verius sit , & quasi bonus trapezita adulterinae monetae pecuniam reprobet . num diversae interpretationis , & contrariorum inter se sensuum tenebitur reus , qui in uno opere quod edisserit , expositiones posuerit plurimorum ? * id. apol. advers . ruff. hic est commentariorum mos , & explanantium regula , ut opiniones in expositione varias persequantur , & quid vel sibi , vel aliis videatur edisserant . et hoc non solùm sanctarum interpretes scripturarum , sed saecularium quoque literarum explanatores faciunt , tam latinae linguae quàm graecae . hier. praefat. in comment in ep . ad . galat. & apol . adv . ruff. & ep . . ad august . & alibi saepe . hier. comment . in es praef ▪ de origine ingenium suum facit ecclesiae sacramenta . vid. comment . in nahum . vid. hieron . apol . adv . ruff. ad ▪ pammach . & marcel . & ep. . ad marcel . id. comment . in ep . ad galat. a ut hypocrisis observandae legis , quae nocebat iis qui ex gentibus crediderant , correptionis hypocrisi emendaretur , & uterque populus salvus fi●ret ; dum & qui circumcisionem laudant , petrum sequuntur , & qui circumcidi nolunt , pauli praedicant libertarem . b hieron . e●●ad august . quae est . hier. ibid. itaq ut simpliciter ●at●ar legi haec omnia , & in mente mea plurima coacervans acci●o notario , vel mea , v●l a●iena dictavi , nec ordinis , nec verborum interdum , nec sensuum memor . id. ibid. si qu●d igitur reprehensione dignum putaveras in explanatione no●stra , eruditionis tuae fuerat quaerere , &c. vide & apol. contra ruff. * id. apol. . adv . ruff. perron of the euchar. l. . c. . aut. . ch . . & passim locis infra citandis . perron . tract . de s. august . c. . & lib . de ●●ch . aut. . c. . id. de eu●h . l. a●t . . c. . * id. l ▪ . a●t . . c. . † id. ibid. † perron . de euch. l. . aut. . * id. de euch. pag. . . . . . . . . . . . . & trac . de s. august . p. . . . . . † hier. ep . . ad pammach . simul didicimus , plura ess● videlicet genera dicendi , & inter caetera aliud esse 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 scribe●e , allud 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 : in priori vagam esse disputationem , & adversario respondentem nunc haec , nunc illa proponere , argumentari ut liber , aliud lo●ui , aliud agere , p●nem ( ut dicitur ) o●●e dere , lapidem tenere . 〈◊〉 sequen●● . ●●tem aperta fron● , & ●t ita dicam , ●ngenuitas necessaria est . aliud est quaerere , aliud defin● : in altero pugnandum , in altero●d cendum est . tu me stantem in p●aelio , & de vita per●clitan●em , studiosus magister doceas ? n●ll ex obliquo , & unde no● putaris , vulnus infe●●e . directo percure gladio . t●●rpe ●●bi est hostem dolis 〈◊〉 non viribus . quasi non & haec ar● fumni● p●ga●●tium ●t , 〈◊〉 minari , 〈◊〉 percut●●e . legite obsecro vo● de●nor ●●hen●m , legite tull●um : ac ne forsitan rhetores v●bis d●●pliceant , quorum artis est veri●imilia mag●s quàm vera dicere , legite ●●atonem , theophrastum , xenophontem , aristorelem , & reliquos qui de so r● fonte manantes dive●●●is 〈…〉 quid in illis apertum , quid simplex est ? quae verba non sensuum ? qui sensus non victorix ? c●n●de ate quibus argumentis , & quam lubricis problematibus diaboli spiritu contex●a subvertant : & quia inte●dum cogu●tur loqui , non qu●d senti●nt , sed quos necesse , est , dicunt adversus ea quae dicu●t gentises . taceod l●●nis scriptor 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 , cypriano , minucio , vi●●orino , 〈◊〉 , hitario ▪ ne non tam me d●fendisse , quàm alios vide●●r accusasse . athan. ep . de fide dion . alex. basil sup . c. . ● . athan. ep . de fid . dion . alex. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 . * hier. ep . . ad pam. quis enim tam hebes , & sic in scribendo rudis est , ut idem laudet & damnet ? aedificata destruat , & destructa aedificet ? hier. ep . ad desider . quae est . certè adorasse ubi steter●ne pedes domini , pars fidei est . id. ep . . ad paulin. quorsum ( inquies ) haec tam longo repetita principio ? videlicet ne quidquam fidei tuae deesse p●tes , quia hi●osolyma●●on vidi●● , nec nos idcircò meliores existimes quòd hujus loci habi●aculo fruimur . greg. nyss . in ep. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 , &c. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 , 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 . hier. ep . ad pam. debuerat prudens & benignus lector etiam ea quae videntur dura aestimare de caeteris , & non in uno atque eodem libro criminari me diversas sententias protulisse . hier. ep. . ad heli●dor : vid. ep. . ad nepot . hier. ep . . de erroribus origenis . ipse origenes in epistola quam scribit ad fabianum , romanae urbis episcopum , poenitentiam agit cur talia scripserit , &c. vincent . lirinens . lib. adv . prof . novit . seu common . perron's repl. l. . c. . id. ibid. a august . exposit . quar . prop. ex ep. rim. proposit . . non ergo elegit deus opera cujusquam in praescientiâ , quae ipse daturus est : sed ●●dem elegit , &c. b id. retract . lib. . cap . nondum diligentiùs quaesiveram , nec adhuc inveneram , qualis sit electio gratiae , de qua idem dicit apostolus , reliquiae , &c. arist . poster . analyt . 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 , 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 , 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 . hist. eccles . euseb . lib. . cap. . cod. graeci cap. . † tertul. de praescript . advers . haeret. c. . caeterùm manente formâ ejus in suo ordine , quantumlibet quaeras , & tractes , & omnem libidinem curiositatis effundas , &c. vid. l. de virg. vel l . * apol orig. inter opera origen . ferron . repl. l. . in praefat. ●onc . trident. sess . . cap. ● . extr . & can. . concil . trident. sess . . c. . ut enim sanctiss●●i●ill● patres sui facti probabi●em causam pro illius temporis ratione habuerunt ; ita certè eos nullâ salutis necessitate id ●ec●sse , sine controversi● tenendum est . † aug. l. ●e peccat . mor ▪ & rem●ss ex antiqu● , ut existimo , & apostolica traditione ecclesiae christ●●msitum tenent , praeter baptismum & participationem dominicae men●ae , non solùm ad regnum dei , sed nec ad salutem , & vitam●aeternam posse quenquam hominum pervenire . hoc enim & scriptura ●estatur , &c. ibid. paulo post . si erg● , ut tot & tanta divina testimonia concinunt , nec salus , nec vita aeterna sine baptismo , & corpore & sanguine domini cu●quam specta●●a est ; frustrà sine his promittitur parvulis . † id. ibid. c. . verò quisquam etiam hoc dicere audebit , qu●d ad parvulos haec sententia non perti●eat ; possintque sine participatione corporis hujus & sanguinis in se habere vitam & c ? * id. t. . ep . ep . . ep . poster ib. mar. l. . contr . pel. & celest . c. . l. contr . . ep . pelag . ad bon. cap. . & l. c. . l ▪ . contr . jul. & l. . c. . &c. . lib. de praedest . sanct. ad prosp . c. . hypomn. l. . & . tract . . in j●h . serm. . de verb. ap. † innoc. in ep . ad milevit synod . quae est inter ep . aug . illud verò quod eos vestra fraternitas asserit praedicare , parvulos aeternae vitae praemiis , etiam sine baptismatis gratia posse donari , perfatuum est . nisi enim manducaverint carnem fi●●i hominis , & biber●nt sargu●em ejus , non habebunt vitam aeternam in seme●ipsis . vid. aug. l. . contr . . ap . pelag. c. . & lib. . contr . jul. c. . * cyprian lib. ● . test ad qui. c. ● . † maldon . in joan. c. . num . . m●ssam facio augustini , & innocent●● i ▪ sententiam , quae sexce●tos circiter annos viguit in ecclesia , eucharistiam etiam infantibus necessariam . * agath● apud aristot . eth ad nicom l. ▪ c. . 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 . ignat. ep . . ad phil. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 . hieron . ep . . ad furiam . tom. . synod . . act. . refut . synod . iconocl . 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 , ( sex synodi oecumen●cae ) 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 . epiphan . in panar . l. & in anacephal . * id ibid 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 . concil vi. act. ii. bellarm. de rom. pont. l . c. . sect. respondeo in primis , &c. * id. ibid. c. . sect. respond . nicolaum , &c. non invenitur ulla certa definitio ecclesiae de hac re . id. ibid sect. ult . ex his . infr. l. . c. . euseb . hist . eccles . l. c. , . p. . cod. graec. cypr. ep . . & ep . . quae est firmil . † firmi . ep ad cypr. quae est . inter epist . cypr. caeterum nos veritati & consuetudinem jungimus ; & consuetudini romanorum , consuetudinem , sed veritatis , opponimus ; ab initio hoc tenentes , quod à christo , & ab apostolis traditum est . cypr. epist . de anton. pacian paran . ad poenit. t. . bibl. pp . p. . concil . laodic . can . . in cod. eccles . univers . . † concil . carthag . iii. can . . * vid. pete●● in epiph. p. . † can. synod . quinisex . can. lv 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 . * iren. ap . euseb . hist . eccles . l. . cap. ▪ † anastas . biblioth . ad can . conc. . gener. nec te move at , si hanc definitionem minimè nos habemus : cum & earum nonnullas , quas inter canones habemus , in auctoritatem non recipiamus ; sicut quasdam ex conciliis . aliae namque apud graecos tantùm , aliae verò apud certas tantùm provincias in observantiam ecclesiarum assumuntur : sicut laodicensis concilii , & regulae , quae apud graecos tantùm servantur : & africani concilii , & . capit●la , quae nulla provincia servare , nisi africana , dignoscitur . epiphan haer. . tom. . hieron . ep . . ad lucinum . unaquaeque provincia abundet in sensu suo , & praecepta majorum leges apostolicas arbitretur . * ambros . ser. . t. . p . plerumque clerus erravit : sacerdotum nutavit sententia : divites cum saeculi istius terreno rege senserunt ; populus sidem propriam reservavit . * c cypr. in conc parthag . p . ●raesente etiam plebis maximâ parte . possevine in appar . epiph. in panar . haer. . † hieron . ep. 〈◊〉 ad o●●an . tom. . quanquam apud veteres iidem episcopi & presbyteri sucrint : quia illud nomen dignitatis est , hoc aetatis . id. ep . . ad ev●gr . tom. . cùm apostolus perspicuè doceat , eosdem esse presbyteros , quos & episcopos , &c. id. com. in ag. tom. . p. . et com. in tit. tom . p. . fus . * hiet. in vigil . t. . p. . proh ! nefas , episcopos sui sceleris dicitur habere consortes . notes for div a -e * hier. ep. . de error . jo. hier. omne deinceps humanum genus quibus animarum censetur exordiis ? utrum ex traduce , juxta bruta animalia , &c. an rationabiles creaturae desiderio corporum , &c. an cerrè , quod ecclesiasticum est , quotidie deus fabricetur animas : cujus velle fecisse ess , & conditor esse non cessat ? id. apol. . contr . ruff. miraris si contra te fratrum scandala concitentur ; cum id nescire te jures , quod christi ecclesiae se scire fatentut ? joan. thessal in concil . vii . act. . 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 . a ibid in marg. loquitur ex propria sententia . b concil . vii . act. . c petav. in epiphan pag . d petav. in epiphan ▪ p. , , . e beda lib. de temp. rat . c habet enim , nisi● fallor , ecclesiae fides , dominum , in carne paulo plus minùs quam xxxiii annis , usque ad suae tempora . passionis vixisse . mox sancta siquidem romana & apostolica ecclesia hane se fidem tenere & ipsis testatur indiculis , quae suis in cereis annuatim inscribere solet , ubi tempus dominicae passionis in memoriam populis revocans , numerum annorum triginta semper & tribus annis minorem quam ab ejus incarnatione dionysius ponit anno at . id. ibid. nam quod dominus xv luna , feria vi , crucem ascenderit , &c. nulli licet dubitare catholico . * pe●av . in epiphan . p. . . * gloss in decr. d. . c. . hodie jubentur omnia teneri , usque ad ultimum iota . * alphons . à castr . l. . advers . haer. c. . * melch. canus l. . loc . theol. c. . num. . aristot . in ethic . l. . c. . 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 . * august . ep. ad hier quae est . t. . fol ▪ . ed. paris . . & inter op. hier. . t. . p. . ego enim fateor caritati tuae , solis eis scripturarum libris , qui jam canonici appellantur , didici hunc timorem , honoremque deferre , ut nullum eorum auctorem scribendo aliquid errasse firmissimè credam . ac si aliquid in eis offendero litteris , quod videatur contrarium veritati , nihil aliud quam mendosum esse codicem , vel interpretem non assequutum esse quod dictum est , vel me minime intellexisse , non ambigam . alios autem ita lego , ut quantalibet sanctitate , doctrinaque praepolleant , non ideo verum putem , quia ipsi ita senserunt , sed quia mihi , vel per illos authores canonicos , vel probabili ratione , quod à vero non abhorreat , persuadere potuerunt . nec te , mi frater , sentire aliquid aliter existimo : prorsùs inquam , non te arbitror sic legi libros tuos velle , tanquam prophetarum vel apostolorum , de quorum scriptis , quod omni errore careant , dubitare nefarium est . * id. ibid. quanquam , sicut paulò antè dixi , tantummodo scripturis canonicis hanc ingenuam debeam servitutem , qua eas solas ita sequat , ut conscriptores earum nihil in eis om●●nò errasse , nihil fallaciter posuisse ●on dubitem . * id. l. . contr . faust c. . quod genus litterarum , non cum credendi necessitate , sed cum judicandi libertate legendum est . cui tamen ne intercluderetur locus , & adimeretur posteris ad difficileis quaestiones tractandas atque versandas , linguae , ac styli saluberrimus labor , distincta est à postreiorum libris excellentia canonicae auctoritatis veteris & novi testamenti ; quae apostolorum confirmata temporibus , per successiones episcoporum , & propagationes ecclesiarum , tanquam in sede quadam sublimiter constituta est , cui serviat omnis fidelis , & pius intellectus . ibi si quid velut absurdum moverit , non licet dicere , auctor hujus libri non tenuit veritatem : sed , aut codex mendosus est , aut interpres erravit , aut tu non intelligis . in opusculis autem posteriorum , quae libris innumerabilibus continentur , sed nullo modo illi sacratissimae canonicarum scripturarum excellentiae coaequantur , etiam in quibuscunque eorum invenitur eadem veritas , longè tamen est impar auctoritas . itaque in eis , si qua forte propterea dissonare putantur à vero , quia non , ut dicta sunt , intelliguntur , tamen liberum ibi habet lector , auditorve judicium , quo vel approbet quod placuerit , vel improbet quod offenderit : & ideo cuncta ejusmodi , nisi vel certa ratione , vel ex illa canonica auctoritate defendantur , ut demons●retur sive omnino ita esse , sive fieri potuisse , quod v●l disputatur ibi , vel narratum est , si cui displicuerit , aut credere voluerit , non reprehenditur . id. t. . epist . ep . . t. . l. . de trinit . c. . l. . praefat . l. c . t . l. contr . crescon . gram. c. . &c. . l. . de bapt. contr . don. c. . l. . de peccat . mer. & rem . c. n. c. . de nat. & grat . c. . l. . contr . de ep . pelag. c. . l. . contr . julian . c. . l. de bon . persever . c. . hier. com. . in oseam , praefat. tunc sine nominum dignitate , sola judicantur ingenia ; nec considerat , qui lecturus est , cujus , sed quale sit quod lecturus est , sive sit episcopus , sive sit laicus , imperator & dominus , miles & servus , aut in purpura , & serico , aut vilissimo panno jaceat , non honorum diversitate , sed operum merito judicabitur . card. perron , of the eucharist . aut. . * hier. ep . ad theoph. alex . scio me aliter habere apostolos ; aliter reliquos tractatores : illos semper vera dicere ; istos in quibusdam , ut homines , errare . * id. ep . . ad pamm . & oceanum . erraverunt in side alii , tam graeci , quàm latini , quorum non necesse est proferre nomina , ne videamur eum , non sui merito , sed aliorum errore defendere . a id. ibid. sic eum legam , ut caeteros ; quia sic erravit , ut caeteri . b hier. l. . apol , contr . ruff. fieri enim potest , ut vel simpliciter erraverint , vel alio sensu scripserint , vel à librariis imperitis eorum paulatim scripta corrupta sint ; vel certè antequàm in alexandria quasi daemonium meridianum arius nasceretur , innocenter quaedam , & minùs cautè loquuti sunt , & quae non possint perversorum hominum calumniam declinare . m hier. tradit . hebr. quamvis igitur grandis auctoritatis sint , & eloquentiae , & ipsorum umbra nos opprimat , qui , israel , virum , sive mentem videntem deum , trans●●lerunt ; nos magis scripturae , & angeli , & dei , qui ipsum israel vocavit , auctoritate ducimur , quàm ●ujuslibet eloquentiae saecularis . n id. ep . . ad damas . licet quidam superstitio●è magis , quàm verè , non considerantes textum psalmi , ex patris persona arbitrentur haec intelligi . o hier. in loc . hebr. euseb . & com . in mat. p hilar. in mat. can. . q hier. com . in mat. in c. . hoc quam frivolum sit , pruden● lector intelligit , fi de●endunt apostolum , ut deum mendacii reum faciant , &c. r id. com. xi . in ezech. in praefat. ambros . l. . de fid . ad grat. hier. in esai . comm. x. ſ hier. ep . . ad laet. illorum tractatibus , illorum delectetur ingeniis , in quorum libris pietas fidei non vacillat caeteros sic legat , ut magis judicet , quàm sequatur . c id. ep . . . nec . juxta pythagorae discipulos , praejudicata doctoris opinio , sed doctrinae ratio ponderanda est . d id. ibid. meum propositum est , antiquos legere , probare singula , retinere quae bona sunt , & à side ecclesiae catholicae non recedere . e id. ep . . ad tranquil . ego origenem propter eruditionem sic interdum legendum arbitror , quomodo tertullianum , novatum , arnobium , apollinarium , & nonnullos ecclesiasticos scriptores , graecos pariter , & latinos , ut bona ●orum eligamus , vitemúque contraria ; juxta apostolum dicentem , omnia probate ; quod bonum est tenete . e hier. ep . . ad paulin. b. cyprianus de scripturis divinis nequaquam disseruit . inclyto victorinus martyrio coronatus , quod intelligit , eloqui non potest . lactantius utinam tam nostra confirmare potuisset , quàm facile aliena destruxit . arnobius inaequalis , & nimius est , & absque operis sui partitione consusus . s. hil●rius gallicano cothurno attollitur , & longis interdum periodis involvitur , & à lectione simpliciorum fratrum procul est . f hier. praefat. in lib. de nom. hebr. quem ( origenem ) post apostolos ecclesiarum magistrum nemo nisi imperitus negat . g id ep . . ad marcel . innumerabilia sunt , quae in illius mihi commentariis for dere visa sunt . h id. ibid. sed tam male videtur existimasse de caeteris ut nemo possit de ejus erroribus judicare . i hier. praefat. in pentateuch ad desid . nescio quis primus auctor septuaginta cellulas alexandriae mendacio suo exstruxerit . k id. comm. . in ezech. habitentque in septuaginta cellulis alexandrini phari , ne vela perdant de navibus , & funium detrimenta suspirent . baron . annal. an . . sect. . t hier. com. . in abac. si quis autem his sagaciora , & veriora repererit , illi magis explanationi praebete consensum . u id. in sophon . si quis autem magis verisimilia , & habentia rationem , quam à nobis sunt disserta , repererit , illius magis lector auctoritate ducatur . x hier. com. in zach. haec ut quivimus , ut vires ingenioli nostri ferre potuerunt , loquuti sumus , & hebraeorum , & nostrorum varias opiniones breviter perstringentes . si quis melius , imo verius dixerit ; & nos libenter melioribus acquiescimus . y ambros . l. . ep . ego enim beneficio annumero , siquis mea legent scripta dicat mihi , quo videatur moveri . primùm , quia & in iis quae scio , falli possum . multa autem praetereunt , mul ta quibusdam aliter sonant . z orig. hom. . in ezech. quaeso audientes , ut diligenter attendant , & accipiant gratiam spiritus , de qua dictum est , discretio spirituum ; ut probati trapezitae facti , diligenter observent , quandò falsus sim magister , quando vero praedicem , quae sunt pietatis , ac veritatis . a cyrill . hieros . cateches . . 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 . * serg. patr. c. n. mon. in ep . ad cyr. concil . vi. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 ; tum : 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 . sozomen . l. . c. . hist . eccles . * sozomen . loc . citat . 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 . * baron . annal . ann. . † gennad . in catal inter op. hieron . * vincent . lirin . common . cap. . sed ●orum duntaxat patrum sententiae conferendae sunt , qui in fide & communione catholica sanctè , sapientèr , constantèr viventes , docentes , & permanentes , vel mori in christo fideliter , vel occidi pro christo foeliciter meruerunt . quibus tamen hac lege credendum est , ut quicquid vel omnes , vel plures , uno eodemque sensu manifestè , frequentèr , perseveranter , velut quodam consentiente sibi magistrorum concilio , accipiendo , tenendo , tradendo , firmaverint , id pro indubitato , certo , ratoque habeatur : quicquid verò , quamvis ille sanctus & doctus , quamvis episcopus , quamvis confessor , & martyr , praeter omneis , aut etiam contra omneis senserit , id inter proprias , & occultas , & privatas opiniunculas à communis , publicae , & generalis sententiae authoritate secretum sit . t●m . . bibl. pp . perron , cassander , &c. a vinc. lirin . in comm . c. . b celestin . apud aug. l. . contr . pelag. & celest . c. . c prosper . resp . ad object . vincent . d gennad . in catal. in ruff. inter op. hier. e gennad . ubi supra . f prov. . . g du perron , en la repliq. au roy de la grand brit. passim . vincent . lirin . common . . c. . ubi supra . hier. prolog . in hom. orig. in jes . nau. hier. ep. . ●d fabiol . t. . vid. & in epi●aph . marcel . epist . . extr. † id. praef. in prov. itaque , &c. tridui opus nomini vestro consecravi , interpretationem videlicet trium salomonis voluminum . id. ep. . extemporalis est dictatio , & tanta ad lumen lucernulae facilitate profusa , ut notariorum manus lingua praecurreret , & signa ac furta verborum volubilitas sermonum obrueret . * just . apol. . 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 . * epiphan . in aneor . num . ● . 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 , 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 . vide petav. in eum locum . * epiphan . lib. de ponder . & mens . num . 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 . † justin . mart. apol. . 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 , 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 . * epiphan . in panar . lib. . & anaceph . pag. , , . † id. contr . haeres . lib. . a id. haeres . . * id. panar . lib. . † id. haer. arrian . . num . * justin . mart. apol. . 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 , 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 . * desider . herald . in apol. tertuk † euseb . in chron. & 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 . . pag. . * hier. epist . . hedibiae . comment . . in matth. ep . . quae est paul. & eustoch . * euseb . hist . eccles . lib. . cap. , . hier. lib. de script . eccles . † scalig. de emend . temp. l. c. . * ambr●s . l. . de fide ad gratian . † ezech. . * ambros . comment . in luc. † baron . in apparat. num . . † epiphan . in ancor . 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 . * basil . hom. . in isa . 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 , &c. † theoph antioch l. . ambros . l. de parad . c. . ep. panar . haer . . hieron . de locis hebr. voc . geon alii . * du perron en sa repl. pag ▪ ● . † scalig. de emend . temp. petav. in epiph . p. . * tertul. lib. de an. c. . † epiphan in ancor . num . a ambrose hexaem . l. . c . frequenter solem videmus madi●um , atque rorantem , in quo evidens dat indicium quod alimentum sibi aquarum ad temperi●m sui sumpserit . b justin . quaest . & respons . qu. . ad autolye . c lactant. instit . l. . c . august . de civ . det , l. . c. . d opt. l. . contr . don. omnium apostolorum caput petrus , unde & cephas appellatus est . e joan. . . f ambros . . de pasc . c. . quod quidem sacrum nomen ab ipsius domini passione descendir . innoc. iii. ser. . in conc. later . g iren contr . h●r . l. . c. . jesus autem nomen secundum propriam hebraenrum linguam , literarum est duarum , & dimidiae , &c. matth. . . iren. l. . c. . id. ibid. h ●lem . alex. strom. l. . 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 , 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 . id. p. . 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 , 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 . i hilar. in ps . . seon infructuosae arboris interpretatio est . k hieron . ep . . ad marcell . l theoph. antioch . l. . ad autol . m ambros . ep. l. . ep . . n ambros in psal . . o id. lib. de incarn . da● . socr. c. . p hier. in sophon . cap. . ver . . q id. comm. in ep. ad philem. r id. apol. . id. ibid. ſ hilar. in psal . . t epiphan . in ancor . u id in panar . l. . haer. . 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 , &c. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 , 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 . x hier. comm. . in abac. greg. ii. in ep . ad leon. ifaur . de col . imag. y ambros . l. de poenit. c. . quod etiam aquila , cùm fuerit mortua , ex suis reliquiis renascatur . id. lib. de fid . resur . atqui hoc relatione crebra , & scripturarum authoritate cognovimus , memoratam avem , &c. z ambros . ser. . denique iterum moyfi dicit , quia in hoc ipsum te suscitavi , ut ostendam in te virtutem meam . a ambros . ep . l. . ep . . quam stolidi autem judaei qui interrogant , hic peccavit , an parentes ? id. l. . de sanct jacob. c. . b tertul. contr . marc. l. . c. . * sam. . c hieron . l. contr . helvid . in quo primum adversarius superfluo labore desudat , cognoscendi verbum ad coitum magis quam ad scientiam esse referendum , quasi hoc quisquam negaverit . epiphan . in panar . haer. . antidicom . 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 . perron's repl. p. . d hier. in ep . . ad damas . paenè tot . e id. comm. in soph. f id. ep . ad nepot . g id. comm. . in ezech. h id. comm. in ezech. i id. comm. . in eundem . k id. comm. . in eund . l id. comm. in agg. m id. comm. . in matth. n hilar. in ps ▪ . o id. ibid. fol. . p id. in psal . . fol. . haec ita intelligere , non dicam erroris , sed irreligiositatis est . id. can. . in matth. . . fol. . id. can. . in matth. . . fol. . id. can. . fol. . ambros . in ps . . pag . matth. . . si habuer●tis fidem sicut granum sinapis , dicetis huic monti , tollere & j●ctare in mare . huic ; cui ? daemonio inquit , à quo iste invasus fuerat , &c. * idem tract . de obit . valent. pag. , . qu●s dabit te frater fratrem m●hi , lactantem ubera matris meae ? &c. cant. . . promittit fratri augustae memoriae , gratianus , praesto sibi fructus diversarum esse virtutum . du perron , repliq. lib. . cap p. . * justin . contr . tryph. p. . 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 &c. † id 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 . * idem contr . tryph pag ● . & . 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 , &c. † idem in apol. pr●●ing ad senat. pag. . 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 . * justin . contr tryph. p. . 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 , &c. ibid. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 . † id. apol. . p. . 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 , &c. * ibid. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 . a iren. l. . contr haeres . c. . m●nifestum est , quia & discipulorum ejus , propter quos & haec operatus est dominus , animae abibunt in invisibilem locum , definitum eis à deo , & ibi usque ad resurrectionem commorabuntur , su●●inente● resurrectionem , &c. justin . contra tryph. p. . iren. contr . haer. l. . c. . joh. . . baron . annal. t. . ar . num . . b petav. in epiphan . p. . c iren. l. . contr . haer. c. . animas , &c. characterem corporis , in quo etiam adaptantur , custodire cundem , &c. &c. . animas hominis habere figuram ut etiam cognoscantur . d iren. contr . haer. l. . c. . e cassand . in defens libelli de offic. pii viri . f clem. alex. strom. lib. . 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 . g ili● . p. ●● . 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 . h id. lib. . strom. p. . 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 . i id. strom lib. . p. . 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 , &c. fusè . k 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 ( in inferis ) 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 . l id. p. . 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 ; m ibid. p. . 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 . id. strom. l. . p. . n id. strom. l . p. . 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 , &c. id. strom. p. . 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 . o vid. lib. de m●n . cap. . &c. & l. contr . psych . cap. . p id. contr . psych c. si paracleto controversiam saciunt propter hoc , prophetiae novae recusantur , non quòd alium deum praedicant montanu , & priscilla , & maxim●lla , &c. sed qùd planè doceant saepiùs jejunare , quàm nubere . q nicol. rigaltius prolog . in animad . ad tertul. . tract . an . lutet . . r tertul. l. . ad● . mare . c. . & l. . c. . ſ id. adv . orig. cap. . & l. . contr . marc. c. . quis negabit deum corpus esse , etsi spiritus est ? t id. lib. adv . hermog c. . cùm ipsa substantia corpus sit cujusque . u id. l. de idol . cap. . angelos esse illos desertores dei , amatores soeminarum , &c. x id. de virg. veland . cap. . debet & adumbrari facies tam periculosa , quae usque ad coelum scandala jaculata est . y id. lib. de anim. passim : nominatim c. . definimus animum dici statu naturam immortalem , corporalem , effigiatam , &c. & unà redundantem , &c. z id. lib. de an. c. , , , . quò ( in inferis ) spe 〈◊〉 sequestratur , tota paradis● 〈◊〉 sangu●s tuus est , cap. . nulli patet coelum , terrâ ad●●uc salvâ , ne dixerim clausâ . a id lib. . adv . marc. c. nam & confitemur in terra nobis regnum repromissum post resurrectionem ●n mille annos in civitate divini operis , hierusalem coelo delata , &c. inter quàm aetatem ( annorum ) concluditur sanctorum resurrectio , pro meritis maturiùs , vel tardiùs resurgentium . b id. l de an ▪ c. . modicum quoque delictum morâ resurrectionis illic luendum . c id. lib. . adv . marc. c. . post cujus mille annos , &c. tunc & mundi destructione , & judicii conflagratione commis●â , demutari in atomo in angelicam substantiam ; scilicet per illud incorruptionis superindumentum transferemur in coeleste regnum , &c. d tertul. l. de bapt. adv . quint. c. . & de pudi● . l. . apod nos ut ethnico par , imò & super ethnicum haercricus etiam per baptisma veritatis utroque homine purgatus admittitur . c id. l. de baptism . c. . itaque pro cujusque personae conditione , ac dispositione , etiam aetate cunctatio baptismi utilior est , &c. f id. lib. de idol● c . & . &c. & lib . de cor. mil. c. . jam verò quae sunt potestatis . neque judicet de capite alicujus , vel pudore , ( feras enim de pecunia , ) neque damner , neque praedamnet , neminem vinciar , neminem recludat , aut torqueat , &c. omnem posteà militem dom●nus in petro exarmando discinxit . g pamel . in scap. tertul. c . num . & in l ad scap c. . num . . * tertul. lib. adv . jud. c. . christus annos habens quasi triginta cùm pateretur , &c. † id. de bapt. adver . quint. cap. . * hieron . lib. de script . eccles . in tertul. vidi ego quondam paulum , &c. qui se b. cypriani , &c. notarium , &c. romae vidisse diceret , referrique sibi solitum , nunquam cyprianum absque tertulliani lectione unum diem praeteriisse , ac sibi crebrò dicere , da magistrum , tertullianum videlicet significans . † cypr. epist . . ad steph. & alibi passim . * firmil . epist . . inter ep. cypr. † hieron . lib. de script . eccles . * cypr. epist . . init . ubi referuntur haec stephani verba . si quis ergo à quacunque haeresi venerit ad nos , nihil innovetur , nisi quod traditum est , ut manus illi imponatur ad poenitentiam , &c. † con. nic. can. . 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 . † cypr. praefat. conc. carth. neminem judicantes , aut à jure communionis aliquem , si diversum senserit , amoventés . * hier. contr . lucifer . t. . p. . &c. a firmil . epist . ad cypr. quae est . inter epist . cypr. pag. . b cypr. epist. . pag. . & epist . . quae est firmil . c cyp. ep . . p. . ut intra octavum diem eum qui natus est baptizandum , & sacrificandum non putares . * id. l. . test . ad quir. ad regnum dei nisi baptizatus , & tenatus quis fuerit , pervenire non posse : in evang. secundum joan. nisi quis natus fuerit , &c. item illic : nisi ederitis carnem filii hominis , & biberitis sanguinem ejus , non habebitis vitam in vobis . † id. ibid. c. . parum esse baptizari & eucharistiam accipere , nisi quis factis & opere proficiat , al. perficiat . * id. epist ; . quando nec oblatio sanctificare illic possit , ubi spiritus sanctus non sit , nec cuiquam dominus per ejus orationes & preces prosit , qui dominum ipse violavit . a epiphan . . haer. quae est orig. b baron . annal . ad an. . num . , , . † petav. not. ad haer. . p. . * method . apud epiphan . in panar . haer . . quae est orig. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 . id. ibid. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 . † id. ibid. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 . * hieron . epist . . ad pani . & octav. lanctantius in libris suis , ut maximè in epistolis ad demetrianum , spiritus sancti omnin● negat substantiam , & errore judaico dicit , eum vel ad patrem referri , vel ad filium , & sanctificationem utriusque personae sub ejus nomine demonstrari . † lact. firm. lib. . divin . instit . cap. . * id. lib. . cap. . extr . omnes ( animae ) in una communique custodia detinentur , donec tempus adveniat , quo maximus judex meritorum faciat examen † id. lib. . c. . tum qui erunt in corporibus vivi , non morientur , sed per eosdem mille annos infinitam multitudinem generabunt , &c. qui autem ab inferis suscitabuntur , ii praeibunt viventibus velut judices . * hilar. de trin l. . passus quidem dominus jesus christus dum caeditur , dum suspenditur , dum crucifigitur , dum moritur ; sed in corpus irruens passio , nec non fuit passio , nec tamen naturam passionis exercuit , dum & poenali ministerio illa desaevit , & virtus corporis sine sensu poenae vim poenae in sedesaevientis excepit ; habuit sanè illud domini corpus doloris nostri naturam , si corpus nostrum id naturae habet , ut calcet undas , & super fluctus eat , & non deprimatur ingressu , neque aquae insistentis vestigiis cedant : ponatur etiam solida , nec clausae domus obstaculis arceatur . et paulo post : et homo ille de deo est , habens ad patiendum quidem corpus , ut passus est ; sed naturam non habens ad dolendum . naturae enim propriae , ac suae corpus illud est , quod in coelestem gloriam , transformatur in morte . id. ibid. in quo quamvis aut ictus inciderit , aut vulnus descenderit , aut nodi concurrerint , aut suspensio elevarit , afferunt quidem haec impetum passionis , non ●amen dolorem passionis inferunt : aut telum aliquod , aut aquam perforans , aut ignem compungens , aut aëra vulnerans , omnes quidem has passiones naturae suae infert , ut persoret , ut compungat , ut vulneret , sed naturam suam in haec passio illata non retinet , dum in natura non est vel aquam forari , vel pungi ignem , vel aëra vulnerari , quamvis natura teli sit vulnerare , compungere , & forare . † hilar. in ps . . suscepta voluntariè est ( passio ) officio quidem ipsa satisfactura poenali , non tamen poenae sensu laesura patientem , &c. * id. in ps . . putatur dolere , quia patitur ; caret verò doloribus ipse , quia deus est . a id. in matth can. . scribit exterrendos , sugandos , negaturos ; sed quia spiritus blasphemiae nec hic , nec in aeternum temittitur , metuit ne se deum abnegent , quem caesum , & consputum , & crucifixum essent contemplaturi ; quae ratio servata est in petro : qni cum negaturus esset , ita negavit , non novi hominem : quia dictum aliquod in filium hominis remittitur . b id. ibid. transeat calix à me , id est , quomodo à me bibitur , ita ab iis bibatur , sine spei diffidentia , sine sensu doloris , sine metu mortis , &c. c ser. in matth. can. . nihil est quod non in substantia sua , & creatione corporeum sit , &c. nam & animarum species sive obtinenrium corpora , sive corporibus exulantium , corpoream tamen naturae suae substantiam sortiuntur . d id. in ps . . tit . gimel . est ●rgo , quantum licet existimare , perfectae illius emundatio puritatis , etiam post baptismi aquas reposita , &c. e id. ibid. in quo ( die judicii ) nobis est ille indefessus ignis obeundus , in quo subeunda sunt gravia illa expiandae à peccatis animae supplicia . beatae mariae animam gladius petransibit , ut revelentur multorum cordium cogitationes . si in judicii severitatem capax illa dei virgo ventura est , desiderare quis audebit à deo judicari ? f ambr. in ps . . ser. . si quidem post consummationem saeculi missis angelis qui segregent bonos & malos , hoc futurum est baptisma , quando per caminum ignis iniquitas exuretur , ut in regno dei sulgeant justi , sicut sol , in regno patris sui . et si aliquis , ut petrus sit , ut johannes , baptizatur hoc igne . veniet ergo baptista mignut , ( sic enim eum nomino ) quo modo gabriel , &c. g id. in pseund ser . omnes oportet per ignem probari quicunque ad paradisum redire desiderant . non enim otiosè scriptum est , quòd ejectis adam & eva , posuit deus in exitu paradisi gladium igneum versatilem . omnes oportet transire per flammas , sive joannes evangelista sit , quem ita dilexit dominus ut de eo diceret ad petrum , &c. sive ille sit petrus qui claves accepit regni coelorum , qui supra mare ambulavit , oportet dicat transivimus per ignem , &c. sed joanni citò versabitur igneus gladius , quia non invenitur in eo iniquitas , quem dilexit aequitas , &c. sed ille ( petrus ) examinabitur ut argentum ; ego examinabor ut plumbum , donec plumbum tabescat ardebo , si nihil argenti in me inventum fuerit , ( heu me ! ) in ultima inferni detrudar . h id. l. de fid. resurrectionis . licet in momento resuscitentur omnes , omnes tamen meritotum ordine suscitantur . i id. in ps . . beati qui habent partem in prima resurrectione : isti enim sine judicio veniunt ad gratiam . qui autem non veniunt ad primam resurrectionem , sed ad secundam reservantur , isti urentur donec impleant tempora inter primam & secundam resurrectionem : aut si non impleverint , diuitiùs in supplicio permanebunt . k ambros l. . de abr. patr. c. . sed consideremus primum , quia abraham ante legem moysis & ante evangelium fuit , nondum interdictum adulterium videbatur . poena criminis & tempore legis est , nec ante legem ulla rei damnatio est , sed ex lege . l id. lib. de noe , & arca , c. . absit ut hunc arcum dei dicamus ; hic enim arcus , qui iris dicitur , per diem videri solet , per noctem non apparet , &c. est ergo virtus invisibilis dei , &c. m id. lib. . de spir. sanct. cap. . petav. in epiphan . p. . . n epiphan . haer. . quae est alog. petav. ibid. ad haer. . num . . o epiphan . in pan. cap. . haer . 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 , &c. p hier. com. . in abac. caeterùm absurdum est ad hoc dei deducere majestatem , ut sciat per singula momenta quot nascantur culices , quotve moriantur , quot cimicum , & pulicum , & muscarum sit in terra multitudo , quanti pisces in aqua natent , & qui de minoribus majorum praedae cedere debeant . non simus tam fatui adulatores dei , ut dum potentiam ejus ad ima detrahimus , in nos ipsos injuriosi simus , eandem rationabilium quam irrationabilium providentiam esse dicentes . q hier. contr . vigil . tom. . p. . sequuntur agnum quocunque vadit : si agnus ubique , &c. & sic qui cum agno sunt ubique esse credendi sunt . r id. ep . ad pamm . t. . p. . nulli periculosum , nulli videatur esse blasphemum , quod & in apostolos invidiae venenum diximus poruisse subrepere , cùm etiam de angelis hoc dictum putamus , &c. f id. ep . . ad fur. t . p. & . ut non tam laudanda , si vidua perseveres , quàm execranda , si id christiana non serves , quod per tanta saecula gentiles foeminae custodierunt . mox p. . canis revertens ad vomitum , & sus lota ad volutabrum luti . id. . ep. . ad ageruch . t. . p. . haec brevi sermone perstrinxi , ut ostendam adolescentulam meam non praestare monogamiam generi suo , sed reddere ; nec tam laudandam esse si tribit , quàm omnibus execrandam si negare tentaverit . † id lib. . adv . jovin . p. non damno digamos , imò nec trigamos , & si dici potest octogamos : plus aliquid inferam , etiam scortantem recipio poenitentem . * id. lib. . adv . jovin . p. . quod si objeceris , antequam peccarent , sexum viri & foeminae suisse divisum , & absque peccato eos potuisse conjungi , quid futurum suerit incertum est , &c. † hieron . lib. . adv . jovin . quod autem nobis objicit in secunda dei benedictione comedendarum carnium licentiam datam , quae in prima concessa non suerat ; sciat , quomodo repudium juxta eloquium salvatoris ab intitio non dabatur , sed propter duritiem cordis nostri per moysem humano generi concessum est , sic & esum carnium usque ad diluvium ignotum suisse ; post diluvium verò quasi in eremo murmuranti populo coturnices , ita dentibus nostris nervos , & virulentias carnis ingestas . * hieron . com. in matth. t. . p. . hoc quasi parvulis judaeis fuerat lege concessum , ut quo modo victimas immolabant deo , ne eas idolis immolarent , sic & ju●are permitterentur in deum ; non quòd rectè hoc sacerent , sed quòd melius esset hoc deo id exhibere , quàm daemonibus . evangelica autem veritas non recipit juramentum , &c. † id. com. in soph. tom. . p. . sacerdotes quoque qui eucharistiae serviunt , & sanguinem domini populis ejus dividunt , impie agunt in legem christi , putantes eucharistiam imprecantis facere verba , non vitam ; & necessariam esse tantùm solennem orationem , & non sacerdotum merita . * idem epist . . ad pammach . tom. pag. . ergò , inquies , & nos post resurrectionem comesuri sumus ? nescio ; non enim scriptum est : & tamen si quaeritur , non puto comesuros . † aug. ep. ad hier. quae est . inter ep. hier. tom. . pag. . * hier. ep ad aug. tom. . pag. . hoc si placer , imò quia placet , ut quicunque credunt ex judaeis debitores sint legis faciendae ; tu , ut episcopus in toto orbe notissimus , debes hanc promulgare sententiam , & in assensum tuum omnes coepiscopos trahere . † aug. epist . hier. quae est . inter epist . hier. tom. . pag. . * hier. lib. . contr . ruff. t. . pag. . sentisne quid taceam , quod aestu●nti pectori verba non commodem ? & cum psalmista loquar , pone domine custo●iam ori m●o , &c. † id in apol adv . ruff. tom. . pag . quis omissa causa in superslua criminum objectione vers●tus est ? quae non chartae ecclesiatticae , sed libelli debent judicum continere . * id. apol. . contr . ruff t. . pap . . hoc unum denuncio , & repetens iterum iterumque monebo , cornutam bestiam petis . † hier. com. in epist . ad tit. tem . inscriptio autem a●ae non ita erat , ut paulus asseruit , ignoto deo , sed ita : deis europae , asiae , & africae , deis ignotis & peregrinis . * hier. com. . in epist ad gal tom. . hebraeus ex hebraeis profundos sensus aliena lingua exprimere non valebat . et comm. . in epist . ad ephes . tom . pag. . isle qui soloecismos in verbis facit , qui non potest hyperbaton reddere , sententiamque concludere , audacter sibi vindicat sapientiam , &c. com. in epist . ad tit. tom . pag . qui non juxta humilitatem , ut plerique aestimant , sed verè dixerit , imperitus sermone , non tamen scientia , hebraeus ex hebraeis , &c. prosundos sensus graeco sermone non explicat , & quid cogitat , in verba vix promit . epist . . ad algas . q . tom. . pag. . illud , &c etsi imperitus sermone , &c. nequaquam paulum de humilitate dixisse : profundos enim , & reconditos sensus lingua non explicat , & cum ipse sentiat , quid loquatur , in alienas aures puro non potest transferre sermone . * id. com. . epist . ad gal. tom pag. . unde manifestum est id fecisse apostolum quod promisit , nec reconditis ad gal. usum esse sensibus , sed quo idianis , & vilibus , & quae possent , nisi praemisisset , secundum hominem dico , prudentibus displicere . et paulo antè pag. . apostolus galatis quoque , quos paulò ante stultos dixerat , factus est stultus : non enim ad eos his usus est argumentis , quibus ad romanos , sed simpl cioribus , & quae stulti possent intelligere , & penè de trivio . † aug. t . serm. . de verb. ap. * greg. arim. in ● . sent . d . . . * aug. t. . ep. tot mox f. m t de gen. ad lit . lib. c. . t. . c. . de an. & ejus orig. c. . † idem tom. . lib. . contr . acad. cap. . see also toward the latter end of this chapter . * idem tom. . lib. imperf . de gen. ad lit . cap. . & lib. . de gen. ad lit . cap. , , . & lib. cap. . . † idem tom. . euch ad laur. cap. . tempus quod inter hominis mortem & ultimam resurrectionem interpositum est animas abditis recepraculis continet , &c. vide & tom. . c. de cur . pro mortuis , cap. . & lib. . de civitate dei , cap. . tom. . tract . . in joh. fol. . * id. t. . euchar ad laur. c. . de gen. ad lit . l. . c. . * id. lib . retract . cap . * aug. ep. ad hier : inter ep. hier. . t. . p. . & inter epist . aug. . t. . conc. vii . act. . tom . conc. gen. p. . in praefat praefixa act. conc. niceni gelas . cyzic . in edit . rom conc. gen. tom. . a just . contr . tryph● p. . 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 , &c. b id. ibid p 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 , &c. c id. ibid. p. . 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 . d euseb . hist . eccl. l. . c. . * hieron . l. de scrip. eccles in . papia . e id. comm. 〈◊〉 . in ezech. t. . ● . . † id. com. . in isa . in praefat . quem ( apollinarium ) nostrorum in hac parte duntaxat plurima sequitur multitudo , ut praesaga mente jam cernam , quantorum in me rabies concitanda sit . * hier. com. . in hierem. t . p. . quae licet non sequamur , tamen damnare non possumus , quia multi ecclesiasticorum virorum , & martyres ista dixerunt : & unusquisque in suo sensu abundet , & domini cuncta judicio reserventur . † id. com. . in es . in praefat . conc. flor. in defin . diffinimus insuper , &c. illorum animas qui post susceptum baptisma nullam omnino maculam incurrerunt illas etiam quae post contractam peccati maculam vel in suis corporibus , vel eisdem exutae corporibus , pro ut superiùs dictum est , sunt purgatae , in coelum mox recipi , & intueri clarè ipsum deum , trinum & unum , tom. . conc. pag. . basil . epist . ad amph●loch . t. . p. ● , . † tertul. lib. contr . jud. cap. . * clem. alex. strom. . . † lactant firmian lib. . cap. . * african . apud hieron com. in dan. cap. . tom. . cap. † petav. not. in epiph. pag. . a chrysost●m . hom. in statuas , & passim . b st hieron . com. . in matth. t●m . . pag. . c basil . hom. in ps . . t. . pag. , & . d act. conc. const . act . . tom. . pag. . 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 , &c. e tom. . conc. pag. . in act . conc. vii . act . . f august tom. . lib. . contr . acad. cap. . tom. . epist . . & epist . . & tom. . enchir. ad laur. cap. . de trin. lib. . cap. . & lib. . cap. . & lib. . cap. . & de gen. ad lit . lib. . cap. . & lib. . cap . & de divin . daem . cap. , , . & tom. . lib. . quaest . tom. lib. . de civ . dei. cap. . & lib. . cap. . & ibi vives , & lib. . cap. . & cap. . g supr . lib. . cap. . h maldon . in joh. . . i cassand . consult . ad fer. & max. p. & lib. de bapt. inf. p. . k du perr . traict . de st. august . pag. . l nicol. de lyra in joh. notandum quod ex hoc quod dicitur hic , nisi manducaveritis , &c. dicunt graeci , quod hoc sacramentum est tantae necessitatis , quod pueris dehet dari , sicut baptismus . m hierem. patr. const . doctr. exh. ad germ. n alvarez . in his voyage to ethiopia . o peter . in rom c. . disp . . epist . . bessar orat. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 , c. . p. , & . t. . conc. a hieron . ep. . t. . an certè ex traduce , ut tertullianus , apollinarius & maxima pars occidentalium autumant . b id. com. in eccles . c. . t. . & ep. . ad pamm . t . p. . & alibi passim . c vid. com . in es . t . p . & com. . in eund p . d justin . contr . tryph. p. . 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 . e pseudo . just . l. q. & r. resp . ad q. . 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 . f epiph. in panar . expos . fid. p. . g august . in ep . ad jan. t. . vid. petav. in epiph p. . h vide petav. p. . in epiph , eccl. rom. ●p . socr. l. . c. . august . ep. . & . innoc. i. ep. . c. . i ignat. ep. . ad philip. can. apost . c. . constit . apost . l. . c. syn. trull . can. . k iren. l. . c. . l tertul. clem. alex. lactant. afric . ubi supr . m scholarius , orat . t . concil . gen. p. , . conc. flor. act. . t. . conc. p. . n cyril . anath . 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 . o theodor. refut . anath cyril . act. conc. eph 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 . p cyril . resp . ad ref. theod. anath . . ibid. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 . q bessar . in orat. dogmat. sive de vn●one extra . cap. . in act. conc. flor. sess . . t. . conc. p. . † conc vii . act . in d●fin . t. . conc. p. . 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 . ib. p. . 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 . * synod . quinisexta can. . t. . con. † synod . sard. can. . & . * synod . chalced . cap. . & . † synod laod. can. . * synod carthag . iii. cap. . joh. . . ego & pater unum sumus . † tertul. contr . prax. c . unum non pertinet ad singularitatem , sed ad unitatem , ad similitudinem ▪ ad conjunctionem , ad delectionem patris , qui filium diligit , & ad obsequium filii , qui voluntati patris obsequitur . autor libri de trin. cap . orig. contr . celsum , lib. ▪ p. ● * athanas . greg. nazianz. alii pene omnes passim . a joh. . . b epiphan . ancor . p. . c joh. . . d ambros . l. de incar . sacr. c. c. t. . p. . athan. ep. ad epict. t. i. p. . & t. . p. . e cor. . f gal . . g cyrill . apol. athan. i. t. . conc. gener. p. . confess . de foy des eglis . ref. de fran : art. . thom. de vio. card. cajet . praef in pentat . si quando occurrit novus sensus textui consonus , nec à sacra scripturâ , nec ab ecclesiae doctrina dissonus , quamvis à torrente doctorum sacrorum alienus , rogo lectores omnes ne praecipites derestentur , sed aequos se praebeant censores . meminerint jus suum unicuique tribuere : solis sacrae scripturae auctoribus reservata auctoritas haec est , ut ideò sic credamus esse , quia ipsi ita scripserunt . alios autem ( inquit augustinus ) ita lego , ut quantalibet sanctitate doctrinaque praepolleant , non ideò credam sic esse , quia ipsi ita scripserunt . nullus itaque detestetur novum s. scripturae sensum , ex hoc quod dissonat priscis doctoribus ; sed scrutetur perspicacius textum & contextum scripturae , & si quadrare invenerit , laudet deum , qui non alligavit expositionem s. scripturarum priscorum doctorum sensibus , sed scripturae ipsi integrae sub catholicae ecclesiae censura . † melch. can. loc theol. l. . c. . num . . caeteroqui nemo quantumvis eruditus , & sanctus , non interdum hallucinatur , non alicubi caecutit , non quandoque labitur . * id. ibid. legendum itaque à nobis patres veteres cum reverentia quidem , sed ut homines , cum delectu atque judicio . ibid. num . . reliqui verò scriptores sancti inferiores & humani sunt , deficiuntque interdum , ac monstrum quandoque p●riunt , praeter convenientem ordinem , institutumque naturae a ambros catharin . lib. . annot . in cajet . p. . verissimum ergo est , quod sanctorum dicta , vel scripta in se non sunt firmae auctoritatis , ut in singulis teneamur illis praebere assensum . b petav. in epiph. pag. . nos eâ , quâ par est , moderatione in divinorum hominum , sed hominum , errores , ac lapsus non tam inquirimus , quam oblatos ultrò , ac vel invitis occurrentes , ne cui fraudi sunt , patefacimus : tueri tamen , ac defendere nihilo magis quàm eorum vitia , si quae fuerint , imitari debemus . c id. in epiph. p. ▪ quanquam multa sunt à sanctissimis patribus , praesertim à chrysostomo in homiliis aspersa , quae si ad exactae veritatis regulam accommodare volueris , boni sensus inania videbuntur . d id. ibid. pag. . e supr . c. . f petav. in epiph. pag. . nec est quod certorum patrum opponatur auctoritas , qui non aliud affirmare possunt , quam quod ex luca didicerunt , neque est ulla ratio cur ex illorum verbis lucam interpretemur potius , quam ex luca quae abillis asseverari videntur . g maldonat . in matth. . malo ego credere , nec temerè , nec inscienter , sed amanter & verè respondisse , &c. h id. in mat. . quam interpreta●ionem adduci non possum ut sequar , &c. i id. in matth. . quorum verborum sensus non videtur mihi esse , quem omnes praeter hilarium , quos legisse memini , auctores putant . k id. in matth. . . habet ex multis opinionibus quameligat lector ; sed si meam quoque sententiam avet audire , liberè fatebor , in nulla prorsus carum meum qualecunque judicium acquiescere . l id. in joh. . vers . ammonius , cyrillus , theophylactus , & euthymius , respondent , non omnes tral●i , quia non omnes digni sunt : quod nimis affine est pelagianorum errori . m salmer . in ep . ad rom . disput . p. . tertiò , argumentum petunt à doctorum antiquitate , cui semper major honor est habitus ; quam novitatibus . respondetur , quamlibet aetatem antiquitati semper detulisse , &c. sed illud efferimus quò juniores , eò perspicaciores esse doctores . n ibid. col . . denique contra hanc quam objectant multitudinem , respondemus ex verbo dei ; exod . in judicio plurimorum non acquiesces sententiae , ut à vero devies . o pietr. s●avez po● . hist . del concil . trident . lib. . pag. . p bellarm , de cler. l. . c. . michael medina in lib. . de sacr . hom . orig & contin . d. . affirmat s. h●eronymum idem omnino cum aerian●s sensisse : neque solum hieronymum in ea haeresi fuisse , sed etiam ambrosium , augustinum ▪ s●dulium , primasium , theodoretum , occumenium , & theophylactum . † gorn . muss episcop . bitont . in ep ad rom. c. . pag. . a●quo ; roma , quaerenda sunt divina consilia , nisi ab illis , quibus mysteriorum dei dispensatio credita est ? quem ergò pro deo habemus , in hi● quae dei sunt , quicquid ipse dixerit tanquam deum audire debemus . ego ( ut ingenuè fate●r ) plus uni summo pontifici crederem in his , quae fidei mysteria tangunt , quam mille augustinis , hieronymis , gregoriis ; ne dicam richardis , scotis , gulielmis credo enim , & scio , quòd summus pontifex , in his quae fidei sunt , errare non potest ; quoniam auctoritas determinandi quae ad fidem spectant , in pontifice residet . † concil . trident . sess . . can. si quis dixerit , parvulis , antequam ad annos discretionis perveniant , necessariam esse eucharistae communionem , anathema sit . a epiphan ep . ad joh. hierosol . t. . p. . c. . cum ergò haec vidissem in ecclesia christi contra auctoritatem scripturarum , hominis pendentem imaginem , &c. b conc. eliberi . can. . placuit picturas in ecclesia esse non debere , ne quod colitur aut adoratur , in parietibus depingatur . c concil ▪ trid. sess . . decreto de invocat . &c. sanctorum . imagines porrò christi , deiparae virginis , & aliorum sanctorum , in templis praesertim habendas & retinendas , eisque debitum honorem & venerationem impertiendam . d ambros august . chrysost . &c. de quibus vide melch , canum de loc . theolog. l. . num . . e conc. trident. sess . . decreto de pecc . origin . declarat tamen haec ipsa sancta synodus , non esse suae intentionis comprehendere in hoc decreto , ubi de peccato originali agitur , b. & immacula●am . virginem mariam , dei genitricem . f conc. laod. can. ● , . cod. graec. can. eccles . vnivers . can. . g melit . sard. apud euseb . hist . eccles . lib. c. . h origen . apud euseb . hist . eccl. l. . c. . & in philocal . c. . i cyril . hieros . catech. . k greg. nazianz. carm. . t. . p. . l hilar. praefat. in psal . fol . m epiphan . l. de ponder & mens . t. . p. . n athan. ep . festal . t. . p. , . & synops . script . p. . o ruffin . expos . symb. inter opera cypr. p. . p hac prol. galeato , & prol. in lib. salom. ad paul & eustoch . & prol. in libr. sal. ad chron. & heliod . & praefat. in esdr . q conc. trident. sess . . decr. de can. script . siquis autem libros ●psos integros , cum omnibus suis partibus , prout in ecclesia catholica legi consueverunt , & in veteri vulgata latina editione habentur , pro sacris & cano●icis non susceperit , &c. anathema esto . r concil . constant. i. can. . 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 . ſ conc chalced can. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 . t conc. trid. sess . cap. . & con. . si quis dixerit , episcopos non esse presbyteris superiores , &c. anathema sit . u hieron . passim : vide supra , lib. . c. ult . a tertul. lib de cor. mil. c. . cypr. ep . . p. . ubi vide pamel . c epiphan pan. haer. . p. . d tertul. lib. de cor. mil. c. . & lib. adv . prax. c. . e hieron dial. advers . lucifer . t. . p. . in lavacro ter caput mergitare . f cassand . l. de bapt. inf. p. . g greg. mon. protosync . in apol. contr . ep . marc. p. . tom conc. gen. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 , &c. h tertul. & hieron . ubi supr . deinde egressos lactis & mellis praegustare concordiam . i alvarez , in his voyage to ethiopia . a tutti quelli che battezano , cosi maschi , come femine , donno il sacramento in pocaquantitá , &c. k euseb . de vita constant . l. . l socrat. hist . eccl. l. . ● . . m id. 〈…〉 . c. . n ambros . orat. de obit . valentin . t. . p . o greg nazianz . orat. . p basil . homil. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 . q cassand . in hymno , p. , . r cassand . in liturg. c. . ſ apud cassand . in liturg. c. . p. . t cassand . in liturg. p. , . c. . u conc. trid. sess . . c. . & can . * lib. . c. . a cassand . in liturg. . c. . liturg. aethiop . c ibid. d chrysist . homil. . in ep . ad ephes . t. . p. . edit . savilii . 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 , &c. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 . a tertul. lib. de orat. c. . accepto corpore domini , & reservato , utrumque salvum est , & participatio sacrificii , & executio officii . b cyprian . l. de laps p . cum quaedam arcam suam , in qua domini sanctum suit , manibus indignis tentasset aperire , igne inde surgente deterrita est , ne auderet attingere . c ambros . de obit . satyr . p. . t. . non mortem metuens , sed ne vacuus mysterii exiret è vita , quos initiatos esse cognoverat , ab his divinum illud fidelium sacramentum poposcit , non ut curiosos oculos insereret arcanis , sed ut fidei suae consequeretur auxilium . etenim ligari fecit in orario , & orarium , involvit collo , atque ita se dejecit in mare . d conc. trid. sess . de regul . & mon. cap. . a tertul. lib. de ●●ol . cap. . e●s manus admov●re corpori domini , quae daemoniis corpora conferunt . b cyprian . epi●t . . & lib. de bo●● patientiae p. ▪ . c gr●g . naz. ca●m . . . 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 , &c. d synod . quinis . can. . 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 , &c. e conc. t●id . sess . . c. & can. . si quis dixerit missas , in quibus solus sacerdos sacramentaliter communica● , illicitas esse , ideoque abrogandas , anathema sit f cassan . c●nsult . ●ad ferdin . &c. p . & in liturg p. . cap . g conc. constant . sess . . h conc trid. sess : . c. & . can. . i ibid. c. . licet ab initio christianae religionis non infrequens utriusque specici usus fuisset , &c. k jerem. p. cn . resp . . ad wi●emb . l alvarez . in his v●yage , ch . . quanti si communicano col corpo , si communicano ●uche col sangue . m confess eccles . angl. art . . n leo ● p. r. serm. de quadrag pag . cumque ad tegendam infidelitatem suam nostris audeant interesse mysteriis , ita in sacramentorum communione s● temp●ra●t , ut ●terdum ●utiùs lateant , ore ind●gno christi corpus accipiunt , sanguinem autem ▪ redemptionis nostrae omninò haurire decli●nt . quod ideò vestram volumus scire sanctitatem , ut vobis huiusmodi homines & his manifest entur indiciis , &c. o gelas . joh. & maj episc . decre● . de consecrat . dist . cap. comperimus autem , quod qu●dam sumpta tantummodò corporis sacri portione , à calice sacri cruoris abstineant , &c. quia , divisio unius ej●sdemque mysterii sine grandi sacrilegio non potest provenire . p act. concil . ch●llced . act . . pag. . tom. . concil . gen. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 . q conc. trid. sess . can. . si quis dixerit sanctam ecclesiam catholicam non justis causis & rationibus adductam fuisse , ut laicos , atque etiam clericos non conficientes sub panis tantummodò specie communicaret , aut in eo errasse , anathema sit . inter opera cassand . pag. . a august . t. . ep. ● . ad casulan . p. . & . b firmil . in ep . ad cypr. quae est inter epist . cypr. . eos qui romae sunt non ea in omnibus observare , quae sint ab origine tradita , ut frustra apostolorum auctoritatem praetendere , scire quis etiam inde potest , &c. c pseud . just . q. & r. quaest . . 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 , &c. d epiph. lib. de coron . milit . cap. . e epiph. in panar . in conclus . ope●is . f hieron . dial. contr . lucifer . p. . t. . g conc. nic. can. . 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 . h synod . quinisex . can. . i ignat. epist . . k petr. alexand . in ms. l epiph. panar . haer . . acrii , pag. . 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 ; m clem. alex. strom. l. . p. . n hieron . l. cont . vigil p. . de vigiliis & pernoctationibus martyrum saepe celebrandis , &c. o id com . in matth. p. . unde reo● & traditionem apostolicam permansiss● , ut in die vigiliarum paschae ante noctis dimidium populos dimittere non liceat , expectantes adventum christi . p tertul. apolog . p. . q euseb . hist . eccles . l. c. . r synod . quinise . can. . ſ pamel . in apolog . tertull. num . . t epiph. pan. haer. . acrii pag. . 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 , &c. u liturg. jacob. pag. . edit . par. an. . apud guliel morel . 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 , &c. x liturg. syriac basil . y liturg. chrysost . 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 , &c. vide & liturg. st marc. t. . gr. lat. bibl. pp . pag. . 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 , ( not . ) &c. mox : 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 , &c. z pont. diac. in vita cypr. judicio dei , & plebis ●avore , ad officium sacerdot●● , & episcopatus gradum adhuc neophytus , ut putabatur , novellus , electus est . a cyprian , epist . . pag. . factus est aurem cornelius episcopus , de dei & christi ejus judicio , de clericorum penè omnium testimonio , de plebis , quae tunc affluit suffragio , & de sacerdotum antiquorum , & honorum virorum collegio . b idem . epist . . pag. . quando ipsa ( plebs ) maximè habeat potestatem vel eligendi dignos sacerdotes , vel indignos recusandi . quod & ipsum videmus de divina auctoritate descendere , ut sacerdos plebe praesente sub omnium oculis deligatur , & dignus atque idoneus publico judicio ac testimonio comprobetur . ibid. pag. . propter quod diligenter de traditione divina , & apostolica observatione observandum est , & tenendum , quod apud nos quoque , & ferè per provincias universas tenetur , ut ad ordinationes ritè ▪ celebrandas , ad eam plebem , cui praepositus ordinatur ▪ episcopi ejusdem provinciae proximi quique conveniant , & episcopus deligatur plebe praesente , quae singulorum vitam plenissime novit , & uniuscujusque actumde ejus conversatione perspexerit . e julius ap . athan. apol. . pag. , . 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 , &c. f hieron . lib. . advers . jovin . pag. . tom. . & com. . in ezech. pag. . tom. . & com. in agg. pag. . tom. . & com. . in epist . ad gal. pag. . tom. . g conc. const . . in epist . ad damas . pag. , & . tom. . conc. gene● . h conc. chalced. act . . p. . tom. . conc. gen. & act . . pag. , &c. i pontific . rom in ordinat . presbyter . fol. . vide supr . l. . c. . k conc. viii . can. . tom. . conc. pag. . neminem laicorum principum , vel potentum semet inserere electioni vel promotioni patriarchae , vel metropolitae , aut cujuslibet episcopi , &c. praesertim cum nullam in talibus potestatem , quenquam potestativorum , vel caeterorum laicorum habere convenist , sed potiùs silere , ac attendere sibi , usque quò regulariter à collegio ecclesiae suscipiat finem electio futuri pontificis . l cyprian . epist . . pag. . acturi & apud nos , & apud confessores ipsos , & apud plebem universam causam suam . m id. epist . . pag. . cum pace nobis omnibus à domino prius data , ad ecclesiam regredi coeperimus , tunc examinabuntur singula , praesentibus & judicantibus vobis . n cypr. ep . . p. . quando à primordio episcopatus mei statuerim nihil sine consilio vestro , & sine consensu plebis meae , privata sententia gerere . o id. epist . . & . & . & . quaescripta est nomine lxvi . episcoporum : & epist , . & in praefat . concil carthag . p epist . quae est inter cypr. ep . . quanquam nobis in tam ingenti negotio placeat , quod & tu ipse tractasti priùs , ecclesiae pacem sustinendam , deinde sic collatione consiliorum cum episcopis , presbyteris , diaconis confessoribus , pariter ac stantibus laicis facta , lapsorum tractare ratio●em . q cypr. ep . . ad cornel. pag. . quanquam sciam frater charissime , pro mutuâ dilectione quam debemus & exhibemus invicem nobis , florentissimo illic clero tecum praesidenti , & sanctissimae atque amplissimae plebi legere te semper literas nostras ; tamen nunc & admoneo & peto , ut quod alias sponte atque honotificè facis , etiam petente me facias , ut hac epistola mea lecta , &c. † conc. nic. can. . 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 , &c. * conc. const . i. in ep. ad damas . p. . t. . conc. gener. a conc. trid. sess . . decret . de ref . c. . minores criminales causae episcoporum in concilio tantum provinciali cognoscantur & terminentur , &c ▪ b ibid causae criminales graviores contra episcopos . &c. quae depositione , aut privatione dignae sunt , ab ipso tantum summo romano pontifice cognoscantur , & terminentur , &c. a nicol. eyme . vic . director . inquis . pag. . c. . p . & ibi pegna . item p. . p . b pegna in direct inquis . p. . q. . c direct . inquis . p. . q. . & ibid. pegna . p . comm. . pag . d direct . inquis . p. . modo . termin . process . p . & ibi pegna . e athan. in ep . ad solit . vit . ag . tom. . p. . 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 , &c. f ibid. p. . 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 , &c. g athan. ap●l . . de fuga sua , pag. . tom. . 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 . h id. contr . arian . or. . t. . p. . 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 . i hilar. l. contr. aux . p. . at ●unc proh dolor 〈◊〉 divinam fidem suffragia terrena recommendant , inopsque virtutis suae christus , dum ambitio nomini suo conciliatur , arguitur . terret exiliis , & carceribus ecclesi● credique sibi cogit , quae exiliis & carceribus es● credita ▪ pende● ad dignationem communicantium quae persequentium est consecrata terrore . fugat sacerdotes , quae fugatis est sacerdotibus propagata . di●igi se gloriatur à mundo , quae christi esse non potuit , nisi eam mundus odisset . k hieron . epist ad theoph. tom. . pag. . fu●dendo sanguinem , & pauendo magis quam faciendo contumelias , christi fund●ta est ecclesia , persecutionibus crevit , martyriis coronata est . l ambros . epist . . tom. . pag. . qui ( a●xentius ) quos non potuerit sermone decipere , eos gladio putat esse feriendos ; cru●ntas leges ore dictans , manu scribens ; & putans , quod lex fidem possic hominibus imperare . m id. lib. . . t●m . p. . postea cum videret me abstinere ab episcopis qui communicabant ei , vel qui aliquos dev●os , licèt à fide , ad necem petebant , &c. n marcian . epist . ad archimandr . & mon. aeg. in act. conc. chalcedon . t. . conc. gen . pag. . 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 . o hujus epist . ad constantium , apud athan. in epist . ad solit . vit ag . tom . pag. . 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 , &c. p hilar. lib. . ad const . fol. . deus cognitionem sui docuit potiùs quàm exegit ; & operationum coelestium admiratione praeceptis suis concilians auctoritatem , coactam confitendi se aspernatus est voluntatem , &c. deus universitatis est ; obsequio non eget necessario : non requirit coactam confessionem . q ambros . com in luc. lib. . pag. . eos misit ad seminandam fidem , qui non cogerent , sed docerent , nec vim potestatis exercerent , sed doctrinam humilitatis attollerent . r cyprian epist . . pag. . tunc quidem gladio occidebantur , quando adhuc & circumcisio carnalis manebat . nunc autem , &c. spirituali gladio superbi & contumaces necantur , dum de ecclesia ejiciuntur . ſ girolamo , carena nella vita di pio vp . a tertul. apolog. c . p. . videte enim ne & hoc ad irreligiositatis elogium concurrat , adimere libertatem religionis , & interdicere optionem divinitatis , ut non liceat mihi colere quem velim , sed cogar colere quem nolim . nemo se ab invito coli vellet , ne homo quidem . b id. apolog. cap. . pag . quoniam autem facilè iniquum videtur , liberos homines invitos urgeri ad sacrificandum . nam & aliàs divinae rei faciendae libens animus inducitur . c id. lib ad scapul . c. . tatamen humani juris , & naturalis potestatis est , unicuique quod putaverit colere : nec alii abest , aut prodest alterius religio . sed nec religionis est cogere religionem , quae sponte suscipi debeat , non vi ; cum & hostiae ab animo libenti expostulentur . d id. apol. c. . p. . nunc religiosissimi legum , & patornorum institutorum protectores & sultores respondeant velim de sua fide & honore , & obsequio erga majorum consulta , si à nullo disciverunt ? si in nullo exorbitaverunt ? si non necessaria & aptissima quaeque disciplinae obli●●eraverunt 〈◊〉 quonam illae leges abierunt , &c. ib. p. . ub ; religio ? ubi veneratio majoribus debita à vobis ? habitu , victu , instructu , sensu ipso denique sermone proavis renunciastis : laudatis semper antiquitatem , & nove de die vivitis . e scholar . orat. . t. conc. gen. p. . 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 . f ibid. p. , & . g ibid. p. . 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 , &c. h 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 ; * irenaeus l. . contr. haer. c. , , , & . id. . c. . iren : l. . c. . cum enim ex scripturis arguuntur , in ac●nsarionem convertuntur ips●rum script urarum , quasi non rectè habeant , neque sint ex ●cctio●●tate , & quia variè sint dictae , & quia non possit ex his inveniri veritas , ab his qui nesciant traditionem . non enim per litteras tradi●am illam , sed per vivam vocem . a plain testimony to the antient truth and work of god and against the corruption of the clergy, and their upholders. by t. g. goodaire, thomas, d. . approx. kb of xml-encoded text transcribed from -bit group-iv tiff page images. text creation partnership, ann arbor, mi ; oxford (uk) : - (eebo-tcp phase ). a wing g estc r this keyboarded and encoded edition of the work described above is co-owned by the institutions providing financial support to the early english books online text creation partnership. this phase i text is available for reuse, according to the terms of creative commons . universal . the text can be copied, modified, distributed and performed, even for commercial purposes, all without asking permission. early english books online. (eebo-tcp ; phase , no. a ) transcribed from: (early english books online ; image set ) images scanned from microfilm: (early english books, - ; : ) a plain testimony to the antient truth and work of god and against the corruption of the clergy, and their upholders. by t. g. goodaire, thomas, d. . , [ ] p. printed, and sold by t. sowle, at the crooked-billet in holywell-lane, in shoreditch, [london] : . signed at end: thomas goodaire. place of publication provided by cataloger. title page in red and black. copy has extensive print fade. reproduction of the original in the bevan-naish collection, woodbrooke college library, birmingham, england. created by converting tcp files to tei p using tcp tei.xsl, tei @ oxford. re-processed by university of nebraska-lincoln and northwestern, with changes to facilitate morpho-syntactic tagging. gap elements of known extent have been transformed into placeholder characters or elements to simplify the filling in of gaps by user contributors. eebo-tcp is a partnership between the universities of michigan and oxford and the publisher proquest to create accurately transcribed and encoded texts based on the image sets published by proquest via their early english books online (eebo) database (http://eebo.chadwyck.com). the general aim of eebo-tcp is to encode one copy (usually the first edition) of every monographic english-language title published between and available in eebo. eebo-tcp aimed to produce large quantities of textual data within the usual project restraints of time and funding, and therefore chose to create diplomatic transcriptions (as opposed to critical editions) with light-touch, mainly structural encoding based on the text encoding initiative (http://www.tei-c.org). the eebo-tcp project was divided into two phases. the , texts created during phase of the project have been released into the public domain as of january . anyone can now take and use these texts for their own purposes, but we respectfully request that due credit and attribution is given to their original source. users should be aware of the process of creating the tcp texts, and therefore of any assumptions that can be made about the data. text selection was based on the new cambridge bibliography of english literature (ncbel). if an author (or for an anonymous work, the title) appears in ncbel, then their works are eligible for inclusion. selection was intended to range over a wide variety of subject areas, to reflect the true nature of the print record of the period. in general, first editions of a works in english were prioritized, although there are a number of works in other languages, notably latin and welsh, included and sometimes a second or later edition of a work was chosen if there was a compelling reason to do so. image sets were sent to external keying companies for transcription and basic encoding. quality assurance was then carried out by editorial teams in oxford and michigan. % (or pages, whichever is the greater) of each text was proofread for accuracy and those which did not meet qa standards were returned to the keyers to be redone. after proofreading, the encoding was enhanced and/or corrected and characters marked as illegible were corrected where possible up to a limit of instances per text. any remaining illegibles were encoded as <gap>s. understanding these processes should make clear that, while the overall quality of tcp data is very good, some errors will remain and some readable characters will be marked as illegible. users should bear in mind that in all likelihood such instances will never have been looked at by a tcp editor. the texts were encoded and linked to page images in accordance with level of the tei in libraries guidelines. copies of the texts have been issued variously as sgml (tcp schema; ascii text with mnemonic sdata character entities); displayable xml (tcp schema; characters represented either as utf- unicode or text strings within braces); or lossless xml (tei p , characters represented either as utf- unicode or tei g elements). keying and markup guidelines are available at the text creation partnership web site . eng church of england -- clergy -- controversial literature -- early works to . catholic church -- clergy -- controversial literature -- early works to . society of friends -- apologetic works -- early works to . clergy -- religious life -- controversial literature -- early works to . quakers -- apologetic works -- early works to . - tcp assigned for keying and markup - aptara keyed and coded from proquest page images - john pas sampled and proofread - john pas text and markup reviewed and edited - pfs batch review (qc) and xml conversion a plain testimony to the antient truth and work of god ; and against the corruption of the clergy , and their upholders . by t. g. jer. . , . a wonderful and horrible thing is committed in the land ; the prophets prophesie falsly , and the priests bear rule by their means , and my people love to have it so ; and what will ye do in the end thereof ? printed , and sold by t. sowle , at the crooked-billet in holywell-lane , in shoreditch , . a plain testimony to the antient truth and work of god ; and against the corruption of the clergy , &c. friends and people every where , in all places where this may come , this is to let you know , there is something in my heart and mind for to publish , and to make manifest unto all people that profess christianity , and salvation by christ , what the clergy-men of the world hold forth , both the popish clergy and the protestant clergy , both in doctrine , principles and practices ; and also their manner of doings and practices , as touching the worship and service of god ; and also their persecutions and cruelties which they and their hearers , and members of their churches have acted and done against the people of god , who are in scorn called quakers , and will undertake by the help and assistance of the lord , to prove these things to be true , which is , or may be herein , and hereafter expressed and declared against them , which are as followeth . first , i do affirm , that neither the popish clergy , nor the protestant clergy , nor their hearers that are members of their churches , neither can , nor never shall know jesus christ experimentally to be their saviour and redeemer from their sins and iniquities , as the true ministers and people of god did know him formerly , and as the true ministers and people of god know him now in this our age and generation , to their and our souls true peace , joy , comfort and satisfaction in god ; neither can they ever know the mystery of godliness by experience revealed in them , nor they cannot have a true belief in christ , as the ministers and people of god had , and have now , so long as they live and act in sin , and take pleasure and delight therein , and plead for a continuance in sin so long as they live upon the earth . and it is the doctrine and belief of the clergy-men , before mentioned , and the people that are their hearers , and members of their churches , that none can be set free from sin , nor be made perfect from it in this life ; and so they preach against perfection from sin , which god and christ commanded that people should be perfect and holy ; and are god and christ such hard masters as to command that of people for them to do , which cannot be done nor attained unto in this life ? but the ministers of christ never preached any such doctrine , but on the contrary , they preached perfection from sin , and exhorted the people to press after perfection ; and the lord gave gifts unto men , and he made some apostles , and some evangelists , and some p●●ph●●● , and some pastors and teachers , for the perfecting of the saints , and for the work of the ministry , and for the edifying of the body of christ , until they all came into the unity of the faith , and of the knowledge of the son of god unto a perfect man , unto the measure of the stature ●f the fulness of christ . and many of the people of god did attain to perfection from sin in this life , and they did know an overcoming of their sins and iniquities in this life , by the help and assistance of the power and spirit of christ working in them : and no man nor woman can be perfect from sin of themselves , nor by any works of righteousness which they can do of themselves , nor by their own wills , but by the help and assistance of the power and spirit of christ working in them ; and so all things are possible with god , which may seem impossible to men ; and the lord is the same that he was then , and he is as able , and sufficient , & willing to do the like for us , & to work the same works in our hearts by his holy spirit , as he did in the hearts of his people formerly , if we do but truly believe in him , and be willing for to obey and follow him , by taking up a daily cross to our own wills , and thoughts , and desires , and inclinations of nature , and so thereby we must deny our selves from doing any thing that will please our selves , if it do offend the lord , and displease him , we must not do it for the gaining of the love and friendship of any people , nor for the gaining of any outward thing , or treasure that is in the world : and we are required and commanded by the lord for to put our whole trust and confidence in him , who hath promised , that he will never leave nor forsake them that puts their whole trust & confidence in him . and these things the lord commanded and required ●is people for to do formerly , which they did in love and in obedience to him , and the lord was with them , and in them , by his holy spirit , and he did help and 〈…〉 spirit for to do and perform those things 〈…〉 required of them for to do ; and this he 〈…〉 d truly believe and follow him , and for all them 〈…〉 fear and love him with all their hearts , above all 〈…〉 gs . and now the lord commands and requires us for to do the 〈◊〉 things ; and if we be willing and obedient to him , and fear and love him with all our hearts , above all visible things , i do verily believe , and i am confident in the lord , that he will help and assist us by his holy spirit for to do and perform all things which he commands and requires of us for to do and perform , now in this our age and generation ; but all them that do not truly believe in christ , nor is not willing for to obey and follow him , nor to deny themselves as aforesaid , and counts god a hard master , by commanding and requiring more of them then they are able to do , or can be attained unto in this life , as they say ; it is manifest unto the lord and his people , that all such are slothful servants , and hide their talents in their earthly hearts , and are disobedient to him , such neither fear nor love the lord as they ought to do , nor as ●e commands them for to do ; and no such slothful , idle , careless people can believe that perfection from sin is to be attained unto in this life , neither are they willing to press after such a good state and condition ; and so he who they love and serve , which is the enemy of their souls in them , prevails against them , and teacheth them for to preach and speak against perfection from sin in this life ; read the scriptures following , gen. . . . . job . . luke . , . mark . . mat. . . acts . . pet. . . king. . , , . mat. . . ephes . . , , . heb. . . heb. . , ● . rev. . , , , . john . . chap . . to vers . . and further i do affirm , that all that preach and speak against perfection from sin , and say , that there is no perfection from sin can be attained unto in this life ; all such persons and people do encourage people for to live in sin , and they do discourage people from pressing after perfection , and they are a means to beget people into unbelief , that they may not believe that such a good state and condition is to be attained unto in this life ; and all such deny the sufficiency of christ , and the end of his coming in spirit , into the hearts and souls of all true christians , and true believers in him ; which end was , and is , for to mortifie , and to kill , and crucifie sin , and to destroy the works of the devil , which is sin and iniquity in people ; and every evil plant which the lord hath not planted , which hath taken deep root in people's hearts , the lord will pluck up by the working of his own power and spirit in the hearts of all true christians , and true believers and followers of christ , who truly love and obey him ; and this great work of christ must be known and witnessed for to be done and wrought by him in every true christian , before christ can be known experimentally for to reign and rule in the hearts and souls of people : and these things are a mystery unto all that live in sin , and take pleasure and delight therein , and unto all the proud and covetous clergy that are in the whole world , that preach for tythes or money , and are hired by people to preach for so much money by the year , which the true apostle paul said , that the love of money was the root of all evil ; and the true ministers of christ hated all such covetous practices , and declared against them ; and paul said , i have coveted no man's silver , or gold , or apparel ; ye your selves know , said he , that these hands have ministred unto my necessities , and to them that were with me : who was a tent-maker , he was not brought up at any schools of learning for to be made a minister of christ ; nor none of the ministers of christ were brought up at any schools of learning , to be made ministers of christ , but several of them were ignorant and unlearned men , as to outward learning and scholarship , which people do so much boast of ; but they were brought up at christ's school , and they were taught of him by his holy spirit , and they were endued with power from on high ; and they were led and guided by christ's spirit into all truth , and out of all the wicked & ungodly ways and practices , which many of the clergy-men , and of their hearers before mentioned , live and walk in now . and the apostle paul said , that the gospel which he preached , be neither received of man , neither was he taught it of man , but by the revelation of jesus christ , and he preached not unto any people with inticing words of man's wisdom , nor of man's learning ; but he preached and spoke unto the people in the demonstration of the spirit , & with power , that their faith should not stand in the wisdom of men , but in the power of god ; and christ made them able ministers of the new testament , not of the letter , but of the spirit ; for the letter killeth , but the spirit giveth life unto the soul : and so the ministers of christ never preached such a doctrine , as these covetous clergy-men do now : read these scriptures , galatians . . , . acts ● , . cor. . . cor. . , , , , . tim. . , , , , , . and you that preach and speak against perfecti●n 〈…〉 sin , and say , none can be set free from sin in this life , can you not believe that christ jesus is as able , and sufficient , and willing to save people from their sins , and to bring them to a perfect state from sin , according as god created man and woman in the beginning , as the devil who is the author of all sin and evil , who makes his children and servants perfect in sin and wickedness , who continue to the end of their days , to obey and follow him , and are led and guided by his spirit into sin and evil , and his evil fruits are brought forth , and acted and done daily by his children and servants , to the great dishonour of god , who made man and woman for to love , fear , serve and honour , and obey him , in truth and righteousness , and to live and walk before the lord , in a holy , godly , righteous life , in all manner of holiness and righteousness , in our holy lives and godly conversations , so long as the lord is pleased that we shall live upon the earth , that so god almighty may be honoured and glorified in us , and by us , that so we may answer the end for which he hath made and created us , which is to fear and love him with all our hearts , which if we do so in truth , then we shall be made willing by the lord for to obey him , and keep his commands , which is the duty of every one so to do . and now , all you that do not believe that perfection from sin can be attained unto , and that not any can be set free from sin in this life , doth not your faith and belief stand in him who is the author of all sin and evil , which is the wicked spirit ? and your faith and belief stands not in christ , who is the author of perfection from sin , who is the good spirit , and saves his people from their sins , but not in their sins ; and christ said , whosoever committeth sin , is the servant of sin. and the apostle paul said , know ye not to whom ye yield your selves servants to obey , his servants ye are to whom ye do obey , whether of sin that leads to death and destruction , or of obedience unto righteousness , which leads to life and peace with the lord. and so long as people live in sin , and are servants to it , they are free from righteousness ; and the apostle john said , he that commiteth sin is of the devil : and he said , he that is born of god sinneth not . read these scriptures , john . . rom. . , . to the end , john . . to vers . . and all that believe that they cannot be set free from sin so long as they live in this world , they know nothing of the new birth experimentally , no more than nicodemus did , which was a ruler of the jews ; nor no such persons nor people that plead for living in sin term of life , they know nothing by expe●●ence what it is for to be regenerated , and born again of water and the spirit , without which inward spiritual knowledge they cannot enter into the kingdom of god ; and they that are born of god by the water and spirit of life , they are not servants to sin , neither will any such plead for sin , nor for a continuance in it as long as they live ; but all such persons and people that are born of god , as aforesaid , they hate sin , and every appearance of it , in thoughts , words and actions , both in themselves and in all other people , where they see sin committed , acted or done ; and those that are born of god by his spirit , they are in christ , and he is in them spiritually , and they are made new creatures by the working of christ's spirit in their hearts and souls ; and all old things that are evil , which is sin and iniquity , comes to be taken away and destroyed , and all things are made new by the workings of the power and spirit of christ in the hearts of all the children of light , who are true believers and followers of christ through the spiritual warfare , and through great tribulations , and tryals , and exercises , which the people of the lord come to know , and to pass through , before they attain to perfection from all their sins ; and it is said , that many are the troubles of the righteous , and through many tribulations must they enter into the kingdom of heaven ; but the lord is all-sufficient for to help his people out of all their troubles and tryals , both inward and outward , those that puts their whole trust and confidence in him : and he hath done great things for many of his people now in our age and generation , which have been under great troubles , sufferings and tryals , both inward and outward , for which we have just cause , and we are bound in duty to bless and praise the name of the lord , and to return unto him all honour , glory , praise , thanks , fear , reverence and true obedience ; for unto the lord alone it doth belong , both from me , and from all that knows him , who have tasted of his love and mercies , blessed and praised be his great and glorious , and heavenly name , both now , henceforth for ever , and for evermore . read these scriptures , john . . to vers . . cor. . . acts . . cor. . . . chap. . . . . . and so the true way that leads to the kingdom of heaven , is a strait and narrow way , for it is a way of holiness , righteousness and purity , and a way wherein all people must deny themselves of doing any evil thing that will offend the lord , or displease him , and therefore there are but a few that find it , and walk in it : and christ's flock is but a little flock , in comparison of the multitude of people that are in the world , but the way that leads to hell and destruction , and so into everlasting torment and misery which shall never come to an end ; this is a broad and wide way , and it is easie , and delightful , and pleasant , to all fleshly carnal minded people for to walk in : and all those people that live and act in sin and evil , and take pleasure and delight therein , and deny perfection from sin in this life , all such persons and people are going on in the broad and wide way , that will lead them into everlasting wo and misery , unless they repent . and therefore it is my advice and counsel unto all people that now live and delight in sin and evil , as you tender the glory of god , and the good and well-being of your immortal souls , come out of all your ungodly ways and doings , and repent and forsake the evil of your ways and doings , and desire the lord to pardon you for all your sins and transgressions , which yon have acted and done against him ; and turn unto the lord , and fear and love him with all your hearts , and hate sin and evil , and every appearance of it , both in your selves , and in all others , that thereby you may come to know a change , and a reformation to be wrought in your hearts by the power and spirit of christ in you , and this is the only way and means for you to find forgiveness , and mercy , and acceptance with the lord for your poor souls ; which if you so do , and find , it will be of more worth and value to you that find it , then all the outward injoyments of honour , or riches , or pleasures that are in the world. and now i shall mention , and lay before you some of the cruelties and bloody persecutions of these clergy-men , before mentioned , and some of their hearers , and members of their churches , which have joyned with them in their cruelties , and bloody persecutions , and shall begin with the popish clergy , and some of the members of their church ; first , it is well known to many people what their doctrine , and principles , and practices are , and what it leads and guides them for to do and act , in those places and countries where they have the rule and power in outward things ; as for instance , they do believet at all people which are not of their faith and religion are sectaries and hereticks , though they be called christians , as i can make appear by their own books , which they have set forth ; and then this hath followed by their practices , that the more hereticks they kill and destroy , many of them think they do god more service , and count it a meritorious work , although the people which they have killed and murthered were no hereticks , but good christians , many of them , and were faithful to god in what he manifested and made known unto them in their age and time ; as for instance , how many of these good people aforesaid , have these popish bloody clergy-men , and the members of their church , caused for to be but and destroyed in queen mary's reign , because they could not for good conscience-sake submit and conform to their idolatrous ways and worships , which were never ordained by the lord , nor never such a doctrine nor practice was ever preached , nor practised by any of the ministers of christ . and so this doctrine and practice , which was and is preached and practised by the popish clergy , and the members of their church , was ordained and set up by the devil and his ministers , and not by christ nor his ministers , as appears plainly by their wicked actions and practices , aforesaid . and i shall mention more of their cruelties and murders , as for instance , how many thousands of protestants did they kill and murder in ireland , even at such a time when the protestants were peaceable and quiet , and did not lift up a hand against them ; and the devil in those murderers did invent such cruel tortures and punishments to put them to death , as scarce hath been heard of amongst the heathens , which are no christians ; and yet notwithstanding they have the boldness and confidence , for to call themselves christians , and say , christ is their saviour : but christ hates and abhors all such murders and cruelties , as are found acted and done amongst them : and christ came not to destroy men's lives , but to save them . and here people may see that these aforesaid , are not acted nor guided by the spirit of christ , but by the spirit of the devil , who was a lyar and a murderer from the beginning . and now i shall mention and lay before you some of the cruelties and great persecutions of the presbyterian clergy , and some of their hearers and members of their church , both in old england , and in new-england , which they have acted and done against the people of god , who are in scorn called by the world quakers ; first , they have cast many of us into prisons , and there they have kept several until they dyed , and by their means and doings they have taken away the goods and chattels of many of our friends , both rich and poor , to the value of many thousands of pounds ; and this they did in oliver cromwell's time , and they proceeded against us for not paying of them tythes , and money for preaching , by a law which gave them trebble damage ; and they caused evil men for to come into our houses and grounds for to distrain our goods and chattels , which they did several times , and sold our goods and chattels , and gave the money to those tything hireling-priests ; and they sold our goods & chattels at an undervalue ; and they took many times goods and chattels from us , which were worth above five times more than they call'd their due ; & thus they have done to many of us . and they have cast several into prisons for less than eighteen pence a piece , at their own valuation , which they said was their due ; and thus they have ruinated several of our friends , and their families aforesaid , in their estates , besides the cruelties which they have inflicted upon our bodies , in casting many of us into prisons , and there they kept many until they dyed ; and thus cruelly , with much more cruelties , which are here too tedious to mention , have they acted and done against us , because we could not for good conscience sake uphold them in their ungodly ways and practices , as to pay them tythes , and money for their preaching , as ministers of christ , as they and the people that hear them , call and account them to be : but christ came to put an end to that law , and priest-hood , and covenant , by which tythes were paid in the time of the law and first covenant , and hath abolished it ; read heb. . , , . and where do ye find , or read in all the scriptures of truth , that any of the true ministers of christ took tythes , or money for their preaching ? or did ever any of the true believers and followers of christ pay tythes ? and whosoever they be that either take tythes , or pay tythes , denys christ to be come , and the end of his coming , so as to yield obedience unto him , by doing that which he requires of them . and now i have something more to mention of the wickedness , and cruelties , and murders of the presbyterian clergy , and the professors and members of their church in new-england , against the people of god , called in scorn quakers ; first , they cast many in prison , and they whipped many in a cruel manner , both men and women , 〈◊〉 their naked bodies ; and they took away the goods and 〈◊〉 of many of the people aforesaid , and they branded and burnt them with hot ●●ons , and they cut off the ears of some , and b●nished them ; and all these cruelties , with much more , which are not here mentioned , which they acted and did against the people aforesaid , would not sati●fie their blood-thirsty spirit . and now i desire all true christians , who are true believers and lovers of christ , to consider and take notice of all these cruelties and murders aforesaid , and see if these clergy-men and people aforesaid , be not acted and guided by the same spirit now that the high-priests , and chief priests , and scribes and pharisees were , when christ was upon the earth ; and they had a form of godliness , and professed scriptures , and they made long prayers , and made clean the outside , and appeared righteous in the sight of men , but their hearts were deceitful , and full of hypocrisie and iniquity , as many of the priests and professors of religion are found to be now , by their evil lives and conversations in this world : and was there any greater enemies to christ jesus , when he was upon the earth , then those high-priests and chief priests , and scribes and pharisees were then ? and they sought every way they could for to destroy christ and his ministers , and sought false witness against them for to have them put to death : and christ and some of his ministers were put to death by means of such wicked ungodly priests and professors of religion as aforesaid , which had a form of godliness , but they were absolute enemies to thse that lived in the life and power of godliness ; as these priests , and professors , and people are now ; & many of these now are absolute enemies to the children of light , and all that do truly believe and own the spiritual appearance of christ in their hearts , as to obey and follow it , who was and is the true light and life of all true christians , and true believers in him in all ages & generations that are past & gone ; and all such christians and true believers in him , who do obey & follow the light & spirit of christ in their hearts , they do , and will receive power daily for to forsake their sins and iniquities ; and the same light and spirit will beget a perfect hatred in their hearts against all sin , and every appearance of it , both in themselves , and in all others , where they see sin acted or done : and whosoever doth truly love and 〈…〉 light and spirit of christ in themselves , which shews them sin , and reproves them for it in secret , when they either think , speak or act any thing that is evil , it will teach and help them to forsake sin , and every appearance of sin , according as the lord doth manifest sin unto them : and whosoever doth truly believe in this light and good spirit of christ , which shews people their sins , and reproves them in their own hearts and consciences , when they do sin against god , if they do truly love , and obey , and follow this light and good spirit in them , it is sufficient in its self , without the help of vain sinful men , which preach against perfection from sin in this life ; i say again , it is sufficient , and there is help and power enough in it , for to lead and guide all people out of their sins , and to give them power to forsake all their sins and iniquities by degrees , all that are willing to deny themselves of all their sinful ways and pleasures , and so become obedient to this light and spirit of christ in them ; and this light and spirit the lord hath given a measure of it freely to every one for to profit withal ; and it is sufficient for to teach all people that truly believe in it , and obey it , and is willing to be taught by it , it will teach them to deny all ungodly thoughts , words and actions ; and it will teach them to live soberly , justly , godly , and righteously in this present world ; and it will teach them for to do unto all people , as they would be done unto themselves ; and it will teach them for to deal , and to do justly to all men , and to love and shew mercy unto all people , and to walk in lowliness , and in true humility before the lord ; and these things the lord requires of every one , and it is the duty of every one so to do . and now if this good spirit of christ did bear rule in every ones heart , it would lead and guide them in all truth and righteousness , and it would lead and bring them out of all the wicked and ungodly ways , and worships , and evil practices which are acted and done amongst all the sons and daughters of men , which are now in the fall , and live in sin and transgression against god , and so are found to be in the unregenerate state , and such are dead in their sins and trespasses , tho' their bodies be alive in this world : and if this good spirit aforesaid did bear rule in every heart , there would not be that killing nor destroying one another , neither about religion , nor no earthly thing whatsoever ; and therefore i would have all people to take notice , that there are two spirits , a good spirit , and an evil spirit ; and the good spirit comes from god , and the evil spirit comes from the devil ; and the good spirit leads people up to god , to have fellowship & communion with him in spirit , in their hearts & souls ; and this is the only communion which is spiritual , that is alone necessary and needful for every one to know in truth , as to their everlasting happiness with the lord , when time here in this world shall be no more to them . and the evil spirit draws and leads people from god , into all manner of sin and wickedness , some into one kind of sin , and some into other kind of sin ; so that all people upon the earth are sinners , and live in sin so long as this evil spirit guides and bears rule in their hearts , and every one is a servant to whether of these two spirits he doth obey ; and to whether of these two spirits be yields his members servants unto , his servants they are to whom they do obey , whether it be unto that spirit which leads them into sin and evil , which is the wicked spirit , or it be that they do obey the good spirit , which leads and guides all them that are led and guided by it , into all truth and righteousness , and out of all sin and iniquiry ; and whosoever hath not the spirit of christ , they are none of his , let them profess what they will , or be of what judgment or religion soever , if they have not the spirit of christ in them for to teach , and instruct , and counsel them , they are none of christ's servants nor ministers ; read these scriptures , rom. . . to vers . . rom. . . to the end , john . . to vers . . tit. . . to the end , john . . to vers . . cor. . . and all them that do love and believe in the light and spirit of christ in them , which shews them sin , and reproves them in their own hearts and consciences , many times when they do sin , insomuch that i have heard several people say , when they have sinned , i pray god forgive me ; when as at that time no person outwardly did speak to them ; but it was the light and spirit of christ in them , that shewed them that they had sinned against the lord at that time ; and whosoever minds and takes heed to that light and spirit of christ in them , and believes in it , so as to obey and follow it , it will not only shew them their sins and evil deeds which they have done and committed against the lord ; but it will beget a perfect hatred against all sin in them , that do truly love and believe in this light and good spirit aforesaid , and it will beget secret crys and breathings unto the lord , in their hearts and souls , that he would be pleased to pardon them , and to give them power for the time to come to forsake the evil of their ways and doings ; that they might never sin against the lord any more ; and this hath been my state and con●●●ion , and many more of the people of god ; and now we can say in truth , to the praise and glory of the lord it is spoken , that we that were sinners and unbelievers , and were dead in sins & trespasses in days & years that are past and gone , as well as others ; and then at that time when we were in that sad and miserable state and condition , as aforesaid , the lord was pleased out of his infinite love , mercy & goodness , for to reveal and make known himself unto us , even at that time when we were enemies , aliens and strangers unto him by wicked works , which we had done against the lord , notwithstanding all our profession of religion , and fair pretences which we made , that we did love the lord , and believe in him , and did worship and serve him , as we thought then ; but it pleased the lord of his great love and kindness to us to appear in our hearts , by his light and good spirit , which he manifested and revealed in us at that time ; and the lord was pleased by his light and spirit for to search our hearts , and to let us see the deceit and the evil that was in our hearts , by reason of sin and iniquity , which the enemy of our souls , ( which is the wicked spirit ) had wrought in our hearts , and we knew it not , when we lived in our sins , and took pleasure and delight therein ; and so instead of denying our selves from doing those things , which did offend and displease the lord , we did those things which did offend him and grieve his holy spirit , as too many do now ; and when we did those things which grieved the lord , we did not then walk in the strait and narrow way that leads to life and peace with the lord ; but we were then walking in the broad and wide way that leads to hell and destruction , which many thousands are now walking in , that live in their sins , and take pleasure and delight therein ; but now the lord out of his free love , and grace , and mercy hath called us out of the evil of the world , and the vain conversation that people live and walk in , both professors and prophane , and he hath revealed and made known his mind and will unto us , what he would have us for to do , and what he requires of us , which is to live the lord with all our hearts , above all visible things that are in the world ; and also to fear , serve , honour and obey him in truth and righteousness , and to do justly with all men , and to love mercy and walk humbly with god ; and now we find that the lord hath made a remnant of us freely willing for to serve and obey him , and to do his will in what he makes known unto us , in all things which he commands and requires of us for to do . and this great work which the lord hath already wrought in our hearts , and the great things which he hath done for us , and in us , by his power and spirit , he hath not done it for any goodness , or worthiness , or any deserts which he saw in us , nor for any works of righteousness which we have done , whereby to move , or to ingage the lord for to do these great things , either for us , or in us ; but he hath done all these things for his own name sake , and in love to our immortal souls , and out of his free love , and mercy , and kindness to us , for which we are bound in duty , and are ingaged to return unto the lord all honour , glory , praise , thanks , love , fear , reverence and obedience ; for unto him alone it doth belong , both from me , and from all that know how good and gracious he is , and hath been unto them , who is god over and above all , blessed and praised be his great , holy , and heavenly name , both now henceforth , for ever , and for evermore ; amen . and now i would have all people to take notice , where this may come , that all persons and people that despise and reject the light and spirit of christ in them , which shews them their sins , and reproves them in secret when they do evil , and say , it is but a natural light , and that it is not sufficient , nor hath power to save people from their sins , nor to keep and preserve them out of sin , all such are unbelievers , and hate christ , and love their evil deeds ; for christ is that light and good spirit in them , and he hath given a measure of it freely to every one to profit withal : and all them that truly love and believe in this light and good spirit in them , and is willing for to obey and follow it , all such will come to know salvation and redemption by christ from their sins and iniquities ; but all those that hate , and despise , and reject the counsel and teaching of this light and good spirit in them , and so slight and undervalue it , and count it a thing of nought , it will be the condemnation of all such , and the lord will be found just when he comes to judge them ; and this light and good spirit in them will bear witness against them when they come to judgment , which will be more than a hundred witnesses outwardly ; read these scriptures , john . , , , . chap. . . chap. . . chap. . , , . cor. . . col. . . chap. . , . and i do verily believe , that there is and shall be a resurrection , both of the just and unjust without respect of persons , w 〈…〉 just god of heaven and earth , for to give 〈…〉 all their deeds and actions which they have 〈…〉 time , and every one shall receive a reward from god , 〈…〉 their deeds which they have done in their bodies , whether they be good or evil . and now it concerns both me , and every one for to prise our time , which the lord is pleased to give to us to live upon the earth , that we may walk circumspectly and wisely , in the wisdom of god , before the evil day come , which will certainly come upon the wicked and ungodly , that live and dye in their sins and iniquities : and it is the true desire of my heart and soul , that we may all spend our time which the lord gives us to live upon the earth to gods honour and glory , by bringing forth good works and actions in our holy lives and godly conversations , to the praise and honour of his great and worthy name , that so we may answer the end for which god hath made and created us , which is to love him with all our hearts , and to fear , serve , honour and obey him in truth and righteousness , whereby god almighty may be honoured and glorified , both in us and by us , who is worthy to have all the honour , glory , praise , thanks , fear and true obedience , for unto him alone it doth belong , both from me , and from all that know the lord how good he is to them , both now and for ever , and for evermore ; amen . read these scriptures , rom. . . cor. . . rev. . . and now i shall come to mention something of the cruelties and persecutions of the episcopal clergy , who are teachers of the people of the church of england , so called , and some of their hearers and members of their church that assisted them in their cruelties ; first , they imprisoned many hundreds of the people of the lord , called in scorn quakers ; and by their means we were put into nasty holes and dungeons amongst thieves and murderer ; and some of us were fettered and chained with irons on both legs as they do to the worst of malefactors ; and our friends and acquaintance were not suffered for to come to see us , although some of our friends did come a hundred miles or more , for to see us , and neither they nor we could be suffered to see one another ; and they have gone away without seeing of us ; nor there was not any suffered to come to relieve us , nor to help us to such things for our money as we stood in great need of ; nor we were not suffered to have any manner of bedding brought in , not so much as a little straw to lie upon , to keep us off the cold ground , although we would have paid for it : and this was worse cruelty than many use to their dogs and swine : and so the goalers would force us to buy victuals of them at their own rate , or else we must have none , which was dearer by half then we might have had it of other people , if we could have been suffered to buy it at best hand ; and there many were kept in prisons until they dyed , by reason of such cruel usage as aforesaid . and these clergy-men caused many of our houses to be rifled , and they went into the grounds , and took and carried away out of our houses and grounds much goods and chattels several times , which they sold at an undervalue , less by half than they were worth : and they took away goods and chattels from many of us , which were worth above five times more than they could prove to be their due ; and they distrained all the goods in some houses , and left them not a bed to lie upon , neither for the man of the house , nor his wife , children nor servants , although some of the men's wives , which had their houses so rifled and plundred , was but newly delivered of a child , or children ; and so they took no pitty , nor shewed no mercy neither to men , women or children , that were in such a state and condition as aforesaid : and thus they have ruinated several persons and their families , by taking away their goods and chattels , which they and their families should have lived upon : they did live very well & comfortably before these wicked ungodly clergy-men , and the upholders of them came upon them thus to destroy them . and they have taken away goods and chattels from us worth many thousands of pounds . and all these cruelties and wickedness they have done and acted against us , is only because we could not for good conscience-sake pay them tythes , and money for their preaching , as ministers of christ , which we know in our own hearts and consciences , and also by the scriptures of truth , that neither christ , nor his true ministers , never ordained any such wages , nor they never practiced any such things , nor never took tythes nor money for their preaching , nor never preached such a doctrine as these tything hireling-priests do now : but on the contrary , they denyed all such ungodly ways and practices , and spoke against them , and said , that covetousness is idolatry , and the love of money is the root of all evil ; and , that these things ought not to be done , nor practiced amongst the ministers of christ ; and as the apostle paul said , so say we , if any one preach any other gospel , or any other doctrine , than that which the ministers of christ preached unto the people formerly , let him be accursed . and the ministers of christ were endued with power f●●● on high , and they were taught of christ ; and the gospel which they preached , they neither received is of man , neither were they taught it of man , neither did they learn it at any outward schools of humane learning ; neither did they buy it for money ; but the lord did reveal it unto them by his holy spirit , which he gave unto them freely ; and so they preached freely without any tythes or money : neither did they go to law , nor compel , nor cast any sort of people into prison , because they gave them not tythes nor money for their preaching . and therefore i do affirm , that all the priests and clergy-men that , are in the whole world , that either preach or teach to any sort of people for either tythes or money , or both , they are all guilty before the lord of that great sin of covetousness , and the love of money , which is the root of all evil ; besides many other great sins which they are guilty of in the sight of god : and the wicked and the unrighteous shall not inherit the kingdom of god , nor any covetous man , who is an idolater , hath any inheritance in the kingdom of christ , or of god. read these scriptures , cor. . , . eph. . , , , . col. . . . heb. . . luke . . and whereas many of you clergy-men , and others , have falsly accused us , in saying , that we deny authority , and will not be subject nor obedient to authority , &c. to which i answer , not only for my self but in the behalf of my friends , who are in scorn called quakers ; and this i can certainly say , and declare unto all sorts of people , that we do really own and honour authority in our hearts , such who are men of truth , and hate covetousness , and all such as punish evil-doors , and incourage them that do well ; and all such magistrates as these i do believe are ordained and appointed of god to be a terror to the wicked , and them that do evil : and such are a means to hinder the wicked form acting such gross wickedness as many of them would do , if it were not for fear of an outward law , and of such magistrates as they know will punish them for their offences ; and such magistrates as those , that are a means for to incourage and strengthen people in doing that which is good , and to suppress vice , we are willing for to be subject and obedient to them in all things that are temporal , which is lawful and expedient to be done : and all those magistrates which now bear rule , or may hereafter come to bear rule amongst us , we can promise and ingage unto them , that we will never plot , nor contrive any evil thing against them , nor any of them , whereby to hurt or wrong them any manner of way : we shall never rise up in rebellion against any governour or government whatsoever , as to sight against them with any carnal weapon ; and if they should be su●fered to make laws against us , as many have done formerly , and command us to d●● at which we know is a sin against the lord , if we do it ; or if they should require any thing of us , which we cannot do for conscience sake , yet notwithstanding we shall not resist them by force of arms , but by the help of the lord , i hope , we shall be made willing by him for to give up our bodies and estates to suffer for christ's sake , whatsoever the lord may suffer them to do against us . and this the people of god did in all ages , that were and are faithful and obedient to him in what he manifested unto them ; as for instance , did not the rulers imprison peter and john , and afterwards they threatened to punish them , and commanded them , that they should not speak nor teach to any man in the name of jesus ; and they answered , and said unto them , whether it be right in the sight of god to hearken unto you more than unto god , judge ye ? and they said further , we cannot but speak the things which we have seen and heard : and they departed from the presence of the council , rejoycing that they were worthy to suffer shame for the name of christ ; and daily in the temple , and in every house where they came , they ceased not to teach and preach jesus christ . and the rulers , and chief priests and pharisees , and such like wicked people , persecuted many of the ministers of christ , and did imprison and abuse them exceedingly ; and some they killed , only for preaching the gospel , and speaking against their ungodly ways and evil practices which they lived and walked in ; yet notwithstanding they could not put them to silence by all their cruelties and persecutions which they inflicted upon them , neither could they hinder them that were living from preaching the gospel . and so it is good for every one of us to be faithful unto the lord in what he makes known unto us , and trust him , and be willing to give up to suffer for his sake , if he calls us thereunto , and he will appear in his own good time for our deliverance , out of all our troubles and tryals , both inward and outward , wherein we shall have cause to bless and praise the name of the lord , for his great love and kindness to us , who is worthy to have all the honour glory , praise and thanks ; for unto him alone it doth belong , both from me , and from all that know him experimentally , both now and for evermore . read these scriptures , 〈…〉 and chap. 〈…〉 . acts . & chap. . . vers . to the end . ac● . ● . vers . to the end . and now i shall men●ion something concerning false prophets , who they are , an● now they may be known , because such things have been cast upon 〈◊〉 that have spoken in our meetings , that they were false prophets , and if it were possible , they would deceive the very elect , &c. to which i answer , that there is not any person or people that live and walk in sin , and take pleasure and delight therein , and plead for a continuance in it 〈◊〉 term of life , and say , that there is none can be set free from sin in this life . that can witness any thing of their election by the working of christ's spirit in them ; and all such are deceived already by the deceitfulness of sin , which bears rule in the hearts of all the children of disobedience , who are disobedient to the light and spirit of christ in them ; and suell are in the broad way that leads to destruction , and are in the state of reprobation and condemnation : but the true prophets which the lord sent , prophesied freely , without either taking tythes or money , and they prophesied truly that which came to pass ; and they bore witness against the false prophets and false shepherds , that prophesied for money and hire ; as for instance , read isa . . . , . chap. . , . and isaiah was a true prophet , and sent of god , and he did ( as i may say ) comparatively , make as it were a proclamation , and saith , ho , every ●re that thirsteth , come ye to the waters , and he that hath no money , come ye , buy and eat ; yea , come buy wine and milk without money and without price . and he saith unto the people , wherefore do ye spend money for that which is not bread , and your labour for that which satisfieth not ; hearken diligently unto me , saith the lord , ( by that true prophet ) and eat ye that which is good , and let your soul delight it self in fatness . here people may see how the lord by his true prophet invites every one for to come to the waters , and buy and eat freely , that which is good for their souls , without money and without price ; and he exhorts them that they should not spend their money for that which is not bread , and their labour for that which would not satisfie their thirsty souls . and now the generality of people are spending and giving their money for that which is not the bread of life , neither will it satisfie any hungry thirsty soul that truly hungers and thirsts after the lord and his righteousness . and this true prophet called the false prophets and false shepherds , which spoke and prophesied for money , dumb dogs , greedy dogs , which can never have enough , and they all look to their own way , every one for his gain from his quarter : and he told them that they were blind and ignorant , and so they did not understand the things of god. and now if people be not wilfully blind and ignorant , you may see that there is as much difference between the true prophets of god , and the true ministers of christ , and the false prophets and false minstors , that either preach or prophesie for tythes , or money , or both , as there is betwixt light and darkness . and now i have something to propound unto all you clergy-men , before mentioned , which do profess , and say , that you are true believers and ministers of christ , and that you follow christ and his ministers for your example ; and that the scriptures are your rule and guide for to walk by ; first , where do ye find or read in all the holy scriptures of truth , that any of the ministers of christ ever went to any schools of outward learning , and staid several years there , and did commence from one degree of learning unto another , for to be made ministers of christ , as you clergy-men did , and do now ? and when you have been several years at such schools or colledges , until you think that you are artists , and are sufficient for to preach to people , then you get an order to preach : and so you come from those schools into the country , and inquire where there is a vacant place , where there is no ministers , and then you endeavour to get that place for to preach at , if you like their wages ; but if not , then you inquire for to get a better place , where there is most tythes or money , which is worth so much by the year ; and this is your call to your ministry ▪ but the true ministers of christ were never called nor made ministers after such a way and manner as yours is . and is not this way of yours , in being made ministers , like unto a man that binds his son to be an apprentice with a trades-man for several years to learn him his trade , and gives him so much money for so doing ; & when his time is expiered , his master gives him his indentures , and then he becomes a free man to set up his trade , and to trade for himself without any opposition ? but these clergy-men before mentioned , exceed all the trades-men in the world , that have any principle of honesty ruling in them ; for when an honest trades-man sells his commodity , he delivers it to them , ( or some for them ) that buys it and pays for it : but these covetous clergy-men aforesaid , sell their sermons for tythes , or money , or both , and keeps them still , and do not deliver them to those that pay for them : and when they have a mind to go to another town to preach , they may have some of their old sermons still for to preach to that people ; and if that people do not give them any money for that sermon , yet notwithstanding they are paid for it by their own hearers , which pay them so much every year for their preaching , which may amount to ten shillings , or more , for every sermon they preach throughout the whole year : did ever the ministers of christ do any such things as these ? and further , where do you find or read in all the scriptures , that any of the ministers of christ took either tythes or money for their preaching , or went to law with any sort of people , and took away their goods and chattels , and cast them into prisons for not paying of them tythes , or money for their preaching , as these ungodly covetous clergy-men have done unto as these many years , and still continues and goes on in these wicked ungodly practices against us , as is before mentioned ? and further , where do ye find or read in all the scriptures , that any of the ministers of christ , when they went to preach , took a text of other mens words , and from those words raised doctrines , reasons , motives , uses and applications , as you clergy-men do now ? and further , where do you find or read in all the scriptures , that any of the ministers of christ baptized infants , and had sureties to stand up for them , and to promise that they shall forsake the devil , and all his works , the vain pomp and glory of the world , with all covetous desires of the same , the carnal desires of the flesh , so that they will not follow nor be led by them . and all this the witnesses promise in the behalf of that child , or children that they stand up for ; and when the priest asketh those witnesses , whether they do forsake the devil and all his works , and all things above expressed , they say , that they do forsake them all ; which is a lye in the sight of god and his people . and these persons and people which do so promise and say as aforesaid , they are such as live and act in sin and evil , which is of the devil , who is the author of all sin and evil that is committed against god by all the sons and daughters of men in the fall , who are unregenerated , and not born again of the water and spirit of life : and these people which do thus say and promise , as aforesaid , they are such as do not believe that perfection from sin can be attained unto in this life ; and that none shall be set free from sin so long as they live in this world ; such as these take upon them to be called godfathers , and godmothers ; and the children which these people stand up for and promise so on their behalf , are taught to ask them blessing , and to call them godfathers and godmothers ; which thing is unwarrantable in the fight of god , the maker and creator of all mankind , and of all other creatures whatsoever . and how dare any people be so bold and wicked , as to take upon them for to be so called , as aforesaid ? and further , where do you find or read in all the scriptures , that any of the ministers of christ did marry any people , or did say prayers over the dead , or churched any women , as it is called ; and all these things the clergy-men aforesaid , do , and practice for money , besides their tithes and money for preaching . and further , where do ye find or read in all the scriptures , that any of the true bishops and ministers of christ , that were ordained and appointed by him , did assume to themselves , and did take upon them such high names and titles , as to be called lord and masters , as these bishops and clergy-men do ●ow ? and where do ye find or read in all the scriptures , ●●at timothy and titus were called lord bishops , which were true bishops , and ordained of god ? and where had they any bishopricks , and many hundreds of pounds by the year , as these bishops have now ? and are not these great names and titles , and these rich bishopricks , which they own and have gotten to themselves , contrary to the mind and will of god , and contrary to the practice of the true bishops which were ordained of the lord , and contrary to the scriptures , be not a means to beget them into pride and highmindedness , and self-exaltation , and not into humility and lowliness of heart ; so as to be gifted and qualified as the true bishops were , that were ordain'd of god ? and where do you find or read in all the scriptures , that ever any of the true prophets or ministers of christ were called master , as a name or title to set up self above the common sort of people ? and did not christ cry wo against all such that went in long robes , and had the uppermost room at feasts , and love greetings in the markets , and the chief seats in the synagogues , and are called of men rabbi , which is master ? and christ said unto his ministers , be not ye called masters , for one is your master , even christ , and ye are brethren ; and be that is the greatest among you , shall be your servant . and the apostle paul who was a true minister of christ , said , that though i be free from all men , yet i have made my self servant unto all , that i might gain the more . and so he was not called lord , nor master , as a flattering title amongst men , which upholds pride and highmindedness , as these bishops and clergy-men are now ? and did ever the ministers of christ demand ten shillings for a mortuary , and take it , as these clergy-men do now ? and further , where do you find or read in all the scriptures , that any of the ministers of christ set people to sing david's psalms , which are put into rhime and meter , by hopkins and s●erhould , and others ? and whether they that sing david's psalms now , and are not in his state and condition that he was in , when he spoke those words , which are recorded in the book of psalms ? do not such sing lyes in hypocrisie , yea or nay ? for though those sayings were true in david , because he was in that condition which he spoke of at that time , when he spoke those words ; but those sayings are not true in them that know nothing of his condition ; for he was in several conditions , as may be seen in the book of psalms : and how can people sing so long as their souls are in captivity , and they themselves in bondage to sin ; and so people must come to know salvation and redemption wrought by christ in them from their sins and iniquities , before they can sing in truth ? and further , where do you find or read that the ministers of christ had a book of common-prayer , or a mass-book provided for them , for to read to people for money , as these clergy-men do now ? or where do ye find in all the scriptures , that any of the ministers of christ , or any other people , that were true believers and followers of christ , did ever read and say their prayers in a book , when the lord moved them by his holy spirit to pray unto him ; but they waited upon the lord until they were endued with power from on high ; and then they preached and prayed according as the lord by his spirit in them did help and assist them , and gave them utterance for to do and perform what the lord did require of them , as appertaining to the worship and service of god. and now i shall propound one thing more , which is of great concernment ; where do ye find or read in all the scriptures , that ever any of the ministers of christ , or any true christians or saints , who were true believers and followers of christ , that any of them did compel or demand any money of any sort of people , for mending and repairing those houses and places where the true ministers and people of god meet for to worship him in . and now i have something more to declare unto all that profess christianity , and salvation by christ , which do say and believe , that they are already saved , and redeemed , and justified by christ and his righteousness without them , although they be of that faith and perswasion , that they must live in sin as long as they live upon the earth ; and that none can be set free from sin in this life , &c. to which i answer ; that all that are of that faith and perswasion are deceived by the deceiver , and that faith and perswasion was never begotten by the lord , but by the evil one , who is the author of all sin and evil : for i do affirm , that all people that know christ spiritually and experimentally to be their saviour and redeemer , and that he hath already saved , and redeemed , and justified them ; then no such , persons nor 〈◊〉 will any more plead for sin , nor a continuance in 〈◊〉 term of life ; but all such people do believe that freedom from sin is to be attained unto in this life : and all such people that are truly saved , and redeemed , and justified by christ , as aforesaid , they hate sin and every appearance of it , in thoughts , words end actions , both in themselves , and in all others where they see sin 〈…〉 ed , acted and done against the lord ; but mark what followes , that before any can come to know experimentally that christ hath saved and redeemed , and justified them , they must first come to know sin to be mortified , killed , and destroyed in their hea●● by the working of the power , and spirit of christ in them ; and also they must come to know sanctification to be wrought in their hearts by the power of the lord in them , before that they can come to know , or to witness justification by christ , and his righteousness : for all that are or shall be truly saved and redeemed , and justified by christ , they are and shall be saved , and redeemed , and justified by christ from their sins , and from their iniquities ; but not in their sins , nor in their iniquities ; for christ jesus neither saves , nor redeems , nor justifieth any man or woman is their sins , but from their sins ; and whosoever he , she , or they are , that live and act in sin and evil , and takes pleasure and delight therein , and pleads for a continuance in sin term of life , and believes that there is none that can be set free from sin in this life their is no such persons nor people that are already say 〈◊〉 nor redeemed , not justified by christ and his righteousness . but some may object , and say , did not christ come to save sinners and to justifie 〈…〉 . it is true that he did so ; but he came not to save sinners in their sins , nor to justifie the ungodly in their ungodliness , but from their sins , and from their ungodliness ; as they in love and obedience to god came to forsake their sins and their ungodliness . and there is no man nor woman upon the earth that can know christ in truth , and experimentally to be their saviour and redeemer , and justifier , any further than he doth save , and redeem , and justifie them from their sins , and from their ungodliness , so as to mortifie and destroy sin in them . but some may say , that the righteousness of christ is imputed unto us . it is true , it is so unto his people , but the righteousness of christ is not imputed to any one that lives and walks in unrighteousness , and takes pleasure and delight therein ; read these scriptures , mat. . . tit. . . john . . rev. . . gal. . . psal . . . exod. . . and now whereas i have heard many people say , that the quakers religion is but a new upstart religion , and is but of a few years standing , &c. to which i answer ; that i can make it appear by sufficient grounds and reasons , that our religion and principles , and doctrine which we preach and hold forth unto all people where we come , it is of above sixteen hundred years standing ; and we are in the same faith , hope and belief of god and christ , and walk in the same light , life , and spirit of christ , and in the same way and practice , as to the worship of god , and christ and his ministers , and disciples did preach , and teach , and practice , and hold forth unto all people where they came , above sixteen hundred years ago . and now all you clergy-men aforesaid , that say you are ministers of christ , and the scriptures are your rule to walk by , answer all these things which are here laid to your charge by plain scriptures , without wresting or perverting any of them to a wrong sence , and answer in plainness , without your logick or syllogisms , or without using any of your hebrew , greek or latin , which any carnal earthly-minded men may have , that are brought up schollars at your schools , which are in capacity to learn humane learning , which may be bought for money . and so it appears plainly , both in the sight of god , and his people , by your wicked ungodly actions and practices , which you have done and acted both against the lord , his truth and people , that you have received nothing from god , as the true ministers of christ did , and doth row ; neither were you brought up at christ's school , nor never were taught of him , as the true ministers of christ were , and are now ; and so what you have you and your friends have bought with money ; and so you sell it again for money to those that are willing to be taught by you , which knows no better teaching , and so you are a means to bring up people that are your hearers , in darkness , blindness and ignorance , as you your selves are in ; and so you all live without the true knowledge and injoyment of god in this world : and so the people of the lord that are taught of him by his holy spirit , cannot for good conscience-sake buy any of your deceitful wares , nor cannot give you any tythes , nor money for preaching , which speak and preach against perfection from sin in this life , and say that none can be set free from sin in this life ; and so you deny the sufficiency of christ , and his commands , and your faith and belief stands in him who is the author of all sin and evil , which is the devil ; and so your speaking and preaching , as aforesaid , doth incourage and strengthen the wicked in their wickedness , and you are a means to beget them into unbelief , that they may believe as you do , that their is no perfection from sin in this life : and so neither you , nor they that are your hearers , do press after perfection , because you do not believe that such a good state and condition can be attained unto in this life ; and so your doctrine , and principles , and practices , are all quite contrary to the doctrines , and principles , and practices of christ and his ministers , and all true believers and followers of christ , and also quite contrary to the scriptures of truth in every thing that you do and practice concerning the worship of god , and therefore you are to be disowned and denyed by all good christians that truly fear the lord , and loves him in truth and in sincerity of heart ; and all your preaching and praying is abomination in the sight of the lord , and he will not hear nor answer the prayers of the wicked , that live and delight in sin and wickedness , and walk and act in such wicked wayes and practices as these clergy-men do now , which is all quite contrary to the 〈◊〉 way of god. and now i have something to mention and lay before you all , that are called christians , of all sorts of professions and religions , whether they be called quakers , or any other sort of professions or religions whatsoever , that do say , and believe that god is your father , and christ is your saviour ; i desire that every one would seriously weigh and consider their own ways and doings , and meditate and ponder the things of god in our own hearts and souls , that every one may come to see , and to know what assurance they have of the love of god to their immortal souls , and of their eternal and everlasting inheritance with the lord in his heavenly kingdom for evermore , when time here in this world shall come to an end with us all : for it is not a bare outward profession of any religion whatsoever that will avail any of us , as to our own souls true peace and happiness with the lord for ever , but it must be a real possession , and an enjoyment of the love of god in our own hearts , that doth avail and satisfie our souls , which no man nor woman upon the face of the earth can come to enjoy the love of god , and true peace and comfort in him , ( which is of more worth and value than all the outward enjoyments that are in the whole world ) so long as they live in sin , and take pleasure and delight therein : for god is pure , holy and righteous , and he is of purer eyes than to behold iniquity , as to allow of it in any one ; and without holiness no man nor woman can enjoy the love and presence of god to his soul's comfort and true satisfaction in him ; for it is not every one that saith lord , lord , that shall enter into the kingdom of heaven , but it is he and they , that do the will of god that shall enter into his kingdom : and it is not the hearers , nor the fair sayers , nor them that have but an outward knowledge of god , that shall be justified by the lord ; but it is the doers of the will of god , and them only that the lord will justifio , and speak peace unto their immortal souls . and so i desire that none would deceive their own souls , in thinking better of themselves then they are ; for the apostle paul saith , be not deceived , for god will not be mocked , for such as every one soweth , such must they reap , whether it be good or evil ▪ and now i appeal to the witness of god in every heart and conscience , of what name or religion soever you are of , whether you are come so far into the true christian life , as to believe and obey the first principle of the true christian religion ? and whether you are come so far into the life of truth , and into the practice of the holy scriptures , as to let your yea be yea , and your nay be nay , and do not alter nor change your minds and thoughts after you have said it , but let yea and nay stand after you have spoken it , and do and perform what you have said ? and so every one ought-to be watchful and careful how to speak and act , before they either speak or act , l●st they offend the lord by so doing ; for the apostle james saith , if any man among you seem to be religious , and brid●eth not his tongue , but deceiveth his own heart , this man's religion is vain . and whosoever they be that promise for to do such and such things , which are just and lawful to be done , and ought to be performed ; then if they that promise for to do such things , do not mind nor regard to perform their words and promises which they have spoken and promised , their religion is vain , let them profess what they will. for such men and women that make promises one to another , and do not mind nor regard to perform them , no such persons ought to be believed , nor trusted , nor to be confided in ; and such have not a true bridle for their tongues , and so their religion is vain and naught , and it is not the true christian religion ; read these scriptures , james . , . gal. . , . matth. . . and now i desire all civil , sober-minded people , that profess christianity , and the scriptures to be your rule , that you would be so moderate , as to read these scriptures herein set down , and compare these scriptures , and the holy lives and conversations of christ and his ministers , and them that were true believers and followers of christ , with the unholy lives and conversations of these clergy-men aforesaid ; and also their cruelties and persecutions against those that truly fear the lord ; and also their selfish covetous actions and practices which they do and practice for tythes and money , under pretence of being ministers of christ , and preachers of the gospel ; and if you do understand those scriptures in truth , as they are , and be not partial in your judgment , then you may see that there it as much difference betwixt the doctrine , and principles , and practices of christ and his ministers , and the doctrine , and principles , and practices of the clergy-men aforesaid , as there is betwixt light and darkness : and therefore i would not have you for to speak any evil against that way which you know not what it is ; but i would have you first for to try all things , and hold fast that which is good . selby in yorkshire , the th day of the third month , . thomas goodaire . the end . a third defence of the cause of peace proving . the need of our concord, . the impossibility of it, on the terms of the present impositions against the accusations and storms of, viz., mr. john hinckley, a nameless impleader, a nameless reflector, or speculum, &c., mr. john cheny's second accusation, mr. roger l'strange, justice, &c., the dialogue between the pope and a fanatic, j. varney's phanatic prophesie / by richard baxter. baxter, richard, - . approx. kb of xml-encoded text transcribed from -bit group-iv tiff page images. text creation partnership, ann arbor, mi ; 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(eebo-tcp ; phase , no. a ) transcribed from: (early english books online ; image set ) images scanned from microfilm: (early english books, - ; : ) a third defence of the cause of peace proving . the need of our concord, . the impossibility of it, on the terms of the present impositions against the accusations and storms of, viz., mr. john hinckley, a nameless impleader, a nameless reflector, or speculum, &c., mr. john cheny's second accusation, mr. roger l'strange, justice, &c., the dialogue between the pope and a fanatic, j. varney's phanatic prophesie / by richard baxter. baxter, richard, - . [ ], , p. printed for jacob sampson ..., london : . reproduction of original in dr. williams' library. created by converting tcp files to tei p using tcp tei.xsl, tei @ oxford. re-processed by university of nebraska-lincoln and northwestern, with changes to facilitate morpho-syntactic tagging. gap elements of known extent have been transformed into placeholder characters or elements to simplify the filling in of gaps by user contributors. eebo-tcp is a partnership between the universities of michigan and oxford and the publisher proquest to create accurately transcribed and encoded texts based on the image sets published by proquest via their early english books online (eebo) database (http://eebo.chadwyck.com). the general aim of eebo-tcp is to encode one copy (usually the first edition) of every monographic english-language title published between and available in eebo. eebo-tcp aimed to produce large quantities of textual data within the usual project restraints of time and funding, and therefore chose to create diplomatic transcriptions (as opposed to critical editions) with light-touch, mainly structural encoding based on the text encoding initiative (http://www.tei-c.org). the eebo-tcp project was divided into two phases. the , texts created during phase of the project have been released into the public domain as of january . anyone can now take and use these texts for their own purposes, but we respectfully request that due credit and attribution is given to their original source. users should be aware of the process of creating the tcp texts, and therefore of any assumptions that can be made about the data. text selection was based on the new cambridge bibliography of english literature (ncbel). if an author (or for an anonymous work, the title) appears in ncbel, then their works are eligible for inclusion. selection was intended to range over a wide variety of subject areas, to reflect the true nature of the print record of the period. in general, first editions of a works in english were prioritized, although there are a number of works in other languages, notably latin and welsh, included and sometimes a second or later edition of a work was chosen if there was a compelling reason to do so. image sets were sent to external keying companies for transcription and basic encoding. quality assurance was then carried out by editorial teams in oxford and michigan. % (or pages, whichever is the greater) of each text was proofread for accuracy and those which did not meet qa standards were returned to the keyers to be redone. after proofreading, the encoding was enhanced and/or corrected and characters marked as illegible were corrected where possible up to a limit of instances per text. any remaining illegibles were encoded as <gap>s. understanding these processes should make clear that, while the overall quality of tcp data is very good, some errors will remain and some readable characters will be marked as illegible. users should bear in mind that in all likelihood such instances will never have been looked at by a tcp editor. the texts were encoded and linked to page images in accordance with level of the tei in libraries guidelines. copies of the texts have been issued variously as sgml (tcp schema; ascii text with mnemonic sdata character entities); displayable xml (tcp schema; characters represented either as utf- unicode or text strings within braces); or lossless xml (tei p , characters represented either as utf- unicode or tei g elements). keying and markup guidelines are available at the text creation partnership web site . eng church of england -- controversial literature. clergy -- england. dissenters, religious -- england. - tcp assigned for keying and markup - apex covantage keyed and coded from proquest page images - john latta sampled and proofread - john latta text and markup reviewed and edited - pfs batch review (qc) and xml conversion a third defence of the cause of peace , proving . the need of our concord . . the impossibility of it , on the terms of the present impositions . against the accusations and storms of , viz. mr. john hinckley . a nameless impleader . a nameless reflector , or speculum , &c. mr. cheney's second accusation . mr. roger l'strange , justice , &c. the dialogue between the pope and a fanatic . varney's phanatic prophesie . by richard baxter . psalm . . . my soul hath long dwelt with him that hateth peace . i am for peace , but when i speak they are for war. rom. . . the way of peace they have not known . london , printed for jacob sampson , next to the wonder tavern in ludgate-street . . readers , if this striving work be unpleasant to you , it must be much more so to me : it is not the least advantage that satan getteth against the church , that by other mens sins he can occasion that to become our duty , which else would be a sinfull loss of time , and against the peace of our selves and others . a multitude of heresies make it our duty , to read abundance of books , and study those languages , and trifling arts , which else were needless : and the multitude of erroneous , malignant , and other adversaries , and the variety of their assaults , maketh many defences , evidences , witnesses , and confutations necessary , which else would signifie that evil contentiousness , which the assaulters manifest . though the servant of the lord must not strive , yet must we contend earnestly for the faith , and must not forsake and betray truth and innocency . and the necessitated defender may do his duty , while the wilfull aggressor doth sinfully militate against truth , charity , and peace . and as we must love our enemies , so we take our selves bound much more , to love our tempted envyous brethren ; and if they use us as joseph , cast us into the pit and sell us as slaves , we will call them brethren still , and hope one day their repentance will render them more lovely than they are . and though some preach christ in envy , strife , and contention , to add to our affliction , and not sincerely , we rejoyce and will rejoyce that christ is preached : and though they would drive us out from the inheritance of the lord , sam. . . we will not venture with david to curse them , but say as he in another pursuit , sam. . . . carry back the ark of god into the city : if i shall find favour in the eyes of the lord , he will bring me again , and shew me both it and his habitation . but if he thus say , i have no delight in thee , behold , here am i , let him do to me as seemeth good to him . in my endeavours for peace these thirty four years , as i have been put to publish many things which i had rather might have been spared , so i have written to satisfie others , the quantity of many volumes , which i cast away as unnecessary to the world. but some men that i have dealt with , will not give me and the reader such an indulgence . mr. dodwell is one who shall have his answer by it self . mr. hinkley is another , to whose last letter i wrote an answer about nine years ago : but he would not so bury his talent , but hath printed my former letters with his answer , and so called and constrained me to publish my last reply . fame reporteth that the impleader is mr. long of exeter , who heretofore wrote an accusing book , of which i gave him a private epistolary animadversion . who the reflector or the author of the speculum is i know not , the subject calleth me to no particular answer . he and mr. roger le strange , who argue in the same mood and figure , make me little work : which concerneth others , they mistook the question , as if it had been , what the world should think of me . in which i leave them to their liberty without much contradiction . but our question is first , whether the concord of protestants being supposed necessary , the silencing , imprisoning , fining , and banishing from corporations , all ministers that take conformity to the present impositions to be a sin , be the way of peace and concord , either probable or possible to attain the end . mr. john cheny , i judge a godly serious man : who being neer me and familiar with me , never told me a word of his exceptions , nor gave me the least touch of a private admonition for all the atheism , infidelity , wickedness , abomination , destroying all religion &c. which he accuseth me of in print : and his book is so dismal a piece of work , in its extraordinary privation of common reason , truth , charity , tenderness and modesty , that i am constrained to think that the honest man is diseasedly melancholly : and i have known some well meaning men in that disease , that are so tenacious of all their own conceptions , that they are still fiercely confident that the grossest things that they hold and say are right , and passionately reject all that is said against them . whom he hath reported to be his instigator , i shall not here proclaim . the dialogue between the pope and a phanatick , and varney's prophesie , i leave the reader to answer himself , as he findeth cause . if any man think it a service to god to accuse me and others , and justifie our silencing and the imposed penalties , i intreat him to remember the ninth commandement , and that god and his church need not lies for their service , but it s he that is both the father of them , and a lyar from the beginning . that was a lying spirit in the mouth of all ahabs prophets , ( even of him that smote mica●ah , for supposing the spirit of god departed from him , ) and whose work on earth against christ and souls , is done by deceit , and wrath , and hurtfulness ; imitating him will disgrace your cause and you : and light will not so easily be hid . great is truth and will finally prevaile . and all the waves do but break themselves , who dash against this impregnable rock . i call this book , a third defence of the cause of peace , with respect to two former , one in answer to the accusation of mr. john cheny , the other in answer to dr. edward stillingfleet , men whom i once thought more unlikely than most other to become our accusers . all mr. gouge's works . political and military observations of the court and camp of france during the late wars in flanders , germany , &c. sacramental meditations upon divers select places of scripture , wherein believers are assisted in preparing their hearts , and exciting their affections and graces , when they draw nigh to god in that most awful solemn ordinance of the lords supper . by john flavel minister of christ , in devon. o. price s. d. a peaceable resolution of conscience touching our present impositions , wherein loyalty and obedience are proposed and settled upon their true foundation in scripture , reason , and constitution of this kingdom against all resistance of the present powers , and with compliance with the laws so far as may be in order to union . with a draught or specimen of a bill for accommodation . octavo , price s. the narrative of rob. bolron of shippon-hall , gent. concerning the late horrid polish plot and conspiracy , for the destruction of his majesty and the protestant religion : wherein is contained , . his informations upon oath before his majesty in council , and before several justices of the peace , of the said design , and the means by which he arrived at the knowledge thereof . . some particular applications made to himself to assist those design'd in the murdering of his majesty ; the persons by whom such applications were made , and the reward promised . . the project of the popish party to erect a nunnery at dolebanck near ripely in yorkshire , together with the names of some nuns , actually design'd for that imployment , and taking the profession upon them : as also an account of a certain estate of l. per annum , given by sir thomas gascoigne to the nunnery for ever . with other remarkable passages relating to the horrid piot . together with an account of the endeavours that were used by the popish party to stifle his evidence . the narrative of lawrence mowbray of leeds in the county of york , gent. concerning the bloody popish conspiracy against the life of his sacred majesty , the government , and the protestant religion : wherein is contained , . his knowledge of the said design from the very first in the year ; with the opportunity he had to be acquainted therewith , and the reasons why he concealed it so long : with the manner of his discovering the said wicked project to his majesty , and his most honourable privy council . . how far sir thomas gascoigne , sir miles stapleton , &c. are ingaged in the design of killing the king , and fireing the city of london and york , for the more speedy setting uppermost the popish religion in england . . an account of the assemblings of many popish priests and jesuits at father rishton's chamber , at sir gascoigue's house at barmebow ; with their , consultations and determinations : with other considerable matters relating to the plot. together with an account of the endeavours that were used to stifle his evidence , by making an attempt upon his life in leicester fields : price d. a memento for the english protestants , &c. with an answer to that part of the compendium which reflects on the bishop of lincoln's late book . quarto : price stitcht d. naked truth , the first part : being the true state of the primitive church . by an humble moderator : price stitcht one shilling . causa dei ; or an apology for god : wherein the perpetuity of insernal torments is evinced , and divine goodness and justice ( that notwithstanding ) defended , &c. by richard burthogge , m. d. tulli's elect orations . gouge's works , octavo . horrid popish plot in a pack of cards a second pack , continuing a representation of their villainous design , from the publication of the first pack to the last sessions of parliament , begun octob. . . an ansvver to m r. hinckley . sir , i have perused yours , ( i think impartially ) and to tell you my judgment of it , i perceive , is like to offend you more . i find it is natural to men to desire to be thought to be in the right , and to have said well , and done well , be it never so ill . it is some honour to truth and goodness , that the names and reputation of them seem desirable to those that cannot endure the things ; yea , that the things are never loathed or opposed formally as such , but for their opposition to somewhat , that is more loved . and it is some help to the depression of falshood and sin , that it is ashamed of its own name , and cannot endure to see its own face , which hath ever inclined it to break the glass ; though to its greater shame , when every piece will shew that ugliness which was shewed but by the whole before . if nothing else had notified it to us , one might have strongly suspected that you are of that tribe , who take themselves to be persecuted when they may not domineer , and when others may but preach and live without their consent ; by your excessive tenderness and impatience , calling it poyson , hornets , and abundance of such smarting angry names , if a man that is cast out of god's vineyard as well as his maintenance among many hundreds more , do but plainly in a private letter speak for himself , and shew the injustice of your printed accusations . o! that you were all but the thousandth part as tender , ( i will not say of your brethrens sufferings ) but of the danger of many thousand perishing starved souls ? i shall only tell you this much in general , that i now perceive you are used but for a temptation to me , to lose my time , by the neglect of better work. and that you do so notoriously bawk the truth , and hide untruth in a heap of confident rhetorical flourishes ; that while you are of this temperament , i will not undertake to prove to you that two and two are four. . my beginning was taken from your ending ; where you wrote [ you will satisfie your self , as little as you will do others ] and what others mind know you better than your own ? and sure that which satisfieth not you , doth you no good as to its proper end , what ever it may do by accident some other way . yet it seems you forgot that you had written this , and that was warrant enough for all your confident impertinencies on that occasion . sandy foundations , light and darkness , hornets nests , rushing into the midst of the pikes , waking dragons , the golden fleece , &c. come all in upon this your oversight : and you seem to think that you have acquit your self well . . you tell me of bringing the controversie to an issue by dint of scripture , whether you sin in conforming . is this fairly done , to pretend that to be the controversie which i never undertook to meddle with ? could you possibly forget , . that you were the plaintiff and accuser in print , not content that your brethren were forbidden to preach christ , and that many of them live in great poverty and want ? you wrote a book of reproachful oratory , with no strength of argument worthy an answer , to make them seem the flagitious causes of their own silence and sufferings : against which , they ( that meddled not with you ) had nothing to do but to justifie themselves . . that in this book you vehemently importune me , who never knew you , nor meddled with you , to give the world the reasons of my non-conformity . . that hereupon the question that i treated about with you , was , how i may have leave to do it . and whether it be ingenious thus publickly to urge me to that which you know i cannot do . this was all the controversie i had with you . i tell you again , i would go on my knees to any bishop in england , to procure but license for my self alone , ( much more my brethren ) to write and print the reasons of our non-conformity , after nine years silence , suffering , and accusation ; that the world and posterity may but once hear us speak for our selves : and i would be engaged to leave out all such plain expressions as now offend you . but to begin such a work , when i know i cannot print it ; or to enter a dispute with you in this rambling way , ( whose books and letters tell me that you will syllogize in aristophanes , or lucian's moods and figures ; and whose logick will take up no greater room among your oratorical diversions , evasions , subterfuges , and flosculi , than a spoonful of wine in a gallon of water , which will leave it water still . i shall not easily be drawn to this , having lost so much time upon you already , as i have done : therefore you here bring in your serpents head and tail and fable , upon a false supposition of the subject of our debates . § . . here first , you would have your book go for innocent ; no wonder : impenitence is no rarity , among those whose office is to preach repentance : and therefore so many of them go without the fruits of it , matth. . , . and he that can write against truth , can defend it by untruth . . you untruly suppose me to undertake the confutation of your book . but who hath so little to do , as to shew particularly of each page and line of a bundle of impotent oratorian revilings , how little logick or truth is in them . . you untruly suppose me not to have opened the faultiness of any page of your book : let the impartial judge . . in all , you shew the strange unacquaintedness with your self , and your own , which you cannot endure to be told of . a calumniating volume of yours is innocent , and affordeth no matter for blame or repentance : but to be told so , is to let fall such drops on you as make you smart ( you say ) as if there had been poyson in them . if we that are forbidden to eat a bit , or wear a rag of the levites portion , or come within five miles of any corporation , or preach christ to the most ignorant miserable souls ; do but think and say , it is hard usage : we add to our guilt , and deserve yet worse , because we do not toto pectore telum recipere : or as camero , unbutton our doublets , and cry , feri miser . but if we tell you of it , when you voluminously play with reproaches upon them , that you are utterly unable to prove guilty and confute ; oh , it maketh you smart like poyson . guilt is always tender , but most in the domineering tribe . they are contemned and scorned , if we take not their strokes for stroakings , and their calumnies for kindness : and to tell them that their slanders are injuries , is to call them to veil their bonnets to us , and we are popular rabbies ( for being against the rabbies ) if the people ( that know them and us , will not ( because they cannot ) believe all the falshoods which such report of us , who find no readier and surer steps for their ascension to their desired heights . § . . first , here you would be my t●●●r in logick , to teach me that the species is no● comprehended in the genus . and that i transgr●ss the laws of discourse , in supposing that what was spoken against the non-conformists , as such , was spoken against the presbyterian non-conformists . this is my inclosing and limiting : as if i had offended by saying , that you say that against man , which you say against an animal as such . and this talk needs a confutation ? but was not the discipline calumniated , which i noted a sufficient explication of your sense . . and here you condensate your untruths : as first , that there were but few who were not then tantum non independants , which the age you live in knows to be false . . that i intimate , that they are all of a sudden become presbyterians , because presbyterians are a part of them : so part and whole are not distinguishable by the logick of the gamaliels , whose instruction i mist of . when i have oft published , that ( besides scotland , lancashire , and london ) i knew no great number of ministers that received the presbyterian model : but almost all those in the county where you live ( worcestershire ) declared , that they agreed to joyn in the practice of so much of church discipline , as the episcopal presbyterians and independents were all agreed in ; and on those grounds to unite for the promoting of the peoples instruction and salvation , without dividing for the controverted parts , or laying a greater stress on them , than there was cause for ; yet here you have occasion to talk of the transmutation of elements , &c. § . . here you want conviction still ! if so , i will not undertake to convince you of any thing in the world which you are unwilling to know . offer the case to an uninterested stranger , and take his judgment . tell him this truth [ eighteen hundred ministers are at once forbidden to preach christ according to their ordination vow : and when upon that dedication they had alienanated themselves from all other ways of employment and livelihood , they and their families are cast upon alms in a time of extraordinary poverty , except some of them that had somewhat of their own : none of all these are put out for ignorance , insufficiency , or any crime or scandal at all ; but for not subscribing assent and consens to all things ( without exception ) in three books written by men that profess that general councils are fallible , even in matters of faith : and for not declaring , that no man ( that vowed it ) is obliged to endeavour in his place and calling , any alteration of the present church government ( which some think the unsworn as much bound to endeavour , as to reform the worst alehouse or tavern in the land : especially whilst lay-men govern by the keys of excommunication and absolution ) and for not swearing and unswearing , &c. as is known , with such like things . these men thus ejected and silenced , are forbidden , upon severe penalties , ecclesiastical and corporal , to speak any thing in depravation of the government of the church , the liturgy or ceremonies , and under the penalty of total ruine in this world : to say that any man is bound by the national vow to endeavour any alteration as aforesaid . a law forbiddeth printers to print any unlicensed book , upon penalty of losing all the copies , paper , and print ; besides , answering for all therein contained . the company in london is called together , and constrained ( as holding their charter by patent ; ) to make laws also among themselves , that any man that printeth an unlicensed book , or leaf , shall lose his freedom , and become uncapable of their trade ( and so be utterly undone . ) a conforming minister ( for ends best known to himself ) writeth a book called a perswasive to conformity , which containeth not the twentieth part of the argument commonly before used by others ; saravia , hammond , downame , bilson , burges , fulwood , &c. ) which the non-conformists are supposed to have studied : but florid oratorical , confident calumnies , most of the book importing ; an ignoratio elenchi : and in this book he vehemently urgeth one man particularly , that never saw him , nor meddled with him ; to publish to the world , an account of the reasons of his non-conformity . this one man tells him , that no licenser will license it : that he hath not printed without license , before his importunity since the act : that some few printers through poverty have ventured on a few sheets , which they could quickly slip out of the way . but now severity having encreased their penalty , he knoweth not of one man that will venture so far : that if they would , it will do him no good , who hath so much to say against conformity , as a few sheets will not contain ; and he knoweth not of that man living that would print : and , that should he do it , he must look for such an imprisonment as is likely to be his death : and therefore he thinketh that his time and life may be more usefully employed ; especially when experience assureth him , that such a writing would passionately displease the prelates of the church , and such as call for it . and therefore that he did not ingenuously that clamoured thus for an account , when he knew that all these manacles were on our hands : yet will not this man be convinced but his clamour was reasonable and innocent , because in a few sheets that accidentally had an advantage to see the light , ( being both for the kings and the churches government ) he met with a few words which he thought were not to be licensed . and if this were published without license , it was most long of himself , since his foresaid urgency , no such thing being done before , nor do i know how to procure the like again . this is the true case ; and now let any sober person , christian , or heathen , judge betwen us , whether any thing could have hardned you into an impossibility of conviction , but the great aversness to humiliation and repentance , and selfish inclination to be righteous in your own eyes ? no wonder if no man be justified as legally innocent , when a bare confession of a deliberate printed sin , as visible as a beam in the eye ( as christ meant it ) is so hardly obtained with some men : and ( because with what measure men meet , it shall be measured to them again . ) wonder not if you meet with auditors like your self : suppose that you whose office is to preach men to repentance , do hear the perjured , the drunkards , blasphemers , the f●rnicators say , this man is a rayler , he drops smarting poyson upon us in his sermons ; when we hear him , we deal with a woolf , and put our hands into a hornets nest ; bitterness and reviling is his dialect ; we are innocent , and all that he saith doth not convince us . what would you say to such returns ? but too many think that it is their work to preach repentance , and other mens to repent . as for magistrates forbidding faithful ministers to preach the christian faith , where there are not enough more to do the work : cannot you be content with the honour , comfort , and reward of approving it , and suffer such to be without it , as refuse it . but when you say [ alas , church censures without the magistrate are but brutum fulmen ] i will presume to tell you ; . that you seem to me to come near to blasphemy , to intimate that christ ordained so vain a discipline : what ? and yet be the infallibe teacher and king of the church . but if you think that he did not institute it , tell us so plainly , and pretend not more to an unalterable divine institution , which all of us must swear never to endeavour an alteration of . or if you think that christ did institute church discipline to be exercised , only when the sword will second it ; say so , that we may know your mind . and then ly , do you not make the apostles and the primitive church for above years , to have abused the world with this brutum fulmen . if you talk of the apostles power of seconding it by miraculous penalties . i answer , . it cannot be proved that they did so ordinarily , but only extraordinarily . . all pastors and churches then had not that power , that yet were obliged to exercise discipline . . the church for years had not that power every where . . and discipline was to operate propria virtute , and not only by miracles . so that you reproach the apostles , and all the ancient churches . . do you not reproach all the ancient councils and canons of those times , as making such a stir in the world about a brutum fulmen . . do you not reproach constantine , and other christian emperors , who for a considerable time adjoyned not the sword at all to the churches keys , except to remove some great patriarch that had influence on the state ; and long after did only force them to a quiet submission to the discipline , without the addition of another penalty , or constraining any to say , they did repent . how long was it before the church took a man to be meet for her communion in the lords supper , that had but rather say , that he repented , than have all taken from him , and lie in prison . . do you not here tell us what you trust to , even the magistrates sword alone : and do you not disgrace your cause and function , in telling the world in plain english , that without the sword , prelatical discipline is but brutum fulmen ? what then would your church be , should the king leave it only to an equal toleration with all other parties . . and do you not highly honour us non-conformists , that desire no greater matters , than bare leave to exercise christs discipline without the sword , on volunteers ; we would have no more . if any have formerly desired more , we disown it . the scots indeed had more , but when cromwell left them but their liberty , their discipline proved not brutum fulmen . and truly i see not how those few among them that are against the supremacy of the king , circa sacra , if there be any such , can expect any further protection or help by his sword , than a bare toleration . let us but preach and use this brutum fulmen , and then enjoy your lordships , honours , and all that is desired . and why are you so greatly afraid of a brutum fulmen in our hands , when you confess it to be no better in your own . § . . if you cannot see your contradictions , repeating them will not open your eyes . as for valentine and orson , and knights errant , i give you the honour of being better acquainted with them , than i am . . and next you teach us , that according to your school , a question may be false . well! so let it be , you shall there have the better also . i knew no more but that some kind of questioning might imply a proposition which is false . but i will not strive with you , if you are wiser . the question was , [ how many of these ministers have little more learning than the english books have taught them . ] if this question be false , false let it be : i cannot make it true , i would i knew what [ how many ] fignifieth . and what could i do more to detect your falshood , than name you many that dwell about you , seven neare you i named . and now ( o the power of innocency and worth ) all those for their gravity , sobriety , learning and peaceableness , you have as much esteem for as i can have ] and really i hope as bad as they , and their adversaries judge each other , were they all better acquainted with each other , the rest would constrain their afflicters themselves to such a praise and approbation , an inconsiderable number only excepted . but who else should i name in the county where you live , and near you , mr. joseph baker , mr. benjamin baxster , mr. george hopkins , mr. waldern , &c. are dead . those living are mr. ambrose sparrey , ( your predecessour at hampton ) mr. andrew tristram , mr. kimberley , mr. osland , mr. badland of worcester , mr. sergeant , dr. richard morton , mr. stephen baxter , mr. richard dowley , mr. cowper , mr. paston , mr. read , i cannot remember all . tell me how many and which of those you mean. the elder about you dead , were on our side , mr. arthur salway , mr. john hall , mr. thomas hall , ( your next neighbour ) mr. smith at dudley , mr. smith at stoke , ( a younger man ) and not far of mr. anthony burgess , mr. blake , &c. which of these mean you ? and what if you can name one unlearned man , in forty or fifty . if he be but a meer nonconformist , and not of some such sect , with whom we have not much more affinity than with the papists ( who conform not , and yet say they are nearer to you than to us ) i doubt , that odd unlearned man , should he but conform , would be a great ornament to your present church . but what course can one better take to silence such calumnies , and to convince posterity of such mens incredibility , than to name the persons round about ? how many hundred worthy men in london , and a few counties of my acquaintance could i name you . and you say , it is a usual stratagem with us , to possess particular persons with an opinion that you detract from them : it is bad arguing syllogizare ex particulari ] excellent logick ! he that condemneth the non-conformists , and the ejected ministers as meer illiterate , doth not condemn the individuals , though it came in with an how many . ] i never said , that you condemn them all ; but i askt you , as you did me , how many . and is this like syllogizing ex particulari . ] do you intimate an accusation against many of them ; and when i name almost all of that county neer you , will you absolve them all ? . next you say [ those i intended have your suffrage ] because i said [ i had rather have a meer english divine , than an hebrew or a syriac sot. it seems you are of another mind : a sot will serve to preach divinity , and seek mens salvation , we feel the judgment of more than you ; and this was enough to set you upon blew aprons , &c. how forgot you tub-preachers ? . and you would fain steal some honour to your self from the universities as a defender of them : o happy advantage ! but who accused them ? i said [ i am grown of late years to take it for no very great honour to our young preachers , that they are acquainted with the universities . ] and you put [ it is ] for [ i take it ] and so i take it still . but late years signifieth not [ always ] nor [ our young preachers ] all [ preachers . doth he that dishonoureth the university , deserve honour for being at the university ? what young ones you have i know not ; but our young ones that i speak of , do not yet go about to change my mind . do you think all those named ( though he did not well ) by the glocester cobler ralph wallis , are an honour to the university , or it to them : i still take it for no very great honour , ( i said not none ) for any ignorant , idle lad , to have been at the university : but sure i obtruded not this judgment on you or any other ! yet here is place for corah's holy congregation , eclipsing the two luminaries , agamemnon , the sodomites , and more such stuff . and shall it be the controversie , whether you or i have written more for learning and universities ; and which of us did more to save them from the anabaptists and other fanaticks when they were endangered ? the visible evidences shall decide the case . you may be more beholden to the universities than i ; but i have done more than wish their prosperity as well as you . but quidvis ex quovis is your way . there went about eleven or twelve out of kederminster parish and school to the university and ministry in my time , and many since : if you please enquire of the difference . . and when you tell me , that i deal no better with the primitive fathers ; i first ask you , how could you make shift to be ignorant how ill you use the ancient presbyters , yea and bishops of the church your self ? were they not mostly blew aprons with you , and such as you disdain for want of hebrew , &c. know you not that the paucity of learned presbyters was the true cause that the few that were such , got the place , and honour , and power of bishops above the rest : and how few philosophers turned christians then ? and how long it was before the christians had many considerable schools , much less universities ? and what men the common presbyters were ; yea , and the bishops for the most part ? alexandria by pantaenus , clemens and origen kept up some competent learning ; basil , nazianzen , nissen , chrysostom , were fain to go to such as libanius , and to athens ; except those forenamed , and justin martyr , and tertullian before them , and hierom after : how few either linguists or philosophers had we : and yet do not you account those holy and worthy men , blew aprons , such as ignatius , polycarpus , irenaeus , yea and cyprian , almost all the bishops of rome , graeg . neocaesar . antonius , ab. pachomius , macarius ; yea epiphanius himself , ephrem syrus , isidore pelesiota , ambrose , philastrius , theoph. alexand , ruffinus , gaudentius , maximus , &c. besides simeon stillita , and all the holy famous monks ; yea augustinus himself , the best rational divine had little enough of the tongues . their writings easily prove all this , with the historical descriptions of others concerning them . i said [ i think it so short a work to read the few brief writers of the three first centuries , as maketh it more a dishonour to be ignorant of them , than any great honour to be acquainted with them . ] instead of this you feign me to say ( it is no great honour to be acquainted with them . ) but is this true ? is a positive and a comparative assertion all one ? ] but it seems you are not of my mind : but take it for a greater honour for a minister to know them , than a dishonour to be ignorant of them : and who vilified them more then you or i ? if i say , that it is a greater dishonour to be ignorant of the alphabet , of the grammar , of the gospel , than honour to be acquainted with them , so as to know what is in them ; and you denied this , who vilified them most ? have you no greater matters than these to exercise your censorious faculty on : you know in how few months all the writers of the three first centuries may be read over . i pray you here leave every one to his liberty of judging : among you it shall be a greater honour to know them , than a dishonour to be ignorant of them : among us it shall be a greater dishonour to be ignorant of them , than an honour to know them . could you endure any to differ from you , this comprimize might serve : but the next time falsifie not my words . as for your intimation of some that cannot read them , do you not believe your self , that its true of ten conformists for one non-conformist : i remember but one nonconformable minister in worcester shire that was not of an university , and i conjecture that he can read the fathers : but by your speeches , what stranger would not take it to be used by you for their ordinary character , which you durst not charge on one by name in all the county that is an ordained minister when i provoked you ? doth not this savour of factious malignity ? as to the prepostecus method of reading late writers before the fa●hers , which you talk of : . papists and protestants in all universities have most usually done so , as far as i can hear . . some take both together . . i suppose that if one book be read this month , and another the next , it is not like to make any great alteration in knowledge which goeth first . . methinks still you cross your own intention , and tell men that those non-conformists honour the fathers more than you ; for the most judicious or necessary authors should be read with greatest judgment , and mature judgment is usually the greatest . if you would have boys learn the fathers at school , as they do tulli's offices before their larger catechisms , they would be lost , as tulli's offices usually is : and that which they have once read , though without judgment , they would think they need not read again . . do you believe that lads that never read any method of theology or catechism , could draw a good catechism or method out of the fathers first : suppose them to have begun at ( lem . romanus , and taken in dionis . areop . and ignatius , yea , and martialis apost . at a venture , true or false , and to have ended at the nicene council , yea or any where short of augustine : what a method think you would they draw up ? yea if they must go further and read all chrysostom , with his enemy epiphanius , and augustine with his hilary , prosper . and fulgentius , how would the lads reconcile their doctrinal disagreements , and then draw one method out of both parties ? . do you not condemn the church of england , which did not send men first to the fathers for a method , but drew them up catechism first , and then a book of articles , or confession , and nowell's catechism is authorised by them , and then an apology , and a book of homilies , &c. and commandeth not subscription to the fathers , but to these : and commanded no commentary of the fathers to be kept in the churches , but erasmus's paraphrase . . and in good sadness , can you that have read both , believe that the writings of the fathers are as methodical , as accurate , as sound , as full , as useful to form a true body of theology in the mind , as the later writers are ? can you believe this ? is there any thing among them to these uses , like melancthon's calvin's inst . polanus , ludov. crocius , georgius , sohnius , amesius , theses salmuenses , synops . theol. leidensium , camero , &c. or if you had rather like arminius , episcopius , dr. hammond , especially like bishop andrews , dr. field , bishop davenant , &c. are the best of their practical writings , even macarius , ephrem syrus , &c. comparable to abundance used now : whether such non-conformists as hildersham , perkins , rogers , burroughs , &c. or such conformists , as sibbes , preston , gurnal , the practice of piety , hammond , &c. do you think that the surest and readiest way for youth to come to understand and believe the doctrine of the trinity , of the godhead of christ and the holy ghost ; of the hypostatical union , of the twofold nature and will of christ , &c. is to read first , all the first writers that say little or nothing of them , and those that say much amiss of some of them ; and then to read all the odious wars at the ephesine council , at the councils of arimin . sermium , and many more . and to read all the contentious writings hereabout , of cyril alexand , theodoret , epiphanius , and down to damascene . is not one joshua placaeus pro deitate christi , worth all that ever was then wrote ? i confess above all their subjects , the times engaged them in the largest defences of the christian religion against the heathens ; in which euseb . in praeparat . & demonstrate . evang. & augustine have done well : but so far short of what is done of late by grotius , du plessis , vander meulin , camero , yea savonarola , vives , and many more ; as that all laid together , i am not for your method . take out but justin , tertullian , and cyprian , in the three first centuries , and basil nazianz. nyssen , hierom , and chrysostom , and augustin after , and i will not tell you what you will leave us . if origen must be taken in , let them first fight it out to decide it whether he be a hererick : for halloix and our conforming originists tell us , that theoph. alexand. and epiphanius , ended not the controversie by the banishment of chrisostom . . and if all the naevi of the ancient fathers , were in our modern divines , which not only scultetus and other protestants have gathered , but even baronius , sixtus senensis , possevine , bellarmine , &c. what would you call them ? what hereticks should we be ? was there ever so great error charged on any one of the ministers for their silencing , as is visible in dionys . constitut . & can. apostol . irenaeus , clem. alex. tatianus , arnebius , lactantius , &c. but i forgat how much dalaeus de usu patr. hath said more on this subject . if we had to do with men that could let men live by them , that obey them not , even in the method of their studies , this much also might compremise this difference . you shall set your pupils first to read all the fathers , and make out of them such a religion as they are able , or perhaps too many : ( but then you must not be their collector as you teach them ; for 't is as good to take a method from a book , as from your mouth : ) and we will teach ours first to understand the catechism , ursine , polanus , amesius , &c. with the scriptures , and to read the fathers in order , when they have judgment to know how to use them , and let the issue shew which is the wiser way . but i pray you while you read the fathers to your scholars , call them not blew aprons , nor tub-preachers , nor fanaticks , as out as you find them to have wanted the languages , or academical education , lest it hinder your success . but i think all this quarrel with the method of our studies , is for the interest of diocesan prelacy ; therefore to save us any more trouble , we will refer all that controversie to your own ignatius alone , ( who determineth , that in every church there is one altar , and one bishop , with his presbyters and deacons ) and with that we are content . in your page , to keep your wont ; . you feign me to say , that which i tell you is objected to me by others . . you falsly feign me to allow the conformists to have some hebrew , chaldee , syriac , and arabic , my very mention of which words you out lay hold on , as an honour granted to your ●●●● : but it is all a false supposition , i never ap●roved hofe words to the conformists : i only told you , that ( valuing matter before words ) i 〈…〉 the church had men that speak sound doctrine in an apt and serious manner , for bringing sinners to repentance in english , than such as can lace an insipid , empty , senceless discourse , with some shreds of chaldee , syriac , or arabic : and though i could wish that all the ministers of christ had all accomplishments fit even for the adorning of their ●acred work ; yet i had rather hear a meer english divine , than an hebrew or a syriac sot. ] you put me to the troublesom repeating of my words , by your falsification . i did not mention conformists at all , nor had any thought of appropriating these passages to them any more than others : but only to tell you , that be he conformist on non-conformist , if like augustine , ambrose , &c. he had sound divinity without the languages now mentioned , i could better bear with him , than with one ( whoever ) that had words for ostentation without sense ; and to free you from all suspicion of injury , i never heard one of the young conformists which i mention , make any ostentation or credible signification of his skill in any one of those tongues : nor do i remember but exceeding few conformists in england of my acquaintance , that i will accuse or suspect of any such skill : but having a lad in my house not long ago come from school , who hath some acquaintance in all these languages , and as many more , who i assure you is too young to be a conformable preacher , or divine , he being next me , suggested the matter of my comparison , when you vilified i know not whom ( some unnamed ) non-conformists , for knowing little more than english books can teach them . one pressick a sadler in leverpool hath written that against some of your sect in english , which all their languages will hardly enable them to confute : and i hear but few of you that in real knowledge , are much more angelical than aquinas , subtle than scotus , profound than bradwardine , &c. when yet they and their scholastick tribe were commonly very sorry linguists . but it s needful that i intreat you , that you affirm me not to have called them all non-conformist● , because i name them in this comparison . as for the loads of dirt that you say i cast , and your saying , that you see ( you should have said feel ) that its difficult to forbear reproach towards them from whom we differ . ] i answer ; . and i see that it s no wonder if that tribe who think themselves persecuted , when they may not persecute and silence others , do also think themselves reproached , when others are justly vindicated from their reproach . . but it s hard , that as transubstantiation must be an article of some mens faith ; so we also must be obliged to believe , that all our senses and experience are deceived : and that he that walketh in the frost is a reproach for saying it is cold , because another affirmeth that the summer is colder , because of now and then a rainy day . alas , are so many great chappelries , and many parish churches in several parts of the land , utterly without any minister at all ; are so many others so supplied ( yea so many hundreds ) as the lovers of souls do groan and weep for ; and must we neither see nor feel it ? but , sir , if we must not feel it to you , let us feel it to god , that we may feelingly and not formally pray him to send forth more and better labourers into his harvest . for my part , i seriously profess , that if the gospel be but better preached , and the souls of all the parishes in the three kingdoms better instructed for their salvation , without us , than with us , i will never more speak for a liberty to preach , much less desire a farthing of the maintenance . but , sir , if you talk in print as you do to me in private letters , you might make strangers of your mind ; but to the people of the present age , that see , that hear , that know the persons , your words will be all vain : you may call them the children of hell for not believing you , but men are so naturally sensible , that your anger will not change them neer london , and in it i think are the worthiest conformists in the land ( proportionably ) and yet how many places not far off it , feel what i say . a worthy learned , judicious , peaceable divine ( bred up in one of the next parishes to you awhile ) mr. john warren , is silenced at a great town , hatfield broadoak in the bishop of london's presentation : thus he hath long lived and done much good , yet since that he was silenced , the place hath been void many years , because the maintenance is small ; and there must be none at all , rather than such a one as he. but you call this casting dirt too : the starved souls must not take on them to feel their case ; and to be past feeling in such cases , is a state that men are prone to of themselves ; and need no preachers to help them to be indifferent in . well! souls must be starved , or not be humble . [ how can we prefer others before our selves ] unless we will be content that those for whom christ died be neglected , and ignorance set up to teach men knowledge , and the ungodly to teach them godliness . but as in natune , so in grace there is a principle that will not suffer men by words to be brought to take famine for food , nor saying a dry lesson , for teaching men the way to heaven : blessed be god that hath possessed all renewed christians with a new nature , which differenceth the chaff from the wheat , and words from real worth and substance . but you heard a preacher say , that he thanked god he never heard a preacher , but he could get something by him . answer , and i also am of mr. herbert's mind , church-porch , p. . [ if all want sense , god takes a text and preacheth patience . ] but for all that , i will not by my approbation contract the guilt of such preachers , nor of those that set them up , and would have others silenced and calumniated , and then plead humility for the valuing of these . every text that is preached on , is eaifying ; and i hope by bare reading it we may be edified : and in muscovy where all preaching is put down for fear of treason , . and yet now by treason they are just between life and death ) they seem to have great advantage in the using of your argument , to tell them that would have preaching , that humility should teach them to esteem the readers labour above their own . and truly basil and chrysostom's sermons which they read , are better than the sermons in very many churches in this land , ( which you that honour the fathers its like will not deny : ) but cheat not your self so as to dream that we are the assailants , when we meddle not with you but by way of comparison , when urged to it in our own defence . but because prejudice , and factious passages , yellow jaundices , a party , &c. are here accused , i could almost find in my heart to send you a copy of some of the sermons that i have lately heard ; but you would but pretend that this were some rare unusual thing . o let the world take heed what history they believe ; i have as much ado to perswade you , that many churches are left in a case which calls for tears , as i have to perswade bagshaw and others on the other extream , that any of them have worthy or tolerable men : when yet many hundred thousand persons have sense , reason , and experience to decide the case . but these ten years experience , and much more , have taught me , not hastily to believe a faction , though in a matter where the common sense is judge : for faction is one of the greatest lyars in the world . but you say [ just so did martin marprelate traduce the regular clergies . answer , just so , is just untruly spoken by you . as well may the papists say to the lutherans , just so did the heriticks of old : rather just so did christ tell some men , that they took away the key of knowledge , and would neither enter , nor suffer others . and just so he told them , that if the blind lead the blind , both will fall into the ditch . one of the last sermons i heard , was on [ servants obey your masters in all things : ] and our own servants being almost wholly past by , it was applied to shew , that we are servants to the bishops , and must obey them in all things : as if subjection without servitude had not been enough . one of the next before it , was to prove , that the church may appoint holy-days , because easter-day ( which is the lords-day ) is a holy-day of the churches appointment : when most of the people had more need to have been taught the cathechistical principles , and , what they did when they were baptized . i can name you the man ( and place ) that from the title of john's epistle [ to the elect lady ] proved undeniably that then there were lord bishops , because an elect lady relateth to an elect lord , and there are no elect lords , but elect lord bishops . and if such as you are pleased to approve of the silencing of many hundreds , yea of such as amesius , cartwright , greenham , hildersham , john rogers , egerton , dod , bradshaw , rob. parker , paget , hering , &c. ( o what men ) and the setting up of such as these , or readers in their stead , all is salved by telling us , that we must think others better than our selves , and that we may profit by all . and if god did work by all alike , sense or non-sence , and made as much use of the ignorant and ungodly to procure knowledge and godliness in the world , i would say as you . i believe with k. james they have an ill spirit , that recount grievances to make themselves popular ; ( i suppose sir edw. sands named by you , was one he meant so ill do your allegations agree ) but i will not therefore consent to their guilt that make grievances , and then declaim against such popularity . they please not god and are contrary to all mens forbidding us to preach to the gentiles that they might be saved , for wrath is come upon them to the uttermost , was this popular declaiming against grievances ? deny your children food and rayment , and then call them such popular declaimers . again you snatch at your former self-deceiving fiction , [ did these hebrew children and ara bick lads , come out of your school , they should have been stroaked for precious youthes ] answer , how pleaseing to you is a selfmade cheat. realy sir , i know not one such lad that is a conformist , your urgency may possibly provoke me to , send you if it please you , some of our homebred fruits , to tell you whence i fetcht my comparison . . ( when you well mourn for your alehouses sots , and yet say , that all our are not free ) your confession on one part is constrained , your accusation on the other side i think is a calumny . . because no one of all the non-conformists was cast out for drunkenness , but many on the other side were cast out uppon accusation of that sin , seconded by oathes , ( how just i must not presume to say ) . i that know the non-conformists better than you , know not one drunkard amongst them all in england . . i challenge you to name one of all the ministers i named to you , or any other in the county of worcester where you live . next , ( page . ) you pretend that i change my judgement in valuing the common prayer and homilies , ] answer , all false still , no change at all . i ever valued the common prayer and homilies much before such preaching as i described to you . and realy i think that the non conformists much more value the homilies , than the conformists do . next , i am glad that you disclaim the proving it of any of our non-conformists in england , that he was silenced for insufficiency . but was this impertinent to one that intimated such charges of unlearnedness as you did . but , you say it is of another nature ( the reason of our silence ) that we do not give security to authority : that we will preach up no more wars , answer , i summon your conscience to justify you silencing of so many and such , in the necessity of so many thousand souls , one moment after death , upon the charge now given us on these reasons , . i told you , and you could not deny it , that if you leave out your oath and subscription to the bishops and chancellors , with the vast assent , and consent , few non-conformists will refuse the renuncation mentioned by you about wars . yet still have you that front to ●ay it upon this . the many that took the oxford oath upon this , and the more that were ready to take it , if judge keeling had not presently and openly declared it to be a renunciation of the national vow . . i again provoke you to prove that there is one non-conformable minister of ten or twenty , that ever was proved , or can be , to have medled with the war against the king , . you read and cite my late writing , wherein i say ( page . differ . of the pow of mag. and past . i ascribe all that power to kings which is given them by any text of scripture or acknowledged by any council general , or provincial , or by any publick authentick confession of any christian church , either protestant , greek , or papist , that ever i yet saw . ) and is all this insufficient to a liberty to preach christ , to ignorant souls , must protestants , greeks , and papists , be all silenced for want of loyalty ? i will subscribe to the utmost , that which any of their confessions give to kings , . the non-conformists , ( as far as i am acquainted with them , have still been ready in express terms to promise never to meddle in any war against the king ; nay to promise to employ their interest , and labour to prvent it . i● this would serve they should not be silenced , are such as hooker and bilson thought worthy of honour , and are these principles of ours so much less security against war , as to leave us on that account uncapable to preach . let but reason and humility be judge of your accusation and cause . and here to shame your self , yet more marchiaement need-hams book , is instanced in . a man that is no minister but a physician : who in those daies wrote against us non-conformists , and against my self by name , when the generality of the now silenced non-conformists , and ( excluding the sectaries ) stood , out refusing for the most part the engagement whom the royalists of my vicinity took it . this man that wrote against me , and since the kings return , hath welcomed him in florid poems : is instanced in to tell men what the nonconformists are , and why they are silenced . truly sir i conjecture you are a stranger to them , ( as abundance of the prelatists are ) though you lived in england , and have dwelt somewhere where you knew but some giddy sectaries , and judge by them of those you knew not . and here ( page . ) i am glad that you deny not , that the worst among us are received , if they do but conforme , which sheweth for what crime we are kept out . and for your exclamation against us that come not in , you would be impatient if i should but describe your dealing , what if you lived under in such a power of usurpers as would say [ if all the ministers in germany holland &c. will under their hands , or delibrately profess , that no one in the kingdom is bound by the oath of supremacy or allegiance , and promise that he will never endeavour the reformation of any corruption in religion , but will assent and consent to every word in the interim , and will use exorcism , &c. they shall have leave to preach else they shall all be silenced and deprived of all ministerial liberty and maintenance . ] and the● cassander should have told them , that they shu● out themselves if they come not in . i say not that our case is the same with this . i know it is not but cassander dealt more candidly than you do is there any thing that could be imposed , that would make you a non-conformist ? if there be , might non any man talk to you at such rates , even tye your legs , and intreat you to go : or blindfold you , and say , read who struck you . § . . what need you more to the present case , when you say that there is never a cherubim to hinder them , than this , that though it be no sin in your opinion , it is a hainous sin in theirs . ? and will your opinion prove it , where we search as diligently as you do to know the truth : if we be not as good as you , you may allow us to love our selves as well . tell me what time of any usurpation had such impositions , which the main body of the present conformists then in being , did not conform or submit to , or which they refused to the cost of all their church maintenance ( for the liberty of preaching , too many of them could easily forego it ) i know that many were turned out by others , that would gladly have conformed , if that would but have been accepted . i knew not three men in the three counties about me , that would not then have conformed , if that would have kept them in their livings . if there were more unknown to me there or elsewhere , i would but have asked those men , whether it was a sin that was imposed on them : and if so , whether it would have prevailed with them if one had done as you , and told them that they kept out themselves , and that no cherubin stood in the way , and how hainously they sinned in forsaking their calling . it seems by your complaint of the tryers ( men that i had nothing to do with ) that either you did conform then ( or would have done , if they had not refused you : ) they say you did conform . i am sure that most of my acquaintance that were sequestred , would have conformed to have kept their livings : but if we be of another mind now , when declarations , subscriptions , oaths , and practices are imposed on us ; which — what would you have us to do ? our manifold interests obligeth us to judge them lawful if we could : we lose as much by not conforming , as most of you get by conforming . must we judge all lawful , because our guides do so ? how far will that hold ? will it hold in italy , or in france , or in denmark ; or formerly in scotland if you had lived there ? he that must take all for good , which another calleth so , must know who it is , that is so far to be trusted on ; especially of those that renounce infallibility . . the irony was palpable enough to have prevented your fancy , that i give up the cause , scil by confessing the crime that we sought to save souls , and that we did eat bread . a little will encourage you sometimes to great conclusions . § . . p. . here you have many things to say , to prove that men that came into sequestrations , either sought not , or procured the good of souls : but o! first remember , that if that were true , yet all those ( or neer all ) were turned out of their sequestrations before the silencing bartholomew day , . . do you think that it had been as consistent with the good of souls , that they had for sixteen years been all untaught , and left without any ministers , or publick worship , rather than any should have succeeded the ejected . . if our preaching did no good to souls , why should you think that yours does any ? if you preach the same gospel , why should you think so well of your own works above other mens ? and if yours also do no good , why do men pay their tythes , and trouble themselves to hear such as do but trouble the world. . do you not conspire with the quakers that falsly cried out that our ministry did not profit men ; and with the levellers , that would have taken down the ministry as unprofitable . . but o! what an attempt you make to prove how little history is credible , to teach men to say , how know we that hegisyppus , that eusebius , that socrates , that epiphanius say true , when such men as should be the preachers of truth , can say what they do of common or notorious matters of fact ; yea and confidently stand to it , to the face of that age which knoweth that they speak falsly . . who are more competent judges , whether men received any good by christs gospel which we preached you or they . do you know the hearts and lives of many hundred thousands better than they do themselves : i know many are deceived with self-flattery , but are you that are a stranger to their hearts and them , the fittest judges . do you better know what faith , hope and love what repentance and obedience the gospel hath produced . to instance among strangers , is the way of darkness or evasion ; i may speak boldliest where i know best . ask the people of kederminster , whether in that time they received any good by the gospel : know you not , that when some such did but preach to them at the rates you now talk , it so alienated their minds from prelacy and conformity , who before were not so averse thereto , as that they have put it past my power to reconcile them so far to them as i am reconciled my self ; and were not my interest very great in them , and their preacher very honest , i should not get them to come to church : such good the spirit of envy and faction doth in the world , while it pretendeth to heal the hurt that others do . . let the effects that are visible be judge ; if places that abounded with rioting , drunkenness , ignorance , and ungodliness , do now search the scriptures and meditate with delight in the law of god , and constantly worship him , and their families call upon his name , if they live soberly , righteously , and godly , forsaking the former lusts of their ignorance , and seek first the kingdom of god and his righteousness , and live in charity and peace ; will it prove that these people are never the better , because faction causeth a stranger to tell them so . but you say [ they were not the souls of every soil , such as did inhabit poor villages , but such as dwell in fattest parsonages , or else in great towns , where these men who were most for the good of souls , might act their parts , &c. ] answer . farwel the credit of all history , if there be no truer historians : ( but how shall posterity know who they are ? ) is there an english-man that can be ignorant that the endeavour then was that no church might be unsupplied . there is no talking a far off , was not mr. cowper at moseley chappel near you , mr. rock at rowley , mr. tristram at clents , mr. walderne at broom , mr. baldwin at chadsley , mr. sergeant at stone , mr. baldwin at wolverley , my assistant at mitton chappel , mr. lovel at alveley , &c. doth not all the country about you know , that this which you say is false : and are you then to be believed in difficult moral cases of duty or sin , who deny publick fact which all the country about you knoweth . go into any one of these churches , and tell them that these men were never their preachers , and try whether you can convert them to believe you . . but that the great towns ( which commonly had least maintenance ) should be first provided for : that tribe of men should not deny , who hold that none but cities of old had churches and bishops , nor should have bishops to this day . nor should they teach enemies to say , these bishops settled themselves only in the great cities to act their parts with most popularity . is that the reason of your remove to hampton . . but what were the parts they had to act ? their work it self is the best evidence of that . let the two printed agreements of the worcestershire ministers , one for discipline , and one for catechising and personal instruction , with my reformed pastor , be a standing witness to posterity , what the countries ministers work was , against all factious calumny : we lived not idle ; not one of a multitude had an hundred pounds a year maintenance , that i could know of . in my great place ( of sequestration ) mine was less , when i was elsewhere oft offered above three hundred pounds ; we preached twice or thrice a week , and rarely meddled with any controversies , except against the quakers , and anabaptists , when they came to trouble the churches : we spent half two clays a week in conference with each family , to catechize them , and help them to understand the catechism , and to prepare them for another world. besides all our labour of discipline ; to bring the scandalous to repentance , and all the other offices of our places . in the last leaf of my [ uiversal concord ] the practice of the church where i lived is recited . this was the part we acted for our selves . . but you add [ what good was done to souls by these intruders , late posterity will find , &c. answer , . i think that the present age that hath the experience may better know than posterity , unless they have truer historians than you . . many thousand souls already in heaven , and many thousand more yet on earth , that were brought to the true knowledge of god and themselves , by the labours of such ministers , will be their witness what good they did . but the stranger meddleth not with their joys . . if you impute to them either the errors or work of sectaries , whom they were the principal means of suppressing , and whom they did much more against than you : or yet the works of the rebellious souldiers , that pulled down powers , and set up themselves ; you will but shew your malignity and unrighteousness : if you do not , your accusation signifieth nothing . if you mean that the people will not be brought to like silencing of prelats better than such preachers ; and this is the breach which the skilfullest of you cannot heal , i am of your mind : and the names of intrusion and schism will not serve to change their minds . as for intrusion , i knew very few such in those days that ever came to a place before they were sought to and intreated ; and i know very few now that are not seekers . . your next , against preaching down authority and plundering other mens livings to save souls , sheweth more what you are , than what they did : when you know that i have provoked you to name one of ten or twenty that ever preached down authority , or meddled with arms ; most coming out of the universities after the wars , and many never meddling with them ( though several conformists did . ) and sure the party is not to be judged or denominated by a tenth or twentieth part . i named many men to you in the former paper , and in this : enquire how few of all those ever meddled with arms. . and those few that did , almost all did it before they came into sequestrations , and many never did so after ; and thought it had been authority which they had stood for : and as he that erreth in medicine upon the judgment of a colledge of physicians , so he that erreth in law upon the judgment of a parliament , is more pardonable than some other men , and may again be capable of preaching the gospel , or else such should not now be readmitted . . and , if eating the bread of preachers be it you call plundring other mens livings , their error if it were one , had these excuses , that they thought that the tythes had been first devoted to god , and that he was the first proprietor , and that they were determinately devoted to him for this use , to maintain a lawful minister there to officiate : and they thought that when the then ruling parliament had cast out some under the notion of insufficient and scandalous , it was lawfull nevertheless for others to keep up a church , and teaching , and worship of god , and therefore to eat the dedicated bread. and as for the turning out of any for the kings cause , that were not utterly insufficient or drunkards , or such like , we printed our judgment against it ; and many would not succeed such men , which gave advantage to some that were sectarians to succeed them ? and what got the people by that scruple ? as for the fifth part , you know it was ordinarily paid , ( and now nothing ) and , mr. lea's book made no alteration . your talk of medling with temporals , in ordine ad spiritualia , is a meer impertinency . but if you ask bishops , and chancellors , whether it be lawfull to meddle with spiritual things , in ordine ad temporalia , ( yea and priests too ) it will be a seasonable question , ( if set home . ) i am glad to read that they did but threaten to silence you . by which i perceived you were not then so scrupulous as to lose all , to escape conformity to those times . and i also was threatned to be silenced as well as you : and virtually sequestred by an ordor against such as would not keep their fasts , and thanksgivings , and that spake against their authority ( which i openly did ) and that would not take the engagement : and yet i was never silenced by them , ( but only as to one assize sermon , ) that work being fitter for men , whose proper office it is , and that jure divino . and my life was frequently threatned by the souldiers , as well as yours . but i must [ tell you truly , should i reassume my chair , would i continue in this courteous mood . ] ans . you have proved already , that a question may be false , may you not as easily prove that it may be malignant , . what is my chair ? had i any but the pulpit , or reading place , at kederminster , . why do you question my courtesie , when i both printed my desires and reasons , against hindring any worthy men from preaching the gospel , upon pretence of the cause of the king or prelacy heretofore , and when i have in three or four books this very year , maintained the same impartiality and principles . yea most of all my writings and preaching for years have been much against faction : and for the union , concord , and concurrence of all ministers and christians , who are agreed but in christianity it self , and the essentials of church communion , in carrying on gods work with mutual forbearance . and when i never had a hand in putting any such men out , and have kept many of your party in : what room after this for such a question ? next you carp at me , for telling you ( in reputation of your calumnies by a comparison ) what ministers were in my time , and in the places where i lived : you [ marvel at my praecox ingenium , that could judge before i was ten years old , who were ignorant , who learned preachers : you fear it is still the greatest part of some mens devotion to censure the parts and gifts of the preacher . ] answer , o what relief are poor souls like to have from such uncompassionate shepherds ! i conjecture you believe me not , i will do what i can to cure you . but remember , i open not my fathers nakedness , while i speak nothing but what congregations saw and heard ; and that to you alone now in secret , and that upon your urgency . i was not bred in wales nor ireland , but first in shropshire . at six and seven years old my first master was a reader , never at university , and preached once a month : i name him not , because he was as●ied to me , and mended . my next master mr. heyward was a lay-man , publickly read the common prayer , but never preached , but proved after an honest lay-man , though no scholar . my next master , mr. cope , read and never preached . my next master , mr. yale , b. d. preached once a month , and drank himself , wife and children , to be stark beggars . these at rowton : and still note that we had no other . i then came to live at eaton constantine ; the vicar of the parish , mr. richard wolley , never preached : the parson of the town , sir william rogers , above fourscore , had two livings , and never preached in his life , as was said : when his eye-sight failed him , he said common prayer by memory ; and john colly a day-labourer , one year , and thomas gaynam a taylor , another year read the scriptures , but none preached . having two places , when he was absent , his curate was first , his son francis rogers , rarely if ever preached ; a famous stage-player : ( one of his sports was on the open stage , to let his pudenda nudata per restem laceratam quasi neglecta se ostentare ad risum populi movendum . his next curate , my master john rogers ( his grand-child ) was unlearned and never preached . his next curate , richard bathoe , was a lawyers clerk , broken by drinking , who was wont , to our smart , to let us know when he was drunk ; and never preached there but once , which was in my hearing when he was drunk , as i told you : if he be not lately dead , he is yet a minister very near you at patshill . in the same village another neighbours son turned priest , mr. thomas rock , who being detected to be vicious , and have forged orders , fled : so much for our parish ( leighton . ) the next eastward , bildwas , had a minister that never preached ; nor could i learn that ever they had before a preacher since the reformation . the next to that was madeley , whose minister preached not , and was as famous for debauchery , as the madmen of madeley for folly. on the other side us , the next church cressage had no preaching . the next kenley , had mr. bennet a reading curate , that preached not . mr. bent at harley ; my kinsman mr. wood , b. d. at cund , seldom : and the same i may say of too many other places round about us . at kederminster mr. dance preached ( as some call'd it ) once a quarter , or half-year : mr. turner at mitton , sometime ( when sober ) once a day , of whom i told you , that i knew by examination , his intollerable ignorance of the creed . at dowles our foresaid sir william rogers was parson . in the two chappels in the rock parish ( which i confess had small maintenance ) one reading curate made ropes for his living , and another cut faggots . i will add no more ; and this is only private to your self : to excuse my self and the poor people , who you think [ place our devotion in judging of the ministers parts . ] alas , poor souls ! into such hands are you fallen : the lord be more merciful to you , than such pastors ; who if for bread , they give you a stone , will reproach you as censurers of your teachers , if you find fault : and when the first work needful to save sinners , is to awaken them to a care of their own souls , and a love to teaching ; some men are angry with them , if they will care whether they are taught or untaught . of all merchandize , i love not making merchandize of souls . but i pray you dream not , that i take all the old ministry for such as these ? i know there are many excellent men : but i think the present non-conformists as fit for the sacred office as these ; ( is that presumption ? ) § . . p. . i thank you for your transitions and purposed brevity : to requite you ; . your first paragraph doth but say in effect , . that you untruly suppose me to meddle with the controversie , which i do but wish for leave to meddle with . . and that you think many things good , which i think to be stark naught . but because you call me so oft to dispute the main controversie , i tell you once , that it is disingeniously done , still in print and writing to call for more , as if we had never done any thing in it , while our printed books lie by you unanswered . answer my fifth dispute of church government , . in the point of prelacy , . of reordination , . of impositions ; and then call out for more when you have done : or if you have more time , answer baine's , diocesanes tryal , robert parker de polit. eccles . & blondel de episcopis , where dr. hammond left at the entrance . one quarter of the reasons of our non-conformity , is contained in these books ; and some are in ames his fresh suit , and nicols and bradshaw ; but the most are upon a new account , which our fathers were not put upon . . i am ashamed to read a preacher , a writer , an accuser of the afflicted , to talk of the dreadfull subject of oaths so poorly as you do . though i tell you , i will not dispute this point with you without a license from authority , i will say , . that when you say [ take an unlawfull oath in what sense you please , and will there be much need of absolution . ] you should not so confusedly have named an unlawfull oath . remember that you have proved against me , that a question may be false . and that an indefinite in renecessariâ , or thus unlimitedly delivered , goeth for an universal : an oath is unlawfull , . quoad actum imponendi , . quoad actum jurandi , . quoad materiam juratam . if the materia jurata be lawfull , do you think that the unlawfulness of the other two , do leave no need of an absolution ? . what if a thief force me to swear allegiance to the king , or to swear to do some duty , doth it not add a second bond ? or what if i vowed without the command of any power ? . what if i sinned in making a vow , or oath , by taking it from a usurper ▪ or without just cause , or unreasonably , or to an ill end , &c. if the matter be good , doth it not then bind me . and de materiâ , what if one article or many be bad and another good , doth the neighbourhood of the bad , disoblige me from the good . if so , it is but inserting some bad clauses , and men may be bound by no oaths or vows , as in the former case . it is but swearing sinfully , to an ill end , &c. and never be obliged . but if this be your divinity about oaths and perjury , you have no cause to censure them so deeply that swear not as quick and deep as you . your next question is , must the sense of an oath be measured by him that receiveth it , or ●rom the authority and intention of those that im●ose it . answer , still worse and worse : what confusion is here ? who knoweth whether by ●easuring the sense , you mean as to the taking of the ●ath , or as to the obligation of it when taken . your must seemeth to speak of both . but . he ●hat taketh an oath from one in lawful authority , ●r from an equal , is bound to take it in the sense ●f the imposer or requirer , whom we would sa●isfie . . he that taketh an oath from a thief ●r murtherer , some casuists say , ( is bound not ●o lie to hide his sense , but ) may take it in a sense ●ifferent from the imposers , when the plain words ●ill bear it without a lie. as if a thief or tray●r should force the king to swear that he will do ●his or that , which hath an equivocal name ; if ●he traytor 's sense be not according to the com●oner use , or defaniosiore analega●o , but the king 's , they think that the king is not bound to wear in his sense , though yet he may be bound ●o swear , to save his life . . but our case is only ●e obligatione juramenti praestandi : if a man that ●as bound to take the oath in a usurpers sense , ●hall either mistake the usurpers sense , or shall ●ke it in another sense , as supposing that he is not ●ound to the usurpers ; i say , that this man if ●e make this a vow to god , and not only an ●ath to man , is bound to keep it in the sense he ●ok it in , if it were materially lawful . if i vow to ●ive so much to a minister of christ , and he that ●rced me to it meant a mass priest , and i mistook ●im , and meant a true minister ; i am bound by ●y vow to give it him . if your confused question suppose the contrary , then a man's vows to god are all null , if he that forced him to it were of another sense . a meer oath to confirm a contract to a man , is to be interpreted by the contract , being but an obligation to perform it ; yea , and may be remitted by the man that will remit his right . but in a vow , god and man are the parties ; and god's sense imposing , and man's sense intending in the vow , are each obliging : so that if ten men use the same words in vowing , in ten several senses , they are ten several vows , and all oblige if materially lawful . and therefore when you say , that the vow was commanded by usurpers , and when i know not the sense of one that vowed , let him that will say of millions , that they are not bound , no not when they vow against schism , and prophaneness . but you cite here a non conformist against me , amesius case consc . to you , p. . to me p. . but . he speaketh not at all of our questions , in what sense an oath bindeth when taken , but only in what sense it ought to be taken . . he speaketh not of a vow , but of a meer oath . . he speaketh only of the case of equivocation ; but he that sweareth in sensu famosiore , to a thief whose mind he is not bound to follow , doth not equivocate . . he himself saith in the next case that the words of an oath must be taken , eo sensu quem audientes concepturos judicamus , id est , regulariter eo sensu quem habent in communi hominum usu . but the audientes and the imposers may be different ; and a man may think sometimes that the imposers sense may be contrary to the usum communem , and his own agreeable to it . but this impertinent question is nothing to us : suppose that the powers were bound to take it in the imposers sense , but did not ; the question is , whether it bind them not in their own sense : ( and in some possible cases in both , and to both . ) you add [ you mention some good things in the covenant ; as the declaration against popery , schism , and prophaneness : but you pass by the second article , &c. ans . so i perceive you would have me conform that i may preach : and what should i preach against but sin ? and will you not give me leave to suppose , that perjury is one of the greatest of all sins ; and that he that is knowingly for perjury , is against humane society , and not capable of trust or credit , and is against the safety of the king ; which dependeth much on the conscience of the oath of allegiance in his subjects ; and that he that would but say , i would declare my self for perjury , that i may preach against all other sins , ●● — . these things being premised , i ask you , are you in good sadness ? what! after such a confident perswasive to conformity ? will you tell your hearers , if you vow to god repentance , obedience , or any good ; this vow bindeth none of you all , if there were but some evil joyned with it . ] and so , if a jesuit would take the oath of allegiance or supremacy , yea or the vow of baptism be taken at our christening , if either ignorance or knavery do but joyn some bad things with it ; nothing of all the rest is obligatory . what cheater then will not foist in some bad thing into his vows , that he may be disobliged from all the rest ? if you dare preach such doctrine , and dare die in the aprobation of it , and dare perswade others to do the like , as their duty to god ; your book 's title , shall make me view s. paul's warning , 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 . would you have me deliberately undertake to justifie all men from the lawful or good parts of a vow , that i may have leave to preach against sin . you add [ and the power imposing the whole . ] answ . still all alike ; what ? will you tell your hearers , that no oath or vow bindeth them , which powerless man imposed : the want of power in the imposers , proveth indeed that no power of theirs obliged you to take it . but what if you had taken it to save your life from a thief , or within your closet-walls voluntarily , without the command of any power , doth it not oblige to lawful matters ? bishop sanderson would have taught you otherwise to resolve that case . this is a hard way to conformity . you add , [ what was good in it we were obliged to by a former covenant . ] answ . and what then ? is that another doctrine , that conformists must preach , that [ no vow or oath obligeth you to any good that you were obliged to before . ] oh dreadful ! the jesuits morals would abhor such a doctrine : if there may be new vows to the same thing , there may be new or additional obligations to the same thing ; else all the following vows are no vows . what if the oath of allegiance be thrice taken ? doth it oblige only the first time ? then if a man be at baptism obliged to christianity , no after vows at the lords supper , or other time , are obligatory . sir , be not angry with me for telling you , that non-conformists have somewhat in them , that will not permit them to take these for indifferent things : and that the diminution of your glory and mens temptation to separation from you , hath too much occasion and colour from your selves . you add , [ the worst of hereticks maintain some truths . ] answ . and quid inde ? suppose , so the covenant hath some good ? our question is not , whether we are bound to the bad , but to the good : and will you say , that i must receive no truth which a heretick holdeth ; or am bound by it to no good , which is contained in a vow that hath evil with it . § . , , . will any thing convince you of an error or sin , if the visibility of my words and yours , and my reminding you of your visible misreport will not do it ? but still when you see your words and mine , and hear of your mistake ; you will yet go on , yea and falsly add , that [ in one breath i say i did , and i did not retract them . ] this practice , and your fore-going doctrine well agree : when i had askt you [ whether it be all one to say i had expunged all that you accuse me of ( or charge me with ) and that i expunged all that you pervert ] ( or falsly took occasion from for a visible slander . ) this is no stop to you , nor worthy of any answer ; but you go on : yea when you tell me the page you meant , and see that there is no such thing there as you mentioned ; yet all this ( nor my many writings against that same opinion ) are nothing at all to stop your calumny . i am not justifying what i expunged ; but if it were faulty , must it needs contain a doctrine which it never mentioned , which i openly wrote against . this dealing is enough to tell me , to what purpose a disputation of conformity with you would prove , when sense it self will not convince you : and all your justification is , you [ give the sense , though not the words . ] utterly false ; there are no words there ( how bad soever ) of any such sense . the words speak mostly de fine belli , and not of the justifying power , which is ever supposed besides a good end . i never thought that war might be made against authority , for religion sake , what ever i might then think of the subjectum in quo of that authority , though not as hooker did . § . still confusion and untruth twisted : i deny not that i led many ( if you will call convincing reason , leading ) into an association : was that in the question before ? i rejoyce and glory in it , and thank god for it , as much as almost any passage of my life ! i told you before , ( and two printed agreements told the world ) what our associations were for . one was to exercise so much discipline , as all the three parties were agreed in , contradicting none of them in our agreement . the other for catechising and instructing every family at stated days , every week in course . and what 's this to mens present coming to your churches which you talk of . if they conform no more than i , i am not ashamed to be esteemed a promoter of their judgment . if they conform less than i , that they never had that from me , my five disputes of church government , then written , are a visible witness against your rash and heedless calumny . § . . be not offended with me , for judging some conformists honest : and i could wish that you would consider of it , before you teach your people , that [ there are no honest sinners . ] for that 's all one as to say , that the world hath never had one honest man , but christ , and adam and eve a while . though a man be not honest quatenus vel in quantum a sinner : ( nor i think quatenus a conformist ) yet i hope still that there are some honest men in the world ; yea such as have sinned avowedly and deliberately ( when they knew it not to be sin , as most sects that contradict each other do ) yea and some that sin against knowledge too ( as many do in their vain thoughts and words . ) but where is it that i said , that these honest conformists sin avowedly , delaberately , and against knowledge ? make conscience of truth . 't is like that i might sometime say , what it would be in me if i should do it : but is that to say , that it is so in others , whose knowledge i am a stranger-to ; or that it borders on the sin against the holy ghost . as for your invective against these honest conformists ; i ask you , . may not a man be an honest conformist , that taketh conformity for a thing lawful meerly in case of deprivation , as mr. sprint did , though he had rather be excused ? if not , few learned godly divines of my youthful acquaintance were honest men : for all such as pleaded then with me for it , went upon those terms . may not those be honest conformists that heartily and openly wish for abatements , as the bishop of chester doth , and bishop gawden openly upon my demand of his judgment , oft did . may not those be honest conformists who go on bishop reynolds and dr. stillingsteet's grounds , that no form of church-government is of divine institution : or those that had rather all the ceremonies were out of the church , than so many preachers . if they are , you do ill to censure them as dishonest ; if they are not , i shall never be induced to conform : for it would be to give away my honesty , if i do it on those aforesaid principles . thus i perceive that it is not conformity that would satisfie you if we yielded to it , unless we also did it on your principles . but if neither the bishops and clergy of england in abbot's days were any of them honest , saving the few described by heylin that went higher ; or if all the latitudinarians ( that had rather the ceremonies were forborn ) and all the unwilling conformists in england ( that would not do it but to keep their ministry ) be dishonest men , i am not yet ready to fall in with that other sort of men that charge so many of their own society with dishonesty , and that account so few honest , who are accounted honest by the rest of mankind , and appropriate honesty to those , that others can hardliest discern it in . § . . and will you so grosly dispute down non-conformity ? to distinguish between [ meddling with the war ] and entring into the army ] to you is [ a fly , ad populum phalerae ficulnea evasio , a little poor criticism . ] so that it seems you dare affirm or deny that of the one , which you do of the other . durst you swear that none of the lords , or commons , or citizens meddled with the war , but those that entred into the army ? and can you insist on such passages thus against your sight , when your error is detected ? i pray you if ever you be a confessor , resolve not other mens cases of conscience at this rate , as you do your own . § . . it is an unhappiness in you , that so hardly write that which is not errour , and yet so hardly acknowledge any crrour in your writing . the aphorisms recited by the bishop were mentioned by way of accusation : you excepted none , but spake generally of those collected by him ; what can i do more for tryal than to name particulars ? and where should i begin but with the first ? but it 's many more that i can name , which would extort from you the same answer : particularly that which bagshaw ( seeing there ) was tempted to transcribe among his falshoods , as if i had said all that of oliver , which i said of his son , which others also have falsly said of me . § . . it is a troublesom thing to dispute on terms not explained or understood : i thought all this while that presbyterian and episcopal had been terms whose sense we had agreed of , but i was mistaken ; for now you let me know , that an archbishop ( who strove hard for such preferment ) who drew the rest of the bishops into that high protestation , for which some were imprisoned , who forsook the parliament and went to the kings party ; as soon as he saw that they would bring low the bishops , who for self-safety turned to the parliament , when he saw all was almost gone on the other side ; and this but in wales to recover his own house : this man with you was a presbycerian archbishop ; i may understand shortly what a presbyterian signifieth of late in england ! as many episcopal non-conformists are silenced , and go now under the name of presbyterians : so take heed of straining the word too high , lest archbishops and bishops at last be put down as presbyterians too . if he be a presbyterin who is an archbishop , and would continue an archbishop , because he foresaw that the bishops would pull down themselves , and the puritans would prevail . in this sense i should not have denied but that they were presbyterians that first raised that war in england against the king : but your proof is out of rushworth , p. . viz. no other than those two famous men , sir john lamb , and dr. sibthorpe importuned the bishop to prosecute the puritans ; the bishop said , he knew of none , and asked what manner of people they be ? it 's answered by sir john lamb in dr. sibthorp's presence , that they seem to the world to be such as would not swear , whore , nor drink , but yet would lye , cheat , and deceive . that they would frequently hear two sermons a day , and repeat the same too , and afterwards pray , and sometimes fast all day long . then the bishop asked , whether those places where those puritans were ; did lend money freely ( to the king ) upon the loan . to which sir john lamb and dr. sybthorp replyed , that they did generally resolve to lend freely . then said the bishop no man of descretion can say , that that place is a place of puritans : for my part i am not satisfied to give way to proceedings against them . at which dr. sibthorp said , he was troubled to see that the church was no better regarded . very good ; a presbyterian then is a bishop that is not satisfied to persecute such puritans as those . add but what is said by many old conformists , how the word puritan was used with the utmost malice by papists and drunkards , and ungodly persons , against those who were firm protestants , and would not drink , and whore as they did ; as dr. robert abhot , regius professor in oxford , and bishop of salisbury , and bishop downam , ( one that i verily thought had been no presbyterian ) in his spittle sermon , called abraham's tryal , mr. rob. bolton frequently , ( who thinks there was never poor persecuted word used with such bitter malice by the mouth of the serpents seed , as that word puritan was at that day of good people . ) i say take in all this , and let posterity judge of an english presbyterian by it , that he is one that will not persecute and undo such puritans : we had divers such presbyterian bishops , usher , bedle , downam , davenant , hall , &c. and before them grindal , abbots , and the most of our bishops for queen elizabeth's reign . again , i confess that it was some such presbyterians as these that raised the parliaments army in england . the two next sections evincing your errour and calumny you pass by . § . . is of no further use to us ; only about dr. jo. reignolds , you are a most deceived and deceiving historian . . you do not know , &c. but you might have known that there is extant in print his letters to sir francis knowles against prelacy , for a meer moderatorship or presidency . . you say , [ did he not live and die in full conformity with the church of england . ] answ . a known falshood , if a question may be false : what matter of fact shall ever come to posterity by such hands without falsification ? if cartwright and reignolds , the leading non-conformists of england were conformists ; sir , i , and hundreds more have offered long to conform as far to the utmost , as either of these did . and yet we are unworthy to preach the the gospel of christ for want of conformity ; ( it may be , left it prove them to be presbyterians that will not prosecute us : ) learn better whether ever dr. reignolds did subscribe to the liturgy and ceremonies ; whether ever he took the oath of canonical obedience , or was not against the present prelacy ? whether he was for the cross in baptism , &c. but you verily think that were he now alive , he would be as hard a màwl of the schismaticks , and non-conformists , &c. answ . . of the schismaticks no doubt , for he wrote against both prelacy and separation . . wonderful ! what cannot you verily believe , which you are but willing should be true ? that an archbishop is a presbyterian , and that the leading non-conformist would be a mawl of the non-conformists : when . twice as much is now required of conformists as was then . . and dr. reignolds was not a man to do what he did without such reason as would have made him constant . and to requite you with as strong confidence , sir , i do not rashly but soberly and deliberately profess , that were they all alive at this day ( the old religious conformable divines themselves ) such as dr. io. white , dr. willet , dr. challoner , dr. field , mr. whateley , mr. crooks , mr. robert bolton , dr. preston , dr. sibbes , dr. stoughton , dr. taylor , with a thousand more , and a thousand ; yea these that wrote for the old conformity , mr. sprint , mr. paybody , dr. jo. burges , forbes : yea the old bishops themselves , jewell , sands , grindall , abbot , miles smith , &c. i do firmly believe without hesitation , that the generality of them would have been resolved non-conformists at this time , not changing their judgment , but because of the great change of conformity : for i know that cornelius burges , the learned gataker , dr. robert harris , and almost all the late westminster assembly , were formerly such kind of conformists as these were : and i know the same non-conformists now ( though not many ) would have yielded to the old conformity . yea more , i am perswaded that were rogers , bradford , sanders , &c. yea bishop hooper , bishop farrar , and bishop latimer alive now , they would all choose rather to burn at a stake again , than to do what is required of us . say not that i reproach the laws , for i only speak of the matter of fact ; whether they or the present bishops were the wiser , i meddle not . yea more , yet i much doubt , whether all the bishops of england now would conform themselves as ministers do , if they were put to it ? for i suppose you to know , that they are not put to the declarations and subscriptions , as the ministers were , nor to their oaths : but in this i am not confident , but only doubt . but of such old conformists as bolton , whateley , &c. i make no doubt at all . . but your proof is , that he received absolution according to the church of england . answer , is this proving ? so would i do : yea , i do receive the lords supper according to the liturgie . am i therefore a conformist ? doth it follow that he would swear , subscribe , declare , use the image of the cross as a symbole of christianity , &c. § . . your intimated calumny about popery , it 's well you let fall , though you confess it not . § . . we come now to the greatest of our differences , which you call my 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 , about a notorious matter of fact , whether they were presbyterians or episcopal and ●rastians , that first raised the armies in england against the king : when in the very age that it was done , such a thing can be so confiuently denied , what credit is there in some mens history ? i thought all these set together , had been proof enough . . that former episcopal parliaments began the business , and left it where those found it . . heylin himself sheweth fully , that the difference was long working between the two sorts of episcopal men , about arminianism , favouring papists , innovations , and propriety . . that such as jewel , bilson , and hooker , gives us the principles on which they did proceed : and sir edward sands that hath written for high conformity , and was hooker's pupill and bosom friend , was one of the chief for the people interest in th●se parliaments . . that h●ylin and rushworth and fuller acquaint us , that abbot was laid by for refusing to license sibthorp's book ; and how the rest did prosecute mainwaring . . that we knew our selves abundance of the parliament-men , who were all of their judgment ; viz. [ that moderate episcopacy was the best government , and that the bishops that followed lawd did by innovation seek to destroy both religion and the subjects liberty ( as they thought ) and that it was necessary to bring down the bishop's power in temporals , and to get better men that would be confined more to spiritual government , and use it better : but that no episcopacy was so necessary , as that the state should be hazarded to support it . ] this was the judgment of almost all them that i could hear or know of . that even to this day . there are yet about threescore of them alive , besides lords , from whom the matter may be known . . that understanding conscionable members of the house yet living , openly profess that presbytery was fearce known among them , and that there was but one known presbyterian then in that house , which was mr. tate of northamptonshire , an honest man. . that when they had raised their army , in their propositions sent to the king at nottingham , they offer the moderating of episcopacy , and not presbytery . that the earl of fssex general , the earl of bedford general of the horse , the earl of peterborough , sir john merick , dolbiere , the earl of stamford , the earl of huntington , the ( now ) earl of denbigh , the lord s. john , the lord roberts , the lord mandevile ( late earl of manchester ) the ( now ) lord hollis , colonel essex , col. goodwins ; colonel grantham , sir henry cholmley ; and so through the rest of the colonels , were no presbyterians ; ( though the lord say , lord brook , and the lord wharton were not episcopal . ) . that except these three last named , all the parliament's lord-lieutenants through england that ever i could hear of , were men accounted episcopal and conformable ; and these three were not accounted presbyterians , but honest godly independents or neither . that their major generals in the several parts of the land were commonly episcopal and conformable men ; yea the earl of stamford , sir william waller , mr. g. brown , mr. g. massey , mr. lawghorn , ferdinando lord fairfax , mr. g. pointz , mr. g. morgan , sir thomas middleton , mr. g. mitton , sir john gell , &c. . that the synod at westminster at first were all conformists , except about nine or ten , ( as doctor hammond telleth them in his answer to the london ministers . ) . that the scots themselves ( as may be seen in a late answer to the bishop of dumblanes accommodation ) do profess , that as england never was presbyterian , so they never supposed that they should immediately be such , but only put into the covenant the general words of [ reforming according to the word of god , and the example of the best reformed churches ] that they might engage them further to enquire what is the reformation which is most agreeable hereunto ; that so in time they might attain it : so that when the said bishop ( now archbishop of glasgoe ( being known to me ) citeth my own words , and other mens , to prove that the assembly or parliament never intended the renunciation of episcopacy , but of the english exorbitant prelacy , the scots presbyterians deny it not , but answer as aforesaid . . that it is a commonly known thing , that the covenant came in , not only after the wars were begun , but when the parliament was brought so low as to seek to the scots for aid . and that presbytery was little known in england , till the scots brought in the knowledge of it . . and it was a notorious thing that the parliament yielded to presbytery and to exclude episcopacy at last , not because they thought that a moderate episcopacy was not lawful and best , but because they had no way to hold up their wars , ( without which they thought they had no way to uphold themselves ) but by the help of the scots and such as were against episcopacy . and because they had seen the prelacy fly so high , and now to be so strong against them that they had no hope of moderating it , but fear'd it would bear down all . insomuch that mr. thomas coleman gave the covenant to the lords with this open profession , that it signified not the renunciation of episcopacy . . and it is a notorious thing , that before the parliament , there were not so many non-conformable ministers in england , ( presbyterians , independents , and anabaptists altogether ) as there were counties in the kingdom . and . it is known that few of those few had any hand in raising or promoting the war : mr. dod in northamptonshire , mr. ball in staffordshire , mr. langley in cheshire , poor mr. barnet of uppington , in shropshire , mr. oliver thomas , and mr. wrath in wales ( that quickly died , as almost all the rest did ) mr. augier in lancashire , mr. slater , mr. root , and a few more in all england . and . it is known , that when necessity had drawn them to please the scots , and take the covenant , the parliament would never be drawn ( though they made ordinances for it ) to appoint any to settle presbytery in the counties in execution of their ordinances . but purposely delayed , and never did it , except in london , lancashire , warwickshire , and a few more places . . and it is known , that the ministers of england themselves were but few of them indeed presbyterians , and therefore were the backwarder to set up that discipline : and therefore our worcestershire agreement ( to concur in all that the three parties are agreed in ) did the more easily and generally take ; and that the people themselves were so generally against presbytery ( except some of the stricter sort ) that they never would submit to it : and so de facto , it was never indeed set up , save in the few places forenamed . . lastly , it is visible , that the reasons of the parliament's war published in their remonstrances and declarations , do suppose their consent to episcopacy , and mention nothing of a change : and that the lawyers of the house ( as judge brown , selden , glin , &c. ) were generally episcopal erastians , that thought episcopacy lawful , as being from the soveraign power , which they thought might appoint church government as he please : ( as dr. stillingfleet's irenic . pleads ; and as the kings late acts in scotland intimate so far , as to determine that all the external government belongs to the king : and i will not believe , though you should swear it , that the king is a presbyterian . i did think that these twenty evidences set together , would have proved to any sober man , that on both sides it was episcopal men , and episcopal erastians that raised the first war in england . but all this evidence notwithstanding , this is to you the strangest paradox in historical transactions that ever saw the light : a serious confutation of it would have shewed you to be in a delirium , &c. answ . you have hit on the best confutation of it in those words that the cause was capable of : for now ignorant strangers and posterity may possibly think , that a man would not so confidently deny a notorious thing , without some ground . but what are those grounds ( for it is almost all one , as to dispute whether the english war was between protestants , or between english-men . ) why . you say , that [ the spirit of presbytery and non-conformity was stirring in those parliaments , though not known by those names . ] answ . nay , then there is no dealing with you in history . we judge of mens hearts by their professions and direct practice , and take him for conformable , that saith he is so , and actually conformeth . but you see deeper into the spirit : so you may say that it was the spirit of socinianism that workt in the arminians , as others say , it was the spirit of popery that workt in a. bishop laud and his party ; and others say , that it is the spirit of democracy that worketh in popular princes , and the spirit of rebellion that workt in hooker , and the spirit of independency that worketh in the presbyterians , and the spirit of anabaptism that worketh in the independents ; and so bagshaw and his brethren say , it is the spirit of conformity that worketh in us . and so whatever errour a man runs not as far from , as frightned , or furious adversaries do , he must be said to have the spirit of that error . as if a pythagorean should tell you that you have the spirit of ajax , thraso , or of some brute . sir , we plain people have hitherto taken a presbyterian to be one that holdeth [ that the church is and ought to be governed by sessions , classes , and synods , the lesser subordinate to the greater , to which there lieth an appeal , and these composed of pastors in parity and ruling elders conjunct , and that not for meer concord , but direct regiment . ] these are presbyterians in the sense of beza and saravia , downam , and gors . bucer , bilson , hooker , and all that have written on it : whom though i differ from , i take to be commonly the most sober , religious , strict , and understanding sort of christians , ( together with the new england moderate independents ) that i know , who make up a party in the world . and i take my self to be under a rational disparagement to differ from them so far as i do , though for truth 〈…〉 will bear that disparagement . but now forsooth , we have ●●●● professing episcopacy and conformity in parliements , that have the spirit of presbytery : and it was archiepiscopal and episcopal presbyt●●ians that began the war. just as among the pa●●sts , the poor jansenists , yea the persecuting ●●●● , are said to have the spirit of the ca●vinist● , ergo , they are calvinists , deny it who dare . . you prove it fully , by saving , did you never hear that when these parliaments we●e in their full cry against the duke of buckinghum ; they secretly moved him to make dr. breston archbishop , and then all complaints should be hushed ] answ . what still untruths ? . produce your credible proof if you are able . . could a parliament which doth all things by the major vote transact such a business secretly . could it have been proved , would not the duke of buckingham have alledged it against his adversaries ? . would heylin himself have silenced such a thing , and emplyed the contrary if it had been true . . would mr. thomas ball that florid full historian , in the life of his tutor dr. preston , have omitted it , when he advanced his reputation as high in outward respects as possible . . but what if all this had been true ? oportuit fuisse memorem ? truth shameth the cunningest and most confident adversaries , doctor preston was conformable . and is it a proof that the parliament had the spirit of presbytery , if they would have had a conformist made archbishop . thus we have still your first description of presbyterians , viz. such conformists as would be archbishops , and such parliaments as would have archbishops . we call archbishops , bishops , and so episcopal ; and you call them presbyterians : and are we not there like to agree well of the thing , that are not agreed of the name . . but he that knoweth that abbot was then archbishop of c. will hardly believe you , that the parliament would have had dr. preston put in , ( though it be nothing to the purpose . ) what you say of the infection from geneva , hath this sense : [ geneva infected the english fugitives with presbyterianism ; ergo the parliament , were presbyterians . ] we deny the consequence . for , . they infected not all england . . nor those individual persons . . they that were infected were non-conformable ministers , who were after silenced or trodden down by the bishops , and had not any votes in parliaments . next when i tell you , that parliament , militia , army , major generals , &c. were no presbyterians : you answer me , that you meddle not with lay-men . answ . and what need we more , were not the parliament lay-men ? and was it not the parliament that raised the militia and the armies , and that gave commissions to major generals &c. and was it not the lay-men that were the commanders and souldiers that fought against the armies of the king. and yet all this was an historical paradox to you . but you say , the dissenting brethren were most guilty in blowing the trumpet . answ . . suppose that were true ; all that you can say were but this , that one episcopal party raised a war against the king , and the other party , because some non-conformists blew the trumpet , or perswaded them . but if episcopal men are so unstable and simple to be drawn into such a war by a few non-conformists , why do you not acknowledge it ? but you question whether there were ●hen so few presbyterians in england , because a thousand subscribed a petition in king jame 's time . answ . this is to write history by conjecture against notorious matter of fact . i named you the men ; i can name you those in the assembly of divines , mr. nie , mr. goodwin , mr. simpson , mr. bridge , mr. boroughs , mr. philips , mr. greenhill , and mr. caryl ( after ) all independents , and mr. ash a presbyterian . name me many more english non-conformists if you can : and name me as many more in the land then i have named , if you can ! but a thousand subscribed the petition . bancroft , and your other such conformists tell you , that it was not so , and that most of them conformed then or soon after : you can believe such men when it serveth your turn . the truth is , many conformed , and the rest were dead and gone . do you think there were many non-conformists alive in , who subscribed that petition when king james came in . if mr. dod were , i suppose not many more . but did they not increase and multiply ? answ . excellent history ! did not we live in the country with them ? should we not have known them ? name them as i do . they were all consumed to the number that i mention , except some that went into new england ; and of these named , divers came back out of holland . death and conformity had almost made an end of them , when they wonderfully revived from among your selves : know you not , that this is the grand hope of your present generation from old experience , that non conformity will be but res unius aetatis . ( but reason , conscience , scripture , duty , and sin will for all that be still the same . ) as to your doubt , whether england infected not scotland ? heylin in his life of land will tell you plainly . they might at last encourage them , but it was not for presbytery , but for that which they called propriety , liberty , and safety from popery . these were the frights of the episcopal great men of those times : but as for any ministers to infect scotland hence with presbytery , when it there prevailed , and here were next to none at all , it is a ridiculous fancy . but now you pretend to speak sence , and tell me , that one of the propositions sent to the king after edge-hill , was to abolish archbishops , bishops , &c. ans . unhappy still ! . but how long since after edge-hill fight ? was it not long after , at the treaty of uxbridge that you mean ? and was that before the raising of the army ? . was not the proposals at nottingham sent by the earl of essex , a little before the raising of the army ? a surer proof against you that then they were not for presbytery , but restrained episcopacy . . even at uxbridge treaty , many thought that another frame of moderate episcopacy would not be well set up , till the present frame was taken down . . and even then they said nothing that i know of for presbytery . . but the truth is , they saw by that time , that they could not stand but by the help of those that were against the bishops , the scots , the independents , and the unwilling conformists that desired a deliverance . but this proveth not that the parliament was presbyterians then , much less that they were so before the wars : but you that meddle not with lay-men , remember that lay-men sent those propasitions . you next tell me of alderman pennington , and the apprentices . answ . . few of those apprentices knew what presbytery was , but were exasperated against episcopacy for the sake of the present bishops ; as the common people be now within these nine years , thinking that it 's they that silence their teachers , and cause all our divisions . but alas little knew they what church-government to desire . but most that were in judgment against episcopacy , were independents and separatists then . and how inconsiderable a number in london were those apprentices . . and our question is not , what party of lads , or apprentices , or women did clamour against bishops , ? but what party it was that raised the war ? did these lads give the earl of essex his commission ? but you find none that said any thing against their petition , but the lord digby . answ . and hath not he forsaken you also ? . where did you seek to find it ? not in the parliament journal sure , else you might have found more . . the truth is , the episcopal parliament themselves perceiving what party they must trust to , opposed not those petitions , because the petitioners might serve their turns , and i doubt were too well contented with them . but as no man must say , that the king had the spirit of popery , because he was willing that the papists should help him : so no man can prove that the episcopal parliament had the spirit of presbytery , or were against episcopacy it self , because they were willing to be helped by all sorts , who on a sudden were fallen out with bishops . the truth is , the suspending and silencing of ministers , and the cropping the ears , and stigmatizing prin with burton and bastwick , had suddenly raised in the london apprentices and others , a great distate of the bishops , though they knew little of any controversies about church-government at all . when you say , that [ episcopacy ( or rather bishops lands ) was the palladium , &c. ] . episcopacy was not so till after the army was raised : it was so , no doubt , in the private designs of some particular men , apprentices and women , in the city and kingdom ; that is , all that were against it desired it should fall : and many that were episcopal desired that it should rather fall , than the abuses of it continue by such men as they thought would else ruine church and state , thinking that there was no other way to save them : ( so far did different apprehensions about propriety , liberty , popery , and arminianism , carry men from one another , who were all for episcopacy . ) but forget not . that it is the major vote of the parliament , and not a few secret designers within or without doors , that is the parliament . . that it was the parliament that raised the militia and armies . . that this parliament was not at that time against episcopacy ; ( therefore your talk of the isle of wight so long after , is liker a jest than serious . besides that you seem ignorant of , the parliament resolved to accept of the kings concessions , ( as prins long printed speech will shew you ) and therefore immediately before they should have voted that closure were pulled out by cromwell , ( who had secret intelligence what they were going to do . ) . and your oblivion caused you by your parenthesis to contradict what you have hitherto said your self : for if it were bishops lands rather than bishops that they would have down , it implyeth that they were not presbyterians , nor against episcopacy . would you make an english-man of this age believe , that none of your own church have an appetite to bishops lands ? try them , and they will confute you more effectually than i can . do you think that of the multitude that now drink and ●rant , and roar , and whore , and rob , there are none whose consciences could be content that bishops fell , that they might have their lands ? you will say perhaps , these are not truly for episcopacy . ridiculous ! must we write histories out of mens secret thoughts and hearts , and call men only what they are conscientiously and in sincerity ? who knoweth another mans sincerity but god ? come into london , or go among these gallants , and tell them that they are not sons of the church if you dare . hearken whether they talk not more for bishops , than for any other sect ? whether they do not curse and damn the presbyterians and fanaticks , and their conventicles , and deride their preaching and praying , and say as bad of them as you can wish them ? though i know that too great abundance since our silencing are fallen off from you to infidelity or atheism , and to make a jest of the sacred scriptures ; and the papists say , that very many thousands are turned to them : yet i speak of those that still call themselves protestants of the church of england . really if you will take none to be of your church that would sell the bishops lands , or none that are not conscientiously for you ; i doubt your church yet will prove invisible , and as little as some of the housed sects . and if that will serve your turn , i pray deal equally , and let the sectaries also have leave to say of any of their party that killed the king , or were guilty of treason , he was not truly one of us . the war was first called bellum episcopale by the parliament-men , because they thought or said that land and his adherents were the causes of it , by seeking to reduce the scots to their will , and to set up altars and other innovations in england . but not because the parliament at that time renounced episcopacy it self . as to the particular members of the armies , i confess i did know them better than you ; i speak not of fairfax or cromwell's army , but of essex's : and it s well that you have so much modesty , as not to deny that they were episcopal or no presbyterians . but you venture to say of those yet living , [ that they were so whilst they assisted in the support of the late cause , i have not so far renounced my reason and experience as to fall in with your account . and if we persevere in this new doctrine , we shall be as distant as the two poles . ] answ . now you are at your strength , your confidence , and resolution to believe ( or say you believe ) as you do , is all the life of your cause . it is now taken for no dishonour to the greatest lords , to say , that they are for episcopacy . there are yet living the earl of bedford , the earl of denbeigh , the earl of stamford , the lord grey of warke , the lord hollis , the lord asthey , the lord roberts , the earl of anglesey ( though he be no souldier ) major general morgan , mr. g. massey , sir john gell , and many more . enquire of themselves , or any that know them , whether they were ever presbyterians , or against a moderate episcopacy . sir william waller was most called a presbyterian ( in your sense ) who died lately , and hath told me ( being my very dear friend ) his own judgment and the parliament's , as i now tell it you . i have in the heat of the wars heard sir thomas middleton , major general mitton , and many others thus give their judgment : yea , these were for the liturgy and full conformity ; and some of them for dr. hammond's highest strain of episcopacy . but it s sufficient to your cause , that though the men who are yet living , are the best witnesses of their own minds , yet you are resolved not to believe either them or me . but let me remember you of one wide-mou●hed witness more , which will almost swallow up your credit : when cromwell and his army , and their secret adherents in the parliament , cast out the eleven members of parliament first , and conquered the city , and pull'd down all the committees , and disbanded all the other forces of massey's army , and all the garrison and county forces : ) yea before that , when they layd by essex and his old officers and army , and abundance of the parliament-men that had command in garrisons , armies , &c. by the self-denying vote ( as it was called . ) all this was done upon insinuations , that they were not men to be trusted , being even then at the heart for the most part episcopal . and if yet you are incredulous , and as distant as the other pole , i will now but intreat you to fetch one argument from the north , to draw you from your north-pole distance ; and tell your self whether major general monk ( and morgan ) and his army which brought in the king , and set up the bishops again , was episcopal or presbyterian ? and yet their long abode in scotland made that army accounted to be more presbyterian than any army that was in england . but as king charles saith in his letter to mr. henderson , no man can so hardly understand as he that would not know . that the war is so odious now as that neither side will own it , is no wonder , when they have learned by so much experience : i would it had been so from the beginning . § . . i must allow you to ease your fancy with the name of [ singularities , strange imaginations , the body of a dead man , &c. ] for want of bettet stuff . but it s more strange to me , that the contention between arminian and calvinian , prelats and prelatists , should be talked of as so incredible ; when your goliah , peter heylin hath made it so much of the substance of his history of the life of a. b. laud. in what you say more of williams , you still confute your self : for what say you , but that selfish carnal motives did make an a. b. fight against the king. but was he therefore no prelatist , and yet an archprelate ; or was he therefore a presbyterian a. b. i again advise you not to cast all out of your church that are ruled by selfishness and worldly interest , least you leave so few as will take away the glory of your magnitude , and leave the sectaries to vie with you for the majority . and i will intreat you but to mark throughout the foresaid history of a. b. laud , how grosly and uglily your foresaid champion describeth laud and the chief of his party , as if preferment and rising were there very scope , and the contriving and seeking it by all friends and means , were their very trade of life and business in this world : so that to a truly heavenly mortified christian , it must needs seem as loathsom a character , as christ giveth the rich man , luke . . if not much more : for he writeth pride , ambition , worldliness , seeking to be greatest ; as it were the very inscription of the picture which he draweth : ( as his own letters in the caball say the same of williams . ) and will you make that to be a mark of no-prelate , which your champion maketh their notorious character . read him impartially , and judge . as for arrius , i had no acquaintance with him , nor have i any business with him : but if all my foresaid twenty evidences fail me , and i cannot know what a parliament was ? what a synod was ? what an army was ? when i was acquainted familiarly with so many of them all ? how should i know whether or no that epiphanius spake truly of the secret heart of arrius who so openly , falsly , and furiously abused and persecuted his superiour chrysostom . you shall believe what you will , and i will believe what i can . but few men have ventured to cast such a slur upon s. hierom as you do , saying , that [ jerom himself was not a jot the better for it , even for missing of a bishoprick : ] medina himself hath not done him so much wrong . what bishoprick was it that he sought and missed of , and when ? though he joyned with chrysostom's adversaries , i find not that he sought his place or any other bishops , though he sowrly over-top augustine in confidence of arguing ; i find not that he sought to be above him in place . it 's well that you are not out of hope of preferment your self , lest you should turn presbyterian : for ( pardon on my smarting sharpness of speech to you ( as you account it ) while i tell you that ) i take you not for a better man than s. jerom ; and therefore think that want of preferment would do more with you , than it did with him . but this is the ordinary judgment of worldlings , who measure other men by themselves . when i am dead , and cannot answer for my self , i doubt not but the same will be said of me , though you were now forced to recede from that censure . but above all impudencies , i must magnifie theirs that charge this on the presbyterians as such , whose denominating opinion lieth in resisting all honours , preferments , precedencies , great riches , &c. in the ministry , save what meer worth or age procureth ; and yet they are said to be discontent because they cannot be bishops , when their doctrine is against them . the dog that is busie about his carrion , snarleth at every one that passeth by , as jealous that he would bereave him of his feast . § . . . when the question is , as whether the parliament of england be english-men , or french-men ? i will take your return of [ round , square , and forked atomes ] for a very moving answer , considering the cause and person . but when i alledge your perversest champion heylin only ad hominem , i will not believe that your allegation of his lies against presbyterians is any more argumentum ad hominem to us , than if you alledged the authority of manesseh ben israel , till you have proved , ( for what cannot you do that you have a mind to do ) that pet. heylin ( as well as the archbishop of york ) was a presbyterian . i thank you for your silence to § . . § . . when our question was of the causers of the late war , and we came to recite the principles of the leaders of the prelatical party , what should i do more than name the men and their books . when the bishop silenced me , and forbid me to preach in his diocess , he commended for my cure the reading of bilson and hooker , and named no others . i now recited the words of bilson and hooker , the first as asserting the principles of the parliament ; the second as going quite beyond them on the principles of them that pull'd down the parliament , i cited page and words at large . to all this i have nothing but that you will cover your fathers nakedness , and not own all that they say : but doth not this yield that this was their doctrine ? what need you disown or cover it , if it were not so ? yet nothing will make some men confess . but still mr. hooker you admire , and so did camden , usher , morton , hales , gawden , king james , king charles . ] i dare not joyn my self to so great names as one of his admirers , lest i seem too much to value my self . i will come far behind them , supposing that a long tedious discourse in him hath as much substance , as one might put into a syllogism of six lines . i said , but that [ it was theirs and such prelatist's principles that led me into what i did and wrote . ] his principles might do it , and not he , as they were managed by other men . but these are niceties to men that heed not what they read or say . what is written line . p. . § . . you seem to defend : and . you say [ what is this more , than some that writ for the kings cause in the late wars professed ? ] answ . and will you defend or own all that then was confessed by them ? have you read the kings answer to the propositions ? do you know that the parliaments adherents drew up a catechism out of that answer , as pretending to justifie all their cause by it ? know you not that in fountains letter answered by dr. steward ; and in sir nethersole's writings for the king , and many others , those things are supposed or asserted , which i would not counsel you now to assert . your instance is , [ that as to making of laws , our kings have not challenged a power without parliaments . ] answer , god be thanked , but that 's none of our question : but what you will not know , you cannot understand . seeing you seem to justifie hooker here , who saith , that laws they are not , which publick approbation hath not made so : ( which i believe of those countries where such publick senates have part in the legislation . ) by this you must say , that in the turks dominions , or any the like , there are no laws . but if you say , that the original grant of the legislative power to one is equivalent to an approbation of his laws : i maintain that hooker's principle is false , [ that by the natural law whereto god hath made all subject , the natural power of making laws to command whole publick societies of men belongeth , so properly to the same entire societies , that for any prince or potentate of what kindsoever upon earth , to exercise the same himself , and not either by express commission immediately and personally received from god , or else by authority derived at first from their consent , upon whose persons they impose laws , it is no better than meer tyranny . how hard a task then do you put kings upon to excuse themselves from tyranny , when ever such prelatists will accuse them of it . for . i hope you will not put them to prove [ that they have their power by an express commission immediately and personally from god ] ( as saul and david had ) shall we obey none but those that fanatically can pretend to a revelation , or immediate personal commission from heaven . and . prove if you can , that the people have regal power to use or to give . i grant that originally their consent may be necessary to the designation of the person or family that shall receive it from god : but it is god that giveth the power , though the people choose the person or family ; no man giveth that which he hath not : the people have not legal or governing power , ergo , they cannot give it . the wife chooseth her husband , but gods institution giveth him his power . if that it be certain ( as doctor hammond hath proved against john goodwin ) that the peoples consent doth give no power , but onely let in the person that shall receive it from god , and not from them ; how dare you thus conclude all kings on earth to be but tyrants , as hooker plainly doth : for no king on earth hath [ an immediate personal commission from heaven ] and no king ( that i know of ) can receive power from the people that never had it to give : ergo , you make all kings to be no kings but tyrants ; but falsly . will you defend this because hooker wrote it ? were not these the levellers and democratists principles , higher than the old parliament owned ? must a clergy of such principles put men upon banishing the non-conformists five miles from a corporation , as men of seditious principles . — terras astraea reliquit . you tell me , i take what is for my purpose , and leave out the rest . ans . semper idem . do i mai many sentence ? do i pervert any ? is the rest contradictory to this ? what in the great hooker ? no , not at all . i suppose the rest . unrighteous man ! if you require me to write out all his book , when ever i transcribe a part ? i own that which you transcribe ? what would you have more . but next you say , that i have found other doctrine in hookers other books . answ . a silly pretence , of which anon . you ask [ was you led aside by hooker , &c. yet you quote passages out of the th book , that came out since . ans . a man that would turn us to conformity , must be able himself to heed what he readeth ; . i said , not that hooker , but such principles led me . . i never said , that i was led by every word that i now cite , but that these words contain the principles which missed me ( that is , so far and so long as i followed those principles . ) do you not see that your heedlesness tempted you to this error ; and yet your [ ex post liminio ] and [ first building the roof ] seemed sence to you , or you would have them seem such at least to me . but it 's well that you disown these three book of hookers also . but . is not this forecited in the first , the very sum of all that you are afraid of . will you so give away the sixth and seventh which say far more for episcopacy than all the rest . will you thus reproach all bishop gauden's triumphant vindication and dedication to the king ? . did he not tell you that the copy was interlined with hookers own hand , as approving it ? what would you have more ? . i again tell you , i can bring you proof of a concordant copy , ( the scribes errates excepted ) . . mr. walton could not deny it . . dr. bernard cited by you confirmeth it . for to say , that a sentence or two were left , doth intimate that the book was his ; and leaving out , is not putting in : and i cited nothing that was left out , nor any thing in it that is maimed for want of it . . any man may see that the th book was imperfect , and that is proved by the matter , manner , and end : but it was nevertheless hooker's , and concordant in style and matter with the first . and have you now vindicated the doctrine of the chief prelatists any better than by disowning them ? and do you take it as incredible , that many episcopal men in parliament should think as bilson and hooker thought , and as the great speakers , sir dudley digs , cook , philips , eliot , and many such in former parliaments did seem to think . § . . did you write against their discipline with such ugly insinuations of treason , before you knew what their discipline was , and then think you are excused by saying , it must not be touched . . did you not know till now , that the nonconformists are not in all things of one mind ? they never pretended to it : how many men are so , whose faith is their own ? are you after so many years to learn , that some that conform not are episcopal , some presbyterians , some independents , and some as we of worcestershire ( and i think most of england ) addicted to no party ; but thinking that each of the three ( and the erastians too ) have somewhat in which they excel the rest , and somewhat in which they erre more than the rest . this is our judgment : and will not old printed writings make you know it , before you first write against it , and then wonder at it , and make a stir about that which you know not , when i'ts told you . you next think that by proving that they flie their habitation , and refuse the oath , you sufficiciently prove — that the chorus sticks at renouncing war against the king. because it is a serious business ; i must profess that you here so cross the common principles of reason , humanity , or christianity , that you do not at all tempt me to conform : when you know ( if you are reasonable ) that if they should take all the oath except the last clause , they are nevertheless to be confined from corporations ? when you know ( if you are reasonable ) that a man may judge the first part , or one part lawful , that thinketh otherwise of the last , and so that he must remove his habitation ! to conclude , yet that the flying of their habitations , and not taking the oath is a proof that they are against the whole , or against that clause that renounceth arms against the king ; and to take this for a demonstration , as going is , that there is motion ; i tell you again , this reasoning beseemeth not a divine , or a man. doth it not imply , that you will take an oath your self , if you judge but one part of it lawful ? and yet before , that vo●doth bind no man to the lawful parts which you said had in it some parts unlawful . thus errors agree amongst themselves . you open your self yet more ; you say , [ this makes me nauseate your principles as much as the former , viz. not swearing , not to endeavour an alteration in the government of the church . ] answ . and indeed , do you loath as much the altering of your church government as the kings , and yet be loyal ? is it as loathsom to turn diocesance into the old episcopacy , or to set up bishop usher's model , which we offered , yea or to take down lay chancellor's power of the keys , as to take down kings . yet this tempts me not unto conformity . yet do you not stick to say next [ yes , by petition , as becomes subjects ( viz. ) we may endeavour alteration . ] answ . what a saying and unsaying is this ? and what a jumble of swearing and unswearing would you have us make ? will men awake believe that petitioning is no endeavouring ? will you preach this doctrine to your flock ? you may lawfully swear that you will not any time endeavour an alteration of the scripture , of the ministry , of the universities , of religion , of monarchy , and yet may endeavour it by petitioning , that oath notwithstanding . ] may a man swear universally , and mean particularly . may he swear that he will not at any time murder his child , and mean [ except by famishing him . ] may he swear that he will never endeavour to defame you , or take away your life or lands , and yet may petition the king or parliament to take them away ? swear with you at these rates that will for me . but by this it appeareth that quoad sensum you are of the nonconformists mind , though not as to the method of swearing : for if they could but stretch their consciences to put your sense upon that clause of the oath , they would take it : and yet do you nauseate their principles and discipline , because they cannot interpret it as you , who would take it were it so interpreted ? see then by how small a matter ( even the meer exposition of the words . ) satan can tempt some men to nauseate the discipline and principles of others that fear an oath . but you think [ in our places and callings ] is , that ministers must preach them down , and souldiers fight them down . ans . . but is not petitioning confest by you to be agreeable to the place and calling of a subject , and therefore allowable . and so you build up what you would pull down . . either it belongeth to the place and calling of a minister to preach for church reformation in the said alteration , or not . if it be , dare you oppose it ? if it be not , this clause restraineth it . . if the king ( who can give souldiers authority ) should commission souldiers to pull down lay chancellors , or alter prelacy , and make a bishop in every market town or parish , would you teach the souldiers to disobey and any to resist him ? what! and yet in the oath swear that it is not lawful to resist any commissioned by him ? but a souldier that is not authorized to do it , doth it not in his place and calling . your talk of changing discipline with rebellion by instances from practices , is but a proceeding in bold calumniation , when you say nothing to the vindications which dr. pet. moulin bishop bilson , king james , and others have given it . and to name no instance but that of prague , is so bad , that i will not name its quality . do you know what discipline they were of at prague ? i suppose you know that the bohemian waldenses were episcopal , as commenius and lascitius treatises will shew you under the name of seniors and conseniors . and the palatine discipline was mostly erastian by magistrates , even long before erastus pleaded for it against beza , even as was and is the discipline of the helvetians . and hath the image of both churches , or some such papist put this into your head , to nauseate magistrates , church-government , for the sake of them of prague , that raised a tumult against the magistrate ( on what cause i leave to just historians . ) when you ask me what i think of those disciplinarian principles . i answer , i think who ever used them they are false , and i think him a shameless calumniator that will charge them on us that conform not , without one syllable or shew of proof : do you mean [ bancroft and heylin charge them on some called disciplinarians in the last age . ergo , i may charge them on the present non-conformists ; yea on the whole chorus , yea on their discipline that desired bishop usher's episcopacy . ] let it be so , that you may be your self : as to what you say against the genevian principles , as against government , &c. i answer , . why did you not name some one of those principles , and try by what consequence it inferreth all the villanies which you name . do not the papists say the same of the protestants . . and next , why did you not prove that we hold those rebellious genevian principles ? were it christian dealing in me , if i should say , [ because prins history of prelates treasons proveth that multitudes of prelates have been traytors therefore our present prelates are such too . ] but we see what instruments the prince of malice and calumny useth . you tell me that you shall the less believe confessions , because the parliaments declarations so differed from their practice . ans . . but will you falsly accuse the part that is good for the part that is evil ? most christians live not according to the christian profession : is the christian profession therefore bad , and the cause of all their villanies ? will you judge fidem ex homine ? will you charge all that upon a mans religion objectively considered , which you find amiss in his life . . do you not know that our question now is not what the men are , but what their principles and discipline , and that it is not the professio profitens , but the professio professa which is to be disputed of . and by what means shall any church or party under heaven defend their religion against such a censurer and disputant as you are ? they will say that they have the true religion ; you will say , no , for you are not true to your religion : they will say , that their articles are true ; you will say , no , they are false , because you live not according to them , ( which implieth that they are true and good , or else what fault were it to contradict them in practice . ) the protestant will say , our religion is sound and agreeable to gods word : you teach the papists to answer , no , it 's false , for there are vicious livers among you . and i pray you , what number of sinners must go to prove a religion , creed , or articles false ? must it be all , or the major part , or will any one serve ? must the kingdom try by the pole , or vote whether the vicious or the vertuous are the greater number among them , before they can prove their religion true ? doth the act go to the essence of the object ? . but if it must needs be so , i pray dispute no more against the non-conformists , or dispute against them better by your lives , than you have done ? will you teach them to argue the xxxix articles , the liturgy , and book of ordination are not true , or to be subscribed , because the conformists live thus or thus . you know foreigners and posterity know not which of the histories of this age are true or false : suppose that they should read mr. white 's centuries of drunkards , &c. ejected from the ministry , and the records of the country committees , saying , so many and so many were upon oath proved scandalous drunkards , &c. and ralph wallis naming so many drunkards and scandalous conformists now . would you have them question the principles and discipline of the church of england , till they can prove these histories false . i profess to you resolvedly , that if i must needs judge that church or party to have the soundest principles and discipline , who have the best lives ; i should far and very far prefer the presbyterians , independents , and much more the conciliators , before the prelatists , and yet not extenuate any of their faults . but all this is nothing to you that go another way to work . [ why tell you of mens professions , when you see their contrary practice ? ] when as it is not the practice only , but the profession that is the principles and discipline that you accused : and so when their principles are in question , why do we talk to you of their principles ? and how silly a shift is all this covered with ? because the parliament promised to make the king the most glorious king , if he would return to them , &c. but . is a promise and disciplinarian principles of the same nature , when we question their truth . the promise is not true , unless it agree with the mind of the promiser , of which god is the iudge till performance shew it . but principles may be true , though he that profess them be never so false . . and i pray remember , that the parliament were pulled to pieces , and conquered by souldiers ( even for resolving to close with the king ) before the king could be cut off . but as for the first war , i have told you the authors of it . to your next ; [ if we must call none episcopal men that are not faithful to their principles ] then i know not indeed whom i may call such : if parties must be notified by their fidelity , we should have agreed thus to sense the word before we had disputed , for other men speak not thus . did you think i cited moulin against philanax to prove that our principles are better than the papists . have you read him all , and understand him no better ? i cited him as fully proving historically that the places now charged with presbyterianism and rebellion , geneva , holland , &c. had changed this government before , or on other accounts ; flanders and brabant joyned with holland in the change , the main body being papists , who after fell off when the prince of orange mentioned liberty of religion . and for geneva , pag. . he faith , [ my business being to vindicate the reformation from the charge of rebellion , i must take from the reformers of geneva that aspersion , that they expelled their bishop , and that they altered the constitution of that state , and both these ascribed to calvin : it is a tradition received in england , as a currant and undoubted truth : ( a fair credit to the prelatists honesty and historical veracity ! ) and upon that ground many fine and judicious inferences are built . but it is like the story of the phoenix , and the singing of swans , never the truer . what credit can be given to histories of things bapned in the indies years ago ? if in things done so lately , and so near us , gross mistakes go for uncontrolable truths . ( you know with whom . ) i say , it is utterly false that calvin was one of the planters of the reformed religion at geneva . false also that he or the reformers at geneva turned their bishop out of doors . and false also that the bishop went away upon the quarrel of religion . the bishop was fled eight months before the reformation , seeing his conspiracy discovered to oppress the liberties of the city by the help of the duke of savoy , for which his secretary was hanged after he was gone ; the said bishop being hated before , for the rape of a virgin , and many adulteries with citizens wives . and it is most to be noted , that they who after his flight reformed the civil government were strong papists , and mainly opposed the reformation of religion . i shall recite no more out of this episcopal doctor , prebend of canterbury , but desire you again to read page , . what changed luther's mind to own the protestants arms against the emperour . and page , . what king james saith to vindicate the french protestants ; [ i never knew yet that the french protestants took arms against their king , &c. ] and that cap. . pag. , to . he cites the confessions of all the churches , the augustane , the french , the belgick , the helvetian , the bohemian , the saxonian , the swevian , the english , as consenting for obedience to their soveraigns . but all this is nothing to you that can say nothing of worth against it : neither the vindication of their principles or practice . but ( unrighteous judge ) i am with you ( partial and unequal . ) . because i told you , that you should not have set down the bare names of t. c. and travers , as a charge , without citing what they say . and is not that true ? is that an unequal expectation ? and what if i had added , that had you proved them guilty , it had not concerned any of us , or our discipline or principles , till you had proved that we had owned the same ? and is that unequal ? o justice ! . because i said , [ i will no further believe bancroft or sir th. aston , then they prove what they say . ] no , nor you neither . must i believe adversaries accusing parties without proof , and such adversaries too ! why must i believe them more than heylin , or more than doctor moulin afore-cited believed the english tradition against geneva ? is this the equality of your way ? § . . it 's tedious disputing with a man that cannot or will not understand what is said , no not the question , no not the subject of it . you cite my words out of the saints rest , that say not any thing to the question . the question is not , what were the final motives of the war ? but , what was the controversie of the warranting cause and foundation , that must decide the case , whether it was lawful or unlawful . the bonum publicum , and the gospel and religion , and mens salvations , are the great moving ends and reasons of a lawful war. but it is not these ends that will serve to prove a war lawful ? could that be the cause or controversie which they were both agreed in ? did not the king profess to be for religion , liberty , &c. as well as they . see yet his shrewsbury half-crowns ( if coin be any evidence with you ) private men may not raise war for religion ; but the king may . the finis and the fundamentum are not the same . i there talkt but of the finis and motives , i now speak of the fundamentum and controversie , which is well known to be , whether the king or parliament then had the power of the militia , rebus sic stantibus ; and whether the parliament had true authority to raise an army against the army commissioned by the king for that defence , and executing the law upon delinquents , which they then pretended to . now i say still , i know no theological controversie herein : i know no scripture but policy and law , and contract , that will tell us , whether the king of spain , or the states , be the rightful governours of the low countries ? or , whether the king of france be absolute ? if you can out of scripture prove that all republicks must have the same form and degree of government , or how forms and degrees must be varied in each land. i resist you not , but only confess my weakness , that so high a performance is beyond my power . had you understood the question , you might have spared your citation of my words . § . . you come again to our swearing conformity ; and you say , [ that it must reasonably be understood of a tumultuous and armed endeavour . ] answ . . and it is publickly known that we are ready to swear against a tumultuous and armed endeavour ( unless by the king's command . ) if you would not endeavour it , even with arms , if the king commanded you , accuse us not of disloyalty for being more loyal than you . if you would , we are of the same judgment as to the thing : and so ( while the thousands of ignorant souls are untaught ) men of the same judgment ( on our part openly professed out ) must some be teachers , and some silenced , some preferred , and some in prison , and banished from corporations , &c. even while they hold the same thing . and why ? because one part of them dare take an oath in a more stretching sence than the others dare : and that , . because they are taught ( not only by amesius where you cite him ) but by all consciencious judicious casuists , that an oath is to be taken strictly and not stretchingly , in the common sense of the words , unless the law-givers will otherwise explain themselves . . and the words are universal [ not endeavour at any time ] without the least limitation or exception of any sort of endeavour . ( i should have broke that oath by this writing to you had i taken it . ) et non est distinguendum aut limitandum fine lege . . the law-makers are to be supposed wise , considerate men , especially the bishops , and able to distinguish between an universal and a particular or limited enunciation , and to express their minds in congruous words . . the law-makers knew before and since that we would take the oath , if ( endeavouring ) had been limited as you do ; and yet they never would limit it by one syllable . . the reasons used for that clause , and our acquaintance with the bishops and other authors of it , leave our consciences perswaded , that their meaning was against all endeavours , and not tumultuous , military , or illegal only ; as in the et caetera oath . it was that [ i will not consent ] which is less than [ endeavouring . ] and we are not ignorant what relation this oath hath to that : and we take it to be a sin to deceive our rulers , by taking an oath in that sence which we believe was not by them intended , and seeming to them to swear what we do not mean. . when twenty london ministers took the oath , because doctor bates told them , that the lord keeper promised him at the giving it , to put in the words [ endeavour by any seditious or unlawful means ] ( or to that sense ) the said limiting words were not only left out , but when old mr. sam. clark said , my lord , we mean only unlawful endeavour : judge keeling asked , will you take the oath as it is offered you , and refused to add any such explication ; and told them when they had done , they had renounced the covenant . . the justices tell us when they offer us the oath , that we must take it according to the plain sense of the words . . the parliament in the act for regulating corporations , in the declaration there imposed , and the oath , doth fully satisfie us what is their sense about this matter . . it is not true ( as far as any london ministers can know ) that ever the judges declared their sense as you say for that limitation : that is , that ever they did by any consultation and concord give any judgment in the case , whatever any single judge ( as the lord keeper ) might say privately , or any one alone , when another may say the contrary . . if they had , it 's a known thing , whatever their judgment may do to make cases in the common law , yet as to statute law , only the law-makers are the law-interpreters , as to any interpretation which shall be as the law it self , a rule universally to the subjects : and that judges and justices ( who here are made the judges ) do only interpret the law , for the decision of particular controversies that come before them . and if all the judges and justices in england should meet and agree of this statute , it would only shew how they resolve in particular judgments to expound it , and not what is the true obliging sense to the subjects conscience : otherwise the judges would be equal to , if not above the king and parliament . for he hath more power who determineth what sense and soul the laws shall have , than they that only make the words and body , which others may put what sense they please on . nor can all the judges make it lawful to take up arms against the king , if they so expounded any law : they have a deciding expositors judgment as to the case before them , but not the regulating universal expounding power at all . . we think that divines that preach against sin , above al● men must not stretch their consciences in so dangerous a point as publick swearing . . and we think that if men be once taught to equivocate , and play fast and loose with the sacred bond of oaths , conscience is quite debauched , no sufficient bar is left to keep out any the greatest sins ; preachers and people become incredible ; humane society is endeavoured to be dissolved , and the king's life ( secured much by his subjects fidelity and conscience of an oath ) is exposed to the wicked wills of men . we charge no others with all this , but we will avoid it our selves though it cost us yet more . you may swear [ not to endeavour ] and mean particularly [ not by tumult or arms , but by some other endeavour ; ] but so cannot we . therefore do you enjoy your liberty , maintenance , and honour , and we will be without them ; and to morrow , at death , we shall be as free and as high as you . but fie , sirs , why will you talk of [ straining oaths , and turning plain oaths into snares , ana● allowing no interpreters ? ] are your ways here equal too ? . what is the plain sense , but an universal sense of an universal enunciation ? if by [ all ] or [ none ] i understand all or none , and you understand not all but some , who is the strainer of the oath ? and i pray you tell me , if once any endeavour shall be excepted , who shall determine how much it must be . the first part of the oath saith [ not on any pretence whatever : ] that is , we must not take up arms against any commissioned by the king. what if a bold limited expositor will here come in , and say , [ except king john deliver up the kingdom to the pope ; or except the king's commissions through the officers fault should be contradictory ] or such exceptions as wil. barclay and grotius make ? should not this man rather be the equivocator and strainer of the oath , than he that thinketh so plain a phrase , as [ not any pretence whatsoever ] is exclusive of any pretence whatsoever ? never trust the man that feareth not an oath . . but why talk you of none being interpreters ? we cannot give the power to whom we please : the law-makers think it best as it is , and will not interpret as you do , when they can , and know all the reasons that you can give them . the justices are made our judges : i told you that the justices when they sent me to the gaol , refused to expound it , and told me i must take it according to the proper sense of the words . yet do you go on , as if none of all this had been said to you . as to what you say of obligation by the covenant , and leaving a gap , &c. i answer , melancholy men by fearing bring the thing feared on themselves : it was the et caetera oath , that forced me ( who else had lived quietly in my ignorance ) to read and study many authors , to know the truth before i swore , who turned me ( not against episcopacy ) but against the italian and diocesan frame . the covenant is not the thing that they are in danger of , but their own diseases ; we firmly believe that the covenant bindeth us to nothing but what we were bound to if we had never taken it , as being not a primary bond to make new duty , but a secondary to bind us to that only which is antecedently a duty ; and that no vow or covenant bindeth us from obeying the king in any thing indifferent , much less a duty before . these are our principles , however you nauseate them . but without respect to any vow or covenant , we hold that we are all bound ( not to any treason , rebellion , or any illegal means ; but ) in our true place and calling to endeavour that those things may be reformed in the discipline , which my first dispute of church government hath proved to be evil ( after which so long unanswered , you need not so loudly have called for my reasons : ) and if this be it that maketh you think my retraction not sincere , think what you please , i never retracted any of this . § . . first , they that exercise the keys of excommunication and absolution in the ordinary open judicatures of the land , are church governours : but lay chancellors exercise the keys of excommunication and absolution , in the ordinary open judicatures of the land ; ergo , lay-chancellors are church-governours . . who doubts but the et caetera included them . if it included none , it was superfluous : if any , how exclude you them . and is it not said , [ as it standeth , and ought to stand . ] but were it but deans and archdeaeons , i would not swear , that if the king commanded me by writing or petition to endeavour some alteration , i will resist or disobey him ; you may do as you will. . it were too long now to tell you , how far i take my conscience obliged to a lay-chancellor , and how far not . . but what 's next ? that [ no learned men so much as maintain in the schools , the lay-chancellors church government . ] and yet have we hot and feaverish heads , if we will not swear to that which no man will maintain . well! let it go for our crime or folly while such men judge . . add p. . the fear of god is the beginning of wisdom ; a good understanding have all they that do them . — fools make a mock of sin . — see that ye walk circumspectly , not as fools , but as wise . to fear an oath is a mark of the fear of god ; and i am sure to play with oaths is a mark of the contrary . god will not hold him guiltless that taketh his name in vain . all things by temptation may go for lawful to him , to whom perjury , deliberate studied perjury seems lawful , yea and a duty . and avoiding the name , is no avoiding of the thing . he that will commit murder , adultery , theft , &c. and then prove it to be no murder , &c. doth not thereby escape the guilt : and he that is not willing to know sin to be sin that he may leave it , is wilful and wicked , as well as he that will not leave it , when he knoweth it . we do search the scripture to know what is perjury as well as we can ; and we are the less likely to be partial , when our judgment loseth us the favour of so many , and our maintenance , and liberty , and in prisons , hazardeth our lives , besides our ministry , the most of all . few men will take this way for the flesh ; yet this is no proof that our cause is good : but let the evidence shew , whether in fearing perjury we fear [ a serpent under every leaf , or a gorgons head in every bush , and bring this woe upon our selves ] or not : if we do , it is not for worldy ends , nor is it by a superstitious fear of things indifferent . if so many in queen maries days were burnt for denying the real presence , &c. shall i not fear perjury ? § . . next p. . you come to the liturgies confession , that our discipline is imperfect , and think that should satisfie me . ans . so it doth satisfie me , not to assent and consent to all things contained in and prescribed by the book of ordination and the liturgie , and not to forswear all lawful endeavours of a reformation ; it seeming unmeet for me ( whatever others do ) to give so plenary assent and consent thus to swear , to that which in the same book is confest imperfect : i can live in communion with a church that hath imperfections , and keep its peace , but not assent , consent , or swear to its imperfections . . an you give me no reason yet , why a confession the imperfection of discipline should satisfie u● that all things in the church government , or all church-government is both lawful and necessary , and unalterable : for if it be alterable by king and parliament , i wil ●●●● swear never to endeavour an alteration , though they command me : nor will i believe you if you say that this case ( of their command ) is excepted , while the terms are universal without exception ; remembring that the long parliament long before the wars , when the lord falkland , lord digby , and the rest joyned with them , did exagitate the et caetera oath , for the word [ not consent ] as establishing prelacy as an unalterable thing ; whereas they knew not but the king and parliament might be brought to see cause for some alteration . and this parliament hath not restored that oath ( and canons , ) ib. § . . my consutation of your horned reasoning , and of the common [ peralium ] i perceive offendeth you , as triumphant . it is natural for men that see plain truth , to be guilty of calling it truth : in this if we cannot be pardoned , we must be patient . truth it self is our reward and satisfaction . the force of my reply you indeed leave intire and untoucht ; for when you say , that you break my chain at the first link , you do but repeat what i replyed to , and put me but to say over again what i said . you say that lay-chancellors excommunicate neither as lay-men , or as clergy-men formally , or by any proper causality , but from the surrogates . ] answ . and were you willing here to be understood ? either they do excommunicate by proper causality , ( without causality no act is done ) or they do not . if you mean that indeed they do not , why would you not say so , and deal plainly ? if you mean they excommunicate but ●●●● by causality , why would you not say so ( which ●●most absurd . ) if they do it , they do it formally as some persons , and in some capacity , and by some power or right whatever it is . that they do excommunicate and absolve decretively , as the stated publick judges , is notorious to the land. that the person in which they do it , is formally lay or clergy , i thought had been past doubt , and the enumeration had been sufficient . but you do dare tertium , find out a third mumber : he is formally neither lay nor clergy , but doth it from the surrogates ; see you not how you change the question , [ in what person he doth it ] into [ from whom he doth it ] or make that [ from ] to signifie a third species , which you could not or would not name : and when i say , that if he do it from the surrogate , yet he doth it either as a lay-man or a clergy-man ; you answer me as neither [ but from the surrogate . ] you might have said as well , as neither , but from the king. but who ever it is from , tell us of what species that man is in acting , who is neither formally a lay-man , nor a clergy-man ; whereas in our present sence , as a clergy-man signifieth , , one in the priesthood or deaconship , dedicated to the sacred church-offices : i easily prove that in the world there is no third sort ; because the terms signifie opposita contradicentia , & contradictio est omnium oppositionum maxima , prima & reliquarum mensura . for to be a lay-man , is to be one that is not devoted and separated as aforesaid . and devotus & non devotus , separatus ad sacra & non separatus , vel persona sacrata & non sacrata , are contradicentia . and if you allow me not to swear or conform till you prove that some men are neither lay nor clergy , you will be no succesful pithanalogist with me . but i desired to know who this surrogate is that you mean , and you will not tell me : if you mean any one that is absent and no member of the court. . the chancellor hath his power from no such man as is notorious . . you might better say , that he had it from the bishop : but still i should ask in what person he acted , and whether as a lay or a clergy-man . but if you mean the priest present who pronounceth the sentence , i never heard that he was called the surrogate till now : but call him how you will ; . it is notorious that he giveth not the chancellor his power at all . . and as notorious that he hath not , nor exerciseth the power himself : but to judge any man to excommunication or absolution , is the chancellors part ; and the present priest is but like the parish priest , who readeth or speaketh ( as a cryer ) what the chancellor judgeth and ordereth : and whether such priest be any member of the court , or constantly used , i leave to your enquiry ; but certainly he is no judge at all , nor doth any thing but pronounce as he is bid . and still my arguing is unanswered : for had this presbyter the power , it would be either as a presbyter , or as a bishop . not as a presbyter , say the prelatists ; for then it will set presbyters too high , or rather take hundreds from that which belongeth to their office , whilst one in the same office exerciseth the keys upon all their people and themselves that are his equals : et par in parem non habet potestatem . not as bishops , for they are not such really , and the episcopacy cannot be delegated , as i proved . you said ( which i am glad of ) that it may be you could wish that excommunication were reduced into a more scriptural , apostolical , and primitive channel as much as my self . but you never look that the church below should be without spot or wrinkle . ] answ . you speak here so well , that it half reconcileth us : if so , then the main difference left is , ( not whether we shall live peaceably in such a church , or promise to do so ; for that i have oft done , yea and did subscribe to the archbishop that now is , ( when he gave me a licence to preach , and i could have had it without subscribing a word ) that i would not preach against the doctrine , liturgy , or ceremonies of the church : but ) whether i may deliberately give my hand and profession that i assent and consent to such a frame , and may swear that i will not any time endeavour an alteration of that government , which runs not in the scriptural , apostolick , primitive channel , nor of its acknowledged spots and wrinkles : that is , to promise or swear that i will not obey god , nor seek the reformation of any such thing in his church , which is acknowledged amiss , no not in my place and calling , and by any lawful means . whereas in my baptism i vowed my self and service to christ as the saviour of his body ; and in my ordination i vowed my self to him as a minister ; and i daily pray for the hallowing of his name , the coming of his kingdom , the doing of his will on earth even as it is done in heaven : and therefore will not by swearing to the contrary , renounce my baptism , ministery , or prayers . ( pardon the description of the sin as it would be to me : i do not say , that it is such in you , or another that seeth not what i see . ) good meanings and latitudes , and stretching expositions , will not make this pass with me among things indifferent . and ( for your own sake , not mine , who stand or fall to a higher tribunal : ) i entreat you to judge of us in this as of men that are dying daily , and neer a world where preferments and wealth , and humane favour signifie nothing ; and who are so unwilling to neglect our undertaken office for mens souls , that we offer our superiours to take it joyfully as a favour to be any way punished for this supposed sin ( of not lying nor being perjur'd ) so it may not hinder us from preaching the gospel of salvation ; even to be punished as deeply as common swearers , drunkards , or adulterers are ; to rid channels , to dig or plow , or to be burnt in the hand as felons are , or our ears bored or cropt as rogues or perjur'd persons are , so we may but preach christ , or see the kingdoms so supplyed , as that our labours may be truly needless to mens salvation . i would take all this thankfully on my knees : much more be denied the levites bread , or ministerial maintenance . but these are too high favours for such as we to hope for in such a time , and from such persons , as experience proveth ; except that the clemency of the king vouchsafeth us some convenience , against the will of such of the clergy as you : nothing but either debauching our consciences , and stretching them so wide , as that any thing will afterward go down ; or else deserting the preaching of christ for mens salvation , will serve with some men that i have talkt with : ( for it is not my superiours now that i am speaking of ; ) i did all that i was able unfeignedly , to have brought all men once to union with the church , upon any other terms than these , when the thing was feasible as to the most : but — was an enemy , and one that deserved shame and ruine for it . but i am gone back : to return . — i am glad also that you say , that the surrogates have the power of the keys ; and indeed so most school-men say , and so spalatensis hath notably and oft proved : but what it will infer against bishops , denying them to all the presbyters in a whole diocess , save one or two , or few : i will not repeat . you say , i did not well to overlook what you said about chancellour's skill in the civil law , &c. ] answ . i did not overlook it , but past it by as an impertinency , supposing we had been agreed : . that the holy scriptures are the universal rule of church discipline as to the essentials , and the laws of the land , and canonical agreements , the subservient rules about circumstances , and adjuncts , and for the execution of the former . . and that ability in scriptures ( much less in the roman laws ) doth give no man authority to the exercise of the spiritual keys without a call , being but his remote capacity . . and that he that is called hereunto is called to be a clergy-man , to whome the keys are proper . i pray you , sir , deny none of this : ( let begging this once go instead of arguing . . and he may be fit to advise and assist a bishop that is himself no clergy man ; but advising and judicial decreeing are several things . . and i am weary with saying , that we submit to chancellors as magistrates , doing that which belongeth to magistrates , according to the sense of the oath of supremacy . but what 's all this to our case in hand ? ] you add , [ tell me , sir , may not a man be said to do that virtually , which he doth not immediately . ] answ . yes , a man may pay a debt by his servant , or deputy ; but not baptize or administer the lords supper , or discipline by another , because christ hath annexed the office to the person , and the office is an obligation and authority to do the work . you add , [ the king doth neither preach , nor administer sacraments , yet hath a supremacy of power in all things belonging to the church . ] answ . now i cannot follow you so far , as to believe that the king doth virtually administer the sacraments per alios : at least i durst not swear it . if you think it is but a gorgons head that affrighteth me ; hear and judge : . christ gave the keys immediately to ministers , and not to kings , and distinguished their offices . . queen elizabeth ' k. iames , and the convocation have publickly disclaimed such a sense of the oath of supremacy , and taken it for the papists slanders , and disclaimed such a power of the keys in the king , and so hath our present king ( wisely ) in my hearing . . some scots are well charged with an injurious refusal of the oath of supremacy , on the account of such a false exposition ; which is the papists case . . almost all the papists and protestants in the world that ever i heard or read , are agreed , that the king hath not the said power of the spiritual keys and sacraments . . and specially the most learned and zealous defenders of monarchy and prelacy : bilson of chest . obed. and perp. gov. and andrews in tortura torti , have most plainly and vehemently renounced it , and shewed their malice or ignorance , that impute such an arrogation to our kings : so also carlton of jurisdic . jewel , whitaker , and who not . . what a king may do virtually by another , i think ( unless inconveniencies hinder the exercise ) he hath power to do himself . but i think the king may not administer sacraments or spiritual discipline himself : which of our kings did it ? or who since uzziah offered sacrifice among the jews . . our kings never yet pretended so much as to ordain ; that is , to invest another in that power ministerially in the name of christ . but as to the supremacy , it 's true , that the king is the supream over physicians , philosophers , &c. but not the supream physician or philosopher : he exerciseth coercive government by the sword over bishops who use spiritual government by the keys and word ; but hath not authority to use this same sort of oversight himself ( unless a clergy-man were king , as some are magistrates . ) as to the proxies of the lords spiritual in parliament , when you have as well proved that christ hath allowed them to preach , administer sacraments , and exercise the keys by proxies , i will yield all that cause : but they will be loath to go to heaven by proxy . page . as to jebosaphats mission , and his nobles teaching ; i answer , . teaching is not so proper to a pastor or clergy-man , as the keys and sacraments : parents have their office or power of teaching , and school-masters and lay catechists have theirs , and magistrates have theirs : judges on the bench do usually teach the people , even religious duties ; so did constantine , and so may any king. but there is a different teaching whith is proper to the clergy ; which is [ by teaching to gather churches , and guide them , and edifie them as pastors , devoted or separated to this as their proper office. ] as there is a difference between the office of a physician and a womans healing a cut finger , or giving a cordial to one that fainteth . but this proper teaching ( which god did not leave in common to others ) no prince can use , no bishop can do by proxy ; nor can he delegate to a lay-man the power of the keys and sacraments . . and the king may no doubt command pastors to do their duty as well as physicians to do theirs . i take none of this to be quarrelling , but plain truth : your telling us that chancellors may direct and advise the surrogates , may signifie something in another land , but not with us : if we had never seen their courts , nor read travers , of the difference between christs discipline and theirs ; yet cousin's tables are in our libraries . you add , [ we are all but the bishops curates in the exercise of it . ] answ . . i ventured to deny that to bag shaw who made it the reason of separation : and i will yet deny it of some others , though not of you . if we are all but the bishops curates ; the italian bishops of trent were not so absurd as they were made in making the bishops the popes curates . how easie should i be , were i a curate , could i believe that i have no more to answer for , than the bishop imposed on me , and that he must answer for all the rest . i suppose that the office of the presbyters or ministers of christ is immediately instituted and described in the scriptures , and that the bishop doth but invest them in it , and that their work is their own , as properly as the bishop's is his own , and that his precminence , maketh not him the communicator of the power to them as from himself , nor them to be his curates . . and while i think that i can prove this very easily , censure us not too deeply for not swearing to the bishops , if the sence of it be , to make us his curates . not that i think my self too good to be a servant to the bishop's coach man , but that i dare not subvert christ's established church orders . as for your [ engine , and wonders , and babel , and lucifer , and trembling ] i have not learning enough to answer them . as to your talk of absolute autocratical , &c. they are but oratorical flowers , that speak against none of our particular doctrines , but are the rant of your magisterial style . and your talk of excommunicating kings , may pass as part of your equal ways , to one that hath written so oft against excommunicating kings , ( when yet bishop andrews and other prelates maintain the refusing them the communion ; and you know in what case chrysostom rather offered to lose hand and life , even then to give the sacrament to the greatest that was unworthy . prove that ever any of the present non-conformists , who were called to present the judgment or desires of the rest , did ever say more than andrews and bilson , or so much . but the lord digby is your author . answ . . were we and our present controversie , ( for the most of us ) in being , and at age when the lord digby spake that ? is not conformity now another thing ? do all or half the non-conformists profess themselves presbyterians ? are presbyterians all for excommunicating kings ? and do not some that are for it , confine it only to such pastors as kings themselves shall commit their souls to , and give leave to exercise that power ? are we , i say , we now living , and silenced , answerable for all that any presbyterian holdeth , any more than you are for what hooker holdeth ? some scots-men refuse the oath of supremacy . are we guilty of that mistake , who take it , and write for it ? or did we spring out of their loins , and must be silenced for such original sin , derived from them that were no kin to us ? . but where did the lord digby say it ? you cite no book or speech of his ; but cite rushworth , p. . where is no syllable of any such matter , nor any where else that i can yet find . . suppose he had ; did he not say in his letter to sir ken. digby printed , that the primitive church government will be found pecking towards presbytery : he was then episcopal , he is now a papist . is not his authority then ad hominem , while he was one of your own , more valued against you than against them that were not of his party or way , and is this good arguing ? [ whatever the lord digby , bancroft , heylin , ( and if you will bellarmine ) charge the presbyterians with , or i know not when or where , all that are the non-conformists , episcopal , presbyterians , independents , and catholick moderators are guilty of in . but the lord digby sometimes said , that the presbyterians would excommunicate kings : ergo , the present nonconformists , even episcopal and all , are guilty of that opinion , even they that write against it . ] but all your ways are just and equal : but i pray you , why was no article about excommunicating kings offered us as a test ? or why was there never any such difference between us and the prelatists pretended ? try us whether we will not subscribe in this to , as much as the prelatists ever did agree on , or ordinarily hold , and lay our liberty upon it , and spare not . but i remember you nibled before at my words in differ . of magist . and pastors power , thes . . p. . as if i had said , that [ unless perhaps in some rare case , kings may not be excommunicated . ] a calumny , when i annexed those words of exception only to the excommunicating of parents . but your ways are still equal ! and i gave even moral reasons against excommunicating kings and parents . but when you in swearing will put ( who knows how many ) exceptions to express universals , must i after all this be at your mercy , unless i will say , that [ in no rare case a pastor may excommunicate his own parents . ] what if the rare case were . that he were but one in a presbytery subject to a bishop , and his parents were as open apostates as julian , and the bishop and the rest of the presbytery required him to concur in their excommunication ? . what if the king command a bishop to excommunicate a magistrate or parent for treason ? must he needs be disobeyed . . what if god should send an angel or prophet with a particular message so to do ? i am sure that case is rare enough , and i durst not disobey . but it s hard pleasing some men . § . . semper idem ? . but will you give it under your hand as a lesson to your flock , that a minister may not gainsay another for slandering christians , who in any thing differ from him that doth gainsay him ; nor may defend the innocency of a presbyterian , unless he be one himself ? and that all men are bound to stand to the opinions of all christians in all other points , whom they seek to vindicate against publick slanders . what a pack of doctrines do the reasonings of these your writings imply if they were but set together . if i write almost twenty years ago , and still against lay elders , a conformist may equally charge that upon me which i write against , if i do but plead against slandering those that hold what i dissent from . yea [ he knoweth not where to have us ] so little do our writings signifie our minds in these mens account . the first epist . to kederm . in the first book that ever i wrote , disclaims them : but that 's nothing to you . and i must be taken for the achilles of the party , and accountable for their opinions ; if i do but say to a printing conformist , [ thou shalt not bear false witness against thy neighbour . ] may i not say so to you for a heathen or a papist . dr. heylin tells us in the life of archbishop laud , that the kings printers were censured sorely for printing the seventh commandment [ thou shalt commit adultery . ] but i never yet met with the ninth commandment so transmuted , to give you any excuse : if you think it lawful to say any thing how unjust soever against a man that is not for your discipline ( which you as much wish amended your self ) i am of another mind . when lamprid . tells us , that alex severus borrowed his motto of the christians , quod tibi fieri non vis , &c. he never said that therefore he was a christian . i had got no lawyer to plead for me at the bar , if they had known that they were accountable for all my opinions . i am sure the lord chief justice when he acquit me , thought fit to declare his different judgment from mine in point of preaching privately : yet here your terms of logick are , [ into how many shapes — and hecatetriformis — fish , flesh , mermaid , episcopal , presbyterian , independent ; yet none of these when you please an 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 , sometimes in the water , sometimes out ; i wish you were hot or cold . ] all this set together would make a syllogism of a new mood and figure . but . for ought i know most of the nonconformists are such are your bungling description intimateth : and whatever men hold , take it as it is , and feign them not to hold what they do not . do not you in print proclaim men to be flesh or fish , hot or cold , that are not so ? but lay our error where it lieth ( even as i must not take your chancellors for clergy-men or lay-men . ) . and did not all my tedious writings convince you before now ? that i therefore take that for an honour which you take for my disgrace ; because i take that for plain and certain truth , which you reproach , : you could not ( except a catholick christian ) have trulier called me , than an episcopal presbyterian-independent . i have oft enough told the world , that i am very confident that each of the three parties have some truths and some errors appropriate to themselves , or which the rest have not . i never found in scripture any obligation that i must needs be of a faction , in a time when faction hath bred wars , troubled kingdoms , silenced preachers by the hundreds , &c. and when i have seen and felt the effects , and not been always innocent of the cause : nor yet that i must either refuse all the good , or receive all the bad , and feed on the excrements of any faction whatsoever ; i am for no such heats or cold ; i am no such fish or flesh : i will neither persecute as paul did , nor separate as peter did , gal. . nor comply as barnabas did , nor reject the brethren as diotrephes did , nor condemn others as the weak did , nor despise them as the strong did , rom. . , , &c. but be such an 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 , as he that became a jew , a greek , all things to all men that he might win some . when i offended the bishops in conference , i openly told them , i had ever taken kneeling at the sacrament to be lawful , but i never took it to be lawful to cast honest christians out of the communion of the church of christ , that dare not do it . did this prove me to be neither fish nor flesh ? is no man of your religion that is not for excommunication , or prisons , swords or flames , for every child of god that cryeth or wrangleth with the breast . again i will say , were they priscillianists , i am more for martin's spirit than the ithacian bishops . and , sir , that factious fury and uncharitableness keepeth up but a present violent kind of honour ; the instance now once again named may tell you , that when all the bishops thereabouts in their synods did but seek to the magistrate to use the sword against such gross hereticks as the priscillianists , who as severus saith that knew them , were gnosticks , and but one poor ragged unlearned godly bishop martin , ( with one other only in all france ) did dissent from them , reprove them , and separate for it from their synods and communion ( godly people accidentally falling under the vulgars reproach for the hereticks sake , as lately by the word puritans here ) yet this one poor bishop that renounced all their communions for it , is canonized a saint , while hooker himself justly reproacheth ignatius . and it made me marvail to read in bellarmine de scriptor . ecles . pag. . this great lie that ithacius ( whom he falsly makes the same with idacius , who was one of the same synod , and author of the chron. in jos . scaliger de emend temp . ) in eo reprehensus & punitus ab episcopis fuit , quod priscillianum apud seculares judices accusaverit & occidi cur averit . ] whenas . the bishops never punished him for it . . the synod of bishops joyned with him . . martin was despised as an unlearned hypocrite , and favourer of the hereticks that did renounce their way and communion . . ithacius and idacius because of the common odium , would have pretended that they put not on the magistrate hereunto : and that bellarmine one of the tribe that is for burning hereticks , should yet leave this blot on idacius , and seek by untruths to excuse the rest of the bishops of it ; whence is it , but that the memory of the just shall be blessed , and the name of the wicked ( the cruel especially ) shall rot . i digress only to tell you , that the honour of violence will end in shame , and he be odious to posterity , who may be set up as high as gardiner or bonner , to serve the turn in some present execution : and i had rather be luke-warm , than have a destroying or slandering heat . to what you say of beza and selden , i answer , . did i or the present nonconformists ever subscribe to beza or geneva . . is it not palpably against your self , that cry down lay elders , ( though many with ministers have power but in one presbytery or synod ) when our lay chancellor hath the power over hundreds of ministers and churches . you that cry up or keep up lay-mens church discipline , may worse speak against lay-mens church discipline , than we that are against it in all whomsoever . . but beza and geneva do not take them for lay elders , nor the scots neither , but for church elders , and part of the clergy of divine institution ; none of which is pretended for lay chancellors . and is that no difference ? for selden as i know what he saith against the diocesan church , bishops in eutychius alexandr . so i know what he saith against all of us for erastianism de synedriis , better than by any citations out of heylin . and i know he was one of the long parliament that raised the war , whom even now you had possessed with the spirit of presbytery : and you may judge of many of the rest by selden . and must you or i be erastians because selden ( and other lawyers in the parliament ) were so . § . . the quibble in this section is content without an answer . § . . i judged but of your words , and judge you of my motives for refusing a bishoprick no worse than i give you cause . i answer you , it intimated no ingratitude to his majesty , nor did i ever repent : and that i did it not to keep up a party or interest in them , the lord chancellor had evidence ; and my voluntary endeavours against all faction , and casting away my reputation with all such , declareth ; when i could as easily have kept it , as you with yours , and had no outward interest to move me to renounce it . i say this , because you seem suspectingly to talk of my motives . § . . our question is , whether a church of one altar ( as they spake of old ) associated for personal communion , and a church of never so many altars or congregations associated for other ends , and not for personal communion be ejusdem speciei ? and so , whether the word church here signifies but one species ? you hold the affirmative of both , and i the negative . my reason is , . because it being a relative which is in question , [ the ends of the society specifically differing , make the societies specifically to differ , ( the terminus being essential to the relation . ) but here are different sorts of ends : ergo , here are different sorts of relations . i use the word ( ends ) to signifie the nearest end which specifieth , and not the remote . and to avoid the ambiguity of the word [ terminus ] which ( as finis cujus & finis cui are distinguished , so ) they use variously , sometimes for the correlate , and sometimes for the nearest end ; and so i now use it . as a master to teach a grammar-school , and a master to rule a family , or to guide a ship , are relations specifically distinct à fine : and so is a magistrate , and a pastor , and a physician , &c. this is clear . and for the minor , that these churches in question have different nearest ends is evident : for the end of a particular church is personal ●ummunion in god's publick worship and holy living , to their mutual assistance . but the ends of churches that never know each other , but live an or miles asunder . ( they say some of our islands and plantations are parts of some english diocesan church ) can be no such thing , but only a distant communion in the same faith , love and obedience . the end of a single church is the personal communion of christians in that one society . the end of an association of many churches , is the communion of those many churches in distant mental concord , or by delegates or synods sometimes in ●ase of need . and who ever thought that a particular church , a patriarchal church , and a pabal or the universal church , were ejusdem spe●i●i . when they agree only in remote ends , and differ in the terminus vel finis proximus . as a kingdom and a corporation differ ex differentia ●inium ; because though both are societies for ci●il communion and government , and so agree ●n genere , yet the end of one is kingdom government and communion ; and the end of the other is ●ut corporation-government and communion . . where there are different sorts of relates & cor●elates , there are different sorts of relations : but ●● a particular church , and a patriarchal , dioce●n , or other combination of many churches , ●here are different sorts of relates & correlates : ergo , there are different sorts of relations . the ●hing supposed in the major is undeniable , that ●●e relate & correlate enter the definition ; ●●erefore the major is undeniable . the minor●pposeth ●pposeth a church to be constituted of the ●ars dirigens vel regens , and the pars subdita , as relate & correlate , which is undeniable . and ●en it is proved per partes . . the pastor of a ●●gle church , and a patriarch , pope , or dioce●n of a multitude of combined churches , are not the same relate , for they have not the same relation : ( i suppose the relation of a church to be thus constitute of the two complicate relations , as well the church subjectively of the two relates . ) for , . the different work. . and the different correlate , prove these pastors to be two sorts of relation ( however agreeing in●genere . ) . it is not the same sort of works personally to guide a present people in doctrine , worship , and discipline ( under christ as prophet , priest , king , all essential to the office ) as to send others as his curates to do this : ( for the king may send others , ) or to exercise some degree of discipline himself over many churches , where he is none of their teacher , not mouth , nor guide in worship , prayer , praise sacraments , &c. nor is it the same work to be an unusual teacher ( as one may be in another church or school ) and to be the stated ordinary teacher and worshipper of that churrh which is the end of the particular pastors office. . and the correlate proveth the difference : for it i● not the same relation to be a ruler of a family and of a kingdom ; and so here : which bring me to the proof of the minor by the second part and that the correlates are various is evident , no only from the magnitude , but the end also ther included : for the subject of political society ( civitatis vel ecclesiae ) is a community , not an multitude of men : because that which aristat●calleth privatio , and is better called disposu●materiae , is necessary as a kind of principle to th● reception of the form. ( as in physicks , so quianalogum in relations : ) and therefore it must b● a community . now communities themselves are first specified by their various ends : as a company of men combined for merchandize , and a company combined for literature , or for souldiery , &c. are not the same : so a company combined for personal communion and helps in holy worship and living , are not the same with those combined for other ends as aforesaid . therefore neither the pastors nor peoples relation , and consequently the churches , is not of the same sort . . where there are distinct fundamenta vel rationes fundandi , there are distinct relations : but here are distinct fundamenta , &c. the fundamentum is , . principall , which is institution ( divine or humane . ) . subordinate , which is consent : viz. . of a minister to gather churches , consensus duplex dei & ministri . . of a minister to guide churches gathered , consensus triplex & plerumque quadruplex ; viz. . dei. . ordinati . . populi . . plerumque ordinantis . if any of these vary , the fundamentum relations doth so far vary ; were it not tedious i would shew , you how much difference there is in all these . but it is the first reason , that being most edent , i most insist on . now your reason to the contrary ( for your affirmative ) is , that gradus non variat speciem . to which my answer being , that quando variat aut finem proximum , seu terminum , vel fundamentum , vel relatum correlatum , variat relationis speciem . but frequently gradus materiae , variat finem proximum fundamentum , &c. ergo , & speciem . the major needeth no proof ; the minor i cleared by the instance of a ship , a church , a spoon , &c. where magnitude or parvity can make this difference . you tell me relatives do not suscipere magis & minus . answ . the clean contrary is an usual maxim with logicians : but that is so plain that it needs no dispute ; viz. quoad subjectum ( & fundamentum aliquando ) & materiam correlati ; it may be found in divers degrees , but not in degrees of matter uncapable of the end and form : but the forma relativa doth not so vary ; one is not magis vel minus haec relatio , than another . but if you will extend this to the matter of the subject , which is our case , you do but ( though mistakingly ) give away your cause : for then every new member maketh a new church in specie , ( when you say ) [ this is only in respect of quantity ; ] you know that aristotle saith , that quantity non suscipit magis & minus , and so his interpreters say , speaking strictly and not laxly : therefore it 's this you must mean as i do , while you would say something that we may seem to differ . i told you , that different quantities in the subject may change the relations , which i think never man denied that understood what a relation was . and you feign me to say simply [ that magis & minus variant speciem in relatives : ] that you may have occasion to say as i said , under pretence of contradicting the same thing . but to my instances , you say , that it is enough for your purpose that there is not a specifick difference between a little spoon or diocess , and a great one . ] answ . say you so ; our question is , whether different degrees in the subject may vary the species of relations ? either you deny it , or you do not : if you do , common experience and reason will shame your denial . i instanced in a spoon , a church , a troop , regiment , army , a ship , &c. wheresoever the finis proximus ( as in all offices and societies ) is essential to the relation , there no man of logical acquaintance can make a doubt of it , but that certain quantities or degrees in the subject may be so over great or over small , as to be uncapable of that end , and consequently of the relation . i will not censure you to be so ignorant as to doubt of it ; and if i do not , you force me to judge you so heedless or partial as to say something towards the hiding of that truth which you do not doubt of : i say , that degrees in the subject or correlate vary not the species , but when they vary the specifying end : some relations are founded only in actions past ; as pater & filius in generation , creator & creaturae in creation : and there the end following is not essential . but it is otherwise with those relations which consist in an authority , obligation , undertaking of a future work , ( as a teacher , physician , &c. ) where the work as undertaken is the essential end . and you had here no better a shift then to dissemble in silence the other instances ; and to tell me , that [ a great spoon and a little one differ not specie : ] but doth that prove , that it may be in specie a spoon , if if be as big as a ship , or in specie a ship , if it be no bigger than a spoon : since you perceive your own deceit , which is by transferring the question , are ad nomen , and then by choosing instances de nomine , where the name is never used generically , but only for one species . the name of a spoon is never taken for a ship , & contra : and therefore to say , that a little spoon and a greater differ not speeie , is but to say , that the same species is the same , as being found in a capable degree of subject . but a society , a church , yea a diocess , are names ( generical or analogous ) which may be and are applyed to various species . the universal church headed by christ , is no more of the same species with a particular church , than a kingdom , and a corporation in that kingdom are . i use not words to hide things , but to render them intelligible . a thousand schools combined under a general schoolmaster , or an hundred colledges making up one academy , are not of the same species with one school , and one colledge , though in the great remote end they both agree . but you fly to that poor shift of bidding me take heed of absurd and ridiculous suppositions , not argumentative , &c. ] as if you had shewed any absurdity in these suppositions : or as if plain undeniable instances had no place in arguments or answers , but were ridiculous suppositions ; and he that would say , that a kingdom is greater than a family , and the king than a master or major , used a ridiculous supposition . just thus the poor nonconformists are perswaded by your pithonalogy , to subscribe , swear , &c. but i seem ( you say ) to assert this my self , by saying , there is a small difference between bishop usher's model and the present . ] answ . it 's tedious disputing with one that must have still another writing to help him to understand that which he will first confute , yea and seemeth not willing to understand . it is a fallacy , a dicte secundum quid ad dictum simpliciter : i only askt you , what farthing doth it take from their estates ? what title from their honour , power , negative voice : ( even their lordships and parliament places . ) but is this the question ? we then laboured to satisfie the unsatisfied ministers , that not only bishop usher's reduction , but even the king's declaration about ecclesiastical affairs , had changed the very species of prelacy without any of those abatements . if you would know , it is by one word [ consent ] restoring the inferiour pastors and churches , though not to their integrals , yet to their essentials . and we were so inclinable to conformity , that on that supposition we had conformed , had but that declaration stood : ( though some of the sects are of another mind , whom you arguments would confirm : ) for we judge , that a bishop of one only church consisting of five hundred or a thousand chappels or congregations that are strictly no churches ( as having no bishops ) doth specifically differ from a bishop of a thousand churches , which have every one their proper bishop , and so he is truly an archbishop or general bishop . but i am not to trouble you with this . and now how impertinent was it , to bid me [ rub up my philosophy about maximum quod sic & minimum quod non . ] know you not , that the common use of those writers are to intimate the same thing that i am saying against you ; that there is a subjective maximum & minimum , which only are capable of the relative form ? but i am next turned to vossius de invoc . sanct . of which he hath there disputed , and one histor . thes . and i am not told which ( of them ) but the words are in the first thes . . to prove that the saint in heaven and those on earth make one society : [ quare cum nihil obstat quo minus unius civitatis cives dicamur , nec causae quicquam erit , quo minus aeque civilis honos dicatur , qui civibus coelestibus exhibetur , quam qui civibus terrenis : nam grad● quidem honores isti differunt , sed uterque tamen est 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 . ] and was it possible that you should think that this made for you ? because the world or universe of rationals are one body or society , and so civil honour is the same thing as such in genere to them in heaven as to them on earth : doth it follow that in this universal society there are no kingdoms , cities , or families specifically different ? nor no different species of the civil honour , what not to kings , parents , masters ? what a thing is factions interest ? vossius only proveth generical identity of civil honour , and the specifical difference of it from the honour of religious adoration . the church universal is one ; and the love and honour which we owe to the saints in heaven and earth is generically of the same kind . but do you believe therefore that there are no subordinate species of churches and honour on earth ? what not the honour due to the king , the bishop , the chancellor , the parish curates , the deacons , and the beggars . yet all this with you are premises sufficient to conclude . [ and then it may be you may give leave to — magis & minus non variant speciem , to be a maxim still ] see what evidence it is that must perswade us to nonconformity . are they not worthy to be silenced and branded as you have done , that can resist such light ? but you come to the quick , and say , [ is there no communion but personal ? answ . yes , else they could not be two ends to make two societies . you add , [ many of the kings subjects never saw his face , yet they have many hands and eyes in respect of their subordinate officers , so have diocesans in their curates . ] answ . very true ! and that proveth that a kingdom is one society , and a whole diocess also one : ignoras elenchum . but doth that prove that there are no subordinate societies in these ? which though subordinate in point of power , yet specifically differ . is there no such thing as personal communion in presence , because there is such a thing as distant communion of another sort ? for all that your terms of hands and eyes would hide it , i scarce think you are ignorant , that under the king there are heads as well as hands and eyes : heads of families , schools , colledges , universities , corporations , cities , who are constitutive parts of real societies , which are not of the same species with a kingdom , though in it . and if archbishops be of god's appointment , so it should be with archbishops and bishops , and every church should have a bishop . but if you will not have it so , but we must only have a bishop and curates , and a diocesan church and chappels , you betray our cause to the brownists , who easily prove [ no bishop or pastor , no church in sensu politico : ] and so when you have granted them that we have no true parish churches , there are few of them whose wit is so weak as not to disprove the pretended right of such diocesan churches as consist of the carkasses of many hundred mortified parish churches . § . . my answer i must not repeat , take it how you will : you here come to the very controversie , i will not begin it with you , because i cannot prosecute it : i have so much to say on it , as at these rates may engage you and me in dispute for many years , if we lived so long : which i find no reason allowing me to undertake . get me leave to write and publish it , and i will write you a just volume of it , since it is published : till then i again tell you , i have said enough ( though too negligently ) in my dispute of church government ; ( though one hath nibled at the forms of some arguments in it : ) if you would have more , answer gers . bucer , parker , and ames's fresh suit , to name no other . § . . i shewed the invalidity , . of your [ licitis & honestis . ] . and of former obedience , sub poena anathematis , as nothing to our case in hand ; and do you deny what i said , and disprove it . . i tell you , that so far as bishops or chancellors are the kings officers to govern the church circa sacra by the sword , we will swear and perform obedience to them under the king , in licitis & honestis . but i told you , they that take them for the usurpers of spiritual power , will easily prove it to be lawful to swear obedience to usurpers in licitis & honestis ; will you deny that . . and i told you that it is another oath that is imposed on us to take . but did you well to say , you produced the words of ignatius , to prove the antiquity of swearing to bishops , who saith not a syllable of any such thing ? and untruly say , i took no notice of it , when i told you that ignatius mentioned not oaths , but only actual obedience . this is no notice with you : but do you not know how late it was before swearing obedience to bishops came into the church , and by what sort of men , and to what end and effect . § . . your talk of cartwright confirmeth me of the vanity of the hypocrites reward , the praise of men ; there being nothing so false which may not by some men be said of them with boldest confidence . if cochleus or his like , do but say , that luther learned of the devil ; that calvin was a stigmatized sodomite , &c. all their followers can ever after say , it is in print . so mr. s. p. ( some body ) printed this you say . and heylin saith , he promised . what ? just the same , or to the same sense , as i told you , i voluntarily subscribed , when i might ( by the kings declaration ) have chosen , meerly because i would have them know our minds and peaceable resolutions . i told you why he that can promise to live peaceably , &c. cannot subscribe and swear the approbation of all in that liturgy , government , &c. which he liveth peaceably under . but this is nothing to you ; if cartwright conformed , first , prove it by credible history . . why then could the great earl of leicester procure no more liberty for him , than an hospital in warwick , and no church . . i have lived in coventry , and been oft in warwick , and know by all credible testimony of neighbours , that it 's false , and no such thing as his conformity was there dream'd of , any further than i conform . . why did he never declare it to the world , nor retract his writings . . your heylin's own words intimate the contrary ; ( though i must tell you , i owe as little belief to that book of his , as most histories written by sober protestants . ) but you say much more , [ dr. burges , p. . observed , that cartwright opposed the ceremonies as inconveniences , but not as unlawful , and therefore perswaded men to conform rather than leave their flocks . ] answ . . but the ceremonies are but part , and the lesser part of conformity . . else had all conformity been here included , he was still a conformist : and how could you then say , that at last he wrangled himself into conformity , if he was such at first ? . but if you cite him truly , be judge your self , whether hoylin said true ; and what will be your case if you will report all that you find such men report . . dr. burges's own words are but these , pag. . [ the consideration of this necessity moved mr. cartwright to advise the wearing of the surplice ; and mr. beza to resolve for the use of these ceremonies , rather than the flocks of christ should be forsaken for these . ] and he citeth cart. repl. . so that here is not a word of cartwright's concession in any thing but the surplice , ( kneeling he was for . ) the answer of amesius to his father-in-law burges , is in these words ; ( fresh suit , p. , . ) [ whereas he addeth , that beza and mr. cartwright determined with them in case of the surplice . i answer , . they did not so for the cross . . they did not so for subscription to either . . they did not so but by way of toleration , requiring also that men speak against the imposing of the surplice . . beza was not throughly acquainted with the state of our church . mr. cartwright , as i have been certainly informed by his own son , recalled that passage of his book , and desired that his revoking of it might be made known . ] then followeth the attestation of another to that report . do you see now how credibly s. p. heylin and you report cartwright to have wrangled himself at last into conformity : be warned , and take up false reports no more . § . . i thank you for shortning my trouble . § . . [ waspish , and faltering , and raging , after a tedious journey . ] are your logicks above my skill to answer ? but adrem , . it is a wonder to me that an englishman should be in doubt who they be that drive men from the parish churches ? enquire who drave away the people of kederminster ? did i ? i preach'd , i printed long before . that should the liturgy be restored , it were no sufficient cause , &c , when i was silenced and might not preach in publick , the last sermon that ever i preached to some at my farwel in a private house , was in conclusion to perswade all to keep to the publick churches , where the ministers are not notoriously insufficient as to the very essentials , or notorious hercticks , or malignant opposers ( not of differing parties , but ) of the certain practice of godliness it self . but when i had done my best then , and since by other means , the reading vicar , and one sermon of the bishops , and one of the deans , and many of a lecturers after , and they saw so many hundred ministers silenced , it possessed them with so great a prejudice , that till a good minister came among them , it was past my power to reconcile them to the church ; nor is it done so fully as before i could easily have done . . as to your second questien , when i told you how hardly the people would be driven t● communion in your way : you answered , ha● they not been distracted , distorted , poysoned by other tutors . — but since they have been taught , like wolves not to value the scepter , — like mastiff-dogs they will worry me to pieces . those that are lately perverted any way , are most heady and ●ierce . the revolters are profound to make slaughter : and after the scribes and pharisees compassed sea and land to make a proselyte , when he was made , he was twofold more the child of hell than themselves : ] these are your words : and i thought i had used them very gently , when i only say , [ whether all such dissenters are such children of hell as you describe . ] ( i might have added , such wolves , dogs , &c. ) i shall leave to a more wise and righteous judge , what is in these words ! be impartial one hour before you die , and compare them with your own , and think how he that will say at last , [ inasmuch as you did it not to one of the least of these my brethren , &c. ] will take all these revilings of faithful souls . but how heedlesly do you read ? i said , [ all such dissenters as you described , and were talkt of . ] and you say , [ all dissenters . ] there is no end at this rate of calling you again to read what you write against . i excuse no mans faults : but i will not be one of those nurses that will cast the children out of the house when ever they cry or wrangle , till i find it pleaseth our father , and till i know where to have better enow in their rooms : nor will i call them wolves and dogs , that for fear of sinning against god dare not do as i do , and too precisely wrangle with me when i urge them to it : and if their narrow throats cannot swallow so big morsels as the nurse can , but will cry and strive when it is cram'd down by force , i will not cut their throats to widen the passage ; nor stretch conscience , till like a crakt bladder it will hold nothing : nor with ithacius , get the worst on my side as my flocke , and bring the strictest under suspicion and reproach , because they are angry with me . and what now your calumniare fortiter signifieth , review . § . . the matter of this i have answered . the flowers of [ flood-gates torrents , dragons scum , raca , &c. i leave unanswered , because you would have brevity : but if you would have brevity , you should not make work for prolixity , unless you bespeak me to forbear answering you . but i know not how better to spare your trouble and my own , than to tell you , that i expect or desire no answer from you to all this that i have written ; and if you do send me one , i will not promise you a reply . i like the work as little as you do : and for the matter and manner of my writings , i do ( as one that daily expecteth , ( and long have done ) a speedy passage into a more holy , wise , righteous , and peaceable world ) protest to you , that as i have not been for forty years at least the most negligent searcher after truth , nor the coldest desirer of it ; but have i think impartially laboured to know it , without adhering to any sect , ( at least these years ; ) so i do defend nothing which i am perswaded is the truth ; nor oppose any other mens ways , but what i think my fidelity to god , his church , and truth obligeth me to oppose . if you be in the right and i in the wrong , it is because you have a more blessed understanding , and not because i have been less studious , or desirous to know the truth than you . and i confess my temper and style is sharp ; and verba rebus aptanda , is a motto that quoad dispositionem was born with me , and maketh me oft forbear that pleasing style , which should be fitted to the persons , though unsuitable to the thing . but i write in hast , and suit all my answers just to the matter before me , not considering sufficiently how men can bear it . i justifie none of this ; and i unfeignedly desire you to pardon all passages , which you shall truly find to transgress the rules of christian lenity : for if i be angry i would not sin ; but i am not conscious of wrath or disaffection when i speak most eagerly . but i must needs tell you that had this writing been for the view of the world , i would have forborne most of that freedom which in plainess i have used to you , but being only for your self i remembred l●v. . . which i need not recite : being confident that you have much wronged your bretheren by the book which you have written . which i impute ( with all the rest of our divisions , violences and calamities ) to wa●● of acquaintance and familiarity with each other ; each party conversing familiarly only with those of their own mind , and iudging falsly of their neerest neighbours as of real strangers , by thereports of factious men . for i do not remember that i ever yet had reall acquaintance with any man in my life , that i did not live in love and peace with . but all my reproaches , accusations , and sufferings , have come from men that know me not ( unless by a few publick interviews . ) and i do faithfully endeavour to defend behind their backs , the just honour and reputation of the bishops and conformists , as well as of the nonconformists , being not for factious calumny against either . nor am so sharp in my censures , as your moderate erasmus was against such bishops as he then of london , that would have persecuted dr. colet , ( the bishop being a learned scotist , ) who , as mr. thomas smith translateth him in the life of dr. colet , saith , [ of which sort of men i have known some that i would not call knaves , but i never knew one , whom i could call a christian . there be some that judge just thus of the ( not unwilling conformists , but ) the eager promoters and defenders of it among the clergy , ( that are not our superiours . ) but so do not i , but reprove their censoriousness ; though i must needs confess , while i fear being of a party , i fear not being one that differeth from ungodly formal hypocrites , and that i find very great difference in point of serious piety between parties . and if in my youth i did incline more to one party than another , it was only on the supposition that they were more spiritual , practical , and devoted to god , ( on which account i hope i shall still value them ) though even then schism was , and now much more is , a thing which i abhorr ; but take not those to be the least promoters of it , who most accuse their brethren of it , being just of hales's mind in that treat of schism . and for former complyances , &c. ( you were acquainted at co●sold , sir robert pyes , mr. twisse's , &c. ) consider whether of us it is that needeth no retractation : a word to the wise is enough . having some information of your former life , i may very easily say , that as great a noise as you now make for conformity , and against the late usurpers , i did much more against them than you did in my ministry ; and my danger from them was not a denial of a richer living ( which i never sought ) but for open opposing their usurpation , engagementdaies of thanksgiving for unjust victories , &c. i add this but to mind you that some men by reproaching others , do doubly reproach themselves , and that consciousness of their proper case should make men speak as they would hear . 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 , &c. look diligently into the scriptures which are the true oracles of the holy ghost : learn that in them is contained nothing unjust , or fained , or counterfeit . for you shall not find that the just were rejected by holy men . the just suffered persecution , but from the ungodly . they were cast into prison , but by the profane ; they were stoned , but by the unrighteous and transgressours of the laws : they were extinct , but by the wicked and such as were pricked with unjust envy against them . clemens . roman . ad corinth . reader , remember that this was written only for mr. hinkleys sight , if he had so pleased . finis . richard baxters second account to mr. john cheney of his judgment , accused by him of atheism , subverting all religion , christianity , the gospel , the church , all government , introducing popery , &c. especially for asserting , . that christ hath instituted one universal church , of which he onely is the head ; and particular churches as parts of it , of which the pastors are subordinate heads or governours , and so formally differenced . . that neither of them is constituted without some signification of consent : which he never before heard one christian deny . chap. i. prefatory . § . contending though defensive , and made necessary by accusers , is an unpleasant work : as i would choose a prison before a defensive war , were it for no greater interest than my own ; so i would choose to be in print proclaimed an heretick , schismatick , atheist , or any thing , rather than be at the unpleasing labour of a confutation of all accusers , were it not for a higher interest than mine : for though we must contend for the faith , yet the servant of the lord must not needlesly strive , tim. . , . and experience tells us , the good seldome answereth the bad effects . § . and there are few that call me to a publick account , that i answer less willingly than mr. cheney : because his accusations are such gross mistakes , that i cannot answer them in the gentlest manner , according to truth , without opening that which will bring him lower in the readers esteem than i desire ; and i much fear , will be to himself a temptation which he will hardly overcome , as i see by this his d book . had he that was my familiar neighbour thought meet to have spoken with me , before his publications , i am past doubt that i could have convinced him of multitudes of untruths and errours , so as to have prevented such a publication of them ; for in private he would easilier have born the detection of them , than in the hearing of the world , ( which he has chosen . ) but whereas some cast away his book , as a fardel of dotage and shameless lyes , i must remember such , that i am confident he wrote no falshoods with a purpose knowingly to deceive ; and therefore they are not strictly lyes , but as rash untruths are such in a larger sense , which ignorant men assert for want of due tryal . it is a great errour to over-value such poor frail ignorant men as we all are : mr. ch. and i have both over-valued one another ; and this errour now we have both escaped , but not laid by our christian love . and as god will not take mens diseases for their sins , his bodily temper is to me a great excuse of his strong confident mistakes . § . the very introductory preface of his books disowning cruelty and uncharitable dividing impositions , enableth me to forgive him the multitude of rash untruths and slanders : and instead of a mentiris , i shall put but a putares or non-putares . i have just such a task in dealing with mr. ch. as with one that is hard of hearing : when i speak to such a one , that heareth but one half , and mis-heareth the rest , he answereth me as he heard : and when i tell him his mistake , his last reply is [ i thought you had said thus and thus : ] but if i should dispute a whole day with such a man , i should be sharply censured if i printed the dispute , and told the world how many hundred times the man mis-heard , and so mistook me . and i fear neither he himself , nor the reader that valueth his time , would thank me for such exercise of my arithmetick with mr. cheney . § . for his preface i thank him : it tells me , that all our accusers do it not in meer malignity : and that he hath a few steps further to tumble , before he come to the bottom of the hill . his book consisteth partly of a handsome considerable discourse for prelacie , and other church-offices of humane invention ; and partly of a new & singular doctrine about church-forms ; & partly in a critical discharge of his fancy , and unpacking his preparations against the independant covenant , and church-form ; and partly in detecting my many atheistical , infidel , impious errours , by which he supposeth i am deceiving the world ; and partly n a multitude of falshoods of me ( and others ) in matter of fact ; and partly ( i hope an ignorant ) plea for the pope . to open all these fully , would tire the reader and me . chap. ii. what the doctrine is which he accuseth of atheism , impiety , &c. § . the reader that hath well perused my writings knoweth it : but i cannot expect that all should do so that read his book . the abstract is this . i. that jesus christ is head over all things to the church , eph. . , . ii. that the mosaical law , as such , never bound other kingdoms , and is ceased , with their commonwealth , and is abrogated by christ , and that he as king of the church , hath established a sufficient law for all that is universally necessary for doctrine , worship , and church-order or government : and was faithful in all his house as moses , and commissioned his apostles to disciple nations , baptizing them and teaching them what christ himself had commanded them , matth. . . iii. that he setled the ministry and church-form before he made any magistrate christian , and that no magistrate hath power to change them . iv. that what his apostles did by his commission and spirit , he did by them . v. that church-forms being so instituted and constituted , he hath not left them so much to the will of man , as he hath done the forms of civil government . vi. that christ hath one universal church , of which he is the onely head and law-giver , and no vicar personal or collective , as one political person or power : of which professed believers and consenters in baptism are the visible members , and sincere believers and consenters the spiritual saved members . vii . that the world and church are not all one ; nor heathens and infidels the same with christians , nor any parts of the church properly called . viii . that christs ministers first work to which they were commissioned , was not on the church or any member of it , but the infidel world to gather them into a church ; and the first baptized person was not baptized into a pre-existent church ; but the church existing , baptism entereth men into it . ix . that the first baptizer was no pastor of such an existent church , but an organical minister to gather a christian church . x. that though at baptism one may enter into the universal and a particular church , yet baptisme qua talis entereth us onely into the universal , being our christening or covenant-uniting to the body of christ . xi . that a pastor in the scripture and usual sense , is a relate to oves the sheep or flock , and not to infidels : and a ministry to infidels , and an episcopacy or pastorship of the flock , are different notions : but if any will use the terms otherwise , we contend not de nomine , though you call him a pastor of infidels , or what else you can devise . xii . to explain my self , when i mention a bishop or pastor , i mean the bishop or pastor of a church : and i take not heathens for the church . xiii . i believe that in this universal church are thousands of particular churches , and this by christs institution . xiv . i believe that there is no particular church or christian on earth , who is not ( respectively as visible or mystical ) a part of the universal church . xv. as every worshipping assembly is a church in a larger sense , so a church in a political sense is essentially constituted of the pastor and people , or the sacerdotal guiding and the guided parts : and of such a church it is that i am speaking . xvi . as such meeting in transitu are an extemporate transient church , so fixed cohabitants ought to be a church accordingly fixed , related to each others as such for longer than the present meeting . xvii . every such political fixed church , should consist of a pastor ( at least ) accordingly fixed , to a cohabiting people , and as their pastor more specially related by obligation and authority to them , than to strangers or neighbour churches . he is not bound to do that for all , as he is for them , nor may go into other pastors churches with equal power , nor officiate where he please . xviii . if there be no church but the universal , than there is neither parochial , diocesan , or national , nor are assemblies churches . nor is our king the royal governour of any church : for of the universal he is not . xix . christian princes must do their best to settle faithful pastors in all churches , that is , according to the laws of christ , but not against them . but as they must do their best that all their subjects may have good phycisians , schoolmasters , wives , or husbands , servants , dyet , cloathing , &c. but yet are not trusted by office to choose all these for every one , and impose them on dissenters , because the same god that made kingly power , did first make personal and paternal power , which kings cannot dissolve : so every man is so nearly concerned for his own salvation , more than for wife , servant , dyet , phycisian , &c. that though he must thankfully accept of all the rulers lawful help , he is still the most obliged chooser . nor is it any part of the office of a king , to choose and impose on every subject a guide or pastor , to whom only he shall trust the pastoral conduct of his soul , any more than a physician or a tutor for him . xx. parish-bounds are not of primitive or divine institution : but cohabitation or propinquity is a needful qualification of setled members , gratia finis : and parish-bounds are a useful humane determination , according to the general rules , do all to edification and in order . xxi . no one is a church-member merely because he dwelleth in the parish ; for unbaptized infidels , heathens , atheists , may dwell there . xxii . nor is a stranger a church-member for coming into the assembly ; for such , as aforesaid , or jews , mahometans , may come in . xxiii . a pastor oweth more care and duty to his flock , than to the rest of the world ( as a physician to his hospital . ) therefore he must know who they are , better than by knowing that they dwell in the parish ; nor may he baptize them , or give them the lords supper , only because he seeth them in the assembly or in the parish : else jews and heathens must have it . xxiv . nor is he to give it to every one that demandeth it : for so may jews and heathens , that take it in scorn , or for by-ends . xxv . yet a christian having a valid certificate that he is such , hath right to transient communion with any church of christ where he cometh : but for order , the antient churches used not to receive them without some certificates from the churches that they came from , lest hereticks and excommunicates , unknown persons , should be every where received . xxvi . no man can be an ( adult ) christian without signified consent : nor a stated member of any particular church , without such consent : no , nor a lawful transient communicant without consent . for so great benefits none but consenters have right to , nor can such relations be otherwise contracted . xxvii . consent not signified nor known , is none to the church . xxviii . a man may be obliged to consent that doth not : but that makes no man a christian or member of the universal church ; else millions of infidels and heathens are christians ; and so it maketh no one a member of a particular church , that he is obliged to be one : nor am i a pastor over any men as a church , because they are obliged to take me for their pastor , no more than that is a husband , wife , servant , who is obliged to be so , and will not . to say that i am a pastor to heathens as a church , is a contradiction : or that i am their pastor as my special christian flock , and particular church-members that consent not . xxix . but the same man that liveth among such , may be to consenting christians a pastor ; and to refusers , infidels , or heathens , a teacher . the church ever distinguished the audientes and catechumene candidates , from the fideles , who were the members of the church . xxx . no pastor or people should impose any covenant on any adult to be christened , but consent to be christians signified by baptism ; nor on any in order to transient communion among strangers , but just notice of their christianity and understanding consent to that communion : nor on any in order to their being the stated members of this or that flock and particular church , but due notice of their christianity , and of their understanding consent to what is essential to such members ; that is , to the relation as essentiated by the correlate and ends . xxxi . no one should be obliged by covenant to continue one year or month in the station of that particular relation : because they know not when gods providence may oblige them to remove or change it . xxxii . though the peoples consent be necessary to their relation , their election of the pastor ( which signifieth the first determination who shall be the man ) is not absolutely necessary , though of old so thought . an after-consent may serve ad esse relationis . xxxiii . much less is it necessary that the people choose who shall be ordained a minister unfixed , and only of the universal church . xxxiv . . mutual consent of the duely qualified ordained and ordainer , determineth who shall be a minister in the church universal ; as consent of the colledge and the candidate do who shall be the licensed physician . . the peoples consent and the ministers instituted , determine who shall be the pastor of this particular flock or church . . the king determineth whom he will tolerate , countenance and maintain . xxxv . though a man may be ordained but once to the ministry unfixed in the universal church , ( to which i said the peoples consent is not necessary ) yet may he be oft removed from one particular church to another , on just cause , to which the peoples consent ( if not election ) is still necessary . though to avoid ambition , the old canons forbad bishops to remove . xxxvi . it 's lawful to be ordained sine titulo only to the ministry in general ; but in settled churches it is usually inconvenient : and he that is ordained to a fixed church , doth at once become a minister in the universal church ( and may act as a minister , and not as a layman , when called elsewhere ) and also a fixed minister of a particular church ; even as he that is baptized into a particular church , is a member of both : though baptism and ordination qua tales enter but into the universal . xxxvii . it is not this or that mode of signification of consent that is necessary to either relation of pastor or flock ; but consent signified intelligibly : where laws and custome order it that actual ordinary attendance in publick worship and communion , and submission to necessary ministration , shall be the signification , all that so do express consent by it . and therefore our ordinary parish-assembling and communion , being express consent to the mutual relation , have that which is necessary ad esse to true churches ; and they slander them that say , they are not such . but ad melius esse more may oft-times be profitable ; . because that is the best means , which is best fitted to the end : but the end of signes being notification , that is , caeteris paribus , the best which is most notifying ; as that is the best language which is most significant and intelligible . why should playing in the dark , or dealing under-board , be preferred in the greatest things ? . it oft falls out , that some that live in the parish are known church-papists , church-atheists & infidels , & will tell in their meetings to their companions , [ i believe not the words of the parish-priest : it is his trade to talk for gain : i will do what the law requires of me , for my safety ; but i will have no more to do with him , nor do i take him for a true pastor , that hath any authority but by law , nor for any pastor to me . ] and . there are many hereticks and schismaticks , engaged members of other churches ; who yet to avoid suffering , will do that in the parish-church , which the law requireth . . and the antient churches used express consent , yea and election . so for the minister ; he is no pastor without his signified consent : but actual ministration may be such a signification . this is enough to reconcile the difference about church-covenants . xxxviii . they that rail against a more express consent in cases truly dubious , as if it were tyranny and destructive to christianity , do suppose that if the king and law commanded such a thing they commanded tyrannically that which destroyeth christianity ; and contradict themselves when they say that rulers may make various orders of church-governours , and determine of undetermined modes . xxxix . as it is not needful and usual to set up a coordinate imperium artificum vel philosophorum in imperio civili ; so it seemeth also of an imperium religiosum . the first question is , whether christ hath instituted such : the second , whether he hath given power to men to make it . there is not in any kingdom that i hear of , ( but somewhat towards it in china ) such a society of physicians , astronomers , navigators , lawyers , schoolmasters , philosophers , &c. who set up a co-ordinate empire or government , that shall have all degrees of self-governing power as a national socity , with one supreme , either monarchical , aristocratical , or democratical head , according to the order of civil-government : nor doth any reproach schools , colledges , hospitals , or any trading societies , that they are confused , independent , and ungoverned , because they have no common governour but god and the king , nor any particular governour , but the principal , or master and fellows of the society ; nor any national association , besides their subjection to one king , and their voluntary correspondence for concord and mutual assistance with one another . and much less is there any co-ordinate , political regiment of any of these through all the world , under one visible humane head , personal or collective . and yet many think that there is such a society and regiment for religion ; national say some , universal say others : that all that will serve god and be saved , must be under one co-ordinate power over all the kingdom , or world , besides christ and the supreme magistrate : and they contend whether this power be monarchical or aristocratical , &c. i am so far independent , as to think that christ hath instituted no such universal or national power and head of religion : but that . his own universal kingdom : . and particular churches under their several bishops and teachers : . and synods for concord and mutual help : . and christian magistrates to rule all by the sword : . with the improvement of mens eminent gifts and opportunities , that these be instituted by christ i doubt not : . and whether some should succeed the apostles ( excepting their extraordinary powers ) in having a visiting , instructing , ordering care of many churches and their bishops and teachers , i confess my self uncertain ; and therefore will never strive against such , nor deny due obedience to them , who shew a true call to such an employment . nay , if christ have made no such institution ; yet . if the christian magistrate , . or the churches by consent , choose some faithful ministers to such a power , onely to direct , instruct , guide , admonish , reprove , exhort the bishops and teachers of the particular churches , without any other force than the apostles used , and not destroying any of their proper power and duty , or that church-order which the apostles setled ; i am no opposer of any such , though my uncertainty disables me from subscribing and swearing to the right of their authority . the scots themselves , even by knox's consent , set up super-intendents over many churches ( john spotswood super-intendent of lothian , and so others . ) and the power of a president , principal or rector of a colledge of physicians , philosophers , or divines , doth not make him of any other order or species of office and profession than the rest . but if any affirm more than this , i will learn , but cannot yet swear or subscribe it . xl. those that are for the obligation of the jewish order , i have fully spoke to in my first plea for peace . those that are only for the power of man to make such several orders or ranks of governours in the church , as are in armies , and kingdoms , . must tell us what sort of power may be given them : . and who must give it . and . no men can institute a power of the same species , or another species from that which we call the sacred ministry , or as the fathers , the sacerdotal , but what is subordinate about the accidentals of religion and the church . . not the same species , because it is instituted by god already : no man can create a creature already created . . not of another supra-ordinate or co-ordinate : for . they can prove no power given them to do it : . and that were to accuse christ of insufficient doing his undertaken work , and being less faithful in his house than moses : . and it will infer mans introduction of a new co-ordinate doctrine , worship , or religious ministration : for the ministration of the word and sacraments , and keys , is already appointed by christ : and the office or order is specified by the work and terminus ; and a new office hath new work . but in the same species of religious ministration , there are abundance of accidentals and circumstances ; and princes or consenting churches may give men power in those accordingly . but not to forbid what christ commanded , nor destroy the works and power of his institution . and if they that are for other superiour or co-ordinate species of church-power , besides what is afore-granted , say that it is a lawful humane ordinance : . those that say , princes only may make it , confess the church had none that was lawful for three hundred years . and they must prove the commission . . those that say the inferiour bishops made it by consent ; . feign inferiours to have power to make a power above their own , ( which is more than for presbyters to ordain their like . ) . why may not archbishops then make patriarks , and they a pope , ad summum ascendendo ? . they must prove their power ; and that they are so far equal to apostles , ( who yet were but to teach the nations what christ commanded them ; which these men know not but by the scripture . ) . what man maketh , man may unmake . and how came we to be less free than our ancestors that made such offices ? xli . in my book of concord where this is granted , yet i say , that let church-patriarchs , metropolitans , primates , archbishops , or diocesans , like ours that have no bishops under them , be never so probably maintained to be lawful , yea , and desirable ; yet the uniting in them by consent and approbation , will never become the terms or way of universal concord , which i have fully proved ; even all that is true and good , will never be the terms of universal concord , nor just christian communion ; much less that which hath so much matter of doubt , and great suspition of evil . but i will live in christian love , peace , and submission my self , on terms uncapable of common concord , or my own approbation of the things as imposed or done by all others . xlii . lay-chancellours may do what belongeth to a magistrate , but not use the church-keyes , nor be the church-judges of mens communion , because christ hath instituted the sacred office for it . xliii . a church is ens politicum ( in the sense in hand ) and the form of it is relative , in the predicament of relation . xliv . the parts of the universal church are similar and dissimilar , more simple or more compound . and the word [ whole ] applyed to a part , disproveth not its being a part of the whole christian world or church . a whole hand , foot , head , &c. is part of a whole body ; and a whole body part of a whole man , and a whole man part of a whole family , and a whole family part of a whole street , and that of a whole city , and that of a whole county or kingdom : a whole colledge of a whole university , &c. all members save souls and atomes , are compounds . xlv . when we call all the christian world [ the catholick church ] and call e. g. hippo [ a or the catholick church ] the word [ catholick ] and [ the ] are not univocal : in the later we mean only [ the church at hippo ] which holds the true catholick faith , and is a true part of the catholick church in the first sense . penuria nominum necessaria reddit aequivoca . xlvi . particular churches are visible in the regent and governed parts : the universal church is visible in the governed part , and in the head only , so far as he was once on earth , and is now visible in heaven ( his court ) and will be visible at last to all , and ruleth by visible laws ; but not as a head now visible on earth : nor is this any deformity to his church , nor any reason why it may not be called visible ; as i have fully proved in two books against w. johnson , alias terret . xlvii . those that deny an universal visible church , differ only de nowine , not de re : they only deny any universal regent power , monarchical , or aristocratical , or democratical , under christ ; but i know no christian that ever denyed the fore-described . xlviii . forma dat esse : divers constitutive forms , or specifying differences , make divers essences . therefore the form of a troop being the captains government , differs from the form of a regiment , which is the colonels governing relation , and both from the forms of the army , which is the generals . the formal essence of a colledge , is divers from that of an university ; and of a family from a corporation , or city ; and that from a kingdom . and as forma dat nomen , they have divers names : a family quatalis , is not a kingdom , &c. reader , forgive the mention of these things , which children know , and till now i never read or heard any man deny or question . in that which followeth , you shall see the reasons that excuse me . chap. iii. what mr. cheyney saith against these things : and . of church-forms and essence . § . though it tempt me not to conformity as the way of concord , where i see the great difference of such as plead for it amongst themselves , yet i must do that right to the conformists , as to tell the world that they must not be judged of by mr. ch 's opinions ; and that i know no other conformist ( or non-conformist ) of his mind about church-forms . § . but i must add , that his case doth increase my conviction against himself and them , that their conformity is so far from being the necessary cement , that it is utterly destructive of it , as so imposed : and that it must be on few plain necessary things , that common concord must be held , or we must have none . mr. ch. thinks me one who may be endured in the ministry , and i think so by him ; and yet how far easier and plainer than our controversies of conformity , are those things in which we differ to the height of his following accusations ? if none should be endured that cannot covenant , swear , subscribe , declare and practice , as is required , how much less can such as he and i be endured in one church , if we differ as he saith we do ? o what pardon and forbearance doth our peace require ! § . of church-forms and essence , hear some of his judgment . pag. . [ the several congregations and assemblies of pastors and people throughout the kingdom , are not limbs and parcels of a church , but they are so many churches — consisting of a pastor governing , and people governed , joyning together in publick worship — it is called [ the church of england ] as all the christian pastors and people throughout the world , are called the universal church — one church , of which christ is the transcendent head — i do not see but it is proper to call all the christian pastors and people of england — one church . — p. . christ is the head of the church of england , — and under christ all the parish-ministers are subordinate guides and rulers of their flocks respectively . — p. . some are as colonels of regiments , others as captains of troops ; the body is but one , the members many . — p. . the new testament saith , — the churches of galatia , gal. . . the churches of judea , asia , — yet one body . — all the faithful make one heavenly city , — one church of the first born ; — so that gods church on earth is many churches , and yet but one church . — ( do you not think now that we are agreed ? but hear him judge himself . ) p. . i will shew one common errour or mistake in multitudes of our able divines , — that those we call particular churches , are counted parts and members of the church universal . this i deny , — mr. baxter makes the church of england , or the churches of england , to be an integral part of the church universal , — as a troop of an army , or a city of a kingdom . so the independents . i overthrow this errour by this argument . one and the same thing cannot be both a body and a member , a whole and a part , a society and one single person . — but that which we call a single or particular church , is not a member but a body ; it is not a limb or part of a church , but a whole and entire church , — it hath a whole within it . — london is not a member of england , but a city and aggregation of members . it 's no less than a flat contradiction in terms , — what dr. ames saith , medul . l. . c. . that a particular church est membrum ex aggregatione variorum membrorum singulorum compositum , contrary to common reason and plain scripture . — p. . a bare member in the body hath no authority , but acteth by mere natural life and appetite , and is not endued with rational authority , nor can be capable of any . — that which we call a single church , is a catholick or universal church . it hath an universal head. to be a christian , is to be of an universal impartial spirit ; — where there is an all , there is an universal . — but every single church hath an all within it , the pastor and all his flock . — the church universal and particular , do only differ as to place and number ; — a church of godly ministers and people in france , holland , — and england , differ but as to place . — every church ( of christians ) must needs be a church universal ; not a limb or member of another church , but a true body , or entire christian society . — p. . christs body is one : not as one is opposed to multitude — but to division , contrariety , and destruction . § . p. . this leads me to shew the unsoundness of another part of mr. baxters doctrine , and some others with him : he saith , [ there are two essentially different policies or forms of church-government of christs institution , never to be altered by man : . the form of the universal church as headed by christ himself , which all christians own as they are christians , in their baptism . . particular churches headed by their particular bishops or pastors , and are parts of the universal , as a troop of an army , or a city of a kingdom . — and he defines the universal church to be , the universality of baptized christians , headed by christ himself . these his sayings contain many errours ; i will first note them out , and then confute and prove them to be errours . . it is an errour in the art of defining , to put in those words , [ headed by christ himself . ] . it is another errour to define the universal church without guides and ministers , as one essential constituent part . . it is another errour to say , that the universal church , and churches particular , differ essentially . . it is an errour in the art of desining to say , — headed by christ himself ] that 's supposed , but need not be in the definition . he finds fault himself with such a defect in the definition of a particular church . grant them to be christians , and you grant they own christ . — . it is an errour to define the universal church without pastors , — so doth the assemblies confession , and mr. hudson — his definition of the church without pastors , is , as if he defined a living healthful man , without a stomach , liver or lungs . — p. . . if there be an essential difference between church and church , what then is the difference between the church and the world ! heaven and hell ! the righteous and the wicked ! — how can any man know which is the right church ? we shall never be able to confute popery nor infidelity by this doctrine : for this doctrine supposeth two essentially different churches : the universal church without pastors , and of this christ is head himself : particular churches , of which christ is no head , but particular pastors are the heads . — by this doctrine the same thing shall be contrary to it self . — christs church in this world is but one ! and can one and the same thing have two different essences , beings , and definitions ? quae conveniunt uno tertio , &c. but the church universal and particular agree in uno tertio . they stand on one foundation , are directed by one rule , quickned by one spirit ; an addition of homogeneous particles makes no essential difference . it will necessarily infer , that god is contrary to himself , and that the essentiating principles of church holiness , order and government , are black and white , darkness and light , — p. . if this opinion stand , religion cannot stand , two essentially different forms of churches , will infer two sorts of holiness , the one repugnant to the other , ( yet ) subordinata non pugnant . if christ set up two repugnant , or essentially different church-forms , he is not the saviour , but the deceiver of the world . ( o dreadful ! ) § . p. . a word more ad hominem of that opinion , that particular churches are parts of the universal , as a troop is of an army , or a city of a kingdom . this is mr. baxters opinion : why then do you blame the turning all the parish-churches into chappels , and making them to be but parts of the diocesan , as a troop is of an army , &c. who sees not that your doctrine doth the same that you condemn , &c. if they are but parts and members of another church , ( the universal ) then they are not churches . — it is not unlikely but you can find somewhat to say in defence of this your self-contradicting doctrine ; but i believe it will match your wit , were it ten times more , and prove too hard for you . look to it ; if your disputations against prelacie stand , down goes this main assertion of yours . if your disputations against prelacie be found to have a hollow and false bottom , then you have made you work for repentance , you have greatly injured the church of god , and particularly the church of england , and have deceived a great many . look what bellarmine maketh the pope to be to all the pastors , churches , and christians through the world , that do you make this which you call the church universal : for you say that particular churches , as headed by their respective bishops and pastors , are parts and members of another church called the church universal : by which assertion you set up an universal head or government over all the pastors , churches , and christians in the world besides christ ; and you say this is of divine institution ; and you lay the concord of all the churches upon it . do but grant the papists this one assertion , that particular churches , as headed by their respective pastors , are parts and members of the universal church , as a city is of a kingdom , and overthrow the popes headship over all if you can . it will follow that there must be , besides christ , an universal ecclesiastical monarch on earth , either personal or collective , who must have the supreme power . p. . but indeed you have gone beyond bellarmine in seting up papal monarchy . your other assertion sets up atheism , by making the holy god the author and founder of two essentially different churches , or church-forms . according to bellarmines assertion for the pope , there would be pastors , &c. but according to your assertion , all the world must be atheists , of no religion at all . — p. , . your division of the church into universal and particular , is plainly against that rule in logick ; membra omnis bonae divisionis debent esse inter se opposita . but in this your division the membra dividentia are not inter se opposita : you oppose the same thing against itself . you make the church at corinth a particular church , — the whole or the universal church at corinth is sound and good . you plainly leave out of your description , the differencing form or token of that which you call a particular church , and that is neighbourhood , or dwelling or abiding in this or that place , — you make a new essential of church-membership and church-communion , and lay the peace of all the churches on it , and say it is divine , sure , harmless , fitted to the interest of all good men . this startles me , i strive to be silent and cannot : the more i strive , the more i am overcome * . mr. cawdrey was lately with me , and we had conference about this point , — suspecting mine own judgment ; i have conferred with divers about your other notions , two churches , or two church-forms differing essentially ; and they cannot apprehend how it can stand ! you make the universal church-form , and the particular church-form to differ essentially , and this by divine law. i prove to you from the nature of the thing it self , and the express word of god , that the universal church of god at corinth , and the particular church of god at corinth , are one and the same . — to oppose the universal and particular church , and say they differ essentially , is to oppose the same thing against itself , and make the lord jesus christ the authour and founder of selfsubverting principles . p. , . as for that other point , of the church particular being part of the church universal , it is to say , that the whole church at corinth is a part of the whole church , which is absurd . reader , i must not transcribe the whole book : the rest is too like this ; exercise your patience in receiving a short answer to the several parts which seemeth needful . chap. iv. a defence against the foresaid accusations . § . what christians heart can choose but mourn for the church of god , and the puzzling confounding temptations of the ignorant , that must hear men charged thus publickly with atheism , and the overthrow of all religion , for that which the christian world agreeth in ; and this by preachers of professed humility , sincerity and zeal ? how shall the unlearned know when they are safe ? yea , what snares are thus laid to rob men of their time , as well as their faith and charity ? i must not give such lines their proper names : but i will say that it remembreth me of isa . . . and it cryeth out unclean , unclean . how few words of truth , and soberness , and soundness , can you number among all these ? had he written and published it in his sleep , as some talk , and walk , it were some excuse ! but for a man , a minister , awake , and after publick admonition , deliberately , on consultation , a second time , to talk at this rate in the press ! — and yet cannot we be endured without their ceremonies , &c. when the friendly debater and mr. shurlocke have compared such books as this with those that they reprehended , perhaps they will say , iliacos intramuros , &c. to begin at the end , i am sorry to read what he saith of the divers he conferred with , &c. . i never till now read or heard papist , protestant , or any christian of his mind : and , alas , are divers of it now ? are conformists come to that ? either they were at manhood , or in breeches at least , or not : if not , he should have chosen other counsellers : if yea , were they laymen or clergymen ? he was to blame if he took up with the former alone in such a case . if the later , he greatly disgraceth them . but we must say somewhat of our atheistical errours . the beginning of his words , which say the same thing which he so abominateth , i will not charge with contradiction in sence from the rest : for if he mean the same thing by [ one and two , a church and no church , a part and no part , yea and nay ] they are no contradictions in sence . and indeed i cannot perceive that he understandeth what he readeth and answereth , nor well what he saith . and therefore i am not sure when i understand him ; but i will review some of the things that his words seem to accuse in order . § i. the universal church , as i defined it , is a true church . proved : where there is a true church-head and a body of all christians on earth , united and subjected to that head by mutual consent and covenant , there is a true universal church : but such is that which i named and defined as the church universal . — ergo. — the major is from the definition to the thing denominated . as to the minor , . that christ is the true head. . and all christians the universal true body , ( visible as baptized , and mystical as heart-covenanters . ) . and that mutual covenanting is a sufficient bond for this church-union , the christian reader will chide me if i stay to prove . § . particular churches existent , are true churches in essence . proved to him : . he oft confesseth this and the former . . a true pars dirigens & pars subdita , necessarily qualified , ad esse , and united in those relations for church-ends , are a true particular church : but such are many existent particular churches ( and all that i defined : ) ergo. . that a true bishop , at least with his presbyters , is a true pars dirigens : . and a qualified flock , a true pars subdita : . and that such are found united in these relations , i will take for granted with the reader , except mr. ch. and the major is the definition . § iii. that the relative union of the governing part , or nearest head to the governed body , is the specifying form . the proof being de ente politico & notione logicâ , is the consent of all politicks , logicks , and use of speech by the professours of both , known to us in the world . i oft enough distinguishing de nomine aequivoco , have told men that it is not every christian assembly that we speak of , but societas politica . and all politicks call the form of the government , the specifying form of the politick society , throughout the known world . so monarchy , aristocracie , democracie , are specifying forms of republicks : and schools , armies , navies , have divers relative forms , specifyed by the union of the various regent relative parts to the rest . § iv. the form is a chief essential part . § v. therefore divers specifying forms , prove divers essences in specie . § vi. it is not the generical form that specifieth . else all things that are ejusdem generis , should be ejusdem speciei . all bodies are not animate , nor all animals men , nor all men bishops or physicians . § vii . the genus denominated without defining it , with the specifying form or difference , makes the definition of the species . else the definition of the species infima , would be confounded by the conjunct definitions of all the superiour genera : he that defineth a king , must not put in it the definition of homo , of animal , of vivens , of corpus and anima , of substantia . § viii . the highest species must be defined by its proper highest form , though not the subordinate species . the king must be put in the definition of a kingdom , but not of a city , country , church , family , school ; he is there supposed in a kingdom . and so of others . § ix . the higher genera must not be named in the definition of the species , but the next , which is the superiour species . therefore mr. ch. mistook his art of defining , when he said i mist it , by naming christ as the head of the church universal , and adding that i blame my self that defining of a particular church . as in relations it is not the ultimate end , but the nearest that must be in the definition ; so is it not the highest but the next genus that must be named . in defining all the lower species , the higher genera are but implyed in the naming of genus proximum , and not named . § x. the relation of jesus christ , and of a humane bishop , are not the same relation , in specie , though both be called heads or rulers . proved : there is not the same subjectum , nor the same fundamentum , vel ratio fundandi , nor the same correlate , ( for all the christian world and a diocese are not the same ) nor the same nearest terminus : ergo , not the same relation . § xi . therefore the universal church headed by christ onely , and a particular church subordinately headed by a bishop or clergy-head , are essentially divers , and two : proved : where the formal specifying head or regent part is two , or divers , and the body divers , &c. there the societies are divers in specie , or essentially : but so it is here : ergo. that one and one are two , i will not undertake to prove to mr. ch. nor think it needful to prove to others , nor yet that christ is one , and a bishop one ; and not the same . that christ is the formal head of the universal church , all christians confess , and therefore to be named in the definition , whether mr. ch. will or not , and not supposed : baptismal union and subjecting to him , maketh us christians , and not supposeth us such ( in visible church-state . ) that christ is not the formal specifying head of a particular church as such , but of the universal , and so the supream head only of the particular , is proved before . . because the specifying forma totius heterogenei , is not the specifying form of the parts . . else all that christ is supreme ruler to , should be such particular political churches : which is false ; it is not true of single persons , of christian armies , troops , markets , parliaments , courts , &c. as such . . christ himself by his apostles hath ordained a subordinate humane species of church-heads or rulers . . from parity of cases : natural and political . the forma animalis , is not forma hominis , nor forma hominis forma oculi , manus , pedis , &c. the general is the formal head of the army , but not of a regiment , but the colonel : nor the colonel of a troop , but the captain ; nor the king of a city , but the maior or other subordinate head : nor the king or maior of a family , school , colledge , but the pater-familias , the master , the rector , &c. depose the subordinate head , and it's part of the kingdom still , but no family , school , colledge , troop , regiment , &c. all mankind that profess dealing in such subjects , ( as far as i know ) are agreed in all this . as to the body related also , a diocess is not all the christian world . § xii . every true particular or single church , is part of the universal , ( which is headed only by christ . ) that it is part of the universal , i know not that ever man denyed till now , that a conformable pious divine maketh this with the former atheistical , making god and christ a deceiver , driving all religion out of the world , popery , worse , &c. proved . quae unita totum constituunt sunt partes : at ecclesiae omnes particulares , cum membris caeteris & christo capite totam seu universam ecclesiam redemptorum constituunt : ergo , sunt ecclesiae universae partes . ecclesia universa constat ex horum unione . ergo , haec omnia sunt ejus partes . again , if the single churches be no parts of the universal , either they are co-ordinate churches with the universal , or there is no universal . if the universal be all without them , than they are none : if not , then it is not universal , if there be other churches which are no parts of it . again , if they be no parts of the church universal , they are no parts of the body or peculiar people or kingdom of christ , ( for that is but one , cor. . eph. . , . & . &c. ) but they are parts of the body of christ . ergo. § xiii . to say that the whole church , e. g. at corinth , and the whole church in the world are the same , and what 's predicated of one is also of the other , is a saying — not to be justly denominated . the subjectum , relatum , correlatum , fundamentum , terminus , proximus , and so the relation are divers . the whole church and its head , and a part and its subordinate head , are not the same . the kingdom and the city , the city and a parish or ward , the university and a colledge , the man and a hand , &c. are not the same . § xiv . to say as he doth , that a family is not a part of the street , or that of the city , and london no member or part of the kingdom , is stuff that — i will not name : an ill foundation for the charge of atheism , blasphemy , and all impiety . but i am out of all fear that he should make one proselyte that 's sani cerebri . if any accuse him of less than denying god and christ , even but of deposing the king from most of his kingdoms , and saying that london , and so of every one city , corporation , &c. is no part of it , i would desire them to allow him his own exposition : for he mcaneth not so ill as he saith . § xv. to say that one whole cannot be a member or part of another whole , is yet , if possible , more — than the former . what , may not corpus politicum be a member of a larger body politick ? is there any part of the universe if this be true ? at least save atomes and spirits : and in what sense an atome , or anima , or spiritus , may be called totum , scaliger , and the schoolmen , and metaphysicks , commonly tell you . are not whole stones part of mountains ? and whole trees of the forrest ? and whole herbs of the whole garden ? and whole fields of the whole countrey ? and whole parishes of the whole diocess and county , and those of the kingdom ? and that of europe ? and that of the world ? is not a whole hand or foot part of a whole man ? is not the mateial universe made up of compounded parts ? what a trick has he found to exempt us all from government ? every man may say , i am a whole man : therefore i am no part of the bishop of londons diocess , or of the parish , or of the family . deny or destroy all such parts , and you deny or destroy the whole . did he think that all noun substantives signified the same thing , which have the same adjective ; and that a whole man , and a whole dog , or world , are all one ? § xvi . it 's little better when he argueth that homogeneal parts make not a new species . as if he could prove that the church is totum homogeneum . are not christ and christians , the king and the subjects of the universal church , partes heterogeneae , in esse politico relativo ? are not bishops and laicks partes heterogeneae ? had he forgot how much of his book is to prove even bishops and presbyters as widely different ? no christian denyeth it of the church universal , nor any of single churches , that denyes not a ministry , and the being of such churches as political . § xvii . while thus he maketh national churches metropolitical , diocesane , parochial , and the very independent , which he most revileth , all one , or of one essential species , it seemeth that he knoweth not how he unsaith most that he said before . § xviii . it is little better that he maketh several churches , viz. at paris and at plimouth , &c. to differ only in number and place . . do not the popish , protestant , episcopal , and presbyterian , differ in the form of government ? . do not those of the same form differ as individuals by their several rulers ? besides abundance of accidental differences ? § xix . and what doctrine is it to say , christs body is one ; not as one is opposed to multitude , but to division and destruction ? hath christ a multitude of bodies univocally so called ? even such a body as we treat of ? hath christ many universal churches containing all christians headed by christ ? § xx. when he had so grosly wronged himself , as to say , it is an errour in the art of defining , to say of the universal church , it is headed by christ himself ; what other head or formal regent part doth he name ? will he have another ? or will he have none in the definition ? is that the art of defining ? § xxi . it 's little better to say , is is an errour to define the universal church without pastors , as the assembly did . what! a better logician than all the assembly too ? alas , how fell the good man under this temptation ? he instanceth in a body defined without liver , stomack , &c. but . i hope he doth not think all is excluded that is not to be named ? . is there no better definition of a man , than animal implume , bipes , &c. or one that hath a liver and stomack , &c. when to the entelechia or anima , he added corpus organicum , aristotle thought he said enough of the body . is not animal rationale a just definition of a man , without naming his liver and spleen , or heart ? is not the genus & differentia enough for a definition ? definitiones debent esse breves ; & nihil otiosum continere : otiosum est quo ablato , definitio reliqua rei essentiam explicat . a kingdom is defined by naming no more than the king and subjects in general , without naming judges , justices , sheriffs , &c. there are no constitutive principles in nature , but mater , materiae dispositio & forma : and the imperfect definitions of accidents , must be as like as may be to those of substances . the specifying form here , is only christ the head so related : though he made christians before ministers , and were all pastors dead , the church were still christs universal body ; yet i grant it is not a just organized body without pastors : but that maketh them but to be the nobler part of the disposed matter : men do not use to play the anatomists in definitions , and instead of animal , or of corpus organicum , to name heart , stomack , lungs , &c. but it is a healthful man that mr. ch. is defining . answ . . but it is not a healthful church , but a true church in essence that i was defining . . if it had been otherwise , the name of the parts need not enter the definition of health . and are these his saving truths ? § xxii . and what an intimation is it , that if there be an essential difference between the universal and particular church , there 's none between the church and the world , the righteous and the wicked , heaven and hell. these things are fitter to be answered by interjections ( which be no words ; but voces non vocabula ) than by speech . if christ and a bishop in esse relationis politicae differ essentially , must good and bad , heaven and hell be all one ? if an army , and a regiment , and a troop , differ in their formal specifying essences , must a subject and a rebel , the court and the gallows therefore be all one . proh ! apage ! § xxiii . next he asks , how can any man know the right church then ? answ . what! no way but by making christ and a bishop formally the head ? we know the universal church by its true definition ; and a true particular church by its true definition and properties . § xxiv . yea , he saith , we shall never be able to confute popery and infidelity by this doctrine . answ . alas , will the good man turn papist or infidel , unless the universal church and a diocesane have the same specifying difference , or formal head ? then what remedy ? § xxv . i have no interjection deep enough for that which followeth , viz. this doctrine supposeth two essentially different churches : the universal church without pastors , ( putares ) and of this christ is head : particular churches , of which christ is no head ] putares ! where said i any such thing ! is this lawful ? as if . there must be no pastors , unless they be the formal head of the universal church . . and as if there must be no christ the supream head , if the bishop be the formal differencing specifying subordinate head : and all but the named parts are denyed : as if he would have more than the genus proximum , and differentia specificans in a definition : yea , even the genus supremum ! and christ shall be the specifying head , or none ! § xxvi . he saith , [ so the same thing shall be contrary to itself . ] as if . christ and a bishop , in formal relation were proved to be the same . . or things subordinate were contrary , ( which he denyeth himself . ) § xxvii . he saith , [ christs church in this world is but one . ] answ . if there be but one particular church , . then numerically the church of london and basil are one : and then if i separate not from the church at basil , i separate not from the church of london . . if de specie there be but one , then a patriarchal , diocesane , parochial , presbyterian , and democratical church are but of one species : and why then did you use so many words to tell us of the need of bishops over bishops , and of the several sorts of supra-ordinate church-rulers ? then a national church and a parish-church are but one . § xxviii . he addeth , [ quae conveniunt uno tertio , conveniunt inter se ; but the church universal and particular agree in uno tertio , &c. ] answ , as if convenientia generica , were convenientia totalis vel specifica ? or , convenientia partialis & totalis , accidentalis & essentialis , were all one ? what pretty logick is here , to prove a king and a constable all one , because they are both men , both christians , and both rulers ? i hope then a bishop and a presbyter are all one , that in your sorry sense agree in uno tertio ? but let us hear the inferred charge against us . § xxix . an addition of homogeneous particles ( saith he ) makes no essential differences . answ . christ and a bishop are heterogeneous : yea , a diocesane and a parish-priest : have you proved that they are not ? or that they are ? § xxx . it will necessarily infer that god is contrary to himself , saith he . answ . o temerity in the dark ! that is , unless his church-relation be the same with the bishops ? as if the king be contrary to himself , if his kingdom and a corporation or school be not of the same species ? § xxxi . he saith , [ if this opinion stand , religion cannot stand . an. do you mean in you or in me , or all others ? do you resolve to cast away all religion , if christ and a bishop be not the same informing regent parts of the church universal and particular ? think better of it first ; for religion is more necessary than so . do you think that the christian world , which hath ever been of the opinion which you detest , had never any religion ? nor hath now any ? which way do churches that are parts of the universal , cast out all religion ? § xxxii . if christ set up two essentially different church-forms , he is not the saviour but the deceiver of the world . answ . and must christ bear such a charge as well as i ? i should sooner have expected it from a turk or jew , than from you . § xxxiii . he saith , [ why then do you blame turning parish-churches into chappels , and making them but parts of a diocesane , as a troop of an army ? ] answ . putide putares . when shall we meet with a true sentence ? it is not for making them parts of a diocesane church as troops of an army , but for making them no political true churches , but disbanding all the troops , by making them no troops , but such parts of a regiment as squadrons are . it is for putting down inferiour bishops , and not for being themselves bishops over them ; yet on this doth he ground his charge of my deceiving men , and wronging god and his church , &c. § xxxiv . he addeth , [ look what bellarmine maketh the pope , &c. that do you , &c. for you say that particular churches , as headed by their respective bishops and pastours , are parts of another church called the church universal . by which assertion you set up an universal head — besides christ , and you say this is of divine institution , and lay the concord of all the churches on it . ] answ . if you are sani cerebri , this is so gross , that your putarem hath no excuse . had you not your self repeated my definition , and carpt at those very words , [ headed only by christ ] and many times your self repeated it as my opinion . . or had you tryed your wrangling wit to have proved , that [ if christ only be asserted to be the head , i thereby assert another head ] or that [ if i make bishops particular specifying heads , i therefore assert a humane universal head , ] you had some cloak for your putarem : but now — if you next print that i said that a dog is a man , i will no more wonder at it than at this . see reader how my church-concord is oppugned , and by what weapons satan doth that work . as if he that saith the king only is the specifying head of the kingdom , and the captain of his troop , or the diocesans of a diocess , were a traytor , and did assert another head of the kingdom than the king. § xxxv . do but grant the papists ( saith he ) this one assertion , that particular churches , as headed by their respective pastors , are parts and members of the universal , as cities of a kingdom , and overthrow the popes headship over all if you can . it will follow , that there must be besides christ , an universal monarch on earth , &c. answ . . affirmanti incumbit probatio . did you think we must take your bare word in so great a case ? do you say one word to prove your affirmation ? must we all turn papists upon your immodest naked saying , it is so ? . but your immodesty is in this excessive to me , that have written two books against johnson , alias terret , and the later but lately and largely , to prove that the church hath no universal head but christ , notwithstanding the particular regency of the bishops ; and for you to give me not a word of answer to them , and bid me now prove it if you can , when i have voluminously proved it ! this is such dealing as i will not name . — . but i am heartily sorry , what ever did it , that you are got so neer to popery . as if you will be a papist , unless all the writers of the christian world are deceived , and if the particular church be a part of the universal , which ●●●● dare boldly swear it is , and sober men doubt not . xxxvi . he adds , [ indeed you have gone be●ond bellarmine , in setting up papal monarchy . your ●ther assertion sets up atheism , by making the holy god the authour and founder of two essential different churches , or church-forms . ] answ . putares . but if all the christian world be of the same mind , do they all set up atheism , and are you only free ? as for tho. hooker whom you cited , though it be twenty four years , or thereabouts , since i read mr. hudson and him , ( and will not tast away my time in perusing them ) my memory doubts not that it was only a universal church made one by one universal humane policie , that he denied ; and that they differed but about words . did ever christian before you , deny particular churches to be distinct policies , and parts of the universal ? have we so many books written of ecclesiastical policie , and is there no such thing ? or no churches that are politick societies ? § xxxvii . he adds , [ according to your assertion , all the world must be atheists , of no religion at all . ] answ . then all the world of christians are so ; for as far as writings notifie , they are generally of this mind . alas , brother , did you shew this to any man before you printed it ? for their honour i must think you did not ; and for your sake i wish you had . § xxxviii . he adds , [ your division of the church into universal and particular , is plainly against that rule in logick , membra omnis bonae divisionis debent esse inter se opposita ] but you oppose the same thing against it self . answ . thus do men humble themselves by forsaking humility ! had it not been better for your to have let your logick alone , than to bewray that which you might have concealed ? are not diversa distinguishable as well as opposita ? and is there no diversity in parte essentiae , ( as in subalternis ) where there is not a diversity in totâ essentia , ( as there is in summis generibus ? ) is there not both diversity and opposition , inter totum & partem , and between the species of an universal and particular society ? are they not relative opposita ? may you not distinguish army , and regiment , and troop , kingdom and city , christ and a bishop ? &c. § xxxix . he adds , [ you make the church at corinth a particular church . ] answ . and do not all christians ? is it all the christian world ? § xl. you plainly ( saith he ) leave out of your description the differing form or token of that which you call a particular church , and that is , neighbourhood , &c. answ . anne putares ? . have i so oft exprest it , and yet will you say so ? . but it was in descriptions indeed , and i was far from your logical belief , that neighbourhood is the differencing form . and i hope no one else is of your mind . . if neighbourhood be the differencing form , then all christian neighbours are particular churches : but that is false : ergo. — . those that dwell together only for trade , are not therefore churches . . those that hold that there are no particular churches or pastors , but that all christians are as priests . . those that hold that the minister of the parish where they live is no true minister , nor the parish a true church . . those that profess themselves members of no particular church . . those that profess to be no members of that church , but of another . . papists and sectaries that stand in opposition to that church . . those that dwell near another parish-church , and many miles from their own , are not members by proximity . . those that are excommunicated , which is de facto all professed non-conformists . . in places where the magistrate tyeth not churches to parish-bounds , persons of the same street and house may be of several churches . . no man that consenteth not is a church-member . . and who knoweth not that proximity is but dispositio materiae , and not the differencing form ? all these singular novelties should have had better proof than these dry assertions , contrary to all christian sense . § xli . [ this startles me : i strive to be silent and cannot , ( saith he ) and the more i strive , the more i am overcome . ] answ . if you are so far gone , i shall hereafter , i think , without any striving with my self , let that which is within you talk on , and not resist you . for who can hold that which will away ? but i wish you the benefit of some stiptick remedy , and a sober mind . § xlii . [ i prove to you ( saith he , when there is nothing like one proving word ) &c. you make the lord jesus the authour and founder of subverting principles . ] answ . read the ninth commandment . i conclude with these requests to him , as my true friend ; viz. to consider : qu. . whether a man so far from persecution , and yet condemning us of atheism , blaspheming , and destroying all religion , &c. be not much more uncharitable , than they that charge no such thing upon us , but trouble us for refusing forms are ceremonies ? or is it not the same spirit ? qu. . whether he justifie not the silencing and ruining of all whom he so accuseth ? should not such impious atheists be silenced ? qu. . if he knew that the generality of the christian world in all ages hold what he thus censureth , what will he call it , to charge all christians so far with atheism , and casting out all religion , and making god and christ a deceiver ? if he knew it not , what will he call it , to venture thus to publish such an accusation , before he knew that which an ordinary inhabitant of the world might so easily have known ? as if he had published [ all that say a city is specified by its subordinate form of government , and is a part of the kingdom , specified by the monarch , are traytors , and depose the king , or make him a deceiver and no king , and deny all obedience . ] what will you call this dealing ? qu. . was it well done to write such a book , while he understood so very little of the very plainest passages which he wrote against ? qu. . was it excusable to confess some errour of the last , and to add far worse , and after warning a second time , so to speak evil of what he understood not ? qu. . was it humility to make ostentation of the logick he understood not . qu. . doth not the extreme bold confidence of the falsest of his own conceptions , shew a very unhumbled overvaluing of his own understanding ? to be ignorant is common to mankind ; yea , and to be much ignorant of our ignorance , and to think that we know more than we do : but to have so little sense of this calamity , and so little suspicion of ones own understanding , as to be confident to such a height of accusation of the grossest falshoods , where a lad of fourteen years old , that had read any thing of logick and politicks , might have better taught him ; ( that i say not , the reason and use of mankind ) this seemeth somewhat beyond the common measure of self-conceitedness . qu. . whether the great number of asserted untruths here , shew not some want of necessary tenderness , or care of writing ? chap. iv. mr. chenies accusations of me about church-covenants , and rigid independencie , and the odiousness hereof , considered . § . when he had said , that [ it leads to two contrary gods , which is to make no true god , p. . ] he proceedeth [ mr. b. hath devised and framed two covenants , the one to make a man a member of the church universal , the other of the particular , p. . i will shew , . that this is the same with the upstart way of the independents : . the unsoundness of it , p. . mr. b. and the independents now , are contrary to their own principle in baptizing the infants of non-confederates , p. . [ i do utterly withstand it as wickedness and abomination in gods church ; i am to die and burn at a stake before i yield to any such thing : this is mr. baxters way : he offers it to bishop morley and bishop gunning , in his preface to his last book of concord , that posterity may see what it is that he would have had , and laboured to set up in all the churches : and accordingly , let both the present and future ages see and know , p. . your way is not so innocent as that of re-baptizing . for the very matter and terms of your church-covenant are unsafe , and plainly schismatical ! as if constables and people of each town must confederate to be a corporation , an independent body having all jurisdiction within themselves , and such as will not enter into this confederacy , must be counted none of the kings subjects . — to say there are no churches in the world but a few independent churches , — were to go beyond brownism : it were rather to teach infidelity : such an opinion would be abhorred by all : now mr. baxter and the independents doctrine saith it . — their errour , should they hold it habitually , predominantly , and practically , would be certainly their damnation . — p. , [ i see not but pagans , gross hereticks , apostates , thieves and robbers might combine together and say , i take thee for my pastor , and i take you for my people : doth not your doctrine infer it ? p. . if i yield to their assertion , i must subvert the office of christ and his apostles , and all his faithful ministers , and all the churches to this day ; which i will not do for fear of the censure of any man living , no nor of a whole council of men , p. . the way that mr. baxter offers , seems to be a worse way , — it is the way of rigid independencie . — indeed mr. b. in all his writings seems to be against the office of lay-elders : but that he is not for them under another notion , as heads and delegates of the people , mutually chosen by the pastor and people , for assistance in discipline , may be doubted . he seems to hint at it , &c. § . how little truth is in all this , and abundance such ? . either it is truth that i am for rigid independency , or not . if not , — if yea , i am glad that the independent way is no worse . i am not much acquainted with them : but , if this man say true , . they are for no covenanting , but consent to the relation signifyed . . they are not for binding any to continue in that relation . . they are not for binding any from a regular use of any other minister , or churches communion . . in places where parishes are divided by law , and the ordinary attendance on the pastors ministration goeth for a sign of consent , they are true churches and members that thus signifie it ; and ad esse it is usually enough , though ad bene esse in doubtful cases the more express , as more intelligible caeteris paribus is best . . they are against an office of lay-elders , distinct from ministers of the word and sacraments , as of gods institution for church-government . . they are against democracie , or the church-governing power of the people . . they take reformed parish-churches for the best order , not taking all for members that are in the parish , but all the capable . . they are against gathering churches out of such parish-churches , without great necessity . . they are greatly against requiring any qualification as necessary to communion in point of holiness , but express consent to the baptismal covenant , or profession of christianity , not disproved . . they make not the peoples election of their pastors necessary ad esse , but meer consent , though the patron or others elect them . . they suppose that the peoples election or consent is not necessary to make a man a minister in the universal church , but only to make him their pastor . as to make a physician , and to make him my physician , differ . . they suppose that a true minister officiateth as such , where ever he doth it . . they suppose that associations or correspondencies of churches for concord and help , and synods to that end , and dependencie on such synods , is usually a duty where it can well be had ; and needless discord a fault . . they refuse not to submit in practice to the instructions or admonitions of any general visiter or overseer of many churches , called by some archbishops . . they refuse not the precedency of one pastor in every particular church over the rest of the presbyters . . they refuse him not the name of the bishop , nor yet to submit to his negative voice as of the quorum ( or the archbishops either ) in ordinations and all great publick matters . . they are for separating from no christians , further than they separate from christ , or would force them to sin ; but are for universal love and concord . . they are for obeying the magistrate in all lawful things belonging to his function . . they take the most extensive love , peace , and concord for the most desirable and best . . it is next their obedience to christ and his sufficient laws ; the great reason why they are against the terms imposed in most places of the christian world , where things unnecessary and suspected are made necessary to communion . reader , mr. ch. is so honest a man , that it were unjust to take him for a deliberate studied lyar. therefore seeing he saith that my way is rigid independency , and oft maketh me a downright independent , i that know my own judgement , and knew not theirs so well as he seems to do , am glad to hear that they are no worse , and that they are wronged by such as accuse them of denying any of those twenty points . § . and supposing that he saith true , and that they hold but my way , as he calls it , i will now try the force and honesty of his charge against them . and first , it savours of a spirit worse than his own , that when he had before used the word [ oath ] as owned by me , and then said , he repented of it , that he still useth the word [ covenant ] here as mine , instead of consent , which is the word which i use , and over and over say , that i own no covenant but any signification of consent to the relation ; onely because i said , that not ad esse , but ad bene esse , plain or express consent in doubtful cases is best . this smells of an ill intention ; and now i will try his arguments against this consent . § . p. . he saith mr. b. acts contrary to his own principles in baptizing the children of no● confederates . the universal and particular church make but one church of god. he that refuseth one essential of church-communion , is no christian , and is to be debarred the priviledges of christians . but according to you , non-confederates refuse one essential of church-communion — i may not baptize you , you are to me a pagan . ans . putares , sed calumniaris . here is fallacia aequivocationis , and so quatuour termini . this parish-church and the universal are not the same . the word church in the major , signifieth one thing , and in the minor another . all is not essential to communion in the church universal , which is essential to communion with this or that , or any particular political church . to the later , there must be , you say , neighbourhood ; and i say , proper pastors and flocks for personal communion . but the eunuch , acts . was baptized into the universal church , and not into any neighbourhood , parish , diocess , assembly , or had any stated pastor . he came into no church-meeting . philip ( the deacon supposed ) was snatcht away from him in the open field , &c. baptism as such , enters us into no particular church . your words [ you are a pagan to me ] are too false for a christian to have used . he that believeth with all his heart is no pagan . i am a minister of christ to the world ; but infidels are not my flock , or a church . catechizers should teach children all this plain truth . § . ii. p. . [ ask mr. baxter ( saith he ) whom do you mean by the word church , and at last he must come to one man the pastor ( as the papist● the pope . ) he that covenanteth first , covenantet● with none but the pastor . you change your terms . what church must he covenant with that was first baptized ? ans . christ was baptized , and his first baptized disciple and he were the embryo of the universal church , if you can prove that one was baptized alone . and as to a particular church , the gatherer at first is onely a minister in the church universal , and authorized to that gathering which shall be the foundation of his future relation : and the first person that consenteth , and he , are not a proper church ; for it is an embryo , and in fieri , as a troop when the captain hath listed the first man. but usually many are made christians first , and then they are materia disposita , and consent maketh the pastors and them to be particular churches , acts . . they ordained them elders in every church . elders of their own , acts . the elders of the church of ephesus , and so of the rest of the churches , are mentioned . and is the captain a troop , or the pastor a church , if he be the gatherer of it ? § . iii. you name not christ , ( saith he ) but the pastor . ans . when we say captain a. b's troop , we name not the general . when we say , the bishop of london 's diocess , the king's dominion , &c. we name not christ , or god : for onely the genus proximum is to be in definitions . the superiour are supposed : they are christians first . § . iv. you say ( saith he ) that before this covenant men are but hewed stones , that is , all the faithful are pagans . ans . putares . to be prepared for baptism is somewhat more than to be pagans : but till consent christians are not members of any particular church . the eunuch was but a hewn stone , as you call it , as to a formed congregation ; but he was no pagan , but a member of the body of christ . § . v. this ( saith he ) makes the most excellent ministers , apostles , &c. mere lay-men , such as go up and down preaching to pagans where christ is not known — plainly subverts the gospel , &c. ans . they are christ's ministers , and not lay-men , while they convert pagans , and yet pagans are no church : and till they are a church , no apostle is a pastor of them as a church . the gospel standeth for all this . § . but ( saith he ) may not a man be a shepherd by calling and occupation , unless he have a flock , as well as a physician ? &c. ans . either you quarrel de re or de nomine . if de re , do you mean any more than that he is authorized to gather and rule a flock ? if more , what is it ? if not , you calumniate if you pretend that i deny this ; but if it be onely de nomine , whether the name of a pastor may be given him that yet hath no flock , or of a captain to him that hath no troop ; i answer , . when you wrangle but about names , try once more to stay that list of laying the overthrow of the gospel on your names . . titles of relation may be given aptitudinally ex intentione de futuro : but if one may be called a pastor by relation to an intended flock , much more to an actual flock , and still it is a relative to such a flock intended . . try in scripture , and councils , and all church-writers , whether the title pastor be not usually given onely to those that have actual flocks . but to avoid your quarrel , call you them by what name you list , if that will ease or please you . § . vi. according to this doctrine , a minister hath no office or authority but just to those of his own charge , he preacheth elsewhere but as a gifted man. ans . still false , as to me , of whom you speak ! what a strange chain of calumnies can you make ? a minister is . christ's officer to the world to convert them . . to gather a church in fieri . . to officiate pro tempore in any other church , as a licensed physician to others ( even to physicians ) doth his office . § . vii . it maketh void ( saith he ) gods ordinance of ordination : for either they are ministers by ordination , or not : if yea , this doctrine is erroneous . ans . unproved : ordination , sine titulo , maketh a man a minister to the world and to the church indefinitely . ordination with institution doth that and more , viz. it tieth a minister to a consenting people . your writings are all stigmatized with the shame of naked affirmations without proof , and then forgetfully you oft say [ i have proved . ] why may not consent , and ordination , and institution , and induction too , be all needful ? is a man and womans consent needless , unless the ministers marrying them be needless ? may not a town , hospital , or person , chuse a physician as theirs if he were licensed be-before ? if a captain have commission to raise a troop , is consent of the listed needless ? so of a major ; a pilot , or any relation which requires consent . § . viii . it inferreth ( saith he ) that the church is before the officers , viz. pagans a church . ans . all fictions as to me to whom he speaks : i said before , they are as the heart to the body ; the punctum saliens is the first organical part to make the rest ; but not a part of the body till the body be made . they are ministers to gather churches , and then pastors of churches onely by consent . and when churches are gathered , and the pastor dead , the people are intentionally a society , but actually but a community , till a pastor related to them make them a politick society : and then relata sunt simul — § . ix . this doctrine puts a new clause into baptism , which christ never put in , and altereth christianity ( saith he . ) before i baptize you , i must have an antecedent covenant or signified consent from you to submit to me ; and you must be baptized in the name of paul , &c. no church-covenant , no church-member , no right to any church-ordinance . ans . confundendo fortiter caluminaris . . the eunuch consented to be a christian of the church universal , but not to be of a particular church ; without that consent he had not been baptized : but this was not needful to it . . the dispute whether lay-mens baptism be valid , i leave to you . but if yea , it is not necessary that i judge the baptizer a minister . if not , then it is necessary , and my consent is necessary to make me a christian , but not him a minister : but mutual consent is necessary to his pastoral relation to a particular church . . an ordinance common to the church universal , and proper to a particular church , should not be confounded , nor so much as the modal ministration . do i adde to baptism , if i say that by the canons and custom of all the churches for one thousand years , a man was not to be taken for the bishop of any church without mutual consent ? what 's this to baptism ? and what temerity is it to feign men to wrong christ by that which was his institution , and so judged and used in all the churches ? § . x. [ saith he ] it maketh the people church-rulers or co-partners in office with the pastors , so that without their consent they can do nothing ; not baptize . ans . of me the calumny hath no excuse , i have written so much to the contrary : yea , the very act calumniated essentially containeth the contrary in it . as he that consenteth to be a servant , consenteth not to be master , but to obey : so they that consent to be lay-members of a pastors flock , consent that he , and not they , shall rule , and that they will be the obeying part . how could you wink so hard , as not to see that your false witness confuteth it self ? and what if he cannot be their governour without their consent , doth this give them any part in governing ? nay what if he cannot baptize a non-consenter , or give him the lords supper , is the refuser a church-governour ? the man had got a heap of notions against the independents in his mind , or his instigator that hath the same disease had thrust them in , and out they must come against he knew not whom or what , upon the word [ consent . ] what work would he make in the church , if he should deny the necessity of this consent , and have the church made a prison where infidels should be cram'd and drencht with the sacrament ? § . xi . [ it sets up ( saith he ) rebaptization by a law — for it requireth of godly baptized ones an antecedent covenant to be members of the particular church : as if a man should covenant to be a godly citizen of london — to be a member of gods church at k. and hold communion therewith : the people are called on to be new christians , as if they had been no christians before ] ans . it is a sin to read such words without grief and indignation . what! is every renewal of the covenant of godliness or christianity a rebaptizing , or supposeth us pagans ? is this made by a minister a heinous sin ? are we not to do it in every partaking of the lords supper ? yea , explicitely or implicitely in every prayer . is mr. allen's book for covenanting , and mr. rawlet's of sacramental covenanting , such unchristening heresies ? is it damnable or sinful to covenant to be a godly servant , or a godly husband or wife , or a godly minister or magistrate ? doth this suppose them ungodly before ? with wat weapons are we assaulted ? § . xii . he addes [ it bindeth people to be dwellers within the precincts of that one church , to hear no other minister , to joyn with no other congregation . ans . concatenated calumnies , as to me : they onely consent to the relation of lay-members till they remove their dwelling or relation . they consent to take that church but as a part of the universal , and therefore to hold just communion with all others , and receive what benefit they can from any other ministers . i abhor a covenant that renounceth communion with the universal church , or any part of it , without necessary cause . putide haec putares . § . xiii . he addes , [ what shall godly strangers , travellers , &c. do ? your doctrine maketh them invaders . ] ans . . if i have no notice of their consent to communicate with us pro tempore , they expect it not : and de ignotis non judicat ecclesia ; and non apparere is equal to non esse . if i have notice of their consent , it supposeth some notice that they are baptized , or christians , and have more right than heathens to communion : and if so , . they consent to be members of the universal church , and as such i shall give them the sacrament and communion , though i were no pastor of any particular stated church . . they consent to a transient temporary communion with me as a minister in the catholick church . and . they consent to transient temporary communion with that particular church , and transient temporary communion i will give them ; yea , and may call them transient members of that church ; but no further any of these than they consent . a christian giving evidence of his christianity , hath right to transient communion in all churches in the world where he cometh : yea , all are not bound to live in stated churches ; some are travellers , some unsetled embassadors , some factors amongst heathens , some of no habitation , beggars , pedlars , tinkers , and such wandring trades ; some live where is no church with whom they may hold lawful communion , &c. now we have a new divine risen up in the end of the world , that seems to make all the setled churches of christ in the world for many hundred years , to be all traitors to christ , because these wanderers must not consent to their special relations , nor enjoy their proper priviledges ; and because they consent themselves to a more setled relation and communion than these wanderers or refusers are capable of . what would all the old church , that made so many canons about their proper communion , have thought of this mans doctrine , if he had come among them at their elections , discipline , distributions to the widows and poor , and said , hold sirs ! you are all destroying baptism and christianity , by consenting to more towards one another than you owe to every unknown wanderer , or refuser of a setled church-state ? as if with our new politician all cities and corporations are traytors , or deny or wrong the king , because all subjects are not citizens , some being vagrants , some in villages , some souldiers , some in odde houses , &c. and because cities consent to a special sort of government which the rest have not . between the anathematizers and these over-wise censurers , there are few christians in the world that are not condemned as no christians for being sound christians . § . xiv . he was aware that we say that every one that may come into the temple is not a part of my special charge as a pastor , which i cannot do for all : and he saith , [ it 's all one to your doctrine if he refuse your church-covenant — the minister all this while is no minister ; the people all this while are no christians . — they are no more lawful pastor and people , than whoremonger and whore going together , and committing acts of filthiness , and living in fornication all their days — ans . continued calumny as to me . is no modesty or tender fear of sinning against the ninth commandment left ? . he that refuseth consent to be a stated member , is none such : but is he therefore no christian ? awake , conscience ! do any independents say that none are christians but their special charge ; yea , or stated members of particular churches ? if there be any such , what 's that to me ? . such persons may be members of the universal church , and i am a pastor in the universal church ; and as such may communicate with them . . if he desire temporary communion , he consents to as much as he desireth , and that he may have : if he desire more , he shall have more . § . but ( saith the accuser ) what speak you of literae communicatoriae , these are nothing to yourcase ; ( he saith it , ergo , he proveth it . ) it shuts him out of all particular churches and congregations under heaven , except , &c. ] ans . putares ! of me it 's thus true or false . . he that consents not to be a stated member of any church , none , because he would be none : and it 's blind self-contradiction , to say that i shut him out , because he will not come in . . he that consenteth to be a member of the universal church shall not be shut out . . he that by literas communicatorias , or any good testimony , sheweth himself a christian , and desireth onely one days temporary communion with a stated particular church , shall not be denied that which he desireth , nor will we urge him to more . § . xv. he adds [ it layeth waste parish-bounds , leaving people to go to what church they will — intimating , that being a godly man and a parishioner , doth not make him a member of the parish-church — teaching people to be disorderly . ] ans . . a quatenus ad omne valet consequentia . i said enough before to prove the falsehood of your church-estate . . then there were no church till there were parish-bounds . then if papists , anabaptists , &c. be godly , and dwell in the parish , they are members against their wills . . and they are members of two particular churches ; one in despight of them , and of the other as consenters . . there are some houses that are in no parish ( that i have known . ) alas , these must be of no church . . some parts of one parish are in the middle of another . the truth is , parish-bounds are ordinarily of good use for order , and order is for edification , and to promote the thing ordered : and he layeth it not waste , . that giveth it no more than its due , as a humane mutable circumstance , and not as essential . . nor he that refuseth it when it is turned against the end and the res ordinanda . § . xvi . he addes , [ then if the pastor set over them be a son of belial — and sinfully tolerated by the magistrate ; the people of the parish who can neither remove him , nor sit under a more edifying minister , must covenant to him , &c. ans . strange ! who would have thought but this was neerer your opinion than theirs ? briefly , if the man be tolerable , they must rather accept of him than have none . if he be intolerable in the ministry , they may use such common gifts as he hath , ( as we read even a cicero ) but they must be of no particular church , till they can be so on lawful terms . even a council of the popes decreed , that till men can have lawful pastors , they must forbear that communion that supposeth such : and who can doubt of it ? § . xvii . next , he quibbles onely with a question [ how long shall it last ? ] answ . how long will you be of the parish-priests or the diocesans flock , or of a physicians hospital ? we cannot secure men from providential changes a day , and therefore would not have them to binde themselves but on such suppositions — he that means to go to morrow to another countrey , should consent but to this days communion . he that intendeth here to dwell , must consent to the relation of a stated member of that flock till he remove , or till god shew him just cause to change that relation : till then , he should know his proper pastors . § . xviii . next , he questioneth , [ who shall degrade them that prove heretical or scandalous ? &c. ] ans . the ordainers made him a minister by investiture , &c. and yet without our consent he was not related to us as our pastor , or we to him as part of that church . and so we may withdraw our consent , and become none of his special church-flock , and leave it to the ordainers to degrade him if he must be degraded , as to the world and church universal . one would think this answer should be undeniable . but he goeth on with his dismal accusations , p. . [ the particular church-covenant is a thing of mans invention , no where required of god ; it is destructive to the church and souls , should it be practised . ] ans . seeing covenanting and known consenting are all one with him , what a dreadful damning sin doth the man make it for to consent to be under our pastors office ? then he that would escape damnation must not consent to the office of the parish-priest , much less of the bishop : much less swear obedience to the bishop : and least of all , say or swear never to endeavour any alteration . we have need to bless us from conformity , if consenting be so damnable . but what meant he to say [ should it be practised ? ] doth he not know that it is practised by them all ? and so that this judge doth damn them all . § . xix . he next answereth two of our pretences . . from the election of ministers by the people : and saith , election is quite another thing ; till they are ordained , they are no men in office — but persons designed — ans . alas , that the man that hath all this while been damning others , should not see that he hath so damned himself ; yea , and quite exceeded my damning errour . this it is to print with the zeal described jam. . before men know what it is that they talk of . note , that he is not against the peoples election ( if he be intelligible ) and yet elsewhere [ they are rebels and no christians ] that stand not to the king and parliaments election . . note , that he talks of one election , ( to the office of the ministry as such ) and i talk of another election , even to be our particular pastor : for this physician to be my physician . . note , that the mans bare word must , against all common use and reason , perswade us that consent which i require is more than election , which is much less . the elector nominateth and first determineth of the person . consent may come after , even in obedience to the elector . the king electeth the bishop , and the patron the incumbent parson . doth every one that after consenteth do more ? or must we lay by our senses in believing such writers against damning errour ? . note , that he quite overgoeth the truth on the popular extream , which he accuseth others of : as if the people must elect a man to the indefinite office of a minister as such , which is false . christ sent out his apostles , and the apostles sent abroad a converting church-gathering ministry without any popular election . the ordainers must chuse who shall be a minister ( by his consent . ) the christian people should chuse [ and must consent at least ] who shall be the special guide of their own souls ; or their pastor in particular . and the magistrate must chuse , . whom he will maintain and encourage . . whom he will tolerate . how came he to think that election is nothing to the case , as if consent were something more ? yet is he at it again , p. . [ they make it another baptism . ] § . xx. next , he answereth our saying that [ no man can be a pastor to a people against their wills . ] and doth he say yea , or nay ? neither plainly , but talks of somewhat else , and saith , [ he is a pastor by office and calling whether the people will or not , and so pastor and people are not simul naturâ . ] as if the equivocating with the word [ pastor ] warranted him to damn his brethren , and confound church-order : as [ a pastor ] signifieth but a minister commissioned to become the actual undertaking guide of a particular church-flock when he is called to it ; so this man may be called a pastor aptitudinal , as a man is a captain that hath commission to raise a troop : but as the word [ pastor ] signifieth one that is actually the overseer of a particular church-flock , he is none till he have a flock ; and in both senses pastor and flocks are relate and correlate , & simul naturâ : that is , in the first , simul in esse cognito & intentionali : in the later , in esse existente . but , saith he , [ god is god whether the people will or no ; and christ is christ , apostles are apostles — and so faithful ordained ministers are pastors . ] ans . this is but the fallacy of the foresaid equivocation of the word [ pastor . ] . god is not made god , nor christ made christ , nor apostles or indefinite ministers such by contract or humane consent : but he that said , come out from amongst them , &c. i will be your god , and you shall be my people , and maketh some a holy nation and peculiar people , &c. is so related to none but consenters . christ is an offered saviour to refusers ; but he is not the saviour and head of any as christians , or a church actually , but consenters : without consent we are not materia disposita receptive of the peculiar relation . a man may be authorized to be a tutor , schoolmaster , physician , captain , master , &c. without my consent : but he is not my tutor , master , &c. till i consent , save aptitudinally , not actually . . and these relations are more dependent on humane contract or consent , than gods being god , &c. but , saith he , [ if all be pagans , the minister lawfully ordained and appointed to convert and baptize and be a pastor to them , is a true , full , and compleat pastor before he have christened one soul of them . ans . true or false as the equivocation is taken : as one decreed to be a husband to a wife that is yet unborn , may by the deceiving improper language of an equivocator be said to be the true , full and compleat husband of her yet unborn or unmarried ; that is , one designed to be a husband hereafter in a proper sense ; so here . but pastor est ovium seu gregis pastor : analogum per se positum stat pro significato famosiore . heathens are no church ; ergo , no man is a pastor of them as a church . is he a compleat pastor of a flock that hath none ? § . xxi . but saith he , [ mark the matter , you are baptized a godly man ; i have nothing against you , onely this , i cannot take you for one of my flock , unless by a voluntary consent , &c. i must shut you out as an apostate , or a pagan . ] ans . calumny and deceit conjunct . . it 's immodest calumny to say , [ as an apostate or a pagan ] i take him for a christian , and on due testimony shall admit him to such communion ( lawful ) as he himself desireth . . whether as a member of the universal church . . or also as a fixed member of another church desiring temporary transient communion here . . it is gross deceit to say [ i put him out ] that refuseth to come in . if i give him no more than he is willing of , what do i put him out from ? if i take him not for a member of my proper stated charge , it is because he desireth it not . i thank god i never was a proper pastor to any people against their wills , nor ever will be , were i capable of more service . § . but , saith he , [ this makes against you — can any man forbid these people from being members of the particular church that are of the universal ? ] ans . self-contradiction ! do we forbid them that are not willing , or do they forbid themselves ? doth the physician forbid them to be his patients that consent not ? do we shut them out that will not come in ? yet he feigneth us to do no less than cast them out of the church universal , as casting them out of all particulars under heaven . ans . calumny hath got such a channel , that his writing runneth commonly that way . . i cast them out of no church under heaven , who will not consent to come in . . were they of no particular church , they may be in the universal , as i before proved , of many sorts . § . he next noteth , that it is but signified consent that i require : but he saith , neither christ nor his apostles mention it , and all the church are without it . ans . let us trie here whether this be true or false , and all his damning and unchristning censures fall not on the holy ghost and all the churches . i. it is certain , that besides ministers unfixed and of general indefinite work , there were by the holy ghost in the apostles time fixed churches of neighbour-christians setled . ii. it is certain that these had fixed pastors of their own , that were related to them specially as their special charge , so as they were not related to all or any other churches . iii. it is certain that these pastors had not equal authority to go into all other mens diocesses or parishes , and say , you are as much my charge as any others , and play the bishops in other mens diocesses ; though when they had a call , they might be ministerial temporary helpers . iv. it is certain that these pastors were specially obliged to many offices for those peculiar flocks , which to other churches they were not so obliged to ( but onely to occasional help . ) dr. hammond nameth many of them , and so do the scripture and canons . . a constant publick teaching them , which they owe not to all others or any . . constant government by the keys . . constant administration of the lords supper . . constant leading them in publick worship , prayer , praise , &c. . a special care of the poor . . ordinary visitation of the sick. . comforting the afflicted , admonishing offenders , watching over all . the canons will tell you much , which every man oweth more to his own charge than to others . v. it is certain that this flock oweth a more special attendance , and account , and obedience to these pastors , than to strangers or others of other churches . . to hear them . . to receive the communion ordinarily of them . . to maintain them ; and so in the rest . v. i. it is certain that none of this was done or can be done without mutual consent . vii . it is certain that this church-state , office , and duty was setled by christ's apostles , and continued by the common consent of the churches on earth from age to age . § . that it was an apostolical establishment is plain in acts . . they ordained them elders in every church . to omit the sence of 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 , which in the most usual sence includeth suffrages , it is evident that 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 implieth the fixing of the several elders to their several churches , so as to make them the stated elders of those churches as their flock in pepeculiar . acts . . are they called the elders of that church over which , as their flock , the holy ghost had made them overseers to feed the church of god , to imitate paul that taught them publickly and from house to house ; and was this no peculiar pastoral relation ? or were any but consenters members of that church ? tit. . . when titus was to ordain elders in every city , it is equal to every church . and it stated them as their peculiar pastors , even bishops , as gods stewards over them in particular , v. . more than others . jam. . . the sick that must call for the elders of the church , were their proper flock , as is supposed . the angels of the seven churches rev. and . were not equally the angels of other churches . phil. . . the bishops and deacons of the church at philippi had a fixed peculiar relation to them as theirs : archippus had a proper ministry at colosse , col. . . and laodicea had a peculiar church , v. . thess . . , . sheweth the common state of the christian churches : know them which labour among you , and are over you in the lord , and admonish you ; and to esteem them very highly in love for their works sake . and be at peace among your selves . here pastors to labour , and admonish , and be over them , are to be known , owned , esteemed , beloved persons , dwelling among them , and knowing their own flock , and the peoples duty to them and one another laid down . and shall a christian minister say , [ o but do not promise , no nor signifie any consent to do it , for that is to be rebaptized , and is damning to the practisers . ] the bishops and elders that timothy is instructed about , were such as had their proper flocks , and took care of them as the church of god , that were to rule them well , and labour in the word and doctrine ; to preach the word in season and out of season , reprove , rebuke , exhort , with all long-suffering and doctrine , &c. pet. . , , . the elders that peter writeth to were to feed the flock of god which was among them , taking the oversight of them ( more than of all the world ) not by constrain , but willingly , ( and may they not signifie willingness ? ) not as lords , but examples to their flocks , and shepherds under the chief shepherd . heb. . , , . fully expresseth it , obey them that have the rule over you ; they watch for your souls as those that must give account , not of all the world , but of that flock that they oversee . the same church had bishops that had deacons , and some deaconesses , widows , &c. but it was never known that deacons were to be indefinite overseers of the poor of all churches , but they had ever relation to particular churches . this is the ordering of the churches appointed by the holy ghost , tit. . . and yet this man maketh it an abuse or injury against christ , and overthrow of the gospel . § . ii. as for the constant judgement and practice of all churches , i am ashamed that such usage should put me to such a work , as to prove that they ever held and practised that which this man condemneth in me . he knoweth nothing of the churches state , and history , and canons , that knoeth not , . that all churches were societies of christians united under their proper known bishops or pastors , fixed to those flocks by proper relation , though also related to the world and the church universal . . that the people did not onely consent , but chuse their pastors , and he was to be no bishop that had not their consent . . that the laity of other churches promiscuously had no power to chuse them , but onely those whom they were set over . . that the bishops , as ignatius speaks , were to know the particular members of their churches , and see that they came constantly to the assemblies , even to enquire after maids and servants , saith he , by name . . that they made multitudes of canons for exercising particular discipline on each person that needed it , by long suspending some from communion , restoring others , taking care of the poor and of all . . that they took not the catechumens for the church , but candidates , and prepared and tried them before admittance . . that it was not mere baptizing that made them of that flock ; for they preached and baptized in other places . . that it was not mere neighbourhood of christians ; for there were sometime divers churches in one city , as in meletius case at alexandria ; and dr. hammond thinks the jewish and gentile christians at first had several bishops and churches in the same cities ordinarily . and the audians , luciferians , donatists , and others that were of the same religion , had divers churches , besides such as the novatians , that had some little doctrinal differences : and none till now ever thought that these were all the same pastors special flocks , and the same particular churches . yea , i have elsewhere cited that council that decreed that if any bishop neglected to convert the hereticks , &c. he that converted them should have them ( as his flock or church . ) in a word , all church-history and canons describing their particular churches , and their elections , orders , offices , priviledges , discipline , &c. and limiting them that strove for the greatest , from encroaching one on another , tell us so fully that they were so many incorporate christian societies consisting by mutual consent of their proper pastors and flocks , that et pudet & piget , that such a task as the proofs should be thus imposed on me by a minister . § . the same is still continued , even by the conformists . . the ministers are even to swear obedience to the diocesane , and the diocesane promise it to the arch-bishop : and this is a covenant and more . . they are to attend him at visitations , and otherwise to express their consent to his government , which they do not to the bishop of the neighbour-diocesses . . the parishioners signifie their consent to their relation to that particular church and incumbent , by their constant attendance , submission , communion , &c. . the law and canon command their consent ; yea , to keep their own parishes , though the minister preach not at all , suspending neighbour-ministers that receive such to their communion that come from such a reader to them . and the conformists say that men are bound to obey these canons . § . either parishioners are supposed thus to signifie relation-consent to that particular pastor and church , or not : if yea , this accuser falsly supposeth that no church but the independents do so . if not , then he giveth up most of their cause to the brownists , that say the parish-churches are none : for it 's easie proved that non-consenters are none . thus rash men confute themselves . nay we are all silenced for not covenanting to the present frame of diocesane churches , and never to endeavour an alteration . yet saith this man [ it is not in any of the churches , unless independents , neither explicite nor implicite . ] then none should so much as implicitely shew consent to the relation to his diocesane or parish-pastor or church . § . but saith he , ( to me with gross falsehood ) [ your covenant is to this effect , you shall not onely submit to me as your pastor , but binde your self by a particular antecedent covenant so to do : you shall dwell in the parish , and covenant so to do , &c. ] ans . i wish , that though design brought the word covenant infread of consent into his mouth , it might not so long stick there as to choak his conscience , to think that any use of it is lawful . where and when did i engage any to dwell in the parish ? if they dwell there , i never hindred any from removing . . but the consent required is beforehand ! very true . the liturgie bids men come tell the ministers before-hand that they desire the communion : shall i ask them to consent to their duty when it is past ? or can i know who are capable till i know who consenteth ? but , saith he , why not à church-covenant for all other duties ? ans . why not a marriage-covenant to make one a priest ? &c. why not an oath of allegiance to make one a coblar ? &c. consent necessary to the being of a relation , is one thing ; and consent to every duty , is another ; which yet in general all christians should promise sincerely to perform . must we write books against such things as these ? § . to the objection , [ i am not bound to take every one that comes into the parish for one of my charge : he hath no better answer than to tell us of parish-bounds setled by law , and binding me to do my best for all . ] ans . deceitfully confounding [ charge ] the genus with [ church : ] as if heathens , and atheists , and papists , and refusers are of that church , because i have a charge to seek their conversion : or as if i had no special charge of that church . . he did not see that he confuteth himself , implying that we must consent because of the law. . and he forgot the many hundred years before parish-divisions . § . his zeal at last thus swelleth [ p. . i do utterly withstand it , as wickedness and abomination in gods church : i am to die and burn at a stake before i yield to any such thing . you make two churches , two church-forms , as two baptisms — p. . to teach infidelity , — &c. ] ans . let him that thinks he standeth , take heed lest he fall . alas ! for the church , whose guides are no wiser and better men , and tenderer conscienced than he or i , which ever is in the wrong . . you will make me think you are deeply melancholy ! is it so frightful a thing for me to say , i will be no pastor to any that consent not , as to put you into talk of dying and burning at a stake ? had the martyrs been burnt , if men had been of this minde ? did you ever know any put to death or burnt at a stake for your opinion ? which is liker to be the burning party ! they that say [ we will rule none but consenters or volunteers , ] or they that call this wickedness and abomination , and so are for the contrary course ? which party hath killed more for religion ? reader , you see my wickedness and abomination . chap. v. i had thought to have gone thus over the rest of his book ; but it is such stuff , that my reason and conscience bid me spare my own and the readers time . i. he begins with telling me what the church of england is , and all is worse than nothing : instead of telling me what is the constitutive , formal , regent part , he tells me of bishops , pastors , convocation , king , &c. as if he defined a man to be one that hath a head , eyes , liver , stomack , &c. ii. it grieveth me to read what he saith of popery . . his supposition that popery is sound , if the particular church be a part of the universal , having its subordinate form of government under christ's . . his supposition of the emperour of constantinople's turning christian , and becoming the universal prince and bishop of his empire , as a lawful thing . . his supposition of the pope's resigning his place to st. peter , if he were alive , &c. . his note that to claim but st. peter's place is not to claim christ's , with more such , are unwise temptations to strangers to fear lest london-air have done him hurt . iii. his many words about the princes power to chuse pastors for all his subjects , and that if faithful , he is no christian that refuseth to accept them . . is all a bare saying over what he thinketh ; taking little or no notice of my discourse on that subject in my first plea ; where all that 's against us is answered before , and i will not repeat it . . and it shamefully condemneth his foresaid condemnations . is not consent then necessary to the imposed pastor , if not consenting unchristen men ? . it supposeth that the political controversie [ whether the king be authorized by god to chuse what pastoral guide all the subjects shall trust their souls with ? ] ( any more than what tutor , physician , wife , diet , they shall take ) is an essential of christianity , and yet it is not in the creed , &c. when yet it is notorious that all churches for most ages since christ , if not almost all in the world to this day , were and are of the contrary minde , and so are all unchristened by him . . and though i urge him , he will not answer what i said of the question , who shall judge whether the minister be faithful ? . if the patron present a weak ignorant man , that is faithful , but of little use comparatively ; and people that feel their need , and regard eternity , chuse before him such a one as hildersham , rogers , dod , preston , &c. he declareth them not onely sinners , but rebels against christ , and no christians . iv. his recitals of the particular controversies in the end , take so little notice of my former answer to him , and do but pour out much of the same , that i resolve hereafter to take as little notice of what he shall say that ringeth on like a bell , and hath all tongue and no ears . he is full of his own , that must come out , he cannot stop it ; and his oyl increaseth by pouring out : he is fuller than before , and hath no room for the reception of what he greately needeth . there is a law against lying , to which we must conform : or truth pleaded for peace , against the many falshoods of an un-named impleader ; who pretendeth to answer several writings of the author richard baxter . chap. i. prefatory . our accuser's advantages . § . i know when i wrote for christianity , the souls immortality , against popery , perjury , lying , covenanting against reformation ; and when i wrote against antinomianism , anabaptism , schism , that all that i had so written was easily answered by male or female , at age or under age , learned or unleaned : for nature and parents teach mankinde to talk betimes , and we have many schools to teach them to read and write : and i hear by my neighbours when they fall out about interest or words , that without a school or university , they can attain to copious fluent pungent oratory , to describe each other as all that is nought ; and prove all so undeniably by vehement asseveration or oath , that he shall pass for criminal that will not take their words for demonstration . and what an advantage and improvement would it be to this natural promptitude and fluencie , if one were but hired or engaged to the work by an hundred or a thousand pound a year ; yea , and also by the stream and interest of the army or sect , in which he is listed by heart and hand , and by such necessitating interest of reputation ( contrived by the listers ) as that accusing others shall seem a necessary diversion of the charge from himself and of his conscience from disquieting him , like her that is called a continual dropping ? but yet if academical education should train men up to the degree of masters or doctors of the talking and contending trade , what an elevation of the faculty would it be ? and yet all this is little to the pondus of an inbred enmity to the thing first , and consequently to the persons , whom they are to make and prove intolerable . and there i● one that , unseen , can prompt and furnish them with materials of all sorts ; yea , and help their subtlety , vehemency , and most fearless asseve rations . i have heard of a cambridge doctor ●● the chair , that was called , the certain infallible doctor , that was so far from seeming to know what doubting was , that he took him for intolerable that was not of his opinion . and it 's like bonner and gardiner were such , and that it is much of the roman-catholick infallibility : for sure they durst not wrack , burn , and massacre , and ruine all sorts , for that which they did not think themselves certain of ; yea , and certainly necessary to the noble ends of unity , government , and peace . § . to talk it out to the last with these infallible talkers , is a task for one that hath as many tongues as all they , and is as ready a linguist , and that is like to overlive them , and that hath no better work to do , and that thinketh that they will read or hear him without the ferment of tumifying impatient pride : or else that it is necessary to save the endangered people from seduction , to overtalk the seducers in length and number of words , and that souls are still unsafe and loose to the truth , as long as there are any to talk against it . i confess , that if you will hive the swarm aright , it is usually necessary that with a lowder noise you drown the voice of the misleader . but i have no such sounding voice : i am not for the celeusma , cannons and guns , with the shouts of the multitude ; and that on the higher ground can easily silence me , or drown my voice . reason speaketh not so lowd as these . § . i was lately where it was made a question , whether mr. kettleby and such other booksellers , be not enemies to their own trade , by printing such books as the impleaders , mr. hinkley's , mr. cheyney's , &c. the affirmer said , it would make books as contemptible as ballads , and no body would regard and buy them . as when news-books were weighty and credible , most bought them ; but when beggarly forgers took up the trade , you may hear the hawkers cry a book , a book , a book ; news , great news , and no body regard them : this therefore will break the book-sellers at last . the opponent answered , [ set but the supposition right , and you will see how you confute your self . you suppose most men to be wise , than which nothing is more false . if you hear not christ and paul , hear seneca's saying , [ a wise man must be content of few approvers . ] it is the gainfullest way that the book-sellers could have taken : what books sell better than play-books , ballads , and romances , and books of tales , and complement , and jeasts ? what book-sellers break faster than those that confine their trade to rare pieces of antiquity , learning , reason , and serious piety ? do not men pay dearer for a place in a play-house , than in the church ? and i have oft heard some gentile sons of the church of england say , that they can profit more by a play than by a sermon . you think that such books will make the book-sellers-shops , like the toy-shops : and what if they do ? will there not be children and indulgent parents while the world lasteth ? what shops have more trading , or seldomer break , than toy-shops , that sell babies , and puppets , and hobby-horses , and pipes ? &c. and those that sell perriwigs , pide-silks and ribbons ? you think that the book-sellers shops will grow like ale-houses and taverns which sober men will rarely visit . and what if they do ? let those sober men pass by ; do such houses want custome ? the throat will be the throat still , and mirth will be mirth ; and the lightest heads shall be the greatest number . ] and this prevailed . § . i must seriously profess , that i finde in our present controversie , that my opponents and accusers have a great advantage of me , and such as i see no great probability to overcome . i mean in the quality as well as the number of their hearers and readers . . can i expect that men of great wealth , and power , and honour , and who would still fain be greater , should be as willing to believe that those are in the way of truth and righteousness who are by law judged what we are judged , and adjudged to such reproach and punishment ; and that go under the censures , suspitions , and contempt , as we have here long done , and are hunted and laid in jayls with rogues ? . can i expect that men that never were studious or bookish , especially in matters of divinity and holiness , but have been bred up in fulness and pleasure , in courtship and converse with such as themselves , who will take him for a fanatick that doth but talk much and seriously of heaven , or scripture , or things divine , that scarce ever heard what a nonconformist hath to say for himself , nor ever seriously examined the cause , or read a book which openeth their case in all their lives . i say , can i expect that such should be able or willing to understand us ? i mean , not as if all were such ; but it hath been my hard hap to meet with few persons , even of gentile education , who ask me , why do you not conform ? that do not presently shew me in conference , that they are quite out of their element when they meddle with such matters , and talk of things which they never studied or understood ; and indeed do not think it belongeth to them , but to the church : and that is , to those church-men that the king and the patron please to chuse ; which maketh the papists say the laity of the church of england cry down our believing as the church believeth , when they do the same by their own church-men . the question is but whether it be our church-men or theirs that are to be believed ? and when kings were on out side , it was our church-men that were to be believed : and when they are on their side , it is theirs . and mr. hutchinson , alias berry , spake harshly when he said in print , that there was so little of conscionable religion in the people of the church of england , that if one were but toucht with the conscience of religion , he turned puritan o● papist . i shewed him the injury of his speech ; but i would he had much less occasion for it . dr. stillingfleet told me , that there was scarce an● of his hearers or readers , how mean soever ther● capacities were , but could discern the weakness of no evasions . i dwell near the verge of his parish . i have talkt with some of his auditors , and enquired of many others ; and i think verily he is more in the right than i at first believed : for i finde that abundance of his auditors hear him some once , some twice , some thrice a year , and some of them know not whether christ be god or man , or both ; or whether he had a humane soul , or what a man differs from a beast ; nor what is the true sence of many ( if any ) articles of the creed . and i am perswaded these whom he calleth of the meanest capacity , are the likeliest men to discern the weakness of my arguments , i have talked also with divers of his readers , and i found that they understood this much , that dr. stillingfleet wrote his sermon against the nonconformists ; and that he is a dean , and may be greater ; and is a man that can talk with any of us . it may be some that i have not met with know more , as being of a higher form ; and some few i have met with that indeed know more , and those lament the doctor 's undertaking ; and when they have read my answer or account , confess that they cannot justifie his charge . could i but tell how to get most of the church of england to know what religion is , and to be seriously of any religion , and to understand baptism , and the lords supper , the creed , lords prayer , and ten commandments ; how boldly should i expect their christian sense and candour in our cause ? but till then , i confess that the accusers have the advantage of us , and their books unread will do more than ours . § . and it is a great advantage which they have got by the oxford-act of banishing above five miles from cities and corporations all that swear not as is there required . for though the king's wisdome and clemency have let down he floud-gates , and somewhat stopt the impetus of the clergy-stream , yet it was many years before nonconformists durst be openly seen in cities or corporations , much less at court , or among great men ; and modesty and prudence yet obligeth them to abstain from the presence of their superiours , where the law forbids it ; so that the ears of country-nobles , and most of our rulers , hear but what our accusers say , and have no knowledge of our cause , but as described by them , whose descriptions are many of them no more credible than if they said that we are turks . § . and their art hath got us to such a straight , that whether we speak or are silent , we are guilty ; and whatever we do except swearing , saying , and doing as they require , it shall turn to our accusation . for instance , do some think that dr. stillingfleet is in the right , that pronouneeth damnation without repentance against them that prefer not the purest church , and thereupon come not to the parish-assemblies ? against such they cry out [ separatists , schismaticks , preparing for rebellion ; away with them , execute the laws . ] but if others do as i do , who daily joyn with the parish-church in all their worship , and communicate in their sacrament , and oppose separation ; ] some say [ such are like ap● that are the ugliest creatures , though likest unto men while they are not men . ] and others say , [ we know not what to make of mr. b. he is neither flo● nor fish : he is like one that will go one step on one side the hedge , and another on the other side , to avoid uniformity . ] and the men are not altogether mistaken : i profess that i once made it the most earnest action of my life to have prevented the building of a separating wall , or a dividing thorny-hedge in the midst of this part of the vineyard of christ , to separate one part of the faithful ministers and people from the rest : and that i earnestly desire to see that wall or hedge pull'd down , that christ's flock among us may be one : and i will do the best i can whilst i live to get it down , that there may be no such separation . and seeing this is a work above my power , i will go sometime on both sides the hedge , though by so doing i be scratcht , and a thorn in the flesh by a buffetting messenger of satan reprehend me . but reverend doctors hear my reasons : it is not to avoid uniformity , but separation . i am a catholick , and not a sectary : i am for communion with the universal church : if you will hedge in one corner , and the anabaptists another , and the separatists another ; and so other sects that must have their peculiars , and turn christ's house into your several chambers , and his common-field into your little inclosures ; and then say , keep onely in our room , and go into no other ; keep onely in our enclosure , and go not on the other side of the hedge : i shall tell you , that i abhor your separation . i have business on both sides : i believe the holy catholick church and the communion of saints , and not onely your enclosure , and the communion of your conformists : i have some business on your side the hedge , the law and your own expectation will tell you part of it : i see some of my fathers family with you . i have busines , on the other side the hedge : there are as good as you ; and such as i am neerly related to , and commanded to love as my self , and to receive as christ received us ; and not to doubtful disputations , ( to prove or approve all your jurisdictions , assumptions , oaths , covenants , subscriptions , reordinations , formalities and ceremonies . ) your thorn-hedge hath enclosed but one corner of christs vineyard , and i have business in the rest : it hath separated parents from children , husbands from wives , as to church-communion , masters and servants , brethren from brethren , neighbours from neighbours : if they that made the hedge can justifie it , let them do it , it will be tryed before a jealous god ere long ! if those of you that in learned books and sermons exhort us ( with somewhat hissing rhetorick ) to separate from those on the other side the hedge , can prove that themselves are all christs church , and that god would have us separate from all save them , and give over preaching and all publick worship of god , till we can conscionably conform to all their impositions : i say , if all these silencing preachers can make good their accusation of the brethren , and their conclusions , let them that undertake it speed as they perform it : but for my part , i will not separate from father , mother , brother , friend , and all good christians save a domineering sect , because that sect will else call me separatist . i was wont to draw the map of the church universal as one body or field , or vineyard of christ , hedged in indeed round about from infidels , and distributed into thousands of particular churches , as streets and families in one city : but if any will say , hold communion with one street or family , and separate from the rest , and then say that you are a schismatick for not being for that odious schism ; i will hear such , as i do the people that talk through the windows on the west side of moor-fields , when they say that all are mad or schismatical , that are not in their cubs and chains . mr. cheney was never there i think , and yet it was ( per album an atrum nescio ) revealed to him that i am downright for an independant covenant , which hath twenty arguments extant to batter it , and prove it guilty of irreligiousness , or somewhat worse : and they say ( for i am not acquainted much with their practice ) that the independent bind their flock to hold communion with none but their own sect , nor to depart without leave from their particular churches . i am apt to believe that they are slandered ( for whoever falls sick , i will first fear the most epidemical or common disease : ) but if it be no slander , i profess that i will never be of a particular church , which claims to be the universal , and will forbid me communion with all save them . and if in this the prelatists agree with the independents , i am against the separating , sectarian , schismatical presumption of them both . i take the kitching and cole-house to be parts of the house , and i have sometimes business in them both . but i am most in my study and chamber , and i will take both chamber and colehouse for schismticks , if ever i hear either of them say , i am all the house , or [ it is lawful to be in no other room . ] lord pull up the separating schismatical thorn-hedge , which hath cursedly divided thy family and flock . chap. ii. the impleaders truth examined . § . christ saith , that the devil is the father of lies ; and doubtless he hath subtilty to excuse them and improve them : and it is a great advantage to them , that they are so disowned by humane nature , that it is taken for an injury to humanity , to charge any man to be a lyar ; and a ruffian will say it deserveth a challenge or a stab . you will think it a paradox , that natural dislike should be turned to the advantage of a sin . but it is but natural light convincing the understanding , not changing or fortifying the will against it . and therefore it is but pride of reputation and impenitency , that is indeed the fortress of the sin . § . accordingly it hath many times been my hard hap , to have such books written against me , ( and that by men whose reputation is not undervalued by themselves or their followers ) as were to be answered chiefly by a mentiris from end to end , if it would not seem by custom to be uncivil . and to tire the reader by turning a mintiris into a civil long parenthesis , and this as frequently as gross falshoods are openly said or intimated , is tedious , even when necessary . with one i was put to use my arithmetick , and to answer him by numbring the untruths asserted : but i have forborn it with others far more guilty , lest their reverence and power should make truth intolerable , whose passion or interest , or errour , had made gross lies seem true and necessary . § . this impleader hath been taught too much by the same . master ; and had he not spent part of his book on doctrinals , where his errata are but mendae , but been all historical where there are too many mendacia , i might have been put to the way of answering before-mentioned : but be they mendae or mendacia , they need aniendment , and the reader may need an antidote against them . § . some beginning we have on the title-page , [ pretending to shew the reasons of the sinfulness of conformity . ] mend. . i pretend in my plea to shew but the matter of nonconformity , and historical narrative of our judgment and matters of fact , passing by the reasons or arguments that must prove the things unlawful ; though reason may be gathered by the reader , from the matter or history itself . § . the same is repeated p. . [ he pretends to give reasons for the sinfulness of conformity , m. . ] and he overpasseth the chief part of my book , in which i state the case of government and separation , on pretence that it is [ a dark and dirty way in which i have lost my self . m. . and a little will satisfie him , that regards such an easie , dark and dirty answer . § . he guesseth that kneeling at the sacrament [ for that was then discourst of ] was one and the chief of those many heinous sins of conformity : mend. . it seems the man was present . reader , look to thy belief when thou art among such men . . there was not a word spoken then against the lawfulness of kneeling at the sacrament . . i openly declared that i held it lawful , and none of my brethren contradicted . . the thing which we proved unlawful then was , [ casting those faithful christians out of the church-communion in that sacrament , who dare not take it kneeling , for the reasons which cause them to think it sinful . ] § . impl. [ he will not urge the case , but barely mention matters of fact 〈…〉 much less do we here give the reasons of our cause . ] he dare not be so bold yet as to venture to displease us . but this hypocrisie is so thin , that the weakest eye may look through it . ] mend. . answ . . the printer put [ urge ] instead of [ argue ] which he was told in the errata . and he maketh the errour his own , by feigning the words to be mine . . if i have disputed the case by reasons , why did he not cite them , and tell where ? . he alloweth the reader to take him for a calumniator , who will judge the heart which he knoweth not , and bring no proof of the hypocrisie , which he saith the weakest eye may see . — indeed the weakest is liker than the strongest to see as he doth . . i will shew him three reasons , why it is not like to be hypocrisie . . because there are severe laws against all that shall deprave the common-prayer book , or accuse conformity of being sinful , which is excommunication ipso facto , &c. and also printing such a charge , might have cost both printer and writer dear : and the book was written divers years ( as many can witness ) before the act that restrained the press expired . and is it not credible that every man loveth himself , and is unwilling to be ruined ? i knew how easily you are displeased , and i felt a little what you can do when you are displeased , and others felt more . and is it hypocrisie then to say , i feared to displease you ? and verily , i was afraid by it of occasioning your wrath and contentious writings against many others , and making the breach wider , which i desired to heal . . when it 's visible in the book that i avoid argumentation , doth not that prove that i said true ? . the third proof , if god will , is yet to come : when you see my arguments added to the history , you will confess that it was not hypocrisie to tell you , that i used them not before . § . impl. [ for whereas the right reverend and learned bishop of eli had told mr. b. as he confesseth — that he would petition authority , that they might be compelled to give their reasons , he there saith , [ to answer the earnest demand of our reasons by you , the lord bishop of eli , i have published an historical narrative of our case and judgment . ] answ . had he not mentioned weak eyes , you might wonder that he saw not how he here confuteth his own falshood : when in the words cited i profess to give but the historical narrative of our case and judgment , and not the arguments or reasons for it : but he thinketh , [ if the history be given in answer to him that demanded the reasons , then the history containeth those reasons ; ] negatur sequela : the matter of fact must go first . the bishop demanded of me an account of our non-conformity . this is the beginning of an answer . the reasons may come next . § . impl. [ and if he may be believed , they are not only mr. baxter's reasons , ( m. . ) but of many others ( m. . ) for p. . it is said [ we that publish this here , give an account of our own judgment , how far we hold it lawful or unlawful to gather or separate from churches , or to differ from what is established by authority . answ . the man knoweth not the difference between giving an account of our judgment in thesi , and in hypothesi . if i tell you in what cases i hold it lawful or unlawful to separate from churches , or how far humane power may go ( as i have done in the second plea ) is that to tell what i take for sin in our conformity , and the reasons of it ? what if i shew how far lying is unlawful ? doth that say that conformity is lying , &c. § . impl. [ where is that allowance from authority , which he pretends to have so long waited for , and begg'd on his knees ( m. . ) and where is that care not to displease or provoke the conformists , by shewing the many heinous sins in their conformity ( m. . ) when without leave of god ( m. . ) or man , he not only endeavours to displease ( m. . ) but to ruine us . ( m. . ) if any thing may be , this is worse than his hypocrisie , it is mere distraction and rage ( m. . ) when our common adversaries the papists , &c. answ . . it was leave that i desired , but i never said , i begg'd it on my knees : but that i would gladly do it , could that prevail . . i never shewed the heinous sins of the conformists , but over and over professed that i accused not them , nor meddled with their case ; but only said , how heinous a sin it would be to us to conform , till we knew more reason for it than we do ! . that it is without leave of god , that we give a reason of our not conforming , i take for false , while our superiours so long and earnestly commanded it , and it is so necessary to abate the dividing odium raised against us , rom. . . if it be possible , as much as in you lyeth , live peaceably with all men . ] and if we are taken for intollerable malefactors , is not undeceiving our accusers and haters a necessary means of peace ? . it 's false that an endeavour to undeceive the offended , is an endeavour to displease them . . and it is more palpably false , that [ i endeavour their ruine . ] . how false is it then , that [ this is distraction and rage ? ] and what more necessary to unite us against the common adversaries ? what physicians hath this poor nation , that know no way to unite us , but laying us in jails with rogues , till we can believe all to be lawful which they impose ? reader , pitty the case of this poor land ! what hands are we fallen into ? what false doctrine is charged on us ? what is the crime that we have committed ? we are forbidden to preach christ's gospel , though we were solemnly devoted to it by ordination , under the penalties of great mulcts , and imprisonments , and ruine , till we will do that which after our best enquiry we verily judge would be our heinous sin . we forbear many years to tell them so much as what it is which we dare not to do ; till at last , the bishops themselves tell us , they will petition authority to constrein us to it : and parliament-men long askt us , what is that you stick at ? and when after about seventeen or eighteen years silence , i do but tell them what it is , the clergy-men are so displeased , that they tell me , that it is distraction , and rage , and an endeavour to ruine them . when i never moved to put one priest of them out of his benefice , nor bishop , dean , archdeacon , canon , prebend , out of a farthing of his maintenance , nor one bishop from their lordships , or parliament-power ; much less did i ever motion the silencing of any one of them , or making them pay fourty pound a sermon , or laying them in ●ayl , as we are used ; and yet they cry out , that we endeavour to ruine them . the lord pity his poor flock ! what a case are we in , when our pastors seem to think , that they are ruined , if we be but suffered to preach christ's gospel , and to live out of a jayl : and think that if we offer to refel the slanders that render us odious to them , and do but speak for our ministry and liberties , as every malefactor is allowed by the judges to speak for himself , we seek the ruine of our clergy-accusers ? do not heathens abhor such injustice as this ? my purse is less to me than my ministry ; and all that any man can take from me , will be much less than fourty pound a sermon : and yet if any men on the high-way , or in my house , should not only take away all that i had , but afterward prefer a bill against me , as seeking their ruine , because by reason i intreated them to forbear , and that in vain , it would be one of the oddest cases that hath come into westminster-hall . i was once neighbour to a valiant knight , who yet was so gentle , that when the hookers in a moonshine-night were hooking his cloaths and goods through the window , and he lay in bed and saw them , he lay still , and mildly told them , gentlemen , this is not well done , these things are not yours ; if you are taken , you may be hanged for it . and by that time his sermon to them was done , they had got what they came for , and were gone . but i never heard that they entred a suit against him , for seeking to ruine their trade by his reprehension . but if any of you have such a trade , as will not endure the plea of innocent sufferers for peace or mercy , without your ruine , i would some one that you have more regard for , would perswade you quickly to lay by that trade , lest when christ is judge , and saith , inasmuch as you did it to one of the least of these , you did it to me , your clergy will not save you from his sentence ; were it but the devouring of widows houses , it is not the longest liturgy that will excuse you by a legit ; nor will you escape with burning in the hand , unless repentance now prevent it . the evil servant that stuffs his guts , and beats his fellows , presuming on his lords delay , you know is threatned with a sharper penalty . § . impl. p. . no person of any note , that i have heard of , in all that party who were in places of trust and publick employment , did on the late test refuse to communicate with the church of england . answ . . how far doth your hearing reach ? . how many of that party have you known in such places of trust ? i suppose you know , when the test in the corporation-act was imposed , that party were then turned out of all corporation-power ? in some places not two of the old staid in : and is it any wonder then , if none of that party be in such power ? . and is communicating in the lords supper all the conformity that is scrupled ? and what 's all this to our controversie ? § . impl. [ when all our united strength is too little to withstand the attempts of our common adversaries ; it is a wonder to me , with what confidence and what designe he should not only proclaim conformity on the ministers part to be impossible , but endeavour also with all his might to withdraw the laity from our communion . ] m. . answ . . is it a truth , that one that holdeth communion with your church , and speaketh and writeth for it , and disswadeth none from it , doth endeavour with all his might to withdraw the laity from it ? can you not forbear this ill custome a few lines together ? . ex ore tuo : see , reader , the man confesses the need of our united strength . hold him to that word : and i repeat , if he and the rest of that tribe do believe , that it was morally possible that the two thousand silenc'd ministers , and all that came after them , should believe all the things which i named in my plea for peace , and all the rest which many scruple , are lawful for them to do ; i wonder not at any confusion , calamity or corruption that shall befal a church that is conducted by such men ! who would have thought that there had been such men among christians , and pastors of a reformed church ? but i do not believe that there are many such , that think it morally possible that we should all believe all conformity lawful ; they would never else have trusted so much to mulcts and jails , as to think their church undone without those helps . they are not such strangers to sence and conscience : it is the wearing out of the present generation of non-conformists , and alluring or affrighting youth from following them , which the men of any brains have trusted to . judge by these evidences of this mans wit and wondering . . by the great number of the things which we judge sinful : they might dispute men into their opinion in some few differences , that cannot in so many . . the sins feared are so heynous , as that conscience will not quickly universally swallow them . . the number of the dissenters : to dispute a few men out of their judgments in difficult cases proveth hard , much more many hundreds or thousands . . consider the quality of the silenced ministers : could they think that such men as anthony burges , sam. hildersham , mr. hughes , dr. manton , dr. seaman , &c. did not consider what they did , neither in their health , nor before their death ? did they never read or hear what might be said for the new-conformity ? had they not learning or wit enough to understand it ? or had they no conscience living or dying ? so many hundreds that after their best enquiries , and hearing all , remain non-conformists , are unlike to be all brought to conform . . judge by old experience : were old hildersham , ames , dod , and hundreds like them , brought to conformity heretofore ? mr. sprint , dr. burges and some others were , but more were not . did not even the westminster-assembly of old conformists forsake it assoon as they could ? . judge by the change of the case , and the writings even of the old conformists : such things are put into the new-conformity , as bilson , hooker , usher , and other old conformists have written against . and would they also repent and change their minds , if they were alive ? i again profess , that i am bound in charity and reason fully to conclude , that had usher , bilson , hooker , jewel , preston , sibbes , whately , bolton , and all such , yea dr. jo. burges , sprint , and such others of their minde that writ for the old conformity bin alive , they would all have bin nonconformists to our new impositions . . judge by the means that are used to convince us : is there any thing said that hath such cogent evidence as to convert so many hundred men to your opinions ? did such men as dr. twisse , mr. herle , mr. gataker , mr. vines , &c. want the instruction of our present lords , to make them wise enough to conform ? when i know none of the conformists writings that have so much as named some of the things that we think worst of . . judge by present experience : why is it not done , if it be morally possible ? have you not had near twenty years trial , by your reasonings , preachings , writings , reproaches , allurements , threatnings , canons , fines , jails , informers , crying out for execution of the laws , &c. and is it yet done ? have there not since more ( of the laity ) turned from you , than have turned to you ? will not experience convince you ? . judge by the great diversity of mens conditions and capacities , which i have elsewhere opened . will ever men of such different capacities , educations , &c. agree in such and so many things ? . judge by the requisites to such a concord . it must be by bringing all the ministry to a higher degree of knowledge , or conscience and honesty than all the nonconformists . for it can be nothing that you think keeps us from conforming , but ignorance or badness . ( dr. asheton undertaketh , as going to the bar of god , to prove that it is pride and covetousness ) and how can you hope to make us all so much wiser and better than we are ? do you believe that the seven thousand that had conformed to the directory , and staid in by conforming to your law , . were so much wiser and better than the two thousand that were cast out ? or that the greater part of your countrey-priests now ( if the lamenting people wrong them not ) do conform , because they know more , or are better men than we ? if it be so , he is unworthy to be a pastor , that knoweth not how hard a matter it is to make all the ministers of a nation so much wiser and better . he is blinde that seeth not that it is fines , jails and death , that our prosecutors trust to . and will true conscience be convinced by such arguments ? would you your selves change your minds in religion , if you were but fined and imprisoned ? if so , you are men of no true religion : if not , why expect you it from us ? § . but what am i doing ? will it not more tire than profit the reader , if i should number abundance more of his untruths ? i will step to his concluding farewel to me , and then see how he justifieth the trade , by pleading for equivocation , pag. . [ you gave several intimations that the king was popishly affected , as bishop bramhal affirms , ] mend. . answ . why did not the man tell where and when ? i have printed the contrary in the time of highest usurpation , that the king was no papist . is he not a calumniator , unless he prove it ? but he saith [ bishop bramhal affirms it . ] answ . a man that never saw me : why did he not cite bishop brambal's proof ? but see what this sort of men are come to ! do they think it enough to warrant their slanders of us , because one of their archbishops hath slandered us before them ? what credit then is to be given to such mens history or reports ? is this it in which the authority of archbishops consisteth , that they must be followed in slanders ? no : it is not their obedience to archbishops , but their conformity to a calumniating spirit : for brambal's predecessor , arch-bishop usher ( a man honoured by all good men that knew him , for learning , piety , and honesty ) was of no such authority with them ; but we are scorned for conforming to his judgment . but you see that a calumniator with you is no singular person . they are not ashamed to tell the world , that their archbishops lead them , and are as bad as they . § . impl. p. . [ you applauded the grand regicide , as one that prudently , piously and faithfully , to his immortal honour , did exercise the government . ] mend. magn . . answ . reader , do not wrong this man so much , as to think he is the father of this . he taketh it up but in conformity to his fathers and brethren that have oft printed it before him : and he must keep company and be conformable . alas ! it is not one or two such men as are the guides of souls in england : but what ? had he no pretence for it ? yes , more than for many of the rest . he that undertook to be a lying spirit in the mouth of all ahab's prophets , never undertook to deceive them without any pretence . i have somewhat else to do than to write the history of my actions in those times , as oft as any such man will tell such a story as this . in short , i thought then that both sides were faulty for beginning the war ; but i thought the bonum publicum , or salus populi , made it my duty to be for the parliament , as defensive against delinquents , and as they profest to be only for king , law and kingdom : when at the new moddle they left out [ for the king ] and changed their cause , i changed from them , and was sent by two assemblies of divines to do my best though to my utmost labour and hazard , to disswade them . cromwel having notice of it , would never let me once come near him or the head-quarters . i continued on all occasions publickly and privately to declare my judgment against him as a rebellious usurper till he died . but being at london a year or two before he died , the lord broghil ( since earl of orery ) would needs bring me to him ; where i dealt so plainly with him , in demanding by what right , against the will of almost all the kingdom , he pull'd down our lawful english monarchy that we were sworn to , and the parliament , as cast him into such passion , as broke out in reviling many of the worthiest parliament-men , that he knew me to be familiar with . the last time the earl of orery saw me , he told me , he had told the king of that conference , and that he should love me the better while he lived , for my faithfulness . he and lambert and thurloe were ( silently ) present . a twelvemonth after , sir francis nethersole would needs dispute me into repentance for being for the parliaments cause , by way of writing : i told him , that the sad effects were enough to make us all suspicious ; but i would give him those reasons that had moved me , with a true desire to know the full truth , that if i had erred , i might not remain through ignorance without repentance : he wrote to me , that in the mean time , seeing i was satisfied against cromwels usurpation , i should go to london to set it upon his conscience to perswade him to restore our present king : i sent him word , that as he took me for his adversary , so his conscience was not so easily perswaded to give up such a prey ; and that this was not now to do ; i had been lately with him , and i and others had tried such perswasions , or the like , in vain . while i was preparing my papers for sir francis nethersole , cometh out mr. harrington's oceana , contriving the settlement of a democracy , which they called a commonwealth ; and sir h. vane was about another model : i wrote somewhat against them , and mr. harrington printed a paper of gibberish , scorning at my ignorance in politicks : against him i wrote my political aphorisms , called a holy common-wealth , in the beginning pleading for the divine universal soveraignty , and next for monarchy as under god ; and next ( seeing they were all on new modelling ) i told them , how piety might be secured and promoted by monarchy ; and to get sir francis nethersoles answer for my fuller satisfaction , i added as to him , as i promised , the reasons that had moved me to be for the parliament . while i had purposed the later part first , oliver died , and his son richard was set up while i was writing the book : before i had finish'd it , the army had pull'd down first his parliament , and next richard himself ; i never had known a parliament more enclined to piety and peace . my deep displeasure against the madness of the army , that had rebelliously pull'd down all power , king , parliaments , and at last him whom they set up themselves , drew me first to write the sad meditations in the end , and then a sharp preface to the army against their rebellions : in which i aggravated their crime in the last instance among the rest , in putting down suddenly richard their protector , whom they had lately courted and set up : and i used these words , [ it was written while the lord protector ( prudently , piously , faithfully , to his immortal honour , how ill soever you have used him ) did exercise the government , ] &c. now so congruous are these mens principles and practice , that they fear not to tell the world in print , and that successively from one another , that i [ said this of the grand regicide ] oliver , whom i so openly and so deerly opposed : and a putarem , or a non putarem , will excuse a volume of such tricks , if the cheat or falschood be discovered . they might easily have seen by the whole scope of that preface , that it was richard , and not oliver , that i spake of . it was not oliver that they misused and pulled down . and i praised him , to shew the evil of their rebellious proceedings . it was not taking the government , which he had no right to , which i praised ; but his short exercise : and i thought him praise-worthy on many accounts . . he never meddled in any war against the king , notwithstanding all his fathers interest and power , but was suspected to be for the king. . we never heard that he sought or expected the government , but it was thrust upon him . . when he was offered help presently to apprehend them that supprest him ; he refused it , and renounced the government at a word , resolving not to shed a drop of blood to keep that which was so thrust upon him . . he set himself by a parliament of pious peaceable men , to have supprest heresie and confusion , and to have restored order , and equity , and peace . . the kings chief friends about us told me , that richard was for the king , and that some were treating with him to restore him : though i confess , i hardly believed that his self-denial was so great . i thought all this had so much laudable , as to aggravate the madness of that army , who when they had destroved the king , and pulled down the parliament , did also put down him whom they had set up and sworn fidelity to themselves . his want of right did not justifie their perfidiousness . thus the conformist grounds his accusation . § . impl. p. . he repeateth a leaf of my own words to mr. bagshaw , against the armies rebellion against king and parliament , and setting up the protector , and the rest of their injuries ; not seeing that he confuteth his own calumny , while to prove that i am for those actions , he proveth that i have condemned them as heinous sin : see here how strongly these men argue ! § . impl. p. . [ his applauding the first boutefeus , as glorious saints in heaven , his vindicating the authority and war of the parliament against the king , his pertinacious adhering to the covenant , crying down the royal martyr as a papist , after he had sealed the sincerity of his heart to the reformed religion with his blood ; and the crying up his murtherer for a prudent , pious and faithful governour : his principles in his holy commonwealth , and his present practices in defending schism , and so sowing sedition , &c. cry aloud for repentance and retraction , &c. ] answ . here are his doctrinal principles exemplified : he hath now got the art of linking and condensing falshoods so close , that i must cease numbring them , while one is made up o● so many . . the first accusation went before , p. , . where he mentions brooke , pym , hampde● , and white , &c. saying , [ what if they are gone to another place ? — you were ashamed to continue them in your ( book ) being left out in your later editions . answ . . i left them out , because the book could not be licensed else : and should i not rather leave out a few names , than cast away the whole book ? had i done it in repentance or to please such as you , you tell me how it would have been taken . . i never spake with one of them ; but i have heard so credible testimony of their conversation , especially of hampden and white , that i am far more confident that they are in heaven than that such as you will ever come thither . impartial men of both sides honoured them ; i heard an antient grave gentleman , that was no phanatick , nor accounted a puritan , but a sober honest man , say , . [ if i might choose what person in all the world i would be , i would be john hampden . ] . it is not only bishop jer. tailor , but politicians commonly that acknowledge , that it hath not pleased god to make politick cases of the degrees and forms of power so easie to us , as that all good christians can decide the controversies about them . it 's commonly agreed , that god hath not forbidden monarchy , aristocracy , democracy , or mixt government ; nor made only one of these to be lawful . and it is past controversie then , that it is national fundamental constituting contracts , laws or customs , and not any express scripture , that must tell us de facto & jure , what is the species of each countreys government . it is not in the creed , lords-prayer , decalogue , or sacraments : therefore the knowledge of it is not of absolute necessity to salvation : i finde it not in the condition of the covenant of grace . methinks they that say heathens may be saved , should grant it of christians that know not when a sinful division falls out between king and parliament ( and that with many difficult circumstances ) which it is that should be then obeyed or defended . christ was drawn by hypocrites to pay tribute to caesar , rather than offend ; but he would not be drawn to justifie his dominion over the jews . paul commands obedience to the higher powers as of god , and as watching for our good : but he would not be drawn to declare , whether it was caesar or the senate which was the higher power , when they came to be divided in their commands . . i have produced too large testimony from antiquity , how ordinarily the bishops of east and west too quickly owned and praised the usurpers of the empire , when once in possession : not only the synods in martius time that owned maximus , but ambrose and theopl . alexand . to eugenius , and gregory the first , and many western bishops , and ordinarily far most of the eastern bishops presently owned usurpers , that came into the empire by the murder or deposition of their predecessors . and are all these fathers and christians damn'd ? . the liturgie requires that when such are buried , they are openly pronounced saved ; that is , that god of his great mercy hath taken to himself their souls out of the miseries of this life , and that we hope to be with them : we must be silenced and imprisoned if we will not say this , and subscribe to it , and reproached if we do : this is the conformity which they would have us yield . . do you not tremble your self , when you question whether they be not gone to a worse place and revile us for the hopes of their salvation ? doth not your conscience ask , if such men be not saved , what will become of me , that deliberately write such volumes of falshoods against god's true servants , and their present serving him , as if they must cease preaching and all church-worship , till they dare conform to all imposed ? o why will you condemn your self in others ! . i finde many of your selves honouring bishop jewel , bishop bilson , and mr. hooker , and such others that held the principles which those men went upon ; and you never yet , that i heard of , reviled any man for hoping that they were saved : no nor grotius , nor barclay , nor the common sort of lawyers , and politick-writers , that have said more of the cases in which kings may be resisted and deposed , than they did , or than i ever said . if such principles may stand with the salvation of grotius , hooker , bilson , althusius , alstedius , willius , &c. why not of theirs that i have mentioned ? . you know , i suppose , that it was mostly episcopal men that began the war ; lords , commons , and souldiers on both sides . ( if you will not know , and can be ignorant when you list , your will hath a freedom which mine hath not . ) and are you sure that your conformists also are damned ? . you hereby teach them that are confident that the laudian clergie were the chief causers of the war , to conclude therefore that they are damned . and so our clergy on both sides will be like gregory the seventh's and the emperour 's in germany , first exciting and encouraging the princes and people of the two sides , and then taking oaths against each other , and lastly damning one another ; till a reverend council of bishops decreed , that all the bishops on the emperours side should be deposed , and the dead digg'd out of their graves and burnt . . you will open the eyes of the people to see what manner of spirit you are of , and that it is no wonder if you cannot endure us to preach and live by you ; who take us for criminal for hoping that men are saved , who otherwise were of most exemplary lives ; but being in point of politiques on the parliaments side , and doing accordingly , while they professed to arm only against subjects , holding the person of the king to be inviolable . i finde not that even in the barons wars , or the wars between the houses of lancaster and york , no nor king stephens , the censures were so high . anselme archbishop of canterbury is sainted , that was against his king. § . the second charge is , my vindicating the parliaments war against the king ] answ . . i believed then that it was not against him , when their commissions were for him . . i proposed my reasons upon a learned knights demand , requesting satisfaction by an answer : and had you or any of you ever since confuted them , it had been more charity than only to recite them and condemn them . but i have over and over publickly declared my revocation of that whole book , ( though not of all that 's in it ) and wisht that i had never written it , for more reasons than i will now name to you . . my judgment about the king's power , and our obedience , i have fully declared in the second plea for peace . § . the third accusation is , [ his pertinacious adhering to the covenant . ] answ . . the man knoweth that i own not the imposing it , specially as a test for the nations concord , it being an engine of division so imposed . . that i own not the taking it so imposed . . that i deny that it obligeth me to any thing that is evil , yea or from any obedience to the king in things lawful , nor to any thing but what i have a former obligation to from god himself . . but i confess that i dare not say , that it obligeth no man to repent of his sin , nor to be against popery , prophaneness or schism , nor to endeavour any amendment of church-government . and i will not deny , but that i take perjury to be no indifferent thing ; which of these is the crime of adherence , he tells me not . . the next accusation is , [ crying down the royal martyr as a papist . ] answ . i have said , till he tell me where , and how he proveth it , i must take him for a gross calumniator , and wonder not that he conformeth . in my key for catholicks he may see where i prove the contrary , that the king was no papist . i will confess that which he knoweth not : , and . when the kings letter in spain to the pope was printed out of mr. de chesne by prynne , i was struck a while with doubt and suspicion ; but i soon considered , . that the words promised but endeavours for unity . . and that it was written in the spaniards power , in a streight . § . the next is , [ crying up his murderer . ] answ . a repeated malicious falshood . § . the next accusation is , [ his principles in his holy commonwealth . ] answ . . i oft told you , the book is revoked long ago . . the principles which i own i have published as aforesaid in the third plea : and he doth not confute them . . of the wars i spake before : what other doth he name ? bishop morley recited many of them ; and the first as i remember was , that i say , [ that pretence to unlimited monarchy is unlawful , or tyranny , because god hath limited all humane power . ] if this be heresie or disloyalty , i hold it still : i mistake much , if any kings have power from god to command all their subjects to blaspheme or deny god or christ , or to renounce his hope of heaven , or to worship the devil , and sell his soul to him , nor to murder father , mother , wife or children . i will venture to dispute this with any conformist . but as to the harder question , whether kings may kill any or all their senators or innocent subjects for nothing , or burn all their cities , or take all their wives , children and estates , i will leave it to statesmen to debate . i am sorry that ever i wrote so much about their matters . § . the next charge is , [ his present practices in defending schism . ] answ . prove it , or number it with your slanders . what is the schism ? is it schism to say , that it is unlawful like atheists to cease all publick worship of god , till conscience can finde it lawful to conform ? others think that the contrary is both schismatical and atheistical . can you prove that i am for silencing faithful ministers , and making partition separating hedges in the vineyard of christ ? my rule is , to go no further from any christian than he goeth from christ , or would force me to sin for his communion . § . the next charge is , sedition ; that is , not giving over god's worship , till i can swear , say and do all that is imposed . where is the proof of all these accusations ? but their method of justice is , first to do execution ( casting out ) and next to justifie it by an accusation behinde our backs , and next to bring their witnesses , when we are dead or forbidden to speak ; and they are one anothers witnesses . this mans proof is , that bishop bramhall of ireland said it : the next mans may be , that this man said it : dr. ashetons proof was , that the debate-maker said it ; and who said it to him i know not . and p. . this man hath an infallible witness , bishop morley then of worcester . and what saith he ? why first , that i did what i could to make the king odious to his people . but where 's his proof ? it 's enough ; the bishop said it . . i sowed the seeds of sedition at kederminster : the proof is the same ; the bishop said it . . the bishop taught him to adde , [ i my self have heard him , in a conference in the savoy , maintain such a position , as was destructive to the legislative power of god and man. ] but what if the bishop spake as falsely , as if he had said that i pleaded for mahomet ? where is your proof then ? i after printed the words with the dispute of the dr's , to which they were an answer : and i have in my second plea , in a disputation of scandal , vindicated them . let any man of brains read both , and believe the bishop and you if he can . but , reader , if such mens renewed accusations cause me yet to print that answer to the bishop's letter , which for peace i cast away ; blame not me , but them that force me to it : i am for peace , but they are for war. § . but what good will it do the reader , to have this mans falshoods detected and numbred ? they are so many and so gross , that it is a troublesome work ; as p. . [ your principles which assert , that the king may be deposed . ] answ . burn any book of mine with scorn , where i ever asserted any such thing : but if it be a forgery , believe such men accordingly . so p. . [ refusing the tests of obedience , which require only the disclaiming of rebellious principles and practices . ] answ . see my profession and renunciation , second plea , chap. , and my confutation of hooker , chr. direct . par. . pag. , . he joyns with those that would bring us into the plot , and fathers his accusation on the acts of parliament against us . pag. . he saith , i have [ a better opinion of the papists , than of the conformists , ] because i say , i had rather be saved from the gallows by a papist , than hang'd by a conformist . so p. . [ to withdraw your avowed communion ] answ . a fiction : witness the parish-assembly . pag. . your practice continueth and encourageth separation from our communion . ] false . ibid. cartwright , after he had written as much as he could against conformity , repented and conformed at last . ] answ . a fiction : no more than i conform . many a time have i been in warwick , where he last lived master of the hospital , and the antient people there and at coventry knew the contrary . if to joyn in the liturgy and sacrament ( and perhaps rather than be silenced , to wear the surplice ) be conforming , you abuse many whom you reproach and silence as nonconformists . pag. . he mentions my positive opposing and hindering their communion . the book is much made up of such untruths in matter of fact. § . his postscript is his ingenuous conjectures , if not proofs , that i am a liar and an hypocrite , in the dating of my prognostication ; and that it was written . answ . should i abuse the reader by a particular answer to them ? that it was not written , many persons that saw them can witness . will his reasonings make me ignorant of such a matter of my own fact ? all that i know of it is this , . as far as i can remember , it was shortly after the savoy-conference , that the first copy was written ; but just the month i do not remember . . finding this copy among my rude neglected papers , i wrote it fair in . and my memory is not so strong , as to be sure that i altered not a word : for i cast away the first rude copy . . after that , i thought it had been lost , not seeing it some years : till mr. matthew silvester told me , that i had long ago lent it him to read : i did not think it worth the publishing . but one of judgment that he shewed it to , thinking otherwise , i added a few lines in the end : this is the truth , and if it be the impleaders interest to believe it to be false , let him use his intellect and pen accordingly , i 'le no more strive against him . chap. iii. his answer to the first plea for peace examined . § . because the great charge against th● non-conformists is , . their not conforming . . and that till they can conform they cease not preaching and all publick worship o● god ( which is to live like atheists , and chus● damnation . ) the first thing that i did in the first , plea , was to declare our judgment about churches , ministry , church-communion and seperation , ( in what cases we hold it sinful or lawful . ) to my great wonder , almost all this i● past over by all my accusing answerers that ●●●● have seen , as if it had bin little to them . and they go on to take it for granted , that we are guilty of schism and sinful separation , or in wondering that we do not grant it . . and as to the second part of our charge , i have seen none yet but mr. cheney and this impleader that pretend to bring proof of the lawfulness of the●● points of conformity which we avoid . and to mr. cheney i gave a reply , which i judged satisfactory ; and this man where they agree repeateth the same things , as if i had not replied ; and therefore i refer him to that reply , rather than write the same over again . but in some things they as much differ from each other as from me . § . pag. . he premiseth , . what are the parts of the book to which we are to declare our assent and consent ? answ . all things contained and prescribed in and by it . are not these words plain ? we are not for equivocation : what he saith of this , is answered to mr. ch. . pag. . he saith , [ it is granted by the non-conformists , that the common-prayer book , as it is now amended and abstracted from the declarations and subscriptions required by the act of uniformity , is better to be assented to , than as it stood before . answ . . i know none of those non-conformists : it 's better in some things ( as the translation of the epistles and gospels ) and worse to them in other . . but what 's this to the case ? . pag. . he saith , [ non-conformists grant , that it is better to submit to the practice of a doubtful small evil , than to forbear a necessary great duty . ] answ . this i answered to mr. ch. i know one of them that grant it . they suppose that a doubtful evil ] is really evil ; and the doubt will not make it lawful ( or better , ) but less evil than a greater : and that no duty should ●e forborn , while duty , nor evil done . but ●e must not forbear duty till we can do it without adherent evil : but we must do our best to ●●rbear all-evil . ibid. he speaketh against over-strict interpre●tions of impositions . answ . i stand to bishop ●anderson's solutions , whom he citeth , which ●e in the end of the first plea for peace . pag. . . he saith , [ practice is the best ezounder of the law : many laws are worded for terrorem iniquum petere , ut quod aequum est ferant ; lex non curat minima . neither the lan of god or man is sollicitous about circumstances and the lesser punctilios . ] answ . . when they either comprehend the least in generals , or name them particularly , we think they extend to them : and that he that breaketh one of the least , and teacheth 〈…〉 all be called least in the kingdome of ●●●● mat. . . the seven thousand ministers ( and more ) that conformed to the new-made law , did not stay till practice expounded it . . and whose practice must it be that is the exposition ? when your practices much much differ ? . i think you abuse the law and lawgivers , by making them first injust , iniquum petendo , and next unintelligible , and lastly opening a door for disobedience . pag. . . he noteth that we are not agreed what is unlawful in conformity . answ . . nor are we agreed of all forbidden in gods laws ; must we therefore forbear no sin ? . we are agreed ( as far as i know ) of all the many particulars enumerated in the plea : deliver us from what we are agreed against . . the bishops of england are not agreed in how many things we must differ from the papists : all are not for so much of theirs as the greeks , or as grotius , or bishop bromhal , or mr. thorndike , or will. forbes of edenborough were for . and what of that ? must not popery be renounced till you are all herein agreed ? . pag. . he noteth what i said of the root of the first difference between the old nonconformists and conformists , one part cleaving to the scripture , and the other being for reteining all that came in before , and common to them with the greeks , [ which ( saith he ) doubtless was the sounder opinion ; so that the foundation of non-conformity was laid on a false principle , and they that built thereon frequently raised sedition , &c. ] answ . . they that thought each mutable circumstance of worship must have a particular command in scripture , erred ; but there were few such , at least of any learning : but those that took the law of god in nature and scripture , for the only and perfect universal law , did not erre . . so many corruptions in doctrine , worship and discipline came in before , and are reteined by the greek church , that we cannot make that the measure of our reformation : if you are for all [ that is common to the papists and greeks ] how prove you that you may silence and imprison all that are not ? . and if this be the rule , you are yet ill reformed . it is more than three and three ceremonies and additions which you yet want , which the papists have : i could name such a catalogue as might make english-men better understand what your conforming principles are , and what must be further expected when you are able . and the council of florence will tell us , when once england is of the greek religion , how possible it is to step over to the pope . but why doth not the church of england conform to the greek church now , if it be so great a duty , as will warrant the silencing and imprisoning of refusers ? i hear but of few that grow in love with their worship , since the greeks had a church in london ; especially scholars that understand them . . but what if the first non-conformists erred ? what 's that to us any more than to you ? we reverence the primitive example more than theirs ; and never took them for the masters of our faith. . your charge of their sedition is much more sharply laid on the protestants in general by pateson , the image of both churches , and by philanax anglicus , and many others , than you lay it on the old non-conformists : and all parties can talk at that rate against others , as pryn doth of prelates treasons . § . pag. . of assent and consent to all things , and subscription that nothing is contrary to the word of god. . he tells us , what men have subscribed . . that we must allow it a just and favourable construction . answ . i grant that worthy men have subscribed , and that as favourable a construction must be made , as will stand with truth and justice . but this doth us no good . § . pag. . impl. [ all lawgivers do leave to the judges and magistrates a power to interpret the doubtful letter of the law , and to mitigate the rigour of its execution , in order to the publick good . ] answ . . i have answered this to mr. cheney : there is an interpretation which giveth us the general obliging sence of the law ; which conscience must judge by , if we will subscribe : and this belongeth only to the lawgivers , as i have proved . and there is an interpretation which only directs the judicial sentence , in this or that mans particular case , as whether he shall be punished as guilty or not ; and this is it that belongeth to the judges : if the judges will put a false sence on the oath of allegiance and supremacy , i may not take them in that sence . their expository power must direct their own sentence , and that the execution ; but if i be put to swear or subscribe my self to any imposed words , no judge can absolve me from taking them in the usual sence , unless the law-givers give another . this is our rule , and we dare not equivocate . . as to your confused talk , that [ magistrates can dispense with the lesser parts of the law , ] it is useless to me : the lawgivers can expound , suspend and change the law : the executive magistrate can suspend his own sentence and execution in some cases ; but not the sence of the law , nor allow my conscience to change the sence . § . impl. [ all that is required by the act , is unfeignedly to assent and consent that there is such a measure of truth and goodness in the book of common prayer , as qualifies it for the publick worship of god. ] answ . . gratis dictum . who authorized you to say that [ assenting and consenting to all things contained and prescribed ] meaneth not as it saith ? but only an useable measure of truth and goodness ? is this the usual sence of [ all things , &c. ] if not , where have the law givers given us another ? if you can think so , why must all be silenced that think otherwise , and dare not be so bold ? § impl. [ the title of the act is the key — if uniformity be observed , the act is satisfied . ] answ . 〈…〉 is not de fine only , but de medio , to secure uniformity , by profest assent , &c. all lawyers know that laws have usually more in the body than is in the title . § . impl. [ they say , . assent implies the truth , and consent the goodness . . all things they say , meaneth all words and expressions . . by [ to the use ] is meant those things that come not into use . . when it 's said , in sensu composito , conteined and prescribed in and by , &c. they extend it to all things that are conteined as well as prescribed . ] answ . i see that wit is useful to many ends : here are so many and rare expository evasions , as escohar or bauny could not have excelled in them . . if assent signifie not judging all to be true , it hath lately got a new signification : consent indeed signifieth oft an object practicable and existent for some good motive of consent . . if the [ all things ] in the books , mean not [ all the words ] but [ things ] distinct from [ words ] i would we could know what they are : sure it is not the paper and ink that the parliament mean. prayers and forms are words . actions or ceremonies that are not words , are but little of the book , or rather none of it , being but the matters commanded by it . . there is no word or part of the book that was not made for some use . if not , how shall we know which words are useless ? . i do not think that there was a man in the parliament when the act was made , that ever thought of this subtle exposition , that any man would take [ all conteined and prescribed ] only in sensu composito ? and so that we profess assent to nothing contained in the book , but that which is prescribed also . if so , is not [ conteined ] an idle word when all men know that all that is prescribed is conteined ? and yet by that time prescribed doctrines , calendars , rules , forms , &c. are taken in , they will prove more than my assent and consent will reach to . § . . whereas the commons brought the lords to agree with them , for not limiting the sense of the declaration of assent and consent to the use of all ; he answereth , . that the bishops then were more our friends than the commons : as if the bishops always went with the major vote of the lords . . he giveth reasons , why it is meet that men approve as well as use what they do . and what else is it that we say , but the using without approving , satisfieth not the imposition ? § . he citeth my words , that we may take an oath , whose words in the plain and proper sense are lawful . but the question is , whether these be such ? § . ii. pag. . he defends the words , [ easter-day on which the rest depend , is always the first sunday after the first full-moon , which happens next after the of march. ] which being oft false , he saith , . being a general rule , it may be allowed to have some exception . answ . and so they say [ always ] and they mean not always , but sometimes . . he proceedeth : [ the rubrick doth not say , [ a rule ! but [ rules ] in the plural : and where the first rule fails , the defect is supplied in the second . ] answ . what may not such a wit prove true and lawful , if the man be willing ? . the rules contained in that section under that title , are only this , and one for advent and other sundays , and none for easter but this . . to say , this is always so , and after to say the contrary , is but to say , one is true , and the other false . always excludeth your acknowledged falshood sometimes . . he saith , the defect never cometh into practice . answ . it 's an useable rule , and so you covenant to practice it , if the use of all things be intended : and so you must keep two easter-days . object . . [ mr. b. might as well have objected against the almanack , which saith february hath days . ] answ . so i should if it had said [ always ] and [ only . ] § . iii. impl. p. . defendeth these words , [ we are fully perswaded in our judgments , and we here profess it to the world , that the book as it stood before established by law , doth not contain any thing contrary to the word of god. ] and . he blameth me for omitting the condition of a just and favourable construction , &c. answ . i undertook not to transcribe the whole book , which is in so many hands : a just construction is still supposed , and as favourable as will stand with truth . i have oft enough told him the rule by which we interpret words , viz. the ordinary sence in which they are understood by men of the profession which they belong to , unless the speakers otherwise expound them . if he thought this rule to be false , he should have disputed that . if on pretence of [ favourable interpretations ] you resolve to put a good meaning on any words which your interest perswadeth you to take , nobis non licet , we cannot do so : else we could take any oath in the world , while all words have divers sences , and are arbitrary signs , which we can put what sence upon that pleases us . § . impl. p. , . [ he well knows our assent to the words there mentioned is not required , nor could be intended . answ . utterly false : i know it not , but verily believe the contrary . impl. for it is only a profession of our superiours that were then in being , what their judgment and belief was , &c. ] answ . so the rubrick and the articless were the judgment of your superiours : but are not they , and that preface , parts of the book ? if not , tell us how we shall know what are parts of it , and to what we must consent ? and must you not assent and consent to all things in it ? i like not those equivocations , which will make oaths and promises to be but what the speaker please . § . impl. [ mr. b. doth very ill to recount those mistranslations in the old book , which are amended in the new , &c. — which mr. b. knows to be false , ( viz. that assent to them is required . ) answ . . how did this bold man know my thoughts ? i know these words to be a deliberate printed falshood , and this man to have so many such , as that to me he is incredible . . when the new book justifieth the old , as having nothing contrary to the word of god , and you must assent to all things in the new one , i think you assent to that justification . if you mean otherwise , tell men your own thoughts ; but if you would any more be believed , speak not falsly of other men , whom you never knew . . the old translation of the psalms is still used , unreformed . do you not assent to that neither ? § . he tells us that [ psal . . . the two translations are not contradictory , they were not obedient to his word , and they rebelled not against his word : because some translaters understood it of the egyptians , and others otherwise . ] answ . and had the text those contrary senses ? if not , is not one of them contrary to the text ? § . impl. p. . [ the same answer will serve the exception against the collects of the old book , which for divers days together used the word [ this day . ] answ . and the same reply will serve : you dare not say that on christmas-day , whitsunday , &c. [ this day ] signifieth not the very particular day , but the week or time of the year . and hath not the same collect the same sense on the next days ? are your words like cyphers , that change their power by such additions ? § . impl. [ little reason have they to object against any words or phrases in the liturgy , who are still fond of singing psalms according to the translation of strenhold and hopkins , &c. ] answ . little reason hath any man to be forward to believe your affirmations , that are so used to falshood . i finde none so willing to use other versions as they that you say are fond of this : many use the scot's version , many barton's , some rous's , and some mr. patrike : and the reason why they no more forsake the old one , is not because they are fond of it , but lest they too much displease the church of england , which hath allowed no other , and those that are apt to turn all reformations and varieties into reproach . § . iv. to what he saith of the apocrypha , i answered already to mr. cheney , and will not now repeat . the objections against the fictions in tobit are bishop barlow's , now of lincoln , in a learned m. s. written to satisfie mr. dodwell . § . v. our great doubt about the abuse of godfathers , and excluding parents from their proper office , he saith nothing to that needs any reply ; but what is in the book which he answers , and in the reply to mr. cheny , he answers as if he understood not the question : and feigns the liturgy to lay that on the parents which it doth not , but excludes them from it , and laies it on uncapable persons . § . impl. p. . [ mr. b. excepts against the rubrick , which saith , it is certain by gods word , that children , which are baptized , dying before they commit actual sin , are undoubtedly saved . ] this being a rubrick , and never coming to use in the publick worship , it cannot reasonably be thought to be imposed as an article of faith on others , but only as the judgement of our superiours . answ . i perceive the parliaments act and declaration is to you a mere nose of wax ; it meaneth what you will , or none can tell what . . are rubricks of no use ? yea those that determine of doctrines , which are not only de fide , but matters of salvation , certain undoubted salvation of all baptized infants ? what is of use if these be not ? . are such doctrines of certain faith no parts of the book ? nor contained in it ? is not your superiour's judgment imposed on you to assent to ? what then is imposed to be believed ? § . but p. . he citeth texts as proving the truth of the article . answ . not a word to the purpose . he seems not to understand that it is not of the salvation of true believers infants that we doubt : but whetherthis be true of all without exception that have such godfathers as ours , that take not the children for their own ; even the children of atheists , infidels , heathens , mahometans , &c. all which the minister is bound by the canon to baptize , if offered . § . vii . impl. . [ mr. b. is the first that hath accused the church of england of instituting a second covenant of grace . ] answ . still more untruths . i have no such accusation : it is but for making and imposing on pain of rejection , &c. another sacrament , or a sign too much sacramental , of the same covenant of grace , which baptism is the sacrament of . . and of this he cannot truely say that i am the first . i proved from the imposed words and ends , that it is appointed to the uses of a sacrament , but indeed not by christ , and therefore is but a humane sacrament ; and i answered his objections to mr. che. which he taketh no notice of . he cites me as saying , that parents may offer their children to baptism , though they cannot have it without the cross , it being the ministers sin , and not theirs . and what then ? is it therefore none of the ministers sin , . to consent to it . . to use it . . to refuse to christen children whose parents dare not submit to it . . nor the bishops to silence ministers that refuse such conformity ? § . p. , . he would explain the rubrick by art. . those that rightly received baptisine , &c. and christian proprietors may offer their children , &c. answ . . the canon forbiddeth the minister to refuse any as aforesaid ; what 's this then to the rest ? . right coram ecclesiâ giveth the church power to receive them : but it must be right coram deo to remission , &c. that must assure their salvation : which we cannot prove that the children of atheists , sadduces , or infidels have . . the conformists are here themselves divided : one part of them give that certain salvation only to all baptized infants , which the other give to all in the world , baptized or unbaptized . see mr. che. and the answer . § . viii . about our refusing children , whose parents refuse the foresaid crossing , and abuse of godfathers , he saith , p. . [ . that in private baptisme , and consequently in other cases of necessity , the church alloweth the omission of cross and godfathers . . that they have a low esteem of the sacrament , that for this withdraw . ] answ . . your consequence is contrary to the canon : and 't is known that the church allows not ministers to forbear them on pretence of such consequences . . much less do they allow the refusal of dissenters for such a necessity . . and it may be no contempt of the sacrament , when men are afraid of a sinful use of it though they mistake . . nor is it such a fault of the receiver or parent , that will warrant a minister to deny them christendome , or a sacrament by your selves judged so necessary to salvation . § . p. . he returneth to the case of crossing , as a transient image in worship , &c. i think few will judge his answer worthy of a reply . § . p. . ix . the next is , [ that no man should come to the sacrament without a full trust i● god's mercy and a quiet conscience . ] i would make nothing worse than it is : i do not think the imposers meant that all men should stay away till they had a full trust and quiet conscience . but that 's the plain importance of the words : here therefore it is more ill words than ill meaning , which i do deny assent and consent to . § . x. pag. . about compelling each communicant to receive thrice a year , he saith , . it is the statute , not the minister . . it is only the duely qualified . answ . . the bishops are statute-makers . . nothing more common with the canoneers , than to call to magistrates to execute such laws . . the canons and liturgy require it . . it is not true , that it 's only the duely qualified : it is all that are not naturally , but morally unfit , that is , that are at age , and have reason and health . if the priest should put away any as unfit , he must accuse them to the chancellor , and they must be excommunicate and lie in jayl while they live , unless they communicate . so that here is a plain exposition . . there are multitudes unfit to communicate , whom the minister cannot put away , that were they not constrained , would keep away themselves ; as secret atheists , infidels , sadduces , socinians , arians , seekers , secret fornicators , thieves , drunkards , &c. that are conscious of their sin and impenitence : but rather than lie in jayl , will all communicate . § . impl. [ what deplorable times are we fallen into , that our highest priviledge should be counted a great grievance , &c. ] answ . still deceit . . is it our highest priviledge to have unfit men constreined to prophane holy things , and profess themselves what they are not ; and the dogs forced in , that should lie without ? is christ's discipline against our highest priviledges ? . who knoweth not that infidels , sadduces and wicked men do account these priviledges to be none : cure them of their contempt , and you need not force them by a jayl . till then , is it the pastors that refuse such till they voluntary seek it , or the contemners of these priviledges , that are to be reproved ? christ giveth pardon and life to none but desirous consenters ; and if you will seal and deliver the promise of it to those that will but prefer it to a jayl , and make up your churches on such terms , we dare not imitate you . the church-keys exercised are , as tertullian speaketh , praejudicium futuri judicii , and should intimate to men , who they be that shall be let into heaven , or shut out : and to say , come all and take christ , pardon and life , who will rather take the sacrament than lye in a jayl , is like another gospel . § . xi . the pronouncing salvation to all that they bury , save the three excepted sorts , ( unbaptized , excommunicate , and self-murderers ) is the next . and . he will not have the words to signifie salvation . the words are [ forasmuch as it hath pleased almighty god , of his great mercy , to take to himself the soul of our dear brother here departed . ] and [ we give thee hearty thanks , for that it hath pleased thee to deliver this our brother out of the miseries of this sinful world . ] and [ that we may rest in him ( christ ) as our hope is this our brother doth . ] if all this signifie not salvation in your judgment , it doth in ours : we accuse not you of deceiving souls , at a time when it will take the deepest impression ; but we only tell you , we dare not assent and consent to that , which to us would be false equivocation , and that in so serious a thing : and if the difference be but grammatical , doth it deserve our silencing and ruine , to believe that those words import salvation ? § . but . he saith , [ christian charity teacheth us to hope the best of all that die in the communion of the church . ] answ . it is not christian charity which is contrary to the christian verity and covenant : nor that which tendeth to undo the living by false hopes : hobbes and such others as oppose fundamentals , deride christianity , or the immortality of the soul , some by writing , some by common talk , do die in the church of england : i have heard preachers lament their numbers , impudence and increase ; but never heard one of them excommunicate , nor brought to publick repentance . all die in the church , that communicate rather than lie in jayl and be ruined ; yea thousands that will not communicate , notwithstanding such severities ; when in a parish of or communicants , no more ( even on a whitsunday ) than about communitate , though the minister be one of the best ; yet the rest are still in your church . we desire the highest degree of charity . but such a judgment of mens future state , though called charitable , seemeth to us so fearfully uncharitable , that it is one of the greatest things in which we seem to differ : and i will not shew the rise , and the import and tendency of it , lest dr. fullwood , and the reflecter on sacril . desert . say again , that i gather too hard consequences from our difference . but nobis non licet , must we be silenced and ruined for want of such charity ? § . xii . silencing such as think the surplice unlawful , is the next , pag. . and he saith , [ if any man , against such authority and arguments , should think the surplice unlawful , it is better he should be silenced , than that the churches peace and order be disturbed , or antient laws abrogated . ] answ . you have owned it : if it be well done , you may partake of the reward ; if ill , of the punishment . qu. whether consenting so to silence ( and if they had not conformed ) will not make your reward greater , than if you had consented and subscribed to the silencing but of one ? his blood be on us and on our children , were the words of factious zeal , that escaped not without punishment . paul that consented to the death of stephen , and hunted others , saith , he was mad , yea exceeding mad against them . christ never laid the order and peace of the church , nor the preaching of the gospel on such things ; nor ever encouraged any to do it . of which see bishop jer. tailor in the words largely cited in my second plea. § . xiii . though athanasius creed as to the damnatory part was that which mr. dodwell scrupled , i will not answer this mans equivocating exposition of it , lest i be thought to tempt others to blame the creed itself , which i honour . where he saith , p. . [ i frequently and falsely accuse the conformists of socinian or antitrinitarian doctrine : let him tell us where , or else i accuse him as a false accuser . but it 's his mode . § . xiv . whereas all must assent and consent to read the common-prayer every day of the year , ( if not specially hindred ) he tells us what reason there is for it : but . will it not necessitate the omission in many places of more necessary works ? . what encouragement have we to embody with that tribe , who all consent to this , and not one of multitudes of them do it ? is such conformity tolerable , and our preaching intolerable without it ? § . xv. pag. . he calls it a calumny that i say the liturgy is defective and disorderly . answ . i did in . draw up a catalogue of the mere defects and disorders , but never offered it , to avoid offending them . he tells us , . of the disorders of the directory . ( and had he proved it , is that a justification of the liturgy ? ) . and also he tells us of the defects and confusions which were in mr baxter's eight days exploit , ( our additionals , or reformed liturgy , . ) when as neither this accuser , nor any of the bishops or dissenters then said one word of particular accusation against it , nor any other that ever i knew of to this day , save an impertinent quarrel of mr. roger le strange , that we used not more imposing words , and such trifles . § . xvi . next comes the profession of the antiquity of three orders in the preface of the book of ordination and elsewhere , p. . and he citeth me , christ . direct . p. . as against my self ; falsly intimating , that i assert three orders , because i am uncertain whether there be not divers degrees in one order . i cited out of spelnian the canons of aelfrike , shewing that the church of england , even in times of popery , took bishops and presbyters to be the same order , as many papists-schoolmen do . and the man should have known , that it is not the bishops of a particular church that i mentioned in my direct . but only such as have the care of many bishops churches . § . xvii . he next defends the scenical call to the people , to [ come forth and shew reason , why the person may not be ordained . ] as if he knew not , that it is not the sence of the words that is questioned ; but that this insignificant ceremony should be set in the place of the ancient demand of their free consent over whom the minister is set , to seem as if they had still that liberty , when it is no such matter ; nor do the people , whose souls he is to have the charge of , know any thing usually of his ordination ; nor at his institution , which sets him over them , have they any call. nor are so much as these shews used at the ordination of bishops , which by the old canons was void without the peoples consent . § . xviii . of the words , receive the holy ghost , &c. he saith less than mr. cheny , whom i have answered . § . xix . so have i there answered ( p. , . ) what he saith for the oaths of obedience to archbishops , bishops , chancellors , &c. . it 's one thing to obey them , and another to assent to the oath of obedience . . and it 's one thing to swear obedience to them , as exerci●ing the power of magistrates under the king ; and another thing as laymen exercising the power of the church-keys , &c. and i have elsewhere cited divers old canons , that condemn such oaths as dangerous . § . xx. in the th chap. to mr. cheny i have abundantly answered what he saith here about keeping men from the sacrament , and informing the ordinary . these be [ the number ] of our exceptions which the impleader could finde , though the rest were as plainly written . § . xxi . as for our objections against the declarations and oaths required by act of parliament , because it is not the sence of the liturgie , but of an act of parliament that we doubt of , he refers us to the executioners of the law for our instruction , ( their natural way of satisfaction : ) the justice and jailor i suppose . did these satisfie him to conform herein ? doth he take such arguments for unanswerable ? why did he pretend to defend the rest , which are imposed in the same act ? these are greater matters than the ceremonies , and need as clear a justification . § . but that you may see the measure of his knowledge , he can tell you , that our mistake is wilful , and an act of pure malice and revenge . answ . our rule oft mentioned is agreed on by casuists , viz. to take such oaths , promises and professions , in the sense of the imposing makers of them , ( if they are our rulers ) and unless they give us another sense , we must take the ordinary sense that those words are used in to be theirs . therefore we take [ on any pretence whatsoever ] and [ those commissioned by him ] and [ any alteration of government in the church ] and [ not at any time endeavour ] and [ no obligation on any other person ] as well as [ assenting and consenting to all things conteined and prescribed ] to have that meaning , which not only our parents that taught us to speak , and our masters and dictionaries , and the use of such as we hear talk , hath taught us to take such words in ; but also in the sense of the lawyers and law-books which we are acquainted with , unless any odde persons differ from the rest . and this sagacious man hath found , that this exposition is a wilful mistake , in malice and revenge . just as others of them can prove before god , that it is through covetousness that we conform not ; viz. two thousand ministers ( england knoweth of what sort , though the accusers do not ) have forsaken all church-maintenance , and their rulers countenance , and put themselves under a law that mulcts them l. a sermon , banisheth them from cities and corporations , lays them in jayl , &c. reproacheth them as seditious ; and all this in covetousness , malice , and revenge . i have seen a child throw away his meat in revenge , but he returned to it in less time than years : i have heard of a woman that cut her throat , and another that drowned herself and children , in a revengeful passion against her drunken cruel husband : but sure , if she had years deliberated , it would have calm'd her passion : but that such ministers should chuse ruining fines , and poverty , and jails , and wilfully damn their own souls by sin , and all to be revenged on parliament or prelates , is somewhat strange ! especially when it is that which that parliament and prelates themselves are pleased with , who chose the terms . what kinde of revenge hath our malice found out , which destroyeth ourselves and pleaseth our afflicters ! § . and here p. . he falls with scorn on my book of concord ; and that his book may be conformable to itself , describeth my terms of concord by downright fiction and falshood ; as if he had thought none would ever open the book to shame his calumny . he tells you , that the result of all is , that every pastor be independent , free from any superiour to controul him , and have an arbitrary power , and arbitrarily exercise the power of the keys without appeal ; to have the power of ordaining who they will , the power of altering the laws in church and state , &c. all which i have expresly written against at large . besides what i have written , . for bishops in each church . . for archbishops or general overseers . . for synods . . had it been no more than what i have written for the magistrates governing of all pastors and churches , it would prove the falshood of this mans assertion . yet that you may see that his charity and his veracity are proportionable , he hence inferrs , p. . [ did ever any bishop aspire to such tyranny as this , the pope only excepted ? is not the king and whole nation greatly culpable not to trust themselves with the ingenuity of this people , &c. ] answ . reader , which is liker to be guilty of tyranny , . we that desire no power but to plead god's law to mens consciences . . and that but with one congregation . and . with no constrained unwilling persons , but only voluntary consenters . . and to rule over none of our fellow-ministers . . and only to be but freemen , as schoolmasters and philosophers be in their schools of volunteers , that we may not against our consciences be the pastors of the unwilling , or such as we judge uncapable according to god's laws , but to use the keys of admission and exclusion as to that particular church . . and to do all under the government of the magistrate , who may punish us as he may do physicians , schoolmasters , or others , for proved mal-administration , and drive us ( not from , but ) to our duty . . and to be ready to give an account of our actions to any synod , or brethren that demand it , and to hear their admonitions and advice . yea , and to live in peaceable submission where archbishops or general-visitors are set over us ; and upon any appeals or complaints , to hear and obey them in any lawful thing belonging to their trust and power . . and if we be judged to have worngfully denied our ministerial help and communion to any , we pretend to no power to hinder any other church or pastor from receiving him . . and if we be by magistrates cast out or afficted for our duty , we shall quietly give up the temples and publick church-maintenance , of which the magistrate may dispose , and without resisting or dishonouring him , endure what he shall inflict upon us , for our obedience to god. this is our odious tyranny . . on the other side , our accusers , . some of them are for power in themselves to force men by the sword , that is , by mulcts and corporal penalties , to be subject to them , or be of their church and communion . . others are for the magistrate thus forcing them , when the bishop excommunicates them . . they thus make the church like a prison , when no man knoweth whether the people be willing members , or only seem so , to escape the jail . . they would be such forcing rulers over many score or hundred parishes . . they would have power to rule , suspend and silence the pastors of all these parishes , when they think meet . . they hinder the pastors of the parish-churches from that exercise of the keys aforesaid in their own parish-churches , which belongs to the pastors office. . they would compel the parish-ministers to admit , absolve , or excommunicate ( at least as declaring other mens sentences ) when it is against their consciences . . they would make ministers swear obedience to them , and bishops swear obedience to archbishops . . some of them are for their power to excommunicate princes and greatest magistrates , though contrary to the fifth commandment , it dishonour them . . some of them say , that if the king command one church-order , or form , or ceremony , and the bishop another , the bishop is to be obeyed before the king : as also if the king bid us preach , and the bishop forbid us , . and they say , that their censures , even clave errante , must be obeyed . . and that he whom a bishop cuts off from one church , is thereby cut off from all , and none may receive him . . and that it is lawful to set up patriarchs , metropolitans , &c. to rule the church , according to the state and distribution of civil government . look over these two cases , and judge which party is liker to church-tyrants ; and then judge what credit is due to such accusers of the non-conformists in this age. § . ii. as to reordination , i have answer'd to mr. cheny what he saith : he deceitfully avoideth determining the first question , whether they intend a reordination or not : whereas i have proved , . that the church of england is against twice ordaining . . that they call it and take it for a true ordination which is to be received from them , by such as presbyters had ordained . . and therefore that they suppose the former null . . and this is much of the reason of mens doubting whether they should receive the second , which is given on such a supposition . but this man is little concerned in the true stating of the case . § . iii. what he saith of the ministers power for discipline , is answered already to mr. cheney that hath the same . § . about the covenant , . he falsly makes me say , that the king took it : whereas ( whether he did or not ) i only say , that he was injuriously and unlawfully drawn to seem to owne it and declare for it . . next he aggravates this injury : and who contradicteth him ? . he pleadeth , that the king is not obliged by it to make any alteration in the government of the church . answ . i will not examine your reasons : the king never made me his confessor , nor put the question to me ; why then should i make my self a judge of it ? and why must my ministry lie on a thing beyond my knowledge ? but am i sure that no parliament-man that took that vow is bound there in his place to endeavour a reforming alteration , when i am past doubt that much is needful ? he would . make it doubtful , whether it was a vow to god ? i think it not worth the labour to prove it to him that doubteth of it after deliberate reading it . . he saith , [ any lawful endeavours are not denied . ] answ . but the obligation to lawful endeavours are denied . are not the words universal ? . he saith , [ the covenant condemned as unlawful , cannot lay an obligation . ] answ . a vow to god unlawfully imposed and taken , may binde to a lawful act. . he calls it [ unnecessary alterations against the law of the land. ] answ . i suppose i shall prove some reforming alteration necessary ; and it is not against law for a subject to petition for it , or a parliament-man to speak for it . yet when the man seems to me to be pleading conscience out of the land , he saith , [ would not this cause the christian religion in a short time to be exploded out of all kingdoms ? ] alas poor people ! what uncertain guides have you ? . he concludes , that the power of reforming being in the king , the vow was null . answ . the regal power of reforming is only in the king : to change laws without him , is usurpation . but parliament-men may speak for it , and subjects petition , and on just causes write and speak for needful reformation : and i speak for no other . § . iv. about not taking arms against those commissioned by the king ; he plainly professeth that we must not distinguish where the law doth not . and if it be an unlimited universal negative , it will quite go beyond mainwaring or sibthorpe : and for all his talk , my ignorance of the law shall suspend my subscription . . king john gave up his kingdom to the pope : i cannot say it had been unlawful for the kingdom to resist such as he should have commissioned to execute it . . nor such as should be commissioned to dispossess the right heir , and settle it on a stranger , or an enemy . . nor such as should be commissioned to seize on all the subjects estates or lives , yea or lay taxes contrary to law , in cases where the law enableth the sheriff by the posse comitatus to resist . . nor if any get the broad-seal to commissions to seize on the king's garrisons , forts , navies , treasures , guards , whereby a traiterous lord-keeper might at any time depose the king. i have told you , that old parliaments popish and protestant , and archbishop abbot , and bishop bilson , &c. were as much nonconformists in this as i am . and so much to the impleaders accusations of the nonconformists , and his reasons for the justifying of their silencing and ruine , and the lawfulness of some of the things which they judge to them unlawful : let the impartial reader try and judge . the rest of my book , which is the far greater part , he answereth by contempt and silence . chap. iv. of his dealing with the second plea for peace . while we hear men , that should be our brethren , go on to call to magistrates for execution of the laws ( which they have got ) against us , and for want of matter of accusation against those that they prosecute , raking up odious criminations from the late wars , which few of the now silenced ministers had any hand in ; and never ceasing to tell men , that the beginners of that war were guilty of the king's death . after or years silence , . i told them , that two parties of the episcopal conformists being the beginners , in england , it 's wonder'd that they see not how they accuse themselves : and why do they not profess repentance first ? . i fully told them what are our principles of government and obedience , and intreated them to shew me , wherein they are disloyal or culpable . and this man is the first that i finde pretending to assault it , and shame lessly passeth over the book itself , and by his silence seemeth to justifie our doctrine . and yet to shew his will , he taketh occasion again to take up the foresaid actions of the evil civil war , as if that were any thing to the present cause ; or as if he were calling the dead to judgment : ( for we have oft offered them thanks , if they will silence only those that had a hand in those wars . ) . he taketh on him to answer my historical preface ; and therein heapeth abundance of untruths , part of which i mentioned in the second chapter , and the rest i have so fully confuted in my answer to mr. hinkley , and in an historical index of those affairs , that i will not waste my own and the readers time , by saying the same things here again . and his accusations of my concord and moral prognostication , i have answered before . it is the manner of the man to name books , and take occasion from somewhat in them , to pour out that which he most abounds with ; and to try , whether men will take this for a confutation . o miserable world ! where the very preachers of holiness , love and peace , go on to the grave , and judgment , and eternity , fighting against holiness , love and peace ; forbidding others to worship god , ( that cannot swallow all their inventions ) and not enduring their brethren to live in peace among them . but 't is letter in the world of holy love and peace . a reflection on the reflecter on a book against sacrilegious desertion of the sacred ministry . § . when the king , being more merciful than the canoneer clergy , had granted licenses to the nonconformists , for the publick worshipping of god in peaceable assemblies , many of the clergy still cryed down such assemblies as schismatical ; when before they seemed to lay the charge of schism on them , for their want of authority : and these are the men , that when it is for their interest , are zealous defenders of the royal power against some parliaments limitations ; but their interest can extol , or at least absolve mr. hooker himself . some of them would have perswaded us to forbear the liberty which the king had granted us , and so to be the silencers of our selves , and to forbear gods publick worship till we dare conform . and no wonder , when they apprehended such dismal consequents to their church from our preaching , as mr. hinkley in his letter-book hath told you . among others , dr. fulwood would have drawn us into half this guilt , on pretence of perswading us to the moderate use of our licenses . on which occasion i wrote a small book , to prove that wilful deserting of our ministry even when it is forbidden unjustly , and yet remaineth notoriously necessary to the ends of the institution ) is downright sacriledge , and worse than alienating church-goods or lands . but i took occasion in it to deal as plainly with those non-conformists who are inclined to unwarrantable separations , as with our accusers . dr. fullwood wrote an answer to this book : i never replyed , partly that they may see that i can give such men the honour of having the last word , and partly to save mine own and the readers time . but now either he , or some other unnamed author that is marked m. a. hath published more useful reflections on that book . he knoweth to what use , and let him use them accordingly . § . i. part of his reflections are citations out of that and other of my books , of such words as seem to be for them , and against the non-conformists and my self . ii. the other part is his descant on the words , which he disliketh , and setteth them to the tune which suits his inclination , and may serve his turn . should i print an answer to such stuff as this , and in many sheets tell men where and how such men speak amiss , the reader might think that satan hath such power on me , as by any of his instruments , at his pleasure , to draw me to cast away my own and other mens precious time . § . all therefore that i shall say to him shall be this , i. as to the first , that . i can reconcile my own words , though he cannot : and as he never desired me to teach him to do it , i am not at leisure to offer him my service : all is not contradiction , which men that understand not words do think so . . readers , you see here when they call for moderation , and would have us come as near them as we can , they do but turn it to reproach . and one that granteth them all that they cite out of my books , and comes as near them as i do , is nevertheless thought unsufferable by them , in the exercise of the ministry and out of jayl . this is the spirit of the men . § . ii. to the other part i only say , the man mistakes all the question ; which is not , whether i be good or bad , learned or unlearned : let this be determined with him as he will. i am so ignorant and bad , that i will not now trouble him with much contradiction . but the question is , . whether the two thousand ministers were justly silenced ? . and whether if they wilfully ( though so silenced ) desert the ministry to which they were devoted and consecrated , they will not be guilty of damnable sacriledge and perfidiousness ? if the man will speak to purpose to this question , it is like that some one will confute his defence of so great a sin , when i am past this unpleasant military work. a note on varney's book against the dissenters from the church of england . instead of confuting it , i commend the reading of it to such as would see which side hath phanaticks . it declareth that j. varney hath by faith pulled down the devils kingdome ; and that king charles . shall be emperour of all nations , by whom christ will govern them ; greater than turk , pope , or french. and the way is , the dissenters from the government of the church of england must be made hewers of wood and drawers of water , and must pay all taxes and payments of the land , to maintain the forces that shall preserve the land against them : like decimation . notes on mr. le strange 's casuist uncased . i have had some gentle touches from this musical band heretofore , which i found not my self obliged to answer . nor shall i now say any more than this : i. that he that fetcheth his chief stings and scorns from a book , and the leaf of another book about twenty years or longer at least revoked and obliterated , sheweth that if with austin we wrote retractations , such men would turn all to reproach . ii. that i make not mr. le strange 's judgment the measure of my repentance or retractations . iii. that i have never had the schooling of him , and so never taught him to understand my writings , and therefore undertake not that things congruous shall not seem contradictions to him . but i can reconcile more than he can . for instance , . my disputation of scandal , plea second , reconcileth what he dreamed was contradiction , about imposing things evil by accident . . i can reconcile the kings having power about the circumstances , yea and substance of religion ; and yet that he hath none but what he had from christ . but i have not leasure for such work as this . iv. mr. le strange quite mistakes the non-conformists question , as the reflecter doth ; as if hissing and stinging were disputing . he seemeth to make the question to be , whether i be not a giddy , mutable , self-contradicting fool and knave : let him in that believe what pleases himself . our question is , whether silencing , fining , imprisoning the non-conformists , be the way of peace , and of the desired concord of protestants ? yea , whether concord be possible on those terms , and they will ever end our sad divisions . notes on a dialogue between the pope and a phanatick . mr. l. strange's dialogue minds me of this , for it is a book not to be forgotten : the scope of it is to shew , that the non-conformists are designing to destroy the king ; that their principles are rebellious ; that they have so far prevailed already , that we must have no king , or no parliament ; which yet being needful , and the genius of the parliament thus corrupted , the king must choose his own councellors , and take the choice from the people ( to this sense ) , and all the loyal subjects must give their hands , and list or engage themselves to defend the king against these conspirators . just the meal-tub plot ! but my second plea was written to answer such as this ; and i leave the fuller answer to those that are more concerned in it . so much against this regiment of accusers . turba gravis paci placidaeque inimica qui●ti . finis . notes, typically marginal, from the original text notes for div a -e * alas ! then there is no remedy ! m. perkins, his exhortation to repentance, out of zephaniah preached in . sermons in sturbridge faire. together with two treatises of the duties and dignitie of the ministrie: deliuered publiquely in the vniuersitie of cambridge. with a preface præfixed touching the publishing of all such workes of his as are to be expected: with a catalogue of all the perticulers [sic] of them, diligently perused and published, by a preacher of the word. perkins, william, - . approx. kb of xml-encoded text transcribed from -bit group-iv tiff page images. text creation partnership, ann arbor, mi ; oxford (uk) : - (eebo-tcp phase ). a stc . estc s this keyboarded and encoded edition of the work described above is co-owned by the institutions providing financial support to the early english books online text creation partnership. this phase i text is available for reuse, according to the terms of creative commons . universal . the text can be copied, modified, distributed and performed, even for commercial purposes, all without asking permission. early english books online. (eebo-tcp ; phase , no. a ) transcribed from: (early english books online ; image set ) images scanned from microfilm: (early english books, - ; : ) m. perkins, his exhortation to repentance, out of zephaniah preached in . sermons in sturbridge faire. together with two treatises of the duties and dignitie of the ministrie: deliuered publiquely in the vniuersitie of cambridge. with a preface præfixed touching the publishing of all such workes of his as are to be expected: with a catalogue of all the perticulers [sic] of them, diligently perused and published, by a preacher of the word. perkins, william, - . crashaw, william, - . [ ], , [ ], p. imprinted by t. c[reede]. for william welby, and are to bee sold at his shop in pauls church-yard, at the signe of the grey-hound, london : . with a dedication signed: william crashaw, and including: 'the second treatise of the duties and dignities of the ministerie' by william perkins, with a divisional titlepage, separate pagination and register and a dedication signed: w. crashawe. collation of 'exhortation': a * b-g h⁴ of which sigs. a - , * and * are blanks. printer from stc ( nd ed.). marginal notes. copy filmed at umi microfilm early english books - reel lacks preliminary pages to second part. reproduction of original in the cambridge university library, england. created by converting tcp files to tei p using tcp tei.xsl, tei @ oxford. re-processed by university of nebraska-lincoln and northwestern, with changes to facilitate morpho-syntactic tagging. gap elements of known extent have been transformed into placeholder characters or elements to simplify the filling 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michigan. % (or pages, whichever is the greater) of each text was proofread for accuracy and those which did not meet qa standards were returned to the keyers to be redone. after proofreading, the encoding was enhanced and/or corrected and characters marked as illegible were corrected where possible up to a limit of instances per text. any remaining illegibles were encoded as <gap>s. understanding these processes should make clear that, while the overall quality of tcp data is very good, some errors will remain and some readable characters will be marked as illegible. users should bear in mind that in all likelihood such instances will never have been looked at by a tcp editor. the texts were encoded and linked to page images in accordance with level of the tei in libraries guidelines. copies of the texts have been issued variously as sgml (tcp schema; ascii text with mnemonic sdata character entities); displayable xml (tcp schema; characters represented either as utf- unicode or text strings within braces); or lossless xml (tei p , characters represented either as utf- unicode or tei g elements). keying and markup guidelines are available at the text creation partnership web site . eng repentance -- early works to . sermons, english -- th century. clergy -- office -- early works to . vocation, ecclesiastical -- early works to . - tcp assigned for keying and markup - apex covantage keyed and coded from proquest page images - john latta sampled and proofread - john latta text and markup reviewed and edited - pfs batch review (qc) and xml conversion m. perkins , his exhortation to repentance , out of zephaniah : preached in . sermons in sturbridge faire . together with two treatises of the duties and dignitie of the ministrie : deliuered publiquely in the vniuersitie of cambridge . with a preface praefixed touching the publishing of all such workes of his as are to be expected : with a catalogue of all the perticulers of them , diligently perused and published , by a preacher of the word . prouerbs . . hee that hideth his sinnes shall not prosper , but he that confesseth and for saketh them shall finde mercy . london imprinted by t. c. for william welby , and are to bee sold at his shop in pauls church-yard , at the signe of the grey-hound . . to the right worshipfull , my very worthie and christian friend , syr william gee , knight , one of his maiesties honourable counsell in the north , recorder of the towne maiesties iustices of peace in the eastriding of the countie of yorke , a true friend of learning , and pietie , and to the vertuous , and religious lady his wife . grace and peace from god &c. amongst the many reasons ( worshipful syr ' , ) which haue perswaded mee that poperie cannot bee the true religiō , this is not the lest : the insufficiency of their doctrin of faith & repētance : which two things though they be the chiefe & principal points in religion , and so necessarie that he , who doth not , both knowe , and practise them aright , can neuer be saued yet i dare auouch , that the faith and repentance of the romish church , as they are taught by many of the best approued papists , are no better then such a faith , and such a repentance as an hypocrite , and a very reprobate may attaine vnto : indeed , to insist vpon repentance onely ( they make many faire florishes , they call it penance , they make it a sacrament , & say it is a boord that saues a man after shipwrack , and write great volumnes of it , and of confession , and of cases of conscience , ( as you good syr in your owne reading know better then i ) & yet alas , when all is done , it is but a shadow of repentance ; and indeede how can they teach aright the doctrine of repentance : which erre so fowly in setting downe the iustice of god , and the vilenes of sin , which . points a man must know , else he will neuer repent : but poperie misconceiuing the iustice of god , teaching it not to bee infinite in as much as it needes not an infinite satisfaction , & misconceiuing the nature of sin , teaching euery sin not to bee damnable , 〈◊〉 to offend gods infinite iustice , ●●ring ( i say ) in these . how is it possible they should conceiue aright the nature of repentance ? by which a man seeing his sins , their foulenesse their punishment , and his own misery by them , confesseth them , bewails them , fearing gods iustice , flyeth frō it , and craues forgiuenesse of his mercie , and lastly purposeth , & indeuoureth to leaue them all , and to leade a newe life . the serious consideration hereof , hath often made me wonder , why many popish treatises being in some sort exhortations to repentance should be so accounted of , as they are by some : for though i confesse there are in some of them , good and holesome meditations , and many motiues to mortification , and good life , yet would i gladly learne of any man but this one thing , how those exhortations can be pithie , or powerful , sound or any way sufficient to moue a man to repentance , when as , not those bookes , nor all poperie is able to teach a man sufficiently what true repentance is . if any man reply : i will therefore learne the doctrine out of the protestants bookes , and vse the papists for exhortation onely : i then answere , is it not a more compendious , and conuenient , and a lesse scandalous course , to seeke exhortations out of such writers , as do teach the doctrine aright ? nay i doubt how it is possible to finde a powerfull exhortation to repentance in any papist , who erres in the doctrine : the reason is manifest , because doctrine is the ground of exhortation : and if the doctrine be vnsound , how can the exhortation , be any better . let vs therefore leaue these muddic puddles , and fet our water at the fountaine : the water of life , at the fountaine of life , i mean the doctrine of faith , and repentance at the written word of god , and at such mens writings as are grounded therevpon , and agreeable thereunto . now , amongst those many instruments of god , who haue laboured with profit in this great point of religion : namely repentance , drawing their doctrine out of the two brests , of the . testaments of gods booke , i may well say , ( to say no more , ) that this man of god maister perkins , deserues to haue his place : whose labours , whilst he liued , and his yet liuing labours , what they deserue , i had rather others should proclame , then i once name : who professe my selfe to bee one of those many , who may truely say , that by the grace of god & his good meanes principally , i am that i am : but leaning him in that glorious mansion , which christ the lord of the haruest hath prepared for him : and now giuen him . i returne to my selfe , and doe humbly praise the lord of heauen , who gaue mee my time in the vniuersitie , in those happie dayes , wherein ( beside many other worthy men of god , whereof some are falne asleepe , and some remaine aliue vnto this day ) this holy man did spend him self like a candle to giue light vnto others : the scope of all his godly endeuours was to teach christ iesus , and him crucified , and much laboured to moue all men to repentance , that as our knowledge hath made popery ashamed of their ignorance : so our holy liues might honour our holy profession . and as repentance was one of the principal ends , both of his continuall preaching and writing : soespecially and purposely hath hee twise dealt in that argument . first , in his treatise of repentance : published . wherein briefly ( as his manner was ) but soundly , pithily , and feelingly , hee layeth downe the true doctrine , and the very nature of repentance : and after the positiue doctrine , hee toucheth some of the principall controuersies and difficulties in that doctrine , but afterwards thinking with himselfe , that hee had not seriously and forcibly enough , vrged so great & necessarie a lesson as repentance is , therefore shortly after , being desired and called to the duty of preaching , in that great , & general assembly at sturbridge-faire , he thought it a fit time : for this necessary and generall exhortation to repentance : to the intent , that as wee were taught the doctrine of repentance , in the former treatise : so in these sermons we might bee stirred vp to the practise of it . and certainly , ( good sir : ) i iudge there could haue beene no matter , more fit for that assembly then an exhortation to repentance , for as the audience was great and general , of all sorts , sexes , ages and callings of men , and assembled out of many corners of this kingdom so , is this doctrine generall for all : some doctrines are for parents , some for children , some for schollers , some for tradse-men , some for men , some for women , but repentance is for all : without which , it may bee said of all , and euery one of age , not one excepted : no repentance , no saluation these sermons being in my hands , and not deliuered to mee from hand to hand , but taken with this hand of mine , from his owne mouth , were thought worthy for the excellencie , & fit for the generallity of the matter , to be offered to the publique veiwe : i haue also other workes of his in my hands : of which ( being many , ) i confesse my selfe , to be but the keeper for the time , taking my selfe bounde to keepe them safely , to the benefite of gods church , of whose treasure vpon earth i make no questiō , but they are a part : and i hartily desire you ( my godly friends ) & all other faithfull christians to solicite the lord in prayer for me , that i may faithfully discharge my self of that great charge which in this respect lyeth vpon me : and that his grace and blessing may be on mee , and all others , who are to be imployed in this seruice , wherein ( had the lord so pleased ) wee could heartily haue wished neuer to haue bin imployed : but that his life might haue eased vs of the labour : and that as i begin with this , so i , or some other better able ( which i rather desire ) may goe forward , vndertaking the weight of this great burthen , and not faint , till he haue made a faithfull account to the church of god , of all these iewels deliuered to our trust . and now these first fruites of my labours , in another mans vineyard , as also all that hereafter doe or may follow , i humbly consecrate to the blessed spouse of christ iesus , the holy church of god on earth , and namely to the church of england , our beloued mother , who may reioyce , that she was the mother of such a sonne , who in few yeares did so much good to the publique cause of religiō , as the wickednesse of many yeares shall not be able to weare out . but first of all , and especially , i present the same vnto you ( my very worsh ▪ and christian friends ) who ( i must needes say ) are very worthy of it in many respects . for the matter it selfe , which is repentance , my selfe being able to testifie , that you are not heares . but doers , ripe in knowledge , & rife in the practise of repentance , insomuch as i dare from the testimonie of my conscience , and in the word of a minister pronounce of you , that as you haue heard and knowne this doctrine of repentance , so blessed are you , for you doe it . and . for him , who was the author hereof ( whose mouth spake it from the feeling of his soule , & whose soule is now bound vp in the bundle of life : ) i know and cannot in good conscience cōceale the great delight , you haue alwaies had in the reading of his bookes , the reuerend opinion , you had of him liuing , and how heauily and passionately , you tooke his death , and departure : therefore to cheare you vp in want of him , i send you here this little booke , his owne childe , begotten in his life time , but borne after his death : obserue it well and you shall find it , not vnlike the father , yea , you shall discerne in it the fathers spirit , and it doubts not , but to find entertainement with them , of whom the father was so well respected . and for my selfe , i spare to rehearse what interest you haue in me , & al my labours , it is no more then you worthily deserue , and shall haue in me for euer : you are the fairest flowers in this garden , which in this place i after others haue planted for the lord ( or rather god by vs ) : and two principall pearles in that caowne , which i hope for , at the last day from the lord my god , whose worde at my mouth you haue receiued with much reuerence , and with such profit , as if i had the like successe of my labours in others , i should then neuer haue cause to say , with the prophet , i haue laboured in vain , & spent my strength in vaine , but my iudgement is with the lord. & my work with my god. and if i knewe you not , to be such as take more delight in doing well , then in hearing of it , i would proue at large , what i haue spoken of you : yet giue me leaue to say that , which without open wrong , i may not conceile , that beside your rare knowledge , and godly zeale to religion , and other duties of the first table to god himselfe : your charity & pitty to the needy distressed christians , at home and abroad : your mercifull dealing with them , who are in your power ; your beneuolence to learning , and namely to some in the vniuersitie ; doe all proclaime to the world those your due praise : which i ( well knowing your modesties ) do spare once to name : neither , would i haue said thus much , were it not for this cold and barren age , wherein wee liue , that so , when our preaching cannot moue , yet your godly examples might stirre vp . pardon me therefore i pray you , and think it no wrong to you , which is a benefit to gods church : but goe forward in the strength of the lord your god , & hold on in that happie course you haue begun , bee faithfull vnto the end , the lord will giue you the crowne of life , faithfull is hee , which hath promised , who will also doe it : proceed ( good sir ) to honour learning in your selfe and others , and religion especially , which is the principall learning ; and proceed both of you , to practise religion in your own persons ; and in your family : hold on to shine before your family , and amongst the people , where you dwell , in zeale and holinesse : hold on hereby , still to shame popery , to stop your enemies mouthes , and to honour that holy religiō , which you professe , to gaine comfort of good conscience to your selues , & assurance of eternall reward : and lastly , to encourage me in those painefull duties which lye vpon me : for i openly professe that your religious zeale and loue of the truth , with māy other good helps , are principal incouragements in my ministry , & especial motiues vnto me , to vndertake the charge of publicatiō , of so many of the workes of this holy man deceased , as may not in better maner be done by others . but i keep you too long from this holy exhortation following , i therefore send you to it , & it to you , and from you to the church of god , for i dare not make it to bee priuately yours and mine , wherein the whole church hath interest , as well as we : it was preached in the field , but it is worthy to be admitted into our hearts : i found it in the open field , but vpon diligēt view , finding it to bee gods corne , and a parcel of his holy and immortal seed , therefore i brought it home , as good corne deserues : and as it is gods corne , so in you i desire all holy christians to lay it vp in gods garners , that is in their hearts and soules . and thus committing this little volume to your reading , the matter to your practise : you and yours , to the blessed fauour of that god , whom you serue : and my selfe and my endeuours . to your hartie loue , and holie praiers . i take leaue : from mie studie . august . . . yours in christ iesus , euer assured . william crashavve . to the christian reader , and especially to all such as haue any coppies of the workes of maister perkins , or intend any of them to the presse . forasmuch as there hath beene lately signification made , of diuers of m. perkins his workes hereafter to bee printed , in an epistle to the reader praemised before the treatise of callings , and that signification being but generall , might peraduenture giue occasion to some , to set out some particulars ( without the consent of m. perkins his assignes ) as imperfectly as are these two bookes , intituled the reformation of couetousnesse , and the practise of faith , iustly and truly ( for ought that i see ) censured in the aforesaide epistle : it is therefore nowe thought good , to mention the particular treatises , and workes of his , which shall hereafter ( if god wil ) be published , for the benefite of gods church : i doe therefore hereby make knowne to all , whome it any way may concerne , that there were found in the studie of the deceased , and are in the hands of his executors , or assignes , and preparing for the presse . his expositions on the epistle to the galathians . on the epistle of iude. his booke of the cases of conscience . his treatises , . of witch-craft . . of callings . all these he had perused himselfe , and made them ready for the presse , according to which coppies by himselfe so corrected , some of them already are , and the rest will be published in due time : and hereupon we desire all men who haue coppies of them , not to offer that wrong to that worthy man of god , as to publish any of their own , seeing the coppies hereof which are to be printed , are of his own correcting : but rather if they can helpe to make any of them more perfect by their coppies , they may therin doe a good worke to the benefit of many , and much comfort to themselues . and further , i doe hereby make knowne , that i haue in my handes at this present of his workes , taken from his mouth , with my owne hand , hereafter ( if god wil ) to be published , with the allowance of our church , and for the benefit of his children , these particulars . his expositions or readings , on the . psalme . on the . psalme . on the . chap. to the hebrewes . on the , , & . chap. of the reuelation . . on the , , and . chapters of saint matthew . his confutation of camsius his little popish catechisme . his treatises , . of imaginations out of genes . . . . of temptations , out of mathew . . of christian equitie , out of phillippians . . . of the callings of the ministery , out of two places of scripture . . of repentance , out of zephaniah , . . besides many other particular sermons , and short discourses made vpon seuerall , and speciall occasions : of al which , some are already published by others , and some by my selfe : and all the rest that remaine , as they bee the iewels of gods church , so did i willingly dedicate them to the publique and general good : iudgeing it were a foule sinne in mee , or any other , to impropriate to our selues , or our owne priuate vse , the labours of this , or any other learned man , which are in my opinion , parts of the treasurie of the militant church : and as it were wrong to the church , if i should conceale them , so doubtlesse were it to him & his children : if i should publish them for mine owne alone , and not for their benefit . if i doe , i thinke it may be iustly sayde vnto mee , or whosoeuer doth so , thy monie perish with thee . and what herein i haue sayd for my selfe : i know i may boldly & safely say , for his executors or assignes , which haue or had in their hands , any of those which were found in his studie : in the publishing of alwhich , as we do intend to deale truly with the christian reader , and not to commit any thing to the presse , which hath not either beene written or corrected , by the authour himselfe , or faithfully penned according to the truest coppies taken from his owne mouth , and since by others of sufficiencie and integritie , dilligently perused : so we purpose to referre them to the benefit of the authours wife and children , as much as may bee , wishing that vpon this caueat , men would not be so hastie ( as some haue been ) to commend to the world , their vnprefect notes , vpon a base desire of a little gaine , both to hinder the common good of the church , and to defraude the said parties of their priuate benefit , to whom in all equitie and conscience , it doth principally appertaine : and desiring all who haue any perfect coppies of such as are in my owne handes , that they would either helpe me with theirs , or rather take mine to helpe them . that by our ioynt powers and our forces layd together : the walles of this worthy building , may goe vp the fairer & the faster . and so i commend them all to gods blessing , who endeuor to commend themselues , and their labours to god and to his church . your brother in the lord. w. c. an exhortation to repentance . zophoniah , chap. . verse . . . search your selues , euensearch you ô nation , not worthy to be beloued : before the decree come forth , and you be as chaffe that passeth on a day . the prophet in the first chapter of this prophecy , rebuketh the iewes of three notable crimes , idolatry , fraud , and crueltie . in this second he exhorts them to repentance , and withall reproueth some of their speciall sinnes . in the three first verses he propoundeth the doctrine of repentance , and addeth some speciall reasons to mooue and stirre them vp to the practise of it . in propounding the doctrine of repentance , he directs it to two sorts of men . first to the obstinate and impenitent iewes in the first and second verses . secondly , to the better sort of them , in the third . so that the summe and substance of these two first verses , is a briefe and summarie propounding of the doctrine of repentance to the obstinate iewes . the wordes containe in them . seuerall points , touching the doctrine of repentance . the dutie to be performed , search : who must be searched : your selues . who must doe it . the iewes : who are further described to be a nation , not worthy to be beloued of god , these are in the first verse . . in the second verse : the time limitting them , when to repent , before the decree come forth that is , before god put in execution the iudgements which are already decreed & appointed for them . . a forcible reason vrging them to doe it which lieth hid , and is necessarily implied in the fourth point : namely , that there is a decree against them , which wants nothing but execution : which also shal come vnlesse they repent , whereby they shal be fanned : and if they shall be found to be chaffe , they shal fly away with the winde of gods iustice . of all these points in order . for the first , the holy ghost saith ; search your selues . the words are commonly reade thus . gather your selues , which , though it be good , for that in repentance a man gathereth himselfe , and all his wits together , which afore were dispersed , & wandred vp & down in vanity : yet i rather allow their translation who read thus . search , or fan your selues : but either of them may stand , because the word in the original doth cōprehēd both significations ; yet it seemeth that to search , or sift , fits this place better , considring the same manner of speech is atterwards continued in the word chaffe : so that the meaning of the holy ghost seemeth to bee this : search , try , and fanne your selues , least you bee found light chaffe , and so fly away and be consumed before the iustice of god. concerning this duty of searching , let vs obserue first , that the holy ghost vrging the iewes to repent , vseth not the word repentance , but bids them search themselues : yet meaning , hee , would haue them to repent : giuing vs to vnderstand , that no man can haue true and sound repentance , but hee who hath first of all searched and examined himselfe : and this stands with good reason , for no man can repent , who first of all doth not know himselfe , and his owne wretchednesse . but no man can see into himselfe , nor knowe himselfe , but hee that doth diligently search himselfe : so that the beginning of all grace , is for a man to search and try , and fanne himselfe , that thereby he may knowe what is in himselfe : that so vpon the search , seeing his fearefull and damnable estate , hee may forsake himselfe & his owne waies and turne to the lord. thus speaketh the holy ghost in the heartes of holy men ; let vs search and try our waies : and make what followeth ; and turne againe to the lord : as though there were no turning againe to the lord , but after a searching of our selues . with this testimonie of the holy ghost , agreeth the testimonie of al holy mens consciences , who all knowe , that the first beginning of their turning to the lord , was a searching of themselues : let any repentant sinner aske his conscience , and call to minde his first calling and conuersion , and he will remember that the first thing in his repentance was this ; that he searched into himselfe , and looked narrowly into his waies , and finding his waies dangerous , and his case fearefull , did thereupon resolue to take a new course , and turne to the lord for pardon and mercie , and for grace to enter into more holy , and more comfortable courses . the man that passeth vpon ridges of mountains , and sides of hils , or that goeth ouer a narrow bridge , or some dangerous and steepe rockes , at midnight ; feareth not , because hee seeth no daunger : but bring the same man , in the morning , and let him see the narrowe bridge , he went ouer in the night , vnder which runnes a violent streame , and a bottomlesse gulfe , and the daungerous mountaines , and rocks , he passed ouer , and he will wonder at his owne boldnesse , and shrinke for feare to thinke of it , and will by no meanes venter the same way againe : for now hee seeth the height of the mountaines ; the steepnesse of the hilles , the cragginesse of the rockes , the fearsul downfall , and the furious violence of the streame vnderneath , & therby seeth the extreame daunger , which afore he saw not : therfore he wondreth , & reioy ●oth , that he hath escaped so great a da●nger ; and will by no meanes be drawn to goe that way in the day , which hee went most carelesly in the darkenesse of the night , but seeketh another way ( though it should be far about : ) so a sinner in his first estate , which is naturall and corrupt ( as wee are bredde and borne ) hath a vaile before his face : so that hee seeth nothing : the wrath of god and the curse due for sinne , hell and damnation seeking to deuoure him , he seeth them not , although ( liuing alwaies in sinne , ) hee walketh in the very iawes of hell it selfe : and because he seeth not this fearefull daunger , therefore hee refuseth no sinne at all , but rusheth securely into all maner of sinne : the night of impenitencie , and the myst of ignorance so blinding his eyes , that he seeth not the narrow bridge of this life , from which if he slide , he falles immediatly into the bottomlesse p●t of hell. but when as gods spirit hath by the light of gods word opened his eyes & touched his heart to consider his estate , then hee seeth the fraile bridge of this narrow life , and how little a sleppe there is between him and damnation ; then hee seeth hell open due for his sinnes , and himselfe in the high way to it : sinne being the craggy rocke , and hell the gaping gulfe vnder it ; this life being the narrowe bridge , and damnation the streame which runneth vnder it : then hee wondreth at his miserable estate , admireth the mercie of god in keeping him from falling into the bottome of hell , wondreth at the presumptuous boldnesse of his corruption , which so securely plodded on towards destruction , and being ashamed of himselfe , and these his waies , he turnes his heart to the god that saued him from these daungers ; and sets himselfe into more holy wayes , and more comfortable courses , and confesseth that ignorance made him bold , and blindnesse made him so presumptuous ; but now hee seeth the daunger , and will by no meanes goe the same way againe : and thus the searching and seeing into the foulnesse of sinne , and the daunger thereof , is the first beginning of repentance , and the first step into grace . this doctrine teacheth vs what faith and repentance is generall in the world : all men say , they beleeue , and haue repented long agoe ; but trie it well , and we shall finde in the bodie of our nation , but a lippe faith , and a sippe repentance : for euen when they say so , they are blinde and ignorant of their owne estate , & know not themselues , but presume of themselues , that because they are baptized and liue in the church , therefore they are in gods fauour , and in very good estate , when as they neuer yet were recōciled to god : and are so farre from it , that they neuer yet saw any sinnes in themselues wherof they shuld repent : as a man trauelling in the night , seeth no daunger , but plods on without feare : so the most part of our common people , in the night of their ignorance , think and presume they loue and feare god , and loue their neighbour ; and that they haue euer done so : nay , it is the common opinion that a man may do so by nature , and that hee is not worthy to liue , who doth not loue god with all his heart , and beleeue in iesus christ : but alas poore simple soules , they neuer knewe what sinne was , neuer searched nor saw into theirown harts with the light of gods lawe , for if they had , they should haue seene such a sea of corruption , that then they would confesse it to bee the hardest thing in the world , to loue god , and to beleeue in christ , and for sake sinne : it is therefore manifest , that they haue not yet begun to beleeue or repent , nor haue entred into the first step of grace , which leadeth to repentance , for that they haue not learned this lesson , which the prophet teacheth : that is , to search themselues . furthermore , let vs in the second place , obserue better the signification of the word : it signifieth to search narrowly , as a man would doe for a piece of gold , or a p●cious iewell , which is lost in a great house : or as a man may search for gold in a myne of the earth , where is much earth , and but very little gold oare . hence wee may learne , that in true repentance , and conuersion , we must not search so only , as to find the grosse and palpable sinnes of our liues : but so as we may finde those sinnes which the world accounts lesser sinnes , and espie our secret faults & priuy corruptions . some corruptions see memore neere a kinne to our nature , and therein men hope to be excused , when they forsake many other greater sins : but a true penitent sinner must search for such , so as a good magistrate searcheth for a lurking 〈…〉 which is 〈◊〉 into some close and secret corner , and he must ranfack his heart for such corruptions , as wherein his heart takes special delight , and must thanke that no sinne can be so small , but it is too great to be spared , and that euery sinne great or litle , must be searched for , as being all tray 〈◊〉 to gods maiestie . but alas , the practise ●● the world is farre otherwise , great sinnes are little sinnes , little sinnes are no sinnes : nay , after a little custome , great sinnes are also little or nothing , and so at last men make no bones of grosse and grieuous sins : and for the most part men search so superficially , that they scarse finde any thing to be sinne : such excuses are made , such distinctiōs are deuised , such mittigations , such qualifications , such colours are cast vppon all sinnes ; as now vp and downe the world , grosse sins are called into question , whether they be sins or no : and the great transgressions of the lawe are counted small matters , necessarie euils or inconueniences , tollerated to auoyd other euils : and what is he counted but a curious and a precise foole , which stands vpon them : ignorance after fiue and thirtie yeares preaching is counted no sinne , blind deuotion in gods seruice no sin , lippe labour in praying , vaine and customable swearing , mocking of religion , and the professors thereof , no sin : prophaning of the saboath , contemning of preachers , abusing of parents ▪ no sinnes pride in apparel , superfluitie in meates , beastly and ordinarie drunkennes , fornication , no sinnes . nay , decites , cosonages , oppressing vsury , notorious briberie , and couetousnes , that mother sinne ; these are counted no sinnes : these beames are made but moates by prophane men , & they are so minced and carued , or there is some such necessitie of them , or some such other flourish or vernish must be cast vpon thē , as that they are little or none at all . alas , alas , is not that a simple & a silly search where such blockes as these are , lye vnspied ? what are moulehils , when such mountaines are not seene ? moates will be little regarded , where such beames are not discerned : but it is cleare , that therefore there is no true trial nor diligent search made : for a true conuert will search his heart for all , and wil spare none : he deales in searching his owne heart , as a good iustice of peace in searching for traytors or seminarie priests . he seekes not superficially , but most exactly , and leaueth neuer a corner vnsought , and he thinkes great sinnes to be infinite , and little sinnes great , and iudgeth no sinne so small , but that it deserueth the anger of god , & therefore he wonders at the mercy of god , which throwes vs not al downe to hel in a moment : & he crieth out with holy ieremie : it is the lords mercie that we are not consumed . away then with this superficial & hypocritical search , where so many sinnes are spared and not found out . it is pharisaical , for euen so the pharisie , when hee came into the temple to recken with god , and to tell what traytours hee had found , that is , what sinnes , vpon good search hee had espied , he returnes his precept , all is well , he hath found neuer a one , but beginnes to thanke god that he was so good , and so good , and not so il , and so il , nor yet like the publicane . the world is full of pharisies , not onely the popish church : but euen our church swarms with these superficial searchers , who cannot ( because they will not , ) finde any sinnes to present vnto god , men thinke in the countrie , a church officer hazards his oath , if he present all well , and findeth no fault in his parish , to present as punishable to the ordinary : for men thinke it vnpossible , that there should bee none in a whole parish : then how doth that man hazard his own soule , who being made ouerseer & searcher of his heart , findes nothing in it to present to the lord. for it is not more easie to espie outward & actual trāsgessions in a whole parish , then it is to finde a heape of corruptions in a mans heart , if a man will search into the bottome of it with the light of gods law. therefore when the lord comes and keepes his visitation , what shal become of such a man , but to vndergoe the strict and seuere search of the almightie , because hee would not search himselfe ? our bodyes and liues are free from spanish inquisition ( which is one of the last props , which sathan hath lent the pope , wherewith to vphold his declining kingdom ) and the lord grant we may be euer free from it . but in the meane time , that might put vs in mind how to deale with our corrupt hearts , and vnmortified affections , euen to erect an inquisition ouer them , to lay in waite for them , to search them narrowly , and to vse them roughly : yea , to set our hearts vpon the rack of gods law , that so it may confesse the secret wickednesse of it : for the papistes doe not thinke vs protestants , greater enemies to their superstition , then the inward corruptions of our hearts , are to our saluation : therefore it may bee a godly pollicie for euery man , curn to erect an inquisition ouer his owne heart and conscience , and not to spare his most secret and dearest sinnes , and such as are neerest allyed to his owne nature : for that is the true search here commaunded by the prophet , and practised by all godly and holy men : when a man purposeth to finde al that are , & to espie euē al his sins : for a godly man is neuer satisfied in his search , but still , the more he findes , he suspects the more are stil behind : and therefore hee continueth searching his owne heart all his life long : therefore let euery , professor looke to it betwixt god and his conscience , that he dally not with himselfe in ths case : for if he doe , then , when god comes with his priuie search , his hypocrisie shall bee discouered , and his nakednesse shall be layd open in the view of men , and angels : to his eternal confusion . thirdly , search , saith the prophet , but not so content : he forceth it againe , euen search you . in thus repeating and vrging this exhortation , the holy ghost giues them , and vs to vnderstand , that the true searching of a mans heart , and life , is a duty of a great moment , and special necessitie : therefore he leaues it not after once naming it , but inforceth it the second time , as being no matter of indifferency , but of great necessitie : thereby shewing , that it is a principal dutie in repentance , euen the beginning and foundation of all true grace . and further , it is a meanes also to preuent gods iudgements : for when men search not themselues , then god sendes the fire of afflictions , and crosses to trie and search them : but , when they search themselues , then god spareth to search them by his iudgements . now in that this dutie of searching , is both the beginning of all true grace , and the meane to stay gods iudgements , and therefore is so pithely , and forceably vrged by the holy ghost , it must teach vs all a necessarie lesson : namely , to make great conscience of searching our selues . first , because god hath so commanded , and we are to make conscience of obedience to euery commandement . secondly , because therby we shal reape two so great commodities , as first , thereby we shal lay a sure foundatiō for the good work of grace in vs , and secondly , shall stay the hand of god , and his iudgements from being executed vpon vs. let vs therefore hearken to this counsaile of the holy ghost , let vs take the fan of the lawe , and therewith search and winnowe our hearts and liues . our hearts , for secret and hidden corruptions . our liues , for committing of euil , and omitting of good . doe with your hearts as men doe with their wheate : they will not suffer their corne to lie long in the chaffe , least the chaffe hurt it , but commits it to the fanne that the winde may separate them : so the graces of god in our hearts are pure corne , our sinnes and corruptions are chaffe : looke well , and thou shalt finde in thy selfe much chaffe , and but little corne : let not then the chaffe lye too long mingled with the corne , lest it corrupt the corne . let not thy sinnes lye mingled with the grace of god in thee , if thou doe , they will choake it in the end , and so depriue thee of all grace ; therfore rippe vp thy heart , and looke into thy life , and when thou hast sinned , enter into thy selfe , aske thy conscience what thou hast done , & be not quiet till thou hast found out thy sin , and the foulenesse of it : and neuer thinke that thou knowest any thing in religion , till thou knowest what is in thine owne heart . and what are thy special and priuiest corruptions , and looke into thine owne faults , not with a partial eye , but with a censorious , and a strait iudgement , spare sin in no man , but especially condemne it in thy selfe . but alas , these times of ours , cry out of an other state , for euen ieremies case is ours : we may complaine as hee did , no man repents him of his wickednesse , saying what haue i done ? the same is the sore of our people , and the sicknesse of all nations : that euery man runnes on in his sinnes , from sinne to sinne carelesly : euen as the barde horse into the battaile . but how rare a thing is it , to find a man , that dayly searcheth himself , & examines how he liues , and how the case standeth betwixt god and himselfe : and that when hee hath done amisse , entereth into the closet of his heart , and strikes himselfe vpon the breast , and disputes the case with himselfe , saying : what hane i done ? o what is this , that i haue done against god , against his church , and against my owne soule ? the want of this , is that , which the prophet complaines of in that place : not as though it were sufficient thus to doe , in a mans owne conscience : but because it is a good beginning , and a step to further grace . for if a man did seriously thus deale with his conscience after his sinne , his conscience would shape him such an aunswere , and would tell him so roundly , what hee had done , that hee would take heede , how hee did the same againe , and looke more narrowly , and warily to himselfe all the dayes of his life . seeing therefore it is so necessarie a dutie , let euery one of vs indeuour the practise of it , namely , to rippe and ransacke our hearts , and to search our wayes vnto the bottome . now for your better instruction , and furtherance in the performance hereof : you must know that this search is to be made by the lawe of god , for nothing els , but gods law can helpe vs , & let vs see that which we must search for : for if wee search by any other means , we may seek & search long enough , ere we find any thing that wil be matter of repentance . aske the diuel , he will tell thee all is well , & that thou art in an excellent estate : and god loues thee , and thou art sure of heauen : this song the diuell alwayes sings for the most part til a man comes to die , for then hee appeares in his colours , but till then , hee laboures , to sing , and lull all men a sleepe in the cradle of securitie . aske our owne flesh , & our owne hearts and natures , and they will answere , and say , that all is well and safe , and that wee haue beleeued , and loued and feared god all our dayes . aske the world , and men in the world : and they will aunswere , all is well ; and they will say further , that thou art a right good fellow , and art worth twentie of these curious fooles that sticke vpon points , & stand vpon circumstances , as swearing and drinking , and good fellowshippe , and gaming , and such other nice and circumstanciall points : thus will worldly men answere : for thy prophane course is acceptable to them , because thereby thou approuest the same in them . nay , goe further , and aske all humane learning in the world , and it cannot tell thee what one sinne is , nor what it is to offend god : so that there remaines onely the law of god , the light whereof will disclose the darknesse of our hearts , and the iustice whereof will reueale the vnrighteousnesse & the peruersnesse of our natures : therefore to the lawe of god must we flye to helpe vs in this search . and yet for our better helpe in this dutie , and that there may bee nothing wanting to that soule , that seeketh god , therfore we are further to know , that if we will search our selues by the law profitably , wee must marke three rules , the truth whereof vnlesse wee know , acknowledge , and feele : wee shall neuer see our owne estate , nor profite by this search , but plodde on from finne to sinne , vntill wee plunge into hell . the first rule is , that euery man that came from adam , sinned in the sinne of adam : thou must therefore know , that his sinne in eating the forbidden fruite , was thy sinne : and thou sinnedst therein , as well as he ( though thou wast then vnborne ) and that thou art guiltie of it before god , and must answere for it to gods iustice , vnlesse christ doe it for thee . the reason hereof is , because we are his seede & posteritie , we were thē in his loynes , he was the father of vs all : and was not a priuate mā as we are now , but a publike person , the pledge of al mankind , and bare the person of vs all at that time : therefore what he did then , hee did it for himself , & for vs : what couenant god made with him , was made for himselfe and vs : what god promised him , and he to god , he promised for himselfe , & for vs : what he receiued in his creation , he receiued for himselfe , and for vs : and what he gained or lost by his fall , he gained and lost for vs , as for himselfe . he lost the fauour of god , and originall puritie : therefore he lost it for all his posteritie : guiltinesse , and gods anger , and corruption of nature which he gained , he got for vs all , as well as for himselfe . if we doubt of this point , it is proued by the apostle : where the holy ghost saith ; sin entred by one man , and death by sinne : and that sinne went ouer all , and that it went ouer all them , which sinned not in the like transgression with adam ( that is , euen our children ) who as they are borne , are borne not onely tainted with originall corruption : but guiltie also of adams sinne . this is a most certaine truth , though it seeme strange , for fewe men thinke of it , that euer they shall answer for adams sinne : and therefore if any obiect , what reason is there that i answere for another mans sinne ? i answere , true , if it had bene adams sinne alone : but it was his and thine also : for hee was thy father and stoode in thy roome : and thou also since thou wast borne , hast confirmed what hee did . now therefore though not one of many thinkes seriously thereof : namely , that he should stand guilty of a sin committed more then fiue thousand yeares before he was born , yet seeing it is most true , both in scripture and good reason : let euery man subscribe in his conscience to this truth . and let this be thy first resolution in this search , that thou standest guilty of adams transgression . the second rule to bee knowne is , that in euery man are all sinnes : more plainly , that in euery man by nature are the seedes of all sinnes : and that not in the worst , but in the best natured men : make choyse of the best man and the greatest sinne , and that worst sinne is to be found in that best man. if any doubt of this , let him consider what originall sinne is , namely , a corruption of the powers of our soules ; and that not of some , or in part , but of all , and wholy . this corruption hath two parts . first a want , not of some , but of all good inclination , a want of all goodnesse . secondly , a deprauation & pronenesse , not to some , but to all euill : and not a pronenesse onely , but originall sin infuseth into euery mans heart , the seed of all corruption . many men stand much vpon their good meaning , and vpright heart , and bragge of a good nature : but they are foulely deceiued ; for take the ciuilest man vpon the earth , and the seeds of all sins in the world are in him by nature . but to explaine this point fully , obserue these two clauses . first , i say not , the practise of all sinnes , but the seedes ; for all men practise not all sinne : the seedes are in their nature ▪ but the practise is restrained , sometime by education , sometime by good and wholesome lawes , sometime the constitution of mens bodies deny the practise of some sinnes , sometime the countrey a man dwels in , or calling a man liues in , keepes him from the practise of some sinnes : and alwayes a generall and limitting grace of god , restraines the natures of all men from running into many sinnes : which hand of god , if god should take away , and leaue euery man to his nature , wee should see that euerie man would practise any sinne in the world : yea , euen the greatest sinnes that euer wee heard to bee done in the world . all men which knowe themselues knowe this to be true . and the more a man knowes his owne heart , the more he seeth that his heart is a sea of all wickednesse : & that it is the mercy and grace of god , that hee hath not fallen into the mightiest & most monstrous sinnes in the world . secondly , i say , by nature . for i know by good education , & by grace , it is otherwise : grace rectifieth nature , but that is no thankes to nature : for it is as euill and corrupt still , being seuered from grace : and therefore nature must be fully abolished , afore man come to heauen . and yet ( though all this be true ( i say not , that sin breakes out in all natures alike , though all natures be alike corrupt : for the course of nature is restrained in some more then others , by the meanes aforesaid ; but this is the truth , that whereas some are not so angry , some not so wanton , some not so cruel , some not so couetous , som not so ambitious , &c. as others : that comes not from any goodnesse of nature in them , aboue the other originally , but from gods hand , which tempereth , restraineth , and moderateth euery mans nature as he seeth good . and if god did not thus moderate & restraine the natures of men , but suffer them to breake out to the full : there would then be no order , but all confusion in the world : therefore , ( as especially for his churches quietnesse , so also for the preseruatiō of publike peace , and the vpholding of societie in the world betweene man and man ) the lord holdes a hand ouer euery mans nature , and keepes euery one in a certaine compasse limitted by the wisdom of his power , which restraining hand of his , if the lord should take away : all societies and common wealths would be turned vpside downe , because euery man by the vniuersall corruption of his nature , would breake out into euery sinne : i ende this point with appealing to the testimonie of the consciences of all men , and especially of the best and holiest men , of whom i would aske this question , whether they find not in their natures an inclination , euen to the foulest sinnes in the world ; if shame , or feare , or else the grace of god restrained them not ? so that the best men doe knowe well enough , what adoe they haue with their corrupt natures , to keepe them within the compasse of obedience . nay , i yet adde further , the nature of men , and of all men is so corrupt , since adam : that euen the seede of the sinne against the holy ghost , and a pronenesse to it , is in the nature of euery man ( though not one man amongst many thousandes doe commit that sinne , ) for seeing in that sinne , there is a heape or sea of all sinnes gathered together , hee therefore that hath in his nature the seede of all sinnes , hath also the seede of it . and againe , seeing all euill tendes to a perfection , as well as grace doth ; what reason therefore is there , but wee may safely thinke that the diuell would hale euery one to that height of sinne : if it were not that the powerfull hand of god preuented him , who will neither suffer wicked men , nor the diuell himselfe to bee so wicked as they could , and would be . the vse of this second rule , is notable . for in this searching of our selues , it sheweth vs what wee are , without all colours or deceit , and fully discouers vnto vs , the vglinesse of our natures : and it may teach vs all how to think and esteeme of our selues , when we heare of caines vnnaturall murther , pharohs vnnatural crueltie , the sodomits vnnatural lust , achitophles , diuilish pollicy , senacheribs horrible blasphemie , iudas monstrous treason , iulians fearefull apostacie . when we heare of the fearefull murders , treasons , periuties , sinnes against nature , blasphemies , apostacies , witchcrafts , and other the horrible sinnes of the world : let vs then returne into our selues , & looke homewards , euen into our owne hearts , and confesse euery one , that these should haue bene euen thy sinnes also , if gods grace had not preuented thee . this will humble thee , and make thee thinke vilely , & basely of thy selfe , and so consequently bring thee to repentance and true amendment : and the very reason , why men repent not , nor amend their waies , is , because they are pharisies by nature , and thinke highly of themselues , and of their owne natures , and their naturall inclinations : this will be a harsh and a strange doctrine to them : oh , they haue excellent natures , and they cannot indure such , and such sinnes , and they thanke god , they are not as ill as others : but let all such men knowe , they must cease magnifying nature , and learne to magnifie gods grace . let them knowe , that nature in them , is in the roote , as much corrupt , as in the worst man in the world , and euery mans heart is a bottomlesse fountaine of all sinne ; therefore praise not thy nature , but gods grace and mercy , in giuing thee so good a nature ; or rather , so well restraining , and rectifying thy nature ; and stay not there , but desire of the lord , that as he hath giuen thee a better tempered nature , thē to other men : so also he would bestowe on thee his speciall and sauing grace : and as he hath kept thee from the feareful sins of others ( thou being as ill , naturally , as they ) so he would also lead thee into the way of saluation , which else the best nature in the world , can neuer attaine vnto . the third rule to be known and practised by him , who will truly search himselfe , is , that euery man borne of adam , is by nature , the child of wrath , and gods enimie : this is true of all without exception ; high or low , rich or poore , noble or simple , borne in the visible church or without . and further , by being enemy of god , he is therefore borne subiect to hell , to damnation , and to all other curses : so that looke as a traytour conuicted , stands therby in his princes high displeasure , and is sure of death without speciall pardon : so stands euery man , when he is borne , conuicted of high treason against god , in his high disfauour ; and is in daunger of hell , which is the fulfilling of the wrath of god. thus dauid confesseth of himselfe . i was borne in iniquitie , and in sinne hath my mother conceined me : if in sinne , then in gods wrath , and vnder the danger of damnation , if any aske , how , or why this is so . i answere , the truth , as also the equitie of this third rule depends on the two former : for , because euery man is borne guiltie of adams great sinne , and also tainted originally with all corruption & a pronnesse to all sin : therefore it followeth in equitie and iustice , that euery man is borne vnder the wrath and curse of god. this point is a plaine and euident truth : yet men in the world thinke not so , and it is the cause , why men repent not of their sinnes : for most men thinke that by nature , they are in gods fauour ; and therfore they neede not to sue for it in humiliation and repentance ; but onely liue ciuily , and do no open wrong , and all is well : whereas ( alas ) there is no condemned traytour , more out of his princes fauour , nor more sure of death without a pardon , then al we are out of gods fauour , and sure of damnation , vnlesse we procure gods fauour again , by faith and repentance , for the better opening of this third rule , and the manifesting of the truth : let vs know further , that the curse of god , vnder the which we are all borne , is three-fould . the first , is a bondage vnder sathan : it is a certaine truth that euery man as he is borne of his parents , and till hee repent , is a slaue of sathan : man or woman , high or low , sathan is his lord and maister . hee sittes as iudge in his heart ; and in this sence sathan is the king of the nations , and god of the world . men will in wordes defie sathan , and not name him without defiance , and spitte at him ; and yet ( alas , ) hee is in their hearts : they spit him out of their mouthes , but hee is lower ; they should also spitte him out of their hearts , and that is true defiance indeede : for alas , hee lodgeth in thy heart , and there he makes his throne , and raignes vntill the spirit of regeneration dispossesse him : and till then , no seruant is so subiect to his maister , no slaue to his lord , as is the heart of man by nature vnto sathan , the prince of darknesse . nay , our bondage , is more fearefull , then the slauery of any poore christian , in the spaniards , or in the turkes gallies : for their bodies are but in bondage , and at commaund , and vnder punishment : but our best part , our heart , our conscience , our soule it selfe is captiuated vnto him , and vnder his commaunde , who is the king of crueltie , and confusion , and lord of hell , whose commaundements are iniustice , whose seruice is sinne , and whose hyre is damnation . the second part of the curse , is the first death , or the death of the body : that is , a separation of the soule and body a sunder for a time , namely , till the last iudgement . this death is duly and iustly the punishment of any one , or the least sinne : therefore , how due and iust a punishment vpon that horrible heape of sinfulnesse , which is in euery mans nature ▪ and it is a most terrible curse . for it is the very gate of hel , and the downfall to damnation , vnto all men , but such , as by faith and repentance doe get their death sanctified by the death of christ : vnto such men indeed it is no curse , but a gracious and glorious blessing , for it is altered by christ his death . but vnto all men by nature , and which repent not , it is the heauy curse of gods wrath , and the very downfall into the gulfe of hell. the thirde part of the curse , vnder which euery man is borne , is , the second death : the death of soule and bodie ; which is the eternall want of gods presence , and the accomplishment of his wrath : and an apprehension and feeling of that wrath , seazing on body , soule , and conscience . the first curse , was a spirituall death ; the death of the soule , the second a temporarie death , the death of the body . the third , is an eternall death , a death both of soule and bodie together ; and for euer . this eternall death is the curse of all curses , the miserie of all miseries , and torment of all torments : and i shewe it thus . often when thy tooth acheth , and sometime when thy head acheth , or in the paine of the stone or collicke , thou wouldest giue all that thou hast in the world to bee eased of that paine : nay , in the exstremitie of some fitts , many will wish them-selues euen out of the world : now , if the paine of one tooth , can so farre distemper minde and body , that it cannot bee releiued with all the pleasures of this life ; o then , what a torment shall that bee ? when not one kinde of paine , but the whole viole of gods wrath shall bee powred , not on one member , but on the whole soule body , and conscience , and that not for a time , vnder hope of better : but eternally without hope of release ; and that not in this world , where there are comforts , helpes and remedies : but in that vgly and darksome place of torments : and that not amongst liuing men , which might mittigate thy paine , or else bemone thee , and beway leit with thee : but with the diuels , and damned spirits , which will now laugh at thy destruction , and solace themselues in this thy misery , and will reioyce , as thou didest serue them in earth , so now in hel to be thy tormēters . it may be therfore ( by the way ) , good warning and wisedome to vs all , when we feele the extremity of some bodily paine , to consider with our selues , and say : o then , what shall be my misery and torment if i repent not ; when not one member , but soule , bodie , and conscience , shall be racked and tormented in the feeling and apprehension of the anger of the lord of hostes . in these three points , stands that curse and wrath of god , vnder which euery man is borne . and these doe answer to the three degrees of sinne , which are in vs : for as the two first rules taught vs , there is in euery man by nature , till hee repent , a three-fold guiltinesse . first , a guiltinesse of adams sinne . secondly , the taint of originall , and vniuersal corruption . thirdly a pollution by many outragious actuall sinnes . in the first of these , euery man is equally guiltie . in the second , euery man is equally corrupt . but in the third , euery one keepes that compasse , within which the lord wil keepe them , by his limitting power . now as in our guiltinesse of adams sinne , sin hath his beginning : in originall sinne , his continuance : in actuall sin , his perfection : so answerable herevnto , the wrath of god ( which alwaies standeth opposite to sinne ) is begun in leauing vs by nature to the slauerie of sathan , is continued by death , and is accomplished in damnation . and now these three rules , i commend to the carefull & christian consideration of you all : certifying you from god , that as you can neuer bee saued , vnlesse you repent : nor repent , vnlesse you search your selues ( as here the prophet bid deth ) so , that you can neuer search your selues aright , til you bee perswaded , and resolued of these three rules , and of the truth of them all , euen in your hearts and consciences : namely , first , that thou art guiltie of adams sin . secondly , that thou art prone by nature to al euil in the world . thirdly , that for these , thou art subiect to the wrath of god , and to all the curses of his wrath : but when thou art in heart , & conscience resolued , that these are true , then thou art a fit scholler , for this lesson of the prophet , search thy selfe . for when thou goest , thus prepared vnto this search , and esteemest of thy selfe , as these three rules haue described thee : then if thou search into thy selfe , thou wilt finde thy selfe , and thy estate to be such , as will cause thee to repent , returne and take a new course : therefore , what the prophet sayd to those iewes , i say vnto you also , my brethren of this realme of england , who are here now gathered together out of so many countries , & quarters of this realme : yea , in the name of the same god , i cry vnto you . search , o search your selues : and thinke it not a matter indifferent to do , or not to doe it : but know it , that god commandes you , as euer you will come to saluation : search your selues . and the rather , because by these three rules ▪ you see how much chaffe of corruption is in your nature , and what neede therefore it hath to bee searched into , and fanned by repentance . bee well assured : thou man , whatsoeuer thou art : there is so much chaffe in thee , that if thou search not , and fanne it not out , thou wilt proue nothing but chaffe at the last day , and so be blown away with the winde of gods iustice into hell. take hold therefore of this exhortation , and deferre it not . thou wilt not suffer thy wheate to lye too long in the chaffe , for feare of hurting it : is it then safe to suffer the chaffe of thy sinnes and corruptions , to lie cankering and rotting in thy heart ? bee sure that that little portion of grace , which thou attainest vnto , by liuing in the church , and vnder the ministrie of the word of god , will bee putrifyed , and cleane corrupted with the chaffe of thy sinnes : therefore againe , and againe , i exhort you to make conscience of this dutie : search into your selues , fanne out this chaffe , this presumption of ours , and high esteeming of our owne nature , and conceits of gods fauour before wee haue it : that so this chaffe being blowne away , the lord may then bestow vpon vs foundnesse of grace , & the foundation of al goodnes , which is a holy & humbled heart . salnation is such a building , as the foundation thereof had need to be sure and strong : ignorance , blindnesse , and presumption , are not sufficient foundations for such a building : therefore as no man wil build a strong house vpon any earth , but will first search it , least it prooue sandie , & so ouerthrow all : so a wise christian will not build his saluation , vpon fancies & conceits , and naturall presumptions : but will search , and looke into his heart : and finding these to be sandie , and rotten , and therefore too weake for the foundation of so glorious a building , wil refuse them all , and labour to furnish his heart with such sound grace , as whervpon he may trust so weighty a work , as is the saluation of his soule . againe , if thou wilt stand in the day of triall , then search thy heart betime , and discerne betwixt chaffe & wheat : thou seest , that chaffe flyeth away before the wind ; but good corne indures the fan , and the furie of the wind : so in the day of triall , temptation , sicknesse , or open persecution , the chaffe of natural presumption , and outward formalitie in religion , wil flye away : and it must be the penitent , humbled , and beleeuing heart , which must then abide it out , and endure the fanne of temptations and persecutions . and to conclude , let not the diuell deceiue thee , in making thee imagine or hope to please god , and yet to let thy corruptions lie vnseene , and thy sins vnsearched out , least thereby thou marre all : for thou vsest not to lay vp-wheat in thy garners , vntil it be purged from the chaffe : so thinke not to store vp any sauing knowledge , or any other grace of god in thy heart , vntill the chaffe of vanitie be first blowne away , that so the holy graces of god , may be layd vp in the garners of thy soule . and therefore questionlesse ( to speake one word to touch our common professors , in the very sore of their soule ) al knowledge that is stored vp in these impure and vnsearched hearts : is euen as wheat layd vp in the chaffe , which is ( a thousand to one ) sure to bee eaten vp by the chaffe , so that , when the winnowing time of tryall and persecution comes : i feare , that such men will ( for al their knowledge ) shrinke aside , and betray the truth : there knowledge then prouing no better then chaffe , because it was layde vp in an vnholy heart : if therefore , thou wouldest stand and endure when poperie , or persecution , or temptations come , if thou wouldest abide the furie of the fanne of temptations : now , then exercise thy heart with the fanne of gods law , search and ransacke it , purge out the chaffe of corruption , and store vp knowledge in an holy heart , and a good conscience , and that will abide the violence of all temptations : yea , when god suffers the diuell to doe with vs , as he did with peter , to winnow vs like wheate , to sift and trie vs , as he did iob , with the furious winde of all his mallice : this knowledge will proue wheate , that will abide the winde , and gold that will abide the fire : thus glorious will it be in the ende , if we follow this holy prophets councel , and search our hearts . and thus much for the first point ( namely ) the dutie of searching heere commanded , in which wee haue stayed the longer , because it is the foundation of all the rest : and this being wel laid , the whole building wilt goe vp the faster . now we come to the second general point here laid down : that is , whom must we search ? the prophet aunswereth : your selues not other mē , but your selues . this search so vrged and inforced by the prophet , must not be of other mens hearts and liues , but of our owne : our owne are our charge , and not other mens : and therein is the saying true , which else is most false : euery man for himselfe : for as euery soule must bee saued by it selfe so must it beleeue , repent , and search it selfe . the dutie therefore here commanded , is , for euery man that would haue his soule to be saued , to search it , and reforme it , and leaue others to bee searched by themselucs . here the holy ghost meetes with the common corruption of this world , ( and that is ) that men are eagle eyed , to see into the liues of other men , but to looke into their owne hearts , and liues , they are blinder then moles : they can see moates in other mens liues , but discerne not beames in their owne : wherby it comes to passe , that they stumble and fall fowly : for the eies of most men are set vpon others , & not vpon them selues : and thereupon it is , that an euil , man seeing other men , & not himselfe : thinkes best of himselfe , & worst of other men : but contrariwise , a good man seeing himselfe , & not other men , thinkes worst of himselfe , and better of other men : an euil man lookes outward , and iudgeth other men : but a good mā lookes homeward & iudgeth himselfe : and in iudging , condemnes himselfe , farre aboue other men : and that because by searching into his own heart and wayes , hee knowes that by himselfe , which he knowes not , by any man in the world besides . so then we must search , not other men , but our selues : our owne hearts and our owne liues are our charge , and burthen : the liues of other men concerne vs not , being priuate mē , further thē , either to follow them being good , or take heede of them being euil : but to search , or to bee inquisitiue into them , is no dutie commaunded vs , but rather a foule & a base vice forbidden of god. indeede magistrates in their people , pastours in their congregations , and house-holders in their families are to search : but they can search onely for criminall causes , or open actuall sinnes : but this searching must bee of our hearts , which no man can search , but our selues onely . few men haue a calling to enquire into other mens liues , but euery man hath a calling to search into himselfe : but ( alas ) men doe farre otherwise , they suffer themselues to rotte in their owne sinnes , and erect an inquisition ouer other mens liues , & it is to be seene in dayly experience , that those men , who are the great searchers and priers into other men , are the neglecters and forgetters of themselues : and contrariwise they who doe narrowly search themselues and their owne wayes , and looke into the corners of their owne hearts , doe finde so much worke to do with themselues that they little busie themselues , with other men . and thus much may suffice for that point . it followeth . o nation not worthy to be beloued . the third point : who must search ? the iewes , who are here termed a nation , not worthy to be beloued : & yet for al that , they are bid to search themselues , that so vpon their repentance , they might bee beloued . where , wee may see the vnspeakable loue of god , and his wonderfull mercie , offering grace vnto such men , as are altogether vnworthy of it . gods children are by nature like other men , and god findes nothing in them , why to respect them aboue others : but euen of his owne mercie , makes them worthy , who of themselues are not : therefore how worthy is that god , to haue all the loue of our hearts , who loued vs , when wee were not worthy to be beloued . but let vs examine more particularly , why god doth call the iewes a nation , not worthy to bee beloued : i answere , god had blessed them aboue other nations : he gaue them his couenant of grace , and thereby made them his people , & commited to their trust , his holy word and oracles : but he delt not so with other nations , neither had the heathē knowledge of his lawes . besides all this , they had a better land then others about them , it flowed with milke , and honie , ( that is , with all commodities , & delights ) and though their countrie was but little : yet themselues so populous , and so powrefull , that whilest they pleased god , no enemie durst set vppon them . thus for soule and bodie , they were euery way a nation , blessed of god , a people beloued of god aboue all others . now , how did this people ( thus beloued of their god , ) requite this his loue , which they had no more deserued , then any other nation ? certainly , as they deserued it not afore they had it : so they requited it not , when they had it : but requited this loue of god with sinne , with rebellion , and with disobedience . they tempted him , they prouoked him to wrath , they presumed of his mercy , & proued a most stubborne and stifnecked people , a froward generation : moses partly sawe this in his owne experience , & better discerned it in the spirit of prophesie : and therefore wondering at this their wickednes , he cryed out , do you thus requite the lord : o foolish people , & vnwise ? thus : that is with sin , & disobedience , which is the only meanes to displease the lord , & to prouoke him to wrath : for this cause , they are worthily called a foolish and vnkind people by moses , and here , by the prophet . a nation , not worthy to bee beloued , namely , for their vnthankefulnes , and vnkindnes : which was such , as they not only were slacke , and carelesse in performance of such duties as god required : but euen multiplyed their sinnes , & committed those foule rebellions , which his soule hated . and amongst many , the prophet here in this chapter , noteth three of their great sinnes : for which they were a nation not worthy to bee beloued . couetousnesse , crueltie , and deceite : all which were the more hainous and intollerable , because they were the sins of their princes , their rulers , and their priests : who should haue beene lights and examples to the rest . now , although euery sin in it selfe , is of that ill desert , as it is able to cast vs out of gods fauour , and depriue vs of his loue : yet , behold , here god complaines , not vpon a little cause , but for wonderfull , & exceeding vnthankfulnesse , & vnkindnesse in them : who of all other should haue loued the lord. as a man cares not for hard vsage from him , whome hee esteemes not : but a little vnkindnesse doth greatly greiue a man , from him who is loued and respected : so is it with the lord our god , he loued not the gentiles , as hee did the iewes , neither was hee so bountifull vnto them : and therefore , ( as we may see ) though they liued alwayes in ignorance , and continued alwayes in disobedience , yet , the text saith , the time of that ignorance god regarded not : but when as the iewes , his owne people , whome he chose out of all people , & bestowed his loue vpon them , and made his couenant of grace with thē , when they became vnkinde , vnthankfull , forgetfull , stubborne , and rebellious , that caused the lord euen to complaine of the indignitie , and to cry out by moses . doe yee thus requite the lord : o foolish people & vnwise ? and hereby the prophet , o nation , not worthy to be beloued : & therfore ther is no man , but if he be asked what he thinkes of this nation of the iewes : he will answere , that they are a most vile & wicked people , a froward generation , and that they are worthy to taste deepely , of all gods plagues , who so farre abused his loue and mercie . but what doth this belong to them alone ? and is israel onely a nation not worthy to be beloued ? nay , i may cry out with as good cause : o england , a nation not worthy to be beloued . for , god hath beene as good a god to vs , as he was to them : and we haue beene as vnkinde a people to him , as they were to him : but that i may bee free from discrediting our nation , and from defiling my owne nest : let vs prooue both these points , and lay them open to the view of the world . first therefore , the same mercies , and farre greater , haue beene powred & heaped vpon vs : hee hath called vs out of the darknesse ; first , of heathenisme , & then of poperie : his couenant of grace and saluation , he hath confirmed with vs , his treasures of his word and sacraments , hee hath imparted to vs : his holy word neuer better preached , and the mysteries thereof neuer more plainly opened , since the time of the apostles : and as wee haue religion , so wee haue it vnder a religious prince , whereby it comes to passe , that these blessings of saluation , wee inioy not in secret , or by stealth : but wee haue it countenanced by authoritie : so that religion is not barely allowed , but euen as it were thrust vpon men . besides al this , wee haue a land also , that floweth with milke & hony , it is plentifull in all good things : we haue libertie , & peace vnder a peaceable prince , and the companions of peace : prosperitie , plentie , health , wealth , corne , woole , gold , siluer , abundance of all things , that may please the heart of man : thus hath god deserued the loue of england . but now england , how hast thou requited this kindnesse of the lorde ? certainely euen with a greater measure of vnkindnesse : that is , with more and greater sinnes then euer israell did : so that if moses spake true of them : then may our moses much more truly cry out against england , doest thou thus requite the lord , thou foolish people ? and if this prophet said thus of israell for three sins : then may it bee saide of england , for sinnes ( o england ) a nation not worthie to bee beloued : for thou hast multiplyed thy transgressions , aboue theirs of israell ; euen as though , thou haddest resolued with thy selfe , the more gods kindnesse is heaped on thee , the more to multiply thy sinnes against him . for thou england , as thou hast requited the lord with sinnes ; so not with a few sinnes or small sinnes ; or sinnes , which hardly coulde haue bene preuented : for that had bene a matter of some excuse , or not of so great complaint . but thy sinnes are many , and grieuous , and capitall . and which is worst of all , wilfull and affected , euen as though god had deserued euill of vs and that therefore we ought malitiously to requite him . if any man make doubt of this , and therefore thinke i speake too hardly of our church : i will then deale plainly , and particularly , and rip vp the sores of our nation , that so they may bee healed to the bottome . the common sins of england , wherwith the lord is requited , are these . first , ignorance of gods will and worship , ( i speake not of that compelled ignorance , in many corners of our land , which is to bee pittied because they want the meanes ) but wilfull , and affected ignorance . men are ignorant , euen because , they will bee ignorant . meanes of knowledge were neuer so plentifull , and yet neuer more grosse ignorance : is not hee wilfully blinde , who will not open his eyes in the light ? and can there bee any darknesse at noone day , but it must bee wilfull ? but our nation is darke and blinde in the sunshine of the gospell : and grossely ignorant , when the gospell beates their eares , and light shines round about them ; so , as if they closed not their eyes , and stopped not their eares , they could not , but both heare & see ; who would looke for ignorance after yeares preaching ? & yet , many are as ignorant , as if they had bin borne & brought vp vnder poperie : so that our people are as euill as those in the dayes of christ , of whom the holy ghost saith light is come into the world ; but men loue darknesse more then light : so knowledge is come into england : but many englishmen loue ignorance better then knowledge . alas , how many thousands haue we in our church , who know no more in religiō , then they heare in common talke of al men , & which is worse , they thinke it sufficient also , and which is worst of all , whereas they might haue more , they will not , but care not for it . the second maine sin of england , is : contempt of christian religion . religion hath bin among vs these fiue and thirtie yeares : but the more it is published , the more it is contemned , and reproached of many : in so much , as there is not the simplest fellow in a country town , who , although he knowes not one point of religion , yet he can mock , and scorne such as are more religious then himself is : this is one of the moaths of england , that eates vp religion , this is grieuous in whomsoeuer , but most intollerable in two sorts of men . first , in them , who are altogether ignorant : that they should mocke they know not what . a pittifull thing to hear one , who himselfe cannot giue the meaning of one petition in the lords praier , to vpbraide other men , because they are too forward : but it is the worst of all , when men of knowledge , and such as liue ciuilly , and would be counted good christians : and are indeede of the better sort : cannot abide to see others go , a little before them : but if they doe : presently , they are hypocrites and dissemblers : thus not prophanenesse , nor wickednesse ; but euen religion it selfe is a by-word , a mocking-stocke , and matter of reproach : so that in england , at this day , the man or woman that begins to professe religion , and to serue god , must resolue with himselfe to sustaine mockes , and iniuries , euen as though he liued among the enimies of religion , and not among professors : and as religion increaseth and spreadeth it selfe : so doth the number of these mockers : o what a cursed sinne is this ? to contemne the greatest fauour , that god can giue vs ; that is his holy religion : for the which , wee should rather praise him all the dayes of our liues . all that god can giue a man in this world , is his gospell : what then can god giue to be regarded , when his gospel is contemned ? this sinne was neuer amongst the iewes : they indeed regarded it not so as it deserued , but who did euer make a mocke and a scorne of it but england ? o england , how canst thou answere this . god sends thee the most precious iewell , that he can send to a nation ; and thou scornest it , and them that bring i● , and them that receiue it ; euen as though it were no blessing , but a curse : so that as christ saith to the iewes , for which of my good workes doe you stone mee ; so may the lord say to england : i haue giuen thee a fruitfull land , a blessed prince , gold and siluer , peace and libertie : plentie and prosperitie : for which of these ( o england ) doest thou contemne my religion ? the least of these deserue loue ; but england hath a better then all these ; that is , his gospell and word of saluation : and yet , that also is contemned ( as beeing nothing worth ) and those which confesse it , and those that bring it , and consequently god himselfe that gaue it . if england had no more sinnes but this : this deserues , that it should bee saide of vs , that wee are a nation vnworthy to bee loued aboue all nations , for some nations would haue religion , that they might loue it , but they cannot haue it : some haue it , and doe loue it : some haue it , and loue it not : but in noe nation is it made a mocking-stocke , but in england . and where are those men , but in england , who ( like the dog in the manger ) will neither entertaine religion themselues , nor suffer them that would : let vs in time take heede of this sinne , as a sinne that crieth to god , to reuenge so vile a dishonour done to his maiesty : neither is there any sinne that more certainly foreshewes , and more forceably hastens the remouing of the gospell from vs. for high time is it to cease louing , wher loue procures disdaine . and to stay giuing , where giftes are scorned . carry home this lesson to your great townes & cities , where you dwel , for in these populous places are these great mockers , for wher god hath his professors , the diuel hath his mockers ; & repēt betimes of this sin , for hold on in mocking , & be sure that god ( who will not be mocked ) will remoue his gospel frō you ; but if you leaue this sin , and entertaine the gospel , ( as it worthily deserus ) then be sure of it , god will continue the gospell , to you , and your posterities after you , in the face of al your enemies round about you . the third common sinne of englande , is , blasphemie , many waies , but especially in vaine swearing , false swearing , and forswearing , and the abuse of all the names and tytles of the lord god. this sinne is general , euen ouer the whole land , especially , in fayres , and markets , where men for a little gaine , wil not care to cal the lord of hostes to be witnesse to a lye , and the god of truth , to testifie an vntruth . and which is worst of all , gods holy name is vsed in vaine oathes , and ordinarie talke . when men haue no cause to sweare at all : so that , it is most lamentable to see and obserue , that the name of any man of honour , or worship , is vsed more reuerently , and lesse abused , then that fearefull and glorious name : the lord our god. the fourth generall and great sinne is , prophanation of the saboath . a common sinne euery where , and yet so great a sinne , that where it raignes , in that country , congregation , family , man or woman , there is noe feare of god , nor any true grace in them : for the keeping of the saboath , is the maintaining , increasing , and publishing of religion . the fift sinne of our nation , is , vniust dealing in bargaining betwixt man and man. how hard is it to finde an honest , simple , plaine dealing man : and that euen in such great assemblies as this is , i feare present experience wil testifie : you are now many thousands gathered together , some to buy , some to sell , some to exchange : remember , that i haue tolde you , an honest hearted and plaine dealing man is hard to finde : therfore labour to approue your selues sincere hearted men . remember the counsell of the holy ghost : let no man oppresse nor defraude his brother , in bargaining : for the lord is the auenger of all such things these sinnes are generall and vniuersall as a cancker : and so are the sinnes of the . . and . commandements ( though they be not altogether so cōmon as these be ) murthers , adulteries , vsuries , briberies , extorsions , cousenages , they are a burthen , vnder which , our earth groanes ; and they cry against vs to heauen , so that vpon as good or much beter cause may it be said to vs , as to the iewes : o nation not worthy to be beloued . looke at the outward face of our church , at the signes of gods loue , which are amongst vs , and at gods dealing with vs ; and behold , we are a most beautifull church , a glorious nation , a nation to bee admired , and wondred at : but looke at the liues of our ordinarie professors , looke at our sinnes , and at our requiting of gods loue : and we are a people of sodome , as full of iniquities as they were , whose sinnes are so many , so rife , and so ripe ; that at the last they wil euē bring down fire & brimstone , or some other strange iudgement vpon vs , if repentance doe not preuent it , or the cries and prayers of holy men stay not gods hands . so , then let vs all here assembled , grant & confesse , that we are a nation so farre from being worthy to bee beloued , as that we are most worthy to be hated , & to haue all the wrath of god powred vpon vs. now then , are we so ? and shall wee continue so still ? nay , that is the worst , and most wretched of all : then let euery one of vs learne this duty , enter into our selues , search our hearts and liues , that they may lye open to our owne sight , to the confusion of vs in our selues , that in god by repentance wee may bee raised vp . our sinnes lye open before the face of god , and stincke in his presence , and and cry for vengeance : and before the face of gods angels , who bewaile it , and before the face of the diuell , who reioyceth in our confusions : and shall they lye hid onely to our selues ? now then , if wee would haue them hidde from god , and stoppe the cry , that they make against vs , and keepe them from sathan , who accuseth vs for them : wee must so search our selues , that they may lye open to our owne hearts : remember thou thy sinnes , and god will forget them : lay them open before thy owne face , and god will hide them from his : write them vp for thy owne selfe , and god will blot them out of his remembrance : but if contrariwise , thou hidest them : then assure thy selfe , the more thou hidest , and buriest them , the more open doe they lye in the face of god : and then what will followe , but that they will all bee disclosed at the last day , to thy eternall confusion . therefore againe , and againe , i exhort you in the name of god , search your selues , finde out your sinnes , confesse them to god , freely , and ingeniously ; confesse their desert to bee hell and damnation , humble your hearts to god , cry and call for pardon , as for life and death , purpose and promise to leaue them , begin a new course of life , beleeue stedfastly , and doubt not of pardon and forgiuenesse in the blood of christ , continue in that faith , and that newe course of life : so may englande preuent gods iudgements , and quench that great action of vnkindnes , which god hath against them , and become a nation as worthy ( vpon their faith and repentance ) in christ to be beloued : as for their peace and prosperitie , they haue bene of all nations of the earth admired . hitherto , of the third generall point . the fourth generall point in this exhortation , is the time limitted them , when they should search . before the decree come forth &c. as though the prophet should say . israell , repent , before god execute his iudgements on thee . for behold the gratious dealing of god : man sinneth , his sinnes deserue plagues : but god presently plagueth not , but deferres it , he puts a time betwixt the sinne and the punishment ( ordinarily : ) this he doth to shew his mercie to mankinde , because that hee would not destroy them , if they would amende . therefore , after the sinne , he smites not presently , but puttes of his punishment , that in the meane time man may repent . here the prophet compares the lord to a mother ; for as she conceiues the fruite in her wombe , and beares it a long time , ere she bring it out : so the lord after a mans sinnes , or a peoples sinnes , conceiue ( that is ) ordaines , and decreeth a iudgement for it , but he keepes it vp , and all that while he heares it : but as she , when her time is come , then trauailes and bringes forth : so , when the time that god hath appointed , is come , and stil sinne is not repented of : then his iustice trauailes to be deliuered of that iudgemēt , which mercy hath kept vp so long a time . thus the old world had an hundred & twentie yeares giuen them for time of repentance ; all that while god was in conceiuing , at last when there sinnes were ripe , and no hope of amendment : then god trauelled , and brought forth a fearefull byrth , namely the vniuersall flood , to wash away , and take reuenge vpon the vniuersall iniquities of those times . so many hundred yeares he gaue vnto the iewes , long hee was in conceiuing their destruction , and oftentimes hee had it at the bringing forth , as in the captiuitie of babylon , and vnder antiochus ; yet his mercy stayed it : and still hee trauailled longer : telles them here by the prophet , that yet the decree is not come forth , ( though it bee conceiued : ) but at last when israell would not repent , but grewe worse , and worse ; ( as in christ his time ) then hee could containe no longer , but trauelled indeede , and though it bee with griefe , yet hee hath brought foorth : and what ? a most fearefull byrth , euen an vtter disolation of that kingdome and countrey , of their citie , and temple , and a dispertion of their nation ouer all the world : but as a woman at last is deliuered with daunger , and difficultie , with paine and sorrowe : so the lord long conceiues , but at last bringes forth his iudgements : yet it is with griefe and vnwillingnesse , and hee is loath ( as it were ) and much agrieued to execute his most iust iudgements on those , who haue professed his name : hee often touched the iewes a little , and as being vnwilling to smite them : hee drue backe his hande againe : but at last when their sinnes did so increase , and were so strong , that they euen did wring out , by violence his plagues from him , then with much bewayling of their great misery ( as wee may see in christ , weeping for them , ) hee executes his iudgements on them . but as they are long a comming : so , when they come forth , they were the heauier ; as a child , the more fulnesse of time it hath , is the greater , the liuelier , and the stronger : so , gods iudgements , the longer god deferreth them , and is in conceiuing them , the heauier are they , when they come : that is manifest in the iewes ▪ once his owne people , for he hath destroyed their land with an irrecouerable destruction , and smitten their posteritie with a blindnes of minde til this houre , so that to this day , when the old testament is read , the vaile is ouer their eies , that they cannot see the light of christ iesus , but plodde on in fearefull and palpable blindnesse . this doctrine hath speciall vse to this our church , to teach vs to looke to our selues betimes , and try our owne wayes , and turne to the lord , for wee cannot tell how farre of his iudgments are : in reason they must needs be near , they haue beene so long deferred , and yet beene so iustly deserued of vs. certainly god hath long beene in conceiuing iudgements and plagues for the sinnes of england , and often hath gods hand beene vpō vs by warre ▪ famine , pestilence , inundations : and yet it hath been puld backe againe : and his sword hath beene put vp into his sheath , and god hath stayed his birth euen in the very trauell , and we haue escaped , euen as a man , whose necke hath beene vpon the blocke , and the axe holden vp to strike : so then , yet the day is not come , yet we haue time : happie wee that euer wee saw this day , if now wee haue grace to repent , and search our hearts , for then wee shall stay this iudgement decreed , that it shall neuer come forrth against vs : but if we deferre to repent , & put off from day to day , and lye rotting still in our sinnes : then know and be assured that as the decree is established , so it must needes come foorth : and then , when iudgement is come forth , & the stroke stricken , repentance is too late : therefore what he said to the iewes , i say vnto vs , search thy selfe , o england , ( a nation not worthy to be beloued ) before the decree come forth , which is already past against thee . thus much for the fourth point . now followeth the last point : the reason of all . why should we search our selues ? the reason is included in the fourth point : for there is a decree come forth against thee . and though the execution be deferred , and though god be vnwilling to take it out , yet without repentance , it is most certaine , it shall come foorth and bee executed at the last . in one word , this is the reason . repent , or else certainely god will take vengeance : but ( will mans heart say ) is this true ? or rather these bee but words to feare men , and to keepe them in awe . i aunswere , for the proofe and experience hereof , neuer goe further , then this place , and present example wee haue in hand : the prophet bids them search , search , and repent , else , as certainly , as there was a iudgemēt conceiued , so certainly it should be executed vpon thē : they would not heare , nor search , nor repent : but what followed ; let all mē iudge whether god is not true , of his word to them or no : yea , alas , who seeth not that god hath trauelled indeede , and hath brought foorth a fearefull iudgement on them , and hath made them for these thousand yeares and a halfe , the gazing stocke , the by word , and the amazement of all the world . thus was it threatned to the iewes , and thus it is performed : and certainly thus hath it beene threatned , & thus shall it be performed to thee , o england , except thou preuent the iudgements that are comming : o happy england , that i may say to thee , it is yet but comming . for as for the miserable iewes : vpon them ( alas ) it is come already : to those poore soules it can bee said no more , repent before the decree come forth : for it is now past : but thou art happie , for thy day is not yet come : yet i may say to thee : repent before the decree come forth : and o happie england , that thou mayest heare this worde : ( before ) sounding in thine eares . therefore my beloued brethren , who are heare assembled out ( almost ) of euery corner of this kingdom , heare my words : and carry them home with you into al countries . god is the same god still , as iust , and as iealous , as euer hee was : our sinnes are as ill , nay , much viler then the iewes were : how can it be then , but that must fall to vs that fell to them ? therefore the zeale of gods glorie , and my desire of your saluations , make mee , that i dare not flatter : but tell you the truth : that is , that out of all question , if we search not our selues & repent , there is a generall iudgement in preparing for vs : certainely the decree is out , and what can stop the execution of it , but repentance : god hath long spared , and hee hath been long in trauelling , therefore ( though nothing can be said in way of prophesie ) i am in my conscience perswaded to feare , and that out of infallible grounds of the word of god , that a plague , and a iudgement , and that most fearefull , hangs ouer england : & that it is alreadie pronounced vpon this nation , and shall be as certainely executed , without a visible reformation : and because i may seeme to speak somewhat at large , giue mee leaue to giue you the reasons inducing mee hereunto . first , the gospel hath beene preached these fiue and thirtie yeares , and is daily more and more , so that , the light thereof neuer shone more gloriously , since the primitiue church : yet for al this , there is a general ignorance , generall of all people , generall of all points , yea , as though there were no preaching at all : yea , when poperie was newly banished , there was more knowledge in many , then is now in the body of our nation : and the more it is preached , the more ignorant are many , the more blinde , and the more hardened ( euen as a stithi● ( the more it is beaten vpon , the harder it is ) so they , the more they heare the gospell , the lesse esteeme they it , and the more they contemne it ; and the more god calles , the deafer they are : & the more they are commanded , the more they disobey . we preachers may cry , till our lunges flie out , or bee spent within vs , and men are mooued no more then stones , o alas , what is this , or what can this bee : but a fearefull signe of distruction ? will any man endure alwayes to bee mocked , then how long hath god beene mocked ? will any man endure to stand knocking continually ? if then god hath stood knocking at our hearts fiue & thirtie yeares : is it not now time to bee gone , vnlesse we open presently ? but , if we wil know what this argueth , to contemne the gospel , and not to repent , when the word is so abundantly preached : read the storie of ely his wicked sonnes . hee spake vnto them , and gaue them godly counsaile , but they hearkened not vnto the voyce of their father : but will some say , that is no great matter , not to heare their father is a common thing : but marke what followeth . they would not beare their father , because the lord would destroy them : a fearefull thing . euen so it is with a nation , or a people : are they taught , and are they worse and worse ? take heede : if elyes sonnes obey not , it is , because god will destroy them . if therefore ely , and many elyes haue spoken to england , and england heares not , england obeyeth not , england repents not : take heed the lord in heauē say not , england will not heare the voyce of the prophets , because i will destroy it . let no man say , wee take vpon vs to prophesie : wee onely giue warning , and shewethe daunger , by example of the like . my second reason is this . one iudgement executed : and not working repentance , is alwayes a fore-runner of another , that rule is certaine , and an euident truth , and needs no prouing . now ; we haue beene visited with famines , earthquakes , pestilences , inundations , thunder & lightning in winter , and most strange & vnseasonable weather : but alas , all these haue taken no effect : where is the humiliation , repentance and reformation which they haue wrought ? therefore it must needs bee , there remaines behinde a greater iudgement . men may be so madde to thinke these to be ordinary things , and to come by course of nature , and ordinarie causes : but certainly , they are the shaking of the rod , and fore-runners of a greater iudgement , vnlesse repentance cut of their course . for looke as one cloud followeth another , till the sunne consume them : so one iudgement hastens after another , and repentance onely is the sunne , which must dispel them . thirdly , it stands with the iustice of god , according as he hath reuealed it in the scripture , especially in deut. . out of the whole chapter , it must needs be gathered as a rule . i wil curse that people which breake my lawes : now we may not deny but this land of ours , is for abundance of sinne , a people of sodome . all kinde of sinnes , in all estates of men , rage and raigne euery day more and more : therefore i conclude , that vnlesse wee repent , and so dissolue this cloude of iudgement , that hangs ouer our heads : it cannot be , but a most fearefull tempest is to come at the last , and when it is come , it will be too late to wish we had done it . therefore in the bowels of christ iesus , let this be to intreate and exhort you all , to search and looke into your selues , that so repenting and changing your wayes , you may get the sword againe into his sheath , which is already drawn out , but yet hath not stricken home , & may quench the wrath which is already kindled , but yet burns not out as it wil do , if by repentance we quench it not : & do this euery one as you tender the saluatiō of your owne soules , & the continuance of the gospel to this glorions nation , and the peace and prosperous state of this church & common wealth . for let men make what causes they will , it is certainely sinfulnesse that ouerturnes kingdomes , and changeth states , as all these kingdomes and states haue felt , who haue continued finally to contemne the gospel . it followeth : and you be as chaff , that passeth on a day . the prophet proceedeth , & describeth more plainely , the manner and state of that plague , which god will send vpon thē : the meaning was partly opened before , to bee in effect thus much ; search your selues , least god take his fanne and try you , because you would not try your selues , and finding ●ou vppon the tryall , not sound wheat , but light chaff : blow you to hel with the winde of his wrath : the metaphor which the prophet vseth is this , he compares the lord to a husband man , great and rich , the whole world is his corne-field : seueral nations , ( as this of ours for one , ) are his heapes of corne : but these heapes of corne be ful of chaf , that is , these particular churches , are ful of hypocrites : now a wise husbandman letteth corne and chaffe lye together no longer , then til the winde doth blow , and then he appoints his fanning time to seuer his corne from his chaffe , and to blow away his chaffe , & lay vp his corne : so god , the great & wise husbandman , will not let the chaffe lye for euer amongst the wheat , hee hath therefore appointed his fanning times , when to blow the chaffe into hell , and to gather his wheat into heauenly garners . now gods winnowing times are two : the one is at the last day , after this life , and that is gods great winnowing day of all his corne ( that of al● men ) when the bad shall bee seuered from the good for euer , neuer to be mingled againe with thē , but by the strong and powerfull fanne of his last and finall iudgement to be blowne into hel : the winde of whose wrath , at that day , shall bee stronger to blow them all away , then al the winde in the world to blow away one handfull of light chaffe . gods other fanning time , is in this world : and that is also double . the one is , when the word is preached : the preaching of the word is one of gods fans . for when the gospell is preached to a nation or congregation , it fannes them , and tries them , & purgeth them , and so seuers them , that a man may see a manifest difference of the chaffe and the wheate , that is , of the godly man , and the wicked man : this preaching of the gospell , doth iohn the baptist , expresly call a fanne : where the holy ghost pursueth this whole metaphor , most plainely speaking of christ , hee saith ; whose fanne is in his hand , and hee will ●roughly purge his floore , and gather his w●eat into his garner , but the chaffe he will burne with fire vnquenchable . the winde of this fanne of the word preached is so strong , as that it seuers the chaffe from the wheate , that is , good professors from hypocrites in the visible church , and blowes so strongly vpon the wicked , that it brings them to the beginning of hell euen in this world , for it so worketh vpon the conscience , as if it cannot conuert them , it strikes them with feare , terrour & torment , either in life or at death , which torment of conscience is the very flashes of hell-fire . but , when this first fanne of the word , will not serue to bring men to repentance , ( for the word preached , doth not confound a man actually , but only pronounce the sentence , and thereby strike the conscience ) then god hath another fanne , and that is the fanne of his iudgements : and that fanning or winnowing time is , when he executes his vengeance and his iudgements on a nation : this is his latter fanne , 〈◊〉 the first will not preuaile , this ●● his powerfull and strong fanne driuen about with the winde of his wrath , this fanne went ouer the olde world , and swept them all away , and went ouer the nation of the iewes , and we see they are no more . these three fannes of god make a three-fold separation of the chaffe from the wheate , that is , of the wicked from the elect : with the fanne of his word which is powerfull , he seuers them in affection , and disposition , and makes a distinction of them , so , as generally the wheate is knowne to be wheate , and chaffe discerned to be chaffe , by the preaching of the word : but though the tare be knowne to bee tare , yet both grow together , so that the word onely seuers them in affection , and sets seueral notes of distinction vpon them both . but then the second fanne of his iudgements is more violent , for thereby , he seuereth them a sunder in soule , gathering the godly men , as his wheat into the heauens , & blowing the soules of the wicked into hell : but yet the bodyes of them both lye together , as partakers of the same iudgement , so subiect to the same corruption , and are all lodged in the same graue of the earth , and death hath like dominion ouer them all . . but afterwards at the last day , at gods great haruest , & great winnowing time , he then with the winde of his power , seuereth them a sunder in soule and body . wheate from the chaffe , sheepe from the goates , & separateth them , neuer to be mingled againe for euer & euer : and then with the winde of his wrath , he blowes the chaffe into fire vnquenchable , and with his louing fauour gathereth his wheate into the euerlasting and glorious garners of heauen . so then the first seuereth them in affection . the second in soule for a time . the third , actually in soule and body for euer and euer . now of these three winnowing times , the holy ghost speaketh here properly of the second : namely the fan of gods iudgements : so that , the meaning of the metaphor is this : search your selues and repent betimes , least god come vpon you with some fearefull iudgements : because you haue so long contemned the fan of the word , and finding you too light to abide the try all , doe take you away in the iudgement , and cast you into hell : for as sure as the fan of the word hath made difference of you , which are chaffe , and which are wheate , so sure shall the fanne of his iudgements blow away the chaffe to hell and damnation . thus much for the meaning . now for the vse , for vs in england , the case stands thus : our church doubtlesse is gods corne field , & we are the corne heape of god : and those brownisles and sectaries are blinde and besotted , who cannot see that the church of england is a godly heape of gods corne : but withall , we must cōfesse , we are ful of chaffe : that is , of prophane , & wicked hypocrits , whose hearts and mindes abound in sinnes and rebellions : and many of our best professors are also too full of chaffe ( that is ) of corruptions , and doe giue themselues too much libertie in many sinnes : but alas , the pure wheate , how thinne is it scattered ? howe hard to finde a man ( at least a family ) which dedicate themselues to the lord in holy and sincere obedience , and labour to make conscience of all sinnes : now therefore , seeing wee are gods corne field , and we haue some pure wheat amongst much chaffe , therefore god will winnow vs , to find out the corne , if hee haue but one corne of wheat in a handfull of chaffe , but one good man of many , he will stirre all the heape for those fewe cornes , hee will not care to blow all the chaffe to hell , to finde out those fewe cornes of wheat , to lay them vp in heauen : so that out of all question , england being so ful of chaffe , must look to be winnowed . nowe for the first fanne of his word , it hath beene vsed in this land these fiue and thirtie yeares , and that as powerfully , and as plentifully as any where in the worlde , and yet ( alas ) many are more godlesse , more ignorant , more prophane then euer they were , yea wickednesse groweth , and the chaffe increaseth aboue the wheate : bee sure therefore , that god will bring his second fanne vpon vs ; because wee will not suffer the first and the milde and gentle fanne of his word to try and search vs : therefore hee will bring the fearefull fanne of his iudgements , and with it , hee will blowe soule & body into hell , with those our sinnes & corruptions , which we would not suffer the fanne of gods worde to blowe from vs. the first hath so long blowen in vaine , that the second must needs come vpon vs , & it hath already begun to blow : three or four blasts haue blown ouer vs ; famin , pestilence , earthquakes , fire , water , winde , these haue so blowne some of vs , that they haue taken away a great number of vs. for vs that remaine , this onely remaines , that wee strengthen our selues by grace , to be able to stand against the next blast , for come it wil , & when it comes , no wealth nor worldly thing can inable vs to endure it , onely faith & repentance , & the grace of god will stand at that day . now therefore , in that so feareful a fanning abideth vs : seeing it is so neer ( as appeareth by the blasts already past ouer vs , which are nothing but the forerunners of a greater tēpest : ) what shuld be our care ( except wee care not to be blown body & soule into hel ) but to labour to efchew this feareful fan of gods wrath : or at least , if it come vpō vs , that it may not blow vs to hell , but hasten vs to heauen . it thy heart be touched to aske , how this may be : i answere thee , onely to follow the prophets aduice in this place , by searching and trying our selues . the way to escape gods triall , is to try thy selfe : and to escape gods iudgement , to be a iudge to thine owne soule : and so the way to escape the fearfull fanne of god , is to fanne thine own heart by the law of god. for whomsoeuer the first fanne ( that is the word of god ) doth worke vpon : these men are neuer blowen away with the fanne of gods iudgements . o then , entertaine the word of god into thy heart , submit thy soule vnto it , let it pearce , & try , and ransacke thy heart , and lay before thee thy wretched estate by thy sinnes , and when thou seest thynakednesse and misery , confesse it , bewayle it , be humbled for it , cry & call for mercy and forgiuenesse ; pray against thy speciall sinnes , striue to purge them out as the poyson of thy soule , craue grace from god against al thy sinnes : and if thou seest any sins more welcome to thy nature , more deere vnto thee , and which more prevaile against thee , then others doe : pray against these sinnes , and striue against them aboue all : and endeuour , that by the fanne of gods word , they may bee blowen away from thee . when thou hast done this , then marke , what will come of it : when thou hast fanned thy selfe , god will not fanne thee : but when the fanne of his iudgemēt comes ; and bloweth so strongly vpon the wicked , then the lord finding thee already fanned , and clensed by his word , will spare thee , and his iudgement shall either blow ouer thee , and passe by thee vntouched ( as ouer lot , in the destruction of sodom ) or else shall fanne out all thy corruptions , and blow thee vp to heauen , to be laid vp as pure wheat in the heauenly garners , and mansions of glory , which christ ascended to prepare for thee . now then amongst those many businesses , with which this world doth comber euery one of vs ( all which shall perish with the worlde it selfe ) let vs good brethren , spare some time for this great businesse . martha may be combred about many things , but this is that one thing , which is necessarie : therefore whatsoeuer is done , let not this bee vndone . once a day put thy selfe and thy life vnder the fanne of gods lawe , try thy selfe what thou art and thy life , how thou liuest . once a day keepe a court in thy conscience , call thy thoughts , thy wordes , and thy deedes to their tryall : let the ten commaundements passe vpon them , and thy sins and corruptiōs which thou findest to be chaffe , blow them away by repētance , so shalt thou remaine pure and cleane wheate , fit for the house and church of god in this world , & for his kingdome in heauen . but , if we will not doe this , then alas , what wil follow ? my heart grieueth to vtter it : but i must vnlesse i should be a false prophet : and therefore i wil. our long peace , plentie , and ease , haue bred great sinnes , so great that they reach to heauen , and prouoke gods maiestie to his face , and so strong , that they will violently drawe downe iudgments from god vpon vs : which when they come , they will bee so powerfull , and so violent , that they will blow vs away like chaffe , and bring this kingdome to some miserable ruine . o therefore how happy are wee , if we can entertaine this doctrine , and practise it : for in so doing , we shall preuent gods iudgements , wee shall continue the gospell to this land , and preserue this glorious nation from being destroyed or dispeopled , by some fearefull iudgement . beloued , you come hither to this place , purposely to buy and sell and thereby , to better your estates in this world : how happy then are you , if besides the good markets , you make for your bodies and estates , you learne also how to make your selues abide the triall of gods iudgements , and how to be made pure corne , fit to replenish the garners of heauen , & how to continue gods fauour and the gospell to this nation . if thou goe away with this lesson , thou hast a iewel more worth , then if thou shouldest goe home possessed or all the huge riches of this faire : you call this and such like times , faire times : but if thou learne this lesson right , then thou maist say , that this was the fairest day in deede , that euer shon vpon thee , since thou wast borne . this pretious iewell which i haue spoken of all this while , i heare offer vnto thee . euery one brings hither some-thing to bee solde , this is the merchandize that i bring and set to sale vnto you : what euer commoditie any of you bring , it is from some quarter of this land , but all is from the earth : but this that i bring , it is from heauen : and all the earth cannot yeelde it : and as it is from heauen , so it is of a heauenly vertue , and will worke that which all the wealth in this faire is not able to doe : therefore cast not , to buy the basest , and let passe the best of all : and neuer alledge that it is aboue thy compasse , and being a iewell , it is too deare and costly for thee : for i offer it freely vnto you , and to euery one of you , i pronounce vnto you , from the lord , that here this blessed doctrine is offered vnto you all , in his name , freely , and that you may buy it without money . happie is that day when thou comming so farre to buy things for thy bodie , and paies so deare for them , doest meete with so pretious a iewell , the vertue whereof , is to saue thy soule , and payest nothing for it . thou maiest hereafter reioyce and say : i went to buy and sell , and to helpe my body : but i haue also learned to saue my soule . i went thither to helpe to maintaine my owne estate : but i haue learned to helpe to maintaine england in prosperitie : for assuredly , if wee would all of vs learne this lesson , and practise it , we might assure our selues of the glorious prosperity of england , to cotinue from generatiō to generation : whereas alas , if we continue & go forward in our sins ▪ & impenitency , it is greatly to bee feared , that neither the gospell nor this peace , will reach to our posterities . therefore now to make an end : i once againe : & lastly , cōmend this doctrine to you al , & euery one of you ( for this marchandise that i bring , is of that nature , that though some take it , yet there is also enough for euery one ) and i commend it vnto you , euen from the very mouth of god himselfe ? thinke of it i charge thee , as euer thou lookest to appeare before the face of christ iesus the great iudge , at the last day ; and if thou wouldest escape the rigour of that iudgement , enter now into iudgement with thy selfe , and search thy selfe : if thou now wilt not receiue this doctrine , then shal it at the last day be a bill of enditement against thee , for if it saue thee not , it shal condemne thee , thinke of it therefore seriously , as a matter that concernes thy soule and bodie : yea , and thy posteritie , and this whole realme , all which shall smart for it , if we repent not . and if the body of our people , and those , whose harts are wedded to this world , wil not enterteine this doctrine : then i turne vnto you that feare the lord , and to you i direct my last warning , search , o search , and try your hearts and liues , renewe and reuiue your faith and repentance , that if iudgements doe come and blowe vpon this nation , and driue the gospell from it , and it to hell : that yet you may haue a testimony to your consciences , that you did not pull down this generall calamitie , but for your parts laboured to haue preuented it , by your earnest prayers and heartie repentance : that so , the posteritie ensuing ; may not curse you , but speake reuerently of you , and praise god for you , and wish that al had done as you did ; for then had they enioyed this goodly land , and al gods blessings with it , as wee their forefathers did before them : & so shall our names not rot , but flourish amongst the posterities to come , which shall bee partakers of the desolation : and when we haue renewed our repentance , let vs then euery one of vs , deale with the lord by earnest prayer for this church and nation , that the lord would shew his mercy vppon it , and continue vnto it , this place & the gospell : it is nothing with the lord to doe it , his powerfull hand is not shortened , he can continue our peace , when the papists look for hurli-burlies , he can continue the gospell , when they hope to set vp their idolatry againe : let vs therefore apply the lord with our praiers , and with moses set our selues in the breach , and pray for the ignorances of the multitude , and bewaile their sinnes , who bewaile not their owne , so did noah , daniel , and iob , in their ages , and prayed for the people in generall calamities : let vs all be noahs , daniels , and iobs , in our generations ; if we doe thus : then when iudgements come , we shall either turne them away from our nation , or at the least wee shall deliuer our owne soules . let vs nowe turne to the lorde in prayer , and because it cannot be hoped , but that this our generall sinfulnesse must needs end with some heauy iudgment : let vs desire the lord still to defer our deserued punishments , and still to spare vs , and to giue vs time and leasure to repent : that so , we entering into our selues , and searching our hearts , and turning to the lord : wee may turne away his imminent iudgemēts , and that when his wrath doth burne out indeed , we may then bee counted worthie in christ , to escape those things which must needes come vpon the worlde . amen . william perkins . lament . . let vs search and try our waies , and turne againe to the lord. trin. vni deo gloria . finis . to the right worshipfull sir edward cooke knight , his maiesties atturney general , & sir thomas heskith knight , atturney of his highnesse court of wardes and liueries , and one of his maiesties honourable counsell in the north , grace and peace from iesus christ . right worshipfull , giue mee leaue to put you both in one epistle , whō one seruice , one place , one profession , one order , and one religion haue so neerely combined : as you are brethren many waies , and especially in the profession & practise of one religion : to vouchsafe to be ioynt patrons of this little after-birth , this faetus posthumus , of that worthy man ma. perkins , now deceased . i send you heere one of the shortest , and one of the sweetest of his treatises : had it bene as well brought foorth by me , as it was begot by him it had beene a child not vnworthy of so great a father : but seeing it is now as a fatherles child , be you the tutors to this orphane , at whose hands orphanes and wards haue euer bene well vsed . the father whilst he liued was a shining light in this our church , and beeing dead , is a shining starre in heauen , for he turned manie to righteousnesse , and his doctrine wil shine in christian churches whilst the sunne shineth vpon the earth . the subject of this treatise is the ministerie , whereof are layde downe the duties and dignities . and well dooth he couple these two together : for some can challenge the dignities of the ministerie , and cunningly cast the duties from their shoulders : others performe the duties , but are kept from the dignities duly belonging to that calling : but as hee that will doe the duties , may iustly challenge the dignities , so he that will expect the dignities , must doe the duties of a minister : therefore in this building , these two beames are in great wisedome well set together by this wise maister builder , and so closely coupled , as the idle or ambitious man cannot looke at the dignities , but hee must withal behold the duties , nor the painful & laborious man see his dutie , but withal sha● see the dignitie thereto belonging . and surely ( right worshipfull ) none might better haue written of this subiect then he : for who may more worthily describe the dignities of the ministerie , then he , who neither by doctrine nor conuersation , was euer the least disgrace vnto his ministerie ? or who may better challenge the honour of his calling , then he who was euer an honour to his calling ; and who might better teach the duties of the ministerie , then hee who so discharged them , as en●ie it selfe cannot iustly reproue , and the enemies thēselues cannot but a commend ? and who may better teach them to others , then he that carefully practised thē in his owne person : and as none could be a fitter author of this discourse then hee , so not many fi●ter patrons then your selues : not many in your profession better schollers , nor any that better loue schollers then your selues : & you are some of those few in this wicked age , who willingly yeld all dignities and due reuerence to such ministers as you see willingly to discharge the duties of good ministers . well would it be with the ministerie of england , ( and the better with it , the better with england ) if all as great as you , were as good friends to it as you . and if the papists except , and say how can this be , for that you haue beene persecuters of their priests , let me answere once for you , who often answere for many distressed men : they persecute you with slander , that say you persecuted thē , ( but be content to beare your part in popish slanders , with our prince and state , our counsellers & cleargy , our parliaments and lawes , for none of these haue escaped these viperous tongues ) for though you haue executed the lawes vpon some of them in your seuerall places , yet not with sharpenesse nor seueritie but with mercifull iustice ▪ and that also not as they were priests , but plotters , practisers , subuerters , and seducers : and as they were priests , you sought their reformation , not their ruine . and if they , who can hardly discharge themselues from beeing priests of baal , haue had but iustice , and that also tempered with mercy , it shewes how good regard you haue , and howe much you esteeme all good and faithfull ministers , which are god interpreters . in a word , if all our ministers were such as this treatise describeth , or came but as neere it as the author hereof did , and if all our great ones did vse and esteeme good ministers as you do , we should then soone pull the ministerie frō vnder that foote of contempt , with which this prophane age doth daily tread vpon it . the church of rome , who are farre wiser in their kinde then the children of light , haue taken other & strange courses to magnifie the cleargie . they teach , that the state ecclesiasticall , is so far more excellent then the ciuile , as the sunne is then the moone , & that not in spirituall onely , ( for that we deny not ) but in temporall power , pompe , and estate : and that therefore the chiefe of their clergie , is as farre aboue the mightiest emperour , as the sunne is aboue the moone ; and as the moone borroweth her light from the sunne , so doth the emperour is state and power from the pope . they teach , that the cleargie is a state so distinct , & so absolute of it selfe , as it hath not to do with the ciuile stat● , yea they exempt their cleargie , from beeing any way subiect to the temporall magistrate . and though their crimes , be neuer so many or monstrous , yet the prince , or ciuill authoritie , hath nothing to do to take notice thereof , much lesse to punish them : and herevpon great volumes are written , and many acts and decrees are made in their cannon lawe , de exemptione clericorum . they extoll their cleargy aboue the temporaltie , allowing the priests both bread and wine in the sacrament , but leauing the laitie bread alone . they make them in their masse , mediators betwixt christ & god the father , & creators of their creator and redeemer , when and as often as themselues list . and finally , they send for the most part , all their clergie immediatly to heauen without let , wheras all the temporaltie ( except martyrs ) must passe by purgatorie . here are great buildings , but on a sandy foundation , goodly castles , but built in the ayre ; if these deuises were of god , they would certainly stand , but their long tottering threatens a suddaine fall . contrariwise , our church , or rather the corruption of our church , by auoyding this scilla , haue falne into charibdis , by auoyding one extremitie , haue falne into the other , by taking too much dignitie and authority frō our ministerie , & by laying too much pouerty , contempt , & basenesse vppon it . it were a worke worth the labour of the wisest heads , to put downe the true meane betwixt both extreames , & worth the labour of our noble king , to take order that that meane be kept , without rising to the right hand , or falling to the left . this short treatse may hap to giue some light & directions therein , or at least may encourage & stir vp their hearts in whose hands it is to doe it : vnder your woorthy names would i haue it see the world , not so much for that i am bound to you both in many priuate and particular respects , ( though that be much ) as for that know you both to be o● so right and reformed a iudgement in this case , as you would haue none ministers but of sufficient gifts , and vnblameable liues , nor those ministers put to their pensions , or vncertaine salailes , but to haue certaine & sufficient maintenance proportionable to their charge , and beseeming the honour of a christian church : god continue you still in that minde , and make many more of the same with you , so should we haue as florishing a church as any christendome hath seene . goe forward in that , and other your religious resolutions , it is the true way to honour , both heere and in a better world : stand firmly for the truth , and boldly against the popish enemies thereof , as hitherto you haue done : religion had neuer more cause to thanke you , and all that doe so , then now it hath , for her enemies were neuer so insolent since they were our enemies : but if you and others holde on , as in your seuerall places you haue wel begun , and others take the like course , there is hope their insolencies will bee easily ( if timely ) repressed , and themselues neerest the fall , when they imagine they are in the full . the lorde blesse and assist you in your painfull places , and make you on earth instruments of his glorie , to the good of his church , so shall you bee vessels of glory in the kingdome of heauen : and thus commending this little treatise to your reading , and my selfe to your fauour , i take leaue , and wil euer rest , . your worships in the lord , vv. crashawe . a treatise of the duties and dignitie of the ministerie . iob. . . . if there bee with him a messenger : an interpreter , one of a thousand to declare vnto man his righteousnesse : then will be haue mercie on him , and will say , deliuer him that he goe not downe into the pit , for i haue receiued a reconciliation . in this chapter and the former , elihu a holy , learned , noble , & wise young man , had conference with iob in matters of high and excellent diuinitie : the points of his conference are these : from the first verse of this chap. to the . verse , is a praeface to his speach . from thence to the . he repeateth certaine propositions of iob , and reproueth them : frō thence to these wordes , hee instructeth iob in certaine points touching gods dealing with sinners : and those are two . how god preserueth a sinner from falling . how god restoreth a sinner being falne . the meanes whereby god preserueth a sinner , are set downe to bee two principall . by admonitions in dreames and visions . by scourges and chastisments , when the first will not preuaile . and these are layde downe from the thirteene verse vnto these words . then followeth the . point , namely the restoring of a sinner : when both the meanes formerly spoken of , haue not preuailed with him , but that through his corruption he is fallen : and concerning this point , he handleth these particulers . the remedie and meanes of his restoring . the effect that followeth thereupon . the remedie is layde downe in these wordes now red vnto vs , then followeth the effect , which is , that when a sinner is restored by repentance , then the graces of god are plentifully powred vpon him both for soule & body : from these words to the end of the chapter . the intent then of this scripture , is , that god vseth meanes in his mercie to preserue sinners from falling into sinne , but if they doe , then hee in much greater mercie afordeth them meanes and helpes to rise againe . and this is the summe and substance of the words . now , that means and remedie is the matter i purpose to speake of , out of these wordes : the meanes then to restore a sinner after a fall , is to raise him by repentance to a better estate then hee was in before , and that is inclusiuely , and by implication taught in this text : but the instrument by whom that great worke is to be wrought , is here in plaine termes layd downe to bee a minister of god , lawfully called and sent by god , & appointed by his church to that great dutie . so that these wordes containe a worthy description of a true minister , and he is here described . by his titles , which are two , an angell . an interpreter . by his rarnesse , one of a thousand . by his office : which is , to declare vnto man his righteousnes . by the blessing that god giueth vpon the labours of this true minister : which is , then god will haue mercie vpon the sinner . by his commission and authoritie in the last wordes : god will say , deliuer him that he goe not downe into the pit , for i haue receiued a reconciliation . let vs speake of them in order as they lie in the text , and first of his titles . the first title of a minister of god is , he is called a messenger , or an angel : and not here alone , but elswhere in the scripture , malachy . . he is the messenger of the lord of hostes . and in the reuelation , the ministers of the . churches are called the angels of those churches . so that it is apparant , a true minister is an angel of god in one place , and in the other place , the angel of the church . hee is an angell or messenger sent from god to his church . this consideration affords matter of much vse . and first for ministers themselues . the most of vs in this place a are eyther prophets , or sonnes of the prophets . if thou be a prophet , thou art gods angel . if a sonne of the prophets thou intendest to bee , then marke thy dutie , prophets and ministers are angels in the very institution of their calling . therefore thou must preach gods word as gods word , and deliuer it as thou receiuest it : for angels , embassadors , and messengers , carry not their owne message , but the message of their lords and maisters who sent them , and ministers carry the message of the lord of hostes , therefore they are bound to deliuer it as the lords , and not their owne . in the first epistle of peter , . . wee are bid , if any man speake , let him speake , not onely the word of god , but as the word of god gods word must bee spoken , and as gods word : then shew thy faithfulnesse to the lord , in discharging thy hands sincerely of that message , which he hath honoured thee to carry , gods word is pure , thercfore purely to be thought vpon , and to be deliuered . then let all that are gods angels , and would be honoured as his angels and embassadors , thinke it no lesse reason to doe the dutie of gods angels , least ( as many men mar a good tale in the telling , so ) they take away the power and maiestie of gods word , in the manner of deliuering it . the second vse concernes the ministers also : are they gods angels ? therefore they must preach gods word in the euidence & demonstration of the spirit of god : for he that is gods angell , the spirit of that god must speake in him : now to speake in the demonstration of gods spirit , is to speake in such a plaines , and yet such a powerfulnes , as that the capacities of the simplest , may perceiue , not man , but god teaching them in that plainesse : and the conscience of the mightiest may feele , not man , but god reproue them in that powerfulnesse : that this is so , appeares by saint paul. if a man prophecie aright . ( saith the holy ghost ) the vnlearned or vnbeleeuing man comes in , hee thinkes his secret faults are disclosed and laid open , he thinkes all men see his nakednesse , and doe reproue him for it , he therefore falls down and saith surely god speakes in this man. in which words , obserue an admirable plainesse , and an admirable powerfulnesse ( which a man would thinke coulde not so well stand together . ) first plainnesse , for whereas the vnlearned man perceiueth his faults discouerrd , it followeth necessarily he must needes vnderstand , and if an vnlearned man vnderstand it , then consequently it must needes be plaine : secondly powerfulnesse , in that his conscience is so conuinced , his secret faults so disclosed , and his very heart so ript vp : that he saith , certainly god speakes in this man. this is the euidence and demonstration of gods spirit : it is thought good commendation before the world , when men say of a preacher , surely this man hath showne himselfe a proper scholler , of good learning , great reading , strong memory , and good deliuery , and so it is , and such commendation ( if iust ) is not to be contemned : but that , that commends a man to the lord his god , and to his owne conscience , is when he preacheth so plainely to the capacitie , and so powerfully to the conscience of a wicked man , as that he thinkes doubtlesse god is within him . art thou therefore an angell of god , then magnifie the spirite of god , and not thy selfe in thy preaching of his word . the next vse is for the hearers , and they are here taught , that if their ministers bee angels sent them from god , then are they to heare them , gladly , willingly , reuerently , and obediently : gladly and willingly , because they are ambassadors , reuerently and obediently , because they are sent from the high god the king of kings , and doe deliuer his embaslage . god saith , the people must seeke the lawe at his mouth : and good reason , for if the lawe be the reuealed will of god , and the minister the angell of god , then where should they seeke the will of god , but at the mouth of his angell ? the reason therefore followeth well in that place : they should seeke the lawe at his mouth , for hee is the messenger of the lord of hosts : and this must all christians doe , not onely if their doctrine be pleasing vnto them , but though it crosse their corruptions , and bee quite contrary to their dispositions , yea though it bee neuer so vnsauory and harde vnto nature , yet in as much as it is a message from thy god and king , and the teacher the angellor messenger of that god : therefore both hee and it must be receiued with all reuerence , and with the very obedience of the heart and soule . and this is the cause why a conuenient reuerence and honour is to be giuen of all good christians , euen to the persons of gods ministers ( especially when they adorne their high calling with a holy life : ) euen because they are angels of god. saint paule teacheth , that women ought to be modestly altired in the congregation because of the angels : it is not onely , because the holy angels are present , and alwaies beholders of our seruice of god , but euen because the ministers , which are angels and messengers sent from god , are there , delinering their message and embassage receiued from god : and thus we haue the first title giuen to the minister : he is an angell . an interpreter . secondly hee is an interpreter , that is , one that is able to deliuer aright the reconciliation , made betwixt god and man : i say not , the author of that reconciliation , for that is the godhead it selfe : nor the worker of this reconciliation , for that is the second person , christ iesus : nor the assurer or ratifier of it , for that is the holy ghost : nor the instrument of it , for that is the glad tidings of the gospell : but i say he is the interpreter of it , that is , first one that can open and explane the couenant of grace , and rightly lay downe the meanes how this reconciliation is wrought : secondly , one that can rightly and iustly apply those meanes , for the working of it out . thirdly , one that hath authoritie to publish and declare it when it is wrought : and by these three actions hee is gods interpreter to the people . then hee is also the peoples interpreter to god , by being able to speake to god for them , to lay open their wants and nakednesses , to confesse their sinnes , to craue pardon and forgiuenesse , to giue thankes in their names for mercies receiued , and in a word to offer vp all their spirituall sacrifices vnto god for them : and so euery true minister is a double interpreter , gods to the people , and the peoples to god. in which respects , hee is properly called , gods mouth to the people , by preaching to them from god , and the peoples mouth to god , by praying for them to god : and this title sheweth how great & glorious a calling this ministery is if it be rightly conceiued . now then for the vse of it . first , if euery true minister must bee gods interpreter to the people , and the peoples to god , then hence wee learne that euery one , who either is or intends to be a minister , must haue that tongue of the learned , whereof is spoken in esay . . wher the prophet saith ( first in the name of christ , as he that is the great prophet and teacher of his church ; and secondarily in the name of himselfe , and all true prophets while the worlde endureth . ) the lorde god hath giuen me a tongue of the learned , that i should knowe to speake a word in season to him that is wearie : where note the wearie soules , or troubled conscience , must haue a word in season spoken to him for his comfort , and that cannot bee spoken without the tongue of the learned , and lastly that tongue of the learned must bee giuen of god. now to haue this tongue of the learned , which esay speakes of , what is it but to be this interpreter , which the holy ghost heere saith a minister must bee : but to bee able to speake with this tongue is , first to bee furnished with humane learning . secondly , with diuine knowledge , as farre as it may by outward meanes bee taught from man to man : but besides these , hee that will speake this tongue aright , must be inwardly learned , and taught by the spirit of god : the two first he must learne from men , but the third from god : a true minister must be inwardly taught by the spiritual school-maister the holy ghost . saint iohn in the reuelatiō must take the book , that is the scripture , and eate it , and when hee hath eaten it : then ( saith the angell ) he must goe preach to nations , tongues , people , and to kings : which was done , not that saint iohn had not eaten that booke , in the comming downe of the holy ghost , the very ende of whose comming was to teach them spiritually : but that in him christ might teach his church for euer , that no minister is fit to preach , to nations and to kings , vntill they haue eaten the booke of god : that is , till after and besides all the learning that man can teach them , they be also taught by the spirit of god himselfe , and this teaching is it that makes a man a true interpreter , and without this he cannot be , for how can a man bee gods interpreter to his people , vnlesse he knowe the mind of god himselfe , and how can he knowe the minde of god , but by the teaching of the spirit of god. for as no man knoweth the thought of a man , but the spirit of man that is in him . so the things of god knoweth no mā , but the spirit of god . indeed we may be mans interpreter by humane teaching , and may interpret the scriptures truly and soundly as a humane booke or storie , for the increase of knowledge , but the diuine & spiritual interpreter , which shal pearce the hart , and astonish the soule of man , must bee taught by the inward teaching of the holy ghost . let no man thinke i heere giue the least allowance to anabaptisticall fancies , and reuelations , which are nothing , but eyther dreames of their owne , or illusions of the diuell , for they contemne both humane learning , and the study of the scripture , and trust wholy to reuelations of the spirit ; but gods spirit worketh not but vpon the foundation of the worde : onely i teach this , that a minister must bee a diuine interpreter , an interpreter of gods meaning . and therfore he must not onely reade the books , but eate it , that is , not onely haue the knowledge of diuine things flowing in his braine , but ingrauen in his heart , and printed in his soule by the spirituall finger of god : and therefore for this end , after all his owne study , meditation , conference , commentaries , and after all humane helps , hee must pray with dauid , open thou mine eyes , that i may see the wonders of thy lawe . the discerning of those wonders requires a spirituall illumination , and the opening of them requires the tongue of the learned . therefore after all the studie which flesh and blood , and humane reason can yeelde , pray with the prophet , lord giue me the tongue of the learned , that i may be a right interpreter of thy holy will. furthermore , inasmuch as ministers are interpreters , they must labour for sanctitie , and holinesse of life . in esay , the king of assiria is saide to bee sanctified or set a part to destroy gods enemies . if there be a certaine kind of sanctification , necessary for the worke of destruction , then how much more is true sanctification necessarie for this great and glorious worke of the edification of gods church ? a minister is to declare the reconciliation betwixt god and man , and is hee himselfe not reconciled ? dare he present another man to gods mercy for pardon , and neuer yet presented himselfe ? can hee commend the state of grace to another , and neuer felt the sweetenesse thereof in his owne soule ? dare hee come to preach sanctification with polluted lips , and out of an vnsanctified heart ? moses might not stand vpon the mount in gods presence , till hee had put off his shooes from off his feet . exod. . and dare any man presume to come into this most high and holy presence of the lord , vntill he haue mortified his corruptions , and cast off the vnrulines of his affections ? in exodus , the priests are bid to sanctifie the people , and in leuiticus it is saide , that god will be sanctified in all that come neere him , but who come so neere vnto god as the ministers do ? so that it is apparant , ministers doe sanctifie the people , and in some construction , god himselfe : nowe , shall they one way bee sanctifiers of the people , another way of god himselfe , and no way of themselues ? surely if it bee so , they are but lame interpreters . and this is the reason doubtlesse , why vnsanctified ministers , and such as are of a loose conuersation , bestow such fruitlesse labours in the church : many want no learning , no ability to interpret , & yet how fewe soules doe they bring to god ? some it may bee are conuerted by their ministerie , that god may shewe , the efficacie is not in the person of man , but in the ordinance of god , but fewe doubtlesse ( for ought that we can see : ) to teach vs , how god hateth him which will take in hand to reconcile others to god , himselfe being vnreconciled . seing-then ministers are gods interpreters to the people , to declare & publish their reconciliation with god , and that they cannot be reconciled , vnlesse they be sanctified , and can so hardly bee sanctified by the ministerie of an vnsanctified man : let therefore all true ministers of god : first be gods interpreters to their owne consciences , and their owne soules interpreters to god , then shall they know more perfectly how to discharge the office of true interpreters betwixt god and his people . and thus we haue the true titles of a true minister . now it followeth in the text. one of a thousand . here is the second part of this description , which is by the rarenesse , or scarcenesse of good ministers : which is layd downe in a very strange phrase , namely , that a true minister one that is a right angel , and a true interpreter , is no common or ordinarie man , but thin sowne , one of many , nay , one of a thousand . the meaning hereof is to be conceiued either properly , or figuratiuely : in the figuratiue sence , it is spoken in relation to ministers themselues : in the proper sense , it hath a comparison with all men : the figuratiue and hyperbolicall sense is , that of all the ministers in the worlde , not one of many is a right angel , and a true interpreter : the plaine & proper sense is , that amongst the men of this worlde , there is not one of a thousand which proues a true minister . for this point let vs examine three points : the truth of it , the reasons of it , and the vse of it . the truth hereof is manifest , by the experience of all ages , wherein it is strange to obserue , how fewe men of any sort , especially of the better sort , affect the calling of a minister : and which is more strange , howe fewe of those that are ministers in name and title , doe deserue these honourable names of an angel , and an interpreter , and the truth is too manifest in common practise , to insist much vpon it : rather therefore let vs see the reasons of it , and they be these principally . first , the contempt that lyeth on that calling , it being alwayes hated , by wicked and prophane men , because it discouers their filthines , and vnmaskes their hypocrisie : and their doctrine oftimes is a fretting corrasiue to their conscience , that they cannot welter , and wallowe so quietly , and secretly in their sinnes , as otherwise they would , therefore is it that they spurne both against the calling , and the men , and watch them narrowly , and take holde of their least infirmities , thereby to disgrace them : iudging that to cast contempt on that calling , is to remoue shame from their owne shamefull courses : nor is it possible , but that they should thus hate this calling , inasmuch as they hate so deadly both that lawe and embassage which they bring , and that god , whose embassadors they are . this hatred and disgrace in the wicked world , was that that caused ieremie to cry , woe is me , & made him in the seeming of his natural reason , curse the time that euer he was a prophet , for saith he , i am a man of cōtention , euery man is at strife and at enmitie with me . the next reason is the difficultie of discharging the duties of his calling : to stand in gods presence , to enter into the holy of holiest , to goe betwixt god & his people , to be gods mouth to the people , and the peoples to god : to be the interpreter of the eternall lawe of the olde testament , and the euerlasting gospell of the new : to stand in the roume , and to beare the office of christ himselfe , to take the care and charge of soules , these considerations are so many amazements to the consciences of such men , who doe with reuerence approch , & not with rashnes , rush vnto this sacred seate : this made saint paul cry out , who is sufficient for these things . and if paul said , who is ? no marnell though many a man say , i am not sufficient , and doe therefore draw their neckes from this yoke , and their hands from this plough , vntill god himselfe or his church doe presse them to it . the last reason is more peculiar to this age of the newe testament , namely , want of maintenance and preferment , for them that labour in this calling : men are flesh and blood , and in that respect must be allured , and wonne to embrace this vocation , by some arguments , which may perswade flesh and blood : the world hath in all ages beene negligent herein , and therefore god in his law tooke such strict orders , for the maintenance of the leuites : but especially , now vnder the gospel , this calling is vnprouided for , when it deserues best of all to be rewarded : certainly it were a worthy christian pollicie , to propound good preferments to this calling , that thereby men of the worthiest giftes might be won vnto it , and the want thereof , is cause why so many young men of speciall partes , and greatest hope , turne to other vocations , and especially to the lawe , wherein at this day the greatest partes of the finest wits of our kingdome , are imployed , & why ? but because they haue al the meanes to rise , wheras the ministerie , for the most part yeeldeth nothing , but a plaine way to beggery : this is a great blemish in our church , and surely i wish the papists , those children of this world , were not wiser in their kinde , ( in this point ) then the church of god : the reformation hereof is a worke worth the labour of prince and people ▪ & speciall care is to bee had in it , else it will not be reformed , for doubtlesse had not god himselfe in the olde testament , taken such straight orders for the liuings of the leuites , they had beene put to no lesse extremities , then is the ministrie of this age . and this reason added to the other , makes them perfect ; and all put together make a reason infallible : for who will vndergo so vile contempt , and vndertake so great a charge for no reward : and where there is so great contempt , so heauie a burthen , and so meane a reward , what maruell , if a good minister be one of a thousand ? now let vs make vse of this doctrine : the vse is manifold , and yeelds instructions to many sorts of people : first , rulers and magistrates are heere taught , if good ministers be so scarce , therefore to mainetaine and increase , and doe all good they can to the schooles of the prophets , to vniuersities , colledges , & schooles of good learning , which are the seminaries of the ministerie : herein the example of samuel , is very worthy to bee followed , in whose dayes the schooles of the prophets florished , and euen saul himselfe , though hee did much hurt in israel , yet when he came to the schooles of the prophets , his hard heart relented , he could doe them no hurt , nay , he put off his robes & prophecied amongst them . so should all christian princes and magistrates aduaunce their schooles , and see them both well maintained , and well stored , the reason is euident & forcible . a good minister is one of . if therfore they would haue the number increased , let them maintaine the seminaries . and againe , if antichrist to vphold his kingdome , the kingdome of sathan , bee so carefull herein , to erect colledges , and indowe them with liuing , to bee seminaries for his synagogue , and vse so great meanes to sowe his tares in the hearts of young men , that so they may sowe them in the hearts of the people abroad : shall not christian princes bee as carefull , or rather much more zealous , for the increasing of the number of godly ministers ? shall baal haue his . hundred prophets , and god haue his elias alone ? great shame must it bee to ahab , or to any king , whose kingdome is in that estate . the iesuites diligence is such in teaching , and the readinesse of some of their nouices such in learning , ( the diuell himselfe doubtlesse , putting to his helpe withall ) that in three yeares ( as some of them say of themselues ) they proceede in humane learning , and in the fourth , in diuinitie : which if it be so , then it may bee a good lesson , for these our schooles of learning , and an inducement to moue all that haue the gouernment thereof , to labour to aduance learning , by all good meanes , and to giue it more speedie passage : and it may shame some that spend so many yeares in the vniuersitie , and yet alas for all that proue not one of a . in these our schooles are by gods mercy , many young trees planted by the riuer side of this goodly orchard , which by good ordring and dressing , may prooue goodly trees in the temple of god , and strong pilstrong pillers in the church : but they are like tender plants , and must be cherished . princes and great men , by allowing maintenance , and the gouernours by establishing good orders , and looking carefully to their execution , must see that these plants haue sufficient moisture to grow speedily to perfect ripenesse , and that then they be transplanted in due time , into the church and common wealth : these be the trees spokē of in ezechiel , which growe by the sides of the riuer , which floweth out of the sanctuarie : waters out of the sanctuary must norish them , and so they growe vnto their perfection : but take away these waters : take away the liberalitie of princes and good discipline from the vniuersities , and these trees must needes decay and wither : which if they do , then the smal number of good ministers will be fewer & fewer , & of one of a . ther wil not be one of in the next place , ministers themselues are here taught : first if good ministers bee so scarce , then let euery man feare to make them fewer then they bee : euery man therefore for himselfe , labour first for abilitie , then for conscience to discharge his dutie : namely , to bee an angel , to deliuer faithfully gods embassage , and a true interpreter betwixt god and his people : thus if thou doest , then howsoeuer the number of good ministers is small , yet it shall bee nothing smaller for thee . if they bee so fewe , labour to increase them , for the more they are , the lesse burden lyeth vpon each particular man , therefore let euery minister by his teaching , and by his conuersation labour , so to honour his calling , that hee may thereby allure and drawe others to a loue and liking thereof . are good ministers so thinne sowne ? are there so few of them ? then let all good and godly ministers giue the right hand of fellowship one to another , and ioyne together in loue , & by that meanes arme thēselues against the scorne and contempt of the world : we see they that are of a kinred , or a brotherhood , or any kind of societie , the fewer they are , the more closelie doe they combine , the more firmely doe they holde together against all forraine force : so ought gods ministers to doe , because their number is so small : if they were many , lesse danger in their disvnion . but seeing they are so fewe , the more it concerneth them to cut off contentions , and all occasions of debate , and to ioyne hand in hand against these common aduersaries . in the third place , young students are heere taught , seeing a true minister is but one of a thousand , that therfore they bend their studies , and their thoughts to the ministerie , for they well know it is an old prouerbe , the best things are hard to come by : & certainly there are so few good ministers , because the holy ministerie in it selfe is so high & excellent a calling : & as it is a shame to the men that there are so few good ministers , so it is a commendation to the calling : whose honour & excellency is such , that as wee see heere scarce one of a thousand attaines vnto it , therefore men of the most excellent giftes , are here inuited to dedicate themselues vnto the most excellent vocation , yea , very reason it selfe would vrge a man to be one of a thousand . and further , as they are to intend this calling as the most rare and excellent : so this must teach them like wise , to hasten to furnish themselues with all good helpes and meanes , that they may become true ministers and able interpreters , and not too long to sticke in those studies , which keep a man from the practise of this high function : for it is not to liue in the vniuersitie , or in the colledge , and to studie , though a man neuer so fast deuoure vp learning , but to be a good minister , is that that makes a man one of a thousand . in the last place , hearers are heere taught their dutie , first , to respect with reuerence the person , and to receiue with reuerence the message of euery true messenger , seeing it is so rare a thing to finde a true minister for as nothing is more vile or base then an euil & lewd minister , ( whom christ compares to salt which hath lost his sauour , which is good for nothing , but to bee cast out & troden downe of men : ) so is there none worthy of more loue and reuerence , then a holy minister : for as esay saith , their very feete are beautifull which bring glad tydings ; and we should kisse their feete which bring newes of peace : therefore all good christians are to receiue and vse a good minister , as s. paul saith the galathians did him , euen as an angel of god hast thou then a godly pastor , run to him for conference , for comfort , for counsell , vse his company , frequent his fermons , account him worthy of double honour , thinke it no small or ordinary blessing , for thou hast one of a thousand , and blesse god for bestowing his mercy on thee , which hee had denyed to so many others : for some haue no minister : some haue a minister , but yet 〈◊〉 , he is not one of a thousand . and further : all men that are fathers , may heere learne to consecrate their children to god in the seruice of the ministerie , considering that it is so rare and excellent a thing to be a good minister : nay that man should thinke himselfe happie , and honoured of god , who may be father to such a sonne , as shal proue one of a thousand . in a word to conclude this point , all men must heere learne , seeing good ministers are so scarce , to pray the lorde of the haruest , to thrust out more labourers into his haruest : and for those that are called already , that god would make them faithfull in that high function . and as elisha craueth of elias , that the good spirit may be doubled , and trebled vpon them , so that the number may be encreased . and thus wee haue the truth , the reason , and the vse of this , that a good minister is one of a thousand . it followeth . to declare vnto man his righteousnesse . heere is the third part of the description of a minister , that is , by his office , to declare vnto man his righteousnesse : that is , when a poore sinner , by his sinnes ( the foulnes whereof he seeth , and the burden whereof he feeleth ) is brought downe , as it were to the very gates of hell , when this sinner by the preaching of the lawe , is brought to a true sight of this miserie : and again by preaching the gospel , is brought to lay hold on iesus christ , then it is the proper office of a minister to declare vnto that man his righteousnes . namely , that though in himselfe he be as ill , and as foule as sinne can make him , & as the law can discouer him to be : yet in christ he is righteous , & iust , and by christ so iustified , as he is no more a sinner in the presence and account of god , this is the righteousnes of a christian man , this is the iustification of a sinner . and to declare this righteousnes to him that repents and belieues , is the proper dutie of a true minister . in the actes , paule saith of himselfe , that he witnessed to the iewes , & to the gentiles , the repentance towards god , and faith towards our lord iesus christ . in which words is layde downe the complete dutie of a minister ( as he is a publique angell or interpreter , ) first , to preach repentance , which a man must performe to god , whom by his sins hee hath grieuously offended ; secondly , to preach faith in christ , and free forgiuenes , and perfect saluation through that faith in christ , to all that shal truly belieue in him . and after both these , followeth that which is heere spoken of , which comprehendeth both the former , namely , to declare vnto man his righteeusnesse . so that in these words , are inclusi●ely layd downe , these points of a ministers calling : first , a true minister may & must declare vnto a sinfull man where righteousnesse is to be found , namely , in iesus christ : the righteous . secondly , how that righteousnes may bee obtained , namely , by d●●ing two duties : first , by denying & disclaiming his owne righteousnesse , and that is done by repentance ; secondry , by clayming & cleaning to christe righteousnes , and that is done by faith . thirdly , a true minister may and must declare this righteousnes to him , that is first publish and proclaime , that it is ready to his bestowed on euery sinner , which will thus apprehend it , and that it is able to iustifie and saue him : ) secondly , beside a bare publication of this instification , he must ( as paul did ) witnes and testifie it to the conscience of the sinner , that it is as certainely true 〈◊〉 god is true . for as a witnesse in : doubtfull cases is called , that by his testimone 〈◊〉 may cleere the truth , so when the consciences of poore sinners are 〈◊〉 and doubtfull what to belieue , when they doubt of this righteousnesse , then is a true minister as a faithfull witnesse of god to auerre and testifie this truth , from his owne conscience , knowledge and feeling of the infallible certaintie of gods promises , vnto the doubtfull and distres●ed conscience of the sinner . thirdly , besides declaration and testificati●n been to maintaine this truth , and this righteousnesse ( if the sinners conscience be yet not quiet ) against all gain sayers , against the power of darknesse , and all the gates of helld that this is true and perfect righteousness● to him that apprehends it as afore is 〈◊〉 downe 〈◊〉 this is so infallible to euery soule that repents and beleeueth , that the minister , may assure it to the conscience of the sinner in the worde of truth , and in the name of god , and may call to 〈◊〉 all gods saints , and all his holy angels , and may 〈◊〉 vnto him his owne 〈◊〉 vpon it , that it is most true , that this is 〈◊〉 perfect , and 〈◊〉 sufficient righteousnesse . that we see in some measure , what it is to declare vnto a man his righteousnes . and this is the peculiar office of a minister of god , and this is the height and excellencie of his office . in the want of godly ministers , i confesse that godly christian men may one helpe another in the performance of these duties , and that with profit , but it is the proper function of a godly minister to doe it , and the promise and blessing belong properly to him : as the consciences of all penitent sinners , will testifie in this case : let dauids serue for many , who when hee was cast downe euen to the mouth of hell , by that fearefull discouery of his two hideous sinnes by nathans preaching ; & when the faith of his soule beganne to wrestle against hell , and striue against despaire , and to apprehend the mercy of god in christ : then i say , could not the testimonie of all the men in the worlde haue giuen him that ioy , comfort and assurance , that nathan did , when hee saide in the word of a prophet , and of a true minister , god hath taken away thy sinne , thou shalt not dye : what did nathan here , but declare vnto man his righteousnesse ? what did nathan heere , but the duty of euery true minister ? if this be the office and duty of a minister ; and if such bee the height and excellency : of his office , let vs see then what vse we may make of it . first , concerning the ministerie : it first discouereth how nakedly , weakely , and insufficiently , the popish church doth declare vnto man his righteousnesse , who wil let a man seeke it in himselfe ▪ where alas it is not : for paule himselfe testifieth , that his desire is , that hee may bee found out of himselfe , and in christ ; and yet certainly , if euer man had righteousnesse of his owne worth trusting to , paule had : this is the cause why so many of that religion finde not that righteousnesse , which will pacific and satisfie their consciences ; when they come to dye : and why so many of them , whē it comes to the pinch , do then go out of themselues , and with vs doe seek for this righteousnesse in christ , where both assuredly , and sufficiently it is to be found . then for our owne ministerie , heere they are taught : first the true manner of teaching , and declaring righteousnesse , namely this , not to preach the lawe alone , or the gospell alone , as some vnaduisedly doe ( but both without profite ) but both the lawe and the gospell ; the lawe to breed repentance the gospell to worke f●●th● but in order ; first the lawe to breede repentance , and then the gospell to worke faith and forgiuenesse , but neuer before . secondly , they are taught to bee holy : to bee sanctified and reconciled themselues for is it thy office to declare vnto man his righteousnesse , and not thy own to thy selfe ? and how , canst thou bee a true witnesse to testifie betwixt god , and the soule of a sinner , when thy owne soule knoweth not , nor feeleth the truth of it ? certainly such men are but lame witnesses betwixt god , and the sinners soule . dauid saith to the sinner , i will instruct thre in the way wherein thou shalt goe : but hee first of all in the same , sets downe his owne experience in a large story of his owne repentance , and of gods mercy on himselfe . and though god some time doe satisfie , and saue the poore distressed soule of a sinner , by the testimonie of such men , to teach vs , that the vertue is not in the men , but in the truth of gods couenant : yet alas how fewe are they , to teach vs , how pleasing it is vnto him , when a minister is a declarer of that righteousnesse to others , which hee first hath himselfe : and is a witnesse of that truth to others , which he first knoweth in his owne experience . thirdly , the consideration of this high excellencie of their calling , must arme all true ministers against the scorne and contempt of the world , which by wicked men is cast like dust and mire into the face of ministers : let this suffice them , they are the men that must declare vnto man his righteousnesse , euen he that scornes and contemnes the ministerie , hee hath no righteousnesse in him , vnlesse it bee by the meanes of a poore minister : then doe thou thy duty , and bee that mockes thee , hath cause to honour thee . and let this encourage students to consecrate themselues to the ministery , for what calling hath so high an office , as this , to declare vnto man his righteousnesse ? and assuredly how euer in this wicked world , thou art little accounted of ( for if it did not so , it were not wicked : ) yet thou art honoured in the harts of all gods children ▪ and euen in the conscience of some , whose tongues doe smite thee : and the soules of thousands , when they dye shal blesse thee , who in their liues cared not for thee : and the diuell himselfe doth enuy , & the holy angels themselues doe wonder at the excellency of thy calling , in that thou hast power to declare vnto men his righteousnesse . in the next place , hearers may heere learne ; first if their righteousnesse bee thus to bee declared as afore , then if they will haue it , they must seeke it as it may bee found , namely , both in the lawe , and in the gospell and not in the gospell alone : and first in the lawe , then in the gospell : for he must neuer looke to taste the sweetnes of the gospell , which hath not first swallowed the bitter pilles of the law : if therefore thou wouldest be declared righteous by the gospell , bee content first to bee pronounced miserable by the lawe : if thou wouldst be declared righteous in christ , then bee content first to bee pronounced sinfull and vnrighteous in thy selfe . secondly , all men may heere learne , how they are to esteeme of gods ministers , and what reuerence and obedience is due to their persons , and their doctrine : these are they which must declare vnto thee thy righteousnesse , if thou hast any : art thou beholden to him , who , when thou hast lost a iewell ( which was all thy wealth ) can tell thee where it is , and helpe thee to it againe ? or to him , who , when thy cause is in triall at the barre , will pleade it for thee ? or to him , who , when thy health is lost , can tell thee how to get it againe ? then beholde how thou art beholden to a godly minister , who when adam had lost both himselfe and thee , that iewell of righteousnesse , which was , and is the whole wealth of thy soule , can truly tell thee where it is , and howe it is to bee had againe : and who , when the diuell haleth thee to the barre of gods iustice , to receiue triall for thy sinnes , can drawe thee there such a declaration , as the diuell himselfe shall not bee able to answere ? and who , when thy soule is sicke to death , and euen to damnation , can heale the deadly wounds thereof . a good minister therefore is worthy ( as the apostle saith ) of double honour , whose dutie wee see is to declare vnto man his righteousnesse . and to conclude this point also , the consideration of the height of this office of a minister , may encourage fathers to dedicate their sonnes to this holy calling : for the physitians care for the body , or the lawyers for thy cause , are both inferiour duties to this of the mininister . a good lawyer may be one of tenne : a good physitian one of . a good man one of . but a good minister is one of . a good lawyer may declare the true state of thy cause ; a good physitian may declare the true state of thy body : no calling , no man can declare vnto thee thy righteousnesse , but a true minister . and thus we see the office or function of a minister . now followeth the blessing . then will he haue mercy vpon him . the fourth generall part of this description , is the blessing which god giueth to the labours and function of a true minister : then that is , when a man by the preaching of the lawe , is brought to true humiliation and repentance , and by the preaching of the gospell , to true faith in the messias : then will he ( that is , god ) haue mercy on him ( that is , on the penitent and beleeuing sinner . ) behold heere the admirable simpathy , and the cooperation of god , and the ministers office . man preacheth , and god blesseth : man worketh on the heart , and god giues grace : a minister declares vnto man his righteousnesse , and god saith so be it he shall be righteous : a minister pronounceth mercy to a penitent sinner , and forthwith god hath mercy on him . heere wee see the great and glorious account which god makes of the worde of his ministers , by them truly taught and rightly applyed , namely , that he as it were tyeth his blessing vnto it : for ordinarily till a man knowe his righteousnesse , by the meanes of an interpreter , god hath not mercy on him , but as soone as he doth knowe it , then as we see here god wil haue mercy on him and will say deliuer him , &c. this is no small honour to ministers , and to their ministerie , that god himselfe giues a blessing vnto it , & worketh when they work , and as it were staieth wayting , when they declare vnto a man his righteousnesse , and then hath he mercy on him : so powerfull and so effectuall is the worde spoken by a minister of god. this is that which christ auoucheth , whatsoeuer you loose in earth , shall be loosed in heauen . will you knowe the meaning hereof ? reade saint iohn , whose sinnes soeuer you remit , they are remitted ; whose you retaine , they are retained : will you haue the meaning of both ? read esay , god destroyeth the tokens of soothsayers , and makes wisards and astrologers fooles , turneth worldly wisemen backward and makes their knowledge foolishnesse : but hee confirmeth the word of his seruants , and performeth the counsel of his messengers , thus god bindeth and looseth with them , remitteth and retaineth with them , by confirming their word and performing their counsell : for example . a true minister seeth a sinner hardned in his sins , & still rebelling against the will of god , he therfore declareth vnto him his vnrighteousnes , & his sin , & denounceth vnto him , the misery & curses of gods iustice , as due vnto him for the same : here he binds on earth , here he retains on earth , this mans sins are likewise bound & retained in heauen . on the other side , hee seeth a man penitēt , & belieuing , he pronounceth forgiuenes of sins , & happines vnto him for the same : he looseth him from the band of his sins , by declaring vnto him his righteousnes , this mans sins are likewise loosed & remitted in heauen , & god himselfe doth pronounce him cleare in heauen , when the minister doth on earth . thus god confirmeth the word of his seruants , and performeth the counsell of his messengers , the vse of this doctrine is , first for rulers and great men of this worlde , this may teach them to be nursing fathers and nursing mothers vnto the church , whose authority they see is so great ouer them , as that their decree stands ratified in heauen : therefore though their place bee great , and they bee gods vppon earth , yet must they withall acknowledge , that in iustifying a sinner , in interpretation , in declaring vnto man his righteousnes ; in binding and loosing , their power also is immediate from god , & aboue theirs , and they themselues , as they are men , must submit themselues to this powerfull word of the ministers , to be taught by it , and to be reconciled by meanes of it , & highly must they respect it ; for though a man speake it , yet is it the word of god : this is to lick the dust of christs feete , which the prophet speaketh of : not as the pope would haue it , to hold the stirrop , & leade the horse , & hold the water to the pope , to kisse his toes , to holde their kingdomes of him , as tenants at will , or by curtesie , but reuerently to acknowledge the ordinance to be gods , the function & duty to be high & excellent , to acknowledge the power of their keyes and censures ( being rightly applied , their promises & their threatnings to be as frō god , & to submit to them accordingly . secondly , ministers thēselues here must learne , when they take the word of reconciliation into their hands and mouthes , to call to minde whose it is , euen the lords , and that he worketh with them , & hath the greatest hand in the work , and that therefore they must vse it in holymaner , with much feare and reuerence : it is not their owne , they may not vse it as they list . and lastly , hearers are here taught , first to see how mad such men be which carelesly , and sildome heare sermons , but vpon any occasion flye to wisards and charmers , which are the diuels prophets : for see the difference of these two , the wisard and charmer hath societie with the diuell , the preacher with god : the charmer hath his calling from the diuel , the preacher is from god : the charmers charme is the diuels watchword , ( when he charmeth , the diuell doth the feate ) : the preachers doctrine is gods watchword , when hee truly applyeth it , god himselfe ratifieth and makes it good : therefore let all men feare to haue thus to doe with the diuell , by seeking to his slaues , & let them draw neere to god , by entring into fellowship with his holy prophets , and godly ministers . and further , if when they preach , and thou belieuest , then god hath mercy on thee , then learne what reuerence they and their word is worthy of , which is thus accompanied with gods mercy and forgiuenes : and then learne to heare the word with feare and trembling , for it is gods word , and not theirs : and when a true minister saith vnto thee , on a true ground , i denounce thee a sinfull man , and vnder the curse , or i declare thee to be righteous , and a child of grace , it is all one , as though god from heauen had said so vnto thee . if any man aske ; but is it not as good if another man pronounce forgiuenesse vnto me vpon my repentance ? i answere , yes vndoubtedly , if it be in extraordinarie times or places , when there are no ministers : for otherwise , certainly this blessing is principally tied vnto the ministers calling : for it is not said of any priuate mens calling any wher in the scripture , as it is heere saide of the ministers . if an angell , an interpreter come to a man and declare vnto him his righteousnesss , then ( marke the conexion ) then will god haue mercy on him , and will say , deliuer him , &c. whence comes this blessing ? from this promise of god. if therfore other callings wil challenge ordinarily the same blessing , then must they haue the same prosmise . besides , other christiās being priuate men , though they be sanctified , & haue a good measure of knowledge , yet haue they not the same spirit of discerning that godly ministers haue : nor can so fully & truly iudge , when a man hath repented , when not ; and therefore cannot so truly pronounce the sentence of the law or gospel , nor haue they abilitie ordinarily by their good conference , and christian counsell , to conuert a soule , but to confirme one conuerted : but that power ordinarily belongs to the publike ministery of the word , therefore it followeth , that ordinarily they haue not the power to pronounce the sentence of binding or loosing vppon any man : i confesse , in times or places , where no minister can be had , god blesseth the labours of priuate men , that haue knowledge , sometimes euen for the conuerting of a man to god , & for comforting him at the houre of death , and giues a vertue and power to that sentence which they shal pronounce one vpon anothers repentance : but as this is extraordinary , and in the want of ordinary ministers , so in that case a priuate man of knowledge and godlinesse , is made a minister for that time to himselfe , or to another , euen as a priuate man in cases of extreame danger , whē no magistrate is present , is made a magistrate himselfe to defend his own life . so then as in want of a magistrate , the sword of the magistracie is put into the hand of a priuate man : so in the want of ministers , the keyes of the ministerie are committed , and put into the hands of priuate men , ( as in the dayes of persecution ) that then they may with comfort admonish & aduise : and with power pronounce mercy and forgiuenesse one vnto another , vpon their true repentance . yet alwaies remember that in so doing , a priuate man is as a minister for that time , & in that case : but ordinarily ( and alwaies in setled churches ) this power pertaineth to the ministerie , & is theirs alone by ordination ; and to them belongeth the promise and the blessing , that when hee hath declared to a man his righteousnesse , then god will haue mercie on him . and thus we see also the blessing of god vpon the function of the ministerie , & annexed therunto by the merciful dispensation of god. it followeth . and will say , deliuer him that he goe not downe into the pit : for i haue receiued a reconciliation . the fift and last part of this description is , the commission & authoritie giuen vnto him , which is so great , as neuer was giuen to any creature , and is this , when a minister of god hath declared vnto man his righteousnesse , hath brought him to the state of grace , and god in his fauour hath had mercie on him ; then god saith to the minister , deliuer that soule from hell , for i haue pardoned him in christ , i am reconciled to him . in which words , authoritie is giuen to a minister of god to redeeme a man penitent , from hell & damnation : not that hee is the meanes of working out this redemption , for that wholy and onely is christ himselfe : but hee is gods instrument and christs instrument : first , to apply those meanes vnto him : secondly , to pronounce his safetie and deliuerance when these means are vsed . here is the principall honour of all , belonging to that calling : and it is the greatest that euer was vouchsafed to any creature , man or angel : for it is a plaine commission , to go and deliuer such a man from the power of hell , & to redeeme him into the state of gods children , and to make him heire of heauen : angels neuer had this commission , they are messengers set out for the good of those whom ministers haue redeemed , and they haue brought many comfortable messages vnto them : but it was neuer said to any angel , deliuer that man that he goe not downe into the pit : as it heere is saide vnto a minister , nor any man but ministers haue this commission . to some callings god saith , worke thou for man , build him houses , prouide him sustenance ; to the phisition , heale that man : to the lawyer , doe that man iustice : to the souldier , fight for him : to the magistrate , defend him : to the king , gouerne him , & see that euery one doe his dutie : to none but to the minister doth he say , deliuer him that he goe not downe into the pit . if this be so then for the vse , first ministers must learne heere , that if they will haue the honour of redeemers , then must they doe the dutie of redeemers , they must pray earnestly for the people , for that is one meanes whereby they redeeme men . they must say with samuel , god forbid that i should cease to pray for you : they must mourne for the impenitent , when they will not turne to god. so did dauid , his eyes gushed out with riuers of waters , because men kept not gods law . and ieremie , who wished a fountaine of water in his eyes , that he might weepe for the sinnes of the people . they must priuarly conferre visite , admonish , and rebuke , and principally they must preach , and that in such good manner , and in so diligent measure , as that they may redeeme and winne soules , and the end that they must ayme at , must bee to winne soules . some preach for feare of the law , to auoyd censure or punishment : some for fashion sake , that they may bee like to others : some for ostentation sake , to win credite and praise : some for ambition , to rise in the world : all these forget their commission , which is , deliuer a man from hell . this should bee the end of their preaching , to deliuer a soule from hell : & what should commissioners doe , but execute their commission ? high commissioners are worthy to be low commissioners , or rather , no commissioners , if they wil not put it in execution . it is therefore lamentable to see , that some by not preaching ; some by vaine preaching , shew that they intend any thing rather then the winning of soules to god. let then all good ministers so preach , as they may say with esay , behold lord heere am i , and the children whom thou hast giuen me . and that they may returne their commission thus : whereas thou o lord gauest mee this people , and badst mee deliuer them , that they goe not downe into hell , lord i haue done it : it is the thing my soule aymed at with all my desire and endeuour : and by thy mercy i haue effected it accordingly . and the rather must all christian ministers seriously intēd the sauing of soules , inasmuch as antichrist doth so earnestly seeke the destruction of soules , by winning them to his synagogue . the turke spares no labour , no cost , to infect young children of christians with his impure and blasphemous superstition . the pope and his vassals ( especially iesuits , ) vse al means , deuise many stratagems , spare no cost , nor labor , to seduce & inueagle young men , and the best wits . surely their care and policie herein is admirable : and yet alas , when ( like the pharisies ) they haue compassed sea and land to make a proselite , they make him like themselues , the childe of hel . and they are so farre from hauing any commission from god to doe this , or any blessing promised , as contrariwise god forbids them , and his curse lyeth vppon them for so doing . shall they be so diligent to destroy soules without a commission , and incurre gods curse for their labour ? and shall not christian ministers be much more diligent to winne and redeeme soules , hauing so large a commission for the purpose , and so great a blessing promised thereunto ? in the next place , this doctrine hath vse to the hearers . first , to let them see the excellencie of this calling , which hath a commssion and power to redeeme them from hell and damnation , & what honour is due vnto it : and to let the wicked man see ( which any way abuseth either the persons or the function ) how base & vnthankefull men they are , to recompence euill for good , and therefore no maruell though euil do neuer depart from the houses and families of such men : and further , to encourage all men to giue thēselues to god in this calling , for see here what they are , euen the high commissioners of god. wee haue in our estate , a power deligated to certaine men of worth , and it is called the high commission , because they haue power to doe great things , and that man thinkes himselfe happy who can bring his sonne to this , to be thought fit to bee one of this commission : but behold heere a higher commission , a commission from god , to redeeme soules from the power of hell , and the diuels clawes : this is in deed a high commission , and so high as this , was neuer granted out of the court of heauen to any creature but to ministers : they therefore are the high commissioners of the high god. is it not then an honour and happinesse vnto thee to bring thy sonne to this estate ? and lastly , this must teach all hearers , their dutie to gods word : namely , to submit themselues vnto it : for if the minister haue a commission to redeeme thy soule , it must be by the word & holy discipline . therefore thy dutie is to heare gods word patiently , to submit thy selfe vnto it , to be taught and instructed , nay , to be checked and rebuked , and to haue thy sinnes discouered , & thy corruptions ript vp . if thou wouldst haue thy cause succeed wel , thy lawyer must discouer the weaknesses of it : if thy body to be cured , thy physition must purge the corruption of it . so if thy soule bee to be redeemed , thy minister must see the weaknes , & purge the corruptions of it , and though his doctrine be harsh , & hard vnto thy nature , and the discipline of the gospel seeme rough vnto thee , yet must not thou rage and rebel against it , nor hate him , nor raile at his persō but submit thy selfe vnto it , for it is the message and ministerie of thy saluation : if otherwise , thou doest indeede a great wrong to the minister , for thou frustratest his commission : but alas , a farre greater to thy selfe , for thou furstratest thine owne saluation . the second treatise of the duties and dignities of ministerie , by maister perkins . to the right worshipfull and reuerend iudges , sir iohn sauile knight , one of the barons of his maiesties exchequer , and sir christopher yeluerion knight , one of the iudges of his majesties court of kings bench , and sir edward phillips knight , his maiesties sargeant at lawe , now or late the worthie iudges of our northeren circuite , the spirit of wisedome , zeale & courage be multiplied . right worshipfull , it is sayd in other nations , and written in some of their bookes , that there are three disgraces of the english nation : the ignorance , or ( that i may so call it ) the vnlearned of our gētrie & nobilitie , the beggery of our poore , & the basenes of the bodie of our ministerie , the first blot , our nobilitie and gentrie haue well wiped off , since the first daies of our blessed queen elizabeth , partly by studie at home , partlie by trauell abroade , and i hope they will do it more & more : the second hath beene well lessened by good lawes of late , and would hee more , if the execution were as good as our lawes b●e , & it were much honour to our nation , and more to our religion , if it were quite taken away : for hee that tells vs there shall bee poore euer with vs , saith also , there shall not bee a begger amongst vs ; if there were no poore , what should become of charitie ? for it is charitie , to relieue pouertie , not to maintaine beggerie : pouerty may bee a crosse , but it is no curse : but beggerie is a fearefull curse , threatened on the enemies of god ▪ and dauid saith not , hee neuer saw a righteous mans child poore , but that hee neuer saw him begge his bread . the daily cries in our streetes , crie for yet further reformation heereof , that the impotent poore may bee sufficiently prouided for , that he neede not , and the sturdie begger complied to worke , that hee may not be suffered to begge . happy you , or whosoeuer can haue a hand in effecting this blessed worke , wee who can doe little else , shall pray for it , and for them that labour in it . but now for the third , i feare none but the verie hand of god , can wipe out that staine from our church : the basenesse of the generall body of our ministerie , whence is it , but either from the vnworthinesse , or pouertie thereof : and the vnworthinesse , whence is it , but from the pouertie , and base maintenance of our ministry , which was once robbed by the abbies , and after by some in our owne state , which was then popish , and poperie that stands so much vpon non dimittitur peccatum nisi restituatur ablatum , yet for all that , would not restore vnto the church her tenthes againe . but as popish abbies stole them , so a popish state kept them , and to their shame some of the good professors of our religion haue of late restored such as were in their hands , and there is hope that all our professors , ( vnlesse they care not to bee accounted hypocrus ) will make some conscionable restitution we doe not craue that they would with zacheus restore foure-fold ( though it is apparant , that the tenthes were got from vs in old time , by most false and forged cauillations ) we onely craue our owne , we would aske no more , nor willingly take lesse : for our whole duetie is still required : then why should not our whole due be payd ? and yet that the world may learne of vs contentednesse , as well by our practise as our doctrine , we would for the present take in good part , & rest contented with a part of our owne : and some competent portions out of the impropriations , ( proportioned to the quantitie of the charge imposed , and the giftes and paines required ) would for a time be a reasonable satisfaction in our ministerie , vntil our state found it self , either better enabled or more straightly tied in conscience to full restitution . but as i said , this is a worke of god himselfe , for if a man could doe it so many parliaments would not haue slipt it , but some of them would haue eternized it selfe , with this honourable name to all posterities . the parliament that restored impropriations , but til that , or some other course ( as good ) bee taken ▪ it is both vnseasonable and vnreasonable to complaine of the ignorant , or to craue a learned ministerie . for shal the oxes mouth be mousled , which treads out the corne , or shall a man goe to warre at his owne cost ? and hath not god ordained ( marke , it is his ordinance ) that those which teach the gospel , shall liue of the gospel ? but alas , how shal the ministerie of england liue of the gospel , when my small experience can shew that in one corner of one countie of this kingdom , wherin there are some . parishes , or parochial chappels , almost a . of them , ( if not a full . ) are impropriate : and amongst them i can shewe the most parishes haue but pound or thereabouts some . li some . li. some ● . li some foure pounds , some not . pounds yearly liuing for the minister and those impropriations worth some . li many . li. almost all li. per an yea there is one worth pound per an : where there were but li. left for the minister , vntill of late with much adoe , . pound more was obtained for a preacher , and so there is out of , . pound shared for a minister , and . pound caried for a preacher , in that parish where there are . communican●s . of all the rest the crowne hath some pound rent , or not so much , & the remainder of . pound being a rich liuing , for a worthy learned minister , a competent liuing for . and more then some painful & able ministers haue ) i know not what becomes of it , vnlesse it go to the feeding of kits & cormorats . are not these goodly liuings for learned men ? and may not wee expect a learned ministerie , where there is such maintenance ? & i hartily with that other countries , be not able to showe the like presidents . i haue the rather made relation hereof , that our high court of parliament , may see how great cause they haue , to go forward with that motion already by the made , for the establishing of a learned ministerie . but if they bring it not to passe , what then remaineth , but to hope that the great god of heauen , will put into the heart of the god on earth our noble king ( into whose hands he hath put the sword of soueraigne authoritie ) an irre●o●able and unresistable resolution to execute his supreme power , for the reformation of this euill , which as maister perkins saith in this treatise ) may well be called the kings euill , for it will hardly be healed , but by the will & power of a king . in the meane time this . treatise of that worthy man , may be a motiue to our zealous professors , who haue any impropriations in their owne hands , to excite and prouoke them to a conscionable restitution , in whole or in part , as their estate may beare , or their , conscience shall mooue them . for heerein are layd downs and mixed together , both the duties to be done by faithfull ministers , and the dignities due vnto them for their duties : and so seeing the dignities of that calling to bee most honourable , and the duties so chargeable , it cannot but grieue their christian harts to see the maintenance so miserable . this treatise i first of all send to you , & vnder your names to the world , & to you first , for as i am sure you loued the author , and honoured those excellent gifts of god in him , so you cānot but accept this after birth of his ( as a fatherles child for the fathers sake . and for my self , to cōceale al personal & priuat respects , in the name of many thousands in the northeren countries , i praise god , for the good done in those parts , by your painful courses , & religious care , not doubting , but if your selues , or the like bee imployed there , to asist our honourable and religie us lord president that the multitude of popish priestes there lurking , will bee dayly lessened , the number of preachers augmented , poperie put downe , and the gospell maintained more and more . which blessing god graunt to that and all other counteries of this kingdome , for his mercies sake : and giue vnto you , & all others in your place , the spirit of courage and constancie , in these declining dayes , that being faithfull in your great charges , vnto the end , you may receiue the crowne of life : for which he hartily prayeth , who will euer rest , vv. crashawe . the second treatise , of the duties and dignities of the ministerie . esay . . . then i said , woe is me , i am vndone for i am a man of polluted lips , and dwell in the midst of a people of polluted lips : for my eyes haue seene the king and lord of hostes . . then flewe one of the seraphins vnto me , with a hote coale in his hand . . which he tooke from the altar with the tonges : and touched my mouth and said , loe this hath touched thy lips , and thy iniquitie shall be taken away , and thy sin shall be purged . . also i heard the voyce of the lorde , saying , whom shall i send , and who shall goe for vs ? then said i , here am i , send me : and he said goe . in the fiue former chapters are cōtained such sermons , as the prophet had made vnder vzziah king of iuda : at this chapter begin such as he preached in the raigne of iotham , and so forward : but before hee either preach or prophecie of any thing , in king iothams dayes , or his successors , the lord in this chapter giues a newe commission to the prophet , & a newe confirmation to this calling : the olde king in whose dayes esayah was first called being now dead , & another succeeding him , god with the new king , reneweth the calling & commission of the prophet : wherein god doth not giue him another calling , for one calling to the office of the ministery is sufficient : but hee confirmeth the calling formerly giuen , by repeating & ratifying it . and this god did to esay , not as he was an ordinarie , but an extraordinary prophet : for ordinary ministers need no renouation of their calling , nor any new signes of cōfirmation , but extraordinary prophets , who come in extraordinary maner , & to doe many extraordinary workes , god in his wisdom wil haue their calling confirmed , again , & againe , & that by very extraordinary meanes . out of which practise of the lord , we learne , how great cause wee haue to doubt these men , to bee either fantasticall or worse , who pretend extraordinary callings in these dayes , and yet scarce can shew vs any good signes of an ordinary , much lesse of an extraordinatie motion : for if in those dayes , when such courses were more cōmon , god will haue his extraordinary prophets calling to be renued & cōfirmed , again , & againe , then certainly in these dayes , we may iustly require , more , & more wonderfull signes of an extraordinary calling afore we belieue it : and if god himselfe was so carefull to satisfie his church in those dayes of the vocation of his prophet , surely the church in these daies hath much more cause to doubt in such cases , and to require many and extraordinary signes , afore it acknowledge any such extraordinary calling : these men therefore offer much wrong to the church , & deserue both the censure thereof , and the sword of the magistrate , who dare so boldly offer and obtrude to the church their owne fancies and dreames , as extraordinary motions of gods spirit . this is the occasion and coherence . this chapter hath two partes , first , the meanes of his confirmation , from the beginning to these words : secondly , the confirmation it selfe , from these words to the end : the meanes of his confirmation is a vision he saw from heauen , of certaine holy angels appearing and speaking to him , in the first . verses . in the confirmation , which followeth in these words , are three points● the effect of the vision , which i wrought in the prophet , it caused him feare , it astonisht him , and cast him downe : in the fifth verse . his consolation , & raising vp again after his feare , in the . and . verses . the renuing of his commission againe , from thence to the end . the feare and astonishment of the prophet , is described , by the signes , of which are two ; a note of exclamation , woe is me . by a note of extreame deiection in himselfe , i am vndone . by the causes of it , which are also set downe to be two : he was a man polluted , and dwelt amongst people polluted . he had seene the lord. then said i , woe is me , i am vndone . the first point in order is , the feare & extasie into which the lord droue his holy prophet , which the lord did not in his anger , but in his loue vnto him , not for a punishment of sinne , but as an euidence of his further loue : for the intent and purpose of god in striking this feare into him , was to inable him to be a true prophet , & a fit messenger for himself . it may seeme a strange course , which god taketh to confirme & raise vp his seruant in zeale and courage , to strike him into an extreame feare , euen to astonish and amaze him , and yet we see it is the course which the lord taketh : out of which practise of the lord , we learne this doctrine : that all true ministers , especially such as are deputed to the greatest works in his church , must be first of all striken into a great feare , in consideration of the greatnes of their function , yea , into an amazement and astonishment , in the admiration of gods glory & greatnes , whose roome they occupy , & whose message they bring , & the more they are afraid and shrinke , so it be vnder the contemplation of gods maiestie , and their owne weaknes , the more likelier it is that they are truly cald of god , & appointed for worthy purposes in his church : but he that steps to this function without feare , he may thrust in himselfe , but its doubtfull whether hee bee cald of god , as here the prophet was : nor is it so here alone , but euery where when god called any of his seruants , to any great worke , be first droue thē into these feares and a mazements , as is euident a in moses , in b ieremie , in c s. paul and others . the reason of this dealing of the lord is plaine : namely , because mans nature is alwayes ready to take enough and too much vnto it selfe , god therefore in his wisdome puts a bridle vnto the corrupt nature of mā , & astonisheth it , least it presume too much , & take too much vpon it selfe : againe ▪ a minister is to preach vnto the people , feare & reuerēce of the lord : but how can he do so to others , whē he hath not tyed that bond in his owne conscience , nor was euer cast downe in admiration of gods glory & maiestie : and lastly , the ministery is a high & excellent calling ( especially the office of extraordinary prophets in the old testament ) & is therefore subiect to pride , and to bee puft vp with self-conceits , & therefore teacheth the apostle to timothy , that a minister may not be a yong scholler , least he be puft vp , & fall into the condemnation of the wicked : giuing vs to vnderstand , that it is the peculiar danger of that calling to haue high conceits of thēselues , because of the height & dignitie of ther function . therfore to preuent this incōuenience , god in mercy appointeth that all his true ministers shall haue some means or other , to be cast down euen to nothing in thēselues , & shall be driuen into such feares & amazements at sight of their owne wickednesse , as they shal throwe downe themselues at christs feete , and denying themselues wholy , shal acknowledge that they are in him whatsoeuer they are : and doe relye , and trust onely on his grace and helpe . the vse of this doctrine , as it is for all ministers , so specially for vs which liue in the vniuersity : we liue as it were in a seminary , and many of vs are hereafter by gods grace to be framed to the ministery , and some of vs already are . now here we haue many occasions to be puft vp in self-conceits : we see our selues growe in time , in degrees , in learning , in honour , in name and estimation : & to many of vs god giues good portions of his gifts : what are all these , but so many baites to allure vs to pride , & vaine opinions of our own worths ? but let vs remēber the end wee aime at , is not humane , nor carnal : our purpose is to saue soules , then the weapons of our warre must not be carnal , as pride , vaine-glory , and self-conceit . if therefore we euer looke to be made instruments of gods glory in sauing of soules , then at the first set we not before our eyes the honour , but the daunger of our calling , and humble we our selues vnder the mightie hand of our god , that he may exale vs in his due time : and let vs bee content that god giue any occasion or meanes to pul vs down , either by outward crosse , or inward temptation : and let vs reioyce , when wee are thereby so farre cast downe , that wee cry out in the astonishment of our spirits , as the prophet heere● woe is mee , i am vndone : but otherwise if wee will needes followe the swinge of our proude natures , and trust in our owne abilitie , gifts , and learning , let vs knowe , wee vse carnall weapons in a spirituall warfare : and let vs bee assured the lord will worke no great worke in his church by our ministerie : wee may raise our selues in worldly estimation , and worke out our owne purposes , but we shal do little in the saluation of soules : for those men doe pronounce the most powerfull blessings on other mens soules , and speake the best wordes of comfort to other mens consciences , which oftenest say vnto themselues ; woe is mee , i am vndone . furthermore , whereas the prophet at this vision and reuelation of gods glory vnto him , cryeth out of himselfe , woe is mee , i am vndone : being wordes of extreame feare and astonishment , and of so lowe a deiection as is a degree towards desperation ( if it had gone forward ) : let vs learne that the prophet helde not in his iudgement , the doctrine of intercession of angels and saints for particular men , for if hee had , hee neede not at the sight of gods maiestie , foorthwith to haue cryed out , woe is mee , i am vndone , but hee might haue stayed himselfe a while in this cogitation , i will desire moses , samuel , or dauid , to pray to this glorious god for mee , or heere are holy angels of the seraphins here present , they see in what fearefull case i am , i will pray to them to speake to this glorious and mightie lorde for mee , that i perish not in this feare : but hee instantly seeing the lorde appeare in maiestie , and fearing his iust wrath , ( being guiltie of his owne corruptions ) without any hope or expectation , or ( as he seemes ) without the least cogitation of helpe or assistance from any creature , he cryeth out , i am vndone . lastly , whereas hee exclaimeth , woe is mee , i am vndone : being words of a soule humbled and deiected , and hereby sheweth himselfe to bee in that case , which a poore sinner is , when the preaching of the lawe hath humbled him , by shewing him his sinnes and his extreame daunger by them . wee may learne , that to bee called to the mnisterie , is to be as it were conuerted and regenerate : and that when a man is called thereunto , it is a worke little lesse then that whereby god calleth a sinner from his sinne , to the state of repentance : for as god first casteth downe the sinner , before hee giue him grace , or any feeling of his loue in christ : so heere , hee first abaseth and casteth downe the prophete in the sight of gods maiestie , and his owne miserie , afore hee honour him with a commission to preach his word vnto his people . which i note against those men , which holde it so ordinary a matter to enter into the ministerie , as many doe , which take it vppon them in worldly and politique purposes . and some of a better ranke , which thinke if a man haue learning , degrees and age , hee is sufficiently qualified for that calling . but alas , this is not all ; there is a greater worke to be wrought then so , hee must be humbled and cast down in sight of the greatnesse of that calling , of the maiestie of that god whose roome hee is to execute , and of the vnworthinesse of himselfe to so great a worke : hee must be resolued , that to call a man to the ministerie , is the greatest worke that god worketh in his church , but the conuerting of a sinner , and calling him to the state of grace : nay it is a worke euen like vnto it : for as a sinner in his conuersion , so hee at his vocation to that place , is often to cry out in the amazement of his soule , woe is mee , i am vndone . as therefore they are fouly deceiued , which thinke any holinesse or sanctification , can sufficiently qualifie a man without learning , so are they no lesse which thinke all outward complements to bee sufficient without this worke , which heere was wrought in the holy prophet . thus causes of we see the feare & astonishment of the his feare . prophet . it followeth . for i am a man of polluted lippes . now follow the causes of his feare , which are two . the first is , his owne pollution and sinfulnesse , and the sinfulnesse of his people : his own he freely confesseth in these words ; i am a man of polluted lippes : that is , i am a miserable and sinfull man , and therefore i feare and tremble to stand in gods presence : nay , i dare not looke vpon the lorde , for my sinnes . but it may be demaunded , how could the prophet say thus truely , for he was a holy man , and iustified in gods prefence , by his true faith in the messias , and sanctified by repentance : can a man iustified and sanctified , say , he is a man polluted ? i answere , it is doubtlesse , he was so , he therefore complaineth here not of any great and enormous sinnes , which hee had committed to the publike scandall of the church , but first of the corruptiō of his nature , which in him as in all men is a very sea of iniquity , & which alwaies appeares the more , the neerer a man comes to god , and therefore did now most apparantly discouer it selfe in the prophet , when he was in the presence of the lord himself . secondly , he complaineth of some actual sins of his life , and it is more likely of some sins of omission , then of cōmission : for we find not that the prophet was euer touched with any great sin , & where we know it not , we are in charitie not to imagine it . so that it is most probable , hee complaineth of some smaller faults , or negligences in his ministery : as not preaching to the people at some time when he ought , or not preaching so willingly or cheerfully as he should , or desire to leaue preaching , because the people were stubborne & disobedient , or some impatience in his ministery , when the people were rebellious and resisted his doctrine , which passion might the rather vexe him ( as we read it did ieremy ) the iewes were so stubborne & stifnecked a people : or it may be some want of zeale or forwardnes , these , or some such were the cause of his feare : and the cōscience of these makes him here cry out that he cannot stand in the sight of god. where we learn , first , what a tender conscience godly ministers must haue aboue all men : namely , that they must make conscience , not of the great and grosse sins onely ; but euen of the lowest & least sins : and he must endeuour in his calling , not only to be cleere of great crimes , but as far as may be , to bee free from the least appearance of euill , and from the least negligences in his place , for a small faultin other men is great in them , and that which may be some waies pardonable in other men , is no way in them : they must therefore watch ouer themselues most carefully , and take heede to all their waies : & for this ende is it , that a minister in godly wisedome must often depriue himselfe euen of many things ( which it may be , lawfully hee might vse ) least his liberty be an occasion of euill to others : and must abstaine from the least sins , least euen they be blemishes to his calling , and burthens to his conscience . and hence is it , that a minister cannot be too carefull in his calling , in his words , diet , company , recreation , apparel , gestures , and in his whole carriage , because little sins are so great in thē , especially ministers must here learne the apostles lesson , to bee instant in season and out of season : to preach and exhort , to comfort and rebuke , publikely and priuately : to good , to bad : when it is wel taken , when it is ill taken : when they willingly receiue it , and when they stubbornly resist it : when they commend him , and reward him , and when they raile at him , and persecute him for it : thus must he be diligent in season and out of season , for the least negligence in his dutie , or omitting the least opportunity of doing good , will when god visits his conscience , bee a burthen and vexation to him , as it was heere to the prophet . and furthermore , if these smal sinnes thus afflicted the prophet , then alas what is to be thought of those ministers who make no conscience of foule and scandalous sinnes ? how shall symonie , incontinencie , vsury , inhospitality , couetousnesse , ignorance , idlenesse , carelesse nonresidencie , how shall these ( i say ) and other like grieuous crimes oppresse & burthen the soule , when as the smallest sins doe so affright this holy man ? surely , whē god shal visite them , their states will bee most fearefull , nor , shall any mans case be so miserable , as an vncōscionable ministers : and thogh nowe such loose and licentious ministers seeme to liue in iolitie , & without any feare , yet when god shall appeare vnto their conscience , then will they cry out in fearefull anguish , woe is me , i am vndone . and againe , if these smal faults so affrighted this holy prophet , & burdened his conscience , then what pittifull consciences haue those ministers , whose daily negligence , and vnconscionable carelessenesse in their places is such , as all men speake of , and yet they are not touched : surely these men are not of so tender cōsciences as the prophet was : & either the prophet here was much more nice then needed , or else these men will proue to be in a miserable estate . lastly , let ministers of care and conscience , be here comforted in the example of the prophet : who is there , but may find imperfections and blemishes in himselfe , which will often make him cry out ; woe is me ? but let not that discomfort them , but rather reioyce , that they can see their owne weaknes , as the prophet did here : if they haue cause to exclaime against themselues , they are not alone , it was this , and all other holy prophets case before them . in hauing imperfections in themselues , they are no more miserable then the prophet was : but let them labour to be as blessed in seeing & complaining of themselues as hee was : and let euery minister assure himselfe , that the more hee makes conscience , euen of the least sinnes of all , the more he resembleth the ancient holy prophets , & the more likely is he to worke effectually in his ministery . for his duty is to worke in his people a conscience , not of great sinnes onely , but euen of all : but how can he doe that in them , if he haue not first of all done it in himselfe ? hence it is therefore , that godly ministers finde fault with themselues , when other men cannot , and cry out against themselues , for their pollutions ( with the prophet here ) when no other man can accuse them of the least crime : nay , when other doe magnifie god for his graces on them , and praise their giftes , and commend their good liues , euen then doe they condemne themselues , and exclaime against their owne corruptions : and their owne smallest negligences , or omissions , are great wounds to their consciences : and their least sinnes , and their most pardonable infirmities , are sore burthens vnto them : for of all men in the worlde , a godly minister is a man of the most tender conscience . hitherto hath the prophet complained generally of his pollution . particularly , hee exclaimeth against the pollution of his lippes . but why will some say , complaines hee of the pollution of his lippes , rather then of his heart , or his hands , or any other part of him , were they not all polluted ▪ yes , all in some measure : and was not he grieued at them all ? yes assuredly , wee must grant that also . but the reason is he was a prophet , his dutie was to vse his tongue , the practise of his calling consisted in the vse of his tongue : for a minister is an interpeter , as he is called , iob . . that is , the peoples to god by prayer , and gods to the people by preaching : he is gods mouth , and the peoples mouth : so that the tongue of a minister is that part of his body , which is to be vsed as a principall instrument of gods glory , and more to the setting foorth of his honour then any other : now euery man is to be tryed what he is by his calling , rather then by any other accidentall or collaterall courses : therefore the honour or dishonour of a minister , is the vse or the abuse of his tongue : and his comfort or discomfort is the well vsing , or not vsing of it . the prophet therefore here affrighted at gods prefence , and therefore retyring into himselfe , presently his conscience checkes him for his most proper sins : namly , for some fault or negligence in his ministerie , ( which is the proper sinne of that calling ) and therfore is it that he exclaimeth against the pollutions of his lippes : out of which practise of his we may learne ; first , the vanitie of the papists , who magnifie the merites of holy mens workes : for if this holy prophet , a man truly iustified , & extraordinarily sanctified , yet durst not stand before god in this little apparance of his glory , notwithstanding all his zeale , and courage , and conscience , and paines , and sufferings in his function , but was cast downe so farre , from a conceit of his owne worth , that hee cryed out ; woe is mee , i am vndone . how then can wee who are no better , but much worse then hee , stand before god in the day of iudgement , in the great appearing of his infinite iustice and glorie ? rather doubtlesse , as here the smallest pollution of his lippes , and negligence in his calling , droue him out of all conceit of merit , when once hee came into the presence of god : so the due consideration of our so many and foule pollutions aboue his , should beate downe all proude conceites of our owne goodnesse , when wee appeare before god. it is therefore to bee feared , that the papists , who thus magnifie their owne merits , doe seldome or neuer enter into earnest consideration of their owne infirmities , doe seldome persent themselues in the presence of gods maiestie . for if they did , then doubtlesse the least sight of their least pollutiō , would make them farre from euer thinking of their own merits . they also tell vs , of workes of superrogation , but it seemes heere , this holy prophet had none of them . and they teach , a man may in this life perfectly fulfill the lawe , but who can doe it , i● not ministers ? and what ministers , if not extraordinary prophets ? and yet isaiah ( the first and chiefe of them ) exclaimeth here in pittiful manner against his pollutions : doubtlesse , if the papists would cease flattering themselues , and not examine their consciences by their own pleasing corruption , but present themselues in the face and presence of gods maiestie , they would bee farre from these conceits . in the next place , whereas the prophet complaineth of the pollution of his lippes : as of the peculiar sinne of his place : ministers are heere taught , to auoide that sinne aboue all other ; and to labour in that dutie aboue any other : for the dooing of it , is his most comfort : the want of it is his most vexation : his tongue is the instrument giuen him to honour god , if hee vse it well , it yeeldes him comfort , more then any other duties . but if he vse not , or abuse his tongue , the pollution of his lippes will bee the heauiest burthen of all : they therefore are greatly deceiued , who thinke a minister to discharge sufficiently his duetie , though hee preach not if he keepe good hospitalitie and make peace amongst his neighbours , and performe other workes of charatie and good life : for if a minister haue not this vertue , hee hath none : if hee preach not ; if hee abuse his lippes : or if hee open them not , hee hath no conscience , nor can haue any comfort , for that is the principall dutie of a minister ( though all the other bee required to make him compleate ) : the want of them may condemne him before men , but it is the pollution of his lippes , which presently checkes him before god , as we see here in this holy prophet : the conclusion then is to euery minister , that if hee had all the vertues and good properties , that can commend a man in the world , yet if his lippes be polluted , either by not preaching , or by negligēt , idle , or carelesse preaching , this pollution will so staine his conscience , and so burthen him in the presence of god , that the time will come ( notwithstanding al his other good qualities ) he will cry out in farre more pittifull maner thē here the prophet doth● woe is 〈◊〉 i am vndo●● , because i am a ●an of polluted lippes . it followeth ; and i dwell in the midst of a people of polluted lippes . the prophet not onely complaines of his own pollution , but of his peoples also amongst whom he liued , and this he doth for these causes : first , to teach vs , that it is the ministers duty to confesse not onely his owne sinnes , but the sinnes of his people , & to complaine of them to god : for as he is the peoples interpretar to god , he must not thinke it enough to put vp their petitions , to vnfolde their wants , & craue reliefe for them at gods hand , but hee must further take knowledge of the sins of his people , and make both publique and priuate confession of them to god : and the more particularly he can doe this , the better : and this hee is to doe , both for the peoples good , and for his owne also , because it cannot be but the sinnes of his people , are in some sort his : for this is the peculiar danger of the magistrates and ministers ●●●ling , that generally the sinnes of their people are theirs : i meane , that they are accessarie to the sinnes of their people , either by prouoking them by their euil example , or by not reprouing , or not hindring or suffering , or winking , or couering & concealing , or not punishing them , or not carefully enough vsing meanes to preuent them : by all which meanes and many more , it comes to passe , that the peoples sinnes are the ministers by communication : so that as well for his owne sake , as theirs , hee is to confesse to god their sinnes , as well as his owne . now if a minister must confesse his peoples sinnes , then it followeth confequently , that he must know them ; and take notice of them , for else hee cannot confesse them . and this is one cause why the holy ghost commands a pastor to know his flocke . he must not onely haue a flocke , and knowe which is his flocke : or haue a generall ●ye ouer it , out hee must haue a particular and 〈◊〉 knowledge of the state of it , ●nd the more particular the better . and if the minister ought to know and confesse his peoples sinnes , then if followeth , first , that it is best for a minister to bee present with his people , that so hee may the better know them and their state : and certainly if it be a ministers dutie to confesse to god the pollutions of his people , then wilfull and carelesse nonresidency and all absence , without iust and conscionable causes , must needs be a foule & fearefull sin . for how could isayah haue cōfessed , that his people were a people of polluted lips , but that he dwelt amongst them . nay , saith the prophet , he dwelt in the midst among them , indeede well may hee know and confesse his peoples pollutions , that dwelles in the midst amongst them . againe , if the minister be to confesse his peoples sinnes , and therefore must needs knowe them , then it followeth also that they must discouer & confesse them vnto him , or else 〈◊〉 not possible he should perfectly kno●e their estate : the want of this is a great fault in our churches , for how euer we condemne auricular confession , as a very pollicie in the deuisers , and as a rack to the consciences of poore christians , yet we not onely allowe , but call and 〈◊〉 for that confession , wherby a christian voluntarily at all times may resort to his pastor , and open his estate , and disburden his conscience of such sins , as disquiet him , and craue his godly assistance , and holy prayers : great blessing and comfort doth doubtlesse followe them that vse this godly practise , and the want of it , is cause that a minister canot discerne the state euen of his own flock nor can complaine to god of their pollutions , and confesse their sinnes so particularly , as would be good both for him and them . secondly , the prophet couples together his own pollution , and the pollutions of his people , as the adjuvant , or helping cause & the effect : for the pollution of a people , helpes forward the pollution of a minister , and the worse people they are , the worse doe they make him , though he be otherwise neuer so good : for euen the prophet , though called of god himself , & iustified and sanctified , & a man of extraordinary grace , yet dwelling in the midst of a people so stubborne & disobedient , as the iewes were , was something touched with their pollutions : ministers ( euen the best ) are men , and this comes to passe by reason of the corruption of their nature as they are mē : the nature of which corruption is to apprehend any euill where euer it findes it , and to partake with it : regeneration qualifieth & abates this corruption , but takes it not away perfectly in this life : whereby it comes to passe , that a minister , liuing amongst euill people , cannot but be somwhat stained with their pollution , of what sort soeuer they be : insomuch as it is often seene , that one knowne to be otherwise disposed of himselfe , is found to bee disposed to this or that euill , by liuing amongst a people so disposed . and againe , that a minister in such a place , and amongst such people , free from such and such sinnes , remoued to another place , is there found more or lesse tainted with them , because they abound amongst the people : and yet further , that a minister , knowne to bee faithfull , painfull and zealous , & comming to a disobedient , stubborne , froward , or prophane & dissolute people , his faith is weakened , his zeale & courage abated , gods graces in him dulled , & much decayed : godly ministers doe daily complaine hereof , and experience euery where shewes it too true . out of this , we may learne something both for our instruction , and for our conuersation . for our instruction , it here appeares how wicked and wretched the corruption of our nature is , which cannot but receiue some contagion from the pollution of those with whom we liue : for this is so , not onely in them who carry a loose hand ouer themselues , but euen in such as looke most narrowly vnto their steps : as wee see here in this holy prophet , who was a man of more then ordinary sanctification : how litle cause therfore hath any man to extoll nature ? and how much lesse cause the schoolemen and some other papists , to giue the least commendation to our pure naturals : for if nature rectified by grace , be so hardly kept within compasse , alas how outragious & peruerse is it , when it raignes without controlment ? and for our further instruction , heere wee may see of what a creeping and incroaching nature sinne is , which like a secret venome in the naturall bodie , so it in the pollitique body restes not in the place , or partie poisoned , but closely creepes & diffuseth it selfe into euery part and member of the whole : it creepes from man to man , yea , from an euil man to a good , from the worst man to the best : from prophane men , to godly ministers : and as from publique persons ( as magistrates and ministers ) it descendeth visibly , and the example of their euil life is palpably scandalous : so from the people to the magistrate , or minister , it creepeth closely , & ascendeth in more secret and insensible manner , yet in the effect it is too sensible : for it is alwayes seene , that they are something touched with their peoples pollutions : sinne is not onely as a poison spreading from the heart to all parts , from the minister to the people : but as a gangreue , if it begin in the foot , wil without speedy preuention spred priuily to the hart : so sinne shewes it selfe , euen from the people to the ministers : so great cause is there for all men to stop sinne in the beginning , to breake it in the egge , to giue water no passage , no not a little : for let this gangreue beginne at the feete , it will not rest till it be in the heart . for our conuersation wee are heere taught , first , if a minister , by reason of the corruption of his owne nature , and the creeping nature of sinne , is in such danger to be stained with the peoples pollutions , then let all ministers desire , and vse all good meanes to dwell with a people as litle polluted as may be : otherwise let him assure himselfe to be polluted with them , which is both a great discōfort to his owne conscience ( as here it was to the prophet ) and disgrace to his profession : for if it be a dutie of euery good professor of religion , to keepe himselfe vnspotted of the world , then how much more is it the ministers duetie so to doe ? and how foule a staine is it to the honour of his calling , to be polluted in the common pollutions of his people ? it may bee therefore good counsell to all godly ministers in the placing & disposing of themselues , not to enquire onely how good a liuing such and such a place is , how wel seated , how healthfull and beneficiall it will bee , ( which are alas the common & almost the onely questions now adayes ) but principally , to regard what a people they be : and how affected , amongst whome they are to liue : if godly and wel disposed , or at least tractable and gentle , & willing to be taught , thē lesse to regard other incommodities : but if wicked , and prophane , or ( which is worse ) stubborne , froward , and vntractable , then lesse to regard the greatest commodities : & certainly if this point be well considered of , and how bitter it hath beene in the ende , to many who haue not regarded it , it will appeare , that this is the best encouragement or discouragement , the greatest commoditie , or discommoditie , and the best reason , either to win a mā to a place , or to drawe him from it , how good soeuer it be otherwayes : they that neglect this dutie , and are led ( or misled rather ) with carnall and wordly respects , how iust is it vpon thē when they are made to cry in the sorrowe of their soule , w●e is me , i dwell in the midst of a people of polluted lippes . and here such ministers as haue poore liuings , but good people , let them not faint nor bee discouraged , they haue more cause to blesse god , then to be grieued , for doubtlesse they are farre better thē those who haue great liuings , and an euill people . but as for those to whom god hath bene so good , as to bestowe vpon them competent liuings , and a willing and well disposed people , let them thinke themselues double blessed of god , and treble bound to honour god , & to doe good in his church : and if such men goe not before their brethren in al ministerial care and dutie , their fault is aboue al mens , & they make themselues vnworthy of so great mercies . againe , if that a polluted people , pollutes their minister , here is a good warning for al ministers to be wary & choyse of their companie , with whom they will most priuately conuerse : for , as on the one side they may not retire themselues into solitarinesse , nor sequester thēselues from all societie with their people , ( which is rather a cimicall and fantasticall , then any way a religious practise ) : so of all men are they to be most carefull , that they doe not loosely and lauishly bestow themselues on all companies , as too many doe in our church , to the great scandall therof , who care not with whom they conuerse , but all companies , all places , all times , all sportes & recreations , al meetings , all occasions , are one with them : but alas , what maruel , though such men keepe not thēselues vnspotted of the world , but proue too offensiue to their calling : for seeing the best mē cannot liue with the best people , but they shall receiue some contagion from them , how carefully ought ordinary ministers to make difference of men and meetings , times and places , and not diffusedly & carelesly to thrust themselues into all : so doing shall they keepe their calling from much reproach , & preserue themselues from much pollution , which otherwise from their polluted people , they shal be sure to receiue . and here people are to be admonished , not too sharpely to censure their ministers : though hee bee not so sociable with them all , as it may bee many would expect : for it concerns no man to be so warie of his company and his sports , as it doeth the minister : and if they would haue comfort and honour by their minister , let them bee carefull into what recreations & company they draw or desire him : for the more polluted the people are amongst whom he liues , the more carefull must he bee to keepe himself cleare from their pollutions . lastly , here people are taught , not to be too sharpe condemners of those ministers , whose conuersations are not so vnblameable as were to be wished : for as they liue ill , generally the cause is , because they liue amongst an il people . why then should they so much condemne them , for such faults , as wherein themselues haue made them faultie ? i say not , but our church and state , and ministerie , are to censure such men , ( and it were good they did it more ) but it is against all reason the people should do so , wheras themselues are the cause of it : for alas , if this holy prophet was a man of polluted lippes , because hee dwelt with a people of polluted lippes : what maruell then , though ordinary ministers be polluted with the common and vniuersall pollutions of their people : people therefore , are first of all to see that themselues bee well ordered and godly , and then iustly may they complaine , if the liues of their ministers be not agreeable : but otherwise , it is not possible without very special grace of god , but that a minister shal be more or lesse touched with those crimes which are the cōmon faults of his people . and lamentable experience daily lets vs see , that where a people in a town is giuen to drunkennesse , there the minister , is either so for company , or at least too good a fellow : where a people are giuen to contention , there the minister hath too many fuites : where the people be popish , there the minister is too superstitious : where the people bee ignorant , there the minister is no great clarke : where the people are giuen to any great sinne , there the minister generally is not cleare from the same pollution : and it is seene , that the best ministers & most carefull of all , doe complaine bitterly of the pollutions of their people : for that how soeuer it may bee they escape partaking with their sins : yet they alwayes finde , at the least a dulling & decaying of gods graces in themselues , where the people are vntoward and disobedient . if therefore a minister liues with such a people , his case is pittifull and daungerous , for he walkes in the midst of nets and snares , which are layd for him on euery side , and if he escape them ( i meane , if hee keepe himselfe vnspotted , in the midst of a spotted & polluted people ) his care and his conscience is worthy both admiration and imitation , and himselfe is worthy double honour , as being both a zealous minister and a holy man. but he whō god hath blessed with a good and tractable people , and wel affected to the worde , and yet himselfe liueth loosely & scandalously amongst them , a heauy burden and a hard account , lyeth on that minister , and no rebuke is too rough no punishment too great , no censure too sharpe for him . and , if this holy prophet , feare so much the presence of god for his small pollutions , and yet liued amongst so wicked and polluted a people , then what heauinesse and horror , shall bee heaped on his soule , who cares not with how foule pollutions his life be stained , and yet liueth amongst a godly & wel disposed people ? and thus wee haue the first cause of his feare , his owne , and his peoples pollutions . it followeth . and mine eyes hath seene the king , and lord of hostes . the second cause of the prophets feare and astonishment is , he san the lorde , who then appeared in glory vnto him : not that hee sawe the substance of god ( for that is invisible and incomprehensible ) but his glory : nor the fulnesse of his glory , for that cannot be endured , but a glimse of it : nor that with the eies of his body in ordinary manner , but in a vision : wherein how farre the eyes of his body were vsed , neither the prophet expresseth , nor wee can well conceiue . the meaning then is ; in a vision hee sawe such glorie and majestie , as hee knewe there was an extraordinary presence of the lord of hostes , who is the king of glorie , at whose sight , and thought of his presence , instantly his conscience is smitten with feare , for his own infirmities , and the pollutions of his people . wherein let vs first of all obserue the connexion and dependance of these two causes , one vpon another : for as they are both ioyntly the cause of his feare , so one of thē is in a sort the cause of another : he feareth , because of his own and his peoples sinnes , and because he sawe the lord : but why is he afraid to see the lord ? the cause thereof is his owne and their sins , without which he would neuer haue beene affraid , but rather haue gloried to see the lord : but his conscience checking him , for some defect of dutie in his calling , therfore he trembleth at the least glimse of gods glory . here let vs marke the ground of his reason , which is this : that man that is in his sinnes , is not able to stand in the presence of god : this is a generall and certaine truth , & the reasons of it are ; first , the contrarietie betwixt god , and the nature of sinne , it being the onely thing which offends him , & which prouokes his wrath and iust displeasure : therefore as a subiect cannot but be much amazed , if he hap to come into the kings presence , with any thing about him which the king hates , or cannot abide to see : so a man cannot but be extreame astonisht , if hee knowe himselfe to bee in gods presence with his sinnes , which gods soule hateth . secondly , sin makes a man indebted to god : for as the lawe tyeth him first to obedience , so if he sin and faile in that , it bindes him to punishment : and the more a man sinneth , the deeper is he in gods debt . if then in this world , a man willingly indures not the sight of him , in whose debt hee is ; what maruell , though a poore sinner tremble at the presence of god , to whom he hath forfaited soule and all . thirdly , sin is that which prouoketh god to 〈◊〉 : therefore a sinfull man feareth the presence of god , as a traitor the face of the prince , or a malefactor of the judge . for these causes , a wicked man endures not gods presence . now gods presence hath diuers degeees . first , god is present to our coscience , when we thinke of him . . he is present , when wee name him , or heare him named or mentioned by others , and these are the surthest off : thirdly , god is neerer vnto vs in the presence of his ordinances , as his word and sacraments , and publike seruice in the congregation : fourthly , there is a most apparant and sensible presence of god , which shall bee at the last iudgement , when all men shall stand before him in his immediat presēce , to receiue their iudgement . now all these presences of god , are hatefull to a wicked man : for the first , a wicked man by his good will neuer thinkes of god , and if sometime a thought of god ( like lightning ) flashes in his minde , presently he quencheth it , as being a most vnwelcome and burdensome thought vnto him : therefore saith dauid ; the wicked is so proud , he careth not for god : neither is god in all his thoughts : nay , god himself is so little thought on , by them , that they will willingly thinke of nothing , that might bring god into their thoughts : as namely , gods great works of his wonderfull iudgements : of whom the same prophet saith , in the same place , thy iudgements are farre aboue , out of his sight . as if hee had said , hee labours to set them farre from the eye of his minde , that hee may neuer haue occasion to thinke of them , nor on god by them . that this is true for his thoughts ' , i haue endeuored thus to proue , by gods owne testimonies , because thoughts cannot be discerned by man. but alas , for the second , that is , for his wordes , that 's too apparant in the sight of all men . for obserue it , and you shall neuer see a wicked man , by his good will haue god in his mouth , ( vnlesse it bee to abuse his name , by swearing or blasphemie ) nor willingly doth he heare any other man talke , or discourse largely of god , or of his greatnesse and his iustice ; but such talke is tedious & combersome vnto him : and if hee cannot breake it off with other discourse , then he sits as mute as a fish , and inwardly either frets with anger , or is tormented with feare . all this is true in faelix the gouernour : who whilst paul discoursed of righteousnesse , temperance , and iudgement to come : the text saith , in the meane time , he trembled . and for the third , we see daily wicked men , endure not gods presence in the church : for nothing is more troublesome vnto thē , then many sermons , often praying , and much receiuing of the sacrament : & therfore they neuer come to the church , nor receiue ofter then the lawe layes vpon them : but further then that , as the psalmist saith ; they neuer call vpon god. but as for the last , that they feare and abhorre aboue all , they wish in their hart it may neuer be . and therfore s. paul makes it a token of a true beleeuer , and a holy man , to loue , and looke for the appearing of iesus christ . whereupon it followeth , that euē so it is a signe of a wicked man , to feare the last iudgement , & to wish it might neuer be : and when it comes indeed , & they see they cannot escape it , what thē do they ? euen cry to the mountaines , fall vpon vs : and to the hils , couer vs , and hide vs : from what ? from the presence of god : so fearefull and so hatefull is gods prsence to a sinfull man. besides these , there is another way , whereby god sheweth his presence : and that is , by extraordinary reuelation of his glory immediately : which was vsual in the old testament , as here to the prophet , but now is not to bee expected . but how terrible that is to the sinfull nature of man , appeares in this place : for if the prophet a most holy man , whose conscience accused him , but of a fewe and small sinnes , yet thus cryes out , amazed & affrighted , at the reuelation of some part of gods glory : alas , how would they be terrified with it , whose consciences are burdened with great and grieuous sinnes , & that without repētance ? thus we see the ground of his reason , how true it is , that a man in his sin , cannot cheerefully come , nor boldly stand in gods presence . the vse of this doctrine : first of all , let vs see the monstrous presumption of such minister as dare venture rashly into the ministery , to tread vpō the holy groūd of god , with vncleane feete ; to handle the holy things of god with vnwashen hands : for what is it to enter into the ministery , but to enter into the chamber of presence of the great king ? and should not a man look about him , afore he come there ? therefore if god rebuked moses , for stepping too hastily towardes the bushe , where his presence is , and saide ; come not too neere , for the place wher thoustādest is holy ground : then how will god rebuke and checke the consciences of such carnall men , as carelesly & carnally rush into the pulpit , and to gods holy table , where god is present , in a farre more excellent manner then hee was in the bush ? and if they bee so to be blamed , who enter into this calling without feare and reuerence , then how much more faulty are they , who beeing ministers , dare venture to preach , or minister the holy sacraments , without holy and priuate preparation , & sanctification of themselues : but rush vpon them , as vpon common & prophane actions ? whereas god is present there , in a most holy and glorious maner : these men sure wil say , the prophet heere was of too nice a conscience : but fearefully and terribly shall god appeare at last vnto such men , as care not how they appeare in his holy presence . secondly , this sheweth the reason of the practise of al christian churches : who vse to pray before the sermon & after : namely , not for decorum onely , & to grace the action , but to sanctifie and to humble our selues , because then we come before gods presence : they therfore doe not thinke reuerently enough of god , and his presence , who doe by their practise in any sort , make way to the contrary . thirdly , we may here learne , the pittifull case of those ministers , who are so presumptuous , as to exercise that holy function , & yet remain 〈◊〉 their sinnes without repentance : what doe these men ? they approach to the burning bush , with their shooes on their feete : that is , into gods presence in their sinnes : what shall come of it in the end ? surely , that burning fire shal consume thē : the least sinne , & smallest negligences affrighted this holy prophet , when he should goe into gods presence : but these men dare come into the sanctuarie of god ; yea , dare take gods word in their mouth 's , and yet hate to bee reformed , and doe cast the glorious word of god behinde their backes , which they preach to others with their mouthes : these men may wonder at this holy prophets nicenes , or else al the world may wonder at their prophanenesse . a little pollution of his lippes , feared him to come into gods presence : but these dare doe it , with eies , eares , lippes , feet , hands , hart ; and all polluted : their eyes polluted , with carelesse looking at all vanities : their eares with hearing : and their lips with speaking , wanton & wicked talk : their feete , with running into wicked company : their hands , with practizing and their harts , with deuising and consenting to all wickednesse . this is the cause , why the labours of such men are almost vnprofitable : because they dare come into gods presence in their sinnes . in many places of our land , ther is by gods blessing much teaching , yet there is little reformation , in the liues of the most : but contrariwise , some fal to atheisme : some to papisme : some into foule sinnes , not to be named amongst ghristians . where is the cause ? surely not in the gospell : nor in our doctrine , nor in the teaching of it ; but one very principall cause is , many ministers come into gods presence , vnsanctified , & in their sins : not caring how loosely they liue , in the face of their people : and therfore god in iustice , thogh he instantly smite not them , with visible vengeance for their presumption : yet he smites the people , with spirituall blindnesse , that they regard not their doctrine , but looke at their liues , and doe rather follow the prophanenesse of the one , then the holinesse of the other . ministers are such , in whome god will be sanctified , therefore because they doe not so , but dishonour him , by cōming into his presence in their sinnes : therefore hee cannot abide them , nor giue any blessing to their labours . all ministers therfore , as they would see any fruite of their ministerie , let them first sanctifie themselues , & clense their hearts by repentance , afore they presume , to stand vp to rebuke sinne in others : else let them not thinke , that their golden wordes shall doe so much good , as their leaden liues shall doe hurt : and they may happe to confirme men , that already are conuerted , but hardly shall any such men , conuert any soules from poperie or prophanesse . and it is a vaine conceite for men to imagine , ther is any force in eloquence , or humane learning , to ouerthrow that sin in others , which ruleth and raigneth in themselues . our church , and all reformed churches , may make vse of this doctrine : for it is the glory of a church to haue their doctrine powerfull , & effectuall for the winning of soules , therfore it cōcerneth them , to take order , as well that their ministers be godly men , as good schollers , & their liues inoffensiue , as wel as their doctrine sound : or else they will find in woful experience , that they pull down as much with the one hand , as they build vp with the other . but most neerely this doctrine toucheth ministers themselues : who must know , their case is most feareful of all mens , if they come into gods presence , in their prophanenesse : for as no man is more honourable , then a learned and holy minister : so none more contemptible in this world , none more miserable for that to come , then he that by his loose & lewde life , doth scandalize his doctrine : and let him assure himselfe , that for his presumption , in rushing into gods presence in his sinnes , he shall in this world , be cast out as vnsauory salt and troden downe of men , with the foot of contempt : and in the world to come , he shall aboue all men cry out , in most extreame torment of conscience , w● is me , that my eyes must see the king and lord of hostes and so because hee would not in this world , come into gods presence in sanctification and holinesse : he shal therefore in feare and horror , be haled into the presence of gods glorie , at the last day : there to receiue the iust sentence of his condemnation . lastly , all painfull and godly ministers may receiue comfort , not to bee discouraged or driuen from gods presence , because of their corruptions or infirmities , for wee see it was the prophets , case : but let them still approach in feare and reuerence , and be so farre from being driuen from their duty , because they being sinfull men , dare not come into gods presence without much feare : as let them contrariwise be assured , that the more they tremble at gods presence here , the lesse shall they feare it at the last day : and when prophane and vngodly men , who in this world feared not to stand in gods presence in their horrible sins , shall cry to the mountaines , fall vpon vs , and hilles couer vs , and hide vs from the presence of god : then such ministers as in this world in feare and trembling , and alwaies in repentance , did approach into gods presence : shall then looke vp , and lift vp their heads , & shall say to the holy angels , & all the powers of heauen , helpe vs , and hasten vs to come into the glorious presence of our god and sauiour . and thus we see the manisold vse of this doctrine to our church and ministerie . secondly , in asmuch as here the prophet in a conscience of his corruptions , feareth and cryeth out at the least apparition of gods glory . the vanitie and false dealing of the church of rome , is here discoured , in whose legēds & stories of their saints , nothing is more common then apparitions from heauen , of saints depa●ted : of glorious angels , of the virgin mary , ( and that so familiarly , as sometime she sang with thē in their cell , kissed some of them , and let them sucke her brests ) . nay , of god himselfe : and especially of our sauiour christ iesus : who they say , appeared ( i knowe not how oft ) to one man : namely , to saint francis : and appeared as he was crucified with his woundes , and imprinted those woundes of his , in francis his body , which they say he bare all his life , and that they bled whensoeuer hee would suffer them , which he alwayes did on good fryday , that hee might be like to christ . thus , &c many more such , may yousee in that fabulous & blasphemous book , of the conformities of s. francis. but for the matter : are apparitions from heauen so ordinary in the popish church ? how then came it to passe , that the greatest and holiest men in the olde testament , were so amezed at the very apparition but of an angell : as wee may see in the whole course of the storie ? some ranne away , and hidde themselues : some couered their faces , some fell flat on the grounde : and the prophets heere cryed out ; woe is mee , i am vndone : my eyes haue seene the king and lorde of hostes . but in the church of rome , looke the stories , that saint or monke is no body that hath not had some apparition : either of the virgin marie , or some of the apostles , or an angel , or christ iesus appearing and talking with them : and yet alas , peter , lames , and iohn , those three great pillars , they were as good as beside themselues at the appearing of a little part of the glorie of christ in his transfiguration . either therefore must it followe that these men haue no sinne in them , which dare and can behold gods glory so easily , and so ordinarily , ( which is impossible ) : or rather which indeed is truth , it appeares that these are but deceitfull fancies and forgeries of their owne deuise , to deceiue the world , and to magnifie themselues before the eyes of the common people : for it is first of all most false , that apparitions are so common as they make them , for if they were , then are they more ordinary in the newe testament then in the olde . for whereas the scripture hath one , their legions haue twenty : & whereas one , namely , saint paul , was once rapt into heauen , they haue . that were rapt thither : and as that is false , so is it impossible that any man cloathed with flesh can endure an extraordinary apparition of gods glorie , without extreame amazement , as is plaine herd in the prophet : who i hope was as holy a man , as the holiest monke that euer was . i haue noted this , that young diuines may be occasioned to looke a litle into their fabulous legends , that so they may discouer the false trickes , and iugling castes of that religion : which euill shiftes it needed not , if it were of god. thirdly , the people may here learne ; first , in that gods presence is so glorious and fearefull to mans nature , how mercifully god hath delt with them , in teaching them not by himself , or by his angels from heauē , which they could neuer endure ; but by men , who are like themselues : and how vaine and fond these men are , who would bee taught from heauen , & not by men , who are so full of wants . in the olde testament , when the people receiued the law from gods owne mouth , it is saide , they ran away , and cryed out , why should we die ? if we heare the voyce of god any more wee shall dye : for what flesh euer heard the voice of the liuing god & liued therefore they said to moses : goe thou neare and heare , al that the lord shal say , & declare thou vnto vs ▪ what god saith to thee , & we wilheare it , & doe it . and then saith the text , the lord said i heard the words of this people , they haue said well in al that they haue spoken . and so , from that day forward , god ordinarily taught his church by men like themselues : & we see , that the beginning of it was not in iudgement , but in mercie vnto them . it is therefore the dutie of all men , both to acknowledge this mercy of god , in due thankfulnesse , and withall to remember , when they see infirmities in ministers , that they are but men , and that if they had not the ministery of men , howe hard it would , goe with them : considering , that the least measure of gods owne presence , cannot be endured by any man. . inasmuch as gods presence , is so glorious in it self , and fearefull to our nature , al men are taught to prepare themselues by holy prayer , by humisiation , and confession of their sinnes and vnworthinesse , afore they come to gods word or sacraments : for they come at that time into gods presence : they therefore are not to come in their securitie , nor in their ordinarie sinnes vnrepented of , least god strike their consciences , with a sence of his fearefull displeasure : & make them cry out , vpon farre greater cause , then here the propet did . thirdly and lastly , wee learne here the different natures and properties of sinne and holinesse : sinne , euen the least sinne : nay , a very sinfulnes of nature makes a man afraid of gods presence : that sinne vnrepented of doth so , appeares in adam , who as in his integrity , he spoke & conuersed euen in a familiar sort with god : so no sooner had he finned , but he ranne from god , and hid himselfe : & that euen the least sinnes not repented of , doe so also , appeares in this prophet , who beeing a holy man , yet his conscience being priuie to it self of some small omissions or negligēces in his calling , he crieth out , he is vndone , because he seeth the lord of hosts . but contrariwise , the state of perfect holinesse , & the want of all sinne , makes a man bold in gods presence , and rather desirous then afraid to behold gods glory , which shall bee most apparant at the last day : for when the wicked shal desire rather to be couered with the hilles , and ground to dust by the mountaines , then to appeare before the face of god : then shal the godly whose holinesse shal then bee perfect , looke vp and lift vp their heads , because their redemption is so nigh . and iob testifieth of himselfe , that hee knoweth his redeemer liueth , and that hee shall stand before him , & looke vpon him with his eyes . thus as guiltinesse driues a man from the kings presence , but innocency makes him bold before him : so sinfulnesse makes a man auoid gods presence , but holinesse makes him drawe neare vnto god , and to reioyce in his presence . then for a conclusion of this point , let all men heare learne the way to true courage and boldnesse before god : namely , to repent dayly of their sinnes , and labour to growe in true holinesse : wealth nor wit , learning nor authoritie can do this for thee , but onely a good conscience , which must bee made good by grace and by repentance , then shalt thou reioice in gods presēce in this world , and delight , to thinke of god , to speake of god , to pray vnto him , to meete him in his word and sacraments , and at the last day shalt thou stand with confidence before the throne of his glory . hitherto of the feare and astonishment of the prophet , and of the causes thereof . now followeth his consolation . then flewe one of the seraphims , &c. in these two verses is laid downe the second generall point : namely , the consolation of the prophet : concerning which , there are two points in the text : . the ground and matter of his consolation , that is the forgiuenesse of his sinnes . diuers circumstances of that consolation . the time . then. the minister by whom it was done : an angell , one of the seraphims . the manner how he did it , speedily , he flewe . the instrument or outward signe a coale from the altar . the outward action or application of it : he touched his lippes . the matter of the consolation is last in order . let vs therefore first speake of the circumstances . the first circumstance , is the time when this prophet was comforted and raised frō his feare . then saith the text : that is , after his feare and astonishment , but not afore . thus dealt god alwaies with all his saints , he bestoweth no graces on thē pertaining to saluation , but after he hath by some meanes or other brought thē to true humiliation in themselues , and to sorrow for their sinnes : humiliation is the preparatiue for grace : for when by sight and sense of their sinnes , and their owne misery by sinne , he hath euen driuen them quite out of themselues , finding nothing in themselues , but cause of feare and astonishment , then powres hee the oyle of grace , and of sweete comfort into their hearts , & refresheth their weary soules with the deawe of his mercy : this point needes no further proofe , for looke into the scriptures , & we shal finde , god neuer called any man to the state of grace , or to any notable worke or function in his church , but hee first humbled them , and then brought them out of al conceit with themselues , and then wrought in them , and by them , his wonderfull workes . the vse of this doctrine , is first of all to teach all men , to esteeme aright of the afflictions that god layeth vpon them in this world : commonly men take them impatiently , & our nature grudgrudgeth against them : but let a christian man consider with himselfe , how god hath alwaies dealt with his children , and he hath cause not to thinke so : for doth god lay some great affliction on thee ? it may be he hath some mighty worke of his grace to worke in thee , or som great work of mercie to bewroght by thee in his church , and hereby prepareth thee for the same . say therefore with the holy prophet ; i helde my tongue ô lord , and spake nothing , because it was thy doing : and what god may intend in his so doing to thee , thou canst not tell : and therefore in silence , and patience possesse thy soule . againe , here is a comfort to all such as are distressed in mind , in sense of their finnes , and sight of gods wrath : their state is not miserable , much lesse desperate , for they are in the high way to grace and fauour . god iustifieth not , but him that repents : god exalts not , but him that is humbled : god comforts not , but him that is distressed : god hath mercie on none , but such as both knowne and feele they want it : and knowe also , that they knowe not where to haue it , but at his hands . happie therefore is that soule , that feeles the waight and burden of sin , for to him wil christ bring most ease and comfort . gods ministers therefore are hereby to comfort distressed consciences , to assure them , that if with this prophet they bee so deepely touched with sight of their sins , and gods iustice , as that they cry , woe is me , i am vndone . then , euē then , are they most capable of comfort , and best prepared to receiue it , as here it sell out to the holy prophet . thirdly , here is the way taught vs how to attaine to any excellēt graces of god , either for our own saluation , or the good of the church , namely to labour for a sencible feeling of the want of them in our selues : for god vseth to bestowe no gifts on any man , but such as do in humilitie & low-linesse , confesse to god , & acknowledge in themselues , the want of them . so the blessed virgin singeth , god filleth the hungry with good things , but the rich hee sendes emptie away : and so the psalmist , god satisfieth the hungry soule , and filleth the emptie soule with goodnesse . so then if thou be rich in thy conceits , god hath not for thee : but if thou be hungry , he is readie to fill thee with good things : and dost thou acknowledge thy soule emptie , then behold treasures of goodnesse , to feede and fill thee : and art thou cast downe with the prophet , and is thy soule emptie of hope , and fraught with feare , then behold , euen then , god and his angels ready to raise thee vp , & to fill thee with consolation . thus much for the time of his consolation : the minister , by whom was , one of the seraphims . the . circumstance of his consolation is the minister by whom it was done : an angel . one of the seraphims : that is , an angell of that order so called : out of which we learne ; first , that there are diuers degrees and seuerall orders of angels , though wee knowe not the true distinction thereof : nor thinke it lawful to imagine them to be . nor to set them down particularly , as the church of rome doth , who make many of their owne deuises , which they cal traditiōs , of equal authority with the scriptures . secondly , that these holy angels are the glorious guard of god , and doe continually stand about the throne of his glory , & attend his holy wil , both in heauen and in earth . thirdly , that they are also by the merciful appointment of god , the guard of gods children , and ministring spirits sent out , as it were with a commission , for the good of the elect . all these points , because they are plaine in the scripture , and do lesse cōcerne our general scope , which is touching the ministery , i passe them ouer . fourthly , here it is apparāt , that as the ange's are sent out for the helpe & seruice of the elect : so especially of gods ministers , as is plaine in this place , where the prophet being afrighted , a holy angel is ready to giue him comfort : and so ouer the whole course of the prophets : and at this day , their protection , and comfortable assistance , is no lesse present to the godly ministers of the newe testament , though not in such sensible signes , and such visible manner , as in the olde : for if they bee ministring spirits , sent out for the good of them which shall bee saued , howe much more for their good , which shall bee both saued themselues , and saue others also . a doctrine of great comfort , and much good vse to all ministers : who first of all may here learne contentment intheir calling : for howsoeuer no calling hath more crosses , so none againe hath more comfort : and howsoeuer none bee more disgraced by euillmen , yet none is more honoured by the holy angels : and howsoeuer in this world they aboue any calling , are seruāts to all men , yet none hath the seruice & attendance of angels so much as they : for though we haue them not to helpe vs to do the outward actions of our ministery with vs , or for vs , ( as some popish doctors teach , that in their masse , a men is not said to one collect , because the angels say a men to it ) yet doubtlesse they are presēt alwaies , as at all holy exercises and lawfull actions , so especially at the publike seruice of god , performed by the ministers : and beside that , they are witnesses thereto , and of the paines , and diligence , and faithfulnesse of a good minister , they also do minister vnto them oftentimes , bodily strength , and assistance , & many comforts : in their troublesome trauels , which they know not how by any naturall meanes they come vnto them . and as this doctrine doth thus yeeld them contentment against the contempt , so also courage against the danger of this calling . for what though thou hast mightie men of this world against thee , when thou hast angels for thee ? & what though thou fightest against principalities and powers , when thou hast cherubins , and seraphims on thy side ? godly ministers haue many enemies , but if by the eye of faith , they can see as well who are with them , as with the eye of reason who are against them , they will confesse with elisha , there are more with vs , then against vs. the stories of all ages doe affirme , and the cōfortable experience of these daies of ours doth verifie the truth hereof . ministers that liue in places very prophane , or very popish , it is admirable to see how many daungers they haue escaped , and plottes they haue auoided , which by their enemies , ( or rather the enemies of their doctrine ) haue bone laide for their liues : which their deliuerance , and many other comforts in their ministries , whence are they but from gods protection , by the ministry of his angels . afore we leaue this point , two questions may be asked , not amisse briefely to be resolued . first if any aske , whence comes it that angels performe more seruice to good mlnisters then to other men : i answere , the reason is partly from god , partly from the angels : first god hath a principall care of them aboue other men , because they worke his worke aboue all other callings : for their labours immediately cōcerne the good of mens soules : whereas others do first concerne the body , and consequently the soule : therefore , whereas he hath giuen his angels charge ouer all his elect , to keepe them in all their good waies , they haue a speciall charge doubtlesse ouer al godly and faithfull ministers , whose waies are gods in a speciall manner . againe , angels themselues as they willingly performe any seruice to the church , or to any part thereof , so most willingly of all are they imployed for the good of godly ministers , and that for two causes . first , because they are their fellow-labourers , both for that that angels & good ministers are both called gods embassadors , & gods own seruants or officers , in a more peculiar manner then any other calling : & for that their seruice is so like , that their names are common , one to the other . angels being called ministers , and ministers angels , as though they were almost all one . secondly , because the ministers dutie is , to conuert & saue soules , being a worke which ( next to the glorifying of god , and doings his wil ) the angels doe take most delight in aboue any other : for if they be sent out for the good of them which shal be saued , how much more willingly for their good , by whom they are saued , which shal be saued ? & if the angels reioice at the cōuersion of a sinner ▪ surely they much loue him , & desire to doe him good , by whom the sinner is conuerted : and in these respects , that angels and ministers haue the same names : and are both imployed in the same great worke ; namely , doing good to the elect . therefore is it , that the angel calles himselfe s. iohn the euangelists fellow in the reuelation : if then they be fellowes , euē fellow-seruants , & fellow-laborers , in a more special maner then any other , what maruel though the angels be most willingly imployed , in doing any seruice of helpe or comfort to godly ministers . in the second place , if any aske , if it be so , then what duties are ministers to performe to angels , for this their so carefull seruice , & especiall attendance vpon them , aboue other men ? a papast would answere ; ministers must therefore worshippe them , and keepe their fasting , & holy-dayes , and say their seruice , and pray vnto them , as to their keepers and mediators . but alas , cannot the kings messenger or officer be honoured , vnlesse he be set vpon the kings throne ? will nothing serue him , but the crowne and scepter ? so cannot angels be honoured , vnlesse they be made gods , or sauiours , or mediators ? but i answere therefore , wee dare not go so farre , least we remember the seruant so much , that we forget the master : but rather we answere thus : seeing angels are thus seruiceable to gods ministers , it should first of all , teach al men to honour that calling , with all due reuerence : for they cannot but please the angels , in honouring good ministers , whom they esteeme their fellowes . secondly , it should teach all ministers , not to content themselues with the name and title , but to labour to bee good and faithfull . for so doing , they are fellowes to the angels , and it is a disgrace to the angels , when those that are their fellowes are vnfaithfull . and it should further teach them , to adorne their calling with a holy life , for as sinne is that , that grieues the angels , & driues them away , so it is grace and holinesse , which makes them delight in the fellowship of men . and it may also encourage any man , to take paines in that holy calling , wherein hee is sure to haue gods angels , in a speciall manner to attende him , to assist him , to protect him , and to bee a witnesse of his faithfulnesse : and who would not worke cheerefully in that labour , wherein hee hath the angels to bee in a sort fellow-workers with him ? to doe these three duties , is to honour good angels : and that minister that conscionably performeth them , the angels will take themselues sufficiently honoured of that man. and if beside this honour , we would reioyce gods angels , and minister matter of ioy vnto them , then in the fourth place , let all ministers propounde to themselues aboue al things , the conversion of soules , rather then their own praise , or liuing , or pleasing of men , and so endeuour it both in teaching , and all their other courses , that the angels may see it , and bee witnesse of it : for if they reioyce at the conversion of a sinner , ( as christ saith they doe , then those men make them oftest reioyce , which doe most seriously aime at the conversion of sinners . and thus we see , both the seruice of angels to gods ministers , and the duties they are to performe to them in that regard . the due consideration of this point , may raise the world to a better conceit of this calling , and perswade fathers to dedicate their sonnes to it , and stirre vp young students to consecrate themseluest hereto , & turne their studies to that ende : for no man in no calling hath so speciall attendance , and assistance of gods angels , as godly ministers haue : at least , if it worke not this in the world , yet it may yeeld comfort & contentment to all faithfull ministers in their painfull calling . but let vs see how the angel performed his seruice to the prophet : not vnwillingly , not lingeringly , but speedily : so saith the text. he flewe . which is not so to bee vnderstood , as though the angels had wings : for they haue no corporall nor sensible bodyes , but spirituall and insensible substances , the actions whereof are performed with such nimblenesse and agilitie , as can not fall within the compasse of outward sense . but the phrase is vsed for our capacities , to shew how readily and speedily the angel went about to minister comfort to the prophet . for as nothing moueth so quickly to our sense , as doth the creature that flyeth : and as wee say , that man doth flye about his businesse , which doth it quickly and diligently : so here the holy ghost sets downe the willingnesse and quicknesse of the angel , to comfort this holy prophet , and to doe the will of god. where we learne ; first , what excellent seruants of god the holy angels bee , which so readily , willingly , and speedily execute the will of their lord. this must teach all gods seruants to doe the like , and to imitate thē in this excellent obedience : and the rather , because wee pray dayly to god ; thy will be done in earth as it is in heauen . in earth of vs , as it is in heauen of the holy angels : but they doe it most cheerfully , and without all lingring , therefore so ought we . magistrates in their places , and ministers in theirs , and euery man in his function , is to apply this to himselfe , and to bee stirred vp thereby to a cheerfulnesse & quicknesse in their duties : for therein they resemble the blessed angels , & then their deodes accord wity their prayer : but contrariwise , he that doth his dutie vnwillingly , and vnreadly , is like the diuel ; which indeed doth gods will , & yet against his will. and surely vnto such obedience there belongeth no reward . but as god loueth a cheerfull giuer , so doubtlesse loues hee a cheerfull worker . secondly , we see here how great loue angels beare vnto gods children , especially vnto godly ministers , how willingly they are imployed to doe them good . willingnesse and readines to doe good to any man , must needes come from loue : and yet alas all men , euen the best , and all ministers , euen the best , are creatures farre inferior to the angels . here magistrates & ministers , must learne to be farre from contempt of their inferiours : and to doe their duties of ruling and teaching carefully , though the people bee farre their infriors : it is the nature of loue , to make any man doe seruice most willingly , to him that hee loues , though he be farre meaner then himselfe . if therefore princes loue their subiects , they will not spare any care , cost , nor paines , nay they will reioyce to doe them good , and they will labour to bee like the angels , who are farre greater then men , as they are then their subiects . and if ministers loue their people , they will forget their owne dignitie , which oft-times they might stand vpon , and will make themselues euen seruants to all , that they may winne some . and seeing angels doe flie so fast to giue helpe and comfort to good ministers : this must teach them further . first , euery one to labour to bee a good minister , for then are they sure of the loue of angels , and then most willingly doe the angels any seruice to them . againe , let it teach them to flye as fast to the discharge of their duties to gods church , as the angels flye to doe them seruice , so shal god angels thinke their diligence and carefull seruice well bestowed vpon them . lastly , this diligence of the angels , & their willingnesse , proceeding from loue , must stirre vp al christians , to performe all duties of godlinesse to god , & of loue vnto his church , with alacritie and cheerfulnesse . so doe gods angels ; we looke to be like the angels in glory , in the world to come : then bee like the angels in diligence , loue and faithfulnes in this world . the wise man saith , hee that is slothfull in his businesse is good for nothing : but the diligent man shall stand before the king. and surely , hee that is willing & diligent in the duties of christianitie , shall stand before the king of kings in heauen . and let this suffice for the angels seruice , and his diligence in his seruice . now let vs see what instrument the angel vsed . a coale from the altar . the fourth circumstance of this consolation , is the instrument which it pleased god , the angel should vse to minister comfort to the prophet , a strange instrument for so great a work : a coale of fire . here let humane reason hide it selfe , and wordly wisedome bee confounded , to see the wonderfull works of the lord : god could haue healed the prophets infirmities , and giuen him comfort against his feare & courage in his calling , without meanes , but hee will vse meanes : and what ? a weake meanes : nay , a meanes that seemes contrary : a coale of fire must touch his lippes : that which in all reason would haue made him speake worse , by gods appointment and the power of his word , shall make him speake better . out of which practise of god , we learn many points . first , see how god magnifieth meanes : hee can worke without them , and so hee did in the creation , giuing light to the worlde , diuers dayes before there was sunne : but since the order of nature was established , hee generally vseth meanes , not onely in his ordinary , but euen in his miraculous actions : and though he vse not alwayes the ordinary and direct meanes : yet meanes he generally vseth , though they seeme contrary : as heere in this place ; and the same wil be found true in almost al the miracles , both of the old and new testament . this therefore commends vnto all men , the vse of such good meanes , as gods prouidence hath ordained of any duties , or effecting of any thing , that doth belong vnto vs to doe : and not to depend vpon immediate helpes from heauen , as many fonde and fantasticall men doe , who are therfore oftentimes iustly forsaken of god , and left destitute of all helpe ; and so exposed to shame and reproach . secondly , see here the mighty power of gods ordinance , how it appeareth in weakenesse : such are all his great workes . in the creation , hee brought light out of darknesse . in our redemption , hee brought vs life out of death . in our conuersions , he workes vpon vs by his word , & by it hee drawes vs to him , which in al reason would driue vs from him : and by it confounds the wisedome of the worlde , which is starke foolishnesse to the wisedome of the world . and so here , hee cleanseth the prophet by a coale of fire : which would rather defile him , and seasoneth his mouth with it , which in reason should haue burned him : so great , so admirable , and so powerfull are the ordinances of god , though they seeme so contrary , or so weake in themselues , or in their meanes . let this teach all men not to contemne the sacraments , though the outward elements , bread , wine , and water , be weake and common , and dead creatures in themselues : nor the ministerie of the word , though it be exercised by a weake man , mortall & miserable as others are : for that god , which can season the prophets mouth , and clense his heart by a coale of fire , no maruell though hee worke vppon the consciences of men , by his word and sacraments . and againe , when we see grace and holinesse conueyed into mens hearts by the word and sacraments ; let vs learne , not to ascribe it to the dignitie , either of the minister , or the elements , but to the supreme power of the mightie god , who can purge the prophet , by a coale from the altar . neither is it altogether without mysterie , that god here sanctifieth the prophet , by touching his lippes with a fierie coale : for it signifieth , that the apt & sufficient teacher , must haue a fierie tongue , and to that same purpose , the holy ghost came downe vppon the apostles in fierie toongs , & it may be that the one is a tipe of the other . certaine it is , that they both teach vs thus much , that all true and able ministers , must pray and endeuour to haue a tongue full of power and force , euen like fire , to eate vp the sinnes and corruptions of the worlde . for though it be a worthy gift of god to speake mildly , and moderately , so that his speech shal fall like deawe vpon the grasse : yet it is the firerie tongue that beates downe sinne , and workes sound grace in the heart : it may be there are some , which neede the fierie tongue . this shewes apparantly , that those ministers neuer had their lips touched with a coale frō gods altar : that is , their soules with a coale from gods altar : that is , their consciences neuer touched , nor their soules seasoned with the sanctifying grace of gods spirit , which sit still and see great and grieuous staines in a church , and corruptions in a state , and can bee content neuer to reproue them , as though ministers were perswaders onely , and not reprouers . but when this comes to be wayed in the ballance of a good conscience , it will bee found , that not the pleasing tongue , but the fierie tongue , is the principall grace of a good minister . but to goe further : whence came this coale ? taken from the altar . this coale of fire was taken by the angel from the altar of god , where was a fire which neuer went out , and this fire was that , that came from heauen : sent downe by god at the dedication of the temple by salomon . and this fire kindled by god neuer went out : for no man could kindle the like , but all other was counted strange fire ; as nadab and abihu , tryed in wofull experience , when they would needes offer with in . now the prophet must be cleansed with the fire which came from heauen : teaching vs , that the minister must haue his fierie tongue frō the holy ghost . as the apostles were said to bee baptized with the holy ghost and with fire : a fierie tongue , is a speciall ornament of a minister , but that fire must come from heauen : that is , his zeale must be a godly and heauenly zeale ; but hee that hath a rayling , lying , a slanderous , a malicious , or a contentious tongue , hee hath a fierie tongue indeed . but this is kindled of the sire of hell , as s. iames saith ; the vnbridled tongue is a world of wickednes , and defileth the whole body , setteth on fire the whole course of nature , and is set on fire in hell . so then , a spitefull and malicious tongue wee see , is a fierie tongue , but that fire is taken from hell , and not from gods altar . and hee that stands vp to preach with this tongue , god will neuer suffer any great worke to be done by him in his church , though his tongue be neuer so fierie , and his speech neuer so powerfull . as therefore ministers must abhorre the flattering and pleasing tongue , and must haue a fierie tongue : so on the other side , this fire must bee from gods altar : that is , the fire of their zeale must bee kindled by gods spirit , and not by the spirit of discord and dissention . ambitious humors , turbulent & proud humours , new opinions , priuate quarrels , all these , nor none of these , are for the pulpit . these may make a man fierie tongued , but this fire , was neuer taken from gods altar , as the prophets was : this fierie tongue neuer came from heauen , as the apostles did . it followeth . and touched my lippes . this fifth and last circumstance , is the application of the remedie . the coale which is the medicine , is applyed by this angel to his lips , that is , to that part which was polluted : and as he formerly complained of the pollution of his lips , so the medicine is applyed to his lippes : here the angell , which in this case is made gods minister , doth teach all gods ministers , a great point of wisedome , in heauenly diuinitie , namely , to apply their doctrine to their audience , in such manner , as the circumstances of place , times , or persons do require : some ministers come to an ignorant and vnhumbled people , and teach them the gospell , which neuer knewe the lawe : here the firy coale is vsed , but the lips are not touched , that is , good doctrine taught , but not well applyed : for that the lawe should first be laid to their consciences , others beate all vpon the lawe , when it may be their hearers are a people sufficiently cast downe , and haue more need to be raised vp with the sweet comforts of the gospell : others vse to laye open the nakednes of the court in the country , and to reproue the faults of princes and great magistrates before the cōmon people , who haue more need of the catechisme : others bring the catechisme or points of ordinarie instruction into the court , where the duties of kings and councellors should be taught in all plainnesse and sinceritie : others bring their new opinions or controuersall points vnto popular audiences , which indeede are fit for the schools : other busie themselues about ceremonies , when the substance is in daunger to be lost : all these ( haue it may be ) the coale of fire , but it is misapplyed , and not applyed to the polluted lips . let all ministers therefore learne this point of wisdome of the angell , to apply the medicines of their doctrine to the times , persons , and places , which are infected , so shal they be sure not to take paines in vaine . and thus much of the circumstances of his consolation . it followeth in the text . loe thy iniquitie shall be taken away , and thy sinnes shall be purged . after the circumstances , followeth the ground and matter of his consolation , and that is the forgiuenesse of his sinnes ; where first let vs marke how it and the instrument are annexed together : loe saith the angel , this coale ha●h touched tay lippes , and thy iniquities shall bee forgiuen , and thy sinnes purged : as though hee had bene clensed by the coale : where we may note , how greatly god magnifieth the meanes which himself ordaineth , euen true remission and saluation to the right and holy vsing of them , though it come not from them , but from his own mercy , and power of his ordinance . it is therefore no maruell though god sanctifieth the childe by the ministery of water in baptisme , and feede our soules in the lords supper , by feeding our bodies with bread and wine : and no maruell though the carelesse neglect of either of them , be damnation to him that despiseth them : seeing they are gods instruments , ordained by him to conuey his grace vnto vs : and yet for all this , wee are to knowe , that remission or saluation , is no more tyed to the very elements , or the actions , then here the prophets forgiuenesse is to the coale of fire . but the maine point is , that for the prophets consolation , the angell tells him his iniquities shall bee taken away , and his sinnes purged , as thereby he had said thy sins were the cause of thy feare , therefore that thy feare may be taken away , thy sinnes shall be forgiuen . where we learne , that as few comes by sinne , so all true comfort comes from the forgiuenesse of sinnes : this is that , that onely pacifieth the conscience , and satisfieth the soule : when dauid had sinned against the lord in his two great sinnes , and thereby prouoked gods wrath against him , and wounded his owne conscience , if the prophet had told him hee had made him king of kingdomes more , he had not so reioyced his heart , as when he told him , after his repentance , thy sinnes are forgiuen thee , thou shalt not dye : so when this prophet was extreamely affrighted at gods presēce , because of some sinnes and negligences in his calling it had bene no comfort to his poore soule , to haue bene told , thou shalt haue a more eloquent tongue , and a more powerful speech , thou shalt haue better accesse to the court & audience before the king : all these , and all such like , would haue beene no better then guided poyson vnto him , being in this case : but the happy answere that refresheth his wearie soule more then all the world , was this , loe thy iniquities are forgiuen and thy sinnes purged . all faithfull ministers must heere learne the true way of comforting troubled and distressed consciēces , namely , first to drawe him vnto a sight of some particular sinnes , then to summon him into gods presence , and there to arraigne him for those sinnes , vntill the view of the foulnesse of his sinnes , and the glory of gods iustice , haue sufficiently humbled him , and then to labour to perswade his conscience vppon good groundes of the pardon of those sinnes by christ iesus , this is the way that god vsed and deuised , this is the sure way , that cannot faile . some thinke that all trouble of mind is nothing but melancholy and therefore thinke nothing needes but physicke and outward comforts : but he that considers in what case the prophet heere was , or dauid when hee made the . the . or the . psalmes , will be of another mind , and will finde that nothing can properly trouble the mind but sinne : therefore as the wise physitian in his cure first searcheth out the cause , and then endeuours to take it away : so the good physitian of the soule , must first of all search into the cause of his sicknesse , that is his sins , and must take them away : which if they doe not , then al their labour is lost : for al the companie , musicke , recreation , wine , diet , nay all worldly comforts & delights , if it were the aduancement to a kingdom , cannot so much comfort the distressed soule of a sinner , as this voice of a minister spoken from god vpon good grounds ; thy sinnes are forgiuen thee . now to lay downe what bee those true and good groundes , whereupon a minister may safely and comfortably pronounce pardon of sins to a sinner , belongs properly to another place . in the next place ; let vs heere obserue how the lord afore he renued the prophets commission , or send him to preach to the people , first humbles him for his sinnes , and then vppon his repentance , giues him pardon : teaching vs , that no minister is well qualified to the holy duties of the ministerie , vnlesse hee haue truly repented of his sins , and haue obtained pardon and mercie in the messias . ministers labour for qualifications , but the true minister of god will labour for this qualification aboue all other : for doubtlesse hee shall pronounce most powerfully the pardon of sinnes to others , to whose conscience god hath pronounced pardon of his owne . in the last place , let vs obserue how the prophet being to be comforted before hee goe this newe embassage , the lord is so carefull for him , that rather then he be not comforted ( if there be no man to do it ) , an angel shal be sēt to be his comforter , & ( if ther be not another prophet to doe it ) an angell shall pronounce vnto him the pardon of his sins . let this be an encouragement for all pastors and ministers of gods church , to labour painfully & faithfully in their places , for the goodnesse of the lord will neuer faile them , nor shall they want comfort , when euer they stand in neede thereof . yea rather shall angels from heauen be their helpes and comforters , then faithfull ministers shall be left destitute . hitherto of the second generall points : namely , of the prophets consolation . the third and last generall point is , the renouatiou of the prophets commission , in the eight , & part of the ninth verses , and it containeth . parts , . a question or inquirie made by god ; when shall i send , and who shall goe for vs ? the answere of the prophet : here am i , send me . the commission renued vnto him : the lord said , goe and speake vnto this people . the first part , is a question made by god , by way of proclamation , wherein he enquireth who shall goe preach vnto this people . also , i heard the voice of the lord saying , whom shall i send ? and who shall gae for vs ? in which proclamation , and inquirie of the lord , we are not to imagine that the lord , was either vnprouided of such as should execute his will , or knewe not who were able , or who were willing to goe preach his word : for as the apostle saith , in the matter of election ; the lord knoweth whr are his : so much more in particular vocations . the lord knoweth who are his , and neede not to aske whom shall i send , or who shall goe ? but then it may be demanded , why the lorde saith so ? i answere , not for his owne sake , but for ours : whom hereby he would instruct , in diuers points of holy doctrine . first , hereby he would giue vs to vnderstand , how hard a thing it is , to finde an able and godly minister , for if there were not a great scarcitie of such men , the lorde needed not aske this question . but some will obiect against this , that there are in many christian churches so many ministers , as they cannot all bee maintained , but some goe vp and downe vndisposed , and vnprouided for . i answere , this is too true in all ages : there were wandering leuits in the olde testament , which went vp and downe and offered their seruice , and serued for . shekels of siluer , and a sute of apparell , and meate and drinke : but this calamitie was vpon the church of the iewes , ( neuer but then , ) when there was no king in israel , and euery one did that which was good in his owne eyes . if therefore there bee any in our church , and in christian nations , which goe vp and downe , and offer their seruice at such rates , it is much more miserable , seeing now there are kings in israel : and therefore it is no reason that euerie man rob the church , as it shal please his couetous minde . but ceasing to enquire whether this be so or no : and if it bee so , leauing the reformation thereof to those churches and states whom it may concerne : i answere , for the matter in hand , that this may be so , and yet the lorde may complaine as heere hee doth ; whom shall i send ? for the lord meane●h not such as beare the name of leuits or priestes in the olde , or of ministers in the new testament ( for there were alwaies inow of them : who , some for preferment sake , some for their ease , and some for a refuge how to liue ; are willing to enter that function , and accordingly in that calling , seee not the lord , but themselues , and their owne ends ) . but heere the lorde enquireth for such men , as first , purely doe seeke and vndertake that function , therein to honour god , and to gather his church , and then in all their labours and ministeriall duties , truly and faithfully endeuour to the same ends ; preaching gods word , and as gods word , diligently reprouing , exhorting , and admonishing , and shining before their people in good workes : for such men , it is no maruell though the lorde light a candle at no one day , and make open proclamation to seeke for them , saying ; whom shall i send ? for , such a man is as iob saith , one of a thousand : for some wat ability to discharge their duties , as s. paul saith , who are sufficient for those things ? and some want willingnesse to vndertake the labour , as god here complaineth ; who shall goe for vs ? now to make vse of this doctrine to our church . it were to be wished , that in these daies , & for our christian churches , the lord had not as great cause to cry out in the want of able , faithfull , and godly ministers , whom shall i send , and who shall goe for vs ? but alas , this want is too apparant , and this blemish is too notorious , and it is a worke worthy the labour of kings and princes to reforme it : and is a kings euil ; not to be healed but by the power of a king : for as long as there are so fewe and meane preferments for painefull ministers , there will neuer want abundance of such ministers as doe want either conscience or abilitie to discharge their duties . in the meane time , till god put into the hearts of parliaments , and princes , to locke to this great and needfull worke ; let vs ministers learne our duties : and first , wee who are in the vniuersities , are here admonished to look to our selues . by gods blessing we are many , and daily growe more and more : let vs therefore so furnish our selues , as that when god or his church shall say , who shall goe for vs , and whom shall i send ? then he may find many amongst vs , whō he may send to that great worke of the minisierie : & let vs feare to be such , as thar god may affirme of vs , as in the daies of iob , that he cannot finde one of a thousand . secondly , all ministers learne here , not to content themselues with the name and title of ministers , but labour for the substantiall ornaments thereof , nor to be willing to take the honour and liuings , and to refuse the burden and duties of the ministerie . for else let them knowe , god hath no neede of them : for had the lorde pleased or contented himself with such kinde of men , as seeke to bee ministers for themselues , and not for his sake : or beeing ministers , doe feede themselues , and not their flocke : or preach themselues , and not christ : then had he not needed to haue made this proclamation , for ages haue yeelded store of such . but contrariwise , hee that is painfull and faithfull in this function , let him knowe , that god and his church hath neede of him . lastly , heere the romish cleargie are iustly to bee taxed , whose number is infinite : but it is lamentable to see howe fewe among them be such as the lord heere seeketh for . their orders of regulars are exceeding many , beside all their secular priests , and it is almost incredible , how many thousands there bee of dominicans or franciscans , or in some one of their orders : and yet amongst the many millions of their monkes , there is scarce to bee found one of many , who for his learning & other gifts , is fit to be sent to the worke of god : nay , their ignorance was palpable and ridiculous to the world , vntill of late being by luther , and others of our church , made ashamed thereof , they haue laboured ( especially the iesuites ) to become learned . how foule a thing is it that amongst so many , the lord should haue cause to complaine ; whom shall wee send ? the iesuits indeed , many of them are learned , but for other qualities , they are fitter to be plotters , & practisers in statematters , spies or intelligencers , reconcilers , seducers , and subuerters , then ministers : and fitter to be instruments of pollicie to euil kings , then ministers of the gospel vnto god. but take away them , and some fewe selected monkes ( and those but fewe out of many thousands ) & then euen for learning also god may cry , and call & proclaime in their monasteries ; whom shal i send ? and if it be a shame and miserie to a church to want such as god may send , or to haue but a fewe , then the romish church is shamelesse , which shames not to haue so many , and yet amongst them all , whom god may send , almost none . in the next place . by this inquirie , and question made by god , whom shall i send , and who shall goe for vs ? the lord would teach vs , that no man is to vndertake this function , vnlesse god call and send him : therefore heere are condemned , the prophane fancies of the anabaptists , and all like them , who thinke that any man vppon a priuate motion , may steppe foorth and vndertake the duties of a prophet , to preach and expound , &c. oh , but say they , these motions are from gods spirit : surely they can say litle for themselues , who cannot say so much : but that cannot serue their turne : for if we say , contrariwise nay , but they are from the diuel , or at the least from your owne vanitie and pride , how can they disproue it ? againe , might not the prophet haue alledged that with a better pretence and colour then they ? yet he stayeth till god heere call him : euen so all good ministers are to stay gods calling . if any aske , how he shal know when gods calles him ? i answere , god calleth ordinarily by his church , her voyce is his : therefore whensoeuer the church of god , saith vnto thee , thou shalt bee sent , and ●●ou shalt goe for vs , euen then doth the lorde call vs out to this holy function . thirdly , let vs obserue how the lord saith : who shal ( i ) send ? & who shal goe for ( vs ) ? some interpreters gather out of this chapter , an argument for the trinitie of persons ; as namely , out of the . verse , where the angels sing ; holy , holy , holy , lord god , &c. but it is not sound enough to ouerthrowe our stubborne enemies the iewes and therfore it seemes those diuines are of a sounder and wiser iudgement : who seeing we haue other places pregnant and plaine enough , therefore thinke it no good discretiō to vrge this or any such place which may probably admit another interpretation , least that the iewes finding the weaknes of the argument , doe iudge al our proofes to be as weak , and so take occasion to persist the rather in their blindnesse , by that which wee brought to haue conuerted them . and as for that song of the angels in the third verse , where they ascribe holinesse to the lord . times : that thei● repetition signifieth nothing else , but the continuall ioy and delight which the holy angels take in praising of god , who cannot satisfie thēselues in honouring his name : teaching vs in their example , neuer to bee weary of praysing god by prayers and holy hymnes , and of honouring him in our liues and callings . but to proue out of the words ; holy , holy , holy , the three persons in trinitie , seemes to bee no fit nor sound collection . rather in my opinion , wee may safely collect and conclude out of these wordes ( i and vs ) that there are more persons in the trinitie then one : for first , god the father , or the whole deitie saith : whom shall i send ? and then changing the number , hee saith : who shall goe for v● ? for howsoeuer god may imploy in the word vs , that he that is sent to preach , is sent as well for the good of the church , as for his owne glory , yet can it not bee denyed , but that the plurall number heere , and else where , ascribed to the deitie , must needs argue a certaine pluralitie of persons in that deitie : as in genesis it is written , that god said , let vs make man : and here , who shall goe for vs ? out of the euidence of which places , seeing the enemies of this doctrine must needes grant a pluralitie , namely , that there are more then one : then wee shal sufficiently proue out of other places , and by other argnments , that there are three . in the last place , let vs marke what god saith : whom shall i send , & who shal goe for vs ? god sends a minister to preach and he goeth for god. then behold here , what is the trade and profession of a minister , hee is the seruaunt of god. so saith god here , he goeth for me : and so saith the apostle of himself & al other good ministers , that they are gods labourers . and in another place , the angel of god appeared , whose i am , and whom i serue . but if any man thinke that either god speaketh too fauourably of them , or s. paul too partially of themselues , then let the diuell himselfe bee iudge in this case , who plainly & freely confesseth ) though he did it not in loue to the truth or them ) . these men are the seruants of the most high god , which teach vnto vs the way of saluation . let therefore either god be beleeued , who is for them , or the diuell who is against them . but what kinde of seruantes are they ? what place or office haue they ? they are his messengers or ambassadors , this is their profession , and their place . now then for the vse hereof , if they be gods seruants , then are they not their owne maisters , they haue a maister , euen god , whose they are , and for whom , and from whom they come : they may not therefore please thēselues , nor serue their own pleasures , nor seeke the satisfying of their owne carnall lustes , either in matter of pleasure , credite , or profite : if they doe , then wil he call thē to a heauie account , whose seruants they are . againe , if they bee gods seruants , then let them doe their seruice to god , and expect their reward from god : some ministers wil expect the reward , and honour of gods seruants , but will doe no seruice : that beseemes not seruants : let such men remember for whom they come , euen from that god , who as he can giue reward , so hee will expect seruice . and as for such men as painfully do their seruice , but are not regarded , nor rewarded of men as they deserue , let them bee content & continue in their faithfulnesse , for they are gods embassadors : & we know embassadors may haue gifts giuen them , of those to whom they are sent : but they expect their maintenance from the kings their owne maisters : so the maintenance which the world should giue ministers , is like gifts giuen to embassadors : if it come , it is no more then they deserue . if it come not , yet will faithfull ministers doe their dutie , and expect their payment from their king and maister god , whose they are , and whom they serue . thirdly , if they bee gods embassadors , sent by him , and come from and for him , then let all such as either condemne , or any way iniury them , bee assured , that as god is mighty & powerfull , so he will mightily reuenge it . there was neuer king so poore or weake , but thought himselfe strong inough to reuenge any wrong offered to his embassador . and shall god suffer so foule a wickednesse to lye vnpunished ? nay , they and their posterities shall smart for it : let ahab , and iezabel , and iulian , say it be not so : and all ages or stories , shew the cōtrary if they can , that euer any contemner and abuser of godly ministers , escaped the visible vengeance of gods reuenging hands on him or his . fourthly , seeing they are gods messengers & seruants , they must not be the seruants of men , to please , or flatter , or satisfie humours , this is not for them that are gods seruants : they therefore that will bee slaues to the persons , and pleasures , and humours of men , they forget that they are gods seruants , and came for him : yea , they must not endeuour the pleasing of themselues , nor the bringing of their owne purposes to passe , but in euery motion , either made to them by others , or suggested from their owne hearts , they must forth-with call to minde , who sent me hither , & for whom am i come ? euen from & for god : therefore they are to yeeld to nothing , nor ayme at any thing , but which may be both to the will , and for the glory of him that sent them . and if the great men of this world , doe thinke it wrong that any man should command their seruant against their will , or expect any seruice from them against their owne honour : then let them thinke it reason that gods ministers should not bee commanded any thing contrary to gods will , or against his honour . and further , if ministers bee gods seruants , then let them regard their maisters glorie , and be ashamed to doe any thing , either in their doctrine or liues , which may dishonour him : that seruant is vnworthy of a good maister , who seekes not his maisters credite in all his courses . lastly , if they be gods embassadors , then must they not deliuer their owne fancies , or inuentions , but that message they receiued : and as they receiued it , so must they deliuer it . and if they do their duties faithfully , this doctrine is comfortable to them , they may take paines , with ioy they haue a maister wil reward them : they may speake freely , ( so it be with discretion ) they haue a master will make it good : they may stand boldly in the face of their enemies , they haue a maister wil defend them . and euery faithfull minister may say to himselfe , i will doe my dutie , and deliuer my embassage . he whom i serue ▪ and whose i am he who sent me and for whom i come , will beare me out . and thus much of the inquirie which god makes , and the manner of it . now let vs see the answere which the prophet makes , in these words . then i said , here am i : send me . the prophet after hee was comforted by god , and had his sinnes forgiuen , then answereth ; heere am i , send me . first , marke heere , what a great change is wrought on the suddaine : he who a little afore , feared and shrunke at the least appearance of gods glorie : now stands forth boldly , as soone as he is called , and answereth : heere am i , send me . so great a matter is it for a minister to haue his sinnes forgiuen , and to feele the fauour of god to his soule and conscience . here therefore wee haue an answere to two great questions , often mooued in the worlde . first , many would haue quietnesse of minde , and peace of conscience , and cannot attaine vnto it ; if they aske how they might , to them i answere ; here is the way , seeke it not in wordly wealth , carnal pleasures , nor humane learning , in companie nor recreations : but seeke it in the fauour of god , and pardon of thy sinnes , and thou shalt not misse of it . thus shalt thou haue comfort in thy owne conscience , courage before men , and boldnesse toward god. secondly , many students in diuinitie , would gladly be ministers and doe much honour to the calling : but they finde a feare and shrinking in themselues , and thereby an vnwillingnesse to venter vpon it . if they aske , how they may amend this : i answere , or rather the example of his prophet answereth for me ) ; let that man set himselfe in gods presence , enter into himselfe , search his conscience , finde out his sins , confesse and bewaile them to god , craue pardon in christes blood , & grace to leaue them , & cease not till he heare the voyce of gods spirit sounding in his conscience : thy sinnes are forgiuen thee . then when god shal aske whom shall i send , thou wilt answere readily , and with ioy , heere am i , send me . and againe , many are driuen from this calling , to beholde the contempt and reproach , and daungers which belong vnto it . but let those men marke heere the phrase of this holy prophet , when god asked , whom shall i send ? hee might haue answered : lorde , i would goe , but such disgraces and discouragements doe accompanie this function , as i desire to bee excused : but hee casting aside all such conceits , answereth peremptorily , here am i , send mee . how came this to passe , for certainly the prophet was as sensible of these wrongs as any of vs all , for he was nobly borne and brought vp , & was of the blood royal : surely , because he saw he was in gods fauour , he had him and his commission on his side , & he held this for a sure ground : if god bee on my side , who can be against me ? therefore doubtlesse , those men who are driuen backe by these discouragements , were neuer setled in assurance that their sinnes were forgiuen : nor satisfied sufficiently , that god is on the side of all good ministers , and that their calling as it hath his authoritie from god , so likewise , allowance , blessing , assisstance , and defence of god aboue any other calling : for if they were , they would scorne the scorne , and contemne the contempt of the prophane world , and with much courage and comfort set their hand to gods plough , and say with the prophet ; here i am , send me . secondly , let vs obserue , how the prophet when god askes the question , sends him not to others , nor commends others to that seruice , as is to be thought hee might haue done many in the churches of the iewes , but offers himselfe , here am i. it controlles the carnall courses of many amongst vs in the vniuersities , who thinke it sufficient to liue there , and send out other men , and giue testimonies and letters of commendations to other men , but themselues stirre not , when question is made ; who shall goe to such a place ? or who shall be sent to such a parish ? they say not , here am i , but either it is too little a liuing , or too great a charge , or ill seated , or some fault it hath , that they will not be sent to it : but will answere god and his church , there is such a man , and giue him letters of testimonie , or commendation , and so all is well : but for themslues , they liue too sweete and easie liues , willingly to vndertake the contempt and burthen of the ministerie . let such men therefore learne , when god & his church giue them a calling , to answere with the prophet : here am i , send me . and let all such as are students of diuinitie in the vniuersities , marke here the prophets answere , not , i will bee ready , but here i am : why takes hee no longer time ? because hee was now sufficiently qualified . where let them learne , not to linger and lye rotting too long in their specidatiue courses : but when they are competently furnished with learning , and other qualities befitting that calling : let them shew themselues willing and ready to yeeld their seruice to the church , when they shall be called . for as an apple may as well hang too long on the tree , as bee puld too soone , and both make it vnfit for vse : so many men as well stay too long , as goe out too soone : and both wayes are made vnprofitable , or at least lesse profitable in the church . and to conclude this second point ; it is not vnworthy to be noted , that the prophet saith not , here i am : and i runne on my owne head , but , send me . hee willes the lord to send him : then where are they who dare bragge of their priuate motions , and will runne when they are not sent ? the prophet might haue said : oh , now i feele a motion from the spirit , therefore i will goe and preach : but he stayeth til he be sent in expresse termes : let no man therfore presume to presse into this function , till hee bee fully resolued in his conscience , that god and his church hath said vnto him , goe . and though a man be neuer so well qualified with all maner of sufficiency , yet let him sit still and stay gods leisure , and let him say , heere i am , send me : and so rest contented vntill hee bee sent . if any man say it is vnfit that a man should say so of himselfe , i answere , let him not say so in words , but in deeds : let him therfore make proofe of himselfe , and giue the church tryall of his gifts . vpon which experience of his gifts , if he be found sufficient , that practise of his is all one , and much more then if hee had saide , here i am , send me . thus wee see the prophet would not stirre til he were sent , and therefore in the next word he is bid to goe . and he said , goe and speake vnto this people . here is the third and last point , namely , the essentiall words of his commission . wherin , ( after god had sought for one to goe , and the prophet had presented himselfe , and offered his seruice ) god both giues him leaue to goe , and further doth furnish him with authoritie , both to goe and speake . wherein the principall point is , that the authoritie of the prophets calling , is 〈◊〉 from god him●else , in plaine and e●ide at words ; goe and speake : and till then the prophet went not . so in the new testament , the apostles went not into the world to preach , till they had their commission : goe and teach all nations ▪ and after them saint paul 〈◊〉 hot till it was said vnto him , ar●se and goe . in all which is discouered and condemned the pride and presumption of those who dare run on their own heads , and will not stay till the lord say vnto them : goe , and speake . these men are bolder , then either the extraordinarie prophets of the olde testament , or the apostles , which are the extraordinary ministers of the new : who alwaies had their warrant with the when they went. and if any man aske why is it necessarie they should haue so ; i answere , the reasons are many . first , all prophets and ministers , are gods deputies and commissioners , it is therfore reason that they haue authoritie from their lord and maister . secondly , their wordes nor deedes beare no credit , nor haue any power in them , vnlesse they be spoken by vertue of a commission : nor haue their labours any blessing , vnlesse god giue it . thirdly , these persons haue no protection , nor safetie ▪ vnlesse they bee gods embassadors : and how are they so , vnlesse they be called and sent by god , and haue authoritie giuen of god ? for these causes , no man is to thrust himselfe into the ministerie , without a calling from god , and therefore no maruell , though those men who will bee chusers , and callers of themselues , and run when they are not sent , bee in their persons , subiect to all daungers : because they are out of gods protection , & their labours without profit , because no blessing , nor promise of god was giuē vnto them : for god may iustly say vnto them : let him that sent you , protect your persons : let him that sent you , blesse your labours . but it will then be demaunded , how may i know if god bid me goe ? for god speakes not now from heauen as in old time , and as to this prophet : i answere , it is true , we are to looke for no such visiions , nor apparitions from heauen , for ordinarily there are none such , and the popish church doth but deceiue themselues , and cozen the world , who tell vs of so many apparitions that happen to their monkes and fryers : for now ordinarily , god speaketh in another maner to his church : for in generall duties god speaketh to vs out of his word and holy scriptures , and in particular and personall duties , ( where the word in plaine termes serueth not ) hee speaketh to a man by his owne conscience , and by the voice of his church . out of his word , god sheweth thee the dignitie and excellencie of this calling , to be a minister of the word : namely , they are his messengers and embassadors , &c. that so hee may winne them to loue and affect it . and againe , the necessicitie of it , that it teacheth the way to saluation , that without it ordinarily gods church is not gathered , nor mens soules saued , that this may stirre thee vp to vndertake the burthen : this is generall . but now particularly for thy selfe , wouldest thou knowe whether god would haue thee to goe or no , then thou must aske thy owne conscience , and aske the church , for if thou be hartily willing , and be fully and worthity qualified , then god bids thee goe . now thy conscience must iudge of thy willingnesse , and the church of thy abilitie : and as thou mai●● not trust other men , to iudge of thy inclination or affection , so thou maist not trust thy owne iudgement , to iudge of thy worthines or sufficience . if therefore thy owne conscience tell thee vpon true examination , that thou doest not loue and affect this calling aboue any other , then god sends thee not : and if thou enter with such a testimonie , not god , but some worldly and sinister respect doth send thee , and put thee forward : for though thou doest desire it , yet if the church of god giue not allowance of thy sufficiēcie , god doth not send thee : but if contrariwise , thy conscience doe truly testifie vnto thee , that thou desirest to doe seruice to god and his church , in this calling aboue any other : and if withal , vpon signification hereof to the church , and vpon trial made of thy gifts and learning , the church ( that is , maly learned , wise , and godly , and such as the church hath publikely appointed for that purpose ) doe approue of that thy desire , and of thy sufficiencie to doe god seruice in his ministerie , and thereupon by a publike calling , bid thee goe , then assuredly god himselfe hath bid thee goe . and it is as effectuall a calling , as if thou heardst the voice of god frō heauen : for as in repentance , if thy conscience tell thee thou hast truly repented , and if thou canst make that knowne to the church by so good euidēce , as thervpon a minister of god pronounceth the pardon of thy sins vnto thee : if thou rest herein , and knowest it to be as effectuall , as if god from heauen had told thee thy sinnes are pardoned . so is it here , if thou hast the testimonie , first of thy conscience , and then of the church , thou art to rest therein , as in the voice of god : and this is the calling that wee are to looke for in these dayes . by which doctrine , as those are iustly condemned of foule presumption , who dare runne vppon priuate motions , and carnall respects , and are iustly left without blessing or protection : so they on the other side , doe offer great wrong to god and to his church , who when they cannot denie , but they affest the ministerie aboue any calling , and haue approbation of their giftes from the church of god , yet will not beleeue the testimonie of the church herein , but their own priuate iudgemēts , which in this case is no way a competent iudge , either for , or against . let such men knowe , that they oppose themselues euen against god himselfe : it being certaine , that where the inward calling of the conscience , and the outward calling of the church doe concurre , there god himselse calleth and biddeth that man , goe , and speake . now then ( to drawe to an ende ) let vs obserue in the last place , with what authoritie a minister of god comes vnto vs , and executes his function : euen with an immediate authoritie & commission from god : whereby he is bid , goe , and speake . if it bee so , let it perswade the world , to feare to doe any wrong , either to that calling , or to those persons who come with so faire a commission from from god himselfe . but if it doe not perswade the prophane worlde , at least let this be a comfort & encouragement to all true ministers , for if god bid them goe , he will goe with them himselfe : if hee send them ; hee will not forsake them , but assist them , and blesse them , and open their mouthes , and enlarge their hearts , and harden their foreheads , and giue power vnto their words to conuer this children , & to confound and astonish the hearts of his enemies . if he send them , he will defend and protect them , so that one haire of their heades shall not fall to the earth , without his prouidence . if hee send them , hee will prouide for them , and sufficiently reward them : and will honour them in the hearts of his owne people , and magnifie them in the faces of their enemies . and lastly , if hee send them , he will pay them their wages , euen an eternal waight of comfort here , and of glorie in heauen . and as they are here bid goe , so once they shul be bid come : and that not onely with the generall call of all the elect ; come ye blessed of my father , inherite the kingdome prepared for you . but euen with that particular call , which especially belongs to them that are faithfull in this seruice : come thou good and faithful seruant , enter into thy maisters ioy . psalme , . . blessed be he that commeth in the name of the lord. w. p. daniel . . they that turne many to righteousnesse , shall shine as the starres for euer and euer . w. c. . cor. . . let a man so thinke of vs as of the ministers of christ , and disposers of the secrets of god. the second time newly pervsed and published with marginall notes . briefly laying down the matter and method . finis . notes, typically marginal, from the original text notes for div a -e canitius in catechisme . costerus in enchiridio . corradus . nauarrus . loper sairus . hallus . graffius , & many other . deering● grenham . bradford . and many other . maister perkings , but forty yeares old at his death . psal . . apoc. . . thes . . . notes for div a -e īunius . lamen . . lam. . iere. . . rom. . gen. . exod. i. gen. . . sam. & . esay . rom. . . psal . . . deut. . psal . . acts . verse . . iohn . . ● iohn . . . there were then present inhabitants of london , yorke , cambridge , oxford . norwich , bristow , ipswich colchester worcester , hull , lin , manchester . kendal , couentry , nottingham , northampton , bathe , lincolne , durby , leicester , chester . newcastle , and of many other most populous cities and townes . of england . sam. . . matth. . in the plagu at london there dyed some weeks almost a weeke in . but in . there dyed . in a weeke . at sturbridg faire esa . . eze. . . . notes for div a -e dan. . . a answere to perkins his reformed catholike , by b. a priest . notes for div a -e the co●●rence of these words with the rest . the parts of this chapt. the some and scope of this text is a description of the instrument by whom god raiseth a sinner into the state of grace and saluation . namely a minister of his word , and he is described . . by his titles . . title an angel. reuel . . and . chapters . hee is gods angel & the churches . vse . for ministers . a this sermon was in the vniversitie church , to the body of the vniuersitie . . vse for ministers . go they must preach gods word , as gods word . for they carie not the it owne message but gods . . vse for minister . they must dreach gods word in the euidence , & demonstration of gods spirit . . cor. . . . this is done first by teaching plainly . secondly . powerfully in that plainnesse . ministers must magnify gods spirit , & not themselues in preaching . the . vse for hearers . they are to receiue thē and their doctrine willingly and reuerenly . malach. . . for it is gods message , though they be men that bring it . corinth . . . title , an interpreter , and that two wa●es . gods interpreter to his church . mans interpreter to god. vse . ministers must haue the tongue of the learned . first he must be furnished with human learning . with diuinity . ● . he must be inwardly taught by gods spirit . reuel . . . acts. . this is to eat the boo of god. . corinth . this is no approbation to anabaptists who depend onely on reuelations , & neglect all meanes . psal . . . vse . for ministers . esay . . they must be holy and sanctified men : and so be first of all interpreters to themselues . exod. . . leuit. . . for else they will hardly do good to others . . part of the description is the rarenes of a good minister . he is one of a thousand . the meaning . . the truth hereof . . the reasons hereof . . reason the contempt of it : it being alwayes hated by wicked men . ieremie , . . . reason , the defficultie of discharging the duties . . corinth . . . . reason ▪ want of maintenance . deut. . . & . . num. . . this makes many of our best wits turne from diuinitie to law. . the vse of it . . to rulers to maintaine vniuersities , colledges , and schooles of the prophets . . sam. . , , , . the rather , because the pope doth so to vphold his superstition . at rome reimes doway . . kin. . . and the iesuites to cōtinue their late founded hierarchie . ezchiel , . , &c. . vse for ministers . . let euery man feare to make them fewer . . labour to encrease them , by winning others to it . galath . . . . let them one loue an other and ioyne together . . vse for students . . to consecrate themselues and their studies to that calling . to furnish themselues with the true ornaments of a minister . vse for hearers . . to reuerence the person and receiue the doctrine . math . . gala. . . . fathers to dedicate their sonnes to the ministerie . vse for al men . pray that god would encrease the number . . reg. , . . part of the description by his office that is to declare vnto man his righteousnesse . the meaning act. . . it com●rehendeth these points . . he must declare wher true righteousnesse is . . john . . how it may be obtained . . he must declare it to him , that is . shew that it is ready for him if he beleeue and repent . . he must testifie and assure him of it . he must maintaine it . & auerre it against all doubts and temptations . this dutie is ordinarily peculiar to ministers . . sam. . vse for ministers . first for the popish ministery , they doe insufficiently declare it . philip. . , . secondly our owne . both the lawe and the gospell . to be holy men themselues . psal . . for else they will conuert but fewe . . vse to ministers , not to care for the contempt of the world . vse for students . to consecrate themselues to the high calling . vse for the hearers . seeke righteousnesse both in the law and the gospell . what to esteeme of gods ministers . vse for fathers , to make their sounes ministers . . point , the blessings : then will god haue mercy on the sinner : god & his minister worke together . math. . . iohn . . . esay . . , . vse for rulers to giue due reuerence to the ministers . psalme . . esay . vse for ministers . vse gods word reuerently . vse for hearers . heare gods word often & reuerently . see the dignitie and pre●ogatiue of the ministers calling . obiect . but may not another christian do it ? and not ordinatily . ● for they haue not the same promise . they haue not the same power to discerne . in extraordinary times and in want of ministers they may . . part , the commission , which is , deliuer the penitent man from hell . how a minister is a redeemer . more then angels . heb. . vlt. more then any other calling of men . vse . for ministers . ergo , they must pray and preach , diligently . . sam. . psalm . . for so doing they are redeemers ▪ idle ministers are no redeemers . turkes and iewes , and iesuites , are carefull to seduce soules . . vse for hearers . to see the excellencie of this calling . ministers are gods high commissioners . . hearers , ergo , must submit thēselues to bee redeemed . notes for div a -e mat. . . deut. . psalm . . . psal . . . luke . &c. . corinth . . . . . the east-riding of the county of yorke . notes for div a -e the cohoerence . with a new king , god giues the prophet a new commission . ergo , extraordinary . callings o● motions in these dayes are not easily to be beleeued . the parts of the chapt. the parts of this text . . point is the feare of the prophet . doct. best ministers most amazed at their enterance . a exod. . . & . . . b ieremie . . . c act. . . &c. . tim. . vse . ergo , ministers : and especially in the vniuersities , labour to bee humbled in sight of gods greatnes , and their own meanenesse . . cor. . . doct. ergo , the prophets hold not the opinion of the intercession of angels . doct. ergo , the calling to the ministery is a worke like vnto the calling of a sinner to the state of grace . vse . ergo , 〈◊〉 be required , to qualify a man for the ministerie . cause pollution of himselfe & his people . his owne . he was a man of polluted lippes . a he was a polluted man. and he complaineth not of capltall sinnes . but of the corruption of his nature of some omission in his calling . doct. ergo , ministers must be men of tender conscience . and make confidence of the least sinnes . and be most carefull in his ministery both publikely and priuately . vse . vrgo , ministers for great sins should be greatly humbled . and for great negh● gēce in their calling , else they haue no conscience . good and faithfull ministers not to be discouraged , though they haue some wants , for so the prophets had , but let them complaine of them as here the prophet doth . godly ministers find● fault with themselues when the world cannot . particularly he complaineth against the pollution of his lippes . for a prophets dutie consists in the vse of his tongue . his smallest negligence in teaching , checks his conscience . vse . . vrgo popish doctrin of mans merits is false . and of workes of superrogation . and perfect fulfilling the lawe in this life . . vse . ergo ministers must take heed of negligence in their function aboue all sinnes , for that burtheneth the conscience most heauily of all . other vertues are excellent , but cannot suffice , if this want . . his peoples pollution . he complaines of it to teach , . that a minister is to confesse his peoples sinnes as wel as his owne . for generally he is accessarie to his peoples sinnes . . vse . ergo , a minister must know his peoples sins . pro. ● . . ergo , it is best for a minister to bee with his people . . vse . ergo , people must cōfesse their sinnes , and reueale thē to their minister . not popish but voluntarie . and of such sinnes as disquiet the conscience . . to teach vs that a polluted people make their minister more or lesse polluted also . a wicked people dull and decay gods graces in good ministers . vse double . . for instruction : . see how corrupt our natur● is . . what a creeping nature sinne hath . it wil creepe from ministers to people , & from people to minister . ergo , stop sinne in the beginning . . for our conuersation . . ministers , ergo , labour to liue amongst people . iam. . . and in disposing themselues , rather regard it , then other commoditie . a poore liuing with good people better then a great liuing and euil people . . ergo , ministers must take heed of their company . all companies and all recreations are not for ministers . and people must not draw their ministers too much into company . people must not condemne too sharpely such ministers as are faultie in their liues ▪ for themselues are the cause of it , being of euill liues themselues . looke what sinnes aboundes in any place , and there generally the minister is tainted with it . but such ministers as liue with a good people and yet are loose , they are not worthy to be ministers , but to be depriued . cause of his feare , he sawe the lord. how ? in a vision . doct : the man that is in his sinnes endures not cods presence . for god hates sinne , aboue all things . sin makes a man a debter to god. sin is that , that makes god angry . degrees of gods presence . to our thoughts . to our nami●g him neere in his ordināces necrest at the last day . a sinful man feares all these . he neuer , or vnwillingly thinks of god. psal . . . psal . . . he neuer speakes of god vnlesse it be to abuse his maiestie . they loue not the word nor sacraments . psal . . . they wish christ would neuer co●e to iudgement . . tim , . . reuel . . , extraordinary apparitiōs of gods maiestie , a sinfull man cannot endure . the first vse for ministers : ergo. let them not enter into . that calling in their sins . for it is into gods presence chamber . exod. . ● . nor come to doe the duty of that calling without repentance , and holy preparation . ●rgo , they are to pray before and after sermon . the vse . ergo , such men are extreamly desperate who dare come to preach & minister sacraments , in their sinner . psal . . . such mens labours are fruitlesse . and their leosenesse doth more hurt ; then their doctrine good . by gods seacret iudgement . good words are vaine , where there is no good life . math. . . the fourth vse for ministers : ergo good ministers must not fly from gods presence because of their sins , but repent : and so approach to his dutie . the second vse against the papists . ergo , the apparitions of god , and christ , which they make so ordinary , are but collusions . gala. . . mat. . . & luke . . reasons i● . apparitions of god cannot be mores dommon in the new , then they were in the old testament . . cor. . . no man in his flesh can endure gods glory . . vse , to the people : they may see gods merey to them , in teaching them by men like themselues , and not by apparitions from heauen . deut. . , . . . vse . ergo , they must prepare thē . selues before they come to the word or sacraments . . vse see the different natures of sinne , and holinesse . sin drawes a man from gods presence . holinesse inuites a man into gods presence . reue. . . luke . . iob. . , . vse . ergo , if a man would haue boldnesse with god , he must be a holy man. . generall points : his consolation , wherein are . points . . circumstances of it . . the ground of of it . circumstances are many . . circumstance , the time that is after his feare . doct. no consolation but after humiliation . vse . to al men : ergo , esteeme of afflictions , namely , as psal : . . to men distressed in conscience , that their state is not desperate as they imagine but most comfortable vse . the way to get excellent graces at cods band , is to labour to feele the wan . of them . luke . . . psal . . . . circumstance of the minister an angell , a seraphim . doct . ergo there are seueral degrees of angels , that wee knowe not . doct. . that they are gods guard . psal . . heb. . doct. . that they are the guard of gods children . doct. that they haue speciall charge and care of godly ministers . vse to gods ministers . i let them be content with their calling though it be full of crosses and contempts for it is honoured of the augels aboue others . ergo , let them haue courage , for though men be against them , angels are with them . questions . ergo , whēce is it that angels attend ministers more then other men . ans . . reasons . from god ' he will haue it so , because they worke his worke more then other callings . psal . . . . from the angels themselues . because they are fellow-labourers . cor. . . heb. . ● ▪ mal. . reue. . & . , chap. because they conuert soules , which delighteth the angels aboue any in this world . heb. . . luke . . reuel . . . & . . . question : what duties then are good ministers to performe to angels . not worship them so as the papists doe . as all men should therfore honour that calling . . so ministers should labour to be faithfull in their calling . . to adorn it with a holy life . . to be painfull in their calling . thus to do , is to honour them . and if a minister would reioyce thē , let him labour seriously , so to preach as he may winne soules . . circumstance , the maner : he flewe . that is readily , speedily , willingly . doct. . so what excellent seruants of god , angels are . the fourth petition . vse , we must so serue cod in our places . . corinth . . . doct. . what good friends they are to good men , especially to good ministers . . vse . ergo , superiors loue their inferiors , and contemne them not . and shew it by doing them good . . vse . ergo , ministers must . . corinth . . . . be faithfull . . painfull . . vse . ergo , al men serue god cheerefully : if wee be like angels , therein we shal euen be like them in glory . pro. . . circumstance : the instrument a coale of fire . a strange and wonderfull meanes . and which seemes contrarie to reason . doct. r. see god commendeth the vse of meanes . gen. . from . to . seeing himselfe alwaies vseth them . vse ergo , we are to vse the meanes appointed in all our purposes . doct . see how gods power doth shew it selfe in weaknes . vse . ergo , god can worke by his word , and sacraments , and mans ministerie , though neuer so base . doct. . the ap● teacher must haue a fiery toong . acts . that is a powerfull tongue , to reproue and burne vp sinne . ergo , such ministe●s are fauitie , who reproue not sinne . whence came this coale ? from the alter ; which fire came from heauen . leuit. . . . doct. the fire and zeale of the minister must come from gods spirit . acts. . . math. . . not from carnal affections . iames . for that is from hel , not from heauen . circumstance , the application of the remedie to his lips which were polluted . doct ergo , ministers must apply their doctrin fitly . point , the ground of his consolation : which is the forgiuenesse of his sinnes . doct . forgiuenesse & the meanes , are annexed together . vse . ergo , vse the meaues , with reuerence & despise then not . doct . here comfort is from forgiuenesse of our sins . true in dauid . . sam . and in this prophet . vse . here is the true way to comfort distressed consciences . physick and outward comforts wil not serue . psal . . . . . psal . . . . psal . the whole psalm this is done by the author in his cases of conscience . doct. . true qualification of a minister , is to be humbled , and to repent . doct. . true prophets & ministers shall haue helpe and comfort in their labours , else angells shall to comfort them . geoerall points , the renuing of his cōmission : which cositaineth points . gods question . whom shal i send . not as though god had none to sēd or knew not whom . . tim. . . but to our conceits and for our sake , to teach vs many good doctrines . doct. ● . how hard to find a good minister . ob. ther are too many ministers , for some goe vp and downe . ans . . then it is a disorder in a church . iudges . . . & . . . iudge . . . ans . . he seeke not for any . but for good ministers . job . . . . corinth . . . good ministers scarce , euen in these dayes . vse . . to ministers . they in the vniuersities frame themselues to the ministerie . . labour to be worthy ministers . for god hath vse of them , but none of vncōscionable or idle ministers . . vse . to the cleargie of rome . a shame to them , that being so many , there are so few of them fit for god to send . most of all their priests & monks are ignorant drones . the iesuites haue learning but no conscience : and are rather statesmen , then diuines . doct. . no man is to goe vntill god send him . and not to run vpon priuate motions , ob , how shall i know when god calles me ? ans . if gods church allowe thy calling . doct. . out of the repetition of holy . times . here is no sufficient proofe of the trinitie , as some thinke . for the repetition made by the angel , sheweth onely how he cannot content himselfe in praysing god. but he may be proued a pluralitie of persons . gen. . . doct. . ministers are gods seruants , they goe for god. . corinth . . . acts . . confessed euen by the diuel himselfe . acts . . . q. what place is it they holde ? r. his ambassadors . iob. . . vse . . then they must seeke to please god their maister , not themselues . vse . then let them do their seruice diligently , and expect their reward assuredly . though the world doe not , yet god will , for they are his ambassadors . . vse . let no man therefore wrong them for god will not suffer his embassadors to be abused . no king so poore that suffred it . . king. . . . . . &c. . king. . . &c. act. . . . & . . vse . ergo , they must not be seruants of men : that is , men pleasers : but his that sent them . great men must not thinke to haue gods seruant at their command . . vse . ergo , they must for the glory of god their maister , both in life and doctrin . . vse . etgo , they must deliuer gods embassage not their owne , and as they receiued it . . point : the prophets answere here am , i send me . doct. . he whose sins are forgiuen comes boldly to god : & to his dutie . vse . . here is the true way to peace of conscience , and quietnes of minde . vse . . to students . . if they would be ministers , repent and get pardon of their sinnes . . if they would be encouraged against the contempts and wrongs of the world be assured of gods fauour in the pardon of thy sinnes . doct. . we mu●t not set others to the labour of the ministerie , but our selues also . vniuersitie men must not be alwayes sending out others , but must also send out themselues . and students must not deferre too long , but hastē to the ministerie . for some too long , as some goe too soone . doct. . the prophet wil not goe till he be sent . and that not by priuate motion onely , but in expresse words . men therefore are to offer themselues , but not to goe till they be sent . the commission receiued . doct ● . no ma● is to preach without a commission . matth. . . acts . . &c. this is so , for these causes . rea. . commissioners haue no power but from the king. real . else what they doe , is without vertue or bles●ing . rea●●●●l●e their persōs haue no protection . ob. how may i know if god bid me goe ? ans . we must not expect gods voice from heauen . but hee speaketh to man two waies , generally in his word . . corinth . . . iob. . . acts. . . pro. . . . particularly god speaketh . . by the voice of his conscience for his inclination . . by the voice of ●is church for thy gifts . where these . voices call a man , there god bids him goe . vse . . against thē that run , cry they be sent . . against such as are called by both voices and yet will not goe . doct . see the authoritie of a true , mioister immediate frō god himself vse . . ergo , let no man wrong them vse . . ergo , let ministers be comforted in doing their dutie , for if god send them , he wil neuer faile them . math. . math. , the case of the present afflicted clergy in scotland truly represented to which is added for probation the attestation of many unexceptionable witnesses to every particular, and all the publick acts and proclamations of the convention and parliament relating to the clergy / by a lover of the church and his country. sage, john, - . approx. kb of xml-encoded text transcribed from -bit 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(eebo-tcp ; phase , no. a ) transcribed from: (early english books online ; image set ) images scanned from microfilm: (early english books, - ; : ) the case of the present afflicted clergy in scotland truly represented to which is added for probation the attestation of many unexceptionable witnesses to every particular, and all the publick acts and proclamations of the convention and parliament relating to the clergy / by a lover of the church and his country. sage, john, - . [ ], , , - p. printed for j. hindmarsh, london : . attributed to john sage--lc catalog of printed cards. reproduction of original in the union theological seminary library, new york. created by converting tcp files to tei p using tcp tei.xsl, tei @ oxford. re-processed by university of nebraska-lincoln and northwestern, with changes to facilitate morpho-syntactic tagging. gap elements of known extent have been transformed into placeholder characters or elements to simplify the filling in of gaps by user contributors. eebo-tcp is a partnership between the universities of michigan and oxford and the publisher proquest to create accurately transcribed and encoded texts based on the image sets published by proquest via their early english books online (eebo) database (http://eebo.chadwyck.com). the general aim of eebo-tcp is to encode one copy (usually the first edition) of every monographic english-language title published between and available in eebo. eebo-tcp aimed to produce large quantities of textual data within the usual project restraints of time and funding, and therefore chose to create diplomatic transcriptions (as opposed to critical editions) with light-touch, mainly structural encoding based on the text encoding initiative (http://www.tei-c.org). the eebo-tcp project was divided into two phases. the , texts created during phase of the project have been released into the public domain as of january . anyone can now take and use these texts for their own purposes, but we respectfully request that due credit and attribution is given to their original source. users should be aware of the process of creating the tcp texts, and therefore of any assumptions that can be made about the data. text selection was based on the new cambridge bibliography of english literature (ncbel). if an author (or for an anonymous work, the title) appears in ncbel, then their works are eligible for inclusion. selection was intended to range over a wide variety of subject areas, to reflect the true nature of the print record of the period. in general, first editions of a works in english were prioritized, although there are a number of works in other languages, notably latin and welsh, included and sometimes a second or later edition of a work was chosen if there was a compelling reason to do so. image sets were sent to external keying companies for transcription and basic encoding. quality assurance was then carried out by editorial teams in oxford and michigan. % (or pages, whichever is the greater) of each text was proofread for accuracy and those which did not meet qa standards were returned to the keyers to be redone. after proofreading, the encoding was enhanced and/or corrected and characters marked as illegible were corrected where possible up to a limit of instances per text. any remaining illegibles were encoded as <gap>s. understanding these processes should make clear that, while the overall quality of tcp data is very good, some errors will remain and some readable characters will be marked as illegible. users should bear in mind that in all likelihood such instances will never have been looked at by a tcp editor. the texts were encoded and linked to page images in accordance with level of the tei in libraries guidelines. copies of the texts have been issued variously as sgml (tcp schema; ascii text with mnemonic sdata character entities); displayable xml (tcp schema; characters represented either as utf- unicode or text strings within braces); or lossless xml (tei p , characters represented either as utf- unicode or tei g elements). keying and markup guidelines are available at the text creation partnership web site . eng episcopal church in scotland -- clergy. clergy -- scotland. scotland -- church history -- sources. - tcp assigned for keying and markup - aptara keyed and coded from proquest page images - olivia bottum sampled and proofread - olivia bottum text and markup reviewed and edited - pfs batch review (qc) and xml conversion the case of the present afflicted clergy in scotland truly represented . to which is added for probation , the attestation of many unexceptionable witnesses to every particular ; and all the publick acts and proclamations of the convention and parliament relating to the clergy . by a lover of the church and his country . father , forgive them ; for they know not what they do . luke . ye know not what manner of spirit ye are of , luke . . rejoyce not against me , o mine enemy : when i fall , i shall arise ; when i sit in darkness , the lord shall be a light unto me , micah . . london , printed for i. hindmarsh at the golden ball over against the royal exchange in cornhill , . the preface . christian reader , the following narrative was writ in a letter several months ago from scotland , by a person of great moderation and integrity , well acquainted with the humour and constitution of scotland ; it has been read and approved by persons of the best quality both in the church and state i● england , and is now at their desire published , because it represents shortly and impartially , the various methods under which the church of scotland suffered since the late revolution ; that thereby all good christians , especially the most charitable church of england , may see the sad effects of rampant presbytery , pity their brethren that have so severely smarted under it , consider the fatal consequences of papal supremacy in a protestant ●irk , and speedily bethink themselves how to quench those flames in their neighbours house , which so visibly threaten destruction to their own . foelix quem faciunt aliena pericula cautum . some say , and i hope it 's true , that there are many moderate presbyterians to be found abroad in the world , altho with us they have been all ever bent to persecute when they had power , and think they do god good service when they murther bishops , and quite raze out their adherents in church and state , as is too visible by the late and present proceedings of that party amongst us . dr. burnet now bishop of salisbury , in a sermon at the election of my lord mayor of london on the th of september , observes very well . some plead now ( says he ) for moderation , tho they have forgot it shamefully where they have power , as the congregations now in new-england , impose under the pains of banishment and death in case of return , not only the religion of the state , but many speculative points in opinion , and other things that are certainly indifferent . the presbytery in scotland imposed the covenant under the pains of excommunication ; upon which followed a forfeiture of the personal estate , and a sequestration of the real ; he might have added , and sometimes death or banishment to the person , but he goes on , and this covenant all persons , men and women , ( he might have said , children too ) were forced to swear , tho few could understand it ; and one particular was not far from an inquisition , that every one should discover all malignants and enemies to their cause , in order to bring them to condign punishment , by which every man was sworn to be a spy and an informer . the following book shews in part what gospel like methods that party now use to have the same principles and practices again revived in the world , and from it i wish these moderate presbyterians which they say are abroad , to beware of that poison that has made the brains of their scots brethren so giddy , that their zeal against episcopacy may not run them quite out of their christianity , as it 's too palpable with us it hath done to many . any moderate man will certainly think the difference between our scots episcopacy and presbytery not worth the heat or danger of a dispute , for first as to the doctrine , both parties are agreed , the confession of faith made by mr. knox and ratified in parliament by king james vi. and revived again in the test act by king charles ii. this , together with the westminster confession , ( both agreed on by the general assembly of presbyters ) are owned next to the word of god by both parties , as the standard of the doctrine of our church . secondly , as to the worship , it 's exactly the same both in the church and conventicle ; in the church there are no ceremonies at all injoyned or practised , only some persons more reverent , think fit to be uncovered , which our presbyterians do but by halves even in the time of prayer ; we have no liturgy nor form of prayer , no not in the cathedrals , the only difference in this point is , our clergy are not so over-bold nor fulsome in their extemporary expressions as the others are , nor use so many vain repetitions , and we generally conclude one of our prayers with that which our saviour taught and commanded , which the other party decry as superstitious and formal ; amen too gives great offence , tho neither the clerk nor people use it , only the minister sometimes shuts up his prayer with it . the sacraments are administered after the same way and manner by both ; neither so much as kneeling at the prayers , or when they receive the elements of the lords supper , but all sitting together at a long table in the body of the church or chancel . in baptism neither party use the cross , nor are any godfathers or godmothers required , the father only promising for his child : the only difference in this sacrament is , the presbyterians make the father swear to breed up his child in the faith and belief of the covenant or solemn league , whereas the orthodox cause the father repeat the apostles creed , and promise to breed up the child in that faith which himself then professes . thirdly , as to the discipline it 's exactly in our episcopal church ( if it may be so called ) according to the model of the presbyterian mother kirk at geneva , for conformable to the consistory direction , ( not rubrick , for that 's a superstitious word ) we have in every parish a little court which we call the kirk-session , composed of the minister or ministers , if there be two belonging to that church ; and some lay men which we call elders and deacons too forsooth ; the business of this court , is to enquire into and punish scandals , and to collect and distribute the money which good people are pleased daily to offer at the church-doors for the poor : this court or session is lyable to the inspection and iurisdiction of the presbytery , who may visit the sessions , inspect their records , and receive appeals from them upon occasion . by presbytery we mean again a court of presbyters inferior to the synod , for every synod or meeting of the whole diocies belonging to a bishop , is divided into several classes or presbyteries , in each presbytery there is about eighteen or twenty in some twenty four ministers , who with the consent of the bishop , chose their own moderator or president , they meet ordinarily once every month , or oftener if they think their affairs require , for they have power to adjourn and meet at their own discretion : as the sessions are subject to the presbyteries , so are the presbyteries to the synod ; which meets always at set times twice every year , there the bishop himself pre●ides , or in case of his necessary absence , one commissionated by him , and all things are carried by the pl●rality of votes , and the acts made that way , are the only canons or rules we use for discipline : as the presbyteries are subject to the synod , so the whole synods of the nation are to the general assembly , where by law the archbishop of st. andrews is always to pre●ide ; and if i be not mistaken , has a negative voice , tho he was never known to use it . now i leave the impartial world to judge , whether presbyterians that had any moderation , would not be well contented , and live quietly under such a moderate episcopacy , where indeed except the power of ordination ( which is always to be performed with the consent and assistance if the brethren of the presbytery ) and the title of lord , which the king is pleased to confer upon them , the bishops are truly but constant moderators , which the presbyterians themselves , because of the great divisions , which often happened among them at the electing of moderators , were at length necessitated to sit down with . now then let any moderate presbyterian abroad say , whether indeed it be matter of conscience or humour , that makes presbyterians with us , separate from a church so constitute , or whether the difference between our church and their kirk be such as can justisie men in raising so many publick rebellions , and drawing so much misery and confusion upon the nation and themselves , as our zealots have often done ; and whether their own consciences can plead not guilty at the last great tribunal , where they must answer for all those murthers and butcheries , all the cries and tears of widows and orphans and ruined families which will then testifie against them ? or what can they answer now to the world , for the many late barbarities they have committed against their protestant brethren , themselves knowing not for what ; and therefore being ashamed of their practices , they are fain to conceal and deny them abroad : but to prevent their endeavours that way , and that they may appear to the world in their true colours , i have here , for the proof of this modest and impartial narrative , inserted some few particulars of the sufferings of our present episc●pal clergy , attested by their own hands , and by the hands of gentlemen of great integrity , who were eye-witnesses to the proceedings , many other of this parties more cruel practices against the clergy , might and may hereafter be published , and attested by the hands of the most significant gentry in the several parishes where the ministers were persecuted , only here these are singled out now , because all these papers , as they are attested and here published , were shewed in the original authentick copies to most of our governours , both in scotland and england ; and the greatest part of them sent by a particular commissioner to king william then prince of orange in the beginning of our troubles . the publick acts and proclamations are also added , that men may not be deceived by thinking , as some would represent it , that the persecution proceeded only from the rabble , and that in a iumble of the times , when the government was not in a condition to protect the leiges ; and by the fourth collection of papers i think it 's plain , that the most fatal blows were all given by the scots presbyterians who were and are at the helm , and that without countenance from these , the rabble durst never have attempted what they did against all the laws of the kingdom , religion and humanity ; which plainly shews that presbyterians , howsoever dignified or distinguished are all of a piece . considering all this , one would be apt to think that the present episcopal clergy in scotland needed as much the assistance of the prayers and charitable collections of the church of england , as either these protestants in piedmont , france or ireland , especially since there seems to be something harder in our case than in any of theirs ; for in those foreign parts , if a man complies with the commands of his superiors , ( which i confess would be sometimes most irreligious in him to do ) then he would have the same protection and benefit that other subjects of his quality are allowed to enjoy : but with us it 's far otherwise , for as it plainly appears by the third collection of well attested papers , let men comply never so much with the commands of their governors , yet they are in the same sad case with those that do not in the least comply ; for nothing less than the utter and universal ruine of episcopacy being according to the covenant designed ; the superstructure as well as foundations must be destroyed , and the presbyters as well as the prelates quit rooted out , like philistines from the holy land ; and is this nothing to you , o all you that pass by ? give peace in our time , o lord , because we have none other that fighteth for us but only thou , o god. advertisement to the reader . because the publick papers in the fourth collection have not been printed in their due order , therefore the reader is desired to take notice , that upon the margin of the second page of the case of the present aff●icted cl●rgy , &c. instead of vide first paper being a declaration from the prince , read vide declaration by his highness the prince , &c. in the fourth collection of papers , and on the margin of that second page , for vide second paper being a proclamation , read vide a proclamation from the convention in the fourth collection : and at the foot of page six on the margin , for vide first proclamation , read vid● declaration by his highness the prince , &c. in the fourth collection . some other errors have escaped the pres● , because of the authors great dis●ance from it , he living in scotland ; but those being not very ma●●rial , it 's hoped the reader will be pleased to excuse and correct them himself . the case of the present afflicted episcopal clergy in scotland . sir , as nothing but a charity agreeable to its divine original , could move you , to be so solicitous to know the present afflicted state of the episcopal clergy in scotland ; so nothing but your . command could have obliged me to this short , and plain account of it . upon what ground the present parliament of scotland have thought ●it to abolish episcopacy out of that national church , i will not at present strictly enquire into : only i may be allowed to say , without offence , that since this parliament has not judged convenient to abolish it , as a government either antichristian , or contrary to reason , or scripture , or antiquity , or the universal opinion of protestant churches abroad , or learned men in all ages ; but only as contrary to the inclination of the people , and ( as such ) a grievance . it may be considently hop'd , that when presbytery , or the usurped authority of presbyters without bishops , shall become a grievance to the people , ( for what has been so heretofore , may be hereafter ) and so contrary to their inclination , that then , and in that case , episcopacy may for the same reason by authority of another parliament be restored again . this is no new thing , for before this revolution , episcopacy in scotland has been abolished twice by act of parliament , but so was also presbytery ; it 's now abolished the third time , and so presbytery may be . but with this difference , that presbytery was never setled by law in scotland , but when either our kings were involv'd in intestine broils , or when the civil government was under some great convulsion occasion'd most ordinarily by the practises of that party , which put them under a kind of necessity , ( not choice ) to allow it . but no sooner did either our kings , or the government reassume their just freedom , and vigour , but as soon was episcopacy both restored and established by law. so that episcopacy having been always setled in our church in time of peace , or at the restoration of it , may it please god to restore peace to the state , that order in the church may be it's happy effect . and may we make better use of these two blessings , then we have done hitherto . but as for the inferiour clergy of presbyters , who were received into the protection of this government , first by a declaration from the prince of orange in ianuary / . and in april thereafter by a proclamation of the convention of estates . by which proclamation and declaration all persons whatsoever were strictly forbid upon the highest pains to molest , disturb , or by any manner of way interrupt or hinder the clergy in the exercise of their ministry , and peaceable possession of their livings , they demeaning themselves as it became peaceable and good men . as for them , i say , to be turned out of their churches in so great numbers , may justly make strangers think these men guilty of hainous villanies and crimes , which have provoked the government against them , and obliged it to turn them out of their livings , and forbid them all exercise of their ministry , to declare their churches vacant , and to order themselves and families to remove from their dwelling-houses in the middle of winter . to set then this matter in its true light , it will be necessary to look a little back upon some things which happened before the proceedings of the privy council against the episcopal clergy . be pleased therefore to know , that there have been ministers turned out and deprived since the beginning of this revolution , by , and under a threefold authority . the first turning out was by the authority , or rather violence of the rabble in the western and southshires only . the second was by a committee of the convention of estates during the interval betwixt the convention and turning it into a parliament . the third was by the privy-council since the first adjournment of parliament . as for the first t●rning out by the rabble , it being executed in a time when the government of the nation was in a manner quite dissolved , there is less wonder , that disorders of that kind fell out , then it is accountable why they should not be redress'd now , upon this governments assuming its authority , and having power to make it self obeyed . but before i give you the true matter of fact of this highly presumptuous , and unparalell'd attempt of the rabble upon ministers , it will be first convenient to set before you the then state of those western shires in matters of religion ; what was their behaviour towards the clergy established by law , as also how they stood affected to the presbyterian ministers then tolerated by king iames to hold meeting-houses . and first , tho' it must be confessed that the western shires of scotland have been , and are , the most disaffected party of the kingdo ● to episcopal government , and have suffered much for the rebellions which their prejudices against it occasion'd ; yet it 's as true , that before the last indulgence granted by k. iames an. . they were universally in a good understanding with their ministers , tho' not in that degree as the relation betwixt minister , and people doth require it , being more in shew then affection . for tho' they came generally to church , and owned that they had overcome their scruple of conscience of not having freedom to hear them preach , yet they still separated themselves from partaking of the holy communion when offered : making it a greater matter of conscience to receive that sacram●nt from their hands , then the other of baptism for their children . it is also to be presum'd , tho' not much to their credit , that there was more of constraint , for fear of penal laws , then a willing mind in this little conformity they yielded in coming to church , all which soon appeared . for in the next place , upon k. iames his declaration of ●●dulgence , or tolleration to dissenters , the people in those western shires run immediately into it , accepted of it , and 〈◊〉 agreat zeal to build meeting-houses , to call presbyte●ian preachers to these meeting-houses , and to contribute for their maintenance . with this state of affairs they seem'd so well satisfy'd , that they made addresses of thanks to king iames , in terms , which were no less acceptable to the then court , than scandalons to all judicious protestants in both kingdoms . * but these addresses having been printed and published in gazetts , i shall take no more notice of them . they were often told by wise men , that they were running a course in accepting of that tolleration , most destructive to the interest of the protestant religion , and that it would be much safer for them to continue in their parochiall churches as by law established , since every thing that weakened that fence , tended to the letting in of the popish party , which in time might destroy us both ; that tolleration being granted in both kingdoms in order to bring in popery , and by the means and favour of papists at court obtain'd and managed . tho' many , yea most of the inferiour people of these western shires at the first went into this snare , yet the persons of greatest quality and interest among them , did not so soon comply : and for the other shires in scotland , in some there were not above two meeting-houses in the whole shire , in others none at all , which , by the by , is a kind of demonstration , how little fond the generality of the nation was then of that way , and how the inclination of the people was then set , now so much talked of . but next , to show you how the presbyterians stood affected to one another , and among themselves , be pleased to know : that there was a presbyterian party then in the west , of the meaner sort of the people indeed , truly acting more consequentially to the presbyterian principle and practice in former times , who ( for all that was done ) would not accept of this tolleration given by king iames ; but did openly by their sermons and pens declare their dislike of it , and said much more bitter things against their indulged presbyterian brethren , who had accepted this toll●ration , than against the clergy established by law. where-ever these preachers came , they carryed gre●● numbers of the people after them , and would preach neither in church nor meeting-house , but in the open fields , for which they were called field-preachers . this boldness the then government found it self obliged to take notice of , and they fell upon a method to suppress it , which in all appearance had done it effectually , if the scene of publick affairs had not been changed by this revolution . it was , by giving commissions to such gentlemen in each shire , as were reputed leading men of that persuasion , or at least much favouring that way , to hold circuit-courts within their own districts , and upon seizing any of these hill-men , or field-conventi●lers , to punish them as the law ordained . this was a stratagem of the then statesmen , to cleave that party with a wedge ( as we say ) of their own wood. but that nothing was effectually done is to be attributed to this great change of our affairs . now to return to the account of the ministers being turn'd out by the rabble . upon the certain news of the prince of orange's landing in england , king iames called all his standing forces in scotland to his standard in england . this did directly break our government , it le●t the nation without defence , and gave all discontented people a favourable opportunity to execute their resentment , as their passions and interests moved them , and none having greater and more violent then these hill-men , or field-presbyterians , they prosecuted them with equall fury and disorder . the first commotion that appeared was amongst these hill-men , or cameronians , ( so called from one of their leaders , and a preacher , cameron ) they assembled themselves in the night time , and sometimes in the day , in small bodies armed . and in a hostile way went through the countries , forced their entry into private mens houses , against whom they had any private quarrell , but most ordinarily into ministers houses , where they with tongue and hands , committed all outrages imaginable against the ministers , their wives , and children ; where having eat and drunk plentifully , at parting they used to carry the minister out of his house to the church-yard , or some publick place of the town , or village , and there expose him to the people as a condemned malefactor , gave him strict charge never to preach any more in that place , but to remove himself and his family out of it immediately ; and for the conclusion of all this tragedy , they caus'd his gown to be torn over his head in a hundred pieces , of some they spared not their very cloaths to their shirt . when they had done with the minister , they call'd for the keys of the church , lock'd the doors and carryed the keys with them ; and last of all they threw the ministers furniture out of his house in many places , as the last act of this barbarous scene . this was the most general method when the minister was found at home , but in case he was absent , they entred his house , made intimation of their will and pleasure to his wife and servants , bidding them tell him , to remove from that place : if they found not a ready obedience , they would return and make him an example to others . this course went on in the months of december , ianuary , and february , / , by which were turn'd outword of their livings all the ministers of the shires of aire , ren●rew , clidsdale , nidsdale , and most of annandale and galloway , to the number of about two hundred . the news of these great disorders coming to the ears of the prince of orange , who by this time had accepted the exercise of the government of scotland , untill the sitting down of the estates of that kingdom , which met on the th of march , / . as also his highness was humbly apply'd to by the oppress'd and miserable clergy of these shires ; by one of their number commissioned and sent up with a full information of their case , and therewith a petition to his highness for his help and protection in this their sad distress . in the mean time the regular gentry not willing to be alltogether run down by this furious rabble , began to bestir themselves for their own and the clergies defence , particularly the members of the colledge of justice at edenburgh ( to their eternall glory ) took up arms and form'd themselves in such a body as soon daunted the phanatick rabble ●t edenburgh . this occasioned the publication of a proclamation commanding all persons to lay down their arms in that kingdom , and therewith their animosities , and cruell resentments , ordaining also that all ministers thus violently ejected should return to their respective charges , and so continue without molestation , untill the setling of the government by the convention of estates , and in a word , that all things of that nature should be restored , as they were in the month of october preceeding . upon this proclamation the gentlemen of the colledge of justice ( not knowing what it is to oppose the least shaddow of authority ) laid down their arms , and all the good people in the kingdom ( especially the ministers ) look'd for nothing but a dutyfull complyance with so just and seasonable a command : but to the astonishment of all men , this did not allay our troubles , but by accident did encrease them , which fell out after this manner following . when the magistrates of gl●sgow had ordered one of their ministers to preach before them upon the sunday immediately following the publication of the prince of orange's proclamation , the rabble of that city got first into tumultuary assemblies on the streets , and then to arms , surrounded the church , when the minister was in the pulpit , fired in upon the best and most respected inhabitants of the place , and at length violently broke open the church-doors , which they within had shut upon themselves upon their approach , and when they had forc'd their entry into the cathedrall church , they beat many , wounded some , and dispersed the whole congregation without making distinction of age , sex , or quality . an account of this so high contempt of authority , and against laws , both divine , and humane , was sent up to the prince of orange , by the magistrates of glasgow , with their information of the affairs , attested by their subscriptions : but no remedy could be possibly apply'd at that time , for the dyet of the meeting of estates , drawing so near , upon which meeting the prince's exercise of the government ended , & nothing being able to repress these disorders committed by an armed force in contempt of that authority , except a greater for●e , and the shortness of the time , as was pretended , not allowing that to be sent down , all was referred to the meeting of the estates , who being met , instead of calling these hill-men to an account for the disorders committed by them upon ministers , these very men coming arm'd to edenburgh , were admitted as guards to that meeting , and had the thanks of the house given them for their good service , and are still a part of the standing forces of that kingdom . upon all this , the afflicted ministers saw clearly there was nothing left for them , but to suffer patiently the good will of god , which they have done , without the least publick complaint , waiting with all christian submission for a reparation of their wrongs from the justice of god , and till those in power shall be graciously pleased to commiserate their condition , since they and their poor families are in very hard and pinching circumstances , having been turn'd out of their livings , and properties in the midest of a hard winter , and suffer'd not only the spoiling of their goods , but some the loss of their children , and many marks and bruises in their own bodies ; and now are in a state of desolation , not knowing where to lay their heads , or to have bread for themselves or their families . this their case ought the rather to be commiserated ; there being no authority upon earth , that can be so much as pretended , by which they suffer , except that of the rabble . they were never since that time either cited , accus'd , or condemn'd before any judicature for any fault or crime , so that in common justice they have still a right in their persons to those livings of which they had quiet and legal possession , before these troubles , and if the wisdom of the nation in t●e next session of parliament shall judge it either ●it or convenient to remove them from these their livings , that law determining this affair , if any such shall be made , can only take place from the date of it , it cannot look back , and make men guilty before it was enacted , so that still it must remain without controversy , that whatever may be determin'd to be done with the ministers for the time to come , they have still a just and unquestionable title to their livings , until a sentence pass against them which is not yet done . this being their case , it 's not to be imagin'd that there will be found any man of reason , or ordinary quality , who will so much as open his mouth , in favour of these violent , and illegal extrusions in the next session of parliament , for it 's well known to all , how at the time , when this tragedy was acted , none of these presbyterians , who are now in power , did either avowedly own , or openly countenance these proceedings , but did publickly condemn them , so that what was morally evill in its originall , time cannot make good , nor will good men either desend or countenance . whatever may be said for some inconveniences which might have happened in that country , so fermented with passion and prejudice , if these ministers had been ordered to return to their charges there by the present government , yet it 's certain when men are innocent , they ought not to suffer , and therefore as was just now intimated untill the wisdom of the nation shall determine this matter , they ought to be look'd upon as legall possessors , tho' violently extruded . but that which no doubt will seem very extraordinary to any unbyassed thinking man , is , that these presbyterian preachers , who so heartily thanked kind iames for the liberty of their meeting-houses , with extraordinary and fulsom strains of flattery , thereby approving the dispensing power without reserve , ( which was the stile of our scots tolleration ) and did disown these cruell proceedings against the episcopall clergy , yet they would never consent to preach against such disorders , tho' often desir'd so to do , by wise and discreet men ; yea , which is more , these same ( as they called themselves moderate ) pres●yterian preachers , in a little time after , very confidently took possession of the churches of the orthodox ministers thus thrust out of their dwelling houses , and glebes , without the least title , or right to them , except what flow'd from the consent of some phanatick people who own'd them , and their meeting-houses , which was a notorious encroathment , not only upon the property of the legal incumbents , but also upon the right of patrons , not as yet taken away by law. for when the rest of the episcopal cleargy who were in quiet possession of their churches , and in good understanding with their people , were allarm'd , with the hard usage of so many of their brethren thrust out in the midst of a severe winter by this yet greater and more violent storm in the west , with their wives and children , to seek shelter from these their brethren . this gave such a damp , and rais'd such a just apprehension in their spirits , what might be the sad and tragical event of unparallell'd proceedings ; that it 's no wonder many of them were provok'd to think that the great design of some within the kingdom , who appeared so zealous for this revolution , was more to destroy the clergy and the whole epis●opal order , then to settle the kingdom upon its just and antient basis , or to preserve our religion , liberties , and properties as by law then established . this apprehension grew yet more strong when they saw that the convention of estates , did not take the ejected ministers of the west into their protection , by their proclamation , which was extended only to those who were in the actual exercise of their ministry ; by which it was plain enough , that all those ministers , who had been violently turn'd out by the rabble in the western-shires were still to be kept out , and the advantage the privy-council has taken from that proclamation , of late , to stop the course of justice , from giving them access to their tithes and stipends due to them , is a sufficient indication , how some incline to treat them , if the ensuing session of parliament be not more savourable . this was the prospect of affairs , and the temper mens minds were in towards the clergy , when the convention of estates , having for faulted k. iames , declared k. william and q. mary , king and queen of scotland . this great bus'ness being over they next emitted a proclamation bearing . that whereas k. iames had for 〈◊〉 his right to govern that kingdom , they therefore forbid any publick prayers to be made for him , and ordai●●● that in all time coming , the ministors should pray for k. william , and q. mary , as king and queen of scotland , ordaining also that this proclamation be read , upon the next sunday after publication by all the ministers of edinburgh , and in all other parts of the kingdom on such certain sundays , as are therein appointed , with certification , that who-ever should not read the said proclamation and pray for the king and queen as therein design'd , should be deprived of their churches and benefices . upon the not obeying of this proclamation it is , that all the ministers of late , have suffered , and do suffer at this day , and therefore that falls next under consideration . and first of all , it 's here more especially to be remarked , that this proclamation being published in common form at eleven a clock in the forenoon on a saturday , did not appear in print till about seaven that night . so that the ministers of edinburgh who were required to read it to their people after sermon next morning , had no notice , nor copies of it given them , untill about ten at night upon saturday , or eight in the morning on sunday ; which in a matter of so vast moment , as to translate allegiance formerly sworn to one king , and in so short a time , to resolve to preach it due to another , without so much as knowing the reasons and grounds upon which the convention had proceeded to for fault king iames , was to require a peice of blind obedience , which with so much reason , we abhor in papists , neither had ki●g william and queen mary then accepted of the crown . so that what the convention required could not be supposed , so soon and easily done , by men who either make conscience in taking such an oath , or resolve to keep it . here to this purpose , i cannot but give you an excellent passage , which i sind in a paper bearing for title , a vindication of the procedings of the convention of the estates in scotland . they are the very first words in that paper . the dethroning of a king ( saith that author ) and the setling the crown upon the head of a new soveraign , is certainly a matter of so great weight , of such vast importance and concern , that it requires the most serious and deliberate , the most calm and imprejudic'd minds to determine it ; a hasty and undigested resolution , if in any case dangerous , would unquestionably in this prove fatall and remediless : thus he very judiciously : now if this be reasonable , as surely it is , then the requiring so hasty and precipitate obedience from ministers in this point , cannot but appear very hard , and therefore if this author had been consequentiall to his own rule , he had certainly said something in favour of the scots clergy , upon whose skirts he has lately sit so hard . there is another consideration in this case which ought very much to alleviate , if not excuse the supposed guilt of ministers in the country , who did not read the proclamation ; and that is , it was not delivered to most of them in due time . not the first , for the sheriff-clerks who ( i remember well ) were order'd to send them to the respective ministers in their severall districks , did not for the most part deliver these proclamations till the day appointed for reading them , was past . how universall this neglect of those officers was , i will not positively assert ; but sure i am , most of the ministers turn'd out by the privy-council had this legal defence for themselves , that they receiv'd it not in due time to read it ; and that it was not in the second place deliver'd in due form is also clear , for whereas in all times preceeding , such publick papers which were to be read after divine service , were allways transmitted to the inferior clergy by their respective ordinaries , and the order of bishops not being then abollished , but still a third estate of parliament , they were not obliged in law to take notice of a publick paper which came not to their hands in the accustomed legal manner . moreover it is well known how in england the strongest heads and pens have been employed of late to clear this point of allegiance as now required . and how many severall topiques have been made use of to prove the subjects discharged from their first allegiance , and yet how many in england eminent both for character and conscience are still doubtfull of the point , which sufficiently shows , that the matter deserv'd and requir'd a considerable space of time for deliberation . which not being given in scotland , to the clergy there , any one may easily judge what anxieties , doubtings , and uncertainties such a weighty affair would create in the spirits of honest and well-meaning men . surely tho' this has not , it se●ms excus'd , in rigour of justice , it will surely much alleviat● thei● supposed crime , in the judgement of all ingenious and good men , who make the measures of their dealings with others , such as they would that other men in like cases should take with them . but to make the matter yet more favourable of their side , there are some , who tho' they did not read the proclamation , yet have prayed for k. will and q. mary conform thereunto , whereby they answer'd the ends of it to all intents : yet these have been condemn'd to the same ●ate , with those who out of conscience refused to do either . which proceedure is not a mark of any tenderness or charity to reclaim men , who are supposed to be wrong , but looks rather like a design to ruine them in spite of their complyance . but now we come to give account , how the proclamation , and the certification therein was executed by the government against the delinquents . no sooner were the commissions sent up by the convention of estates to make offer of the crown of scotland to k. william and q. mary , but they adjourned themselves . having first appointed a committee of their number to sit at edenburgh till their return , and they having received information from the presbyterian party , in and about edenburgh , that some ministers had not read the proclamation upon the day assign'd , and had not pray'd for k. will. and q. mary , which was no great wonder , considering what 's said before , what scruples so great a point , as translating a●●egiance was apt to create , and that they had so little time to be clear●d of them , yet an order was issued forth , to cite them to appear before the said committee , who being cited , did appear , and tho' they pleaded scruple of conscience and want of time , yet were by formall sentence of the said committee depriv'd of their livlngs , and their churches declar'd vacant immediately without any regard had to their just defence . as this fell out upon these who liv'd in edenburgh or places next adjacent , so some of them were depriv'd before king william and queen mary had accepted of the crown , or taken the coronation-oath , which the claim of right required as indispensibly necessary in order to their being own'd as sovereigns : this one of the recusant ministers * urg'd at the bar in defence of himself and brethren , but to no purpose . this course continued untill the convention was turn'd into a parliament , which makes up the second period of depriving ministers propos'd in this discourse , viz. those that were turn'd o●t by the authority of the convention of estates . the third , and last period , is , of those who have been turn'd out by the aut●●rity of the privy-council since the first adjournment of parliament . a stop having been put to any further prosecution of the ministers by the committee of estates , and as they with joy were willing to believe , by king william's order and command , this whole matter of depriving was laid aside , and men began to think themselves happy , or lucky , who had escap'd the first tryall , hoping there was to be no further enquiry made after such a disobedience which had so many circumstances to alleviate the guilt , if not quite extinguish the memory of it , they hop'd at least that the favourable things in their case , would have been proper grounds for a new king to forgive what had pass'd before his entrance upon the government ; and the lenity and tenderness shew'd to persons obnoxious enough in other trusts under him about the same time , inclin'd the episcopall clergy to expect the like , when their case should come to be dnely and impartially represented ; for seeing his mercy extended to out-laws and criminalls of the grossest sieze , they who are gods ambassadors doubted not to pertake of it , their escapes , if such they may be called , being only in points very dubious and material . and for a good time they seem'd not to be mistaken of their hope , for during th● whole session of parliament , no mention was made of any further proceedings against them . yea , one thing gave no small encouragement : that when the act of parliament pass'd for obliging all persons in civill and military capacities to take the oath of allegiance , the clergy were not comprehended in that act , and tho' it were once mov'd in the house , that the oath should be put to them as well as to others , yet did not obtain ; this made many believe that peace and settlement were really in their prospect , and that all designs of ripping up the old quarrell for not reading the proclamation , were quite laid aside , and more tender measures to be us'd , which are certainly the most effectuall in such cases . but there are some who thought , the true reason why at that time the clergy was not ordain'd to take the oath of allegiance , was more out of respect to the presbyterian preachers , than the episcopall ministers : for those of their own party in the parliament , who best knew their inclination that way , had reason to fear , they might scruple at the same oath , not upon the grounds which others went upon , but because their modell of church-government was not setled by law , they would not come under allegiance to this king till first he had done their business . and it 's presumable enough , by what many of them have since dropt in their s●rmons and other discourses ; if this oath had been put to them as to others in secular trusts , they had discover'd more of partiality to their interests , then of loyalty to k. william : for it may by the covenant will be by some requir'd to be renu'd , before they think their allegiance either due , or right placed . but no sooner was the parliament adjourn'd and severall of the chief nobility gone to the country , then a proclamation was emitted , ( surprizing enough because not expected ) by the privy-council , which did in express terms , to use the words of it , invite and allow parisbioners and other hearers , to inform against ministers who had not read the proclamation of the estates , and prayed for king william and queen mary , for the one could not serve without the other . this general invitation coming from such an authority to a hot sort of people , had a very ready obedience pay'd to it ; for one or two of the meanest of a parish , and sometimes the agents of the faction in several places , borrowed mens names without their knowledge , to fill up their citations , and either of these were thought sufficient to accuse their minister , upon which , summons were issued out to cite them to appear at edenborough within or days , before the privy-council . whereupon has followed the depriving of such as came before them , and had not read the proclamation . and this has outed almost all the parochial clergy in the shires of marsh , tiviotdale , the three lothians , fife , striveling-shire , perth-shire , and some in aberdeen-shire , murray , and rose , amounting ( as i am credibly informed ) to the number of above two hundred , which was all they could possibly dispatch in so short a time . their whole process went upon two points . the first was , whether they had read to their people on the day appointed the proclamation emitted by the convention of estates ? the second whether they had pray'd or did pray for king william and queen mary ? as to the first , their defences were , that they never received it , or that it came not to their hands till the day appointed to read it was pass'd : or lastly , that it was not legally delivered to them as the order for publick prayers used to be , viz. by orders from their ordinaries . but none of these defences were sustained in their case . as for the second point of inditement , viz. whether they prayed for k. william and q. mary , all cited were not guilty , for there are several instances of ministers who had pray'd and promised to pray for k. will●am and q. mary , who yet were turn'd out of their livings , and continue depriv'd to this day . 't is not deny'd that there are very many who cannot come this length , being still under the power of their former scruples in the matter of allegiance . as for these , tho' they are persons of peaceable principles , and practices , and are ready to submit to the will of god , and the command of superiors , yet all that 's pleaded for them is only favour and indulgence : and if a delay for some longer time to consider maturely upon these matters could be allow'd , it would be very acceptable , & very becoming these to grant , who have so loudly exclaim'd against persecution for conscience sake , and cry●d up so much moderation , and thanked king iames for tolleration . but what may they expect , when others who were willing to obey and did acknowledge the present government in all that is requir'd , were yet turn'd out of their places and properties by the rabble , to whom no redress is made , tho' humbly supplicated by those sufferers . in france it self , if a man renounce his religion , he saves his life and fortune , ( tho' that be indeed a base bargain ) yet the mercy of this severity is all that 's desired here . oh! when will these things be seriously considered and effectually redressed by the government ? and when shall such a temper be happily fal'n upon , as may quiet the minds and secure the persons of all good , pious , and peaceable protestants ? i thought to have ended here , and given you no further trouble upon this melancholy subject , but that i hear of a plausible pretext given out to you in england , for this sharp handling of the scots clergy , which is , that there is no advantage taken of any minister who is willing for the time to come to pray for king william and queen mary , if he be otherwise of approved integrity in life and doctrine : but that the strictness us'd is only against scandalous persons , and so by this means they are more easily turn'd out of the church than they should be by a legal tryal upon such an accusation and since this preten●e is made use of in england to their disadvantage , where the truth of this matter is not yet so well known , i must needs say something to it . and first , it 's not ordinary for men of vicious lives , or loose principles in the church , ( as they pretend the depriv'd clergy to be ) to make great scruple in disputable matters , especially when the penalty is the loss of their estates , they being generally too forward to comply with what 's uppermost , and prosperous . but secondly , i dare confidently averr that after enquiry made , it will appear , that there are many of as great integrity , piety , and learning as are in the church involv'd , without distinction , in that common fate . and i dare appeal to the whole nation to make good against them such scandalls , as their enemies have thought fit to blacken them with , in places where they are not known . the original of all this clamour about the immorralities of the clergy , at first arose from the too hasty planting of churches in the west , upon the restoration of the government in anno . by which many young , men were preferr'd , for whom the prejudiced people could not be brought to have that veneration and respect , that they had had for their old preachers which were deprived for nonconformity . this prejudice , together with the imprudent conduct of some of these young men begot a contempt of them , which was carryed by far much too high , for universally these ministers were complain'd of , as the occasion of the western peoples withdrawing from their churches . but upon bishops leightons coming to the see of glasgow , and bringing with him to those parts some very good men and choice preachers , against whom the people could have no objection , an experiment was made to remove , if possible , that exception , yet he found this also ineffectuall : the aversion being more rooted in the interest of a party , then in the supposed immoralities of the clergy . and therefore by his singular example of piety and devotion , of humility and acts of charity , by his frequent visiting and preaching in country churches , thereby taking occasion to converse more intimately and conveniently with the ministers , he sow'd a blessed seed in their hearts , gave them juster notions of the duties of the pastoral charge , and thereby through the blessing of god became a burning and shineing light in those parts , the impression whereof remains upon the consciences of many to this day . but passing this , it had been a far more fair and equitable way , and as much to the honour of the government , as the disgrace of the guilty to have invited people to accuse their ministers upon the head of scandall , and after evidence thereof , ( if they had found any ) to have proceeded and deprived , rather than promiscuously to have condemn'd the righteous with the wicked . it is true their libells were generally stuft'd with a great many scandalous and vitious practices alledged against them , ( a malicious design to expose them to the present age , and to blacken them upon record to the future ) but it is as true that when the ministers came to the bar , the scandalous and immoral part of the libell was wholly omitted by their judges , altho' the ministers themselves craved for their vindication in those points to be particularly tryed upon them , but the sentence passed against them upon the two heads before mentioned , and yet in the accounts they sent to court , the immoralities of the ministers lives , which were only pretended in the summons , but never spoke of in the tryal , were represented as the great grounds of their deprivation ; but it were far more easy to give the true reasons , for truth tells best , and its this . the presbyterian preachers in scotland of the old standing who only can pretend to be own'd in any church-meeting , ( if the government should think fit to call one ) are but very few in comparison of the episcopal clergy now in place . it was highly debated amongst them , what should be their behaviour if the parliament restored them to their churches , from which they were put out in the year . they could not think it adviseable to meet in presbyteries by themselves , since in some presbyteries , they would make but two in number , and in some but one , in others none at all . so that if they should joyn with the regular clergy in such presbyteries , they might reckon to be out-voted in all businesses , & so signify just nothing , nay , if a national synod should be call'd , they would be at the same loss , for the members thereof chosen by presbyteries behoov'd to be episcopal men , the plurality by far of voters being of that way . so to take off all difficulties attending this matter . it seem'd to be the most plausible & effectuall way , to make as many vacancies as was possible , and that also before the meeting of the next session of parliament , least other measures should then be taken , and for this design the premunire of not reading the proclamation seem'd next to rabbling , the fittest and shortest expedient . i call it shortest , because it was not possible to make greater dispatch for vacancies , then it occasion'd , for a dozen of ministers were ordinarly turn'd out in a forenoon , and as many more , sometimes , in an afternoon . so that this method made clear way for the presbyterian brethren to be the greater part in all ecclesiastical assemblies , and by consequence to carry any thing they please there . hereby also they have a fair opportunity of setting out young vagrants to take possession of the vacant churches , by which the number of their preachers dayly encrcase . thus you have the present state of the very much afflicted clergy in scotland represented faithfully , and with as much brevity as the matter will allow , for tho' much more might be added upon this subject , yet since you desired no more , but a plain and generall narrative , i here give it according to my ability . however it shall please divine providence to order affairs in our national church , this you in england may be assured of , that her enemies , are yours also , and it is some comfort to us that those of that way are not like to prevail so far over you , as they have done already over us . and therefore that god may prosper and preserve the church of england , restore ours to some order and decency , and settle the three kingdoms upon such righteous foundations as may establish our temporal and eternal peace , is the dayly prayer of , sir , your most humble servant . first collection of papers . relating to the practice of the rabble , before the convention met. a iust and true account how sadly the regular ministers within the presbytery of air have been treated since christmas last . upon christmas day about ninty armed men forced the minister of cumnock out of his chamber into the church-yard , where they discharged him to preach any more there under the highest peril they took upon them to command him to remove from his manse , or dwelling house , & his gleib , and not to uplift his stipend thenceforth ; after which they rent his gown in pieces over his head : they made a preface to their discourse to this purpose ; that this they did not as states-men , nor as church-men , but by violence and in a military way of reformation . in this manner , in the same place , and at the same time used they the minister of authinleck , who dwelleth in cumnock . from cumnock the foresaid day they marched to machlin , & missing the minister , were rude beyond expression to his wife , & finding the english liturgy burnt it as a superstitious and popish book : thereafter they went to the church-yard where they publickly discharged the minister from his office and interest there . upon the twenty seventh of december the more considerable part of the foresaid number went to galston : where they apprehended the minister , and taking him out of his house into the church yard they rent his cloak missing his gown , and thereafter forced him to wade upon and down through the water of irwine for a considerable time in a severe frost . upon the said day they went to rickarton : whence they brought the minister of the place to torbolton : where they kept for a whole night the ministers of these two parishes under a guard : and next morning brought them to the church-yard of torbolton where they rent the minister of torboltons canonical coat , and put the one half of it about each of the ministers necks , commanding the church-officer of the place to lead them thereby per vices as malefactors , discharging them from all exercise of the ministry , & from their houses , gleibs , and stipends under the highest peril . upon the eleventh of ianuary . the first minister of air received a written paper , commanding him and all his brethren to leave their mini●tery against the fifteenth under the pain of death : and because he did not regard this , there came to his house upon the fifteenth about eight of the clock at night eleven armed men of them , who commanded him under pain of death to preach no more in the church of air till the princes further order . and at the same rate did they treat his collegue that same night . much about the same time these armed men with their associats went throughout all the ministers houses within that presbytery , and di●charged them any more to exercise their ministry , and appointed them to remove from their manses , or parsonage houses and gleibs , and discharged them to meddle with their stipends under the penalty aforesaid . so that now th● most of the clergy through force and violence have left the countrey ; none in it undertaking their protection ; but all the rabble of it in arms against them . and to compleat their miserie 's those who are indebted to them resuse to pay even so much as may carry them to places of shelter : which exposeth them to the greatest hardships imaginable . to obviate the impudent denial of these things the under subscribers are able and shall ( if called ) in due time produce sufficient proof of the whole , and that both by writing and witnesses . given under our hands at edenburgh upon the twenty and sixth dayof ianuary one thousand six hundred eighty nine years . — gregory , parson of aire . will. irwine minister at kirk michael . fran. fordyce , parson of cumnock . an account of the grievances of the presbytery of dunbarton . imprimis , upon the twenty fifth of december last , anno a party of dissenters about a clock at night , entered vio●entl● into the house of mr. walter stirling minister of badernock , threatned most barbarously his wife and servants , ( himself being from home ) saying that they would cut off her papish nose and rip up her prelaticall belly but by a good providence they were hindered by the coming in of some friends . . they having assaulted mr. will. duncan minister of kilpatrickeaster several times before , did on the sixteenth of ianuary instant , come to his house about the number of thirty armed men , some whereof were his parishioners , and violently took from him the keys of the church , struck and abused himself , broke down and overthrew all his furniture and did cast all out of doors , so that he and his family were forced to go elsewhere and live upon the charity of friends . . on sunday last being the instant , a little before the time the sermon should have begun , about thirty armed men came to the church of boiall threatned the minister who was to preach ( mr. will. m'kenzie minister of that church being of a long time dangerously sick ) most barbaro●sly saying that he should lose his life if he should offer to preach there , or any other sent from the presbytery to supply his place . and on the morrow thereafter , about fourscore armed men , some whereof were his parishinoers , came to his house , abused his wife by reviling and beating her , ( the minister himself the night before for fear of his life having gone out of the way ) spoil'd some of his furniture , and threatned to throw all out of doors if he and his family wou'd not go away from church and house within eigh● days . . each day adds new ground of complaint , most part of the brethren fearing that before the next lords day they shall be thrust from their churches and houses by armed force , for they have been often threatned to that effect . this account was sent to the prince of orange ( for then he was no more ) attested by the hands of the presbytery of dunbarton . feb. / . a true account of those abuses and affronts , that were committed upon the person of mr. robert bell parson of kilmarnock , by a party of the presbyterians now in arms in the west of scotland . master robert bell minister of kilmarnock , being desir'd by his neighbour minister at richardtown , to celebrate the marriage of two persons at that church , in the ministers necessary absence , as he was walking thither , was seized by two armed men , who came from a great party which he saw at some distance ; one of them as he came near to him , presented a musket to his head ; whereupon he told him , he was his prisoner , and would go where he had a mind to carry him : he having recovered his musket , and placed him betwixt himself and his fellow companion in arms ; in this posture he was brought to the minister of ritchardtown's house , where he was commanded to pluck off his hat , they calling him rogue and rascal , and treating him very rudely . but assoon as he perceived they had filled their bellies with the meat , that the good gentlewoman had set before them ; and their passion and rancour was thereby a little asswaged ; he began to ask the commander of the party , by what rule and law they proceeded , in their appearing thus in arms : he told him , by the rule and law of the solemn league and covenant , by which they were obliged to extirpate prelacy , and bring all malignants to condign punishment . mr. bell replied , they would do well to take care that those their proceedings were justifiable by the word of god , and conformable to the practice of christ , his apostles , and the primitive church in the propagation of the christian religion . he answer'd him , that the doom of all malignants is clearly set down in the word of god , and their appearing thus in arms , was conformable to the practice of the ancient church of scotland . from this house the minister was carried prisoner to kilmarnock , and in his journey thither , there was a gentleman the laird of bridgehouse , who having come to meet him , took the courage to tell the party , that their appearing in arms , and abusing the clergy in this hostile manner , were but insolent outrages against all the law of the nation ; and that they would do well to remit their illegal forwardness , together with their pretended grievances unto the parliament , that was now very quickly to be assembled , by the care and affection that his highness the prince had of all the subjects of this kingdom . they answered him , to stand off and forbear giving rules to them , for they would take none from him nor any man , and that they would not adhere to the prince of orange , nor the law of the kingdom , any further than the solemn league and covenant , was fulfilled and prosecuted by both . by this time they were come near the town , and they commanded the minister to pluck off his hat , which he obeyed , yet at the same breath they threatned to throw him in the river : and coming to the bridge , they met the whole body of the aforesaid party , returning from the mercat place ; where they had caused the church officer to deliver up the keys of the church : and they discharged by way of proclamation the minister , whom in an opprobrious manner , they called curate of kilmarnock , from all intromission with the benefice and casuality of the church , or the least exercise of the ministerial function . assoon as they saw mr. bell , and understood that he was the parson of the parish , he could see nothing in their faces , but the most insulting joy ; nor find in th●ir discourses , but the most reproaching language , that ever the greatest criminal in the world was treated with . after a long consultation amongst themselves , one of their chief commanders came , and asked him , if he had a book of common prayer : the minister desired to know of him , why he asked the question . he answered , that sure be could not want that book since he was educated at oxford , and trained up to all the superstition and idolatry of the church of england . the minister told him , perhaps he had half a dozen of common prayer books ; he commanded him , to produce one of them , for that would do their business . from this place they carried him back to his house ; and there compelled him to deliver unto their hands the book of common prayer of the church of england , after this they led him as a prisoner bare headed , betwixt four foiles of musketeers , through a great part of the town unto the market-place , where the whole party was drawn up in battallia : which appeared to be about the number of two hundred well armed , with fire lock muskets of a very large size , most of them had also a pair of pistols but all of them one . in kilmarnock , after the fashion of most mercat places in scotland , there is a cross erected , unto which one goes up by steps on all sides , after the form of a broad stare-case , with which it is invironed . it was on the uppermost step , that these rude guards placed the minister , two of them on the same step , one on both hands ; and so on every step as you go down from the cross , they ranged themselves before him : after this they called for fire , which was brought , then one of their commanders made a speech to the people , that were gathered together in great numbers from the town and country . he told them , that they were come there to make the curate of the place , a spectacle of ignominy , and that they were obliged so to do , by virtue of the solemn league and covenant ; in obedience unto which they were to declare here their abhorrency of prelacy , and to make declaration of their firm intentions and designs , to fulfill all the ends of that oath : the propagation of the discipline of the government of the church of scotland , as it is express'd and contained in the foresaid solemn league and covenant . and all this they attempted to do , not by virtue of any civil power nor ecclesiastical power , but by the military power , and the power of the posture they were now in . these are the very words of this speech . after this another of their commanders taking the book of common prayer , reading the title page of it , and extending his voice very high , he told the people , that in pursuance of the forementioned league and covenant , they were now to burn publickly this book of common prayer , which is so full of superstition and idolatry ; and then throwing it into the fire , blowing the coals with a pair of bellows , after that catching it from amidst the flames , they fixed it on the spear of a pike , and thence lifting it up on high , far above the top of the cross. which elevation was attended with shouts and acclamations , down with prelacy idolatry and superstition of the churches of england and scotland . after all these indignities and impudent reproaches , offered to the most reformed and best constituted churches in the world , they turned themselves to the minister again , and rudely in a very menacing manner , asking him , if he was an episcopal prelate's man , and of the communion of the churches of england and scotland ; he answered , he was , and did there confess it to the whole world. then they tore his gown , one of the guard first cutting up the skirt of it with his sword , and throwing it amongst their feet , telling him , it was the garment of the whore of babylon . one of them bid him promise never to preach , nor exercise the office of a minister any more ; but he refused , telling them , that such a promise lay not within the compass of his own will , and could not be extorted by force , and that tho they should tear his body , as they had done his gown , they would never be able to reach his conscience . well , well , ( says he ) do it at your peril ; the minister answer'd , that he would do it at his peril . and so they gave over troubling him any more , only asking , what he had to say to them , he told them , he was extremely sorry to see protestants , so ingratefully exasperated against the best protestant church in the world , that had done such eminent service to our common religion and interest against popery : and withal praying god to forgive them , and not to lay these things to their charge . so the minister was dismissed , they telling him , he was an ignorant and obdured curate and malignant . this is a true copy of that account , of those indignities and affronts , that were done unto me robert bell , by the presbyterians now in arms in scotland . glasgow , ian. . . robert bell : disorders and outrages done upon the persons and families of ministers , within the presbytery of hamiltown , upon and days of dec. . imprimis , mr. iohn dalgleishe , minister of ebandale , was taken out of his house by a company of armed men , was carried to the kirkyard style bare-headed , and after being surrounded by these armed men , and a great many of the people ; and one of them in a speech , having railed against him with many opprobrious imputations , commanded his beadle to tear his gown over his head , which when he refused to do , threatned to kill him , and did beat him in a most i●humane manner with their swords , till the minister commanded him also to do it : they likewise expresly prohibited the minister to preach any more , or to reside in that place , otherways it should be to his peril . mr. iames crightoune minister at oilbrige was treated the same way , only with this difference , that the gown they tore was a night-gown , and with this addition , that they caused him to deliver up the keys , and all the utensils of the church , and engaged him to fly and remove all his goods and plenishing within eight days , which he did , his wife was beaten so that she immediately miscarried . mr. angus m c. intosh minister at stenhouse , being from home when these men called at his house , they took his gown , and after they had discharged their pieces in it , next they trod it under their feet , and then tore it and burnt it . these presents are testified by doctor robert scott dean of glasgow , mr. george lesly minister at blautire , and mr. iohn dennistowne minister at glasford , all within the same presbytery . ian. . . r. scott g. leslie i. dennistowne . some account of the outrages and cruelties committed upon the ministers and their families in the presbytery of irwin , who own the protestant religion as it is established by law. the ministers in irwin presbytery since the beginning of december , have been so sadly and miserably persecuted by the violencies of a rabble of armed men and furious women , who have joyned together in a most barbarous confederacy against them , that they have been forced to fly and lurk so secretly , as that they are uncapable to meet together in such full number as that they can particularly represent all their grievances which are still daily increasing , only three or four who have with much difficulty got together at the concerting of this , do from their own proper knowledge of what they have felt , and from certain accounts from the rest of their brethren declare , that all of their houses have been invaded by these armed men , not only in the day time , but for the most part under silence of night , and so many of the ministers as did not secretly escape , were most disgracefully taken to the mercat crosses and other publick places , and their gowns torn in pieces over their heads , and discharged , with greatest threatnings of cruelty ever to enter the churches and preach again : they have also turned many of their wives and children out of doors , and are still proceeding to do so to others , exposing them to the extremity of the winter cold , and to perish for want of bread , when the ministers themselves durst not come near them for their relief . the particular instances are so lamentable , and the circumstances of them so many , as that it would be a long work to enumerate them particularly , only this in the general is so well known over all the country , that there needs neither particular evidences to prove it , nor more to be said to move the pity of any that are capable to remedy it , and we under subscribers are content to prove what is here said : witness your petitioners at edinburgh , ian. . . charles littlejohn minister of large . alexander laing minister of stewartonne . a brief representation of the sufferings of the regular clergy within the presbytery of glasgow . to omit the violences have been threatned them , the contempts have been cast upon them , and the innumerable discouragements they have generally been * trysted with , from papists on the one hand ( some of them having been in great hazard of being turned out of their places for preaching against the corruptions of rome , as were easie to instance ) and from presbyterians on the other , these several years by-past , tho they had law on their side , and have still in their stations endeavoured to maintain truth , peace and order . upon the great revolution that has happened lately ( notwithstanding his highness the prince of orange has declared his great undertaking to be for the securing religion , and establishing our laws and liberties ) the dissenting brethren have wreckt their malice upon the regular clergy , and in the manner following . on christmas day anno . under cloud of night , about five and ●orty men in arms ( all his neighbours , to the most part of whom he had done special acts of kindness ) came to mr. gabriel russel's house the minister of govean ; they beat himself , his wife and daughter , carried away all the utensils of the church , and the keys of the doors , discharging him to preach there any more under the highest perils . the same night another party came to mr. robert tinnic's house minister at calcheart ; not finding himself at home , they turned his wife , family and furniture out of the * manse , and tho it was about eleven at night , with great difficulty they suffered the said mrs. tinnie to stay in the stable all night with her small children ; of which children three have since been at the point of death , through the fear and cold to which they then were exposed . the next lords day the indulged preacher in that part , possessed himself of the pulpit ; they were his own parishoners who treated mr. tinnie so . the same night , and much after the same manner mr. robert bayle minister at carmunnock was treated . on december . anno . mr. hugh blair minister at rutherglen , had all his furniture turned out of his house , the keys and utensils of the church taken from him , &c. about the same time mr gilbert mushat minister at cumernald was treated much after the same manner . much about the same time a party came to mr. david milne minister at calider , and had ri●led his house but that they were interrupted . but all this time the ministers in the city of glasgow suff●red nothing , only letters were sent to them to forbear the exercise of their ministry , and their houses were search'd for arms , &c. till ian. . . being thursday , on which 't is usual for them to have publick worship and sermon , a great multitude of people , for the most part women , came to church , with a design to have drag'd the minister out of the pulpit ; but he ( by the advice of some of his brethren who were there ) forbearing to go into the church , and endeavouring to retire without noise , was fallen upon most barbarously , beaten , and had his gown and other cloaths torn in many pieces , altho he had been one of the ministers of the said city twenty four years , and lived most christianly and inoffensively . the same day the same rabble went to the house of mr. alexander george minister of the barony church of glasgow , broke his doors with great hammers ; and notwithstanding he was at that time tyed to his bed by a very dangerous sickness , they thrust into his chamber , and had undoubtedly drag'd him from his bed , and perhaps murthered him , had not the provost of the city , with eight or ten men , come to his relief . on the lords day thereafter , being the th of ianuary . there was no sermon in any of the churches of the city . on the th . a copy of a letter was sent to each minister in the city , the tenour whereof followeth . we are credibly informed that our pretended provost walter gibsone , and his malignant associates , are upon a design of having you restored to your churches , sometime this or the next week , but if you will take advice and prevent your own trouble and perhaps ruine , do not listen to their motion , for they are but laying a snare for you , without reflecting upon their own being taken in it themselves : therefore consider what you are doing , and if you desire safety , forbear to attempt any thing suggested upon that head , for assure your selves , that it will not be now the female rabble you have to engage with , but must resolve in all time coming for such a guard as will be so sufficient and diligent , as to protect you , not only in the church ( which even we doubt of ) but also in your houses , and that both by night and by day ; if you take this warning , you will both save your selves , and prevent the effusion of much blood , but if not , stand to your peril , which in all probability will be more formidable than that of mr. milne . let this be a sufficient warning to you from those who by this desire to exoner themselves . we doubt not but there are other instances of the foresaid violence within our bounds before this time ; but because of our present dispersion we cannot give any more particular accounts , only as to the instances above-named , we can make them fully appear when called to it : in testimony whereof we subscribe thir presents at edinburg , ian. . . al. george minister of the gospel at the barony church of glasgow . iohn sage one of the ministers in the city of glasgow . an account of the insolencies and outrages committed upon the ministers in the presbytery of pasley , glasgow jan. . . imprimis . upon saturday being the twelfth instant , about three of the clock in the afternoon , there went several of the inhabitants of the town of pasley ( accompanied with a numerous rabble to the beadle , who is a man above seventy years of age , and in his own house , treated him barbarously , wounding him and taking the keys of the church from him , which they still keep , whereby they hinder the ministers there to exercise their office. item . upon the thursday thereafter the th . a company of armed men came to the ministers house , requiring him within two days to get him thence , and to transport his family , certifying him , if he should offer to preach any more there , or should not * void the manse , it should be on his utmost peril . item . on sunday the th of the said month , mr. honstown one of the mountain preachers ( as they are called ) usurped the pulpit of the parish church of eastwood , several times formerly the minister had been required by armed men to remove . item . upon monday being the th instant , about men and women came at eight of the clock at night in a tumultuary manner , to the minister at kulbarchan house , with battoons in their hands , made that same day for the purpose , whereof three only entred , the rest standing without doors , and the minister himself being providentially from home , they treated his wise most opprobrlously , and commanded her instantly to remove her self and her family from that place , certifying her , otherwise it should be at her utmost peril . and to omit more particulars , all the several ministers in the above-mentioned bounds , are now forced for the safety of their lives , to fly from their several habitations , and to leave their wiv●s and children exposed to their cruelty ; and to add to their calamity , their parochoners ( a very few discreet persons only excepted ) refuse to pay them any part of the stipend , * or any other debts they owe them , by which cru●l usage many of our number are reduced to extream necessity . io. fullerton moderator . i. taylor minister in pasley commiss r. a letter concerning the persecution of several other ministers . reverend sir , since our last we received yours ; and for a return , you are to understand , that our circumstances are still worse , and the opposite party more insolent , cruel and barbarous . the particulars are as follows , . that party invaded the minister of balantra's house in open day , before many of his own people , beat to the ground his wife big with child with the butt end of a musket , dragged himself to the church-yard and back again to his house , tare his cloaths to his shirt , wounded him with a small sword , and for warding off the thrust , beat him severely with cudgels , and then commanded him under the pain of death , never to preach any more in that place . . six of the meeting-house men came to the minister's house of kirk michael ( himself being at edinburg ) beat , batter'd and bruised his man-servant , commanded him ( after they had lain two days and three nights upon him ) to go immediately from the house with all that belonged to his master therein . . they have possessed the churches of straton , ochiltri● , cumnock , torboltown , galston and sorn . . they have ejected the minister of rickarton's wife , family and whole furniture . this is the account of the presbytery of air. in irwin presbytery both the indulged and mountain-men have possessed several of the churches , have gone to the ministers houses , given them their last summons of removal , with all the effects thereof under pain of death . in pasley presbytery they have outed the whole ministers ( as they have in all the west of scotland ) they have particularly ejected the first minister of pasley's wife and family , burnt his gowns and hat at the publick cross , and thrown all his goods to the open street . from that they went to renfrew ( where the ministers wife was but nine days lain in of a child ) pull'd her out of the bed , threatned the families present ejection , had not one cranford of corsburn , who being occasionally there , prevailed with them for ten days respite : the ministers wife upon this cruel usage , fell into an high and dangerous fever , under which , according to our last information , she yet labours . the whole presbytery of dunbarton are banished from their charges . in glasgow the ministers are not secure of their lives , for some nights age they beat mr. miln in the street the second time : they went to the minister of calders , rent his gown in the church-yard , himself being from home , and commanded his wife and family to be gone immediately under the penalty aforesaid . sir , we who are here , are patiently waiting for the effects of the princes declaration , which was solemnly proclaimed over this cross on wednesday last . if it quiet the country , we are resolved to return to our charges , a little time will inform us . we had almost forgot to tell you , that on sunday last the meeting-house preacher at diglass caused them to break open the church-doors there , and went in and preached . we have wrapt up things in as narrow a compass as was possible : we have written nothing but truth in matter of fact , and which upon legal trial shall be made good by reverend sir , your affectional brethren to serve you george gregorie fran. fordyce william irwine minister of kirk-michael ia. hoge minister of ochiltrie . edin . feb. . sir , besides all this , they have robbed the minister of straton's house and left him nothing . and they have carried away the minister of kirk-michael's presentation , decreet of locality , and all his other papers , with the communion cups . information of the abuses done by the presbyterians , who frequent the meeting-houses to the ministers of leving-widtalder , bathgate , and westcalder ; in the presbytery of levingstonne . upon the th . of dec. last , about six a clock at night , about thirty men in arms came to the kirk town of levingstonne , and having set a guard to the ministers outer gate , a party of them came to his hall-door , which was shut , and pretending that they were come to search for arms , rudely craved to have entrance into the house , offering , that if the door were not opened , they would set fire to it , and shoot in musket-ball through it , to kill those that were within , and forced the door with such violence , that the double bar which held it securest , being quite broken , the minister was necessitated to make the door patent , thereupon about eight of them entered the house , with great noise and swords drawn ( the ministers wife having been brought to bed , only six days before that time ; which was not unknown to the assassins ) and after a great deal of rough and opprobrious language , and unchristian carriage towards the minister ( which so affrighted his wife , that she apprehending her husbands life to be in danger , rose from her bed in great consternation , and having put on only a night-gown , did on her naked feet interpose for his rescue ) they compelled him to go through the rooms before them ; with a lighted candle to guide them in their search for arms ; one of them being so uncivil , that he offered to turn his wife out of the bed ; whereinto she had again betaken her self , and with much difficulty was by the minister disswaded from that cruelty . this done , they carried away such things as they thought fit , together with the said ministers horse , but the horse being quite spoiled returned the next day : they also went to the church beadle's house , and robb'd him of his horse , and other things belonging to him , but the horse returned also the next day . the names of these assassins for the most part , and of the gentleman that hounded them out , are well known . . upon the th . of ian. last , there came nine armed men to the church of levingstonne ( it being the lord's day in the forenoon ) and the church doors being made patent to them , by one of the ministers servants ▪ because they had threatned to break them up , they searched all the seats of the church for the minister , and not finding him there ▪ they went to his mansion house , and disbelieving his wife , who told them that her husband was from home , they went through the house searching for him most narrowly ; and compelled his wife to go before them with a lighted candle , belching out terrible speeches against him ; and they not yet finding him , departed , and told some of the ministers neighbors , who live in the kirk town , that if they had got their curat , they would have ducked him in the water of almond , and that albeit they were disappointed at that time , they were resolved to be full of his flesh. . upon the first of feb. instant , about sixty armed men came to his house , and delivered to his wife a summons of removal , the true copy thereof is hereafter inserted , and having called for the ministers gowns ( with a purpose ( as they declared ) to tear them ) and for the keys of the church door , the church bible , the communion cups , records of session , and all other utensils belonging to the church of levingstonne ; they got the said keys and bible ( all the rest having been put out of the way ) and these they delivered to iohn wilson in long levingstonne , to be by him kept , and so departed . follows the tenour and true copy of the summons . we belonging to the parish of levingstonne , having now groaned under the insupportable yoke of prelacy , and having suffered a continual tract of manifold cruelties and oppressions many years , upon the account of not owning and submitting unto the intrusion of episcopal curats , with all being touched with such zeal for the house of our god , that we cannot endure any longer , to see it made and continued to be a den of thieves ; who have not ventered in at christ's door , but the way of man's vsurpation , remembring the indispensable obligations of our solemn covenant , to endeavour the extirpation of prelacy , being resolved to prosecute it by all approved means to the outmost as the lord shall enable us ; to prevent other tumults we warn you to surcease and desist from preaching , and all other ministerial actions , in the kirk of levingstonne , and to depart from the care and benefice thereof , under certification , that if you refuse you shall be forced to do it . this summons is not subscribed by any of the parishioners of levingstonne , who never had cause to complain of the ministers oppression and cruelty , and did all except a few , cheerfully submit to mr. honeymans ministery , until the meeting-houses were set up . the verity of all which premises , i the said mr. george honeyman am able to prove by many famous witnesses , as witness these presents written by mr. iohn park clerk to the synod of edenburgh , and subscribed at my hand at edenburgh the of feb. . george honeyman , minister of levingstonne . jo. park , clerk syn. mr. william man minister at bath-gate , informs , that upon the first day of feb. instant , there came about the number of fifty men in arms to his dwelling house , about twelve a clock at noon , and having entered his house , they made search for him with drawn swords in their hands , and violently broke up three doors ; and not finding him , who supposing him to be at the time in the lady kirktown's house , which is situated very near to his mansion house ; they went to the said lady's house , whose gate being shut , they endeavoured to force it up with great stones , and the help of an ax , which they had purchased from some of the neighbours ; and when all failed , they set fire to the gate , and the gate being thereupon made patent by the gentlewoman , they in manner aforesaid , searched all the rooms of the house for the said mr. william , and not finding him , they went thereafter to the town of bathgate , and found him in the house of mr. iohn cala , in the company of two gentlemen , who are justices of peace , viz. thomas sharp laird of honstown , and thomas hammiston laird of boghead ; and the captain of the company , having called him forth in presence of the said two gentlemen , they required him with their swords drawn , and guns presented to deliver up to them the communion cups , the records of his kirk session , the church bible , and the keys of the church of bathgate , to which he having answered , that there were none of these things in his custody , they went to the beadle , and caused him to deliver the said keys to them , the which they committed to the custody of iohn harvy , inn-dweller in the said town , charging him not to deliver them to the said mr. william , as he would be answerable , unless he were forced by a greater power so to do ; and they being informed of the place where his gown lay , they went and took it out , and having carried it in procession to the cross of bathgate , they caused his beadle to tear it there before his eyes ; and this done , they being intreated by the said justices , not to lay violent hands upon the person of the said minister ; they delivered a summons to him to flit and remove , and this they did before several persons in the town of bathgate , whom they addu●ed to witness the deed . the summons is in omnibus the same with that , which the minister of levingstonne , received the said day , and is not signed by any of the parishioners of bathgate , who never had cause to complain of mr. man's cruelty , and did all except a few , cheerfully submit to his ministery , till the meeting-houses were lately set up . the verity of all which premises , i the said mr. william man , am able to prove sufficiently , as witness these presents written by mr. iohn park clerk to the synod of edenburgh , and subscribed with my hand at edenburgh , feb. . . william man minister of bathgate . jo. park , clerk syn. mr. normand , mr. kinney minister at midcalder , informs , that upon the th . of ian. last by past , being the lord's day after sermon , eight men with drawn swords and fire-locks , came to his house , but got not entrance , in regard that the laird of calderhall , the laird of pompherstonne , with divers other good neighbors , disarmed some of them , and put the rest to flight ; in which encounter one of the assassins was wounded in the face , and two were wounded that appeared in the said mr. normans defence , viz. william elphingstonne , natural son to the said laird of calderhall , and iames nemo butcher in midcalder , and the said assassins having got back the arms taken from them upon their promise to be gone , they accordingly departed , threating that before they slept , they should cause several persons in the town of calder to sleep in their shooes , for what they had done in defence of the curat , farther averring , that nothing was designed by them to be done to that curat ; but what and much more was done this day at edenburgh , to the outing and disgrace of all curats there . . that upon the st . of feb. instant , a considerable company of men in arms , came to the said ministers house early in the morning , pretending , that they were come only to search , whether he were at home or not ( altho after the search , they confessed , that they knew he was not there , because sufficiently informed , that he had taken journey on the munday preceding , and did not carry his gown with him , which they resolved to have if possible ) and in a most barbarous manner , forced up a window at the foot of the bed , where the said minister wife was lying with her sucking child , and thrust in their swords and fire-locks at the window , which so affrighted her with the apprehension of present death ; that she begged them for god's sake , that if they intended to murther her and her family , they would but allow her the favour to put on some cloaths , and to recommend her self and family in prayer to god. this they nothing regarded , but continued forcing up the hall-door , until the lock and bolts being broken it was made patent ; whereupon sixteen of them having enter'd the house , with swords drawn ; they conveyed the said ministers wife , with her suckling in her arms to the kitching , and placed a man with a naked sword beside her , whom they commanded not to suffer her to stir from that place , and in the mean while the rest of them with their swords in their hands , searched all the house , and brought down goods that were hid in the cieling , declaring , that they behoved to see all the said ministers obligations , that he had of his debtors , and all his other papers ; and in particular , one of them viz. thomas levingstonne there said , he behoved to have a gripe of his fathers bond , granted to the said minister for a certain summ of money , which he owes to him ; and after exact search , they not finding any papers or bonds ( the minister having conveyed them away before that time ) they went away , carrying with them the communion cups , which they committed to the custody of walter iohnstonne in calder , and leaving behind them a summons of removal , in omnibus the same with these before mentioned , and withal , they declared to the said ministers wife , that if she and her family should neglect to remove within ten days next , thereafter , they would return and eject her and her children , and all the goods in the house ; or make a bonefire of all the plenishing . the foresaid summons is subscribed by none of the parishioners of middle calder , who never had cause to complain of their ministers oppressing them , and did all of them except a few submit to his ministery , till the meeting houses were lately set up . the verity of all which premisses ; i the said mac normand , mac kinney can prove by many famous witnesses , as witness these presents written at edenburgh , by the said mr. iohn park , and their subscribed with my hand feb. . . norman mackinney minister of calder . jo. park clerk syn. mr. george robertsone minister at westealder , informs , that upon dec. . last by past , being the lords day , several persons in westcalder , invaded his house betwixt eleven and twelve at night , and searched for arms , but found none but an old two-handed sword , which they carried with them and departed , averring , that they were to go to their company . . that upon the st . of feb. instant , a summons of removal was left at his house by some in the parish ; the which summons is in omnibus the same with these before-mentioned , and is not subscribed by any of the parishioners of westaalder , who never received any wrong from the minister , who having been but lately settled there , most of the parishioners submitted to his ministery , till the meeting-houses were lately set up , all this i the said george robertsone am able to prove sufficiently , as witness these presents . written by the said mr. iohn park , and subscribed with my hand at edenburgh feb. . . george robertson minister at westcalder . jo. park clerk syn. the second collection of papers , relating to the practice of the rabble , after the prince's declaration against some ministers who were afterwards deprived by the council . a true account of that interruption that was made of the service of god on sunday last being the seventeenth of february at the cathedral of glasgow , by the presbyterians , both from the hills and the meeting-houses , to the contempt of the princes declaration . as soon as his highness the prince of orange's declaration was proclaimed at the mercat cross of glasgow , for the preservation of the peace of the kingdom , and the maintenance of the free exercise of religion , as it was established in october last : the magistrates and ministers of the city assembled themselves , in order to the laying down such fit and united methods as would give punctual obedience to his highness's declaration , and procure the publick and undisturbed exercise of their religion , which has now been interrupted these four or five weeks by-past , by the illegal unchristian outrages of the rabble in this place . and after a prudent deliberation about the present state of affairs , it was the result of their counsels , that the service of god should be restored on the sunday immediately subsequent to the publication of the prince's declaration , being the seventeenth of february , according to the usual and legal methods by ringing of bells , and the publick use of all other accustomed solemnities . but for the greater security of the exercise of religion , and the preservation of the peace of the town , the magistrates thought themselves obliged in conscience and honour , to go to thomas crawfurd younger , merchant , being then captain of the guard at that time , and one of the chief commanders of that party in this place ( that keep up themselves in contempt of the law of the kingdom , and the prince's declaration , to the 〈…〉 the magistrates and all good and peaceable people in 〈…〉 to require the said thomas crawfurd to lay down his arms and dismiss his company ; which accordingly was performed by baillie iames gibson , he ( being the chief magistrate in absence of the * provost ) telling him at the same time , that he would provide for the peace and security of the town in obedience to the prince's declaration . upon the absolute refusal of obedience unto this command by the said thomas crawfurd , baillie gibson took instruments in a publick nottars hands , how far he had his duty to the law of the kingdom and the prince's declaration , and how far the said thomas crawfurd , the pretended captain of the guard , did despise and contemn them both . after this intercourse between the foresaid baillie and thomas crawfurd , both those parties of the presbyterians , that go to the hills and the meeting-houses , began to whisper about their illegal and bloody designs against the ministers of the town , and that great body of the people that keep still very stedfast in frequenting the assemblies of the church , threatning publickly all kinds of persecution unto them in the legal exercise of their religion . on the sunday morning the promiscuous rabble gathered themselves together upon the streets , and hindered the ringing of some of the usual bells for calling the people to church . yet the magistrates thought fit to connive at the first insolence , being willing upon any terms to have the exercise of their religion , and give obedience to the prince's declaration . but the more moderation the magistrates shewed on this occasion , the more the rabble were inraged , publickly threatning the people as they went to church , to pull them out by the ears . and particularly , they seeing a certain minister going to church , they pursued him with sticks and clubs , but he taking a house escap'd their fury . when the magistrates were come near the church , they found it surrounded with a promiscuous rout : upon this they desired the rude people to go home in peace , but they returned scolding and bloody language , and flinging from them their cloaks and plaides , that is mantles , they gave the assault with staves and battoons in their hands unto the magistrates ; and particularly one of them giving a severe blow to iohn bell , one of the late bailies , and at this time in company with the magistrates . upon which unsufferable and scandalous attack , the magistrates gave order to the towns servants and officers , to clear their way to the church , and beat off the rabble ; which being effected , the magistrates , together with all the people , entered peaceably into the church , seating themselves according to their ranks and qualities in the usual postures of devotion ▪ in which the service of god is performed in our church . after prayers were ended , towards the middle 〈◊〉 of the sermon , the forementioned thomas crawsurd , the pretended captain of the guard , came into the church , and cry'd aloud to the people , that the town was in arms. he was answered , that five or six hundred people of the best quality in town were assembled in church , to the service of god , according to law and the prince's last declaration , that they were naked men without arms or the least intention to make any resistance : and if the town was in arms , he was more concerned to look to it than they , he being the pretended captain of the guard. and likewise he was told , that if the people in church had designed any opposition to such as might disturb them in the exercise of their religion , they would have appeared in an armed posture ( which out of a due respect to the house of god and the prince's declaration they did forbear to do ; ) and then he should have found them too strong for any ▪ party that durst have assaulted them : but they came not thither to fight , but to serve god. the parson continued preaching until he finished his sermon . towards the latter and of the prayers after s●rmon , the meeting-houses being dismiss'd , and joyning the hill party that appeared by this time in arms upon the streets , and together with the company that was upon the guard , they formed themselves in a great body , and then marched off under the conduct of the laird of carsland , taking their way straight to the cathedral church ; when they came to it , they fired both upon the people that had fled to the pinacles and buttr●sses of the church , and through the door , where there was a little boy dangerously wounded on the face ; but at last they broke open the doors of the church , and searching diligently for the parson they found him : they were disired by the magistrates to dismiss the armed men and go in peace , but they refused it , telling , they would have out those people that beat off the women and the men from the church-door upon the first vpr●ar . they were answered , that the disorders were begun by the rabble against the prince's declaration ; and that the magistrates could not , without doing infinite injury to the service of god , the honour of the prince , and the authority of government , forbear commanding the officers and towns servants to beat off the rabble that opposed their entry into the church . and to this it was subjoyned , that if they would lay down their arms , or go home in peace , and forbear the encouraging and protecting of the rabble in those vproars , they could return in the same peaceable way from the church that they came into it . but this they absolutely refused to do , telling us , they could not desert their sisters the women , that by this time were assembled in great numbers upon the streets and in the church-yard . after this they took up the names of the people of the best quality in church , and then they hurried us out by fives and sixes at several doors of the cathedral , and so exposed us to the fury of the rabble , which we had escap'd if th●y had p●rmitted us to go out in a body . others of us they pretended to conduct by guards , but carried us no further than into the very mid●le of the rabble . the whole congregation being thus maliciously dissipated , very few of them did escape without wounds or blows ; and particularly the lord boyd was rudely treated , and had his sword taken from him . sir iohn bell had above a hundred snow-balls thrown at him : the laird of borrowfield and his lady , together with his two brothers , iames and william walkinshawes , were five or six several times beaten to the ground : iames corbeit was very dangerously wounded in the head with the stroke of a syth . george graham , one of the late bailies of the town , was d●eply cut on the head in two places . doctor wright and his lady , and together with them her mother and sisters , and several other women , were very roughly handled and beaten . mrs. anna paterson daughter to the archbishop of the place , mrs. margaret fleiming , and several other gentlewomen were cruelly pinch'd after their cloaths were torn off them . there was scores of others severely beaten and bruised , which would be tedious to make m●ntion of here , but only this we must observe , there was a certain carpenter , who was so dangerously wounded ( so that he lyeth now beyond hopes of recovery ) by four armed men that promised to conduct him through the rabble , and to whose protection he innocently committed himself . this is a true account of what pass'd upon sunday last , being the th of february . which i , as m●gistrate of glasgow in absence of my lord provost , give under my hand as truth . iames gibsone . for the further testification of the premises , we under subscribers attest the same io. gillhagie . patrick bell. the sufferings of gideon brown. sir , to obviate all misrepresentations of my treatment at smelholm , i give you this true and impartial account according to your desire . upon the first saturday of february . george dickson cottar to the lair of smelholm a profest cameronian , brought to me an unsubscribed paper in the presence of my family , in the which he , in name of the parochine , ordains me to cease from the exercise of my ministry there , pretending in it , that i had no call from the people , and that i was an intruder , and had brought troopers among them ; with this certification , that they would force and compel me to do it . this much troubled me , to be upbraided for that of which i was never guilty , and that by persons whom often i kept from the lash of the law , and who had constantly heard me till the late toleration , and frequently taken the sacrament from me , but from the consideration of our saviours treatment from those to whom he was ever doing good , i comforted my self , and resolved patiently to bear and undergo this present disaster , and whatever might follow thereupon . this being represented to the laird smelholm , he advised me for a day to cease from preaching , and withdraw , which accordingly i did : the next lords day i returned ( laying aside all fears , not willing so easily and suddenly to be put from the exercise of my ministry ) and it pleased the lord to grant to me , and to continue with me , a safe exercise of my ministry without disturbance , until the fourteenth of april hereafter , which was the lords day , on which day the scum of that people , most of them not above the quality of a servant , yet all dwelling under the laird of smelholm , except two , and newly ins●igated by one george dickson preacher in a meeting-house near by ( as i am credibly informed ) did assemble with staves and battoons ( having , on saturday before , warned me by a second summons , and taking away the bell-rope ) to oppose me that day ; the laird of smelholm being acquainted by me , of the said intended uproar , at the ordinary time of convening , came to the church-yard , i following with my family , and after some communing with the said rabble , his tenants , who had been there from six a clock in the morning , prevailed to make patent doors , and having enter●d the pulpi● and begun to pray , immediately the said george dickson ( having received the hire of eighteen pence from the rest , as he himself confess'd afterwards in my beadles hearing ) approached furiously to draw me out of the pulpit , which a son of mine ( of sixteen years of age ) observing , stop'd him before he came near me ; upon which there came t●n about the boy , pulling the hair off his head , tearing his hat , cloak and neckcloth , which extorted from his mother these words in the midst of the church , murder ! murder ! and forced me from the pulpit , at length the laird quieted them . upon all this i took witnesses , and withdrew with my family , to the neighbour church , ever after that they put cattle of all sorts into the church , frequently threatned my self , watched every lords day for my coming , to church , not to hear me but harm me : o the sin of stoning of the prophets , which brought sad judgments on the guilty of old , is now frequently among us practised , the lord grant amendment . this forced me to preach in my own house , while after whitsunday , and then it being reported to me by some , that if i preached any more in the house , the said rabble would eject me and my family , i ceased there , and preached in some neighbour churches : at length they caused cite me before the council , sept. . where for not praying for k. w. nominatim , in my house , and not reading the proclamation there , i was deprived by the council , and appointed to remove from my * manse at mertimas , to which i gave obedience at the time ( the laird assuring me that he could not keep his people off me , and that some had sworn to him , that they would eject me , be the event never so hazardous ) and came to the city of edinburg with my whole family , intending there the education of my seven children at colledge and schools : this is a true narration of what befel me at smelholm , among that people , who kindly received and joyned with me in all the parts of my ministry , until the said dickson and others of that perswasion had conversed with them and frequently preached among them ; yea , i am credibly informed that this george dickson on a saturday night as he came from edinburg , lighted in a change house , and then the people desiring him to preach to morrow , he answered , he would preach no more until they put away the curate from among them . sir , i doubt not but what i have here written , will find credit with you on my single testimony , yet to this the laird of smelholm , with many others , can bear witness , i rest ( wishing the lords grace and mercy ever to attend you ) your humble servant g. b. the persecution of mr. william bullo , whom the rabble hindred from giving obedience , and yet was deprived . mr. william bullo minister at stobo in tweddale , was all the winter over most barbarously used by the rabble , they having many times , not only in the day time , but even under cloud of night , with drawn swords and guns in their hands , entered his house , broke open the doors thereof , and s●arched the same for himself , and thereby did so affright his wife and children , that they took sickness through fear , and he himself for fear was forced to lye out in the fields in the coldest winter nights : and after he had endured a great many of their onsets , about the beginning of april last , as the said mr. bullo was coming home from the accompanying the corps of a gentleman , they lay in ambush for him by the way , and riding through a little village in his own parochine , where there was a meeting house erected , and where was the dwelling-house of the preacher of the meeting-house , out of which house there broke out upon him a number of the rabble ( among whom was the preachers servant-man ) and with drawn swords in their hands , offered to stobb him , and charged him to stand , and he putting the spurs to his horse rode for it , they firing their guns after him ; and at last two of them mounted themselves on horses and pursued him , and chased him farther than his own house , until at length the said mr. bullo's horse gave over riding , and so they apprehended him , and told him , they would instantly shoot him , and commanded him to his knees ; and he desiring for a little time to pray ; they told him , he had lived too long ; he answered , that was to quarrel with god , and he wished them to consider what they were saying and doing , for , said he , you are in passion : you damn'd rogue , said they , do you take on you to admonish us , we 'll shoot you presently through the head : then said he , since you will do it , god have mercy on my soul , and god forgive you , and now , said he , i have done : then they laid many stroaks on him , with the broad side of their d●awn swords , and told him , they would forbear his execution that night ( it being then late of the night ) and would take him prisoner to his own house , and guard him there until the next day , and pronounce sentence on him in sight of the whole parish , and would do further as they thought fit : and accordingly all this was done , for to morrow morning they sent through the whole parish , and convened all that would joyn with them against the said mr. bullo , and entered his house in a most hostile manner with their arms , and commanded his own man-servant to tear his gown ; and after many altercations betwixt him and them , they discharged him to preach any more upon the peril of his life : he told them , that he would receive no orders from them , he came in by authority and would not go out but by it . and about a fortnight or twenty days after this , they came upon his family ( he being from home ) and most cruelly threw out at doors his whole plenishing and furniture of his house , and locked up the doors ; and upon the lords day , whereupon he should have read the conventions proclamation for making prayers for king william and queen mary , and upon the day of thanksgiving , they set guards in the church-yard , lest he should have given obedience . and thus was he violently forced away from his church , and is since deprived by act of council , for his not reading and praying . the names of these honest gentlemen who offered to attest the truth of this matter by their oaths , when mr. bullo was deprived , are so well known to the council , that it would be needless here to insert them . the persecution of mr. iames little. mr. iames little minister of the gospel at ti●dace , was warned by six men , whereof two were cotters and four young men , all parishoners , to desist from the exercise of his ministry at the church of tindace and trailflatt annexed to tindace : he enquired of them by what authority they did that ; they answered , what they had done they would stand to it : he enquired at several parishoners , if they had any co●mission from them for the same ; they answered , not ; so he continued for two lords days thereafter doing his ministerial duties without interruption : upon the third lords day he goes to the kirk of trailflat , where he is obliged to preach once a month , and there when he was going to perform his duty , there meets him to the number of fifty women and upwards , with cudgels in their hands , and enters the house where he used to go in , and came there and most violently abused his person , without giving any reason why , and teared his cloak from his shoulders , and hauled him out of doors ; which being done , they compassed him about and beat him most severely with their cudgels , so that some persons who was come to hear a sermon , cryed out , will you murder a man ? and after they had torn all his cloaths ( his shirt not excepted ) and inquired how he durst come to preach there this day , being warned before to desist , he answered , that they could not be ignorant of a proclamation issued out in name of the prince of orange , which was publickly intimate from the cross of drumfries the wednesday preceding , that all their violencies and injuries should surcease until the meeting of the estates : they answered , that they could not obey mans laws , but their king of heavens laws . he said likewise unto them , why do you put your selves out of that frame and temper that is suitable to the lords day ? they answered , that in doing to me what they pleased , they could not offend their king of heaven . after this he desired them to allow him some covering for to defend his head from the cold , after they had cut his hat in pieces , and trod the same , with the rest of his cloaths , in the mire ; all which they denied . after all this they required the key of the kirk-door ; he cried for the beadle , who lived half a mile distant from the kirk , who was not as yet come ; upon which they sent two of their own number for it , and the man being out of the way they returned without it ; so that the minister was necessitated to send again for the key , which then came ; during which time , which was more than an hour and a half , he stood naked : then they compassed him about four at each arm , others of them beating his head and shoulders with their fists , others of them scratching and nipping his bare back , and leads him along first to the kirk-door , and after entering into the kirk , they required of him that he would there confess all the wickednesses he had done , as the preaching under a popish tyrannical king , and delating those who did not keep the kirk : to which the said mr. iames answered , god almighty forgive you and me all our wickednesses , and if you will have the patience , i shall preach a sermon to you , wherein i shall shew you , upon what ground you and i may build the forgiveness of all our wickednesses , because every one that asks forgiveness does not obtain it . after which they came upon him with their cudgels over again , and lent him upon the head and shoulders , and said , will you preach to us : after all this they dragg'd him out of the church , and caused him to deliver the key to one of them , and others of them cried , come all here , that we may all be alike in this business : immediately after they fastened four to each arm , as before , and leads him out of the church-yard until they bring him to a myre , where they go about the myre , and takes up handfuls of dirt ; which made those who had him by the arms , to part from him , and threw the same handfuls of dirt upon him , and after they dismiss'd themselves . this i am ready to prove by many unexceptionable witnesses . i. l. the persecution of mr. archibald ferguson minister at kirkpatrick . sir , since you are so earnest to hear from me a true account of the barbarities committed by the pretended godly presbyterians here , upon the person and family of mr. archibald ferguson minister at kirkpatrick , in the stueartry of annandale , where i live ; as i am able so i am willing to satisfie you in this matter to the full , for i was an eye-witness to some part of the tragedy , and had the rest from some very honest persons who were spectators of the whole : the matter of fact in short was this ; upon the festival of easter last ( a day observed with much religious reverence by all the christi●n world , except our presbyterians , who seem to have separated from that catholick society ) eight men in arms with about an equal number of women , much in the same posture , came to the ministers dwelling-house early in the morning ; and having forced open his ga●e , the good minister , who was then busie in preparing himself to serve god and his people in the church , surprized with the extraordinary noise , and hearing them ask so furiously for him , came calmly to them , and modestly ask'd what business they had with him ; whereupon one of them took him by the gorget , commanding him to surrender himself up to them as their prisoner : he ask'd them what he had done for which he should be made prisoner , and by what authority they made him theirs : he was answered by a severe blow upon the head with a pistol , the stroke knock'd him flat to the ground , and the wound it made , would in all probability proved mortal , if his head had not been gaurded by a thick velvet cap , which by kind providence he had then upon it : the miscreant who wounded him , ordered him immediately to be drag'd out from his gate , which two of his blood-thirsty accomplices as readily performed , beating him afterwards down into a nasty puddle ; his poor wife ( then so big with child that she expected every day to be brought to bed ) running out to save , if she could , her husbands life , was , at her first appearance , knock'd down with the butt end of a musket ; she received many merciless blows , and had her head and body severely bruised among the stones where she was beat down . then iames harcannass their noble captain at this honourable expedition , gave the word of command to his female janizaries , which was , strip the curate ( for they think this a most disgraceful app●llation , and therefore they apply it to all episcopal ministers ) the order was no sooner given , than these amazons prepared to put it in execution , for throwing away their plaids , ( i. e. loose upper garments ) each of them drew from her girdle a great sharp pointed dagger , prepared , it seems , for a thorough reformation . the good minister lying panting and prostrate on the ground , had first his night-gown torn and cut off him , his close coat , wastcoat and britches ript open with their knives ; nay , their modesty could not so far prevail against their zeal , as to spare his shi●t and drawers , but all were cut in pieces and sacrificed to a broken covenant : the forementioned captain gave the finishing stroke himself , with a great reforming club , the blow was design'd for the ministers head or breast , but he naturally throwing out his hands to save those vital parts , occasioned it to fall upon his shin-bones , which he had drawn up to cover his nakedness ; the blow was such , as greatly bruised both his legs , and made them swell extraordinarily after ; however the captain thinking that they were broke , and finding it uneasie for himself and his companions to stand longer in a great storm of wind and snow which happened to fall out that morning , he drew off his company , and left the semi-martyr , who afterwards by the assistance of his servants , crawled home to his bed , and but a little after , the whole herd of his persecutors broke in again upon him , and told him , they had treated him so , because he prayed for the tyrant york , ( so these people ordinarily called king iames , tho he was too kind to them ) and because he had presumed to preach , and visit the parishioners as if he had been their minister , which they had formerly forbid him to do ; they required him also to be gone from their covenanted lands , under pain of death , before that day sevennight , and never again to meddle with the ministry . and tho● application was afterwards made by some who might have been supposed to have had interest with that crew , yet nothing could prevail to obtain so much as but a delay till his poor wife should be brought to bed , and himself a little recovered of his wounds : so that he was forced to fly for his life , from his parish , wife and children , without any hopes of returning , till it shall please god to bring some order out of our present confusions , to open the eyes of blind and fiery zealots , and to stop the fury of our ungoverned rabble : i may say , that our judgments begin at the house of the righteous , for this man is a person of extraordinary parts and piety : i think it not strange , that some men with you are so unready to believe the fanatick practices here , since few men can suppose any people so barbarous as our bigots indeed are , but i admire that these ill instruments about court , who give encouragement , life and motion to the faction here , should so impudently deny the matters of fact , which themselves know to be but too true . if this particular passage should be contradicted , i am ready and willing my self to attest it , and to prove it by several other unexceptionable witnesses ; and tho it be dangerous to have particular mens names published , the faction we have to deal with being merciless and bloody ; yet if nothing else can serve , i allow you to use my name , but do it no further than the cause requires , and with all that discretion and caution that is expected from you by sir , your sincere friend and humble servant g. m. the third collection of papers , containing the sufferings of those ministers who complied . the persecution of mr. william hamilton minister at irwine and kirknewton . mr. william hamilton , a man for the integrity of his life , purity of his doctrine , knowledge and gift of preaching beyond exception , was first minister at pemicooke in midhotham , where he served in the ministry for several years with great reputation : in the year . the clergy being required to take the test , he was one of these ministers who scrupled to take it , and so was laid aside , he lived privately and peaceably , following his studies , till he had again access to the free exercise of his ministry , which was first at the town of irwin in cunningham in the wes● ; the people there are for the most part presbyterians . the exemplariness of the mans life . the first character i have given of the man already , one would have thought must have conciliate all respect and kindness to him amongst his neighbours , he treated them with all discretion and civility , upon all occasions , yea , at such occasions as he was not to preach at himself , he went to hear him who preached in the next meeting-house , and went frequently to visit him , but all this prevailed not ; for about the end of ian. / . these people attacqued him , some of them came in the morning , and kept him prisoner all the forenoon , till their accomplices met , to the number of about fifty or sixty , when they were all convened , five or six of them seized him , and carried him through the town to the cross , making a show of him , and here were none of all these people of his own parish , but only two , but almost the whole inhabitants were looking on , and saw their minister , who deserved so very well of them , thus rudely treated , without rescuing him . when he was brought to the cross , they tore his gown over his head , and told him , that that was their testimony against episcopacy ; they took upon them to discharge him to preach there again , and to command him to depart from the * manse and glebe , which he the more readily promised to do , because he was weary of living amongst them , and had an invitation to a charge where he expected more comfort and success in his ministry , tho less stipend . from irwin he came to kirknewt●n seven miles from edinburg in the presbytery of edinburg : about the end of february he exercised his ministry there peaceably until the th of april , at which time a company of armed men came to his house , about nine of the clock at night ( none of them were his own parishoners ) and commanded him in king william's name to preach there no more . he had complied with the first , to the present government in all things required of him , he made his application to the committee of estates then sitting , who granted him an order to preach at kirknewton , forbidding any person to disturb him , or wrong him in his person or goods . but notwithstanding this , in iune another armed company came about six of the clock one night to his house when he was absent , and ejected his wife and six small children , one of them very sick ; at this time the act of the meeting of estates in the ministers favour was produced to these people , they read it , and dropt and trampled on it , and said , they valued it not , tho it had been under king william's own hand , this being again represented to the committee of estates , they sent out sir iohn maitland , one of the said committee , to enquire about such unsufferable insolencies , who came to the place , bespoke some he heard were most accessory , and took a list of their names : notwithstanding of this , not long after five women assaulted the minister , who had been reponed and preached again . his servant and horse coming from the coal-pit , and the servant-man's daughter coming out to her father's defence , was ill hurt by them , she fell in a swound at this and at the ●ight of a fellow who came with a drawn sword to assist these assassins . iuly . yet again came a company of armed men at nine at night , the minister being occasionally absent , and were yet more outragious , and again cast out of the house his wife , children and servants ; at this time also they cast out his furniture , broke much of it , took away several books and other things he could ill spare . mr. hamilton , at his return , finding his wife in a coal-house , and being informed how badly his family had been used , concluded it ne●dless to struggle any longer with the humour , and did not attempt to preach . his sick child died before the last assault . he afterward finding it needful for him to take physick , and having no conveniency for that in the coal-house , on the first of october he entered the empty * manse , and set up a single bed , caused carry into it one chair and candlestick ; on the fifth of october that rabble returned and broke the bed all in pi●ces , so that afterward he burnt it for fewel , it being rendered otherwise useless ; they cast out the cloaths into the puddle ; spared not the chamber-pot , but beat out the bottom of it with halbards , left not his walking cain unbroken . they not finding himself in the manse , they went to search for him in the coal-house ; so narrow was the search they made , that ▪ they left not feather-beds and bolsters and chests unpierced with their swords , crying , come out dog , ( so they called the minister ) two and twenty of them , all known persons , after they had left the cottage in which the minister then lived , met his servant with two horses coming loaded with coals to his house , they carried them back two miles after they had come six , and compelled the ministers own servant to bring forth kindling to make a bonefire of the coals , which was done just before my lord torphican's windows who lived in that place . the minister happened at the time to be in a house in the town in which one of the heretors of the parish lived , with a friend , about his business . these people who had so abused his house and his servant , got notice of his being there , and came to the house and would needs see him . the master of the house and his wife , being his good friends , and stout-hearted people , hindered these people from breaking open the door , which they attempted to do . they threatned to shoot a pair of balls through the door upon the minister ; at length they promised to do him no harm if he would come forth to them . upon this he came out , and when they saw him they had little to say to him , but that he had no right to go to the manse , it belonging to the kirk , and he had no right to that : he said he had returned thither not to dwell , but only for a day or two to take physick , he having no conveniency for that in the coal-house he then lived in , he behaved himself with that caution and moderation , that they could not find the least colour to do him further injury , they only vented some foolish and impertinent words against him . all this i can prove by the attestation and oaths of famous witnesses . w. h. instruments in favour of the heritors and ministers in colingtown , who gave all obedience to the conventions commands . at colingtown the eighth day of september . the which day in presence of me notar publick , and witness under subscribing , compeired personally patrick porterfeild of comistown , and pass'd with me and several others to the kirk of hailes , where we were resolved to hear a sermon ( the minister being at home intending to preach , but waiting till the bells should ring ) where we were no sooner come , but there appeared several armed men within the kirk-yard , at whom the said patrick porterfeild for himself and in name and behalf of the rest of the heritors of that parochine , and of mr. samuel nimmo present minister there , asked from whence they were come , and to whom they belonged , and if they were come to that place of design to interrupt the minister to preach : who answered , that they belonged to the earl of angus his regiment , and were come there designedly to hinder him to preach , and that he should not preach there take his part who would . to which it was answered by the said patrick porterfeild , that king william and queen mary and their council had taken his part , and authorized him to preach ; and that accordingly he was ready to preach and to read the proclamation for the fast if they would not hinder him . to which they replied , that they disowned all such authority , and that the minister should not preach there . whereupon the said patrick porterfeild took instruments in the hands of me notar publick undersubscribing . this was done within the said kirk-yard betwixt the hours of nine and ten in the forenoon , day month and y●ar of god abovementioned , in presence of mr. hugh durie writer in edinburg , and william bole taylor there , with saveral other witnesses to the premises d●sired and required . ita esse ut praemittitur ego joannes gourlay notarius publicus in praemissis requisitus assero testantibus his meis manu & signo . william bole. hugh durie . mr. william selkrig's treatment . mr. william selkrig minister at glenhome in twiddale , read the proclamation and prayed for king william and queen mary nominatim , with the very first , and continued in the exercise of his ministry till the middle of iune , at which time twenty of the rabble , shepherds and cowherds and such like , came from crawford moor and tweedmore to his house , and threatned to cast his wife and children and plenishing out of doors , if he would not engage to surcease from the exercise of his ministry and remove from the manse : this he refusing to do , they cast out all , the minister assuring them he would complain to authority : they answered him , they cared not for authority , and they would be doing : upon which he desired they would allow him a fortnight to remove ; and with great difficulty he obtained that : his parishoners did not appear against him but owned him . upon a proclamation of the sixth of august went back , made offer to return to his ministry and conform to the proclamation . two fellows , one whereof had kept the church till he had given satisfaction for a scandal , the other never kept the church : these two had put on another lock on the church●door by their own authority . upon which mr. selkrig went to the sheriff depute with another brother to crave his assistance conform to the pr●cl●mati●n to ●ake the church●open , ●e pr●mised to cause the church door he made patent against a day they agreed ●n . the minister came on that saturday and fou●d it not done , but received from the d●puty a letter of excuse , that he would understand what had been done in other shires . mr. selkrig th●n went to the two fellows with a notar , and required the key of the church-door according to the proclamation , that he might return to his ministry . they acknowledged that they were accessory to the putting on the lock but that they had not the key : he repli●d , that either they had it , or knew where it was ; and ●p●n their refusal to make the church-door patent , took instruments of his willingness and their refusal to deliver the key , protesting for reparation of cost , skaith and damage , as the ins●●ument at length b●a●s ; and upon this ●eturned to edinburg where he and his family live still . the instr●ment and acco●nt of this , was produced by the minister under the hands of the publick not●ary and several witnesses , to persons in authority , but no redress was made . the persecution of mr. burges a complier . sir , it 's like you are d●sir●us to be informed how affairs go with me ; i am one of these who have given obedi●nce to the meeting of estates , but i met with no p●otecti●n fr●m th●m : upon the lords day , immediately after the rising of this current parliament , tumultuously , tho without a●●s , th● rabble came and possessed then selves of the church , being sent from one mr. walker who preaches in the meeting-house by the connivance of mr. m●●at ( whom i suppose you know ) who sometime was minister there , but is now old and therefore unable ( as they say ) for which they have cast him ●ff ; all this time they came not near me , nor ●●quired aft●r me ; and i no wise doubted ( in the mean while ) but that act of parliament , anent their establishment , had passed unto a law , so ●oved not abroad from my house that day ; the next i preached as formerly , without any inter●uption , the reason was ( as i knew afterward ) that the heritors and the old presbyterian ministers were offended that the young man should have invaded upon mr. mouat's right ; whereupon my officious helper has ever since retired himself and discontented with his former conven●icle : however they are resolved , i mean the rabble , that i shall no longer enjoy peaceable possession , notwithstanding my compliance : in order to this , there comes in a considerable number of fellows with arms and beating of drums to my house , and asked for me upon the tu●sday following , i was not at home , but they challenged my wife how i dar'd to preach after they had possessed the church : she told them , what i did was by the authority of king william : to which they replied , king william , we care not for that authority : at which she smiled , and thanked them for their dis●●etion . some of them threatned very rudely , that if i preached any more there , it should cost me my life ; others spoke more discreetly , and only advised i should not do it , lest i brought my self to more trouble . however , when i came home , i prepar●d for preaching , but upon sunday morning there assembled in my church-yard , and about my gates , two hundred fellows with guns staves and swords ; when i judged it near the ordinary time of going for church , i sent forth my reader to know from them , why they were assembled at so unseasonable a time , since they came not to hear sermon from me ; and withal , that they would by some few of their number , let me understand the same . accordingly they commissionated four to speak with me , who told me ●iatly , our will is , y●u preach no more here , and you shall preach no more . i was indeed a little startled to hear cowards speak in such a sovereign stile , and opposed the authority of king william to counterballance theirs , but to no purpose , for they told me they cared not a rush for that , they would do as they pleased . i have not preached there since , save in my own house . they guarded the church for four or five sabbaths , and this is all i have to trouble you with , only i intreat your prayers in behalf of sir , your brother and servant i. b. the persecution of mr. david spence . about the beginning of ianuary . between fifty and sixty men , all strangers to me , came in an hostile manner to my house , and searched every part of it for me , with drawn swords in their hands , and not finding me , appointed my wife to tell me , that they discharged me to preach any more there , or require any more stipend , under the highest pains ; and thus notwithstanding more than a whole years stipend was unpaid to me ; but i continued in the exercise of my ministry until the twentieth day of april , at that time a great number , some strangers , some my own parishoners , came to my house armed with muskets and swords , that was the day on which i was appointed to have read the proclamation of the d of april , and the cause of their coming then was , they feared i might comply ; they resolved to pr●vent that , and took away the keys of the kirk-door , and also the mort-cloth ( tho part of its price was unpaid to me ) thus i was incapacitated to obey the order of the meeting of the estates : upon this i applied my self to the committee of ●states then sitting , shewing , that whereas i was willing to give obedience to the law , yet i could not have liberty for the rabble which excluded me from the church ; the committee gave me a protection and warrand , and required the heretors to put and keep me in the peaceable ●xercise of my ministry , and secure such persons as should disturb me in my ministry . i sh●wed the protection to all the heretors , but kirkurd , one of them , and who was most concern●d , said it was not in their power to protect me , tho they were chiefly his tenants that opposed me . afterwards in september they cited me before the privy-council , which deprived me and declared my church vacant , only because i did not read the proclamation in my own house , which the law did not require : they consid●red not the protection i had from the committee , nor my willingness to obey if allowed , but tre●ted me as if my non obedience had been the most free choice in the world ; which i can prove by witnesses . this , sir , is a true account of my case . i am sir , your most obliged humble servant d. spence . the persecution of the presbytery of stranrare who complied . sir , you are desirous to have an account how the ministers of the presbytery of stranrare were tr●ated by the rabble . in the first place you must know , that all of them had read the p●oclamation , and prayed for king william and queen mary , except one who was in edinburg at the time ; notwithstanding of this they were not secure from the rabble , but on the contrary their greatest troubles then began , most of them continued preaching till whitsunday , at which time small parties of these people who came over from ireland for shelter , were imployed and conduced to go to several ministers houses to discharge them to preach any longer , adding threatnings if they continued in the exercise of their ministry there ; they put on new locks which they brought with them on the church-doors , and kept guards there and in the church-yards , to hinder the ministers from ent●ring . all the ministers of this presbytery w●re ●jected out of their manses . mr. ramsay one of them , dwelt in an hired house which did not belong to the church , but he was not spared more than the rest , these people came and drowned out his fire , cast out his goods ▪ and otherwise badly intreated his family , frighted his poor wife and children , he was forced to flee to ireland for shelter , from whence these people had come . these people , when demanded by the ministers why they who pretended to flee from pers●cu●ion themselves , and were protestants , should at such rate persecute protestant ministers , who obeyed the law , and expected rather protection , but on the contrary had shewed hospitality towards them , according to their ability . some of them being confounded at this , said , that they were pressed , yea , hir●d to what they had done ; yea , some of them vowed they should never go such an errand again . i believe necessity had moved th●se poor people for a little money to do that which otherwise they abhorred , but when some would not go they found others . the ministers , a●ter they were cast out of their manses , they lived in the barns of the manses for some time , but they were not suffered to con●inue long there but were ejected ; then they took shelter in the barns and stables of country-men who ●avoured them always , till they themselves were menaced and threatned for receiving them . one of them , mr. iames cameron , a very worthy man , was forced , with the man who reset him , to betake themselves to the fields , to save themselves in the night-time from the rabble who were come to assault th●m . this came upon the hon●st country man , meerly because he shelter●d his minister whom he loved . these furious people meeting with the ministers servant , did beat him so till he fell to the ground deprived of all signs of life . the●rabble came to a ministers wife of glenluce when her husband was absent , and enquired for him , and when they found him not , they began to cast out his goods into the closs , and the ministers wife had caused put on a pan on the fire for to make some breakfast for a sucking child , but their fury could not allow them to forbear drowning out the fire till the childs meat should first been made . this is all the abrupt information that now in haste can be given , but you may have a further account afterwards . mr. iohn maubray minister at vphall did comply with all that was required of him by the council , yet the rabble came ●pon him , did cast out his plenishing , tore his gown , aff●ighted his wife so that she died shortly after . being thus violently thrust from his wife , he came to his patron lord cardrose , one of the present privy-council , and desired that his lordship would allow him but to shelter himself in some chamber of his lordships house of kirkhill , till he provided himself of some other place ; but my lord denied his request : he then adventured again to lodge in the manse to preach to his people , but the lord cardrose commanded him to forbear , and when he would not promise to abstain , his lordship did take from the said mr. iohn the keys of the church-doors , so that he has excluded him the kirk . this can be proved by many famous witnesses , as is now attested by w. s. i. m. the persecution of mr. francis scot. mr. francis scot minister of the gospel at tweedmore , was ejected by the rabble , and his whole family turned out of doors , ( his wife having been delivered of a child four days before ) tho he complied in all points . mr. william alison minister of the gospel at kilbocho was ejected about the same time by the rabble , to wit , the middle of summer , they holding pistols to his breast , having given all obedience to the laws , yet was cited by his parochioners before the council , and was absolved and warranded to return to his charge ; after a number of women in his own parochie , rose up and went to his manse , wherein he had some plenishing standing , and threw it out and broke it all in pieces , and drove away his cows that was pasturing in his own glebe , and destroyed all his corn ; and now a meeting-house preacher possesseth his-church , preaching in it daily , albeit he be authorized himself by authority , and after all this no care is taken to repossess him . witness our hands f. s. w. a. a letter to the lord e — ne . airth octob. . . may it please your lordship , we your whole neighhour heretors concern'd in the parish of airth , considering the vacancy of our church through the removal of mr. paul gellie our minister , by the rash depositions of two or three insignificant persons , and the great insolencies of the rabble thereupon , without law or order , in abusing and violently possessing the church ; conceived our selves obliged to intreat your lordship to see what may be done for the redress and satisfaction of orderly people . and seeing we have nothing to object against the life or doctrine of our minister , who is well beloved by the whole body of the parish , whose loyalty and painfulness in the ministry , your lordship knows : it is our ●arnest desire , that you interpose your endeavour to get him repossess'd again in this church , if possible , in doing of which , you may be instrumental for promoting the good of this place , and not only oblige the whole body of the parish , but particularly us who are your lordships humble servants , alex. bruce ia. bruce of powfouls . ionas bruce of letham . al. elphinstone as tutor of stone-house . rob. rolles of panhouse . i. wright of kersie . i. forssithe of polmais taillertowne . a letter to the right honourable the lord e — ne at london . barnton octob. . . my dear lord , your lordship knows how mr. paul gellie , your minister , has deported himself in his ministry at airth , and has gained the affections of all the parish , except three or four of the very worst of them , and how he was removed from his charge upon the depositions of two flagitious fellows , who had resolved to damn themselves to get him out of his ministry . if your lordship can get his cas● fairly represented , and him reponed to his charge ; i hear that the hail heretors , and the most substantious tenents , will take it as a singular favour : and albeit i have no interest , but as a tutor to airth , i will esteem it for a singular kindness . my most humble service to my lady , and i am , my lord , your lordships most humble and faithful servant , ro. mylne . a letter to the lord e — ne in london . edin . nov. . . my lord , i have sent the testimony of the heretors of your lordships parish , with barnton's in my favours , hoping your lordship on their testificat , with your own knowledge , may procure an order of reinstallment from his majesty to me , especially considering , that to your certain knowledge i have given full obedience to the government , and have in my custody the testimonies of an hundred and fifty heads of families subscribed by them , ready to depone the truth of my obedience , and innocency of what these two infamous persons witnessed against me : yea , i have a subscribed testimony of honest men , offering to prove these two witnesses ( by whom i was deposed ) really perjured , and before credible famous witnesses one of them has confessed his perjury . and if his majesty be informed of the manifest injury done me by two perjured persons , contrary to the testimony of the whole parish , i doubt not of an order of reinstallment ; and truly the falsehood , malice and cruelty of that party in your lordships parish , is so known to the presbyterian ministers themselves , that scarcely any one will come and preach to them ; for tho they violently possess the church , which they have greatly abused , they had not a sermon these divers sabbaths : so that our people not only want the preaching of the gospel , but likewise the ordinances of the lords supper and baptism . if i were present i am assured to prevail , and if you judge it expedient , send me word by a line , and with the help of god i shall come on my own horse by land , for i am afraid to venture by sea. i would have sent the testificat of the whole parish contrary to these two false depositions against me , but i am afraid they may be miscarried , and it would be hard for me to recover them again at this juncture of time , but i think your lordships own testimony will be sufficient with what i have done . my lord , i need not use motives to perswade your lordship to move herein , all are confident you both may and will prevail for an order from his majesty for my reinstallment , which will be for your lordships honour , who is patron , and for his majesties interest , as well as my advantage . i shall add no more , but pray for the blessing of god on your lordship , lady , and the whole children , which shall ever be continued by , my lord , your lordships most faithful and obedient servant , paul gellie . the fourth collection of papers containing proclamations , acts of convention and council . a proclamation against owning of the late king iames , and commanding publick prayers to be made for king william and queen mary . the estates of this kingdom of scotland having proclaimed and declared william and mary , king and queen of england , france and ireland , to be king and queen of scotland ; they have thought fit by publick proclamation , to certifie the leidges , that none presume to own or acknowledge the late king iames the seventh , for their king , nor obey , accept , or assist any commissions or orders , that may be emitted by him , or any way to correspond with him ; and that none presume upon their highest peril , by word , writing , in sermons , or any other manner of way , to impugn , or disown the royal authority of william and mary , king and queen of scotland ; but that all the leidges render their dutiful obedience to their majesties ; and that none presume to misconstrue the proceeding of the estates , or to create jealousies or misapprehensions of the actings of the government ; but that all the ministers of the gospel , within the kingdom , publickly pray for king william and queen mary , as king and queen of this realm : and the estates do require the ministers within the city of edinburgh , under the pain of being deprived and losing their benefices , to read this proclamation publickly from their pulpits , upon sunday next , being the th instant , at the end of their forenoons sermon : and the ministers on this side of the river of tay , to read the same upon sunday thereafter , the st instant ; and those be-north tay , upon the th instant , under the pain foresaid : discharging hereby the proclamation of the council , dated the th of september . to be read hereafter in churches . and the estates do prohibit and discharge , any injury to be offered by any person whatsoever , to any ministers of the gospel , either in churches or meeting-houses , who are presently in the possession and exercise of their ministry therein , they behaving themselves as becomes , under the present government : and ordains this proclamation to be published at the mercat-cross of edinburgh , with all ordinary sol●mnities , that none may pretend ignorance . extracted forth of the records of the meeting of the estates , by me ro. m ckenzie . god save king william and queen mary . the reader is desired to take notice , because omitted in the narrative , that tho the presbyterian preachers , whom it is certain the convention thought gospel-ministers , were obliged as much at least as any others , to read this proclamation , and had it for that purpose sent them ; yet they were never called in question for their neglect of it , tho that was sufficient to turn out the orthodox clergy , which to play the pedant for once , amounts to this in latin : dat veniam corvis , vexat censura columbas . in scotch . show me the man and i 'll show you the law. the truth is , the governours knew that many of the meeting-house preachers could not be induced to do any thing in favour of any king , until he had first declared for presbytery and renewed the holy covenant , and this is the true reason , why no oath of allegiance is yet put to any of the clergy in scotland , either of the one perswasion or the other ; this proclamation was not published till saturday april ● . . and sent to the ministers at edinburgh late that night , and to some of them not till sunday morning , and yet upon that short advertisement , all were to satisfie their scruples of conscience against next morning , about translating their allegiance which they had sworn to one king , to another who had not then declared that he would accept the crown upon such conditions as it was offered with ; otherways they were to be deprived ; this is pressing of conscience with a witness ; and 't is plain from the latter part of this proclamation , that men might offer what injury they pleased to ministers of the gospel , who were not then in exercise and possession of their ministry ; that is indeed , to all the orthodox ministers in the west , who had been some months before drawn from their possessions by the rabble . to the king 's most excellent majesty , the humble address of the presbyterian ministers in his majesties kingdom of scotland . may it please your majesty , we your majesties most loyal subjects , the ministers of the presbyterian perswasion in your ancient kingdom of scotland , from the deep sense we have of your majesties gracious and surprizing favour , in not only putting a stop to our long sad sufferings for non-conformity , but granting us the liberty of the publick and peaceable exercise of our ministerial function , without any h●zard ; as we bless the great god who hath put this in your royal heart , do withal find our selves bound in duty to offer our most humble and hearty thanks to your sacred maj●sty ; the favour bestowed being to us , and all the people of our perswasion , valuable above all our earthly comforts : especially since we have ground from your majesty to believe , that our loyalty is not to be questioned upon the account of our being presbyterians ; who , as we have amidst all former temptations endeavoured , so are firmly resolved still to preserve an entire loyalty in our doctrine and practice , ( consonant to our known principles , which according to the holy scriptures are contained in the confession of faith generally owned by presbyterians in all your majesties dominions : ) and , by the help of god , so to demean our selves , as your majesty may find cause rather to enlarge , than to diminish your favours towards us : throughly perswading our selves , from your majesties justice and goodness , that if we shall at any time be otherwise represented , your majesty will not give credit to such information , until you take due cognition thereof ; and humbly b●seeching that those who promote any disloyal principles and practices , ( as we do disown them ) may be look'd upon as none of ours , whatsoever name th●y may assume to themselves . may it please your most excellent majesty graciously to accept this our humble address , as proceeding from the plainness and sincerity of loyal and thankful hearts , much engaged by this your royal favour to continue our fervent prayers to the king of kings , for divine illumination and conduct , with all other blessings spiritual and temporal , ever to attend your royal person and government ; which is the greatest duty can be re●dred to your majesty , by your majesties most humble , most faithful , and most obedient subjects . subscribed in our own names , and in the name of the rest of the brethren of our perswasion at their desire . at edinburgh the twenty first day of iuly , in the year one thousand six hundred eighty seven . to the king 's most excellent majesty , the humble address of those of the presbyterian perswasion in the city of edinburgh and canongate . may it please your most sacred majesty , we cannot find suitable expressions to evidence our most humble and grateful acknowledgments for your majesties late gracious declaration , by which we are happily delivered of many sad and grievous burdens we have long groaned under : and ( all restrainsts , to our great joy , being taken off ) are allowed the free and peaceable publick exercise of our religion , a mercy which is dearer to us than our lives and fortunes . could we open our hearts , your majesty would undoubtedly see what deep sense and true zeal for your service , so surprizing and signal a favor hath imprinted on our spirits ; for which we reckon our selves highly obliged ( throwing our selves at your majesties feet ) to return your most excellent majesty our most humble , dutiful , and hearty thanks : and we desire humbly to assure your majesty , that as the principles of the protestant religion , which according to our confession of faith we prof●ss , obligeth us all the days of our lives to that intire loyalty and duty to your majesties person and government , that no difference of religion can dissolve ; so we hope , and through god's assistance shall still endeavour , to demean our selves in our practice in such manner as shall evidence to the world the truth and sincerity of our loyalty and gratitude , and make it appear that there is no inconsistency betwixt true loyalty and presbyterian ●rinciples . great sir ! we humbly offer our dutiful and faithful assu●ances , that as we have not been hitherto wanting in that great duty which our consciences bind upon us to pray for your majesty ; so this late refreshing and unexpected favour will much more engage us in great sincerity to continue still to offer up our desires to the god of heaven , by whom kings reign , and princes decree justice , to bless your majesties royal person and government ; and after a happy and comfortable reign on earth , to crown you with an incorruptible crown of glory in heaven , which is most ardently prayed for , by , most dread sovereign , your majesties most humble , most loyal , most dutiful , and most obedient subjects . subscribed in our own names , and by order of those of the presbyterian perswasion within your city of edinburgh and conongate . there is another address that i have seen from the pastors and people of god * in the west of scotland in and about glasgow , which for high strains of flattery and vast promises of duty and compliance , far out-does the two that are here inserted , yea , and that high-flown one of your godly honest alsop in england , it is to that address of glasgow which could not now be bad , that the author of the narrative more particularly relates : by these two that we have found , men may see how ready that party was to comply with a popish prince , and how faithful they are to their greatest promises of duty and allegian●e , appears by their practices since . the viscount of dundee's letter to the convention . dudhop , march . . may it please your grace , the coming of an herauld and trumpeter to summon a man to lay down arms , that is living in peace at home , seems to me a very extraordinary thing ; and i suppose will do so to all that hears of it . while i attended the convention at edinburgh , i complained often of many peoples being in arms without authority , which was notoriously known to be true , even the wild hill-men ; and no summons to lay down arms under the pain of treason being given them , i thought it unsafe for me to stay longer among them : and because some sew of my friends did me the favour to convey me out of reach of these murderers , and that my lord levingston , and several other officers took occasion to come away at the same time , this must be called being in arms : we did not exceed the number allowed by the meeting of estates : my lord levingston and i might have had each of us ten ; and four or five officers that were in company might have had a certain number allowed them ; which being , it will be found we exceeded not . i am sure it is far short of the number my lord lorne was seen to march with . and tho i had gone away with some more than ordinary , who can blame me , when designs of murdering me was made appear ? besides , it is known to every body , that before we came within sixteen miles of this , my lord levingston went off to his brother my lord strathmoir's house ; and most of the officers , and several of the company , went to their respective homes or relations ; and if any of them did me the favour to come along with me , must that be called being in arms ? sure when your grace represents this to the meeting of the states , they will discharge such a groundless pursuit , and think my appearance before them unn●c●ssary . besides , tho it were necessary for me to go and attend the meeting , i cannot come with freedom and sa●ety , because i am informed there are men of war and foreign troops in the passage ; and till i know what they are , and what are their orders , the meeting cannot blame me for not coming . then , my lord , seeing the summons has proceeded on a groundless story , i hope the meeting of states will think it unreasonable i should leave my wife in the condition she is in . if there be any body that , notwithstanding of all that is said , think i ought to appear , i beg the favour of a delay till my wife is brought to bed , and in the mean time i will either give security , or paroll , not to disturb the peace . seeing the pursuit is so groundless , and so reasonable things offered , and the meeting composed of prudent men , and men of honour , and your grace presiding in it , i have no reason to fear further trouble . i am , may it please your grace , your most humble servant , sic subscribitur , dundee postscript . i beg your grace will cause read this to the meeting , because it is all the defence i have made . i sent another to your grace from dumblein , with the reasons of my leaving edinburgh : i know not if it be come to your hands . this letter sent from dundee the great , to the convention , will somewhat serve to discover the humour of the times , and the impartial iustice of that convention , the rabble and wild-hill men went together in arms in formidable multitudes both in the country and city , and the thanks of the convention was made to them for their good services ; they affronted the viscount of dundee daily upon the streets , and sometimes on the night attempted to murder him in his house ; all which was made evident to the convention , and no notice taken of it ; but because my lord dundee and some other gentlemen , not willing to lye longer under those dangers , retired to their country-houses only with such a guard as was sufficient to secure them from the violence of the rabble , which the convention it self allowed to noble-men and gentlemen when they travelled on the road ; upon this account he was attainted of high treason , and a herauld and trumpeter sent to summon him upon that account to appear and answer for his life and fortune ; by their own messengers he sent back to them the preceding letter , and by the tennor of it , i leave the world to judge who they were that first begun the war in scotland , which is not ended there yet , nor like to do in haste , and hath cost the nation so much blood and treasure since . an act of council . at edin . dec. . . the lords of his majesties privy council , considering that by the act of the meeting of estates of the date the thirteenth day of april last , there is a difference made betwixt the ministers then in possession and exercise of their ministry at their respective churches , and those who were not so . and that the case of the ministers who were not in the actual exercise of their ministerial function the thirteenth day of april last , lyes yet under the consideration of the parliament ; and lest in the mean time they may call and pursue for the stipend ( alledged ) due to them , or put in execution the decreets and sentences already obtained at their instance for the same before the estates of parliament can meet and give these determinations in the points . therefore the said lords of privy council finding that the case foresaid depending before the parliament , is not obvious to be cognosced and decided upon by the inferiour judges , but that the same should be left intire to the decision of the parliament ; have thought fit to signifie to all inferior courts and ministers of the law , that the matter abovementioned is depending before the parliament , to the effect they may regulate and govern themselves in the judging of all process to be intented before them upon the said matter , or in executing sentences already pronounced thereupon , as they will be answerable . sic subscribitur , crafoord . j. p. d. s. con. was ever iustice ( to speak modestly ) stretched so as in this act ; because the government in the proclamation of the date april . had left the ministers of the west , who were forced by the rabble from their possessions , out of their protection , which was all the difference mode by that act , was it therefore not just to allow them any tithes or other debts due to them for several years before , and for which they had obtained fairly decrees and sentences in courts of iudicature , surely these preachers , who by the violence of the rabble had possessed their places , had no legal or just pretence to any part of the tithes or stipends for which the others had served . with what face then , or pretence to common iustice could this be called a case depending before the parliament . a proclamation anent the ministers . at edinb . august . . whereas the meeting of the estates of this kingdom , by their proclamation dated at edinburgh , the thirteenth day of april , . did command and require all the ministers of the gospel within the kingdom of scotland , publickly to pray for king william and queen mary , as king and queen of this realm , and to read that proclamation from their pulpits upon the several lords days therein exprest ; as also , the estates of the kingdom did prohibit and discharge any injury to be offered by any person whatsoever , to any minister of the gospel , either in churches or meeting-houses , who were then , viz. on the thirteenth of april last , in possession and exercise of their ministry , either in churches or meeting-houses , they behaving themselves dutifully under the present government . and it being most just and reasonable , that the foresaid proclamation be fully performed and obeyed , as most necessary for the security of the peace of the kingdom , and that such ministers who gave obedience should be secure under the protection of the law , and that the pain of deprivation be inflicted upon all those ministers who have disobeyed the proclamation . therefore the lords of his majesties privy council , in their majesties name and authority , do strictly command and charge , that none of the leidges take on hand to do any violence or injury to any of the ministers of the gospel , whether they be preaching in churches or meeting-houses , and that all such as were in possession and exercise of their ministry upon the thirteenth day of april last , be allowed to continue undisturbed , and that such ministers as have been removed , dispossessed or restrained without a legal sentence in the exercise of their ministry , since the thirteenth day of april last , shall be allowed to return , and exercise their ministry without disturbance . and ordains the sheriffs and their deputs , stewards , baillies , and other magistrates , within their respective bounds , to give their assistance for making the premisses effectual ; as also , that such ministers who have not read the proclamation , and prayed for king william and queen mary , according to the tenor thereof , may be deprived of their benefice , and restrained to officiate in their churches . the lords of his majesties privy council do invite and allow the parochioners and hearers of such ministers as have neglected and slighted the reading of the proclamation , and praying for king william and queen mary , to cite such ministers before the privy council ; and grants warrand for citing and adducing witnesses to prove the same , that such ministers as have disobeyed , may by a legal sentence be deprived of their benefices , and that none of the leidges at their own hand , without a legal sentence and warrand , presume to meddle in this matter . and ordains these presents to be printed , and published by macers of privy council , and messengers , at the mercat cross of edinburgh , and other places needful , that none may pretend ignorance . extracted by me gilb. eliot , cls. sti. concilii . god save king william and queen mary . in this proclamation it 's visible that the ministers who were outed by the rabble before april . as almost all the ministers in the west and south were , are again fairly excluded from the protection of the government , as if the cruelty and barbarities of the rabble were to be applauded by the governours , and all these who suffered under them to be condemned as criminals and traytors to the state : and to make short work on it with these ministers who were yet in the possession of their livings , the rabble and all their enemies without distinction are here invited to be evidences against them for their immediate deprivation ; and the effect was quod non fecere barbari , secerunt barbarini . this proclamation was issued out to shorten the form of process which that of the sixth of august obliged the accusers and pursuers of ministers to observe . a proclamation for citing ministers who have not prayed for their majesties . edinb . august . . whereas by an act of council , of the sixth of this instant , in pursuance of an act of the meeting of the estates of this kingdom , of the thirteenth of april last , the parochioners and hearers of such ministers as have neglected and slighted the reading of the proclamation therein mentioned , and the praying for king william and queen mary , are invited and allowed to cite such ministers before the privy council , which act of council grants warrand for citing and adducing witnesses ; and forasmuch as the design of the said act , is , that such ministers who have disobeyed the said act of the meeting of the estates , may conform thereto by a legal sentence be deprived ; therefore that the said act of the meeting of the estates , and the act of council pursuant thereof , may attain their intended design , and effect , with the greater expedition , and least expenses to the leidges , the lords of his majesties privy council , in their majesties name and authority , do invite and allow , not only the parochioners and hearers of such ministers as have disobeyed , but also the heretors of these parochines , and the sh●riffs or their deputs , and magistrates of burghs respective , and the members of this currant parliament , within their respective bounds , to cause cite such ministers before the privy council , and hereby grants warrand to messengers at arms , for citing them , and such witnesses as are necessary , they delivering a copy of these presents , either in print or in writ , signed by their hand , to each minister that shall be cited by them to any tuesday or thursday six days after the citation , for all on this side the river tay , and fifteen days for all beyond the said river , that such ministers who have not given obedience to the said act of the meeting of the estates , may by a legal sentence be deprived according thereto ; and appoints the returns of these executions to be inrolled by the clerk of privy council , and called before the lords at their respective days of compearance ; declaring that these presents are but prejudice of any citations already given , or to be given , either upon the former act of council , or upon warrands from the council-board . and ordains these presents to be printed , and published by the macers of privy council at the mercat-cross of edinburgh , that none may pretend ignorance . per actum dominorum secreti concilii . gilb . eliot , cls. sti. concilii . god save king william and queen mary . i john dickson macer , by virtue of the above-written proclamation and warrand , summond , warne and charge you mr. james gray minister at kelso , to compear before the lords of his majesties privy council at edinburgh , or where it shall happen them to be for the time upon the third day of september next to come , in the hour of cause to answer at the instance of sir john dalrymple younger of stairs , his majesties advocate for his highness's interest , and john laidlaw tayler in maxwel-heugh , and john laidlaw wright in kelso for themselves , and in name and behalf of the parochine of kelso , to the effect and for the cause above written , with certification conform to the above-written proclamation and warrand direct to me their anent . per actum dominorum secreti consilii . dickson messenger . this is the form of the summons appointed by the council to be given to the ministers , or left at their houses if they happened to be from home . a declaration by his highness the prince of orange , for the keeping of the peace , &c. in the kingdom of scotland . william henry , by the grace of god , prince of orange , &c. whereas the lords and gentlemen of the kingdom of scotland met at whitehall at our desire , to advise us what was to be done for securing the protestant religion , and restoring the laws and liberties of that kingdom , have desired us to call a meeting of the estates in march next , and in the mean while to take upon us the administration of publick affairs both civil and military , the disposal of the publick revenue and for●r●sses , and the doing every thing necessary for the preservation of peace . we being desirous to omit nothing that may tend to the publick good and happiness of that kingdom , have ( in pursuance of the said advice ) issued forth our orders for calling of the said meeting of the estates ; and to the end that in the mean time the publick peace , and the fortresses may be secured , and the revenue collected , we do hereby will and require all persons , being protestants , that are at present in the possession of the offices of sheriffs , justices of peace , marshals of burghs , bailies of regalities , stewards of stewartries , governours or lieutenants of fortresses , keepers of prisons or prisoners , or in the possession of any inferior offices and ●aces of the like nature , and likewise all persons , being protestants , that are in the possession of any office or imployment , in collecting , receiving , managing or ordering of the publick revenue , to take upon them , and to continue in the exercise of the saids offices and places respectively , doing and ordering every thing , which the trust reposed in them , according to the nature of the saids offices , requires to be done , and ordered in the usual manner , form and method : and we do in a particular manner authorize , impower and require , such of them to whom the care of preserving the peace and quiet of the nation belongs ; to use all diligence for suppr●ssing all routs , tumults , disorders , violencies and such other unwarrantable practices as are contrary to it : and we do hereby expresly prohibit and discharge all disturbance and violence upon the account of religion , or the exercise thereof , or any such like pretence , and that no interruption be made ; or if any hath been made , that it cease , in the free and peaceable exercise of religion , whether it be in the churches or in publick and private meetings , of those of a different perswasion . requiring , like as we do hereby require all protestants , as they love the good of their country and religion , and are willing in their several stations and capacities to concur with us , in our endeavours to bring matters to a happy and desirable settlement , that they will live peaceably together , and without disquieting or molesting one another ; enjoy their several opinions and forms of worship , whether according to law or otherways , with the same freedom , and in the same manner , in which they did enjoy them in the month of october last , till such time , as by regular and legal methods , a due temper may be fallen on , for composing and settling those differences : and to the end , that the peace may be the more effectually secured ; we require all men , or numbers of men in arms , by vertue of any order or authority , and under any title and designation whatsoever , whether they be standing forces , or militia forces modelled into regular troops , and kept on foot , as standing forces , to separate , dismiss and disband themselves ; likewise we do hereby disband them , and appoint them to retire to their respective dwellings , with full assurance to them , that care shall be taken in due time for their having their pay , if any shall be found due to them . and we do farther prohibit and discharge , all persons in time coming to take arms , or to continue in arms upon any pretence whatsoever , with a commission or express order from us. excepting from what is above written , likeas , we do hereby except the garisons of the fortresses , and the company of foot entertained by the town of edinburgh , for the guard of the said town , whom we do appoint to continue in the exercise of their duty ( they being protestants ) in the said garisons and towns. and whereas several roman catholicks have been , and are still in the possession of the places and offices abovementioned ; we do hereby require them to leave the said offices and places , and to retire to their several dwelling-houses , where we forbid and discharge all persons to disquiet , disturb , or molest them any manner of way ; and we appoint the next immediate protestant officers in the fortresses , where the governours , deputy-governours , or other officers are roman catholicks , to take upon them the custody of the saids fortresses , and in the same manner , that the protestants concerned in the collecting and managing of the revenue and the keeping of the peace , do supply by their diligence , the vacancies that are or may happen to be in places of the like nature , this our declaration to be of force , and to take effect till the said meeting of estates in march next ; and to be without prejudice to any other orders we may think fit to give to any person or persons , for the ends abovementioned ; and we do farther order this our declaration to be printed and published at edinburgh , and printed copies of the same to be given , or sent to the sheriffs and stewartry , clerks of the several shires and stewartries whom we do hereby require to publish the same upon the first mercat day after the receipt thereof , at the crosses of the head burghs of their respective shires and stewartries , in the due and usual manner . given at st. james's the sixth day of february , in the year of our lord / . w. h. prince of orange . the effects of this declaration were , that these gentlemen who had taken arms to defend themselves , and the regular clergy from the fury of the rabble , disbanded and laid down their arms as the declaration required , whereupon the phanatick mob became much more insolent and outragious , despising the declaration , and destroying all the clergy they could reach , for which they had the following act of thanks . an act approving of the good services done by the town of glasgow , shire of argyle , and other western shires in this conjuncture , with a return of the thanks of the estates to them . at edinburgh , march . . the meeting of the estates of this kingdom , taking into their consideration , that by the sending of the standing forces into england , the estates were destitute of that guard and defence , which was proper and necessary in this conjuncture , and that several persons , well affected to the protestant religion , at the dyet of the meeting of the said estates , having repaired to this city of edinburgh , from glasgow , the shire of argyle , and other western shires , did at the desire , and by warrand of the estates , put themselves to arms , and since have so continued watching and warding , under the command of the earl of levin , and demeaned themselves soberly and honestly , and been active and instrumental to prevent tumults , and to secure the peace and quiet of this meeting , and place ; and there being now some scots regiments arrived here , under the command of major general m●cay , the estates do therefore hereby declare , that what is past , was good , acceptable and seasonable service , and do approve the same ; and hereby gives order to the said earl of levin to disband them , and allows them to return with their arms to their respective homes , and do return their thanks to the persons who have been imployed . extracted out of the records of the meeting of estates , by me ja. dalrymple , cls. this is the act , that in the narrative is called , an act for thanks to the rabble ; the persons to whom it relates , being these zealots ( who contrary to all the laws of religion and humanity , contrary to the laws of all nations , and particularly to the standing laws of this kingdom , and contrary to the prince's own declaration , feb. . / . ) convened and continued in arms , till they drove out all the regular clergy in the west , and many in the south , and being in number about or above , overawed and threatned those concerned , to elect members for the convention ; and at the meeting of estates , rushed in a tumultuary and h●stile manner into edinburgh , planted themselves , without any publick order or commission , about and in the parliament house , where , at every turn , they rail'd at , threatned , baffled and affronted the bishops ; nor were the ancient nobility and g●ntry ; who generally adhered to the ●pisc●pal cause , better treated by them ; the terror whereof made many of the most eminent members never come near the house , and made many who came at first , soon after desert it ; all this was considerably , before the earl of levin was , by the convention , appointed to command them : this being matter of fact well known to the estates . i leave the world to judge how well these men deserved this act of approbation . a proclamation for a general fast. at edinb . august . . present in council , e. crafurd p. m. douglas . e. southerland . e. leven . e. annandale . l. rosse . l. carmichell . sir hugh campbel of calder . sir iames montgomerie of skelmorly . sir arch. murray of blackbarrony . iames brody of that ilk. sir iohn hall l. provost of edinb . forasmuch as the great and long abounding of sins of all sorts amongst all ranks of persons , with the continued impenitency under them , and not reforming therefrom ; the falling from their first love ; and great faintings and failings of ministers , and others of all ranks , in the hour of temptation , in their zeal for god and his work ; and that although there be much cause to bless god for the comfortable unity and harmony amongst the ministers , and body of christian professors in this church : yet that there are such sad and continuing divisions amongst some , is also matter of lamentation before god ; the great ingratitude for his begun deliverance of this nation from popery and slavery , and unsuitable walking thereunto , the contempt of the gospel , not mourning for former and present iniquities , nor turning to the lord by such reformation and holiness , as so great a work calls for ; the many sad and long continued tokens of gods wrath , in the hiding of his face , and more especially in his restraining the power and presence of his spirit , with the preached gospel , in the conversion of souls , and edifying the converted ; and the lord 's threatning the sword of a cruel and barbarous eenemy , in the present great distress of ireland , by the prevailing of an anti christian party there , and threatning the sword of the same enemy at home , and the great and imminent danger of the reformed protestant religion , not only from an open declared party of papists , enemies to the same , but from many other professed protestants , who joyn issue with them in the same design , besides the sad sufferings and scatterings of reformed churches abroad ; having seriously and religiously moved the presbyterian ministers , elders and professors of the church of scotland , humbly to address themselves to the lords of his majesties privy council , for a general fast and day of humiliation , to be kept throughout the whole kingdom . the saids lords do out of a pious and religious disposition , approve of the said motion , as dutiful and necessary at the time ; and therefore in his majesties name and authority , do command a solemn and publick fast , and day of humiliation , to be religiously and sincerely observed throughout this kingdom , both in churches and meeting-houses , as they would avert wrath , and procure and continue blessings to this kingdom , and that all persons whatsoever may send up their fervent prayers and supplications to almigh●y god , that he would pour out upon all ranks , a spirit of grace and supplication , that they may mourn for all their iniquities , and more especially , that god would pour forth upon king william and queen mary , and upon all inferior magistrates and counsellors , a spirit of wisdom for government , and zeal for god , his church , and work in this land , as the present case of both do call for , and that god may preserve them for carrying on that great work , which he hath so gloriously and seasonably begun by them ; and that god would countenance , and bless with success the armies by sea and land , raised for the defence of the protestant religion ; and more especially , that god would pour forth a spirit of holiness upon them , lest their sins and ours , may provoke god again● them in the day of battel ; and that he would bless all means for the settlement of church and state : that god would bless the season of the year , and give seasonable weather for cutting down , and gathering in the fruits of the earth , that the stroke of famine , which god hath frequently threatned the nation with , may be averted . and the saids lords of his majesties privy council , do , in name and authority foresaid , command and charge , that the said solemn and publick fast , be religiously and devoutly performed , both in churches and meeting-houses , by all ranks and degrees of persons within this kingdom , on this side of the water of tay , upon sunday the fifteenth day of september next to come ; and by all others be-north the same , upon sunday thereafter , the twenty second day of the said month of september : and to the end that this part of divine worship , so pious and necessary , may be punctually kept upon the respective days above-mentioned , they ordain sir william lockhart sol●icitor , in the most convenient and proper way , to dispatch and send copies hereof to the sheriffs , their deputs , and clerks of the several shires of this kingdom , to be by them published at the m●r●at crosses of the head burghs , upon receipt thereof , and immediately sent to the several ministers , both of churches and meeting-houses , that upon the lords-day immediately preceding the fast , and upon the respective days of the publick fast , and humiliation , the ministers may read , and intimate this proclamation from the pulpit , in every parish church and meeting-house ; and that they exhort all persons to a serious and devout performance of the said prayers , fasting and humiliation , as they regard the favour of almighty god , and the safety and preservation of the protestant religion , and expect a blessed success to the carrying on of that great and glorious work of this nations being delivered from popery and slavery , so seasonably begun ; and as they would avoid the wrath and indignation of god against this kingdom , and procure , and continue mani●old blessings to the same : certifying all these who shall contemn or neglect such a religious and necessary duty , they shall be proceeded against , and published as contemners of his majesties authority , neglecters of religious services , and as persons disaffected to the protestant religion , as well as to their majesties royal persons and government . and ordains these presents to be printed and published by macers or messengers at arms , at the mercat-cross of edinburgh , and other places above-mentioned , that none may pretend ignorance . per actum dominorum secreti concilii . gilb . eliot , cls. sti. concilii . god save king william and queen mary . some of the sad effects of this canting proclamation were particularly felt by mr. ramsay who preach'd in the forenoon in the old church at edinb . a man of an unblameable life , a judicious and accurate preacher , gave obedience in all things , to the act of the meeting of estates of the thirteenth of april , read the proclamation , prayed in express terms for king william and queen mary the very first day these things were enjoyned to be done on , but that availed nothing , for the design was to remove all the episcopal ministers from the pulpits in edinburgh at any rate , and upon any pretence how little soever . mr. ramsay gets a citation to appear before the privy council . by their procedure against his brethren he knew what would be the event of this ; and therefore it being his turn to preach on that day he was cited to comp●ar on , and many of his elders and parishoners being present , he delivered some advices and exhortations which made the sermon look somewhat like a valedictory one ; after sermon his elders attended him to the foot of the stairs of the council chamber . mr. ramsay is called and interrogated if he did read the proclamation of the th . of april , he answered , i did read it : again he is questioned if he prayed for king william and queen mary , naming them , ( for it was not enough to use such expressions as were only to be appropriated to william and mary ) he said , he had prayed for them by name . but ( says the president ) you only prayed for them as declared king and queen , not as those that were really such . mr. ramsay replied , that he had prayed for william and mary , whom the estates of the kingdom had declared king and queen , and since they had no liturgy , and they had given to them no form of prayer , he thought , being he had pray'd for william and mary , no more was to be required ; and as for the words declared king and queen , he had taken them from one of their own proclamations ; which when denied , he desired the proclamation might be produced , which was done , and then it appeared he was in the right . when he could not be reached in this point , then the president , the earl of crawfurd , said , but , mr. ramsay , you pray for the late king james . my lord , said he , i p●ay in these words , lord bless william and mary wh●m the estates of this land have declared king and queen , and bless all the royal family root and branch , especially him who is now under affliction , sancti●ie it u●to him while he is under it , and when it seems good to thee , deliver him from it . this , says he , is the form i made to my self , for you prescribe none ; and is it not a sore matter , that when nothing is left to king james in reversi●n of three kingdoms , but the prayers of poor men , that you should deny him those . they then ordered him to remove , and consulted by what other way they might reach him , for yet they could not find a pretence against him sufficient to deprive him . at last they called him in , and the president said , but mr. ramsay , you did not read from the pulpit the proclamation for the fast. now , my lord ( replied mr. ramsay ) you have nick'd me , indeed i did not intimate that fast. but why did you not ? for many reasons , my lord , said he . but pray , said my lord , let us hear some of those reasons . excuse me , my lord , replied he , it 's sufficient that i confess that i did not read it . ( but according to the method of their inquisition of screwing out mens minds , and provoking them to speak , that they might get occasion against them ) they press'd him to name some of his reasons , he said , being they urged he would give them one , that it was against the practice of the universal church , and primitive canons , to fast on sunday : and he said , tho there were no other reasons but that one● he could not intimate that fast. he gave this reason , as that which he thought would give them least offence . they ordered him to remove till they had deliberated what to do with him , and then cause call him in , and deprived him for not reading the proclamation for the fast. dr. gardner a man of great parts and piety , and one of the ministers of the tal●●ooth church in edinburgh , was deprived upon the same account of not intimating that fast , tho he had complied in every thing else which they demanded . a proclamation discharging the payment of the rents of the bishopricks to any , but the persons named by the council . at edinburgh , september . . whereas the meeting of the estates of this kingdom , in their claim of right , of the eleventh of april last , declared , that prelacy , and the superiority of any office in the church , above presbyters , is , and hath been a great and insupportable grievance to this nation , and cont●air to the inclinations of the generality of the people , ever since the reformation ; and that their majesties with advice and consent of the estates of parliament , have by their act of the date the fifth day of iuly last bypast , abolished prelacy , and all superiority of any office in the church above presbyters : and his majesty considering the prejudice it may be to his interest , if fit persons be not appointed to look after , and receive the rents and emoluments , particularly those consisting of ti●hes , which formerly did belong to the bishops , hath therefore signified his royal pleasure , that the lords of his majesties privy council should give warrand to alexander hamilton of kinkell , for drawing and upli●●ing the tithes and other rents of the archbishoptick of st. andrews , he giving sufficient security for his faithful performance of his duty in the said office ; and hath also left it to the council to appoint fit persons for drawing and uplifting the tithes of other bishopricks for this present cropt and year of god . that none concerned suffer prejudice : excepting the bishoprick of orknay , which his majesty is resolved to have uplifted with the rents of the lordship . and the saids lords of privy council having in obedience to his majesties commands , nominat and appointed fit and qualified persons for drawing of the tithes , and uplifting of the rents formerly belonging to the bishops , deans , or any other person of superior order and dignity in the church above presbyters ; and least before the time that some of them can be able to come to this place , and find caution for their faithful discharging of that trust , and make intimation of their respective commissions to uplift the saids rents for the said cropt and year of god foresaid , to the persons lyable in payment thereof , the teinds and other rents of the archbishopricks and bishopricks , and others foresaids may be imbazled and introm●tted with by persons who have no right thereto ; therefore the saids lords of privy council , in their majesties name and authority foresaid , prohibit and discharge all and sundry heretors , feuers , li●erenters , tax●-men of teinds , tennents and others whose teinds were formerly in use to be drawn , and who were lyable-in payment of any rent or duty to the saids late archbishops or bishops , or others foresaids , to draw or suffer their teinds to be drawn , and from payment of any rental-bolls , feu , blench or tack-duties , and other rents , casualties and emoluments , formerly payable to the saids late archbishops , bishops , and others foresaid , except to such persons as shall be authorized by the saids lords of privy council for uplifting thereof ; with certification to them , if they do any thing in the contrary hereof , they shall be lyable therefore , notwithstanding if any pretended discharge that may be impetrat or obtained from any other person or persons for the said cropt and year of god foresaid . and ordains these presents to be printed and publish●d by macers of privy council at the mercat-cross of edinburgh , and by messengers at arms at the mercat-crosses of the he●d●burghs of the other shires within this kingdom , that none may pretend ignorance . per actum dominorum secreti consilii . gilb . eliot . cls. secreti concilii . god save king william and queen mary . this alexander hamilton who is here appointed to uplift the rents of st. andrews archbishoprick , was taken in actual rebellion at the time of bothwell bridge rebellion , and by the clemency of the government then , had his life spared , altho he was always a great ring-leader of that rebellious rout , which so much plagued the nation before and since that time . a draught of an act for establishing the church-government . presented by his majesty's high-commissioner , july . . forasmuch as the king and queens majesties , and the estates of parliament , by their act the fifth of iuly instant , abolishing prelacy , and the superiority of any church-officers above presbyters in this kingdom ; did declare , that they would settle that church-government in this kingdom which is most agreeable to the inclinations of the people . and considering , that the church-government by general , provincial , and presbyterial assemblies , with the sessions of the kirk , as it was established by the first act of the twelfth parliament of king iames vi. holden in iune . is most agreeable to the inclinations of the people : therefore the king and queens majesties , with advice and consent of the estates of parliament , revives and renews the said act of parliament in the whole heads , points , and articles thereof , ( with this express declaration , that the necessity of occasional assemblies be first represented to his majesty by humble supplication : ) and statutes and declares , that it is , and shall be lawful to the presbyters of this church to admit ministers upon presentations from the lawful patrons , or iure de voluto , which shall happen hereafter ; or into churches which fall not under patronages , but were mensal and patrimonial churches belonging to the bishops ; sicklike and as freely as they did or might have done of before by the foresaid act of parliament in the year . and to do all and every thing which before pertained to presbyteries , and were exercised by the bishops . and ordains all the ministers in this kingdom to submit and conform themselves to the church-government established by the foresaid act , and to take the oath of allegiance , under the pain of being deprived of their churches , and losing their benefices . and it is declared , that all ministers that shall submit and conform to the foresaid church-government , and to take the oath of allegiance , without being obliged to take any other oath , shall enjoy their churches and benefices , and shall not be deprived of the same , except for scandal or insufficiency . but in respect there are several ministers that were put out of their churches and benefices since the year . for not complying wi●h , and conforming to prelacy ; and others since the year . for not taking the test : and now seeing prelacy is abolished , and all acts relating thereto , it is just and reasonable that these ministers that went out , and were laid aside , for not conforming to , and complying with prelacy , and for not taking the test , should be restored to their churches and benefices ; therefore the king and queens majesties , with advice and consent of the saids estates of parliament , do ordain the saids ministers that went out , or were laid aside , upon the account foresaid , to be restored and reponed ; and do hereby repone and restore them to their respective churches and benefices . and the king and queens majesties , and estates of parliament , declares , that they will take care to provide these ministers that are now serving the cure at the saids churches , with other churches and benefices , as occasion shall offer ; they submitting themselves to the government of the church established by this present act , and taking the oath of allegiance , and being sufficient and qualified for the office of the ministry , and without scandal . as also it is declared , that intrants to the ministry shall not be holden or obliged to take any other oaths at their admission , but the oath of allegiance , and the oath de fideli . and in regard that much trouble hath ensued unto the estate , and many sad confusions and scandalous schisms have fallen out in the church , by church-men meddling in matters of state : therefore their majesties , with advice and consent of the estates of parliament , do hereby discharge all ministers of the gospel within this kingdom , to meddle with any state-affairs , either in their sermons or judicatories , publickly or privately , under the pain of being holden as disaffected to the government , and proceeded against accordingly . and declares , that the jurisdiction of the church consists and stands only in the preaching of the true word of jesus christ , correction of manners by ecclesiastical censures , and the administration of the holy sacraments , conform to the th act iames . parl. . and to the effect there be nothing treated or concluded in the church-judicatories , that concerns the affairs of s●ate , or civil matters ; it is declared , that their majesties , if they shall think fit , may have always one present in all the provincial and presbyterial ass●mblies ( as well as they have their commissioner present in general assemblies ) that in case any affair that concerns the state , or civil matters , that d●es not belong to the jurisdiction of the church , shall come in before the saids assemblies , the said person appointed by their majesties shall inhibit and discharge the provincial or presbyterial assembly to proceed in any affair that concerns the state or civil matter , before their majesties and their privy council shall be acquainted with the same , that they may declare their pleasure therean●nt . and because there are many things to be settled in relation to the policy and discipline of the church , therefore their majesties declare , that they , by the advice of the estates of parliament , and judicatories of the church , will enact such rules concerning the policy , discipline , and other matters to be observed by the church , as shall tend most to the curbing of vice , the advancement of true religion and piety , and the preservation of unity and peace amongst the subjects . and their majesties , with advice and consent of the saids estates of parliament , r●●●inds and annuls the first act of the parl. k. ia. vi. anent ministers provided to prelacies should have vote in parliament ; and the second act of the parl. ia. vi. anent the restitution of the estate of bishops ; and the eighth act of the parl. ia. vi. anent the commissario●s and jurisdictions given to the archbishops and bishops ; and the first act of the parl. ia. vi. anent the ratification of the acts of the assembly of glasgow , in the year . and the first and second acts of the parl. of k. ia. vi● in the year . anent the archbishops and restitution of chapters ( without prejudice always to the ministers serving the cure , of any emoluments allowed to them in part of their stipends ) and the first act of the par● of k. ia. vi. in the year . anent the ratification of the articles of the assembly holden at perth . and rescinds and annuls all and whatsomever acts , laws , and constitutions , in so far as they derogate and are prejudicial to the church-government , by general , provincial , and presbyteral assemblies , and kirk-sessions ; and in so far as they are conceived in favour of archbishops , bishops , abbot , priors , and other prelates or church-men whatsomever , their dignity , title , power , jurisdiction , and state in this church and kingdom , or in favours of the civil places or power of church-men , or of whatsomever sort allowed or disallowed , for their ruling , sitting and voting in parliament , either as church-men , or the clergy , or in name of the church ; or as representing the church , either in regard of their ecclesiastical titles , offices , places and dignities , or in regard of the temporality or spirituality of ecclesiastical b●nefices , or other pretexts whatsomever , with all acts and constitutions of convention , council or s●ssion , or other judicator whatsomever , and all practices or customs whatsomever , introduced in favours of the saids offices , titles , benefices or persons provided thereto ; and all other acts , statutes or practices which are contrary and prejudicial to , or inconsistent with this present act ; and declares the same to be void and null in all time coming : and seeing by the abolishing of prelacy , the is at present no meeting of the presbyteries , or provincial assemblies , and it being necessary that there be a time and place appointed for the first diet of meeting , therefore ordains the ministers of the several presbyteries on the south-side of the river of tay , to meet and convene upon the second tuesday of august next , at the ordinary places where the presbyters are in use to meet , and these ministers of the presbyteries on the north-side of the river of tay , to me●t and convene upon the first tuesday of september thereafter , at the ordinary places where the presbyters are in use to meet ; and appoints these ministers that shall meet in the respective presbyteries , to chuse their own moderator ; and ordains the moderator first to take and subscribe the oath of allegiance himself , and then administrate the said oath to the rest of the brethren , that they may take and subscribe the same ; and ordains the moderator of the respective presbyteries to return the said oath so taken and subscribed , to the clerks of privy council betwixt and the first of october next ; and orduins the first diet of meeting of the several provincial assemblies of this kingdom to be upon the second tuesday of october next , at the ordinary places , where the syn●ds and provincial assemblies were in use to meet : and ordains the church-sessions to be el●cted and chosen , both in burgh and landward , at the ordinary times , and after the ordinary manner . tho king william desired the presbyterians to pass this act for the settlement of their government in the church , yet because it seemed to restrain them from controling the state when they pleased ( as they had been always wont to do when in power ) for sometimes the parliament and general assembly flatly contradicted one another , as in the year . when king charles ● . was kept prisoner at the isle of wight , the convention of estates voted that an army should be sent ( as it was ) under the command of duke hamilton , to relieve his majesty , but the general assembly pass'd an act at the same time , flatly contradicting that , and accordingly after the king's forces were defeated by the rebels in england , the kirk , to show their absolute supremacy in the state , forced the nobily and gentry , who were officers under the duke , to make their repentance before the congregations publickly in sackcloth . i say , because this act seemed to restrain them from meddling in state affairs , as they had been wont to do , leaving them no power in the state , and the king some power in the church , as that they could not call a general assembly without acquainting him with the necessity of it , therefore this act was rejected with great contempt and indignation ; and the presbyterian minister who was then in quality of a chaplain in the parliament , said , that they would , rather than admit of such a mangled mungril presbytery , beg back the bishops again ; and that it was nonsence not to allow the clergy to impose other oaths as well as that of allegiance . the conclusion . some may perhaps think it an unkindness done to the nation of scotland , thus to expose the publick acts of the kingdom which were never ridiculous or afraid of the light , but only when some men gov●rned , who are indeed the far least and most inconsiderable part of the people , otherways why should they so violently now oppose the dissolving of this parliament and the calling of a new one ; since it is certain that the humour of the nation cannot be so well known by a thin conv●ntion , which was called in an extraordinary hurry , in a great confusion and fermentation of the people , and which proceeded with equal heat and precipitancy ? others may think , that by publishing the names ( as is here done ) of some few of these good men who have suffered , they shall be thereby dangerously exposed to the fury and violence of these zealots , whose greatest mercy is cruel●y : indeed there is too much ground for this conjecture . but our enemies have put us upon this necessity , for the late account that was given , in some letters , of the present persecution of the church in scotland , tho it was exactly true in all the matters of fact relating to that persecution ; yet in england where these things are not so well known , some men being ashamed of these barbarities , to which they gave all the life they could at such a dist●nce , have industriously represented by their tongues and pens , that account as altogether false and fabulous , altho even themselves are but too well satisfied that it contains sad truths . their mercurius reformatus , as he stiles himself , wanting advertisements , and good news from ireland to fill up his weekly papers , stuffs two or three of them with reflections on that former account of our persecution : first , he doubts the matters of fact are not true ; and it 's something strange , that one who has conversed so intimately with , and been most of his life bred up amongst scotch fanaticks , should so much question their natural and customary practices . secondly , he imputes all the mischief ( if , says he , there has been any ) wholly to the rabble , and wonders that any part of it should be charged upon the godly patriots to whom the government of that kingdom is now intrusted : but now if the matters of fact so fully att●sted in this book , and the publick acts so faithfully transcribed , do not satisfie him , and those few whom he may have led into these his willful mistakes ; they must be allowed to doubt on till one come from the dead to inform them , if even that can perswade them to believe . but thirdly , which shows that he is indeed but a new observator , he seems to grant what he would deny , for acknowledging the persecution , he says , that it was occasioned by the severities wherewith the ●piscopal party had treated the presbyterians in the by-gone reigns ; as if their new gospel could adopt revenge into a vertue , and as if all the punishments inflicted upon rebels by the state for its own security , were to be charged only upon the church , and revenged now upon the clergy , the poor helpless prelates and their curates . fourthly , he 's confident that the whole book is but a malicious design to bespatter the present government ; if the government be bespattered when the true account of their open proceedings is fairly published to the world , then the faultlyes originally in that government , not in the historian : it 's a strange severity in any government , not to suffer men to groan under burthens because it imposed them , and to knock men in the head for but clattering those chains wherewith the government fetters them . fifthly , he quarrels at the stile of the letters , for the authors , he says , do no where express any thing of duty or allegiance to the present governours , but according to mercurius's own principles of policy , there 's time enough for that when they find themselves according to the articles of the pretended original contract , and many fair promises , secured in their religion , liberties and properties , for now it 's a received axiom it seems , that protection and allegiance are reciprocal : again , he 's offended at the sharpness and severity which he discovers in the expressions , then he runs out in many rhetorical commendations ( by way of new reformed observation ) upon moderation , and recommends it from the great example of a famous roman catholick prince , whereas at another turn he will not allow either popish prince or people to be capable of the least moderation , meerly because they are papists . it 's hard to think why this gentleman should be so much offended with the stile of those letter's ; it 's not , i hope , for the scoticisms in them , for that 's a fault that neither he nor we can so easily help in our writing ; perhaps he 's angry that he , as a scotch doctor , was not entrusted to purge out their sharp humour , before they were allowed to take the open air in england . when the new observator upon march . last , published my lord crasurd's letter dated edinburgh march . . he might have observed , that in that letter my lord fairly owns , that the council did at the same time that they proceeded against ministers for not praying for king william , take probation of crimes of another nature also against them ; tho the cognisance of them did no way belong to the council ; these are the very words of the letter , for if this be true , the proceedings of the council against the ministers must be acknowledged not to have been fair and legal ; for the observator himself who once pretended to an inferior kind of practice in the scots law ; knows i hope so much , as that no court ought to hear probation of crimes whereof they have not the cognizance , nay the best of men may be abused by such proceedings , for if the court be not competent , the defendants cannot be admitted to object against the insufficiency of the probation , and so the worst things may be proved against the most innocent people . but of all them that have written or spoken against the account given in those lettert , we owe the most thanks to one downright true thorough-paced presbyterian , who writes a pamphlet against it , called , a brief and true account of the sufferings of the church of scotland , occasioned by the episcopalians since the year . the book is indeed worth the reading because in it the author has fairly pulled off that mask which others more cunning but less honest , love to act under . i shall not here hazard the turning of the readers stomach , by repeating any of these his most fuls●me expressions which he liberally strows in every page of his book ; only this i must say , that it 's not possible for a devil to bring more railing and false a●cusations against the brethren , than this pure presbyterian does against our clergy and states-men ; he has learned it seems of his friend matchiavel to calumniate boldly , hoping that if he throw a great deal of dirt , some of it may stick ; but his mallce is too large to be confin'd to scotland , and therefore he opens foully against the church of england too , for he says , * that dr. oates ( a modest man like himself ) did the nation more service than the seven idolized stars , so many of whom are now turned dark-lanthorns . neither must the complying bishops escape his fury , for of them he says , * that as they have the dishonour of being the mother of that hel●ish monster possive obedience , they have also the ignominy of being the murtherirs of it , having new basely cut its threat , as harlots use sometimes to do with their spurious breed . † then as for the english clergy in general , he says , * that let their hyperbolical pretentions to zeal for religion and loyalty be what it will , yet if the king put forth his hand and touch them , they will curse him to his face , and rather than part with on inch of superstition , or a swinish lust , will as the party have always done , lay a confideracy with hell and rome , as times past and present do evidence beyond contradiction , from the reformation to this day : in another place he says , * that their dayly prayers are , that god would pull down the antichristian hierarchy also in england ; and why ( says he ) may we not do it , as well as the english prelates and clergy plot , drink and plead against the scotch presbytery . then he soretells the downfall of the church of england , notwithstanding their sessions ( as he * speaks ) at the devil to prevent it , and for the fulfilling of this his fatal prephecy , he declares war against them , and bids them blame themselves for it , if another invasion from scotland prove as fatal to them now as it did in bishop laud's time ; and that the godly women will with their folding-stools once mere arm against them as they did in king charles i. time . this is a true specimen of the love and charity that the scotch presbyterians have to the church of england , and it 's but a little part of that fire and slaughter which our author breaths out against them : further yet he condemns all the orderly churches in 〈◊〉 , for says he . all those who use set forms of prayer are strangers to the power of godliness . so that neither the presbyterians themselves in holland , nor in france , no nor in geneva , must escape the lash of our scotch reformers , until they be purified according to the pattern in the mount , the covenant standard . but that i may not rake any longer in this dunghill , our author is as far from truth in the points of history he relates , as his manner of expression is from the spirit of meekness and charity ; and his whole discourse is as inconsistent with that , as his beloved doctrine of resistance , is with the thirteenth chapter to the romans ; and that they who shall please next to draw their pens against us who are already suffici●ntly persecuted by their hands , may find some matter as well as words to fill their weekly papers . i shall take leave of them in some few plain queries . first , considering the great charity which the scotch presbyterians have for the church of england , as you have heard ; and their intention of visiting them again ( which the author has threatned ) as they did in the year . when plate , jewels , money , houshold-goods , cattle and all moveables were declared malignants ; and they grew witty in their zeal , and told , they came for all their goods . and considering that they are more numerous now than they were then ; and if they be establish'd by law , will be much more formidable , because all will be forc'd to joyn with them or suffer their utmost persecution ; for they have declared toleration to be a●tichristian . and considering that their solemn league and covenant obliges them to root out episcopacy in england and ireland , and never to desist till they have effected it . i say considering these things , and what they have formerly done upon the same principles , query whether the settling presbytery in scotland be reconcilable to the securing episcopacy in england ? ly , whether even king william can secure himself in the monarchy against those who formerly refused to dissolve at the king's command in the assembly of glasgow in the year . who preach'd the subjects into a furious rebellion , and to the delivering up the king his grandfather to be murdered , who by act of their general assembly in . declared his negative voice inconsistent with the liberty of the subject , and who since himself was made king , have risen twice in arms , once to the number of some thousands , who threw out the episcopal ministers by their own authority ( which our author says , was * deservedly enough ) beating , wounding and tormenting them . another time a more formidable number in a hostile manner , made an address to the council , telling them , that they would not lay down their arms till the council had discharged all judicatures to pronounce any sentence in favour of the episcopal ministers , which the council was forc'd to do . neither of which matters of fact this author has remembered to answer , tho it was the subject of the whole book against which he wrote . to speak modestly , it seems to have no very good aspect to the present government , and it 's but a small a●gument of their inclinations to live peaceable long under it , that they have voted king william out of the supremacy of the church , and that they have now so soon after usurp'd it to themselves , having already without his leave either ask'd or granted convened all at edinburgh , and voted themselves into a free legal general assembly , where they draw up daily instructions for regulating the parliament , and meet and adjourn at their own pleasure ; and in their sermons before the present high commissi●ner , my lord melvil , who is of their own professi●n , they roundly tell his grace , ( if that be not a superstitious arch-prelatical title ) how he must build the temple of the lord , the temple of the lord , only by such true b'ue israelites as can well edisie , with the truel in one hand and the sword in another , and that none of these samaritans who are addicted to the superstitions and idol●tries of england , must be concerned in this thorough reformation . by those practices one may easily conjecture why they so scornfully reject the act for establishing presbytery offered by the late commissioner . king william would likewise consider how many thousands of them have and do own , that the covenant ( which is again voted the standard of all pure religion ) is the fundamental contract 'twixt god , the king , and the people . and because k. c. . broke it , therefore they declared that he had fallen from his right to the crown ; and because k. i. . never took it , that therefore he had no right to the crown , and by publick proclamations declared it lawful to kill them , and all who adhered to them ; and accordingly killed several of their souldiers and servants in this quarrel . from all which the query naturally arises , what measure king william must expect if he will not take the covenant ; and consequently swear to root out episcopacy in england . ly . query , what loyalty he can expect from those who think him to be an idolater , as they think all to be who communicate according to the church of england , whose liturgy they call the mass in english ? ly . considering their number in the north of ireland , how easily they may carry their covenant thither , and all its consequences ? ly . what danger there may be of it , even in england , whose dissenters have already learned to pray for the scotch presbyterians as their mother church ? ly . query , whether it be fit for king william and the parliament of scotland , to set up those who think it a sin to grant any toleration , not only to episcopacy , but to anabaptists , independents , or any but presbytery ? which the general assembly declared to be a sin , anno . and address'd to the parliament of england to concur with them in doing the like . lastly , whether any presbyterians , considering their late practices and demands , be more moderate now than when they formerly invaded england without any pretence , but their obligations to the covenant , and to reform the kingdom of england according to that model . finis . notes, typically marginal, from the original text notes for div a -e fourth article of covenant . notes for div a -e vide. first paper being a declaration from the prince . vide. the second paper being a proclamation from the con●ention . vide. the ●resbyterians address to king iames. in the fourth collection . vide. the first collection of some papers , relating to the practice of the rable before the convention met . vide. summons left in every parish by the rabble in the first collection of paper . so the lawyers there are called . vide. first proclamation vide. the second collection of papers relating to the practise of the rabble and the council after the princes declaration , &c. v. v● supra . vide : the paper containing the thanks of the convention to the rabble . in the fourth collection . vide. presbyterians address to king iames , in the fourth collection . vide. a proclamation from the convention in the fourth collection . vide. an act of council in the fourth collection . vide. a proclamation from the convention in the fourth collection . vide. third collection of papers , containing the suffering● of those min●sters who comply'd vide. a proclamation from the convention in the fourth collection . * dr. strachan the learned and pious ●ro●essor of divinity , and one of the ministers at edenburgh . vide. a proclamation from the convention , and the observation upon it , in the fourth collection . vide. proclamations anent the miisters in the fourth collection . vide. summons to the ministers of kelso in the th collection . vide. proclamation from the convention . in the fourth collection . vide. third collection of parpers containing the suffering of those ministers who comply'd . vide. presbvterians address to k j. in the fourth collection . vide. third collection of papers containing the sufferings of those ministers who comply'd . notes for div a -e anno . * i. e. happened to them . * i. e. parsonage house . * that is , leave his dwelling house . * or the by-past years . this is the form of summons left by the rabble , in most of the ministers houses ejected by them . i. e. all the furniture . notes for div a -e * i. e. major . * i. e. parsonage house . notes for div a -e * i. e. parsonage house . * i e. parsonage house . notes for div a -e * as they call themselves . notes for div a -e * page . * page . † what ground there is for this asp●rsion , d●th not concern 〈◊〉 in scotland , who still adhere to that our former doctrine , for which we now chearfully suffer . * page . * page . * page . * page . a second sheet for the ministry iustifying our calling against quakers, seekers, and papists and all that deny us to be the ministers of christ by richard baxter. baxter, richard, - . this text is an enriched version of the tcp digital transcription a of text r in the english short title catalog (wing b ). textual changes and metadata enrichments aim at making the text more computationally tractable, easier to read, and suitable for network-based collaborative curation by amateur and professional end users from many walks of life. the text has been tokenized and linguistically annotated with morphadorner. the annotation includes standard spellings that support the display of a text in a standardized format that preserves archaic forms ('loveth', 'seekest'). textual changes aim at restoring the text the author or stationer meant to publish. this text has not been fully proofread approx. kb of xml-encoded text transcribed from -bit group-iv tiff page images. earlyprint project evanston,il, notre dame, in, st. louis, mo a wing b estc r ocm this keyboarded and encoded edition of the work described above is co-owned by the institutions providing financial support to the early english books online text creation partnership. this phase i text is available for reuse, according to the terms of creative commons . universal . the text can be copied, modified, distributed and performed, even for commercial purposes, all without asking permission. early english books online. (eebo-tcp ; phase , no. a ) transcribed from: (early english books online ; image set ) images scanned from microfilm: (early english books, - ; : ) a second sheet for the ministry iustifying our calling against quakers, seekers, and papists and all that deny us to be the ministers of christ by richard baxter. baxter, richard, - . p. printed by r. white for nevil simmons ..., london : . reproduction of original in british library. marginal notes. eng clergy -- england. society of friends -- controversial literature. a r (wing b ). civilwar no a second sheet for the ministry iustifying our calling against quakers, seekers, and papists and all that deny us to be the ministers of chr baxter, richard c the rate of defects per , words puts this text in the c category of texts with between and defects per , words. - tcp assigned for keying and markup - spi global keyed and coded from proquest page images - taryn hakala sampled and proofread - taryn hakala text and markup reviewed and edited - pfs batch review (qc) and xml conversion a second sheet for the ministry iustifying our calling against quakers , seekers , and papists , and all that deny us to be the ministers of christ . by richard baxter . london , printed by r. white . for nevil simmons bookseller in kederminster , . a second sheet for the ministry : justifying our calling against quakers , seekers and papists , and all that deny us to be the ministers of christ . the corruption of the romish church being most in the errors and vices of the priests , which made men abhor the offering of the lord ( sam. . . ) the reproach which they brought upon themselves , did much prepare men to hearken to the reformers : the observing of this , and of the necessary dependance of the people on their pastors , hath caused the papists to bend their force against the ministers of the reformed churches , and to use all their wit to defame their persons , and callings , and make them seem ignorant , unworthy , or no ministers to the people . on this errand they send abroad their agents ; this is the saving gospel that the seekers , quakers , and their brethren preach ; that the scripture is not the gospel or word of god , and that we are no true ministers . whatever doctrine we are preaching , the opposers ▪ work is , to call us deceivers , and ask , how we prove our selves true ministers ? my work therefore at this time , for the sake of the ignorant in our assemblies , shall be , to acquaint them with our answer to this demand . and i shall give it you in order , in certain propositions . prop. . both in the old and new testament there is mention of two distinct sort of ministers , of gods appointment . first , such as received some new revelation ▪ ( either a law , or a particular message ) immediately from god ; so that the people could not be sure that their doctrine was true , till they were sure that the men were sent of god . these were called prophets , in the old testament , and apostles , prophets , &c. in the new . so moses received the law from god : and the following prophets their particular messages . so the apostles received the gospel from christ ; and so did the seventy ▪ and other disciples that conversed with him : and other prophets and evangelists had it by immediate inspiration . all these were necessarily by miracles , or some infallible evidence to prove their own call , before the hearers could receive their doctrine : for this was their message ; [ the lord hath commanded me to say thus or thus to you ] or [ the word which the lord spake to me is thus or thus ] this sort of ministers the papists and seekers do confess . but besides these , there is a second sort of true ministers , whose office is not to receive from god any new doctrine , law , or message ; but to proclaim the laws already delivered , and teach men the doctrine already revealed , and to oversee and govern the churches of christ according to his laws , and to go before the people in the worship of god : the prophets and apostles did both these ; both reveal the doctrine which they received from christ , and teach and guide the church by it when they had done : but the latter sort of ministers do but ▪ the later sort of the work . the papists and seekers cheat men by jumbling all together , as if there were no ministers of gods appointment but those of the former sort ; and therefore they call for miracles to prove our ministry . here therefore i shall first prove , that the second sort of ministers are of gods institution : . that such need not prove their calling by miracles ; though yet god may work miracles by them if he please . . that we are true ministers of christ , of this sort . . christ found such ministers under the law , that were to teach and rule by the law before received , and not to receive new laws or messages : i mean the ordinary priests and levites , as distinguished from prophets . these priests were to keep the law , and teach it the people , and the people were to seek it at their mouth , and by it they were to judge mens causes : and also they were to stand between the people and god in publique worship , as is exprest , deut. . . josh. . . neh. . , , , , . & . . levit. . & . & . & . & . & . & . throughout , num. . & . deut. . . mal. . . ier. . . the prophet had visions : but the priest had the law , ezek. . . isa . , . hag. . , . num. . . chron. . . & . . chron. . . & . . & . , . he was called a teaching priest , chron. . . lev. , . deut. . . chron. . . . ezek. . ▪ chron. . . and christ himself sends the cleansed to the priest , and commandeth them to hear the pharises that sat in moses chair , though they were no prophets : so that besides the prophets that had their message immediately from god , there were priests that were called the ministers of the lord , joel . . . . and levites that were not to bring new revelations , but to teach , and rule , and worship according to the old . for moses of old time hath in every city them that preach him , being read in the synagogues every sabbath day , acts . . the jews rejected christ because they knew him not , nor the voyce of the prophets which are read every sabbath day , acts . . and even unto this day , when moses is read the vail is on their heart , cor. . . and they that would not believe moses and the prophets ( thus read and preached ) neither will they be perswaded though one rose from the dead , luke . , . . and as priests and levites were distinct from prophets before christ , so christ appointed besides the apostles and prophetical revealers of his gospel , a standing sort of ministers , to . teach , . rule , . and worship according to the gospel which the former had revealed , and attested , and proved to the world . these were called overseers , or bishops , presbyters , or elders , pastors and t●achers ; and also the deacons were joyned to assist them , acts . . they ordained them elders ( not prophets or apostles ) in every church , tit. . . titus was to ordain elders in every city . timothy hath full direction for the ordaining of bishops or elders and deacons , tim. . that their work was not to bring new doctrine , but to teach , rule , and worship according to that received , i now prove , tim. . . the things that thou hast heard of me among many witnesses , the same commit thou to faithful men , who shall be able to teach others also ] mark , that its the same , and not a new doctrine : and that as heard from paul among many witnesses , and not as received immediately from god : and others were thus to receive it down from timothy . and v. . study to shew thy self approved unto god , a workman that needeth not be ashamed , rightly dividing the word of truth , ] it is not to bring new truths , but rightly to divide the old . and tim. . . hold fast the form of words which thou hast heard of me ( not which thou hadst immediately from god ) in faith and love which is in christ jesus ; that good thing which was committed unto thee , keep , by the holy ghost which dwelleth in us . the holy ghost is to help us in keeping that which is committed to us , and not to reveal more , tim. . , . [ i give thee charge in the sight of god — that thou keep this commandment without spot , unrebukable , till the appearing of our lord jesus christ . there was a form of doctrine delivered to the church of rome , rom. . . and tim. . . the elders that rule well are worthy of double honour , especially they that labour in the word and doctrine . you see their work was to rule and labour in the word and doctrine , tim. . , , , . till i come , give attendance to reading , to exhortation , to doctrine ; meditate upon these things : give thy self wholly to them , that thy prof 〈…〉 ing may appear to all : take heed unto thy self , and unto thy doctrine : continue in them : for in doing this , thou shalt both save thy self and them that hear thee . ] . tim. . . [ if thou put the brethren in remembrance of these things , thou shall be a good minister of jesus christ , nourished up in the words of faith and of good doctrine whereunto thou hast attained : ] mark here the description of a good minister of christ ; one that 's nourished up in ▪ the words of faith and good doctrine , ( which is the use of schools and universities ) and having attained it , makes it his work to teach it , and put others in remembrance of it , tit. . , , , . for a bishop must be blameless , as the steward of god — holding fast the faithful word as he hath been taught ( mark that ) that he may be able by sound doctrine , both to exhort and convince the gainsayers . for there are many unruly and vain talkers and deceivers , whose mouths must be stopped , who subvert whole houses , teaching things which they ought not , &c. ] so tim. . , . the office of a bishop is to rule and take care of the church of god : ] to take heed to themselves , and to all the flock , and feed the church of god : and to watch hereunto , according to the word of gods grace , which is fully and wholly delivered by his apostles , and is able to build us up , and give us an inheritance among the sanctified : as act. . , , , , . thess. . , . we beseech you brethren to know them which labour among you , and are over you in the lord , and admonish you ( this is their office ) and to esteem them very highly in love for their works sake ( and not revile them as the servants of satan do ) and be at peace among your selves , heb. . , , . remember them which have the rule over you , which have spoken to you the word of god : obey them that have the rule over you , and submit your selves : for they watch for your souls , as they that must give account , that they may do it with joy , and not with grief : for that is unprofitable for you . salute all them that have the rule over you : the elders of the church are to pray with , and for the sick , jam. ● . . they must feed the flock of god among them , taking the oversight of it , pet. . , . thus you see their office and work . . and that they were not to bring any new doctrine , further appears , in that they have a charge to preach no other doctrine , tim. . . nor to be tossed as children with every wind of doctrine , eph. . . nor carried about with divers and strange doctrines , heb. . . . yea , if any man bring not the doctrine of christ , we must not receive him into our houses , or bid him god speed , lest we be partakers of his evil deeds , for be that abideth not in this doctrine hath not god , john . , . gal. . , . [ though we or an angel from heaven , preach any other gospel to you , then that which we have preached unto you , let him be accursed . as we said before , so say i now again : if any man preach any other gospel to you then that ye have received , let him be accursed . ] and rom. . , . now i beseech you brethren , mark them which cause divisions and offences , contrary to the doctrine which ye have learned , and avoid them . ] tim. . . if any man teach otherwise , and consent not to wholsome words , the words of our lord jesus christ , and to the doctrine which is according to godliness , he is proud , knowing nothing , but do 〈…〉 ing . — ] . and if all ministers must be receivers of new doctrines , the church would never know when it hath all , but would be still obeying an imperfect law . . and it would be an oppression to the church instead of a direction , to be so overwhelmed with new doctrines and precepts . . and it would accuse christ the lawgiver of such mutability , as wise princes are not guilty of ; to be still changing or adding to his laws . . there was great occasion for the new testament or gospel , upon the great work of our redemption : but there is no such cause for alterations since . . the priests before christ were not to receive new laws , as is said . . the companions of the apostles that wrought miracles , had not all new revelations ; but did it to seal up this gospel . . what need we more then actual experience , that god doth not give new revelations to the world , and none since the scripture-times , have sealed any other by miracles . and thus i have proved to you the two sorts of ministers : as paul plain 〈…〉 distinguisheth them , cor. . , , . eph. . . there are planters and waterers , master builders that lay the foundation , and others that build thereon : 〈…〉 ther foundation can no man lay then that which is laid : but every man that 〈…〉 ildeth hay or stubble and loseth his work , doth not nullifie the ministry . we are built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets , jesus christ being the head corner-stone : but we are not built on the foundation of every pastor , teacher , elder , bishop or deacon : though both in their places ( apostles , prophets , evangelists , pastors and teachers ) are given for the perfecting of the saints , for the work of the ministry , for the edifying of the body of christ , eph. . , . that we might be one united body , having one fixed standing doctrine , ver. , , . and how shall we escape if we neglect so great salvation ; which at the first began to be spoken by the lord , and was confirmed unto us by them that heard him : ( mark whence the church receiveth it ) god also bearing them witness ( but not every elder or teacher ) both with signs and wonders , and with divers miracles , and gifts of the holy ghost according to his own will , heb. . , . prop. . and now that these later ministers need not prove their calling by miracles , i prove thus : . god never imposed such a task upon them , nor commanded the people to require such a proof , & not to believe any but workers of miracles . . god gave not all the gift of miracles that were employed in his work even in the apostles daies : are all workers of miracles ? saith paul ; some had by the spirit , the word of wisdom , and of knowledge , and others tongues , and others interpretation , and others miracles , cor. . , , , , . . they that have the holy ghost are owned by christ ; and so have many without working miracles . see rom. . . cor. . . gal. . , , , . cor. . . eph. . . & . , . pet. . , . rom. . , . tit. . . . the law of moses was kept and taught by priests and levites that wrought not miracles . . if the laws of all nations may be kept without miracles , so may the laws of christ . . if humane writings are kept without miracles , ( as homer , virgil , ovid , cicero , livy , &c. ) so may the laws of god much more , as being the daily subject of the belief , meditation , conference , preaching , controversies , devotions of christians through the world , and translated into so many tongues . . there is nothing in the nature of the thing that requireth ordinary miracles . cannot men sufficiently prove without miracles , that there have been such men as caesar , pompey , aristotle , or which be calvins or bellarmines writings , &c. much more evidently may they prove what doctrine is essential to christianity , and the scripture that contains the whole . . else parents could not teach their children , nor bring them up in the nurture and admonition of the lord , eph. . . nor teach them with timothy , from a child to know the scriptures , which are able to make men wise to salvation through faith in christ , tim. . . must no parents teach their children to know christ , but such as can work miracles ? . the doctrine which we preach is fully confirmed by miracles already , by christ and his apostles : there needs no greater then christs own resurrection , nor more then were done ; which universal unquestionable history and tradition hath brought down to our hands . . it is a ridiculous expectation , that every person should see the miracles before they do believe . then if christ had done miracles before all jerusalem , save one man , that one man should not be bound to believe : or if i could do miracles in this town or countrey , none must believe me ever the more but those that see it . and so you may as well say , i should not believe that there is any sea or land , city or kingdom , france , spain , rome , &c. but what i see . are these men worthy to be talkt with ? that believe no body , and confess themselves such lyars that they would have no body believe them . it was not all that saw christs miracles or resurrection , or the apostles miracles ! it seems the rest were not bound to be christians ? even as clem. writer told me , that no man is bound to believe that christ did rise again , or the rest of christianity , that seeth not miracles himself to prove it : adding withall , that indeed antichrist may do miracles ; and so it seems for all the talk , miracles themselves would not serve if they saw them . . is it not to put a scorn on god almighty , to say that the glory of all his most miraculous works should be buried to all that saw them not ; and that parents should not tell them to their children , or children should not believe them if they do ? . it s injurious to posterity , that the knowledge of the most wonderful works of god shall be only for the good of them that see them ; and that all ages after shall be never the better . . it tends to make men mad and as ideots , that must know and believe no more then they see : what ▪ kind of folks must these be ? that know not that there is either prince or parliament , city or countrey , or any folks in the world but those they have seen ? this will not stand with trading , converse , subjection , societies ; and its doubtful whether such are capable of managing estates ; or should not be put under others as ideots ? . children cannot learn to read nor speak without some kind of belief of them that teach them : nor can they obey their parents nor learn any trade : nor obey physitians : so that this conceit of incredulity is against the nature , livelihood , and life of man . . and they would tie god to be at the beck of every unreasonable infidel that shall say , [ though all the town have seen thy miracles , yet i will see my self , or else i will not believe . ] . they expect that god should overturn the course of nature : for if miracles be as ordinary as the operations of nature , they are confounded . . and by this they would cross themselves , and make miracles uneffectual : for if they were ordinary , few would be moved by them as any proof of a divine testimony : were it as ordinary for the sun to go backward as forward , who would take it for a miracle ? to this clem. writer answers me , that [ miracles were convincing in the first age when they were common . ] answ. how common ? not as natural operations : nor so as for all countreys or persons to see them ; saw christ at once after his resurrection : . were once miraculously fed : but as this was not every days work , so what was this to others ? and in that it was but for an age , and rarely in after ages , shews that they were not for every mans eyes . . what need we more proof then actual experience , that god doth not often now work miracles ! and he that saith the gospel , and christian faith , and church , and ministry are therefore ceased , its like will not take it ill to be taken himself for an heathen or infidel . . and we have experience of millions that still do actually and stedfastly believe in christ without miracles : and many have laid down their lives on that belief : therefore without miracles men may believe . but to this clem. writer saith to me , [ these believers of all sorts condemn each other as hereticks . ] answ. but not as infidels . none but the ignorant or passionate condemn all other sorts as hereticks . the sober do not . and it is not enough to prove you a bastard , if an angry brother call you so . . because this sheet alloweth me not room , i intreat the reader to peruse these texts , which tell him aloud that the word and works of god must be believed by tradition , though without miracles , exod. . , . & . , , , , . deut. . . to the . & . . to . josh. . , . & . . to . psalm . . & . . to . & . . & . . & . . joel . , , . acts . . & . . & . , , . & . . to . & . , . & . . & . . & . . & . . & . . tim. . . john . . & . . & . . & . . & . . & . , , . luke . . pet. . . and that you would read my determination of this very question , in my book against infidelity , i proceed to the next . proposition . this ordinary ministry for teaching , ruling , and publike worship , was ordained by christ ▪ to continue till his coming , and doth yet continue , and did not cease when the extraordinary ministry ceased . i prove it , matth. . . vpon this rock will i build my church , and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it . ] the church never did nor can subsist without its officers , who are an essential part of it , as it is a political body , and the first and most eminent part , as it is a community . and therefore if the ministry be extinct , the gates of hell have prevailed against the church . and then christ is overcome , or hath broke his promise . and then he were not christ : so that if christ be christ , the church and ministry continue . so luke . . he shall reign over the house of jacob for ever , and of his kingdom there shall be no end ; isa. . , . of the encrease of his government and peace there shall be no end ; psalm . . thy kingdom is an everlasting kingdom , and thy dominion endureth throughout all generations . christ ruleth by his officers in his church . if church or ministry had an end , his kingdom had an end , and he raigned nor for ever , matth. . . lo , i am with you alway , even to the end of the world . to this express promise , clem. writer hath no wiser an answer , but that , [ it is conditional . if they teach men to observe all things that christ hath commanded , then he will be with them , else not . ] repl. this is your forgery : here is no such words ; but an absolute promise . his being with them , is to support and help them in his work . and will you feign christ to promise them help on condition they do it without ? the further cavils against this text and others , the london ministers in their vindication have answered at large , eph. . , , . the pastors and teachers are given to the church for the perfecting of the saints , for the work of the ministry , for the edifying of the body of christ , till we all come in the unity of the saith , and of the knowledge of the son of god to a perfect man , &c. ] extraordinary and ordinary officers are here conjoyned , who between them are to perfect the building , the first laying the foundation , and the others building thereon , tim. . , . i give thee charge in the sight of god — that thou keep this commandment without spot , unrebukable , unto the appearing of our lord jesus christ ] which must needs extend to his successors . the faithful and wise stewards that give the children their meat in due season , will be found so doing by the lord at his coming , luke . , . and it is not till the last day that christ will give up the kingdom to the father , cor. . . . the apostles actually setled an ordinary ministry in their time , as is proved . . there are commands for setling successors of these , as tim. . . tit. . . as is proved . . these ministers are described , and the way of their ordination setled by canons , tim. . tit. . . we find the several angels of the churches in their places , revel. . & . and promises to some of them for the future , with a command [ hold fast till i come , . . ] and . . [ i will keep thee from the hour of temptation which shall come on all the world : behold , i come quickly . ] . christ hath commanded the ministerial work to continue to the end : as the preaching of the word must be to all nations and every creature , matth. . . mark . . and these most cruel men would have all the preachers give over their work , and leave the world to perish in infidelity . so for the assembling of our selves together , and exhorting one another , we are commanded not to forsake it , as is the manner of some , and so much the more , as we see the day approaching , heb. . , , . so that the nearer we are to christs coming , the closer must we stick to church-communion and holy assemblies : considering that it s but a little while , and he that comes will come , and shall not tarry : ver. . god doth on purpose forbear his coming because he is long suffering , and will continue the means to call men to repentance , and then the day of the lord will come suddenly , pet. . , . [ the word of the lord endureth for ever : and this is the word which by the gospel is preached to you , pet. . . the lords supper is instituted to be used to shew the lords death till he come , cor. . . church-government or discipline is a fixed ordinance , mat. . , , . and if the work continue , the workmen must continue . . the mercy of god , and the efficacy of christs blood , and the necessities of the church continue : we still need a teaching ministry , heb. . . and for our need it is instituted till the church be perfect , that we be not as children toss'd up and down , eph. . , . what enemies to us and to the love and mercy of god are they that would perswade men that he so quickly withdrew so great a mercy , when the gifts and calling of god are without repentance ? . the law and its priesthood was not removed but by the glory of a better law and ministry : and christ is the mediator of a better covenant and promises , heb. . . & . , . therefore he will not deal so much worse . . christ telleth us that a wise man will consider whether he can go through with it , before he build or make war ? therefore he would not himself begin to build his church , and enter himself the captain of our salvation , and presently let his enterprize fall . . if the ministry continue not , then the church continueth not ; for as the head , liver , and stomack , or lungs are to the body , so is the ministry to the church , cor. . , , , , . they plant and water it , cor. . . and build it , ver. . for how shall we believe on him of whom we have not heard , and how shall we hear without a preacher ? and how shall they preach unless they be sent ? rom. . . but the church doth continue : for first , else christ were no longer the head of it , the king , prophet , or priest , and so not christ : but he is a priest for ever , abiding continually : he continueth ever , and hath an unchangeable priesthood ; he ever liveth to make intercession for those that come to god by him , heb. . , , , . . those that deny the church , must needs deny themselves christians and members of that church . . there is no salvation promised but to the church , eph. . , , , . mark . . . blindness is on the jews but till the fulness of the gentiles be come in , and so all israel shall be saved : therefore it is most evident that the gentile church shall not cease till the fulness have prepared for the re-ingrassing of the jews , rom. . , . . it is an everlasting kingdom , which cannot be moved , and the city of the living god , the heavenly jerusalem , whereof even the angels and perfected spirits of the just are a part , to which we come by faith : therefore it ceaseth not , heb. . , , . . when that which is perfect is come , then that which is in part shall be done away , cor. . but not before . . if nothing can separate us from the love of god , no not any distress or tribulation , then are not all the ministers and church cut off , rom. . . to . yea , those that in all ages suffer for his sake are not cut off from him : but so many faithful ministers do . . but what should i say any more against that assertion which carrieth stark heathenism or infidelity in its forehead , reproaching christ as no christ , and teaching men that they are not bound to be christians , and believe the gospel , and perswading the world to despise christs messengers and ordinances ; and ministers to cast off their masters work ; which in two words is , to turn infidels , or apostates . i must refer you for my fuller answer to such men , to my book against infidelity . prop. . god hath in his law appointed a standing way for the calling of these ordinary teaching , ruling , worshipping ministers , in all ages ; and doth himself call them in this way . . he instituteth the office . . he commandeth that fit persons be ordained to this office . . he describeth them by their necessary qualifications . all this is at large , tim . tit. . act. . pet. . &c. this is his work by his standing law . by which also he commandeth the people to choose , consent to , or accept the fit , and to hear and obey them , acts . . thes. . . acts . , . heb. . , . and then by providence , . he giveth them those gifts of the spirit that may competently qualifie them for their office . . he assisteth the choosers and ordainers to discern those qualifications , and do their duties . . he causeth some special fitness of a minister to the special province or charge , which he is to undertake , and special inviting occasions and opportunities , and oft-times causeth necessity to make the choice . . he coweth the heart of the person called to consent , and usually to desire the work , ( for the right ends . ) . and if he be called to be the pastor of a particular church ; he moveth the people to consent or accept him . and thus god according to his appointed order doth call his ministers . besides which , he afterward . helps them in his work . and procureth them liberty , and often furtherance from christian magistrates . . and giveth them success . proposition . the faithful pastors of the reformed churches , are these ordinary ministers of christ , approved by him , and given in great mercy to his people , who are bound to know , honour and obey them in the lord . i exclude not all others , but i now prove that these are true ministers . argument . they that have all that is essential to true ministers , are true ministers : but such are these pastors of the reformed churches : as i prove thus : if the office it self be of gods institution , and their qualifications competent , and their entrance right in every point of flat necessity , then they have all that is essential to true ministers : but the former is true , as i shall prove in the three several parts . . that the office it self is of gods appointment , is proved fully before , and confessed by all christians that ever i knew , acts . . tim. . tit. . pet. . , . thes. . . heb. . , , . acts . . . for qualifications , they have . competent knowledge , . and vtterance , . and godliness : and these are the qualifications that god accepteth , cor. . . tim. . . tim. . . mark the canons of the holy ghost , tim. . . they must be . faithful men , . able to teach others : but such are those in question , tim. . a bishop must be blameless ( that is , not scandalous ) the husband of one wife , vigilant , sober , of good behaviour , given to hospitality , apt to teach , not given to wine , no striker , not greedy of filthy lucre , but patient , not a brawler , not covetous , one that ruleth well his own house , having his children in subjection , with all gravity . ] to which is added , tit. . , . a lover of good men , sober , just , holy , temperate , holding fast the faithful word as he hath been taught , that he may be able by sound doctrine both to exhort , and to convince the gainsayers . ] let all here note , . that here is not only the mention of the vertues necessary to the being , but to the well-being also of a minister : . and yet through the great mercy of god , all these are the qualifications of multitudes of the pastors of the reformed churches , as malice it self must be forced to confess . but if any deny it of any particular men , as that is nothing to the rest ; so an unproved accusation is not by honest men to be believed . the world knows that the act for rejecting scandalous , insufficient , negligent ministers is very strict , and commissioners in each county forward to execute it , and ministers have enemies enough to search out their faults , and yet none are more forward then ministers themselves to have the act put in execution , so that their standing justifies them before the world : or , if any will yet deny them the necessary qualifications , i here challenge and provoke them to accuse all that are guilty , and cast them out ; or else to confess themselves meer slanderers , and backbiters , and learn more truth and modesty hereafter . . and for the third point , their entrance into the office : they have all that god hath made necessary to a just entrance , as i prove : they that have a true ordination , and the peoples consent , and the magistrates allowance , have all that god hath made necessary to a just entrance , and more then all : but the said pastors of the reformed churches have true ordination , and the peoples consent , and the magistrates allowance : that they have true ordination , i shall shew anon in answering all that can be said against it . the peoples consent , by electing , or accepting is known by the fact : and so is the magistrates by law and fact : i put in all this ▪ though more then necessary , that all objections may be satisfied at once : so that the enumerations being unquestionable , the conclusion is so to . in short : all those are true ministers , that are in an office of gods own institution , and are competently fitted for that office by knowledge , godliness , and vtterance , and have all , and more then all that god hath made necessary to a right entrance or admission , even true ordination , consent of the flock , and the magistrates allowance . but such are the said pastors of the reformed churches , therefore they are true ministers of christ . argument . those that have not only the essentials , but excell all other ministers on earth ( that are known to the world ) are certainly the true ministers of christ . but such are the ministers before mentioned of the reformed churches , ergo . this will be proved at once with the next , which is , argument . either these pastors of the reformed churches , are the true ministers of christ , or else there are none such visible in the world : but there are such visibly and certainly in the world , as was proved : else there is no church , no ordinances , no christianity , no christ : for he can be no king without subjects and laws : no master without a school and scholars : no physitian without patients : no husband without his spouse : no head without a body : no intercessor without a church to intercede for . and to believe the holy catholick church , and the communion of saints , is part of our belief and therefore the christian faith is gone if these be gone . and that either we , or none are christs true ministers , i prove thus : . we challenge the adversary to name us the true church and ministry ; if these be none of them , where be they , and who are they ? speak out , or give up your wicked cause . if you know not who they be or where , then how know you that there are any such ? true ministers are like a light that shineth to all the house , even the lights of the world , and like a city on a hill that cannot be hid , matth. . , , . . but let us try the particulars : . the seekers have no church or ministry . . the quakers have no ordination , that we know of , and are every way so unworthy , and had no being in the world till a few years ago , that he is either no christian , or of a crazed brain , that thinks christ hath no church or ministry but them . . the anabaptists , socinians , swenkfeldians , familists , paracelsians , weigelians , and such like , have no more to shew for their ministry and churches then we , but their errors ; and are so few and so lately sprung up , that of them also i may say , that he that takes them for the only church , or ministers , is either out of the faith , or much out of his wits . . the eastern and southern churches have no more to shew for their ministry and churches then we : but are incomparably more ignorant . , and erroneous : few of them doing more then read their liturgies and homilies , and so administer the sacraments . . all the controversie therefore lyeth between us and the papists . either they are true ministers and a church , or not . if not , then it s left to us . if they are , then we are so much more . for we have much more unquestionable evidence of our title . . the office of a t●aching , guiding , worshiping presbyter which we are in , is beyond all question , and yielded by themselves , to be of divine institution . but the office of a mass-priest , to make a god of a piece of bread , and turn bread into flesh , so that there shall be quantity , colour , taste , &c. without bread , or any subject ; and a mans eyes , tast , or feeling shall not know that its bread or wine , when we see , taste , and feel it ; as also to celebrate publike worship in an unknown tongue ; this office is more questionable then ours . . it remaineth a great doubt , whether the pope be not the antichrist : but of our ministry there 's no such doubt . . for knowledge , godliness and utterance , and all true ministerial abilities , as it s well known what an ignorant rabble their common secular mass-priests are , so those military fryers and jesuites that are chosen of purpose to play their game among us , and credit their cause : if they have any reliques of truth or modesty , will confess that the generality of our ministers are much beyond theirs for parts and piety ; or at least , that we cannot be denied to be true ministers for want of necessary abilities : we should rejoyce if their ministers , priests , or jesuites were neer of such piety as those of the reformed churches . some of their jesuites and fryers are learned men : in which also we have those that equal the best of them : but for the learning , ability , or piety of the common ministers on both sides , there is no comparison to be made . . all the question then is of the way of entrance . and there . the papists seek not the peoples consent so much as we do . . they despise the magistrates consent , in comparison of us . . and for ordination , which is it that all the stress must be laid on , we have it , and neerer the rule of god then they . are 〈◊〉 ordained with fasting , prayer , and imposition of hands ? so are we . m 〈…〉 it be by one of a superiour order ? who then shall ordain or consecrate the pope ? and yet a multitude of our ministers are ordained 〈◊〉 bishops , if that be necessary : but the great objection is , that we have not an uninterrupted succession from the apostles , and so those that ordained us had no power ; and therefore could not give it to us . proposition . the want of an uninterrupted succession , and so of power in the ordainers doth not disable our title to the ministry , or set us in a worse condition then the papists . for if it be only the succession of possession of the office , there is no man of brains can deny , but we have an uninterrupted succession down from the apostles . but if it be a succession of right ordination that is questioned , . the papists have none such themselves . . we have more of it then they . . it is not necessary that this be uninterrupted . all these i prove : . the popes themselves from whom their power flows , have been hereticks , denied the immortality of the soul , whoremongers , sodomites , simonists , murderers , so that for many of them successively the papists confess they were apostatical , and not apostolical : see in their own writers the lives of silve. . . alexand. & . john . & . & : . greg. . vrban . . and abundance more . joh. . was proved in council to have ravished maids and wives at the apostolick doors , murdered many , drunk to the devil , askt help at dice of jupiter and venus : and was kill'd in the act of adultery . read the proofs in my book against popery , pag. , , , . the council at pisa deposed two popes at once , called them hereticks departed from the faith . the council at constance deposed joh. . as holding that there was no eternal life , immortality of the soul or resurrection : the council at basil deposed eugenius . as a simonist and perjured wretch , a schismatick , and obstinate heretick . now these men are uncapable of the ministry , as an infidel is , for want of essential qualifications : as copper is no currant coyn , though the stamp of the prince against his will be put upon it : undisposed matter cannot receive the form . a fit man unordained is neerer the ministry , then such a man ordained . so that here was a nullity . . and all the following popes were the successors of eugenius , that was deposed and thus judged by a general council ; but by force brought them to submit and held the place . . either the election , ordination , or both is it that giveth them the essence of their papacy . if election , then there hath been a long interruption : for somewhile the people chose , and in other ages the emperors chose , and in these times the cardinals ; and therefore some of them had no lawful choyce : and for ordination , or consecration . . there have been three or four popes at once , and all were consecrated , that yet are now confessed to have been no true popes . . inferiours only consecrated . . and such as had no power themselves . besides that , the sea hath been very many years vacant , and some score years the pope hath been at avignion , and had but the name of p. of rome . and when three or four have been pope at once , bellarmine confesseth , learned men knew not which was the right , yea , general councils knew not . the council at basil thought faelix the fifth was the right pope , but it proved otherwise , so that many palpable intercisions have been made at rome . . our ordination hath been less interrupted then theirs . object . but you are not ordained by bishops . answ . . almost all in england are till of late , if that will serve . . presbyters may or●●●● in case of necessity , as the generality of the old episcopal men grant , and their ordination is not null . . presbyters have power to ordain , and were restrained only from the exercise by humane laws , as many of the schoolmen confess . . presbyters have still ordained with the bishop : therefore they had authority to it , and the work is not alien to their function . . our parish presbyters are bishops , having some of them assistants , and deacons under them . or as grotius notes , at least , they are so , as being the chief guides of that church : their own rule is , that every city should have a bishop : and every corporation is truly a city , {non-roman} {non-roman} {non-roman} {non-roman} {non-roman} , and therefore must have a bishop . . the jus divinum of prelacy is lis sub judice . . bishop vsher maintaining to me the validity of the ordination of the presbyters without a bishop , told me how he answered king c. who askt him for an instance in church-history , viz. that hierom ad evag. tels us of more ; that the presbyters of alexandria , till the dayes of heroclas and dionysius took one from among themselves , and made him bishop : therefore they may make a presbyter , which is less . . it s at last confessed , that in scripture-times there were no presbyters under bishops , but the single churches had single pastors . . no man can prove ordination by fixed bishops over many churches ( now called diocesan ) in the first age : the fixed bishops had no more at first but single churches . object . but you never received power from the bishop to ordain : and therefore cannot have that which was never given you . answ . if they put men into that office , to which god hath affixed the power of ordination , then they do their part to convey the power . as if you marry a couple , and express not the mans authority over the woman , yet he hath it nevertheless by being made her husband . so he that is made a pastor in city or country , may do the work of a pastor , though each particular was not named . proposition . ordination is ordinarily necessary as a means of our right entrance , but not absolutely necessary to the being of our office or power . for . god , having already settled the office , duty , and power , and what qualifications shall be necessary , and giving these qualifications to men , he hath left nothing to man but mutual consent , and to judge of the person qualified , and solemnly introduce him . . god hath not tyed himself or us absolutely to the ●udgement of ordainers . if a bishop ordain a heathen , or any man void of essential qualifications , its null , as being against a flat command of god : and if bishops refuse to ordain us pastors , the people must take them without : because the command of preaching , hearing , sacraments , &c. is greater then that of ordination , and before it . positives yield to natural morals , and matters of order to the substance and end of the duty ordered . see my christian concord , pag. , , . . ordination is no more necessary to the ministry then baptism to christianity . as those that are first princes by title , must be crowned , and those that are souldiers by contract , must be listed and take colours , and those that are husband and wife by contract , must be solemnly married , which are celebrating , perfecting actions ; so they that are first heart-christians by believing , or by parents dedicating them to god , must be solemnly entred under the hand of the minister : and those that are by approbation and consent initially ministers , must by solemnization have the office publikely delivered them by the ministers of christ . so that as a man is a christian indeed before baptism initially , and is justified initially before , and in case of necessity may be saved without it ( the papists confessing that the vow will serve ) so is it in the case of ordination to the ministry . proposition . it is only christ and not the ordainers , people or magistrates that give us our office and power : only the people and approvers design the person which shall receive it from christ : and our own consent , and the peoples is of necessity thereto ( and our own much as theirs ) and the ordainers do instrumentally invest us in it : but the power and duty arise directly from gods institution , when the person is designed . now i proceed to prove our calling . argument . we have a far clearer call then the priests before christ had to the priesthood : for they were not of the true line : they bought the priesthood : they corrupted the doctrine and worship , and were of wicked lives . and yet christ commanded submission to their ministry , ergo . argument . if we have as clear a call to our office as any magistrates on earth have to theirs , then we are true ministers of christ . for they are true magistrates : and god is the fountain of their power too : and its impossible they should have any but from him . or from him but by his means . officers have no power but from the soveraign . the prince was at first chosen by god , immediately , as well as the apostles were by christ , yet no prince can plead an uninterrupted succession thence : and if they may reign without it , we may be pastors without it : and yet i cannot say that we are without it , though princes be . kings were formerly anointed by inspired prophets , and were prophets themselves . and as the continuance of this is not necessary to them , so neither to us . the differences between their power and ours , makes nothing against this argument : if conquest , or the peoples consent , or birth , or directing providences can prove their title , then consent , ordination , providence , with due qualifications , will sure prove ours : were it not for fear , they should soon hear the arguments more set home against themselves , that are now bent against the ministers . argument . if besides all this god own us by such a blessing on our labours , that he maketh us the means of propogating and continuing his gospel and church , and brings most of his chosen to vnion with christ , reconciliation , holiness , and to heaven by our ministry , then certainly we are his true ministers ; but experience assureth us of the former : therefore — so much for argument . proposition . if a minister be in quiet possession of the place , and fit for it , the people are bound to obey him as a minister , wi●hout knowing that he was justly ordained or called . argum. . we must obey a magistrate without assurance of his call and title , rom. . therefore a minister . . christ commanded hearing and obeying them that were not called as god appointed : because they were priests , or sat in moses chair , and taught the truth , luke . . matth. . . luke . . matth. . . mark . . . else the people are put upon impossibilities : can all the poor people tell before they submit to minister , what is essential to his call , and whether he have all that is so , and whether his orders be true or forged , and whether they that ordained him were truly ordained , or chosen themselves ? not one of twenty thousand knows all this by their pastors . proposition . the ordinances are valid to the people when the minister is uncalled and unordained , if they know it not : he that hath no just call , shall answer for what he doth as an intruder ; but the people shall have for all that the fruit of his ministration ; and preaching , and baptism , and other acts shall not be null to them . . the papists themselves confess this . . else scarce a man could tell whether he be baptized , or may use any ordinance because he cannot have an exact account of the ministers call , no nor know that he is indeed a christian , i knew divers in the bishops daies that forged themselves orders , and acted long before it was discovered . . it is the office which is gods ordinance , that is blest , and valid to the people , and not his call only . . it is he that sinneth that must suffer , and not the innocent ; therefore his sin depriveth them not of their due . . as an usurping magistrate oweth us protection , though he shall answer for his usurpation : so an usurping minister oweth us his labour ; so that the people are bound to hear and obey men , when they are uncertain of their due call , if they possess the place : and shall have the blessing of such administrations . for we are sure the office and work is of god . proposition . the truth of our doctrine depends not on our calling . were we no ministers , we can prove the gospel true which we deliver . and any man must be believed , that brings a truth that concerneth our peace . therefore let quakers , and seekers , and papists first disprove our doctrine if they can : and not cheat the people by perswading them that our calling must first be proved ; as a prophets must be . object . but you have your learning only from books , and vniversities : and so have not true ministers . answ . we have it from god in the use of his means , even by prayer , reading , study , & learning his works & word of our teachers , whether at universities or elswhere . and we are commanded to study and meditate on these things , and give our selves wholly to them , and to meditate on gods law day and night , psal. . . tim . tim. . , . christs ministers must be teachers or tutors to others , and commit the things which they have heard to faithful men , who shall be able to teach others also , tim. . . good ministers of christ are nourished up in the words of faith and good doctrine , and so attain to it , tim. . . all should learn according to their time of teaching , heb. . , , . we study nothing but the word , and works of god : and is not that a wretch and not a man that will reproach us as no ministers , for doing that which we have our reason for , and which must be the work of our lives ! poor christians , as you love god and your souls , and would not cast off christ and heaven , let not deceivers draw you to cast off the ministry , scripture , or the ordinances of god . octob. . . finis . the duty of pastors and people distingushed [sic]. or a briefe discourse, touching the administration of things commanded in religion. especially concerning the means to be used by the people of god (distinct from church-officers) for the increasing of divine knowledge in themselves and others. wherein bounds are prescribed to their peformances, their liberty is enlarged to the utmost extent of the dictates of nature and rules of charity: their duty laid downe in directions, drawn from scripture-precepts, and the practise of gods people in all ages. together with the severall wayes of extraordinary calling to the office of publike teaching, with what assurance such teachers may have of their calling, and what evidence they can give of it, unto others. / by john ovven, m.a. of q. col. o. owen, john, - . this text is an enriched version of the tcp digital transcription a of text r in the english short title catalog (thomason e _ ). textual changes and metadata enrichments aim at making the text more computationally tractable, easier to read, and suitable for network-based collaborative curation by amateur and professional end users from many walks of life. the text has been tokenized and linguistically annotated with morphadorner. the annotation includes standard spellings that support the display of a text in a standardized format that preserves archaic forms ('loveth', 'seekest'). textual changes aim at restoring the text the author or stationer meant to publish. this text has not been fully proofread approx. kb of xml-encoded text transcribed from -bit group-iv tiff page images. earlyprint project evanston,il, notre dame, in, st. louis, mo a wing o thomason e _ estc r this keyboarded and encoded edition of the work described above is co-owned by the institutions providing financial support to the early english books online text creation partnership. this phase i text is available for reuse, according to the terms of creative commons . universal . the text can be copied, modified, distributed and performed, even for commercial purposes, all without asking permission. early english books online. (eebo-tcp ; phase , no. a ) transcribed from: (early english books online ; image set ) images scanned from microfilm: (thomason tracts ; :e [ ]) the duty of pastors and people distingushed [sic]. or a briefe discourse, touching the administration of things commanded in religion. especially concerning the means to be used by the people of god (distinct from church-officers) for the increasing of divine knowledge in themselves and others. wherein bounds are prescribed to their peformances, their liberty is enlarged to the utmost extent of the dictates of nature and rules of charity: their duty laid downe in directions, drawn from scripture-precepts, and the practise of gods people in all ages. together with the severall wayes of extraordinary calling to the office of publike teaching, with what assurance such teachers may have of their calling, and what evidence they can give of it, unto others. / by john ovven, m.a. of q. col. o. owen, john, - . [ ] , [ ] p. printed by l. n. for philemon stephens, at the gilded lion in pauls church-yard, london : . reproduction of the original in the british library. annotation on thomason copy: "may. ". eng clergy -- office -- early works to . church polity -- early works to . a r (thomason e _ ). civilwar no the duty of pastors and people distingushed [sic]. or a briefe discourse, touching the administration of things commanded in religion.: esp owen, john d the rate of defects per , words puts this text in the d category of texts with between and defects per , words. - tcp assigned for keying and markup - aptara keyed and coded from proquest page images - elspeth healey sampled and proofread - elspeth healey text and markup reviewed and edited - pfs batch review (qc) and xml conversion the duty of pastors and people distingushed . or a briefe discovrse , touching the administration of things commanded in religion . especially concerning the means to be used by the people of god ( distinct from church-officers ) for the increasing of divine knowledge in themselves and others . wherein bounds are prescribed to their performances , their liberty is enlarged to the utmost extent of the dictates of nature and rules of charity : their duty laid downe in directions , drawn from scripture-precepts , and the practise of gods people in all ages . together with the severall wayes of extraordinary calling to the office of publike teaching , with what assurance such teachers may have of their calling , and what evidence they can give of it , unto others . by john ovven , m. a. of q. col. o. london , printed by l. n. for philemon stephens , at the gilded lion in pauls church-yard . . to the trvly noble , and my ever honoured friend , sir edward scot , of scots-hall in kent , knight of the honourable order of the bath . sir : having of late been deprived of the happinesse to see you , i make bold to send to visite you ; and because that the times are troublesome , i have made choise of this messenger : who having obtained a license to passe , feares no searching : he brings no newes ( at least ) to you , but that which was from the beginning , and must continue unto the end , which you have heard , and which ( for some part thereof ) you have practised out of the word of god . he hath no secret messages prejudiciall to the state of church or common-wealth ; neither i hope , will he entertain any such comments by the way ▪ considering from whom he comes , and to whom he goes ; of whom , the one would disclaime him , and the other punish him . ambitious i am not of any entertainment for these few sheetes , neither care much what successe they find in their travel ; setting them out meerly in my own defence , to be freed from the continued solicitations of some honest judicious men , who were acquainted with their contents : being nothing , but an houres country-discourse , resolved , from the ordinary pulpit method , into its own principles : when i first thought of sending it to you , i made ful account to use the benefit of the advantage , in recounting of , and returning thanks for some of those many undeserved favours which i have received from you . but addressing my self to the performance , i fainted in the very entrance ; finding their score so large , that i know not where to begin , neither should i know how to end : only one i cannot suffer to lye hid in the croud , though other engagements hindred me from embracing it , viz. your free proffer of an ecclesiastical preferment , then vacant , and in your donation . yet truly all received courtesies , have no power to oblige me unto you , in comparison of that abundant worth , which by experience i have found to be dwelling in you . twise by gods providence , have i been with you , when your county hath been in great danger to be ruined , once by the horrid insurrection of a rude godlesse multitude ; and againe , by the invasion of a potent enemy , prevailing in the neighbor county ; at both which times , besides the generall calamity justly feared , particular threatnings were daily brought unto you : under which sad dispensations , i must crave leave to say ( only to put you in mind of your selfe , if it should please god againe to reduce you to the like straights ) that i never saw more resolved constancy , more cheerfull unmoved christian courage in any man . such a valiant heart in a weak body , such a directing head , where the hand was but feeble , such unwearied endevours , under the pressures of a painful infirmity , so well advised resolves in the midst of imminent danger , did i then behold , as i know not where to parallel . neither can i say lesse in her kind of your vertuous lady , whose known goodnesse to al , and particular indulgences to me , make her ( as she is in her self ) very precious in my thoughts and remembrance : whom having named , i desire to take the advantage thankfully to mention her worthy son , my noble and very deare friend c. westrow , whose judgement to discerne the differences of these times , and his valour in prosecuting what he is resolved to be just and lawfull , places him among the number of those very few , to whom it is given to know aright the causes of things , and vigorously to execute holy and laudible designes . but further of him i choose to say nothing , because if i would , i cannot but say too little . neither will longer detain you from the ensuing discourse , which i desire to commend to your favourable acceptance , and with my hearty prayers , that the lord would meet you and yours in all those wayes of mercy and grace , which are necessary to carry you along through all your engagements , untill you arrive at the haven of everlasting glory , where you would be : i rest your most obliged servaent in iesus christ our common master : john ovven . the preface to the ensuing discourse . the glasse of our lives , seemes to runne and keep pace with the extremity of time : the end of those ends of the world a which began with the gospell , is doubtlesse comming upon us , hee that was instructed what should bee , till time should be no more , said , it was {non-roman} {non-roman} {non-roman} {non-roman} {non-roman} the last houre in his time : much sand cannot be behind , and christ shakes the glasse : many minutes of that houre cannot remaine ; the next measure we are to evpect , is but a moment , the twinkling of an eye , wherein we shall all be changed ; now as if the horoscope of the decaying age , had some secret influence into the wils of men , to comply with the decrepit world , they generally delight to run into extreames : not that i would have the fate of the times to beare the faults of men , like him who cried , {non-roman} {non-roman} {non-roman} {non-roman} {non-roman} to free himself , intitling god and fate to his sins ; but only to shew how the all-disposing providence of the most hign , works such a complyance of times and persons , as may joyntly drive at his glorious aymes , causing men to set out in such seasons as are fittest for their travell . this epidemicall disease of the aged world , is the cause , why in that great diversity of contrary opinions , wherewith mens heads and hearts are now replenished : the truth pretended to be sought with so much earnestnesse , may be often gathered up , quite neglected , between the parties litigant ; medio tulissimus , is a sure rule , but that fiery spirits , pyrout eocus & aethon quartusque phlegon , will be mounting . in the matter concerning which , i propose my weake essay , some would have all christians to be almost ministers , others none but ministers , to be gods clergie : those would give the people the keys , these use them , to lock them out of the church , the one ascribing to them primarily al ecclesiasticall power for the ruling of the congregation ; the other abridging them of the performance of spirituall duties , for the building of their own soules : as though there were no habitable earth betweene the valley ( i had almost said the pit ) of democraticall confusion , and the precipitious rock of hierarchicall tyranny : when unskilfull archers shoot , the safest place to avoid the arrow , is the white : going , as neare as god shall direct me , to the truth of this matter , i hope to avoid the strokes of the combatants on every side . and therefore wil not handle it {non-roman} {non-roman} {non-roman} {non-roman} {non-roman} with opposition to any man , or opinion , but {non-roman} {non-roman} {non-roman} {non-roman} {non-roman} briefly proposing mine owne required judgement : the summary result whereof , is , that the sacred calling may retaine its ancint dignity , though the people of god be not deprived of their christian liberty ; to cleare which proposall , somethings i shall briefly premise , chap. i. of the administration of holy things among the patriarks before the law . . concerning the ancient patriachs ; from these , some who would have judaisme , to be but an intercision of christiauity derive the pedigree of christians , affirming the diference between us & them , to be solely in the name & not the thing it self : of this thus much at least is true , that the law of commandements , contained in ordinances did much more diversifie the administration of the covenant , before , and after christ , then those plaine moralities , wherewith in their dayes it was cloathed : where the assertion is dificient , antiquity hath given its authors sanctuary from farther pursuit . their practice then , were it cleer , can be no president for christians ; all light brought to the gospel , in comparison of those full and glorious beames , that shine in it selfe , is but a candle set up in the sunne : yet for their sakes , who found out the former unity , i will , ( not following the conceit of any , nor the comments of many ) give you such a bare naration , as the scripture will supply me withall , of their administration of the holy things and practise of their religion : ( as it seemes christianity , though not so called ) and doubt you not of divine approbation , and institution : for all prelacy , at least , untill nimrod hunted for preferment , was dejure divino : i finde then , that before the giving of the law , the chief men among the servants of the true god , did every one in their owne families with their neighbors adjoyning , of the same perswasion , performe those things which they knew to be required , by the law of nature , tradition , or speciall revelation ( the unwritten word of those times ) in the service of god , instructing their childeren and servants in the knowledge of their creed concerning the nature and goodnesse of god , the fall and sin of man , the use of sacrifices , and the promised seede , ( the summe of their religion ) and moreover performing {non-roman} {non-roman} {non-roman} {non-roman} {non-roman} things appertaining unto god . this we have delivered concerning seth , enoch , noah , abraham , lot , isaack , iacob , iethro , iob , others : now whither they did this , as any way peculiarly designed unto it as an office , or rather in obedient duty to the prime law of nature , in which , and to whose performance , many of them were instructed , and incouraged , by divine revelation , ( as seemes most probable ) is not necessary to be insisted on : to me truely it seemes evident , that thert were no determiuate ministers of divine worship before the law , for , where finde we any such office instituted , where the duties of those officers prescribed ? or were they of human invention ? god would never allow , that in any regard , the wil of the creature should be the measure of his honour & worship ; but the right and exercise of the priesthood , say some was in the first borne ; but a proofe of this will be for ever wanting . abel was not adams eldest sonne , yet if any thing were peculiar to such an office , it was by him performed , that both the brothers carried their sacrifices to their father , is a vaine surmize : who was priest then , when adam dyed ? neither can any order of descent be handsomely contrived : noah had three sonnes , grant the eldest onely a priest ; were the eldest sonnes of his other sons priests or no ? if not , how many men , feareing god , were scattered over the face of the earth , utterly deprived of the means of right worship ; if so , there must be a new rule produced , beyond the prescript of nature , whereby a man may be enabled by generation to convey that to others , which he hath not in himselfe : i speake not of melchisedeck , and his extraordinary priesthood ; why should any speak where the holy ghost is silent ? if we pretend to know him , we overthrow the whole mystery , and run crosse to the apostle , afirming him to be {non-roman} {non-roman} {non-roman} {non-roman} {non-roman} without father , mother , or genealogie ; for so long time then , as the greatest combination of men , was in distinct families ( which sometimes were very great ) politickes and oeconomicks being of the same extent , all the way of instruction in the service and knowledge of god , was by the way of paternall admonition : for the discharge of which duty , abraham is commended gen. . . whereunto the instructers had no particular ingagement , but only the generall obligation of the law of nature ; what rule they had , for their performances towards god , doth not appeare ; all positive law , in every kinde is ordained for the good of community : that then being not , no such rule was assigned , untill god gathered a people , and lifted up the standard of circumcision for his subjects to repaire unto : the world in the dayes of abraham , beginning generally to incline to idolatry and polutheisme , the first evident inreconcileable division was made betweene his people and the malignants , which before lay hid in his decree , visible signes and prescript rules , were necessary for such a gathered church : this before i conceive to have been supplyed by speciall revelation . the law of nature a long time prevailed for the worship of the one true god . the manner of this worship , the generalty had at first ( as may be conceived ) from the vocall instruction of adam , ful of the knowledge of divine things ; this afterwards their children had from them by tradition ; helped forward by such who received particular revelations in their generation ; such as noah , thence called a preacher of righteousnesse : so knowledge of gods will increased , untill sinne quite prevailed , and all flesh corrupted their wayes ; all apostacy for the most part beginnes in the will , which is more bruised by the fall , then the understanding . nature is more corrupted , in respect of the desire of good , then the knowledge of truth ; the knowledge of god would have flourished longer in mens mindes , had not sinne banished the love of god out of their hearts . the summe is , that before the giving of the law , every one in his owne person , served god according to that knowledge he had of his will . publike performances were assigned to none , further then the obligation of the law of nature , to their duty in their owne familyes . i have purposely omitted to speake of melchisedocke as i said before , having spoken all that i can , or dare concerning him , on another occasion , onely this i will adde , they who so confidently affirme him to be shem , the sonne of noah , and to have his priesthood in an ordinary way , by vertue of his primogeniture , might have done well to aske leave of the holy ghost , for the revealing of that which he purposely concealed , to setforth no small mystery , by them quite overthrowne . and he who of late makes him looke upon abraham and the four kings , all of his posterity , fighting for the inheritance of canaan ; ( of which cause of their quarrell the scripture is silent ) robs him at least of one of his titles , a king of peace ; making him neither , king nor peaceable , but a bloody grandsire , that either could not , or would not part his fighting children , contending for that whose right was in him , to bestow on whom he would . and thus was it with them in the administration of sacred things : there was no divine determination of the priestly office on any order of men : when things appertaining unto god , were to be performed in the name of a whole family ( as afterwards sam. . . ) perhaps the honour of the performance was by consent given to the first borne : further , the way of teaching others , was by petarnall admonition : ( so gen. . ) motives thereunto , and rules of their proceeding therein , being the law of nature , and speciall revelation . prescription of positive law , ordained for the good of community , could have no place , , when all society was domesticall . to instruct others ( upon occasion ) wanting instruction for their good , is an undeniable dictate of the first principles of nature ; obedience to which , was all the ordinary warrant they had , for preaching to any beyond their owne families , observed by lot gen. . . though his sermon contained a little false doctrine , ver. . againe , speciall revelation leaves as a great impression on the minde of him to whom it is made , so an effectuall obligation for the performance of what it directeth unto , the lyon hath roared , who will not fear ; the lord god hath spoken who can but prophes●e , amos . . and this was noahs warrant for those performances , from whence he was called a preacher of righteousnes , pet. . . thus although i doe not finde any determinate order of priesthood by divine institution , yet do i not thence conclude with aquin. . ae quest . . a ( if i noted right at the reading of it ) that all the worship of god , i meane for the manner of it was of humane invention , yea sacrifices themselves : for this will worship as i shewed before god alwayes rejected , no doubt but sacrifices and the manner of them were of divine institution , albeit their particular originall , in regard of precept though not of practice be to us unknowne ; for what in all this concernes us , we may observe that a superinstitution of a new ordinance , doth not overthrow any thing that went before in the same kinde , universally morrall , or extraordinary ; nor at all change it , unlesse by expresse exception , as by the introduction of the ceremoniall law , the offering of sacrafices , which before was common to all , was restrained to the posterity of levi : looke then what performances in the service of god , that primitive houshold of faith was in the generall directed unto , by the law of nature , the same regulated by gospel light ( not particularly excepted ) ought the generallity of christians to performe , which what they were may be collected from what was fore spoken . chap. ii. of the same among the jewes , and of the duty of that people distinct from their church officers . . concerning the jews after the giving of moses law , the people of god were then gathered in one , and a standard was set up for all his to repaire unto , and the church of god became like a city upon a hill , conspicuous to all ; and a certaine rule set downe for every one to observe that would approach unto him : as then before the law we sought for the manner of gods worship from the practise of men , so now since the change of the externall administration of the covenant , from the prescription of god ; then we ghessed at what was commanded , by what was done ; now at what was done , by what was commanded ; and this is all the certainety we can have in either kinde , though the consequence from the precept , to the performance ; and on the contrary , in this corrupted state of nature , be not of absolute necessity ; onely the difference is , where things are obscured , it is a safer way to prove the practise of men by gods precept , charitably supposing them to have been obedient , then to wrest the divine rule to their observation ; knowing how prone men are to deifie themselves , by mixing their inventions with the worship of god : the administration of gods providence towards his church hath been various and the communication of himselfe unto it , at sundry times , hath been in divers manners ; especially , it pleased him not to bring it to perfection but by degrees , as the earth bringeth forth fruit , first the blade , then the eare , then the full corne in the eare : thus the church before the giving of moses law , seems to have had two maine defects , which the lord at that time supplyed ; one in discipline , or government , in that every family exercised the publique worship of god within it self or a part . ( though some do otherwise conclude from gen. . . ) which was first removed , by establishing a consistory of elders , the other , in the doctrine wanting the rule of the written word being directed by tradition , the manifold defects whereof , were made up , by speciall revelatition : to neither of these defects was the church since exposed : whether there was any thing written before the giving of the law , is not worth contending about : austine thought enochs prophesie was written by him ; prophesie was written by him ; and josephus afirmes , that there were two pillars erected , one of stone , the other of brick before the stoode , wherein divers things were ingraven ; and sixtus senensis , that the booke of the wars of the lord was a volume ancienter then the bookes of moses ; but the contrary opinion is most received , so chrysost. hom. . in mali . after its giving , none ever doubted of the perfection of the written word for the end to which it was ordained , untill the jewes had broached their talmud , to oppose christ , and the papists their traditions , to advance antichrist ; doubtlesse the sole aime of the work , what ever , were the intentions of the workmen . the lights which god maketh , are sufficient to rule the seasons for which they are ordained ; as , in creating of the world , god made two great lights , the greater light to rule the day , and the lesser light to rule the night ; so in the erection of the new world of his church , he set up two great lights , the lesser light of the old testament , to guide the night , the darke space of time under the law , and the greater light of the new testament , to rule the glorious day of the gospel , and these two lights do sufficiently enlighten every man that commeth into this new world : there is no neede of the false fire of tradition , where god sets up such glorious lights . this be premised , for the pronass of men , to deflect from the golden rule , and heavenly polestarre in the investigation of the truth ; especially in things of this nature , concerning which we treat , wherein ordinary indeavours , are farre greater in searching after what men have done , then what they ought to have done ; and when the fact is once evidenced , from the pen of a rabbi , or a father , presently conclude the right : amongst many , we may take a late treatise for instance , intituled , of religious assemblies and the publike service of god , whose author would prescribe the manner of gods worship among christians , from the custome of the jewes ; and their observations , he would prove from the rabbines ; not at all taking notice , that from such observances , they were long agon recalled , to the law and to the testamony . and afterwards for them sharply rebuked by truth it selfe : doubtlesse it is a worthy knowledge to be able , and a commendable deligence to search into those coyners of curiosities , but to imbrace the fancy 's of those wild-heads which have nothing but noveltie to commend them , and to seeke their imposition on others , is but an abasing of their owne ceisure and others industry : the issue of such a temper , seemes to bee the greatest part of that treatise , which because i wait onely for some spare houres to demonstrate in a perticular tract . i shall for the present , omit the handling of divers things there spoken of , though otherwise they might very opportunately here be mentioned . as the office and duty of prophets , the manner of gods worship in their synagogues , the originall and institution of their latter teachers , scribes and pharises , & . and briefly onely observe those things , which are most immediatly conducing to my proposed subject . the worship of god among them , was either morall , or ceremoniall and typicall , the performances belonging unto the latter , with all things thereunto conducing , were appropriated to them , whom god had peculiarly set a part for that purpose : by ceromoniall worship , i understand all sacrifices and offerings , the whole service of the tabernacle , and afterwards of the temple : all which , were typicall , and established merely for the present dispensation , not without purpose of their abrogation , when that which was to be more perfect , should appear . now the severall officers with their distinct employments , in and about this service , were so punctually prescribed , and limited by almighty god , that as none of them might {non-roman} {non-roman} {non-roman} {non-roman} {non-roman} without presumptious impiety , intrude into the function of others , not allotted to them , as numb. . , , , . so none of their bretheren might presume to intrude into the least part of their office , without manifest sacriledge . josh. . , . true it is , that there is mention of divers in the scripture that offered sacrifices , or vowed so to do , who were strangers from the priests office , yea from the tribe of levi , as jepha . judges , . manoah , jud. . david , . sam. . and again , . sam. . solomon , kings . and again , . kings . but following our former rule of interpreting , the practise , by the precept , we may finde , ( and that truely ) that all the expresions of their offerings signifie no more ; but , they brought those things to be offered , and caused the priests to do , what in their owne persons they ought not to performe . now hence by the way we may observe , that the people of god , under the new testament , contrary distinct from their teachers , have a greater interest in the performance of spirituall duties belonging to the worship of god , and more in that regard is granted unto them , and required of them , then was of the ancient people of the jewes , considered as distinguished from their priests , because their duty is prescribed unto them under the notion of those things which then , were appropriate onely to the priests ; as of offering incense , sacrifice ; oblations , and the like , which in their originall institution were never permitted to the people of the jewes , but yet tralatitiously and by analogie are injoyned to all christians , but of these afterwards ; the main question is , about the duty of the people of god , in performances for their owne edification , and the extent of their lawfull undertakings for others instruction ; for the first , which is of nearest concernment unto themselves : the summe of their duty in this kind may bee reduced to these two heads ; first , to heare the word and law of god read attentively , especially when it was expounded . secondly , to meditate therein themselves , to study it day and night , and to get their senses exercised in that rule of their duty . concerning each of which , we have both the precept , and the practise , gods command , and their performance . the one , in that injunction given unto the priest , daut . . , , . when all israel is come to appeare before the lord thy god , in the place that hee shall choose , thou shalt reade this law before all israel in their hearing : gather the people together , men , and women , and children , and thy stranger that is within thy gates , that they may heare , and that they may learne , and feare the lord your god ; and that their children which have not knowne may heare and learne . all which we find punctually performed on both sides , nehem. . , , , . ezra the priest standing on a pulpit of wood , read the law , and gave the meaning of it , and the eares of all the people were attentive to the booke of the law . which course continued untill there was an end put to the observances of that law ; as act. . . moses of old time hath in every citie them that preach him being read in the synagogues every sabbath day : on which ground , not receding from their ancient observations , the people assembled to heare our saviour teaching with authority , luk. . . and s. paul divers times tooke advantage of their ordinary assemblies to preach the gospel unto them . for the other , which concernes their own searching into the law , and studying of the word wee have a strict command , deut. . , , , . and these words which i command thee this day shall bee in thy heart , and thou shalt teach them diligently unto thy children , and shalt talke of them when thou sittest in thy house , and when thou walkest by the way , and when thou lyest down , and when thou risest up , and thou shalt bind them for a sign upon thy hand , & they shal be as front lets between thine eyes , & thou shalt write them upon the posts of thy house & upon thy gates : which strict charge is again repeated , cap. . . summarily comprehending all wayes whereby they might become exercised in the law : now because this charge is in particular given to the king , chap. . vers. , . the performance of a king in obedience thereunto , will give us light enough into the practise of the people : and this we have in that most excellent psalme of david , viz. . which for the most part , is spent in petitions for light , direction , and assistance in that study , in expressions of the performance of this duty , and in spirituall glorying of his successe , in his divine meditations : especially vers . . hee ascribeth his proficiency in heavenly wisedome and understanding above his teachers , not to any speciall revelation , not to that propheticall light wherewith he was endued ( which indeed consisting in a transient irradiation of the mind , being a supernaturall impulsion commensurate to such things as are connaturall onely unto god , doth of it selfe give neither wisedome nor understanding ) but unto his studdy in the testimonies of god . the blessings pronounced upon , and promises annexed to the performance of this duty , concerne not the matter in hand : only from the words wherein the former command is delivered , two things may be observed , . that the paternall teaching and instruction of families in things which appertaine to god , being a duty of the law of nature , remained in its full vigor , and was not at all impaired , by the institution of a new order of teachers for assemblies , beyond domesticall then established : neither without doubt ought it to cease amongst christians , there being no other reason why now it should , but that , which then was not effectuall . secondly , that the people of god , were not onely permitted , but enjoyned also , to reads the scriptures , and upon all occasions , in their owne houses , and else-where , to talke of them , or communicate their knowledge in them , unto others : there had been then , no councell at trent to forbid the one , nor perhaps was there any strict canon , to bring the other within the compasse of a conventicle : but now for the solemne publique teaching and instructing of others , it was otherwise ordained , for this was committed to them in regard of ordinary performance , who were set apart by god ; as for others before named : so also for that purpose , the author of the treatise i before mentioned , concludeth that the people were not taught at the publike assemblies by priests , as such , that is , teaching the people was no part of their office or duty : but on the contrary , that seems to be a mans duty in the service or worship of god , which god requires of him , and that appertain to his office whose performance is expressely enjoyned unto him , as such , and for whose neglect , hee is rebuked or punished : now all this wee find concerning the priests publike teaching of the people : for the prof of which the recitall of a few pertinent places shal suffice , levit. . . we have an injunction laid upon aaron and his sonnes , to teach the children of israel all the statutes that the lord had spoken to them by the hand of moses . and of the levites it is affirmed , deut. . . they shall teach jacob thy statutes , and israel thy law . now though some restraine these places to the discerning of leprosies , and between holy and unholy , with their determination of difficulty emergent out of the law , yet this no way impaires the truth of that i intend to prove by them for even , those things , belonged to that kind of publike teaching , which was necessary under that administration of the covenant : but in stead of many , i will name one not lyable to exception : mil. . . the priests lips should preserve knowledge , and they should seeke the law at his mouth , for he is the messenger of the lord of hosts : where both a recitall of his own duty , that he should be full of knowledge to instruct , the intimation of the people , that they should seeke unto him , or give heed to his teaching with the reason of them both , for he is the lords messenger , ( one of the highest titles of the ministers of the gospell performing the same office ) doe abundantly confirme , that instructing of the people in the morall worship of god , was a duty of the priestly office , or of the priests as such . especially considering the effect of this teaching mentioned , vers. . the turning of many from their iniquitie . the proper end of teaching in assemblies : all which we find exactly perperformed by an excellent priest , preaching to the people on a pulpit of wood : nehem. . , , , . further , for a neglect of this , the priests are threatned with rejection from their office : hosea . . now it doth not seeme justice , that a man should be put out of his office , for a neglect of that , whose performance doth not belong unto it ; the fault of every neglect , ariseth from the description of a duty : untill something then of more force , then any thing as yet i have seene , bee objected to the contrary , we may take it for granted , that the teaching of the people under the law , in publique assemblies , was performed ordinarily by the priests , as belonging to their duty , and office . men indued with gifts supernaturall , extraordinarily called , and immediately sent by god himselfe , for the instruction of his people , the reformation of his church , and fore-telling things to come , such as were the prophets , who when ever they met with opposition , staid themselves upon their extraordinary calling , come not within the compasse of my disquisition . the institution also of the schooles of the prophets , the employment of the sonnes of the prophets , the originall of the scribes , and those other possessours of moses chaire in our saviours time , wherein hee conversed here below , being necessarily to be handled in my observations on the fore-named treatise , i shall omit untill more leisure , and an enjoyment of the small remainder of my poore library , shall better enable me . for the present , because treating in causa facili , although writing without bookes , i hope i am not besides the truth : the booke of truth , praised bee god , is easie to bee obtained , and god is not tyed to meanes , in discovering the truth of that booke . come we then , to the consideration of what duty in the service of god , beyond those belonging unto severall families , were permitted to any of the people , not peculiarly set apart for such a purpose . the ceremoniall part of gods worship , as we saw before , was so appropriate to the priests , that god usually revenged the trangression of that ordinance , very severely , the examples of vzzah and vzziah , are dreadfull testimonies of his wrath in that kind : it was an unalterable law , by vertue whereof , the priests excommunicated that presumptuous king . for that whch we chiefly intend the publique teaching of others , as to some it was enjoyned , as an act of their duty , so it might at first seeme , that it was permitted to all , who having ability thereunto , were called by charity or necessitie ; so the princes of jehoshaphat taught the people out of the law of god , as well as the priests and levites , chron. . , , , . so also nehemiah , and others of the chiefe of the people are reckoned among them who taught the people , nehem. . and afterwards , when saint paul at any time entred into their synagogues ; they never questioned any thing but his abilities , if he had any word of exhortation to the people he might say on : and the scribes questioning the authoritie of our saviour for his teaching , were moved to it , not because he taught , but because he taught so , and such things , with authoritie , and against their traditions , otherwise they rather troubled themselves , to thinke how he should become able to teach : mark . , . then him , because he did : there are indeed many sharpe reproofes in the old testament of those who undertooke to be gods messengers without his warrant , as jerem. . , . i have not sent these prophets , yet they ran : i have not spoken to them , yet they prophesied . but if they had stood in my counsell , &c. to which , and the like places it may satisfactorily be answered , that howsoever by the way of analogie , they may be drawn into rule , for these times of the gospel , yet they were spoken only in reference to them who falsly pretended to extraordinary revelations , and a power of foretelling things to come : whom the lord forewarned his people of , and appointed punishments for them , deut. . with which sort of pretenders that nation was ever replenished , for which the very heathen often derided them : he , who makes it his employment , to counterfeit gods dispensations , had then no more glorious worke to imitate then that of prophesie , wherein he was not idle : yet notwithstanding all this , i doe not conceive the former discourse to be punctually true in the latitude thereof : as though it were permitted to all men , or any men , besides the priests and prophets to teach publikely at all times , and in all estates of that church . only i conceive that the usuall answers given to the fore-cited places , when objected , are not sufficient : take an instance in one , chro. . of the princes of jehoshaphat teaching with the priests : the author of the book before intimated , conceives that neither priests nor princes taught at all in that way we now treat of , but only that the priests rode circuit to administer judgement , and had the princes with them to do execution ; but this interpretation he borroweth only to confirme his {non-roman} {non-roman} {non-roman} {non-roman} {non-roman} , that priests did not teach as such , the very circumstance of the place inforces a contrary sence ; and in the . chap. there is expresse mention of appointing judges for the determination of civill causes in every city , which evidently was a distinct work distinguished from that mentioned in this place : & upō the like ground i cōceive it to be no intimation of a moveable sanedrim , which although of such a mixt constitution , yet was not itinerant , and is mentioned in that other place : neither is that other ordinary glosse more probable , they were sent to teach , that is to countenance the teaching of the law ; a duty which seldome implores the assistance of humane countenance , and if for the present it did , the kings authority commanding it was of more value then the presence of the princes . besides , there is nothing in the text , nor the circumstances thereof , which should hold out this sence unto us ; neither do we find any other rule , precept or practise , whose analogie might lead us to such an interpretation : that , which to me seemes to come neerest the truth is that they taught also , not in a ministeriall way , like the priests and levites , but imperially , and judicially declaring the sense of the law , the offences against it , and the punishments due to such offences ; especially in as much as they had reference to the peace of the common-wealth : which differs not much from that which i rest upon , to wit , that in a collapsed and corrupted state of the church , when the ordinary teachers are either utterly ignorant and cannot , or negligent and will not performe their duty , gifts in any one to be a teacher , and consent in others by him to be taught , are a sufficient warrant for the performance of it : and then this , the places cited out of the old testament prove no more . for the proceedings of st paul in the synagogues , their great want of teaching ( being a people before forsaken of the spirit & then withering ) might be a warrant for them to desire it , and his apostolicall mission for him to do it ; it doth not then at all from hence appear , that there was then any liberty of teaching in publike assemblies granted unto , or assumed by any in such an estate of the church , as wherein it ought to be : when indeed it is ruinously declining every one of gods servants hath a sufficient warrant to helpe or prevent the fall : this latter being but a common duty of zeale and charitie , the former an authoritative act of the keyes , the minister whereof is onely an instrumentall agent , that from whence it hath its efficacy , residing in another , in whose stead , ( cor. . , . ) and under whose person it is done . now who ever doth any thing in anothers stead , not by expresse patent from him , is a plaine impostor ; and a grant of this nature made unto all in generall doth not appeare . i am bold to speake of these things under the notion of the keyes , though in the time of the law ; for i cannot assent to those schoole-men , who will not allow that the keyes in any sense , were granted to the legall priests ; their power of teaching , discerning , judging , receiving in , and casting out , import the thing , though the name ( no more then that of regnum coelorum , as hierom and augustine observe ) be not to bee found in the old testament . and doubtlesse god ratified the execution of his owne ordinances in heaven , then , as well as now : what the immediate effect of their services was , how far by their own force they reached , and what they typified , how in signification onely , and not immediatly they extended to an admission into , and exclusion from the heavenly tabernacle , and wherein lyes the secret power of gospell commissions beyond theirs to attaine the ultimate end , i have declared else-where . thus much of what the ancient people of god distinguished from their priests might not doe , now briefely of what they might , or rather of what they ought , and what their obedience and profession declared , that they thought themselves obliged unto : private exhortations , rebukings , and such dictates of the law of nature being presupposed ; we find them further , speaking often one to another , of those things which concerned the feare , and worship of the lord , malac. . . by their lips feeding many with wisedome , prov. . . discoursing of gods lawes upon all occasions , deut. . , , . by multitudes encouraging each other to the service of god , zach. . , . isa. . . joyntly praising god with chearefull hearts . psalm . . . giving and receiving mutuall consolation , psal. . . and all this , with much more of the same nature , at their meetings , either occasionall , or for that purpose indicted . alwayes provided , that they abstained from fingring the arke , or medling with those things which were appropriated to the office of the priests : and concerning them hitherto . chap. . containing a digression concerning the name of priests , the right of christians thereunto by their interest in the priesthood of christ , with the presumption of any particularly appropriating it to themselves . and now the transaction of these things , in the christian church , presents it selfe , to our consideration ; in handling whereof , i shall not at all discourse , concerning the severall church officers instituted by christ and his apostles , for the edification of his body : nor concerning the difference between them , who were partakers at first of an extraordinary vocation , and those who since have been called to the same work in an ordinary manner , divinely appointed for the direction of the church : neither yet doth that diversity of the administration of government in the churches , then when they were under the plenitude of apostolicall power , and now when they follow rules prescribed for their reiglement , come in my way . further , who are the subject of the keyes in whom all that secondary ecclesiasticall power , which is committed to men doth reside , after the determination of so many learned men , by cleere scripture light , shall not by me be called in question : all these though conducing to the businesse in hand , would require a large discussion , and such a scholasticall handling , as would make it an inconsutilous piece , of this popular discourse : my intent being only to shew , that seeing there are , as all acknowledge , some under the new testament , as well as the old , peculiarly set apart by gods own appointment for the administration of christs ordinances , especially teaching of others by preaching of the gospell , in the way of office and duty , what remaineth for the rest of gods people to doe , for their own and others edification . but here before i enter directly upon the matter , i must remove one stone of offence , concerning the common apellation of those who are set apart for the preaching of the gospell : that which is most frequently used for them in the new testament is {non-roman} {non-roman} {non-roman} {non-roman} {non-roman} , so cor. . . cor. . . and chap. . . and . , . tim. . . and in divers other places ; to which adde {non-roman} {non-roman} {non-roman} {non-roman} {non-roman} , cor. . a word though of another originall , yet of the same signification with the former : & both rightly translated ministers : the names of ambassadours , stewards and the like , wherewith they are often honoured are figurative , & given unto them , by allusion only , that the former belonged unto them , and were proper for them , none ever denied but some rabshakes of antichrist ; another name there is , which some have assumed unto themselves , as an honour , and others have imposed the same upon them for a reproch : viz. that of priest , which to the takers seemed to import a more mysterious imployment , a greater advancement above the rest of their brethren , a neerer approach unto god , in the performances of their office , then that of ministers : wherefore they embraced it , either voluntarily , alluding to the service of god and the administration thereof amongst his antient people the jewes , or thought that they ought necessarily to undergoe it , as belonging properly to them , who are to celebrate those mysteries , and offer those sacrifices , which they imagined , were to them prescribed : the imposers on the contrary , pretend divers reasons why now that name can signifie none but men rejected from gods work , and given up to superstitious vanities ; attending in their minds , the old priests of baal , and the now shavelings of antichrist : it was a new etimologie of this name , which that learned man cleaved unto , who unhappily was ingaged into the defence of such errours , as he could not but see , and did often confesse : to which also he , he had an entrance made by an arch-bishop ; to wit , that it was but an abbreviation of presbyters , knowing full well , not only that the signification of these words , is divers amongst them , to whom belongs jus & norma loquendi , but also , that they are widely different in holy writ . yea farther , that those who first dignified themselves with this title , never called themselves presbyters , by way of distinction from the people , but only to have a note of distance among themselvs : there being more then one sort of them that were sacrificers , and which eo nomine , accounted themselves priests : setting aside then all such evasions and distinctions as the people of god are not bound to take notice of , and taking the word in its ordinary acceptation , i shall briefly declare , what i conceive of the use thereof , in respect of them , who are ministers of the gospell : which i shall labour to cleare by these following observations : . all faithfull ministers of the gospell , in as much as they are ingrafted into christ , and are true believers , may , as all other true christians , be called priests : but this inasmuch as they are members of christ , not ministers of the gospell : it respecteth their persons , not their function , or not them as such : now i conceive it may give some light to this discourse , if we consider the grounds and reasons of this metaphoricall appellation , in divers places of the gospell , ascribed to the worshippers of christ ; and how the analogie , which the present dispensation holds with what was established under the administration of the old testament , may take place : for there we find the lord thus bespeaking his people , ye shall be unto me a kingdome of priests , an holy nation , exod. . . so that it should seeme that there was then a twofold priesthood : a rituall priesthood , conferred upon the tribe of levi , and a royall priesthood , belonging to the whole people : the first is quite abrogated and swallowed up in the priesthood of christ , the other , is put over unto us under the gospell , being ascribed to them and us , and every one in covenant with god , not directly and properly , as denoting the function peculiarly so ca●led , but comparatively with reference had to them that are without ; for as those who were properly called priests , had a neerer accesse unto god , then the rest of the people , especially in his solemne worship , so all the people that are in covenant with god , have such an approximatiō unto him by vertue thereof , in comparison of them that are without , that in respect thereof , they are said to be prists : now the outward covenant made with them , who were the children of abraham after the flesh , was representative of the covenant of grace made with the children of promise , and that whole people typified the hidden elect people of god ; so that of both there is the same reason . thus as the priests the sons of levi are said to come neere unto god , deut. . . and god tels them that him whom he hath chosen , he will cause to come neere unto him , numb. . . chosen by a particular calling ad munus to the office of the rituall priesthood : so in regard of that other kind , comparatively so called , it is said of the whole people , what nation is there so great that hath god so nigh unto them , as the lord our god is in all things that we call upon him for , deut. . . their approaching nigh unto god made them all a nation of priests , in comparison of those dogs and unclean gentiles that were out of the covenant : now this prerogative is often appropriate to the faithful in the new testament : for through christ we have an accesse by one spirit unto the lord , eph. . . & . . we have boldnesse & accesse with confidence : so james . . draw nigh unto god , and he will draw nigh unto you : which accesse and approximation unto god , seemed as before was spoken to be uttered in allusion to the priests of the old law , who had this priviledge above others in the publike worship , in which respect only things then were typicall . since because we enjoy that prerogative in the truth of the thing it selfe ; which they had onely in type , we also are called priests : and as they were said to draw nigh in reference to the rest of the people ; so we , in respect of them , who are strangers to the covenant : that now are said to be afarre off , ephes. . . and hereafter shall be without , for without are dogs , &c. rev. . . thus this metaphoricall appellation of priests is in the first place an intimation of that transcendent priviledge of grace and favour , which jesus christ hath purchased for every one that is sanctified with the bloud of the covenant . . we have an interest in this appellation of priests , by vertue of our union with christ , being one with our high priest , we also are priests : there is a twofold union between christ & us : the one , by his taking upon him our nature , the other , by bestowing on us his spirit : for as in his incarnation he took upon him our flesh and bloud by the work of the spirit , so in our regeneration he bestoweth on us his flesh and blood , by the operation of the same spirit : yea so strict is this latter union , which we have with christ , that as the former is truly said to be a union of two natures into one person , so this , of many persons into one nature ; for by it , we are made partakers of the divine nature , pet. . . becoming members of his body , of his flesh , and of his bones , ephes. . . we are so parts of him , of his mysticall body , that we and he become thereby as it were one christ ; for as the body is one , and hath many members , and all the members of that one body being many , are one body , so is christ , cor. . . and the ground of this is , because the same spirit is in him and us ; in him indeed dwelleth the fulnesse of it , when it is bestowed upon us , onely by measure : but yet it is still the same spirit ; and so makes us , according to his own prayer , one with him : as the soul of man being one , makes the whole body with it , to be but one man ; two men cannot be one , because they have two souls ; no more could we be one with christ , were it not the same spirit in him and us : now let a man be never so big or tall , that his feet rest upon the earth , and his head reach to heaven , yet having but one soul , he is still but one man : now though christ for the present , in respect of our nature assumed , be never so far remote and distant from us in heaven , yet by the effectuall energie , and inhabitation of the same spirit , he is still the head of that one body , whereof we are members , still but one with us . hence ariseth to us a twofold right to the title of priests ; . because being in him , and members of him , we are accounted to have done , in him , and with him , whatsoever he hath done for us ; we are buried with christ , rom. . . dead with him , v. . quickned together with christ , ephes. . . being raised up , we sit together with him in heavenly places , v. . risen with him , colos. . . now all these in christ , were in some sence sacerdotall ; wherefore we having an interest in their performance , by reason of that heavenly participation , derived from them unto us , and being united unto him , that in them was so properly , are therefore called priests . secondly , by vertue of this union , there is such an analogie between that which christ hath done for us as a priest , and what he worketh in us , by his holy spirit , that those acts of ours , come be called by the same name with his , & we for them , to be termed priests . thus because christs death , and shedding of his blood , so offering up himself by the eternall spirit , was a true , proper sacrifice for sin , even our spirituall death unto sin , is described to be such , both in the nature of it , to be an offering or sacrifice ; for i beseech you brethren ( saith s. paul ) that you offer up your bodies a living sacrifice , holy , &c. rom. . . and for the manner of it , our old man is crucified with him , that the body of sin might be destroyed , rom. . . thirdly , we are priests as we are christians , or partakers of an holy unction , whereby we are annointed to the participation of all christs glorious offices ; we are not called christians for nothing ; if truly we are so , then have we an unction from the holy one , whereby we know all things , ioh. . . and thus also were all gods people under the old covenant , when god gave that caution concerning them , touch not my christians , and do my prophets no harm , psal. . . the unction then of the holy spirit , implies a participation of all those endowments which were typified by the anointing with oyl , in the old testament ; and invests us with the priviledges in a spirituall acceptation , of all the sorts of men , which then were so anointed ; to wit , of kings , priests and prophets : so that by being made christians ( every one is not so that bears that name ) we are ingrafted into christ , and do attain to a kinde of holy and intimate communion with him , in all his glorious offices , & in that regard are called priests . fourthly , the sacrifices we are injoyned to offer , give ground to this appellation ; now they are of divers sorts , though all in generall , eucharisticall ; as first , of prayers and thanksgivings , psa. . i will offer unto thee the sacrifice of thanksgiving , and will call upon the name of the lord ; and again , let my prayer be set before thee as incense , and the lifting up of my hands be as the evening sacrifice , psa. . . so , heb. . . therefore let us offer unto god the sacrifice of praise , that is , the fruit of our lips . secondly , of good vvorks , heb. . . to do good , and to communicate forget not , for vvith such sacrifices god is well pleased . thirdly , {non-roman} {non-roman} {non-roman} {non-roman} {non-roman} or self-slaughter , crucifying the old man , killing sin , and offering up our souls and bodies , an acceptable sacrifice unto god , rom. . . fourthly , the sweet incense of martyrdom ; yea , and if i be offered up on the sacrifice and service of your faith , philip . . . now these and sundry other services acceptable to god , receiving this appellation in the scripture , denominate the performers of them priests . now here it must be observed , that these aforenamed holy duties , are called sacrifices , not properly , but metaphorically onely , not in regard of the externall acts , as were those under the law , but in regard of the internall purity of heart , from whence they proceed . and because pure sacrifices by his own appointment , where heretofore the most acceptable service to almighty god ; therefore now , when he would declare himself , to be very much delighted with the spirituall acts of our duty , he calls them , oblations , incense , sacrifices , offerings , &c. to intimate also a participation with him in his offices , who properly and directly is the onely priest of his church , and by the communication of the vertue of whose sacrifice we are made priests , not having authority in our own names , to go unto god for others , but having liberty through him , and in his name , to go unto god for our selves . not to lose my self and reader in this digression , the sum is , the unspeakable blessings which the priesthood of christ hath obtained for us , are a strong obligation for the duty of praise and thanksgiving , of which that in some measure we may discharge our selves , he hath furnished us with sacrifices of that kinde , to be offered unto god : for our own parts , we are poor , and blinde , and lame , and naked , neither in the field , nor in the fold , in our hearts , nor among our actions , can we finde any thing worth the presenting unto him ; wherefore he himself provides them for us , especially for that purpose , sanctifying and consecrating our souls and bodies , with the sprinkling of his blood , and the unction of the holy spirit . further , he hath erected an altar ( to sanctifie our gifts ) in heaven , before the throne of grace , which being spread over with his blood , is consecrated unto god , that the sacrifices of his servants may for ever appear thereon : adde to this , what he also hath added , the eternall and never expiring fire , of the favour of god , which kindleth and consumes the sacrifices laid on that altar : and to the end that all this may be rightly accomplished , he hath consecrated us with his blood , to be kings and priests to god for evermore . so that the close of this discourse will be , that all true beleevers , by vertue of their interest in jesus christ , are in the holy scripture , by reason of divers allusions , called priests , which name , in the sense before related , belonging unto them as such , cannot on this ground , be ascribed to any part of them , distinguished any wayes from the rest , by vertue of such distinction . secondly , the second thing i observe concerning the businesse in hand , is , that the offering up unto god , of some metaphoricall sacrifices , in a peculiar manner , is appropriate unto men , set a part for the work of the ministery : as the slaying of mens lusts , and the offering up of them being converted by the preaching of the gospel , unto god : so saint paul of his ministery , rom. . . that i should be the minister of iesus christ , unto the gentiles , ministring the gospel of god ; that the offering up of the gentiles might be acceptable , &c. ministers preaching the gospel , to the conversion of souls , are said to kill mens lusts , and offer them up unto god , as the fruit of their calling ; as abel brought unto him an acceptable sacrifice , of the fruit of his flock ; and so also in respect of divers other acts of their duty , which they perform in the name of their congregations . now these sacrifices are appropriate to the ministers of the gospel , not in regard of the matter , for others also may convert souls unto god , and offer up prayers and praises , in the name of their companions : but in respect of the manner , they do it publikely and ordinarily ; others privately , or in extraordinary cases ; now if the ministers , who are thus gods instruments for the conversion of souls , be themselves ingrafted into christ ; all the acts they perform in that great work , are but parts of their own duty , of the same nature in that regard , with the rest of our spirituall sacrifices : so that they have not by them , any further peculiar interest in the office of the priesthood more then others : but if these preachers themselves do not belong unto the covenant of grace , ( as god oftentimes out of his care for his flock , bestows gifts upon some for the good of others , on whom hee will bestow no graces , for the benefit of their own souls , men may administer that consolation out of the word unto their flock , which themselves never tasted , preach to others , and bee themselves castawaies . saint paul tells us that some preach christ out of envy and contention , not sincerely , but on purpose to adde to his affliction ; and yet saith he whether in pretence or in truth , christ is preached , and therein doe i . rejoyce , yea , and will rejoyce , philip . . , , . surely had there been no good effected by such preaching , saint paul would not have rejoyced in it ; and yet doubtlesse it was no evidence of sanctification , to preach christ meerely out of contention , ( and on purpose to adde to the affliction of his servants ) but i say if the lord shall be pleased at any time to make use of such , as instruments ; in his glorious worke of converting soules , shall we thinke that it is looked upon , as their sacrifice unto god ? no surely , the soule of the lord is delighted with the repentance of sinners ; but all the sacrifices of these wicked men are an abomination unto him , and therefore they have no interest in it ; neither can they from hence , be said to be priests of god , seeing they continue dogges and uncleane beasts , &c. so that all the right unto this priestly office , seemes be resolved into , and be the same with the common interest of all beleevers in christ , whereby they have a participation of his office : whence i affirme ; thirdly , that the name of priests is no where in the scripture attributed peculiarly , and distinctly to the ministers of gospel as such ; let any produce an instance to the contrary , and this controversie is at an end : yea that which puts a difference betweene them , and the rest of the people of gods holinesse , seemes to be a more immediate participation of christs propheticall office , to teach , instruct , and declare the will of god unto men , and not of his sacerdotall , to offer sacrifices for men unto god . now i could never observe that any of those , who wereso forward of late to stile themselves priests , were at all greedy of the apellation of prophets ; no , this they were content to let goe , name and thing ; and yet when christ ascended on high , he gave some to be prophets , for the edification of his body , ephes. . . none as wee finde to be priests : priests then ( like prelats ) are a sort of church officers , whom christ never appointed ; whence i conclude ; fourthly , that whosoever maintaineth any priests of the new stament , as properly so called in relation to any altar or sacrifice , by them to be offered , doth as much as in him lyeth disanull the covenant of grace , and is blasphemously injurious to the priesthood of christ ; the priest and the sacrifice under the new testament are one , and the same : and therefore they who make themselves priests , must also make themselves christs , or get another sacrifice of their owne . as there is but one god , so there is but one mediator of god and man , the man jesus christ , tim. . . now he became the mediator of the new testament chiefly by his priesthood , because by the eternall spirit he offered up himselfe unto god , heb. . . . neither is any now called of god to be a priest as was aaron , and without such divine vocation to this office , none ought to undertake it , as the apostle argues , heb. . now , the end of any such vocation , and office is quite ceased ; being nothing but to offer gifts and sacrifices unto god , heb. . . for christ hath offered one sacrifice for sin for ever , and is sate downe at the right hand of god , heb. . . yea by one offering he hath perfected them that are sanctified , v. . and if that did procure remission of sins , there must be no more offering for sin , v. . and the surrogation of another makes the bloud of christ to be no better then that of bulls and goates . now one of those they must doe , who make themselves priests , ( in that sence concerning which we now treat ) either get them a nevv sacrifice of their owne , or pretend to offer christ againe ; the first seemes to have been the fault , of those of ours , who made a sacrifice of the sacrament , yet pretended not to beleeve the reall presence of christ in , or under the outward elements or species of them ; the other of the romanists , whose priests in their masse , blasphemously make themselves mediators , between god and his son , and offering up christ iesus for a sacrifice , desire god to accept him ; so charging that sacrifice with imperfection , which he offered on the altar of the crosse , and making it necessary not only that he should annually , but daily , yee hourely suffer afresh , so recrucifying unto themselves , the lord of glory . further , themselves confessing , that to be a true sacrifice it is required , that that which is offered unto god be destroyed , and cease to be , what it vvas , they doe confesse by what lyes in them , to destroy the son of god , and by their masse , have transubstanciatd their altars into crosses , their temples into golgatha's , their prelates into pilates , their priests into hangmen ; tormentors of iesus christ , concerning them and ours we may shut up this discourse , with what the apostle intimates to the hebrews , viz. that all priests are ceased , who were mortall , now small cause have we to beleeve them to be immateriall spirits , among whom we finde the workes of the flesh to have been so frequent . and this may give us some light , into the iniquity of those times , whereinto we were lately fallen ; in which lord bishops and priests , had almost quite oppressed the bishops of the lord , and ministers of the gospell ; how unthankefull men were we , for the light of the gospell , men that loved darkenesse rather then light . a wonderfull , and horrible thing vvas wrought in our land , the prophets prophesied falsly , the priests bare rule by their meanes , almost the whole people loved to have it so , and what shall we now doe in the end thereof , ierem. . . . such a hasty apostacy was growing on us , as we might justly wonder at , because unparalelled in any church , of any age : but our revolters were profound , hasty men and eager in their masters service . so what an height of impiety , and opposition to christ , the roman apostacy in a thousand yeeres attained unto , and yet i dare aver that never so many errors & suspitions in an . yeeres crept into that church , as did into ours of england in . and yet i cannot herein give the commendation of so much as industry to our innovators ; ( i accuse not the whole church , but particulars in it , and that had seized themselves of its authority ) because they had a platforme before them , and materialls provided to their hand ; and therefore it was an easie thing for them to erect a babel of antichristian confusion ; when the workemen in the roman apostacy were forced to build in the plaine of christianity without any praeexistent materialls , but were fain to use brick and slime , of their own provision ; besides they were unacquainted with the maine designe of satan , who set them on worke ; and therefore it is no wonder if those nimrods oftimes hunted counter , and disturbed each other in their progresse ; yea the first mover in church apostacy , knowes , that novv his time is but short , and therefore it behooves him to make speedy worke in seducing , lest he be prevented by the comming of christ . then having himselfe a long tract of time granted unto him , he allowed his agents to take leasure also ; but what he doth novv , must be done quickly , or his whole designe will be quashed : and this made him inspire the present businesse , with so much life and vigor . moreover , he was compelled then to sow his tares in the darke , while men slept , taking advantage at the ignorance and imbroylement of the times ; if any man had leasure enough to search , and learning enough to see and finde him at it , he commonly filled the world with clamors against him , and scarse any but his vowed champions durst be his advocates ; in our time he was grown bold and impudent , working at noone day ; yea , he openly accused and condemned , all that durst accuse him , for sowing any thing but good wheat , that durst say that the tares of his arminianisme and popery was any thing but true doctrine : let us give so much way to indignation , we know satans trade what it is , to accuse the brethren , as men are called after their professions , one a lawyer , another a physitian , so is he the accuser of the brethren ; now surely if ever he set up a shop on earth , to practise his trade in , it was our high commission court , as of late imployed , but {non-roman} {non-roman} {non-roman} {non-roman} {non-roman} . cap. . of the duty of gods people in cases extraordinary concerning his worship . this being thus determined , i returne againe to the maine {non-roman} {non-roman} {non-roman} {non-roman} {non-roman} , concerning the duty and priviledge of the common people of christianity , in sacred things : and first in cases extraordinary , in which perhaps it may be affirmed , that every one ( of those i meane before named ) is so farre a minister of the gospell as to teach and declare the faith to others , although he have no outward calling thereunto ; and yet in this case every one for such an undertaking must have a warrant by an immediate cal from god , and when god calls there must be no opposition , the thing it selfe he sends us upon , becomes lawfull by his mission , what god hath cleansed , that call not thou common , act. . . never feare the equity of what cod sets thee upon ; no excuses of disability or any other impediment , ought to take place , the lord can and will supply all such defects : this was moses case , exod. . . oh lord ( saith hee ) i am not eloquent , neither heretofore , nor since thou hast spoken to thy servant , but of a slow speech , and a slow tongue ; and the lord said unto him , who hath made mans mouth , have not i the lord ? so also was it with the prophet jeremy , when god told him , that hee had ordained him a prophet unto the nations , he replyes , ah lord god , behold i cannot speake , for i am a child ; but the lord ( saith hee ) said unto me , say not i am a child , for thou shalt goe to all that i shall send thee , and whatsoever i command thee , thou shalt speak , jer. . . nothing can excuse any from going on his message , who can perfect his praise , out of the mouth of babes and sucklings . this the prophet amos rested upon , when he was questioned , although he were unfit for that heavenly employment , either by education or course of life : i was no prophet , neither was i a prophets sonne ; but i was an heardman , and a gatherer of sycamore fruit ; and the lord tooke me as i followed the flock , and said unto me , go prophecy to my people israel amos . , . so on the contrary , st. paul , a man of strong parts , great learning , and endowments , of indefatigable industry , and large abilities , yet affirmes of himselfe , that when god called him to preach his word , he conferred not with flesh and bloud , but went on presently with his work . gal. . , . cap. v. of the severall wayes of extraordinary calling to the teaching of others ; the first way . now three wayes may a man receive , and be assured that hee hath received this divine mission , or know that he is called of god , to the preaching of the word : i meane not that perswasion of divine concurrence , which is necessary also for them , ●hat are partakers of an ordinary vocation , ( but which is required in extraordinary cases to them , in whom all outward calling is wanting . . by immediate revelation . . by a concurrence of scripture rules , directory for such occasions . . by some outward acts of providence necessitating him thereunto . for the first , not to speak of light propheticall , whither it consists in a habit , or rather in a transient irradiating motion , nor to discourse of the species , whereby supernaturall things are conveyed to the naturall facultie , with the severall wayes of divine revelation , ( for st. paul affirmeth it to have been {non-roman} {non-roman} {non-roman} {non-roman} {non-roman} as well as {non-roman} {non-roman} {non-roman} {non-roman} {non-roman} ) with the sundry appellations it received , from the manner whereby it came ; i shall onely shew , what assurance such a one as is thus called may have in himselfe , that he is so called , and how he may manifest it unto others . that men receiving any revelation from god , had alwayes an assurance that such it was , to me seemes most certain : neither could i ever approve the note of gregory on the . of ezek. viz. that prophets being accustomed to prophecying , did oftentimes speake of their own spirit , supposing that it proceeded from the spirit of prophesie . what is this but to question the truth of all propheticall revelations , and to shake the faith that is built upon it : surely the prophet jeremiah had an infallible assurance of the author of his message , when he pleaded for himself before the princes , of a truth the lord hath sent me unto you , to speake all these words in your eares . chap. . . and abraham certainly had neede of a good assurance whence that motion did proceed , which made him addresse himselfe , to the sacrificing the son of promise ; and that all other prophets had the like evidence of knowledge , concerning the divine verity of their revelations is unquestionable ; hence are those allusions in the scripture , whereby it is compared unto things whereof we may be most certaine by the assurance of sense . so amos . . the lyon hath roared , who will not feare ? the lord god hath spoken , who can but prophecy ? and jerem. . . his word was in my heart as a burning fire shut up in my bones , things sensible enough . happily satan may so far delude false prophets , as to make them suppose their lying vanities are from above : whence they are said to be prophets of the deceit of their owne hear , jerem. . . being deceived , as well deceivers ; thinking in themselves , as well as speaking unto others , he saith , vers. . but that any true prophets should not know a true revelation , from a motion of their owne hearts , wants not much of blasphemy . the lord surely supposes that assurance of discerning , when he gives that command ; the prophet that hath a dreame , let him tell a dreame , and he that hath my word , let him speake my word faithfully ; what is the chaffe to the wheate ? ierem. . . he must be both blind and mad , that shall mistake , wheat , for chaffe , and on the contrary , what some men speak of an hidden instinct from god , moving the mindes of men , yet so , as they know not wither it be from him , or no , may better serve to illustrate plutarchs discourse of socrates daemon , then any passage in holy writ . st. austin saies , his mother would affirme , that though she could not expresse it , yet she could discern the difference between gods revelation , and her own dreames : in which relation , i doubt not but the learned father tooke advantage from the good old womans words of what she could do , to declare what might be done , of every one that had such immediate revelations . briefly then , the spirit of god , never so extraordinarily moveth the minde of man to apprehend any thing of this kinde whereof we speake , but it also illustrateth it with a knowledge , and assurance , that it is divinely moved to this apprehension . now because it is agreed on all sides , that light propheticall is no permanent habit in the minde of the prophets , but a transient impression , of it selfe , not apt to give any such assurance , it may be questioned from what other principle it doth proceed . but not to pry into things perhaps not fully revealed , and seeing st. paul shewes us that in such heavenly raptures , there are some things unutterable of them , and incomprehensible of us , we may let this rest , amongst those {non-roman} {non-roman} {non-roman} {non-roman} {non-roman} , it apappeareth then from the preceding discourse , that , a man pretending to extraordinary vocation , by immdiate revelation , in respect of selfe-perswasion , of the truth of his call , he must be , as ascertained of it , as he could be , of a burning fire in his bones , if there shut up . cap. vi . what assurance men extraordinarily called , can give to others , that they are so called in the former way . the next thing to be considered , is , what assurance he can give to others , and by what means , that he is so called . now the matter , or subject of their imployment may give us some light , to this consideration : and this is either , the inchoation of some divine work to be established amongst men , by vertue of a new , and before never heard of revelation of gods will ; or a restauration of the same , when collapsed and corrupted by the sin of men . to the first of these , god never sendeth any , but whom he doth so extraordinarily and immediately call , and ordain for that purpose , and that this may be manifested unto others , he alwayes accompanieth them with his own almighty power , in the working of such miracles , as may make them beleeved , for the very works sake which god by them doth effect . this we may see in moses , and ( after iesus christ anointed with the oyl of gladnesse above his fellows to preach the gospel ) the apostles : but this may passe ; for nothing in such a way , shall ever again take place , god having ultimately revealed his minde , concerning his worship , and our salvation ; a curse being denounced to man or angel , that shall pretend to revelation , for the altering or changing one jot or title of the gospel . for the other , the work of reformation , there being , ever since the writing of his word , an infallible rule , for the performance of it , making it fall within the duty and ability of men , partakers of an ordinary vocation , and instructed with ordinary gifts ; god doth not always immediately call men unto it : but yet because oftentimes he hath so done , we may enquire what assurance they could give , of this their calling , to that imployment . our saviour christ informs us , that a prophet is often without honour in his own country : the honour of a prophet , is to have credence given to his message ; of which it should seem , jonas was above measure zealous ; yet such is the cursed infidelity and hardnesse of mens hearts , that though they cryed , thus saith the lord , yet they would reply the lord hath not spoken ; hence are those pleadings betwixt the prophet ieremie , and his enemies the prophet averring of a truth , the lord hath sent me unto you , and they contesting , that the lord had not sent him , but that he lyed in the name of the lord ; now to leave them inexcusable , and whether they would heare or whether they would forbeare , to convince them , that there hath been a prophet amongst them , as also to give the greater credibility to their extraordinary message , to them that were to beleeve their report , it is necessary that the arme of the lord should be revealed , working in and by them , in some extraordinary manner , it is certain enough , that god never sent any one extraordinarily , instructed onely with ordinary gifts , and for an ordinary end : the ayme of their imployment i shewed before was extraordinary , even the reparation of something instituted by god , and collapsed by the sin of man ; that it may be credible , or appeare of a truth , that god had sent them for this purpose , they were alwayes furnished , with such gifts and abilities , as the utmost reach of humane indeavours , with the assistance of common grace cannot possibly attaine . the generall opinion is , that god alwayes supplies such , with the gift of miracles . take the word in a large sence , for every supernaturall product , beyond the ordinary activity of that secondary cause whereby it is effected , and i easily grant it ; but in the usuall restrained acceptation of it , for outward wonderfull workes , the power of whose production consists in operation , i something doubt the universall truth of the assertion . we do not read of any such miracles wrought by the prophet amos , and yet he stands upon his extraordinary immediate vocation ; i was neither prophet nor the son of a prophet , but the lord called me , &c. it sufficeth then that they be furnished with a supernaturall power either in , . discerning , . speaking , . working : the power of discerning according to the things by it discernable , may be said to be of two sorts , for it is either of things present , beyond the power of humane investigation , as to know the thoughts of other mens hearts , or their words not ordinarily to be knowne , as elisha discovered the bed-chamber-discourse of the king of syria ( not that by vertue of their calling they come to be {non-roman} {non-roman} {non-roman} {non-roman} {non-roman} , knowers of the heart , which is gods property alone , but that god doth sometimes reveale such things unto them , for otherwise no such power is included in the nature of the gift , which is perfective of their knowledge , not by the way of habit , but actuall motion in respect of some particulars , and when this was absent , the same elisha affirmeth that he knew not why the shunamitish woman was troubled ) or secondly of things future and contingent in respect of their secundary causes , not precisely necessitated by their own internall principle of operation , for the effecting of the things so foreknown : and therefore the truth of the fore-knowledge , consists in a commensuration to gods purpose . now effects of this power , are all those predictions of such things which wee finde in the old and new testament , and divers also since : secondly , the supernaturall gift in speaking i intimate , is that of tongues , proper to the times of the gospel , when the worship of god was no longer to be confined to the people of one nation . the third in working , is that which strictly and properly , is called the gift of miracles : which are hard , rare , and strange effects exceeding the whole order of created nature : for whose production god sometimes useth his servants instrumentally , moving and inabling them thereunto , by a transient impression , of his powerfull grace ; of which sort the holy scripture hath innumerable relations . now with one of those extraordinary gifts at the least , sometimes with all , doth the lord furnish those his messengers of whom we treat : which makes their message a sufficient revelation of gods will , and gives it credibility enough , to stir up faith in some , and leave others inexcusable . all the difficulty is , that there have been simon magusses , and are antichrists , falsely pretending to have in themselves , this mighty power of god , in one or other of the forenamed kinds . hence were those many false prophets , dreamers , and wizards mentioned in the old testament , which the lord himselfe forewarnes us of , as also those agents of that man of sin , whose comming is after the working of satan with povver and signes , and lying vvonders , thes. . . i meane the jugling priests and iesuits , pretending falsely by their impostures to the power of miracle vvorking ; though their imployment be not to reforme , but professedly to corrupt the worship of god : now in such a case as this , we have : . the mercy of god to relye upon , whereby he will guide his into the vvay of truth , and the purpose or decree of god , making it impossible that his elect should be deceived by them . secondly , humane diligence accompanied with gods blessing , may helpe us wonderfully in a discovery , whither the pretended miracles be of god , or no ; for there is nothing more certaine , then that a true and reall miracle , is beyond the activity of all created povver , ( for if it be not , it is not a miracle ) so that the divell and all his emissaries are not able to effect any one act truely miraculous : but in all their pretences there is a defect discernable , either in respect of the thing it selfe pretended to be done , or of the manner of its doing , not truely exceeding the power of art or nature , though the apprehension of it , by reason of some hell-conceived circumstances , be above our capacity . briefely , either the thing is a lye , and so it is easie to faigne miracles , or the performance of it , is pure jugling , and so it is easie to delude poore mortalls . innumerable of this sort at the beginning of the reformation , were discovered among the agents , of that wonder-vvorking man of sin , by the blessing of god upon humane endeavours ; now from such discoveries , a good conclusion may be drawne , against the doctrine they desire by such meanes to confirme : for as god never worketh true miracles , but for the confirmation of the truth , so will not men pretend such as are false , but to persvvade that to others for a truth , which themselves have just reason to be persvvaded is a lye ; now if this meanes faile , thirdly , god himselfe hath set downe a rule of direction for us , in the time of such difficulty , deut. . , , . if there arise among you a prophet or dreamer of dreames , and giveth thee a signe or a vvonder , and the signe , or the vvonder come to passe , vvherefore he spake unto thee , saying , let us goe after other gods to serve them , thou shalt not hearken to the vvords of that prophet , or dreamer of dreames , for the lord your god proveth you , to know whether yee love the lord your god , with all your heart , and all your soul . ye shall vvalk after the lord your god , and fear him , and keep his commandements , and obey his voice , and you shall serve him , and cleave unto him , and that prophet or dreamer of dreams shall be put to death . the sum is , that seeing such men pretend that their revelations and miracles are from heaven , let us search , whither the doctrine they seeke to confirme by them , bee from heaven , or no ; if it bee not , let them bee stoned , or accursed , for they seeke to dravv us from our god , if it bee , let not the curse of a stony heart , to refuse them , be upon us . where the miracles are true , the doctrine cannot be false ; and if the doctrine be true , in all probability the miracles confirming it , are not false ; and so much of them , who are immediatly called of god from heaven , what assurance they may have in themselves , of such a call , and what assurance they can make of it to others ; now such are not to expect any ordinary vocation ; from men below , god calling them aside to his worke , from the middest of their brethren : the lord of the harvest may send labourers into his field , without asking his stewards consent , and they shall speake what ever he saith unto them . chap. . the second way whereby a man may be called extraordinarily . secondly , a man may be extraordinarily called to the preaching and publishing of gods word by a concurrence of scripture rules , directory for such occasions , occurrences , and opportunities of time , place , and persons , as he liveth in , and under . rules in this kinde , may be drawn either from expresse precept , or approved practise : some of these i shall intimate , and leave it to the indifferent reader , to judge , whether or no they hold in the application ; and all that in this kinde i shall propose , i did with submission to better judgements . consider then , . that of our saviour to saint peter , luke . . when thou art converted , strengthen the brethren , which containing nothing but an application of one of the prime dictates of the law of nature , cannot , ought not to be restrained unto men of any peculiar calling as such : not to multiply many of this kinde , ( whereof in the scripture is plenty ) adde only that of saint james , brethren , if any of you do erre from the truth , and one convert him , let him know , that he which converteth the sinner from the error of his way , shall save a soule from death , &c. from these and the like places it appeares to me , that . there is a generall obligation on all christians , to promote the conversion and instruction of sinners , and man erring from the right way : againe , consider that of our saviour , mat. . . men d●… not light a candle and put it under a rushell , but on a candlesticke , and it giveth light unto all that are in the house : to which adde that of the apostle , if any thing be revealed to another that sitteth by , let the first hold his peace , cor. . . which words , although primarily they intend extraordinary immediate revelations , yet i see no reason why in their equity and extent , they may not be directory for the use of things revealed unto us by scripture light ; at least we may deduce from them , by the way of analogie , that . whatsoever necessary truth is revealed to any out of the word of god , not before known , he ought to have an uncontradicted liberty of declaring that truth , provided that he use such regulated wayes for that his declaration , as the church wherein he liveth ( if a right church ) doth allow . further see amos . . the lion hath roared , who will not feare ? the lord god hath spoken , who can but prophesie ? and jer. . . then said i , i will not make mention of his name , but his word was in mine heart , as a burning fire shut up in my bones , i was weary with forbearing , and i could not stay : with the answer of peter and john , to the rulers of the jews , acts . , . whether it be right in the sight of god to hearken unto you more then unto god , judge yee , for we cannot but speake the things that we have seen and heard . whence it appeares , that . truth revealed unto any , carries along with it an unmoveable perswasion of conscience ( which is powerfully obligatory ) that it ought to be published and spoken to others . that none may take advantage of this to introduce confusion into our congregations , i gave a sufficient caution in the second rule . many other observations giving light to the businesse in hand , might be taken from the common dictates of nature , concurring with the many generall precepts we have in the scripture , but omitting them , the next thing i propose is the practise , &c. . of our saviour christ himselfe , who did not only pose the doctors when he was but twelve years old , luke . . but also afterwards preached in the synagogue of nazareth , luke . . being neither doctor , nor scribe , nor levite , but of the tribe of juda ( concerning which tribe it is evident that moses spake nothing concerning the priesthood . ) . againe , in the eight of the acts , great persecution arising against the church , after the death of stephen , they were all scattered abroad from jerusalem , ver. . that is , all the faithfull members of the church , who being thus dispersed , went every where , preaching the word , ver. . and to this their publishing of the gospell ( having no warrant , but the generall engagement of all christians , to further the propagation of christs kingdome ) occasioned by their own persecution , the lord gave such a blessing , that they were thereby the first planters of a setled congregation among the gentiles , they , and their converts being the first that were honoured by the name of christians , acts . . and . neither . is the example of saint paul altogether impertinent , who with his companions repaired into the synagogues of the jews , taught them publikely , yea , upon their own request , acts . . apollos also spake boldly , and preached fervently , when he knew only the baptisme of john , and needed himselfe further instruction , acts . . it should seeme then , in that juncture of time , he that was instructed in any truth , not ordinarily known , might publikely acquaint others with it , though he himselfe were ignorant in other points of high concernment ; yet perhaps now it is not possible that any occurrences should require a precise imitation , of what was not only lawfull , but also expedient , in that dawning towards the cleare day of the last unchangeable revelation of gods will . now in these and the like , there is so much variety , such severall grounds , and circumstances , that no direct rule can from them be drawn , only they may give strength to what from the former shall be concluded . for a further light to this discourse , consider what desolate estate the church of god , hath been , may be , and at this present , in divers places is reduced to : her silver may become drosse , and her wine be mixt with water , the faithfull city becomming an harlot , her shepheards may be turned into dumb sleeping dogs , and devouring wolves , her watchmen may be turned smiters , her prophets to prophesie falsely , and her priests to beare rule by lies , the commandements of god being made void by the traditions of men , superstition , humane inventions , will-worship , may defile and contaminate the service of god ; yea , and greater abominations may men possessing moses chaire by succession doe : now that the temple of god hath been thus made a den of theeves , that the abomination of desolation hath been set up in the holy place , is evident from the jewish and christian church : for in the one it was clearly so , when the government of it was devolved to the scribes and pharisees , and in the other , when the man of sin had exalted himselfe in the midst thereof . now suppose a man , living in the midst and height of such a sad apostacy , when an universall darknesse had spread it selfe over the face of the church , if the lord be pleased to reveale unto him out of his word some points of faith , then either not at all known , or generally disbelieved , yet a right beliefe whereof is necessary to salvation ; and further out of the same word shall discover unto him the wickednesse of that apostacy , and the meanes to remove it , i demand , whether that man without expecting any call from the fomenters and maintainers of those errors , with which the church at that time , is only not destroyed , may not preach , publish , and publikely declare the said truths to others ( the knowledge of them being so necessary for the good of their soules ) and conclude himselfe thereunto called of god , by vertue of the forenamed , and other the like rules ? truly for my part ( under correction ) i conceive he may , nay he ought , neither is any other outward call requisite to constitute him a preacher of the gospell , then the consent of gods people to be instructed by him ; for instance , suppose that god should reveale the truth of the gospel , to a meere lay man ( as they say ) in italy , so that he be fully convinced thereof ; what shall he now do ? abstaine from publishing it , though he be perswaded in conscience , that a great doore of utterance might be granted unto him , onely because some hereticall , symonaicall , wicked antichristian prelate , hath not ordained him minister ; who yet would not do it , unlesse he will subscribe to those errors and heresies which he is perswaded to be such : truly i think by so abstaining , he should sin against the law of charity , in seeing ( not the oxe or asse of his brother falling into the pit , but ) their precious soules , sinking to everlasting damnation , and not preventing it , when he might ? and were he indeed truly angry with his whole nation , he might have the advantage of an italian revenge . moreover , he should sin against the precept of christ , by hiding his light under a bushell ▪ and napkining up his talent , an increase whereof will be required of him at the last day : now with this i was alwayes so well satisfied , that i ever deemed all curious disquisition after the outward vocation of our first reformers , luther , calvin , &c. altogether needlesse ; the case in their dayes being exactly that , which i have laid downe . come we now to the third and last way , whereby men not partakers of any outward ordinary vocation , may yet receive a sufficient warrant for the preaching and publishing of the gospell , and that by some outward act of providence guiding them thereunto ; for example , put case a christian man , should by any chance of providence , be cast by shipwrack or otherwise , upon the country of some barbarous people , that never heard of the name of christ , and there by hs goodnesse that brought him thither , be received amongst them , into civill humane society ; may he not , nay , ought he not to preach christ unto them ? and if god give a blessing to his endeavours , may hee not become a pastor to the converted soules ? none i hope makes any doubt of it ; and in the primitive times , nothing was more frequent then such examples ; thus were the indians and the moores turned to the faith , as you may see in eusebius : yea great was the liberty which in the first church was used in this kinde , presently after the supernaturall gift of tongues ceased amongst men . chap. . of the liberty and duty of gifted , uncalled christians , in the excercise of divers acts of gods worship . and thus have i declared , what i conceive , concerning extraordinary calling to the publick teaching of the word ; in what cases onely it useth to take place , whence i conclude , that whosoever pretends unto it , not warranted by an evidence of one of those three wayes , that god taketh in such proceedings , is but a pretender , an impostor , and ought accordingly to be rejected of all gods people in other cases , not to disuse what outward ordinary occasion from them who are intrusted by commission from god , with that power , doth conferre upon persons so called , we must needs grant it a negative voyce , in the admission of any to the publick preaching of the gospell , if they come not in at that doore , they do climbe over the wall , if they make any entrance at all : it remaines then , to shut up all , that it be declared , what private christians , living in a pure , orthodoxe , well ordered church may doe , and how far they may interest themselves , in holy soule-concerning affaires , both in respect of their owne particular , and of their brethren in the midst of whom they live : in which determination , because it concerneth men of low degree , and those that comparatively may be said to be unlearned , i shall labour to expresse the conceivings of my minde , in as familiar plaine observations as i can ; onely thus much i desire may be premised , that the principles and rules of that church governement , from which , in the following assertions i desire not to wander , is of that ( to which i doe , and alwayes in my poore judgement have adhered , since by gods assistance , i had engaged my selfe to the study of his word ) which commonly is called presbyteriall , or synodicall , in opposition to prelaticall , or diocesan on the one side ; and that which is commonly called independant , or congregationall on the other . . then a diligent searching of the scriptures , with fervent prayers to almighty god , for the taking away that vaile of ignorance , which by nature is before their eyes , that they may come to a saving knowledge in , and a right understanding of them , is not only lawfull and convenient for all men professing the name of christ , but also absolutly necessary because commanded , yea indeed commanded , because the end so to be attained is absolutely necessarie to salvation : to confirme this , i need not multiply precepts out of the old or new testament , such as that of isa. . . to the law and to the testimony , and that of joh , . . search the scriptures , which are inumerable , nor yet heap up motives unto it , such as are the discription of the heavenly countrey , whither we are going , in them is cōtained , joh. . . cor. . . revel : . . &c. the way by which we are to travaile laid down , iohn . . and . , . jesus christ whom we must labour to be like , painted out , gal. . . and the back-parts of god discovered , deut. . . by them onely true spirituall wisdom is conveied to our souls , iere. . . whereby we may become even wiser then our teachers , psa. . in them all comfort and consolation is to be had , in the time of danger and trouble , psa. . . and , . in briefe the knowledge of christ which is life eternall ioh. . . yea , all that can be said in this kinde comes infinitely short , of those treasures of wisdom , riches , & goodnes , which are contained in them ; the law of the lord is perfect converting the soule , the testimony of the lord is sure , making wise the simple , psa. . . but this duty of the people is cleere , and confessed ; the objections of the papists against it , being for the most part , so many blasphemies against the holy word of god ; they accuse it of difficulty , which god affirmes to make wise the simple , of obscurity , which openeth the eyes of the blinde ; to be a dead letter , a nose of wax , which is quicke and powerfull pearcing to the dividing asunder of the soule and spirit ; to be weake and insufficient , which is able to make the man of god perfect and wise unto salvation ; yea that word which the apostle affirmeth to be profitable for reproofe , is not in any thing more full , then in reproving of this blasphemy . . they may not onely ( as before ) search the scriptures , but also examine , and try by them the doctrine that publikely is taught unto them ; the people of god , must not be like children tossed too and fro , and carried about with every winde of doctrine , by the slight of men , and cunning craftinesse , whereby they lie in wait to deceive : ephes. . . all is not presently gospell , that is spoken in the pulpit , it is not long since , that altar-worship , arminianisme , popery , superstition , &c. were freely preached in this kingdom ; now what shall the people of god do in such a case ? yeild to every breath , to every puffe of false doctrine ? or rather try it by the word of god , and if it be not agreeable thereunto , cast it out like salt that hath lost its savour : must not the people take care that they be not seduced ? must they not beware of false prophets , which come unto them in sheepes cloathing , but inwardly are ravening wolves ? and how shall they do this ? what way remaines , but a trying their doctrine by the rule ? in these evill dayes wherein we live , i heare many daily complaining , that there is such difference , and contrariety among preachers , they know not what to doe , nor scarce what to believe ; my answer is , do but your own duty , and this trouble is at an end ; is there any contrarity in the book of god ? pin not your faith upon mens opinions , the bible is the touchstone : that there is such diversity amongst teachers is their fault , who should thinke all the same thing ; but that this is so troublesome to you , is your own fault , for neglecting your duty of trying all things by the word : alas , you are in a miserable condition , if you have all this while , relied on the authority of men , in heavenly things ; he that builds his faith upon preachers , though they preach nothing but truth , and he pretend to believe it , hath indeed no faith at all , but a wavering opinion , built upon a rotten foundation : what ever then is taught you , you must go with it , to the law , and to the testimony , if they speake not according to this word , it is because there is no light in them , isaiah . . yea , the bereans are highly extolled , for searching whether the doctrine concerning our saviour , preached by st. paul , were so , or no , acts . . agreeably to the precept of the same preacher , thes. . . make triall of all things , and hold fast that which is good : as also to that of st. john , epist. . . beloved , believe not every spirit , but try the spirits whether they be of god , because many false spirits ar● gone out into the world ; prophets then must be tried , before they be trusted ; now the reason of this holds still : there are many false teachers abroad in the world , wherefore try every one , trie his spirit , his spirituall gift of teaching , & that by the word of god . and here you have a door rule laid down , how you may extricate your selves from the former perplexity : nay , st. paul himself speaking to understanding christians , requires them to judge of it , cor. . . i speake as to wise , judge ye what i say : hence are those cautions , that the people should looke that none do seduce them , matth. . . to which end , they must have their souls exercised , in the word of god , to discerne good and evil , heb. . . thus also in one place , christ biddeth his followers , heare the pharisees , and do what they should command , because they sate in moses chaire , matt. . , . and yet in another place , gives them a caution to beware of the doctrine of the pharisees , matr. . . it remaineth then , that the people are bound to hear those , who possesse the place of teaching in the church , but withall they must beware that it contain nothing of the old leaven , to which end they must try it by the word of god : when as saint paul prayeth for the philippians , that their love might abound yet more and more in knowledge , and all judgement , that they might approve things that are excellent , phil. . , . unlesse ministers will answer for all those soules they shall mislead , and excuse them before god , at the day of triall , they ought not to debar them , from trying their doctrine ; now this they cannot do , for if the blinde , lead the blinde both shall fall into the pit of destruction . and here i might have just occasion of complaint : . of the superstitious pride of the late clergy of this land , who could not endure to have their doctrine tried by their auditors , crying to poor men with the pharises , john . you were altogether borne in sins , and do you teach us ? a pretty world it is like to be , when the sheepe will needs teach their pastors ; nothing would serve them , but a blinde submission , to the loose dictates of their cobweb homilies : he saw farther sure , in the darkenesse of popery , who contended that a whole generall councell , ought to give place , to a simple lay man , urging scripture , or speaking reason . now surely this is very far from that gentlenesse , meeknesse , and aptnesse to teach , which st. paul requireth in a man of god , a minister of the gospel : secondly , the negligence of the people also , might here come under a just reproofe , who have not laboured , to discerne the voice of the hireling , from that of the true shepheard , but have promiscuously followed , the new fanglednesse , & hereticall errours , of every time serving starver of souls . whence proceedeth all that misery , the land now groaneth under , but that we have had a people , willing to be led by a corrupted clergy , freely drinking in the poison , wherewith they were tainted : the prophets prophesied falsely , the priests bare rule , by their meanes , the people loved to have it so , but what shall we now doe in the end thereof ; who could ever have thought , that the people of england , would have yeilded a willing eare , to so many popish errours , and an obedient shoulder , to such a heavy burden of superstitions , as in a few years , were instilled into them , and laid upon them : voluntarily by their own sinfull neglect , ensnaring their consciences , by the omission of this duty we insist upon , of examining by the word what is taught unto them ; but this is no place for complaints , and this is a second thing , which the people distinct from their pastors may do for their own edification . now whether they do this privately , every one apart , or by assembling more together , is altogether indifferent . and that this was observed by private christians , in the primitive times is very apparent . come we in the third place , what either their duty bindes them to , or otherwise by the word , they are allowed to doe , in sacred performances , having reference to others ; looke then in generall upon those things we finde them tied unto , by vertue of speciall precept : such as are to warne the unruly , comfort the feeble minded , support the weake , thes. . . to admonish and reprove offending brethren , matth. . . to instruct the ignorant . joh. . . act. . . to exhort the negligent , heb. . . and . . . to comfort the afflicted , thes. . . to restore him that falleth , gal. . . to visit the sicke ▪ matth. . , . to reconcile those that are at variance , matth. . . to contend for the truth , jude . pet. . . to pray for the sinner not unto death , ioh. . . to edifie one another in their most holy faith , jude . to speak to themselves in psalmes and hymnes , and spirituall songs , ephe. . . to be ready to answer every man , in giving account of their faith , col. . . to marke them that make divisions , rom. . . with innumerable others to the like purpose , it remaineth them to consider : secondly , in particular , what course they may take , beyond private conference between man and man , by indiction of time or place , for the fulfilling of what by these precepts , and the like is of them required : to which i answer ▪ . lawfull things must be done lawfully , if any unlawfull circumstance , attends the performance of a lawfull action , it vitiates the whole worke , for bonum oritur ex integris ; for instance , to reprove an offender , is a christian duty , but for a private man to do it , in the publicke congregation , whilest the minister is preaching , were instead of a good act , a soule crime , being a notorious disturbance of church decency and order . . that for a publicke , formall , ministeriall teaching , two things are required in the teacher : first , gifts from god : secondly , authority from the church ( and i speake now of ordinary cases ) he that wants either , is no true pastor : for the first , god sends none upon an employment , but whom he fills with gifts for it : . not one command in the scripture made to teachers . not one rule for their direction : . not one promise to their endeavours , . not any end of their unemployment ; . not one incouragement to their duty , . not one reproofe for their negligence , . not the least intimation of their reward , but cuts off ungifted : idoll pastors , from any true interest in the calling : and for the other , that want authority from the church , neither ought they to undertake any formall act , properly belonging to the ministery , such as is , solemne teaching of the word ; for , . they are none of christs officers , ephes. . . . they are expresly forbidden it , ier. . . heb. . . . the blessing on the word is promised only to sent teachers , rom. . , . . if to be gifted , be to be called , then , . every one might undertake so much in sacred duties , as he fancies himselfe to be able to performe . . children ( as they report of athanasius ) might baptise . . every ▪ common christian , might administer the communion : but endlesse are the arguments that might be multiplied against this fancy ; in a word , if our saviour christ be the god of order , he hath left his church to no such confusion . thirdly , that to appoint time and place , for the doing of that which god hath appointed indefinitely to be done , in time and place , rather commends then vitiates the duty ; so did jobs friends in the duty of comforting the afflicted , they made an appointment together to come and comfort him , job . . and so did they , zech. . . and so did david , psal. . . fourthly , there is much difference betweene opening or interpreting the word , and applying the word upon the advantage of such an approved interpretation , as also betweene an authoritative act , or doing a thing by vertue of speciall office , and a charitable act , or doing a thing out a motion of christian love . fifthly , it may be observed concerning gifts ; first , that the gifts and graces of gods spirit , are of two sorts , some being bestowed for the sanctification of gods people , some for the edification of his church , some of a private alley , looking primarily inwards , to the saving of his soule , on whom they are bestowed , ( though in their fruits also , they have a relation , and habitude to others ) other some , ayming at the common wealth or profit of the whole church , as such : of the first sort , are those mentioned , gal. . , . the fruit of the spirit is love , joy , peace , &c. with all other graces that are necessary to make the man of god perfect , in all holinesse and the feare of the lord : the other are those {non-roman} {non-roman} {non-roman} {non-roman} {non-roman} , spirituall gifts of teaching ▪ praying , prophe●ying , mentioned , cor. . and in other places . secondly , that all these gifts comming down from the father of lights , are given by the same spirit , dividing to every one as he will , cor. . . he is not tied in the bestowing of his gifts , to any sort , estate , calling or condition of men , but worketh them freely , as it pleaseth him , in whom he will ; the spirit there mentioned , is that god which worketh all things , according to the counsell of his owne will , ephes. . . they are neither deserved by our goodnesse , nor obtained by our endeavours . thirdly , that the end why god bestoweth these gifts on any , is meerely , that within the bounds of their owne calling ( in which they are circumscribed , cor. . . ) they should use them to his glory , and the edification of his church , for the manifestation of the spirit is given to every man to profit withall , cor. . . christ gives none of his talents to be bound up in napkins , but expects his owne with increase : and from these considerations it is easily discernable , both what the people of god distinct from their pastors in a well ordered church , may do in this kinde , whereof we treate , and how : in generall then i assert , that for the improving of knowledge , the increasing of christian charity , for the furtherance of a strict and holy communion of that spirituall love and amity which ought to be amongst the brethren , they may of their owne accord , assemble together , to consider one another , to provoke unto love and good works , to stir up the gifts that are in them , yeilding and receiving mutuall consolation , by the fruits of their most holy faith . now because there be many vzzahs amongst us , who have an itching desire to be fingring of the arke , thinking more highly of themselves , then they ought to thinke , and like the ambitious sons of levi , taking too much upon them ; it will not be amisse , to give two cautions , deducted from the former rules : first , that they doe not , under a pretence of christian liberty and freedome of conscience , cast away all brotherly amity , and cut themselves off from the communion of the church ; christ hath not purchased a liberty for any to rent his body : they will prove at length , to be no duties of piety , which breake the sacred bonds of charity . men ought not under a pretence , of congregating themselves to serve their god , separate from their brethren , neglecting the pnblick assemblies , as was the manner of some , rebuked by the apostle , heb. . . there be peculiar blessings , and transcendent priviledges annexed to publick assemblies , which accompany not private men to their recesses ; the sharp-edged sword becomes more keene , when set on by a skilfull master of the assemblies ; and when the water of the word flowes there , the spirit of god moves upon the face thereof , to make it effectuall in our hearts : what , despise you the church of god ? cor. . . secondly , as the ministry , so also ought the ministers , to have that regard , respect and obedience , which is due to their labours in that sacred calling : would we could not too frequently see more puffed up with the conceit of their owne gifts , into a contempt of the most learned and pious pastors ; these are spots in your feasts of charity , clouds without water , carried about of winds : it must doubtlesse be an evill roote , that bringeth forth such bitter fruit . wherefore let not our brethren fall into this condemnation , lest there be an evill report , raised by them that are without : but remember them who have the rule over you , who have spoken unto you the word of god , heb. . . there is no greater evidence , of the heavenly improvement , you make by your recesses , then that you obey them that are guides unto you , and submit your selves , for they watch for you soules , as they that must give an account , that they may do it with joy , and not with griefe , for that is unprofitable for you , ver. . let not them who despise a faithfull painfull minister in publick , flatter themselves , with hope of a blessing on their endeavours in private : let them pretend what they will , they have not an equall respect unto all gods ordinances . wherefore that the comming together in this sort , may be for the better , and not for the worse , observe these things : now for what gifts , ( that are as before freely bestowed ) whose exercise is permitted , unto such men , so assembled : i meane in a private family , or two or three met {non-roman} {non-roman} {non-roman} {non-roman} {non-roman} in one . and first we may name the gift of prayer , whose exercise must not be exempted , from such assemblies , if any be granted : these are the times , wherein the spirit of grace and supplications , is promised to be poured out upon the jerusalem of god , zech. . . now god having bestowed the gift , and requiring the duty , his people ought not to be hindred in the performance of it : are all those precepts to pray in the scriptures , onely for our closets ? when the church was in distresse for the imprisonment of peter , there was a meeting at the house of mary the mother of john , act. . . manie were gathered together praying , saith the text : a sufficient warrant for the people of god in like cases : the churches are in no lesse distresse now , then at that time , and in some congregations the ministers are so oppressed , that publikely they dare not , in others so corrupted , that they will not pray for the prosperity of jerusalem : now truly it were a disconsolate thing , for any one of gods servants to say , during all these streights , i never joyned with any of gods children in the pouring out of my prayer in the behalfe of his church : neither can i see how this can possibly be prevented , but by the former meanes ; to which adde the councell of st. paul , speaking to themselves , in psalmes , and hymnes , and spirituall songs , making melody in their hearts unto the lord , eph. . . secondly , they may exercise the gifts of wisdom , knowledge , and understanding in the wayes of the lord ; comforting , strengthening , and incouraging each other with the same consolations , and promises , which by the benefit of the publicke ministry , they have received from the word : thus in time of distresse the prophet malachi tels us , that they that feared the lord , spake often one to another , and the lord hearkned and heard , &c. chap. . . comforting ( as it appeares ) one another in the promises of god , made unto his church , against the flourishing of the wicked , and overflowing of ungodlinesse , the persecution of tyrants , and impurity of transgressors . thirdly , they may make use of the tongue of the learned ( if given unto them ) to speake a word in season to him that is weary , isa. . . for being commanded to confesse their faults one to another , james . . they have power also to apply to them that are penitent , the promises of mercy : we should never be commanded to open our wounds , to them who have no balme , to powre into them : he shall have cold comfort , who seekes for councell from a dumbe man , so that in this , & the like cases , they may apply unto , and instruct one another in the word of god , doing it as a charitable duty , and not as out of necessary function , even as aquila , and priscilla , expounded unto apollos the word of god more perfectly then he knew it before , act. . . in summe , and not to inlarge this discourse with any more particulars , the people of god are allowed all quiet , and peaceable meanes , whereby they may help each other forward , in the knowledge of godlinesse , and the way towards heaven ; now for the close of this discourse , i will remove some objections , that i have heard godly men , and men not unlearned lay against it , out of a zeale not unlike that of joshua , for moses sake , the constitute pastors sake , to whom , though i might briefly answer , with moses , i would to god all the lords people were prophets ; i heartily wish that every one of them , had such a plentifull measure of spirituall endowments , that they might become wise unto salvation , above many of their teachers , in which vote , i make no doubt but every one will concurre with me , who have the least experimentall knowledge , what a burthen upon the shoulders , what a griefe unto the soule of a minister , knowing , and desiring to discharge his duty , is an ignorant congregation , of which , thanks to our prelates , pluralists , non-residents , homilies , service-book , and ceremonies , we have too toomany in this kingdom , the many also of our ministers in this church , taking for their directory , the laws and penalties of men , informing what they should not do , if they would avoid their panishment , and not the precepts of god , what they should as their duty do , if they meant to please him , and knowing there was no stature , whereon they might be sued , for ( pardon the expression ) the dilapidation of soules , so their owne houses were ceiled , they cared not at all though the church of god lay wast : i say , though i might thus answer , with opening my desire for the increasing of knowledge among the people ; of which , i take this to be an effectuall means , yet i will give briefe answers , to the severall objections . then this seemes to favour an allowance of licentious conventicles , which in all ▪ laces , the lawes have condemned , learned men in all ages have abhorted , as the seminaries of faction and schisme in the church of god . that ( under correction ) i conceive , that the law layeth hold of none , as peccant in such a kinde , but onely those , who have predeclared themselves to be opposers of the worship of god , in the publique assemblies of that church wherein they live : now the patronage of any such , i before re●●cted ; neither doe i conceive , that they ought at all to be allowed the benefit of private meetings , who wilfully abstaine from the publique congregations , so long as the true worship of god is held forth in them : yea , how averse i have ever beene , from that kinde of confused licentiousnesse in any church , i have somewhile since declared , in an answer ( drawne up for my owne , and some private friends satisfactions ) to the arguments of the remonstrants , in their apologie , and replies to vedelius , with other treatises , for such a liberty of prophecying , as they terme it . if then the law account onely such assemblies to be conventicles , wherein the assemblers contemne and despise the service of god in publique , i have not spoken one word in favour of them : and for that canon which was mounted against them , whether intentionally , in the first institution of it , it was moulded , and framed against anapabtists , or no , i cannot tell ? but this i am sure , that in the discharge of it , it did execution oftentimes , upon such as had christs precept and promise , to warrant their assembling , mat. . , . not to contend about words , would to god that which is good , might not be persecuted into odious appellations , and called evill , when it is otherwise ; so to oppose it to the tyrannicall oppression , of the enemies of the gospell : the thing it selfe , rightly understood , can scarce be condemned of any , who envies not the salvation of soules . they that would banish the gospell from our houses , would not much care , if it were gone from our hearts ; from our houses i say , for it is all one whether these duties be performed in one family , or a collection of more ; some one is bigger then ten other ; shall their assembling to performe what is lawfull for that one , be condemned for a conventicle ? where is the law for that ? or what is there in all this more then god required of his ancient people , as i shewed before ? or must a master of a family , cease praying in his family , and instructing his children , and servants in the wayes of the lord , for feare of being counted a preacher in a tub ? things were scarcely carried with an equall hand , for the kingdom of christ , when orders came forth on the one side , to give liberty to the profane multitude to assemble themselves at heathenish sports , with bestiall exclamations , on the lords own day , and on the other , to punish them , who durst gather themselves together for prayer , or the singing of psalmes ; but i hope , through gods blessing , we shall be for ever quit of all such ecclesiasticall discipline , as must be exercised according to the interest of idle drones , whom it concerneth to see that there be none to try or examine their doctrine , or of superstitious innovators , who desire to obtrude their fancies , upon the unwary people ; whence comes it that we have such an innumerable multitude of ignorant stupid soules , unacquainted with the very principles of religion ? but from the discountenancing of these means of increasing knowledge ; by men who would not labour todo it themselves ; oh that we could see the many swearers , and drunkards , & sabbath-breakers , &c. in this nation , guilty onely of this crime ; would the kingdom were so happy , the church so holy ! men are apt , to pride themselves in their gifts , and flatter themselves in their performances , so that let them approch as nigh as the tabernacle , and you shall quickly have them encroaching upon the priests office also , and by an over-weening of their own indeavours , create themselues pastors in seperate congregations . it cannot be , but offences will come , so long as there is malice in satan , and corruption in men , there is no doubt , but there is danger of some such thing : but hereof the liberty mentioned is not the cause , but an accidentall occasion onely , no way blameable , gifts must not be condemned , because they may be abused , god-fearing-men will remember korah , knowing ( as one sayes well ) that vzzah had better ventured the falling then the fingring of the arke , they that truely love their soules , will not suffer themselves to be carried away by selfe-conceit , so farre as to help overthrow the very constitution of any church by confusion , or the flourishing of it by ignorance , both which , would certainly follow such courses ; knowledge if alone puffeth up , but joyned to charity it edifieth . but may not this be a meanes for men to vent and broach their owne private fancies unto others ? to foment and cherish errors in one another ? to give false interpretations of the word , there being no way to prevent it ? for interpreting of the word , i speake not , but applying of it being rightly interpreted ; and for the rest , would to god the complaints were not true , of those things that have for divers yeares in this church beene done publickly , and outwardly according to order : but that no inconvenience arise from hence , the care rests on them , to whom the dispensation of the word is committed , whose sedulous indeavour , to reprove and convince all unsound doctrine , not agreeing to the forme of wholesome words , is the soveraigne and onely remedy to cure , or meanes to prevent this evill . for the close of all , we may observe , that those who are most offended , and afraid , lest others should encroach upon their callings , are for the most part such , as have almost deserted it themselves , neglecting their owne imployment , when they are the busiest of mortals , in things of this world . to conclude then , for what i have delivered in this particular , i conceive that i have the judgement and practise of the whole church of scotland , ( agreeable to the word of god ) for my warrant ; witnesse that act of their assembly at edinburgh , an. . wherewith the learned ruthersurd concludes his defence of their discipline , with whose words i will shut up this discourse ; our assembly also , commandeth goldy conference at all occasionall meetings , or as gods providence shall dispose , as the word of god commandeth , providing none invade the pastors office , to preach the word , who are not called thereunto by god and his church . {non-roman} {non-roman} {non-roman} {non-roman} {non-roman} finis . i have perused this discourse touching the administration of things commanded in religion , and conceive it written with much clearenesse of judgement , and moderation of spirit , and therefore do approve of it to be published in print . may . . joseph caryl . notes, typically marginal, from the original text notes for div a e- a cor. . {non-roman} {non-roman} {non-roman} {non-roman} {non-roman} . revel. . . epist. joh. . . matth. . . cor. . . zanch. de fine sec . mol. acc. proph . rom. . . euseb. eccles. hist. lib. . cap. ambr. de sacra . lib. . ephes . . gen. . . cap. . . cap. . , . &c. . . cap. . , , . cap. , cap. . cap. . , . cap. . . cap. . , , . exo. cap. . . job cap. . . cap. . , , . tho : . ae q. . ad . jacob armin. de sacerd . ch. orat . gen. . . eccles. malignantum . august . con. faust . lib. . cap. . per incrementa temporum crevit divinae cognitionis incrementum es . regno . hom. . in ezek. a med. marke . aug. de civit . dei . lib . cap. . joseph . antiq. lib. . ca. . sixt. senens . bib. lib. . matth. . . chr. . . cast him out , joh. . acts . . aquin. durand . tractatu de sacerdotio christi , contra armin socini : & papistas , non . dum edito . hook : eccles. polit lib . whitgift . ans. to the admon . rev. . . & . . & . . pet. . . &c. for offering the host or their christ they pray : supra quae , propitio ac sereno vultu respirere digneris , & accepta habere ficut dignatus es munorae pueri tui justi abel , & sacrificium patriarchae nostri abrahae : with many more to that purpose . sciendum est quod aliquando prophetae sancti dum consuluntur ex magno usu prophetandi quaedam ex suo spiritu proserunt , et se hoc ex prophetiae spiritu dicere suspicantur . gregor : hom. . in ezek. dicebat se discernere ( nescio quo sapore quem verbis explicare non poterat ) quid interesset interdeum revelantem , & animam suam somniantem . aug. confess . the discovery of pretenders . ezek. . , . &c. . . the third way . vos facite quod scriptum est , ut unodicente , omnes examinent , me ergodicente quod sentio , vos discern●…te & examinate ; orig. in josh. hom. . eusebius russ . eccles. . . . object . answ . . object . answer . . object . answer a winding-sheet for england's ministry which hath a name to live, but is dead sent to john owen, called dr. in that ministry, and late vice-chancellor of oxford, and is in answer to his printed paper concerning tythes : or, an examination of those scriptures by which he seems to prove, that the publike maintenance for preachers of the gospel by way of tythes, is a gospel-maintenance, but upon examination thereof by the scriptures, he is found to be a subverter of them, and, that tythes is no lawful maintenance for gospel-ministers. foster, t. this text is an enriched version of the tcp digital transcription a of text r in the english short title catalog (wing f ). textual changes and metadata enrichments aim at making the text more computationally tractable, easier to read, and suitable for network-based collaborative curation by amateur and professional end users from many walks of life. the text has been tokenized and linguistically annotated with morphadorner. the annotation includes standard spellings that support the display of a text in a standardized format that preserves archaic forms ('loveth', 'seekest'). textual changes aim at restoring the text the author or stationer meant to publish. this text has not been fully proofread approx. kb of xml-encoded text transcribed from -bit group-iv tiff page images. earlyprint project evanston,il, notre dame, in, st. louis, mo a wing f estc r ocm this keyboarded and encoded edition of the work described above is co-owned by the institutions providing financial support to the early english books online text creation partnership. this phase i text is available for reuse, according to the terms of creative commons . universal . the text can be copied, modified, distributed and performed, even for commercial purposes, all without asking permission. early english books online. (eebo-tcp ; phase , no. a ) transcribed from: (early english books online ; image set ) images scanned from microfilm: (early english books, - ; : ) a winding-sheet for england's ministry which hath a name to live, but is dead sent to john owen, called dr. in that ministry, and late vice-chancellor of oxford, and is in answer to his printed paper concerning tythes : or, an examination of those scriptures by which he seems to prove, that the publike maintenance for preachers of the gospel by way of tythes, is a gospel-maintenance, but upon examination thereof by the scriptures, he is found to be a subverter of them, and, that tythes is no lawful maintenance for gospel-ministers. foster, t. , [ ] p. s.n., [london? : / , i.e. ] caption title. attributed to t. foster by wing and nuc pre- imprints. signed: by a member of the true church, and of that society which the world calls quakers. imprint suggested by wing. imperfect: stained and cropped; best copy available for photographing. reproduction of original in the huntington library. eng owen, john, - . -- two questions concerning the power of the supreme magistrate about religion. clergy -- pensions. tithes. a r (wing f ). civilwar no a vvinding-sheet for england's ministry which hath a name to live, but is dead. sent to john owen, called dr. in that ministry, and late vic foster, t c the rate of defects per , words puts this text in the c category of texts with between and defects per , words. - tcp assigned for keying and markup - aptara keyed and coded from proquest page images - robyn anspach sampled and proofread - robyn anspach text and markup reviewed and edited - pfs batch review (qc) and xml conversion a vvinding-sheet for england's ministry which hath a name to live , but is dead . sent to john owen , called dr. in that ministry , and late vice-chancellor of oxford . and is in answer to his printed paper concerning tythes . or , an examination of those scriptures by which he seems to to prove , that the publike maintenance for preachers of the gospel by way of tythes , is a gospel-maintenance . but upon examination thereof by the scriptures , he is found to be a subverter of them , and , that tythes is no lawful maintenance for gospel-ministers . friend , i have lately perused thy printed paper concerning the power of the supreme magistrate about religion , and the worship of god ; as also , concerning tithes : all which thou hast proposed in three questions , and ( as thou saist ) resolved . now let me tell thee , 't is no difficult thing for any man to propound his own questions ( as thou hast done , waving another mans ) and then answer them . my purpose is at this time to speake to that onely which concerneth tithes , and to examine thy proofs which thou thy self hast quoted on their behalf , and which is so much ( by the ministry of england ) contended for ; that rather then they will not have upheld , and fully exact from those who in conscience cannot pay them , they have not onely ●●oiled people of their goods , and often taken ten times more then the tithes 〈…〉 but a 〈…〉 their bodies into prison , where many of them have 〈◊〉 their 〈◊〉 mony against themby death . but surely where such cruelty 〈◊〉 hath been exercised , and too often used upon tender consciences , or upon men supposed to disrespect the publick preachers of the gospel , upon the account of their maintenance , for food and raiment convenient for them for preaching , they had need be upon infallible grounds , first , that they are true ministers of christ jesus , sent forth by him to preach the everlasting gospel . secondly , that their lives and practices are agreeable to the gospel ministers in the primitive times ; and thirdly , that tithes are the undoubted maintenance for such ministers , before ever they should have proceeded to the imprisonment of mens bodies , and forcing from them their estates , for not paying of them ; and if you cannot all manifest your selves by these things , then give me leave to tll you all , you are deceivers , and not gospel-preachers , and the lord will require the blood of the innocent at your hands . but i shal come to the question propounded by thee , and examine thy proofs for tythes . question , whether it be convenient , that the present way of the maintenance of ministers or preachers of the gospel be removed and taken away , or changed into some other provision . which queflion thou hast in eight particular answered , and towards the close of thy answer saiest ; that to take away the publick maintenance , viz. the tithes , provided , as thou saist , in the providence of god for the publick dispensers of the gospel , upon pretences of present inconvenience , or promises of future provision , is a contempt of the care and faithfulness of god towards his church , and is in plain terms down-right robbery . and further thou saist , that to entitle a nation unto such an action , by imposing it on them without their consent , is down-right oppression . . i shall first speak to the question propounded , and in answer thereunto , do positively affirm , and say contrarily , that the present way of maintenance for ministers by tithes , is not onely a great oppression , and intollerable in a christian common-wealth , or amongst men professing christ jesus to be their king , priest , and prophet , but also antichristian , and contrary to the maintenance and practice of gospel-ministers : and that not to remove such an oppression , were little less , in plain english , then direct robbery , or to uphold wickedness by a law , god having appointed no such maintenance for gospel-preachers , but is a maintenance , as you may read , set up by pope gregory the tenth , in the year . and not by christ , nor was it ever practised by the apostles or disciples of christ in the primitive times : and cook in the third part of his institutes also testifies , that tenths and first-fruits are but a late innovation , and claimed by the pope as successor to the jewish high-priest : and doctor seamor , one of your own divines confessed before the committee of parliament , in the year . that their call to the ministry had its 〈◊〉 first rise from the pope of rome ; it follows then , your maintenance must be from thence also . now that tithes is an oppression and an unrighteous thing , examine the sufferings of diverse of the mattyrs in queen maries daies , recorded by fox in his acts and monuments , as john wickliffe , walter brute , william thorp , and others , who suffered in flames for their testimony against tithes : and that this age is not without a faithful testimony . see the sufferings of the christians until death in our daies ; as thomas bromby , john cason , william sykes , william tucker , stephen yaton , arnold trueblood , william serjeant , and others , who in several goals of this nation finished their testimony also against tithes , by suffering imprisonment until death , and thousands by spoiling of their goods ▪ who is there almost that i but sober amongst is , or that dares approve himself to be a christian , but hath , or will give his testimony against tithes , and say , 't is a burthen intollerable to be born by all that 〈…〉 but because i desire that the truth may prevail , and that it may be made manifest to all that have but a seeing eye , or a hearing ear ; i shall examine the strength of thy proofs by those very scriptures which thou hast quoted to prove tithes a fit maintenance for the publick dispensers of the gospell . thy first proof is cor. . . in which place the apostle saith , they that preach the gospel should live of the gospel . now i appeal to all indifferent men , that do not suffer the thick vail of false doctrine to remain as scales upon their eies , whether this text pleads for a maintenance by tithes , or no : if thou hadst known what it is to live of the gospel , thou wouldst have cried out against the oppresiing of tender consciences to maintain thee , and not have cried out to the civil power , for fear that the oppression should be removed . friend ! is forcing from people the tenth part of their hard labour and estates , to maintain your generation in pride , idleness , and fulness of bread , a living of the gospel ? if this be to live of the gospel , 't is a life the apostles and true ministers of christ never lived , nor their lord and master never commanded ; who when he sent forth his disciples to preach , charged them not to take any thing for their journey , nor two coats , no scrip , no bread , nor any mony in their purses , mark . , . but now you are so far from observing christs doctrine , and his commands , that your generation walk quite contrary : for instead of going forth without provision , you will not go forth unless it be well assured unto you before-hand . the true laborers in christs vineyard , i say , never contracted for a settled maintenance , nor divined for money , as you do ; but as they had freely received , so they freely gave , and when they had done christs work , received christs wages , but not compelled peoples estates from them , nor for being unwilling to part with it , cast their bodies into prison , as many of you have done . now friend , because thou art ignorant of christs doctrine , and of the gospel-ministers maintenance , as also of the apostles words before by thee quoted , i shall let thee know , that to live of the gospel , is to receive what is freely administred unto thee : or thus : the true ministers of the gospel first plant a vineyard , and then partake of the fruit thereof : or thus , they receive temporal hings of those to whom they sow spiritual things , cor. . . yet ( lest any should be mistaken , as though the apostle would be so mainteined ) the apostle saith , i have used none of these things , neither have i written these things , that it should be so done unto me , vers. . by which thou feest plainly , that the apostle and true minister of the gospel , was no mercenary preacher nor hireling , but freely as he had received , so he freely gave : he was so far from compelling any to maintain him for preaching , as your fraternity do , that he denied his christian liberty , and wrought with his hands : i say , paul sought for no reward from men for preaching the gospel , as you all do , but saith he , if i do this thing willingly , i have my reward ; and what is my reward , saith he , verily this , that when i preach the gospel , i may make the gospel of christ without charge , that i abuse not my power in the gospel , ver. . now let all the world of unbelievers see , how contrary the practice of the ministers of the church of england is from the true ministers of christ , and how chargeable your gospel is , even so dear hath it been made to some , that it hath cost them their lives in nasty prisons , when as the true ministers gospel is without charge , and is freely preached to all that will receive it . and saith the true prophet , hoe , every one that thirsteth , come to the waters , and buy wine and milk without money , and without price : this is the voice of the true prophets of the lord , but the false prophets they look for their gain from their quarters : and even as troops of robbers wait for a man , so do they murther in the way by consent , hosea . . thy next proof for tithes is this , gal. . . the words of the apostle are these ; let him that is taught in the word , communicate unto him that teacheth , in all good things . truly , friend , wer 't not thou wilfully blind , or willingly ignorant , thou wouldst not prodnce this text to prove tithes a lawful maintenance for gospel-ministers , but wouldst ingeniously confess , and in singleness of heart say , this is from the text , and tithes are antichristian . there needs no other confutation of thee herein , then the aming of the words themselves , which i recommend to thy review , and all mens else who can but read english . friend , be not deceived , nor do thou any longer endeavour to deceive others : for though thou maist do so , yet the lord will not be mocked , nor the true christians deluded by such lines of confusion and palpable darkness , as thou wouldst draw over the minds and the understandings of the civil powers of the earth , who have drunk down error for truth , even as the fishes drink water : and this they and other silly people do , under the specious pretences of your being ministers of the gospel , when as in truth the gospel of christ you are strangers unto , and so are ignorant of its maintenance . bee advised by a lover of the truth , to learn wisdom , and no longer to make a trade of the scriptures ; but let the time past , wherein thou hast walked in the vanity of thy mind , contrary unto truth and sound doctrine , suffice ; and peradventure the lord will wink at thy ignorance , and accept of thy repentance ; for the scriptures were not given forth to make a gain of , but to be believed and fulfilled in their season , and they are profitable for instruction , for correction , for reproof , that so the man of god may bee made perfect : which doctrine of perfection you all deny , and so are not found in the doctrine of christ and his apostles , but out of it , and are strangers and enemies to it . the third scripture thou bringest , is luke . . where our lord jesus christ in his commission to his disciples , commands them to remain in whatsoever house they should enter , eating and drinking such things as they give ; for saith he , the laborer is worthy of his hire . i shall now examine whether you and your fraternity be such as christ sent forth to labour in his vinyard , or whether you be not such as beat his servants , ( which from time to time he sent forth , and when the son came , killed him also , that so the inheritance might be theirs . ) first then , are you lambs , as the true ministers of christ were , verse the third of the same chapter , ( & as the true ministers of christ are at this day amongst wolves ? ) or are you not the wolves your selves , sucking the blood , and tearing the flesh of the lambs , and they do not resist you ? secondly , are you such as go forth without money in your purses , and without scrip and shoes , saluting no man by the way , as christs disciples did ? verse . or do you not instead thereof , go forth well accommodated and provided with all these things , and rather then you will stir , be assured of one hundred pounds by the yeer , and seldom less , but often times more ? and in your going forth , do you salute no man by the way ? or do you not rather complement with all you know , and court every man in power ( who will be lead by you ) for augmentations , plurarities , or greater livings and preferments then you either want or deserve ? thirdly , do you say , peace be to the house whereinto you enter , as the true ministers of christ did , and still do ? or do you not insteed thereof , either sit down in your own great parsonage-houses , and there lord it more like kings in their palaces , then like despised ministers of the gospel ? or if you enter into other mens houses , whether instead of saying , peace be unto it , you do not proclaim war , and with swords , staves , bailiffs , or constables , force your selves in , and take by violence , their goods from them , to satisfie your bellies , and your unsatiable lusts of the tenths of mens labours and estates that owe you nothing , nor receive no spiritual things from you . fourthly , are you such as eat and drink such things as are set before you , as the true ministers of christ did , and still do ? or do you not devour widows houses , and for a pretence make long prayers ? fifthly : are you such as are content with your hire ? and do you receive it from those onely that set you to labour ? or do you not require pay from those that know you to be loyterers , and never set you to work ? friends and people , examine the case whether it be not so ; if so , they have no title to a gospel-maintenance , no more then they can evidence themselves to be christs ministers , and which maintenance is no more by tythes , then they can prove themselves to be gospel-preachers , which by their doctrine and practice appears they are not . the fourth scripture thou bringest to prove tythes a gospel-maintenance , is the cor. . . . where the apostle saith thus , who goeth a warfare any time at his own charge ? who planteth a vinyard , and eateth not of the fruit thereof ? or who feedeth a flock , and eateth not of the milk of the flock ? this is thy proof for tythes : to which i say , thou hast more need to be pittied , then refuted , as being wholly ignorant of the scope of the apostle in that place ; he is so far from exacting a forced maintenance , especially upon the accompt of his ministry , that he thus reasoneth with the corinthians , though [ saith he ] i be not an apostle to others , yet doubtless i am to you , for the seal of mine apostleship [ saith he ] are ye in the lord , verse the second of the same chapter ; and from thence argueth as before in the seventh verse . now say i , if you would follow the example of the apostle , and do as he did , to wit , sow spiritual things indeed and in truth , and not preach your own imaginations for christ's gospel , then should they to whom you sow spiritual things , administer unto you their temporal things , and that as freely too , as you should administer your spiritual things ; but if you shall reap where you sow not , as now most of you all do , then must we needs deny you to abide in the apostles doctrine , and say you are none of christs ministers , and deserve none of his maintenance , but are vsurpers , hirelings , and no gospel-ministers , and deserve punishment rather then pay . the fifth scripture quoted by thee to prove tythes a gospel-maintenance , is in the same chapter , the , , , , & . verses , which because i will not repeat , they being all concerning the same argument before spoken of , i shall refer the perusal of them to the impartial reader , and he will clearly see those texts are so far from proving tythes a gospel-maintenance for gospel-ministers , that the apostle is direct against a setled maintenance ; first , by his argument in the th . verse , where it is said , thou shalt not muzzle the mouth of the ox that treadeth out the corn ; by which it appears the ox must tread out the corn , whose mouth is not to be muzled . are you such as tread out the corn ? if so , then we shall not allow that your mouths should be muzled , but have food and rayment convenient for you , as the true ministers of christ have ; and were you such , you would therewith be contented ; and of this you need not ( nay you would not ) doubt ; for i never yet saw the righteous forsaken , nor his seed beg their bread , as you and your seed have done , the more are you to be pittied . the other argument is from the apostles words in the . and . verses , where he saith , if we have sown unto you spiritual things , is it a great matter if we shall reap your carnal things ? yet nevertheless saith he we have not ased this power , but suffer all things , least we should hinder the gospel of christ . so far was the apostle from owning a setled maintenance , that you see he denied the lawful use of his christian liberty ; nay , let me say further , a setled maintenance is most unreasonable and unjust for gospel ministers , because they are to be obedient alwayes to christs commands , and christs work is not alwayes in one place , and therefore can have no setled maintenance : i say , his ministers are to go where 〈…〉 and to be paid where they do their work , sometimes in one city , and sometimes in another , and where they sow , there are they to reap , and not to reap where they sow not ; so that we deny you and your setled maintenance to be of christ , but both are out from christs way , and therefore cannot pay you the one , nor allow you the other . the sixth and seventh scriptures quoted by thee , is in psal. . . & isa. . . where in the first , the prophet david speaking , as i may say , in the person of christ , ( the lord having in the seventh verse said , thou art my son , this day have i begotten thee ; goes on and ) saith , ask of me , and i will give thee the heathen for thine inheritance , and the uttermost parts of the earth for thy possession : and as to that place in isaiah , where the prophet saith , kings shall be thy nursing-fathers , and their queens thy nursing-mothers , and they shall bow down to thee with their face towards the earth , and lick up the dust of thy feet , and thou shalt know that i am the lord , for they shall not be ashamed that wait for me . i say , that neither of these two texts is to the matter of tythes , or maintenance intended by thee ; for the one speaks of christ his being the begotten son of the father , and of the greatness of the sons dominion , and of his power over the heathens rage , and over the counsels which the rulers take against him , and is also a prophesie of their destruction , for saith he , thou shalt break them with a rod of iron , and dash them in pieces like a potters vessel . and the other text is concerning the lords owning of the gentiles , and setting up a standard to the people ; and because the lord will own them , and bring them in to be his people , which were not his people , therefore it is that kings shall be their nursing-fathers , and queens their nursing-mothers , &c. and they shall not be ashamed that wait for him . friend , hadst thou a discerning in the things of god , thou wouldst have seen also , that part of this prophesie is to be fulfilled upon the oppressors of the children of god , even upon the hirelings , and those that prey upon the captives of the lord , vers . . of the same chapter ; and the lord saith , he will contend with them that contend with his people , and will save his children ; and they that oppress them shall eat their own flesh , and they shall be drunken with their own blood , and all flesh shall knew that god is the saviour and redeemer of his people , even the holy one of iacob : ver. . and now let the wise in heart judge whether these scriptures hitherto quoted by thee , speak any thing as to the maintenance of ministers by tythes , or not . the eighth and ninth places to prove the publike maintenance by way of tythes , to be a fit maintenance for publike dispensers of the gospel , are these , gen. . . heb . , . and cor. . . to the two first which speak of abraham's paying the tenth of the spoils to melchisedeck , and also of levi's receiving of tythes , is nothing at all to the maintenance of gospel-dispensers , for which end thou quotest them : and without controversie that priesthood is changed , for it made nothing perfect ; and another priesthood is arisen , who is made not after the law of a carnal commandment , but after the power of an endless life , who hath put an end to the first priesthood , and consequently to tythes also , and to the doctrine of all such hirelings as will not preach without gifts and rewards . the other text being the cor. . which saith , they that preach the gospel , should live of the gospel , hath been largely spoken to already ; and therefore i shall conclude , and tell thee , that thou hast proved nothing by scripture , that tythes is a gospel-maintenance , or that the dispensers thereof are to be afforded tythes by way of maintenance for preaching the gospel . it now remains to make it appear as well to thee , as to all men else , that you ( who call your selves ministers of the church of england ) are neither ministers 〈…〉 , nor of the spirit ; and if so , i shall leave wise men to judge whether you deserve to be maintained and upheld as ministers of the gospel , yea or no . first then , i say , you are not true ministers of the letter , inasmuch as you preach contrary thereunto , & that i shall instance in these particulars following ; as first , you say , that the holy law of god cannot be kept by the best of saints while they live upon earth . which doctrine is contrary to the doctrine of the scriptures , and to the experiences of the saints recorded therein : for david said that he had kept them ; psal. . , , , verses . and st. john saith , that hereby shall the saints know that they know him ; to wit , if they keep his commandements , joh . . intimating , that he that doth not keep the commandements of god , doth not know him : and again , he that saith he knoweth god , and keepeth not his commandements , is a liar , and the truth is not in him , vers. . what ministers are you then ; that not onely preach contrary to the letter of the scripture , but also contrary to the experience of the saints ? secondly you say there is no perfection to be attained here , and so preach a doctrine contrary to the letter of the scriptures , for christ commanded his disciples to be perfect , as their heavenly father is perfect : and the apostles doctrine was for the perfecting of the saints ; and he said he spake wisdome amongst them that were perfect : this being so , i shall leave all sober men to judge , whether you be true ministers of the letter ? and yet are so bold as to say , you make the scriptures your rule . i could clearly instance in many more particulars , that you are no true ministers of the letter of the scriptures , but these are sufficient . secondly i affirm , that you are not ministers of the spirit neither , of which the apostles were able ministers , for you ( contrary to the scriptures , and to the doctrine of our lord jesus christ ) say , that revelation is ceased : whenas our saviour himself expressly saith , no man knoweth the son but the father , neither knoweth any man the father save the son , and he to whom soever the son will reveal him , mat. . . so then its evident enough , that all you who deny revelation , know neither the father , nor the son : whom to know is life eternal , and without the knowledg of whom you cannot know the mind of the spirit : for the spirit of the lord revealeth not the thing of its self to any , but to those that receive the teaching of the father and the son ; and no man can know the father and the son , but by revelation . so that it appears to all men of a good understanding , that you are neither ministers of the spirit , nor of the letter . now since it is thus evident , that you are no ministers of the spirit , as the true ministers were , nor yet true ministers of the letter ; whose ministers may some say , are they ? i answer : you are ministers of antichrist , and found to be in the doctrine of the church of rome ; whose belly is your god , whose glory is your shame , who mind earthly things : you are fruitless trees cumbring the ground , and whose end is to be burnt and consumed by the breath of his mouth , and by the brightness of his coming ; and this will be your reward and portion without speedy repentance , and turning from your wickedness , whereby you craftily deceive the simple , and mislead the innocent whom the lord will teach , for he hath said , his people shall bee all taught of him . friend , my purpose is not to plead against a gospel-maintenance for gospel-ministers ; no , god forbid , for i own both ; but to cry out against tythes , and a forced maintenance , as all men of sobriety and moderation do , and must do if they approve themselves true christians : i say , the true worshippers cannot maintain a false ministry , nor uphold the temple of idols , as well knowing they must fall , together with all the ceremonies and false doctrine practised and preached in them , and by them : nor had i been found to discover thy nakedness to the world , hadst thou not so visibly appeared to be cloathed with a shadow , and to be found disowning the wedding-garment . and now let me ask thee , and those of your generation and profession , on whose heads , do you think , all the guilt of that blood that hath been shed in england for tithes within these seven years past , besides the loss of goods and lives of many of the dear servants of the lord will light , if not on you who plead for , and will have tithes , and force a maintenance from the servants of god , contrary to their consciences ? do you think to shuffle it off from yourselves , and lay it upon the civil magistrates ? o no! you cannot ( though they are not guiltless herein ) the lord will not be mocked ; for you are the men who have robbed the lord of his honor , and his people of their goods , liberties , and lives , to put into your bellies , and to uphold carnal ordinances , which perish with the usings and to keep alive your dead meetings , dead prayers , dead preachings , dead doctrines , dead fasts , dead exercises , and dead ministry . friends , let me tell you , your foundation it in death , and therefore your dead structure will fall to the dust , and the house you have built , fall upon your own heads , all the powers of the earth being too weake to uphold it . and that in thy paper which is not answered herein , is left to another hand to answer , partly because i wanted room in this sheet , not willing to bestow sheets upon thee concerning this matter . now that i may not leave you without a word of counsel , i do in love to all your souls admonish you to come out of babylon , your land of confusion , and where your language is confounded , and come unto the true fear of the lord , which is the beginning of wisdom , and the way to a good understanding in the things of god , and so in time as you be faithful , may you become gospel-ministers , and receive gospel-maintenance . by a member of the true church , and of that society which the world calls qvakers . the end . a discourse of the pastoral care written by gilbert, lord bishop of sarum. burnet, gilbert, - . approx. kb of xml-encoded text transcribed from -bit group-iv tiff page images. text creation partnership, ann arbor, mi ; 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(eebo-tcp ; phase , no. a ) transcribed from: (early english books online ; image set ) images scanned from microfilm: (early english books, - ; : ) a discourse of the pastoral care written by gilbert, lord bishop of sarum. burnet, gilbert, - . 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ascii text with mnemonic sdata character entities); displayable xml (tcp schema; characters represented either as utf- unicode or text strings within braces); or lossless xml (tei p , characters represented either as utf- unicode or tei g elements). keying and markup guidelines are available at the text creation partnership web site . eng pastoral theology. clergy -- office. preaching. - tcp assigned for keying and markup - spi global keyed and coded from proquest page images - john latta sampled and proofread - john latta text and markup reviewed and edited - pfs batch review (qc) and xml conversion a discourse of the pastoral care. written by the right reverend father in god , gilbert , lord bishop of sarum . london : printed by r. r. for ric. chiswell , at the rose and crown in st. paul's church-yard . mdcxcii . of the pastoral care . imprimatur , jo. cant . maii . . to the queens most excellent majesty . may it please your majesty , the title of defender of the faith , is so inherent in the royal dignity , and so essential a part of its security as well as of its glory , that there was no need of papal bulls to add it to the crown that your majesty now wears : you hold it by a much better tenure , as well as by a more ancient possession . nor can one reflect on the pope's giving it to king henry the viiith , without remembring what is said of caiaphas , that being high priest that year , he prophesied . for since that time , the true faith hath been so eminently defended by our princes , and that of both sexes , we having had our pulcheria's as well as our constantine's and our theodose's , that this church has been all along the chief strength and honour of the reformation , as well as the main object of the envy and spite of those of the roman communion . but tho your majesty's royal ancestors have done so much for us , there remains yet a great deal to be done for the compleating of our reformation , especially as to the lives and manners of men . this will most effectually be done by obliging the clergy to be more exemplary in their lives , and more diligent and faithful in the discharge of their pastoral duty . and this work seems to be reserved for your majesties , and designed to be the felicity and glory of your reign . to serve god by promoting this great and glorious design , which is so truly worthy of your majesty's best care and endeavours , i have purposely written this treatise , which i do with all humility dedicate and present to your sacred majesty . may that god who is the king of kings , and hath bless'd us with two such excellent princes , preserve you both long to us , and make you as happy in us , as we are in you ▪ may you reign over us till you have accomplished all those great designs for which god hath raised you up , and with which he hath filled your hearts : and may this church be made by your means the perfection of beauty , and the ioy of the whole earth . these are the daily and most fervent prayers of , may it please your majesty , your majesty's most loyal , most humble , and most obedient subject and chaplain , gi . sarum . the contents . the preface . page i chap. i. of the dignity of sacred imployments , and the names and designations given to them in scripture . pag. chap. ii. of the rules set down in scripture for those that minister in holy things , and of the corruptions that are set forth in them . p. chap. iii. passages out of the new testament relating to the same matter . chap. iv. of the sense of the primitive church in this matter . chap. v. an account of some canons in divers ages of the church relating to the duties and labours of the clergy . chap. vi. of the declared sense and rules of the church of england in this matter . chap. vii . of the due preparation of such as may , and ought to be put in orders . chap. viii . of the functions and labours of clergy-men . chap. ix . concerning preaching . the conclusion . errata . pref . p. . l. . for tue r. the. book , p. . l. . cancells r. excells . p. . l. . declareth r. delayeth . p. . l. . of r. to . p. . l. . as as r. as at . p. . l. . after not r. : p. . l. . also him r. him also . p. . l. . man r. men . p. . l. . all , this r. all this , p. . l. . strongly r. strangely . the preface . this subject , how important soever in it self , yet has been so little treated of , and will seem so severe in many parts of it , that if i had not judged this a necessary service to the church , which did more decently come from one , who , how undeserving soever he is , yet is raised to a post that may justify the writing on so tender a head , i should never have undertaken it . but my zeal for the true interests of religion , and of this church , determined me to set about it ; yet since my design is to correct things for the future , rather than to reproach any for what is past , i have resolved to cast it rather into advices and rules , into plain and short directions , than into long and laboured discourses , supported by the shews of learning , and citations from fathers , and historical observations ; this being the more profitable , and the less invidious way of handling the subject . it ought to be no imputation on a church , if too many of those that are dedicated to her service , have not all the characters that are here set forth , and that are to be desired in clergymen . even in the apostles days there were false apostles , and false teachers ; as one of the twelve was a traytor , and had a devil ; some loved the pre-eminence , others loved this present world to a scandalous degree ; some of those that preached christ , did it not sincerely , but out of contention ; they vied with the apostles , and hoped to have carried away the esteem from them , even while they were suffering for the faith : for envying their credit , they designed to raise their own authority , by lessening the apostles ; and so hoped to have added affliction to their bonds . in the first and purest ages of the church we find great complaints of the neglects and disorders of the clergy of all ranks . many became the stewards and bailiffs of other peoples estates ; and while they looked too diligently after those cares which did not belong to them , they even in those times of trial , grew very remiss in the most important of all cares , which was their proper business . as soon as the empire became christian , the authority , the immunity , and the other advantages , which by the bounty of princes , followed the sacred functions , made them to be generally much desired ; and the elections being then for most part popular , ( though in some of the greater cities , the magistracy took them into their hands , and the bishops of the province were the judges both of the fitness of the person , and of the regularity of the election ) ; these were managed with much faction and violence , which often ended in blood , and that to so great an excess , that if we had not witnesses to many instances of this among the best men in those ages , it would look like an uncharitable imputation on those times , to think them capable of such enormities . indeed the disorders , the animosities , the going so oft backwards and forwards in the matters of faith , as the emperors happened to be of different sides , are but too ample a proof of the corruptions that had then got into the church . and what can we think of the breach made in the churches of africk by donatus , and his followers , upon so inconsiderable a point , as whether cecilian and his ordainers had denied the faith in the last persecution , or not ? which grew to that height , that almost in every town of africk there were divided assemblies , and separating bishops , upon that account . nor was this wound healed but with the utter ruine of those churches . st. ierom , though partial enough to his own side , as appears by his espousing damasus's interests , notwithstanding that vast effusion of blood that had been at his election ; which was set on by him , and continued for four days with so much violence , that in one night , and at one church , a hundred and seven and thirty were killed ; yet he could not hold from laying open the corruptions of the clergy in a very severe style . he grew so weary of them , and they of him , that he went and spent the rest of his days at bethlehem . those corruptions were so much the more remarkable , because the eminent men of those times , procured a great many canons to be made , both in provincial and general councils , for correcting abuses , as soon as they observed them creeping into the church : but it is plain from st. chrysostom's story , that tho bad men did not oppose the making good rules , while they were so many dead letters in their registers ; yet they could not bear the rigorous execution of them : so that those good canons do shew us indeed what were the growing abuses of the times , in which they were made ; and how good men set themselves against them ; but are no sure indications of the reformation that was effected by them . the tottering state of the roman empire which had then fallen under a vast dissolution of discipline and manners , and coming into feeble hands , was then sinking with its own weight , and was become on all sides an easy prey to its invaders , who were either pagans or arians , ought to have awakened the governours of the church to have apprehended their approaching ruin ; to have prevented it by their prayers and endeavours ; and to have corrected those abuses which had provoked god , and weakned and distracted both church and empire . but if we may believe either gildas here in britain , or salvian in france , they rather grew worse , more impenitent , and more insensible , when they saw the judgments of god coming upon the empire , province after province rent from it , and over-run by the barbarians . when that great wound was in some sort healed , and a second form of christianity rose up and prevailed again in the western parts , and the world became christian with the allay that dark and superstitious ages had brought into that holy doctrine : then all the rules of the former ages were so totally forgotten , and laid aside , that the clergy universally lost their esteem : and tho' charles the great , and his son , held a great many councils for correcting these abuses , and published many capitulars on the same design ; yet all was to no purpose : there was neither knowledge nor vertue enough left to reform a corruption that was become universal . the clergy by these disorders fell under a general contempt , and out of that rose the authority , as well as the wealth of the monastick orders ; and when riches and power had corrupted them , the begging orders took away the credit from both ; yet even their reputation , which the outward severity of their rule , habit , and manner of life did both establish and maintain long , was at last so generally lost , that no part or body of the roman-clergy had credit enough to stop the progress of the reformation ; which was in a great measure occasion'd by the scorn and hatred that fell on them , and which was so spread over all the parts of europe , that to it , even their own historians do impute the great advances that luther's doctrine made for about fifty years together ; whole kingdoms and provinces embracing it as it were all of the sudden . it has now for above an hundred years made a full stand , and in most places it has rather lost ground , than gained any . the true account of this is not easily given ; the doctrine is the same ; and it has been of late defended with greater a●vantages , with more learning , and better reasoning than it was at first ; yet with much less success . the true reason of the slackning of that work , must be imputed to the reformation made in several points with relation to the manners , and the labours of the clergy , by the church of rome , and the depravation under which most of the reformed churches are fallen . for the manners and the labours of the clergy , are real arguments , which all people do both understand and feel ; they have a much more convincing force , they are more visible , and perswade more universally , than books can do , which are little read , and less considered : and indeed the bulk of mankind is so made , that there is no working on them , but by moving their affections , and commanding their esteem . it cannot be denied but that the council of trent established the errors of popery in such a manner , as to cut off all possibility of ever treating , or reuniting with them ; since those decisions , and their infallibility , which is their foundation , are now so twisted together , that they must stand and fall together : yet they established such a reformation in discipline , as may make churches that pretend to a more glorious title , justly ashamed . for tho , there are such reserves made for the plenitude of the papal authority , that in great instances , and for a favourite , all may be broke through ; yet the most notorious abuses are so struck at , and this has been in many places so effectually observed , chiefly where they knew that their deportment was looked into , and watched over by protestants , that it must be acknowledged , that the cry of the scandals of religious houses is much laid : and tho' there is still much ignorance ●mong their mass-priests ; yet their parish-priests are generally another sort of men : they are well instructed in their religion ; lead regular lives , and perform their parochial duties with a most wonderful diligence : they do not only say mass , and the other publick functions daily , but they are almost perpetually imploying themseves in the several parts of their cures : instructing the youth , hearing confessions , and visiting the sick : and besides all this , they are under the constant obligation of the breviary : there is no such thing as non-residence or plurality , to be heard of in whole countries of that communion ; and though about cathedrals , and in greater cities , the vast number of priests , gives still great and just occasion to censure ; yet the parish-priests have almost universally recovered the esteem ●f the people : they are no more disposed to think ill of them , or to hearken to any thing that may give them a just cause , or at least a plausible colour for departing from them . so that the reformation that popery hath been forced to make , has in a great measure stopt the progress of the reformation of the doctrine and worship that did so long carry every thing before it . but this is the least melancholy part of the account that may be given of this matter . the reformers began that blessed work with much zeal ; they and their first successors carried it on with learning and spirit : they were active in their endeavours , and constant and patient in their sufferings ; and these things turn'd the esteem of the world , which was alienated from popery , by the ignorance and scandals of the clergy , all towards them : but when they felt the warmth of the protection and encouragement that princes and states gave them , they insensibly slackned ; they fell from their first heat and love ; they began to build houses for themselves , and their families , and neglected the house of god : they rested satisfied with their having reformed the doctrine and worship ; but did not study to reform the lives and manners of their people : and while in their offices they lamented the not having a publick discipline in the church , as it was in the primitive times ; they have either made no attempts at all , or at least very faint ones for restoring it . and thus , while popery has purified it self from many former abuses , reformed churches have added new ones to the old , that they still retain , and are fond of . zeal in devotion , and diligence in the pastoral care , are fallen under too visible and too scandalous a decay . and whereas the understanding of the scriptures , and an application to that sacred study , was at first the distinguishing character of protestants , for which they were generally nicknamed gospellers ; these holy writings are now so little studied , that such as are obliged to look narrowly into the matter , find great cause of regret and lamentation , from the gross ignorance of such as either are in orders , or that pretend to be put in them . but the most capital and comprehensive of all abuses , is , that the false opinion of the worst ages of popery , that made the chief , if not the only obligation of priests to be the performing offices ; and judged , that if these were done , the chief part of their business was also done , by which the pastoral care came to be in a great measure neglected , does continue still to leaven us : while men imagine that their whole work consists in publick functions , and so reckon , that if they either do these themselves , or procure and hire another person in holy orders to do them , that then they answer the obligation that lies on them : and thus the pastoral care , the instructing , the exhorting , the admonishing and reproving , the directing and conducting , the visiting and comforting the people of the parish , is generally neglected : while the incumbent does not think fit to look after it , and the curate thinks himself bound to nothing but barely to perform offices according to agreement . it is chiefly on design to raise the sense of the obligations of the clergy to the duties of the pastoral care , that this book is written . many things do concur in our present circumstances , to awaken us of the clergy , to mind and do our duty with more zeal and application than ever . it is very visible that in this present age , the reformation is not only at a stand , but is going back , and grows sensibly weaker and weaker . some churches have been plucked up by the roots ; and brought under a total desolation and dispersion ; and others have fallen under terrible oppressions and shakings . we have seen a design formed and carried on long , for the utter destruction of that great work. the clouds were so thick gathered over us , that we saw we were marked out for destruction : and when that was once compass●d , our e●emies saw well enough , that the rest of their designs would be more easily brought about . it is true , our enemies intended to se● us one upon another by turns , to make us do half their work ; and to have still an abused party among us ready to carry on their 〈◊〉 ; for they thought it too bold an attempt , to fall upon all at once ; but while they were thus shifting hands , it pleased god to cut them short in their designs ; and to blast that part of them in which we were concerned , so entirely , that now they carry them on more barefacedly : and drive at conquest , which is at one stroke to destroy our church and religion , our laws and our properties . in this critical state of things , we ought not only to look at the instruments of the calamities that have fallen so heavily on so many protestant churches , and of the dangers that hang over the rest ; but we ought chiefly to look up to that god , who seems to be provoked at the whole reformation ; because they have not walked suitably to the light that they have so long enjoyed , and the blessings which had been so long continued to them ; but have corrupted their ways before him . they have lost the power of religion , while they have seemed to magnify the form of it , and have been zealous for opinions and customs ; and therefore god has in his wrath , taken even that form from them , and has loathed their solemn assemblies ; and brought them under a famine of the word of the lord , which they had so much despised . while these things are so , and while we find that we our selves , are as a brand pluck'd out of the fire , which may be thrown back into it again , if we are not allarmed by the just , but unsearchable judgments of god , which have wasted other churches so terribly , while they have only frighted us ; what is more evident , than that the present state of things , and the signs of the times , call aloud upon the whole nation to bring forth fruits meet for repentance ? since the ax is laid to the root of the tree . and as this indeed concerns the body of the nation , so we who are the priests and ministers of the lord , are under more particular obligations , first to look into our own ways , and to reform whatsoever is amiss among us , and then to be intercessors for the people , committed to our charge : to be mourning for their sins , and by our secret fastings and prayers , to be standing in those breaches which our crying abominations have made : and so to be averting those judgments , which may be ready to break in upon us ; and chiefly to be lifting up our voices like trumpets , to shew our people their transgressions . to be giving them faithful warning , from which we may expect this blessed success , that we may at least gain upon such a number , that for their sakes , god , who will not slay the righteous with the wicked , may be yet entreated for our sins ; and that the judgments which hang over us , being quite dissipated , his gospel , together with peace and plenty , may still dwell among us , and may shine from us , with happy influences to all the ends of the earth . and even such pastors as shall faithfully do their duty , but without any success , may depend upon this , that they shall save their own souls ; and shall have a distinguished fate , if we should happen to fall under a common calamity : they having on them not only the mark of mourners and intercessors , but of faithful shepherds : whereas if an overflowing scourge should break in upon us , we have all possible reason , both from the judgments of god , and the present scituation of affairs , to believe that it will begin at the sanctuary , at those who have profaned the holy things ; and have made the daily sacrifice to be loathed . there is another , and perhaps yet a more dismal character of the present state of the age , that calls on the clergy , to consider well both their own deportment , and the obligations that lie upon them ; which is the growing atheism and impiety , that is daily gaining ground , not only among us , but indeed all europe over . there is a circulation observed in the general corruptions of nations : sometimes ignorance and brutality overruns the world , that makes way for superstition and idolatry : when mankind is disgusted with these , then fantastical and enthusiastical principles , and under these hypocritical practises have their course ; these being seen through , give grea● occasions to profaness , and with that , atheism , and a di●belief of all religion , at least of all revealed religion , is nourished : and that is very easily received by depraved minds , but very hardly rooted out of them : for though it is very easie to beat an enquirer into things , out of all speculative atheism ; yet when a disbelief of sacred matters , and a profane contempt of them , has once vitiated ones mind , it is a very extraordinary thing , and next to miraculous , to see such an one reduced . now this i am forced to declare , that having had much free conversation with many that have been fatally corrupted that way , they have very often owned to me , that nothing promoted this so much in them , as the very bad opinion which they took up of all clergy-men of all sides : they did not see in them that strictness of life , that contempt of the world , that zeal , that meekness , humility and charity ; that diligence and earnestness , with relation to the great ttuths of the christian religion , which they reckoned they would most certainly have , if they themselves firmly believed it : therefore they concluded , that those , whose business it was more strictly to enquire into the truth of their religion , knew that it was not so certain , as they themselves , for other ends , endeavoured to make the world believe it was : and that , tho for carrying on of their own authority or fortunes , which in one word , they call their trade , they seemed to be very positive in affirming the truth of their doctrines ; yet they in their own hearts did not believe it , since they lived so little suitable to it , and were so much set on raising themselves by it ; and so little on advancing the honour of their profession , by an exemplary piety , and a shining conversation . this is a thing not to be answered by being angry at them for saying it , or by reproaching such as repeat it , as if they were enemies to the church ; these words of heat and faction signifying nothing to work upon , or convince any . for how little strength soever there may be in this , as it is made an argument , it is certainly so strong a prejudice , that nothing but a real refutation of it , by the eminent vertues and labours of many of the clergy , will ever conquer it . to this , as a branch or part of it , another consideration from the present state of things is to be added , to call upon the clergy to set about the duties of their calling ; and that is , the contempt they are generally fallen under , the injustice they daily meet with , in being denied their rights , and that by some out of principle , and by others out of downright and undisguised sacriledge . i know a great deal of this is too justly , and too truly to be cast on the poverty of the clergy : but what can we say , when we find often the poorest clarks in the richest livings ? whose incumbents not content to devour the patrimony of the church , while they feed themselves , and not the flock out of it ; are so scandalously hard in their allowance to their curates , as if they intended equally to starve both curate and people : and is it to be supposed , that the people will think themselves under a very strict obligation of conscience , to pay religiously all that is due to one , who seems to think himself under no obligation to labour for it . and since it is a maxim founded upon natural equity , that the benefice is given for the office ; men will not have great scruples in denying the benefice , where the office is neglected , or ill performed . and as for the too common contempt that is brought on the clergy , how guilty soever those may be , who out of hatred to their profession , despise them for their works sake ; yet we who feel our selves under these disadvantages , ought to reflect on those words of the prophet , and see how far they are applicable to us ; the priests lips should keep knowledge , and they should seek the law at his mouth , for he is the messenger of the lord of hosts . but ye are departed out of the way , ye have caused many to stumble at the law : therefore have i also made you contemptible and base before all the people ; according as ye have not kept my ways , but have been partial in my law. if we studied to honour god , and so to do honour to our profession , we might justly hope that he would raise it again to that credit which is due to it ; and that he would make even our enemies to be at peace with us , or at least afraid to hurt or offend us . and in this we have good reason to rest assured ; since we do not find many instances of clergy-men , who live and labour , who preach and visit as they ought to do , that are under any eminent degrees of contempt : if some do despise those that are faith●ul to their trust , yet they must do ●t secretly ; they dare not shew ●t , as long as their deportment procures them the esteem , which we must confess does generally follow true worth , and hearty labours in the ministry . these are things of such consequence , that it may seem a consideration too full of ill nature , of emulation , and of jealousie , if i should urge upon the clergy the divisions and separation that is formed among us ; though there is a terrible word in the prophet , that belongs but too evidently to this likewise ; the pastors are become brutish , and have not sought the lord ; therefore they shall not prosper , and all their flocks shall be scattered . if we led such exemplary lives , as became our character , if we applied our selves wholly to the duties of our profession , if we studied to out-live , and outlabour those that divide from us ; we might hope by the blessing of god , so far to overcome their prejudices , and to gain both upon their esteem and affections , that a very small matter might go a great way towards the healing of those wounds , which have so long weakned and distracted us . speculative arguments do not reach the understandings of the gre●ter part , who are only capable of sensible ones : and the strongest reasonings will not prevail , till we first force them to think the better of our church , for what they see in our selves , and make them wish to be of a communion , in which they see so much ●●uth , and unaffected goodness and worth : when they are once brought so far , it will be easy to comp●ss all the rest : if we did ge●e●ally mind our duties , and discharge them fai●hfully , this would prepare such as mean well in their separation from us , to consider better of the grounds on which they maintain it ▪ and that will best enforce the arguments that we have to lay before them . and as for such as divide from us with bad designs , and an unrelenting spite , they will have a small party , and a feeble support , if there were no more occasion given to work on the affections of the people , by our errours and disorders . if then either the sense of the wrath of god , or the desire of his favour and protection ; if zeal for our church and countrey ; if a sense of the progress of atheism and ●rreligion ; if the contempt that falls on us , and the injustices that are daily done us ; if a desire to heal and unite , to purifie and perfect this our church : if either the concerns of this world , or of the nex● , can work upon us , and affect us , all these things concur to call on us , to apply our utmost care and industry to raise the honour of our holy profession , to walk worthy of it , to perform the engagements that we came under at the altar , when we were dedicated to the service of god , and the church ; and in all things both to adorn our religion , and our church . it is not our boasting that the church of england is the best reformed , and the best constituted church in the world , that will signifie much to convince others : we are too much parties to be believed in our own cause . there was a generation of men that cried , the temple of the lord , the temple of the lord , as loud as we can cry , the church of england , the church of england : when yet by their sins they were pulling it down : and kindling that fire which consumed it . ●t will have a better grace to see others boast of our church , from what they observe in us , than for us to be c●ying it up with our words , when our deeds do decry it . our enemies will make severe inferences from them ; and our pretensions will be thought vain and impudent things , as long as our lives contradict them . it was on design to raise in myself and in others , a deep sense of the obligations that we lie under , of the duties of our functions ; of the extent of them , and of the rewards that follow them , and to observe the proper methods of performing them , so as they may be of the greatest advantage both to our selves and others , that i have entred on these meditations . they have been for many years the chief subjects of my thoughts : if few have writ on them among us , yet we have st. gregory nazianzen 's apologetick , saint chrysostom's books of the priesthood , gregory the great 's pastoral , and bernard's book of consideration , among the ancients , and a very great number of excellent treatises , writ lately in france upon them . i began my studies in divinity with reading these , and i never yet grew weary of them ; they raise so many noble designs , they offer such schemes , and carry so much of unction and life in them , that i hope an imperfect ess●y this way may have some effec● . for the searcher of hearts knows , i have no design in it , save this of stirring up in my self and others , the gift which was gi●en by the imposition of hands . of the pastoral care. chap. i. of the dignity of sacred imployments , and the names and designations given to them in scripture . how low soever the esteem of the clergy may be sunk in a profane and corrupt age , and how much soever the errors and disorders of clergy-men may have contributed to bring this not only upon themselves , but upon others who deserve better , but are unhappy in being mixed with so much ill company ; yet certainly if we either consider the nature of things in themselves , or the value that is set on that profession , in the scriptures , it will appear that it ought to be considered at another rate than it is . as much as the soul is better than the body , and as much as the purifying and perfecting the soul is preferable to all those mechanical imployments which relate to the body , and as much as eternity is more valuable than this short and transitory life ; so much does this imployment excel all others . a clergy-man , by his character and design of life , ought to be a man separated from the cares and concerns of this world , and dedicated to the study and meditation of divine matters . whose conversation ought to be a pattern for others ; a constant preaching to his people : who ought to offer up the prayers of the people in their name , and as their mouth to god ; who ought to be praying and interceding for them in secret , as well as officiating among them in publick : who ought to be distributing among them the bread of life , the word of god ; and to be dispensing among them the sacred rites , which are the badges , the union , and the supports of christians . he ought to admonish , to reprove , and to comfort them , not only by his general doctrine in his sermons , but from house to house ; that so he may do these things more home and effectually , than can be done from the pulpit . he is to watch over their souls , to keep them from error , and to alarm them out of their sins , by giving them warning of the judgments of god ; to visit the sick , and to prepare them for the judgment and life to come . this is the function of a clergy-man ; who that he may perform all these duties with more advantage , and better effect , ought to behave himself so well , that his own conversation may not only be without offence , but be so exemplary , that his people may have reason to conclude , that he himself does firmly believe all those things which he proposes to them : that he thinks himself bound to follow all those rules that he sets them ; and that they may see such a serious spirit of devotion in him , that from thence they may be induced to believe , that his chief design among them , is to do them good , and to save their souls : which may prepare them so to esteem and love him , that they may not be prejudiced against any thing that he does and says in publick , by any thing that they observe in himself in secret . he must also be imploying himself so well in his private studies , that from thence he may be furnished with such a variety of lively thoughts , divine meditations , and proper and noble expressions , as may enable him to discharge every part of his duty , in such a manner , as may raise not so much his own reputation , as the credit of his function , and of the great message of reconciliation that is committed to his charge : above all studies , he ought to apply himself to understand the holy scriptures aright ; to have his memory well furnished that way , that so upon all occasions , he may be able to enforce what he says out of them , and so be an able minister of the new testament . this is in short the character of a true clergy-man , which is to be more fully opened and enlarged on in the following parts of this book . all this looks so great and so noble , that it does not appear necessary to raise it , or to insist on it more fully . indeed it speaks its own dignity so sensibly , that none will dispute it , but such as are open enemies to all religion in general , or to the christian religion in particular ; and yet even few of these , are so entirely corrupted , as not to wish that external order and policy were kept up among men , for restraining the injustice and violence of unruly appetites and passions ; which few , even of the tribe of the libertines , seem to desire to be let loose ; since the peace and safety of mankind , require that the world be kept in method , and under some yoke . it will be more sutable to my design , to shew how well this character agrees with that which is laid down in the scriptures concerning these offices . i shall begin first with the names , and then go on to the descriptions , and lastly proceed to the rules that we find in them . the name of deacon , that is now appropriated to the lowest office in the church , was in the time that the new testament was writ , used more promiscuously : for the apostles , the evangelists , and those whom the apostles sent to visit the churches , are all called by this name . generally in all those places where the word minister is in our translation , it is deacon in the greek , which signifies properly a servant , or one who labours for another . such persons are dedicated to the immediate service of god ; and are appropriated to the offices and duties of the church : so this term both expresses the dignity and the labour of the imployment . the n●xt ●rder carries now the name of presbyter , or elder ; which tho at first it was applied not only to bishops , but to the ap●s●l●s themselves ; yet in the succeeding ages , it came to be appropriated to the second ra●k of the officers in the church . i● either signifies a seniority of age , or of 〈◊〉 , in opposition to a neophite or novice , one newly converted to the faith ; but by common p●actice ▪ as senate or senator , being at first given to councellors , by reason of their age , came afterwards to be a title appropriate to them ; so the t●tle presbyter ( altered in pronunciation to be in english , pri●st ) or elder being a character of respect , denotes the dignity of those to whom it belongs : but since st. paul divides this title either into two different ranks , or into two different performances of the duties of the same rank , those that rule well , and those that labour in word and doctrine ; this is a title that speaks both the dignity , and likewise the duty belonging to this function . the title which is now by the custom of many ages given to the highest function in the church , of bishop , or inspector , and overseer , as it imports a dignity in him , as the chief of those who labour ; so it does likewise express his obligation to care and diligence , both in observing , and overseeing the whole flock , and more specially in inspecting the deportment and labours of his fellow workmen , who are subordinate to him in the constitution of the church , yet ought to be esteemed by him in imitation of the apostles , his brethren , his fellow-labourers , and fellow-servants . next to the names of the sacred functions , i shall consider the other designations and figures , made use of to express them . the most common is that of pastor or shepherd . it is to be remembred , that in the first simplicity of mankind for many ages , men looked after their own cattel , or employed their children in it ; and when they trusted that care to any other , it was no small sign of their confidence , according to what iacob said to laban . the care of a good shepherd was a figure then so well understood , that the prophet expresses god's care of his people , by this , of his feeding them as a shepherd , carrying his lambs in his bosom , and gently leading them that were with young . christ also calls himself the good shepherd , that knew his sheep , and did not as a hireling , fly away when the wolf came , but laid down his life for his sheep . this then being so often made use of in both testaments , is an expression of the great trust committed to the clergy , which likewise supposes a great , a constant , and a tender care in looking to , in feeding or instructing , in watching over , and guarding the flock against errors and sins , and their being ready to offer themselves to the first fury of persecution . the title of stewards , or dispensers , which is the most honourable in a household , is also given to them . these assign to every one his due share , both of labour and of provision ; these watch over them , and have the care and order of the other servants assigned to them . so in this great family , of which christ is the h●ad , the stewards are a post of great digni●y , but also of much labour , they ought to be observing the rest of this houshold , that they may be faithful in the distribution , and so encourage , admonish , reprove or censure , as there is occasion for it . they are also called ambassadors , and that upon the noblest and desirablest message , for their business is to treat of p●ac● between god and man ; to them is given the word or doctrine of reconciliation ; they are sent by christ , and do speak in god's name ; as if god did beseech men by them ; so do they in christ's stead , who is the mediator , press men to be reconciled to god ; words of a very high sound , of great trust and dignity , but which import likewise great obligations . an ambassador is very solicitous to maintain the dignity of his character , and his master's honour ; and chiefly to carry on that which is the main business that he is sent upon , which he is always contriving how to promote : so if the honour of this title affects us as it ought to do , with a just value for it , we ought at the same time to consider the obligations that accompany it , of living suitable to it , answering in some sort , the dignity and majesty of the king of kings , that has committed it to us ; and of labouring with all possible diligence , to effectuate the great design on which we are sent ; the reconciling sinners to god : the work having in it self a proportion to the dignity of him that imploys us in it . another , and yet a more glorious title , is that of angels , who as they are of a pure and sublime nature , and are called a flaming fire , so they do always behold the face of our heavenly father , and ever do his will , and are also ministring spirits , sent forth to minister to them that are appointed to be the heirs of salvation : this title is given to bishops and pastors ; and as if that were not enough , they are in one place called not only the messengers or angels of the churches , but also the glory of christ. the natural importance of this is , that men to whom this title is applied , ought to imitate those heavenly powers , in the elevation of their souls ; to contemplate the works and glory of god , and in their constant doing his will , more particularly in ministring to the souls of those , for whom the great angel of the covenant made himself a sacrifice . i do not among these titles reckon those of rulers or governours , that are also given to bishops , because they seem to be but another name for bishops , whose inspection was a rule and government , and so carried in its signification , both authority and labour . to these designations ▪ that carry in them characters of honour , but of honour joyned to labour , and for the sake of which the honour was due , according to that , esteem them very highly for their works sake ; i shall add some other designations , that in their significations carry only labour without honour , being borrowed from labours that are hard , but no way honourable . they are often called watchmen , who used to stand on high towers , and were to give the alarm , as they saw occasion for it : these men were obliged to a constant attendance , to watch in the night , as well as in the day : so all this being applied to the clergy , imports that they ought to be upon their watch-tower , observing what dangers their people are exposed to , either by their sins , which provoke the judgments of god ; or by the designs of their enemies ; they ought not by a false respect , suffer them to sleep and perish in their sins ; but must denounce the judgments of god to them , and rather incur their displeasure by their freedom , than suffer them to perish in their security . st. paul does also call church-men by the name of builders , and gives to the apostles the title of master-builders ; this imports both hard and painful labour , and likewise great care and exactness in it , for want of which the building will be not only exposed to the injuries of weather , but will quickly tumble down ; and it gives us to understand , that those who carry this title , ought to study well the great rule , by which they must carry on the interest of religion , that so they may build up their people in their most holy faith , so as to be a building fitly framed together . they are also called labourers in god's husbandry , labourers in his vineyard , and harvest , who are to sow , plant and water , and to cultivate the soil of the church . this imports a continual return of daily and hard labour , which requires both pain and diligence . they are also called soldiers , men that did war and fight against the powers of darkness . the fatigue , the dangers and difficulties of that state of li●e ar● so well understood , that no application is necessary to make them more sensible . and thus by a particular enumeration of ei●her the more special names of these o●●●ces , such as deacon , priest and bishop , rul●r and governour , or of the designa●ions given to them of shepherds or pastors , stewards , ambassadors and angels , it appears that there is a great dignity belonging to them , but a dignity which must carry labour with it , as that for which the honour is due : the other titles of watchmen , builders , labourers and soldiers , import also that they are to decline no part of their duty , for the labour that is in it , the dangers that may follow , or the seeming meanness that may be in it , since we have for this so great a rule and pattern set us by our saviour , who has given us this character of himself , and in that a rule to all that pretend to come after him , the son of man came not to be ministred unto , but to minister . this was said upon the proud contentions that had been among his disciples , who should be the greatest : two of them presuming upon their near relation to him , and pretending to the first dignity in his kingdom ; upon that he gave them to understand , that the dignities of his kingdom were not to be of the same nature with those that were in the world. it was not rule or empire to which they were to pretend ; the disciple was not to be above his lord : and he that humbled himself to be the last and lowest in his service , was by so doing , really the first . he himself descended ●o the washing his disciples feet ; which 〈◊〉 proposeth to their imitation ; and that came in latter ages to be taken up by princes , and acted by them in pageantry : but the plain account of that action , is , that it was a prophetical emblem ; of which sort we find several instances both in isaiah , ieremy and ezekiel : the prophet doing somewhat that had a mystical signification in it , relating to the subject of his prophecy : so that our saviour's washing the feet of his disciples , imported the humility , and the descending to the meanest offices of charity , which he recommended to his followers , particularly to those whom he appointed to preach his gospel to the world. chap. ii. of the rules set down in scripture for those that minister in holy things ; and of the corruptions that are set forth in them . i intend to write with all possible simplicity , without the affectations of a strictness of method : and therefore i will give one full view of this whole matter , without any other order than as it lies in the scriptures : and will lay both the rules and the reproofs that are in them together , as things that give light to one another . in the law of m●ses we find many very particular rules given for the washing and consecration of the priests and levites , chiefly of the holy priest. the whole tribe of levi was sanctified and separated from the common labours , either of war or tillage : and tho they were but one in twelve , yet a tenth of all was appointed for them : they were also to have a large share of another tenth ; that so they might be not only delivered from all cares , by that large provision that was made for them , but might be able to relieve the necessities of the widows and fatherless , the poor and the strangers , that sojourned among them ; and by their bounty and charity , be possessed both of the love and esteem of the people . they were holy to the lord ; they were said to be sanctified or dedicated to god ; and the head of their order carried on his mitre this inscription , holiness to the lord. the many washings that they were often to use , chiefly in doing their functions , carried this signification in them , that they were appropriated to god , and that they were under very strict obligations to a high degree of purity ; they might not so much as mourn for their dead relations , to shew how far they ought to rise above all the concerns of flesh and bloo● , and even the most excusable passions of human nature . but above all things , these rules taught them , with what exactness , decency and purity they ought to perform those offices that belonged to their function ; and therefore when aaron's two sons , nadab and abihu transgressed the law that god had given , fire came out from the lord , and devoured them ; and the reason given for it , carries in it a perpetual rule . i will be sanctified in all them that dr●w near to me , and before all the people i will be glorified : which import , that such as minister in holy things , ought to behave themselves so , that god's name may be glorified by their means ; otherwise , that god will glor●fy himself by his severe judgments on them . a signal instance of which we do also find in eli's two sons , whose impieties and defilements , as they made the people to abhor the offering of the lord : so they also drew down , not only heavy judgments on themselves , but on the whole house of eli ; and indeed on the whole nation . but besides the attendance which the priests and levites were bound to give at the temple , and on the publick service there , they were likewise obliged to study the law , to give the people warning out of it , to instruct them in it , and to conduct them , and watch over them : and for this reason they had cities assigned them in all the corners of the land ; that so they might both more easily observe the manners of the people , and that the people might more easily have recourse to them . now when that nation became corrupted both by idolatry and immorality , god raised up prophets to be extraordinary monitors to them ; to declare to them their sins , and to denounce those judgments which were coming upon them , because of them ; we find the silence , the ignorance , and the corruption of their pastors , their shepherds , and their watchmen , is a main article of their charge ; so isaiah tells them , that their watchmen were blind , ignorant , dumb dogs , that could not bark ; sleeping , lying down , and loving to slumber : yet these careless watchmen were covetous and insatiable , they were greedy dogs , which could never have enough ; shepherds they were , that could not understand ; but how remiss soever they might be in god's work , they were careful enough of their own : they all looked to their own way , every one to his own gain from his quarter . they were , no doubt , exact in levying their tythes and first-fruits , how little soever they might do for them , bating their bare attendance at the temple , to officiate there ; so guilty they were of that reigning abuse , of thinking they had done their duty , if they either by themselves , or by proxy , had performed their functions without minding what was incumbent on them , as w●tchmen , or shepherds . in opposition to such careless and corrupt guides , god promises to his people , to set watch-men over them that should never hold their peace day nor night . as the captivity drew nearer , we may easily conclude , that the corruptions both of priest and people increased , which ripened them for the judgments of god , that were kept back by the reformations which h●zekiah and iosiah had made : but at last , all was so depraved that though god sent two prophets , ieremy and ezekiel , to prepare them for that terrible calamity , yet this was only to save some few among them ; for the sins of the nation were grown to that height , that though moses and samuel , noah , iob and daniel , had been then alive , to intercede for them , yet god declared that he would not hear them ; nor spare the nation for their sakes : so that even such mighty intercessors could only save their own souls . in this deplorable state we shall find that their priests and pastors had their large share . the priests said not , wh●re is the lord ? they that handled the law , knew me not , the pastors also transgressed against me ; and their corruption went so far , that they had not only false prophets to support them , but the people , who , how bad soever they may be themselves , do generally hate evil priests , grew to be pleased with it . the prophets prophecy falsely ; and the priests bear rule by their means ; and my people love to have it so : from the prophet even to the priest , every one dealt falsly . and upon that , a wo is denounced against the pastors that destroyed and scattered the sheep of god's pasture . they by their office ought to have fed the people ; but instead of that , they had scattered the flock , and driven them away , and had not visited them : both prophet and priest was profane ; their wickedness was found even in the house of god. in opposition to all which , god promises by the prophet , that he would set shepherds over them , that should feed them ; so that the people should have no more reason to be afraid of their pastors , or of being mis-led by them ; and he promised upon their return from the captivity , to give them pastors according to his own heart , who should feed them with knowledge and understanding . in ezekiel we find the solemn and severe charge given to watch-men , twice repeated ; that they ought to warn the wicked from his wickedness ; otherwise , though he should indeed die in his sin , god would require his blood at the watchman● hand ; but if he gave warning , he had by so doing , delivered his own soul. in that prophecy we have the guilt of the priests set forth very heinously . her priests have violated my law , and profaned my holy things ; they have put no difference between the holy and profane , the clean , and the unclean , and have hid their eyes from my sabbaths ; the effect of which was , that god was profaned among them . this is more fully prosecuted in the th chap. which is all addressed to the shepherds of israel , wo be to the shepherds of israel , that do feed themselves : should not the shepherds feed the flock ? ye eat the fat , and ye cloath you with the wool , ye kill them that are fed , but ye feed not the flock : then follows an enumeration of the several sorts of troubles that the people were in , under the figure of a flock , to shew how they had neglected their duty , in all the parts and instances of it ; and had trusted to their authority , which they had abused to tyranny and violenc● ▪ the diseased have ye not strengthened , neither have ye healed that which was sick , neither have ye bound up that which was broken , neither have ye brought again that which was driven away , neither have ye sought that which was lost ; but with force , and with cruelty have ye ruled them ; upon which follows a terrible expostulation , and denunciation of judgments against them : i am against the shepherds , saith the lord , i will require my flock at their hands , and cause them to cease from feeding the flock ; neither shall the shepherds feed themselves any more . and in the th chap of that prophecy , one rule is given , which was set up in the primitive church , as an unalterable maxim , that such priests as had been guilty of idolatry , should not do the office of a priest any more , nor come near to any of the holy things , or enter within the sanctuary , but were still to bear their shame : they might minister in some inferior services , such as keeping the gates , or slaying the sacrifice ; but they were still to bear their iniquity . i have past over all that occurs in these prophets , which relates to the false prophets , because i will bring nothing into this discourse , that relates to sins of another order , and nature . in daniel we have a noble expression of the value of such as turn men to righteousness , that they shall shine as the stars , for ever and ever . in hosea we find among the sins and calamities of that time , this reckoned as a main cause of that horrid corruption , under which they had fallen , there being no truth , no mercy , nor knowledge of god in the land , which was defiled by swearing , lying , killing , stealing and committing adultery . my people are destroyed for lack of knowledge : to which is added , because thou hast rejected knowledge ( or the instructing the people ) i will also reject thee , that thou shalt be no priest to me ; seeing thou hast forgot the law of thy god ; i will also forget thy children . that corrupt race of priests attended still upon the temple , and offered up the sin-offering , and feasted upon their portion ; which is wrong rendred , they eat up the sin of my people ; for sin stands there as in the law of moses , for sin offering : because of the advantage this brought them , they were glad at the abounding of sin ; which is expressed by their setting their heart , or lifting up their soul to their iniquity : the conclusion of which is , that they should be given up for a very heavy curse , of , like priests , like people . in ioel we find the duty of the priests and ministers of the lord , set forth in times of great and approaching calamities , thus , they ought to be intercessors for the people , and to weep between the porch and the altar ; and say , spare thy people , and give not thine heritage to reproach , that the heathen ( strangers and idolaters ) should rule over them : wherefore should they say among the people , where is their god ? there is in amos , a very black character of a depraved priesthood , their priests teach for hire , and their prophets divine for money . these were the forer unners of the destruction of that nation : but though it might be expected , that the captivity should have purged them from their dross , as it did indeed free them from all inclinations to idolatry ; yet other corruptions had a deeper root . we find in zechary , a curse against the idol shepherd , who resembled the true shepherd , as an idol does the original : but he was without sense and life . wo be to the idol shepherd that leav●th the flock : the curse is figuratively expressed , the sword shall be upon his arm , and his right eye : ( the things that he valued most ) his arm shall be clean dried up , and his right eye shall be utterly darkned : but this is more copiously set out by malachi , in an address made to the priests ; and now , o ye priests , this commandment is for you ; if you will not hear , and if you will not lay it to heart , to give glory unto my name , i will even send a curse upon you , and i will curse your blessings ; yea i have cursed them already , because ye do not lay it to heart — then the first covenant with the tribe of levi is set forth ; my covenant was with him , of life and peace : the law of truth was in his mouth , and iniquity was not found in his lips : he walked with me in peace and equity , and did turn many from their iniquity : for the priests lips should preserve knowledge , and they should seek the law at his mouth ; for he is the messenger of the lord of hosts : all this sets forth the state of a pure and holy priesthood : but then follow terrible words ; but ye are departed out of the way , ye have caused many to stumble at the law : ye have corrupted the covenant of levi , saith the lord of hosts . th●r●fore have i also made you contemptible , and b●s● b●fore all the people ; according as ye have not kept my ways , but have been partial in the law. their ill example made many loath both their law , and their religion : they had corrupted their institution , and studied by a gross partiality , to bring the people to be exact in those parts of the law , in which their wealth , or their authority was concerned ; while they neglected the more essential and indispensible duties . thus far have i gone over the most important places , that have occurred to me in the old-testament , relating to this matter ; upon all whcih , i will only add one remark , that though some exception might be made to those ●xpressions , that import the dignity and sancti●ication of those who were then consecrated to the holy functions , as parts of that instituted religion , which had its period by the coming of christ ; yet such passages as relate to moral duties , and to the oblig●tions that arise out of natural religion , have certainly a more binding force , and ought to be understood and exp●ained in ● m●●e elevated and sublime sense , under th● new dispensation , which is i●tern●l and s●ir●●ua● , compared , to which , the old is c●lled the letter and the flesh : therefore the obligations of the priests , under the christian religion , to a holy strictness of life and conversation , to a diligent attendance on their flock , and for instructing and watching over them , must all be as much higher , and more binding , as this new covenant cancels the old one . chap. iii. passages out of the new-testament , relating to the same matter . this general consideration receives a vast improvement from the great example that the author of our religion , the great bishop and shepherd of our souls has set us ; who went about , ever doing good , to whom it was as his meat and drink , to do the will of his father that sent him : he was the good shepherd that knew his sheep , and laid down his life for them : and since he set such a value on the souls of that flock which he hath redeemed , and purchased with his own blood ; certainly those to whom he has committed that work of reconciliation which stood himself so dear , ought to consider themselves under very strict obligations , by that charge of which they must give a severe account at the great day , in which the blood of all those who have perished through their neglect and default , shall be required at their hands . yet because i will not aggravate this argument unreasonably , i will make no use of those passages which relate immediately to the apostles : for their function being ex●raordinary , as were also the assistances that were given them for the discharge of it , i will urge nothing that belongs properly to their mission and duty . in the character that the gospel gives of the priests and pharisees of that time , we may see a just and true idea , of the corruptions into which a bad clergy is apt to fall ; they studied to engross the knowledge of the law to themselves ; and to keep the people in ignorance , and in a blind dependance upon them : they were zealous in lesser matters , but neglected the great things of the law : they put on an outward appearance of strictness , but under that there was much rottenness : they studied to make proselites to their religion , but they had so depraved it , that they became thereby worse men than before : they made great shews of devotion , of praying , and fasting much , and giving alms : but all this was to be seen of men , and by it they devoured the estates of poor and simple people : they were very strict in observing the traditions and customs of their fathers , and of every thing that contributed to their own authority or advantage ; but by so doing they made void the law of god : in a word , they had no true worth in themselves , and hated such as had it : they were proud and spiteful , false and cruel , and made use of the credit they were in with the people , by their complying with them in their vices , and flatterring them with false hopes to set them on to destroy all those who discovered their corruptions , and whose real and shining worth , made their counterfeit shew of it the more conspicuous and odious . in this short view of those enormous disorders , which then reigned amongst them , we have a full picture of the corrupt state of bad priests , in all ages and religions , with this only difference , that the priests in our saviour's time were more careful and exact in the external and visible parts of their conversation , than they have been in other times : in which they have thrown off the very decencies of a grave and sober deportment . but now to go on with the characters and rules that we find in the new testament : our saviour as he compared the work of the gospel , in many parables to a field and harvest , so he calls those whom his father was to send ▪ the labourers in that harvest , and he left a direction to all his followers to pray to his father that he would send labourers into his harvest . out of which both the vocation and divine mission of the clergy , and the prayers of the church to god for it , that are among us fixed to the ember weeks , have been gathered by many pious writers . in the warnings that our saviour gives to prepare for his second coming , we find the characters of good and bad clergy-men stated , in opposition to one another , under the figure of stewards , the good are both wise and faithful , they wait for his coming , and in the mean while are dividing to every one of their fellow servants his portion to eat in due season , that is their proportion both of the doctrine and mysteries of the gospel , according to their several capacities and necessities : but the bad stewards are those who put the evil day far from them , and say in their heart the lord declareth his coming , upon which they eat , drink , and are drunken : they indulge their sensual appetites even to a scandalous excess , and as for their fellow servants , instead of feeding , of instructing , or watching over them , they beat them : they exerci●e a violent and tyrannical authority over them . their state in the next world is represented as different as their behaviour in this was , the one shall be exalted from being a steward to be a ruler over the houshold , to be a king and a priest for ever unto god , whereas the other shall be cut asunder , and shall have his portion with vnbelievers . the th . of st. iohn is the place which both fathers , and more modern writers have chiefly made use of to shew the difference between good and bad pastors . the good shepherds enter by the door , and christ is this door by whom they must enter ; that is from whom they must have their vocation and mission : but the thief and rober who comes to kill , steal , and de●●roy , climbeth up some other way : whatever he may do in the ritual way for forms sake , he has in his heart no regard to iesus christ , to the honour of his person , the edification of his church or the salvation of souls ; he intends only to raise and enrich himself : and so he compasses that , he cares not how many souls perish by his means , or thorough his neglect . the good shepherd knows his sheep so well , that he can call them by name , and lead them out and they hear his voice : but the hireling careth not for the sheep , he is a stranger to them , they know not his voice and will not follow him . this is urged by all , who have pressed the obligation of residence , and of the personal labours of the clergy , as a plain divine and indispensable precept : and even in the council of trent , tho' by the practices of the court of rome , it was diverted from declaring residence to be of divine right , the decree that was made to enforce it , urges this place to shew the obligation to it . the good shepherd feeds the flock , and looks for pasture for them ; and is ready to give his life for the sheep : but the bad shepherd is represented as a hireling that careth not for the flock ; that sees the wolfe coming , and upon that leaveth the sheep and flieth . this is , it is true a figure , and therefore i know it is thought an ill way of reasoning to build too much upon figurative discourses : yet on the other hand our saviour having delivered so great a part of his doctrine in parables , we ought at least to consider the main scope of a parable : and may well build upon that , tho' every particular circumstance in it cannot bear an argument . i shall add but one passage more from the gospels , which is much made use of , by all that have writ of this ma●●er . when our saviour confirmed st. peter in his apostleship , from which he had fallen by his denying of him , as in the charge which he thrice repeated of feeding his lambs and his sheep , he pursues still the figure of a shepherd ; so the question that he asked preparatory to it , was simon lovest thou me more than these , from which they justly gather , that the love of god , a zeal for his honour , and a preferring of that to all other things whatsoever , is a necessary and indispensible qualification for that holy imployment ; which distinguishes the true shepherd from the hireling : and by which only he can be both animated and fortified , to go through with the labours and difficulties , as well as the dangers and sufferings which may accompany it . when st. paul was leaving his last charge with the bishops that met him at ephesus , he still makes use of the same metaphor of shepherd in those often cited words , take heed to your selves and to all the flock over which the holy ghost hath made you bishops or overseers , to feed the church of god , which he hath purchased with his own blood. the words are solemn , and the consideration enforcing them is a mighty one ; they import the obligations of the clergy , both to an exactness in their own deportment , and to earnest and constant labours , in imitation of the apostle , who during the three years of his stay among them , had been serving god with all humility of mind with many tears and temptations , and had not ceased to warn every one both night and day , with tears : and had taught them both publickly , and from house to house : upon which he leaves them , calling them all to witness that he was pure from the blood of all men. there has been great disputing concerning the persons to whom these words were addressed ; but if all parties had studied more to follow the example here proposed , and the charge that is here given ; which are plain and easie to be understood , then to be contending about things that are more doubtful ; the good lives and the faithful labours of apostolical bishops , would have contributed more both to the edifying and healing of the church , than all their arguments or reasonings will ever be able to do . st. paul reckoning up to the romans the s●veral obligations of christians , of all ranks to assiduity and diligence , in their callings and labours , among others he numbers these , ministers let us wait on our ministring ▪ or he that teacheth on teaching , he that ruleth with diligence : in his epistle to the corinthians , as he states the dignity of the clergy in this , that they ought to be accounted of as the ministers of christ , and stewards of the mysteries of god. he adds that it is required in stewards that a man be found faithful . in that epistle , he sets down that perpetual law , which is the foundation of all the provision that has been made for the clergy , that the lord hath ordained that they which preach the gospel should live of the gospel . but if upon that , the laity have looked on thems●lves as bound to appoint so plentiful a supply , that the clergy might have whereon to live at their ease and in abundance ; then certainly this was intended that they being freed from the troubles and cares of this world , might attend continually on the ministry of the word of god and on prayer . those who do that work negligently , provoke the laity to repent of their bounty and to defraud them of it . for certainly there are no such enemies to the patrimony and rights of the church , as those who eat the fat but do not preach the gospel , nor feed the flock . happy on the ●ther hand are they , to whom that character , which the apostle assumes to himself , and to timothy , does belong ; therefore seeing we have received this ministry , as we have received mercy we faint not : but have renounced the hidden things of dishonesty , not walking in craftiness , nor handling the word of god deceitfully , but by manifestation of the truth , commending our selves to every man's conscience in the sight of god. in the epistle to the ephesians , we have the ends of the institution of all the ranks of clergy-men set forth in these words . he gave some apostles , and some prophets , and some evangelists , and some pastors and teachers : for the perfecting of the saints ▪ for t●e work of the ministry , for the edifying the body of christ : till we all come i● the vnity of the faith , and of the knowledge of the son of god , unto a perfect man , unto the measure of the stature of the fulness of christ. in these words we see something that is so vast and noble , so far above those slight and poor performances , in which the far greater part do too easily satisfie themselves ; that in charity to them we ought to suppose that they have not reflected sufficiently on the importance of them . otherwise they would have in some sort proportioned their labours to those great designs for which they are ordained ; and would remember the charge given to the colossians , to say to archippus , who it seems was remiss in the discharge of his duty , take heed to the ministry which thou hast received in the lord , that thou fullfil it . the epistles to timothy and titus are the foundation of all the canons of the church , in these we have the characters of bishops , and deacons , as well as the duties belonging to those functions , so particularly set forth that from the●ce alone every one who will weigh them well , may find sufficient instruction , how he ought to behave himself in the house of god. in these we see what patterns those of the clergy ought to be in word ( or doctrine ) in conversation , in charity , in spirit , in faith , and in purity , they ought to give attendance to reading , to exhortation , and to doctrine , that is both to the instructing and exhorting of their people . they ought not to neglect that gift that was given to them , by the laying on of hands , they ought to meditate on these things , to give themselves wholly to them , that so their profiting may appear unto all : and to take heed to themselves and their doctrine ; and to continue in them : for in so doing they shall both save themselves and those that hear them . those that govern the church are more particularly charged ▪ before god , the lord iesus and the holy angels , that they observe these things without preferring one before another , doing nothing by parti●lity , by domestick regards , the considerations of friendship , intercession , or importunity : and above all that they lay hand suddenly on no man ; to which are added words of great terror , neither be thou partaker of other mens sins : keep thy self pure . which ought to make great impression , on all those with whom the power of ordination is lodged : since they do plainly import , that such as do ordain any rashly without due enquiry , and a strict examination , entitle themselves to all the scandal they give ; and become partners of their guilt ▪ which if well considered , must needs make all such , as are not past feeling , use great care and caution in this sacred trust. bishops are the depositaries of the faith , which they are to keep pure ; and to hand down faithfully according to these words , and the things which thou hast heard of me among many witnesses , the same commit thou to faithful men who may be able to teach others also : upon this he prepares the bishop for difficulties to endure hardness as a good souldier of iesus christ. and according to that figure , since those that go to war , do not carry unnecessary burdens with them , which may encumber and retard their march , he adds , no man that warreth entangleth himself with the affairs of this life , that he may please him who hath chosen him for a souldier ; upon this it is that all those canons , which have been made in so many ages of the church , against church-mens medling with secular affairs , have been founded ; than which we find nothing more frequently provided against , both in the apostolical canons , in those of antioch , in those made by the general council of calcedon , and in divers of the councils of carthage : but this abuse had too d●ep a root in the nature of man , to be easily cured . st. paul does also in this place carry on the metaphor to express the earnestness and indefatigableness of clergy-mens zeal , that as officers in an army were satisfied with nothing under victory , which brought them the honours of a triumph , so we ought to fight , not only so as to earn our pay , but for mastery to spoil and overcome the powers of darkness ; yet even this must be done lawfully , not by deceiving the people with pious frauds , hoping that our good intentions will atone for our taking bad methods : war has its laws as well as peace , and those who manage this spiritual warfare , ought to keep themselves within the instructions and commands that are given them . then the apostle changing the figure from the souldier to the workman and steward , says , study to shew thy self approved unto god ( not to seek the vain applauses of men , but to prefer to all other things the witness of a good conscience , and that in simplicity and godly sincerity , he may walk and labour as in the sight of god ) a workman that needeth not to be ashamed ; rightly dividing the word of truth : this is according to the figure of a steward , giving every one his due portion ; and a little after comes a noble admonition , relating to the meekness of the clergy towards those that divide from them : the servant of the lord must not strive ; but be gentle to all men , apt to teach , patient , in meekness instructing those that oppose themselves , if peradventure god will give them repentance , to the acknowledging the truth . this is the passage that was chiefly urged by our reformers against the persecution that the roman clergy did every where set on against them : the extent of it ought to be well considered , that so it may not be said , that we are only against persecution when it lies on our selves ; for if it is a good defence to some , it is as good to others ; unless we own that we do not govern our selves by that rule of doing to others that which we would have other● do to us . in the next chapter , we find the right education of this bishop , and that which furnishes a clergy man , to perform all the duties incumbent on him : from a child thou hast known the holy scriptures , which are able to make thee wise unto salvation , through faith in christ iesus : that is the old testament well studied , by one that believed iesus to be the messias , and that was led into it by that faith , did discover to a man the great oeconomy of god in the progress of the light , which he made shine upon the world by degrees , unto the perfect day of the appearing of the sun of righteousness ) and to this he adds a noble character of the inspired writings : all scripture is given by inspiration of god , and is profitable for doctrine , for reproof , for correction , for instructing in righteousness , that the man of god may be perfect , throughly furnished unto all good works . the apostle goes on and gives timothy the most solemn charge that can be set out in words ; which if understood , as belonging to all bishops , as the whole church of god has ever done , must be read by them with trembling . i charge thee therefore before god , and the lord iesus christ , who shall judge the quick and dead at his appearing , and his kingdom , preach the word , be instant in season out of season , reprove , rebuke , exhort with all long suffering and doctrine ( that is with great gentleness in the manner , and clearness and strength in the matter of their instructions ) and a little after , watch thou in all things , endure affliction , do the work of an evangelist : make full proof of ( or fulfill ) thy ministry : and as a consideration to enforce this the more , he tells what a noble and agreeable prospect he had in the view of his approaching dissolution : the time of his departing drew nigh , he was ready to be offered up , as a sacrifice for that faith which he had so zealously and so successfully preached : and here we have his two great preparatives for martyrdom : the one was in looking on his past life and labours : i have fought a good fight , i have finished my course , i have kept the faith. the other was in looking forward to the reward that crown of righteousness which was laid up for him , which the lord the righteous iudge would gi●e him at that day : and not only to him , but also to all those that loved his appearing , and certainly more especially to those who not only lov●d it themselves , but who laboured so as to dispose others also to love it . to all these considerations , though nothing needed to have been added , to one upon whom they made so strange an impression , as they did upon timothy , yet one comes after all , which ought to teach us to work out our salvation with fear and trembling since st. paul tells timothy that demas , one of the companions of his labours , had forsaken him , and that which prevailed over him was the love of this present world. these are the rules and charges given by st. paul to timothy , and in him to all the bishops and pastors that were to come after him in the church . some of these are again repeated in his epistle to titus , where we have the characters set out ; by which he was to prepare and examine those elders or bishops , who were to rule the house of god : that those being well chosen , they might be able by sound doctrine both to exhort and convince the gainsayers , and that he might do his duty with the more advantage ; he charges him to shew himself in all things a pattern of go●d works : in doctrine , shewing uncorruptness , gravity , sincerity ; and using such sound speech as could not be condemned : that so those who were of the contrary party ( the iudaizers who were studying to corrupt the christian religion by making a medly of it and iudaisme ) might have no evil thing to say of him ; and after a glorious but short abstract of the design of their holy religion ; he concludes that part of the epistle in these words , these things speak and exhort , and rebuke with all authority : to which he adds a charge , that may seem more proper to be addressed to others , then to himself , let no man despise thee : the same is likewise in his epistle to timothy , with this addition , let no man despise thy youth : but these words do import that it is in a bishop's own power , to procure due esteem to himself ; at least to prevent contempt ; since a holy and exemplary deportment , and faithful and constant labours never fail to do that . in the conclusion of the epistle to the hebrews , we find both the characters of those who had laboured among them , and had ruled them but who were then dead ; and also of such as were yet alive . remember them who had the rule over you ; who have spoken to you the word of god , whose faith follow , considering the end of their conversation : they had both lived and died , as well as laboured in such a manner , that the remembring of what had appeared in them , was an effectual means of perswading the hebrews to be steady in the christian religion : for certainly , though while a man lives let him be ever so eminent , there is still room for ill-nature and jealousie to misrepresent things , and to suspect that something lies hid under the fairest appearances ; which may shew it self in due time ; all that goes off , when one has finished his course , so that all appears to be of a piece , and that he has died as he had lived . then the argument from his conversation appears in its full strength , without any diminution . but the charge given with relation to those who then had the rule over them is no less remarkable , obe● them that have the rule over you ; and submit your selves , for they watch for your souls ; as they that must give account : that they may do it with joy and not with grief : for that is unprofitable for you : here obedience and submission is enjoyned , upon the account of their rulers watching over them , and for them : and therefore those who do not watch like men that know that they must give account of that trust , have no reason to expect these from their people : of a piece with this is st. pauls charge to the thessalonians , we beseech you to know ( or to acknowledge , ) them which labour among you , and are over you in the lord , and admonish you , and to esteem them very highly in love , for their works sake : here both the submission and esteem , as well as the acknowledgment that is due to the clergy , is said to be for their works sake : and therefore such as do not the work and that do not labour and admonish their people , have no just claim to them . there is another expression in the d epistle to the thessalonians , that is much urged by those who have writ on this head , that if any will not work he should not eat , which if it is a rule binding all men , seems to lie much heavier on the clergy . i shall conclude all that i intend to bring out of the scripture upon this argument , with st. peter's charge to the elders of the churches , to which he writ ; which is indeed so full , that though in the course of the new testament , it had not lain last , it deserved by the rules of method , to be kept last ; for the closing and enforcing all that has gone before , and for giving it its full weight . st. peter descends epistle ▪ ch ▪ ver . to a level with them , calling himself no better than a fellow elder and a witness of the suffering of christ : and also a partaker of the glory which was to be revealed . feed the flock of god ( says he ) which is among you , ( these words will bear another rendring as much as lieth in you ) taking the oversight thereof not by constraint ( as forced to it by rules , canons , or laws ) but willingly not for filthy ●ucre ( for though god has ordained that such as preach the gospel should live of the gospel ; yet those who propose that to themselves as the chief motive in entring into holy orders , are hereby severely condemned ) but of a ready mind , neither as being lords over god's heritage ( or not using a despotick authority over their several lots or divisions ) but being examples to the flock , not tyrannizing it over their people : but acquiring their authority chiefly by their own exemplary conversation . the conclusion of the charge , is suitable to the solemnity of it in these words : and when the chief shepherd shall appear , ye shall likewise receive a crown of glory that fadeth not away . with this i make an end of citations from scripture : i think it is as plain as words can make any thing , that such as are dedicated to the service of god and of his church , ought to labour constantly and faithfully : and that in their own persons . for it is not possible to express a personal obligation , in terms that are both more strict and more solemn then these are which have been cited , and all the returns of obedience and submission , of esteem and support , being declared to be due to them on the account of their watching over and feeding the flock of god , those who pretend to these , without considering themselves as under the other obligations , are guilty of the worst sort of sacriledge , in devouring the things that are sacred , without doing those duties for which these are due , and what right soever the law of the land may give them to them , yet certainly according to the divine law those who do not wait at the altar , ought not to be partakers with the altar : those who do not minister about holy things , ought not to live of the things of the temple : nor ought those who do not preach the gospel , live of the gospel . if i had a mind to make a great shew of reading , or to triumph in my argument with the pomp of quotations , it were very easie to bring a cloud of witnesses , to confirm the application that i have made of these passages of scripture : indeed all those who have either writ commentaries on the scriptures , ancient and modern , or have left homilies on these subjects , have pressed this matter so much , that every one that has made any progress in ecclesiastical learning , must know that one might soon stuff a great many pages with abundance of quotations out of the authors , both of the best , and of the worst ages of the church : not only the fathers , but even the schoolmen , and which is more the canonist have carried this matter very high , and have even delivered it as a maxime , that all dispensations that are procured upon undue pretences , the chief of which they reckon the giving a man , an easie and large subsistence , are null and void of themselves : and conclude that how strong soever they may be in law , yet they are nothing in conscience : and that they do not free a man from his obligations to residence and labour : and they do generally conclude that he who upon a dispensa●ion , which has been obtained upon carnal accounts , such as birth , rank or great ▪ abilities , ( and qualifications are not yet so good , as these ) does not reside , is bound in conscience to restore the fruits of a bene●ice which he has thus enjoyed with a bad conscience without performing the duty belonging to it , in his own person . but though it were very easie to bring out a great deal to this purpose , i will go no further at present upon this head : the words of god , seem to be so express and positive ; that such as do not yield to so undisputable an authority , will be little moved by all that can be brought out of authors of a lower form , against whom it will be easie to muster up many exceptions , if they will not be determined by so many of the oracles of the living god. chap. iv. of the sense of the primitive church in this matter . i will not enter here into any historical account of the discipline of the church , during the first and best ages of christianity . it is the glory of this church , that in her disputes of both han●s , a● well with those of the church of rome , as with those that separate from her ▪ she has both the doctrine and the c●nstitution of the primitive church of her side . but this plea would be more entire and less disputable , if our consti●ution were not only in its main and most essential parts , formed upon that glorious model ; but were also in its rules and administrations , made more exactly conformable to those best and purest times . i can never forget an advice that was given me above thirty years ago , by one of the worthiest clergy-men now alive ; while i was studying the controversie relating to the government of the church , from the primitive times , he desires me to joyn with the more speculative discoveries ▪ that i should make , the sense that they had of the obligations of the clergy , both with relation to their lives , and to their labours : and said that the argument in favour of the church , how clearly soever made out , would never have its full effect upon the world , till abuses were so far corrected , that we could shew a primitive spirit in our administration , as well as a primitive pattern for our constitution . this made even then , deep impressions on me , and i thank god the sense of it has never left me in the whole course of my studies . i will not at present enter upon so long and so invidious a work as the descending into all the particulars , into which this matter might be branched out ; either from the writings of the fathers , the decrees of councils , the roman law and the capitulars , or even from the dreg of all , the canon law it self , which though a collection made in one of the worst ages , yet carries many rules in it , that would seem excessively severe , even to us , after all our reformation of doctrine and worship . this has been already done with so much exactness , that it will not be necessary to set about it after the harvest , which was gathered by the learned bishop of spalato in the last book of his great work : which the pride and inconstancy of the author , had brought under a disesteem , that it no way deserves : for whatever he might be , that work was certainly one of the best productions of that age. but this design has been prosecuted of late with much more exactness and learning , and with great honesty and fidelity , where the interest of his church did not force him to use a little art , by f. thomasin , who has compared the modern and the ancient discipline , and has shewed very copiously , by what steps the change was made ; and how abuses crept into the church . it is a work of great use , to such as desire to understand that matter truly . i will refer the curious to these , and many other lesser treaties , writ by the iansenists in france , in which abuses are very honestly complained off , and proper remedies are proposed ; which in many places being entertained by bishops ▪ that had a right sense of the primitive rules , have given the rise to a great reformation of the french clergy . instead then of any historical deduction of these matters , i shall content my self with giving the sense of two of the fathers of the greek church , and one of t●e latin upon this whole business , of the obligations of the clergy . the first is gregory of nazianze whose father ordained him a presbyter , notwithstanding all his hum●le intercessions to the contrary , according to the custom of the best men of that age ; who instead of pressing into orders , or aspiring to them , fled from them , excused themselves , and judging themselves unworthy of so holy a character and so high a trust , were not without difficulty prevailed on to submit to that , which in degenerate ages men run to as to a subsistance , or the mean of procuring it , and seem to have no other sense of that sacred institution , then mechanicks have of obtaining their freedom in that trade or company in which they have passed their apprenticeship . it were indeed happy for the church , if those who offer themselves to orders ▪ had but such a sense of them as tradesmen have of their freedom : who do not pretend to it till they have finished the time prescribed ; and are in some sort qualified to set up in it : whereas , alas ! men who neither know the scriptures , nor the body of divinity , who have made no progress in their studies , and can give no tollerable account of that holy doctrine , in which they desire to be teachers , do yet with equal degrees of confidence , and importunity , pretend to this character , and find the way to it too easie , and the access of it too free . but this holy father had a very different sense of this matter . he had indeed submitted to his fathers authority , he being his bishop as well as his father . but immediately after he was ordained , he gives this account of himself in his apologetical oration , that he judging he had not that sublimity of vertue , nor that familiar acquaintance with divine matters , which became pastors and teachers ; he therefore intending to purifie his own soul to higher degrees of vertue , to an exaltation above sensible objects , above his body and above the world , that so he might bring bis mind to a recollected and divine state , and fit his soul that as a polished mirrour it might carry on it the impressions of divine ideas unmixed with the allay of earthly objects , and might be still casting a brightness upon all his thoughts , did in order to the raising himself to that , retire to the wilderness . he had observed that many pressed to handle the holy mysteries , with unwashed hands , and defiled souls : and before they were meet to be initiated to the divine vocation , were crouding about the altar , not to set patterns to others , but designing only a subsistence to themselves : reckoning that the holy dignity , was not a trust for which an account was to be given , but a state of authority and exemption . they had neither piety nor parts to recommend them , but were the reproaches of the christian religion , and were the pests of the church : which infected it faster than any plague could do the air , since men did easily run to imitate bad examples , but were drawn off very hardly by the perfectest patterns to the practice of vertue . vpon which he formed a high idea of the eminent worth and vertues which became those who governed the church : and of the great progress that they ought to be duly making , not contented with low measures of it , as if they were to weigh it critically in nice ballances ; and not to rise up to the highest degrees possible in it . yet even this , was not all : for to govern mankind which was so various , and so uncertain a sort of creature , seemed to him the highest pitch of knowledge and wisdom , as far above that skill and labour that is necessary to the curing of bodily diseases as the soul is superiour to the body , and yet since so much study and observation was necessary to make a man a skillful physician , he concluded that much more was necessary for the spiritual medicine : the design of which was to give wings to the soul , to raise it above the world , and to consecrate it to god , here he runs out into a noble rapture , upon the excellence and sublimity of the christian religion , and upon the art of governing souls , of the different methods to be taken , according to the diversity of mens capacity and tempers : and of dividing the word of god aright , among them . the difficulties of which he prosecutes in a great variety of sublime expressions and figures : but concludes lamenting that there was so little order , then observed , that men had scarce passed their childhood when , before they understood the scriptures , not to say before they had washed off the spots and defilements of their souls , if they had learned but two or three pious words , which they had got by heart , or had read some of the psalms of david , and pu● on an outward garb that carried an appearance of piety in it , these men were presently pushed on by the vanity of their minds , to aspire to the government of the chur●h . to such persons he addresses himself very rhetorically and asks them , what they thought of the commonest imployments such as the playing on instruments or of dancing , in comparison with divine wisdom : for acquiring the one they know great pains and mu●h practice was necessary : could they then imagin that the other should be so easily attained : but he adds that one may as well sow upon rocks , and talk to the deaf , as hope to work upon persons , who have not yet got to that degree of wisdom , of being sensible of their own ignorance . this evil he had often with many tears lamented , but the pride of such men was so great , that nothing under the authority of a st. peter or a st. paul , could work upon them . upon this mention of st. paul , he breaks out into a rapture , upon his labours and sufferings , and the care of all the churches that lay on him ; his becoming all things to all men , his gentleness where that was necessary , and his authority upon other occasions , his zeal , his patience , his constancy , and his prudence in fullfilling all the parts of his ministry . then he cites several of the passages of the prophets , particularly those of ieremy and ezekiel , zachary and malachi , which relate to the corruptions of the priests and shepherds of israel . and shews how applicable they were to the clergy at that time , and that all the woes denounced against the scribes and pharisees belonged to them , with heavy aggravations . these thoughts possessed him day and night ; they did eat out his very strength and substance ; they did so afflict and deject him , and gave him so terrible a prospect of the iudgments of god , which they were drawing down upon the church , that he instead of daring to undertake any part of the government of it , was only thinking how he should cleanse his own soul and fly from the wrath , which was to come , and could not think that he was yet while so young , meet to handle the holy things . where he runs out into a new rapture in magnifying the dignity of holy functions , and upon that says , that tho' he had been dedicated to god from his mothers womb , and had renounced the world and all that was charming in it , even eloquence it self , and had delighted long in the study of the scriptures , and had subdued many of his appetites and passions , yet after all this , in which perhaps he had become a fool in glorying , he had so high a nation of the care and government of souls , that he thought it above his strength ; especially in such bad times in which all things were out of order : factions were formed , and charity was lost ; so that the very name of a priest was a reproach , as if god had poured out contempt upon them : and thereby impious men daily blasphemed his name . and indeed , all the shew of religion that remained was in their mutual heats and animosities , concerning some matters of religion ; they condemned and censured one another , they cherished and made use of the worst men , so they were true to their party ; they concealed their crimes , nay , they flattered and defended some that should not have been suffered to enter into the sanctuary : they gave the holy things to dogs , while they enquired very narrowly into the failings of those that differed from them , not that they might lament them , but that they might reproach them for them . the same faults which they excused in some , were declaimed against in others : so that the very name of a good or a bad man were not now considered , as the characters of their lives , but of their being of or against a side . and these abuses were so vniversal , that they were like people like priest : if those heats had arisen upon the great heads of religion , he should have commended the zeal of those who had contended for the truth , and should have studied to have followed it . but their disputes were about small matters , and things of no consequence ; and yet even these were fought for , under the glorious title of the faith , tho the root of all was men's private animosities : these things had exposed the christian religion to the hatred of the heathen , and had given even the christians themselves very hard thoughts of the clergy : this was grown to that height , that they were then acted and represented upon the stage ; and made the subject of the peoples scorn . so that by their means , the name of god was blasphemed : this was that which gave him much sadder apprehensions , than all that could be feared from that wild beast , that was then beginning to vex and persecute the church , ( by which probably iulian is meant , ) the comfortable prospect of dying for the name of christ , made that a persecution was not so dreadful a thing , in his account , as the sins , the divisions , and distractions of christians . this then was the reason that had made him fly to the wilderness , for the state of the church had made him despond , and lose all his courage : he had also gone thither , that he might quite break himself to all his appetites and passions , and to all the pleasures and concerns of this life , that did darken the shinings of the divine image upon his soul ; and the emanations of the heavenly light. when he considered the judgments of god upon bad priests and many other strict rules in the old dispensation , and the great obligations that lay upon those who were the priests , of the living god , and that ought before they presumed to offer up other sacrifices , to begin with the oblation of themselves to god ; he was upon all these reasons moved to prepare himself , by so long a retreat . i have given this long abstract of his apologetical oration , not only to set before my reader the sense that he had of the sacred functions , but likewise to shew what were the corruptions of that age , and with how much freedom this holy father laid them open . if there is any occasion for applying any part of this to the present age , or to any persons in it , i chose rather to offer it in the words of this great man , than in any of my own . i wish few were concerned in them ; and that such as are , would make a due application of them to themselves , and save others the trouble of doing it more severely . i go next to another father of the greek church , s. chrysostome , whose books of the priesthood , have been ever reckoned among the best pieces of antiquity . the occasion of writing them , was this : he had lived many years in great friendship with one basil ; at last , they having both dedicated themselves to sacred studies , the clergy of antioch had resolved to lay hold on them , and to use that holy violence , which was in those times often done to the best men , and to force them to enter into orders . which when basil told chrysostome , he concealed his own intentions , but pressed basil to submit to it , who from that , believing that his friend was of the same mind , did not go out of the way , and so he was laid hold on ; but chrysostome had hid himself . basil , seeing he could not be found , did all that was possible to excuse himself : but that not being accepted of , he was ordained : next time that he met his friend , he expostulated severely with him for having forsaken him upon that occasion : this gave the occasion to those books , which are pursued in the way of a dialogue . the first book contains only the preparatory discourses , according to the method of such writings . in the d. he runs out to shew from our saviour's words to st. peter , simon lovest thou me ? what tender and fervent love both to christ and to his church , a priest ought to feel in himself before he enters upon the feeding those sheep , which christ has purchased with his own blood. to lose the souls of the flock first , and then ones own soul , for his remissness , was no light matter . to have both the powers of darkness , and the works of the flesh to fight against , required no ordinary measure both of strength and courage . he pursues the allegories of a shepherd and a physician , to shew by the parallel of these laid together ; the labours and difficulties of the priesthood , especially , when this authority was to be maintained only by the strength of perswasion ; and yet sometimes severe methods must be taken ; like incisions to prevent gangrenes , or to cut off a part already corrupted . in the managing this , great art and prudence was necessary : a bishop ought to have a great and generous , a patient and undaunted mind : therefore , chrysostome says that he found , tho he truly loved his saviour , yet he was so afraid to offend him , that he durst not undertake a charge , that he did not yet judge himself qualified for . it was not enough that a man was tolerably well esteemed by others : he ought to examine himself ; for that of a bishop's being well reported of , is but one of many characters , declared necessary by s. paul. he complains much that those who raised men to orders , had more regard to rank and wealth , and to much time spent in a vain search into profane learning ( tho christ chose fisher-men and tent-makers ) than to true worth , and an earnest zeal for the real good of the church . in the d. book , he runs out with a great compass on the praises of the priestly function ; he looked upon it as a dignity raised far above all the honours of this vvorld , and approaching to the angelical glory . a priest ought to aspire to a purity above that of other mortals , answering that of angels . vvhen a priest performs the holy functions , is sanctifying the holy eucharist , and is offering a crucified christ to the people , his thoughts should carry him heavenwards , and as it were translate him into those upper regions . if the mosaical priest was to be holy that offered up sacrifices of a lower order , how much holier ought the priests of this religion to be , to whom christ has given the power both of retaining and forgiving of sins : but if s. paul , after all his visions and labours , after all his raptures and sufferings , yet was inwardly burnt up with the concerns of the church , and laboured with much fear and trembling , how much greater apprehensions ought other persons to have of such a trust. if it were enough to be called to this function , and to go thr●ugh with the duties incumbent on it in some tolerable manner , the danger were not great ; but when the duty as well as dignity , together with the danger belonging to it , are all laid together , a man is forced to have other thoughts of the matter . no man that knows he is not capable of conducting a ship , will undertake it , let him be pressed to it never so much : ambitious men that loved to set themselves forward , were of all others the most exposed to temptations : they were apt to be inflamed by the smallest provocations , to be glad at the faults of others , and troubled if they saw any do well ; they courted applause , and aspired to honour ; they fawned on great persons , and trod on those that were below them ; they made base submissions , undecent addresses , and often brought presents to those in authority ; they durst not in any sort reprove them for their faults , tho they reproached the poor out of measure for their failings . these were not the natural consequences of the dignity of the priesthood ; but unworthy and defiled persons , who without true merit , had been advanced to it , had brought it under reproach . there had been no due care used in the choice of bishops ; and by the means of bad choices , the church was almost ruined , through the gross ignorance and unworthiness of many in that post. certainly , a worthy priest has no ambitious aspirings : those who fly to this dignity from that base principle , will give a full vent to it , when they have attained it . if submissions , flatteries , and money it self , are necessary , all will be employed : therefore it was an indispensable preparation to it , that one should be duly sensible of the greatness of the trust , and of his own unfitness for it ; that so he might neither vehemently desire it , nor be uneasie if he should happen to be turned out of it . a man may desire the office of a bishop , when he considers it as a vvork of toyl and labour , but nothing is more pestiferous than to desire it , because of the power and authority that accompanies it : such persons can never have the courage that ought to shew it self in the discharge of their duty , in the reproving of sin , and venturing on the indignation of great men ; he confesses he had not yet been able to free his mind from that disease , and till he had subdued it , he judged himself bound to fly from all the steps to preferment ; for the nearer he should come to it , he reckoned the appetite to it , would rage the higher within him ; whereas , the way to break it quite , was to keep himself at the greatest distance from it : nor had he that vivacity , or lively activity of temper , which became this function ; nor that softness and gentleness of mind , that was necessary to prepare him to bear injuries , to endure contempt , or to treat people with the mildness that christ has enjoined his followers , which he thought more necessary to a bishop than all fastings , or bodily mortifications whatsoever : and he runs out into a long digression upon the great mischiefs that a fretful and spiteful temper did to him that was under the power of it , and to the church , when a bishop was soured with it . it will often break out , it will be much observed , and will give great scandal : for as a little smoke will darken and hide the clearest object : so if all the rest of a bishop's life were brighter than the beams of the sun , a little blemish , a passion , or indiscretion , will darken all , and make all the rest be forgotten : allowances are not made to them , as to other men ; the vvorld expects great things from them , as if they had not flesh and blood in them , not a humane but an angelical nature ; therefore , a bishop ought by a constant watchfulness , and a perpetual strictness , to be armed with armour of proof of all sides , that no wound may hurt him . stories will be easily believed to his disadvantage , and his clergy about him will be ready to find them out , and to spread them abroad . he laies this down for a certain maxim , that every man knows himself best : and therefore whatsoever others might think of him , he who knew well that he had not in himself those qualifications , that were necessary for this function , ought not to suffer himself to be determined by that . after this he lays open the great disorders , factions , partialities , and calumnies , with which the popular elections were at that time managed : and the general corruption that had over-run the whole church ; so that the strictness and authority , the gentleness and prudence , the courage and patience , that were necessary to a bishop were very hard to be found all together . he instances to make out the difficulty of discharging the duty of a bishop , in that single point , of managing the widows : who were so medling , so immoral , so factious and so clamorous , that this alone was enough to imploy a bishop's prudence , and to exercise his patience : from that and another article relating to it concerning the virgins , he goes to consider the trouble , the difficulties , and censures that bishops were subject to , by the hearing of causes , that were referred to them : many pretending they were wronged by their judgments , made shipwrack of the faith , in revenge : and they pressed so hard upon the bishops time , that it was not possible for him to content them , and discharge the other parts of his duty . then he reckons up the many visits that were expected from bishops : the several civilities they were obliged to , which it was hard to manage so , as not to be either too much or too little in them : matter of censure would be found in both extreams . then he reflects on the great temper that ought to be observed in the final sentence of excommunication ; between a gentleness to vice on the one hand , and the driving men to despair and apostasie on the other . and he concludes that book with reflections on the vast burthen that follows the care of souls . in his th . book he runs through a variety of arts and professions ; and shews how much skill and labour was necessary for every one of them : from whence he concludes strongly , that much more was necessary for that which was the most important of all others ; so that no consideration whatsoever , should make a man undertake it , if he did not find himself in some sort qualified for it : more particularly he ought to be ready to give an account of his faith , and to stop the mouths of all gainsaiers , iews , gentiles , and hereticks : in which the ignorance of many bishops , carrying things from one extream to another , had given great occasion to errours . a bishop must understand the stile and phrase of the scriptures well . from this he runs out into a very noble panegyrick upon st. paul , in whom a pattern was set to all bishops . his th book sets out the labour of preaching the tentations to vanity in it ; the censures that were apt to be made if there was either too much or too little art or eloquence in sermons : to this he adds the great exactness that a bishop should use in preserving his reputation ; yet without vanity : observing a due temper between despising the censures of themultitude , and the servile courting of applauses : in his sermons he ought above all things to study to edifie ; but not to flatter his hearers : or to use vain arts to raise esteem , or admiration from them . since a bishop whose mind was not purged from this disease , must go through many tossings and be much disquieted : and upon that he runs out so fully , upon the tentations to desire applause for eloquence , and a readiness in speaking , that it plainly appears that he felt that to be his own weak side . the th book is chiefly imployed to shew how much a harder thing it was to govern the church , than to live in a desart , under the severest mortifications . i will go no further in this abstract , i hope i have drawn out enough to give a curiosity to such as have not yet read those excellent books , to do it over and over again . for to any that has a true relish , they can never be too often read : every reading will afford a fresh pleasure , and new matter of instruction , and meditation . but i go in the last place to offer st. ierom's sense in this matter . i shall not bring together , what lies scattered through his works , upon this argument , nor shall i quote what he writ in his youth upon it , when the natural flame of his temper joyned with the heat of youth might make him carry his thoughts further , than what humane nature could bear : but i shall only give an abstract of that which he writ to nepotion on this head , in his old age , as he says himself : a good part of that epistle being a reflection upon the different sense that old age gives of these things , from that which he felt during the ardour of youth . he begins with the title clerk , which signifying a lot or portion . imports either that the clergy are god's portion , or that god is theirs , and that therefore they ought to possess god , and be possessed of him . he that has this portion , must be satisfied with it , and pretend to nothing , but having food and rayment , be therewith content : and ( as men carried their crosses naked , so ) to be ready to carry his . he must not seek the advantages of this world in christ's wa●fare ; some clerks grew richer under christ , who made himself poor , than ever they could have been , if they had continued in the service of the god of this world : so that the church groaned under the wealth of those , who were beggars before they forsook the world : let the strangers and the poor be fed at your tables , says he , and in these you entertain christ himself . when you see a trafficking clerk , who from being poor grows rich , and from being mean becoms great , fly from him as from a plague . the conversations of such men corrupted good minds : they sought after wealth , and loved company , the publick places of conversation , fairs and market places : whereas a true clerk loves silence , and retirement : then he gives him a strong caution against conversing with women : and in particular against all those mean compliances , which some clerks used towards rich women ; by which they got not only presents during their lives , but legacies by their wills. that abuse had grown to such an intolerable excess , that a law was made excluding priests from having any benefit by testaments : they were the only persons that were put under that incapacity : heathen priests were not included in the law , yet he does not complain of the law , but of those who had given just occasion for making it . the laws of christ had been contemned , so it was necessary to restrain them by humane laws . it was the glory of a bishop to provide for the poor , but it was the reproach of a priest to study the enriching of himself . he reckons up many instances of the base and abject flattery of some clerks , to gain upon rich and dying persons , and to get their estates . next he exhorts him to the constant and diligent study of the scriptures ; but to be sure to do nothing that should contradict his discourses or give occasion to his hearers to answer him thus , why do not you do as you say ? then he speaks of the union that ought to be between the bishop , and his clergy : the affection on the one side , and the obedience on the other . in preaching he must not study to draw applauses but groans from his hearers . their tears was the best sort of commendation of a sermon , in which great care was to be taken to avoid the methods of the stage , or of common declamations . great use was to be made of the scriptures . the mysteries of our faith and the sacraments of our religion ought to be well explained : grimaces and solemn looks are often made use of to give weight and authority to that which has none in it self . he charges him to use a plain simplicity in his habit , neither shewing too much nicety on the one hand , that savours of luxury , nor such a neglect on the other , as might savour of affectation . he recommends particularly the care of the poor to him . then he speaks of clergy-mens mutually preferring one another ; considering that there are different members in one body , and that every one has his own function , and peculiar talent : and that therefore no man ought to over-value his own , or undervalue his neighbours . a plain clerk ought not to value himself upon his simplicity and ignorance , nor ought a learned and eloquent man measure his holiness by his rhetorick ; for indeed of the two , a holy simplicity is much more valuable , than unsanctified eloquence . he speaks against the affectation of magnificence and riches , in the worship of god , as things more becoming the pomp of the jewish religion , than the humility of the spiritual doctrine of christ. he falls next upon the high and sumptuous way of living of some priests , which they pretended was necessary to procure them the respect that was due to them ; and to give them interest and credit : but the world , at least the better part of it , would always value a priest more for his holiness , than for his wealth . he charges him strictly to avoid all the excesses of wine , and in opposition to that to fast much , but without superstition , or a nicety in the choice of such things as he was to live on in the time of fasting . some shewed a trifling superstition in those matters , as well as vanity and affectation ; that was indeed scandalous . plain and simple fasting was despised as not singular nor pompous enough for their pride . for it seems by what follows , that the clergy was then corrupted with the same disorders , with which our saviour had reproached the pharasees , while they did not study inward purity , so much as outward appearances ; nor the pleasing of god , so much as the praise of men. but here he stops short , for it seems he went too near the describing some eminent man in that age ; from that he turns to the government of a priest's tongue : he ought neither to detract from any one himself , nor to encourage such as did : the very hearkning to slande● , was very unbecoming . they ought to visit their people , but not to report in one place , what they observed in another ; in that they ought to be both discreet and secret . hippocrates adjured those that came to study from him , to be secret , grave , and prudent in their whole behaviour ; but how much more did this become those , to whom the care of souls was trusted . he advises him to visit his people rather in their afflictions , than in their prosperity ; not to go too often to their feasts , which must needs lessen him that does it too much . he , in the last place , speaks very severely of those who applied the wealth of the church to their own private uses . it was theft to defraud a friend , but it was sacrilege to rob the church . it was a crime that exceeded the cruelty of high-way men , to receive that which belonged indeed to the poor , and to withdraw any part of it to ones private occasions . he concludes with this excuse , that he had named no person , he had not writ to reproach others ; but to give them warning . and therefore since he had treated of the vices of the clergy in general terms , if any was offended with him for it , he thereby plainly confessed that he himself was guilty . chap. v. an account of some canons in divers ages of the church relating to the duties and labours of the clergy . i will go no further , in gathering quotations to shew the sense that the fathers had in these matters : these are both so full and so express , that i can find none more plain and more forcible . i shall to these add some of the canons that have been made both in the best and in the worst ages of the church , obliging bishops and other clerks to residence and to be contented with one cure. in that at sardica that met in the year . consisting of above . bishops two canons were made , ( the th and the th ) against bishops who without any urgent necessity , or pressing business , should be absent from their church above three weeks , and thereby grieve the flock , that was committed to their care : and even this provision was made because bishops had estates lying out of their diocesses ; therefore they were allowed to go and look after them , for three weeks , in which time they were to perform the divine function in the churches to which those estates belonged . many provisions were also made against such as went to court , unless they were called by the emperors , or went by a deputation from the church upon a publick account . there is not any one thing more frequently provided against , than that any of the clergy should leave their church , and go to any other church , or live any where else without the bishops leave and consent : nor is there any thing clearer from all the canons of the first ages , than that they considered the clergy of every church as a body of men dedicated to its service , that lived upon the oblations of the faithful , and that was to labour in the several parts of the ecclesiastical ministry , as they should be ordered by the bishop . in the th general council at calcedon pluralities , do first appear : for they are mentioned and condemned in the th canon , which runs thus , no clerk shall at the same time belong to two churches ; to wit , to that in which he was was first ordained , and that to which as being the greater , he has gone , out of a desire of vain glory ; for such as do so , ought to be sent back to that church in which they were at first ordained , and to serve there only ; but if any has been translated from one church to another , he shall receive nothing out of his former church ; nor out of any chapel or alms-house belonging to it : and such as shall transgress this definition of this general council are condemned by it , to be degraded . i go next to a worse scene of the church to see what provisions were made in this matter about the th century , both in the east and in the west : the worse that those ages and councils were , it makes the argument the stronger , since even bad men in bad times , could not justifie or suffer such an abuse . in the year . the second council of nice was held that setled the worship of images . the canon of it runs thus . no clerk shall from henceforth be reckoned in two churches , ( for every church had a catalogue of its clergy , by which the dividends were made ) for this is the character of trafficking , and covetousness , and wholly estranged from the ecclesiastical custom . we have heard from our saviour's own words , that no man can serve two masters : for he will either hate the one or love the other , or cleave to the one and despise the other : let every one therefore according to the apostles words , continue in the vocation in which he is called , and serve in one church : for those things which filthy lucre has brought into church matters are contrary to god. there is a variety of imployments , for acquiring the necessary supplies of this life : let every one that pleases , make use of these , for furnishing himself : for the apostle saies these hands ministred to my necessities , and to those that were with me . this shall be the rule in this town , which is guarded by god , but in remote villages an indulgence may be granted by reason of the want of men . it is upon this that the canonists do found the first of the two reasons , for which only they allow that a dispensation for holding two benefices may be lawful , one is , the want of fit and sufficient men for the service of the church . the foundation of the other will be found in the canon , which i shall next set down . it is the canon of the sixth council at paris , under lewis the good , in the year . this council came after a great many , that had been held by charles the great , and his son for purging out abuses , and for restraining the primitive discipline . these councils sat at frankfort , ments , aken , rheims , chalons , tours , arles , and this of paris was the last that was held upon that design . in these , all the primitive canons relating to the lives and labours , and the government of the clergy , were renewed . among others is that of calcedon formerly mentioned : but it seems there was no occasion given to make a special one against pluralities , before this held at paris , which consisted of four provinces of france , rheims , sens , tours , and rouen . the canon runs thus : as it becomes every city to have its proper bishop ; so it is also becoming and necessary that every church dedicated to god , should have , its proper priest. yet covetousness which is idolatry ( of which we are much ashamed ) has so got hold of some priests and caught them captives in its fetters , that they , blinded with i● , know neither whither they go nor what they ought to be or do ; so that they being kindled with the fire of covetousness , and forgetful of the priestly dignity , neglecting the care of those churches , to which they were promoted , do by some presents given or promised , procure other churches not only from clerks , but from lay-men , in which they do against law undertake to perform the ministry of christ. it is not known whether their bishops are consulted in this matter , or not ; if they are , without doubt their bishops become partakers of their sin : but if they presume to do it without consulting them , yet it is to be imputed to the bishops negligence . there is scarce a priest to be found who warreth worthily , and diligently in that church in which he is dedicated , to the divine service : but how much less will he be able to do that worthily in two , three or more churches ? this practice brings a reproach on the christian religion , and a confusion on the priestly order . the covetousness of the clergy is censured by their people ; the worship of god is not performed in places consecrated to him ; and as was observed in the former chapters , the souls of the people are thereby much endangered· wherefore we do all unanimously appoint , that no bishop suffer this to be done in his parish ( or diocess , these words being used promiscuously ) any more , and we decree , that every church that has a congregation belonging to it , and has means by which it may subsist , shall have its proper priest : for if it has a congregation but has not means by which it may subsist , that matter is left to the bishop , to consider whether it can or ought to be supported or not . but it is specially recommended to their care to see that under this pretence , no priest may out of covetousness hold two or three churches , in which he cannot serve , nor perform the worship of god. the last provisions in this canon are the grounds upon which the canonists found the second just cause of dispensing with pluralities , which is when a church is so poor , that the profits which arise out of it cannot afford a competent maintenance to a clark : but then the question arises what is a competent maintenance : this , they do all bring very low , to that which can just maintain him : and they have so clogged it , that no pretence should be given by so general a word , to covetousness , voluptuousness , or ambition . and indeed while we have so many poor churches among us , instead of restraining such pluralities , it were rather to be wished that it were made easier than by law it is at present ; either to unite them together , or to make one man capable of serving two churches , when both benefices make but a tolerable subsistance , rather than to be forced to have a greater number of clerks , than can be decently maintained ; since it is certain , that it is more for the interest of religion and for the good of souls , to have one worthy man serving two churches , and dividing himself between them ; than to have clerks for many benefices , whose scandalous provisions , make too many scandalous incumbents , which is one of the greatest diseases and miseries of this church . but a due care in this matter has no relation to the accumulation of livings , at great distances , ( every one of which can well support an incumbent ) upon the same person merely for the making of a family , for the supporting of luxury or vanity , or for other base and covetous designs . but i go next to two of the worst councils that ever carried the name of general ones , the third and the fourth of the lateran that we may see what was the sense of the twefth and thirteenth century in this matter ; notwithstanding the corruption of those ages . the thirteenth canon of the third lateran council , runs thus . forasmuch , as some whose covetousness has no bounds , endeavour to procure to themselves divers ecclesiastical dignities , and several parish churches , against the provisions of the holy canons ; by which means , tho they are scarce able to perform the office of one , they do claim the provisions due to many : we do severely require , that this may not be done for the future : and therefore , when any church or ecclesiastical ministry is to be given , let such a one be sought out for it , as shall reside upon the place , and shall be able to discharge the care in his own person : if otherwise , he who receives any such benefice , contrary to the canons , shall lose it , and he who gave it shall likewise lose his right of patronage . this canon not being found effectual to cure so great an abuse . the twenty ninth canon of the fourth councel in the lateran , was penned in these words . it was with great care forbidden in the council of the lateran , that any one should have divers ecclesiastical dignities , and more parish churches than one , which is contrary to the holy canons . otherwise , he that took them should lose them , and he that gave them should lose the right of giving them : but by reason of some mens presumption and covetousness , that decree has had little or no effect hitherto ; we therefore desiring to make a more evident and express provision against these abuses , do appoint that whosoever shall receive any benefice , to which a care of souls is annexed , shall thereupon by law be deprived of any other such benefice , that he formerly had ; and if he endeavours still to hold it , he shall lose the other likewise ; and he to whom the right of the patronage of his first benefice did belong , is empowered to bestow it upon his accepting another ; and if he delays the bestowing it , above three months , not only shall his right devolve to another , according to the decree of the council in the lateran , but he shall be obliged to restore to the church , to which the benefice belongs , all that which he himself ●eceived during the vacancy . this we do likewise decree as to personages ; and do further appoint that no man shall presume to hold more dignities or parsonages than one in the same church , even though they have no cure of souls annexed to them . provided always that dispensations may be granted by the apostolical see , to persons of high birth , or eminently learned ( sublimes & literatas personas ) or dignified in universities , for so the word literati was understood , who upon occasion may be honoured , with greater benefices . it was by this last proviso , that this as well as all other canons , made against these abuses became quite ineffectual ; for this had no other effect , but the obliging people to go to rome for dispensations ; so that this canon instead of reforming the abuse , did really establish it , for the qualifications here mentioned were so far stretched , that any person that had obtained a degree in any university , came within the character of lettered or learned , and all those that were in any dependance upon great men , came likewise within the other qualification of high rank and birth . this was the practice among us , during the reign of henry the th . and he when he was beginning to threaten the see of rome , in the matter of his divorce , got that act to be passed , which has been the occasion of so much scandal and disorder in this church . it seems to one that considers it well , that the clauses which qualifie pluralities were grafted upon another bill against spiritual persons taking estates to farm , with which that act begins : and that in the carrying that on , such a temper shewed it self , that the other was added to it . it contained indeed a limitation of the papal authority , but so many provisions were made , that the nobility , clergy , and the more eminent of the gentry , knights in particular , were so taken care of , that it could meet with no gr●at oppo●ition in the parliament ; but from the state of that time , and from several clauses in the act it self , it appears , it was only intended to be a provisional act ; tho it is conceived in the style of a perpetual law. by it then , and by it only ( for i have not been able to find that any such act ever passed in any kingdom or state in christendom , many having been made plainly to the contrary in france , declaring the obligation to residence to be of divine right ) were the abuses , that had arisen out of the canon of one of the worst councils that ever was , authorised and settled among us ; as far as a law of the land can settle them . but after all , it is to be considered that a law does indeed change the legal and political nature of things , it gives a title to a free-hold and property : but no humane law can change the moral or divine laws , and cancel their authority . if a false religion is settled by law , it becomes indeed the legal religion ; but is not a whit the truer for that . and therefore , if the laws of the gospel oblige clerks to personal labour , as was formerly made out ; an act of parliament may indeed qualifie a man , in law , to enjoy the benefice , whether he labours in it or not , but it can never dis●olve his obligation to residence and personal labour . but to bring this chapter to an end , i shall only add three decrees that were made by the council of trent , in this matter , that so it may appear what provisions they made against abuses , which are still supported by laws among us : a part of the st : chap. of reformation that past in the sixth session , runs thus : this synod admonishes all that are set over any cathedral churches , by what title soever , that they taking heed to themselves , and to all the flock , over which the holy ghost has set them , to govern the church of god , which he has purchased with his own blood , do watch and labour and fullfil their ministry , as the apostle has commanded : and they must know that they cannot do this , if as hirelings they forsake the flock committed to them , and do not watch over those sheep , whose blood will be required at their hands , in the last day . since it is certain that no excuse will be received , if the wolfe devours the sheep , when the shepherd does not look after them . yet since to our great grief it is found , that some at this time neglect the salvation of their own souls , and preferring earthy things to heavenly , are still about courts , and forsaking the fold , and the care of the sheep trusted to them , do give themselves wholly to earthly and temporal cares ; therefore all the ancient canons , which by the iniquity of times , and the corruptions of men were fallen into desuetude , are renewed against non-residents . to which , several compulsory clauses are added , which are indeed slight ones , because the execution of them was intirely put in the pope's power , and the punishment did only lie , if a bishop was absent six months in a year . this decree did not satisfie those who moved for a reformation ; so a fuller one was made in the d. session , st . chap. in these words : whereas , by the law of god , all those to whom the care of souls is committed , are commanded to know their sheep , to offer sacrifice for them , to feed them by the preaching of the word of god , the administration of the sacraments , and by the example of a good life , to have a tender care of the poor , and all other miserable persons , and to lay themselves out upon all the other functions of the pastoral care ; which cannot be performed by those , who do not watch over , nor are present with their flock : therefore this synod does admonish and exhort them , that they remembring the divine precepts , and being made an example to their flock , may feed and govern them in righteousness and truth . upon this they declare that all bishops , even cardinals themselves , are obliged to personal residence , in their church and diocess , and there to discharge their duty : unless upon some special provisions . by which indeed a door is opened to as many corruptions as the court of rome thinks fit to dispense with . yet without this , none may be absent above two , or at most , three months , in the whole year ; and even that must be upon a just reason , and without any prejudice to the flock ; and they leave this upon the consciences of such as withdraw for so long a time , which they hope will be religious and tender in this matter , since all hearts are known to god , and it is no small sin to do his work negligently . they declare the breaking this decree to be a mortal sin , and that such as are guilty of it , cannot with a good conscience enjoy the mean profits , during such their absence ; but are bound to lay them out on the fabrick , or give them to the poor : and all these provisions and punishments , they do also make against the inferior clergy , that enjoyed any benefice , to which the cure of souls was annexed , and the execution of that , is put in the bishop's hands , who is required not to dispense with their residence , unless upon a very weighty occasion , above two months ; and in this they give the bishop so full an authority , that no appeal or prohibition was to lie against his sentence , upon non-residents , even in the court of rome . in these decrees , tho the papal party hindred a formal declaration of the obligation to residence , by divine right , that so room might still be left for the dispensing power ; yet they went very near it , they applied passages of scripture to it , and laid the charge of mortal sin upon it . in the last place , i shall set down the decree that was made in the th . session , chap. . against pluralities , in these words : whereas the ecclesiastical order is perverted , when one clerk has the offices of many committed to him , it was therefore well provided by the holy canons , that no man should be put in two churches . but many led by their depraved covetousness , deceiving themselves , but not god , are not ashamed to elude those good constitutions , by several artifices , and obtain more benefices than one at the same time : therefore the synod being desirous to restore a proper discipline for the government of churches , does , by this decree , by which all persons , of what rank soever , even cardinals themselves , shall be bound ; appoint , that for the future , one man shall be capable of receiving only one ecclesiastical benefice . but if that is not sufficient for the decent maintenance of him that has it , then it shall be lawful to give him another simple benefice , provided that both benefices do not require personal residence . this rule must be applied not only to cathedrals , but to all other benefices whether secular , regular , or such as are held by commendam , or of what sort or order soever they may be . and as for such as do at present possess either more parish-churches than one , or one cathedral , and another parish-church , they shall be forced notwithstanding of any dispensations or unions that may have been granted them , for term of life , to resign within the space of six months , all that they do now hold , except one cathedral , or one parochial church ; otherwise , all their benefices , whether parochial , or others , shall be by law esteemed void ; and as such they shall be disposed of to others . nor may those who ●ormerly enjoyed them , receive the mean profits , after the term of six months , with a good conscience . but the synod wishes that some due provis●on might be made , such as the pope shall think fit , for the necessities of those who are hereby obliged to resign . these were the decrees that were made by that pretended general council : and wheresoever that council is received , they are so seldom dispensed with , that the scandal of non-residence , or plurality , does no more cry in that church . in france , tho that council is not there received , yet such regard is had to primitive rules , that it is not heard of among them . such examples are to us reproaches indeed : and that of the worst sort , when the argument from the neglect of the pastoral care , which gave so great an advantage at first to the reformers , and turned the hearts of the world so much from their careless pastors to those who shewed more zeal and concern for them , is now against us , and lies the other way . if the nature of man is so made , that it is not possible , but that offences must come , yet , woe be to him , by whom they come . chap. vi. of the declared sense and rules of the church of england in this matter . whatsoever may be the practice of any among us , and whatsoever may be the force of some laws that were made in bad times , and perhaps upon bad ends , yet we are sure the sense of our church is very different ; she intended to raise the obligation of the pastoral care higher than it was before : and has laid out this matter more fully and more strictly , than any church ever did , in any age ; as far at least as my enquiries can carry me . the truest indication of the sense of a church is to be taken from her language , in her publick offices : this is that which she speaks the most frequently , and the most publickly : even the articles of doctrine are not so much read and so often heard , as her liturgies are : and as this way of reasoning has been of late made use of with great advantage , against the church of rome , to make her accountable , for all her publick offices in their plain and literal meaning ; so i will make use of it on this occasion : it is the stronger in our case , whose offices being in a tongue understood by the people , the argument from them does more evidently conclude here . in general then this is to be observed , that no church before ours , at the reformation , took a formal sponsion at the altar , from such as were ordained deacons and priests . that was indeed always demanded of bishops , but neither in the roman nor greek pontifical , do we find any such solemn vows and promises demanded or made by priests or deacons , nor does any print of this appear in the constitutions , the pretended areopagite ▪ or the antient canons of the church . bishops were asked many questions , as appears by the first canon of the fourth council of carthage . they were required to profess their faith , and to promise to obey the canons , which is still observed in the greek church . the questions are more express in the roman pontifical , and the first of these demands a promise that they will instruct their people in the christian doctrine , according to the holy scriptures : which was the foundation upon which our bishops justified the reformation ; since the first and chief of all their vowes binding them to this , it was to take place of all others ; and if any other parts of those sponsions , contradicted this , such as their obedience and adherence to the see of rome , they said that these were to be limited by this . all the account i can give of this general practice of the church in demanding promises only of bishops , and not of the other orders is this , that they considered the government of the priests and deacons , as a thing that was so entirely in the bishop , as it was indeed by the first constitution , that it was not thought necessary to bind them to their duty by any publick vowes or promises ( though it is very probable that the bishops might take private engagements of them , before they ordained them ) it being in the bishop's power to restrain and censure them in a very absolute and summary way . but the case was quite different in bishops , who were all equal by their rank and order : none having any authority over them , by any divine law or the rules of the gospel : the power of primates , and metropolitans having arisen out of ecclesiastical and civil laws , and not being equally great in all countries and provinces : and therefore it was more necessary to proceed with greater caution , and to demand a further security f●●m them . but the new face of the constitution of the church , by which priests were not under so absolute a subjection to their bishops , as they had been at first , which was occasioned partly , by the tyranny of some bishops , to which bounds were set by laws and canons , partly by their having a special propety and benefice of their own , and so not being maintained by a dividend out of the common-stock of the church as at first ; had so altered the state of things , that indeed no part of the episcopacy was left entrirely in the bishop's hands , but the power of ordination . this is still free and unrestrained : no writs , nor prohibitions from civil courts ; and no appeals have clogged or fettered this , as they have done all the other parts of their authority . therefore our reformers observing all office of ordination , and they made both the charge that is given , and the promises that are to be taken , to be very express and solemne , that so both the ordainers and the ordained might be rightly instructed in their duty and struck with the awe and dread , that they ought to be under in so holy and so important a performance : and though all mankind does easily enough agree in this , that promises ought to be religiously observed , which men make to one another , how apt soever they may be to break them ; yet to make the sense of these promises go deeper , they are ordered to be made at the altar , and in the nature of a stipulation or covenant , the church conferring orders , or indeed rather , christ by the mininestry of the officers that he has constituted , conferring them upon those promises that are first made . the forms of ordination in the greek church , which we have reason to believe are less changed , and more conform to the primitive pattenrs , than those used by the latins , do plainly import that the church only declared the divine vocation . the grace of god , that perfects the feeble , and heals the weak , promotes this man to be a deacon , a priest or a bishop : where nothing is expressed as conferred but only as declared , so our church by making our saviour's words , the form of ordination , must be construed to intend , by that that it is christ only that sends , and that the bishops are only his ministers to pronounce his mission ; otherwise it is not so easie to justifie the use of this form , receive the holy ghost : which as it was not used in the primitive church nor by the roman , till within these five hundred years , so in that church , it is not the form of ordination but a benediction given by the bishop singly , after the orders are given by the bishop and the other priests joyning with him . for this is done by him alone as the final consummation of the action . but our using this as the form of ordination shews , that we consider our selves only as the instruments that speak in christ's name and words : insinuating thereby that he only ordains . pursuant to this in the ordaining of priests , the questions are put in the name of god and of his church . which makes the answers to them to be of the nature of vows and oaths . so that if men do make conscience of any thing , and if it is possible to strike terrour into them , the forms of our ordinations are the most effectually contrived for that end that could have been framed . the first question that is put in the office of deacons , is , do you trust that you are inwardly moved by the holy ghost to take upon you this office , to serve god for the promoting of his glory , and the edifying of his people ? to which he is to answer i trust so . this is put only in this office , and not repeated afterwards : it being justly supposed that where one has had this motion , all the other orders may be in time conferred pursuant to it ; but this is the first step , by which a man dedicates himself to the service of god ; and therefore it ought not to be made by any , that has not this divine vocation . certainly , the answer that is made to this , ought to be well considered ; for if any says , i trust so , that yet knows nothing of any such motion , and can give no account of it , he lies to the holy ghost ; and makes his first approach to the altar , with a lie in his mouth ; and that not to men , but to god ; and how can one expect to be received by god , or be sent and sealed by him , that dares do a thing of so crying a nature , as to pretend that he trusts he has this motion , who knows that he has it not , who has made no reflections on it , and when asked , what he means by it , can say nothing concerning it , and yet he dares venture to come and say it to god and his church : if a man pretends a commission from a prince , or indeed from any person , and acts in his name upon it , the law will fall on him , and punish him , and shall the great god of heaven and earth , be thus vouched , and his motion he pretended to , by those whom he has neither called nor sent ? and shall not he reckon with those who dare to run without his mission , pretending that they trust they have it , when perhaps they understand not the importance of it , nay , and perhaps some laugh at it , as an enthusiastical question , who , yet will go through with the office ? they come to christ for the loaves : they hope to live by the altar , and the gospel , how little soever they serve at the one , or preach the other ; therefore they will say any thing , that is necessary for qualifying them to this whether true or false . it cannot be denied , but that this question carries a sound in it , that seems a little too high , and that may rather raise scruples , as importing somewhat that is not ordinary , and that seems to savour of enthusiasme ; and therefore it was put here , without doubt , to give great caution to such as come to the service of the church ; many may be able to answer it truly according to the sense of the church , who may yet have great doubting in themselves concerning it ; but every man that has it not , must needs know that he has it not . the true meaning of it must be resolved thus ; the motives that ought to determine a man , to dedicate himself to the ministring in the church , are a zeal for promoting the glory of god , for raising the honour of the christian religion , for the making it to be better understood , and more submitted to . he that loves it , and feels the excellency of it in himself , that has a due sense of god's goodness in it to mankind , and that is entirely possessed with that , will feel a zeal within himself , for communicating that to others ; that so the only true god , and iesus christ whom he has sent , may be more universally glorified , and served by his creatures : and when to this he has added a concern of the souls for men , a tenderness for them , a zeal to rescue them from endless misery , and a desire to put them in the way to everlasting happiness , and from these motives feels in himself a desire to dedicate his life and labours to those ends ; and in order to them studies to understand the scriptures , and more particularly , the new testament , that from thence he may form a true notion of this holy religion , and so be an able minister of it ; this man , and only this man , so moved and so qualified , can in truth , and with a good conscience answer , that he trusts he is inwardly moved by the holy ghost . and every one that ventures on the saying it , without this , is a sacrilegious profaner of the name of god , and of his holy spirit . he breaks in upon his church , not to feed it but to rob it : and it is certain that he who begins with a lie , may be sent by the father of lies , but he cannot be thought to enter in , by the door , who prevaricates in the first word that he says in order to his admittance . but if the office of deacons offers no other particular matter of reflection , the office of ordaining priests , has a great deal ; indeed the whole of it , is calculated to the best notions of the best times . in the charge that is given , the figures of watchmen , shepherds , and stewards , are pursued , and the places of scripture relating to these are applied to them : they are required to have always printed in their remembrance ; how great a treasure was committed to their charge : the church and congregation whom you must serve is his spouse and body . then the greatness of the fault of their negligence , and the horrible punishment that will follow upon it , is set before them , in case the church or any member of it take any hurt or hinderance by reason of it : they are charged never to cease their labour , care and diligence , till they have done all that lieth in them , according to their bounden duty , towards all such , as are , or shall be committed to their care , to bring them to a ripeness and perfectness of age in christ. they are again urged to consider with what care and study , they ought to apply themselves to this ; to pray earnestly for gods holy spirit , and to be studious in reading and learning of the scriptures ; and to forsake and set aside , as much as they may , all worldly cares and studies . it is hoped that they have clearly determined by gods grace , to give themselves wholly to this vocation : and as much as lieth in them to apply themselves wholly to this one thing ; and to draw all their cares and studies this way , and to this end ; and that by their daily reading and weighing the scriptures , they will study to wax riper and stronger in their ministry . these are some of the words of the preparatory charge given by the bishop , when he enters upon this office ; before he puts the questions that follow to those , who are to be ordained . what greater force or energy could be put in words , than is in these ? or where could any be found that are more weighty and more express ; to shew the intire dedication of the whole man , of his time and labours , and the separating himself from all other cares to follow this one thing with all possible application and zeal ? there is nothing in any office , ancient or modern , that i ever saw which is of this force , so serious and so solemn ; and it plainly implies not only the sense of the church upon this whole matter , but likewise their design who framed it , to oblige priests , notwithstanding any relaxation that the laws of the land had still favoured , by the firmest and sacredst bonds possible to attend upon their flocks ; and to do their duties to them ▪ for a bare residence , without labouring , is but a mock residence , since the obligation to it , is in order to a further end ; that they may watch over , and feed their flock , and not enjoy their benefices only as farms , or as livings , according to the gross , but common abuse of our language , by which the names of cures , parishes , or benefices , which are the ecclesiastical names , are now swallowed up into that of living , which carries a carnal idea in the very sound of the word , and i doubt a more carnal effect on the minds of both clergy and laity . what ever we may be , our church is free of this reproach : since this charge carries their duty as high , and as home , as any thing that can be laid in words . and it is further to be considered , that this is not of the nature of a private exhortation , in which a man of lively thoughts , and a warm fancy , may be apt to carry a point too high : it is the constant and uniform voice of the church . nor is it of the nature of a charge , which is only the sense of him that gives it , and to which the person to whom it is given , is only passive : he hears it , but cannot be bound by another man's thoughts or words , further than as the nature of things binds him . but orders are of the nature of a covenant between christ and the clerks ; in which so many privileges and powers are granted on the one part , and so many duties and offices are promised on the other ; and this charge being the preface to it , it is stipulatory . it declares the whole covenant of both sides ; and so those who receive orders upon it , are as much bound by every part of it , and it becomes as much their own act , as if they had pronounced or promised it all , in the most formal words that could be , and indeed the answers and promises that are afterwards made , are only the application of this , to the particular persons , for giving them a plainer and livelier sense of their obligation , which yet , in it self , was as intire and strong , whether they had made any promise by words of their own or not . but to put the matter out of doubt , let us look a little further into the office , to the promises that they make , with relation to their flock , even to such as are , or shall be committed to their charge . they promise , that by the help of the lord they will give their faithful diligence , always so to minister the doctrine and sacraments , and the discipline of christ , as the lord hath commanded , and as this realm hath received the same , according to the commandment of god ; so that they may teach the people committed to their care and charge with all diligence to keep and observe the same . this does plainly bind to personal labour , the mention that is made of what this realm has received , being limited by what follows according to the commandment of god , shews that by this is meant the reformation of the doctrine and worship that was then received , and established by law ; by which these general words , the doctrine and sacraments and discipline of christ , to which all parties pretend , are determined to our constitution ; so that tho there were some disorders among us , not yet provided against by the laws of the land ; this does not secure a reserve for them . this is so slight a remark , that i should be ashamed to have made it , if it had not been urged to my self , slight as it is , to justifie in point of conscience , the claiming all such privileges , or qualifications , as are still allowed by law. but i go on to the other promises : the clerk says he will , by the help of god , be ready with all faithful diligence , to banish and drive away all erroneous and strange doctrines , contrary to god's word , and to use both publick and private admonitions , and exhortations , as well to the sick , as to the whole , within his cure , as need shall require , and as occasion shall be given : this is as plainly personal , and constant , as words can make any thing . and in this is expressed the so much neglected , but so necessary duty , which incumbents owe their flock , in a private way , visiting , instructing , and admonishing them , which is one of the most useful , and important parts of their duty , how generally soever it may be disused or forgotten : these being the chief instances and acts of watching over and feeding the flock , that is committed to their care. in the next place they promise , that they will be diligent in prayers , and in reading of the holy scriptures , and in such studies as help to the knowledge of the same , laying aside , the study of the world and the flesh : this still carries on that great notion of the pastoral care , which runs through this whole office ; that it is to be a man's intire business , and is to possess both his thoughts and his time . they do further promise that they will maintain , and set forward , as much as lieth in them , quietness , peace , and love among all christian people , and especially among them , that are , or shall be committed to their charge . these are the vows and promises that priests make before they can be ordained : and to compleat the stipulation , the bishop concludes it , with a prayer to god who has given them the will to do all these things , to give them also strength , and power to perform the same : that he may accomplish his work , which he hath begun in them , until the time that he shall come ▪ at the latter day , to judge the quick and the dead . upon the whole matter either this is all a piece of gross and impudent pageantry , dressed up in grave and lofty expressions , to strike upon the weaker part of mankind , and to furnish the rest with matter to their profane and impious scorn ; or it must be confessed that priests come under the most formal and express engagements , to constant and diligent labour , that can be possibly contrived or set forth in words . it is upon this , that they are ordained : so their ordination being the consummation of this compact , it must be acknowledged that according to the nature of all mutual compacts ; a total failure on the one side , does also dissolve all the obligation that lay on the other : and therefore those who do not perform their part , that do not reside and labour , they do also in the sight of god , forfeit all the authority and privileges that do follow their orders , as much as a christian at large , that does not perform his baptismal vow , forfeits the rights and benefits of his baptism , in the sight of god ; tho both in the one , and in the other , it is necessary that for the preventing of disorder and confusion , a sentence declaratory of excommunication , in the one , as of degradation in the other , pass before the visible acts and rights , pursuant to those rites , can be denied . to all this i will add one thing more , which is , that since our book of ordination , is a part of our liturgy , and likewise a part of the law of the land , and since constant attendance , and diligent labour is made necessary by it , and since this law is subsequent to the act of the st . of henry the th . that qualifies so many for pluralities , and non-residence , and is in plain terms contrary to it , this as subsequent does repeal all that it contradicts : it is upon all this , a matter that to me seems plain , that by this law , the other is repealed , in so far , as it is inconsistent with it . this argument is by this consideration made the stronger , that the act of king henry does not enact that such things shall be , but only reserves privildeges for such as may be capable of an exemption from the common and general rules . now by the principles of law , all priviledges or exemptions of that sort , are odious things ; and the constructions of law lying hard and heavy against odious cases , it appears to me according to the general grounds of law , very probable ( i speak within bounds , when i say only probable ) that the act of uniformity which makes the offices of ordination a part of the law of england , is a repeal of that part of the act of king henry , which qualifies for pluralities . to conclude , whatsoever may be the strength of this plea in bar to that act , if our faith given to god and his church , in the most express and plainest words possible , does bind , if promises given at the altar do oblige , and if a stipulation , in the consideration of which orders are given , is sacred and of an indispensible obligation , then , i am sure , this is . to make the whole matter yet the stronger , this office is to be compleated with a communion : so that upon this occasion , that is not only a piece of religious devotion , accompanying it ; but it is the taking the sacrament upon the stipulation that has been made , between the priest and the church : so that those who have framed this office , have certainly intended by all the ways that they could think on , and by the weightiest words they could choose , to make the sense of the priestly function , and of the duties belonging to it , give deep and strong impressions to such as are ordained . i have compared with it , all the exhortations that are in all the offices i could find , ancient and modern , whether of the greek or the latin church , and this must be said of ours , without any sort of partiality to our own forms , that no sort of comparison can be made between ours and all the others : and that as much as ours is more simple than those as to its rites and ceremonies , which swell up other offices , so much is it more grave and weighty in the exhortations , collects and sponsions that are made in it . in the roman pontifical no promises are demanded of priests , but only that of obedience : bishops in a corrupted state of the church , taking care only of their own authority , while they neglected more important obligations . in the office of consecrating bishops ; as all the sponsions made by them , when they were ordained priests , are to be considered as still binding , since the inferiour office does still subsist in the superiour ; so there are new ones superadded , proportioned to the exaltation of dignity and authority that accompanies that office. in the roman pontifical , there are indeed questions put to a bishop , before he is consecrated : but of all these the first only is that which has any relation to his flock : which is in these words : wilt thou teach the people over whom thou art to be set , both by thy example and doctrine : those things that thou learnst out of the holy scripture ? all the rest are general , and relate only to his conversation ; but not at all to his labours in his diocess : whereas on the contrary , the engagements in our office do regard not only a bishop's own conversation , but chiefly his duty to his people : he declares that he is determined to instruct the people committed to his charge , out of the holy scriptures : that he will study them , so as to be able by them , to teach and exhort , with wholsome doctrine ; and withstand and convince the gain-sayers : that he will be ready with all faithful diligence , to banish and drive away all erroneous and strange doctrine , contrary to god's word : and both privately and openly to call upon and encourage others to the same : that he will maintain and set forward as much as lies in him ; quietness , love , and peace among all men ; and correct and punish such as be unquiet , disobedient , and criminous , within his diocess : according to such authority as he has . in particular , he promises to be faithful in ordaining , sending , or laying hands upon others : he promises also to shew himself to be gentle , and merciful for christ's sake , to poor and needy people , and to all strangers destitute of help . these are the covenants and promises under which bishops are put , which are again reinforced upon them , in the charge that is given immediately after their consecration , when the bible is put in their hands ; give heed to reading , exhortation , and doctrine : think upon the things contained in this book ; be diligent in them , that the increase coming thereby may be manifest unto all men. take heed unto thy self , and to doctrine , and be diligent in doing them , for by doing this thou shalt both save thy self and them that hear thee . be thou to the flock of christ , a shepherd , not a wolf ; feed them , devour them not : hold up the weak , heal the sick , bind up the broken , bring again the out-casts , seek the lost : be so merciful that you be not too remiss : so minister discipline that you forget not mercy : that when the chief shepherd shall appear , you may receive the never fading crown of glory , through iesus christ our lord. in these words , the great lines of our duty are drawn , in very expressive and comprehensive terms . we have the several branches of our function , both as to preaching and governing very solemnly laid upon us : and both in this office as well as in all the other offices that i have seen , it appears that the constant sence of all churches , in all ages , has been that preaching was the bishops great duty , and that he ought to lay himself out in it most particularly . i shall only add one advice to all this , before i leave this article of the sence of our church in this matter ; both to those , who intend to take orders , and to those who have already taken them . as for such as do intend to dedicate themselves to the service of the church , they ought to read over these offices frequently ; and to ask themselves solemnly , as in the presence of god , whether they can with a good conscience , make those answers which the book prescribes , or not ? and not to venture on offering themselves to oders , till they know that they dare and may safely do it . every person who looks that way , ought at least on every ordination sunday , after he has once formed the resolution of dedicating himself to this work , to go over the office seriously with himself , and to consider in what disposition or preparation of mind he is ; suitable to what he finds laid down in it . but i should add to this , that for a year before he comes to be ordained , he should every first sunday of the month read over the office very deliberately ; and frame resolutions , conform to the several parts of it , and if he can , receive the sacrament upon it , with a special set of private devotions relating to his intentions . as the time of his ordination draws near , he ought to return the oftner to those exercises . it will be no hard task for him to read these over every sunday , during the last quarter before his ordination ; and to do that yet more solemnly , every day of the week in which he is to be ordained : and to joyn a greater earnestness of fasting and prayer with it on the fast-days of his ember week . here is no hard imposition . the performance is as easie in it self , as it will be successful in its effects . if i did not consider , rather what the age can bear , than what were to be wished for , i would add a great many severe rules calculated to the notions of the primitive times . but if this advice were put in practice , it is to be hoped , that it would set back many who come to be ordained , without considering duly , either what it is that they ask , or what it is that is to be asked of them : which some do with so supine a negligence , that we plainly see that they have not so much as read the office , or at least that they have done it in so slight a manner , that they have formed no clear notions upon any part of it , and least of all , upon those parts to which they themselves are to make answers . and as such a method as i have proposed would probably strike some with a due awe of divine matters , so as to keep them at a distance , till they were in some sort prepared for them ; so it would oblige such as came to it , to bring along with them a serious temper of mind , and such a preparation of soul as might make that their orders should be a blessing to them , as well as they themselves should be a blessing to the church . it must be the greatest joy of a bishops life , who truly minds his duty in this weighty trust of sending out labourers into gods vineyard ; to ordain such persons of whom he has just grounds to hope , that they shall do their duty , faithfully , in reaping that harvest . he reckons these as his children indeed , who are to be his strength and support , his fellow labourers and helpers ▪ his crown and his glory . but on the other hand , how heavy a part of his office must it be to ordain those against whom , perhaps there lies no just objection , so that according to the constitution and rules of the church , he cannot deny them ; and yet he sees nothing in them that gives him courage or cheerfulness . they do not seem to have that love to god , that zeal for christ , that tenderness for souls , that meekness and humility , that mortification and deadness to the world , that becomes the character and profession which they undertake ; so that his heart fails him , and his hands tremble when he goes to ordain them . my next advice shall be to those , who are already in orders , that they will at least four times a year , on the ordination sundays , read over the offices of the degrees of the church in which they are : and will particularly consider the charge that was given , and the answers that were made by them ; and then ask themselves as before god , who will iudge them at the great-day , upon their religious performance of them , whether they have been true to them or not that so they may humble themselves for their errours , and omissions , and may renew their vows for the future , and so to be going on from quarter to quarter , through the whole course of their ministry observing still what ground they gain , and what progress they make , to such as have a right sense of their duty , this will be no hard perforformance . it will give a vast joy to those that can go through it with some measure of assurance , and find , that tho in the midest of many tentations and of much weakness , they are sincerely and seriously going on in their work to the best of their skill , and to the utmost of their power : so that their consciences say within them , and that without the partialities of self love and flattery , well done , good and faithful servant . the hearing of this said within , upon true grounds , being the certainest evidence possible that it shall be publickly said at the last and great-day . this exercise will also offer checks to a man that looks for them ; and intends both to understand his errours , and to cleanse himself from them . it will upon the whole matter , make clergy men go on with their profession , a●●●e business and labour of their lives . having known the very good effect that this method has had on some , i dare the more confidently recommend it to all others . before i conclude this chapter , i will shew what rules our reformers had prepared with relation to non-residence , and pluralities ; which tho they never passed into laws , and so have no binding force with them , yet in these we see what was the sense of those that prepared our offices , and that were the chief instruments in that blessed work of our reformation . the th . chapter of the title , concerning those that were to be admitted to ecclesiastical benefices , runs thus . whereas , when many benefices are conferred on one person , every one of these must be served with less order and exactness , and many learned men , who are not provided , are by that means shut out ; therefore , such as examine the persons who are proposed for benefices , are to ask every one of them , whether he has at that time another benefice or not , and if he confesses that he has , then they shall not consent to his obtaining that to which he is presented , or the first benefice shall be made void , as in case of death , so that the patron may present any other person to it . chap . is against dispensations , in these words . no man shall hereafter be capable of any privilege , by virtue of which he may hold more parishes than one . but such as have already obtained any such dispensations for pluralities , shall not be deprived of the effects of them , by virtue of this law. the th . chapter relates to residence , in these words . if any man by reason of age or sickness , is disabled from discharging his duty , or if he has any just cause of absence for some time , that shall be approved of by the bishop , he must take care to place a worthy person , to serve during his absence . but the bishops ought to take a special care , that upon no regard whatsoever , any person may , upon feigned or pretended reasons , be suffered to be longer absent from his parish , than a real necessity shall require . these are some of the rules which were then prepared , and happy had it been for our church , if that whole work of the reformation of the ecclesiastical law , had been then setled among us . then we might justly have said , that our reformation was compleat , and not have lamented as our church still does in the office of commination that the godly discipline which was in the primitive church is not yet restored , how much , and how long soever it has been wished for . it is more than probable that we should neither have had schisms , nor civil wars , if that great design had not been abortive . if but the th . and th . titles of that work , which treat of the publick offices , and officers in the church , had became a part of our law , and been duly executed , we should indeed have had matter of glorying in the world. in the canons of the year . tho there was not then strength enough in the church , to cure so inveterate a disease , as non-residence , yet she expressed her detestation of it , in these words . the absence of a pastor from the lord's flock ; and that supine negligence and abandoning of the ministry , which we observe in many , is a thing vile in it self , odious to the people , and pernicious to the church of god ; therefore , we exhort all the pastors of churches , in our lord iesus , that they will as soon as is possible , come to their churches , and diligently preach the gospel , and according to the value of their livings , that they will keep house , and hospitably relieve the poor . it is true , all this is much lessened by the last words of that article , that every year they must reside at least threescore daies upon their benefices . by the canons made at that time , pluralities were also limited to miles distance . but this was enlarged to miles , by the canons in the year . yet by these the pluralist was required to spend a good part of the year in both his benefices . and upon this , has the matter rested ever since ; but there is no express definition made how far that general word of a good part of the year is to be understood . i will not to this add a long invidious history of all the attempts that have been made for the reforming these abuses , nor the methods that have been made use of to defeat them . they have been but too successful , so that we still groan under our abuses ; and do not know when the time shall come in which we shall be freed from them . the defenders of those abuses , who get too much by them , to be willing to part with them , have made great use of this , that it was the puritan party , that during q. elizabeth , and k. iames the sts . reign , promoted these bills , to render the church odious : whereas , it seems more probable , that those who set them forward , what invidious characters soever their enemies might put them under , were really the friends of the church ; and that they intended to preserve it , by freeing it from so crying , and so visible an abuse : which gives an offence and scandal , that is not found out by much learning , or great observation ; but arises so evidently out of the nature of things , that a small measure of common sense , helps every one to see it , and to be deeply prejudic'd against it . but since our church has fallen under the evils and mischiefs of schism , none of those who divide from us , have made any more attempts this way ; but seem rather to be not ill pleased , that such scandals should be still among us , as hoping that this is so great a load upon our church , that it both weakens our strength , and lessens our authority . it is certainly the interest of an enemy to suffer the body to which he opposes himself to lie under as many prejudices , and to be liable to as much censure , as is possible ; whereas every good and wise friend studies to preserve that body to which he unites himself , by freeing it from every thing that may render it less acceptable , and less useful . here i will leave this argument , having i think said enough , to convince all , that have a true zeal to our church , and that think themselves bound in conscience to obey its rules , and that seem to have a particular jealousie of the civil powers , breaking in too far upon the ecclesiastical authority , that there can be nothing more plain and express , than that our church intends to bring all her priests under the strictest obligations possible , to constant and personal labour , and that in this she pursues the designs and canons , not only of the primitive , and best times , but even of the worst ages , since none were ever so corrupt as not to condemn those abuses by canon , even when they maintained them in practice . she does not only bind them to this , by the charge she appoints to be given , but also by the vows and promises that she demands of such as are ordained . when all this is laid together , and when there stands nothing on the other side , to balance it , but a law made in a very bad time , that took away some abuses , but left pretences to cover others ; can any man that weighs these things together , in the sight of god , and that believes he must answer to him for this at the great day , think , that the one , how strong soever it may be in his favour at an earthly tribunal , will be of any force in that last and dreadful iudgment . this i leave upon all mens consciences ; hoping that they will so judge themselves , that they shall not be judged of the lord. chap. vii . of the due preparation of such as may and ought to be put in orders . the greatest good that one can hope to do in this world is upon young persons , who have not yet taken their ply , and are not spoiled with prejudices , and wrong notions . those who have taken an ill one at first , will neither be at the pains to look over their notions , nor turn to new methods ; nor will they by any change of practice , seem to confess that they were once in the wrong ; so that if matters that are amiss , can be mended or set right , it must be by giving those that have not yet set out , and that are not yet engaged , truer views , and juster idea's of things . i will therefore here lay down the model , upon which a clerk is to be formed , and will begin with such things as ought to be previous and preparatory to his being initiated into orders . these are of two sorts , the one is of such preparations as are necessary to give his heart and soul a right temper , and a true sense of things : the other is of such studies as are necessary to enable him to go through with the several parts of his duty . both are necessary , but the first is the more indispensible of the two ; for a man of a good soul , may with a moderate proportion of knowledge do great service in the church , especially if he is suited with an imployment , that is not above his talent : whereas unsanctified knowledge puffs up ; is insolent and unquiet , it gives great scandal , and occasions much distraction in the church . in treating of these qualifications , i will watch over my thoughts , not to let them rise to a pitch that is above what the common frailties of humane nature , or the age we live in , can bear : and after all , if in any thing i may seem to exceed ●hese measures , it is to be considered , that it is natural in proposing the ideas of things , to carry them to what is wished for , which is but too often beyond what can be expected ; considering both the corruption of mankind and of these degenerated times . first of all then , he that intends to dedicate himself to the church , ought , from the time that he takes up any such resolution , to enter upon a greater decency of behaviour , that his mind may not be vitiated by ill habits ; which may both give such bad characters of him , as maystick long on him afterwards , and make such ill impressions on himself , as may not be easily worn out or defaced . he ought , above all things , to possess himself with a high sense of the christian religion , of its truth and excellence , of the value of souls , of the dignity of the pastoral care , of the honour of god , of the sacredness of holy functions , and of the great trust that is committed to those who are set apart from the world , and dedicated to god and to his church . he who looks this way , must break himself to the appetites of pleasure , or wealth , of ambition , or authority ; he must consider that the religion , in which he intends to officiate , calls all men to great purity and vertue ; to a probity and innocence of manners , to a meekness and gentleness , to a humility and self-denial , to a contempt of the world and a heavenly mindedness , to a patient resignation to the will of god , and a readiness to bear the cross , in the hopes of that everlasting reward , which is reserved for christians in another state : all which was eminently recommended , by the unblemish'd pattern that the author of this religion , has set to all that pretend to be his followers . these being the obligations which a preacher of the gospel is to lay daily upon all his hearers , he ought certainly to accustom himself often to consider seriously of them ; and to think how shameless and impudent a thing it will be in him , to perform offices suitable to all these , and that do suppose them , to be instructing the people , and exhorting them to the practice of them , unless he is in some sort all this himself , which he teaches others to be . indeed to be tied to such an employment , while one has not an inward conformity to it , and complacence in it , is both the most unbecoming , the most unpleasant , and the most uncomfortable state of life imaginable . such a person will be exposed to all mens censures and reproaches , who when they see things amiss in his conduct , do not only reproach him , but the whole church and body , to which he belongs ; and which is more , the religion which he seems to recommend by his discourses , though his life and actions , which will always pass for the most real declaration of his inward sentiments , are a visible and continual opposition to it . on all these things , he whose thoughts carry him towards the church , ought to reflect frequently : nothing is so odious as a man that disagrees with his character , a soldier that is a coward , a courtier that is brutal ; an ambassadour that is abject , are not such unseemly things , as a bad or vicious , a drunken or dissolute clergy-man . but though his scandals should not rise up to so high a pitch , even a proud and passionate , a worldly minded and covetous priest , gives the lye to his discourses so palpably , that he cannot expect they should have much weight . nor is such a man's state of life less unpleasant to himself , than it is unbecoming . he is obliged to be often performing offices , and pronouncing discourses , in which if he is not a good man , he not only has no pleasure , but must have a formed aversion to them . they must be the heaviest burden of his life ; he must often feel secret challenges within ; and though he as often silences these , yet such unwelcome reflections are uncomfortable things . he is forced to manage himself wi●h a perpetual constraint , and to observe a decorum in his deportment , lest he fall under a more publick censure : now to be bound to act a part , and live with restraint ones whole life , must be a very melancholy thing . he cannot go so quite out of sight of religion , and convictions , as other bad men do , who live in a perpetual hurry , and a total forgetfulness of divine matters : they have no checks , because they are as seldom in the way to find them , as is possible . but a clerk cannot keep himself out of their way ; he must remember them , and speak of them , at least upon some occasions , whether he will or no : he has no other way to secure himself against them , but by trying what he can do , to make himself absolutely disbelieve them . negative atheism , that is , a total neglect of all religion , is but too easily arrived at ; yet this will not serve his turn , he must build his atheism upon some bottom , that he may find quiet in it . if he is an ignorant man , he is not furnished with those flights of wit , and shews of learning , that must support it : but if he is really learned , he will soon be beaten out of them ; for a learned atheism is so hard a thing to be conceived , that unless a man's powers are first strangely vitiated , it is not easie to see how any one can bring himself to it . there is nothing that can settle the quiet of an ill priest's mind and life , but a stupid formality , and a callus that he contracts , by his insensible way of handling divine matters ; by which he becomes hardn●d against them . but if this settles him by stupifying his powers , it does put also him so far out of the reach of conviction , in all the ordinary methods of grace , that it is scarce possible he can ever be awakned ; and by consequence that he can be saved ; and if he perishes , he must fall into the lowest degree of misery , even to the portion of hypocrites : for his whole life has been a course of hypocrisie in the strictest sence of the word , which is the acting of a part , and the counterfeiting another person . his sins have in them all possible aggravations ; they are against knowledge and against vows , and contrary to his character ; they carry in them a deliberate contempt of all the truths and obligations of religion ; and if he perishes , he does not perish alone , but carries a shoal down with him , either of those who have perished in ignorance , through his neglect ; or of those who have been hardned in their sins , through his ill example : and since all this must be put to his account , it may be justly inferred from hence , that no man can have a heavier share in the miseries of another state , than profane and wi●ked clerks . on all these things he ought to imploy his thoughts frequently , who intends to dedicate himself to god , that so he may firmly resolve not to go on with it , till he feels such seeds and beginnings of good things in himself , that he has reason to hope , that through the grace and assistance of god , he will be an example to others . he ought more particularly to examine himself , whether he has that soft and gentle , that meek and humble , and that charitable and compassionate temper , which the gospel does so much press upon all christians ; that shined so eminently through the whole life of the blessed author of it ; and which he has so singularly recommended to all his followers ; and that has in it so many charms and attractives , which do not only commend those who have these amiable vertues , but which is much more to be re●garded , they give them vast advantag●● in recommending the doctrine of 〈◊〉 saviour to their people . they are th● true ground of that christian wisdo● and discretion , and of that grave and calm deportment , by which the clergy ought to carry on and maintain their authority . a haughty and huffing humour , an impatient and insolent temper , a loftiness of deportment , ●nd a peevishness of spirit , rendring the lives of the clergy , for the most part , bitter to themselves , and their labours , how valuable soever otherwise they may be , unacceptable and useless to their people . a clergyman must be prepared to bear injuries , to endure much unjust censure and calumny , to see himself often neglected , and others preferred to him , in the esteem of the people . he that takes all this ill , that resents it , and complains of it , does thereby give himself much disquiet ▪ and to be sure , he will , through his peevishness , rather encrease than lessen that contempt , under which he is so uneasie ; which is both better born , and sooner overcome , by a meek and a lowly temper . a man of this disposition affects no singularities , unless the faultiness of those about him , makes his doing his duty to be a singularity : he does not study to lessen the value that is due to others , on design to encrease his own : his low thoughts of himself , make that he is neither aspiring , nor envying such as ▪ are advanced : he is prepared to stay till god in his providence thinks fit to raise him : he studies only to deserve preferment , and leaves to others the wringing posts of advantage out of the hands of those that give them . such a preparation of mind in a clergy-man , disposes him to be happy in whatsoever station he may be put , and renders the church happy in him ; for men so moulded , even though their talents should be but mean , are shining lights , that may perhaps be at first despised , as men of a low size , that have not greatness of soul enough to aspire , but when they have been seen and known so long , that all appears to be sincere , and that the principle from whence this flows , is rightly considered , then every thing that they say or do , must have its due weight : the plainest and simplest things that they say have a beauty in them , and will be hearkned to as oracles . but a man that intends to prepare himself right for the ministry of the church , must indeed above all things , endeavour to break himself to the love of the world , ●ither of the wealth , the pomp , or the pleasures of it . he must learn to be content with plain and simple diet ; and often even abridge that , by true fasting : i do not call fasting , a trifling distinction of meats , but a lessening of the quantity , as well as the quality , and a contracting the time spent at meals , that so he may have a greater freedom both in his time , and in his thoughts ; that he may be more alone , and pray and meditate more , and that what he saves out of his meals , he may give to the poor . this is , in short , the true measure and right use of fasting . in cold climates , an abstinence till night , may create disorders , and raise such a disturbance both in the appetite , and in the digestion ; that this managed upon the practices of other countries , especially in young persons , may really distract instead of furthering those who do it indiscreetly . in short fasting unless joyned with prayer and alms-giving , is of no value in the sight of god. it is a vast advantage to a man to be broken to the niceties of his palate , to be content with plain food , and even to dislike delicacies and studied dishes . this will make him easie in narrower circumstances ; since a plain bill of fare is soon discharged . a lover of his appetites , and a slave to his taste , makes but a mean figure among men , and a very scurvy one among clergy-men . this deadness to the world must raise one above the affectations of pomp and state , of attendance and high living . which to a philosophical mind will be heavy , when the circumstances he is in , seem to impose and force it on him . and therefore he who has a right sense , finds it is almost all he can do , to bear those things which the tyranny of custom or false opinions put upon him : so far is he from longing for them . a man that is truly dead to the world , would chuse much rather to live in a lowly and narrow figure ; than to be obliged to enter into the methods of the greatness of this world ; into which , if the constitutions and forms of a church and kingdom put him , yet he feels himself in an unnatural and uncouth posture : it is contrary to his own genius and relish of things ; and therefore he does not court nor desire such a situation , but even while he is in it , he shews such a neglect of the state of it , and so much indifference and humility in it , that it appears how little power those things have over his mind , and how little they are able to subdue and corrupt it . this mortified man must likewise become dead to all the designs and projects of making a family , or of raising the fortunes of those that are nearly related to him : he must be bountiful and charitable ; and tho' it is not only lawful to him , but a necessary duty incumbent on him , to make due provision for his family , if he has any , yet this must be so moderated that no vain nor sordid designs , no indirect nor unbecoming arts , may mix in it ; no excessive wealth nor great projects must appear ; he must be contented with such a proportion , as may set his children in the way of a vertuous and liberal education ; such as may secure them from scandal and necessity , and put them in a capacity to serve god and their generation in some honest employment . but he who brings along with him , a voluptuous , an ambitious , or a covetous mind , that is carnal and earthly minded , comes as a hireling to feed himself and not the flock , he comes to steal and to destroy . upon all , this great reflection is to be made concerning the motives that determine one to offer himself to this employment . in the first beginnings of christianity , no man could reasonably think of taking orders , unless he had in him the spirit of martyrdom . he was to look for nothing in this service , but labour and persecution : he was indeed to live of the altar , and that was all the portion that he was to expect in this world. in those days an extraordinary measure of zeal and devotion was necessary , to engage men to so hard and difficult a province , that how great soever its reward might be in another world , had nothing to look for in this , but a narrow provision , and the first and largest share of the cross : they were the best known , the most exposed , and the soonest fallen upon in the persecution . but their services and their sufferings did so much recommend that function in the succeeding ages , that the faithful thought they could never do enough to express their value for it . the church came to be richly endowed ; and tho' superstition had raised this out of measure , yet the extreme went as far to the other hand at the reformation , when the church was almost stript of all its patrimony , and a great many churches were left so poor , that there was not in most places , a sufficient ; nay , not so much as a necessary maintenance , reserved for those that were to minister in holy things . but it is to be acknowledged that there are such remnants preserved , that many benefices of the church still may , and perhaps do but too much , work upon mens corrupt principles , their ambition , and their covetousness : and it is shrewdly to be apprehended , that of those who present themselves at the altar , a great part comes , as those who followed christ , for the loaves : because of the good prospect they have of making their fortunes by the church . if this point should be carried too far , it might perhaps seem to be a pitch above humane nature ; and certainly very far above the degeneracy of the age we live in : i shall therefore lay this matter , with as large an allowance , as i think it can bear . it is certain , that since god has made us to be a compound of soul and body , it s not only lawful but suitable to the order of nature , for us in the choice we make of the state of life that we intend to pursue , to consider our bodies , in the next place after our souls : yet we ought certainly to begin with our souls , with the powers and faculties that are in them , and consider well of what temper they are ; and what our measure and capacity is ; that so we may chuse such a course of life , for which we seem to be fitted , and in which we may probably do the most good both to our selves and others : from hence we ought to take our aims and measures chiefly : but in the next place , we not only may , but ought to consider our bodies , how they shall be maintained , in a way suitable to that state of life , into which we are engaged . therefore tho' no man can with a good conscience , begin upon a worldly account , and resolve to dedicate himself to the church , merely out of carnal regard ; such as an advowson in his family , a friend that will promote him , or any other such like prospect , till he has first consulted his temper and disposition , his talents and his capacities ; yet , tho' it is not lawful to make the regards of this world his first consideration , and it cannot be denied to be a perfecter state , if a man should offer himself to the church , having whereon to support himself , without any assistance or reward out of its patrimony ; and to be nearer to s. paul's practice , whose hands ministred to his necessities , and who reckoned that in this he had whereof to glory , that he was not burthensome to the churches : yet it is , without doubt , lawful for a man to design that he may subsist in and out of the service of the church : but then these designs must be limited to a subsistence , to such a moderate proportion , as may maintain one in that state of life . and must not be let fly by a restless ambition , and an insatiable covetousness , as a ravenous bird of prey , does at all game . there must not be a perpetual enquiry into the value of benefices ; and a constant importuning of such as give them : if laws have been made in some states restraining all ambitus and aspirings to civil imployments , certainly it were much more reasonable to put a stop to the scandalous importunities , that are every where complained of ; and no where more visible and more offensive than at court. this gives a prejudice to men that are otherwise enclined enough to search for one , that can never be removed , but by putting an effectual bar in the way of that scrambling for benefices and preferments ; which will ever make the lay part of mankind conclude , that let us pretend what we will , covetousness and ambition are our true motives , and our chief vocation . it is true , the strange practices of many patrons , and the constitution of most courts , give a colour to excuse so great an indecency . men are generally successful in those practices , and as long as humane nature is so strong , as all men feel it to be , it will be hard to divert them from a method which is so common , that to act otherwise would look like an affectation of singularity ; and many apprehend , that they must languish in misery and necessity if they are wanting to themselves , in so general a practice . and , indeed , if patrons , but chiefly if princes would effectually cure this disease which gives them so much trouble , as well as offence , they must resolve to distribute those benefices that are in their gift , with so visible a regard to true goodness and real merit , and with so firm and so constant an opposition to application and importunity , that it may appear that the only way to advancement , is to live well , to study hard , to stay at home , and labour diligently ; and that applications by the persons themselves , or any set on by them , shall always put those back who make them : this would more effectually cure so great an evil , than all that can be said against it . one successful suiter who carries his point , will promote this disorder , more than twenty repulses of others ; for unless the rule is severely carried on , every one will run into it ; and hope to prosper as well as he , who they see has got his end in it . if those who have the disposition of benefices , to which the cure of souls is annexed , did consider this as a trust , lodged with them , for which they must answer to god , and that they shall be in a great measure accountable for the souls , that may be lost through the bad choice that they make , knowing it to be bad ; if , i say , they had this more in their thoughts , than so many scores of pounds , as the living amounts to ; and thought themselves really bound , as without doubt they are , to seek out good and worthy men , well qualified and duely prepared , according to the nature of that benefice which they are to give ; then we might hope to see men make it their chief study , to qualifie themselves aright ; to order their lives , and frame their minds , as they ought to do , and to carry on their studies with all application and diligence ; but as long as the short methods , of application , friendship , or interest , are more effectual than the long and hard way , of labour and study ; human nature will always carry men to go the surest , the easiest , and the quickest way to work . after all i wish it were well considered , by all clerks , what it is to run without being either called or sent ; and so to thrust ones self into the vineyard , without staying , till god by his providence puts a piece of his work in his hands ; this will give a man a vast ease in his thoughts , and a great satisfaction in all his labours , if he knows that no practices of his own , but merely the directions of providence , have put him in a post. he may well trust the effects of a thing to god , when the causes of it do plainly flow from him . and though this will appear to a great many a hard saying , so that few will be able to bear it , yet i must add this to the encouragement and comfort of such as can resolve to deliver themselves up to the conduct and directions of providence , that i never yet knew any one of those few ( too few i confess they have been ) who were possessed with this maxim , and that have followed it exactly , that have not found the fruit of it even in this world. a watchful care hath hovered over them : instruments have been raised up , and accidents have happened to them so prosperously , as if there had been a secret design of heaven by blessing them so signally , to encourage others to follow their measures , to depend on god , to deliver themselves up to his care , and to wait till he opens a way for their being imployed , and settled in such a portion of his husbandry , as he shall think fit to assign to them . these are preparations of mind , with which a clerk is to be formed and seasoned : and in order to this , he must read the scriptures much , he must get a great deal of those passages in them , that relate to these things , by heart , and repeat them often to himself ; in particular many of the most tender and melting psalms , and many of the most comprehensive passages in the epistles ; that by the frequent reflecting on these , he may fill his memory with noble notions , and right idea's of things : the book of proverbs , but chiefly ecclesiastes , if he can get to understand it , will beget in him a right view of the world , a just value of things , and a contempt of many objects that shine with a false lustre , but have no true worth in them . some of the books taught at schools , if read afterwards , when one is more capable to observe the sense of them , may be of great use to promote this temper . tully's offices will give the mind a noble sett ; all his philosophical discourses , but chiefly his consolation ; which though some criticks will not allow to be his , because they fansie the stile has not all the force and beauty in it that was peculiar to him , yet is certainly the best piece of them all ; these , i say , give a good ●avour to those who read them much . the satyrical poets , horace , iuvenal and persius may contribute wonderfully to give a man a detestation of vice , and a contempt of the common methods of mankind ; which they have set out in such true colours , that they must give a very generous sense to those who delight in reading them often . persius his second satyr , may well pass for one of the best lectures in divinity . hieracles upon pythagoras's plutarch's lives ; and above all the books of heathenism , epictetus and marcus aurelius , contain such instructions , that one cannot read them too often , nor repass them too frequently in his thoughts . but when i speak of reading these books , i do not mean only to run through them , as one does through a book of history , or of notions ; they must be read and weighed with great care , till one is become a master of all the thoughts that are in them : they are to be often turned in ones mind , till he is thereby wrought up to some degrees of that temper , which they propose : and as for christian books , in order to the framing of ones mind aright , i shall only recommend the whole duty of man , dr. sherlock of death and iudgment , and dr. scot's books , in particular that great distinction that runs through them , of the means and of the ends of religion . to all which i shall add one small book more , which is to me ever new and fresh , gives always good thoughts and a noble temper , thomas a kempis of the imitation of christ. by the frequent reading of these books , by the relish that one has in them , by the delight they give , and the effects they produce , a man will plainly perceive , whether his soul is made for divine matters or not , what suitableness there is between him and them ; and whether he is yet touched with such a sense of religion , as to be capable of dedicating himself to it . i am far from thinking that no man is fit to be a priest , that has not the temper which i have been describing , quite up to that heig●h in which i have set it forth ; but this i will positively say , that he who has not the seeds of it planted in him , who has not these principles , and resolutions formed to pursue them , and to improve and perfect himself in them , is in no wise worthy of that holy character . if these things are begun in him , if they are yet but as a grain of mustard-seed , yet if there is a life in them , and a vital sense of the tendencies and effects they must have ; such a person , so moulded , with those notions and impressions , and such only are qualified , so as to be able to say with truth and assurance , that they trust they are inwardly moved by the holy ghost to undertake that office. so far have i dispatch'd the first and chief part of the preparation necessary before orders . the other branch of it , relates to their learning , and to the knowledge that is necessary . i confess i look upon this as so much inferiour to the other , and have been convinced by so much experience , that a great measure of piety , with a very small proportion of learning , will carry one a great way , that i may perhaps be thought to come as far short in this , as i might seem to exceed in the other . i will not here enter into a discourse of theological learning , of the measure that is necessary to make a compleat divine , and of the methods to attain it . i intend only to lay down here , that which i look on as the lowest degree , and as that which seems indispensably necessary , to one that is to be a priest. he must then understand the new testament we●l . this is the text of our religion , that which we preach and explain to others ; therefore a man ought to read this so often over , that he may have an idea of the whole book in his head , and of all the parts of it . he cannot have this so sure , unless he understands the greek so well , as to be able to find out the meaning of every period in it , at least of the words and phrases of it ; any book of annotations or paraphrase upon it , is a great help to a beginner ▪ grotius , hammond , and lightfoot are the best . but the having a great deal of the practical and easie parts of it , such as relate to mens liv●s and their duties , such as strike and awaken , direct , comfort , or terrifie , are much more necessary than the more abstruse parts . in short , the being able to state right the grounds of our hope , and the terms of salvation , and the having a clear and ready view of the new covenant in christ iesus , is of such absolute necessity , that it is a profaning of orders , and a defiling of the sanctuary , to bring any into it , that do not rightly understand this matter in its whole extent . bishop pearson on the creed is a book of great learning , and profound exactness . dr. barrow has opened it with more simplicity ; and dr. towerson more practically ; one or other of these must be well read and considered : but when i say read , i mean read and read over again , so oft that one is master of one of these books ; he must write notes out of them , and make abridgements of them ; and turn them so oft in his thoughts , that he must thoroughly understand , and well remember them . he must read also the psalms over so carefully , that he may at least have a general notion of those divine hymns ; to which bishop patrick's paraphrase will help to carry him . a system of divinity must be read with exactness . they are almost all alike : when i was young wendelin and maresius were the two shortest and fullest . here is a vast errour in the first forming of our clergy , that a contempt has been cast on that sort of books ; and indeed to rise no higher , than to a perpetual reading over different systems is but a mean pitch of learning ; and the swallowing down whole systems by the lump , has help'd to possess peoples minds too early with prejudices , and to shut them up in too implicite a following of others . but the throwing off all these books , makes that many who have read a great deal , yet have no intire body of divinity in their head ; they have no scheme or method , and so are ignorant of some very plain things , which could never have happened to them , if they had carefully read and digested a system into their memories . but because this is indeed a very low form ; therefore to lead a man farther , to have a freer view of divinity , to examine things equally and clearly , and to use his own reason , by balancing the various views , that two great divisions of protestants have , not only in the points which they controvert , but in a great many others , in which though they agree in the same conclusions , yet they arrive at them by very different premises ; i would advise him that studies divinity , to read two larger bodies , writ by some eminent men of both sides ; and because the latest are commonly the best ; turretin for the whole calvinist hypothesis , and limburgh for the arminian , will make a man fully the master of all the notions of both sides . or if one would see how far middle ways may be taken ; the theses of sanmur , or blanc's theses , will compleat him in that . these books well read , digested into abstracts , and frequently reviewed or talked over by two companions in study , will give a man an entire view of the whole body of divinity . but by reason of that pest of atheism , that spreads so much among us , the foundations of religion must be well laid : bishop wilkins book of natural religion , will lead one in the first steps through the principles that he has laid together in a plain and natural method . grotius his book of the truth of the christian religion , with his notes upon it , ought to be read and almost got by heart . the whole controversie both of atheism and deism , the arguments both for the old and new testament , are fully opened , with a great variety both of learning and reasoning , in bishop stillingfleet's origines sacrae . there remains only to direct a student how to form right notions of practical matters ; and particularly of preaching . dr. hammond's practical catechism , is a book of great use ; but not to be begun with , as too many do : it does require a good deal of previous study , before the force of his reasonings is apprehended ; but when one is ready for it , it is a rare book , and states the grounds of morality , and of our duty , upon true principles . to form one to understand the right method of preaching , the extent of it , and the proper ways of application , bishop sanderson , mr. faringdon , and dr. barrow , are the best and the fullest models . there is a vast variety of other sermons , which may be read with an equal measure of advantage and pleasure . and if from the time that one resolves to direct his studies towards the church , he would every lords day read two sermons of any good preacher , and turn them a little over in his thoughts , this would insensibly in two or three years time , carry him very far , and give him a large view of the different ways of preaching , and furnish him with materials for handling a great many texts of scripture when he comes to it . and thus i have carried my student through those studies , that seem to me so necessary for qualifying him to be an able minister of the new testament , that i cannot see how any article of this can be well abated . it may seem strange , that in this whole direction , i have said nothing concerning the study of the fathers or church history . but i said at first , that a great distinction was to be made between what was necessary to prepare a man to be a priest , and what was necessary to make him a compleat and learned divine . the knowledge of these things is necessary to the latter , though they do not seem so necessary for the former : there are many things to be left to the prosecution of a divine's study , that therefore are not mentioned here , not with any design to disparage that sort of learning ; for i am now only upon that measure of knowledge , under which i heartily wish that no man were put in priests orders ; and therefore i have pass'd over many other things , such as the more accurate understanding of the controversies between us and the church of rome , and the unhappy disputes between us and the dissenters of all sorts ; though both the one and the other , have of late been opened with that perspicuity , that fulness of argument , and that clearness as well as softness of stile , that a collection of these may give a man the fullest instructions , that is to be found in any books i know . others , and perhaps the far greater number , will think that i have clogged this matter too much . but i desire these may consider how much we do justly reckon , that our profession is preferrable either to law or medicine . now , if this is true , it is not unreasonable , that since those who pretend to these , must be at so much pains , before they enter upon a practice which relates only to men's fortunes , or their persons , we whose labours relate to their souls and their eternal state , should be at least at some considerable pains , before we enter upon them . let any young divine go to the chambers of a student in the inns of court , and see how many books he must read , and how great a volume of a common-place-book he must make , he will there see through how hard a task one must go , in a course of many years , and how ready he must be in all the parts of it , before he is called to the barr , or can manage business . how exact must a physician be in anatomy , in simples , in pharmacy , in the theory of diseases , and in the observations and counsels of doctors , before he can either with honour , or a safe conscience , undertake practice ? he must be ready with all this , and in that infinite number of hard words , that belong to every part of it , to give his directions and write his bills by the patient's bed-side ; who cannot stay 'till he goes to his study and turns over his books . if then so long a course of study , and so much exactness and readiness in it , is necessary to these professions ; nay , if every mechanical art , even the meanest , requires a course of many years , before one can be a master in it , shall the noblest and the most important of all others , that which comes from heaven , and leads thither again ; shall that which god has honoured so highly , and to which laws and governments have added such privileges and encouragements , that is employ'd in the sublimest exercises , which require a proportioned worth in those who handle them , to maintain their value and dignity in the esteem of the world ; shall all this , i say , be esteemed so low a thing in our eyes , that a much less degree of time and study , is necessary to arrive at it , than at the most sordid of all trades whatsoever ? and yet after all , a man of a tolerable capacity , with a good degree of application , may go through all this well , and exactly , in two years time . i am very sure , by many an experiment i have made , that this may be done in a much less compass : but because all men do not go alike quick , have not the same force , nor the same application , therefore i reckon two years for it ; which i do thus divide : one year before deacons orders , and another between them and priests orders . and can this be thought a hard imposition ? or do not those , who think thus , give great occasion to the contempt of the clergy , if they give the world cause to observe , that how much soever we may magnifie our profession , yet by our practice , we shew that we do judge it the meanest of all others , which is to be arrived at upon less previous study and preparation to it , than any other whatsoever ? since i have been hitherto so minute , i will yet divide this matter a little lower into those parts of it , without which , deacons orders ought not to be given , and those to be reserved to the second year of study . to have read the new testament well , so as to carry a great deal of it in one's memory , to have a clear notion of the several books of it , to understand well the nature and the conditions of the covenant of grace , and to have read one system well , so as to be master of it , to understand the whole catechetical matter , to have read wilkins and grotius ; this , i say , is that part of this task , which i propose before one is made deacon . the rest , though much the larger , will go the easier , if those foundations are once well laid in them . and upon the article of studying the scriptures , i will add one advice more . there are two methods in reading them , the one ought to be merely critical , to find out the meaning and coherence of the several parts of them , in which one runs easily through the greater part , and is only obliged to stop at some harder passages , which may be marked down and learned men are to be consulted upon them : those that are really hard to be explained , are both few , and they relate to matters that are not so essential to christianity ; and therefore after one has in general seen what is said upon these , he may put off the fuller consideration of that to more leisure , and better opportunities . but the other way of reading the scriptures , is to be done merely with a view to practice , to raise devotion , to encrease piety , and to give good thoughts and severe rules . in this a man is to imploy himself much . this is a book always at hand , and the getting a great deal of it by heart , is the best part of a clergy-man's study ; it is the foundation , and lays in the materials for all the rest . this alone may furnish a man with a noble stock of lively thoughts , and sublime expressions ; and therefore it must be always reckoned as that , without which all other things amount to nothing ; and the chief and main subject of the study , the meditation and the discourses of a clergy-man . chap. viii . of the functions and labours of clergy-men . i have in the former chapter laid down the model and method , by which a clerk is to be formed and prepared ; i come now to consider his course of life , his publick functions , and his secret labours . in this as well as in the former , i will study to consider what mankind can bear , rather than what may be offered in a fair idea , that is far above what we can hope ever to bring the world to . as for a priests life and conversation , so much was said in the former chapter ; in which as a preparation to orders , it was proposed what he ought to be , that i may now be the shorter on this article . the clergy have one great advantage , beyond all the rest of the world , in this respect , besides all others , that whereas the particular callings of other men , prove to them great distractions , and lay many temptations in their way , to divert them from minding their high and holy calling of being christians , it is quite otherwise with the clergy , the more they follow their private callings , they do the more certainly advance their general one : the better priests they are , they become also the better christians : every part of their calling , when well performed , raises good thoughts , brings good idea's into their mind , and tends both to encrease their knowledge , and quicken their sense of divine matters . a priest therefore is more accountable to god , and the world for his deportment , and will be more severely accounted with than any other person whatsoever . he is more watched over and observed than all others : very good men will be , even to a censure , jealous of him ; very bad men will wait for his halting , and insult upon it ; and all sorts of persons , will be willing to defend themselves against the authority of his doctrine and admonitions ; by this he says but does not ; and though our saviour charged his disciples and followers , to hear those who sat in moses his chair , and to observe and do whatsoever they bid them observe , but not to do after their works , for they said and did not ; the world will reverse this quite , and consider rather how a clerk lives , than what he says . they see the one , and from it conclude what he himself thinks of the other ; and so will believe themselves not a little justified , if they can say that they did no worse , than as they saw their minister do before them . therefore a priest must not only abstain from gross scandals , but keep at the furthest distance from them : he must not only not be drunk , but he must not sit a tipling ; nor go to taverns or ale-houses , except some urgent occasion requires it , and stay no longer in them , than as that occasion demands it . he must not only abstain from acts of lewdness , but from all indecent behaviour , and unbecoming raillery . gaming and plays , and every thing of that sort , which is an approach to the vanities and disorders of the world , must be avoided by him . and unless the straitness of his condition , or his necessities force it , he ought to shun all other cares , such as , not only the farming of grounds , but even the teaching of schools , since these must of necessity take him off both from his labour and study . such diversions as his health , or the temper of his mind , may render proper for him , ought to be manly , decent and grave ; and such as may neither possess his mind or time too much , nor give a bad character of him to his people : he must also avoid too much familiarity with bad people ; and the squandring away his time in too much vain and idle discourse . his chearfulness ought to be frank , but neither excessive nor licentious : his friends and his garden ought to be his chief diversions , as his study and his parish , ought to be his chief imployments . he must still carry on his study , making himself an absolute master of the few books he has , till his circumstances grow larger , that he can purchase more . he can have no pretence , if he were ever so narrow in the world , to say , that he cannot get , not only the collects , but the psalms , and the new testament by heart , or at least a great part of them . if there are any books belonging to his church , such as iewels works , and the book of martyrs , which lie tearing in many places , these he may read over and over again , till he is able to furnish himself better , i mean with a greater variety ; but let him furnish himself ever so well , the reading and understanding the scriptures , chiefly the psalms and the new testament , ought to be still his chief study , till he becomes so conversant in them , that he can both say many parts of them , and explain them without book . it is the only visible reason of the iews adhering so firmly to their religion , that during the ten or twelve years of their education , their youth are so much practised to the scriptures , to weigh every word in them , and get them all by heart , that it is an admiration , to see how ready both men and women among them are at it ; their rabbi's have it to that perfection , that they have the concordance of their whole bible in their memories , which give them vast advantages , when they are to argue with any that are not so ready as they are in the scriptures : our task is much shorter and easier , and it is a reproach , especially to us protestants , who found our religion merely on the scriptures , that we know the new testament so little , which cannot be excused . with the study of the scriptures , or rather as a part of it comes in the study of the fathers , as far as one can go ; in these their apologies , and epistles , are chiefly to be read ; for these give us the best view of those times : basil's and chrysostom's sermons , are by much the best . to these studies , history comes in as a noble and pleasant addition ; that gives a man great views of the providence of god , of the nature of man , and of the conduct of the world. this is above no man's capacity ; and though some histories are better than others ; yet any histories , such as one can get , are to be read , rather than none at all . if one can compass it , he ought to begin with the history of the church , and there at the head iosephus , and go on with eusebius , socrates , and the other historians , that are commonly bound together ; and then go to other later collectors of ancient history ; the history of our own church and country is to come next ; then the ancient greek and roman history , and after that , as much history , geography , and books of travels as can be had , will give an easie and a useful entertainment , and will furnish one with great variety of good thoughts , and of pleasant , as well as edifying discourse . as for all other studies , every one must follow his inclinations , his capacities , and that which he can procure to himself . the books that we learn at schools are generally laid aside , with this prejudice , that they were the labours as well as the sorrows of our childhood and education ; but they are among the best of books . the greek and roman authors have a spirit in them , a force both of thought and expression , that l●ter ages have not been able to imitate : buchanan only excepted , in whom , more particularly in his psalms , there is a beauty and life , an exactness as well as a liberty , that cannot be imitated , and scarce enough commended . the study and practice of physick , especially that which is safe and simple , puts the clergy in a capacity of doing great acts of charity , and of rendring both their persons and labours very acceptable to their people ; it will procure their being soon sent for by them in sickness , and it will give them great advantages in speaking to them , of their spiritual concerns , when they are so careful of their persons , but in this nothing that is sordid must mix . these ought to be the chief studies of the clergy . but to give all these their full effect , a priest that is much in his study , ought to imploy a great part of his time in secret and fervent prayer , for the direction and blessing of god in his labours , for the constant assistance of his holy spirit , and for a lively sense of divine matters , that so he may feel the impressions of them grow deep and strong upon his thoughts . this , and this only , will make him go on with his work , without wearying , and be always rejoycing in it : this will make his expressions of these things to be happy and noble , when he can bring them out of the good treasure of his heart ; that is , ever full , and always warm with them . from his study , i go next to his publick functions : he must bring his mind to an inward and feeling sense of those things that are prayed for in our offices : that will make him pronounce them with an equal measure of gravity and affection , and with a due slowness and emphasis . i do not love the theatrical way of the church of rome , in which it is a great study , and a long practice , to learn in every one of their offices , how they ought to compose their looks , gesture and voice ; yet a light wandring of the eyes , and a hasty running through the prayers , are things highly unbecoming ; they do very much lessen the majesty of our worship , and give our enemies advantage to call it dead and formal , when they see plainly , that he who officiates is dead and formal in it . a deep sense of the things prayed for , a true recollection and attention of spirit , and a holy earnestness of soul , will give a composure to the looks , and a weight to the pronunciation , that will be tempered between affectation on the one hand , and levity on the other . as for preaching , i referr that to a chapter apart . a minister ought to instruct his people frequently , of the nature of baptism , that they may not go about it merely as a ceremony , as it is too visible the greater part do ; but that they may consider it as the dedicating their children to god , the offering them to christ , and the holding them thereafter as his , directing their chief care about them , to the breeding them up in the nurture and admonition of the lord. there must be care taken to give them all a right notion of the use of god-fathers and god-mothers , which is a good institution , to procure a double security for the education of children ; it being to be supposed , that the common ties of nature and religion , bind the parents so strongly , that if they are not mindful of these , a special vow would not put a new force in them , and therefore a collateral security is also demanded , both to supply their defects , if they are faulty , and to take care of the religious education of the infant , in case the parents should happen to die before that is done ; and therefore no god-father or god-mother are to be invited to that office , but such with whom one would trust the care of the education of his child , nor ought any to do this office for another , but he that is willing to charge himself , with the education of the child for whom he answers . but when ambition or vanity , favour or presents , are the considerations upon which those sureties in baptism are chosen ; great advantage is hereby given to those who reject infant baptism , and the ends of the church in this institution are quite defeated ; which are both the making the security that is given for the children so much the stronger , and the establishing an endearment and a tenderness between families ; this being , in its own nature , no small tye , how little soever it may be apprehended or understood . great care must be taken in the instruction of the youth : the bare saying the catechism by rote is a small matter ; it is necessary to make them understand the weight of every word in it : and for this end , every priest , that minds his duty , will find that no part of it is so useful to his people , as once every year to go through the whole church catechism , word by word , and make his people understand the importance of every tittle in it . this will be no hard labour to himself ; for after he has once gathered together the places of scripture that relate to every article , and formed some clear illustrations , and easie similies to make it understood ; his catechetical discourses , during all the rest of his life , will be only the going over that same matter again and again ; by this means his people will come to have all this by heart ; they will know what to say upon it at home to their children ; and they will understand all his sermons the better , when they have once had a clear notion of all those terms that must run through them ; for those not being understood , renders them all unintelligible . a disc●urse of this sort would be generally of much greater edification than an afternoons sermon ; it should not be too long ; too much must not be said at a time , nor more than one point opened ; a quarter of an hour is time sufficient ; for it will grow tedious and be too little remembred , if it is half an hour long . this would draw an assembly to evening prayers , which we see are but too much neglected , when there is no sort of discourse or sermon accompanying them . and the practising this , during the six months of the year , in which the days are long , would be a very effectual means , both to instruct the people , and to bring them to a more religious observation of the lord's day ; which is one of the powerfullest instruments for the carrying on , and advancing of religion in the world. with catechising , a minister is to joyn the preparing those whom he instructs to be confirmed ; which is not to be done merely upon their being able to say over so many words by rote . it is their renewing their baptismal vow in their own persons , which the church designs by that office , and the bearing in their own minds , a sense of their being bound immediately by that , which their sureties then undertook for them : now to do this in such a manner , as that it may make impression , and have a due effect upon them , they must stay , till they themselves understand what they do , and till they have some sense and affection to it ; and therefore till one is of an age and disposition fit to receive the holy sacrament of the lord's supper , and desires to be confirmed , as a solemn preparation and qualification to it ; he is not yet ready for it ; for in the common management of that holy rite , it is but too visible , that of those multitudes that crowd to it , the far greater part , come merely as if they were to receive the bishop's blessing , without any sense of the vow made by them , and of their renewing their baptismal engagements in it . as for the greatest and solemnest of all the institutions of christ , the commemorating his death , and the partaking of it in the lord's supper ; this must be well explained to the people , to preserve them from the extreams of superstition and irreverence ; to raise in them a great sense of the goodness of god , that appeared in the death of christ ; of his love to us , of the sacrifice he once offered , and of the intercession which he still continues to make for us : a share in all which is there federally offered to us , upon our coming under engagements , to answer our part of the covenant , and to live according to the rules it sets us : on these things he ought to enlarge himself , not only in his sermons , but in his catechetical exercises , and in private discourses ; that so he may give his people right notions of that solemn part of worship , that he may bring them to delight in it ; and may neither fright them from it , by raising their apprehensions of it to a strictness that may terrifie too much , nor encourage them in the too common practice of the dead and formal receiving , at the great festivals , as a piece of decency recommended by custom . about the time of the sacrament , every minister that knows any one of his parish guilty of eminent sins , ought to go and admonish him to change his course of life , or not to profane the table of the lord ; and if private admonitions have no effect ; then if his sins are publick and scandalous , he ought to deny him the sacrament ; and upon that he ought to take the method which is still left in the church , to make sinners ashamed , to separate them from holy things , till they have edified the church as much by their repentance , and the outward profession of it , as they had formerly scandalized it by their disorders . this we must confess , that though we have great reason , to lament our want of the godly discipline that was in the primitive church , yet we have still authority for a great deal more than we put in practice . scandalous persons ought , and might be more frequently presented than they are , and both private and publick admonitions might be more used than they are . there is a flatness in all these things among us . some are willing to do nothing , because they cannot do all that they ought to do ; whereas the right way for procuring an enlargement of our authority , is to use that we have well ; not as an engine to gratifie our own or other peoples passions , not to vex people , nor to look after fees , more than the correction of manners , or the edification of the people . if we began much with private applications , and brought none into our courts , till it was visible that all other ways had been unsuccessful , and that no regard was had either to persons or parties , to men's opinions or interests , we might again bring our courts into the esteem which they ought to have , but which they have almost entirely lost : we can never hope to bring the world to bear the yoke of christ , and the order that he has appointed to be kept up in his church , of noting those that walk disorderly , of separating our selves from them , of having no fellowship , no , not so much as to eat with them , as long as we give them cause to apprehend , that we intend by this to bring them under our yoke , to subdue them to us , and to rule them with a rod of iron : for the truth is , mankind is so strongly compounded , that it is very hard to restrain ecclesiastical tyranny on the one hand , without running to a lawless licentiousness on the other ; so strongly does the world love extreams , and avoid a temper . now i have gone through the publick functions o● a priest , and in speaking of the last of these , i have broke in upon the third head of his duty , his private labours in his parish . he understands little the nature and the obligations of the priestly office , who thinks he has discharged it , by performing the publick appointments , in which if he is defective , the laws of the church , how feeble soever they may be as to other things , will have their course ; but as the private duties of the pastoral care , are things upon which the cognisance of the law cannot fall , so they are the most important and necessary of all others ; and the more praise worthy , the freer they are , and the less forc'd by the compulsion of law. as to the publick functions , every man has his rule ; and in these all are almost alike ; every man , especially if his lungs are good , can read prayers , even in the largest congregation ; and if he has a right taste , and can but choose good sermons , out of the many that are in print , he may likewise serve them well that way too . but the difference between one man and another , shews it self more sensibly in his private labours , in his prudent deportment , in his modest and discreet way of procuring respect to himself , in his treating his parish , either in reconciling such differences as may happen to be among them , or in admonishing men of rank , who set an ill example to others , which ought always to be done in that way , which will probably have the best effect upon them ; therefore it must be done secretly , and with expressions of tenderness and respect for their persons ; fit times are to be chosen for this ; it may be often the best way to do it by a letter : for there may be ways fallen upon , of reproving the worst men , in so soft a manner , that if they are not reclaimed , yet they shall not be irritated or made worse by it , which is but too often the effect of an indiscreet reproof . by this a minister may save the sinners soul ; he is at least sure to save his own , by having discharged his duty towards his people . one of the chief parts of the pastoral care , is the visiting the sick ; not to be done barely when one is sent for : he is to go as soon as he hears that any of his flock are ill ; he is not to satisfie himself with going over the office , or giving them the sacrament when desired : he ought to inform himself of their course of life , and of the temper of their mind , that so he may apply himself to them accordingly . if they are insensible , he ought to awaken them with the terrours of god ; the judgment and the wrath to come . he must endeavour to make them sensible of their sins ; particularly of that which runs through most men's lives , their forgetting and neglecting god and his service , and their setting their hearts so inordinately upon the world : he must set them on to examine their dealings , and make them seriously to consider , that they can expect no mercy from god , unless they restore whatsoever they may have got unjustly from any other , by any manner of way , even though their title were confirmed by law : he is to lay any other sins to their charge , that he has reason to suspect them guilty of ; and must press them to all such acts of repentance as they are then capable of . if they have been men of a bad course of life , he must give them no encouragement to hope much from this death-bed repentance ; yet he is to set them to implore the mercies of god in christ iesus , and to do all they can to obtain his favour . but unless the sickness has been of a long continuance , and that the person 's repentance , his patience , his piety has been very extraordinary , during the course of it , he must be sure to give him no positive ground of hope ; but leave him to the mercies of god. for there cannot be any greater treachery to souls , that is more fatal and more pernicious , than the giving quick and easie hopes , upon so short , so forced , and so imperfect a repentance . it not only makes those persons perish securely themselves , but it leads all about them to destruction ; when they see one , of whose bad life and late repentance they have been the witnesses , put so soon in hopes , nay by some unfaithful guides , made sure of salvation ; this must make them go on very secure in their sins ; when they see how small a measure of repentance sets all right at last : all the order and justice of a nation , would be presently dissolved , should the howlings of criminals , and their promises of amendment , work on iuries , iudges , or princes : so the hopes that are given to death-bed penitents , must be a most effectual means to root out the sense of religion of the minds of all that see it ; and therefore though no dying man is to be driven to despair , and left to die obstinate in his sins ; yet if we love the souls of our people , if we set a due value on the blood of christ , and if we are touched with any sense of the honour or interests of religion , we must not say any thing that may encourage others , who are but too apt of themselves to put all off to the last hour . we can give them no hopes from the nature of the gospel covenant ; yet after all , the best thing a dying man can do , is to repent ; if he recovers , that may be the seed and beginning of a new life and a new nature in him : nor do we know the measure of the riches of god's grace and mercy ; how far he may think fit to exert it beyond the conditions and promises of the new covenant , at least to the lessening of such a persons misery in another state. we are sure he is not within the new covenant ; and since he has not repented , according to the tenor of it , we dare not , unless we betray our commission , give any hopes beyond it . but one of the chief cares of a minister about the sick , ought to be to exact of them solemn vows and promises , of a renovation of life , in case god shall raise them up again ; and these ought to be demanded , not only in general words , but if they have been guilty of any scandalous disorders , or any other ill practices , there ought to be special promises made with relation to those . and upon the recovery of such persons , their ministers ought to put them in mind of their engagements , and use all the due freedom of admonitions and reproof , upon their breaking loose from them . in such a case they ought to leave a terrible denunciation of the judgments of god upon them , and so at least they acquit themselves . there is another sort of sick persons , who abound more in towns than in the country ; those are the troubled in mind ; of these there are two sorts , some have committed enormous sins , which kindle a storm in their consciences ; and that ought to be cherished , till they have compleated a repentance proportioned to the nature and degree of their sin. if wrong has been done to another , reparation and restitution must be made to the utmost of the party's power . if blood has been shed , a long course of fasting and prayer ; a total abstinence from wine ; if drunkenness gave the rise to it , a making up the loss to the family , on which it has fallen , must be enjoyned . but alas , the greater part of those that think they are troubled in mind , are melancholy hypochondriacal people , who , what through some false opinions in religion , what through a foulness of blood , occasioned by their unactive course of life , in which their minds work too much , because their bodies are too little imployed , fall under dark and cloudy apprehensions ; of which they can give no clear nor good account . this , in the greatest part , is to be removed by strong and chalybeate medicines ; yet such persons are to be much pitied , and a little humoured in their distemper . they must be diverted from thinking too much , being too much alone , or dwelling too long on thoughts that are too hard for them to master . the opinion that has had the chief influence in raising these distempers , has been that of praying by the spirit ; when a flame of thought , a melting in the brain , and the abounding in tender expressions , have been thought the effects of the spirit , moving all those symptoms of a warm temper . now in all people , especially in persons of a melancholy disposition , that are much alone , there will be a great diversity , with relation to this at different times : sometimes these heats will rise and flow copiously , and at other times there will be a damp upon the brain , and a dead dryness in the spirits . this to men that are prepossessed with the opinion , now set forth , will appear as if god did sometimes shine out , and at other times hide his face ; and since this last will be the most frequent in men of that temper ; as they will be apt to be lifted up , when they think they have a fulness of the spirit in them , so they will be as much cast down when that is withdrawn ; they will conclude from it , that god is angry with them , and so reckon that they must be in a very dangerous condition : upon this , a vast variety of troublesom scruples will arise , out of every thing that they either do or have done . if then a minister has occasion to treat any in this condition , he must make them apprehend that the heat or coldness of their brain , is the effect of temper ; and flows from the different state of the animal spirits , which have their diseases , their hot and their cold fits , as well as the blood has ; and therefore no measure can be taken from these , either to judge for or against themselves . they are to consider what are their principles and resolutions , and what 's the settled course of their life ; upon these they are to form sure judgments , and not upon any thing that is so fluctuating and inconstant as fits or humours . another part of a priest's duty is , with relation to them that are without , i mean , that are not of our body , which are of the side of the church of rome , or among the dissenters . other churches and bodies are noted for their zeal , in making proselytes , for their restless endeavours , as well as their unlawful methods in it , they reckoning , perhaps , that all will be sanctified by the encreasing their party , which is the true name of making converts , except they become at the same time good men , as well as votaries to a side or cause . we are certainly very remiss in this , of both hands , little pains is taken to gain either upon papist or nonconformist ; the law has been so much trusted to ; that that method only was thought sure ; it was much valued , and others at the same time as much neglected ; and whereas at first , without force or violence , in fourty years time , popery from being the prevailing religion , was reduced to a handful , we have now in above twice that number of years , made very little progress . the favour shew'd them from our court , made us seem , as it were , unwilling to disturb them in their religion ; so that we grow at last to be kind to them , to look on them as harmless and inoffensive neighbours , and even to cherish and comfort them ; we were very near the being convinc'd of our mistake , by a terrible and dear bought experience . now they are again under hatches ; certainly it becomes us , both in charity to them , and in regard to our own safety , to study to gain them by the force of reason and persuasion ; by shewing all kindness to them , and thereby disposing them to hearken to the reasons that we may lay before them . we ought not to give over this as desperate upon a few unsuccessful attempts , but must follow them in the meekness of christ , that so we may at last prove happy instruments , in delivering them from the blindness and captivity they are kept under , and the idolatry and superstition they live in : we ought to visit them often in a spirit of love and charity , and to offer them conferences ; and upon such endeavours , we have reason to expect a blessing , at least this , of having done our duty , and so delivering our own souls . nor are we to think , that the toleration , under which the law has settled the dissenters , does either absolve them from the obligations that they lay under before , by the laws of god and the gospel , to maintain the vnity of the church , and not to rent it by unjust or causeless schisms , or us from using our endeavours to bring them to it , by the methods of perswasion and kindness : nay , perhaps , their being now in circumstances , that they can no more be forced in these things , may put some of them in a greater towardness to hear reason ; a free nation naturally hating constraint : and certainly the less we seem to grudge or envy them their liberty , we will be thereby the nearer gaining on the generouser and better part of them , and the rest would soon lose heart , and look out of countenance ; if these should hearken to us . it was the opinion many had of their strictness , and of the looseness that was amongst us , that gained them their credit , and made such numbers fall off from us . they have in a great measure lost the good character that once they had ; if to that we should likewise lose our bad one ; if we were stricter in our lives , more serious and constant in our labours ; and studied more effectually to reform those of our communion , than to rail at theirs ; if we took occasion to let them see that we love them , that we wish them no harm , but good , then we might hope , by the blessing of god , to lay the obligations to love and peace , to unity and concord before them , with such advantages , that some of them might open their eyes , and see at last upon how flight grounds , they have now so long kept up such a wrangling , and made such a rent in the church , that both the power of religion in general , and the strength of the protestant religion , have suffered extreamly by them . thus far i have carried a clerk through his parish , and all the several branches of his duty to his people . but that all this may be well gone about , and indeed as the foundation upon which all the other parts of the pastoral care may be well managed , he ought frequently to visit his whole parish from house to house ; that so he may know them , and be known of them . this i know will seem a vast labour , especially in towns , where parishes are large ; but that is no excuse for those in the country , where they are generally small ; and if they are larger , the going this round will be the longer a doing ; yet an hour a day , twice or thrice a week , is no hard duty ; and this in the compass of a year will go a great way , even in a large parish . in these visits , much time is not to be spent ; a short word for stirring them up to mind their souls , to make conscience of their ways , and to pray earnestly to god , may begin it , and almost end it . after one has asked in what union and peace the neighbourhood lives , and enquired into their necessities , if they seem very poor , that so those to whom that care belongs , may be put in mind to see how they may be relieved . in this course of visiting , a minister will soon find out , if there are any truly good persons in his parish , after whom he must look with a more particular regard . since these are the excellent ones , in whom all his delight ought to be . for let their rank be ever so mean , if they are sincerely religious , and not hypocritical pretenders to it , who are vainly puffed up with some degrees of knowledge , and other outward appearances , he ought to consider them as the most valuable in the sight of god ; and indeed , as the chief part of his care ; for a living dog is better than a dead lion. i know this way of parochial visitation , is so worn out , that , perhaps , neither priest nor people , will be very desirous to see it taken up . it will put the one to labour and trouble , and bring the other under a closer inspection , which bad men will no ways desire , nor perhaps endure . but if this were put on the clergy by their bishops , and if they explained in a sermon before they began it , the reasons and ends of doing it ; that would remove the prejudices which might arise against it . i confess this is an encrease of labour , but that will seem no hard matter to such as have a right sense of their ordination-vows , of the value of souls , and of the dignity of their function . if men had the spirit of their calling in them , and a due measure of flame and heat in carrying it on ; labour in it would be rather a pleasure than a trouble . in all other professions , those who follow them , labour in them all the year long , and are hard at their business every day of the week . all men that are well suted in a profession , that is agreeable to their genius and inclination , are really the easier and the better pleased , the more they are employed in it . indeed there is no trade nor course of life , except ours , that does not take up the whole man : and shall ours only , that is the noblest of all others , and that has a certain subsistence fixed upon it , and does not live by contingencies , and upon hopes , as all others do , make the labouring in our business , an objection against any part of our duty ? certainly nothing can so much dispose the nation , to think o● the relieving the necessities of the many small livings , as the seeing the clergy setting about their business to purpose ; this would , by the blessing of god , be a most effectual means , of stopping the progress of atheism , and of the contempt that the clergy lies under ; it would go a great way towards the healing our schism , and would be the chief step that could possibly be made , towards the procuring to us such laws as are yet wanting to the compleating our reformation , and the mending the condition of so many of our poor brethren , who are languishing in want , and under great straits . there remains only somewhat to be added concerning the behaviour of the clergie towards one another . those of a higher form in learning , dignity and wealth , ought not to despise poor vicars and curates ; but on the contrary , the poorer they are , they ought to pity and encourage them the more , since they are all of the same order , only the one are more happily placed than the others : they ought therefore to cherish those that are in worse circumstances , and encourage them to come often to them ; they ought to lend them books , and to give them other assistances in order to their progress in learning , 't is a bad thing to see a bishop behave himself superciliously towards any of his clergy , but it is intolerable in those of the same degree . the clergy ought to contrive ways to meet often together , to enter into a brotherly correspondence , and into the concerns one of another , both in order to their progress in knowledg , and for consulting together in all their affairs . this would be a means to cement them into one body : hereby they might understand what were amiss in the conduct of any in their division , and try to correct it either by private advices and endeavours , or by laying it before the bishop , by whose private labours , if his clergy would be assisting to him , and give him free and full informations of things , many disorders might be cured , without rising to a publick scandal , or forcing him to extream censures . it is a false pity in any of the clergy , who see their brethren running into ill courses , to look on and say nothing : it is a cruelty to the church , and may prove a cruelty to the person of whom they are so unseasonably tender : for things may be more easily corrected at first , before they have grown to be publick , or are hardned by habit and custom . upon all these accounts it is of great advantage , and may be matter of great edification to the clergie , to enter into a strict union together , to meet often , and to be helpful to one another : but if this should be made practicable , they must be extreamly strict in those meetings , to observe so exact a sobriety , that there might be no colour given to censure them , as if these were merry meetings , in which they allowed themselves great liberties : it were good , if they could be brought to meet to fast and pray ; but if that is a strain too high for the present age , at least they must keep so far within bounds , that there may be no room for calumny . for a disorder upon any such occasion , would give a wound of an extraordinary nature to the reputation of the whole clergy , when every one would bear a share of the blame , which perhaps belonged but to a few . four or five such meetings in a summer , would neither be a great charge , nor give much trouble : but the advantages that might arise out of them , would be very sensible . i have but one other advice to add , but it is of a thing of great consequence , though generally managed in so loose and so indifferent a manner , that i have some reason in charity to believe , that the clergy make very little reflection on what they do in it : and that is , in the testimonials that they sign in favour of those that come to be ordained . many have confessed to my self , that they had signed these upon general reports , and importunity ; tho the testimonial bears personal knowledg . these are instead of the suffrages of the clergy , which in the primitive church were given before any were ordained . a bishop must depend upon them ; for he has no other way to be certainly informed : and therefore as it is a lie , pass'd with the solemnity of hand and seal , to affirm any thing that is beyond one's own knowledg , so it is a lie made to god and the church ; since the design of it is to procure orders . so that if a bishop trusting to that , and being satisfied of the knowledg of one that brings it , ordains an unfit and unworthy man , they that signed it , are deeply and chiefly involved in the guilt of his laying hands suddenly upon him : therefore every priest ought to charge his conscience in a deep particular manner , that so he may never testify for any one , unless he knows his life to be so regular , and believes his temper to be so good , that he does really judg him a person fit to be put in holy orders . these are all the rules that do occur to me at present . in performing these several branches of the duty of a pastor , the trouble will not be great , if he is truly a good man , and delights in the service of god , and in doing acts of charity : the pleasure will be unspeakable ; first , that of the conscience in this testimony that it gives , and the quiet and joy which arises from the sense of one's having done his duty : and then it can scarce be supposed 〈◊〉 by all this , some will be wrought on ; some sinners will be reclaimed ; bad men will grow good , and good men will grow better . and if a generous man feels to a great degree , the pleasure of having delivered one from misery , and of making him easy and happy ; how soveraign a joy must it be to a man that believes there is another life , to see that he has been an instrument to rescue some from endless misery , and to further others in the way to everlasting happiness ? and the more instances he sees of this , the more do his joys grow upon him . this makes life happy , and death joyful to such a priest , for he is not terrified with those words , give an account of thy stewardship , for thou mayest be no longer steward : he knows his reward shall be full , pressed down , and running over . he is but too happy in those spiritual children , whom he has begot in christ , he looks after those as the chief part of his care , and as the principal of his flock , and is so far from aspiring , that it is not without some uneasiness that he leaves them , if he is commanded to arise to some higher post in the church . the troubles of this life , the censures of bad men , and even the prospect of a persecution , are no dreadful things to him that has this seal of his ministry ; and this comfort within him , that he has not laboured in vain , nor run and fought as one that beats the air ; he sees the travel of his soul , and is satisfied when he finds that god's work prospers in his hand . this comforts him in his sad reflections on his own past sins , that he has been an instrument of advancing god's honour , of saving souls , and of propagating his gospel : since to have saved one soul , is worth a man's coming into the world , and richly worth the labours of his whole life . here is a subject that might be easily prosecuted by many warm and lively figures : but i now go on to the last article relating to this matter . chap. ix . concerning preaching . the world naturally runs to extreams in every thing . if one sect or body of men magnify preaching too much , another carries that to another extream of decrying it as much . it is certainly a noble and a profitable exercise , if rightly gone about , of great use both to priest and people ; by obliging the one to much study and labour , and by setting before the other full and copious discoveries of divine matters , opening them clearly , and pressing them weightily upon them . it has also now gained so much esteem in the world , that a clergy-man cannot maintain his credit , nor bring his people to a constant attendance on the worship of god , unless he is happy in these performances . i will not run out into the history of preaching , to shew how late it was before it was brought into the church , and by what steps it grew up to the pitch it is now at : how long it was before the roman church used it , and in how many different shapes it has appeared . some of the first patterns we have , are the best : for as tully began the roman eloquence , and likewise ended it , no man being able to hold up to the pitch to which he raised it ; so st. basil and st. chrysostom brought preaching from the dry pursuing of allegories that had vitiated origen , and from the excessive affectation of figures and rhetorick that appears in nazianzen , to a due simplicity ; a native force and beauty , having joined to the plainness of a clear but noble stile , the strength of reason , and the softness of persuasion . some were disgusted at this plainness ; and they brought in a great deal of art into the composition of sermons : mystical applications of scripture grew to be better liked than clear texts ; an accumulation of figures , a cadence in the periods , a playing upon the sounds of words , a loftiness of epithets , and often an obscurity of expression , were according to the different tastes of the several ages run into . preaching has past through many different forms among us , since the reformation . but without flattering the present age , or any persons now alive , too much , it must be confessed , that it is brought of late to a much greater perfection , than it was ever before at among us . it is certainly brought nearer the pattern that s. chrysostom has set , or perhaps carried beyond it . our language is much refined , and we have returned to the plain notions of simple and genuine rhetorick . we have so vast a number of excellent performances in print , that if a man has but a right understanding of religion , and a true relish of good sense , he may easily furnish himself this way . the impertinent way of dividing texts is laid aside , the needless setting out of the originals , and the vulgar version , is worn ou● . the trifling shews of learning in many quotations of passages , that very few could understand , do no more flat the auditory . pert wit and luscious eloquence have lost their relish . so that sermons are reduced to the plain opening the meaning of the text , in a few short illustrations of its coherence with what goes before and after , and of the parts of which it is composed ; to that is joined the clear stating of such propositions as arise out of it , in their nature , truth and reasonableness : by which , the hearers may form clear notions of the several parts of religion ; such as are best suted to their capacities and apprehensions : to all which applications are aded , tending to the reproving , directing , encouraging , or comforting the hearers , according to the several occasions that are offered . this is indeed all that can be truly be intended in preaching , to make some portions of scripture to be rightly understood ; to make those truths contain'd in them , to be more fully apprehended ; and then to lay the matter home to the consciences of the hearers , so directing all to some good and practical end . in the choice of the text ▪ care is to be taken not to chuse texts that seem to have humour in them ; or that must be long wrought upon , before they are understood . the plainer a text is in it self , the sooner it is cleared , and the fuller it is of matter of instruction ; and therefore such ought to be chosen to common auditories . many will remember the text , that remember nothing else ; therefore such a choice should be made , as may at least put a weighty and speaking sentence of the scriptures upon the memories of the people . a sermon should be made for a text , and not a text found out for a sermon ; for to give our discourses weight , it should appear that we are led to them by our texts : such sermons will probably have much more efficacy than a general discourse , before which a text seems only to be read as a decent introduction , but to which no regard is had in the progress of it . great care should be also had both in opening the text , and of that which arises from it to illustrate them , by concurrent passages of scripture : a little of this ought to be in every sermon , and but a little : for the people are not to be over-charged with too much of it at a time ; and this ought to be done with judgment , and not made a bare concordance exercise , of citing scriptures , that have the same words , though not to the same purpose and in the same sense . a text being opened , then the point upon which the sermon is to run is to be opened ; and it will be the better heard and understood , if there is but one point in a sermon ; so that one head , and only one is well stated , and fully set out . in this , great regard is to be had to the nature of the auditory , that so the point explained may be in some measure proportioned to them . too close a thread of reason , too great an abstraction of thought , too sublime and ▪ too metaphisical a strain , are sutable to very few auditories , if to any at all . things must be put in a clear light , and brought out in as short periods , and in as plain words as may be : the reasons of them must be made as sensible to the people as is possible ; as in vertues and vices ; their tendencies and effects ; their being sutable or unsutable to our powers , to both souls and bodies , to the interests of this life as well as the next ; and the good or evil that they do to humane societies , families and neighbourhoods , ought to be fully and frequently opened . in setting these forth , such a measure is to be kept , that the hearers may perceive , that things are not strained in the way of a declamation , into forced characters , but that they are set out , as truly they are , without making them seem better by imaginary perfections , or worse by an undue aggravation . for the carrying those matters beyond the plain observation of mankind , makes that the whole is looked on as a piece of rhetorick ; the preacher seeming to intend rather to shew his skill , is raising his subject too high , or running it down too low , than to lay before them the native consequences of things ; and that which upon reflection they may be all able to perceive is really true . vertue is so good in it self , that it needs no false paint to make it look better : and vice is so bad , that it can never look so ugly , as when shewed in its own natural colours . so that an undue sublime in such descriptions , does hurt , and can do no good . when the explanatory part of the sermon is over , the application comes next : and here great judgment must be used , to make it fall the heaviest , and lie the longest , upon such particulars as may be within the compass of the auditory : directions concerning a high devotion , to a stupid ignorant company ; or of generosity and bounty , to very poor people ; against pride and ambition , to such as are dull and low minded , are ill suted ; and so must have little effect upon them . therefore care must be taken that the application be useful and proper ; that it make the hearers apprehend som of their sins and defects , and see how to perform their duty ; that it awaken them to it , and direct them in it : and therefore the most common sins , such as mens neglecting their duty to god , in the several branches of it ; their setting their hearts inordinately upon the world ; their lying in discourse , but chiefly in bargaining ; their evil speaking , and their hatred and malice , ought to be very often brought in . some one or other of thes● , ought to be in every application that is made , by which they may see , that the whole design of religion lies against them . such particular sins , swearing , drunkenness , or leudness as abound in any place , must likewise be frequently brought in here . the application must be clear and short , very weighty , and free of every thing that looks like the affectations of wit and eloquence ; here the preacher must be all heart and soul , designing the good of his people . the whole sermon is directed to this : therefore as it is fit that the chief point which a sermon drives at , should come often over and over , that so the hearers may never lose sight of it , but keep it still in view ; so in the application , the text must be shewed to speak it ; all the parts of the explanation must come in , to enforce it : the application must be opened in the several views that it may have , but those must be chiefly insisted on that are most sutable both to the capacities and the circumstances of the people . and in conclusion , all ought to be summed up in a weighty period or two ; and some other signal passage of the scriptures relating to it may be sought for , that so the matter may be left upon the auditory in the solemnest manner possible . thus i have led a preacher through the composition of his sermon ; i will next lay before him some particulars relating to it . the shorter sermons are , they are generally both better heard , and better remembred . the custom of an hour's length , forces many preachers to trifle away much of the time , and to spin out their matter , so as to hold out . so great a length does also flat the hearers , and tempt them to sleep ; especially when , as is usual , the first part of the sermon is languid and heavy : in half an hour a man may lay open his matter in its full extent , and cut off those superfluities which come in only to lengthen the discourse : and he may hope to keep up the attention of his people all the while . as to the stile , sermons ought to be very plain ; the figures must be easy , not mean , but noble , and brought in upon design to make the matter better understood . the words in a sermon must be simple , and in common use ; not savouring of the schools , nor above the understanding of the people . all long periods , such as carry two or three different thoughts in them , must be avoided ; for few hearers can follow or apprehend these : niceties of stile are lost before a common auditory . but if an easy simplicity of stile should run through the whole composition , it should take place most of all in the explanatory part ; for the thing being there offered to be understood , it should be stript of all garnishing : definitions should not be offered in the terms , or method , that logick directs . in short , a preacher is to fancy himself , as in the room of the most unlearned man in his whole parish ; and therefore he must put such parts of his discourse as he would have all understand , in so plain a form of words , that it may not be beyond the meanest of them : this he will certainly study to do , if his desire is to edify them , rather than to make them admire himself as a learned and high-spoken man. but in the applicatory part , if he has a true taste of eloquence , and is a master at it , he is to employ it all in giving sometimes such tender touches , as may soften ; and deeper gashes , such as may awaken his hearers . a vain eloquence here , is very ill plac'd ; for if that can be born any where , it is in illustrating the matter : but all must be grave , where one would perswade : the most natural but the most sensible expressions come in best here . such an eloquence as makes the hearers look grave , and as it were out of countenance , is the properest . that which makes them look lively , and as it were smile upon one another , may be pretty , but it only tickles the imagination , and pleases the ear ; whereas that which goes to the heart , and wounds it , makes the hearer rather look down , and turns his thoughts inward , upon himself : for it is certain that a sermon , the conclusion whereof makes the auditory look pleased , and sets them all a talking one with another , was either not right spoken , or not right heard ; it has been fine , and has probably delighted the congregation , rather than edified it . but that sermon that makes every one go away silent and grave , and hastning to be alone , to meditate or pray over the matter of it in secret , has had its true effect . he that has a taste and genius for eloquence , must improve it by reading quintilian , and tully's books of oratory ; and by observing the spirit and method of tully's orations : or if he can enter into demosthenes , there he will see a much better pattern , there being a simplicity , a shortness , and a swiftness , and rapidity in him , that could not be heard without putting his auditors into a great commotion . all our modern books upon those subjects , are so far short of those great originals , that they can bear no comparison : yet rapin's little book of eloquence is by much the best , only he is too short . tully has so fully opened all the topicks of invention , that a man who has read him , will , if he has any invention of his own , and if he knows throughly his matter , rather have too much than too little in his view , upon every subject that he treats . this is a noble study , and of great use to such as have judgment to manage it ; for artificial eloquence , without a flame within , is like artificial poetry ; all its productions are forced and unnatural , and in a great measure ridiculous . art helps and guides nature ; but if one was not born with this flame , art will only spoil him , make him luscious and redundant . to such persons , and indeed to all that are not masters of the body of divinity , and of the scriptures , i should much rather recommend the using other mens sermons , than the making any of their own . but in the choice of these , great judgment must be used ; one must not take an author that is too much above himself , for by that , compared with his ordinary conversation , it will but too evidently appear , that he cannot be the author of his own sermons ; and that will make both him and them lose too much of their weight . he ought also to put those printed sermons out of that strength and closeness of stile , which looks very well in print ; but is too stiff , especially for a common auditory . he may reverse the method a little , and shorten the explanations , that so he may retain all that is practical ; and that a man may form himself to preaching , he ought to take some of the best models , and try what he can do upon a text handled by them , without reading them , and then compare his work with theirs ; this will more sensibly , and without putting him to the blush , model him to imitate , or if he can , to excel the best patterns : and by this method , if he will restrain himself for some time , and follow it close , he may come to be able to go without such crutches , and to work without patterns : till then , i should advise all to make use of other mens sermons , rather than to make any of their own . the nation has got into so good a taste of sermons , from the vast number of those excellent ones that are in print , that a mean composition will be very ill heard ; and therefore it is an unseasonable piece of vanity , for any to offer their own crudities , till they have well digested and ripened them . i wish the majesty of the pulpit were more looked to ; and that no sermons were offered from thence , but such as should make the hearers both the better , and the wiser , the more knowing , and the more serious . in the delivering of sermons , a great composure of gesture and behaviour is necessary , to give them weight and authority : extreams are bad here , as in every thing else ; some affect a light and flippant behaviour ; and others think that wry faces and a tone in the voice , will set off the matter . grave and composed looks , and a natural , but distinct pronunciation , will always have the best effects . the great rule which the masters of rhetorick press much , can never be enough remembred ; that to make a man speak well , and pronounce with a right emphasis , he ought throughly to understand all that he says , be fully persuaded of it , and bring himself to have those affections , which he desires to infuse into others . he that is inwardly persuaded of the truth of what he says , and that has a concern about it in his mind , will pronounce with a natural vehemence , that is far more lively , than all the strains that art can lead him to . an orator , if we hearken to them , must be an honest man , and speak always on the side of truth , and study to feel all that he says ; and then he will speak it so as to make others feel it likewise . and therefore such as read their sermons , ought to practise reading much in private , and read aloud , that so their own ear and sense may guide them , to know where to raise or quicken , soften or sweeten their voice , and when to give an articulation of authority , or of conviction ; where to pause , and where to languish . we plainly see by the stage , what a force there is in pronunciation : the best compositions are murdered , if ill spoken ; and the worst are acceptable , when well said . in tragedies rightly pronounced and acted , though we know that all is fable and fiction ; the tender parts do so melt the company , that tears cannot be stop'd , even by those who laugh at themselves for it . this shews the power of apt words , and a just pronunciation . but because this depends in a great measure , upon the present temper of him that speaks , and the lively disposition in which he is , therefore he ought by much previous seriousness , and by earnest prayer to god , to endeavour to raise his mind to as warm a sense of the things he is to speak of , as possibly he can , that so his sermons may make deep impressions on his hearers . this leads me to consider the difference that is between the reading and the speaking of sermons . reading is peculiar to this nation , and is endured in no other . it has indeed made that our sermons are more exact , and so it has produced to us many volumes of the best that are extant ; but after all , though some few read so happily , pronounce so truly , and enter so entirely into those affections which they recommend , that in them we see both the correctness of reading , and the seriousness of speaking sermons , yet every one is not so happy : some by hanging their heads perpetually over their notes , by blundring as they read , and by a cursory running over them , do so lessen the matter of their sermons , that as they are generally read with very little life or affection , so they are heard with as little regard or esteem . those who read , ought certainly to be at a little more pains , than for most part they are , to read true , to pronounce with an emphasis , and to raise their heads , and to direct their eyes to their hearers : and if they practis'd more alone the just way of reading , they might deliver their sermons with much more advantage . man is a low sort of creature ; he does not , nay nor the greater part cannot consider things in themselves , without those little seasonings that must recommend them to their affections . that a discourse be heard with any life , it must be spoken with some ; and the looks and motions of the eye do carry in them such additions to what is said , that where these do not at all concur , it has not all the force upon them , that otherwise it might have : besides , that the people , who are too apt to censure the clergy , are easily carried into an obvious reflection on reading , that it is an effect of laziness . in pronouncing sermons , there are two ways ; the one is when a whole discourse is got by heart , and delivered word for word , as it was writ down : this is so vast a labour , that it is scarce possible that a man can be able to hold up long to it : yet there is an advantage even in this to beginners ; it fills their memories with good thoughts , and regular meditations : and when they have got some of the most important of their sermons by heart in so exact a manner , they are thereby furnished with topicks for discourse . and therefore there are at least two different subjects , on which i wish all preachers would be at the pains , to form sermons well in their memories : the one is the grounds of the covenant of grace , of both sides , god's offers to us in christ , and the conditions that he has required of us , in order to our reconciliation with him . this is so important a point , in the whole course of our ministry , that no man ought to be to seek in the opening or explaining it : and therefore that he may be ripe in it , he ought to have it all rightly laid in his memory , not only as to the notions of it , but to have such a lively description and illustration of it all , as to be able to speak of it sensibly , fully , and easily upon all occasions . another subject in which every minister ought also to be well furnished , is concerning death and iudgment ; that so when he visits the sick , and , as is common , that the neighbours come in , he may be able to make a grave exhortation , in weighty and fit words , upon those heads . less than this , i think no priest ought to have in his memory . but indeed , the more sermons a young beginner gets by heart , he has still thereby the more discourse ready upon those heads ; for though the whole contexture of the sermon will stick no longer than as he has occasion for it , yet a great deal will stay with him : the idea of the whole , with the most important parts of it , will remain much longer . but now i come to propose another method of preaching , by which a priest may be prepared , after a right view of his matter , a true understanding his text , and a digesting of his thoughts upon it into their natural and proper order , to deliver these both more easily to himself , and with a better effect both upon himself and his hearers . to come at this , he must be for some years at a great deal of pains to prepare himself to it : yet when that is over , the labour of all the rest of his life , as to those performances , will become very easy and very pleasant to him . the preparations to this must be these ; first he must read the scriptures very exactly , he must have great portions of them by heart ; and he must also in reading them , make a short concordance of them in his memory ; that is , he must lay together such passages as belong to the same matter ; to consider how far they agree or help to illustrate one another , and how the same thing is differently expressed in them ; and what various ideas or ways of recommending a thing rise out of this concordance . upon this a man must exercise himself much , draw notes of it , and digest it well in his thoughts . then he must be ready with the whole body of divinity in his head ; he must know what parts come in as objections to be answered , where difficulties lie , how one part coheres with another , and gives it light. he must have this very current in his memory , that he may have things lie before him in one full view ; and upon this , he is also to work , by making tables , or using such other helps as may lay matters clearly before him . he is more particularly to lay before him , a system of morality , of all vertues and vices , and of all the duties that arise out of the several relations of mankind ; that he m●y have this matter very full in his eye , and know what are the scriptures that belong to all the parts of it : he is also to make a collection of all such thoughts , as he finds either in the books of the ancien● philosophers , ( where seneca will be of great use to him ) or of christian authors : he is to separate such thoughts as are forced , and that do become rather a strained declamation made only to please , than a solid discourse designed to persuade . all these he must gather , or at least such a number of them , as may help him to form a distinct notion of that matter , so as to be able both to open it clearly , and to press it with affection and vehemence . these are the materials that must be laid together , the practice in using them comes next ; he that then would prepare himself to be a preacher in this method , must accustom himself to talk freely to himself , to let his thoughts flow from him , especially when he feels an edg and heat upon his mind ; for then happy expressions will come in his mouth , things will ventilate and open themselves to him , as he talks them thus in a soliloquy to himself . he must also be writing many essays upon all sorts of subjects ; for by writing he will bring himself to a correctness both in thinking and in speaking : and thus by a hard practice for two or three years , a man may render himself such a master in this matter , that he can never be surprised , nor will new thoughts ever dry up upon him . he must talk over to himself the whole body of divinity , and accustom himself to explain , and prove , to clear objections , and to apply every part of it to some practical use . he must go through human life , in all the ranks and degrees of it , and talk over all the duties of these ; consider the advantages or disadvantages in every one of them , their relation to one another , the morality of actions , the common vertues and vices of mankind ; more particularly the duties of christians , their obligations to meekness and humility , to forgive injuries , to relieve the poor , to bear the cross , to be patient and contented in every state of life , to pray much and fervently , to rejoice ever in god , and to be always praising him , and most particularly to be applying seriously to god through jesus christ , for mercy and pardon , and for his grace and spirit ; to be worshipping him devoutly in publick , and to be delighting frequently to commemorate the death of christ , and to partake of the benefits of it . all these , i say , he must talk over and over again to himself ; he must study to give his thoughts all the heat and flight about them that he can : and if in these his meditations , happy thoughts , and noble and tender expressions , do at any time offer themselves , he must not lose them , but write them down ; and in his pronouncing over such discourses to himself , he must observe what words sound harsh , and agree ill together ; for there is a musick in speaking , as well as in singing ; which a man , tho not otherwise critical in sounds , will soon discover . by a very few years practice of two or three of such soliloquies a day , chiefly in the morning when the head is clearest , and the spirits are liveliest , a man will contract a great easiness both in thinking and speaking . but the rule i have reserved last , is the most necessary of all , and without it all the rest will never do the business ; it is this , that a man must have in himself a deep sense of the truth and power of religion ; he must have a life and flame in his thoughts , with relation to those subjects : he must have felt in himself those things which he intends to explain and recommend to others . he must observe narrowly the motions of his own mind , the good and bad effects that the several sorts of objects he has before him , and affections he feels within him , have upon him ; that so he may have a lively heat in himself , when he speaks of them ; and that he may speak in so sensible a manner , that it may be almost felt that he speaks from his heart . there is an authority in the simplest things that can be said , when they carry visible characters of genuineness in them . now if a man can carry on this method , and by much meditation and prayer draw down divine influences , which are always to be expected , when a man puts himself in the way of them , and prepares himself for them ; he will often feel , that while he is musing , a fire is kindled within him , and then he will speak with authority , and without constraint ; his thoughts will be true , and his expressions free and easy : sometimes this fire will carry him , as it were , out of himself ; and yet without any thing that is frantick or enthusiastical . discourses brought forth with a lively spirit and heat , where a composed gesture , and the proper motions of the eye and countenance , and the due modulations of the voice concur , will have all the effect that can be expected from any thing that is below immediate inspiration : and as this will be of use to the hearers , so it will be of vast use to the preacher himself , to oblige him to keep his heart always in good tune and temper ; not to suffer irregular or forbidden appetites , passions , or projects to possess his mind : these will both divert him from going on in the course of meditation , in which a man must continue many years , till all his thoughts are put in order , polish'd and fixed ; they will make him likewise speak much against the grain , with an aversion that will be very sensible to himself , if not to his hearers : if he has guilt upon him , if his conscience is reproaching him , and if any ill practices are putting a damp upon that good sense of things , that makes his thoughts sparkle , upon other occasions , and gives him an air and authority , a tone of assurance , and a freedom of expression . such a method as i have been opening , has had great success with all those that i have known to have tried it . and tho every one has not that swiftness of imagination , nor that clearness of expression , that others may have , so that in this men may differ as much as they do in their written compositions ; yet every man by this method may rise far above that which he could ever have attained to any other way : it will make even exact compositions easier to him , and him much readier and freer at them . but great care must be used by him , before he suffers himself to speak with the liberty here aimed at in publick ; he must try himself at smaller excursions from his fixed thoughts , especially in the applicatory part , where flame and life are more necessary , and where a mistaken word , or an unfinished period are less observed , and sooner forgiven , than in the explanatory part , where men ought to speak more severely . and as one succeeds in some short excursions , he may give himself a farther scope ; and so by a long practice , he will at last arrive at so great an easiness , both in thinking and speaking , that a very little meditation will serve to lay open a text to him , with all the matter that belongs to it , together with the o●der in which it ought to be both explained and applied . and when a man has attained to a tolerable degree in this , he is then the master of his business ; he is master also of much time , and of many noble thoughts , and schemes that will arise out of them . this i shall prosecute no further ; for if this opening of it , does not excite the reader to follow it a little , no enlargements i can offer upon it , will work upon him . but to return to preaching , and so conclude this chapter . he that intends truly to preach the gospel , and not himself ; he that is more concerned to do good to others , than to raise his own fame , or to procure a following to himself , and that makes this the measure of all his meditations and sermons , that he may put things in the best light , and recommend them with the most advantage to his people ; that reads the scriptures much , and meditates often upon them ; that prays earnestly to god for direction in his labours , and for a blessing upon them ; that directs his chief endeavours to the most important , and most indispensible , as well as the most undeniable duties of religion ; and chiefly to the inward reformation of his hearers hearts , which will certainly draw all other lesser matters after it ; and that does not spend his time , nor his zeal , upon lesser or disputable points ; this man so made , and so moulded , cannot miscarry in his work : he will certainly succeed to some degree , the word spoken by him , shall not return again . he shall have his crown , and his reward from his labours : and to say all that can be said , in one word , with st. paul , he shall both save himself , and them that hear him . the conclvsion . i have now gone over all that seemed to me most important upon this head , of the pastoral care , with as much shortness and clearness as i could : so now i am to conclude . the discourse may justly seem imperfect , since i say nothing concerning the duties incumbent on bishops . but i will upon this occasion say very little on that head. the post i am in , gives me a right to teach priests and deacons their duty ; therefore i thought , that without any great presumption , i might venture on it : but i have been too few years in the higher order , to take upon me to teach them , from whom i shall ever be ready to learn. this is certain , that since , as was formerly said , the inferiour orders subsist in the superior , bishops must still be under all the obligations of priests : they are then , take the matter at lowest , bound to live , to labour , and to preach as well as they . but why are they raised to a higher rank of dignity and order , an encrease of authority , and an extent of cure ? and why have christian princes and states , given them great revenues , and an accession of secular honours ? all this must certainly import their obligation to labour more eminently , and to lay themselves out more entirely in the work of the gospel : in which , if the greatest encouragements and assistances , the highest dignities and priviledges , belong to them , then according to our saviour's example and decision , who came not to be ministred unto , but to minister ; and who declared , that he who is first shall be last , and he who is the greatest must be the servant of all ; then i say , the higher that any are raised in this ministry , they ought to lay themselves out the more entirely in it , and labour the more abundantly . and as our obligations to christ and his church , tie us to a greater zeal and diligence , and to a more constant application of our care and thoughts ; so the secular supports of our honours and revenues were given us to enable us to go through with that extent of care and iurisdiction that lies upon us . we are not only watchmen to watch over the flock , but likewise over the watchmen themselves . we keep the door of the sanctuary , and will have much to answer for , if through our remissness or feeble easiness , if by trusting the examination of those we ordain to others , and yielding to intercession and importunity , we bring any into the service of the church , who are not duly qualified for it . in this , we must harden our selves , and become inexorable , if we will not partake in other mens sins , and in the mischiefs that these may bring upon the church . it is a false pity , and a cruel compassion , if we suffer any considerations to prevail upon us in this matter , but those which the gospel directs . the longer that we know them before we ordain them , the more that we sift them , and the greater variety of trials , through which we make them pass , we do thereby both secure the quiet of our own consciences the more , as well as the dignity of holy things , and the true interest of religion and the church : for these two interests must never be separated ; they are but one and the same in themselves ; and what god has joined together , we must never set asunder . we must be setting constantly before our clergie , their obligations to the several parts of their duty ; we must lay these upon them , when we institute or collate them to churches , in the solemnest manner , and with the weightiest words we can find . we must then lay the importance of the care of souls before them , and adjure them , as they will answer to god in the great day , in which we must appear to witness against them , that they will seriously consider and observe their ordination-vows , and that they will apply themselves wholly to that one thing . we must keep an eye upon them continually ; and be applying reproofs , exhortations , and encouragements , as occasion offers : we must enter into all their concerns , and espouse every interest of that part of the church that is assigned to their care : we must see them as oft as we can , and encourage them to come frequently to us ; and must live in all things with them , as a father with his children . and that every thing we say to stir them up to their duty , may have its due weight , we must take care so to order our selves , that they may evidently see , that we are careful to do our own . we must enter into all the parts of the worship of god with them ; not thinking our selves too good for any piece of service that may be done ; visiting the sick , admitting poor and indigent persons , or such as are troubled in mind , to come to us ; preaching of● , catechising and confirming frequently ; and living in all things like men that study to fulfil their ministry , and to do the work of evangelists . there has been an opinion of late , much favoured by some great men in our church ; that the bishop is the sole pastor of his whole diocess ; that the care of all the souls is singly in him , and that all the incumbents , in churches , are only his curates in the different parts of his parish , which was the ancient designation of his diocess . i know there are a great many passages brought from antiquity to favour this : i will not enter into the question , no not so far as to give my own opinion of it . this is certain , that such as are persuaded of it , ought thereby to consider themselves as under very great and strict obligations , to constant labour and diligence ; otherwise , it will be thought , that they only favour this opinion , because it encreases their authority , without considering that necessary consequence that follows upon it . but i will go no further on this subject , at this time , having said so much only , that i may not seem to fall under that heavy censure of our saviour's , with relation to the scribes and pharisees , that they did bind heavy burdens , and grievous to be born , upon others ; and laid them upon mens shoulders , when they themselves would not move them with one of their fingers . i must leave the whole matter with my readers . i have now laid together with great simplicity what has been the chief subject of my thoughts for above thirty years . i was formed to them by a bishop that had the greatest elevation of soul , the largest compass of knowledg , the most mortified and most heavenly disposition , that i ever yet saw in mortal ; that had the greatest parts as well as vertues , with the perfectest humility that i ever saw in man ; and had a sublime strain in preaching , with so grave a gesture , and such a majesty both of thought , of language , and of pronunciation , that i never once saw a wandring eye where he preached ; and have seen whole assemblies often melt in tears before him ; and of whom , i can say with great truth , that in a free and frequent conversation with him , for above two and twenty years , i never knew him say an idle word , that had not a direct tendency to edification : and i never once saw him in any other temper , but that which i wished to be in , in the last minutes of my life . for that pattern which i saw in him , and for that conversation which i had with him , i know how much i have to answer to god : and though my reflecting on that which i knew in him , gives me just cause of being deeply humbled in my self , and before god ; yet i feel no more sensible pleasure in any thing , than in going over in my thoughts all that i saw and observed in him . i have also another reason , that has determined me at this time , to prepare this discourse , and to offer it to the publick ; from the present posture of our affairs . we arenow brought very near the greatest crisis that ever church or nation had . and as on the one hand , if god should so far punish us for our sins , for our contempt of his gospel , and neglect of our duties , as to deliver us over to the rage of our enemies ; we have nothing to look for , but a persecution more dreadful than any is in history : so if god hears our prayers , and gives us a happy issue out of all those dangers , with which the malice of our enemies threaten us ; we have in view the greatest prospect of a blessed and lasting settlement , that even our wishes can propose to us . now nothing can so certainly avert the one , or prepare us to glorify god in it , if he in his justice and wisdom should call us to a fiery trial of our faith , and patience ; as the serious minding of our functions , of our duties and obligations , the confessing of our sins , and the correcting of our errors . we shall be very unfit to suffer for our religion , much less to die for it , and very little able to endure the hardships of persecution , if our consciences are reproaching us all the while , that we have procured these things to our selves ; and that by the ill use of our prosperity , and other advantages , we have kindled a fire to consume us . but as we have good reason from the present state of affairs , as well as from the many eminent deliverances , and happy providences , which have of late , in so signal a manner , watched over and protected us , to hope that god according to the riches of his mercy , and for the glory of his great name , will hear the prayers that many good souls offer up , rather than the cry of those abominations that are still among us : so nothing can so certainly hasten on the fixing of our tranquillity , and the compleating our happiness , as our lying often between the porch and the altar , and interceding with god for our people ; and our giving our selves wholly to the ministry of the word of god , and to prayer . these being then the surest means , both to procure and to establish to us , all those great and glorious things that we pray and hope for ; this seemed to me a very proper time to publish a discourse of this nature . but that which made it an act of obedience , as well as zeal , was the authority of my most reverend metropolitan ; who , i have reason to believe , employs his time and thoughts , chiefly to consider what may yet be wanting to give our church a greater beauty and perfection ; and what are the most proper means both of purifying and uniting us . to which i thought nothing could so well prepare the way , as the offering to the publick a plain and full discourse of the pastoral care , and of every thing relating to it . his grace approved of this , and desired me to set about it : upon these motives i writ it , with all the simplicity and freedom that i thought the subject required , and sent it to him ; by whose particular approbation i publish it , as i writ it at his direction . there is indeed one of my motives that i have not yet mentioned , and on which i cannot enlarge so fully as i well might . but while we have such an invaluable and unexampled blessing , in the persons of those princes whom god hath set over us ; if all the considerations which arise out of the deliverances that god has given us by their means , of the protection we enjoy under them , and of the great hopes we have of them : if , i say , all this does not oblige us , to set about the reforming of every thing that may be amiss or defective among us , to study much , and to labour hard ; to lead strict and exemplary lives , and so to stop the mouths , and overcome the prejudices , of all that divide from us ; this will make us look like a nation cast off and forsaken of god , which is nigh unto cursing , and whose end is burning . we have reason to conclude , that our present blessings are the last essays of god's goodness to us , and that if we bring forth no fruit under these , the next sentence shall be , cut it down , why cumbreth it the ground ? these things lie heavy on my thoughts continually , and have all concurred to draw this treatise from me ; which i have writ with all the sincerity of heart , and purity of intention , that i should have had , if i had known that i had been to die at the conclusion of it , and to answer for it to god. to him i humbly offer it up , together with my most earnest prayers , that the design here so imperfectly offered at , may become truly effectual , and have its full progress and accomplishment ; which whensoever i shall see , i shall then with joy , say , nunc dimittis , &c. finis . books sold by richard chiswell . books written by gilbert burnet , d. d. now lord bishop of sarum . the history of the reformation of the church of england , in volumes . folio . — abridgment of the said history . octavo . — vindication of the ordinations of the church of england . quarto . — history of the rights of princes in disposing of ecclesiastical benefices and church-lands . octavo . — life of william bedel , d. d. bishop of kilmore in ireland ; together with the copies of certain letters which passed between spain and england in matter of religion , concerning the general motives to the roman obedience : between mr. iames wadsworth a late pensioner of the holy inquisition in sevil , and the said william bedel then minister of the gospel in suffolk . octavo . — some passages of the life and death of iohn late earl of rochester . octavo . — examination of the letter writ by the late assembly-general of the clergy of france to the protestants , inviting them to return to their communion ; together with the methods proposed by them for their conviction . octavo . — a collection of seventeen tracts and discourses written in the years to , inclusive . quarto . — a second volume , or a collection of eighteen papers relating to the affairs of church and state during the reign of k. iames the second . with twelve others published a little before and since the late revolution , to christmas , . — fast-sermon at bow-church ; march , . on luke . , . — fast-sermon before the queen ; iuly , . on psal. . . — thanksgiving-sermon before the king and queen ; octob. , . on psal. . , . — fast-sermon before the king and queen ; april , . on psal. . . — thanksgiving-sermon before the king and queen ; nov. . : on prov. . . — sermon at the funeral of robert boyle , esq ian. . . on eccles. . . dr. alix's remarks upon the ecclesiastical history of the ancient churches of piedmont and the albigenses . in two parts . quarto . the jesuits memorial for the intended reformation of england under their first popish prince . written by father parsons , and prepared to be proposed in the first parliament after the restoration of popery , for the better establishment and preservation of that religion . published from the very manuscript copy that was presented to the late king iames the second , and found in his closet . with an introduction , and some animadversions by edward gee , chaplain to their majesties . octavo . dr. c●mberland ( now lord bishop of peterborough ) his essay towards the recovery of the jewish measures and weights , comprehending their monies ; by help of antient standards compared with ours of england , useful also to state many of those of the greeks and romans and the eastern nations . octavo . dr. stratford ( now lord bishop of chester ) his disswasive from revenge . octavo . — the lay-christian's obligation to read the holy scriptures . quarto . — a discourse concerning the popes supremacy . quarto . dr. cave's dissertation concerning the government of the antient church by bishops , metropolitans and patriarchs . octavo . two letters betwixt mr. rich. smith and dr. h●n . hammond , concerning the sense of that a●ticle in the creed [ he descended into hell. ] octavo . dr. puller's moderation of the church of england . octavo . jacobi usserii historia dogmatica controvers . inter orthodoxos & pontificios de scripturis & sacris vernaculis . quarto , . tho. pope-blunt censura celebriorum authorum , sive tractatus in quo varia virorum doctorum de clariss . cujusque saeculi scriptoribus judicia traduntur . fol. . gul. camdeni & illustrium virorum ad gul. camdenum epistolae . quarto , . anglia sacra , sive collectio historiarum antiquitus scriptarum de archiepisc. & episcopis angliae , a prima fidei christianae susceptione ad annum . opera hen. whartoni , in vol. folio , . mr. rushworth's historical collections , the third part , in two volumes , never before printed ; from the beginning of the long parliament , to the end of the year : wherein is a particular account of the rise and progress of the civil war to that period . folio . . stephani chauvin lexicon rationale , sive thesaurus philosophicus , . folio . sam. basnagii exercitationes historico-criticae de rebus sacris & ecclesiasticis . quarto , . tho. crenii collectio consiliorum de studiis optime instituendis . quarto , . — ejusdem fascicul●s dissertationum hist. critico-philologicarum . octavo , . basilii fabri thesaurus eruditionis scholasticae , cum innumeris additionibus per aug. buchnerum & christoph. cellarium . lips. folio , . ludov. seckendorf historia lutheranismi . folio , . laurentii begeri observationes & conjecturae in numismata quaedam antiqua . quarto , . notes, typically marginal, from the original text notes for div a -e phil. . malach. . , , . jer. . . notes for div a -e tim . ● . isa. . . joh. . . cor . , ● . cor. . , . rev. . . ch . cor. . . . heb. , . . ezek. . cor. . . cor . st. matth. . st. matt. . , . cor. . . . philip. . st. matth. . . john . . levit. . levit. ▪ . le●it 〈…〉 l●●it . . ● 〈…〉 sam. d & d ch. isa. . . ●er . . ezek. . . jer. . . jer. . . jer. . . jer. . . v. . v. . jer. . . ezek. . . ezek. . . ezek. . . ●●ek . . v. . v. . v. . dan. . . hos. . , , . joel . . ch . . v. . zech. . . mal. . . s. matth. . st. lu●e . st. io. . acts . v. . v. . v. . 〈…〉 cor. . . cor. . . ●ct● . ● . cor. . . eph. ▪ . . ● col. . tim. . , , , , . tim. . . . tim. ● . , ● , . v. . v. . v. , , . tim. . . v. . . tim. . . . v. ● . v. . v. . v. . v. . tit. . tit. . . v. . tim. . . heb. . v. . cor. ● , . math. . , . the shipwrack of all false churches: and the immutable safety and stability of the true church of christ. occasioned: by doctour chamberlen his mistake of her, and the holy scriptures also, by syllogising words, to find out spirituall meanings, when in such cases it is the definition, not the name, by which things are truly knowne. graunt, john, of bucklersbury. this text is an enriched version of the tcp digital transcription a of text r in the english short title catalog (thomason e _ ). textual changes and metadata enrichments aim at making the text more computationally tractable, easier to read, and suitable for network-based collaborative curation by amateur and professional end users from many walks of life. the text has been tokenized and linguistically annotated with morphadorner. the annotation includes standard spellings that support the display of a text in a standardized format that preserves archaic forms ('loveth', 'seekest'). textual changes aim at restoring the text the author or stationer meant to publish. this text has not been fully proofread approx. kb of xml-encoded text transcribed from -bit group-iv tiff page images. earlyprint project evanston,il, notre dame, in, st. louis, mo a wing g thomason e _ estc r this keyboarded and encoded edition of the work described above is co-owned by the institutions providing financial support to the early english books online text creation partnership. this phase i text is available for reuse, according to the terms of creative commons . universal . the text can be copied, modified, distributed and performed, even for commercial purposes, all without asking permission. early english books online. (eebo-tcp ; phase , no. a ) transcribed from: (early english books online ; image set ) images scanned from microfilm: (thomason tracts ; :e [ ]) the shipwrack of all false churches: and the immutable safety and stability of the true church of christ. occasioned: by doctour chamberlen his mistake of her, and the holy scriptures also, by syllogising words, to find out spirituall meanings, when in such cases it is the definition, not the name, by which things are truly knowne. graunt, john, of bucklersbury. [ ], p. printed, and are to be sold by g. calvert, at the west end of pauls, and j. hancock in popes-head-alley, london : . attributed to john graunt. a reply to an untraced tract by peter chamberlen. annotation on thomason copy: "august. .". reproduction of the original in the british library. eng chamberlen, peter, - . religion -- early works to . clergy -- england -- early works to . theology -- early works to . a r (thomason e _ ). civilwar no the shipwrack of all false churches: and the immutable safety and stability of the true church of christ.: occasioned: by doctour chamberle graunt, john, of bucklersbury. c the rate of defects per , words puts this text in the c category of texts with between and defects per , words. - tcp assigned for keying and markup - apex covantage keyed and coded from proquest page images - john pas sampled and proofread - john pas text and markup reviewed and edited - pfs batch review (qc) and xml conversion the shipwrack of all false churches : and the immutable safety and stability of the true church of christ . occasioned : by doctour chamberlen his mistake of her , and of the holy scriptures also , by syllogising words , to find out spirituall meanings , when in such cases it is the definition , not the name , by which things are truly knowne . jer. . trust not in lying words , saying the temple of the lord , the temple of the lord , &c. psal. . . the lord loveth the gates of sion more then all the dwellings of jacob . matth. . , . but i say unto you , that every idle word that men shall speake , they shall give account thereof in the day of judgement . for by thy words thou shalt be justified , and by thy words thou shalt be condemned . london : printed , and are to be sold by g. calvert , at the west end of pauls , and j. hancock in popes-head . alley . . to the church of christ at london , beloved of god , called by the spirit , to be saints in christ jesus . all grace be multiplyed . faithfull friends ; in love to you and the truth , i have undertaken in your cause , and in the right of you all , to discover a counterfeit friend , whom i lately met with , that did aver to my selfe , and to others of your society ▪ that , to be your state and condition , your devotion , fruit , and manifestation , which upon triall proved no better then carnall and sensuall . and having received perfect knowledge of you by the same spirit that doth make and constitute you , i could not keep silence , but instantly reproved him openly : yet notwithstanding that publick disclaim i made of what he said , he hath since printed that which he then verbally avouched , which is so unsavory , and to your holy and pure nature so contrary . from which aspersion to free you , i have made bold to declare and make knowne your holy and spirituall birth , life , constitution , fellowship , communion , hope , and worship , in the purity and spirituall part of gods ordinances : your divine communion with the father , and with the son , in the spirit , your righteous garments without you , and gods habitation , with his comfortable refreshments within you , your peculiar treasures and priviledges in knowing the truth , and the administration of it also , the heavenly power you have with christ , and what it is indeed to be gathered together in his name , and how clear and intire you stand distinct from all other churches that boldly call themselves by your titles and appellations , and lay claim to your own immunities , and priviledges also , with such particular letters that have passed interchangeably between us , touching the vindication of you in the premises , who am the lords and yours , in all humble service , in the truth . j. g. bucklersbury , the th of june , . sir ; i have twice borne your contemptuous slightings , although what i moved was seasonable , both for gods glory , and the present occasion . and had not earnest businesse caused my long absence from london , you should have heard of me before this time , to have required an account concerning your great seemings to no purpose . sir , as there was in times past an outward appearance , that was not righteous , so there is still in this present time , which was as much manifested by your selfe in those arguings , where i was with you at mr webbs , as ever heretofore by any of your generation . now since my returne to london , i have seen you have printed a monument of your owne weaknesse , which except you repent of , will unavoydably redound to your great prejudice , and if you will give me satisfaction in the two particulars i reproved you in , well ; if not , i shall publish not only my reproofe of those two arguments , but of every thing else you then spake of , and since have printed ; this is the mind of him that answered your uncivill questions , what he was that spake , and how in profession , where for habitation , and his distinction for nomination , who then told you he was alwayes ready to meet you at any time to discover the fallacy of your baptisme and church also . subscribing my name as it is , john graunt , dwelling as abovesaid , at the signe of the halfe moon . london , the th of july , . sir ; the last month i gave you to understand of your incivility towards me , intimating the time and place also ; and because your regardlesnesse is still continued , i thought good the second time to write , although you denyed me to speak , once and againe , and to let you to know that there is not a more certaine time of sinning against god , his truth , and children , then of suffering for wronging them . for he that affirms , that to be the church of christ that is not , wrongs the lord the husband , and his holy spouse also . and he that gives any other meaning of the scripture , then what the holy ghost intendeth , hurts and wounds the truth of gods testimonies , and his children also . now the truth is , thou art the man that hast blasphemed the tabernacle of god , and them that dwell therein , affirming her to be untempered morter , and fading ▪ that is true , dureable , & everlasting . and that to be the meaning of christ , mat ▪ . . and the apostle , rom. . ; . which was never meant nor intended by them . sir , you did not consider the scriptures when you read them , if you had , you might have discerned the meaning otherwise then that you have there declared : and if it be possible , look on the text with a single eye , and then you may perceive more then yet you have , for this is a spirituall scripture , and none but spirituall eyes can discern it . in the letter it runs thus , upon peters confession . thou art christ ; the son of the living god . jesus answered and said unto him , blessed art thou simon , &c. for flesh and bloud hath not revealed this unto thee , but my father which is in heaven . you see the lord pronounces him blessed , because he was one that the lord had inspired , taught , and instructed ; that it was not peters confession as he was a naturall , but as he was a spirituall man , and so uttered from the spirit of adoption , as in another place the same apostle speaking to the same purpose , we beleeve and are sure that thou art that christ , the son of the living god . and as in the foregoing words he calls him lord , saying , whether shall we goe , thou hast the words of eternall life . again , consider the terms he useth ▪ we beleeve and are sure ; this sure and stedfast faith is that faith which ●●y had that received him , that is , that loved , understood , and obeyed him , to whom he gave the priviledge of sonship , even them that beleeve on his name , and then he shewes what manner of men they are in these words , which were borne ( saith he ) not of blood , nor of the will of the flesh , nor of the will of man , but of god : so then this blessed confession is from a blessed man , a regenerated man , the confession of a child of the covenant , as the apostle paul in the other place saith , speaking in the meaning of the lord , the word is nigh thee ( saith he ) even in thy mouth , and in thy heart : that is ( or this is ) the word of faith which we preach , the word or covenant of promise : that is , whoever by vertue of the new covenant , the word or statute of life , the covenant of grace , shall be born again , and shall beleeve in his heart , and confesse with his mouth , the lord jesus , as before is shewed , he shall be saved , for such a one is the child of salvation . now doctour , see how you have wronged these scriptures by making the first a ground of a long discourse of philosophy , in declaring to the people how in the improvement of naturall faculties , first the judgement is informed , then the will consenteth , and accordingly the affections are exercised . i tell you the truth doctour , i was ashamed of your doctrine , and that made me speak , though you returned me a scoffe . and when your wisdom led you to shew us the meaning of the apostles tearms ( believing and confessing ) by a sillogisme without distinguishing the meanings that were of divers significations in the word of god , i was so bold as to tell you before all the people your argument was fallacious , and tended to deceive , because the tearms were dubious : and then you scorn'd and despis'd me again . and according to these corrupt expositions , are all the rest of your arguings , whereof , except you prevent me by your speedy repentance , i shall make a publick anatomy to the view of the world , and subscribe my name your friend , john graunt . sir , i received a thing subscribed with your name , full of basket-hilted words and quarrelsome phrases , to provoke me to a challenge ( as i suppose ) about mr cranfords dispute at mr webbs ; and in justification of your uncivill behaviour there , which not i , but your own party rebuked . the businesse concerns mr cranford , and how you should come to interest your selfe in it , i know not . if mr cranford be pleased to resigne it to you under his hand , i shall accept it . if any thing else lye upon your stomach , you may signifie what it is , and you need not doubt of a reasonable answer from june . . peter chamberlen . london , th●●● of july , . sir , yesterday i received a letter from you , dated june . . which antedated the last from me of the d instant , which had you seen before you had written this , i suppose your mind would not have been as here is expressed , for therein you might have understood no carnall quarrelling , nor provocation to fleshly challenges , nor vaine and uncivill expressions of basket hilted words , nor any private naturall mans suppositions , but a clear , plain , and earnest contention for the doctrine of faith once delivered to the saints , clearly discovered , and not dissembled , nor counterfeited ; minding more the spirit of faith , by which gods servants are inabled to speak then this or that mans busines . and a child of truth that hath his right or interest therein , they hear , they receive , they understand , they beleive the voyce of their shepheard , but a strangers voyce they will not , they cannot , they may not hear and receive : and of the same nature was yours , as i have signified twice before . at this time , i shall deal only with you , i speak not of others , and mind no such resignation as you speak of , but a vindication of the truth of god , from you withholding it in unrighteousnesse , and pray for your repentance , to become truths friend ; truly and plainly to distinguish between divinity and philosophy ; and of terms also , to preserve differing proprieties , and the contrary lyes on my stomach undigested . yours , john graunt . sir , the last night late , i met with a more civill letter of yours , and surely therein you shall not outdoe me . wherefore now , taking all your a reproaches of me , as done out of zeal and conscience , i can willingly passe them by , and endeavour to satisfie you in whatsoever you may make a scruple ▪ ( as far as the lord shall enable me . ) in your letter july d you say he that affirmeth that to bee the church of christ which is not , wrongs the lord , &c. and he that gives any other meaning of the scripture then what the holy ghost intendeth , hurts and wounds the truth of gods testimony , &c. to both these i b assent . let us therefore see whether i be the man that have blasphemed ( as ye say ) and i shall not dare to maintain it ; i shall also desire you in the like candour to lay these rules to heart , and examine your selfe . you say i affirm her that is true , durable , and everlasting , to be fading , and framed with untempered morter ; and that to be the meaning of christ ▪ matthew . . and of the apostle , rom. . , . which was never meant , nor intended by them , which if i were guilty of , i confesse your accusation just . let us therefore speak of them both apart . first of the first , wherein we must first endeavour to bring your words to your meaning , or your meaning to your words . for if it c relate unto the first rules set down , it is a kind of contradiction . the rule intimating the making of a false church to appear as a true : the other , the making of a true church to be as a false . but if you mean two severall things , then i suppose your rule would infer an imputation on me of having maintained our church to be the church of christ , which you say is not so , and your church not to be the church of christ , which neverthelesse is so . for ( surely ) you mean not that ever i affirmed the church of christ to be fading , and framed with untempered morter , but rather that such churches which were so fading , and framed with untempered morter , are not the churches of christ . now that whereby we aver our selves to be the true church of christ , is by keeping the d pure ordinances of christ , according to his word ; and if you think otherwise , you should instance in any perticular . on the other side , we say that yours is not the true church of christ , because you keep not the true ordinances of christ according to his word . and we instance in baptisme , and the lords supper , and could instance in more . now this we doe not for any spleen or malice , ( for i say the same things to my best friends ) but that i might provoke you and them to examine your selves exactly by the word of god , and forsake the traditions of men . as to the scriptures mentioned , mat. . . the word it seems saith it was the father that revealed it to peter , and not e flesh and blood , which thing i brought to prove that the knowledge of truth commeth not by flesh and bloud , but by revelation from god . and rom. . . & . was no whit clouded or disparaged by the philosophicall discourse of f experience ( as you suppose ) since david ( psal. . & . &c. ) and christ himselfe is full of excellent philosophy , both morall and naturall ( mat. . . . chap. . ) and all throughout the gospel . so paul ( acts . . ) &c. be not offended at philosophy ( which is the work and providence of god ) unlesse it be vaine philosophy , which is against god . if any of my syllogisms were fallacious , surely you were more quick then mr cranford , and all the schollars there to discerne it , and truly know it better then my selfe : for i know of none , nor meant none , shew it , and i shall amend it . your last letter from john . . i confesse in all senses true ; and whosoever is but taught of man is but mans sheep . whether any pretend to be mine or mr cranfords , they have nothing to boast of . but if i speak the words of christ , in the power of christ , it is no more i , but jesus christ that dwelleth in me . and g then they that hear not me , hear not him that sent me . thus you see how large a letter i have written to you , in love unto the truth , and compassion to your soule , that you may know me to be your true freind in the lord , peter chamberlen . now the reason why i doe not answer this last letter of the doctours in a private way as he sent it me , is , because he hath so boldly and publickly wronged the truth , that she hath no way to be righted and relieved , but by publick reparation . and if i should reprove all i know of the gentleman , both old and new , some other things would fall in with my pens reprehension also . but we will lay aside all these and many more , till another opportunity , and now proceed to the tryall of his syllogismes . the shipwrack of all false churches . and the immutable safety and stability of the true church of christ . the disputes and arguings of dr chamberlen , march . . which are since published , and as he saith , for the satisfaction of all that love the truth , but tendeth wholly contrary thereunto ; and it is so far from being justified , that it is condemned by all the children of wisdome , as i shall shew plainly , and that from his owne printed papers , gathering these three conclusions out from amongst abundance of unsound positions , vain repetitions , and absurd inferences ; and although he hath scattered them up and down , yet we will orderly reduce them , and quaerie . . what he saith of the church of christ . . of the ordinances . and , . of the ministry thereof . and this shall be my method with gods helpe . . i will shew how the doctour in all these particulars misseth the truth , and then i will manifest and confirm the truth it selfe , as the scriptures doe determine of all and each respectively . in the ●h page of his book of vaine syllogismes , he hath these words , dr chamberlen here took liberty to make a short discourse concerning the church , which indeed is very much and large , but to little purpose ; and therein declareth himselfe not to be acquainted with true divinity ; for what are all heathenish or carnall christian assemblies , to the congregation of christs members , which are his church , or the multitudes of carnall christians , in their devotion and worship , in the litterall , externall ordinances , and yet notwithstanding be a sinfull nation , a people laden with iniquity , a seed of evill doers , children that are corrupters , such as in heart have forsaken the lord , and have provoked the holy one of israel to anger , and are gone astray backward , that is , have estranged , alienated , or separated themselves from god , through their impenitency and hardnesse of heart , notwithstanding all their pretence of outward sanctity in externall ordinances and church discipline , where there is no such thing at all in truth and in sincerity , although drawne out from others into seperated congregations , according to the traditions of mens devices , filling themselves with the old wine of harisaicall righteousnesse . and although among other churches , the doctour is pleased to affirm , that the church of christ comprehendeth all the saints , but in that he sheweth not his ▪ meaning what a saint is , he thereby cleareth not himselfe from being ignorant thereof , forasmuch as antichrist himselfe gives the title of saints to his ungodly church also . but if the doctour would have edified the congregation , he should in the first place have distinguished between the true church , and all such as are false , by a right definition , and description of the saints and true church of christ , from all others that assume to take upon them her name , and yet are ignorant of her nature , which he wholly omitting , hath lost his labour , and rendered himselfe unwise to the children of wisdome . and for wanting better principles , in his premises , he makes his conclusion as equally corrupt in these words , page . the church of christ , saith he , is then , and so long the church of christ , as she saith and doth what christ gave her to say and doe , even as christ himselfe . by which saying he maketh the being and continuance of the church to depend on her own obedience ; and for proof thereof , quo●es john . . & . . & . . . & . , . and concludeth thus , and when she saith or doth otherwise , she speaketh , or playeth the harlot in that particular . which is not the doctrine of the spirit of christ , but of the spirit of antichrist : for the doctour makes the church to be her owne keeper , but the spirit of god saith , the lord is the shepheard and keeper of her . the spirit of christ saith , she is chast and undefiled , the doctour on the contrary affirmeth she may play the whore , and be a harlot . the spirit saith , she is led into all truth , that she is the ground ▪ pillar , and upholder of it , and so impregnable that the gates of hell shall not prevail against her , that every member is living , every stone precious . but on the contrary , the doctour saith , she is mutable , and so changeable , as that she may say and doe contrary to it , that leads her , that guides her , that speaks in her . oh miserable doctrine , and no lesse miserable are those that receive it ; for if the blind lead the blind , they will both fall into the ditch , yet the doctour would have the people beleive he is not blind , but seeth ; and therefore quotes many scriptures to prove it , as are before mentioned , which being the letter of the text , without any exposition , we will examine the meaning thereof . our lord being at jerusalem , at the feast of tabernacles , the jewes , saith the text , marvelled concerning him and his doctrine ; some said he was a good man , others , that he deceived the people ; but jesus answered . my doctrine is not mine , but his that sent me , and so adviseth them how they might have benefit by it . if any man will doe his will , he shall know of the doctrine whether it be of god , or whether i speak of my selfe , where there is not one word of the church of christ ; for they that doe not obey his will , are not his church , nor any other title to the doctours purpose . in the second place , he continues his speech to his persecuting enemies , which i hope upon second thoughts he doth not understand to be his church . in the third place , he graciously informs and confirms his faithfull servant phillip , in the mystery of his divinity , as of his humanity , and that his words are the works of god ; but not a word in the doctours meaning . and in the . verse , as he speaks of them that love him , so he speaks of them that hate him , whom to affirme to be his church , is to blaspheme her . and in the last place , john . , . the lord speaks of himselfe as distinguishable from the father , and also declareth the hypostaticall union of both natures , humane and divine . the true meaning of these scriptures being thus considered , shewes plainly that his doctrine and their intention , were at a vast distance ; for it is far from their meaning , that the church of christ may play the harlot , and of pure , become base and unclean , because they testifie that she is so long to last , and continue holy , even every member of her his body , as jesus christ her head is to be christ , who was yesterday , and to day , and for ever . and s●ving your learning , sir ▪ this doctrine sheweth that you are still tainted with the old leaven of corrupt popery , and arminianisme , which will be more manifested when i come to shew what the true church of christ is indeed , discovering thereby your fancie more particulerly and exactly . another conclusion that he would teach the people was , that his church was a baptized church , and had the true marks of a true church , which is the true preaching the word , and the true administration of the sacraments , as he calls them . here the gentleman is at a losse also , and beats the air as before , and that which he saith is to as little purpose , his terms not being cleared to what sense he means , from their various ac●eptations . but the truth is , his owne meaning by baptisme is but that which is outward , that any man may bear witnesse to , that is present , as he affirms in page . so then , his baptisme is of the same nature as his church is , both carnall , the inside foule , as simon magus his heart was , not right in the sight of god , his estate naturall and miserable , in the gall of bitternesse , and in the bond of iniquity , yet washt and cleansed without . where doe you read in the scriptures that the churches of god , true spirituall christians , did ever brag and boast of the fleshly and carnall parts of the ordinances of the gospel , as you have done ? no , they see those are shaddows , elementary representations , and say , that it is not baptism in the flesh , that saves not ; but the baptism of the heart , the heart sprinkled from an evil conscience , and the body washed with pure water , by this spirituall baptisme men are saved . so also they affirm , that 's not circumcision that is in the flesh , but that is circumcision that is of the heart in the spirit , and not in the letter , inward , spirituall , and heavenly baptisme . and this circumcision is that which gods church glories in , and not the outward , that divells may participate of as well as saints . but the doctour fears not to avouch , that the washing with the old ford , or thames water , and the like places is that baptisme , which the scripture in a speciall sense speaks of , by which men are regenerated , because he maketh it the true mark of the rue church . indeed this is the opinion of the stupid , obdurat , hard-hearted jews and papists , and of most carnall protestants , in which they are all alike . but as the true church of christ is spirituall , so is her baptisme , and so are her fruits and manifestations , her marks and seals , by which she is distinguished from all other churches that are false , as when i come to establish the truth shall be cleared . but the doctour further affirmeth , that their baptized churches have the true preaching of the word ; and he thinks himselfe to be none of the meanest amongst the rest : and therefore in the first place , and in the behalf of all the baptized churches , as he calls them , we will examine his owne true preaching of the word as he affirms in page . that his church , and all other baptized churches baptize such as shall be saved , according to mark . . because , as he saith , they are beleivers and repenters . again , saith he , they that baptize such as confesse with their mouth the lord jesus , and beleeve in their hearts that god hath raised him from the dead , rom. . baptizeth such as shall be saved . but baptized churches baptize such as confesse with their mouth the lord jesus , and beleeve with their hearts that god raised him from the dead ; therefore baptized churches baptize such as shall be saved . this professed workman for want of true understanding to divide the word aright , hath from his own mouth eternalized his own shame , for want of a clear and true distinction in the same terms that have divers meanings . and that his folly may the more be manifested , we will ingeniously consider the scriptures ; the first we read thus , he that beleeveth and is baptized , shall be saved . now to find out the true meaning hereof , two terms of necessity must be opened ; for one and the same term admitting of divers meanings in scripture , that sense must be distinguished from all others of like nature , that is properly and only intended in that place . now for the term [ faith ] it hath divers significations in the scripture ; somtimes it is referred unto god , somtimes unto men ; when unto god , then it implyeth or intendeth nothing else but the sure and certain unalterablenesse of his promise , and decree . if unto men , then it signifieth and intendeth either the doctrine of the gospel it selfe , or their faithfulnes that declare it , or else some speciall gifts which the spirit of god indueth his servants with ; now of such gifts there are but three sorts that bear the name of faith . somtimes the knowledge and certain understanding of the truth of gods word , is called faith , which for distinction sake may be called , and that truly , the faith of knowledge , or historicall faith ; which faith , although all the saints under the scriptures administration of the gospel have , yet it is not peculiar to them alone , but common to all perishing christians , such as the doctours church consisteth of , and may abundantly exceed in yea , even sathan himselfe . the second gift of the holy ghost , is that by which any one miraculously doth such things as causeth admiration in the beholders , exceeding naturall effects , and is often in holy writ called by the name of faith , and so may be denominated miraculous faith . but with this gift the unholy may more excell , then the holy men of god ; for john the baptist did no miracle , but iudas the traytour did many ; in which gift of faith the priests and juglers of rome were famous ; as the spirit of the lord foretold . and they shall doe great wonders , and works of great power , so that they would deceive if it were possible , the very elect . which kind of faith may properly be defined thus , that it is a certain undoubted confidence whereby a man beleeveth that god almighty will by him doe this or that miracle , as the scripture saith , through faith in his name . the third sort of the gifts of the spirit , which any man receiveth to eternall life , is called by the name of faith ; and that more often then those before named , which the scripture calleth the faith of god , the faith of the son of god , the faith of jesus christ , the faith of abraham , the faith that worketh by love , the faith of gods elect , which is often and properly called by godly men , justifying faith ; and of this sort and kind of faith , all the saints , and they onely have , which may be truely defined in this manner , that it is a full , sure , and firme confidence ingraven by the power of the spirit of god , in a penitent , broken heart , whereby he assuredly beleeveth that all his sins are remitted , and that he is reconciled and made one with god , in everlasting love and favour through the lord jesus christ . now the doctour ought to have considered which of all these three sorts of faith is meant by our saviour in the place he alledges ; the last sort of faith cannot be understood , for that is included in the next tearm [ baptized ] as i shall shew when i give you the meaning . nor the second sort , for that 's not peculiar to them that shall be saved . and therefore without all contradiction it must be the first sort of faith , which all the elect of god must have in some measure or other , wrought by gods spirit , before he works , either repentance , or remission of sins ; which kind of faith may well be expressed in saying that it is , and it is nothing else but a sure knowledge and settled assent ▪ of the mind and heart , by which a man most undoubtedly beleeveth such things as are revealed for the salvation of mankinde . now the second tearme in the text is [ baptized ] which word is likewise of divers significations in the scripture ; and he ought here to have dealt like a skilfull spirituall workman , as before is exprest ; that is , in the first place to have shewed the manifold acceptations the same word also hath in the holy ghosts expression , and then which of all the meanings by the same tearm is here to be understood , which the doctor having omitted , of necessity i must do this work for him , to find out the true meaning of this scripture also . wherefore i say of the tearm [ baptisme ] as of the tearm faith , that it hath divers , disfinct , and severall meanings in the scriptures ; sometimes is meant by it externall elementary baptisme , that which is from below , but more often that which is spirituall and heavenly , from above , as repentance is called baptisme , and so is remission of sinnes ; and these two heavenly operations together , being regeneration , and the making parts of the new man , are called baptisme , and so are the gifts of the holy ghost given to this new creature , called baptisme : as also , the enabling grace in the holy conversation of this child of god . his mortification and vivification are called baptisme ; as also are his blessed sufferings for righteousnesse sake . can you be baptized with the baptisme that i am baptized with ? &c. now mr. doctour ; may it please you to learne which of all these distinct meanings is that which is intended by our lord and saviour : the last it cannot be , for in that our lord speaks of the work and exercise of a new man , born , and not of the birth it selfe : the first it cannot be , for that is from below ; and it is impossible for the water of the great ocean springs , or fountains to unharden the heart , to convert a naturall man , to renew the sinner , to sanctifie the polluted ; then without all question it must be the baptisme of repentance , and remission of sinnes ▪ the washing of regeneration , and renewing of the holy ghost , for whosoever is so baptized , doth so repent , and beleeve , shall be saved . now these things considered , i pray see what a corrupt manner of preaching is this of yours , and how these scriptures prove what you have affirmed , let the people of the lord judge . for as you have by your false expositions killed and taken away the life and meaning of gods holy word , in these past instances of divine writ ; even so in like manner hath your dealing been with all other scriptures you have made use of ; for which in due time and place you shall receive just reproof . in the next place , i should have discovered your ignorance of the ordinance of the lords supper , which is your confirmation of your disciples , under the power of your ordinances , as you use to say , by which you doe not onely interest your selves into their estates , but have the disposing of their bodies also . but i will defer that till i shall determine it rightly by the scriptures of truth , and will now take in hand the point you have spent most of your syllogismes about , concerning the ministry of the church of christ ; and you ground your large disputes on a question , page . which you frame thus . whether privat men , i mean trades-men , say you may preach the word of god without ordination . by which it appears his meaning is , they may ; and so goes on in all fury , and in a conceit of an uncontrollable ability to make good his three fold cord of major , minor , and conclusion , with cunning , sophisticall words of juglers , as the apostle speaks of some in his time , pet. . . and the man is so confident , that he thinks neither word nor spirit may countermand him , but when the account of his question is audited , i think he will wish he had been better imployed , for the doctour is fallen into a mist , as he was before , and doth all his work in darknesse ; and he shall find them to prove no lesse then works of darknesse themselves , by not clearing three tearms in his question ; that is , private men , ordination , and preaching : and that i may the more fully discover the doctours weaknesse , his question 's examination shall be by the scriptures , and then it will appear how the scriptures meaning , and the doctours doth disagree . now we find the first tearm , private man , made use of by the apostle , pet. . , . knowing this first ( saith he ) that no prophesie of the scripture is of any private interpretation ( or motion ▪ as some translate ) for the prophesie came not at any time by the will of man , &c. the apostle teacheth us here that the private man he speaks of , is a naturall man ; and he explains his own meaning to be so , in these words , by the will of man : that is , by no naturall mans abilities whatsoever . and as he denies that the prophesie of truth and holy writ came by the power , parts , and gifts of any man in nature , so also he affirms , by whom god makes knowne his word , will , and prophesies , that is , by spirituall men , in these plain words , but holy men of god spake as they were moved by the holy ghost now doctour , see that which yet you never saw ; the church of christ , her preachers and prophets of the lord are not carnall , but spirituall men , and their motion and enablement thereunto , is not by any humane spirit , but through the movings and ability of the holy ghost . where is now therefore the multitude of your arguments , and syllogismes , of men and trades men , and gifted men , not taking into consideration , there are men and men , and gifts and gifts , which for want of scripture distinction , all the pains you have taken to spin so many curious threads to make a carnall webb of , no sooner is it toucht by the divine finger of the spirituall meaning of the word of god , but your glorious shew of humane , and of carnall , or private men falls all into filthy dust : for although carnall men may litterally preach , as judas and others have done , yet none but holy men can preach spiritually . and in this distinction the other tearms are to be understood also , of ordination and trades-men , both divine , the one in person , the other in approbation , and mission for holy men of god . the messengers and ministers of christ , are sent , appointed , and ordained by the lord himselfe , and justified and approved of by the saints and their preachings and declarations are not their own visions and though●s , as the doctours are , but the truth , word , and mind of the lord ; the same spirit in them enables them to open the scriptures now , which wrote them by the hands of his holy prophets and servants , which shall be more fully cleared when i come to the truths confirmation . now this brief discovery of the doctours large mistakes , shall suffice for this time ; some other things there are , which we shall have occasion to reprove , as we find them to hinder us in the way of truth and therefore , according to my promise in the first place i shall make a clear and plain description of the true church of christ , and so follow the doctour the same way he goes . but who is sufficient for these things , as the apostle speaks ; but wee are not as many which corrupt or deceitfully deal with the word of god , but as of sincerily , but as of god ; in the sight or in the powerfull presence of god , speak we in christ , although the doctour despise us . be it known unto him therefore , and all the world , that the true church of jesus christ is of a holy and pure nature , every part and member of her : for he that sanctifieth her , and they that are sanctified , are all of one ; that is , of the one holy spirit ; so then , as in her new nature she is holy and divine , so she is heavenly and spirituall ; spirituall children which make a spirituall family , or houshold ; spirituall trees which make a spirituall , fruitfull , fragrant garden ; spirituall stones built up a spirituall house , temple , tabernacle , a repose , an habitation for the heavenly god , the father of spirits , to abide , to delight , to dwell and reside in . yea more yet , she is a spirituall body , consisting of none but of spirituall members , knit and joyned together with spirituall sinews , supplyed with spirituall grace from the fountaine , the head , the spirituall head jesus christ , from which all the joynts and bands , having nourishment , ministred and knit together , groweth or increaseth with the increase of god ; from the head ▪ i say , conveyeth all over the body , to the least member , with spirituall veins , through which , an everlasting supplying grace is continued . for as she is the building and workmanship of god , the children and houshold of god , the plantation and garden of the lord , so she is kept by the power of god unto salvation . and he that keepeth this his israel , his chosen , called and sanctified ones , doth neither slumber nor sleep , but ever watcheth : and he their holy shepheard is mighty , and stronger then all , so that no opposite power and strength is able to take them out of his hand . now forasmuch as the faithfull servant and apostle of christ writing unto the holy and blessed church at ephesus , affirms them to be saints , and faithfull , and that they are in christ jesus . now all that are in christ jesus are holy and faithfull , for they are justified by faith , and sanctified by the holy ghost , and as the root is holy ▪ so are the branches also ; yet the apostle saith to these holy ones , you were the children of wrath as well as others . and to another church he saith , and such were some of you , speaking before of wicked and unholy men ; but yee ( saith he , meaning now ) are washed , but yee are sanctified , but yee are justified in the name of the lord jesus , and by the spirit of our god . that is , through the power of christ , by the operation of the spirit . therefore to know the way and method which god takes in the conversion of his servants that are his church , the discovery and opening thereof , will make not onely the description of the church of christ more clear , and manifest , but give us a definition also of her supernaturall making , parts : for as since the creation , propagation or birth gives being to all men naturally ; so heavenly and spirituall birth since the fall of man , is ordained and appointed of god to give spirituall being to all his saints , and children , which are the church of god , as it is written , that which is borne of the flesh is flesh , and that which is borne of the spirit , is spirit : so it is spirituall birth that gives being to spirituall men ▪ but forasmuch as this one scripture doth fully prove the assertion in both parts thereof , that is that birth taken in a two fold meaning , is the production both of naturall men , and spirituall men . and the due consideration of the wisdome of the holy ghost by declaring that which is heavenly , by that which is naturall , teacheth us that there is much resemblance of the births in the manner , although not in the nature . in the naturall birth there is a conception in the beginning , and a reception in the continuance , till bringing forth , or accomplishment . and all these distinctions with their concomitants may be comprehended in the tearm birth , now that which doth accompany conception , is compunction in nature , in sorrow , shalt thou conceive , and in the reception , all the while till the deliverance , and in the deliverance , pain , sorrow , labour , pangs , throwes intollerable dollorous till the child is born , and then comes ease , comfort , and rejoycing ; even so it is in the spirituall birth , in a likenesse and resemblance , for the manner of it , but in the nature , no similitude at all , for the the one is from below , the other from above , as it is written ; except a man be born again from above , of water and the spirit , he cannot see the kingdome of god : in which words there are four parts , and the tearms therein to be distinctly considered of . the first is , of whom our lord speaks by the name man , and by it he means a naturall man . and secondly , that this man is to be born again ; his meaning is not as nicodemus at that time understood him , to enter into that place of nature from whence he came forth , but to be born from above by a supernaturall force , power , vertue , and operation of the spirit of god . in the third place , he speaks of the matter of the birth , and that hath two parts : the first is heavenly and spirituall water , meaning thereby the grace and gift of god , which the holy ghost often in the scriptures , calls by the name of water , which is the baptisme of repentance , a true turning to god . the second part consisteth of another more excellent work of the spirit , which is here called the holy ghost , but in other places by metaphoricall tearms , blood , and fire , by which is meant the baptisme of the holy ghost , or remission of sins . the first part is full of spirituall grief , and disconsolation , the last full of heavenly comfort and consolation . and lastly , by seeing the kingdome of god , he means the knowing and being a member of his church in the state of regeneration , receiving the spirit of adoption , through which he is made the child of god , and if children , then heirs of the everlasting kingdome , the world to come , the inheritance of the saints : so then ; from this scripture thus opened we are taught , that gods method and way to convert men from nature to grace , to make them members of his church , is to turne them from darknesse to light , from the power of satan . to be reconciled unto god : to deliver us from the power of darknesse , and translate us into the kingdome of the son of his love . and by this way and means the lord made and constituted the true church of christ at collosse , as he doth all other churches of his , which were saints , and faithfull brethren in christ , and so did he likewise that famous church at ephesus , yee were somtimes darknesse ( saith the apostle ) but now are yee light in the lord , walk as children of light , mark i pray you , he calls this church , these saints , these faithfull in christ jesus , children of light , and how came they to be so , but by being borne of god , of his own will begat he them , being born again of incorruptible seed , the word of god , which is the word of his grace , the new covenant , the word of promise , the covenant of life , the making us partakers thereof , is the taking away the stony heart , and in the place thereof to give his elect a heart of flesh , that is , a soft , tender , and humble heart , and in it to write his everlasting love , mercy , and kindnesse , never to be obliterated , or revoked , as before is shewed . for those whom he thus loves once , he loves unto the end . and these children of god , are those little ones the scripture speaks of , those humble ones the lord teacheth , those contrite and penitent ones , that the lord comforteth , refresheth , and reviveth ; this is his sion , his little city , his desired habitation , his delightfull dwelling , his holy mountaine . and where two or three of these are gathered together in his name ; where by name we are to understand spirit , there is he in the midst of them ; that is it that is it that makes them his church , even his holy presence ; that is it that makes them his house , his tabernacle , to doe his great pleasure in earth , by his spirit , as the everlasting father , and the son doth in heaven , whose voyce not to regard , is as much as not to regard the voyce of god himselfe . oh doctour , for you , to compare your hay , wood , and stubble , with the purity and excellency of this churches mettle , which is gods building , it will even so eclipse your rush light , and split your hulk , and shipwrack your bark for ever , as never to recover , and your sandy foundation will shortly cause such a fall of your foolish church ▪ building , as never to be built again . and that you may repent of your ignorance of the true church of christ , i will give you another discovery of her excellency , by her pure estate , and glorious condition , which the propheticall apostle iohn saw in a vision , and writ it for posterity , in these words , and a great signe appeared in heaven , a woman cloathed with the sun , and the moon under her feet , and on her head a crown of twelve stars . and being great with child , shee cryed travelling and labouring to be delivered . in which scripture there are many things considerable . . a matter of wonderment and admiration , for the great excellency of it . . the place where it appeared , and that was in heaven . . what it was that appeared , and that was a woman ▪ . then her cloathing and apparell all over her body . . as also what she was crown'd with on her head . . what she trod under her feet ; and not only denominating all things without her , but . what was within her also . and being great with child , she cryed travelling , and labouring to be delivered . this precious virgin spouse , the lords bride , being in her condition spirituall , did shine forth in her primitive estate , not in any outward pomp and humane carnall glory ; as now in any externall forme , or soft rayment , after the fashion of the multitude of gathered churches in these dayes ; but in her heavenly gifts , and holy vertues , her chast and prudent conversation , the shining of her faith , love , patience , and moderation ; in all things she was such as she was the light of the world , to the wonderment and admiration of all the children that had eyes to behold her . and whereas it is said , she appeared in heaven , the meaning is , the places where the gospel was beleeved , the truth of god , and way to salvation professed , as in iudea , italy , macedonia , asia , and divers other places , cities , and countries ; in which sense the apostle speaks to the church of thessalonica , for from you sounded out the word of the lord not onely in macedonia , and achaia , but also in every place your faith to god-ward is spread abroad , &c. and that the church of christ is signified by the appellation and title of a woman ; that is usuall and often the expression of the holy ghost in the scriptures ; as the kings daughter , the daughter of sion , the spouse of christ , the lambs wife , the mother of all the saints , &c. and there is great reason for the female sex resembles the church of christ in many respects ; as for their fruitfulnesse , for their beauty , for their subjection and passivenesse , and tender bowels of compassion . and that she may want nothing that may tend to her full description in her whole attire , to make her all glorious without as the prophet saith , the kings daughter is all glorious within . the son of righteousnesse , even his own righteousnesse is her mantle , her cloathing , it is a metaphoricall speech , often used in the scripture , thereby declaring the righteousnesse of christ by being cloathed in sine linnen , by a wedding garment , and a white stone , and very apt is the resemblance , for as a stole or garment , covers and adornes the naturall body ; so the righteousnesse of christ covers and cloaths , adorns and beautifies the poverty and brokenness of the peninent souls of his elect. and this garment is of that nature , and quality , as that it warms and sustains the feeble and thirsty soule , with the assurance of the mercy and favour of god in christ jesus for ever . and the holy ghost giveth testimony also of the fruits of her lively justifying faith , in declaring her newnesse of life in her detestation of sin , and true love to her lord in this figurative expression , and the moon under her feet , declaring thereby her mortification and death too , and of her sinfull corruption , and worldly naturall affection ; and also her vivification and daily renewed mind , to a heavenly conversation , delighting and meditating day and night in the holy law and word of god , being no more carnally , but spiritually minded . the next externall , yet spirituall description is the ornament of her head , wherein shee took most pleasure , saying , shee wore on her head a crowne , not with gold and silver beset with precious stones , for the excellent matter thereof it exceeded all these , for it was made of the holy and pure doctrine of the twelve apostles , which testimonies and verities of theirs are the lords lights and torches to guide and direct sinners when they are benighted and darkned with their sins , and for this cause are called by the name of stars . and lastly , the holy ghost declares the effects , and operation of gods spirit and word in her , for by the heavenly truth which was by her ears received , her heart spiritually conceived , and shee was greatly filled with a deep sence of her owne vilenesse and unworthinesse ; with bemoaning and mournfully lamenting her sad forlorn condition , travelling and labouring under great oppression , by reason of sin , in restlesse desire of reconciliation to god ; which paines and anguish of her mourning heart and contrite spirit , the apostle most truly compareth to the throwes and paines of a woman in travell of child-birth , of which spirituall pains and labour shee could not possible by any means be eased or releived , untill her lord were formed in her , even untill her tender heart were sanctified by faith ; for nothing could cure the wound but the assurance of mercy , nor nothing satisfie her restlesse desire , but the love of god insured her in christ her lord , and written in the fleshy tables of her heart , according to his everlasting covenant . thus you see both the definition and description of the true church of christ , that she is holy and spirituall , within and without also , distinguished and disevered from all other churches , by regeneration ; as the outward court and the temple were parted by a vaile , and described by such perfect fruits of righteousnesse , as no pharisaicall congregations can bring forth . and herein i have made good my promise to you in this first particular : the second thing i promised , was to make known unto you the divine ordinances of this holy church , and they are many , but we will briefly and that truly discover such as are most materiall to our purpose . now as shee her selfe is spirituall , and their communions one with another , so also is every part of her worship spirituall likewise ; and yet we must ever remember , that most ordinances consist of two parts ; the one carnall and outward , the other spirituall and inward : now the common and carnall christians are most busied about the carnall part , as fleshly washings , corporall eatings , litterall expositions , and verball supplications , like the pharisees , that were strict to tyth mint , and the meanest externall things , but wholly omitted the weightiest and greatest , that which was internall , as true repentance , &c. diligently washed the outside , but minded not at all to cleanse inwardly the heart , in all which mr doctour , you spent most of your labour , and very few words or none , about the spirituall part . and one reason was , because all your disputes tended but to a carnall church , for a congregation of carnall christians make no better then a carnall church ; and carnall arguments and actions doe manifest the hearts of such to be carnall . but i desire your repentance of these things , and hasten to the discovery of the truth , that may make you a child thereof indeed ; and therefore we will returne to a further discovery of the true churches spirituall worship in the heavenly part of gods ordinances , in which shee and her children are most conversant , for they are alwayes mindfull of the holy covenant of their lord , in the heavenly parts of it ; they mourne , and weep , and suffer together , in their patience possesse their souls , and passe through the valley of tears , participating each with other , knowing they are thereunto called of god , not only to beleeve , but to suffer for his sake : the assured hope they have of the great portion , inheritance , and salvation they are born unto by the spirit , doth so support them , that they rejoyce in tribulation , the holy ghost bearing them witnesse , that if they suffer with him , they shall also reign with him . know you not ( saith the apostle , as if he had said in other words , you know assuredly ) that as many of us as are baptized into jesus christ , were baptized into his death ; therefore we are buried with him by baptisme into death . mark the tearms , baptized , or buried with him into death , which sheweth , if men be members of his body , then if our head suffer , the members must suffer also : and as sure as the head is raised from the dead by the glory of the father , even so we also his members are raised in our mind and affections , to newnesse of life . and in the same sence he saith again , for if we have been planted together in the likenesse and similitude of his death , we shall be also in the likenesse of his resurrection . and these broken melting hearted saints , that at first in their regeneration were thus humbled , and made low , and poor in spirit , yielding , inclining , and bowing to the will and pleasure of almighty god . this heavenly grace which the lord calls water in a spirituall meaning , abides in and with them alwayes throughout their whole life ; and by it they are enabled to be baptized with sufferings , as they were born or begotten of water , which is repentance : so likewise at the lords supper , they sometimes , and that with much comfort , eat and drink corporally the elements of bread and wine , and therein declare the lords death till his comming ; but they alwayes by faith communicate of his body and blood , the spirit of adoption that dwells in them , still bearing witnesse of the lords everlasting kindnesse , with the refreshings of the light of his countenance , affording them more comfort , then all the abundance of earthly things , or shaddows of that which is spirituall , the witnesse and evidence of the spirit of god , exceeds all testimonies and assurances , and fills the soul with satisfaction . now in this condition they know the truth of their lords words by blessed experience . my flesh is meat indeed , and my blood is drink indeed , living bread that came downe from heaven , and they that eat thereof , eat everlasting life . it is immortall food , this body and blood is the resurrection and the life , for they that eat this flesh , and drink this blood , dwell in christ , and christ in them . this food causeth union , co-habitation , one-nesse of mind , and likenesse of affection between christ and his members . this is the fatted calfe that fed the prodigall , this is the childrens bread provided of god himselfe for his servant iacob , those excellent dainties , sweet and fat things , full of marrow , the wine and milk , the honey-comb with the honey , with which the lord feeds his friends , his beloved and chosen ones , which food doth not only cheare , delight , and comfort , but it confirms , and seals with assurance , even that gold ring that sealed the fathers favour to his lost son , the best robe of all the wardrobe , for there is none like it in heaven nor in earth , for it is the righteousnesse of the saints , it covers all nakednesse , it defends from all dangers , and it ever finds acceptance with their heavenly father , in all services and sacrifices , for these worshippers have their hearts purged from an evill conscience , and their garments dipt in blood for the lamb is in them , and they in him . and thus spirituall are their prayers also , this sacrifice likewise is a broken heart , and as it is the spirits habitation and dwelling , so it is his place of acting and working ; and although the saints themselves cannot tell how to pray as they ought , yet the spirit their continuall comforter , guider , and directer helpeth them , and secretly prompteth them with sighs and groans that cannot be uttered , with the organ of the tongue , so inward , faithfull , and fervent , are the spirits requests to god that only knowes the meaning thereof : and for their matter they are faithfull supplications , they ask in faith , in the name of their lord , that is , in the powerfull assistance of christs spirit ; and this is the confidence we have in him ( say the saints ) if we ask any thing according to his will , he heareth us , and if we know that he hears us , that is , if the spirit do so witnesse to us , we know then , that we have the petitions that we desired of him ; for number they are but few ; for place , private ; for practice and performance , often and frequent ; pray continually , saith the apostle . and shall the elect cry day and night unto god their father , against their enemies oppressions , and shall not he avenge them ? yea he will avenge them , and that speedily . in all their spirituall warfare , this is the last and principall piece of armour , praying alwayes with all prayer and supplication in the spirit , and watching thereunto with all perseverance . this servant of our lords had very well learned his masters lesson , watch and pray , least yee enter into temptation ; and this part of their worship is spirituall , as the worshippers themselves are spirituall . again , their understanding the scripture , is not only litterall , but spirituall ; and that it may the more clearly appear , we must remember to make use of this distinction , that the scriptures may be spoken of as of a body , and a spirit , in the letter and the meaning thereof . now all carnall gospellers , and false expositors , as they understand no further then the letter , or common gifts declared therein , by the sense which such give of the scriptures , they kill gods witnesses , the two holy testaments . priests whose visions are darknesse , doe violate , wrong , and injure all the holy writings of gods faithfull servants , and witnesses ; of which company a●e the learned clerks of rome , and all other fleshly preachers ; for that church co●sisting of the fat beasts of the field , did kill , havock , and slay them in such a barbarous manner , in that great city of rome , which in a spirituall wicked meaning , is called sodome and aegypt , for their uncleannesse and malice , against the true intent of the scriptures , that notwithstanding they had the letter and corps amongst them , yet they did deny the life and soule , the mind and will of god therein revealed , to be buried , or inter'd in their proper monuments , the hearts of men ; and as they then , so the same things doe all carnall churches now that are of her old nature , although of a new frame , by their like lying , and false expositions , and interpretations , even take the life from the body , and separate the soule from the corps , of these two witnesses , two prophets , two candlesticks , two testimonies , two olive trees , and two covenants ; which two in all and each appellation , are but one thing in the true meaning ; and so they shall continue to doe the remainder of the months , till years of the whole number to come , be expired . in the mean while the voyce of the church of christ is heard from out of the wildernesse , and wholly tends to the vindication , resurrection , and restoration of the true meaning of the word of god , as it is written . and after three dayes and a halfe ▪ the spirit of life from god , entred into them , and they stood upon their feet . and gods church fears not to speak , although she cares not to be known , she being indewed with the spirit of life from god ; and in her reading the scriptures you shall find her full of consideration , and understanding , as our lord directs her , let him that readeth consider : for they that read and hear the words of this prophecy , and keep those things that are written therein , and are blessed in so doing , must needs truly understand them ; and indeed it is sion , gods church only , that understandeth and declareth the gospel truly by the scriptures administration ; for by the church ( saith the apostle ) is made knowne the manifold wisdome of god ; which shall be more manifested in the next particular , in declaring what the ministers of the church of christ are . and it is an undenyable truth that they are regenerated , spirituall men , for if every member of their church be so , and all their ordinances and sacr●fices , their communions , and administrations , then of necessity their ministry must be so also , and therefore in scripture they are called , holy men of god , and holy apostles and prophets ; and are thereby distinguished from all others that are vaine and ungodly . . they are holy personally . . they are holy giftedly . and as god hath joyned them together , so i shall not seperate them in their description . a scribe instructed unto the kingdome of heaven , is like unto a good housholder that brings forth of his treasury things new and old . now in that our lord saith , he is taught unto the kingdome of heaven , it is all one as if he had said , he had been taught of god , and that shewes he is a child of god , a holy man , as i have instanced before in the apostle peters description to this purpose ; and by bringing forth of his treasure , he means the administration of his spirituall gifts , from the supernaturall store house within him . again , our lord saith , whosoever beleeveth in me , as the scripture hath said , out of his belly shall flow rivers of water of life . this he spake ( saith the text ) of the gifts they should receive that beleeved on him . this effectuall faith , which is twice repeated , and that to which the word of god witnesseth to be satisfying drink to the thirsty soule , sheweth such a one to be regenerate ; and the flowing fountain proceeding from him ▪ those heavenly gifts of the holy ghost . and agreeable to this is that which is spoke of stephen that holy martyr , when those choyce and learned students of the synagogues of the libertines men of four severall nations , cyrenians , allexandrians , cyreans , and as●ans ; these , even such were not able to resist the wisdome and the spirit by which he spake . so the prophet micha speaking to the shame of such prophets that speak without an answer from god , that have no vision but their own , to whom the day , the light of gods truth is darke over them , and the sun is gone downe from them , and yet will prophesie though they confound themselves ; but truly ( saith he ) i am full of power by the spirit of the lord , and of judgement , and of might , to declare unto jacob , &c. that is , to preach to jacob . and so the apostle paul ( speaking of the gospel of christ , whereof ( saith he ) i am made a minister , according to ( or by ) the gift of grace given to me , by , or through the effectuall working of his power . and so he testifies to another church , whereof i am made a minister , according to the dispensation of god , which is given to me for you fully : that is , perfectly , truly , and spiritually to preach the word of god . and so peter and john testified to the face of such at jerusalem as had crucified our lord with wicked hands , and proceeded also to forbid them to speak any more to anyman in his name , notwithstanding their threatnings we cannot ( said they ) but speake the things we have seene and heard . what gods messengers see , hear , and learne of the father , that they declare , that they preach . christ gives the gifts god hath set them in his church , his body , but every member hath not the same office , therefore the differing gifts give being to different offices and officers , and all spirituall , as the whole body is and are approved of , and allowed by the rest of the members , all the saints . now i should have spoken of the keyes , power , and rich treasures of this church , but doctour you are not able to bear it at this time , that is , neither to understand it , nor receive it . but you will say , i will answer all that he hath said in one word , for all that he hath spoken is to be understood of the invisible church , but all my disputes are of visible congregations , and sir , what you mean by them , your owne words declare , page . as is touch before , such as any man may know ( saith he ) and if that be so , then i am sure they consist of naturall and carnall men ; and of the same nature are their administrations , for the apostle saith , the naturall man receiveth not the things of the spirit of god , for they are foolishnesse unto him ; neither can he know them , because they are spiritually discerned . again , to say the true church of christ is invisible , is the old cunning cheat of the devil , to keep men from repentance , and from attaining that eye salve , through which they might discerne the things that belong unto their peace , and depart from babylon , and make haste to sion . but saith the doctour , the baptized churches have forsaken babylon , and admit of none but baptized members , nothing but pure ordinances ; we are knit together in church fellowship . but by your leave , if ye be carnall , and cannot discerne the church of god , and therefore deny her visibility , which her lord affirmeth of her , to be a city set upon a hill , a candle on a table , the light of the world , the salt of the earth . if you cannot discerne the true church , and yet you professe your selves churches , then you are no other then the carnall jewes church , jerusalem from below , which is in bondage with her children ; and the righteousnesse thereof , but the righteousnesse of the scribes and pharisees , who used to wash the out-side , and fl●sh , as you doe , but inwardly and in heart , very foule and adulterous , notwithstanding all their seeming holinesse of separation , stand further off , i am holier then thee ; their boasting of their prayers , and of their ordinances , and their compassing sea and land to make a proselyte , to convert men to their church , and yet in so doing make them more the child of the devil , then they were before , and thereby make them the rather a stink in the lords nostrills . i tell you plainly , doctour , there are but two churches in the whole world ; one carnall , the other spirituall ; two seeds , the seed of the woman , and the seed of the serpent ; two sorts of children , them of light , and them of darknesse ; two heards of cattell , the fat and the lean ; two kinds of people , the cursed and the blessed ; and i advise you therefore to trust no longer in lying words , saying , the temple of the lord , the temple of the lord ; for no outward conceivings , or humane traditions , or inventions , can be gods house , church and temple , but those before described ; and as the holy prophet saith , the temple of the lord are these , such as throughly repent of their sinnes , and amend their wayes and their doings , &c. and therefore doctour , i advise you againe now heedfully and speedily , to mind the apostles counsell , to day if you will hear his voyce , harden not your heart , least you enter not into his rest : where he teacheth you , and me , and all , that to enter into gods rest through faith , is by repentance . and because i will omit no means to take you off from minding so much your false church , i will shew you in what condition you and all men else stand in this c●mmon-wealth of england . consider this i pray you , that this common-wealth being a university of believers , the whole multitude consisteth of two sorts . the one sort regenerate believers , such as are borne of god , whose spirituall estate is before described ; and this sort onely are the church of christ , as before also is affirmed . the second sort of believers are outward christians , and are indewed with the common faith onely , from which faith and grace they may fall , and perish , and yet before their apostacy have equall right with spirituall christians , in outward externall ordinances , as the letter of the word and prayer , the washing away the filth of the body , and the corporall signes of the lords supper , and all which , for the more cleare condemnation in disobeying the gospel . now forasmuch as the congregation and common-wealth of england in these respects is like the congregation or common-wealth of israel , and that in gods great house , as the apostle saith , there are both honourable , and dishonourable vessels , servants evill , slow ▪ and negligent , as good and diligent virgins , foolish as well as wise , some spirituall , but most carnall , and all to be provided for by the stewards of this great house , such as are in supreame authority , not onely in matters between man and man , but also in duties between god and man ; not onely for meum and tuum , but also for the publick worship and service of god . and as moses , solomon , and jehosaphat provided not onely corporally , but spiritually for israel , so and in like manner the supream authority of england ought to provide for every one his portion , that no lack or want may befall any capacity , neither of carnall , or spirituall christians , and as wholesome and good lawes for men , so pious and decent rules for gods publick worship , so far as it concernes their power and direction . and consider also , the jewes before christs incarnation had a rule for most of their externall ordinances by the word ; as the expresse day for gods worship , and the tribe who to wait on the service also , the time when , the member what , and the parties themselves both active and passive for circumcision and for the passeover , what for the matter , the kinde , the age , the preparation , the parties who to provide it , and the manner for participation . now there is no such expresse provision , for the carnall ordinances of god , since christs incarnation and ascension ; 't is true , there 's example for baptisme , but no command who shall baptize , neither when for time , nor how for manner , whether all parts of the body in generall , or which member in particular . and so for the supper of the lord , bread and wine are the elements in the institution thereof , and in the future practice injoyned , but who shall provide it ? and what kinde of wine , or what sort of bread , or who in particular shall blesse or administer it , or how the communicants shall take it , is not in the word determined ; and without these and the like circumstances , the ordinances cannot be celebrated . now if the present authority should give rules for the whole common-wealth , or congregation , for all perticulars ; as formerly they have done in a parochiall way , for time , place , persons , and administrations , thereby the spirituall and heavenly christian is bound to yield obedience as the carnall and outward christian ; for as the saints are free as they relate to the person of a true christian , for so their communion is above the reach and rule of any outward direction , for their baptisms they are spirituall , as i have shewed before ; their teacher exceeds all teachers from men , for they havean vnction from the holy one , that teacheth them all things . and they stand not in need of any private or carnall mens teaching ; yet as they stand , or sustain the persons or members of a state or common-wealth , and under authority ; so gods law binds them to be obedient to every ordinance of man ; and their communion externally with carnall christians , doth no more prevent or preinic● their communion spiritually , then cain's externall communion corrupted abel's , ishmaels defiled isaacks or the proud pharisees polluted the penitent publicans . and although inwardly and spiritually , yet not externally nor corporally severed one from another , till the harvest , least with extirpating the bad , the good may suffer prejudice . and therefore it appears plainly , that in a common-wealth that professes the faith , the carnall with the spirituall may commuicate in the externall ordinances of gods worship , except the injunctions are evill and unlawfull , as were the abominations of antichrist , from which the saints are commanded to separate , least by pertaking with her sins they shall be punished with the participation of her plagues . and also that it is in the power of the magistrate to order all externalls for the publick worship of god , that are not already so done by the s●iptures : now if this be so , then what ground or warrant have you or any man whatsoever , to select form , and order congregations of your selves , when the whole common-wealth is congregated already by christian authority . and how can those that are under this authority cast off their obedience , to which in conscience they are bound ; and gather churches out of churches , without any warrant from god or man ; for they were in the profession and communion of gods ordinances before , and emboddyed and congregated ▪ before by acts of the nationall congregation , the high court of parliament . and what other things they doe ordaine and constitute , that was not done before by the said authority , the wisest and learnedst of them all cannot shew rightly , nor prove plainly , but it will appear to be their owne imagination , tradition , and phancy , by duely considering the scriptures , with what is abovesaid , in the distinction between the spirtuall and carnall christians ; as also , the distinction between the externall part of gods ordinances , and the divine and heavenly part . i am sure these rules are according to the practice of our lord and his apostles , they never neglected the publick , nor disobeyed the magistrate therein , nor contemned participation with them , yet let us alwayes bear in minde , that the faithfull and regenerate christians are the church of god ; and although the carnall christians are amongst them in externall participation , yet they are not of them , nor doe spiritually participate with them . the consequence of selected church-gatherings , admits of many absurdities , as i have shewed in former discoveries . thus much doctour for the publique good hath your private mistaken conference occasioned ; and we have more yet to make knowne upon the next opportunity . and my conclusion shall be a word or two to the state and authority of this nation , against an ancient , continued , superstitious distinction of the people of this whole common-wealth , even of all degrees , from the highest to the lowest , that distinguish the whole into two parts , church and common-wealth , clergie , and layetie . now in common reason , if in this nation the publike ministry , for those are they they mean by clergy , although no man can prove it by scripture , be the church , then the state magistracy , and the rest of the people are not the church or congregation of england , which seems to crosse the scriptures denomination , for the whole nation of the jewes , priests and people , are often called the congregation , or church , and the reason is beyond exception , because they were a people professing and communicating in the externall ordinances of god , and but a small remnant of the multitude faithfull to communicate spiritually ▪ now as spirituall and heavenly christians are gods peculiar , little house , vineyard , or church , so outward christians , may bear the name of his vineyard , church , or great house also , as an outward jew or christian bears the name , although not the nature of a jew or christian inwardly . and if the supream authority doe not annihillate this distinction aforesaid , and cause it to be forgotten , in time it will pull up and advance ecclesiasticall hierarchy again , as the oake the creeping ivy , and a generall provision made for the many , as before is expressed , would supply all men in all things , both divine and humane . beloved christian ; thou that hast read what is here declared for publique good ; see the doctour and his doings in the glasse of one scripture , pet. . , . the apostle peter speaking of his brother paul , and of his writings according to the wisedome of god given unto him , he speaks of some that notwithstanding had received the common faith , yet were unlearned and unstable , who did wrest not onely what they said , but also the other scriptures to their owne destruction . now the tearms in the text doe shew us plainly what these believers were , even such as should perish , first because they were unlearned , that is , not spiritually taught of god : secondly , they were such as were unstable , that is , were not built upon the foundation , neither were deep rooted , as the good ground , but such christians as were lyable to wither , as the stony ground , to be choaked as the thornes , and to loose what they had , as the high-way side . and such christians as these doe not understand onely , but they pervert or give false expositions of the scriptures , those heavenly things intended by the text , are not understood by their earthly minds ; therefore it is said , that there are some things hard to be understood , that is , the heavenly estate of the children of god , their spirituall sufferings here , and their glorious hope they have of the everlasting inheritance in the world to come , which supernaturall excellencies as they are in themselves are hard , that is , not to be understood by carnall christians , such as the doctour hath declared himselfe to be in all his arguments . now if any please to see the other poor endeavours of thy faithfull friend , thou mayest have them thus nominated . . a true reformation , and perfect restitution . . truths victorie against heresie . . christian liberty to the lords table . . a defence of christian liberty . . a cure of deadly doctrine . . a lamp of light . . a right vse made by a stander by , at j. g. and i. s. disputes at great allhallows . . a brief discovery of faigned presbyterie ; and capt : norwood's declaration proved an abnegation of christ . there were some other things , but they are out of print . finis . notes, typically marginal, from the original text notes for div a e- a gods servants in speaking the truth to the blame of such as mistake , doe not reproach them , for they are commanded to reprove them , and must not call bitter sweet , nor sweet bitter . they are commanded also to call that darknesse that is so , and that light that is light , and to justifie the just , and condemn the wicked . b and to assent to the truth is tollerable , with a right understanding , but that you are the man that have blasted god &c. is plainly proved in my second letter , and throughout the tryall following . c my words & meaning if you take a true view of them , doe not contradict , as you shall see in my discovering of your owne daubing , which you say is the church of christ , and gods perfect work in building his owne habitation . d do you dare to boast of pure ordinances , when all you doe in the outward , without the spirituall part , and meaning thereof , is abominable iniquity : and , for bodily exercises that rotten strumpet the church of rome will outdoe you , although you should add your owne vanity in your lacivious washing your damsels feet and legs also , for shame bring not in your former carnality unrepented of , under the vizzard of the churches innocency . but consider what is written , for in christ jesus neither circumcision , or baptisme , or vncircumcision availeth any thing , but a new creature . and again , faith that worketh by love . and againe , but keeping the commandements of god . are any of these heavenly effects brought forth by your plants ? nay , a bad tree cannot bring forth good fruits : for all that hath proceeded from you , are but sower grapes , and yet you will compare your bramble berries with the grapes of the vines of canaan . e t is true , you mentioned the words of peter , but your carnall discourse thereof , shewed plainly you understood not his meaning , neither can you til you repent and be a new man . f and if your spiritual experiences be of no higher nature then naturall philosophy is , then your experience is vaine ; for all things under the sun are vanity , since their deprivation through sin and the curse . and as you your selfe have made use of philosophy , our lords and pauls use and yours is at a broad distance . and that all your sill●gisms were fallacious , is sufficiently proved hereafter . g here take notice what frieght of pride the gentleman is laden with , in these words , them that hear not me , hear not him that sent me ; for every thing he hath said or written , proves him not to be sent of christ , although he affirm of himselfe , that he is , for if i had sent him , saith the lord , he should have spoken my words unto the people , which he hath not , as hereafter is more cleared . the grounds & occasions of the contempt of the clergy and religion enquired into in a letter written to r.l. eachard, john, ?- . approx. kb of xml-encoded text transcribed from -bit group-iv tiff page images. text creation partnership, ann arbor, mi ; oxford (uk) : - (eebo-tcp phase ). a wing e estc r ocm this keyboarded and encoded edition of the work described above is co-owned by the institutions providing financial support to the early english books online text creation partnership. this phase i text is available for reuse, according to the terms of creative commons . universal . the text can be copied, modified, distributed and performed, even for commercial purposes, all without asking permission. early english books online. (eebo-tcp ; phase , no. a ) transcribed from: (early english books online ; image set ) images scanned from microfilm: (early english books, - ; : ) the grounds & occasions of the contempt of the clergy and religion enquired into in a letter written to r.l. eachard, john, ?- . the eighth edition. [ ], p. printed by e. tyler and r. holt for nathaniel brooke ..., london : . attributed to eachard by wing and nuc pre- imprints. reproduction of original in the university of illinois (urbana-champaign campus). library. created by converting tcp files to tei p using tcp tei.xsl, tei @ oxford. re-processed by university of nebraska-lincoln and northwestern, with changes to facilitate morpho-syntactic tagging. gap elements of known extent have been transformed into placeholder characters or elements to simplify the filling in of gaps by user contributors. eebo-tcp is a partnership between the universities of michigan and oxford and the publisher proquest to create accurately transcribed and encoded texts based on the image sets published by proquest via their early english books online (eebo) database (http://eebo.chadwyck.com). the general aim of eebo-tcp is to encode one copy (usually the first edition) of every monographic english-language title published between and available in eebo. eebo-tcp aimed to produce large quantities of textual data within the usual project restraints of time and funding, and therefore chose to create diplomatic transcriptions (as opposed to critical editions) with light-touch, mainly structural encoding based on the text encoding initiative (http://www.tei-c.org). the eebo-tcp project was divided into two phases. the , texts created during phase of the project have been released into the public domain as of january . anyone can now take and use these texts for their own purposes, but we respectfully request that due credit and attribution is given to their original source. users should be aware of the process of creating the tcp texts, and therefore of any assumptions that can be made about the data. text selection was based on the new cambridge bibliography of english literature (ncbel). if an author (or for an anonymous work, the title) appears in ncbel, then their works are eligible for inclusion. selection was intended to range over a wide variety of subject areas, to reflect the true nature of the print record of the period. in general, first editions of a works in english were prioritized, although there are a number of works in other languages, notably latin and welsh, included and sometimes a second or later edition of a work was chosen if there was a compelling reason to do so. image sets were sent to external keying companies for transcription and basic encoding. quality assurance was then carried out by editorial teams in oxford and michigan. % (or pages, whichever is the greater) of each text was proofread for accuracy and those which did not meet qa standards were returned to the keyers to be redone. after proofreading, the encoding was enhanced and/or corrected and characters marked as illegible were corrected where possible up to a limit of instances per text. any remaining illegibles were encoded as <gap>s. understanding these processes should make clear that, while the overall quality of tcp data is very good, some errors will remain and some readable characters will be marked as illegible. users should bear in mind that in all likelihood such instances will never have been looked at by a tcp editor. the texts were encoded and linked to page images in accordance with level of the tei in libraries guidelines. copies of the texts have been issued variously as sgml (tcp schema; ascii text with mnemonic sdata character entities); displayable xml (tcp schema; characters represented either as utf- unicode or text strings within braces); or lossless xml (tei p , characters represented either as utf- unicode or tei g elements). keying and markup guidelines are available at the text creation partnership web site . eng religious satire, english. clergy -- england. - tcp assigned for keying and markup - spi global keyed and coded from proquest page images - judith siefring sampled and proofread - judith siefring text and markup reviewed and edited - pfs batch review (qc) and xml conversion the grounds & occasions of the contempt of the clergy and religion enquired into . in a letter written to r. l. the eighth edition . london , printed by e. tyler and r. holt , for nathaniel brooke , at the sign of the angel in cornhil , near the royal exchange . . the preface to the reader . i can very easily phansie , that many upon the very first sight of the title , will presently imagine , that the authour does either want the great tithes , lying under the pressure of some pitiful vicaridge ; or that he is much out of humour , and dissatisfied with the present condition of affairs ; or lastly , that he writes to no purpose at all , there having been an abundance of unprofitable advisers in this kind . as to my being under some low church dispensation , you may know , i write not out of a pinching necessity , or out of any rising design ; and you may please to believe , that although i have a most solemn reverence for the clergy in general , and especially for that of england ; yet , for my own part , i must confess to you , i am not of that holy employment ; and have as little thoughts of being dean or bishop , as they that think so , have hopes of being all lord keepers . nor less mistaken will they be , that shall judge me in the least discontented , or any ways disposed to disturb the peace of the present settled church : for in good truth , i have neither lost kings nor bishops lands ; that should incline me to a surly and quarrelsome complaining : as many be , who would have been glad enough to see his majesty restored , and would have endured bishops daintily well , had they lost no money by their coming in . i am not , i 'll assure you , any of those occasional writers , that missing preferment in the vniversity can presently write you their new ways of education ; or being a little tormented with an ill chosen wife , set forth the doctrine of divorce to be truly evangelical : the cause of these few sheets was honest and innocent , and as free from all passion , as any design . as for the last thing which i supposed objected , viz. that this book is altogether needless , there having been an infinite number of church and clergy-menders , that have made many tedious and unsuccessful offers : i must needs confess , that it were very unreasonable for me to expect a better reward : only thus much i think with modesty may be said ; that i cannot , at present , call to mind any thing that is propounded , but what is very hopeful , and easily accomplished . for indeed , should i go about to tell you , that a child can never prove a profitable instructor of the people , unless born when the sun is in aries ; or brought up in a school that stands full south ; that he can never be able to govern a parish , unless he can ride the great horse ; or that he can never go through the great work of the ministry , unless , for three hundred years backward , it can be proved that none of his family ever had cough , ague , or gray hair ; then i should very patiently endure , to be reckoned amongst the vainest , that ever made attempt . but believe me , reader , i am not , as you will easily see , any contriver of an incorruptible and pure crystalline church ; or any expecter of a reign of nothing but saints and worthies : but only an honest and hearty wisher , that the best of our clergy might forever continue as they are , rich , and learned ; and that the rest might be very useful , and well esteemed of in their profession . the grounds & occasions of the contempt of the clergy & religion enquired into . sir , that short discourse , which we lately had concerning the clergy , continues so fresh in your mind , that i perceive , by your last , you are more than a little troubled to observe that disesteem that lies upon several of those holy men. your good wishes for the church , i know , are very strong and unfeigned , and your hopes of the world receiving much more advantage , and better advice , from some of the clergy , than usually it is found by experience to do , are neither needless nor impossible . and as i have always been a devout admirer , as well as strict observer of your actions ; so i have constantly taken a great delight to concur with you in your very thoughts . whereupon it is , sir , that i have spent some few hours upon that which was the occasion of your last letter , and the subject of our late discourse . and before , sir , i enter upon telling you what are my apprehensions ; i must most heartily profess , that for my own part , i did never think , since at all i understood the excellency and perfection of a church , but that ours now lately restored , as formerly established , does far out-go , as to all christian ends and purposes , either the pomp and bravery of rome her self , or the best of free spiritual states . but if so be it be allowable , where we have so undoubtedly learned and honorable a clergy , to suppose that some of that sacred profession , might possibly have attain'd to a greater degree of esteem and usefulness to the world ; then i hope what has thus long hindred so great and desirable a blessing to this nation , may be modestly ghess'd at ; either without giving any wilful offence to the present church ; or any great trouble , dear sir , to your self : and if i be not very much mistaken , whatever has heretofore , or does at present lessen the value of our clergy , or render it in any degree less serviceable to the world than might be reasonably hoped , may be easily referred to two very plain things ; the ignorance of some , and the poverty of others of the clergy . and first , as to the ignorance of some of our clergy ; if we would make a search to purpose , we must go as deep as the very beginnings of education ; and , doubtless , may lay a great part of our misfortunes to the old fashioned methods and discipline of schooling it self : upon the well ordering of which , although much of the improvement of our clergy cannot be denied mainly to depend ; yet by reason this is so well known to your self , as also , that there has been many of undoubted learning and experience , that have set out their several models for this purpose ; i shall therefore only mention such loss of time and abuse of youth , as is most remarkable and mischievous , and as could not be conveniently omitted in a discourse of this nature , though never so short . and first of all , it were certainly worth the considering , whether it be unavoidably necessary to keep lads to sixteen or seventeen years of age , in pure slavery to a few latin and greek words ? or whether it may not be more convenient , especially if we call to mind their natural inclinations to ease and idleness , and how hardly they are perswaded of the excellency of the liberal arts and sciences , any further than the smart of the last piece of discipline is fresh in their memories ; whether i say it be not more proper and beneficial , to mix with those unpleasant tasks and drudgeries , something that in probability might not only take much better with them , but might also be much easier obtained ? as suppose , some part of time was allotted them for the reading of some innocent english authours ; where they need not go every line so unwillingly to a tormenting dictionary ; and whereby they might come in a short time to apprehend common sence ; and to begin to judge what is true : for you shall have lads that are arch knaves at the nominative case , and that have a notable quick eye at spying out the verb , who for want of reading such common and familiar books , shall understand no more of what is very plain and easie , than a well educated dog or horse . or suppose , they were taught ( as they might much easier be , than what is commonly offered to them ) the principles of arithmetick , geometry , and such alluring parts of learning : as these things undoubtedly would be much more useful , so much more delightful to them , than to be tormented with a tedious story how phaeton broke his neck ; or how many nuts and apples tityrus had for his supper : for most certainly youths , if handsomely dealt with , are much inclinable to emulation , & to a very useful esteem of glory ; and more especially , if it be the reward of knowledge ; and therefore if such things were carefully and discretely propounded to them , wherein they might not only earnestly contend amongst themselves , but might also see how far they outskil the rest of the world ; a lad hereby would think himself high and mighty , and would certainly take great delight in contemning the next unlearned mortal he meets withal . but if instead hereof , you diet him with nothing but with rules and exceptions ; with tiresome repetitions of amo's and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 ; setting a day also apart to recite verbatim all the burdensom task of the foregoing week ( which i am confident is usually as dreadful as an old parliament fast ) we must needs believe , that such a one , thus managed , will scarce think to prove immortal by such performances , and accomplishments as these . you know very well , sir , that lads in the general , have but a kind of ugly and odd conception of learning ; and look upon it as such a starving thing , and unnecessary perfection , ( especially as it is usually dispens'd out unto them ) that nine-pins or span-counter are judged much more heavenly employments : and therefore what pleasure , do we think , can such a one take , in being bound to get against breakfast two or three hundred rumblers out of homer , in commendation of achilles's toes , or the grecians boots ? or to have measured out unto him , very early in the morning , fifteen or twenty well laid on lashes , for letting a syllable slip too soon , or hanging too long upon it ? doubtless , instant execution upon such grand miscarriages as these , will eternally engage him to a most admirable opinion of the muses . lads , certainly , ought to be won by all possible arts and devices , and though many have invented fine pictures and games , to cheat them into the undertaking of unreasonable burdens , yet this by no means is such a lasting temptation , as the propounding of that , which in it self is pleasant and alluring : for we shall find very many , though of no excelling quickness , will soon perceive the design of the landskip , and so looking through the veil , will then begin to take as little delight in those pretty contrivances , as in getting by heart three or four leaves of ungay'd nonsence . neither seems the stratagem of money to be so prevailing and catching , as a right down offering of such books which are ingenious and convenient ; there being but very few so intolerably careful of their bellies , as to look upon the hopes of a cake , or a few apples , to be a sufficient recompense for cracking their pates with a heap of independent words . i am not sensible , that i have said any thing in disparagement of those two famous tongues , the greek and latin , there being much reason to value them beyond others ; because the best of humane learning has been delivered unto us in those languages . but he that worships them , purely out of honour to rome and athens , having little or no respect to the usefulness and excellency of the books themselves ( as many do ) it is a sign he has a great esteem and reverence of antiquity , but i think him by no means comparable for happiness to him who catches frogs , or hunts butter-flies . that some languages therefore ought to be studied , is in a manner absolutely necessary , unless all were brought to one ( which would be the happiest thing that the world could wish for ; ) but whether the beginning of them , might not be more insensibly instilled , and more advantagiously obtained , by reading philosophical , as well as other ingenious authours , than ianua linguarum's , crabbed poems and cross-grain'd prose , as it hath been heretofore by others , so it ought to be afresh considered by all well-wishers either to the clergy or learning . i know where it is the fashion of some schools , to prescribe to a lad for his evening refreshment , out of commenius , all the terms of art belonging to anatomy , mathematicks , or some such piece of learning . now , is it not a very likely thing that a lad should take most absolute delight in conquering such a pleasant task , where , perhaps , he has two or three hundred words to keep in mind , with a very small proportion of sence thereunto belonging ; whereas the use and full meaning of all those difficult terms , would have been most insensibly obteined , by leisurely reading in particular this , or the other science ? is it not also likely to be very savoury , and of comfortable use , to one , that can scarce distinguish between virtue and vice , to be tasked with high and moral poems ? for example : it is usually said , by those that are intimately acquainted with him , that homer's iliads and odysses contain mystically all the moral law for certain , if not a great part of the gospel ( i suppose much after that rate that rablais said his garagantua contained all the ten commandements ) but perceivable only to those that have a poetical discerning spirit ; with which gift , i suppose , few at school are so early qualified . those admirable verses , sir , or yours , both english and others , which you have sometimes favoured me with a sight of , will not suffer me to be so sottish , as to slight or undervalue so great and noble an accomplishment . but the committing of such high , and brave senc'd poems to a school-boy , whose main business is to search out cunningly the antecedent and the relative , to lie at catch for a spruce phrase , a proverb , or a quaint and pithy sentence , is not only to very little purpose , but that having gargled only those elegant books at school , this serves them instead of reading them afterward , and does in a manner prevent their being further lookt into : so that all the improvement , whatsoever it be , that may be reap'd out of the best and choicest poets , is for the most part utterly lost ; in that a time is usually chosen of reading them , when discretion is much wanting to gain thence any true advantage . thus that admirable and highly useful morality tully's offices , because it is a book commonly construed at school , is generally afterwards , so contemn'd by academicks , that it is a long hours work to convince them , that it is worthy of being look'd into again , because they reckon it as a book read over at school , and no question notably digested . if therefore the ill methods of schooling does not only occasion a great loss of time there , but also does beget in lads a very odd opinion and apprehension of learning , and much disposes them to be idle , when got a little free from the usual severities ; and that the hopes of more or less improvement in the universities , very much depend hereupon , it is without all doubt , the great concernment of all that wish well to the church , that such care and regard be had to the management of schools , that the clergy be not so much obstructed in their first attempts and preparations to learning . i cannot , sir , possibly be so ignorant , as not to consider , that what has been now offer'd upon this argument , has not only been largely insisted on by others , but also refers not particularly to the clergy ( whose welfare and esteem i seem at present in a special manner solicitous about ) but in general to all learned professions , and therefore might reasonably have been omitted ; which certainly i had done , had i not call'd to mind , that of those many , that propound to themselves learning for a profession , there is scarce one of ten , but that his lot , choice , or necessity , determines him to the study of divinity . thus , sir , i have given you my thoughts concerning the orders and customs of common schools : a consideration in my apprehension not slightly to be weighed ; being that to me seems hereupon very much to depend the learning and wisdom of the clergy , and the prosperity of the church . the next unhappiness , that seems to have hindred some of our clergy from arriving to that degree of understanding , that becomes such an holy office , whereby their company and discourses might be much more than they commonly are valued and desired , is , the inconsiderate sending of all kind of lads to the universities , let their parts be never so low and pitiful , the instructions they have lain under never so mean and contemptible , and the purses of their friends never so short to maintain them there . if they have but the commendation of some lamentable and pitiful construing-master , it passes for sufficient evidence , that they will prove persons very eminent in the church . that is to say , if a lad has but a lusty and well-bearing memory ( this being the usual and almost only thing whereby they judge of their abilities ) if he can sing over very tunably three or four stanza's of lilly's poetry , be very quick and ready to tell what 's latin for all the instruments belonging to his fathers shop ; if presently , upon the first scanning , he knows a sponde from a dactyl ; and can fit a few of those same without any sence to his fingers ends ; if lastly , he can say perfectly by heart his academick catechism , in pure and passing latin , i. e. what is his name ? where went he to school ? and what author is he best and chiefly skill'd in ? a forward boy , cries the school-master , a very pregnant child ! ten thousand pities , but he should be a scholar : he proves a brave clergy-man , i 'l warrant you . away to the university he must needs go ; then for a little logick , a little ethicks , and god knows a very little of every thing else , and the next time you meet him it is in the pulpit . neither ought the mischief which arises from small country-schools to pass unconsidered ; the little governours whereof , having for the most part , not suck'd in above six or seven mouths full of university air , must yet by all means suppose themselves so notably furnished with all sorts of instructions , and are so ambitious of the glory of being counted able to send forth now and then to oxford or cambridge , from the little house by the church-yard's side , one of their ill educated disciples , that to such as these oft-times is committed the guidance and instruction of a whole parish : whose parts and improvements duely considered , will scarce render them fit governours of a small grammar-castle . not that it is necessary to believe , that there never was a learned or useful person in the church , but such whose education had been at westminster or s. paul's : but , whereas most of the small schools , being by their first founders design'd only for the advantage of poor parish-children ; and also that the stipend is usually so small and discouraging , that very few , who can do much more than teach to write and read , will accept of such preferment ; for these to pretend to rig out their small ones for an university life , prove oft-times a very great inconvenience and dammage to the church . and as many such dismal things are sent forth thus with very small tackling , so not a few are predestinated thither by their friends , from the foresight of a good benefice . if there be rich pasture , profitable customs , and that henry the eighth has taken out no toll , the holy land is a very good land , and affords abundance of milk and honey : far be it from their consciences the considering whether the lad is likely to be serviceable to the church , or to make wiser and better any of his parishioners . all this may seem at first sight to be easily avoided by a strict examination at the universities , and so returning by the next carrier all that was sent up not fit for their purpose . but because many of their relations are oft-times of an inferiour condition ; and who either by imprudent counsellors , or else out of a tickling conceit of their sons being , forsooth , an university scholar , have purposely omitted all other opportunities of a livelihood , to return such , would seem a very sharp and severe disappointment . possibly it might be much better , if parents themselves , or their friends , would be much more wary of determining their children to the trade of learning . and if some of undoubted knowledge and judgment , would offer their advice ; and speak their hopes of a lad about thirteen or fourteen years of age ( which i 'll assure you , sir , may be done without conjuring : ) and never omit to enquire , whether his relations are able and willing to maintain him seven years at the university , or see some certain way of being continued there so long , by the help of friends or others ; as also upon no such conditions , as shall in likelihood deprive him of the greatest parts of his studies . for it is a common fashion of a great many , to complement , and invite inferiour peoples children to the university , and there pretend to make such an all-bountiful provision for them , as they shall not fail of coming to a very eminent degree of learning : but when they come there , they shall save a servants wages . they took therefore heretofore a very good method to prevent sizars over-heating their brains : bed-making , chamber-sweeping , and water-fetching , were doubtless great preservatives against too much vain philosophy . now certainly such pretended savours and kindnesses as these , are the most right down discourtesies in the world. for it is ten times more happy , both for a lad and the church , to be a corn-cutter , or tooth-drawer , to make or mend shooes , or to be of any inferiour profession , than to be invited to , and promised the conveniencies of a learned education , and to have his name only stand airing upon the college tables , and his chief business shall be to buy eggs and butter . neither ought lads parts , before they be determined to the university be only considered , and likelihood of being disappointed in their studies , but also abilities or hopes of being maintain'd until they be masters of arts. for whereas two hundred , for the most part , yearly commence , scarce the fifth part of these continue after their taking the first degree . as for the rest , having exactly learned , quid est logica ? and quot sunt virtutes morales ? down they go by the first carrier , upon the top of the pack , into the west or north , or elsewhere , according as their estates lye , with burgersdicius , eustachius , and such great helps of divinity ; and then for propagation of the gospel . by that time they can say the predicaments and creed , they have their choice of preaching , or starving ▪ now , what a champion for truth is such a thing likely to be ? what an huge blaze he makes in the church ? what a raiser of doctrines , what a confounder of heresies , what an able interpreter of hard places , what a resolver of cases of conscience , and what a prudent guide must he needs be to all his parish ? you may possibly think , sir , that this so early preaching might be easily avoided , by with-holding holy orders : the church having very prudently constituted in her canons , that none under twenty three years of age ( which is the usual age after seven years being at the university ) should be admitted that great employment . this indeed might seem to do some service , were it carefully observed ; and were there not a thing to be got , called a dispensation ; which will presently make you as old as you please . but if you will , sir , we 'll suppose that orders were strictly denyed to all , unless qualified according to canon . i cannot foresee any other remedy , but that most of those university youngsters must fall to the parish , and become a town charge , until they be of spiritual age. for philosophy is a very idle thing , when one is cold : and a small system of divinity ( though it be wollebius himself ) is not sufficient when one is hungry . what then shall we do with them , and where shall we dispose of them until they come to a holy ripeness ? may we venture them into the desk to read service ? that cannot be , because not capable : besides , the tempting pulpit usually stands too near . or , shall we trust them in some good gentlemens houses , there to perform holy things ? with all my heart , so that they may not be called down from their studies to say grace to every health : that they may have a little better wages than the cook or butler : as also that there be a groom in the house , besides the chaplain : ( for sometimes to the ten pounds a year , they crowd the looking after a couple of geldings : ) and that he may not be sent from table , picking his teeth , and sighing with his hat under his arm , whilest the knight and my lady eat up the tarts and chickens : it may be also convenient , if he were suffered to speak now and then in the parlour , besides at grace and prayer time : and that my cousin abigail and he sit not too near one another at meals : nor be presented together to the little vicarage . all this , sir , must be thought of : for in good earnest , a person , at all thoughtful of himself and conscience , had much better chuse to live with nothing but beans and pease-pottage ( so that he may have the command of his thoughts and time ) than to have his second and third courses , and to obey the unreasonable humours of some families . and , as some think , two or three years continuance in the university , to be time sufficient for being very great instruments in the church ; so others we have so moderate , as to count that a solemn admission , and a formal paying of college detriments , without the trouble of philosophical discourses , disputations , and the like , are virtues that will influence as far as newcastle , and improve , though at never such a distance . so strangely possessed are people in general , with the easiness and small preparations that are requisite to the undertaking of the ministry , that , whereas in other professions they plainly see what considerable time is spent , before they have any hopes of arriving to skill enough to practise , with any confidence , what they have design'd ; yet to preach to ordinary people , and govern a country-parish , is usually judg'd such an easie performance , that any body counts himself fit for the employment . we find very few so unreasonably confident of their parts , as to profess either law , or physick , without either a considerable continuance in some of the inns of courts , or an industrious search in herbs , anatomy , chymistry , and the like ; unless it be only to make a bond ; or give a glyster . but , as for the knack of preaching , as they call it , that is such a very easie attainment , that he is counted dull to purpose that is not able at a very small warning , to fasten upon any text of scripture ; and to tear and tumble it till the glass be out . many , i know very well , are forced to discontinue , having neither stock of their own , nor friends to maintain them in the university . but , whereas a man's profession and employment in this world , is very much in his own , or in the choice of such who are most nearly concern'd for him : he therefore that foresees that he is not likely to have the advantage of a continued education , he had much better commit himself to an approved-of cobler or tinker , wherein he may be duly respected according to his office and condition of life , than to be only a disesteemed pettifogger or empirick in divinity . by this time , sir , i hope you begin to consider , what a great disadvantage it has been to the church and religion , the meer venturous and inconsiderate determining of youths to the profession of learning . there is still one thing by a very few at all minded , that ought also not to be overlooked ; and that is , a good constitution , and health of body . and therefore discreet and wise physicians ought also to be consulted , before an absolute resolve be made to live the life of the learned . for he that has strength enough to buy and bargain , may be of a very unfit habit of body to sit still so much , as in general is requisite , to a competent degree of learning : for although reading and thinking , breaks neither legs nor arms , yet certainly there is nothing that so flags the spirits , disorders the blood , and enfeebles the whole body of man , as intense studies . as for him that rives blocks , or carries packs , there is no great expence of parts , no anxiety of mind , no great intellectual pensiveness : let him but wipe his forehead , and he is perfectly recovered . but he that has many languages to remember ; the nature almost of the whole world to consult , many histories , fathers , and councils to search into , if the fabrick of his body be not strong and healthful , you will soon find him as thin as metaphysicks , and look as piercing as school subtlety . this , sir , could not be conveniently omitted ; not only , because many are very careless in this point , and at a venture determine their young relations to learning ; but because , for the most part , if amongst many , there be but one of all the family that is weak and sickly , that is languishing and consumptive , this of all the rest , as counted not fit for any course employment , shall be pick'd out as a choice vessel for the church : whereas most evidently , he is much more able to dig daily in the mines , than to sit cross-legg'd musing upon his book . i am very sensible , how obvious it might be here to hint , that , this so curious and severe inquiry , would much hinder the practice , and abate the flourishing of the universities : as also , there has been several , and are still many living creatures in the world , who whilst young , were of a very slow and meek apprehension , have yet afterward cheared up into a great briskness , and became masters of much reason : and others there have been , who , although forced to a short continuance in the university , and that oft-times interrupted by unavoidable services , have yet by singular care and industry , proved very famous in their generation : and lastly , some also of very feeble and crasie constitutions in their childhood , have out-studied their distempers , and have become very healthful , and serviceable in the church . as for the flourishing , sir , of the universities ; what has been before said , aims not in the least at gentlemen , whose coming thither is chiefly for the hopes of single improvement , and whose estates do free them from the necessity of making a gain of arts and sciences ; but only at such as intend to make learning their profession , as well as accomplishment : so that our schools may be still as full of flourishings , of fine cloaths , rich gowns , and future benefactors , as ever . and suppose we do imagine , as it is not necessary we should , that the number should be a little lessen'd ; this surely will not abate the true splendour of an university in any man's opinion , but his , who reckons the flourishing thereof , rather from the multitude of meer gowns , than from the ingenuity and learning of those that wear them ; no more than we have reason to count the flourishing of the church , from that vast number of people that crowd into holy orders , rather than from those learned and useful persons that defend her truths and manifest her ways . but , i say , i do not see any perfect necessity , that our schools should hereupon be thinn'd and less frequented ; having said nothing against the multitude , but the indiscreet choice . if therefore , instead of such either of inferiour parts , or a feeble constitution , or of unable friends , there were pick'd out those that were of a tolerable ingenuity , of a study-bearing body , and had good hopes of being continued ; as hence there is nothing to hinder our universities from being full , so likewise from being of great credit and learning . not to deny then , but that now and then there has been a lad of very submissive parts , and perhaps no great share of time allow'd him for his studies , who have proved , beyond all expectation , brave and glorious : yet surely we are not to over-reckon this so rare a hit , as to think that one such proving lad , should make recompense and satisfaction for those many weak ones ( as the common people love to phrase them ) that are in the church . and that no care ought to be taken , no choice made , no maintenance provided or considered , because now and then in an age , one miraculously beyond all hopes , proves learned and useful , is a practice , whereby never greater mischiefs , and disesteem has been brought upon the clergy . i have in short , sir , run over what seemed to me , the first occasions of that small learning , that is to be found amongst some of the clergy . i shall now pass from schooling to the universities . i am not so unmindful of that devotion which i owe to those places , nor of that great esteem i profess to have of the guides and governours thereof , as to go about to prescribe new forms and schemes of education , where wisdom has laid her top-stone . neither shall i here examine which philosophy , the old or new , makes the best sermons ▪ it is hard to say that exhortations can be to no purpose , if the preacher believes that the earth turns round : or , that his reproofs can take no effect , unless he will suppose a vacuum . there has been good sermons , no question , made in the days of materia prima , and occult qualities : and there is doubtless , still good discourses now under the reign of atoms . there is but two things wherein i count the clergy chiefly concerned ( as to university improvements ) that at present i shall venture to make inquiry into . and the first is this ; whether or no it were not highly useful ( especially for the clergy , who are supposed to speak english to the people ) that english exercises were imposed upon lads , if not in publick schools , yet at least privately . not , but that i am abundantly satisfied that latin , o latin ! 't is the all in all , and the very cream of the jest : as also , that oratory is the same in all languages : the same rules being observed , the same method , the same arguments and arts of perswasion ; but yet it seems somewhat beyond the reach of ordinary youth , so to apprehend those general laws , as to make a just and allowable use of them in all languages , unless exercised particularly in them . now , we know , the language that the very learned part of this nation must trust to live by , unless it be to make a bond , or prescribe a purge ( which possibly may not oblige or work so well in any other language as latin ) is the english. and after a lad has taken his leave of madam university , god bless him , he is not likely to deal afterward with much latin ; unless it be to checker a sermon , or to say salveto to some travelling dominatio vestra . neither is it enough to say , that the english is the language with which we are swaddled and rock'd asleep , and therefore there needs none of this artificial and superadded care . for there be those that speak very well , plainly , and to the purpose , and yet write most pernicious and phantastical stuff : thinking , that whatsoever is written must be more than ordinary , must be beyond the guise of common speech , must savour of reading and learning , though it be altogether needless , and perfectly ridiculous . neither ought we to suppose it sufficient , that english books be frequently read ; because there be of all sorts good and bad ( and the worst are likely to be admired by youth more than the best ) unless exercises be required of lads , whereby it may be ghessed what their judgment is , where they be mistaken , and what authors they propound to themselves for imitation . for by this means they may be corrected and advised early , according as occasion shall require : which if not done , their ill stile will be so confirmed , their improprieties of speech will become so natural , that it will be a very hard matter to stir or alter their fashion of writing . it is very curious to observe , what delicate letters your young students write after they have got a little smack of university learning ! in what elaborate heights , and tossing nonsense will they greet a right-down english father , or country friend ! if there be a plain word in it , and such as is used at home , this tasts not , say they , of education among philosophers , and it is counted damnable duncery and want of phansie : because , your loving friend , or humble servant , is a common phrase in countrey-letters ; therefore the young epistler is yours to the antipodes , or at least to the centre of the earth ; and because ordinary folks love and respect you , therefore you are to him the pole star , a iacob's staff , a load-stone , and a damask rose . and the misery of it is , this pernicious accustom'd way of expression , does not only oft-times go along with 'em to their benefice , but accompanies them to the very grave : and for the most part an ordinary cheesmonger or plum-seller , that scarce ever heard of an university , shall write much better sense , and more to the purpose than these young philosophers , who injudiciously hunting only for great words , make themselves learnedly ridiculous . neither can it be easily apprehended , how the use of english exercises should any ways hinder the improvement in the latin tongue ; but rather be much to its advantage : and this may be easily believed , considering what dainty stuff is usually produced for a latin entertainment . chicken-broth is not thinner than that which is commonly offered for a piece of most pleading and convincing sence . for , i 'll but suppose an academick youngster to be put upon a latin oration : away he goes presently to his magazine of collected phrases ; he picks out all the glitterings he can find ; he hales in all proverbs , flowers , poetical snaps , tales out of the dictionary , or else ready latin'd to his hand out of licosthenes : this done , he comes to the end of the table , and having made a submissive leg , and a little admir'd the number , and understanding countenances of his auditors ( let the subject be what it will ) he falls presently into a most lamentable complaint of his insufficiency and tenuity : that he poor thing , hath no acquaintance with above a muse and a half ; and that he never drunk above six-q . of helicon , and you have put him here upon such a task ( perhaps the business is only , which is the noblest creature a flea or a louse ) that would much better fit some old soker at parnassus , than his sipping unexperienc'd bibbership . alas , poor child ! he is sorry at the very soul that he has no better speech ; and wonders in his heart , that you will lose so much time as to hear him : for he has neither squibs nor fireworks , stars nor glories ; the curs'd carrier lost his best book of phrases , and the malicious mice and rats eat up all his pearls and golden sentences : then he tickles over a little the skirts of the business : by and by , for a similitude from the sun or moon ; or if they be not at leisure , from the grey ey'd morn , a shady grove , or a purling stream : this done , he tells you , that barnaby-bright would be much too short for him to tell you all that he could say ; and so fearing he should break the thread of your patience , he concludes . now it seems , sir , very probable , that if lads did but first of all determine in english , what they intend to say in latin , they would of themselves soon discern the triflingness of such apologies , the pittifulness of their matter , and the impertinency of their tales and phansies , and would according to their subject , age , and parts , offer that which would be much more manly , and to-tolerable sence . and if i may tell you , sir , what i really think , most of that ridiculousness , phantastical phrases , harsh and sometimes blasphemous metaphors , abundantly soppish similitudes , childish and empty transitions , and the like , so commonly uttered out of pulpits , and so fatally redounding to the discredit of the clergy , may in a great measure be charg'd upon the want of that which we have here so much contended for . the second inquiry that may be made , is this : whether or no punning , quibling , and that which they call joquing , and such other delicacies of wit , highly admired in some academick exercises , might not be very conveniently omitted ? for one may desire but to know this one thing : in what profession shall that sort of wit prove of advantage ? as for law , where nothing but the most reaching subtilty , and the closest arguing is allowed of , it is not to be imagined , that blending now and then a piece of a dry verse , and wreathing here and there an old latin saying into a dismal jingle , should give title to an estate , or clear out an obscure evidence . and as little serviceable can it be to physick , which is made up of severe reason , and well tryed experiments . and as for divinity , in this place i shall say no more , but that those usually that have been rope-dancers in the schools , oft-times prove iack-puddings in the pulpit . for he that in his youth has allowed himself this liberty of academick wit , by this means he has usually so thinn'd his judgment , becomes so prejudiced against sober sence , and so altogether disposed to trifling and jingling : that so soon as he gets hold of a text , he presently thinks that he has catch'd one of his old school-questions ; and so falls a flinging it out of one hand into another , tossing it this way and that ; lets it run a little upon the line , then tanutus , high jingo , come again ; here catching at a word , there lie nibling and sucking at an and , a by , a quis , or a quid , a sic and a sicut ; and thus minces the text so small , that his parishioners , until he rendevouze it again , can scarce tell what 's become of it . but shall we debar youth of such an innocent and harmless recreation , of such a great quickner of parts , and promoter of sagacity ? as for the first , its innocency of being allowed of for a time , i am so far from that perswasion , that from what has been before hinted , i count it perfectly contagious , and as a thing that for the most part infects the whole life , and influences upon most actions . for he that finds himself to have the right knack of letting off a joque , and of pleasing the humsters , he is not only very hardly brought off from admiring those goodly applauses , and heavenly shouts , but it is ten to one if he directs not the whole bent of his studies to such idle and contemptible books as shall only furnish him with materials for a laugh , and so neglects all that should inform his judgment and reason , and make him a man of use and reputation in this world. and as for the pretence of making people sagacious , and pestilently witty : i shall only desire , that the nature of that kind of wit may be considered , which will be found to depend upon some such fooleries as these : as first of all , the lucky ambiguity of some word or sentence . oh! what a happiness it is , and how much does a youngster count himself beholding to the stars , that should help him to such a taking jest ? and whereas there be so many thousand words in the world , and that he should luck upon the right one , that was so very much to his purpose , and that at the explosion made such a goodly report ? or else they rake lilly's grammar ; and if they can but find two or three letters of any name in any of the rules , or examples of that good man's works , it is as very a piece of wit , as any has pass'd in town since the king came in . oh! how the fresh-men will skip to hear one of those lines well laught at , that they have been so often yerk'd for ? it is true , such things as these go for wit so long as they continue in latin ; but what dismally shrimp'd things would they appear , if turn'd into english. and if we search into what was or might be pretended , we shall find the advantages of latin-wit to be very small and slender , when it comes into the world . i mean not only amongst strict philosophers , and men of meer notions , or amongst all-damning and illiterate hectors ; but amongst those that are truly ingenious , and judicious masters of phansie : we shall find , that a quotation out of qui mihi , an axiom of logick , a saying of a philosopher , or the like , though manag'd with some quickness , and applyed with some ingenuity , whatever they did heretofore , will not in our days pass , or be accepted for wit. for we must know , that as we are now in an age of great philosophers , and men of reason ; so of great quickness and phansie : and that greek and latin which heretofore , though never so impertinently fetch'd in , was counted admirable , because it had a learned twang , yet now , such stuff being out of fashion , is esteemed but very bad company . for the world is now , especially in discourse , for one language , and he that has somewhat in his mind of greek or latin , is requested now adays to be civil , and translate it into english for the benefit of the company . and he that has made it his whole business , to accomplish himself for the applause of a company of boys , school-masters , and the easiest of countrey divines , and has been shoulder'd out of the cock-pit for his wit ; when he comes into the world , is the most likely person to be kick'd out of the company , for his pedantry and over-weening opinion of himself . and , were it necessary , it is an easie matter to appeal to wits both antient and modern , that beyond all controversie have been sufficiently approved of , that never , i am confident , received their improvements by employing their time in puns and quibbles . there is the prodigious lucian , the great don of mancha and there is many now living wits of our own , who never certainly were at all inspir'd from a tripus's , terrae filius's or praevaricator's speech . i have ventur'd , sir , thus far , not to find fault with , but only to enquire into an antient custom or two of the universities , wherein the clergy seem to be a little concern'd , as to their education there . i shall now look upon them as beneficed , and consider their preaching : wherein i pretend to give no rules , having neither any gift at it , nor authority to do it ; but only shall make some conjectures at those useless and ridiculous things , commonly uttered in pulpits , that are generally disgusted , and are very apt to bring contempt upon the preacher , and that religion which he professes . amongst the first things that seem to be useless , may be reckon'd the high tossing and swaggering preaching ; either mountingly eloquent , or profoundly learned . for there be a sort of divines , who if they but happen of an unlucky hard word all the week , they think themselves not careful of their flock , if they lay it not up till sunday , and bestow it amongst them in their next preachment . or , if they light upon some difficult and obscure notion , which their curiosity inclines them to be better acquainted with , how useless soever , nothing so frequent as for them for a month or two months together , to tear and tumble this doctrine , and the poor people once a week shall come and gaze upon them by the hour , until they preach themselves , as they think , into a right understanding . those that are inclinable to make these useless speeches to the people , they do it , for the most part , upon one of these two considerations : either out of simple phantastick glory and a great studiousness of being wonder'd at ; as if getting into the pulpit were a kind of staging , where nothing was to be considered , but how much the sermon takes , and how much star'd at : or else they do this , to gain a respect , and reverence from their people ; who , say they , are to be puzled now and then , and carried into the clouds . for , if the ministers words be such as the constable uses , his matter plain and practical , such as come to the common market , he may pass possibly for an honest well-meaning man , but by no means for any scholar : whereas if he springs forth now and then in high raptures towards the uppermost heavens , dashing here and there an all-confounding word ; if he soars aloft in unintelligible huffs , preaches points deep and mystical , and delivers them as dark and phantastical ; this is the way , say they , of being accounted a most able and learned instructor . others there be , whose parts stand not so much towards tall words and lofty notions , but consist in scattering up and down , and besprinkling all their sermons with plenty of greek and latin. and because s. paul , once or so , was pleased to make use of a little heathen greek ; and that only , when he had occasion to discourse with some of of the learned ones , that well understood him , therefore must they needs bring in twenty poets and philosophers ( if they can catch them ) into an hours talk : spreading themselves in abundance of greek and latin , to a company perhaps of farmers and shepherds . neither will they rest there , but have at the hebrew also ; not contenting themselves to tell the people in general , that they have skill in the text , and that the exposition they offer agrees with the original , but must swagger also over the poor parishioners with the dreadful hebrew it self , with their ben-israel's , ben-manasses's , and many more bens that they are intimately acquainted with ; whereas there is nothing in the church , nor near it by a mile , that understands them , but god almighty himself , whom it is supposed , they go not about to inform or satisfie . this learned way of talking , though for the most part it is done meerly out of ostentation , yet sometimes ( which makes not the case much better ) it is done in complement and civility to the all-wise patron , or all-understanding iustice of the peace in the parish : who , by the common farmers of the town , must be thought to understand the most intricate notions , and the most difficult languages . now , what an admirable thing this is ? suppose there should be one or so in the whole church that understands somewhat besides english ; shall not i think that he understands that better ? must i out of courtship to his worship and understanding , and because perhaps i am to dine with him , prate abundance of such stuff , which i must needs know no body understands , or that will be the better for it , but himself , and perhaps scarce he ? this i say , because i certainly know several of that disposition , who , if they chance to have a man of any learning or understanding , more than the rest in the parish , preach wholly at him , and level most of their discourses at his supposed capacity , and the rest of the good people shall have only a handsome gaze or view of the parson . as if plain words , useful and intelligible instructions , were not as good for an esquire , or one that is in commission from the king , as for him that holds the plough , or mends hedges . certainly he that considers the design of his office , and has a conscience answerable to that holy undertaking , must needs conceive himself engaged , not only to mind this or that accomplish'd or well-dress'd person , but must have an universal care and regard of all his parish . and as he must think himself bound not only to visit down-beds , and silken curtains , but also flocks and straw , if there be need : so ought his care to be as large to instuct the poor , the weak and despicable part of his parish , as those that sit in the best pews . he that does otherwise , thinks not at all of a man's soul , but only accomodates himself to fine cloaths , an abundance of ribbons , and the highest seat in the church : not thinking , that it will be as much to his reward in the next world , by sober advice , care and instruction , to have saved one that takes collection , as him that is able to relieve half the town . it is very plain , that neither our saviour , when he was upon earth and taught the world , made any such distinction in his discourses : what more intelligible to all man-kind , than his sermon upon the mount ? neither did the apostles think of any such way : i wonder whom they take for a pattern ? i will suppose once again , that the design of these persons is to gain glory : and i will ask them ; can there be any greater in the world than doing general good ? to omit future reward : was it not always esteemed of old , that correcting evil practices , reducing people that lived amiss , was much better than making a high rant about a shittle-cock , and talking tara-tantaro about a feather ? or if they would be only admired , then would i gladly have them consider , what a thin and delicate kind of admiration is likely to be produced , by that which is not at all understood ? certainly that man that has a design of building up to himself real fame in good earnest , by things well laid and spoken , his way to affect it , is not by talking staringly , and casting a mist before the peoples eyes , but by offering such things by which he may be esteemed with knowledge and understanding . thus far concerning hard words , high notions , and unprofitable quotations out of learned languages . i shall now consider such things as are ridiculous , that serve for chimney and market-talk , after the sermon be done ; and that do cause more immediately the preacher to be scorn'd and undervalued . i have no reason , sir , to go about to determine what style or method is best for the improvement and advantage of all people : for i question not , but there has been as many several sorts of preachers as orators , and though very different , yet useful and commendable in their kind . tully takes very deservedly with many , seneca with others , and cato , no question , said things wisely and well : so doubtless the same place of scripture may by several be variously considered ; and although their method and style be altogether different , yet they may all speak things very convenient for the people to know , and be advis'd of . but yet certainly what is most undoubtedly useless and empty , or what is judg'd absolutely ridiculous , not by this or that curious or squeamish auditor , but by every man in the corporation that understands but plain english and common sence , ought to be avoided . for all people are naturally born with such a judgment of true and allowable rhetorick , that is , of what is decorous and convenient to be spoken , that whatever is grosly otherwise , is usually ungrateful , not only to the wise and skilful part of the congregation , but shall seem also ridiculous to the very unlearned tradesmen , and their young apprentices . amongst which , may be chiefly reckoned these following ; harsh metaphors , childish similitudes , and ill applyed tales . the first main thing , i say , that makes many sermons so ridiculous , and the preachers of them so much disparag'd and undervalued , is an inconsiderate use of frightful metaphors ; which making such a remarkable impression upon the ears , and leaving such a jarring twang behind them , are oft-times remember'd to the discredit of the minister , as long as he continues in the parish . i have heard the very children in the streets , and the little boys close about the fire , refresh themselves strangely , but with the repetition of a few of such far-fetch'd and odd-sounding expressions : tully therefore and caesar , the the two greatest masters of roman eloquence , were very wary and sparing of that sort of rhetorick : we may read many a page in their works , before we meet with any of those bears ; and if you do light upon one or so , it shall not make your hair stand right up , or put you into a fit of convulsion ; but it shall be so soft , significant , and familiar , as if 't were made for the very purpose . but as for the common sort of people that are addicted to this way of expression in their discourses ; away presently to both the indies , rake heaven and earth , down to the bottom of the sea , then tumble over all arts and sciences , ransack all shops and ware-houses , spare neither camp nor city , but that they will have them . so fond are such deceived ones of these same gay words , that they count all discourses empty , dull , and cloudy , unless bespankl'd with these glitterings . nay , so injuditious and imimpudent together , will they sometimes be , that the almighty himself is often in danger of being dishonoured by these indiscreet and horrid metaphor-mongers : and when they thus blaspheme the god of heaven , by such unhallowed expressions , to make amends , they 'll put you in , an as it were , forsooth , or as i may so say ; that is , they will make bold to speak what they please concerning god himself , rather than omit what they judge , though never so false , to be witty : and then they come in hobling with their lame submission , and with their reverence be it spoken . as if it were not much better to leave out what they foresee is likely to be interpreted for blasphemy , or at least great extravagancy , than to utter that , for which their own reason and conscience tells them , they are bound to lay in before-hand an excuse . to which may be further subjoyn'd , that metaphors though very apt and allowable , are intelligible but to some sorts of men , of this or that kind of life , of this or that profession : for example : perhaps one gentleman's metaphorical knack of preaching comes of the sea : and then we shall hear of nothing but star-board and lar-board , of stems , sterns and fore-castles , and such like salt-water language : so that one had need take a voyage to smyrna or aleppo , and very warily attend to all the saylers terms , before i shall in the least understand my teacher . now , although such a sermon may possibly do some good in a coast-town , yet upward into the countrey , in an inland parish , it will do no more than syriack or arabick . another he falls a fighting with his text , and makes a pitch'd battel of it , dividing it into the right wing and left wing , then he rears it , flanks it , intrenches it , storms it ; then he musters all again , to see what word was lost , or lam'd in the skirmish , and so falling on again with fresh valour , he fights backward and forward , charges through and through , routs , kills , takes , and then , gentlemen , as you were . now to such of his parish as have been in the late wars , this is not very formidable ; for they do but suppose themselves at naseby or edg-hill , and they are not much scared at his doctrine : but as for others , who have not had such fighting opportunities , it is very lamentable to consider , how shivering they sit without understanding , till the battel be over . like instance might be easily given of many more discourses ; the metaphorical phrasing whereof , depending upon peculiar arts , customs , trades and professions , makes them useful and intelligible only to such who have been very well busied in such like employments . another thing , sir , that brings great disrespect and mischief upon the clergy , and that differs not much from what went immediately before , is their packing their sermons so full of similitudes ; which , all the world know , carry with them but very small force of argument , unless there be an exact agreement with that which is compared ; of which there is very seldom any sufficient care taken . besides , those that are adicted to this slender way of discourse , for the most part , do so weaken and enfeeble their judgment by contenting themselves to understand by colours , features , and glimpses , that they perfectly omit all the more profitable searching into the nature and causes of things themselves . by which means it necessarily comes to pass , that what they undertake to prove and clear out to the congregation , must needs be so faintly done , and with such little force of argument , that the conviction or perswasion will last no longer in the parishioners minds , than the warmth of of those similitudes shall glow in their phansie . so that he that has either been instructed in some part of his duty , or excited to the performance of the same , not by any judicious dependence of things , and lasting reason , but by such faint and toyish evidence ; his understanding upon all occasions will be as apt to be misled as ever , and his affections as troublesome and ungovernable . but they are not so unserviceable , as usually they are ridiculous ; for people of the weakest parts are most commonly overborn with these fooleries ; which together with the great difficulty of their being prudently mannag'd , must needs occasion them , for the most part , to be very trifling and childish . especially , if we consider the choiceness of the authors , out of which they are furnished : there is the never-to-be commended-enough lycosthenes ; there is also the admirable piece , called the second part of wits common-wealth ( i pray mind it , it is the second part , not the first : ) and there is besides , a book wholly consisting of similitudes , applyed and ready fitted to most preaching subjects , for the help of young-beginners , who sometimes will not make them hit handsomly . 't is very well known , that such as are possess'd with an admiration of such eloquence , think that they are very much encourag'd in their way , by the scripture it self : for , say they , did not our blessed saviour himself use many metaphors , and many parables ? and did not his disciples , following his so excellent an example , do the like , and is not this , not only warrant enough , but near upon a commmand to us so for to do ? if you please therefore we will see what our saviour does in this case . in s. matthew he tells his disciples , that they are the salt of the earth ; that they are the light of the world ; that they are a city set on a hill : furthermore , he tells his apostles that he sends them forth as sheep in the midst of wolves ; and bids them therefore , be as wise as serpents , and harmless as doves . now , are not all these things plain and familiar , even almost to children themselves , that can but taste and see ; and to men of the lowest education , and meanest capacities ? i shall not here insist upon those special and admirable reasons for which our saviour made use of so many parables : only thus much is needful to be said , namely , that they are very much mistaken , that from hence think themselves tolerated to turn all the world into frivolous and abominable similitudes . as for our saviour when he spoke a parable , he was pleased to go no further than the fields , the sea-shore , a garden , a vineyard , or the like ; which are things , without the knowledge whereof , scarce any man can be supposed to live in this world . but as for our metaphorical and similitude-men of the pulpit , these things to them are too still and languid , they do not rattle and rumble : these lie too near home , and within vulgar kenn : there is little on this side the moon that will content them : up presently to the primum-mobile , and the trepidation of the firmament : dive into the bowels and hid treasures of the earth : dispatch forthwith for peru and iamaica ; a town-bred or country-bred similitude , it is worth nothing ! 't is reported of a tree growing upon the bank of euphrates , the great river euphrates , that it brings forth an apple , to the eye very fair and tempting , but inwardly it is fill'd with nothing but useless and deceitful dust : even so , dust we are , and to dust we must all go . now , what a lucky discovery was this , that a man's body should be so exactly like an apple ? and i will assure you , that this was not thought on till within these few years . and i am afraid too , he had a kind of a hint of this from another , who had formerly found out , that a man's soul was like oyster ; for says he , in his prayer , our souls are constantly gaping after thee , o lord ; yea verily , our souls do gape , even as an oyster gapeth . it seems pretty hard , at first sight , to bring into a sermon all the circles of the globe , and all the frightful terms of astronomy . but , i 'll assure you , sir , it is to be done , because it has been ; but not by every bungler and text-divider , but by a man of great cunning and experience . there is a place in the prophet malachi , where it will do very neatly , and that is chap. . vers . . but unto you that fear my name , shall the sun of righteousness arise with healing in his wings : from which words , in the first place , it plainly appears , that our saviour passed through all the twelve signs of the zodiak : and more than that too , all proved by very apt and familiar places of scripture . first then , our saviour was in aries ; or else what means that of the psalmist ? the mountains skipked like rams , and the little hills like lambs . and again , that in the second of the kings ch . . v. . and mesha king of moab was a sheep-master , and rendered unto the king of israel an hundred thousand lambs : and what follows ? and an hundred thousand rams , with the wool . mind it ; it was the king of israel . in like manner was he in taurus , psal. . . many bulls have compassed me : strong bulls of bashan have beset me round . they were not ordinary bulls : they were compassing bulls , they were besetting bulls , they were strong bashan bulls . what need i speak of gemini ? surely you cannot but remember iacob and esau , gen. . . and when her days to be delivered were fulfilled , behold there were twins in her womb. or of cancer ? when as the psalmist says so plainly : what ailed thee , o thou sea , that thou fleddest ? thou jordan , that thou wast driven back ? nothing more plain . it were as easie to shew the like in all the rest of the signs : but instead of that , i shall rather chuse to make this one practical observation : that the mercy of god to mankind in sending his son into the world , was a very signal mercy : it was a zodiacal mercy . i say it was truly zodiacal : for christ keeps within the tropicks : he goes not out of the pale of the church . but yet he is not always at the same distance from a believer : sometimes he withdraws himself into the apogaeum of doubt , sorrow , and despair , but then he comes again into the perigaeum of joy , content , and assurance : but as for heathens and vnbelievers , they are all artick and antartick reprobates . now when such stuff as this ( as sometimes it is ) is vented in a poor parish , where people can scarce tell what day of the month it is by the almanack , how seasonable and savoury is it likely to be ? i seems also not very easie , for a man in his sermon to learn his parishioners how to dissolve gold : of what and how the stuff is made . now , to ring the bells and call the people on purpose together , would be but a blunt business ; but to do it neatly , and when no body look'd for it , that 's the rarity and art of it ▪ suppose then , that he takes for his text that of s. matthew , repent ye , for the kingdom of god is at hand . now , tell me sir , do you not perceive the gold to be in a dismal fear , to curl and quiver at the first reading of these words . it must come in thus : the blots and blurs of your sins must be taken out by the aqua-fortis of your tears : to which aqua-fortis if you put a fifth part of sal-almoniack , and set them in a gentle heat , it makes aqua-regia , which dissolves gold. and now 't is out . wonderful are the things that are to be done by the helps of metaphors and similitudes ! and i 'll undertake , that with a little more pains and consideration , out of the very same words , he could have taught the people how to make custards , marmalade , or to stew prunes . but pray , why the aqua-fortis of tears ? for , if it so falls out , that there should chance to be neither apothecary nor druggist at church , there 's an excellent jest wholly lost . now had he been so considerate , as to have laid his wit in some more common and intelligible material : for example , had he said that the blots of sin , will be easily taken out by the soap of sorrow , and the fullers-earth of contrition ; then possibly the parson and the people might all have admired one another . for there be many a goodwife that understands very well all the intrigues of pepper , salt , and vinegar , who knows not any thing of the all-powerfulness of aqua-fortis , how that it is such a spot-removing liquor . i cannot but consider with what understanding the people sighed and cryed , when the minister made for them this metaphysical confession : omnipotent all ; thou art only : because thou art all , and because thou only art : as for us , we are not , but we seem to be ; and only seem to be , because we are not ; for we be but mites of entity , and crumbs of something ; and so on : as if a company of country people were bound to understand suarez , and all the school-divines . and as some are very high and learned in their attempts ; so others there be who are of somewhat too mean and dirty imaginations : such was he , who goes by the name of parson slip-stocking : who preaching about the grace and assistance of god , and that of our selves we are able to do nothing ; advised his beloved to take him in this plain similitude . a father calls his child to him , saying , child , pull off this stocking : the child mightily joyful , that it should pull off father's stocking , takes hold of the stocking , and tuggs , and pulls , and sweats , but to no purpose ; for stocking stirs not , for it is but a child that pulls : then the father bids the child to rest a little , and try again ; so then the child sets on again , tuggs again , and pulls again , and sweats again , but no stocking comes ; for child is but child : then at last the father , taking pity upon his child , puts his hand behind , and slips down the stocking , and off comes the stocking : then how does the child rejoice ? for child hath pull'd off father's stocking . alas , poor child ! it was not child's strength , it was not child's sweating , that got off the stocking , but yet it was the fathers hand behind , that slipt down the stocking . even so — not much unlike to this was he , that preaching about the sacrament and faith , makes christ a shop-keeper ; telling you , that christ is a treasury of all wares and commodities : and thereupon , opening his wide throat , cries aloud , good people , what do you lack ? what do you by ? will you buy any balm of gilead , any eye-salve , any myrrh , aloes or cassia ? shall i fit you with a robe of roghteousness , or with a white garment ? see here ! what is it you want ? here 's a very choice armory : shall i shew you an helmet of salvation , a shield or a breast-plate of faith ? or will you please to walk in , and see some precious stones ? a iasper , a saphyre , or a chalcedonit ? speak , what do you buy ? now for my part , i must needs say , and i much phansie i speak the mind of thousands , that it had been much better for such an imprudent and ridiculous bawler , as this , to have been condemn'd to have cryed oysters or brooms , than to discredit , after this unsanctified rate , his profession and our religion . it would be an endless thing , sir , to count up to you all the follies , for an hundred years last past , that have been preached and printed of this kind . but yet i cannot omit that of the famous divine , in his time , who advising the people in days of danger to run unto the lord , tells them , that they cannot go to the lord , much less run without feet : there be therefore two feet to run to the lord , faith and prayer : 't is plain that faith is a foot , for by faith we stand , cor. . . therefore by faith we must run to the lord who is faithful . the second is prayer , a spiritual leg to bear us thither : now , that prayer is a spiritual leg , appears from several places of scripture ; as from that of jonah , speaking of coming , chap. . vers . . and my prayer came unto thy holy temple : and likewise from that of the apostle , who says , heb. . . let us therefore go unto the throne of grace : both intimating , that prayer is the spiritual leg , there being no coming or going to the lord without the leg of prayer . he further adds : now , that these feet may be able to bear us thither , we must put on the hose of faith ; for the apostle says , our feet must be shod with the preparation of the gospel of peace . the truth of it is , the author is somewhat obscure : for , at first , faith was a foot ; and by and by it is a hose ; and at last it proves a shooe. if he had pleased , he could have made it any thing . neither can i let pass that of a later author ; who telling us , it is goodness by which we must ascend to heaven ; and that goodness is the milkey-way to jupiter 's pallace ; could not rest here , but must tell us further , that to strengthen us in our journey , we must not take morning milk , but some morning meditations ; fearing , i suppose , lest some people should mistake , and think to go to heaven by eating now and then a mess of morning milk , because the way was milkey . neither ought that to be omitted , not long since printed , upon those words of s. iohn , these things i write unto you , that you sin not . the observation is , that it is the purpose of the scripture to drive men from sin. these scriptures contain doctrines , precepts , promises , threatnings and histories : now , says he , take these five smooth stones , and put them into the scrip of the heart , and throw them with the sling of faith , by the hand of a strong resolution , against the forehead of sin , and we shall see it , like goliah , fall before us . but i shall not trouble you any further upon this subject ; but , if you have a mind to hear any more of this stuff , i shall refer you to the learned and judicious author of the friendly debates ; who particularly has at large discovered the intolerable fooleries of this way of talking . i shall only add thus much ; that such as go about to fetch blood into their pale and lean discourses , by the help of their brisk and sparkling similitudes , ought well to consider whether their similitudes be true . i am confident , sir , you have heard it many and many a time ( or if need be , i can shew you't in a book ) that when the preacher happens to talk , how that the things here below will not satisfie the mind of man ; then comes in , the round world , which cannot fill the triangular heart of man : whereas every butcher knows , that the heart is no more triangular , than an ordinary pear , or a child's top : but because triangular is a hard word , and perhaps a jest , therefore people have stoln it one from another , these two or three hundred years . and , for ought i know , much longer ; for i cannot direct to the first inventer of the phansie . in like manner they are to consider , what things either in the heaven , or belonging to the earth , have been found out by experience to contradict what has been formerly allow'd of . thus , because some ancient astronomers had observ'd , that both the distances , as well as the revolutions of the planets , were in some proportion or harmony one to another ; therefore people that abounded more with imagination than skill , presently phansi'd the moon , mercury and venus to be a kind of violins or trebles to iupiter and saturn ; and that the sun and mars supply'd the room of tenors ; the primum mobile running division all the time . so that one could scarce hear a sermon , but they must give you a touch of the harmony of the spheres . thus , sir , you shall have 'm take that of st. paul , about faith , hope and charity ; and instead of a sober instructing the people in those eminent and excellent graces , they shall only ring you over a few changes upon the three words : crying , faith , hope and charity : hope , faith and charity ; and so on : and when they have done their peal , they shall tell you , that this is much better than the harmony of the spheres . at other times i have heard a long chyming only between two words ; as suppose divinity and philosophy , or revelation and reason ; setting forth with revelation first : revelation is a lady : reason an handmaid . revelation's the esquire : reason the page . revelation's the sun : reason's but the moon . revelation is manna : reason's but an acorn . revelation a wedge of gold : reason a small piece of silver . then by and by reason gets it and leads it away . reason indeed is very good ; but revelation is much better . reason is counsellor ; but revelation is the law-giver . reason is a candle ; but revelation is the snuffer . certainly those people are possess'd with a very great degree of dulness , who living under the means of such enlightning preaching , should not be mightily settled in the right notion , and true bounds of faith and reason . not less ably , me-thought , was the difference between the old covenant and new , lately determined . the old covenant was of works ; the new covenant of faith. the old covenant was by moses ; the new by christ. the old was heretofore ; the new afterwards . the old was first ; the new was second . old things are passed away ; behold all things are become new . and so the business was very fundamentally done . i shall say no more upon this subject , but this one thing , which relates to what was said a little before : he that has got a set of similitudes , calculated according to the old philosophy , and ptolomy's systeme of the world , must burn his common-place-book , and go a gleaning for new ones : it being now a days much more gentile and warrantable , to take a similitude from the man in the moon , than from solid orbs : for though few people do absolutely believe that there is any such eminent person there , yet the thing is possible , whereas the other is not . i have now done , sir , with that imprudent way of speaking , by metaphor and similitude . there be many other things commonly spoken out of the pulpit , that are much to the disadvantage , and discredit of the clergy , that ought also to be briefly hinted . and that i may the better light upon them , i shall observe their common method of preaching . before the text be divided , a preface is to be made : and it is a great chance , if , first of all , the minister does not make his text to be like something or other . for example : one he tells you , and now ( me-thinks ) my text , like an ingenious picture , looks upon all here present ; in which both nobles and people may behold their sin and danger represented . this was a text out of hosea . now , had it been out of any other place of the bible , the gentleman was sufficiently resolv'd , to make it like an ingenious picture . another taking ( perhaps ) the very same words , says , i might compare my text to the mountains of bether , where the lord disports himself as a young hart , or a pleasant roe among the spices . another man's text is like the rod of moses , to divide the waves of sorrow ; or , like the mantle of elijah , to restrain the swelling floods of grief . another gets to his text thus ; as solomon went up six steps to come to the great throne of ivory ; so must i ascend six degrees to come to the high top-meaning of my text. another thus : as deborah arose and went with barack to kadesh ; so , if you will go along with him , and call in at the third verse of the chapter , he will shew you the meaning of his text. another he phancies his text to be extraordinarily like to an orchard of pomegranates ; or like saint matthew , sitting at the receipt of custom ; or like the dove that noah sent out of the ark. i believe there are above forty places of scripture that have been like rachel and leah : and there is one in genesis , as i well remember , that is like a pair of compasses stradling : and if i be not much mistaken , there is one somewhere else , that is like a man going to jericho . now , sir , having thus made the way to the text , as smooth and plain as any thing ; with a preface perhaps from adam ; though his business lie at the other end of the bible : in the next place , he comes to divide the text. — hic labor , hoc opus . per varios casus , per tot discrimina rerum . silvestrem tenui — now come off the gloves , and the hands being well chafed , he shrinks up his shoulders , and stretches forth himself as if he were going to cleave a bullock's head , or rive the body of an oak . but we must observe , that there is a great difference of texts . for all texts come not asunder alike : for sometimes the words naturally fall asunder ; sometimes they drop asunder ; sometimes they melt ; sometimes they untwist ; and there be some words so willing to be parted , that they divide themselves , to the great ease and rejoycing of the minister . but if they will not easily come in pieces , then he falls to hacking and hewing , as if he would make all fly into shivers . the truth of it is , i have known , now and then , some knotty texts , that have been divided seven or eight times over , before they could make them split handsomely , according to their mind . but then comes the joy of joys , when the parts jingle , or begin with the same letter ; and especially if in latin. o how it tickled the divider , when he had got his text into those two excellent branches ; accusatio vera : comminatio severa . a charge full of verity : a discharge full of severity . and i 'll warrant you that did not please a little , viz. there is in the words duplex miraculum ; miraculum in modo ; and miraculum in nodo . but the luckyest that i have met withal , both for wit and keeping the letter , is upon those words of st. matthew . . , , . when the unclean spirit is gone out of a man , he walketh through dry places , seeking rest , and finding none ▪ then he saith , i will return , &c. in which words all these strange things were found out . first , there was a captain and a castle . do ye see , sir , the same letter ? then there was an ingress , an egress ; and a regress or reingress . then there was unroosting and unresting . then there was number and name , manner and measure , trouble and trial , resolution and revolution , assaults and assassination , voidness and vacuity . this was done at the same time , by the same man : but , to confess the truth of it , 't was a good long text , and so he had the greater advantage . but for a short text , that certainly was the greatest break that ever was ; which was occasioned from those words of st. luke . . weep not for me , weep for your selves ; or , as some read it , but weep for your selves . it is a plain case , sir , here 's but eight words , and the business was so cunningly ordered , that there sprung out eight parts : here are , says the doctor , eight words , and eight parts . . weep not . . but weep . . weep not , but weep . . weep for me . . for your selves . . for me , for you selves . . weep not for me . . but weep for your selves . that is to say : north , north and by east . north north east , north east and by north , north east , north east and by east , east north east , east and by north , east — now it seems not very easie to determine which has obliged the world , he that found out the compass or he that divided the forementioned text : but i suppose the cracks will go generally upon the doctor 's side ; by reason what he did , was done by undoubted art , and absolute industry ; but as for the other , the common report is , that it was found out by mere foolish fortune . well , let it go how it will , questionless , they will be both famous in their way , and honourably mentioned to posterity . neither ought he to be altogether slighted who taking that of gen. . . for his text , viz. and one told jacob , and said , behold , thy son joseph cometh unto thee ; presently perceived , and made it out to the people , that his text was a spiritual dial. for , says he , here be in my text twelve words , which do plainly represent the twelve hours . twelve words : and one told jacob , and said , thy son joseph cometh unto thee . and here is , besides behold , which is the hand of the dyal , that turns and points at every word in the text. and one told jacob , and said , behold thy son joseph cometh unto thee . for it is not said , behold iacob or behold ioseph : but it is , and one told jacob , and said , behold , thy son joseph cometh unto thee . that is to say : behold and. behold one . behold told . behold iacob . again behold and. behold said . ( and also : ) behold behold , &c. which is the reason that the word behold is placed in the middle of the other twelve words , indifferently pointing at each word . now as it needs must be one of the clock , before it can be two or three ; so i shall handle this word and the first word in the text , before i meddle with the following . and one told jacob : this word and is but a particle , and a small one : but small things are not to be despised : s. mat. . . take heed that you despise not one of these little ones . for this and is as the tacks and loops amongst the curtains of the tabernacle . the tacks put into the loops did couple the curtains of the tent , and sew the tent together : so this particle and being put into the loops of the words immediately before the text , does couple the text to the foregoing verse , and sews them close together . i shall not trouble you , sir , with the rest ; being much after this witty rate , and to as much purpose . but we 'll go on if you please , sir , to the cunning observations , doctrines , and inferences , that are commonly made and rais'd from places of scripture . one he takes that for his text , psal. . . but let the righteous be glad . from whence he raiseth this doctrine , that there is a spirit of singularity in the saints of god. but let the righteous . a doctrine i 'll warrant him , of his own raising ; it being not very easie for any body to prevent him . another , he takes that of isai. . , . fear not thou worm jacob , &c. thou shalt thresh the mountains — whence he observes , that the worm iacob was a threshing worm . another , that of gen. . . and he commanded the steward of the house , saying , fill the mens sacks with food as much as they can carry : and makes his note from the words ; that great sacks , and many sacks , will hold more than few sacks , and little ones . for look , says he , how they came prepared with sacks and beasts , so they were sent back with corn : the greater and the more sacks they had prepared , the more corn they carry away ; if they prepared but small sacks , and a few , they had carried away the less : verily and extraordinarily true . another he falls upon that of isa. . . is it such a fast that i have chosen ? a day for a man to afflict his soul ? is it to bow down his head like a bulrush ? the observation is , that repentance for an hour , or a day , is not worth a bulrush . and there , i think he hit the business . but of these , sir , i can shew you a whole book full , in a treatise called flames and discoveries : consisting of very notable and extraordinary things , which the inquisitive author had privately observed , and discovered , upon reading the evangelists . as for example : upon reading that of s. iohn chap. . vers . . and when he had made a scourge of small cords , he drove them all out of the temple : this prying divine makes these discoveries . i discover , says he , in the first place , that in the church or temple , a scourge may be made . and when he had made a scourge . secondly , that it may be made use on : he drove them all out of the temple . and it was a great chance , that he had not discovered a third thing , and that is , that the scourge was made before it was made use of . upon mat. . . and there followed him great multitudes of people from galilee . i discover , says he , when jesus prevails with us , we shall soon leave our galilees . i discover also , says he , a great miracle , viz. that the way after jesus being straight , that such a multitude should follow him . matth. . . and seeing the multitude , he went up into a mountain : upon this he discovers several very remarkable things : first , he discovers , that christ went from the multitude . secondly , that it is safe taking warning at our eyes ; for seeing the multitude he went up . thirdly , it is not fit to be always upon the plains and flats with the multitude ; but if we be risen with christ , to seek those things that are above . he discovers also very strange things from the latter part of the forementioned verse : and when he was set , his disciples came unto him . . christ is not always in motion : and when he was set . . he walks not on the mountain , but sits : and when he was set . from whence also , in the third place , he advises people , that when they are teaching , they should not move too much , for that is to be carried to and fro with every wind of doctrine : now certainly never was this place of scripture more seasonably brought in . now , sir , if you be for a very short and witty discovery , let it be upon that of s. mat. . . which of you by taking thought , can add one cubit unto his stature ? the discovery is this : that whilst the disciples were taking thought for a cubit , christ takes them down a cubit lower . notable also are two discoveries made upon s. mat. . . when he came down from the mountain , great multitudes followed him . . that christ went down as well as went up ; when he came down from the mountain . . that the multitude did not go hail fellow well met with him , nor before him : for , great multitudes followed him . i love with all my heart , when people can prove what they say : for there be many that will talk of their discoveries and spiritual observations ; and when all comes to all , they are nothing but pitiful ghesses , and slender conjectures . in like manner that was no contemptible discovery that was made upon s. mat. . . and a certain scribe came and said , master , i will follow thee wheresoever thou goest . a [ thou ] shall be followed more than a [ that : ] i will follow thee wheresoever thou goest . and , in my opinion , that was not altogether amiss , upon s. mat. . . now when john had heard in the prison the works of christ , he sent two of his disciples . some also possibly may not dislike that upon s. luke . . let your lions be girded . i discover , says he , there must be a holy girding and trussing up for heaven . but i shall end all with that very politick one , that he makes upon s. mat. . . then one said unto him , behold thy mother and thy brethren stand without , desiring to speak with thee . but he answered and said , who is my mother ? and who are my brethren ? i discover now , says he , that jesus is upon business . doubtless , this was one of the greatest discoverers of hidden mysteries , and one of the most pryers into spiritual secrets , that ever the world was owner of . it was very well that he happen'd upon the godly calling , and no secular employment ; or else in good truth , down had they all gone , turk , pope , and emperour ; for he would have discovered them one way or other , every man. not much unlike to these wonderful discoverers are they , who chusing to preach upon some point in divinity , shall purposely avoid all such plain texts , as might give them very just occasion to discourse upon their intended subject , and shall pitch upon some other places of scripture , which no creature in the world but themselves did ever imagine that which they offer to be therein designed . my meaning , sir , is this : suppose you have a mind to make a sermon concerning episcopacy , ( as in the late times there was several occasions for it ) you must by no means take any place of scripture that proves or favours that kind of ecclesiastical government : for then the plot will be discovered , and the people will say to themselves , we know where to find you , you intend to preach about episcopacy . but you must take that of the acts c. . v. . sirs , what must i do to be saved ? an absolute place for episcopacy , that all former divines had idlely overlook'd : for , sirs , being in the greek 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 , which is to say in true and strict translation , lords , what more plain than that of old , episcopacy was not only the acknowledg'd government , but that bishops were formerly peers of the realm , and so ought to sit in the house of lords ? or , suppose that you have a mind to commend to your people kingly government ; you must not take any place that is plainly to the purpose , but that of the evangelist , seek first the kingdom of god. from which words the doctrine will plainly be ; that monarchy or kingly government is most according to the mind of god. for it is not said , seek the parliament of god , the army of god , or the committee of safety of god ; but it is , seek the kingdom of god. and who could expect less ? immediately after this the king came in , and the bishops were restored . again , sir , because i would willingly be understood , suppose you design to preach about election and reproprobation : as for the eighth chapter to the romans , that 's too too well known : but there 's a little private place in the psalms that will do the business as well , psal. . . in the multitude of my thoughts within me , thy comforts delight my soul. the doctrine which naturally flows from the words , will be , that amongst the multitude of thoughts , there is a great thought of election and reprobation . and then away with the point according as the preacher is inclined . or , suppose lastly , that you were not fully satisfied that pluralities were lawful or convenient : may i be so bold , sir , i pray what text would you chuse to preach upon against non-residents ? certainly nothing ever was better pick'd than that of s. matth. . . abraham begat isaac . a clear place against nonresidents : for had abraham not resided , but discontinued from sarah his wife , he could never have begot isaac . but it is high time , sir , to make an end of their preaching , lest you be as much tired with the repetition of it , as the people were little benefited , when they heard it . i shall only mind you , sir , of one thing more , and that is the ridiculous , senseless and unintended use , which many of them make of concordances . i shall give you but one instance of it , although i could furnish you with an hundred printed ones . the text , sir , is this , galat. . . for in christ jesus neither circumcision , nor vncircumcision availeth any thing but a new creature . now all the world know the meaning of this to be , that let a man be of what nation he will , iew or gentile , if he amends his life and walks according to the gospel , he shall be accepted with god. but this is not the way that pleases them : they must bring into the sermon , to no purpose at all , a vast heap of places of scripture ( which the concordance will furnish them with ) where the word new is mentioned : and the observation must be , that god is for new things ; god is for a new creature . s. john . . now in the place where he was crucified , there was a garden ; and in the garden a new sepulchre , wherein was never man yet laid ; there laid they jesus : and again : st. mark . . christ tells his disciples , that they that are true believers , shall cast out devils , and speak with new tongues : and likewise the prophet teaches us , isa. . . sing unto the lord a new song , and his praise unto the end of the earth . whence it is plain , that christ is not for old things ; he is not for an old sepulchre ; he is not for old tongues ; he is not for an old song ; he is not for the old creature ; christ is for the new creature ; circumcision and vncircumcision availeth nothing , but the new creature . and what do we read concerning sampson , iudg. . . is it not , that he slew a thousand of the philistines with one new iaw-bone ? an old one might have killed its tens , its twenties , its hundreds ; but it must be a new iaw-bone that 's able to kill a thousand . god is for the new creature . but may not some say , is god altogether for new things ? how comes it about then that the prophet says , isa. . , . bring no more vain oblations , &c. your new-moons and your appointed feasts my soul hateth ? and again , what means that , deut. . , . they sacrificed unto devils , and to new-gods , whom they knew not ; to new-gods , that came newly up : and when the lord saw it he abhorred them ? to which i answer ; that god indeed is not for new-moons , nor for new-gods ; but , excepting moons and gods , he is for new things : god is for the new-creature . it is possible , sir , that some-body , besides your self , may be so vain as to read this letter ; and they may perhaps tell you , that there be no such silly and useless people as i have described ; and if there be , there be not above two or three in a county ; or should there be more , it is no such complaining matter , seeing that the same happens in other professions , in law and physick : in both which there be many a contemptible creature . such therefore as these may be pleased to know , that if there had been need , i could have told them either the book and very page , almost of all that has been spoken about preaching ; or else the when and where , and the person that preached it . as to the second , viz. that the clergy are all mightily furnish'd with learning and prudence , except ten , twenty or so ; i shall not say any thing my self , because a very great scholar of our nation shall speak for me , who tells us , that such preaching as is usual , is a hindrance of salvation , rather than the means to it . and what he intends by usual , i shall not here go about to explain . as to the last , i shall also in short answer : that if the advancement of true religion , and the eternal salvation of a man , were no more considerable than the health of the body , and the security of his estate , we need not be more solicitous about the learning and prudence of the clergy , than of the lawyers and physicians : but being we believe it to be otherwise , surely we ought to be more concern'd for the reputation , and success , of the one than of the other . i come now , sir , to the second part that was designed , viz. the poverty of some of the clergy : by whose mean condition , their sacred profession is much disparaged , and their doctrine undervalued . what large provisions of old , god was pleased to make for the priesthood , and upon what reasons , is easily seen to any one that looks but into the bible . the levites , it is true , were left out in the division of the inheritance ; not to their loss but to their great temporal advantage : for whereas , had they been common sharers with the rest , a twelfth part only would have been their just allowance , god was pleased to settle upon them a tenth ; and that without any trouble or charge of tillage : which made their portion much more considerable than the rest . and as this provision was very bountiful , so the reasons , no question , were very divine and substantial : which seem chiefly to be these two . first , that the priesthood might be altogether at leisure for the service of god , and that they of that holy order might not be distracted with the cares of the world , and interrupted by every neighbour's horse or cow , that breaks their hedges , or shackles their corn : but , that living a kind of spiritual life , and being removed a little from all worldly affairs , they might always be fit to receive holy inspirations , and always ready to search out the mind of god , and to advise and direct the people therein . not , as if this divine exemption of them from the common troubles and cares of this life , was intended as an opportunity of luxury and laziness ; for certainly there is a labour besides digging : and there is a true carefulness without following the plough , and looking after their cattel . and such was the employment of those holy men of old : their care and business was to please god , and to charge themselves with the welfare of all his people : which thing he that does with a good and satisfied conscience , i 'll assure you , he has a task upon him , much beyond them that have for their care , their hundreds of oxen and five hundreds of sheep . another reason that this large allowance was made to the priests , was , that they might be enabled to relieve the poor , to entertain strangers , and thereby to encourage people in the ways of godliness : for they being in a peculiar manner the servants of god , god was pleased to entrust in their hands a portion more than ordinary of the good things of the land , as the safest store-house and treasury for such as were in need . that in all ages therefore , there should be a continued tolerable maintenance for the clergy ; the same reasons , as well as many others , make us think to be very necessary . unless they 'l count money and victuals to be only types and shadows , and so to cease with the ceremonial law. for where the minister is pinch'd , as to the tolerable conveniences of this life , the chief of his care and time must be spent not in an impertinent considering what text of scriptures will be most useful for his parish , what instructions most seasonable , and what authors best to be consulted : but the chief of his thoughts , and his main business must be to study how to live that week : where he shall have bread for his family ? whose sow has lately pigg'd ? whence will come the next rejoycing goose , or the next cheerful basket of apples ? how far to lammas , or offerings ? when shall we have another christening and cakes , and who is likely to marry or die ? these are very seasonable considerations , and worthy of a mans thoughts . for a family can't be maintain'd by texts and contexts : and the child that lies crying in the cradle , will not be satisfied without a little milk , and perhaps sugar , though there be a small german system in the house . but suppose he does get into a little hole over the oven , with a look to it , call'd his study , towards the latter end of the week ( for you must know , sir , there is very few texts of scripture that can be divided , at soonest , before friday night ; and some there be that will never be divided but upon sunday morning , and that not very early , but either a little before they go , or in the going to church : ) i say , suppose the gentleman gets thus into his study : one may very near ghess , what is his first thought when he comes there , viz. that the last kilderkin of drink is near departed ; and that he has but one poor single groat in the house , and there 's judgment and execution ready to come out against it , for milk and eggs. now , sir , can any man think that one thus rack'd , and tortur'd , can be seriously intent half an hour to contrive any thing that might be of real advantage to his people ? besides , perhaps that week he has met with some dismal crosses and undoing misfortunes . there was a scurvy-condition'd mole that broke into his pasture , and plough'd up the best part of his glebe : and a little after that , came a couple of spightful ill-favour'd crows , and trampl'd down the little remaining grass : another day , having but four chickens , sweep comes the kite , and carries away the fattest and hopefullest of all the brood . then after all this came the jack-daws and starlings ( idle birds that they are ! ) and they scattered and carried away from his thin thatch'd house , forty or fifty of the best straws : and to make him compleatly unhappy , after all these afflictions , another day , that he had a pair of breeches on , coming over a perverse stile , he suffered very much in carelesly lifting over his leg. now , what parish can be so inconsiderate and unreasonable , as to look for any thing from one , whose phansie is thus check'd , and whose understanding is thus ruffl'd and disordered . they may as soon expect comfort and consolation from him that lies rack'd with the gout and stone , as from a divine thus broken and shatter'd in his fortunes . but we 'll grant , that he meets not with any of these such frightful disasters , but that he goes into his study with a mind as calm as the evening : for all that , upon sunday , we must be content even with what god shall please to send us . for as for books , he is ( for want of money ) so moderately furnish'd , that except it be a small geneva-bible , so small , as it will not be desired to lie open of it self , together with a certain concordance thereunto belonging ; as also a book for all kind of latin sentences , called polyanthaea ; with some exposition upon the catechism ( a portion of which is to be got by heart , and to be put off for his own ; ) and perhaps mr. caryl upon pineda , mr. dod upon the commandments , and mr. clark's lives of famous men , both in church and state ; such as mr. carter of norwich , that uses to eat such abundance of pudden : besides , i say , these , there is scarce any thing to be found but a boudget of old stitch'd sermons , hung up behind the door , with a few broken girts , two or three yards of whipcord , and perhaps a saw and a hammer , to prevent dilapidations . now , what may not a divine do , though but of ordinary parts , and unhappy education , with such learned helps and assistances as these ? no vice surely durst stand before him , nor heresie affront him . and furthermore , sir , it is to be considered , that he that is but thus meanly provided for , it is not his only infelicity that he has neither time , mind , nor books , to improve himself for the inward benefit and satisfaction of his people , but also that he is not capable of doing that outward good amongst the needy , which is a great ornament to that holy profession , and a considerable advantage towards the having his doctrine believed and practised in a degenerate world . and that which augments the misery , whether he be able or not , it is expected from him . if there comes a brief to town , for the minister to cast in his mite , will not satisfie , unless he can create six pence or a shilling to put into the box , for a stale to decoy in the rest of the parish : nay , he that has but twenty or thirty pounds per annum , if he bids not up as high as the best in the parish in all acts of charity , he is counted carnal and earthly-minded , only because he durst not coin , and cannot work miracles ▪ and let there come never so many beggars , half of these i 'll secure you , shall presently enquire for the ministe'rs house : for god , say they , certainly dwells there , and has laid up for us sufficient relief . i know many of the laity are usually so extremely tender of the spiritual wellfare of the clergy , that they are apt to wish them but very small temporal goods , lest their inward state should be in danger , ( a thing they need not much fear , since that effectual humiliation of henry the eighth . ) for , say they , the great tithes , large glebes , good victuals and warm cloths , do but puff up the priest , making him fat , foggy , and useless , and fill him with pride , vain-glory , and all kind of inward wickedness , and pernicious corruption . we see this plain , say they , in the whore of babylon : to what a degree of luxury and intemperance ( besides a great deal of false doctrine ) have riches and honour raised up that strumpet ? how does she strut it , and swagger it over all the world , terrifying princes , and despising kings and emperors ? the clergy , if ever we would expect any edification from them , ought to be dieted and kept low , to be meek and humble , quiet , and stand in need of a pot of milk from their next neighbour , and always be very loth to ask for their very right , for fear of making any disturbance in the parish , or seeming to understand , or have any respect for this vile and outward world. under the law indeed , in those old times of darkness and eating , the priests had their first and second dishes , their milk and honey , their manna and quails , their outward also and inward vestments : but now under the gospel , and in times of light and fasting , a much more sparing diet is fitter , and a single coat , though it be never so ancient and thin is fully sufficient . we must now look , say they , ( if we would be the better for them ) for a hardy and labouring clergy , that is mortified to a horse , and all such pampering vanities ; and that can foot it five or six miles in the dirt , and preach till star-light for as many shillings ; as also a sober and temperate clergy , that will not eat so much as the laity , but that the least pig , and the least sheaf , and the least of every thing , may satisfie their spiritualship . and besides , a money-renouncing clergy , that can abstain from seeing a penny a month together , unless it be when the collectors , and visitationers come . these are all gospel-dispensations , and great instances of patience , contentedness , and resignation of affections ; to all the emptinesses and fooleries of this life . but , cannot a clergy-man chuse rather to lie upon feathers than an hardle , but he must be idle , soft , and effeminate ? may he not desire wholesome food , and fresh drink , unless he be a cheat , a hypocrite and an impostor ? and must he needs be void of all grace , though he has a shilling in his purse after the rates be cross'd ? and full of pride and vanity , though his house stands not upon crutches , and though his chimney is to be seen a foot above the thatch ? oh , how prettily and temperately may half a score children be maintained with almost twenty pounds per annum ! what a handsome shift a poor ingenious and frugal divine will make , to take it by turns , and wear a cassock one year , and a pair of breeches another ? what a becoming thing is it , for him that serves at the altar , to fill the dung-cart in dry weather , and to heat the oven , and pill hemp in wet ? and what a pleasant sight is it , to see the man of god fetching up his single melancholy cow , from a small rib of land that is scarce to be found without a guide ? or to be seated upon a soft and well grinded pouch of meal ? or to be planted upon a pannier with a pair of geese , or turkies , bobbing out their heads from under his canonical coat , as you cannot but remember the man , sir , that was thus accomplish'd ? or to find him raving about the yards , or keeping his chamber close , because the duck lately miscarried of an egg , or that the never-failing hen has unhappily forsaken her wonted nest ? and now , shall we think that such employments as these can any way consist with due reverence , or tolerable respect from a parish ? and he speaks altogether at a venture , that either says that this is false , or , at least it need not be so , notwithstanding the mean condition of some of the clergy . for let any one make it out to me , which way it is possible , that a man shall be able to maintain perhaps eight or ten in his family , with twenty or thirty pounds per annum , without a most intollerable dependence upon his parish , and without committing himself to such vileness , as will in all likelihood , render him contemptible to his people . now , where the in-come is so pitifully small ( which i 'll assure you , is the portion of hundreds of the clergy of this nation ) which way shall he mannage it for the subsistence of himself , and his family ? if he keeps the glebe in his own hand ( which he may easily do , almost in the hollow of it ) what increase can he expect from a couple of apple-trees , a brood of ducklings , a hemp-land , and as much pasture as is just able to summer a cow ? and as for his tithes , he either rents them out to a lay-man , who will be very unwilling to be his tenant , unless he may be sure to save by the bargain at least a third part : or else he compounds for them ; and then as for his money , he shall have it when all the rest of the world be paid . but if he thinks fit to take his dues in kind , he then either demands his true and utmost right ; and if so , it is a great hazard if he be not counted a caterpiller , a muck-worm , a very earthly-minded man , and too much sighted into this lower world ; which was made , as many of the laity think , altogether for themselves : or else he must tamely commit himself to that little dose of the creature , that shall be pleased to be proportioned out unto him : chusing rather to starve in peace and quietness , than to gain his right by noise and disturbance : the best of all these ways that a clergy-man shall think fit for his preferment to be mannag'd , where it is so small , are such , as will undoubtedly make him either to be hated and reviled , or else pitifully poor and disesteemed . but has it not gone very hard in all ages with the men of god ? was not our lord and master , our great and high priest ; and was not his fare low , and his life full of trouble ? and was not the condition of most of his disciples very mean ? were not they notably pinch'd , and severely treated after him ? and is it not the duty of every christian to imitate such holy patterns : but especially of the clergy , who are to be shining lights and visible examples , and therefore to be satisfied with a very little morsel , and to renounce ten times as much of the world as other people ? and is not patience better than the great tithes , and contentedness to be preferred before large fees and customs ? is there any comparison between the expectation of a cringing bowe , or a low hat , and mortification to all such vanities and fopperies ; especially with those who , in a peculiar manner , hope to receive their inheritance , and make their harvest in the next life ? this was well thought of indeed : but for all that , if you please , sir , we will consider a little some of those remarkable inconveniences , that do most undoubtedly attend upon the ministers being so meanly provided for . first of all , the holy men of god , or the ministry in general , hereby is dis-esteemed , and rendred of small account . for though they be called the men of god , yet when it is observed , that god seems to take but little care of them in making them tollerable provisions for this life , or that men are suffered to take away that which god was pleased to provide for them , the people are presently apt to think , that they belong to god no more than ordinary folks , if so much . and although it is not to be question'd but that the laying on of hands is a most divine institution ; yet it is not all the bishops hands in the world , laid upon a man , if he be either notoriously ignorant , or dismally poor , that can procure him any hearty and lasting respect . for though we find that some of the disciples of christ , that carried on and established the great designs of the gospel , were persons of ordinary employments and education ; yet we see little reason to think that miracles should be continued to do that , which natural endeavours , assisted by the spirit of god , are able to perform . and if christ were still upon earth to make bread for such as are his peculiar servants , and declarers of his mind and doctrine , the laity , if they please , should eat up all the corn themselves , as well the tenth sheaf , as the other ; but seeing it is otherwise , and that that miraculous power was not left to the succeeding clergy ; for them to beg their bread or depend for their subsistence upon the good pleasure and humour of their parish , is a thing that renders that holy office very much slighted , and disregarded . that constitution therefore of our church was a most prudent design ; that says , that all who are ordain'd , shall be ordain'd to somewhat ; not ordain'd at random , to preach in general to the whole world , as they travel up and down the road , but to this or that particular parish . and no question the reason was to prevent spiritual-pedling , and gadding up and down the country with a bag of trifling and insignificant sermons ; enquiring , who will buy any doctrine ? so that no more might be received into holy orders , than the church had provision for . but so very little is this regarded , that if a young divinity-intender has but got a sermon of his own , or of his father's , although he knows not where to get a meals meat , or one penny of money by his preaching , yet he gets a qualification from some benefic'd man or other , who perhaps is no more able to keep a curate , than i am to keep ten foot-boys , and so he is made a preacher . and upon this account i have known an ordinary divine , whose living would but just keep himself and his family from melancholly and despair , shroud under his protection as many curats , as the best nobleman in the land has chaplains . now , many such as these go into orders against the sky falls ; foreseeing no more likelyhood of any preferment coming to them , than you or i do of being secretaries of state. now , so often as any such as these , for want of maintenance , are put to any unworthy and disgraceful shifts , this reflects disparagement upon all that order of holy men. and we must have a great care of comparing our small prefer'd clergy with those but of the like fortune in the church of rome , they having many arts and devices of gaining respect and reverence to their office , which we count neither just nor warrantable . we design no more than to be in a likely capacity of doing good , and not discrediting our religion , nor suffering the gospel to be dis-esteemed : but their aim is clearly , not only by cheats , contriv'd tales and faigned miracles , to get money in abundance : but to be worshipped , almost deified , is as little as they will content themselves withal . for , how can it be , but that the people belonging to a church , wherein the supreme governour is believed never to erre , either purely by vertue of his own single wisdom , or by the help of his inspiring chair , or by the assistance of his little infallible cardinals , ( for it matters not where the root of not being mistaken lies ) i say , how can it be , but that all that are believers of such extraordinary knowledge , must needs stand in most direful awe , not only of the foresaid supreme , but of all that adhere to him , or are in any ghostly authority under him ? and although it so happens , that this same extraordinary knowing person is pleased to trouble himself with a good large proportion of this vile and contemptible world , so that should he now and then , upon some odd and cloudy day , count himself mortal , and be a little mistaken ; yet he has chanced to make such a comfortable provision for himself and his followers , that he must needs be sufficiently valued and honoured amongst all : but had he but just enough to keep himself from catching cold , and starving , so long as he is invested with such spiritual soveraignty , and such a peculiar privilege of being infallible , most certainly , without quarrelling , he take the rode of all man-kind . and as for the most inferior priests of all , although they pretend not to such perfection of knowledge , yet there be many extraordinary things , which they are believed to be able to do , which beget in people a most venerable respect towards them ; such is the power of making god in the sacrament ; a thing that must infallibly procure an infinite admiration of him that can do it , though he scarce knows the ten commandments , and has not a farthing to buy himself bread. and then when christ is made , their giving but half of him to the laity , is a thing also , if it be minded , that will very much help on the business , and make the people stand at a greater distance from the clergy . i might instance likewise in their auricular confessions , injoyning of penance , forgiving sins , making of saints , freeing people from purgatory , and many such useful tricks they have , and wonders they can do , to draw in the forward believing laity into a most right-worshipful opinion , and honourable esteem of them . and therefore seeing our holy church of england counts it not just , nor warrantable thus to cheat the world , by belying the scriptures , and by making use of such falshood and stratagems to gain respect and reverence : it behoves us certainly to wish for , and endeavour all such means as are useful and lawful , for the obtaining the same . i might here , i think , conveniently add , that though many preferments amongst the clergy of rome may possibly be as small as some of ours in england , yet we are to be put in mind of one more excellent contrivance of theirs , and that is the denyal of marriage to priests , whereby they are freed from the expences of a family , and a train of young children , that , upon my word , will soon suck up the milk of a cow or two , and grind in pieces a few sheaves of corn. the church of england therefore thinking it not fit to oblige their clergy to a single life , and i suppose are not likely to alter their opinion , unless they receceive better reasons for it from rome , than has been as yet sent over ; he makes a comparison very wide from the purpose , that goes about to try the livings here in england , by those of the church of rome : there being nothing more frequent in our church , than for a clergy-man to have three or four children to get bread for , by that time one in theirs shall be allowed to go into holy orders . there is still one thing remaining , which ought not to be forgotten ( a thing that is sometimes urged , i know , by the papists , for the single life of the priests ) that does much also lessen the esteem of our ministery ; and that is the poor and contemptible employment that many children of the clergy are forced upon , by reason of the meanness of their fathers revenue . it has happen'd , i know , sometimes , that whereas it has pleased god to bestow upon the clergy-man a very sufficient income ; yet such has been his carelessness , as that he hath made but pitiful provisions for his children . and on the other side , notwithstanding all the good care and thoughtfulness of the father , it has happen'd at other times that the children , beyond the power of all advice , have seemed to be resolved for debauchery ; but to see clergy-mens children condemn'd to the walking of horses , to wait upon a tapster , or the like , and that only because their father was not able to allow them a more gentile education , are such employments that cannot but bring great disgrace and dishonour upon the clergy . but this is not all the inconvenience that attends the small income , the portion of some clergy-men ; for besides that the clergy in general is disesteemed , they are likely also to do but little good in their parish . for it is a hard matter for the people to believe that he talks any thing to the purpose , that wants ordinary food for his family , and that his advice and exposition can come from above , that is scarce defended against the weather . i have heard a travelling poor man beg with very good reason and a great stream of seasonable rhetorick , and yet it has been very little minded , because his cloaths were torn , or at least out of fashion : and on the other side , i have heard but an ordinary saying , proceeding from a fine suit , and a good lusty title of honour , highly admired ; which would not possibly have been hearken'd to , had it been uttered by a meaner person ; yet by all means , because it was a phansie of his worships , it must be counted high , and notably expressed . if indeed this world were made of sincere and pure beaten vertue , like the gold of the first age , then such idle and fond prejudices would be a very vain supposal : and the doctrine that proceeded from the most tattered and contemptible habit , and the most sparing diet , would be as acceptable as that which flowed from a silken cassock , and the best chear : but seeing the world is not absolutely perfect , it is to be questioned , whether he that runs upon trust for every ounce of provision he spends in his family , can scarce look from his pulpit into any seat of the church , but that he spies some body or other that he is beholden to , and depends upon ; and for want of money has scarce confidence to speak handsomly to his sexton ; it is to be question'd , i say , whether one thus destitute of all tolerable subsistence , and thus shattered and distracted with most necessary cares , can either invent with discretion , or utter with courage any thing that may be beneficial to his people , whereby they may become his diligent attenders , and hearty respecters . and as the people do almost resolve against being amended , or bettered by that ministers preaching , whose circumstances , as to this life , are so bad , and his condition so low ; so likewise is their devotion very cool , and indifferent in hearing , from such a one , the prayers of the church . the divine-service , all the world know , is the same , if read in the most magnificent cathedral , or in the most private parlour : or , if performed by the arch-bishop himself , or by the meanest of his priests : but as the solemnity of the place , besides the consecration of it to god almighty , do much influence upon the devotion of the people : so also the quality and condition of the person that reads it . and although there be not that acknowledged difference between a priest comfortably provided for , and him that is in the thorns and bryars , as there is between one placed in great dignity and authority , and one that is in less ; yet such a difference the people will make , that they will scarce hearken to what is read by the one , and yet be most religiously attentive to the other . not surely that any one can think , that he whose countenance is chearly , and his barns full , can petition heaven more effectually , or prevail with god for the forgiveness of a greater sin , than he who is pitifully pale , and is not owner of an ear of corn : yet most certainly they do not delight to confess their sins , and sing praises to god with him , who sighs more for want of money and victuals , than for his trespasses and offences . thus it is , and will be , do you and i ( sir ) what we can to the contrary . did our church indeed believe , with the papists , every person rightfully ordained , to be a kind of god almighty , working miracles and doing wonders ; then would people most readily prostrate themselves in every thing to holy orders , though it could but just creep : but being our church counts those of the clergy to be but mortal men ( though peculiarly dedicated to god and his service ) their behaviour , their condition and circumstances of life will necessarily come into our value , and esteem of them . and therefore it is no purpose for men to say , that this need not be ; it being but meer prejudice , humour and phansie : and that if the man be but truly in holy orders , that 's the great matter : and from thence come blessings , absolution , and intercession through christ with god : and that it is not philosophy , languages , ecclesiastical history , prudence , discretion , and reputation , by which the minister can help us on towards heaven : notwithstanding this , i say again , that seeing men are men , and seeing that we are of the church of england , and not of that of rome , these things ought to be weighed and considered ; and for want of being so , our church of england has suffered much . and i am almost confident , that since the reformation , nothing has more hindred people from a just estimation of a form of prayer , and our holy liturgy , than employing a company of boys , or old illiterate mumblers , to read the service . and i do verily believe that at this very day , especially in cities and corporations , ( which make up the third part of our nation ) there is nothing that does more keep back some dissatisfied people from church , till service be over , than that it is read by some ten or twelve-pound-man , with whose parts and education they are so well acquainted , as to have reason to know , that he has but just skill enough to read the lessons with twice conning over . and though the office of the reader , be only to read word for word , and neither to invent or expound ; yet people love he should be a person of such worth and knowledge , as it may be supposed he understands what he reads . and although for some it were too burthensome a task to read the service twice a day , and preach as often ; yet certainly it were much better if the people had but one sermon in a fortnight or month , so the service was performed by a knowing and valuable person , than to run an unlearned rout of contemptible people into holy orders , on purpose only to say the prayers of the church , who perhaps shall understand very little more than a hollow pipe made of tin or wainscot . neither do i here at all reflect upon cathedrals : where the prayers are usually read by some grave and worthy person ; and as for the unlearned singers , whether boys or men , there is no more complaint to be made , as to this case , than that they have not an all-understanding organ , or a prudent and discreet cornet . neither need people be afraid that the minister for want of preaching should grow stiff and rusty , supposing he came not into the pulpit every week : for he may spend his time very honestly , either by taking better care of what he preaches , and by seriously considering what is most useful and seasonable for the people ; and not what subject he can preach upon with most ease , or upon what text he can make a brave speech , for which no body shall be better , or where he can best steal without being discover'd , as is the practice of many divines in private parishes : or else he may spend it in visiting the sick , instructing the ignorant , and recovering such as are gone astray : for , though there be churches built for publick assemblies , for publick instruction , and exhortation : and though there be not many absolutely plain places of scripture that do oblige the minister to walk from house to house , yet certainly people might receive much more advantage from such charitable visits and friendly conferences , than from general discourses levell'd at the whole world ; where perhaps the greatest part of the time shall be spent in useless prefaces , dividings and flourishings . which thing is very practicable , excepting some vast parishes : in which also it is much better to do good to some than to none at all . there is but one calamity more that i shall mention , which though it need not absolutely , yet it does too frequently accompany the low condition of many of the clergy : and that is , it is a great hazard , if they be not idle , intemperate and scandalous . i say , i cannot prove it strictly and undeniably that a man smally beneficed , must of necessity be dissolute and debauched : but when we consider , how much he lies subject to the humour of all kind of reprobates ; and how easily he is tempted from his own house of poverty and melancholly ; it is to be feared , that he will be willing too often to forsake his own study of a few scurvy books , and his own habitation of darkness , where there is seldom eating or drinking , for a good lightsome one , where there is a bountiful provision of both . and when he comes here , though he swears not at all , yet he must be sure to say nothing to them that doe it , by all that they can think of : and though he judges it not fit to lead the forelorn in vice and profaneness ; yet , if he goes about to damp a frolick , there is great danger , not only of losing his sunday dinner , but all opportunities of such future refreshments , for his niceness and squeamishness . and such as are but at all disposed to these lewd kind of meetings , besides the devil , he shall have solicitors enough , who count all such revelling occasions very unsavoury , and unhallowed , unless they have the presence of some clergy man to sanctifie the ordinance : who , if he sticks at his glass , bless him , and call him but doctor , and it slides presently . i take no delight , i must confess , to insist upon this , but only i could very much wish that such of our governors , as go amongst our small preferr'd clergy , to take a view of the condition of the church and chancel , that they would make but enquiry whether the minister himself be not much out of repair . i have now done , sir , with the grounds of that disesteem that many of the clergy lie under both by the ignorance of some , and the extream poverty of others : and i should have troubled you no farther but that i thought it convenient not to omit the particular occasions that do concur to the making up of many of our clergy so pitifully poor and contemptible . the first thing that contributes much to the poverty of the clergy is the great scarcity of livings : churches and chappels we have enough , it is to be confessed , if compared with the bigness of our nation : but in respect of that infinite number that are in holy orders , it is a very plain case , that there is a very great want . and , i am confident that in a very little time i could procure hundreds that should ride both sun and moon down , and be everlastingly yours , if you could help them but to a living of twenty five , or thirty pounds a year : and this i suppose to be chiefly occasioned upon these two accounts ; either from the eagerness and ambition that some people have of going into orders ; or from the refuge of others into the church ; who being otherwise disappointed of a livelihood , hope , to make sure of one by that means . first , i say , that which encreases the unprovided for number of the clergy , is people posting into orders , before they know their message or business , only out of a certain kind of pride and ambition . thus some are hugely in love with the meer title of priest , or deacon ; never considering how they shall live , or what good they are likely to do in their office : but only they have a phansie that a cassock , if it be made long , is a very handsom garment , though it be never paid for : and that the desk is clearly the best , and the pulpit the highest seat in all the parish : that they shall take place of most but esquires and right-worshipfuls : that they shall have the honour of being spiritual guides and counsellors : and they shall be supposed to understand more of the mind of god than ordinary , though perhaps they scarce know the old law from the new , nor the canon from the apocrypha . many , i say , such as these there be , who know not where to get two groats , nor what they have to say to the people , but only because they have heard that the office of a minister is the most noble and honourable employment in the world , therefore they , not knowing in the least what the meaning of that is , orders by all means must have , though it be to the disparagement of that holy function . others also there be , who are not so highly possess'd with the mere dignity of the office , and honourableness of the employment , but think , had they but a licence and authority to preach , oh how they could pay it away ! and that they can tell the people such strange things , as they never heard before in all their lives : that they have got such a commanding voice , such heart-breaking expressions , such a peculiar method of text-dividing , and such notable helps for the interpreting all difficulties in scripture , that they can shew the people a much shorter way to heaven , than has been as yet made known by any . such a forwardness as this , of going into holy orders , either meerly out of an ambitious humour of being called a priest , or of thinking they could do such feats and wonders , if they might be but free of the pulpit , has filled the nation with many more divines , than there is any competent maintenance for in the church . another great crowd that is made in the church , is by those , that take in there only as a place of shelter and refuge : thus we have many turn priests and deacons , either for want of employment in their profession of law , physick , or the like ; or having been unfortunate in their trade , or having broken a leg , or an arm , & so disabled from following their former calling ; or , having had the pleasure of spending their estate , or being ( perhaps deservedly ) disappointed of their inheritance . the church is a very large and good sanctuary , and one spiritual shilling is as good as three temporality shillings : let the hardest come to the hardest ; if they can get by heart , quid est fides ? quid est ecclesia ? quot sunt concilia generalia ? and gain orders , they may prove readers or preachers according as their gifts and opportunities shall lie . now , many such as these , the church being not able to provide for ( as there is no great reason that she should be solicitous about it ) must needs prove a very great disparagement to her : they coming hither just as the old heathens use to go to prayers : when nothing would stop the anger of the gods , then for a touch of devotion : and if there be no way to get victuals , rather than starve let us read or preach . in short , sir , we are perfectly over-stock'd with professors of divinity ; there being scarce employment for half of those who undertake that office. and unless we had some of the romish tricks , to ramble up and down , and cry pardons and indulgencies : or for want of a living , have good store of clients in the business of purgatory , or the like , and so make such unrighteous gains of religion , it were certainly much better if many of them were otherwise determined . or unless we had some vent for our learned ones beyond the sea , and could transport so many tun of divines yearly , as we do other commodities with which the nation is over-stocked ; we do certainly very unadvisedly to breed up so many to that holy calling , or to suffer so many to steal into orders , seeing there is not sufficient work and employment for them . the next thing that does much heighten the misery of our church , as to the poverty of it , is the gentries designing , not only the weak , the lame , and usually the most ill-favour'd of their children for the office of the ministry , but also such as they intend to settle nothing upon for their subsistence ; leaving them wholly to the bare hopes of church-preferment . for , as they think , let the thing look how it will , it is good enough for the church ; and that if it had but limbs enough to climb the pulpit , and eyes enough to find the day of the month , it will serve well enough to preach and read service : so likewise they think they have obliged the clergy very much , if they please to bestow two or three years education upon a younger son at the vniversity , and then commend him to the grace of god , and the favour of the church , without one penny of money or inch of land. you must not think , that he will spoil his eldest son's estate , or hazard the lessening the credit of the family , to do that which may tend any way to the reputation and honour of the clergy . and thus it comes to pass that you may commonly ride ten miles , and scarce meet with a divine that is worth above two spoons and a pepper-box , besides his living , or spiritual preferments . for , as for the land , that goes sweeping away with the eldest son , for the immortality of the family ; and as for the money , that is usually employed for to bind out , and set up other children . and thus you shall have them make no doubt of giving five hundred or a thousand pounds for a stock to them : but for the poor divinity-son , if he gets but enough to buy a broad hat at second hand , and a small system or two of faith , that 's counted stock sufficient for him to set up withal . and possibly he might make some kind of shift in this world , if any body will ingage that he shall have neither wife nor children ; but if it so falls out , that he leaves the world , and behind him either the one or the others ; in what a dismal condition are these likely to be , and how will their sad calamities reflect upon the clergy ? so dismal a thing is this commonly judged , that those that at their departure out of this life are piously and vertuously disposed , do usually reckon the taking care for the relief of the poor ministers widows , to be an opportunity of as necessary charity , as the mending the high-wayes , and the erecting of hospitals . but neither are spiritual preferments only scarce by reason of that great number that lie hovering over them , and that they that are thus upon the wing are usually destitute of any other estate and livelihood ; but also when they come into possession of them , they finding for the most part nothing but a little sauce and second course , pigs , geese , and apples , must needs be put upon great perplexities for the standing necessaries of a family . so that if it be enquired by any one , how comes it to pass that we have so many in holy orders that understand so little , and that are able to do so little service in the church ? if we would answer plainly and truly , we may say , because they are good for nothing else . for , shall we think that any man that is not curs'd to uselesness , poverty , and misery , will be content with twenty or thirty pounds a year ? for though in the bulk it looks at first like a bountiful estate ; yet , if we think of it a little better , we shall find that an ordinary bricklayer , or carpenter , ( i mean not your great undertakers and master-workmen ) that earns constantly but his two shillings a day , has clearly a better revenue , and has certainly the command of more money : for that the one has no dilapidations , and the like , to consume a great part of his weekly wages , which you know how much the other is subject unto . so that as long as we have so many small and contemptible livings belonging to our church ( let the world do what it can ) we must expect that they should be supplyed by very lamentable and unserviceable things : for that no body else will meddle with them : unless one in an age , abounding with money , charity and goodness , will preach for nothing . for if men of knowledge , prudence , and wealth , have a phansie against a living of twenty or thirty pounds a year : there is no way to get them into such an undertaking , but by sending out a spiritual press : for that very few volunteers that are of worth ( unless better encouraged ) will go into that holy warfare : but it will be left to those who cannot devise how otherwise to live . neither must people say , that besides bishopricks , prebends , and the like , we have several brave benefices , sufficient to invite those of the best parts , education , and discretion . for imagine one living in forty is worth a hundred pounds a year ; and supplied by a man of skill , and wholsome counsel : what are the other thirty nine the better for that ? what are the people about carlisle better'd by his instructions and advice who lives at dover ? it was certainly our saviour's mind , not only that the gospel should be preached to all nations at first , but that the meaning and power of it should be preserved and constantly declared to all people , by such as had judgment to do it . neither again must they say , that cities , corporations , and the great trading towns of this nation , ( which are the strength and glory of it , and that contain the useful people of the world ) are usually instructed by very learned and judicious persons . for , i suppose , that our saviour's design was not that majors , aldermen , and merchants , should be only saved ; but also that all plain countrey people should partake of the same means : who , though they read not so many gazetts , as a citizen , nor concern themselves where the turk , or king of france sets on next ; yet the true knowledge of god is now so plainly delivered in scripture , that there wants nothing but sober and prudent offerers of the same , to make it saving to those of the meanest understandings . and therefore in all parishes , if possible , there ought to be such a fixt and settled provision , as might reasonably invite some careful and prudent person , for the peoples guide and instruction in holy matters . and furthermore : it might be added , that the revenue belonging to most of corporation-livings is no such mighty business : for were it not for the uncertain and humorsome contribution of the well-pleased parishioners , the parson and his family might be easily starved , for all the lands or income that belongs to his church . besides the great mischief that such kind of hired preachers have done in the world : which i shall not stay here to insist upon . and as we have not churches enough , in respect of the great multitude that are qualified for a living ; so , considering the smallness of the revenue , and the number of people that are to be the hearers , it is very plain that we have too many . and we shall many times find too churches in the same yard , whenas one would hold double the people of both the parishes : and if they were united for the encouragement of some deserving person , he might easily make shift to spend very honestly and temperately the revenue of both . and what though churches stand at a little further distance ? people may please to walk a mile without distempering themselves ; when as they shall go three or four to a market to sell two pennie-worth of eggs. but suppose they resolve to pretend , that they shall catch cold ( the clouds being more than ordinary thick upon the sunday , as they usually are , if there be religion in the case ) and that they are absolutely bent upon having instruction brought to their own town : why might not one sermon a day , or rather than fail one in a fortnight , from a prudent and well esteem'd-of preacher , do as well as two a day from him , that talks all the year long nothing to the purpose , and thereupon is laught at and despised ? i know what people will presently say to this , viz. that if upon sunday the church doors be shut , the ale-houses will be open . and therefore there must be some body , though never so weak and lamentable , to pass away the time in the church , that the people may be kept sober and peaceable . truly , if religion and the worship of god consisted only in negatives ; and that the observation of the sabbath was only not to be drunk ; then they speak much to the purpose : but if it be otherwise , very little . it being not much unlike ( as it is the fashion in many places ) to the sending of little children of two or three years old to a school-dame , without any design of learning one letter , but only to keep them out of the fire and water . last of all ; people must not say that there needs no great store of learning in a minister , and therefore a small living may answer his deserts : for that there be homilies made on purpose by the church for young beginners and slow inventers . whereupon it is that such difference is made between giving orders , and license to preach ; the last being granted only to such as the bishop shall judge able to make sermons . but this does not seem to do the business : for , though it be not necessary for every guide of a parish to understand all the oriental languages , or to make exactly elegant or profound discourses for the pulpit ; yet most certainly it is very requisite that he should be so far learned and judicious , as prudently to advise , direct , inform , and satisfie the people in holy matters , when they demand it , or beg it from him . which , to peform readily and judiciously , requires much more discretion and skill , than , upon long deliberation , to make a continued talk of an hour , without any great discernible failings . so that were a minister tyed up never to speak one sentence of his own invention out of the pulpit in his whole life-time , yet doubtless many other occasions there be , for which neither wisdom nor reputation should be wanting in him that has the care and government of a parish . i shall not here go about to please my self with the imagination of all the great tithes being restored to the church , having little reason to hope to see such dayes of vertue . nor shall i here question the almightiness of former kings and parliaments ; nor dispute whether all the king henries in the world , with never such a powerful parliament , were able to determine to any other use , what was once solemnly dedicated to god and his service . but yet when we look over the prefaces to those acts of parliament , whereby some church-revenues were granted to henry the eight , one cannot but be much taken with the ingenuity of that paliament : that when the king wanted a supply of money , and an augmentation to his revenue , how handsomely out of the church they made provision for him , without doing themselves any injury at all : for , say they , seeing his majesty is our joy and life , seeing that he is so couragious and wise , seeing that he is so tender of , and well-affected to all his subjects ; and that he has been at such large expences for five and twenty whole years to defend and protect this his realm ; therefore in all duty and gratitude , and as a manifest token of our unfeigned thankfulness , we do grant unto the king , and his heirs for ever , &c. if follows as closely as can be , that because the king had been a good and deserving king , and had been at much trouble and expence for the safety and honour of the nation , that thererefore all his wants shall be supplyed out of the church : as if all the charges that he had been at , was upon the account only of his ecclesiastical subjects , and not in relation to the rest . it is not , sir , for you and i to ghess which way the whole clergy in general might be better provided for . but sure it is , and must not be denyed , that so long as many livings continue as they now are , thus impoverished ; and that there be so few encouragements for men of sobriety , wisdom , and learning , we have no reason to expect much better instructors and governours of parishes , than at present we commonly find . there is a way , i know , that some people love marvellously to talk of , and that is a just and equal levelling of ecclesiastical-preferments . what a delicate refreshment , say they , would it be , if twenty or thirty thousand pounds a year were taken from the bishops , and discreetly sprinkled amongst the poorer and meaner sort of the clergy ? how would it rejoice their hearts , and encourage them in their office ? what need those great and sumptuous palaces , their city , and their country-houses , their parks and spacious waters , their costly dishes and fashionable sauces ? may not he that lives in a small thatch'd house , that can scarce walk four strides in his own ground , that has only read well concerning venison , fish , and fowl ; may not he , i say , preach as loud , and to as much purpose , as one of those high and mighty spiritualists ? go to then , seeing it hath pleased god to make such a bountiful provision for his church in general , what need we be sollicitous about the amending the low condition of many of the clergy , when as there is such a plain remedy at hand , had we but grace to apply it ? this invention pleases some mainly well : but for all the great care they pretend to have of the distressed part of the clergy , i am confident , one might easily ghess what would please them much better : if instead of augmenting small benefices , the bishops would be pleased to return to them those lands that they purchased in their absence . and then as for the relieving of the clergy , they would try if they could find out another way . but art thou in good earnest my excellent contriver ? dost thou think that if the greatest of our church-preferments were wisely parcell'd out amongst those that are in want , it would do much feats and courtesies ? and dost thou not likewise think , that if ten or twenty of the lustiest noble-mens estates of england were cleaverly sliced among the indigent , would it not strangely refresh some of the poor laity , that cry small-coal or grind scissars ? i do suppose that if god should afterwards incline thy mind ( for i phansie it will not be as yet a good while ) to be a benefactor to the church ; thy wisdom may possibly direct thee to disperse thy goodness in smaller parcels , rather than to flow in upon two or three with full happiness . but if it be my inclination to settle upon one ecclesiastical person , and his successors for ever , a thousand pounds a year ; upon condition only to read the service of the church once in a week ; and thou takest it ill , & findest fault with my prudence , and the method of my munificence ; and sayst , that the stipend is much too large for such a small task : yet , i am confident , that should i make thy laityship heir of such an estate , and oblige thee only to the trouble and expence of the spending a single chicken , or half a dozen of larks , once a year , in commemoration of me , that thou wouldst count me the wisest man that ever was since the creation : and pray to god , never to dispose thy mind to part with one farthing of it for any other use than for the service of thy self and thy family . and yet , so it is , that because the bishops , upon their first being restored , had the confidence to levy fines according as they wore justly due , and desired to live in their own houses ( if not pull'd down ) and to receive their own rents : presently they cry out , the church-men have got all the treasure , and money of the nation into their hands . if they have any , let them thank god for it , and make good use of it . weep not beloved , for there is very little hopes , that they will cast it all into the sea , on purpose to stop the mouths of them , that say they have too much . what other contrivances there may be for the settling upon ministers in general a sufficient revenue for their subsistence and encouragement in their office ; i shall leave to be considered of by the governours of learning and religion . only , thus much is certain , that so long as the maintenance of many ministers is so very small , it is not to be avoided , but that a great part of them will want learning , prudence , courage , and esteem to do any good where they live . and what if we have ( as by all must be acknowledged ) as wise and learned bishops as be in the world ; and many others of very great understanding , and wisdom , yet as was before hinted , unless there be provided for most towns and parishes , some tollerable and sufficient guides ; the strength of religion , and the credit of the clergy will daily languish more and more . not that it is to be believed , that every small countrey parish should be altogether hopeless as to the next life , unless they have a hooker , a chillingworth , a hammond , or a sanderson , dwelling amongst them ; but requisite it is , and might be brought about , that somebody there should be , to whom the people have reason to attend , and to be directed , and guided by him . i have , sir , no more to say , were it not that you find the word religion in the title ; of which in particular i have spoken very little : neither need i , considering how neerly it depends , as to its glory and strength , upon the reputation and mouth of the priest. and i shall add no more but this , viz. that among those many things that tend to the decay of religion , & of a due reverence of the holy scriptures , nothing has more occasion'd it , than the ridiculous and idle discourses that are uttered out of pulpits . for when the gallants of the world do observe how the ministers themselves do jingle , quibble , and play the fools with their texts , no wonder if they , who are so inclinable to atheism , do not only deride and despise the priests , but droll upon the bible , and make a mock of all that is sober and sacred , i am , sir , your most humble servant , t. b. august . . finis . the kings majesties most gracious letter and declaration to the bishops, deans and prebends &c. england and wales. sovereign ( - : charles ii) approx. kb of xml-encoded text transcribed from -bit group-iv tiff page image. text creation partnership, ann arbor, mi ; oxford (uk) : - (eebo-tcp phase ). a wing c thomason .f. [ ] estc r this keyboarded and encoded edition of the work described above is co-owned by the institutions providing financial support to the early english books online text creation partnership. this phase i text is available for reuse, according to the terms of creative commons . universal . the text can be copied, modified, distributed and performed, even for commercial purposes, all without asking permission. early english books online. (eebo-tcp ; phase , no. a ) transcribed from: (early english books online ; image set ) images scanned from microfilm: (early english books, - ; : ) the kings majesties most gracious letter and declaration to the bishops, deans and prebends &c. england and wales. sovereign ( - : charles ii) charles ii, king of england, - . church of england. sheet ([ ] p.) printed for john jones, london : . "the clergy must be paid sufficiently. no leases of rectories or parsonages to be signed unless the vicarages or curacies have at least £ or £ per annum.... prebendaries are to comply with this order, which is to be enforced by deans, bishops, and archbishops, on pain of displeasure." -- steele. dated at end: th of august . arms ; steele notation: a maintenance afterwards. annotation on thomason copy: "aug ". reproduction of original in the henry e. huntington library. created by converting tcp files to tei p using tcp tei.xsl, tei @ oxford. re-processed by university of nebraska-lincoln and northwestern, with changes to facilitate morpho-syntactic tagging. gap elements of known extent have been transformed into placeholder characters or elements to simplify the filling in of gaps by user contributors. eebo-tcp is a partnership between the universities of michigan and oxford and the publisher proquest to create accurately transcribed and encoded texts based on the image sets published by proquest via their early english books online (eebo) database (http://eebo.chadwyck.com). the general aim of eebo-tcp is to encode one copy (usually the first edition) of every monographic english-language title published between and available in eebo. eebo-tcp aimed to produce large quantities of textual data within the usual project restraints of time and funding, and therefore chose to create diplomatic transcriptions (as opposed to critical editions) with light-touch, mainly structural encoding based on the text encoding initiative (http://www.tei-c.org). the eebo-tcp project was divided into two phases. the , texts created during phase of the project have been released into the public domain as of january . anyone can now take and use these texts for their own purposes, but we respectfully request that due credit and attribution is given to their original source. users should be aware of the process of creating the tcp texts, and therefore of any assumptions that can be made about the data. text selection was based on the new cambridge bibliography of english literature (ncbel). if an author (or for an anonymous work, the title) appears in ncbel, then their works are eligible for inclusion. selection was intended to range over a wide variety of subject areas, to reflect the true nature of the print record of the period. in general, first editions of a works in english were prioritized, although there are a number of works in other languages, notably latin and welsh, included and sometimes a second or later edition of a work was chosen if there was a compelling reason to do so. image sets were sent to external keying companies for transcription and basic encoding. quality assurance was then carried out by editorial teams in oxford and michigan. % (or pages, whichever is the greater) of each text was proofread for accuracy and those which did not meet qa standards were returned to the keyers to be redone. after proofreading, the encoding was enhanced and/or corrected and characters marked as illegible were corrected where possible up to a limit of instances per text. any remaining illegibles were encoded as <gap>s. understanding these processes should make clear that, while the overall quality of tcp data is very good, some errors will remain and some readable characters will be marked as illegible. users should bear in mind that in all likelihood such instances will never have been looked at by a tcp editor. the texts were encoded and linked to page images in accordance with level of the tei in libraries guidelines. copies of the texts have been issued variously as sgml (tcp schema; ascii text with mnemonic sdata character entities); displayable xml (tcp schema; characters represented either as utf- unicode or text strings within braces); or lossless xml (tei p , characters represented either as utf- unicode or tei g elements). keying and markup guidelines are available at the text creation partnership web site . eng church of england -- clergy -- early works to . church and state -- england -- early works to . clergy -- salaries, etc. -- england -- early works to . tithes -- england -- early works to . broadsides -- england -- london - tcp assigned for keying and markup - spi global keyed and coded from proquest page images - mona logarbo sampled and proofread - mona logarbo text and markup reviewed and edited - pfs batch review (qc) and xml conversion c r honi soit qvi mal y pense royal blazon or coat of arms the kings majesties most gracious letter and declaration to the bishops , deans and prebends &c. charles r. as nothing is more in our desires then to provide that the 〈…〉 ●ngland , under our reign might be furnished with a religious , learned , sober , modest , and prudent clergy 〈◊〉 we are ready to give incouragement to their labours and study in their severall degrees and stations , that they may give check to all prophaneness and superstition , and as zealously affect to remove all scandalls , and reproach from them and their callings , conceiving therefore a competent maintanance to be a necessary encouragement : and that all other persons who have power to dispose of tythes , may be invited to cherish all learned and godly ministery . we do resolve that because where tythes have been appointed for the support of bishops , deans , and chapters collegiate churches , and colledges : and other single persons that have not taken due care to provide , and ordaine sufficient maintenance for the vicars of their respective places , or for the curates where vicarages were not endowed , to settle for the future some good addition and encrease on such vicarages and curats places . our will therefore is that forthwith provision be made for the augmentation of all such vicarages , and cures , where your tythes and profits are appropriated to you and your successors , in such manner that they who immediately attend upon the performance of ministeriall offices in every parish may have a competent portion out of every rectory impropriate to your see. and 〈◊〉 this end our further will is , that no lease he granted of any rectoryes or parsonages belonging to your see , belonging to you 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 ●uccessors , untill you shall provide that the respective vicarages or curats places , where are no vicarages endow 〈…〉 tythes , or other emoluments , as commonly will amount to or l. per annum , or more 〈…〉 it will bear 〈…〉 , settle it upon them and their successors and where the rectoryes are of small value , an● cannot permit of such pr●●ortions 〈…〉 vicar and curate , our will is that one half of the prof●t of such a rectory b● reserved for the maintenance of the v●●ar or 〈◊〉 curate . and if any leases or grants of such fore-named rector●●● have been made by you since the f●rst day of june last past , & 〈◊〉 you did not ordaine competent augmentation of the vicarages or cures in their respective places , our will is , that out of the fines which you have received , or are to receive , you do add such encrease to the vicar and curate as is agreeable to the rates and proportions formerly mentioned . and our further will is , that you do employ your authority and power , which by law belongeth to you as ordinary for the augmentation of vicarages , and stipends of curates , and that you do with diligence proceed in due form of law , for the raysing and establishing convenient maintenance of those who do attend holy dutyes in parish churches ; and if any prebendary in any church ( the corps of whose prebend consists of tythes ) shall not observe these our commands , then we require you , or the deane of the church , to use all due meanes in law , where you or he hath power to compel them , or that otherwise you report to the bishop of the diocess , where the said corps doth lye , that they may interpose his authority for fulfilling this our order ; and if any dean , or dean and chapter , or any that holdeth any dignity , or prebend in the cathedral church do not observe these our commands , that you call them before you , and see this our will be obeyed ; and if you or any bishop do not your , duty , either in their own grants , or seeing others to do it then we will that upon complaint , the arch-bishop of the province see all performed according to this our declaration , will and pleasure : and whereas there are divers rurall prebends , where the vicarages are not sufficiently endowed , we require you to see those our commands be fully observed by them . and we do declare our will and pleasure in all the perticulars fore-cited to be , that if you or any of your successors , or any dean , or dean and chapter , of 〈◊〉 our cathedrial church , or any other person holding any office , benefice or prebend in the same , do or shall refuse or omit to observe these our commands , we shall judge them unworthy of our future favour , whensover any preferment ecclesiastical shall be desired by them from us . and lastly our will and command is , that you and your successors do at or before the first day of october in every year , render an account to the arch-bishop of how these our orders and commands are observed , that the arch-bishop afterwards may represent the same unto us , by his majestyes command . edward nicholas . this is a true copy of the king letter , shewed in the house of commons by sir allin brawdriff the th of august . london , printed for john jones . . a letter sent to an honourable gentleman in way of satisfaction concerning some slanderous reports lately raised against the bishops and the rest of the clergie of this kingdome. hall, joseph, - . this text is an enriched version of the tcp digital transcription a of text r in the english short title catalog (wing h ). textual changes and metadata enrichments aim at making the text more computationally tractable, easier to read, and suitable for network-based collaborative curation by amateur and professional end users from many walks of life. the text has been tokenized and linguistically annotated with morphadorner. the annotation includes standard spellings that support the display of a text in a standardized format that preserves archaic forms ('loveth', 'seekest'). textual changes aim at restoring the text the author or stationer meant to publish. this text has not been fully proofread approx. kb of xml-encoded text transcribed from -bit group-iv tiff page images. earlyprint project evanston,il, notre dame, in, st. louis, mo a wing h estc r ocm this keyboarded and encoded edition of the work described above is co-owned by the institutions providing financial support to the early english books online text creation partnership. this phase i text is available for reuse, according to the terms of creative commons . universal . the text can be copied, modified, distributed and performed, even for commercial purposes, all without asking permission. early english books online. (eebo-tcp ; phase , no. a ) transcribed from: (early english books online ; image set ) images scanned from microfilm: (early english books, - ; :e , no ) a letter sent to an honourable gentleman in way of satisfaction concerning some slanderous reports lately raised against the bishops and the rest of the clergie of this kingdome. hall, joseph, - . e. i. [ ], p. s.n.], [london? : . signed: e. i. by e. i., i.e. joseph hall. cf. bm. reproduction of original in thomason collection, british library. eng bishops -- england -- th century. clergy -- england -- th century. great britain -- history -- charles i, - . a r (wing h ). civilwar no a letter sent to an honourable gentleman, in way of satisfaction, concerning some slanderous reports lately raised against the bishops, and hall, joseph b the rate of defects per , words puts this text in the b category of texts with fewer than defects per , words. - tcp assigned for keying and markup - spi global keyed and coded from proquest page images - judith siefring sampled and proofread - judith siefring text and markup reviewed and edited - pfs batch review (qc) and xml conversion a letter sent to an honourable gentleman , in way of satisfaction , concerning some slanderous reports lately raised against the bishops , and the rest of the clergie of this kingdome . printed in the yeare , . to my noble friend sir vv. vv. knight . much honoured sir , so soon as ( to my great griefe and astonishment ) i received notice from you of the strange rumour generally scattered abroad , of a thousand horse or more , that should be provided by the clergy , and especially by the bishops of this kingdome , for some dangerous , but secret exploit ; i acquainted some eminent persons of that profession with the newes : who at the first seemed to entertaine it with a smiling kind of neglect , as the fained device of a thing impossible to finde beliefe : but when i told them , it was not onely seriously divulged , but also credited by many , who seemed not in-judicious , they began to be strucken with much horrour , and amazement ; and to lament the condition of themselves , and the times ; and to impute the first invention of this crime , to the malice of some ill affected persons , who meant , by this meanes , to stir up the envy , and unjust hatred of good people against their persons , and calling . good lord , said they , were wee not loaden enough before with the weight of more then our own enormities , but we must be crushed with the heavier pressures of imaginary mischiefes ? alas , what have we done thus to irritate , and enrage the world against us ? what can it bee that makes us guilty of this fury ? how many of us are there , that have not yet been taxed with any crime but our rochet ? yet wee suffer no lesse , then if it were an offence to be innocent . after they had a little breathed out their sorrow , they recollected themselves , and began to thinke what they might doe to give the world some kinde of satisfaction , in this odious aspersion that is cast upon them : at last they resolved that however they doubted not but time would fully manifest their integrity , yet , that in the mean while it was not fit that their silence should make them accessary to their owne causelesse infamy ; and therefore they earnestly desired me to take , and give notice to your worthy selfe , and all other ingenuous persons , of their serious and solemne protestation , before god and the world , of their cleare and perfect innocence in this behalfe . they doe therefore call the god of heaven to witnesse , that they are so far from having any hand in any businesse of this kinde , that they never heard or received the least intimation of any attempt , word , purpose , or thought tending this way ; neither can yet imagine what the meaning of any such combination , or enterprise might be : as those who have desired , in all their attendance on these publick services , to approve their fidelity , to god , their king , and country . in the conscience wherof , they bade me to challenge all those secret whisperers , who have thus gone about to poyson their good names in the opinion of all loyall and true-hearted subjects , to notifie and bring forth speedily the grounds of those accusations ; and to fix them upon such persons , as they dare charge for guilty ; that the truth of these criminations may so appeare to all the world , as that either themselves may receive shame , or the offenders , judgement . and withall they doe most humbly beseech the most honourable lords , and commons of this present parliament , that they will be pleased , with all possible speed , to search this matter to the bottom ; & to follow this foule slander home to the first rise ; that if any of them be found , in the least measure , guilty of this crime , pretended against king , or state , hee may forthwith suffer condigne punishment to the utmost ; wherein they profess that their hands shal be the first upon him , as the unworthy and perfidious violater of their sacred order : and , if this report shall bee found ( as they are confident ) utterly groundlesse , and meerly slanderous , they beseech that highest court of justice , for gods sake , and for the churches sake , that they will bee tenderly sensible of this abominable injury , that is herein done to their holy profession ; and take some speedy course for the publicke vindicating of their innocence to all the world . and , lastly , they doe earnestly beseech , and in the name of god , adjure , all christian people , to beware , how they give light credit to those slanderous suggestions , that are , in these deplored times , most untruly raised , and cast abroad by uncharitable , and malevolent men , against those , whom god hath set over them ; and who desire , in all good conscience , to bee approved to god , and men ; and that they will forbeare to hurt their owne soules in wronging the innocent . thu● noble sir , i have been bold to give you an account of the entertainment of your ill news ; not doubting of either your charitable beliefe of the truth of this unfained protestation , or of your just forwardnesse for the satisfying of others ; in which confidence , i take leave ; not without my humble and fervent prayers to the god of peace , that he would be pleased to temper all hearts , and to compose them so to an happy unity and concord , that we may at the last returne to our homes with joy , and with the comfortable expectation of no lesse blessed times then we have lived to see . your much devoted friend , e. i. mr. hobbs's state of nature considered in a dialogue between philautus and timothy to which are added five letters / from the author of the grounds and occasions of the contempt of the clergy. eachard, john, ?- . approx. kb of xml-encoded text transcribed from -bit group-iv tiff page images. text creation partnership, ann arbor, mi ; oxford (uk) : - (eebo-tcp phase ). a wing e estc r ocm this keyboarded and encoded edition of the work described above is co-owned by the institutions providing financial support to the early english books online text creation partnership. this phase i text is available for reuse, according to the terms of creative commons . universal . the text can be copied, modified, distributed and performed, even for commercial purposes, all without asking permission. early english books online. (eebo-tcp ; phase , no. a ) transcribed from: (early english books online ; image set ) images scanned from microfilm: (early english books, - ; : ) mr. hobbs's state of nature considered in a dialogue between philautus and timothy to which are added five letters / from the author of the grounds and occasions of the contempt of the clergy. eachard, john, ?- . [ ], , p. printed by e.t. and r.h. for nath. brooke, london : . "epistle dedicatory" signed: j.e. each of the five letters has a special t.p. reproduction of original in the huntington library. created by converting tcp files to tei p using tcp tei.xsl, tei @ oxford. re-processed by university of nebraska-lincoln and northwestern, with changes to facilitate morpho-syntactic tagging. gap elements of known extent have been transformed into placeholder characters or elements to simplify the filling in of gaps by user contributors. eebo-tcp is a partnership between the universities of michigan and oxford and the publisher proquest to create accurately transcribed and encoded texts based on the image sets published by proquest via their early english books online (eebo) database (http://eebo.chadwyck.com). the general aim of eebo-tcp is to encode one copy (usually the first edition) of every monographic english-language title published between and available in eebo. eebo-tcp aimed to produce large quantities of textual data within the usual project restraints of time and funding, and therefore chose to create diplomatic transcriptions (as opposed to critical editions) with light-touch, mainly structural encoding based on the text encoding initiative (http://www.tei-c.org). the eebo-tcp project was divided into two phases. the , texts created during phase of the project have been released into the public domain as of january . anyone can now take and use these texts for their own purposes, but we respectfully request that due credit and attribution is given to their original source. users should be aware of the process of creating the tcp texts, and therefore of any assumptions that can be made about the data. text selection was based on the new cambridge bibliography of english literature (ncbel). if an author (or for an anonymous work, the title) appears in ncbel, then their works are eligible for inclusion. selection was intended to range over a wide variety of subject areas, to reflect the true nature of the print record of the period. in general, first editions of a works in english were prioritized, although there are a number of works in other languages, notably latin and welsh, included and sometimes a second or later edition of a work was chosen if there was a compelling reason to do so. image sets were sent to external keying companies for transcription and basic encoding. quality assurance was then carried out by editorial teams in oxford and michigan. % (or pages, whichever is the greater) of each text was proofread for accuracy and those which did not meet qa standards were returned to the keyers to be redone. after proofreading, the encoding was enhanced and/or corrected and characters marked as illegible were corrected where possible up to a limit of instances per text. any remaining illegibles were encoded as <gap>s. understanding these processes should make clear that, while the overall quality of tcp data is very good, some errors will remain and some readable characters will be marked as illegible. users should bear in mind that in all likelihood such instances will never have been looked at by a tcp editor. the texts were encoded and linked to page images in accordance with level of the tei in libraries guidelines. copies of the texts have been issued variously as sgml (tcp schema; ascii text with mnemonic sdata character entities); displayable xml (tcp schema; characters represented either as utf- unicode or text strings within braces); or lossless xml (tei p , characters represented either as utf- unicode or tei g elements). keying and markup guidelines are available at the text creation partnership web site . eng hobbes, thomas, - . clergy -- great britain. - tcp assigned for keying and markup - aptara keyed and coded from proquest page images - rina kor sampled and proofread - rina kor text and markup reviewed and edited - pfs batch review (qc) and xml conversion m r hobbs's state of nature considered , in a dialogue between philautus and timothy . to which are added five letters from the author of the grounds , and occasions of the contempt of the clergy . london , printed by e. t. and r. h. for nath. brooke , at the sign of the angel in cornhil , near the royal exchange , . to the most reverend father in god , gilbert by divine providence lord archbishop of canterbury , primate of all england and metropolitan : and one of his majesties most honourable privy council , &c. may it please your grace , although for several reasons i ought in duty to lay all my endeavours at your graces feet , and beg your acceptance of them ; yet i was the more encourag'd to make this address , because the subiect seemes naturally to have recourse to your graces protection . for the same divine providence that has made your grace father of the church , has made you also guardian of humane nature . which ( as your grace well knows ) has been so vilely aspersed and persecuted by our adversarie's malicious suggestions , that he is willing indeed to suffer such a word as man still to remain amongst us , but what was alwayes meant , and design'd thereby , he has endeavoured to chase quite out of the world . the vindication therefore of humane nature could not but seek for protection from that great example of humanity ; whose constant practice doth alone abundantly confute all the slanderers of mankind . if mr. hobbs had been pleased to have given only a history or roll of the unjust or unfaithfull ; there would not then have been such occasion to importune your graces favouring such attempts as this . but when he teaches that cheating is not only according to reason , but that it is the first principle and dictate thereof ; for the very credit of being on reason's side , people shall count themselves engaged to be knaves . and therefore i have persumed to offer to your graces patronage this small discourse : wherein i have endeavoured to shew that those that are wicked and unrighteous are not such by reason , or any advice of humane nature , but onely because they have a mind to be so . and i am not altogether discourag'd from thinking , that by this consideration of mr. hobbs's state of nature , and my introduction thereunto it may appear to your grace , that it would not have been an impossible thing to have said somewhat to the rest of his writings , wherein he differs from what is generally believed . but for me to go about to inform your grace of the folly or inconveniences of mr hobbs's principles ; would be next unto his undertaking to read lectures to all mankind . your grace cannot but understand , that the matters insisted on in this dialogue , have been often recommended to the protection of great persons , and by those of eminent worth and learning : and if there be any reason demanded why this comes so late from me ; i have nothing to offer in excuse , either to your grace , or those that writ before me . but yet however from some experience of your graces favours towards me , what i have performed , i hope may not be altogether rejected : notwithstanding the manner of it , being to appearance not so grave and solid , does a little dishearten me . but , since mr. hobbs by affected garbs of speech , by a starch'd mathematical method , by counterfeit appearances of novelty and singularity , by magisterial haughtinesse , confidence and the like had cheated some people into a vast opinion of himself , and into a beliefe of things very dangerous and false ; i did presume , with your graces pardon , to think his writings so fond and extravagant , as not to merit being opposed in good earnest : and thereupon i was very loth to give them too much respect , and add undue weight to them by a solemn and serious confutation . and i hope my dialogue will not find the less acceptance with your grace for those letters which follow after : for although some are loth to believe the first letters to be innocent and useful ( being a little troublesome and uneasie to their own humour ) yet your grace , i hope , is satisfied that the author of them , did heartily therein study the credit and advantage of the church , and that our clergy would certainly be better reputed and more serviceable , were it possible they all could be , as learned and as bountiful as your grace . what i have now perform'd , i humbly submit to your graces favourable judgement ; desiring that it may be accepted of , as an expression of most dutyfull and gratefull observance from your graces in all duty and service most devoted . i. e. decemb. . . the preface to the reader . reader , the design of this preface is not to advise , or encourage thee to read what follows ; for i should not take it well my self to be so drawn in : but if thou chancest to look into it , and be not already acquainted with mr. hobbs's state of nature this is to let thee know , that thereby is to be understood a certain supposed time , in which it was just and lawful for every man to hang , draw , and quarter , whom he pleased , when he pleased , and after what manner he pleased ; and to get , possess , use and enjoy whatever he had a mind to : and the reason of this so large a charter , was because it was supposed that these people had not as yet any ways abridged themselves of their utmost liberty , by any voluntary bargains , or agreements amongst themselves ; neither could they be restrained by any humane laws , because the magistrate was not as yet chosen . in this dialogue therefore ( because mr. hobbs shall not say that i am stingy ) thou wilt find , reader , that with him i have allowed ( though there 's very small reason for 't ) such a time or state , wherein people came into the world ( after his own humour ) without being obliged either to god , parents , friends , midwifes , or publick magistrate , and yet notwithstanding i have endeavoured to make out ( how far or how well that 's no matter ) that those that are feigned to be in this condition , have all such a natural right to their own lives , and what is thereunto convenient , that it is perfectly unjust and unreasonable for any one of them to take his utmost advantage , and to do whatever he thinks he is able , or pleases him best . thou mightest possibly expect , after i had given each of the four inhabitants of the isle of pines a right to the fourth part ( which thou dost not deserve to understand unless thou readest the book ) that i should have proceeded , and set out every man's share : and so have answered to mr. hobbs's sixth article , cap. . de cive . wherein he saies , that a great and necessary occasion of quarrelling and war is , that several men oftimes have a desire to the same thing ; which thing if it happens not to be capable of being divided , or enjoyed in common , they must needs draw and fight for 't : instead of which , he should have said ; if these men chance to be mad , or void of reason , it is possible they may fight for 't : for being that every one of them have an equal right to this same , that is in controversie , they may either compound for it as to its value , or decide it by lot , or some other way that reason may direct ( which is a law of reason and humane nature , and not meerly positive , because it is in law books . ) neither did i proceed to shew what kind of government they fix'd upon ; or how long they continned in that even condition ; or how every one of them thrived . for perhaps before the year ran round , roger might fuddle , or game away all his estate ; or his cattle might all dy , and he forc'd to sell land to get more stock . neither have i told you what was tumbler's first complement to towser , nor what was towser's reparty ; nor whether they bow'd only half way , or down to the ground ; nor which leg the one and t'other drew back . which , had i intended an absolute discourse , should not have been omitted . all that i shall venture to say is this , that i hope it may appear to three or four , ( for i durst not presume to convert many ) that mr. hobbs is not such a great discoverer and afforder of new things as his own prefaces and his titles to books would make thee believe : neither is he so great a dispeller of clouds , but that thou mayst buy an ell of them under a mark. neither is humane nature ( or reason ) so very vile and raskally , as he writes his own to be , nor his account of it altogether so demonstrative , as euclid . there 's nothing now wanting , reader , but only to give thee a hundred and fifty reasons why i writ this ; and tell thee of most wonderful things that happen'd , or else it had been much better . thou mayst read on , if thou pleasest : if thou wilt not , thou mayst let it alone ; however thou art heartily wellcome thus far . a dialogue between timothy and philautus . tim. well met philautus , how does your best self this morning : what , stout and hearty ? phi. i take care of my self , sir , my body is pretty well , i thank you . tim. then all is well , i suppose . phi. yes truly in my opinion , all is well , when that is so . tim. in your opinion ? why : doe not all count that well which you count well : or are you a man by your self ? phi. i am just what you see me to be . but some people i find , have two men to take care of ; an outward man , and an inward man : for my part . i am able to maintain but one ; and if i can shift it , that shall take no hurt , for want of looking after . but i begg your pardon , sir , for i know you not . tim. no matter for that : come , shall we take a turn or two in the walks ? phi. no , i thank you , unless i knew your tricks better : you may chance to get behind me , and bite me by the legs . let them take a turn with you that have not search'd into the fundamental laws of humane nature , and the first rise of cities and societies . i know better things than to trust my self with one that i never saw before . i have but one body , and i desire to carry it home all to my chamber . tim. you had better i profess , have no body at all ; or compound to be kick'd and beaten twice a day ; than to be thus dismally tortur'd , and solicitous about an old rotten carcase . phi. come , come : you talk like a young man. let me tell you the body is a very precious thing : and when you can make me believe otherwise , who have poised kingdoms , counted up all the advantages of bodily strength , and am throughly acquainted with all the humours and passions of mankind , then will i stay with you , and venture a kicking . and so farewell . tim. i beseech you , sir , stay a little : upon my honour i intend nothing but a walk , and civill discourse . phi. i know no honour any man has but an acknowledgement of his power and greatness : so that all the security that i have that you will not injure me is , that you can certainly do it , if you have a mind to 't . and therefore , i pray , doe so much as take your honour along with you into that other walk , or else i shall crie out murder . i don't care for trusting my self with unknown honour . tim. then as i am a gentleman , and my name is timothy , i doe not intend you the least mischief . phi. what , sir , doe you take me for a fool ? doe not i know that a gentleman is one that keeps a man to quarrel , fight , beat and abuse ? you must not think to catch old birds with chaffe . and therefore once more farewell m r timothy , if your name be so . tim. i pray , sir , be not gon yet ; upon my honesty and as i am a christian you shall suffer no hurt . phi. now indeed you have mended the business much : what , is there ever an act of parliament against your beating me particularly ? and if there be , where 's the constable , to put it in execution ? tim. well : i see i must discover my self , or nothing is to be done : i am , sir , to put you out of all doubt then , a relation of a great friend of yours . doe you know this picture , sir● phi. indeed i think i did once almost see some such thing or something a little like it , in his study , a great while ago , if my eyes , memory , and the rest of my faculties doe not ●ail me . tim. so then , now i hope you are past all feares . therefore if you will , we 'l walk towards lambs conduit : there 's better aire . phi. i profess , sir , you make m● shake most horribly . there 's a word indeed next one 's heart ! i much question whether i shall eat again these two dayes . if you 'l forbear all such language , and keep close to your own side , and not look behind you , i 'le venture to take two or three turnes with you : otherwise i shall leave your company forthwith . tim. most certainly , philautus , you are the most wary , mistrustful and suspicious creature , now living upon the face of the whole earth . phi. i thank my stars , i have had some time to look into histories : and i have made some observations of my own : and i find they very much tend to my good and welfare . in short , i think i know as well as another , what man can doe , and what is his full value . tim. surely you are not made of the ordinary mortal mould , but of some peculiar thin and brittle stuff ; or else you would never talk thus . phi. your pleasure for that . i only say what i said before ; i think , i know what is that which all wise men ought to cherish , refresh , make much of , love and regard . tim. still , philautus , i understand you not . what , have you been often affronted , abused , choused , ●repann'd , flung down stairs , tossed in a blanket — phi. no , i 'le assure thee , tim , i have alwayes kept ( as they say ) out of harme's way , as much as could be : especially since i studied morals , and understood the true price of a whole man. tim. what should be the business then ? is it that you are descended of some very timorous family ; or was your mother buried alive , with two sucking children ? come , sir , be free : for i am confident there must be some occasion or other of this so very great jealousie , and mistrustfullness of yours . phi. then as a secret , tim , i must tell thee , that men nuturally are all ●●venous and currish , of a very snarling and biting nature ; to be short , they are in themselves mere wolves , tygers and centaures . tim. heavens forbid ! what are you and i wolves , tygers and centaures . phi. you may start at it for the present , but when you have read as much , observ'd as much , and considered as much , as i , you 'l find it to be as true , as that i have a pair of boots . tim. methinks honest tim has no mind at all to be a centaure ; he had much rather be a sheep , a pigeon , a lark or any such pretty tame thing , if you can afford it . and now in the name of all that 's good , i hope you doe not mistake and call that humane nature in generall , which is only your own ; measuring all moral actions thereby , and pronouncing that all mens teeth are very long and sharp , because you find your own to be so . phi. why should you suspect me to be more peevish , surly , and worse natur'd than other men , and so recommend or impose my own temper and inclinations upon the world as a general standard ? tim. i am very loath , philautus , to accuse any man of bad nature : it being such a great bundle of mischief in it self , and so very troublesome to the comon-wealth . but when i find one so very tender and studious of his own wellfare and pleasure , so little concern'd for any mans good but his own , so great an admirer of his own humour and opinions , so ready to call things demonstrations that doe not at all , or very weakly prove , and so apt to vilifie and under-value , to hate and raile at three quarters of the cr●ation , ( if they stand in his way and give him not due honour and respect ) i am very much afraid that such a●one when he comes to talk of the general disposition of mankind , of the best and most fundamental lawes of life , government and religion , will consult a little too much his own sweet elephants tooth , and the wamblings of his own dear bowels . phi. i shall not now stand to vindicate , much less boost of my own temper . it is well known that i have kept company with gentlemen , and persons of honour ; and they are able to judge what humour and carriage is decent and allowable better than all the timothies in the nation . i prethee , tim , what 's the difference between a bustard and a chevin ? tim. i love our nation , and all men in it so well , that i wish they had given you less entertainment ; it had been more for their honour and credit ; and the good of this realm . phi. that is somewhat enviously said . i hope you 'l give people leave to keep the best and most improving company : would you have them die in mistakes , and not listen to those that lay down the plainest truths , give best proof of them , and in the purest english. tim. nay , hold you there ; be not proud of your company , proselytes and discoveries : for i ●carce know one person of sobriety and parts in the whole nation , that is hea●titly of your opinion , in any thing wherein you differ from what is commonly taught and received : for most of those that talk over those places of your books , wherein you are singular , do it either out of humour , or because they are already debauch'd , or intend to be so , as soon as they can shake off all modesty and good nature , and can furnish themselves with some of your little slender philosophical pretences to be wicked . phil. then indeed i have spent my time finely , and studied to much purpose . but methinks , tim , thou art very peremptory for one of thy years . it becomes gray haires , and a staff to lean on , to be thus dogmatical . tim. i care not for that ; for if need be , i can be peremptory and do●matical without a staff ; especially when i meet with one that is so incurably immodest . phi. what then , will you maintain that i have discovered nothing at all ? is nothing true that i have said in my several books ? i am sure my works have sold very well , and have been generally read and admir'd . and i know what mersennus and gassendus have said concerning my book de cive ; but i shall not speak of that now . tim. and , to say nothing now of mersennus : i know what people have said of gassendus ; but i shall let that go also now . phi. but surely you cannot deny but there is somewhat true and considerable in my writings . tim. o doubtless a great deal of them is true ; but that which is so , is none of yours ; but common acknowledg'd things new phrased , and trim'd up with the words power , fear , city , transferring of right , and the like ; and such is most of that part of your book , called dominion ; which chiefly consists of such things as have been said these thousand years , and would follow from any other principles , as well as yours . phi. you may talk what you will , and if i were sure you would not beat me , i 'd tell you right down that you lye . tim. do so ; that 's as good for me as your humble servant : but i go on , and say , that monarchy is the best government ; that it is the duty of princes to respect the common benefit of many , not the peculiar interest of this or that man ; that eloquence without discretion is troublesome in a common-wealth ; that he that has power to make laws , should take care to have them known ; that to have souldiers , arms , garrisons , and money in readiness in times of peace is necessary for the peoples defence , and a thousand such things i might repeat out of the forementioned place , which were true many ages before philautus was born , and will be , let a man be 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or not 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 , mouse or lion. but it is an easie matter to scatter up and down some little insinuations of the state of nature , self preservation , and such like fundamental phrases , which to those that do but little attend , shall seem to make all hang close together . phi. why do you only say seem , & c ? i perceive now that you are not only very confident , but spightful too , and have a mind to lessen my credit . tim. no indeed ; i do not envy you in the least ; but i very much wonder at those that will disparage themselves so much , as to be led away with any such small and manifest cheats : and if you 'l promise me not to be dejected ( which i think i need not much fear ; for i never knew a man so much beyond all humiliation in my life ; ) i 'le briefly shew you the chief of those things , by which you became famous . but hold , sir , we forgot to look underneath the bench ; there may lie a wolf that may quite spoil us . phi. say you so ? tim. come , come , sir , no hurt at all : i pray sit down again : i had only a mind to see how nimble you were ; i perceive you jump very well for an old man ; and therefore i proceed , and say in the first place , that one way by which you got a kind of a name amongst some easie sort of people , was by crowding into your book all that you could pick out of civil law , politicks , and morals : and then jumbling alltogether ( as was before hinted ) with frequent mention of power , fear , self defence , and the like ; as if it had been all your own . phi. this is very pertly said , if you could make it good . tim. 't is so very plain , as i need not : however if any body doubts of it , let him but read over your eighth and ninth chapters of dominion , which contain the rights of lords over their servants , and of parents over their children ; and if he find any thing considerable more than what is commonly delivered in the ordinary civil law-books upon that occasion , viz. de potestate parent●m & dominoru●● ( except it be that a great family is a kingdom , and a little kingdom a family ) i 'le become an earnest spreader of your fame , and have you recorded for a great discoverer . and so in like manner it might be easily shewn , how all the rest ( so much of it as is true ) is the very same with the old plain dunstable stuff that commonly occurrs in those that have treated of policy and morality : in so much , that i do not question , but that poor despicable eustachius may come in for a good share . now , philautus , because it has so happened that some young gentlemen have not been at leisure to look much into machiavel , iustinian , and such like books ; but yet , for no good reasons have been tempted to read yours ; these presently are ready to pronounce you the prodigy of the age , and as very a deviser , as if you had found out gun-powder , or printing . phi. if thou hast a mind to rail , tim , i advise thee to stay till thou hast discretion to do it . what wouldest thou expect in a discourse of government , a trap to catch sun-beams , or a purse-net for the moon ? i grant , that the chief heads i insist on , have been largely treated on by others : but the method , contrivance and phrase is all my own ; do so much as consider of that poor tim. tim. i need not consider of it now , because i have done it oftimes heretofore ; and it puts me in mind of another thing , by which you have cheated some into an opinion of you , viz. you take old common things , and call them by new affected names , and then put them off for discoveries . phi. i profess , tim , i expect to see thee hang'd some time or other for thy crossness : where is it that i do any such thing ? tim. if i were at leasure , i could shew you an hundred several places : what think you , philautus , of the scriptures being the word of god ? phi. i think , as others do , that they are . tim. what need then was there of that , in your third chapter de cive ; the sacred scripture is the speech of god commanding over all things by greatest right ? it sounds , i must confess , somewhat statelily : so does that in your leviathan , p. ● . ) the general use of speech is to transfer our mental discourse into verbal ; or the train of our thought into a train of words : and also that ; religion conteins the laws of the kingdom of god : it had been nothing to have said that religion teaches how god will be serv'd ; but the kingdom of god is a new notion , if the word law does but lie near at hand : so to have said that somnia sunt phantasmata dormientium , or that tempus was phantasma corporis , &c. had been old : but go thus ; phantasmata dormientium appello somnia , and phantasma corporis , &c. appello tempus : and then by vertue of the word appello , and the stately placing of it , it becomes all your own . phi. and is not appello a good word , you timothy sause-box ? i cannot forbea● . tim. yes , may it please your worship , 't is almost as good as pronuncio ; but it is never a whit the better for standing at the latter end of a sentence ( which i find an hundred times over in your books ) only to disguise a little what every body has said . phi. i do very much wonder , tim , where thou didst pick up all this impudence , being so young . tim. my grandam , sir , i thank her , gave me a little , and wished me to use it upon occasion ; but most of it i got by keeping company with some of your admirers . phi. surely thou wilt go to the devil , if any such thing there be . tim. but before i go , sir , i must desire those that are not satisfied concerning the truth of what i just now mentioned , to look a little into your logick ; and if they do not there find a whole book full of nothing but new words ; i 'le promise you to be very towardly for the future , and as modest as the meekest of your disciples : and therefore , in the first place , i do , in your name , decree , that in all following ages logick shall not be called logick , but computation ; because that ratiocinor signifies not only to reason , but to count or reckon ; and rationes the same with computa : and therefore let the art of reasoning be called the art of computation or counting : of which there be two parts ; addition and substraction ; to add being all one as to affirm , and to substract all one as to deny from whence also i do establish a syllogisme to be nothing else but the collection of a summ , or aggregate : the major and minor propositions being the particulars , and the conclusion the summ or aggregate of those particulars . phi. and what fault can you find with all this ? is it not all new ? did ever any of the philosophers say so before ? tim. no truly ; nor was there ever any need that they should say so : for let people call the two first propositions either plainly propositions , or ingredients or elements , or premises , or principles , or preambles , or prologues , or go befores , or particulars , or any thing else , so that i do but understand their meaning , and timothy is as well contented as any man alive . phi. why then do you snear , as if you dislik'd my logick ? tim. 't is a most excellent computation as ever was written : there 's a definition of causa ( which in the second page we are learnt to call generation ) that is alone worth a pound at least ; viz. causaest summa sive aggregatum accidentium omnium tam in agentibus , quam in patiente , ad propositum effectum concurrentium , quibus omnibus existentibus effectum non existere , vel quolibet eorum uno absente existere , intelligi non potest . a cause is a certain pack or aggregate of trangams , which being all packed up and chorded close together , they may then truly be said in law to constitute a compleat and essential pack : but if any one trangam be taken out or missing , the pack then presently loses its packishness , and cannot any longer be said to be a pack . phi. and now what aile you with this definition ? is not the true notion and perfect idaea of a cause very necessary ? and is not this , that i have laid down , full , exact , and compleat ? tim. so very full , sir , that if you had gon on but a little further , it would have served for a catalogue of the great turk's dominions : but i hope you will not take it ill , if i forget it : because i promised my self long ago to that little short gentleman — cujus vi res est . you have also , sir , another very magnificent one of a proposition ; which i care not much if i bestow upon the emperour : viz. propositio est oratio constans ex duobus nominibus copulatis , quâ significat is qui loquitur , concipere se , nomen posterius ejusdem rei nomen esse , cujus est nomen prius ; which agrees very well with what zacutus saies in his treatise of a spoon , which he thus defines . instrumentum quoddam concavo-convexum , quo posito in atiquod , in quo aliud quo ddam diversum à posito , ante positum fuit , & retro posito in os ponentis , concipitur is , qui posuit primum positum in secundum , ex his positis aliquid concludere . these and the like are only for huge potentates : but if any private gentleman has a mind to be informed in the just , adaequate and perfect conception of an interrogation and a request , let him take them thus : interrogationes sunt orationes quae desiderium significant cognoscendi ; as , what 's a clock ? precationes sunt orationes quae desideriū significant aliquid habendi ; as , give me an apple . phi. surely thou art broken loose out of hell , to quarrel thus upon no grounds . what is it that thou would'st have in a logick ? tim. those that have nothing else to do but to put in a few new phrases ( under pretence of notions and discoveries ) and to alter perhaps the place of two or three chapters , i would not have them trouble the world with logick , or any thing else . for as my lord bacon wisely observes , nothing has more hindred the growth of learning than peoples studying of new words , and spending their time in chaptring , modelling , and marshalling of sciences . phi. then it seems i must learn of you how to spend my time . what , tim , would'st thou have me goe to school again ? tim. you may doe as you will for that ; but you know doctor wallis thought you had sufficient need of it long ago . phi. come , tim , i prethee tell me one thing , and tell me true : hast not thou been lately amongst some of my scholars , and lamentably baffled and run down by them ? and does not this make thee fret and fume , and dislike all that i have written ? i am confident , so it is : for otherwise thou couldst not but be of their opinion , who discern and declare , that they never perceiv'd such connexion of things , and such close argning , as i have in all things given the world an instance of . tim. you have now said that which i wish'd and watch'd for : because it gives me opportunity of mentioning another device you make use of to deceive people , and get applause ; viz. you get together a company of words , such as power , fear , and the like ( as was said before ) and thrust these into every page upon one pretence or other ; and then you call this connexion , and boast ( as you doe in your preface de cive ) that there is but one thing in all your book , which you have not demonstrated . phi. i hope you will not betray your judgment so much , as to find fault with my language , which all the world admire : are there any words more truly english and natural than power , fear , &c. tim. questionless they are very good words , when rightly made use of : but to hale them in where there is no need at all , meerly to carry on the great work of power and fear , and by a forc'd repetition thereof , to make thence a seeming connexion ( with reverence be it spoken ) is very idle and impertinent . it seemes to me to savour very much of their humours , who fall wofully in love with some certain numbers . one he is sorely smitten with the complexion and features of the number four . and so he calls presently for his four inns of courts , his four terms , his four seasons of the year , and abundance of fours besides . nay , the senses are also his ; for smelling is only a gentiler way of feeding . another tears his haire , and is raving mad for the number three : and then the inner temple and middle are the same , for they are both temples ; easter term and trinity term differ but a few days ; spring and autumn are all one , and rather than he 'l acknowledge above three senses , he 'l split his mouth up to his ears . phi. what dost think , tim , that i have nothing else to doe , but to hear thee tattle over a company of foppish similitudes ? if thou hast a mind to talk , child , speak sence , if thou canst ; and learn of me to reason closely . tim. you are a most speciall pattern for reasoning indeed : one may plainly see that , by what you say in the tenth chapter of your leviathan , and in the eighth of your humane nature ; where you fall into a great rapture of the excellencies of power ; making every thing in the whole world that is good , worthy and honourable , to be power : and nothing is to be valued or respected but upon the accompt of power . phi. and is not power a very good thing ? tim. a most excellent thing ! i know nothing like it but the philophers stone : for it does all things , and is all things , either at present , or heretofore , or afterward . thus beauty is honourable , as a precedent sign of power generative : and actions proceeding from strength are honourable , as signs consequent of power motive . now if faculty had come in there instead of power , it would not have done so well . again , riches are honourable as signs of the power that acquired them ; & gifts , cost , & magnificence of houses are honourable , &c. as signes of riches . a mathematician is honourable because if he brings his knowledg into practice , he is able to raise powerful fortifications , and to make powerful engines and instruments of war. a prudent man is honourable , because he is powerfull in advice : and a person of good natural wit , and judgment is honourable , because it signifies strong parts and powers . in short , sir , i perceive there is nothing either in actions or speeches , in arts or sciences , in wit or judgment , in man , woman or child that is good & valuable , but it is all upon the accompt of power . phi. i defy thee , if thou goest about to make any thing that i have said ridiculous . tim. no : i need not : because you have already done it to my hand ; for with such tricks and devices as these , i 'le undertake to make a flageolet the most dreadfull and powerful thing upon the face of the whole earth . for it either shall be powerful in it self , or recommend me to the favour of those that have power , or be a defence against power , or it shall hire and purchase power , or be in the road to power , or be in the road to power , or a signe of powe● or a sign of somewhat that is a sign of power . and such things as these , philautus , you call close connexion , and demonstration , which are nothing else but a company of small cheats , and jingling fetches . phi. before i goe any further , tim , i doe pronounce thee to be the most saucy of all that belong to the whole race of mankind . for thou railest at a venture ; and dost only skip up and down my writings , as if thou didst intend to pick my pocket . if thou resolvest to continue in this humour , and to think thy self worthy to speak in my ancient and philosophical presence , let 's pitch upon some fundamental point , such as , status naturae est status belli ; and thou shalt see that thou art ten times more an owle , than i am a cheat and iingler . tim. and i pray , sir , may i be so bold , which side doe you intend to hold ? phi. which side ? that 's a question very fit indeed for a timothy to ask . i hold that side that all wise , sage , learned and discreet men in the whole world doe hold . tim. i am sorry , sir , that i have disturbed you : but i must pray once again to know which that is . phi. i am asham'd to tell thee : it is such a very silly question . i doe hold then , that all men naturally are bears , dragons , lyons , wolves , rogues , raskalls — tim. i beseech you , sir , hold no more : there 's enough for any one man to hold . i remember , philautus , you told me ā while ago that all men by nature were doggish , spightfull and treacherous . but i thought you had only said it , because you found your self so inclin'd , or in jest to scare me . phi. what dost think that i studied fourty or fifty years ; only to find out and maintain a jest ? dost think that the happiness and security of all the kingdoms of the earth depend upon a jest ? thou art a very pretty fellow to discourse withall indeed ! tim. i pray , sir , by your favour , how came it about that it was not found out by former philosophers that all men as well as your self , are naturally brutish , and ravenous ? phi. i wonder , you 'l come over so often with as well as your self , when i have so plainly told you , that it is naturally so with all men . tim. nay , sir , be not angry ; i have so often heard an old story of 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 , and of the great worth of pythagoras , plato , aristotle , epictetus , and tully , that i much wonder at your doctrine . phi. then , upon my word , you have heard a very story of a tub , and of a company of children , fools , sotts , and dunces . tim. enough , enough . phi. but i say , not enough : and if you 'l hold your prating , i 'le shew you how it came about , that the morals and politicks that have been written since the creation ( as they call it ) of the world , were not all worth a rush , till i set forth mine . tim. i 'le not speak again this half hour , if you 'l but make out this handsomly . phi. it was thus then : they went in a wrong method , they took things for granted that were lyes , and did not so much as consult common history and experience . tim. i profess , philautus , this seems to go to the v●ry bottom of the business . i long to hear this as much as ever poor child did for the teat : in the first place , you say , they did not use a right method : wherein , i pray , did they faile ? phi. they should have done as i did ; they should have search'd into the humours , dispositions , passions , and heart of mankind . tim. and did you , sir , find there written status naturae est status belli : as 't is said calis was upon queen marie's ? phi. i perceive thou beginnest to prate again . hast thou seen a little book of mine called humane nature . tim. yes , i think so . phi. you may easily know it ; 't is called humane nature , or the fundamental elements of policy . tim. 't is so : and you might have call'd it as well tu qu●que , or the jealous lovers , or the fundamental lawes of catching of quailes , as of policy . phi. did you not promise me to be modest , and 〈◊〉 to prate ? does this become you ? goe home and look in the glass . tim. why ? have you discoursed me into a bear ? i tell you , sir , i have read over that same little book called humane nature ; and whereas you 'd make the reader believe , by the title , that he should find such strange fundamentals of policy , and ( as you there add ) according to philosophical principles not commonly known or asserted ; there 's not a word of any more fundamentals , than is to be found in iack seton , stierius or magirus ; besides some small mater that was shirk'd up in france from some of cartes's acquaintance , and spoyled in the telling . i say , as for all the rest , philautus , it is as common , as the kings high way ; only according to you usual manner , you labour much to disguise it with your own phrases , and to displace words to cheat children . phi. why doe you talk thus ? tim. for no reason at all but only because it is true . thus we know that old arstotle , and his dull soakers understood no further of the great mysteries of the senses , and their several objects ; but only bluntly to say , that sense was a kind of knowledge occas●oned by some outward thing , &c. and that an object is a thing that causes that knowledge : and that colour is the object of the eye , and that sound is the object of the ear . but when philautus comes to town , he brings us news to purpose : informing us , that all conception proceeds from the action of the thing it self , whereof it is the conception ; and when the action is present , the conception it produceth is called sense : ( there called stands in the right place ) and the thing by whose action the same is produced , is called the object of the sense . ( that 's well placed again : ) and that by sight we have a conception of colour , which is all the notice and knowledge the object imparteth to us of its nature by the eye . this ravishes ! and by hearing we have a conception called sound , which is all the knowledge we have of the quality of the object from the ear . now who would not immediately spurr forth as far as dover to meet a philosopher that should bring home such rarities as these . phi. if thou shouldst set out , tim , thou wouldst be set in the stocks , before thou gettest to rochester bridge for undervaluing worth . tim. you talk , philautus , of your humane nature containing the elements of policy ; there 's one cunning reflexion ( p. . ) concerning imagination , which is so full of novelty and subtilty , that it is enough alone to set up a man for chief minister of state , viz. that the absence or destruction of things once imagined , doth not cause the absence or destruction of the imagination it self . phi. why , does it ? tim. no : for suppose i have a house in cheapside , which i have sometimes seen , and sometimes imagined ; according as i was best at leasure ; and this house , upon a day , either runs away from me or i from that ; yet still i may phansy my self trading in my own shop , and eating in my own house : nay though it should be burnt down to the very ground ; yet for a need i can make shift once or twice a year to phansie it still standing , or at least to wish that it were . and surely upon this is founded that old friendly saying , viz. though absent in body , yet present in mind . phi. and is it not a good saying ? tim. yes , it is pretty good , but nothing near so enlightning as your enlargement thereupon . for by that you make out the whole business to be as plain as can be : and so you doe another thing , which i have often wondred at . i have seen sometimes a man set up his staffe in the middle of a great field , and a while after , he has gon back , and put up a hare . i had a kind of a ghessing how this might possibly be ; but durst never be confident , till i was made happy by that ample and satisfactory definition you give of a mark p. . a mark ( say you ) is a sensible object which a man erecteth volutarily to himself , to the end to remember thereby somewhat past , when the same is objected to his sense again . phi. why doe you laugh , tim ? there 's nothing left out , is there ? tim. not in the least : it will doe , i 'le undertake , for the tallest may-pole in the whole nation . phi. but for all that i am confident , tim , that thou dost not approve of it throughly . tim. i must not , sir , lay out all my approbation hereupon ; because there 's abundance more of such fine things ( were i at leasure to look them out ) that doe also highly deserve to be approved of . who would not save a good large corner of his heart , for such an accurate accompt as you give ( p. . ) of an experiment , viz. the remembrance of succession of one thing to another , that is , of what antecedent has been followed by what consequent , is called an experiment . as if i put my finger into a pike's mouth , to see if he can bite ; my finger is the antecedent , and if he bites , there 's a consequent for my antecedent : which , i suppose , philautus , i should remember , and according to your directions call it an experiment . i hope also that i shall never forget what you tell me p. . where speaking of musick and sounds you lay down this ●dmirable and standing de●inition of an aire , viz. an aire is a pleasure of sounds , which consisteth in consequence of one note after another , diversified both by accent and measure . phi. surely , tim , thou beginnest to be mad : is it not very just , and very punctual ? tim. truly , sir , i know nothing comparable to it , and what you said before about an experiment , for absolute exactness , except it be what the above mentioned zacutus says concerning a teame of links in his sixth chapter of minc'd meats : a teame of linkes ( says he ) is a certain train of oblong termes , where the consequent of the first is concatenated to the antecedent of the second , and the consequent of the second to the antecedent of the third , &c. so that every terme , in the whole train , is both antecedent and consequent . phi. you don't seem to like these same antecedents and consequents , tim. tim. a little of them , sir , now and then i like very well , especially when they are brought in so naturally as they are by zacutus . but when any such words are needlessly forced upon me , i have enough of them for i know not how long after . i once , sir , got such an horrible surfeit with a long story of consequences , in a scheme of yours concerning the sciences ( lev. p. . ) that my stomach has scarce stood right towards consequences ever since . phi. what , doe you find fault to see all kind of knowledge lie fairely before your eyes ? tim. i have seen it sir , several times , but all the art is in the catching : and i count my self never a whit the nearer , for being told , as i am there by you ; that science is the knowledge of all kind of consequences : which is also called philosophy . and consequences from the accidents of bodys natural is called natural philosophy . and consequences from accidents of politick bodies , is called politicks or civil philosophy . and consequences from the stars , astronomy : consequences from the earth , geography : consequences from vision , opticks : consequences from sounds , musick . and so consequences from the rest are to be called the rest . i profess philautus , these same consequences did so terribly stick in my head , that for a long while after , i was ready to call every body that i met , consequence . phi. and now , as nice as you are , mr. timothy , i pray let me hear you define any of those things better : come , hold up your head , and like a philosopher tell me , what 's geography . tim. alas ! sir , i know nothing of it , but only i have heard people say , it is about the earth . phi. about the earth ! what dost mean , round about the earth ? tim. yes , sir , if you please , round about , and quite through , and about and about again ; any thing will serve my turn . phi. so i thought , by that little knowledge which i perceive will satisfie thee . but i prethee , tim , how came we to ramble thus from the state of war ? tim. we have been alll this while close at it , sir : for if you remember , i was to shew you ( which i think i have done ) that the old philosophers might have written as well concerning politicks , as your self ; notwithstanding you call your humane nature the fundamental elements of policy ; in which there 's nothing at all towards any such purpose , except it be in the title , and at the end of the book , where there stands these words ( conclusion being written over them ) viz. thus have we considered the nature of man , so far as was requisite for the finding out the first and most simple elements wherein the composition of politick rules and laws are lastly resolved ; which conclusion honest will. lilly might e'en as well have set to the end of his grammar , as you have done to your humane nature . phi. it is no matter , tim , what 's written on the outside of books , be it at beginning or ending ; so that that which is within be excellent , and serviceable . tim. i am very nigh of your mind , philautus ; but yet i would not have all the philosophers , before you , be counted dunces and loggerheads , only because it did not come into their mind to write a book , concerning the five senses , imagination , dreams , praedicables , propositions , &c. and call it the fundamental elements of policy . phi. and is not the knowledge of the five senses , and the rest that you mention very useful ? tim. so is the knowledge of the eight parts of speech . but i must confess that i can scarce think , that supposing the people of england had generally believed with you , that vision was not made by species intentionales , that the image of any thing by reflection in a glass is not any thing in or behind the glass , that the interiour coat of the eye is nothing else but a piece of the optick nerve , that vniversals do not exist in return naturâ ; i say , i cannot think , notwithstanding all this , but possibly we might have had wars in this nation ; no more than i can believe , that a false opinion of ecchoes , and hypothetical syllogismes took off the king's head . phi. i perceive you are resolved to make the worst of every thing . tim. i make it neither better , nor worse ; for in your epistle dedicatory to the duke of newcastle , you tell him , that all that have written before you of iustice and policy , have invaded each other and themselves with contradiction , that they have altogether built in the aire , and that for want of such infallible and inexpugnable principles as you have mathematically laid down , in your hamane nature ; government and peace have been nothing else to this day but mutual fears : and when one comes to look for these same infallibles , and inexpugnables , there 's nothing but about conception , and phantasmes , and a long race amongst the passions ; where to endeavour is appetite , to turn back is repentance , to be in breath is hope , to be weary despair , and to forsake the course is to dye , and the like ; so that the only way to make a mathematical governour , is for himself to be a good iockey , and for his subjects rightly to understand the several heats , and courses of the passions . phi. thou gettest away all the talk , tim. i prethee listen to me , and learn. i tell thee that i have by my great skill in mathematicks , and great wariness so ordered the business , that most of my books depend closely one upon another . tim. so i find it said by the publisher of your hamane nature , in his epistle to the reader . our author ( saies he ) hath written a body of philosophy upon such principles , and in such order as is used by men conversant in demonstration : which being distinguished into three parts , de corpore , de homine , de cive , each of the consequents begin at the end of the antecedent ( like zacutu●'s linkes ) and insist thereupon as the latter books of euclid upon the former . phi. and whoever he was , he spoke like a man of understanding ; it was my design that they should , and by great industry i brought it to pass . tim. and i pray , sir , how many pounds of candle did it cost you , to tie de corpore , and de homine together ? methinks you need not be long about that ; for body is either taken in general or in particular ; in general , that is de corpore : and man being a particular sort of body , de homine must needs follow close at the heels ; and so they are taken care of : but indeed to fasten de homine , and de cive cleverly together requires a little more knocking and hammering ; and therefore to do that exactly , we must scratch and rub our heads very well , and warily call to mind , that a man is to be considered in two respects ; either as he is a body natural , consisting of flesh , blood , and bones ; or as he is a member of the body politick : that is , as he is leg , arm , finger or toe of the common-wealth ; and therefore let us have one book de homine , as he is a natural body , and another de cive , as he is a limb of the huge giant , the common-wealth ; and so there 's an euclidean trap laid , that de cive shall follow de homine ; and so it does , but not bluntly : for though one would have thought that this had jointed them so close together , that archimedes himself could never have pulled them asunder ; yet to put all out of danger , it is best to rivet them a little faster , by putting in a most obliging transition ; in the last chapter , intitled de homine fictitio ; where we are learnt further to consider , that a man is either by , or for himself a man , called a real man ; or he is a man for another , called a fictitious man. such a one is he that acts another , is deputed for another , engages for another , or the like . now because in all well governed common-wealths ( now any one by that word may perceive , that de cive is just at towns end ) for better trading , bargaining , commerce , &c. there 's great use of deputies , proxies , factors , sponsors , embassadors and the like ; therefore let the chief of this chapter be spent in the employments of such fictious men in a common-wealth ; and then turn over the leaf , and behold , there stands to the honour of euclid , and the admiration of all philautians , the book de cive . phi. what , would you have arts and sciences tumbled down together , like coals into a cellat ? would you not have men make use of their parts , and reason ; and for smoothness , and memory sake , put somewhat before , that should relate to , and occasion what follows ? tim. i am , sir , a great friend to the very least pretences of connexion , where it is not phantastical , or manifestly inconvenient : but to have books tailed together by far fetched contrivances ; and to swagger them off for demonstrations , and thereupon to defie all former ages , is so very idle , that i had rather people would speak proverbs , or only say , these four leafes i intend to speak of a horse , the next two shall be concerning mackrel , and what is to be spared , shall be concerning caterpillars . phi. and do you , tim , approve of this illogical , unphilosophical , and unmathematical way of writing ? tim. no ; but i had ten times rather do so , than as the natural philosopher , who being employed to write the history of a crow , iack-daw , and pye , after many months spent in dressing , ranking , stringing , and hanging them together , at last entered upon the business after this elegant and digested manner . being about to treat of the natural rights and powers of crows , iack-daws , and pyes ; subjects often handled by weak and heedless observers : we shall be forced so to write , as if none had been before us in this kind : all which must be performed with such prudence and consideration , as justly become so very great an affair ; seeing that hereupon depend not only the knowledge of the chiefest and best of birds ; but also of all beasts in general : nay , even of man himself , and the great trojane horse the common-wealth . and that we may be sure to lay a solid foundation , and neither to repent , nor recal , it will be necessary in the beginning exactly to state the true conception or idaea of a bird , for as much as the particular conceptions of crow , iack-daw , and pye are comprehended under that common one of bird : and therefore that we may avoid-all equivocation , which is the original of errors , and that there may be no quarrelling or disputing in following ages , we do ram down for the future peace and government of all nations , that the phantasme or conception of a bird is a flying phantasme or conception . having thus warily and fundamentally determined what is a bird in general ; we proceed now to the three birds themselves : and that we may do nothing without method , the blackest and largest of them we call a crow ; and seeing that likeness of colour begets likeness of conception , we go on to the next , whose conception is full out as black as a crow , but not altogether so large , and this we call a iack-daw ; and because that black strictly taken only for black , is a more simple conception than black and white together , therefore we thought fit to speak of a pye in the last place , which partakes of the two former conceptions as to black , but differs from both as to white . phi. i prethee , tim , what was the name of this philosopher ? tim. 't is no matter for his name , sir : you must needs acknowledge him to be a philosopher of worth ; and very little inferiour to your self , both as to reason , and circumspection . phi. but where 's the state of war all this while ? that 's the thing i long to be at , tim ; and to shew thee for a fish. tim. let me but consider a little , how that same book de homine ( i don't mean your little english humane nature ) came to be filled with such a heap of opticks , and then the fish shall begin as soon as you will. phi. to make out that is as needless , as to shew how a coach goes down holborn-hill . tim. i think i remember how it is , viz. a man is a creature , that has body and mind : his mind has several faculties ; and amongst the rest there be five senses ; and the most excellent of all these is seeing ; and then presently pull away with perspective , dioptricks , catoptricks , telescopes , microscopes , and all the rest for fifty pages together , as long as there 's a star to be seen in the skie . phi. and why , is it not proper to put in opticks into a treatise de homine ? tim. not after the manner as you have done ; because we have an art by it self for that purpose . you might as well have put in fifty pages about musick , as about opticks : for man you know has as many ears , as eyes . but here 's the business , philautus , you take very great pains in all things to be singular . where you should use mathematicks , there you will scarce let us have any at all ; and when there 's not the least need , then you pour them forth as if you were bottomless : and thus many a reader comes , suppose , to one of your books that has an ordinary title ; and there finding a company of strange mathematical schemes ; and not understanding them , he presently cries out , what a brave man is this philautus ? what wonders and rarities does he afford upon such a common subject ? surely he has gone the deepest that ever searched into nature . i tell you , philautus , he that has a mind to take advantage of this humour of yours , and to run things together by force that have no relation , he may easily thrust the fifteen books of euclid into the london dispensatory , or iustinian's institutes into a common almanack . i shall not now stand to tell you after what pills , and under what month they might come in , because i am loth to hinder the show . phi. be not too secure and presumptuous , tim : for if i don't shew thee for a fish , i 'le shew thee to be a beast , and all mankind besides . tim. nay , if i have so much good company , i had much rather turn out to grass , than stand in alone , and be melancholy ; come , sir , flourish then , and let 's begin . phi. you know tim , that i have laid a foundation for this in my humane nature , and 't is an easy matter now to finish the business . tim. yes truly i have ( as i told you before ) looked over that same foundation of yours , called humane nature , and i think it much more fit for the bottom of minc'd pyes , than of any policy or government . be pleased to goe on , sir , and shew some other reasons why the ancient philosophers did not think , as you doe , that all men are naturally beasts . you told me , as i remember , somewhat else , wherein they miscarried ; besides that they went in a wrong method , and did not first design a treatise of humane nature . phi. i did so : and it was thus : viz. they all blindly running one after another , and taking severall things for granted that were perfectly false ; they laid down that for a fundamental truth , which is no otherwise than a fundamental lie . tim. that was a great oversight indeed ; a fundamental truth , and a fundamental lie ! i profess , sir , they dwell a great way asunder . but i pray what was that fundamental lie . phi. that man was a sociable creature . tim. lack a day ! how easie a matter is it for old folks to dote and slaver , and for young ones to be deceived , and lick up the spittle ? i 'd have laid three cakes to a farthing , that my old masters had been in the right . but are you very , very certain that they are not ? perhaps you may have taken yours upon trust , as well as they did theirs : and if so then courage cakes , for i don't intend to be a centaure . phi. that 's a good one indeed : as if they who had all their philosophy from the tap-droppings of their predccessors , and the moral tradition of the barber's chair , were not much more subject to take thing upon trust , than one , who supecting all kind of opinions , have turn'd over the whole history of the world , and nature her self . tim. and there belike you found , that man is not a sociable creature . i wish there were some way to compound this business : for you know , sir , the world is full of trade , acquaintace , neighbours and relations : and for the most part man has had the crack and fame , for five or six thousand years , of being tolerably tame ; and methinks it is a great pity now at last to be sent to the tower amongst the lyons , or to be driven to smithfield , with a mastiffe and a great cudgell . i pray , sir , what doe you mean by those words , when you say that man is not a sociable creature ? phi. what , canst not construe two words of greek 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 ▪ i mean as all people mean , that man is not born fit for society . tim. he is usually born with two leggs , to goe about his business ; with a pair of hands to tell money , with a couple of eyes to see if there be any brass ; and with a tongue to discourse , when he has nothing else to doe . and therefore i must be troublesome once more , and desire you to explain , what you mean by a mans being not born fit for society . phi. thou askest questions , tim , as if thou didst intend to send me to market : when i say , that a man is not born fit for society , i mean that men naturally doe not seek society for its own sake . tim. i must desire of you , that you would let own sake alone for the present ; and let us first see , whether men do naturally seek society : and i 'le promise you , not to forget to have it considered , for whose sake , or upon what acompt they doe it . and therefore , i pray , sir , answer me punctually whether naturally men doe seeke society or not . phi. to be punctual , tim , and please thee , i answer , they doe not . tim. you know , philautus , that men are apt to sort , to herd ; they love to enquire , to confer , and discourse : and when people get into corners , and covet to be alone ; we usually count such to be sick , distemper'd , melancholy or towards mad . and i suppose the question is not concerning such , but concerning healthful and sober men . phi. there you are quite out , tim : for when i say that men naturally doe not seek society , or are not born fit for society ; i don't mean full grown men , such as are able to carry or eat a quarter of beef , but i mean children : which is plain in the very phrase it self , tim , if thou wouldst mind any thing : it being there said , not born fit ; so that to say , a man is not born fit for society , is all one as to say , that a man newly born is not fit for society , or does not seek society . tim. well let it go so ; we 'l see what will become of this business ; it begins to drive bravely : we are got thus far that children do not desire or seek society . but if so , philautus , how comes it about that they desire or seek after company . i don't mean , that when the nurses back is turned , they skip out of the cradle , and with a huge ashen plant run away to the next fair , bull-bayting , or football match ; but they do not care for being in the dark : they are discontented , and cry when they are left alone , and love to see now and then a humane face , if it does not look , as if it would bite . phi. all this is only for victuals . tim. some of it , i grant you , may be for victuals . but they can't eat , from one end of the nation to the other . and one child oftimes takes delight in the company of another , to whom it has never a load of corn to fell : neither does it intend to eat , or suck up that other child . phi. thou art quite beside the saddle again , tim : for when i say a child doth not seek or desire society : by society i don't mean crying for the pap or sucking bottle , or to be daunc'd by dad , or to giggle it amongst its camrades : but i mean by society , bonds , contracts , covenants , leagues , transferring of rights , and such like things which are proper to cities , communities and societies : dost hear me , tim , i mean by society these sort of common-wealth affaires : which thou knowest children doe neither understand , nor are able to mannage . and now i suppose thy thick skull begins to open a little , and to be enlightned : one had as good have half score to inform , as one heavy tim. tim. indeed , sir , it must be acknowledged that you have taken great pains . but for all that , i pray may not i make bold to say , that children desire society in your sence ? for they seek it so soon as they are able , and doe perceive the intentions thereof . phi. thou wilt never leave this dull trick of not understanding . i must therefore condescend , and let thee know , that by seeking society , i mean actual entering into society : that is , being ingaged in conveyances , bargains , publick offices , and such things as i before mentioned . this and only this is truly to be said sociable . tim. and is this all that you have now to say ? have you nothing more to add . phi. what need is there of any more ? tim. then doe i very much pity the poor distressed creatures , that have been thus long gulled with same and phrases . phi. how so ? tim. how so , do you say ? what would you have a child come out of the womb , saying over noverint vniversi with a pen in one hand , and wax in t'other , and fall presently to signing , sealing and delivering : or before it be dressed ; shreek aloud , and cry faggots , faggots five for sixpence ? is this the principle that you were so many years finding out ? is this the fruits of mathematicks , long observation , fundamental casting about , and bottoming of things ? did you goe into the bowels and heart blood of nature to bring up nothing else but this ? phi. i prethe , tim , don't make such long sentences : for thou wilt have nothing to say by and by . i tell thee that this principle that i have now revealed to thee , is the most weighty principle that belongs to all humane nature . tim. 't is very weighty indeed : and it is great pity but that you should be entomb'd at westminster and statued up at gresham colledge for the great moral discoverer of the age. phi. why ? for all your jeering , tim , i hope you do not imagine that a child can trade , and covenant , or bear any publick office for the good of the common-wealth . tim. no indeed : i do not think it can : unless you would have it jump off the nurses lap , and run away to the exchange , and there ask for the spanish , or virginia walk ; or have a woman brought to bed of a iustice of peace , or a maior with his macebearer and tipt staves before him . phi. very good , very good : then it seemes at last , you are willing to acknowledge that i said true . tim. and so did all men before you . phi. nay , pardon me there : for they say quite contrary . tim. which of them ever said that any man was actually born a constable or silk weaver ? phi. but they say he 's born fit . tim. so doe you , or else i cannot read your own annotations upon the second article of your first chapter de cive : wherein you say that to man , by nature , as man , as soon as he is born solitude is an enemy . and that all men are desirous of congress and mutuall correspondence , and doe enter into society as soon as they understand it . phi. but this is not pure insant nature , but education . tim. i should laugh indeed to see a marchant to ship away a baby in blankets to be his factor beyond sea : or to see a child of half a year old with its whistle and rattle set swaggering in commission upon the bench with my lord. a child i suppose may be admitted to be born apt to walk ; speak , reason and discourse ; although it be above a week before it leaps up the table , and cry nego 〈◊〉 . the short of your opinion is this , philautus , that children , fools and madmen , are not very ambitious of being of the privy council ; and if they were invited thereunto , would do themselves and the nation but little service . so that if right reason ( which , philautus , you so much talk of , and pretend to ) does determine that the cradle , bedlam , and a gentleman's kitchen shall be the only standard and measure of humane nature , then truly philautus must be acknowledged by all for a most mighty philosopher : but if otherwise , he must e'en be content to sit down with his neighbours . and if you remember , philautus , i gave you an hint of this at first , viz. that if your opinions were thoroughly search'd into , and that all disguise of phrase was laid aside , they would either be found to be absolutely false , or else to be the same , that every mortal believes . and this gave me hopes of compounding the business . phi. nay , hold you there : for i am against sharing or dividing of truth . i don't like that cowardly trick of compounding for an assertion , or having my opinions insured . sink , or swim , i love to run the whole venture , and to get all or lose all . and certain i am that i say somewhat quite different from what is commonly known , or asserted . tim. so you know you promised us in the title of your humane nature : where i looked till my eyes asked ; and i could find nothing but ancient venerable stuf● new cased and dawb'd over . and i perceive you are of the same mind still , and think that you hold and maintaine such things as were never held or maintained before . i pray , sir , let 's heare one of those same things , that you thus swagger of . phi. then let me tell you , tim , that i do hold , maintain & positively say that the state of nature is a state of war : which is a truth so great , bold , and generous , that all the ancients . wanted parts , wit and courage to find it out , or defend it . tim. i am confident that this will prove just such another story , as that of the sociable creature : and i must needs say that it was done like a wit , and hec. besides , to find out and hold that which every child may hold . phi. that 's as good , as i heard this fortnight : thou speakest like one that is versed in business , and the world . what , shall a child be able to defend that which lay hid for so many ages , and took me such paines to discover ? tim. you shall hear the child hold it , and demonstrate it too , that 's more , viz. thus : the state of war ( you know ) is a state wherein people have not engaged or obliged themselves to one another by any covenants , bargains , or transferring of rights . so far is true : is it not ? phi. well , go on . tim. and you know that children or infants , which are in the true state of nature , cannot covenant or bargain , release or transfer ; and therefore you cannot but know , that that dreadful business called the state of war must needs follow . phi. thou art tim , certainly the worthiest of thy kind . this is my very proofe : you make use of my very way . tim. i do so ; because no body but a child would ever have made such a noise and rattle with a company of words , and to mean so little by them . phi. why , what 's the matter now ? what is it that you would have had meant ? tim. alas ! sir , when you told me ( as you do in your epistle dedicatory de cive ) that man to man is an arrant wolfe , except it be for his interest to be otherwise ; that there 's no living amongst strangers but by the two daughters of war , deceipt and violence ; that naturally men are all brutall , ravenous and rapacious ; i say when i heard this , i expected the whole world naturally to be all in armes and an uproare ; tearing and worrying one another like mad : and to hear nothing but down with him there , hang him with his own gutts , give him a pound of melted lead for a julip to cool his pluck , split him down the chine , or flea him alive and roast him with a couple of awles in his eyes : when i , philautus , heard of a state of war , i profess , i could think of little less than all this and so did most people besides : and when all comes to all , philautus has found out a great moral secret , viz. that whelps can't see till they be nine days old , nor a child can't speak unless it has a spoon , nor goe to market before it can goe alone . phi. is this all that i say ? tim. 't is all : and every bit and scrap of all . for like a great searcher into nature , you only observe that we are children before we are men , and children can't speak ; and where no speech , there can be no bargain or engagement , or treaty for termes of peace , and where no bargain , &c. there must needs be the devil , & war. phi. i profess , tim , this confidence of thine does almost anger me , to utter some vast sense beyond thy worth . tim. if i thought that were the way to make you speak wiser , i 'd carry on the designe , and endeavour to improve my self for that very purpose ; and i 'd not only be very confident , but i 'd be as saucy , as i could contrive . phi. then know , tim , that i have reserved a reason for such sauciness , as thine : and therefore i do pronounce that children may not only be said to be in a state of war meerly because they cannot enter into leagues , and offer and receive termes of peace ; but that we oftimes see that they actually gripe and demand things to which they have not the least right or title ; which if denyed , they presently out of fury cry , quarrell , fight , and scratch poor nurse , or parent it self : now this , tim , does not only demonstrate their naturall dispositions to war ; but that without any affront , reason or pretence of justice , they actually fall on , and have no respect at all to our meums and tuums . tim. thus have i seen a spanish-leather shoe kick'd into the fire , and perished in the involving flames : and ( which would make a heart to bleed ) a whole poringer of sweetned milk , with its topling white bread , rouling up and down upon the uncertain floore : and the little state of nature as hard worrying the righteous & inoffensive nurse , as ever poor dogg was worryed by hare . and inquiring into the quarrell , and occasion of the war , i found , that the wicked and ravenous young centaure against all conscience and the establish'd lawes of the realm , had most unjustly and feloniously sat upon a whole yard of red inkle . phi. and did it not affect thee , tim , and make thee sigh again ? and wert thou not converted thereby , and fully convinced that the state of nature was a state of war ? this methinks was a very providentiall instance . tim. i was fully perswaded , sir , by that and some other instances , that children doe not know the exact difference between freehold and copyhold . and when they take a frolick to scratch and quarrell , they do not always consult the law of nations ; giving convenient warning , and printing a proclamation of war with a long history of the justice thereof . but , sir , there 's another thing to be taken notice of in children ( which i wonder such an observer as you should miss ) that intimates a setled resolution to quarrel , and seemes to design absolute battell : for , what you mentioned before , may possibly be by chance . and that is , many children are observed to come into the world with all their fingers close bent over their thumbs ; and they of times continue in this 〈◊〉 condition a long while after : & if anyone goes about to order the hand into more peaceful posture and circumstances , it 's presently snatched away with great fury and violence , and by a natural kind of 〈◊〉 , returns to the 〈…〉 phi. i profess , tim. i did not think that thou had hadst so much stuf● in thee . i am confident that if thou hadst not been spoiled in thy education , and tained with some foppish and squeamish principles , thou mightest in time have come to some tolerable degree of moral prudence . tim. why , sir , do you like what i now said ? phi. like it ? why , who does not ? tim. nay , if you like that , surely ( in your opinion ) i may be professor in time : for it was one of the silliest things that ever said in my whole life . i did it only , sir , to 〈◊〉 it with your reason which you quoted just before out of your preface , about childrens clawing for a flower , or bit of ribhand . phi. what then , art thou resolved not to stir ? must i go on further to convince thee ? i prethee , tim , tell me , how much conviction will serve thy turn ; & i 'le undertake thee by the lump , that i may know when i shall make thee a man ? i am confident , i fully understand why thou stickest , and art so difficulty to be brought to my opinion : thou perceivest that most people are born in families and towns , and whilst they are children they are kept from doing mischief by their parents and nurses ; and when are they grown up , they are restrained by law : and were it not for this pittiful prejudice , thou wouldst believe as fully as i , that the state of nature is a meer state of war. tim. i know now as well as can be whereabouts you are : this is to wheadle me into your mushroom state of men suddainly springing out of the earth , without any kind of engagement to each other . phi. o that i could but get thee to grant any such thing , then i should flie thee home presently . tim. i don't care much for men springing out of the earth ; lest fitting upon the ground , some fellow or other should leeringly put up his head between my legs : but , which is as well , i 'le grant you a shower of pure natural men ; and the rather , because pliny has a little scoured the roads , with a rain of calfes long ago . phi. and wilt thou not flinch , but be ingenuous , and suffer me to suppose freely ? tim. suffer you , sir ? don't question that : if you please , sir , i 'le suppose it for you . phi. and won't you put in a little of moses's tale , of the world being inhabited first by adam ; to whom god transferred the right of all things , and he to his posterity ? tim. not a word ; it does not become a philosopher , and an inquirer into principles to tell stories . phi. now thou speakest like a child of some hopes . i don't question now but i shall get thy heart , and soul too , before it be long . i prethee then begin ; and be sure tim , to be very just and exact in thy supposition . tim. thus then ; upon the tenth of march — phi. how ? not a word further : thou must begin all again : the tenth of march , tim ? that 's not natural : but a meer humane institution of the almanack-men : an absolute contrivance of state , to find out fairs and markets , and other publick places of transferring of rights . tim. then let it be thus ; once upon a time , the wind being full east — phi. out again ; we shall have a shower of nothing but iudges , doct●●rs , and philosophers : dost not know that the wise men c●me out of the east ? tim. that 's only scripture , sir : and you know if the supreme magistrate does but so interpret it , there shall come as wise ones out of the west : but however to content you , wee 'l have no wind at all : but only wee 'l have it rain a good lusty shower ; and amongst the rest of the great drops , there shall come down four well complexioned , upright gentlemen : about fifteen hands high : which shall all happen to fall upon an island of four hundred acres , viz. the isle of pines ; and that we may be better acquainted with them , their names shall be dick , roger , tumbler & towser . phi. here 's at least half a load of contradiction , in what thou hast now said . first of all you say they shall be upright : i pray whose rights or laws can they keep or break ; they having not as yet taken any oath of allegiance or supremacy ? next of all you say they are gentlemen : perhaps so ; but if they be , you must needs go back again , and speak for a small dagger-cloud for their foot-boys : and then besides all this , i see no great necessity that you should make them so very tall and large , when less mounsiers would serve as well for a supposition . tim. truly , sir , when i said that they were upright gentlemen , i only meant that they were streight limb'd and right up ones : and by gentlemen , i only meant ordinary men : but as to their stature i think i was discreet enough : because if you remember , sir , in the eighth chapter of your dominion ; those same mushroom-men which you ordered to spring out of the earth , were suddainly to come to full maturity ; and if mature perfect men may come up , i saw no reason but as perfect ones might come down . and when we had once appointed it to rain men ; i thought we had better have a shower to some purpose , and have it rain good , stout , speaking , understanding men , than only a scottish mist of babies , which would have entagled us agai in the old story of children not being sociable . phi. but how comes in about that you suppose these people to speak ? speech is so very an antificial thing , that we are forced to have masters and mistresses for that very purpose ; and all the world perceives that children do not speak naturally . tim. but you know , philautus , that the very same man 〈◊〉 that had a plantation of armed men , not far from the isle of pine● , is said to have had also a small nursery of letters ; and we may properly enough say that there is some hopes that children may speak , although they do not immediatly after nine or ten months close imprisonment , call for their boots and horse , to take fresh aire . and besides you promised to talk no more of children , but substantial men ; and you need not be afraid at all , that it shall rain any absurdi●ies so long as we do not suppose it to rain watch-men , bell-men , lant●rns and psalms : for we intend only an ordinary civil shower of perfect men . phi. i am likely to do thee much good indeed ! we are inquiring what is the pure candid condition of nature , and thou comest in with thy civil shower ; which supposes government , society , and all the absurdities imaginable , and begs the whole question that is in controversie : is this you that promised to suppose so fairly ? thou shalt e'en be called tim the fair supposer . tim. this 't is to be so much for self preservation ! it makes people as curious and fearful of their reputation , as of their limbs . i speak , philautus , only of an ordinary shower of men , and you snort and boggle , as if i had laid a thousand fox-traps , and barrels of gun-power in the road ; you may put out the word civil , if you please , i intended no advantage by it . phi. well then , if you 'l leave out your tricks , and keep to your pure , plain , ordinary men ; i do not at all question , but the 〈◊〉 will go on my side . tim. what are you resolved then that they must needs have a brush at boxes before they set on the old hen and bacon ? must they needs upon first sight set up their tayls , and bristles , and fall a sna●ling , and swearing , and tearing one anothers throat● out ? phi. you do not hear me say so : but you must be forced to 〈◊〉 me , that they are as yet in most absolute state of war. tim. why so ? phi. because they have not as yet entered into any league , nor concluded any treaty , nor so much as made any overt●●es for alli●need tim. that 's right : unless they happened ( as they came tumbling down ) to call in at old io●es of upper enfield , two miles beyond cancasus , and there crack'd 〈◊〉 and shak'd hands . phi. but if they did so , they did not come down inpur●● naturalibus . tim. and is this all the reason you have that these men are in a state of war , viz. because they have not as yet discoursed , made overtures , covenanted ? phi. yes truly ; and it is a most able one upon my reputation . tim. now could i be tempted to go home , and spend a little time in laughing , and not to talk one word more : for this proves just such another discovery as we had before : for after much wrangling and dispute , we found out ( i remember ) at last , that a sucking child was not fit to command an army , or to make a speech at the head of it ; and now we have found out , that these same dropt men can't enter into a league , till they have spoken with one another , neither can they speak , till they open their mouths ; and therefore they are in a most dismal state of war ; because when they do meet , it is possible for them to fight , having sworn not any thing at all to the contrary . what , philautus , would you have roger speak to the next tree to run away in all hast , and out of pure natural kindness , and sweet sincere humanity invite dick and the rest of the pineyards to a wesphalia ham and pigeons ? whereas roger never saw any of them as yet , nor knows any thing of their being come to pines : or would you have dick to testifie his inward disposition to pure society it self , grasp a whole armful of aire , and fall to treating and covenanting , and at last enter into a close league therewith ? the summ of all , philautus , amounts only to this ; that there are four honest rogues come to town , from the four several quarters of the world , and falling either upon several places of the island , or being a great mist , or coming before day light , they have not as yet seen one another , and having not seen one another , they have not as yet discoursed , treated or compounded ; and therefore they are actually in a state of ●ar , i. e. they having not spoken at all , it is impossible that they should have spoken to each other . now if you take delight in the phrase , you may if you please call this a state of war , a state of devils , or what state you will ; but for my part , i think there 's nothing in it , only a small trick of words . there 's the huge king of china , and another great man that dwells t'other way : i never made any overtures , treaty or composition with them ; and yet for all that i don't find any grumblings or cursings of humane nature within me , or any prickings , and pushings forth toward any war. indeed i have found my self sometimes at some small variance with the turk ; but that is , because his rogues use to droll a little too severely upon my merchant men . neither , philautus , would i have you think ( supposing it were worth the while to insist upon a phrase ) that you have justified this kind of supposed state of nature to be a state of war , by saying , as you somewhere do , that the state of war is not only actual fighting , but it is the whole time that the variance or quarrel last . for i grant that war consists not in the number or length of battles , but in a readiness and resolution to contend . but withall we may easily conceive much more reason to call the intervals between battle and battle , war ; or the whole time from proclamation thereof to the concluding of peace ; than to call that a state of war , which has no pretence for any such name from any quarrel that ever was yet , but from one that unreasonably may be . i say , i think , there ought to be some difference made between these two states ; and you your self , philautus , must not be too backward to acknowledge it ; because of your very own definition of war , cap. . art. . where you say , that war is that same time in which the will of contesting by force , is fully declared by words or deeds . now if roger had challenged dick to play with him to morrow , three first hits for the kingdom ; or that dick had come behind roger , and struck up his heels , here had been declaration enough to signifie and justifie war : but to say that they are at war without either words or deeds ( only because they have not bargain'd ) is not agreeable to what you say your self . phi. you have talked , and talked i know not what , tim. but for all that , will you venture to say that these four strangers are actually a body politick ? tim. i 'le say no such thing at all : but i say that this same state of war which you make such a clatter with , is only a war of meer words : and therefore to lay aside this same blind mans buff , and decide the controversie ; let us see a little what these same pineyards will do when they first meet . and so , if you please , sir , about sun-rising wee 'l give them a view , unmuzzle , and let them off the slip . and now hola roger ! over with him there dick ; collar him close towser ; gripe him under the small ribs , and pluck out his speen tumbler . o bravely recovered ! now hold it out for the credit of the state of nature , and the family of the dicks . now fall upon his chest , and strike his heart out of his mouth , and dash that rogues eye out of the island . phi. i prethee , tim , what art thou doing of ? what an uproar and noise thou makest ? thou didst talk just now of four honest rogues that were come to town , and thou hast sent for four furies , i think . tim. i did it only , sir , to give you a small sample of the state of nature . they must have a brush i suppose , sir , before they go to breakfast . phi. i pray , tim , do so much as part them ; and let 's go on softly and soberly , and then see what will follow . tim. i can exactly tell you , sir , what will follow , viz. if humane nature upon first view , pricks up its eares , and sets up its skut , and falls presently to tearing , slicing and slashing ; then the battle goes on your side : but if reason and humane nature directs these people to treat , and live peaceably together , then i count the day is mine . phil. nay , tim , the field is not so easily gained : you think of your tropies a little too soon . tim. however methinks at present i am a little apt to value my hopes : for here 's nothing of prejudice , education , custom , father or mother , league or covenant ; but only pure terse humane nature , newly drawn out of the clouds . phi. let me consider a little : you say if they fall to quarrelling and fighting , when ever they first meet , then and not else it is to be judged that humane nature inclines to war ; or that the state of nature is a state of war. now i thought thou didst go on too quick : for let me tell thee , tim , that that is as much false , as i am older than thou art . for actual fighting and destroying is not that alone which is to be termed 〈◊〉 ▪ for whether these pineyards fight or not , so long as they have not treated and bargained , they cannot properly be said to be sociable . tim. this we have had over so often , that i am quite tired , viz. they cannot properly be said actually to have made covenants , leagues , and bonds , till they have actually made covenants , leagues , and bonds . do but resolve to hold to that , and you may easily defend your self against all the forces in the world , by sea or by land . phi. but for all you are so brisk , tim : how do you certainly know that they will not fall to breaking of heads and leggs ? did you stand behind a tree and hear the parley ? or had you word sent you by the pinaean packet boat ? tim. i need not go so far for my intelligence , philautus . i had it nearer home : for ( to save iourneys and charges of forreign letters ) i alwaies love to keep a little right reason in the house ; with which your book of politicks is so crawlingly full ; and from which alone ( not from general agreement of the most wise men and learned nations , or the common consent of mankind which you there despise ) you lay down for the first and fundamental law of nature , that peace is to be sought , where it may be found . now in this same little land of pines , we doe suppose there growes abundance of peace , if the late come guests will but seek for 't : because being never inhabited , there was never so much as a cut finger dropt upon 't . phi. now i have catch'd thee bravely , tim. now i do not question but to make abundance of money of thee . i do say indeed , that right reason tells us , that the first and fundamentall law of nature is to seeke peace where it may be had ; and that the first special law of nature derived from that fundamentall one is this , that the right of all men to all things ought not to be retained , but that some certain rights ought to be transferred or relinquish'd . but you must consider , tim , that i establish these laws upon quite different grounds from those which are generally given by old moralists . for they flatter you , and feed you with a fiddle faddle of mens seeking society , for its own sake ; and dividing or compounding the common right by natural equity and justice . wheras it is plain to me and all right reasoners , that men meerly lye upon the lu●ch for society , and seek it only for pleasure or profit : ( or in one word out of mutual fear . ) and they are willing to share or divide the common right , not because there is any inward reason they should do so , but because it is much safer than to be engaged in war perpetually . take this along with thee , tim , there 's doctrine enough for this fortnight . tim. ther 's a little too much for once , sir ; and therefore i must desire you to cast it into two parts . you say in the first place that we have held for many ages that men seek society for its own sake . i pray why may we not hold it one summer more . phi. why ? if by nature one man should love another , that is as man , every man would equally love every man , as being equally man ; and not pick here and there , according as profit , honour , or other things do direct him . tim. now , upon my conscience , philautus , you meane by a man only a thing standing right up ( like a heron ) with a head and a few eyes thereunto belonging : for if he chance to speake or listen , to buy or sell , give or receive ; if he be peacefull , faithfull , modest , affable , temperate , prudent , ingenious , or be of any worth or use imaginable ; then we seek after such , and fort with such , not for society ▪ but out of mutual fear . so that to enter into society for its own simple single sake , were only to enter into it , for the sake of a good word , that must not signify any thing . for if it does , it must not be called society , but plot , profit , design , or the like . phi. and dost thou think , tim , that i will not believe my own eyes and ears , before this nothing that thou sayest ? is there any better way to understand by what advice and upon what accompt people mee ▪ , and enter into society , than by observing what they do when they are met ? for suppose , tim , they meet for traffique , is it not plain that every man minds his business , and endeavours to dispatch what he design'd ? if to discharge some offi●● , is it not to carry on a kind of a market friendship , which has more of jealousie than true love ? and lastly if ( for diversion and recreation of mind ) to discourse ; is not here visibly at the bottom either advantage or vain glory ? tim. this must needs be right : and i wonder how i came to mistrust it . for suppose i goe to market to buy corn and meat for my family : and when i come 〈…〉 the length and colour of his eye-browes ; and also an exact accompt 〈…〉 and complexion of the 〈◊〉 that stood 〈◊〉 the sacks mouth ; and affect them both most dea●ly and return home most vehemently in love ; and next day bid my servant set on the pot and fill it full of 〈◊〉 , stature , complexion , friendship and society , and let them be very well boyl'd : i am afraid , for all my 〈◊〉 love , some of the family may chance to be hungry before next market day . and so in like manner if upon the road my horse casts a shoe , and thereupon i call in upon the next sm●th : i may pretend indeed that i came only to render him a sociable visit , to look upon his 〈…〉 , him , and to be sweet upon his humanity : but , for all that ; it is 〈◊〉 to one before we parts if i don't 〈◊〉 plot and fetch things about , as to treat concerning oton , and so by degrees cunningly draw him in to set me a shoe ▪ phi. but why so many instances ? tim. because you have two whole pages upon the same occasion : and beside● i have a mind to convince my self throughly that people do not enter into society purely for its own sake . and therefore i cannot but think again , if i should call a coach , and when i have done so , speak to bay and brown to set me down at charing-cross : for , as for their master ; he should ride along with me in the coach , because i did intend to love him , and hugg him a whole shillings worth . i believe the coachman may goe to bed supperless for all this ▪ and that i might have been sooner at my journeys end , if i had gone on foot . or lastly suppose i should be lost upon the road at midnight , and call a man out of his bed only to ask him whether he be in health , how he slept , and how all his family does : and not say one word concerning my being ignorant of the way ; ( for there 's designe ) this would be pure love indeed , and a most unexceptionable argument of 〈◊〉 to society . and therefore , 〈◊〉 you well observe , people may 〈◊〉 and talk of entring into society for its own sake , and of going to market out of meer good will , but when you dive into the business , it is very great odds , if there be not some timber to sell , some corn to buy , a shoe to set , a question to ask , or some such politick and inveigling 〈◊〉 . phi. i am very glad , tim , to hear thee give such apt instance : it is a sign that thou beginnest to understand my doctrine , and to be satisfied therewith . tim. o , sir , i am so wonderfully satisfied , that i am even ready to split again with satisfaction . for now i plainly perceive what it is which justly and morally ought to be called seeking society for it self ; to wit , if the inhabitants of every town , once or twice in a week ▪ instead of going to church , or market , without either bell or trumpet , would naturally meet together , and like a company of turkies get sidelong upon a pole , and sometimes plume and gently chafe one another , and now and then put about a true love jogg to the whole company : or like a brood of ducklings for mutual consolation sake get close into a corner with head under wing , and make not the least noise , for fear of waking original sin , and the quarrelsome state of nature ; this possibly might pass for unfeigned freindship , and society without design . but if men do either give or receive , counsel 〈◊〉 take advice , discourse o● jest , if they speak but the least word , then presently a reason is to be tickled up , that this was not society , but plo● and designe . nay , if a man does but look earnestly upon another , and ask , what 's a clock , it spoyles the whole integrity and sincerrity of the business , and can be nothing less than a very fetch and stratagem , if it be at all considered of by one that knowes the world . phi. i perceive , tim , that thou hast profited but very little , by the late instances i gave thee , of peoples entring into society meerly upon designe . how ever surely thou canst not deny , that there 's great safety and convenience in seeking of peace : and many a mischief there would be if it should be neglected . and therefore , why ought not i , foreseeing those mischiefes , be said to endeavour to avoid them only out of fear , and thereupon choose society as the safest ●ondition ? tim. i 'le give you free leave , philautus , to say that peace is better than war , in english , latin , or any other language , upon that very accompt your selfe mention ; but i would not have you say that that 's the only or chiefe reason . for there 's great difference , philautus , in saying that i do this or that , meerly and only because i am afraid of a bloody nose , or broken shins : and in saying that i do it for a better reason ; & that a legg or an arm may chance to go of , if i neglect to do it . phi. upon better reason , dost thou say ? what can a man spend his time better than to suspect , take heed , be watchfull and afraid ? and dost thou think that thou canst ever find out any other reason to make the four men of pines compound , besides fear ? tim. yes , i have one worth ten of that , ( which i shall give you by and by : ) and moreover not only shew you that in all justice and equity they ought to compound , but also what terms they ought to offer towards an accommodation ? phi. i prethee , tim , which will certainly beat , the french or dutch ? which sinkes the first ship , and where will the wind be upon the fifteenth of may ? poor creature ! that thou should thus cut out work for thy own disparagement , and engage before hand to be silly ! and yet because it shall never be said , that tim wanted meanes of growing wiser , i care not much if i fling away one demonstration more upon thee , to prevent if possibly , this great plot thou hast laid to discredit thy self : whereby it will experimentally appear , that men at first were not only in a state of war , & did as it were lay down their weapons , and combine out of meer fear : but that the state of war really is not yet ended , nor ever will be . for that every man is still to this very day afraid of every man ; and ( now observe me tim , ) that this is a naturall taint and infection that runs through the whole humane blood : and is so deeply seated therein , that it will never be utterly wash'd out till doomes-day . tim. always provided , that you had excepted your servant timothie from being afraid of every body . for as fierce as you look , sir , he is not in the least afraid of you . phi. what ? i hope ( whilst i am endeavouring to cure thee of thy errors ) thou dost not intend to huff ▪ quarrel and challeng me . i don't much like the very phrases that belong to ●ighting . tim. i intended no affront at all to you , sir , for there 's abundance more that i am not afraid of . phi. then upon my word , it is for want of judgement and common observation . i confess now and then , tim , i have met some rash inconsiderate youngsters ( like thy self ) who would try to be of thy opinion , and pertly to contradict me would gainsay themselves . and to such i use to say thus . what mean you gentlemen to approve of that in your discourses , which your actions perfectly disavow ? do you not see all countries , though they be at peace with their neighbours , yet guarding their frontiers with armed men , their towns with walls and ports , and keeping constant watches ? do you not see even in well governed states , where there are lawes and punishments appointed for offenders , yet particular men travel not without their sword by their sides for their defences , neither sleep they without shutting not only their doors against their fellow subjects , but also their trunks and coffers against domesticks ? can men give a clearer testimony of the fear and distrust they have each of other , and all of all ; and that the first stop that was put to the state of war , was upon the accompt of fear , and that it is not yet quite ended ? & therefore are you not asham'd to fight against your selves , that you may quarrel me ? thus i use to school over such small objectors , and little observers of humane affaires . tim. and i pray , sir , how did they use to take such a demonstration ? and what did thy use to say again ? phi. e'en as much as thou art able to say now . what dost think all people in the world are amalepert as thy self ● , and talk again , when there is nothing to be said ? tim. however , philautus , if i had been there , rather than my tongue should have catch'd cold , i 'd have said over the alphabet , or somewhat or other ; if it had been only this . viz. we see indeed castles , walls , draw-bridges , guards , guns , swords , doors , locks , and the like . but surely it is not absolutely necessary to say that all this care is taken and these defences made , because humane nature at first was , and in generall still is a whore , a bitch , a drab , a cut-purse , &c. but because there be doggs , foxes , hoggs , children , fooles , madmen , drunkards , thieves , pyrats and philautians . and upon that accompt ( considering the wickedness of the world ) it is a most dangerous and frightfull thing to leave the dairy-door open : for who knowes , but on a suddain the sow , having some small scruples about meum and tu●m , may rush in with her train of little thoughts , and invading the milk-bowles should rejoyce in the confusion . and in like manner i am almost throughly convinced , that if i have a diamond of considerable value , it is not the safest way to fling it into the shoe-hole , or to lay it in the window amongst the bay-leaves : because perhaps the waggish ratts , to make me spend candle , may carry it away , and hide it up in the cock-loft ; or a child may have a mind to try whether it will sink or swim , or may swallow it instead of a new fashioned sugar plumb ; or lastly because i may chance to have a ●ervant , who being not well dried of the state of nature , may make use of the members of his body to remove it from the place where i laid it . and i must needs tell you , philautus , if a friend or so should intend me a visit , who , i was sure , did really believe no good or evil before the statutes of the kingdome , i should count my self in all prudence oblig'd , to set a very strong lock upon my mustard pot . but to go on , philautus , you observe besides from constables and watches , that man is a most dreadfull creature : but before you be very sure of that conclusion , i would have you call to mind , that there be such things in the world as madmen , who may get from their fetters , and fall to ●iring of houses : and there be such things as quakers and fift monarcy-men , whose religious frenzy may disturb the peace : and there be also such things which in the morning were true lawfull men , who by night with intemperance have lost that priviledge : and these for a time may be as troublesome in the streets , as a wild boar or ox : and lastly there may be here and there some besides , call'd pilferers , and thieves , who count it a piece of dull pedantry to live by any set forme and profession , or to be guided by any reason , or to stand in any lawes : and for you to conclude from hence , that humane nature in general ' is a shirking , rooking , pilfering , padding nature , is as extravagant , as to say that the chief of mankind are perfectly distracted , and that the true state of nature is a state of perpetuall drinkenness . and what if most nations have guards , and castles , and be upon defence ? you must not infer that all men are rogues , because alexander had a mind to try an experiment , and to see how much mischief he could doe in his whole life-time : or because the caesars spoiled many kingdomes , & brought them into slavery , for the excellen jest of pure latin , and roman liberty : or because the turk gave two pence for a pigeon to tell him from above that all the earth was his . you know , philautus , our own nation never wanted horses , ships , men and valour to have trampled down many of its neighbours : but such have been the equity and generosity of our kings as ( unless highly provoked ) to stay at home . phi. you never found that i asserted that all the people in the world are shirks and raskals : but i may confidently assert that there be some ; and seeing that we do not know them , and cannot distinguish them from the good , there 's a necessity ( as i tell you in my epistle ) of suspecting , heeding , anticipating , subjugating , and self-defending . tim. i pray do so much as understand me , philautus ; i am not against your putting all those words and forty more into practice . ride with eight suspecting pistols , and half a dozen heeding swords : let a file of anticipating musqueteers walk constantly before you , and as many subjugating ones behind ; plant a defending blunderbuss upon the top of your stairs ; put on a head-piece instead of a quilted cap , and sleep in perfect armour : or if this be not sufficient , beg leave of his majesty that you may have a bed set up in the exchequer , or surrender your self every night to the lievtenant of the tower ; and let him be extraordinarily obliged , that you awake in safety next morning . in short , take as much care of your self , as you think most just , ( for you know your worth best ; ) but from your own distrust and fear , i do earnestly desire that you would not determine any thing concerning the general disposition and temper of humane nature ; and that if a mouse comes to lick the save-all , you would not alarum the whole christian world , and cry out that the turk is landed . this i say is all that i desire of you ; for when you tell us that there be thieves , and that we don't know them , and if we did , we do not know what day we may meet them , this was very well and very fully understood by every carrier and drover many years before you writ your politicks : and now since you have such an excellet gift of making things plain , be pleased to exercise a little upon t'other reason , why men that are in the state of nature do choose to enter into society . for , as for people compounding out of ●ear , or not seeking society for its own sake , i now fully understand . as i remember you seemed to say further , that society was a thing meerly by chance , because that no man in the state of nature could have any right or pretence to any part of this world. phi. i s●orn to be one of those that seem only to say things : if there be any doubt , i say nothing ; if there be none , then i speak , declare and publish . and therefore i do now make it known , that no man whilst he is in the state of nature has right or title to so much as one foot of land or spire of grass . and now my mouth is open , i do declare further , that whereas a company of metaphysical term-drivers do love to talk of intrinsecal and essential right and wrong , good and evil , and the like ; they are every one utterly besotted , there being no such thing at all , but what the magistrate pleases so to appoint . tim. as for the latter part of your declaration , i shall not meddle with it as yet : but of the former i am obliged to take present notice : wherein you say , that by nature no man has any right to any part of this world ; which if true , then our four natural gallants have perfectly lost their journey , and must forthwith entreat the sun , to draw them back again ; there being no living here , unless they might take and enjoy what they find . phi. i prethee , tim , what figure is this objection in ? thou talkest just as if thou camest reeking hot from barbara — i must therefore teach thee that these people that came lately down , are very wellcome , and may live very happily ; if they endeavour , and agree so to live : but till they have agreed and bargained , not any one of them can possibly claim any peculiar right or interest in the very least spot of the whole island . tim. your instructions , sir , i thank you begin now to enter ; because ionas moore is not as yet come to divide , and set out the ground , and to call this piece starve-crow , and t'other long acre ; and because the white posts or blew balls are not as yet up at roger's doore ; and that dick has not determined what livery to give , and what coat of arms to set upon his sheeps backs ; and because there are no hedges , ditches , or walls to keep asunder the inhabitants cattle : therefore say you , none of these have any reason to demand the least right to any part of the whole island . you know , sir , a man may have a right to a fourth , eighth , or any other part of a ship , though he be not able to say , this rope is mine ; and t'other is my neighbours : and a hundred several men may have a common , and yet certain right to a piece of ground , and yet never a one of them can set forth , that his share lies just at the gate , and another man's next the water side . phi. this is said so like one not capable of improvement , that i am asham'd to be seen in thy company : for when thou talkest of common rights , i am confident thou meanest such grounds as are called commons ( where the town herd and town geese go ) which are held by as much bargain , and covenant as thou holdest thy hat or coat by . tim. to be just and honest , philautus , i did mean so , i profess : and i said it on purpose to see how angry you would be , at one of your own sort of tricks , when put upon you by another . phi. i do abominate all such tricks , and those that devised them . if you 'l hear sence , then attend : when i say that no man by nature can have any estate or right ; i don 't only understand thereby , that roger is not as yet fixed in the east , nor the rest in their particular quarters : but till they have bargained , they can make no claim to any part or proportion whatever , either in equity , right , law or justice . surely thou canst not be so ignorant , but one of those words will fall to thy share to understand . tim. i thank you , sir , that you were so generous , as to give me such choice : for now i understand you as fully , as if you had blown up your meaning into my head with a quill . for as much as roger forgot to bring his black box of evidences , and transferred rights along with him ; and thereupon has not been able as yet to obtain a decree in chauncery , or a verdict at common law for his share ; therefore roger has none , no● in reason is likely to have any . what , would you have had him to have tied up twelve iudges in a corner of his handkerchief , and brought down westminster hall in his trowzes ? phi. i shall not now be so idle as to say what i 'd have him to have done : but i 'le tell thee , tim , what i would have such a child as thou art to do , ( unless thou art very eager of continuing a fool ) namely ; ask thy self , or that same thing within thee ▪ which silly people have got a custom of calling conscience , whether thou now hast , or ever hadst any thing in thy whole life , or right to any thing but by covenant , contract and law . tim. i shall do it , sir , immediatly . here , where art thou ( as they call thee ) conscience ? come forth and let tim ( according to philautus's advice ) ask thee a question . how camest thou by those shoes ? by what means and upon what design didst thou acquire a right and propriety in them , and dominion over them ? did thy feet bud , and bring forth shoes ? don't cogg now and shuffle , but speak plain , for very much depends hereupon . consc. truly , tim , having looked a little into the world , and antient writers , and observing that some stones were very hard , some very sharp , and others very dirty , for fear i should bruise , cut or offend the lower part of the man called the feet ; i thought fit to treat with a shoemaker ; and after some parly and overtures we come at last to close covenant : and , as i was saying before , for fear of catching cold i took the shoes , and for fear he should never see me again , he took my money . phi. and thus thou wouldest find it , tim , if thou shouldest examine thy self from top to toe . viz. that every thing thou hast or ever hadst , is all upon some immediate or foregoing compact : neither is there any natural way of distinguishing between meum and tuum , but only by such means as i have laid down . tim. truly , phila●tus , i am very nigh of your opinion : viz. that it would be a very hard matter for the most cunning and experienced midwife to distinguish exactly between a child that is born lord of a mannour , and a tenant . unless such as the first were born with the court-rolls in their mouth , or had all stars in their forehead ; and the latter had all shorn manes and cropt eares . you have been several times , philautus , angry , since we began to discourse ; it ●s time , i think , for me to be so now . phi. with whom ? tim. e'en with your own political self , as old as you are : for you go and appoint a company of people to come , i know not whence ; and to bring with them nothing but their pure personalities ; and to arrive at a place , where 's not the least custom , law , or statute : and then in your discourse you fetch all your arguments from want of such customs , laws , and statutes . that is , i 'le suppose an island where there 's not so much as one dogg : and then i 'le determine , that jus shall signifie nothing in the world but a dogg ; and then i will conclude against all mankind , that if roger comes thither , he shall not have a bit of right : i. e. he will find never a dogg . if you suppose , philautus , suppose one thing with another , viz. that which is possible : as for your state of nature ( though it be sufficiently extravagant ) yet i was resolved to keep you company ; and to be either for mushroomes or bubbles , or bladders , or teeth , or cherry-stones , or any thing that could be devised . but when you determine with your self that there shall be no acts of parliament , and yet all the while reason so , as if there were such , i must confess that i must then leave you . phi. now have i no mind at all to part with the : but to put my self into such an odd kind of displeasure , as to suffer thee to talk on without pity ; only to see how far thou wouldest abuse thy self , if thou hadst but thy full swing . and therefore i do say again , that where there is no law , there can be no right . now , it is five to one , if thou dost not prate presently : do so , thy whole gut full . perhaps this may bring thee into some moderation , and beter respect of those that are aged . tim. truly under favour , sir , i am thinking thus — phi. nay , for thinking , think till thy heart strings crack : but that won't satisfie thee , for thou must prate i know . tim. yes , sir : suppose a man pays down five thousand pounds for an estate ; and accordingly receives writings before sufficient witnesses : and it happens that the following night his writings are all burnt , and his witnesses all die . what law now has he for his money ? his conveyances are gone towards the moon , and his witnesses t'other way . phi. thou dost not understand , that he of whom the estate was purchased , may be brought upon his oath : there 's law , tim , that thou didst not think of . tim. but i 'le have that man the same night to die also ; and his heir shall be five hundred miles off , when the bargain was made . this is much easier to suppose , philautus , than to make men out of bladders . now here 's no law in the case for the purchaser ; but he has much right and reason on his side . phil. this 't is to talk of law and not understand it : i say there 's no reason at all that he should ever have , or enjoy the least part of the estate . for if this were allowed , whenever a man wanted a good house , and gardens , it were but saying that his witnesses are dead , and his writings lost , and he might e'en pick his seat whereever he pleased . tim. i grant you , it is not reasonable , i. e. it is not convenient that there should be room made for such pretenses : but the man notwithstanding hath never the less right to the estate : which consisted in the bargain and true performance of covenants ; not in the parchments , wax and witnesses , which are requisite only by reason of death , mistakes , forgetfulness , ambiguity of words , knavery , and the like . phi. and art thou now so very ●illy as to dream that any of this is against me ? for thou hast given an instance of right in a common-wealth ; where there 's bargaining and law : and our business lies all this while about the state of nature , where there 's neither one nor t'other . but indeed how can any thing less impertinent be possibly expected from such who having only gone through a course of the praedicaments — tim. and run over your race of the passions : i pray don't forget that . phi. who , i say , having saved together a few academical shreds , and pedantically starched up a few distinctions and trifles got from the schools , shall prate and swagger , as if they were well acquainted with both the poles , and every thing that lies between them . tim. and as if they could square the circle , as well as your self : let that come in i beseech you . it was most pedantically done of the vniversity doctour ; that when you had so painfully squared it for the general good of mankind , he should spightfully go and unsquare it again . but hold , sir , we forget our selves : for we are in a state of nature or war , and we fall to complementing , as if the peace were concluded : and therefore i shall return to my instance concerning right and law. which , now i tell you , philautus , i gave not , intending therein any great store of proof , ( much less any demonstration , as you use to do ) but i did it only to supple and soften you into a little less difficulty of distinguishing between that which is right and reasonable , and that which is according to the laws of the realm . phi. what , dost talk of suppling of me , tim ? i prethee go home and put thy head into a pipkin , and there stew it , till thou gettest more wit. what , dost think , because i look upon my body as a good considerable thing , that therefore i am so great a coward as to submit to nonsence , and comply with impossibilities ; and to be mistaken only because it is the general fashion ? i shall not do so , indeed tim : supple and soften as long as you will. and therefore to ruine all your hopes at once , i do say that those four men that we have supposed in the state of nature , have not the least right to any part of the island ; not only because their share or portion is not as yet bounded and marked out , or because they cannot require any part by humane law : but besides , because nature has given to every one of them an absolute , compleat , total right to every thing that 's there to be found . tim. what has nature given to dick ; suppose , a right to the whole kingdom : with all the profits , priviledges , perquisites , and appurtenances ? phi. i prethee , tim , climb up some high steeple or tower , and wonder there . i have other business to do than to stay only to see thee stare at sunshine truths and demonstrations . what i have said , i have weighed , which young toys , as thou art , never do . tim. then truly dick has reason to speak very laudably of nature ; for he 's in a very fine thriving condion . i 'le have the rogue add a pair of horses more to his coach , and to keep two foot-boys , one for sack and another for claret ; in liveries answerable to the colour of their duties . i am resolved he shall never fit but in a box , drink nothing but flaskes , eat nothing that has an english name , and wipe his mouth only with indian almanacks . but how shall poor roger make shift to live ? he must e'en try , to earn his penny with lighting home norfolk attourney's clerks . phi. thou art so infinitely uncapable , tim , that one had as good pick up old rags for paper , as labour to make thee understand . for if thou hadst any brains thou mightest know , that nature has given to roger all , notwithstanding dick's grant . tim. say you so ? then rise up roger , and tumble down dick. phi. i prethee , tim , away presently , and according as i gave order , set on thy head ; for it will never make shift to do , as it now lies . who , except tim , but would easily have apprehended , how that roger might have a right to it all , notwithstanding dick to all of it had a right ? tim. oh the wonderful works of a black pudden with anchovie-sance ! this 't is to have joyned logick with mathematicks ! for take one for cunning , and t'other for soundness , and betwixt them both , they 'l make up such a title , as would have pusled old prin himself to have found out a pattern of it . but what becomes of tumbler and towser all this while ? the world certainly is very low with them : for if dick has got all , and roger has got the same all , over , besides , and notwithstanding ; the devil is of it , if between them both they don't keep out t'other two . phil. i am quite tired with calling thee fool , though i perceive the occasion increases very much . i don't say that dick and roger have got it all ; but i say they have got a right to get it all , and so have the rest . tim. and may dick or any other of them , in right and reason , get it all , if they can ? phi. i prethee step to the gate , and ask the porter that . must i spend my self to tell thee again , that we are in the state of nature ; in which , whatever a man has a mind to do , and can do , he may do . tim. why so ? what , because may and can are of the same mode and tense , or that possum is latin for them both ? phi. no ; thou perverse trifler ; that 's not the reason : but because in the state of nature , there 's no difference at all between may and can. tim. that is ; because roger has a vocal instrument between his chin and his nose , called a mouth , and being not muzled , gagged or cop'd ; but having a free power , faculty or may to open it , and order it as he think fit ; therefore he may stretch it out as wide as he please , and swear quite cross the island , that he 'l have the whole , or at least half : and because he has other instruments called hands , which have an ability of holding and directing a knife ; therefore again he may make use thereof to cut the throats of all his countreymen . and when he has done this ; if he be not tired , and his hands does not much shake , he may also cut his own . phi. surely i ought not to forgive my self this month for beeing within the noise of such childish talk . my reason that roger , whilst in the state of nature , may do any thing ( except hurting himself ) or require any thing , was because he cannot be injurious or unjust to any man : injury or injustice being the breach of some humane laws , such as in the state of nature there be none . do so much , as go to thy dictionary , tim , and see if injuria and injustitia be not deriv'd of jus . tim. i perceive we are wheel'd about to westminster hall again : notwithstanding you promised not to come there any more . and indeed i see now , philautus , 't is in vain to expect any better reason from you , why roger may get and possess what he list : by reason what you said just before , viz. that , that only was injustice which was the breach of some humane law , is in your own annotations upon the tenth article of your first chapter ▪ so that we see whereabouts we still are : the parliament is not as yet met , or at least have not as yet made any lawes , and wee 'l call nothing unjust , but what shall be done against somewhat that they afterwar● shall establish : and so we are come again into the old story of the dogg : and no further are we likely to proceed , unless we change injury and injustice for some other words . and therefore let 's try , philautus , if roger may not doe that which is hurtfull or mischievous , or that which is unreasonable . as suppose , when all the rest are asleep , he should contrive some way to pluck out all their eyes , and to suck them instead of raw eggs . 't is very ingenious , and not the least mischiefe or hurt at all : for the parliament have not as yet declar'd that blindness is any inconvenience ; nor that such as should occasion it in others , ought to be punish'd . phi. thou thinkest now that thou talkest wisely : and 't is as like a woodcock as can be . for if roger's stomach require it , or he thinkes that it does , roger may certainly doe it . tim. yes , yes : he may doe it several ways , either with a steletto , or a penknife , or a pair of pincers , or many other ways . and so he may contrive to lop off a legg of each of them : and when the parliament meet , if they find it unjust , they may vote it on again . but because we may take occasion to talk a little more of this by and by , wee 'l go on , and see if these people may not be guilty of doing or requiring that which is unreasonable . phi. i don 't at all see how . tim. that is , because you are so busie in weighing of kingdoms , and making remarkes upon humane affairs , that you don't mind your own writings . for if you did , you might there find that in your very state of nature , the will is not the only measure of right , and that therein a man may be guilty of doing of that which is unreasonable . phi. i do not know why i should say so , or any thing like it . tim. why you said it i know not : and i suppose it had been better for you not to have said it , because it contradicts much of your designe : but thus you say at the beginning of the forementioned a●notations , though a man in the state of nature cannot be injurious to another , because there are as yet no hum●ne lawes ; yet in such a state he may offend god , or break the lawes of nature : which very lawes , you your self call the lawes of reason . so that you have no way to come cleaverly off , but to devise some cunning distinction between breaking a law of reason , and doing that which is unreasonable . phi. what dost think , tim , that ●t these years , and after so much experience , and after so many victories in discourse , that i will be taught by such a whister as thou art , to come off . it is sufficient at present , to the case in hand , to ●ay that nothing can be done or demanded unreasonably as to the matter of meum and tuum . tim. you had best have a care of granting any kind of thing whatever to be unreasonable in the state of nature : because you know the magistrat has not as yet sealed and stamp'd good and evil : but 〈◊〉 that pass now . suppose then that they should fight for the island . shall we give them a second view , and another loose ? we had best not . for you know , as you teach us : that men by nature are all equal . i. e. though roger may chance to have huge leggs , yet dick may have the quicker eye : and though tumbler may have a very large fist , and a great gripe , yet towser may be in better breath , and have longer nailes . phi. no : no : i prethee don't let them fight by any meanes ; for that is so very foolish and unreasonable , that it is unreasonable to hear of it . tim. well : imagine then that they doe not fight : may not roger , when they come to treat , demand more than his share ? as suppose ( as was before hinted ) he should demand half . phi. so he may , if he please ; and get it too : there 's no vnder-sheriff to hinder him : neither has he subscribed to any agreement , nor sworn that he 'l be content with less . tim. but he ought in reason and equity to be content with less . phi. i prethee , tim , with how much less ? thou lookest as if thou couldst tell to an inch . tim. so i can . for he ought to be content just with a fourth part . phi. this surely is very pleasant ! why so tim ? tim. because you say that he has a right to no more . phi. where and in what company did i ever say , that roger had a right but to a fourth part ? but that i don't care to talk of dying , or else i 'd be hang'd if i ever said any such thing in my whole life . tim. you said it just now . for you said that roger has a right to the whole island , and dick has a right to the whole , and tumbler and towser have each of them a right also to the whole . and now shew me if there be any difference at all between four men having exactly the very same , same right to the whole , and one of them having a right to the fourth part , and no more . phi. pish ! tim , thou talkest ( as thou usest to doe ) very weakly . for when i said that every one of them had a right to all : i meant by right — tim. nay , i care not what you did mean or ever can mean by it . i 'l give you leave to meane by right what you please . a dog or a cat or any thing else . for still dick's dog will be every whit as good as roger's , and towser's cat as big as tumbler's . and so the case will be the same . phi. if i may not be suffered , tim , to make an end of my sentence , who have instructed above these threescore years , i shall be gon . tim. not so , i pray , sir : you shall say what you please , for indeed i had like to have forgot your age and privilege . phi , i say then , that there can be no right to any part of this world by nature . for we see people dwell in their fathers houses , and possess their ancestors estates : and all by custom and right of law. tim. you said all this many times before : and i say so too : and you know i told you , how i got an interest in these shoes ; and i could tell you also that i got my gloves by a meer stratagem , and that i hold them only by the lawes of the realm . but we must not conclude , phila●tus , because most of the world is now shar'd out , and by gift , fortune , labour , learning and other means gain'd and possessed ; that therefore if four men , with equall pretences , shall fall upon a place never sought for , nor possessed , one of these ( if he so pleases ) may in good reason broile all the rest , to see what mouthes and faces they 'l make upon the coals . phi. this is nothing : give me in short all that you have said , or can say to prove that the forementioned people have any right to any part of pines : and i don 't at all question , but that i shall discover all that thou hast said to be very empty and scholastically dull . tim. i say thus : the men that we ●upposed are true natural men , the place they come to , is perfectly unpossessed , they all arrive with equall pretences , and you your self besides have given them an equall right . and i know nothing wanting , unless like snayles each of them should have brought their houses on their heads , and rid down stradling upon their hundred acres : which might have stretch'd their thighs , and would have spoyled the supposition . this is that which i have to say , which i venture only to think reasonable . now for your opinion , you have offered nothing but a company of impossible things ( excepting only that may and can is all one ) such as mens shaking hands at a mile's distance , treating and● bargaining before they speake , acts of parliament before there be any parliament , and the like , and this you take your accustomed liberty to call demonstration . phi. i thought i should take thee in some foolery or other : thou talkest of these peoples coming together , and thereupon of having equall pretences ; and thou forgettest all this while that possession and invention ( as they call it ) are pieces of meer positive humane law , not of any natural right . if thou wilt call upon me one day , i 'le shew thee how to turn the books , where thou mai'st find abundance about them . tim. i believe i might : and about a hundred things more , that are never the less equitable and reasonable in themselves , because they are to be found in the law of nations , or the particular law of any kingdom . phi. what , can that be intrinsecally and in reason good or bad , that is made so by constitution or canon ? tim. what think you , philautus , of a man's hanging himself ? is there any intrinsecal natural evil in it ? phi. evil ! there'● death in the case : the chiefest of all natural evils . tim. so i remember you say ( cap. . art. . ) but there is the severest law against him that does it , that can be devised ; unless he could be fetch'd to life , and hang'd again . for he forfeits all his estate . do you hear me , sir ? phi. yes : but i am not of such a young mans mind , as you are : neither do i ever intend to be . tim. that 's spoken like a philosopher indeed . phi. it is spoken like one , that good manners might oblige you , to be more attentive to . do you think , tim , that towards my last dayes ( which i hope will never come ) ●'le alter my opinion , upon such childish and insignificant perswasions as thine ? and believe that a man can have any naturall right or title to land , when i so certainly know , that in general there 's no kind whatever of just or unjust , right or wrong , good or evil , but what the magistrate does signe and determine ? tim. upon my word , philautus , you improve very much as to daringness in your assertions . for seeing that we have found out already in the very state of nature just , and unjust , as to absolute dirt and earth , i hope we shall be able with much more ease , to find out a little good and evil . phi. you must have better eyes , than ever i met any body had yet . tim. however i 'le bestow a little looking ; and i hope i shall not lose it altogether so much , as they that went to see the invisible dogg . especially , philautus , if you will but continue couragious , and when you talk of justice , not fetch about as you did before to my lord chief iustice , and iustices of the peace , and the like . phi. what need you fear my giving back ? when as you 'l find it printed in my preface , that there are no authentical doctrines concerning just and unjust , right and wrong , good and evil , but what is so determined by the constituted laws in each realm and government . and by those , to whom the supreme has committed the interpretation of his laws . tim. when you jumble all those words together , philautus , viz. just , unjust , &c. i phansie that you still lie upon the old cheat . and because by bargain , indenture or patent , i hold such a farme , such a coalemine , or such and such priviledges ; therefore i must send for a lawyer to draw me up a conveyance for modesty and mercy ; and get the broad-seal to give me title to be faithfull and sober . phi. thou talkest of titles and conveyances ; thou wantest some body to make over a little understanding to thee . for what can be more intelligible than just and unjust ? but yet because my book might possibly meet with such a toole as thou art , i added besides wright and ●rong . tim. you know , philautus , ( as was before hinted ) that that 's as very a fetch , as t'other . for , because of the relation that is between jus and lex , we face presently about again to freehold and coppyhold , to messuages and appurtenances . phi. because , tim , i would gladly be rid of thee ; thou shalt put in lawful and unlawful : my side is so true , that i may give thee leave to pick thy words . tim. now you are sweet indeed : for you suppose a time , wherein there 's no law : and then to use your own words , by firm reasons you demonstrate that no law can be broken during that time : and he that does thus , say you ( meaning your self ) is to be looked upon as a great dispeller of clouds , and as one that shews the high way to peace , and that teaches to avoid the close , dark and dangerous by-paths of faction , and i know not what more . phi. what a slavery 't is , to do one good , that labours so hard against it ! tim. you need not trouble your self any further , philautus ; for you have your self put in two words that will fully try the business , viz. good and evil . each of which , say you , are to be determined by the supreme power . phi. yes : i say it ; and i am sure no man is able to contradict me : for who is so fit to judge what is good or evil , as the supreme power ? and what shall direct or determine his opinion but his own pleasure . tim. i 'le tell you what shall direct him — phi. hold : do you know what you are going to say ? ●ex in regno suo — stat pro ratione voluntas . supremus sive summus . what , tim , art thou so utterly barren , that thou hast neither divinity , poetry , nor grammar within thee ? thou speakest of a supreme power , and then talkest of his being awed and contro●led by somewhat else . to have such a supreme power is not worth the smoak of a ladle . such a one is supreme , suppose , and he thinks such a thing very good and convenient , and he 〈◊〉 send it to the pope or emperour , 〈◊〉 i know not whither , to have it ●ouched and tried , to know whether 't will pass . tim. he need not send so far ; he may consult common equity , and his own reason ; which will not only direct him , in determining of those things that are indifferent , or in controversie ( which are the proper object of such authority ; ) but which will acquaint him and all mankind besides ( excepting philautus ) that there be several things most firmly and undoubtedly good in themselves , and will continue so , let all the supremes in the world meet together to vote them down ; and there be others which are so famously bad and unreasonable , that all the p●inces upon earth ( if they should conspire ) can never set them up , and give them credit . phi. and is not this very pragmatical , and somewhat treasonish besides , to go about to confine the power of the supreme magistrate , who is therefore called and acknowledged such , from his undeniable and irresistable pleasure ? and therefore , say i again , he ought most certainly to determine all things . tim. so say i , if they be not too nimble for his power , and determine themselves before his supremacy can get hold of them . and truly , philautus , the magistrate has no reason at all to be angry , or to think himself checked & affronted ; if there be some such things that decree themselves to be good and bad , long before terme begins ; viz. in that same supposed vacation of yours , the state of nature . for , when he comes to open , and give sentence , he will not only find much work done to his hands , but he 'l find besides that hereby he 'l be very much assisted towards well governing , and towards his deciding such matters as require deciding , and which do belong to his place and profession to decide . but as for those things we have been now speaking of , he must not by any means go about to alter or repeal them : for , if he should , it would be altogether as vain , as to call a council to make two and three to be nineteen ; or to issue out an order against the next eclipse , or to mount all the canons at the tower against the next spring-tide that should offer to come up to london-bridge . phi. certainly , tim , these same unalterable and irrevocable goods and bads that thou talkest of in the state of nature are very fine things . the magistrate , thou sayst , did not make them ; i wonder who did , whence they came , and who brought them ? tim. they came down , sir , the last great rain , we talked of a while ago ; for the very same four men that brought word to pines , that the whole is equal to all its par●● ; and that if four have equal right to the whole , each have a right to the fourth part ; brought also abundance of moral rules , that is of goods and bads , reasonables and unreasonables . phi. abundance dost say ? i don't think that thou hast enough to stop a hollow-tooth . i would brush up my eyes most mightily , if thou wouldest but shew me one of those rarities . but i am afraid that they are like those same perpetual lamps , that some philosophers speak of , which have got a trick of going out always when people go to see them . tim. what think you of drunkenness , philautus ? is it a thing altogether indifferent , till the magistrate has given his opinion in the case ? phi. truly , tim , i must tell you , that whilst dick , roger , and the rest continue in the state of nature , they may take a cup of the creature with more freedome and less inconvenience , than thou dost imagine . for the windows are not as yet glazed , nor the constables chosen : and if one of them having received an occasion of being more than ordinary thoughtful , should , by chance , set his foot not exactly in the path ; here 's no breach of law , trespass or action in the case , because the land as yet stands wholly undivided . tim. but it is not very bad husbandry to make an hundred steps for that , which might have been done as well with forty ? phi. now , tim , i advise thee to take leave of thy friends ; for thou hast said that , which will prove thy utter destruction . i do grant indeed that intemperance is very silly and unreasonable ; not because it is so in it self , but because ( now , tim , keep thy eye fixed ) i say again , but because 't is inpolitick , and perfectly against my interest : for it makes me obnoxious to many dangers , and several diseases ; and besides it destroys and weakens the use of my reason , and so renders me unable either to defend my estate from cheats , or my life and limbs from such as are quarrelsom . tim. truly , philautus , i did never look upon temperance to be altogether so good to kill rats , as arsnick and raysons ; nor to carry one over the water , as a sculler or oares : but if there be any reason to be given , why it ought to be approved of before the contrary , besides the magistrates determination therein , then ( as was before mentioned ) you are not so great a dispeller of clouds , as you promised to be , when you said , that by firm reasons you would demonstrate that there was no good or evil till the supreme power had set it out : and therefore at present i resolve to defer speaking to self interest ; and shall shew you another rarity . what think you of faithfulness , i. e. of keeping your promise , or standing to your bargain ? is it not a very reasonable thing , though there were never a magistrate in the whole world ? phi. you talk of shewing me rarities , tim ; and you draw out some of my fundamental wares : for to perform contracts , or to keep trust is my second law of nature . that is , when people are resolved to end the state of war , by relinquishing their right to all things , it is very requisite that contracts should be stood to , for they direct to peace and self-defence . tim. but is it not a good and reasonable thing in it self to perform contracts , in the very state of nature ? phi. what time didst thou go to bed last night , tim ? what , would you have a thing good , before there be any such thing at all ? you ask whether it be not good to stand to contracts ; when 't is supposed , that there has not been so much as one ragg dealt for in the whole world . tim. for all that , i can conceive it very just and reasonable for a man to keep his word , although he never spoke as yet , nor perhaps never shall . for suppose there were not one drop of liquor in the whole island , that we have been talking of ; yet i count it as unreasonable for roger to be drunk , as if he were just ready to set the great pitcher to his mouth , and had sufficient matter to proceed upon . and it seems , i believe , to most men ( except your self , philautus ) a very unnatural and unjust thing for a iudge or arbiter to incline to either side ; though there never was as yet one case put to reference , nor should be these thousand years . phi. thou hast gone on , tim , in thy careless shuffling way , i know not whither : and now i must dash thee all in pieces , and tell thee ; that thou talkest like one not at all conversant in my writings : for if thou hadst , thou wouldst there have found no less than twenty good and bad things , all fetched from reason ; such as faithfulness , mercy , humility , temperance , reproach , ingratitude , &c. which i call my laws of nature . but here 's the pinch of the business , and that which thou didst never attend to ; these things i say are good and bad , not because they are so inwardly in themselves , but because they either conduce to peace in general , or are for a man 's own quiet and safety , or for his health , or profit , or recreation , or for the advantage of his family or relations , or are a hinderance of these : in short , because they are for , or against a man's interest . tim. this was a great dash indeed , philautus ; and i have improved more by it , than by all that you have said i know not how long : for if we be discoursing concerning some action , or disposition of mind that is good ; and if the same chance to prove convenient either to king or subject , church or state , for my self or any body else , for this life or next : that is , if it be good for any thing that has but a name , then is it not good in it self , but good upon another account ; which , let it be what it will , with a little art●fice of phrase may be so twisted , as it shall certainly be all driven upon your common shoar of interest . truly , philautus , i can scarce tell what you would have meant by things being good in themselves , unless you would have them only to be pictured with pretty eyes , mouths and lips ; or have a man get the vertues and hang them upon several strings , or tye them to the end of some sticks , and so sing over his most excellent and dainty iustice , his curious amiable temperance , his bright angelical mercy , and the like . but i might have taken much less pains , philautus , to have shewn against you , that all good and evil does not depend either upon self interest , or h●mane law ; because you are so very over kind as to acknowledge it , and confute your self . phi. you may as well say , that the second proposition of euclid does contradict and void the first . tim. you may say so , if you please ▪ but i am resolved i won't , when i see so much reason to say otherwise . phi. about what place , and in what article , canst thou possibly pick out any such absurdity ? tim. i did shew you one place , you know , long ago ; where you said , that a man in the very state of nature might be guilty of breaking the laws of nature ; which is all one , according to your self , as to say , that a man may act against reason , before there be any positive laws ; and that 's all that i desire you would acknowledge : neither do i suppose , that you did intend to excuse your self , by what you say a little after , viz. if any man pretend somewhat to tend necessarily to his preservation , which yet he himself doth not confidently believe so , he may offend against the laws of nature : for this is a further acknowledgement of what you said before ; and shews plainly that hypocrisie in the very state of nature is an unreasonable thing . phi. you may fool your self , tim , and gape for as many acknowledgements as you will : but i hold and say that the laws of nature in the state of nature are silent ; provided that they be referred not to the mind , but to the actions of men . tim. i remember you say this , in the second article of your fifth chapter . but , if you had not forgot , what you had said upon the . art. of your . chap. you would have granted that some natural laws do more than meerly buz in the mind , during the very state of war or nature . phi. why , what do i say there ? tim. no great matter , sir ; only i find there these words ; viz. but there are certain natural laws whose exercise ( i pray mind that word ) ceaseth not even in the time of war it self : for ( as you go on ) i cannot understand what drunkenness or cruelty ( that is revenge which respects not the future good ) can advance towards peace or the preservation of any man. phi. now what dost thou infer from this , tim ? what purchase dost thou intend to make ? tim. no great purchase , sir ; only i do think that the second proposition of euclid does not altogether contradict the first so much , as these two places do one another . phi. and now thou thinkest , thou hast got me so fast ; whereas i can come off easily only by saying , that i did not mean all the laws of nature , when i said that the laws of nature are silent in the state of nature . tim. if you please , sir , you may so explain your self : but however , if you your self , philautus , will bestow upon me only one or two laws that ought to be observed in the state of nature , i take it more kindly , than if any body else had given me half a score . phi. i always found it an endless thing to reason and discourse people into any soundness of mind , ( especially as to morals ) who would not make any observations of their own . and therefore i prethee , tim , go spend one quarter of an hour in the streets , and i 'le stay here ; and observe well , what people are doing of ; and when thou comest back again , i do not at all question but that thou wilt fully believe what i have taught thee to be true ; namely , that the world is wholly disposed of , and guided by self-interest . tim. i need not go now , sir ; because in the morning as i came hither , i found it exactly so , as you say . in one place there was a man buying a cloak , as hard as ever he could , not in the least for me , but for himself wholly ; and the seller he claws up the money , and without saying one word to his neighbours , pockets it all up : in another place there was a porter lying close upon the lurch at a tavern-door , who , had he no interest to drive on there , might e'en as well have been here , upon the walks . phi. thou needest not speak any more , tim , for i do say thus much unto thee , that unless thou dyest a fool , thou wilt perceive that interest is the very first principle of nature , and reason ; and that men must mind themselves if they intend to live . tim. yes , sir : so let them ; if they doe not overmind themselves : and cry only milk , when they should cry milk and water ; and score up claret , when it should be cider . people ought , sir , to take care of themselves : but i would not have them pick blind mens pockets , and cheat children of there bread and butter , and then admire their own parts , and quickness of sight . interest , philautus , is a word innocent enough , but only when it crosses equity and reason : which , according to you , it never can doe , being the first dictate of right reason . and therefore if righteousness or mercy , or any other good thing happen to be against this my first dictate of right reason ; i must desire them to withdraw for a time : for at present they are very troublsome and nonsence beside . phi. and wilt thou be so childish after all these instructions , as not to believe that interest is , and ought to be the first principle ? tim. it must needs be the first , sir , for that very reason your self give : ( concerning seeking of peace ) namely , because the rest follow . which you might easily make sure of , if the printer did not misplace things , and so disappoint you . phi. i perceive tim , that thou art much given to delight in toys , and to neglect things of moment . my main reason that self interest is to be looked upon as the first principle of nature was , because i found that every man was desirous of what was good for him , and sh●n'd what was hurtful and evil : and this he did by a certain impulsion of nature , no less than that whereby a stone moves downward . tim. by your leave , philautus , i think that this reason seems to promise somewhat bigger than the former , but it is not so true . for though children desire , and use meanes to get all things that please them ; and avoid and flie back from all things that hurt them , even as a stone comes downward : yet it is to be supposed that what men desire or avoid , they do it not as a stone comes downward , but with consideration and reason : and thereupon ought to submit to poverty and other inconveniences , rather than to reproach humane nature , and be guilty of an unreasonable action . and therefore a child that pulls hard for a jewel , which cost the owner perhaps much trouble , and many dangerous voiages , shall be excused : but there 's little reason that a great lasie lubber that spends his time in the chimney-corner and ale , should snatch it away , and not cry for 't first . phi. if he and his family be ready to starve , that alters the case very much : for 't is great pity that any rational creatures should be lost . tim. starve , or not starve 't is all one for that : for 't is a very lawfull cordial , so that it be but his opinion that he wants at present , or may afterward want . for seeing that right reason tells him that life is to be preserved : it tells him also ( as you well advise ch. . art. . ) that he must use the meanes to preserve it : and seeing that no man can know when another is sufficiently alive , so well as he himself , therefore ( as you advise further , art. . ) he is to judge what is requisite and convenient for that purpose . and therefore sayes the self preserver , there 's a company of people who , when i was out of the way , have gon and divided the world without asking my leave , or taking my counsell , or consent : i am sure there 's no fault to be found with nature : for she was alwayes very carefull , and intended every man a sufficient share . and therefore if they 'l begin once more , and divide all over again , and consider all mens deserts , strength and constitution , well and good : but otherwise i see no reason to stand to this blind bargain they made in my absence . for i find that my stomach is very cold , and nature that is famous for doing nothing that is idle , oft-time calls for a glass of wine , and ( with shame to these dividers be it spoken ) it comes not , for want of money . i find also that my head is much given to aking , for want of a lighter peruke ; and for want of a boy to comb it , i had lately like to have lost the use of my thumb . i can't doe as other people ; for my flesh is so soft and gentle , that ordinary stockings presently plough up my leggs : and if i have not a watch and a few guineas about me , i presently yawn and am as chill as if i had an ague . and therefore , i say , i must make use of my parts , and some of reason's dictates to preserve me from sorrows and the grave . phi. thou hast now , tim , talked together , more than becomes thee by fourty years . to all which i say , that i do give thee and all mankind besides leave , to shew me any thing better for peace and government than that first principle of self-interest which i laid down , and discovered to the world . tim. it is strange ambition , when people will take upon them to be the author of that of which they are not , though it be never so false and ridiculous . phi. why , who did ever hold self-interest to be the first principle of nature and government ? tim. truly , i believe not many ever held it long , because it was so egregiously silly . but if you look no further than the d. page of an ordinary schoole book , viz. tully's offices : you will there find that there was a sort of small philosophers that were of your opinion . phil. what , perhaps they talked somewhere in their writings of self-interest : but that was not the foundation and first principle of their philosophy . tim. if summum bonum be latin for foundation or first principle ( which in morals , i suppose it is ) and that suis commodis metiri signifie to measure by self-interest ; then i tell you there were a sort of unreasonable people whose philosophy stood upon your very principle . concerning whom the oratour justly sayes , that if they lived a life exactly answerable to their own opinions , and were not sometimes overcome by good nature , they must be perpetuall knaves . phi. i don't understand what you and your oratour meane ; but this i 'le swear , that if there be any knavery in my principles , i know not what will become of your bible . for i tried all my lawes of nature which i deduc'd from self interest by that book : and i found ( as i tell you art. . ch . . ) that they are exactly the same , with those that have been delivered from the divine majesty for the lawes of his heavenly kingdom , by our lord iesus christ , and his holy prophets and apostles . tim. i 'le tell you , philautus , how that might be easily done : you went to the bible , suppose , and thence pick'd out a company of very good lawes , and then having ordered and wrested them to your own design ; then you go again to the bible , and finding that they were not flown away , you cry , see here ● what ignorant people are they that shall goe about to find fault with my principles ; when as christ and i hold forth the same doctrine ; as is plain by a whole chapter full of scripture which i produce ? phi. doe not i recommend the same justice , mercy , equity , &c. that are recommended in the bible ? tim. yes : but you don't recommend them every day in the week : for perhaps at present there may be no inconvenience in being just and righteous : but to morrow it may be against my interest : and the castle-principle must never be forsaken . this is so very plain , as it need not be insisted on , and besides , it begins to be time , philautus , to think of some protection for that inward member of the body , called the stomach . phi. in that , tim , i agree with thee , but in nothing else . and i am e'en sorry that i have stayed thus long : for thou hast been so perverse , that i am afraid i have done thee but little good . and so farewell . finis . books printed for , and sold by nathaniel brook , at the angel in cornhill near the royal exchange . folio . the admired piece of physiognomy , chiromancy , metoposcopy , the symmetrical proportion and signal moles of the body explain'd , with the interpretation of dreams ; to which is added the art of memory ; illustrated with figures , both pleasant and profitable ; with very large additions : by richard sanders . price s. the so well entertain'd work , the new world of words , or , a general english dictionary , containing all terms in navigation , the etymology , definitions , and perfect interpretations of the proper significations of hard english words throughout the arts and sciences , liberal and mechanick ; as also other subjects that are usefull , or appertain to the language of our nation ; a work very necessary for strangers as well as our own countrey-men , for all persons that would rightly understand what they discourse or read , collected and published , with above two thousand words added in this third edition , by e. p. gent. s. mare clausum , or , the right , and dominion , or ownership of the british seas , laid down in two books , by iohn selden , esq a very learned piece , fit for scholars , and all gentlemen and travellers . s. quarto . the conveyancer's light , or , the compleat clerk , and scrivener's guide ; being an exact draught of all presidences and assurances now in use ; likewise the form of all bills , answers , and pleadings in chancery , as they were penn'd by divers learned judges , eminent lawyers , and great conveyancers , both antient and modern ; whereunto is added a concordance from richard iii. to this very time , with very large additions . price s. don iuan lamberto , a comical history of the late past times in droll . price s. a treatise of taxes and contributions , very requisit for statesmen , &c. s. a new description of the country of surinam . the ingenious satyr against hypocrites . the batchelours banquet , or fifteen degrees of marriage . st. foine improved , a discourse shewing the utility and benefit england hath and may receive by the grass called st. foine . price d. large octavo . moor's arithmetick , much refined , and diligently cleared from the former mistakes of the press . a work containing the whole art of arithmetick , as well in numbers as species , together with many large additions : by ionas moor , esabque ; the gentleman's jocky and approved farrier , instructing in the natures , causes and cures of all diseases , incident to horses . price s. d. baker's arithmetick , with large additions , fitted for all that desire the knowledge of arithmetick . s. d. fax nova linguae latinae , a new torch to the latin tongue , useful for all gentlemen and clerks for their improvement , very much enlarged : by paul iaz berennii a transylvanian : the fourth edition . s. abecedarium scholasticum , or the grammar scholars abecedary . by tho. huntt , master of st. saviour's free school in southwark . s. d. the psalms of king david paraphrased , and turned into english verse according to the common metre . by miles smith . s. culpeper's last legacy to his wife , with the addition of choice receits and aphorisms in physick , never published before . s. d. culpeper's school of physick . s. d. culpeper's semiotica vranica , or his judgement upon diseases , also a treatise of urines , useful for all that study physick . s. d. the accomplish'd cook , necessary for all ladys , gentlewomen , and others that desire the knowledge of the mystery of the whole art of cookery , with all kind of sawces : by the many years experience of robert may. s. wits interpreter , with addition of these courtly games , viz. l'hombre , piquit , chess , gleek , and cribbidge , &c. s. loveday's letters , newly reprinted . s. d. the compleat midwives practise● so plain that the meanest capacity may easily attain the knowledge of the whole art , illustrated with several cuts in brass . the history of the turkish wars in hungary , &c. and other provinces of the germ●n empire , from to . s. a store-house to the latin tongue , an excellent help to learners , by p. i. berennii . the glories and triumphs of his majesty charles the second . s. a platform for purchasers , a guide for builders , &c. by w. l. surveyor . s. d. an historical essay , endeavouring a probability , that the language of china is the primitive language , by i. w. esq s. small octavo and twelves . the grounds and occasions of the contempt of the clergy and religion inquired into , in a letter to r. l. s. some observations on the answer to a letter of inquiry into the grounds and occasions of the contempt of the clergy and religion , in a second letter to r. l. by the same authour . price s. d. a treatise of contentation , fit for these sad times , by i. hall bishop of norwich . s. the natural history of nitre , by w. c. s. the art of simpling , &c. by w. coles . s. the queens closet opened , &c. s. d. ovid's metamorphosis , farnaby 's notes . iuvenal & perseus , farnaby 's notes . farnaby's phrases . dux grammaticus , per iohn clerk. the fearful state of francis spira . d. adagia scotica , scotch proverbs , &c. d. a discourse of the small pox , and observations on the french pox , by t. w. cocker's new copy-book , or england's pen-man , the best ever he graved . a new and exact map of the world , with the newest discoveries of all the parts in persia , and other places , with a description thereof in cloth and colours , fitted for all chimney-pieces , &c. price s. a large new and exact map , with a true description of the city of london , and its ruins faithfully survey'd , wherein is declared its original , antiquities , monuments , customs , rights , and priviledges , according to the antient charters granted by several kings ; 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arbitration : for several payments ; performance of covenants ; to save harmless ; with sheriffs bonds , bills of debt , letters of attorney ▪ bills of sale , releases ; bills of lading , english , french , dutch , italian , or spanish ; policies for merchants ; of all sorts ; indentures for london apprentices , and for foreign plantations , &c. a letter to his old dear friend r. l. from t. b london , printed by e. tyler and r. holt , for nathaniel brooke , at the sign of the angel in cornhil , near the royal exchange . . a letter , &c. sir , you had received this , and what follows , long before this time ; but i was loth to trouble the world on purpose , upon so small an occasion : and therefore i rather chose to wait the pleasure of a friend , who had promised me the running of two or three letters , in his dialogue concerning mr. hobbs . the first whereof concerns one , who was pleased to send only a short friendly admonition with his name to 't ; who being a person of great worth , piety and gravity , i am very sorry that he should be so imposed upon by the heats and raylings of others , as to give under his hand no better grounds and arguments for his reproof . after him , sir , comes a very smart hot-spur , who like a whis●er at my lord mayor's show , runs up and down with a spit-fire ; crying , make room there for euclid : bear back , and take in ten demonstrations against learning and riches : and ( which is much to be wondred at ) this gentleman , sir , with nothing but the poor helps of wits common-wealth , godwyn's antiquities , clerk's formulae , spencer's similitdes , or things new and old , theatrum vitae humanae , and two or three smaller books besides , such as a help to discourse , the pearls of eloquence , blunt's academy of eloquence , proves the strangest kind of things that ever you heard of in your whole life : and all ordered and managed according to euclid . he and antoninus together make nothing to prove , you , dear sir , are no body at all : that you are a meer fiction , a cheat of sir politick would be , an imposture of a sick brain , a dream , device , and car●wimple . he did but whistle , and call for his small greek diveling , 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 , and if i had not made great haste , and pull'd you back by the leg , you had been quite gone : and so he had like to have served the academick youngster that made the chief of his speech of muses , nosegays , and his own tenuity . he durst not absolutely say that his name was nicholas nemo ; but , which is very near unto 't , he thinks it much more probable that the sea burns , than that there should ever be such stuff put together . now , sir , were it not for the kings and merchants ships that are now abroad , i had a great mind to have fired the sea ; and told it him in latin. however look to your selves ships , for i profess i cannot forbear , but i must try to call to mind a little of it . cum tenellam meam in dicendo peritiam , & coruscantem vestrorum oculorum fulgurationem mecum reputo , profectò academici , instar niobes , pallidus & tremebundus obstupesco : et cum oratio mea nullis verborum stellis ornata , nullis phrasium sydcribus illuminata , nullis eloquentiae luminibus dictincta , denique cum ambrosia & nectaris succo penitus est vacua , ad stillicidia vestri favoris & benevolentiae , & ad achilleam vestri patrocinii panopliam confugio : and so much concerning nicholas nemo . but these are but things by the by ; for this authour's masterpiece is concerning riches and wisdom ; both which he has so horribly discouraged , by pressing the great duties and conveniencies of being ignorant and poor , from the history of the iews , the grecians , the romans , both pagan and christian , and from our saviour himself and his disciples : that i am afraid that money it self , as well as learning , will go a begging ; and that it will be a very hard matter ever to perswade either clergy-men or others to undergo again the trouble and scandal of being wise or rich . it cannot but be expected that hereupon lands must necessarily fall to eight years purchase , money to fifty shillings per cent . and as for history , philosophy , languages , and other parts of learning , take one with another , and they may fetch perhaps six pence a bushel , heap'd as long as they 'l run ; and that 's all . and then for running a man up in a corner , he is the most severe and persecuting that you ever ●et withall . in one place of his preface , he drives me up so very close , concerning my writing my book , ●ither to inform my self , or others ; that i began to suspect , sir , whether i ever writ any letter to you or not : but looking upon 't again , i found at last that he only proved that i ought not to have written one . and this further i observe of him , that where ever he gets any advantage , he has no more mercy than a tyger . he knows , as well as i do my right hand from my left , that i do not much care for a bit of greek : and yet to vex and spight me , and to make me tired of the world , he 'l bring in at a venture , i know not how much , though it be nothing at all to the purpose . if you remember , sir , we have such a saying in english , that a man that is brought to be very poor , is brought to great necessity ; and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 , being greek for necessity , he thought it had been greek for poverty too ; and so urging the great conveniencies of poverty , to choak me , he gives me that golden scrap of pythagoras , ( as he calls it , ) 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 . hoping , poor gentleman ! that 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 had signified vertue , and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 poverty : and he might e'en as well have quoted that scrap of camden , 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 . for 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 there signifies power , and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 necessity or fate : which is plain by their being so rendred , and by the foregoing verse , in which pythagoras advises a man not to quarrel or part with a friend for a small fault , but to forgive him , 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 , as far as he was able ; 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 for he that forgives another to the ●●most of his power , will very near as certainly forgive him , as if it had been so decreed by the fates . i think somewhere in the new testament that 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 do signifie necessities , or as we say streights : under which are comprehended not only money-streights , but all kind of inconveniencies , which are difficultly to be avoided : such as dishonour , false friends , sickness , or the like . but as for 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 signifying poverty , i phansie it will be a very hard matter to find it , not only in pythagoras , but any where else , except it be in such a book as lycosthenes . now , sir , after all this , it is all one to me what the true meaning of the word is : and i had not taken any notice of it , but only i know as i said before he quoted it out of malice , on purpose to make me fret , and hang my self . and so he does another piece of greek , in what he says concerning schools ; viz. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 by which he intended doubly to kill me : first , because 't was greek , and then because he tells me , plodding aristotle said it ; and that it was as well said as if cartes himself had said it : and think he , that same 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is a thundering word , and will make the rogue eat his very flesh for madness . and i 'le translate it thus ; 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 , changing foundations is oftentimes of dangerous consequence : being , sir , ( as you must needs think ) deadly mad to hear a sentence out of aristotle , so magnificently translated against me ; i was resolved , if possible , that the sentence should not be in aristotle ; or if it were , it should require nothing near such a glorious and dreadful translation . and i profess , to be short , sir , i was made happy , and had my design : for ( as i believe ) that sentence is no where to be found in plodding aristotle , but in plodding themistius , a plodding commentator upon plodding aristotle : and besides , 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 does not signifie a calf with five legs , a colt with three heads , or any such frightful and monstrous thing ; but very mildly , as one can desire . for aristotle , in the fourth of his physicks , de iis quae in tempore f●●●nt ; finding fault with those that thought that time it self did alter , and corrupt things , puts in these words , 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 , i. e. that motion ( not time it self ) is that which alters things , or that puts things out of that state and condition in which they are ; upon which words themistius thus comments : 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 ; that is , if an old barn or an old tree tumble down ; it is not meer time that rots them , or tumbles them down ; but it is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that does it , i. e. the wind , the weather , or somewhat else that makes holes in them , and puts them out of their place . now , sir , as i told you before , it is very indifferent to me what this and what t'other word signifie ; only i would have had him left out the abuse , and not have told me , that it was as well said as if cartes had said it ; because it is just as well , and no better ; it being a fundamental principle of his philosophy , that all alteration is caused by motion . and so let thus much at present serve for the second answerer : after whom comes the doomster , or fire and brimstone it self ; who pulling out of his magazine , four or five sermons concerning the existence of a god , the authority of the scriptures , providence , &c. and raking together an hundred or two of names for me , and all the curses in the bible ; he bundles up all this together , and in as dreadful black , as ever was branded upon wool-pack , he writes hieragonisticon , or an answer to my two letters . i looked , sir , upon some few pages , and i find all this comfort for my self ; an vniversal repaganizer , popeling , a worshipper of the beast , loyolite , iesuited pandor , herod , iudas , pilate , antiscripturist , antichrist , antiprovidentialist , atheist ; to whom , sir , i have said very little , but only told him that he was mad , and that i was not singular , for the rest of the world did think so . perhaps , sir , you may have a mind to know how it is possible that a sermon for providence should be against me , and how he should get it in , or any thing like it . if you remember , sir , speaking somewhere in my first letter concerning the great convenience of a tolerable maintenance , for the ministry ; it is there said , that people should not be suffered to take away from god's priests , what he had designed them , lest some thereupon should think that he seemed to take no care of them : upon which , he springs forth . say you so ! what are you there abouts ? nay , even off with your maskarado , and profess your self a right down atheist , or antiprovidentialist : which if you do , then ( by the grace of god ) i 'le pull out one of my best sermons , concerning providence , and so shamefully rout you , as never heathen was r●uted : and so away he goes , proving providence as hard as ever he can . i hear , sir , of eight or ten answerers more that may possibly come out this spring , if it be seasonable and warm : but if they do , i shall make some interest to get my reply into muddiman's letter , or to stand at the bottom of the gazette , amongst the strayed horses and apprentices . for you know , sir , i have nothing more to say ; unless it may be here convenient , sir , to beg so much room in your letter , as to desire those ( if there be any such ) who are still offended , at what i said concerning allegories ; to read one place of scripture , as well as another : and when they have read , and well weighed , what is said by st. luke c. . v. . that his disciples did not understand the parable of the sower ; and not understanding , desired the meaning ; and ( as the learned d r hammond notes ) christ answered , that he did it on purpose , as a punishment to those that had had clear means and perspicuous expressions and manifestations ; that seeing they might not see ; that is , clear means was n●w denied unto them , and none but parables was allowed , as ● punishment of their former obduraion against hi● means : as also , upon what occasion it was that our sa●iour said , st. matth. . . and seeing they shall see , and not perceive , i. e. ( as the same doctor observes ) being an obstinate people they shall not receive so much profit as otherwise they ●ight : things shall be so aenigma●ically and darkly represented to them , 〈◊〉 that they ( having before shut their eyes ) shall now discern but little ; and what follows , v. . for this peoples ●●art is waxed gross , &c. i. e. ( speaking still of making use of parables ) and this is a just judgment of god's upon them , for their former obduration and obstinacy ; in that they would not see nor hear heretofore : i say , when they have considered of these , and many such like places of scripture ; and after all , they shall still think , that they have as much reason to punish their anditors , as 〈◊〉 saviour had some of his : nay , to torture them with allegories ten times more remote from common apprehension ; i have nothing to say to them , but only to leave them to their own way , and understanding . but it is time now , sir , to take my leave of you , and ( setting aside all fashionable conclusions ) i desire that i may do it with what bishop saunderson says in his first sermon ad aulam ; which possibly may do some body or other more good , than any complement could ever have done you service . he speaking , sir , of making use of rhetorical ornaments and elegancies in popular sermons , says thus ; that as such things are sometimes very allowable , useful and approved of by scripture it self ; if it be discreetly and sparingly done , and counts those uncharitable , and unjust , that in general condemn all such rhetorical ornaments as savouring of an unsanctified spirit : so ( says he ) i confess there may be a fault this way , and ( in young men especially before their judgements are grown to a just ripeness ) many times there is . for ( as he continues ) affectation in this as in every thing else is both tedious and ridiculous ; and in this by so much more than in other things , by how much more the condition of the person , and the nature of the business require a sober , serious , grave deportment . those preachers therefore by a little vanity in this kind , take the readiest way to bring both their own discretions into question , and the sacred word they handle into contempt , that play with words as children do with a feather . i have been mistaken by some , but however i hope you will always think that i am , sir , your most humble servant , t. b. a letter to b. o. the publisher of m r herberts country parson . from t. b. london , ●●inted by e. tyler and r. holt , for nathaniel brooke , at the sign of the angel in cornhil , near the royal exchange . . a letter , &c. honour'd sir , i received your fifth paragraph ( as you call it ) long since , wherein you tell me , that i am the author of a scandalous book : and if i had the very next day sent you word back again , that i am not the author of any such book ; i had given you just as full an answer , as you have given reasons that i am so . for that great service , sir , that you have done the church , and are able still to doe it , i have a very great respect for you : but i doe much wonder , that you would not a little defer calling any book scandalous , till you had thought of some better ways to make it appear so : or have told me what you meant by scandalous . for you know , sir , the word has been taken in so many sences that there has been a time when almond butter has been counted rebellion , minced pye idolatry , and if a little wine were put thereunto , it was as ill as worshipping the host : and to eat custards with spoons was abominably scand●lous , but to be engag'd in sack-posse●t up to the eyes , with ladles , was christian , orthodox , and brotherly . therefore when you say that that book is scandalous , if you mean that it puts men in mind of their follies , that it abates the glory of : some mens preaching , that some people now are longer making their sermons , if you mean that some dislike it , wish that it never had been printed , are very angry , may are staring raving mad ; i know then that it is so very scandalous , that there be those that are lovers of themselves and only of their own way , that at a venture they wish the author hang'd , a thousand and a thousand times over . but if you meant any thing more by scandalous , i wish you had made it out . for i would not have you think , sir , that you have done enough towards it , only by saying ( as you doe ) that i am puffed up , that if i had known the man that preached upon weep not , &c. i ought to have cryed : that my book has given offence to diverse eminent grave and learned men ; and is lothsome to all good men . that henry the eight had like to have been in orders , &c. and that you know of two or three noble mens sons that in former times were in orders , and of six or seven that at this present are : and that an holy man in a poor living is in the kingdome of heaven , if there be one upon earth : which ( you say ) you believe , because you durst undertake to hold this thesis against ●ny iesuit , viz. status inopis parochi in ecclesiâ anglicanâ , est perfector statu cujuslibet m●nachi in ecclesiâ romanâ . but i suppose , sir , when you design'd me a paragraph , and to call my book scandalous ; you intended some better reasons , if you had not forgot them . but i pray , sir , how come you to think that i was puffed up ? i profess , sir , i do'nt find my constitution to be a whit more scandalous than formerly : my pulse beates neither faster nor loftier : the same girdle-still takes me in . i neither sleep deeper , nor eat more . i have not i confess lately examin'd my foretop ; that possibly may be a little started forth ; but otherwise i know of no alteration in my self . again , sir , you 'd have me to have cryed and pitied him that preached upon weep not &c. rather than have &c. i pray , sir , to what purpose ? that man is quiet in his grave , and i did it not because he or his executors had ever affronted , or offended me ▪ but because i knew of no better instance to represent the vanity of such kind of idle shreddings : and to put an end to the extravagancy of them . i intended to vex no man now alive in the whole world , not to please and delight my self in triumphing over the imprudences of the dead : but yet , for all that , some people are resolved to think , that i am a devil i know not how big . however , my conscience tells me , what was my design : and i bless god almighty that he put it into my mind , and that i was enabled to finish it . neither would i have you , sir , so over-confident that that same book you call scandalous , is so very offensive and lothsome to all good m●n . for i am sure you have not lately spoke with all the good men in the nation : for i know severall that are not of your opinion , and that are very good men too : and for ought i know , as good as yours : they being as eminent for learning , for piety and for suffering too : and then i am sure , you 'l acknowledg them to be without all doubt good : i say , i know several , and such who were born much above fourty years since , ( for if they had not , with some they would not be worth sixpence a hundred ) that at the first reading thought the design to be honest , and the book still to be usefull : and if i be puffed up with any thing ( as you think i am , sir , ) it is not i 'le assure you with any jest , story or gloss , that you there find ; but to hear of some that are throughly convinced that it is not the best way to spend two dayes of three either in dressing up plain sence and meaning with obscure rhimes and iingles , or with other sorts of elaborate , useless fineries . i suppose , sir , i am to look upon my self concerned in all your fifth paragraph : but when you tell 〈◊〉 of some persons of 〈◊〉 that have been herefore , and of others that are now in holy orders ; th●ow not how it should come into your mind , to think any thing of that against me ; whose great design it was that there might be ten times as many ; and though you are pleased to say , that an holy man in a poor living is in a kingdom ; yet i hope , sir , that your ●●entions of augmenting your own living , for the advantage of your successors , will not remove you ever a whit the further , from that kingdom you there mean. if you desire , sir , any further satisfaction , i must refer you to my second letter : which i think is plain , even to those very men , that would not understand my first ; notwithstanding those two objectors that now follow . i have nothing more , sir , but to let you know that notwithstanding all this , i have a great esteem for you : not only because you dealt friendlily with me , but because you ought to be esteem'd by all , as you are by . your humble servant t. b. a letter to the author of the vindication of the clergy : from t. b — silvestrem tenui . london , printed by e. tyler and r. holt , for nathaniel brooke , at the sign of the angel in cornhil , near the royal exchange . ▪ a letter , &c. sir , although for your own convenience and service , you have appointed me to be young shimei , fanatical skip-jack , secretary to a committee of plundered ministers , and secretary besides to another company that believe no life after this ( which is very nigh , as bad as the former ) yet , for my part , i am fully resolved to apply my selfe to you , only by the way of dear sir , sweet sir , and sometimes plainly , sir. for if i should goe and call you giles of of tilbury , philip of southampton , gabriel of doncaster , or the like ; your name perhaps all this while may be zoroaster , zerubbabell , boreas or boanerges . but let it be what it will , and live where you can , on this side or beyond trent : nay , live as far as barwick upon twede , sir still holds good , and will find you out there . and now , sir , in the first place ; i must return you many thanks , for your extraordinary kindness towards me , in respect of what i found from your brother answerer , w. s. for though you tell me ( p. . ) that he was too civill to his old acquaintance , and too free and prodigall in his concessions : and though by your fiery and fierce latin , ( facit indignatio ) you put me into a most dismall fright , and had like to have made me miscarry : yet i plainly perceive , where there is any thing of sound and substantial tenderness at the bottom , nature cannot dissemble long , but must needs discover some of its sweetnesses . for whereas severe w. s. confin'd me wholly to cracking of nutts ; you 〈◊〉 pleased , sir , to give me my choice of happiness and imployments . for when i am altogether tired and scorch'd with chasing butterflies , then have i your most gracious leave to retire either to my pilling of strawes , or to coole myself , and my chicken broth , or to call in at the market cross , and rest my self in the pillory ; a very laudable place , and allowed of by authority . and therefore , i say , i must upon all occasions , acknowledge my self to be yours , for these and many the like affectionate expressions , in your vindication : which , when i well consider , are so very sweet and engaging , that i must need hold my self obliged , for your sake , at any time , either to skip off a steeple , or to make an end of that odd jobb of work which nicanor seleucus left unfinished between the euxin● and caspian seas ( if you be very sure , that it was ever begun , for i have a scurvy fellow that doubts of it : ) nay , when my hand is in , i care not a farthing , if i carry on that other massy business in achaia ; for what 's massiness to me , when there 's a friend in the case . in short , sir , you cannot easily devise a task , to which i shall be unwilling , unless it be to answer your book . and , as to that , i must by all meanes beg your pardon ; being not at all in the humour , to reply to that which was fully answered , long before it was printed ; viz. in my second letter called observations : upon which you have some short reflections , in a postscript : and if you had reflected but a little more , i am confident you might have easily perswaded your self to have burnt your copy . for in all your vindication , if any man , that does but understand sence from words , can shew me but six lines that pretends to argument , or objection , that was not half a year before urged by w. s. and to which some reply was not thereupon made ; then will i oblige my self to get all your book by heart ( which i would not doe for a small matter ) or be at the charge , to procure some body to turn it into most stately heroick verse . now , i do suppose , it may be convenient for you to call this ( as you doe all that i say ) a flam , a whisker , a caprice , a piece of spight ▪ ●alice , calumny and spleen . but i care not for that : for if the same whole world ( to which you so often appeal ) be not of my opinion , i 'le give you all my interest in it , for those same three poor pennies , which , you know , is the full price of my planet . if you please , sir , we 'l try two or three places . my friend w. s. comes ●orth , and desires to dissent from me , as to the business of schooling . for says h ▪ ( p. . ) though the understanding that is in man does indeed early discover it self , yet memory is the great storehouse of understanding ▪ and if the memory be sufficiently imployed at schoole , it will lay a good foundation for the perfecting the understanding afterwards . this was w. s. his opinion , and objection : to whom i reply'd , your humble servant w. s. and some little more besides according as i was able . i know not how long after , out comes the vindicationer , and spruces up this objection , with some fine bedeckings , and embellishments , and a needless quotation out of plato , and brushes forth , as if he had discovered a third indies ; saying , every body knows but the contemner of the clergy , that children have a moist and supple brain , like soft wax capable of any impressions , and that memory is the most early faculty of the soul , which exerts it self in the very dawning of sense , and cogitation , ( whereupon plato calls it the mother of the muses ) and is in its prime and meridian vigour , before imagination or phancy , ●uch less understanding and judgment come perfectly to them . now , sir , doe you think that i am such a fool and owle , as to reply to any such thing as this ? you tell me that a childs brain is like soft wax : and i tell you , that if you had put to your soft wax , plaister of paris , puff'd past , curds and apple-sauce , i would not have answered you one word . and what do i care if plato calls memory the mother of the maids ? i have nothing to say against plato : but i have only this to say , that if that be the opinion not only of plato , but of the brachmans and gymnosophists of india , the bards and druids of gaul , the magi of persia , the chaldaeans of babylonia and assiria , the priests of aegypt , and of every one of the philos●phers of greece ; i am so very busy and surly at present , that i will not speak to any such thing . indeed , as to what i said , of mixing at school some other pleasant learning with greek and latin ; you differ a little in your accompts . for all that w. s. objected was , that it is more proper to learn those things which i mentioned afterwards . but that you may be sure to out-goe him , and not to grant so much as he , you are of opinion , that to goe about to teach a lad of twelve years of age a little arithmetick , or the circles of the globe or the like , it is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 't is every whit as impossible as it was for nero to cut a channel from the lake avernus to the mouth of tiber , and to pierce the massy isthmus in achaia : or as it was f●r nicanor seleucus to cut the streight between the euxine and caspian seas ; or for cleopatra that , which divided the red sea from aegypt ; nay , 't is not only 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 but 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 : such a monster , as that tee●ing africk never brought forth the fellow of it ; and every whi● as ridiculous , as if you put her●ules's shoes upon a dwarf , or as if lambs could wide , where elephants are forced to swim , or as if every little philistim , could play at quarterst●ff with goliah's beam . now , w. s. did not think it thus vengeanably impossible ; but only that it was not the most proper time . in like manner , there is some little difference between you , about your believing that there might be a reason , why lawyers and physicians prove better than divines , having the same education . as for modest w. s. he only wonders a little at it , and says it is very strange if it should be so : but he does not defy all reason , that might be given : not knowing but that there might be one in banko . but when you come to consider of it , half a year after the reason was repeated out of my first letter , you fall on to purpose , and challenge all the logicks in europe to make it out . i wish with all my heart , sir , you had not challenged them every one . for i 'le warrant you besides burgers-dicius , heereboord , craccanthorp , and keckerman there be vourty at least . the king of spain ( to my knowledge ) has abundance of logicks , and i 'le assure you the french king wants neither men , nor logicks . indeed i must wish again , that you had thought of it a little better : for this same europe , sir , that you so daringly challenge , is a very large place , and will hold many bushels of logick . for as i find in a learned author ; europe reaches eastward as far as the aegaean sea , hellespont , propontis ; nay , as far as your very ●ontus euxinus , and beyond ; and then southward , northward and westward , i know not how far . i must confess , that there be two or three things against my letter , that are near upon as massy as the very isthhmus it self ; that wound me for ever , and make me groan again ; which were not at all taken notice of by w. s. but whether he overlooked them out of friendship , or tenderness of nature , or weakness of eyes or understanding , i am not able to say ; but sure i am he saies not one word of them : the first that i took notice of is pag. . where you are very severe upon me for maintaining that a break-fast is like a fast ; and that any text in the bible is more like an ingenious picture , than a break-fast is like a fast ; and you desire the world to judge , if it be not a very odd similitude . now because this is an absolute new objection , wherein my reputation is much concern'd , and a matter of so great moment , that it is quoted again , as an everlasting abuse to me , therefore i must answer as warily and distinctly as the case will admit of : which i shall do in these three following propositions . first , i confess , grant , and acknowledge , that a break-fast strictly and severely taken , is not at all like a fast : in the second place , i do lay down and hold ( and resolve to do it to my dying day ) that a break-fast may be as dreadful as a fast ; provided it be an old parliament one ; for that alters the case very much : for the clearing of this , turn to plodding aristotle , de oppositis . in the last place i do most stiffly maintain , that i never said that a break-fast is as dreadful as an old parliament fast : but i 'le tell you what i said , that the repetition day for the grammar is usually as dreadful as an old parliament fast : and fourteen lines after , i said , ( and will say it again for all you ) that to be bound to get two or three hundred verses out of homer for break-fast , is no very pleasant task . now i profess it was a spiteful , fanatical , skip-jack trick of mine , that i did not right down say , that a break fast is like a fast ; ( the two words are but fourteen lines distant one from the other ; ) for then you might have enlarged the title of the accusation , that was to be written under me — the authour of the contempt of the clergy , &c. and that s●ies that a fast is like a break-fast . another thing that was wholly forgotten by w. s. is that he takes no notice at all , how greatly convenient it might be , if there were pretty store of such as were poor and ignorant , mixed with the rest of the clergy : for as you very well observe pag. . this makes up the harmony of things : for , say you , were there not an ignoramus or two amongst the lawyers , some quacks and empiricks amongst physicians , some idiots in the schools of philosophers , some dun●es in the member of perended schollars , and some poor gentry amongst the rich ; there 〈◊〉 be no 〈◊〉 of things ; not any at all , most certainly : but all the clergy would be as dull as a bamdoor . there is also one thing more that you urge against me , p. . that must go wholly for your own ; and it is this ; supposing a vicar has but a groat in the house , it is a most unimaginable thing , that he should break such an entire 〈◊〉 , and spend his penny . now i durst not for my ears , go about to make any reply to this : because you say it is a calumny that has so little of probability in it , that the divel himself cannot believe it : and i have no mind at all to dispute with him : and therefore this must be registred and allowed of as an unanswerable objection against me ; and wholly of your own invention . i 'le take care it shall be fil'd amongst the gazetts and philosophical news-books . but indeed as to the advantage and convenience of using of latin in sermons , where no body understands it ; i must needs do w. s. so much right , as to confess , it was not altogether forgotten by him ; but withall it must never be denied but that the four reasons that you have added , have so very much strengthened and advanced that business , that w. s. cannot come in for above a fifth part of the glory . for , first of all say you , it may be convenient for the minister , to quote out of the learned , greek or latin , though no body understands it , to distinguish himself from such who preach altogether in english at conventicles . admirably well contrived ! for if they were distinguished by nothing else , but by observing the canons and the act of vniformity , it would be very hard to know one from t'other . secondly , becaus● authority is a more effectual argument ad hominem , than a demonstration . that must needs be , because it is supposed that these same homines do not understand a word of it ; and so it must work most wonderfully and effectually . thirdly , it is very convenient ; for , though the people do not understand a tittle of it , yet so long as they understand more than they can commonly remember , it is well enough . o 't is extraordinary well ! and lastly , because a man may so preach in english , that all people shall not understand him ; ( that is , if he gives his mind to it , and makes it his business : ) for there be 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in a chapter of st. paul read in english. is it not great pity , that you were not matched to that same ●see●ing afri●● you speak of ? what a breed of reasoners would the world have had ? now , would it not make any one in the world raving mad , to hea● such stuff as yours boasted of for sence ? but for all that , i shall take up my self according to the philosophers rule , 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and not be so angry , as to answer your book . nay , more than that , i intend to be reconciled to you , to love you , and entertain some hopes of you , upon condition you 'l promise me three or four things , which i must heartily request of you : and if all the world do not say that they are very seasonable and proper for your constitution , i 'le undertake never to beg any thing again . in the first place therefore i do most earnestly request of you , that you do not for the future print any quibbles . be as merry as you please , and as witty as you can afford ; but for one so extraordinary full of demonstration , and so very well acquainted with euclid , even fr●m a shoulder of mutton to a dish of wild fowl , for such an one to play and trifle with words will certainly in time very much abate your reputation , and more than that weaken your rational parts . what an easie matter had it been for you , when you were speaking of english disputations and declamations being used in st pauls ; to have said , that it was allowed of by the usurper , or by oliver the tyrant ? but you must go and say it was connived at by one tyrannus , but you did not mean him in the acts. it was great pity indeed that you did not mean him , because he was dead five or six hundred years before st. pauls was built . in like manner , when you tell us , pag. . that it is not at all likely that star-board and lar-board , &c. should ever come into a sermon , since pulpits made of ships beaks have been out of fashion : you had better have given any other reason of its being unlikely , than that : for though by chance i take the jest of it , because i have read godwin's antiquities : yet how shall those poor readers make shift to admire you , that do not understand the full signification of rostrum , and the history of roman pulpits . i desire also that you would consider that there be some phansies which at their first foundation were very good and laudable ; but when they have been torn , and tossed up and down , by every body , for an hundred years together , they then become tiresome , and degenerate into all the iniquity and nauseousness of a quibble . for example ; suppose you have a mind to abuse a man to death , and to tell him that he talks like an apothecary : do so ; spare him not at all , but down with him , and make the rogue sufficiently ashamed of his folly , and apothecaryship : but ( if you love the prosperity of your family ) i desire by all means , that you do not train it in with a story of doctor three or four lines before ; telling him that for such a thing to be so or so is indeed the opinion of one doctor ; but what if be should talk all the while like an apothecary . so to tell a man that he is an hogshead , is searching questionless , and goes very deep ; but if you put empty before it , and tell him that he is an empty hogshead , then i count there 's little hopes of life : but if he chance to find the word tun within five or six lines of this abuse , he presently takes heart thereupon , begins to crawl again , and does not care at all for dying . we must alwaies grant , sir , that it was very well done of him , who first observed that where god had his church , the divel had his chappel● and it was pretty well done of him , that observed the same in the second place ; but to go on , and observe it over , and over , and over again , without all doubt , does take very much away from the primitive glory of your observation . and thus nicholas nemo , diebus illis his dayes , to be born under a threepenny planet , to ●●nder quantum dabis into pure cur●ant english money , to correct the defect of nature's pencil , and many such like ( which you abound with ) were questionless at first very ingenious and without all exception ; but the jestingness of them , by too much using is so utterly worn out , that they will work no more than the powder of an old post . but amongst all quibbles , as you desire to flourish and be for ever famous , be very sparing of such that depend wholly upon the title and outside of books , viz. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 , hobbs his creed , the gentleman's calling , ignoranius , and such like ; for they lying very obvious to every ordinary phansie , you may chance to make a jest , that has been made an hundred times before . you 'l find this , i promise you , to be very good advice , if you consider well of it . now i am , i must confess , perfectly of your mind , as to what you say , pag. . concerning the great advantages and excellent use of quibbles , if handsomly managed , by reason that they are a great promoter of health in general , and an easie amulet against some distempers that hang about sedentary men in particular ; that they unbend the mind , loosen the distended nerves of the soul , and revive its drooping spirits after a wonderful manner : which agrees very well , with what the worthy authour witts common-wealth says in the first part , pag. . concerning musick , viz. it is the bodies best recreation , it overcometh the heart , and comforts the mind , it is the queen and mistress of the soul , it is the loadstone of fellowship , the chearful reviver of dulled spirits , the sole delight of da●cing , and sweet-meat of sorrow — but let me tell you , that neither your self , nor that learned authour , have spoken half home to the business . alas ! dear sir , you speak but timorously and modestly ; this is nothing to what i can tell you . what think you of him that without any vulgar instruments used for that purpose ; only by the help of a good lusty ioque , and a iews-tr●mp couched a cataract of seven years standing : and of another who quibbled a wen of the forehead , as big as a gooses egg . great cures upon my word ! and the greater , because these sorts of medicines work chiefly upon the lower parts . you would wonder , sir , to see what a vast quantity of gravel hath come away upon two or three jests . it is reported of one harmonides ( not your harmonides the fidler , but another that i have ) who having bin tortured several days with the stone , and trying several medicines to no purpose , was advised at last to send for some ingenious iester . no sooner was the ingenious come into the house , but presently the pain much abated , ( for a jest you must know , if it be strong , works at a distance as well as the sympathetick powder , ) and being carried up into his bed-chamber , he let go a phansi● of a good moderate size , ( but whether it was quibble or joque , my authour does not say , ) upon which the stone presently turned ; and adding to that , one a little stronger , it was soon after voided . neither is this at all unlikely , when we call to mind how plentifully a great person of our own nation bepissed his breeches , after a long stoppage of vrine , meerly by one jest of the doctors ; when all his drugs would not draw one drop . but were there nothing in all this that tended to the commendation of a jest , yet certainly they ( from what you say ) are very allowable , sacred and orthodox ; because ( you know ) st. john went a partridge catching when he writ his mysterious revelations ; and what is more like a partridge than a quibble in feathers ? now , i would not have you think me so spiteful and malicious , as to say , that there is nothing of real wit in your vindication : for let people say what they will , and carp , and catch , and except , and caprice , yet they are forced to acknowledge in spight of malice and calumny , that there are in the whole vindication , four or five as good , clear , and well dressed humours , as ever were made : and lest you should think i flatter , i'●e tell you the very places ; that you may know what is approved of , how to value your self , and to do well again when occasion requires . the first happy thing that is approved of by all , is your putting in that scrap ( as you call it ) of the poet — quid enim tentar nocebit ? and then your saying immediately after , that you did it on purpose , because you knew it would trouble me vilely ; and i 'le assure you it was well ghessed ; for i hate such a scrap of latin , as i do a viper or toad : and though i made shift to take a slumber of seven or eight hours that night ; yet i found that your poet rejounced next morning most horribly : and i 'le assure you , it cost me a glass of aqua mi●abi●is to compound with him , to be quiet . the next humour that they all grant for good and very allowable , is your telling me that you had got ground of me , more than i did allow the vicar for hi● glebe . it was well observed ; for i do confess i do allow him but a little . the next is ( that is allowed ) your calling cicero's son mark a codshead : they acknowledge it to be well said , and true ; for the rogue proved not otherwise . a fourth is your forgetting the roman lady's bitch's name that thesmopolis had the tuition of : these are all that i can get to be generally allowed . i have put in hard , i 'le assure you , in all companies , for two or three more : as for example ; the papist and the puritan being tyed together like sampson's foxes : i liked it well enough , and have beseeched them to let it pass for a phansie : but i could never get the rogues in a good humour to do it . for , they say , that sampson's foxes have been so very long , and so very often tied together , that it is high time now to part them . it may be , because something very like it is to be found in a printed sermon , which was preached thirty eight years ago ; it is no flam , nor whisker : it is the . page upon the right hand . yours go thus : viz. papist and puritan like sampson ' s foxes , though looking and running two several wayes , yet are ever joyned together in the tayl : my authour has it thus ; viz. the separatists and the romanists ( there 's for your puritans and papists ) consequently to their otherwise most distant principles do fully agree like sampson ' s foxes , tyed together by the tayls to set all on fire , although their faces look quite contrary ways . i phansied a good while those two stories you tell , pag. . how that s●crates ( though his mother was a midwife ) could not make his scollars bring forth any science , unless they had understanding to conceive it : and that it was ill done of cicero that he did not examine the boy mark ' s parts before he went to athens . but i profess , ( i know not how ) it came at last into my mind , that i had learnt this at school ; and looking into my clerk's formulae ( out of which i used to steal my themes ) upon that close and elegant discourse , e● quovis ligno non fit mercurius ; there i found them both in the very beginning of the speech , viz. socrates , &c. but this i must confess was mr. clerk's rudeness : for if he had taken care ( as he ought to have done ) to have placed those two historical observations , a little deeper into that great controversie , you might then have been supposed to have fetched them from some other authour , that was nearer to the original . i have heard very often mention made of your calling a dish of wild fowl a pyramid : but whether they approve of it or laugh at it , i cannot yet certainly tell : ( when i certainly know you shall have an accompt . ) but i must seriously tell you that as to the beards being made of certain she asses manes , i have very little hopes of putting that off ; ( and i am somewhat afraid that the shoulder of mutton or triangle , will lie upon my hand ; ) but you may be sure i 'le do my best endeavour . perhaps you may think it convenient to write some small thing , and explain it : but if it never goes off for a phansie , seeing there be three or four that hell it self can't except against , especially that of the chasing-dish being an hypothesis which i had like to have forgot ; the truth of it is , it was a very pretty thought , and i am confident will alwaies be so accompted . now , i must confess to you , that this same phrase of pretty thought , is none of my own ; but ( as i remember ) 't is in some late play : which i thought fit to tell you , that you may be sure of what you ghess , that i do sometimes borrow , and ( as i am your friend ) i advise you to learn to do so too . for rather than i would stuff out a book with lot and lottery , churches and chappels , iachin and boaz , with my old friend nicholas nemo , with pun's quibbles and small jests a thousand times said before , and with all the featnesses that three languages can afford towards a poor phansie , i would advise you to take that course which you think i do , and write farees , far●les , frequent company and steal from clubs , ransack all romances and plays , written before or since the king came in . i would not stick at that ; i would be for heyte teyte , a cock or a 〈◊〉 , an horse-shoe or a mares nest : i would make friends and get to be secretary to some learned commit●ee , ( boccaline perhaps may sell you his place , for two hundred guine●● ; for he hath got stock enough to set up for himself ) and then get by heart their dogmes , resolves and decrees ; ●ay , rather than fail , i would get another to write the preface , or do any such thing : for , upon my word , if you go on thus , you 'l be in as great danger of breaking the neck of your parts , as you think the poor lads to be at school by venturing upon any solid learning . and as i would request you , for the future , that you would be very careful of breaking the neck of your phansie : so take some care , i beseech you , of necking your judgment ; but above all things be very wary of calling that euclid that does not conclude at all . if you had only said that you would endeavour to make such a thing out , or that you did not much question but that you should do it , and that very plain too ; people would not then have called for their rule and compasses : but to say , that you would make it out as clear as any demonstration in euclid , and moreover to write , quod erat demonstrandum after such loose and wide reasonings , that would scarce hold a pike of half a yard long ( a metaphor taken from a net , which i have seen as well as a ship ) was very rashly done . you had much better have sworn it off , as the poet did his play : although you had never so little reason for it . what then belike ( say you ) ignorance and poverty must be grounds and occasions of contempt in the clergy . i marry , that 's a likely business indeed ! that was well devised by a skip-jack phansie ! a most excellent jachin and boaz ! a pair of special good pillars or poles for an aiery castle ! but if i do not rattle down poles and pillars , if i do not wholly subvert and unhinge this confident swaggerer , and venter of paradoxes , if i do not unjachin , and unboaz him , before i have done , i 'le e'en renounce euclid and all pretences to him . come , mr. confident , you go and impudently say , that ignorance and poverty are causes of contempt . i pray , by your leave , sir , how then comes it about that poverty was alwaies counted a sacred thing , and ignorance the mother of devotion and admiration ? surely you will not venture to say that godliness and devotion are contemptible things : there 's one nut for you to crack . i think there 's one brush for your poles : and it is very strange if your castle does not tumble by and by . now , sir , for a little of your skill in astronomy , to tight and straighten your poles . your bold hypothesis begins to groan already , and sink it must , unless you can rec●●cile admiration and contempt . i 'le teach you to talk at random about things you do not at all understand . i 'le teach you the meaning of sumite materiam vestram qui scribitis aequam viribus — i know you don't love it , but i 'le make you eat latin and greek too , before i have done with you . do you see mr. clergy-mender , how i have trip'd up both your poles at one stroak : but lest you should say that this was a surprize , or think , that i am stinted for demonstrations ; i 'le give you your jachin and boaz again : but then look to your self ; for now i 'le take them both away one by one , so fairly , so evidently , and scientifically , that pull and hold what you can , you shall plainly perceive your self a very sot , and fool : i say look closely to it ; for i intend to make an home thrust . my demonstration shall go in just at your navel , and so let out the very guts of all your discourse . ignorance , say you , at random , is a cause of contempt ; boldly said for a skip-jack indeed ! but i pray mr. apothecary answer me this then . is not magistracy as well 〈◊〉 ministery an ordinance of god ? how comes it then about that a thatcher , suppose he be but mayor of a town , although he can neither write nor read , shall be as much wondered at , and admired , be called as often worshipful , be stood bare to as much , have the mace carried as dreadfully before him , as if he had learning enough to be lord chief justice : and how comes it to pass that hereditary kings have been honoured and obeyed , that have had so little parts as to be forced to dispatch all things by their council ; and if these , though never so ignorant , are to be honoured ; are not we bound to seek out , and elect such ; suppose we can tell where to find them . now you had best cry for one of your causes of contempt , do so , cry on , i do'nt pity you at all and if i thought it would vex you as much ( as quid tentare nocebit ? ) i would make you hang your self . i could carry you into the bowels and secrets of former ages , and give you an historical demonstration . what think you of the roman curiones , augures , auspices , flamines , extispices , pontifices , salii , aruspices , cultuarii , victimarii , capnomantes , diales , and ●antharides ; who have no reason to be believed to be any great conjurers ; and yet it is granted by all , that the divel and they together , kept the people in sufficient aw : but you must be for your astronomy forsooth , and your atoms : you must be for your new projects and models , and for your heyte teyt's ; and in the mean time , neglect all solid learning , and godwyn's antiquities . but say when you have enough , and are sufficiently ashamed ; for i have a whole cloak-bag full of pure mathematical stuff still . what think you of your present popish priests , that can scarce tell how to read the service , and yet with a little of joseph's humm , and the virgin m●rys milk , are very well respected and admired ? do you think they would do half so much good , and ●e half so much respected , if they were considerable s●hollars ? i pray answer me to that . mr. castle-keeper . but why should i goe about t● pour forth such historicall rarities into an empty hogs-head ? for although he should want parts 〈◊〉 perceive the violence , and breaking in of a demonstration , yet his mistris experience may teach him so much ; how idle a thing it is to p●ate of ignorance being a cause of contempt , or of wishing any clergy-man should be more learned ; whereas it is plain that the ●nlearned weavers and taylours in the late times , could swing the people more after them , than we can doe now with all our learning . populus aliquando vult decipi ; ●t si aliquando cur non nunc ? and therefore from all this you had much reason to wonder how egregiously mistaken the little historian was● for alas ! ignorance is so far from exposing a publick person to contempt , that ( give him but power and authority with it ) his only way and meanes to arrive to a great estee● amongst the generality of men is to renoun●● all learning , and get 〈◊〉 much ignorance as possible : for the ●ore ignorant , the more valued . and why ? it seems strange at first : but when we hear the reason it is plain : because the generality of mankind are unlearned themselves . and thus , sir , having demonstrated not only that ignorance is ●ull out as serviceable as learning ( for to have done that would not have argued any superfluity of parts , ) but that of the two , it is much to be preferr'd : in the next place you shew that poverty carries it at least a length and half befor● convenient maintenance . and why ? because no wise man esteems things by their gaudy outsides , the horse by his trappings , the ass by his burden . because the learned heathens never deifyed money , and pythagora● recommended golden precepts , no● gold . because lu●ian lashes the blind god of wealth , as if he wer●● blind bear. because the peripatetical summum bonum , when they 〈◊〉 put mony to 't , was but a golde● calf . because craesus and midas were but singling pack-horses . but this is heathenish proof , now for divinity . for , was not christ himself in a low condition ? was not his iury of life and death most of them poor ? and did not the foreman of the iury st. peter say , silver and gold have i none ? now from such premises as these would not every novice ( say you ) in logick conclude that it were ●etter for a clergyman to have but twenty pounds a year and half a dozen books , than an hundred and a good library ? no ; i am confident he would not , if he had read but two chapters in logick : nay , if his tutor had only promised the poor creature a little of that same , and he should conclude so , i would have him presently sent home , and never be suffered to conclude again . now , sir , doe you think that i will spend any time in exposing such nonsense as this , which 〈◊〉 so very plain and palpable that all the malice in the world cannot misrepresent or make it worse ? not i , i 'le assure you . you talk somewhere of bestowing your mother ▪ upon me : alas ! you do'nt offer like a chapman . for if you should fling in your grandmother , aunts and all your sisters into the bargain , i will not put my self to so much trouble . but yet i cannot forbear just to shew what a great demonstrator you are of your second proposition , as you were of your first : which you set upon p. . but it pierces not deep till p. . and if any one desires to see euclid in a nutshell , there he may find him . the case is this ( or as you are pleased to read it the ball of contention ) whether there may not be here and there a clergy-man so ignorant , as that it might be wished , that he were wiser . for my part i went and ghess'd at random , and thought there might be one or so : but my adversary holds and maintains , not only that there is not so much as one now in the whole nation : but shews it to be impossible that there ever was one , or ever shall be one . and for doing all this he only layes down one very small request , viz. that no man can present himself to a living : from whence it follows as fast as hops , that some body else must doe it ( for no man can be himself , and some body else with all the little thingams about him secundum idem , ad idem &c. ) it remaines therefore to be examined , who this some body is . and it will be found to be either the king himself , or some nobleman , or colledge , or corporation or private gentleman ( for these are all the some-bodys that can be thought of ) but it is as plain as any thing in euclid , that it is perfectly impossible that any man unfit or unable should by any of these meanes get into a living . for suppose we try a little and begin at the highest . will any body be so bold , saucy and impudent , so forgetfull of all allegiance and have so little dread of majesty , as to dishonour the broad seal , and beg its favour , in that wherein he knowe● himself unworthy ? i●e , pro●ul it● profani . nothing certainly 〈◊〉 comparable to it , but stealing the crown it self . in like manner it is as unconceivable , that any man that is not sufficiently improved , should procur● a presentation from any person of honour . for these being all cousins to the king , whatever inconvenience or disgrace falls here , reflects at last upon the crown it self . i need not shew how impossible it is that either a colledge or corporation should prefer an hocus , when they have their choice of so many . there is nothing therefore now hinders the topping of the domonstration , and for ever confounding all that hold the contrary ; but that some gentlemen possibly out of fondness , kindred , &c. should not present such as they think fittest , but those that can beg the handsomest , or love an horse most , or play at 〈◊〉 or 〈◊〉 best : but he 〈…〉 worthy to breath in english aire that can think so meanly of a true english man. but suppose there should be one or so that should wholly forget himself , and his nation , so much as to enquire into some other abilities , and dispositions of mind , besides 〈◊〉 learning , where is that bold son of simon ? o that i could but 〈…〉 upon that varlet ! how would i tear and confound that ●wsord● con●●●nce ! i 'd teach him to fall in love with horses , gentlewomen , and to play at tables and bowles ! what ? now there never an horse in all the countrey that would please you , but after such great boun●● you must get away your pa●rons horse ? would 〈…〉 serve you but just your patrons ? and was there never a gentlewoman in all the nation to inveigle , but you must 〈◊〉 the house into an uproar , and 〈◊〉 away my ladys , and leave her to catch cold , and the sweet mea●● to grow mouldy , and the morning broth either not half boyl'd , or not rightly seasoned ? and to doe all this where you were so very much oblig'd , and so very civilly used ? can't you receive a kindness , and then goe home and meditate , and be meek and thank full , but you must grow saucy and insolent thereupon , and challenge your patron to play at bowles , or tables , and cheat him of his pennies ? so that it is very plain now ( as any thing in all euclid ) that if one should of●er five hundred pounds for a benefic'd ho●us , there is not one to be bought● for they are every one demonstrated out of the kingdom . o euclid , euclid ! who would not dye twenty deaths to be akin but to thy little toe ? what a foolish and silly thing is astronomy ! what , a man in the moon , will with the wisp , jack with the lantern ? 't is all a bubble , a cheat and imposture . but as for euclid he is stout , sincere and solid at the bottom . but i must tell you , sir , that it was a little too triumphantly done , to defy me to pick out ten clergy-men not fit to discharge their duty , when you had got such a demonstration , that there could not be so much as one in the whole nation . it was ill husbandry in you to spend so much defiance upon me alone , when your reasons were big enough to have challenged the whole world . not less admirable and full are your answers , than your demonstrations are binding . i enquire , suppose , how those two hundred that usually commence shall be maintain'd or live . live ? i answer ( say you ) first in generall that they doe live somewhere . for as long as we doe not hear that they dye in a ditch , or are knocked on the head , or starved ; so long we have sufficient reason to conclude that they are all alive , and enough is as good as a feast ; and the best of all can desire no more than to live . but after this generall proof of their metaphysical existence● then you set upon a more particular resolution of the case . two hundred it seems i hold yearly commence . now , say you , let us bring things a little to standard , and but observe closely how our s●all conjecturer talks at random . first of all , say you , many gentle●●● 〈◊〉 , then lawyers common and civil , then physicians , and then ● fifth part are preferr'd in the vni●ersity : and if all these were 〈◊〉 out of his two hundred , the 〈◊〉 will not be very great . six or seven i suppose or thereabouts . but however , sir , if you please we 'l a little examine this same 〈◊〉 ; a fifth part , say you , i must deduct txcause i haves said so ; well : let that goe : i won't repent ; that 's 〈◊〉 next , the common lawyers are to be deducted . let me see . i cannot afford above four at the most ; for most of them go to the inns of courts ; before they safe any degree : and i care not much if i allow four more for civill law , and 〈◊〉 many for physick , and then i 'le 〈◊〉 you six to commence that intend no calling at all ( which is more by half than i need to doe ) and then out of pure love , i 'le ●ling in two more , all which put together make just sixty . now if these same sixty be carefully taken out of two hundred according to the best rules which either antient or modern arithme●icianss have laid down for this great affair ; i am cruelly afraid that there will remain an hundred and fourty . a ●olly company i profess for a 〈◊〉 . but however let them goe : they 'l make 〈◊〉 well enough , so long as you know a way how to make them all exist . the next thing that i must get you to promise me is , that you would not ghess where men 〈◊〉 . for it is nothing to your purpose : and besides many a phanise and jest is lost if you should chance to be mistaken . i shall beg leave , sir , to press this upon you only in two or three instances . if you remember , sir , at the very first page of all your book , you fall into a most dismall strong fit , that t. b. and r. l. are all one : and that they are intended only for blinds , to cheat and gull the world . now i must in the first place tell you that w. s. was the first that found out this ; and therefore you must not look upon your self as the author of that suspicion : only he did not make so good a quibble as you did . but to go on , sir , i pray why are you so very mistrustfull ? what ? have you bespoak or bought up all the r. ls in the nation , that you will not let a man have one ? or is the family so very small , that amongst them all , there should not be one poor dear r. l. that should fall to my share ? fear not , sir ; for upon my word if you were acquainted with them , so well as i am , you would acknowledge the r. ls to be a very large , & spreading family : there 's a plentifull stock of them in middlesex , and several in other part● of the nation . and if amongst all these there be but one , whom it is worth the while to admire , to observe or send letter to ; then as to your greek quibble , of 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 you are as utterly undone , as ●ver was oyster . suppose you had writ by way of a letter , and directed yours to z. x. doe you think that i would have suspected your integrity , or interest in that small family , and abuse you with the outside of antoninus . how doe i know what interest you may have or make . i am confident there is no true gentile english spirit , but would have scorn'd to have done as you did . and then after you had abused one in greek , calling me 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 , and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 , your malice must hold out to latin too , qui nescit simulare nescit vivere . whereas all the world will say , that know any thing concerning the t. bs , that they are as far from 〈…〉 false heartedness , 〈◊〉 all your greek and latin that you crowd together is from any wit. it was● sir , a little more modestly done , what you say in the following page , viz. that i write so as if i had been secretary to some committee of plunder'd ministers in the blessed times . for you doe not absolutely say that you stood just behind me , when i leaped a yard and halfe to snap at the covenant . neither are you certainly sure that i am an anabaptist , independent or the like : but only that any one may ghesse that i am of some ●eformado congregation , by my stile and canting expressions , and way of talking : which ( say you ) is the proper and characteristicall note of a separatist . thou art a most excellent characteristicall ghesser indeed . i 'd have the catholick church employ you to ghess what the turk does really intend in his heart , and how much hurt he can possibly doe to the christian religion . you can ●asily doe it , sir , by your signes and badges , by your characteristicks and indications . o it is a most admirable thing to have quick senses , and to be able to compare things , and lay all ends together right ! and to find out a separatist only by his wh●● and saddle-cloath : and to be so tender-nosed as to smell a fanatick as far as another man shall do broil'd herrings , or a burnt froise . but doe you hear , sir ; have you quite forgot since you were at my house , when tyrannus his sequestrators and troopers carried away my whole stable of horses , not leaving me so much as old sorrell to ride on ? and doe you remember nothing of your coming to see me when i was kept close prisoner at basing-house for carrying a letter privately to his majesty ? these are most characteristicall notes of a separatist . i beseech you , dear sir , do'nt ghess any more , you had 〈…〉 all out of your own phansie , when you intend to abuse one : and say that which shall certainly and presently take : and not what may possibly be a jest , if you be not mistaken , or if i please . you know , sir , you have ordered me to be a doctor : which if i will accept of , then to be called mountebank and apothec●●y are great discouragements . but suppose i am already engaged in the tin-mines : or am in no hast of commencing , then when i shall be pleased to goe out doctor , you may possibly creep out for a small wit. thus , sir , you tell me ( pag. . ) that you have a fine story for me , and that you will give me the honour to bear a considerable part in it . now , i tell you , that i doe not intend to receive my honour from you , nor any disgrace , nor to be concerned in any story that you can tell , unless you can find out where my bastards are at nurse . can't you live where you lift , and let me do so too . i shall not enquire after you , i 'le assure you ; nay i would not know you , if you should lay me down half a crown towards it . i tell you therefore once again , i do'nt live any where nor never intend ( as far as you shall know ) to live any where , but only to exist , after that manner you provide for the younger clergy . but , say you , i must needs know him , and have him live somewhere , or else the best story and the greatest piece of wit in my whole book , will be utterly spoiled . well , because i am willing to encourage all witty attempts though they be never so slender , therefore for once i 'le hear some of your fine story ( upon condition you 'l engage never to ghess again . ) belike then in the first place you give me to understand , that in your travails you met with a certain covent where there was an ancient pigeon-house , but the inhabitants were all fled . the best way certainly will be to roast a cat , and besprinkle her with cumming seed . they say this will fetch back the creatures again presently , if they were not very much offended . and thereupon , sir , i mentioned the business to the cat : ( for you know boccaline can make a cat to speak . ) pusse , said i , we have lost all our pigeons and thou knowest as well as any man in france that a covent without pigeons is like a cow without cymbals ; and therefore if thou wilt resign up thy self to the spit , and be roasted for the bringing home of the pigeons ; thy picture shall be hung in the library , thou shalt be shown with the phoenix feathers and remora's ●●nnes , and be constantly commemorated with the benefactors . upon which the cat , first kissing her foot , purr'd , and said . sir , i must alwayes acknowledge the great favours that i have received from this place : for where as for many years i liv'd only upon course mice and ratts ; now i have my belly full of triangles , and pyramids , globes and circles : but as to what you propound concerning my being roasted , i must confess i am not altogether free ; because i remember my grandsire once told me that it was much worse than a ●●eve and scissars ; and therefore charged me , as i loved my life , to avoid it a● the most vile of all conjurations . but this , sir , i 'le do if you please ; i 'le wait upon them , and let them know that if they 'l come home again they shall be very civilly respected , have every ●orning a peck of pease , and once a week fresh salt-peter : but whether they 'l come or not upon this invitation , i cannot yet tell . the next piece of honour you do me is to let me know that there be people belonging to this foresaid covent , that have beards above a cu●it long . indeed , sir , you would have added very much to this kindness of yours , if you had been pleased to have discovered what cubit you meant ; for amongst the learned i find there be five several sorts of cubits : the first kind of cubit ( called the common ) containeth one foot and a half , measured from the sharp of the elbow to the point of the middle finger . the second , ( the palm cubit ) taketh one handful more than the common . the third , is called regius cubitus , or the persian cubit , which exceedeth the common cubit three inches . the fourth , is the sacred cubit , which containeth the common or vulgar cubit double , wanting but a quarter or fourth part . lastly , there is fifth cubit , called geometrical , which containeth six common cubits . now when you say above a cubit ; if you chance to mean this same last sort of cubits , and withall let but above signifie a good way bit , the story thereby will become much the stranger , and your telling of it the greater favour . but then , as to what you tell me , that you being invited to dinner , observed that every man sate down where he pleased , and fell to , where he liked best . give me leave , sir , to tell you , that i am afraid that a great part of this is of your own invention : for how is it likely that every man should set down according to his own mind , because another might have a mind to set in the same place : and therefore some of them must be disappointed ; unless you will grant penetration of bodies , which , you know , neither your philosopher nor mine will by any means allow : and as to what you say of every man falling to , where he liked best , it is such a 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 , that i do not intend to believe one tittle of it , till at least years after the sea be burnt . what ? for every one of them to fall to where he liked best ! cred●t iudaeus apella ! 't is epicurisme , sadducisme , sorcery , extortion , and i know not how much more besides : and indeed it cannot possibly be less ; especially , if we do but consider , what strange kind of idolatrous diet these covent rascals feed upon . they have already eat up almost all the fifteen books of euclid : they make no more of a pentagon or pyramid , than a porter would do of a farthing custard . and if there be not some stop put to them , they 'l be for fresh pasture shortly ; and gobble down archimedes too . nay , i wo'nt trust them , to stick at the polyglott lexicon it self : there 's that snarling curr , and son of a bitch boccaline , can shew them the way ; his teeth are ready set for such a design , and to fall on , if they 'l but follow him : he has made havock of all religion already , and abused and discouraged all witty and saving preaching . i suppose next he 'l be for the word of god it self , and set his eleutherians to eat up the bible , as well as they have done , euclid ; if some care be not taken with him . and then we shall neither have left a demonstration from the broad seal , nor divine authority to withstand and confound the wicked . oh that i had but this gurning rogue boccaline in an iron chest ! i 'd take down the drumminess of his gut , without goose grease . i 'd learn him to rail against fasts , and to stuff his ungodly paunch , with circles and cylinders ; and to unhinge the government . o that the high commission court would but awake once again , and appoint a time and place for his suffering at the market cross ! how many miles would i ride to see such villa●y chastised ? and how many hen's nests would i examine , to pelt his impudent forchead that stands before , and to eggifie his she asses mane that hangs behind ? but , my dear , my duck , my sweet , my honey : i prithee , why so very fierce and furious ? you tell me that you know a place where there 's a company of phantasticks , sotts , hypocrites , and atheists ; who despise all the world , eat and drink till they can't see , abuse all religion , believe no life but the present , and that had a good library of books , but order'd all them to be burnt . now , if you 'd have my opinion in the case , to make up the harmony of things , i would have every one of them to be hang'd ; and , i think , that 's as fair as any man in the world can say . it is very strange to observe the great difference that is in climats . it is storied of a certain sort of people living towards the south , whose ears are so very large , that the one reaches down to mid-leg ; and attends to all that 's done below : the other stands right up into the sky , like a large cabbage leaf , and listens to all that comes from above ; upon the same accompt their eyes are accordingly placed : for they have one just at the bottom of the foot , the other is fixed upon the very crown of the head : these people are very much given to soft corns upon the left foot , they never fail of one about the bigness of an ordinary pillion , which they lay under their head instead of a bolster . they have a great kindness for tripes and cow-heels : but that which they chiefly worship is a calfe's gin , stuffed full of six penny nayls . if any thing offends their stomach , they take two or three pounds of lead or iron , and wrapping it up in a hedge-hogs skins ▪ swallow it whole : the pores of their body are very near as large as those of a nutmeg grater , and so they had need ; for they never piss but once a month , and never go to stool but once a quarter ; and that exactly upon the quarter-day , except it be leap-year ; these people , for the most part , are kind , and obliging ; only they have got a scurvy custom of pickling most of their children at three years of age : and after a great frost , they eat them , with gun-powder and mustard ; about three months ago , one of them was burnt for maintaining that an eele was a living creature . the greatest part of them hold with the balo surgians , that the sun is only an oxe's liver : that the heavens turn round upon a farthing candle : and that the earth , some time or other , will take a frolick , and run into the sea ; and so make a huge hasty pudden . now , sir , i must desire of you that you would do your self so much right , as to bear a part in this story . i hope you 'l interpret all candidly : there 's no foul play at all ; 't is only trick for trick : you may easily perceive where your share lies ; as also in another , which i have out of a very learned authour , such as you chiefly trade in . you know , sir , you tell me , pag. . how horribly thesmopolis's beard was abused by a roman lady's bitch . i know there is some deadly moral , or other , intended for me ; and therefore i must desire you to take this one trick more . callisthenes king of sicyon , having a daughter marriageable , commanded that it should be proclaimed at the games of olympus , that he that would be counted callisthenes's son in law , should within sixty days repair to sicyon . when many woers had met together , hippoclides the athenian , son of tisander , seemed the fittest : but when he had trod the laconick and antick measure , and had personated them with his legs and arms , callisthenes stomaching it , said , o thou son of tisander ! thou hast danced away my daughter . i cannot conveniently stand to explain it , because i have one thing more to request of you , viz. that you do not absolutely pronounce such things to be flams , forgeries and whiskers , which , for ought you know , may be all solid , and massi● truths . i have heard some people say , that you did not write the preface : but do you think i would venture to say so , unless i certainly knew it ? no , i would not do it for my right hand ; for though it is said towards the latter end of it , that you have some charity for t. b. which makes me doubt whether it be yours , ( you having not so much for him in your whole book , as will lie upon a knifes point : ) yet all the beginning of it smells so very rank of your own kind of reasoning , that it can scarce possibly be any bodies else but your own ; unless you would give one five or ten pieces to imitate and labour out so much nonsense . i say therefore once again , suppose you have a mind to believe that such and such things are no where to be found , either in printed sermons , nor were ever preached out of the pulpit : i advise you by all means that you do not presently run on , and say , this is a very flam ; that 's a most deadly whisker ; here 's right down coining , and forgery ; there 's hammering and filing in abundance : but rather put on your night-cap , and be very much afraid : bind up your head very close , and fall to doubting , suspecting , mistrusting as hard as ever you can . but , i beseech you , go not one inch further , till you have considered and said thus to your self . have i read all the sermons that were ever printed since — ? and do i exactly remember every sentence that is in them ? was there never two men in england preached upon the same text ? and can i , like st. john baptist's head , be at all the parishes in the nation , at the same time ; and hear all the sermons that were ever preached ? if t. b. happens to be at st. antholins upon a sunday , must the bells be stopt , and he not suffered to go to church till i be sent for from edingborough ? and was there never yet one in the world , that thought it lawful to alter his copy ? these and such like things , i would have you consider of , before you be absolute , and peremptory ; for upon my word , if you do otherwise , you 'l find a very great inconvenience of it : for instance ; you are of opinion that no one ever preached upon 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 , after that manner , that i have described ; and why ? because you heard once a man upon that text , that did not do so ; but only just reflected upon the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 , signifying lords . well ; take that man to your self ; much good may he do you : but now logick ! now wheel-barrow ! may not i , for all that , have another man that did insist upon it , three quarters of a good statutable english hour together ? you may call it gliding , glancing or reflecting ; i call it preaching . i tell you i have such an one , and will have him in spight of your teeth ; and you shall not have one bit of him . neither could i possibly ever intend to meddle with yours : for i verily think i know whom you mean ; and i never heard that in his whole life he did so much as name the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 upon any such occasion , till a long time after my letter was printed : and now how can i help it ; if he be offended , or think himself slandered . so you tell me that you know a very worthy person , who preaching upon that of st. matth. seek ye first the kingdom of god , did only observe in transitu , that monarchy was the best government . it may be so ; it was well for him : but , for all that , i have , i 'le assure you , one that was in no such great hast at all . i perceive , sir , you are most wofully afraid that i should want vent for my stories : but , i must tell you plainly and truly , that they scramble for them so fast that i have not half enough : there be no less than three several men that do offer to take off that concerning faith , hope and charity of my hands : but i desire them to forbear ; for it is already promised . another sends me word from about epping in essex ( it is no flam i profess ) that he 'l undertake for all that business about the text being like a sun-dial , if i 'd alter but two or three things ; to which i answered , no ; for i had not mine near that place by above fourscore miles : but if he would take it altogether , as i found it , he should be very welcome : and i have one that will engage , think you as you will , not only for flanking , r●ring , intrenching , &c. but for forty more military terms than i mentioned ; and you must know that i did not tell you half that astronomy which i heard in a country village ; and , for a need , i could tell you the rest , and never use either forge , file , or hammer . and now , me thinks , ex pe●● 〈◊〉 , would do much better for me than for you , if you had not got it away first . parson slip-stockin , say you , quitted the stage long since : so he might perhaps ; but , if he did , i 'le swear he came again : for the man died but a little before easter last ; and the triangular heart of man , say you , is as old as pauls : let it be as old as it will ; but , for all that , i 'le lay a pot and a cake that i 'le shew it in a sermon printed within these seven years , and bring you at least three or four men that have preached it within the same compass of time . i profess , sir you had a great deal better not be altogether so forward to charge people with flams and whiskers , when as the great rappers are wholly upon your own side . i do acknowledge that i added — silvestrem ten●i to quicken a little hic labor hoc opus , and per varior casus — which methought went off but heavily alone ; and i do suppose that the points of the compass are not in the original ; and no body but a child could have thought they had : and i care not much if i let you know besides , that amongst that which i quoted , i did mistake one word ; and if you had but hit on 't , then boccaline had been a rogue to purpose . i shall not help you in the case , make it your business : all that i shall say is this , that it was since the conquest . and thus , sir , i have given you my reasons why i do not at present answer your book : and i desire that the same may serve , why i never intend to answer it , nor any such : the preface i must confess , were i not in great hast , might deserve some little peculiar respect , for the sake of two as pretty , pretty objections as ever were devised . i shall only reverentially mention them , and keep the same awful distance from them , as from the rest of your book , not daring to meddle with such impregnable pieces . the first horrible absurdity that i have committed is this , viz. that i should pretend ( as i do in my preface ) to have a special reverence for the clergy of england , and yet go about to give reasons in the book , why some of the clergy are contemned : and besides ( which is far worse ) should put in the word contempt into the very title page , which is ▪ i know not how many leagues off from reverence . now , say you , let all the men in the world make these things hang together . yes : let them ; for i don't intend to try . the next absurdity that you catch me in is this , viz. that i ought not to have enquired into what i did ; because it was done either for the information of my self , or of others : ( for belike there 's no back-door to make any escape at . ) if of himself ; what need was there of its being printed ? could not he have locked up himself close in his study , and there have enlightned and clarified his own understanding ? or could not he have gone into a grove , and there ( for his own information ) have said it over softly to himself , and come home again with his lips close shut ? it remains therefore , as plain as can be , that he must needs print his letter , that others might read it : and if so , then would i fain understand , whether they knew of it before , or not : if they did ; then this is full out as idle and absurd as to inform himself ; and if they did not , then your only design must be to unhinge the government : for 't is just like a firework in the powder-room ; it blows up all into confusion and brings in sedition and schisme , as thick as hogs go to rumford . sir , you must needs excuse me , that i cannot stay to reply to this , because there 's a new brother of yours with a deadly hard name , that i must say two or three words to ; and therefore in great haste farwel . t. b. r. l. is well , and presents his service to you . a letter to t. d. the author of hieragonisticon , or corah's doom . from t. b. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 . london , printed by e. tyler and r. holt , for nath. brooke , at the sign of the angel in cornhil , near the royal exchange , . a letter , &c. devonshire . jan. . . sir , understanding that you are very much concern'd for my wellfare ( as appears at large by several places in your letter , ) and having not the convenience to let you know so by the gazette , according as you desired ; these are only to acquaint you , that ( thankes be to god ) i am in very good bodily health at the present writing hereof , wishing that you had been as well in your witts , when you writ your book . my wife remembers her love to you , and thanks you for sending me to the devil . bette had sent you a cake , but she poor child ! was 〈◊〉 with an ague about the last aequinox , wherewith she is so valde dilacerated , that she has parum left but skin and bones . we durst not venture upon the iesuits powder , lest the ague should have gon out , and the devil and the pope should have enter'd in . last market day wheat was three shillings a bushell at exeter . but — tush ; not a word of the captain . because the dun cow went a maskarado last night , and is not as yet returned . upon the foruth of this month our neighbour geofrey's barn was eclipsed , ab ovo ad mala . and the night before widdow wamford was vulpeculated of her brood goose. — latet anguis in herbâ . the turkie cock growes very melancholy . — sed fortiter occupa portum . mr davis does not at all question , but he shall get a decree in chauncery . you may possibly hereupon think , sir , that i have read your book : but if you doe , you are much mistaken . for so long as i can get tolambus's history of mustard , frederigo's devastation of pepper , and the dragon with cutts ; mandringo's pismires rebuffeted , and retro-confounded , is qui nil dubitat , or a flie-flap against the maggot of haeresie , efflorescentia flosculorum , or a choice collection of the elegancies of f , wither's poems , or the like , i do not intend to meddle with it . alas ! sir , i am so unlikely to read your book , that i can't get down the title , no more than a duck can swallow a yok'd heifer . how is it ? hieragonist●con , or — but hold — let me see — tush — have a care — latet anguis — not a word — vulpes — tread softly — there 's a bear — once more — no — iesuits powder — hieragonisticon , sir , without the or , is more than i can digest these twelve months . and whereas you subscr●be your self t. d. you ought to have gon on e. f. g. h. i. k. &c. but i pray , sir , was not hieragonisticon enough for your heliogabaluship● was not that sufficiently confoundative , debellative , and depopulative ? but you must put in — or corah's doom . if you had had such a mind to an or — it should have been thus . beroza almacantherah : or a mouse-trap to catch moles . daemonico — diabolico — satanico — tresleamiano : or a certain amulet against the devil and fleas . phlogerosticon — polu terastaton — boroaston : or oliver's porter got out of bedlam with his breeches full of bibles , raging against the whore of babylon . i tell you once again that i have not as yet read your book , neither doe i ever intend to read it . i hear some people say , that have stag'd it over , that you hold a god , the trinity , providence , the divine authority of the scriptures , the protestant religion to be the best , &c. and hold many of these things so violently , that you prove them twenty or thirty pages together . i have therefore nothing to say to you , but only to let you know that i firmly believe all those things ; and i believe besides ( which is no more than the rest of the world do ) that you are quite out of your witts , and are run away from your keepers . and therefore instead of reading your book , in the first place i advise you to shave very close all the haire off your crown . you need not fear turning friar , you may lay on an antipapal plaister , that shall certainly secure you . then take away fifty or threescore ounces of blood , at several times , according as it shall be found that you come to your self . if you make use of leeches be sure that they be well cleans'd . if you purge , use very gentle things , such as manna and syrup of roses , which they give to children and mad men . till your distemper abates , avoid all strong meats , tobacco , hot spices , and especially coffee , for the powder has been sometimes observed to settle into a saracens head at the bottom of the dish . and above all things have a great care of studying , or of writing of books , till your head be better ; and of sleeping upon your back . for the vapours will be apt to rise , and you 'l dream of nothing but invasions , inquisitions , gun-powder plotts , spiritual maskarados , popery and atheisme . when you have observed , sir , these directions for a while , and that your brain be a little cool'd , i desire that you would look over your own book again : and then i do not question , but that you 'l freely forgive not only me , but all the rest of the world that can't read it . t. b. a letter to i. o. from t. b. london , printed by e. tyler and r. holt , for nathaniel brooke , at the sign of the angel in cornhil , near the royal exchange . . a letter , &c. sir , just as the foregoing papers were ready for the presse , i happen'd upon seven sermons of w. b's , printed since his death . before which , i found standing an epistle to the reader from your self ; beginning with a very large and solemn commendation of the departed divine's labours , both in print and preaching : that , think i , it is not for me to help : for some people take a delight to commend things only out of spight . but , reading a little further , i perceiv'd that , i must be pull'd in to thrust forward w. b's prayses ; or at least to defend his writings against those , that thought them very blameable , and good for little . for , say you , this reverend author's labours have already praised him in the gate , and his name and memory will continue like a precious oyntment , notwithstanding the vain endeavours of some to make both himself and his writings ridiculous : for there 's a late author ( meaning i suppose t. b. ) who shewes that there 's as much folly in the preaching of the conformists as of w. b. and such as are of his way . now , in the first place , i must desire you to unbelieve all that you have said : for , this is to let you know , that i was never able to shew any such thing at all , and that if i should go about it , my parts would not hold out to do it . some of you i believe , were not a little pleased with my first letter : taking me for a very hopeful and towardly fanatick ( which i could never give my mind to as yet , and i suppose never shall ) and thought that my designe was to ballance the imprudences of some of our clergy , against the follies and frenzy of your party . i tell you truly , i di● endeavour to relate very freely what i found sober and judicious men to blame amongst some of our preachers : but when you appoint me to make out , that such of our clergy who are too painful in dividing of a text , or too careless in choosing their prefaces &c. are to be compared with your people , who are not only full out as blameable in that very kind , but whose whole discourses under pretence of inspiration and great acquaintance with the scriptures &c. shall be nothing else but madness and distraction , noise , cheat , and words ; i must then tell you , that you give me a task so very unreasonable , as i am no ways able to perform it : and truly , i am the more unwilling to undertake it , because i am much discouraged by the late writings of two very learned and worthy authors : viz. the friendly debates and 〈…〉 . whom you think fit , i perceive , in your epistle , to 〈…〉 for a couple of 〈…〉 but i am afraid , sir , you have to your shame , so 〈…〉 very great weight of their judgements , 〈◊〉 well as the 〈…〉 that you 'l scarce ever be throughly reconciled again , either to wit or understanding . and truly , no body need much to wonder why you should fear that religion it self would be contemn'd and slighted by the 〈◊〉 of such witty men . for , when you had brought your self into notorious disgrace by going about to reply to books , which neither your self nor all your party was able to say word to : then you thought of another answer : which was , that you would e'en turn martyr , and be persecuted and suffer with religion it self ; which you now found very much to languish , beeing made ridiculous and contemptible by those very same men , that had justly mad● 〈◊〉 so . neither again is it at all strange , that you should esteem those same witty mens endeavours to be in vain ; because one may ghesse at the full reach and extent of your judgement by the commendations you give of those sermons . which though you ●ope ( as you say ) are free from all exception , yet he that lookes but very little into them , will soon see that they are as full of s●ovenly metaphors , of canting phrases and 〈◊〉 applications of scripture , as ever any book was , that w. ● . or any body else printed . and because you think that w. b ●s writings are very found in themselves , and only made ridiculous 〈◊〉 witty men : therefore i shall only transcribe some few places by which it may appear , whether there 's any need of wit , to help them to be ridiculous . in the first p●ace i offer to any mans judgment ( let him live as far of● as he will , from the censorious church of england , so he does but understand sence ) whether it was at all prudent , modest , or reverential for w. b. to say , that none but god alone can rate off satan : though he explains himself , and shews whence he had the metaphor : as he does , thus : viz. if a great dog or mastiff be worrying a child or a sheep , a stranger comes and strikes him , and calls him off , but the dog takes no notice of him , but when the master comes , he rates him off presently ; none but the master can do it . so here it is , none but god that can rate off satan from worrying the poor drooping soul , when it is under temptation , none but god the master . i desire also to know by what laws of rhetorick he tells us , that there 's a time when god will hew down sinners , and lay them upon the ground a drying for hell : and that people that are upon god's work must not pocket up ▪ and many such things which would be very harsh and nauseous to any person of understanding , and make him very loth to relie upon such a judgement as yours . neither d● i think , that any body will suddainly trust you again , for a recommender of sermons , when he finds such idle and extravagant cantings ; as god's crossing of hands in our salvation , of reading of graces , and gathering up of evidences . because 't is said in scripture that the last shall be first , and the first last : therefore saies w. b. there 's crossing of hands in our salvation ; and god doth cross hands in the matter of our comforts . when jacob blessed joseph's two children he crost his hands : so god when he comes to comfort does cross hands . we find sometimes that the greatest sinners are converted and soonest comforted : now what is this but crossing of hands in the matter of our comforts ; and whence is the free grace of god more abundantly manifested to the soul , but by this crossing of hands . a rich man shall hardly enter into the kingdom of heaven ; and what is this but only to shew that god doth often cross hands in the matter of our salvation . friends , stay but a little until the day of iudgement , and then you will see what crossing of hands there will be . now when any body reads such idle stuff as this , i pray , sir , do you think he need send for a witty man to make it ridiculous ? neither need the witty man be ●ent for to make him laugh at that which w. b. has concerning peoples reading of their graces , viz. when a man is under great temptations , sorrows , and afflictions , it is a hard thing to read his graces ; some will say they cannot read their graces , they lie at the bottom : as to explain it , take this plain comparison : there are many fishes in a fish-pond , but now in rainy and foul weather the fish lie all at the bottom , and are not to be seen ; but in fair weather the fish swim and are visible : so if it be foul weather upon a soul , if it be dark and gloomy weather , the soul cannot read his graces ; but now when god shines upon him , then he is inabled to read them ; yea though his graces lie at the bottom , as i may say , yet the poor soul is able to read them ; and if it be so , it is no small thing , it is no small matter to read our graces , our other graces . and i believe the witty man may stay at home , and yet the work will go on apace about gathering up of evidences . you know ( sayes your reverend divine ) how it is with a countrey man that makes hay ; the hay lies abroad , and he sees a black cloud a coming , and he calls to his men to cock up , and gather up the hay : why , look into the nation , and see what a cloud is over us , this calls upon the people of god to gather up their evidences : here is a black cloud over us ; o all ye people of god , gather up your evidences : that is , cock up for heaven . i am , sir , in somewhat more than ordinary haste , or else i would a little further endeavour to make you think it more convenient to read books better before you commend them , or at least not to challenge the world to find fault with them . however i cannot omit to take notice how strong w. b's parts were to his very dying day , at commanding and applying of scripture . i suppose , sir , you could not but take special notice of that mel●ing observation that your friend has concerning brotherly love , viz. that there are oftimes breakin gs and loosings in the love of the saints . but this is nothing in respect of that clear paraphrase which from hence he makes upon that of st. iohn : a new commandement i give unto you , that you love one another : for says he , because many times there are breakings and loosings in the love of saints , upon this accompt it is , that the commandement of love is called a new commandement , because it is broken so often , and so often renewed again . i would by all means have you endeavour to get mr. poole to enter down this note of your friends , when he comes at st. iohn : for this will certainly add very much to the preciousness of his name and memory . neither ought he to be forgotten , neither i believe will he , for pouring forth such abundance of scripture history upon one observation , which he makes in his seventh sermon , viz. those that intend to honour god must go forth and meet god ; abraham and lot intended to honour the angel , and therefore they went forth to meet him ; joseph would honour his father jacob , and therefore he went forth to meet him . moses would honour his father jethro , and therefore he went forth to meet him : abigail would honour david , and therefore she went forth to meet him : martha would honour christ , and therefore went out to meet him : cornelius and the believing romans would honour paul , and therefore they went forth to meet him . and so if a man be coming to your house , if you would honour him , you go forth to ●eet him : and so if a man intend to honour god ( thereby intending to prevent his iudgements ) you must take up your cudgel and gloves , and troop out and meet the lord. now , sir , as i told you just now , i am in haste ; but i must stay to tell you that as i always looked upon w. b. to be very sickly and crazy , so i think you are stark mad , for being an occasion that any such sermons as these should be sent into the world : and yet for all this , i am willing to extend my charity as far as you do yours ; and to believe that w. b. is in heaven ; but not , as you imagine , by vertue of his preached or printed sermons ; and i also hope that you may follow him thither ; but by no means , because you have recommended this book . t. b. finis . notes, typically marginal, from the original text notes for div a -e cl●v●r . in●rod . in geog. a model for the maintaining of students of choice abilities at the university, and principally in order to the ministry with epistles & recommendations, and an account of the settlement and practise of it in the universities from the doctors there : as also with answers to such objections as are most plausible, which may be made against it : and with the names of the trustees. poole, matthew, - . this text is an enriched version of the tcp digital transcription a of text r in the english short title catalog (wing p ). textual changes and metadata enrichments aim at making the text more computationally tractable, easier to read, and suitable for network-based collaborative curation by amateur and professional end users from many walks of life. the text has been tokenized and linguistically annotated with morphadorner. the annotation includes standard spellings that support the display of a text in a standardized format that preserves archaic forms ('loveth', 'seekest'). textual changes aim at restoring the text the author or stationer meant to publish. this text has not been fully proofread approx. kb of xml-encoded text transcribed from -bit group-iv tiff page images. earlyprint project evanston,il, notre dame, in, st. louis, mo a wing p estc r ocm this keyboarded and encoded edition of the work described above is co-owned by the institutions providing financial support to the early english books online text creation partnership. this phase i text is available for reuse, according to the terms of creative commons . universal . the text can be copied, modified, distributed and performed, even for commercial purposes, all without asking permission. early english books online. (eebo-tcp ; phase , no. a ) transcribed from: (early english books online ; image set ) images scanned from microfilm: (early english books, - ; : ) a model for the maintaining of students of choice abilities at the university, and principally in order to the ministry with epistles & recommendations, and an account of the settlement and practise of it in the universities from the doctors there : as also with answers to such objections as are most plausible, which may be made against it : and with the names of the trustees. poole, matthew, - . [ ], p. printed by j.h. for j. rothwell ..., london : [i.e. ?] preface signed: mat. poole. probable date of publication suggested by wing and nuc pre- imprints. reproduction of original in the cambridge university library. eng theology -- study and teaching -- england. religious education. clergy. a r (wing p ). civilwar no a model for the maintaining of students of choice abilities at the university, and principally in order to the ministry· with epistles & rec poole, matthew c the rate of defects per , words puts this text in the c category of texts with between and defects per , words. - tcp assigned for keying and markup - aptara keyed and coded from proquest page images - mona logarbo sampled and proofread - mona logarbo text and markup reviewed and edited - pfs batch review (qc) and xml conversion a model for the maintaining of students of choice abilities at the university , and principally in order to the ministry . with epistles & recommendations , and an account of the settlement and practise of it in the universities from the doctors there . as also with answers to such objections as are most plausible , which may be made against it . and with the names of the trustees . prov. . . honour the lord with thy substance , and with the first-fruits of thine increase . london , printed by i. h. for i. rothwell at the fountain in goldsmiths row in cheapside . . more conducing than another to the attainment of that great end , that way is most eligible , by wise and pious christians ; and although it is a laudable and necessary work to exercise charity towards the bodies of distressed persons , yet those must needs be the most noble acts of charity which concern the souls of men , seeing both the object of them is more excellent , and the effects more durable . and as the means instituted by christ for the good of souls , is the erection and maintenance of his church , and the supplying of it with an able and pious ministry : so it hath been in all ages the care of those whose hearts have been touched with a sense of gods honour , and a fervent desire of the churches enlargement , to afford such liberall supplies and encouragements as might both prepare men for , and support them in the work of the ministry . and these are the ends which have been principally aimed at by all , but all have not used the same means to those ends , nor are all means equally effectual : it is therefore our desire in this model to make choice of such waies as to us seem most usefull for the forementioned purposes : and because the foundation of the work lies in the excellency of the natural parts of such as are designed that way ( a few such being more worth than a farre greater proportion of other men ) it is therefore of great use , and we shall endeavour that it may be our great care , to single out such persons to whom god hath given the most high and promising abilities : who , if they be placed under the most learned and godly tutors we can finde , and obliged as farre as possibly we can , to a diligent and eminent improvement in knowledge of all sorts and solid piety , we conceive it will be no arrogance humbly to expect a more then ordinary advantage to the poor church , which now , if ever , cals for teachers of exquisite abilities ; and because there are some church-works of great concernment , which cannot be conveniently managed by such as are overwhelmed with preaching work ( such as the resolution of weighty doubts and cases of conscience , the stopping of the mouthes of gain-sayers , and the like ) it must needs be judged of great advantage to have some particular persons exquisitely fit for such works , both in regard of natural and acquired endowments , who should be set apart for them , and attend upon them without distraction . the rather , because there are divers men , peradventure not eminent for preaching gifts , who being wisely improved , may be very serviceable to other of the churches necessities : and these are the chief intendments of the following model : yet , for as much as there may be divers towardly youths , of competent parts ( though short of the eminency that some others attain to ) and mean condition , who may be of good use in the ministerial work , and seeing the ordinary necessities of the church are not to be neglected , especially the condition of ireland and wales , and some dark parts of england , being so dolefull and dismall , we hope it will be an acceptable work to lay in provision in this model , whereby fit persons may be sent into those places , which by reason of their d●stance , many cannot , and others do not go into : we confesse , as we shall not be wanting in our prayers and endeavours , as farre as god shall enable us sincerely and impartially to look to these ends and waies propounded ; so we cannot but hope in god that the bowels of many precious souls will be refreshed by these means . and we are confident whoever shall engage their hearts in this free-will-offering to god , will have no cause to repent of it , nor shall it be a grief of heart to any at the last day ( when the rust of other mens silver shall rise up against them to their everlasting confusion ) to have been the happy instruments of enlarging the church , and propagating the gospel , and saving of souls ; and in this life also the generations to come shall call them blessed . read and approved , and appointed to be printed by the trustees . mat. poole . to the rich that love christ , the church , the gospel , and themselves . gentlemen , i have here a happy opportunity to offer you an excellent benefit , by inviting you to an excellent duty . if receiving be unpleasant to you , how came you to be rich ? if you like it , come while the market lasts . come before thieves , or fire , or souldiers have seized upon your perishing wealth , come before death hath taken you from all . you see here that christ is contented to be your debtour , at the usury of a hundred for one , in this world , and in the world to come , eternal life . mat. . . if you are covetous , take this bargain , for all the world cannot help you to the like for your commodity : if you are not covetous , you will not be tenacious of your money : the offer is so fair , and so unmatchable , that i know not what can keep you from accepting it , unless it be that you dare not trust the word , the promise , the covenant of christ . and whom then will you trust ? who shall keep your wealth ? will you ? but who shall keep you then ? will you undertake to keep your selves ? alas , how long ? is god to be trusted with the sustentation of the whole creation , and the government of all the world , and with the lives of you and all the living , and with the prospering of your labours , and your daily preservation and provision ? and yet is he not to be trusted with your money ? you 'l say you trust god ? let us see now that you do not play the hypocrites ? if you are friends to christ , you may see in the work here offered to you , your masters name , and interest , and honour : it 's certainly his voice that cals you to this adventure , and therefore never make question of your call . if you are friends to your countrey , now let it be seen : if you live an hundred years , perhaps you will never have a better opportunity to shew it . if you are protestants and love the gospel , shew it by helping to plant and water the seminaries of the lord . perhaps you cannot dispute for the truth , or preach for it your selves : but you can contribute for the maintenance of some to do it : this then is your work , know it and perform it . you may have a prophets reward , without being your selves prophets . matthew . . at least therefore , shew that you love your selves , and that you love your money better than to lose it , by casting it away upon the flesh , and leaving it in the world behind you . if you can stay here alwaies with it , then keep it : i speak to none but those that must die , and methinks such should be glad to learn the art of sending their wealth to meet them in another world . if you understand not that giving is receiving , and that the giver is more beholden , than the beggar , and that it is for your selves that god commandeth you to give , and that the more you thus lose , the more you save and gain , you are then unacquainted with the reasons of christianity , and the life of faith . i hope you are sensible of englands priviledges , above the dark mahometans or indians , in the freedome of ordinances , and plenty of receiving opportunities . and know you not that an opportunity of giving may be as great a mercy to you , as of hearing or praying , and should be as forwardly and thankefully accepted . he was never acquainted with the christian life of doing good , that finds it not the most sweet and pleasant life . though we must snatch no unsound consolation from our works , but detest the thoughts of making god beholden to us ; yet we must walk in them as his way , ephes. . . in which we are likeliest to meet him : he is likest to god , that doth most good , and that would do most . this is such an improvement of time and stock , that you may omit a prayer , a sermon , or a sacrament for it , rather than omit it : you may violate the rest of a sabbath to shew mercy , mat. . , . your lord and master with a special remark hath set you all this lesson for to study . mat. . . but go ye and learn , what that meaneth , i will have mercy and not sacrifice and yet such is here the happy combination , that it is mercy and sacrifice , because it is mercy for sacrifice , that you are called to . and doubt not but with such sacrifice god is well pleased , heb. . . forget not therefore to communicate and do good . it is more blessed to give , than to receive , acts . . for the nature of the work before you , consider , first , is it not pity that so good a breed of wits as england is renowned for , should be starved for want of culture and encouragement ? secondly , is it not pity that so many thousands of souls should starve in ignorance , or be poysoned by seducements , for want of cost to procure a remedy ? and what abundance that may be saved by the ministry of such as you maintain , may blesse god for you as the helpers of their salvation . thirdly , the necessities of the church have of late called students so young into the ministry , that eminent proficients in languages , sciences , antiquities , &c. grow thin , and are in danger of being worn out , if there be not some extraordinary helps for chosenwits addicted to these studies . and what a dishonour , what a losse that would be to us , the papists would quickly understand . fourthly , the barbarous face of the greek and other eastern churches tels us , what need there is of learned instruments , for the maintenance and propagation of the truth . fifthly , what abundance of colledges and monasteries can the romanists maintain , to fill the world with missionaries of all sorts , which is the very strength of their kingdome . and is it not pity that a better work should be starved through our want of pious charity ? and that papists should dare us , and we be unfurnished with champions to resist them , when we are furnished with so much evidence of truth , which yet may easily be lost by ill managing ! sixthly , if you are the servants of christ , above all , you must now look about you for his church and ministry . for the devil hath given you so strong an alarme , that he that now sits still , and runs not to his armes , to help the church , is a traytor , and no true souldier of christ . papists are up , and atheists and infidels and iewes are up , and abundance of secret apostates are up openly reproaching the ministry , that privately deride christ and the scripture , and the life to come , ( i know what i say to be too true ) quakers are up , and all the prophane as far as they dare : and shall not we be up to further that gospel and ministry and church of christ , which so many bands of the prince of darknesse , are armed to assault . let us discourage the devil ; by making an advantage of his assaults . let him see that we never do so much for christ and the church , as when he assaulteth them with the fiercest or cunningest malignity . he that hath not so publick a spirit , as to value the welfare of the church , and the souls of men , before the fulnesse of his own estate , may go away sorrowfull from christ ( as luke . , . ) but a true disciple he cannot be . it would make a mans heart ake to think of the dark state of the world , for want of preachers . were it but the state of ireland and wales , it should move us to compassion . and now i offer it to your sober thoughts , as to men that are going to be accountable for their talents , whether you have a better way to dispose of your money , and a way that will be more comfortable to you at death and judgement . i would not have you unmercifull to your children : but if you think you may not lawfully alienate any of your estates from them , you are far from the mind of the primitive christians , that sold all and laid it at the apostles feet . if you ask , why we leave you not to your selves to be charitable where you see cause ; i answer , first , there is so much difficulty in every good work , even in giving so as to make the best of it , that you should be thankefull to those that will help to facilitate it . secondly , great works must have many hands . thirdly , conjunction engageth and encourageth , and draws on those in the company , that else would lag behind . what need we else associate for our ministerial works of instruction , discipline , &c. and leave not every minister to himself : in company we go more chearfully , easily , regularly and prevalently . and should you not associate also in your duties ? well gentlemen , seeing it is undoubted that the work before you is of great importance to the honour of christ , to the welfare of the church , to the protestant religion , to the souls of thousands , and to your own everlasting benefit , take heed how you refuse to do your best , lest god distrain on you before you are aware , and then hold it or your souls if you can . and say not but you were warned by a friend that would have had you have saved your money and your souls , by making the best of your masters stock . and if what i have said do not perswade you , i entreat you to read a preface to a book that i have written to this purpose , called , the crucifying of the world , &c. read gal. . , , , , . accept this invitation to so good a work , from a servant of christ for his church , richard baxter . february . . a model for the education of students of choice abilities at the university , and principally in order to the ministry . april . . chap. i. of the contribution and contributers . § . . that they , who through their affection to gods glory and the churches good , in the advancement of learning and piety , shall be willing to contribute to this work , be intreited to signifie their desires by way of subscription , that so it may be more certain in it self , and more visible and exemplary to others . § . and because subscriptions of this nature , though happily begun , have heretofore failed , lest it should happen so in this case ( whereby the whole design would be frustrated , and youth● of excellent parts , hopefully planted at the university , forced to remove ▪ besides many other inconveniencies ) we do earnestly desire that god would stir up the hearts of those , whose : estates will bear it , to subscribe for eight years or for more , or for ever , which we shall look on as a noble and eminent act of charity , and which present and future ages may have cause to blesse god for , and as the most proper and only certain course to promote the intended design , and to prevent the forementioned mischiefs : yet if any shall contribute any thing upon other terms , we judge it a very acceptable service , and we hope it will occasion thanksgiving to god on their behalf . § . . that the name of every contributer be fairly written in a book of velume appointed for the purpose , together with the summe which it shall please him to contribute to his work . chap. ii. of the trustees . § . . that the mony collected be disposed of , and the election of schollars made by sixty trustees , whereof to be gentlemen or citizens of eminency , and to be ministers in or within five miles of the city of london , of which number any seven shall make a quorum , in ordinary cases , whereof three to be ministers . § . . and because it is of great importance to the good of the work , that there be a special inspection into it upon the place , it is thought fit that there be seven trustees chosen for each university , who shall be intreated to take notice of the proficiency and deportment of the exhibitioners in the university . § . . that the trustees proceed in all things without partiality , as they shall judge best for the publick good , and suffer not themselves to be byassed from it by any favours or recommendations whatsoever : and particularly that in the election of schollars , or trustees , when there are any vacancies , the trustees declare themselves , that they will according to their trust proceed therein with all fidelity and integrity : and that the clerk put the chairman in mind of it . § . . that when any one of the trustees dies , or refuseth to act further in the businesse , or removeth ten miles from london , or by the rest of the trustees is judged to deserve dismission from his trust , the rest of the trustees , or any of them , whereof shall be ministers ( notice being given to the trustees of the meeting , and of the end of it ) being met together , proceed to chuse another : and that no trustee be compleatly chosen at one meeting , but that he be nominated one meeting , and ( if they see fit ) chosen the next meeting : and that they chuse one whom for wisdom , candor , activity , publick-spiritednesse , integrity , affection to religion and learning , and other necessary qualifications , they judge fit for the work : and that they chuse a minister in the room of a minister ; and upon the vacancy of one who is no minister , that they chuse one who is no minister . chap. iii. of the officers and expences . § . . that in the moneth of march yearly the trustees chuse one of themselves being a minister , who shall be desired from time to time for the year ensuing , to appoint meetings of the trustees ; and to be present at all meetings and transactions , and to take special care to promote the work , and to keep correspondency with others in relation thereunto . § . . that the trustees in the moneth of march also chuse a treasurer ( being a person of unquestionable fidelity ) from year to year : and that the treasurers or collectors discharge shall be sufficient to any that shall pay the money : and that the treasurer be accountable once a quarter to the trustees , or any seven of them ( a meeting being called ) whereof three to be ministers : and that the treasurer shall not dispose of any of the monies , but according to the direction of the trustees or any seven of them ( three being ministers ) at a general meeting assembled . § . . that a clerk be chosen to be present at all meetings , to draw and enter all orders made by the trustees , and keep the books , and write such things as are necessary , as also a collector to gather in the monies , and to call meetings and do other necessary works , and that they have such salaries as the trustees shall think fit . § . . that all the charges incidentall to the work , which the trustees shall judge expedient , shall be allowed out of the stock . chap. iv. of the quality of the schollers to be chosen . § . . that the schollers to whom the exhibitions shall be granted , be chosen out of the university , or out of schools , as the trustees from time to time shall judge most fit , and that strict enquiry and diligent examination be made , and all possible care used that fit persons be chosen , and that the election be made by seven of the trustees at the least , whereof three to be ministers , notice being given to the trustees of the meeting , and of the end of it . and that no schollers hereafter shall be chosen , but such as have been personally and diligently examined by three at least , being either of the trustees in london ( who are schollers ) or of the university trustees , or of such as shall be chosen and desired by the trustees to examine candidates , &c. and attested by their hands . and that no certificate be owned from the universities , but such as comes from known persons , or from such persons as some of the university trustees shall attest to . § . . that the schollers to be chosen , be of godly life , or at the least , hopeful for godlinesse , of eminent parts , of an ingenuous disposition , and such as are poor , or have not a sufficient maintenance any other way : that not only the pregnancy , but the solidity of their parts be observed . and that a speciall regard be had to godlinesse . § . . and , although our great aim in this work be , the bringing up of schollers of eminent parts and learning , and the supplying of the church with choyce ministers , and such , as through gods blessing may be pillars of the church ; yet because the ordinary necessities of the church also are to be provided for , and the sad condition of dark corners , both in ireland and wales , and several parts of england cries loud for out assistance ; the trustees therefore may ( after provision made for the fore-mentioned ends , as far as they shall think fit ) chuse some schollers of godly life , and good parts ( though it may be their parts rise not to that eminency which some others attain to ) in order to the supply of such desolate and necessitous places and congregations . § . . that the exhibitions be generally given to such as intend the ministry , and direct their studies that way ; yet so , as that the trustees may upon weighty reasons and sparingly dispose of some of them , to such , as , though not intending the ministry , may be other waies eminently serviceable to the church or common-wealth . § . . and whereas divers schollers after four years continuance in the universitie , being raised to an higher degree , which they cannot support , are forced to remove and betake themselves to schools or to enter into the ministry , through necessity , raw and unfurnished , to their own perpetual discouragement , and to the great mischief of the church ; that a special regard be had to such of them as during their continuance , have given the best proof of their parts , learning and godlinesse , and they be enabled to continue four years after their degree of batchelor , whereby they may be solemnly prepared and well fitted for that weighty work . chap. v. of the education of the schollers . § . . that the exhibitioners shall be obliged to study to be eminent in the latine , greek , hebrew , and other oriental languages , and in the several arts and sciences , so far forth as their genius's will permit . § . . that over and besides their ordinary university exercises , they be tied to special exercises in those things as shall be thought fit by the trustees , and others whom they shall advise with . and that when the trustees shall think fit , two or three be picked out of the students to come up to london ( their charges being born ) to do some learned exercises in the city , that so the contributers may see some fruit of their cost , and others may be excited and encouraged . § . . that their three last years be principally employed in the study of divinity , and the praeparation of themselves for the work of the ministry , such only excepted , as are mentioned , ch. . § . . § . . that such schollers as are taken from schools , be sent to the university , and there placed under such tutors as the trustees shall chuse , who shall be , as neer as may be , eminent for godlinesse and learning and care of their pupils ; who shall be entreated to have a special eye upon them , as to their godlinesse , and to presse them to a diligent attendance upon all means publick and private conducing thereunto . § . . that none of the exhibitioners be absent from their colledges above six weeks in a year , unlesse speciall leave be obtained from some of the trustees of that university . chap. vi . of inspection over the exhibitioners . § . . that once in a year the trustees or any three of them ( whereof two shall be ministers ) go to the university , and there with the help of the university trustees , find out their profiting , and diligently enquire into their abilities and conversations , and encourage them accordingly . § . . that those doctors of the university , &c. who are trustees , be desired ( so far as they can ) to take special notice of the exhibitioners , and to enquire into their proficiency in their studies , and the godlinesse of their conversations , and admonish or advise them , as they see cause , and give notice to the trustees at london , when occasion shall require : also that they be entreated to direct them in the course of their studies , and resolve them in difficulties , as need requires . chap. vii . of incouragements to be given or denied to the exhibitioners according to their merit . § . . that the exhibitioners shal have such allowances as shall be judged expedient , according to their deserts , poverty , and standing in the university ; and that such of them as most need and most excell in abilities and piety , shall besides their yearly allowance , have some consideration for their degree , when , and so far as the trustees shall conceive meet . § . . that after eight years standing in the university , the trustees and contributers do by themselves and friends endeavour to promote them to a place answerable to their merit . § . . that such of the exhibitioners as shall at any solemn examination , be found eminently to excell the rest , shall have such special encouragements as the trustees shall judge fit . § . . that when there shall be satisfying evidence of the idlenesse or dissolutenesse or any depravednesse of any of them , the trustees may , after admonition and triall , for so long time as they shall think fit , withdraw the exhibition from them , and chuse others in their places . chap. viii . of the modell . § . . that the alteration or addition of circumstances be left to the wisdom of the trustees , or any seven or more of them ( whereof three to be ministers ) provided that notice be given to the trustees generally , of the meeting , and of the end of it , and provided alwaies that the substantials remain untouched , to wit , the bringing up of eminent schollers at the university , in order to the ministry , and the selection of schollers for special uses , mentioned in the ninth chapter . chap. ix . of the selection of some schollers for speciall uses . § . . that provision being made for the maintenance of schollers in order to the ministry , so far forth as the trustees shall judge necessary and sufficient , there be besides some fit persons selected and chosen by the trustees in the university , of sufficient standing and convenient leasure , and employed in that way wherein they are most eminent , one to be the linguist , and principally for greek , and for jewish , and rabbinicall learning ; another the historian , and antiquary , especially for ecclesiastical antiquity ; another the philosopher and mathematician , another the civilian , another the polemical divine ( one or more if need be ) another the practical and casuisticall divine , another well vers'd in all parts of learning : and that each of these employ themselves ( when occasion shall require , and the trustees , reasonably desire ) in such works as shall be usefull and necessary : and that they have such allowances as the trustees shall judge fit , and as the excellency of their parts and the nature of their work shall require . or , if it be not thought expedient to maintain persons constantly for each of these , that any person or persons , be employed in any work which shall appear to be of great concernment and usefulnesse to the publick good , and for which he or they are eminently fit , who shall have such encouragement as the trustees shall judge convenient . and to the end abuses may be prevented , it is resolved , that no money be disposed of by the trustees to any work , but such as eight of the trustees at least ( being all schollers ) and two at least of the trustees in each university , shall under their hands : declare that they judge to be such a work . and also that it be approved at a meeting of the trustees in london . chap. x. of the encouragement of forreigners , & promotion of the gospel abroad . § . . and because there is a great desire in many forreign persons to learn the english tongue , that so they may understand our english divines , and be the more able to preach practically and powerfully to their people , which may much further the work of conversion and edification in forreign places ; if it shall please any to contribute any summe or summes to this end , and with this desire ; it shall be faithfully employed to that purpose , viz. to the maintenance of such forreigners , as being poor , are and shall appear to be most eminent for parts and learning and piety , who shall be maintained in london or one of the universities , as shall be judged most expedient , for so long time as shall suffice for the fore-mentioned ends . finis . the names of the trustees . christoph . lord pack robert l. tichburne sir thomas andrews sir thomas foot sir thomas viner maj. gen. brown alderman frederick alderman allen alderman tompson alderman milner alderman laurence alderman higginson alderman warner alderman love andrew ricard esq colonel gower tho. bromfield esq tho. arnold esq theo. biddulph esq walter boothby esq will. pennoyer esq walter bigg esq martin noel esq maurice tomson esq dr. thomas cox deputy iohnson mr. iohn iurian mr. henry spurstow mr. maskal mr. keate . mr. nath. barnardiston mr. valent . wanley captain story mr. brinley mr. crumlum mr. bathurst . ministers . doctor reinolds doctor spurstow mr. ash mr. caryll mr. calamy mr. iackson sen . mr. case mr. slater mr. clarke mr. cooper mr. arthur mr. tayler mr. manton mr. ienkins mr. griffith mr. watson mr. lye mr. iacomb sen . mr. iacomb jun. mr. bates mr. poole mr. whitaker mr. woodcock mr. vinck . a word to the rich , that desire to give up their account with comfort . suffer i beseech you one word of exhortation , and with attention read a few lines which may be of everlasting concernment to you . i will suppose i speak not to atheists , but to such as are possest with a belief of an eternal estate of infinite happinesse or misery : not to fools , but to wise men who would not wilfully neglect any thing , which is necessary to secure them from the wrath to come . it is also notoriously known , that the wilful continuance in the neglect of any one evident duty ; or the commission of any manifest sin is sufficient to entitle a man to damnation , notwithstanding any professions of religion or practises whatsoever : you cannot but know that many perish eternally , not for any grosse wickednesse visible to the world , but for slie and secret and unobserved omission sins , and that these are the only sins which our saviour formes a processe against in that famous representation of the last judgment , mat. . and amongst those duties which men are most prone to neglect , are those which are difficult and costly and troublesome , which made christ pronounce it so hard for a rich man to enter into the kingdome of heaven : and therefore you that are rich had need double your diligence to make your calling and election sure . and truly it is an unspeakable happinesse ( if the lord give you hearts to consider it ) that your riches wisely managed , may afford you a special and eminent evidence and assurance of gods love , and your own future happinesse ; forasmuch as if you freely lay out those riches that god hath graciously given you , for his glory , and the churches good , it may be a notable and sound discovery of a lively faith , ( which can part with present comforts in hopes of those future and unseen consolations ) a fervent love to god and the brethren , a resolution to part with all for christ , and a serious and true desire of salvation : as on the other side , it is a token of perdition , when a mans heart is glued to his riches , and the present evil world , when a man is so destitute of charity , that rather than part with his riches , he will suffer , bodies and soules to perish , and the glory of god to be turned into shame ; i beseech you therefore by the bowels of god have compassion upon your immortal souls , make you friends of the mammon of unrighteousnesse , throw not your selves overboard to preserve your riches , from which you can expect no other requital , but this , that the rust of them shall rise up in judgment against you at the last day : and this duty i may the more boldly exhort you to , because , if you make use of your reason , you will find the performance of it is no way disadvantageous to you : for , as you will gain this excellent advantage , besides eternal salvation , that , that portion of your estates which you lay out for god , will be a means to sweeten , and secure all the rest to you and your posterity , so , by the doing of it you will lose nothing of substance , seeing that is most true and evident by daily experience which our saviour saith ; that the comfort of a mans life consisteth not in the abundance of what he possesseth . for what are riches , but for use , without which a mans chest hath as much good by his riches as he ; and how can a man use them , but for his pleasure or credit , or posterity , or the like ? and who knowes not that many discreet men of competent estates between want and affluence enjoy more real pleasure in their estates , than they that have ten times a larger portion ? and if a man look to his credit , let any impartial man judge , whether it more advanceth a mans reputation , sordidly to hoard up his riches to the dishonour of religion , his own shame and contempt ( whereby he live ; lamented , and dies desired ) or generously to lay them out in such waies as not only procure him favour with god , but respect from men here , and at last a crown of glory that fades not away ? and if a man aims at posterity , methinks this city hath afforded sufficient experiments to convince any ingenuous man , that the leaving of vast estates to children , doth commonly betray them not onely to the greatest wickednesses , but also to manifold miseries , which they that carry their sailes lower , and whose estates are nearer the golden mediocrity are preserved from : i may added to all this that divers of you in this city may say with iacob , with may staffe i came over iordan , and now god hath made me two bands . that god that hath brought down others , hath exalted you , that god that hath impoverished others , hath enriched you , and therefore , if others owe their thousands to god , surely you owe your ten thousands . remember i beseech you , that hand that gave you your estates , can recal them when he pleaseth , and if you deny him the interest , he can revoke the principal . remember you will not alwaies have such opportunities : ere long you and the poorest wretch must be upon the same terms , now you have an advantage over them , and a means to do god more special service : i shall trouble you no further , but only this , lay out your estates , but do it freely , not grudgingly , do it liberally , not sparingly : i shall not here determine that question , whether god expects a tenth part of your estates to be employed in his service , and for publick good . but thus much i may safely say , that where god sows liberally , he expects to reap liberally . and as gods ministration to us under the gospel doth exceed the legal ministration , so i know no reason why our ministration to god from our superfluities should not exceed theirs under the law : and however men can easily deceive themselves here in things which concern their profit , yet i doubt not when men shall at last come to make a review of all their actions , their consciences will justly condemn them , not only for the total neglect of such duties , but also for the not doing of them in a fit and full proportion : for this particular occasion , i shall say nothing more than what is said in the preface , and in these other annexed papers : consider what hath been said , and remember it comes from one whose design is not his own profit , ( nor to lay a yoke upon you which he will not take upon his own shoulders ) but meerly that god may be glorified , and that , at that last day , fruit may abound to your account . matthew poole . an answer to some objections which may be raised against this work . object . . this designe is needlesse : universities are for this purpose , what is all that meanes given there for , but to fit men for the ministry ? answ. . so great is the scarcity of able and godly ministers in the nation , comparatively to the many places which are destitute of such ( as all judicious persons observe ) that it is a vain thing to expect a supply of the churches necessities in an ordinary way : we see by experience , that although of late years the universities have sent forth divers very hopefull persons into the ministry , and although besides the ordinary allowances for students there , divers exhibitions have been allowed by wel-willers to religion and learning , yet , all this not withstanding , there is still a great famine of the word in divers places ; especially in ireland , wales , &c. which are not so likely to be supplied , and which are here in a special manner provided for . answ. . the main design of this model is not barely to send forth ministers , but to endeavour to send forth eminent ministers ; and whereas universities are and must needs be ( nor doth it in the least reflect disparagement upon them ) like lotteries , whither students of all sorts come , some of good parts , and some of mean parts , and from whence ( through the negligence of students , and their forwardnesse in entring into the ministry ) divers come into the ministry much unfurnished , to the grief and scandal of their university-governours ; here is a more certain course , care being taken , . to select choice wits . . to oblige them to a sufficient continuance , as also to extraordinary diligence . object . . good designes are generally perverted and abused to other ends than they were intended , and so will this in all probability degenerate into a businesse of faction and partiality , and favour and friendship . answ. . we can neither foresee nor prevent all possible abuses , and much lesse all jealous surmises ; but thus much is plain , that we are to do our duty , and to referre events to gods providence , and however mens benevolences may be abused hereafter , contrary to their desires and intentions , yet god will accept of their sincere ends , and no lesse reward them than if they hid been never so religiously used . . here is abundant care taken to prevent partiality : the execution of it is committed to divers persons of different perswasions , of known integrity , wisdome and godlinesse ; and care is also taken that when any die , there be a substitution of such other men in their places , and the trustees are engaged , not onely by their promise , but by their judgements and interect to choose such men as themselves . . the feoffees , as they now are , so they will for ever be obliged to manage this businesse with all impartiality for the encouragement of lads of all parties ( provided they be true to the interests of learning and real piety ) not onely because they are conscientiously engaged to it , but also , because their interest and the advancement of the work will constantly oblige them to it ▪ seeing if once partiality be observed in it , it will not only reflect upon the trustees , but also bring the whole businesse into disrepute . . this objection strikes at all lasting good works , for how can a man settle any thing for any good work , but it may be abused ; so that the effect of this objection should be not to prevent the doing of good works , but to make men cautelous how to do them in as safe a way as may be . object . . it is better for a man to see with his own eyes , and to do with his own hands . answ. . but then there is one doubt whether he can get any to put in good security that he shall enjoy his eyes and hands for ever , or else ( if he be able and willing to settle something for ever ) it must come into other mens hands , and therefore it is better to commit it to other mens hands while he lives , and may observe how they use it , than to commit it to them after his decease , of whom he had not experience in that kind . . for the generality of contributers to such works it may be said without arrogancie , it is likely to be farre better managed by a conjunction of heads and hands of wise , and honest , and learned men for the glory of god , and the good of the church , than can be expected from one man . plus vident oculi quam oculus , and as those small sprinklings of water which signifie little when they are asunder , being united together into one river are very considerable and effectuall to divers excellent uses ▪ so those contributions which being managed singly and dividedly are not so eminently useful , when they are united together , prove of great influence for a generall good : and moreover , he that contributes in such a common way as this , doth not onely an excellent piece of service himself , but also drawes others along with him . for those gentlemen or others in the countrey who shal be pleased to contribute , although we shall wholly leave them to themselves to give what they please , and in what way they please , and shall thankfully accept any thing given upon any termes , nor do we desire this businesse should be burthensome to any , yet we humbly offer to their consideration , that it will be a most excellent service , and most rarely useful for any ( who can do it ) to settle what they give , for ever , though it be in a lesse proportion , both because it is in it self likely to bring forth more fruit , and because it will be a good encouragement to others to contribute when they see a solid foundation laid which is likely to continue : and we hope they will not think it a wrong to their children to alienate some small proportion from them to the more immediate service of god , but rather a special meanes to procure a blessing from god upon the rest of their estates both to them and to their posterity . if it shall please god to put it into the mind of any to contribute , if they signify their desires to any of the trustees , especially to any of the ministers , they may receive further information and direction as to any of the particulars . a testimonial from some oxford doctors . the great usefulnesse of humane learning and university education for the ministers of the gospel hath been abundantly evidenced , both from the powerful and happy influence of ministers so qualified , in the reformation of religion , from the bondage and darknesse of popery , and also from the miserable consequence of the want and neglect thereof in persons undertaking the work of the ministry : besides those more noble infusions of grace , there are two things of great necessity for the profitable discharge of the ministerial work ; to wit , a sufficiency of natural endowments , and acquired abilities . and it is the conjunction of these which throughly furnish the man of god unto every good work . we cannot therefore , but exceedingly approve of , and heartily blesse god for that late design undertaken , and so considerably carried on through gods blessing by divers persons , for the encouragement of poor scholars of greatest abilities and piety in the universities : the rather , because we have frequently , with sad hearts , observed the miscarriage of persons of great hopes and eminent parts , through want of those means and helps which are necessary : and we heartily recommend it unto all the lovers of learning and universities , as that which ( by gods blessing ) is likely to prove of singular use , for the quickning of diligence , and provoking of emulation , and the growth of knowledge and piety : nor do we know , how any , whom god hath enriched with talents for such a service , can lay them out to better advantage , than in such a way as this : and for the better encouragement of those whose hearts god shall encline to this pious work , we , whose names are here under-written , having knowledge of divers of the trustees , and having had experience of the management thereof , hold our selves bound in justice to give this testimony , unto those gentlemen , to whose trust it is committed ; that to the best of our observation , it hath been faithfully discharged according to the real worth of persons , without respect to parties : and it is sufficiently known , that there are divers students already chosen by them in the universities , who are persons of singular abilities , and of pious inclinations , whose poverty had exposed them to many inconveniences , and deprived the church of that great benefit ( which we comfortably hope for from them ) if they had not been relieved by such seasonable succours . and we are further considently perswaded , that as it hath been for the time past , so it will be for the future , the care of the trustees , to discharge that trust reposed in them , with all fidelity and conformably to their proposals and declarations . edmond staunton , d.d. iohn wallis , d.d. dan. greenwood , d.d. hen. langley , d.d. seth ward , s.s.t.d. ioshua crosse , l.l.d. thomas barlow , c.r.p. hen. hickman . a testimonial from some cambridge doctors and others . as we cannot but sadly resent and lay to heart the many and great mischiefs , which have befallen the church of god , through the miscarriage of such as being crude and unfurnished for so weighty an undertaking , have engaged themselves in the work of the ministry : so we cannot but impute them in a great measure to the want of meanes for subsistence at the universities ; whereby such persons have been untimely taken from those breasts and fountaines , whence by a continued use of the helps there afforded , they might have been stored with sound and well-digested knowledge , and thereby have not only prevented those difficulties and temptations , which their own ungroundednesse doth often expose them to , but also become eminently serviceable in the church of christ , the consideration whereof affords us abundant occasion of blessing and praising god , for his goodnesse to his church , as in continuing these schooles of learning , heretofore founded and established , so also in these late supplies by men of publick spirits conferred in way of exhibition , for the further encouragement and support of hopeful students in the universities . which good and pious design , we do with thankfulnesse rejoyce to see so far already put in execution , as that divers hopeful plants are thereby refreshed and made to flourish in these fruitful nurseries , who else for want of so seasonable a supply , might soon have been withered and parched up , or constrained to an unseasonable remove , to their own and the churches exceeding prejudice and disadvantage . but although there be a considerable number already chosen , and made participants of this beneficence , yet are there also many others still among us , truly deserving and really needing the like encouragement ; which we doubt not but many will be the more ready and willing to promote , when they shall together with us , observe these hopeful beginnings , which promise ( through the blessing of god upon them ) a plentiful harvest to be reaped in due season . for we can truly testifie that ( according to the best of our observation ) this matter hath been hither to managed , & the election of scholars made according to their parts , piety and poverty , with much faithfulnesse and impartiality ; as we hope also it will be carried on for the time to come . anthony tuckney . tho. horton . benj. whitchcot . lazarus seaman . ralph cudworth . william dillingham . thomas woodcocke . ioseph hill . iohn stillingfleet . if it shall please any to settle somthing for ever they may conveniently do it in this way which hath been propounded to , and approved by skilful lawyers . they may single out three or four of the trustees whom they can most confide in , and make them special trustees , and when any one of them dies , appoint the other three to chuse another in his place , and may make all the rest of the trustees overseers , and in case those four trustees fail , that then it shall fall to all the rest of the trustees , and in case they fail , then it shall fall to any colledge or company ( whom the doner shall please to nominate ) to be disposed of , according to the modell : and in case it be perverted or alienated to any other use , then it revert to his heirs , &c. an advertisement . vvhereas it hath been suggested by divers & was supposed by some of the trustees , that the present settlement of this trust was not legal ( not being by way of corporation ) nor perpetual , it was agreed by the trustees that some very able lawyers should be advised with ; which accordingly was done , and the result of their discourse was this : that there were two waies for the selting of such a trust , frequently practised among us , and both unquestionably legal ; the one by way of corporation , the other by way of feofment , in which latter way we are for the present setled , and in which way some hospitals , &c , are setled . this being an undoubted principle in law and reason , that it is lawful for any man to give what he will , to whom he will , for what uses he will , unlesse it be to an use prohibited by law , such as this is confessed not to be . an account of the scholars already chosen . in order to the practise of the things proposed in the modell , three of the trustees , to wit , mr. manton ; mr. thomas iacomb , and mr. poole were by the rest of the trustees sent to the two universities , to advise with the doctors the trustees there , and to settle the businesse , which was done , and divers persons of known ability and fidelity were desired , and did willingly consent to take upon them the businesse of examination of all such poor scholar as did propose themselves to trial : upon which , divers persons of great hopes , were then and have been since examined : and out of them , such as gave the best satisfaction for parts and learning , and had the best report for piety , were selected : and two and twenty are already chosen in each university ; it being resolved to carry an equal respect to both universities : of whom some were through necessity already gone from the university , and now to their great comfort , and ( we hope ) the churches great good , are setled again : others were about to leave it , others forced much to discontinue , and all much discouraged and prejudic'd by those pressing wants and difficulties they were overwhelmed with . finis . the lawfull preacher, or, a short discourse proving that they only ought to preach who are ordained ministers occasionally delivered in some lectures at epping by john ferriby, minister of thoydon-garnon in essex ; now printed upon the anti-preaching of some against it in the same pulpit about the latter end of november last : as also the pulpit-guard-relieved, in a short appendix in answer to a late book called the pulpit-guard-relieved / written by tho. collier. ferriby, john, b. or . this text is an enriched version of the tcp digital transcription a of text r in the english short title catalog (wing f a). textual changes and metadata enrichments aim at making the text more computationally tractable, easier to read, and suitable for network-based collaborative curation by amateur and professional end users from many walks of life. the text has been tokenized and linguistically annotated with morphadorner. the annotation includes standard spellings that support the display of a text in a standardized format that preserves archaic forms ('loveth', 'seekest'). textual changes aim at restoring the text the author or stationer meant to publish. this text has not been fully proofread approx. kb of xml-encoded text transcribed from -bit group-iv tiff page images. earlyprint project evanston,il, notre dame, in, st. louis, mo a wing f a estc r ocm this keyboarded and encoded edition of the work described above is co-owned by the institutions providing financial support to the early english books online text creation partnership. this phase i text is available for reuse, according to the terms of creative commons . universal . the text can be copied, modified, distributed and performed, even for commercial purposes, all without asking permission. early english books online. (eebo-tcp ; phase , no. a ) transcribed from: (early english books online ; image set ) images scanned from microfilm: (early english books, - ; : ) the lawfull preacher, or, a short discourse proving that they only ought to preach who are ordained ministers occasionally delivered in some lectures at epping by john ferriby, minister of thoydon-garnon in essex ; now printed upon the anti-preaching of some against it in the same pulpit about the latter end of november last : as also the pulpit-guard-relieved, in a short appendix in answer to a late book called the pulpit-guard-relieved / written by tho. collier. ferriby, john, b. or . this text is an enriched version of the tcp digital transcription a of text r in the english short title catalog (wing f a). textual changes and metadata enrichments aim at making the text more computationally tractable, easier to read, and suitable for network-based collaborative curation by amateur and professional end users from many walks of life. the text has been tokenized and linguistically annotated with morphadorner. the annotation includes standard spellings that support the display of a text in a standardized format that preserves archaic forms ('loveth', 'seekest'). textual changes aim at restoring the text the author or stationer meant to publish. this text has not been fully proofread [ ], [i.e. ] p. printed for william roybould ..., london : mdcliii [ ] "an appendix" -- p. - [i.e. ] reproduction of original in the bodleian library. eng collier, thomas, fl. . -- pulpit-guard-routed. clergy -- england -- appointment, call, and election. a r (wing f a). civilwar no the lawfull preacher: or a short discourse: proving, that they only ought to preach who are ordained ministers. occasionally delivered in so ferriby, john d the rate of defects per , words puts this text in the d category of texts with between and defects per , words. - tcp assigned for keying and markup - apex covantage keyed and coded from proquest page images - robyn anspach sampled and proofread - robyn anspach text and markup reviewed and edited - pfs batch review (qc) and xml conversion the lawfull preacher : or a short discourse : proving , that they only ought to preach who are ordained ministers , occasionally delivered in some lectures at epping . by john ferriby minister of thoydon-garnon in essex . now printed upon the anti-preaching of some against it in the same pulpit about the latter end of november last . as also , the pulpit-guard-relieved : in a short appendix in answer to a late book called the pulpit-guard-routed , written by tho. collier . convenit & scriptis nomen , carbone notatum nigro — the second impression corrected and amended . london , printed for william roybould at the unicorn in pauls church-yard near the little north-door , mdcliii . to my dearly beloved friends , the parishioners of thoydon-garnon , and others my hearers at my lecture at epping . beloved in the lord , i told you the reason of my preaching , you know the reason of my printing these sermons ; i preached them voluntarily to establish you , i printed them by a kind of constraint to satisfie others . i preached them to manifest the truth to prevent others misleading you ; i printed them to defend the truth , i wish they may help you to reduce others . what my publike labours ( and open oppositions from some ) have been among you , you are the best witnesses ; what my secret trouble hath been , partly from a sense of mine own weakness , partly from some incapacity to do what i desired among you , god and mine own conscience can best testifie . i cannot but wonder at gods providence in this , to put me to assert the outward call of a minister in publike , who ( it may be ) have so often questioned mine inward call in private . but hitherto hath god brought me . some of you may have heard what solicitations i have had to other places of greater profit ; most of you know what resolutions i had to return to the place whence i was driven , of lesse means , had not your importunity , procuring their consent , held me here . many have been the scandals i have suffered about it , through the confident reports of bold adversaries , for which i could willingly have printed both your engagement to me here , and their testimony thence ; the one to free me from the murmurings of some against mine abode here , the other to clear me from that false imputation of receiving profit thence , while that living lay unresigned in mine hands ; but to have done it without consent might not have been civil , to have done it at all ( besides the swelling of the book ) might have savoured of arrogance : wherefore i forbear , my conscience bearing me witness , and many upon the private sight of the papers being already satisfied . i did intend ( if i had been in print at all ) something that might have been more for your practice , although i hope this may be for your profit : but since god hath called me out in this , i will improve it what i can . if by what i have already suffered , or may by this further undergo , you may receive any advantage , i shall think my labour well spent , and my sufferings abundantly recompensed . i shall therefore beseech you , . that you would not esteem or be contented with any light or heat , but what is caused by the rising and efficacy of the sun of grace in you . there are a sort of people , who being dead in sins and trespasses , never stir at all , but lye senselesse in the grave : i speak not this to them , although i could be glad they might hear the voice of the son of god and live : that jesus christ would effectually call them ( as once lazarus ) out of that deadly sleep that hath seized on them . but there are others who seem to stir , yet not from a principle of true life in them : who continuing in sinne , think it grace enough to pretend to an opinion : who neglecting the power of godlinesse , content themselves to talk of some disciplinary parts of religion ; i never liked their building , who begun the fabrick at the roof , ( but indeed he that intends to draw only the picture of an house , needs not care at which end he begins ) i never fancied their religion , which begins ( and ends too ) only in opinion . to hear drunkards talk of gathering churches , and swearers question the call of ministers , &c. ( although that is something more then disciplinary ) is such a paradox in religion , that the churches of christ have not usually bin acquainted with all . when men out of a desire to appear something , yet for want of any true work of grace upon their spirits , shall take up only that fashion of religion , which may suit best the times in which they are , they may be good talkers , but seldom are sound practisers of godlinesse . i would have you labour to finde the work of grace upon your spirits , which may make you new creatures , for in christ jesus neither circumcision , nor uncircumcision availeth any thing , but a new creature , gal. . when that spring once moves the wheels , although the work may seem to go more slowly , and with some more trouble , yet it goes more surely , and with much more truth . practise more the power then the shew of godliness : let your lives , rather then your tongues declare your religion . old-fashioned , unskilfull limners ; were constrained to underwrite the name of what they painted , that people might know what it was rather by the inscription then the draught . such is the new-fashioned religion of some men , that if they did not tell you , it was religion they professed , men would scarcely deem it such by their profession . people are apt to think well of being religious , but they are often mistaken in what is religion : they will grant godliness to be great gain , but they are not convinced what is godliness . if i finde a man once shaken , who hath been truly rooted ; misled , who hath been set right in gods way ; as i am apt to be much troubled for him , so i desire to be very tender of him : but when i see a loose and light body tossed with every minde , i am little affected with it ; it is as much wonder to see the one stable in blustring times , as the other shaking . . i shall intreat you , that you would now be conversant in the study of fundamentall truths . when fundamentals are questioned , we had need to be well satisfied about them : when the foundation is aimed at , the greatest defence had need to be made there . paul desired to see the romans , to establish them , rom. . . it is from {non-roman} {non-roman} {non-roman} {non-roman} {non-roman} which is rendred ( by one ) ruitur a suffulcio : surely if ever people had need to be established in the truth , it is now ; when truth ( in this sense ) decays , and its very foundation begins to be shaken . when men build their religion upon props set up by their own fancy , they may quickly be carried besides the truth . it is a strange thing to see how men now adaies delight most in the loose notions of their own conceiving , but little in the standing . truth laid by gods word . this is to lose truth in the mist of their own making , and to put out their own eyes by the dust they themselves have raised ; they that flie so high in their affected , although confused notions , frequently leave the truth behind , when through the coldness of the second region , they are so frozen in their affections , that ( if ever they return ) they seldom pursue truth with much love after . this is to lay up a mans religion in a castle built in the air , when every winde of doctrine may tosse it to and fro . it is an unhappy thing , that some men are guilty of , to delight in expressions they understand not , and to be lost in the pursuit of those cloudy notions they cannot reach : when they are alwaies pointing at what they have but small ken of themselves , although they cannot discover them to others . by this the growth of true religion is much hindered in them , and the profit of christian conference much prevented in their meetings , when much is proposed , a great deal talked of , but little gotten , nothing agreed on . there is more advantage to be gotten in one hours conference with him , who understands and will speak of a fundamentall in religion , then in many dayes with those ; for although there lesse may be talked of , there is more discovered . i would have you much in the study of faith , repentance , justification , &c. to that end reade much of the scripture , and of those other good books ( written by godly men ) which god hath holpen this age withall . i could wish ( besides others ) you would be all well versed in that little carechisme i use among the younger people : which although small in bulk , is as full stuffed with sound truths as ever i saw any so closely comprized . enquire after the good old way , and walk in it . the most of our new lights are but old darknesses , which are caused rather by the privation , then the encrease of true light : most of our new truths are but old errours , rising afresh out of the bottomless pit ; the hand of liberty having rouled away that stone , which the arm of government had before laid to stop the mouth of it . beware of controversies that are either above your reach , or lesse necessary to religion : the former may puzzle and perplex you ; the later but disturb and unquiet you : the former often ends in defection from the truth ; the later only in difference and contention among ( seeming ) brethren : by both men are frequently so forced or perswaded from the truth , that if they are not hurried into one , they are cheated into another errour . when peter would prevent peoples falling from their stedfastness , he presses them to grow in grace , pet. . . a low house setled upon a good foundation , will stand longer then an high tottering edifice upon a weak basis . not that i would have you contented with small measures , low statures in grace ; build as high as you will , as you can , only let the foundation be firm and proportionable . . i would beg you to measure all the doctrines you hear by the line of gods word : seeing there are false spirits gone forth into the world , it is good to try the spirits , whether they are of god or not , john . , . it is an evil thing ( in this ) to have mens persons in admiration . if the best of men on earth , if an angel from heaven should bring any other doctrine , then what is left by christ for your direction , let him be anathema . gal. . . charron in his book of wisdom tels us , that every humane proposition is of equal authority , unless reason make the difference . no religious doctrine is of any reputation further then the scripture speaks it true . when mens words are only taken , it 's no hard thing to be deceived : when men beleeve only with a probable faith , they are easily mislead . the apostle bids the thessalonians try all things , because they should {non-roman} {non-roman} {non-roman} {non-roman} {non-roman} hold fast ( as by violence ) what was good , thes. . . what weapon or beast a man hath well proved , he will carefully preserve , when what may be as good ( if he know it not ) may be more easily parted withall . it is a great advantage the devil hath given him , when men hold truth upon too slender grounds , gold and silver is not valued , if not known to be such . children may have gold in their hands , when ( if children , whom you may perswade it is brasse ) it is no hard matter to cheat them out of it . they were children that were tossed to and fro , ephes. . if a stone be loose , although upon a good foundation , it is no difficult thing to remove it : that will most probably continue , which is well fastened . when men pin their faith upon others sleeves , whithersoever those sleeves are stretched out , their faith must follow : when doctrines are judged of by the men that bring them ( be it what it will ) it can only be so prevalent , as the man that vents it is of authority with them that hear it . the corinth . vvere accused as carnal that they pretend , some to paul , others to apollo , cor. . . when yet they were both ministers , v. . ( good god! ) vvhat are they , who are some for this , others for that gifted brother , who are no ministers , only intrude into that office intrusted unto others . thus men best like , and most cry up those preachers who are of that party they most affect , and then the doctrine they bring , whether true or false . this is to judge of things by the men that do them ( a false rule ) and not of men by the things they do . hence the prevailing party hath alwaies most followers , such powerfull preachers can command audience . it is the practice of our late astrologers to gaze only on those stars which are ascendant , and still speak best of those constellations which have the strongest influence , especially if they have but a favourable aspect towards them : whose prognosticks are calculated for the meridians of strength and weakness , of power and impotency . i vvish it vvere not too much the fault of our new-fashioned hearers , vvho love not the light of the brightest star , if not of their party . but i shall hope , and ask better things of you : let truth and falsehood be the cause of your esteem or disrespect of what you hear : let that have best reception with you , which hath most authority from scripture , although least of the power of men vvith it . when false coyn is abroad , all men will look to the money they receive : seeing it hath been foretold , that in the last daies ( vvhich are these ) there should come seducers , and our experience tels us it is fulfilled , let us try before vve trust , and examine the doctrine vve hear , before vve believe it . . i vvould have you suspect , and be shy of whatsoever doctrines please the flesh ; of vvhatsoever it is that indulgeth corrupt nature . flesh and bloud are no more apt to love , then they are able to enter into the kingdom of god : the flesh lusteth against the spirit , and the spirit against the flesh , and these are contrary one to the other , gal. . . it is very unlikely that should be from the spirit , which is delightfull to the flesh . many smooth the way , and widen the gate to heaven , i pray god they lead not people that way to hell . the down-hill passage is most easie . where christ saith , the way is narrow , and the gate is strait that leads to life , mat. . , . he presently subjoyns a seasonable warning ; to take heed of false prophets . the way may be paved with agates , which yet may be painfull to the feet of the traveller ; the gate may be made of diamonds , which yet may be strait in the passage . it hath been the generall practice , and constant sign that god hath given of false prophets , to preach smooth things : they promise peace , jer. . . they seduce my people , saying , peace , when there is no peace , and daub with untempered morter , ezek. . . they see visions of peace , ver. . they sow pillows to all armholes , ver. . they save the souls alive , ver. . they strengthen the hands of the wicked , promising life , v. . it is the duty and delight of true prophets , to promise life , to preach peace to those who are entitled to it . yea they would that the peacefull promises of the false prophets might be fulfilled ; as jer. . . amen , the lord do so , the lord perform the words which thou hast prophesied : but to speak pleasing things to him that lies in sin , is so far from preaching heaven , that it may occasion mens running to hell . what ease , what advantage can it be to godly ministers to threaten judgement against sinners , were it not for gods command , and their profit ? what probability is there , that people should receive advantage by those doctrines that continue their carnall peace ? they were false teachers , who by their lies caused prophane people to reproach the true prophets with the burthen of the lord , jer. . . they thereby refused the words of the true prophets , because they spake of the judgement of god against them : but men that are proclive to sleep need no rocking . let me in the name of the holy god , warn you of any doctrine that favours , or tends to sinfull liberty . indeed christ hath purchased liberty to his saints , but we must not use our liberty as an occasion to the flesh , gal. . . to be christ's freemen and sins slaves at the same time , is impossible . i cannot but wonder at some new preachers , who cry up mercy and grace , as if there were nothing of justice or truth in god at all : who dare promise mercy to sinners , and by their promise of life , strengthen their hands in wickedness ? it is one thing to offer mercy to people upon repentance ; another to promise mercy to them while sinners . it is one thing to hold out christ to them that will receive him ; another , to promise christ to them that refuse him . beware of them , who dare perswade you to a neglect of duty , who by their preaching can intimate it as needless to be pressed , as unnecessary to be practised . if there are impostors under heaven , if there are any upon earth , that bring another gospel then what christ left , these are the men ; who under a pretence of preaching christ and free-grace , brand all those with the name of legal preachers , who but endeavour to convince people of sin , or perswade them to their duty . as if discovering to men their need of christ , were not preaching of christ ; and that the spirit had not been sent by christ , who came to convince the world of sin , joh. . . as if pressing men to the duty the god of mercy requires , were to deny the freenesse of grace ; and that peter had abridged the free grace of god , when he commanded people to repent and be converted , that their sins might be blotted out , act. . . as if there were no difference between duty and desert , between means and merit . there is a vast difference between what god requires as a means , to which ex gratiâ he promiseth a reward , and the doing of a work which ex debito deserves its wages . in this there is a proportion between the work and the reward , yea , the man performing it doth the work by his own strength : but in the other , besides the disproportion between the thing required , and the reward promised ; and besides his love ( in whose power it was ) to impose no harder a task upon us , he that out of grace promiseth the reward , out of the same mercy gives strength to perform the means . so that in this , the doctrine of free-grace is much advanced . can it be thought that man must be only passive in the work of his salvation ? to what end had he a reasonable soul given him , if not to imploy its faculties ( especially ) for that better part which cannot be taken from him ? hezekiah might have been cured without the application of figs : naaman might have been healed without going to jordan , yet the not use of commanded means might have prevented their desired deliverance ( but of that infra . ) it is a pretty observation of learned perkins upon rev. . . if any man will open , &c. mans will is not like a piece of wax , only passive , which without any action receiveth impression ; but as fire , which as soon as it is fire , it burns , and as soon as it burns it is fire . it is the sad effect such preaching hath produced in many hearers ( in some that i dare not but hope wel of ) that they scarcely endure to hear any thing of duty pressed . they can be content to hear of believing as a gospel-duty , but if repentance or obedience be mentioned , that is , what we cannot perform , these are but legal duties . as if believing were less a duty , then repentance ; or that we were of our selves more able to perform one then the other . or as if repentance were less a gospel-duty then believing : when it is manifest that repentance could have no place under the legal covenant . the covenant of works was to do or die : under which , as we are unable to perform , so neither could we be profited by repentance . it is only the covenant of grace through christ that admits repentance . that came in through jesus christ , it was one of the new laws given us by that lord , and then can be nothing else but a gospel-duty . how easie is it for people to mistake ? and then with violence to pursue what through-mistake they propose as good ? like some hotmettal'd doggs , which over-hunting the true sent , are either quite beaten out , or follow what is false . friends ! is duty more out of fashion now than it was ? is it the liberty of christians to be free from gods service ? to be free from sin , was to be servants to righteousness , rom. . . can the encrease of mercy free us from , or should it engage us more to duty ? may i not say to those who are guilty , as paul , gal. . . oh foolish galatians , who hath bewitched you , that you should not obey he truth ? do but observe what an unchristian liberty some have made use of ( even some professors of godliness ) since this doctrine of liberty hath been so much preached : unto what an height of grossest prophaness , of ranting wickedness some have run , who began but at the neglect of duty ! tender consciences would be afraid of such occasions of evil . duty helps to pinnion the wings of the flesh ; take off that pinnion , give the wings but liberty , whither ( short of heaven ) may it not flie ? duty lops off the exuberant branches of the old stock ; neglect that , the sprouts may quickly grow long and thriving . good god! what hardships do not only the ministers , but the truth of christ suffer from men of contrary mindes ? it hath been the ministers work formerly to vindicate their ministry against papists , because not ordained in their sea : it is now their business to uphold their ministry against those , who would null their call , because ( as they say ) received from rome . it was not long since that our great contest was against the pelagians , who from the scriptures pressing duty , would have inferred a power in mans will to perform it : we have now to do with them , who because man hath no power in himself naturally to perform it , would have no duty pressed at all . thus are we ground between tvvo milstones : but neither extream is good , when virtus is in the middle . the truth is , men love not duty , and therefore dislike the pressing it : they delight in sin , and therefore hate the reproving it , they would stand still all the day idle , yet willingly receive the penny , as if they had wrought in the vineyard . ephraim loves to tread out the corn , but not to break the clods , hos . . people are willing to receive the profit , but love not , like not the burthen of the work : they would feed upon the corn of the blessing , but love not the yoke of obedience : love then that preaching best that most discovers your duty ; be willing to perform whatsoever god requires of you : let this prevail with you to set up duty in your families , to practise obedience in your persons : the lord knows how many families there are in which duty was never yet set up , and observes where it hath been begun , but is now neglected . the lord grant that none of you be found in the number of those enemies that will not have christ to rule over them . but because reproving of sin , and threatning judgement against it ; pressing duty upon the people , and promising mercy upon the performance of it , is looked on as so legal , so unsutable to gospel-preaching ; as what too much straitens gods grace , and enlargeth mans power beyond the rule , i 'le lay down some things briefly to vindicate it from all mistakes . . there is less probable deceit , not so much palpable danger in reproving sin , and threatning judgement against it , whereby people are convinced of their misery ; than in holding out large and inconditionate offers of grace , from which men groundlesly may expect mercy . there may be more pain in searching of the wound , but there is less danger ; there may be more ease in skinning of it , but less safety . we finde the scripture very often condemning false prophets for preaching smooth things , promising life , and thereby strengthening the hands of the wicked in sinne ( in many places , as was touched on before , ) but where do we find any prohibition of , or reprcof for an endeavor to convince the people of their sin , that they may afterward be convinced of righteousness ? the scribes and pharisees are said to binde heavy burthens upon others shoulders , mat. . . they pressed a strict observance of the law , a burthen too heavy to be born by mens own shoulders ; but their fault was not in pressing of the law , but in pressing it as a meritorious cause of life , not shewing them the way , how evangelically through christ to perform it . thus to press the law is blame-worthy . but secondly , their fault there reproved was not so much in pressing the law as the rule of obedience , but not practising themselves what they pressed upon others , not walking by the same rule themselves . for you see christ gives it as a charge to people , to obey what they commanded , ver. . whatsover they bid you observe , that observe and do . how often was christ and his apostles in reproving sin , and threatning punishment ! luk. . . . except ye repent , ye shall all likewise perish , cor. . , , . unrighteous , drunkards , extortioners , &c. shall not inherit the kingdom of god , besides many other places . . ( not to name the practice of moses and the prophets , ) it hath been the unquestioned method of christ and his disciples , to presse those duties upon people , which by their own strength they are not able to perform . christ preached repentance , which was not in mans power ( of himself ) to practise , matth. . . john preached it , matth. . . the disciples preached it , mark . . . nay , it was part of the work he prescribed them after his resurtection ; that repentance and remission of sins should be preached to all nations in his name , luk. . . the command peter gave a people unable of themselves to perform it , was , repent and be converted , act. . . surely that 's the best preaching that is nearest the pattern given in the mount ; that is the most gospel-way of teaching , that is most agreeable to christ's method . one upon mark . . ● . calls repentance , the very summ of the preaching of john , of christ , of the apostles . . what duty people are pressed to from the word , it is their sin not to do ; through their own default they are not able to perform . so that if it were for no other end , but to shew gods right that he hath to our obedience , our wickedness that we are not able to practise it , our duty , what we ought to perform , this were sufficient cause of pressing it , and from this good use might be made of it . disobedience to the law is sin , joh. . . it is called {non-roman} {non-roman} {non-roman} {non-roman} {non-roman} . although the observance of duty can deserve no reward , yet the not doing it deserves severe punishment . the great end of god's giving scripture was , to reprove , to instruct , tim. . . what must we reprove if sin must not be spoken of ? what instruction must be given , if duty must not be pressed ? yea , it is intimated , that who would not hear reproof , rebuking , exhortation , would not endure sound doctrine , tim. . , . that people cannot perform what god requires , is from their own defaults : so that it is no injustice in god to require it . god made man righteous , eccles. . . he may justly require according to what he gave , not according to what we have . the master that gave many talents , may require the whole summ , although the servant ( through his idleness ) is not able to pay it . it is meer mercy , that god accepteth according to what a man hath , cor. . . he may in justice require according to what he first gave . . the pressing of duty upon people unable to perform it , is the ordinary , and may prove the efficacious means to enable men to do it . the ninevites repented at the preaching of jonah , mat. . . peter preached repentance , acts . . and some thousands were ( by gods blessing on it ) enabled to perform it , cap. . . the few that were truely chosen , were of the number of them who were outwardly called before , matth. . . i confess the means is not effectual to all , but must it be therefore used to none ? nay , because we know not to whom it may be effectual , therefore it must be used to all , that it may be profitable to those to whom god intends it . people are much mistaken in the pressing of duty , who look upon it onely as a command of obedience , not at all as a means of profit : in the commands of god , there is not only a discovery of duty , but an offer of power and strength to perform it . it were but vain to bid a groveling child arise , which of it self is unable ; but if at the same time i hold forth my hand to help it , it may be a means to raise it . it had been an hard injunction of christ , to bid lazarus arise , when he had been dead four daies and not able to stir : but when the voice carried with it a secret power to enable him , he was able to come out of the grave : it was the angel that stirred the water , whereby the diseased were cured at bethesda ; must not impotent people be advised therefore to go to the pool , because of themselves they could not work the cure ? but where commanded duties are not practised , they leave them without excuse that neglect them . god sent ezekiel to a stubborn people who ( he knew ) neither would nor could practise his commands , that they might know that there was a prophet among them . ezek. . . . duty is not pressed by ministers as a meritorious cause of salvation , but as the condition which god requires in them to whom he will give it . when we have done all we can , we are unprofitable servants , luk. . may not god , who in free love gives the reward , propose what condition he pleaseth ? nay , which is more , he that proposeth the condition , makes people to perform what he requires : ( as was touched before ) which is very plain , ezek. . , . . the result of all is , to beseech you to consider , how they cheat you of the truth , and may deceive you of your souls , who preach the neglect , or needlesness of that duty god commands and will have ( though he himself work it ) in those to whom hee 'l shew mercy : such who call the way easie and broad , which christ calls strait and narrow : that promise life to men in sin , and strengthen the hands of the wicked in their iniquity . . i shall desire you : that you would be more in judging of yourselves , then in censuring others . it is ( now ) a great part of some mens religion , to finde or make faults in others , when they observe not their own : they use spectacles to look on others whereby their faults are multiplied , but endure not a looking glasse to reflect upon themselves that their deformity might be discovered . indeed mens eyes are naturally placed to look outward on others , when they need the help of some reflecting glasse to take an inward view of themselves . but surely there is ( besides nature ) some wicked art , whereby they are holpen , notwithstanding the undiscovered beam in their own eye , to observe so clearly a smaller moth in their brothers . people are so busied to espy faults in other mens houses , that they neglect the cleansing of their own . you may observe others faults privately to reprove , not publickly to reproach a brother : you may take notice of others sins , to be warned by their falls , not to make it an occasion of sinning to you : yet in this , as i would not have you judge them by the reports of others , so neither to measure them by the line of malice . as report like an evil spirit often presents that which never was in substance : so malice like a false glass presents double what is . be chiefly in the examination of your selves , with what face will you reprove others , when your own faults are more eminent ? rom. . , , . a dirty brush seldom makesclean clothes . if your brother be guiltless when you accuse him , it manifests malice , at least too much credulity , if faulty ; yet when you are guilty , it argues too little sincerity . prove your selves , was pauls rule , cor. . . the best christian is most at home ; the best husband is most conversant in his own books . is it that there is not work enough at home , that you are so busie abroad ? is not the sin of your life enough to employ you in the examination of , and mourning for it ? will not the making sure your title to eternal happiness finde you work enough in private ? ( poor souls ! ) if you have not work enough to day , you will be sure to make more before the morrow . observe your own sins , and endeavour to avoid them : mark your own temptations , and endeavour to resist them . let your own tempations make you pitty others if they do fall : let your own aptness to fall plead excuse , if it be but an infirmity : i would not have you too rigid against the ( only ) infirmities of others , yet i would not have you too indulgent toward your own . i would have you do with infirmities , as modest house-wives do with some lesser pieces of sluttery , although they will not endure it in their own , yet they will excuse it in their neighbours house . then shall i think you religious indeed , and that the lord intends good to your souls , when you accuse not others , but your selves ; when your endeavour is more to amend your own , then observe others deformities . i thought to have spoken a word to you about the sacrament , but i have been too long in the porch already , besides , that concerning mine own congregation only , i shall refer it to a more private occasion : you may conceive upon what grounds i administer it ; you know for what reasons i have for some time forborn it ; some of you have been informed what course i am about in our future preparation for it . onely i cannot but observe that those who before made it their argument against us , that we administred it to some , whom we had then no power to debar ; are novv as apt to reproach us , vvhen they think we have as little povver to reform it . but i am comforted in this providence , that i had declared my resolutions about it , before it was objected against us . i see it is hard to be free from blame , when men love to finde fault . all i have now to speak to you , is that you would not turn your back upon the truth . some may neglect the reading , from a want of desire to know truth ; others may cast a way all as false , because not suitable to their fancy . this will prove a lasting record against you , if i shall not now prevail with you . if the preaching of ordained ministers be the ordinance , then wait upon it ; run not up and down after unprofitable teachers ; the prophet jeremiah saith , they shall not profit ( as in the book : ) and one of their great pen-men in part confesseth that they cannot convert , nor beget faith : as shall be shewed in the appendix after it . god ( through his great mercy ) hath not left me wholly without witness ( i mean some seal of my ministry among you ) the lord increase the number , that i may give up mine account with joy . it hath frequently troubled my soul in private , to think what hopefull reformation among us hath been hindred by the false aspersions , and causeless opposition of some : but the lord will require it at their hands . the good god pardon it . beloved , let not such things discourage you ; it is a sign god hath some work to do , where the devil stirs opposition against it . i would beseech you to contend for the faith once delivered to the saints , jude ver. . and with paul , i shall beg you to be stedfast , unmoveable , alwaies abounding in the work of the lord . the lord appear so upon you and me , that we may order our conversation according to his will , that we may all walk that way he hath prescribed us to heaven . that when the great day of account shall come , we may all have our names written in the book of life , which is the earnest prayer of , your affectionate and willing servant in the work of the lord , john ferriby . to the reader . reader ; apologies of ( this nature ) are so customary , that when most sincerely and needfully used , they are judged but complements . the needlesse requests of sturdy beggars make many wanting medicants go without their alms . such is this subject , of which many have spoken so much , and some so well , that it is hard to say any thing that hath not been touched on before ; such my sense of weakness ( of which too much is discovered in this ) that it is hard to say any thing at all worthy . wherefore i might plead sufficient and real excuse , were it not that i fear the excuse it self would again need to be excused : for , if it be fruitful , why should not the sun shine on it , without the gentleman-usher of a complement to bring it forth ? if not , why had not the darkness still covered it ? but there being a kinde of necessity laid upon me , which , although no fair pretence for absolutely unlawfull , may be a just plea for seemingly inconvenient things ; i shall give you a short and inoffensive narrative of the occasion , and then be willing to bear what blame you shall justly lay upon me . in my lecture at epping , which ( at first ) i voluntarily and freely set up , and now ( for sometime ) have constantly and gainlesly maintained ; i lately handled the neglect of the gospel , on heb. . . in which , pressing the congregation to receive the gospel , i gave ( amongst others ) this direction ; ( viz. ) that they would esteem and acknowledge the ministers that brought it : which was urged from thess. . . my reason was , because people seldome receive profit by any message , unless they look upon him as commissioned that delivers it . from this i conceived my self engaged to discover who were commissioned to preach the gospel : not onely because the office of the ministry in these daies , and about that place , hath been so much decried , and that i was so much importuned by godly people to speak something of it , but in regard of the profit people might receive by being satisfied and setled in it : for i am apt to apprehend , that a great cause there is so little profit by hearing of the word , is , that the preaching of it is no more looked upon as an ordinance : this i was resolved , and laboured to do with as much candor , and as little provocation as might be . but before i had finished the subject , some ( i conceive ) through the secret misinformations , and impetuous sollicitations of others , ( who could not deny , yet would not grant what was delivered ) were brought to oppose what i preached : and if it were possible , either by the favourable in sinuations of themselves , and their way , or the harsh misrepresentations of us and our calling , to subvert or prevent the reception of my doctrine . which was attempted not only by a long discourse to the people before i preached but by a short opposition of me after . i told the gentleman ( who spake ) that i conceived he ought not to speak there , unless he were a prophet , nor then unless he had a revelation , nor then but when he may be subject to the prophets : but proffered to justifie what i had delivered , either by a private communication , or a publick printing of my notes ; thinking by that way truth might be examined to more profit , and with lesse passion , than by a tumultuary conference amidst an over-passionate multitude , than by a doubtfull disputation among prejudiced and unknowing hearers . but that was not taken . the next lecture-day the like attempt was made again , there having two spoken successively , before i went into the pulpit . when although i was loth to provoke , yet i was resolved to have accepted any way that could have been proposed as most tending to love and edification , for the debating , and ( if possible ) for the deciding the controversie between us : to which end i had bespoken a notary to prevent present mistakes , and after misreports . but through gods goodnesse we ended peaceably . not yet that i expected to convince engaged men , nor by any such publick dispute to reduce wilfull men ignorantly mislead ( there have been too many sad and fruitlesse examples of such conferences already ) but meerly to prevent their boastings , that we dare not stand an argument ; or a suspition in others , that our cause would not endure a trial . the most peaceable is the most christian way ; where gods honour , not our own interest is intended : that course is most to be pursued , which may probably end in most advantage , in least difference . good corn is best winnowed in a gentle gale , when a blustering winde blowes away chaff and corn too . the high windes of passionate debates oftentimes blow up storms and clouds , seldome produce any clear or fair agreement . upon this i was much strained , i love peace , but i dare not forsake truth . not to print the sermons , besides the inconvenience of misreports already raised , and too readily received about it , were to lye under the suspition of cowardise , and ( with some men ) to yeeld them the victory that never got it ; for although the offer was not taken by them , it might have been objected against me . to print them , besides the discovery of mine own weakness , might produce further contest , which i have no leasure to attend , being sufficiently toyled with the constant labour of three times a week preaching ( besides something else : ) yet i am willing to undertake any task to finde out or discover truth . besides , to hang them upon the same text , would have taken up too much time to transcribe , and would have puzled the reader to have found out the business , i having preached many more sermons upon it : to have tacked them to another , might have given suspition that they were not the same : it is no hard matter to finde or make an accusation . but , which increased my trouble , i was to print , with the same weakness i preached them ; the ear tries words , but the eye observes writings ; what infirmity might pass the sudden hearing of a transient voice , is soon discovered by the more serious view of a discerning eye . had i intended the presse , i might have taken more pains : but i may be sorry , that what was intended only for a private auditory , should now come to publike view ; that what was prepared in so little time ( i am ashamed to say how little ) should now undergo the censure of a more deliberate examination . nor do i conceive it fit to alter them , least that should be objected , if not against the truth of what was printed , yet against the repute of what was preached : and indeed so great was the opposition , and so many have been the false reports about it , that i am willing ( for this ) to let you see what it was i preached . such as they are i commit to your judgement and gods blessing , take them ( i may almost say ) as i preached them ; i have altered nothing of the method , scarcely any thing of the scripture or argument , and but little of the expression ; i remember but one scripture that i have added , nor that added , only again urged in one place , where it was not before . ( what i have added about the oaths that ministers take before their ordination , i tell you of in the margin ; ) i scarcely used then any authors ( which might easily have been done ) but for the illustration of those scriptures i urged ; nor many of them neither , only such which are eminent for piety , which might be easily examined by any that should doubt the quotation , which my short time would afford the search of , and which might not overburthen the auditory , the presse not being then intended : nor have i named any more now ; you shall have it in the same nakednesse , or with very little more covering , then it was first brought forth with . i was constrained to introduce it some other way ( for the reason before mentioned ) but the margin directs to the beginning of the sermons . i have cast it into sections , not to distinguish the lectures , but to help your reading only ; where some little use hath been made , it hath been ( for the most part ) at the end of lectures . i am conscious to my self of many weaknesses , and should sure have blushed to be thus generally observed , had not constraint ( in a manner ) offer'd violence to modesty . i should have been induced rather to have suffered the dishonour of cowardise , in not appearing in the field , then the reproach of insufficiency by a too weak undertaking : but this chiefly relates to mine own person , the other reflects more upon the truth . besides , cowardise can but suffer , he that for fear forsakes one piece of ground at first , may after be quite driven out of the field : whereas weakness may prevail , yea being assisted by the god of strength may get the conquest ; when truth must appear more glorious , and god himself receive much more honour . i shall be glad if i finde ( among men ) rather the loving conjunction of shem's and japhet's shoulders to cover my nakedness , then the open mouthes of cursed hams to proclaim what they discern . sr walter rawleigh mentions some books that speak much , but say little : i would not willingly be reckoned in that number ; if that little i have spoken , may be so much , as to conduce in any measure , to the satisfaction of doubting , the establishment of standing christians , but the least tittle to exalt the truth , and support the ministry of iesus christ ; especially if in these daies , now the axell-tree of the ministeriall function is so much struck at , and begins ( here ) to crack , i might by this providence be made instrumentall , to clap one band to strengthen it , but to put one spoke into the wheel to help it , i should esteem it a superabundant recompence . if you ( good reader ) shall receive any advantage , i will chearfully take the interest of your prayers , for the principle of your profit ; and ( besides ) acknowledge my self your indebted and engaged servant j. f. the lawfull preacher : or a short discourse about the call of ministers , proving , that they onely ought to preach , who are ordained to that service . sect. . disorder seldom ends where it begins ; an inch awry in the foundation , where it 's scarcely discerned , may be a yard before the top stone be laid , when it will be more visible . evil is of a multiplying nature , and needs no other foetation , but liberty , for its production . errour like an ill weed requires nothing more for its infinite encrease then toleration , then not to be plucked up . who would have thought that contempt of the persons , grumbling at the maintenance , would have ended in disputing , yea , denying the office of ministers ? it 's some mens greatest policy , to cast dirt on all hands , that something may stick . it is much if in a large bill , something doth not ( at least ) appear , if not prove true . i shall not stand to justifie their persons , although i could quickly excuse them from many of those scandalous aspersions cast upon them , yet i dare pleade for their calling . what wickednesse is in that ? can that office be evil that is ordained by god himself ? were not the prophets and priests instituted by him under the law ? were not the apostles , prophets , evangelists , pastors , teachers , substituted by christ under the gospel ? and hath not he promised to be with them to the end of the world ? can that calling be unnecessary , which was appointed for the perfecting of the saints , for the edifying of the body of christ ? a desire of dominion is objected against their persons , and ( which is worse ) a title to power is suspected in their offices : what authority god hath entailed upon the office , it is a sin in any to cut off , unless there could be a fine and recovery acknowledged in the court of heaven : and i wish that the accusers of the brethren knew with what unwillingnesse they receive that power others think they affect ; and what a burthen that is to their shoulders , which some conceive they delight in . ye take too much upon you ye sons of levi , is the renewed complaint of corah's successors ; but did not corah , dathan and abiram , the sonnes of belial , take too much upon them too ? was it not only their desire to share in what they pretended evil in others , that was the cause of the outcry ? malice is as blinde as love , they equally , although in a different manner , darken the judgement ; we must never expect right sentence , where passion brings in the evidence , and malice gives in the verdict where malice is in the sediment , a little heat will raise the scum of false accusations , and unjust reports : where that lies under the earth , there will not want an aetna through which to breath forth the flame of railings , or 't will shake the whole island : if that fire be but kindled , it will quickly burst out : when it is resolved the dog must be beaten , is is no hard matter to finde a staff . and truly impotency is a sufficient crime , when violence sits in judgement . when i consider how great the cry , and how little the cause is , how strong the plea , yet how weak the proof is , against the ministry , i can scarcely finde any other sourse of it . i cannot see what accusation zeal , unlesse over-heated with passion ; can bring , nor what strength judgement , unlesse blinded by malice , can reise against it . the anti, trinitarians want a word , the anti-sabbatarians would see a command , the anti-poedobaptists would have some example produced in scripture ( all which are easily answered ; ) but what proving argument the anti-presbyters can urge , who may finde word , precept , practice , and all for the office of ministers , it 's hard to discern ; what they produce shall be spoken to in the following discourse . it is the devils common policy , who was subtle enough in his infancy ; and surely hath lost nothing of his cunning by age and practice , to strike at the foundation of the adverse kingdom , knowing that the building cannot stand long , if that be weakned : sometimes he violently batters , but delights more in secret underminings , not only as what is least discerned , but as what is most conducible to his advantage : the roof may be shattered , the branches may be lopt , when yet the tree may live , and the house stand firm ; but kill the root , take away the foundation , and there will need no farther endeavour to ruine the one or destroy the other . the ministry is one of the great parts of religion's foundation ; this will suddenly fall , if that be rooted out , when there was no king in israel , every man did what seemed him good in his own eyes ; and when there is no priest , nor prophet in israel , every man may offer his own corban , and teach the vision of his own brain . it is observable that satan in his strongest oppositions against religion , hath constantly raised his greatest batteries against the ministers : some have been planted against their repute , others against their maintenance , others against their lives , and others ( which are not the weakest ) against their office , if this were but laid low , the work were half done . luther tells melancthon , if the ministery fall , the kingdom of christ must not stand long : saith christ to peter , vpon this rock will i build my church . it is properly meant of that doctrine , and confession that he made and preached : surely the apostles ( in whose name he spake , ) and their successors have a share in the work . hence it is said , that the gentiles when drawn nigh by the bloud of jesus , are built upon the foundation of prophets and apostles , jesus christ being the chirf corner stone , eph. . , it was not peter's person on which the lord christ promised to build his church ; but in hac catholicae fidei confessione statuo fideles ad vitam , upon the confession he made . nor is it the persons of the prophets and apostles called here the foundation , but the doctrine preached by them , which ambrose cals the old and new testament . it is the constant practice of the mahumetans , to have their mu●●i in great reverence , for it is a received principle among them , that no one thing preserves and improves religion more , then a venerable high esteem of their chiefest ministers . i would christians were not ( in this ) lesse christian . upon the like ground it may be conceived , that s. paul commands the thessalonians , that they would know them that are over them in the lord , thes. . , . and esteem them very highly for their works sake , ( that ye know , ) indeed the vulg. lat. renders it , ut noveritis , but beza translates it , ut agnoscatis , that ye acknowledge them : it is {non-roman} {non-roman} {non-roman} {non-roman} {non-roman} , which zanchius explains , to acknowledge , and reverently to esteem them as their fathers and ministers . the english word is used in the same sense , mat. . . which place i find urged both by beza and zanchy , to prove their exposition of this ; i know you not , i never acknowledged or knew you as mine . that you very highly esteem them in love , {non-roman} {non-roman} {non-roman} {non-roman} {non-roman} : some reade it more abundantly , others exceedingly : the word is very significant : i doubt whether it may please to give the full signification of it it is ( as a critick ) exceedingly , yea : more then exceedingly ; it is as if you would say excessively . beza renders the same expression in another place , suprà quàm redr●danter . which yet is not referred especially to an admiration of their persom , nor chiefly to an esteem of their gifts ( although both of these are required in the text , ) but to the respectfull acknowledgement of their ministery , they coming in the name , and by the authority of god ; for it is {non-roman} {non-roman} {non-roman} {non-roman} {non-roman} , ( in the lord : ) which beza and zanchy both refer to their ecclesiasticall office : but diodate glosseth it ( in the lord ) ( i. e. ) in the name , by the commission and authority of the lord . he well knew that if the messenger were sleighted , the report would not be received . he derides the embassie , that looks not on the deliverer of it as commissioned . is not this the carpenters son ? was that which prevented the beleeving of christ's word . when ( at other times ) they looked upon him as a devill , they were unlikely to hearken to him as a god . he casteth out devils through beelzebub . it was no wonder that the proud men rejected jeremiah's meslage , when they could say , god hath not sent him . i know nothing that more powerfully preventeth the efficacy of the gospel , then disputing their commission , denying their office that bring it . limbs of antichrist , are unlikely to be christs messengers ; it is not probable , that the tail of the beast should be emploied in gods service . sect. ii. but the great objection is : that those who thus labour in the lord , and are thus highly to be esteemed , are not the black-coated ministers , ordained by men , furnished with learning at the universities , to neglect them is not to refuse messengers of god : nor is it to sleight the gospel , to cast off what they preach . but for answer , what is spoken against their coats , reflects upon their function ; not the colour of their cloth , that is not worth a reply any further then as it will fall under the other afterward . that they are ordained by men ( me thinks ) cannot injure them : many mistake the matter , and therefore ignorantly cry out against the use of ordination . it is not to infuse new , gifts , it is only to try their gifts formerly acquired , whether they are ( therein ) competently qualified for such an office . can this be hurtfull ? who , unlesse such as dare not stand a triall , would not desire the approbation of judicious men in a service of that importance , were it not otherwise necessary ? a modest spirit , a tender conscience will be rather apt to suspect , then cry up self-ability , when it remembers paul's question , who is sufficient ? it is not to send any forth contrary to gods minde , or whom god would not have sent , ( as far as men can discern ; ) but to set thosé apart for the work , whom they judge god hath sent to labour in his vineyard . can this lessen their gift , or render their persons more offensive ? that they have their learning at the university , i am apt to think should not make them lesse able : if by learning they intend that especiall gift of grace , whereby they are supernaturally furnished with abilities , experimentally to divide the word aright , they are mistaken ; but if they mean that skill in arts and sciences , knowledge of tongues , which although acquired by the use of means ; yet are the common gifts of god , this must rather help then unfit them for the ministry . are any gifts of god to be contemned ? can any gift of god unfit men for service ? shall the gifts of fortune ( so called ) be imbraced , and shall the gifts of the minde , which are more excellent , be accounted lesse worthy ? it is fit the mistresse should rule in the house ; yet the hand-maid may be serviceable . befides , they who object this against ministers , learn to reade english at home ( although i do not know whether all that undertake to be preachers are so well learned , yet ) i beleeve few will judge him sufficiently qualified for a minister who cannot reade english . they learn to reade the bible as it is translated , others learn it in the originall : can this indispose them to that work ! it was but a false conceit of a wicked man , that much learning made paul mad . if learning be good and usefull , then the more the better ; there cannot be excesse of what is good in it self : a good thing may be abused , but if good , the measure cannot be offensive ; the nearer to perfection , the better it must be still . but these things , as they are of little strength , so i use but little force to repell them ; i shall hasten to the main businesse , which is of greater concernment . only ( in transitu ) if it be proved that the preaching of ordained ministers only be the ordinance ; then it will follow , that to neglect them , is to refuse the gospel : but that i shall labour to prove presently . then i must tell you , that although other may speak pleasing things , they only can in christs stead beseech you to be reconciled ; although others may take pains , they only labour among you , and are over you in the lord . although others may promise salvation , they only can preach the gospel . hence i conceive it is that paul cals it his gospel , rom. . . according to my gospel . which is ( in diodates words ) according to the gospel of which i am a minister . it is christs gospel as given by him , as through him life is offered in it ; it was pauls gospel as it was preached , as it was promulgated by him : it is ( in a sense ) their gospel , who have authority from god to preach it . the most strict threatning of a private person to another ; that he shall return to the place whence he came , thence to the place of execution , and there shall hang till he die , is but vain and ridiculous ; when the same words out of the mouth of an authorized judge , are the dreadfull sentence of death . not is the promise of life to a condemned person at all esteemed from him that hath no power to give it ; when the same promise from him who is commissioned for the service , is certain life . i shall now then labour to prove , that the ordained ministers only are those who ( by the apostles command ) are to be highly esteemed , and that to neglect them and their preaching is to neglect the gospel . which i professe , i undertake not out of any love to controversie , nor any desire to exalt my self or function , above the rule of jesus christ ; but ( being through an unexpected providence brought to it ) out of a desire , if not to reduce the mislead , yet to establish those that yet stand ; especially receiving their entreaties about it , and observing their endeavours to seduce them . the method i propose in the handling of it , is , to shew you . . that those who preach must be called or sent to that service . . that this sending or calling is not only a gifting of men ; but ( besides that ) a setting them apart for that office . . what calling or setting men apart for this office , the scripture ordinarily mentions . . i shall answer those most proving arguments that are urged against it . sect. iii. . those that preach must be called or sent for that work . to this purpose is the exposition ( i before gave you ) of those words ( in the lord ) thes. . . in the name , by the authority and commission of the lord . but other scriptures are plain , rom. . , . how shall they preach except they be sent ? the apostle speaks of that preaching that begets faith , faith comes by hearing . it is very observable , how the lord seems to hang the salvation of people instrumentally upon the preaching of sent or called ministers . praier depends upon beleeving , beleeving upon hearing , hearing upon a preacher , and preaching upon sending , how can they preach ? the interrogation doth vehementius negare , they cannot preach . are they not able to speak some things the word holds out ? can they not exhort to what god commands , and reprove the acting of what god forbids ? yes , but they cannot preach authoritatively unlesse sent . so ver. . hearing is by the word of god . some expound this of the matter of the word : but then it should have been another word in the originall ; {non-roman} {non-roman} {non-roman} {non-roman} {non-roman} not {non-roman} {non-roman} {non-roman} {non-roman} {non-roman} ( as beza critically , yet well observes ) and without a praeposition ; but it is {non-roman} {non-roman} {non-roman} {non-roman} {non-roman} , which he explains by the command of god , that faith cometh by hearing that word which is preached by the command of god ; and takes this verse but as a compendium of what was spoken before . but what need we trifle in expositions , when the word is so clear ? in how many places doth god complain of them that preach , yet are not sent ; that run , yet he sent them not ? ier. . . they prophesie , but god sent them not . so ( besides very many other places ) ier. . , . it is the observation of one , he is a false prophet , not only that teacheth lies , but that teacheth without a commission , whether the thing he speaks be true or false . there are many things worth marking in that of ier. . would i stand upon them : they cause the people to erre , verse . if the leader command without a warrant , the people may wander besides their path : nor doe i know in all the ages of the church , that error ever marched more victoriously into the world , then under the conduct of uncommissioned leaders . the barrell never runs more profusely to the intoxicating of the drinkers , then when the tap is in the hand of ( no true butler , but ) an intruding stranger . they strengthen the hands of evill doers ver. . . never were the hands of men more strengthned in their wickednesse , then by the peacefull deceitfull preaching of unsent teachers . they speak the vision of their own hearts , verse . who pretend more to strange revelations , make more use of their own fancies , and lesse of gods word , then those that make use onely of their own power to call themselves to that office ? they steal my word , everyone from his neighbour , vers. . either they take some parts and pieces of true prophecies , that they might the better vent their false ones : men put off ill commodities best , under the mixture of some good with them . the devill deceives with lesse suspicion , when his false mouth is filled with mixtures of some of gods truths ; children are most easily cousened into the taking of bitter seeds , under the covert of sweet plummes . or else they steal ( as diodate glosseth it ) they fraudulently take upon them to preach the word , and steal from the called prophets all authority and credit . never was the authority and credit of faithfull ministers more weakned , then by the pretended authority of unsent teachers . paul was never put more to justifie his ministery , then when the false apostles laboured to steal away his repute among the people , they shall not profit this people , verse . here is the cause that people hear so many uncommissioned preachers with so little profit : the lord will not blesse their labour ; he hath hang'd a curse upon it , as once upon the fruitless fig-tree , never fruit grow more on it . there 's but one thing more , the evil effect of it ; the people shall say , the burthen of the lord , verse . ( i. ) the prophane people encouraged through their lies , leaning on the pillows sowed by them under their elbows , were apt to accuse the true prophets for preaching the burthen of the lord against them ; they would scoff at , and despight the faithfull servants of god , as speaking of curses and threatnings ; as if that had been none of their message , or they not the persons to whom they belonged . was ever this text made good , and is it not this day fullfilled in our ears ? but to return , tim. . . the apostle complains of those that creep into hanses . they go in by stealth , and they work by subtilty . the lawful shepherd enters in at the door ; they are but sneaking pastors , who come without a key , who run without a commission , that creep into houses : of what sort these were ye may see vers. , . he calleth them seducers , ver. . he compares them to jannes and jambres , who were some of those magicians , that opposed moses in his working of miracles , in which these are not unlike them ; for they resist the truth . look over the whole book of god , and then tell me whether you can finde the example of any that thrust themselves into this office , either of priesthood under the law , or of ministery under the gospel without sharp reproof from god . will the example of vzzah prevail , who out of an honest intention but attempted what belonged to the priests office only , yet was severely punished ? or will the fierce wrath of god upon corah , dathan , and abiram affect you , who upon a fair pretence ( that all the congregation was holy ) would have thrust themselves into the offices they were not called to , on whom the earth opened and swallowed them up ? they who exalt themselves above their measure , were cast down below their expectation . think you that aaron might make himself a priest ? if you view him , you would judge him a fit man ; yet he would not adventure without a call . noman taketh this honour unto himself . heb. . . or suppose you that christ might put himself into the office of the priesthood ; and surely i know not who should attempt it , if he might not : yet he would not glorifie himself to be made an high priest , hebr. . . he , as he was man , did not put himself into the office , but was called to it by the everlasting father , who said , thou art my son , yea , he was made a priest after the order of melchisedech : the apostle there answers an objection that might be made against christs priesthood , because he was not of the tribe of levi ; therefore he tells you what call he had , he was of the order of melchisedech : for no man taketh this honour ; it is {non-roman} {non-roman} {non-roman} {non-roman} {non-roman} , which is often used to used take by violence , as iob. . . ( and as a critick referring it to this place ) it is spoken of callings and offices : such must not be taken by violence , but received by a call . much more might be spoken of this , but that will refer properly to the next thing ; i hope it is manifest that there must be a call . whence else is it , that they are said to be made over-seers over the flock of god by the holy ghost , acts . ? saith apostle concerning christ , to which of the angels said he at any time ; this is my son , this day have i begotten thee ? i may say , unto what unsent minister , or or self-made prophet , did god at any time say , take care of the flock , feed the church of god , over which the holy ghost hath made you over-seets . besides , which i wonder at , those who think men may run without a call into this office , ( or rather employment , for it scarcely now acknowledged an office ) will pleade for a call , a commission for any other undertaking : strange i that this which is the most excellent imployment , should be adventured on with the least warrant : as if god had only neglected his own service : or rather that men were resolved to be carefull of himself when gods work shall be carelesly undertaken . he must not sit in the place of a judge , that hath no commission , but is guilty of murther that puts a man to death ( be the cause what it will ) without just authority . the common souldier will not receive the commands of his fellow , onely of a commissioned officer ; nor will one officer take the word of command from another , unlesse by order he be impowred to give it : nay , in your cities , men are not suffered to manage a trade , but after serving an apprentiship , and being made free of the company . such are generally conceived to have least skill , and to sell the worst wares , and then pernicious to societies . and is the ministery the only office to be run upon without a call ? again , if one man may go without sending , why not another ? why not more ? why not all ? else what number is assigned , and what measure of gifts is competent ? truly , people love the power of heads , would cast off the subjection of members : so then , we should have all priests , and no people ; all teachers , and no hearers ; all the members would become head ; all the flock would be over-seers , and at last none left to be overseen but by their own eyes . how then should men fear and tremble that dare take this honour to themselves ; who go without a call , run without a commission ; who go not in at the door , but creep into houses , who need no other power but their own to make them preachers ! i mean such , who have no flock to oversee , but go from place to place venting their errours , sowing their seeds of heresie ; as if there were no duty well done , nor any office well discharged , where their gift is not exercised . indeed there is among wiser and more religious men , dispute about the call , which i shall speak to afterward ; but what must we think of those who pretend to no call at all , but what their gifts , which they call extrordinary , confer upon them ? such ( me think ) should fear the judgement of god , who speak in his name , yet have of his authority . christ sends forth his disciples as sheep among wolves , but then promiseth to be with them ; whom he sends he is engaged to defend ; but what protection can they expect , who have none of his commission ? nay , how should people that fear the lord be afraid to run after such teachers ; not only in that they countenance , and say god speed to them that are not in gods way , and then may partake of their plagues : as numb. . . . but in that their doctaine is dangerous ; they make people to erre ; the leaven of their doctrine is to be avoided . such as steal into trades , sell for the most part but false wares ; they would not be unwilling to stand a trial , if their intentions were honest in their undertakings . nay , although they speak good things , yet they shall not profit the people ( ut suprà . ) as there is no protection promised to their persons , neither is there any blessing promised upon their labours . but the next thing will further illustrate this ; which is , sect , iv. . this calling or sending , is not only gifting of men , but ( besides that ) a setting them apart for that work . were the consent of churches , and their practice , or the opinions of single men at all available with the opposers of the ministers call , how many might quickly be produced : but i know these , if urged would be rejected , and therefore i shall not put you to the trouble of a refusall ; scripture-practice being chiefly pretended to by them , scripture-rule shall be my way of trial . ( if gifting be calling ; it must be either ordinary or extraordinary . it is not an ordinary call , for the scripture speaks of another way of setting men apart ordinarily for this service ( as will be proved afterward . ) nor is it an extraordinary calling ; although if it were , it would not at all help our uncalled preachers ; for as it is not our businesse here to handle extraordinary cales , so neither is it our wisedom now to expect extraordinary callings . extraordinary sending is either , when in the primitive times god did by his immediate command send out whom he pleased to that service ; yet then there was an act of sending different from the work of gifting of them ( as will appear presently : ) this i beleeve our gifted brethren will not pretend to ; if so , let them discover their mission . or when in the first erecting or re-building of churches , where an ordinary call cannot be had , men are called out by an extraordinary power of god upon their spirits for this work . perkins saith , extraordinary only take place , where ordinary is not to be had : yea , it must afterward , when the church shall be setled , receive ordination in an ordinary way . this our opposers cannot plead , because among us an ordinary call is to be had ; ( which if they suspect , i shall shew them in the third thing . ) or , when there are some extraordinary gifts conferred to enable men for this employment . extraordinary gifts , i mean not comparatively only , when some have better gifts then others ; or then ordinarily men of that place and breeding have , some may have a better genius , may be more industrious , may have more advantages then others ; but such which are given in an extraordinary manner , as the extraordinary gift of prophesying , the miraculous gift of tongues , when there hath been no ordinary means used for the acquiring of them : the immediate gift of working miracles , which were given in those daies , not only to enable them for their work , but ( besides other reasons ) to manifest and declare their calling . which is conceived to be the reason of that extraordinary gift which is called prophesying , not preaching ( as is now pretended ) that was given to the seventy , numb. . but of this more in its place . nor do i think that those who talk of great gifts , will acknowledge them thus extraordinarily bestowed . some of them indeed are scholars , have ( besides other learning ) the gift of tongues , but it is by ordinary means acquired ; although they may by false pretences delude common people , yet let any of the best gifted men make it appear that they received that or any other gift extraordinarily : they may speak good matter , and well manag'd , and so be cried up for excellently gifted men , when they have gotten their abilities , but by the same way others have gotten theirs ; then where is the wonder ? i wish that subtle jesuites , learned priests , come not under a grey cloak , or a blue apron , and so pretend to an extraordinary gift . for it is observable , that most of our grossest errours , that have been so plentifully vented , have been first broached in such meetings : which for the most parttend to arminianism , or libertinism , fit leaven for popery . others have no extraordinary gifts at all , have scarcely common gifts , they are so far from having the gift of many tongus , that they know not how to use their mother tongue properly ; nay , those petty gift-lings they have , they have acquired by some like endeavour of reading , hearing or conferences . i know no more then ordinary gift they have , unlesse it be of impudence and confidence . but yet more clearly to handle this thing ; that gifting is not sending : i shall do it in some few particulars . . the scripture puts a difference between gifting , and sending men for the work of the ministry : those who were qualified with abilities , were commissioned ( besides ) before they undertook that service . there is a difference between {non-roman} {non-roman} {non-roman} {non-roman} {non-roman} , which is collatio donorum ; and {non-roman} {non-roman} {non-roman} {non-roman} {non-roman} , which is collatio potestatis , ( as is distinguished : ) the former makes a man able to preach , the other gives him authority to preach ; there may be abilities , where there is no commission , and there may be a commission where many qualifications may be wanting . there is a text much urged by ( almost ) all that handle this thing ; but because something may be spoken against it , i shall lay no stresse upon it : ( viz. ) act. . , . yet me think it plainly intimates a difference the scripture owneth between gifting and sending : barnabas and saul were gifted before , but they must be set apart for the work to which god had called them . but other scriptures are plain . when god sent the prophet isaiah to preach to the people , he first gifted him , he afterward gave him his commission , isa. . , , , , . he touched his lips with a coal from the altar ; thereby he was qualified : but afterward he received his authority to exercise his gifts , when he bid him go and tell this people : nay isaiah would not run till god sent him , ver. . judicious perkins interprets this to be giving him his authority to preach . nor do i see what other unforc't exposition can be given of it . but lest the old testament ( being almost out of fashion ) should disrellish , we will see what evidence the new will give us . if christs own method in calling his disciples may be sufficient testimony , you will see , that gifting for , and sending them to execute the work were two distinct acts , mat. . , . he gave them power against unclean spirits , to cast them out , &c. ver. . there he gifted them : but afterward he bids them , go , preach , saying , the kingdom of heaven is at hand ; heal the sick , cleanse the leper , &c. ver. , . there he gave them authority to do what he gave them power to do before , ver. . yea , when their work was encreased , their commission was enlarged too , math. . go teach all nations , baptizing them , &c. we reade not that they preached till they received commission , nor that they went to any people , but who were comprehended in it . timothy had a gift conferred by god , and discovered by prophecy , yet he was set a part for the office by the imposition of hands , tim. . . the gift was given by prophecy ( i. e. ) it was discovered in a prophetick manner , that he should be a minister ; yet notwithstanding so eminent a declaration of gods minde , there was the laying on of the hands of the presbytery , which diodate cals a sign of consecration and blessing . how many places might i name , where the apostle speaks of ordaining elders in the churches , which plainly evidenceth ( besides gifting of them ) a setting them apart for the service as tit. . . act. . , . besides other places ; but it is better to speak enough then all . shall i go one step farther , and then shew you , that jesus christ himself was fitted for the service he came about , yet was sent by his father : although he was gifted , yet he would not go till he had his fathers commission , heb. . . he had a body prepared him , he was fitted to offer sacrifice , and so to perform his fathers will , but yet he would not take the honour to himself to be made an high-priest , heb. . . hence it is you finde him speak so much of his being sent by his father , in many places of john's gospel . yea , he tels his disciples , as my father sent me so send i you , joh. . . it is agreed by most , that to a faithfull preacher , there are two things required ; there must be gifts and abilities for the work , and there must be authority and power to exercise those gifts ; the one is from man ordinarily , the other from god . paul seems to favour this distinction , where he opposeth the call of god to the call of man , gal. . . paul an apostle , not of men , nor by man , but by jesus christ . i know not what glosse or interpretation can be put upon this , but what will prove that there must be a calling , and this calling not only extraordinary from god , as it was in him , but that there is a calling from man , which can be no other , but commissionating or setting apart . thus perkins glosseth it . not of men , he was not called by men as the only authours of his call , not only by the authority of men : in this he opposeth himself to the false apostles , who might have an outward call only from men , but had none from god at all . nor by man , he was not called of god , by the ministery of meer man ; in this he opposeth himself to ordinary ministers , who might have an inward call from god , but it was by mans ministry ; they were set apart for it by man . to the same purpose beza observeth a difference between the praepositi {non-roman} {non-roman} {non-roman} {non-roman} {non-roman} and {non-roman} {non-roman} {non-roman} {non-roman} {non-roman} , of men , and {non-roman} {non-roman} {non-roman} {non-roman} {non-roman} , by man ; the one intimates the authority we receive from him in whose power it is to make ministers , ( which perkins before cals the author of our call ; ) the other a ministerial setting apart for the office . to this agrees the exposition of calvin , not of men ; as wicked ministers only are , who have no other call then what man can give them . for as no man must take that office to himself , fo neither must any else put whom they please into the office ; the harvest is gods , and such only must be labourers there which are of his sending . nor by man ; which was to distinguish his apostleship from ordinary ministers ; he being an apostle , was called by christ immediatly ; and after he saith , that this calling by man is the usuall way of choosing ministers . very much further goes calvin , if those who are curious will search him . what need i tell you of matthias his being sat apart for the apostleship in the place of judas ? act. . . he was qualified by god , nor could the falling of the lot drop any encrease of gifts into him , but the lot must be given , that he may be thereby designed , and set apart for the office : it was indeed an extraordinary way of setting him apart , but the reason of that was , because it was to an apostleship , to which the calling was different ( as was newly said ) from the ordinary call of pastors and teachers . but my businesse ( in this ) is not to shew what way men are set apart ( that belongs to the next thing , ) it is sufficient for me here to prove that there is ( besides gifting ) some or other setting apart for this service ; i shall do the other afterward . besides i finde a frequent distinction made in scripture , between the gifts of private christians , whereby they may be able to edifie one the other ; and of others who have received the ministry . the romanes were full of goodness , filled with all knowledge , able also to admonish one another , rom. . . yet they were not hereby authorised to preach presently , but paul had the grace given to him of god , to be the minister of christ to the gentiles , vers. . the thessalonians were commanded to edifie one another , thes. . . yea , they must warn the unruly , comfort the feeble-minded , support the weak , vers. . this could not be done without a treasury of gifts , yet they were not to be exercised in a ministeriall preaching ; for at the same time they must know them that labour among them , and are over them in the lord , and esteem them highly &c. ver. , . they must not quench the spirit , vers. . which zanchius expounds in one sense , of quenching the spirit of the ministers by discountenancing and discouraging them . nor despise prophesying , ver. . yet further , i finde there is much stresse in scripture laid upon mens outward call to an office , by which they receive their designation and commission to execute it . when christ taught in the temple , and none doubted his abilities , that they could not quarrel with him for them , the chief priests and elders questioned his authority , that they might finde an occasion of contempt for want of that , mat. . . by what authority dost thou these things , and who gave thee this authority ? it was spoken only of his outward call to it . nay christ himself commands people to obey evill ministers , who , although wicked men , yet having an outward call , must be hearkned to , mat. . , . the scribes and pharisees fit in moses chair , all therefore they bid you observe , that observe and do : there is a strong emphasis in the illative therefore , because they sate in moses chair , and ( in calvins words ) were publike preachers of the law , they must be hearkned to in what they spake from the law . probably christ could have divided the land with more equity , and lesse partiality , then an authorized judge ; yet having no call to it , although in a lesser businesse then in the work of the ministry , he would not meddle , only ●o nomine , as not being commissioned , who made me a judge ? luke . . . all who have gifts must not preach ; the work of a minister is only to be performed by him who is called to the office , it is unlawfull in others . preaching of the word is one part of the ministers office , but all that have gifts must not perform it , for it is forbidden to women to speak in the church , cor. . . who ( it may be ) many of them have better gifts then some of those that think themselves sufficiently gifted for it . whatsoever the practice of some women in some places is , the scripture must be our rule , which will not permit it . administring the sacraments is another peece of a ministers work , but this only gifted men cannot perform , they are not sacraments as administred by them , the same commission whereby christ authorized his disciples to preach , gave them power to baptize too , mat. , . go , teach all nations , baptizing them , &c. this the apostles practised : the whole ministry of john is named under baptism : matth. . . the baptism of john whence is it ? it is meant of the ministery of john . but those who through their gifts deem themselves sufficient to preach , will not judge themselves fit to administer the sacraments . yet the apostle looks upon preaching as the greater service , cor. . . i am not sent to baptize , but to preach . it is spoken there comparatively , preaching the gospel was his chief and greatest businesse . the performance of the outward act is not to administer a sacrament , if he be not called to the office that executes it . it hath been received among the churches of christ , that if a person be baptized by one called to the office , although an evill man , or his call not right in every circumstance , it shall stand ; if a papist who hath been formerly baptized , should be converted to the true religion , he should not be baptized again ; whereas baptism administred by a midwife , or only some gifted person , is no baptism , the person must afterward be baptized by an officer . a gifted member may give you bread to eat , and wine to drink , but it is only a minister that can administer the sacrament . a gifted person may sprinkle water upon the face of a childe , but it must be a minister only that can baptize in the name of god ; and ( if i may speak it ) a gifted brother may speak good things , but it 's a minister only that can preach the gospel . it is another part of a ministers businesse to binde and to loose , joh. . . it was spoken to the disciples , which is only declarative , not that they have power to for give sins ; but surely gifted men , who were not called to the office , will not undertake this imployment , to binde and loose . this is the second proposition . , christ hath set officers in the church , for the work of the ministery , which are distinct from the flock to whom he hath committed the word of reconciliation . christ gave these as gifts to men when he ascended , he left some apostles , some evangelists , some prophets , some pastors , some teachers , eph. . , . he toucheth the principall and publike offices of the church , whereof the three first were extraordinary for those primitive times , and the two last ordinary and perpetual . it is a good note of zanchius , that these gifts should be used to preserve , not to destroy the churches union , ( what christ's end in giving then was , is manifest , v. , for the work of the ministry , for the perfecting of the saints , for the edifying of the body of christ . how can gifted brethren take to them any of these titles , unlesse they be in the number of those officers ? how can they dare perform any of this work , unless they are called to some of these functions ? for these officers , are distinct from the flock : edifying of the body of christ , feeding of the flock , was the great end of their being given ; it is certain that all the body of christ , yea every member of the body hath some gifts , if that will sufficiently authorize them to be teachers , ( when the scripture hath proposed no measure , ) what body would there be left to edifie ? besides , the holy ghost is said to make them overseers over the flock , act. . . and to fied the church of god ; who must be fed , or what of the flock must be overseen , if every gifted member may be a teacher , may become a pastor ? nay , to them is committed the word of reconciliation , cor. . . surely every gifted member will not pretend to this , that the word of reconciliation should be committed to them . nor can it be thought that those officers were all of them ( as some ) only temporary , that they were constituted for the primitive times only ; for the promise of christ to his disciples is to be with them to the end of the world , mat. . . which could not be restrained only to the persons of the disciples , who were so far from living till the end of the world , that being sent forth as sheep among wolves , they might rather expect a sudden dissolution . . i 'le but adde this . the names christ gives to his ministers , are such , which belong only to them , who besides their abilities to perform the work , must have some other call to authorize them to undertake and execute it . they are called watchmen , ezek. . . i have set thee a watch-man to the house of israel . it 's no hard matter to perform the office of a watch-man , but he must be appointed to it by some superiour officer that executes it . it is lawfull , it is a duty in him to stop , to examine , to secure , when the same acts in another may be suspicious , felonious , and so punishable . they are called embassadors , cor. . . it is the commission , not abilities , that makes a man an embassador : another man may have better gifts , be of greater fitnesse for the employment ; but he only that hath a deputation for the service , is received , and hath audience . they are called overseers , act. . , it is not for every man that is able to oversee the will or estate of others ; they only can do it , who by some deed or commission are impowred to undertake it , when others may have more skill , and no lesse fidelity . nay ( tremendum quiddam ) they must so oversee the flock , that they may give an account for their souls , heb. . . is there any such charge given to , or under-taken by those unsent teachers , who love to be seen in exercising their gifts , not to be observed in taking care of souls ; who delight to scatter their bread ( if i may call it so ) where they have most followers , but have no flock to feed ? i could shew you that they are called stewards , elders , rulers , ministers , but what is already said is sufficient . which laid to the rest , i hope will even extort an ingenuous acknowledgement from all un-prejudiced , disengaged persons , that onely gifting of men is not a sufficient calling of them to the work of the ministery , but besides that there must be a setting them apart for that service : and then by consequence , that the preaching of such men is no ordinance of gods making . sect. v. oh that this might prevail with you ! if this be true , how are they mistaken , that so lowdly cry up gifted men for the only preachers ! be their gifts what they will , or ( in these daies ) can be , were they far beyond the greatest abilities of ordained ministers , yet if they are not otherwise set apart for the service , if not ( besides that ) called to the office , they are not lawfull preachers . but what must we think of those who have but few or small gifts , whose greatest gift is to talk of gifts ? the gifts of tongues , of prophesying , were extraordinary gifts conferred upon those who were extraordinarily called , but these have scarce ordinary gifts : vtsuprà . nay , which is the wonder , when others whose gifts are far greater and better ( who might be followed , and admired for their parts if they were not ministers ) shall be neglected , these * donatilists shall be cried up and honoured , when that which should be the cause of their esteem , shall be the occasion of their contempt ; when what indeed is the badge of their honour ( i mean that they are ministers ) shall be the mark of their reproach . when i consult the frame of some mens spirits , who after the acquisition of some gifts , and their approbation too , yet suspect and doubt their sufficiency , who after a lawfull call , yet tremble to think of the work , who could with desire ( did not conscience forbid , and gods frequent assistance support ) lay down their office , desert the service : when i think of chrysostom's burthen , and latimer's joy in laying down his bishoprick , and which is yet more , the warning that paul hath fastened upon the door-posts , {non-roman} {non-roman} {non-roman} {non-roman} {non-roman} , who is sufficient ? i am amazed to consider their confidence , who think it a light thing to speak in gods name ; who can without triall judge themselves sufficient for such a service , and without fear ( i had almost said wit too ) undergo such a burthen . more arguments i might have given , drawn from the disorder , heresie , the greater inconveniences that may follow upon such evill ; but such things might not take : multitudes of authors i might have quoted to confirm it , ancient and modern ; yea , ( as they are called ) presbyterian and independent , but this ( with some ) might be of no weight ; i was resolved to build all my strength upon that foundation which might not be denyed . all then i shall say to such , is what the scribes and pharisees said to christ upon his preaching in the temple ; by what authority do you these things , and who gave you that authority ? or as basil said to the steward of caesars house , abusing the scripture to defend arminianism ; look you to your masters businesse , let the work of the gospel alone . it were well such men would walk in the callings in which god hath set them , and use the gifts they have within the compasse god hath prescribed them . i would not be thought by this to condemn or deny the use of the best , or meanest gifts of any christian ; as there is place for the meanest gifts to be exercised , so there is room enough for the greatest gifts to be employed within the compasse of a mans calling : i would have the smallest spark of fire blown up , nor would i have the greatest flame to be quenched , if it may be usefull , but i would have them both burn within the chimney ; he is no enemy to the use of fire that would not have it burn the house . a small spark out of its place will quickly threaten , a violent flame will sooner produce destruction upon the whole fabrick . water is usefull and profitable , when within its bounds ; but dangerous and pernicious if it once break out beyond them . men may have families to instruct , children and servants to teach , who yet may not have the over-sight of the flock committed to them : they may have neighbours to reprove , friends to comfort , who yet ought not to go into the pulpit to preach . i could wish that christians gifts were yet greater , yea , i should be glad , that ( as moses said ) in this sense , all the lords people were prophets ! would they but thus manage their abilities , would they but edifie one the other , warn the unruly , comfort the feeble-minded , support the weak ( which are the common duties of christians , thes. . . ) they might finde sufficient use for their gifts within the bounds of their calling . men may finde work enough at home , without running out of their places to exercise their parts , were they far greater then they are . i shall apply what the apostle speaketh , and so fitly use for my purpose what others object against what hath been spoken , pet. . . as every one hath received the gift , so let him administer the same , & . but it is in respect to the gift men have , and the calling they are in ; private persons in their places , according to the liberty god hath given them ; publike officers in their function according to the injunction god hath laid upon them . for the place doth not intimate that every one that hath any gift should preach presently , but ( chiefly ) that he who is a preacher should be faithfull and painfull in his ministry ; that in season and out of season he should wait upon his office . there is a vast difference between the only charitative admonitions but of private christians , and the authoritative preaching of called ministers : the one requireth and engageth to obedience , not only virtute materiae , for the matters sake which he preacheth ; but virtute officij , by reason of his office , speaking in the name , and by the authority of god ; the other may engage the hearers to observance virtute objects & materiae , in respect of the truth of the matter that may be spoken ; but not virtute officij ; they have no power to oblige by office . thus i have shewed you ( to avoid all offence and quarrell ) how private christians may use their gifts , although they have no liberty to preach . but i am afraid i may complain , that many who talk most of , and crave most liberty for the use of their gifts in publike , make least use of them in private ; they will go many miles to get a pulpit , who will scarce step a foot to a neighbours house unlesse to perswade him from his stability ; they who glory in speaking to congregations , and would every day be exercised in a publike throng , are negligent to instruct their house , can hardly any day spare time to oversee their private charge . as if there were no vertue but in extremity , nor excellency but in excess ; as if no water were sweet , but what were stoln : in this ( although i am somewhat loth to use the comparison ) too like the swinish drunkard , who although he hath good meat and drink at home , delights not in the eating or drinking of any , but where he may use it to intemperance . or like some filthy adulterers , who have handsome wives of their own , and ( were they not wives ) could sufficiently delight in them , yet care not for the enjoyment of any , but whom they have no commission to touch or desire . indeed in this , as in all things else , mans nature is strongly proclive to runne beyond its bounds , and to abuse what in its place might be very usefull . sect. vi . . i am to shew you ; what setting a part of men to the office of the ministry ordinarily the scripture mentions . it is ( if the expression will be born ) by ordaining them to that service , ( viz. ) when church-officers , as such , upon former examination and approbation of a persons fitnesse , shall separate him for that work by fasting , prayer , and laying on of hands . this hath been so generally received in the churches of christ , that reformed churches and their divines have condemned the contrary , as the opinion and practice of anabaptists , libertines , arminians , and socinians . but i 'le not urge them . zanchius saith , that no man should be admitted to this office , unlesse lawfully called , and legally ordained . but i 'le fall upon scripture . only in this ( as was said formerly ) you must not extend my proposition beyond the bounds of ordinary cases ; as in the primitive times , where extraordinary callings were given , in the beginning and persecution of churches where this cannot be had . i shewed you in generall , there must be a call , and that this calling was some setting a part , besides gifting of men : this was true of christ , and the apostles , who were most extraordinarily separated : christ by the father , the apostles and disciples by christ : but now i am to shew you what way the scripture laies out for the ordinary practice of after ages , when such extraordinary cals should neither be given nor expected . but somewhat more of this afterward . when barnabas and saul , were set a part for the work to which god had called them , they were thus separated by church-officers , with fasting , praier , and laying on of hands , act , . , . they are prophets and teachers , ver. . and when they had fasted and prayed , and laid their hands on them , they sent them away , ver. . it was not by the designation of any single person by his own power , nor was it the act of any particular congregation by their only election , but by the ministers there assembled . timothy received his gift by prophecy , but he was set a part to the work by laying on of the hands of the presbytery , tim. . . by the presbytery there is meant , ordo presbyterorum : which although diodate explains to be of the pastors , and of the other guides of the church ; beza restrains it to those who laboured in that church ( which is conceived to be lystra , ) in the word and doctrine . indeed it is said , tim. . . that he received the gift by the putting on of paul's hands , but it cannot be thought to be meant of his alone , but of his with the conjunction of the other presbyters : for ( as junius ) in a common thing to argue from the position of one to the removing or denying of another , is inconsequent ( as in this case ) because paul laid his hands on timothy , therefore other presbyters did not ; it will not hold . others say , that the apostles by laying on of hands , did miraeulously confer the holy ghost , but ( besides that it no where appears in scripture , that the laying on of hands in the setting a part of ministers did work any such miracle ) in that example of timothy it seems otherwise ; for the apostle bids him attend to reading , to meditation , that his profiting may appear , which are the ordinary and usuall means of getting abilities for the work of the ministry . if abilities were given by the laying on of the hands of the presbytery , what need of reading and meditation to acquire them ? if the holy ghost were conferred by the imposition of pauls hands , what need any other way to make his profiting appear ? besides we finde , that others who were not apostles used imposition of hands , in whose power it cannot be imagined to be , to confer the holy ghost by it . the presbyters laid hands on timothy , and timothy upon others , for it is given him in charge to lay hands suddenly on no man , tim. . . it is well observed , that imposition of hands was used under the law for divers causes ; in blessing those on whom they are laid , gen. . , . in consecrating or setting a part a sacrifice unto god , numb. . . in ordaining or appointing men to an office , as joshua was appointed to succeed moses , num. . . now in this use of it all these ends meet together ; blessing , consecration , and setting apart to the office . barnabas and saul ordained elders by fasting and prayer , act. . . it is manifest who did it , and the manner of doing is as clear . nor is it to be doubted , but that by elders there were meant ministers if you but view what rites were used in the ordination of deacons , and who performed them , you will finde it not much different , act. . . the apostles prayed , and laid their hands on them . i could tell you of titus , who was left to ordain elders in crete , and timothy , who was to lay hands suddenly on no man . but what need further testimony ? especially unlesse there were or could be some scripture produced , which would shew some other prescript or practice in and for the ordinary setting a part of ministers to that office . it is said that matthias was otherwise set a part , act. . . it is true , and so were all the apostles of christ , but that was extraordinary , which ( ut suprà ) was to discover his apostleship to be different from ordinary ministers , which is not now to be expected till apostles are called again . but there is much ado made about that place , act. . . where what is rendred ordained , is in the original {non-roman} {non-roman} {non-roman} {non-roman} {non-roman} , which properly signifies to strech forth the hand ; whence it would be inferred , that the people by suffrage , or by vote chose the elders , and that election were sufficient ordination . but suppose this true , that the word did signifie only a giving of consent , or electing by holding up of the hand , it was only spoken of the apostles , barnabas and saul ; of those who preached the gospel , ver. . who confirmed the souls of the disciples , ver. , who passed through pisidia , v. . who preached the word in perga , ver. . for the sense is continued all along ; so that if nothing else were to be said , this were sufficient to shew you , that ministers , church-officers ordained them . he that of any expositor i have consulted in it speaks most for it saith but , that they ordained elders with the consent and approbation of the churches . but indeed the word is otherwise used : for that it at all signifies choice and election is only metaphorieall , because among the greeks , it was their custome to give their votes in elections by the holding up of their hands : but by the like metaphor it may be used for imposition of hands , and it is so frequently used among greek authors : because the hands when they are imposed on others , are stretched forth . leigh ( in his critica sacra ) saith it is taken among ecclesiasticall authours for imposition of hands , which no way belonged to the people , but was alwaies referred to the apostles and their successors , stephanus ( well skilled in the greek ) saith , that when it hath an accusative case after it , it signifies not to give suffrage , but to create and ordain , so it is hete , {non-roman} {non-roman} {non-roman} {non-roman} {non-roman} , it is rendred by the vulg. lat. quum constituissent , &c. not that by this it should be denied to people or congregations , any right god hath left them , or may be fit for them ; election , approbation is allowed them , although ordination be in the hands of others : in the setting a part one in the office of judas , the . presented two , but god chose one of them , act. . . it is but an injury to the text to say that the people chose him , for if they had chosen one , why should they have presented two ? but it 's manifest that the choice was in him that had the determination of the lot , shew whether of those two thou hast chosen , ver. . when the deacons were ordained , act. . , . the multitude appointed seven , and set them before the apostles , ver. . but the apostles laid their hands on them , and sent them forth , ver. . i desire in this to go as far as safely i may , but i dare not give this as absolutely necessary , for the many inconveniences the church may suffer by it ; wherefore it is the practice of the reformed churches , that the presbytery be consulted with in their elections ; and that although a rationall dissent be allowed to congregations , yet the assistance and direction of the presbytery is required in it . i have done with this : i hope it is evident to sober-minded people , that there must be a call , that this calling is not only gifting ( but besides this ) setting apart men for that office ; then what setting of men apart for the office of the ministry the scripture ordinarily mentions . if this be granted , the great cry of disorderly men against ordained ministers will be much allayed . i would commend one place to your consideration , tim. . . where paul tels timothy , that in the latter times men shall heap to themselves teachers . i cannot but think that the great fault here prophesied , was heaping up many teachers , and so submitting to them most , who best pleased their lusts . the codex claromontanus renders it , {non-roman} {non-roman} {non-roman} {non-roman} {non-roman} , which beza interprets , as this or that best pleased them . yet i am apt to conceive an emphasis in this word ( themselves , ) they did not accept nor submit to those who were sent to them , but did take to themselves upon their own judgement whom they pleased . nor is this much differing from his opinion ( who expounding the word {non-roman} {non-roman} {non-roman} {non-roman} {non-roman} used in this place ) saith , they shall rashly gather together teachers of their own without serious judgement . here i read two ordinances of parliament ; the one of lords and commons , ( viz. ) an ordinance of lords and commons , april . . another of the commons only , ( viz. ) a declaration of the commons assembled in parliament , against all such persons as shall take upon them to preach or expound the scriptures in any church or chappel , or any other publike place , except they be ordained either here or in some other reformed churches , die jovis , decemb. . . which was nor ( as it was reported ) to prove the call , that being better done by scripture , then ordinances of parliament could do it ; but after i had ended my sermon , i read those to let the people see , that i preached nothing , but what was agreeable to the judgement and orders of a reformation-professing-state . sect. vii . i have now only ( in the fourth place ) to answer some arguments which are urged for the lawfullness of their preaching , who are only gifted christians , and against their c●●… who are ordained ministers . so many are the objections raised by many people , that ( besides the trifling away of the time ) it would be unnecessary to name them all ; i shall pick out three or four which are most insisted on , and seem most proving : the clear answering of them may end the quarrell . but to avoid mistakes , and to contract the arguments and answers too into the narrower compasse , i would premise these two things . . i shall not stand much to answer any arguments drawn from extraordinary cases ; it is sufficient answer that they are extraordinary , which , but in the like cases , can be no pattern to us . for it is certain , that what hath been extraordinarily done , cannot be ordinarily practised , ( which because much controverted , i will a little clear . ) the disciples of christ desired him , that they might command fire from heaven to consume those that received not their master ; and the reason they urged was from the example of elijah , he did so upon the like occasion in his daies , and therefore they would do the same thing in theirs , luk. . . but christs answer is , v. . ye know not what spirit ye are of , it might be lawfull for the prophet to do what might not be fit for them : i say , it might be lawfull for the apostles and prophets in the primitive times , for others at other times , when extraordinary things are , must be acted ; which is not lawful at other times , when ordinary calls may be expected and had . . i would not have you confounded in terms ; there is a preaching the scripture mentions , which is not that ministeriall preaching we are handling , and then an argument drawn from that will nothing weaken the doctrine delivered about this . there is a preaching which is nothing else but a declaration of the power and goodnesse of god . thus david is said to preach gods righteousnesse , psa. . . ( although if this should be further urged , we know that david was a prophet ) the word signifies to declare a good thing . it is spoken of animaaz his running to carry the king good tidings of absaloms death , sam. , . it is the same word used for the earth's declaring , or shewing forth the salvation of god , psal. . . which is not that preaching by way of office , which paul speaks of , where he saith , they cannot preach except they be sent , rom. . indeed solomon is called a preacher , eccl. . . as it is translated : but the word comes from that which signifies collected or gathered together , and is no more then the book of solomon , in which are collected or gathered together many wisdoms , and so it concerns not our businesse at all , there is a teaching also the scripture speaks of , which is not that teaching that is part of the office of a minister : a teaching which is nothing but a generall instruction , or brotherly admonition , either of superiours or inferiours , or of one christian to another , and may be performed either by word or practice : thus ( amidst other things might be named , ) abraham taught his family , ( yet he was a prophet , gen. . . ) if it should be further objected , thus kings and rulers , and judges , may be said to teach , chron. . . which was different from the teaching of the levites , who had the law of the lord , ver. . thus in the new testament , women might teach , for it is required that aged women should teach the younger to be sober . titus . . it was both by their admonition and behaviour , which yet is not that teaching , which christ gave in commission to his disciples , matth. . . again , there is prophesying in scripture , which is sometime a foretelling things to come , as agabus prophesied , act. . . and the four daughters of philip , act. . . which is not a ministeriall preaching . it is diodates glosse upon that place , that they had the gift of foretelling future things by divine inspiration . sometimes an extraordinary office in the primitive times , whereby they did not only foretell things to come , but explain the writings of the prophets , and other difficult places , by immediate revelation ; as would be easily proved , ( and shall be spoken more of anon ) from cor. . , and cor , . . which is not that ordinary preaching , which is the work of called ministers ; which is also called prophesying ( as i conceive , ) in the thes. . . although some do interpret that too of the extraordinary gift of prophesying . under the name of prophet is every minister and teacher comprehended , luk. . . by this will many things be answered , without naming of them , which to have handled particularly , would have spent much time , made a great noise , when they had had but little strength , and so scarcely worth our labour . but now to proceed to those arguments that are most confidently urged , and by which so certain a victory is promised against us . sect. viii . . it is objected from numb. . . &c. that eldad and medad prophesied in the camp ; that moses wished all the lords people were prophets : and therefore others , who are not otherwise called may preach . for answer : either the force of the argument lies in eldads and medads practice , or in moses his wish ; if in their practice , that they prophesied , the answer is easie ; if in his desire , that all gods people were prophets , it is not hard ; i 'le give it you in some few particulars . . the office unto which the . were here called , was not to serve at the altar , to perform the priests work , but to assist moses in his government , to bear part of his burthen ; v. . . they shall bear the burthen of the people with thee , that thou shalt not bear it alone . so then , to argue from this a liberty of every gifted mans preaching , is scarce rationall . suppose they had undertaken this service without a call , which you see they did not , for they were set apart by god for it , yet thence to have argued a liberty of preaching without a call , would not be ad idem . , eldad and medad were of the number of the . were not of the common people , and they were all elders and officers over the people before they were thus set apart to this extraordinary imployment . it is true they were in the camp , but it is clear they were of the number of them that were written , v. . although they went not with the rest to the tabernacle ( they were written , ) as diodate ; they were written by moses in the number of those seventy which he chose help bear his burthen ; and that they staid in the camp , was upon some lawfull occasion ( as is conceived ) through some ceremoniall pollution . calvin is of the same minde , that they were of the . but gives another reason that they came not to the tabernacle , ( viz. ) that the miracle god wrought in setting them apart for that work should be the more observed , for all the people came not to the tabernacle : so that whatsoever is here meant by prophesying ( of which i 'le speak presently ) it is enough for our purpose , that they were set apart for the service , they had not only gifts , and called to office before , for they were those whom moses knew to be elders of the people , verse . but they were extraordinarily separated to this employment ; nay , to make their calling the more eminent and visible , they had an extraordinary gift to ascertain the people of it ; which is conceived to be the reason , why they had this extraordinary gift bestowed upon them , that the people might see they were called by god to it , so then this can prove nothing for the preaching of only gifted , uncalled preachers , for these were eminently called , and set apart for the service . . it is agreed by all that i meet withall , that this which is here called prophesying , was some extraordinary gift conferred by god only for some time ; not that they did prophesie as the prophets , but whereby they did in a wonderfull manner , even to admiration speak of some difficult and abstruse things , which would not have been known or spoken of , but by such a gift ; calvin saith , that prophesying here is no more then some excellent ability to reveal mysterious things ; of the same judgement are many others a . whereas it is said of the rest , that they prophesied , and did not cease , v. b . it is to be meant only of that time , when god conferred that extraordinary gift upon them , for the manifestation of their call . so that had they prophesied ( in this sense ) without a call , which yet you see they did not , it were no argument to prove preaching without a call , because that is not at all intended in prophesying here . . that moses wished all the lords people were prophets , hath nothing at all of proof in it ; for besides that by prophesying here is not meant preaching ( as was shewed before , ) and that the scripture makes a difference between prophets and teachers ( as shall be shewed presently ) his wish is only that they were prophets ; which implies no more , then that when they were prophets they might prophesie ; that if they were thus gifted and set apart , they might in the like manner exercise their gift . if we should hear of some great acts of mercy done by rich men , and i should wish you were all rich ; it were not to intend that you should do the like acts , till you had the like riches . or if we were filled with the reports of some famous acts of justice done by some faithfull judges in avenging bloud , in executing malefactours ; and i should wish that all the honest people in england were judges ; it were not that every honest man should avenge bloud without commission , or execute malefactors till he were a judge . for my part , i wish that all prophets may prophesie , and that there were more able and faithfull ministers of the gospel , that the lord would yet thrust out more labourers into his vineyard ; yet i do not see , that this place will prove , that any should prophesie till they are prophets , that any should preach till they are set apart for the office . the second argument is drawn from the order of the corinthian churches mentioned , cor. . . where it is said , that they may all prophesie one by one , whence it is urged , that every one that is gifted may preach . for the answer of this , as of the other , i shall lay down some particulars whereby you may see the mistake the more clearly . . prophesying in that place was not preaching , but was in the church of corinth an extraordinary office ; now an extraordinary example is no foundation to ground an ordinary practice upon ; ( as was spoken sufficiently before ) prophesying is generally taken in scripture for a gift differing from preaching . the apostle reckons prophets among extraordinary offiuers ; apostles , prophets , evangelists are all together , cor. . . these prophets could by immediate revelation explain difficult and abstruse places ; could foretell things to come , as did agabus . if we can in our daies finde any such prophets , who without any study , by immediate revelation can thus explain scripture , he shall prophesie , and preach too by my consent . and that this was an extraordinary gift spoken of here is manifest from the context : it is joyned with the gift of tongues which was miraculously given : yea , they spake by revelation , ver. . if any thing be revealed &c. this is not meant of every sudden fancy , any uncertain conceit of any ordinary text : it is {non-roman} {non-roman} {non-roman} {non-roman} {non-roman} , which is spoken of discovering and making plain things in themselves hard to be understood , and that without our industry , by the immediate dartings of supernaturall light . . where it is said that they might all prophesie ; it is not meant of all the members of the church , but only of the prophets who had this extraordinary gift bestowed on them . that it relates not to all , is manifest from what is spoken presently after , where some were forbidden to speak in the church ; vers. . it is not permitted to a woman to speak in the church . yea , the same apostle saith , that all are not apostles , all are not prophets , &c. cor. . . if all were not prophets then all must not prophesie , and if all must not prophesie , then the word all in that place must have some other reference . the drift of the apostle there was to prevent that disorder and confusion which was too common , and too evil among them , vers. , . it is strange that men should take occasion by it , to introduce and foment disorder in the church . that term [ all ] then must be referred to the prophets ; all the prophets may prophesie ; verse . let the prophets speak , and let the others judge ; this can be only meant of them who were called to the office , and were partakers of that gift , which i told you was extraordinary ; for they are called prophets : let the others judge ; let the prophets judge , who have the spirit of discerning , and were able to try the truth , as diodate : and so beza nimirum propheta : for saith he , it cannot at all be gathered , from those places , that it should be permitted to any of the church to speak : to this purpose it is observable that the article ( {non-roman} {non-roman} {non-roman} {non-roman} {non-roman} ) is joyned with the adjective , it is {non-roman} {non-roman} {non-roman} {non-roman} {non-roman} which speaks its reference to the prophets : ver. . if any thing be revealed to another ; this cannot be spoken of any of the private members , for it is onely of him that had immediate revelation given him ; if any thing be revealed to another , ( viz ) to another prophet , so diodate : and beza renders {non-roman} {non-roman} {non-roman} {non-roman} {non-roman} , alii , nempe prophetae , then ver. . for ye may all prophesie , &c. of whom can this all be meant , but of those prophets who were to speak two or three , while others judged , who had revelations immediatly given them ? diodate renders it , all that had the gift and calling of prophets : and beza explains {non-roman} {non-roman} {non-roman} {non-roman} {non-roman} all , all the prophets , it concerns not the private members of the church , nay , the following ver. . explains it , and tels you who must speak , the spirits of the prophets are subject to the prophets ; they surely were to speak whose doctrine ( for that is meant by the spirits ) was to be tried by the prophets ; but the text saith they are the spirits of the prophets . whereas it is said they must speak one by one , diodate explains it by turns , and in divers or several assemblies ; and so beza saith , it must not be the same day , but at severall meetings ; this is their glosse , although i shall not insist on it . how little strength there is in this argument to prove the lawfulness of their preaching who are only gifted , me thinks every one should see without any direction , and then what room there is left for a reply , ( unless it be that wranglers can make room anywhere ) i can scarcely see or imagine . those that might prophesie one by one , were not the private members of the church , for some are forbidden to speak ; but the prophets , whose office was extraordinary and who had an extraordinary gift , who had this liberty of speaking upon a received revelation . adde but to this ( what you heard before ) that prophesying and teaching were in that church two distinct offices , and i hope it will be sufficient . the third argument is built upon that prophecy , joel . . where it is said , that god will pour out his spirit upon all flesh , and their sons and their daughters shall prophesie , &c. this is looked on as a gospel promise , and therefore it is conceived that in gospel daies all that have gifts may preach . for answer to this also ; . consider , that this promise of prophesying cannot be meant of preaching ; else must the promise in the daies of joel crosse the prohibition given by the same spirit in the time of paul ; here it is said their daughters shall prophesie , in the epistle to the corinthians , it is forbidden that women should speak in the church . . if it be taken literally for prophesying , it must relate onely to those times when all parts of the same prophcey might equally be fullfilled : young men may as well now pretend to visions , and old men expect now to have god discover himself by dreams , as others claim a liberty to prophesie now by this promise . whatsoever prophecy is here meant ( if you take it strictly ) can then only be practised , when god gave such extraordinary gifts , and made such discoveries of himself to people . . it is manifest that the prophet in this promise referreth to the coming of the messias , where there should be more light , and greater knowledge given , then was before under the law . the extraordinary part of it was fullfilled when the spirit was most plentifully poured out . when saint luke urgeth this promise as foretelling what was there acted , act. . . . ( this is that which was spoken by the prophet joel , and verse . it is said that christ was approved by signs and wonders . but fourthly , the true meaning of the place is , that when the messias should come ( as it is urged in gospel daies ) god would pour out of his spirit ( i. e. ) he would give the gifts of his spirit unto all sorts of people , as well ●o young as old , to female as well as male ( viz. ) illumination , sanctification &c. he would do it extraordinarily in the primitive times , for the confirmation of the gospel ; which was fulfilled : he would do it ordinarily afterward , under the continuance of the gospel , which is performed in our experience . the antithesis in the former verses will help well to confirm this exposition ; he had before promised them meats , and drinks , and only outward mercies , but he would then multiply spirituall blessings upon them . this is the judgement of others upon the place . i will by the inward vertue of my spirit enlighten the understanding of mine elect , who by nature are but children in knowledge , saith diododate ; and so calvin ; the holy ghost means that knowledge and understanding wherein the church under the gospel shall excell that under the law . the fourth argument is framed from the practice of the church that was scattered abroad after the death of stephen , act. . , . they were all scattered abroad except the apostles , veas . . and they that were scattered abroad went every where preaching the word . to answer this briefly , i could tell you , that it is probable that they had some extraordinary call , from god , or commission from the apostles before they went , for they had extraordinary gifts , and where god gives extraordinary gifts by immediate inspiration , i should not oppose such mens preaching . but plainly and clearly , first , i cannot see any ground to imagine that the word ( they ) in verse . should be referred to every particular member , for in vers. . it is {non-roman} {non-roman} {non-roman} {non-roman} {non-roman} all were scattered , but ver. . it is only {non-roman} {non-roman} {non-roman} {non-roman} {non-roman} , they that were scattered , which may relate to some only . besides , it is past doubt , that among so many that were scattered , there were many women , and ( as you heard already ) they might not preach . . although the apostles were left , it is known that there were many officers in the church at jerusalem besides ; there were prophets , evangelists , and the seventy disciples : philip was one of the scattered ones , who went down to samaria , and preached there ; vers. . whom you will finde called an evangelist . act. . . so that if the word ( they ) must not be referred to all ( as you see it cannot be ) then more then probably to those onely who were called to office ; they who were scattered , being called to the office of teaching ; did preach the word every where . but thirdly , the answer is most easie : it was in a time when the church was through persecution scattered , there was a great persecution against the church , vers. . ( which was one of the extraordinary cases i before mentioned ) when an ordinary calling could not be had , nor expected ; and among people who before had not received the faith of jesus christ . nor do i know any sober-minded man that is or would be against the preaching of well-gifted men in such times and cases , without any ordinary setting apart to the office , when and where it is impossible to be had . but this ( through the yet continued goodness of a patient god ) not being our case , the argument is too weak to prove the preaching of onely gifted uncalled men in our daies . there is but one thing more , and i have done . it is loudly cried out , that although gifted men may not preach , yet those who are ordained by antichristian bishops , are not true ministers , and then not the preachers neither . for answer to this i shall tell you , . that all bishops by whom ministers in england have been ordained , were not antichristian ; many of them have more strongly opposed , and done more against antichrist , then yet we have . for besides their serviceable endeavours , they have many of them in suffering resisted unto bloud ; me thinks we might yet remember the labours of jewel , abbot , davenant ; vsher , &c. nor should we soon forget the bloud of hooper , ridley , cranmer , latimer , &c. which i speak not to pleade for the office of lord-bishop , nor to excuse the wickednesse of those who were popish and ungodly , but to recover the names , and to remember the vertues of those who were and are godly and usefull in their generations . . there have been evil men in office in the church at all times , hophni and phineas among the priests ; judas among the apostles , scribes and pharisees in moses chair ; those who preached out of envy in pauls time . yet this could not null nor evacuate their ministerial acts . the baptism of judas ( for he had commission as well as the rest to baptize ) might be of as good authority as of the rest of the apostles . if the water be pure at the fountain , although it run thorow many impure channels , it may become pure again . the condemnation or reprieve of a judge , though wicked , is as legal , as authoritative , as of the most godly . a wicked collonel may give a commission to a captain , yet the comm●ssion's firm , it is not one tittle esteemed lesse effectual for the unworthinesse of him that gives it . . bishops did never ordain ministers as bishops , but as presbyters , not in their own names , nor by the imposition of their own hands only , but in the name of others , and with the conjunction of other presbyters . but because that some say , that the ministers are called by the bishops , and the bishops by the pope , &c. i 'le speak a word of it . this ( were it true ) would not null their call . for ( not to insist on what is urged by some of the first reformers of the protestant churches casting off the pope ) baptism administred in the romish church is true baptism ; nor are any so baptized , if converted to the true religion , baptized again , ut suprà . many judicious divines are of the same judgement concerning ordination . money coyned in queen maries daies was not the lesse currant after ; the impress of the popish princess had no power to adulterate the silver . the vessels of gods house were carried to babylon by the hand of nebuchadnezzar , which yet were not the lesse fit for the service of god , when returned . the naturall succession of jesus christ was propagated thorow the loins of rahab and thamar , nay shall i say , he himself came thorow the womb of a sinfull woman , yet received no pollution by it . we must learn to distinguish between the persons and the offices of men , between their personall acts , and their acts of office ; a wicked man may be a lawful , though not a good officer ; and then the acts of his office valid ; this is acknowledged by all in other offices , and must it be only denied in the office of a minister ? jehu was a wicked man , was therefore his pulling down the idols of baal evil ? could his personall wickednesse evacuate all the civill or religious acts ( although good in themselves ) he did by vertue of his office ? if then it be proved that our setting apart or ordination to the work of the ministery , be right for substance , having an inward call from god , and an outward call according to the ordinary rule laid down in scripture , the failing in some circumstances cannot make it void , nor then the ministry either a false or no ministery . but the great cry is against the wicked oaths ( as they are called ) that the bishops imposed , and the ministers took at their ordination . this makes a great noise ; but you 'l finde it laden only with powder , it may cast some filth , make some sound , it may defile the faces of some , and fill the ears of more , but hath nothing of strength to hurt them against whom it is discharged : for answer , . this nothing ( or very little ) concerns their ordination who took no oaths at all , as it is now , and for some late years hath been in our church ; as it hath been longer in other churches where there have been no bishops to impose them . . many godly men denied some oath that some bishops would have imposed , and were therefore refused : not that they conceived their ordination could have been injured , or their call made void by it , but that they scrupled the matter of the oath , and would not accept a call upon such conditions . . some had no offensive oath at all offered ; no other then what they in the universities , and most men of the nation upon some occasions had taken before ( viz. ) the oath of supremacy . i speak this on mine own experienbe , there was no other imposed on , no other offered to me . but because it is the oath of canonicall obedience , that ( i think ) is so much shot against us . i 'le tell you what it is , and then ( although i will not handle the matter of the oath , but suppose , though not grant it , as bad as some conceive it ) shew you , that the taking of this could not ●ull , nor at all hurt the call of ministers . you shall obey your ecclesiasticall officers , the arch-bishop and bishop in their diocess in things lawfull and honest . this ( if i'know it ) is the oath . therefore fourthly , neither this nor any other oath is any part of the odination of ministers . this was done by prayer and laying on of hands ; the oaths were given at some other time ( before ordiantion ) for some other ends . a constable before he is made such , had formerly the oath of supremacy given him , but that did not make him constable ; it was only to try whether he was fit for the office . collonels and captains were made such by the parliament ; but before they had their commission , were enjoyned to take the covenant : the taking or giving of the covenant did not make them officers , but their commission ; the other was only to try whether they were fit to be employed in the service . when men come to be ordained ministers , they had some oath or oaths imposed upon them , but not as part of ordination , only as ( some thought ) convenient trials whether they were fit for the calling : every man that had valour , that had skill , was not fit to make a commander , but he must be faithfull to , else might he leade his men to the contrary party , or upon their own ruine : every man that had gifts was not fit for a minister , unlesse he were orthodox and peaceable too ; else might he injure the church by his calling . the oath of supremacy was to try whether they were papists ( and i could wish that there were some other way found now to stop the like gap ) the oath ( as it was called ) of canonicall obedience , was to discover ( as the bishops were pleased to fancy it ) whether they were conformable to government or not . but it is clear , that whatsoever the oaths were , or whatsoever their intentions that imposed them , the taking of an oath was no part of ordination , and so had no influence upon their office that took it . i shall conclude all with these three proposals very considerable at this time , and to this purpose . . whether every man ought not to continue in the calling in which god hath set him ? according to that of cor. . . . what can we conceive to be meant by christ , where he saith , he hath left some pastors and teachers . eph , . . if all that have gifts may do their work ? or what paul intends , where he saith , all the members have not the same office , and therefore he that hath the ministry must wait on his ministry , or he that teacheth on teaching , rom. . . . if this be not a distinct office from the membership of others ? . consider how much papists and socinians are by this gratified ; and by our weakening the hands of each other get strength against us : what a breach we make for the open enemy to enter at . the papists would prove us no ministers , because not made by them and their church , and so would argue us to be ( what they commonly call us ) all heretikes ; as having no ministers , and then no sacraments , and then no conversion : and how sad is it , that seeming friends should do the work of open enemies ; that brethren ( so called ) should think to accomplish that on a sudden , which adversaries have so long in vain attempted . the socinians would not have us right ministers , because ordained at all : when the only giving of gifts , and the election of the church is ( in their esteem ) sufficient calling : yet they although formerly decried hereticks , go further then many now adares cried-up brethren . they deny not but if the church had continued uncorrupt , the custome of the primitive times might have been continued : men might have been ordained , although they do not hold it necessary . oh how sad it is 〈◊〉 that we who have gone to the house of god as friends , and alwaies joyned against these professed adversaries , should now do the work of open enemies against one the other . sect. viii . after i had ended the sermon ( which was the last i had to preach on that businesse ) it was asked , who made me a minister , or in what church i was made such ? which although then impertinently asked , hath been now sufficiently answered . it was afterward enquired , whether any men were ever made ministers by men since the apostles daies , or those sent by them ? it hath been abundantly cleared , and by this enquiry in part acknowledged , that in the apostles daies , and theirs sent by them , ministers were by men set apart for the office , and you have seen what setting apart it was which was in their time practised : i think then it will be granted , that the apostles examples are rules for our practice , which is sufficiently urged by our opposers , when it may serve their turns , what pretence else for this contention ? only they make use of the apostles practice , as jewel tels harding he made use of the fathers , if they favoured him then they are the fathers , and must not their word be taken ? if they were urged against him , then they were but men , and humanum est errare ; as merchants use their counters , sometimes they stand for a penny , and sometimes for a pound . besides that , it hath been so constantly practised by all the churches of christ since , that it were but vain to insist on it . i shall refer you for that to d. seaman , where it is so well done . nay , if ministers were not made by men since the apostles daies , who made these men such ? but if this were intended ( as i fear ) to delude the people , that we could not prove by scripture , that any were made ministers by men since the apostles daies ( in which there is so little strength in the eyes of wise men , it needs nothing to repell it , yet because more ignorant people might not see it ) i shall only say , there was no scripture written since the apostles daies , then if i should ask him , how he could prove by scripture , that there was any minister , or any church , or that any hath preached since the apostles dayes , or those sent by them ? either of these would be as hardly proved . how strangely was cyprian overcome , when he considered the incarnation of jesus christ , that his tongue was not able to expresse , nor his thoughts in any measure able to reach it . if it were fit to apply it , i should think , what astonishment hath befallen even men and angels , to behold the incarnation of evil spirits ( which in these daies ) are risen up against , and would lay violent hands upon the ministery , clemens alexandrinus saith , in all bodies there are two ranks , head and members , father and childe , &c. it is much , that only in the church there should be no distinction of minister and people , of flock and overseer . the seven starres are in christs right hand , revel. . . which was spoken only of the angels , ibid. not of the churches ; of the ministers , not of any gifted brother . surely they must tug hard that remove them . may i not say in this , as it was spoken in another case , my father is stronger then i , and no man taketh them out of his hand . what are the ministers the only troublers of israel , that they are so troubled by all sorts of people ? is this the reward of their pains , the return of their prayers , sighs , groans and labours for you ? whence hath so many people been freed from popery , been converted unto god in england , that it hath been the most famous church in the world ( i would it had not lost its crown ) but by their endeavours instrumentally ? and can that be an unlawful ministery , that hath brought in so many souls to god ? or is this a just recompence now to cry them down ? would you violently thrust them out of the church , who have travelled in birth to bring you into it ? or can you think them antichristian , that have drawn you into christ , if you are at all in him . whence have these enlightened people gotten all their knowledge and gifts , whereby they are enabled to pleade so stifly against the ministry , but from the preachings and writings of these ministers they thus decry ? ( for gifts are now acquired by the use of means . ) are they now so evil , who have been the instruments of so much good ? is this all their reward , to be beaten with the weapons they have put into others hands ? is the childe bred up only to scratch out the fathers eyes ? clemens who lived within an hundred and thirteen years after christ , speaking of the apostles being called by christ , and christ being sent by god , &c. saith , that those who for a long time have had a good report , cannot be put out of their office without injury ; and condemns it as a shamefull thing that they should raise sedition against the ministers . for which of their good deeds would ye kill them ? if the ministers of england are no true ministers , then where are the true churches ? and if no true churches , who hath power to send them to preach , that question the call of others ? truly i would advise such to forbear preaching till christ come again to call new apostles , and then possibly they might be sent among the rest . is the past example of the apostles of no value ? is the constantly successive practice of the churches in all ages of no prevalency ? oh that i could speak ( in this ) a seasonable word to the whole nation : if it hath been proved ( as i hope it is ) that the ministery ( so set apart ) is gods ordinance , it is a great evil to oppose , a sin of a great magnitude to overturn it . i could say as gamaliel , act. . . ye cannot overthrow it , lest happily ye be found to fight against god . a faithfull ministry hath been alwaies esteemed the greatest blessing , and is it now become the greatest curse ? are we weary of our mercies , or are we weary of god , or rather is not god weary of us ? i wish england trifle not so long with their meat , till it be lest before they are aware . should the ministry now contemned be suddenly taken away , be irrecoverably lost , how would it then be too late repented ! did you ever reade that the ministery was lost to a people , and that god staied long after ? if the shepherd be destroyed , who shall watch the flock , who shall prevent the worrying , the devouring of the sheep ? if there be no interpreter ; who shall declare to man his righteousnesse ? job . , . if moses , and noah , and daniel be taken away , who shall pray for , or keep off the plague from the people ! did jerusalem ever prosper , when the prophets were slain ? is not god himself ingaged in their quarrell ? and is it nothing to make him your enemy ? he may at present permit their injury , but will severely avenge it afterward . have not the ministers been the horsemen and chariots of israel ? have not they stood between you and popery for these many years ? have not they stood in the gap between you and gods indignation many a time ? are you now so strengthned against popery , that you need their help no longer ? or rather have not the champions of popery so insinuated , that they have perswaded you to cast off your defence ? are you so secure from gods judgements , that you need their intercession no longer ? i pray god it be not rather , that your destruction being decreed , the lord will no longer permit the means of its prevention among you , it was a sad sign , when the people would not hear jeremiah , nor god suffer him to pray for them . what would be your misery , should it be ever said of england , as once of jerusalem , oh england , england ! that stonest the prophets , and killest them that are sent to thee ; how often would i have gathered thee , as an hen gathereth her chickens , and thou wouldst not ! behold , your house is left unto you desolate , luk. . . . oh that before it be too late , we might know the things that belong to our peace . i have done , and can expect what i may suffer from unruly men , but i shall rather account it mine honour , then my shame , to suffer for christ , whose cause ( in this ) i pleade , although i am sorry i have no more strength to defend it . it was a good encouragement jerome gave to austin ; but i 'le not apply it , lest it should savour of too much glorying in my self , or bitternesse to others . i can think some will finde fault with all , some with some part , others with other parts of it . i hope none will accuse me of either malice or bitternesse ; if any shall discover to me my weaknesse ( of which i am sufficiently jealous ) i shall humbly acknowledge it . if any shall convince me of any falshood ( to which i am not yet conscious ) i shall chearfully retract it . only i shall expect the same meeknesse and candor i have brought with me : uneven weapons make no fair combat : and shall desire , that if any answer it their name may be subscribed : i shall expect the finger of a jesuite , because their cause is so much concerned in it . finis . december . . imprimatur edmund calamy . an appendix . since i had finished this task , there came to mine hands the confident news of the pulpit guard routed : which might have prevented my further march ; but upon better examination i found , in this , as in other things , men for the most part speak as they would have it ; for surely had not the author himself reported it , others would not have judged it a rout , nor do i think they 'l yet beleeve it . indeed i should have imputed it to a strange providenc , if through so much weaknesse , he should have gotten so compleat a victory . but i perceived that this attempt was not designed only against that guard , but equally against all the party , and the cause ; i thought good therefore to appear , although but in the rear , and with this small party , while the other might have liberty to charge him more throughly ; at least , that my brigade ( i mean the sermons i have printed with this ) might march with the more repute in the world . i had not time to answer the book largely , ( for i was constrained to do this , while the presse wrought off the other ) nor should i have done much more in it , had my time been longer , and my leasure greater ; not only for that i finde little of argument , although it is swelled into some bignesse with railing , but that the sum of what is there urged , is already spoken to by the sermons herewith printed . i shall only in this make some further discovery of its weaknesse , and direct you to them for more full answer . i confesse ( upon what sudden view i had of it ) i finde but little work to do , but am much puzzled about the manner of doing it . it is in this , as with some seabbed sheep , with some rancour'd wound , a man must cut off a great deal of filth , passe by much corruption , before he come to apply the plaister , or attempt the cure . he is so bitter in his expressions against the gentleman , so loud in his railings against the coat ( as he cals it , pag. . ) that he deserves no fair answer ; but i forbear , least in this the proverb should be verified , like to like , quoth the devil to the collier . onely , if i should take equall pains to tell large stories , of the many filthy behaviours , the ranting practices of men of his gang , malice might be suspected under it , no strength of argument would be discerned in it , yet i wish that those who might have accounted it railing and bitternesse in me , do not esteem it a vertue , an excellency in him . master hall . i 'le not meddle with his review of himself in the looking-glasse , i shall leave that to him , who is more able and more concerned in it ; where he hath sufficient opportunity to vindicate truth , if he will adventure to fully his finger with so black an object . yet i cannot but observe how he justifies his antagonist , in what he complains of as most injured in : he is troubled that he is reproached with the term of dangerous sectary ; surely he that but looks on him in that looking-glasse , will conclude that he is only standered with a matter of truth . nor will i examine the triall and verdict he himself makes and gives of the ministers ( under the name of false prophets ) for that , i shall refer him to be judged by him , whom he is pleased to name as judge ( i mean jesus christ ) in his cause ; who will doubtlesse one day shew him , what sentence he will give upon the evidence he hath produced . yet this is observable , that all the witnesses he summons or brings in , are either of his forcing or making . what testimony of scripture doth he bring , which he doth not misapply ? what evidence doth he produce from the churches , deluded souls , publike peace , but what is dug out of his own pit , made of his own brain ? to take notice of his strength of arguments , or depth of learning , is impossible , there is no discovery of what is not . althoūgh i must confesse , when i heard of , and saw some bold and confident assertions , i expected something to support them . i shall acknowledge my self a false prophet ( in this ) if ever much learning made him mad . yet i cannot but smile , that those , who ( because of their own ignorance ) decry , and rail against learning in others , are willing to make use of what they have themselves , yea , would counterfeit more too sometimes . i finde him at the charge of too whole words of latin in one place , cum privilegio ; if it be the language of the beast , methinks his mouth should not meddle of it : if it be any part of the tail of the beast , his tongue should not lick of it . in another place pag. . he strains hard for two more , episcopos , presbyteros , but i confesse he hath brought them forth in a wofull case ( the accusative plurall for the nominative singular ) but i see he speaks all in the accusative case . i would not wrong the man ; if he meant greek , it may be he thought heathen greek was not fit to be used by christians , and therefore writ them in the letters of his mother-tongue , if he intended latin , he might conceive that true latin only was the language of the beast , or that the whores head had been sheltered under priscians cap , and he might lawfully break it . but i would willingly know how he got or came by this learning ; surely it was only humane , and then acquired only by industry ; if it had been an immediate inspiration of the spirit , that would have taught him to have spoken it true . the spirit is able to bring forth its conceptions perfect . he that gives the use of tongues , could not want power to speak properly : they that spake with other tongues , as the spirit gave them utterance , acts . . were heard by the multitude speaking their own language , verse . besides , what ado he keeps with his terms of logick , the major and the minor proposition ; if logick be so black an art , i wonder he would touch it ; but i see he loves all of the colour , unlesse it be a black gown . i would give you a glimpse of his skill in interpretation of scripture , that since he fails in his humanity , you might see what divinity he hath ; but i shall speak only of so much of that , as will fall into my way , as i run over those few things which relate to the arguments i have urged or answered before . in which i shall only give you some animad●er ions upon what he speaks ; the book will not require , nor will my time afford any long businesse . i finde ( in s. walter rawleigh's expression ) much spoken but little said about the priests under the law , and ministers under the gospel ( pag. . ) because there is some difference in their service , therefore must their offices be questioned ? the office of a priest ( saith he ) was appointed by god ; and was not the office of pastors and teachers so too ? eph. . . to excuse himself both from corah's guilt and punishment , he saith pag. . corah and his company were smitten for doing what was forbidden , but the saints are commanded , and commended for preaching , &c. he hath not proved either of them by the letter of scripture , but let him prove the latter , either directly , or by just deduction , and we will forgive him the former . you may see ( in the sermons ) what command they had , nor can i yet see , by what he saith , any more discovered . but because it is questioned by him , to whom corah and his company should be rather compared , whether to the ordained ministers , or the only gifted preachers : observe these particulars . corah and his company out of a pretended fitnesse to perform the service to which they were not called , would have intruded into the office of moses and aaron ; it is easily judged who are most guilty in this . corah and his company did not monopelize the office to themselves ( as he pretends , pag. ead. . ) but would have shared with moses and aaron , in what it was conceived they monopolized . what think you now ? who are most like corah , dathan , and abiram , and then may most fear their punishment ? for his railing , that ministers have no more authority then the devill and the pope could give them , and no more calling , then corah and the devil himself ; the lord rebuke him ; only let him forbear such language hereafter . where he makes the carkasse and form of a thing both one , i forgive him : he dislikes , and therefore ( i conceive ) pretends not to learning . only i would not have people deluded with such a soul-lesse carkasse . the ministers have no call according to the letter ( ibid. ) i had though ( if by the letter he means the letter of the scripture ) setting men apart by prayer , fasting , and imposition of hands , had been according to the letter of scripture ; i am sure what he objects against it is besides the letter . nor have they any call from the spirit , ( ibid. ) are not their gifts manifest ? can he without blushing accuse them of walking in the devils darknesse ? will not many of his own party contradict him in this ? will not they acknowledge , that many ministers of england live holily , walk by the light of gods spirit ? what spirit hath possessed the man ? truth , meeknesse , charity , are the fruits of the spirit of god . he 'l see what is spoken about gifts , suprà , he saith , it 's dangerous for men to preach without a call , and dangerous for people to hear such , &c. i am ( in this ) wholly of his minde ; in the sermons . i hope by what hath been spoken already , and what shall yet be touched on , it will appear manifest , that only gifted brethren have no call to preach . nay , take his own words , and ( if i understand them ) there is enough granted for our purpose , ( pag. . ) although it 's true , that none can preach according to the intention of that scripture , rom. . . ( viz. ) for the working of faith , and converting of souls , yet it doth not follow , that every gifted brother may not preach : ( these are his own words . ) if he means that gifted brethren cannot preach for the working of faith and converting of souls , we have enough ; nor can i see what else he should mean ; for it is evident , that the preaching of sent ministers is the means of converting souls , of the begetting of faith . besides , the gentlemans proposition , which he tries to answer , is , if none may preach but those that are sent , then every gifted brother may not preach . what he speaks of sending , ( pag. ead. . & prox , ) i 'le speak somewhat to ; and because upon that and two things more hangs all his discourse , the full answer of which shakes the whole book , i le stand a little on them ; yet not neither , because they have been so fully answered already , ut suprà . . gifting is sending , it relates to the internall power of the spirit in the saints , &c. ( ibid. ) indeed there must be a sending from god , where men are faithfull ministers ; but there must be ( besides ) an outward designation to the office , where any be lawfull preachers . but besides what hath been spoken already ( in the sermons , ) that only gifting is not the sending the apostle mentions ; i 'le shew you in scripture , that sending is only spoken of the outward setting those apart for the service who are sent . ( not to name what is so much , and so often spoken of christs being sent by his father . ) where isaiah was to go about gods service , the lord asked , whem shall i send ? and isaiah said , send me , isa , . , . it was not spoken of gifting him , that was done before , but of his outward mission : and thus it is explained by all i meet withall , who had as much of the spirit to interpret scripture by , as this pretender . the disciples were sent , when after they were gifted , they were bid to go , mat. . , . yea , he seems himself to distinguish , where ( p. . ) it is said , the gifting and sending of the gifted brethren , is , when the lord inableth them in a measure to it , and saith to them , go. are not gifting and saying go , two distinct acts ? which is manifest in paul , act. . , , , , whom he instanceth in , although he would falsly infer the contrary from another scripture , yea , would delude people , by telling them , that he preached before he was separated , acts . . but i say he did not preach , before he was by a speciall command sent by christ . to this purpose were the apostles said , when by fasting , praier , and imposition of hands they separated paul and barnabas , to send them , acts . . . he is very unhappy in confounding ordinary with extraordinary cases ; which is so much answered already , that i scarce know what to say more . i there shewed , that those who were sent most extraordinarily , were ( besides gifting of them ) set apart for the service ; and what setting apart ordinarily was afterward practised although the ministers were not immediatly sent by god , which was extraordinary , yet they had praier and laying on of hands , the ordinary designation the scripture mentions . this he pretends not to ; if he hath an extraordinary mission let him discover it . extraordinary gifts we finde none ; if god hath any time said to him , as to the disciples , go ; or as to paul , acts . . i 'le send thee to the gentiles , whose examples chiefly he useth to prove his calling , let him manifest it . if he shall any more adventure upon such a businesse as this , let him no more pleade extraordinary cals , but in extraordinary cases : let him not urge act. . disciples practice , unless he can parallell the cases to : it will else be to as little purpose as this . . he often distinguisheth between the gift and the office . a gifted member may exercise his gift , although not execute the office ; i say their gifts may be exercised , but it must be within the bounds of their calling , not in the place of officers . a file-leader ( if he be able ) may exercise his file , or two files , &c. but he must not carry them , much lesse the whole company into the field , nor engage them against the enemy till he hath commission . in the exercise of a private christians gift , there is but a charitative admonition , which hath no other obligation , but as the matter may be good he speaks ; in the execution of an office , there is an obligation to obedience , virtute offlcij ( ut suprà . ) yet notwithstanding his former distinction , he saith , page , . that a gifted brother may baptize and administer the supper too . strange ! may they do all the service of an officer , yet not execute the office ? it is time for me to cry down such logick too . in the administring of baptisin , there is but little exercise of gifts ; i should have though this had been part of a ministers office . when he so confidently asserted this , i expected proportionable proof ; i thought i should have heard of some extraordinary things at extraordinary times and cases ; which i should have answered , quod fieri non debet , factum valet ; but all the prof i finde is of johns baptizing , ( ib. ) and was not john commissioned for the service ? and the disciples , who were then the ordinary christians , baptized , ( p. e●d . ) did they baptize when they were but ordinary christians , before they were sent forth by christ ? but if when they baptized , there were not other christians , whom did they baptiz ? and , peter commanded people to be baptized . act . ( ib. ) and ( he saith ) it is probable there were gifted preaching brethren who aid the work . away with such probabilities . i see it is lawfull ( when it may serve some mens turns ) to draw inferences from scripture : nor will act. . ( again urged ) prove any thing . but to delude the people , he saith , preaching disciples may baptize . what then ? they who had or have a commission to preach , might or may baptize , the same commission including both ; may those therefore either preach or baptize who have no commission at all ? ( p. . ) he saith , preaching and baptism are not so united together , as never to be separated . but ( whatsoever he pretends ) we finde them put into the same commission , nor ( for all the smoak he raiseth ) do i think he can produce one example in the whole scripture , of any that ever baptized , who was not commissioned to preach . the command makes things lawfull or unlawfull , saith he , ( ibid. ) an excellent position , one of the clearest truths in his whole book ; and i could wish that as it holds , so it were beleeved and practised in all things . i shall inferre , that till he proveth there is some command ( or what is equivalent ) for the preaching of only gifted men , he must give me leave to call it unlawfull . i shall speak nothing to his bitter inveighing against presbytery ( in great part of his book ) only let you see his black mouth , and self-contradictions . you have altered the name from bishop , priest , and jesuite to presbyter , pag. . and were not presbyters long before jesuite , priest or bishop either ( in his sense ? ) pag. . he saith , there was a presbytery in the primitive times . yet pag. . it was a strange name till lately . will people never be sensible of such mens abuses ? had he but some few of these gifts that many of the godly ministers of christ have , he would finde presbyters often enough in scripture . see how he foams pag. . presbyterian wolves , &c. if they could have prevailed , they would have sucked the bloud of the lambs of christ . a charitable censure : what they would have done , he knows not , i know who do labour to suck the bloud of the lambs of christ . let me tell him , time was , that if others had exercised such cruelty against him and his party , as he would have inflicted now upon the ministers of christ , his tongue must not have run at this rate . it is pity so much tendernesse should be repaid with so great severity . but the proverb is true : pag. . we have no true church , no true ministers . how then got he to be of a church , or when did the true church begin ? for pag. . we are not speaking ( saith he ) out of , but in a constituted church . he is much put to it to answer that argument , if gifted men may preach , then gifted women too . this ( saith he ) is your conclusion , we say , and the scripture saith , that gifted brethren may preach : you will will conclude , that gifted women may preach . but where doth the scripture mention gifted brethren more then gifted women ? i had thought gifting had been the qualification , thè sending ; and then in one as well as another . let people see what pains he takes to shift off the truth , what ●oles he runs into so prevent a conviction . nay pag. . he saith , women may prophesie too , though not in the church , or at last by the permission of the church . for which ●●●●…geth , cor. . an excellent interpretation . paul saith the women must not be permitted to speak in the church , and he would move they may , with his glosse upon another pi●●● but , besides what is answered by the gentleman t●●●… i shall 〈◊〉 that learned mead expounds it of singing , and for that exposition urgeth ●chron . . . sam. . . where prophesying is taken in the same sense , every woman that praisth or singeth praise , &c. he labours much to take off those answers given to what is urged , from cor. , but for all he saith to that , i shall referre the reader to what i have spoken of that place , and of the argument drawn thence , in the former part of this book . he acknowledgeth prophesying to be extraordinary under the law , but not in gospel-daies , pag. . if it were ordinary in the primitive times , why was it given then by revelation ? why were not all that had gifts prophets ? if it be ordinary now , why doth it not continue ? if th. collier can but discover that there is such a gift of prophesying now as was then ; when ( ut suprà ) they received immediate revelation , when they could foretell things to come , when they could by sudden instinct explain dark and difficult prophecies , he will speak something ; but i do not see that is attempted ; i would advise him never to urge that scripture more , until he can manifest such a gift . yet i cannot but observe his learned exposition upon the . verse of cor. . let the spirits of the prophets be subject to the prophets . p. . ( i. ) they are able to contain themselves , and be silent , while another speaks : when it it is said , ver , that they must speak two or three , and the others judge . the text it self tels you what subjection is meant there ( i. ) to the judgement of the prophets . surely if he had such a measure of the spirit that he pretends to , he would have more skill in discerning of scripture . let none think that he hath the spirit of prophesying , spoken of , cor. . that can no better explain so easie a text . master hall . the gentleman having said that the holy ghost commends learning : he replies pag. . holy ghosts ? is there any such word in all the scripture as ghost ? how now ? which way went the spirit of god from him ? what immediatly inspired . yet ignorant of this ? hath he forgotten mat. , . hath baptism been so long out of fashion , that he hath forgotten the words of it ? is act. . . ( besides other places ) quite out of his minde ? hath his new and clear light dazled his eyes ? or hath he been digging so long in the bottomlesse pit , that the smoak hath wholly beclouded him ? he would know whether pauls gift and ours were received different waies ; ( p. . ) i shall grant they were , yet deny his false inference , we may have gifts from the same spirit , yet in a diverse manner : as different gifts , so different wayes of conferring them were from the same spirit . paul had his by immediate revelation , we receive ours more mediatly , by the use of means . one man takes up water at the fountain ; is it not the same water , or must it be wickedly come by , that another takes up in the channell ? why had he not as well questioned what timothy's gift had been , when it was different from pauls too ? what is spoken concerning numb. . . to the . is sufficiently cleared before : yet without further reference , he grants me enough , that it was an extraordinary spirit of prophecie : then whatsoever may be practised in gospel dayes ; that place will afford us no argument in ordinary times , when extraordinary gifts are not given . jehoshaphat sent princes to teach ( pag. . ) from chron. . but you 'll see the levites had the law of the lord , vers. . it is urged : may not you do your self , what you may command your servant to do ? no : a king might command a judge to hear and determine causes , which he may not do himself : a king inthose dayes might command a priest to offer sacrifice , which to have done himself had been sin . our iehoshaphats ( saith he , pag. . ) have of late rather encouraged the gifted brethren for to teach , then prohibited them . i think the state is little beholding to him ; if another should have said so much , it might have been taken ill . i am sure they have not yet recalled those ordinances of parliament , made against such preachers . he that sent christ extraordinarily , sends lay prophets ordinarily ( pag. . ) that remains yet to be proved : this is per idem as he learnedly answers in anothers place . let us but see the examples of any in scripture that ever preached , who were no otherwise sent , then our gifted brethren are now . you have seen the apostles , and disciples were sent extraordinarily by the immediate voice of god ; but these , although they urge their examples , have no such mission . he would perswade us that prophesying was not an office , but a gift , ( pag. . & alibi . ) yet it is numbred among the severall offices of the church , rom . . he confesseth that the office of ministers is meant in the same place , why then not prophesying ; when they are equally called gifts ? so they are called too , ephes. . . yet there meant of offices . i shall say nothing of his vain-glorious crying up himself and his party as the only gifted , the only godly men ; his despitefull reproaching of the ministers of jesus christ , as wicked , ignorant , antichristian devils , what not ? let the world judge who have the best gifts , and ( by this ) who have the most pride : i could quickly shew you a parallell between their doctrines and lives too , whether are most sutable to the revealed will of god ; but i could not do it without seeming bitterness to them , without a shew of arrogance in our selves . in this let god and all ( but ) moderate people judge between us . nor shall i speak ( more then i have in the former part ) to his railing arguments to prove ministers antichristian ; there is but one that is at all likely to get any credit , and that is answered there . i shall only propose what he asked , p. . who are the unquiet men , the gifted brethren or the ministers ? if their practice will not sufficiently discover it , in running from place to place to disturb congregations , who practised quietness only while they had no power to be unquiet ; let this railing book be spread before you , and then see what boilings of spirit , what trouble some humours these men are affected withall ; who under a pretence of christian liberty disturb the peace of christians ; abuse the names ( and if it were in their power ) would even take away the lives of godly men . i must end , yet i might have spoken somewhat more , if i had had more time , but the press will stay . i hope it is enough to discover the invalidity of his proof , who hath given in a great charge against the ministers : and then to take off the prejudice of readers that might possess them against what i have printed in justification of the call of the ministers of england . i am apt to think ( but shall submit to the judgement of more wise , and ( now ) lesse engaged men ) that there is nothing of value in his whole book , but either in the former part , or this short appendix , may receive a full and satisfying answer . if there be any need , i may be larger afterward : in the mean time i shall earnestly desire the reader to look upon both with a single eye , and unprejudiced heart ; look through the railing , and see what of argument you can finde in that , then excuse my weakness , and see whether you may finde an answer in this . take not reproaches for arguments ( which content some ) it is easier to accuse then to prove : cast not off the truth for any infirmity in the managure of its cause . it is easier finding then amending faults . if ever the like piece should come to mine hand again , i should take little delight to reade it , and lesse pains to answer it : it is a great sign of weakness of argument , where there is such strength of reproaches . barking doggs are best appeased by neglect : the greatest scoldes are soonest quieted by silence . if by this unpleasant difference , truth may be at all manifested , and thereby the saints of god in any measure advantaged ; i shall bless god in it , and esteem it a most gracious providence that i had any hand in it . finis . courteous reader . these new books following are printed and sold by w. roybould at the unicorn in pauls church-yard , near the little north-door . the holy arbour ; containing a body of divinity , or the sum and substance of christian religion , in folio . by john godolphin , j. c. d. . the history of the bohemian persecution , from the beginning of their conversion to christianity , to these times , in ▪ . the ladies vindication , or the praise of worthy women , in o , . a further discovery of the mystery of the last times , in o . the life and reign of king charles , in o , . the antiquity of common-wealths , instanced by that of holland , in o , . church-cases cleared , with a pacificatory preface to reconcile the difference between the presbyterians , independents , and anabaptists : by dr n. homes , in o , . a sermon preached the th of octob. . before the l. mayor , &c. by dr homes . the mischief of mixt communions , in , by dr homes . a plea for the ministry in o , by m. w. wickins . a sermon preached novemb. . . by mr jenkins , being the first he preach'd after his releasement . the churches and ministry of england , true churches and true ministry , cleared and proved , by francis fullwood : before a numerous congregation assembled to hear the opposition then made by m. t. collier and others of his party . also a preface of the manner , and a narrative of the dispute , attested under the hands of the ministers then present , in o . the ordering and setling of ireland , in folio , . christ alone exalted , in sermons , by dr crisp , in o . the assertion of grace , by r. town , in o . a sermon preached at taunton , by mr newton , may . . poems with additions . also , the muses looking-glasse . amyntas . jealous lovers ; and aristippus the jovial philosopher . by tho. randolph , m. a. in o . . the life of mr marriot the great eater in o . with all his mercy actions and travels . a cat may look upon a king . or , a character of the lives and actions of all the kings , from william the conquerour to king charles , in o . . notes, typically marginal, from the original text notes for div a e- the assemblies ( 〈…〉 chism● tout humaine proposition , &c. non exploratis rationibus traditionum probabilem tantum fidem portant , cyprian . facilis descensus averni , &c. religious greenbam speaking how god had joyned godlinesse and the means of godlinesse together , calls them frantick hereticks that neglect the means , &c. for this observe that of mar. . , . note it well : christ is said to preach the gospel when he preached repentance . summa & caput praedicationis , johanuis , christi & apostolo●●m . note . magis utimur spectacillis quam speculis . notes for div a e- i had preached three of the sermons before they came & when i was to preach the last sermon they were brought to oppose me . they took the pulpit before i came , both this day and the next . which three things are intimated in that place from which they take their liberty to speak after others have preached ( viz. ) cor. notes for div a e- posito uno absurdo sequuntur mil●●a . fortitèr calumniare , aliquid haerebit . eph. . . mat. . , eph. . . typhoem is feigned to lye under sicily , which is the cause of so many earth-quaks there ; and that the flames of aetna are but the breathings of his mouth . gen. . . sinos ruemus , ruet christus unà scilicet ille regnator mundi : matlem ego eum christo ruere , quàm-cum caesare stare . mat. . . eph. . . ambrose . si quis intelligat ipsas apostolorum & prophetarum personas , nimis faedè halluciuatitur , zanch. in loc. super fundamentum , &c. hoc est super vetus & novum testamentum collocati , amb. thes. . , . agnoscere ( i. ) pro pastoribus nostris a● patribus revcrentèr amplecti , zanc. in loc. abundantiùs vulg. . lat. quàm maximè . beza . leigh . beza in eph. . let them ob serve this who abuse the persons , traduce the names , the gifts of ministers . jer. . , . here begin the sermons which were then introduced in the same manner as here ; for handling the neglect of the gospel on heb. . . i pressed the congregation ( as a means to help them to receive it ) that they would receive and esteem the ministers of the gospel , which i urged from that of thes. . , . and explained it as here ; although i have not inserted the direction at large as then i handled it : so that , although i intended not to have touched this string in that lesson ; yet being so providentially brought upon it , i could not without suspition of cowardise retreat . act. . . rom. . . rom. . . it was the profession i made when i preached it . thes. . . rom. . , . observe the place well . {non-roman} {non-roman} {non-roman} {non-roman} {non-roman} ( i. e. ) ex dei mandato , a quo mittuntur qui evangelium praedicent , beza quùm in istisverbis sit compendium superior is gradationis , commodius videtur hoc accipere de mittendis ex dei vocatione , id. heb. . . heb. . . vsurpatur de vocationibus & functionibus . non disputat quales sint pontisices , sed de coram officio agit ; beza . act. . . note . paul ( who is so much talked of ) if ye examine the scripture , act. . to the . ver. was not only gifted , but sent also , ver. . he must go into the city , and there it should be told him what he should do , ver. . he is a chosen vessell to bear my name among the gentiles , which was to preach the gospel , ver. . he was filled with the holy ghost , ver. . he was certain daies with the disciples at damascus : and all this before that straightway which is so much urged , v. . it is more clear , if you compare it with act. . , . what ananias told paul be should do . and v. . you will see the commission christ gave him , although filled with the holy ghost . note . numb. . mat. . , , , , . reade the text . mat. . . tim. . . heb. . . heb. . mittam e á potestate , quâ ego missus sum a patre , id tantum possumus , quod jure possumus . gal. . . {non-roman} {non-roman} {non-roman} {non-roman} {non-roman} non auctoribus hominibus ullis . beza . {non-roman} {non-roman} {non-roman} {non-roman} {non-roman} authoritatis esse videtur ; {non-roman} {non-roman} {non-roman} {non-roman} {non-roman} verò ministerij a superiori quopiam demandati , idem . primum illud membrum non esse vocatum ab hominibus , commune habeat eum omnibus veris christi ministris ; & paulo post , vocatio non potest esse legitima nisi a deo. tametfi autem ritè vocatus interdum quispiam crit ecclesiae respectu , qui tamen prava cupiditate , non rect â conscientiâ ad ministerium pervenerit . secundum membrum , non esse vocatum per homines peculiaritèr competebat apostolis . et infrà , ●sta est ordinariae ratio eligendi pastores . calvin in loc. apostolatum ab aliis ministeriis discerni oportebat . calvin in act. . . rom. . , . . thes. . . . , , , . interpretatio prospiritu prophetiae , extinguitur autem spiritus prophetiae contemptu , dum eum prophetantem asperusmur . zanch. in loc. mat. . . mat. . , . legitima vocatio hic notatur , quia ideò scribas audiri jubet christus , quod publici essent ecclesiae docteres , cal. i will not insist on what at some extraordinary times hath been done ; i handle what ought to be done ordinarily . it 's said , factum valet , quod fieri non debet . ephe. . , . diodate . tantum abest ut haec dona debeamus usurpare ad unionis ecclesiae dissolutionem , ut potius ijs utendum sit ad illius umonem conservandam , zanch. in loc. act. . ● . ezek. . . . cor. . . act. . . chrysost. saith it must be {non-roman} {non-roman} {non-roman} {non-roman} {non-roman} . chrysost. lib. . de sacerdot . cap. . men of little gifts . onus ipsis etiam angelis tremendum . chrysost. when latimer to keep a good conscience laid down his bishoprick , putting off his rochet leaped for joy , feeling his shoulders so light , and being discharged of so heavy a burthen . act. and mon. fol. . tuum est caesa●i pulmentum praeparare , non evangelium exponere . you see then by this , that a man may use his gifts among his neighbours , that if his neighbour comes while he is reading a chapter , he needs not to shut his bible , or if he meet another upon the way he needs not to hold his tongu , a man may use his gifts among his neighbours , yet not preach . if a private man require another to keep the peace , this he may do , because it is a good things ; but if a constable require , it must be done because the officer commands . nemo ad ordinariam ecclesiae functionem admitti debet , nisi legitimè vocatus eóque legitimè electus & ordinatus . zanch. so then , it is not what is the practice of one church , or the custome of another people , but whether practice is most agreeable to the example and rule of the word . act. . , . tim. . . presbyteros & pastores , diaconos & alios ecclesiae gubernationi praefectos , beza . presbyteri hic vocantur quibus injunctum fuit docendi munus . died●●…e . act. . , . praecunte dirigente presbyterio . tim. . . prout hoc vel illud illis arriferit . leigh in his critica sacra : quod fine judicio & temer è sunt collecturi doctores sues . i did not mention that of philip , because he is called an evangelist act. . . nor of apollos ; for he was called a minister , and ranked with paul , co. . . nor of other preaching for approbation only , which is granted by all , they being designed for the service , and it being one way of triall ; these things were not worth the answering . {non-roman} {non-roman} {non-roman} {non-roman} {non-roman} {non-roman} {non-roman} {non-roman} {non-roman} {non-roman} be peculiari douo praedicendi futura non de docendi manere in ecclesia intelligendum . beza . argum. . resp. ●enrooles ) ass . par moyse , au nombrè des septante , dont dieu lui avoit ordonné de faire le chois . diod. written ( viz. ) by moses to the number of the . of which god had ordained him to make choice . non creati fuerunt prophetae , sed voluit deus hác exteruā notā testari novos esse homines , calvin . in los . prophetia autem bic tantundem meo judicio vales ac eximia facultas magnificè dissercndi de rebus arcanis vel mysteriis . a but because some may question this interpretation , i shall clear it from the originall : the word is {non-roman} {non-roman} {non-roman} {non-roman} {non-roman} of {non-roman} {non-roman} {non-roman} {non-roman} {non-roman} which is used in niphal , when it is spoken of a true prophet , speaking the minde of god unto people for their reproof and instruction ; which alone must be the prophesying in question , and for which this place is urged . when it is used in hithpahel , ( as it is here ) it is taken for a false prophet , that runs of himself ; or one , who being inspired by god , speaks of some mysterious things , sings praises to god , but prophesies not as a prophet unto people , as is manifest , not only from its frequent use in the scripture , as they who can search may finde , but from the consent of those skilled in the hebrew about it . pagnin of the word : prophetae dicti , quafi oraculerum , & decretorum divinorum internuncij , aus mysteriorum explicatores , scu elocutores : & paulò post ; kimchi notat hoc verbum in niphal , voce passivā efformari solitum , quod signifiet recipere prophetiara a deo ad loquendum per eam illi ad quem mittitur , uni , vel multis . reperitur & in hithpahel ac elias notat ferè in e● conjugatione falsam prophetiam significare , cum quis sefe propriâ authoritate a deo non missus ingerit ut prophetet . marinus in his arca noae , speaking of it as used in hithpahel ; se prophet●●…n fecit , vel vatem simulavit , fiuxit : vaticinatus est , futura praedixit vel theologie occulta praedicavit . saepius de prophetiâ falsa dicitur , quod est vatem singere . prophetare da dovero , à fintamente , parlare despirato , & parlare di cose alte , & divine . ( i. ) to prophesie at large , and feignedly , to speak by the spirit , and to talk of matters high and divine . leigh out of schind . in niphal , significat ac●●●tionem prophe●●●… deo & mandatum bequerdi ad alies . in himpahel usurpatur ferè de prophetiā fallá , seu sictitiâ pro natura istius conjugationis . again out of danaeus , he saith it is wont to be formed out of the passive voice niphal , when mention is made of the true prophets of god , which were inspired by his spirit ; and received from him the prophecy which they delivered to men ; but when they speak of false prophets , they use the self same word in hithpahel , because such prophets are not sent of god , but thrust forth themselves . vatablus in locem : hic prophetare hebraei exponunt cantica & landes dicere : and 〈◊〉 for the proof of it , sam. . . on which chald. paraph. & prophetavit ( i. ) & landabat deum unà cum illis , & canebat cantica in honorem dei . b it is {non-roman} {non-roman} {non-roman} {non-roman} {non-roman} of {non-roman} {non-roman} {non-roman} {non-roman} {non-roman} vatablus renders it non addiderunt : the sept. {non-roman} {non-roman} {non-roman} {non-roman} {non-roman} non addiderunt , subandi prophetare , ( i. ) hoc die tantum prophetarum , vatablus . argum. . resp. nimirum prophetae , non quivis ex caetu , imo non nifi ad munus prophetanda legitimè ordinati , beza . non eodem sane die . sed singulis conventibus . argum. . resp. . propheta sub his loquendi formis designes intelligentiae lucem , quâ excelluit nova ecclesia post christum exhibitum . argum. . resp. argum. . resp. this was added since i preached it at epping . smalcius against franszius in the name of others here ended the sermons . jewel apol. vex filet meus deficit , & nox mea tantum sed etiam angelorum . clem. in epist. ad corinth . contra presbyteros seditionem movere . signum est majoris gloriae , omnes haereticite detestantur . the proofe of a good preacher the right art of hearing : that good counsel is seldom well taken : that wilful offenders are as witlesse as wicked : with an apologie for wholesome truth, how distasteful soever / by j.f. younge, richard. approx. kb of xml-encoded text transcribed from -bit group-iv tiff page images. text creation partnership, ann arbor, mi ; oxford (uk) : - (eebo-tcp phase ). a wing y estc r ocm this keyboarded and encoded edition of the work described above is co-owned by the institutions providing financial support to the early english books online text creation partnership. this phase i text is available for reuse, according to the terms of creative commons . universal . the text can be copied, modified, distributed and performed, even for commercial purposes, all without asking permission. early english books online. (eebo-tcp ; phase , no. a ) transcribed from: (early english books online ; image set ) images scanned from microfilm: (early english books, - ; : ) the proofe of a good preacher the right art of hearing : that good counsel is seldom well taken : that wilful offenders are as witlesse as wicked : with an apologie for wholesome truth, how distasteful soever / by j.f. younge, richard. [ ], , [ ] p. printed by william leybourn, london : . written by richard younge. cf. wing ad bm. caption and running title: good counsel seldome well taken. reproduction of original in cambridge university library. created by converting tcp files to tei p using tcp tei.xsl, tei @ oxford. re-processed by university of nebraska-lincoln and northwestern, with changes to facilitate morpho-syntactic tagging. gap elements of known extent have been transformed into placeholder characters or elements to simplify the filling in of gaps by user contributors. eebo-tcp is a partnership between the universities of michigan and oxford and the publisher proquest to create accurately transcribed and encoded texts based on the image sets published by proquest via their early english books online (eebo) database (http://eebo.chadwyck.com). the general aim of eebo-tcp is to encode one copy (usually the first edition) of every monographic english-language title published between and available in eebo. eebo-tcp aimed to produce large quantities of textual data within the usual project restraints of time and funding, and therefore chose to create diplomatic transcriptions (as opposed to critical editions) with light-touch, mainly structural encoding based on the text encoding initiative (http://www.tei-c.org). the eebo-tcp project was divided into two phases. the , texts created during phase of the project have been released into the public domain as of january . anyone can now take and use these texts for their own purposes, but we respectfully request that due credit and attribution is given to their original source. users should be aware of the process of creating the tcp texts, and therefore of any assumptions that can be made about the data. text selection was based on the new cambridge bibliography of english literature (ncbel). if an author (or for an anonymous work, the title) appears in ncbel, then their works are eligible for inclusion. selection was intended to range over a wide variety of subject areas, to reflect the true nature of the print record of the period. in general, first editions of a works in english were prioritized, although there are a number of works in other languages, notably latin and welsh, included and sometimes a second or later edition of a work was chosen if there was a compelling reason to do so. image sets were sent to external keying companies for transcription and basic encoding. quality assurance was then carried out by editorial teams in oxford and michigan. % (or pages, whichever is the greater) of each text was proofread for accuracy and those which did not meet qa standards were returned to the keyers to be redone. after proofreading, the encoding was enhanced and/or corrected and characters marked as illegible were corrected where possible up to a limit of instances per text. any remaining illegibles were encoded as <gap>s. understanding these processes should make clear that, while the overall quality of tcp data is very good, some errors will remain and some readable characters will be marked as illegible. users should bear in mind that in all likelihood such instances will never have been looked at by a tcp editor. the texts were encoded and linked to page images in accordance with level of the tei in libraries guidelines. copies of the texts have been issued variously as sgml (tcp schema; ascii text with mnemonic sdata character entities); displayable xml (tcp schema; characters represented either as utf- unicode or text strings within braces); or lossless xml (tei p , characters represented either as utf- unicode or tei g elements). keying and markup guidelines are available at the text creation partnership web site . eng clergy -- early works to . preaching -- history -- th century. - tcp assigned for keying and markup - spi global keyed and coded from proquest page images - taryn hakala sampled and proofread - taryn hakala text and markup reviewed and edited - pfs batch review (qc) and xml conversion the proofe of a good preacher . the right art of hearing . that good counsel , is seldom well taken . that wilful offenders , are as witlesse as wicked . with an apologie for wholesome truth , how distasteful soever . by j.f. london , printed by william leybourn . . good counsel , seldome well taken : with an apologie for wholesome truth , be it never so untoothsome , &c. sect . i. philosophy teaches , that admonitions and corrections are the chiefest offices of love : that it is the onely true love , which to profit and do good , feareth not to hurt and offend : that to connive at our friends faults , is to make them our own . that sharp reprehension is the healing of the soul ; and that love to the soul , is the very soul of love . whence euripides exhorts men to get such friends , as would not spare to displease them . whence scipio the elder , when his friends for so doing turned his enemies , was able to say , i have given my enemies as great cause to love me , as my friends . and indeed he that loves not such a friend , hates himself . and commonly , he that will not tell us of our faults , will be very ready to tell others of them : whereas one that is faithful , will speak of our faults to our face , of our virtues behind our backs . but see farther the sweet fruit of sharp reprehension ; suppose one should be stung by a bee , ( when asleep ) whereby he is delivered from a serpent , which otherwise had stung him to death : hath he cause to complain ? and not to chide a friend , lest we offend him , is to let him drown , rather than catch him by the hair . wherefore give me such a friend as photion , who when a friend of his would have cast himself away , suffered him not , saying ; i was made thy friend to this purpose . all which is found divinity , neither wants it scripture-seal to confirm it . not to admonish our brother , is to hate him , as the holy ghost witnesseth , levit. . . but to scorn our brother should admonish us , is more to hate our selves ; in that open rebuke is better than secret love . and for that the very wounds of a lover are faithful , and better than the kisses of an enemy , prov. . , . yea , experience teaches , that no friend is so commodious in this case as an enemy ; because he tels us of that , which otherwise we should never be so happy as to hear of . nevertheles , resolved sinners scorn reproof : admonition to them , is like goads to such as are mad already : or like powring oyl down the chimney , which may set the house on fire , but never abate the heat ; which is not for want of ignorance : for by refusing to hear in this case , they become ( like amaziah ) wilful murtherers of their own souls , as wise solomon affirms , his words are , he that refuseth admonition is bruitish , and destroyeth his own soul , prov. . . and . . yea , he goes further , and sayes , a man that hardeneth his neck when he is reproved , shall suddenly be destroyed , and cannot be cured , prov. . . and . , , . of which you have most remarkable and dreadful examples , sam. . . chron. . , . sect. . neverthelesse , how few are there so wise , as to take admonition well ? for , reprove a scorner ( that is , a fool ) and he will hate thee ; reprove a wise man , and he will love thee , prov . . to which we may add prov. . . a wise man foreseeth the evil , ( that is the evil of hell , sayes bernard ) and preventeth it ; but fools go on and are punished . now that these bruits and soul-destroyers , may the better be known to themselves and others , and the greatnesse of their folly and madnesse , together with what a world of them there are amongst us , ( for to be wise , according to wise solomons description , is the portion but of a few , as daily experience witnesseth . ) i will paint them out in a small table , or map ; and so expose them to view . in the first place you shall know them by this mark : a man no sooner tels them of a fault , but it works in their brains as yeest in a barrel , until they have requited their admonisher with a mischief ; being like gunpowder , to which you no sooner give fire , but they fly in your face . admonition may move them to choller , never to amendment . who when they have heard an untoothsom truth , like waters after a tempest , are full of working and swelling against their admonisher . we read that in the law of jealousies , if the suspected wife were guilty , that drank of the bitter waters of trial , she would presently swell , if otherwise , she was well enough . and it is a sure signe the horse is gauled , that stirs too much when he is touched ; so when they swell against their reprehender , and hisse like serpents , if we trouble their nests never so little , you may justly conclude them guilty persons . for no greater signe of innocencie , when we are accused , than mildnesse , as we see in joseph , gen. . . . and susannah , susan . ver . , . and hannah , sam. . , . neither is there a greater symptome of guiltinesse , than our breaking into choller , when we have any thing laid to our charge : witnesse cain , gen. . . that hebrew which strook his fellow , exod. . , . saul , sam. . , . abner , sam. . . jeroboam , kin. . . ahab , kin. . . amaziah , chron. . . uzziah , chron. . . herod the tetrach , luke . , . the men of nazareth , luke . , . the pharisees , john . , . the high priests and scribes , luke . , . and the like touching a mans wisdome and humility . plato being demanded , how he knew a wise man , answered , when being rebuked he would not be angry , and being praised he would not be proud . and to this accords that of the wise man , prov ▪ . . and ● . but for one that is so wise , there is a thousand of those fools i am to decipher , who with balaam will grutch to be hindered in their way to hell , and fly upon those that oppose their perdition : even such as think it better to fry everlastingly in a furnace of fire and brimstone in hell-flames , than to inherit a celestial and eternal kingdome , and weight of superabundant glory in heaven , to enjoy a paradise of pleasure , where are such joyes , as eye hath not seen , nor ear heard , nor can ever enter into the heart of man to conceive , cor. . . this is most mens depth of brain , and thus it fares with all wilful and impenitent sinners . but how hath the devil bewitcht them ? is it possible that the reasonable soul of man ( not professedly barbarous ) should be capable of such a monster ? certainly if i did not know the truth and probate of it , by occular and experimental demonstration from day to day , i could hardly bring my understanding to beleeve it ! but to make this further appear , though i have small hope to prevail with the parties themselves ( for they that have no reason , will hear none ; and he that learns of none but himself , hath a fool for his teacher . ) guilty sinners will swell against their reprehender , innocent souls will be cheered and cleered by it , numb . . , . resolved offenders being reproved , in stead of penitence break into choller , fury sparkles in those eyes which should gush out with water , and in stead of embracing the counsel , will rage at the counsellour . crossed wickednesse proves desperate , and in stead of yeelding , seeks for revenge of its own sins upon others uprightnesse : whereas if anothers simple fidelity shews it self in reproving the honest-hearted , he loves his monitor so much the more , by how much the more he smarteth , allowing of truth as well when it hurts him , as when it helps him . but unsound flesh loves to be stroked , the least roughnesse puts it into a rage ; a festered conscience will not endure a drawing plaster , a putrid and scabbed limb delights to be scratcht and rubbed , foule faces would have false glasses : diomedes must have a crooked shooe for his wry foot : caligula must be adored as a god , forsooth , though he live like a devil , poysoning his unckle , and deflowring all his sisters . thorns must be touched with a gentle hand , not grasped ; these ulcers must be no further searched into , than the dead flesh reaches , for if you but touch them to the quick , you shall quickly hear of it , and be sure to smart for it . sect. . but to bring this home to you of this place , with whom my businesse lyes ; for hitherto i have but spoken in the air , as the apostle speaks , or onely paved a way to my intended matter , or at uttermost but given you a preparative before hand , as physicians do to their patients , that their physick may work the more kindly , your pastour hath for many years preached in the metropolitane city , where they are more civilized and better bred , without any clamour ; yea , with much approbation : for they enterteined him as lot did those angels , that came to fetch him out of sodom : but you enterteine him as coursely , as the ammonites did davids messengers . nor did the devil ever so rage in this rude place , as he hath done since his preaching hath awakened your consciences , and by the looking-glasse of the law , and light of the gospel , shewen you the deformity & filthiness of your souls . a notable argument that satan fears he shall be routed , and his kingdome more shaken in your quarters , than hath fallen out in former times , or by the preaching of any that have gone before him , for he daily rages more and more amongst you . as for instance , at first he was opposed by a few simple sectaries , and that was no small honour to him , as hiram told austin in the like case . but now his preaching against drunkennes , deceitfulnes , swearing , sabbath-breaking , ignorance , formality , and such other common sins , hath brought all the parish about his ears ; not alone the wit-foundered drunkard , but the civil justiciary , the formal hypocrite , the ignorant animal , and all sorts of impenitent sinners . and why ? but because the virtue and efficacie of gods word , which is quick and powerful , and sharper than any two-edged sword , to divide between the soul and spirit , joynts and marrow , as it is heb. . . hath discovered and made manifest to your selves and others , the very secrets and most inward intents of your hearts . insomuch that your consciences are forced to bear witness against your selves , that you are the parties to whom he speaks , as if he named you , or each of you in particular , as you have an instance , cor. . , . heb. . . whence your guilty consciences suggest , that he aims at you in particular , though he names none , when indeed it is onely the prerogative and spirituallity of the word above all other writings , to discover the hearts , and speak home to the consciences of all that hear it delivered with power and authority . as for the messenger , the truth of his heart gives him boldness to profess before him who onely knows it , that he strives against no man but his strife , malignes no man but his malice , envies no man but his envie , as hierome speaks . yea , he could be more glad to see any mans ( even his greatest enemies ) amendment , than his punishment . this ( i say ) is the genuine reason , why hundreds of you fret , and chase , and fume , and swell , and storm , and rage , and are ready to burst again when you hear him . your sins and deformities are so discovered and detected , your presumptuous confidence of being christians good enough , and of your going to heaven so questioned , that your peace is disturbed , and you will be revenged of some body . it is observable , that when our saviour sent forth his apostles to preach abroad in the world , having first taught them the way , his words to them were , behold , i send you forth , as sheep amongst wolves , matth. . . are not you these wolves ? not onely wolvish , but meer wolves ; yes , you are , and will be , until the gospel shall have wrought a change in your hearts and natures , hebr. . . acts . . and . . again , matth. . . he sayes , cast not your pearls before swine , lest they tread them under their feet , and turning again all to reut you . are not you those unreasonable beasts and swine ? if not , who are ? yea , you are more bruitish than a swine , or any other unreasonable creature . for whereas christ by his ministers , would reconcile you to god , as joab did absalom to david , by the woman of tekoah ; you cry they come to torment you before the time , matth. . . your case is just like his in the gospel , that called himself legion , who having been possest with devils a long time , was at length very loth to part with his guests : yea , he thought himself tormented , when christ came to cast out them , and save him , mark . . luke . . sect. . now what course do you take to be revenged of him ? for this makes you hate him above measure , mis-construe his actions and intentions , rail on him , slander him , curse him , withstand and contrary his doctrine , watch for his halting , combine together and lay plots how you may do him the most mischief , which is all you are able to do : for else you would bring him before the magistrate , imprison , smite , wound , and put him to death , as the jews served christ , as i could shew you from a world of testimonies and examples out of the word . see onely john . , . matth. . . matth. . , , . luke . , , . and . , : but our comfort is , you have not so much authority as malice ; resembling the serpent porphyrus , which abounds with poison , but can hurt none , for want of teeth . though your punishment shall be never the lesse ; for good and evil thoughts , and desires , in gods account , are good and evil works , and shall so be judged in that court of justice where is no partiality . but since you cannot do as you would , you will do what you can ; as it fared with zoilus that common slanderer , or as it does with the devil , revel . . . for if the law binds your hands , yet you will be smiting with your tongues ; and if the law so keeps you in awe , that you dare not smite him on the mouth , as the high priest did paul , acts . . yet you will do what you dare , you will smite him with the mouth , as ziba did honest mephibosheth , sam. . . and the like touching his maintenance , because you cannot out him of his living , you will defraud and rob him of his means and livelihood , and neither pay him a peny your selves , nor suffer others , so far as you can help it , which is a plot to pluck up all religion by the roots : for how should our pastours feed our souls , if we feed not their bodies ? how should the lamp burn , if we take away the holy oyl that should maintein it ? and in case it burn not , there will be but a dark house . so that to expect that ministers should preach without maintenance , is as if you should shut a bird into a cage , give her no meat , and yet bid her sing . never the lesse it pleases you , that you can ( as you think ) displease him , and withall pleasure your selves in saving your silver , little dreaming what you do ; for look but narrowly into it , and you shall see that this is not onely persecution , theft , sacriledge , murther of bodies and souls , of provoking god to send a famine of his word , and the like : but you become by it guilty of high treason against god , in thus using his ambassadour , and against christ and all his members , as i have elswhere made manifest . though it is wicked enough for you to impeach his credit , asperse his spotlesse name , and take away his reputation , that so none else may hear him , or regard what he delivers , which is a wickeder plot than your blind souls are able to discern . besides , a good name ( sayes salomon ) is better than a good ointment : and to be chosen above great riches , prov. . . indeed his life is so well known , that all the harm you do him is , but as a candle to a white wall : that may much black it ( among such sensualists as your selves ) but cannot burn it , though that be too much , for a mans good name is like a milk white ball , that exceedingly gathers soil even with tossing . nor can he expect to fare better , so long as he tarries with you , where satan hath his throne , in a place that mostly consists of swearers , drunkards , and drink-sellers . he hath by his powerful preaching raised the devil in many of you , but it will be hard laying him again : yea , once to expect it ( when god hath given men over to their own lusts ) were an effect of frenzie , not of hope . for can he with crabronius , be ever pudling in a wasps nest , and think to escape their stings ? or be still blowing in the dust , and not endanger his eyes ? it is no way possible . for , he that toucheth pitch shall be defiled therewith . he that reproveth a scorner , purchaseth to himself shame : and he that rebuketh the wicked , getteth himself a blot , prov. . , . see jer. . though i speak not this to dis-hearten him , whom god hath placed over you : for gods glory we are bound to redeem with our own lives . and a conscionable minister is like david , who would venture upon a bear , rather than lose a lamb. or jacob , who would endure heat by day , and frost by night , rather than neglect his flocks . or moses , who would fight with odds , rather than the cattle should perish with thirst . onely a balaam wants this mercie . nor can i wish him to spare you ever the more , by delivering himself in a gentler tone ; as you , like the men of bengala , would have onely words of down and honey , have him speak nothing but pure ro●es , preach unto you peace , peace , and prophesie of wine and strong drink , then should he be a welcome prophet to you : but this were to fulfill the proverb , like pastour like people , hos . . . yea , this were , for the blind to lead the blind , that both might fall i●to the ditch together , luke . . alas , the fault lies nat in the word , nor in his delivering it , but in the wickednesse of your hearts that are the hearers : who like the spider , will suck poison from the self same flower that the bee does honey . nor will any truth ( be it never so untoothsome ) offend any , but ill minds , michah . . yea , even the same words that are lansets to a bad mans conscience , will be as balm to penitent sinners . the word being like some mighty wind , that bears over tall elms or cedars , with the same blast that it raiseth a stooping reed , exod. . . sect. . every good line of gods word , adds sinew to the vertuous mind , and withall heals that vice which would be springing in it : the very judgements of god to a good man , are sweeter than the honey and the honey-comb , psal . . . but alas , the same report , wherewith the spirit of rahab melts , hardens the king of jericho , josh . . sergius paulus was converted , elymas obdurated at the same sermon , acts . yea , even the same face of the judge , without any inward alteration , is seen with terrour to the guilty , with joy and confidence by the oppressed innocent , the same rod that brought plagues to the egyptians ▪ brings deliverance to israel . but i dare refer the case to thine own conscience to determine , ( if the custome of sin , and the god of this world hath not totally blinded thee ) where the fault lies , and who is to be blamed in this particular ? is the physician to be blamed for the pain of his patient , or the disease ? the chirurgeon or the wound , which he endeavors by all means to cure ? yea , what is the genuine reason , why the worst men and members of a parish evermore regard a good minister least ? complain of his bitterness , and seek by all means to remove him ? is it not because they are feet , and legs , and thighs , and arms out of joynt , and so cannot endure the touch of the chirurgeons hand , & the acrimony of his medicines . alas , every good physician h●d rather cure a disease by sleep and diet , than by scammony and castorium : but an intemperate sick man maketh a cruel physician and in case the disease be desperate , he must use the extremity of physick . nothing will ease the pluresie , but letting of bloud : and to such as are sick of a dead apoplexie , they are forced to give a double quantity of physick , or their faculties will not be awakened . which is the very case of these desperate sinners , who if they wanted not brains , would in stead of complaining be thankful . the physician and chirurgion heals us not without pain , and yet we reward them . yea , had any of you but a leg , or an arm putrefied and corrupt , you would even give money , and think your selves beholding too , to have them cut off , because it is the onely way and means to preserve the whole body . and if so , what love and thanks can be too much , that is exprest to them who would ( would you give them leave ) pluck you out of satans clutches , and bring you to life eternal ? nor can he ever be thankful to god ; who is not thankful to the instrument , or means , by whom god does , or would do him good . besides , it were a breach of justice , not to proportion the rebuke to the crime : for , for a minister to use gentle reprehension , in case of capital offences , that is in case of thefts , rapines , sacriledges , adulteries , and incests , to say to his people , as eli to his sons , why did you so ? is no other than to shave that head which deserves cutting off . for as it is with ill humours in the body , that a weak dose doth but stir and anger them , not purge them out ; yea , if physick be not strong enough to purge out choller , it encreaseth choller ; the humours it would have purged and expelled ( if it had been strong enough ) it inflameth , exasperateth and sharpeneth . and as the sun in the spring-time breedeth agues , and other distempers , because it stirreth humours and doth not waste them ; so it fareth with sins in the soul . an easie and gentle reproof doth but encourage wickedness , and make it think it self so slight , as that rebuke importeth ; which is to patronize evil in stead of reproving it . and experience shews , that cold preachers make bold sinners . however , such being like ill archers , that draw not their arrows up to the head , seldome convert these sinners . nevertheless , resolute sinners would have dissolute teachers ; would have the law according to their lives , not their lives according to the law. that pleas●th them which is sweet to the sence , not that which is wholesome to the conscience , as the holy ghost informs us , isa . . . kings . . mich. . . like wanton children , they care not to be mended , but to be commended : he that praiseth them , pleaseth them . but wo to such preachers , as shall heal the hurt of these people with sweet words , saying , peace , peace , and give them comfort ( as jezabel did ahab , kings . , , . ) when they rather deserve a curse , jer. . . for this is no other than guilded treason , like that of hazael to his master , who told him with his mouth that he should recover , when on the morrow he stifled him with his hand , and a wet cloth , kings . , . whence the holy ghost brands all flattering preachers , that sow pillows , for false prophets , jer. . . and indeed it is but a mountebank trick , to heal an ulcer , and leave in the core . a good physician , either for soul or body , first tels the state of the disease with its symptomes , and then prescribes ; and in prescribing , first puls down the body with purgatives , and then raiseth it with cordials . and take this for a rule , such as fear god , & are ministers of his sending , wil think is better to lose mens favors than their souls , and be sure to discharge his conscience from the burthen of any ones bloud , ezek. . . and . . yea , an ingenious patient should be so wise as to know , that the stomack should ra●her be pleased than the pallate : and experience tels us , that those things ( for the most part ) that are least pleasing , are most wholesome . rue is an herb most bitter to the taste , yet in regard of the vertue which is in it , we usually call it herb of grace . and physicians find , that though mithridate , of all other electuaries it be the most distasteful , yet of all others it is the most wholesome . and so it fares touching spiritual truths . whence a good preacher cares not so much to stroke the car , as to strike the conscience : being like a good physician , who gives sharp medicines , and bitter potions , that he may make sho●t diseases , and procure sound health . the true method of preaching , and the likeliest way to undeceive the deceived , and ( with blessing from above ) to pluck sinners out of satans snares is : for a minister to deal with his hearers , as the prophet did by hazael , when he plainly told him the abominable wickedness of his heart , and what evil ( even beyond beleef he should shortly do or execute , had he been wise enough to have been warned thereby . or as nathan did by david , when he so cunningly made him pronounce sentence of death against himself . or as jonah did by the nin●vites , when with that short thundering sermon of eight words , he converted that great city . or as peter by his converts , when he told them they were the men , that had crucified the lord of life . or john baptist by herod , and all that came unto him . or as christ by the woman of samaria , when he so represented the very thoughts of her heart unto her conscience , that she was forced to confesse , he hath told me all thing● that eve● i did . or as he did with saul , when he spake to him from heaven , which wo●ds made him tremble , and fall to the earth with astonishment . which makes one of the fathers say , that the crown of preachers is the tears of their hearers . and saint basil , that sha●p reprehension is the healing of the soul . and chrysostom say to his hearers , if i make you smart give me the more thanks for it . nay , says busil , it may well be feared , that ministers open not the word aright , when wicked men kick not against it . and luther was of that judgement , tha● he thought if ministers should preach the word as they ought , they should stir up all the furies of hell against themselves . sect. . now what 's the reason , why down right truth is so unpleasing to carnal minds ? when none can deny , but it is by far the more wholesome . it is this , all men love the light as it shines , but as it discovers and dir●cts , the most of men hate it none so bad , but they can away with pleasing truths , and promis●s of mercie . or let the minister walk in generals , and labour more to fill the head with knowledge , than the heart with grace ; to please the sence , than speak to the conscience , by driving an application close home to them in particular , touching some one sin of theirs ( which is the soul of preaching ) so long they will like him ; yea , he is a fair and good church ▪ man , a great scholar . but let him act the part of boanerges , thunder out the judgements of god against sinners , let him do as god commands ezekiel to do , ezek. . . answer them according to their idols , preach to their necessities , presse them to holy duties , reprove them for their unholy practices , make known to them what evil consciences they have ; then they turn their backs upon him , and hate him to the death ; as ahab did eliah and michaiah ; herod and herodias , john baptist , the jews , our saviour ; and the galatians , paul. see amos . . yea , they will say , away with such a fellow from the earth , for it is not meet that he should live . the case of all incorrigible , and cauterized sinners ; as well the covetous as the riotous ; the civil , such as seek to fill their chests , as those that are all for satisfying their lusts , for let a minister but rowze and raise them out of their security , saying , awake thou that sleepest , and stand up from the dead , all are instantly about his ears . then the wit-foundered drunkard cries out , saying , he subverts the state of the world , and troubles our city ; then the covetous oppressour is ready to tell the prophet ( as the sodomites lot ) away hence , he is come alone as a stranger , and shall he judge and rule ? then the whole rabble ( furiously raging together against the lord , and against his anointed ) conclude peremptorily , that a peece of a pulpit , & half a benefice , is too much for such an unquiet spirit , such a fire - ? ? ? slinger . as let paul but touch demetrius his copy-hold , preach down his profit , he and all of like occupation will rore out of measure , acts . . wherein they shew as great policie , as did the sodomites , who made haste to turn out lot and his family , that fire and brimstone might make haste to destroy them . a guilty conscience loves application as dearly as a dog loves a cudgel . sore eyes cannot endure the light of the sun , nor bankrupts the sight of their counting-books ▪ nor deformed faces of the true glass . a man were as good take an elephant by the tooth , or seek to rob a bear of her whelps , as go about to make them better . for let a minister charge them from god , like rusty or ill-wrough● peeces , they will recoyl in his face ; and like serpents , not onely be deaf to his charming , but turn their tails to sting him . wherein they resemble the mad man , that wounded his physician , while he was administring physick to him for his recovery . they more seek for a rag to cover their sins , than for a plaster to heal them : as it fared with david , while he slept in that foul sin of adultery , sam. . , , &c. now if they are so startled and terrified at the ministers telling them of one or a few sins , what will they do when satan , and the searcher of hearts , shall lay open all the sins that ever they have committed , & spread them before them ? if it be so dreadful to hear of what they shall suffer , if they repent not , how terrible will it be to feel it ? the law wasp-like stings shrewdly , but satan that hornet will sting worse a great deal . but if men will be warned by the former , they may prevent the latter : only these want that we commonly call reason ; therefore , like children and cowards , they rather shut their eyes , and chuse to feel the blow , than to see and endeavour to avoid it . owoful wretches ! that had rather be everlastingly damned for their sins hereafter , than endure to hear of them now , to their eternal comfort . but i hope better things of some amongst so great a number . gods truth , if you mark it , would cry down mens sins , as preaching would have done demetrius his trade : and therefore ●o marvel , if the trades-men of iniquity are up in arms against the gospel , as demetrius was against paul. and did not the gospel crosse their sins , they would not crosse the gospel : but the waves do not beat or rore any where so much , as at the bank that restrains them . the pharisees could not endure jesus , because he came to break their customes , luke . . the masters of the pythonesse , acts . . objected this against paul and silas , that they did teach contrary to their customes . for this cause was that uprore at ephesus , acts . . to . paul had never become their enemy , but for telling them the truth , & dealing so plainly and roundly with them . and why did more than forty of the jews bind themselves with a curse , neither to eat nor drink till they had killed him ? acts . not for the evils they found in him , but for the vices he reproved in them . by all which it appears , that obstinate sinners are as witlesse as wicked : and that they would , if they durst , deal with their faithful pastours , as the jews did by stephen , who in their blind zeal were so furious and merciless , that they put him to death , for shewing them the way to eternal life , and stoned him for a blasphemer against god and his law , who was a man full of faith , and power , and of the holy ghost , acts . , &c. it hath ever been the manner of wickedness , to be head-strong in the pursuit of its own courses , impatient of opposition , cruel in revenge of the opposers . the great spite and spleen therefore , that men bear to the word , must be wreaked upon the minister , he must be hated , outed , and persecuted : yea , if they durst , they would stone him to death , as the jews did stephen : for as their hearts brast for anger , as they gnashed at him with their teeth when they heard him , acts . . so fares it with these touching their minister . but in the meantime , what horrible , what hellish ingratitude is this , if it be looked upon with an impartial eye ? are not these the very worst of monsters ? o you sottish sensualists , what can you alledge for yourselves , or against your minister ? is he any other to you , than those three messengers were to lot ? that came to fetch him out of sodome , that he might not feel the fire and brimstone which followed , gen. . or than the angel was to peter , that opened the iron-gates , loosed his bands , brought him out of prison , and delivered him from the thraldome of his enemies ? you shew just as much reason in it , as if those blind , deaf , diseased , distracted , possessed , or dead persons spoken of in the gospel , should have railed upon our saviour for offering to cure , restore , dispossesse , recover and raise them again . and are like those wicked , witless , and ingrateful jews , judg. . who when god , in great love , sent samson to deliver them from the slavish thraldome of their enemies ; they in requital bind him , ( in whom all their hope of deliverance lay ) and deliver him up to those enemies that kept them under , to the end they might slay him , and still make slaves of them . here is your case right : are you not ashamed to be such sots ? were there ever such fools , or frenzie men did commit a greater folly ? for shame think of it before it prove too late , before you have sinned away all hope of mercie : in the mean time , as our saviour said of his murtherers , father , forgive give them , for they know not what they do : so may your minister say , adding thereto that prayer of stephen when they stoned him : lord , lay not this sin to their charge , acts . . sect. . but that i may , if it be possible , fetch tears from your eyes , and bloud from your adamantine hearts , i will yet acquaint you with that which is worse , and more considerable than all , i pray mind it : all the indignities and wrongs that are done to christs ministers and ambassadours , redound to him ; and he that traduceth , or any way wrongs a minister , for the discharge of his place , his envie strikes at the image of god in him , and he so takes it , as a world of places shew . he that despiseth you , despiseth me , sam. . . isa . ● . . saul , saul , why persecutest thou me ? acts . . revel . . , . psal . . . to spurn at the messenger , is to strike at the image of god , whose message it is . what saith paul , cor. . i have not spoken , but the lord : and therefore as the lord said unto saul , acts . . that he persecuted him ( though in heaven ) so they who resist any truth delivered out of the word , do resist god himself , and not his messenger . but see further what you do , by what your fellow-persecutours have done before you . with such impatience does a gauled heart receive admonition , that when god himself came to reprove cain for killing his brother abel ; he had no sooner spake these words , where is abel thy brother ? but he returns to god himself this churlish answer , am i my brothers keeper ? gen. . . again , the scribes , pharisees and elders , were filled full of madness against our saviour , and communed one with another , what they might do to jesus , and how they might destroy him , ( the which you would also do , if he were your minister , & now upon earth ) for being so bitter , luke . . ( for if you cannot away with the light of a candle , you would much lesse endure to look upon the glorious sun. ) now if god himself was so served , if christs own doctrine could not escape persecution , no marvel if his messengers cannot . here then is some comfort for your minister , honey out of a lion. nor is it his shame to suffer what christ suffered , nor your honour to do as cain , judas , and the rest did , as cyprian speaks . but secondly , take notice what our saviours counsel is to his ministers , when his holy precepts and prohibitions , do either harden men as the sun hardens clay , and cold water hot iron : or else inrage them , as a furious mastiffe-dog , is the madder for his chain . what his counsel & method is , may be seen both by testimonies and examples not a few . as , cast not your pearls before swine , mat. . . into whatsoever citie you shall enter , if they will not receive you , go your wayes out into the sreets of the same , and say , even the very dust which cleaveth on us of your citie , we wipe off against you , for a witnesse unto you . notwithstanding know this , that it shall be easier for sodome and gomorrah at the day of judgement than for you , luke . , , . those mine enemies which would not that i should reign over them , bring hither , and slay them before me , luke . . and that this is an evident signe of one that shall eternally perish , is plain , pro . . read the words and tremble , a man that hardeneth his neck being often reproved , shall suddenly be destroyed , and that without remedy . see more prov. . , , , to . whence it is the prophet tels amaziah , i know that god hath determined to destroy thee , because thou hast done this , and hast not obeyed my counsel , chron. . , . and that the holy ghost , speaking of eli's sons , saith , that they would not hearken unto , nor obey the voice of their father ; because the lord was determined to destroy them , sam. . . yea , it is an observation of livie , that when the destruction of a person , or a nation is destined : then the wholesome warnings both of god and man , are set at nought . and in reason , that sin is past cure , that strives against ●he cure . herbs that are worse for watering , trees that are lesse fruitful for dunging and pruning , are to be rooted out , or hewen down . even salvation it self will not save those , that spill the potion , and sling away the plaster . when men are the worse for gods endeavour to better them ; the best and onely way is , to leave them to their judge . those beasts we cannot master , we must give up . if babylon will not be cured , she must be left to her self , given up to destruction without further warning . my people would not hear my voice ( saith god ) and israel would none of me , psal . . and what follows ? so i gave them up to the hardnesse of their hearts , and they walkt in their own counsels , vers . , . all further patience would prove fruitlesse : so he layeth by his rod to take up his sword ; as god hath messengers of wrath for them that despise the messengers of his love . sect. . now to end with a word of exhortation , to as many of you as have heard what hath hitherto been delivered , ( from one that is no party , and so lesse subject to be partial ) and that are not yet given over . in the first place , be not any longer offended with your pastour ; for he is appointed a watch-man over your souls , and doth but discharge his office that god hath placed him in , ezek. . and he should be guilty of high treason against christ , and the souls committed to his care , if he should do lesse . as the centinel or captain , that doth not what he can to maintain the wals , doth what he can to betray the city the word is no other than christs , though delivered by a weak instrument . who ever be the crier , the proclamation is the king of heavens . ( while it goes for mans , it is no marvel if it lye open to despite . ) so that in hating your minister , and complaining of his bitterness , you do as wisely and justly , as if the people should impute the cause of the war to the herald , or accuse the trumpet for all that their rebellion hath brought upon them . yea , consider who is the authour of the word , what the cause and ends of the ministers delivering it ; and that there is nothing can cure your grief , but the same word that caused it : and then thou wilt receive him as an angel of god , yea , even as christ jesus ; as the primitive christians did the apostles , gal. . . who acknowledged to owe , even themselves , to their spiritual pastours , philem. . and would , if it had been possible , have pluckt out their own eyes , and have given the same unto them , gal. . , . and . . you have heard sufficiently , that this is the true method of preaching , though it be little used ; because discretion ( with many ) eats up well nigh all true devotion . their discretion and moderate stayedness , much abates of their zeal , honesty and goodness . nor can there be a better argument to prove , that a minister studies more to profit than to please men with his wholesome counsel ; than when he will not let them sleep and snort in their sins , but cry aloud against their abominations . i grant corrasives are not to be used in all cases , lenatives and cordials are of no lesse use to weak constitutions . whence the care of every wise and able minister , that hath skill to divide the word of god aright , must be and is , to give to each man his due portion ; comfort to whom comfort belongs , terrour to whom terrour is due : observing the same rule that st. paul did , who meeting with an elymas , one that resisted the truth , and laboured to keep others from it , entreats him not with fair and sweet words , as he did agrippa , who was hopefully coming on to embrace the truth . wherefore the same apostle sayes to the one , o full of all subtilty and all mischief , thou child of the devil , and enemy of all righteousnesse , acts . . but when he speaks to the other , it is in a more mild , gentle , and winning tone . or as our saviour himself used , ( that lamb of god , who would not break the bruized reed , nor quench the smoking flax . ) as how doth he multiply wo upon wo , and threaten double damnation , when he was to deal with hard-hearted hypocrites , opposers of the gospel , those scribes and pharisees , matth. . and indeed , the best musick is made by a judicial correspondence of sharp and flat . let all merciful & meal-mouthed preachers , such as flatter sin and flout holiness , such whose scope of their preaching is but to feed the people with hopes , though they give them no grounds for it : that heaven shall meet them at their last hour , be their condition never so wretched ; which is the reason that most men walk in the broad way , and yet every man thinks to enter in at the straight gate . let these , i say , take notice of this . as also scorners of their teachers & instructors , and more of their godly instruction : then will they love where and what they now hate , and hate where and what they now love . but you have no cause to complain of either extream : for in the sermons , against which you except , there is matter of instruction , of reprehension , of consolation , of exhortation ; for the ignorant , for the sinfull , for the faithfull , for the despairing soul and drooping spirit : not gospel without law , nor law without gospel : but a sweet composition of severity and mercie , wherein law and gospel meet , as moses and christ met upon the mount : the one to direct your obedience , the other to answer for your disobedience , if you will but repent and turn unto god , with such christian moderation , as may argue zeal without malice , and desire to win souls , no will to gaul them . for as sauls servants did not onely tell him that he had an evil spirit , but withall told him a remedy , and helpt him to the party that gave him ease , sam. . , . so your pastour , with a discovery of your sins , shews you a means of cure and recovery for your souls . yea , do but submit , and the very same word ( like the sword of achilles ) will heal again , whom it hath wounded . whereas if you forthwith flye from your admonisher , it is as if one that is launsed should flye from his chirurgian , before his wound can be bound up . sect. . again , slight not him whom god hath placed over you , lest hereafter , when you lye gasping on your death-beds , and come to a sight and sence of your sad condition you wish ; oh that i had now but the opportunity , to converse with such a minister ; as saul slighted samuel while he lived , but would fain have heard and conversed with him , when he was dead . a case which often fals out , for when godless persons are in any distress , they still pray the people of god to pray for them : and commonly those too , whom they have most slighted , hated , and abused . for the oppressour is in no mans mercie , but his whom he hath trampled upon ; and injuries done us on earth , give us power in heaven . whereupon jeroboams hand being dried up , for stretching it out against the prophet , he sueth to the man of god , saying , i beseech thee pray unto the lord thy god , and make intercession for me , that my hand may be restored unto me , and the man of god besought the lord , and the kings hand was restored , kings . , . and thus it fared between the israelites and samuel , sam. . . between miriam and moses , numb . ▪ . thus when the lords wroth was kindled against eliphaz and his two friends , nothing would appease the same , but the prayer of job whom they had so contemned , job . , . thus simon the sorcerer prayes peter to pray for him , acts . . yea , of whom did dives , being tormented in hell flames , expect and seek for ease , but from lazarus whom lately before he had despised , luke . . for though the wicked scorn and despise the godly in their prosperity , yet in their distress they onely are set by for advice , and to pray unto god for them , who are more ready to sollicite god for their mortallest enemies and persecutours , than they to desire it , be it at the time when they wrong them most , witness stephen when they stoned him , act. . . and our saviour christ when they crucified him , luke . . yea , they account it a sin , to cease praying for their worst enemies , sam. . . to all which i might add , how such as have wronged and persecuted the servants of god , are not seldome forced to confess their own folly , wickedness , and unthankfulness ; the godlies superlative goodness , &c. as laban did to jacob , genes . . . and pharaoh to moses , exod. . , . and again chap. . , . and saul to david , saying , i have sinned , i have done foolishly , and have erred exceedingly : thou art more rightous than i , for thou hast rendered me good , and i have rendered thee evil , &c. sam. . . & . . rare acknowledgements from heathen and christian kings to their own subjects . yet god will have it so , and conscience will compell them to do so ; though perhaps afterwards , when the rod is off their backs , they are apt to harden again , and return to their old byass , as did the same pharaoh and saul . for no longer than they smart , no longer can they see : and unless affliction opens their eyes , there is no perswading them , but the righteous man is worse than his neighbour : yea , none so vile , as haman thought and reported of mordecai and the jews , and ahab of elijah , and saul of david . and this i can assure you beyond all exceptions , that if ever your eyes be opened , before you drop into hell , when the mask of prejudice is taken from before your eyes , you will be cleer of another mind to what you are : you will love that down right preaching which now you hate , and hate those clawing and rhetorical discourses , that now you so much adore and admire . sect. . wherefore , receive with meekness the ingrossed word , which is able to save your souls , jam. . . entertain it with an honest and good heart , and in so doing , you shall entertain both god and christ with it , as our savior himself plainly tels you , joh. . . see also chron. . , . yea , hear the word indifferently and impartially , and the rather from such as thou hast hated for their bitterness ; perhaps god will conver● and save thee by no other means or minister , than such as he hath placed thee under . saul , if you observe it , when he was possest with an evil spirit , ( as all are that persecute their faithful pastours ) all his spite was at david , from whom he received more benefit than from any one man in his kingdome besides : yet by gods special appointment , none could give him ease but david . despise not the meanest of christs messengers , that delivers his word purely , aims at his glory and the good of souls . as what sayes luther , if god speaks to thee as he did unto balaam by an asse , thou must have so much wisdome and humility , as to hear him : gods word is the sword of the spirit , that killeth our corruptions , and that unresistable cannon-shot , which beateth & battereth down all the strong holds of sin & satan . but above all resist it not , kick not against it , mock not at gods word or messengers . o do not sport away your souls into those pains , which are easeless , endless , and remediless . do you beleeve there is a god ? are you willing to be saved ? if you are , break off your sins by repentance , dan. . . cease to do evil , learn to do well , isa . . , . seriously grieve & bewail for the millions of times that you have provoked god , and never more commit the like impiety : yea , as you tender the everlasting happiness and welfare of your almost lost and drowned souls , set upon the work presently , before the draw-bridge be taken up . provide with joseph for the dearth to come , & with noah in the dayes of your health , build the ark of a good conscience , against the flouds of sickness : yea , do it while the yearning bowels , and compassionate arms of jesus christ lye open to receive you , abjure and utterly renounce all wilful and affected evil , lest when it is too late , it vex every vein of your hearts , that you had no more care of your souls . again , if god by his spirit shall work this upon your consciences , ( as you will have cause to blesse his name , that ever you met with such a stop , so ) resemble not the rustick sailour , who when he is in danger of shipwrack , will promise to change his life ; but when the storm is overpast , he returns to his former vomit , making no conscience nor account of his vows and protestations . but remember that perseverance is the crown of graces , and heaven the crown of perseverance . if you are convinced , and resolve upon a new course , let you resolutions be peremptory and constant , and take heed you harden not again as pharaoh , the young man in rhe gospel , pilate and judas did : resemble not the iron , which is no longer soft than it is in the fire , lest your latter end prove worse than your beginning , matth. . , . as it fared with julian the apostate , and judas the traytour ; for millions are now in hell , who thought they would repent hereafter . god will not give his heavenly and spiritual graces at the hour of death , to those who have contemned them all their life . if in any reasonable time we pray , he will hear us ; if we repent , he will pardon us ; if we amend our lives , he will save us : but for want of this timely consideration , dives prayed , but was not heard ; esau wept , but was not pitied ; the foolish virgins knockt , but were denied . and so it fares with all such fools , they died as they have lived , and commonly go from despair unto destruction . if you would prevent the like , lay not hold upon mercy , until you be thoroughly humbled . the onely way to become good , is first to beleeve that you are evil . god does not pour the oyl of grace , but into a broken and contrite heart . would you truly know how evil and miserable you are by nature , and be very sensible how evil & wicked your hearts are , seriously consider these three particulars : the corruption of your nature by reason of original sin ; your manifold breaches of gods righteous law by actual sin ; the guilt and punishment due to you for both . this being done , you will see and find your necessity of a redeemer , who came to save none but the weary and heavie laden sinners , even the lost sheep of the house of israel , matth. . . and . . and indeed the sence of our wretchedness , and the valuation of our spiritual helps , are the best trial of our regeneration . all which , if you would obtain , omit not to pray for the divine assistance of gods spirit . for of our selves we cannot think a good thought , a cor. . . john . , . swift we are to all evil , but to any good immoveable . wherefore beg of god , that he will give you a new heart , and when the heart is changed , all the members will follow after it , as servants after their lord. onely let me add , be sure you wholly and onely rest on your saviour jesus christ for salvation , abhorring to attribute or ascribe ought to doing . to conclude , if you receive any power against your corruptions , forget not to be thankful ; & when god hath the fruit of his mercies , he will not spare to sow much , where he reaps much . this do , and my soul for yours , god by his grace , will more than supply what is wanting ; ( as may be seen in his entertainment of the prodigal son ) and thou shalt be for ever happy , luke . . which is the prayer , and hope , and should be the joy of your impartial monitor , j.f. finis . vindiciæ literarum, the schools guarded, or, the excellency and vsefulnesse of humane learning in subordination to divinity, and preparation to the ministry as also, rules for the expounding of the holy scriptures : with a synopsis of the most materiall tropes and figures contained in the sacred scriptures : whereunto is added, an examination of john websters delusive examen of academies / by thomas hall ... ; in the end is annexed an elaborate defence of logick by a learned pen. hall, thomas, - . approx. kb of xml-encoded text transcribed from -bit group-iv tiff page images. text creation partnership, ann arbor, mi ; 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(eebo-tcp ; phase , no. a ) transcribed from: (early english books online ; image set ) images scanned from microfilm: (early english books, - ; : ) vindiciæ literarum, the schools guarded, or, the excellency and vsefulnesse of humane learning in subordination to divinity, and preparation to the ministry as also, rules for the expounding of the holy scriptures : with a synopsis of the most materiall tropes and figures contained in the sacred scriptures : whereunto is added, an examination of john websters delusive examen of academies / by thomas hall ... ; in the end is annexed an elaborate defence of logick by a learned pen. hall, thomas, - . [ ], , [ ], - , [ ] p. printed by w.h. for nathanael webb, & william grantham ..., london : . reproduction of original in huntington library. "vindiciæ literarum" and "centuria sacra, about one hundred rules for the expounding ... of the holy scripture" each have a special t.p. dated . "rhetorica sacra" and "histrio-mastix ... an examination of one john websters delusive examen" each have a special t.p. with imprint: london, printed in the year, . errata: p. 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ascii text with mnemonic sdata character entities); displayable xml (tcp schema; characters represented either as utf- unicode or text strings within braces); or lossless xml (tei p , characters represented either as utf- unicode or tei g elements). keying and markup guidelines are available at the text creation partnership web site . eng webster, john, - . -- academiarum examen. clergy -- training of. humanities. preaching -- study and teaching -- early works to . - tcp assigned for keying and markup - spi global keyed and coded from proquest page images - judith siefring sampled and proofread - spi global rekeyed and resubmitted - judith siefring sampled and proofread - spi global rekeyed and resubmitted - judith siefring sampled and proofread - judith siefring text and markup reviewed and edited - pfs batch review (qc) and xml conversion vindiciae literarum , the schools guarded : or , the excellency and vsefulnesse of humane learning in subordination to divinity , and preparation to the ministry ; as also , rules for the expounding of the holy scriptures : with a synopsis of the most materiall tropes and figures contained in the sacred scriptvres . whereunto is added , an examination of iohn websters delusive examen of academies . by thomas hall , b.d. pastor of kings-norton in worcester shire . in the end is annexed an elaborate defence of logick by a learned pen. london , printed by w.h. for nathanael webb , & william grantham , at the beare in pauls church-yard , near the little north-door . . reverendis evangelii ministris , tam doctrinâ & industriâ , quàm pietate & zelo , conspicuis , d no martino topham , d. petro watkinson , d. tho. shelmerdine , d. rob. porter , d. ioh. oldfeild , d. everardo poole , caeterisque presbyterii wirksworthiensis in comitatu derbiensi symnistis charissimis : omnia quae ad 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 , & 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 pertinent . fratres dilectissimi , mihique multis nominibus ▪ plurimùm observandi ! peracto pulpitorum & baptisteriorum tutamine , ad scholarum vindicias progredior . quibus verò hanc literarū tutelam pitiùs consecrarem , quàm vobis ( v●ri verò venerandi ) qui ad auxilium iehovae contra potentes & pravalen●es chananaeos advenistis ? necnon in decumana illa to●●us penè reip. apostasiâ inconcussi hactenus permansistis : imò duces & operarios quamplurimos sanos , sanctos , probatos & cordatos , in hac 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 t●mpesta●e , ost●o ordinationis , non ostio caesareo , a●t portâ aureâ confusionis , in messem domini emisistis : et quod majoris est gloriae , salarium vobis à magistratu ( ordinationis ergò ) concessum , ad alendum & fovendum adolescentulos academicos gratis & ●nanimitèr devov●stis , dedicâstis . dignissimum sanè aemulatione exemplar . indignum verò , ingenuè confiteor , vestro patro●●nio munusculum hoc levidense ▪ spero tamen amoris & honoris culpam mihi facilè indulgeb●tis : malim eu●m me parùm prudentem quàm parum officiosum ; immorigerum quàm ingratu● videri . ferunt artaxerxem cum plebeius aquam palmâ è fluvio subla●am exhibuisset , humani●èr admis●sse ; pluris dantis animum , quàm do●● p●etium aestiman●em : imò vel duo mi●u●a aereola in gazophylacium animo prompto immissa regi règam fuere accepta . sic capitur minimo thuris honore deus . opus itáq ▪ hoc tripartitum vobis sese offer● , non ut tot tan● ásque 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 erudirem , absit meo , procul absit animo talis & tanta arrogantia . qui mecum habito , & nôrim , quàm sit mihi curta supellex . tyronibus parantur hae vindiciae , non veteranis ; neophytis , non presbyteris : sed ad vos haec veniunt ut amoris . gratitudinis & observantiae 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 , propter gratiam & benevolentiam ●●●am , tam mihi , quàm fi●i●s me is ●uperrimè exhibitam , &c. hîc obiter inscitiam & impudentiam inscii istius cerdonis how , mundo petefa●tam invenietis : scientia nullum habet mimicum praeter ignorantem . f●stinante verò calamo prorepit webster , errorum sterquilinium , familistarum coryphaeus , complanatorum antesignanus , cùm partu suo elephantino : hic aranearum texit telas quae musculas nonnullas teneant , volatilia verò ●obustiora facilè perrumpunt . coaxat hic , imò plenis vociferatur buccis non solùm contra literatos , sed & literas ; & tanquam hercules furens , non mino●● gentium diis sed & aristoteli , galeno , & omnibus academiis bellum publicè indixit , & convitiorum plaustris oneravit . hic tanquam alter alexander , bellum cùm captivis & foeminis gerere non potest , armati sint oportet quos hic prosequitur . clamore tamen suo tanquam sorex suam prodit ignorantiam , stultitiam suam : nam cum somnia sua nec rectâ ratione , nec aristoleticis principiis tueri posset ; ad nescio quam pyrotechniam , magiam , & astrologiam confugit . dignum patella operculum ! hic inant ventositate jactatus , ampullis & sesquip●dalibus verbis technas occultat suas , & pr●fert paradoxa omnibus stoicorum paradoxis , 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 : nonnulli enim haeretici ( ut rectè notavit theologorum facilè princeps calvinus ) similes sunt latronibus illis , quos vocant aegyptios , qui incognitis vocibus & insolenti sermone suam tegunt improbitatem . in fruticoso gaudet aucept , piscator in turbido , fur in tenebris . utinam tandem r●ip . gubernatores , tales haeresium satores , satana legatos , & populi sed●ctores , vel virgis punirent , vel ( si insanabiles ) è medio tollerent , ne latiùs serpat à paucis in universos malum ; malum enim quò communius , eò pejus . ad summam , aliquot hîc reperietis regulas theologicas , quae sacras explicant scripturas , i●ter omnia d●i dona verbo suo nihil praestantius , nihil utilius : hoc enim pedibus lucerna , vitae regula , clavis coel● , speculum sacrum , animae pabulum , mentis denique medicina . hoc est lydius ille lapis , quo aduiterinum à puro puto dignoscitur auro ; hoc est malleus ille quo heterodoxas ho●●●num opiniones nullo negotio conteruntur . hoc in adversis solamen , in secundis moderamen , pietatis alt●r , adolescentiae doctor , aetatis denique ingrav●scentis ductor . hoc est lex illa pura , perfecta , vera , recta , perpetua , sincera , oculos illuminans , car laeti●icans , convertens animum : hoc melle dulci●● , auro pretiosius , ut testatur psalmist a ( psal. . . ad . ) optime itaque de ecclesia mer●erunt scriptores illi , qui in hoc interpretando , illustrando , enodando operam & oleum consumpsere suum . ad me quod attin●t , si opusculum hoc vobis arriserit ▪ spondeo propediem ( favente deo ) apologiam pro ministerio ecclesiastico , in q●a ejus digni●as , necessitús , efficacia & vtilitas , contra omnes d●i & ministeri● ejus hostes planè & plenè ostendetur . interim haec omnia ( viri ornatissimi ) vestro subjicio judicio , acri●ri quàm ut caecuti●e , sinceriori quàm ut adulari velit aut possit . 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 levinscula candorem petunt vestrum ; gravi●ra , limam & censuram . deus opt. max. synodum vestrā servet incolumem , tam ab epidemicis hujus ultimi & pessimi temporis haerosibus ; quàm à malis illis moribus qui totum terrarum orbem pervaserunt . ille vobis fortitudinem largiatur athleticam , ut domum domini pro virili tueamini ; ut lucos & altaria tam romani , quàm anabaptistic , baalis fund●●ùs aboleatis . tubarum vestrarum cla●gor muros babylonicos pon●ùs evertat , sit arcus vester ut arcus ionathae qui à sanguine interfectorum & a●●pe fortium nunquam rediit vacum . hac ut confestim fiant , deus vos spiritu suo sancto regat ac roboret , gubernatores tuos ipse gubornet laboribus v●stris affa●im benedicat , in filiorū tuorum cordibus inscribat ille vanita●is & voluptatis mundanae odium ; necnon varitatis & pietatis accendat amorem : gratiâ suâ vos omnes beet in hac vita , & aetornâ felicitate in faturâ . it a precatur sympresbyter vester devotus , & collega dovinctus , thomas hall. ● mus●o meo norton-regis in agro wigorn. sept. . . vindiciae literarum , the schools gvarded : or , the excellency and usefulnesse of arts , sciences , languages , history , and all sorts of humane learning , in subordination to divinity , & preparation for the mynistry , by ten arguments evinced , ten cavils raised against it by familists , anabaptists , antinomians , lutherans , libertines , &c. are refelled and answered , and many cautions to prevent all mistakes are added . by thomas hall , b. d. and pastour of kings-norton . iohn . . search the scriptures . quaerite legendo , & invenietis meditando , pulsate orando , & aperietur vobis contemplando . augustin . non est syllaba neque apiculus in scriptura in cujus profundis non lateat grandis quispiam thesaurus . chrysostome . crede , stude , vive , pinge aeternitati . à lap. with an addition of about one hundred rules for the expounding of the scriptures ; and a synopsis of all the most materiall tropes and figures contained therein . london , printed by w. h. for nathanael webb and william grantham , at the sign of the bear in st pauls church-yard near the little north door . . to the candid and courteous reader . observing that dangerous tenent of the anabaptists to spread like a gangrene , over most parts of the land , viz. that arts , sciences , languages , &c. are idols , antichristian , the smoak of the bottomlesse pit , filth , froth , dung , needlesse and uselesse for the right understanding of the scripture : the spirit alone ( say they ) is sufficient without these humane helpes , and therefore the taylor-king of leyden , burnt all books save the bible . i shall therefore take some pains to discover the vanity of this erroneous tenent , that i may prevent ( if possible ) the sad consequences of it ; to this end i shall shew , . what we grant them , & how far we go . . where we part . . we willingly grant that the assistance and direction of gods holy spirit , is absolutely necessary for the sound and saving understanding of the scripture . 't is it that must inlighten , enliven , sanctify , and fit us for the work , for without him we can do nothing , iohn . . . as we acknowledge that this guift comes from the spirit of god , so we likewise acknowledge , that he bestows it now in the use of meanes ; by prayer , reading , study , skill in arts , sciences , languages , &c. true , in the apostolicall times , god poured out an extraordinary measure of his spirit on many , who had learning and languages by immediate infusion , wee now by acquisition ; they had it given , we gotten ; they by revelation and inspiration , we now by industry and study : and yet even then we read that paul had his books and parchments , tim. . , . which some conceive to be note books of his own making ; and in the person of timothy he commands all ministers to give attendance to reading , meditation , &c. and to give up themselves wholly to them , 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 , be in them . ( ) be intent and industrious in studying , sis totus in illis . he must read , and then exhort , that like a good scribe he may bring out of his treasury , things both new and old . . hee must meditate on these things , and so digest them , turning them in succum & sanguinem , that so he may be able to speak non ex ore , sed è pectore , experimentally , powerfully . god hath ordained meanes for the attaining of every thing , and he that contemns the meanes , contemns the blessing ; 't is gods blessing on the diligent hand , which as in all other things , so in this , doth make men rich ; as nemo casu fit bonus , so nemo casu fit doctus , virtus discenda est , saith seneca : we must therefore , so read , study , search , &c. as if we were to doe all our selves , and yet when we have done all , so rest upon god for aid , as if we had done nothing . truth like treasure , lies deep and hidden , and cannot be found without search , and study ; we must therefore serve providence in the use of meanes , else we tempt god , pro. . , , . if thou criest after knowledge , there is prayer , and seekest her as silver , there is indeavour in the diligent use of meanes ; then shalt thou understand the feare of the lord , there is successe ; and therefore it was a good prayer of sir thomas moor , domine deus fac me in iis consequēdis operam collocare pro quibus obtinendis soleo ad te orare . . wee grant that the abuse of philosophy , when it is preferred before divinity , or puffs men up with pride , or is used to adulterate and corrupt the truth and simplicity of the gospell , that then it is odious and abominable . but this is not our question , whether the abuse of philosophy be unlawfull , this is granted on all hands : but the question between us and the anabaptists , is , whether the right and sober use of philosophy , and other humane learning be requisite for a divine . this we affirm , the anabaptists , &c. deny . i shall therefore set down this antithesis to their thesis , and will confirme it by arguments , viz. that the knowledge of arts , sciences , history , languages , &c. are very usefull and needfull qualifications for a minister of the gospell . chapter i. i come now to the arguments , for the clea●e● convincing of our judgements , in the truth of this point . the first is drawne from the necessity of humane learning : thus , that which is necessary for a divine , may not be contemned , [ whether the necessity be absolute , or onely of expediency . ] but humane learning is necessary for a divine , ergo , it may not be contemned . the major no sober man will deny : the minor i will prove by its parts . . the languages , latine , greek and hebrew , are some part of humane learning , and these are necessarie for a divine . for latine , many learned commentaries are written in that language , which a man cannot enjoy without some knowledge of this tongue ; besides , many english words of much use in divinity , are borrowed of the latine , which no man can well understand without some insight in this language . . the greek tongue is necessary , because the new testament was written in it ; besides , many latine words are derived from it , which we cannot fully understand without some knowledge here : also many termes of art ( in grammer , rhetorick , logick , physicks , metaphysicks , &c. ) are borrowed from hence . what grosse errors did many of the antients run into , and what lame interpretations , doe they oft make , for want of insight in the originall languages ; yea we had never enjoyed the translation of the bible , if some men had not attained this part of humane learning , the bible would have been as a sealed book ; for how could men , women , and children be able to read the scripture , had there not been learned men , who by great paines and study obtained the knowledge of the originals ? . some insight in the hebrew is necessary , because it is that sacred language in which the old testament was written , besides it hath a certaine idiome , and peculiar form of speaking , which cannot well be expressed in a translation , without some losse ; all authors being best and purest in that language , in which themselves writ . . the emphasis and force of the word is more clearly seen in the originall text , then in a translation . . there aré great differences amongst interpreters , which cannot well be reconcil●d without some insight in the originals . thus , in points of controversie , when one saies it is thus , and another thus , we must then of necessity have recourse to the fountains . . because they are immediately sent from god to us by the prophets and apostles . . the apostles themselves did sometimes correct the translation of the e. g. the say i have called my sonnes ; but ma● . . . saith , i have called my son out of egypt . . he that understands the originall , seeth with his owne eyes , when he that peruseth translations , sees with the eyes of others . scit● & sanè claris . ille whitaker . de scripturâ controvers . . qu. . cap. . mihi p. . ad 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 & proprietatem vocabulorum intelligendam , quae sanè admodum latè patet , fontes sunt utiles ; nam in fontibus omnia sunt 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 quàm in quarumvis translationum rivulis , &c. cui suffagratur epigrammatista . multum crede mihi , refert , à fonte bibatur . quae fluit , an pigro quae stupet unda lacu . mart. v. plura apud hyperium de ratione stud . theolog. l. . c. . & bowles pastor evangel . l. . c. . p. . . the necessity of arts and sciences , will appear if we look into the body of the scripture . there are physicks in genesis , iob , ecclesiastes ; how oft doe we read in scripture , of the sunne , moon , stars , fire , haile , snow , winds , thunder , lightnings ; and also of fowles , fishes , beasts , plants , trees , seas , fountaines , minerals ; besides , many diseases , as the leprosie , palsi● , feaver , pestilence , &c. without some insight in naturall philosophy , we canno● so exactly know the nature of all these ▪ yea we shall find ethicks in the proverbs , and oeconomicks in pauls epistles ; politicks in sam. kin. geometry in the building of solomons temple , and astronomie in iob , &c. with metaphysicks of god , angels , truth , good , &c. ad rem & opposit● claris . ravanel . ea est scripturarum amplitudo , ut res metaphysicae , physicae , ●stronomicae , geographicae , musicae , ethicae , oeconomicae , politicae , imo ipsae mechanicae , & quae ad 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 specta●t passim contineantur . cut astipulatur doctiss à lap s. scripturahabet objectum omne scibile , disciplinas omnes , & qu●cquid sciri potest suo sinn complect●tur , ideoque universitas quaedam est scientiarum , scientias omnes vel formaliter , vel eminenter continens ▪ v plura alsted praecog . lib. . cap. . & . hyperium l. . c. . &c. ☜ l. verulam advancement of learning , p. . to . nec non claris . schiblerus in proaem●o ad metaphys . c. . clarissimè ●vincit , philosophiam utilem esse ad theologiam ; ac itidem doctis . paraeus tripli●em fatetur esse physicae usum . . ad explicandos terminos theologicos communes de rebus naturalibus . . ad illustrauda● rerum naturalium cognitionem . . ad adjuvandam cognitionem dei ; [ qu●a eju● 〈◊〉 sibilia ex visibilibu pervidentur , rom. . , . paraeus in colos. . . ubi plura . . grammer is requisite to explain the words , termes , and phrases of scripture . . the scripture also is ful of rhetorick , many tropes and figures are there , what abundance of metonymies , ironies , hyperboles , hypallages ? see illyrious claris. script . and westhemerut . the scripture is full of learning and * eloquence all the eloquence of cicero , and flowers of demosthenes , with the rest of those learned heathen , is but as chaffe to wheat , and dros●e to refined gold : for the pen-men of scripture , were not simply men , but men inspired with the holy ghost . . logick is necessary for anal●sing defining ▪ dividing , and more orderly resolution of a text ; also for argumentation and defence of the truth against an adversary . the apostle would have a minister 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 ▪ tim. . . to divide the word aright . now , without some skill in arts , he 'll rather teare it with his teeth , and pull it a sunder with his nailes , then rightly divide it ; and although it be the spirit of god that helpeth us to the sence of scripture , in a spirituall saving way , for we are not able by our will to beleeve it , to apply it , to conform to it ; yet as it is a text consisting of words , and a coherence to make up the sence ; so the instrumentall way to discover that , is by the help of arts , and therefore ▪ those that are unlearned , are said to * ●●rest the scriptures , pet. . . to mangle and torture them to their own destruction ; as a * reverend divine hath wel observed ▪ neither is logick a profane thing , ( as some profane ones imagine ) for the scripture it selfe useth many logicall arguments , from the cau●e , the effect , the consequent , from mercies , judgements , and from the old testament , it s written , &c. e. g. god is a spirit , ergò he will be worshipped in spirit . so , he that commits sin is the servant of sin , but yee commit sinne , ergò . a good shepherd laies down his life for his sheep : but i ( saith christ ) am that good shepherd , ergo , see a clear syllogisme in the second figure , iohn . . whosoever is of god , heareth gods word , but yee heare not his word , ergo , yee are not of god. this may stop the mouths o● some that say christ never used logick , nor had any humane learning . . ecclesiasticall history is necessary ; many things in scripture receive light from iosephus , eusebius , q. curtius , xenophon , besides , they will furnish a man with examples of gods judgements on his enemies , and his blessings on his people ; being rightly used , they will much enrich a man. they may be read at succisive houres for recreation , after strong labour . with what cautions and conditions they are to be read , i shall for brevity sake , referre you to two learned authors . now as humane learning is necessary for the better understanding of the scripture , ●o without it we cannot understand many classicall authors , as lactantius , ierom , austin , ambrose , basil , &c. who borrowed much of cicero , quintilian , virgil : and thus we see the usefulnesse and ornament of learning every way ; to which i shall add the testimonie of a sweet divine , whose judgement may peradventure take with some men , more then another mans . he that is learned in something , ( saith he ) covets after more still , and certainly none but ignorant people are enemies to learning ; those that never knew the worth of it , these are they that cry it down : therefore those that are contented with little , nay and think their little too much sometimes , are of poor , mean , and base spirits , far from following on to know the lord. yea , how himselfe confes●eth . that humane learning being sanctified is an excellent helpe to the right understanding of scripture , and that in it selfe it is a good thing , and good in its proper place , which is for the repairing of that decay which came upon man for sinne , and so it is fit for statesmen , physitians , lawyers and gentlemen , yea and all men so farre as they can attaine to it , are as men beyond and above others that are without it , yea and beyond all other excellencies that this world can afford . well said and well sowed sam : these stitches will hold ; yet see how like a ●ight sectary he plaies fast and loose , like the curst cow , that having given a good messe of milk , knocks down all with her heels again : for mark his following words : but bring it once to be a help to understand the mind of god in holy scriptures , and there its detestable ●●lth ▪ dross and dung , good for nothing but to destroy , and cause men to erre . &c. quo teneam vultus mu●antem protea nodo . the second argument . that which is commanded by god , and commended to us by the example of his servants , ought still to be practised by us , [ unles●e any one can shew a counter-mand and prohibition , which in this case none ever yet could do . ] but reading , study , meditation and humane industry is commanded by god , and commended to us by the example of his servants , ergo. the major is undeniable , the minor i prove by its parts . . humane industry and learning is commanded , tim . , . give attendance to reading meditation , &c. yea , he must give up himselfe wholly to them , that so like a good scribe , he may be able to bring out of his treasury , things both new and old , mat. ▪ ● . now look what paul enjoynes timothy , concerns all the ministers of the gospell successively to the end of the world ; but to what end is all this diligence required , if the spirit 's teaching were solely sufficient . . it is commended to us by the example of gods servants , they are oft commended in scripture for their skill and dexterity in humane learning . thus moses is said to be learned [ 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 , he was instructed therein from a child ] in all the wisdome of the egyptians , [ amongst whom in those dayes learning flourished much ] and was mighty in words and deeds , acts . . now the learning of the egyptians is said to be foure-fold , viz. mathematicks , physicks , ethicks and divinity ; their wisdome ( what ever it was ) appeares to be very great , for when the lord would set forth the wisdome and great abilities of solomon , he tels us that it excell'd al the wisdome of egypt , kin. . . . solomon was a very great philosopher , so that he could discourse from the cedar to the shrub , he had great insight in the nature and qualities of fowle , fish , beasts , herbs , trees , insosomuch , as they came from all the parts of the earth to hear his wisdome , kin. . , , . as he was most wise , so he was most eloquent , an absolute orator , one that found out acceptable words , [ eccle. . . ] adorned with many tropes and figures , farre surpassing all the eloquence of cicero , demosthenes , &c. cum divina fuerit in eo eloquentia , in eum confluxisse par est credere , quicquid in variis olim oratoribus seorsim emicuit suavitatem socratis , subtilitatem lysiae , acumen hyperidis , sonitum aeschinis , vim demosthenis , gravitatem africani , lenitatom lael●i , & siquid ●ale in laude positum sit , & eloquentissimis quibusdam viris tributum à cicerone lib. . de oratore . rivet . . i say ( as 't is conceived ) * of the blood royall , was an excellent rhetorician , and had the tongue of the learned given him , isaiah . . as appears throughout his whole prophesie . . christ himselfe honoured learning so farre , ( though he be not tied to schools or means ) as to sit amongst the doctors , both hearing them , and asking them questions ▪ and in his disputations he used logicall consequences and reasonings from the old testament to the new. the apostles also had excellent abilities , insomuch , as the pharisees wondred that unlearned and ignorant men should have such gifts , but by this they knew they had been with jesus . [ acts . . ] and were trained up in his school , which is farre beyond all the schools of the scribes and pharisees ; they were not therefore simply unlearned , but onely in the pharisees esteem , and in respect of the ordinary means of attaining learning . . apollos is commended for his eloquence , acts . . ingenio valebat dialectico , mathematico , & oratorio . dr prideaux concio . . . daniel and his three associates , had knowledge and skill in all the learning and wisdome of the caldaeans , dan. . , . and though daniel had a great measure of the spirit , yet it is worth observing , that he gave himselfe to study , and reading books for all this , dan. . . i daniel understood by books the number of yeers , &c. yea so exquisite was he in all naturall , acquired , and spirituall perfections , that it was then a proverb : art thou wiser then daniel ? ezek. . . . paul was bred up at the feet of learned gamaliel , and could speak languages more then they all , cor. . . he was so eloquent , that at lystra he was taken for mercury , the god of eloquence , acts . . he was an exlellent orator , as appears , acts . and an excellent disputant ; he disputes philosophically at athens , with the philosophers : he was well versed in the writings of the heathens ; hence he cites epimenides the poet , to convince the cretians , tit. . . and aratus to convince the athenians , acts . . and menander to silence the corinthians , cor. . . yea it is said of all the prophets , that they used meanes by inquiring and searching into the gospell , pet. . . by all this it appears , that gods dearest servants formerly , made use of humane learning in carying on the work of the lord , and therefore we conclude it is lawfull and usefull still . the third argument . humane learning is necessary for the convincing and confuting of a learned adversary , how shall we be able to preserve the truth in its purity , to stop the mouth of a subtle jesuite , or learned heretick , without learning ? this sanctified and rightly improved , is an excellent meanes to bring downe antichrists kingdome ; and therefore 't is well observed , that errors were never higher , and truth lower , then when ignorance prevailed , and learning was suppressed and contemned , when 't was suspitious for a man to have greek , and heresie it selfe to have hebrew . popery never fell , till learning rose ; it 's a darke religion , it grows and spreads it selfe by ignorance and barbarisme , no way so speedy to bring down these wals of iericho , as the promoting of all kind of good literature and learning . . if we would convince an heathen , it 's necessary that we have some knowledge of their authors , that we may wound them with their own quils : this made * iulian complain , [ propriis configimur pennis è nostris enī libris arma capiunt , quibus in bello adversus no● utun●ur . ] and thereupon he made a law , tha● children should not read philosophers or poets . the israelites furnisht themselves with the spoils of the egyptians ; david helpes himselfe with goliath's sword ; paul strikes the heathen with their owne writings , and makes their books like hand-maids to wait upon divinity : therefore when he came to athens amongst philosophers , he disputes with them ▪ from their own principles , acts . . . if we would convince a christian of his ingratitude , unrighteous dealing , stupidity , private-spiritednesse , &c. it may be usefull sometimes to quicken our auditors , by setting before them what excellent things very heathens by the light of nature have done . thus the lord sends the revolting jewes to learn better things of heathens , ier. . . and sometimes sends us to the teaching of nature , cor. . . all that hath been said , may be summed up in this argument , thus that which is necessary for the convincing of a learned adversary , an heathen and a deboist christian may in no wise be contemned . but humane learning is necessary for the convincing of a learned adversary , an heathen and deboist christian , ergo. a fourth argument . a min●ri ad majas . if humane learning be requisite for lawyers , polititians , physitians , &c. then ( a fortiori ) it is much more requisite for a divine , [ whose calling is more weighty , being about the soule , and therefore cals for the best accomplishments . ] but humane learning is necessary for lawyers , politicians ▪ physitians , &c. ( according to sam : how 's own confession ) ergo , i conclude it is much more necessary for a minister . a fifth argument . holy men thus accomplisht are fittest for gods use ; this appeares in all ages . god sends a lea●ned moses and aaro● to oppose the learned egyptians ; he sends a learned isaiah , ieremy , ezekiel , to oppose the false prophets : he raised up a learned athanasius , to oppose arrius : a learned austin , to oppose pelagius : a learned iewell , whitaker , fulke , perkins , &c. to oppose the subtle jesuites : a lear - camero , moulin , ames , twisse , &c. to oppose arminius , &c. true ▪ god can extraordinarily worke by weake unlearned instruments , and out of the mouths of babes , and sucklings , can confound his foes ; but ordinarily he fits and qualifies such as he appoints for high and noble implovment , with accomplishments answerable to their worke . god never sends any , but hee first fits and prepares them ; all idle ignorant sots ▪ he rejects , as none of his sending . hosea . . dyers when they would colour scarlet or purple , doe first prepare the cloath for it , by laying some ground colour : so those whom god intends for choise service , hee first pr●pares them and sharpens their wit by humane learning , that they may be ves●els of honour fit for the masters use . to make this plain by an instance ; take two godly men of equall naturall abilities , they both have the spirit of god , we will suppose the one to be a private christian , bred up to a trade , wanting humane learning ; but the other is bred up to learning , accomplisht with arts , sciences , languages , &c. give them both one text , and equall time for preparation ; though the good man that want● learning-may deliver honest things ▪ yet for want of the languages , and other endowments , he 's like a pigmy to a gian● , &c. the like may be said of their ●●●putations with a ●●arned adversary ▪ a carpenter may as well build a house without axes , hammers , and other instruments , as a man make sermons the● hath no learning . and that all the world may see the folly of those s●cta●ies , which want humane learning ; i shall here present you with a wes●e of sam : how 's nonsquiturs the bare rehearsall of them is confutation sufficient , and thus he begins his cobling logick . moses forsook the treasures of egypt . ergò , he forsook his learning too , which was a part of that treasure ; paul counted all but losse for christ , ergò , he cast off his learning for him . the ephesian converts burnt their magick books , [ act● . , . ] ergo , we must burn our logick books . beleevers shall all be taught of god , ergò , they need no humane learning : humane learning puffs men up , ergo , we must throw it away : the spirituall man discernes all things , ergò , he hath no need of humane learning : god forbids us to add any thing to his word , ergò , away with humane learning : humane learning is attained by our own industry and paines , ergo , away with humane learning , as being fitter for egypt and babylon , the●●for the church of christ : simon magus must repent of his wickednesse , ergo he must repent of his humane learning : god respects no mans person , ergo , unlearned men are fitter for the ministery , then learned : god chooseth the foolish to salvation , ergo , he chooseth the foolish for administration : since the gospell is foolishnesse , ergo , it must have foolish teachers . contraries must not be put together , but the gospell and hu●ane learning are contraries . that which is cursed , and we must beware of being spoiled by it , that must be abhorred , but such is philosophy , col● . . there 's a great woe fals on the world . rev. ▪ . to . now , part of this woe is humane learning , the very smoak of the bottomlesse pit , e●go . thus wee see what it is to want humane learning , and how this mans illogicall consequences do agree , like harpe and harrow , and come as neer together , as st germans lips , which were nine miles asunder . a sixth argument . that which is the badge and practise of wicked men ▪ may not be practised of the people of god ; [ they ●ust not conforme the●selves to the wicked of the world . ] ▪ but to seek the destruction of humane learni●g , is the badge and practi●e of w●cke● men ▪ i never read in any history , ●acred or divine , of any but w●cked men that ever did oppose it ; iulian the apostate was one , he sought to destroy ●chools of learning , that with their down●all , he might the better destro● the christian faith. fidel●bus prohebu●t ●●tam philosophiam liberales ar●es , lectionem e●hnico●um scriptorum , fieri non potest quin vehementer prosit ▪ quod hostis prohibuit . aretius . . the next that i read of , was that wicked pope paul the second , who so hated humane learning , that he called al scholars hereticks , or such as should but ●ame an university in jest or earnest , perswading the romans not to bring up their children in learning , saying , that 't was sufficient if they could but write and read : sure sam : how , tom : coll●er , and this pope , were kinsmen , they speak all one dialect . . the last are the tumultuous anabaptists , familists , antinomians . and li●ertines in germany , they cried down humane learning , and burnt all books save the bible ▪ &c. but we know their end . the seventh argument . if humane learning be needlesse , then the erection of universities and schools of learning would be vain ; [ for to what end were it to set up schools of philosophy , arts , sciences , &c. if none might learn the●● . ] but the erection of universities and schools of learning , is not vain : for wee read in scripture of schools and colledges , where the sonnes of the prophets were trained up in learning , and studied the law of god , that they might be fit to teach others . thus samuel kept a school a n●ioth in ramah , sam. . , . elisha erects a school at gilgal , and there like a * tutour or master instructs those young men , called the sonnes of the prophets , kings . . wee read of another school at bethel , kings . . and another at iericho , ver . . and another at mount ephra●m , kings . . paul was brought up at the feet of a learned gamaliel , acts . with ● . . by him 't is like he was informed in humane learning , wherein he did excell ●s appears by his writings : and therefore all zealous constantines have in their severall generations , been carefull to erect and incourage schools and nurseries of good literature and learning , with all their might . true , the place can doe little if the spirit be wanting ; [ as * gregory super ez●k in another ca●e ●aies ] but yet the spirit works by mean● , and 't is good to ●it in the winds way , we shall ●ail the sooner and the better for it . ob. there is no such expresse command in scripture , for any such schools of learning . an. yet there is that which is equivalent to it , for we read of the schools of the prophets , and of a colledge , kings . ▪ huldah the prophetesse dwel● in the * colledge ( i ) in the place where the prophets , and such as were children of the prophets , had their usuall abode . [ as the late learned annota● . well observe ] we read also that the sonnes and pupils of the prophets , had a peculiar place to dwell together in , which upon their increase , was too little for them , and therefore they desire it may be enlarged , kin. . . , &c. a school to teach children to write and read , is no where in expre●s tear●s commanded ; yet sam : how and collier ( as ●lack as he is ) acknowledge tha● children ought to be taught to wri●e and read . he that would see al the objections made against universities more fully answered , let him peru●e that lea●ned , modest , elaborate treatise o● mt ●lake , vindiciae foederit . chap. . 〈◊〉 ca●v●nus scho●as aperir● & doctores constitu● nec●sse est : nam si haec ordinaria media neglexerimus , & librorum aliarúmque●erum ad studia necessariarum curam abjecerimus , qu●bus erudiantur & praeparentur futari ol●m divinae voluntatis testes , & qui ecclesiam aliq●o ordine regant , horrenda● sanè confusionem in e●clesiam , & in nostra capita derivabimus . the eighth argument . if the quilders of babylon have been , and still are at great cost and charges to promote learning , that they may the better destroy the t●uth , surely then the builders of zion ( who have farre better worke , and shall have better wages ) ought to be more active this way ; but the builders of babylon have been , and still are at great cost and charges to promote learning , that they may the better destroy the truth ; [ hence they have set up eighteen universities in spain , eleven in italy ▪ many in france , and shall england have none to oppose them ? ] some have pictured the world with its feet upwards , to note unto us , that all things in it are turned upside-down ; surely if universities and schools of good learning , which our pious ancestours have been at such cost to erect , should now be destroyed , this picture of the world would soon be ours ▪ and a flood-gate would be opened to all errors , heresies , blasphemies , profanenesse and barbarisme it selfe , as we see amongst the savage indians . hence this present parliament acknowledge , that for the propagation of the gospell in new england , universities ▪ schools and nurseries of literature must be setled there , for instructing and civilizing them . see the act for promoting the gospell in new england . the ninth argument . that which in it selfe considered , is an excellent gift of god , and is ordained by him for excellent ends and uses , may in no wise be contemned by us : but humane learning in it selfe considered , is an excellent gift of god , and is ordained by him for excellent ends and uses . ergo , it may in no wise be contemned by us . the major is cleare . the minor i prove by its parts . . humane learning is an exc●llent gift of god , farre surpassing all the rich●s and treasures of the world ; those adorne but the outward ●an , this helps to enrich and enoble the soule , which is the better part ; and therefore the holy ghost commends the godly for their excellency in this particular , as we have seen in the second argument . . god hath ordained it for excellent ends and uses : it 's an excellent meanes to prepare us for the true religion , it helps to civilize us , and to mollifie the harshnesse , and mitigate the fiercenesse of our natures , it roots up barbarisme , bea●tlinesse , cruelty , &c. on● of their own could say , — ingenuas didicisse fideliter artes . emollit mores , nec sinit esse feros ▪ ovid. it helpes to preserve humane societies in peace ; it s also a meanes to improve and perfect our naturall gifts and abilities . it fits us for noble atchievements , and excellent imployments , both in church and state. the tenth argument . that which ha●n ●e●n commended to us by the unanimous consent of the a●c●ent fathers , and by the church of god ever since in its ●uceeding generations , ought not to be lightly rejected of us ; but the so●er and modest use of humane learning , hath been commended to us by the antient fathers , and by the church of god ever since in its succeeding generations , ergo , it ought nor to be lightly rejected of us . the major no ●ober ●an will deny . the ●●nor i prove . . see austin de doct christiana l. . total . ( and epist. ● . ) where he pleads for ●ra●mar , rhetorick , logick , &c. . see ierom epist . ad magnum , & . ad marcellam & praef. in iob. so clemens al●xandr●nus , l and● . stromat . i●a b●si● us ma●n●● ▪ ad nepotes de legendi● e●● nic●s scriptor b●s . ter●ul in apolog & in apocal. c. . ●ust●n martyr orat ad gentil & s n ▪ r●m cyp●ian epist ad ●ornelium . n●●z●anzon ▪ ●●udite● em basil●●● eth●tcis scriptorious vehem●e●ter c●mme●dat lactant●● ille firm●●nus ●mn●a 〈…〉 is , orat●ribus , & p●ilosophis confirma● , &c. diluuntur sophismata . chap. ii. i come now to answer al the cav●ls and objections which anabaptists , antino● ians , familists and libe●●ines . &c. have fiamed against humane learning . when one had made a long o●ation in the praise of hercules , ne asked hi● , quis illum vi●u●e●avit ? who ever di●praised him ? implying that 't was a needless thing to pra●se that which n●ne ever yet dispraised : but if any should ask me who ever dispraised humane learning ▪ i think ther● is no part of the land but can tell him . yet i wish there were not some that have been trained up to learning , that do despise and dispraise it ; if wisedome must be beaten , let it be by her foes , not friends ▪ by fools , not wise men , by barbary and not by athens : what their great bulwarks , and strong ●olds are , i come now to examine . . ob , their achilles and chiefe argument is , colos. . . beware lest any man spoile you through philosophy , and vaine deceit , after the traditions of men , after the rudiments of the world ▪ and not after christ ; from hence they argue thus ; whatsoever the scripture condemns , that must not be practised : but the scripture condemns philosophy , ergo. ans. the major must be limited thus , whatsoever the scripture really and absolutely condemnes , that may not be practised by us ; [ for there be many things in scripture , which are comparatively and seemingly condemned , which yet are not absolutely condemned , nor unlawfull , as * hos. . . iohn . , &c. i will have mercy and not sacrifice ( ) comparatively mercy rather then sacrifice . ] and then the minor is false . but all philosophy is really and absolutely condemned in scripture . for the apostle doth not in this place condemn all p●ilosophy , but on●ly abusive philosophy , such as spoiles and corrupts the soule with its delusions ; and is * falsely so called . the words are plain , beware lest any man spoile you [ or make a prey of you , by causing you to err from the faith ] through philosophy : so then it is not all philosophy , but spoiling philosophy , vaine philosophy , such as the false apostles used ; whom he compares to theeves , who labour secretly and subtilly to make a prey of the flock , when they cannot doe it violently . [ so much the originall will beare 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 . qui depraedetur vos , verbum militare , quod significat praedam eligere . ] this will further appear . . from the context . . by the exegesis . . by the apostles practice . . from the context , ver . let no man beguile you with intising words . see , t is not simply and absolutely words , but beguiling entising words which the apostle condemns : so it is not simply and absolutely philosophy , but deceitfull beguiling philosophy , which draw● the heart away from christ , and the simplicity of the gospell . non verum usum syncer● philosophiae , sed abusum , qui est confu●io philosophiae cùm evangelio , prohibet ; vel potiùs sop●●sticen illam rejicit , quam falsi aliqui philosophiae titulo venditant ▪ cum sit tantùm inanis quaedam deceptio , p●zel . . by the exegesis , the latter part of the verse ( as it is us●all in scripture ) doth expound the former . beware lest any man spoile you through philosophy ; but what philosophy doth the apostle mean ? why he tels you , such as brings forth * vain deceit ▪ and is full of sophistry , and captious subtilty . now not all philosophy is such ; for true philosophy is the truth of god , and the fruit of right reason , rom. . . . 't is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 ipsius , much of god may be seen in the nature of the creatures , acts. . . . the philosophy which paul condemnes is such as is according to the traditions of men , not according to the mind of christ , but such as is pleasing to flesh and blood . it is founded in the rudiments of the world , and withdraws men from christ ; and then the best ethicall philosophy in ●lato , aristotle , &c. when it in is put the name of christ , must be rejected . . the apostles practice shews that he doth not condemn all philosophy , for himselfe oft used it , in disputing philosophically , with the philosophers at athens , and confounding th●m out of their own writings . acts . . rom. . and was well ver●ed in humane authors , as appears by his prompt quotations of them now see what a paralogism here is [ fallacia à dicto secundum quid , ad dictum simplicite● ] because the apostle condemnes spoiling philosophy , vain philosophy , beguiling , false , frivolous philosophy , ergo , he condemns true philosophy , which is a gift of god , and a great help to the knowledge of divinity 't is plain , that the apostle condemnes the abuse , and not the true use of philosophy . now if the abuse of a thing must take away the use of it ; away then with the sunne , which some idolaters worshipped by day , and with the m●on , which they worshipped by night , and so were atheists by day and night ; yea away them with bread , drink , cloaths , fire , air , water , &c. for all these are abused by men , ergo , by this anabaptisticall logick , they must be all cast away . we must therefore know , that when the scripture or fathers condemn philosophy , 't is the vanity , errors , figments , and abuse of philosophy , which they speake against , and not that knowledge of the truth found out by the light of naturall reason , whereby we come to know much of god , this being an excellent gift of his , granted to man for his good , being no way repugnant , but subservient to divinity . ad rem & appositè tilenus , [ syntag. p. . p. . ] quae a●versus philosophiam , vel p●ulus , vel prijc● pa●res paulò inclementiùs dixisse videntur , abusum ipsi●s , non ipsam , sed 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 q●and●m & insan●entem sapient●am , philosophiae nomine 〈◊〉 in . è dignam , perstring●n● . the 〈◊〉 me of the apostles words is this q. d. have a speciall care , lest any false teachers make a prey of you , and beguile you with their vain philosophy and worldly wisedome , mixing divine things with humane , and measuring heavenly m●steries by their naturall reason , drawing you from the truth of christ , and from the simplicity of the gospell , to the traditions of men , and beggarly rudiments of the world . the second obiection . rom. . , . the apostle condemnes the gentiles ( say they ) that had but meer naturall knowledge , because they did not glorify god , but became unthankfull , vain in their imaginations , foolish and dark , &c. so cor. . . the wisedome of this world ( i ) philosophy ( say they ) is condemned as foolishness : from hence they argue thus ; that which breeds idle speculations , vaine deceits , aiery nothings , but fils men full of foolishnesse and darknesse , that must be avoided ; but philosophy doth so , ergo. an. i answer to the minor by distinguishing of philosophy , which is two-fold . . philosophia propriè sic dicta , philosophy truly so called , which is an excellent gift of god , and a part of divine wisedome , whereby we come to know much both in divine and humane things , so farre as by the light of nature they may be known . this the scripture never condemnes ; but rather condemnes men for not walking up to such knowledge , and answerable to such light rom. . . there is phil●so●hia 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 , impropriè & ●busivè sic dict● , philosoph false●y ●o called , wh●n men follow the idle dreames ▪ vaine speculations , and a●r● nothings of their owne braine , besides , and contrary to the word of god. this , and this alone is that which the scripture so oft condemnes , 't is not true philosophy , but va●●e philosophy , not the right use , but the vain ▪ and foolish abuse of it , as appears , ephes. . . and . . cor . ●im . . and . . and . ● . tit. . 't is that science falsely ( not truly ) so called , which exalts it ●el●● against go● . and co●●upts the simplicity of the gospe●l which the holy ghost in scripture ●o o●t blames no ● this is meere fallaci●us arguing ( 〈…〉 former from col. ) to 〈…〉 the abuse of a thing 〈◊〉 ●ll the true use of it ; and would ●ve●●hrow all things qui●kly . ad rem & apposi●e partus . deus philosophiam per se non rejicit , quae alioqui inter eximia dei dona censetur ; sed quia ábsque vera illa sapientia , quae in agnitione & timore dei consisti● mera est vanitas omnis humana prudentia & eruditio . pareus . the like answer serves for cor. . . the apostle there condemnes not the use , but another abuse of philosophy , in that they set it above divinity , when like a hand-maid , it should onely have waited on it . this appeares from the circumstances in the text , they preferred their own wisedome , and made it the rule of their lives , contemning the crosse of christ , and its doctrine as foolishnesse , ver . , . they preferred their humane reason , and philosophicall conceits before the plaine preaching of christ crucified , which they accounted foolishnesse ▪ all that these gentiles sought for , was wisedome , wisedome ( ) a wisedome con●ormable to naturall reason , beleeving no more in religion , then they can see naturall reason for . this is that the apostle blames them for , as calvin well observes . non simpliciter damnat ●postolus aut naturalem perspicaciam , aut prudentiā usu & experientiâ collectā , aut cultum ingeui● literis comparatum , sed hoc totum ad perspiciendam spiritualem sapientiam nullius esse momenti affirmat . the third obiection , the ancient fathers doe of● condemne philosophers ; irenaeus confutes many of their vaine opinions ; irenaeus adversus haereses , l. . c. ● . so lactantius institut . l. . c. . tertullian declaims against them very much , he cals philosophers the hereticks patriarks , because many of the hereticks drew their errors out of their writings , as the valentinians , arrians , marcionites . &c. ans. they speak not against philosophy , but against some vaine philosophers , who abused philosophy , to the maintaining of errors and heresies . now à persona ad rem non valet consequentia , because some men abuse wine , or a sword , it doth not therefore follow that wine is naught , or a sword evill ; the fault is in the person , who abuseth the wine to drunkennesse , and the sword to violence . . 't is one thing to reject the errors and vanities of philosophers , and another thing to reject philosophy it selfe ; the fathers condemned the one , but not the other . sanè & soli●è claris . ille theolog. professor ; patres abusum , non usum legitimum rationis exagitant , nec de vera philosophia , sed perperam philos●phantium fucis , frauae , subtili●ate , aut ignorantia , eorum dicta sunt intelligenda , &c. dr ●rideaux . lect. . s. page . ubi plura . the fourth obiection . the saints are all taught of god , they have the inward teaching of the spirit , which is sufficient in it selfe ( ●aith sam : how ) ergo , they need no outward teaching by men brought up in humane learning an. subordinata non pugnant . the outward teaching is subordinate , but not opposite to the inward ; nor doth gods inward teach●ng by his spirit , any way exclude , but rather include the outward teaching ; for whom god teacheth now , he teacheth not immediately a● formerly , but mediately , by meanes ; and therefore he that promised to teach them by his spirit , promised also to give them prophets , pastors , teachers , accomplisht with all needfull abilities for the better edifying of his church , eph. . , . . i answer , à pari : if humane learning be needlesse because the spirits teaching is sufficient , then by the same argument , naturall reason should bee needlesse ; for such as condemne arts , may as well condemne reason , for what are arts , but reason brought into rule and order ? the fifth obiection . paul counted all but dung for christ [ phil. . , . ] but his humane learning was a part of this all ; [ for he was a pharisee , and they excelled in knowledge , and were the chiefe teachers of it in christs time . ] ergo , he counted it but dung for christ. ans. this is a dunghill-argument , and is easily answered by limiting the major ; paul counted all but dung for christ comparatively , not simply ; and so when riches , pleasures , honours , &c. come in competition with christ , they must be esteemed in comparison of him , as drosse and dung : if a man have riches , he must not cast them away , but he must cast away his confidence in them ; so if he have learning , and skill in arts , he must not cast it away , ( for in it selfe it is a good gift of god , exod. . , , , . ) but he must cast away his pride ●nd glorying in it , he must glory in none but christ ; thus paul cared not to know any thing in comparison of the excellent knowledge of christ crucified , cor. . . thus nazianzen , a very learned man , accomplisht with much athenian eloquence , rejoiced that he had any thing of worth , to esteem as nothing in comparison of christ. the sixth obiection . from rom. . . the wisedome of the flesh is enmity against god , and cor. . . the weapons of our warfare are not carnall . ans. learning sanctified is no carnall thing , but the good gift of god , and so is not enmity to god , but pleasing to him ; nor doth the apostle by the wisedome of the flesh mean philosophy , but the corruption and depravation of our natures ; and therefore he doth not simply condemne wisedome , but fleshly wisedome , such as proceeds from the pravity of the flesh , and makes us rebell against god. . though logick ▪ philosophy , rhetorick &c in themse●ves considered are not able to convert a soule , ●et being spiritualliz'd and improved to the right opening and expounding of the scripture ▪ they may be a meanes the better to convince our judgements , and work upon our affections , and so help forward our conversion . plowing , sowing , and breaking the clods &c. of it selfe cannot make the corn to grow , yet 't is a meanes which god hath ordained for that end , and we must use it if we expect his blessing . the seventh obiection . cor . . paul would not preach the gospell with the wisedome of words , ergo. we may not do it . ans. it is one thing to preach in the wisedome of mans words , and another thing to make use of learning in our preparations for preaching . the apostle therefore doth not simply condemne learning , eloquence , freedome of speech , &c. ( which in themselves are the good gift of god ) for paul used much of it himselfe , and was able to speak more tongues then they all ; but that which he condemnes is vaine , affected straines of eloquence , and pompous words , whereby the simplicity of the gospell was corrupted , and souls kept thereby from christ : now this is the abuse and not the right use of learning , which paul condemnes . the scripture it selfe is full of divine eloquence & rhetorick * and it may lawfully be used by a minister of the gospell , not for ostentation , but edification , for being sanctified , it is a furtherance and not a hinderance to the hearers . non laudatur ruditas , sed simplicitas ; nec vituperatur eruditio , sed oftentatio ; improbat apostolus non omnem , sed affectatam eloquentiam , & mixturam sapientiae humanae cum doctrinâ evangelii , ut quàm scitissimè acutissimus pareus in locum . the eighth obiection . philosophy is contrary to divinity● now contraries ( saies sam : how ) must not be put together , but the gospell and humane learning are contraries , ergo. ans. nogatur minor. philosophy and humane learning is not contrary , but subservient ; not opposite , but subordinate to the gospell . [ raetionem supponit , non opponit , instruit non destruit sacra theologia ] hence the lord oft commands us to make use of our reason ▪ to judge ▪ examine , try al things , that we may discerne truth from falshood , and light from darknesse , eph. . . and . . cor. . . see this more fully handled in the first caution following , &c. the ninth obiection . christ was destitute of humane learning , ( saith how the cobler ) yea it is blasphemy ( saith he ) to affirm he had humane learning ; since the jews admiring , said , how knoweth this man letters or learning , having never learned , iohn . . it s therefore enough ( saith how ) for the disciple to be as his lord , he being destitute of humane learning , his disciples may well be without it also , as it appeares they were , acts . . ans. here 's a coblers end indeed , had it appeared at another season , it might have had a fire instead of an answer . . then i utterly deny that christ had no humane learning ; for isaiah . , . and . . tels us expresly , that he had the tongue of the learned given him , and that the spirit of wisedome ▪ understanding , counsell , might and knowledge should rest upon him , and make him quick of understanding , and therefore there are said to be hid in him treasures of wisedome and knowledge , col. . . now , how he came by it , whether by infusion from heaven , or the personall union , or education at schools , it 's not materiall ▪ since it 's apparent by scripture , that he was full of wisedome ; insomuch , as the pharisees wondred that christ a carpenters son , never taught at schools and universities , should be able to speak so learnedly , promptly and fully : now had they not been grosly blinded by unbeliefe , they might easily have seen , that since christ had not his learning by ordinary and usuall meanes , therefore he had it extraordinarily , and immediately from god , and so have acknowledged the evidence of gods spirit therein . . 't is true , the apostles were unlearned in respect of education . they were never brought up at unive●sities , but in respect of inspiration they were not unlearned ; for christ made them learned , and fitted them before he sent them ; ( as i have proved at large in another treatise ) insomuch as the scribes wondred at their boldnesse and abilities , acts . . and how , they being unlearned , should come by such learning . in a word , they were 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 , illiterate men , or men without letters , not simply , ( for they had spent some time in studying the scriptures , & were al 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 , taught of god , ioh. . and . thes. . . pet. . . ) but 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 , in the pharisees esteem they were unlearned , ( who conceited that the empire of learning was within their own dominion ) . because they were not brought up in ordinary schools of learning , though they were brought up in the school of christ , which was incomparably better . the learning is still the same , onely the way of attaining it , is different now from what it was in the primitive times ; christ , the prophets and apostles had it by supernaturall and immediate revelation and infusion , we now by reading , teaching , education , study , and pains , in schools and universities . the tenth obiection . but there are many errors amongst philosophers , poets , heathens , &c. what shall we doe in such a case ? ans. the apostle tels you , thes. . . try all things , and what upon try all you find to be sound and good , hold that fast . we must therefore read with judgement , and not like children , swallow all that 's put into our mouths ; and this brings me to the cautions , which are ten . chap. iii. ten cautions . first , beware of the two extreams , set not philosophy , and arts too high , nor yet too low ; medio tutissimus ibis . the anabaptists offend in the defect , and totally cry down all humane learning . others offend in the excesse , preferring it before divinity ; they set hagar the servant in the chaire , and make dame sarah wait . this is to abuse it , and not to use it : then a thing is abused , when it is not used in that manner , and for that end to which god hath ordained it ; when we set it higher then god would have us , idolizing it , resting in it . philosophy is ordained by god to be an help and furtherance in the study of divinity ; now when men make it an hinderance to the prejudice of the scripture , hurt of the hearers , vain-glory in the teachers , &c. this is to abuse , not use philosophy ; which ought alwaies to be subservient , but never superiour to divinity ; and therefore when hagar begins thus to u●urp over her mistris , it 's time to cast her out till shee submit her selfe . philosophy is a good servant , but an ill mistris to divinity , and therefore luther wittily compares it to the asse on which christ rode , which must be subject , not superiour to christ and his gospell . it is the folly of many young wits , that they prefer aristotle before paul , and are so wedded to the opinion of the one ▪ that they scarce ever affect the truth taught by the other , in sincerity : these like penelopes suitors , leave the mistris , and fall in love with the maids . heare what the learned à lapide saith in this case ; ancillantur theologiae quasi dominae & reginae omnes liberales disciplinae , omnes scientiae atque artes , quae certis singulae terminis continentur . sacra autem haec scientia ambit omnia , complectitur universa , omniumque usum suo jure sibi assumit ; ut proi●de quasi omnium perfect●ssima , omnium finis & scopus , ultimo loco veniat addiscenda . cui suffragatur claris . walaeus . artes & scientiae ancillentur veritati theologicae , non praesint ; leges ab ea accipiant , nullas praescribant . ●mp●um est humana inventa caelest● veritati praeferre aut divina mysteria angustis humant ingenii mensuris circumscribere ; ex hoc vitio pleraeque haereses ortae sunt , &c. sane & sci●è ●ic aquinas . theologia accipere potest aliquid à philosophicis disciplinis , non quod ex necessitate ●is indigeat , sed ad majorem manifestationem eorum , quae in hac scientia traduntur non enim accipit sua principia ab aliis scientiis , sed immediatè à de● per revelationem , & ideo non accipi● a● aliis scientiis tanquam à ●uperioribus , sed ut ●●ur eis tanquam inferioribus & ancillis , &c. the second caution ; beware of mixing and confounding philosophy with divinity ; this hath brought many heresies into the church . this was the fault of the false apostles , whom paul blames , for mixing the works of the law with faith , and bringing philosophicall tenents into divinity , and in this kind the school-men were grossly guilty , who made divinity stoop to philosopy , and went about to prove its deepest supernaturall mysteries , by naturall reason out of aristotle , and so are become a dunghill of errors ; and are compared by some , to one having bread and good wine hanging ●on both sides them , yet himselfe hungrily gnawing a flint stone . [ theologiam in mataeologiam converterunt , eorum doctrina philosophica magis fuit quà● theologica , quique magis ratiunculis humanis ▪ quàm testimoniis divinis nituntur & disputant ] wee must not bring down the mysteries of religion to be scanned by philosophy , but we must make philosophy wait and submit to divinity . every science must keep its proper bounds , for many things which are true in philosophy , yet are not so when applied to divinity ; & è contra . e. g. ex nihilo nihil fit , of nothing , nothing is made , this is true in philosophy , yet in divinity wee know that god created all things of nothing . so , a privatione ad haebitum non datur regressus . this is true in philosophy , and according to the course of nature ; but not in divinity , since god by his omnipotency works above nature , and can raise the dead . so the righteousnesse by which a man is just and righteous , is inherent in himselfe , and not in another . so , virgo non est mater , nec homo deus . philosophicè haec sunt vera , non theologicè ; physicè , non hyperphysicè . abusus itaque est cum rerum physicarum propria transferuntur ad res hyperphysicas . intra terminos oportet 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 , nec licèt temerè cantare canticum domini in terra aliena , ne fiat 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 . ( i ) transitus in aliud genus . . beware of abusing these particular arts and sciences . . grammar god hath ordained it as a means to explain phrases and termes in scripture : now when men play upon the words , and look more at them , then at the matter , this is an abuse of the art : so when men fall to logomachies , and contending about words , which paul condemned , tim. . . and . , . . rhetorick is , a●used when men coin figures , and change the literall into an allegoricall sense , as origen did , this is a corrupting of this go●d art , and is condemned , col. . . it 's an abuse of logick , when by sophistry and false reasoning , we labour to draw men into errors . dialectica ad omnia pexetranda & dissolvenda plurimùm valet ; tantùm cavenda est libido rixandi , & puerilis quaedam ostentatio decipiendi adversarium . august . de doct. christiana . lib. . cap. , , , . . it 's an abuse of mathematicks , ( which includes arithmeticke , astronomy , and geometry ) when men take upon them to cast a figure , or from the stars , to calculate mens nativities , or to foretell the states of kingdomes and commonwealths ; a sinne which gods word oft condemnes , and therefore rancks astrologers with sorcerers , to whom they are neer allied , isaiah . , , , ▪ . it 's an abuse of physicks , when we pore so much on the creatures , that we forget their creator , and look so much after second causes , that wee forget the first . . it 's an abuse of metaphysicks , when men labour by dark termes , improper phrases , idle questions , and vaine subtleties , to corrupt the truth , draw men to atheisme , and make them meer scepticks in religion . sic scholastici doctores in papa●u metaphysicis terminis res theologicas contaminârunt , pareus in col. ▪ . ubi plura . wee must therefore bring humane learning home to divinity , to be pruned and pared with spiri●uall wised●me , and then it may lawfully and profitably be used ; as the israelites might not marry with a micianite whom they had taken in warre , till shee was purified . ( i ) they must shave her head , pare her nailes , and put off the garment shee was taken in , and then they might marry with her , numb . . , ● . and deut. . ● , , . . beware of pride in humane learning , let it not so puffe you up , that you cannot submit to the simplicity of the gospell , cor. . . for as learning is the ornament of the minde , so humility is the ornament of learning : many insult over their brethren , and contemne the people of god that want these qualifications , like the pharisees , ioh. . , whereas the having of t●o●e should make us more humble , considering the great account such have to make , for according to mens gifts , helps and talents , must their account be ; they that have received great abilities , and have either idlely buried them , or basely abused them by drawing ignorant persons into error of life or doctrine , such shall receive the greater condemnation . . we may not stuffe our sermons with philosophy , though we may use it in our preparations , yet we must sparingly mention it in publick . artis est celare artem . 't is not aristotle , tully , horace , &c. but the holy scripture that can convince t●e iudgement , and make it yield : we must therefore do by our humane learning , as abraham did by his asse and his servant . gen. . . it may go with us , to the foot of the hill , but not ascend into the sanctuary . god will have no plowing with an ox and an ass , deut. . . but if any man speak , it must be with that feare and reverence , with that preparation and discretion , as becomes the oracles of ●od , pe● . . . for what is the chaffe to the wheat saith the lord ? ier. ● . . quid facit cum psalterio horatius ? cum evangelio maro ? cum apostolis cicero ? nonne scandalizatur frater si te viderit in idolioracumbentem ? hieron . eustachio . vaine rhetoricall , philosophicall florishes doe savour of ostentation , wast the time which might be better spent , and hinders the edification of the hearers ; for as in all things , so especially in preaching , all things should be done to edifying , and therefore 't is observed that gods servants , moses , christ paul &c. though they were singularly learned , and well accomplisht with all kind of learning , yet they concealed it , and seldome or never shewed it in their publick preaching , but came with holy simplicity , and in the demonstration of the spirit ; and thus in our age did holy perkins , greenham , baine , b●field , sibs , preston , &c. minimè probi illorum affectatam vanitatem , qui undique corr●gatis sententiolis infarciunt suas conciones , scrip●urarum interim prorsus immemores , &c. ut appositè acutissimus davenant in col. . . v. plura ames . cc. lib. . cap. . q. . & zep. de arte concion . l. . c. . . spend not too much time in them , rest not here ; many study heathens so long , till they become almost heathenish , like the man that studied school-divinity so long , that at last he had forgot the lords prayer . many of origens errors , came from an over-w●ening love of philosophy . — 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 , hippocrat . omne nimium vertisur in vitium . i have known some in my time in the university , that doted so long on philosophy , that they proved errant drones , and could never relish divinity : what we say of a meer logician , is also true of a meer philosopher , merus philosophus , merus asinus . these studies are but the elements and preparations onely to divinity , they are but the way , not our mark and chiefe end , and therefore our learning of these sciences ( as austin well observes ) must be modesta & succincta , else it may prove vinum inebrians , implens non nutriens , infla●s non aed●ficans , saith bernard . these prepare the wit for higher studies , but we must not rest here . nam si exotica illa cum scripturae thesauris comparentur ; nihil nisi 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 , nugae erunt & quisquiliae , tilenus . has itaqu● disciplinas , paucis ▪ & velut ad majora utilioráque properan● percurre . hyperius de rat . stud . theolog. l. . c. . p. . ubi plura . . i speak not this to discourage any young beginners , ( as if i would have none to be ministers ▪ but such as can read a lecture in philosophy ) who strive and studie for competent abilities , in arts and languages , nor any who have reall abilities , and shall be judged sit by a presbytery , and so called to the ministery , though for the present they be defective this way : for humane learning doth not impower , but fits us to preach ; it doth not make us ministers , but it maketh us able ministers of the gospell : it 's necessary , not simply ad esse , to the being , but ad b●ne esse to the well being of a preacher : 't is requisite necessitate expedientiae & 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 ▪ non necessitate absolutâ , as if a man could know nothing in divinity without it . ●he wan● of it is a blemish and defect , which by all good meanes we should labour to remove ; for though a man may be a preacher and a disputant without it , yet he shall never be so compleat a preacher , not dexterous a disputant , as he that hath it : and therefore i would advise all such , ( i have known some that having strong naturall part● , in a short time have gained good insight in the arts and languages ) though they cannot attaine that perfection which others have , yet to get such a competent measure of knowledge herein , as to be able to help themselves , and to see with their own eyes , and when doubts arise , not to be quite to seek , else the profane of the world will soon di●cover their weaknesse , and they shall be sure to hear of it to their sorrow , unlesse they be very humble , gratious , and wise to prevent it ▪ &c. v. plura apud claris. hyperium . l. c. . p . get your learning sanctifyed ; a learned head and an unsanctified heart is a fit instrument for the devill to doe much mischiefe withall : such oft prove the ●o●est enemies to religion ; who more learned then the egyptians , yet who more gross idolateis , and greater enemies to gods people ? who more learned then the scribes and pharisees , yet who more gracelesse in their lives ● paul meets with most opposition at athens , amongst the learned philosophers , acts . so true is the proverb , the learnedst clerks , are not alwaies the wisest men , they are like an asse deck● with costly ornaments . all the humane learning in the world cannot bring a man to salvation , it may help to curb corruption civilize a man , and prepare him for better things , but 't is the saving knowledge of the word , which giveth more grace , iames . there onely true comfort is to be found ; hence it 's called by way of exclusion , the word of life , and the word of comfort , excluding all true comfort from any other word or writings , which hath made the godly to preferre it before all the treasures in the world . wee should therefore moderate our delight in other studies , and make them all subservient to this ; for this is not the end of our lives to get humane learning ▪ nor must it be preferred , much leste be equallized to the knowledge of god in his word , but alwaies kept in subordination to it ; else what will it profit us to be good grammarians , and have skill in tongues , to have our he●●s full of knowledge , and our hearts empty of all goodnesse ; or to be good logicians , and ●ki●●ull in answering fallacies , yet suffer the devill to delude us with his sophistry , or to be good historians , and know what 's done abroad , yet be ignorant of the state of our soules at home , &c. consider that humane learning is but a common gift of the spirit , which is oft bestowed on reprobates and heathens , as well as on gods people ; and therefore the lord in his wisedome oft passeth by the learned , proud , selfe-conceited rabbies of the time , and chuseth the poor , the simple , and meek of the earth , to set forth his praise , cor. . , . . yet beware of offending in the defect : let not the abuse of any thing , take away the lawfull and sober use of it . god would have us to use all helps , ( for now we have nothing by inspiration , revelation , or any such extraordinary way , but all by study , paines and industry ) he would have us make use of our reading and rea●on , and not be like horse and mule , which have no understanding , psal. . . nor like children tossed to and fro with the delusions of men . eph. . ● . the worship which he cals for , must be 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 , rationalis ( i ) agreeable to right reason . away then with those fanaticks , enthusiasts , anabaptists &c. who boast of the spirit , and of their revelations ( the common 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 , and refuge , when they are at a stand for scripture to prove their errors , then they fly to revelations , as the papists when non-plust , fly to traditions ) and under this pretence , they cry down languages , arts , sciences , universities , &c. but let their pretences be never so specious , they are but back friends to religion , that decry humane learning . iulians edict forbidding christians the use of schools , and exercises of learning , was esteemed a more dangerous engine to overthrow the christian faith , then all the bloody persecutions of his predecessors , &c. coronis . labantibus literarum studiis , & maximae rei-publicae utilitates simul concidunt ; pro cognitione & scientia , turpissima rerum omnium ignoratio ; pro sincero dei cul●u , anilis superstitio ; pro dicendi facultate , stupida infantia ; pro consilii copia & ubertate , mentis & judici● inopia ; pro exculi â morum elegantia ▪ agrestis & inamaena rusticitas ▪ pro mansuetudine & humanitate , barbara quaedam feritas in vitam hominum invadit . cooper . certainly much respect is to be given to the learning & godliness of men . there is a great delusion in many mens hearts , that makes them think it to be halfe popery , to give any respect to learning ; although the abuse of learning hath done much evil , against that much hath bin ▪ & may be said : but i dare avow this , that never since the beginning of the world could a man be found to speak against learning , but an ignorant ●an ; neither is it like ; nay i may aver it it is impossible , that any but such will be found to the end of the world ; learning hath so much of god in it , that it never had , nor will have any enemy but ignorance , &c. when we see grace added to learning , it should add much to our esteem of such a man , it is the orient pearl in the gold ring , &c. burroughs irenicum , chap. . p. , . sam : how the preaching cobler , or the cobling preachers epitaph , by r. o. what how ? how now : hath how such learning found , to shrow arts curious image to the groūd ? cambridge and oxford may their glory now , vaile to a cobler , if they knew but how : though big with arts , they cannot overtop , the spirits teaching in a coblers shop . reader , if thou an humane artist be , let humane learning be no judge for thee : lay down thy arts , then try this coblers end , and see , if it be by the spirit penn'd . meane time adue , yee arts and a●●ists all , the spirits teaching may attend the aull ; and thou brave cobler blow another blast upon their learning , though thou blow thy last . r. o. an answer to r. o. his verses made in commendation of a book of samuell how , a cobler . who 's this , r. o. a psychopannychist , rather the la●e pamphleting mortalist ? if it be he , no wonder that he so admire the cobler ▪ and even kisse his toe ; and nothing make o' ● ' vniversity , compared with his awll-suffic●ency . 't is just with god , ●ha● he that vilifies the glorious sunne should ●lowwormes idolize ; and he that smels no sweetnesse in a rose , should judge a dunghill fittest for the nose , and he that mortall ma●●s the soule ▪ should call this samuell h●w , doctor angelicall , yea think this sa●u●ll prophesies as well , as ever did the prophet samuel . indeed for mortall soules he is as fit as lasts can be for sho●es or sho●es for feet : and fitter then the noble ● muses sonn●s , all whose brave blood , a course immortall runnes ; except this one degenerate , r. o. who may unto his learned cobler goe , a●d to his cure with his old sh●oes commend his deca●d soule , since sam : can both amend . doubtlesse he will doe thus ; and perhaps too , he will at last be taught to patch a shooe ; and to his end prof●ss à cobler be , imagining some rare d●vinity lies in that art , whe●e men have every houre , fresh charge of soles , and over them such power . i wish he may wax wiser . but if he , for sam : how 's sake , will needs a cobler be , let him be one in grain sam : hath set forth a k●ocking p●●ce of wo●ke , of lasting worth ; which ought to be dispe●sed by transl●tions , for englands honour and the good of nations . t●is let r. o. latinis●e : then all may him translatour ●f translatours call . d. hallophilus . on samuell how the cobler , lately turned preacher , &c. who is sufficient for the m●nistry ? cri'd once the gentiles doctor . that am i , thinks every tradesman in these dregs of time. even how the cobler dares the pulpit climb . belike he thinkes the difference is but small between the sword o' th' spirit and the awle . and that he can as dexterously divide the word of truth , as he can cut an hide : and that the soules of people cannot choose , but be as tractable as the soles of shooes . in time perhaps he may his error see , and say , none e'r was more deceiv'd then he. the faults of shooes he doth no sooner spy , but he knows how to cure them presently . the faults of men he may his spirits spend upon , and irritate , but not amend . 't is not so easie in the ministry , to set men upright that doe tread awry , as in the gentle craft . the holyest hearts ioin'd with the greatest prudence , paines and parts , have , oft complain'd that they could doe no good , on this and that and th' other peece of wood . our shooes are soon prevailed with , to quit their ancient soles , and new ones to admit . men will not be so soon perswaded to put off the old man , and put on the new. but we may feare , that how ▪ and such as hee , mechanicks , that invade the ministry , have no such end ▪ as sinners to convert , but ( o mischievous madnesse● ) to pervert such as are converts , or are comming on in a faire way toward conversion . they presse not the new man , but such new wayes , as lead men from the ancient of dayes . whether we new creatures be or not , wee see they doe not care , so we their creatures be . against our reverend clergy they inveigh , because it is a mountain in their way . could they remove that once , all would be theirs ; the fathers outed ▪ they should be brave heires . iust s●ch as absolom , had he overthrown his father david , and p●ss●ss'd his thr●ne . the l●berall arts they likewise doe decry , those needfull hand-ma●ds to divinity . this high bo●n lady , they would leave as bare as new shorne sheep , or naked indians are . the spirit they say sufficient is they might say too , the mo●n affords sufficient light , without this train of starres ; ye starres be gone ; wee 'll be contented with the moon alone . but against learning would they blaterate , unlesse themselves were so illiterate ? the ape much fault with foxes tayle doth find , because himselfe can nothing shew behind . the fox those grapes doth greatly vilifie , though ne'r so pretious that doe hang too high . could tailes he had , they 'd well enough please apes ; and foxes could they reach them would praise grapes . these animals too , had they the arts they want , they would them prize , and scorn the ignorant . to strike all dead , those pillars of our land , jachin and boaz may no longer stand tabor and hermon , mountaines that maintain the gowned nation they would make a plain . what need , say they , o' th' two fold athens now , or mothers breasts , when we past children grow ? our land can now well spare those two great eyes . yes , so it can , if it will heathenize . i 'm sure it may well spare such mouths . if god permit them long , we may cry● ichabod . for such wild preachers , whatsoe'r they say , will preach true preaching , and even christ away . th. elshmor . centuria sacra . about one hundred rules for the expounding , and clearer understanding of the holy scriptures . to which are added a synopsis , or compendium of all the most materiall tropes and figures , contained in the scriptures . psal. . . i have seen an end of all perfection , but thy law is exceeding large . mat. . . heaven and earth shall passe away , but not one jot or tittle of gods word shall passe away . iotaunum , & apex unus non cadet de scriptura , nihil ergo contemnendum aut parvi faciendum in sacris literis . illyricus . adore plenitudinem scripturarum . tertullian . london , printed by w. h. for nathaniel webb and william grantham , at the sign of the bear in s pauls church yard , near the little north door . . to the candid and courteous reader . reader , when i had perused the theologicall rules of mr ▪ wilson , which came but lately to my hands by reason of their scarcity , they being printed . i conceived it might be an acceptable service to the publick , to reprint them with some additionall rules ; especially now , when errours abound so much through ignorance of such rules . but when i perceived by the printers , that the presse at this time ( when trading is so dead ) would not beare the volume , i was constrained to take another course , and to set forth my owne rules single by themselves ; yet have i given the succum & sanguinem , the marrow of mr wilson's rules , there is not a rule of his , that is very materiall , but thou hast it virtually , though not literally here . these rules i have been gathering many years for my owne private use ; here thou hast them enlarged with references ( for brevities sake ) to such as handle any rule more fully . to them is added an alphabeticall table , which will be very usefull for the finding out of any thing that is materiall . i have also added many tropes and figures , with explanations of the quotations where need required , &c. now the blessing of god go with it , and give it favour in the eyes of his people , the lord make it mighty and succesfull for the destruction of sin and satans kingdome , and for the advancement of the kingdom , of his dear son ; this is and shall be the prayers of him who is from my study in kings●orton sept. . , thy servant in and for the lord. th. hall. rules to be observed for the right interpretation of scripture . first , they that would understand the meaning of gods spirit , must be men of spirituall minds , cor. . . the spirituall man ( i ) the regenerate man judgeth all things ( i ) he is not only certaine of the truth which himselfe holds , but he can also judge and clearly discerne the errors that are held by others . they have received an unction from the holy one ( ) they have the holy spirit of god , and this benefit they have by him , that they know all things , [ ioh● , , . ] not simply all things that are knowable , but all things that are necessary to salvation ; and herein the poorest idiot ( being a sound christian ) goeth beyond the profoundest clerks that are not sanctified ; for he hath his own heart instead of a commentary , ●o help him in the understanding of the most needfull points in scripture . he then that would interpret scripture , must come with a scripture-frame of spirit ; he must have a holy and heavenly heart , sutable to the holinesse and heavenlinesse that is in the word . the scriptures spiritualnesse , cals for a heart filled with scripture spiritualnesse , to set forth its excellencies : for as no man can rightly sing davids psalmes , without davids spirit ; so no man can rightly expound the word of god without the spirit of god. carnall , sensuall hearts , and such divine , spirituall work , will never agree . a vessell that 's full of poyson , cannot receive pure wa●er ; or if it could , yet the vessell would ●aint it . sincerum est nisi vas , quodcunque insundis acessi● . hor. 't is the nature of the word to be facile and comfortable to such as are of a semblable disposition to it , [ micah . . ] but dark , harsh , and hard to the wicked , unregenerate , unmortified men . sin in the affection , will quickly breed error and darknesse in the understanding ; pride , covetousnesse , &c. blind the judgement , iohn . . luke . . we must be renewed in the spirit of our minds , before ever we can prove what is that good and perfect will of god , rom. . . for the secrets of the lord are revealed to none but such as feare him . psal. . , . pro. . . and . . rule . he that would know the mind of god in scripture , must earnestly beg for the direction and assistance of the spirit of god , that so he may be taught of god , to know and doe his will. nature is blind here , cor. . . the naturall man perceives not the things of god : he may peradventure know the history , but not the mystery ; hee may read the words , but shall never savingly know the mind of christ without his spirit : 't is this eye-salve which must make us see , and lead us into all truth . we must therefore take davids course , goe unto god by prayer , and beseech him to inlighten thy understanding , that thou mayest see into those deep mysteries , and wonders of his law , [ psal. . . ] he that would have this wisdome , must aske it of god ; for the scripture can never be rightly interpreted without the assistance and teaching of that spirit , by whom they were inspired that wrote them . no scripture is of private interpretation , [ pet. . ▪ ] that is private which is meerly of man , as ver . . private is not here opposed to publike , but to divine , or to the holy ghost : now our interpretations comming from the spirit , are falsely called private , because 't is that spirit teacheth us , which teacheth all the faithfull . this is the chiefest work , and as it were the foundation of all the rest , without which all other meanes are vaine , therefore begin and end with prayer . now though a man be godly , and have the spirit , yet he must use the means which god hath ordeined for the right understanding of scripture , for god will be found onely in his own way . . the originall languages must be studied , they have many speciall ididioms , proprieties , phrases and elegancies , which cannot be fully expressed in our own o● any other language , and therefore 't is necessary that we understand them in some competent measure ; that so in our doubts we may have recourse to the fountain it selfe , from whence the waters drink most sweetly . the ignorance of greek and hebrew hath been the cause of many errors in the ancients , and especially amongst monks and fryars . till we understand the words ; we can never find out the sense ; nor without them shall we be able to defend our selves , or offend an enemy . to give an instance or two , gen. . . the vulgar latine , bellarmine , and the school-boyes of d●way , say , [ ipsa ] shee shall break ; we say ipse , he shall break . now by having recourse to the originall , the doubt is e●sily answered . the pronoun is masculine [ ●his ] he , or it , ( i ) the seed , zera , which in the hebrew is of the masculine gender : 't is not [ h● ] shee , in the feminine gender : the promise is confined to christ , the promised seed , this glory must not be given to his mother , who ingenuously confesseth him to be a saviour to her selfe , as well as unto others , luke . . thus the rhemists would prove free-will from that text , luke . . peace on earth , to men of good will ; but what saies the originall ? the word is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 , which signifies gods free love to us , but never our free will to good . so ephes. . . the vulgar latine saies we are gods workmanship created in christ , in operibus bonis , in good works ; but our translation saith , to good works ; and so saith the originall , 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 , ad , non in . besides the tongues , a sound and solid interpreter had need of rhetorick to understand tropes and figures which are frequent in scripture : also logick to analyse a text , philosophy , naturall morall , oeconomicall , with some knowledge in ecclesiasticall histories ; all which rightly improved will give us great light into the scripture . . ever observe very carefully the circumstances in a text ; as who speaks , when , to whom , the scope , the end , the matter , especially observe the context what goes before , and what followes . the rule of the lawyers hold well here , iudicandum non est de jure ex sola line â. we must not judge of the law by one line , but observe the drift and scope of the place ; this gives great light to a text , and helps to overthrow many errors . one sound reason thus drawn from scripture , is of more worth and strength then the opinions of a thousand chrysostoms , origens , austins , &c. remember this distich of glassius , quis , scopus , impellens , sedes , tempusque , locusque , & modus ; haec soptem , scripturae attendito loctor . the author , scope , occasion , theam , time , place ; and next , the forme , these seven let him attend that reads the text. the scripture lies not in the naked words , or letters , but in the true senic and scope of the words , there lies the life and soule of the scripture . mens legis est lex : not the bare words , but the meaning of the law is the law. . darke and hard places are to be expounded by plain ones ▪ for the scripture is both text and glos●e , and ever hath light in some place , to clear the darknes●e of others : one scripture oft expounds , but never contradicts another . amicae semper scripturarum lites . in scripture there are places where th● lamb may wade , and the elephant may swimme ; some places are clear and plaine to instruct our ignorance , others are dark and difficult , [ pet. . . ] to quicken our diligence , to make us dig and * search , [ iohn . . . ] to make us fervent in prayer , humble in meditation , to make us prize his word , which containes in it such high and heavenly mysteries , and to worke in us a love to the ministery , which god hath set apart for the opening of these mysteries . if ever wee would be good interpreters , we must oft compare one place with another , and dark places with plaine ; for what is obscure in one place , is made plain in another , so that the scripture is the best expounder of it selfe . thus isa . . look to the rock from whence you were hewne ; what 's that ? ver . . to abraham your father , and sarah your mother . so ioh. . christ having spoken of eating his flesh , presently adds , that he spake of a spirituall , not a corporall eating . thus the lord in his wisedome hath left some things dark to exercise us , that by search and comparing it with other scriptures , we might be at last acquainted with the whole scripture , and not rest contented with the knowledge of some part of it , but might have it richly dwelling in us . hence he makes the prophets to expound moses , and the old testament is explained in the new. e. g. exod. . i am that i am ; what 's that ? the prophet isaiah will tell you , isa. . i am the first and the last , ( i ) the eternall jehovah . thus christ confutes the devill by comparing one place with another , mat. . . those holy levit●s , * nehemiah . , and paul in the acts . . and . . they gave the sense , comparing scripture with scripture . parallell texts ( like glasses ) set one against another , cast a mutuall light , and as the lapidary brightneth his hard diamond with the dust shaved from it selfe : so must we clear hard scriptures by others that are plaine and perspicuous , as an * acute and pious divine hath wel observed . . we must beware of taking those words literally , which are to be understood figuratively , or of taking things figuratively , when they should be interpreted literally ; wee may not make figures where the scripture makes none , nor make it bleed with straining it too hard . this was origens fault , sometimes he would take that literally , which was to be understood mystically ; thus mistaking that place , matthew . . hee gelt himselfe ; and many times hee allegorizeth even plaine scripture , and therefore often misseth the true sense . now if a word admit of many significations , by the scope and circumstances of the place we may find , which is the most proper signification ; and where the text will beare it , wee may make use of both . . all all our expositions must agree with the analogy of faith , romans . . wee must prophesie according to the proportion or analogy , [ 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 ] of faith ; which is nothing else but the constant tenour of the scripture , in the plain points of religion , as the articles of our faith , the lords prayer , the creed , and the fundamentals in our catechi●e , all which are proved by cleare scripture . now in expounding , still have an eye to this , and know , that what ever interpretation contradicts this analogy of faith , is alwaies false . e. g. this is my body , it cannot be true literally , because it is contrary to the analogy of faith , which tels us that christs humane nature is ascended into heaven , and the heavens must containe him till his second comming , acts . . it must therefore be understood figuratively . so rom. . . to feed our enemy , and give him drink , are to be taken literally ; because they are agreeable to the analogy of faith ; but to heap coales of fire on his head , must be taken figuratively , because in the letter it is contrary to the sixth co mandement , so mat. . . we should therefore take speciall care to be well grounded in the fundamentals and principles of religion ; for ignorance is virtually every error . mat. . , yee err not knowing the scripture : and seminally 't is every sin , this made paul a persecutor , tim. . . and the jews to crucifie christ , acts . . . you must come to this worke , with an humble heart . * purge out all pride , selfe-conceitednesse , and prejudicate opinions , lay aside all by-ends and aimes , become a fool in thy selfe , that thou maiest be wise in god , submit thy judgements , will and affections to his his will , and then he will teach thee , ps. . isay , . mat. . . god will not vouchsafe to shew us so much as the form of his house , till we are humbled , ezek. . . * a proud person is fit to make an heretick , he doth not take the sense which scripture yields , but impo●eth his sence upon it ; he is ready to interpret that for gods wil , which is most sutable to his own , psal. . . these like the spider , turn all to poyson . get an humble heart , and then thou wilt look on every truth of god , as infinitely above thee , and so wilt willingly receive it from any ; even a child with scripture-reasons may lead thee , isa. . then , and never till then , wilt thou say with baldassar , a germane divine , let the word of the lord come , let it come , had we six hundred necks , they should all submit to it . we must not do ( as many doe in our daies ) who bring the scripture in subjection to their opinions , conceits and practises , when they should humbly and readily conform their opinions and practices to the scripture . . ignorant persons that cannot use these meanes , must goe to such as are godly , and have skill , as the blind man that cannot see himselfe , will seek out for a guide . ma● . . . the priests lips must preserve knowledge , and the people must seek gods law at his mouth . they must read good books , get sound commentators , conferre much , humbly suing to god for direction , who first or last will resolve our doubts . to the diligent hand that makes rich in spirituals as well as temporals , and if we be active for knowledge , and in despight of all oppositions , can follow on to know the lord , he hath then promised that we shall * know him , hos. . . if we be diligent in searching , god will be faithfull in revealing ; and if we sincerely doe our duty , we shall quickly find the blessing . . practice the truth , when the lord shall make known any truth to you , presently obey it , and submit to it , so shall you know more of gods mind , iohn . . when our workings and walkings bee scripture-explications . god then delights to reveal himselfe unto us : if david will but keep the precepts of the lord , he shall be wiser then the ancient , wiser then his teachers , [ psal. . . , . ] and wiser then his subil● enemies . oh then let our practice come up to our light , and our gospell-principles be answered with gospell-conversations , and our gospell-light , with gospell lives ; for then the lord finding us faithfull in a little , will shew us yet greater things , phil. . . and if we be carefull to obey his truth , he hath then promised to give us his spirit , [ acts . . ] which shall be in us a spring of illumination , sanctification , consolation , &c. . words of knowledge imply affection and practice , ec●l . . . remember ( i ) know , fear , love and obey god. so cor. . . doe it in remembrance of me ; ( i ) with care , feàr , love , delight ; for 't is not a bare historicall remembrance , but a sin crucifying , soul-affecting remembrance . so deut. , . psal. . , . and . . and . . tim. . . the hebrews instead of an epithet , doe put the substantive in the genitive case ; as men of mercy , for mercifull men a land of desolation ( i ) a very desolate land , a man of desires , ( i ) a man very desirable and lovely , dan. . . the son of perdition ( i ) one ordained for damnation , iohn . . the man of sin , thes. . . there is an emphasis in it ( i ) a very sinfull man , a man made up of wickednesse , being as it were sin it selfe in the abstract . so benmavoth , a son of death , sam. . . ( i ) one that shall surely dye ; a sonne of belial ( i ) one notoriously wicked , sam. . . so eph. . . children of wrath . ( i ) by nature we are all poor , damned , undone creatures ' 't is an hebraifme very frequent in scripture : hence christ is called a man of sorrows , isaiah . . . ( i ) a man even compacted and compounded of all kinds and degrees of sorrows . so ieremy ( . . ) was counted a man of contentions ( i ) an exceeding contentious man : thus genitives are put for adjectives , and doe increase the signification . . one proper name is oft given in scripture to severall persons : as the name of pharaoh , was a common title to all the kings of egypt ; ioseph stands before one pharaoh , moses is sent to another , &c. * writers observe ten of that name in scripture , as the philistines called their kings abimelech , and the romans called their emperours , caesar ; so the egyptians called their kings by the name of pharaoh . thus we read of three herods . . herod the ascalonite , in whose raigne christ was born . mat. . . . herod the tetrarch , who beheaded iohn . . herod agrippa , who killed iames , acts . . when a text admits of several interpretations , which must i chuse ? . observe the context , the scope and drift of the place , and see which exposition agrees best with that , and cleave to that ; it s stronger then the sayings of a thousand origens , austins , &c. . observe which agrees best with the analogy of faith , and other places of scripture . e. g. pro. . , . rom. . . if thy enemy hunger , feed him , &c. by so doing thou shalt heap coales of fire on his head : some by coales here understand , coales of confusion ; others coales of conversion ; though both may stand , yet the last is farre more safe and genuine . because it agrees best with the context , which forbids private revenge , and commands us to love our enemies , as ver , . before the text , and ver . . after plainly shew , be not overcome with evill , but overcome evill with good , ( i ) by thy goodnesse , and unexpected kindnesse , thou shalt so melt and humble him , ( as a great fire makes the hardest iron and steel to melt ) that of a foe he shall become a friend . . this exposition is most agreeable to the analogy of faith , which commands us to love our neighbour , yea though he be our enemy , and to seek his good , but never his ruine : now that sense which cals us from malice to charity , is ever best . thus that act of naaman , [ kings . , . ] in going to the house of rimmon , is very much controverted ; some say he sinned in so doing , others as godly and as learned , say no : what shall we here doe ? scan the text , and we shall find it probable , that he did not sin : for . 't is concluded by all , that naaman was a true convert , and the text clears it . . he will doe nothing without the prophets direction and approbation . . whereas before he was an idolater , and sacrificed to false-gods , now he resolves to worship onely the true god. ver . . and if so , is it likely that hee would desire a toleration to sinne ? or doth he not rather beg pardon for his former idolatry ; for the words may be read in the preter tense , as well as in the future . q. d. the lord pardon thy servant , that when my master went to the house of rimmon to worship there , and leaned on my hand , and i bowed my selfe , &c. . naamans bowing , was not a religious worship given to the idol , ( for he had openly disclaimed all idolatry before ) but his bowing was onely in a civill respect , that the king might lean on his shoulders , and this he did , ( as mr perkins well observes ) with open and publick protestation , that he would worship none but the true god , and therefore to him he resolves to build an altar in his own country . . the prophet would never have bid him goe in peace , had he begged for a toleration in idolatry ; for what peace can there be to the wicked ? ob. he begs for pardon , therefore he sinned in what he did . ans. he being tender conscienc'd , and scrupulous ( as most young converts are ) craves pardon for this his bowing , though but in a civill respect , as fearing it might be interpreted a religious worshipping of the idol , &c. this is a charitative interpretation , and they say it is best offending on this hand : love takes doubtfull things in the best sense . take but one more perplexed text , and i have done , eccl. . . be not righteous over-much , &c. . say some , these are not the words of solomon , but of the atheist , and carnall polititian , who hearing ver . . of the righteous mans perishing in his righteousnesse , and the wicked mans prolonging his daies , presently the carnall man with his corrupt reason concludes , be not then righteous over much . q. d. seeing righteous men fare so ill , carry things with indifferency , and be not too precise and too holy , and more wise then other men ; be discreet and wary lest thou bring thy selfe into danger and trouble . . say others , here is condemned all rigour in justic● , whether vindictive , distributive , or commutative . magistrates must not be too severe in executing extream justice on every slight occasion and sin of infirmity ; but they must use a discreet moderation and equity , not being too severe on the one hand , nor yet too remisse in sparing or favouring wickednesse on the other hand : so private persons must not stand too much upon their own right , nor yet suffer their innocence to be too much wronged ▪ but in charity and wise integrity we should yield sometimes to others , considering our humane frailty . . some conceive that here is condemned curiosity and carelessnesse . q.d. doe not curiously search into those mysteries which are not revealed ; lest by thy pride and curiosity , thou bring gods judgements on thy selfe ; nor yet be so wicked and carelesse as to neglect the truth that is revealed . . say others , here is condemned , not true righteousnesse , or true wisedome , ( for so we can never be too righteous , too wise , or too religious and forward ; in justice , as it is justice , wee cannot exceed , though in respect of the circumstances , as the persons to whom , when , and where we do justice , we may exceed or come short , as pro. . . to condemne the just is the excesse , and to spare the wicked , is the defect of justice ) but solomon here condemnes phari●aicall righteousnesse ; when men are not content with the righteousnesse which gods word reveales , but out of their pride and selfe-conceitednesse , they will have a righteousnesse of their own beyond the word ; thus the pharisces trusted so much to their owne righteousnesse , traditions and works , that they contemned christ. these , these are the men that are over-righteous : such are papists and all will-worshippers with their merits , works of supererogation , &c. thus the anabaptists are over-righteous and rigid , they boast of their perfection ; when he that hath but halfe an eye , may plainly see their grosse imperfections ; they tell us that the church must not be a mixt society , they ● ust all be saints , reall saints say some , &c. what is this but to be over-wise ; even wise above that which is written ? vanitas ●îc notatu● hypocritarum osten●antium non suas vir utes , sed virtutum umbras quibus prae aliis semper apparere student . r gidi s●l●nt esse viriutis satellites & praecones , neque satis est i●●is si sint re●iquis similes , qui n●scio quia peculiare semper affectant . ●ayus in locum . though i shall condemne none of these opinions , yet the second and the last in my judgement are most sound , agreeing best with the context and analogy of faith . . the hebrews often use the imperative mood for the future tense , to shew the certainty of a thing , as amos . seek the lord , and live yee ( i ) yee shall certainly live . so deut. . . . the lord bids moses goe up to m●unt neoo and dye there ( i ) thou shalt certainly dye there ▪ and on the contrary , they sometimes put the future tense for the imperative mood , as exod. . thou [ shalt ] not kill , steal &c. for doe not kill , steal , &c. so mal. . shall preserve knowledge ( i ) let them preserve knowledge . . then a thing is said to be done in scripture phrase , when it begins to be done ; thus ieremy tels the people that after years captivity in babylon , they should returne from thence , yet many were left in babylon after that time ; but because the returne from thence beganne that year , therefore it s said to be done then . thus christ is said to be crucified at the third houre . marke . . becau●e the jews then cryed , crucifie him , crucifie him , and pilate consented to them , commanding that he should be scou●ged , and as it were prepared for the crosse , but at the end of the third houre , the sixth beginning , pilate juridically condemned him , and presently they crucified him . marke then declares the originall and beginning of christs crucifying at the third houre , but matthew [ , ] with the rest , set forth the execution and complement of it at the sixth houre ; or dividing the day into four quarters ( houres to each quarter ) it was in the third of them , that christ was crucified . . in parables we must alwaies look more to the sense and scope , then to the letter . now in a parable there are three things considerable . . cortex , the words and termes . . radix , the scope it aimes at . . fructus , the fruit which may be gathered from thence . hence we say , that borrowed speeches make no grounded arguments ; they illustrate , but they prove nothing ; they are comparisons , but not foundations . thus mat. . , , &c. the parable of the tares mixed with the wheat , doth not argue a toleration of all ●ects , but the scope of it is to shew that there wi●l be a mixture of good and bad in the church to the end of the world . . in scripture many times lesse is spoken then is ● ea●r as psal. . . a broken heart god will not despise ( i ) he highly prizeth a broken heart . so thes. . . despise not prophesying ( i ) see that you highly prize the preaching of the word . so heb. . if any apostatise , gods soule will take no pleasure in them ( i ) hee detests and abhors them cor. . . but with many of them , god was not wel pleased ( i ) he was highly displeased . psal. . . pro. . . 't is not good ( i ) it 's very evil , exod. . . not hold him guiltlesse ( i ) he will certainly punish him , mat. . . never remitted ( i ) certainly punished . . in scripture there are also many hyperbolicall speeches , by way of amplification ; as , thy seed shall be as the sand of the sea. gen. . . sam. . . psal. . . as the starres of heaven . heb. . . as the dust of the earth , gen. . . numb . . . a land flowing with milk and hony , exod. . . i will make your heavens iron , and your earth brasse , levit. . . swifter then eagles , stronger then lyons , sam. . . iudges . . rivers of teares run down mine eyes , psal . . not a tear or two , but abundance of teares . so psal. . , . and iohn . ult , by these instances 't will be easie to observe more . . christ and his apostles citing testimonies out of the old testament , doe often follow the septuagint , rendring the sense but not the words , because the scripture lies not in the bare words and syllables , but in the sense and meaning . hence sometimes they change something for illustration . thus michah . . compared with mat. . . micah cals bethlehem little , in respect of outward pompe and riches ; matthew cals it famous and great , because christ should be born there . thus mal. . . with mat. . . and hos. . . with rom. . . sometimes they omit a word , sometimes they add something for explication sake , as mat. . , . and . . rom. . , , , , . cor. . . . these words [ for ever , and from generation to generation , &c. ] do oft signifie in scripture phrase , not eternity , but onely that which shall endure a long time , for some ages and generations of men , as gen. . . and . . exod. . . levit. . . deut. , . chro. . . psal. . . and so the word [ no more ] doth not totally deny , but onely signifies many times some delaying of time , as sam. . . the philistines came [ no more ] into the coast of israel : how can this be , when it is apparent they came divers times after , both in the daies of samuel , saul and david ? the answer is easie , q. d. the philistines were so shattered and broken by the immediate hand of god , that they durst [ no more ] at this time , adventure to set upon israel . so isaiah . . ezek. . , . tyre shall sing [ no more ] nor be built [ any more ] yet after some time shee was re-built and returned to her former mirth and merchandise . . false , unprofitable , uselesse things , in scripture-dialect , are accounted as no things : thus a wicked gracelesse , unrighteous man , is accounted as no man , ieremy . . run to and fro through the streets of ierusalem , and see if you can find [ a man ] why ? the streets were full of men , yea , but because they were not good men , god accounts them as no men . thus the wicked are said to have [ no heart ] hos . . i. no heart to goodness , and then as good have no heart at all . thus the wicked are said [ not to hear ] the law , because they doe not hear it rightly , obediently . thus the priests are said [ not to know ] the lord , ier. . . they were priests , and so could not be totally ignorant , but because their knowledge was meerly notionall and speculative , without obedience and practise , god esteems it as no knowledge . . by an euphemismus or anti-phrasis , the scriptures sometimes put a faire name on a foule vice . thus , i kin. . . naboth is said [ to blesse god and the king ] ( i ) to curse them . so iob . . it may be my sons have sinned ; and [ baruch , have blessed god ] ( i ) have ●ursed him . thus the vessell wherein nature doth ease it selfe , is vailed with the periphrasis , a vessell wherein is no pleasure , ier. . . hos. . . so deut. . . iudges . . and . . iob . . psal. . title . david went in to bathshebah . so rom. . , , . . 't is a safe way , where a text admits of many ( but not contrary ) senses to take in all , lest we misse the meaning : where no reason doth constrain , we are not to restrain the words , but may take them in the largest sense , if there be nothing to hinder us , neither matter , phrase , context , or scope ; nothing contrary to other scriptures , nor the analogy of faith ; then may you take all ; for in a scripture which may without impeachment of any truth , admit divers senses , i may not be so positive in one , as to reject all others . e. g. pro. . . buy the truth , what truth ? why truth in judgement , truth in affection , truth in doctrine , truth in discipline , truth in words , and truth in works : all these must we labour for , but the two first being most genuine , and the foundation of all the rest , are principally to be sought after . so ephes. . . redeem the time , why but the word is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 , opportunitas temporis ; yet because the word is taken promiscuously in the new testament , we may make use of both , and say , redeem time , and especially the seasons of time . thus in that much tortured text , cor. . . there was given me a thorn in the flesh , the messenger of satan to buffet me . interpreters vary here very much : so many men , so many opinions , so that as one saith in a like case , i think this text had been clearer , if some had never medled with it , especially the ancients are much mistaken about this thorn in the flesh , &c. . some of them thinke it to be some bodily sickness , some say 't was a perpetuall head-ach , others , the gout , or a paine in the small guts , or weaknesse of stomack , or fleshly lusts , or at least some disease laid on him by the devill : these are most of them ridiculous . — would the magnanimous apostle ( think wee ) that had gone thorough so many difficulties and dangers , have begged so oft and earnestly to be delivered from a poor disease ? nor is it probable that so mortified , so laborious , so temperate a man , should be troubled with lust , or if it had been so , no doubt but he would have used that remedy , which he prescribed to others in that case , cor. . besides , the remedy being spirituall , v . it is not probable that the malady was corporall : others think this thorn to be some cruell persecutor , such as alexander the copper-smith , of whom he oft complaines , tim. . . he by his persecution and reproaches , seemed to be the devils agent to buffet him , but this sense is stil too narrow , for these were but externall thorns , of which the apostle used to glory , and not complain . . others more genuinely take it metaphorically , for internall temptations , which are fitly called * buffetings , because they come so thick upon a man , that he can hardly take breath ; the devil dogs good hearts with foulest lusts , sometimes with atheisme , idolatry , blasphemy , &c. in all or any of which , if the soul be meerly passive , ( as the word buffeting here implies ) they are satans sins , & our crosses onely ; and therefore the most pious and judicious , doe conceive this thorn in the flesh , & * messenger of satan , to be some inward corruption edg'd with a temptation , which satan stirred up in his heart to vex him ; or originall corruption set on by the devil ; others conceive it to be a wound in the spirit , the sting of conscience pressing him downe to the lowest hell , ( in his own sense ) who before was taken up to the highest heavens ; and this seems best to agree with the scope of the place , for ver . . he tels us , that he had abundance of revelations ias at his first conversion , acts . . . when hee was called to macedonia , acts . . . when he went to corinth , acts . . . when he was sent to the gentiles . acts . . . when he was in danger of shipwrack , acts . . and here when he was caught up into the third heaven , v. . ] now lest the apostle should be exalted above measure [ he doubles that saying ] god in his wisedome lets satan loose upon him , to humble him , to buffet and vex him , and keep him low : now because this somewhat hindered him for a while in the chearfull discharge of his calling ; it 's fitly compar'd to a thorne in the foot , with which a man cannot goe but lamely , and with very great paine , &c. briefly , the paraphrase may be this , q. d. god hath vouchsafed me many glorious revelations , with the number of which lest i should be exalted , and too much puffed up ( as our fraile nature is easily transported ) there was through the holy permission , and wise ordination of god , way given to some strong and violent corruption , edged with a temptation from satan , to humble and afflict me , lest i should be exalted above measure ; whereupon i oft and earnestly besought god , that he would be pleased to rebuke the ●empter , and to free me from those violent injections , which satan darted in upon me , and from those troublesome suggestions of the fiend : but he said unto me , content thy selfe to wrastle a while with this temptation , knowing that 't is sufficient that i doe by my power defend thee , and by my grace uphold thee from the prevailing power thereof ; besides , the glory of my power will be the more seen in thy weaknesse , &c. now when paul saw that god gained glory , and himselfe humility by it , he was contented to beare it , yea he resolves to glory in it , since he saw it was a medicine to cure him of pride , and not a poyson to destroy him : so that here as in a glass , we may see why the lord suffers his choisest servants to be vext by satan , and afflicted with variety of temptations . viz. to hide pride from their eyes , and to keep their graces in exercise ; i shall shut up all with that excellent counsell of musculus on the place . cogitandum est hîc prohomini , quàm proclive sit carni ut propter qualemcúnque praerogativam infletur ac superbiat : etenim si hoc erat apostolo tot laboribus ac periculis depresso úsque adeò timendum , ut singulari quadam antidoto opus haberet , per quod contra tentationem superbiae in humilitate ac modestia contineretur ; quid nobis non est multo timendum amplius qui et si parem revelationum excellentiam consequuti ron sumus ▪ multò tamen minus habenius roboris ad resistendum tentationibus superbiae , quantumcunque levibus ac minutis , quàm habuerit ille contra tam graves superbiendi occasiones . quare admo●um desipiunt qui studio dignitates ac honores in hoc saeculo ambiunt , non considerantes quantis seipsi periculis obnoxios reddant . now in this variety of opinions , i shall leave the judicious reader to his choice . ego enim facilè patior unumquemque abundare suo sensu . luther . . some numbers in scripture have a kind of eminency and excellency in them ; especially these three : three , six and seven . hence the scripture when they would inlarge or multiply the sense , they use one of these numbers . thus ier. . . they cry the temple of the lord , the temple , the temple ( i ) they did oft repeat that word . so ier. . . o earth , earth , earth , heare the word of the lord ; that threefold repetition makes the speech more emphaticall and vigorous . so ezek. . . i will overturne , overturne , overturne it , ( i ) i will mightily and surely overturn it . so when the angell would shew the greatnesse of gods plagues , he cries , wo , wo , wo , rev. . . thus eccl. . . a threefold cord ( i ) a cord of many folds . so the most holy god , is proclaimed the thrice holy god , isaiah . . thus even heathen authors have used the word , and when we would expresse the greatnesse of a mans happinesse or honour , wee stile him thrice happy , thrice honourable , &c. thus the number three implies compleatnesse and excellency , as exod. , . and . . and . . deut. . . and . , . . the number six , notes perfection , as may be seen in the worke of creation , the lord could as easily have made the world in a moment , as in six daies ; but the lord saw it good to take a compleat number of daies , for so compleat a work , gen. . u●t . thus when the lord would bring a full and compleat judgement on wicked gog , ezek. . . sextabo te . i will smite thee with six plagues ( as in the margin of our bibles ) ( i ) i will punish thee full sorely . . seven is a famous number , implying , . multitude . ▪ perfection , levit. . , , , . i will plague you yet seven times more ( i ) many times more , or more extrea●ely . deut. . . they shall flee before thee seven waies ( i ) many ways , a certain number for an uncertain gen. . . vengeance shall be taken on him seven-fold ( i ) he shall have manifold punishment . ruth . . better to thee then seven sons ( i ) then many sons . so psal. . . and . . pro. . . and . . falleth seven times ( i ) he falleth oft into trouble , yet riseth againe . sam. . the barren hath borne seven ▪ ( i ) many , shee is a compleat mother , and hath a flourishing family . so micah . . zech. . . mat. . . seven unclean spirits ( i ) a multitude of devils , &c. . ordinary examples of the saints approved in scripture , being against no generall precept , have the force of a generall rule , and are to be followed , yet in following examples we must observe . . how they did a thing . . when they did it . . where they did it . . why they did it , as the learned weemse hath well observed , to whom i shall refer you for full satisfaction in this point . see more , rule . . the order of time is not alwaies kept in scripture , but sometimes that is placed first which was done last ; the saints looked more at the s●●stance , then at small circumstances in their writings ; and therefore the placing of things must not be strictly urged in scripture ; for 't is usuall by a prolepsis or anticipation of time to relate that first which is last , as iohn . . 't is said mary anointed the lord , yet 't is mentioned in the next chapter per 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 , & est una de regulis ad intellig●ndam scripturam sanctam necessariis . luth. loci com . p . . arguments drawn from silent authority , in matters of fact , conclude nothing . e. g. there is no mention made of adams repentance of his sacrificing or performing any pious exercise whilst he lived on earth ▪ yet it doth not follow therefore , he did none of these things . we read of no parents melchisedech had , yet we cannot therefore conclude that he had none : if all should be written , the world it selfe could not containe the books , iohn . ult . and therefore it will not follow , because the scripture doth not mention such a thing , therefore it was not done . . hee that will understand the proverbs , must marke their opposition , if parables , their scope , if other places , their dependance . . interrogations ( oft times ) are emphaticall and strong affirmations or negations , as gen. . . if thou doe well , shalt thou not be accepted ? this interrogative is in sense a vehement assertive or affirmative . q. d. thou shalt surely be accepted both thou and thy sacrifice , if thou dost well . thus gen. . . and . . ioshua . , , . have not i commanded the ? ( i ) i have without all question assuredly commanded thee , for this interrogation with the hebrews , is a strong affirmation . so gen. . . sam. . . kings . . iohn . . marke . . and ier. . , . . sometimes they are strong denials , as gen. . . is any thing too hard for god ? mat. . . rom . . and . , . . sometimes questions doe diminish and abate the sense , zech. . . who art thou o great mountaine ? thou lookest very big and great , but who art thou ? i will tell thee o proud oppress●r , and opposer of my people , though in thy owne conceit thou art a mountaine invisible , unmoveable , yet in my peoples eyes thou art but a mole-hill , and shalt shortly be made a nothing , even as a plain before them . thus when david would abate himselfe , he cries , who am i ? what is my house ? sam. . . . sometimes they intend , raise , and heighten the sense , by way of admiration , ps. . . exod. . . who is a god like unto thee ? let all the world if they can , shew such a god as thou art . so m● . . . the question puts the brightest glory upon god , in pardoning sin ; there is no sin-pardoning god , but our god only . . sometimes they are expostulatory , & complain , ps. . . why hast thou forsaken me ? ier. . . wherefore doth the way of the wicked prosper ? is. . . . when the scripture would strongly affirme , it doth it oft times by denying the contrary . so isaiah . . thou shalt dye , and not live , ezek. . . ( i ) thou shalt certainly die . deut. . . he shall make thee the head , and not the taile . iohn . . he confessed and denyed not . isaiah . . ier. . . * iohn . . 't is very familiar with the hebrews , by affirming and denying to expresse the same thing for stronger confirmation of it . negatio contrarii auget vim affirma●ionis . deut. . . pro. . . sam. . . iohn . . . . the scripture speaks many things negatively , which are to be understood onely comparatively , as hos. . . mat. . . i will have mercy , and not sacrifice . ( i ) comparatively , i desire mercy [ rather ] than sacrifice . so * ier. . . they shall no more teach every man his neighbour . the words must not be taken simply , & negativè , for a pure negation ( as some libertines would construe them ) but comparatively , ( i ) there shall be farre greater knowledge and clearer light under the new testament , then was under the old , isa. . . not that there shall be no teaching at all , ( for christ hath given some to be pastors and teachers , ephes. . , . ) but in gospell times they shall not onely be taught by men , but they shall be taught inwardly and experimentally by god himselfe , isa. . . his spirit shall lead them not onely unto , but into truth , ioh. . . so cor. . . not to baptize . ( i ) comparatively , christ sent mee rather to preach then to baptize , iohn . . love not in word [ onely ] but [ rather ] indeed and in truth , mark . . he receives not me , but him that sent me ( i ) he [ rather ] receives the father sending , then me sent , because he receives me for his sake , col. . . doe it as to the lord , and not ●o men ( i ) rather to the lord then to men , because yee serve them for the lord christs sake . . when the hebrews would expresse any excellent , great , or glorious thing , they oft join the name of god with it , 't is a frequent hebraisme : thus abraham is called a prince of god , gen. . ( i ) a mighty prince , the mountaines of god ( i ) high and excellent mountaines , exod. . . and . . psal. . . the city of god ( i ) a glorious city . psal. . . so cedars of god ( i ) tall cedars , psal. . . a river of god , psal. . . wrastlings of god , gen. . . harps of god , rev. . . ( i ) excellent harps . res dei hebraeis dicuntur eximiae , deo opt. max. dignae . paraeus . thus great haile is called gods haile , el-gabbish . so a strong lion is called the lion of god , ariel . sam. . . moses is said to be faire to god ( i ) exceeding faire , acts . . so nineveh was great to god ( i ) very great , ionah . . . when the literall sense is against any commandement of the law , then the words must not be taken properly ; else the grammaticall and most immediate sense , is ever soundest , unlesse some apparent error in doctrine , or mischiefe in manners follow : for when a sense crosseth any truth taught in other texts of scripture , 't is alwaies a false sense ; but if it agree with the originall , the scope of the place , and the analogy of faith , 't is good . austins counsell is good , there are foure things ( saith he ) to be observed in ex●ounding scripture . . phrasis sc●ip●urae . . circumst●●●iae . . collat●●●●orum locorum . . analogia ●●dei . . words of fact , are oft put for words of speech , as exod. . . sanctify the first born ( i ) command them to be sanctified . ier. . . i have sent thee to destroy , &c. ( i ) to preach , and thereby to declare , that i the lord will doe it . iohn . . christ is said to baptize ( i ) he commanded his disciples to doe it . . 't is usuall in scripture , to put the abstract for the concret , to set forth the excellency of a thing . thus god tels abraham that he shall not only be blessed , sed erit ipsissima benedictio , gen. . . ( i ) affluens omni benedictione , & non tam benedictus , quàm ipsa benedictio dicitur . so the sanctum sanctorum , dicitur ab heb●aeis sanctitas sanctitaetum ( i ) eximiè sanctum . so christ is called , cor. . . not righteous , but righteousnesse , sanctification , &c. ( i ) summus & saptentissimus justificator & sanctificator noster . so cor. . . and circumcision for the persons circumcised . rom. . . phil. . . so abomination oft put for abominable , pro. . . and . . and . . the conjunctive particle [ and ] doth not alwaies di●tinguish ●ivers things , but is oft used by way of explanation , as mat. . . he shall baptise you with the holy ghost , and with fire ( i ) with the holy ghost , which shall be like fire to purge out your drosse . iohn . . except a man be born again of water and the spirit ( i ) with spirituall water , or the spirit which is like water to cleanse , cool , and refresh us . spiritum & aquam pro eodem posuit , frequens loquendi mos est in scriptura , cum de spiritu fit mentio , ad exprimendam ejus vim , aquae vel ignis nomen adjungi . calvin . . where one and the same word is used in divers senses , in divers places of scripture , the circumstances of the text , must judge and declare in what sense it is to be taken there . . whatsoever is truly and soundly collected from scripture ( by good consequence ) is scripture , as though it were expressely written . e. g. the word trinity , sacrament , thou shalt baptize infants , are not literally and syllabically in scripture , yet since by good consequence they may be gathered from thence , it is equivalent as if in so many letters they were written there , mat. . , . else disputations , sermons , and books consonant to scripture should not be credited . see this more fully cleared in my font-guarded . p , . and mr sidenham against anabapt . p. , , &c. . contemne not the judgement of those learned , godly , orthodox lights which god hath raised up in this latter age of the world , whose names are pretious in the church of god , for their piety and fidelity in his work ; as calvin , beza , bucer , bullinger , peter martyr , wolphius , marlorate , musculus , zanchy , perkins , paraeus , piscator , rivet , &c. many green heads ( out of pride and selfe-conceitednesse ) contemne these famous lights , and trust to their own wit , and so run themselves on many rocks : it 's good for young men , especially at their first setting forth , to make use of the labors of godly and orthodox divines ; not that i would have any to pin their faith on any mans sleeve , be he never so godly , or learned ; onely i would not have men rashly , without good ground and strong reason , to dissent from the common iudgement , and received opinion of those whom the church of god hath found faithfull in expounding scripture . . when the scripture affirms a thing earnestly , as being a matter of great concernment , it useth to double the asseveration , as iohn . . and . , &c. no evangelist but iohn , useth this double affirmation , and he useth it nineteen times in his gospell , this he did the rather to strengthen our beliefe , and to shew how sparing he was of an oath ; and for the greater certainety of the thing . as pharaoh's dream was doubled , to shew the certainty of it , gen . . in scripture there is a threefold amen . . assenting , deut. . . and cor. . . . assuring , mat. . . . assevering , so here , amen , when prefixed , is a certaine and earnest asseveration , when affixed at the end of our prayers , &c. it notes our assent and assurance . q. d. quae ego dic● sunt amen amen ( i ) vera vera , hoc est , verissima certissima , & omni alia veritate veriora , omni alia certitudine certiora . à lap. in iohn . . . suppositions in scripture , are no positions , when the speech is only hypotheticall , it concludes nothing ; for a conditionall proposition doth not simply affirme , and therefore conclusions gathered from it , as if it were affirmative , will not hold , e. g. ezek. . . if a righteous man turne from his righteousnesse . hence the arminians conclude , that a righteous man may fall from grace : but . this is but a supposition , and so concludes not . . the text doth not speak of evangelicall righteousnesse , but of a legall , civill , morall righteousnesse , which may bee lost . so ezek. . [ i● ] noah , iob and daniel should pray for them , &c. it doth not therefore follow , that the saints departed , doe pray for living saints . mat. . , . [ if ] ●he mighty works which were wrought in thee , had been done in tyre and sidon , they had repented , &c. it doth not therefore follow , that there was some inclination in tyre and sidon to repentance , as luke . . if these should hold their peace , the stones would speak ; it will not follow that therefore there was some inclination in the stones to speak . . when the scripture doubles any thing . . in denouncing judgements , it notes the certainty , celerity , and frequency of them , as gen. . . dying thou shalt dye ( i ) thou shalt surely dye . so * gen. . . . in promising mercies , it notes reality and earnestnesse . isaiah . . ezek. . , . isaiah . . come , come , come . hab. . . hos. . . thrice i will betroth thee : the iteration implies affection , intention , and reality . . in prophesies it notes the speedinesse and certainty of them , gen. . . exod. . . heb. . . . in prayer it notes the servency , and earnest desire of him that praies . * iames . . he prayed in prayer ( i ) he prayed earnestly : many pray , but they doe not pray in prayer , mat. . . . in narrations and repetitions , they serve either for confirmation to assure us that the matter is true , and worthy to be noted , or else for explication , the latter clause exegetically expounding the former , as deut. . . usually it is emphatically , as ier. . . come let us devise devises ( i ) let us be earnest and active to plot ieremie's ruine . so iohn . . i must work the works of him that sent me ; there is an emphasis in the expression , and it notes christs strong intention on the worke of god. ita conduplicat paulus quaedam ad majorem emphasin , maxime in gradibus comparationis , idque ut plurimum excessum significet , ut ad phil. . multò magis meliùs ( i ) longè meliùs ; à lap. so eccl. . . . sometimes it signifies distribution . chro. . a gate and a gate ( i ) every gate , and chro. . levit. . . a city and a city ( i ) every city . ezek. . . man , man ( i ) every man. levit. . . psal. . . . it notes variety or diversity , as pro. . . a waight and a waight ( i ) divers waights , an heart and an heart ( i ) a diverse and a double heart . . it notes excellency , as cant. . . song of songs , god of gods. psal. . . king of kings ( i ) most high and excellent . . an adverbe double , doth increase the deniall , as mat. . ▪ 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 , yee shall not , not ( i ) in no wise enter . so rev. . . and heb. . . there are five negatives , i will not , no i will not , i will not leave thee nor forsake thee . . of scripture weights and measures . first , there was the common cubit , from the point of the elbow to the top of the middle finger . . there was the cubit of the sanctuary , which was more then the common cubit . deut . . the cubit of a man was ordinarily a foot and a halfe , or halfe a yard ; this was the common cubit ; but the holy cubit , or the cubit of the sanctuary was a full yard containing two of the common cubits : by this moses measured the tabernacle , and solomon the temple . . there was a geometricall cubit , which contained six common cubits , and according to these ( its thought ) that noahs arke was built , gen. . , . . the hebrews had measures of capacity , and those were of two sorts . . some were for dry things , as corne , seed &c. . some for liquid things , as wine , oyle , &c. . the measures of dry things , were especially . . a kab . . an omer . . modius , a measure . . the ephah . . the homer . . the measures of liquid or moist things , were three especially . . the log. . the hin . . the bath . . the kab was the first and the least measure , which the hebrews had , they used it in the measuring of dry things ; 't was the eighteenth part of an ephah ( say some ) the sixth part of a satum , it conteined the quantity of egge shels ; t was equall to our quart. the famine in samaria was so great , that a fourth part of a kab of doves dung , was sold for five pieces of silver , kings . . an asses head ( though it could have but little meat on it , yet in that extremity ) was sold for ten pounds , ( say some ) and the fourth part of a kab of doves dung , which is conceived to be about a pound and one ounce ( i ) * ounces , was sold at . s. . d. this was gods just judgement on them for their idolatry and sin , that they who set at naught the word of god , that heavenly manna , and most pretious food of the soule , should now be enforced thorough necessity to pay most dea●e for base things , and at other times contemptible , and all to satisfie their hunger . . an omer was the tenth part of an ephah , exo. . . some call it gomer , because y is pronounced by h or g. it contained about three pints and an halfe . . modius a measure , or satum was a gallon and halfe , we translate the word in generall , a measure , ki●g● . . to morrow a measure ( i ) a satum of fine flower shall be sold for a shekell . . the ephah was the tenth part of an homer , equall with the [ bath ] in liquid things : about an english bushell , it contained three pecks and ten gomers , levit. . . sam. . . and . . isaiah . . amos . . . the homer as the talent , was the greatest weight ; so the homer was the greatest measure , it contained ( say some ) as much as a camell could well beare at once : about ten bushels ( say others ) about five bushels others say . ezek. . . it contained ten ephahs ( i ) gallons , or bushels and gallons . . the measures of liquid things were , . the log , it was the least measure of liquids , 't was the twelfth part of an hin , containing in quantity six egge shels , about halfe a pinte , levit. . , , , , . . the hin contained about three quarts , exo. . . and . . numb . . , . ezek. . . . the bath , the tenth part of an homer , equall with the ephah , the same which in greek is called hydria , in latine cadus ; it contained four gallons and an halfe , ezek. . , , . isaiah . . . concerning the coynes that were among the hebrews , as the mite , the quadrans , the gerah , didrachmum , stater , denarius , a shekell , a talent , &c. interpreters vary much about them : those that have done best both on weights and coines , are à lapide in the end of the pentateuch . weemse , vol. in the end p. , &c. godwin iewish antiq l. . c. . breerwoods little tract , de ponder . & pretiis vet . nummorum cum rec●ntioribus collatione ; and above all , our last large and learned annotations on the whole bible , are so . . the imperative mood commanding , is oft put for the optative , wishing , as cant. . . let him kisse me , for , oh that he would kisse me . so mat. . , . let thy name be hallowed , let thy kingdome come . q. d. oh that thy name might be hallowed , and thy kingdome come . . many imprecations are not so much prayers , as prophesies ; foretelling what shall be , rather then desiring they should be . . there is a singular variety , but no contrariety in the scriptures ; there is a sweet harmony and consent in them , the old testament agreeing with the new , moses with the prophets , and the apostles with them both , if any place seem to contradict another , the fault lies in our own blindnesse , and not in the scripture , which is alwaies at peace with it selfe . e. g. christ is called davids lord , psa. . . and elsewhere he is called davids sonne , mat. . , , , . the answer is easy , christ was davids lord in respect of his divinity , and davids sonne , in respect of his humanity . so , as he was god , the father and he were one ; but as he was man , so the father was greater then he . thus christ and the gospell simply considered in themselves , bring inward peace . iohn . . . my peace i give you ; but accidentally meeting with the corruptions of men and the malice of satan . so mat. . . i came not to send [ outward , worldly ] peace , but a sword . satan and his agents being inraged at the publication of the gospell , will raise up stirres and oppositions against it . thus mat. . a staffe is forbidden the apostles , yet marke . , . a staffe is allowed them . ans. we must distinguish of staves . there are striking defensive staves , which cumber those that carry them , and are a burthen to them , these are forbidden . . there are itinerary staves , whereon . travellers doe ease themselves , gen. . . these walking staves mark means . duplex tum fuit in usu baculus . s●●l . defensiorius & portatorius , itinerarius seu sustentatorius : loquun●ur evangelistae de defensorio & portatorio qui oneri fuit portantibus : christus verò apud marcum , itinerarium & sustentatorium baculum adjumenti loco permittit . sharpius . . whatsoever is said in scripture , for the comfort of one , must be applyed by al in the like case and condition . that promise which god ●ade to ioshua [ ioshua . ] is by the apostle applyed to all the fai●●full , heb. . . that promise which belongs to one beleever , as a beleever , belongs to every beleever ; what he promiseth to one he promiseth to all that a●e in that state : for though some may have mo●e grace , yet none have more 〈◊〉 . look what promise god made to abraham , david , paul , &c. as believers ▪ we 〈◊〉 and must apply them as ours ▪ for all the promises are our heritage ▪ and belong to us , as well as our fore-fathers ; to us gentiles , as well as to the jewes . acts . . the promise is to you and to your children , and to such as are afarre off . rom. . . ephes. . . . examples may bee followed where there are the like causes . circumstances and conditions ; when the equity of the thing is universall and the cause common ; else extraordinary cases will not make an ordinary rule . e. g. ehud killed eglon [ iudg. . , . ] therefore a fryar may kill a king. ans. non sequitur , for ehud had a speciall commission from god , to doe what he did , he raised him up to be a deliverer of his people , ver . . and therefore this can be no president to any , to murther princes , though they be hereticks and tyrants . so samsons killing himselfe , is no ground for selfe-murther [ iudg. . . ] for what he did , was done by an extraordinary motion , and instinct of gods spirit , nor did he directly and primarily intend his owne destruction , but the ruine of gods enemies . elijah by extraordinary calling , called for fire from heaven , and burnt the captaines , therefore the disciples may call for fire from heaven to burne the samaritans [ luke . . ] this will not follow , because they acted not by the same spirit ; elijah was led by a spirit of zeale , but these by a fiery , furious , rash spirit . thus the act of phinehas was extraordinary , numb . . , . nor will it follow , because the apostles anointed the sick with oyle , and cured them [ iam. . ] therefore we may doe so to ; for that gift was miraculous and peculiar to those apostolicall times , and is now ceased ; besides , that oyle was ad sanationem , for health and recovery ; but the papists is ad viaticum , for a journey , when men are dying and past recovery . thus because in the apostolicall times , there was an extraordinary gift of prophesying and interpreting scripture by revelation without any study , it doth not follow that therefore the same gift abides still , and all may prophesie . . the word [ untill ] in scripture , is oft taken for never ; it importeth not alwaies , any definite space of time , but signifieth an infinite time , or to eternity . thus mat. . . untill shee had brought forth , &c. ( i ) never . so mat. . . until thou hast paid the utmost ●arthing ( i ) never . so gen. . . and . . sam. . . and sam. . . psal. . . mat. . . cor. . . . the word [ none ] is oft put for few , as ier. . . no man repented ( i ) none comparatively , they were very few . so cor. . . none of the princes of this world ( i ) few , isaiah . . . the present tense being put for the future tense , doth signifie the certainty of a thing , as isaiah . . rev. . . babylon the great fallen , is falled ( i ) it shall as certainly fall , as if it were already done , the doubling of it also implies the greatnesse , neetnesse , and certainty of it● downfall . cecidit significat actum instantem & quasi inch●antem . . cecidit ( i ) j●m cadere incipit , ac brevi prono casu c●det babylon . à lapids . . the word [ rather ] is not alwaies put comparatively , when two persons or things are compared , as like and unlike : but sometimes negatively , as a denying particle , instead of [ not ] as luke . . this man went away , [ rather ] justified then the other . q.d. not the other , but he went away justified ; for the pharisee was not at all justified , mat. . ● . neither is there more or lesse in justification ; but our saviour here useth a popular kind of expression . so iohn . . men loved darknesse [ rather ] then light . q.d. they loved not light , but darknesse . . an indefinite speech in scripture , is equivalent to an universall , as iob . . man that is born of a woman ( i ) every man. so pro. . . blessed is [ the man ] that fears alwaies ( i ) blessed is [ every man ] that truely fears god. so he that beleeves shall be saved ( i ) whosoever he be . so , blessed are they that mourn , &c. ( i ) all they inclusively , and onely they exclusively , &c. the scripture abounds in such kind of speeches . . the scripture oft puts a thing in the participle of the present tense , to note a continued act . thus cain is said to be building [ gen. . . ] to denote his earthly affection , and that he made it , as 't were , his onely work to build cities ; he did not onely build , but hee was [ building ] as if hee meant to live here for ever . thus to encourage us to pray , 't is gods prerogative royall to be a god [ hearing ] prayer , psal. . . he not once or twice heareth , but is continually [ hearing ] he makes it ( as i may say ) his great work to be still hearing , observing , and answering the prayers of his people . so pro. . . he that walketh [ ambulans heb. ] with wise men shall be wiser ( i ) he who is continually amongst them , and trades ( as 't were ) with them , shall in time learn wisdome from them . so mat. . . the sin of the old word is thus described , they were eating , drinking , marrying ; not that 't is a sinne in it self , to eat , drink , marry ; but when men eat and drink excessively , so much the participles imply * 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 ( i ) edentes , like brute beasts , they did not onely eat , but they were alwaies eating , it was their trade and work ; they passed without intermission from eating to drinking , from drinking to marrying , &c. they followed it close , as if it had been their onely work , and they born for no other end . so tim. . . ministers must be 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 , laborantes ; still labouring for god , and spending themselves in his service . so ephes. . . 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 , gratias agentes , we must not give thanks for a day or two but alwaies , on all occasions we must be giving thanks . . the scripture sometimes denounceth judgements , and promiseth blessings to the parents , which yet were fulfilled to their children onely . thus noah cursing ha●s . gen. . , . a servant of servants shall he bee to his brethren , &c. this was fulfilled in his posterity , the canaanites , who served the israelites under the conduct of ioshua . god promised the land of canaan to abraham , gen . . yet not hee , but his posterity enjoyed it foure hundred years after , in ioshua's time . thus isaack said to iacob , gen. . . be lord over thy brethren , and let thy mothers sonnes bow downe to thee . this was not fulfilled in esau , who instead of serving , did rather lord it over iacob , but this prophesie was fulfilled in esau's posterity , when the idumaeans and moabites were brought under the subjection of david . so gen. . i wil divide them in iacob , &c. where by iacob and israel , is not meant the person , but the posterity of iacob or israel . exact , clear , and satisfactory in this kind , that i shall onely refer the reader to them , for full satisfaction in his doubts . if any desire yet fuller satisfaction , and more rules , let him peruse atte●soll on numbers . p. . and p. . and p. . b. andrews large catechism . p. , , , &c. i can give you no more but the bare quotations of these two , being plundered of them in the troubles . see weemse jewish synag . c. . p. , &c. perkins art of prophesying , c. . and . stoughton , davids love to the word . c. . p. , &c. bernards faithfull shepheard . l. . c. . p. . mr white of dorchester's rules for reading scripture . c. . p. . hyperius de ratione studii theol. l. . c. , , , , &c. a little book , but of great worth ▪ its full of excellent directions for young men in their studying of the scriptures , &c. . rules to direct us in the right expounding of the law. the knowledge of the law in its utmost extent and spirituality , is very necessary for every christian. wee are all by nature , pharisees , and have high conceits of our selves ; and though many will confesse themselves to be sinne●s in grosse , yet descend to particulars , and then i have had many that could keep all the commandements : now when such shall be made to see the spirituall nature of the law , and how it condemnes , not onely the gross act , but also the secret corruption of our hearts ; heart-murther , heart-pride , heart-theft , heart-adultery , &c. they wil us , humble make us poor in spirit , sensible of our own impotency , and inability to any goodnesse ; when in this glass we shall see the numberlesse number of our sins , and those seas of wrath due unto us for them ; this wil make us fly to christ , as to our city of refuge , and prize a saviour above all the kingdomes of the world , &c. . as the law is a glasse for detection , so 't is a rule for direction , by which all beleevers must frame their lives , serving him who hath redeemed them , in righteousnesse and holinesse all their dayes : and therefore it 's very necessary for all gods people , to know what vices are forbidden , that they may shun them ; and what duties he enjoines us , that we may practise them . to this end i have taken some paines to collect all the rules ( which in my little reading i have met with ) that give any light into the commandements , that having a compendium of them at hand ▪ we might have recourse to them on all occasions : as for the particular opening of every commandement , i shall refer the reader to mr brinslyes watch , mr whately , and dr downhams expositions of the commandements . rule . every precept of the morall law , is both affirmative and negative , 't is not sufficient that we fly evill , but we must doe good , psal. . . mat. . . and ▪ . isaiah . , . for every commandement hath two parts , the first , affirmative , commanding a duty , the neglect whereof is called a sin of omission . . the negative , forbidding vice , the doing whereof , is called a sin of commission . . under the negative , the affirmative is alwaies comprehended : when a sinne is forbidden , the contrary grace is commanded ; he that saies we shall not kill , commands us also to preserve the life of our neighbour . occidisti si non fovisti . aug. qui prohibet impedimentum praecipit adjumentum . . when a sinne is forbidden in any commandement under it , ( by a synecdoche ) all the sins of the same kind , are forbidden also . e. g. under adultery is condemned fornication , incest , ●apes , sodomy , &c. under murder , is forbidden malice , ra●h anger , ●ighting , &c. with all kind of murther , mentall , verball , reall , iohn . . . and thus christ himselfe expounds the law , mat. . , . and the reason why god puts the name of the great sinne upon the lesser , is to make us see the hainous nature of it to hate a man , or give way to rash anger , ●any think it a small matter ; but when the lord tels us it is murther , then wee see the greatnesse of it : thus rebellion is called witchcraft , sam. . . . every precept is spirituall , rom. . . the law is spirituall . mans law binds the hands and tongue ; but gods law binds the heart and soule , iohn . it requires not onely outward obedience in words and works , but also inward in the heart and mind ; god sees , and punisheth as well for inward sins , as for outward , mat. , . it takes notice of heart-adultery ; and herein this royall , excellent law of god [ iam. . . ] excels all humane lawes . . mens ●awes take no notice of every small offence , but gods law observeth and condemneth even the least sins , even gnats as well as camels ; the nazarite must not only forbeare the wine , but he must not so much as eate the kernell of the raisin [ numb . . ] nor the huske . . mens lawes take no notice of thoughts , they cannot punish for them ; but gods law reacheth the heart , and binds the most secret cogitations . gen. . . god takes notice of the evill of the imaginations and thoughts of our heart , he sees our wrath , and observes our very countenance . gen. . why art thou wroth ? and why is thy countenance falle● ? and the g●ashing of the teeth . acts . making mouths , isaiah . . pointing with the finger , isaiah . . those small things which men think nothing , yet gods law condemnes . . the law is perfect , requiring perfect obedience , both inward and outward , both of parts and degrees : therefore when any duty is commanded , there the highest degree of it is commanded , mat. . , . and where a vice is forbidden , there the least degree of it is forbidden , and beares the name of a grosse sin , that we might esteem no sin small . . when a duty is commanded , the meanes to attain it are commanded also , and when a vice is forbidden , the allurements thereto are forbidden ▪ e. g. when the lord commands us to worship him alone , this includes praying , reading , hearing the word , watching over our hearts and wayes , and frequenting good company ; hence david bids the wicked depart , that so he might keep the commandements of the lord , psal. . . . where any virtue is commanded , a vice forbidden , there also the signes are commanded and forbidden , as well as the things themselves . e. g. hee that commands us to be gracious , commands us also to shew forth the fruits of him that hath called us , and that our light should shine before men , and our moderation be known to all , &c. . for vices , we must not only shun the sinne , but the shews also and appearances of sinne ▪ thes. . . iude . lofty looks and strange apparell , &c. which are signes of pride , must be avoided . isaiah . . zeph. . . tim. . . wee must shun lewd company , suspected places , lewd speeches , and all the signes of incontinency : wee must not onely abhor the devils beefe , but his broth too . isaiah . . iacob must bury the ear-rings , lest they make an idol . gen. . . the men of ephesus repenting , burne their books of sorcery : the lord condemnes the dregs of sinne , as well as the sinne it selfe ▪ he that saies we shall not kill , saies also we shall not revenge , no nor once remember the wrong . le. . . . all men are bound to a religious observation of gods commandements , none are exempted , god hath not made one commandement for the rich , and another for the poor ; but high and low , rich and poor , jew and gentile , bond and free , of what nation sex or condition soever they be , they must observe gods righteous commands ; as god is lord of all the world , so he expects obedience to his commands , from all . hence the commandements are published in the second person singular [ thou ] speaking particularly to all , &c. thou lord , thou beggar , &c. . the law must not onely be observed , but also preserved by us . e. g. 't is not sufficient that the master keep the sabbath himselfe , but he is bound to see that all his family observe it also ; & so in every other commandement ; 't is not , sufficient that i doe not kill , but i must doe what in me lies , to preserve others from killing . we must therefore in our places and callings , by instruction , direction , correction , &c. labour to prevent sin , in all about us , else we may become accessaries to other mens sins , and that seven waies . . mandando . . comm●nda●do . . permi●tendo . . provoca●do . . consentiendo . . difendendo . . consociando . . mandando , by commanding and giving direction . david did not kill uriah with his own hands , but giving directions to ioab , and writing to him how it should be done , 't was his murther . sam. . . saul killed the priest , in commanding doeg to doe it , kings . . . laudando , by commending men for their pride , drunkennesse and profanenesse ; 't is in a manner all one , to commit a sin , and to commend it . ro. . . nihil interest faveásne sceleri an illud facias . seneca . . permittendo , by conniving at the sins of others , and not restraining them when it is in their power . thus eli became accessary to the sinne of his sons , sam. . . and pilate to christs death , iohn . . and ahab is said to kill , when he suffered letters to be written in his name , to have naboth killed . king. . . . provocando , by incitation , stirring men up , and provoking them to doe wickedly . thus did iobs wife , iob. . . and iesabel , king. . . a sinne forbidden , gal. . . . consentiendo , by consenting . thus saul was accessary to stevens death , acts . . and . . the hypocrite consents with theeves , and partakes with adulterers , psal. . . . defendendo , by justifying the wicked , and condemning the just , pro. . . calling evill good , isaiah . . . . consociando , by being familiar with men in their sin . god hath ordeined our non-communion and withdrawing of our selves from them to be a meanes of their reclaiming . thes. . . have no company with such , rom. . . iohn . cor. . . . the negative commandements bind most strongly , they bind us alwaies , and to all times , 't is unlawfull at any time to sin , i may never blaspheme , curse , lye , &c. in the negative , the acts of vice are alwaies forbidden , but in the affirmative , the acts of virtue are commanded , with due consideration of circumstances ; for although they bind us alwaies , yet they bind us not to all times ; we must admonish our brother , read , pray , hear , give almes , &c. yet are we not bound to these at all times : hence all the commandements almost , are negative . . because negative commandements bind more strongly . . they worke on our minds , and more then affirmative ones , . because our nature is exceeding prone to evi●l . . this is the true order of repentance , first to cease from evill , and then to doe good . . we must apply the curse particularly , to the breach of every commandement ; if wee have profaned the sabbath , taken gods name in vain , &c. the curse is due to every one of these sins , deu. . ul . gal. . . & so the blessings , though they be not particularly expressed , yet must be applyed by every one that yields sincer● obedience to the law. . remember , that the first and last condemne the very motions of the heart , against god , or our neighbour , though wee never yield consent unto them : this humbled paul so exceedingly , rom. . . sins against the first table , are greater then sins against the second ( caeteris paribus ) comparing thoughts with thoughts , words with words , & works , the comparison must be equall , as blasphemy , and the highest degree of sinne against god , is greater then theft , or murther : but if the comparison be not equall , it will not hold , for adultery is a greater sin , then the least breach of the sabbath ; and murther is a greater sinne then the least abuse of gods name . . the second table must give place to the first ; hence mat. . . christ cals it the first in order and nature , because the love of our neighbour flowes from the love of god. . the great commandement in excellency and dignity , because it more immediately commands things concerning god. our neighbour must be loved but onely in and for the lord , so far as may stand with his glory : 't is no dishonour to our fathers on earth , to see their heavenly father served before them , ephes. . . acts . . and . . this rule holds in morals , but not in ceremonials , for god would rather have a ceremony omitted , then our neighbours safety endangered , hos. . . mat. . , , to chap. . , . . we must obey gods commands , purely for the commands sake , many will seem to observe them for self-ends , to merit , get praise , &c. but we must have respect to them all , simply , because our god commands them . . precepts presuppose faith ▪ e.g. doe this , and thou shalt live ( i ) doe it in christ. so eccl. . . keep the commandements ( i ) in christ or by faith in him . so , thou shalt love the lord , with all thy heart ( i ) evangelically . . god who made the law , can dispense with his owne law in things that touch not upon his nature , justice , purity , &c. god cannot sinne , because purity is naturall to him , he cannot lye , because truth is essentially and intrinsically in him ; but for things which are out of him , and belong to his soveraignty , he is an absolute lord , he is lord of dayes , and lord of goods and life ; here he may dispense , and command abraham to sacrifice isaack , and the israelites to spoyle the egyptians , exod. . . and solomon to make pictures and cherubins ( which wee may not ) for , . he had gods expresse command to make them . . they were types of christ , they foreshewed his glory , whom the angels worship . . they were placed in the holy of holies , where the people could not see them , much lesse worship them . see rules more by mr white of dorchester , in his directions for reading the scripture , p. , &c. sit vice coronidis illud tileni , syntag. c. p. . praecipua ad script●r is rectè interpretandas media sunt haec : frequens oratio , linguarum cognitio , fontium inspectio , verborum propriorum & figuratorum distinctio , argumenti & scopi consideratio : causarum circumstantiarum , antecedentium & consequentium notatio : logica analysis : locorum obscuriorum cum illustrioribus , similium cum similibus , atque etiam dessimilium cum dissimilibus comparatio , historiae naturalis & humanae peritia , ac postremò fidei analogia , ad quam tanquam ad amussim & norman certissimam , exigenda est cujuslibet loci interpretatio . finis . rhetorica sacra : or , a synopsis of the most materiall tropes and figures contained in the sacred scriptures ; by the knowing of which , we may of our selves observe many more like unto them . many texts of scripture are here expounded , many errors confuted , and the marrow of most rhetoricians ( in reference to divinity ) collected . all the tropes and figures are set in an alphabeticall order , for the more easie finding of them , and illustrated with variety of instances for the better understanding of them . christus iudaeos ad scripturarum non simplicem & nudam lectionem , sed ad investigationem perquam diligentem relegavit : non enim dixit , legite scripturas , sed scrutamini ( i ) diligenter quaerite & quasi essodite latentes in câ thesauros .. à lapide è chrysostomo sacrarum literarum haud postrema intelligentiae pars posita est i● tropis & formulis loquendi cuique linguae familiaribus . westhimer . habent hebraei linguam ut vocabulis augustam , ita densitate troporum cum primis augustam . idem . london , printed in the year , . to the christian reader . since the sacred scripture abounds with tropes and figures of all sorts , and is like a pleasant garden bedeckt with flowers , or a rich garment beset with pearles , or a fruitfull field , full of precious treasures ; i conceived it might bee time well spent , to dig into those sacred minerals , for the better finding out of those metaphors , metonymies , synecdoches , &c. which lye hid there : for the bare reading of the scriptures , without searching into its heavenly mysteries and meaning , is like the comming into a treasury , wherein wee see many costly things folded up , and some ends appearing out , but when they bee all uncovered , then doth their glory more affect us for the present , and leave in us a deep impression of their excellency . besides , the ignorance of rhetorick is one ground of many errours amongst us , as will appear in the opening of the tropes , where you have not onely bare instances , but many texts cleared and expounded , &c. if it may any way bee serviceable to thee , give god the glory , and let the weak instrument have thy prayers . anadiplôsis , when a word that is used in the end of one sentence , is repeated in the beginning of the next , as psal. . , . our feet shall stand in thy gates o ierusalem , ierusalem is builded , &c. so v. . there are the thrones of judgement , the thrones of , &c. psa. . . the lord is nigh to al that cal upon him , to al that call upon him in truth . so deut. . . the lord bringeth thee into a good land , a land of brooks . so isaiah . . ieremy . . and . . luke . , . anaphora , when the same word is repeated in the beginning of sentences , as psal. . . to . the voice of the lord is upon the waters , the voice of the lord , &c. so psal. . . and . , , . and . , . and . , , , , and ● , , , ▪ . so ier. . , , . a sword is upon the caldeans , a sword is upon the lyars . ier. . , , . ezek. . , , , , . rom. . , , . thou , thou , thou , cor. . and cor. . . phil . . amos . ▪ , . antimetabole , is an inversion or change of words , as cor. . . man is not of the woman , but the woman of the man. so cor. . . children ought not to lay up for their parents , but parents for their children . antitheton , is the illustration of a thing by its opposite , as isaiah . . i looked for grapes , and behold wild grapes , for judgement , and behold oppression ; we looked for light , but behold obscurity ; for brightnesse , but wee walke in darknesse . anthropopathia , is a figure very frequent in scripture , as when it speaks of god after the manner of men , and by bodily things sets forth his divine excellencies . thus passions , as joy , anger , griefe , &c. are attributed to god. thus he is said to have eyes , signifying his omniscience , a hand , signifying his power , wings , to shew his care and protection of his people , nostrils , noting his indignation ▪ &c. ar●siópesis , when out of an holy anger or vehemency , wee cut off some word or part of a sentence , which yet is understood , as psal. . but thou o lord , how long ? q. d. how long wil● thou delay to send me help and soccour . so luke . o if thou hadst known ! q d. how happy had it been for thee , if thou hadst known . so k●n . . dost thou now governe the kingdome of israel — arise . q.d. art not thou a king ? then mayest thou doe what plea●eth thy selfe , therefore arise speedily and bee doing . remember this was the counsell of a iesabel . so psal ▪ . . and heb. ▪ . to whom i sware in my wrath * if they enter into my rest ▪ q.d. they shall never enter into my rest , if they come there , let me not be god , or let me not be true . so psal. . so cor. . i will say the truth — ●ut now i forbeare . so * hosea . trumpet to mouth . heb q.d. ●et the trumpet to thy mouth , as an eagle . heb q.d. the enemy shall fly swif●ly , as an eagle , isaiah . . i cannot bear your sinne . vehemen issimam indignationem repraesentat . apostrop●e , is the turning of a speech from one person to another , many times abruptly . thus psal. . . the prophet sets forth gods judgements against the enemies of christ : then ver . . he presently turnes his speech to the great ones : bee wise now therefore , o yee kings . so isaiah . . the prophet finding the people to be rebellious , turns his speech to the inanimate creatures , heare o yee heavens , and harken o earth . so gen. . . iudg. . , psal. . . asyndeton , or dialyton , hath no copulative , as cor. . , , . charity suffereth long , charity envyeth not , &c. so thes. . . to . rom. . . to . psal . , rom. . . tim. . . catachrésis , an improper kind of speech , as exod. . . yee have seen that i have talked with you ( i ) ye have heard the lord speak . so exod. . . thou shalt not seeth a kid in her mothers milk , mother is not so proper a terme with us , for a dumbe creature . so isaiah . . o that thou wouldest ●end the heavens and come downe ! hee speaks of god after the manner of men : if a man were in heaven , and should descend , he having a body , which is a grosse substance , must needs divide and rend the heavens , but god being a most pure spirit , passeth through all things , with out any dviding or rending ; yet is there in these divine condescentions of speech , a singular excellency ; the lord in his goodnesse , considering our weaknesse , doth even stammer with us , the better to instruct us . thus teachers are said to have a voice , psal . . and . . the lord hath heard the voice of my weeping . climax , or gradation is frequent in scripture , when the succeeding clauses transcend each other , as mat. . , . aske , seek , knock ; t is not a simple repetition , but a gradation . so rom. . , , . tribulation worketh patience , patitience , experience ; and experience hope . so rom. . . whom he did predestinate , them he also called ; whom he called , them he justified , and whom he justified , them he glorified . so hos. . , . i will heare the heavens , and they shall heare the earth , &c. so rom. . , . how shall they call on him , on whom they have not beleeved ? and how shall they beleeve in him of whom they have not heard ? and how shal they heare without a preacher , &c. so iam. . , , . temptations prove us , probation brings forth patience , and patience help● on towards perfection . so pet. . , , . add to your faith , vertue ▪ and to virtue , knowledge ; and to knowledge , temperance ; and to temperance , patience , &c. so iudges . . a work of divers colours is excellent . . a work of divers colours of the needle , is more . . wrought on both sides , that 's most of all . so cor. . . the head of every man is christ , and the head of the woman is the man , and the head of christ is god. so iohn . , , , . ellipsis , the defect or wanting of a word , as exod . . z●pporah took a sharpe [ stone or knife ] is understood . so isaiah . . i cannot iniquity ( i ) i cannot beare iniquity . so hos. . . [ see before , aposio●ésis . ] enallage or heteresis is , . of the gender , so●etime the feminine gender is put for the masculine , thus effeminate men are called women , isaiah . . . of the person , thus one person is oft put for another , as the second for the third , and the third for the first . . of the number , thus the singular number is oft put for the plurall , and so on the contrary . epanalepsis , when the same word is put in the beginning , and the ending of a sentence , as phil. . . rejoice in the lord alwaies , and againe i say , rejoice . so psal. . , . and . . ult . the same sentence is put in the beginning and ending of the psalme . so cor. . , . all things are yours , whether things present , or things to come , all is yours . so rom. . . whatsoever things were written aforetime , were written for our learning . so cor. . . i will pray with the spirit , and with the understanding also . i will sing with the spirit , and with the understanding also . cor. . . if our gospell be hid , to them that perish it is hid . so it runs in the originall . epanodos , when the same word is repeated in the beginning and middle ; or in the middle & end , as psal. . , , , . ezek. . . this is the lamentation , where with they shall lament her , the daughters of the nations shall lament her , they shall lament for her , &c. iohn . . he that is of god , heareth gods word , yee therefore heare them not , because yee are not of god , rom. . . the good that i would , i doe not ; but the evill that i would not , that i do , gal. . . i live , yet not i , but christ liveth in me , and the life which i now live , i live by faith . so cor. . , , . epanorikósis , or correction , is the reinforcement of the clause last uttered , by the subsequent . so gal. . . and . , have ye suffered so many things in vain ? if it be yet in vaine . so luke . . when the woman cryed , blessed is the wombe that bare thee , christ converts he . verse . yea rather blessed are they that heare the word of god , and do it . so kings . . the lord shall raise up a king , who shall cut off the house of ieroboam that day ; but what , even now ? so rom. . . and cor. . . i have laboured more abundantly then they all , yet not i , but the grace of god which was in me . epistrophe , when there is the like ending in sentences , as psa. . per totum . for his mercie endures for ever . ezek. . , . and shall yee possesse the land ? yee stand upon your sword , &c. and shall yee possesse the land ? so ioel . , . and my people shall never be ashamed , and yee shall eat in plenty , &c. and my people shall never be ashamed . so amos . , , , , . yet have yee not returned to me saith the lord , &c. so haggai . , . and cor. . . when i was a child , i spake as a child , i understood as a child , i thought as a child . so a cor. . . are they hebrews ? so am i. are they israelites ? so am i. epizeuxis , when the same word is doubled by way of emphasis , as isaiah . . comfort yee , comfort yee my people . isaiah . . i , even i am he that comforts you . isaiah . . the living the living , he shall praise thee . mat. . . o ierusalem , ierusalem , which killest the prophets . the name is doubled , to expresse the great affection of the speaker so sa. . . o my son absalom , my son , my son , &c. thus deborah quickens her selfe . iudg. . . awake , awake , deborah , &c. so isaiah . . and ezek. . . . i will overturne , overturne , overturn it ( i ) i will certainly overturn it . and this is done sometimes by way of amplification , as psal. . . the lord is nigh to all that call upon him , even to all that call upon him in truth . so psal. . . the kings of armies do fly , do fly [ fugiunt , fugiū● ] q.d. they fled amain . ●o ioel . . multitudes , multitudes ( i ) great multitudes . . by way of transition , as hosea . . i will heare the heavens , and the heavens shall heare the earth , and the earth shall heare the corn , &c. e●phenismus , is a fair kind of speech , as gen. . . adam knew eve. see the like mo●est expression , numb . . . mat. . . luke . . thus incest and adu●●ery is sometimes exprest by a modest terme of uncovering the nakednesse . levit. . . and . , . ezek. . . t●us to sanctify , is put for to defile . d●ut . . . so an harlot is called kedesuh , a holy woman . gen. . . by a contrary meaning , as being most unholy and uncleane . thus words sometimes have contrary significations , as barac signifies to blesse or curse . chesed signifies piety or impiety , levit. . . but psal. . . it signifies goodnesse . exclamatio is that whereby we expresse our affection . it is sometimes used per modum optationis , when wee earnestly desire a thing , as chro. . . oh that one would give me of the water of the well of bethleem ! isaiah . . o that thou would●t rend the heavens , and come down ! psal. . . . per modum admirationis , by way of admiration , as rom. . . o the depth of the riches , both of the wisedome and knowledge of god! . per modum objurgationis , by way of reproof , as gal. . . o foolish galathians , who hath bewitched you ? so acts , . . per modum dolentis , by way of lamentation , rom. . . oh wretched man that i am , &c. exegesis , it is usuall with the scripture , having said a thing in one member of a sentence , to repeat the same againe , by way of explication or confirmation in the later part as psal . . and . . kings . . remember o lord , how i have walked before thee , in truth ; what 's that ? an● with a perfect heart , and have done that which is right in thy sight . so isaiah . , . and . , . iohn . . rom. . . god hath given them the spirit of slumber , what 's that ? eyes that they should not see , and eares that they should not hear . so tim. . . he tels us in generall , that the last dayes shall be perillous , then verse , , , . he tels what particular vices should raign , and make the times so perillous . yea , such is the goodnesse of god to his people , that when the scripture hath spoken any thing darkly , it useth oft times to join some plain thing to give light to it , as isaiah . . what is somewhat dark in that verse , is presently explained in the second . so deut. . . they must not match with idolaters , why so ? v● . . first , because by this meanes , they will draw you to worship their gods . . this will provoke god to anger . . you are an holy people , sequestred for gods speciall service , &c. thus oft , not alwaies , we have the sense at hand : yet sometimes wee must search and goe farther off to finde out the sense of some places , which wee read . hendyadys , when one thing is divided into two , as mat. . . in the region and shadow of death , for , the shady region of death . so mat. . . worshipping and desiring ( i ) desiring by worshipping . hypallage , when the order of the words is changed , as iob . . thou hast hid their heart from understanding ( i ) thou hast hid understanding from their heart . so isaiah . . the asse knowes his masters crib , or , he knowes the master who feeds him in his crib . so heb. . . through the deceitfulnesse of sin ( i ) by deceitfull sin . hysterologia , or hysteron-proteron , is a placing of that before , which should be after , and somethings after , which should bee before . the pen men of scripture , doe not alwaies observe the just order of things , but the truth of the history ; they set them down , in that order , in which they came to their minds , and not in that order , which they fell out in . psal . . he travelleth with iniquity , and hath conceived mischiefe . here the birth is set before the conception . [ see more in rule ] hyperbole , is two-fold . * auxésis , when we increase the signification of a speech . so gen. . . iacob is said to hate leah , when he only neglected her , and loved her lesse . so mat. . . compared with luke . . and iohn . . we must not simply hate father , mother , life , &c. but comparatively , when they come in competition with christ. so pro. . . he that spares the rod , hates his son ( i ) he doth not truly love him , that lets him goe astray to his own destruction , and so acts the part of one that hates him . thus gen. . . abrahams seed shall be as the dust of the earth , and starres of heaven ( i ) his posterity shall be very many . so psal. . . whiter then snow . lam. . . whiter then milke , more ruddy then rubies . so sam. . . swifter then eagles , stronger then lyons . sam. . . swift as a roe . isaiah . . i have laboured in vaine yet not altogether in vain , though for little good . so gen. . . and . . isaiah . , . ioel. . . the hils shall flow with milk , and the mountaines with wine . so canaan was stiled a land flowing with milk and honey , numb . . , , . cities fenced up to heaven , deut. . . so psal. . . they mount up to heaven , and goe downe to the depths ( i ) they are sorely tossed up and downe . gal. . ye would have plucked out your own eyes , and have given them me ; 't is a proverbial speech , q.d. you would have parted with your dearest things , to have done me good . iohn . . the whole world would not containe the books ( i ) they would be very many . iohn . . the whole world goeth after him ( i ) many follow him . luke . . pray * alwaies ( i ) bee constant and persevere in the duty . mat. . . acts . . mat. . . it 's easier for a camell to go through the eye of a needle . [ see more , rule . ] . me●ósis , litote , tapinósis ; when lesse is spoken , and more is meant . pro. . . despise not the lords correction ( i ) highly esteem it . rom . . despise not the riches of his goodnesse ( i ) prize it highly . mal. . . shee is thy companion ( i ) thy chiefest and choicest companion . heb. . . whoremongers and adulterers god will judge , ( i ) he will plague them here , and condemne them hereafter . heb. . . my soul shall take no pleasure in him ( i ) i greatly abhorre him . psal. . . touch not mine anointed ( i ) hurt them not . sam. . . whom dost thou pursue , a dead dog , a ●●ea ? ( i ) a poor , weak , contemptible person . mat. . . depart from me , i know you not ( i ) i detest you , and will for ever punish you . marke . . shall never be forgiven ( i ) shall be eternally punished . mat. . . a bruised reed he will not break ( i ) he will cherish and preserve it . psal. . , . thou art a god that takest no pleasure in wickednesse ( i ) thou greatly hatest it . iohn . . lazarus sleeps ( i ) is dead . levit. . . thou shalt fly at the shaking of a leaf . rom. . . not weak in faith ( i ) very strong in faith . revel . . . they loved not their lives unto the death ( i ) they exposed their lives to all danger , for the cause of christ. cor. . . with many of them , god was not well pleased ( i ) he was highly displeased . [ see more , rule . ] insinuation , is a holy rheroricall winding our selves into mens affections ; sometimes by loving and sweet compellations , as rom. . . i beseech you brethren . sometimes by appeal , as cor. . . iudge in your selves is it comely . sometimes by anticipation , as acts . . beleevest thou the prophets ? * i know thou beleevest : he would even perswade him , that he beleeved , and verse . i would to god that not onely thou , but that al that hear me this day , were both almost , and altogether such as i am , except these bonds ; they yet knew not that bonds and suffering for christ , was a great honour , and therefore hee puts in this exception . ironia , ironicall , taunting speeches may lawfully bee used , as occasion serves . . god himself used them . gen. . . the man is become as one of us ( i ) as one of the trinity , wherby god declares his great disdaine of their affectation of an impossible preheminence in being like to god. q. d. by his sin he is become most unlike to us . see how well satan hath performed his promise to man , is not he become like one of us ? and hath not hee gained a goodly measure of knowledge , both of good and evill ? so iudg. . . go , cry to the gods which yee have chosen . 't is an ironicall upbraiding them for their idolatry , which they found so comfortlesse , in their greatest need , their idols being no way able to deliver them . so isaiah . , . god himselfe teacheth his people to de●ide the proud king of babylon . . christ used it , mat. . . sleep on . q.d. goe to now , sleep on , take your rest if yee can , behold a perillous time is at hand , wherein yee shall have little list or leisure to sleep . . elijah used it to the worshippers of baal . kings . . he mocks them , and bids them cry aloud to their drowsy or busie god , peradventure their baal was asleep , or in a journy , &c. so mica ah bids ahab goe up and prosper ( i ) go up and perish , kings . . so io● [ . . ] taunts at his fal●e friends , in an ironicall expression : no doubt but yee are the people , and wisedome shall dye with you . q. d. in your owne conce●t , there are no men in the world but you . no doubt but reason hath left us , and is given wholly unto you ; yea wisedome is so tyed to your persons , that her conservation and mine depends on yours . so amos . , . come to bethel , and transgresse at gilgal , multiply transgressions , &c. q. d. since by no meanes yee will bee reclaimed , but are desperately set on sin ; goe on , and fill up the measure of your sin . thus solomon , without any breach of charity , or staine of holinesse , checks the young mans ●olly , with an nony , eccl. . . rejoyce o young man , &c. but know , &c. by an ironicall concession , he bids him 〈◊〉 joyce and take his pleasure , &c. and then maries all wi●h a s●inging but , in the end . so paul with an holy scoffe , derides the corinthians , cor. . , yee are full , ye are rich , you reign as kings , &c. we are fooles , ye are wise , &c. wee are nothing , you are all . &c. [ ironica est concessio , exprimens corinthiorum de seipsis corruptam opinionem . aretius . ] a sarcasme , which is a biting taunt , is neer to an irony , but that it 's somewhat more bitter , as gen. . . behold the dreamer comes ! thus michal spits out bitter reproaches against david , sam. . . how glorious was the king to day ? ( i ) how contemptible and inglorious ? thus shimet reviled him , sam. . . thus the people taunt at moses , exod. . . because there were no graves in egypt , hast thou brought us to dye in the wildernesse ? thus the jewes reviled christ , mat. . , . luk. . . they mocked him , saying , haile king of the jewes . nah. . . mycterismus , is a kinde of scoffe , neere to the former . thus the pharisees derided christ , luke . . they did not simply contemne him , but they shewed their contempt of him by their gestures ; they blow their noses at him , as the originall imports , [ 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 , deridebant eum , vel sannis eum excipiebant . beza . metalepsis , when there are many tropes in one word , as mat. . . all the city was moved ; the city put for ierusalem , by a synecdoche generis , and ierusalem put for its inhabitants , by a meton . subj . so mal. . wings put for beames , by a catachresticall metaphor , and beams for comfort and refreshing , by a metaphor . mimesis , is an imitation of the words of others . thus david useth the words of rebellious rulers , psal. . . let us break their bonds asunder , &c. so paul useth the words of the epicures . cor. . ● . and the prophet speaks in the language of the prophane jewes , who made a mocke at gods word and threatnings . isaiah . . manda , remanda , expecta , reexpecta , tsulazu , kaw , lakau , kau lakau , micah . ● . metaphors are frequent in scripture , for our apprehension sake . thus christ is called a rock , a vine , a lamb , a lyon , a shepheard , a door , a wav , an husbandman . so man is called a shadow , a flower , grasse , a woolfe , beare , dog , isaiah . . thus we read of metaphors from leaven , salt , trees , seed , bread , &c. besides many hyperbolicall metaphors , as psal. . . the fields sing . hab. . . the stone out of the wals shall cry . lam. . . the waies mourne . gen. . . thy brothers blood cryes . [ hee that would see more scripture metaphors , from seeing , hearing , smelling , touching , tasting , &c. let him peruse peachams rhetorick . metonymia , . of the efficient cause , thus moses is oft put for the writings of moses . luke . , , and . . iohn . , . thus sinne is put for the punishment of sin , gen. . . sin lyeth at the door ( i ) the punishment of sinne . so numb . . . your sinne will finde you out ( i ) the punishment of your sinne . thus iohn . . the holy ghost was not yet given ( i ) the miraculous and sanctifying gifts of the holy ghost , were not to fully given , as they were after christs ascension . so gal. . . ye have put on christ ( i ) ye are made partakers of his benefits . psa. . . lab●ur , put for the food gained by the labour of the hands . . a metonymy of the subject . thus by a sacramental metonymy the scripture oft gives to the sacraments , the names of the things signified by them . thus circumcision is called the covenant , gen. . . when 't was onely a seale of the covenant , and the paschall lambe is called the * passeover , exod. . . and baptisme is called the new-birth , titus . . and the bread christs body , of which it is a signe , mat. . . so the cup is put for the wine in the cup , luke . . ( i ) vinum poculo contentum , continens pro re contentâ ] thus the earth is put for the men in the earth , gen. . . the earth was corrupt . so ierusalem , iudaea , samaria , are put for their inhabitants . so the house for the people in the house . luke . . salvation is come to thy house , act. . . pr. . . thus hel is put for the devils in hell & heaven , for god who dwels in heaven . luke . . i have sinned against heaven ( i ) against god who dwels in heaven . so mat. . . thus the dayes are put for the men that live in those daies . ephes. . . and the nest , for the young ones in the nest . deut. . . as an eagle stirreth up her nest ( i ) provokes her young ones to fly . so the heart is put for all in the heart , the will , affections , and the whole soule , because the soul keeps its chief residence there , though it be in the whole body , and every part of it . ier. . . the heart is deceitfull ( i ) the soule with all its faculties and affections . so deut. . . psal. . . commune with your heart ( i ) with your soule . ier. . . wash thy heart ( i ) thy whole soule . thus the gate is oft put for the judges , who ( among the jews ) sate in the gate , mat. . . sam. . . and . . psal. . . so the tongue is put for the speech . pro. . . the tongue of the just , is as choise silver . so pro. . . the city rejoyceth ( i ) the men in the city . so cor. . . the end of this world ( i ) of the wicked who live in the world . so cor. . . the woman hath power on her head ( i ) shee hath a vaile or cover , which is a signe of her husbands power & superiority over her . . a metonymy of the adjunct , thus the governour is oft put for his army . saul hath slaine his thousand . so christ is put for his members . mat. . . i was hungry , and ye gave me meat ( i ) my faithfull members . so acts . , . i am jesus whom thou persecutest ( i ) whose disciples thou persecutest . psal. . . the lines are fallen ( i ) the portion divided to me , by cords o● lines . isaiah . . psal. . . thus the abstract , is oft put for the concrete . psal. . . the righteous lord loveth righteousnesse ( i ) righteous men . iacob sware by the feare of his father isaack , gen. . . ( i ) by the lord , whom isaack feared . so ephes. . . col. . . cor. . . helps , governments , for helpers , governours . so circumcision , for the persons circumcised . gal. . . so paul is called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 , acts . . not onely a pestilent fellow , but the very pestilence and plague it selfe . pro. . . false weights are an abomination ( i ) men that use false weights are abominable . so the belly is put for a belly-god . tit. . . and wickednesse for wicked men , gen. . . [ see more , rule . ] thus the signe is oft put for the thing signified , as , the scepter for the kingdome , gen. . . the sword for authority , it being a signe of it . rom. . . the keyes , for ecclesiasticall ▪ power . mat. . . thus the name is oft put for the thing it selfe , rev. . . thou hast a few names ( i ) men professing the truth . pro. . . the name of the lord ( i ) the lord himselfe . phil. . . ephe. . . acts. . . thus the time it selfe is put for the thing done in time . cor. . . * mans day ( i ) ●ans judgement ; save me from this houre ( i ) from this danger . iohn . . so iob . . dayes should speak ( i ) the aged who have seen many daies . . a metonymy of the effect . kin. . . death is in the pot ( i ) poyson or some deadly thing , which causeth death . so mar. , . a dumb spirit ( i ) making men dumb . rom. . . to be carnally minded is death , ( i ) tendeth to death , or bringeth death . so rom. . ult . and . . is the law sin ? ( i ) is it the cause of sin ? heb. . . they received not the promises ( i ) the fruit of the promises , for they had the promises , but the accomplishment was in the time of the gospell . iohn . . this is the condemnation ( i ) a speciall cause of condemnation . iohn . . this is life eternall ( i ) 't is the way to life eternall . gen. . . two nations ( i ) the fathers of two nations . thus the law is said to be pure , righteous , &c. psal. . , . because it makes men so . . a metonymy of the matter . gen. . . dust thou art ( i ) thou art formed out of the dust . psal. . . he was laid in iron ( i ) in setters . psal. . . their idols are silver and gold ( i ) made of such metall . paranomasia , is a pleasant sound of words , as psal. . . in te confisi , nunquā confusi . so isa. . . in the original , is an excellent paranomasia . mispal mispach , zadaca zeaca . so rom. . . in quae al●um damnas , teipsum condemnas ▪ 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 . so in the greek there is an exc●llent paranomasy . cor. . , . 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 , &c. haesitamus , at non prorsus haeremus . so mat. . . let the dead bury the dead . tim. . . 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 . so tim. . . rom. . . mat. . and . . phil. . . . . [ see the originall ] cor. . . as poor , yet making many rich , as having nothing , and yet possessing all things . so bethel shall be beth-aven ▪ amos . . psal. . . gna● ani , af●flictus ego &c. hosea . . a●abu hebu am●nt ●ona . periphrasis , is the using many words for one thing . thus iohn . the disciple whom jesus loved ( i ) iohn . the fruit of the vine ( i ) wine . to lay down this tabernacle ( i ) to dye . the doctor of the gentiles ( i ) paul. the father of lying and murther ( i ) the devill . so death is called the going the way of all the earth ▪ because none can escape it : and solomon cals it our long home , &c. pleonasmus , the most wise god condescending to our rude and weak capacity , oft useth sacred p●eonasmes , ●or the better clearing of things to our understanding , and beating them into our dul apprehensions . so deut. . . those inculcations are not vaine , but serve to worke things the better upon our hard hearts . so deut. . . o foolish people and unwise . iohn . . wee have seen with our eyes , &c. iohn . . and . , , . mat. . , &c. christ cals himself seven times there the bread of life . the psalmes are full of such pleonasticall inculcations . the scripture is o●t exegetical , what it speaks darkly in one place , it explains in another . polyptoton , is a variation of cases , as rom. . . of him , from him , to him , &c. iohn . . cor. . luke . . polysyndeton , when words and sentences are knit together , with many copulatives , as cor. . , , . and though i have the gift of prophesie , and understand all mysteries , and all knowledge , &c. so gal. . . ro. . , . prolepsis , or hypophora , is the prevention of an objection , as pro. . . honour the lord with thy riches . ob. so i may beggar my selfe : he prevents this objection , so shall thy barnes be filled . so mat. . . first seek spirituals , above and before temporals . ob. so i may impaire my wealth , health , &c. he prevents this , all these things shall be cast as an over-plus into the bargaine . so iohn . . [ see more , rule . ] prosopopaeia , the faining of a person , as when wee bring in the inanimate creatures , speaking or hearing , &c. so kings . . o altar , altar , thus saith the lord : he speaks to the altar , as if it were a person that heard him . psal. . . . let the sea roare , and the floods clap their hands , and the hils rejoice . rom. . , , . the apostle brings in the creature waiting , groaning , travelling . so isaiah . , . he attributes joy and singing to the wildernesse . see a most lively , rhetorical , prosopopeical description of the terrible army of the babylonians , ioel . . . so ioshua . . this stone shall be a witnesse , for it hath heard all the words of the lord. isaiah . . heare o heavens &c. iudges . . iotham brings in the trees , speaking like men . the olive will not leave his fatnesse , nor the figtree his sweetnesse , nor the vine his wine , to reigne over others ; but t is the bramble , that affects soveraignty and dominion , a base , scratching , worthlesse , fruitlesse shrub , good for nothing but to stop gaps , and keep out beasts , from spoyling the pleasant fields , and afterward to bee burnt . [ rhamnus exilis est , unde vix umbram jacit quae protegar , ac sub se delitescentes pungit & stimulat . à lap. synecdoche generis , when a generall word comprehends the particular . mar. . . goe preach the gospell to every creature ( i ) to every rationall creature . psal. . . the lord knowes the way of the righteous . viz. with a knowledge of favour and approbation . so amos . . they sweare by the sin of samaria ( i ) by the idol that is placed there ( i ) the golden calves . thus wickednesse is put for idolatry , zach. . . and for incest , levit. . . thus the philistine is put for goliath , the apostle for paul , our saviour for christ. mat. . . iohn came neither eating nor drinking . viz. after the common manner . gen . . iacob fled over the river ( i ) euphrates . psal. . . the law of the lord ( i ) the whole word of god. cor. . . all things are lawfull ( i ) all adiaphorous things . ier. . . no man ( i ) very few . thus the whole is oft put for a part , as mat. . . all iudaea went forth ( i ) a great part . so kings . . all the earth went to heare the wisedome of solomon . mat. . . he healed all diseases ( i ) all sorts of diseases presented to his cure . luke . . all the world was taxed ( i ) all the provinces belonging to augustus . tim. . . who will have all men to be saved , &c. ( i ) all the elect , of what nation or degree soever . rom. . god is rich to all ( i ) to all that truly call upon him . heb. . . he tasted death for every man ( i ) for every sanctified man. ver . . all in scripture , is oft taken distributively , for some of all sorts , not collectively for the whole masse of mankind . the ignorance of this distinction is the ground of many errors amongst us . thus the plurall number is put for the singular , as mat. . . the thieves ( i ) one of the thieves upbraided him . . synecdoche speciei , when a particular implies the generall , mat. . . and * . . bread ( i ) all kind of food . so gen. . . thus peace is oft put for all temporall blessings . so a brother is put for a kinsman , mat. . . thy brethren are without ( i ) thy kinsmen caesar for the chiefe magistrate . mat. . . thus a part is put for the whole , rom. . . let every soule ( i ) let every man be subject . so the roof is put for the house , mat. . so gen. . . all the soules that came out of egypt . eze. . the soule that sinnes . so the body is put for the whole man. rom. . . thus prayer is oft put synecdochically for the whole worship of god. luke . . two men went up to the temple to pray ( i ) to worship god. so rom . , . ioel . . acts . . gen. . . and . . first , because it is a speciall part of gods worship , very pleasing to him . . because prayer must accompany every ordinance , luke . . i fast twice in the sabbath ( i ) in the week . thus oft the denomination is given from the better part ; as sion for all ierusalem , and ierusalem for all iudah . thus the feare of the lord is oft put for the worship of god. pro. . . psal. . . deut. . . acts . . psal. . and . . thus the hand is put for the whole man , pro. . . and the head for the whole man , pro. . . blessing shall be upon the head of , &c. pro. . . grace to thy neck ( i ) to thy whole man. thus the singular number is put for the plurall . ier. . . the stroke knows her time ( i ) the strokes . numb . . ▪ . the kenite ( i ) the kenites shall be wasted . iob . . man ( i ) all men have but a short time . thus a certaine number is put for an uncertaine . zach. . . christ is said to have seven eyes ( i ) many , to signifie his singular care over his church . so rev. . . and . . deut. . . . ●●y seven wayes ( i ) many wayes . psal. . . iob . . psal. . . seven times a day . pro. . . the righteous falleth seven times a day ( i ) oft . eccl. , , . mat. . . seven other spirits , &c. if any desire to see these tropes and figures more fully explained , let him peruse the learned , glassius his philologia , the second part. finis . an index of all the figures contained in this tract . anadiplósis . anaphora . antimetabole . antitheton . anthropopathia . aposispésis . apostrophe . asynde●on . catachrésis . climax . ellipsis . enallago . epanalepsis . epanados . epa●orrhósis . epistrophe . epizenxis . euphemismus . irsi●natio ironia . metalepsis . mimesis . metaphora . metonymia . mycterismus . paranomasia . periphrasis . pleonasmus . polyptoton . polysyndeton . prolepsis . prosopopeia . synecdoche . ieroboamus ille impius rex apostatarum ab ecclesia & à regno iuda ▪ sicut corruperat religionem , sic everterat sebulas ; quoniam seiebat ibi per fidos prophetas conservari puritoatem doctrinae & religionis . sed elias & elisaeus cum scirent , non posse religionem puram servari sine scholis , illas instanrârunt cumque impii reges vectigalia quae de bebantur sustentandis scholis transtulissent partim ad suos privatos usus & partim in adulatores & ventres : mul●i boni viri conserebant è suis facultatibus ad sustentationem studiosorum , qui modico contenti , fortiter veram doctrinam defenderunt adversus sacerdotes baal . zarich . in . praecept l. . c. . an alphabeticall index , for the speedier finding out of the most materiall points in this treatise . a. abstract oft put for the concrete . rule amen , doubled , what it signifies . rule analogy of faith , what it is . rule and , how used in scripture . rule anticipation , what it is . rule . anthropopathia , what it is . see in the figures . arguments drawn from silent authority , conclude not . rule . aposiopests , apostrophe , asyndeton . see in the figures . b. when a thing begins to be done , it s said to be done . rule . c. catechresis . see the figure . circumstances in a text to be marked . rule coales of fire what . rule comforts spoken to one , must be applyed to all in the like case . rule commandements , rules to expound them , at the end of the rule . comparing of scripture , usefull rule scripture consequences , are scripture . rule coynes in scripture , what . rule d. darke places are opened by plain ones . rule doubling a word in scripture , what it signifieth . rule e. for ever , what it signifieth in scripture . rule euphemismus , what . rule examples when they bind . rule exegesis , what it is , and when used . see in the figures . expound one place by another . epanelepsis , epanados , epanorth●sis , epistrophe , epizeuxis , &c. see in the figures . f. figures in scripture , expounded . see the appendix in the end . wee must not take figurative for proper speeches . rule . future tense put in the imperative mood . rule g. genitive case put for adjectives , rule god , added to a thing , notes its excellency . rule h. th●re is an harmony in the scripture . rule heart , what it implies . see metonymia subjecti . read with humble hearts . rule humane learning , its excellency , with many arguments in defence of it , &c. see the preface . hyperbole , rule . see the figure . hypotheticall speeches conclude not . rule hypallage , and hysterologia . see in the figures i. imperative mood , oft put for the optative . rule . interrogations , their manifold use in scripture . rule irony , see that figure . k. words of knowledge , imply the affection . rule l. languages needfull . rule law , seventeen rules to expound it , at the en● of rule the judgement of the godly learned to be prized . rule . m. measures and weights in scripture , what . rule m●i●sis , what . rule . see the figure . modest termes in scripture . rule moses put for his writings . see metonymia efficientis . mimesis , metalepsis , metaphora , metonymia , mycterismus . see in the figures . n. naaman , whether he sinned . rule no more , how used . rule none , put for few . rule not ▪ put comparatively . rule numbers how used . rule p. parable how used . rule paranomasia , periphrasis , prolepsis , prosopopaeia , polysyndeton , &c. see in the figures . things put in the present tense , signifying certainty . rule men partake of other mens sins , seven wa●es . rule in expo●●ding the law. practise , the best way to understand scripture . rule prayer , needfull to understand scripture . rule one proper name is given to severall persons . rule q. questions in scripture , what they signifie . rule r. rather , not alwaies comparative . rule . and who are righteous overmuch , where that much controverted text , eccl. . , is explained . rule s. sacraments have the names of the things signified . see metonymia subject● . expound scripture in the largest sense . rule the sense kept , not alwaies the words . rule scripture oft affirmes , by denying the contrary . rule the scope of a text must be observed . rule . bring a spirituall mind to the reading of scripture . rule synecdoche , generis , speciei , &c. see the appendix . t. thorn in the flesh , what it is , where that perplexed text , cor. . . is fully explained . rule vntill , oft signifies in scripture eternity . rule uselesse things are oft accounted as no things . rule . w. words of fact oft put for words of speech . rule histrio-mastix . a whip for webster ( as 't is conceived ) the quondam player : or , an examination of one iohn websters delusive examen of academies ; where the sophistry , vanity , and insufficiency of his new-found-light ( tending to the subversion of universities , philosophers , physitians , magistrates , ministers ) is briefly discovered , & the contrary truth asserted . in the end there is annexed an elaborate defence of logick , by a very learned pen. phil. . . beware of dogs , beware of evill workers : who hatch the cockatrice eggs , and weave the spiders web ; hee that eateth of their eggs dyeth , and that which is crusht , breaketh out into a viper , isaiah . . 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 mortalibus omnibus doctrina est honori . qui veritati contradicunt , & in sua vanitate decepti decipiunt , ranae sunt , taedium quixem afferentes auribus , nullos autem praebentes cibos mentibus . august . de convenient decalogi . london , printed in the year , . the preface to the reader . courteous reader , after i had finisht my vindiciae literarū , or schools guarded , my stationer sent me downe one webster , an enemy to arts and artists , desiring me to send some briefe answer to it ; upon this i fell to examine websters examen and found him so soul false & bitter against humane learning , and vniversities ( both which i defended in my vindiciae ) that i thought it convenient to vindicate what i had asserted , and to leave the logicall and philosophicall part to be examined by those whom it more especially concerned : which since i penned my discourse , i find to be done so elaborately and accuratly , by two very learned pens ( in their vindiciae academiarum ) that i was resolved to lay my own answer by , and had done so , but that i received a very learned defence , of aristotelian logick , which i judged worthy of the publick view . if thou reap any benefit by this tract , let god have the praise , and the reverend ●cute logician thy thanks , whose elaborate animadversions , have drawn this , from thy friend and servant in the lord , thomas hall . kingsnorton s●p●e●b . . . examen examinis : or , a word to mr webster , concerning his examination of academies . sir hercules , ( for in that title i perceiue you glory ) in your epistle to the universities , you tell us that you never feared any adversary , for his supposed strength and if any one inquire who , or what you are , you tell him , that you are neither prelaticall , presbyterian , nor independent . but what shall we then call you ? if any one aske , tell him ( say you ) that hercules is easily known by his foot , and the lyon by his paw , &c. we see then who you are , viz. an herculean-leveller , a famalisticall lion , a dissembling fryar , a profane stage-player , and professed friend to judicial astrology and a●●rologers , such as lying ly-ly , booker , culpepper , &c. a great stickler for the fire and furnace of chymestry , for magick and physiognomy , &c. i must confesse i never ●et saw your person ; but let me tell you , i have seen your lions paw , and levelling club , wherewith you think to beat down universities , humane learning , &c. and in their stead , to set up your owne idle and addle conceits . what spirit leads you , appeares [ page of your book ] where you tell us , arrius is called a heretick , but you question how justly [ a tender conscienced n●an indeed ] but as for the orthodox , wo to ●hem ! for you tell us they all wrest the scriptures to make good their tenents [ a heavy charge , could you make it good ] the proverb saies , ne hercules contra duos sed t●● contra ducentos , imo 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 . if hercules may not ●ight against two , what an hercules are you , that dare oppose more then two thousand , and goliath-like , bid defiance to all the academies and armies of the living god : you tel us plainly , that in your ●igh flowne conceit , homo is a common name to all men . all those viri dei , those holy-learned men of god , which are in the land , if they be not of your familisticall-levelling-magicall temper ; they are all in your eye , but h●mines , plebeian , low and common men , &c. how much better had it become you , like hercules , to have endeavoured the cleansing of that augaean stable of errours , heresies and blasphemies , which like a morphew , have over-spread the face of the church ; to have cut off those hydra's heads , and helpt our atlasses to hold up the heaven of the church . it had been more for your credit and comfort to have imployed your time and talent in defence of languages , arts and sciences , ( especially in such a season as this , when so many decry them ) then thus to weave the spiders web , which may peradventure catch some feeble flies , when stronger ones break thorough . 't is true , sometimes you gild over your errors with golden words , and set a glosse upon your false wares : but poyson is never the better for being drunke out of a golden cup , the whore of babylon deales so with her guests , rev. . . and the apostle tels us , that false teachers , with faire words and fine speeches , do deceive the simple , with plaistred words , they parget over the matter . rom. . . pet. . . * 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 , fictitiis verbis quia more plastis ac figuli multa confingunt , ut haeresis suae idolum velent , vestiant & ornent . but that you may see your folly the better . . i shall begin with your contradictions . sometimes you plead for academicall learning , and anon you cry it downe ; like a thiefe , we sometimes find you in the way , and presently you are crossing it againe . thus [ page . ] you cry up humane learning as good , excellent , and of manifold transcendent use ; whilest moving in its owne orbe , it enables men for all kind of undertakings , military and civill , without which , men doe not differ much from beasts , &c. [ so page , . ] yet as if you had forgot what you had said , in the same page you tell us ( how truly let the world judge ) that this humane learning , disables men for the ministry , is a vaine tradition , and makes men uncapable of gospell mysteries , &c. quo teneam vultus mutantem protea nodo ? so , one while you plead for teaching children without the grammar rules [ page ] yet page . you cry up mr brinslyes way of teaching , which every one knowes ( who knowes the method of that godly man ) hath reference to rules . . your sophistry , and fallacious arguing is very frequent , to give you a taste onely , ( for as you desire to stirre up some to plead your cause , so i doubt not but some of the lords worthies , who have more time and talents for such worke , will arise and plead his cause more fully . ) . you tell us , that humane learning puffs men up , makes men selfe-confident and proud ; that it is but a carnall thing , a fleshly power , ( just so say your brethren , the familists , and anabaptists ) that the * apostles never taught or practised any such matter , but bad us beware of philosophy , col. . . for it is a fleshly weapon , earthly , sensuall , divelish , an idoll of mans inventing , spirituall sorcery or inchantment , yea reason is a monster , and the very root and ground of all infidelity , &c. answ. behold here that damask-web , ( as his verifying friend cals it ) which mr webster weaves . . he argues from the abuse of a thing , to the taking away its use ; because some men abuse humane learning to pride , and selfe-conceitednesse , therefore away with humane learning , non sequitur ; for then , because some men abuse , meat , drinke , cloaths and riches ; wee must throw away meat , drinke , cloaths and riches . . it is not philosophy simply , that the apostle condemnes , col. . . but vaine , spoyling , abusive philosophy ; as you may see more fully in my vindication of that place . . neither is humane learning a carnall , fleshly , sensuall idoll of mans inventing ; but the good gift of god , comming from the father of lights , who is purity it selfe : as i have proved at large , in my vindiciae literarum . . neither is reason a monster ▪ ( as you monster-like affirme ) but being rightly improved , is a great helpe in religion ; as is excellently proved , by the learned culverwell in his profound discourse , of the light of nature : fit it is fit we should give unto reason , the things which are reasons , and to faith , the things which are faiths . ob. but 't is the spirit ( saies master webster ) that must teach us , and the spirit that must unlock the scriptures , and the spirit that must inlighten us , &c. answ. true , but yet the spirit of god works by meanes ( as i have proved before in my vindiciae . ) who ever expects helpe from god , must not sit still and dreame the spirit will help him ; but he must arise , and serve providence in the use of meanes ; for the spirits teaching doth not exclude , but include the use of all good meanes , &c. yet that you see mr webster's herculean strength , he comes now to grapple even with aristotle himselfe [ c. . ] this chapter he spends wholly , in combating with him ; no lesse adversary then the prince of philosophers can try his strength . . he tels us , that aristotle was but a man , and so might erre ; and is not mr webster a ma● ? and doth he not erre with a witnesse ? he tels us , that what aristotle hath written , was rather by a diabolicall , then a divine instinct [ i rather suspect that he is led by a diabolicall instinct , that speaks it . ] his principles are false , his manners corrupt , many of his books spurious ; besides , hee is ambiguous , briefe , ●ame intricate , erroneous &c. in a word , a blind pagan , the proud stag●rite . i wish he were not more blind , corrupt and proud that speaks it ] qu. but since aristotelicall philosophy wil not downe with mr webster , what new-light shorter cut , and easier way hath this hercules found out : for like another caesar , viam aut invenie● ▪ aut faciet . he 'll ●ither find a way , or fra●●e you one out of his empty sconce ? ans. why , 't is magick [ page , &c. ] that noble , and almost divine science ( as he cals it ) of naturall magick . this key ( if you will believe him ) will better unlock natures cabinet , then syllogismes ; yet he co●plaines , that this is neglected by the schools , yea hated and abhorred , and the very name seems nauseous and execrable to them . [ and that very justly considering whether your magick leads men ] but o magick , magick , where hast thou ●ame hid so long , that mr webster is faine to conjure thee up againe , and none but he and his associates , could find out this short cut before ? 't is true , there is astronomy , which is an art that considers the divers aspects , and naturall properties of the starres , and this is lawfull . but then there is * magia diabolica , a divelish magick , when men take upon them , to foretell things contingent , by the stars , those are called judicial astrologers , and in scripture they are oft joyned with witches , wizards , and sorcerers , deu. , . dan. . , &c. yet this devilish art , doth mr webster plead for [ page ] and spends welnigh a page , in the commendation of astrology and astrologers , such as &c. . he cals it a science or art. the learned * weemse hath proved the contrary ; yea , the lord verulam ( whom he cites so oft ) is here against him . astrology ( saith he ) is corrupted with so much superstition , that there is hardly to bee found , any sound part in it . s. austin that had studied this way , yet concludes , astrologia est magnus error , & magna dementia , &c. 't is a great errour , a great madnesse , and superstition easily refelled . . yet he cals this a high , a noble , an excellent * science , and usefull to all mankinde ; a study , not unbeseeming the best wits , and greatest schollars , no way offensive to god or true religion , &c. a dangerous and false assertion , the contrary whereof , is most true in the judgement and experience , of all godly learned men such as calvin beza , perkins , weemes , gataker , geree vicars &c. they all condemne it , as a most ignoble , dangerous study , unbesee●ing choice wits , offensive both to god , and all good men . hence these judiciall astrologers were formerly excommunicated , and cast out of the church ; and by the decrees of emperours , banisht out of the common-wealth . never more need of punishing such offenders , when they are grown so bold , and brazen-faced , as to publish their lies and abominations in print to the world , and so provoke god to forsake us , isaiah . . therefore thou hast forsaken thy people , because they be replenished from the east , and are southsayers , like the philistines . 't is an art that leads men to the devil , i have conferred with some , and read as much of others , who have gone about to study this art ( as webster cals it ) they have been faine to throw away their books , for feare of satans appearing ; so readie is he to step in , when once he finds us out of gods way usuallie , such are wisards , and therefore i cannot but wonder how mr webster durst be so impudent , as to commend the worth , vertue , and learning , not onely of these lying , deluding prognosticators , booker and culpepper , but he also extols that lying , rayling , ignorant wizard , ly-ly , who hath not onely reviled the most learned and reverend mr gataker , with the orthodox ministry of the land ; but with his lies , hath abused both church and state , to the great dishonour of the nation : as appeares by the pious and judicious mr gataker's vindication of his annotations , on ier. . . and since mr webster talks so much of this noble science , and what sufficient reasons he could give in defence of mr lillie's astrology , he may doe well in his next pamphlet , to prove it a science , and to bring forth his strong reasons . in the meane time i shall love humane learning the better , whilest i live , because 't is opposed by star-gazers , and judiciall astrologers : as david loved gods law the more , because wicked men sought to destroy it , psal. . , . the father tels us , nil nisi grande aliquod bonum quod à nerone damnat●m , it must needs bee good , which wicked nero hates . so humane learning must needs bee good , which astrologers and wizards hate and oppose . and that you may see the same spirit which breaths in lilly , dwels in webster , he useth the lying , railing language of lilly. shall the thundring pulpit-men ( saies lillian webster ) who would have all mens faith pinned upon their sleeves [ this is as true as all the rest ] and usually condemne all things they understand not [ it seems mr webster knowes more in this art , then honester men doe , ] make mee silent in so just a cause ? [ oh no , t is a ●ime of liberty , and you think you may be bold , but such as you must know , that though you may for a time , escape the punishment of men , yet you cannot escape the revenging hand of the almighty , but as you have sinned against the lord , so be sure first or last , your sinne will finde you out . and yet that all the world may see what spirit leads this man , t is worth observing , whom he commends , not only lilly and booker , but also fryar bacon [ sic mulus mulum , it becomes one fryar to claw another ] and paracelsus , a libertine , a drunkard , a man of little learning , and lesse latine ; he was not only skilled in naturall magick , ( the utmost bounds whereof , border'd on the suburbs of hell ) but is charged to converse constantly with familiars , and to have the devill for his purse-bearer , yet this is one of mr websters society . noscitur ex comite , &c. like lettice , like lips ; such as his company is , such is he . add to this , his praising the study of physiognomy , as an excellent , laudable , and profitable science ; [ which yet the learned judge vaine and foolish ] also his extolling of chymistry , and preferring it before aristotelian philosophy , and advising schollars to leave their libraries , and fall to laboratories , putting their hands to the coales and furnace . [ so they may quickly find pro thesauro carbones , beggary instead of learning , and walking thus in the sparks of their owne fire , lie down in sorrow , isaiah . ●● . ] this is mr webster's short cut , a quick way to bring men to the devill or the devill to them . . mr webster having sufficiently railed on aristotle , the prince of philosophers , next he fals foule on galen , the father of physitians , onely for building on aristotles principles ; out of his ignorance , hee cals him an ignorant pagan , an idoll , a blinde guide , &c. and at last fals foully on the physitians themselves [ page . ] . he comes now to ministers , and railes on them , for suffering themselves to be stiled by that blasphemous title of divines ; this the priests ( that title to shew his contempt of the ministry , hee puts on the ministers of the gospell , though that title be never given them , quà ministers in al the new testament ) blasphemously assume to themselves . ans. . 't is false , the title is not blasphemous , for 't is given to s. iohn , who is called by way of eminency , and distinction , 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 , the divine . as theology and divinity are termes convertible in our language , so is a theologue and a divine , the same in sense , though it differ in sound : and therefore if the scots do well ( as you say they do ) in calling their ministers theologues ; then ours do not ill , in speaking plaine english , and calling them onely for distinction sake , divines ( i ) men set apart for the study of theology or divinity . now see the wit , or if you will the malice of this magus , this magitian ( for hee pleads for the lawfulnesse of such titles . ) the scots ( saith he ) may call their ministers theologues ; but our people , may not call their ministers divines . this distinction is like the mans , that said , pepper was hot in operation , but cold in working . . 't is false that we assume it , much more that we blasphemouslie assume it to our selves ▪ if people will give us that title , onely for distinction sake , who can hinder him ? . the ground hee builds on , is rotten . viz. . because holinesse is essentiallie proper to god. . be cause wee are holy and divine by participation onely , therefore wee may not be called holy and divine . ans. the answer is easie . though to be holy and divine , be essentially proper unto god , yet by way of analogie and resemblance , it is also given to angels and men . hence the godly in this life , are called saints , holy , and in the very letter , partakers of the divine nature , [ pet. . . ] not essentiallie , but analogicallie , partaking of those graces whereby we resemble god. . he fals foule on magistrates , and te●s them plain●ie [ page . ] that they must not at all intermeddle with the things of god , lest miser●e and destruction follow them to the grave , &c. ans. what is this but to destroy the magistracie ? to rob them of their coercive power , and make them like saint george , that sits with a drawn sword , but never strikes ( a sit emblem of mr websters magistrates . ) ob. but mr webster would have them punish theeves , murtherers , adulterers and drunkards , onely they must not punish the saints , lest god require the blood of his saints at their hands . [ page . ] ans. . if the magistrate must punish theeves , murtherers , &c. then à fortiori he must much more punish spirituall murtherers , theeves , &c. for as 't is a greater sinne to kill the soule , then to kil the body , so they deserve severer punishment . 't is no policy , but cruelty , to suffer woolves and foxes to destroy the flock : neither is the coercive power of the magistracy , under the law , abolished by the gospell , as is excellently cleared by mr prin , in a treatise called the sword of the magistrate ; and since by mr cobbet on the same subject . . the saints must bee considered under a double notion . . as saints walking up to their principles and living in the feare of god , and hee that abuseth and kils such saints simply on this account , must look to answer for their blood . but . consider the saints , as erring and wandring from their principles , by adultery , murther , drunkennesse , heresie , &c. and so they may and must be punished , though not as saints , yet as sinning and transgressing saints : yea though they should plead conscience for what they doe , and say , as mr burroughs in his irenicum ▪ c. . p. proves . thus you see , how mr webster is against learning , against aristotle , against magistracie , against ministrie , against physitians , and against all that is truly good : like ismael , his hand is against every man , and therefore it 's just that every mans hand should be against him . q. but what is the summe of mr websters desires , and what would hee have us to studie ? a. hee tels you . . that you must lay aside al your paper idols , and sleight aristotle , who hath in him , many things frivolous , vaine , false and needlesse . . he tels you , that you give up your selfe to mathematicks , opticks , geometry , geography , astrology , arithmetick , physiognomie , magick , protechny , chymistry , pneumatithmy , stratarithmetry , dactylogy , stenography , architecture ; and to the soule ravishing study of salt , sulphure & mercury [ a medicine for a hor●e ] these , these , if you will believe mr webster , are the onely excellent studies for academians . but sir , if these inferiour arts ( the alwfulnesse of some of them being justlie questionable ) be so usefull and excellent as you affirme , then à fortior● logique ( which you sleight as prejudiciall to theology ) and physicks , ethicks , &c. with the superiour arts and sciences , must needs be much more excellent , and therefore mr webster is much to be blamed , for crying up those low , inferiour , emptie things ; and crying downe those choice , ingenious , usefull arts and sciences , which doe so much fit and further men in their preparation to divine studies . to conclude , the world may here see , what stuffe still comes from lame giles calvers shop , that forge of the devil , from whence so many blasphemous , lying , scandalous pamphlets , for many yeers past , have spread over the land , to the great dishonour of the nation , in the sight of the nations round about us , and to the provocation of gods wrath against us , which will certainly breake forth , both upon the actors & tolerators of such intollerable errours , without speedy reformation and amendment . since i framed this discourse , there came to my hands , a very accurate and learned examen , of mr websters illogicall logick , which now followes in it's order . examen examinis . an examination of mr websters illogicall logick , and reasoning even against reason . this mr webster ( as i suppose ) is that poet , whose glory was once to be the author of * stage-plaies , but now the tutor of universities . but because his stage-players have been discountenanced by one of the late parliaments ; does he● therefore addresse himselfe to the army ▪ for the like force , and as little favour in behalfe of all humane learning ? for advancement whereof , the best way being already found , he that seeks for another , desires worse ( and so none at all ) though he pretend to a reformation . for my own part , i could wish that his poetry still had flourished upon mr iohnson's account , in his epistle before one of his playes ( the fox ) to the two most equal sisters ; the unniversities ( a far better address , then this here ) but it is odious to be like the fox in the fable , who having lost his owne orna●ent , envied his fellows theirs , by pretending burthen or inconvenience . i have neither leisure nor lust , to examine all his examen ; but yet to know hercules by his foot , i cannot but observe ▪ how in his chapter of logick , he reasons against reason : and as diogenes accused plato , with a worse pride of his owne ; so he prosecutes aristotle , under the name of arch-sophister , indeed with his owne sophisms ; which what may we call but envy and pride , those two mothers ( saith aquinas ) of discord : whil'st one through envy , recedes from the way and will of another , through pride , to prefer his owne as quintilian ( if that dialogue de oratoribus be his ) condemnes the oratory of his time , as abused to incense the people in principes viros , ut est natura invidiae : not sparing ( not onely sy●la and pompey , but ) even scipio himselfe ; or as livy : et ante alios in caemillum . but what if oratory be thus abused to calumniating , should there be therefore no oratory at all ? or if logick to cavilling , no right reason at all ? as indeed there is none such without the orderly use of it , for rationis est ordinare ( saith aquinas ) and that is best done , not by the web which is here woven , to unravell all humane sciences , but by the art of logick . such a master whereof , was aristotle ▪ that of him we may say for knowledge , as for vertue , valerius maximus of the said scipio , quem deus immortalis nasci voluit , ut asset in quo se virtus per omnes numeros hominibus efficaciter ostenderet . but let us see , what against so gloria light , and to falsifie the sight or sense of all ages hitherto , is here produced by him , who hoc tantùm rectum quod sap●t ipse pu●at . chap. . § . . what here he saith , is no more then may be objected against any science or art ( though never so much by himselfe approved ) e. g. his owne late poetry , and now beloved astrology ( yea the gospell of peace it selfe may bee abused for war and discord : ) but whatsoever * the aim of the logitian is , the * end of the art is truth . as to that of aristotle , for which so vehemently he inveighs against , or rather proudly insults over him ; the more strongly the opponent maintaines his part ( for which purpose in his topicks , he supplies him with store of arguments ) the respondent his , the more effectuall is their disputation , for the end thereof , viz. the di●covery of truth : as scaliger saith , ut ex silice & ferro elicitur ignis , it● conflictu ingeniorum veritas . and besides , in his politicks also , he observes the rules to be kept for upholding tyranny : but will mr webster therefore conclude , that he allows of that way of government ? sect. . or is truth his owne end , in accusing whole universities of most rationall men , and even logick it selfe , as proceeding very preposterously , whereas , logick is indeed the mistriss of all due method to all sciences , and to himselfe if methodicall . as if the prince in whom as supream consists the order of the whole community , should be accused himselfe for breaking it , which as such , whether good or evil , he keeps , though if evill , not so well as he might ; and by keeping his subjects in it , preserves them by it : for all things consist in order , which confounded , they come to naught . logick , as such , proceeds orderly , directing the minde in the knowledge of truth , as first in the apprehension of simple termes , and then in the composition and division of the same , and last of all in discourse , without confusion , falshood , or fallacy . in which last , it proceeds as well à posteriori , by induction , to find out the truth , or to know that such an affection is the true property of such a subject : as à priori , by demonstration , to perfect the knowledge of it : for then is the knowledge distinct and perfect , when the thing is known as it is , as the effect by the cause , as it is by its cause , which is the order of nature : and not the cause by its effect , which is our method , through the imperfection of our intellect , deriving its notions from sense , and so beginning à posteriori , but à parte rei , indeed preposterous . first , then doth logick proceed preposterously , because to advance our reason as neer as may bee , to the angelicall manner of understanding , by knowing things ( as they are distinctly and perfectly ) it teacheth us to proceed in the order of nature , or to begin à priori ? . as to say that induction hath altogether been layed aside , is most false , and against sense : so reason requires that syllogismes ( wherein we prove and demonstrate the effect by the cause ) be preferred before it . so that whilest he extols ( and for a new method of his own , against all establisht and approved order ) so highly cries up induction before syllogismes , his owne is the errour which he condemnes , and therein hee proceeds preposterously . sect. . here also the defect pretended , is his owne ; in not acknowledging , both how fit are the denominations of genus , sp●cies , &c. to the notions thereby exprest , and these notions adequate to the things we conceive by them . for gathering of which notions , the certaine rules which he seems to desire , but indeed rejects them , are these two . comparison of things , as to that wherein all agree , for the community , and abstraction thereof , from differences , whether essentiall or accidentall , for the unity of the simple essence , which hath thus the generall denomination of an universall , and is either of one kind comprehending infinite singulars , accidentally onely different , as homo , and so is fitly exprest by the word species : or generally comprehensive of divers kinds , both constituted in themselves , and distinct one from another , by their proper essentiall differences , as animal , animatum , compositum , corpus , substantia , and so as fitly is called genus ; which is either summum , and so is not at all ; as a species it selfe subordinate , as substantia , or subalternum , which in re●pect of a superiour , genus it selfe is a species , and to alterno respectu both , as corpus , compositum , animatum , animal . the genus then is divided into severall species , which are either subalternae , as having under them other species , in respect whereof they are also genera : or infimae , as superiour to no species at all , but onely to its owne singulars ; in which the division rests , as in so many individuals . now , have we not here , both notions adequate to the things , and words as fit to expresse these notions ? or in all this excellent order , can mr webster invent confusion ? but he would shew , that hee hath read , and seems to understand the lord bacon , in his novum organon , though his testimony be nothing for him , * as hypotheticall , and so not * positiv●ly true , till the condition be first proved : but without any proofe thereof mr websters thesis is absolute , and so false . sect. . the said notions , and determinations , concerning which , there , are given a few , plaine , ca●e , necessary and usefu●l precepts , are some of the hardest passages wherein are exercised the unski●full and tender wits of young men : and so far are the questions and disputes , which are agitated by riper judgements , from derogating from their art , that rather they add to it , &c. ans. whereas here he objects that they do not see that they act as foolishly ( even those of the best judgements ) while they dispute of the very art of disputing , as he that endeavours to see the proper vision of his owne eye : his owne is indeed the blindnesse , in not seeing the difference of understanding and sense . turpe est doctori , cum culpa redarguit ipsum . for the eye , or the outward sense , apprehends not its own act , being neither colour , nor light , nor the difference of its owne , from the proper objects of other senses . e. g. that which pronounceth white to differ from sweet , is neither the sight nor tast , whereof each apprehend but one of them , and so cannot judge of both . but the inward or common sense , as judge of the acts and objects of all the outward : whereas the understanding , whose object is universall , or all things knowable , is re●flexive to know it selfe , it s owne acts and objects ▪ and then ▪ as the soule of man is both the object , subject , and author of its owne disputes , while by reflexion , it knows it selfe . so the logician reflecting upon his owne faculty , may dispute of what sort it is , whether science or art , which , as directing the mind by its denominations , propositions , syllogismes , where the end is to act accordingly , is an art ; and yet as reflecting upon it selfe , it s owne acts and objects , where the end is knowledge , may be called a science too . sect. . how can hee blame the stagirite , for not defining or disputing , what logick is , what a category is , what substance or quantity is ; if herein hee should act as foolishly , as he that endeavours to see the proper vision of his owne eye . but ad rem . neither is he indeed , nor his interpreters , guilty of such defects , as here he fancies , and fastens on him , whose end is contention , to make the contention endlesse . but for the proposition and distribution , two of his subjects . magnus aristoteles trutinando cacumina rerum ▪ in duo divisit quicquid in orbe fuit . the members of which two heads , he handles in their order : nor is therefore his organon , so organized , a confused headlesse piece . but such is his owne objection against his booke de interpretatione , where the moods of propositions , are made neither more nor fewer then four , viz. necessary , impossible , possible , and contingent . for what is so plaine , as that the matter of all discourse , is either necessary , or impossible , or possible , or contingent ; and so may well be reduced to these foure . manners or moods , so called , because they specifie , how the predicate belongs , or not , to the subject of the proposition ; for all that we can conceive or expresse , is either necessary , if it cannot but bee , or impossible if it cannot bee , or possible , if it may be , though it be not yet , nor ever shall bee ; or contingent , if it be or shall be , though it might not have been , or may never be . but see here , how mr webster , so subtle and quick-sighted in seeing the defects of aristotle , is blind in his owne . see it in his owne instances . having pr●mised the definition of a mood , that it doth modificate the proposition ( i ) indicate how the predicate is in the subject , he infers , and insults , may not all adjectives by the like right be moods ? no , because they are all reduced to those foure before mentioned : but hee saith , if this be a modall proposition , it is a necessary thing , that man is a living creature , these also are modall ; it is an honest thing , that a man should be studious of virtue ; it 's a just thing , a sonne should obey his father ; it 's a gallant thing to dye for ones country . where , if his propositions be these , man is studious of virtue , the sonne obedient to his father , one dyes for his country , their matter is all contingent . or if these ; man to be studious of virtue , is an honest thing , a sonne to obey his father , a just thing , one to dye for his country , a gallant thing ; so his adjectives are no moods at all ( to shew how the predicate is in the subject ) but themselves the predicates , and in all his propositions , the matter is onely necessary . so that his errour is , as if aristotle had designed to assigne the modall , as a distinct species of proposition , and not onely to give one generall rule , for all the species before enumerated , as that their matter is either necessary , or impossible , or possible , or contingent . sect. . nor is he more orthodox or busie , to better purpose , in the matter of definition , where the office of logick is , onely to give the precept or rule , how it ought to be made , which to explaine by example , it takes the instance from other sciences : nor is logick to define what homo or animal is , this being the part of naturall philosophy , as to treat of it's proper subject . now the precept which logick gives for the definition of things in actu signato , as that it ought to consist of the next genus , and a constitutive difference , is ●ost true , exact , and infallible : and therefore i● in actu exercito , animal rationale , be not indeed the true definition of man , the errour is the philosophers , who must find out for his owne subject , the next genus , and constitutive difference ( as religiosum , or the like , i● not rational● ) according to the rules and precepts , which in logick he hath for both ; to make ( by the rules for that too ) the definition exact and perfect : so that the same which mr webster before objected against logicians , as that they seem to make logick a part of physicks , hee is guilty of here himselfe . but because as an open enemy to our physicks , as well as our logick , he would equally glory in the defects and errours of both ; the truth is that the errour is all his owne : for that bruit beasts are irrationall creatures , and so rationall the proper difference of man , it appeares . . by comparing , as man with angels , so the said bruits with man : for angels are intuitive , meere or simple intelligences , as seeing both in the sight of the subject , what is attributed or denyed to it without composition or division : and in the sight of the principle , what flowes from it without discourse● and so we men also are intelligent creatures , but not as angels , the operation of whose intellect , is onely the apprehension of simple termes , and not lyable to falshood ; for besides that we have two other , to compound or divide , and to discourse , and so are rationall too ; which being thus our essentiall difference , little lower then the angels , is yet common to us with bruit beasts . . that rationale is not a graduall onely , but our essentiall difference , it is evident at least by this , that whereas gradus ●on variat speciem , in us specifically distinct , is the principle of reason , from any in bruit beasts , as appeares à posteriori , by the properties of it , as aptitude to speak , &c. which we have as rationall . and whereas further he saith , that irrationall is negative , and so can positively prove nothing . this his sequell were true , if it were negative secundum rem and not onely se●undum ●ocem . e.g. immortall is also negative , and yet if st pauls argument from the word mortall , be of force , when he saith , 〈◊〉 not sinne raign● in your mortall bodi●s ; how much more is that of st peter ▪ abstaine from fleshly lusts , which warre against your [ immortall ] soules . now as immortall ( applyed to god , angels , and the reasonable souls of men ) implyes more then a meere negation of dying , for otherwise , all things but living creatures , should be imortall . so irrationall , speaks the positive and specificall nature of a bruit beast , as rationall , that of man , though in so great a scarcity and inequality of words to things we bee destitute of a better way to expresse the same : for why doe wee say , that the ox● is irrationall , and not as well that the stone is so , since the negative of reason in both is alike , and the habit undue to both ; but that irrationall ▪ implyes ▪ that positive nature , whereof the one is partaker , and not the other . . i should wonder that one who is so contentious , seeking all occasions to cavill , should omit division ; were it not hereby evident , that hee hath nothing to say against it . but why doth hee make such hast in his wrath against reason , to come to argumentation ? or what can be made more absolute ( without addition or alteration by some curious wits , in so many ages of men ) or so exact as our art of syllogizing . but novelists moved with the spirit of pride and envy , are out of love as with all that others have invented , and not themselves , so even most with the best , for the greater glory of reformation . yea whereas other inventions are concerning such outward things ▪ as we use more seldome , wee have continuall use of our owne reason ▪ and yet still is our art of syllogizing , so imperfect a thing , that now one should presume to abrogate it ? he mislikes , that so many sorts of our syllogismes conclude negatively , since it is sufficiently known , that de negativis non da●●r scientia ▪ but doth he not know as well , that por negativa datur ? yea , himselfe saith , and alledgeth his author for it , that humane science doth consist in a certaine negation of falsity , rather then in the affirmation of verity . it is undenyably true ( saith he ) that the knowledge of the premises is more certaine , then the knowledge of the conclusion , and therefore undoubtedly certaine , that the knowledge of the conformity , betwixt the premises and the conclusion , doth praeexist in us ; where both the consequent may bee true , and the antecedent ; but how doe they hang together ? grammatically indeed in the copulative words , and therefore : but hee defies all logicall wayes of arguing . or how is it that the said knowledge before , and without the syllogisme , may bee said to be , or praeexist in us ? not in act , but onely in aptitude ( as one saith , that aptitudo ad rem est aliquid ipsius rei ; ) which aptitude is reduced to act ( without which it should bee in vaine ) or the knowledge ( saith mr webster himselfe ) excited by syllogizing ; and yet is syllogizing also in vaine ? or in procuring that act , uselesse ? else why doth he say , and therefore why dost thou torment and macerate thy selfe in that question , which is more subtile to despise then to dissolve ? which ( since nothing can bee inferred from a thing wherein it is not contained ) is another therefore without inference ▪ subtilty beyond sense , and a sleighting or despising ( not of some vaine question , but ) of so useful a thing , as the best of logick it selfe , against reason . ob. and so is that which here hee objects , saying , that sometimes from false premises , there doth follow a true conclusion , as in this syllogisme , nullum adorabile est creator , omne simulacrum est adcrabile , ergo , nullum simulacrum est creator . nor can it therefore be judged , that the conclusion of syllogismes , doth of necessity compell assent , or that the conclusion doth necessarily depend upon the premises , as the truth is not contained in a lye , nor the knowledge of it . ans. . we say not that that in syllogisms , which of necessity compels , assent is the conclusion it selfe , but the premises , when out of them it is rightly proved ( i ) when the premises both are true and well ordered in mood and figure , assent to the conclusion is made necessary ; for ex veris nil nisi verum , and that by vertue of the right order and disposition in mood and figure , for otherwise out of true premises , there may follow a false conclusion : as omnis asinus est animal , omnis homo est animal , ergo , omnis homo est asinus . so then we are taught in the first and second part of our logick , to make the premises true , and in the third , so to dispose and order them , as to necessitate assent to that , which we make our conclusion from ; and yet is all this so despicable , that mr webster extolling his owne subtlety , and the force of his understanding , should not onely , not seek , but reject it 's true helpes ? . the conclusion indeed doth necessarily depend upon the premises , in respect of the forme at least , as the conclusion of a true syllogisme , and so doth that of his syllogisme before mentioned : or in respect of the matter too , as a true conclusion ▪ and so not . . whereas it is objected , that as the truth is not contained in a lye , so no more is that true conclusion in the false premises . the premises both are true ( i ) they are true propositions for the substance , categoricall , for the quantity universall , for the quality , vocis ; the one negative , the other affirmative ; and re● , both false ; yea even because false , they are therefore true propositions . for in simple termes , and in speeches not enuntiative , there is neither ●alshood nor truth ; but if you make homo , or homo albus , either true or false , you make a true proposition of it ; and if to one such , you add another in mood , and figure , there is true disposition too , for a true syllogisme . so that even the true conclusion of false premises is contained in and deduced out of them , in respect of the forme , for so are they also true ▪ though not in respect of the matter , since that is false . lastly , to all that in the residue of the chapter , he objects or cavils against logick , may that serve , which before was answered ? as that by direction thereof wee doe defend the truth , as the true definitions of things , and infer out of true premises , rightly ordered , undeniable conclusions , whereby wee have not onely bare opinations , putations , or probable conjectures ; but infallible science , and apodicticall to informe and satisfie the intellect , by evidentiall demonstration . whereas mr webster cavilling against all reason , contradicts and confounds his owne . as first , when he saith [ numb . . ] a chymist when he shews me the preparation of the sulphur of acrimony , the salt of tartar , the spirit of vitrioll and the uses of them , he teacheth me that knowledge , which i was ignorant of before , the like of which no logick ever performed : having said immediately before , that demonstration , and the knowledge of it , is in the teacher , in whom it serves to demonstrate and to shew it others , who learn it of him . againe [ num. . ] he condemnes all logick , as conducing to no other knowledge , then such as is duely probable and conjecturall ; as if that were not more then such , which is acquired by demonstration . besides , he most highly extols astrology , and the now professors thereof , his friends , as common enemies with him , as well even to divinity it selfe , as to logick and humane learning ; who presume by their art , to foretell * such future contingencies , as depending on mans free will , are not known to angels themselves , unlesse by * conjecture onely , or revelation . and have any the best astrologers , so cleare a light , as to see by the heavens more , then these heavenly lights themselves , or as mr webster , then all wise men ? yea how grossely have they failed in things even meerly naturall , conjecturing at * raine and showers , during all the late winter drought ; but not at all of the later rain , as if god had provided both to discover their grand imposturage and presumption , if not impiety , in taking men off from himselfe the first , to ascribe all or too much to nature , and second causes . all which is to me , a sufficient evidence , that this great examiner , notwithstanding his faire pretences of reformation and truth , might , if thoroughly examined himself , be found not steering his course indeed by right zeale to these , but by that which he also seems to disclaime , even selfe-interest . however , certaine it is , that truth or reformation , cannot be truly sought in a way against nature as is here mr websters in preferring himselfe , before all the wisest and best in all ages , to inform and reforme his mothers , the universities ; for nunquam aliud natura , aliud sapientia dicit . nature gods owne true wisedome is , and then , is never tharted by the truth of men . truth and truth can never jarr● . 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 . aristot. finis . books printed , and are now to bee sold by nathanael webb and william grantham , at the black bear in st pauls church-yard , neer the little north - doore of pauls church . master isaac ambrose , prima , media , & ultima , first , middle , and last things , in three treatises of regeneration , sanctification , with meditations on life , death , hell , and iudgement , in . mr nathanael hardy , severall sermons preached upon solemne occasions , collected into one volume , in . history survey'd in a briefe epitomy , or , a nursery for gentry , comprised in an intermix● discourse , upon historicall and poeticall relations , in . dr stoughton's sermons , being an introduction to the body of divinity , in . dr john preston , the golden scepter , with the churches marriage , and the churches carriage , in three treatises , in . mr walter cradock , gospell-liberty , in the extension and limitation of it , in . mr thomas parker , the visions and prophesies of daniel expounded , wherein the mistakes of former interpreters , are modestly discovered , in . reformatio legum ecclesiasticarum ex authoritate primùm regis henrici inchoata , in . mr george strode , the anatomy of mortality divided into eight heads , viz. . the certainty of death . . meditations on death . . preparations for death , &c. in . dr daniel featly , the grand sacriledge of the church of rome , in taking away the sacred cup from the laiety , at the lords table , in . mr richard lewthart , vindiciae christi & obex errori arminiano , a plea for christ , in three sermons , in . welch common prayer , with the singing psalmes , in . mr john lawsons gleanings and expositions of some of the more difficult places of holy scripture , in . mr john cotton , the way of the churches of christ in new england , in . mr edward thorp , the new birth , or , birth from above , in sermons , in . mr john vicars , the schismatick sifted , &c. in . — colemanstreet conclave visited , and that grand impostor , the schismaticks cheater in chiefe , truly and duly discovered , in . roberti heggi , dunelmensis in aliquet sacrae paginae loca lectiones , in . mr john lewes contemplations upon these times , or the parliament explain'd to wales , in . dr john preston , a position delivered in cambridge , concerning the irresistiblenesse of converting grace , in . the beacon flaming , with a non obstante against those that plead for liberty of printing and publishing popish books , in . the rauters reasons resolved to nothing , or the f●stification instead of the iustification of the mad crew , &c. in . mr nathanael stevens , a precept for the baptisme of infants out of the new testament , in . mr josiah ricraft , a nosegay of rank smelling flowers such as grow in mr john goodwins garden , &c. in . sermons in . dr robert gell ▪ a sermon touching gods government of the world by angels , preach'd before the astrologers , the of august , . in . dr john whincop , gods call to weeping and mourning , a sermon preached at a fast before the parliament , of jan. . in . mr george walker , a sermon preached at a fast before the parliament , jan. in mr valentine , a sermon preached at a fast before the parliament , in . mr john warren of hatfield-regis in essex . the potent potter , a sermon preached at a fast before the parliament , the of aprill , . in . mr william good ▪ jacob raised , a sermon preached at a fast before the lords in parliament , of december , , in . dr thomas goodwin , the great interest of states and kingdomes , a sermon preached before the parliament of feb. , in . mr samuel kem , the king of kings , his privy markes for the kingdomes choyce of new members , a sermon preached upon the choice of burgesses , for the city of bristoll , in . mr ben. hubbard sermo secularis , or a sermon to bring to remembrance the dealings of iehovah with this kingdome of england , ab , usque ad annum in . mr j. p. a sermon preached the of september , upon mat . . wherein is set forth the kings due in part , and the peoples duty , in . octavo . mr robert young , a soveraigne antidote against all griefe , with the victory of patience in . mr benjamin needler , notes with practicall observations , towards the opening of the first chapters of the first booke of moses called genesis , by way of exposition in several lords-days-exercises , in . mr john simpson , the perfection of iustification against the pharisee , the purity of sanctification against the stainers of it , the unquestionablenesse of glorification against the sadduces , &c. in . bishop william cooper , the triumph of a christian , in three excellent treatises . . jacobs wrastling with god , &c. in . mr john robotham , the preciousnesse of christ to believers &c. in . the bee-hive of the romish church , a worke of all good catholicks to bee read , and most necessary to be understood , in . testament roman letter , scotch print , in . mr thomas hall , the loathsomnesse of long haire : a treatise wherein the question is stated , many arguments against it produced , &c. in . — vindiciae literarum , the schools guarded , or the excelleny and usefulness of arts , sciences , languages , history , and all sorts of humane learning , in subordination to divinity , with an appendix in answer to mr webster . mr john warren of hatfield in essex , principles of christian doctrine illustrated with questions and scripture answers , for the use of the inhabitants of hatfield brodoake , in . mr nicholas byfield , the marrow of the oracles of god : or , divers treatises containing directions , about of the weightiest things can concerne a christian in this life , in . mr john jackson , the true evangelicall temper , wherein divinity and ecclesiasticall history , are interwoven and mixt , &c. in three sermons , in . mr joshua mullard , celestiall soliloquies , composed of severall divine meditations and prayers drawne from the holy scriptures , in . francis thin esquire , the perfect ambassador , treating of the antiquity , priviledges and behaviour of men , belonging to that function , in . finis . errata . page . line . oppo●ito for ●ppositè . l. . ac , deleatur . p. . l. . by our will , for , of our selves . p. . l. . i say , for isaiah . p. . l. . divine , for humane . p. . l. . in the name , for in the roome of christ. p. . marg . avidentis , for accidentis . p. . marg . opibus , for operibus . p. . marg . christo , for christum . p. . marg . oculavit , for ●os mutavit . p. . l. . 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 , for 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 . p. . marg . constet , for constat p. . l. . to , for ' t is . p. . l. . are so , dele p. . l. . falled , for is fallen . p. . l. . us humble , for will make us humble . p. . l. . a vice , for or vice . p. . l. . priest. for priests . p. . l. . works with works . p. . l. . teachers , for teares . p. . ● . c●nverts the , for corrects them . p. . dele in marg . commiserationis ergô . this author hath lately published a book inti●led , ●he beauty of holinesse . as also another . treatise , intitled , comarum 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 , the loathsomness of long haire . 〈◊〉 appendix against painting , spots , naked breasts , &c. notes, typically marginal, from the original text notes for div a -e i.e. commendatione regū . ●extor hic res ●anitestissi●as in dubiū●ocar , itaque●on tam ratinibus eget●uam plagi● . notes for div a -e samuel how , the preaching cobler , or the cobling preacher , is full of such tatchings , viz. that the seven liberal sciences are but profane , vaine bablings . how 's sufficiency of the spirits teaching . some ignorant people would have all men as ignorant as themselves , that so their owne ignorance might not be discovered . like those whom st ierom taxeth , who accounted rusticity and lack of learning , to be sanctity . crassam illi rusticitatem solum pro sanctitate habent . hieron . epist. . & . ad marcellum . to the understanding of the formale externum , or letter of scripturo , arts and tongues are necessary , as the assistance of the holy ghost is to the formale internum , or genuine sence of it . waterhouse apol. page . libros vocat vetustiores ab aliis scriptos ; membranas recentiores à se conscriptas ▪ à lap. apparet apostolum jam morti vicinum non tamen à lectione destitisse ; hinc r●f●llitur fanaticorum ●uror , qui libris contemptis damnataque omni lectione selos suos 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 joctant . calvin noverat timothy diligent-●am , & tamen illi commendat assi duam lectionem . idem . divina summ● indigent diligentia● ▪ thesaurus no● in superficie , sed profundo reconditur . chrysost. admotâ manu invocand● est minerva . we come now to understand scripture by ordinary meanes of study , learning , prayer , &c. not by extraordinary revelation . see doctor hammond in his preface to his annotat. on the new test. see the necessity and excellency of humane learning dr reynolds preface to the passions . notes for div a -e et si sine illâ quidam non inutiles ecclesiis fuerunt , cum tamen lingua illa totius christianismi quasi quoddam commune sit vinculum , & omnes penè ingenio●um faetus in hac lingua sint editi , mutilam oportet esse cognitionen quae sine hujus linguae notitiâ habetur . walaeus habet omnis linguae sua propria locuti●num genera , quae cum in aliam linguam transferuntur , videntur absurda . hyperiu● l. . obs . . p. . propter interpretum diversitat●s cognitio hebrae● & graecae linguae est necessaria . augustin . cognitio fontīum necessaria est . . quando 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 explicare volumus . . ut plures sensus inveniamus . . ut idi●mata , phrases , & prover●ialinguae sanctae cognoscamus . . ut menda corrigamus . . ut quaedam loca meliùs intelligamus . . ut latini sermonis ambiguitatem vitemus . mel. can. l. . c. . physica davidis est contracta in unum velut● systema , psal. . alsted . philosophia est lorica dominicae vineae . clem. alex. lib. iobi omni doctrinae genere refertus ( i ) poetices , dialectices , rhetorecies , phy●●ces , astronomiae . rive● . metaphysicā ad theologos jam adultiores remitto , quia citra firmos atque in theologia exercitatos sensus errorum faecunda est nutrix . walaeus orat. . p. . troporum cognitio scripturarum ambiguitatibus dissolvendis est necessaria . aug de doct. christ. lib. . caep . . * vide rivet . isagog . ad scrip . cap. . see more fully perkins on heb. . . page ● . . see more fully perkins on heb. . . p. . . * 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 , set them on the rack to make them speak what they never meant . mr ant. burges , ser. . page . * 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 , set them on the rack to make them speak what they never meant . mr ant. burges , ser. . page . historia plurimùm nos adjuvat ad sanctos libros intelligen dos . aug. dè doct. christ l. . cap. . hyperius l . c. . bowles pastor evangel . l. . c. . p. . ●●rough● , ● . . . sam : how 's sufficiency of the spirits teaching . ob. . and ob. . moses eruditus fuit in omni , in omni sapientia , in omni sapientia aegyptiorum ▪ prid. tractat theologica , ethica , o●●onomica , idque verbis tam ●ppositis & significantibus , sententiis tam gravibus , figuri● adeò lepidis & scitè picturatis tropis , ut ●um non solùm philosophum summum , & summum theologum , sed & summum orato●rem ac poëtam necessario sint agnituri qui in ejus lectione cum judicio versab●●tur . rivet . * amos isaiae pater , frater fuit regis amasiae , qui unus fuit ex majoribus christi . arcular . in magno hoc scriptore nihil est rusticum , nihil inconditum , nihil improprium , nihil eximio orature , i● eximio pr●phetâ nono currit dign●mum . rive● sagog . ad s●● c. . p. plura veritas ●st veritas à quocunque dicatur . * theodoret triparttit . hist. l. . c. . v plura apud davenant in col. . . p. . ab ●thnicis si quid benè dictum , ab iis tanquam ab injustis possessoribu● in usum nostrum est vindicandum . nonne aspicimus quanto auro & argentosuffarc●natus exierit de aegypto cyprianus dr. sua●●ssimus , & martyr beatissimus ? quanto lactantius ? victorinus , optatus , hilarius● aug. de doct . christ. l. . c. . benè dicta philosophorum sunt peculia christianorum . iust. martyr . quomodo quis institueretur ad prudentiam humanam ▪ vel ad quemcunque actum sine literis , cum instrumentum sit ad omnem vitam literatura ? tert. de idol . apud g●acos n●mosatis inst●uctus habitus est ad docendam religionem nostram nisi ver●atus in philosophicis discipn●s . arctius . nec dubitamus , ●aeteris paribus , maj●rem & ple●●rem mensuram communi●ari publicis ●ccl●siae administris , ●ive in una aliqua particulari , ecclesi●a munn● suum ●heant ; sive in caet is aliquo leg●time , & in christi nomine congregato , de ve●● scripturae sensu inter se c●●serant , quam singulis & privat●s , qui neque tot don●s instructi sunt , neque ●ot ocul ●v●dent , ●●que privatâ & si●plic● medita●●one , aequare p●ssunt muliaum collectionem & d●squis●●●onem . rivet . if there be any thing here that needs an answer , you shall have it in the answers ●he objc● v. nazianz. orat. . socrat. l. . c. ● . . humanitatis studia ita oderat & contemnebat , ut ejus studiosos uno nomine haereticos appellaret , &c. platina in vit . pauli . pag. . hic erat caetu● & collegium prophetarum . * regens , docens dirigen● , quasi dux & magister , ● lap. hinc colligimus quasdam fuisse prophetarum scholas , in quibus sormarentur , qui deinde ver am religionem docerent , purilaté ●que doctrinae retinerent , calvin . * si desit ss . non adjuvat . locus ; idem enim l●t q●i in sodomi● sanctus ex●●tit , in monte peccavit , primus nuster pareus , in paradisa concidit , & si locus servare po●uisset , satan de c●lo non cecidisset , greg. * quo loco d●batur opera eruditio●● & doctrinae ; in eo enim habitabant prophitae & doctores , ● lap. among the ●●ralites cities wer● appointed ●or the levites , which were as the common schools and universities for the ●hole kingdom . pu● h●● pilg. lib. . cap. . s. how con●es●eth that humane learning in it sel● ▪ is a good thing , and good in its proper place , for the repair●ng of that dec●y which came u●on man for sinne . n●w i● humane learning be to good , then the more of it the better , there can be no ●xc●●●e of what is good in it selfe . p●rit philosophia ingenuitatem , quâ redduntur ingenia liberalia , atque it● p●aeparātu● ad mu●us vitae rectè ob ū●ae alst. non 〈◊〉 sed persi●● not●●●as naturales ; persicit intellectū q ▪ parit cognitionē de● & creaturatum , alsted . notes for div a -e oportet sapientiam ab insipientibus feriri , diogen . * see more , appendix , rule * philosophia falsa & fut●lis , philosophia no●e est uisi 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 camerarius . sub philosophiae nomine tantum damnat omnes adulterina● doctrinas quae nascuntur ex humano c●pi●e , qualemcunque habeant ●●tionis colorem . calvin in loe . 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 , qui ●alsò ra●●●cinando ▪ fallit . ▪ cavete à philosophia quae nihil aliud est quam inanis deceptio . calvin . * 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 , vana ●ec●ptione . v●r● philosophia est partus rectae rationis , & ae●erna veri●●●i● 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 . ( ) ●vul●● particula , c●em . alex. sirom . . n●que s●mplici●e● damnatur ab apostolo philosopia , sed 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 ( ) quatenus sese intra fines sues non continet , nec ad gloriam dei f●rtur , nec verbo dei regi s● sinit . beza . fallacia aridentis . si philosophiam damnare● apostolus , damna●et utique lum●n rationis , & deum ejus authorem summâ of ●●ceret injura●â . davenant in col. . . ubi plura . res dei ratio . tertullian . secuti sunt non veritatem cordibus impressam & in operibus dei ●lucen●e● , sed vanissi●●● suos 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 , & disq●●si ●●es . pareus de mundanae sapienti● vanitate lequitur . calvin . qui vult sapiens fieri in aristotele , stul●i ficetur in christo , ut catechismus regat philosophiam , non regatur ab câ ▪ luther . haereticorum patriarchae philosophi . tertul. l. de anima c. ● . plato nem omnium haereticorum condimentum vocat . errata artificum non sunt imputanda ips● arti , nec philosopha●●umerr●res ipsi philosophiae . 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 ( i ) res omnes , eloquentiam , opes , delicias , gloriā , &c pro. christo damna , imò ster●●ra existimo . ● lap. spoliavit se paulus non opibus . sed perversâ fiduciâ óperum . calvin . in oratione prima . taxat pseuda postolos quod rhetoricati sint in christo praedicando neglect â evangelii simplicitate . musculus . eloquentia ipsa non est culpabilis , sed eâ malè utentium perversitas . aug. * see more fully , mr perkins on heb. . . p. . qui dedit petrum piscatorem , dedit & cyprianum rhetorem . aug. verum vero contrariari non potest , a● vera philosophia est veritas dei , roma . . deus non est sibi contrarius in lumine naturae & gratiae . philosophia sana non pugnat cum theologia , sed ipsi ancillatur . alsted . christ and his apostles made use of tongues and logick for opening of the scripture , some times they make use of the hebrew text , and translate it into greek , and sometimes they draw logicall consequences from the old test. to prove the principles of the new , as exod. . . compared with ma● . . . indoctos elegit christus sed oculavit in prudentes ; simúlque dona dedit & ministeriae . pulpit guarded , ob. . p. nunc cum confirmatum habeamus evangelium & ecclesia const tutam expectare ulteriùs enthusiasmos , neglectis ● mediis , vertiginosi est cerebelli ad anticyras potiùs quàm ad aegypttos relegandi . d. prid. conci● . . notes for div a -e philosophia tanquam famula sit theologiae subdita ; ancilletur , non dominetur . à lap. com . in gen. p. . orat. . p. . aquinas par . q. . art. ●, . ubi plura ex philosophorum ingeniis omnis haeresis onimatur . tertullian . hipotiùs superstitionibus & subtilitatibus litant , quàm textùs simplicitati . al●ing . nihil odiosius nimio acumine . v bowles pastor evangel . l. . c. . p. . deceptoria est philosophia cum sertur extra proprios limites ( i ) cumstatuere conatur de illis rebus quae non possunt dijudicari , &c. divenant in col. . . ubi plura . see more fully mr g●ree against judiciall astrology . and mr waterhouse in that excellent treatise of his in defence of humane learning , p. , . metaphysica in utrámque partem disputat omnia , vix quicquam certi habet , distinctiuncul●s f●volis & ineptis omnia elidit & eladit , m●●er omnis sophistica & dec●ptionis . al●ingius . termini philoso●hici i● rebus theologicis applicandi , antequā 〈◊〉 , ab omni imperfectione liberentur . dithmar . peccatur à mu●tis quod conciones populares mag●s exornen● poëtarum versibus quàm scripturae testimoniis . areti . the lesse colour is in the glasse , the lighter and better it is . pulchrè perversa doctrina paleae comparatur quae medullam non habet , nec potest credentes nutrire . hieron . tropos ignaris tra●ere non decet , ne artem grammaticae docere ●id●amur . aug. in philosophiae indagatione ●●m●um tempo●is ne insumatur , nec speculationibus ●●u●malibus aetas ▪ quae se●i●s impendi deb●t , te●atur . walae . rudimenta sunt non opera . sen. praparent ingenium , non detineant . sen. philosophia theologo est necess●ria non 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 sed 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 , non quoad 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 , sed 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 , ( i ) non quoad notitiam simpli cem & absolutam , s●d quoad no●itiam pleniorem & solidiorem . dithma● . literatus stultus , phaleratus asinus . e●si illa naturalis cognitio usum suum insignem habet , sine theologiae tamen supervent● salutaris esse non potest . qumtum ergò corpus ani●ae , terrena coelestih●s , externa & fragili● ae●●ni● & spi●itualibus ●edunt ; tantùm caeterae omnes scientiae hu●● c●dere libe●●er debent . wal. maneat usus , tollatur abusus . notes for div a -e ignorantia scripturarum peperit haereses . chrysost. notes for div a -e sit mens nostra terrenâ faece perpurgata , passionum discussis nebuli● , sancta & sublimis e●●ecta , ut apta ▪ habilisque reddatur ad coeles●ia haec dogmata ba●ri●da . à lap. deus amicis suis arcana animi sui communicat . iohn . . sine pur● m●nte & sanctorum imitation● , nemo compre●enderit sanctorum verba . athanas. d●us se puris videndum praebet in verb● suo in ●ac vita , & visione gloriosá ●n suturâ mat ▪ . rive . nunquam pauli sen●um ingreduris , nisi pauli spiritum im●ib●ris . be● . luce● scriptura , sed fi●is lucis . tilen . pium & prudentem requirit lectorem . benè orasse est bené studuisse . luther . vbi deus magister est , quàm ci●ò discitur , quod docetur . leo. v. bowles pastor evangel . page . hanc veram sapientiam non lectio docet , sed unctio ; non litera , sed spiritus ; non eruditio , sed exercitatio in mandatis domini . ber. in canto ser. . sine s●iritu arcana spirit●s quaerere , nihil est aliud quàm fine luce videre velle . rive . o●ationi lectio , l●ctioni succedat●o●ati● , hie. od i●aetam . ad mentis puri●at●m industria & ex●rcitati● diligen●●st ad●ungenda . rive . ●sagog ad script . cap. p. ● . non est in lege vel una litera ● qua non montes magni dependeant . rabbin . hebraei sontes hibunt , graeci ( . ) sept. rivo● , latini paludes . sphinx . bonus grammati●us , bonus theologus . bell. lib. c. . de verbo dei see more , d● prideaux ▪ fascicul . q . p. . evincit hoc do●tis . p●rcus r●● . . in locum . quis , cui , causa , locus , quo tempo●c , prima . sequela . vt âbsque fundamento imbecilla est aedificatio , ita nisi invento scopo scriptura est mutilis . chrys. ex antecedentibus & consequentibus colligitur verus scripturae sensus . aug. vide hyperiū de ratione studii theolog. lib. . cap. . & illyricum tract . . page . , &c. see m●●● fully master roberts preface to the key of the bible . page . and bernards faithfull shepherd lib. cap. . page . ne putemus in verbis scripturarum esse evangelium , sed in sensu ; non in superficie , sed in medulla , no● in sermonum foliis , sed in radice rationis . hieron . in gal. . vnus locus per pl●ra intelligi debet , obscura per apertiora . aquinas pars . q. . aut . scriptura est catenae similis , quae tota si●i ●o●s●et chrys. magnificè & salubriter ss●a scriptu●as modifi●avit , ut locis ap●rtioribus fami occurreret , obscuri●ribus autem ●astidia deterge●et nihil ●nim ●erè de illis obscuritatibus eruit quod non plam●ssimè dictum alibi reperiatur . aug lib. ● . cap. . de doctr . christiana . moris est scripturarum obs●uris manifesta sub●ict●re . scriptura est oratio una copulativa , qu●r●●●na pars confirmat , clucidat . exponit alieram . 〈◊〉 * n●n dixit ligite script●ras , sed s●rutamini ( i ) cum labore & diligentia ●ffodite arcanos scriptura●am ●hes●ur●s , 〈◊〉 qu●m v●a● metall●●● aurum & argentum studiose scrutantu● . chrysostome . see more bernards fai●hfull shepherd . l. . c. . p. . * mephorac● exponendo sensum dabant intelligentiam per scripturam ▪ 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 collatis testimoniis demonstrans ; c●rti facti ex collatione scripturarum . see more fully roberts key . p. . rule . * trap. com . on mat. . . in scriptura explicanda manifesta est haeresis sicut figurata propriè accipere , ita quae sunt propriè dicta ad tropicam locutionem detorquere . aug. de doct , christ . l. . see more , weemse vol. p. , , &c. vbi malè nemo pejus . fas est interpreti ex duabus interpretationibus cum utraque textui congruit , alter utram absque vitio sequi . ravenel . tim. . . heb. . . per analogiam intelligimus non tanti●m quod totidem verbis expressè in ssreporitur , sed etiam quicquid ex iis 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 . per consequentiam necessariam deducitur d. morton , apolog. analogia est cum veritas unius scripturae ostenditur veritati alterius non repugnare . aq● p. . q . art . . see more , bernards faithfull shepheard . l. . c. . p. . * s. licèt per se clarissima , suverbis tamen est abscura ob corum caecitatem & pravum af●ectum . luth. * mater omnium haereticorum superbia . aug. ss . vult in ●imore & humilitate tractari , & magis studio piae orationis penetrari , quàm acumine ingenii . l● de scrip . sicut demost in eloquentia , pronunciationi primas , secundas , tertias de dit : ita ego in christi sapientia primas , secundas tertias , dabo humilitati , quam dominus noster ut doceret ▪ humiliatus est nascens , vivens , mor●ens . aug. veniat , venias verbum domini , & submittemus ei , sexcenta si nobis essent colla . mel. ada. is optimus interpres qui sensum è scriptura potiùs retulerit , quam attulerit , hilar. * cognitione approbationis , no● apprehensionis experimentali & affectivâ , non discursiv● bonum est scire & sequi . via rectè judi candi de doctrina est , si praepa●etur animus ●●udio placendi deo & faciendi ipsius volunta tem . rolloc . in iob. recordatio dei notat cu●um dei : ut impii oblivisci deo dicu●tur . sibel . vanitas vanitatum , est hebr. ( i ) summa , vanissima vanitas . v. à lap. in eccles. . . ubi plura . homo ille merum scelus : haec enim est vis idiotismi hebraeici . beza . col. ● . . filius dilectionis ( i ) dilectus & . . viscera misecordiae ( i ) visceralem misericordiam . vir dolorum ( i ) undique doloribus obsi●us , ex doloribus conflatus , & non nisi dolor , imò pelagus dolorum esse videretur . ● lap. pharaonis vocabulum non personā , sed dignitatem notat . * v. ravanel . in verbo pharao . intellige carbones ignis esse urentes poenitent ae gemitus , quibus superbia sanatur ejus qui dolet se inimicum f●isse hominis à quo ejus m●s●ri●e seri● subvem●ur . aug. de doct. christ. l. . cap. . fuit curvatio politica & civilis , non ●eligiesa . ● lap. obsequium suit domino debitum à ser● o , id●ò null â ●ege prob●itum . sanctius ▪ haee verba sunt ejus , qui postulata concedit . san. consule g. abbat praelect . p. , &c. dubia in parte meliori sunt interpretanda . see more weemse . . vol. l. . ch. . p. ▪ wendelin theolog. l. . . . p. . dum furor in cursu est , cur●enti cede furori , say politicians . loquitur de justitia illa severa quâ saepè proximos judicamus . scarpius . est iustitia absoluta , sic nemo justus ; iustitia inchoata ▪ sic justus p●rit , justitia aequivoca ▪ sic ne sis justus nimis . v. con●i● . dr halli coram synod . dordreit . p. ▪ propriè nullus est nimis justus , temperaus , &c. quia quò major est justitia vel virtus , ●ò est perfectior . ● l●p . quisquis plus justo non sapit , ille sapit . ma●● . see more fully mr baxters cc. direction . v. pagnin l. . inst●● . cap. . res tum demùm dicuntur fieri , cum incipia● manifestari . reg. patrum . tò crucifixerunt actum inchoatum significat , non perfectum . ● lap. in iohn . . . in illis quae metaphoricè dicuntur , non oportet accipere similitudinens secundum omnia . reg. schola . theologia symbolica , sive parabolica , non est argumentativa . aquinas . meiósis . iob . . tim. . . and tit. . . sam. , . which cannot profit ( i ) which will greatly hurt you . ier. . . which i have not commanded ( i ) i have seveerly forbidden . scriptores sacri in ●itandis . v. t. testimoniis non tam verba sequuntur aut numerant , quàm expendunt sententias , quae si serventur de verborum qualitate ac numero non laborant . sanctius . christ and his apostles did follow the septuagint , which gives the sense and not the words see more fully weemsee iewish synag . c. . p. , &c. d. prid. fascicul . cont . q. page . . aeternum pro diuturno . hyperbole . . typicè aeternum . so canaan was a type of heaven an eternal inheritance . . catachrest●e aeternum , that which endured a long time , was said to be eternall , thus circumcision was a covenant for ever ( i ) till christ came , weemse . vol. p. . see mr leigh heb. crit. in verbo g●olam . p. . fol. v. plura apud s●lmeron . prolegomen . . formul . . see more weemse . . vol. l. . c. . p. , &c. nescio an hic locus ●acilior suisset si nemo cum exposuisset . maldonat . caro hîc meo judicio non corpus , sed partem animae nondum regeneratam significat ; q. d. mihi da●us est stimulus ▪ quo caro mea pungeretur : neque enim adhuc sum ad ò spiritualis cum obnxious sim tentationibus s●cundum carnem . calvin in locum . * hoc in meditato habeant qui praestant eximiis virtutibus : si qua habeant admissa vitia , si quibus odiis impetantur , si quibus sugill●entur maledictis , non tantùm ●erulas ess●cael●stis m●gistri , s●d colaphos , qui verecundtam incutiant , & retund●● omne su●erb●● & seraciam . calv. in locum . * by the messsenger of satan , some conceive i● meant , some sin whereunto paul was tempted , as a means to keep him humble , for nothing is matter of so great humiliation to a gracious hear● , as the feeling of the power and strength of sin within it . 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 , est aculeus corpor●●nhaer●ns , vel spin● pedem pungens . ego sub hoc vocabulo comp●●hendi arbitror omne genus tenta●●o●nis quo paul● , exer●●batur . calvin ▪ attendant omnes pii quantum sit superb●ae venenum , quod non po●●●● nisi veneno cura●i . aug. conside●emus diligenter quis hîc loquatur , vicerat tot p●ricula , tormenta & alia mala ; triumphum de omnibus christi hostibus egerat , expulerat mortis timorem , mundum renuntiaverat , necdum tamen subegerat penitùs su●erbiam ; imò ad●ò anceps illi certamen restabat , ut vincere non posset nisi colaphis caesus calv ▪ in locum . numerus ternarius symbolum est multitudinis & universitatis tria enim sum ōnia . scilicet , p●●ma . aris. — o térque quantérque beati . virg. agit de pleno gog inter●●u & excidio . à lap numerus sep tenarius significat in scripturis . . multitudinem . . perfectionem . percu●am vos plenâ , perfectâ & multiplici plagâ . à lap. v. se●●enarii numeri vim apud anl. gell. l. ▪ c. . weemse iewish synag l ch . . p. . in scriptura non est prius & posterius . tò unxit accipitur non de unctione praeterita , sed futura , per anticipationem . à lap. argumentum ab authoritate ●eg●nte , sed non ab authoritate negativa , v●let in theologicis . there are five kinds of questions in scripture . . q. dubitans , a doubting question , as psal . , . . q. docens , ● teachi●g q. is. . . it teacheth us the multitude of those th●t shall ●l●ck after the means of grace . qu disc●ns , ma●k . he desi●es to learn the way to heaven . so acts . . . q. a●●irmans , kin. . & . . ier. . . . q. negans , as psa. . . who can understand his errours ( i ) no man can understand the full depth of them . abbot . see more fully ● hyric . cla. de tropis . p. . epitasis sive auxésis est non vulgaris cum affirmatur aliquid , & contrarii ipsius adjungitur negatio . sanct. * ( i ) deus est lux purissima . * so iohn . ● . and heb. . cor. . ● . and . so gen. . . ( i ) he shall rather be called israel , then iacob . pr. ( i ) buy wisedome rather then gold . luke . , . ( i ) rather the ●o●r then the rich ▪ eph. . . luke . . ioh. . . q. d. they shall not eve●y man teach his neighbour , so obscu●ely by ceremonies , types and figures . so psal. . . . the words must not be taken 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 & absolutè , sed comparatè . q.d. t is not so much the outward , as the inward sacrifice which god requires . in cōparationibus saepè negatur illud quod nō est excludendum , sed tantùm alteri postponendum . dav. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 , & est epitheton omnis rei admirandae & magnae . wemsee . 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 . si videtur flagitium jubere , aut beneficentiam vitare , ●igurata est locutio . aug. when the literall sense is against modesty , piety , or good manners , it must be left . weemse vol. l. . c. . p. . aug. de doct. christ. l. . c. . erit b●racha benedictio ( i ) ita plenè per omnia benedictus , ut videatur esse ipsa benedictio ▪ à lap. rom. . . veritas pro vero cultu , mendacium pro falso . talis hebraismus plerúmque est significantior , ut scelus pro scelesto , ste● quui ●inium pro curpi . conjunctio [ & ] non semper diversa distinguit , sed expositivae particulae saepè vicem gerit perfiguram quam vocant hendiadis . and is oft taken comparatively , for much more as psal. . . and the lord is about his people . q. d. as the mountaines are about ierusalem [ ●o for●ifie and d●f●nd it ] so much more is the lord about his people [ to fortifie and defend them ] so amos . . for three transgressions , and , ( i ) much more for a fourth i will punish , &c. sola expresse dicta in probando fundamentali dogmate admittunt sociniani : hos refellit doctis . horne beck contra socinian . l. . c. . p. , . &c. amen est vox non jurantis , sed affirm m●s & graviter asseverantis & ●apissime opta● is . adverbio●um geminatio vel emphasin , vel dist●ibutionem notat , ut lev . . manè , manè , ( i ) quolibet ma● tutino tempore ; ita eze. . . suppositio nihil ponit in esse . v. greenhill on ezek. . . see more fully illyric . de tropis . p. . * multiplicando multiplicabo ( i ) valdè multiplicabo dolorem tuum . * 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 . precibus precatus est ( i ) ferventer precatus est . so isa. . . ier. . geminatio idiomate h●b●aico nomina aliquando distribu●● . sanctius in ezek. : vir . vir . he● . ( i ) quicunque vir . of the line . . reed . . palm , &c. see godwins iewish antiq. l. . c. . in aridis fuit , quod cad erat in liquidis . cum hannibal casilinum obsideret , mus unus vend●batur ducentis denariis . val. max. l. . c. . * reckoning ounces to the pound , and not , as wee usually do . see more , wilkins ecclesiast . p. . ult . edit . mos est scripturae , ut optare videatur malum , cum non optet , sed praevideat . aug. quae pugnare videntur nostrâ culpâ ac ignorantiâ talia esse existimantur , q●res non intelligimus , velcircumstantias non expendimus : illyricus . christus qui per se & propriè est pacis autor ; per accidens , ●rop●er hominum malitiam turbarum est occasio . cal. non veni mittere pacem ( i ) terrenam & mundanam ; non pacem spiritua●em mentis , & pacem unionis fidelium inter se , ac cum deo & angelis eju● christum allaturum praedixit isaias . , . & . . 〈◊〉 . à l●p . see most seeming contradictions reconciled very satisfactorily , in sharpius his symphony . deus erga similes similiter se gerit . quod convenit tali , quā talis , connveit omni tali . v●i similes causae & circumstantiae , ibi locum habet exemplum . fecit hoc ehud dei instinctu , eóque hostem potiùs interemit , quam populi rectorem tyrantium . à lap : samson ( singulari inflinctu ) directè intendebat philistaeos occidere , indirectè seipsum ▪ ames . e● si [ donec ] aliquando terminum significat , tamen ple●úmque infinitum tempus significat . paraeus . anadiplosis propl●●●c● , pro cadet , 〈◊〉 est ce●●ò , brevi , peni●us . pareus . so jude the lord commeth ( i ) he will as surely come , as if he were now comming . impropria est comparatio , neque enim quasi 〈◊〉 ambobus sit justitia , publicanum christus gradie tant●●● aliquo praesert , sed intelligit cum suisse grat●m deo : quum pharisaeus in totum rejectus fuerit . calvin . propositio indefinita aequipollet universal● . keckerm . fuit aedificans . montanus . audi●ns orationem . mont. * significat brutorum instar fo rs ventri deditos . beza . edere & bibere non est peccatum , his verò negotiis immori , vel deditum esse cum dei contemptu , scelus exitiosum est . pareus . canaan datur abrahamo in praesentia , de jure : posteris verò poss●ssione . parcus . see rules more , in à lap. prolegom . epist. ad romanos . p. . sunt non nulli qui plures regul●s co●●igerunt , qui à studiosis diligenter versandi sunt ; imprimis andreas hyperius in utilissimo libro de ratione studii theologici . riv. psal. . . gods law is exceeding broad , and reacheth further then duties or vice● expresly there named . blake on the covenant . p. . omnia praecepta synecdochic 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 concepta sunt , ideóque ex vitiorum interdictis contraria virtutum mandata sunt intell●genda . tilen . a principaliori crimine caetera quóque minora e● assi●●a intellige . à lap. m●mento plus ●esse semper in praeceptis ac interdict●s quam verbis ●x●rimitur . in omnibus mandatis ●am interna quam externa 〈…〉 p●aec●p●●r . de minutis n●n cu●a● lex . reg. iuris . cogitationis poenam in nostro ●o●o nemo luat . ●uriscons . praeceptum ultimum per superiora omnia deducendum , ut intelligatur non exteri●res tantum actus , sed interiores etiam pr●vos motus in illis , prohiberi . ge●hard . i●a sabba●hum externo ore & interna devotione sanctificandum ▪ prohibet deus non externam tan●ùm opus homicidii , su●ti , adulterii , sed internas etiam cogitationes occidendi , &c. wendel . quando mand●tur aliquid , mandatur & omne per quod pervenitur ad illud . regula . quando aliquid prohibetur , prohibetur & illud per quod p●rvenitur ad illud . reg. iuriscons . futuro utuntur hebraei pro imperativo . non occides ( i ) ne occidito , &c. lex non solùm observanda , sed etiam conservanda . quod quis per alium f●cit , id per se fac●re videtur . reg. ●●ris . ●e patratis s●●leribus gl●●●ari , patrantibus abbland●ri , id de plora●ae est improbitat●s . parcus . qui non vetat peccare , cum possit , jubet . obligant semper & ad semper , in omni loco & tempore . affi●mativa non obligant ad semper licet semper spectanda sunt pro loco , sed pro tempore varias accipiunt limitationes & interpretationes . obedientia primae tabulae derogat secundae , quando utrâque simul locum habere nequit . ut luc. . . gerhard . lex ceremonialis cedit mo●ali . reg. notes for div a -e see more fully glassius his philologia , edit . . p. . more ●umano deus in seri●turis ad homin●s loquitur . aug. asf●ctus ●●ibu●n●ur den seem dum ●s●●ctus . plena effectû● reticentia . bucer . see glossius . p. . * si , apud hebraeos ●st nota jurantis , ut sam. ▪ . * ver●a abrupta ad sestinationem re● notan●●m , & ad ●rep●da●ionem m●●●●dam . pa●●us . quasi sensu percepistis . corre●tio , q.d. quid dico suscitabit ? imo ●am constitutus est , & in regno versatur . iunius . commiserationis ergô . commiserationis ergò , &c. see more rule . h●c schema ecclesiastae frequenter usu● erit , quoties res poscit affectum n●si enim i●er●s quod docere vis , praetervolat oratio nec acule●s in animis audientium relinquit . dress●r . dominum praesepis ( i ) cognovit dominum in praesepio se alentem . à lap. crebrâ hysterologiâ utitur ieremia . * vel epitasis ( ● ) intentio , cum verbi vires intenditur . * tô semper , idem est quod sedulò perseveranter , assiduè . à lap. * est in hâc apostrophe acer stimulus quo pungit agrip pam , ut creda● in christum . à lap. voluit adam nobis per esum pomi sieri similis , en quàm factus est dissimilis ! voluit scire bonum & malum , en in quale ignorantiae barathrum corruit . à lap. si sapis , metu mortis & divini judicu resiaena tuas voluptat●s , resiste tuis cupid●tatibus , amores va●●s ●uri si●a , ut jud●i qui concissi● earum usum . ●ed v●●u it abusum con●ruonired●las rationem . ● lap. in gestu magis quàm verbis ostenditur , fitque , cum naso suspenso quippiam fastidimus 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 enim est nasus . see mr leigh on the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 irrident verbum dei , habentque pro balbutie ineptâ . musculus . n●x● caput sequitur & paena culpam individuā , uti lictor ●eum , conitatur * fuit s●gnum illius transitus . met. sub . hebraei per m●tonymiam , quâ continens pro contento ponitur , deum vo●can● scamaim ( i ) ●oelum . à lap. iustitia est adjunctum hominis . sic scelus pro scelesto , & exi●●iale vocant 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 ( i ) exitium , per autonomasiam . à lap. * q. d. i expect another day , beside mans day ; now man carries all before him , he hath all the doings now , he may judge & censure as he pleaseth , it is but his day , and i regard it no● . stultitiae est , ab●ect ● libertate , spresis piis magistratibus , omnem potestatem impio , improbo , crudeli nebuloni committere . wolphius in locum . * per panem , ●ntellige o●nia hujus vitae admi nicula , ut cibum , potum , vestimenta . a potiori die hepdomas vocatur sabbathum . à lap. notes for div a -e dr wilkins , and dr ward . notes for div a -e iesuita est omnis homo . our webster is some kin to them , for he can change with every time , &c. bibitur auro venenum . * alludit ad mercatores qui verb●s fictis & arte compositis , supra veritatem laudant & extollunt suas merces , ut faci● ùs cas extrudant , & cariùs vendant . sic haeretici ut suam haeresim divendant , & spargant , ●am blandis & elegantibus v●●bis adornant , & quasimeretricem sermonis lenocinio fucant , ut videatur pulchra & elegans inslar helenae . 〈◊〉 lapide in locum . i find it done already , very acurately , by dr ward in his vindiciae academiarum . he 's against learning . * i have proved the contrary in my vindiciae literarum ▪ v. vindiciae literarum . c. . page . v. vindiciae literarum , prefu . he 's against aristotle . no●e , 't is diabolicall magick , which webster pleads for , as appea●s by his commending lilly the wizard . * see perkins vol. p. ▪ and , . * weemse . tom. on the magitian . page . lord verulam's advancement of learning . p. . aug. de doct . christian l. . chap. . * astrologia judiciaria non est scientia . thes. cantab. . see wendelius physic. c. , . page . . and weems magitian . sect . . see more , fullers ho●y state , lib. . cap. . . he 's against galen , and physitians . . he'● against ministers . he 's against magistrates * as the d●vils law-case . reperto quod est optimum , qui aliud quaerit , pejus vult . quintil. * finis operantis * finis operis . * sin●tiones ipsae confusae sin● , &c. * propositio hypothetica nibil ponit in esse . as mr webster saith , that wee know nothing in nature , but à posteriore , and from the affections and properties of things must seek for their causes . alex. alens● metaphys . * as the fall of law and divinity . * durand and others . * as mr sanders , one of the most learned of them . in his epistle dedie . quicquid exprimitur in natura , imprimitur ab intelligentia , scil ▪ explicante , mediante natur● . alex. alcus● &c : opus naturae est opus intelligentiae . speculum crape-gownorum, the second part, or, a continuation of observations and reflections upon the late sermons of some that would be thought goliah's for the church of england by the same author. phillips, john, - . approx. kb of xml-encoded text transcribed from -bit group-iv tiff page images. text creation partnership, ann arbor, mi ; oxford (uk) : - (eebo-tcp phase ). a wing p estc r ocm this keyboarded and encoded edition of the work described above is co-owned by the institutions providing financial support to the early english books online text creation partnership. this phase i text is available for reuse, according to the terms of creative commons . universal . the text can be copied, modified, distributed and performed, even for commercial purposes, all without asking permission. early english books online. (eebo-tcp ; phase , no. a ) transcribed from: (early english books online ; image set ) images scanned from microfilm: (early english books, - ; : ) speculum crape-gownorum, the second part, or, a continuation of observations and reflections upon the late sermons of some that would be thought goliah's for the church of england by the same author. phillips, john, - . defoe, daniel, ?- . p. printed for r. baldwin, london : . first edition. has been erroneously attributed to daniel defoe. reproduction of original in huntington library. created by converting tcp files to tei p using tcp tei.xsl, tei @ oxford. re-processed by university of nebraska-lincoln and northwestern, with changes to facilitate morpho-syntactic tagging. gap elements of known extent have been transformed into placeholder characters or elements to simplify the filling in of gaps by user contributors. eebo-tcp is a partnership between the universities of michigan and oxford and the publisher proquest to create accurately transcribed and encoded texts based on the image sets published by proquest via their early english books online (eebo) database (http://eebo.chadwyck.com). the general aim of eebo-tcp is to encode one copy (usually the first edition) of every monographic english-language title published between and available in eebo. eebo-tcp aimed to produce large quantities of textual data within the usual project restraints of time and funding, and therefore chose to create diplomatic transcriptions (as opposed to critical editions) with light-touch, mainly structural encoding based on the text encoding initiative (http://www.tei-c.org). the eebo-tcp project was divided into two phases. the , texts created during phase of the project have been released into the public domain as of january . anyone can now take and use these texts for their own purposes, but we respectfully request that due credit and attribution is given to their original source. users should be aware of the process of creating the tcp texts, and therefore of any assumptions that can be made about the data. text selection was based on the new cambridge bibliography of english literature (ncbel). if an author (or for an anonymous work, the title) appears in ncbel, then their works are eligible for inclusion. selection was intended to range over a wide variety of subject areas, to reflect the true nature of the print record of the period. in general, first editions of a works in english were prioritized, although there are a number of works in other languages, notably latin and welsh, included and sometimes a second or later edition of a work was chosen if there was a compelling reason to do so. image sets were sent to external keying companies for transcription and basic encoding. quality assurance was then carried out by editorial teams in oxford and michigan. % (or pages, whichever is the greater) of each text was proofread for accuracy and those which did not meet qa standards were returned to the keyers to be redone. after proofreading, the encoding was enhanced and/or corrected and characters marked as illegible were corrected where possible up to a limit of instances per text. any remaining illegibles were encoded as <gap>s. understanding these processes should make clear that, while the overall quality of tcp data is very good, some errors will remain and some readable characters will be marked as illegible. users should bear in mind that in all likelihood such instances will never have been looked at by a tcp editor. the texts were encoded and linked to page images in accordance with level of the tei in libraries guidelines. copies of the texts have been issued variously as sgml (tcp schema; ascii text with mnemonic sdata character entities); displayable xml (tcp schema; characters represented either as utf- unicode or text strings within braces); or lossless xml (tei p , characters represented either as utf- unicode or tei g elements). keying and markup guidelines are available at the text creation partnership web site . eng clergy -- england. - tcp assigned for keying and markup - spi global keyed and coded from proquest page images - jonathan blaney sampled and proofread - jonathan blaney text and markup reviewed and edited - pfs batch review (qc) and xml conversion speculum crape-gownorum , the second part . or a continuation of observations and reflections upon the late sermons of some that would be thought goliah's for the church of england . by the same author . london : printed for r. baldwin . . the second part of speculum crapegownorum , in a dialogue between priestlove and meryweather . priestlove , i say , and i still say , that had it not been for the observator and heraclitus , the nation had been ruin'd ere this . mery. how friend priestlove ? priestlove . nay , how me no how 's , for 't is very true . mery. not so hasty — for will you prefer a brace of quacks to a whole colledge of able physitians ? priestlove . i prefer no quacks . mery. yes , you do — for the observator and heraclitus are a couple of meer pretending quacks ; they find the nation labours under a scorbutick distemper , and they come with their french congies , and cry , me cure de state. me cure de state , when they know no more of state-physick , unless it be to draw a blister , than horse-leeches . priest. i care not for that , i stand to my first assertion still . mery. this 't is , not to consider : for in so saying , you dishonour the whole society of the crape-gown order of d. d's , and b. d's . and the more inferior sort of rectors and vicars , who have now undertaken to be the state physitians themselves . and do you think that the applications of bow church sermons , guild-hall sermons , assize sermons , and anniversary sermons are not much more wholesome for the present distempers of the state , than the euphorbucum and cantharides of the observator and heraclitus ? priest. both applications may be good in their kinds . mery. oh sir , but the levites pretend their licences from heaven , which th' other can never lay claim to : so that the other are meer intruders ; and whether the levites do not practice beyond their skill and commission is much to be question'd . priest. the scripture commands obedience and submission to the government ; they are commanded to preach the scripture , therefore they are commanded to preach obedience to the government . mery. that is to say , in civil affairs , they are to preach general obedience to the laws and the government ; but thence it does not follow they are to be judges of the breaches of that obedience : for were it otherwise , they were to take their texts out of polton , and not out of the bible . for example , were the difference between the people and the magistrate , whither the statute of jeofails , or the habeas corpus act were to be repeal'd ; what have they to do with that ? no more than the pinner of wakefield . would it not be fine sport , to hear the pulpits ring with the habeas corpus act , or the statute of jeofails ? you are commanded to obey the statute of jeofailes , you are commanded to obey the habeas corpus act , job . . in like-manner , what have they to do with associatians and addresses , as they are the disputes of state ? for let them talk till their lungs ake , they can never prove by scripture , that either political associations or addresses are forbidden , in reference to the english government . but if the prince shall once declare his particular dislike to such proceedings , then are they to press a general obedience to his will and pleasure , so far as is consentaneous to divine writ . priest. who shall be judge of that ? mery. the very definition of a christian loyalty it self : that is to say , that vertuous and inviolable fidelity which the subject ows to his lawful prince , by vertue of the same obligations and ties by which he is bound to god : and this is that true christian obedience which every true minister of the church ought to inculcate into the hearts of their hearers by the force of pure divinity , not arguments of state , which are fluctuating and inconstant ; in regard that reason of state , and alteration of government may alter the case of obedience upon various occasions ; in so much , that in the quick turns and revolutions of the latter end of h. . ed. . queen mary and elisabeth , some of the greatest promoters and practisers of politick obedience , were asham'd at last of their frequent compliance , and retir'd out of the way ; as you may read in the history of the reformation it self . priest. you have given a nice distinction of loyalty , pray make it out . mery. the first is that christian obedience which is due to the supreme power by the law of god , so far as may stand with the sacred interest of salvation . the second is an obedience upon the moral motives of human interest to the law of man , which may sometimes impose commands which a sincere and upright conscience may in some measure scruple at , nay positively deny a submission to : as in the case of the three children ; or by a late fresh example in the case of the late times , when even temporal obedience was refus'd by all that adheard to the king whom dire necessity did not compel to it . priest. the late times , what d' ye talk of those usurpers . mery. however to talk like a divine , it was a supreme power , tho' set over us for our sins and our punishment : and most certain it is , that both we and the calvinists agree in this , that , etiam infideli magistratui obediendum est , with safety of conscience . i only speak this to shew , that men are not to urge upon the conscience so severely , that were so nice of it themselves . priest. well , but then to the second . mery. the second , which is an obedience to commands enjoined by the politick constitution and frame of government , i think there is no dissenter in england , that would not be accounted a rebel , but would confirm it to his prince with his heart , his hand and his purse . and this is properly call'd loyalty , loyaute , legalidad , ( all from the latin word lex ) which acts according to the laws of nature and policy , as being due first to those laws , and then to the minister of those laws , as the derivation of the word plainly implies . which being the chief satisfaction to the civil magistrate , it seems hard that ecclesiastical jurisdiction should make such a heavy clutter for her far less inconsiderable mite of a coercive power . just as if one and the same man owed the secular claim a hundred thousand pound , and the ecclesiastical pretensions twenty pound ; the secular magistrate should be bound to give no release for the whole hundred thousand pound , because the same person requested the ecclesiastical jurisdiction to abate five pound of her twenty . priest. is there nothing then due to the church of england . mery. yes — the noblest tithes of the world — the tithes of unity , love and charity . priest. why do they not pay them ? mery. pay ' em ! they dare not come nere ye . up ye get into your pulpits , as into so many beacons ; where ye raise such a flame , that they 're afraid of the countries coming in upon ' em . but doubtless had that method been us'd by those who have taken another course , of teaching true christian obedience , without reflexions , flames , and virulency , that vnion had been long since accomplish'd , which the protestant interest at present so much laments ? priest. tush — they 're a stiffneck'd generation that will never conform . mery. no ? there 's one , mr. read by name , has fairly lead the way . you will not let him read the liturgy of england in a church , where would you have him read it ? upon the top of the monument ? or what would you have him do with those souls that have commited themselves to his charge , and are so well satisfi'd of his conduct to heaven ? will you hear his own words ? he tells ye , first , that he has advis'd with his brethren in the ministry , who did acknowledg the lawfulness of using the liturgy in the ordinary lords-day-service . that his principles are these , that obedience to the majestrate in things lawful is a duty . that a form of prayer is lawful . and that communion in such churches is lawful . now why must grand-juries , and petty-juries be put to the trouble to vex and torment such men as these , and deter them from their good intentions ? priest. because of the law. mery. as to that law ( for i know you mean the last law against seditious meetings . ) i have this to say : first , i do not find that the makers of that law do assign the least breach of political obedience against the dissenters : only there is a supposition , that an insurrection may be hatch'd at such a meeting : so that as long as there is no such thing done as the law supposes , where there is no transgression there can be no punishment . so then it remains , that this law was obtain'd by some part of the clergy for their own advantage , and to render themselves the more formidable to their dissenting brethren . in the second place , it was never yet known in this world , that ever any civil magistrate , or supreme power , made a law , with an intent to punish any good man. this law against dissenters punishes many a good man , therefore never intended by the supreme power against the dissenters . now , that the dissenters are good men , i prove from david's own description of a good man in psalm . where putting the question to himself , vir bonus est quis ? he answers , first as to the civil government , qui ambulat integre , exercetque justitiam ; that is , he that behaves himself dutifully and obediently toward the civil magistrate , and justly toward his neighbour . now that the dissenters are , at least outwardly , under the guard of these descriptions of good men , is plain , for that no informer complains against them for the least breach of civil obedience either in word or deed as to any other law , but only the single act of nonconformity to this statute . so then the statute not being intended against them , as being good and vertuous men , and conformable to the civil government , they can be guilty of no nonconformity to the commands of the civil power : for the civil power , by this act , enjoyns nothing but peace to be kept ; with the breach of which , no informer as yet hath taxed them . that the dissenters are not guilty of any nonconformity to this act , in referrence to the ecclesiastical power , i offer thus : the statute enjoyns the exercise of religion , according to the liturgy of the church of england , which contains no more than only truth . if then the dissenters speak and pray according to truth , they exercise according to the liturgy of the church of england . the psalmist therefore proceeding in the next words , after he has declared who does well in civils , tels us who does well in spirituals ; that is to say , qui loquitur veritatem ex animo suo , he that speaks truth from his heart : but the dissenters do speak truth , nay the truth of truth , divine truth , and therefore exercise according to the liturgy , and as such they are good men , and so to be accompted , in foro ecclesiastico . now then put it thus . never any law-givers ever made a law , with an intent to punish any man that speaks divine truth ; but this law against dissenters punishes many a man that speaks divine truth : therefore never any law-givers intended this law against the dissenters . and the same argument holds for the hearers , as well as the speakers , for that the hearing of divine truth is as lawful as to speak it . so then , if the dissenters , as intended by the act , were to be punished , they are transgressors ; but the dissenters not being intended by the act are no transgressors : therefore the dissenters are not to be punished by the act. or thus : if the dissenters , as not intended by the act , are not to be punished , they are innocent ; but the dissenters , as not intended by the act , are not to be punished : therefore the dissenters are innocent . the reason why they are not intended by the act ; is because they are loyal to the civil government , and obedient to the spiritual , for that they speak and preach divine truth . and then , that the dissenters preach divine truth is easily thus proved ; the church of england teaches divine truth , the dissenters teach the same doctrine with the church of england : therefore the dissenters teach divine truth . from whence we may inferr , that to persue such vast numbers of people under the notion of dissenters with the lash of a law , that assignes no breach of publick disobedience or publick disturbance , no detriment to the publick revenue , or forbidden acts of private injury , but only the supposition of an offence deduced and inferred from the bare separate excercise of divine worship , seems an extremity too much simpathizing with uncharitable , worldly interrest , that misses more the separated purse than the seperated person . the moderate party themselves confess , that as to those who purely and out of conscience refuse to conform , their circumstances are hard . and it is as hard , that of all the penal statutes , these that have the fairest plea to soften them , should be so loudly awakened to their offices , when those against the crying sins of the nation and more destructive to government , lye dreaming out a lazy being for want of employment . and indeed friend priestlove the case seems much the harder , in regard that the turk in the present height of his tyranny and popular reverence of his mahumatisme , yet lets the disconsolate greeks have the free exercise of their own religion which is all the happiness they have to boast of in this world. priestlove . i care not for your greeks or your jews neither ; i tell you the presbyterians are a company of traytors and plotters . does not the observator and heraclitus tell yee so ? and do not the streets ring of their plots ? merry . truly you are well hope up with two special fathers of the church of england . what if they should tell you that the moon were made of green-cheese , would you believe ' em ? priest. yes , that i would , so long as they wrote against the presbyterians . merry . well , but where are these presbyterian plotters ? you see the popish-plotters have been visible enough , at the old bayly , westminster-hall , tower hill and the gallows ; where be these presbyterian-plotters ? do they walk in the clouds ? or have they got every one a gyges's ring in their pockets ? has your observator been all this while observing , and observed none of 'em yet ? whoever they be , let 'em be brought to the stake , and let the observator and heraclitus have the pleasure of roasting 'em to death , the next burning of the pope , for the reward of their great pains . however , i will not undertake to justifie every individual dissenter ; there may be turbulent , factious and ambitious persons of all professions , and under all masks of religion . nevertheless , i hope you would think it a great peice of imprudence , for a man to throw away a whole quarter of wheat , for the mixture of a peck of tares . if your observator and your heraclitus would bring their winnows and their skreens , and separate tke corn from the chaff , they might then gain some applause perhaps for that , which now runs about the world only for scandal and impertinence . priest. i must tell ye , they have no decency , no decorum in their worship . mery. as how ? priest. why you shall come into a meeting-house , and while the minister is in his pulpit , there you shall see a company of people , young and old , rich and poor , sitting upon their bums , their hats pull'd over their eyebrows , with their pens , and their books , and their blotting-papers , all so busily employed , as if they were so many men copying of news-letters , and this in such a strange ethiopic character , that no-body can tell what they write : they may be setting down their last weeks gains and expences for ought i know . nay , i saw one so wedded to his hat , that after the minister was in his last prayer , he would not stir it from his head , till he had concluded what he had to write , wiped his pen , screw'd his inkhorn , fix'd his blotting-paper , clasp'd his book , and put it in his pocket : and by that time the minister had almost done . mery. all this while , this is no disobedience to the law. however , i wish there were no greater obstacle of protestant unity than this , since it would discover a very extravagant obstinacy indeed , if the promise and performance of the reformation of such an inconsiderable scandal as this should be refus'd . for indeed , friend priestlove , i must here close with you , that it seems to me a very indecent thing for the ambassador of so almighty a prince , as the king of heaven , to be uncover'd , and that the hearers should receive the glad tidings of salvation in so unthankful a posture . i speak not this so much out of respect or veneration to the walls , or the pillars , or the place it self , but to the message deliver'd , the deliverer , and the time of delivery . but now to retaliate your indecorum , i will tell ye of another indecency , which i take to surpass yours , from which , i can except no parish-church within the lines of communication ; and which i look upon to be the mischeif of pews , not us'd in other reformed churches ; and that is the hideous noise and clatter in the time of divine-service . for it behoves mr. sexton , or mrs. sextoness , to have a vigilant eye that day , knowing that christmas will come : and the greater the reputation of the minister that preaches that day , the worse it fares with mortal ear and disturb'd devotion . at one end of the church come in two or three women , and then perhaps in the midst of the absolution , slap — slap — slap ; by and by come in three or four men together , and then 't is , our father which art in heaven , slap — slap — slap ; and if the lock be a little refractory , then three or four slaps more into the bargain . by and by comes a whole shole of slugabeds , and then 't is , we beseech ye to hear us good lord ; slap here , and slap there , slap there , and slap here ; slap a that side , and slap a this side ; slap — slap slap . anon come in two or three gay peticoats , then upstarts mrs. ginglekey from her hassock , opens this pew , and that pew , and then 't is , lord encline our hearts , &c. slap here , and slap there : and thus there is no end of slapping all the whole prayer-time ; as if the pew dores had been ordain'd to supply the place of organ responsories ; a confusion that would not be endur'd at a common musick-meeting . priest. this is so customary , that no-body minds it ; and besides , it may be very advantageous to keep people from falling asleep . mery. then keep your dores open while prayers are done , and slap 'em in sermon-time . priest. but how will you help it ? mery. nay , look you to that ; i am sure 't is a very great indecorum . go to the observator and heraclitus , they are wise men , perhaps they 'l advise you to oil your locks every saturday night , and line your . pew-dore with cony-skin furr . but i 'le tell you of a greater inconvenience than this , and that is the translation of hopkins and sternhold . i may call it a common nusance to the service of the church ; a translation ( to use mr. abraham cowley's expression ) that hath revil'd david worse than shimei . you shall find the famous dr. don bewailing the scandal that attends the church by reason of their permission , and utterring his complaint in these passionate expressions : for i must not rejoyce as i would do , when i behold that these psalms are become so well attir'd abroad , so ill at home . dr. patrick gives this character of it , that the words are mean & uncouth , and that the sence of the prophet is often mistaken . to say truth , the words are opprobrious to the present language , to all rhime , reason and common sence . to satisfie your judgement , i will give you a tast of some passages , but not so commonly taken notice of , beside those already obvious . but lord , out of my mothers womb i came by thy request . do you believe now , that ever david was so unmannerly , as to tell god almighty , that his mother had never brought him into the world , unless he had desir'd it ? now for down-right barbarisme , lord , when wilt thou amend this gear ? why dost thou stay and pause ? this seems to me to be a kind of expostulating with god for taking too much consideration . this that follows is quite out of season : i shall depend thy grace upon ; with all my heart and lust. what use young and illiterate persons may make of such a provocative as this , i leave you to consider : for they are ignorant that lust had two significations before , and now but one . in another place he would make you believe that the universe was govern'd by some ordinary mechanick . for , saith he , — their hearts were nothing bent to him nor to his trade . it put me rather in mind of the shoemakers saint , and the knight of the burning-pestle , that run away from their master take this peice of modesty or immodesty , which you will , for 't is as you please to interpret it , and then i have done . her inward parts are wicked plain . these and a whole regiment of horrid barbarismes of the same nature , together with the sordid nonsence and villanous rhimes that attend 'em ( if they may be so call'd , because so intended , such as piller and hopper , and a thousand more ) are accusations and proofes sufficient to prove 'em guilty , and to condemn 'em ad cloacam , as a dishonour to all divine worship . priest. all this is nothing , the people will sing ; and should you bring in new ones , they will say we are bringing in popery . mery. this , indeed , is the common crape-gown excuse : much like what was alleadg'd in the council of trent , that no alteration in divine-worship was to be made , tho' for the better , for fear of intimating a fallibility before . but i hope our young crape-gowners are better taught at sam 's coffee-house than so ; or else they keep their sanhedrims there to little purpose . but there is another reason , these gentlemen are so addicted to haranguing , that they have no time to spend in mending psalms ; as if the gingling of an alamode sermon were the only musick that pierced heaven . and thus you see i am as much for the honour of the liturgy of the church of england , as you can be for your life . priest. well , because you clos'd with me before , i will close with you now : for i must confess i never look'd upon sternhold and hopkins to be poet laureats , of all the men in the world. but you know , sir , now-a-days , there 's more got by one play , than by twenty volumes of divine poetry . mery. and then another thing is this too , your crape-gown men sit musing i' th' vestry over the church-wardens half-pint , till the beginning of the last stave of all ; and so never hearing the old , what should they concern themselves with a new-translation ? besides , they have most of them very ill voices , or such an aversion to harmony and concord , that they care not a straw for singing ; believing farther , that god gave them their voices only to baul , and not to sing . priest. well , well , jeer on , you 'l get nothing by 't , heraclitus will pay ye off ; he 's a parlous man : he and the observator are to take upon 'em shortly the title of subdefenders of the church . mery. there is one indecorum yet remaining which i have frequently met with , and desire you to give me your judgement of it . it proceeds from the pride and vanity of several crape-gown men , that preach more out of ostentation than instruction . priest. what 's that ? mery. why , 't is your church-huzzaing , or hum-humming in the church . to this end you shall have the popular chrysostom , would be cantonize his oration into so many parts , as he may think it proper , so expect hums . each of these parcels of sublime eloquence are tipt at the end with a most glorious euphonema that cries chink i' th' close , which charms your ears and dazles your understanding both at a time , and then the gentleman makes a sembrief rest , and looks about him . priest. and what then ? mery. why , the signal being thus given , the church is streight in an uproar , hum , hum , hum ; hum , hum , hum ; in so much that you would even admire the bells don't ring backwards of themselves . to these kind of sermons , there are wanting only a prologue and an epilogue to entitle 'em either to the buskin or the socc , according to the quality of the subject . priest. oh , i find where you are , you would not have an eloquent , orthodox minister encourag'd . mery. yes , but not like a player : for by the same rule , you may as well hiss 'em , when they displease , as hum 'em up , when they tickle your ears . and besides , it shews very ill , at the same time , to reproach a meeting-house , and make a theater of the church . priest. well — i shall tell the observator and heraclitus what you say , they 'l give you an answer i 'le warrant ye ; i remember your three accusations , pew-clapping , sternhold and hopkins , and church-huzzaing . mery. do so , and commend my service to 'em , and tell 'em , there 's no-body ever car'd a straw for 'em yet , that had either wit or sence in their heads . priest. but you were talking , i remember , a little while a-go of size sermons , anniversary sermons : and guild-hall sermons , what have you to say against them ? mery. i say still , i do not like your state-sermons ; 't is such a piece of pageantry as was formerly us'd to preach up the titles of princes : sometimes the scripture was for the house of york , sometimes for the house of lancaster ; 't is such a spiritual agency in secular affairs , that nothing can be more jesuitical . you may know what a clock 't is , by the chiming of the cathedral pulpit . priest. oh sir , upon extraordinary occasions , and in extraordinary places , men come to shew their parts and their learning , not their divinity . mery. there you say something indeed ; for now-a-days , down-right divinity , is accounted no more than down-right dunstable : which you may gather from the usual answers to the common questions . what is such a one ? a good , honest , plain , down-right man. what is such a one ? ay , marry sir ! there 's a quaint man indeed ! he 's a yerker ye saith ; he claws of your fanaticks . good god! what a strange itch of being accounted a quaint man has infected our crape-gown gentility ! and yet there is no understanding man , but will give more attention to one of gifford's plain sermons , than to a hundred theological orations , that make the pulpits roar like so many matrasses of aurum fulminans , under the guard of an ignorant chymist . priest. what of all this ? mery. why , i say , that satyr and divinity are ill-match'd ; they look like a white and black horse i' th' same coach. satyr is one thing , reproof another ; the latter for the pulpit , the former for the stage . and therefore the booksellers have a pretty good prospect of the business , while they lay out so exactly play and sermon , sermon and play , that a man might almost play at chess upon their stalls ; and in the course of the game , here snap a rook upon a play , there a pawn upon a sermon . nay , it is come to that pass too , that plays and sermons are both of a known value ; twelve pence one , six pence t' other , come as many as will : nothing so certain as plays at twelve pence , sermons at six pence a piece , and long thread laces , two a penny. priestl . i see whereabouts you are ; you are for a dull , heavy , flat , insipid sermon , without salt. salt savours all things , saith salomon the wise ; and if all things , sermons . eene eat your shoulder of veal by your self for me , if you will give me neither butter nor oranges . merr. why then , it seems , rayling against the phanaticks , as you call 'em , is sawce for a modern sermon . priestl . it both embellishes , and takes to boot . and besides the phanaticks are now the onely people , that have abettors and upholders ; alas , as for the pope or anti-christ , as ye call him , he ( good man ) is in a sinking condition ; the king of france is tearing from his head the third part of his triple crown ; and would it not be an ungentile act , to trample upon the unfortunate ? but the fanaticks are rampant , and headstrong : they are for petitions and associations ; they are followed by throngs , and multitudes . merr. that 's no fault of theirs ; if the people finding their doctrine to be as good as yours , are more taken with their plainness , than with your flashes , your extasies , and raptures . priestl what should the people follow them for , like a company of phanaticks , as they are ? merr. what they d'ye mean ? priestl . why i mean the phanaticks . merr. who are the fanaticks ? priestl . why — the fanaticks are the fanaticks . merr. very well — i see you do go to church sometimes , you repeat so well . what a happy thing 't is , to hear an a-la-mode sermon ? a man may bring away the greatest and chiefest part of it in a smart epitome , without the troublesome help of that mark of the beast , call'd short-hand . — but what sort of things are these phanaticks ? are they men or mice ? priestl . they are such as the observator and heraclitus call phanaticks . merr. they ! why , they don't know themselves who they are . priestl . i care not for that ; i believe in them ; and whoever they be , that they call so , are so . merr. y' are a fool. — they get their bread by calling men phanaticks — they 'l call you fanatick if you vex ' em . priestl . gad — if they do . — merr. what then ? priestl . i 'le tell 'em , i love the king. — merr. so do thousands and thousands of those they call phanaticks , more to the purpose , and more substantially , than ever they did , or ever will do , or are able to do ▪ priestl . what d' ye mean by serving the king substantially , and to the purpose ? merr. i mean , they that obey all his civil commands exactly , and both can and do pay their taxes , and their duties well ; and are as ready to serve him with their swords i' their hands ; not beggars , that cry god damn 'em , god bless the king , that live only upon the spoiles o● his bounty . priestl . well , but for all that i will not see my parsons abus'd . — merr. your crape-gown men , d' ye mean ? priestl . yes . merr. there 's no body abuses 'em , they abuse themselves . — priestl . as how ? merr. well — now i come to them — 't is to me the greatest wonder in the world , that so many six penny cuts should buz about your eares like dor-flies in summer ; ( for their impatience is such , that they cannot stay till they amount to a volume ) considering nevertheless , as if they lay under the engagement of the self-denying ordinance ; with what a strange reluctancy , what an inestable unwillingness , what an unspeakable constraint , they are forc'd , press'd , and urg'd to expose the six penny embryo , either an obliging , caressing , endearing , bountiful , munificent lady , that cannot , must not , will not , be deny'd , obliges , under the high , and never to-be forgiven penalties of ingratitude . — or else the most beneficial patron beseeches , obsecrates , entreats , implores , nay will have it so ; or else authority commands ; subscrib'd wag-staff — and then out comes the sermon , like oyl of sweet almonds , squeez'd between two tin plates — sometimes it slips forth like a wet cherry-stone between your thumb , and fore finger , without their knowledg . — priestl . you 'l tax 'em with hypocrisy , by and by . merr. by no means , dear sir — i onely shew ye , what plunges they are put to , to get rid of their modesty — self conceit crys , out with your sermon , sir , — no pray , sir , don't , cries modesty ; and then she lays before him a hundred arguments of infirmities , unworthiness , want of timely notice , alias surprize , and the like — out with it crys vain-glory , 't is as good as ever was tipp'd over tongue , sir — and this is the poor man so tortur'd and tormented , that he can take no rest ; till at length eager desire of applause , plause , pittying his condition , fetches one great person or other to sollicite for her , and so friendless modesty is forc'd to withdraw behind the curtain . priestl . i tell ye , sir , these sermons are the lights , by which we discover the gentlemens parts . how should we see the gentlemens parts , if they hid their lights under a bushel ; that is to say , if they did not print their sermons ? merr. prithee let 'em print their sermons , till fools cap be five pound a ream if they please , but then let 'em print 'em without epistles and dedications , or such at least wherein 't is plain their words , and their minds have as little coherence , as their texts , and their sermons . priestl . hoyty-toyty , — they shall come to you , to know what epistles and dedications they shall make ! merr. no-no , sir , i never expect it — they have a guide of their own , that knows how to apply himself to ladys and gentlemen of all sorts and conditions . priest. well then , pray set your heart at rest — i say they shall make what epistles and dedications they please , so they preach against forty one. merr. hush — you don't consider how the observator has of late disturb'd the sweet sleep of forty one ; and therefore , prethee be thou more merciful . priestl . merciful ! what to forty one ? i 'le wake him and wake him , and keep him awake like a lancashire witch — but i le make him confess . — merr. what ? priestl . that the presbiterians hold king-killing doctrine , like the jesuits . — merr. — good now harp no more upon that string . priestl . harp no more upon that string ? gad i 'll go and do your errand to the observator and heraclitus immediately . — merr. do so — but in the mean time harp no more , i say upon that string — for if the presbyterians do hold king-killing doctrine , they learnt it from the church of england men. priestl . ye lye. — merr. patience — or i 'le call the constable . — priestl . call the devil — i say ye lye. — merr. govern your passion , sir , d' ye understand heraldry ? priestl . yes . merr. why then , observe — edward the sixth's church of england - men begat queen elizabeth's church of england - men — queen elizabeth's church of england - men begat king james's church of england - men — king james's church of england - men begat charles the firsts's church of england men — charles the first 's church of england men begat charles the second's church of england men . — priestl . begat , and begat ? why ; i don't think the church of england men dropt out of the skie . — merr. that 's not the point . — priestl . — what then ? merr. why , then i say , you do not read in any story , since the growth of christianity , that ever any crowned head was ever brought to a formal barr of justice , till mary queen of scots was arraigned , try'd , convicted , sentenc'd , and formally beheaded by queen elizabeth ; and the clergy were a part of the body , that pressed and urged the queen to hasten her execution . priest-l . the interest of the protestant religion then requir'd it . merr. oh! but your bathonian doctor tells ye , you must not do ill , that good may come of it . how strangely the case is alter'd ? queen elizabeth mig●●●ut a sovereign prince to death to secure the protestant religion , but now 't is a crime to exclude a popish succession that menaces the destruction of it . priest-l . what d' ye talk ? now i think on 't , she was a plotter against the queen . merr. could ye blame her for plotting ( though she absolutely deny'd it ) against a person that kept her from the enjoyment of her kingdom ? one that had deceiv'd her with chains and imprisonments , after she had made choice of her kingdom for sanctuary and assistance . priest-l . well but now i think on 't again , i have something to whisper in your ear , in the behalf of queen elizabeth . did not jehu and jehoiadah cause jezebel and athaliah to be put to death ? merr. that won't serve your turn . — they were neither of 'em sovereign princes . the queen of scots was an absolute princess ; nay , she insisted upon her sovereignty too , and her not being accountable to any , but god : but nothing would do ; she that came for succour , met with a heads-man for all that . priest●l . well , i 'll say this for queen elizabeth , tho she be dead and gone , that i am confident she would never have done it , could she have told how to have avoided it . merr. that may very well be ; for we find , that the nobility , and chief of the clergy would never let her be at quiet , till she had given order for the execution . and therefore 't is plain , that the church of england-men did hold king-killing , or queen-killing doctrine , which is the same thing . so that , if knox , buchanan , or calvin first taught the speculative part , the t'other first put it in practice , and set the fatal president , that others follow'd . priest-l . grant it were so , — the case is alter'd now . — tempora mutantur & nos mutamur ; what our fore-fathers did , is nothing to vs. merr. the same thing may be said of the presbyterians , who always disclaim'd the fact , were the first that endeavour'd to prevent the vnfortunate tragedy , and the first that put their helping hands to the restauration of the right heir . it cannot be imagined , but that the queen of england , restless as she was , what to do at that conjuncture , consulted the choicest of her divines and her chaplains , in point of conscience ; and it is as evident , that they in some measure satisfied her , by the event . so that either they spoke against their consciences , or else they were of that opinion , which you condemn in others , but cannot discover in your selves . therefore keep close to your texts , and let six hundred forty one sleep in the bed of oblivion , lest you wake five hundred eighty seven about your ears : who , should he be once conjur'd up , will hardly be laid again by all the skill of sam 's coffee-house . priest-l . well , well . — leave it to them. — they 'll find out a way to salve all this business , i warrant ye . merr. this i only speak ( neighbour ) to put you in mind , that there were formerly , certain people in the world , called pharisees , persons that always extoll'd their own holiness and vertues , and laid crimes and miscarriages to the charge of other men ; perhaps , not so guilty as themselves . more than this , i find by one of the great satyrists against the late times , nebuchadnezzar but very odly justifi'd , for putting out zedechiah's eyes . we do not wonder at the ruin of zedechiah , nor was the ruining of him a crime on nebuchadnezzar's part. priest-l . he gives ye a reason , i warrant ye . merr. a notable one . for ( says he ) absolute princes are co-ordinate , and stand upon the same level ; and if upon sufficient provocations the one happens to gain his neighbour's crown , the fact is just by right of conquest . priest-l . well — what think you of it now ? merr. truly i wonder i did not meet with this argument in the king of france's declaration , to justifie his invasion of flanders . but how does this justifie the ruining of zedechia ? for if the king of france should conquer the king of spain , it does not presently follow , that the one must put out the others eyes . priest-l . but if the one be subordinate to the other , which was clearly the case of zedechia , the recovery of the crown is in the supream prince an act of justice , and the punishment of an inferior prince who abjureth his fealty , is by all nations allow'd to be a righteous act of vengeance . priest-l . could an angel have said more ? merr. an angel ! why i say this is all nonsence . for there was never any such thing as subordinate soveraign in the world. a soveraign prince though meaner in power , is equal in priviledge and dignity to the most puissant . when he becomes tributary , he is only titular , and no soveraign . if zedechia were monarch of judea , he was equal to the assyrian monarch , and it was a crime in nebuchadnezzar to ruin him , and put out his eyes . and i would fain know , what nation i' the world , ever thought it a righteous act of vengeance , to punish a tributary prince for endeavouring to recover his people and himself , from thraldom and sworn homage , to which the fortune of war had reduc'd him . if zedechia were only nebuchadnezzars slave , his viceroy , or substitute , then the case alters in●eed ; but to talk of punishing subordinate soveraigns , is to countenance the crime , against which the gentleman was exclaiming all his sermon along . priest-l . but nebuchadnezzar all this while did not cut off zedechiah's head. merr. truly much at one — for chains and a head without eyes , could be no extraordinary comforts to a meaner man then zedechia . priest-l . well sir , the sermon was a good sermon , and the gentleman meant well . merr. and i wish him the honour he deserves , that nebuchadnezzar were now alive to make him his chaplain . priest-l . there 's no need of that ; he is already chaplain to a great person , and serves a fine gentleman . merr. that he does with a vengeance — for you may read him acknowledging himself the most abject slave in the world , to pin a piece of flattery upon his patron . priest-l . where have you pick'd up that ? merr. in the dedication of the sermon before mention'd to the d. of s. in these words . so far am i from owning that principle , that man is born free , that i confess my self and all that bear my name , to have inherited such a state of servitude to your lordship , as if according to the mosaical custom , your noble ancestors had bor'd the ears not of our progenitors only , but of their whole issue . priest-l . will ye blame him for his gratitude ? merr. by no means ; but this is such a piece of gratitude , as never was heard of , to disown himself born free , to involve his whole generation without their consent , and entail a perpetual slavery upon his succession , for chaplain-entertainment , and admission to the first course . i cannot tell what large possessions he may hold from his patron in soccage ( for he will not allow 'em in frank almonage ) but certainly they cannot be so great as to entitle him and his posterity to such a servitude as he would fain aspire to . for if he disown his freedom in a theological sense , he denies the scripture ; if either in the ethical or political sense , let him have what opinion of himself he pleases ; we are not bound to believe his paradoxes , and deny our selves one of the chiefest blessings that heaven and nature has afforded us . — licet , ut volo , vivere ; non sim liberior bruto ? priest-l . don't tell me , i 'de not give a rush now adays for a complement without a hyperbole . merr. that 's as much as to say , your worship loves to be flatter'd — may that happiness attend your worship — 't is prince-like indeed — but for my part , i am for none of your hyperbolical complements , especially in dedications to sermons . for it shews there may be much of poetical license in the sermon too , that follows . but wee 'l leave the gentleman to have his ears bor'd by his patron ; and consequently mark'd for what he professes himself to be ; and pass on to the quintessence of courtship ; such a piece that i do not find the like in all the academy of complements . his first oblations are to the mother in this seraphick phrase . for as for your ladiship , i must beg pardon of your modesty to say , that your great prudence and piety is a sufficient guard against all temptations to those sins , which in this following discourse are found guilty of all the miseries and mischiefs of mankind . prist-l . bless me ! what 's here but a zealous complement ? merr. a complement , sir ! why 't is the elixir of the miseries of love and eloquence . it ought to have been written with the quill of an angels wing in letters of gold , and sent upon the wings of a lark to st. winifreid . priest-l . do you know sir , what the lady is , or what her vertues are ? merr. no sir , neither will i derogate from them . she may be a lady after gods own heart , for ought i know : but i am sure it was such a sufficiency , that neither david nor solomon with all their prudence and piety could ever boast of . and therefore it argues a high piece of sycophantism , to attribute those praises and sufficiencies to mortal frailty , which are meerly supernatural ; and for which the person himself is forc'd to beg pardon of the ladys modesty before he can proclaim ' em . 't is palpable he strain'd hard , and that his brains were upon the tenterhooks for a piece of purse-opening sublimity . priestl . why , what if it did produce him twenty broad pieces , or so ? what then ? merr. nay , he deserv'd it double for what he afterwards gives to the son. of whom ( says he ) i think , i may without complement , say , that he seems to be so made by nature , as if god had on purpose fram'd him , to demonstrate the beauty and lovelyness of virtue , to those of his quality , in this degenerate age. priestl . and all this may be real — for ( he says ) he speaks it without a complement . merr. nay , by your leave he does but think so neither . — for my part , i wish the dedication may not have prais'd the young gentleman out of the world — for 't is the general observation , that persons of such rare perfections seldom live long — i remember a gentlewoman that lost a hopeful child once , and the nurse gave that reason for it . but you do not observe , sir ; here 's a young gentleman made by nature , and fram'd by god , and the master-piece of both it seems . so that if there should be never another such a pattern in all his majesties dominions , you must not think it strange . priestl . truly , i must confess , this is something an incomprehensible complement . merr. nay , he goes higher yet . priest-l . 't is impossible ! merr. yes he does ; and that most soaringly too . for ( says he , speaking of the aforesaid gentleman ) so naturally is he inclin'd to all good , and averse from any thing that is evil , that one would almost think that he alone was exempted from that general corruption and depravity of nature , which all other men derive from adam . priestl . 't was well that almost came in , in time — my hair began to stand an end . merr. you see he has made the young gentleman almost a god upon earth . had it not been for that almost , and one single imperfection more in the gentleman , that he suffer'd this complement to be made him , not much more could have been attributed to the humanity of christ himself : and you are also to mind the word alone , upon which the stress of the complement lyes . priestl . 't is ill plac'd — i don't deny it — but yet i would fain find out an excuse for this gentleman — because i believe him to be a tory. — merr. do you believe this to be a hyperbole , or no ? priestl . yes — i tell ye . — merr. why then you must believe it be a sublime piece of flattery : and yet this was done by one that arraign'd and convicted all the sins of mankind — your humble servant , robert wensley . priest-l . well — but you shall make an excuse for this gentleman . — merr. troth , i can't do it — you must e'en go to the great excuse-forge in ludgate-street — there you will find the lay-chairman of the crape-gown committee , whom you may first fee , and then employ — but the jest is this , that after the gentleman has seraphim'd and cherubim'd the lady and her son , he wishes them all the happinessess of this world , and that which is to come ; as if the latter could be deny'd to persons so supernaturaliz'd , and fitted for heaven . priest-l . and thence you infer , that the gentleman spoil'd his own complement . — merr. i do so . — priest-l . — i am glad on 't withall my heart — for now will i make that pass for a good excuse , as i 'le manage the business . — merr. — well make your best on 't — for i am now proceeding to other matter — can you preach before the artillery company ? priestl . not i , in good truth . — merr. why then , i 'le tell ye — if you would preach before the artillery company — priest-l . prithee why can 't the artillery company march to the hewing down half a score chines of beef , but they must have a sermon , like a generals speech to encourage 'em to the battel ? merr. nay — i can give you no great reason for that ; but if you will preach before the artillery company , you must make a military sermon , i 'me sure of that . — priest-l . as how ? — merr. why — you must be certain to take a text first , wherein you find the word soldiers ; that common sense will teach ye . — priest-l . — and what then . — merr. why then ephes. . will help ye very much . but because that chapter is too well known you may pass it by cursorily , and come to the more novel terms of art , as drums , and beats : for example , if you would give 'em a hint of the late times , as it is very expedient to do , you must say thus , — when the pulpit was the drum , and curse ye meroz the beat. by way of reproof you may tax 'em for cashiering their honour by vice , and suffering themselves to be beleaguerd by their lusts. a wing of miscreants , the muzzle of a gun , or the swords point are very proper expressions . forewarn 'em too , that they be not pioneers to blow up religion . priest-l . that 's an improper expression . — merr. 't is no matter for that — 't will do well enough in a pulpit — and besides you 'l find most of the red feather men asleep — then you may compare a good conscience to a sentinel ; and be sure to bid the souldiers take great care of leaping over the lines , and breaking their ranks . priest-l . but where are the blunderbusses , and the bandeleers all this while — merr. i believe they were forgot — but i found that the souldiers came to john the baptist like a forlorn-hope , and that they came in the rear too . priest-l . o but i would have had bandeleers and blunderbusses in . — merr. why sir , i believe there might be some sort of blunderbusses among ' em . — priest-l . i do not mean such blunderbusses — i mean discharging , firing blunderbusses , such as will kill a man of ten thousand a year . — merr. what would you have had him done with ' em . — priest-l . discharg'd 'em , ( had their been a hundred ) against the phanaticks . merr. why there were a sort of people , that the parson was very angry with ; but he charged them so furiously himself , that there was no need of any other assistance . priest-l . well , but where are the culverin , and the demiculverin ? were there none of them neither ? merr. they never march with them — they are too troublesome i' the street . priest-l . well , — but the gentleman might have put two or three into his sermon , tho — merr. why , sir — he did as well . — he had several thundering expressions . — priest-l . had he so ? and he was truly angry , you say ? merr. truly angry , sir ! as a man ought to be , that preaches before souldiers . — well , but would you now preach acutely among the lawyers ? — priest-l . what then ? merr. why then , you must use another sort of dialect , as thus : god resents the treason , grants a particular commission of oyer and terminer , finds the bill , and presently gives sentence . in an assize-sermon you ought to be very quaint , and magisterial — to tell the judges their duties , the counsel their's , the jury-men their's , and the plaintiff and defendant their's . then you are to give the judges particular directions about the giving of oaths in this manner , that they ought to take care , that oaths be administer'd in all courts of judicature by those of greatest authority present ; and not by the cryers , who are generally young , heedless clerks , and only mind their groats . — nay , you may tell 'em , if you please , that no man ought to take an oath , after he has eaten his breakfast . if you speak of a thing doubtful , you may say , you will return a jury of twelve primitive bishops , or more , ( and then , i suppose , it must be a grand jury ) all good men and true , to prove it . or thus : if these things be so , i require him to prove it ; if not , st. paul's doctrine will be found billa vera in heaven . priest-l . but what need of all this ? — what necessity for a size-sermon . merr. only to give the counsel time to take their fees , and read over their breviates — i could never find any other reason — and therefore i have known some judges pretend haste of business , and desire the gentleman to keep his sermon cold till another time . others i have known , when the gentleman has been too tediously wrapt up in his own conceits , that have gone out of the church ( and you know the croud follows the scarlet ) and left him to talk out the rest to the pillars . there was one young stripling was mighty severe upon the judges , and their clerks ; but when the judge came to the mayors house , whither he was that day invited , he found ( by a fatal mischance ) the same sermon in the mayors window , printed long before . priestl . however there may be some benefits reap'd by these sermons . merr. which way ? as for example in the case of judicial swearing , to talk of the pythagoreans , the grecian laws , the ancient germans , jupiters old priests , and kata tou meizo nos homnyousi , to the judges , they are too well qualified , as to understand much more than their teacher ; and for the vnder-sheriff and his talis-men , as they understand not what was said , so they regard it as little . i would fain know how far the league between hannibal , and the king of macedon will affect them ? or how far it will operate upon a gaping country fellow , to bid him not swear in vain ? because tertullian disallows it ? these things are to be press'd upon the people in plain home-spun-kersey sermons ; not in finical flanders , lac'd harangues to the judges . either they preach to the people , or the judges . — but they don't preach to the people , for they can't understand ' em . — therefore they preach to the judges ; and that 's but ill manners . lastly , you are to terrifie 'em with the day of judgment ; which , to put in proper terms , you may call the grand assize , where all writs of error shall be rectified . priest-l . well , but if they will preach , i think t is very proper , that they should use words and expressions adapted to the subject . merr. 't is very right , sir. — it tickles the fancy , as you would tickle ones eare with a straw : however to knock terms of art out of joynt among artists , seldom produces more then laughter and dinner-discourse . priestl . i must confess , i would not have a man in an assize sermon tell the judges a story of the good samaritan ? merr. that 's very proper , sir , — for a judge may poure the balsome of recovery upon a gentleman 's almost lost estate . that will hold , sir. priestl . nor would i have a man talk to a company of seamen , like a dancing master . merr. that 's very well too , sir — for a man may say , the ship dances in a rough sea , very properly — nothing better . i tell ye sir , a man of art and dexterity ( to speak in theology , like a seaman ) may bring any text to bear upon any point of a subject he pleases . — as for example , to prove the power of king's , and particularly of the british monarchy . a gentleman takes this text , psalm . vers . . against thee only have i sinned . priestl . this is a great argument — for he that can only sin against god , is accomptable to none but god. merr. sir , i do not here go about to dispute the power or absolutenless of the british monarchy . for we have secular arguments of greater force to prove that thesis , were the pulpit ( as it ought to be ) silent as to those matters ; but only to shew , that it cannot be prov'd from this text , notwithstanding the dexterity of the gentleman to traverse it , and to make it bear upon that subject . priestl . well — proceed . — merr. in the first place , i would fain know , why david should aim at that time , more particularly in the psalm , to assert the power of the british , than of the spanish monarchy . for my part , i am apt to believe he was otherwise emyloy'd , then to think of either . in the next place , i conceive the gentleman does not take the interpretation of the words right . for the words l'ke l'babka chatathi ; against thee , against thee only have i sinned , were without question utter'd in reference to the privacy of the fact committed , which lay conceal'd from all the world but god ( joab being then an accomplice ) and david having recompenc'd the injur'd lady by marriage . which the very next words , explanatory of the first , and to them annexed , and made part of the sentence , by the coputative ve , seem to demonstrate . v ' harang b'gneneka gnasithi : and the evil i have done in thy sight ; not in the sight of any other . and therefore he makes this confession ; to what end ? not to shew that he was unaccountable to none but god , but to justify the almighty in what punishment he should inflict upon him ; as the last words of the text demonstratively imply ; l'magnan tit sd●k b'dabreka , tizkeb b'shaphreka , to the end thou maist be justify'd in thy word , and pure in thy judgment . and therefore these words seem to be grounded , more likely , upon davids calling to mind the words of the prophet nathan , sam. . v. . thou didst it secretly — but i , &c. to which this confession seems to have referrence . for there was then no difference between the king and his people , nor my reason for the king to appeal to heaven , about his power . and this is that which makes me believe , there is no more ground , to prove the power of the british monarchy , from this sorrowful ejaculation of david , so dreadfully alarum'd by the king of kings himself ; then there is to prove the jurisdiction of the british parliaments from the . sam. c. . v. . so all the elders of israel came to the king to hebron , and david made a league with them in hebron before the lord. i would wish the gentleman for arguments sake next time to take this text in hand , and try what he can do with it : for if he can but find out what that league was that king david made with the people , we should sooner find by that , whither david were accountable to none but god or no , then by his text. priestl . i must confess , i don't understand your hebrew , not i ; but my thinks 't is a very pretty text. merr. the text is a very good text , but you can't think the fellows that are hang'd were accountable to none but god , because they sing the very words at the gallows . — but i suppose you have heard of another gentleman , and he 's a sharper — i mean he that undertakes to prove the unlawfulness of the bill of exelusion from job . the . c. . v. upon this ground , that it is not lawful for a man to do evil , that good may come of it . priestl . yes , i have hear'd of him , and i suppose you are of the same opinion . merr. truly , i belive there are many things which that gentleman may call evil , which reason of state will not allow to be so . and i believe , that state policy , is not bound to be confin'd , to his more narrow approhension of things , nor to take his direction in things , wherein he has nothing to do to give it . it may be said , that it was not lawful for queen elizabeth to assist the prince of orange , to advance the protestant religion ; but yet she did it , without taking notice of his maxim - ▪ a captain of a man of war being too hotly engag'd , and like to be taken by the enemy , is bound to sink his ship , and blow up , it may be , three or four hundred men , rather than deliver his charge to the enemy . one would think it were an evil in it self to destroy so many innocent souls , and subjects of the king , yet unless this evil be committed , that good may come of it , that is to say , the preservation of the princes and the nations honour ; that captain shall be shot to death , by the laws of war , if he do not do it . so that in what is evil , or what is good , they who are managers of the publick government of kingdoms and principalities , are not to be guided by the little rectors of parishes . priestl . well , i must grant , this was a little too farr strain'd — and truly i think the texts were ill chosen too ; the one from the words of a suppliant to god , and the other from an exhortation to a person , permissively under the clutches of the devil ; but now i shall never have done with ye . — merr. upon my word , sir , i 'le give ye but one more of this nature . — priestl . well proceed . merr. a parson not long since preaching at chertsey , sir , having undertaken to prove the excellency of monarchy , takes his text judg. . vers . . in those days there was no king in israel , but every man did that which was right in his own eyes . priestl . how could this be ? a government without a king , and yet an excellent monarchy ! merr. oh sir — you see they have the art of doing these things . priestl . well , but how did he do it ? for i am in great expectation . merr. why , sir , he prov'd it from several evil accidents , that happen'd at that time , for want of a monarch . — priestl . o' my word — a very good way . — merr. first — micah made a molten and a graven image , and an ephod , and a teraphim ; which was , because there was no king in israel ; for had there been a king in israel , there had been no idolatry . priest-l . this is but an ill beginning . merr. secondly , the levites taking a concubine , and her playing the whore against him , was , because there was no king in israel . thirdly , the ravishing of the levites concubine was , because there was no king in israel , for had there been a king in israel , the levites concubine had not been ravished . priest-l . enough . — merr. nay , sir , i have no more at present . — priest-l . gad , i smell a rat ; this is some whig-story of your own invention . merr. whigg me no whiggs ; — i understand no such names of distinction . — but i know more than one , or two , or three , that heard him . — priest-l . then he is — merr. why , sir , he keeps his foot-man . priest-l . does he ? then he 's high enough ; what need he play the fool , for church-preferment ? — merr. but what d' ye think of that bathonian squire , ( for i can hardly call him minister ) that rides tantivy , tantivy , against jack presbyter , as he calls him , with his lance couch'd in his rest , like don bellianis of greece , as if he would overturn him at the first course ? priest-l . why truly , i find him in a very great passion . merr. yes , in such a passion , that you may read his whole book in his title-page , and discover the rancor of his mind in thirteen capital letters . priest-l . but they affronted him , it seems — merr. affronted him ! where was his christian charity ? because a single person topham'd him in the bath , therefore must he , like a pretended attorney-general of a minister , undertake to impeach a whole order of men , that contend with him in principles of divinity and morality , and most certainly out-do him in preaching . priest-l . but you know , there are some things ( as the proverb says ) will vex a saint . merr. and truly , it was a most saint-like designe , to revenge himself upon the presbyterians , by endeavouring to prove the vnlawfulness of the bill of exclusion , from the afflictions of job . priest-l . as to the revenge , i can say little ; but as to the ingenuity of the business , i find you do not apprehend it . merr. as how ? priest-l . for had the bill pass'd , it might have been an affliction to the parties concern'd . merr. i 'le swear , friend priest-love , you have hit it ; i did not apprehend it before . priest-l . well , — but what say you to the sermon it self ? — merr. i think it not worth the name of a sermon . — in short , it is such a meer tongue-granado , such a composition of brim-stone and fire , that i wonder it does not kindle of it self , and fire the book-sellers shop . and , in a word , the author may be call'd the tory's hick●ringhil . priest-l . well — have ye done now ? merr. i have only one request t' ye , because i know y' are a great frequenter of sam 's coffee-house , to desire those gentlemen , ( especially the historians ) either to let alone their quotations ; or else to cite 'em so , that we may find 'em to be men of reading — priest-l . why , what exceptions do you make against their quotations ? merr. why , sir , i find the author of the present miseries of sin , telling my lord mayor the dreadful example of sylla , who in a violent fit of rage , vomited up his soul , mixed with blood and threatnings . for which he cites valerius maximus , whom he calls a historian . in the first place , valerius maximus was no historian ; but only a collector of history . in the second place , plutarch and pliny would have told him , that he did not die of a violent passion , but of a phthiriasis , or the disease call'd morbus pediculosus . priest-l . but you see valerius maximus was best for his turn . merr. that 's true indeed ; — and i would have allow'd it at paul's school . in the next place , he tells ye of alexander the great 's killing of clitus . and for this he cites oliverius's notes upon valerius maximus ; whereas he might have quoted plutarch or arrianus for the same thing ; and that had been done like a schollar . the story of ptolomy , king of cyprus , is in plutarch's life of cato ; so that he need not have been beholding to oliverius's notes upon valerius maximus for it . priest-l . what 's that to you , if the gentleman had a peculiar kindness for valerius maximus ? merr. dear mr. priest-love , i bear no malice to valerius maximus in the least : only i say , 't is somewhat pedantick , to quote an index , when a man may cite the book it self . but i more wonder , that a doctor should cite cicero , for a piece of history ; about the romans enacting laws against the worship of strange gods , when he might have adorn'd his margent much more to the purpose , and more properly out of livy himself . priest-l . why should you be angry at this ? merr. you mistake , sir ; i am so far from being angry , that since quotation and margent-filling are only acts of vain-glory and ostentation , i would not have gentlemen unwarily lose their applause by ill management . — i promise ye , i expect that some of 'em should thank me for this good advice . priest-l . ha' ye done now ? — merr. yes , sir. — priest-l . why now then let me ask thee , what is the meaning of all this clutter and hurly-burly ? certainly , it must be the phanaticks , that make it . — merr. faith , sir , i can give no account of it ; but i find the church of england-men are very angry . — you cannot come to hear or read a sermon made upon any publick occasion , but let the text be what it will , half the sermon is matter of state. — one cries out against the popish protestants ; another cries , pope populus in parliament ; another , no less than a parson-justice , lifts up the weavers-beam of his indignation , and lays upon the parliament of the whole nation , as if he had engaged all his divinity for the certainty of the mortal stroke . the weight of his text was two hundred shekels of silver — by me kings reign . — the weight of his doctrine , a hundred and fifty : — that monarchy is jure divino . — the weight of the rest , you may guess by what follows : — they that reign , ought to be kings ; not commonwealths , not lords and commons ; not parliaments , ( especially parliaments , that by bare votes would abrogate laws ) not parliaments , that by arbitrary proceedings would infringe the liberty of the subject ; not parliaments , that would exclude the right heir from the crown ; not parliaments , that are guilty of high treason . — was it not well now the parliament was not at thetford ? else , for ought i know , they might have been committed . — priest-l . i confess , zeal may sometimes a little exceed . — however , they are men , and rational men ; and sure they would not do this , but that they have some reason for it . merr. why truly , sir , i believe some think it pleases , and therefore they do it in hopes of preferment . others , out of an over-weaning pride , and conceit of themselves , and contempt of their brethren . and then , i' the next place , there is such a numerous fry , that hunger and thirst after maintenance , and so few bones i' the nation , that they snarte at all , who pretend to share with ' em . if you will hear their own acknowledgment , the author of the properties of heavenly wisdom , confesses , that the quarrels are sleeveless , de lana caprina , as he calls it , about habits , gestures , days , and other ceremonials . priest-l . why then , one would think , such differences as these , might easily be laid asleep , by a charitable condescension on both sides . merr. ay — but then again , says the same author , the confused noise of pro and con , ob and sol , i may add whigg and tory , drowns the voice behind us , which tells us , this is the right way , walk in it . we find also , that some men are obstinately attack'd to their own opinions ; and these are a sort of people , who believe that mutual love and charity are only owing to those of their own sect. priest-l . that 's contrary , i am sure , to the scope of christian perfection , and the precepts of christ , and his apostles . merr. what care some men for that ? especially they , who are guided by that maxim of hell , divide & impera . interest , you know , sir , has govern'd the world , how long d' ye think ? priest-l . why truly , i believe , ever since i can remember . merr. why , there 's the grand cause of all our misfortunes . if you would but remove that obstacle — priestl . why then i 'le propose a way — what think ye of a national council ? merr. i dare not undertake to propose it , sir ; but as to that i 'le give ye the words of the author of the old way of ending new controversies . a national council ought more especially oblige us , to determine the controversies among us ; because their decrees are our own acts , as having chosen the persons who represent us in it . priestl . very honestly spoken , what think you ? — merr. that 's a thing to be left wholly to authority — i have nothing to do with it — but in my opinion , there is a worthy gentleman has put your friends into an extraordinary method . whither they will follow it or no , i cannot tell ; but i am apt to believe it is much more wholsome advice , than is given them by their adored guide , to whom they bow at sam 's coffee-house . and therefore because they shall not be offended with me , i will give them the gentleman 's own words . it is not material ( says he , ) from whence bad men derive their principles of disloyalty , since it is too certain , they owe all their success and advantages to our sins ; as these increase , so do they ; they have both one common fate , they multiply and decrease together . our prophaneness and contempt of religion , begets in them a contempt of authority and the laws ; and the neglect of that holy service we pretend to extol , adds greater numbers to our enemies than all their art and industry can pervert . if we would weaken that faction , let us take away the support they have among our selves , the open scandal and viciousness of our lives , and then they are left without pretence , and fall without our trouble . let us confute their reproaches by a reformation of our manners , and detect their hypocrisy , not by washing off the paint with satyr , but by confronting their pretence and form with solid and sincere piety . without this , all other means will be to little purpose . without this loyalty is but affectation , a thing no less unserviceable than it will be uncertain . and with this i will conclude ; firmly believing , if this advice were follow'd , all thundering in pulpits , and caballing in coffee-houses , would soon be at an end. finis . notes, typically marginal, from the original text notes for div a -e smith , de graecae ecclesiae bodierno statu . preface t● his pindarick odes . poem upon sir philip sidneys translation . friendly debate . psal. . . ps. . . ps. . . ps. . . ps. . . psal. . sermon preached on the anniversary of that most execrable murder of k. charles , the first royal martyr . . p. . sermon call'd the present miseries and mischiefs of sin. humble plea for the quiet rest of god's ark. assize sermon , preached at york , call'd the nature , &c. of solemn judicial swearing , &c. mark of the beast , p. . primitive christian. p. . sermon preached at wakefield octo. th . . pag. . pag. . sermon preach'd at bow - church , jan. . . bow-church . bath-church . thetford-sizes . pag. . p. . m. maurices sermon , preached before the king , jan. . . speculum crape-gownorum, or, an old looking-glass for the young academicks, new foyl'd with reflections on some of the late high-flown sermons : to which is added, an essay towards a sermon of the newest fashion / by a guide to the inferiour clergy. phillips, john, - . approx. kb of xml-encoded text transcribed from -bit group-iv tiff page images. text creation partnership, ann arbor, mi ; oxford (uk) : - (eebo-tcp phase ). a wing p estc r ocm this keyboarded and encoded edition of the work described above is co-owned by the institutions providing financial support to the early english books online text creation partnership. this phase i text is available for reuse, according to the terms of creative commons . universal . the text can be copied, modified, distributed and performed, even for commercial purposes, all without asking permission. early english books online. (eebo-tcp ; phase , no. a ) transcribed from: (early english books online ; image set ) images scanned from microfilm: (early english books, - ; : ) speculum crape-gownorum, or, an old looking-glass for the young academicks, new foyl'd with reflections on some of the late high-flown sermons : to which is added, an essay towards a sermon of the newest fashion / by a guide to the inferiour clergy. phillips, john, - . defoe, daniel, ?- . the second edition corrected and enlarged. [ ], p. printed for e. rydal, london : . wrongly ascribed to daniel defoe. an attack on the tory clergy. advertisement: p. . reproduction of original in huntington library. created by converting tcp files to tei p using tcp tei.xsl, tei @ oxford. re-processed by university of nebraska-lincoln and northwestern, with changes to facilitate morpho-syntactic tagging. gap elements of known extent have been transformed into placeholder characters or elements to simplify the filling in of gaps by user contributors. eebo-tcp is a partnership between the universities of michigan and oxford and the publisher proquest to create accurately transcribed and encoded texts based on the image sets published by proquest via their early english books online (eebo) database (http://eebo.chadwyck.com). the general aim of eebo-tcp is to encode one copy (usually the first edition) of every monographic english-language title published between and available in eebo. eebo-tcp aimed to produce large quantities of textual data within the usual project restraints of time and funding, and therefore chose to create diplomatic transcriptions (as opposed to critical editions) with light-touch, mainly structural encoding based on the text encoding initiative (http://www.tei-c.org). the eebo-tcp project was divided into two phases. the , texts created during phase of the project have been released into the public domain as of january . anyone can now take and use these texts for their own purposes, but we respectfully request that due credit and attribution is given to their original source. users should be aware of the process of creating the tcp texts, and therefore of any assumptions that can be made about the data. text selection was based on the new cambridge bibliography of english literature (ncbel). if an author (or for an anonymous work, the title) appears in ncbel, then their works are eligible for inclusion. selection was intended to range over a wide variety of subject areas, to reflect the true nature of the print record of the period. in general, first editions of a works in english were prioritized, although there are a number of works in other languages, notably latin and welsh, included and sometimes a second or later edition of a work was chosen if there was a compelling reason to do so. image sets were sent to external keying companies for transcription and basic encoding. quality assurance was then carried out by editorial teams in oxford and michigan. % (or pages, whichever is the greater) of each text was proofread for accuracy and those which did not meet qa standards were returned to the keyers to be redone. after proofreading, the encoding was enhanced and/or corrected and characters marked as illegible were corrected where possible up to a limit of instances per text. any remaining illegibles were encoded as <gap>s. understanding these processes should make clear that, while the overall quality of tcp data is very good, some errors will remain and some readable characters will be marked as illegible. users should bear in mind that in all likelihood such instances will never have been looked at by a tcp editor. the texts were encoded and linked to page images in accordance with level of the tei in libraries guidelines. copies of the texts have been issued variously as sgml (tcp schema; ascii text with mnemonic sdata character entities); displayable xml (tcp schema; characters represented either as utf- unicode or text strings within braces); or lossless xml (tei p , characters represented either as utf- unicode or tei g elements). keying and markup guidelines are available at the text creation partnership web site . eng clergy -- england. - tcp assigned for keying and markup - aptara keyed and coded from proquest page images - olivia bottum sampled and proofread - olivia bottum text and markup reviewed and edited - pfs batch review (qc) and xml conversion speculum crape-gownorum : or , an old looking-glass for the young academicks , new foyl'd : with reflections on some of the late high-flown sermons ▪ to which is added , an essay towards a sermon of the newest fashion . by a guide to the inferiour clergy . the second edition corrected and enlarged . — ridentem dicere verum quis vetat ? — london , printed for e. rydal . . we find there are a so●t of people very much troubled to behold their deformities in this looking-glass , and have therefore hired that musty-brain'd fool heraclitus , to bestow some of his carman like● thames-street raillery upon it . but in re●ard that all unbyas●ed readers , cannot but perceive that the thing was never intended to be otherwise than what it is , a mixture of old and new ; since the mixture of ●olly and extravagance in the young clergy is still the ●ame ; therefore that iack-pudding to the bear-garden , heraclitus , might have spared his bank-side yest and froth till he had met with something● that he might have done more prejudice to ▪ than he can do to this looking-glass , a porter like-droll , whose . — ●riste caput fastidia vespillonum et miseri meruit tedia carnificis . 't is a mistake — they that should guide and conduct the conversation of others , run in shoals to learn loyalty from the heavenly discourses of roger l'estrange ; and happy is he that can nearest approach to his directions in thei● pulpit harangues . there is no question to be made , but that all who understand the excellency and perfection of church● discipline , must confess the church of england , under its present constitution , to be the most orthodox , the most pure , without the phylacteries of hypocritical ceremonies , and the closest to primitive institution of any religion in the world. and this is further to be said for the protestant english clergy , that you rarely hear of any that fall under those publick scandals and reproaches , for which the romish clergy , from the highest to the lowell , are loudly and so generally taxed , so tha● they sin more out of vanity than wickedness . but the nation is so overstocked with crape gowns , that 't is impossible but that in such a number there must be failings among them , subject to great remark and observation : an ill omen of sick divinity when it comes to be mantled in the shrouds appropriated for the dead . now these men in crape , as they are generally young , so they are generally very highly conceited . a character which they will much more advance , if they refuse to receive the admonishments of others , as they undertake to be the instructers of others themselves . and therefore they will do well kindly to accept of this mirror here presented them , new foyl'd and furbish'd up , to be placed in their studies , and look'd in every morning , by which means they will be able to find the reason why some of their churches are so empty , others so numerously thronged , and by reforming their own contemplated blemishes , gain an esteem , both of their persons and their doctrine , more operative upon the good opinions of the people . no p●agiary looking-glass , as that coxcomb heraclitus has with a debauch'd , and ridiculous mummery intimated to the world. 't is most certain then , that there is something which does lessen the value of many of our clergy , and render them less serviceable to the church , than might be reasonably hoped for : and this may be referred to two very plain things , the ignorance of some , and the poverty of others . this proceeds in part from the old fashioned methods and discipline of schooling itself : by vertue of which lads are kept till sixteen on seventeen years of age ▪ in a pure slavery to a few latine and greek words , tormented with a tedious story how phaeton brake his neck , or how many nuts and apples tityrus had for his supper ; and instead of being ●nticed and charmed into a love of learning , are well lashed into an abhorrency of their studies . add to this the inconsiderate sending of all sorts of lads to the universities , let their par●s be never so low and mean , the instructions they have been ●u●ored withal never so pedantick and contemptible , and the purses of their friends never so bare and● short to maintain them there , if they have but the commendation of some lamentable soul , or pitiful const●uing● pedant , it passes for a most undoubted approbation of the striplings learning , and that they will prove persons very eminent in the church : as much as to say , if a lad ▪ though otherwise a jo●thead , have but so much memory as to sing over to a lamentable tune three or four scanzas of lilly's poetry ; if he be quick and ready to tell what 's latine for all the implements in his fathers shop , or his mothers kitchen , if he can but tell a sponde from a dactyl ; lastly , if he can give ready answers to the usual catechism , of what is his n●me ? where went he to school ; what books he has learn'd ? i profess a notable wit , cries the pedagogue : a hopeful youth , 't is a thousand pities but he should be a scholar ; he 'l prove a brave clergy man , and an excellent preacher i warrant ye . then away with him presently to the university , where he learns a little logick , and a little ethicks , and to speak truth and shame the devil , a very little of every thing else , and then the next time you meet him , whip ! he 's got into the pulpit . well , when they have him at the universitie , what do they do with him there ? there , if he be of the inferior sort , that he may not over-heat his brains with study , he is put to bed making , chamber-sweeping , and water-fetching , which are no question great preservatives against vain philosophy . however , the fellow whom he serves , cannot but in pitie , if not for conscience sake , let him glean some small morsels of his knowledge , which costs him no more then only the expence of that time while the young ●●zar is pulling off his masters stockins , or warming his nightcap : from thence he learns , quid est logica ? qua sunt virtutes morales ? and to number the predicaments in their order . this being done , he takes his leave of the university , and by the first carrier , upon a pack , away he goes by ●low marches into his nown country , with a common place book , and a medulla theologiae , and then have at a parsonage ; for the gentlemen is put to his choice , either of preaching or starving . now what a champion for truth can we expect from such a one as this ? what a raiser of doctrines , what a confounder of heresie will he be ? what an expounder of difficult tex●s ? what a resolver of cases of conscience ? and what a prudent shepherd to his whole ●●ock ? now as there are some who think that two or three years continuance at the university , to be time sufficient to fit a young man for being a great instrument in the church , so others we have so moderate , as to believe , that a solemn admission , and the paying colledge-duties ( without the trouble of philosophical discourses and disp●tations , and the like ) are virtues that will influence as far as cumberland , and improve though it be as far as st. michael's mou●t . so strangely are some people possessed , with the easiness and the small p●●parations required for the undertaking of the ministry , that though in other professions they plainly see what considerable time is spent by young students , before they have any hopes of at●aining to experience and knowledge enough to practise ; yet to preach to ord●nary people , and govern a country ●●ock , is usually deem'd such an easie task , that every one thinks himself fit for the employment ; and that as for the knack of preaching , as they call it , it is a perfection so easily attained , that he is esteemed a dunce indeed , that is not able at a very small warning , to fasten upon any text of scripture , and to ●eize and tumble it for an hour , till the glass be fairly run out , without the clerks jogging ▪ though indeed a man had better commit himself to the instructions and teaching of an approved cobler or tinker , whereby he may be duly respected according to his art and condition of life , than to live only a disesteem'd emperick in divinity . to supply this want of education , many of our youngsters seek to advance their reputation by affected words or affected and obscure notions : believing either out of simple , fantastick , vain glory , and a great ambition of being admired at , as if getting into the pulpit were a kind of staging , that nothing is more to be by them consider'd ▪ than how much the sermon procures them the gaping and staring of the people ; or else to gain a respect and reverence from the auditors , think it convenient to puzzle them , and carry them as it were into the clouds : judging , that should the ministers words be such as comes to the common ma●ket , plain and practical , he might pass probably for an honest and well meaning man , but by no●means for that thing which he would be thought to be , a scholar ▪ whereas if he give a spring now● and then in high raptures towards the uppermost heavens , dashing here and there an all● amazing word if he soars aloft in bombasti●●● huffs , preaches points de●p and mystical , and delivers the● as dark and phantastical ; this is the way to be admired , and accounted a most able and profound ●nstructer . others there are that spice , and besprinkle their harangues with greek , and latin sentences . in doing of which , though they seem by their ready naming their authors , to be very conversant with them , yet it many times proves but the gleaning of a quotation happen'd upon by chance ; and sometimes it appears that they are better acquainted with the character than the sence , like the parson that being to preach before his diocesan , and aspiring to be more learned then ordinary at such a great time , thunderd forth in the middle of his sermon out of museus ▪ an amorous piece of courtship between hero and leander ▪ quite from the matter . a strange piece of ostentation to jargonize before farmers , and shepherds , or the patron of the parish specially if invested with his lac'd-coated london visitants ; as if plain words , useful , and intelligible matter were not as good for an esquire , or one that is in commission of the peace ▪ as for him that holds the plough , or mends hedges . another sort there are ●hat stuff their sermons with frightful metaphors ; flie to both the indies , ransack heaven and earth ; down to the bottom of the sea ; romage all the shops and ware●houses , spare neither camp nor city , but they will have them . nay so injudicious and impudent will they be sometimes , that the almighty himself is often in danger of being dishonour'd ; but then to make amends for their unhallowed expressions , they screw in an as it were , or as i may so say : or else they come in hobling with their ●ame submission , or with reverence be it spoken , as if it were not better to leave out what they foresee will be interpreted for extravagancy , than to utter that , for which their own consciences ●ell them they must be forc'd to lay in an excuse before●hand . some there are whose metaphorical knack is all for the sea , and then you shall hear of nothing but star-board and larr●board ; stemms , sterns and forecastles , and such sort of salt●water language . another supposes himself to be some great general , and he divides his text into the right and left wing ; then he rears it , ●lanks it , i●trenches it , s●orms it ; then he musters all again , to see what words we●e lost in the skirmish ▪ and so falls on again , charges through and through , routs , kills , takes , and then gentlemen as you were . others there are that are all for lacing their discourses with simili●udes , which are not onely of little force in argument , but very trifling and childish ; especially if you consider the choiceness of the authors out of which they are furnish'd . there is the never to be enough commended lic●sthenes ▪ there is that exquisite and most elaborate piece , the second part of wits commonwealth ( mind it i pray , the second part , not the first . ) there is besides a book wholly consisting of similitudes , ready fitted and apply'd to all preaching subjects , for the help of young beginners , which nevertheless they make to hit but very odly sometimes . 't is reported of a tree that grows by the river euphrates , the great river euphrates , which brings forth an apple , to the eye very fair and tempting , but inwardly is fill'd with nothing but tempting and deceitful dust : even so dust are we , and to dust we shall go . our souls gape after thee , o lord , even as the o●●ter gapes . god has knit the hearts of his people in a holy conspiracy to besiege heaven . god has taken off the bridle of restraint from the lips of the people . god was never so tempted to bow the heavens and come down to rescue his people . others drop into obscenity like him , who was alwaies comparing the sinfulness of man into menstruous clouts . others fetch their similitudes from the skies . the mercy of god in sending his son into the world ▪ was a signal mercy , it was zodiacal mercy . i say , it was truly zodiacal . for christ keeps within the tropicks : he never goes out of the pale of the church . but yet he is not alwaies at the same distance from a believer ▪ sometimes he withdraws himself into the apogeum of doubt , ●orrow and despair ; but then he comes again into the perigeum of ioy , content and assurance : but as for heathens and vnbelievers , they are arctic ●nd antarctic reprobates . a true believer , my beloved is like a cat , throw a cat up , throw her down , she will still light upon her legs : so let affl●ctions ●oss a believer any way , he will still light upon the legs of faith. the blots and blurs of our 〈◊〉 must be taken away by the aqua-fortis of our tears ; a most chymical expression . can any man imagine how the people sigh'd and cry'd , when the parson made this metaphysical confession for them ? omnipotent all , thou art onely , because thou art all , and because thou onely art . as for us , we are not ; for we are but mites of entity , and crumbs of something . as if the common people were bound to understand suarez , and the school divines . did not he do well who taught that christ was a shop-keeper , a treasury of all sorts of wares and commodities , and thereupon tearing his wide throat , cry'd ●ut , good people , what d' ye lack , what d' ye buy ? will ye have any balm of gilead , any eye salve , any myrrh , aloes , or cassia ? shall i fit ye with a robe of righteousness , or with a white garmen● ▪ see here , what is 't you want ▪ here 's a choice armory ▪ shall i shew you a helmet of salvation , a shield , or breast plate of faith ? or will you please to walk in , and see some precious stones , a iasper , a saphyr , or a calced●n ; what d' ye buy ? it would be an endless thing to reckon up all the follies that have been preach'd and printed of this kind . yet th●re is one of a person that pretended to great eloquence in his time , who advising the people to run to the lord , told them , they could not run to the lord , much less go without feet . there are therefore two feet , to run to the lord : fai●● , and prayer . 't is plain that faith is a foot , for cor. . by faith we stand ; and that prayer is a spiritual ●eg ▪ appears from ionah . . my prayer came into thy holy t●mple . heb. . . let us therefore go unto the throne of 〈◊〉 : there being no coming , and going to the lord without the leg of prayer . the same person added , now that these feet may be able to bear us thither , we must put on the hose of faith. for the apostle says , our feet must be shod with the preparation of the gospel . was it not elegantly observ'd , that goodness was the milky way to jupiter 's pallace . but that which follows was far more neat and curious , full of fancy , and worthy imitation upon those words of st. iohn ; these things i write unto you , that ye sin not . the observation was , that it is the purpose of the scripture to drive men to heaven , which he made out thus ; the scriptures contain doctrines , precepts , promises , threatnings , and histories . now take these five stones , and put them into the scrip of the heart , and throw them with the sling of faith by the hand of a strong resolution , against the forehead of sin , and we shall see it fall before us like goliah . now if these things flow naturally , or that a young levite can blow 'em out of his nose , how happy is he that can s●oop in his pulpit , and make use of his hankerchief , how easie a thing is it to drill out an hour in tickling the auditors ears with parables . but it they come hard , heav'ns bless us ! how does that poor man labour to make an ass of himself ? for similitudes without judgment are the most ridiculous things in the world : as for example , the round earth cannot fill the triangular heart of man. a most pithy expression to set forth the ambition of mankind . an errour to be laught at by the butchers boys , who know that the heart is no more triangular than a town-top . the next ornament of modern preaching is , chiming of words , as faith , hope and charity , hope , faith and charity . or thus , like the second peal-changes at st. pulchers , revelation's a lady , reason the handmaid , revelation's the esquire , reason the handmaid , revelation's the sun , reason the moon : then by and by reason leads , reason is good , but revelation much better ; reason is a counsellor , revelation is a lawgiver ; reason is the candle ; revelation the snuffer . not unlike this was the jingling determination between the old covenant and the new . the old covenant was of works , the new one of faith ; the old covenant was by moses , the new by christ ; the old covenant was before , the new one afterwards . the old was first , the new one was second . all which being undeniable truths , there was an end of the business . to come now to the method of preaching , you would think they came into the pulpit to vent their whimsies and conceits , rather than to preach sound doctrine . first , before the division of the text , there must be a preface , wherein it is of great consequence to make the text like something or other , according to the dictates of his ingenious fancy . one simpers upon his auditory , and now methinks , quo he , my text , like an ingenious picture , looks upon all here present ; in which both nobles and people may behold their sin and danger represented . this was a text taken out of hosea ; but what if it had been taken out of any other place ? why still it might have been an ingenious picture , had the gentleman so pleas'd . for it was a conceit calculated for the meridian of any text. and truly in my opinion so were all these that follow . says one , i might compare my text to the mountains of bether , where the lord disports himself as a young hart , or a pleasant roe among the spices . and there was no question but he did so ; for 't is to be suppos'd there was no body so unmannerly as to hinder him . saies another , my text is like the rod of moses , to divide the waves of sorrow ; or like the mantle of elijah , to restrain the swelling floods of grief . the first man's text for my mony ; what say you ? i say this man's — no , you are out — the first man's allusion runs higher . you shall have another climb up to his text , as thus ; as solomon went up six steps to the throne of ivory ▪ so must i as●end six degrees to come to the high meaning of my text. cries another , as deborah arose ▪ and went with barak to kadesh ; so if you will go with me and call in at the third verse of the chapter i will shew you the meaning of my text. i assure ye , very pretty conceits , both ; it would gravel a man which to choose . there are besides these several other sorts of texts ; and truly 't is well there are , for store is no sore . one like an orchard of pome-granates . another like st. matthew sitting at the receit of custom ; a third like the dove that noah sent out of his ark. there have been several texts like rachel and leah ▪ there is one genesis more wonderful , like a pair of compasses stradling ; and another much more wonderful then that , like a man going to iericho . the text being thus chosen , and ascertain'd what it is like , must in the next place be divided , and by and by you shall see an orchard of pome-granates so strangely transinogrify'd , that you would never think it the same thing , and a man going to iericho so mangled and minc'd that 't would grieve ye to see 't . nevertheless you must know there is a great difference in the nature of texts , for some naturally fall asunder , some drip asunder , some dr●p asunder ▪ and some melt . there are some texts that untwist ; and in others the words are so willing to be parted , that they divide themselves . on the other side sometimes they meet with a sort of texts , so like logwood , that they are forced to divide 'em six or seven times before they can make 'em split to their minds . but then , o then , there 's the delight of their souls , when the sentence ends with a jingling rhyme , and crys clink i' the close ; as accusatio vera comminatio severa : d●i amor , diaboli clamor ; miraculum in modo , miraculum in ●●do . these were ticklers : but commend me to him that took these words for his text. mat. . . . . when the unclean spirit is gone out of a man , be walketh thorow dry places , seeking rest and finding none ; then he saith , i will return , &c. in which words wonderful things were found out almost past imagination , first there was a captain and a castle . then there was an ingress , an egress , a regress , and reingre●s ; all these things followed of consequence , in regard of the castle . but then there was unroosting , and unresting ; for the castle was taken . then there was number and name ; that was in reference to the garrison . then their was manner , & measure , trouble , and tryal ▪ resolution and revolution , assault , and assassination , voydness , and vacuity . thus you see by the lucky finding out that captain , and that castle , what a world of other business fell in course . this 't is to have an exuberant fancy , and to have one eye i' the air , and another upon his text. but more to be admired was he , that out of these eight words , weep not for me , but for your selves , spun out no less then eight parts . . weep not , . but weep . . weep not , but weep . . weep for me . . for your selves . . for me , for your selves . . weep not for me . . but for your selves . this gentleman had a strange command of his tears , nay he could weep and not weep , he was weeping master general of england . every man to his calling : the souldier to his , prime your pan , cock your match , blow your cole , present , &c. the weeper to his , weep , weep not , weep not for me , for your selves , weep and not weep ; who would not go to this gentlemans grieving school for an hour or so , to hear how prettily these words of command run ? nor was he to be less respected , who taking his text out of gen. . . and one told iacob , and said , behold thy son ioseph ●ometh unto thee , presently made it out to the people that his text was a spiritual dyal for said he , here are in my text twelve words , which do plainly ▪ represent the twelve hours ▪ twelve words and one told jacob , behold thy son ioseph cometh unto thee , here is farther , behold , which is the dyal that turns & points at every word in the text. behold and , behold one , behold i told , behold iacob , again behold , and , behold said , behold , behold , which is the reason that this word behold is placed in the middle of the twelve words , indifferently pointing at each . now for the doctrines , observations , and inferences raised from their texts , they are without all compare . one takes for his text , that of isaiah . , . fear not thou worm jacob , &c. thou shalt thresh the mountains . whence he observed that the worm jacob was a threshing worm . a second from the text gen. . . and he commanded the steward of his house , saying , fill the mens sacks with corn , as much as they can carry , plaid this division upon the plain song , that great sacks and more sacks , would hold more than few sacks and little sacks : for look , said he as they came prepared with sacks and beasts , so they were sent back with corn. the greater and the more sacks they had prepared , the more corn they carried away , the lesser and fewer they had , the less corn they carried away ▪ let the world judge whether this gentleman was not resolv'd to speak truth . no less careful of uttering truth was he , that upon iohn . v. . and when he had made a scourge of small cords , he drave them all out of the temple , made this discovery ; . that a scourge might be made in the church or temple , and when he had made a scourge . . that it might be made use of , ● he drove them out of the temple . upon matth. . . and there followed him great multitudes of people from galilee , he proved another columbus , thus , i discover , saies he , when iesus prevails with us , we shall leave our galilees . . i discover also a great miracle , that the way after jesus being streight , that such a multitude● should follow him . but never was hawk more quick ●ighted than he upon matth. . . and seeing the multitude , he went up into the mountain ; where he discovered , . that christ went from the multitude ; . that it was safe● taking warning by our eyes ; for seeing the multitude he went up . . that it was not always fit to be upon plains and flats with the multitude : then upon the latter part of the words , and when he was set , his d●sciples came unto him ; he discovered , st , that christ was not always in motion . dly , that he did not walk upon the mountain but ●at ; from whence , in the d place , he raised this admonition to the people , that when they were teaching , they should not move too much , for that was to be carried away with every wind of doctrine : unheard of curiosities ! o these university wits ! there are no men in the world like ' em . will ye have a short & witty discovery ? mind this upon mat. . . which of you by taking thought can add one cubit to his stature ? the discovery was ▪ that whilst the disciples were taking thought for a cubit , christ thought fit to take them down a cubit lower . how divinely was he inspired , that made the following discoveries upon matth. . . when he came down from the mountain great multitudes followed him . . that christ came down , as well as he went up . ▪ that the multitude did not go hail fellow well met with him . such a man as this deserved a good living ; for he spoke nothing but upon solid grounds . but now here 's a discovery deserves to be recorded in history . matth. . . then one said unto him , behold , thy mother ▪ and thy brethren stand without ; but he answered and said , who is my mother , and who are my brethren ? upon which he discovered , that jesus was upon business . others there are , who being appointed , or chusing to preach upon some point of divinity , avoid the plain and easie places , tending or relating to that subject ▪ and fetch it in by head and shoulders out of foreign texts nothing at all to the purpose ; which shews a great master piece of learning ; for then the people cry , i could not imagine what mr. such a one drove at ; but yet at length how cunningly he brought it in . — he 's a quaint man. suppose for example , that a young gentleman were to preach up episcopacy , you shall have him baulk all other texts and take this , sirs , what shall i do to be saved ? for the greek word for sirs , being lords , therefore they were bishops that were spoken to . another being to preach up kingly government , forsook all other topicks , and chose that of the evangelist , seek first the kingdom of god. from whence he prov'd that kingly government was most pleasing to god ▪ and indeed , but that some men are not so apprehensive as others , the thing is plain ; for the text does not say the common-wealth of god , nor the aristocracy of god , but the kingdom of god. but what could be more quaint than this ? suppose i were to preach against non residence ; i would scorn the common road●● why ? what would you do ? oh! i have it i' my head already , i would chuse that of matth. . . abraham begat isaac . for ( and i wonder how a man could miss it ) had abra●am gone a gadding abroad , and not resided with sarah , he had never done his business , he had never begat isaac . if there be any who think i enumerate these things out of disaffection , they have as little charity for me , as they have for themselves , there being nothing more frequent among them , than envy , passion , repining , and supplanting of each other . there is certainly a most profound and awful reverence to be paid to a true , ●ound , and orthodox teacher and expounder of sacred writ ; but for every whiffler in divinity to arrogate that esteem to himself , meerly for his habits sake , without intrinsecal worth , is a meer presumption . they should labour by imitation of their betters , to gain that esteem , which would be then their due . but instead of following their studies , as they ought to do , you shall find some idleing away their time in coffee houses , and chattering state affairs , which nothing belong to them . others you shall meet handing young brisk ladies in the street ; a most unseemly ●ight to see long gowns and petticoats together ; as if there were not lac'd cravats and ruffles enough about the town for that amorous employment : to say truth , we have too much pratin● in england , especially in great cities , where the bells never lie still all the week long , from six a clock in the morning , till five at night . and all this to feed the qstentation of our pulpit-thrashers . and yet all this while even preaching itself , is , without all doubt , not to be accounted so essential a part of divine worship , as prayer is . in which assertion i take the greater boldness , knowing that sermons are only well studied exhortations , and methodiz'd instructions , whose chiefest end is but to incite men to the duty of prayer , or ●each 'em the right use thereof . an exercise confin'd within the narrow limits only of industry and sound learning ; of which great perfections there are but ●ew of your common hackny sermon-makers , that are too too much guilty . were sermons therefore less frequent , they would be much more valued : for then would men have time to meditate , and their abortive irreverences would not drop so often from their mouths , without soul or life , as not having staid their time in the womb of meditation . i will appeal● to the reason of any man , whether it be within the verge of mortality , for a person to preach at six of the clock in the morning in cornhil , by ten at st. martins outwich , and in the afternoon to be posted out of town six or seven miles with a job of journy work , to please a benefactor in the country . nor is this all , three or four casts of his office on the week days , and his hand always open at an hours warning for a funeral fee besides ▪ surely such a one must have a large stock of ready cut and dry●d to set up withal , or must be a great conner of other mens works , or else it is impossible that such a superabundance should be other than the riff●raff , and quicquid in buccam venerit of a mercena●y brain . neither is this one single doctors opinion . i find that reverend and learned prelate , bishop andrews , confessing his own insufficiency to preach twice in one day , and giving to his afternoon exercises the severe appellation of prating . which shall we follow then ? the light of such a star of the first magnitude in the firmament of the church of england ? or the clouded reflections of meer divinity meteors , that run whisking up and down to vent their undigested conceits , as the wind of their phantastical doctrines agitates ' em ? what a strange peice of ridiculous devotions it is , that half a score astrologizing conjurers cannot meet over a leg of mutton● and colli-●lowers , but they must have a pickl'd sermon to prepare their stomachs . a usurer cannot die , a man perhaps that got the very reward of his funeral oration over the devils back , but he must have a sermon forsooth , in praise of what he never had , his laudable virtues . but these are accounted helps , or additions , to an ordinary living . and truly if double diligence were a trade , this double diligence and carking good husbandry might be excus'd , to satisfie the clamours o● a wife for a new gown , or a fine petticoat . but it is not for those unjustifiable expences , or to maintain the pride of parsons wives , that there should be a due , and competent maintenance allowed the clergy , but to preserve them from that contempt that falls upon poverty . for , nil habet inf●lix paupertas durius in se quam quod ridiculos homines facit . — 't is a sad thing to see so many young officers in divinity sneaking in several villages of the nation with a lamentable exhibition of ten or fifteen pounds p. annum , and either teaching the meanest of the parish , or learning themselves to drink ale , and smoak tobacco i' the chimney-corner at old ●ammer such a ones house , while he that enjoys the larger profits of the same parish , is taking his pleasure in some place of more benefit , and better a dorn'd with pleasing society . and indeed there is nothing can be thought to have more hinder'd the people from a due estimation of the ●ommon-prayer or liturgy of the church , than the employing so many pit●●ul striplings , and illiterate old mumblers to read those sacred forms of prayer : not does any thing more keep back the dissatisfi'd people of the nation , from coming to church till the service be over , than that it is hurried over by some underling twelve pound a year disciple , with whose education they are so well acquainted as to know him scarce able to read the lessons without conning them over . for though the office of a reader be only to read word for word , yet people love he should be a person that understands what he reads . but if such a one ventures into the pulpit , 't is then a hundred to one but he pra●es all the congregation asleep ; for 't is a hard matter for the people to believe that such a one can talk any thing to the purpose , that wants ordinary food for his family , whose best meal all the week is the tanners beef and pudding for his empty sermon on ●unday ▪ or that his advice and admonitions can come from heaven , of whom providence seems to have taken so little care . were true vertue and right judgment reigning in the hearts of men , such idle prejudices would vainly be suppos'd , and the doctrine that proceeded from the most tatter'd habit , would be as acceptable as the sayings that flow'd from he mouth of one clad in silk . but in regard the world is not so absolutely perfect , it is never to be question'd whether the alms-man-teacher of a parish can be respected by those to whom he is beholding for his daily bread. whether the that cant look out of his pulpit into the church but that he spies one or other , upon whom he depends , and for want of mony has not confidence to reprehend his sex●on , can utter with courage any thing that can be so benefical to his people , as to render them his diligent hearers , and hearty respecters . the divine service 't is true is the same , whether read in a cathedral , or a thatch'd church ; whether read by an archbishop , or the meanest of his priests . but as the solemnity of the place has a great influence upon the peoples devotion , so likewise the condition , and quality of the person that reads it , whose circumstances , as to this life are so bad , and low in this world . nor do they delight to confess their sins , or sing praises to god with him who sighs more for want of mony , and victuals , than for his trespasses , and offences . nor indeed can this well otherwise be . for where the minister is hard pinch'd as to the tolerable conveniences of this life ; the chief of his care must be spent , not in considering what text to take , what doctrine to preach , what authors to make use of ; but the chief of his though●s must be how to live , and provide for his family . he is musing when the next comfortable , and seasonable goose , or the next basket of bak'd pears will come to cherish his forlorn stomach : and how he shall hold out till his small offerings come in . he is pining after the consolations of the next christning cakes , and the comforts of the next marriage , or funeral . in the midst of these fears , disasters of great consequence attacque him . the uncompassionate kite surprizes two of his unfortunate chickens out of the number of three : his only sow miscarries : his neighbours horse breaks his hedge , and devours the sustenance of his si●gle cow. to him the los●es of a spanish merchant , and far more distracting ; nay we 'll suppose him sometimes forc'd to mount his slow●pac'd pegasus , between a pair of dossers , to carry his brace of geese to market , for the return of a brown loaf , and a hard cheese : cares which are altogether incompatible with study . the other are considerations befitting a poor mans thoughts . for a family cannot be govern'd by texts and contexts ▪ not will the infant that lies crying in the cradle be satisfied without a little milk , and perhaps a little sugar too , though there should be some short system of divinity in the house . but grant that our diminutive divine be at somewhat more rest in his mind , and that he have some kind of competency to answer the cravings of humane nature ; yet not being able to purchase the necessary helps of good books , it is impossible he should eve● attain to those accomplishments which are requisite to gain him that esteem which should give him credit in his preaching ▪ for it is not a small six●peny concordance , nor a latin book of sentences , no● caryl upon pin●da , nor dod upon the commandments , not clarks lives of famous men , wherein many things are taken upon trust , that will do the work . divinity is a copious study ; and there are so many great men that have writ upon the subject in all its parts , as require the purchase of more languages than one : so that they who are disenabled from the purchasing part , are no way to be entrusted with the teaching par● . a great pity no doubt , that thus it should be , for there are certainly no doubt , several in this condition , whose better parts and ingenuities are curb'd and depress'd by these domestick necessities . for , ha●d facile emergunt , quorum virtutibus obstat res angusta domi — but such is the eagerness , and ambition that some people have of going in●o orders , that though the churches , and chappels we have , are enough , considering the bigness of the nation , yet in respect of that infinite number that are in holy orders , there is a very great want ▪ now whether it be most convenient to make ministers for churches , or churches for ministers is the question . but the proverb is , talk of any thing but building of churches . for if we build more churches , we must make more land for their endowment : which cannot be done without drying up the sea , and that 's a very difficult task . however they will get into orders ▪ come what will of it , though perhaps they understand neither their message nor their business . for some are hugely in love with the meer title of a priest , or minister ; others fancy tha● a●long crape gown and cassock is a handsome garment , though it be in the winter , and never paid for . but if they get but a scarf about their necks , by vertue of a chaplainship in some noble family , then how big they look in an english booksellers shop ? for the latin ones they ●eldom haunt , as being out of their sphear . from thence they cluster to the coffee house , there to order the government , and rail against the dissenters , men of far more understanding than themselves , and shew an equal composition of discretion , learning , and charity , of each two drams ; their discretion in medling with those things that nothing concern them ▪ their learning in the management of their arguments , and their charity in the continual invectives against they know not who themselves , and of whom they know no more by due proof , but that they are their fellow christians . 't was a happy invention for the crape gown men this setting up of coffe●houses ; for to drink in taverns was scandalous , to be seen in an alehouse more unbeseeming ; but to sit idling away their time in a coffee●house , like the disciples of h●ly and mahomet , till it be time to go to farthing lantralew with a young gentlewoman , that 's an employment without the verge of reprehension : especially if they can be heard to rail loud enough , like the popes white boyes , against heresie , schism , and fanaticism . but what 's become of rome , and the so much exclaim'd against babylon ? those are airy notions now , fanaticism and dissenterism is the mode now , and as they are modish in their habits , they think it more convenient to be modish in their sermons . besides the papists are a sort of cunning fellows , they argue shrewdly , they dispute philosophically and metaphysically . and there be many knotty points in controversie between them and the church of england , which cost king iames , archbishop laud , and several others , much pains and labour in those days to re●ute , and of late have put bp. gunning , bp. barlow , and dr. stilling fleet to look to their hits : and therefore our crape gown men think it more convenient to let them alone , than to betray their folly and their ignorance . but for the fanaticks , they are more easily dealt with : 't is but going into a pulpit and calling a man fanatick , and he 's presently confuted with a jerk ; 't is but calling a dissenter schismatick ; 't is but calling religion division , and there 's an end of the business . the observator's learned half sheets come easily at a penny a piece ; but grotiu's works will cost four pounds odd mony , and that will go far in a new crape gown , and a narrow brim'd hat , with a perriwig to boot . and therefore who would not chuse a lazy coffee●drinking life , with the pleasure of good company , and suffer themselves to be deluded back to the vomit of popery , though to their own destruction , than undergo the labour of a studious life , and improving themselves in the soundness of that doctrine which they outwardly profess ? but let them consider how vainly they contend to suffocate what god has so miraculously detected ; let them consider the inconveniences of being led astray by mercenary scriblers against the discoveries of heaven ; let them consider how wonderfully providence has protected the church of england , of which they pretend themselves the sons and children , against all the various and bloody machinations of popery against it , ever since the first dawn of reformation ; and upon these considerations let them at length give over their cologuing adherence to the fascinations of rome , bearing in mind that assertion of sacred writ , that there is no enchantment against jacob , nor divination against israel , the lot of gods inheritance , and his peculiar care . but then again , how strangely conceited are they , that after a long consideration , serious meditation , and recollection of mind , are so vain as to put their conumdrums , their quibbles , and their quibus's in print ? i met the other day with the quaintest raptures and extasies in a bathonian sermon , preached and printed by a golden minister , that certainly the wit of man never invented spr●cer , 't was a plot upon himself , to make himself the chrysostom● of the age. you shall see how he plays with the greek , as a cat plays with a mouse . h●st thou a kepha●algia , does thy head ache ? hast thou an opthalmia , are thine eyes infl●m'd ? hast thou an aphonia , is thy speech taken from the ? hast thou an osphyalgia , do thy loyns chasten thee in the night season ? mark ▪ my beloved , that seraphick interpretation of the word osphyalgia . hast thou a volvulus inte●●●●orum , a miserere me● , and forced to cry out , oh , my bowels , my bowels ! hast thou a kakocroia , is thy body turned black and sallow ? hast thou a paralysis , is the use of thy limbs taken from thee ? this is called playing at shittlecock with greek words . what man of sence could have refrained from laughing in the church , to have heard such a piece of pulpit buffon●y . the same person from iob. . . undertakes to prove that the bill of exclusion was contrary to scripture , and that the parliament were a company of hot headed fellows , for reprimanding and making thompson kneel at their bar. now would i fain know what iob had to do with the bill of exclusion , or the parliaments severity . but heavens bless us , when some men get into a pulpit , they are so rampant , so hoytie toytie , they know not where their tails hang. in the next place commend me to that incomparable and admirable translation of a piece of latine , printed by the ludgate excommunicator , nunquam nec albiani ▪ nec nigriani , nec cassiani ▪ inveniri ▪ potuerunt christiani : that is , never was true christian found a traitor to his prince . this 't is to have a sharpness and accuteness of wit beyond the common reach of mankind . now lastly , i cannot but admire at that delicate inscription that ▪ was printed upon the portigo of a nuptial harangue . the royal merchant , or a sermon , by which you are to understand , that the two married couple were to take a trading voyage to matrimony , and that matrimony is a trading voyage . whether what hath been said will have any operation upon our crape gown men ▪ or no , i know not ; but that they may see how ridiculous they are when they stand fretting , and fuming , and heating themselves about state affairs in their pulpits , they are desired to read the short sermon that follows , which if it be not altogether their own words , i am sure is altogether their own sence . the sermon . rablais , chap. . vertu nescio quo . the grandgousier sending to know what the matter was , found that some of his people had taken certain simnels from the subjects of picrochol . man of all creatures is the onely creature that proposes to himself an aim and an end in what he does . for man is the onely creature that thinks . yet there be some that say the beasts do think as well as he . rorarius for one : who that rararius was , i cannot tell : i must confess i never read him , but i have heard say so , and that 's enough . neither do i believe a word he says : and my great argument is this ; for that it is impossible that a beast should have reason . you 'll say perhaps , what is this to the purpose ? i come not here to extol my own parts , as being the meanest of my tribe . but the sight of so many worthy persons as i behold in this assembly , inspi●es me , methinks , with higher thoughts . therefore it is that i have led ye out of the way , that i might have the happiness to lead ye into the way : therefore it is that i have carried ye afar off , that i might have the opportunity to take ye all by the hands & lead ye home again to my text. my text , that is like a shady gloomy wood ; where , as i may say , a man cannot see wood from trees . here is in my text a certain meaning and profound sence to be found out , that lies concealed among bushes and underwoods . and thus it is a frequent thing among us , after a long hunting to start a hare in a wood ; and then we pursue the little animal with a full crie . and thus , my beloved , as i have brought ye into a wood , so i must endeavour to help ye out again . here is a certain person in a brown study , pondering , and meditating , and considering with himself ; and at length , after a serious exercise of his thoughts , he found there was something in the wind : and therefore he sent to know what was the matter . so then ▪ my beloved , here is the hoti , and the dioti . here is the hoti , because he found there was something in the wind : and here is the dioti , therefore he sent to know what was the matter : then grandgousier ▪ sending to know what was the matter , found , &c. here is then the person , grandgousier : here is the person that sent : here is the person that sent to know : here is the person that sent to know what was the matter . then here is the person that found : here is the person that found out , the person that found out that some of his subjects ; that some of his subjects had taken away the simnels from picrochols people . then here is grandgousier the king ; a king that sought , a king that sent , a king that found , a king that found out what was the matter : in a word ▪ a king that made a great discovery . he was a king , for he had power : he sent ; he sent and found out ; he did not send by the penny-post-men of little value , he sent persons of wisdom and discretion ; persons that sought ▪ persons that sought and found . verum enim vero quando quidem dubio procul quoniam ita certe● res se habet , quoth st. bernard ; and therefore in the management of state-affairs , as it behoves a prince to have wise and discreet counsellors about him ; so that prince who has not , shall never make those discoveries which otherwise he might . for it is plain from my text , that a king did , and a king may make a discovery . but forsooth , we have a sort of people in this nation that will have the king make no discoveries ; that would have him be altogether in the dark : i have 'em in my eye , and i shall have a touch with 'em presently . well then , here is a discovery made by grandgousier , that his subjects , that his subjects had taken away , that they had taken away the simnels from picrochol's people : then grandgousier , sending to know what the matter was , found that some of his people had taken certain simnels from picrochol's people . leaving therefore the first part of my text , i shall come to the discovery , the discovery made of the simnels being taken away by picrochol's people . of all which in their order . the word discovery , in the hebrew ietour , in the greek apocalypsis , in the latine detectio , signifies the disclosing of a thing concealed : and indeed we have had of late years strange discoveries . discoveries of popish plots , meal●tub plots , and presbyterian plots . as for the two first , i believe nothing of them : for rome and we are agreed : and why the pope or the papists should plot against us , i neither can nor will understand . and besides it is contrary to the doctrine of sam 's coffee-house : but for the presbyterian plot , i believe it from my heart : for the presbyterians , my beloved , are the subjects of grandgousier , and so are all the rest of the dissenters , and fanaticks . grandgousier signifies rebellion in the original : and therefore saith that famous origen , sufficit nobis quod cognoscimus patrem ga●agantuae , & abolebitur nomen eju● . now then grandgousier's subjects are discovered ; and so there 's the first thing made out , that is the discovery . and here i must tell ye , my beloved , that there is a great contention between the subjects of grandgousier ▪ and us that are the people of picrochol , concerning the succession . now we have disputed and argued the case among our selves , and we find the succession to be as plain as the sun at noon-day : for david begat solomon , solomon begat rehoboam , and so onward , and still you see they succeeded one another . and though i will not be so severe as to blame every particular parliament man ; yet this i dare be bold to say , they carried the business higher than they needed to have done : for loyalty is loyalty , according to the words of st. cyprian ; toyaute taute foberot●ton hapantoon tan tan toon toon . neither can loyalty be disloyalty , not disloyalty be loyalty . now as there are signs of grace , so there are certain ●igns of loyalty . in the first place , for a man to wear ● scarlet twist under his hat-band , is a great ●ign of loyalty : for there is a strange sympathy between the heart and the hat. as the heart moves , so the hat moves : if the heart be dutiful and respectful , off goes the hat. a disloyal heart , a disloyal hat : which we find too true by the quakers themselves ; who will neither put off their hats , nor swear before a magistrate , two great marks of disloyalty . i remember , my beloved , that pantagr●el dreamt a dream , and his dream was this : he dreamt that he was beloved and caressed by a fair ●ady ; but at length , that he was metamorphos'd into a drum , and the lady into madam madge howlet . so it is with the quakers , while the lady faction caresses them in their fond dreams : but the time is coming , and i hope to see it , when they shall be turned into drums ; that is , be ratled and thumped till they roar again ; and faction shall be turned into a female . buzzard , according to that of the poet ; hystero● , tantomen megalopton otera whyon . again , my beloved , scarlet is a royal colour : the robes are scarlet ; and therefore they that wear scarlet twists i' their hats , must of necessity be true blue , as they say . for the twist signifies allegiance ; and scarlet signifies cordial , as being the colour of the heart . so put both together , the twist and the scarlet , and there 's cordial allegeance . the second mark of loyalty , is to drink the d.'s health , and cry huzzah — if you stamp upon your hat at the same time , 't is still a sign of a more transported loyalty . for by tra●pling upon your hats , you shew you readiness to throw your lives and fortunes at his feet . but to return to the word huzzah — it is a word of a most sublime signification — it was invented for the use of the knights of the order of st. dive bo●●eille , as you may read in iosephus's antiquities of the iews . some derive it from the hebrew word hoz , which signifies wealth or riches , to shew that when you drink the d.'s health , and cry huzzah , you drink it out of the abundance of your loyalty . others derive this seraphic huzzah from the hebrew word hazah , to snore or be sleepie ; and then it carries with it this signification : that no man ought to snore or sleep when the d.'s health is drinking ; or if he do , that he ought to be waked i' the devils name with a huzzah . — there is one more sign of loyalty , and that is when you hear a quaint notion stream from our lips , or the fanaticks run down with a powerful sa sa , and a whipping , quipping jerk , to cry hum , — hum , — hum , — we love humming mightily — nay , we 'll give you liberty to cry huzzah , — i'the church too , so it be out of a cordinal affection to humming . thus you have the discovery , and the discovery made . and now i come to the third part , and that is the sim●els , or the taking away of the simnels . upon the opening of these words , the cabinet of my text discloses unto you three things . first , that the simnels were taken away . secondly , the persons that did take them away , viz. the subjects of grandgousier . and thirdly , from whom ; from the people of picrochol . and first of the first , that is , of the taking away of the simnels . here it is plain , from the words of my text , that there was a wrong and injury done ; the simnels were taken away . not willingly , you may be sure ; for else there had been no c●use of complaint ; but by force , by violence , against law , and against reason these simnels were taken away , violentia extra modum est violentia carnalis , saith origen ; the fittest author in the world to be quoted u●on this subject . for as he made himself an e●nuch and guelt himself ; so would the subjects of grandgousier , the subjects of rebellion , geld us of our simnels , take away our simnels by ●orce and violence . now , my beloved , me thinks i hear you asking me what these simnels are ? these simnels , my beloved , are the rights and priviledges of us church-men . these are the simnels which the subject of grandgousier , the fanaticks and dissenters , men that will not crie huzzah — nor wear scarlet twists in their hats , would take away from us . there is our simnel of bowing at the altar : there is our simnel of the surplice : there is our simnel of eccles●astical jurisdiction , and that has many plum● in it . the plums of commendation : the plums of excommunication : the plums of endictments , fining and imprisonment for conscience sake . then there is our choicest simnel of all , the simnel of our livings and tythes . and lastly , there is our simnel of succession : for the dukes case is a hard case , my beloved ; the scripture tells us so . all these simnels , my beloved would the fanaticks , the subjects of grandgousier , take from us by force and violence . now if the king and the council , and the lord mayor , and the justices of the peace , will not mind these things , we are to put them in mind of their duty , and their neglect of the church . and then again , if the state do think the fanaticks to be ill members of the nation , disturbers of the government , and do prosecute them for that reason , then are we to encourage the state , to bring texts of scripture for the state ; then are we to run with the stream of publick business , to glose and flatter like true politicians , and all this that we may not lose another simnel of ours , which is the sweet simnel of preferment . were i now to preach before a great magistrate that had the power in his hands , i would say , my lord , you bear not the sword in vain — the fanaticks , the fanaticks , the subjects of grandgousier , the sons of rebellion , my lord , would take our simnels , our rites and priviledges from us . where are all your penal statutes , your fines , and imprisonments ? let 'em be fin'd and imprison'd , nay hang'd my lord. let 'em be excommunicated . do you send 'em to us , and we 'll excommunicate 'em , and then we 'll send 'em to you again , and do you send 'em to 〈◊〉 , my lord. what 's the reason we have not juries and common-council-men for our turn ? the land mourns for the sins of juries and common-council-men . and it is your , and other magistrates duty to look after these things . now if my lord should say , trouble not your heads with these things that nothing concern ye ; do you endeavour to refute and convince them of their errours by sound doctrine and good example of life : then would i say , no , my lord , they will never be convinced by us ; for we have not wit nor learning enough to do it , neither can we take so much pains . 't is easier to talk an hour about state-affairs , and make satyrs against the fanaticks , than to preach convincing and sound doctrine . the fanaticks therefore must be confuted by bolts and shackles , by fines and imprisonments , by excomunications and exterminations ; and therefore pray , my lord , let 〈◊〉 be scourg'd out of the temple ; let 'em be whipp'd out of the nation ; and let us not lost our simnels through os●itancy and spanish consideration . and so i come to the last part of my text , the people of pi●rochol . who are they ? the people of pi●rochol , my beloved , are our selves : picros in the original signifies bitter , slingie , sharp ; and ko●e signifies anger . and have not we reason to be bitte●ly angry , stingily angry , sharply angry with those that would take away our simnels ? so have i seen , when a young child has carelesly held a piece of bread and butter in his hand and looked another way , that a grandgousier dog has come and snatch'd away the childs bread and butter , the child 's simnel , and run away with it . thus we are not to hold our simnels carelesly in our hands ; but we are to watch and take care that our simnels , our rights , and our priviledges be not taken away . fears and jealousies ; jealousies and fears : strange fears , strange jealousies are among us . the city is ill principled ; our sheriffs are whiggs ; our common council and jury-men are rotten at core. hence our fears , hence our jealousies ; hence our jealousies , hence our fears ; our simnels are in danger . but 〈…〉 in the mean time , you have heard what loyalty is . do you continue your loyalty ; remember forty one ; wear scarlet twists ; cry huzzah . — and hum in the church . and leave the rest to our care . finis . advertisement . a pleasant conference upon the observator and heraclitus , &c. by the author of this speculum . one sheet for the ministry against the malignants of all sorts by richard baxter. baxter, richard, - . this text is an enriched version of the tcp digital transcription a of text r in the english short title catalog (wing b ). textual changes and metadata enrichments aim at making the text more computationally tractable, easier to read, and suitable for network-based collaborative curation by amateur and professional end users from many walks of life. the text has been tokenized and linguistically annotated with morphadorner. the annotation includes standard spellings that support the display of a text in a standardized format that preserves archaic forms ('loveth', 'seekest'). textual changes aim at restoring the text the author or stationer meant to publish. this text has not been fully proofread approx. kb of xml-encoded text transcribed from -bit group-iv tiff page images. earlyprint project evanston,il, notre dame, in, st. louis, mo a wing b estc r ocm this keyboarded and encoded edition of the work described above is co-owned by the institutions providing financial support to the early english books online text creation partnership. this phase i text is available for reuse, according to the terms of creative commons . universal . the text can be copied, modified, distributed and performed, even for commercial purposes, all without asking permission. early english books online. (eebo-tcp ; phase , no. a ) transcribed from: (early english books online ; image set ) images scanned from microfilm: (early english books, - ; : ) one sheet for the ministry against the malignants of all sorts by richard baxter. baxter, richard, - . [ ], p. printed by robert white for nevil simmons ..., london : . reproduction of original in british library. eng clergy -- office. a r (wing b ). civilwar no one sheet for the ministry, against the malignants of all sorts. by richard baxter. baxter, richard b the rate of defects per , words puts this text in the b category of texts with fewer than defects per , words. - tcp assigned for keying and markup - aptara keyed and coded from proquest page images - jonathan blaney sampled and proofread - jonathan blaney text and markup reviewed and edited - pfs batch review (qc) and xml conversion one sheet for the ministry , against the malignants of all sorts . by richard baxter . london , printed by robert white , for nevil simmons , book-seller in kederminster , anno dom. . one sheet for the ministry , against the malignants of all sorts . as mans first felicity was attended with the malice of the serpent , so is the wonderful work of his restauration . the promise of reconciliation by the seed of the woman , is joyned with a proclamation of open war with the serpent and his seed . the enmity was hottest in the devil and his seed against christ himself , who bare and overcame it , and is become the captain of our salvation , that his church may overcome by his cross , and strength , and conduct ; the next degree of malice is against his officers : the most eminent , the general officers had the hottest assault : and his ordinary officers bear the next : that we shall be hated of all men for the name of christ , ( mat. . . ) is still verified to our experience . not only the openly prophane ab●o●●● for our work-sake , but fals-hearted professors that turn from the truth , do presently turn malignants against the ministry ; and many weak ones that are better minded , are dangerously seduced into a guilt of the sedition . to all these i here proclaim in the name and word of the lord , numb. . . [ depart i pray you from the tents of these wicked men , and touch nothing of theirs , lest ye be consumed in all their sins . ] which i shall now open to you . . the office of the ministry is an undoubted ordinance of god , to continue in the church to the end of the world . no man can pretend that they ceased with the apostles ; for it is gods will that ordinary fixed presbyters shall be ordained in every church , acts . . tit. . . tim. . . tim. . . and pastors and teachers are appointed for the perfecting of the saints , for the work of the ministry , and edifying of the body of christ ; till we all come to a perfect man , ephes. . , , . a ministry authorized to disciple the nations , baptize and teach them , is instituted by christ as king and saviour , and have his promise to be with them alway to the end of the world , matth. . , , . the same necessity and work continueth ; still souls are born and bred in darkness ; and how shall they be saved without believing , or believe without hearing , or hear without preaching , or we preach without sending ? rom. . , , . there is a clearer word in the gospel for the ministry then the magistracy ; though enough for both . our own call i shall speak of anon . . these malignants set themselves against the principal members of the body of christ , that are in it as the eyes and hands to the natural body , . cor. . , , , . ephes. . , . the ministers of christ , and stewards of the mysteries of god , cor. . . the over seers of the flock that is purchased with christs blood , acts . . they are the chief members , . in office ; . ordinarily in gifts for edification of the body : . and in grace . now a wound in the stomack or liver is more mortal to the body , then in the hand : and the loss of an eye or hand is worse then the loss of an ear . . these malignants are therefore principally enemies to the church it self . they take on them to be only against the ministers , but it will prove most against the people and whole church . if they sinite the shepherds , the sheep will be scattered . how can they more surely ruin christs family , then by casting out the stewards that must rule , and give the children their meat in due season , even milk to the babes , and stronger meat to them of full age , heb. . , , . luke . . mat. . . what readier way to ruine the schools of christ , then by casting out the teachers that he hath appointed under him ? or to ruine his kingdom , then to reject his officers ? or to wrong the body , then to cut off the hands , and pull out the eyes , or to destroy the principal parts : was it not ministers that planted the churches , and converted the world , and have ever born off the assaults of enemies ? where was there ever church on earth that continued without a minister ? the great kingdom of nubia fell from christianity for want of preachers . the nations that have the weakest and fewest ministers , have the least of christianity : and those that have the most and ablest ministers , have the most flourishing state of religion . all over the world the church doth rise or fall with the ministry : cut down the pillars , and the building falls . he is blind that sees not what would become of the church , were it not for the ministry . who should teach the ignorant , or rebuke the obstinate , explain the word of truth , and stop the mouthes of proud gain-sayers ? what work would heresies , and division , and prophanness make , if these banks were cut down ? when all that can be done is still too little . it must needs therefore be meet enmity against the church that makes men malignant against the ministry . . the design of the maligners of the ministry is plainly against the gospel and christianity it self . they take the readiest way in the world to bring in heathenism , infidelity and atheism , which christianity hath so far banished . for it is the ministry that christ useth to bring in light , and drive and keep out this damnable darkness , acts . , . [ i send thee to open their eyes , and turn them from darkness to light , &c. ] why are so many nations infidels , mahometans and idolaters , but for want of ministers to preach the gospel to them ? these malignants therefore would take down the sun , and banish christianity out of the world . . and they hinder the conversion of particular souls , and so are the cruellest wretches on earth . though an angel must be sent to cornelius , it is not to be instead of a preacher , but to send him to a preacher , acts . though christ would wonderfully appear to saul , it is to send him to ananias for instruction , acts . though the jaylor must feel an earth-quake , and see miracles , it is but to prepare him for the ministers words , acts . philip must be carried by an angel to expound to an eunuch the word that must convert him . the ministry is gods instituted setled way , by which he will convert and save the world , as truly as the light is the natural way by which he will corporally enlighten them , acts . . tim. . . matth. . . rom . . do you think so many souls would be converted if the ministry were down ? do you not see that the very contempt of them , that the scorns of the ungodly , and opposition of malignant apostates have occasioned , doth hinder most of the ignorant and prophane from receiving the saving benefit of the gospel ? how many millions of souls would these wretches sweep away to hell , if they had their will ? while thousands are in damnation for want of the light , they would take it from you , that you might go there also . do you not understand the meaning of these words against christs ministers ? why the meaning is this : they make a motion to the people of the land , to go to hell with one consent , and to hate those that are appointed to keep them out of it . they would take the bread of life from your mouthes . they are attempting an hundred times more cruelty on you , then herod on the jews when he killed the children , or the irish that murdered the protestants by thousands ; as the soul is of greater worth then the body . . these malignants against the ministry are the flat enemies of christ himself , and so he will take them and use them . he that would root out the inferiour magistrates , is an enemy to the soveraign ; and he that is against the officers of the army , is an enemy to the general : christ never intended to stay visibly on earth , and to teach and rule the world immediately in person ; but he that is the king will rule by his officers ; and he that is prophet will teach us by his officers ; and therefore he hath plainly told us [ he that h●areth you , heareth me ; and he that despiseth you , despiseth me ; and he that despiseth me , despiseth him that sent me , luke . . ] o fearful case of miserable malignants ! durst thou despise the lord thy maker and redeemer , if he appeared to thee in his glory ! to whom the sun it self is as darkness , and all the world as dust and nothing . remember when thou next speakest against his officers , or hearest others speak against them , that their words are spoken against the face of christ , and of the father . i would not be found in the cafe of one of these malignants , when christ shall come to judge his enemies , for a thousand worlds . he that hath said , [ touch not mine annointed , and do my prophets no harm ; and hath rebuked kings for their sakes , psalm . . will deride all those that would break his bands , and will break them as with a rod of iron , and dash them in pieces as a potters vessel , psalm . , , . and as he hath told them plainly , [ who so despiseth the word shall be destroyed , prov. . . ] and [ he that despiseth , despiseth not man but god , thes. . . ] so he hath told us that it shall be easier for sodom and gomorrah in the day of judgement , then for such , mat. . . many a thousand prouder enemies then you hath christ broken ; and look to your selves , for your day is coming . if you had but stumbled on this stone , it would have broken you in pieces ; but seeing you will strive against it , it will fall on you , and grinde you to pouder , matth. . . and then you shall see that he that made them his embassadors , will bear them out , and say , [ in as much as you did it to these , you did it to me . ] and you shall then say , blessed are they that trust in him . . it is apparent that these enemies of the ministers , are playing the papists game . because the just disgrace of their ministry , was the ruin of their kingdom ; therefore they hope to win of us at the same game . they know that if the people were brought into a hatred or suspition of their guides , they might the easier be won to them . they tell us in their writings , that not one of ten of our people but taketh his faith on trust from their teachers ; and therefore take them off from them , and they will fall : but they delude themselves in this : for though the ungodly among us have no true faith of their own , and the godly must lean on the hand of their supporters , yet there is in them a living principle ; and we do not as the papist priests , teach our people to see with our eyes , and no matter for their own : but we help to clear their own eye-sight . doubt not but the most of the sects in the land that rail against the ministry , are knowingly or ignorantly the agents of the papists . for the principal work of a papist is to cry down the ministry , and the scripture , and to set all they can on the same work . . these sects that are against the ministry do all the same work as the drunkards , whore-mongers , covetous , and all ungodly persons in our parishes do : and therefore it seems they are guided by the same spirit . it is the work of drunkards and all these wicked wretches to hate , and despise , and revile the ministers , and to teach others to say as they . and just so do quakers , seekers , papists and all other malignants reproach the same ministers : and yet the blind wretches will not see that the same spirit moveth them . . it is apparent that it is the devils game they play , and his interest and kingdom which they promote . who fights against christs officers and army , but the general of the contrary army ? what greater service could all the world do for the devil then to cast out the ministers of christ ? and what more would the devil himself desire , to set up his kingdom and suppress the church ? wretches ! you shall shortly see your master , and he will pay you your wages contrary to your expectation . read gods word to a malignant , acts . . . these enemies do reproach as faithful a ministry as the world enjoyeth , and their malice hath so little footing , as that the result must be their own shame . among the papists indeed there are mass-priests that can but read a mass , whose office is to turn a piece of bread into a god ; and yet these the malignants either let alone , or liken us to them . the greeks , and ethiopians , and most of the christian world , have a ministry that seldom or never preach to them , but read common-prayer and homilies . the most of the protestant churches have a learned ministry that is so taken up with controversies ; that they are much less in the powerful preaching and practice of godliness : above all nations under heaven , the english are set upon practical divinity and holiness ; and yet even they are by malignity chosen out for reproach . alas , scandals in the ministry , ( as drunkenness , swearing , &c. ) among other nations are but too common : but in england magistrates and ministers combine against them . ministers are still spurring on the magistrates to cast out the insufficient , negligent and scandalous ; and desire and use more severity with men of their own profession , then with magistrates or any others in the land . in nothing are they more zealous then to sweep out all the remnant of the scandalous . and for themselves , they are devoted to the work of the lord , and think nothing too much that they are able to perform , but preach in season and out of season , with all long-suffering and doctrine ; and yet malignants make them their reproach . . it is abundance of pride and impudency , that these malignant enemies are guilty of . they are most of them persons of lamentable ignorance ; and yet they dare revile at the teachers , and think themselves wise enough to rebuke and teach them : many of them are men of wicked lives ; and yet they can tell the world how bad the ministers are . a railer , a drunkard , a covetous worldling , an ignorant sott , is the likest person to fall upon the minister ; and the owl will call the lark a night-bird . alas , when we come to try them , what dark wretches do we find them ! and should be glad if they were but teachable . and yet they have learnt the devils first lesson , to despise their teachers . . and o what barbarous ingratitude are these malignant enemies of the ministry guilty of ! for whom do we watch , but for them and others ? can they be so blind as to think a painful minister doth make it his design to seek himself , or to look after great matters in the world ? would not the time , and labour , and cost that they are at in the schools and universities have fitted them for a more gainful trade ? do not lawyers , physitians , &c. live a far easier , and in the world a more honourable plentiful life ? have not the ministers themselves been the principal instruments of taking down bishops , deans and chapters , arch-deacons , prebends , and all means of preferment ? and what have they got by it ? or ever endeavoured ? speak malice , and spare not . is it any thing but what they had before ? even the maintenance due to their particular charge . unthankful wretches ! it is for your sakes and souls that they study , and pray , and watch , and fast , and exhort , and labor , to the consuming of their strength ; and when they have done , are made the drunkards song , and the scorn of all the wicked of the countrey ; and when they spend and are spent , the more they love , the less they are beloved . in the times of this greatest prosperity of the church , they live under constant hatred and scorn , from those that they would save , and will not let alone in sin . and what do they endure all this for but gods honour and your salvation ? would we be ministers for any lower ends ? let shame from god and man be on the face of such a minister ! i profess , were it not for the belief of the greatness , and necessity , and excellency of the truths that i am to preach , and for the will of god and the good of souls , i would be a plow-man , or the meanest trade , if not a sweep-chimney , rather then a minister . must we break our health , and lay by all our worldly interest , for you , even for you , and think not our lives and labours too good or too dear to further your salvation , and must we by you , even by you , be reproached after all ? god will be judge between you and us , whether this be not inhumane ingratitude , and whether we deserve it at your hands . . yea it is injustice also that you are guilty of . the labourer , saith christ , is worthy of his hire , luke . . ( mark that , you that call them hirelings ) the elders that rule well are worthy of double honour , tim. . . . especially they that labour in the word and doctrine . and will you throw stones at their head for endeavouring to save your souls ? will you spit in their faces for seeking with all their might to keep you from hell ? is that their wages that you owe them ? but blessed be the lord , with whom is our reward ; though you be not gathered , isa. . . but as you love your selves , take heed of that curse , jer. . . [ shall evil be recompenced for good ? for they have digged a pit for my soul : remember that i stood before thee to speak good for them , and to turn away thy wrath from them , &c. ] o how many a time have we besought the lord for you ▪ that he would convert you , and forgive you , and turn away the evil that was over you : and when all these our prayers , and groans , and tears shall be remembred against you , o miserable souls , how dear will you pay for all ? . and is it not a wonder that these malignants do not see what evident light of scripture they contradict ; and how many great express commands they violate ? they break the fifth commandment , which requireth honour as well to spiritual ecclesiastical parents , as to civil and natural . and he that curseth father and mother , his lamp shall be put out in darkness , prov. . . the eye that mocketh at his father , and despiseth to obey his mother , the ravens of the valley shall pick it out , and the young eagles shall eat it : prov. . . did these wretches never read thes. . . we beseech you brethren , to know them which labour among you , and are over you in the lord , and admonish you : and to esteem them very highly in love for their work-sake , and to be at peace among your selves . ] and heb. . . [ obey them that have the rule over you , and submit your selves ; for they watch for your souls as they that must give account , that they may do it with joy , and not with grief ; for that is unprofitable for you . ] and heb. . . remember them which have the rule over you , who have spoken to you the word of god . ] and so ver. . and tim. . . the elders that rule well are wor●hy of double honour , &c. ] with abundance more such passages as these ? do not you feel these flie in your faces when you oppose the ministers of christ ? doth a thief or murderer sin against plainer light then you ? . these malignants sin against the consent and experience of the universal church of christ till this day . the whole church hath been for the ministry , and instructed by them : and as the child doth seek the breast , so did new born christians in all ages seek the word from the ministers , that they may live and grow thereby . and all the nations of the christian world are for the ministry to this day ! or else they could not be for christ , and for the church and gospel . is it not plain therefore that these malignants are dead branches , cut off from the church , that are so set against the spirit and interest of the church ? . moreover they sin against the experience of all , or almost all the true christians in the world . for they have all experience that ministers are either their fathers or nurses in the lord . and that by their means they have had their life , and strength , and comforts : their sins killed , their graces quickened , their doubts resolved ; the taste of the good word of god , and of the powers of the world to come . may we not challenge you as paul oft doth his flock , whether you did not receive the illuminating , sanctifying spirit by the ministry , if ever you received it ? i tell you , it is as much against the new and holy nature of the saints to despise the ministers of christ , as it is unnatural for a child to spit in the face of his father or mother . and the experience of sound christians will keep them closer , and help them much against this inhumanity , what ever hypocrites may do . . and if these malignants had not pharaohs heart , they would sure have considered , that the experience of all ages tells them , that still the most wicked have been the enemies of the ministry , and the most godly have most obeyed and honoured them in the lord ; and that this enmity hath been the common brand of the rebellious , and the fore-runner of the heavy wrath of god ; and that it hath gone worst with the enemies , and best with the friends of a godly ministry . do i need to prove this , which is so much of the substance of the old testament and the new ? was it the friends or enemies of all the prophets , apostles and ministers of christ , that scripture and all good writers do commend ? do not the names of all malignants against the godly ministry stink above ground , as the shame of mankind , except those that are buried out of hearing , or those that were converted ? . nay such are noted for the highest sort of the wicked upon earth : worse then drunkards , whore-mongers and such filthy beasts : the persecutors of gods ministers have been ever taken as walking devils . and the hottest of gods wrath hath faln upon them . take two instances , . when the jews went into captivity , this was the very cause , chron. . , . [ but they mocked the messengers of god , and despised his words , and misused his prophets , till the wrath of the lord arose against his people , till there was no remedy . . and when the jews were cut quite off from the church , and made vagabonds on the earth , this was the very cause , acts . . be it known therefore to you , that the salvation of god is sent to the gentiles , and that they will hear it . ] thes. . , . these jews [ both killed the lord jesus , and their own prophets , and have persecuted us : and they please not god , and are contrary to all men , forbidding us to speak to the gentiles , that they might be saved , to fill up their sin alway ; for the wrath is come upon them to the uttermost . ] . it is the devils own part that these malignants act : for it is he that is the great enemy of christ and the saints , and he that is the accuser of the brethren , which accuseth them before god day and night : and is not this the work of quakers , drunkards , papists and all malignants ? but the lord will rebuke them , and be the glory of his servants , zach. . , . [ he shewed me joshua the high priest standing before the angel of the lord , and satan standing at his right hand to resist him . and the lord said unto satan : the lord rebuke thee o satan , even the lord that hath chosen jerusalem . ] . these malignants do most of them condemn themselves ; for they honour the antient ministers of christ that are dead , even while they oppose and hate the present that are living , who are the nearest imitaters of their doctrine and life that are on earth ! the name of peter , and paul , and john they honour , and some of them keep holy-dayes for them . and at the same time hate and reproach those that preach the same doctrine , and that because they tread in their steps . they honour the names of austin , and chrysostom , and hierom , and other ancients : and hate those that preach and live as they did . they speak honourably of the martyrs that were burned to death for the doctrine of christ ; and at the same time they hate us , for doing as they did . what difference between the calling , doctrine and lives of those martyred ministers , and these that are now alive ? o wretched hypocrites , do you not know that these apostles , fathers and other ministers , did suffer in their time from such as you , as we now do and more ? hear what christ saith to such as you , matth. . , , . [ wo to your scribes , pharisees , hypocrites : because ye build the tombes of the prophets , and garnish the sepulchres of the righteous , and say , if we had been in the dayes of our fathers , we would not have been partakers with them in the blood of the prophets : ye are witnesses to your selves that ye are the children of them which killed the prophets , : fill ye up then the measure of your fathers : ye serpents , ye generation of vipers , how can ye escape the damnation of hell ? ] . moreover these malignants do harden themselves against the freshest of the judgements of god , which some of their own hands have executed : and justifie the persecutors , and succeed them in their fury . have you forgotten what god hath done here against the papal enemies of the gospel and ministry , in . and the powder-plot , and many other times ? have you already forgotten how the persecutots of a godly ministry have sped within these sixteen years in england and ireland ? and dare you now stand up in their room and make your selves the heirs of their sin , and punishment , and justifie them in all their malignity ? what do you but justifie them , when you rave against , and revile the same sort of ministers , and many of the same persons , whom the former malignants persecuted ? and oppose the same sort of ministers that the papists burned ? and would not you do the like by them if you had power in your hands ? can any wise man doubt of it , whether papists , and quakers , and drunkards , that now make it their work to make the ministry odious , would not soon dispatch them if they could ? blessed be the great protector of the church ; for were it not for him , our lives would soon be a prey to your cruelty . . and indeed if these malignants had their wills , they would undo themselves , and cut down the bough they stand upon , and destroy the little hope and help that is yet left for their miserable souls : it is for the sake of gods servants among them that judgements are so long kept off them . and as long as the gospel and ministry remains , salvation is offered them : the voyce of mercy is calling after them , repent and live . they have the light shining in their eyes , which may at last convince them , as paul was convinced of his persecution : the voyce which they despise may possibly awake them . though they have less hope then others ; yet there is some . but if they had their will , and were rid of the ministry , alas what would the forlorn wretches do ? then they might damn themselves without disturbance , and go quietly to hell , and no body stop them , and say , [ why do you so ? ] . and i pray you consider what it is that these men would have . what if the ministers were all cast out ? would they have any to do gods work in their stead , or none ? if none , you may see what they are doing : if any , who and where are they ? is it not horrible pride if all these silly souls do think that they can do it better themselves ? and what else do quakers and all these sectst that are the enemies of the ministry ? do they not go up and down the land , and say to the wisest holyest teachers , as if they took them by the sleeve , [ come down and let me preach that can do it better : come down thou deceiver and ignorant man , and let me come up that am wiser , and better , and know more : out with these proud lordly preachers , and let us be your teachers , that are more holy , and humble , and self-denying then they . ] is not this the loud language of their actions ? and can you not hear the devil in these words of highest pride and arrogancy ? but really sirs , do you think that these men would teach you better ? and is there enow that are wiser and better then we to fill up our rooms , if we were out ? do but prove that , and you shall have my consent to banish all the ministers in england , to some place that hath greater need of their labour , that they may no more trouble you that have no need of them , and keep out better . . lastly , consider on what sensless pretences all this enmity against the ministry doth vent it self . you shall hear the worst that they have to say against us , ( though but briefly ) and then judge . . the quakers say , we are idle drones that labour not , and therefore should not eat . answ . the worst i wish you , is , that you had but my ease instead of your labour . i have reason to take my self for the least of saints , and yet i fear not to tell the accuser , that i take the labour of most tradesmen in the town to be a pleasure to the body in comparison of mine ; ( though for the ends and the pleasure of my mind , i would not change it with the greatest prince ) their labour preserveth health , and mine consumeth it : they work in ease , and i in continual pain : they have hours and dayes of recreation , i have scarce time to eat and drink . no body molesteth them for their labour ; but the more i do , the more hatred and trouble i draw upon me . if a quaker ask me , what all this labour is , let him come and see , or do as i do , and he shall know . . they accuse us of covetousness and oppression , because we take tithes or hire , ( as they call it ) answ . . is it not malice or sacrilegious covetousness that frameth this accusation ? whose are the tithes ? are they ours or theirs ? the same law of the land that makes the nine parts theirs , doth make the tenth ours . if we have no title to the tenth , they have none to the rest . we ask none of our people for a farthing . they give it not to us : it was never theirs . when they buy or take leases of their land , it is only the nine parts that they pay for ; and if the tenths were sold them , they should pay themselves a tenth part more . and would these men make all the people thieves and covetous , to take or desire that which never was their own ? nay would they have them rob god , to whom for his service the tithes were devoted ? read mal. . , , . rom. . . gen. . . heb. . , . and whether tithe it self be of divine institution still , is more then they are able to disprove . sure i am , when christ told them of tithing mint and cummin , he saith , these ought ye to have done , and not to leave the other undone , mat. . . . but most certain i am that god hath made it our duty to meditate on his word , and give our selves wholly thereto , tim. . . and that we may [ forbear working , and not go on warfare at our own charge ; and sowing to men spiritual things , should reap their carnal things ; do ye not know that they which minister about holy things , live of the things of the temple ; and they which wait at the altar , are partakers with the altar ? even so hath the lord ordained , that they which preach the gospel should live of the gospel . ] cor. . , , , . . and know you not that the primitive christians gave not only the tenths , but all that they had , and laid it at the apostles feet , to shew that the gospel teacheth more clearly then the law , the necessity of dedicating our selves and all that we have to god . . and yet i must say , that we are content with food and rayment . most ministers in england would be glad to give you all their tithes , if you will but allow them food and rayment for themselves and families , and such education for their children as is fittest to make them serviceable to god . and i hope it is no sin to have mouths that must be fed , or backs that must be cloathed . what i must gods ministers above all others be grudged food and raiment , and that of the lords portion , which none of you pay for ? i fear not to imitate paul stopping the mouths of malicious accusers , and to tell you , that the ministers , whose expences i am acquainted with , do give . pence for . that they receive by gift from their people : and that they take all that they have as christs ▪ and not their own ; and if they have never so much they devote it wholly to him , and know he 's not beholden to them for it : and some of them lay out in charitable uses , much more then all the tithes that they receive for their ministerial maintenance . and if the quakers that accuse them of covetousness , would cast up accounts with them , i doubt not but it will be found that they receive more by gift then preachers , and give not the fourth part so much when they have done . . another accusation is , that we preach false doctrine , and deceive the people . answ . it 's easie to say so of any man in the world : but when they come to prove it , you will see who are the deceivers . . another is , that we are persecutors , and like the priests of old , and so all the reproofs of them and the pharisees belong to us . answ . this is soon said too : but where 's the proof ? for themselves we have no mind to be troubled with them . let them let us alone ; as long as we will let them alone . but yet they shall be taught one day to know , that if the magistrate stop the mouths of such railers and abusers of god and men , he doth no more persecute them , then he persecuteth a thief when he hangeth him : or then paul persecuted hymenaeus and philetus when he delivered them up to satan ; or elymas , acts . . or then peter persecuted ananias and sapphira , acts . or then god would have had the churches be persecutors against the woman jezebel that was suffered to teach and seduce the people , or against the doctrine of the nicolaitans which god hated , rev. . , . if hindering sin , be persecuting , the calling of a magistrate is to be a persecutor , rom. . . and all parents must persecute their own children . . another accusation is , that we are against the preaching of any but our selves . answ . who doth not desire that all the lords people were prophets ? but yet we know all are not prophets , cor. . . nor teachers . we would have none of gods gifts in our people huried , but all improved to the uttermost , for his glory . but we would not have men turn ordinary teachers , that are neither sound , nor able , nor sent ; nor every self-conceited ignorant man have leave to abuse the name and word of god , and the sou●s of men . what would you have more then is granted you ? when any unordained man that is judged competent by the commissioners of approbation , ( of whom some are souldiers ) may be a constant preacher , and have fullest maintenance , as well as presbyters ? . another charge is , that we are some weak , and some scandalous . answ . we do all that we are able to cast out such ; and i think never more was done . the magistrate sets his guard at the door , and lets in none but whom he please : and sure if he knew where to have better then those that are in , he would put them in , or else he is too blame . if he do not know , will you blame him for using the best that he can get ? but if you will come and help us to cast out any that are vitious and unworthy , we will give you thanks . . another accusation is , that we differ among our selves , and one saith one thing , and another another thing . answ . . and are all these sects that oppose us , better agreed among themselves ? enquire and judge . . do not all preach one gospel , and the same essentials of the christian faith ? and we expect not perfect unity , till we have perfect knowledge and holiness ; which we dare not boast of , what ever quakers do . . another accusation is , that we are not true ministers . and why so ? because we have not an uninterrupted succession of lawful ordination . answ. this objection is the papists , who have little reason to use it , while it is so easie a matter to prove so many interruptions of their papal succession . at large and often have we answered them , and are still ready to deal with any of them herein , and to prove , . that an uninterrupted succession of right ordination , is not of necessity to the being of the ministry . . and if it were , we have more to shew for it then they . if others stick on this , let me tell them , that magistracy is as truly from god as the ministry : and let ever a king on earth shew me an uninterrupted succession giving him title to his crown , and i will shew him a more undoubted succession or title to my ministry . but here 's no room to discuss this question . . object . but you are parish priests , and no true ministers , because you have not true churches . answ . all the christians in our parishes that consent are our flock . and we undertake to prove the truth of such churches , not only against scorn , but against all the arguments that can be brought . . object . but you have not the spirit , and therefore are no true ministers . answ . and how prove you that we have not the spirit ? the approvers admit none but such as they think have the spirit . he that is sanctified hath the spirit : prove us unsanctified , and we will resign our office . object . you read your sermons out of a paper ; therefore you have not the spirit . answ . a strong argument ! i pray you take seven years time to prove the consequence . as wisely do the quakers argue , that because we use spectacles , or hour-glasses and pulpits , we have not the spirit . it is not want of your abilities that makes ministers use notes : but it 's a regard to the work and good of the hearers . i use notes as much as any man , when i take pains : and as little as any man when i am lazy , or busie , and have not leisure to prepare . it 's easier to us to preach three sermons without notes , then one with them . he is a simple preacher that is not able to preach all day without preparation , if his strength would serve : especially if he preach at your rates . . object . but the true ministry is persecuted : but so are not you , but are persecutors of others . answ . . for our pesecuring others , be so merciful as to prove it to us , that we may lament it . if punishing wicked men and seducers be persecuting , not only paul was such , that wished they were cut off that troubled the galatians : but god himself would be the greatest of all persecutors , that will lay you in hell without repentance , and then you will wish your old persecution again . and if we be not persecuted , what means the reproaches of you and all the drunkards and malignants about us ? but i pray you , envy us not our lives and liberties , and a little breathing time . do you not read that [ the churches had rest throughout all judaea and galilee , and samaria , and were edified , and walking in the fear of the lord , and in the comfort of the holy ghost were multiplied ? act. . . ] envy not a little prosperity to the church . doth not paul pray that the gospel may run and be glorified , and that we may be delivered from unreasonable wicked men ? thes. . . sometimes you can say that more glorious dayes are promised , and that the saints shall rule the world . unmerciful men ! it is but a while ago since we had our share of sufferings ! since that the sword hath hunted after us ! many of our brethren are yet in america , that were driven thither , at this time in spain , and italy , and germany , and savoy : alas , what do our brethren suffer in the same cause and calling that we are in ! and do you reproach us with our mercies , if we be out of the furnace but a little while , in one corner of the world ? object . . you work no miracles to confirm your doctrine . answ . it is true : nor do we need : it is confirmed by miracles long ago . if we brought a new gospel , or as the papists , gave you not our doctrine on the credit of scripture , but scripture and all on our own credit ; then you might justly call for miracles to prove it . but not when we have nothing to do but expound and apply a doctrine sealed by miracles already . again i say , let any prince on earth that questions our calling , sh●w his title to his crown , or any judge or magistrate to his office ; and if i shew not as good a title to mine , let me be taken for a deceiver , and not a minister . christian reader , as ever thou wouldest be sanctified , confirmed and saved , hold fast to christ , scripture , ministry , and spirit , and that in the church and communion of saints , and abhor the thoughts of separating them from each other . august . . finis . a just correction and inlargement of a scandalous bill of the mortality of the malignant clergie of london, and other parts of the kingdome, which have been justly sequestred from their pastorall-charges, and since that (some of them) defunct, by reason of the contageous infection of the prelaticall pride and malignancie of their owne spirits; since the yeare . to this present year . together with the severall pernicious casualties of the same. or, a succinct traiterologie, in answer to a lying martyrologie, and catalogue of the gracelesse, and godlesse, lazy levites, and proud prelaticall priests of the city of london, and beyond the liberties thereof, who have been justly imprisoned and deprived of their estates ... serving for london, especially, and the liberties thereof, with the out-parishes; together with most parts of the whole kingdome, both city and country. / by j:v. vicars, john, or - . this text is an enriched version of the tcp digital transcription a of text r in the english short title catalog (thomason e _ ). textual changes and metadata enrichments aim at making the text more computationally tractable, easier to read, and suitable for network-based collaborative curation by amateur and professional end users from many walks of life. the text has been tokenized and linguistically annotated with morphadorner. the annotation includes standard spellings that support the display of a text in a standardized format that preserves archaic forms ('loveth', 'seekest'). textual changes aim at restoring the text the author or stationer meant to publish. this text has not been fully proofread approx. kb of xml-encoded text transcribed from -bit group-iv tiff page images. earlyprint project evanston,il, notre dame, in, st. louis, mo a wing v thomason e _ estc r this keyboarded and encoded edition of the work described above is co-owned by the institutions providing financial support to the early english books online text creation partnership. this phase i text is available for reuse, according to the terms of creative commons . universal . the text can be copied, modified, distributed and performed, even for commercial purposes, all without asking permission. early english books online. (eebo-tcp ; phase , no. a ) transcribed from: (early english books online ; image set ) images scanned from microfilm: (thomason tracts ; :e [ ]) a just correction and inlargement of a scandalous bill of the mortality of the malignant clergie of london, and other parts of the kingdome, which have been justly sequestred from their pastorall-charges, and since that (some of them) defunct, by reason of the contageous infection of the prelaticall pride and malignancie of their owne spirits; since the yeare . to this present year . together with the severall pernicious casualties of the same. or, a succinct traiterologie, in answer to a lying martyrologie, and catalogue of the gracelesse, and godlesse, lazy levites, and proud prelaticall priests of the city of london, and beyond the liberties thereof, who have been justly imprisoned and deprived of their estates ... serving for london, especially, and the liberties thereof, with the out-parishes; together with most parts of the whole kingdome, both city and country. / by j:v. vicars, john, or - . [ ], , [ ] p. [s.n.], london, : printed in the year, . j:v. = john vicars. a reply to: griffith, matthew. a generall bill of mortality, of the clergy of london (wing g ). annotation on thomason copy: "jan: th "; the in imprint date crossed out. reproduction of the original in the british library. eng griffith, matthew, ?- . -- generall bill of mortality, of the clergy of london -- early works to . church of england -- clergy -- early works to . clergy -- england -- early works to . great britain -- church history -- th century -- early works to . a r (thomason e _ ). civilwar no a just correction and inlargement of a scandalous bill of the mortality of the malignant clergie of london, and other parts of the kingdome, vicars, john c the rate of defects per , words puts this text in the c category of texts with between and defects per , words. - tcp assigned for keying and markup - aptara keyed and coded from proquest page images - robyn anspach sampled and proofread - robyn anspach text and markup reviewed and edited - pfs batch review (qc) and xml conversion a just correction and inlargement of a scandalous bill of the mortality of the malignant clergie of london , and other parts of the kingdome , which have been justly sequestred from their pastorall-charges , and since that ( some of them ) defunct , by reason of the contageous infection of the prelaticall pride and malignancie of their owne spirits ; since the yeare . to this present yeare . together with the severall pernicious casualties of the same . or , a succinct traiterologie , in answer to a lying martyrologie , and catalogue of the gracelesse , and godlesse , lazie levites , and proud prelaticall priests of the city of london , and beyond the liberties thereof , who have been justly imprisoned and deprived of their estates ( as they , heretofore , and their tyrannicall masters , the bishops , barbarously abused the truely pious and painfull pastours of london , and other parts of the kingdome , onely , for non-subscription to their popish ceremonies ; ) for their malignancie against the parliament , and the true-reformed religion and power of godlinesse now endevoured throughout the kingdome , and for other odious enormities against god , and palpable disloyalties to their native country . serving for london , especially , and the liberties thereof , with the out-parishes ; together with most parts of the whole kingdome , both city and country . by j : v. london , printed in the year , . a most just correction and enlargement of a most lying and scandalous bill of the mortality of the malignant clergy of london . a. the arch-prelate of canterbury , ( whom the shamelesse and namelesse authour of that scandalous bill of mortality , left out ) a most abominable , and almost incredible hypocrite in all his life , and especially at his death ; most justly beheaded on the tower-hill , for a most notorious convicted traitor , and principall incendiary to all the late bloody broyles over the whole kingdome , and a most pernicious pest and plague of church and state . master adams , of bennets pauls-wharfe london , sequestred for being a known profane pot-companion , both day and night , and otherwise a loose-liver , a temporizing ceremony-monger , and malignant against the parliament . mr. aymes , of l●wis in kent , sequestred for being a common drunkard , a common swearer , and desperate malignant against the parliament . doctor andrews , parson of guilford , and vicar of godlamine , sequestred for being a pluralist , a hater of frequent preaching , a notorious ceremony-monger , a familiar tipler in tavernes , and a desperate malignant . mr. alston , parson of pentloe in essex , sequestred for being a most odiously lascivious and lustfull priest , a notorious innovator of popish-ceremonies , and a desperate malignant against the parliament . doctor anherst , of horsmauden in kent , sequestred for being a notorious popish innovator of ceremonies , a common drunkard and swearer , and a desperate malignant . mr. alsope , of acton in suffolk , sequestred for being a most incontinent assaulter of the chastity of marryed wives , and actually committer of fornication with a maid-servant , and a most desperate malignant . mr. allen of tolsbury in essex , sequestred for living most incontinently with severall women , whom he got with childe , for being a most lazy priest , by seldome preaching , and a desperate malignant . b. mr. brown , of bridewell-precinct , london , sequestred for being a notable innovator of popish ceremonies , and a desperate malignant against the parliament . mr. booth of buttolphs aldersgate , london , sequestred for being a most lazy levite , a ceremony-monger , an enemy to gods people , and a desperate malignant . dr. bray , of martins in the fields , london , sequestred for being a most notorious innovator of popish ceremonies , a hater of gods people , and a most desperate malignant against the parliament . dr. belcanquell , master of the savoy , london , sequestred for being a notorious innovator , a mischievous enemy to the amity of scotland and england , and a desperate malignant . dr. baker of mary-hill , london , &c. sequestred for being a most proud pluralist , a notorious innovator of popish ceremonies , a singular friend to papists , but persecutor of godly men , under his dearly beloved master the arch-prelate of canterbury , and a most desperate malignant . dr. brough , of michaels cornhill , london , sequestred for being such another notorious popish innovator , as his foresaid brother in iniquity , and a most desperate malignant . dr. brown of faiths in london , sequestred for being just such another notorious popish ceremony monger as his two foresaid brethren , and a most desperate malignant . mr. battie of fosters in london , sequestred for being a perverse enemy to frequent preaching , a ceremony-monger , and obstinate malignant . mr. bloxam , of great-waldingham , in suff. sequestred for being a common drunkard , a desperate common swearer by fearfull oathes , a most lazie priest , and pestilent malig. mr. baiky , of brasteed in kent , sequestred for being a most notable popish innovator , and preacher of false doctrines , and a desperate malig. c. dr couzens , mr. of peter-house in cambridge , most worthily outed of all , forced to flye away , for being a most intolerable popish , rotten hearted proud priest , an insufferable ceremony-monger , a most wicked hater of all goodnesse , and good men , a pestilent enemy to preaching and most desperate incendiary and malig. mr. clark , of etherborough , within bishopsgate , london , sequestred for being a frequent pot-companion in taverns and ale-houses , a notable popish-hearted priest , and a pestilent malig : against the parliament . dr. chambers of andrew hubbard , london , sequestred for being a notorious ceremonie-monger and desperate malig. dr. clewet , of anne aldersgate , london , sequestred for being a pontifician pluralist , a notorious temporizing ceremony-monger , and a desperate malig : mr. chestlin , of matthew friday-street , london , sequestred and justly imprisoned , for his profane life , popishly-affected spirit , and perverse and impious malignancy against the parliament . mr. cooper of thomas apostle , london , sequestred for his wicked and perverse popish spirit , and intolerable pride & malignancy . mr. clay , of chelsworth in suffolk , sequestred for being a common swearer , a frequent haunter of taverns and ale-houses , and often very drunk in them , who for his misdemeanours had been set in the stocks , and was also a most desperate malig : mr. clapham , of far●ham in surrey , sequestred for being a pluralist , a lascivious and lustfull priest , living in adultery with severall women and had divers bastards , and a desperate cavalerian malig. dr. cotesford of hadleigh and munks-ely in suff : sequ : for being a proud pluralist , a pestilent popish innovator , a lustfull priest and drunkard , and a desperate malig : against the parliament . d. dr dukeson , of clement-danes , london , sequestred for being a great gamester and swearer , a notorious superstitious proud priest , and a pestilent cavalerian malig : against the parliament . mr. davies , hospitler of thomas hospitall in southwark , sequestred for being a vile common drunkard , and swearer , and a desperate malig : mr. danson , of camberwell in surrey , sequestred for being a common drunkard , and that in a base and beastly manner , a common swearer , a harbourer of a known romish-priest , in his house , not having preached once in twelve years space , yet upheld in his benefice , and a desperate malig : mr. denn of dartford in kent , sequestred for being a common drunkard , an enemy to preaching and a most desperate malig. mr. dale , of kettleborough in suff. sequestred for being a notorious innovator of popish ceremonies , a common swearer and curser of his people , a frequent drunkard and haunter of ale-houses , and taverns , a proud and wicked spirited man , and a desperate malig : against the parliament . e. mr. edlin , of john zachary , london , sequestred for being a proud prelaticall ceremony monger , and a pernicious malig : against the parliament . mr. eccop , of pan●ros-soperlane , lond. sequestred for being a notorious popish ceremony-monger , an enemy to frequent preaching , and a desperate malig : mr. evans of sandcroft in suff : sequestred for being a notorious common drunkard , a constant contemner and hinderer of the word preached , and a desperate malig : f. dr fairfaix of peters in cornhill , lond : and of east ham in essex , sequestred for being a proud prelaticall pluralist , and profane in his life and conversation , a drunken frequenter of tipling-houses , a frequent profaner of the lords dayes , by carding , an impious enemy to preaching of the word ; a notorious incontinent and lustfull priest , and desperate malignant against the parliament . dr. fuller of gyles-crepl-gate , lon : most justly sequestred for being a most proud , prelaticall , popish ceremony-monger , an enemy to frequent preaching , and a most desperate malig. mr. finch of christ-church , lon : sequestred for being a most abominable and odious whore-master , a drunkard , swearer , and every way a most loose and prophane person , an enemy to all goodnesse and good men , a notorious popish ceremony-monger and a most desperate malig. mr. fothersby of clements in sandwich , and of lingsteed in kent , sequestred for being a proud pluralist , a common drunkard , curser and swearer , and a desperate malig. g dr. giff●rd of michael-basishaw , lon : most worthily sequestred for being a pernicious rotten-hearted popish ceremony-monger , an enemy to true goodnesse and good men , and frequent preaching , and a desperate malig. dr. griffith , of maudlins-oldfishstreet , lon : most justly sequestred for being a most pestilent popish rotten-hearted innovator , a treacherous priest in bazing-house , and every way a most intolerable desperate malignant . dr. gorsuch of walker in hertfordshire , sequ. for being a notorious alehouse and tavern hunter , a drunkard and gamester in them whole nights together ; seldome preaching to his people , hardly once a quarter , and a most desperate malignant against the parliament . mr. gearie of beddingfield in suff. sequ. for being a most wicked curser and swearer of most fearfull and bloudy oathes ; a common vomiting drunkard , a most pernicious popish innovator , and a most desperate malignant against the parliament . h dr. heywood , of gyles in the field , sequ. for being a most notorious rotten-hearted popish ceremonie-monger , one of the arch-prelate of canterburies treacherous favourites , and a most pestilent and intolerable malignant against the parliament . dr. howell of stephens walbrooke , london , sequestred for being a most pernicious pluralist , a proud prelaticall innovating priest , an enemy to frequent preaching , and a most intolerable desperate malignant . dr. haley of alphage , lon : sequestred for being a most pestilent popish innovating priest , and a desperate malignant . dr. hacket , of andrews holborne , lon : sequestred for being a pernicious bird of the foresaid brood , and a desperate malignant against the parliament . mr. hugget , of cliff in suss . sequestred for being a most profane loose liver , a popish innovator , having the french pox , for the cure whereof he gave livre. kickt his wife on the belly in his rage , being very great with childe ; whereupon she was , presently , with great danger , delivered of a dead childe , yet past unpunisht , and was a desperate cavalierian malignant . mr. hart , of hargrave in suff. sequestred for being an odious common drunkard , familiarly casting dice for drinking of most cups , making his neighbours drink drunk under the tables ; and being in the night times with their wives , private in their chambers , and a desperate malignant . mr. humes of charleton in kent , sequestred for being a common drunkard , and that on the lords dayes , a wicked incontinent and lustfull priest , frequently assaulting womens chastity , a popish innovator , and desperate malignant against the parliament . i dr. isaacson , of andrews-wardrobe , lon : sequestred for being a popish innovator , a hater of frequent preaching , and a desperate malignant against the parliament . dr. jermine , of martins-ludgate , lon. sequestred for being a popish innovator , and desperate malignant . dr. johnson , of mary-whitechappell , lon : sequestred for being a notorioas ceremony-monger , and desperate malignant . dr. jeofferies , of feversham and ticehurst in kent , sequestred for being a proud prelatical pluralist , an enemy to frequent preaching , and a desperate malignant . mr. jenkinson of panfield in ess. sequestred for being a most intolerable popish innovator , a pernicious enemy to frequent preaching , a notorious profaner of the lords dayes with sports , and a desperate malignant . k mr. king of buttolph-billingsgate , lon. sequestred for being a most superstitious innovator , and desperate malignant . mr. kibbuts , of katherine-coleman , lon. sequestred for being a popish innovator , and a desperate malignant . mr. king , of chesill-magna , in ess. sequestred for being a common drunkard ; and that on the fast dayes and lords dayes , a notorious popish ceremony-monger , and a desperate malignant against the parliament . l dr. lafield , of barking , lon. sequestred for being a notorious popish-hearted ceremony monger , a proud pernicious hater of preaching the word ; one of the arch-prelate of canterburies white boyes , and a desperate malignant . mr. leech , of mary le-bow , lon. sequestred for his peevish and perverse malignancie against the parliament . mr. laud , of little-tey in ess. sequestred for being a common drunkard even on the lords dayes , and especially on saturday-nights , and thereby often disabled to preach on the next lords day , even to the shutting up of the church doores , a notorious ceremony-monger , and desperate malignant . m dr. marsh , of dunstones-west , lon. sequestred for being a proud pontifician pluralist , a notable innovator , and pernicious malignant against the parliament . mr. marbury , of peters pauls-wharfe , lon. sequestred for being a proud prelaticall innovator of popish-ceremonies , and a desperate malignant . mr. mason , of andrews-vndershaft , lon. forced from his cure , for popish innovation and desperate malignancy . mr. muffet , of edmonton , in middles . sequestred for being a most odious common drunkard , a curser , swearer and blasphemer , quareller and fighter with any , and desperate malignant . dr. martin , of houghton in bedfordshire , and dunnington in cambridge-shire , sequestred for being a proud pernicious pluralist , a wicked hater of preaching , a notorious rotten hearted popish innovator , and desperate malignant against the parliament . n mr. nicholson , of stapleford-tawny , in ess. sequestred for being a common drunkard and swearer , a popish innovator , and a desperate malignant against the parliament . mr. noveltie , alias , notly , of joseph-plum , in ess. sequestred for being a superstitious ceremony-monger , a drunkard , and desperate malignant against the parliament . o dr. osbalstone , of much-parudon , in ess. sequestred for being a most wicked hater of frequent preaching , a popish innovator , a prophaner of the lords dayes by sports , and a desperate malignant against the parliament . mr. owen , of swithins , lon. sequestred for being a notable innovator of popish-ceremonies , and a desperate malig. p dr. pierce , of martins outwich , lon. sequestred for being a notorious ceremony-monger and desperate malignant . dr. paske , of magdalen bermondsey , in southwarke , sequestred for being a proud pontifician ceremony-monger , and desperate malignant against the parliament . mr. piggot , of sepulchres , lon. outed thence for being a notorious pot-companion , drinking healths , by casting dice for most cups a notorious ceremony monger , and desperate malignant against the parliament . mr. peckham , of hosteed-parva , in suss . sequestred for being a lazie levite , seldome preaching , a notorious popish innovator , a common drunkard , and most uncleane adulterer , using most obscene and filthy carriages with women , not fit to be named ; and a desperate malignant against the parliament . q mr. quelch , of bennet grace church , lon. sequestred for being a popish innovator , and a desperate malignant against the parliament . r dr. rives , of martines vintry , lon. sequestred for being a pestilent popish innovator , a proud and profane pontifician , and desperate malignant against the parliament . mr. rannew , of kettlebastone , in suff. sequestred for being a common ale-house haunter and drunkard , a hater of frequent preaching , a notorious innovator , and a desperate malignant against the parliament . s dr styles , of george buttolph-lane , and of gregories by pauls , lon. out of them both for being a proud and pernicious pontifician pluralist , a notorious innovator of popish ceremonies , and a desperate malignant . dr. stamp , of stepney , neer lon. sequestred for being a proud prelaticall innovator of romish-ceremonies , and a desperate malignant . mr. stone of clement eastcheap , lon. sequestred for being a notorious stoney-hearted proud pontifician ceremony-monger , an enemy to all goodnesse , and a pestilent and desperate malignant . mr. squire , of shorditch , midales . sequestred for being a notorious proud and rotten-hearted pontifician ceremony-monger , a popish apostate , of a generall infamous life , and desperate malignant . mr. sydall , of kensworth , in hertfordshire , sequestred for being a common drunkard , a lazie levite , a notorious dunsicall ceremony-monger , and a desperate malignant . t dr. turner , of olives , in southwarke , sequestred for being a notorious popish ceremony-monger , an enemy to frequent preaching , and an intolerable desperate malignant . mr. taber , of margaret lothbury , lon. sequ : for being a most popishly-affected ceremony-monger , a proud pontifician enemy to frequent preaching , and a most desperate malignant against the parliament . mr. thrall , of mary mounthaw , lon. sequestred for being a notorious ceremony-monger , a profaner of the lords dayes with sports , a common drunkard , curser and swearer , an enemy to frequent preaching , and a desperate malig : against the parliament . mr. tutivall of suttons hospitall , neer lon. sequestred for being a common drunkard , and that on the lords dayes , much suspected of incontinency , a notorious popish ceremony-monger , a contemner of frequent preaching , and a most desperate malig : mr. thurman , of hallingbury , in essex , sequestred for being a common drunkard , a persecuter of his people for going to heare the word abroad , when they had no preaching ( and that very often ) at home , a hater of good men and godlinesse , familiarly called the mad priest , and a desperate malignant against the parliament . u dr . vty of chigwell in essex , sequestred for being a most egregiously infamous rotten-hearted papist , publickly professing he loved the pope with all his heart , denying the kings supremacy , blasphemously avouched , that the arch-prelate of canterburies commands ought equally to be obeyed with gods word , and a desperate malig. mr. vdall of aultins lon. sequestred for making and maintaining most proudly and presumptuously a wicked book , intituled noli me tangere , wherein he aspersed the parliament with many notorious scandalls , and impious false accusations , and for being otherwise also a most desperate malignant . w. dr watts , of allhallows-woodstreet , lon. sequestred for being a profane , ruffianly , loose , and most proud pontifician ceremony monger , a hater of frequent preaching of the word , and of true godlinesse and good men , and a desperate malig. against the parliament . dr. walton , of martin-orgars , in lon. sequestred for being a notorious proud innovator of popish-ceremonies , and a desperate malignant against the parliament . mr. weston , of allhallows lumberstreet , lon. sequestred for being a notorious innovator of popish-ceremonies , and desperate malignant against the parliament . mr. ward , of leonards fosterlane , lon. sequestred for being a notorious innovator of popish-ceremonies , a profane and fantasticall proud priest , an enemy to frequent preaching , and a desperate malig. mr. wilson , of arlington , in suss . sequestred for being a most odious committer of buggery with many men , upon his owne confession ; yea , attempted to commit this odious sinne with a mare , blasphemously said , that christ after the flesh , was a bastard , and for being a notorious popish ceremony-monger , a mighty drinker , and desperate malig. mr. woodcock , of elham , in kent , sequestred for being a notorious common drunkard , a most wicked curser and swearer , by most fearfull and bloudy oathes , and a desperate malignant against the parliament . mr. wright , of withan , in ess. sequestred for being a common drunkard , a most filthy and letcherous priest , a common swearer and obscene speaker , and a desperate malig. mr. woolhouse , of west-mersea , in ess. sequestred for being a common drunkard , a great gamester for money , a filthy lascivious priest , a great curser and swearer , and desperate malignant . mr. westrop , of much-totham , in ess. sequestred for most familiar filthy and profane abusing of the holy ordinance of preaching , by most obscene medling and dilating on the secrets of women in the pulpit ; abusively and familiarly comparing women to sowes , to make the people laugh ; calling such women whores , who refused to heare him thus speake in the pulpit , together with aboundance of such-like most filthy trash , constantly thus delivered by him , and for being a desperate malignant against the parliament . and though last , yet not least ( as the arch-prelate of cant. was , as it were , captaine generall of this irreligious regiment ; so he now , as major generall followes bringing up the rear . ) i meane bishop wren , the said arch-prelates brother in iniquity , a most intolerable firebrand in the church of god , a traiterous spirited pontifician , a popish hearted and most proud and letcherous priest , a notorious hater of all goodnesse and good men , and of the frequent preaching of gods word : now , and long time chained and muzled-up in his kennell , in the tower of london , for his most abhominable insolencies , and notorious wickednesses , and his most desperate malignancy against the parliament , besides , the happy cleansing of those foule popish-augean stalls of fat fed lazie abbi-lubbers in the cathedral-churches of paul , in london , and westmin . i mean the driving out of the drone-like deanes , arch-deacons , sub-deans , residenciaries , proud prebends , canons , pettie-canons , cardinals , forsooth , profane and drunken choristers , and play-house musicians , to sing and toote in their quires , together with all the rest of that rabble of those burthen-some and unprofitable croaking frogs , of all the rest of the cathedralls in the whole kingdome , hunted out of their holes , by the just sequestrations of the parliament , enforcing them to get their living ( if they have so much grace ) by some other more honest and holy imployments , according to the word and will of god . sequestred and most justly expelled out of their livings , for their abominable misdemeanours , as above is declared , in brief , ( and may be more fully seen in pious mr. whites first century ) according to this our bill , thus briefly collected , but might have been mightily enlarged . besides the cathedrals of pauls , and westminster , and the rest — whereof malignant doctors of divinity — dead with rancourous malice and malignity ( in prisons and else-where ) on the sight and sense of gods just hand upon them , according to the computation and accompt of the namelesse malignant-authours other bill of their happy mortality , in respect of the case of gods church , to which they were a great burthen , and the comfort of gods people , to whom they were a daily vexation , and griefe of heart . — dead according to our bill — parishes and places infected with the contageous corruption and spirituall plague of the wicked lives and filthy manners of these popishly-affected pontificians , and desperately malignant , loose , and lazie priests , and sons of belial . almost all in the whole kingdome . parishes clear of them — very few . and thus ( good reader ) thou having seen what kinde of learned , grave , religious , and painfull ministers , that namelesse and shamelesse lying malignant authour of the other bill of mortality had culled and collected together ( yet being conscious to himself of his grosse deceit , was ashamed to name mr. edward finch of christ-church ( he was so notorious a wicked man but left it out with a blank ) may i not now , in requitall of his false quoted scriptures , most justly repay him with these scriptures ? isaiah . . . woe unto them that call evill good , and good evill ; that put darknesse for light , and light for darknesse : that put bitter for sweet , and sweet for bitter , which justifie the wicked for reward , and take away the righteousnesse of the righteous from him . jerem. . . . & . woe unto the pastours that destroy and scatter the sheep of my pasture , saith the lord ; for , both prophet and priest are profane ; yea , in my house have i found their wickednesse , saith the lord . i have not sent these prophets , yet they ran , i have not spoken to them , or by them , yet they have prophesied lies in my name , v. jerem. . , . then said jeremiah to pashur , the lord hath not called thy name pashur , but magor-missabib ; for , thus saith the lord , i will make thee a terror ( and a shame ) to thy self and to all thy friends , and they shall fall by the sword of their enemies , and thine eyes shall behold it , ( and thine ears shall hear of it , as , now wicked wrens does in the tower ) and thou pashur , ( ver. . ) and all that dwell within thy house shall goe into captivity . see ( then , thou lying authour of that false bill ) the just decree of the lord , in imprisoning the persons , sequestring and seizing on the estates and goods ( which thou falsly callest plundering ) and casting out and bringing into misery the wives and children of such wicked and lying false prophets and profane priests , as here thou hast seen truly described unto thee by a fervent hater of prelaticall lyes , and a zealous lover of presbyterian truths . finis . notes, typically marginal, from the original text notes for div a e- dead with malignancie . dead with ma●●●nancie . dead with malignancie . dead with malignancie . dead with malignancie . dead with malignancie . dead with malignancie . d 〈…〉 lig 〈…〉 dea 〈…〉 lign 〈…〉 dead with malignancie . dead with malignancie . the lives of two and twenty english divines eminent in their generations for learning, piety, and painfulnesse in the work of the ministry, and for their sufferings in the cause of christ : whereunto are annexed the lives of gaspar coligni, that famous admirall of france, slain in the parisian massacre, and of joane queen of navarr, who died a little before / by samuel clarke ... clarke, samuel, - . approx. kb of xml-encoded text transcribed from -bit group-iv tiff page images. text creation partnership, ann arbor, mi ; oxford (uk) : - (eebo-tcp phase ). a wing c estc r ocm this keyboarded and encoded edition of the work described above is co-owned by the institutions providing financial support to the early english books online text creation partnership. this phase i text is available for reuse, according to the terms of creative commons . universal . the text can 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(eebo-tcp ; phase , no. a ) transcribed from: (early english books online ; image set ) images scanned from microfilm: (early english books, - ; : ) the lives of two and twenty english divines eminent in their generations for learning, piety, and painfulnesse in the work of the ministry, and for their sufferings in the cause of christ : whereunto are annexed the lives of gaspar coligni, that famous admirall of france, slain in the parisian massacre, and of joane queen of navarr, who died a little before / by samuel clarke ... clarke, samuel, - . [ ], , [ ] p., [ ] leaves of plates : ports. printed by a.m. for thomas vnderhill and john rothwell ..., london : . errata: p. [ ] at end. reproduction of original in the huntington library. includes bibliographical references and index. created by converting tcp files to tei p using tcp tei.xsl, tei @ oxford. re-processed by university of nebraska-lincoln and northwestern, with changes to facilitate morpho-syntactic tagging. gap elements of known extent have been transformed into placeholder characters or elements to simplify the filling in of gaps by user contributors. eebo-tcp is a partnership between the universities of michigan and oxford and the publisher proquest to create accurately transcribed and encoded texts based on the image sets published by proquest via their early english books online (eebo) database (http://eebo.chadwyck.com). the general aim of eebo-tcp is to encode one copy (usually the first edition) of every monographic english-language title published between and available in eebo. eebo-tcp aimed to produce large quantities of textual data within the usual project restraints of time and funding, and therefore chose to create diplomatic transcriptions (as opposed to critical editions) with light-touch, mainly structural encoding based on the text encoding initiative (http://www.tei-c.org). the eebo-tcp project was divided into two phases. the , texts created during phase of the project have been released into the public domain as of january . anyone can now take and use these texts for their own purposes, but we respectfully request that due credit and attribution is given to their original source. users should be aware of the process of creating the tcp texts, and therefore of any assumptions that can be made about the data. text selection was based on the new cambridge bibliography of english literature (ncbel). if an author (or for an anonymous work, the title) appears in ncbel, then their works are eligible for inclusion. selection was intended to range over a wide variety of subject areas, to reflect the true nature of the print record of the period. in general, first editions of a works in english were prioritized, although there are a number of works in other languages, notably latin and welsh, included and sometimes a second or later edition of a work was chosen if there was a compelling reason to do so. image sets were sent to external keying companies for transcription and basic encoding. quality assurance was then carried out by editorial teams in oxford and michigan. % (or pages, whichever is the greater) of each text was proofread for accuracy and those which did not meet qa standards were returned to the keyers to be redone. after proofreading, the encoding was enhanced and/or corrected and characters marked as illegible were corrected where possible up to a limit of instances per text. any remaining illegibles were encoded as <gap>s. understanding these processes should make clear that, while the overall quality of tcp data is very good, some errors will remain and some readable characters will be marked as illegible. users should bear in mind that in all likelihood such instances will never have been looked at by a tcp editor. the texts were encoded and linked to page images in accordance with level of the tei in libraries guidelines. copies of the texts have been issued variously as sgml (tcp schema; ascii text with mnemonic sdata character entities); displayable xml (tcp schema; characters represented either as utf- unicode or text strings within braces); or lossless xml (tei p , characters represented either as utf- unicode or tei g elements). keying and markup guidelines are available at the text creation partnership web site . eng coligny, gaspard de, -- seigneur de châtillon, - . jeanne d'albret, -- queen of navarre, - . clergy -- england -- biography. - tcp assigned for keying and markup - spi global keyed and coded from proquest page images - simon charles sampled and proofread - spi global rekeyed and resubmitted - judith siefring sampled and proofread - judith siefring text and markup reviewed and edited - pfs batch review (qc) and xml conversion the lives of two and twenty english divines , eminent in their generations for learning , piety , and painfulnesse in the work of the ministry , and for their sufferings in the cause of christ . whereunto are annexed the lives of gaspar coligni , that famous admirall of france , slain in the parisian massacre ; and of joane queen of navarr , who died a little before . by samuel clarke pastor of bennet-fink london . qui sanctum virum imitatur , quasi exemplum aliquod intuetur , seseque in illo quasi speculo prospicit , ut adjiciat , quod deesse virtutis agnoscit . minus enim seipsum homo considerat : sed dum alterum intendit , id quod minus est virtutis addidit . isiod . de summo bono . london , printed by a. m. for thomas vnderhill and john rothwell in pauls church-yard , . the names of those whose lives are contained in this part. dr. collet . p. bishop coverdale . dr. sands . mr. richard greenham . mr. thomas cartwright . mr. paul baines . mr. william bradshaw . mr. richard stock . mr. richard rothwel . dr. preston . mr. arthur hildersam . dr. thomas tailor . mr. hugh clarke . p. dr. sibs . dr. chaderton . mr. john ball. bishop potter . mr. richard sedgwick . mr. julines herring . mr. john dod. mr. robert balsom . mr. herbert palmer . gaspar coligni admirall of france . ioane q. of navarr . to his loving friend master clarke upon his lives of these eminent divines . samuel clarke . anagr. make us recall . make us recall the lives of worthies dead , ( herein thou art , blest soul , our learned clark. ) in suffering times thereby to hold up head , and live their lives , ( herein thou art our mark ) to soare aloft their glories to ascend , and sing such praises , ( here thou art our larke ) to live when we are dead , and so to end our pilgrimage , and enter noah's arke . thy paines and pattern make us to recall their graces , glories , and their lives withall . john herring , mr. of arts , and minister of gods word . the life of doctor collet dean of pauls , who died anno christi . john collet was born of worshipfull parents in london ; his father [ henry collet ] having been twice lord maior of london , by whom he was carefully trained up in learning . in his younger daies he travelled into france and italy , whereby he much improved his learning . at his return into england he went to oxford , commenced doctor of divinity , and began to read publickly upon pauls epistles instead of scotus and tho. aquinas , which before were only in request in that university . when he came to london he preached often , and had a very great auditory both of courtiers and citizens . his diet was very frugall ; his life upright and unblamable : in discipline he was very severe , in so much as being made dean of pauls , his canons complained that they were held in too much by him . he alwaies preferred the honest and honourable estate of matrimony before the unchast single life of priests . at dinner time he used to have some portion of scripture read to him , either out of pauls epistles or solomons proverbs . he used no supper at all . he was no friend to the irreligious religious orders of monks and friars . he was an enemy to the barbarous divinity of the school-doctors , as of scotus , and thomas aquinas , insomuch as when erasmus highly commended aquinas for his learning and acutenesse , doctor collet answered ; what tell you me of the learning of that man , who unlesse he had been of an arrogant and presumptious spirit , durst never have taken upon him to discusse and define all things so boldly and rashly as he did ? and except he had rather been worldly minded then heavenly , he would never so have polluted christs wholsome doctrine with mans prophane doctrine , as he hath done . the bishop london at this time was fitz james , who of a long time bore a great grudge to dr collet , and therefore joyning with two other bishops , they entred an action of complaint against him before dr warham archbishop of canterbury . the articles exhibited against him were three . first , for preaching against the worshipping of images . secondly , about hospitality , for that he preaching upon those words in the gospel , feed , feed , feed ; having expounded the two first for feeding by doctrine and example , the third he expounded for feeding by hospitality ; yet not so much for feeding the body as the soul by good counsel and conference . the third was for speaking against such as preached bosom sermons , declaring nothing to the people but what they bring in their papers with them : this the bishop of london used to do , and therefore took it as spoken against himself , which much irritated him against dr collet . but the archbishop more wisely weighing the matter , and being well acquainted with the worth of collet , so took his part against his accusers , that at that time he freed him out of trouble . another design of fitz james was to make him an heretick for translating the pater noster into english , but the archbishop holp him out of that also . yet the bishops malice was restlesse , for when he could not prevail against dr collet before the archbishop , he laid a train to accuse him to the king , and the occasion thereof was this : about this time king henry the eighth was preparing war against france , and the bishop with his complices took advantages against dr collet , for that in one of his sermons he had seemed to preferre peace before any kind of warre , though never so just . for this they inveyed against him in their sermons , and traduced him also before the king ; yet on good friday after , dr collet preached before the king , at which time he treated upon the victory of christ , exhorting all christians to fight under christs standard against the devil ; adding moreover what an hard thing it was so to do . he shewed also that all they who upon private hatred or ambition took weapons against their adversaries , one christian to destroy another , they did not fight under christs banner but under satans . he exhorted therefore all christians in their wars , rather to make christ their prince and captain in fighting against their enemies , then to imitate julius caesar , alexander , &c. the king hearing this , and fearing lest the hearts of his souldier should by these words be withdrawn from the wars , took him aside into his garden after sermon , and had much private conference with him . bishop fitz-james and his a associates seeing this , were now confident that they should see collet presently sent prisoner to the tower , and therefore they waited for his return out of the garden ; but contrary to their expectation , the king used him very courteously , bad him put on his cap , much commended him for his learning and integrity of life , and agreed with him in all points that he had taught ; onely he desired him , lest the rude souldiers should misinterpret that which he had said , that in his next sermon he would explain himself more fully to them , which afterwards he did accordingly : and so after long communication , and great promises of favour , the king gently dismissed him with these words , let every man have his doctor as himself best liketh , this shall be my doctor . his adversaries seeing and hearing this , dust never after that time molest him any further . he did many excellent works of piety and charity , and amongst the rest he erected that famous foundation of pauls school london , where one hundred fifty three poor mens sons should be taught freely , and for this end he built a very convenient dwelling house for the schoolmaster . he assigned also a large annual stipend both for the head-master and usher , whom he willed rather to be chosen out of the number of married men , then of single priests with their suspected chastity . he left sundry rents and houses for the payment of those stipends , which he committed to the oversight of the worshipfull company of mercers in london . he caused to be ingraven upon the school in latine , schola catechisationis puerorum in christi opt. max. fide , & bonis literis , anno christi m.d.x. the first moderator of this school was mr william lilly , a man no lesse eminent for his learning then dr collet was for this foundation ; he made the latine grammer which ever since by authority hath been used in all schools . dr collet was very expert in the scriptures , especially in pauls epistles , which he hath illustrated by his commentaries . he held justification freely by the merits of christs , and not by our own works . he was an enemy to the idle and unchast life of the popish clergy . he abhorred those that persecuted the professors of the truth . he died anno christi . and was buried in pauls church , upon whose tomb mr lilly engraved this motto , disce mori mundo ; vivere disce deo. the life of miles coverdale sometimes bishop of exester , who died anno christi . miles coverdale was born in the north of england , and from his childhood was much given to learning , and by his diligence and industry profited exceedingly therein ; so that in the reign of king henry the eighth , he was one of the first that professed the gospel in england . he was very well skilled in the hebrew , and translated the bible into english , and wrote sundry books upon the scriptures ; which doctrine being new and strange in those daies , he was much hated and persecuted for it , especially by the bishops ; whereupon he was forced to fly into the low-countries . there he printed the bibles of his translation , and by sending them over , and selling them in england he maintained himself . but john stokesly bishop of london , hearing thereof , and minding to prevent their dispersing in england , enquired diligently where they were to be sold , and bought them all up , supposing that by this means no bibles would be had ; but contrary to his expectation it fell out otherwise ; for the same money which the bishop gave for these books , the merchant sent over to miles coverdale , by which means he was enabled to print as many more , which he also sent into england . this caused the bishops to pursue him with such eagerness , that he was forced to remove himself out of flanders into germany , and to settle himself under the palsgrave of the rheine , where he found much favour . at first he taught children for his subsistence ; but having learned the dutch language , the prince elector palatine gave him a benefice at a place called burghsaber , where he did much good by his ministry and holy life ; maintaining himself partly by his living , and partly by the liberality of thomas lord cromwell , who was his good lord , and relieved him very much . at length , when by the happy coming in of king edward the sixth , religion was altered in england , and the gospel had a free passage , he returned into his native countrey , where he did very much good by preaching . at the time of the commotion in devonshire for religion , he was appointed to go down as chaplain with the lord russell , who was sent to suppresse the same ; and after the work was over , for his excellent learning and godly life he was made bishop of exester , being consecrated thereunto at lambeth , by tho. cranmer archbishop of canterbury , anno christi . he most worthily performed that office that was committed to him . he preached constantly every sabbath and holy day , and most commonly twice in the week he read a divinity lecture in one church or other within the city of exester . considering his means , he was a great lover of hospitality , and kept a very good house . he was sober and temperate in his diet , holy and blamelesse in his life ; friendly to the godly , liberall to the poor , courteous to all men , void of pride , full of humility , abhorring covetousnesse , and an enemy to all wickednesse and wicked men , whose society he shunned , and whom he would in no wise intertain or keep in his house or company . his wife was a most sober , chast and godly matron : his houshold another church in which was exercised all godlinesse and vertue . he suffered no one person to abide in his house , who could not give an account of his faith and religion , and who lived not accordingly . and as he was very carefull to promote religion in his diocess , so was he as ready to give direction for good government in all ecclesiasticall affairs : and because himself was not skillfull therein , neither would be hindred from his godly studies , nor encumbred with worldly matters ; and yet judging it meet that the government should be carried on with all uprightnesse , justice and equity , he sent to oxford for a learned man to be his chancellour ; and by the assistance of his friends , he obtained mr robert weston doctor of the civil law ( and afterwards lord chancellour in ireland ) unto whose fidelity he committed his consistory , and the whole charge of his ecclesiasticall jurisdiction , allowing him , not only all the fees belonging thereto , but also lodged , and found him , his wife , and family , horse and man within his own house , and gave him a pension of lb lb per annum besides , which was a very great matter in those daies ; so liberall was this good bishop in the allowance which he made to this good chancellor . and surely the bishop was no more godly and carefull in performing his office of preaching , then his chancellor was diligent , strict and just in doing of his office without the reproach of partiality or bribery . yet notwithstanding that this godly bishop lived most holily , painfully , and virtuously , the common people ( whose old bottels were not capable of new wine ) could not brook nor digest him ; and when they could find no other cause , this was judged a crime sufficient , that he was a preacher of the gospel , an enemy to papistry , and an honest married man. hereupon many devises were set on foot for his disgrace , and removing him out of his place ; sometimes by slie and false informations against him , sometimes by open railing and false libels ; sometimes by secret backbitings ; yea at last their malice proceeded so far that they practised his death by poysoning ; but by gods good providence the snares were broken , and he was delivered . having thus continued bishop about three years , it pleased god to take away that famous english josiah , king edward : and his sister mary succeeding him , the face of religion was soon altered , and this good bishop amongst others was deprived , and clapt up in prison : and though the malice of the then prelates and arch-papists against him was very great , who also had sworn his death ; yet it pleased god most miraculously to preserve and deliver him out of their hands , which was effected by this meanes . the good king christian of denmark , having formerly known him at his being in germany , wrote divers times , and sued so earnestly and effectually to queen mary for him , that at last he was dismissed out of prison , and suffered to go over into denmark . there he staied a while , and afterwards , with the leave of the king , went into germany to his former worthy friend the noble elector of the rheine , who most willingly received him , and restored him to his former benefice of burghsaber . the reason why he staied no longer with his deliverer the king of denmark , but chose rather to go into the palatinate , was , because he could preach in the dutch language , but not in the danish tongue . at burghsaber he remained a faithfull and painfull preacher all queen maries daies , till hearing of her death , and of the change of religion under queen elizabeth , he once again returned into his native country . his bishoprick was reserved for him till his return , and then sundry times profered him , but he would by no meanes accept thereof , but chose rather to live a more private life , yet not out of action ; for he continued in london , teaching and preaching the gospel so long as the strength of his body would permit ; and at length being very old and stricken in years , he died comfortably and peaceably in the lord , being about eighty years old , january . anno christi . and was honourably buried under a fair stone in the chancel of bartholomews exchange in london , upon which stone is engraven this epitaph . in obitum reverendissimi patris , milonis coverdale ogdo astichon . hic tandem requiemque ferens , finemque laborum , ossa coverdali mortua tumbus habet : exoniae qui praesul erat dignissimus olim , insignis vitae vir probitate suae . octoginta annos grandaevus vixit , & unus indignum passus saepius exilium . sic demum variis jactatum casibus ista excepit gremio terra benigna suo . dr. sandes the life of doctor sands archbishop of york , who died anno christi . edwin sands was born of an ancient and worthy family about the year . and being trained up in learning , he so profited therein both in the countrey and university , that he was chosen master of katharine hall in cambridge , and having commenced doctor , he was made vice-chancellor of that university ; at which time that blessed king edward the sixth dying , and the lady jane grey being proclaimed queen , as we have heard before , the duke of northumberland was sent with an army to apprehend the lady mary . and when he came to cambridge he sent for dr sands the then vicechancellor , and some other doctors to sup with him ; and at supper required dr sands to preach on the morrow . the warning was short for such an occasion and auditory , yet he refused it not , but went home and so to bed : the next morning he arose at three a clock , and having prayed a good while , rose up , took his bible in his hand , and closing his eyes earnestly prayed to god that it might fall open at a fit text for the present occasion , and accordingly it opened , and the first text that he cast his eye upon was joshua . , , . and they answered joshua saying , all that thou commandest us we will do , and whithersoever thou sendest us we will go ; according as we hearkened to moses in all things , so will we hearken unto thee ; only the lord thy god be with thee , as he was with moses . whosoever he be that doth rebel against thy commandment , and will not hearken to thy words in all that thou commandest him , he shall be put to death , only be strong and of a good courage . this text he prosecuted with such prudence and affection , as drew many tears from the eyes of his auditors . after sermon the duke and other nobles desired him to print his sermon , and he only required a day and an halfs time for the writing of it , at the end whereof he delivered it to mr leaver , who was presently to carry it to london to the presse : but just at that instant came one of the beadles to him weeping , and bad him shift for himself ; for , said he , the duke is retired , and queen mary is proclaimed . dr sands was nothing troubled herewith , but delivered his sermon to mr leaver , and so went to dinner to mr moores one of the beadles , his great friend : at dinner being of an undaunted courage , and cheerfull disposition , he was very merry , mistress moore drinking to him said , mr vicechancellor , i drink to you , this being the last time that ever i shall see you : which accordingly proved true . that night the duke sent for him to joyn with him in proclaiming queen mary , and then told him that the queen was mercifull , and that he hoped for a generall pardon ; to which dr. sands answered , my life is not dear unto me , neither have i done or said any thing that troubleth my conscience . for what i spake of the state i have instructions signed by sixteen counsellors to warrant me therein , neither can speeches be treason ; nor yet have i spoken any thing but what the word of god and the lawes of the land will bear me out in , therefore the will of the lord be done . but be you assured my lord , you shall never escape death ; for if the queen should spare you , they that now shall rule , will kill you . that night the duke was apprehended , and some were as busie about dr. sands , but sir john gates that lay in the doctors house , drave them away . the next day dr. sands was walked into the fields , when the university in an irregular manner meeting together , ordered dr. mouse and dr. hatcher to go to dr. sands his house to fetch away the university statutes , the keyes , and such other things as were in his custody , which accordingly they did ; and dr. mouse , who the day before was an earnest protestant , was now turned a zealous papist , and a great enemy to dr. sands , from whom he had received great curtesies . that afternoon a congregation was appointed by them , and the bell rang to it ; when dr. sands coming out of the fields , sent for the beadles , asking what the matter meant , requiring them to wait upon him to the schools according to their duty , which they did , and dr. sands took the chair . mr. mitch and a rable of unlearned papists seeing this , withdrew , and conspired amongst themselves to pull him out of the chair . in the mean time dr. sands began his oration , expostulating with the university about their dealings , and charging them with great ingratitude towards him , affirming that he had said nothing in his sermon but what he was ready to justifie , and that if he were faulty , they were as deeply guilty in concealing and consenting to that which he had spoken . in the midst of his speech in came mitch with his associates , some laid hands on him to pull him out of the chair , telling him it was not his place , others called him traytor , &c. dr. sands seeing that they used violence , being of a great courage , felt for his dagger to have dispatched some of them , as gods enemies ; but dr. bell and dr. blith prayed him for gods sake to hold his hands , and patiently to bear that great wrong ; to which he assented , and so the tumult ending , he went on , and finished his oration , and having some money of the universities in his hand , he delivered it up , together with all other things belonging to the university , and then resigned his office , praying to god to substitute a better in his room , and to give them better and more thankfull hearts , and so he repaired to his own colledge . on the morrow came to him mr. germingham and mr. tho. mildmay ; mr. germingham told him that it was the queens pleasure that by two of the guard he should be conveyed to the tower , together with the duke ; mr. mildmay told him that he wondered that so learned a man as he , should speak so unadvisedly against so good a prince . dr. sands answered , i shall not be ashamed of bonds , but if i could do as mr. mildmay can , i need not to fear them : for you came down in armes against the queen , and now you are in arms for her ; i cannot thus blow hot and cold with one mouth . presently dr. sands his stable was robbed of four excellent geldings , and an inventory was taken of all his goods , and he was set upon a lame jade that halted to the ground ; whereupon a friend of his desired that he might lend him a nagg to ride upon . as he went out at the end of the town some papists assembled to jeer , and some of his friends to mourn for him . he was carried through london in scorn , and as he entred in at bishops-gate a base woman threw a stone at him , and hit him so full on the breast that he was near falling from his horse . to whom he mildly said , woman , i pray god forgive thee . as he went through tower street , a woman in her door said to him , fie on thee thou knave , thou knave , thou traytor , thou heretick . at this he smiled , whereupon she said , look , the desperate heretick laughs at it . another woman on the other side of the street , said , fie neighbour , thou art not worthy to be called a woman , railing thus upon this gentleman whom thou knowest not , nor yet the cause why he is thus used : and turning to the doctor , she said , good gentleman , god be thy comfort , and give thee strength to stand in gods cause even to the death : and thus he was carried prisoner to the tower , where the yeoman of the guard took from him his borrowed nagg , and whatsoever else he had : and whereas his man brought some linen after him , that also was taken from him . the first three weeks he was in a very bad prison , at the end whereof he was removed to another , where was put to him mr. john bradford . on the day of the queens coronation his prison door was left open , and there came to him one mr. mitchell , a special friend of his , and said , dr. sands , there is such a stir in the tower that neither gates , doors , nor prisoners are looked after this day ; therefore take my cloak , hat and rapier , and get you gon , save your self and let me do as i may . the doctor refused his offer , saying , i know no just cause of my imprisonment , and if i should do this i should make my self guilty , i will expect gods good will ; yet am i much bound to you for your love . mr. mitchell not prevailing departed . dr. sands and mr. bradford continued in prison twenty nine weeks , one bowler , a perverse papist being their keeper ; yet by their affable and loving carriage and converse , he began to mislike popery , and to favour the gospel ; yea he was so far at last wrought upon , that on a sabbath , when others went to masse , he carried up to them a service-book , a manchet and some wine ; at which time dr. sands administred the sacrament to mr. bradford and him , and so bowler became their son begotten in their bonds . when wyat was up in arms , that room might be made for him and his in the tower , dr. cranmer , dr. ridley , and mr. bradford were put into one prison ; and dr. sands with nine other godly ministers were removed to the marshalsey . as they went , the people every where prayed god to comfort them , and to strengthen them in his truth , whereupon the keeper of the marshalsey said to dr. sands , i perceive that the vain people would set you forward to the fire , but i hope you will not prefer your own knowledg before the judgment of so many worthy and learned prelates ; if so , you shall find me as strait a keeper as one that utterly mislikes your religion . dr. sands answered , i know my self young , and my learning small , it s enough to know christ crucified ; and he hath learned nothing that sees not the great blasphemy that is in popery . i have read in scripture of some godly and courteous keepers , god may make you one ; if not , i trust he will give me strength and patience to bear your hard dealing with me . the keeper replied , do you then minde to stand to your religion ? yea , said the doctor , by gods grace i do . truly , said the keeper , i love you the better for it ; i did but try you before , and what favour i can shew you , you shall be sure of it , and i shall think my self happy if i may die at the stake with you , and ever after he shewed the doctor much favour , suffering him to walk into the fields alone , where sometimes he met with mr. bradford , who being removed to the kings bench , found the like favour with his keeper . he also lodged him in the best chamber , and would not suffer irons to be put on him , as other prisoners had , and suffered his wife , a beautifull gentlewoman , both in body and soul , to resort to him . he lodged also mr. sanders with him . to these two holy men there was much resort , and much money was profered to them , but they would receive none . three or four times they celebrated the sacrament , and had many communicants , at which times dr. sands gave such exhortations as drew many teares from his auditours , and wrought in them an utter abhorrency of the masse and all popery . when sir tho. wyat with his army came into southwark , he sent to dr. sands in prison , desiring his company and advice , telling him that the prison doors should be set open for him and the other prisoners : dr. sands bad the messengers tell him , that if his rising were of god he should stand , otherwise he should fall : and that for his own part he was committed by order , and that he would never depart thence except he were discharged by the like order ; the like answer made mr. sanders , and the other godly ministers that were prisoners there . dr. sands having thus lain there nine weeks , at last by the mediation of sr tho. holcraft , then knight marshall , he was set at liberty ; the manner of it was thus : sir tho. holcraft made great suit to the bishop of winchester in the behalf of dr. sands , yet could get no grant from him except he would turn to their religion , which if he would do , he should have great preferment ; yet at last by importunity he extorted from him , that if the queen would grant him his liberty he would not oppose it . then did sir thomas , by two ladies of honour , prevail with the queen that he should have his liberty if winchester liked of it : sir thomas having this grant , watched the bishops next going to the queen , and then again moving the businesse , he at last prevailed with them , and gat a warrant signed by them for his deliverance ; yet winchester afterwards commanded him not to release him , till two gentlemen should give a thousand pound bond for him not to depart the kingdom without license . sir thomas seeing this , procured two gentlemen to be willing thus to be bound with him ; and then sending for dr. sands he imparted all the businesse to him ; to whom dr. sands said , i give god thanks who hath moved your heart to be so carefull of me ; i think my self much bound to you for your love , which god will requite , and i will never prove ungratefull . but as i came a free man into prison , so i will not go out a bond-man ; for as i cannot benefit my friends , so neither will i hurt them ; and if i be set at liberty i will not stay six dayes in the realm , if i can get out . therefore if i may not go free , send me back to prison , where you shall be sure of me . sir tho. holcraft was much troubled at this answer , yet seeing the doctor immoveable in his resolution , he said to him , since i cannot change you , i will change my own mind , and am resolved to set you at liberty come of it whatever will come , therefore get you gone quickly over-sea , and never write any thing back hither , for so you may undo me ; and so friendly kissing him , he bad him farewell , and commanded his keeper to take no fees of him . dr. sands returning to the marshalsey tarried all night , and on the morrow gave his prison-fellows a dinner ; bad his bed-fellow , and sworn stake-fellow , if it had so pleased god [ mr. sanders ] farewell , they kissing each other with many teares . then went he to the kings bench to mr. bradford , and mr. ferrar , comforting them , and they praising god for his happy deliverance ; and so he went into london to a private friend , and the next night changed his lodging , hearing that search was made after him . for dr. watson and christopherson went to the bishop of winchester , and told him that he had set at liberty the greatest heretick in england , and one who had most corrupted the university ; whereupon the bishop sent for all the constables in london , commanding them to make diligent search for him , and promising five pound to him that could apprehend him . dr. sands suspecting the matter shifted from place to place , and appointed his man to provide him two geldings , purposing the next day to go into essex to his father-in-law mr. sands , with whom his wife was : but that night having a pair of hose too long for him , which were made without measure whilst he was prisoner in the tower , he then lodging in cornhill , requested the good wife of the house to send them to the next taylor to be cut shorter ; and it so fell out , by gods providence , that the next taylor was a protestant , and the man that made them ; he knowing the hose , went at midnight to the doctors lodging , and being admitted into his chamber , wished him not to be troubled at their unseasonable coming in : to which he answered , nothing can be amisse , what god will , that shall come to passe : then the taylor told him of the bishops sending for the constables , whereof he was one , and of their hopes to find him ; for , saith he , it 's known , that you have provided geldings , and that to morrow you are to go through algate , where you will certainly be taken : therefore let your man walk booted and spurr'd to morrow neer where your horses stand ; and in the mean time they shall be conveyed privately to bednal-green , and at a fit season i will come and convey you thither also : as you go along the streets look wildly , and if you meet your brother in the mouth , know him not , &c. accordingly doctor sands attired like a gentleman , and looking wildly , went with the taylor the next day , who conveyed him through back lanes to moore-gate , and from thence to bednal-green ; where having his horses ready , he kissed the honest taylor , and would have given him the greatest part of that little which he had , which yet he would not receive , and so with teares they parted : yet afterwards doctor sands requited him thankfully . that night he rode to his father-in-law , and within two hours after his coming , his father was informed that that night two of the guard would seek to apprehend him there ; whereupon he was presently conveyed to an honest farmers house neer the sea-side , where he was locked up two dayes and two nights in a chamber all alone , and then removed to one mower a master of a ships house at milton shore , attending a wind for his departure : and while he was there , mower brought forty or fifty mariners to him , to whom he gave such an exhortation , that they being taken with it , resolved all of them to die rather then he should be apprehended . may the sixth the wind served , and he took his leave of his host and hostesse , who had been married eight years and had no child , and when he took his leave of the woman , he thanked her kindly for his entertainment , and gave her his handkerchief with an old royall of gold in it , saying , ere a year be past , be of good comfort , god will give you a sonne ; and accordingly it came to passe ; for when there lacked but one day of a twelvemoneth , she was brought to bed of a fair son. doctor sands and doctor coxe were both in the same ship , and ere it was out of ken , two of the guard were upon the shore to have apprehended doctor sands : but god gave them a good passage ; so that they arrived safely at antwerp , and were invited to dinner to master locks house ; and as they were at dinner master george gilpin , secretary to the english house , came to them , and whispering to doctor sands , said , king philip hath sent to make search for you , and to apprehend you : hereupon he immediately rose from dinner , and though it rained very fast , yet he went out at the gate that leads towards cleveland , where meeting with a wagon , he hasted away , and came safely to ausburg in cleveland , where he tarried fourteen daies , and then travelled to strasbourgh ; where after he had continued one year , his wife came to him . there he fell sick of a great flux , which held him nine moneths , and brought him to deaths door : he had a child also that fell sick of the plague , and died . his godly , and vertuous wife also fell sick of a consumption , and died in his armes . whil'st he remained there , he was chiefly maintained by one master isaac , an english gentleman of kent , and one that suffered exile for the same cause of christ : he so entirely loved him , that he was alwaies more ready to give , then doctor sands was ready to receive ; so that he gave him above a hundred marks , which doctor sands afterwards thankfully repayed again . after the death of his wife , he travelled to zurick in switzerland , and there sojourned in the house of peter martyr for five weeks space , at the end whereof as they sate at dinner , news was brought them of queen maries death , and doctor sands by his friends was sent for back to strasbourgh . this news occasioned joy to all but doctor sands , who was stricken to the heart to think that he was called back to new sorrows . master bullinger , and the other ministers feasted him before his departure from zurick , and so he returned back to strasbourgh , where he preached , and so in the company of master grindall , he came for england , arriving at london upon the coronation-day of queen elizabeth . by her , for his singular piety and learning , he was advanced to the bishoprick of worcester an. christi . and afterwards he was removed to the bishoprick of london , an. christi . and lastly , he succeeded doctor grindall in the archbishoprick of york , anno christi . in all which places he governed the church with singular prudence , and modesty ; and having finished his course on earth , he went to receive his crown in heaven , august the eighth , anno christi . being about the age of sixty , and lies buried in the collegiate church of southwell in nottingham-shire . he was a man of whom it is hard to say , whether he were more famous for his admirable vertues , or great learning , as his sermons yet extant in print do manifest . he left many children , of which three were knights , excellently qualified both in mind , and body , especially sir edwin sands , who deserved so well of his countrey . the life of master richard greenham , who died about the year , . i can yet learn nothing concerning the countrey , parentage , or first education of mr. richard greenham . the first place , where i find him , was in pembrook-hall in cambridge , where he followed his studies so hard , and was so eminent for his proficiency in learning , that he was chosen fellow in that society , and after a while he was called to a pastoral charge at dry-drayton , not far from cambridge , and like a faithfull minister of jesus christ , he spared no paines amongst his people , whereby he might advance the good of their souls . his constant course was to preach twice on the lords day , and before the evening sermon to catechize the young people of the parish . his manner also was to preach on mundayes , tuesdayes , and wednesdayes , and on thursdayes to catechize the youth , and again on fridayes to preach to his people ; and that on these week dayes , the people might have the better opportunity to attend upon his ministry , his course was to be in the pulpit in the morning so soon as he could well see . he was so earnest , and took such extraordinary pains in his preaching , that his shirt would usually be as wet with sweating , as if it had been drenched in water , so that he was forced so soon as he came out of the pulpit to shift himself , and this wonderfull and excessive paines he took all his time . twice a day he prayed in his family , and after sermon he used to call his servants together , and examined them of what they heard , and what they remembred . and besides all these his publike labours , he studied very hard , rising every day both winter and summer , at four of the clock in the morning . he was very eminent for his charity to the poor ; whereof we have this notable example : in a time of scarcity , when barley was at ten groats the bushell , ( which in those daies was an extraordinary price ) he by his prudence brought it to passe , that the poor had it sold to them for four groats the bushell of every husbandman in the town ; and thus he effected it . there were about twenty plough-holders in the town , all which he by his holy perswasions drew to an agreement amongst themselves , to hire a common granary , and therein to lay up corn for the poor , some more , some lesse , every man accordingly to his ability ; so that some laid up one coom , some a quarter , some three cooms , and master greenham himself laid in five cooms , all which was delivered out to the poor at a groat a peck . there was one day in the week appointed for all the poor to come and be served , at which time every one received according to their charge ; where there were but two in a family , they received one peck a week , and so more according to that proportion ; only no family had above three pecks a week . he kept but two beasts himself , that the poor might have his straw , and when other men sold their straw for two shillings the dayes thresh , he sold his for ten pence : so that in that dear time all the poor in the parish had been well neer famished , had it not been for his prudence , and liberality , which he also continued , till the price of corn abated , which was suddainly , and extraordinarily ; for that corn which was sold for a noble the bushell , was within one moneth after sold for fourteen pence the bushell . but during the fore-mentioned dearth , by publike order , the bushels were cut , and made lesse ; this master greenham preached much against , and publikely reproved wheresoever he came , and withall gave his man a charge , that if the clerk of the market sent for his bushell to cut it , he should not carry it in , which was done accordingly , for which he came into some trouble , but the lord delievered him out of the same . also at this time though his bushell was bigger then other mens , yet he would often charge his man not to strike off all the corn. he used not to trouble himself with reckonings and accounts , but would sometimes ask his man when he came from the market , how he sold corn ? and if it was dear , he would say , i pray god bring down the price of it ; and if it was cheap , he would heartily blesse god for it . yea , his charity was not onely extended to the poor of his own parish , but to others also ; for if at any time he had seen a poor body at a distance from him as he rode abroad , he would send his man with money to him , and when at any time he rode by the castle at cambridge , the prisoners would never ask him for any thing , nor any one that was with him , for if he had any money in his purse , they were sure to have part of it . by reason of his great liberality , though his living was worth a hundred pound per annum , yet he usually wanted money to get in his harvest , so that his wife ( formerly doctor bounds widow ) was forced to borrow money to supply that want : yet was he so well content with his present condition , that though he had proffers of livings worth three of that which he had , yet would he by no meanes be perswaded to accept of them . he was a great friend to , and promoter of peace and concord amongst his neighbours and acquaintance , insomuch that if any had come to him who were at variance , he would either have made them friends himself , or if he could not prevail , he would have made use of other friends to reconcile them together , thereby to prevent their going to law. when martin mar-prelate came first out , master greenham being to preach at saint maries in cambridge , spake freely against that book , manifesting his dislike of the same : for ( said he ) the tendency of this book is to make sinne ridiculous , whereas it ought to be made odious . on a time the bishop of ely sent for him to appear about his non-conformity : at which time the bishop told him that there was a great schisme in the church , asking him where the blame was to be 〈◊〉 , whether upon the conformists , or non-conformists ? to which ●e readily answered , that it might lie on either side , or on neither side : for ( said he ) if they loved one another as they ought , and would do all go●● offices each for other , thereby maintaining love and concord , it lay 〈◊〉 neither side : otherwise , which party soever makes the rent , the schisme lies upon their score . the bishop was so pleased with this answer , that he dismissed him in peace . he was much troubled with a bad concoction , whereby he had frequent sick nights , which kept him much waking ; but then his manner was ( as much as possibly he could ) to spend the time in meditation and prayer . we have before heard of his great charity to mens bodies : his charity to souls was not lesse exemplary . for having great experience , and an excellent faculty to relieve and comfort distressed consciences , he was sought to , far and neer , by such as groaned under spiritual afflictions and temptations ; all whom he entertained friendly and familiarly , without respecting the person of the rich more then of the poor . yea the fame of this spiritual physician so spread abroad , that he was sent for to very many , and the lord was pleased so farre to blesse his labours , that by his knowledge and experience many were restored to joy and comfort , out of unspeakable and insupportable terrours and torments of conscience . if the lord had not so soon translated him out of this sinfull and miserable world , there was none more fit , nor willing to have prescribed rules , and a method to be observed in this so little a known art. of his good will herein , let his own words testifie the forward desires of his heart : for upon a special occasion he thus speaketh of himself ; i have had ( saith he ) for a long time a settled resolution , ( which i hope is from god ) to study the cases of conscience , that thereby i may be the better able to succour the tempted and perplexed in spirit . he was filled with bowels of compassion towards the afflicted , sympathizing , as if he had been afflicted with them . many godly and learned friends of his , perceiving his abilities and inclination thereto , did labour much to excite and incourage him in those studies , upon these and the like grounds . first , that he might hereby the better train up some young men in the like studies , communicating his knowledg and experiences to them therein . secondly , that he might leave to posterity a commentary of such particular maladies as god had made him instrumental in the cure of , together with the meanes by him used for effecting of the same . and because precepts are wanting , rules of direction might be framed , partly by his own observation , partly by conference with other learned and experienced persons , whereby in that , and the age following , that art might be brought into some form and method , to the publick good and benefit of many , not only fo● the fruitfull curing , but also for the healthfull preventing of manifold mischiefs . to such as complained to him that they were troubled with ●●●sphemous thoughts , his counsell was , that they should not fear them , but abhorre them . and when some poor christians were miserably afflicted with feares , that they had commited that unpardonable sinne against the holy ghost , he used to tell them , that if they would not have committed it , it was certain that they had not faln into it . the graces of gods spirit did all abundantly shine forth in this man of god : all tempered , as with unfeigned love to christ , so with bowels of love and compassion towards men ; and he again was greatly beloved of all men . in the whole course of his ministry , he was very carefull ever to avoid ( as much as was possible ) all occasions of offence , desiring in all things to approve himself as a minister of christ , and workman that needed not to be ashamed . he much rejoyced in , and praised god for the happy government of queen elizabeth , and for the blessed calm and peace which the church and people of god enjoyed under the same , speaking often of it , both publickly , and privately , as he had occasion , endeavouring to stirre up the hearts of all men ( as much as in him lay ) to praise god with him for it , and to pray also for the continuance thereof . yea this matter so affected him , that the day before his departure out of this world , his thoughts were much troubled , for that most men were so unthankfull for those wonderfull and happy deliverances , which the lord of his mercy vouchsafed to that glorious queen , from the conspiracies and dangerous practices of her popish adversaries . he was a special instrument and meanes under god to incourage , and train up many godly and learned young men in the holy service of christ , in the work of the ministry ; and to restrain , and reduce not a few from errours and schisme ; striving by all meanes to retain them in obedience to the lawes of the land , and to provoke them highly to prize , and preciously to esteem the peace of the church , and people of god. having continued at dry-drayton about the space of twenty , or one and twenty years , he left it , and went from thence to london , about the year , or . yet was very carefull before his remove to get an honest and able man to succeed him in that place . the causes of his removal , were partly the untractablenesse and unteachablenesse of that people amongst whom he had taken such exceeding great paines . for besides his publick preaching and catechizing , his manner was to walk out into the fields , and to conferre with his neighbours as they were at plough : and partly he did it upon supposall that he might do farre more good in a more publick place by comforting afflicted consciences , wherein the lord had given him such an admirable dexterity . he wholly spent himself in the service of god and his church , and therefore often made use of that saying of the prophet david : the zeal of thy house hath eaten me up . he was a little man of stature , and usually indifferent well in health ; but when at any time he was sick , he would suffer no body to sit up and watch with him , that so he might more freely converse with god. he continued not in london above the space of two years , but being quite worn out , he comfortably and quietly resigned up his spirit unto god , anno christi , . and about the sixtieth year of his age . he hath a volume of sermons , and treatises of divinity in print . mr. tho : cartwright . the life of master thomas cartwright , who died , anno christi , . thomas cartwright was born in hertfordshire , about the year . and being by his parents kept at school till he was fit for the university , he went to cambridge and was admitted into saint johns colledge , anno . he there followed his studies exceeding hard , and being a man of excellent natural parts , he profited in learning more then ordinary ; he never used to sleep above five houres in a night , which custom he continued to his dying day . three years after , at the death of king edward the sixt , he left the university , and betook himself to the service of a counsellor , yet followed his studies very hard , as taking more pleasures therein , then in the study of the law ; thus he continued till the beginning of queen elizabeths reign , at which time his master meeting with doctor pilkinton , master of saint johns colledge in cambridge , he told him of his mans learning and studious disposition ; the doctor desired to speak with him , and thereby perceiving his great abilities , and hopefulnesse , with his masters consent , he took him again to saint johns colledge , where his proficiency and progresse both in the arts and tongues , was so eminent , that anno . he was chosen fellow in that colledge , and about three years after he was removed to a fellowship in trinity-colledge , where for his great worth , he was ere-long made one of the eight senior-fellows . anno . queen elizabeth coming to cambridge , great preparation was made for her entertainment , and four of the eminentest men in the university , being chosen to keep a philosophy act before her , he was one of them , who performed it with extraordinary abilities , to the great content and satisfaction both of the queen and his other auditors . anno . he commenced batchelor of divinity , and three years after he was chosen to be the lady margarets divinity-reader . he read upon the first and second chapters of the acts of the apostles , and performed it with such acutenesse of wit , and solidity of judgment , as caused admiration in his hearers : and even at that time he was so famous for his ministry , that when his turn came to preach at saint maries , the sextone was fain to take down the windows , by reason of the multitudes that came to hear him . in his lectures he was occasioned to discover his judgment about church-discipline , which the doctors and heads in the university took very hainously , as being dangerous and destructive to the present hierarchy , whereupon he was convented before the vice-chancellour , doctor may , and other doctors , and examined upon sundry articles , or propositions of doctrine delivered by him publickly in his lectures , and elsewhere , which they affirmed to be contrary to religion received , and allowed by publick authority in this realm , and thereupon they demanded whether he would stand to , or revoke the said opinions and doctrines delivered by him . master cartwright upon deliberation , desired that he might have leave to set down in writing what his judgment in those things was , and what he would stand to ; which being granted , he drew up in six propositions what his judgment was ; and setting his hand to it , delivered it to the vice-chancellor , who thereupon admonished him to revoke the same , and upon his refusal , punished him by the substraction of his stipend , and so he continued in his lecture that year . but the year after , doctor whitgift being chosen vice-chancellour , he again convented him before him , requiring his absolute answer whether he did mind to teach his auditors otherwise , revoking that he had before taught , or whether he would abide in the maintenance of the same ? unto this master cartwright answered , that for the propositions delivered by him under his hand to doctor may , and now shewed to him , they were his own hand writing , such as he had openly taught , and still continued fully determined to maintain and defend as truths . hereupon after master cartwright had a while withdrawn , and the vice-chancllor had conferred with the other doctors , master cartwright was again called for , and this definitive sentence was pronounced against him by the vice-chancellour , doctor whitgift , that perceiving that no admonition would help , but that he still persisted in the same mind , he did therefore pronounce him , the said master cartwright , to be removed from his said lecture , and by his finall decree or sentence did then and there remove him , and declare the said lecture to be void ; and that he minded , according to the foundation thereof , to proceed to the election of a new reader . and further he did then and there by vertue of his office , inhibit the said master cartwright from preaching within the university and the jurisdiction of the same . now that the reader may be better satisfied what the arricles were which master cartwright drew up , and signed with his hand , and for which this sentence was passed upon him , i shall here set them down in his own words , as i have them transcribed out of the original , standing upon record in the registry of the university of cambridge . . archiepiscoporum , & archidiaconorum nomina simul cum muneribus , & officiis sunt abolenda . . legitimorum in ecclesia ministrorum nomina , qualia sunt episcoporum , & diaconorum separata à suis muneribus in verbo dei descriptis , simpliciter sunt improbanda , & ad institutionem apostolicam revocanda : ut episcopus in verbo , & precibus , diaconus in pauperibus curandis versetur . . episcoporum cancellariis , aut archidiaconorum officialibus , &c. regimen ecclesiae non est committendum , sed ad idoneum ministrum , & presbyterum ejusdem ecclesiae deferendum . . non oportet ministrum esse vagum , & liberum , sed quisque debet certo cuidam gregi addici . . nemo debet ministerium tanquam candidatus petere . . episcoporum tantum autoritate , & potestate , ministri non sunt creandi : multo minus in musaeo , aut loco quopiam clanculario : sed ab ecclesia electio fieri debet . hisce reformandis , quisque pro sua vocatione studere debet ( vocationem autem intelligo ) ut magistratus authoritate , minister verbo , omnes precibus promoveant . per me thomam cartwright . master cartwright being thus driven from the university , not long after , finding the way for the exercise of his ministry in england obstructed , he went beyond the seas to visit other reformed churches , where he grew acquainted with the famousest men for piety and learning in christendome , with whom he kept correspondence all his life after . he was also highly prized by them , insomuch as beza writing about that time into england to a friend of his , hath this expression ; est quidam anglus nobiscum , nomine thomas cartwright , &c. here is now with us your countreyman thomas cartwright , then whom i think the sun doth not see a more learned man , &c. he was also chosen preacher to the english merchants at antwerp , and afterwards at middleburrough , where he did very much good by his ministry , the lord blessing his labours exceedingly in those parts ; and when he understood that the merchants , by whom he was maintained , through their great losses decayed in their estates , he returned his salary to them again . not long after he came over into england , being earnestly sollicited thereunto by letters from master dearing , master fulk , master wiburne , master leaver , and master fox ; about which time the non-conformists having drawn up an admonition to the parliament for the reformation of the church , doctor whitgift , who was then preferred to the arch-bishoprick of canterbury , answered the same in print ; whereupon the ministers which wrote the admonition , consulting , but not agreeing upon the choice of one to reply to doctor whitgift , master cartwright was at last chosen by lot to undertake it , and performed it so well , that his very adversaries were heard to advance and commend him for it . yet was he with divers other of the non-conformists brought into the high commission court , where , for refusal of the oath ex offiicio , they were clapt up in prison , and afterwards proceeded against in the star-chamber ; but it pleased god so to order it by his providence that those very witnesses which were brought to accuse them , did so clear them , that they were dismissed , and sent home much more honoured and beloved then they were before . whilst master cartwright was prisoner in the fleet , he had thirty pounds sent him from a noble friend , of which he took but ten shillings , returning the rest with many thanks to the donor ; and when the earl of leicester offered him the provostship of eeaton-colledge , saying , that it was a hundred pounds a year more then enough , besides the conveniency of the place ; master cartwright answered , that the hundred pounds more then enough was enough for him . about the year . his fame was so spread through the reformed churches , that king james , then king of scotland , sent for him , profering to make him professor in the university of saint andrews : whereof twenty years after , upon king james his coming into england , master cartwright makes mention in his epistle before his commentary upon ecclesiastes , which he dedicated to king james , returning humble thanks for that royal favour . the arch-bishop of dublin also sent for him into ireland , proffering him preferment in that kingdom . he was sent to from divers eminent divines beyond the seas , wherein they craved his advice for the direction of young men in the method of their studies , as also in the behalf of the churches in general , for his counsell in regulating their proceeding in the waightiest affairs . also about the same time the earl of leicester preferred him to be master of his hospital at warwick , which place was worth to him about one hundred pounds per annum : his imployment was to pray with the poor men twice a day , to catechise twice a week , and to preach once on the lords day at the parish church : this place he willingly and thankfully accepted of , because he was therein exempted from the jurisdiction of the prelates . his carriage and deportment was such , that there was not a nobleman or gentleman of quality in all the country that looked heaven-ward , or was of any account for religion and learning , but they sought to enjoy his company , and found much pleasure and content therein ; for his conversation was such , that scarce a word came from his mouth that was not of some good use and concernment . he was of a very laborious and indefatigable spirit ; it was his meat and drink to be doing the will of his heavenly father ; so that besides all his paines in writing , and in the hospital , he preached every sabbath-day in the morning about seven a clock in the lower parish of warwick , and , when he could be suffered , in the upper parish in the afternoon ; besides which , he preached a lecture on satturdayes in the afternoon in the upper church , in which he went over a great part of the proverbs , and ecclesiastes with singular judgment and profit ; and this he did of his own free will , without demanding or receiving one penny for his paines . and whereas he was sometimes suspended by the bishops from preaching in the churches , his manner was at those times to preach in the hospital , whither many resorted to hear him , though they were sure to be brought into the bishops courts for the same . presently after his coming to warwick , the english seminary at rhemes published their version of the new testament , and annotations upon it in english , which coming over into england , it was looked upon by all as a book of dangerous concernment , and therefore fit to be answered by the ablest pen that could be found ; hereupon ( as i have heard ) queen elizabeth sent to beza to request him to undertake the answer ; but he modestly excused it , and returned answer that she had one in her own kingdom , far abler then himself to undertake such a task , and upon further enquiry declared that it was master thomas cartwright . then sir francis walsingham , a man of eminent place and power , who herein , as in other affairs , was accounted the mouth and hand of the queen and state , wrote to master cartwright , earnestly requesting him to undertake the work , assuring him also of such aid as should further him in the finishing thereof ; for which end he sent him one hundred pounds towards the charges of buying books , and procuring writers which were to be employed by him therein ; this was anno . the same year also he was earnestly sollicited by the most learned men of the university of cambridge by a solemn epistle , with joynt consent written to him to undertake the answer , wherein amongst other passages they have these expressions ; with you we are earnest ( most reverend cartwright ) that you would set your self against the unhallowed endeavours of these mischievous men , either by refuting the whole book , or at least some part thereof . it is not for every man work-man-like to frame gods tabernacle , but for bazaleel and aholiab ; neither is every one rashly to be thrust forth into the lords battels ; but such captains are to be chosen from amongst davids worthies ; of which , as we acknowledge you to be one , by the former battels undergone for the wals of our city , the church * ; we doubt not if you will enter this war ( which truly you ought to 〈◊〉 according to the zeal and piety you bear to your countrey and religion ) but that you fighting for conscience and countrey ( yea even for the very inmost holy place of the temple ) will be able to tread underfoot the forces of the jebusites , which set themselves to assault the tower of david . moreover , ( which may marvellously sharpen the edge of your courage ) you are not now to fight with a brother , or fellow of the same religion ( which maketh the conflict more faint ) but with the most inveterate enemies of jesus christ , &c. then they thus conclude : you see to what an honourable fight we invite you . christs business shall be undertaken against satans champions . we stir you up to fight the battels of our lord ; where the victory is certain , which the triumph and applause of the angels will ensue . our prayers shall never be wanting unto you . christ without doubt , whose cause is defended , will be preset with you . the lord jesus much increase your courage and strength , and keep you very long in safety for his churches good . vale. this was subscribed by roger goad , william whittaker , thomas crook , john ireton , william fulk , john field , nicholas crane , giles seintler , richard gardener , william charke , &c. but besides these , the reverend ministers of london , and suffolk did by their several letters earnestly exhort him to this work ; and master cartwright , was at last by these importunities drawn to undertake it , and neither diligence nor constancy was wanting in him to have carried it on to perfection ; but he met with such great discouragements and hinderances from potent adversaries , that he was forced often to lay pen aside ; yea arch-bishop whitgift sent him a positive command that he should deal no further in it ; yet afterwards by an earl and privy counsellor of great note , and some other noble personages , he was at last drawn to take pen in hand again ; but receiving new discouragements , and having such continual employment in the ministry , he lived not to perfect that work . whilst he was at warwick , being silenced by the bishops , he was requested by the lord zouch , governour of gernsey , to go with him into that island , with whom he continued some time , and in the mean space he substituted one master lord , a godly and holy minister , then living at woolstone , in his room at the hospital in warwick , allowing him the greatest part of the profits of the place during his abode there ; and the rest he caused to be distributed amongst the poor . he was far from seeking after great places or great things in the world , and for riches he sought them not , yea he rejected many opportunities whereby he might have enriched himself ; his usual manner was , when he had good summes of gold sent him , to take only one piece , lest he should seem to slight his friends kindnesse , and to send back the rest with a thankfull acknowledgement of their love , and his acceptance of it , professing , that for that condition wherein god had set him , he was as well furnished as they for their high and great places . his manner was not to keep any more money in his purse , but what might serve for charitable uses ; he was very bountifull to poor schollers ; he distributed money every sabbath-day amongst the poor of the town of warwick , besides what he gave to the prisoners , and upon other occasions both at home and abroad . for his houshold affairs , he never troubled himself with them , but wholly left them to be ordered and managed by the prudence of his wife . he was very carefull to regulate and order the businesses of the hospital for the best advantage of the poor brethren . he continued his diligence and assiduity in his studies even in his old age , and his usual manner was to rise at two , three , and four a clock in the morning at the latest , both summer and winter , notwithstanding that his bodily infirmities were such , that he was forced to study continually kneeling upon his knees . he was of a very meek and quiet spirit , as appears in those conflicts which he had with doctor whitgift , and doctor sutcliffe , wherein he used soft words and hard arguments ; he could not endure , so much as in private , to hear his adversaries reproached , and if any in his presence used disgracefull speeches of them , he would sharply reprove them for it , saying , that it 's a christians duty to pray for , and not to reproach his adversaries ; and when martin mar-prelates book came forth , he shewed much dislike of the satyrical and tart language used therein . he was also very humble , not enduring to hear any thing spoken in his own commendation , or any titles given him , which in the least measure savoured of ambition ; he affected not popularity , but avoided it as much as possibly he could . indeed all his ambition was to advance the kingdom and cause of our lord jesus christ , and to promote gods glory . it was the great joy and rejoycing of his heart to hear of the welfare and prosperity of the churches at home and abroad ; for this he earnestly and daily prayed ; and when he heard any ill tydings , with nehemiah he sate down and mourned , and fasted , and prayed before the god of heaven , so that all that conversed with him , might easily discern that nothing did affect him in any degree , like the good or ill tydings of the churches state . he was frequent in prayer every day , and in his younger years hath risen many times in the night to seek our private places to pray in . and as his labours were very great in the work of the ministry , so it pleased the lord to make them very successefull for the conversion and confirmation of many , and for terrour and restraint unto others . there was one master chaplin , a woollen draper , in warwick , who made a profession of religion , but many times brake out into scandalous practices ; master cartwright on a time walking with him in his garden , dealt plainly and faithfully with him , rebuking him for his miscarriages , and shewing him the dishonour that he brought to god , and the gospel thereby ; this so wrought upon chaplin , that he presently sunk down , and being carried home , died within a few hours after . in his old age , he was much troubled with the stone and gout , which much empaired his strength , yet would he not intermit his labours , but continued preaching when many times he could scarce creep up into the pulpit . the sabbath before his death , which was the last sermon that he made , december the . he preached upon eccles. . . then shall the dust return to the earth , and the spirit shall return to god who gave it . the morning before his death which was the tuesday following , he was two hours on his knees in private prayer : in which ( as he told his wife ) he found wonderfull and unutterable joy and comfort , god giving him a glimpse of heaven before he came to it , and within a few houres after he quietly resigned up his spirit unto god , december the . anno christi , . and of his age sixty eight . master dod preached his funeral sermon . during his abode in the university , he was of great power , and credit in the regent-house , so that the doctors feared lest the precisians ( as they were then called ) should choose him vice-chancellour , whereupon they procured the alteration of the statute , whereby the choice was formerly in the regent-house ; and confined the election of the vice-chancellour to one of those two whom the heads should prick . after long discontinuance master cartwright coming to cambridge , was importuned to preach on a week day in saint maries , where there was a great confluence of all sorts to hear him ; grave men ran like boys in the streets to get places in the church . after sermon he dined at master chaddertons , and many went to the house to see and hear him speak . the life of master paul baines , who died anno christi , . paul baines was born in london , and had his education in his younger years at withersfield in essex , under one master cosens , his schoolmaster , from whence , being fitted for it , he was sent to the university of cambridge , and admitted into christs colledge , where his conversation at first was so irregular , that his father being grieved at it , before his death , being intimately acquainted with one master wilson , a sailes-man in birchin-lane , he left with him forty pounds by the year , desiring him , that if his sonne did forsake his evil courses , and become an honest man , he would then give him that fourty pounds per annum , if not , that he would never let him have it . but it pleased god , not long after his fathers decease , to shew him his sinnes , and to work effectual repentance in him for the evil of his waies ; so that forsaking his former evil company and practices , he became eminent for piety and holinesse , and according to that of our saviour , much being forgiven him , he loved much . after which gracious change wrought in him by the goodnesse of god , it was not long before master wilson fell dangerously sick , and hearing how god had dealt with his master baines , he sent for him and desired him to pray with him , by which , as also by his savoury discourse , finding that what he had heard of him rather came short of the truth then exceeded it , according to that trust reposed in him , perceiving himself to be upon his death-bed , he told master baines of the fourty pounds per annum , which his father left with him , and so faithfully delivered up to him those writings of the agreement which had passed betwixt his father and him , and being like to leave behind him a wife and two children , he intreated master baines , that as he had faithfully and carefully discharged his trust towards him , so when god should take him away hence , that he would have a care of his wife and children , and be a friend to them . and master baines , after master wilsons death , that he might fully discharge that trust which was reposed in him , and also by way of gratitude for that friendship and fidelity , which he had found in master wilson , married his widow . but before this , for his eminency in learning , he was chosen fellow in christs colledge , where he so much ( through gods blessing on his studies and endeavours ) improved his time , and talents , that he became inferiour to none for sharpnesse of wit , variety of reading , depth of judgment , aptnesse to teach , holy , and pleasant language , wise carriage , heavenly conversation , and all other fulnesse of grace . by his holy life and coversation also he did largely preach to all such as came neer unto him : and for the heavenly frame of his spirit , what it was , his incomparable writings will sufficiently demonstrate to all future generations . when master perkins , who was lecturer at saint andrews in cambridge , had there for many years held forth a burning and shining light , the sparkes whereof did flie abroad into all the corners of the kingdom , and after he had served in his generation , was taken up into heaven , there was none found so meet to receive , as it were , the torch out of his hand , and succeed him in that great office of bearing it before such a people , as master baines , upon whom also the spirit of that elias was by experience found to be doubled . in which station he so demeaned himself for some years , that impiety only had cause to complain . but all that favoured the wayes of god , or savoured of religion , rejoyced , and gloried in him and his ministry , as in a spiritual and heavenly treasure . but at length the hour of darknesse came from lambeth , when arch-bishop bancroft sent master harsnet to visit in that diocesse , which was but a trick to suppresse those which were not friends to the bishops kingdom . at which time , though there were multitudes of unable , and notoriously scandalous ministers , yet none were found worthy of censure , but only master baines , of whom indeed the world was not worthy , and one other godly minister like unto him . it 's yet hard to say , whether the silencing of this good man were more odious , or the manner of it more shamelesse , which was thus : their custome was , for fashion sake , at their visitations to have a sermon , and master baines was chosen out by the visitor to preach it at this time , not out of love and respect to him , but from a designe , either to ensnare him in his words if he did not apply himself to their humour , or else to grace their ungracious courses if he did . but it succeeded not handsomly either way ; for master baines delivered holy and wholesome doctrine , appertaining to the present audience , in such a wary manner , that no specious occasion could be taken whereby to deprive him of his liberty . yet they were resolved to spit forth their malice against him , whether by fair or foul meanes , which they thus effected . master baines having heat his weak body by much straining his voice to speak to so great an auditory , sermon being ended , he retired himself presently to provide for his health , which otherwise would have been much endangered . they in the mean time going on with their businesse , according to their accustomed lordly way , called for master baines amongst the rest , and upon his not answering , though he was not cited thither as to a court , but only intreated to preach , as he did : yet for not appearing , he was immediately silenced . but afterwards the chancellour being informed that that grosse sentence was illegal , and therefore a meer nullity , he went another way to work , and sending for master baines , he urged him about subscription and conformity , and upon his refusal , to make sure work , silenced him over again . in which businesse he was so conscious to himself of unreasonable and ridiculous dealing , that when master baines , standing to receive that unjust sentence from so corrupt a man , lifted up his heart and eyes towards god , with an heavenly smiling countenance , as his manner was , the chancellour interpreted that gesture to be a scorning of his authority . after this master baines was perswaded by some of his friends to make triall of the archbishops courtesie , to whom when he had addressed himself , at the very first salutation , the gravity , and severity of arch-bishop bancroft , led him sharply to rebuke the good man for a little black-work edging upon his cuffs : telling him in a very episcopal strain : that it were a good deed to lay him by the heels for it . after which time master baines would have no more to do with such absurd and unreasonable men : but preached sometimes where he might have liberty , and as the weaknesse of his body would suffer . the rest of his time he spent in reading , writing , meditation , and prayer , saving that upon occasion he instructed and comforted those that came to him in private , wherein he had a very happy and heavenly gift . he was indeed all his life after pressed with want , not having ( as he often complained to his friends ) a place to rest his head in . yet did he never so much as consult with himself about his denying his sincerity and complying with the bishops ; of whom , and their courses , he was wont to say , they are a generation of the earth , earthly , and savour not the wayes of god. whil'st he lived a private life his wife died , and being thunder-struck by the bishops bolt , he had time and leasure to apply his able wit and judgment , about the discussing of many questions , which if the prelates had not forced such leasure upon him , it may be he would have passed by with others . he was of such an holy and heavenly temper , that he was reverenced by all good men that knew him . his manner was in the summer-time , to go from one gentlemans house to another , and happy were they that could get his company . he had such a divine and heavenly majesty in his countenance , that it would awe any man to look upon him . little recreation he used , but sometimes to play at chesse . once he was called by bishop harsnet , to the councel-table , the bishop having laid a designe to suspend and banish him under the pretence of keeping conventicles , the reason whereof was this . he was an excellent casuist , and thereupon many doubting christians repaired to him for satisfaction in cases of conscience , which the bishops would needs have to be keeping of conventicles . when he was accused hereof before the privy-councel , one of the noble-men said to him , speak , speak for your self : whereupon he made such an excellent speech , that in the midst thereof a nobleman stood up and said , he speakes more like an angel then a man , and i dare not stay here to have a hand in any sentence against him ; upon which speech they dismissed him , and he never heard more from them . upon a time he went to the house of mistresse sheafe who was his wives sister , at cranbrook in kent ; where observing that she , and others of the family used to play much at cards and such like games , as the custome was , and still is too much used in gentlemens houses , he took occasion on the sabbath day in his sermon to speak against such games : and it pleased the lord so to work upon mistresse sheafes heart by that sermon , that when she came home , she came crying to him , saying , oh brother , why would you thus suffer me to live in sinne , to the dishonour of god , and would never tell me of it before ? to which he replied , that it was best of all that god had wrought on her by the publick ministry , and that it might not have been so well if he had spoken to her in private . he was a man of much communion with god , and acquaintance with his own heart , observing the daily passages of his life , and was much exercised with spiritual conflicts , whereby he became the more able to comfort others with the same consolations which himself had received from god. he had a deep insight into the mystery of gods grace and mans corruption , as appears by his commentary upon the epistle to the ephesians . he was one that sought not after great matters in the world , being taken up with comforts and griefes unto which the world is a stranger . one that had not all his learning out of books : of a sharp wit , and clear judgment . so that though his meditations were of an higher strain then ordinary , yet he had a good dexterity , furthered by his love to do good , in explaining dark points with lightsome similitudes . his prayer in his family was not usually above a quarter of an houre long , and having respect to the weaknesse , and infirmities of his servants and children , he used to disswade others from tediousnesse in that duty . it pleased god to make him an instrument of the conversion of that holy , and eminent servant of jesus christ doctor sibbs . in his last sicknesse he had many doubts and feares , and god letting satan loose upon him , he went out of this world , with farre lesse comfort then many weaker christians enjoy . he resigned up his spirit into the hands of god , in cambridge , anno christi , . the life and death of master william bradshaw , who died anno christi , . it hath from time to time been the lot of divers persons of singular worth , and eminent parts , that they have lived in obscurity , and in a low condition , and past their time without that due respect , and regard , which their excellent endowments might justly have claimed ; partly through the shortnesse of outward supplies ; ( for , they get not up easily , though never so well deserving , that are scanted in that kinde ) partly by reason of an inward bashfulnesse , and over-awing modesty , accompanied with an undervaluing repute of themselves , and their own abilities ; and partly through the iniquity of the times , wherein they have lived , and the disaffection of those who have swayed most in the state and government under which they have resided . such was the condition of that worthy and faithfull servant of the lord , master william bradshaw , though a man richly endowed , as well with such spiritual graces , as in truth are of highest esteem , being peculiar to gods favourites , that have interest in his christ , as with such gifts and parts also , as might , and did render him usefull and instrumental for the publick good of gods people ; yet never enjoying any plentifull condition ; howsoever never prone to complain of want ; nor forward at any time , or in any place to put himself forth , as having ever a very low and mean conceit of his own parts , and admiring in others , what his own eye either could not descry , or would not take notice of ( howsoever to others conspicuous enough ) in himself ; and being never suffered to continue long quiet in any setled place of more publick imployment , through the envy and malice of some that had a jealous eye on him , and the disturbances of him in the work of his ministry , set on foot by others ill-affected towards him , but accrewing from the same , pursued by some of those , who were of greatest power and authority in ecclesiastical affairs , and could not brook any , that did not in all particulars comply with them and their courses , as they conceived him not to do . he was born at bosworth , a market-town in leicestershire , famous for the battell fought near to it , wherein that bloody usurper , richard the third lost his crown , ( attained by the unnatural murther of his two nephews in their non-age , ) together with his life . his father nicholas bradshaw , though descended from an ancient family of the bradshaws in lancashire , with the crest of whose coat therefore being a buck browzing , this our brother used to seal ; yet living but in a mean condition , and being not so well able therefore to train this his son up in learning as he desired ; an uncle that he had at worcester undertook the education of him ; whether being master of the free-school there , as some have supposed , or of some other profession , as some other conjecture : for that he hath been heard to report , that master william may , ( who was sometime by the turky merchants imployed at aleppo , and afterward lived and ended his dayes in or about london , a man of more then ordinary skill in the learned languages , and in exposition of scripture very accurate and exact ) was teacher in a publick school at worcester , while he lived there ; relating withall , what a neat man he then was , howsoever in his after-dayes he grew cynically sordid , and by his uncouth deportment and jealous disposition , made himself nothing so usefull to others , as otherwise he might have been . but however it was for his uncles profession , under him ( who by some relations of his may not improbably be deemed to have been a scrivener or publike notary ) he was brought up and kept at school , untill it pleased god to bereave him of this support by his death . after whose decease , returning home to his father at bosworth , he was enforced , though very much against his minde and desire , to intermit the prosecution of his studies in literature for some space of time ; his father now designing him to some other course of life out of despaire of maintaining him in a way so chargeable , as his meanes , being not large , would not reach unto ; especially having other children , three sons and two daughters to provide for , besides him . but while the disposall of him hung thus in suspence , it pleased the lord ( who is wont to have a more speciall providence over those , whom in his secret purpose he hath fore-designed unto the work of his ministry , to have them fitted for the same ) to stir up the spirit of one master ainsworth , a man of much worth , then school-master at ashby de la zouch in leicestershire , to divert his parents purpose of disposing him to any other imployment . for by his favour , ( having taken notice of his capacity , industry , eager desire of farther progresse in good literature , fitnesse of disposition to be wrought upon to that purpose , and by some buds sprouting out from such seeds thereof as had already been sown in him , conceiving good hopes of such future fruits , as did accordingly ensue ) he was taken into the free-school there ; where he so profited , and made so successefull a proceed , that after a years continuance , being then about eighteen years of age , he was deemed sufficiently fitted and furnished for the university ; and in the year . was , together with that worthy man of great renown , joseph hall , after bishop of exceter first , then of norwich , and hugh cholmeley , ( who had both been trained up in the same schooll with him , and did continue also afterward a kinde affection to him , and friendly correspondence with him ) he was admitted into emanuel colledge in cambridge ; where with them also he followed his studies under the tuition of that reverend divine master gilbie , then fellow of that colledge ; being there maintained , partly by the allowance of some gentlemen his fellow-pupils under the same tutor ; and partly by some supplies afforded him from two noble knights of the honourable house of the hastings , sir edward and sir francis , ( on the latter of whom his father also had some dependence ) upon the recommendation , and at the motion of that worthy servant of god , now with god , master arthur hildersham , who was himself also allied to that family . in the colledge with these supports he continued , husbanding his time to the best advantage , with an abundant blessing of god upon his sedulous endeavoures , to a clear evidence of large improvement , manifesting it self in such scholerly exercises , as his time and place there required ( in the performance whereof speciall notice was taken of him , as an acute and eager disputant ) untill he had taken both degrees , first that of batcheler , and after that of master of arts. but then , being not capable of a fellowship in that colledge , for that the statutes of the house admitted not above one of the same shire , and of that one for leicester-shire master joseph hall before-mentioned , being of the same time and standing with him , was already possessed ; and having refused a vicarage , endowed with some competent yearly revenue , by that noble knight sir edward hastings one of his patrons tendered him , not daring yet to adventure on a work of that nature ; master laurence chaderton then master of the colledge , and the first from the very foundation of it , bearing a singular affection to master bradshaw , as well for his parts of learning , as for his pious deportment , but being unable for the cause above-mentioned to bring him in there , cast about with himself , how to procure a place , and get some employment for him elsewhere . some years before , that right honourable and thrice noble lady , frances sidney , countesse of sussex , had by her last will and testament given order for the erecting and endowing of a colledge in cambridge , to be furnished with a certain number of fellows and scholars under one master or head. the colledge was now in building , by the provision of the right honourable the earl of kent , and sir john harrington , instructed by her for the performance of that work ; and master james mountague sonne to sir edward mountague , then living as fellow-commoner , but student in divinity , among the fellows of christs colledge , was designed for master . with him dealt master chaderton in master bradshaws behalf ; to have him set down for a fellows place there : which through his mediation was from those noble trustees without difficulty obtained . but because some space of time would runne out , ere the building of the colledge could be consummated and made fit for receipt ; it was thought good in the interim , to dispose of mr. bradshaw for some imployment elsewhere , untill he might be setled there . it fell out ( god so disposing it ) that sir thomas leighton governour of guernsey , wanting one to be imployed about the instruction and education of his children , and having requested that worthy servant of christ master cartwright , abiding then at cornet-castle with him , to write unto master chaderton , to furnish them with one fit for such a charge , this letter of master cartwrights arrived with master chaderton in that juncture of time , wherein he and master montague had this businesse in agitation about master bradshaw : and the matter being by them broken to him , who referred himself wholly to what they should advise ; it was joyntly agreed , that master bradshaw should be sent , or lent rather , unto them , to undertake that charge , and continue in the discharge of it , untill the colledge building were compleated , wherein upon return thence he was then to reside . thither therefore long without delay , being furnished with letters of recommendation from those here to them there , he addressed himself ; and , through gods goodnesse , arriving safe there , was with all kinde and courteous entertainment by them received . by this occasion he became throughly known to , and inwardly acquainted with master cartwright , who highly esteemed of him , renewed , or pursued rather his acquaintance with him , after both master bradshaws , and his own return also into england , ( as may appear by entercourse of letters yet to be seen , written by him to master bradshaw , while he stayed behind him in guernsey , and from warwick also after his departure from thence ) and to his dying day continued expressions of entire affection to him , and due respect of him , as also both before and after his decease , his children , both sonne and daughters , and those that they were matched unto , rnd his widow also , did . and indeed such was his demeanure , wheresoever he came , that he left behind him a gratefull memory of him , in the hearts and minds of all well affected , that had occasion to take notice of it ; not unlike therein to musk or civet , that leave a sweet sent behind them , even for a long time after they be gone , in the boxes wherein they were formerly kept , the which continued after his departure thence , not among the french ministers alone in that island , but among such also of the old garrison souldiers , on whom master cartwrights ministry had had some efficacious and gracious work ; who , as sir peter osburn , who had afterward the government of that place , hath been heard to relate , would be oft talking of one master bradshaw , that had lived sometime there , and speak with much affection of him . but for his constant carriage during his abode there , his piety , industry , integrity , fidelity in discharge of the trust reposed in him , and charge committed to him , together with his course of life and conversation otherwise unreproveable ; as also the love and affection to him , earnest desire , if it might have been , of his continuance with them , and loathnesse to leave him , with these , who were , after some time spent among them there , then to part with him ; all these things will by no meanes better appear , then by the letters of that sincere servant of god , and constant champion of christ , master thomas cartwright of holy memory , and the relations concerning him therein contained , being written and directed to divers in these parts , either neer upon , or at master bradshaws departure from thence . among others , in one to sir francis hastings of september the fifth , . wherein he assures him of his diligence in following his studies , and of his sharp and ready capacity , likely through gods blessing to bring forth such fruit of learning , as he might have good cause to rejoyce over any cost that he had been at with him , or should farther bestow that way on him ; as also , of his love to the best things , and his conversation in the family without reproach , for ought he could learn , having had an eye constantly on him . in another to master chaderton of december the fifth , ( the time , it seems of his departure thence ) wherein he thankfully acknowledgeth the great benefit they had received by master bradshaw , procured by him to take so long and painfull a journey to them , and his wise and loving care in so good provision for them ; returning thanks also to him , from sir thomas leyghton the governour , and his honourable lady for him ; and withall requesting him , that they may once again taste of his accustomed love and care in that kind . and in another yet more fully of the same date to master mountague in these words ; the law commandeth , that of things borrowed great care should be had for the well usage and due restoring of them . both which we have endeavoured in master bradshaw : but the full performance must rest rather in yours and his acceptation , then in pay . for as touching the former of them , his desert of care to profit those committed to his charge , and his behaviour otherwise in the house , hath been more then every one is able to esteem , and therefore in all respects not so fit to reward . for the other , ( unless unwilling parting with him on all hands be against duty ) you shall ( we hope in the lord ) have him duly restored ; out of all doubt with all thankfulness to your worship , by whose kindness , both we have enjoyed him some good time , sithence you of right might have taken him away , and he hath received a supply of recompence for that we were not able to make good unto him . and so with hearty thanks and commendations from the governour and his honourable lady , and my humble thanks for your love , and this fruit i have received thereof by master bradshaw , i commend you to the gracious keeping and blessing of god in jesus christ. unto this letter master mountague now master of the colledge , upon master bradshaws access thither , returneth answer , both thanking him , for the remitting of him to them ; ( so that on no side thanks for him were wanting , so well was he esteemed of on either part ) and withall advertising him of a very great danger , and no lesse deliverance , that neer unto his journeys end had betided him . whereunto master cartwright in a letter of march . the same year thus replieth ; sir , it cometh from the abundance of your love , to thank me for that which duty it self required at my hands towards master bradshaw , and therefore the thanks are returned unto you , who esteem so highly of duty , as to let it go in the account of a benefit or good turn . my hope is the same with yours , that the lord , who by deliverance of him from so great a death , bindeth him to a straighter obedience , hath set such an impression of it in his mind , as will be in stead of a watch to waken him every morning to all cheerfull service , which his place will require . and indeed the letter he wrote of that matter , carrieth that sound , and even undertakes so much in his behalf . and in one to master bradshaw himself , after receipt of that from him , touched upon in the close foregoing ; that the lord our most mercifull father delivered you from so great a death , it pledges unto you deliverances hereafter , especially if they be inferiour to this . so much the rather , as the swimmer sunk like a piece of lead , and he that could no more swim then the iron-head of the scholars hatchet , was graciously born up : and therefore by how much the proverb is true , 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 , by so much we have cause to praise god , that by the angel of the waters saved you : and withall you may help to incourage others against the excessive fear of drowning in passing the seas : seeing it was more safe to you to passe the winter-seas , even when they rage most , then the small brook of hawston - mills . i remembred you to sir thomas and my lady ; who told me that if any entertainment would have holden you , they would not have suffered you to have gone from them , and rejoyced much at your gracious escape . subscribed , your assured loving brother and fried , thomas cartwright . the escape in those letters mentioned was this : master bradshaw being to leave guernsey , shipped himself for england . nor was his passage by sea wholly free from hazard , for with so violent a storm were they surprized at sea , that the passengers most of them expected nothing but wrack , and a gentlewoman among them , with another , whom she much affected attending upon her , did in a cord , by the waste fasten themselves either to other , that they might perish together , and draw their last breath , or breath it out rather , in the mutuall embraces either of other . but that storm being allaied , and the danger of it over , and the ship with her passengers now arrived in safety , master bradshaw having attained london , did there hire a hackney , such as are commonly used on that road , to convey him to cambridge , there to enter upon the fellowship prepared for him , and assigned unto him ; by help of which beast , he got so far on his way in safety , that he was now within three miles of his journeys end . but danger oft lieth in wait for us , where we least of all either expect or suspect it ; and then many times overtakes , and surprizeth us unawares , when we deem our selves wholly past danger , and are neer approaching our intended , much desired , and now fully expected port , and have alwaies need therefore both of an eye of providence constantly on us , and of an hand of protection continually over us . for being there to passe a small brook crossing the road near to a village called hawston , and the water-mills seated on it , thence hawston mills ; he that had escaped so eminent and apparent a danger at sea , lighten on , and fell into that unexpectedly , that proved much more hazardous on land , where no appearance was of ought in that kind : for being unacquainted with the course of the stream , otherwise passed ordinarily , and that daily without danger , and having not fetched a compasse far enough , as he ought to have done , the beast that bare him plunged suddainly into the mill-pond , or pit ; and being not able to recover it self , therein perished , and there left him floating in a strong vertiginous current , unskilfull in swimming , ( nor had any such skill in likelihood been available in such a case to have saved him ) and altogether unable to shift for himself ; where he must of necessity have gone the same way with the beast , had not either some one occasionally looking out of the mill , or some passenger on the way , espying one floating in that manner , and at the very pinch of perishing , called hastily on the miller , or those next at hand to let slip down the flood-gates ; by means whereof the stiffe current of the water-course was stayed , and this servant of god , though not without much difficulty , rescued out of the water , and delivered unexpectedly out of that his , in a manner , even desperate distresse . and it may indeed justly be deemed a wonder of wonders , ( in regard whereof that venerable minister of christ before-mentioned , seems to have apprehended the ministry of an angel used in it ) that he was not suddainly in an instant , either swallowed up in that whirling gulf , or hurried away with the violent course of the current , and that he should bear up and keep above water , so long in a place of that nature . for he hath been heard to relate , that while he continued thus floating and strugling with that wheeling surface , it troubled him not a little , that he could not addresse himself as he desired to prepare for his departure , though having nothing but death in his eye , while his ear was taken up with the voice of some talking in the mill , from whom he supposed yet some help might come , though neither was he able to call unto them , nor they to hear him . thus even gods children themselves find a defect oft in themselves , that they cannot with such an exact composure of spirit , in times of distress address themselves unto god , untill he have pulled away all outward prosperity , as well hopes , as helps from them . but being by a special providence of god thus recovered , and as another moses drawn out of the water , and brought into the millers house , he was there shifted , and put into such dry apparell , as the miller himself used to wear ; in which garb when some of his acquaintance found him , who upon tydings of of this occurrent , came posting over to him from cambridge , they could not forbear smiling to see him sitting in that habit , though not a little affected with the casualty occasioning it , and no lesse heartily gladned for the gracious issue that god hath pleased to afford it , and expressing much thankfulnesse for his mercy and goodnesse therein manifested . the lord it may seem would hereby fit this his servant reserved to other hot and hazardous services , unto a farther and firmer dependance in and under them upon him . but thus his horse lost , ( which to the carrier its owner , as by his default mis-carrying , requiring it , was made good ) being after his escape and recovery somewhat revived and refreshed , and fitted again with a wonted suit , he was with some of those his acquaintance accompanied to cambridge , and repaired to the colledge ; where having presented himself to the master , he was entertained in the chamber of one of the fellows , that assigned him , being not yet fit to receive him , ( as indeed they came all to very raw chambers at first ) and the use of that offered him , untill his own could be fitted and furnished for him : which being his first entertainment there , albeit but a sorry courtesie to speak of , yet did so affect him , as upon occasion , to some of his familiar friends he afterward professed , ( of so ingenuous and gratefull a disposition he was , and so prone with thankfulnesse to acknowledge , and to set an high rate on the least kindnesse shewed him , or meanest office done for him ) that it laid the ground-work , or first stone thereof at least with him , for such an union of inward and entire affection , and well fastned knot of unreserved familiarity and strictest friendship , as did afterward ensue between them two , and so continued , not only while they abode in the colledge together , by a mutual communication of their studies , counsels , courses and purposes either to other ; but even after also , when through distance of abode they were severed the one from the other , by a constant course of vicissitudinary writing , therein advising either with other , and discussing mutually such questions and doubts , wherewith either of them were occasionally encountred ; by meanes whereof they received much help and light either from other ; and albeit in some particulars either not so clear , or not so cleared to their joynt apprehensions , their judgment might , and did sometime differ , ( which having on occasion professed to a friend , desiring to know their joynt judgment in a case then questioned , and seeming to marvell that they two should be of divers minds in ought , he made answer , that it was no wonder at all , it might rather be wondred , considering mans condition in intellectuals , so impaired and clouded , that any two seriously set upon the search of truth , should not in many particular cases dissent ; yea that if in every particularity they should wholly concurre , it might seem to savour rather of a cunningly contrived compact or conspiracy , then a reall and rational consent ) yet where by force of argument they seemed convict , or any mistake manifested , they were ready to yeeld , and did indeed in not a few things , come home either to other , unto their mutual much advantage ; nor did their remaining differences ever produce any breach , or abatement of affection between them , but that the knot once knit , from the first to the last , continued firm and inviolate , never loosed nor slackned , so long as god was pleased to lengthen out the line of his life . in the colledge he so demeaned himself , that though the fellows were not all of one mind , or one way , and there were among them ( as usually in societies of that nature ) men of divers dispositions , and sub-divisions consequently of companies , consisting of such as more familiarly consorted , and more inwardly conversed with some few , whom selected from the rest they most affected ; yet so loving and lowly , yeelding to all , and complying with all , was his carriage , that notwithstanding he were by some deemed over-strict , and would freely as occasion was , speak his mind , and deliver his judgment , yet he retained ever the , professed at least good liking , and external kind usage from them all : where it will not be amisse to relate a speech of one of them , ( a man by occasion of some discontents strongly and strangely possessed with a spirit of jealousie and suspitiousness of every one , even his inwardest and entirest friends , which in the end proved his overthrow ) who having entertained a conceit , that something spoken by master bradshaw in a dispute should have a glance closely at somewhat that concerned him , and having discovered that his suspition to a common bosome-friend of them both , ( by whom also upon disclose of that groundless conceit , he was evidently convinced of his errour therein ) he used these words of him , although i am sure , he had a gird at me , yet the man is of so kind and loving a disposition , that i could not be angry with him , though be had broken my head . but i cannot let passe one remarkable instance that may evidently manifest in him a due temper ( which is not over-frequently found ) of freedome of spirit , and discreet demeanure , wisely mixed , and well consistent the one with the other . during his abode in guernsey , a question was on foot , among divines of special note , on either side yet in debate , concerning the lawfulness of some pecuniary contracts , wherein master cartwright having by writing declared his mind , in way of answer to some arguments objected against it : master bradshaw being required by him freely to discover his judgment therein , and seriously to consider of that his answer , albeit of himself he would not have adventured to undertake such a task ; yet being so put upon it , he did it freely and largely , with as much strength of wit and argument , ( it may not without ground be deemed ) as any have done , that have hitherto dealt on that subject ; and yet so discreetly and respectively managing the business , that though being then of a contrary judgment , he used his best forces and strongest endeavoures to shake and shatter master cartwrights grounds , yet did it not breed any breach between them , nor did it ( that could be discerned ) lessen master cartwrights either affection to him , or esteem of him ; which from time to time , as occasion was , and as in part hath already been shewed , he was ever ready to expresse . howbeit it must withall for a truth be ackowledged , that master bradshaw , howsoever in the colledge performing a divinity-problem , as they term it , did still stiffely maintain that his former tenet ; yet upon farther consideration in his latter dayes , he is known to have altered his judgment therein . while he stayed in the colledge , that he might with the more freedome employ that talent that the lord had committed unto him , he entred into the ministry ; the rather advised ( as some other also were ) so to do , while admission was yet more easie , and the way of entrance lesse obstructed , in regard of some things , which out of diversity of judgment , and tenderness of conscience he stuck at ; then was by prudent men , observing how state-businesses began to be carried , deemed like to last long . and at the motion of one master pigot , a religious gentleman residing at abington about eight miles from cambridge , he rode weekly over thither , there to preach every lords day for some good space of time ; joyning also in a weekly lecture , as he had opportunity , with some other neighbour ministers , at a greater town called bassingborn not farre thence distant . afterward he was drawn over to steeple-morden in the same shire , by one master martin , an ingenuous gentleman , who enjoying the appropriation , entertained him as a lecturer , in regard of the infirmity of the party that was possessed of the vicarage . but while he was thus taken up with employments abroad , there arose a storm against him at home , and that upon this occasion . about that time two leicestershire ministers of his acquaintance , master darrel and master moor , being questioned about the dispossession of william somers and thomas darling , ( besides some others ) supposed to be by evil spirits possessed , the one of them , to wit , darling stood stiffely in avowing the truth of the thing , and refused to acknowledge any deceit or collusion therein ; yea though many slights were used to enduce him thereunto , and letters forged and tendered to him in master darrels name , as beginning to grow somewhat suspitious of the businesse , yet nothing could prevail with him ; but the other , to wit , somers , being in like manner dealt with , and enticed by large promises of such provision to be made for him , that he should be sure not to want , nor should need to go down into his own countrey again , was perswaded to accuse master darrell to have set him on work , and taught him how to act sundry strange feats and gestures , whereby he might be deemed to be a demoniak . whereupon some of the bishops , london specially , in whose house the boyes had been kept apart , eagerly pursuing the business , the two ministers were cited into the high commission court , and there being charged with imposture , were suspended and imprisoned untill further cognizance , and master harsnet [ londons chaplain ] mean while set on work to pen and publish a virulent pamphlet against master darrell , traducing him therein as a grand impostour and jugler , and the whole action about the possession and dispossession of william somers , as a meer puppet-play . hence master darrell thus traduced , was enforced to write and publish something for the defence of himself , and clearing of his guiltlesness herein ; and so did first in a briefer narrative concerning the manner of their proceedings with him , entituled his triall ; and afterward in a larger answer to harsnet , in way of farther apology for himself . of these books some copies being sent down to cambridge , were directed to master bradshaw , and a parcell of them by him delivered to one underwood a taylor , who dispersed of them as well in the colledges as in the town . intimation hereof being given to bishop bancroft at london , that such books were in divers hands at cambridge , he writes to the vicechancellor to make diligent enquiry after the dispersers of them . he lights on underwood , whom upon examination , confessing that he had received a certain number of them from master bradshaw , he bindeth in a bond to appear upon warning before the high commission , and chargeth him withall not to give notice of ought to master bradshaw . the next morning by seven of the clock letters came from the vice-chancellor to the master of the colledge , requiring him at eight of the clock to repair unto him , and to bring master bradshaw with him . about the same time that these letters came to the master , an unknown scholar repairing to master bradshaws chamber , telleth him , that underwood was in trouble , and he should do well to look to himself . master bradshaw upon these tydings thus brought him , went presently to master wright the senior fellow of the house , to ask advice of him what to do in this case : he wished him to withdraw himself , and withall , directed him to gransden , a town about nine miles distant from cambridge , as a fit place of retire , where one master castle a gentleman well-affected , and master wrights brother-in-law , he well knew , would be right-willing to receive him . but master bradshaw resolved first to have an assay made by some other , whereby it might be discovered , what the masters mind herein was . hereupon master ward was sent for , who being requested to break the matter to the master , was right-willing and ready to undertake that office. the master mean while upon receit of the vicechancellours letter , had sent his man presently to enquire for master bradshaw at master gatakers chamber , which in his absence then discontinuing he had the charge of , and kept most in , being more convenient then his own ; he not finding him there , was returned back , just as master ward came in to the master : who upon his repair to him , having but named master bradshaw , the master , before he could deliver any part of his errand , demandeth of him where master bradshaw was , and saith he must speak with him . master ward told him , it was not safe for master bradshaw to come to him , because he was in danger of the vicechancellour . the master replied , that therefore he must come ; for that he had letters from the vicechancellour to bring him presently to him . which letters while he stept into his closet to fetch , that he might shew them to him , master ward a fast and true-hearted friend , more carefull of master bradshaws safety , then fearfull of the masters displeasure , and his own danger , stayed not the masters return , but slipt away with all speed to acquaint master bradshaw how things stood . the master at hs return missing master ward , was exceedingly enraged against him , and threatned to punish him , by setting a deep fine for example upon him . but the hour being now elapsed , which the vicechancellour had set , the master wrote back to him , that master bradshaw could not as yet be found . master bradshaw hereof advertised , albeit that all his friends there , were earnest with him to withdraw , yet for the present refused , and requested master wright to repair to the master , that by him he might understand from him , what his resolute will was , which he purposed not to withstand . master wright , according to his request , repairing to the master , found him in much heat : no nay he would have , but master bradshaw must needs go ; it would else endanger him , and endanger the colledge , &c. master bradshaw enformed hereof by master wright , not at all fearing to suffer in a good and just cause , as he deemed it to be , and no less loath to have any other endamaged , or endangered for him , ( notwithstanding that his friends were all utterly against it ) without farther dispute or delay , went presently to the master , and presented himself to him ; who entertaining him with hot and high terms , the good man answered him in a calm and meek manner , that he had no cause to be so much offended with him , or incensed against him ; he knew not of any such commission that he had , when he sent at first to him ; but sent only to him for counsell in that case , deeming it better for him to do it by some other rather then by himself ; and being loath to come into trouble in those turbulent times : ( for the earl of essex his business was then on foot ) and that so soon as he understood his pleasure , he readily condescended thereunto . the master thereupon charged him by the authority of his place , to bring him all master darrels books , that he had in his hands , and to go presently with him unto the vicechancellour ; which without farther reply he yeelded unto . but while he was gone to fetch the books , the vicechancellour sent his servant to the master , desiring him to come to himself ; and the master , his man to master bradshaw , charging him to stay within untill he returned . at his return master bradshaw of his own accord repaired to him ; who then charged him , at twelve of the clock to repair to his chamber , that he might take his answer , and a bond for his forth-coming . but doctor barwell master of christs colledge in the mean space coming to him , ( whether about that business or upon some other occasion , uncertain ) by his advice ( it seems ) the master altered his mind ; and in likelihood the rather , after much mutual consultation , and better consideration past between them , because both the masters had themselves bought of the books : for he sends for master wright , and now tells him , that it would be the best course for master bradshaw to go out of the way : which accordingly he did . the bishop of london not long after wrote again to the vicechancellour to imprison underwood , and to make farther enquiry after master bradshaw , concerning whom the master being by the vicechancellour demanded ; made answer , that he was not in the colledge : whereunto he replied , that it was best so for him , not willing ( as may be deemed ) to be used as an instrument in molesting him , if it might be avoided . the carriage of this business , together with the several overtures and circumstances of it , is out of a narrative of his own , the more particularly related , to shew both the discreet and modest , and yet ingenuous and couragious disposition of this servant of god ; and the remarkeable passages of gods providence in a concurrence of occurents so unexpectedly managed , that he should thereby be kept out of the clutches of those that were so exceeding thirsty to seize on him , and so fiercely bent against him . master bradshaw being thereof informed by some friends , and considering how the bishop persisted in enquiry after him , conceived that cambridge for the present could be no safe or quiet place for him : and having therefore withdrawn himself , though retaining his place still there , he spent his time for the space of some moneths , partly with master pigot at abington , and partly at morden with master martine , in which places he had formerly exercised his ministry , and as occasion required , so still did . thus there hovering , in a letter to a speciall friend , whose good opinion of him he much valued , he thus writes ; i fear it will be somewhat offensive unto you , and that you will condemn me for being too rash and indiscreet in this matter . but i trust you will consider that the thing i have done , was to pleasure most good and christian friends ; that the cause , it is the cause of god , and the glory of god hath been much increased by it , by reason of the truth of god shining therein ; unto which i could not perform a less duty ; there being nothing in the books ( as i am perswaded ) against the state ; howsoever there are many hot words , that might have been spared , though none that have not been deserved . i wish they had past my poor censure before the coming forth of them , they should not then have given so much advantage to the enemies of the truth . i will ( god willing ) flie the danger as much as i can , especially in these troublesome and tragicall times , which seem of purpose to be chosen , that they might do the more injury , and the speech may be the less . and in another to the same party ; my danger for master darrel troubleth me not a whit , i thank god ; neither do i repent of any thing i have therein done , so long as you think never the worse of me : other matters trouble my mind more , yet such is the goodness of god , that though they distract my mind from other studies needfull for me to wade into , yet when i come to exercise my poor ministry , and to study for my sermons , my mind is free enough . thus is the lord wont in more special manner to support the spirits of his servants , for such particular imployments , as he hath more specially assigned them unto . the matter that more troubled him , was concerning his entrance into any setled place for the exercise of his ministry , which he supposed would be , and upon some triall indeed found , every way so obstructed , that , albeit places of imployment enough were offered , and his imployment in them much desired , yet he could not conceive how it might be cleared in regard of the tenderness of his conscience , and scruple of some things that he stuck at , which were like to be tendred unto him , and pressed upon him , before admission thereunto ; and that the rather in probability in regard of the prejudice now had of him for the business concerning those books . for he had been offered the rectory of abington by master pigot the patron , who would have compounded with the present incumbent for the bringing of him in : and master wendy likewise , a religious gentleman in those parts , had , together with some others , been endeavouring to bring him in at basingborn : but neither of them took effect . he was invited also to new-castle in staffordshire , whither also he repaired , but found not matters to his liking there : and after unto yarmouth , to be lecturer with them , with assurance of a liberall maintenance from them ; for they very much affected him . but that their design was crossed by the bishop of the diocesse , having a jealous eye as well on them as on him , and being desirous to prefer and place a chaplain of his own therefore there . to the colledge he returned again after some time spent abroad , the storm seeming now to be over-blown , and howsoever there he met with no renewed molestation about the fore-mentioned business , yet had he no heart at all there to continue ; partly in regard of the departure thence of a special friend , whom he intirely affected , of whose return thither , being now elsewhere setled , he was wholly out of hope ; and partly because he perceived , that the master did not then so affect him , as formerly he had done . amidst these distractions , a preachers place falling vacant at chatham in kent , where a great part of the navy royal , and officers of the same attending , did usually reside ; the business of supplying them with an able and faithfull teacher was by general consent referred to master chaderton , being at that time in kent not far from thence , thither drawn over from cambridge , about the consummating of a marriage between that reverend man of god master josias nicols , who had passed many sharp bickerings and brunts in those times , and the relict of that famous worthy doctor whitaker deceased . he commended master bradshaw to them . concerning whom the piously affected party , after diligent inquiry , received such ample testimony , that ( whereas divers other made first for the place , and by their labouring with some friends had wrought a siding among them , to prevent such obstructions as thence might arise ) they sent an express to cambridge on purpose with instructions , in the first place to master chaderton , to entreat him , that he would not any wise give consent to have any other designed to the place , but him only whom he had already propounded : for that they rested in his choice ; and longed much to see and hear him . and in the next place to master bradshaw , to request him , that he would make no doubt or delay of coming to them ; wherein he would not be slack , if they knew how earnestly they longed to see and enjoy him ; and withall to signifie to him , what had been delivered to master chaderton from them ; that they desired only the sincere milk of gods word , and a pastor bearing a sincere affection and tender heart to his people : that they had wrought great meanes to obtain him ; that if he refused to come to them , he did not know what he did ; and if he came , and found them not worthy of him , yet his labour and charge should be fully made good . thus being importuned , ( as by his own letter to a friend of july the eighth . appeareth ) though by some still pressed for abington , with hopes suggested of clearing the way there for him ; he came up to london , and after advice had with some friends in the city , from thence went down to chatham . and though it go for a common buy-word , oft verified , that personal presence abateth much of foregoing reports , and great expectations preconceived are wont seldome to receive full satisfaction ; and it be true , that master bradshaw was not a man of much out side , nor forward to put out himself , of a very bashfull and demiss , but not fawning deportment ; insomuch that his bodily and personal presence might ( as the apostles sometime , ) seem weak , and not to promise much , with such especially , as look no further then the face : yet when he came and was heard , and his meek and discreet carriage by the generality observed , by the wiser sort well weighed , he was by joynt consent agreed upon ; and a solemn letter of invitation appointed to be drawn up by master john cook , sometime fellow of trinity colledge , then enjoying an office under sir fulk grinvel treasurer to the navy , and afterward secretary of state to king james , subscribed by the officers there belonging to the navy , and the most of any note and repute in the place ; intimating their election of him by joynt consent to the place , professing a willingness to submit themselves to his ministry , and promising to afford him all due support and assistance in the same . upon the receit hereof he fully now resolved without farther delay , to entertain the call , and accept of the place ; and having signified so much unto them , was very lovingly received by them , and quietly for some good space of time ( to wit , from july . unto april . ) laboured in the word and doctrine among them , ( together with master john philips , who enjoying the vicarage did as pastor of the place therein joyn with him ) with good success and much comfort , and to the great contentment and gladsomness of people well affected in those parts . being thus then setled there , with good hope of continuance , motion was made to him by some of his friends there ( supposing that might be some means of farther engagement of him for to stay with them , of a match with a widow an houswifely woman , and one that had lived alwaies in good repute with them . which not fore-seeing in likelihood , what would afterward ensue , he did not unwillingly so farre forth hearken unto , as to entertain some good liking of the woman ; howsoever in regard of the ensuing change of things , the business was no farther then proceeded in , but by mutual agreement between them laid aside , and delayed , untill god should see good to make way by some means , for their more convenient coming together , and comfortable cohabitation of either with other . for those halcyon seasons lasted not long ; the common adversary of god and man , who out of his inveterate envy and enmity can in no wise brook the propagation of the gospel , and dilatation of christs curtains , began at first more covertly and under hand to contrive some course , whereby to cast a rub in his way , and to procure a restraint of his farther proceeding in a course so successefull and advantagious for the glory of god and the good of his people . for about the time above-mentioned , some neighbour - ministers , envying the recourse of people to his teaching , began secretly to plot against him , though they would not be seen in it ; by suggesting to the bishop of the diocess , that he was a man not conformable to the rites of the church , nor well-affected to the present government . this how far forth it prevailed with the bishop that then sate there , doth not appear ; but the business being smelt out , and by some means discovered , to prevent trouble from him , and settle master bradshaw ( as they supposed ) more surely in the place , it was by divers of his people and friends there deemed most expedient , ( though therein peradventure much mistaken ) to have some means used to obtain a confirmation of him therein from the archbishop of canterbury , unto whom rochester was as suffragan , and no man being deemed fitter to deal in this business with the archbishop then that noble and religious knight sir francis hastings , he was by a letter from master bradshaw requested to make some tryal of his interest in , and power with archbishop whitgift , to that purpose in his behalf . he upon the receit of master bradshaws letter , the very same day , april . . returned him this most kind christian , and affectionate answer , my love to your self you know , and shall ever know it in any thing , wherein i can make it known : my duty , your duty , and all our duties to god , his church , you know better then my self ; and my duty to further a good people to a good minister , a longing people to hear , to a a labouring speaking minister to teach them , is a bond of duty that i may never forget , and a work of duty that i must ever be ready to perform . assure your self therefore , my velle shall not be slack ; and if my posse can prevail , i shall be glad , i will say no more : but pray to my god to encrease his graces in you , to teach profitably ; to encrease grace in your people , to hear diligently ; and to multiply his graces both in speaker and hearer , that they may speak and hear fruitfully , &c. subscribed , your true christian friend , francis hastings . nor was he more ready to promise , then forward to perform . for within three daies after , to wit , april . he wrote to the archbishop this modest , pious , and zealous letter : may it please your grace to pardon me , that i do not personally attend you , but presume to write : — i make bold to become suitor to your grace , for your favour to a young man , being one that i hold my self interessed in , and to whom i owe my best help , to further him to some place of employment and maintenance , which causeth me to become an humble suitor for him to you , not without a special regard to that people , who so christianly thirst after knowledge and instruction . the man for whom i sue is one master bradshaw , a master of arts of sidney colledge in cambridge : the matter i sue for , your graces favour and allowance that he may preach : the place where his labours are desired , is at chatham . and i most humbly beseech your grace , that however you may find or bear , that he is fearfull to do some things that may be urged on him ; yet seeing he is well qualified with gifts , and of honest carriage sitting for his calling , let not his fearfulness prejudice him with your lordship , but vouchsafe him liberty to bestow his talent ; and i will undertake to your grace for him , that he shall not offer any disturbance to the peace of our church either in word or action ; but shall painfully bestow himself in that place , to preach christ crucified , and to arm his people with some measure of knowledge , to stand christianly and couragiously for the truth of christ , and to resist all errours broached against that holy doctrine . and the rather i make hold to tender this suit to your grace for him , because i find plenty of practising by seminaries and jesuites to corrupt and pervert the peoples hearts both in knowledge and obedience ; and that through penury of preaching in some places it may prove dangerous . i never heard the young man preach my self , but i hear his gifts greatly commended ; and i know him to be learned , and painfull also , and carefull in that he taketh in hand . and though i know the tendernesse of his conscience some waies , yet i dare engage my credit again , ( as before ) to your grace for him , that he shall walk dutifully , wisely and discreetly in the whole course of his preaching , without all offer of disturbance to the peace of the church . and so longing to hear that my suit may find my desired success with your grace , i commend mine humble duty to you , and commit your grace , and all your godly proceedings to the protection and directian of the lord almighty . subscribed , your graces most bounden , and ready to be commanded , francis hastings . what answer the noble knight had from the arch-bishop , or what effect this his letter had with him , we cannot certainly say ; but by what followed it may well be deemed , that of the archbishop it was not very well relished ; who in cases of this kind , was seldome wont to do ought without the advice of bancroft , another bonner , as well in regard of place , as of disposition and practice , in eager pusuit of many of gods faithfull ministers in those times , so far as the power of his place would permit , in whose stomack the memory of master darrels business stuck still , and of master bradshaws act about his books . for not without some animation in likelihood from above , those master bradshaws back-friends , who had before dealt in the dark , did shortly after begin to disclose themselves , and to manifest their malice , which had formerly lain hid , as embers raked up in the ashes . the first of them that openly appeared in the business , was one master bearblock minister at strowd , a town or village adjoyning to rochester , a man of very mean parts for learning , and of a very scandalous life ; but one of those whom the prophet jeremy speaketh of , that had a singular faculty of slicking and smoothing his tongue , to sooth men up in their sinnes . this man ( among other ) vexed at the concourse of people that repaired from the places adjacent to master bradshaws teaching , ( although master bradshaw desirous to comply , so far forth as without offence he might , with him ) used to frequent his week-dayes lecture ; stuck not both in private meetings to tax master bradshaw for delivering heretical doctrine , and publikely also in a sermon on the lords day so to charge him therewith , that the auditory , though he named him not , might well know whom he meant . now albeit the man himself were of no esteem , and his censure consequently little to be regarded , yet mr. bradshaw deemeed , that a publick charge of that nature , should not be let pass with silence . howbeit , not willing , nor esteeming it meet to pester the pulpit with apologies , he chose rather to deal with this his opponent and traducer by a letter , which it will not be amiss here to insert . master bearblock , i was informed by some of your christian auditours at strowd , that in your forenoons exercise , you took occasion in the repetition of your former sermon , to adde thereto something in bitter terms , against some heretical doctrine lately broached in some neighbour-church ; which divers of your most charitable , and the most of your judicious hearers , conceived to be directed against me . at the first , i had no cause easily to entertain the report , because i was no way guilty to my self , so much as of the least shew of any occasion given unto you , to break out in that manner against me ; and did presume you had better learned the laws of charity , then in such an open manner to traduce a fellow minister of the gospel , before you were better possessed of the cause . besides , i thought , that reproachfull reports , that have been bruited against your self , should have taught you , if you be innocent , that a minister of the gospel may be much abused and mis-reported of , both for life and doctrine ; and therefore that you would not teach by your own practice me or any other thus in open manner , to make the reports of men a sufficient text to preach against your life , as you have made them to preach against my doctrine . but since that time i am given to understand , that you have given it out at one master morelands table , that i was the man ; that you then before god and his holy angels endicted and arraigned ; and that of no lesse a crime then gross heresie ; and that some of your congregation were purposed to proceed in law against me for it . you know there was a law , ( and it were well if it were now in force , to bridle distempered tongues ) that if one were accused of a crime , which could not be proved , the accuser should suffer the punishment due to that crime ; and then master bearblock , if heresie deserve a punishment , if you should but accuse me of that , which methinks you have already condemned me of , your back should bear the punishment of two heresies . for first , it is most untrue that i have taught any such doctrine ; and secondly , if you could not prove that doctrine , as i know you cannot , this you here so tax to be heresie , your doctrine that calleth it heresie , deserves no less lege talionis , then heresie ; which i speak not so much in regard of your weakness , as in grace of the strength of the cause ; wherein though with the dim eye of mine own judgment i could see nothing , yet i have cause to be confident , in regard of their judgment whose shadows it would become you and me to give room unto , yea , and to run away from . and i am verily perswaded , that though some of your spirit may be found to judge it an errour to hold , that a bare reading minister , is not a lawfull minister before god ; yet that none that deserves the name of a man of judgment , will push with such horns against it , as you do , that it is an heresie , and that a gross and abominable one . i would i might be worthy to know , upon your better consideration of the point , whether that heart of yours , that set your tongue on fire so against this poor heresie , would serve to set fire to the pretended heretick . but blessed be god , that supream authority keepeth the fire-brands from the hands of such furies ; else there were some cause to fear , lest the saints of god ( i give them no other title , then your own conscience gives them , nay then your own mouth in publick hath given them ) should find your hands as hot , as they now feel your tongue ; for methinks in your divinity , to make but a question of any thing in religion established by law , is no less then treason and heresie . there must be some mystery in it , that every poor man must not presume to look into ; that one that is so full of charity towards adulterers , drunkards , blasphemers and other sinners that swarm in the church , should be so fiery against these new hereticks of your own making . what ? are they of all other past hope of repentance ? or do not the mercies of god , wherewith your mouth is so oft sugred , of all other , belong to them ? my self on the week-day am one of your auditours , and i hope , none of the worst-minded , and then you seem ( as oft as ever i heard you ) as if your soul did overflow with charity towards us all . you cannot be ignorant of the words that so often were in your lips ; that none that hear you , but they are gods faithfull children ; that though they be foul , grievous sinners , yet they are repentant , and gods mercy belongs unto them ; that no man is without sinne , but the best and holiest are unclean . this hath been your tenor for this half year ; the sermon is yet to come , that ever with the least zeal you spake against lewdness of life : and yet now how full of zeal are you against errours in doctrine , of this sort especially ? whereas considering the slanders that run of you , ( for i call them so , as i desire for the gospels sake they may prove ) you could take no better course , then to be most zealous in doctrine against those sins , that fame hath gone about to brand you withall ; and to condemn such with your own mouth to hell , rather then to set open heaven gates so wide unto them , as you use to do ; as though your self were out of hope of heaven , except the lewdest of your congregation go to heaven . i may be bold being the injured party , and knowing you better then you me , to take this leave to tell you thus much of your self , who have so freely given leave to your self , to speak to others worse things of me ; that if the lords judgments should pursue me so fast , that mine inward corruptions should break out into notorious crimes , and yet should dare for all that to exercise an holy ministry ; that then of all methods of teaching that ever i heard , i would surely follow yours . to keep you from advantage , i acknowledge the doctrine that you have taught in my hearing to be very sound and true : but this is it that i affirm , and you may keep it to your self if it please you , that in dealing against sinne , in all the sermons i have ever heard you , you have said no more in substance , then what you shall have alwaies running in the wickedest mouthes ; that all men are sinners ; that the godliest do fall seven times a day ; that men must not despair of gods mercy ; that they are sorry for it , when they have done ; that it is their corruption of nature , &c. which are all very excellent and comfortable doctrines to a broken heart , but very poyson to an impenitent ; so that if a minister should preach them to the stews , he should have as many applauses and amens there to them , as any where else . if therefore a foul life be as abominable in the eyes of god and man , as false doctrine ; if this zeal of yours against false doctrine were of god , you would blow as strong a blast against the other , as you do against it , and a stronger too , considering that the other having borrowed the wings of fame , is flying continually in your own face : this , if you could have let me alone , would never have bitten you . but to draw to an end , if my bare deniall , and the voices of them , that with best understanding heard me , and are best able to repeat the heads of that sermon , can perswade you , that there was no such doctrine then delivered , i hope you will satisfie that congregation , whose ears you have abused with that report ; and especially the gentleman , to whom you related the particulars . if you cannot be moved to this ; yet be contented , sith you say the law must proceed upon me , to stay the proceeding of your tongue against me , till you have tried me guilty or not . if you tannot yield to this , but have a purpose to pursue the matter , let religion over-rule you thus far , to deal with me in the points by private writing . but if you have resolved to go on in this indirect course , openly thus to injure me ; do it i pray you , in your weekly exercise , that i may not trust to the report of others , but may be a witnesse to my self of mine own abuses ; and then i shall know the better how to satisfie you . it is the humour of most of your stamp , under pretence of a zeal to her majesties proceedings in matters of religion , to take your liberty of speech against some , that are perswaded some things might and should be reformed , if the state had leasure to look into them : and you know it full well , that such as you are , shall find ears enough to receive your accusations against such ; else upon equall ground you would not be so confident , thus hand over head to condem as good subjects ( without any disgrace ) as your self , of no less then heresie and treason . as for my self , i thank god , i have had that care , both of mine outward conversation and doctrine , that none of any civility , i trust , shall find a face to reproach me for the one , nor any of any judgment in religion , will accuse me of the other . and as for those reports , that are given out against me , out of yours and others mouthes ; your shame shall send them home again , and i will wear them about my neck as chains and garlands . in particular , for your self , ( though i desire the love , acquaintance , and favour of any well-gifted minister ) it will be no great disgrace to me , to sit at home without your countenance , except your self were in greater countenance with them that truly fear the lord. thus leaving you at this time to a better spirit , then that which set you so greedily on work against me , i commit you to the grace , mercy , and pardon of god ; and my self to his wise direction , hereafter to take heed , how i give mouthes , so readily open to reproach my ministry , any just and direct occasion . chatham the last of april . your fellow-labourer and minister in the lords work , desirous of peace , and if it were possible , of love also , william bradshaw . this letter , though somewhat large , it seemed not amisse at full to relate ; because it representeth to the life , both the character of many such teachers , as were forwardest to oppose gods faithfull messengers in those times , and the manner of their teaching , which the most of our antinomian party that give out themselves as the only gospel-preachers , come so near unto now adaies ; and the most unequall and unchristian courses also , that were by such then commonly practised , to work them into disgrace with the people , and to procure trouble to them from the state. but the malice of the man stayed not here ; which of it self for ought he was able to do , was not much to be regarded . for being netled by this letter , upon consultation had with some of his complices , a knight of note in that county , a man of some parts of learning and wit , but of loose life , utterly averse from , and adverse to the profession and practice of piety , was by them procured , to come down from rochester , where he then was , to chatham on a lords day , to hear master bradshaw , and that for no other end , but to pick somewhat , ( if it might be ) out of his teaching , for which , upon his information against him , ( a practice most unworthy a man or his rank ) his mouth might be stopped , or he inhibited at least from farther imployment in that place . and according indeed to their wicked design and ungodly desire the plot proceeded . for , whereas master bradshaw being then entred upon the handling of the story of christs temptations ( related by two evangelists ; on which his sermons , much desired by many that heard part of them , and though not fully perfected by him , yet by some small supplies being made up , may peradventure hereafter see light ) had observed , that this was the main scope of satan in his first encounter , to bear our saviour in hand , that howsoever he had been put in some hope by a voice , as from heaven , that he was the beloved sonne of god ; yet god by his present neglect of him , and leaving him in such difficulties , destitute of all necessaries , did thereby manifest that he did not respect , or regard him at all ; hereupon he took occasion to admonish all true christians , to arm themselves diligently against this temptation , and to strengthen their faith in the assurance of gods favour towards them , care of them , and undoubted truth of his promises made to them ; using this as an argument to incite them unto the greater care in this kind ; for that ( said he ) if this temptation do once fasten upon us , that we shall come by satans sleights to be perswaded , that there is no such matter , that god hath no such respect or regard unto us ; it cannot but cool our love unto god. which words of his , very wholesome and good , the knight perverting and misreporting , enformed underhand against him , that he should deliver , that a man was not bound to love god , unlesse he were sure that god loved him . hereupon master bradshaw was shortly after , by a short note under doctor buckeridges hand bearing date may twenty six . and directed unto him at chatham , made acquainted , that it was the pleasure of his lords grace of canterbury , and his lord of london ( the main prosecutor of the business against him ) that he should the next day by nine of the clock appear personally before them at shorn , a town situate between rochester and gravesend : whither accordingly he repaired , and there appearing , after some questions moved , and answers thereunto returned , the bishop of london began to charge him with teaching of false and ungodly doctrine , such as had been suggested by the knight before-mentioned ; whereunto when he answered negatively , relating withall truly and sincerely , what he had delivered , and offering to produce not a few of good credit , who could and would testifie what then he taught , that would not be admitted ; london affirming , that what had been enformed , was averred by such , as were able to conceive , being learned ; and to understand aright what it was that he delivered , and received it not by report from others , but had been ear-witnesses of it themselves . however at last to strike all dead sure , subscription was tendered to him ; whereat they knew he would stick : which because he professed that he could not condescend unto , they inhibited him to preach any more at chatham , and having bound him to appear , when he should be farther called upon , for the present so dismissed him . the next lords day was one suborned , in the habit of a traveller , to repair early in the morning to master bradshaws lodging at chatham , who asking to speak with him , pretended that he came on purpose out of his way to hear him , and demanded of him whether he preached that day or no ? whereunto he answering , that he did not , being by authority inhibited , he made shew of much sorrow , as being frustrated of his expectation , but he was descried to be no other then a spie , sent to found master bradshaw what he intended to do ; so greedy were they to have farther ensnared him , if by any meanes they might . the same day master bearblock was observed at strowd , as triumphing after a victory atchieved against some great adversary , to have appointed to be sung before his fore-noon-sermon , the former part of the . psalm . those of chatham much affected with the inhibition of their faithfull teacher , and grieved in their souls for the restraint of that precious food , which they had formerly received from him , were not backward to use what means they might for the taking off of the inhibition , and removal of the restraint . to this purpose a supplication was framed in the name of the parishoners of chatham unto the bishop of rochester their immediate diocesan , in these words ; right reverend father , and our very good lord , if we were not by manifold triall and long experience assured of the love that you bear , and the care that you have over that flock , which the lord hath committed unto your charge , we could not with so good hope and comfort , as now we do , become petitioners unto your lordship in the behalf of our too much wronged preacher master bradshaw ; unto whom , in sincrity of a good conscience we do voluntarily yeeld this testimony , that he is a man so farre in every respect from desert of those misreports , wherewith his causelesse adversaries have endeavoured to incense your good lordship against him , as his accusers have been from the remembrance of that duty , which they ought to bear to your lordship , whom they have abused with sinister and unjust informations ; his doctrine alwaies holy , wholesome , true , and learned , utterly void of faction and contention ; his life so throughly garnished with unblemished vertues and graces , as malice it self cannot reprove , or suspect him ; directing all his labours only to the beating down of sin and wickednesse , the comfort of the faithfull , and the instruction of the ignorant , without intermedling at any time , with the needlesse and conceited controversies of this factious age . may it therefore please your good lordship with favour ( according to your wonted goodnesse ) so to tender this your little poor flock of chatham , as to restore unto us our vertuous and faithfull teacher ; lest otherwise we be as sheep without a shepherd . which being obtained , we your humble suppliants will account it so great a blessing of god from the hands of your reverend fatherhood , as that we shall hold our selves bound faithfully to pray unto the almighty , for your good lordships endless prosperity . this their petition after their own frame conceived , is the rather here inserted , to shew their reverend estimation of master bradshaw , and their earnest desire to have retained him still with them . but the business was in higher hands . london was the man that must do it , if ought were done . with whom master chaderton going up to london upon occasion of some colledge-affairs , promised to deal in master bradshaws behalf ; and in likelihood did : but ( as appeared ) without success . thus was this blessed servant of god tossed to and fro , and could not be suffered to abide long in any place ; though a man of peaceable carriage , a most meek and humble spirit , and a kinde and loving disposition . but gods pious providence over his , and gracious provision for them , never faileth . he is oft working for them , when they least see it , and where or whence they least look for it . he was then preparing a retiring and resting place for him , when he seemed to be now utterly out of hope of any . for being now driven from chatham , he came up to london , whence after some short stay with a friend , having at present no employment , he thought good to look down into leicestershire to visit his friends there . and he indeed intended the journey only as a visit : howsoever the lord in his hidden disposal , unknown unto him , had a farther aim in it then he was then aware of , as by the event appeared , and he afterward took speciall notice of , and did thankfully acknowledge . for upon his coming down into those parts , by the good hand of god , using that his worthy servant of blessed memony , master arthur hildersham ( as formerly sometime , so now again ) as an instrument therein , he was brought into some notice with , and commended unto one master alexander redich , a religious gentleman , then residing at newhall , an house of note , situate neer to burton upon trent , in the confines of darbyshire , leicestershire , and staffordshire . he not only received him into his house , but obtained also for him from the then bishop of coventry and litchfield , being a moderate man , a licence to preach in any part of his diocess : which favour and liberty , being by a present of venison at first procured , and afterward maintained by a yearly gratuity of a brace of bucks out of the gentlemans park , master bradshaw without any interruption enjoyed in those parts during that bishops life , yea , and after too , without any trouble ( a light and short storm only excepted , and that soon again laid , the year before his decease , ( whereof somewhat hereafter ) unto the time of his releasement . for his entertainment there , though the means allowed him were very small , in regard that the gentlemans estate was much encombred , and he by reason thereof disabled to do what he otherwise desired ; the lady ferrers his wives mother yet surviving , who had an estate for life in that part of the land , which was to come to his wife , whereon he then resided ; nor in regard of religion ( for a strong and zealous papist she was ) so well-affected towards them , being forward another way ; and some other part of it , by concealment of some evidences being wrongfully detained from him , as in process of time upon discovery thereof did evidently appear . yet the small pittance that was allowed him , together with their kind carriage toward him , and the loving affection to him that he found generally in the family , did give him very good content . for in a letter to an inward friend he professeth , that he found both the gentleman , and his wife , very tender-hearted and sincerely religious so kind unto him , as his heart could not desire more ; and that in gifts they were otherwise beneficial unto him ; and the truth is , ( saith he , for you have his own words ) it is impossible to find more love in a place , then i do find more and more both of great and small in the house : so that the lord , i see , hath not clean forsaken me . and in another to the same party ; never let your mind be troubled about the smallnesse of my maintenance , it is more then he from whom it cometh can well spare yet ; as much as my labours upon them deserve ; and more then many of my betters have . to adde hereunto some farther matter of encouragement and contentment , he withall signifieth , that the lord had blest him there with a most kind neighbour , ( abiding in a house not far from thence with the lord paget ) a young man of oxford , and a londoner by birth , one master hassal , a man of very rare parts for all kind of learning , of most prompt and ready speech , and of a very courteous and affable disposition . with him he entertained familiarity , and maintained a good correspondence , while they abode so neer together . for he was not nice to imbrace acquaintance with any moderate man , of endowments especially ; and very forward to take notice of the good parts of others , and to set them out as occasion was offered , to the utmost : so far was he from that malevolent humour so rife with too many in these times , of extenuating or blurring the endowments and abilities of others ; such especially as do not in every particular conceit , though but groundlessely oft fancied , comply with themselves ; as also together with his ingenuous composure of spirit , his pious disposition may herein be observed , in taking notice of , and acknowledging a passage of divine providence in every accommodation , that might any way , or in any measure , improve the comfort of his present condition . but that the great moderation of mind in one of such worth as was this servant of christ , may the better appear , we shall compare the means of maintenance afforded him , and his employments , whereof he professed before , not to deserve so much as so small a pirtance amounted unto the one with the other . that the allowance was very small , may very justly be deemed , when his friends were so much troubled and grieved , to think that one of his endowments should be driven to accept so low and slender conditions : and the truth is , as by his own relation appears , the allowance at first agreed upon , was but ten pounds by the year , his diet , fire , candle , and all kind of attendance , as himself draws it out at length to make the most of it . that which is here specified , not in any wise to asperse the gentleman , whose present condition would not then well afford better termes ; and yet shewed his good will by free addition to what he stood engaged for , even in his first year of abode with him ; and afterward also , as charge grew upon master bradshaw : though means were not much amended with him , yet strained himself unto a farther enlargement , as hereafter shall be shewed ; but to manifest the excceeding , and almost unparallel'd modesty of the man , esteeming his labours beneath so poor an allowance . for his employments that himself so much undervalued , what were they ? besides his private exercises at set times performed in the family ; he preached at first constantly twice every lords day in a chappel of some capacity , belonging to the gentlemans house , and situate within the park wherein the house stood ; and afterward , when the resort from other parts more remote , grew so great , that the place could not well contain them ; ( that the more might enjoy the fruit of his ministry , and with the more ease to them , though the less to him and the houshold ) he was easily induced , the governours of the family , out of their religious disposition , well approving thereof , and condescending thereunto , to bestow his labours , as he had before done in the chappel , in a more publick place , at a parish-church ( where a reading vicar only was ) at a village called stapenhill or stapenhall , about a mile distant from the place of his abode . and this he did constantly for above twelve years at least , at such times as the gentleman abode with his family at newhall , which was the principal place of his setled abode : receiving for such his pains among them , no consideration at all from the people of the place ; ( the most of them deeming him more beholden to them , for coming and staying to hear him , then themselves to him for coming to preach to them ; and some of them complaining , that they had lost many a good pistle and gospel for his preachings ; ) save that on the lords day for his better ease and refreshment , between his forenoon and afternoons employment , he was usually entertained at the house of one master alexander buckley , who had sometime belonged as a bayliff or steward to master rediches family , and whose wife mistress anne buckley , a very sweet natured , humble and godly woman , was both a mary and martha to him , no lesse diligent to attend his teaching with the one , then sedulous to make fitting provision for him with the other ; and that some of the better affected sort among those that heard him , would now and then gratifie him with some kind of countrey-courtesies , when he kept house by himself . having thus spent above a twelvemoneth or more with master redich , his thoughts began to be more solicitously renewed concerning that businesse of marriage propounded to him at chatham , and so farre forth , as hath been formerly shewn , embraced then by him ; which in regard also of some other emergent occasions had hung hitherto in suspence . this to proceed in and consummate he much desired , not so much in regard of himself , as in regard of the other party , who had been held in expectation thereof so long already , and might deem it some wrong , if it should be still so delayed . but how this might consist with his continuance in master rediches family he was not able well to conceive ; and how very loath he was to part with a family , where he had found so much love . howsoever he resolved to break the matter unto them , before he would proceed any farther therein , that if no fit means of compliance there could be contrived , he might with their good leave look out for some other place of employment , and they have some convenient space of time for the fitting and furnishing of themselves with some other to succeed with them in his room . upon relation hereof , according to such his resolution , ( having taken a fit time for it ) made unto them , enforming them truly and freely in all circumstances , how the case stood with him , and how he stood affected towards them , it was strange to see ( it is in his own words related ) how great affection they shewed to bear unto him , expressed even with teares ; that on no condition he must depart from them ; such course should be taken , as that , when he should in that kind change his condition , he might still conveniently and comfortably abide with them . whereunto he subjoyneth ; and this indeed is the first hour of my solid comfort , that the lord hath vouchsafed me a standing place , where i may settle my self . and indeed god was pleased to work in some particulars somewhat strangely and unexpectedly , beyond what he was then able to foresee or forecast , toward the farther acomplishment of his desire in this kind ; as hereafter shall be shewed . mean while master redich being by occasion of businesses drawn up to london , and having taken some lodgings for himself and his retinue neer unto christ church , with purpose to make stay some good space of time in the city , master bradshaw abiding there with him , was requested to preach sometime at christ church : which accordingly he did , and that with such approbation and good liking of the well-affected in the parish , that the afternoons lecture there becoming vacant , albeit doctor milward a man of some note in those times stood for it , yet by the greater number of votes , in a vestry purposely for that end assembled , master bradshaw was chosen to be their lecturer ; though not having sought it himself , but having been without his privity propounded by some such of them as had been much taken with his former sermons . but the will of god ( it seems ) was , that he should still adhere to that family , which he was fallen into , and where he had found so much affection ; that which to his dying day also he did . for though by some of those , who earnestly desired him , great means were made to the bishop , yet would he in no wise condescend to give way thereunto . yea , such was his malignity against master bradshaw , that having cited him , but by a wrong forename , to appear before him , to answer for preaching in his diocesse without his licence ; ( in which regard also the church-wardens were checked and threatned that suffered it ) upon his non-appearance he proceeded so far , as to send out an excommunication against him ; which he for the mistake before-mentioned , little regarded ; only by advice , for some time kept out of the way , untill the bishops translation , or evection rather , unto the lofty pitch of his primacy , which shortly after did ensue . during his stay in these parts , looking down to chatham , he there consummated that businesse , which hitherto had been delayed . and in regard that master redich with his wife and retinue were by reason of his urgent affairs in divers kinds likely to continue for a longer space of time in the city then at first was expected ; master bradshaw having brought up his wife with him from chatham , did for a while board her with a sister of hers , before married and seated in the city , and afterward took part of a tenement for himself and her , who being a woman that affected employment , for their better support , taught there a few scholers . much about this time , by occasion of that formall conference acted and transacted at hampton-court , wherein some of our chief prelates endeavoured to possesse the kings majesty with a prejudice against those that made suit for a reformation of things amisse in church-affairs , ( his disaffection to whom he had himself also in some writing of his partly discovered already ) and to perswade him , that for ecclesiastical affairs all things were so well setled , that no reformation needed , but some strict injunction only of a precise conformity unto , and constant observation of things already established ; which began thereupon in many places with much vigor to be pressed ; it came to passe that many books came abroad , being privately printed , wherein divers godly ministers , who were of a contrary judgment , declared their grievances , laid down their exceptions , set forth their grounds of dissent , and returned answer to the arguments produced and urged against them to induce them to conformity . for books of this nature search was made in the city ; for one , more especially among the rest , that had ( it seems ) given our great clergy-masters most offence , and master bradshaw being known to abide then in the city , a man in much suspition with them , two pursuivants , accompanied with master norton the kings printer , were sent with commission to search his house both for it and him . whither accordingly repairing , but not finding him at home , they enforced his wife to open his closet or study , the chests , trunks , boxes and presses , to make search for such books , but found nothing . for the truth is , ( and there was a good providence of god in it ( after that master bradshaw was that morning gone out , not above half an hour before that this business fell out , his wife looking into his study , and seeing some of those books there , to prevent future danger , ( which yet she then little deemed or dreamed to be so near at hand as it proved to be afterward ) had taken them out from thence , and cast them into a hole between two chimneys , where being covered over with old besomes , they remained undiscovered . but howsoever they could meet with nothing of that which they looked for , yet on his wife they seized , who would rather have had him ; her they took and led unto doctors commons , where having presented her before doctor stanhop , doctor white , and a third party , whom she knew not , a number sufficient to make up a compleat high commission court ; they examined her , yet without oath : first , where her husband was ? whereunto she answered , she knew not ; then , what meanes of maintenance she had , and from whom ? to which she made answer , that she gat her living by her work , and teaching of a few young children ; after that , what children she had ? she told them , none yet ; but one she hoped in her belly , being then great with child : which was her first-born sonne , now a minister of the gospel , afterward born in that house they then dwelt in , in thred-needle-street , and baptized in the church near thereto adjoyning , where the minister of the place , somewhat thick of hearing , by a mistake , instead of jonathan , naming him john , which name therefore he bare afterward , and doth to this day . but after divers such questions to little purpose propounded and answered , in conclusion they told her , that they knew well enough that the book they then searched for ▪ was none of her husbands making , though he might have a hand in the venting of it ; and withall , that if they had been disposed , they could have had him , for all his keeping in a lancashire gentlemans house . so they termed master redich , because his own lands of inheritance lay in those parts . thus hauing parlied with her , they dismissed her , not suffering those greedy harpyes the pursuivants , who were eager upon her for their fees , to exact ought from her ; only binding her at a daies warning to appear again before them . thus through gods goodness and watchfull eye over his servant , too regardlesse in some sort of his own safety , having escaped the snare that was set for him , he returned after some space of time , master rediches main businesses being now dispatched , together with him and his , unto their former place of abode at newhall , taking his wife and little one together also along with him . being there arrived , the gentleman both enlarged his maintenance , and assigned him and his wife certain chambers in his own house conveniently furnished ▪ as also herbage in the park for a certain number of kine , and of swine , and some poultry , together with a convenient room for a dary , wherein she might exercise her huswifery ; which she very well could do , and accordingly did . now while they thus lived together in master rediches house , master bradshaw went on cheerfully in his wonted course , both of private exercises for the instruction of the family , and of publick employment on the lords day for the benefit of others also abroad . but the old lady ferrers , mistresse rediches mother , a woman of a great spirit , and a resolute papist , though not an absolute professed recusant , could by no means brook master bradshaw , and the lesse now because married , and for that he had brought his wife also to live with him in house with them : yea she had conceived such an extream hatred against him , professing to hate him above any man in the world ; that she had made a vow , that she would never set her feet in the house where he was ; and it was therefore feared , not without some just ground of suspition , that the family might from her fare the worse for him . but the hearts of all men , and women also , are in gods hand , and he can wind and turn them which way he will : and when a mans waies do please the lord , he can , if he see it good , yea , doth oft , when he seeth it will be for the good of his , make of his utter foes , his friends . and even so fell it out here . for the lady notwithstanding this her extream disaffection , so deeply rooted , and so vehemently expressed , yet in processe of time being enduced by some that were in credit and repute with her , to visit her son-in-law and daughter , and make stay for some time ( which they much desired ) in house with them ; and being withall informed and assured by them of master bradshaws mild and moderate demeanure , and his meek , kind , and lowly carriage , she was over-wrought by them , contrary to that her former unnaturall and irreligious engagement , to repair thither , and take up her lodging with them : where it pleased god withall , not long after her accesse thither , ( being now an eye-witnesse her self of what she had formerly heard by report of him from others ) so to alter that her former disaffection to master bradshaw , and to cast it into a clean contrary mould , that all that beheld and observed her carriage on all occasions towards him , wondered exceedingly at it , to see so strange an alteration , and such not unexpected only , but unusuall carriages in her . for , albeit she were otherwise , a gentlewoman , as of very proper and personable presence , and in that regard much admired by the scottish queen that suffered here , whom she also much affected , so of her self no lesse forward to take and keep state ; yet she used master bradshaw with very much courtesie and complement , at table drinking to him , and carving for him ; resorting twice a day constantly to prayer with him and the family , and speaking reverently of him ; yea whereas formerly she could not be induced to hear any of our ministers preach ; howsoever for fashion sake , and to escape penalty of law , she might sometime repair to hear the liturgy read ; yet was she content to hear master bradshaw , and commended his sermons . which the better to work upon her , he wisely framed to such subjects as he deemed would best serve , to take off such false imputations , as are wont by the adverse party to be cast upon our profession and preaching , as if we were utter enemies to mortification and good works . for first out of matth. . . he took occasion to speak of the necessity and nature of good works ; the ground from whence they spring , and the end that must be aimed at in them ; and after that out of psal. . of repentance and mortification , with both which discourses she seemed to be very much affected . what farther work these things had upon her after her departure thence , we are not able to say ; but certain it is , that while she abode there , she seemed to be much better disposed , not towards master bradshaw only ; but ( contrary to what was formerly feared , and strongly suspected ) toward her son-in-law and daughter also . for before she went thence , she sealed them a lease for three years , of the land they held from her , with abatement of an hundred pounds by the year , of the rent formerly paid , and a remission of thirty pounds by the year besides , otherwise accruing to her , ( god might blesse the house for his josephs sake ) and her continued good opinion of , and affection to master bradshaw she farther manifested , by her free consent , to have an house built for him and his wife to live in , on a parcell of land that she had interest in ; which was accordingly with as much speed as might be , not long after effected . then which ( saith he , so modest and moderate were his affections for the things of this life ) i desire no more worldly things , then that i may be setled in that little house , and rest there in quiet , which these times give small hope of . this he conceived the lesse hope of , because the bishop under whom he had hitherto lived quietly , about this time , deemed not like long to continue ; and indeed shortly after deceasing , it was given out , that bishop neal , translated from rochester , was to succeed ( that which he much dreading , in divers of his letters had oft up , lord keep us from rochester ) and so he did indeed , though not immediately ; yet not long after . for doctor abbots dean of winchester , who came in between them , sate not long there , but before many moneths expired , stept from litchfield to london . but bishop neal was the man , whom all the pious , as well private men as ministers , in these parts mis-doubted would do the most mischief . and indeed presently upon his entrrnce , that boisterous prelate began in so fierce and furious a sort to bestir himself , and kept such a busseling and blustering among them , that ( howsoever one that then abode thereabout , writing somewhat freely of him , saith , the more he shufflled in his lions skin , the more he made his asses ears to appear , and exposed himself to derision and contempt even with the meanest ) yet it was by the most feared , that unlesse god in much mercy should put a ring into his nose , he would in likelihood root up all effectual means of piety , within the precincts of his power . and the rather had master bradshaw cause to expect little favour , all rigour rather that might be , from him ; in regard of some neighbouring loiterers , that should have been labourers , as he was , in the lords work ; who not enduring to see others affected and followed , for doing that , which they should have done , but did not themselves , were therefore bitter enemies to him , and were in great grace with the bishop . besides that , it was reported , that the bishop was minded to reside some space of time at drakelow , a place not far distant from newhall ; whose neighbourhood was like to prove no more beneficial to master bradshaw , then the brass pots company in the fable to the earthen pitcher . but , as dangers oft befall us , where we least mis-doubt or suspect ought , much lesse expect any ; so ( the lord on that wise disposing things for the safety of his servants , and the enuring of them to a constant dependance on his providence ) it falleth out sometime on the other side , that we prove least assailed or annoyed from thence , whence we have been most affrighted with the greatest expectation of much damage , or sore distresse . so it fell out with master bradshaw here . for , howsoever in one of his letters he manifesteth his fears to that purpose , that in regard of the considerations before-mentioned , he much doubted that zone would be too hot for him , yet in another afterward he signifieth that he had not as yet heard ought from him , or of any complaints that had been made to him against him . nor indeed doth it appear that he was at any time after molested , or disturbed in the exercise of his ministry by either of them , by what means soever the lord was pleased so either to represse or divert , as well the malice of the one , as the might of the other , that neither of them should fasten to any purpose upon him , untill the year before he died . about this time master redich bestowed his eldest daughter mistress grace redich in marriage with sir robert darcie , son and heir to sir edward darcie a kentish knight , a very religious gentleman , in great favour and repute with that illustrious prince henry , of rare parts , and great hopes , of whom this land was not worthy , and one that highly esteemed master bradshaw , as he justly deserved . he making his abode most at newhall untill his fathers decease , ( where his lady a very gracious gentlewoman according to her name , not inferiour to her husband , either in piety , or in sincerity of affection to master bradshaw , was the second time delivered of twins , and became mother of four children , within compasse of a year ) master bradshaw by his company there received much comfort and encouragement in the work of his ministry , and furtherance also in his studies . for sir robert being a scholar and studious , had a library furnishnd with many of the best writers , as well in divinity , as in other kindes of literature , whereof master bradshaw had the free use ; and he brought also upon his motion divers other on purpose , that might be usefull for him . and this his affectionate and courteous carriage to master bradshaw , toward whom he ever demeaned himself with much reverence and due respect , was continued by him untill his decease , which did not many weeks precede master bradshaws . in the year . it pleased god to take from him that worthy gentleman master redich his patron , who in a very holy and christian manner at newhall departed this life . his frequent removals from newhall to longford , another house that had befallen him in those parts not long before his decease , was occasion of much distraction to master bradshaw , now setled with his family at stanton ward near to newhall ; but his decease much more : concerning which he thus writes , among other things in a letter to a friend ; master rediches decease hath made an heavy alteration in this family ; and for mine own estate , mistress redich giving over house , as she intendeth to do , and to live somewhere hereabout , as privately as she may , for the better discharging of her husbands debts , it will be the lesse comfortable , and more chargeable to me then it hath been . but i am willing for her good to undergo any thing . master redich on his death-bed was willing to have assured me of something during my life . but the force of his disease did so grow upon him that he could do nothing . if god lend mistress redish life , till the debts be discharged , or a sure course taken for them , i hope she will , if it lie in her power : for she hath promised so to do ; and i assure me , she will do her utter most to effect it . but whatsoever fall out , i trust i shall be content , having been hitherto at the lords finding ; who hath shewed himself at all times a loving father to me his unworthy child ; and our time here , though it be full of wants , is but short . thus it pleased the lord to inure this his servant to a dependance from day to day for provisions upon his providence ; and as a grave man of god sometime said , whereas many other have , and eat their bread stale ; to receive his bread , and eat it daily new from his hand ; that which he also , you see , was very well content to do . mean while the good gentlewomans incumbred and unsetled estate she was left in , being to take course for the payment of her husbands debts , and to compound for the wardship of her younger daughter , who was afterward matched to one of the lord chief justice cooks sons , could not but exceedingly distract master bradshaw , as well as her self ; and drew him up to london together with her , oftner then he had any mind of himself , or desire thereunto . but from that family the main means of his maintenance accrued ; and to it therefore he constantly addicted himself , as in duty he deemed himself obliged to do . at stanton ward , not far from newhall , as was before intimated , his family still abode in the little house there built for him : where , while mistresse redich abode in those parts , or when he had any liberty to get down from these parts , while she was longer then usually detained in or about the city ; he went on constantly in his wonted course , teaching freely at stapenhill every lords day , as formerly he had done . only in the year . coming down from london , ( upon what occasion , or through whose instigation , uncertain ) he was welcomed home by the bishops chancellour a corrupt man , with an inhibition to preach there , till he heard further from him . but by the mediation of a couple of good angels , the one from himself , ( so willing and forward was he to redeem his liberty , for the benefit of others , without advantage to himself ) and the other from a friend , the chancellour was soon pacified , and the restraint removed ; whereby it appeared that the prohibition proceeded principally from his own avarice , rather then from mis-information from any thereabout , or injunction from above . amidst this his restlesse and distracted condition , and constant pursuit of his religious employments , the lord was preparing a place of setled rest for him , and a royall reward in the highest heavens , for his faithfull service here upon earth , drawing on apace now to its utmost period . for in the year . being come up from stanton , to attend mistress redich , while he lodged with her at chelsey , not far from the city , visiting a friend at rederith , whose house he usually frequented when he was in these parts , he complained of some malady , that by his present distemper he mis-doubted might be growing upon him , and though by his friend being earnestly urged , to take some speedy course , by the physicians advice , for preventing the farther growth of it ; yet being too regardlesse of himself , while he neglected so to do , he was suddainly surprized with a violent , and ( as the physician affirms ) malignant fever , which so fiercely set upon him , that in its very first apparent encounter it cast him down upon his couch . and notwithstanding all the means used , that either were desired , or could be procured ; no care being omitted , or cost spared , by that worthy gentlewoman , who most tenderly and intirely affected him , for advice of physician , who constantly repaired to him , assistance of apothecary , according to direction with all requisite necessaries supplying him , and diligent attendance , as well of those in the family , as of some other also for that end procured from abroad , without intermission successively about him ; even the gentlewoman her self ( though advised to forbear , in regard of some malignity deemed to be in the disease ) frequently resorting to him , sitting by him , and with her own hands offering for his better ease to be helpfull unto him , which yet he was very loath to admit ; in all which from the first to the last she expressed a very great measure of cordiall affection unto him , and no lesse an earnest desire , both of his present relief , and future recovery also , if god should see it so good ; yet the time being now come wherein the lord had determined to put an end to his faithfull servants labourious employments , continued distractions , and restlesse condition , and to translate him hence to a place of endlesse rest , and peace never to be interrupted again ; the force of the disease within the space of a few daies fretted asunder those bands that kept soul and body together , and leaving the one behind to be laid up in the bowels of that element whence it had its first original , set the other at full liberty to return unto him , from whom alone it immediately received its existence at first . during the short time of his sickness , wherein yet through gods goodnesse he continued free from any notable sense of pain , and was accompanied with much freedom of mind and memory , he had his heart and tongue in meditation set wholly upon god , acknowledging his special favour and goodnesse unto him , who had so far forth vouchsafed to cast a gracious eye upon him so vile and loathsome a creature , while he yet continued in his native condition , as to give him an interest by faith in his christ ; yea so farre farther to grace so unworthy a wretch , as to call him to be a minister of his word , and publisher of his will , and to make his weak endeavours and worthlesse labours , at any time in any measure efficacious to any of his people , ( as he hoped in some sort with some at least they had been ) either for the conversion and bringing of them home unto him , or for the establishing and building of them up in the saving knowledge and belief of his truth , and in the graces and comforts of his spirit . withall seriously professing this to be his comfort , the testimony of his conscience in the sight of god bearing witnesse in his behalf , that in sincerity of heart , though with much weaknesse , and amidst many failings , through the whole course of his ministry , his main end and scope in all his labours and endeavour's had been both in publick and private , to seek the glory of god , the delivery of his truth , the peace of his church , the spiritual good of his people ; in all things to approve himself to him , and continue faithfull with him , who hath been pleased to take him into his service ; and desiring now nothing more , then that he might be so enabled through the support of his good spirit , that by his christian and comfortable carriage under his fatherly hand , in this close of his day-work , he might confirm and seal up to others the truth of those things that he had formerly professed and taught . withall earnestly exhorting all that came about him , to learn now to die before they came to it , to be sure to lay a good foundation in time of life and health , for matter of firm support and sound comfort in time of sickness , and at the hour of death ; and to make as much provision and strong preparations against that time as they could , assuring themselves , that they should find all their utmost endeavours and carefullest addresses to be little enough , when they came once to that work. amidst these and the like religious meditations and pious employments , peceiving his desired end now to approach , and having requested prayer to be conceived in his behalf by a special friend , who had accompanied him most part of his sicknesse , not long after that office performed by him , he quietly and peaceably resigned his soul into the hands of his blessed saviour , no lesse ready ( doubtlesse ) to receive it from him , then himself was desirous and forward to recommend it unto him . his funeral rites were performed at chelsey , where he drew his last breath ; most of the ministers of better note about the city , either constantly residing , or occasionally detained there , besides a very great multitude of private persons well affected , repairing thereunto . who were all there , after the usuall manner in such cases and on such occasions , entertained at the charge and by the bounty of that worthy gentlewoman of singular piety , in whose house he deceased . from which place his corps being conveyed on the shoulders of six of his reverend brethren of the ministry , who of their own accord offered themselves unto that office , to the place of publick assembly , where it was to be interred : master thomas gataker his ancient and inward friend , though full of grief for the loss of one , who so entirely affected him , and whom as well for the high esteem he had of him and his worth , as for that entire affection which he constantly bare to him , was most deservedly exceedingly dear to him ; and in regard thereof not so free or fit for performance of that office ; yet enforced himself to preach at his funerall , and to give , though very briefly , such testimony of him , as was generally approved of by his reverend brethren there present . and he was indeed a man of very eminent parts , for sharpnesse of wit , clearnesse of apprehension , soundnesse of judgment , exactnesse of method , and powerfulnesse of delivery , of singular dexterity in beating out perplexed and intricate debates , descrying and discovering where the knots lay , stating of controversies aright , and dissolving of difficult cases of conscience ; to which purpose not only many even from remote parts resorted unto him , either of their own accord , or directed and recommended unto him by other his brethren of the ministry , as one most likely of any to give them satisfaction in their doubts ; but divers of them also , of good note , ( as by their letters to him may appear ) deemed it no disparagement to seek resolution from him in questions of that nature themselves . neither was he one that kept his talent wrapt up in a napkin ; but though he were cooped up mostly in an obscure corner , through the harsh courses of those , that would not suffer his light to shine forth in any eminent place ; yet was he exceeding laborious in those parts wherein he lived , both in private employments at constant set times in the family , and in publick also , where he might be permitted , though without benefit to himself : that which may appear by abundance of papers and note-books yet extant , though by many casualties a multitude of them have miscarried . besides his constant course of preaching at stapenhill , for the most of his time from his first admission into that family , save only by interruption , through occasion of removals , which neither usually lasted over-long , nor , though distracted him in his studies , did any whit lightly lessen his labours ; he was frequently drawn forth to joyn with other his reverend brethren in their meetings and exercises , at ashbie de la zouch in leicester-shire , at repton in darby-shire , and at burton upon trent ; at some of which meetings the manner being , that some one of them preached his hour on the scipture propounded the meeting before , and the rest or a certain number of them spent afterward , each one his half hour or thereabout on some other portion of scripture , one being appointed to moderate , by minding each that spake , if occasion were , of the time , and to close up all with some succinct rehearsal of what had been delivered , together with an additament , if it seemed good , of somewhat of his own . it hath been reported by some of those ministers , who frequented these exercises , that when they could get this our brother , into that number , or into the chair , which latter he could hardly be drawn into , he was observed to have a reach still beyond the rest ; and in regard of his depth of judgment , and dexterity in due ballancing of points controverted , and differences in opinion concerning the same , he was commonly stiled among them the weighing divine , as hath been attested by that worthy servant of christ now at rest with him , master oliver bowles , from the mouths of some of them , who in his hearing related it . for his ordinary manner of teaching , it was in some kinde somewhat different from the usuall method of the most teachers in those times . for he seldome made any excursion into the handling of common places , or drew his subject matter out at length by any prolixly continued discourse : but the main frame both of his publick sermons and private exercises , for the most part , if not wholly , consisted , after some brief and genuine resolution of the context , and explication of the termes , where need required , of notes and observations , with much variety and great dexterity drawn immediately from the text , and naturally , without constraint , issuing and flowing either from the main body , or from the several limbs of it , with some usefull application annexed thereunto : which though neither of them long insisted upon , yet were wont with that vivacity to be propounded and pressed by him , as well might , and oft did , pierce deep into the hearts of his hearers , and not only rectifie and clear their judgments , but have a powerfull work also upon their affections . nor was it his manner to quote many scriptures , finding it troublesome to his memory , and supposing it would be so to his auditours also : ( that which was the practice and opinion also of doctor chaderton , as they well know , that heard him on matth. . . ) besides deeming it the lesse needfull , in regard that his observations being grounded immediately on the scripture he handled ; and by necessary consequence thence deduced , seemed to receive proof sufficient from it . a constant form of prayer he used , as in the family , so in his publick ministry ; only varying or adding upon speciall accasions , as occurences intervening required ; the reason he gave thereof , was this , because hesitation , ( which he said he was much subject unto ) was in prayer more offensive , then in other discourse ; unto prophane ones especially , whereof in mixt multitudes , and meetings , some lightly , too many usually , were ; that which he affirmed also to have been master cartwrights practice , with whom sometime he conversed . in such manner of teaching he went over divers portions of scripture : among others , the fifty first , and the hundred and nineteenth psalms : the story of hanna , sam. . and of naaman the syrian , kings . part of christs sermon on the mount , matth. . the parable of the sower , matth. . and of the rich man and lazarus , luk. . the relation of christs temptations , recorded by two of the evangelists : the whole history of christs apprehension , araignment and execution ; together with judas his end ; the four first chapters of the epistle to the romanes ; the three last chapters of the epistle to the hebrews , beside many other more particular parcels of scripture . of this sort was by himself published in his life-time , a preparation to the sacrament of the lords supper ; at first written out at the request of that right religious lady darcy for her private use , and by importunity afterwards , made more publick for the farther benefit of others . therewith many have been much taken , ( by means whereof it hath oft been reprinted ) and among others one thomas foster a mercer by trade , living at shefford in bedfordshire , a very honest , humble-minded , and sincere-hearted christian , hath been heard to professe , that that book , and that part of it more specially wherein are laid down certain marks and signs of faith and repentance , was as farre ( as he was able to deem ) the only outward instrumentall means of his conversion , through the gracious co-operation of gods spirit working powerfully and efficaciously upon his heart in the reading thereof . and since his death have been published , a nuptial sermon , entituled , a marriage feast , on joh. . . — . a meditation of mans mortality , on psal. . his sermons on the second epistle to the thessalonians . a treatise of christian reproof , on matth. . , . and another of the sin against the holy ghost , on matth. . . — . which in his life-time he had been by that worthy knight sir robert darcy , who died not long before him , much pressed to publish ; but could not prevail with him , being very backward in that kind , much undervaluing his own works , and very rarely , if ever , satisfying himself in ought that he undertook . for the use of the family wherein he lived , he drew up a twofold catechism as they term it ; the one somewhat large , the other more brief , for young beginners extracted out of the former ; which latter , to save labour of transcribing , he permitted to be printed . what spare time he had from his constant imployments either private or publick , when not taken off by occasionall occurrences , he spent most of it principally three waies . first , in labouring to clear some points about the do●trine of faith and justification ; concerning the latter whereof , after many debates ( first occasioned by some lectures of doctor grey , sometime fellow of trinity colledge in cambridge , then reading on that subject at gresham colledge in london ) that passed to and fro by reciprocall letters between him and a special friend of his , he began to set upon an exact treatise of that argument : which being upon the first draught of it communicated to that friend of his , upon some advertisements from him , he in divers particulars farther cleared ; and being afterward imparted to divers of prime note in either university , he was by them not much encouraged only , but earnestly incited to divulge it ; that , which though by much difficulty drawn unto , yet at length he did . and howsoever that accurate piece was but coursely entertained by one of his brethren in the ministry , then living in the city , traducing it publickly in a lecture at pauls , quarrelling with him who had licensed it for the presse , and framing a bitter invective against it ; which upon perusall was found so virulent , that he could not get it permitted to passe to the presse ; yet was the work so well approved by many learned and judicious in both our universities , that divers of them have professed to have received more light thence in that point , then they had ever before from the writings of any that had dealt in that argument . hence it was that having occasion to be sometime on the act-day at oxford , one of those that had seen it , and deeming not underservedly of the workwan by the work , seeing him passe along in a plain russet cloak , is reported by some that were then in company with him , to have said to them , do you see the man that goeth yonder , in that plain habit , and in that self-neglecting garb and posture ? he hath more sound learning in his head , then twenty of us have . and that famous professor doctor prideaux , after his decease , in some company hearing his son yet surviving then present there named , demanded of him whether that master bradshaw , that wrote the treatise of justification were his father ? and being informed that he was , he professed himself heartly glad to see the son of that man , for the old acquaintance he had , not with his father himself , but with that work of his , for those were the doctors own words . hereunto may be added the verdict of that great and grave counsellour of state , so much esteemed for his judgment in law-cases , the lord cook , who visiting the gentlewoman ( by the marriage of her daughter to his sonne , noe neerly linked to him ) at her house where master bradshaw then lay sick , and finding the book lying accidentally in a window , after the perusall of some good part of it , freely professed , that he had seldome read a thing more pithily and pregnanly written . nor was this work of his in such esteem at home only , but with other learned also abroad . among whom master lewis cappel a man of speciall note for variety of learning , and professor of divinity at salmure in france , having received the book sent him from london by master aaron cappel his kinsman , then minister of the french church there , returneth him many thanks for it ; requesting him withall , to enquire after the authors place of abode , and convey from him unto him the letter enclosed ; in the superscription whereof he stileth him , doctissimum , ornatissimun , clarissimúmque virum ; and in the subscription , out of his respect to him , and estimation , yea admiration of him , in regard of that piece alone , thus writes of himself , tui non studiosus modò ; sed cultor & admirator . in the body of the letter , after signification , how upon some occasion being to part with the book , he had taken pains , before he would let it go out of his hands , to translate it out of english into french , he passeth this censure of it , a little book , small for bulk , but for learning , wit and acutenesse a grand one . — to speak ingenuously , i never hitherto read ought in any humane writing of doctrinal divinity , that so exceedingly liked me ; so learnedly , acutely , soundly , pithily , plainly , and yet with admirable brevity is this argument so fully comprised , and throughly handled therein , i want words wherewith to commend and extoll it according to its due desert ; i have oft read it over , and yet never have enough of it ; but the oftner i return to it , and read it over again , the more eagerly is mine appetite stirred up unto it , so much light and brightness of learning , wit and art shineth forth in it . and whereas treading then precisely in piscators steps , he propounded his doubts withall , concerning some particulars , wherein master bradshaw seemed to swarve from piscator ; master bradshaw to give him farther satisfaction therein , and yet save much writing at large to and fro , reviewed his own work , and endeavoured to clear those things somewhat better ; wherein also he was farthered by some exceptions from master wootton imparted unto himself , unto which he had returned an answer ; and having turned it so revised into latine , he sent a copy of it in writing unto master cappel , who upon receit thereof , wrote back at first briefly , but not long after more fully , in these words ; right worthy sir , i wrote before to you , that i had received your truly golden book , enlarged by you and turned into latine , and that presently i read it over , but in haste ; so eager an appetite had i unto it , by reading the other edition of it in english before . since that i have read it over again , not once , but often , and taking leasure thereunto . which the oftner i read over , the more it pleaseth me , and is approved of by me , so accurately and exactly is it composed by you , i hope this birth and issue of your mind will find approbation with peaceable and moderate dispositions , on whether side soever , albeit you condescend not unto them in all things that they require . you so space in the middle between either opinion , that neither of them ought to be displeased with you , if they truly love peace and concord . thus that learned man word for word translated out of his letters in latine , which in the same language have been represented also , and published elsewhere . whereby may appear , what entertainment , approbation , and estimation this treatise ( which yet the author speaks so meanly of himself in private letters to his friends ) found with the learned in forreign parts , and he himself also , where otherwise wholly unknown , for it . and whosoever shall with a regardfull eye read over the generally well approved , and deservedly much esteemed writings of those worthy servants of god , now with the lord , master william pemble and master samuel torsel , concerning this subject , collated with this of master bradshaw , which came forth some good space before either of them had writ ought ; he shall easily discern , on whose foundation they built , in whose steps they trod , with whose heifer they ploughed , at what torch they lighted their tapers , and from whence they received much of their light in that argument . for it may be with good ground of truth be averred , that amids the extream opposition of divines in this point dissenting , this our brother did herein beat out such a middle tract between them , as appears not to have been formerly discovered by any , wherein these two men of special note coming after him , for the main matter of their principles , have kept close to his footsteps , in the path by him cut out and cleared to their hands . of this latter in latine , a copy being sent over by him to doctor ames not long before his dicease , was by him not long after it printed . unto this his purpose was to have added a treatise of justifying faith , the proper nature , peculiar act , and office of it in that work , and great pity it was that such and head as this one piece shews him to have had , was not set apart for such like employments . how many points of much difficulty might haply been clear , if one of his parts had received encouragement , and means of support , to apply himself and his main studies unto so usefull an employment ? surely what he saith of another , might be well said of him , that if such as he was , had the handling of controversies , questions would not be so infinite and intricate oft as they are , and being aright stated , some that now fight most eagerly one against another , would be found to agree , being brought at length aright to understand either other . a second businesse whereunto he applied himself , about which he took much pains , was in the discussion of the matters then in controvesie , for which he so much suffered , about subscription , the ceremonies then pressed , the civil power , and the prelatical , in affairs of that nature . of this kind discourses penned by him were underhand printed , and published , as they could be secretly got out and dispersed , these folowing : a protestation of supremacy : the english puritanism : a treatise of true and false worship : twelve arguments against the ceremonies , and conformity thereunto : of the nature of things indifferent . of which argument also he wrote in latine an answer to master gabriel powel , which yet was not published . and it is well known to some yet surviving , that the greatest part of that which was done in that grand controversie with doctor downham concerning episcopacy , for the main matter of it , came forth of his forge ; ( howsoever of his labour and paines therein taken , another bare the name , and received the reward of the work ) the tart and bitter language only , wherewith it was rather pickled then seasoned , proceeding from another pen , somewhat too much steeped in vineger and gall , that which he complaineth of , as much misliking , in a letter to a friend : for he was a man of a very mild and meek spirit , and of a moderate disposition ; and how farre forth in his judgment and practice he could have acknowledged , submitted unto , and complied with some kind of superintendency , or episcopacy , as it is commonly stiled , may appear by his demands propounded to master francis johnson in his answer to his reasons for seperation , of which more anon . divers other subjects he had set upon , and made entrance into , but afterward laid aside ; whether for want of time and opportunity , or for what other causes , uncertain : among others , of the former sort , was a refutation in latine of dutch thomsons diatribae , de amissione & intercisione justificationis & gratiae ; which upon notice given him of doctor abbots undertaking of that task , he surceased ; of this latter sort , in english , an answer to master hookers ecclesiasticall polity , a work so much cried up ; and admired by the most , and it were greatly to be wished , that he had had life and leasure ( had the lord seen it good ) to have gone through with it : but the lord had otherwise disposed . in the third and last place , amids these his labours about , and suffering for those controversed matters , he bent his forces as much also another way ; to wit , against sectaries and separatists . to this purpose he had divers bickerings with them , and with some of the chief leaders among them , both by conferences with them , and by writings against them and the courses taken by them , whereby many were stayed from going those wayes , and some also reclaimed and brought back again . among other , at the request of a gentleman of lincolns-inne , ( for the stay of some that were staggering , and warping that way , that one master clifton had gone before them , seduced by master smith sometime fellow of christs colledge , who had thrice been baptized ) having imparted to him a relation in writing , of what had past between smith and clifton , who by that their mutuall collation pretended , as upon good and just grounds , being convict in conscience , to have past over to him ; he wrote a large discourse , wherein he discovered a great deal of weaknesse , as well in the arguments of the one , as in the answers of the other ; thereby making it manifestly to appear , by what slight and ill-wrought twine rather then twist , that might have easily been snapt asunder ; master clifton had been drawn away , and induced to leave his former station , and abandon his wonted profession ; nor was his labour herein without its desired successe with those , for whom it was undertaken : as also thereby he took occasion to write a defence of the baptism of infants , against the same parties . against master francis johnsons reasons for separation , he wrote a book entituled , the unreasonablness of separation , and that upon this occasion . one that was deemed to be a man of an ingenuous disposition , was earnestly solicited by some with whom he conversed , to withdraw from our congregations , and seeming to be much perplexed with master johnsons arguments , was yet perswaded by some of his discreet friends , to do nothing inconsiderately in a businesse of that concernment and consequence , but to consider seriously first of it , and have conference with some grave and godly ministers , such as he deemed as well judicious as consciencious ; whereby it might be descried , whether the grounds that he was in this course intended to go upon , were such as would endure triall or no ; this advice of theirs was hearkened unto , and choice made by himself of master bradshaw and another , whom he conceived to be both understanding and moderate men . the place for conference was agreed upon to be in a common friends house , and the meeting intended to be very private , not above two or three of that party , besides himself , the two ministers and those of the house ; but such of them whose presence alone he desired , having acquainted divers others of their complices therewith , a multitude of them intruded themselves . now in regard of such an unexpected company , it was deemed meet to proceed the more warily . and the party in the conference principally concerned , being put to his choice , whether he would argue or answer , was willing rather to argue , and to make use of master johnsons arguments , then to frame others of his own : that which very well pleased those of the separating side , as deeming master johnsons arguments unanswerable . to prevent mis-reports , it was mutually agreed , that two persons , one of either side , should write down each argument , as it was propounded , and each answer , as it was returned thereunto , and should read audibly , what had passed in the prosecution of any argument at the close of it , before entry upon a new , which was accordingly done ; and so many of master johnsons reasons discussed as the straits of time would permit ; in pursuit whereof was so evidently shewed how grossely master johnson had abused divers passages of scripture , quoted for proof of those propositions , whereunto he had affixed them , that the whole company of them were exceedingly puzled with it , and some of them to save their champions credit , would fain have fastned some fault upon the printers , but could not well find how to do it . the evening coming on , the debate ceased for that day : and copies on either side taken , being read , collated , and interchangeably delivered , the conference was adjourned till afternoon the next day , what time the other arguments were to be scanned . but the party , whom the businesse concerned , being perswaded by the rest of them , ( as it seemed ) to desist , did the next morning make known his unwillingnesse for some pretended causes to go on ; and so it brake off . howbeit master bradshaw having waded so farre in examination of master johnsons reasons , was much importuned to proceed on therein , and to go through with the rest , considering how needfull a work it was , and how usefull it might prove . which being at length drawn unto , and that the rather because master johnson had fetcht some arguments from grounds laid by him in that treatise against conformity , which it stood master bradshaw upon therefore to consider of , and give satisfaction unto ; that which was drawn up by him , after perusall and approbation of some , on whose judgment he much relied , was by their advice sent over to master ames , who with an epistle of his own prefixed , caused it to be printed in those parts , where he then abode . neither was there any reply ever returned unto it , in defence of master johnson , either by himself , while he lived , or by any other in his behalf , so long as master bradshaw survived ; only many years after master bradshaws decease , an attempt was made against it by one master can of amsterdam , which was not long after returned back upon its author by a friend of the deceased . and indeed to separation he was ever very adverse , and to withdrawing from the publick places of assembly , or from any part of gods worship there used . to which purpose shall be related out of his papers in his own words the ensuing passages ; delivered by him in a sermon at longford on matth. . . it is the great mercy of god toward us , that we have no cause to seek the word in deserts and wildernesses , in woods and caves and desolate mountains ; but such worthy edifices as these to assemble in , dedicated only to this use . and where gods people have by publick authority such places as these appointed and allowed ordinarily to assemble and meet in , we are fouly at least to suspect those assemblies , and the worship done therein , which forsake those places , and fly into woods and deserts . it is true , that among the jews at this time there was the temple , and besides sundry synagogues , answeriing to these churches of ours ; and which is more , the doors of the pulpits were generally open to christ himself ; and yet our saviour often taught in other places , but this was upon extraordinary occasions , such as seldome or never fall out with us ; and so carried by our saviour , that there was no schisme or separation made by him , or any of his speciall disciples or followers , from the assemblies then established . and after concerning the places of assembly themselves : it is indeed an honour , that those which are in authority and ability , should do to the worship of god , to see that comely and seemly places be dedicated and separated from other common uses thereunto ; and it is a disgrace and contempt to gods worship , when men that may remedy it , care not how base and contemptible the place of gods worship is ; when men have not that care of the place , where the holy assembly of god meets , as they have of their barns and stables . as also concerning some circumstances of gesture used in them ; from christ sitting to teach , we learn in such externall behaviour to follow our saviours example ; that is , in matters not doubtfull , and controversal , at least to conform our selves to such outward fashions as are generally used in those times , and that church wherein we live . for example , in the like case ; it is the general custom in our church , that the ministers preach standing in a seat higher then the people , and bare-headed : and this gesture is no peculiar gesture , but borrowed from the common practice of orators and such persons as make speeches to solemn assemblies . it 's meet therefore in such cases , that we should not be singular and odde , but conform to the received fashion of the church . so that if we should sit and preach as christ did , we should not conform to christ ; because we should cross that , which was the ground why christ sate . lastly , concerning repair to all parts of gods service , from those words ; and his disciples came to him , &c. this also is a matter of order , that , as much as may be , divine worship should begin , when the congregation is assembled and come together . therefore the members of an assembly should make more conscience then usually they do of coming together sooner . i urge this the rather , because it is a general fault in our assemblies , not committed only by them , that care not which end of religion goeth forward , but generally of most , that so they come to some part of gods worship , it is well enough , especially if they can come time enough to the beginning of the sermon . hence many times the minister with the clerk are fain to perform a great part of the publick worship of god alone , or with one or two at the most , and the rest of the church come dropping in one after another at their own leasure ; as though the publick prayers of the church , and reading the scriptures were a worship that concerned the minister , and clerk only , and not the whole church . this is the rather related , and here inserted , because not published , to manifest the moderation of the man , notwithstanding so much hard measure as he sustained from the hands of those , who so grievously abused the power they had in those times . thus have you a rude and crude delineation of this blessed and faithfull servant of gods course and race , whose life was indeed as a continuall peregrination here upon earth ; extracted , partly from letters written to him by others , communicated , for the better making up of this module , by master samuel hildersham , pastor of the church at west-felton in shropshire , sonne to that famous man of pious memory master arthur hildersham , and master john bradshaw , at present minister of the word at echingham in sussex , sonne to this worthy champion of christ jesus , both genuine heirs of their parents best parts ; and partly from relations of his own and others of good credit , his letters especially to a bosome friend , whom he was wont from time to time thereby to acquaint with most occurrents of note that befell him , or did any way concern him , while they lived at a distance . it might have been more exactly and intirely performed , had not some letters of his been lost , and a bundle of others to him miscarried , torn by rats in his absence from the place where they lay , the losse whereof in a letter he much laments , and wishes that as many of his books , to save them , had undergone the like ill-usage . his death was much lamented , as by all that knew his parts , and how usefull he might farther have been to gods church , had the lord been pleased to lengthen out the line of his life ; so more especially by the well-affected of that family , whereunto he had adhered ; but in a degree farre above the rest by the head thereof , mistresse katharine redich the relict of master alexander redich , deprived now of a second stay , and principal support , for spiritual helps especially , since her husbands decease ; a very tender-hearted gentlewoman , much addicted to hospitality , and of very remarkeable devotion and piety , reported by those who were inwardly acquainted with her more retired courses , to have been wont constantly to spend privately twice a day , at several set times an hour at least , in meditation and prayer mixed oft with many tears . she good soul , was so affected with his departure , and so feelingly apprehensive of her own losse thence ensuing , that albeit she survived him about , if not above some twelve years ; yet was it observed by those that conversed with her , that to her dying day , she could very seldome with dry eyes , either speak of him , or hear him spoken of by others ; that which made divers forbear speaking of him , what they well might , in her presence , for the renewing of her grief . nor was her hearty affection to him , and due esteem of him manifested in such kind of expressions alone , ( where , in even counterfeits , though not so constantly , yet can at sometimes exceed ) but it was made to appear in beneficence to her ability , and in carefull provision to her power for those he left behind him ; for what by her husband was intended , though she met with many obstructions in the pursuit of it , the state was so entangled , she at length got made good , and setled according to his desire . and for his eldest sonne , ( for he left three , whereof two yet survive , and a daughter , ) being set apart for a scholar , she maintained him at grammar-school , untill he was fitted for the university , and at the university in part also , so long as she lived . with those in general , among whom he lived , and that knew him but at a distance , he left behind him the estimation of one very studious , humble , plain , honest , loving , free , liberal , charitable and compassionate . very studious they deemed him , because they seldome saw him walking abroad without a book in his hand ; and reading usually , if alone , on it , as he walked , though he walked commonly somewhat fast , being therein farthered through the quicknesse of his eye , and the steadinesse of his hand . and for his humility , it so readily offered it self to the eye in his whole deportment , that they could not but take notice of it , reading it as written in text letters , therein , that saw ought at all in him . a plain man he was , as jacob , without welt or gard ; and a plain-dealing man , as nathaniel , without craft or guile ; free from all courtship , either for counterfeit , or complement . among the meaner sort he was the more beloved , because , though his means were but mean and scant , yet they perceived him to be of a free and liberal disposition ; and were willing therefore to work with him ordinarily before any other , because he used to give them somewhat above their hire or agreement , which few others did . his charitable mind and tender-heartednesse many waies manifested it self . it hath been known , that he hath borrowed money , when he had none about him , or by him , to relieve some that have been in want ; and to have been as carefull to repay it , as forward to part with it . while he was at chatham , some gallies that had sometime been built for service , and lay a long time after there idle , being found unusefull for our seas ; yet being then on foot , and some put into them ; he walked down one day with some company to see the manner of them : which when he had viewed , it seemed to him so dismal a sight , to see men , christian men , put to such kind of servitude , that he could not endure to behold it without tears , and having given them a little money , so left them , returning back in a very sad and pensive moode . yea , he was one of those , whom solomon speaks of , whose commiseration reacheth even to the bruit beasts , which he could not endure to see unmercifully used : and would oft say he was perswaded that men took too much liberty to themselves in killing and misusing some , even contemptible creatures , without cause . riding homeward sometime with his sonne behind him , whom he had taken out with him , the waies being bad and deep , and the beast that bare them travelling heavily and wearisomely , he took occasion thereby to enter into a discourse to the lad behind him , what hardship the poor unreasonable creature was put to , to be serviceable to us , what misery such sustained for mans sinne ; and so affectionately he spake of it , that to his sonne , whom he spake to , he seemed to weep with it . he may be thought to have had some presage of his end , approaching , before his last accesse to the city . for it is reported by his sonne now in the ministry , and treading in his fathers steps , that being very earnest in soliciting of him , that he might then go up to london with him , which since he sucked , it seems he had never seen , he willed him , not to be so desirous to see london ; for whensoever he saw london , he should see it to his cost . and to his great grief indeed he did , coming up with his mother a heavy widow , not long after his fathers departure hence , and funerall rites here performed . we shall close all , with that free and ingenuous character , which that illustrious late bishop of norwich , his old , true and loving friend ( he is pleased so to stile himself in some letters to him ) truly giveth of himself : he was , saith he , of a strong brain , and a free spirit ; not suffering himself for small differences of judgment to be alienated from his friends ; to whom notwithstanding his seeming austerity , he was very pleasing in his conversation , being full of witty and harmlesse urbanity : he vas very strong and eager in arguing , hearty in his friendship , regardless of the world , a despiser of complement , a lover of reality , full of digested learning , and excellent notions ; a painfull labourer in gods work , and now , no doubt , gloriously rewarded . this life was drawn up by my reverend , learned , and worthy friend mr. thomas gataker of rederich . the life of master richard stock , who died anno christi , . richard stock was born at york , and after he was throughly furnished with countrey learning , he went to cambridge at the age of eighteen or nineteen years , as most in those northen parts in those times used to do ; where he was admitted into st. johns colledge , and after a while was chosen scholar of the house . at this time dr. whittaker was master of st. johns ( under whom his younger brother had a sisers place ) who favoured mr. stock very much for his ingenuity , industry and proficiency in his studies . there he remained till he had taken his degree of master of arts , at which time he had had a fellowship , but that his countrey was full ; whereupon he left the colledge , and lived some space of time with sir edmund or edward cope , at cannons ashby in northamptonshire ; from whence he afterwards removed to the lady lane at burton on the water in gloucestershire , to be her chaplain . before he left the university he was designed to a fellowship in sidney colledge , then intended and beginning to be built , but having long discontinued before the building was accomplished , he had then no mind to return to the university again . but coming up to london he was chosen lecturer at austins in watling-street , after which he preached twice every lords day at mildreds bredstreet , during the life of an old man who had the charge there : whence he removed a little higher to all-hallows , where he continued preaching constantly , one mr. edmunds retaining the charge , but by reason of age and infirmities accompanying it , unable to officiate and discharge the place himself . his ministry was so gratefull and acceptable to the people , that after the death of mr. edmunds , the pastorall charge of that place was conferred upon him , which he held to his dying day . being setled there he married a wife yet surviving , by whom he had three daughters . mr. stock nor was he one of those rath-ripe wits , that promise fair in the blossome , but fail in the fruit ; that like comets , blaze brighter then the fixed starres for a time , but after a while vanish and come to naught , the matter of them being either wholly spent or dispersed . but his proceedings in publick were correspondent to his beginnings in private . when it pleased god to call him out , and to set him apart to that imployment , that he had ordained him to before , he proved a painfull and faithfull minister of jesus christ ; a skilfull and powerfull dispenser of gods word . and if any proof hereof be desired , not to insist upon his constant and incessant imployments with generall approbation and applause of those that were religious and judicious , continued for so many years ( as aforesaid ) together ; not a sabboth intermitted , wherein ( if health served ) he preached not twice , either in his own charge ( where he was most frequent ) or elsewhere abroad , besides his catechizing of the younger sort in the week dayes at certain times , and other such offices as to the pastorall function are necessarily annexed , and are privately to be performed ; wherein also he was no lesse diligent then in the execution of his publick ministry . not to insist ( i say ) upon this ( which yet were sufficient proof of it ) as the apostle saith of the corinthians , you are the seal of my apostleship , and my letters testimonial . so may it well be said of this reverend man of god , many christian souls having professed themselves to have had their first effectual calling and conversion from him ; the like whereunto few others could say at that time ; besides the multitudes of those which have acknowledged themselves to have been edified , built up , and bettered by him , are the seal of his calling , and of christ speaking in and by him , and not verball or vocall , but reall letters testimoniall of the efficacy of his ministry , through gods blessing upon the same . one saith that the apostles were like fishermen , the succeeding ministers like huntsmen . the apostles like fishermen that caught many at one draught : the succeeding ministers like huntsmen , that with much toil and clamour running up and down all day , scarce take one deer or hare e're night . and such is the hard condition of many of gods servants , that notwithstanding the faithfull and painfull discharge of their duty , yet are enforced to complain with the prophet , who hath believed our report ? and , i have laboured in vain . scarce able to produce , or instance in any one , of whom they can with some good ground of assurance presume that they have gained at least him unto god. but well might this worthy servant of christ , through gods blessing upon his labours , stand out and say , not of one or two , but of troops , in the words of the same prophet , behold i , and the children that god hath given me . and with the apostle , these have i begotten unto god by the gospel of jesus christ. yea more then that , many famous lights in gods church , and faithfull ministers of his word do professe to have lighted their candles at his lamp ; yea some of them to have received their first beginnings , not of light only , but of spiritual life and grace ( without which all light , be it never so great , is no light , but meer darknesse ) from his ministry . it 's no small honour for a man to win , if it were but any one soul ( he hath saved a soul , saith st. james , as a matter worthy the glorying in . ) for to win a soul , is to win more then the whole world besides is worth . but what an honour then is it to be , not a winner of a soul , but a winner of such as prove winners of souls ; and so by winning of some one immediatly , to be a mediate winner of many others by him ? they shall shine ( saith he ) as the heavens , that instruct ; and they that convert others as the starres . and how gloriously then ( suppose we ) doth this blessed man of god shine now in the kingdom of god , that was an instructer of those that are instructers of others , that was a converter of those that are converters of others themselves ! many then did this worthy man ( as the holy ghost saith of john the baptist ) win unto god. many he won , though all he could not , that was more then the apostle paul was able to do . the jews opposed themselves against his ministry , and blasphemed , act. . . and thes. . . all men ( saith he ) have not faith ; but yet many he won , and his desire and endeavour ( with the same apostle ) was to win all , his own flock especially , of whom he used to protest , that it was more comfort to him to win one of them then twenty others . but some refractory spirits ( as what minister doth not ? ) he met withall , that would not be reclaimed ; that by their crosse-grain carriage and behaviour , were as thornes in his eyes , and as goads in his sides , and proved a vexation of heart to this faithfull servant of christ. but against such persons , not only the dust of the ministers feet , but the sweat of his brows , and the tears of his eyes , and his strength wasted amongst them , and his spirits spent upon them , shall one day rise up in judgment against them , to make their doom the heavier , if it be not prevented by speedy and unfeigned repentance . but because a man may win others , and yet lose himself , he may save others , and yet not save himself ; they may beget life in others that have none themselves . the word may work by a man , and yet not work in him . he may be like a stone-gutter ( saith st. austin ) or a leaden pipe , that conveyeth water into a garden , yet receives no benefit thereby it self . or like the hand on the high-way that pointeth others the way , but never walks therein it self . or like an harp ( saith the heathen ) that maketh others melody , or a trumpet that sounds loud , but heareth nothing it self . or like to the water in baptism ( saith gregory ) that helps men to heaven-ward , but afterwards is poured down the sink it self . he may preach to others , and not preach to himself . he may convert others , and yet himself prove a castaway . though yet indeed it 's seldome seen , that much good is done where a due consent is wanting between tongue and hand , between lip and life . it was far otherwise with this reverend man of god ; he was none of those that say and do not ; but as he taught so he wrought ; his doctrine and practice concurred , and went hand in hand together . his actions were , though silent , yet reall and effectual sermons of that which he preached in the pulpit . the course of his life was uniform with the tenour of his teaching ; and both joyning and concentring in one , were a means to draw on many ; who by the one alone probably had not been so easily won to christ. in a word , for his teaching , many that were his constant hearers , have given him a large testimony ; and they that knew his conversation have done the like for his life . he was not a flash , one of those which shew all in a sermon , or that spend all upon one curious good work that they mind to make their master-piece . but both in his life and teaching he held on such a constant tenour , that the more men , especially such as were wise and judicious , were acquainted with either , the more they reverenced and esteemed him for both . there are two things ( saith one ) that make a compleat man , integrity and judgment ; the one whereof is but lame and maimed without the other ; and yet in few they use to meet together ; yet there was an happy conjunction of them both in this worthy man. one sign whereof will appear by the frequent practice of many who made use of him for to be an overseer of their last wills , and craved his assistance by way of direction for the disposall of their outward estates ( and all know how cautious men use to be in that kind . ) another testimony of it was by those reverend brethren of the ministry , as well as others , who either by letters or otherwise , out of all parts of this realm , did usually seek to him , as to one more then ordinarily able to give them satisfaction for the resolution of their doubts . these two then made him a compleat man ; but there is something more required to make a compleat minister , viz. that he be able to speak his mind fitly ( for what use can there be of a mute messenger ) and that he dare do it freely ( for of whom is courage and freedom of speech more required then of gods messengers ? ) nor was mr. stock defective in either . for as for the former , how well able he was , not to expresse only , but to urge and presse too ; not to confirm alone , but to commend also that that he delivered with clear method , sound proof , choice words , fit phrases , pregnant similitudes , plentifull illustrations , pithy perswasions , sweet insinuations , powerfull enforcements , allegations of antiquity , and variety of good literature ; that both the learnedest might receive satisfaction from him , and the very meanest and dullest might also reap benefit by him , and so as might well leave a deep impression in the hearts and minds of the hearers , they cannot be ignorant , that for any space of time heard him . in a word , in this kind he was such an one as many strove to imitate , but few attained to equalize him . again , because it is in vain to be able to speak to good purpose , if a man dare not use his tongue : if ( as one said of the eretrians ) he belike the sword-fish , that hath a sword in his head , but no heart in his body : or like a cowardly companion , that carries a weapon to ruffle with , but dares not draw or make use of it , though just occasion be offered . for his freedom of speech therefore in reproving of sin , and that even to the faces of the greatest , whether in publick or private , when occasion 〈◊〉 ; many even now living are able to testifie , and some accidents made it more publickly known , then his desire was that it should have been . he was very zealous and earnest for the reformation of some proph●nations of the sabbath . wherein he prevailed also for the alteration of something offensive in that kind , as well with the main body of the city , as with some particular societies ; as for their meetings upon st. thomas day . he perswaded also some of the companies to put off their solemn festivals from mundaies to tuesdaies , that so the lords day might not be prophaned by their preparations for those feasts . his prudence also appeared in his order of catechizing the young persons of his parish ; by examining them apart , the youths on one day , and the maids on another . the riper and forwarder first in the presence of the ruder and rawer , and the ruder and rawer apart by themselves , when the former were departed , that so they might reap what fruit they could by hearing the others , and yet might receive no discouragement by being heard of them . neither was his pious diligence and care lesse seen in the religious instruction and education of those that were under his private charge , as children and servants , for whom his care was greater to provide for their souls then their bodies , for their spirituall then for their temporall estate ( yet not neglecting that neither ) by bringing them up in the nurture and fear of the lord. in a word , time and speech would sooner fail then matter , if i should proceed to write of all the gifts , graces and praise-worthy qualities of this eminent servant of christ. in his publick ministry his usuall manner was upon occasion to quote the sayings of many of the fathers , which some taking exceptions at , he thus apologized for himself , if any ( saith he ) take exceptions at my alledging of fathers ( as some have taken offence at my using of reasons to confirm the doctrine , but with very little reason as i suppose ) i must pray them , to give me leave to use them , till i can see that unlawfulnesse which they affirm to be in the practice , and to censure me in charity for the use of them , as i do them for not using them . i will look as well to my heart in the use of them , as god shall enable me ; and when i shall see the hurt of them , i will endeavour as much to avoid them . in the mean time i will make as much use as i can of them , to edifie the church of god. in his younger dayes being called to preach at pauls crosse , he dealt somewhat plainly and freely in taxing some abuses in the city in unequall ratings , whereby the meaner sort were overburthened , whilest the rich and great ones escaped with more ease . this was ill taken by many of them , who checked him as over-rash for dealing in such matters , calling him a green-head : but in his latter daies being called to preach at the lord maiors election , he fell again upon the same subject , and told them a gray-head spake now what a green-head had done formerly . but to draw to an end together with his end ; the end of his labours , but the beginning of his rest ; the end of his work , but the receit of his reward . in the aformentioned and such like imployments , publick and private , he spent his time : he spent his strength like a torch or taper , wasting and consuming himself for the profit and benefit of others , having his work with god then , and his reward for it from god afterwards . and for these imployments sake was it principally , that he desired recovery of health and strength : unto the performance whereof also ( though therein injurious to himself , and contrary to his own desires ) he oft strained himself , and that in the midst of his infirmity and weaknesse , not to uncertain hazard only , but to evident impreaching and impairing of either . what is the sign ( saith hezekias , when he promised recovery ) that i shall go up to the house of the lord ? as desiring continuance of life , and recovery of health for no one end more then that . and therefore also was it that this worthy man was desirous of recovery , that he might repair to gods house again , and that he might return to gods work again . to which purpose the very last lords day before his disease , having after many relapses recovered a little strength , he made shift to get out to a neighbour congregation , there to joyn with gods people in publick performance of such solemn service of god , as that day is usually spent and imployed in . and having held out with them to the end in both parts of the day , he rejoyced much therein that he was able so to do , the rather because he thereby conceived some good hope , that he should be strong enough ere long to return to his wonted work and imployment again . but the lord saw it better ( for his will appears by his work ) to put an end to his incessant labours here , and to transhate him to the place of his endlesse rest elsewhere , and that upon the twentieth day of april , anno christi . having been preacher at all-hallows bredstreet during the spence of thirty two years , where he was an exmple to his people in word , in inconversation , in charity , in spirit , in faith , in purity . but as one saith , an exact face is seldom drawn but with much disadvantage ; so neither is his character ; so that we may well say as one doth of basil , there wanted but his own tongue to commend him with . the life of master richard rothwel , who died anno christi , . richard rothwel was born in lancashire , at , or near bolton in the moors , about the year of our lord , . after he took the ministry upon him , and god gave him another heart , he disposed his temporal estate amongst his friends , and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 , cor. . . . he lived of the gospel . his education was in the schools , and afterward in cambridge ; in the one he attained to an exact knowledge of the tongues , ( especially greek and hebrew , wherein he was a critick ) and in the other of the arts , so that he became a skil-linguist , subtil disputant , copious orator , and of a deep insight into any kind of knowledge , humane or divine . in this first course of his studies appeared presently to his observers , the buds and blossomes of that fame which after he attained ; for he had a prompt wit , a quick apprehension , a clear understanding , a sound judgement , a ready speech , and a strong memory . all these seldome meet in one man , but did in him very eminently , and were improved by diligent study , which ( out of a desire of learning and knowledge ) he continued to his last without wearinesse . his constitution of body , and moral endowments of minde , were great props and supporters to his intellectual habits , gratior est virtus veniens è corpore pulchro . this is not the ordinary lot of scholars ; he was tall , well set , of great strength of body and activity , of a stern countenance , of invincible courage , of approved valour , and of a very goodly and majestick presence : grief nor any misery could ever break him , but joy would presently melt him into tears . he was of a generous spirit and deportment , yet withall very humble and courteous ; his language was sententious and proverbial . i have heard many others say , what i must needs my self , nunquam illi accedo quin doctior evadam ; i never came to him , but i went the learneder from him . he had a great dexterity in communicating his mind to another , and speaking to his understanding , god gave him a great inlet into the hearts of men . after many years spent in the university , he betook himself to the ministry , and was ordained presbyter by doctor whitgift then archbishop of canterbury , who forbade him medling with interpretation of moses types , the book of canticles , daniel , and the revelation . which then he thought himself , as the bishop did , were not so useful for him to study as some other scriptures . but alas ! all these natural dispositions , intellectual habits , personal deportments were but as so many weapons in the hands of a mad man : judge how able by these to resist the truth ; for he remained some years without any change of heart , or sensible work of grace upon his soul , but preached learnedly as they called it , and lived vainly ; abhorring debauchery , and debauched companions , through the height of his spirit , but gave himself to hunting , bowling , shooting , more the● became a minister of the gospel ; and sometimes he would swear faith and troth , and in his passion greater blasphemies . i have heard him tell that there were two knights in lancashire fallen out , and great fewd betwixt them ; that the one had a very good park with store of deer ; that the other had excellent good fish-ponds , and store of fish : he robbed the park of the one , and presented what he got to the other ; and the fish-ponds of the other , and presented the fish to his adversary ; thus he pleased himself in the daies of his vanity , with such kind of follies . in doing this one night , the keeper met with him , his dog having killed a buck ; at the fall of the buck the keeper came in with his fauchion and staff , and met master rothwel who had a staff also ; they fell from words to blows ; he got the keeper down , bound him by the thumbs , and drew him up to his full height , that he could but touch the ground with his toes , and so left him tied to a tree till next morning , when others found him and loosed him . at length god pleased , who separated him from his mothers womb , as he did paul , and called him by his grace to reveal his son in him . which because it was famous , and he himself afterwards proved the means of the conversion of so many , i shall set it down as i remember i have heard him speak it . he was playing at bowles amongest some papists and vain gentlemen , upon a saturday , somewhere about rachdale in lancashire ; there comes into the green to him one master midgley , a grave and godly minister of rachdale , whose praise is great in the gospel , though far inferiour to master rothwel in parts and learning ; he took him aside and fell into a large commendation of him , at length told him what pity it was , that such a man as he should be a companion for papists , and that upon a saturday , when he should be preparing for the sabbath-day . master rothwel sleighted his words , and checked him for his medling . the good old man left him , went home and prayed privately for him ; master rothwel when he was retired from that company , could not rest , master midglys words struck so deep in his thoughts ; the next day he went to rachdale church to hear master midgley , where it pleased god to blesse that ordinance so , as master rothwel was by that sermon brought home to christ. he came after sermon to master midgley , thanked him for his reproof , and besought his direction and prayers , for he was in a miserable condition of nature ; and under the spirit of bondage he lay for a time , till afterwards , and by master midgleys hands also he received the spirit of adoption , wherewith he was so sealed , that he never lost his assurance to his dying day . though he was a man subject to many temptations , the devil assaulting him very much , yet god was mightily with him , that out of his own experience he was able to comfort many . he esteemed and counted master midgley ever afterward for his spiritual father . this makes me think upon augustines speech to god , when he came to hear ambrose preach : non ut doctorem veni ( but upon another account ) ad eum ; per te ducebar nescius , ut ad te per eum sciens ducerer . so did the lord by master midgleys plain kind of teaching , put forth the evidence of his spirit upon this mighty and learned rabbi . whether it was before or after this his convesion that he went a souldier , and chaplain to a regiment under the earl of essex into ireland , i know not ; but there he was , and did very great things . and certainly his wisdome and courage were so eminent in him , that there were few of his calling his equals , i think none at all his superiours . he now becomes another man , forsakes all his wonted courses and companions , preacheth in another manner then formerly , opens the depths of satan , and deceitfulnesse of the heart , so as he was called the rough hewer . he had the power of god that went with his ministry , when he preached the law to make men tremble , yea sometimes to cry out in the church : and when he preached the gospel , he was another barnabas , and had great skill in comforting afflicted consciences . he studied now the point of non-conformity , which was as the joynts in ahabs armour , through which the prelates hit , and deprived so many godly and able ministers in those times . in these controversies he was so well versed , that he satisfied many , and silenced any that disputed with him . he was so fixed in his judgment , that he would never either marry , ( expecting daily persecution ; and the word he used in all his books , was persecutio pignus futurae felicitatis ; ) nor take any benefice , ( though divers great livings were proffered him ) because he would still say , my head is too big to get into a church-door . but he betook himself first to a chappel in lancashire , as a lecturer , and afterward ( to decline the storm of the prelates ) to be a domestick chaplain to the earl of devonshire , and at ●hat time i first knew him , and came ( i blesse god ) acquainted with him . there now ran nothing more in his mind , but why the bishop should forbid him preaching upon those scriptures before mentioned ; and he began to conceive that there was sure something there , could he find it , which would mightily batter bown their hierarchy ; he prayed therefore much to god , ( wherein he was mighty ) and studied them , and god opened those mysterious passages of his book to him more then to other men , that he seldom preached abroad out of any other scriptures , and did write an exact commentary upon moses types , which he unveiled with very much profit and delight to the reader ; but that book is lost to the great losse of gods church thereby . learned and godly master cotton enquired of me whether that or any thing else might not be found amongst his papers after his death i told him there was little found , but what was in characters . he prayed me to send him what i could gather , to boston , where men were that were expert in characters . i did so , but i believe they could make nothing of them . that and some other of his learned and judicious labours he hath lent out , i suppose , and i fear they will not be recovered . learned men that have seen them , judge them a rare treasure . he had some contests with the prelates , especially with bishop neal then of litchfield , afterwards of durham ; in the which the bishop , i dare say , was more afraid of him , then he was of the bishop : but i forbear that story . at length he came to spend most part of his time in the bishoprick of durham , by means of an honourable and elect lady , the lady bowes , afterwards the lady darcy in the north. of whom it was truly preached at her funeral , ( alas , that it was at her funeral ) wheresoever this gospel shall be preached in the whole world , there shall also this , that this woman hath done , be told for a memorial of her . she gave about one thousand pounds per annum , to maintain preachers where there were none , nor any means for them , and all her preachers were silenced men by reason of non-conformity : such as master baynes , master dike , &c. she would lay out all her interest to get them their liberty , and then she would dispose of them , where there needed in the north , or in the peak in darbyshire , or other places , and allow them pensions ; o! that god would raise out of the ashes of this phoenix some more such mothers in israel . sir william bowes her husband dying , his funerals were kept at bernards-castle , where he had some honour : master dike ( father of the writers of that name ) was then her houshold chaplain , and went into the north to that funeral ; at his return he represented the state of the people destitute of a minister to my lady , who would have sent him thither ; but he told her he durst not venture on so surly a people , but commended master rothwel to her . she sent to him , then at the earl of devonshires house , and proffered him this employment ; his answer was , he would go thither , and if the people called him , he would then accept of her motion . at his first dayes labour , they all desired him , he returned to the lady , and told her he would go ; she replyed , though for their sakes she was glad , yet she was afraid to send him ; understanding that they were of a fierce disposition , and having never heard the gospel , might deal unkindly with him ; he answered , madam , if i thought i should never meet the devil there , i would never come there ; he and i have been at odds in other places , and i hope we shall not agree there . he desired to have me with him , and with much ado prevailed ; and so ( i blesse god ) he not only fitted me for the university , but was a means to bring me to the first saving knowledg of christ ; i remember , and shall do ever , the first sermon and point which god blessed to my soul for that purpose . i was about eight years his bed-fellow and eye witnesse of the great success he had in his ministry there , and over all the countrey , where he was worthily called , the apostle of the north. the lady allowed him fourty pounds per annum , and such as god wrought upon by his ministry contributed to him , but he would not have a penny from any other . there was once in his absence collected . li. by sir talbot bowes , that lived there , from the people ; but when he returned and knew it , he caused it to be restored to the parties , that gave it , and told them , he sought them , not theirs . at his first entrance he had great opposition , and sometimes was way-laid to take away his life ; but he overcame all that with his patience and courage , and at length his greatest enemies were afraid of him ; and few sermons , but it was believed , he gained some souls . his manner was to spend the forenoon at his studies , and the afternoon in going through his parish , and conferring with his people ; in which , as he excelled , so he gained much upon them ; and within four years had so many judicious and experimental christians , that they came from london , york , richmond , new-castle , and many other places , to see the order of his congregation : and many lewd gentlemen came oft , ten or twelve miles to hear him , to carp and get somewhat to accuse him : many of which god took hold on , and they returned , some convinced , and some converted . neal ( the said prelate of durham ) bestirred himself , and outed many worthy men , and endeavoured his removal . once he sent three pursivants to apprehend him , and promised them one hundred pounds , if they brought him . he was then out of town , and had notice by me of their purpose ; a gentleman being with him , one master israel fielding , a true israelite , desired him to go with him to his house , within a quarter of a mile of bernards castle , which was out of the bishops jurisdiction : to whom he answered , i had thought you had been my friend : what is the devils greatest name ? i answered belzebub . and what ( saith he ) is belzebub ? the master of a flie : and if he be but so , what are these ? midges * : i will go therefore to my people , and let the devil do his worst . so he came and sent to the pursivants to come to him , when they came , he took his sword in his hand , ( which he alwaies rid with ) and bad them keep their distance and not come too near him , but if they would do their errand , let them come , for there was his supersedeas . god strook them amort , they had no spirit left in them to medle with him . he bad them go to their lord , and tell him , if he had any thing to say to him , he would meet him on bernards castle bridge , ( which parteth the shires ) and if he could pull him over to him , let him take him : but , ( saith he ) do you serve a better master , else he that sets you on work will pay you your wages ; and so he left them . not long after , i went to the university , and after eight years continuance there , came over into england upon some opportunities , and stayed about half a year , ere i returned . when i came to mansfield in nottinghamshire , i found him there their minister , and sick unto the death ; at my coming he revived , and in the strength of that joy so far recovered , that within a week he went about the town with me to divers places ; but relapsed , and engaged me to preach for him once the next sabbath following , and in the afternoon at mansfield woodhouse , within half a mile of mansfield . on friday we looked for no life from him , he was almost past his understanding ; there came a drunken vicar of mansfield , one master brittaine to see him , and desired him now , that he was not like to live , to tell him what he thought of the ceremonies , he knew he was learned , and therefore would be glad to be informed by him . master rothwel either understood not , or minded not what he said , but answered sometimes yea , sometimes no , as he apprehended . master brittain went away telling him he was satisfied , and reported in divers ale-houses , and amongst his companions , that master rothwel recanted his judgment of non-conformity . when he was gone , i desired the company to stay , the chamber being full , and i asked master rothwel if he knew who had been with him , and what he said to him ? he answered , no : i told him it was master brittaine , and that he reported he had recanted his judgment . he answered , if i should do so , i were in a most miserable condition . no , ( saith he ) i have written a treatise , and called the ceremonies dulcissima . and why ? ( said i ) peradventure because as in the itch , scratching pleaseth , but draweth blood : at that he laughed , i asked him if i should send for master brittaine , and that he would declare his mind to him ; he answered , no : if he come i shall prove him to be a very knave ; but he desired me to go to him , and let him know his mind , which i did , and took some understanding gentlemen with me , that were present , and so ( i thank god , ) cleared master rothwel , both to master brittaine , and afterwards to all the congregation publickly , from that wicked aspersion . the next day [ saturday ] he had some lightning , and sate up in his chair , and discoursed freely , cheerfully and heavenly all that and the next day ; some sent to enquire on the sabbath how he did , he answered , i am well , and shall be well shortly ; and whispering with me , said , do you know my meaning ? i shall be with christ ere long , but do not tell them so . he caused me to repeat my sermon preached in the forenoon for him , after which , with tears in his eyes he laid his hands on my head , and lifted up his eyes to heaven , and with a short prayer blessed me : then he bad me go to preach at mansfield woodhouse , and tarry there all night , ( for he had promised it to one master dand there , ) but to be sure to come when he sent for me . this he did next morning about six a clock , when i came i found him in pangs of death , he had known nor spoken to any of an hour before : the chamber was full , and one was praying for him ; after prayer , i spake to him , he turned about his head , took me by the hand , and bade me pray , pray ; i desired a reverend minister to go to prayer again ; master rothwel said , pray you , pray you ; i did so : after that he smiled , now ( saies he ) i am well : happy is he that hath not bowed a knee to baal ; he bad us sing psal. . he sung a while , but in the singing of the psalm he died , anno domini . and in the year of his age . thus have i given you as true an account as i could of this famous champion of christ , who notwithstanding his non-conformity , may be called with austin , haereticorum malleus , the hammer of hereticks , and with ambrose , orbis terrarum ( anglicarum ) oculus . the eye as bright as any other in the english orbe . two things ( amongst many others ) i think worthy the inserting into his life , which have been omitted in the fore-going story . the one is a strange sicknesse and recovery he had once at bernards castle . his sicknesse was a vertigo capitis , he would have fourty fits at least in an hour , and every one of them accompanied with mischievous temptations , which when the fit was over , he dictated , and i writ down ; these held him about three weeks , in which time he had the advice of learned physicians from london , york , new-castle , durham , and other places , they all jumped in their judgments , imputing it to much study , fasting , and inward trouble of spirit ; their prescriptions wrought kindly , but removed not his disease ; he desired divers christians to pray for him on a day prefixed , and promised to joyn with them as well as he could , with some others that should be with him , assuring them , that he was confident that disease would not he removed but by prayer and fasting . the morning of that day he had a fit continued four hours together upon him , and the devil set upon him all that while , with most dreadfull temptations , telling him he would make him the scorn of religion , and every man should reproach it for his sake , that had before by his means looked towards it : that he should never preach more , but should blaspheme the name of god he had preached , with many like suggestions : god gave him courage , comfort and victory over them all . the devil told him if he did fast and pray that day , he would torment and hinder him , &c. we met at the time appointed , and master rothwel would needs have me to perform the duty , which through gods goodnesse i did , and the devil was not permitted to hinder or interrupt him or us , and god heard our prayers , so that he had never a fit after that ; and the sabbath-seven night following he preached , but after many wrestlings with satan , who told him he would make him mad , and before all the people in the pulpit make him a scorn if he did adventure to preach ; neverthelesse his faith in christ overcame his fear of satan , and he preached with great assistance and comfort upon that text , psal. . . i will walk before the lord in the land of the living . neverthelesse that sicknesse did so weaken his brain , that ever after he was enclining to some infirmities , which love must cover . the other is a relation which i had from himself , and from divers others to whom the story was known , that are yet alive . as well as i can recollect it , it is thus ; there was one john fox living about nottingham , who had no more learning then enabled him to write and read : this man was possessed with a devil , who would violently throw him down , and take away the use of every member of his body , which was turned as black as pitch in those fits , and then spake with an audible voice in him , which seemed sometimes to be heard out of his belly , sometimes out of his throat , and sometimes out of his mouth , his lips not moving . he lay thus ( if i mistake not ) some years : many prayers were put up to god for him , and great resort , especially of godly ministers , to him : amongst the rest master bernard of batcomb , then of worksop ; and master langley of truswel , betwixt whom and john fox , i have seen divers passages in writing , he relating by pen his temptations , and they giving answers when he was stricken dumb . as master rothwel was riding to see him , the devil told all that were in the house , yonder comes rothwel : but i will make a fool of him before he goes . the people looked forth , and saw him coming a-about a quarter of a mile from the house . as soon as he entered the room , the devil said , now rothwel is come : and as some say spake thus . rothwel , thou sayest there is no possession , what thinkest thou now ? here is a man opens not his lips , and yet he speaketh ? and after a while he further said : devil : say nothing to me of this man , for i tell thee he is damned ; and he added thereto many fearfull blasphemies . rothwel : thou art a lyer , and the father of lies ; nor art thou so well acquainted with the mind of god concerning this man , which makes thee thus to torment him ; therefore i believe thee not , i believe he shall be saved by jesus christ. devil : he is a murtherer , and thou knowest no murtherer must come into heaven . rothwel : thou liest again , for david murdered , and is in heaven ; and the jews with wicked hands crucified the lord of glory , yet both christ prayed for them , and peter exhorts them to repentance , that their sins may be blotted out . devil : but this man hath not , cannot , shall not repent . rothwel : if he had not , thou wouldst not have told him so ; but if he have not , i believe god will give him repentance , and thou shalt not be able to hinder it . devil : thou art a murtherer thy self , and yet talkest thou thus ? rothwel : thou liest again , i have fought the lords battels against his known enemies , the idolatrous and bloody papists in ireland ▪ rebels to the queen my sovereign , by whose authority i bore armes against them ; otherwise i have killed no man. devil : ( swore and blasphemed ) thou didst murther one this day , as thou camest hither , and there is one behind thee will justifie it . rothwel looked over his shoulder , and with that the devil set up a hideous laughter , that nothing could be heard for a great while , and then said : devil : look you now , did not i tell you i would make rothwel a fool ? and yet it is true , thou didst murther one this day ; for as thou camest over the bridge ( which he named ) there i would have killed thee , and there thy horse trod upon a slie and killed it . master rothwels horse you must know stumbled there , it seems the devil had power to cause it , but without hurt either to master rothwel or his horse . rothwel : thou hast oft beguiled me , i hope god will in time give me wisdome to discern , and power to withstand all thy delusions ; and he it is that hath delivered me out of thy hands , and will i doubt not also deliever this poor man. the devil blasphemed fearfully , quoted many scriptures out of the old and new testament , both in hebrew and in greek , cavilled and played the critick , and backed his allegations with sayings out of the fathers and poets in their own language , which he readily quoted , so that the company trembled to hear such things from one that understood no learning , and that moved neither tongue nor lip . master bothwel was mightily enabled by god to detect the devils sophistry . devil : what stand i talking with thee ? all men know thou art bold rothwel , and fearest no body , nor carest for words , therefore i will talk to thee no more , ( that name he carried to his grave ; they would say , that is he the devil called bold rothwel . ) rothwel ( turning to the people ) said , good people , you see the goodnesse of our god , and his great power ; though the devil made a fool of me now , through my weaknesse , god hath made the devil dumb now ; do you see how he lyeth ? therefore let us go to prayer ; that god who hath made him dumb , will ( i doubt not ) drive him out of this poor man. devil raged , blasphemed , and said , and wilt thou go to prayer ? if thou do , i will make such a noise , that thy prayer shall be distracted , and thou knowest god will not hear a distracted prayer : but thou hast got a device , because thou wilt not be distracted with thy eyes in prayer , thou winkest ( so he alwaies did , ) but if thou pray , i will pull out thy eyes . rothwel : i look to find thee as great an enemy in this duty now , as i have done heretofore , but i fear not thy threat , i know thou art limitted ; god heareth the prayers of the upright , hath promised to give his spirit to supply infirmities , therefore in confidence of his promise , and powerfull assistance of his spirit , and in the name and intercession of his son jesus christ we will go to prayer . they did so , mr. rothwel kneeled by the bed on which the poor man lay ; the devil for a quarter of an hour together , or more , made a horrid noise ; neverthelesse master rothwels voice was louder then the devils . after a while the devil roared at master rothwels face ( this was the first motion of any part of the mans body ) master rothwel opened his eyes , met , and brought down the hand , which he held with great ease , two men being scarce able to hold the other hand : prayer was still continued ; at length the devil lay silent in the man , and after that departed from him . the man fetcht divers deep sighs , insomuch as they thought he had been expiring , but his colour returned to him , and the use of all his members , senses , and understanding ; and at the next petition , he said ( to the glory of god , and amazement , but comfort of all the company , ) amen : and so continued to repeat his amen to every petition : prayer was now turned into thansgiving , and so concluded . after prayer , john fox said , good master rothwel , leave me not , i shall not live long ; for the devil tels me he will choak me with the first bit of meat that i eat . master rothwel answered , wilt thou beleeve the devil that seeks thy destruction , before thou wil● trust in god through jesus christ , that seeks thy salvation ? hath not god by his almighty power dispossed him ? had he had his will , thou hadst been in hell before now ; but he is a lier , and as he is not able to hinder thy souls life , so neither shall he be able to destroy the life of thy body . wherefore get me something ready ( saith he ) for him , and i will see him eat before i go , and will crave a blessing upon it . when it was brought , eat saith master rothwel , and fear not the devil , shewing him that he might do it in faith of that ordinance by which god appoints meat for means to preserve life , and urged that place of jairus daughter restored to life : he commanded to give her meat , luk. . . with much ado , and in great trembling at last , them an took , and eat it . look , ( saies master rothwel ) you all see the devil is a lier , the first bit hath not choaked him , nor shall the rest . master rothwel left him , after which he was stricken dumb for three years together . i had a book written with his own hand , of the temptations the devil haunted him with afterwards , and the answers divers godly and reverend ministers gave to those temptations : but the cavaliers got them , and all my books and writings . thus the poor man remained tempted , but no longer possessed ; at length by prayer also ( which was instantly put up to god for him , every sabbath and lecture day , in many places , ) the lord opened his mouth , and restored his speech to him : one using this petition , lord open thou his mouth that his lips may shew forth thy praise . he answered in the congregation , amen : and so continued to speak , and spake graciously to his dying day . this life was drawn up by my reverend friend master stanly gower of dorchester . dr. preston . the life of doctor preston , who died anno christi , . iohn preston , the son of thomas and alice preston , was born at heyford in northamptonshire , a town divided by a little river into the upper and lower heyfords , and is in maps oft written in the plural number ; it is a rectory , and hath a fair church in the lower heyfords , but yet stands in divers parishes . that farme wherein master thomas preston lived , is in bugbrook parish , where they buried and baptized , where we find that john the sonne of thomas preston was baptized , octob. . . but was descended from that family of the prestons , that lived at preston in lancashire , from whence his great grandfather removed , upon occasion of a fatall quarrel with one master bradshaw , a neighbour gentleman , whom in his own defence he slew , and satisfied the law , and was acquitted for it ; but not the kindred , who waited an opportunity to be revenged , as the manner in those northern countries then was . it fell out not long after , that master bradshaws next brother meets master preston , near to the place where he had slain his brother , and told him he should do as much for him , or he would revenge his brothers blood . master preston told him he had slain his brother against his will , and in his own defence : that he bare no evil will unto them ; desired him he would forbear , but when no thing would prevail , they fought , and bradshaw fell again . but master preston , was troubled and grieved at it , for he saw a fire was kindled that would not easily be quenched , and therefore resolved that he would leave that fatall and unlucky countrey , though he was a gentleman of a very fair estate ; and walking one day pensive in westminster-hall , one master morgan of heyford , with whom he was acquainted , came unto him , and asked why he was so sad ? to whom for answer , he relates the former story . master morgan knowing him to be a gallant man , was very sensible of his estate , and told him if he would go with him to heyford , he should have a good farm to live in for the present , and what accommodation he could afford him . master preston thanked him , and after some consideration of the matter , resolved to take his offer , and so master preston of preston in lancashire , became a kind of farmer in northamptonshire , where he afterwards lived and died , and his son succeeded him , and so it came to thomas preston , as we have said . his mothers name before she married , was marsh , but she had an uncle by the mothers side , whose name was craswel , a man of means and good esteem in northampton where he lived , and where he had been several times maior . this uncle being rich , and having no child , was very carefull of her , and took this sonne whilest he was young unto himself , and sent him to the free-school in northampton , where he was a scholar under the government of master sanderson , then master of the school , and after under master wastel , who succeeded him ; and when he had been there some time , his uncle was perswaded to remove him into bedfordshire , unto one master guest , who had sometime taught a private school in northampton , and was accounted a better teacher of the greek tongue , from whence after he had perfected his studies in the greek , he was sent to cambridge , and admitted of kings colledge , under the tuition of master busse , one of the fellows , anno dom. . where he did , as young scholars use to do , that is , applied himself to that which was the genius of the colledge , and that was musick ; and finding that the theory was short and soon attained , he made account the practice would also be so ; and accordingly adventured on the noblest but hardest instrument , the lute , but here he found that art was long , and was not willing to attend it ; he used to say within himself , while he was fingering of his instrument , quantum hoc tempore legi potuit : and whilest his fingers were thus distempered and foundred upon the lute , it fell out that his tutor , master busse , was chosen master of the school at eaton , and so removed from the colledge about two years after he was admitted . coming not from eaten school , but from another , he could not be of the foundation , and was therefore uncapable of those preferments in the colledge that were of most worth , and the sooner perswaded also for to remove , which he did unto queens colledge , where he was received and admitted under the tuition of master oliver bowles , one of the fellows of that house , a very godly learned man , and a noted and carefull tutor , under whose government he setled to his book and left his musick , and by whose conduct and directions he grew in knowledge , and was improved unto very thriving and undertakings in his studies . it is not nothing to be well descended , fortes creantur fortibus & bonis , sheep and neat bred in lancashire , or on the peak-hils , and after driven into northamptonshire , and planted there , produce a very gallant race . these prestons though removed from their native soil , and much impaired in their revenue , retained yet the garb and mettal of their ancestors , they carried themselves and were accounted gentlemen ; something there was in this young prestons spirit that was not vulgar , i have seen in a book of his , under his own hand , when he was young , such sparklings of aspiring ingenuity , as argued in him something that was not common . he was as yet but junier sophister , but looked high , and grew acquainted with those that were gentile , and fancied state-affairs and courtship , that had desires or dispositions to be secretaries or agents in princes courts ; thought it below him to be a minister , and the study of divinity , a kind of honest siliness , and accordingly got in with a merchant , by whose means he did procure that he should live in paris , and learn the language and garb of france ; and another gentleman in recompence , should be received and entertained in london , to learn our garb and language . master creswel of northampton was by this time dead , and had bequeathed certain lands in that town to him after his wives decease ; these lands he sels to put himself into a posture fit for that design ; but here he now began to find that he had reckoned without his host , and that he should have said , if the lord will i shall live and do this or that , jam. . . for the merchant dies before the exchange could be accomplished , and so these blooming hopes , that had thus long held up his imagination died with the merchant . he was of an able , firm , well-tempered constitution , brown , comely visage , vigorous and vivide eye , but somewhat inclining to that kind of melancholly , that ariseth from a dust and parched choler , which now began a little to be discovered in him . for being mated in his first design , he grew discouraged , went not so much abroad among the gallants , but struck sail to fortune and retired ; yet his appetite was rather dammed then dried up ; for after a very little pause and boyling over of his sullennesse , he begins to steer again the same course , although by more certain and domestick mediums , and if he must be shut up and confined to the muses , resolves to be no ordinary servant to them ; his genius led him unto natural philosophy , which by that time was become his proper task ; which he undertakes , not as boyes use to do , to serve their present use , but with devotion , resolves to leave no secret unattempted ; adoreth aristotle as his tutelary saint , and had a happinesse to enter often where others stuck , and what broke others teeth , was nuts to him , no dark untrodden path in all his physicks or metaphysicks , but he was perfect in it ; and so drowned and devoted was he , that he seldom or never could be seen abroad , to the wonder and amazement of his former brave companions , so that no time passed , sine linea ; not that between the ringing and tolling of the bell to meals ; and for his sleep he made it short ; and whereas notwithstanding all endeavours , there was one in the colledge that would alwaies be up before him , he would let the bed-cloths hang down , so that in the night they might fall off , and so the cold awaken him ; insomuch that his tutor was constrained to read unto him moderation , and to tell him , as their might be intemperance in meats and drinks , so also there might be in studies ; but the evil of it as yet he felt not , the sweet and good he did , came off with honour and applause in all his acts , and was admired in the regent house when he sate for his degree , both by the posers and all the masters that examined him , and from that time much observed throughout the university . about this time his tutor [ master bowles , ] was called to the rectory of sutton in bedfordshire , and so left the coledge , and another of the fellows , then master , ( afterward ) doctor porter became his tutor , a very learned man and great philosopher , who never went about for to disswade him from his studies , but gave him all assistance and encouragement . the year following it came unto his tutor to be head-lecturer in the colledge , and sir preston being to probleme in the chappel , made such an accurate and strong position , and answered so understandingly , that his tutor borrowed his position of him , when he had done , to look on and peruse ; and finding it elaborate , resolved to make more use of it , then ever his pupil did intend . the master of the colledge at that time was doctor tyndal , who was also dean of ely , and resided for the most part there ; thither his tutor goes , and carries his position with him , which he sh●wed it to the master , and acquainted him with what he had observed , that he was a youth of parts and worth , and deserved some incouragement ; the master was an honest gallant man , and loved a scholar , and was glad of any oppotunity to shew it , and so bids his tutor send sir preston over unto ely to him , where he assured him , he should not want what was in him to do him good ; and bad him hold on , and he would take care for him : and there being an election in the colledge , soon after he was chosen fellow by unanimous consent of master and fellows , and his tutor master porter brought him word of it , as he was at study , not thinking any thing , and told him that he must come down into the chappel presently to be admitted , and accordingly was admitted fellow of queens colledge in cambridge anno dom. . that is , five years after his first admission in the university : he was not so much moved at it , as young students use to be , because he looked still at higher things , and had not quit in his retired thoughts his first design of being some body at court , to which he thought this honour might be a bar , this courtesie was compes to him , yet it was not manners to be discontent , but attend what should ensue ; he was by this time grown a master in philosophy , had waded far in aristotle , and had met with few that were able to encounter him , and therefore now resolves to go another while to school , to hippocrates and galen , and verifie what is so often said , ubi desinit philosophus , incipit medicus ; he had a very penetrating wit , and exact and solid judgment , to conjecture at effects in causes , and prognosticate events ; and being skilfull in philosophy before , soon made the theory his own , but because perfectio scientiarum est in summitate , the life and vigour of a science , is in the practice , he resolves to make enquiry after that . books make not men practitioners in any art , nemo ex libris evasit artifex , he retires unto a friend of his in kent , who was very famous for his practice , where he earnestly attended and waited on the trade and way of knowing simples , and compounding medicines , wherein he attained to that sufficiency , that had divinity failed , he might have been another butler ; yet what he had was not in vain ; for when any of his pupils were amisse , though he sent them alwaies unto physicians , yet himself perused , and many times corrected their prescriptions . it was not easie to allay his eager , and unsatisfied appetite and apprehension with any one art , eccl. . . he that loveth silver shall not be satisfied with silver . crescit amor nummi quantum ipsa pecunia crescit . the more you put into the soul , the wider presently it retcheth . he thought he could not be a good physician , that could not read the powers of the herbs and plants in stars and planets , acquaints himself with ptolomy , and other authors in astrology , and other curious arts and calculations , as they are called , act. . . that he might be able to study , not only books , but men , and to read mens fortunes in the heavenly bodies ; but he could not , nor did not read his own . there was a soothsayer that told agathocles he should be slain the next moneth : who asked , how long he thought he should live after him ? he answered , many years . he told him he would prove one of the two false , and leave the other to the issue , and so commanded for to hang him presently . master preston was very busie among the houses of the planets , but saw not there his own domestick doom , nor what his maker had determined concerning him , for as he was in these coelestial contemplations , it fell out , that master cotton then fellow of emanuel colledge , preached in saint maries , where master preston hearing him , was set about another exercise , constrained from his contemplations in astrology , to look into himself , and consider what might possibly befall him ; it was his manner , as it is of other students , when they come home from saints maries sermons , to run unto their studies presently , or what is worse ; but this young student was forced to retire and ruminate : this sermon had breaved him of two beloved notions , one was his low opinion of the ministry and preaching , for he saw an over-ruling gravity and majesty in that sermon , that he thought had been impossible to pulpits . i have heard it often in the colledge , that he took away sixteen answers in a probleme in the chappel ; but here was one he knew not how to take away : sed haeret lateri lethalis arundo , no cunning in philosophy , or skill in physick would suffice to heal this wound . another was his great opinion of , and ambition after state-employments , for these were higher things that now were offered to him , concernments of eternal influence , which nothing could divert that he had studied hitherto ; there have been divers eminent and great physicians that began in medling with their own infirmities . self-love rides alwaies on the fore-horse . his own accounts and aking conscience , set luther first upon the study of divinity . master preston after this affront and baffle in the pulpit , wanted ease , and when he could not find it in his other books and studies , begins a little to look into the bible , and to consider of the study of divinity . in the prosecution of his study in philosophy , he found many of the schoolmen quoted , and so was willing for to look a little into them , and finding those he light on , pithy and sententious , went on ; it gave him ease , that he was now a student in divinity , and had left albumasar and guido , and such high-flown speculations , yet it pleased him for to see and find his master aristole , so often quoted , and in such request among them , and thought if that were to be a preacher , he might adventure well enough upon it , and so was drawn on very far in the study of the school-divines . i have heard him say , there was nothing that ever scotus or occham wrote , but he had weighed and examined ; he delighted much to read them in the first and oldest editions that could be got . i have still a scotus in a very old print , and a paper not inferiour to parchment , that hath his hand , and notes upon it throughout ; yet he continued longer in aquinas , whose summes he would sometimes read as the barbar cut his hair , and when fell upon the place he read , he would not lay down his book but blow it off , and in this tune he continued , untill a rumour came into the university that the king would shortly come to visit them . king james was happier in his education , then his mother would have had him . it pleased god to breed a buchanan on purpose , for to guide his younger years , and by that time he was ripe , scotland was grown acquainted with geneva , and the king no stranger unto calvins way . the news awakened all the university , and there were few but promised to themselves some good from this fair gale , that seeing promotion came neither from the east , nor from the west , nor from the south , psal. . . it must and would come from the north ; and the proverb be inverted , and be , omne bonum ab aquilone . doctor harsnet , master of pembroke-hall was then vice-chancellour , a prudent well-advised governour , who knowing well the critical and able apprehension of the king , was very carefull and sollicitous to pitch upon the ablest in every faculty , for actors in that solemn entertainment , and himself made choice of master preston to answer the philosophy act , and sent unto him to provide himself . he was ambitious enough by nature , and had this news come a little sooner , nothing had been more suitable to his design and inclination . but now the gentleman was planet-struck , grown dull and phlegmatick ; master cottons sermon had so invaded him , that kings and courts were no such great things with him , especially when he understood that another was resolved on for answerer . doctor wren was then a very pregnant scholar in pembroke-hall , and also chaplain unto bishop andrews , and thought fit to be imployed in this commencement service , but was not willing to have any other place but answerer : the vice-chancellour urged his promise and engagement unto master preston , and his opinion of his great ability , but nothing would serve . the vice-chancellors colledge , and the bishops chaplain must have precedency , which he most seriously excused to master preston , and endeavoured to reconcile him to the first opponents place , which he declined , as being too obnoxious unto the answerer , who is indeed the lord and ruler of the act ; but there was no removing now , and so he goes about it with much unwillingnesse , being rather driven then drawn unto it . his great and first care was to bring his argument unto a head , without affronts or interruptions from the answerer , and so made all his major propositions plausible and firm , that his adversary might neither be willing nor able to enter there , and the minor still was backed by other syllogismes , and so the argument went on unto the issue : which fell out well for master preston , for in disputations of consequence , the answerers are many times so fearfull of the event , that they flur and trouble the opponents all they can , and deny things evident , which had been the case in all the former acts ; there was such wrangling about their syllogismes , that fullied and clouded the debates extreamly , and put the kings acumen into straits ; but when master preston still cleared his way , and nothing was denied , but what was ready to be proved , the king was greatly satisfied , and gave good heed , which he might well do , because the question was tempered and fitted unto his content ; namely , whether dogs could make syllogismes . the opponent urged that they could , an enthymeme ( said he ) is a lawfull and reall syllogisme , but dogs can make them ; he instanced in an hound who hath the major proposition in his mind , namely , the hare is gone either this or that way ; smels out the minor with his nose ; namely , she is not gone that way , and follows the conclusion , ergo this way with open mouth . the instance suited with the auditory , and was applauded , and put the answerer to his distinctions , that dogs might have sagacity , but not sapience , in things especially of prey , and that did concern their belly , might be nasutuli , but not logici ; had much in their mouthes , little in their minds , unlesse it had relation to their mouthes ; that their lips were larger then their understandings : which the opponent still endeavouring to wipe off with another syllogisme , and put the dogs upon a fresh scent , the moderator doctor reade began to be afraid , and to think how troublesome a pack of hounds , well followed and applauded at last might prove , and so came in into the answerers aid , and told the opponent that his dogs , he did believe , were very weary , and desired him to take them off , and start some other argument ; and when the opponent would not yield , but hallowed still and put them on , he interposed his authority and silenced him . the king in his conceit was all this while upon new-market heath , and liked the sport , and therefore stands up , and tells the moderator plainly he was not satisfied in all that had been answered , but did believe an hound had more in him then was imagined . i had my self ( said he ) a dog , that stragling far from all his fellows , had light upon a very fresh scent , but considering he was all alone , and had none to second and assist him in it , observes the place and goes away unto his fellows , and by such yelling arguments as they best understand , prevailed with a party of them to go along with him , and bringing them unto the place , pursued it unto an open view . now the king desired for to know how this could be contrived and carried on without the use and exercise of understanding , or what the moderator could have done in that case better , and desired him that either he would think better of his dogs , or not so highly of himself . the opponent also desired leave to pursue the kings game , which he had started unto an issue , but the answerer protested that his majesties dogs were alwaies to be excepted , who hunted not by common law , but by prerogative . and the moderator fearing the king might let loose another of his hounds , and make more work , applies himself with all submisse devotion to the king , acknowledged his dogs were able to out-do him , besought his majesty for to believe they had the better ; that he would consider how his illustrious influence had already ripened and concocted , all their arguments and understandings ; that whereas in the morning the reverend and grave divines could not make syllogismes , the lawyers could not , nor the physicians ; now every dog could , especially his majesties . all men acknowledged it it was a good bit to close with . it was grown late , and so the congregation was removed unto the regent-house , and the king went off well pleased with the businesse . the other acts were easily forgotten , but the discourse and logick of the dogs was fresh in mouth and memory , the philosophy-act applauded universally . the king commended all the actors , but above all , the opponent . it was easie to discern that the kings hound had opened a way for master preston at the court , if he were willing ; yet many of the great ones put him in mind , and promised all assistance and encouragement . sir fulke greevill , afterward lord brook , was taken greatly with him , and after many demonstrations of his real love , setled at last a stipend on him of fifty pounds per annum , and was his friend unto his last hour ; but his ambition after courtship was well allayed , so as he did not ravenously pursue it . but being now resolved to be a minister , fell to the study of modern writers , especially master calvin , whose very stile and language much affected him . the corutiers wondered that he did not bite , prov. . . in the light of the kings countenance is life , and his favour like a cloud of the latter rain . that a young man should not be ambitious , that a good eye should not see ; began to be a little jealous of him . he was reserved naturally , and could keep counsell ; few knew how master cottons sermon had affected and wrought upon him . but this not sailing when the wind blew , begat suspition . some judged he was modest , and wanted opportunity to bring him on ; some that he was melancholy , and so neglected what was proper for him to intend ; some busie and intent upon his pupils , who now began to come from all parts . but the politicians assured , it was some inclination unto puritanisme , a name now odious at court ; for it could not be , ( said they ) that he should let so fair an opportunity miscarry , if he had not something else in view . kings think themselves exreamly undervalued , if a word be not enough ; cardinal poole being chosen pope at midnight by the conclave , and sent unto , to come and be admitted , desired it might be let alone untill the morning , because it was not a work of darknesse . an honest argument , but not italian enough ; quis nisi mentis inops ? and so they went back and chose another . when balaam came not at the first call , see how balak reasons , numb . . . am i not able to promote thee ? but master preston had indeed another king in his thoughts , when he had found treasure in the field , he parts with all for that , mat. . . a purchase is not worth the having , that hath not either some convenience annexed , or may not some way be improved . god was a greater good then man , heaven then earth , a crown of glory then a crown of gold . but this neglect and self-denyal , was well interpreted by good men , and that opinion of affecting puritanes , which blasted him at court , began to blazon him at home , and work a reputation , that to him was more acceptable . men thought him meet for to be trusted with the care of youth ; and many had their eyes upon him , for their sons or friends . master morgan of heyfords , had been sometime dead , and had left his son and heir an orphan , in trust with some that were his kinsmen , and like to mannage his estate to most advantage . this master morgans sonne , under whose shadow these prestons had for some time lived , was by his guardians now commended to his care ; not only for that relation he had to heyfords his native town , and to the family , but also that by that means the young gentleman might be preserved from the influence of his other friends , who were many of them popish . king james had been so well pleased at the commencement held before him lately , that he resolves upon another visit . the heads agree to entertain him with a comedy . there was one fuggles of clare-hall , that had made a jeering comedy against the lawyers called ignoramus . this was resolved on for to be acted before the king , and great care was taken for to furnish and accommodate all parts , with actors answerable . master morgan was a comely modest gentleman , and it was believed , would well become a womans dresse , and accordingly his tutor [ master preston sent to , ] that he would give way and all encouragement unto the service . he liked not the motion , could not believe that his friends intended he should be a player , and so desired to be excused . but the guardians were not so exact and scrupulous , but though if he played this game well , he might winne more then could be hoped for elsewhere ; and so master morgan was allowed by his guardians to play his part , and afterward removed unto oxford , and suffered to play what part he would , and so relapsed unto popery , which hath proved fatal and infortunate to him and his . but here was matter for mr. prestons back friends , to argue he was not a courtier , that would envy so small a courtesie to those , that had so freely offered greater unto him ; and it was resented with a kind of angry indignation , that their offers had so little influence upon him ; and there were some that watched opportunities to make him sensible of this neglect . there is no such soloecisme at court as independency . s● non vis ut per illos tibi benè sit , efficient ut sit malè . but master preston by this time had cast up all accounts , and resolved to stand unto his bargain whatsoever it cost him . only he thought if he must be a puritan , and bid farewell to all his carnal and court-designes ; he would not be one of the lower rank , but would get places if he could . mediocribus esse poetis , non dii , non homines , non concessere columnae . that counsell of the wise man , eccl. . . whatsoever thy hand findeth to do , do it with all thy might , he alwaies practised . and what is commonly said , was true in him . in magnis ingeniis nihil mediocre . this faithfulness to master morgan , attended with so great a shadow upon himself , increased his reputation in the countrey , so that now he was accounted the only tutor ; and being carefull to read unto them , and direct their studies , he found himself abridged of his own time , and was constrained to take up time , that should have been bestowed on his body . he also grew acquainted now with many eminent and godly ministers , as master dod , and master hildersham , who would come often to his chamber , and he was so hardened in his way , that he would get them many times to go to prayer with his pupils , a boldnesse not adventured on by any other ; but by these labours his able body was debilitated . it was a great orator that said , primò desii velle causas agere , deindè desii posse . at first , said he , i would not plead , at last i could not . master preston in his youth would not sleep , but let the bed-cloathes hang down , and awaken him : now he could not , but about midnight still awakened , and slept no more ; whereby in time his body languished , and could not answer as in former times . master butler of clare-hall , was then the oracle in physick , to him he goes , and opens his condition to him ; who after some few questions bids him take tobacco , and so leaves him . he knew that butler was odde and humourous , and thought he might give this advice to try him , and therefore resolves to wait a while before he medled with so odde a medicine , which hippocrates and galen had never ordained to any of their patients , and was at that time not so common , and of no good report ; but his want of rest continuing , and his appetite unto his book encreasing , he goes again to master butler , as a stranger , and propounds the case again . master butler gives the same advice , and being satisfied that he was serious now , falls to taking of it , and found that this hot copious fume ascending , did draw those crudities from the stomacks mouth , that hindered concoction of his meat , and vapours from it that occasion sleep , and so restored his rest , and that in time his strength , and so he went on in his work , untill doctor tyndal [ master of the colledge ] died . he was an old man , and that preferment of the mastership of queens , was more accounted of then now it is . there were very many that had their eyes upon it , but doctor mountain in a special manner , who was often heard for to professe he would rather be master of that colledge then dean of westminster . but master preston had another in his eye , doctor davenant , was a gentleman descended , and was a fellow-commoner , when under graduate , but very painfull , and of great capacity , and grew accordingly in learning and in reputation , and for his worth and parts was already chosen margaret professour , and read in the schools with much applause , those excellent lectures upon the colossians which now are printed ; him master preston pitched upon , but knew it must be carried very privately ; for the mountain was already grown into some bignesse , was one of parts , and first observed in acting miles gloriosus in the colledge , and had been chaplain unto the earl of essex , but like the heliotrope or flower of the sunne , did now adore sir robert carr , already viscount rochester , the only favourite . when it was agreed among the persians , that he should reign , whose horse first saw the rising sun , and neighed at it , one turned his horse head towards the mountains , beleiving that the sun would first arise there ; but it fell not out so here . master preston having laid his plot before-hand , and seen what mountain was in his way , had taken care that word should be daily brought him how the old doctor did , and when he found him irrecoverable , laid horses and all things ready ; and upon notice of his being dead , goes presently and was at london , and in white-hall before any light appeared on the mountain top ; the court was quiet , and he had some friends there . his businesse only was to get a free election , which he made means for to procure : but knowing also with whom he had to do , makes some addresses unto viscount rochester , in the behalf of doctor davenant , who being unacquainted with his chaplains appetite to that particular , was fair and willing to befriend a learned enterprise . so master preston returns unto the colledge before the masters death was much took notice of ; and assembling doctor davenants friends , acquaints them with what had past at court , and so they went immediately to election , and it was easily and fairly carried for doctor davenant , who being called , was admitted presently . but when doctor mountain understood that doctor tyndal was departed , he sends and goes to court and colledge for to make friends : but alas the game was played , and he was shut out . never did aetna or vesuvius more fume , but there was no cure ; only he threatens ▪ and takes on against the actors , but they were innocent and not obnoxious . this doctor had made great promises , gave a very goodly piece of plate unto the colledge with this inscription , sic incipio , but now he vowed it should be sic desino . however the colledge for the present was well apaid , and grew in reputation very much ; and because they wanted room to entertain the numbers that flocked to them , built that goodly fabrick that contains many fair lodgings both for scholars and fellows , towards kings colledge . it was not long before it came to master prestons course for to be dean and catechist , which he resolved to improve by going through a body of divinity , that might be a guide unto the scholars in their studies in divinity : for it was not his opinion that others should do as he had done , that is , peruse the schoolmen first , and then come to the modern writers ; but first read summes and systemes in divinity , and settle their opinions and judgements , and then read fathers , schoolmen , or what they had a mind to . this being known , and some honest townsmen hearing him at first by chance , there came the next day very many for to hear him , and the next day more , both townsmen and schollars from other colledges , so that the outward chappel would be often full before the fellows came . master preston was of a very meek and quiet spirit , never resented injuries , nor provoked any unto aversnesse , yet had some enemies : si injuria multos tibi fecit inimicos , faciet invidia multos . what had paul done , act. . . for to deserve so sharp an opposition , but envy moved them ? there had been other deans and catechists before this gentleman , yet no such crowding . complaint was made to the vice chancellour of this unusual kind of catechizing , it was assured , not only that townsmen and scholars mingled , but other colledges intruded also , that the fellows for the crowd and multitude could not get through , and come to chappel to their places ; that it was not safe for any man to be thus adored , and doted on , unlesse they had a mind to cry up puritanisme , which would in short time pull them down ; that the crosier staff would not support them long , if such assemblies were encouraged : obsta principiis , serò medicina paratur , &c. well , upon the whole an order was agreed on in the consistory , and sent unto the colledge , that the scholars and townsmen should be confined to their proper preachers , that no stranger , neither townsman nor scholar , should presume on any pretence whatsoever , to come unto those lectures , that were proper only to the members of the colledge . the edict was observed punctually , and the auditory by it much impaired . had strangers still been suffered to attend , those sermons had been printed as well as others : for there were divers that exactly noted , and wrote out all fair , unto the time of this restraint , but no one after that could go on with it , and so it rests . but he went on , and was assiduous to the years end , and waded through it , which was a very great help unto many of his pupils , who made the greater benefit of those things , because they were not common and in print . about that time the lecture at trinity-church , and the sermons at saint andrews were prohibited , and the scholars all confined to saint maries , which did occasion master preston to read divinity unto his pupils on the lords days , at three of the clock in the afternoon , which he also often did upon the week days ; but the townsmen and the scholars of other colledges , that had tasted of his spirit in the chappel , endeavoured that he would do it where they might hear . buttolphs belongs unto queens colledge , and is usually supplied by one of that house ; there he is willing to make a tryal , how it would take , and resolves the next lords day to preach at three of the clock after saint maries sermons should be ended ; which though but very little known , occasioned such a throng and crowd , as was incredible . men were not cloyed with preaching then , nor waxed wanton . there dwelt then in the parish one doctor newcombe , a civilian , and commissary to the chancellour of ely , who being in the church , and seeing the crowd , commanded that evening prayer only should be read , but no sermon ; the minister intreated that for that time master preston might be allowed to preach , so did the earl of lincolne and others in the church ; but he was resolute , and because he would not be further importuned , went home with all his family , and left them to determine at their perill what they would do ; so upon advice it was concluded that the sermon should go on , and master preston preached a very favoury and holy sermon , upon pet. . , . there was so much time spent in debates about it , and messages before the commissary left the congregation , that it was too late to do both , and therefore they adventured for that time to forbear common-prayer , that so the scholars might depart , and be at colledge-prayers . but this instructed doctor newcomb in his complaint . the court was then near hand , that is , at new-market ; thither the commissary goes the next day , and having the bishop of ely there , and many other clergy men , assures them that master preston was in heart , and would quickly be in practice a non-conformist , and was so followed and adored in the university , that unlesse some speedy course were taken with him , they might cast their caps at all conformity , and see their power troden underfoot , and told them gentlenesse was not the way , for he was cunning , and would recover all if he were not seriously and throughly dealt with . there was no advocate for master preston , but the doctor being first in his own cause , seemed just , prov. . . and spake to those that were willing to believe . the puritans began to be considerable , and they doubted he might come in time to head them . it 's a great security to a man to be despised : contempto nullus diligenter nocet . a fellow that hath nothing in him , nor is not owned , may be exorbitant , as he of one in his time : contemptu jam liber erat . but david that hath a party following him , must have an army to attend him . and therefore he did wisely to professe himself to be a dead dog or a flea , sam. . . the king was made acquainted with this complaint , and assured that master preston had as strong an influence into the puritants as the principal of the jesuites , which was aqua viva , had upon them , and therefore it behoved him to consider what to do . a word was enough to a wise and jealous king , who did not love to play an after game , and therefore hears himself the doctors information ; enquires whether the bishops and chancellors jurisdiction extended unto members of a colledge , and finally concludes to proceed against him by the power of the university . a letter is framed unto doctor scot , master of clare-hall , vice-chancellour at that time , and to the heads , to call before them master preston , to give a strict account of that notorious disobedience unto the commissary ; he answers mildly , that he was not guilty ; refers himself unto the auditory , that evening prayer was omitted , because the scholars might depart in due time , seeing the time alloted for it , was spent in treating with the commissary , not out of any disrespect unto the service , which he himself did usually attend at other times . when the wolf complained that the lamb had fouled the water , that he was to drink ; the lamb answered that if he had defiled it , yet that could not prejudice the wolf who was above , and the mud would certainly be carried downward ; but this answer did not fill the hungry belly of the wolf. master prestons innocency did aggravate his crime , which was his popularity , and therefore they told him they were engaged to support by all just meanes the bishops jurisdiction , that the king had honoured him , in leaving that affront to be examined by his proper judges , and that except he could take off the court , they must and would proceed to a very round and serious censure . musa mihi causas memora , quo numine laeso , quidvè dolens regina deûm , tot volvere casus , insignem pietate virum , tot adire labores impulerit ; tantaene animis coelestibus irae ? that a fellow of a colledge for preaching of an innocent and honest sermon , in a church belonging to the colledge , by the consent and in the hearing of the incumbent , should be thus vigorously undertaken . among many other gentlemen of quality , that were pupils unto master preston at this time , there was one sir capel bedels , an orphan , of a very fair estate in huntingtonshire , a daughters sonne of old sir arthur capel , who being guardian to his grand-child , had recommended him as he had done many of his own sons unto his government . it was a great trust , and master prestons care was answerable . and because plus vident oculi , he had his spies , that gave him notice of all their carriages and correspondencies ; by one of these he was informed that sir capel haunted doctor newcombs house , and was familiar with his daughter [ mistress jane newcomb , ] a very proper well-bred gentlewoman ; his tutor asked if they were contracted , he answered , no , but would be very shortly , as he was told , for he was resolved to have her . master preston charged him to keep all secret , that sir capel might not think he was acguainted with it , and immediately appoints a journey unto saffron-walden , to take the aire , and see that stately pyle at audley-end , and takes divers of his fellow-commoners along , as he used to do at other times ; and among others , this sir capel bedels : when they had dined and viewed the house , it was propounded by one of them , that they might go that night to haddam , and visit old sir arthur capel , seeing they were thus far on their way , and it was late . master preston seemed to be indifferent , and so the proposition took , and with none more then with sir capel , who knew his grandfather would fill his pockets , and that would sweeten his newcomb mistress next embraces , and make him welcome to her . the old knight was glad to entertain such welcome guests , and that night there was no discourse , but of the stately rooms , and goodly gallery at audley-end , and so the young men went to bed pleased , that the colledge-bell next morning would not awaken them ; but master preston slept not in utramque aurem , but awakened betimes , and acquaints sir arthur with all the businesse , adviseth him , by no means to permit the gentlemans return unto the colledge ; for though the wound might seem quite cured , and he never so much engage forbearance , yet frequent apparitions would redintegrate : et nihil facilius quam amor recrudescit . sir arthur was a very wise man , and had experience of the world , thanks master preston for his faithfulnesse ; pretends sir capel wanted something , and desires his tutor to give him leave to stay a little while untill he could be furnished , and then he should be sent , to which the tutor easily consented , and so the rest went home ; and after a while the old man tels sir capel he grew in bignesse , and it would be fit for him to travell before he setled , and he prevails with him to be content . but what saies mistresse newcomb , who is robb'd by this means of her vowed and resolved servant , and her crafty father that beholds so good a morsell snatched from between his teeth ; do ye think he had forgotten this when master preston came to preach within his jurisdiction ? pulvere qui laedunt , sed laesi marmore scribunt , other injuries perhaps may be forgotten , but losse of money is not ; ploratur lachrym●s amissa pecunia veris. master preston was not altogether a stranger at the court , however now there was no remedy ; when he came to new-market , he found that bishop andrews , then bishop of ely , was chief , and that his jurisdiction in the commissary , was it that was pretended to be affronted , and therefore applied himself to him , and told him that he did not purpose to offend , but being ingaged for to preach at that time , could not with honour disappoint the auditory ; if he suspected him for any thing , desired he would examine him , and satisfie himself . the bishop told him the king was told he was an enemy to formes of prayer , and held no prayer lawful but conceived ; and therefore being popular , his judgment and opinion might do hurt . master preston answered that it was a slander , for he thought set formes lawfull , and refused not on all occasions to be present at the colledge-prayers , and when it was his turn , to read them . the bishop answered , that he was glad , and would inform the king , and do him all the good he could , and bad him wait a while , and then repair again to him for satisfaction in it , and so time passed on , and there was nothing done . there were some at court that wished well to master preston , sed lapsuro assistere formidant , were loth to undertake a drooping cause ; only there was one doctor young , an honest scotchman , that was dean of winchester , and he told master preston plainly , that bishop andrews was his greatest adversary , and though he gave him good words , yet had assured the king , that if master preston were not for this expeld the university , lord bishops would not long continue ; but because master preston was accounted , and not without cause , a learned man , he was not willing to appear against him ; but desired the punishment might be inflicted , where the fact was done , and that was in the university . master preston saw now that the bishop was a courtier , and could give words , where deeds were not intended , and therefore goes again unto the bishop , and tels him plainly that he or none must put a period to his attendance , and that either he would speak unto the king in his behalf , or tell him plainly that he would not , that he might know whence all this trouble flowed . the bishop paused a while on this bold carriage , and at the last bad him come to him such a time again , and he would deal with the king in his behalf . so he goes unto the king , and tels him that however master preston was very dangerous , and it would be a very great security if he were handsomely expelled , yet he doubted it would not hear well , if it should be done for this offence ; for he would be absolved in the opinions and minds of men , and be owned and applauded as their martyr , and might perhaps recover , and live to be revenged ; and therefore thought it would be better , for to enjoyn him to declare his judgment about forms of prayer ; for that would be accounted a recantation , and however would weaken his reputation , with the puritans , which would be enough : for if they could divide him from his party , they should not fear him ; for he said , his carriage argued confidence in some assistance , which when they had removed , they should be strong enough at single hand . all that the bishop spake , was as if ex tripode ; and order presently was drawn , and sent to the vice-chancellor , that master preston should in buttolphs church declare his judgment , concerning formes of prayer , on such a sunday , or else they should immediately proceed against him , according to their first instructions . master preston was glad there was a way out , but sensible of the hard hand , that had been carried towards him ; but now there was no remedy , and it was vain to strive against the stream ; but before he could come home , the news was all about the town , that master preston was to preach a recantation sermon at buttolphs church on such a day . this was good sport to the brave blades , who now came crowding as fast as any , for to hear , and it was no sin now for any body to be from prayers ; and indeed there was a very great assembly , though he did all he could to have concealed it . so he went on upon his former text , and preached a very profitable sermon , concerning growing in grace , and directed prayer , as a speciall meanes to make men grow in grace . now that ( he said ) was of two sorts , either that which was suddain , extemporary , and conceived ; or set , enjoyned , and prescribed before , not only for the sense and scope , but also words and phrases . and whereas some thought this was to stint the spirit , he said , there was a liberty to use conceived prayer at other times , wherein the spirit might expatiate , and inlarge it self ; and also the intention of the mind , though not in extension and variety of language . the blades that came to laugh , had no great cause to do it , for this passage was at the very close ; and the sermon all along before , was sharp and searching ; both sides were silent and went home , not without some prints of good upon their spirits : optimus orator censendus , non qui meruit auditorum judicium , sed qui abstulit . he makes the best speech that binds his hearers , rather to think what was said , then who said it . the good fellows were nothing so merry at the end , as at the beginning of the sermon . indifferent hearers praised all , and were confirmed in a good opinion of the preacher . good men were glad he came so well off , and was at liberty to preach again , where they might hear him : himself was troubled , lest any thing he said , should be mistaken or mis-interpreted , as he was apt to be . but there were many eyes upon this action , and all men waited to see the issue . the courtiers did not like it , that after all these tossings to and fro , he should thus light upon his feet , yet would not meddle for the present , but wait occasions . those that were well-affected , were glad he was engaged against the court and bishops , and did presage he might be instrumental to their downfall , and every body laboured to ingage him more and more against them . the spanish match was then the common talk , and great unwillingnesse appeared in the people generally ; and doctor willet had presumed to offer arguments unto the king against matching with idolaters . the king was greatly vext at this adventure , and took great paines to perswade the doctor , that a papist was not an idolater : sed non persuadebat etiamsi persuaserat . the people were unsatisfied , and there being then a parliament , a very honourable and able member of the house of lords prevailed with master preston to write some arguments against it . and though there were severe edicts and proclamations against scandalous papers , and intermedling with mysteries of state , yet he promised , it should be scattered and divulged unto fit persons , and none should know from whence , or from whom it came ; accordingly when it was finished and written fair , one gave it to a porter , whom he met in holborne , and bad him leave it , according to the direction . the next day a great lord comes unto him , that had perswaded master preston unto the service , and tels him , that he had met with such a piece against the spanish match , as he never saw , and protested he was convinced , that he must speak against it in the house , what ever came of it . the other asked him who made it , and where he had it : he assured him , he knew not , but it was left at his lodging , by he knew not whom . the lord desired he might see it , and so it was copied out , and spread among those of the parliament they thought fit , but the authour of it never known . king james had something alwayes in his writings and speeches against the puritans , which was ill taken , for that it was apparent , those meant thereby , were godly , conscientious persons . the house of commons was the only mote in king james his eye , the remora , ( as he conceived ) unto his absolute dominion , for he knew not how for to engaged them , as he did the lawyers and divines ; but if he stopped one mouth with preferment this parliament , there would be others open the next against him . there were some now that adventured to apologize for puritans , and to say in parliament , that honest men were wounded under that name ; and to propose that godly ministers might not be silenced , and thrown out of their free-holds for trifles and ceremonies . but king james would none of that stuff , breaks up the parliament , and sets out proclamations : sed quid prodest totius regionis silentium , si affectus fremant . people love not to be enforced unto duty : homines duci volunt non cogi . the chaplains that attended monethly at the court , were not ambitious of preaching over-often , and so a combination was agreed on for preachers before the king , when ever he should lie within twelve miles of cambridge : the king did not despair of making scholars his , and therefore used all endeavours to oblige them , especially cambridge men , where a seed of puritans had been a long time ; and though the plains about royston and new-market afforded better winter-game then elsewhere ; yet scholars he conceived might be catcht sometimes , as well as hares , and so was willing they should preach before him . young men he knew would preach themselves : omnis oratio docet , aut rem , aut animum dicentis . he should learn either things , or persons . by this means it came to master prestons turn to preach before the king at royston ; he was so muffled at court in doctor newcombs businesse that he knew not what to do , could not decline it altogether , for that would have exposed him unto too much observation ; and yet he greatly feared what might befall him in the doing of it : therefore he changed his course with one that was to preach a little after , and did it very privately , that if his enemies should have designes , they might be disappointed , and so it was not much known . when he was to preach , it fell out that his course came upon a tuesday , when the king did lie at finching brook ; the court was very thin , and the prince and duke of buckingham were both abroad , and the king himself was for an hunting match that day , and gave order that the sermon should begin at eight of the clock . master preston had some at the court that were solicitous as well as he , and they told him it would give very great content , if he would take some occasion in the sermon , to shew his judgment , as he had done before about se● formes . doctor young deane of winchester , ( of whom we spake before ) did then attend , and when the king came in , and sate down in the chair , he told him who it was that preached , and said , he hoped he would give content ; i pray god he do , said the king. the sermon is in print , upon john . . which he so clearly opened and applied , that the king sate all the while as quiet as could be , and never stirred nor spake to any body , but by his looks discovered he was pleased ; when all was done , he came unto him as the manner was to kisse his hand ; and the king asked him of what preston he was descended , he answered of that in lancashire : then said the king , you have many of your name and kindred very eminent ; and preston the priest , although a papist , is a very learned man. great haste was made to bring in dinner , and the king was very pleasant all the time , had his eye continually upon master preston , and spake of divers passages in the sermon with much content , especially that of the arminians putting god into the same extreamity , that darius was put in , dan. . when he would have saved daniel , but could not : but as soon as ever he was retired , the marquesse hamilton kneeled down , and besought him , that he might commend the preacher to him for his chaplain , protested he did not so much as know him , but that he was moved by the weight and strength of that he had delivered ; told him , he spake no pen and ink-horn language , but as one that comprehended , what he said , and that he could not but have substance and matter in him . the king acknowledged all , but said it was too early , remembred new-market businesse , and was reserved . sir ralph freeman , one of the masters of requests , had married a kinswoman of the duke of buckhinghams , and was a kinsman unto master preston ; he makes relation of the businesse unto the duke , and told him , if now he would appear in favour of his cousin preston , he might oblige the puritans , and lay a ground-work for his own security , if tempests should arise ; assured him that master preston was ingenuous , and might be made , that the king and all the court were taken with the sermon , and did approve it . the duke of buckingham was a wise man , and apprehensive of what sir ralph suggested seasonably , saw those they called puritans were growing , and in the parliament were thought considerable , knew that the kings affections might cool , and he might need friends , and took sir ralphs discourse into his most serious thoughts . an honest man , one master packer , was then his secretary , and he set on what sir ralph freeman had suggested , and so it came unto a resolution , that master preston should be owned ; and the duke commanded sir ralph freeman , to go to master preston from him , and acquaint him with his good opinion of him , and desire to see him ; and indeed there was such a concurrence , and concentring of opinions and desires among the courtiers , that it was assured master preston , he might be chaplain unto whom he would , and that was now the deliberation , which of these offers he should accept , and whom he would acknowledge his patron and protector for the time to come . there was not so few clergy men at court at any time , and so no kind of opposition ; yet the king himself hung back , and would do nothing hastily ; he was not reconcileable unto the puritans , and so desired not in that respect for to ingage him ; but he desired to deprive them of master preston , and to divide him from them , and would do any thing that might drive that on ; and considering how many he had wonne , that master preston was a young man and might be drawn on , he would not hinder nor oppose ; so it was the joynt opinion of all his friends , that the best preferment was to be the princes chaplain , who then was grown and had an houshold . this therefore was represented unto sir ralph freeman , and his opinion required , who quickly yielded and proposed it unto the duke : both prince and duke had been abroad , and neither of them heard the sermon ; when therefore master preston was brought unto the duke , he very seriously received him ; told him it was the prince his unhappinesse and his , to be absent when he did preach , and therefore desired him that he would vouchsafe a copy of his sermon to him , and believe that he would be ready , to the best and utmost of his power to serve him . there were many other courtiers that desired copies of the sermon , and the court not staying there , master preston came home to furnish copies . he never penned sermon word for word but wrote what came into his mind , and as it came , and that in no good hand ; and so it was a businesse to provide these copies , which yet he seriously attended till they were written fair , and then to court he goes , where the duke presents him to the prince , and so he was made and admitted chaplain to the prince in ordinary ; for as then the prince had not compleated the number he intended , which was six , who were accordingly to wait two moneths by the year , and preach unto the houshold upon the lords daies , and perform such duties as were required of them . but god was making other work for master preston ; for doctor tolson , bishop of salisbury dies , and leaves a wife and many children unprovided for ; for he had been bishop but a little while . this wife of his was doctor davenants sister ; in pity therefore and commiseration of her case , it was proposed to the king by those that were his friends , that doctor davenant , a single man , and well-deserving , might succeed his brother in the bishoprick , and so make some provision for his children . the king thought very well of doctor davenant , not only for his singular abilities and labours in the university , but for his pains also , and service in the synod of dort against arminius ; and it was looked on as a deed of charity , and so believed he would carry it , and be the man. but this created master prestons cares ; doctor davenant had been his constant and faithfull friend , and given countenance upon all occasions to him and all his pupils . but now who should succeed ? and where should master preston find another shelter ? the fellows for the most part were not his friends , envied his numbers , and great relations , and there was no man like so to befriend him . besides , the margaret-professors place would be void also by this remove , and many able stirring batchelors in divinity , proposed unto him that place , and assured him the election would be easily carried for him . the truth is , he had no great hope to do any great good in the election of the master of the colledge , and one doctor mansel being named , a very moderate good-natured man , he let that care fall , and was more anxious about the professors place ; for though sound doctrine in the university was of much use , yet english preaching was like to work more , and win more souls to god. he alwaies highly valued , and frequently consulted with master dod ; and he perswaded english preaching , as that wherein god was more immediately served , and said , there were others that might supply the university in the professors place , that either could not , or would not labour mens conversion . and indeed the master of sidney-colledge doctor ward , a vast scholar , was then in view and nomination for the professors place ; yet master preston was so solicited by honest men , that he knew not what to do : two things he thought he wanted to enable him . the one was a latine tongue , the other a latine style ; in both which , by reason of desuetude , he was unready . for his style therefore , he resolves upon an exact and logical analysis of all the epistles , which would actuate and exercise his style , and acquaint him with the scripture-phrase and language ; and if he were called to be professour , might serve for lectures in the schooles ; which work he immediately applied himself unto , and very happily compleated a work of great pains unto him , and in it self of great worth ; but being latine , and written only with his own ill hand , was not thought popular enough to come abroad , but lieth in the dark . for the exercising of his latine tongue , he resolves a journey into the netherlands , where he should have much occasion of speaking latine , and see those colledges and universities ; but there was no travelling beyond sea , without a license under the hands of privy-counsellors ; this he procures among his friends with all the secrecy that could be , and a great while before he meant to use it , that he might conceale it from the colledge and university ; but this his secrecy begat suspition that there was some plot . velle putant quodcunque potest : it is not safe for men to have abilities . it was resented so much the more , because no clergy man was made acquainted with it , and the opinion was , that something was brewing against episcopacy . this they were sure of , that amsterdam was in the netherlands , and ever had been fatal to the hierarchy . the lord keeper then was bishop williams , he sees this plague afar off , prov. . . and provides a messenger to go along unknown to master preston , that should observe and give intelligence weekly of all that passed : integer vitae scelerisque purus , non eget jaculis nec arcu . a breast-plate of righteousnesse is a better guard then a shirt or coat of male . it was davids uprightnesse that did preserve him , psal. . . so was it master prestons , for he knew nothing of this attendance , till after his return , but gave out in the colledge , and among his pupils , that he would go the next vacation into kent , to visit sir richard sands , and drink if he saw cause , the tunbridge waters , concludes to take one of his pupils with him , a yorkshire gentleman , sir henry slingsbys sonne and heir ; and did accordingly acquaint his father and make provision for it long before . the time came , and he goes into kent , and is received in the passage boat for rotterdam , in the garb and notion of a gentleman , with his skarlet cloak and gold hatband , and all things answerable ; and so goes over all the provinces , both protestant and popish , where there was any thing observable , and encounters frequently with divers priests and jesuites , professing himself a protestant gentleman that was willing to find out the truth , and try all tenents , and accordingly was courted by them very much , and solicited to be a papist ; and they gave him very many popish books , and so he came back into kent , and to the colledge at the time appointed , unknown to any in the colledge , but only one of his pupils , from whom he seldome concealed any thing . he was no sooner setled in the colledge , but a rumour flies abroad , that master preston had been beyond the seas ; he shewed them that it was incredible , and wonders at their sillinesse , that they would beleeve so unlikely a relation ; the matter was not great , now all was past , and so it rested doubtfull and undetermined . he had a long time been successefull in the way of pupils , but doctor davenants leaving of the colledge troubled him . a great tutor , hath much occasion to use the masters influence , for accommodation and advancement of his pupils , which now he saw he could not promise unto himself ; and it fell out much about this time , that doctor dunn , preacher at lincolns-inne died , and some in that society proposed that master preston might be tried whether he were willing to accept that place for tearm time : he was himself , neither carelesse , nor cracking of his good name : famae nec incuriosus , nec venditator . but it was much grown by reason of his successe in the conflicts and encounters he had at court. it was some refreshing unto honest men , that master preston , so resolute , and constant in the waies of god , was yet the prince his chaplin , and helped forward the desire of these men ; it suted with him , to have an opportunity to exercise his ministry in a considerable and intelligent congregation , where he was assured , many parliament men , and others of his best acquaintance would be his hearers ; and where in tearm time , he should be well accommodated , so he consented and undertook the place ; the chappel then was very little , and at the first , the numbers that attended on his ministry , besides their own society , were few , but when the chappel was new built , as now it is , the numbers were exceeding great , that were his constant hearers , and foundations laid , that will not easily be ruined . this was some ease unto his grieved mind , for doctor davenants leaving of the colledge and university ; but filled not his great capacity and large desire of doing good ; the colledge he gave over in his thoughts , but not the university , where his preaching was much resented , and made great impressions ; and though at lincolns-inne he had gown-men to be his hearers , yet they were not like to propagate and spread it . a preacher in the university , doth generare patres , beget begetters , and transmit unto posterity , what god is pleased to reveal to him ; in a word , doth what the apostle doth enjoyn , tim. . . and he of all men , thirsted after opportunities of doing service , and might well say with the spouse , that he was sick of love , cant. . . some of the fellows of emanuel colledge were very eminent for parts and learning , yet clouded and obscured , ( as they thought ) by an opinion that lay upon the colledge , that they were puritans , that is , not only godly and religious , ( for so they were , and were content to be esteemed ) but non-conformists , and averse to government ; for which cause there had been lately some alteration made , both in their chappel , and manner of their diet ; they thought therefore , if they could prevail with doctor chaderton their present master , to resign , who was establisht in it by the founder , and named in the statute , but was grown very old , and had out-lived many of those great relations , which he had before , they might perhaps procure that master preston might succeed him , and bring the colledge into reputation , being a good man , and yet a courtier , the prince his chaplin , and very gracious with the duke of buckingham . but this was sooner said then done , the old doctor was exceeding wary and jealous not only of his own disparagement , but especially of the good and welfare of that brave foundation that had grown and flourished under his government so long ; for if it were but known that he were out , there were divers lay in wait to get a mandate , and come in against their minds ; a fresh example whereof they had lately seen in their next neighbours , christs colledge , where after master pemberton was chosen , doctor carew dean of exeter , was forced on them , and did all he could to mould a new , and alter the constitution and genius of the colledge . but the fellows answered , that this might be better hindered and prevented whilest he was alive , then at his death ; for his resignation might be carried privately , but his death could not , and if all the fellows were content , the election might be past before the resignation were discovered ; and so they promised to found and try the judgment of the other fellows , and then repair again unto him . there were two things in the colledge that ( in their opinions ) greatly pinched them . the one was the statute for attendance and continuance whilst they were fellows , so that they had not opportunity to live in noble-mens houses , or take lectures to exercise their ministry , and make themselves known unto such as had it in their power to prefer them . another was the statute of departing at such a standing , whether they were provided or not provided ; and there was then a fresh example in doctor traverse , a man of great worth , yet forced to sojourn as a fellow-commoner in christs colledge untill he could be better accommodated ; the fellows therefore were easily induced to affect this change ; for they thought master preston might be an instrument by reason of his great acquaintance , either to get some mitigation of the statute , or procure more livings to be annexed to the colledge for their preferment . so they returned to the old man , and told him that the fellows were all agreed , and ready to do what he should prescribe , and it rested now in him to prevent the danger that did threaten , not only them in their particular concernments , but the growing good and welfare also of the colledge . the poor man wist not what to do ; to out-live the mastership he thought was to out-live himself , and to go into his grave alive ; yet he honoured and loved master preston very much , and could not answer that dilemma of the colledge-safety ; therefore he told them he would not be wanting to the colledge-good , but it concerned them as well as himself , to provide they were not cheated , and another forced on them , whether they would or not ; and therefore desired that master preston might be requested to deal with his friends at court , and procure some promise that there should be no mandate granted , in case his resignation should be known ; he told them likewise how unprovided he was for maintenance , when that was gone , and how unseemly it would be for him now in his old age for to want , and therefore desired he might be taken in this particular into consideration . but master preston quickly eased the old man of all these fears , by procuring a letter from the duke of buckingham in these words . sir , i have moved his majesty , concerning master preston's succeeding of you , in the mastership of emanuel colledge , who is not only willing , but is also graciously pleased to recommend him to the place in especial manner before any other ; so that in making this way for him , you shall do a very acceptable thing to his majesty , as also to the prince his master , of which i am likewise to give you notice , and to put you out of all doubt , that another may be thrust upon you ; you shall not need to fear any thing , in regard that from his majesty there will be no hinderance to his succession ; and for that point of supply of maintenance , i shall ( as i promised ) take care for to procure it , when fit occasion shall be offered ; so taking kindly what you have done , i rest . theobalds , sept. . . your very loving friend , g. buckingham . when the doctor had received and read this letter , he was in all things satisfied , as to the court , but they all knew that doctor traverse lay in wait for this preferment ; for being outed by the statute at emanuel colledge , he sojourned at christs colledge as fellow-commoner , and presumed either by his friends at court , to get a mandate , or be chosen in the colledge by a party of the fellows , whom he thought his own ; therefore great care was taken to keep all secret , and though the statute do ordain a vacancy of seven daies , and notice by a schedule passed upon the chappel-door , yet such was the concurrent uniform agreement of all the fellows , that it was not discovered to any of the scholars untill the day of election ; and because there is a sacrament to be immediately before it ; they were constrained to lock up all the gates that none might come in or go out till it was past ; and then two of the fellows were dispatcht to queens colledge , to acquaint master preston with what they had done , and to desire that at two of the clock he would repair unto the colledge to be admitted , and undertake the charge . it was strange news at queens , and all the colledge were much affected with it , wondering extreamly that such a great transaction should be carried with so much secrecy , and that amongst master prestons twelve disciples ( as they called them ) there should be never a judas but all concentre in it ; but there was order given presently , that all the scholars should be ready against two of the clock that day , to attend master preston and the fellows to emanuel colledge , in habits suitable unto their several qualities , which was done accordingly ; and a very goodly company attended him from queens unto emanuel , where they were cheerfully received and entertained according to the custome , with a generous and costly banquet , and then returned unto queens again ; but left master preston , the prop and glory of it , at emanuel . in the plantation of emanuel colledge at the first , the godly founder , took great care to store his colledge with godly and able fellows from all the other colledges , and some were after added that were eminent ; but now a master is bestowed , god in mercy hath enabled that good society to pay their debts , by sending not only members , but also heads into very many of the other colledges , so as they may now well say , quae regio in terris nostri non plena laboris . sir walter mildmay their noble and religious founder , was wont to say unto his friends , that he had set an acorn , that might perhaps in time become an oak ; blessed be god our eyes have seen it , not only grown and flourishing , but fruitfull , seasonable showers , a great promotion unto a new plantation , and earnest prayers unto god , a special means to bring these down , of which i think no colledge ever had more , which in these last years have returned a glorious harvest ; to god be praise . this news ran swiftly all the kingdom over , and was received as men were affected . good men were glad that honest men were not abhorred , as they had been , at the court , and presaged much of that inlargement and deliverance , which we have lived to see ; the courtiers made full account that he was theirs , and would mount up from one step to another , untill he were a prelate ; especially the duke of buckingham , who from this time seemed sincerely to affect him , multum fuit ad amorem , dedisse beneficium , thought he had given earnest and could not be defrauded of the purchase . the earl of pembroke , and the countesse of bedford had a great interest in him , and he in them ; and all men looked on him as upon a rising man , and respected him accordingly . as for lincolns-inne , they made account they had a special influence into this honour , as having first expressed their good opinion of him , and there was an honest godly old man , one of the benchers , master ayres , that upon hearing of the news , would needs be young again , and make an anagram upon his name , though he was uncertain how he wrote it in latine , for he had seen it written divers waies . being therefore resolute , and loath to misse it , he resolves to write it both waies , as he that used to say his prayers in latine and english , that both might not fail , and so first he wrote it , johannes prestonius with this anagram , en stas pius in honore : and this distitch : doctrina , ingenium , virtus tua , praemia poscunt ; en dedit emanuel , stas in honore pius . but lest this should be mistaken , he writes it johannes prestonus : with this anagram , se nosse , non tupiar . and this distitch : turpia non novisse , bonum ; se nosse , beatum : ista doces alios , sed prius ipse facis . the rest of that society rejoyced , that their lecturer was master of emanuel , and took occasion to expresse it according to their several dispositions and relations , when he came to them in the tearm , which shortly followed . there was one thing in the colledge-statutes that greatly troubled him ; and that was that the masters absence from the colledge was confined to a moneth in every quarter , and he saw not how he could attend at court , and preach at lincolns-inne in tearm time , but he should transgresse ; but the fellows soon consented to an interpretation , that absolved him from the rigid sense , there being in the statute a double liberty ; first that in case of violent detention it should not hold ; they resolved that not only a natural , but also a moral violence was to be understood . the other was , that in case of colledge-businesse he should not be esteemed absent . now the colledge was at that time in suit for a living in the west , of good value , with one master ewins , a gentleman in the parish , who had bred up a younger sonne to be a scholar , in relation to that living ; and therefore contended for it , as it had been his own inheritance ; and when he was worsted at common-law , prefers a bill in chancery , and thought by mony to carry it against the colledge-right . bishop williams the lord-keeper then , was his great friend , and when after many delayes it came at last to hearing , would not allow the counsell for the colledge to speak ; master preston being present , craved leave to speak in the cause himself , but was not only silenced , but severely reprehended for it ; it was trinity-tearm , and the plague was very hot in london , so that michaelmas tearm was wholly adjourned , and the next tearm was proclaimed at redding , and the records removed thither ; but before that , the lord-keeper was removed from his throne , and sir thomas coventry , one of the colledge-council that were not permitted before to speak , succeeded him ; by whose integrity and justice , the colledge was restored to their right , which ever since they have enjoyed , and so his following the colledge businesse excused his absence all his time . being therefore now established , and greatly minding the good thereof , he observed that the scholars kept acts but seldome , and accordingly when they came unto it , performed it but meanly ; he therefore advised with the fellows in it , and after many consultations , it was resolved that the number of acts should be in a manner doubled , of those under masters of art , which was a great advancement to learning of all sorts in the colledge . about this time sir arthur chichester , afterward an irish baron , was chosen to go embassadour into germany , about the palatinate affairs , and master preston was by the duke of buckingham and other friends , designed to go along with him ; he did not greatly fancy the employment , but would not contradict ; only it was considered , that though he was the prince his chaplain , and master of a colledge , yet he was not doctor , which they thought might sound ill abroad , and reflect upon his master , and there was not time to go unto it , in the ordinary way of acts and exercises , therefore a mandate was addressed to the vice-chancellour and heads , that forasmuch as master preston was to wait upon my lord ambassadour , and could not in so short a time perform his acts , he should be forthwith admitted doctor in divinity , that he might be ready to attend the service , which was done accordingly with all alacrity . being therefore thus engaged , and not knowing what might befall him in the voyage , he resolved to settle his temporal estate before he went. he was not willing to be accounted rich ; would often say , manifestus thesaurus citò expenditur . and therefore though he had great incomes from his pupils , and was not prodigal , yet he was not master of his money ; for he had been advised to adventure in the east-india company , then newly set up , and because estates there were invisible , he was the willinger , but by that means wanted money ; for there was paying for many years , but no returns ; yet there was hope it might at last come in , and so it did without diminution of the principal , but not in his life-time . therefore he thought it needfull to make a legall disposition of his estate by will , and so he did , and named a very honourable person his executor , who lived to enjoy that money as well as other by vertue of it . but the voyage came to nothing ; for sir arthur did not go as he intended , yet this was his last will , and according to it all was enjoyed , though he made additions by way of request or direction , which were accordingly performed . it was ever his ambition not to be mercenary in his ministry , but at liberty to preach where he might do most good , without relation or respect unto the wages ; and he considered that the master of emanuel could have no living that had cure of souls annexed , and therefore was willing to give ear unto the sollicitations of the townsmen , who greatly prest him to be their lecturer at trinity-church ; for they had applied themselves to doctor andrews bishop of ely , and propounded to him master jeffries , one of the fellows of pembroke-hall ; and he had given way , and master jeffries did preach at trinity some years , but was desirous of a more setled condition , and had desired doctor preston to procure him to be chaplain unto some noble-man , that was like to help him to a living , which was a very easie thing for him to do , having so much interest in many great ones ; so he pitched upon marquesse hamilton , who presently admitted master jeffries , chaplain to him , and shewed him much respect , as well for doctor prestons sake , as for his own , and long it was not before a living fell , namely the rectory of dun-mow in eessex , which the marquesse procured and bestowed upon his chaplain master jeffries ; for he had not then commenced doctor , and by that means the lecture at trinity was shortly to be void . the townsmen made account that now they had what they desired , namely an opportunity to settle doctor preston in the lecture at trinity ; and great care was taken to increase the stipend from fourty or fifty pounds per annuum unto fourscore , that the doctor might have twenty pounds a quarter paid him ; for they thought the former inconsiderable , not knowing what principles the doctor lived by ; and when they had effected that , they employed some of the chief to propose the matter to the doctor very solemnly ; who was easily perswaded to accept their offer , without relation to the stipend ; but there was one of the fellows of sidney-colledge , master middlethwite that put in for it , and though few or none of the contributors or townsmen sided with him , yet he procured letters from the bishop of ely , and ingaged all his friends , both in the court and university , that it came unto a very great contest . doctor preston who was offered any bishoprick he would resolve on , and told at royston by the duke of buckingham , that the bishoprick of glocester was then void , contends with master middlethwite to be lecturer at trinity-church , for a stipend of fourscore pounds per annum , as the upshot of all his hopes , and fruit of all his great atchievments at the court ; and the contention was so great on all sides , that it could not be concluded by any mediation , but was referred to an hearing at royston before king james , who was really against the doctors preaching in the university , the consequence whereof he well saw , and was informed fully of . i confesse i often wondered why master middlethwite , an eminent scholar , and like enough to get preferment , as afterwards it 's known he did , should stickle for so small an opportunity to preach , against the inclination and disposition of the townsmen ; untill i understood that he was set on by the prelatical heads , who told him that it was a service acceptable to the king , and he should be rewarded for it . at the time appointed it came unto an hearing , and an argument was urged against the doctor namely ; that it was a lecture maintained by six-pences , a thing unseemly for a master of a colledge and the prince his chaplain ; but the duke had taken care that nothing should be ordered and concluded against the doctors mind ; for the duke resolved not to lose him , so the meeting was dissolved and nothing done ; but that night , sir edward contvey then secretary , invited doctor preston to supper , and after supper told him , that the king had ordered him to tell him , that if he would give over his pursuance of that lecture , and let the heads dispose of it , he should make his choice of any other preferment , that was more honourable and profitable for him ; but the doctors end was to do good , not to get good ; the kings , to make him uselesse , and divide him from the puritans . the duke was more indifferent , who laboured in him to win and gratifie the puritans , whose power in parliament was now grown very formidable ; therefore when nothing else would content him , he was confirmed lecturer at trinity-church , the last preferment he ever had , where he preached after all his time , and did much good . the duke had now obliged doctor preston in the judgment and opinion of all the honest party , and much displeased the prelatical ; and he saw apparently that king james approved not his siding with him ; yet he was more expresse then ever in his affections to him , and freenesse with him . he had indeed a very happy and rare composure of sweetnesse and solidity , would play and dally with the king , as if he were a woman , and yet enquire , and apprehend , and argue counsels and debates of state , as if a burleigh or a walsingham : saw clearly the affections of the king were fading , which the puritans ( though never so much his friends , ) could not repair , and therefore eyed and adored the rising sun , who now was grown , and fit for marriage , but no preparatives to find a consort for him . he knew the spanish match was but a colour , and a treaty dandled between bristol and king james , to fool the prince off , and shut his eares against the french proposals . this he discovers to the prince , tels him kings did not love an heir apparent , how near soever ; that the daughter of spain was designed to a monastery , and kept for a reserve unto the house of austria ; that in france there was a lady much before her ; that if he pleased , he would wait upon him into spain in a disguise , and take the french court in their way , and see that lady , and so discover bristols , and his fathers jugling ; the prince resents and hugs this overture . they tell king james , the earl of bristol and the spanish ministers abused him ; that it was time to bring that treaty to some conclusion , desire they might go into spain , and play the game out . the king saw who had ploughed with his heifer , feared , ( as he was apt to do ) a check-mate ; yet for the present urgeth only his affections to them both , and asketh them how he should subsist so long , without their companies ? but they persisting , signes a warrant with his own hand for jack smith , and tom smith , with each of them a servant and their horses to go beyond-sea . the duke even now was not unmindfull of doctor preston , but leaves order with the dutchesse and countesse of denbigh , to be carefull for him ; and sir ralph freeman having a child to baptize , doctor preston is intreated for to preach , and the dutchesse and countesse were both gossips , who shewed to the doctor very great respect , and gave him hopes of doing good ; and some he did , for he procured by their means , master hildershams liberty , and restitution to his place at ashby de la zouch , and gave great hopes unto good ministers of fairer times , then had been formerly ; only he would relate with much regret , that he often found doctor laud , then bishop of saint davids with them , and therefore doubted of the issue and event . the doctor saw by the debates about the lecture , that he had enemies as well as friends at court ; that the duke was mutable , as well as mortal ; knew that the king abhorred that journey into spain , and would remember it , if able : dulcis inexperto ; cultura potentis amici expertus metuit . and therefore though now he were setled and assured in the university , yet would not leave his lecture at lincolns-inne ; but being still in london in the tearm-time , about the colledge-businesse , continued preacher at lincolns-inne , and thought it might be a good reserve , in case the naughty heads or factions in the court should fall upon him ; and it was well he did , for the prince and duke returned the next october , highly offended with the spanish gravity , and both they and all their train did nothing but tell stories of the spanish basenesse ; so a parliament was called , and the duke cryed up by all the godly party in the kingdome . the spanish agent at the court had order from his master out of spain , for to defie him and protest against him at the counsel-table , but seriously he could not have done him a greater courtesie , for the people universally did hate the spaniard , and now the duke became the peoples martyr . i have seen verses made in his defence and commendation ; and agents presently dispatched in france , to treat of that match . king james liked not this stuff , but the prince was able now to go alone , and especially when he had the duke for one of his supporters ; all things are fairly carried for religion , and the duke of buckhingham , the princes and peoples favourite . the people seemed now to have the better , and the court-affairs for to decline and droop . doctor preston like another mordecai was very great , the prince his master , and the duke his friend , and the courtiers eyes upon him , because they saw he came not thither for preferment , as all men else . pisoni in imperium adoptato nihil in vultu mutatum , quasi magis imperare posset , quam vellet . his honours altered nothing in him , but gave encouragement to all the godly party ; and his sermons at lincolns-inne much wrought upon the parliament , so that a bold petition was contrived and presented to the king at whitehall , from both houses of parliament , april . . against the spreading and increase of popery , and the indulgence given unto priests and jesuites . king james was in the evening of his glory ; his party in the court under a cloud ; another sun almost in view , and the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 , or day-star already risen , and accordingly he answered warily to their petition , bewails his want of information , as the reall ground of this their trouble , which otherwise he had prevented ; acknowledged that whilest the treaties lasted with spain and austria , he was obliged to comply ; but now both being broken off , he would be rigid and severe against the priests and jesuites ; bids them find out a way for to restrain the growth of popery , and he would second them ; but resolves to pay the duke of buckingham for all this , and gives order to the earl of bristol to prepare an information for that end ; but the match with france , and other intervenient accidents obstruct it , for the present . the duke having told tales out of school , and broken off the match with spain , was much obliged to further and promote the french , which he did seriously excuse to doctor preston , upon this ground , that there was not any protestant for to be had : and for to marry with a subject had alwaies been unlucky and fatal to the kings of england ; that the french would not be ridged in religious observations , but the doctor constantly opposed ; only acknowledged this difference , that spanish popery was an absolute ingredient to their intended western monarchy , but french was not so , and so this was lesse evil . but the french found out this obligation , and were untractable , unlesse the duke would aid the king of france against the rochellers : this was a hard chapter for one so much obliged unto the puritans and doctor preston , and he therefore declined all he could , but nothing else would serve , and he knew king james lay ready to take advantages , so in conclusion , eight ships were granted to oppose the rochel-fleet , and many colours sought to cloude it , and hide it from the world , but from that time doctor preston doubted of the saint-ship of the duke of buckingham , whom otherwise he honoured and loved very much . but it was high time for the duke to look about him ; king james was not to learn now how for to play his game , he was an old , but not a foolish king , eccl. . . and therefore failed not to make provision , and lay rods in pisse , that he might use upon occasion . kings use for to account an ague in the spring their physick , yet physick till march be past is not good , but this ague antidates the moneths , and comes in february . the king was then at theobalds , and the ague was made but small account of . he feared death , but was the most impatient and disordered of any living , what rules soever the physicians gave , he would observe none ; which intemperance might very well occasion the growing , strength and vigour of the disease , which howsoever more and more increased , and at last began to be considerable , then he began to take advice and to submit to rules , but now it was too late ; for march . . on the lords day in the morning , about ten of the clock at theobalds the king dies . doctor preston then attended in his moneth , and was sometimes hastened to the prince to comfort him , and sometimes to the duke ; and indeed it was a very mournfull morning . death is a serious thing , and knocks alike at pallaces as at the meanest cottage . king james was very much beloved of all his servants ; some of the huntsmen could not be gotten from him ; the prince and duke were both of them retired and wept exceedingly . but sir edward conwey and some of the lords drew up a wiring , and proclaimed charles steward king , with all his titles ; and hast was made to pack away to london . the prince and duke , and doctor preston in coaches shut down , hasten to white-hall , and there he is proclaimed again with more formalities , and the lord maior and the city sent to , where it was done with much solemnity , and great rejoycing of the people ; for the prince had that exceeding happinesse to come upon the stage unprejudiced . for he had never interposed nor acted , but in the spanish businesse , and that succeeded to his great advantage ; so that if he listed he might have been as popular as ever any were . this fall occasions many alterations in the court ; the bishops generally , and doctor prestons enemies , and all that had contended with the duke were crest-fallen . king james was like enough to have out-lived the duke of buckingham , who had been very sick since his return from spain , but all is altered , and the duke does all . but he had many things to do ; the affronts received in madrid , and at the counsel-table by the agent , were to be sent back by a puissant and mighty navy , and provisions made accordingly . king james to be interr'd ; a parliament to be summoned ; the french lady to be sent for , and brought into england , which the duke especially intended , and spake to all the gallants of his retinue to attend him , and to many other of the gentry and nobility throughout the kingdome . but he found it hard thus in the morning of the kings affairs to be abroad , there being then a parliament , and the sicknesse much encreasing in the city , so he was constrained to employ the earl of holland , and attend himself at home . all were not gratified in this great revolution and mutation of affairs , and the discontented party murmured , and let flie at the duke , and the sicknesse much encreasing , began to make a mutiny , and it was much desired that the parliament might be prorogued till some other more healthfull and lesse dangerous time . but the navy against the spaniards , and the pressing wants of all sorts that depended on the court would not permit ; so it was only adjourned to oxford ; yet there the sicknesse was as soon as they , and some of their members smarted for it , but hast was made to gratifie the new king , and the provisions for the navy went forward , many men ingaged , and the king resolved to attend that businesse , as admitting no delay . there was one thing that invited doctor preston to a journey that year , and that was a strong suspition that the plague was in the town , in which case there is a liberty to dissolve the colledge , without any detriment unto the officers and members of it . he was not willing to omit the opportunity , because he had many invitations into the west . the bishop of salisbury he desired to consult withall , about a book of master montagues , that was commended to him by the duke of buckingham to peruse and give his sense upon it . master shervil the recorder of salisbury was a bencher of lincolns-inne , and a very good friend of his ; he had divers friends at dorchester , and was desirous to be sea-sick , and was still enticed forward , and at last resolved to wait upon the king and duke , at plimmouth , whether they were gone to see the navy set sayl . whilest he was there , the rochel fleet was broken by those ships the king lent , and mounsieur sabeeza came into falmouth with the remainder , and thence to plimmouth , with most lamentable out-cries against the duke , who seemed to be very much affected with it , and made mighty promises of wonderfull repairs , but doctor preston failed not to set that businesse home , he did believe the duke was over-ruled to lend them , and sorry when he saw the sad effects . but whilest the duke was thus detained in the west , the earl of bristol and the lord keeper williams combined against him , and drew in many to their party , among others the earl of pembroke , and divers great ones in the house of commons , and was so incouraged and heartned in it , that the earl of bristol , may . . preferred in the house of lords twelve articles against the duke of buckingham , tending to prove , that the duke had promised unto the pope and ministers of spain , to make the king a papist ; and over-ruled him , against the judgment of the earl of bristol , to write unto the pope with the title of sanctissime pater ; that his carriage in the matters of religion was so offensive , that he stuck not to kneel before the host as often as he met it ; that he was so licentious and unchast in his behaviour , that the spanish ministers resolved not to have any thing to do with him ; that when he could not bring about the match to his own particular advantage , he used means to obstruct it and break it off ; that he had informed king james of all these things , who promised to hear him , and leave the offender unto justice , and that not many daies before his sicknesse . the duke had now reason to look about him , and was very able so to do , and first he labours to divide the party by drawing off the earl of pembroke , by promising his daughter to the earl of mountgomeries sonne , which afterward he did accomplish , then he endeavoured to oblige the puritans , by gratifying doctor preston all the waies he could , and particularly in the businesse of the colledge-suit , by depriving bishop williams of the seal , and giving it to sir thomas coventry , who was one of the colledge-counsel ; yea he went so far as to nominate the doctor to the king to be lord keeper , and the king was so firm to him , that the earl of bristol could do no good , and so withdrew his articles . doctor prestons friends were newters all this while , and looked on , neither engaged for him , nor against him , which was sadly represented to the duke by the bishops and that party , who wondered he should dote upon a man that either could not or would not own him in his need , bad him consider whether puritans were like to be his friends , whose waies were toto coelo different , and told him plainly he could not have them both . if he adhered to those that sought their ruine , they must adhere to such as would support them : so that the duke was in a great strait , and knew not what to do . doctor preston also was importuned to put it to an issue , and if he would not leave the rotten and corrupted clergy , then to leave him , and because there had been informations against that book of master mountagues , they propounded it might come to a debate , and not remain as now it it did , unsetled . the doctor and the duke were both of them unwilling to an open breach , loved for to temporise and wait upon events . but doctor prestons friends would not be satisfied , but urged a conference , whereunto they were incouraged by some orthodox and very learned bishops , and at last it was concluded by two religious noble-men , that a conference there should be , the bishop of rochester and doctor white then dean of carlisle , on the one side , and the bishop of coventry and litchfield , and doctor preston on the other . a day was set , a satturday in hillary-tearm , at four of the clock in the afternoon , the place was york-house , and doctor preston sent to in the morning for to attend it . the noble-men came unto the bishops lodgings , about two of the clock , and sent for doctor preston to them , who gave many reasons why he could not go , but they were resolute , and taking the bishop with them went without him ; but the doctor considering , and fearing his absence might betray the cause , and give encouragement unto the other side , went afterward himself unto the place , and sate by as an hearer silent untill all was done ; but talking afterwards occasionally of falling from grace , the bishop shewed that a godly man might go far and yet return , by the instance of the prodigal , luk. . but doctor white exclaimed against any that should think the prodigal in acts of drunkennesse and whoredome not to be fallen from grace , and urged that of the apostle , rom. . . that those that do such things are worthy of death , that is , said he , in a state of everlasting death , and therefore fallen from grace ; so cor. . , . shall not inherit the kingdome of god ; that is , are not sons , for if sons then heirs , rom. . . but doctor preston answered , that these sins made indeed a forfeiture of all their interest into the hands of god , and he might make the seisure if he pleased , but did not unto those which were his children , and in covenant with him ; as two tennants , by not paying of their rent , or keeping covenants forfeited their leases , yet the lord might seize the one , and not the other , as he pleased . but the bishop and the dean both cried out , this was the way to all licentiousness and looseness . to which the doctor answered , that the seed of god , as the apostle calls it , joh. . . remained in the sinning saint , or sonne , and would repair him ; as in water , there remains a principle of cold , even when it boyleth over , that will undoubtedly reduce it , when the heat and fire is removed , as in peter , david , sampson , and others , was apparent ; so that they could not run out into all licentiousnesse , for the spirit lusted against the flesh , that they cannot do the things they would , gal. . . and though he did not disinherit them , and blot their names out of the book of life , phil. . . yet he might , and would withdraw his favour , imbitter all their comforts , mat. . . raise trouble to them from their dearest interests , sam. . . fill them with anguish , psal. . , . which in reason will keep them from running out , seeing the evil is commensurable unto that good of pleasure or profit their sinne afforded ; and if need be , he can adde unto it eternal apprehensions , and make them feel the fiercenesse of his anger , psal. . , . without any hope of being eased ; and after this can restrain and withhold them , as he did abimelech , gen. . . for if one cease to be a sonne , because he commits a sinne that doth deserve eternal death , then every sinne a child of gods commits , rends his relation or sonship off ; for every sinne deserves eternal death , rom. . . and because in many things we offend all , jam. . . we should be alwaies out of sonship and have neither certainty nor comfort in our estate , unlesse he could give some ground out of scripture , to assure what sinnes put us out , and what did not . the duke had sent to doctor preston to decline this clashing conference , and assured him he was as much his friend as ever , and would have stopt it if he could , but the bishops had over-ruled it , which the doctor at the first believed , and so was backward . but when he saw the confidence of doctor white and his companion , he doubted the sincerity of that assurance , and was afterward informed , that there had been a meeting at the countesse of denbies , and the duke had promised to leave him ; this gave him resolution and encouragement against the second conference , which was managed in a manner by him alone , against master mountague and doctor white . for when the doctor saw the duke begun to double with him , he was less fearfull to offend him , though the duke still carried it , with all the fairnesse that he could , and appeared not in person . when the time came for the second conference , the doctor readily appeared ; and the first thing he charged master mountague withall , was about his doctrine of traditions , which he affirmed he had delievered as grosly and erroneously as any papist , gag . pag. , , . for he justfied that place in bazil , where he saies , the doctrine retained in the church , was delievered , partly by written instructions , partly by unwritten traditions , having both a like force unto piety ; which was so unlike to bazil , and the opinions of those times , that it was generally believed to be put in by the papists of later times . master mountague confessed , it was suspected by some of the preciser cut ; but doctor preston told him , bishop bilson was none of them , yet he did judge it supposititious ; and it must be so , or bazil acknowledged to be erroneous . for he instanceth in praying towards the east , and use of chrisme or oyl in baptisme ; both which being rejected by the church of england , argues they held that place of bazil not canonical . master mountague answered , that 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 there used by saint bazil , might signifie a thing that seemed so , and so the sense might be , that some things that seemed true , of lesse esteem and consequence , might be delivered by tradition , as long as matters more substantial were taken from the scriptures . but doctor preston shewed that 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 signified oftentimes doctrine , and was used here by bazil for those heads of doctrine that were more principal , and lesse exposed , comparing them unto those places in the temple , whereunto the people had not accesse . master mountague answered farther , that his assertion was hypothetical , that if a doctrine came from the same author , it was no great matter , whether it were by writing or word of mouth , for either had the same authority . but doctor preston told him , bazil was positive , and spake directly , and him he justified , and therefore could not be hypothetical , as he pretended . it is a great step unto victory for to divide . paul sets the pharisees against the sadduces , act. . , , . that he might save himself . the jesuites are so good at it , that though they have but one to be their adversary , they will endeavour to divide him from himself , by moving passion , or compassion , or some affection of his own against him . doctor white had openly in the commencement house , maintained that election is not ex praevisis operibus , and therefore doctor preston resolved to pinch master mountague in that particular , that he might bereave him of his animating champion doctor white . there were four several places that doctor preston had observed to make good this charge , the first which he produced , was gag . pag. . some protestants hold , that peter was saved , because god would have it so without respect unto his faith and obedience ; and judas damned , because god would have it so , without respect unto his sin . and added , this is not the doctrine of the protestants , this is not the doctrine of the church , the church of england hath not taught it , doth not believe it , hath opposed it . now doctor white was very fierce and eager to engage , told him it was no doctrine of the church of england , but a private fancy of some , that judas was condemned , without respect unto his sin ; for the wages of sin is death , rom. . . the soul that sinneth shall die , ezek. . . but doctor preston answered , he did not charge that upon master mountague , but the former part of the assertion , that peter was not saved , without respect unto his believing and obedience , and so election should not be absolute , but grounded upon faith and works foreseen . then saith dr. white , i have nothing against that , but leave master mountague to answer for himself . dr. preston was glad that he was eased of dr. white , and yet resolved to make advantage of it , and therefore told dr. white , if he thought election was not ex fide praevisâ , he desired to know whether saving grace were an effect , and fruit of election , or no ? dr. white acknowledged readily it was ; then said dr. preston , whosoever hath saving grace is elected . now you know than an elect person , can never finally miscarry , or fall away ; therefore whoever hath true grace , can never fall away . the old man saw the snare , and would have avoided it , by denying the consequence . but the dr. urged , that wheresoever the effect is , there must be the cause , but saving grace is an effect of election . this dr. white would have denyed , but the hearers murmured that the effect could not be without the cause , as the day is not without the presence of the sun. then dr. white answered , that saving grace was an effect indeed , but a common effect . but dr. preston urged , that it was not more common then election ; for all the elect had saving grace , and none but they ; and therefore they could never fall away . but this ( said he ) is by the way , i will now apply my self to mr. mountague . but when mr. mountague perceived that his great goliah dr. white , forsook him , he was greatly troubled , and cavilled at the words a while , but the book adjudging it for dr. preston , he said , the church of england had not declared any thing against it . dr. preston alledged the seventeenth article , but told master mountague , that he affirmed the church of england did oppose it , and he desired to know where ? but after one of the lords had whispered with mr. mountague , he confessed , that for arminius , he had never read him , and that he had written some things negligently in that book , which he never thought should thus be scanned among friends , and therefore promised to write another book in butter and honey , and therein more exactly for to acquit himself . some of the good lords proposed , that in stead of this book which mr. mountague had promised to write , the synod of dort might be received and established as the doctrine of the church of england , seeing there was nothing there determined , but what our delegates approved . but dr. white opposed this mainly ; for ( said he ) the church of england in her catechism teacheth to believe in god the sonne , who redeemed me and all mankind , which that synod did deny . dr. preston answered , that by redemption there , was only meant the freeing of mankind from that inevitable ruine , the sin of adam had involved them in , and making of them savable upon conditions of another covenant , joh. . , . so as now salvation was not impossible , as it was before the death of christ , but might be offered unto any man , according to the tenor of that commission , mark. . , . which could not be unto the devils , for they were left in that forelorn condition , whereinto their sin and disobedience put them , heb. . . pet. . . that the jaylor was a boisterous bloody fellow , act. . , . yet paul makes no doubt for to tell him , vers . . that if he believed on the lord jesus , he should be saved with his house . but dr. white in no sort received this , but affirmed earnestly , that christ died for all alike in gods intention and decree , for cain as well as abel , for saul as much as david , for judas as much as peter , for the reprobate and damned in hell , as well as for the elect and saints in heaven . but dr. preston answered , that there was a speciall salvation afforded to believers , tim. . . that christ was indeed a ransome for all , tim. . . but the saviour only of his body , eph. . . that he redeemed all , but called , and justified , and glorified whom he knew before , and had predestinated to be conformed to the image of his sonne , rom. . . . that to whom in this sense christ was given , to them were given also all things appertaining unto life and godlinesse , pet. . . as faith , pet. . ● . phil. . . eph. . . repentance , act. . . tim. . . a new heart , ezek , . . his spirit , gal. . , . so that nothing can be charged on them , but jesus christ hath undertaken , and is engaged to discharge them , rom. . , , , . so that they can never perish , nor be taken out of christs hand , joh. . , , . but as they are begotten again unto a lively hope , pet. . . so they are kept by the power of god through faith unto salvation , vers . . whereas judas was lost , joh. . . and is gone to his own place , act. . . and there are many nations and people of the world , that have no outward offer made unto them in the gospel , psal , . , . act. . , . and those that have it , have not hearts given them to understand it and believe it , deut. . , , . esa. . , . mat. . , , . and therefore they are lost , cor. . , . and are damned , thes. . , , . for he shewed that in adam all men were lost , rom. . . and none recovered but by christ ; therefore such as had not christs intercession , could not recover ; but christ prayed not for some , joh. . . and therefore such could not be saved , heb. . . dr. white acknowledged there was a difference ; for though all had so much as by good improvement might serve their turn , yet the elect had more , for god abounded towards them , eph. . , . rom. . , , . as all the troop have horses , but the officers have better . both travellers have staves to leap over the ditch , but the one a better and stronger then the other . the worst had grace enough to keep corruption , and the renitency of their natures down ; but the elect , such as would do it easily ; for christ had tasted death for every man , heb. . . and died for those which yet might perish , cor. . . and bought those , that yet brought upon themselves swift damnation , pet. . . because they did not husband and improve the favour offered to them . dr. preston answered , that christ was in himself sufficient to save all , and might be said to be provided for that end and use , as a medicine is to cure infected persons , though it cure none actually , but those that drink it , as prosper . habet in se quod omnibus prosit , sed si non bibitur non medetur . as joh. . , . but many did not thus apply christ , because they had him not so offered and exhibited as others had , mat. . . luk. . . for god gave some faith and repentance as we have shewed ; as the serpent moses was commanded for to make , was in it self sufficient to cure those that were bitten , numb . . , . yet cured none , but only those that looked on it . so as moses lift up the serpent in the wilderness , shall the son of man be lift up , that whosoever believeth in him should not perish , but have life everlasting , joh. . , . but dr. white urged that place esa. . . that god had done all he could , but they neglected and rejected the counsel of god against themselves , luk. . . dr. preston answered , that god had done all that they could challenge of him , for he had given them in adam power , eccl. . . and proposed another way of mercy in a mediatour , and therefore he appeals to any one that was indifferent , esa. . . but this was unto israel , he dealt not so with other nations , psal. . . beside , he had done what he could , without reversing and rescinding his decree , joh. . , , . for otherwise he could have given them the same spirit of faith , cor. . . the like gift that he did unto others who believed on the lord jesus , act. . . could have wrought in them both to will and to do according to his good pleasure , phil. . . could have healed them as he promised , esa. . . and as he did persecuting saul , tim. . . but god had other ends , rom. . . and attributes , rom. . . which he was willing to discover , prov. . . but dr. white asked how then he could require faith and repentance , mark. . . act. . . which was all one , as if he should require one to give his judgment and opinion of a colour , that had his eyes shut , and then shut his eyes as fast as he could . dr. preston answered , that he might do it to shew and discover our impotency , as we bid our little children rise , that by their own fault fell , that we may let them know their inability , and be the more beholding unto us to help them up , as mark. . , . and because the call and command of christ is the vehiculum and conduit-pipe of strength and power , act. . . joh. . , . as lazarus , joh. . , . thus god by bidding and commanding men to take grace , doth thereby fit them and enable them to do it , as that creeple , act. . , , . was by the command inabled ; so saul , act. . . being commanded to receive his fight , was inabled the same moment to look upon him ; and so vers . . being commanded to wash away his sins , had the blood of christ provided ready for to do it . so these commands are not like those the apostle speaks of , jam. . . for here is something given ; when god bids , he doth not , verba dare , sed rem . but it was further urged by the doctor , that god had no pleasure in the death of wicked men , ezek. . . but that he would rather they should repent and leave their sins , ezek. . . and vers . . if therefore god were not ready to the utmost of his power to give them grace , he could not be excused from dissembling and double-dealing . but dr. preston answered , that superiours may command unable persons for many reasons , but cannot be said for to dissemble , unless they refuse to give when the required condition is performed . as if i bid one come unto me , and i will give him six-pence , if i refuse when he is come , i did dissemble ; but if he comes not , he cannot charge me ; for their not coming may be for want of will , joh. . . as well as for want of power , joh. . . now if i know a creeple will not come , though he could , i may punish him for it . it 's true , god delights in nothing but himself , his joy and comfort , is terminated only in himself , not in the creature , but as some way served and represented by it ; for god made all things for himself , prov. . . yea for his pleasure , rev. . . that is , the exercise and illustration of some one of his attributes ; as his power , exod. . . rom. . . his wrath , rom. . . never did strong man glory of his strength , more then god doth of his soveraignty and omnipotency , job . , , , , . now , if it fall out , that in the illustration and exercise of these his glorious attributes and excellencies , some creatures smart , yet he delights not in their smart and sufferings , but in the demonstration of his own omnipotency . ahashuerus makes a feast to all the states and orders of his kingdome , to shew the riches of his glorious kingdome , and the honour of his excellent majesty , esth. . , . this was not done without the smart and suffering of many of the creatures , yet he delights not in their sufferings , but in his own magnificence and bounty . when christ was at the feast , joh. . , . he doth not condole the death of all those innocents that went to make it up ; qui fruitur poena , ferus est : but rejoyced in the good cheer , and good will of the friend that bade him . there were few present of doctor prestons friends , and accordingly this conference was represented and reported with all the disadvantage that could be to him ; insomuch that many parliament men that were his friends , were much offended at it ; which occasioned him as soon as he came to cambridge , to write the several passages , and send them to those friends that were unsatisfied . but it was an evidence that the duke and dr. preston were not so great , but that he sticked to the prelates , and would in the issue leave dr. preston and the puritans , which much abated good mens affections to the duke ; and it was believed that he had no such footing in the kings affections , as he did pretend unto : posteà maecenas speciem potius , quam vim tenuit in amicitia principis . they thought his greatnesse began to languish ; and it was believed in the university , that there was another favourite in being , though yet obscure : for the earl of suffolke much about this time died , who had been a long time chancellor of the university of cambridge , and great meanes was used to set the duke up for to succeed him ; but good men were fallen off , because of his deserting dr. preston , and others did believe his glory was departed ; and so the earl of berkshire , the former chancellors second son , was set up against the duke , and many visited for him that loved greatnesse , and were servants good enough unto the times ; and it 's believed , it had been carried for him against the duke , if the wisdome of dr. goffing , then vice-chancellor , and some others in the scrutiny had not prevented it ; but it was pronounced for the duke , and great care was taken for the investing of him in a very solemn manner . a representative of the university is designed to attend him at york-house in their habits , and a sumptuous feast provided for their entertainment ; the duke sate in the midst of the table among the doctors , where , by some body , there was an health begun unto the king. when it came to dr. preston for to pledge it , he was uncovered and bowed as others had done , but drank but very little , and so delivered it unto the next ; but one of the doctors took notice that he drank not all , and told him , he had seen him drink as great a glass of wine , and did believe he could have drunk this if he would , but that he loved to be singular . the dr. acknowledged he was not skilfull in the laws of drinking healths , and therefore if he had offended , he desired it might be imputed to his ignorance ; but he thought the end was to shew respect unto the persons named , which was done best by the ceremonies that preceded , as being bare , standing up , and such like ; wherein ( he said ) he had not willingly offended ; but if it were an engine to court-intemperance , and engage men unto greater quantities then themselves liked , it fell short of that modesty and freedom of the heathens , esth. . . and was a sin in all , but in men of their degree and rank and an abominable wickednesse . the duke misliked this incivility , and frowned on the doctor that occasioned it ; but it was believed it could not have been done , without assurance that the dukes affections were ebbing towards dr. preston . and no wonder ; for his end being to make impressions of good upon the court , he could not but see , if they did not succeed , they would recoil . if you manure and sow your land , if the seeds subdues it not , and conquers it , it is enabled to bring forth the stronger weeds , heb. . , . if your pearles be cast before swine , they will also turn again and rend you , mat. . . the duke had now seen the worth and way of dr. preston ; he had found that he could not winne him , and make him his , he could not therefore in the way of policy , but labour and resolve to wrack and sink him . when herod was convented by prevailing conquering augustus , for his great assistance of mark anthony his adversary , and knew it would be in augustus power to take his head off , he setled his affairs , but gave peremptory order that his beloved mariamne should be put to death ; for this only reason , because another should not enjoy so great a beauty . so the duke would not another should enjoy the great abilities of doctor preston , but was resolved to break him if he could ; yet in a civil court way . but the doctor was too knowing , not to see this afar off , prov. . . quae alii levia faciunt , diu patiendo ; ea sapiens , diù cogitando : and had accordingly provided a succession of reserves , wherein to hide himself . the first and surest was his conscience , cor. . . this is our rejoycing , the testimony of our conscience , that in simplicity and godly sincerity , not with fleshly wisdom , but by the grace of god , we have had our conversation in the world . if a man be wellcome into his conscience , he need not fear the stormes and blusters that he meets abroad . in te recedas , cum cogeris in turba esse . when a man is forced to be where he would not , as peter was foretold he should be , joh. . . yet he may in despite of them retire into himself . paul made it his businesse to have his conscience alwaies void of offence , act. . . and so did dr. preston ; for though his actings , being many of them above the common size were not alwaies understood , and very often mis-interpreted , yet he was innocent and upright alwaies in them . an undeniable argument whereof was , that he never sued for the least preferment , as we have said , but studied , and often consulted , how without breaking , he might avoid them . and though he lived like himself , and gave relief to others , yet it was ever of his own , as very many yet alive can witness . and indeed he was a man of very much communion and sweet society with god ; prayed much in private , and by himself , besides as tutor with his pupils , and after , as master in his family . whatever weakness he was in , or business did occur , kept many private daies of fasting by himself , especially before the sacraments and sabbath-daies ; and accordingly enjoyed a constant clearnesse and assurance of his justification , and interest in the blood of christ ; even then , when frailties and infirmities did most of all afflict and wound him . he never ( that i know , ) was troubled or perplexed about adoption , though very often about the imperfection of his graces , and the unconstancy of sanctification ; so as he studied most exactly that treatise of the saints infirmities , and there is nothing in all his works that may more properly be called his . his next retreat was lincolns-inne ; for now he said , the duke was chancellour , and would endeavour to ingratiate himself , and be a benefactor ; and had bought erpenius manuscripts , and did verily intend to found a library ; and so it would be easie , and in his power , to out him of the colledge and university . for there was a resolution in some of the fellows , to petition the duke without him , and to annul the statute of continuance or commoration in the colledge ; yet he conceived the lawyers would pretend a kind of freedom and exemption . for he saw , when that holy blessed dr. sibbs was outed , both of fellowship and lecture in the university , yet by the goodnesse and prudence of sir henry yelverton , that constant patron unto godly ministers , ( a vertue yet running in the veins of his posterity ) he was received and retained at grayes-inne unto his death ; therefore he would in no sort leave his title unto , and interest in lincolns-inne , but reserved it in his power unto his dying day . but he knew kings had long hands , and that the dukes were nothing shorter ; and that lincolns-inne , though a great deal stronger and better built then grayes-inne , yet would not hold out long , in case the duke should seriously beleagure it ; therefore he pondered of removing farther off if need were . and having weighed all retreats , resolved upon basil in the switzers countrey , as a place which the longest handed kings had seldome touched , even when it was a receptacle of their greatest enemies ; and therefore he resolved , in case he could not be free in england , to settle there , and spend the residue of his surviving dayes , in writing what he was not suffered to preach , or had not published according to his mind . he was naturally very affable and courteous unto strangers of any countrey , and by conversing much with them , endeavoured to preserve his knowledge in the french and italian languages . but after he had thus resolved upon basil , he was very friendly to all he germans , that were dispersed from several universities , especially from the palatinate ; for whom he procured several sorts of entertainments , both in the countrey abroad , and in the university ; for which , as he had very many gratulatory epistles from particular persons , so one of note from the king of bohemia , under his hand and seal . but he knew that these were but the foxes earths , that might successively be taken and possessed . he therefore also thought upon that unum magnum of the cat , or rather of the holy ghost , prov. . . the name of the lord , that is , the goodnesse , mercy , power , of the mighty god ; where he was well assured , he should for ever be free enough from kings and dukes . yet these did no way retard his industry in using means . obstructions quicked industrious and active minds , but damp and clog the dull . there is a statesman of no mean esteem , that writes professedly against the use of cittadels and forts , because it makes the souldier lesse resolved in engagements . and the spartans were forbidden to wall their city , because it would incourage cowardise . but it did not take off dr. preston from his duty . for finding that his standing at court was untermined , he resolved upon buttresses to underprop him in the countrey . there was in the countrey of northampton , a gentleman of very able parts , and clear affections to the publick good , no stranger to the court in former times , nor to the duke of buckingham , with whom the doctor used to communicate affairs , and who was then a parliament man of much esteem ; to him , the doctor in a letter discovers all , shews him the hopelesse posture of the duke , how much they both were disappointed in him ; layes some directions what to do , and urgeth activenesse . this letter by a sad misfortune was let fall , by him that was intrusted to convey it , about temple-bar , and handed from one to one , untill it came to sir henry spillers ; who having viewed and pondered the contents , concluded it was a purchase that would ingratiate him unto the duke , and so immediately presents it to him . the duke was troubled to read his faults and face so shrewdly intimated and presaged . his temper was exceeding good , and he could mannage his affections many times , with much serenity and moderation ; but now he was quite off , and could not think of any thing but a revenge . i have not known any thing so trouble and afflict the doctor as this did , that the duke should have his hand against him , and that he had involved so good a man to whom he wrote . but it pleased god to cut the duke out other work ; for the cry of rochel , and the protestants of france , was so exceeding great , and so much resented by the parliament , that the duke resolves to vindicate his honour by relieving them . and whilest he was busie to set that fleet out , and furnish forces for surprizing the isle of rhees , he could not undertake that work of revenge intended against dr. preston . but the doctor thought not that he had done enough , unlesse he proclaimed in the pulpit what he had often told the duke in private ; according to that command of christ , mat. . . what i tell you in darknesse , that speak you in light ; and what you hear in the ear , that preach on the house-tops . as chrysostome to his people ; cum verum singuli audire non vultis , publicè audietis . when the french match was concluded , he preached that sermon of the pillar and ground of truth , against the mingling of religions , and mixing truth with falshood ; and shewed how impossible it was to mingle truth with errour , or make up one religion of theirs and ours . for , should they leave out any tenet of their church , it would follow , that the church , in that , before had erred ; and so that pillar would be overthrown , on which have hanged so many necessary points of popery . neither could we part with any one truth ; for religion is of a brittle nature ; break it you may , bend it you cannot . it cannot be accommodated to respects of policy , and interests of states and and kingdomes ; but as elements , when mingled in a compound body , do close their proper formes . so religions , when made ingredients , and compounding parts of any other , do lose their formes , and cease to be religions in gods account , kings . , . pillar and ground , pag. . and when the rochellers were in distresse , and laid their ruine and disasters at our door ; fathered their losses and calamities on us ; he preached that sermon of the new life , where page . we have these words : we cannot stand alone ; what measure we mete to others in their distress , men shall measure the same to us in our necessity , luk. . . and how soon the fire may take here also , we know not . and pag. . if any be an impediment , nay , if any do not do their best ; i pronounce this , in the name of the most true god , that shall make it good sooner or later , that they and their houses shall perish , esth. . . the court was hood-wink't in all these comminations ; for by church , they understood the prelates and their party ; and the king thought if he adhered to them , and did their work , he was absolved . but those that read the commentaries that have been written since in red letters , will have occasion to believe the contrary . and when the duke was in the isle of rhees , in which voyage he had engaged many of his very good friends , and much of the nobility and gentry of the kingdom , the doctor preached that sermon , called the demonstration of the deity , where page . ye have these words : it is certain , that evil is intended against us , and will come upon us , except something be done for to prevent it ; for there is a covenant between god and us , and breach of covenant causeth a quarrel ; now the quarrel of god shall not go unrevenged . lev. . . i will send a sword upon you , which shall avenge the quarrel of my covenant . gods quarrels are not rash and passionate as mens are ; and therefore he will not lay them aside without some true and real satisfaction . if we will not believe his word , yet will we not believe his actions ? are not our allies wasted ? are not many branches of the church cut off already , and more in hazard ? in a word , have not our enterprizes been blasted , and withered under our hands for the most part ? have not things been long going down the hill , and are even now hastning to a period ? this sermon was preached to the king at whitehall , on the lords day , and on the wednesday following , the news came of the total routing of our army in the isle of rhees ; which was such a ratification of his prediction , but the sabbath day before , as made many to believe he was a prophet ; and they called him micaiah , because he seldome prophecied good unto them . and dr. neal , then bishop of winchester , said , that he talked like one that was familiar with god almighty . and they were the more affected with it , because the doctor had another course to preach before his moneth was out , ( for every chaplain was to preach twice , once upon the lords day , and also upon the tuesday ; ) but the doctor was desirous to exchange his course upon the tuesday , for a sabbath-day . so dr. potter preached on the tuesday , and dr. preston was to preach upon the lords day following , and was resolved to proceed on the same text , but to handle a point relating to the third verse . for having shewed in this sermon , that things were not done by chance , but by god ; he now resolved for to shew , that god did things that men do not look for . which being known among the bishops , and they affrighted with that disaster at the isle of rhees , they interceded with the clerke of the closet , that ( seeing dr. prestons turn was past already , and this was dr. pottors ) another might be put up , and he deferred till another time ; which was consented and yeilded to : and so upon the friday before , a messenger was sent unto the doctor , to tell him , that another was provided to preach for dr. potter , and he might spare his pains . the dr. wondered at the providence ; for he was resolved fully to have said that in that sermon , if he had been suffered , that would in reason have deserved micaiahs entertainment , kings . . but god was mercifull unto him , and used his enemies as instruments to save him from the danger . it would have damped some men to be thus refused . he might have said with him , mat. . . behold , i have prepared my dinner , my oxen and my fatlings are killed , and all things are ready . but he considered what he had preached before , that a sparrow fell not to the ground without gods will. that his will and resolution for to sacrifice his all , was now accepted as abrahams was ; that his sermon , whilest an embryo , and only in intention , had an efficacious operation upon the auditory . for as they had shewed and discovered their fears , so good men did their joys ; and the sermon was more talked of at court and in the city , then any sermon that ever he had preached before . for all men enquired what the sermon was , that dr. preston was not suffered to preach ; and many wise men were perswaded , that it did more good , then it would have done , in case it had been preached . so that in stead of being damped and dejected at the affront , he was enlivened and encouraged : repulsus generoso excitatiram , languido tristitiam . i never knew him come home from the court more satisfied , then he did this time , nor more encouraged in his ministry at cambridge ; for he was then upon those sermons of the attributes , that since are printed , and god was greatly with him in them . those fellows at emanuel , that had been active in making of him master there , were much satisfied , because the doctor never would consent to the annulling of that statute , de mora sociorum in collegio . for he was convinced , that the founder had added it upon very weighty grounds ; and he saw it was a meanes to make the fellows preach , and look abroad , and lesse intend the actings of the master ; that young schollers were heartned in their studies , with hopes that there would be preferments ready for rhem . and it was ordinary among the scholars , to observe how long some fellows were to stay . therefore observing these affronts at court , they petitioned the king , that that statute might be abrogated . the duke was glad of this occasion to be revenged upon his old friend dr. preston , and did embrace it with all alacrity . commissions were dispatched for to hear and consider their allegations , and many meetings and debates were had about it ; in which it was acknowledged , it was a statute of equal power and validity with the rest , though added three years after ; and upon that , one of the fellows that had petitioned fell off . the doctor used all his friends , for to support and keep in power and effect this statute , and found very many very forward to assist him in it ; but above all , a very noble grandchild of the founder yet living , did much encourage and enable the defence : for though a courtier , and much obliged , yet adventured , and waved all his interests , rather then he would behold his grandfathers pious and prudent care so overthrown . so a temper was at last agreed on , that it should be suspended from effects in law , untill six livings of an hundred pounds per annum , should be annexed to to the colledge . the soul is the undoubted soveraign of the body , and hath therein despoticum imperium , an absolute and uncontrolled jurisdiction ; and in case of injury or over-burdening , there is no action lies . but souls should consider , soft and fare goes far : qui vult regnare diù , languidâ regnat manu . it was hobson that told the scholars they would come time enough to london , if they did not ride too fast . it was incurable in this good man to over-ride himself ; for the body is pars compositi , when it is tired , we cannot take a new one at the next stage , as we do horses . but he thought all was one ; some lived as much in seven years , as others did in seventy . non diù vixit , sed diù fuit was his opinion of many men : that our life is like to iron that will consume with rust , as much as employment : vita sicut ferrum , exerceas , vel perit . these were his principles , and his actings were according ; the most unmercifull unto his flesh of any living . and it 's true , that not time , but action should be the metwand of all mens lives . non annos meos , sed victorias numero : not how long i have lived , but how ? yet god doth usually allow his dearest servants time to do their work in . moses years of age , deut. . . david an old man before he dies , chron. . . paul aged , phil. . notwithstanding all his labours and activity ; but the doctor had a shorter period put unto his daies : all mens is set , job . . . his was short . it was no disparagement to good josiah to die about the doctors age , chron. . . our glorious king edward , that scarce out-lived his minority , out-stripped notwithstanding all his longest living predecessors in doing good : god that had set his time , hastned his service , and so he did the doctors . his preaching and studying labours were exceeding great ; but that which spent and wore him , was his care and troubles for the churches safety and prosperity ; often he would inculcate that , cor. . . that which cometh upon me daily , the care of all the churches . when his body therefore began to be sick and languish , he was content a little to abate and take off , and thought a counttey house in some good air might help , as formerly it had done ; and accordingly took one at linton , near the hils about six miles off , which he furnished and purposed to be in all the week , and come on saturdays to preach upon the lords daies ; and had this course been taken time enough , much might have been . but now he feared , sollicitude would but be changed into solitude , the air of subitable converse he doubted would be wanting there ; and being alone , he saw , would too much gratifie his melancholy ▪ the spring therefore approaching , he was willing to consult with some physicians ; and london being far off , he sent to bury for dr. despotine . his present malady was want of rest , which now tobacco would not help him to , as formerly it had done ; and therefore he proposed letting blood . the doctor plainly told him , that might perhaps allay his heats , and purchase sleep ; but if it were within the verge of a consumption , it would be fatal to him . he was inticed notwithstanding with the deceitfull hopes of present ease , and so was let blood , but never lived to repair that losse . for sinking more and more , he went to london , and took advice of those that were best acquainted with his state of health ; by their advice he retired a little unto newington , unto a loving friend of his that lived there , and then to harefordshire unto a thinner and more penetrating air . the malady they all agreed was in his lungs , which were not ulcerated neither , but obstructed and opprest with stiff and clammy matter , that he could not void , and perspiration was that he wanted , and they supposed a penetrating air might do the cure ; but that was found too searching and corrosive for the other parts , which were pervious enough and penetrable . he therefore thought upon northamptonshire , his native countrey , which would in reason be most propitious unto him . however he would leave his breath where first he found it , and thankfully return what had been serviceable now along time to him . he had at preston four miles from heyford , a very dear and bosome friend , that was ambitious of entertaining good men ; old master dod was but a mile off , being seriously invited thither , he pitcht upon it , where he enjoyed with great contentment , what air , converse of friends , and loving entertainment could afford , and at the first was much refreshed by it ; but nature being spent , and no foundation being left to work upon , all his refreshing quickly flagged . he had before made use of dr. ashworth , and he was one of much experience , and knew his body well ; therefore he thinks of riding over unto oxford to him , which he did , and there continued about twelve daies , and consulted with such as were there of any note . men die and perish when their time is come , as well errore medici , as vi morbi . doctor ashworth was perswaded that the scorbute was his disease , and that the london-doctors had all mistook their mark , and therefore pitcheth upon applications suitable : a great errour for so experienced and grave a doctor . desire of restitution into a state of health , made shift to flatter him into belief it was so . the old man upon this perswasion , comes over unto preston with him , strains and steeps scurvy-grass , and gives him drenches able to have weakned a stronger man then he was now ; and having stayed and tampered with him about three weeks , and finding nothing answer his expectation , he takes his last leave of him , giving such order and direction as he thought good , and so leaves him , and returns to oxford , july . . when this dream and fancy of the scorbute failed , and dr. ashworth was gone , he resigned up himself to god alone , and let all care of physick and the doctors go . he had a servant who had been laborious with him , and whom he often used as a friend ; he would say , servi sunt humiles amici was very true of him . to him he therefore now unbosomed himself , not only touching the vanity and emptinesse of all things here below , but his own belief and expectation of a suddain change ; not of my company ( said he , ) for i shall still converse with god and saints , but of my place , and way of doing it . his will was made ( as we have said ) some years before , but he was doubtfull , if it come to proving , it might be baffled and affronted , and therefore purposed to wave it , and make a deed of gift to him that was in that will his executor , with such restrictions and limitations as he thought good , all which he set down with his own hand ; wherein he carefully provided for his mother during life , and both his brothers . his books , and all the furniture and goods belonging to , and in his lodgings at emanuel-colledge , he gave one of his pupils that was fellow there , whom he alwaies greatly favoured . some exhibitions he gave scholars there to be disposed of from time to time , by him that was executor . and as he truly valued , so he liberally rewarded his servants faithfulnesse , who liveth yet in very good condition and reputation ; of whom is verified what is said , prov. . . whoso keepeth the fig-tree , shall eat the fruit thereof ; so he that waiteth on his master , shall surely come to honour . and having thus discumbred himself of worldly cares , he took care for the places he now possessed , prayed for the colledge , that it might continue a flourishing nursery of religon and learning , told those about him as david before his death , chron. . , , &c. what he had done towards that goodly building since erected , and what care he had taken to get those rectories in the kings letter mentioned , whereof we spake before ; prayed god to furnish lincolns-inne from time to time with able preaching ministers , and so the lecture at cambride , that had cost so much trouble in the procuring . then for his sermons , that they might not come into the world like vagabonds ; but seeing the father lived not , to see them setled and provided for , those would be carefull whom then he named , and is long since intimated upon occasion . in all which great things god hath so answered him , as i think no man was since elisha , king. . , . the night before he died , being saturday , he went to bed , and lay about three hours desirous to sleep , but slept not ; then said , my dissolution is at hand , let me go to my home , and jesus christ who hath bought me with his precious blood . and so lay still as in a slumber , till about two of the clock in the morning ; then drinking and resting on his servants armes , he fell into a cold and clammy sweat , which he told them was the messenger of death ; and so continued for about two hours very silent . about four of the clock , he said , i feel death coming to my heart , my pain shall now be quickly turned into joy . and so his friends were called that were present in the house , who spake unto him , but had no answer from him as they were used to have . they kneeled all down , and a reverend divine there present prayed . when prayer was ended , he looked on them , and turning away his head , gave up the ghost . it was about five a clock on the lords day , but to him an everlasting sabbath . he never ( by his good will ) rested that day , since god was truly known unto him untill now ; god gave him therefore now an everlasting rest . no man deserved better funeral solemnities . but master dod was much against it ; and his friends at cambridge , who did highly honour him , and desired nothing more , then to have waited on his dust unto its long home , were now obliged to attend the election of another master , that they durst not so much as make it known , or do any thing , from which it might be gathered . so he was buried decently , but without state , in fawsley church in the county of northampton . old master dod , the minister of that place preached , and a world of godly people came together , july . . being within a little of one and fourty years of age . dr. preston just before his death , asked what day it was , and being answered , that it was the sabbath day ; a fit day ( said he ) to be sacrificed on : i have accompanied saints on earth , and now i shall accompany angels in heaven . also , mrs. chaterdon telling him of his preaching so profoundly on gods attributes , he answered ; if it shall please god to prolong my life , i will make all so plain , that every one shall be able to understand it . this life was written by my reverend friend , master thomas ball of northampton . the life of master arthur hildersam , who died anno christi , . arthur hildersam was born at stetchworth , near new-market in cambridgeshire , octob. . he was sonne of thomas hildersam of the said town ( a gentleman of an antient family ) and anne poole his second wife , daughter to sir jeffery poole , fourth sonne to sir richard poole , ( who was cousen germane to king henry the seventh ) and margaret countesse of salisbury , that was daughter to george duke of clarence , ( the second brother to king edward the fourth ) and isabel the eldest daughter and co-heir of richard the great earl of warwick , and salisbury . thus much for his birth . for his education ; in his childhood he was brought up in the popish manner ; taught to say his prayers in latine , both his parents and their kindred , specially his mother , being zealous papists . when he was to be sent abroad to school , his fathers aim was only to send him to a good school , where many gentlemens sons were taught ; but god so ordered it , ( by his good providence ) that his father unawares placed him at saffron-walden school in essex , with one master desborough , a godly man , and a religious protestant , who taking great affection to him for his wit and disposition , was very carefull of him , and taught him not only that humane learning that was fitting for his years , but the grounds of the protestant religion . this his school-master , was the first blessed instrument that god was pleased to make use of , to work in him a liking and relish of the reformed religion . he continued with him , till he was fit for the university , which was not long . for when he was but about thirteen years of age , he was placed by his father ( the good hand of god still over-ruling him ) with a very godly and religious tutor in christs colledge in cambridge , where he concontinued till after he was master of arts , where he gained much love and esteem for his piety , learning , ingenuity , affability and harmlesse inoffensive witty converse . mr : arthvr hildersam being in this dejected and forlorn condition , god that comforteth those that are cast down , comforted him by meeting with mr. john ireton ( then fellow of christs colledge , after rector of kegworth in leicestershire , a man famous for piety and learning ) in london , who at their meeting , said unto him ; arthur , why art thou so long from thy book , and losest so much time ? alas sir , said he , i shall go no more to cambridge ; and thereupon told him his condition , and the occasion of it . be not discouraged , ( saith master ireton ) thou hast a noble kinsman , whom i will acquaint with thy case : and i doubt not but he will provide for thee . accordingly master ireton soon after went to the right honourable henry earl of huntingdon , lord president of the north ( whose mother and master hildersams mother , were brothers children ) and representeth to him the sad condition of his poor kinsman : the noble earl gladly embraced this opportunity of doing good ; and sent for him , encouraged him , promised him maintenance , and gave order to master ireton to send him back to cambridge , and to place him with a good tutor ; for ( said he ) i suppose his father did place him with a papist . but when master ireton assured him the contrary , he gave order he should go to his former tutor , of whose love to him , and care of him , master hildersam was wont often to speak . when master hildersam was master of arts , he was soon after to common-place , [ a colledge-exercise in divinity , not different from a sermon , but in length ] he being loth to adventure upon that exercise , intreated one of the fellows ( his special friend ) to supply his place the first time ; but he , out of love , refused to gratifie him in that , and wished him to remember one master sidney zouch , master of arts of that colledge , who getting one to supply his place the first time , and hearing afterwards some of his own year perform that exercise so well , that he despaired of doing the like ; could never after , be perswaded either to common-place , or preach , though he were a very able scholar . the first time he was to common-place , he was much afraid ; but observing that there sate a very godly man ( his friend ) on th' other side of the chappel , he thought that that man prayed for him , which much encouraged him . he was of so good repute for his piety and learning , that by the major part of the fellows he was chosen fellow of that colledge ; but dr. barwell ( the master ) making use of his negative voice , stopped him ; and the matter came to the visitors , two of which , viz. doctor perne , and doctor goad , favouring his competitor , master willet , ( who was afterwards doctor willet ) made him fellow . not long after , he was chosen divine of trinity-hall in the said university ; where he continued till septemb. the , . at which time , by the foresaid right honourable earl , he was called to be , and placed preacher at ashby de la zauce in leicestershire . the impropriate tithes of the same parish being setled upon him for his life by the said earl , and continued to him by the favour of the two succeeding earls , george , and henry , untill his death . he hath given publique notice to the world , of his duty and thankfulnesse to that noble house , in his dedicatory epistle to his lectures on joh. . january . . he married mistresse anne barfoot ( daughter to master barfoot of lamborn-hall in essex , who was a very loving and carefull wife of him , and the like mother of his children ; ) she survived him about eight years . he was silenced in june . and restored again in january , . he was instituted and inducted into the vicaridge of ashby , octob. . . he preached at the assiises at leicester in the time of a great dearth , july . . a godly , learned , zealous , plain , and powerfull sermon , upon those words , king. . , . and it came to passe when ahab saw elijah , that ahab said unto him , art thou he that troubleth israel ? and he answered , i have not troubled israel , but thou and thy fathers house , in that ye have forsaken the commandements of the lord , and thou hast followed baalim . in the handling of which text he so offended judge aderson , that he manifested his anger and displeasure , both by his countenance and gesture , arising to go away ; but master hildersam speaking some words unto him with ministerial authority , he stayed till the sermon was done . after sermon , the judge would have had the grand-jury to have indited him ; but in those daies , it would have been hard to have found a grand-jury in leicestershire , that would have done that . some further and greater danger master hildersam was in , by reason of that judges displeasure for that sermon ; but god in mercy prevented it . in the year . there was an attachment sent out of the high-commission for his apprehension . in the beginning of king james his reign , when many petitioned for reformation , ( which petitions were very modest , and moderate , subscribed by above seven hundred and fifty godly able preachers , in but twenty five counties ; which petition was directed to the parliament , and other petitions to his majesty , and the lords of the council , and to the bishops : ) he with some few others of his brethren , were chosen , and chiefly intrusted to mannage that important businesse , to prosecute the petitions , to solicite the cause ; and if required , to dispute it . and whereas there were some appointed to deal ( for those that desired reformation , ) in the conference at hampton court , he , with master stephen egerton of london , and master edward fleetwood of lancashire , delivered to them some ten demands and requests , made by thirty reverend ministers , in the name of themselves and many others , which they intreated them to solicite his majesty for , in the behalf of the church . he was deprived and silenced by william chaderton , then bishop of lincolne , april . . for refusall of subscription , and conformity ; yet after some time , by the connivance and favour of william overton , then bishop of coventry and lichfield , he preached sometimes in that diocesse , specially at those two famous exercises at burton upon trent in staffordshire , and repton in derbyshire , which were the meanes of great good to the souls of many , both ministers and private chaistians in the parts adjacent . he was the main upholder of these two exercises for many years . in january . by the favour of william barlow , then bishop of lincolne , he was allowed to preach again at ashby aforesaid , where he began his lectures on john . . january . and continued that lecture weekly on tuesday , till novemb. . . these lectures being one hundred and eight , he published in his life time , . having them all written by himself , before he preached them ; which course he took when he began those lectures , and continued it to his dying day , blaming himself much that he began it no sooner , and by that neglect , both himself and others were deprived ( in a great part ) of the benefit of his former labours . novemb. . he was silenced by richard neales meanes , then bishop of coventry and lichfield , who complaining to the king of him , the king commanded the arch-bishop , to write to the bishop of lincolne , to send for master hildersam , and to silence him , which was accordingly presently done . the occasion of bishop neales complaint to king james was this : one edward wightman , a damnable heretick ( afterward burnt at lichfield for blasphemy and heresie , ) dwelling in burton upon trent aforesaid ; and coming sometimes to the exercise there , the bishop and his friends gave out , that wightman learned his opinions ( at least that of the souls sleeping ) of the puritans , and at the aforesaid exercises , and of master hildersam by name . bishop neal informing king james of this , the king commanded him , ( when he went into the countrey ) to send for master hildersam , and to hear what he could answer wightman in this matter . the bishop accordingly sent for master hildersam , but would not hear his defence till wightman came . wightman being called to his second publique hearing , novemb. r . . ( in the hearing of more then five hundred people ) charged the bishop with sundry wrongs he had done him , naming this for one ; that he had given it out , that he had learned his opinions from master hildersam : whereas i professe ( said he ) he never taught , nor confirmed me in any of them ; but was of all men ever most opposite unto me in them , and caused mine own friends to reject me for them . master hildersam had long before in a private conference , in the presence of master aberly the minister of burton , ( who had intreated him to take some pains to reclaim wightman , ) shewed him that his opinion of the souls sleeping , was directly repugnant to the holy scriptures , and an heresie long since condemned in the church . the places of scripture he urged against him , were these , luk. . , . & . . phil. . . soon after , he received a letter from wightman , march . . and perceiving by that , and the report of others , that he grew more and more obstinate in his errours , and laboured to draw others unto it , master hildersam took occasion in the next exercise held at burton , viz. upon march . . publiquely and at large to confute his errour ; the text that fell out that day to be handled , leading him directly unto it , viz. heb. . . above a moneth after the said exercise , viz. april . . wightman sent him another letter , wherein he revileth him for the said speech , at the said exercise , and took upon him , after his manner to answer it . yet after this , viz. november . . before the bishop , he impudently avouched to master hildersams face , that at the conference forenamed , he should say , that the whole drift of the scripture indeed , did make for the opinion of the souls sleeping , but that the church had otherwise judged of the matter . master hildersam did protest , that he never spake or thought so ; and offered by oath , or any other means that should be required to avow , that he ever held this his opinion , to be directly contrary to the scriptures , and a most detestable heresie : master aberly also , who was present at the conference , was ready to depose that master hildersam spake no such thing at that time , but the direct contrary . so that not only the rest that were there , were fully satisfied ; but the bishop himself also openly professed , that he was assuredly perswaded , that wightman had greatly wronged him in this that he had said of him . thus was master hildersams innocency cleared in a publique audience , during the time of wightmans trial at lichfield ; yet he remained under the censure of silencing , which was procured to be inflicted on him upon this occasion ; and the two forenamed exercises were put down . concerning which , all the chief gentlemen of worth in those parts , certified unto the arch-bishop bancroft a little before his death , that the profit which that country ( which above most other places of the land besides , was known to stand in great need of such means of instruction ) received by them was exceeding great . master hildersam continued silenced a long time , yet could not live peaceably from men , though he lived quietly with men . for december . . letter missive were sent out of the high-commission court , requiring his appearance there ; accordingly he appeared . april . . at which time he was judicially admonished and injoyned , that ( saving the catechizing of his own family only ) he should not at any time hereafter preach , catechize , or use any part of the office , or function of a minister , either publiquely or privately , untill he should be lawfully restored and released of his said suspension . in the spring , . he fell into a violent feaver , which held him long , the malignancy of which , struck up into the roof of his mouth , and the gristle of his nose , which endangered him much ; but by the blessing of god , upon the care and skill of physicians and chyrurgeons , he was recovered . in easter term . by letters missive he appeared in the high-commission court again , which committed him to the fleet , ( for refusal of the oath ex officio , ) where he continued a prisoner divers weeks ; at length he was removed by habeas corpus unto the kings bench , where he continued a great while . in both places , he endured imprisonment three moneths . then he was delivered out of prison , upon bond to appear the first court day , term. mich. . but by dangerous sicknesse ( whereof affidavit was made in court , ) he was hindered from appearing at that time . september , , . . the commissioners , doctor lamb , master owen , master middleton , and others sate at ashby , to examine witnesses to prove the articles exhibited against master hildersam , and his neighbours , master dighton , and master holt , where the deponents were , many of them , professed adversaries , specially master hacket , ( then vicar of ashby ) who was the principal accuser and informer of the court against them ; and so his testimony ought not in law to have been received against them . it might well have been discerned by the disposition of many of the deponents , what little credit was to be given to them ; and that master hildersam might have had the most odious and capital crimes desposed against him by such witnesses , who did not only in matter of fact affirm upon oath , that which all the parish knew to be notoriously false ; but did also take upon them to know and deliver upon their oath , the reason and ground of his pretended practice , which ( they having ever been , as all the neighbours knew , meer strangers to him ) was impossible for them to do it . the next term the cause came to be heard and censured ; but master hildersam hearing of the heavy sentence against master dighton , and master holt , november . . ( viz. to return back to prison , there to remain till they conformed themselves ; they were also fined a thousand pounds a piece , pronounced excommunicate , and ordered to be so publiquely denounced , and injoyned to make their submissions , in conceptis verbis , in three several places ; and lastly , they were condemned in expences and costs of the suit ) concealed himself , and did not appear at the day of his calling and censuring , but did eight daies before send a copy of his answer to the several points that were desposed against him , to his advocate , doctor hussey , to be shewed to the court ; which answer , in the judgment of rational , honest , indifferent men , was full and satisfactory . to instance but in the proof of one article , and his answer thereunto . one george reding deposed , that upon palm-sunday was two years , he was one of those that came up to the communion-table in ashby church in several companies , and ( though master hacket had before given warning , that he would admit none that would not receive it kneeling ) refused so to receive it , but would have received it standing , and when he could not have it so , yet stood still among them that kneeled , till the communion was done . to which disposition master hildersams answer was , that it is notoriously known to all the inhabitants at ashby , that i was at that time sick in my bed , and for many weeks before , and after , utterly unable to stir out of my chamber ; neither did i ever at any other time present my self in that manner to the communion-table , neither doth master hacket , or any other deponent charge me with any such matter . and this fellow that hath devised this against me , ( whereof there was no colour at all of truth ) would in all likelihood have sworn any thing that might have done me hurt , if he had been required to do it . notwithstanding this his answer to that , and his answer to all the rest , delivered as aforesaid to his advocate , the court proceeded to censure him , november . . whereby he was pronounced a man refractory and disobedient to the orders , rites , and ceremonies of the church of england . and because he yet refused to submit himself , and to joyn in the administration of publique prayer , and divine service and sacraments , as they are here lawfully administred ; therefore he was by the court pronounced a schismaticall person , and a schismatick , and thought well worthy of severe punishment . and in respect that he was the prime ring-leader of all the schismatical persons in that countrey , both of the clergy and laity , he was first fined two thousand pounds to his majesties use , pronounced excommunicate , and ordered to be so publiquely denounced ; as also was ordered to be attached and committed to prison , and so to be brought before the commissioners , to be degraded from his ministry ; and was further ordered , to make his publique submission conceptis verbis , ( as shall be prescribed him by this court ; ) and lastly , he was condemned in charges . when he heard of this terribly cruel sentence , it was his wisdom now to conceal himself , which accordingly he did for a long time in the city ; and god so hid him under the shadow of his wings , that his adversaries could not meet with him . during this time of his keeping close , one master john hartly , one of the elders of the english congregation at leiden in holland , came with letters of credence from the congregation , making offer to him of the pastors place , then vacant ; which he resolved to have accepted of , had not his wives unwillingnesse to go over the seas , retained him here . the foresaid fine of two thousand pounds was estreated without abatement into the exchequer , march . . whence several processes were issued to the sheriffs of leicestershire , to enquire of his estate ; but they , by several returns , answered , they could find none . at length , the said fine was begged and granted by his majesty , king james , under the great seal , to master williams , page to the ( then ) marquesse of buckingham ; whereupon master hilderdsam compounded both with him , ( giving him a great summe of money , ) and with the registers also of the high-commission court , for their part of the fine , and obtained a discharge from them both . i suppose it will be hard to find that any man was before , or scarce hath been since in that court , so deeply fined , and heavily censured , meerly for his judgment and conscience ; having done nothing either factiously , or contemptuously against that government , and those orders of the church , that were then established . he was indeed alwaies from his first entering into the ministry , a resolved and conscientious non-conformist , as appeareth by the foregoing story , and so continued to his dying day , witnesse that clause in his last will : i do hereby declare and protest , that i do continue and end my daies , in the very same faith and judgment , touching all points of religion , as i have ever been known to hold and profess , and which i have , both by my doctrine and practice , and by my sufferings also , given testimony unto . he was a great admirer , follower , and friend of master thomas cartwright ( famous for religion and learning ) who left his papers to master john dod and him , to peruse and publish what they thought fit . though he himself was a constant non-conformist , yet such was his ingenuity and christian charity , that he respected , esteemed , and was very familiar with those he knew to be religious and learned , though of another judgment . he did alwaies oppose the separation of the brownists , and the semi-separation of master jacob , with whom , as also with some ring-leaders of the former sort , he had divers conferences and disputes . he is called by doctor willet ( his contemporary , and sometimes competitor ) the hammer of schismaticks , whom they commonly call brownists ; as you have it in j. c. his epistle to the reader , before the forenamed lectures on john . that is , master john cottons of new-england , ( his dear and familiar friend , ) who there expresses his high opinion of the authour , those lectures , and his treatise of the doctrine of the lords supper , printed . annexed to a little treatise of the like argument , set forth by a godly learned man ( his intimate friend ) master william bradshaw , of which treatise of master hildersams , master cotten gives this testimony : that it hath been of singular good use to many poor souls for their preparation to that ordinance . and in very deed ( saith he ) those questions and answers do more fully furnish a christian to that whole spiritual duty , then any other , in any language ( that i know ) in so small a compass . master cotton also mentioneth in the foresaid epistle , a letter of master hildersams , to a gentlewoman , against separation , which , without his consent , a separatist ( master francis johnson ) printed and refuted ; which ( saith master cotton ) hath so strongly and clearly convinced the iniquity of that way , that i could not but acknowledge in it , both the wisedome of god , and the weaknesse of the separatist ; his wisdome , in bringing to light such a beam of the light of his truth , by the hand of an adversary , against the authors mind ; and the weakness of the other , to advance the hand of his adversary , to give himself and his cause such a deadly wound in open view , as neither himself , nor all his associates can be able to zeal . his judgment and testimony of the author , and his lectures on john . you may read in that epistle . in a private letter of his from boston , february . . to him ; he mentioneth a letter he received from a dutch minister in london , ( one timotheus van ul-eren ) who telleth him , he had sent sundry of the books on iohn . to ministers beyond the seas , who do read them with such great satisfaction , that the said dutch minister did , in the name of many others , intreat master cotton , to beseech master hildersam to put forth his sermons on psal. . and other his lucubrations . and accordingly master cotton in that letter writeth thus ; since the sermons already on part of the psalm , do arise to a just and full volume , be intreated to hearken to the desires of so many at home and abroad , and give them leave to be doing good , whilest the rest are preparing . you have cause to love the lord your god with all your might ; and therefore , since those sermons might be shewing your love to god in working his work , before their fellows , do not hold back any part of their service to the church , for the present time . this his request he renewed , in another letter of iuly . . having mentioned the testimony and judgment of the reverend master cotton concerning master hildersam and his labours , whom in his reply to master roger williams answer of his letter , p. . he stileth a man of a thousand ; i shall insert another testimony of a man deservedly famous in the church , doctor preston , then fellow of queens colledge in cambridge , concerning the formentioned lectures on iohn . he having long desired , at length obtained of master hildersam the copy of them , which he kept a long time , and perused , and being desired to deliver his opinion of them , in his letter to the author , november . . speaketh thus : i will say to you faithfully and ingenuously what i think , without adding a word more then mine own heart is perswaded of . first in general , for putting them to the presse , i do not only think that they are worthy of it , but so far as any intreaty of mine might prevail , i should presse you to it , as depriving gods church of a very great benefit , if you should refuse . in particular , besides the profitablenesse of the matter , these two things i observe in the reading of it : first , throughout the whole carriage , there appeareth a continued strength ( that i may so call it ) without any failing or deficiency , without any inequality , unevennesse of deformity of some parts with the rest . secondly , it is presse and succinst ( though large ) the things choice and pertinent , and throughly depending each on other . in brief , so it is , there is nothing that need be added , and nihil quod amputem . so that when i went about to take out some things for mine own use briefly , i could not almost tell what to leave out . to say all in a word , sir , i do think it is such , as will answer to your name , and such as men would look for from you . there are very few writings , but wherein we commonly see some failings in these two particulars , which i mentioned . besides , the method i much like , as very judicious ; which hath not ruled you , but you it , in a seasonable changing it , as your matter lyeth , so casting the frame of it , that it extorteth not more then is necessary from you , nor cutteth off any thing that you would deliver : which one precise , uniform method strictly kept , often doth . i hope it will be a good help to ministers when they read it , and bring the metod of doctrine and uses into more credit . these are doctor prestons own words in his letter . unto this ample and laudable testimony given , by these two worthies , this may be added , that his most grave and authoritative manner of preaching , did give an edge and excellency unto his ministry . though master hildersam , in the judgment of these eminent divines at home and abroad , and most others that knew him , were a man of such worth and ability , and whose labours were so usefull in the church ; yet was he for a long time , by the then prevailing power in the church , cast aside like a broken vessel . after his censure in the high-commission court , he lived privately a long time , sometimes in the city , sometimes in the countrey . he was alwaies , whether silent or having a liberty to preach , a constant student ; when he was in the countrey , and had conveniency of place and weather , he used to walk alone every morning near an hour , to meditate . in the morning he read constantly a chapter , whence he gathered some observations , and wrote them in a book , with the reference to some common-place in the margent , which he referred to his common-place book by numbers . the like he did out of many books that he read ; in others which he read , he referred the most observable things in them to his common-place book , by the pages in them . as he was much in secret prayer , so was he fervent therein ; yea frequent in holy ejaculations audibly expressed , as was observed by some godly friends , whose occasions brought them often near to the place where he studied . he was alwaies a diligent frequenter of the publique assemblies , whether he were in the city or countrey ; he used often even in his old age to write sermons in the church . he so highly prized the ministry of the word , that he would often say , he never heard any godly minister preach , though but of weak parts , but he got some benefit by him . he sojourned in many families , and alwaies by his godly and amiable carriage , got love and esteem of all in the house . in all places where he did reside , or whether he came occasionally , he was alwaies helpfull in family-prayers , in expounding the scriptures read , and in the repetition of the sermons preached in the publique congregation ; being also willing by private conference to instruct the ignorant , to satisfie the doubtfull , to settle the wavering , to comfort the dejected , and to encourage all sorts in the exercises of religion . he was much in the house of mistresse katherine redich of newhall in derbyshire , ( widdow to alexander redich of redich in lancashire esquire , his bosome friend ) his antient acquaintance , and constant dear friend to his death , who survived him not above eight daies ; the grief for his death hastening ( as it was supposed ) her end . in her house at hamstead near london , august . . he fell sick of a violent feaver , which put him into such danger , that the physicians doubted of his recovery ; he over-hearing some intimation of it , when he thought none were in the room , the curtains being drawn about his bed , he was over-heard by one in the room , to speak audibly those words of psal. . . i shall not die , but live , and declare the works of the lord. at that time there was as little hope of his preaching , as of his recovery . but god , in great mercy , soon after restored him both to health and liberty . the next year , viz. june . . he was licensed by doctor ridley , then vicar-general to the arch-bishop of canterbury , to preach in the diocesse of london , lincoln , and coventry , and lichfield under the seal of that office . by vertue of which license he began to preach , august . . in ashby church aforesaid , those eight sermons on psal. . . concerning fasting , prayer , and humiliation for sinne , which were published since his death , viz. . according to his own copy left under his hand , by his son master samuel hildersam . september . . he began his one hundred and fifty two lectures on psal. . published in the like nature , . after the last forementioned licensing , he was silenced again , march . . by notice given him from the court at leicester of the kings instructions , for every lecturer to read service in surplice and hood , and he began to preach again , aug. . . and so continued till december . . which was the last sermon that he preached . soon after he fell sick of his last sickness , and discerning it to increase , he sent for his forenamed sonne dwelling at west-felton in shropshire , fourty nine miles from ashby ; he with his wife came to him withall convenient speed , january . and stayed with him till his death . their company and attendance at that time ( as alwaies formerly , ) was very contenting and comfortable . and of his daughter-in-law ( who was by himself propounded as a meet wife for his dearest son , and in whom he ever took much delight ) he was heard , with affection to ingeminate these words , never man had a kinder daughter-in-law . his disease ( though not discerned to be so at the first ) proved the scorbute , the which being a dull and melancholick distemper , indisposed him to speak much ; yet , as he shewed wonderfull patience through his whole sicknesse , so he used many holy and heavenly expressions to those that attended him , or came to visit him , who ( he being so much beloved and honoured in the countrey ) were not a few . he suggested unto some dear friends , his fears that wolves would ere long come in amongst them , and thereupon earnestly exhorted them to continue stedfast in the truth , which they had received . and occasion being given to mention those words , tim. . . how shall he take care of the church of god ? looking to his son , he said , oh son , son , that care of the flock , is the main thing . the most godly people in those parts , his constant hearers ( who had been either converted to christ , or edified and confirmed in grace by his ministry ) being very sensible of the great losse , which not themselves only , but the whole church of god also would sustain by his death , ( that they might not seem negligent in the use of any means within their reach , to prolong his life and their own comfort ) did resolve amongst themselves to set apart a day , that they might solemnly in publique seek the lord by fasting and prayer in his behalf , wherein they had the hearty help of master simeon ashe , both in the morning and afternoon by sermons , and supplications , who did more owe himself unto master hildersam , then to any other man , having been first placed in the university , under the tuition of famous master thomas hooker , fellow of emanuel colledge , and afterwards directed and encouraged in his ministry , by his great care and love . march . being the lords day , he grew very weak , and was prayed for in the congregation in ashby church , both at the morning and evening exercise . his sonne prayed with him divers times that day , and whilest he was praying the last time , he departed , and slept in the lord , between nine and ten of the clock that night , viz. march . . thus he who had diligently heretofore , kept the holy rest of the sabbath , did in the close of the sabbath rest from his labours ; and having glorified god often , both in publique and private , on that day before , was at last on that day received into glory . master herring ( his dear and familiar friend ) being then at coventry , was sent for the next day , and came and preached the lecture in ashby church on tuesday , march . in the morning , ( master hhildersam having taken order in his will , that there should be no funeral-sermon at his burial , ) and then spake like himself , holily , discreetly , learnedly , and affectionately , concerning the losse that that congregation , the countrey and whole church had sustained by the death of him that was lately dead . in the afternoon of that day , his body was born by neighbour-ministers to the grave , accompanied by a great multitude , both of ministers and others , who expressed much sorrow and lamentation . he lived in ashby aforesaid for the most part ( yet being often forced to remove his dwelling ) of fourty three years , and six moneths , with great successe in his ministry , love and reverence of all sorts . he was very charitable to the poor himself , and in exciting of his auditors to contribute towards their relief . in few countrey-congregations in england the collections for the poor were so large , as they were at the quarter-daies at his lectures . the losse of poor ashby by his death , was exceeding great ; for he was the peace-maker amongst neighbours , and the patron of the poor ; wickednesse was checked , and godlinesse cherished by his great care and wisdome . he was a friend to every one in a good cause , and it was his unwearied delight to be christianly seviceable in any kind . he lived to a great age , ( considering that his pains in preaching did ordinarily weaken him so much ) sixty eight years and five moneths ; yet this happinesse god vouchsafed to him , which was more then ordinary , that he out-lived not his parts , but as his graces increased towards his end , so his abilities of invention , judgement , memory , elocution decayed not in his age . he left a precious memory behind him ; had letters of commendation written in the hearts of many , of which some live here , some in glory . his books will prove more durable monuments of his name , then that his sonne erected for him in ashby church . and yet his name , with the lively picture of his person , lives in his worthy son , master samuel hildersam , whose learning cambridge knew , while he was fellow of emanuel colledge ; and whose present ministerial labours , and pious conversation at west-felton in shropshire , do perpetuate the honour of his reverend father , whose very memory he doth much reverence , and whose rich vertues , both personal and ministerial , he doth happily imitate . and his good help from his fathers papers , and other waies , hath most conduced to the drawing up of this faithfull relation , that god may be glorified , and many souls may be edified by this famous example , thus presented unto publick view . dr. taylor the life of doctor thomas taylor , sometimes pastor of aldermanbury london , who died anno christi . thomas taylor was born at richmond in yorkshire , of worthy and godly parents : his father was recorder of that town , and a very gaius or onesiphorus to the silenced ministers of england , and to the exiled ministers of scotland . he brought up divers sonnes into the ministry . this sonne of his ( as the other ) was of a child trained up in the holy scriptures , which are able to make wise to salvation . afterward , as age came on , he was well grounded in other learning , and was sent to cambridge , where he became fellow of christs colledge , as one that should do the lord christ abundance of good service . he was there most painfull and unweariable in the study of tongues , arts , sciences , all sorts of exercises about them ; and especially for divinity , which was his profession . one while he was hebrew reader to the colledge . being soon ripe , he entred into the ministry at the age of one and twenty years . in queen elizabeths time , he was called to preach at pauls crosse , and preached the sermon in king james his time . in the course and work of his ministry , he spent thirty five years , with all diligence and painfulnesse , even to the very end , when by right he might have spared himself ; living in all sincerity and godly purenesse , with entire love of souls , with all watchfulnesse , with meeknesse , wonderfully quickned with zeal . he was an utter enemy of popery , arminianisme , antinomianisme , and other sects which crept up in those times , as appeareth partly by his writings . amidst all his pithy discourses , he was also an excellent and nimble orator , and wound up his matter with a good farewell , even when at times it was but ordinary . and from this course he would scarce suffer himself to be withdrawn at any time , to refresh his spirits by a little freedom . yea , sometimes when he was drawn forth into the countrey for recreation , by the solicitation of gods people , he escaped not without his usuall burden : or he spent his vacant time in preparing books for the presse , which were both many and very usefull , and will be to posterity ; who have cause to blesse god , who giveth gifts to men , and publique mindes , that they may profit farre and near , both hearers and strangers , all debtors to him . and men of understanding observed a great seal put to his ministry , in several places whereto he was called : some converted , others confirmed , others comforted in the way of god : and in these times of division wherein many professors have turned into by-waies , those that were his constant hearers , continue in that way stedfast and unshaken in faith and love , which is in christ jesus . yea at reding there was a generation of young preachers , who under his ministry grew up in knowledge and holinesse , and some eminency of gifts , profiting by him and his pains there ; and some professe it at this day : perhaps also in the great city of london , and at cambridge . neither was he altogether for the publick , but pious in private ; and not only in the course of his family , but in keeping fasts among the godly of the place , which in those daies was something a dangerous exercise . and , to make them solid professors indeed , he put them upon a weekly way of handling chatecheticall points of divinity ; that is , every week to conferre of one of the heads of religion , according to the catechisme subjoyned to mr. dods treatise on the commandments , still proving the doctrines by testimonies of scripture . for other personall qualifications , he was a man full of love , alms-deeds , and mercifull consideration of the needy , though not with a trumpet . and he was a man blest of god with all the blessings of wisdome , prov. . . length of daies , riches and honour . he had every where both godly and great friends , and is likely still to have , among those that shall converse in his worthy works . in that his holy and blessed course , he drew on toward his end . it was his clymacterical year of . having over-laboured himself with preaching in the city , he betook himself to his countrey-house at isleworth , to be a little refreshed . but having inflamed and corrupted his blood by preaching , he soon fell into his mortall disease , a pleurisie ; for curing whereof , though no meanes were wanting , yet the desired effect ( through the counsel of god ) followed not . in the beginning of his sicknesse he set his house in order most holily , and as became so worthy a father ; and then bad farewell to all , as one throughly prepared for his departure ; full of faith and patience , and joy in the holy ghost , a great help in that acute disease : carefull of the welfare of the church at home , then in danger to be corrupted ; grieved for the evils he knew in some mens dealings : rejoycing greatly ( in the midst of the apprehension of death ) for the happy proceedings of the heroicall king of sweden , then victorious in bavaria . and once when he was told , he must a little help himself by cheerfulnesse , he fell into a most contentfull discourse of those noble deliverances and victories , and more would have spoken , if weaknesse had permitted . but especially his joy in god , and in the conquest of christ : oh ( said he ) we serve a good lord , who covers all imperfections , and gives great wages for little work ; and in mercy he hath provided for me some of the greatest . with other holy speeches , full of faith and joy , which his infirmity would not suffer him to utter perfectly . in which manner he languished by degrees , and at last on the lords day , being the usuall day of his principall labours , he was dismissed of all , and went to keep a perpetuall sabbath in heaven ; where now he resteth from his labours , and his works follow him , even a full reward in endlesse glory , which eye hath not seen , nor ear heard , neither can enter into the heart of man to conceive , what things those are which god hath prepared for them that love him . the life of master hugh clark , who died anno christi . hugh clark was born at burton upon trent , in the county of stafford , august . . of honest parents , who were very carefull of his education , both in religion and learning , and when he was fitted for the university , they sent him to cambridge , where he was admitted into jesus colledge under the tuition of master duport , ( afterwards doctor duport , and master of that colledge ) in that place he followed his study very hard , and his proficiency was very exemplary ; but after two years and an half , the air not well agreeing with his constitution , he removed to oxford , and continued there till he was master of arts. he was a good logician , and a very acute disputant . the first place that he was called to exercise his ministry in , was about oundle in northamptonshire , where he met with a people , that for the generality of them , were very ignorant and ungodly , and much addicted to the prophanation of the lords day , by whitson-ales , morris dancing , &c. which sinnes master clark in his ministry much set himself against , endeavouring from gods word to convince them of the evil , and denouncing gods judgments in case of their obstinate perseverance in such provoking courses ; but they , having been alwaies trained up in such practices , and having their hearts hardened against admonition , still persevered in their former courses ; and that the rather , because they were opposed by the word of god therein ; but the judgment of god found them out for this their wickednesse . for shortly after , on a lords day , the leader of the dance , being a lusty young man , in the midst of their prophane pastimes suddainly fell down and died . yet these obdurate persons ( though a little affected for the present ) soon shaked off their fears , and returned to their vomit again . master clark the sabbath following , took occasion from this sad dispensation of god , to shew them the greatnesse of their sinnes , and how highly god used to be displeased with those which took liberty to prophane his holy day , withall quoting , jer. . . if thou wilt not hearken unto me to hallow the sabbath-day , &c. then will i kindle a fire in the gates thereof , and it shall devoure the pallaces of jerusalem , and it shall not be quenched ; opening , urging , and pressing it home upon their consciences : yet still they kicked against these warnings , and the evening following , returned to their sports again . amongst these there was a smith that was a chief ring-leader ; but it pleased god the very next day , that two husbandmen coming to his shop to sharpen their plough-shares , a spark from the red hot iron as he beat it on the anvil , flew into the thatch , which both the smith and his neighbours saw , and stood gazing upon it , and might at first with one of their fingers have pulled it down , that thatch being low , but god took away their power of moving towards it ; so that they saw it at first burn like a candle , then like a torch , and presently the whole shop was on a fire , and the men running out , both shop , house , and all the smiths goods were consumed in the fire , and yet a neighbours house that stood very near it escaped . the second remarkeable judgment was again by master clark pressed upon their consciences , yet nothing would prevail , but as if they had made a covenant with death , and were at an agreement with hell , they still persisted in their ungodly practises , and god who threatens to walk contrary to them that walk contrary to him , pursued them with one judgment after another ; and amongst others , this was very remarkable : that upon the sabbath day , which they had highly prophaned , by drinking , dancing , &c. in the night , when they were retired to their several homes , there was heard a great noise , and ratling of chains up and down the town , which was accompanied with such a smell and stink of fire and brimestone , that many of their guilty consciences suggested unto them , that the devil was come to fetch them away quick to hell . this so terrified and wrought upon them , that they began to give better heed to the ministry of gods word , and to break off their prophane courses for the greatest part , so that there was an eminent reformation wrought amongst them ; at least , sixteen of those poor souls being effectually wrought upon , and brought home to christ ; and some others that relapsed to their former waies , god pursued them with his judgments till he had brought them to beggery . during master clarks abode in this place , he had experience of gods gracious protecting him from the rage of some desperately wicked men , and amongst others , this is very remarkeable : master clark , having on a day pressed gods judgments against some sins , that he saw some of the people much addicted to , there came the next morning , a lusty young man [ a serving man ] to enquire for him , as desirous to speak with him . master clark being made acquainted with it , sent for him up into his chamber , and knowing his vitious life , took occasion sharply to the reprove him , and to tell him of the danger that he was in by reason of the same , in case he persevered in his lewd courses . this round and faithfull dealling , through gods mercy , wrought so effectually upon him , that falling upon his knees , he intreated him to forgive him : master clark answered , that he should beg pardon at the hands of god , against whom he had sinned , for he knew not for his own part , wherein he had offended him ; yea , said the other , i have not only offended god by sinning thus and thus against him , but you also ; for i came hither with a full resolution to stab you with this dagger here at my back , but god hath so overawed my spirit , that i have not had power to move an hand , to acccomplish such a wickednesse ; and this resolution of mine , proceeded from the sermon which you preached yesterday , which so terrified my conscience , that my whole body fell into such a trembling , that i was not able to sit , whereupon i rose up , and set my back to a pillar to stay me , yet neither would that prevail to stay my trembling , &c. but now if you please to forgive me , i shall , by gods grace , never entertain any such desperate thoughts again . maher clark freely forgave him , and after some wholesome and seasonable admonitions , dismissed him . about this time , the schism and errors of the brownists began to spread in northamptonshire , and master clark had many bickerings and disputations with some of the chief of them , whom he mightily confuted , and through gods grace , reclaimed some of them . anno . he was sent for by roger wigstone esquire , who lived at woolstone in the county of warwick , by whom he was chosen to succeed master lord , an able and eminent divine in the pastoral charge in that place , and having preached sometimes amongst them , he was freely chosen by the people also . then having his presentation from master wigston ( who was a gentleman of eminent piety in those daies , and a great friend to godly ministers . ) he went to doctor overton , bishop of lichfield and coventry , for his institution ; but the bishop having designed the living for one of his chaplains , he endeavoured to perswade master clark to desert his title to it , promising that he would remember him when some other preferment should fall . master clark considering his fair and direct call to the place , and therefore hoping that god had a work for him to do there , he absolutely refused to gratifie the bishop in his request , telling him , that he could not with a good conscience do it , and therefore importuned him for his institution . then did the bishop set his acutest chaplains upon him , to examine and dispute with him , hoping thereby to get some ground of exeception against him ; but when that prevailed not , he framed other excuses to defer the instituting of him , one while alledging that his register was not with him , and then that he had so many daies allowed by the law ro make enquiry after him . and hereby he made master clark to ride three or four journeys without attaining his desire , and this the bishop did , that the living might fall into the lapse . master clark perceiving his drift , told him , that if he refused any longer to grant him institution , he would bring his quare impedit against him , which occasioned the bishop at last to grant it him ; but withall , he sent at several times , sometimes an apparitor , sometimes one of his chaplains , and other subtill persons to attend his prayers and sermons , to see if they could catch any advantage against him , and upon trivial occasions cited him oft to his court , and thereby much molested him . at last the bishop himself being at coventry upon a sabbath day , he with some of his servants came in the morning to woolstone , being but four miles off , and coming into the church , he set him down in a seat just before master clark , none else of the congregation knowing him . master clark seeing the bishop , abated nothing of his zeal and fervency in preaching and applying of the word ; insomuch as the bishop being much netled by the sermon , shifted and shufled up and down , as if he had sate upon thornes ; an honest man by , observing it , fetched him a quishion , first to sit on , and then another to lean on , but yet the bishop seemed very restless . the sermon and prayer being ended , the bishop said openly , this is an hot fellow indeed , but i will coole him . master clark hearing it , replyed , my lord , if i have not fa●thfully delivered the truth of god , i beseech you declare what i have said amisse , that i may make my defence here before my people . the bishop answered as before , you are an hot fellew indeed , but i will coole you ; and so departed . master clark replying , it 's good to be zealous in the work of the lord. after this the bishop picked a quarrel against him , and suspended him from preaching , whereupon master clark used to expound the word ; then did the bishop suspend him from expounding ; whereupon he catechized with exposition and application ; then was he suspended from catechizing also . whereupon at the usuall times , in the church , he caused an honest man , that was his neighbour , to read a chapter , and at the end of every verse , to ask him the meaning of it , and what instructions and uses might be gathered out of it . this so angred the bishop , that he proceeded to excommunicate him . whereupon master clark repaired to doctor whitgift , arch-bishop of canterbury , and from him procured his absolution ; and as he returned homewards , about dunstable he met bishop overton going towards london , to whom he shewed his absolution , and so went on in his ministry as before . this so irritated the bishop , that he still suborned some to watch him in all his publike prayers and sermons ; about which time the persecution growing hot against the non-conformists , master clark in his prayer , requested of god to forgive the queen her sins , though in modest expressions . this the bishop being informed of , and supposing that he had now gotten that advantage , which he had long waited for , he charged master clark with treason , and caused him to be committed to the common jayle in warwick , where he lay ( bail being refused ) till the assises ; and then the bishop caused him to be arraigned at the bar , and had so exasperated the judge against him , that he would have had the jury to find the bill . but it pleased god to stir up the heart of a noble gentleman , a justice upon the bench , from that good report which he had heard of master clark , to stand up , and publiquely to tell the judge , that before master clark should have any wrong , he would kneel before the queen for him . this so prevailed with the jury , that he was acquitted . upon his release , master clark repaired again to arch-bishop whitgift , complaining to him of all this wrong which he had received from the bishop ; the arch-bishop ( very worthily ) sent for the bishop , and upon a fair and equal hearing of the businesse betwixt them , he enjoyned the bishop to go down , and in master clarks church , upon a sabbath day , before the congregation , to acknowledge the wrong which he had done him , which the bishop accordingly did perform , and ever after upon all occasions was master clarks great friend so long as he lived . not long after , the devill stirred up new adversaries against him in his own parish , his ministry being very quick , powerfull and searching , so that some wicked persons that found themselves to be galled by it , railed upon him , threatning to kill him ; so that mr. clark , being a strong lusty man , for a time walked not abroad without his rapier in his hand , for his own defence . at last , one of these wicked men , whose conscience the ministry had galled , vowed his death ; and as master clark was coming from coventry , he way-layed him in a wood. master clark in the evening came alone homewards , with nothing but a wand in his hand ; whereupon this man rod up to him , and falling into discourse with him , master clark took the opportunity to reprove him for his disordered life , and so laid open gods judgments due to him for the same , that he fell into a great trembling , confessed his intention to have killed him , and begged pardon . yet still he persisted in his wicked waies , and gods judgments found him out at last ; for though he had a very good living , yet he fell into misery and want , and died in warwick jayle for debt . master clark had in his parish a chappel of ease , which had two townships belonging to it , one of them two miles from the parish church , the chappel it self near two miles from it , and the profits of both ( the tythes being impropriated ) scarce amounting to a competent maintenance for one man. master clark was fain to supply them both himself . and indeed god had extraordinarily fitted him for it , having given him a very strong , able , and healthfull body , so that for the greatest part of his life there , which was about fourty four years ; he rod four times a day winter and summer between the two churches , read the word , and preached four times a day , administred the sacraments , and performed all other ministerial dutyes in them both . he preached uppon several texts in each of the churches , so that divers godly persons , old and young , went betwixt the two churches , hearing several sermons to their great profit and comfort . besides this , every holiday he supplied both the churches , sometimes preached , but constantly expounded in each of them , and for the most part twice a day also ; and god so blessed his labours , that he begat many sons and daughters unto god. he was very carefull in the education of his children , first to train them up in the knowledge and fear of god ; for which end he would take all opportunities to whet the word of god upon them , when he lay down , and when he rose up , and as he walked by the way , &c. and god so blest his labours , that he lived to see , to his great comfort , the work of grace wrought in the hearts of all his seven children . and next to this , his care was to train up his children in learning , and to honest callings ; often saying , that if he could leave them no other portion , yet he would give them that education , that they should be able to get their own livings in any part of the world , where god should cast their lott . towards the latter-end of his life , came forth the book for recreations on the sabbath day , and some young persons in the town where he lived , being encouraged thereby , and by a popish landlord which they had , would needs have a whitson-ale , and morris-dance , an heathenish sport , long before , through gods goodnesse , banished out of that town . master clark laboured by his ministry , to beat down the first rising of this motion ; but these persons were so backed and encouraged by some that set them on , that they would needs prosecute their design notwithstanding all the warnings given them by their faithfull pastor . but god that hath said , he that despiseth you , despiseth me , &c. made their sin quickly to find them out in a terrible judgment that suddainly ensued ; for in that very barn , standing near a smiths shop , where their revels were most kept , there was a violent fire kindled , which notwithstanding all help , quickly burnt it down , and in a strange manner flying against the wind , it went from house to house , burning down all the houses of the chief of those which had an hand in these prophane sports . master clark was a man ( like apollos ) mighty in the scriptures , and so studied in the body of divinity , that upon short warning , he could preach very pertinently and profitably . he had an excellent pair of lungs , and was exceeding powerfull in his ministry , striking shame and terrour into the hearts of the wicked , to whom he was a boanerges , and yet withall , he was a barnabas to humbled , broken , bleeding souls . his old age was accompanied with a lingring and painfull disease , which yet he bore with great patience , and as he came nearer to heaven , so his motion thitherward was more quick and lively . many godly persons came to visit him in his disease , and none of them went away without some spiritual , and comfortable instructions from him . at last , having long glorified god on earth , and finished his work , he went to receive his wages , quietly resigning up his spirit unto god , november . . having lived seventy one years , two moneths , and nineteen dayes , and having been pastor of woolstone fourty four years . this master hugh clark was my father . the life of doctor sibs , who died anno christi . richard sibs was born upon the edges of suffolk , near sudbury , and being trained up at school , when he was grown ripe and ready for the university , he was sent to cambridge anno christi . and was admitted into st. johns colledge , where he by his sedulity and industry so profited in learning , and approved himself by his godly and blamelesse conversation , that he was promoted from one degree to another in the colledge ; being chosen , first scholar , and then fellow of that house . he also took all the degrees of the university , with general approbation and applause . it pleased god to convert him by the ministry of mr. paul baines , whilest he was lecturer at st. andrews in cambridge . and when mr. sibs had been master of arts some while , he entred into the ministry , and shortly after was chosen lecturer himself at trinity church in cambridge : to whose ministry , besides the townsmen , many scholars resorted , so that he became a worthy instrument of begetting many sons and daughters unto god , besides the edifying and building up of of others . he sometimes had a little stammering in the time of his preaching , but then his judicious hearers alwaies expected some rare and excellent notion from him . about the year . or . he was chosen master of katherine hall in cambridge , the government whereof he continued till his dying day ; and indeed like a faithfull governour , he was alwaies very solicitous and carefull to procure and advance the good of that little house . for he procured good means and maintenance by his interest in many worthy persons , for the enlargement of the colledge , and was a means and instrument , to establish learned and religious fellows there ; insomuch as in his time , it proved a very famous society for piety and learning , both in fellows and scholars . dr. sibbs his learning was mixed with much humility , whereby he alwaies esteemed lowly of himself , and was ready to undervalue his own labours , though others judged them to breathe spirit and life , to be strong of heaven , speaking with authority and power to mens consciences . his care in the course of his ministry was to lay a good foundation in the heads and hearts of his hearers . and though he were a wise master-builder , and that in one of the eminentest auditories for learning and piety that was in the land , as was said before ; yet according to the grace which was given to him ( which was indeed like that of elisha , in regard of the other prophets , king. . . the elder brothers priviledge , a double portion ) he was still taking all occasions to preach of the fundamentals to them , and amongst the rest , of the incarnation of the son of god , one of the chief fundamentals of our faith , one of the chief of those wonders in the mercy-seat , which the cherubims gaze at , which the angels desire to pry into , pet. . . and preaching at severall times , and by occasion , of so many severall texts of scripture concerning this subject , there is scarce any one of those incomparable benefits which accrew to us thereby , nor any of those holy impressions , which the meditation hereof ought to work in our hearts , which was not by him sweetly unfolded , as may appear by those sermons now in print . and therefore ( saith a reverend divine ) the noted humility of the author i lesse wonder at , finding how often his thoughts dwelt upon the humiliation of christ. as for his sermons upon cant. . reverend and holy mr. dod upon the perusall of the manuscript , was so taken with them , that he professed that he found them so full of heavenly treasure , and containing such lively expressions of the unvaluable riches of the love of christ towards all his poor servants that sue and seek unto him for it , that by his great importunity he prevailed with dr. sibs , otherwise much undervaluing his own meditations , to commit the same to the presse ; to which mr. dod gave this attestation . i ( saith he ) judge it altogether unmeet , that such precious matter should be concealed from the publick use . i judge these sermons a very profitable and excellent help , both to the understanding of that dark and most divine scripture , as also to kindle in the heart , all heavenly affections towards jesus christ ; the whole frame whereof , is carried with such wisdom , gravity , piety , judgment and experience , that it commends it self to all that are godly wise : and i doubt not but they shall find their temptations answered , their fainting spirits revived , their understandings enlightened , and their graces confirmed ; so that they shall have cause to praise god , for the worthy authors godly and painfull labours . indeed he was throughly studied in the holy scriptures , which made him a man of god , perfect , throughly furnished unto every good work ; and as became a faithfull steward of the manifold graces of god , he endeavoured to teach to others the whole counsel of god , and to store them with the knowledge of gods will , in all wisdom and spiritual understanding . he was a man that enjoyed much communion with god , walking in all the laws of god blamelesse ; and like john the baptist , was a burning and shining light , wasting and spending himself to enlighten others . he was upon all occasions very charitable , drawing forth , not only his purse in relieving , but his very bowels in commiserating the wants and necessities of the poor members of christ. he used sometimes in the summer-time , to go abroad to the houses of some worthy personages , where he was an instrument of much good , not only by his private labours , but by his prudent counsell and advice , that upon every occasion he was ready to minister unto them . and thus having done his work on earth , he went to receive his wages in heaven , peaceably and comfortably resigning up his spirit unto god , anno christi . and of his age . the life of doctor chaderton , who died anno christi . laurence chaderton was born of an ancient family at chatterton in lancashire , about the year . and his parents being both papists , they trained him up in that religion , yet bred him to learning ; and when he came to some maturity of years , his father sent him to the inns of court : but he being not pleased with that kind of life , through the motion of gods holy spirit , who had a work for him to do in another calling and place , left the inns of court , and went to cambridge about the twentieth year of his age , and the sixth year of queen elizabeth . and getting some acquaintance in christs colledge , it pleased god that the master and fellows took such a liking to him for his ingenuity and industry , that they admitted him into a poor scholars place . then did he write to his father , to acquaint him with his present condition , and to request some means of maintenance from him : but his father disliking his change of place and studies , but especially of religion , sent him a poke with a groat in it , to go a begg● withall ; further signifying to him , that he was resolved to disinh●●●● him , which he also did : yet did the lord support his spirit , to preferre an heavenly before an earthly inheritance ; and seeing that he had nothing else to trust to , he fell close to his studies ; and through gods blessing upon the same , he so eminently profited in all sorts of learning , that anno christi . being but yet batchelour of arts , he was chosen fellow of christs colledge . anno christi . he commenced batchelour of divinity ; and the same year , october the . he preached a sermon at pauls crosse , which he also printed . he was chosen lecturer at st. clements church in cambridge , which place he supplied about the space of sixteen years , and by his holy , learned and judicious sermons did very much good , and was succeeded therein by mr. michael bentley fellow of christs colledge , a godly , plain and profitable preacher . he was a man famous for gravity , learning and religion ; so that when sir walter mildmay ( counsellor of state to queen elizabeth chancellor , and under-treasurer of the exchequer ) founded emanuel colledge , anno christi . he made choice of this man for the first master : and when master chaderton shewed himself not willing to undertake that great charge , sir walter replied , saying , if you will not be the master , i will not be the founder of it . in the beginning of king james his reign , he was one of the four divines for the conference at hampton court , chosen by the ministers that desired a reformation in the church government ; and for his learning and sufficiency , was the same year chosen to be one of the translators of the bible . anno christi . when the prince elector palatine came to visit cambridge , he would needs have mr. chaderton commence doctor of divinity , which accordingly he did . he deserved very well of emanuel colledge , for whereas the founder gave allowance for the maintenance of three fellows only , together with the advouson of stranground rectory in huntingtonshire , near peterburrough , dr. chaderton procured by his friends and acquaintance , allowance for twelve fellows , and above fourty scholars of the house , besides the advousons of auler and northcudberry rectories ; as also of the vicaridge of dulverton in summersetshire , piddle-hinton in dorcetshire , and loughburrough in leicestershire , of the noble henry hastings earl of huntington , which noble man was a great friend to godly ministers . after he was master of emanuel , his manner was not to suffer any young scholars to go into the countrey to preach , till he had heard them first in the colledge chappel . all his younger daies he used to expound a portion of scripture twice a week in his family . he was married fifty three years , and yet in all that time he never kept any of his servants from church to dresse his meat , saying , that he desired as much to have his servants know god as himself . if at any time he had a servant upon triall , though they could do as much work as three others , yet if they were given to lying , or any other vice , he would by no means suffer them to dwell in his house . towards his latter-end arminianisme began to sprout up apace in the university , and he being fearfull that an arminian might come to succeed him in his place after his death , resolved if he could procure a godly and worthy man , to resign his place to him in his life time , which accordingly he did to famous dr. preston , whom he yet survived , and saw after him dr. sancroft , and after him dr. holsworth to succeed in his mastership . he was of a very charitable disposition , insomuch as if he heard of any godly minister that was in want , he would send them fourty or fifty shillings at a time . though he lived till he was very old , yet his sight remained very good , as may appear by this example : a little before his death , an old servant of his came to see him , and found him reading on a book , so that at the first he took no notice of her , but when she came nearer , lifting up his head , he spake to her , asking her what a clock it was ▪ she told him eleven . i have ( said he ) here got a book that i have been reading of ever since eight a clock , for i like it very well ; and yet all that time he had read without spectacles . he lived eighteen years after the resignation of his mastership , and in november , anno christi . resigned up his spirit unto god , being about the age of ninety four years , and was buried in s. andrews church ; dr. richard holsworth , the then master of emanuel , preached his funerall sermon , and gave him a large and deserved commendation . the life of master john ball , who died october . . iohn ball was born about the year . at casssington , an obscure village , ( a mile from hanborough ) in oxfordshire : he being set to school at yarnton , was found so apt to learn , that the schoolmaster prevailed with his parents , ( though of low estate ) to continue him scholar there , till he was fitted for the university . gods providence , by means of friends , made way for his placing in brazen-nose colledge in oxford , where he improved very much in the knowledge of the arts , and he proved a quick disputant . when he was batchelour of arts , ( wanting meanes for his maintenance to continue longer in the university ) he accepted a motion made for his removal into the countrey , and was placed in the lady cholmleys house in cheshire , as tutor to her children , where many other children also were taught by him . and though he came raw and ungrounded in religion ( as himself was wont to expresse it ) from oxford , yet within a short time there appeared ( with the increase of his scholastical abilities ) the breakings forth of the power of godlinesse in his conversation , unto them who were most religious and judicious there , who thereupon took him into their society for mutual edification in the waies of gods fear . whereas there was great scarcity of godly painful preachers in that corner of the countrey , in those times , he did much frequent the ministry of reverend master john foord , whereby he was not a little edified . he had few books , and therefore perused the more seriously such as he had under-hand . calvins life published by beza , and his commentary upon the psalms , made deep impressions upon his spirit . growing into acquaintance with the most godly people in those parts , who much lamented the evils of the times , he often associated with them , in keeping private daies of fasting and prayer . himself with some other honest christians , were often convented to chester , and much troubled there , for keeping a fast on ascension day , their fault being aggravated by the bishop and his officers , because they fasted upon that holy day . as he took not up , any opinion or practice , till he had well weighed it : so was he not much moved by any trouble which assaulted him in his way . when others judged him ripe for the ministry , he was not hasty in adventuring upon that calling , because he was sensible of the weight thereof , and also desirous to satisfie his conscience concerning the way of entrance by episcopal subscription . and upon the serious studying of the points in controversie , betwixt the bishops and non-conformists , he was dissatisfied to yield unto that subscription which was then strictly commanded . some conflicts he had with the then bishop of chester , about non-conformity ; but though he looked upon a bishop in those times as a formidable creature , yet he came off unshaken . having resolved ( upon the encouragement given by judicious divines ) to enter into the ministry , when god should make a fair way for his admission , without subscription , by the intercession of friends , he with master julines herring , ( who afterwards was famous for the work of the lord in salop , ) were made ministers by an irish bishop , ( being occasionally in london , ) with freedom from the formentioned snare . about the year . he was called to be minister at whitmore , ( a small village near unto new-castle in staffordshire ) where he was entertained into the house of edward mainwaring esquire , a pious and much esteemed gentleman . here he married a godly wife , whom god had provided as an help meet for him ( he himself being alwaies a meer scholar , neither much minding nor intermedling in worldly affairs , beyond the bounds of his calling , ) by whom he had six sonnes and one daughter . six of his children were born unto him while he continued in master mainwarings family , where he found much love , and did much service ; for every evening he expounded a portion of scripture , which was read in course , and many mornings also was helpfull in catechizing of the family . hither many ministers and others had often recourse unto him for counsell , where they were alwaies friendly entertained ; and the lord blessed that family very much , which doth still shew much kindnesse unto the children of this good man. afterwards he removed with his own family unto an house which master mainwaring had built for him , where he had his seventh and last child born to him , and where he dwelt till his death . he was a great lover of learning , and therefore laid out in the first years of his ministry , all the money which he could spare , from necessary expences , in buying good books , with which he was so well acquainted ( having both a quick understanding and strong memory ) that he could readily give an account of all passages most remarkable in them . he had so well studied bellarmines controversies , that it is scarcely credible what relation he could make ex tempore of them from point to point ; and shew from particular to particular , where the fallacy and the weaknesse of his arguments did appear . and the like might be truly attested in reference unto the arminian disputes , and the other church-controversies both in former and latter times . it was his custom to read over a book , when once he undertook it , and no man could be more cautious in entertaining opinions without much mature consideration , having well weighed all arguments produced on both sides both for and against them ; and wherein his apprehensions were different from his brethren , he did wisely forbear to vent them in such sort , as might occasion any division or offence . oh how well had it been with england , if all other men had managed their studies and practices according to this pattern ! for then , so many sparks ( cried up as new lights ) had not been kindled amongst us , which being blown abroad by pride and ignorance , do threaten to set the whole world on fire . but to proceed in the narrative of this worthy mans life . he was so enriched with knowledge both in practical and polemical divinity , he was so able to interpret and reconcile difficult scriptures , he had such dexterity in dealing with afflicted consciences , and he was so well furnished with ministerial gifts for preaching , prayer , and the administration of both sacraments , that it was not easie to discover wherein he most excelled . his ability to counsell and comfort dejected , tempted christians , was occasioned , ( as himself would acknowledge , ) by his conversing with mistresse sarah mainwyaring , ( wife to the gentleman in whose house he continued many years , as was before mentioned ) who was much exercised in that kind , and was an unparallel'd gentlewoman for holy tendernesse and exactnesse in religion . willing he was to trade every talent with which god had trusted him , as opportunity was offered ; and he was a man most unwearied in all waies of service . as he took extraordinary pains in publique , so did he also in private , especially on the lords day . for having by way of preparation upon the saturday in the afternoon , spent about two houres in his house , in praying and expounding some scripture , ( to which exercise divers did resort , ) on the sabbath-morning , he expounded a portion of scripture in his family , ( whereof many neighbours were partakers ) then he preached twice in publique , read divers chapters , and catechized also in the afternoon , spending much time therein , especially in the summer season ) after the evening sermon , he went unto master mainwayrings house ( being near at hand , ) where he repeated both his sermons , and prayed ; likewise after supper he had another exercise in his own family , equivalent to a sermon , unto which divers well-affected of the neighbour-hood did repair . these his great labours were the more wonderfull , in that they were so excellent and solid , as many ministers and scholars yet living know , who did often frequent them . he taught a school also ( both from a desire to do good , and that he might provide the more comfortable subsistance for his family , ) having not only the children of poor neighbours , ( for he refused none who were willing to learn , but of persons of better quality sent unto him ; some whereof were tabled in his own house , and the rest placed in the neighbourhood . every morning of the six daies in the week , he instructed his own children and scholars in the principles of religion , whereby many young ones ( of whom some are now ministers ) were well seasoned and setled in the grounds of godlinesse . every night likewise he opened and applyed some portion of the scripture , for the edification of his family . and besides his frequent preaching at lectures , at madeley especially , where he was the principal upholder of a weekly sermon , and a monethly fast , and his helpfulnesse in holy fasting and prayer elsewhere , ( when desired ) it was his custom to set apart daies ( when freed from attendance upon his school ) for the solemn seeking of god , with his godly neighbours , as the necessities of the times did require . he was most ready to communicate his learning , graces , experiences , yea , his all , for the profit of such who conversed with him : the remembrance whereof , is very smarting upon the hearts of some of his surviving friends , because they made not a fuller improvement of him for their own advantage . in the latter part of his time , he had some scholars , whom he instructed in academical learning , reading lectures to them in logick and philosophy , and hearing them to dispute , which often they did during his dinner-time : and while he was at supper , other scholars read a piece of greek , or latine , ( so exceeding diligent was he in husbanding the shreds of time , as he called them ) the residue of the day , till very late , he spent in his private study . and as he was incomparably abstemious and moderate in the use of meat , drink , sleep , and apparel , so he had an admirable command over his passions . for those who most conversed with him , never saw inordinate out-breaches of anger , or other affections in his conversation . this character was given by a friend who was much with him , ( viz. ) that as master dod did turn earth into heaven , by a spiritual improvement of all earthly affairs , so master ball did reconcile earth and heaven , because worldly occasions were no distractions unto him in his journey thither . he lived upon a small maintenance , ( viz. ) twenty pounds per annum , for serving the cure at whitmore , and the keeping of one cow , both summer and winter , by master mainwayring aforesaid , with what he got by teaching school . yet he would often say , that he thought never man passed through this world with lesse care . god indeed stirred up some friends , ( who knew his great worth and mean outward condition ) to be helpfull unto him , towards whom he was alwaies really respectfull , requiting their love by his daily prayers , and his readinesse upon all occasions to do service unto them and theirs . through gods singular blessing upon his yearly incomes , he lived very comfortably , was given to hospitality , and also unto liberality to the poor , ( considering his estate ) and left a good competency unto his wife and children . yea , such was this holy mans gratitude and contentment , that he would say , i have enough , and enough , and enough . whereas he went once every year into oxfordshire , to expresse his dutifull respect unto his aged parents , he made choice of that time for his journey , that he might enjoy the benefit of oxford-act . and as his love to learned disputations was large , so by strength of memory , he could give a punctuall account of all the most considerable arguments urged , and answers returned , upon the severall questions discussed . and still this journey was made profitable unto his christian friends ( near to whose dwellings he travelled ) by conference , his assistance in private fasts and other exercises of religion . it would be too tedious and tiring unto the reader , if relation should be made of all those memorable passages in this reverend mans life , ( which his friends surviving , do well remember ) which did proclaim the high degree of holinesse , with which god adorned and crowned all his other great abilities , therefore some few of them only shall be reported . his constant carriage towards all who conversed with him , did speak out his deep humility . for alwaies he was apt to prefer others before himself ; and he was never observed , by any reproachfull speeches , or behaviour , to cast the least contempt or discouragement upon the meanest christian. he was all his life-long , very apprehensive and sensible of the weightinesse of the ministers calling , saying , that no man should dream of ease in that function ; and would often much bewail before the lord in prayer , his own inconsiderate entrance upon it . a friend being weary of teaching school , and acquainting him with his purpose to enter into the ministry , master ball told him , that he would find it a far heavier task to teach men then boys . and a fellow-minister telling him of his danger to be silenced by the bishop , he returned this answer , him· having experimentally poysed the weight of the ministers work , he would say unto his non-conforming brethren , ( when prelatical persecution threatned to drive him out of england , ) if we be necessitated to transplant our selves , you shall preach , and i will teach school . and alwaies when other ministers were in company , he would endeavour earnestly to put them upon the performance of family-duties , as judging them to be better able then himself . such who knew this mans learning of all kinds , and rich ministerial gifts , will admire ( upon the consideration of these passages ) at the forwardnesse of illiterate mecanicks in these times , to intrude upon the ministers office. and whereas the blessed apostle himself cryed out , who is sufficient for these things ! we may do more then guesse what spirit animateth those men , whose practises speak thus ; who is insufficient for these things ! he did lay to heart the want of labourious learning amongst godly ministers , because so many neglected to acquaint themselves throughly with the controversies of the times ; and he thought that positive divinity , might be best gained by the study of controversie ; when the main principles were first well drunk in . he would say , that a subtill jesuite would make wilde work in many places of england , because neither the people nor their ministers , had sufficient insight into the points of difference betwixt us and the papists . now what other errors ( no whit lesse dangerous , ) have for the same reasons been entertained of late years , ( as he foresaw and feared ) it is too notorious . although he himself was much pleased with sober , profitable disputations , yet he would shrink with trouble upon the appearance of their audacity , who dared to question fundamentals in religion , or to speak slightly of the matters of god. once observing a man in the heat of conference , carried beyond the bounds of modest inquiry after the truth , he used these words with holy admiration ; and whither will the love of arguing carry a man ! he compared many professors of late times , unto young travellors , who so soon as they are mounted , begin to gallop , and do out-ride their fellows , but they either fall short , or come late ( if not lame ) home . and he called the waies of separation a labyrinth , wherein men tire themselves and grow giddy , as in a maze ; but when all is done , there is no way out , but that whereby they entred . he made it his businesse to raise and maintain high and honourable thoughts of god at all times , as himself would alwaies speak of the titles of the almighty with much gravity and reverence , endeavouring to draw forth holy thankfulnesse in all conditions of life . here two or three things shall be touched upon , to give a tast of this good mans gracious spirit . he with a neighbour minister , having occasion to meet at a place where they had only bread and cheese to their dinner , the master of the house expressing trouble , that he had no better provision for so good unexpected guests : hereupon he said , that it would cost a man many years labour to be truly and througly thankfull unto god for one piece of bread and cheese , proceeding to discover , most divinely , the many mercies which were to be acknowledged in that meal and meeting . and whereas at that time rochal was besieged , and the inhabitants were in great distresse through want of food , he moved a serious consideration , how much bread and cheese with peace and fellowship would be valued at rochel : yea , he seriously made his demand , whether their obligations at the present place and meeting , were not much greater , because they in their instant enjoyments had not experienced rochels fears and sorrows . at another time a dear friend relating his great danger by a fall off his horse in a journey , and saying that he never had received such a deliverance . master ball answered , yea an hundred times , ( viz. ) so often as you have ridden and not fallen ; because the preventing of perils is to be prized as much as our rescuing out of them . at a marriage-feast , where christian friends were civilly rejoycing in the good occasion of their meeting , the many good blessings provided for their comfort , and in their mutual society , this speech came from him with much gravity ; one thought of jesus christ reaching the heart , is more to be valued , then all creature-contentments whatsoever , though they should be enjoyed in their fulnesse for a thausand years without interruption . that he might keep gods servants of the lowest parts , alwaies high in his own estimation , he would wisely weigh their peculiar serviceablenesse in some kind or other , though they were inferiours in sundry excellencies . hereupon when one admiring worthy master dods holy conversation , said , oh how well would it be if all ministers were like unto him ; master ball answered , the church would be quite undone if all others were like him . for though no man more honoured master dod , ( which not many years before his death he witnessed , by listening unto his fatherly counsell bare-headed , with his hat in his hand ) yet he knew , that other men , much inferiour in graces , had some special way of advantage to the cause and the people of god. he was a zealous opposite to passionate frowardnesse , observing the lamentable fruits thereof , in many persons and relations , and he had an extraordinary dexterity to calm them who were boisterous . he would thus advise them , put judgment into office ; for affections are good followers , but bad guides . look well to your hearts , for passion is the effect of pride . and he would say unto them , you had need to get a strong bit and bridle , for you ride an unruly horse . observing one bitterly to bewail the death of a dear friend , he said , rather labour to get good by it . he was wont to humble passionate professors , who in their heat would speak unadvisedly , by this position , which he would undertake to prove , ( viz. ) that a moral heathen who never heard of christ , might possiby by watchfulnesse secure himsel from uttering one froward word all his life long ; and therefore it was a great shame for christians to be worse , who had more grace and greater helps to suppresse sinne . this was one parcell of good counsell , which he commonly bestowed in all cases , inform judgment ; set faith on work ; be of good courage . as he used to be large in his prayers in behalf of the church of god , ( according to the peculiar concernments thereof ) both at home and abroad , so was he particular in minding his special friends before the lord , and the spirituall welfare of his children was so much upon his heart , that he daily desired to lodge them in gods bosome ; yea , he seldome gave thanks either before or after meat , ( especially towards the end of his life ) without some touch of tendency towards his children , in reference unto whom this was one constant petition , that they might never seek great things for themselves in this world . and his own practice from his youth , proved the sincerity of his heart in this suit , because he never looked after , nor would entertain any motion of removing for wealth or worldly promotion , though his charge was great , and his eminency , both in ministerial and scholastical gifts , with the power of godlinesse , which did shine in his whole conversation , gained him many friends , and rendred him in their account , a man more meet for a place of publique note and resort , then the village where he dwelt . when the prelatical opposition against the non-conformists was hot and high , he spake thus unto a neighbour-brother ; be confident , that although all who are now known non-conformists were dead and gone : yet god would rather raise some out of our ashes to protest against episcopacy , and the ceremonies , then suffer that cause to fall unto the ground . he would say , the fathers wanted some of our light , but we want more of their heat . he was exemplarily carefull to preserve gods ordinances from pollution and contempt , and therefore did alwaies take great pains with his people , to prepare them for the sacrament of the lords supper . in his sermons he was wont to tell his auditours , that their persecuting , impoverishing , imprisoning , and thrusting daggers into their ministers bodies , would not be more grievous , then their unworthy communicating at the lords table , and their unanswerable walking unto the ordinances of grace dispenced amongst them . and when parents presented their children in the congregation to be baptized , he would very affectionately lay open their duty , pressing sacramental ingagements home to their hearts , with strong arguments and authority ministerial ; though no man was known by his friends , who more dis-relished the corruptions in church-government , and in administrations of holy worship , yet he hath sufficiently published unto the world his great dislike of the way of separation from our church-assemblies upon such pretences . thus he spake unto a friend who had moved him to maintain our church-communion against the separatists , how little am i beholding unto you , who drew me from more profitable studies , to peruse those sapless speculations ? he much lamented in his prayers before god , the first breakin gs out of independency in england , both in respect of the present offence , and the wofull consequences thereof , whereof he was much afraid : yea , he did very often tell his friends ( both in the time of his health and last sicknesse ) that if god should give opportunity and hopes of church-reformation , that we might be eased of our present grievances , the brethren of the new separation , would be found the greatest obstructers thereof . his remembrance of the history of former separations ( with which he was fully acquainted ) and his prudential fore-sight of the diducts which would necessarily follow from their principles , ( viz. anabaptisme , &c. ) together with his wise insight into the dispositions of some persons who then appeared therein ; these were the grounds of his foretelling the confusions , the spreading of pernicious errours , and hinderances of reformation , which we since have sadly suffered under . these reasons of his prediction ( which is noised abroad ) are expressed , lest any should imagine him to have inclined to regard injections and impulsions of spirit , which some cry up as prophetical . his distaste whereof may be evidenced by this one instance , ( viz. ) being asked by one who much pretended unto immediate inspirations besides scripture , whether he at any time had experience thereof in his own heart ; his answer was this : no , i blesse god ; and if i should ever have such phantasies , i hope god would give me grace to resist them . when there was discourse concerning the new , ( or rather the renewed ) errours , which were broached , he would ordinarily say , a good treatise of the sufficiency of the scriptures would put an end unto these matters . his exceeding love to study , and his great modesty caused unwillingnesse to go far from home , or to appear publique in any kind . and if the extraordinary importunity of some much esteemed friends , had not conquered this aversnesse , he would ( in probability ) never have printed any thing in his own name , or have come into the company of persons of chief place and quality ; yea god was pleased in both these waies to make him serviceable . for besides the profit which many have received from his printed books , he was happily instrumentall by conference to preserve , some men of chief esteem , ( in regard of their piety , parts , and places of command ) in the countries where they lived , from warping towards the waies of new separation , upon the sollicitation of such who were busie sticklers therein . upon the calling of the parliament , in the year . some hopes being conceived that he might be an instrument of publique benefit to the church , by dealing with some parliament-men , that ( if further reformation of things wofully out of order , could not be procured , ) men unconformable to the ceremonies might not be thrust out , and kept out of the ministry in that regard . he thereupon took a journey into london , with his neighbour and endeared brother master langley ; but receiving small encouragement to his hopes and endeavours in that kind , he returned home with sorrow upon his heart , complaining of the many symptomes of gods displeasure , which he saw ready to break out against poor england , and resolved to do what service he could in any other way . and being convinced that his labours might be profitable to the church , both in the present and succeeding ages , he was resolved to lay forth himself for publique service in any kind , as his good friends should advise ; and in pursuance hereof he designed these three works . viz. . a treatise of the church . . an exposition of obscure scriptures out of all the original languages . . a more full systeme of divinity by the enlarging of his catechism . for all which he had much good provision under hand , when the lord saw cause to put an end to his labours . and here , all those must silence their hearts , ( who knowing him , may be apt to judge his removall at this time to be unseasonable ) with these words , ( which were much in his mouth when god checked hopes by crosse providences ) the lord is wisest : god is most wise . many conflicts he had with men of greatest strength , ( as was imagined ) to maintain the new pathes , into which divers had stepped aside . but the truth is , never was any of them able to stand up under his arguments . though god was pleased to take him away ( whom some in scorn called the presbyterians champion ) yet he hath raised up other worthies , who do strenuously gain-say those extravagancies . when his nature was enfeebled by constant study , and great long-continued labours , he passed the time of his languishing sicknesse with a sweet , humble , divine , peaceable spirit . he preached in publique so long as bodily ability could bear it ; and he continued to pray in his family till strength failed . now his addresses to god were most holy and heavenly , as swan-like songs , the sweetest at last . though he spake not very much during his bodily decays , yet the words which he used were solid and savoury . being asked what he thought of himself , whether he should now die or recover ? he answered , i do not trouble my self about that matter . he often bewailed the infirmities of his life , and in special ( now as at former times ) his inconsiderate entring upon the weighty calling of the ministry ; but he manifested withall an holy child-like confidence in christ , still strengthening his heart , after his humble mourning for sinne , with this consideration , that the scripture mentioneth weaknesses in the choicest saints , which were neither totall hinderances to the exercise of their faith in christ , nor to their salvation through grace . this question being propounded to him , what he now thought concerning his labours ( part whereof were then printed ) against the present separation in england ? he answered , that though he had been weary of those controversies , which hindered his going on in more profitable studies , yet he did not repent of that which he had done , only he desired god to pardon the defects , which had cleaved unto that and his other services . when any mention was made before him of his great labours to do good , he would say , ( and this was a speech which he much used ) if the lord were not a god pardoning sinnes , i was in a miserable condition . and however he did say with tears , that he had too much respect amongst men , and that many judged that to be in him , which was not , ( such was his humility ; yet friends expressing ardent desires of his health , for service sake , he told them , that he could have been content to have lived longer , ( if the lord had been pleased ) that he might been further usefull in his place , and have born his share in sufferings with his brethren . for he expected a very sparp storm , though he hoped it would be but short . and he called it , the last combate which we should have with antichrist . when towards his end he was asked , how he did ? he would thus answer with a cheerfull contenance , going to heaven apace . and as his conversation had for many years been in heaven , the lord , ( who had ripened him for immediate commu-with himself ) took him unto himself , octob. . . and of his age about . the materials of this narrative , ( concerning the pious , fruitfull life of that faithfull servant of christ , master john ball , ) were received from these ministers of the gospel , and men of known integrity , ( viz. master john taylor of checkley in staffordshire , ( who was his countrey-man , and of his most ancient acquaintance . ) master thomas langley of middlewich in cheshire , ) who besides his former intimatenesse , continued under his ministry above five years , he being taken off from the exercise of his own ministry by episcopal power , ) master simeon ashe of st. austins london ( who for the space of many years had been his bosome friend , ) and from master george crosse of clifton in staffordshre , ( who daily conversed with him for sundry moneths , both before , and in the time of his last sicknesse ; ) who all of them do acknowledge themselves obliged to god , for the spiritual good , gained by this their dearly respected , and much honoured friend and brother , who since his death , have been very sensible of their great losse by his removall . but they and all others must learn to live upon divine-immutable-all-sufficiency , when creatures do fail . now the just shall live by his faith. the life of doctor potter , who died anno christi . barnaby pottor was born in westmerland , anno christi . within the baronry of kendal , and brought up at school there , till he was fitted for the university ; thence he was sent to queens colledge in oxford , where he was chosen first a scholar of the house , then a fellow , and afterward provost . whilest he was fellow , he was a very carefull tutor to many worthy gentlemens sons , whom he trained up in learning , but especially in true religion . he was a very humble and meek man , a man of few words , a sweet preacher , and a favourer of strict professors of religion . it was the fashion and custom of the fellows after dinner , to sit or stand a while at the hall door , and discourse usually of divers points of religion , or of good writers , and sometimes of other trivial matters . this man , on a certain time , when he heard them talk of many trivial things , said nothing , but observed what they said ; and when they had done talking , he thus bespake them : now , my masters , will you hear all your extravagant discourses ? for i have strictly observed and marked what you said ; and he told them every whit , and they admired him for his memory . it was his custom first to write one part of his sermon , and to commit it to memory presently , and then another , so that he could preach with much facility , and upon a little warning . he was for a while lecturer at abington , and at totnesse in devonshire , where he was much respected . then he proceeded doctor in divinity , and was preferred by sir edward giles to a pastoral charge , which knight was a worthy gentleman in his countrey , and often chosen a parliament man for devon. doctor potter married the lady giles her daughter , when he was doctor but of a years standing . not long after , doctor ayray , a worthy provost of qeens colledge died ; whereupon he was chosen to succeed him in the provostship , with the unanimous consent of the fellows , when he was far from the university , and never dreamed of any such preferment . he was also chaplain in ordinary to prince charles , and accounted at the court the penetential preacher . when he had been provost about the space of ten years , he resigned his place , and went to his pastoral charge in the countrey , and there resided ; yet he had not been there long , but king charles his master , cast a favourable aspect upon him , and seeing he had not rewarded him for his long and faithfull service , he chose him to be bishop of carlisle ; and though many sued for the place , yet he said peremptorily that none but potter should have it ; and surely his gracious master honoured not him so much as he did himself and that age , in the freedom of his noble and unexpected choice . that which nazianzen said of basil , may be fitly and properly said of this bishop ; he was promoted , he did not steal or shuffle himself into the chair , he did not invade it , the honour sought and followed him . when he was bishop , he was a constant preacher and performer of family-duty both evening and morning , and kept his servants and attendants in good order . being called to london , in the beginning of the parliament , he made at westminster a worthy and zealous sermon , wherein he inveighed against the corruptions that were crept into the church , especially in respect of ceremonies so eagerly prest by sundry bishops , as bowing to the altar , and such like innovations . his sermon was well approved of by the best ; but he seeing the tumults that were then raised in london about the parliament house , and hearing that he himself was censured as popish , because a bishop , he took it grievously to heart , sickned , and died there , about the great climactericall year of his age . he was a great favourer of zealous professors and lecturers , and therefore he was accounted by many a puritanical bishop ; and indeed some at the court in king james his time , said , that organs would blow him out of the church . he was well skilled in the hebrew tongue , and for his further progresse therein , disdained not to learn of one of the fellows , even when he was provost . he utterly disliked the book of sports for recreation on the sabbath day , and told a minister with whom he was acquainted , that if it were sent down to his diocesse , he would sleight it , and urge none of his jurisdiction to read it . he was of a weak constitution of body , melancholick and lean , as being a hard student , and therefore to recreate his spirits he loved vocal musick , and to this end , he sent divers times for such scholars in the colledge as could sing well , and he would bear a part with them in his lodgings after supper , where they made most excellent melody . he was the last bishop that died as a member of the parliament , and was bishop of carlisle some fourteen years . the life of master richard sedgwick , who died anno christi . richard sedgwick was born at east deereham , in the county of norfolke , anno cbristi . his father was a clothier ; but by reason of a great losse by fire , fell into decay . he had an uncle living in yorkshire , who was very rich , and of large yearly revenues , having no children ; whereupon he took this richard in his tender years home to himself , and put him to school , with an intent to make him his heir ; but god had laid up a better portion for him . his uncle and his family were prophane , hating the power of godlinesse , and wedded to games and sports ; yet even in such a family god visited him in mercy , and awakened his soul by working in him hearty desires after himself . while the rest of the family were at their games and dancings , he would be in a corner mourning . his uncle at first thought his retirednesse to have been bookishnesse , and therefore rebuked him gently , and called upon him to take more liberty ; but at last perceiving the truth of the thing , he began to hate him , and to deal roughly with him , and not being able to bring him to his will , cast him out of his family , saying , that a puritane should never inherit his land . before this , his father died , and his mother being industrious and sparing , out of the little means she had left her , maintained him at peter-house in cambridge , where he profited greatly in all kind of learning . he began the exercise of his ministry in kent ; where he being called to preach in the cathedral at canterbury , in his sermon touching the corruption of the prebends , and their cathedral service , he so far displeased them , as that by threats they brought him to condescend , through weaknesse , to promise to recant , and a day for this was appointed . upon his return home , and his second thoughts , he became very sad , and in his perplexity took his bible and opened it , and at the first , lighted on that encouraging word of god to jeremiah , jer. . , . whatsoever i command thee thou shalt speak ; be not afraid of their faces , for i am with thee to deliver thee , saith the lord. by this he was so strengthened , that he resolved to stand to what he had formerly delivered , whatsoever dangers did attend him . at the time appointed , he preached again in the cathedral , having a very large auditory , both of the countrey and city , in which sermon he confirmed what he had before delivered , earnestly pressing the prebends to reform the abuses amongst them . by this they were so offended , that they complained of him to the bishop , and so persecuted him , that he was forced to forsake his place , and to retire himself into private , and was entertained for a time by sir edward bois the elder , a man eminent for piety in those daies . during this his retirement , he came upon occasion to london , and by the meanes of master egerton pastor at black-fryers , was received into the family of sir edward anslow , who lived in the city during the winter , and in summer at crawley in surrey , a place destitute of a preaching ministry . in this family his encouragement was great , but his labours aboundant . every day his usuall course was to pray in the morning at six a clock with the husbandmen , and at ten to pray with the rest of the family , and expound a chapter , in which course he went through the four first books of moses . his course at night was after prayer , to catechize the family by turns , wherein he used no respect of persons , the meanest not being left out , and the chiefest not forborn . on the lords day , during his abode at crawley , he preached twice constantly , and after publique exercise , called the whole family in private to render an account of what was delivered in publique . in the winter , when the greatest part of the family was at london , under an able ministry , he was ready to help others , and by providence , was called to improve his talent at battersey in surrey . master wybourne , a reverend divine , who constantly preached in that place , having by a fall broke his legge , and being disabled thereby to continue his labours , desiring his assistance . at this place the people were so affected with his ministry , that they requested him to continue to preach among them , promising to strain themselves to provide him maintenance . he had a fair call and opportunity ( denying himself ) to answer it , for sir edward anslow about this time had an estate befallen him in hertfordshire , whither he resolved to go to dwell , in which place was an able and godly minister , master sedgwick seeing that , by continuing in this family , he should not have occasion of exercising his publique ministry , relinquished fifty pounds annuity during his life , assured to him by this worthy knight , and accepted of this call to preach at battersey . before his departure out of this family , he married a wife of an honest and religious stock in the city of london . he had not long exercised his gifts at battersey , bringing glory to god , but the devil again raised up persecution against him . one master king , church-warden of the place , was offended at him , because he freely reproved sinne , and boldly spake against the corruptions that were then in the church ; by this man he was presented into the commissaries court , and by his means cited to appear to answer certain articles . this was about the latter end of queen elizabeths reign , not long before the coming in of king james . upon this citation he resolved to appear , and came to london , and being at the door of the commissaries house , master egerton his faithfull and reverend friend , by providence passing by , came to him , and having saluted him , told him he had heard of the opposition made against him at battersey , and asked him if he would accept of a call to go beyond the seas ; his answer was ( having returned thanks for his kindnesse ) that he could not as yet resolve him , forasmuch as he stood accused at present , and was resolved what ever came of it , to defend those truths that he had publiquely delivered ; but yet professing a willingnesse to follow providence , whithersoever the lord should call him . appearing before the commissary , he met with courteous usage , and was friendly dismissed ; for at this time those men feared a change to be brought in by king james . not long after this he was called by the merchant-adventurers to be minister to their company beyond sea , whither , breaking through all discouragements , he went. during his abode beyond the sea at stoade , and hamborough ( which was about the space of eleven years and an half ) he by the advice of the godly learned , erected and established discipline in that church . god did greatly blesse his ministry , and he begat among that little company , many sons and daughters unto god. he had communion with the netherland-dutch church at stoade , and at altenon near hamborough , and with the godly that came out of england , admitting them , being desirous to come to the lords table . in his ministry he was very searching , many coming and confessing those things which he had never heard of , till it came out of their own mouthes . in his carriage he was affable and courteous , yet grave and awfull , so that many durst not for fear do those things that otherwise they were disposed to . the merchants here found the benefit by the orderly carriage of their factors there . yet here the devil was not quiet , for one of the prime merchants taking exceptions against his impartiall dealing in his ministry , and the order in the church , threatned by such a day , naming it , to have him over into england ; but before that day came , himself was summoned by death to another place . he was very charitable himself , allowing something yearly towards the maintenance of the suspended ministers here , and greatly furthered charity in others . by his direction and encouragement master jones , a rich batchelour , and one of the elders of his church , bequeathed many thousands of pounds to pious uses , which to this day speaks his praise . he was eminent in self-denial ; for being made executour by the said master jones of his last will and testament , whereby he might have gained much to himself , he never rested till he had caused him to alter his will , and to place others in his room . upon the dissolving of that company of merchants he came over into england , and being disappointed of a place in london , intended for him by master jones , he went to monmouth in wales , and for some time held the lecture setled there . afterward a chappel being erected at wapping , he was called to that place , and became the first minister there . here he abode to his death , being holy and exemplary in his life and conversation , and aboundant in labours , preaching constantly thrice a week , and catechizing on the lords day besides . the tendernesse of his fatherly care and love of this people , he expressed all the time of his living with them , but especially in the time of the great sicknesse , when , remaining with them , he preached constantly every lords day , and the fast dayes , notwithstanding all the danger that he was in , the infection in that place being much spread , and very violent . the providence of god over him at that time was very remarkable . for although all the families round about him were infected , and his house adjoyned to the place of burial , yet neither himself nor any of his family were any waies smitten with it . many were his labours in private , being much sought unto both for counsell and for comfort . what successe god gave unto his ministry , was evident by the many souls won and built up by him . he was very studious , and wrote much , yet was alwaies averse from publishing any thing , though often requested ; saying , that the many books that were daily set forth , hindred the study and reading of the holy scriptures . once , he committed to the presse a catechism fitted for his own congregation , and before his death had finished a large tractate of the body of divinity , which still lies by . he sought the good of all , and was a precious savour unto some , in whose hearts to this day his memory flourishes . he foresaw the ensuing distractions with a grieved heart , and raised himself up to comfort by contemplating the approaching time wherein christ and his truth , and his waies shall have the preheminence . his judgement concerning some hath proved true , asserting often that their principles would not ( if they continued in them ) suffer them to sit down on this side anabaptism . he was a friend of truth and peace , and an instrument of refreshing the bowels of the poor , many strangers for his sake giving in largely towards their relief . having finished his course , being spent with labours , he quietly and comfortably ended his daies , and according to his last words , went unto his god anno christi . and of his age . having continued his ministry at wapping six and twenty years . the life of master julines herring , who died anno christi . iulines herring was born in flamber-mayre parish in mountgomery-shire , . his father within three years after returned with his wife and family into coventry , where his ancestors had been chief officers of the city , in their course almost for the space of two hundred years , and where he himself also was sheriff and maior , living and dying in good estimation there . this julines his son , having had his first education in shropshire , with master perkin minister ( at more-chappel , ) his mothers near kinsman , ( where he learned the principles of religion ) was brought home unto coventry , where he was trained up in learning , under reverend master tovey , who then was head schoolmaster there . while he was a school-boy , he was noted for his diligence in reading the holy scriptures , delighting in those chapters especially , which treat of faith in christ , and of repentance from sin to god. and even then in his child-hood , he with two or three school-fellows were so religiously disposed , that on play-daies they would pray together , and repeat the heads of their catechisme , with the sermons which they heard upon the last lords day , before they went unto their lusory exercises . thus this timothy grew acquainted with god and his word , and the waies of religion while he was a child . being very well fitted for the university , he was sent unto cambridge , bout the fifteenth year of his age , and admitted into sidney colledge , where he was studious and a good proficient in academical learning . when he was master of arts , coming home to his father , he preached often in coventry , with very good approbation amongst those , who were best affected towards the waies of godlinesse . here he had special encouragements in the study of divinity , from master humphrey fen , famous for his ministry and non-conformity at coventry , ( who in the preface to his last will and testament , made so full and so open a protestation against the hierarchy and ceremonies , that the prelatical party would not suffer it to be put among the records of the court , when the will was tendred to be proved ) and his conscience was unsatisfied to enter into the ministry by episcopal subscription , but through a good providence , he with master john ball , were made ministers by an irish bishop without that subscription . the first place of his setled ministry was cawk in derbyshire , ( a small village ) whither he was called by means of his much honoured good friend master arthur hildersam , and where he had good incouragements from master bainbridge , a gentleman there of good estate and estimation for religion . in this place , ( which was six miles from derby , and three from ashby de la zouch , ) his peace and liberty was the better preserved , because it was a peculiar , and so not subject unto episcopal visitation . here god was pleased to set a broad seal to his ministry , making him an happy instrument to build up many , who were brought to christ by master hildersams labours , and also to turn many others from darknesse to light , and from the power of satan unto god. at this time there was great scarcity of good preachers in those parts , whereupon people from twenty towns and villages flocked unto cawk-chappel , ( as doves to the windows ) every sabbath day , where more congregated , ( especially in summer and in afternoons , ) then the chappel could contain ; yet standing at the windows without , they might hear the sermons preached , and scriptures read , because master herrings voice was clear and strong . hither great companies came in the morning , with joyfull expectation of wholesome soul-provisions ; here they continued all day with cheerfulnesse , ( some bringing their victuals from home with them , and others going to a third ordinary , provided purposely for the refreshing of strangers ) and they went from hence in the evening in companies , repeating the sermons , and singing psalms in their return home . here amongst many others , master simeon ashe received some of his first impressions and bents towards religion , whom master herring loved from his childhood , and who lived in his heart and prayers unto his death . and this is a matter considerable , that few ( if any ) in those parts , who were hopefully brought unto god , and by the ministry of master hildersam and master herring , have been turned aside into the by-paths of errour and separation in these broken dividing times , but they continue sound in their judgements , and holy in their conversations , well remembring the principles whereof they were well instructed and grounded by those two worthies , their fathers in christ. when he had continued at cawke about the space of eight years , he was forced from thence for non-conformity by the prelatical power , being informed against by ill-affected men , who maligned the great service which he did , and envied the great respect which he had in those parts . before he removed from thence , the lord provided for him a most gracious yoak-fellow , who was no discouragement , but an encouragement rather unto him alwaies , both in his services and sufferings for christ and his cause . his wife was the third daughter of master gellibrand , ( sometimes preacher to the english company at flushing in holland ) and grand-child to that man of god master john oxenbridge , ( minister of southam in warwickshire , and afterwards of bablick in coventry , where he died ) and as she came out of a godly stock , so she hath expressed , and still doth expresse the power of godlinesse , in every condition and relation of her life , to gods honour . by her he had thirteen children ; and as they were happily , mutually helpfull in the waies of holinesse , so it was their joynt care to educate their posterity in the nurture and fear of the lord. they were taught the principles of religion from their childhood , and their tender good mother ( according to their fathers appointment ) caused them to learn the proverbs of solomon by heart . neither was this gracious care in vain ; for the blossomes and fruits of grace , sweetly appear in their lives , to the comfort of their parents , and christian friends . and here this one thing is notable and imitable in this worthy man , in reference to his children , ( viz. ) that ever before he gave them correction , he endeavoured to convince them of their sin against god , and sought by tears and prayers for gods blessing upon that means for their good . when the course of his ministry was interrupted at cawk , and there was no hope of his peaceable continuance there , god ( by means of master william rowley , a wise religious man , and his faithfull friend ) was pleased to open a door for the more publique exercise of his ministry in shrewsbury . here he preached at alkmares church , every tuesday morning , and upon the sabbath also , ( so long as liberty was allowed ) which sermon was at one a clock , that neither the ministers of the town might be offended , nor other congregations emptyed , by the peoples flocking unto his ministry . the sermon which he preached on the lords day , he repeated it the same night before supper , at the houses of master edward jones , master george wright , and master william rowley by course ; and whereas some spies were usually sent thither , ( crowding in with the company ) to pick quarrels , he behaved himself so prudently , and prayed alwaies so affectionately for the king and present government , that his adversaries gave this testimony of him , ( viz. ) though he be scrupulous in matter of ceremony , yet he is a loyal subject unto the king , and a true friend unto the state. beside the great good service which was now done in salop , by his ministry , and private conferences with christians : in reference unto him many other ministers had the more frequent recourse unto the town , ( master pierson , master nicols , &c. ) who were put upon preaching once or oftner , before they departed thence , whereby knowledge was much increased , and the power of godlinesse much cherished and promoted there . but satan maligning those opportunities of service unto christ , some envious ill-affected persons , ( amongst whom master peter studley was the chief ) were stirred up , to lay in complaints against him as a non-conformist : for such was his prudence , sweetnesse , and peaceablenesse of spirit , that other objections could not with any colour of truth be made against him . hereupon doctor morton ( then the bishop of that diocesse , ) referred him unto two neighbour ministers for satisfaction ; and in pursuance of this order , master herring gave in his scruples in writing , and also replyed upon their answer . the consequence of this paper-dispute was a certificate to the bishop from the ministers , that they believed master herring from conscientious grounds , in his own apprehensions remained unsatisfied , and the bishop himself told master herrings friends , that he was satisfied in his integrity . but such were those times , that he was suspended from the use of his ministry , though by mediation of friends , the suspension was divers times taken off , and then brought on again by persons of contrary minds and waies . thus he continued in salop for the space of seventeen years , sometimes enjoying , and sometime wanting liberty for the exercise of his ministry in publique . but when the pulpit door was shut against him , he was the more frequent in keeping private fasts , and in expounding the scripture three times a day in his own family ; by which exercise some of the neighbours were edified also . alwaies upon the lords day , ( whether he was at home or abroad ) he frequented the ordinances of god administred in publique , professing thereby ( as himself said ) that his practice should declare his judgement against separation from the congregations in england , though there were corruptions in them . when some seeds of seperation were scattered in salop ( by daniel chidley and his wife , ) their growth was check'd by his appearing against them . he had many bowels towards them who were misled in this kind , as was expressed by the many prayers with tears , which he poured forth before god in their behalf . and having upon this occasion , studied that point the more throughly , he would often say , it is a sinne of an high nature , to un-church a nation at once , and that this would become the spring of many other fearfull errours ; for separation will eat like a gangrene into the heart of godliness . and he did pray , that they who would un-church others , might not be un-christianed themselves . when the plague was in salop , he gave himself unto prayer for the town , and in particular for the persons infected ; and many from the pest-houses returned thanks unto him , for the spiritual comfort received by his prayers . he took great delight in his studies ( having a very good library ) and was often willing to misse a meal , that he might the more satisfie himself in conversing with his books . he was seldome hungry , ( as himself was wont to say ) while he was in his study , and those who best knew him , could easily render the reason thereof ; for as he was afraid of doing gods work negligently , so it was his meat and drink to converse with his god , and to do the will of his heavenly father . and yet such were his compassions towards afflicted consciences , that he gave charge unto his whole family , to send none such away till they had spoken with him : yea , unto them , his manner was to give full liberty of speech , that they might not go away without some clearing and satisfaction . his experience , humility and sweetnesse of disposition was such , that seldome any one who was troubled in spirit , departed from him without some relief and comfort ; whereto may be added his great faithfulnesse towards them in perplexed cases , who opened their hearts into his bosome for spiritual satisfaction . when he was not allowed liberty to preach in publique at home , he was willing to bestow his pains abroad ; and every where he in his ministry proved himself a solid well-studied divine , a workman who needed not to be ashamed . it may truly be affirmed concerning him , that when he was in journeys , he imitated the lord christ his master , who went about doing good . for in the families whither he came , ( if there was not opportunity of more publique employment , wherein he might appear with safety in those prelatical times , ) he was alwaies ready by prayer and exposition of scripture , to be serviceable unto the souls of such who desired to improve him . he was a man of an ingenuous and cheerfull spirit , yet very grave and inoffensive ; yea , the lightsomeness of his behaviour being accompanied with holinesse and humility , did make his serious services the more acceptable , and more taking upon the hearts of those who conversed with him . amongst many other rare gifts , with which god had enriched him , this did shine forth brightly unto all them , who were acquainted with his way , in performing family duties , whether in his own house , or elsewhere , ( viz. ) that he would alwaies most aptly and affectionately enlarge himself upon the sermon lately heard , or the chapter read , by confession , complaint , petition , thansgiving , &c. unto the advantage of them , who joyned with him in that exercise . he was indeed a man made up of love and meeknesse , for the discovery whereof , take two instances , which will tell the reader , that he was dove-like , without gall . the one is this ; doctor lambe having broken his legge by a fall , was brought into the same inne in norhamptonshire , where master herring had taken up his lodging , being in a journey ; and that night he prayed very affectionately for him , though doctor lambe was a notorious violent persecutor of non-conformists , both ministers and people ; yea though he had been a bitter opposite against master herring particularly . he being asked the reason why he expressed so much respect towards so unworthy a man , returned this answer ; the greater enemy he is to the church , the more need he hath of prayers . and then wished those who were with him , to prove themselves christs disciples by loving their enemies , and by praying for their persecutors . the other instance is this , ( viz. ) understanding that arch-bishop laud said unto some of his friends ( petitioners for the liberty of his ministry ) i will pickle up that herring of shrewsbury ; he used these words , if he will abuse his power , let it teach christians the more to use their prayers . and he then prayed , that the non-conformists enemies might by observation , know that they have a good god to trust unto , when trampled upon by ill-despised men . he was a constant mighty wrestler with the almighty in prayers for england , that the gospel might not be removed , but that the kingdom of christ , might be here advanced more and more . he much feared that bad times would overtake this nation ; and at a conference about the affairs of england , he used these words : gods rod ( i much fear ) will be homebred warre in the state , and errours and heresies in the church , with gods visible departure from us . when all hope of regaining the liberty of his ministry in shrewsbury was quite gone , and therefore his continuance there , in wany regards , was judged inexpedient ; he removed with his wife , and such of his family , who were not disposed of elsewhere , unto wrenbury in cheshire , where he sojourned with his wives dear sister mistresse nicolls , a godly woman , the widdow of worthy master robert nicolls , who had been very famous in those parts , both for his labours and great abilities ; of whom this true character may be given : he was a man who had a clear head , and a tender heart , who led an holy life , and abounded in the work of the lord. here master herring lived privately and comfortably , under the ministry of his good friend master william peartree , doing what service he could by comforting afflicted consciences , and confirming the hearts of gods people in the faith of the gospel , as opportunities were offered . before any further progresse be made , in making known his call unto amsterdam , here may seasonably be inserted , the description given by a reverend neighbour minister , which is as followeth . whereas you desire my opinion in writing , concerning that reverend and religious man of god , master herring deceased ; the truth is , i fear my pen may rather darken his honour , then my pensil can draw out his character ; yet as the martyr counted it a great mercy to be cast into prison , if it were but to see the face of that blessed angel of god , master bradford ; so i have look't on it as no small happinesse , that the lord in his providence did cast me into these parts , to see the face , and hear the voice of master herring , that blessed angel of a church in salop. and i blesse god , that i had some intimate acquaintance with him , and knew his doctrine , manner of life , &c. as timothy did pauls , epist. . . and i should wrong him , if i should withhold this just testimony . he was one of whom the world was not worthy , a messenger , one of a thousand , a faithfull minister of jesus christ ; a boanerges ( a sonne of thunder ) to brawny-hearted sinners ; a barnabas ( a sonne of consolation ) to broken-hearted sinners . as sweet a grace he had in elocution , as ever i heard man in the pulpit , whose gift of utterance did set a fair glosse on all his holy sermons ; another apollos , eloquent and mighty in the scriptures ; and you know the common saying , bonus textualis bonus theologus . his sermons preached in the congregation , were printed in his conversation ; in doctrine , shewing incorruptness , gravity , sincerity , ( for he was a pious and learned divine ) and in life , shewing himself a pattern of good works ; free from visible blame , ( saving humane unavoidable infirmities , ) none could say ( justly ) black was his eye . he was indued with an admirable gift of prayer , and was frequently imployed in daies of private humiliation , even then , when meetings in that kind were branded with the odious names of conventicles ; yet the perils ( to which he rendred himself obnoxious , ) could not stave him off , from opening his window ( with daniel ) toward jerusalem . he was very fruitfull in conference , discreet in carriage , and cheerfull and couragious in his sufferings , of which this good old non-conformist had his share . and when every door was barr'd , and no hope left to enjoy his publique liberty , he left the land of his nativity , and ( on a clear call ) went into the netherlands , where ( after some years spent in the work of the lord ) this bright star did set , to the no little sorrow of his dear christian friends , &c. this faithfull servant of christ had many invitations into new-england , but received not satisfaction in his spirit , to transplant himself thither . afterwards in the latter end of the year , he was propounded by some friends unto master rulice , ( who was sent from the english reformed church in amsterdam unto london , to provide a minister to succeed master john paget ) as a man most meet to undertake that place . for the case there was this , ( viz. ) master john paget ( whose works praise him in the gate ) being through old age , rendred unable to uphold his wonted work in that reformed congregation , was eased of his pastoral attendance there , ( though the lords of the city , according to their commendable custom , continued his competent maintenance till his death , ) therefore master rulice his colleague , was employed to find out an assistant . this motion made known to master herring , was the rather hearkened unto , because his suspension from preaching was a burthen to his active spirit , and he espied no ground of hope that he should ever be suffered by the prelates to enjoy his much-desired liberty in england any more . hereupon coming up to london , after much seeking of god , and serious consulting with godly brethren , he was perswaded that this call came from god , and therefore might not be gainsaid . now having resolved ( in the pursuance of this providence ) to leave england , amongst other difficulties to be encountred , he was much affected with a double conflict , the one relating unto his manuscripts , the other unto his near and much endeared friends . he had many papers and letters ( which he much prized ) containing both the spiritual breathings of gracious hearts , and matters of great concernment : and those he durst not adventure to take with him ( fearing a search , ) nor yet did he judge it safe to leave them , because he knew not into what hands they might come ; therefore upon advice he burnt many writings , though both then and afterwards he did with tears think of that letter martyrdome , ( for so he called it , ) wherein many of the best thoughts of his dearest friends were committed to the flames . if this was so grievous , then let the reader guesse , with what grief of heart this thought was entertained , that now he must leave thousands of his precious friends , without any hope of seeing their faces any more in the land of the living . and truly his labours and his lovely conversation had gained him multitudes of friends , in every countrey and corner where he was known ; for no man was more generally and intirely affected , by all sorts , who feared god , then good master herring . although it be not possible to give a particular account of the gentry and ministry , ( most eminent for religion ) who highly prized and heartily loved him , yet the vertuous lady margaret bromley , ( who then dwelt at sheriff hales in shropshire ) deserves an honourable remembrance , because she was a constant and unparallel'd favourer of all good ministers and people , being both tender-hearted and open-handed towards such who suffered under prelatical pressures and otherwise ; and at her house , the most famous ministers in all neighbour countries , had hearty welcomes , with manifold sweet opportunities of service unto god , and of mutuall edification . besides the frequent soul-helps which the parishoners of the congregation , to which she was related , had upon sabbath daies for her sake ; there were few holy-daies , ( daies of vacancy from worldy businesses , ) in the year , wherein they had not one sermon at least , preached by some able minister of jesus christ , amongst whom , master pierson , master ball , master herring , and master nicolls , ( before mentioned , who died at this good ladies house , ) were of chief worth . oh! what pathetical blessings , with exhortations , encouragements , and prayers , did this worthy man of god bestow upon this , and the families of other choice friends , before he took his last farewell of his dear native countrey ! this narrative would swell too big , if report should be made of generals only in reference unto them , who were naturally , nearly related unto himself and his gracious consort , besides such who were very dear unto them both , in the spirit of jesus christ. some who beheld the last greetings betwixt him and reverend master ball of whitmore , professe that they stick too deep in their breasts to be forgotten : for after they had spent together well nigh one day and one night in conference , they did ( like jonathan and david ) frequently fall upon one another with mutual embracings , they parted and closed again a third and a fourth time , and when master herring was on horseback , and master ball on foot , they went together , often shaking hands over the hedges ; and upon the finall salutation they comforted each other with this consideration , that though they should never see one another again on earth , yet they should meet in heaven . and master herring was so deeply affected with those passages , that he said to some of his company , two or three more such parting 's would hinder my journey beyond seas ; and yet adding withall , master ball hath conquered my passions . in his passage out of england , he with warm affections and heavenly benedictions , took his leave of his own and his wives sisters , with their husbands , whose dwellings were in divers countries . those two eminently worthy reverend divines , master oliver bowles of sutton in bedfordshire , and master barry of cotsmore in rutland , ( who had married two of his wives gracious sisters ) as they had brotherly respect in his bosome , so they had special visits in his journey towards holland . he was necessitated secretly to take shipping at yarmouth , ( whither his brother-in-law master bowles did accompany him , ) because the then arch-bishop had given order , that no scholar nor minister should passe , without license from the councel-table . now whereas in his journey he had often prayed , that god would yet further clear his call into holland , by two special providences , viz. . that he might not be examined whether he was a minister , ( for he professed that he durst not deny his holy calling . ) . that god would strengthen him at sea , and grant him a comfortable voyage . he had answers of singular grace returned in both . he landed at rotterdam september . . and went aside from company so soon as with conveniency he could , to blesse the lord for his safe arrival , and for all other favours vouchsafed unto him , who had never before been upon the sea. the next day he went in a waggon to amsterdam , and was met on the way , by his dear colleague , with the elders and deacons of the church , and many of the english merchants , who expressed much joy for his safe coming unto them . by them he was accompanied to the house of his good friend , master whittaker , where he continued till his removal unto his own house , upon the coming over of his family into holland . his first sermon was upon psal. . . the earth is the lords , &c. wherein he much insisted upon this consideration , that gods children still tread upon their fathers ground , whithersoever his providence doth remove them ; and he preached with such satisfaction unto the hearts of his hearers , that thereby way was made for his future acceptance and service . the week following he was presented first unto the honourable lords , the magistrates of amsterdam , ( who kindly accepted him , and gave him a gratuity towards the charges of his journey , ) and afterwards to the reverend classis , where he was lovingly received into that society , and thanks were given unto god for bringing him safe unto them . whereas it was his custom to pray every night before he went into his bed , the night before a fasting day , ( appointed by the states , to seek direction in their counsels , and successe upon their armies now before breda ) he spake thus to his son who attended him , my heart is more fit for a thansgiving day , and it would be so unto me , if god would bring over my dearest christian ( for that was his wives name ) thy tender mother with her company . come let us pray for them . and the next morning when he was ready to go to the congregation , he heard that his dear wife was come unto amsterdam , by which providence his spirit being raised unto holy astonishment and admiration , he uttered these words ; oh what a god do i serve ! how exceeding mercifull is my god unto me ? what his prudent and pious coversation was , and what high estimation he had in amsterdam , may be understood by the testimony of master rulice , written by his own hand , march . . which is as followeth . how acceptable and dear master herring , ( my once reverend colleague ) was to us all , church , classis , magistrates , yea to all who knew him , it is publiquely known . how faithfully he employed those excellent gifts , which god in a large measure bestowed upon him , in publique , in private , in his sermons , in his advices , in consistory and classes , &c. what need i mention , for all well know . for his private conversation , what sweetnesse and inoffensiveness , yea exemplary godlinesse did not he shew upon all occasions . his sicknesse was lingering , his death like a sleep . as in his life , so in his sicknesse , and to his last breath ; he shewed that his heart was truly stored with patience , faith , love to god and his people , heavenly-mindednesse , zeal to the honour of god , and with intire love to his wife and children . but i must break off ; i hope that reverend man , who undertakes to publish the life and death of my most dear brother and colleague , will so set it out , that it may be a spurre to provoke the living to follow such a worthy pattern , and be a means of quickning many , not only to walk faithfully in the way to heaven , but also in that great function of the ministry . thus farre mr. rulice . the strangenesse of independent brethren of england , when they came over into holland , was a great trouble unto this reall saint : and his constant prayers were , that they might neither be deceived themselves , nor do any hurt unto the government of the reformed churches . he often said , that those men had need of much caution , because the devil in the times of purest reformation , would be a more subtill angel of light then he was in luthers daies . when his son returned into england , he warned him to take heed of joyning with any part , against the presbyterial government of the reformed churches ; for i am sure ( said he ) it is the government of jesus christ. when the scots first came into england , it was his constant and affectionate prayer , that they might be instruments of much good , but of no blood nor division between the two nations . he was one of gods special remembrancers , in behalf of england , begging fervently that the lords and commons in parliament , might be preserved from the two destructive rocks of pride and self-interests . he poured out his soul before the almighty , that he would appear for the non-conformists cause in england , and set up the presbyterial government according to the scripture rules . he often professed himself to be no enemy unto the persons of bishops , but an opposite to their pride and prelaticall rule . when news came unto him of the battell at edge-hill , thus he spake with tears : oh lord , wilt thou write englands reformation in red letters of her own blood ; yet preserve thine own people , and maintain thine own cause for jesus christ sake . he greatly bewailed the obstructing of church reformation in england by them , who professed themselves zealous for reformation , and it was no small offence unto him , to hear of the letters which came from some independents at london into holland , wherein falshoods were reported , to the reproach of some presbyterians , his known , godly friends in england . he was a true nathaniel indeed , in whose spirit there was no guile ; and therefore all falshood and unworthy juglings were an abomination to his heart . there was an holy harmoniousnesse in his whole conversation ; his life was a well-spun thread , from the beginning to the end , and tended much to the honour of his profession and particular calling . although he walked exactly with god , and maintained the comfort of constant peace with him , yet satan was suffered to give him one furious assault the night before he died , as was perceived by those who were then with him ; for rising upon his knees , with his hands lifted up , he spake these words : he is overcome , overcome , through the strength of my lord and only saviour jesus , unto whom i am now going to keep a sabbath in glory . and next morning , march . . being the sabbath day , ( about the time when he was wont to go unto ministerial work in the publique congregagation , ) and the sixty two year of his life , he was taken from his labours into rest , unto the spirits of just men made perfect in heaven , where he shall sing hallelujahs for evermore . the life of master john dod , who died anno christi . iohn dod was born in cheshire , at a town called shotlidge , bordering on wales , not far from malpus . his parents had a convenient estate , worth a hundred marks a year , which went to the eldest brother . this john was the youngest of seventeen , and much beloved of his parents . he was sent to school to west-chester , and when he was about fourteen years old , he was disposed of to jesus colledge in cambridge , where ( though he had little acquaintance , yet ) the lord prospering his studies , he was chosen first scholar , and after fellow ; in that colledge he there remained near sixteen years . the manner of his conversion was thus : the steward , or boucher of the colledge , accused him to the master , for the non-payment of a considerable summe of money due for one of his pupils , which master dod had truly paid , but he forgot to set it down . hereupon there was a vehement contest betwixt them about this businesse , and the vexation of mind that he should be accounted a defrauder , did so trouble master dod , that he fell into a feaver , and was dangerously sick ; yet all this while he was but in a natural estate . for though he had some good skill in the theorick part of divinity , yet he was without any application ; and his affliction was this , that he should be blamed for that , which he from the law and light of nature hated . all his sorrow as yet was but worldly sorrow ; and as himself saies , he neither did , nor could tell how to pray . at length the lord put into his heart that scripture , rom. . the law is spiritual , but i am carnal , and sold under sinne ; and presently his sins came upon him like armed men , and the tyde of his thoughts was turned , and he left musing how he was wronged , and seriously considered how he had offended god , and he betook himself to great humiliation , and earnestly besought the lord for pardon and peace in jesus christ. yet for some time he could find no comfort , but going on to seek the lord , there follows after much humiliation , much consolation , and the lord sealed to him that his sins were washed away with the blood of christ. then did he desire his accuser to come to him , and told him , that though he had accounted him to be his great enemy , yet now he acknowledged him to be his good friend , for that he was a means to bring him unto god. and afterwards it so fell out ( by gods good providence ) that it came to this mans remembrance that master dod had paid him the money , and he was very sorrowfull for the wrong which he had done him , and did him all the right he could for the healing of his name ; and master dod said , that he had not a more faithfull friend in all the colledge , during his abode there , then this man proved . when he was some years standing master of art , he was appointed to oppose in the philosophy act at the commencement , which he did with great approbation , insomuch as it was desired that he should dispute again the next commencement , but that he avoided . when he preached his first sermon in the university , he had bestowed much pains about it , binding himself to words and phrases ; but in his sermon he was at a non-plus , whereupon he resolved afterwards never to pen his sermon verbatim , but his usuall manner was to write only the analysis of his text , the proofs of scripture for the doctrines , with the reasons and uses , and so leaving the rest to meditation , in which course he never found defect . and whereas doctor fulk , doctor chaderton , doctor whitaker , and some others had their frequent meeting to expound the scriptures , and therein they chose the epistle to the hebrews , they were pleased from their loving respect to master dod to take in him amongst them . while he continued fellow of jesus ▪ colledge , by the importunity of some godly people of ely , he went weekly , and preached amongst them in that city , where the lord gave a great blessing to his ministry . his removall from cambridge to hanwel in oxfordshire , was thus occasioned ; master cope ( afterwards sir anthony cope ) a man of eminent note , who was much wrought upon by master dods ministry , sent a letter to doctor chaderton , to provide him a minister for hanwel , which was then vacant . doctor chaderton moved master dod to go to the place , and after he had been a while , and preached severall sermons , by the desire and consent of the people , and by the approbation of the neighbour ministers who had heard him , he was setled as their pastor . while he was at hanwel he preached twice every sabbath , catechizing also in the afternoon , and kept a lecture on the wednesday constantly , and besides this , he was one of the five ministers who held up the lecture at banbury . he gave himself much to fasting and prayer , and as his seeds-time was painfull , so his harvest was gainfull , hundreds of souls being converted by his ministry . he was given to hospitality , delighting therein , keeping a constant table on the sabbath , and on the wednesdays lecture ; upon which daies he had not under eight or twelve persons commonly dining with him , and he spent the time amongst them in spiritual exhortation and conference . he was about thirty years old when he came to hanwel , and continued there above twenty years , where he had twelve children by his dear wife , formerly anne bound , daughter-in-law to the worthy servant of jesus christ , master greenham of draighton near cambridge , and daughter to doctor bound , she was one that truly feared god , and after her decease ( by the perswasion of some friends ) he took to wife mistresse cleiton , who then lived at stratford bowe ; she also was a godly woman , and he was contracted to her by master egerton of black-fryers , and married by his ancient and loving friend doctor gouge . but to return back again to hanwel , it pleased the lord to give a great blessing to his ministry in that place ; yet he had much trouble from the envy of some ministers that lived about him , who though they seldome preached themselves , yet they would not suffer that their people should go from them , and hence he was frequently questioned in the bishops courts . and besides this ( though some of hanwel were very courteous and kind , yet ) there were some others who were glad to get from him what they could , and to keep from him what they could , thinking that that which he had was too much . upon a time master dod took a journey to draighton , to bemoan himself to his father-in-law master greenham , by reason of his crosses and hard usage ; master greenham heard him what he could say , and when he had done , answered him thus : son , son , when affliction lieth heavy , sin lieth light . this deserves the rather to be remembred , because master dod used often to blesse god for it , saying also , that if master greenham had bemoaned him , which he expected , he had done him hurt ; and he forgot not this speech in his old age , but made excellent use of it for himself and others . he was suspended from his ministry at hanwel by doctor bridges , bishop of oxford . and ( suspecting what would follow ) the sabbath before he went to the visitation , he gave his hearers a farewell sermon out of that text , i will smite the shepherd , and the sheep shall be scattered ; the people did attend unto him with sad countenances , and weeping eyes . being thus driven from hanwel , he preached at fenni-compton in warwickshire , where he had but small means , but he was desirous to be doing good . from thence he had a fair call unto cannons-ashby in northamptonshire , where he lived quietly divers years , preached over the whole prophesie of danel , with some other scriptures , having much kindnesse from sir erasmas dryden , ( in whom there was a rare mixture of piety and learning ) and good affection from master cope . he was silenced from preaching at ashby , upon a complaint made against him by bishop neal , to king james , who commanded the arch-bishop abbot to silence him . then he ceased for some time to preach publiquely , yet in regard of his heavenly gift in conference , he might have been said daily to preach privately ; he was in his element when he was discoursing of heavenly things . and god in goodnesse so ordered it , that when he was restrained from publique preaching , yet himself conceived that at that time his life was no lesse profitable then it had been in former times . he had much employment in comforting such as were wounded in their spirits , being sent for , not only nigh at hand , but also into remote countries . there was a gentlewoman who had a great worldly estate , and a loving husband , but she was so sadly assaulted with tentations , that she often attempted to make away her self . master dod was sent for to come to her , and the lord so blessed his councels , exhortations , and prayers , that she did not only recover out of her anguish of spirit , but she was afterwards taken notice of for her singular piety ; and the lord so ordered , that this affliction was not only the means of her conversion , but also of her husbands , so that both of them were a great mercy in the countrey where they lived , promoting religion according to their power , and entertaining and cherishing godly people : she lived divers years quieted in her heart , and being rich in good works ; and when she lay on her death-bed , master dod was sent for to her again , who spake of heaven , and to fit her for that glory , she told him , that she felt the comforts of god , and that she could as hardly at that time forbear singing , as formerly in child-bearing she could forbear crying , and shortly after she died . there was a gentlemen related to a noble family , so perplexed in his mind , that he hath been known in hard frosts to go barefooted , that the pain of his feet might divert his thoughts . master dod was sent for to him , who was his spirituall physician to heale him . it would be long to insist on all particulars of this nature , the lord having made him a happy instrument for the good of many . when he had spent some years in this kind of service , by the care and industry of master richard knightley of preston ( a worthy patriot , ) after the death of king james , his liberty was procured for preaching again publiquely , and then he was setld at fausley , where he preached twice every lords day . there he went over the gospel of john , the epistle to the colossions , and other scriptures . he was much given to hospitality at fausley , as he had formerly been at hanwel , so that there was scarce any sabbath in the year , in which he did not dine both poor and rich , commonly three or four poor persons , besides those that came from other places to hear him . he had so large an heart , that upon occasion , he hath given to some three shillings , to some ten shillings , to some twenty shillings ; and when the poor came to buy butter or cheese , he would command his maid to take no money of them . at fausley he had quietnesse from the courts , as also at ashby ; for in neither of those places was there any church-wardens . he was beholding at fausley , to the right worshipfull family of the knightleys , where his bones was laid . he used to bear crosses with much patience and meeknesse , being wont to say , that sanctified afflictions were great promotions , quoting that of the apostle peter , pet. . . 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 , &c. is much more precious then gold , which he conceived to signifie the affliction that trieth faith , and that the word should be rendred exploratorium , rather then exploratio . he alwaies expected troubles , and prepared himself for them , and put this difference between the affliction , for which we are provided and others ; that the one are but blows on the harnesse , but the other are blows on the flesh . upon a time when an affliction was upon him , which went to his very heart , and in the expectation whereof he wept ; yet when he saw that it was the will of god that it should be so , he said to one whom he loved , i will go and blesse god , for i believe this shall be for my good . he gave himself much to fasting and prayer , and when he fasted , his custom was to abstain from the dinner of the day before , to the supper of the day after . his diseases till he was above threescore , were only feavers , and these for the most part high and violent . in the sixty third year of his age , he had a feaver in which there was small hope of life . doctor oxenbridge was his physician , who waiting for the breathing out of the disease by sweating , ( in which at last he had his desire ) he came to master dod , and in the presence of divers , said unto him ; now i have hope of your recovery : to which master dod answered , you think to comfort me by this , but you make my heart sad ; it is as if you should tell one who had been sore weather-beaten on the sea , and conceiving he was arrived at the haven where his soul longed to be , that he must come back again to be tossed with new winds and waves . in his greatest health and prosperity , he would speak how he desired to be dissolved . upon a time , a gentleman blamed him for it , saying , he liked not servants who would have their wages before they had done their work ; but he seemed to be constant in this desire , alledging these reasons amongst others , that god had given him a setled assurance of heaven , and a sight of the excellency of heaven , and that the earth was but a prison , and heaven the palace ; and there was perfect holinesse and happinesse . he took all occasions to do good ; when he was in company , by godly speeches , seasoning those which came to him , that unlesse it were their own fault , they might be the better for him . being invited to a great feast where there were sundry gentlemen , and some of them began to swear , he stopt them by discoursing of the greatnesse of that sin ; and that he might not burden their memories , he quoted three chapters , every one was the first : as the first of zachary , the first of matthew , and the first of james , and he opened those scriptures in such sort , that they were all hushed , and did not again offend in that kind while he was present amongst them . the word of god was his great delight , his meditation was of it in the night , and his discourse in the day . when those that were with him were speaking of earthly things , he would find out some way to bring in heavenly . when he could not sleep in the night , he would say , that the meditation of the word was sweeter to him then sleep . when he had preached twice on the sabbath , and was aweary , yet to those that came to him , he would go on afresh in holy discourses ; and the comforts which he found in his soul , made him sometimes forget his body , that he hath been speaking till he was ready to faint . his eminency was in frequency , aptnesse , freenesse , and largenesse of godly discourse ; in which respect it may be said of him , that in the countrey where he lived , none were known who therein were equal to him . but he was micans inter omnes , velut inter ignes luna minores . he was very mercifull himself , and to move parents that were rich to mercy , he would say thus ; you are caring and contriving to lay up for your children , but lay up for your selves a good foundation against the time to come , being rich in good works ; you will lay up treasure in the earth , which is an unsafe place ; lay up treasures in heaven , that is the sure and safe place . he loved and honoured those that feared god , though in point of subscription and ceremonies they were not of his judgment ; and as he sowed , so he reaped . he was full of love himself , and greatly beloved of others . doctor preston , whom good men loved for his excellent piety and learning , was a faithfull friend of master dods , and often entertained him at his chamber , and esteemed much of him for his spiritualnesse in conference and conversation , and for his ability to open scripture , and to comfort troubled spirits . when the doctors consumption was upon him , which put an end to his life , he came to master richard knightleys at preston in northamptonshire , which was but a mile from fausley , where master dod had his abode , and desired him to speak to him of death and heaven , and heard him with patience and thankfulnesse . master dod prayed by him when he lay a dying , and preached his funeral sermon . also master throgmorton , a pious and painfull preacher of the word ; an approved good man , dying the same year of a consumption , came to ashby not far from fausley , to have the help of master dods comforts and counsels . he was oppressed with melancholy , and a little before he gave up his soul to christ , he asked master dod , what will ye say of him that is going out of the world , and can find no comfort ? to whom he answered ; what will you say of our saviour christ , who when he was going out of the world found no comfort , but cryed out , my god , my god , why hast thou forsaken me ? this speech refreshed master throgmorton , and within a little space of time after this , he went to his heavenly inheritance . master dod , as he was of a weaned disposition from the world himself , so he laboured to wean others . he put this difference between rich christians and poor , that for poor christians their father kept the purse , but the rich christians keep the purse in their own hands . but it might oftner fall out , and did ; and therefore the purse was better in the fathers hand then in the christians . he was wont to compare wicked men to waves of the sea ; those which were of a great estate , were great waves ; those which were of small estate , were small waves , but all were restlesse as waves . to a friend of his that was raised from a meaner estate to worldly greatnesse , he sent word , that this was but as if he should go out of a boat into a barge or ship ; but there ought to be a serious and godly remembrance , that while we are in this world , we are upon the sea. he often repeated this , that nothing could hurt us but our own sins ; and they should not hurt us , if we truly repented of them ; and nothing could do us good but gods favour , and that we should be sure of , if we unfeignedly sought it . speaking of davids penning the psalm , after his murther and adultery , he put this glosse upon it , that hearty and true repentance shall have cause to praise the lord for his pardoning mercy . he said afflictions were gods potions , which we might sweeten by faith and faithfull prayer , but we for the most part made them bitter , putting into gods cup the ill ingredients of our own impatience and unbelief . he gave this reason why many of gods people lived uncomfortably , for that they shut their ear against what god said , where they should open it ; and they opened their ear to what their carnal reason , and satan , and the world said , where they should shut it . but ( said he ) the psalmist was wiser , psal. . . he would heare none of them all ; i will heare what the lord god will speake . his preaching was searching ; and when some did suppose that he had informers and spies , because he came so close to them , he answered ; that the word of god was searching , and that if he was shut up in a dark vault , where none could come at him , yet allow him but a bible and a candle , and he should preach as he did . he had an excellent gift in similitudes , which did flow freely and frequently from him , as all those knew , who either heard him preach publiquely , or discourse privately . he called death , the friend of grace , though it were the enemy of nature : and whereas the word , and sacraments , and prayer , do but weaken sin , death kills it . speaking of prayer , he said , a man was never in a hard condition , unlesse he had a hard heart , and could not pray . having preached out of that text , o woman , great is thy faith , be it unto thee even as thou wilt ; he invited some women to dinner , and told them it was a usuall saying , let a woman have her will , and then she would be quiet . now the way for a woman to have her will , is to have a strong faith , and to pray as that woman in the gospel did . upon a time when he had preached long , so that it was somewhat late before he went to dinner , he said , you shall have some gentlemen will follow hounds from seven in the morning , till four or five in the afternoon , because they love the cry of dogs , which to me was unpleasant hearing ; so if we love the word , we should be content though the minister stood above his hour . and he added , methinks it is much better to hear a minister preach , then a kennell of hounds to bark . speaking of recreation , he said , he marvelled what the vocation of many was , who were so eager for recreation . and if we should come into a house , and see many physick-boxes and glasses , we would conclude some body is sick ; so when we see hounds , and hawks , and cards , and dice , we may fear that there is some sick soul in that family . he told some friends , that if he were to passe sentence who was a rich man , he would not look into his purse or chest how much gold he had laid up , but look into his heart what promises were treasured up there . for we count him rich that is rich in bonds , and the pleading of the promises in prayer , is suing of the bonds . speaking to a minister who was to go to a place where there was but small means , he told him , that his care was to preach , and do god service , and then god would provide for him . when he preached at fausley , and was much resorted unto , as it was with him in other places , he told a godly man of his acquaintance , that if the countrey knew so much by him , as he knew by himself , they would not have him in so much admiration . speaking about going to law , his opinion was , that it was better to buy love then law. for one might have a great deal of love for a little , whereas he could have but a little law for a great deal . he would frequently say , that was well , which ended everlastinly well ; and that was ill , which ended everlastingly ill : and that a man was never undone till he was in hell . this was a speech which he often used , that if it were lawfull to envy any , he would envy those that turned to god in youth , whereby they escaped much sin and sorrow , and were like unto jacob that stole the blessing betimes . this was a remarkable passage of providence , that upon a time when it was late at night , it came into his mind that he must see a friend of his some two miles off ; he had businesse , and would have put it off , but his thoughts were restlesse ; whereupon he went , and when he came to the place , all the family were in bed , but only his friend , who was esteemed truly godly , but at that time was overwhelmed with tentations ; the occasion whereof was , some cruelty offered to his children . master dod knew nothing , either of the tentation or occasion of it : but knocking at the door , his friend opened the door to him , to whom he said , i am come to you , i know not why my self , but i was restlesse in my spirit untill i had done it . to whom his friend answered , you know not why you came , but god knew why he sent you ; and withall , pulled out a halter wherewith he had intended self-murder at that time , which by gods goodnesse , was by this means prevented . speaking of losing for christ , he testified from his own experience , that for the losse of one carnal brother he had two hundred spiritual brethren . before he was married , he could not maintain himself , and thereupon he was thinking , how he should maintain a wife and children , his living not being great ; but looking out of his study window , he saw a hen and chickens scratching for their living , and he considered thus with himself , the hen did but live before , and had nothing to spare , and now she had as much with that great family . when he saw a christian to look sad , he would use that speech which johnadab did to amnon , art not thou a kings son ? he would say to those that complained of losses and crosses , that which eliphaz did to job , do the consolations of god seem small to you ? god hath taken away your children , your goods , but he hath not taken away himself , nor christ , nor his spirit , nor heaven , nor eternal life . he used to instruct christians how they should never have a great affliction , nor long , and that was by looking upon things which were not seen , which are eternal , cor. . , . what can be great to him that counts the world nothing ? and what can be long to him that thinks his life but a span long ? to perswade them that are christians not to return railing for railing , he would say , that if a dog bark at a sheep , a sheep will not bark at a dog . in these times of war , at the first beginning of them , when many well-affected people came to him , being affrighted with the cavaliers , he encouraged them , using this speech , that if a house were full of rods , what need the child fear , when none of them could move without their fathers hand ; and the lord was a loving father ; state and life , and all was in his disposing . when afterwards the cavaliers came to his house , and threatned to knock him on the head , he answered with confidence , that if they did , they should send him to heaven , where he longed to be , but they could do nothing except god gave leave . they broke open his chests , and cupboards , and plundred him of his goods ; but he said to a friend of his , that he would not do them that honour to say they had taken ought from him , but it was the lord , alledging that of job , who when he was spoiled by the chaldeans and the sab●ans , yet he did not so much as name the instruments , but , the lord hath given , and the lord hath taken , blessed be the name of the lord. at length they came to him , when through weaknesse he was unable not only to stirre out of his chamber , but also out of his bed ; they cut the curtains of his bed , and pulled away the pillowbeers from under his head , asking him whether he could speak latine , in all which losses , which were great , he never uttered one word of impatience . in his sicknesse , when extream pain was upon him , as soon as the fit was over , he would say to his maid-servant that attended him ; o think well of god for it , for it is most justly and wisely done , whatsoever he sendeth or doth . when his servants came to visit him in the morning , he would say , have ye been with god to blesse him for your sleep this night ? he might have made your bed your grave . he would often say in his sicknesse , i am not afraid to look death in the face ; i can say , death , where is thy sting ? death cannot hurt me . he spake how death was a sweet sleep to a christian ; adding , that if parents should tell little children , who had played all the day , that they must go to bed , they would be ready to cry ; but a labouring man is glad when night comes that he might go to rest . so wicked men , death is unwelcome unto them ; but a child of god , who hath laboured and suffered , is glad when death cometh , that he may rest from his labours . when he had been long speaking to those who came to him , and used to ask him questions , and hath been perswaded to spare himself , he would say , hear but this one thing more , it may be i shall never speak to you again ; but if it should be so , blessed is the servant whom his lord when he cometh shall find so doing . hearken to a few words more ; god hath heard all the words we have spoken , and considered with what hearts and affections we have spoken them . he used to compare rebukes uttered in passion to scalding potions , which the patient could not take down . and his opinion was , that if we would do good unto others , we should labour for meeknesse of wisdome , whereby we shall be inabled to use soft words and hard arguments . he allowed to husbands and wives only one contention ; which was this , who should love one another best ; and advised them , that when either of them were in passion , they should not answer passions with passions , but with compassions . he was very plain and familiar both in preaching and conference , yet very spiritual , and performed all with much gravity . the chief things he sought god for , in his frequent secret fastings and prayers , ( as himself said ) were the knowledge of the scriptures , and a blessing upon his ministry , in both which god answered him abundantly . as for the scriptures , god had so enlightened him , that he was able to give account of the drift and scope of the spirit of god in the greatest part of them , with great clearnesse , and to open them in such sort as proved very effectual for the bringing of scripture-light into simple mens understandings , who were not able to reach the obscure and scholastick interpretations of many . his manner was to compare scripture with scripture , seldome naming the dissenters , and but sparingly different readings , but making out the truth positively , or by necessary consequence . in preaching , he usually took some portion of scripture in order before him , opening a verse or two , or more at a time , first clearing the drift and connection , then giving the sense and interpretation briefly , but very plainly , not leaving the text untill he had made it plain to the meanest capacity ; then raising those doctrines that were most agreeable to the mind and meaning of the spirit of god in that text , clearing and exemplifying his points excellently out of the word , opening his proofs , ( not multiplying particulars for oppressing memory , ) not dwelling so long as to make all truth run through a few texts . he spake most largely and very home in application , mightily convincing and diving into mens hearts and consciences , and leaving them little or nothing to object against it . he took great care to speak to the meanest capacity , and to feed the lambs , saying , he must stoop to the lowest capacity , and if he could reach them , others might help themselves . he could not endure that ministers should use hard and unusuall english. he said , that most ministers in england usually shoot over the heads of their hearers . he did not strive to speak all that might be said to a point , nor to shew variety , or please curiosity , but to speak to the heart . he would say , that there were many tricks and devices that some men used in preaching , but they seldome did good . the pure gospel , and that preaching which the world counts foolishnesse , was that that works most kindly . he was very evangelicall , striving first to make men see their lost condition clearly , and to be convinced of it , saying , sense of misery was a goo● step to the remedy . and then largely and excellently opening the promises , and the grace of god in christ according to the gospel , looking at that as the most effectual preaching . some ( saies he ) labour still to keep men under terrors , and load them with threatnings , &c. lest they should not be humbled enough ; but the gospel works true humiliation , not the law ; it arises from sense of sin and misery joyned with hope of mercy . the damned have terror and sense of misery enough , but that did not humble them . he desired to speak distinctly , not giving the childrens bread to dogs , but to discover hypocrisie and sincerity by lively characters and signes , but yet with great tendernesse to babes in christ , striving to discover a babe from an hypocrite . he was excellent for practical divinity and living by faith , as to spirituals and temporals , and self-denial ; and very consolatory , rendring religion the most sweet and comfortable life , notwithstanding sufferings . he used to presse much after the seeking of spiritual illumination , in hearing and reading , &c. and divine assistance in religious duties , not contenting our selves with the use of parts and accomplishments , or grace received , but to look higher , saying , david that could preach excellently , and had nathan and gad the prophets also to preach , yet cryes out for teaching ; thereby shewing , that all that teaching would not do , unlesse god teach also . and davids cryes , open mine eyes ; he had the light without , but he must have light within , viz. sight , else he could not see the wonders of the law , though he had the law. he used to presse much to meeknesse , and a sweet disposition to affability , charity and cheerfulnesse , not to be rigid , sour , tart , nor sad , least the world should think that we served an hard master . being above eighty years old , his pains were very great , yet not painfull to him . he preached almost all day long on the lords day , yet said , it was no great matter to pay money when one had it , all the labour was to get it . he opened a chapter , and prayed in his family , after preached twice in publique , and in the interim discoursed all dinner while , but eat very little . he brought in many with him to dinner , besides his four or six constant widows ; if his wife began to doubt of her provision at sight of so many , he would say , better want meat then good company , but there is something in the house , though cold . this is not a day to feast the bodies but souls . at first sitting down , he would bid them help themselves and one another , and see that none want . let me ( said he ) bid you but once , for i would not speak a vain word to day . after both sermons , the house would be filled ; and he being sate in his chair , used to say , if any have a good question , or a hard place of scripture to open , let them say on ; and when he was faint , he would call for a small glasse of wine and beer mixt , and then to it again till night . he was excellent in preaching occasionally from the creatures , as he walked or rode . his ministry was so spiritual , and yet so plain , that poor simple people that never knew what religion meant , when they had gone to hear him , could not choose but talk of his sermon . it mightily affected poor creatures to hear the mysteries of god , ( by his excellent skill that way ) brought down to their own language and dialect . he was so holy and spiritual both in life and doctrine , that he silenced even desperate and devillish opposers of religion . it was a discredit for any to speak evil of him , because it must needs expresse much malice , and all men most generally ( in his latter time at least ) honoured him . he was very successefull in making peace , though between desperate and almost implacable adversaries , and some of them wicked , mightily convincing them with gospel-arguments , to the overcoming and quieting of their spirits . he would answer any questions propounded , that were but fit for a divine to speak to ; yet shewing his approbation or dislike of the question according to the honesty and spiritualnesse , or curiosity and lightnesse of it . when mean inferiour people came to speak with him , if he was walking in the church , where he used most to study , that he might have room to walk in , ( being troubled with the stone ) or elsewhere ; if he thought them bashfull , he would meet them , and say , would you speak with me ? and when he found them unable to state their question , he would help them out with it , taking care to find the sore ; but would answer and deal so compassionately and tenderly , as not to discourage the poorest soul from coming again to him . if any questioned him about ceremonies , about which many then suffered , he was very wary in dealing , ( not shy in speaking his judgment ) but carefull of advising them according to their strength . he would bid them take heed of being led meerly by the imitation of any body , 〈◊〉 other mens arguments , but look to their scripture-light , and see 〈◊〉 ●●guments they had to bear them out ; and whether they could 〈◊〉 alone in that case if they should survive their patterns . he would not have them make a businesse about lesser things , and then fall off from what they began to professe . being to advise a young man in his choice of a yokefellow , he bad him look principally after godlinesse . men talk of a portion , grace is the b●st portion . the wise woman buildeth up the house , viz. the godly , &c. not the rich . some use to say , there is a portion and civility , and we will hope for grace ; but , saith he , rather make sure grace , and hope for riches ; there 's far greater reason for it . for godlinesse hath the promises , riches hath none . a sonne or daughter of god shall be provided for . he would say , he that could answer two questions well , might have comfort in any place or condition , viz. who am i ? and what do i here ? am i a child of god ? and am i in my calling or way ? he hath given his angels charge to keep thee in all thy waies . and that the knowledge of two things would make one willing to suffer or die , viz. what heaven is ; and that it 's mine ; i ( said one ) if a man were sure . to whom he answered , truly assurance is to be had , and what have we been doing all this while ? he used to say , they that hope to go to heaven ( as most do ) and had not good evidence for it , were like a man , that passing by a great house and estate , would say , this is mine ; but being bid to shew his title , would say , some body must have it , and why not i ? such is most mens title for heaven . during the time of his last sicknesse , it pleased the lord to try him by grievous pains , most bitter and sharp , of the strangury ; but when he had any intermissions , he was breathing out such speeches , as tended to the praise of god , and to the edification of those that attended him . he slept little all the night or day long before his death , in all which time he imployed his attendants which were about him , to read the scriptures , which he expounded to them . and when his strength was spent with speaking , he retired himself to prayer and meditation . when he felt his paines returning , he would intreat those that were about him , to pray to god for him , either to give him deliverance or patience . his tentation a little before his death , and his wrestlings with satan were great ; so were his victories . he spake to one that did watch with him all night , about two of the clock in the morning , that he had been wrestling with satan all that night , who accused him that he neither preached , nor prayed , nor performed any duty as he should have done , for manner or for end , but he said , i have answered him from the example of the prodigal and the publican . his faith and patience were encreased and perfected by his sufferings . he longed and thirsted to be with christ , which words he often uttered . one of his last speeches was this , with his eyes and hands lifted up to heaven , he sighed , and said , i desire to be dissolved and to be with christ. his pains left him not an hour before his death , his speech also then leaving him ; he could not eat nor drink two daies before his death . and so quietly and patiently he ended his life , making a happy change , being fourscore and sixteen years old , anno christi , . the life of master robert balsom , who died anno christi . robert balsom was born at shipton-montague , in the county of somerset . having spent some years in new-in-hall in oxford , upon his removall thence , he was entertained by master bernard of batcomb , in the aforesaid county , to teach school , and preach sometimes as his assistant ; under whom he greatly improved his abilities for preaching . upon the death of master bernard , preaching occasionally at a neighbour village call'd stoke , among a company of poor untaught people , one that lived thereabouts , told him , that if such a minister should come and preach among that people , where there was so small encouragement , he should think that god had a great work to do upon them . hereupon master balsom promised to be their minister , where he enjoyed about fourty pounds a year . the successe of his ministry there was very great , insomuch that he hath been heard say , that there were but few sermons that he preached there , but he had intelligence , that some one or other were converted by them . the troubles growing in those parts , by reason of our civil warres , after one or two years abode there , he was forced for his own safety , to betake himself to warder castle in wiltshire , where he had not continued long , but the castle was besieged by the kings party . upon the news of their approach , he was minded to have gone for london , but being desired by colonel ludlow , the governour of that castle , he remained there during the siege . a little before the castle was delivered up , as they were in treaty about the surrender of it , master balsom walking upon the roof of the castle , heard three souldiers say , that they had sworn upon the bible , to take away the life of one in the castle . he asked one of them , who is that ye mean ? is it our minister ? they replyed , yes ; for he is a witch : which they affirmed upon this ground , because the castle had divers times been very strangely relieved with provision . as at one time with a herd of swine coming down to the gates , which they took in ; and at another time by some deer , and conies , the siege then being not close , but straightning them at a distance . he asked them , what was their names ? they told him , they were the three merry boyes : he replyed , your names are very unsuitable to the times . and so after some farther discourse , parted with them . after the surrender of the castle , and the enemies entry , they presently seized on master balsom , and clapt him up in a close low room . about twelve a clock at night , the key of the room was given to the three souldiets that had sworn his death : they having received the key , presently entered the room where he was with another souldier , who was hanged the next morning : no sooner came they into the room , but they put off their hats , and standing still , lookt on him at a distance , saying nothing to him . he suspecting them to be the men that had sworn to take away his life , spake to them thus ; friends , what is your business ? are not ye the men that have sworn to take away my life ? they answered to this purpose , we have taken a wicked oath , god forgive us , but we will do you no hurt . he desired them to come near unto him , but they stood trembling , perswaded him to make an escape , voluntarily offering him their best assistance . he answered , now i suspect you , you are ashamed to take away my life , now i am in your hands , but would perswade me to a flight , that you might with the more colour kill me in the pursuit . they assuring him , they intended really the setting of him at liberty ; he asked what they thought would become of them ? they answered , they would go along with him . he replyed , that you shall not do ; for if i be taken again , i shall be but in the same case i am ; but if you be taken , it will cost you your lives . and therefore i will rather suffer the utmost that god shall suffer them to inflict upon me , then hazard the lives of those that have shewed themselves so friendly to me . upon this , they had him forth into the fresh air , and in the mean time made clean his room , and so left him . the next morning , a councel of war was call'd , and as they were debating to put him to death , a captain of the councel stood up , and said , i will have no hand in the blood of this man , and so went out of the room , and no farther progresse was made as concerning him . afterwards they carried him in a cart to salisbury ; as he was carried through the town to the prison , the people of the town entertained him with great scorn and contempt ; and that night another councel of war was call'd , and packt for the purpose , by which he was condemned to be hang'd . hereupon the high sheriff of the county went unto him into the prison , and after much ill language that he used towards him , he told him that he was come to tell him , that he must prepare himself to die , for he was condemned by the councel of war , to be hang'd the next morning at six a clock ; but withall , assured him , that if he would ask pardon of the king for his offence , and serve his majesty for the future , as he had formerly served against him , he should both save his life , and have what preferment he could reasonably desire . he answered , for me to ask pardon where i am not conscious of an offence , were but the part of a fool ; and to betray my conscience in hope of preferment , were but the part of a knave ; and if i had neither hope of heaven , nor fear of hell , i had rather die an honest man , then live a fool or a knave . the next morning he rose about five a clock , being something troubled that he had slept so long : about six a clock the officers came into the room to bring him forth to execution . while he was preparing to go with them , he heard a post ride in , asking hastily , is the prisoner yet alive ? who brought with him a reprieve from sir ralph hopton , to whom he was carried to winchester . as he came to the gates of the town , sir william ogle the governour met him , and told him , that he would feed him with bread and water for two or three daies , and then hang him . then he was brought to sir ralph hopton , who spake to him thus ; master balsom , i little thought one day that you should have been my prisoner , and i cannot but wonder , that such men as you should be engaged in a rebellion against the king. to whom he replyed , sir , i cannot but wonder , that such men as you should call this rebellion . sir ralph desired him to give him an account of the grounds , upon which he and his party proceeded , promising him , that he should not suffer for any thing that he spake to him . after about half an hours discourse , he committed him to his own marshall , with this charge , keep this man safe , but use him well . the marshall received him , and after some little rough entertainment , upon his entrance into his house , he at length used him with great seeming respect . long he had not been there , but a gentlewoman came to him with a pottle of sack , urging him to preach a recantation sermon the next morning before the lords , promising that if he would so do , the king would make him a doctor . he replyed , sure you do but mock me ; for should i preach upon such short warning , the lords would never hear such extempore stuff ; but if you be in good earnest , and would make me a doctor indeed , then let me have the same law ye use to give your doctors , viz. a quarter of a years time to make a sermon , and by that time you may know more of my mind . the next morning an order was brought for the conveying of him to oxford , whither he was accordingly carried . he lighted first at the blewbore , whither they brought a company of the queens followers , who with much fury oftentimes swore , that he should not go alive out of the room . but the musqueteers , who were set as a guard upon him , desired them to be quiet , telling them that he was their prisoner , and should not suffer there , but they would suffer with him . thence he was conveyed to the castle , where after two or three daies abode , he enjoyed the same liberty with other prisoners ; and a while after , he set up an exposition lecture in the prison twice a day : to which , not only the prisoners , and some of the souldiers , but divers courtiers , and many out of the town often came . being prohibited once or twice to go on in this exercise , he answered , if ye are weary of me , i am not willing to trouble you any longer ; ye may turn me out of your doors when you will ; but while i have a tongue to speak , and people to speak to , i will not hold my peace . after some moneths of imprisonment , he was released by exchange . as he was departing thence , some courtiers and others , that had formerly shewed him some favour , perswaded him to close with their party , and to stay with them . he utterly refusing , divers of them accompanied him out of town ; and as they were parting , one of them said ; sir , if any of us should fall into your hands , we should desire no better entertainment then you have had amongst us . he replyed , gentlemen , i could wish that ten thousand of you might fall into our hands within this moneth , that you might see how kindly we would deal with you . thence he was sent for by the lord generall essex to be chaplain in his army , with whom he continued , during his command . then he went to barwick , where he was received with great affection of the people , and saw in a short time great successe of his labours in the ministry . during his abode there , two things were very remarkeable : one , whereas there was a child that had been strangely visited with such a weaknesse , as neither physicians or divines could guesse at the cause , or find out the cure ; hereupon master balsom moved some christians there to seek god with him , by fasting and prayer , which accordingly they did , and obtained a suddain and extraordinary answer . for as the mother of the child came home from the exercise , her child met her , and told her , she was very well , who before had kept her bed of a long time . the other thing remarkable was this ; a scottish lord , by name , the lord of granson , took up his habitation for a time in barwick , and brought with him his family . in which , amongst others , was the steward of his house , formerly reputed a godly man , who was very much afflicted in mind : master balsom came to visit him , and administred some comfort to him for that time . but two or three daies after he being sorely afflicted again , master balsom was sent for , who finding him very much weakned and worn out by the violence of temptation , began to speak comfortably to him . but perceiving that no words of comfort would fasten on him , he whispered to him in his ear to this purpose , i doubt there is something within , that you should do well to discover . whereupon immediately the mans tongue swelled out of his mouth , insomuch that he was not able to speak . master balsom continued speaking to him , till at length , to the astonishment of those in the room , being many , and some of them persons of quality , a shrill voice was heard , as from out of his throat ( having not any use of his tongue ) to this purpose : what dost thou talking to him of promises , and free grace ? he is mine . master balsom apprehending it to be the voice of the devil , replyed : no satan , thou dost not know any man to be thine while there is life in him . but this is a notorious wicked wretch , and therefore is mine . the blood of jesus christ cleanseth us from all sin . if god would let me loose upon you , i should find enough in the best of you , to make you all mine . but thou art bound satan . and so turning himself to the people , with a smiling countenance , he said , what a gracious god have we , that suffers not satan to have his will upon us ? then the devil began to curse and swear , and blaspheme the trinity in a most fearfull and horrible manner . the lord rebuke thee . but this man is mine , for he hath given himself to me ; and sealed it with his blood . i do not believe that the father of lies speaketh truth , and i do believe , how confident soever thou art , that thou wilt lose thy hold before to morrow morning . the devil continued to curse and swear further , saying , how canst thou endure to hear thy god blasphemed ? i will never give over blaspheming so long as thou stayest in the room . i will pray for him . wilt thou pray for a man that is damned ? i will go home and pray for him , and get all the force i can in the town to joyn with me . after this , there being no more voice heard , mr. balsom went home about eleven a clock at night , where he found in his house divers christians , which he intended to have sent for , waiting for him ; and upon the sight of them , he spake to them to this purpose : friends , i wonder at the providence of god , in bringing you hither at this time , for otherwise i must have sent for you . and so declaring to them what had hapned to the afflicted man , he desired them to spend some part of the night with him , in seeking god for him , which accordingly they did . the next morning master balsom going to visit him again , found him in a comfortable condition ; and asking of him , how he did ? he answered , through the goodnesse of god , i have overcome , and am now as full of comfort , as i was before of trouble . and so continued all that day cheerfull , but in great weaknesse , and the next morning died , no disease appearing upon him . after some time of master balsom's abode there , he was earnestly intreated to return into his own countrey , to which , for some important reasons he was inclined , but was as earnestly importuned by many of the inhabitants of barwick , either to abide with them , or to return again to them . and after many other arguments , as he was just parting with them , as their last argument to perswade him to stay with him , they presented him with a list of about threescore that had been ( as they were verily perswaded ) savingly wrought on by his ministry , during the time of his continuance there . he left them , but with a mind of returning to them again , if providence crost it not , but his return was prevented by his death , which hapned about two year after , as he was endeavouring to get himself free from the place , where he then was , to return to them . in which space of time he did much good , as in converting many , so in reducing many that were drawn away by sectaries . the life of master herbert palmer , b. d. late master of queens-colledge in cambridge , who died anno christi . herbert palmer was descended of an ancient family of that name , allied to divers other families of note , of the nobility and gentry . his father was sir thomas palmer of wingham in east-kent , about six miles distant from canterbury . his mother was the eldest daughter of herbert pelham of crawley in sussex esquire . he was born at wingham , and was there baptized , march . . he had the happinesse of a prudent and pious education . his father , beside his piety , being a very wise man , and of a more then ordinary understanding , as well in state-affairs , as those of a more private concernment . his mother , beside her prudence and other accomplishments more then ordinary in her sex , was also eminently religious , and both of them exceeding carefull of his education . himself also , being even from his infancy , much addicted to the serious study both of religion and learning , in both of which he had made more then ordinary proficiency in a short time , and continued the exercise and improvement of them afterward . the symptomes of grace and piety began betimes to put themselves forth to the view and observation of others , as soon almost as the exercise and use of reason ; so that we may not without good ground , esteem him sanctified even from the womb. when he was about the age of four or five years , he would cry to go to his lady-mother , that he might hear somewhat of god ; so soon had these her religious discourses , made pleasing impressions on his apprehension . neither did these , and such like expressions of affection to good things soon vanish away , ( as childish apprehensions use to do , ) but continued and encreased , according as his years and the use of reason increased . mr. herbert palmer . he was early acquainted with the book of god , which he much delighted in , and read with great affection , ( insomuch that while he was but a child , little more then five years old , he wept in reading the story of joseph ) and took much pleasure in learning of chapters by heart . and here was laid the first foundation of that great exactnesse in the knowledge of the scriptures , to which he did afterwards attain . he had excellent natural parts , both intellectual and moral : which as they were soon capable of being imployed , so they were soon set on work ; his parents vigilancy being such , that they suffered no time to be neglected . he learned the french tongue almost as soon as he could speak english ; even so soon , as that he hath often affirmed , he did not remember his learning of it . and he did afterwards attain so great exactnesse of speaking and preaching in that language , together with a perfect knowledge of the state and affairs of that kingdom , especially of the protestant churches amongst them , that he was often , by strangers , thought to be a native french-man ; and did not doubt but to entertain discourse with any person of that nation , for some hours together in their own language , concerning the affairs of that kingdom , who should not be able by his discourse to distinguish him from a native french-man , but judge him to be born and bred in france ; so well was he furnished with an exact knowledge , both of the propriety and due pronunciation of that language , and of the persons , places , and affairs of that kingdom , and the churches therein . a thing not often seen in one who had never been out of england . when he learned the latine tongue , with such other parts of learning , as younger years are usually imployed in at school , his diligence and proficiency therein was such , as produced both commendation and admiration . and while others at vacant hours , were following their sports and recreations , he was constantly observed to be reading studiously by himself ; taking as much pleasure in good imployments , as others in sports ; and counting that the best passe-time , wherein the time was best passed . his carriage towards his parents , was dutifull and obsequious ; not only during his minority , but even afterwards ; which was very evident in that honour and reverend respect , which he continued to expresse to his godly aged mother to the day of her death , which hapned not long before his own : being also a special helper to her in the waies of holinesse . and what he thus practised himself , he did frequently commend to others , being alwaies ( though himself unmarried ) a great asserter of parental authority ; as well from that great emphasis which god puts upon it through the whole current of scripture , as from those remarkable judgments , which in scripture , and in his own experience he had observed to be inflicted on disobedient and undutifull children , ( whom , as he was wont to say , he had scarce ever known to escape some visible judgment for it in this life , though possibly otherwise godly persons , ) as also from those unavoidable mischiefs , which do frequently ensue in civil societies , where the authority of superiours is vilified or contemned , and which ( if well considered ) will be often found to take their first rise and original from the contempt of paternal authority . he was about the year . admitted fellow-commoner in saint johns colledge in cambridge , where he continued his former diligence , as well in the exercise of religion , as the improvement of his learning , both in his private study , and in the performance of exercises in the university and colledge , notwithstanding the exemption which fellow-commoners in colledges are ready to plead from the performance of them . after that he had there taken the degree of master of arts , about the year . he was in the year . constituted fellow of queens colledge in that university ; where , although he were a gentleman , that beside his fellowship , had an estate of his own , and so had the lesse need in point of maintenance , to take that trouble of pupils upon him ; yet ( not satisfying himself , to take a place upon him , without performing the office thereunto belonging ) he took many pupils , of whom he was more then ordinarily carefull , being very diligent both in praying with them in his chamber , and instructing them in the grounds of religion ; as also keeping them to their studies , and the performance of disputations , and other exercises of learning , privately in his chamber ; beside the more publique exercises required of them by the colledge , to the great benefit of those that were his pupils . while he was fellow of queens colledge , about the year . he was solemnly ordained to the work of the ministry , whereunto from a child he had addicted himself ; and about the year , was called to the publique exercise thereof , as a lecturer in the city of canterbury ; where , for divers years , ( notwithstanding the great oppositions he there met with , from such as were enemies to the power of godlinesse , ) he did with much diligence and very great successe discharge that great work , to the spiritual edification and comfort of many yet alive , to whom his memory to this day is precious . the occasion of his coming thither was this ; coming from cambridge , to give a visit to his brother sir thomas palmer at wingham , he did at the intreaty of some friends , preach a sermon at the cathedral church in canterbury , and that with so much true zeal , and reall savour of piety ▪ as did much affect the godly hearers . the report hereof coming to the knowledge of master delme ( a godly , faithfull , prudent and laborious minister of the french church in canterbury ) he made a journey to wingham on purpose to gain a further knowledge of him , and acquaintance with him , ( with whom he was already not a little in love from that good report he had heard of him , though as yet by face unknown to him ; ) and hereby not only obtained the knowledge of the man , but was also , by his gracious and savoury discourse and carriage , very much confirmed in that good opinion which he had before conceived of him . and this was the first foundation of that intire and christian friendship , which with much spiritual advantage to them both , was contracted between these two holy men , which continued and increased daily to their mutual comfort and contentment while they were both living , and the memory thereof is still precious to him that doth yet survive . after this , before his return to cambridge , having ( at the request of master delme , ) preached a second sermon at saint georges church in canterbury , on a week day lecture ; the most godly and best affected in the city were more and more taken with him , and expressed great desires of enjoying his ministry amongst them , if it might be obtained . hereupon master delme , with divers others , of the most considerable gentlemen and citizens , having earnestly sought direction from god in a matter of such concernment , did seriously advise about it ; and being first assured of the concurrent desires of many others , did by letters and messages to cambridge , signifie to him the desire of the godly in that city , that he would undertake to preach a lecture amongst them . this invitation after mature deliberation , he thought good to accept of , preferring the opportunity and probability of doing good in that populous place , before the hopes of preferment , either in the university or elsewhere , which , by reason of his many friends and acquaintance great at court , and otherwise , he might likely have attained unto ; holding steady to that resolution ( which long before that time he had taken up , ) so to imploy himself as might probably most promte the work of god , whatever became of his own advantages . whereupon a license being obtained for him from george abbot , then arch-bishop of canterbury , authorizing him to preach a weekly lecture on the lords day in the afternoon at alphage church in that city ; he left his fellowship in the university , and undertook this work . during his abode in this employment , he did much edifie the people there , both by sound doctrine , and exemplary conversation . his sermons were altogether spiritual and heavenly , full of solid explications and practicall applications of the word of god ; whereby the city was well seasoned as with savoury salt , and much preserved from those innovations and corruptions , both in doctrine and worship , which in those dayes were creeping on apace ; by reason whereof that leven of formality , which many of the cathedralists were promoting , ( who preferred pompous ceremonies before the power of godlinesse ) was stopped from spreading and corrupting so much , as otherwise it might have done . for although he was not then perswaded of the unlawfulnesse of the then government , and some ceremonies then in use , yet he could no way approve of the corrupt innovations coming on in those daies , but did with all wisdome and zeal reprove them , countenancing goodnesse and good men . and by this means , he was a great stay and comfort to the godly ministers and people , both in the city and countrey thereabouts ; whom , not only by his publique preaching , but by many other christian and ministerial helps administred in his more private converses , he did very much incourage in true piety . of this very many families in that city had great experience , ( even those of the meanest ranke , ) whom he was wont often to visit as he had opportunity , that he might the better understand their spiritual condition ; admitting also persons of all ranks freely to apply themselves unto him as they had occasion , and to partake the benefit of private conferences , prayers , and other religious exercises ; as likewise affording his christian advice and direction in cases of difficulty , especially to distressed consciences ; in which cases , by most of his prudent and judicious resolutions , he was frequently consulted with as a kind of oracle . and that not only during his abode at canterbury , but wherever else the providence of god did cast him . and herein he had an excellent ability and dexterity , and took much delight in it . and his assistance he afforded not only to those of that city , but also to many of the most religious families of the nobility and gentry thereabouts ; to whom , both by his personal converses , and his christian letters ( of which there are great numbers yet to be seen ) he afforded frequent directions and encouragements in the waies of god ; and particularly the noble family of thomas late earl of winchelsey , then vicount maidstone ( whose abode at that time was at the mote , a place near canterbury : ) the exemplary piety of whose family , and the several noble branches thereof , was by him in a special manner promoted . the like assistance he afforded also to those of the french congregation in canterbury , whom , by reason of his exact knowledge in the french language , he was able to edifie very much . and ( at the request of their eldership ) he did twice preach to them in that language upon most solemn daies , to the great ashonishment and edification of the whole congregation . it is memorable , that an ancient french gentlewoman , when she saw him the first time coming into the pulpit , being startled at the smallnesse of his personal appearance , and the weaknesse of his look , cryed out ( in the hearing of those that sate by her ) hola ! que nous dira cest enfant ioy ? alas , what should this child say to us ? but having heard him pray and preach with so much spiritual strength and vigour , she lift her hands to heaven with admiration and joy , blessing god for what she had heard . yet this his faithfull discharge of the ministry was not without some opposition . on the one hand those of the separation , and such as were inclineable thereunto , were somewhat troublesome to him ; but could get no advantage upon him , nor did prevail any thing ( while he remained there ) upon his hearers . on the other side , the cathedralists and their favourers did oppose him , fearing ( it's like ) lest his godly courses and exact walking might be a blemish to their loose and carnal waies . and therefore , though the greatnesse of his birth , and friends hindered them somewhat from prosecuting of him , as probably they would otherwise have done ; yet once some of the chiefest of them adventured to exhibit articles against him : but his cause and answers proved such , as that they were not able to hurt him . after three years , or thereabouts , his lecture there was put down by the dean and arch-dean , ( upon certain instructions then on foot concerning afternoon sermons ) to the great grief of his godly hearers . but not long after , upon the petition of great numbers of the gentry and citizens , to the then arch-bishop , by whose license and authority he had been before established , ( accompanied with the laudable testimony of divers ministers , concerning his orthodox doctrine , and unblamable conversation , together with the concurrent testimony of ten knights , and divers others of the gentry and chief citizens ) he was again restored . during his continuance here , he was twice ( by the procurement of his friends at court ) likely to be made one of the prebendaries of canterbury . but he often admired and praised that providence of god , that his friends endeavours therein succeeded not ; seeing himself by this means delivered from many temptations and dangers , which had been incident , if he had been one of that company ; they being afterward , by the succeeding arch-bishop , mainly set on work , for the setting up and promoting superstitious innovations . after some years he was removed from canterbury , to the vicaridge of ashwel in hartfordshire , whereunto he was presented by william laud the late arch-bishop of canterbury , ( which in his defence before the house of peers in parliament , was by the arch-bishop insisted upon as one of his good deeds : ) to which he received institution , febr. . . where he continued the same zeal , diligence and care , which he had before discovered , in seeking the good of those souls that were committed to his charge . beside his constant preaching there twice every lords day , he did also very frequently preach to them occasionally , as any opportunity was offered ; not willing to let passe any advantage offered of doing them good . wherein , notwithstanding the excellency of his learning , whereby , if he had sought it , he might have attained great applause and admiration ( even from knowing men ) in the ostentation thereof : yet he chose alwaies to condescend to the capacities of his hearers , with so much plainnesse , as that ( if possible ) he might be understood by all , even those of the meanest capacities , as being most studious , both for the matter and manner of his preaching , how he might be able most of all to profit those that heard him . and on this ground upon any emergent occasions he endeavoured as much as might be , to sute his matter thereunto , that so the word of god , and the providence of god , might one adde edge unto the other , and both joyntly become the more effectuall . and for the same reason he did the more approve of funeral sermons , for that at such times the minds of men , especially those more immediately concerned , are thereby rendred the more pensive and serious , and so the more fit to take impression by the word . on the same ground also was he carefull to observe the advantages of sicknesse , or any other considerable afflictions , because his admonitions and christian aavice , were like to be at such a time the more effectuall , when god had as it were softned their heart , and opened their ear to hear . he was also carefull by catechizing , both in publique , and at his own house , to instruct in the principles of religion , not only the children and youth , but even those that were more aged , in case he discerned them ignorant , and such as stood in need thereof ; and yet not so as might expose them to scorn and reproach , but so as might most conduce to their edfication in the knowledge and fear of the lord. to which end he had prevailed with those of his parish , at lest the farre greater number of them , and those the most considerable persons to concurre with him in it ; by sending their children and servants constantly to be catechized on the lords day before the afternoon-sermon ( some of whom he catechized publiquely in the congregation , and others more privately in his own house , either by himself or his assistant , ) that so that the publique catechizing might neither be too tedious , nor intrench upon the time allotted for other exercises , as praying , reading , expounding , preaching , &c. nor yet the examination of others for want of time , be wholly omitted ; as also by their own endeavours at home to help on this work : and likewise to contribute their assistance in perswading others to the same willingnesse . as for those who were more eminent , but yet needed instruction , he laboured both by his own perswasion , and the perswasion of others , to work in them a willingnesse to repair to him in private at convenient times , that by conferences with them , and friendly discourse in a familiar and gentle manner , he might bring them to such a sufficiency of knowledge , as was necessary for their own salvation . and the better to perswade people to a willingnesse ▪ thus to receive instruction , he used by way of encouragement , ( especially to those of the meaner sort ) to give bibles to such as could read , and five shillings in money to such as could not , when they attained such a measure of knowledge , as that they were judged fit to partake of the lords supper . and such like rewards and incouragements he used to bestow on others , as he saw occasion ; furnishing them with books and writings , and otherwise encouraging them according as they should manifest their diligence in gaining and improving their knowledge . all which the generation to come , and the children yet unborn , may have cause to blesse god for , when they shall receive the benefits thereof , communicated from their parents to them , while others do as much as in them lies , intail ignorance and atheism upon their posterity . and because he found it difficult to bring those of shallow memories and weak capacities to understand and remember the principles of religion ; discerning , that many who could not distinctly repeat the words , did yet understand the matter , and therefore were not to be despised or discouraged ; and others of firmer memories , who were able to learn the words , did understand little or nothing of the meaning of them . he did therefore study how he might best remedy both those evils ; and to that end , framed several forms of catechisms in divers kinds . at length he pitched on that form , as the most convenient that he could think of , which he published in print , intituled , an endeavour of making the principles of christian religion plain and easie , of which so many thousands have been printed of late years , and entertained with great approbation . his method therein is this ; the answers which make up the main body of the catechism , are so many distinct aphorisms , or entire propositions in themselves , without dependance on the questions to make the sense entire , containing in themselves a brief module of divinity : and to that purpose so much of the question is still repeated in the answer , as is necessary to make the sense perfect . hereby the learner is freed from a double inconvenience : the one is , that where the sense of an answer is imperfect , he is forced to charge his memory with learning the question also , or else to make use either of this book or anothers help to ask the question , that so that answer which he hath learned may be perfect sense . the other is , that aptnesse in the learner to misapply the answer to a wrong question , when he learns only the predicate of the proposition without the subject . both which inconveniences are in this way in a great measure prevented . another thing mainly considerable in his method , is , that beside the main questions and the answers thereunto , there are also annexed divers explicatory questions , which require no other answer but yes , or no ; which without any further charging of the learners memory , do direct him to the distinct observing of what is contained in the principal answer , and so to the understanding thereof ; whereas otherwise heedlesse learners are apt ( parot-like ) only to learn the words without at all regarding the meaning of them . the same also will help to direst a weak memory the better to recite the larger answer , if he be first required to give a particular answer to those expository questions ; for he will then have nothing to expresse in the full answer , beside what in the preparatory questions had been suggested to him . as for example ; quest. in what condition was man created by god at the first ? was he made miserable ? ( no ) or very happy ? ( yes ) in the image of god ? ( yes ) in what condition then was man created by god at first ? answ. man was created at the first in a very happy condition , in the image of god. and in the same method he intended to digest the lesser catechism , composed by the assembly of divines at westminster , ( and authorized for publique use ) if god had afforded him life to have seen that catechism perfected , to the compiling whereof he had contributed no small assistance ; which therefore since his death hath been performed , by one that was intimate with him , and fully acquainted with his resolutions in that particular . as he was carefull thus to instruct his flock , so was he also vigilant to prevent disorders and misdemeanours amongst them in point of practice , wherein he was not contented to use his own personal endeavours , but did also ingage his parishioners to contribute their best assistance thereunto ; whereunto they did oblige themselves in divers excellent resolutions and agreements , concluded by common consent amongst them , and subscribed by their hands , viz. for the preventing and punishing of drunkennesse and tippling , of prophaning the lords day , and of other prophane , or disorderly demeanours during the exercise of divine worship , by sleeping , talking , playing , &c. as likewise of stealing , and pilfering , of prophane swearing and cursing , of rayling , slandering , whoredome , fighting and quarrelling , disobedience to parents and governours , and of other misdemeanours in whom soever . in the religious ordering of his own family , he was extraordinary vigilant and painfull , that it might be , so much as in him lay , a garden without weeds ; and that those which were under his roof , might either not perish , or at least not through his default . indeed his house was a school of religion , such as there are very few to be found ; insomuch that it was counted a great happinesse to live under his roof , under the constant enjoyment of so much means for the souls good . it was his great care to entertain none in his family , but such as were either truly godly , or at least willing to be instructed and educated in the waies of god , and who would be ready and willing to attend the exercises of gods worship , both publiquely and privately , and to avoid all scandalous conversation . it was his constant practice twice every day to pray with his family , not allowing any to be absent ; at which times he read to them some portion both of the old and new testament . he was carefull also to catechize his family twice every week , and likewise on friday and saturday to require an account from them of the sermons preached the lords day before , which he then repeated to them . having also while he was at ashwel , the sonnes of divers considerable persons of the nobility and gentry , sojourning in his house , for their better education in religion and learning , ( he maintaining in his house an assistant as a schoolmaster to teach them ) he required of them the like account in catechizing and repetitions as of his own servants . he had also daily after dinner and supper , a chapter read by one of those gentlemen in course , and he whose turn was to read , was required also , after he had read , to repeat the substance out of his memory , which ( by constant custom ) they had attained an ability to perform very exactly ; after which , himself used to go over the same briefly , by way of exposition , of what appeared difficult , and noting such observations as were most obvious from the most remarkable passages therein . beside this , he required his servants , after every meal , to have some portion of scripture read amongst them , or some other religious treatise concerning the fundamentals of religion , if not both . but especially he was carefull that all his family should sanctifie the sabbath-day . and therefore would not suffer them to be imployed late the night before about their ordinary employments , but caused them to conclude sooner then on other daies , that they might not be indisposed for the duties of the day following . and on the sabbath-day it self , he was carefull that they should not spend any part of it idly or vainly , no not in any unnecessary preparations of diet or the like , but only of such and so much as was necessary for their comfortable refreshment that day ; but would have them spend the whole day , as much as might be , in the exercises of some of gods ordinances publique or private , insomuch that if he had known of any dish that had kept any of his servants from attending on any of gods ordinances , he would not at all eat of it . and for better sanctifying of that day , he was carefull not only to perform private duties in his family , as prayer , reading , singing of psalms , &c. but also when he went to the publique ordinances , he would call all his family together to go along with him , that so they might be present at the whole service of god. and in the evening of the day , he required of all his servants , and the young gentlemen that sojourned with him , an account of such portions of scripture as had been read in publique ; and as they recited particular passages thereof , he gave brief expositions of them , and observations from them : pressing them to meditate in private of what they read in publique . beside this great care of his family joyntly , he was also frequent in giving them personall counsell and direction in the waies of god , exhorting them also to a daily constancy in the performance of secret duties between god and their own soul ; so that scarce any family enjoyed the like measure of helps and encouragements in the waies of holinesse . his exact walking in his own secret devotion , was also exceedingly remarkable . he was a man much in communion with god. twice every day he was in secret a suiter at the throne of grace , and oftener , as any particular occasion was offered . he would very seldome enter upon any businesse , either by himself , or with others , without first seeking of god. he did often set daies apart to humble himself in secret by fasting and prayer , according as either publique or particular occasions did seem to call for it ; as also in solemn thanksgivings , for mercies received , whether publique or private . he was a great admirer of the holy scriptures , and much conversant in them . beside what he had read and heard read in his family , he did every day by himself read some part both of the old and new testament , and constantly write short meditations and observations of what he so read , whereof he hath left behind him many hundred sheets written in characters . he was so throughly acquainted with it , that it was not easie to name a chapter or verse , but he would presently tell the contents of it ; nor to name any sentence of scripture , but he could presently tell in what chapter or verse it was to be found ; yea scarce any particular case could fall out in practice , but that he would be able to shew what particular directions the word of god afforded for it . he was also a great observer of providence , and took special notice how the providences of god , and the word of god did constantly agree together . and from hence was able to give very near conjectures , if not evident predictions in many cases , what god was about to do , and what good or evil events were likely to come to passe ; by comparing present actions with such precedents as he had before observed , in the providences and word of god in like cases . and as he was very carefull to order all his actions according to his constant rule , of being subservient to the glory of god , and the good of souls , so that even his journeys , visits , discourses , and familiar converses with any , were not undertaken without a special eye hereunto ; so did he also keep an exact account of what had passed ; every night before his going to rest , setting down in writing ( in his usuall character , ) the passages of that day , what actions or discourses he had been employed in , what successes or disappointments , what mercies or crosses he met withall , and what failings he observed in himself : all which he surveyed again at the end of every week , writing down the chief passages of that week , and so from moneth to moneth , and year to year . by means whereof he was throughly acquainted with his own spiritual condition , and did maintain a constant exactnesse , and even walking with god ; which being so uniform , might perhaps by some be the lesse observed . like as the sunnes constant brightnesse , produceth lesse admiration , then some blazing starre that appeareth but for a while ; men usually more admiring things rare then excellent . in the year . he was by the university of cambridge made one of the university-preachers ( having proceeded batchelor of divinity about two years before ; ) a matter of honour and repute , rather then of profit or employment . yet also a matter of some advantage in some cases , ( as times then went ) being in the nature of a general license , whereby he was authorized to preach , as he should have occasion , in any part of england . at the beginning of the parliament , he with doctor tuckny were chosen clarks of the convocation for the diocesse of lincoln ; wherein he might have been of good use , in case it had been thought fit to have kept up that kind of assembly , to have acted in concurrence with the parliament as in former times . in the year . he was by authority of parliament called to be a member of the assembly of divines at westminster . and after some time he was chosen one of the assessors , appointed to assist the prolocutor in case of absence or in infirmity . he was in that assembly an eminent and very usefull member , exceeding diligent and industrious , being very rarely absent , and that not but upon urget unavoidable occasions . for , as he accounted it an honour to be employed by god in so publique a service for the good of his church : so he did conscientiously attend upon that service , prefering it before all other more particular employments , which though in themselves excellent , yet ought , in his judgment , to give way to this . and he was exceeding well fitted for this employment , having a clear and ready apprehension , and firm and vast memory , a solid and steady judgement , and a good ability freely to expresse himself . in matters of deliberation , he manifested much integrity and christian wisdome . in matters of debate , whether about doctrine or discipline , he discovered a great sagacity in searching out the true sense of scripture , a clear judgment and strength of reason , as well in the accurate stating of questions for debate , as in confirming the truth , and dissolving objections against it ; in all , a great measure of zeal , piety , and prudence . all which procured him much reverence and esteem from the rest of his brethren , who judged his presence and assistance a very great help and advantage in that difficult work , and bewailed his death as an unspeakable losse . his judgment was known to be for the presbyterian government ; the principles whereof he did throughly understand , and was well able to defend , and was a very great instrument for the promoting of it . yet in two things he was at first much unsatisfied , but by the debates of the assembly , did professe himself to receive satisfaction in both . one was concerning the divine-right of ruling elders , wherein he afterwards professed himself to be fully convinced , principally by the authority of those two places , cor. . . ( where government is attributed to a distinct rank of officers inferiour to teachers , ) and tim. . . which implyeth , that there are other elders which rule well , beside those that labour in the word and doctrine . the other was , whether there ought not to be continued in the church , an office superiour to that of presbyters . for although he did not approve of the hierarchical government , as it was of late established and practised amongst us : yet since it is confessed that timothy and titus as evangelists did exercise an authority , superiour to that of ordinary presbyters , the object of which authority seemed to be of perpetual continuance in the church , it seemed probable to him , that the office also of an evangelist was no extraordinary office , but ought to be continued in the church . but hereunto he received satisfaction , principally from hence , that in case the holy ghost had intended the continuance of that office , he would withall have described the work and qualification of persons fit for it , and taken some course for continuing the succession thereof , as is done in that of elders and deacons . but this being wholly omitted , there being no more extant in that kind , then concerning the apostolical office , the power of working miracles , &c. we are rather to esteem that office as well as these to be extraordinary , and but of a temporary continuance , expiring with the persons . being thus called to attend the assembly at westminster , he was forced to intermit his ordinary residence at ashwel ; being able only to exercise such a care of them as might be performed at a distance , and by making occasionall journeys thither , as he could obtain opportunities so to do . but the ordinary exercise of the ministerial work there , together with the profits of the place , he put over to a godly and able divine to be performed in his absence ; reserving notwithstanding his title to the place , not knowing how soon god might afford him opportunity of returning to them again . but , unwilling to intermit the exercise of his ministerial function , he did at first preach occasionally ( as he was requested , ) in divers churches in and about london , resolving notwithstanding within himself , to accept of the first invitation for the constant exercise thereof . and accordingly being soon after requested by the inhabitants of dukes-place in london , ( who were then destitute of a minister ) to preach amongst them , he did ( notwithstanding their inability to raise any considerable maintenance , which might invite him ) willingly accept of that employment . this work he performed amongst them with much faithfulnesse and diligence , as well by publique reading , praying and preaching amongst them twice every lords day , and at other times as there was occasion ; as also by administring the sacraments , publique catechizing , and exposition of such portions of scripture as were read amongst them . and likewise ( as his custom had been elsewhere ) by more private acquaintance and converse with them in their families , whereby he might be the better able to afford personall directions , and other ministeriall helps to them , as their severall conditions might require . all which was performed with so much meeknesse , wisdom and piety , and accompanied with such a blessing from god , as that it made a very great impression on them for their good , and was entertained by them with much approbation and affection , they being ambitious who should enjoy most of his heavenly communion and converse with him . hereby in a short time he did much good , informing such as were weak in knowledge , setling and confirming such as were wavering in judgement , and stirring up in all , both by his heavenly conversation and christian counsell , a greater zeal and affection to the power of godlinesse . by reason of all which , during the time of his abode amongst them , they were much preserved both from errours and divisions , whereunto the great unsetlednesse of the times did much expose them . afterwards , when the new church at westminster was perfected and made fit for use , the inhabitants there , and others concerned therein , did sollicite him to undergo the charge of that great people ; with profer of far larger maintenance then he received or could expect from those of dukes-place , where the inhabitants were neither many , nor of great estates . but this consideration did not at all prevail with him , who regarded the work more then the wages . for although he doubted not but that both religion and reason did require a comfortable and honourable maintenance , for those that laboured in the work of the ministry , yet for his own part he was willing to deny himself in that particular , if so doing might ought advance the service of god. and so much the rather , because being a batchelour , and intending so to continue , nor at all addicted to pompous vanities or excesse , either in diet or apparell ( in both of which he was exceedingly moderate ) he had the lesse need of being sollicitous in getting riches ; being indeed much more sollicitous , how ( like a faithfull steward , ) to dispose and order what he had , as might be most for gods honour and service , then how to encrease it . yet his removall being much pressed upon grounds of another nature , he did at length , with the approbation of those concerned on both parts , refer the whole businesse to be considered and concluded by divers of the most eminent of his reverend and godly brethren of the assemby , whom he did frequently desire that they would wholly lay aside the consideration of maintenance , and deliver their judgements , what in other considerations they judged to be most agreeable to gods will and his duty . hereupon , they to whom the matter was referred , meeting severall times about it , and hearing at large what could on either side be alledged either for his stay or removall ; after mature deliberation had , and seeking of gods direction , agreed in this opinion ; that setting aside the consideration of maintenance , yet in regard of the eminency of the place , the greatnesse of the auditory , the many persons of quality residing there , and the great need of instruction to those of an inferiour rank , many of whom were extreamly ignorant , ( by reason that amongst such a great multitude of people , there had in former times been so great a scarcity of preaching ) together with divers other reasons of the like nature , which did more then countervail what could be alledged on the other hand , his obligations also to those of dukes-place not being absolute ; they judged it most fit that he should leave dukes-place , and undertake that charge at westminster . to this their resolution he consented , yet with his proviso , that those of dukes-place should be first provided of an able faithfull pastor to succeed him , being utterly unwilling to leave them destitute . and accordingly , having prevailed with master thomas young , ( since doctor in divinity , and master of jesus colledge in cambridge ) to succeed him there , ( who was also an eminent member of the assembly of divines , a man of great learning , of much prudence and piety , and of great ability and fidelity in the work of the ministry ) he took his leave of them : commending them to the grace of god , and the pious care of his successor , taking on him the charge of those belonging to the new church in westminster , and was the first pastor of that church . he was here also eminently faithfull and laborious in the work of the ministry , in publique praying , reading , expounding , preaching , administring the sacraments , and catechizing , with brief and clear expositions and confirmations of the principles of religion , as had been his usual custom in other places . beside which he was also one of the seven , that by appointment of parliament did carry on that daily morning lecture at the abby-church ; insomuch that it seems almost a miracle , that so weak a body as his should possibly be able to do so much as constantly he performed , continuing oft-times to speak in publique for the space of six or eight hours on a sabbath day , beside much time spent in more private exercises of prayer , repetitions , &c. in the family ; yet when his friends have perswaded him to favour himself , judging so much pains to be more then his body could endure ; his answer hath been , that his strength would spend of it self , though he did nothing ; and it could not be better spent then in gods service . yea so far was he from favouring himself in this kind , that it was a rule with him which he constantly observed , never to favour himself by declining any ministerial exercise which he was requested to perform , whether in publique or private , if he were possibly able to perform it . neither did he here neglect , what had been his constant practice elsewhere , to afford private assistance to those of his flock and others , as he had opportunity . but what time he could gain from the more publique affairs of the assembly , he spent for the most part in such duties , not willing to lose an hour which could be imployed in doing good . and to this end , beside that free accesse that persons of all ranks might have unto him , as they had occasion , he spent much time in visiting them at their own families , to communicate some spiritual good to them , as directions , consolations , and encouragements in the waies of godlinesse , which made his company both very profitable and much desired . hereby , besides others , very many considerable families of the nobility and gentry , ( whose practice commonly hath a great influence on others ) were much quickned and encouraged in the visible practice of godlinesse , and the power of religion , which thereby was much improved ; and very many of them are ready upon all occasions , to professe that it was their great happinesse to be acquainted with him , and bewail the want of it as a great losse . and he was hereunto the more fitted , for that he was naturally of a loving and friendly disposition , of a courteous and affable carriage , even towards inferiours , and those of mean rank , especially if he discovered in them signes of grace , which he did honour and encourage wherever he met with it . hereby he gained much love and and affection from those with whom he had to do , by reason whereof his counsel and advice became so much the more effectual . to which we may adde also his birth and education , and his frequent conversing with persons of quality to whom he was related and allied , by reason whereof he was well qualified with such accomplishments as might render his company acceptable , as knowing well how to give due respect to all , according as their places and conditions did require , and yet to preserve the honour and reverence of his ministerial authority , which by the gravity , sobriety , and holinesse of his conversation was much secured . in that great ordinance of the lords supper , which in these broken and distracted times hath been in many places wholly laid aside , and in many more too much neglected ; he took much care and pains how to manage that great businesse , so as might be neither displeasing to god , ●o justly offensive to good men . the difficulty herein hath been , not concerning the manner of administration , which hath afforded lesse matter of contest , but concerning the persons that might be judged fit to be admitted thereunto ; which to many men hath been attended with so much perplexity , that they have apprehended a necessity of a totall intermission , and almost an impossibility of administring it in any tolerable manner ; while on the one hand they durst not promiscuously admit all , ( by reason of the great ignorance of many , and the prophanenesse or loosenesse of others ; ) and yet on the other hand saw not how they might be able , ( for want of authority ) to debar any : waiting still for the setling of a government in the church , whereby this great difficulty might in some measure be removed : till at length , through the long intermission of this ordinance , those that are prophane and carnal begin to slight and scorn it , and those of better principles do too much abate in their affections to it . and that remedy , which though late , began at length to be applyed , in beginning to establish the presbyterian government , hath been yet so much defective in want of power , and so much exposed to scorn and reproach , which men of prophane or turbulent spirits cast upon it , either from principles of prophanenesse , or of seperation , or from some other bitter root which renders men unwilling to have their lusts , errours , unlawfull liberties , or licentious courses in any kind whatsoever to be checked or contradicted ; that the matter is now almost grown desperate , unlesse god will be pleased in special favour , to afford some unexpected remedy . herein this holy man did manifest a great measure of singular prudence and piety , wisely avoiding both rocks ; neither totally omitting the celebration of the sacrament , nor yet promiscuously admitting all unto it , but those only of whose sufficient knowledge he was assured , and whose lives , so far as he could discern , were unblamable and free from scandal . and this he did , not only of late years , but even formerly , from his first undertaking a pastoral charge ; at what time it may well be supposed , to have been a thing both of greater difficulty and danger , then of late years , to keep off unworthy receivers from prophaneing that holy ordinance . in order hereunto , his first work was to abate , as much as might be , the number of ignorant people , by perswading them to be willing to receive instruction , which with much care and diligence he was ready to afford unto them , in such waies as is before expressed : which though a difficult work , was yet carried on with so great successe , through gods blessing on his endeavours , that in his parish of ashwel , where was no small number of people , he had in a short time brought them to so great a measure of knowledge , that there was either none or very few , either old or young , who were not able to give a good account of the principles of religion . when he had once prevailed with them to be so far sensible of their own ignorance , as to be willing and desirous to learn , it wa● then no hard matter to perswade such of their own accord to forbear a while , till they had attained so much knowledge as that they might come with comfort ; which would be so much the sooner , according as they were more diligent in labouring to attain knowledge . when they had attained a competent measure of knowledge , if their lives were answerable , and not obnoxious to just exception ; or at least , they willing to redresse what was amisse , and ready to follow such good advice and directions , as were given them for the ordering their conversations aright towards god and man ; there was then no reason why they should be longer debarred , but rather such good beginnings cherished and encouraged , yet with cautions frequently inculcated to beware of hypocrisie and formality , and not to rest in these beginnings , but to presse forward to perfection . but in case they did either obstinately refuse instruction , or notwithstanding their knowledge , were scandalous and incorrigible , or such as in point of conversation he could not judge fit to be admitted to that ordinance : then probably they would either be found such as were obnoxious to such scandals as might endanger a more publique prosecution , and so curst not be refractory ; or else by the conviction of their own consciences , when the danger of unworthy receiving should be laid open to them ; or by friendly perswasions from himself or others : or by the reverence and awe of his holy and grave carriage , and ministerial authority , backed with the concurrence of others amongst them , eminent for worth and piety ; or for fear of being shamed in case they should be openly reproved or refused in the face of the congregation , or upon some other the like consideration , would be perswaded to forbear in case he judged them as yet unfit to be admitted to that ordinance . so that scarce any whom he judged utterly unfit , have ever peremptorily pressed upon him to partake of it . and by these means , even in times of greatest danger , was he able to avoid the mixture of prophane and unworthy persons at the lords table . hereunto his naturally courteous and affable disposition did much conduce , whereby he could with the more ease , gain accesse , both to the persons and affections of all sorts of people : together with an excellent mixture of meeknesse and courage , which being managed with singular prudence , and indefatigable industry , enabled him happily to carry on that difficult work , which might otherwise seem almost insuperable . and by the same courteous and prudent carriage , he obtained a like interest in the affections of his people both at dukes-place and westminster : insomuch as those who were fit to be admitted to that sacrament , were either otherwise sufficiently known to him , by his conversing with them , or else would willingly upon that occasion approve themselves to him , both in point of knowledge and conversation ; and others who were unfit , nor cared to attain a fitnesse for it , would rather of their own accord forbear , then venture the hazard of being refused ; by means whereof , himself and some hundrds of godly persons who did communicate with him , could with great comfort joyn in that holy communion and fellowship . on the of april , in the year . he was constituted master of queens colledge in cambridge by the earl of manchester , then employed by ordinance of parliament , for th● reforming of that university . he had a great influence upon the general reformation of that university , and by his advice and counsell did very much help forward that work , exciting also , and encouraging others therein , notwithstanding the difficulties in the way that were represented as almost invincible ▪ and did improve all that interest which he had , both in that noble and religious earl of manchester , and in the assembly of divines ( who were to give their approbation to all such as should be put into the places of such as were ejected in that university , whether masters or fellows , ) that all possible care and circumspection might be used , that such only as were both learned and religious , might be commended to , or approved for those places , lest , in stead of those that were cast out , others as bad as they should succeed them , as well in their vices as their places . but more especially in reference to that place , to the government whereof he was designed ( whereof also he had formerly been a fellow ) it cannot easily be believed how exceeding circumspect he was , how cautious and wary in the choice of those who ( as fellows ) were to joyn with him in the government , that they might be learned , pious , and unanimous . the happy effect of which care , in so quiet and peaceable establishment of that society , as could not easily be expected in so troublesome a time , was , to the great astonishment and amazement of all , even of those that hated them ; and hath had a very great influence upon that happy and flourishing condition thereof ever since . what his aime was in that place , did continually appear by his constant expressions and prayers , which sounded of nothing more then the advancement of religion and learning : and he was as true to those expressions in his continued endeavours and actings . his first and main care was , the advancement of religion and practical piety ; knowing that where this took place , a conscionable improvement of time , in other things could not well be wanting . this made him extraordinary sollicitous for the constant presence of the whole society at the publique worship of god ; which he did carefully look to , when he was present amongst them , and was usually one of the last things he gave in charge to all the students , when his more publique employments at the assembly called him away , and whereof he was very inquisitive in his absence . he took care also for the constant instruction , not only of the young scholars , but likewise of all the colledge-servants in the principles of religion . the exercises of common-places or sermons in the chappel , which had formerly been in use , only in term-time , he caused to be continued weekly all the year . besides which , when he was present in the colledge , he did frequently himself , either preach or expound scripture to them . he also took special notice of the several conversations of the particular persons in the colledge , as well by his own inspection and observation while he was present , as by faithfull informations in his absence ; and was frequent in giving them personall counsell and direction in private . consonant hereunto was also the care of the particular fellows , who beside the instruction of their pupils in learning , caused them to come to their chambers to prayers every night , and to repetition of sermons on the lords day . by all which the practice of religion was much promoted . his next care was for the advancement of learning , which he endeavoured to promote by his frequent exhortations and encouraging all to diligence in their studies , and conscionable improving their time and opportunities ; as also by requiring the constant performance of publique exercises by persons of all ranks ; and exciting the fellows to a diligent inspection , as well joyntly over the colledge in general , as severally over their own pupils in particular for the same ends . on the same ground also he took care to have the colledge-library furnished with good authors ▪ giving considerable summes of money for that end , and perswading others also to do the like ; and some dues payable to the colledge , which formerly used to be employed in feasting , were by his means converted to a better use , in buying of such books , which might feed the minds , both of the present society , and those that shall succeed . he bestowed also a considerable part of his profits there , upon the yearly maintenance of poor scholars , and at his death he gave a considerable summe of money for the same purpose , to be disposed of by the present society to such as stood in need . indeed his resolution was , that so long as he was hindered from residing constantly amongst them , by reason of his attending on the assembly at westminster , he would not be a gainer by the place ; but whatsoever profits he received more then would defray the charges of journeys and other expences occasioned by it , he would bestow some way or other for the good of the colledge . in elections to places of preferment in the colledge , he was exceedingly carefull that they might be bestowed on those that were most deserving : and to that end , he did , with the unanimous consent of the fellows , make a decree , that in all future elections , none should be admitted to a scholarship or fellowship in the colledge , till they did first approve themselves for learning by a publique triall or examination , for two or three daies successively in the audience of the whole colledge , which hath already produced very good effects for the improvement of learning in that colledge , and more are like to ensue . in case any sollicited him for preferment of their friends , his constant answer was , that if they were found to deserve it better then others , they should have it ; but if otherwise , they must expect to go without it ; and his actings were so exactly consonant hereunto ; as indeed in all things his resolutions , words and actions were so exactly consonant , and kept so perfect harmony as is seldom seen : whereas in many , their words are more then their intentions , and their actions lesse then their words . in his converse with the fellows , it was his great care to preserve unanimity , that as well elections as all other affairs of the colledge , should be carried on by a universal consent ; so that if in the proposal of any thing , there were any dissent , his usual manner was to defer the determination of it , till every one should see reason sufficient to concur with the rest ; and was himself as ready to hearken to any argument produced , though contrary to his present sense , which he would either fully answer or yield to it : so that scarce any thing was over-ruled meerly by plurality of suffrages , but all with universal consent ; and nothing more ordinary , then for all differences to be quite reasoned down . in his absence from them , his mind was still present with them ; being more throughly acquainted with all the affairs of the colledge , and more carefull of them , then most heads of houses are when they are present . for by reason of that sweet harmony and agreement betwixt himself and the fellows , he had constantly faithfull intelligence of all affairs , and did communicate his counsel and advice therein ; making the good of the colledge , ( as he was wont to call it ) his magna cura , by reason whereof that colledge hath flourished in a very eminent manner : and i may safely say , without prejudice to any ; that scarce any society in either university , since the late reformation , both for the general improvement of religion and learning , and the unanimous harmony amongst themselves , have been comparable hereunto ; yea so great was that unanimity and reciprocal affection , between him and the society , that scarce ever any head of a society was taken from them with more general sorrow . beside what hath been already said , much more might be added , concerning the worth of this eminent servant of god ; much of which hath been already penned by himself in that small tractate , of making religion ones businesse , together with the appendix , applied to the calling of a minister , ( which with other small tracts are printed together with this title , memorials of godlinesse and christianity . ) wherein you may read a true character of his thoughts , as well as his actions , of which i shall only adde this ; that his constant practice was so exactly consonant to the strict principles , that are there expressed , as can hardly be believed by those that have not seen it . he was a man indeed of a very publique spirit , and wholly laid himself out for god : and therefore , though he were ready to deny himself and condescend freely , where his own interest was only concerned ; yet was he zealous and tenacious in things that concerned gods glory , reserving his heat to encounter sin . hence was it , that notwithstanding his natural meeknesse , he acted in the things of god with much courage and resolution ; as in those free and resolute expressions of himself ( yet with humilty , meeknesse , and sobriety ) in preaching at the cathedral church at canterbury , in presence of the dean and prebends , wherein he spared not to set before them such things as were notoriously amisse , ( yet for the most part expressing in latine what did chiefly concern them , that they might take notice of it , not the people ; ) which , though it procured him some trouble and opposition , yet he did not for that abate of his courage and resolution . in like manner , when he was to preach at the bishop of lincolns visitation at hitchin , he went thither with a resolution to speak fully and freely against the corrupt innovations then in practice , whatever might be the issue ; and did accordingly perform it , though he were sensible of the great danger of so doing . the like resolution he manifested in the question about the sabbath , when opposition was made against the perpetuity thereof , and the morality of the fourth commandement , a matter wherewith his heart was deeply affected , as being an high affront to the majesty and authority of god ; the thoughts whereof seemed to be continually in his mind , as was evident by his prayers , discourses , counsels and endeavours ; and particularly by that elaborate discourse , which he , in conjunction with that judicious , learned , and pious divine master daniel cawdrey , published to the world , entituled vindiciae sabbathi ; ( the latter parts whereof were long ago fitted for the presse , and want but invitations of publishing , which might encourage the stationer to undertake the charge . ) and therefore when reading the book for sports on the lords day , bowing to the altar , reading the service-book there , &c. were urged , he was most resolute against them , resolving rather to lose all , and suffer any thing then to comply therein , and with that resolution went to the arch-bishops visitation at welling held by sir john lambe , where yet he found , beyond expectation , rather a connivance at him , then an enforcement thereof . and the like he did concerning the convocation-oath in the new book of canons , in the year . which he vigorously opposed , and took a great deal of pains in evincing the unlawfullnesse thereof . it is well known also what freedom and faithfullnesse he hath used in reference to the publique affairs , as well in his ordinary sermons at the new church , the abby , and margarets in westminster , ( to which places the greatest number of parliament men did usually resort , ) as in those by special order preached to one or both houses of parliament , ( some of which are to be seen in print ) where he spared not to declare fully and plainly what god expected from them , and freely to reprove what was amisse . for ( as he was wont to say ) he did not in that place preach before them , ( ut coram judice ) but to them ( authoritativè ) as by commission from god , and how much soever they might be superiour to him in other regards , yet he was in that place superiour to them , as acting in gods name ; and therefore would not be afraid to speak whatever was the will of god that he should tell them , notwithstanding any displeasure or danger which might by this means befall him for so doing . and upon this consideration , we may look upon it as a wise providence of god , so seasonably to take him away a little before those great transactions about the change of government ; which were so directly contrary to his deliberate and setled judgment , that he would certainly have thought it his duty to speak much more then others would endure to hear . for although his judgment was clear for the lawfullnesse of defensive arms ( which was the parliaments case , as it was first stated ) as doth fully appear in that treatise , entituled , scripture and reason pleaded for defensive arms ( wherein himself of all others had the greatest hand : ) yet was as peremptory against offensive arms , or attempting the kings life , whose person he judged sacred and inviolable , and hath oft expressed himself to that purpose , that in case this should ever come to be the question ( which he hoped he should never see ) he thought himself bound in conscience by speaking , preaching , and otherwise , to oppose it to the utmost of his power , whatever danger he might incurre by so doing ; which zeal of his , though at that time he were like to have prevailed very little with men otherwise resolved , yet it might have proved an occasion of much hurt to himself , and therefore god in wisdom and mercy thought good to excuse him that piece of service . he was in his conversation a man of much temperance and sobriety ; in his diet he abstained from strong drink altogether ; wine he drank very sparingly , so far forth only as the necessities of nature did require , and did usually content himself to eat but of one dish at a meal , and that none of the daintiest , even when he had more before him . in his apparell he did neither affect to be gay nor costly , but decent , nor to spend time in needlesse curiosity in dressing . as for recreations , he scarce used any , but in stead thereof refreshed himself with the christian converse of friends ; accounting time so precious , that he would redeem it not only from sports , but from sleep also so far as the necessities of nature would permit . he was neither wastfull nor covetous , but very liberall ; doing many acts of charity ( beside what hath been mentioned before ) to such as stood in need ; bestowing plenteous relief , according as he was able , both by his own hands and the hands of others , so that those who received it knew not oft-times whence it came . and when that eminent work of charity was on foot in cambridge , while he was fellow of queens colledge , whereby divers young scholars , who were forced by reason of the wars to fly out of germany , especially of the palatinate , were sent for hither and educated partly in the university , and partly under able and godly divines in the countrey , whereby they might be fitted to do god and their countrey service ( when god should give them opportunity to return ) having here been educated in the knowledge of our language , and the way of practical preaching , which hath been no where more eminent then in england , ( which work succeeded beyond expectation ) he was one of the great actors therein , and did contribute liberally thereunto . the like assistance also he afforded to divers hungarians , transilvanians and other strangers , who came over into england for the same reason . the time of his sicknesse was not long ; for having spent much of his natural strength in his constant labours in the service of god , there was the lesse work for sicknesse to do ; his deportment therein was holy and heavenly ; his humility , faith , patience , and submission to gods will , eminently appearing from time to time , and his discourse full of heavenly expressions till the time of his death . not long before his death , when one had read to him the chapter of isaiah , ( having then some little hopes of his recovery ) and ready to go to prayer , he desired him to stay a while that he might pray first , which he did briefly , ( as his weaknesse would permit ) but very fully , both for himself , the kingdom , the church of god , and all to whom he stood in any relation ; the heads whereof were soon after written as near as might be in his own words , so far as the memory of those that were then present could call them to mind . first blessing god for his goodnesse the night past . blessed be god that hath been so good to us this night . then praying in behalf of himself . great god , heal the sinfulness of my nature . pardon all my transgressions . take from me a heart of unbelief , that i may not depart from thee the living god. deliver me from tentation . accept of jesus christ for me . teach me to improve all providences . to live upon the promises . let christ be my life . o lord , let me never shrink from thee . for the good of the publique . lord turn the heart of this nation , and all our hearts . turn the heart of the king. sanctifie the parliament and make them faithfull . blesse the assembly , and make them faithful and upright with thee . let not the army do unworthily , but what thou would have them to do . blesse all the ministers . for other nations . lord do good to scotland , and the churches in france . blesse new-england and forrain plantations . for the places to which he was related . lord provide a faithfull man for queens-colledge . a faithfull man for this place ( new-church in westminster . ) a faithfull pastor for those in the countrey . for friends and those about him . lord , remember all those that have shewed kindnesse to me , and have taken pains with me , and recompence them . thou hast promised that he which giveth a cup of water in the name of a disciple , and he that receiveth a prophet in the name of a prophet , shall have a prophets reward afterwards ( having forgotten to crave a blessing upon somewhat given him to take , he prayed , lord , pardon my neglect and forgetfulnesse of thee ; and deliver from tentation , and the evil of tentation . thou art holy if thou shouldst forsake us ; our fathers trusted in thee and were delivered . lord glorifie thy name in my poor spirit , and let none of thy people ever see me shrink from thee for jesus christ his sake . being spoken to , to cast the burden of his sicknesse and pain upon god , he answered , i should do very unworthily , if when i have preached to others , that they should cast their burdens upon god , i should not do so my self . in these and many other the like christian expressions , he did manifest the same savour of holinesse even to the time of his death , which had been constantly discovered in the time of his life . he departed this life , anno christi . and of his age . having served god faithfully and painfully in his generation , being a very great instrument of much good , and an excellent pattern for imitation . his body lieth interred in the new-church at westminster , and his memory yet liveth in the minds of those that knew him . the life of gaspar colinius great admirall of france . gasppar colinius or coligni , was descended of a very ancient and honourable family ; his predecessors had kingly priviledges in their own country ; as the power of life and death , of coining money , imposing taxes and tributes , &c. his father was gaspar de colonia or colinius , who lived under king francis the first ; and had to wife ludovica monmorancy , the sister of annas monmorancy , great constable of france . when in the year . the admirall bonivet had taken fontaraby in the confines of spain , as soon as he was returned into france , the spaniards came and besieged it with a great army : the siege lasted twelve moneths , whereby the inhabitants suffered much extremity by reason of famine . king francis hearing of it , commanded this gaspar to raise an army , and relieve fontaraby , which army he presently levied ; but in his march he fell sick , and died at ax , august . anno christi , leaving three sons behind him , odet , gaspar and francis. ludovica his widow , was made one of the ladies of honour to the queen of france , and was very carefull of the education of her sons , and lived a most chaste and vertuous life all the remainder of her daies , dying in paris , anno christi . pope clement the seventh , seeking to increase his authority in france , made the elder brother [ odet ] a cardinall , knowing that by reason of the eminency of his family , he might be very usefull to him . by which means the inheritance fell to this our gaspar , the second brother , who was born feb. . anno christi . whose ingenuity and towardlinesse appearing in his childhood , his mother was very carefull of his education ; and for his instruction in learning , she made choice of nicholas beraldus to be his schoolmaster , a man famous in those daies in france . she also provided him tutors to instruct him in military arts ; of such as were most skilfull therein . this gaspar being thus furnished both for peace and warre , when he came to the age of twenty four , the dolphin of france , the kings eldest son besieging baion at that time , gaspar went to serve under him , and to put in practice what he had before gotten in the theory : in which service he shewed much alacrity and courage ; and in advancing near to the enemies trenches , he was wounded with a bullet in his throat . the same year also the king having intelligence that his , and the enemies army were ready to joyn battell in insubria , gaspar obtaining leave , hastened thither , and in that battell gave great proof of his valour and prudence ; so that shortly after k. francis dying , and his son henry succeeding to the crown , he advanced him to great honour ; and whereas his uncle annas monmorancy was generall of the horse , he made this gaspar colonel of a regiment of foot : in which office he carried himself so well , that in a little space he gat much repute for his justice , valour and prudence , and thereby became very gratefull to the common people : for whereas the souldiers formerly by their rapines and plunderings used much to oppresse them , this new colonel kept them in awe by military discipline , especially he severely punished them for incontinency , swearing and blasphemy ; and his orders were so generally approved of , that shortly after the king put them amongst his military laws . the same king also advanced him to greater honour , taking a great liking to him , making him one of his own horsemen , which vulgarly are called of the kings order . and whereas contention arose about that time between the king of france , and king henry the eighth of england about the town of bulloine , which a little before upon conditions of peace had been pawned to the english ; the king of france distrusting the english , made this gaspar governour of all that countrey ; who presently going into picardy , whither king henry of france had sent an army to besiege bulloine : he with admirable art and diligence built a castle near to it , which was such a shelter to the french , and did so hinder the sallies of the english , that in a short time they were forced to treat about surrendring of the city . for the finishing of which treaty , the whole businesse was referred by the king of france to our gaspar , and his uncle rupipontius ; which being ended , and the town surrendred , gaspar returned to the king , and was shortly after made the great admirall of france , which amongst the french , is counted the greatest honour in the kingdom , having the command of the sea , and the kings navy . he was also made governour of picardy , and of the isle of france , and captain of a troop of men at arms , and one of the kings councel . anno christi . charles the fifth emperour of germany , and queen mary of england , raised great armies against the king of france , and to resist such potent adversaries , none was thought so fit by the suffrage of all , as our gaspar ; and therefore he was chosen by the king to that place , who presently raising forces hasted to the confines of france , towards the belgick provinces to secure them against the approach of their enemies . at this time france was in great fear , considering the conjunction of such potent adversaries , and the king of france his want both of money and arms to resist them , so that many thought that the ruine of france was approaching . whereupon our admirall perswaded the king to treat of peace ; which counsell was so gratefull both to the king and his nobles , that the charge of it was presently committed to the admirall , which within few daies he effected , to the incredible joy and rejoycing of all the orders of france ; and he was looked upon as an instrument of saving his countrey , especially considering upon what honest , honourable and profitable conditions he had concluded the peace . about this time it fell out that the guises , who were lorrainers by extraction , and pretended a title to sicily and naples , which they said the king of spain had injuriously taken from their ancestors ; perswaed king henry of france , that for divers years they had held correspondency with a great part of the neapolitane nobility , so that if the king would but assist them with some competent forces , they doubted not to make an easie conquest of that kingdom . by this their counsell they violated the peace which was made a little before with spain , and solemnly sworn to on both sides , which was a great grief to our admirall , who sticked not to say that such perjury proved alwaies , as dishonourable , so fatall to kingdoms ; and that god in all ages had been a severe revenger of it : yet the king would not hearken to him , but commanded him to raise forces in his province . this was the first cause of that deadly feud which arose between the guises and him : there were some other smaller causes which further kindled that fire , which for brevity sake i omit . the emperour hearing of these preparations in france , thought to be before hand with them , and therefore raises an army in the low-countries to invade france , which the king being informed of , and knowing that the first storm would fall upon picardy , he presently dispatched away the admirall for the securing of it , and before he he had marched two daies journey , he was informed by his scouts that the spaniards intended to besiege san-quintan in picardy : he also received letters from one captain brullius , that as soon as the citizens of san-quintan heard of the spaniards intention , they were seized with such a pannick fear , that many of them left their houses , and fled into the woods with their wives and children . our admirall hearing these things , dissembled the matter before his souldiers , as well as he could , and shewing much alacrity , by great journeys hastened to san-quintans . whereupon two of his captains [ gernacus and lusarcius ] endeavoured by all means to disswade him from it ; telling him that the city was not fortified , neither provided with food and other necessaries to sustain a siege , and that the enemies would beleaguer it before he could furnish it with such things , and therefore they told him that it was better , and more for his honour , to disturbe the enemy in the open fields , then by shutting himself up within the walls to expose himself to such danger . but he considering of what consequence that place was , and what advantage the getting of it would be to the spaniards , adhered to his first resolutions ; and having by the way adjoyned to himself about two hundred and fourty souldiers , he hastily flies to the city , and sets all hands on work for the fortifying of it . the spaniards being informed hereof , presently begirt the city with a siege , and began to draw their trenches about it , and possessed themselves of the suburbs , whereby by rolling trenches they approached the wals. this our admirall taking notice of , sallied out upon them , and firing the suburbs , drave the enemies further off ; yet when he had throughly viewed the city , and found the weaknesse of it , he began to suspect that he could not long hold out against so potent an adversary . yet considering that gods providence had cast him upon these straits , he resolved rather valiantly to die , then to give the enemy so great an advantage against france , by surrendring that town to them . and therefore he laid out all his care , labour and industry , for the defending of it ; and for the greater incouragement of the citizens and souldiers , he laid his own hands to every work that was to be done . whilst he was thus busily imployed , a messenger brought him word that his brother andelot was gotten safe into the city with about five hundred souldiers ; the remains of a greater army which the king had sent under the constable for the victualling and relieving the city , which army was encountred by a great party of german horse and foot , who in the incounter had routed the french , slain many , and dispersed the rest ; only in the time of the medly andelot with his five hundred men had slipped into the city . as soon as this defeat of the french was known to the souldiers and citizens , they were possessed with so great a fear that the incouragements of the admirall were little regarded . hereupon he calls them all together , makes a speech to them , and shewed them that the safety of their countrey should be preserved before their lives ; and thereupon caused them all to take an oath , that if any one spake about the surrender of the city , he should lose his head for it ; himself also took the same oath . in the mean time the spaniards being elated with their former victory , presse upon the city harder then before ; and for twenty daies together continue their battery against the wals , whereby they beat down a great part of them . the admirall seeing this , and perceiving that they were approaching to give a generall storm , he encouraged his souldiers stoutly to make resistance ; telling them that if they did but withstand the first stroke , the enemy would not be forward to attempt a second . where the greatest breach and danger was , there himself stood armed to resist in the very face of danger : other places he commended to his brother , and his other captains . but whilest he was valiantly fighting in the breach , word was brought him that the enemy was entred in two other places of the city : whereupon taking some of his trustiest friends with him , he ran thitherward to oppose them , but before he came he found that that part of the city was filled with his armed enemies , against whom whilest he opposed himself , he was invironed by his adversaries and taken prisoner , who presently carried him away to antwerp . whilst he was prisoner there , he fell dangerously sick , and lay fourty daies tormented with a fever ; and as soon as he began to recover , he called for a bible , by reading whereof he much eased and refreshed his mind and body ; and by the diligent study thereof he began to embrace the reformed religion , and to have a tast of true piety , and the right manner of calling upon god. not long after he payed his ransome , which was fifty thousand crowns , and so returned home ; and being weary of the factions and affairs at court , and seriously thinking of his change of religion , he gat leave of the king to turn over his regiment of foot to his brother andelot , and his government of the isle of france to his brother-in law , marshall monmorancy ; and shortly after he sent one of his intimate friends to the king , humbly to signifie to him that he intended also to lay down his government of picardy , and therefore desired him to think of one to succeed him therein : the king answered that he wondred at his resolution , and scarce thought him wise to divest himself so suddainly of so many places of honour and profit : and from that time he began generally to be suspected of his change in religion , shewing a minde so free from ambition and desire of rule . monsieur andelot also discovering his resolution in religion , the cardinall of lorraine ( who hated the family of coligni with a deadly hatred , as the greatest enemies to the greatnesse of his family ) watched his opportunity , and suggested to the king , that all men took notice , that many great men of france were infected with the poison of calvinisme , which they scattered amongst the inferiour sort of people , and in particular that monsieur andelot had blabbed out many things to the dishonour of the solemn sacrifice of the masse , &c. the king being incensed hereby , commanded the cardinall of chattillion his brother , and monmorancy his cosen , to send for andelot , and to admonish him to answer modestly to the questions which should be proposed to him . when he came before the king , he professed his great good will towarde him , and spake many things of his great merits , and then told him that he was sorry to hear that which was reported , viz. that he thought ill of religion , and therefore he required him to tell him what he thought of the mass , which the calvinists spake so much against ? andelot being a man of great courage , answered confidently according to the truth ; which the king being offended at , exhorted him to look to himself , and to prevent the danger before it were too late . whereunto andelot with greater courage answered , that he had hitherto shewed himself obedient in all things to his majesty , whom he had found alwaies bountifull to himself and his family , but in the cause of religion , he could neither daub nor dissemble with god ; that his body , wealth and dignity were in the kings power , of which he might dispose as he pleased : but his soul was subject to god only that gave it ; to whom therefore in this cause he must needs be obedient , as to his greater lord. at this the king was so inraged , that snatching up a dish , he therewith hurt his son the dolphin , that sat next him ; and then he commanded one of his privy-chamber to carry andelot to the city of meaux , where he remained a prisoner in the bishops house , till he was removed to the castle of melodune . not long after king henry the second dying , his son francis succeeded him , who was married to mary queen of scotland , the daughter of the duke of guises sister , by which means the guises ruled all at court , and they also boasted often of the kingdom of england , to which this mary was heir apparent , as they said . the admirall knowing their cruel , barbarous and bloody dispositions , who would never be free from turbulent counsels , and especially from pesecuting those of the religion ; he was now , without further delay , resolved to lay down his government of picardy : and for that end acquainted lewis of bourbon , prince of conde , concerning his intention , wishing him to beg that place of the king , which accordingly he obtained . our admirall being thus eased of these publique burthens , and the troubles of them which withdrew his mind from religion , he kept at home in his own castle , and the rather because of his wife carola lavollia , born of an illustrious and ancient family , which was wonderfully given to the study of religion , exhorting her husband also , that casting off the remainders of idolatry and superstition , he should wholly betake himself to the true service of christ. the admirall having often heard her presse this upon him , dealt seriously with her , telling her , that he never knew any either in france or germany which embraced in truth this reformed religion , but that they were overwhelmed with manifold afflictions , under which they almost perished . he told her also , that by the laws of france , which were confirmed by all the parliaments , whosoever made profession of this religion , was to be burnt alive , and all his estate to be forfeited to the king. yet , saith he , if you be so prepared with faith and courage , that you can be content to undergo the same lott with others , you shall see that i will not be wanting to do my duty . to this she answered , that the condition of the church at this day , was no other then what it had been in former ages , even from the beginning , and she perswaded her self , that it would be the same to the end of the world . and thus each of them incouraging other , the admirall began to instruct his family in the true knowledge and worship of god , and gave them bibles and other good books to read for their furthtr edification . withall he stoutly forbad them those oaths and blasphemies which were common in france , especially in the court. he provided also godly governours and schoolmasters for his children , so that in a short time there was a wonderfull change in his family ; yea , by his example his two brethren , odet the cardinall , and andelot , were exceedingly stirred up to the study of religion . the admirall from his childhood had been bred in the court , which did in those daies exceedingly abound with luxury and other vices , from which he was not altogether free ; but so soon as he imbraced the true religion , there was such a strange alteration in his life and deportment , that the powerfull work of gods spirit did wonderfully appear therein . before he durst come to the sacrament of the lords supper , he conferred with divers godly ministers , both about transubstantiation and consubstantiation , for the setling of his judgment in the truth : and once being present in the town of vatevill at a private meeting of the godly , where there was a sermon , and the sacrament to be administred ; after sermon he requested those that were present that they would not be offended at his weaknesse , but that they would pray to the lord for him , and then requested the minister that he would a little more explain himself about the sacrament , which he willingly did ; and having by sundry texts of scripture shewed that christ is received only spiritually and sacramentally therein , he concluded with that of st. augustine , manducare cibum qui non perit sed permanent ad vitam , est credere in christum . et quid paras dentem , & ventrem ? crede , & manducasti . item , nolite parare fauces , sed cor . christ is to be fed upon not with our mouths , but with our faith , &c. our admirall being much satisfied with this discourse , gave thanks first to god , then to that minister and congregation , and shortly after was himself partaker of that holy sacrament , the same whereof when it was once spread abroad in france , it cannot be believed what joy and consolation it brought to the churches of christ ; for though till that time the true worshippers of god had many laws made against them by the kings and parliaments , though they were daily dragged to prisons , torments and death , so that they were forced to hold all their meetings in secret , yet was true religion after a wonderfull manner dispersed through all the provinces of france , and the popish party found by experience that the more they sought to suppresse and extinguish the light of gods word , and the professors of it , the more it daily encreased . not long after fell out the tumult at amboise , and the conspiracy of the nobility against the guises , whose pride and insolency the princes of france could no longer bear with . of this number was the prince of conde , and the king of navarre his brother . whereupon the guises procured an edict from the king , whereby a meeting of the nobility was appointed at fontainbleau , especially to treat about matters of religion ; and when the day came , which was aug. . . the king requested those that were present to deliver their opinions : whereupon the admirall rising out of his seat , humbly presented the king with two supplications under this title , the humble supplications of those who in severall parts of your majesties kingdom , do truly and purely serve god. these supplications were delivered to albespine the kings secretary , who publiquely read them . this bold fact of the admirall was much wondered at , considering the kings bitter enmity against that religion , and the great power of the guises . the summe of those petitions was this : they which purely and sincerely serve god , taking this fit opportunity , do humbly beseech your majesty , that of your clemency you will be pleased to pity a great number of our subjects , who unto this day are miserably afflicted , tormented and wasted for the cause of religion in all your provinces : we humbly beg of you that you will not be grieved to take cognisance of our cause , and to appoint that the scripture may be the judge in these great controversies ; whereby it will easily appear how much we do abhor heresie , which hitherto hath been laid to our charge : as also how falsly we have been charged with sedition , when we never used force or arms to defend our selves , but ever thought it our duty in our greatest extremities only to have recourse to your majesties clemency . our humble request therefore to your majesty is , that you would be pleased to restrain our persecutors , by whose means there is no part of your majesties kingdom , which in these late years hath not been defiled with the blood of your innocent subjects . our case hath been miserable when we have been forced to plead our cause before the popes clients and pensioners , rather then before equall and indifferent judges . our humble request therefore is , that you would be pleased favourably to look upon so many families who have alwaies acknowledged you for our gracious lord and king ; and according to gods command have honoured and obeyed you , and shall be ready , if occasion be offered , to spend our lives for your dignity and service ; and therefore we think it but equal that our lives and welfare should be protected against the rage of our cruel and bloody adversaries . we further pray , that some publique places may be allowed us where our ministers may preach the word of god sincerely , and administer the sacraments truly ; that our religion being no longer concealed , we may be freed from those false calumnies which our adversaries have hitherto cast upon us ; and we shall ever pray , &c. after these supplications were read , there were great debates , but little about religion , great complaints being made of the kings debts , and consideration had how the same might be discharged . hereupon our admirall spake freely and boldly against the forces raised by the guises , under the pretence of a guard for the king , as if he needed such a guard in the heart of his own kingdom ; whereas the authority of the kings name in france is so sacred and powerfull , that thereby the meanest constable is able to suppresse any tumult whatsoever . this free speech of his extreamly vexed the guises , who hated him so much the more for it . some others propounded that there might be a publique convention of the states called , as the only means to cure the distempers of france ; which though some had laboured to discredit , and so had caused an intermission of it for eighty seven years , yet it had alwaies been exceeding advantagious to the kingdom , as the parliaments in england , consisting of three states , had alwaies been there , whereby the english kings had been enabled to make such powerfull invasions of france . shortly after king francis the second dying , his younger brother charles the ninth succeeded , and thereupon the former request was renewed for calling a convention of all the states . at this time catherine of medice was the queen mother , a florentine by birth , to whom the education of the young king , and the care of his person was committed , according to the ancient custom of france ; but she was not suffered to have any thing to do with the government of the kingdom : and hereupon the guises , who for a long time had been powerfull at court , intruded themselves into that office. and at that time many of the nobility proceeded cruelly to torment and afflict those of the religion ; whereupon there was great fear lest some new commotions should be raised in the kingdom : but the queen mother pretended favour towards them , for which cause our admirall endeavoured , and at last effected that she should be joyned in commission with anthony king of navarr , who was made protector during the kings minority . this many wise men disliked and opposed , saying , that in the stories of former times it did appear that the government was never committed to the queen mother , especially if she were a stranger , but it redounded to the great hurt of france , and was the cause of many civil broils . when the day of the publique convention of the states came , he which made the speech in the behalf of the nobility , about the end of his oration presented the king with a supplication , that they of the reformed religion might have publique places allowed them for the exercise of the service of god in . to this one quintin a doctor of the civil law , and professor of paris , opposed himself , and made a long oration in the name of the clergy , which he rather read then pronounced by heart , wherein he took the boldnesse to affirm , that all they that moved for publique places for those of the religion , were guilty of treason against the king and kingdom , the authors of sedition , and bringers in of a new religion , and therefore ought severely to be punished . of which when the admirall in the kings councel afterwards complained , quintin to excuse himself , professed that he had spoken nothing of his own head , but only had pronounced that oration which was penned and put into his hand by the clergy , and that he was ready again in the convention of states before the king and all the company to avow that in all that he had said , he had no thoughts of hurt to the admirall . in conclusion there was an edict sent forth in the kings name , commanding and requiring all the judges and magistrates through france , to release all those of the religion that were in prison , and it was forbidden them upon great penalties hereafter to meddle with , or to trouble any for their religion sake . as for the businesse of allowing them publique places for worship , that was put off to the next generall meeting of the states , which was appointed but held not , to be at ponthoise in piccardy . january following , there was a meeting of all the princes and nobles of france , appointed to be held at st. germans , whither also repaired the deputies from all the parliaments , and there it was decreed that churches should be allowed to the protestants in the suburbs belonging to each city : upon the publishing of which edict , the peace of the kingdom seemed to be setled , and in the suburbs of all the greater cities , yea of paris it self , those of the religion met publiquely , and had sermons preached without the least disturbance . but presently after was news brought that the d. of guise in campania had basely murthered about two hundred persons who were met together at vassiac to hear a sermon , according to the power given them by the kings edict , in a barn ; and it was conceived that the d. of guise took this boldnesse , relying upon the friendship of the k. of navarr , whose weak mind he had bowed and bound to himself by promising him the kingdom of sardinia , and other favours ; and upon this confidence , adjoyning his other brethren to him , with a great army he went to the court , and there seized upon king and queen mother , who seemed with many tears to bewail the violence profered to to them , and carried them away to paris . hereupon the queen mother sent divers messengers to the admirall , and writ with her own hand to the prince of conde , requesting them to help her , and to deliver the king out of this captivity : this caused the prince of conde with many of the nobility , upon deliberation , to resolve to raise an army for the rescue of the king , and to curb the insolency of the guises , often saying , that he ought not to be deterred with reports , as if he intended to propagate his religion by arms , or to offer violence to the person of the young king. for , said he , after such a publique decree made by the king and all the states in favour of those of the religion ; what had the d. of guise , who is a lorrainer by extraction , to do in france ? or by what confidence doth he exercise such cruelty against the kings faithfull subjects ? and therefore he saw that there was no way left but to repell force with force ; and that he was not the author of the war , but by war defended those that were unjustly oppressed by war. there was also a publique report that the d. of nemours had endeavoured by flatteries to perswade the young prince henry , the kings brother ( who was afterwards chosen king of poland ) to go with him out of the bounds of france , which the young youth had declared to his mother . there was much speech also of the massacre at vassiac , and of their leading the king and queen mother as their captives to paris , where they had a powerfull faction . they had also sent to the german princes , desiring to be admitted into the league of the protestants . the cardinall of lorraine had also sent to christopher duke of wirtzberge a prudent and valiant prince , pretending that both he and his brethren would embrace the protestant religion , and desired to be enrolled in the number of the protestant princes . these things being publiquely divulged , the resolution of the prince of conde to take arms was generally approved of , and in a few daies many cities sided with and assisted him , as orleans , biturg , roan , lions , vienna , valentia , mont-alban , &c. and whereas by the common consent of all the protestants in france the prince of conde was chosen generall , he prevailed so far with them , that the managing of the war was conferred upon our admirall , to whom he also delegated his own power and interest , for the opinion which he had of his excellent justice , gravity and prudence . this being generally taken notice of , the queen mother interposeth as a mediatrix for peace , and sends for the prince of conde to come to their tents , intreating him , that for the convenient situation of it , he would deliver up into their hands for a few daies , as the fittest place for the treaty , the city of boience , where there is a bridge that passeth over the river loir , which bridge she affirmed to be the fittest of all other places for the parlee . the prince of conde upon the perswasions of his brother , the king of navarr , and of the queen mother , and upon their faithfull promise that the town should be delivered back to him again , and that his person should be in safety during the treaty , without taking any further pledges , delivers up boience to them , only desiring that whilst the treaty lasted , the constable , guise , and saint andrew ( who were called the triumvirate for the ruine of france ) might be commanded to withdraw from the camp. when these things were done , the queen mother and the guises put a garrison into the town of bogener , fortifie it strongly , and keep the prince of conde prisoner . the admirall being justly incensed by this perfidiousnesse , and resolving not to be wanting in his aid to the prince of conde , he presently with all his cavalry sets upon the enemies camp , which brought such a terrour amongst them , that thereupon the queen mother commanded the prince of conde to be set at liberty . and a few daies after the admirall assaulted boience , and at last took the town , though with some losse of his men . about this very time the admirals eldest son , called gaspar , being a youth of nine years old , but of admirable towardnesse , fell sick , and died at orleance , which was an exceeding great grief to his father . in the mean time the guises perceiving that they were forsaken by the greatest part of france , which now adheared to , and assisted conde , they resolved to call in forraign helps ; and thereupon sending much money into swisserland and germany , they hired from the former foot , and from the latter horse , to come in to their aid , which the admirall used often to say , was a plain demonstration of their treacherous and hostile minds against france : and therefore that he might not be wanting to himself and friends , who had committed so great a trust to him , he resolved to oppose forraign by forraign forces : and for this end he sent his brother andelot to the protestant princes in germany , of whose good will to the french churches he had good assurance , requesting aid from them , who accordingly within three moneths space sent him three thousand horse , and six thousand foot into france . whilst these things were transacting , intelligence was given to the admirall that some cannons , and a great quantity of gunpowder was carrying to the duke of guise , who now besieged biturg , guarded with six troops of horse and some foot. hereupon the admirall taking some horse with him , by long journeys hastened to meet the convoy , and coming up to them , they scarce stood the first shock , but throwing away their arms fled , and left the booty to the admirall , who wanting horses to draw them away , by over-charging the guns brake them , and blew up the gunpowder , and so returned to his camp. andelot returning out of germany , brought with him three thousand horse and six thousand foot ; so that the prince of conde having a good army of french and germans , hasted to paris ; which the guises hearing of , intended to meet him , having gotten a regiment of swissers , in whom they put most confidence , and so the two armies meeting , a battell was fought , but with a doubtfull event : for on the one side the constable was taken prisoner by one will. steward a valiant scots man ; and on the other side the prince of conde was taken prisoner , which made many of his foot to throw away their arms , and fly : but the admirall rallying the horse , and encouraging them to prefer their religion , country and honour befor their lives , he valiantly charged the guisians , in which medly he slew marshall st. andrew , a potent man at court , and prossaeus collonel to the duke of guise , and divers other noble men : the fight being ended , the admirall carried the constable to orleance , where he made his abode for a while : but shortly after came the duke of guise to besiege the city , whereupon the admirall leaving his brother andelot for the defence of it , flies into normandy , and there besieged the castle of cadonius , where the marquesse of elboeve , one of the d. of lorrains brothers was , and within a few daies had it , with all the arms and ammunition surrendred to him . about this time there was one john poltrot , a young man of a noble family , in the army of the duke of guise , who having embraced the reformed religion , and served for some moneths under the prince of conde , took up privately with himself a resolution to kill the d. of guise , as a publique enemy to his countrey , and a cause of all the present calamities : and , said he , if i had been bound to him by any oaths , i must not have been perfidious ; but being free , why should i not venture as scaevola did , for my countries safety ? with this resolution he went to the duke of guises camp , and watching his opportunity , shot him into the shoulder , of which wound he died within a few daies after . the very same day in the morning the duke of guise being ready to give an assault to orleance , wrote to the queen mother , that within twenty four hours he would send her word of the taking of that city , and that he would make the day very memorable by sparing neither sex nor age ; and that after he had kept his shrovetide there , he would extinguish the memory of the town , by utter subverting of it . but man knows not his destiny , nor what shall happen to him , for that the same evening he was slain , as you heard before . presently after which , a peace was concluded , and the edict renued for the free exercise of the reformed religion through all france , as formerly . not many moneths after , the admirall being sent for to court by the queen mother , the widow of the duke of guise comes in , and falls down at the kings feet , crying out with many tears for revenge for her husbands death , charging the admirall as the contriver and author of it . the admirall apprehending that this was but the device of others , which set her on to seek his destruction by fraud , which they could not effect by war ; before the king and all the councel he clears himself , shewing that poltrot had at his death professed that he was set on by none but god ; neither did he doubt but that he had done god good service in it , and freed his countrey from a tyrant that raged and thirsted after christian blood , and therefore he was not sorry for what he had done , &c. he also desired , that if they questioned the death of the duke of guise , he might have leave also to put in a charge against him , for that he doubted not but that he could easily prove the duke of guise , guilty of murthering wickedly the kings subjects , and of violating all the sacred laws and decrees of the king ; of taking up arms of his own head without authority , and thereby making himself guilty of treason , and of kindling those flames in france , which had continued about thirteen moneths . notwithstanding this resolute speech of the admirall , his enemies ceased not for some years still to call upon the king for justice against him ; whereupon the king at last appointed a convention of all the peers of the kingdom , at the city of molincum , whither also he called his chiefest senators and counsellours ; commanding the cardinall of lorraine , and the widow of the duke of guise , to produce what proofs they could , and the admirall to defend himself against them . when both parties had pleaded their cause , the king told them that he had referred the judgment to his counsellors , and therefore asked them if they had any exceptions against any of them : they answered , no. then he asked them if they would refer the determination of their cause to him , and would stand to his judgment : they answered that they would willingly so do . whereupon jan. . anno christ . the king passed this sentence , that having heard both parties , and consulted with his nobles and counsellours , who were all unanimously agreed in the same sentence , he pronounced the admirall clear and innocent from the murther of the duke of guise , and therefore absolved him from that crime , commanding his proctor and all others , that they should never dare hereafter accuse him for the same . he commanded also , that neither his present accusers , nor any other of his subjects , should dare hereafter to make any mention of it . nor that any of his judges or parliaments should ever admit any plea against him for it . he declared also , that seeing both parties had freely referred themselves to him , his will was , that they should live lovingly and peaceably together , never contriving any thing against each other ; and that if any of them , their friends , kindred of partakers , should violate this decree , that they should be held contemners of the kings majesty , as guilty of treason , as disturbers of the publique peace ; and lastly , that this his definitive sentence should be recorded in all the parliaments of his kingdom . but to return to something that hapned before this , the admirall had in his family one hambervilleries , born of a noble house , whom he made use of in his most weighty and honest affairs ; and it pleased god that some letters of his being intercepted , came to the admirals hands , wherein he wrote to some great courtiers , that he was ready to obey their commands in giving the admirall a soporiferous potion . our admirall having read these letters , called the man to him , commanding him to write some verses in a paper that lay by , which when he had done , comparing both the writings together , he asked him whether he would acknowledge his hand in those letters ; which he looking upon , being stricken with guilt for his wickednesse , he presently fell upon the ground , and begged his masters pardon . the admirall told him that he was willing to pardon him , but upon condition that he should presently depart out of his house , nor should ever come into his sight again . not long after the aforementioned edict of peace was published , the queen mother took counsell to go to baion to meet her son-in-law the king of spain , and to take her children with her : this afterwards proved the cause of many tragicall events , though for the present things were kept very secret : and first she ordered her journey to lyons , which hitherto had been in possession of those of the religion , because of the great number of them there ; and as soon as she came thither , she presently set her italian artificers to work , to build a citadell upon a neighbouring hill , which commanded all the city . a little before this the plague began to be very hot , and now it had seized upon the court it self , yet could not the queen mother be perswaded to remove her self and children from the danger , till she had seen the foundations of the castle laid . at last making lossius governour of that city , a cruel and barbarous man , and and an implacable enemy to those of the religion , and adjoyning to him some insolent souldiers that might daily vex the godly inhabitants , she departed . but this is very remarkable , that whithersoever she removed the court , in cities , towns , castles , &c. the plague still followed her , so that for three moneths together the king was in continuall danger , and was still forced to remove from place to place by reason of the infection . at last they came to baion , where the queen mother met her daughter the q. of spain , and embassadors from the king , with whom she communicated her counsels . in the mean time the marshall monmorancy , whom the king had made governour of paris in his absence , had certain intelligence brought him that the guises had imployed their agents to the common people of paris , to stir them up against those of the religion in that city ; he heard also that the cardinall of lorraine intended suddainly to be there with a great number of armed attendants , though the king by several edicts had commanded that none in their journeys should carry harquebushes or pistols about them . therefore so soon as monsieur monmorancy heard that the cardinall was entred paris with his followers thus armed , he presently taking his guard went to them , commanding them to deliver up their arms : this the cardinall and his nephew the young duke of guise , took as an intollerable affront to them , and were often heard to say , that that fact should cost monmorancy his life . the cardinall was very potent in this city , and could easily have raised sixty thousand armed men to have slain the governour ; whereupon he resolved to call in some of his friends to his aid , and in the first place he wrote to the admirall to hasten to him , who accompanied with three hundred horse , entred paris , jan. . which did so terrifie the multitude , especially the priests , monks and canons of the great church , that they began to think of flying thence . the day after monsieur monmorancy sent for the presidents of the parliament , and the chief magistrates of the city to come to his house , to whom he complained before the admirall , of the audaciousnesse and factious counsels of the cardinall of lorrain , as also of the seditious speeches cast abroad in the city , as if the admirall , taking advantage of the kings absence at so great a distance , consulted about plundering that rich city ; and therefore he thought fit to call the admirall before them , that so he might clear himself from that aspersion . then said the admirall , i have long since found out what my malicious and implacable adversaries have aspersed me withall , as if i intended to seize upon this city , which is the bullwark and eye of france . but such counsels as these are fit for those that claim an interest ( i know not how it comes in ) in the succession of the kingdom , and contend to have certain dukedomes and countries restored to them . for my own part , i neither challenge any right to the kingdom , nor to any part of it , which yet if i should do , i think there hath not been a noble man in france these five hundred years , which had the like opportunity to disturb the publique peace as i. ye remember after the duke of guise was slain , that i had the constable prisoner in orleans , and what a great occasion i had thereby of doing greater things if i would have embraced it : but on the contrary , i was never more earnest with the king and queen mother for peace , then at that time when our affairs prospered best . who can be ignorant how sollicitous and importunate i was for peace at that very time when many potent and flourishing cities had delivered up themselves into my hands ? and divers other great cities , both of normandy and brittany , sought my favour and protection ? who knows not that after peace was concluded , instead of begging honours and offices ambitiously of the king , which happily i might have obtained , i retired my self to my own house , and there even to this time have lived a quiet and private life ? but omitting these things , and speaking to the present occasion ; being sent for by monmorancy , i am come hither , not to disturb the peace of the city , or to innovate any thing , but rather to preserve peace against the audaciousnesse of some that would disturb it . it is not unknown unto you how much confidence those of the religion do put in me . these being stirred up with new rumours , and terrified with the counsels and factions of the guises , do daily flock to me ; bring me intercepted letters of the meetings of certain captains , who command their old souldiers to be ready in arms , that when they have occasion to use them they may be at hand . what needs more words ? letters are intercepted written into normandy , the originall whereof is sent to the queen mother , and i will shew you a copy of them , wherein amongst others there is this passage : there is no readier means of restoring the crown of france to those to whom it doth belong of old , then by rooting out the house of valois , and by massacring all the hugonots which are the chief upholders of it ; for this end their woods are to be sold , that with the price thereof we may arm our selves and get money ; and if the hugonots sue for them , the businesse being once adjudged against them , they will never move for their charges of the suit . now also what should i speak of the daily plunderings and murthers ? it 's sufficiently known , that after the peace was published , more then five hundred of those of the religion were basely murthered in severall places , and yet not one of the murtherers were ever punished by the magistrates ; and they which have complained of these things to the king or queen mother , have carried away either only words , or some empty paper or parchment instead of satisfaction . who knows not that in the city of turon lately and openly , many of the religion were cruelly massacred , even under the ensign , and by the souldiers of him who was sent thither by the duke of monpensier to settle the peace ? these things being so , yet i hear that there are many of your priests who are so terrified by my coming hither , that they consult about leaving the city , and yet there is no place in all france , no city , town or castle where the priests live , and attend their services with more freedom and safety , then in my town of castelon . the admirall having ended his speech , the company was dismissed ; and two daies after there came to monmorancy about thirty delegates from the parisian merchants , and with them the bishop and divers priests , to all whom the admirall spake very friendly , bidding them be of good cheer , and fear nothing : and within few daies after , going to the court of parliament , he made a speech to them , and told them , that nothing was more desirable to him then the peace and welfare of the city , neither did he come to them with any other mind then to advance it ; and therefore he exhorted them that they also would do their endeavours that the citizens might behave themselves peaceably and quietly : and so shortly after he returned home . at his return he was informed that there was one maius , who lived not far from him , a famous thief that was hired by the duke of aumale the brother of guise , to lie in wait for him when he should ride forth on hunting , for which end he had given him an hundred pieces of gold , and an excellent horse : many also complained to the admirall against him for his thefts and robberies ; whereupon having gotten sufficient witnesses , he complained of him to the parliament at paris , and a few daies after having apprehended him , he caused him to be carried to paris ; but when he came before the parliament this villain accused the admirall as if he had dealt with him about killing the queen mother , and had promised him a great reward for the same : the parliament after examination finding this to be but a calumny , and proving him guilty of many thefts , condemned him to be broken upon the wheel , which accordingly was effected . shortly after the prince of conde had a sonne born , to whom the king would be godfather , but because he could not himself be present by reason of his religion , he substituted the admirall to supply his room , which businesse was celebrated with very great pomp ; for at the feast a table was prepared as if it had been for the king himself , at which the admirall sat alone , and was attended like a viceroy , which every one interpreted as a pledge of the kings singular love and favour to him . not many daies after , news was brought that the duke de alva had by the command of the king of spain brought a great army into the low-countries to suppresse and root out the protestants , and this army being to passe by the borders of france , the admirall moved in the kings councel that burgundy might be looked to ; and lest any tumults might arise about the difference in religion , he advised that a guard might rather be appointed of the swissers then of the french men ; and it was commonly reported that six thousand swissers should be ready to oppose the duke de alva , in case he attempted any thing against burgundy . but a few daies after the prince of rupisurias * , of the royoll blood , wrote to the admirall to send him some trusty person to whom he might communicate a secret which would much conduce to his safety : he also being a friend to the prince of conde , by reason of their propinquity in blood , told him that there was secret counsell taken at baion , for the utter extirpation of the protestant religion , and all the professors of it , and for that end those six thousand swissers were hired and brought into france , under pretence of opposing the duke de alva : the admirall also was informed of the same by many letters and messengers from severall of his friends . these things coming forth , first the prince of conde , and presently after him the admirall went to the court , and told the king , the queen mother and all the councel , that they saw no sufficient reason why so many swissers should be brought into france , except it were to oppresse them , and many other honest families which embraced the reformed religion : but they should find more that had devoted themselves to that religion then commonly was thought of , an experience whereof they had in the late wars . they told them also , that if their adversaries attempted any innovations , they would not be wanting to themselves , nor like sheep would suffer their throats to be cut by murtherers . they therefore earnestly intreat and beseech the kings majesty , that he would be moved to pity so many honest families , and the afflicted condition of his countrey , and of the common people who suffer most in such warres . but they could get nothing at court but scoffs and scorns , whereby they perceived their lives to be in great danger , which caused them to withdraw , and to consult about the preservation of themselves and the reformed churches : and hereunto they were earnestly solicited by many of the nobility , and by multitudes of honest citizens , who complained that they could no longer bear the manifold injuries wherewith they were daily oppressed by the magistrates in every place . these things being so , the prince of conde and the admirall knowing of how great authority the kings name was through all france , which caused the guises in the former warres to get him into their power ; communicating their counsels but with a few , they resolved to go privately to the court to see if by any means they could get the king away from the guises and queen mother , that so by removing him from his evil counsellours , they might the better establish peace ; but being betrayed by one of their society , this design was wholly frustrated , whereby they were forced openly to prepare for war. the prince with five hundred horse went to st. denis , where some others arriving , in few daies made up the number of two thousand horse , and four thousand shot ; and the prince considering that the parisians were not accustomed to fast , hoped that if he could take their victuals from them , he should either force them to fight , or draw his enemies to a more assured peace : whereupon he sent andelot with five hundred horse to poissy and pontois , to seize upon the passages of the seine beneath paris , and other troops to seize upon such passages as were above the town . some others he sent to joyn with the forces that were coming out of guinne , himself and the admirall with about eight hundred horse , and a thousand two hundred harquebushiers , kept st. denis , to curb paris on that side . but the constable , who was the kings lieutenant generall , hearing that the prince had thus divided his forces , issued out of paris with about a thousand six hundred foot , and two thousand lances , and well furnished with artillery , and having chosen a commodious place for the battell , the next day he gives the prince battell , wherein the constable was wounded , of which he died within a few daies after . in this battell the admirall had wonderfull experience of gods goodnesse in his preservation , for riding upon a very fierce and head-strong horse , the curb of his bridle being broken , his horse ran away with him , and carried him twice through his enemies army , yet did not the admirall receive any one wound , though many pistols were discharged at him ; and whenas his horse had one bullot shot into him , he suffered himself to be easily reduced into his own troop . in this battell many fell on both sides , especially on the prince of conde's , yet was the kings army routed and driven into paris , whereupon the prince and admirall thought best to retreat into lorraine to meet those horse which were sent for their assistance from divers of the germane princes : for they again thought fit to oppose forreigners against forreigners . in their march thitherwards they were eagerly pursued by their adversaries , especially by henry duke of anjou the kings brother , afterwards king , first of poland , then of france ; who taking all advantages to presse upon their rear , put them to many inconveniencies . when they came into lorraine and met the germans , who were commanded by d. cassimire the son of the elector palatine , they met with new troubles , for the germans began to mutiny for their arrears , and to cry gelt , gelt , according to their usuall custom ; but how to satisfie them , or to raise the least part of that money , the prince and admirall knew not : yet in this strait our admirall found out this remedy : he advised that a certain tax should be imposed upon every man in their own army , according to the rank and place which he held , and for example himself disbursed five hundred crowns ; and the treasurers going through all the regiments collected the tribute : besides whatsoever monies the prince , admirall , andelot , or others had , was all put into the treasurers hands , so that in all they collected eighty thousand pounds , which was given to the lanceknets , by which prudent advice of our admirall they were extricated out of that great strait . these forces being thus united , their adversaries hastily retired , and by long journeys returned to paris , which the d. of anjou looked upon as a great dishonour to him . but the prince of conde's army being much encouraged hereby , went presently and besieged caen. and having battered the wals , and made a sufficient breach , just as monsieur andelot was ready with his brigade to have given the assault , the kings trumpeters came upon the spur and proclaimed that peace was concluded , for the effecting whereof , commissioners had been sent from both parties a few daies before to paris , whereupon the siege was raised , and the prince of conde dismissed his army . but some daies before this , word was brought to the admirall that his wife , who together with her children in the beginning of the war had betaken themselves to orleance , was taken with a violent disease ; whereupon he presently posted to orleance , and sending for the best physicians he could get , he performed the office of a dear and loving husband to her , yet it pleased god that she died . this was a very great affliction to him , and when many of his friends came to comfort him , being overwhelmed with sighs and tears , he said , oh my god , wherein have i sinned and offended thee , that thou correctest me so bitterly , and loadest me with so many calamities ! o that i could live more holily , and be more exemplary in my life then i have been ! most holy father , look upon me with the eyes of tender mercy , and ease me of these pressures . then being comforted by his friends , he commanded his children to be called to him , and told them that by this losse of their dear mother , they might see the instability of all earthly comforts , and that there was nothing here below which they could confide in ; and that houses and castles , though never so strong , were not given them for habitations , but as inns ; and that therefore they ought not to trust in any of these frail and fading things , but only in the mercy , and goodnesse of god , and then they need not doubt but that they should find him alwaies ready at hand for their comfort ; and so two daies after , calling monsieur grelleus his sons tutor , he told him , that he must needs return back to the camp , where he knew not what might befall him , and therefore he required him to have a special care of his sons , and as he had often requested him , to be carefull to bring them up in true religion and the fear of god , as well as to instruct them in other arts and learning . his wife had been alwaies very studious of the reformed religion , of an admirable courage and constancy in bearing the manifold afflictions which befell both her self and husband ; and amongst her other excellent qualities and vertues , she was alwaies very pitifull towards poor people and sick persons , to whom she was very liberall in relieving and assisting of them : and whereas many sick and wounded souldiers were daily sent from the camp to orleance , she frequently visited them , so that the physicians judged her disease to proceed from the stench of them . peace being proclaimed ( as is before specified ) in many places by the kings trumpeters , the admirall had scarce been three daies at his own house , before letters and messengers came to him from many of his friends , signifying , that instead of peace , his enemies made great preparations for a more dangerous warre ; for they observed that in every place such provision of war was made , that if the prince of conde himself , and the other associates did not timely prevent it , they would be circumvented by their cruel enemies before they were aware ; and this they gathered from the garrisons put into orleance , altissiodore , blesa , and other cities surrendred to them , as also by the adversaries possessing themselves of all the bridges and passes over the rivers , keeping the horse together in the heart of france , and continuing two regiments neer paris , under a pretence of a guard for the king. our admirall finding these things to be true , thought it most for his safety to retire into tanlian to his brother andelot , and from thence he shortly after removed to nuceria , a strong city under the prince of conde's government , whither formerly upon the like occasion he had carried his wife and family . in his passage thither there fell out this memorable accident : near to the town of molinius there is a great lake in the passage to altissiodore ; when our admirall came near it , there was in his company an old man called gripperius , that had been a great traveller by sea , and one that loved the admirall very dearly ; this man observing a black cloud coming towards them carried with a violent wind , he called to the admirall , desiring him to gallop to the next town so fast as he could , lest he should be oppressed with the violence of the storm approaching ; the admirall hearkening to his counsell , spurred on his horse , but before he had passed the narrow passages of the lake , there suddainly came such a violent tempest , accompanied with a whirlwind , that many horses and men were quite overthrown , many were wounded with the great hailstones , and almost quite slain : the wind took off the admirals hat , which afterwards could never be found , and one of his followers lent him his hat : but herein the great mercy of god did appear , that the admirall scaped unhurt by the hail , only one hailstone hit and hurt him about the ankle ; and had this storm taken him and his company a little sooner , whilst they were upon the lakes bank , in all probability it had made an utter end of them . the tempest being over , our admirall comforted his attendants , and lifting up his eyes to heaven , he said , o almighty god , i thank thee , from whom i know this storm proceeds , to warn us of the tempest of danger that is approaching , by which we shall be sorely pressed , but not oppressed . when they were met together at nuceria , they sent divers messengers with letters to the king , signifying that they had daily intelligence of the snares that were laid for their lives , and therefore they beseeched his majesty to pity his kingdom wasted already with two civil warres ; and that he would not ruine his kingdom , but rather by his clemency and wisdom quench that fire that is kindled by the guises . our admirall also wrote to margaret , daughter of king francis , and new dutchesse of savoy , whom he believed to have great power with the queen mother , intreating her to improve all her authority and interest for the diverting of the storm that was approaching to the ruine of her native countrey . but when he perceived that no arguments nor intreaty could prevail for peace , and understood that tavannius , who was a little after made marshall of the kingdom , was secretly drawing his forces towards nuceria , there to compasse them in , he advised the prince of conde that they should presently depart from thence , and make all the hast that possibly they could to rochel , which by reason of their ancient priviledges , had never hitherto admitted of any garrison . by the way they were to passe over the river liger , and in the train there was the prince of conde's wife , and six little children , whereof one was but a year old ; and two daies after followed the admirall and monsieur andelots children , whom the admirall had sent for to come to them : at which time this strange providence fell out ; when the prince of conde thought to transport his company in two or three little ships privately over the river neer unto sancerra , it pleased god that a foard was found , whereby fifty horsemen that were of the princes train rode over , and in the mean time the ladies , women and children were ferried over in boats , and no sooner were they gotten all over , but , though the day was fair , the river suddainly rose so high , that the inhabitants of sancerra took notice of the wonderfull providence of god , praying heartily for the safety and welfare of those little ones who had escaped such a danger . the king hearing of this their going to rochel , by the advice of his courtiers , presently commanded all his horse , especially those that were in the countries of xantone and poicters , to hasten to rochel . he sent also his brother henry the duke of anjou , to raise all the forces he could , and presently to march thitherwards . in the mean time those of the religion , who relying upon the kings promise and proclamation of peace , staied in their own cities , were every where basely murthered . about this time joane queen of navarr , who in the former troubles had kept here own house , abhorring such abominable treachery and perfidiousnesse after peace so often renewed , getting what forces she could together , advanced with them to rochel , carrying with her her son henry , who after her death was king of navarr , and her only daughter . these things being thus setled , the admirall drew some great guns out of rochel , intending to besiege niort , and within a few daies had it surrendred to him . then he led his forces to engolisme , which stands upon an high and steep hill , having only one passage to it , and therefore the enemies had a little before strongly fortified it , but the admirall planting his ordinance on that side where it was saultable , within a few daies space had it surrendred to him . presently after the van of each army met at jasenullius , and fought together , the admirall commanded that of the protestants : who charged the enemy so gallantly , that they were presently broken , and scattered , flying to lusinian for safety , leaving all their bag and baggage behind them , so that the booty which the admirall gat , was estimated to be more worth then fifty thousand crowns . two daies after they intercepted letters from fizius the kings secretary , to the queen-mother , much bewailing that losse . presently after the admirall going to the town of jarnac , fell into great danger , and without a speciall providence had become a prey to his enemies . for the enemy understanding that he purposed to transport his forces over the river in that place by a bridge of boats , they secretly laid an ambush on the other side , and observing the admirall where he was , they let fly all their harquebushes at him , and others endeavoured to break the bridge ; of the admirals side there was one harquibushier that had often shot at the enemies , and at last was by a bullet slain ; whereupon twelve more ran to his aid , so that a tumult arising , the admirall ran with his naked sword , not having time to put on his arms , and endeavoured to cut in sunder the cords wherewith the boats were fastened ; all which time the enemies ceased not continually to shoot at him , yet god wonderfully preserved him ; and from that time forwards he resolved never to be without a lifeguard for his assistance in such suddain accidents . two daies after the enemies having passed over the river charenton , the prince of conde feared lest they would compasse him about , having lately joyned to them three thousand german horse , and six thousand swissers , yet being of a very resolute and couragious mind , he resolved to stop their course , yet withall if possible to avoid a set battell . in the mean time word was brought to the admirall that some of his forces which were quartered in a neighbour village , were circumvented by their enemies , and yet valiantly defended themselves ; our admirall hastened therefore upon the spur to their succour with some horse , whom as soon as the enemies espied , they compassed round about , which being told to the prince of conde , being more valiant then advised , he brake into the midst of them , where being oppressed with the multitude , and his horse killed under him , which also fell upon him , he lifting up his beavour , rendred himself to some of the kings captains , who gave him their faith for his safety ; but presently after came montisquius captain of the duke of guise his guard , not without the secret command of his master ( as it was believed ) and setting upon conde behinde his back , as he was talking with the captains , dispatched him with a dagg shot into his neck . he was a prince inferiour to none that lived in that age for courage and courtesie ; he was eloquent in speech , liberall , affable to all , and a most excellent commander in warre . after his death his body was basely abused , and at last in scorn laid upon a shee-asse , and carried to jarnac . the admirall being exceedingly grieved with this great losse , and suspecting the issue , made a retreat , together with his brother andelot , into the town of st. jan de angeli ; and whereas he might have revenged the indignities done to the body of the prince , by shewing the like to the bodies of many of his great adversaries whom he had slain , yet he would not do it , but afforded them decent buriall , which thing he also did during all the time of the warres . the queen of navarr being at rochell , and hearing of this great losse , hastened to the camp , comforted the captains , and exhorted all the souldiers not to be disheartned , nor to forget their former valour , telling them that she had brought her only son henry , that was to succeed her in the kingdom , to be their generall , professing that she preferred the safety of the army before the life of her son. to him was also henry prince of conde , brother to lewis that was lately slain , adjoyned in this honour ; but the whole care for managing the warre , by the joynt consent of all the commanders and officers was wholly divolved upon the admirall , none having the like credit or authority amongst those of the religion as he : for it was well known that besides his singular skill in military affairs , his justice and temperance , there was none amongst all the peers of france that had so openly embraced and professed the religion as he . he was the first that reformed his family according to the rule of gods word : he was the man that presumed to prefer their petition to king francis the second , that was nearly allied to the guises by affinity . he gave the first example to the nobility of france of piety , who were grown extream loose by reason of the dissolutenesse of the court : and after he had once embraced the reformed religion , he never gave the least occasion of scandall to the churches . and whereas many delegates repaired often to him from the churches , he alwaies gave them wholsome and prudent counsell . he first took up arms , not to fight against the king , as some misreported , but at the request and prayers of the queen mother : neither yet did he it , either by his own private counsell , or of the queen mother , but by the authority of the parliament of orleance , the king being not yet twelve years old : as also after the kings edict for peace , established and promulgated by the advice and consent of all the states of france , because it was so notoriously violated by the guises , to the utter undoing of many honest families , and almost the ruine of many flourishing cities , and to the losse of the lives of many famous captains , to the great prejudice of the whole kingdom , and to the oppression of many flourishing churches ▪ dispersed almost in every town of france . by all which that poor kingdom was laid open to be a prey to any forreign prince that should invade it . after these things a grievous affliction befell the admirall by the death of his brother andelot , who in the city of xantone died of a violent disease suddainly , not without suspition of poison ; and the rather because it was a usuall saying of biraguus , shortly after made chancellour , that the war was not to be finished with so much hazard by armed men , but rather by cooks and kitchin boyes . upon this occasion the admirall wrote a letter to his own and his brother andelot's sons , who were with their tutor at rochel , for comforting of them , the tenour whereof was this : although i believe that the death of my brother andelot is very grievous unto you , yet i thought fit to admonish you that you have great cause to rejoyce that you had so good a father and uncle , of whom i dare affirm that he was truly religious and eminent for his valour and skill in military affairs , the remembrance of which vertues ought to be dear unto you , that as much as may be , you may be imitators of them ; yea i believe i may boldly affirm this of him , that there is none in all france more skilfull in warlike affairs then was he ; and i doubt not but even forreign nations will subscribe to the truth hereof , especially those which have had experience of his vertues ; and this credit he got to himself , not by idleness and sluggishness , but by undergoing the greatest labours for his countries sake . truly i knew no man that was more devout to godward , nor more just to men then he . neither am i ignorant that it were unfit for me thus to boast of him to strangers ; but i mention them more freely to you , because i would have you to be imitators of his vertues , for i even propose him for my own imitation ; and i pray god from my heart , that when i come to dye , i may with the like piety and assurance resign up my spirit to god , as i saw him to do ; and that my grief for him may be the more extenuated , i earnestly desire that i may see his graces and vertues to live in you : which that it may be so , i exhort you with all your hearts to embrace piety and true religion , and wholly to apply your selves to your books , that thereby you may ( through gods grace ) be led in the way of vertue : and though i willingly allow you to recreate your selves in those hours which your master allots you , yet i charge you , take heed that in your play you neither speak nor do any thing whereby you may offend god : be very carefull to reverence your master , and obey him no otherwise then you would obey me , for i am perswaded that he will give you no other counsel then what may be for your honour and profit . in short , see that you love me , or rather that you love your selves , so that i may hear nothing of you but what i may rejoyce in , and as you grow in years and body , so you may grow in piety and vertue . the lord bless you all , and the holy spirit preserve you for ever . from xantone , may . castellonius . the courage and magnanimity of our admirall did exceedingly appear in this , for that though he had lost such a brother as was second to none in piety , justice , vertue , and the glory of his military actions , so that the admirall called him his right arm , yet he told his friends often that he wholly relied upon the divine providence , and knew assuredly that the church of god was not administred by humane counsels , nor this christian army , led by the providence and valour of its commanders , but by god : and speaking concerning his brother to his friends , he brake out into this expression , o blessed andelot , who hast finished the course of thy life so holily and happily ! about this time news was brought him that wolfgang , duke of bipont , had brought a strong army out of germany into france , for the aid of the protestants , and that he had already passed the loir , and had taken charity , where was a bridge over that river ; and when he understood that they were advanced as farre as chalons , he intended to joyn his forces with them , and that very day on which he came to them , d. wolfgang died of a violent disease ; whereupon the german army unanimously chose wolradus count mansfield , to be their generall . this conjunction of theirs exceedingly troubled their adversaries , and every one deemed that the kings army would not be able to stand before them , but that the courtiers would hereby be brought to stoop to them . yea all good patriots that studied the publique peace , did abominate the perfidious authors of these wars , publiquely saying , that god never suffered such perjury to escape long unpunished ; and it was verily believed that if the admirall had led this gallant army strait to paris , many great cities would willingly have yielded and put themselves into the admirals protection : which opinion was much confirmed hereby , for that the duke of anjou pitching his tents near to them , and adventuring a battell , he was easily overthrown , most of his foot being either slain or taken , together with their commander in chief , strossius , cosen german to the queen-mother . the admirall having so brave an army , hoping that now at last the kings heart would be inclined to peace , he sent an humble supplication to him ( the duke of anjou not suffering him to send ambassadours ) in his own and the armies name , intreating and beseeching him no longer to harden his heart , but to pity the afflicted condition of the common people , and also to consider , that if the warre should be protracted , it would turn to the great prejudice of all the states of france ; there being twenty thousand auxiliary souldiers of both parts ; and that things were brought to this passe , that by these civil warres mens minds were so farre from union and love to their countrey , that every one sought the blood , ruine and destruction each of other . they therefore humbly intreated that he would spare his poor subjects that had so long groaned under these heavy pressures , and that he would no longer be led away by the cardinals and italians , who had too much power over him , and could not have the like fellow-feeling of the miseries of france as the french men themselves . they suggested also that this was the fittest time for a treaty , when both parties were so confident of their own strength ; and that the conditions which he and his army would propose were very easie , viz. that they might enjoy that peace and liberty for the exercise of their religion , which was often confirmed to them by the decrees of all the states , and by the kings own proclamations ; that it was extream madnesse in those italians and strangers , to think that those of the religion , whereof there were at least two hundred thousand men , could so easily be rooted out , the truth whereof the experience of the former warres might easily demonstrate . the duke of anjou having received that disgrace which we spake of before , by the advice of his councel dismissed a great part of his army , especially of his horse , for a moneth or two , bidding them go home and refresh their bodies . things standing thus , the admirall called a councel , wherein it was determined , that seeing rochel and divers other maritine cities and places were wholly in the power of the protestants , that therefore they should take care for the fortifying of them , and then should attempt the taking in of the city of poictiers , which would be as a bulwark to all that countrey ; but to this there seemed a main impediment , which was the taking in of the castle of lusiniac , the strongest piece in all france : yet after they had besieged it a few daies , it was surrendred to them ; and so also was castelheraut about the same time . then they proceeded to besiege and batter poictiers , but within a few daies the admirall , being quite tired with watchings and labours , fell sick of a flux , which held him so violently for thirty daies together , that he could neither assist them with his counsels nor presence ; so that by this means the city was relieved with much provision and three hundred fresh souldiers , which encouraged them to make divers sallies : the king also wrote to them to hold out , promising speedy aid , which animated them valiently to defend themselves . but it was evident that if the lord had not laid that affliction upon the admirall , the city had been theirs . about this time there was one of the admirals servants called dominicus albio , who having been taken prisoner by the kings party , and stayed some moneths with them , returned to his master , where after a while he was suspected by reason of some words that fell from him , and therefore being strictly examined , he brought forth a box of poyson which one riverius , a chief man about the duke of anjou had given him ; together with one of his secretaries , both of them promising him two thousand crowns if he would poyson his master . upon this his confession he was condemned to death ; and though some would have had him tormented , yet the admirall caused him only to be hanged , for the terrour of orhers . the admiral being not yet fully recovered of his disease , news was brought him that castelheraut , being about seven miles off , was besieged by the enemies ; whereupon in his horselitter , he presently advanced thitherward , and having relieved the place with fresh men he easily raised the siege , and drave away his enemies , killed many , especially of the italians , neither gave he over the pursuit till they had passed the river , which for the depth of it is called creusa . in the mean time the young duke of guise , who was governour of poictiers , in the night time removed out of the city with a great company , putting a fresh garrison into it ; and the duke of anjou having recruted his army with many french , germans and swissers , came to chinon ; whereas the admirals army was tired out with the long siege of poictiers , and much wasted with want of provision , and with great tempests ; and of those which remained there were very many sick , especially of the germans ; and most of those of xantone were gone home to refresh themselves . many also were gone to la charity , and sancerre , which were in the protestants hands : for which causes the admirall judging it best to protract time , restrained the eager mindes of his souldiers from fighting ; yet both captains and common souldiers would not be satisfied , threatning to go home and provide for their own safety . they also judged it farre more fit to fight there in their own countrey , where they might be supplied with necessaries , then in their enemies ; especially considering that they had divers strong towns in aquitane , the delphinate and leige , into which they might retreat , and from whence they might make excursions for the depopulating of their enemies countries . the germanes also cried out , that having wanted their pay for divers moneths , it were better for them to fight , then to be so long from their own countrey and relations . thus it being resolved that they should come to a battell ▪ both armies advanced to monconture , striving which should possesse the place ; and the van being led by the admirall , was suddainly set upon by the enemy ; the admirall seeking for his armour-bearer could not find him , yet unarmed as he was , he rushed into the midst of his enemies ; count mansfelt seconded him , so that they forced them to give ground : hard by there was a rivolet which the enemies contended earnestly to passe over ; whereupon the admirall taking some harquebushiers with him , hastened to the rivers bank to oppose them , where he continued all that evening ; ●n the mean time the enemy continually shot at him both with great and small shot , who if they could have gotten the passage , might have brought great detriment to the army ; for the enemies exceeded the protestant army by a third part , besides they were fresh and in good plight , the other were weary and harrassed out ; but this holp them only for two daies space , for on the third day six hundred germans set upon the admirall , who had only two hundred french horse with him , and in the fight , the admirall being often shot at , at last received a wound on his face by the right side of his nose , the bullet piercing into his mouth , which wound bled so fast that he could not spit out the blood : his sword also by many blows fell out of his hand , and the buckles of his breast-plate were so broken that it hung by very little : but in this extremity by the assistance and faithfull help of one ●lorinerius a young norman , whom he had brought up from a child in his family , he was rescued and conveyed out of the crowd , and his forces being overthrown , he was by his friends conveyed to parthenaeus . here we might wonder at his constancy and magnanimity : for whereas in this great calamity most men gave way to despondency , he laboured to comfort and confirm each of them ; he also caused his secretaries presently to write into all the parts of france to the protestants that were in arms , not to be discouraged , or to think that he had received so great a blow which might not be repaired within a few daies . the very next day he removed to niort , where , having setled his affairs , he went into xantone , and there stayed seven daies for the cure of his wound , which could not be perfectly healed in lesse then twenty five daies space . being thus tos●ed up and down with various afflictions , word was brought him that the parliament of paris , sept. . . had made a decree wherein they had declared him guilty of treason , and had proposed a reward of fifty thousand crowns to any one that would bring him alive to the king. at the same time he had intelligence that one martinengus an italian , banished his own countrey for treason , being made by the king commander of some troops of horse , had been at castellion , and surprized his castle , and plundered it of all his rich furniture which for divers ages had remained there , the value whereof was not lesse worth then one hundred thousand crowns , besides he had so burned the whole town adjoyning to the castle , that there was scarce any footsteps remaining of it ; which sad tidings were so farre from causing any dejectednesse in him , or disfitting him for his employments , that he did not so much as shew the least change in his countenance : and whenas his friends and kindred flocked to him to comfort him , he told them , that through gods grace , he had this frame of spirit given him , that for those things which are usually called goods , he possessed them , and not they him ; and that his fortunes were subjected to him , not he to them . and whereas in those civil warres , princes , peers , nobles , knights , horsemen and footmen had large allowances from the king , whereby they maintained themselves , he on the contrary was alwaies carefull to discharge his quarters , both for himself and family , whereby he contracted great debts , taking up money upon use to enable him to it ; yea he pawned his very wives jewels , bracelets , rings , and other rich furniture , thereby to furnish himself with money ; by which means he did so weaken his estate , that in the end of this third civil warre he was forced in a councel of the princes , to move for some allowance wherewith to sustain his family . about this time he wrote another letter to his sons , and the sons of his brother andelot , who were still at rochel , under the same tutor , the tenour whereof was this : truly it would be very gratefull unto me if i had opportunity to see you , and to speak face to face : but seeing i am deprived of that happiness , i thought fit by this epistle to admonish you alwaies to set piety and the fear of god before your faces , especially at this time , when you find by experience that there is no trusting to those things which are called goods . our hope must be placed elsewhere then in this world , and other things must be sought after then those which we see with our eyes , and handle with our hands : but because to do that is not in our own powers , we must earnestly pray unto god that he would lead us in that way which is most sure and safe ; neither yet must you expect that that way will prove pleasant and delicate , and abounding with worldly felicity : for christ himself who hath gone before us , and is our captain and ensign bearer , must be imitated by us . men indeed have dispoiled us of those things which are fading and transitory , but if we be willing and carefull to submit to the will of god , we shall be happy , and it shall be well with us at the last ; for those men have wronged you , not for any injury you ever did them , but out of a hatred against me , which also proceeds from hence , because the lord is pleased to honour me by being an instrument of assisting has afflicted church ; and therefore if for this cause we suffer losse and inconveniences , we have no reason to grieve for it , but rather to assure our selves that he will give us such a reward as men shall not be able to take from us . i have many other things to write to you of if i had leasure ; but for the present i have enough , if i may admonish and request you for gods sake , that you go on valiantly in the study of vertue , and that in all your words and actions you shew an aborrency of all vices ; be obedient to your master , and your other governours , that though i seldom see you , yet i may hear that you increase in piety and good manners : to conclude , i pray , if it be the will of god , that whatsoever further befals us , either in our estates or persons , we may have it sanctified to us for our spiritual good ; and i heartily pray to god that he will be a refuge and help unto you , and a defence in this your minority ; fare you well . from xantone , octob. . . castellonius . the admirall and all the commanders of his army having often consulted about their future proceedings , resolved to strengthen all their garrisons , and so with their light horse to go into tholouse , where they of the religion held montalban , a place very strong both by nature and art , who also had gotten together a good summe of money for paying the german auxiliaries : besides they hoped by passing over the two rivers of garone and lotters , to joyn to themselves those forces which were under the command of mongomry , a man of great authority by reason of his skill and experience in military affairs , who also had lately by the assistance of his forces quieted berne , that belonged to the prince of navarr . this journey , by reason of the roughnesse of the way proved very difficult and painfull , especially considering that the enemies had garrisoned all the cities , and broken down all the bridges where they were to passe ; yet at length with much difficulty they came to montalban , from whence the admirall sent to the king and queen-mother in in his own , and in the names of all that were with him , humbly intreating them that they would not suffer so many valiant and gallant men as were in both armies mutually to shed the blood each of other ; but that rather out of their clemency they would put an end to those mischiefs ; that the contrary was the counsell of some cardinals and bishops that never came into the field to try the miseries of warre ; or else of certain italians that rejoyced in the ruines of france ; and that it was extream madnesse to suppose that two huedred thousand protestants to whom so many of the nobility had joyned themselves , could so easily be suppressed and destroyed . besides also it could not be but in those warres many papists must be great sufferers as well as the protestants ; some in their persons , and others in their estates and families . that the speeches of the courtiers were unworthy the kings majesty , who used commonly to say , that the king would not spare his popish subjects , so he might destroy his adversaries : for it was the voice of a tyrant , not of a king , to say , pereant amici , dum unà in mici intercidant , let my friends perish whilst mine enemies fall together with them . that the conditions of peace were easie , viz. that the decrees made by the states of orleance , and the edicts of paris might be renewed and established , whereby the protestants were allowed certain places for publique worship . these messengers being dispatched away , they presently resolved to passe the river oaronna , which was between theirs and mongomries forces , but the passage seemed very difficult by reason of the breadth , depth and swiftnesse of the river ; whereupon the admirall resolved to take in the town of marian , which stands upon the rivers bank , which he also did , and mongomry coming to the other bank , the admirall intended to make a bridge , which also with admirable art and industry he effected , and so in two daies space passed the german horse over it : but the night after a ship coming swiftly along the stream , brake down the bridge , so that they were forced to make a new one of boats , whereby mongomries army came over safe to them ; and the german horse also which brought up his rear , and so having stayed there two daies for the refreshing of his men , he led his army to tholouse , and took in all the neighbouring towns , either by storm or surrender , though he had only two great guns in his train , which he brought with him from montalban . and the protestant army was the more incensed against them of tholouse , because ( say they ) they have been violent to burn them of our religion : they beheaded captain rapin who carried them the edict of peace from the king ; they have also committed many other insolencies which now cry for vengeance , and god hath put an opportunity into our hands , which we must not neglect , &c. having dispatched these things he resolved to march to vivaret , and to the bank of rhodanus , and understanding that some were up in arms for him in the delphinate , who also had taken some towns , he sent part of his forces to them , to assist them in taking in some cities of greater consequence , committing the government of them to count lodwick of nassaw , who arriving in the delphinate , struck such a terrour into the inhabitants as caused them to fly into the cities ; but he having no guns for battery , only wasted the enemies countrey , and so with honour returned within few daies to the admirall . shortly after the admirall worn out with cares , watchings , and incessant labours , fell sick ; and though he was greatly afflicted with his disease , yet conceiving that it was of great concernment for him to get to the river liger , he made no stay , but in his horselitter marched with his army thitherward ; for he was informed that about la charity and sancerra , there were about two hundred risen in arms for him , whom he thought to be of great concernment to adjoyn to his army , the rather because cossaeus marshall of the kingdom , after the battell in xantone , by the king made generall of the army in the room of the duke of anjou , as he understood , advanced with his army that way , and began to approach near him : and whereas there came a trumpet from him to the admirall about exchange of prisoners , the admirall sent him word by his trumpet that he should not need to be at so much pains to seek him , for that he himself was hasting towards him , so fast as he could . when he was advanced so far as the forrest , behold new ambassadors met him from the king about a peace ; for when the courtiers heard that the admirall , whom they thought to be utterly broken by his former overthrow , had in so short a time gotten so gallant an army together again , they were extreamly terrified , lest he should march directly towards paris , and there should plunder and destroy the brave countrey houses of the courtiers , senators , and rich citizens of paris , the like whereunto they had heard that the senators and citizens of tholouse had already felt . the admirall by his march ( though in his horselitter ) had his disease much increased upon him , and the physicians gave their judgment , that if he continued still to be pressed with so great cares and multiplicity of businesses , he could not hold out long ; whereupon the treaty with the kings ambassadours brake off for a time : but some nobles that were aweary of the warres complained that there was no reason that the treaty should cease , because the admirall could not be present at it , affirming , that though he should die , yet there were men enough of honour and interest that could carry on the treaty , to the establishing of peace . the ambassadors tnswered them , we wonder thrt you do not consider of how great authority the admirall is amongst you , who if he should die to day , we would not offer to any of you tomorrow , so much as a cup of cold water . what ? do you not yet know that the only name of the admirall can prevail more for you then a great army without him ? within a few daies the admirall being refreshed , and in a good measure recovered , the treaty began again , and at last it was concluded , that certain commissioners should go along with the kings ambassadours , to signifie to his majesty in the name of them all , that they of the religion desired nothing more then peace , neither was any thing more grievous to them then warre ; yet was there none of them but would undergo greater miseries , yea and death it self , rather then to deny the truth which they had embraced : that if the king pleased to grant them peace and the exercise of their religion upon the former conditions , and to put some cautionary towns into their power for their security , they would willingly , and for ever lay down their arms. these messengers being dispatched , the admirall advanced forward , and in his way took in the town of reneducium , to which some of the vantcurriers of cossaeus were come , and from that day forwards there was no day passed without some skirmishes between the two armies ; and one day the minds of the souldiers on both parts were so far inflamed that it had near come to a generall battell , there being only a little brook between the two armies , monsieur mongomry having already broken the first battell of the adversaries , wherein were valetius and vasco , men of great authority amongst the royalists . but presently came new messengers from the king desiring a cessation from arms till the treaty was finished ; and after great debate an edict was sent from the king , by which certain places were allotted to the protestants for the exercise of their religion in , for the performance whereof they had for two years four cautionary towns put into their hands , viz. rochel , montalban , cognac , and charity : and the kings proclamations hereof were sent all over the kingdom ; and so an en end was put to the third civil warres . the admirall bringing the german forces to the borders of their countrey , dismissed them courteously , and so taking the two young princes of navarr and conde , he went with them to rochel , where the queen of navarr was , purposing to stay there till the peace was fully setled in every place : and after a few moneths , trusting to the kings promises , and to the oaths of the kings brethren , and parliaments , having been tired out with so many and great labours , he betook himself to rest ; and at the intreaties and perswasions of his friends , inclined to dispose of himself again in marriage , the rather because he was earnestly solicited thereto by the kindred of jacoba monbella , the widow of the l. anthony monbell , who was daughter of count intermontanus , of whose modesty , piety , and wholly life he had heard much formerly . she therefore being brought honourably to him to rochel , he solemnly married her ; and not long after he disposed his own daughter ludovica in marriage to monsieur teligni , a young man of great nobility and vertue . of all the nobility of france none seemed more acceptable and dearer to the king then this teligni , by reason of his admirall ingenuity ; and therefore being much about the king , it was he that did afterwards perswade the admirall of the great esteem and hearty good will of the king towards him . but god quickly mixed sorrow with the joy of these marriages , news being brought about that time , of the death of odet coligni cardinall of chattillion , who had been some time in the court of england , as the procurator for the cause of the protestants with queen elizabeth , who much favoured him for the amplitude of his family , and the opinion of his vertue and integrity . but the protestants affairs being composed in france , his brother gaspar sent for him : whereupon coming to queen elizabeth , he obtained leave for his departure ; but being taken with a suddain disease , he died feb. . . not without the suspition of poyson , and was buried at canterbury , being about fifty years old . he was a man of rare courage , candor and faithfulnesse , of a sharp judgment , so that few were to be compared with him in managing great affairs . guillin his chamberlain poysoned him with an apple , at the instigation of the queen-mother , as he confessed at the time of his death , when afterwards he was taken as a spy at rochel , for which he was hanged . but all this while the duke of anjou was a great enemy to the protestants , and boasted every where of his victories against them , yet the king did what he could to perswade the queen of navarr and the admirall of his great good will towards them , that they might be induced the more to confide in him . notwithstanding which the papists in some places made slaughters of the protestants . as in orenge , whither all the inhabitants returned , who had been driven away in the time of the late warres , the popish souldiers made an assault upon them , and slew them without regard of age or sex . also in roan , and other places they were slain in great number by the popish rabble . whereupon the queen of navarr , the princes and other protestant nobles sent to the king to complain of the violation of the edict , and to require satisfaction for the same . the king entertained them kindly , protested that these things were done to his great grief , and that he would so punish the authors of these mischiefs , as should be for the terrour of others . not long after , viz. anno christi . the king wrote very flattering letters to the admirall , giving him very honourable tearmes , inviting him to his court at blesa , intreating him that he would be an instrument of concluding a marriage between henry prince of navarr , and his sister margaret , and to prevail the more with him , he sent him word by his messengers , that no surer way could be found out for establishing the publique peace of the kingdom , and for uniting all sorts of persons , then by this marriage . and the better to delude him , the guises seemed to be every day lesse welcome to him then other , and monmorency ( the admirals sisters son ) was used very familiarly by the king , who often protested to him his good will towards the admirall ; communicated to him the counsels of his greatest affairs , for the managing whereof he told him , that he had need of the admirall for to be his captain and minister . the queen-mother also , according to her manner , protested that she liked nothing better then that a certain peace should be confirmed upon equal conditions , the memory of former matters being blotted out . by these means the admirall was drawn to the court , where he was intertained extraordinary lovingly , even beyond expectation ; so that when he fell down on his knees to do reverence , the king took him up , calling him his father , saying often and openly , that a more desired day never shone unto him then that , wherein he saw an end put to the warre , and a firm peace setled in the whole kingdom by his presence ; adding , with a smiling countenance , now we have you with us , you shall never depart from our side hereafter . he was intertained with the same serenity of countenance by the queen-mother , the duke of anjou , but especially by the duke of alanson , who much favoured him . the king also seconded his words with deeds , causing one hundred thousand crowns to be paid him out of his treasury for his private losses in the last warres ; he gave him also the revenues of the cardinall his brother , which were very great , for one year , and also the furniture and houshold stuff of the said cardinall . a few daies after the admirals return from the court , the young duke of guise , by the instigation of the cardinall of lorraine his uncle , would have put in a new complaint against the admirall for the death of his father ; but the king interposing his authority , drew up a form of agreement , which he made both of them to set their seals to , and to take their oaths for the keeping of it ; notwithstanding which the duke of guise shortly after entered paris , accompanied with many armed men , which the admirall hearing of , being then at his house at castellion , he moved the king by his son-in-law monsieur teligni , that he might have leave to keep a small guard for his own safety : whereupon the king wrote to him with his own hand , and sent his letter by bricmald , a man of great esteem for his vertue ; the tenour where of was this : that it was most acceptable to him that the admirall should be exceeding cautious and carefull of his own safety , and therefore he gave him power to fortifie his castle , and to raise as great a guard as he pleased , desiring him to be confident without doubting of his good will towards him ; and that he would be as carefull of his safety , as a father of his childes . these letters with many such like expressions of love being written with the kings own hand , many read with great delight , and were now throughly perswaded that they ought no longer to doubt of the kings good will and sincere affections to the admirall . hereupon count lodwick of nassaw ( whom we mentioned before ) thinking this a fit time ( and being secretly invited to the court ) moved the king in the name of his brother the prince of orenge , for assistance ; telling him that there were many cities in the low countries , that being oppressed and tired out with the lust , covetousnesse , and cruelty of the spaniards , would willingly surrender themselves into his hands ; and after a few daies spent in debate about this businesse , the king faithfully promised count lodwick that very shortly he would send a great army under the command of the admirall thither ; and it was further agreed upon betwixt them , that if they succeeded in that war , the king of france should have all the countrey from antwerp to picardy , and that the prince of orenge should have holland , zeland , and frisland . about this very time letters were intercepted and sent to the admirall , written from the cardinall peleus to the cardinall of lorrain to this purpose : that the king was never better affected then now ; and therefore because of his good affections , together with the queen-mothers , and the duke of anjou's , he hoped there would be good issue of those affairs which were resolved on in the common councel : that the king at the admirals coming to court , had carried himself more politickly then they could have expected ; whereupon the king believed that he had taken away all suspition from the admirall , and had left him no occasion of doubting of his love and good will towards him , which lorrain knew to be the basis , by their joynt consent , upon which their future proceedings did depend . that some speech was indeed raised about warring upon the king of spain , which the king made such use of , that the admirall thence collected arguments of his greater good will towards him . that they must use such artifices whilst they expected an opportunity to effect what was resolved on . that the king of spain was throughly acquainted with all these proceedings , that so he might suspect nothing by reason of those great preparations which were made for warre , for he was assured that this was done upon good grounds , as subservient to the principal end . that therefore he desired the cardinall that whatsoever he had heard , or should hear hereafter , yet he should assure himself that the king would never depart from his first purpose , and that whatsoever he did , did but conduce to hasten the end of their counsels , and that both the king , queen-mother , and the duke of anjou , were all very solicitous for this thing , and that as soon as ever the businesse should be effected , they would instantly send away messengers to acquaint lorraine with it . and as for the businesse of the prince of navarrs marriage , they hoped that it would quickly be effected , for this was ro begin all their future designs , &c. he that sent these letters to the admirall , hoped that he would have been warned by them to look to himself and his affairs , but he had such a strong confidence of the kings love and good will towards him , which also was daily nourished in him by his son-in-law teligni , that he which was most provident and sharp-sighted in all others businesses , was fatally blind in this . in the beginning of may . the king desired the queen of navarr to go to paris , to provide all things necessary for the marriage , where she arrived the fifteenth day of the same moneth ; and the fourth day of june she fell sick of a feavour , whereof she died five daies after , to the extream grief and sorrow of all her servants and friends . two daies before her death , being in perfect memory , she made a most christian testament and last will , finishing her course with singular piety and joy in god. she was a princesse of great experience by reason of her manifold adversities , in all which she shewed an invincible constancy , and heroicall greatnesse of courage , most affectionate to her religion , very carefull of the education of her children , training them up in the fear of god. in her words most grave and full of motherly affections to them . she had a ready and well advised wit , was pitifull and easie to be intreated ; constantly maintained that which she judged to be good , and agreeable to the will and good pleasure of god. she had a great vivacity of spirit , whereby she was able to comprehend all her affairs , and had a lively grace in representing them , either by word or writing . she died june . . and of her age . it was believed that she was poysoned by the smell of certain perfumes ; the doctors and chyrurgions which opened her , were commanded not to open her brain where the mischief lay , and therefore could not determine about the cause of her death . the admirrll in this time was at his house aa castallion , where he received many letters and messages from the king to come to him ; and because he stirred not , the king sent cavagnes and briquemaud to fetch him , that they might come to a conclusion about the warres in flanders ; and special commandment was given to the provost of merchants , and other chief men , that at the admirals coming to paris , there should be no affronts done him . about the same time the admirall had many advertisements from his friends , both within and without the realm ; that though he could not conceive any sinister opinion of the king , his mother , or brother , that yet at least he would consider into what place he was about to thrust himself , amongst so many implacable enemies . but he resting upon the testimony of a good conscience , and the providence of god , rejected all those counsels , as proceeding from mens covetousnesse , or desire of new troubles , which he abhorred worse then death ; and therefore taking a small train with him , he went to paris , and was very honourably intertained by the king , queen-mother , the kings brethren and others , to the great astonishment of the whole city . at the admirals coming to paris , amongst other letters that were brought to him , there was one that gave him these warnings . remember the popish maxime , confirmed by the authority of councils , that faith is not to be kept with hereticks , in which number the protestants are accounted . remember the implacable spirits of the papists at this time , irritated by the last warres . there is no doubt but it is the fixed purpose of the queen-mother to destroy the protestants by any means whatsoever . consider that she is an italian , of a most crafty wit , born of the progeny of popes , who contrives all extream things against her enemies . remember in what school the king hath been brought up from his childhood : how he hath been taught to swear and forswear : to pollute himself with whoredomes and adulteries : to compose his countenance : to counterfeit faith and religion : how he hath been accustomed to cruelty and bloodshed : how he hath been taught not to suffer above one religion in his kingdom : how it hath been whispered into his ears , that the protestants seek to dispoil him of his life and kingdom : that he is not bound to keep covenants made with armed subjects : that he is taught the mysteries of state policy . remember that commodus caused julianus to be slain , whom he pretended to honour and imbrace as a father . that antoninus caracalla , under the pretence of a muster , caused all the chief youths of the city to be slain . that lysander under the pretence of friendship commanded the throats of four hundred milesians to be cut . that lately atonius spinola invited all the chief men of corsica to a banquet , where they were all slain . that christian , king of denmark , used the same art to commit that horrid massacre at stockholme , &c. that the kings speech to his mother at blois was no secret , when swearing fearfully , he asked her whether he had not carried himself well at the coming of the queen of navarr ? to whom she answered , that he had begun well , but that would profit little unlesse he went on : but i ( quoth he ) swearing often , will bring them all into the net . wherefore if you be wise , haste both out of the court and city with all speed , as out of a most impure sink . the admirall having read this letter , though he were offended , yet lest he should seem to neglect the prayers and warnings of his friends , he returned this answer ; that there was no place left any longer for these suspitions : that he was verily perswaded that so great perfidiousnesse could not enter into the heart of so good a king : that indeed the duke of anjou was more estranged from the protestants ; but that hatred would by degrees cease by reverence of the affinity contracted with the king of navarr : that the king had entred into a league with the queen of england , and endeavoured to do the same with the protestant princes in germany , which sufficiently shews how he stands affected to the protestants . moreover that faith was given to the prince of orenge , and to the e. of nassaw his brother to aid them against the spaniards . that the kings ambassadours did daily search into the counsels of the duke de alva , and acquainted the king therewith , as the king daily informed him : that the navy under strossius at broag is rigged for no other end but to disturb the spansh fleet , and to assist the prince of orenge . that for himself they need not fear , the king having made friendship betwixt the guises and him , faith being mutually given that neither should injure other . to conclude , that the king doth all he can to have peace at home , and warre abroad ; and to translate it into the low countries against the spaniards ; wherefore he prayeth his friends not to trouble his mind any more with suspitions , which is now busied with weightier matters , and to joyn with him in prayer to god , that he would bring those things to a good issue , which are well begun for his glory , and the good both of church and kingdom . a little before count lodwick with some others had commissions from the king to surprize some frontier town in flanders . on the other side the duke de alva had intelligence of every step that count lodwick took , yet such was his diligence that he surpriz'd monts in henault , wherewith the duke de alva was so netled , that he said , the queen-mother had sent him the flowers of florence , but he would for them return her spanish thistles ; but upon further intelligence he was soon pacified . many lords and gentlemen of the religion accompanied the king of navarr and prince of conde to paris , and the king drew many more of them thither , who otherwise would have kept their houses , under pretence of his warres in flanders . count lodwick was presently besieged in monts by de alva , whereupon the king gave commission to monsieur jenlis to raise horse and foot for his succour : but de alva being acquainted with all his proceedings , surprized him , which the king seemed to be much grieved at , and presently wrote to his ambassadours in the low countries to procure the deliverance of the prisoners . he also encouraged the admirall to send all the help he could to the rutters , whom the prince of orenge had levied for the relief of his brother , causing monies to be delivered to him for their pay . the ambassadours of spain also seemed to be very male-content , because the king began warre in flanders : and the kings mother played her part in this tragedy , pretending that she knew nothing of the kings proceedings , and now she did know them she would leave the court. these juglings were carried so handsomly , that the admirall , teligni his son-in-law , and other lords were confidently perswaded that the king was wholly guided by the admirals advice . july the last , the rochelers wrote to the admirall that the kings army approached near them ; that from xantone and gascoine it daily wasted the countrey about them , using terrible threatnings against their town , and menacing to plunder it ; whereupon they intreated his advice , especially about receiving eight hundred men , which they sought to put as a garrison into the town . the admirall made them an honourable answer , aug. . assuring them of the care he had over them , adding that he found the king so well disposed for peace , that all men had cause to commend him . yet the rochelers neglected not to look to themselves and to fortifie their town . in other towns many were the threats of the papists against the protestants , which much terrified some : others relied upon the admirals presence and favour at court ; and to such as suggested doubts to him , he said , that the king had reconciled the differences betwixt the guises and him , causing both parties to swear friendship : that the king gave his sister in marriage , not so much to the king of navarr as to the whole church of the protestants , to joyn with them thereby in an inviolable union , and therefore he besought all them , that either by writing or words advised him of the hatred of the king , queen-mother , the duke of anjou , or the house of guise , no more to trouble him with those things , but rather to commend all in their daily prayers to god , and to give him thanks who of his infinite mercy had brought things to so good an end . august . henry king of navarr , and the lady margaret of france , sister to the king , in the evening were conducted to the louure , and the next day were married by the cardinall of bourbon in the sight of all the people upon a great scaffold made before the gate of the great church in paris , which day was passed over in banquets , dances and masks ; and that very day the admirall wrote a letter to his wife great with child in this tenour : most dear and desired wife , this day was celebrated the marriage between the king of navarr and the kings sister , and these three or four ensuing daies will be spent in feastings , maskings and dancings . the king hath promised me , that after a few daies he will set time apart to hear the complaints which are brought from several parts of the kingdom for violating the edict of peace ; for the prosecution whereof it 's very necessary that i should improve all my interest with the king : for though i have an earnest desire to see thee , yet it would be grievous to me , and i suppose to thee also , if i should be any waies deficient in a business of so great concernment ; neither will my stay here about it be such , but that i hope to come to thee this next week . if i should only respect my own content , it would be much more pleasing to me to be with thee , then to stay any longer at court , for sundry reasons which i may hereafter impart to thee ; but i must have more respect to the publique good , then either to my own pleasure or profit . i have some other things to impart to thee so soon as god shall bring us together , which i much long for both day and night . all that i have for the present to write to thee is only thus much ; at four a clock this afternoon was celebrated the masse for the marriage , during which time the king of navarr walked without the church with some other noble-men of our religion . some other matters of smaller concernment i shall reserve till we have an opportunity to speak together ; in the mean time ( most dear and loving wife ) i pray for thee that god will protect and keep thee , farewell . paris , aug. . . three daies since i was much tormented with the stone and cholick , but through gods mercy they held me not above eight or ten hours , and now by the same mercy i am wholly freed from them . i promise thee that in these great feasts and pastimes i will trouble none . once again farewell . thy most loving husband , chattillion . about the same time , their counsels for the massacre being not yet ripened , the king with the greatest demonstrations of good will that might be , thus accosts the admirall , my father , remember what you have undertaken to me , that you will be injurious to none of the guises whilst you are in the court , they also have interchangeably given their faith , that they will carry themselves honourably and modestly towards you . and truly i put as great trust as may be in your words , but i have not the same confidence in their promises . for besides that i know that the guises seek occasion of revenge , i know their disposition to be bold and haughty , and with what great favour and affection the people of paris do follow them ; it would be a great grief to me if they who have brought into the city many men of warre notably furnished with arms , under colour of coming to the marriage solemnity , should go about any thing for your destruction , which would extreamly reflect upon me ; and therefore i think it fit , if you be of the same minde , to bring a regiment of praetorian souldiers into the city , under the command of such men ( meaning some that were least suspected ) who may not only be ready for the publique securiry , but upon all emergencies , if turbulent spirits should attempt any thing against you . this friendly speech so prevailed with the admirall that he gave his consent , and so a regiment was brought in without the suspition of the protestants , which afterwards helped to cut their throats . five daies after , as the admirall came from the court , where he had been all that morning , accompanied with twelve or fifteen gentlemen , being on foot about a hundred paces from the louure , walking softly , and reading a petition , just over-against the house of one villemure a canon , and tutor to the young duke of guise , one shot with an harquebush at him through a lattice window , the gun was laden with three brasse bullets , one whereof brake his forefinger of his right hand , the other two pierced his left arm : he that shot it had a horse ready at the back door , whereon being mounted he escaped through st. anthonies gate , where finding a spanish jennet held ready for him , he posted away to the place appointed for his retreat . the door of the house being burst open , the harquebush was found with a lacquey , and another servant who belonged to challey , steward of the kings house , and a great dealer in the duke of guises affairs , who also the day before had brought this harquibushier to that house , desiring that he might be well intertained : the lacquey also was sent that morning by this harquebushier whose name was maurevel , to the duke of guises groom of his stable , requiring that the horse should be ready that was promised him . the admirall being brought to his lodging , shewed singular piety and patience ; chyrurgions were sent for , and amongst the rest ambrose pareus , the kings chyrurgion , who began first with his finger , which he cut off , but his pincers not being keen , he opened and pressed them three times before he could cut it off . then he lanced both those places in his arm which the bullets had pierced ; all which the admirall bore not only with a couragious heart , but with a constant countenance , insomuch as seeing his friends to weep which held his arm whilst the incisions were made , he said unto them , my friends , why do you weep ? i judge my self happy that bear these wounds for the cause of my god. and withall looking upon monsieur merlin his minister , he said , these wounds , my friends , are gods blessings , the smart indeed of them is troublesome , but i acknowledge the will of my lord god therein , and i bless his majesty who hath been pleased thus to honour me , and to lay any pain upon me for his holy name sake ; let us beg of him that he will enable me to presevere unto the end . and seeing monsieur merlin to weep and lament , he said to him , my merlin , you should rather comfort me : to whom he answered , indeed there can be no greater comfort then to think upon the honour which god hath done you , in judging you worthy for his name and religions sake to suffer these pains . my merlin , answered the admirall , if god should have dealt with me a●cording to my deserts , or have used his power over me , he must have de●● far more severely with me ; but blessed be his name , who hath dealt so mildly and lovingly with me his unworthy servant . then said another that stood by , go on with this your piety , fo● god ought to be praised by you who hath left the greatest part sa● and untouched , for which cause you have greater reason to admire h●● mercy in these wounds , then to complain of his justice , especial●● considering that neither your head nor your mind are wounded . th●● said merlin , you do very well sir that you turn your thoughts fro● these murtherers to god , for truly it was his hand that inflicted thei● wounds , neither ought you at all to think upon the bl●ody-mindednesse of your adversaries . truly , said the admirall , i freely and from my heart forgive both him that shot at me , and those also that set him on : for i know assuredly that it is not in their power to hurt me , no though they should kill me , for my death is a most certain passage to eternal life . th● same words he shortly after spake to marshall danvill when he came to visit him . and whereas monsieur merlin told him , that the afflictions and calamities which happen to gods children use to quicken the● more in prayer : the admirall thereupon with an audible voice and fervent soul poured out this prayer unto god , o lord god , and my heavenly father , have mercy upon me for thy tender mercies sake ; remember not against me my former iniquities , neither charge me with the sins of my youth . if thou lord shouldst strictly mark what is done amiss , or shouldst impute to us our breach of covenant , what flesh could stand before thee , or endure thine anger ? as for me , disclaiming all false gods and worship , i only call upon thee the eternal father of our lord jesus christ , and worship thee alone : for christ his sake , i beseech thee to bestow thy holy spirit upon me , and give me the grace of patience . i only trust in thy mercies , all my hope and confidence is placed on that alone , whether thou pleasest to inflict present death upon me , or to spare my life to do thee further service . behold lord , i am prepared to submit to thy will in either , nothing doubting , but if thou pleasest to inflict death upon me , thou wilt presently admit me into thine everlasting kingdom . but if lord thou sufferest me to live longer here , grant , o most heavenly father , that i may spend all the remainder of my daies in advancing thy glory , and in observing and sticking close to thy true religion . amen . his prayer being ended , monsieur merlin asked him if he pleased that they also should go to prayer with him : yea , said he , with all my heart ; and whilst merlin was praying , the admirall with his eyes fixed upon heaven joyned with very great devotion . and after prayer , when merlin minded him of the examples of the ancient martyrs , telling him that there was never any man from the beginning of the world , that laid out all his labour and interest for god , and his true religion , but that he met with manifold afflictions ; the admirall interrupted him , saying , i am refreshed and confirmed with this speech , and the examples of the holy fathers and martyrs do much comfort me , and mitigate my pain . presently after the two marshals of the kingdom , monsieur de cosse and danvill came to visit him , telling him that they were extreamly grieved for his mishap , and that nothing could have happened more bitter to them ; yet withall , say they , we judge it equal and agreeable to your former valour , to recollect and shew your self a man , for your vertue hath given you far more then this ill chance can take from you . then the admirall turning to de cosse , said , do you not remember , sir , what i told you of late ? truly so much attends you also . but , said danvill , my admirall , i purpose neither to comfort you , nor to exhort you to courage and constancy , for your self is the man from whom such consolations and exhortations use to proceed , only i request you to consider wherein i may be serviceable unto you : i wonder from whence this mischief did proceed ! then said the admirall , truly i can suspect none but the duke of guise , yet dare i not affirm that it was he : however , through gods mercy , i have learned neither to fear mine enemies , nor death it self , which i am sure can do me no hurt , but may forward my eternal peace and happinesse : for i know that my god in whom i have put all my confidence can neither deceive nor lye unto me . only herein i am sorrowfull , for that by this accident i am disabled to shew the king how much i would have done for his service ( meaning in the warre of flanders : ) would to god i had an opportunity to speak with his majesty , for i have some things to impart ro him , which much concern his interest , and i believe there is none that dare tell it him but my self . in the mean time the king of navarr , and the prince of conde complained grievously of this vile and treacherous fact to the king ; to whom the king cursing and swearing grievously , called god to witnesse that he would so severely punish this wickednesse towards the admirall , that he would leave the example to all future ages to take heed of such villany ; and thereupon the lacquy and woman that were found in the house , were apprehended and cast into prison . at two a clock in the afternoon , the king hearing of the admirals desire to speak with him , went to him , accompanied with the queen-mother , his two brethren , the duke of monpensier , the cardinall of bourbon , marshall danvill , tavenes , de cosse , &c. when the king came first into the admirals chamber he caused all his servants to go forth , except monsieur teligni , his wife , and merlin ; then going to the beds side , the admirall said to him , i humbly thank you sir , that you have been pleased to put your self to so much trouble for my sake . then did the king with flattering words congratulate his valiant mind , and bid him be of good courage , and hope well of the issue . to whom the admirall replied ; sir , there are three things wherewith i was desirous to acquaint your majesty ; first , to professe my fidelity and observance to your majesty ; and i pray god so to be mercifull unto me , before whose throne i may be brought shortly to appear by these my wounds , as i was alwaies studious and carefull of your honour and dignity . neither yet am i ignorant how often mine adversaries have calumniated me to your majesty , and accused me for a disturber of the publique peace ; but through gods mercy , though i should hold my peace , yet my actions will sufficiently clear me from this charge . indeed this hath been the fountain of all these calamities , because i resisted their fury , and impudency : and because i asserted the authority of your edicts against their turbulent and violent proceedings ; neither could i endure to suffer them so often to violate the faith confirmed by your oathes to your subjects . god is witnesse of the sincerity of my mind herein , who also fully knows the difference between me and my adversaries , and will righteously judge the same . furthermore also considering the great honours and offices conferred upon me by your father , and grandfather , and confirmed by your self ; i should be ungratefull and unfaithfull if i should not humbly request your majesty to provide a remedy against all those maladies and perturbations which already disturb the peace of your kingdom . and now to proceed to the businesse of flanders , never any of your predecessors had the like opportunity of getting honour as your self . you know that many cities in the low countries desire your favour , and to throw themselves into your protection . this occasion i perceive is in your court laugh't and scoff't at , and through the default of some few men , the opportunity is like to be overslipt . those forces which were lately led by genlisse thitherward , were circumvented , and destroyed by de alva ; you know what a great number of catholicks were in that army ; of what religion then i pray you are those who make a jest at the slaughter of so many of their countrey-men , and of their own religion ? there is scarce any secret word spoken in your privy-councell , but presently the duke de alva knows of it . i pray you sir , what good can we expect when those that sit in your privy-councell , and should assist your majesty and your brethren , do betray your most secret counsels to your publique and professed enemies ? i beseech you sir , that you take care of a businesse of such concernment as this is , yea again and again i intreat it of you . and lastly , i beg with the like earnestnesse , that you will not suffer your edict of pacification to be so ordinarily broken : you know how often you have sworn to keep it : you know that forreign nations , and all your neighbour princes have taken notice of it . what an unworthy thing is it sir , that an oath so solemnly sworn , should be so much slighted and neglected ? do you think that forreign princes will hereafter make any account of your oath ? but the other day in champaigne , as the nurse carried a child home from baptism , and from a sermon which was held in a place allowed by your authority , certain seditious persons lying in wait by the way , basely murthered the nurse , infant , and some other of the company with it . consider i pray you , how great the wickednesse was , and how honourable , yea how glorious it will be to your name not to suffer such cruelty to escape with impunity . unto this speech of the admirall the king returned this answer , that he had never called his loyalty into question ; that he reputed him a good commonwealths man , and a valiant and excellent captain , before whom he preferred no man in his kingdom . and ( said he ) if i had had any other opinion of you , i had never done as i have heretofore . about the flemish businesse he answered never a word . but for the third thing he answered , that he liked nothing better then that his edicts for pacification should be holily and inviolably observed , for which end he had sent his deputies into all the provinces of his kingdom ; for the confirmation whereof he called the queen-mother to witnesse , who turning to the admirall , said , my admirall , there is nothing more true , commissaries and deputies are sent into all parts . yea forsooth ( said the admirall ) of those men who have imposed fifty thousand crowns as the price of my head. then said the king , my admirall , there is danger lest your earnestnesse may hinder your health , it is better that you take your rest ; the harm hath befallen you , but the dishonour reflects upon me ; but i swear by gods death that i will so severely punish this wicked deed , that the memory thereof shall continue to all posterities : the woman and lacquy that were found in the house we have committed to safe custody , whom further do you require to be examined , or whom would you have to exercise judgment ? to this the admirall answered , i leave this businesse to your wisdom and fidelity , yet because you ask my judgment , i humbly desire that cavanneus and masparrot may be employed therein , for i think that the author of this deed is not farre off . the king and queen-mother coming nearer to the admirals pillow , spake a while softly , and at last the queen-mother said , although i am but a woman , yet i perceive we must provide betimes . the king at his departure advised the admirall to be transported into the kings castle , and the earl rhetius pressed the same divers times , saying that he feared lest such a commotion should be raised amongst the common people of paris , as the king with all his authority should not be able to quell . to this it was answered , that the physicians and chyrurgeous would not allow of his removall , lest the stirring of his body should inflame his wounds : that if the king pleased to manifest his love and favour to the admirall , there was no more fear of the people of paris , then of a company of women : that the authority of the kings name was so great in france , especially in paris , that were the common people never so mad and furious , yet the mention of that alone would easily suppresse them . then did the king call for the brasen bullet wherewith the admirall was wounded , and asked him if he felt not very great pain when his finger and arm were cut ? to which receiving an answer , he replied , that there could not be a more constant and valiant man found this day in the world ; and so restoring the bullet , the queen-mother looking on it said , i am glad that the bullet is got out , for i remember that when the duke of guise was shot in his camp , the physicians often told me , that though it were poysoned , yet there was no danger when the bullet was out : but , said a by-stander , madam , we rested not upon that , but we gave the admirall physick to prevent the danger if there were any poyson . after the kings departure came in john ferrers , vidam of chartres , who comforted the admirall with many words , concluding that the enemies had betraied their great cowardlinesse in that they durst not encounter the admirall but through a grated window ; but that the admirall was an happy man , who had lengthened out the praise of his vertue to so great an age . yea , said the admirall , in this i account my self happy , that the lord hath been pleased to shew me mercy , for they are truly blessed whose sins are forgiven , and whose transgressions are covered . the king of navarr , prince of conde , and some other christians of the protestants being present , they resolved to go down into a lower chamber , to consult what course to take for their present security . at this debate ferrers was very earnest that they should with all speed depart out of paris , assuring them that this was but the first act of a more dangerous tragedy that would suddainly ensue . others on the contrary argued , that it was enough for the present to require justice of the king , desiring that judgment might be speedily executed : in this opinion teligni stood stiff , affirming that he knew the kings mind throughly , and that they ought not to suspect his faith and good will. yet it was alleadged again that many seditious reports were scattered about : that many papists on the wedding-day , when the protestants came out of the church , that they might not be present at masse , spake publiquely , that within a few daies they should hear masse . also some of the chief citizens said , that there should be more blood then wine shed at that marriage . also the president of the senate advised a noble-man of the protestants to go into the countrey with his family for a few daies . also john monluc bishop of valentia , when he was going ambassadour into poland , advised the earl of rochfaucand , not to suffer himself to be blinded with the smoak of the court and its unsuall favours , which are deservedly suspected by wise and wary men ; therefore , said he , be not too secure , cast not your self into dangers , but withdraw your self and other noble-men betimes out of the court. but these things could not be heard by reason of monsieur teligni's confidence . in the mean time the woman and lacquy who were found in the house of villemur , were examined by the presidents of the parliament . the woman confessed that a few daies before , villerius challius , a retainer to the guises , brought a souldier to that house , commending him to her as if he had been the master of the house , but his name was concealed . the boy confessed that he had served this man a few daies , who called himself one while bolland , and another while bondol , and that he was sent that morning to challius to intreat him that the horse might be ready as he had promised . hereupon challius was sent for , the more to delude the protestants . the king also wrote to the governours of the provinces , wherein he detested the wrong done to the admirall , and required them to do their endeavour that all might understand how greatly it grieved him , and that he would most severely punish it to the terrour of all others . the day after some of the admirals friends being certified that many things were done tumultuously in the city , and that weapons were brought together in many places ; they thought fit that counsell should be taken betimes , for that no good could be expected from those proceedings : hereupon one was sent to the king to certifie him of the commontion of the people , and of their carrying of arms , and therefore to request him to charge certain of his guard to stand before the admirals door for his better security : the king seeming to be moved with this news , began to demand of the messenger who had told it him ? and whether the admirall knew of it ? and withall he sent for the queen-mother , who was scarce entred , when the king with a disquiet mind ( as he seemed ) said , what a mischief ? what is the matter ? he tels me that the common people are in a tumult , and take arms. she answered , they are not in any tumult , neither do they take arms ; but you know that early in the morning you commanded that all should contain themselves in their own quarters , lest any tumult might arise . that is true , said the king , but i forbad them to take arms. then the messenger again requested that he would send some of his guard to the admirals lodging . the duke of anjou being by , said , take cossen to you with fifty harquibushiers : the other answered , we desire only six of the kings guard , for their authority will more prevail with the people then many armed men . yea ( quoth the king and the duke of anjou ) take cossens to you , for you cannot have a fitter man : which words were pronounced very imperiously . the messenger knowing cossen to be a great enemy to the admirall , yet held his peace ; and not far from the kings chamber he met with monsieur thoree , brother to marshall monmorency , who whispering in his ear , said , no greater enemy could be given us for our keeper ; to whom the other answered , did you not observe how imperiously the king decreed it ? but pray you remember what i answered to the king when he first commanded it . a few hours after came cossen with his fifty harquibushiers to the admirals house , and chose two shops by , to place his guard in . a little after rambulet , the kings camp-master followed , who by the advice of the duke of anjou , commanded all the popish nobility that lodged in that street to remove their quarters elsewhere , that he might dispose of their lodgings to the friends and familiars of the admirall ; then which no more crafty counsell could be devised for those matters which afterwards fell out . towards evening this hapned , which gave to many no small occasion of suspition : a boy by the command of teligni brought two hunting poles to the admirals house ; but cossen put him back , and would not suffer them to be carried in : this being told to the king of navarr , who was now with the admirall , he went down , and asked cossen upon what confidence he did it ? cossen answered , that he had done it at the command of the king ; but , said he , since you will have it so , let them be brought in . that day the king sent to all the admirals familiar friends , admonishing them to go near to the admirals house , and take up all those quarters . but upon the former occurrences another councel was called under the admirals lodging , wherein the vidam of chartres again urged his former opinion , that the admirall should presently be carried out of paris , and that his friends should go along with him : that every hour they observed many things that justly increased their suspition ; but most were of the contrary opinion , viz. that they were only to require justice of the king , and to desire that the guises and their faction might be commanded out of the city , as being too powerfull with the people of paris ; and of this opinion was the king of navarr , the prince of conde , and many others ; and the rather because teligni urged that it would be a great injury to the king , if any should call his faith and sincerity into question , and that it would be sufficient if justice were meekly required of him . at this debate there was one bucavannius a picard , who never spake word ; he was a professor indeed of the true religion , but very gracious with the queen-mother , and very frequent with her familiars , which probably betraied all to her . about three a clock in the night there fell out another thing which increased the suspition , for one carrying to the admirals house the coats of male of teligni and guercius , cossen turned him back again , which man complaining to guercius ( who was a stout and gallant man ) he went to cossen , and sharply taxed him for it , so that they had well near fallen to blows , but teligni , who was of a meek and quiet spirit , with gentle words pacified them , himself being so deluded with the fair and flattering words of the king , that he never thought that he spake enough in his commendation . in the mean time a councell was held at court , where were present the king , queen-mother , duke of anjou , duke of nevers , the bastard of angolisme , birage , tavannius , and radesianus ; and it was concluded , that seeing by the death of one the mischief diffused amongst so many could not be extinguished , therefore all should be destroyed : and that the wrath which god would not have fulfilled with the blood of coligni alone , should be poured out against all the sectaries ; therefore , say they , the bridle is to be let loose to the common people , who are stirred up enough of themselves ; and when the businesse is accomplished , reasons will not be wanting whereby the deed may be excused , the blame being laid upon the guises , who will willingly undergo the same . so they all concluded that all the protestants were to be destroyed , even every mothers child of them . concerning the king of navarr , and the prince of conde , it was debated , whether they were to be exempted from the number of the rest : and it was alleadged that the king of navarr was to be spared , because of his royall dignity , and his affinity newly contracted ; for it would be without all excuse , if so great a prince , next to the king in blood , conjoyned in fresh affinity , should be slain in the kings castle , between the arms , as it were , of the king his brother-in-law , and his wives imbraces . concerning the prince of conde the contention was greater ; he was much envied for his fathers sake , yet the dignity of his person , and the authority of the duke of nevers , who became surety for him , prevailed that he should be spared . after this the king calling the king of navarr , told him that by reason of the violence and boldnesse of the guises , and the common people inclining to them , he would advise him to command those of his houshold whom he knew most faithfull to him , to come to him to the louure , to be at hand upon all occasions : this the king of navarr took in very good part , sending for those that were stout of hand to lodge about him . now it was observed that armed men rambled up and down in the city every where , and about the louure also : that the common people grumbled and gave forth threatning speeches . the admirall being informed of these things , sent one to the king to tell him of it . the king answered , that there was no cause why coligni should be affraid , for that these things were done by his command to represse the motions of the people , who were stirred up by the guises , and therefore bad him to rest assured . it was also told teligni that porters were seen carrying arms into the louure ; but he slighted it , saying , that these were unnecessary suspitions , the arms being carried in for the winning of a castle in the louure , that was built for sport . presently the duke of guise , to whom the charge was chiefly committed to see the businesse executed , calling together the captains of the popish swissers , and the tribunes of the french bands , late in the night he discovered to them what the will of the king was , that the hour was come wherein by the kings commandement punishments should be inflicted on the head , and by consequence upon the whole faction of the rebels ; that the beast was caught and entangled in the net , and therefore they must do their endeavoer that he might not escape : be not therefore ( said he ) wanting to so fit an occasion of carrying home a most glorious triumph over the enemies of the kingdom ; the victory is easie , the spoils will be rich and great , which you may obtain as the rewards of your good service , without shedding your own blood . then were the swissers placed about the louure , unto whom certain bands of french men were added , and charge was given them that they should suffer none of the king of navarrs , nor of the prince of conde's men to come forth . cossen also was charged with his harquibushiers to suffer none to come out of the admirals house . that evening guercius with some others , had profered teligni to keep guard in the admirals house , suspecting danger ; but he told them that there was no need for them so to trouble themselves , and so with gracious words dismissed them ; by which means it came to passe that none lodged in the admirals house but cornaton , labonnius , yolett the master of his horse , merlin his chaplain , paraeus the kings chyrurgeon , and some four or five servants : teligni was gone to the next house , where he lay with his wife . in the admirals court were the five swissers whom the king of navarr had sent him . then did the duke of guise send for john caronius lately made provost of merchants , whom he commanded to signifie to the aldermen , that they should bid those in their severall wards to appear in arms at the town-house about midnight to understand the kings pleasure : he commanded also macellus , who was very gracious with the people , to signifie to them that liberty was given them from the king to take arms to destroy coligni , and all the other rebels , that therefore they should see diligently that they spared none , nor suffered them any where to be concealed : that order should be taken to do the like in all other cities of the kingdom , who would follow the example of paris : that the sign for the beginning the assualt should be the ringing of the little bell in the palace : that the sign whereby they should know one another , should be a white handkerchief about their left arm , or a white crosse in their hats : that therefore they should come armed in good numbers , and with good courages , taking care to have candles lighted in their windows , that no tumult might arise before the sign was given . and thus the duke of guise , and the bastard of engolisme did all they could that things might be effected according to the agreement . at midnight the queen-mother fearing the kings wavering , who was somewhat startled at the horridnesse of the fact , reproved him for it , saying , that by his delaies he would overslip so fair an occasion offered by god for the utter vanquishing of his enemies . the king being netled with this which seemed to charge him with cowardlinesse , commanded the matter to be put in execution ; which word the queen-mother speedily taking hold of , caused the little bell to be rung in st. germanes church about an hour before day , aug. . being st. bartholmews day , and on a sabbath . presently the duke of guise with engolisme , and d' aumal went to the admirals house , where cossen watched ; and a noise being raised the admirall was awakned with it , and heard of a sedition , yet rested secure relying upon the kings word and favour : but the tumult growing greater , when he perceived a gun to be discharged in his court , he then conjectured , though too late , that which was the truth , and so rising out of his bed and putting on his night-gown , he stood and prayed against the wall . then came a servant to labonnius , and told him that there was one at the door who by the command of the king desired to be brought to the admirall ; labonnius therefore taking the keys , ran down and opened the door ; then did cossen catch at him , and stabbed him with his dagger , and so with his harquebushiers he set upon the rest , killing some and chasing away others : thus all things were filled with noise , and another door at the stair foot was easily broken open , and one of the five swissers ( sent by the king of navarr ) was slain ; yet were the stairs so barricado'd with chests that he could not presently enter . in the mean time monsieur merlin went to prayer with the admirall and the rest ; and at the end thereof a servant coming in said to the admirall , master , it is god who calleth us to himself , they have broken into the house , neither is there any ability to resist . then said the admirall , i have prepared my self for death a good while ago ; shift you for yourselves if possibly you can , for your endeavour to help me would be in vain : i commend my soul into gods hand . it was observed that the admirals countenance was no more troubled then if no danger were at hand . thuanus relates his words thus ; i perceive what is in doing , i was never afraid of death , and i am ready to undergo it patiently , for which i have long since prepared my self ; i bless god that i shall die in the lord , through whose grace i am elected to an hope of everlasting life . i now need no longer any help of man. you therefore my friends , get ye hence so soon as ye can , lest ye be involved in my calamity , and your wives hereafter say , that i was the cause of your destruction . the presence of god , to whose goodness i commend my soul which will presently fly out of my body , is aboundantly sufficient for me . then all his company gat up into an upper room , and crept out at a window upon the tiles , and by the benefit of night some escaped . by this time cossen with some swissers of the duke of anjou's guard had removed the chests , and were come up the stairs : one beheme [ a german ] was the first that entred the chamber , who seeing the admirall sitting there , said , are not you the admirall ? i am ( quoth he ) but you young man should have regard to my hoary head and old age . but beheme exchanging no more words , struck him with his sword , and first embrued himself in the admirals blood ; then cossen , atinius and the rest followed , and slew him with many wounds . this atinius reported afterwards that he never saw a man in so present a danger , to have born out death with so great a constancy . then did the duke of guise from below ask if the businesse were done ? answer was made that it was : but , said he , the duke of engolisme will not believe it , except he see him himself , therefore cast down his body out at the window ; with that they hurled it down headlong into the court all defiled with gore blood ; whereupon the bastard of engolisme , wiping the blood from his face with his handkerchief , and thereby knowing him , kicked him in a scornfull manner : some say it was the duke of guise that did it . then one of the duke of nevers servants cut off his head , and carried it to the king and queen-mother , who caused it to be embalmed , and sent it as a present to the pope and the cardinall of lorrain , to assure them of the death of their capitall enemy . the people fell upon his corps as mad men , one cuts off his hands , another his feet , another his privy members , and for three daies space drag his poor carcasse about the streets with all indignity . then some boyes would have thrown it into the river seine , but others dragged it to the gallows at mountfaucon , where they hung it up by the thighs , and the shoulders downward ; but within few daies francis monmorency , who had seasonably withdrawn himself from the danger , caused some trusty persons to take it down by night , and bury it in the chappell at contilia . this was the end of this brave man , who was the very first noble man in all france that durst professe himself a protestant , and a helper of them . he was marvellous zealous in performance of the exercises of religion : he used to rise very early , and then putting on his night-gown : and calling his servants about him , he went to prayer with them : then he set time apart to hear the deputies of the churches which were sent to him , or for such like publique businesses . each other day in the forenoon he had a sermon preached before him , after which he returned to his businesse till dinner , which being ready , his servants came in , and there the admirall standing by the table , and his wife by his side , one of david's psalms were sung , and a blessing craved upon the meat ; which course he did not only observe at his own house , but every day in his camp without intermission . when the cloth was taken away , he presently arose , and standing , with his wife by him , either himself or his chaplain returned thanks . at supper-time the same was done , both with prayers and psalms : and because he found it difficult to get all his servants together at bed-time in regard of their various employments , he caused them all to come in presently after supper , where after a psalm he went to prayer with them . by this his excellent example very many of the french nobility were enduced and encouraged to use the same discipline in their families ; the admirall often admonishing them , that if they would embrace godlinesse in the life and power of it , it was not enough for the master of the family to hear sermons , and to order his life in an holy and religious manner , unlesse by his authority and example he brought all his houshold to joyn with him in the same . when the time for receiving the lords supper approached , he used to call his friends and all his family to him , and shewed them that he must render an account to god for them as well as for himself : if any discord was between them , he reconciled it ; if any were ignorant , he took care that they should be better instructed ; if any were obstinate , he plainly gave them notice , that it was better for them to remain at their own homes , then for him to maintain such ungodly persons in his retinue . he alwaies esteemed the carefull education of children in good schools a singular benefit of god , and he called it the seminary of the church , saying , that ignorance of good letters was the cause of errour both in church and state ; and that popery crept in , and kept in by that means . hereupon he erected a fair school at chattilion under his castle , in a pleasant and wholesome place , and bestowed great cost on it , where he maintained learned interpreters of the hebrew , greek , and latine tongues ; he maintained also many poor boyes and young men in that school . he was modest and moderate in his desires after the world , for though he had great honours and offices conferred upon him , whereby he might much have enriched himself ; yet he added not so much as one lordship or plough-land to the inheritance left him by his fathers . he husbanded his estate and houshold affairs frugally ; yet having very many noblemen and gentlemen that resorted to him upon publique business , he gave them free and hearty entertainment , whereby he spent all that he saved at other times by his frugality . yea his extraordinary expences were so great , that he left his heir in debt no lesse then fourty thousand crowns , paying to his creditors yearly use-money no less then six thousand crowns . there was such incredible love and concord betwixt him and his two brethren , that all three seemed but to have one mind betwixt them . he lived fifty three years six moneths , and eight daies , and was slain aug. . . he was of a middle stature , of a ruddy colour , his members equall and well compacted ; of a mild and cheerfull countenance , of a small and pleasant voice , yet somewhat slow and gentle , of a healthy constitution , of a comely gate and gesture ; abstemious in the use of wine ; of a moderate diet and sleep , for he never used to sleep above seven hours at the most . after the edict for pacification he suffered no day to passe , but before he went to bed he set down the things in his journall which fell out in the civil warres , and were of any moment ; which being found after his death , was carried to the king , and admired by his very adversaries , who thereby saw his quiet , constant and composed mind in the midst of his greatest businesses . when the warre was finished , and he was retired to rochel , no day passed over his head , wherein he did not morning and evening read over one of calvin's sermons upon job , which history he used to call his pancrestum or physick for all diseases , which greatly comforted his heart in all his afflictions . by his first wife he had five children : he left alive lewis his eldest daughter , married to monsieur teligni , who was murthered the same night with his father-in-law ; then francis , odet , and charles , the two elder survived that furious massacre ; the third being not eight years old , in whom he took much delight for his prettinesse , was taken by his enemies , and taught to bear the crosse of christ in his tender years . he left his second wife great with child , who was brought to bed four moneths after of a girl ; and returning to her native countrey in the borders of savoy , was not long after committed to prison by the command of p. philibert d. of savoy , for marrying against his consent . the life of joane queen of navarr , who was poisoned at paris a few daies before the bloody massacre , anno christi . ioane of albert was daughter to henry the second , king of navarr , and to margueret of orleance , sister to francis the first of that name , king of france ; and by her parents was carefully trained up in the protestant religion from her childhood , which she constantly adhered to all the daies of her life . she was married to anthony of bourbon , son to charles duke of vendosme , by whom she had henry the fourth of that name king of france by his fathers right , and the second of that name king of navarr by his mothers . this anthony king of navarr , in the minority of charles the ninth , being the first prince of the blood , was to be his protector ; but the queen-mother and the guises seeking to draw all the power and management of affairs into their own hands , laboured by all means to withdraw the king of navarr from the protestants ; that so by weakening them thereby , they might rule the rost as they listed : for which end they employed the ambassadour of spain , the cardinall of tournon , escars , and some other houshold flatterers to him , who perswaded him , that carrying himself a neuter , and causing the prince his son to go once to the masse , the king of spain would give him the realm of sardinia in recompence for that of navarr which he had lately taken from him . the pope likewise confirms him in this hope , which indeed was but to take from him all means of recovering his kingdom of navarr when he should attempt it . yet he being drawn by those spanish and lorrain practises , estrangeth himself by little and little from the protestants , sollicited the queen his wife to return into the bosome of the romish church , and to draw her children thereunto : but she being better grounded in the truth then so easily to forsake it , refuseth ; whereupon a breach grew betwixt them , and the king her husband falls in love with one of the queen-mothers maids . the forenamed guisian instruments seeing this , perswade him that heresie is a sufficient cause of dissolving marriage , and that therefore he might be divorced from joane albert his wife , as being infected with the poison of heresie . they tell him also that notwithstanding his divorce , he should retain to himself the possession of , and interest in all the dominions and kingdoms belonging to her , of which she should be deprived as unworthy of them by reason of her heresie : and instead of her he should marry mary queen of scots , whose dowry ( say they ) is the kingdom of england , and as soon as the marriage is contracted , the pope would strip elizabeth of it , as unworthy thereof for the same cause , and settle it upon them , &c. but the king of navarr abhorring to be divorced from his wife , it remained that he should accept the conditions about the kingdom of sardinia ; for the effecting whereof they left no means unassaied ; and at last prevailed so far , that they gulled the king of navarr , and set him at odds with his brother the prince of conde , coligni the admirall , and the other protestants . the queen his wife distasting his change of religion , and adhering to the popish party , retired into podium in the countrey of bearne , where she kept her court. but it pleased god that shortly after in the siege of orleance the king of navarr was shot into the shoulder , whereof he died about three weeks after . the next design was to seize upon the queen , together with her son henry and her daughter katherine , and to bring them before the judgment seat of the inquisition of spain , and the conspirators doubted not but that philip king of spain would more willingly hearken to this counsell , for that this exploit would make for the advantage of his religion , the rescuer whereof he proudly boasted himself to be : as also the businesse about the kingdom of navarr , which he unjustly detained , would be hereby dispatched , by the taking away of the unlawfull heirs thereof . they conceived also that the businesse might easily be effected by the means of the king of spain's souldiers that lay at bacinona , ready to be transported into africk ; who , by the waies of the mountains might come upon , and surprize the queen of navarr and her children at podium before they were aware . one dominik a captain born in the territories of bearne , was singled out to go to the court of spain to communicate these counsels with the king , and to receive further instructions from him . but it pleased god that this dominik falling sick by the way , annas hespius an honest man that tended on him , smelt out the occasion of his journey , and by giving timely notice , prevented the effecting of it ; by which deliverance god shewed his watchfull providence over his handmaid , this religious queen of navarr . not long after in the time of the third civil warre for religion , this queen having raised great troops , led them to rochel , together with her son henry , and her daughter katherine , from whence she wrote letters to the king , the queen-mother , the duke of anjou , and the cardinall of bourbon . to the king she wrote , that in the common cause of religion , in regard of the duty which she owed to the king , and the necessity of blood whereby she was joyned to the prince of conde , she could not be wanting to him upon such an occasion , having alwaies rejected the bloody counsels of the guisian faction , and especially the ambition of the cardinall of lorrain , from whose friendship she earnestly dehorted the duke of anjou , beseeching him that he would not yield up himself a minister of his wicked will , in cutting up the royal stock by the roots . in her letter to the cardinall of bourbon , she sharply chideth him for not being warned by his former danger : for how long ( saith she ) will you be the suffragan of the cardinall of lorrain ? have you forgotten the treacherous plots that were laid by him for your head ? and are you so credulous as to believe his oaths , when he sweareth that he minded no treachery ? &c. but these letters prevailing nothing , the warre went on , and in the battell of bassac the protestants were worsted , and the prince of conde slain ; which news being carried to rochel , the queen of navarr posted to the protestant army , where before a great assembly of nobles and souldiers , she made an oration to confirm their mindes , praising the vertue and constancy of the prince of conde , who had employed his faithfull endeavours even unto death , in defence of so just a cause ; and thereupon she exhorted the rest to imitate his example , and to persevere in maintaining the truth of christ , and the liberty of their countrey : for ( saith she ) the good cause is not dead with the prince of conde , neither ought godly men to give way to despondency in such cases , god having so provided for his cause , that he gave conde companions whilst he lived that may succeed him now he is dead . i have brought with me mine only son henry , and conde's own son ; who , as he is heir of his name , so is he of his vertues : these with other nobles besides i trust will never be wanting to so good a cause . and having thus spoken to the nobles and army , and many things privately to her son , whetting his youthfull spirit , she returned again to rochel to provide new succours . in the mean time a commission was granted to terride , governour of quercie , to summon the queen of navarr , and the prince her son , to leave the party of the protestants , and in case of refusal , to invade the countreys of bearne , foix and navarr , in which he so prevailed , that he reduced all to the kings obedience , but only navaren , which he besieged , as the only strong place that remained to the queen . hereupon the queen and the princes sent the earl of montgomery to encounter him , who with a small army of five hundred horse , and four thousand foot , forced terride to raise his siege , and retire himself to ortheze . his men were dispersed , and to prevent his gathering them together again , the earl besieged him , forced the town , and to beat terride with his own weapons , he turned his cannons which ht found in the town against the castle , whereupon it was surrendred to him ; after which all other places were suddainly reduced to the obedience of the queen , and the earl having garrisoned the towns of his new conquest , speedily returned to the princes . not long after peace being concluded betwixt the king and the protestants , the king published an edict , wherein amongst other things he hath this passage : let it be lawfull for the queen of navarr the kings aunt , besides the benefit which is common to all those which have the highest jurisdiction , to enjoy the free exercise of her religion in the dukedom of albert , in the earldoms of armigniac , foix and bigorre , in one place of all those dominions which she holdeth in her own possession , or which may be consigned to her by the king ; so that all that will come to that place ( though she her self be absent ) may enjoy it without danger . moreover lest any doubt should arise concerning the right meaning of the queen of navarr the kings aunt , as also of the princes of conde , both father and son ; the king doth declare , that he acknowledgeth them all for his faithfull cosens and subjects ; and that they and all that have managed the warres under them shall be free , and not bound to render an account for monies received or taken , &c. the peace being concluded , the malice of the popish party was no whit abated ; whereupon they sought by policy to effect that which they could not by power ; and for this end biron was sent to rochel in the kings name to treat with the queen of navarr about the marriage between her son henry , and the kings sister , the lady margaret ; for which end he invited them to come to the court , where businesses might be fully debated and concluded : he added also that hereby a fair occasion was offered from god to settle their affairs in peace , &c. the queen of navarr having returned thanks in a set oration , answered that the matter was of that importance that she would take time to her self in deliberating of it ; and albeit she did professe and acknowledge that that affinity would be a great ornament and profit to her , yet she was for the present doubtfull what to do in regard of the near kindred betwixt her son and the lady , and the difference in their religions : wherefore ( saith she ) i will consult with my divines , and what i shall find to make for gods glory , and the good of the kingdom , and that may stand with a good conscience , that i will readily and willingly imbrace , being desirous in all that i may to satisfie the pleasure of the king and queen , to whom i owe all due observance . yet there remained two scruples which troubled the king and the queen of navarr , in respect of the place and manner of celebrating the marriage : for the queen would not have it done at paris , which city being extreamly addicted to the popish religion , she feared was long since an enemy to the family of navarr , and therefore she judged it not safe to have it celebrated there . the king on the contrary said , that it would make for a certain sign of sure peace to have the celebrity of the marriage seen in the metropolis of the kingdom , as it were on a publique theater . the other doubt was about the manner of the celebration . for the queen of navarr being most addicted to the reformed religion , would never endure that it should be contracted after the popish manner , nor the queen-mother after the fashion of the protestants . but the king prayed the queen of navarr to pardon him in that matter , for that it would tend to his great dishonour if he should suffer the marriage of his sister to be solemnized in any other form then according to that ancient religion which he had received from his fore-fathers ; therefore to resolve this doubt , there was time taken on both sides . in the mean time the queen of navarr consulted with the ministers of the reformed religion what might be done in this matter . some of them insisting upon the simplicity of gods word , said , that it was utterly unlawfull for such marriages to be contracted , especially by illustrious personages , in whom it is more dangerous because of more publique concernment . others judging that this marriage would be a sure , and as it were an everlasting foundation of a most happy peace , assented to it . the queen of navarr and the protestant nobles striving to find out remedies , both for the kingdom which was grievously afflicted , and for their own bruised estates , liked these mens judgments best ; and so the businesse proceeded , and the conditions of marriage were agreed upon between the parties . the king was to give his sister for her dowry three hundred thousand crowns , each crown being valued at four and fifty shillings . about this time the queen of navarr being zealously carefull to propagate the protestant religion in cantabria ( a province of the jurisdiction of navarr ) she sent pastors who had learned the countrey language , which is understood by almost none of the neighbours , and was before believed that it could not be written . she took care also that the new testament , the catechism , and the prayers used in the church of geneva , should be translated into the gascoine or cantabrian tongue ; which she caused to be printed at rochel in a most fine letter , and sent to them . and so upon the earnest solicitation of the king , she went the march following , anno christi . from rochel to the court , which was then at blois , with great attendance , where it is incredible to think what welcome she had on all sides ; especially from the king and his brethren ; who yet when all was done , could boastingly say to his mother , now madam , have not i quit my self well ? let me alone , and i will bring them all into the net . in april following were the articles concluded concerning the marriage of the prince of navarr with the kings sister . and in the beginning of may the king woed the queen of navarr again to come to paris , for preparing things fitting for the marriage , which she at last consented to ; and so may the . she took her journey from blois and came to paris , may the . after which she went from place to place in the city into sundry houses and shops , to find out such things as might tend to the adorning of the day of so great a solemnity . the queen-mother in the mean time , who could not endure this good queen , and yet not finding with what colour she could dispatch her with the rest ; though she feared the greatnesse of her spirit in case she should survive them , and judged it impossible to work upon the flexibility of the young prince her son whilst she lived . she therefore consulted with one rene an italian , whose practice was to impoyson things ; by whose devilish help she brought her accursed purpose to passe . this rene sold the queen of navarr certain perfumes , whereby he found out the way to poyson her therewith ; and afterwards he was heard to make his brags of it , saying also that he had the like in store for two or three more , who suspected no such matter . by this means june the . this good queen fell sick of a continued feavor , and ( though others sleighted it , yet ) she perceiving by the strength of her disease that she should not long continue , prepared her self to receive from the hand of god her mercifull father , that which he had appointed concerning her : and calling her son henry , she commanded him above all things carefully to serve god , according to the confession of faith wherein he had been educated , and not to suffer himself to be plucked or diverted from the same by the smoaky pleasures and delights of the world , and other incentives unto vices ; and that he should take care that the constitutions concerning the same which she had published in the principality of berne , and the lower navarr be inviolably kept : that he should throughly purge his family , and cause all bad counsellors to be gone from thence , which thought ill concerning god : as also , all flatterers , the abusers of princes , and all other vicious persons : that he should retain with him all good men , as bellovarius , francutius , and betulus , who were men of an unblameable life : that he should have a special care of his sister katherine , using her gently and lovingly without bitternesse , causing her to be brought up in the town of berne , in the same school of godlinesse which himself had been trained up in ; and when she should grow marriagable , that he should marry her to a prince of equall dignity , professing the same religion : that he should love henry bourbon his cosen german , as his brother ; and also francis marquesse of contium , taking care that as great concord as may be , be cherished betwixt them and the admirall coligni , for the advancement and propagation of gods glory . lastly , she makes her son her heir ; intreating the king , the queen-mother , the duke of anjou , and the duke of alenson , the kings brethren , to undertake the protection of the prince her son , and of katherine his sister , and to permit them the free exercise of their religion . then she requested that she might have such nigh about her as might comfort her in her sicknesse out of the word of god ; as also to pray with her and for her , according to that of saint james , is any sick amongst you ? let him call for the elders of the church , and let them pray over him , knowing that the prayers of a righteous man prevail much with god. according to her desire , a minister resorted to her , shewing out of the scriptures , that christians ought in all things to submit to the will of god , as to the father of spirits , that they may live ; and albeit by reason of the severity of his chastisements , sometimes it may seem to our flesh , as if they were sent for no other end but for our destruction ; yet ought we to consider that the just god can do nothing but justly , and being withall a mercifull father , he cannot but therein seek the welfare of his afflicted children . to this she replied , i take all this as sent from the hand of god my most mercifull father . nor have i , during this extremity , feared to die , much lesse murmured against god for inflicting this chastisement upon me , knowing that whatsoever he doth , he doth so order the same , as that in the end it shall turn to my everlasting good . then said the minister , the causes of sicknesses and diseases must be sought beyond the course of physick , which alwaies looks to the corruption of the humours , or of the distemper to the more noble parts of the body . and though it be not amisse to have respect to these things as to secondary causes , yet ought we to ascend higher , namely to the first , even to god himself , who disposeth of all his creatures , even as best pleaseth him . he it is that makes the wound , and heals ; that kils , and makes alive , deut. . . and therefore to him we ought to direct our prayers for our comfort in all our griefs and sufferings , and in the end to expect full deliverance , seeing it's easie with him to restore our health , if it stand with his his good pleasure . to this she answered , that she depended wholly upon gods providence , knowing that all things are wisely disposed by him ; and therefore she besought him to furnish her with all such graces as he saw to be necessary for her salvation . as for this life ( said she ) i am in a good measure weaned from it , in regard of the afflictions which have followed me from my youth hitherto ; but especially because i cannot live without offending my good god , with whom i desire to be with all my heart . then said the minister , yet long life how full of troubles soever it be , is to be esteemed amongst the blessings of god , seeing his promise implies so much ; and not only so , but because our lives may many waies serve to his glory ; and long life is not only an honour , but a pledge of his favour : even as it is to him whom a prince long implies in his service , having had experience of his fidelity many years together . hereupon he earnestly requested her to pray , that if it was the will of god he would imploy her yet longer in his service , for the further enlargement of his gospel , and that he would grant unto her such recovery of health , and such a good disposition of body , that with renewed strength she might be enabled to finish her course much more nobly then ever heretofore . to this she replied , that in regard of her own particular , her life was not dear unto her , seeing so long as she lived in this frail flesh , she was still prone and apt to sin against god ; only she said her care was somewhat for her children which god had given her , in respect that they should be deprived of her in their young years ; yet ( saith she ) i doubt not , but though he should please to take me from them , himself will become a father to them , and a protector over them , as he hath ever been to me in my greatest afflictions , and therefore i commit them wholly to his government and fatherly care . then the minister blessed god for working in her majesty this assurance of faith , and ability to cast her care upon the providence of god , intreating her still to persevere therein , which would sufficiently seal unto her the truth of her faith. and thus ( saith he ) did the patriarchs in times past , commit the care of their posterity into the hands of god , as may appear by the severall blessings of abraham , isaac and jacob : but yet he told her that it was very requisite that she should make choice of such , who for their sincerity both in life and doctrine , might continue to water in these young princely plants , the seeds of piety that had been sown in them by her so great pains and industry ; seeing it was to be hoped that the example of her faith and constancy in the service of god , wherein she had gone before them , would serve as a perpetuall inducement to them to follow her noble vertues . and whereas she had declared that death was not terrible to her , because it was the way by which she was to passe to her eternal rest , he told her that christians had little cause to fear death , in regard that they should not die at all , according to that of our saviour , he that lives and believes in me shall never die , joh. . . for , saith he , to speak properly , death is no death to them , but a sweet sleep , being often so called in the scriptures : and therefore christ for their sakes hath overcome and triumphed over it in his own person ; so as now we may cry out with st. paul , o death , where is thy sting ? o grave , where is thy victory ? after this he admonished her to make confession of her sinnes before god , shewing that bodily diseases tend to the dissolution of nature , and that death was the wages of sinne : further declaring , that by this her chastisement she might discern what she had deserved if god should enter into judgment with her , not only in regard of the fall of our first parents , in which guilt she was enwrapped as well as others ; but also by her own personall sins , seeing the best in the world are in themselves but poor , miserable and wretched sinners ; yea if the lord should punish us according to our demerits , we could expect nothing at his hands but eternal death and damnation . at these words she began with her eyes and hands lifted up to heaven , to acknowledge that the sins which she had committed against the lord were innumerable , and therefore more then she was able to reckon up ; but yet she hoped that god for christs sake , in whom she put her whole trust , would be mercifull to her . from hence the minister took occasion to declare at large upon what ground she was to expect the fruit of this mercy of god in christ : adding , the whole have no need of a physician , but the sick . and christ saith , he came not to call the righteous , but sinners to repentance . and , that he is ready to fill the hungry with good things , whereas in the mean while , he sends the rich empty away . of these things ( saith he ) you ought so much the rather to be perswaded in your counscience , by how much the more the holy spirit of god witnesseth to your spirit that you are the child of god , and enables you to cry abba , father : for what is faith else but a firm trust and assurance of the good will of god manifested towards us in his blessed son ? but the minister fearing lest by his long discourse he might be troublesome , or cause her too much to spend her spirits , would have given over ; which she taking notice of , earnestly requested him not to forbear speaking to her about these matters of life and eternal salvation ; adding that now she felt the want of it , in regard that since her coming to paris she had been somewhat remisse in hearing such exhortations out of the word of god : and therefore i am the more glad ( said she ) to receive comfort out of it in this my great extremity . then did the minister endeavour to set before her the happinesse of heaven , and what those joys were that the faithfull possesse in the presence of god , which the scriptures intending to discover , tell us , that eye hath not seen , nor ear heard , nor hath it entered into the heart of man to conceive , what those things are , which god hath prepared for them that love him . for , saith he , it is as if a king minding greatly to honour some noble personage , should bring him to his court , and there shew him his state and attendance , his treasures , with all his most precious jewels : eved so will the lord one day reveal to all his elect and faithfull people , his magnificence and glory , with all the treasures of his kingdom , after he hath gathered them home to himself ; decking and adorning them with light , incorruption and immortality . therefore ( saith he ) since this happinesse is so great , your highnesse ought to be the lesse solicitous about leaving this transitory life , and know that you are to change this earthly kingdom for an heavenly inheritance ; these temporall good things which vanish and come to nothing in the using , to enjoy for ever those things which are eternal and everlasting . for your faith being now firmly set upon our lord jesus christ , you may be assured to obtain eternal salvation by him . then did he proceed to propose to her this question ; madam , do you verily believe that jesus christ came into the world to save you ? and do you expect the full forgivenesse of all your sins by the shedding of his blood for you ? yea ( said she ) i do , believing that he is my only saviour and mediatour , and i look for salvation from none other , knowing that he hath abundantly satisfied for the sins of all his people , and therefore i am assured that god for his sake , according to his gracious promise in him , will have mercy upon me . during all the time of her sicknesse , she ceased not to continue in such fruitfull and comfortable communications , sometimes intermixing them with most affectionate sighs to god , as a testimony of that hope and desire she had of enjoying his presence , often uttering these words : o my god , in thy good time , deliver me from this body of death , and from the miseries of this present life , that i may no more offend thee , and that i may attain to the felicity which thou in thy word hast promised to bestow upon me . neither did she manifest her pious affection by words only , but by her constant and cheerfull countenance , so farre forth as the vehemency of her disease would suffer ; thereby giving a clear testimony to all that beheld her , that the fear of death could not drive her from the stedfastnesse of her faith. the minister also went often to prayer with her , the usual tenor whereof was this which follows ; o lord our god , we confesse here before thy divine majesty , that we are altogether unworthy of thine infinite mercies , by reason of our manifold iniquities , and that we are so farre from deserving to be heard of thee in our requests , that we are rather worthy that thou shouldst reject both our persons , and our prayers ; but seeing it hath pleased thee to make us a gracious promise of hearing and granting our requests , we humbly beseech thee freely to forgive all our offences , and to cover them under the obedience and righteousness of thy dear son , that through him our selves and our services may be well pleasing unto thee . for lord we acknowledge that all our afflictions are measured out to us by thine hand , who art a most just judge , in regard that we have every way provoked thee to wrath by our infinite sinnings against thee , yea by our rebellions which now testifie against us . for alas lord , our life hath been no way answerable to that perfect obedience which thou by thy holy law dost justly require at our hands , which we from day to day do transgress , and therefore do here cast down our selves at this time before thy glorious presence , unfeignedly acknowledging our misery and wretchedness from the very bottom of our hearts . yet lord mercy is with thee , and because thou art our father , therefore thou desirest not the death of sinners , but rather that they should convert and live . for this cause we now fall down before the throne of thy grace , with confidence of obtaining thy wonted mercy which thou hast promised to such as call upon thee in truth ; beseeching thee who art the father of mercies , to have compassion on all such as thou hast humbled under thy mighty hand , but more especially on this thy servant the queen , who lieth here before thee sick of a dangerous disease ; that as thou hast righteously afflicted her for her sinnes ( which she also doth with us acknowledge ) so it would please thee in pardoning them all to her for thy beloved sons sake , to grant that she may profit by this thy correcting hand for the time to come : above all o lord , give her a sweet sense , yea full assurance of thy eternal joys , that so she may with the greater patience take down this bitter potion ministred unto her from thy hand , and that the sole desire of enjoying thy presence may cause her to forget all worldly greatness and magnificence , knowing that they are nothing in respect of the glory which is now set before her . endue her also with meekness of minde to bear the tediousnesse of her affliction , for though the spirit be willing , yet the flesh is weak , yea full of resisting and unbelief ; that so receiving all things from thee as from a father , she may the more willingly submit her will to thine . and because , o good god , thou hast made her hitherto an happy instrument for the advancement of thy glory , and defence of thy poor afflicted people , we pray thee , if it may stand with thy good pleasure , restore her to health again , that so the excellent work that thou hast by her means begun , may not be left unperfected ; but by vertue of this her deliverance , she may with renewed strength undertake the same in better sort then ever heretofore , especially for the well educating and training up the children that thou hast given her . but , lord , if thou hast a purpose now to call her home to thy self , who are we that we should contradict thy holy will ? only we pray thee that thou wouldst confirm her more and more in the knowledge of thy blessed gospel , and thereby also in the certainty of her salvation , which thou hast given her by faith in thy son jesus christ , that thus she may not cease to sanctifie and call upon thy holy name to her last breath . and as touching our selves , who are here by thy good providence gathered together about her , being in bodily health , give us to know the uncertainty and brevity of our life , that so according to our duty , we may behold the same in this mirror that thou hast set before us , as knowing that even the greatest in the world are subject to the same calamities as well as the small , that so our chief care may be to employ the remainder of our time to thine honour and service . all which we crave of thee in the name of jesus christ thy son , our only mediatour and advocate , amen . during the time of prayer , she ceased not with hands and eyes lift up to heaven , to fetch many deep sighs , especially when mention was made of the mercy of god in christ , which he extendeth to poor sinners ; so that all present might evidently see that her heart and affections were joyned to the prayer that was made by , and for her . and whilst she thus lay , she still continued in her holy desires to depart hence that she might be with christ , taking great delight in the holy and christian exhortations which were made to her by many godly and learned men , who came to visit her , to whom also she manifested no small testimonies of that faith and hope which she had in god , touching the salvation of her soul , by her holy and savory speeches , which for brevity sake are omitted . yea although the lord exercised her much with the sense of her inward disease , yet could you not at any time discern any speech favouring of discontentment or impatience to proceed out of her mouth , nay scarcely so much as a groan . but if at any time she found any refreshings from the violence of her disease ( there being no malady so vehement which hath not some intermissions and breathing times ) she declared her willingnesse to obtain the recovery of her former health , and for that end she refused no good means prescribed for her by her learned physicians . again , when she perceived her sicknesse to increase upon her , and that she grew worse and worse , she was no whit appaled thereat , but shewed her self to be armed with an invincible constancy to undergo the utmost that death could do against her , preparing her self willingly for that last conflict . and when she saw her ladies and gentlewomen weeping about her bed , she blamed them for it , saying , weep not for me i pray you , for as much as god doth by this sicknesse , call me hence to enjoy a better life , and now i may enter into the desired haven , towards which this frail vessel of mine hath been a long time steering : yet she shewed her self grieved that she wanted opportunity to reward them , and many more of her family and train which had done her faithfull service , as she could have wished , excusing her self to them , and professing that it was not want of good will , but her being prevented by this her suddain sicknesse : but ( said she ) i will not fail to give order about the same to the utmost of my ability . in the end , perceiving her strength to decay more and more , she gave order to have her last will and testament made , and thereby setled her outward estate . and the of june , which was the day before she died , she called for a minister , and finding that she was drawing nigh unto her end , she desired him to speak somewhat largely of the temptations which satan is wont to assail gods elect withall in their last conflict . to this the minister answered , indeed that is the hour wherein the sworn enemy of all the faithfull doth most busily bestirre himself , if possible to deprive them of the comfort of their salvation , not sparing especially at that time , to set upon them with might and sleight , but yet even then the lord is not , nor will be wanting to his , filling their hearts with such joy and comfort of the holy ghost , as shall make them in the end more then conquerours . his first engine wherewith he would drive them to despair , is by presenting before their eyes the innumerable heaps of their sinnes and pollutions , wherewith they have been any way defiled in their whole life : and then he presents to them gods justice , before which no flesh can be able to subsist , unlesse it were pure and spotlesse ; whence he infers , that such miserable sinners can expect and look for nothing but utter death and condemnation . but against these assaults we must as david , psal. . set the infinite multitudes of gods compassions , which do infinitely surpasse the multitudes of our sinnes . and as for the justice of god , we confesse that no creature that is defiled by sinne can abide to be strictly examined by it , if god should call us to a severe account : but we know that god will never enter into judgment with those that believe in his son , but imputes unto them that righteousness and obedience which was accomplished by him , which is sufficient to oppose against the justice of god ; therefore in it alone we must expect to stand before his face , and not by our own dignity and worthinesse . indeed , if we were to appear before the seat of justice to receive there what we have deserved , we had good reason to be overwhelmed in utter despair , but turning our eyes upon him , who being the eternal son of god , hath clothed himself with our humane nature , to bear on him the same punishment that was due to our sinnes , and thereby hath acquitted us , then gods justice doth no whit affright us , but rather yields us assured comfort , because god being just , cannot require the same debt twice . having therefore received full and perfect satisfaction from christ , whom he hath ordained to be our surety , and who hath paid our debts for us , thence we gather assurance that he will no more require it at our hands . to which purpose these sentences are to be well observed . it is christ who hath born our grief , and carried our sorrows . the chastisement of our peace was upon him , and by his stripes we are healed . that we all like sheep have gone astray , and have turned every one to his own way , and the lord hath laid upon him the iniquity of us all . christ is our peace , and the propitiation for our sins . the lamb of god which taketh away the sins of the world . upon these considerations gods justice need not terrifie such as believe in christ , of whose righteousnesse and redemption they are made partakers ; seeing that jesus christ , who knew no sin , was made sin ( that is an oblation for sin ) for us , that we might be made the righteousnesse of god in him . i grant ( said he ) that these things belong not to all indifferently , but only unto such as believing in the son of god , do wholly cast themselves upon the merit of his death and passion , which as st. peter saith , is sufficient for their salvation , act. . . then did he ask her , whether she placed her whole trust and confidence on christ crucified , who died for her sins , and rose again for her justification . to this the godly queen answered , that she neither expected salvation , righteousnesse , nor life from any else , but only from her saviour jesus christ , being assured that his merit alone did abundantly suffice for the full satisfaction for all her sins , albeit they were innumerable . this being your faith madam ( quoth the minister ) you cannot come into condemnation , but are passed from death to life , neither need you fear gods seat of justice , since it is turned into a throne of mercy and grace unto you , and therefore the hour of death will be exceeding welcome to you , being but a sweet passage into a far better life ; as also the time in which all tears shall be wiped from your eyes , therefore i beseech you madam think often of that sweet text , blessed are the dead which die in the lord , for they rest from their labours and their works follow them . now the time approaches wherein you shall enjoy the beatificiall vision , the society of your husband christ , the fellowship of the blessed angels and celestial spirits with the holy patriachs , prophets , apostles and martyrs of christ , partaking with them in the same felicity and glory . he also further said , madam , if it should please god by this your sicknesse to put an end to this weary pilgrimage of yours , and to call you home to himself , as by some evident signs it appears that he will , are you willing to go unto him ? to this she answered with much christian courage , yea with all my heart . then said he , good madam , open the eyes of your faith , and behold jesus your great redeemer sitting at the right hand of his father , reaching out his hand to receive you to himself . are you , madam , willing to go unto him ? yes i assure ( saith she ) most willing , and much more willing then to linger here below in this world , where i see nothing but vanity . then he asked her if they should go to prayer with her : which she desiring , they performed it by her , whilst this pious lady manifested her ardent affection in calling upon god. prayer being ended , the minister discerning in her the undoubted testimonies of unfeigned repentance , and of the sorrow that she conceived for the offences which she had committed against god , together with the assured confidence which she had in his mercies , as a minister of the gospel , and ambassadour of the son of god , by the authority given to him , having the word of reconciliation committed to him ; he assured her in the name of christ , that all her sinnes were forgiven by god , and that they should never come in account against her at his judgment seat ; yea , that she should no more doubt thereof , then if the son of god from heaven should say unto her , daughter be of good comfort , thy sins are forgiven thee . and to the end that troubled consciences might the better be quieted , christ hath used these words speaking to his ministers , saying , whose sins ye remit , they are remitted , &c. and the reason is , because the word which they pronounce is not the word of a mortall man , but of the immortall god , being of no lesse weight then if himself uttered the same . then he asked her majesty if she accepted of so gracious a message which assured her of the free pardon of all her sins : yes ( saith she ) with all my heart , and make no doubt thereof . not long after came in the admirall coligni , and with him another minister , to whom she gave ear a good space together , his speech tending to prepare her for death ; and when he had finished his speech , he also prayed with her , which she attended to with great affection . then she requested that those two ministers might stay all night with her in her chamber , and that they would in no wise leave her . the greatest part of this night was spent in holy admonitions ; which these ministers gave to this gracious lady one after another ; besides which she required them to read to her some chapters of the holy scriptures which were pertinent to her condition , and so they read out of st. johns gospel , from the fourteenth , to the end of the seventeenth chapter . after which they went to prayer with her , which being ended , the queen desired to take some rest ; but it was not long ere she commanded them to read again : whereupon one of them made choice of certain of david's psalms , full of ardent and affectionate prayers , suting to this princesse present condition by reason of her affliction ; and for a conclusion read psal. . wherein the prophet , amongst other things , doth commend his spirit into the hands of god , because , saith he , thou hast redeemed me , o lord god of truth . then the queen willed them to pray with her again ; and thus was the most part of that night spent in such holy exercises ; during all which time the ministers never discerned in her the least sign of impatience , notwithstanding the violence of her affliction . yea whereas immediately before her sickness she had shewed how affectionately she was bent to provide things most magnificent for the day of her sons marriage , according as the state of so great an alliance required ; yet it was admirable to observe , that after this sicknesse had seized on her , god wrought in her such a neglect and forgetfulnesse of all such matters , that she never shewed to have so much as a thought thereof . this night being thus spent , and past by this noble queen , she persevering in the expressions of such like affections , and ardency of faith , the next morning between eight and nine of the clock , she departed this life to take possession of a far better , sweetly yielding up her spirit into the hands of god , june . anno christi . being the sixth day after she fell sick , and of her age . she had her perfect speech and memory , even to the hour of her death , shewing not only that staidnesse and soundnesse of judgement ( which ever in times past she had ) in the care about the salvation of her soul , but also in the well settlement of her worldly affairs . the king made as if he had conceived great grief for her death , putting on mourning attire , wherein also the whole court followed his example , lest by this suddain accident their counsels and futurh desperate designs might be prevented . also to avoid all jealousies and suspitions of her being poisoned by reason of her suddain sicknesse and death , her body was opened by sundry expert and learned doctors of physick and chyrurgery , who found her heart and liver very sound , only some scirrousnesse on one side of her lungs ; but her head they might not open , where the malady lay , by which means the discovery of it was prevented . anonymus . soli deo gloria . finis . a table of the principal things contained in this part of the lives . a. afflictions profitable to gods children . p. antinomians practice . apostacy plagued by god. assurance to be sought . astrologers are lyers . b. bible is translated into english. bishops enemies to godly ministers , and to the power of godlinesse . , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , a bishop enjoyned to ask a minister forgivenesse in his own congregation . c. charity eminent . , , , , , , , charity of good ministers . , , , , , , , comfort at death . comforting afflicted consciences . , , , constancy . , , contentation . , , conversion . , , , , , conversion of a jaylor . courage , , courage of gods ministers . , , , , , , , d. death desired death not feared devil dispossessed by prayer , e. envy . examples prevalent . f. faith . , , , , , family cared for , and well instructed . , , , , , , , , , fasting and prayer . , , , , fidelity . , flight refused in time of persecution . , flight embraced . friendship sincere . , frugality . g. gratitude . , , h. danger of unprofitable hearers . heretick burned . hospitality . , humility . humility of gods ministers . , , , , , , , , , , , , , , i. ingratitude . joy unspeakable . , l. life exemplary . long life , why a blessing . m. what makes a compleat man what makes a compleat minister meeknesse of gods ministers . , ministers cared for by god. , , , , ministers dearly loved . ministers falsly accused . ministry of the word successefull . , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , p. parents honoured . painfulnesse in preaching . , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , papists enemies to faithfull ministers . , , , patience . , , , peacemakers blessed . , persecutors plagued by god. persecution . poverty of gods ministers , prayer frequent and powerfull . , , , , the benefits of it . predictions and prophesies . , , , providences speciall . , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , prudence . , , , , , , , , , s. sabbath-breakers plagued by god. , sabbath sanctified . self-denial . , , , , , sin the greatest of evils . slanders cast upon christs ministers . , sleep moderated . studiousnesse of ministers . , , , , , , swearing how prevented . sympathy with the churches sufferings . , t. thankfulnesse in afflictions . thanksgiving excellent . w. word of god highly prized . , , , , , world contemned . , , z. zeal . , , zeal for the sabbath . zeal against sectaries and separatists . , , , , , finis . errata in this part of the lives . page . line . dele long . l. . read demeanour . p. . l. . dele therefore . l. . r. he for they . p. . l. . r. a for as . p. . l. . r. bought for brought . p. . l. . dele be . p. . l. . put in of . p. . l. . r. decease for disease . p. . l. . r. skilfull for skill . p. . l. . r. he took for then an took . p. . l. . r. had . l. . r. flower . p. . l. . dele and. p. . l. . r. heal for zeal . p. . l. . r. for . p. . l. . r. yet for yea p. . l. . r. three penny for third . p. . l. . r. them for him . p. . l. . r. preferred for preserved . p. . l. . r. your for our . p. . l. . r. now for new . p. . l. . r. chieftains for christians . p. . l. . r. erected for elected . p. . l. . r. lawfull for unlawfull . some other literall faults there are , which are easily amended . notes, typically marginal, from the original text notes for div a -e his birth and education . his travels . his going to oxford . he is famous for preaching . his character . his judgment of t. aquinas . the bishops hate him . and article against him . the archbishop frees him . the bishops implacable malice . they accuse him to the king. the king favoures him . his charity . his death . notes for div a -e his birth and breeding . the bible translated . his flight . his bibles printed . he removes into germany . his return into england . he is made bishop of exester . his diligence in his place . his character . his care of his family . his liberallity . he is hated by the papists . a special providence . his imprisonment . his deliverance . he goes into denmark . to the palatinate . his return into england . his death . notes for div a -e a prediction . dr mouses inconstancy and ingratitude . dr sands his oration . his courage . meeknesse . he is imprisoned in the tower. flight refused· a jailor converted . his name was thomas wyat. sr tho. wyat profers him his liberty . his prudent answer . his release from prison . he is again sought for . a special providence . a prophecy . he flies beyond sea . a special providence . his sicknesse . his wife died . charity . his return to england . he is a bishop . his death . notes for div a -e he was fellow in pembrook-hall . his remove to dry drayton . his extraordinary pains . his hard studies . his charity . a great peace-maker . 〈◊〉 ●isliked martin mar-prelate . he is convented before the bishop . his prudence . he is dismissed his piety . his skill in curing spiritual diseases . his remove to london . his death . notes for div a -e his birth . his studiousnesse . he is a lawyers clarke . his return to cambridge . his disputation before the queen . he is chosen professor . his multitude of hearers . he is questioned before the vice-chancellor . he is expelled the university . the articles for which he was expelled . his travels beyond-sea . beza's testimony of him . he is preacher to the english merchants . he is chosen to answer dr. whitgift . his imprisonment . his contempt of the world . his favour with the earl of leicester . king james sends for him into scotland . he is sent to for counsell . he is made master of the hospital at warwick . his esteem in the countrey . his diligence in the ministry . he is importuned to answer the rhemist testament . encouraged by sir francis walsingham . he is sollicited thereto by the doctors of cambridge . * church-discipline . and by the ministers of london and suffolke . his discouragements in the work . the work left imperfect . his going into gernsey . his contempt of the world . his charity . his prudence . his studiousnesse . his meekness . his humility . his sympathy with the church . his frequency in prayer . the successe of his ministry . a remarkable judgment upon a loose professer . his last sermon . joy unspeakable . his death . notes for div a -e his birth , and education . his fathers prudence . his conversion . mr. wilsons fidelity . mr. baines his gratitude . he is chosen fellow . he is chosen lecturer . prelatical malice . he is silenced . his painfulness and piety . and poverty . the bishops malice . gods providence . his faithfulnesse and prudence . his character by dr sibbs . the manner of his death . notes for div a -e his parentage . his education at worcester . his return to bosworth . gods providence in providing for him his going to cambridge . admitted into to emanuel colledge . his diligence in his studies . dr chadertons care for him . sidney colledg built . his journey into guernsey . mr cartwrights love to him . his carriage in his place . his return to cambridge . mr cartwrights commendation of him . his gracious deliverance in his return . gods special providence over him . a miracle of mercy . he is admitte-fellow in sidney colledge . his gratitude . his humility . his inviolable friendship . his prudent and winning carriage . his prudence . his self-denial he enters into the ministry . his imployment at abington . and at steeple-morden . the occasion of his first trouble . the bishops subtlle practices . a special providence . his courage . he withdraws from the colledge . his letter to a friend about it . his return to the colledge . he is sent for to chatham . he goes to chatham . his faithfulness in his place . a motion of marriage made to him . satans malice against the progresse of the gospel . he is accused to the bishop . sir francis hastings his letter to the archbishop in his behalf . bishop bancrofts malice . master bear-blocks malice against him . he is charged with heresie . his letter to master bearblock about that charge . the antinomians practice . a spie sent to entrap him . he is falsly accused . he is summoned before the bishop . he is summoned before the bishops . subscription made a snare . he is suspended from chatham . another spie sent to entrap him . the inhabitants of chatham petition for him to the bishop . gods providence for him . he departs from chatham . he is setled at newhall . his small means of maintenance . his contentation . his letter to a friend about it . his humility . his great pains . monstrous ingratitude . he is chosen lecturer at christ church london . bishop bancrofts malice . his marriage . conformity strictly pressed gods good providence over him . the trouble of his wife . gods mercy . his return to newhall . the lady ferrers respect to him though a papist . his prudence in his ministry . bishop neals malice . gods providence over him . his letter about master rediches death note . he is inhibited from preaching . but soon restored . his last sicknesse . his death an. christi . his behaviour in his sickness . his counsell to his friends . his burial . his excellent parts . his method in teaching . the efficacy of his ministry . he used a form of prayer , and why . the scriptures which he preached over . his works that were published . his zeal against sectaries and separatists . a disputation . his charity . doctor halls character of him . notes for div a -e his birth and breeding . his remove from cambridge . his coming to london . his marriage . his painfulnesse . cor. . . the effectualnesse of his ministry . isa. . . and . . isa. . . cor. . . jam. . . dan. . . luk. . . rom. . . the danger of unprofitabe hearers . cor. . . mat. . . his exemplary life . what makes a compleat man. what makes a compleat minister . his manner of preaching . his zeal for the sabbath . his prudence . his care of his family . his apology for quoting the fathers . his faithfulnesse in reproving sin . his last sicknesse . his death . tim. . . notes for div a -e his birth , and education . his natural , and acquired parts . his entring into the ministry . his course of life before his conversion . the means , and manner his conversion . power of prayer . his faith , and comfort . confess . l. . c. , . his going into ireland . the efficacy of his ministry . the places of his first employment . the study of the prophesies . his contests with the bishops . mat. . . the lady bowes her great charity . his self-denial . his patience , and courage . his carriage amongst his people . special providence . his persecution by bishop neal. * gnats . his last sicknesse . his last sicknesse . he foretels his death . his death . his strange sicknesse , and recovery . satans malice . the power of prayer . his dispossessing of the devil . notes for div a -e his birth . his education . his going to cambridge . his remove to queens colledge . his character . his studiousnesse . he is chosen fellow . he studies physick . his study of astrology . his conversion . he is chosen to oppose before the king. his many pupils . his zeal . his diligence . the bishops hypocrisie . his courage . his prudence . master preston preacheth before the king. he is made the prince his chaplain . his travel in the low-countries . he is chosen to lincolns-inne . the duke of buckinghams letter . he is chosen master of emanuel . a special providence . his last sicknesse . notes for div a -e his parentage his education . his conversion . a special providence . his going to cambridge . cor. . . a special providence . his first sermon . he is chosen fellow of christs colledge , but opposed . his remove to ashby . his marriage . his first silencing . his sermon before the judge . judge aderson angry with him . he manageth the petition for reformation . his second silencing . the successe of his ministry . he is restored to ashby . his lectures on john . his third silencing . wightman burnt for heresie . slander . he is cited into the high-commission court. silenced . his sicknesse . his second summons into the high-commission court. his imprisonment . he is falsly accused . his censure in the high-commission court. a special providence . he is sent for leyden . his constancy . his humility and charity . he opposeth the brownists , and independents . master cottons testimony of him . dr. prestons testimony of his lectures on john . his studiousnesse . his care to profit by the word . his sicknesse . his recovery . his lectures at ashby , on psal. . . his lectures on psal. . he is again silenced . his last sicknesse . his death . his burial . his charity . notes for div a -e his parentage and education . his going to cambridge . his sermon at pauls crosse. his painfulnesse in the ministry . the success of his ministry . his piety in private . his sicknesse . his prudence therein . his death . notes for div a -e his birth , and breeding . his going to cambridge . his remove to oxford . his going into northamptonshire . gods judgements on sabbath-breakers isa. . . levit. . , . a special providence . his remove to woolstone . he is opposed by the bishop . his courage . he is suspended , and excommunicated absolved by the archbishop . he is accused of treason , and imprisoned . sir t. lucy . he is acquitted the bishop enjoyned to ask him forgivenesse . p. petiver . binley wood. a special providence . his great pains . the success of his ministry . his care in the education of his children . gods judgements on sabbath-breakers his powerfull manner of preaching . his last sicknesse . his death . notes for div a -e his country . his going to cambridge . his promotion in the colledge and university . his conversion . he is chosen lecturer in cambridge . master of katherine hall. his prudence in the ministry . mr dods testimony of his sermons on cant. . his piety . his charity . his death . notes for div a -e his parentage his remove to cambridge . his father casts him off . he is chosen fellow . chosen the first master of emanuel . he commenced doctor . his care of the colledge . his care for young students . his care of servants . he resigned his place . his death . notes for div a -e his birth , and education . his going to oxford . his remove into cheshire . his improvement of his parts . his frequent fasts , and prayers . his constancy . his non-conformity . he is ordained minister . his call to whitmore . his marriage . his diligent studies . his skill in comforting afflicted consciences . his indefatigablenesse . his unwearied pains on the sabbath . his frequent fasting , and prayer . his readinesse to do good . his temperance , and meeknesse . his frugality . his charity . his humility . his esteem of the weight of the ministry . his humility . the necessity of stadying controversies . the danger of separation . his high esteem of god. his gratitude for mercies . his high esteem of jesus christ. his prudence . his distaste of frowardnesse . the means of cure . his love to the church , and to his children . his contentednesse . his care to keep the sacraments from pollution . his dislike of separation . his judgment about independency . his judgement about revelations . his humility and modesty . his intended works . his great abilities . his last sicknesse . his faith. his humility . his death . notes for div a -e his birth , and education . his preferments at oxford . his humility . his holinesse . his lectures at abington , and totnes . he is chosen provost of queens colledge . he is chosen bishop of carlisle . his painfulnesse . his sermon at the beginning of the parliament . his death . a favouerer of godly ministers . mr. thomas richardson now pastor of newbold pace in warwickshire . an enemy to the book of sports . notes for div a -e his birth and education . his conversion . he is rejected by his uncle . his going to cambridge . humane infirmity . a special providence . his recovery . he is persecuted . and entertained by sir edward bois . by sir edward anslow . his great pains his faithfulnesse . his preaching at battersey . his self-deniel his marriage . he is again persecuted . his courage . he is chosen by the merchants . he erects discipline in the church . conversion . the efficacy of his ministry . gods judgement on a persecutor . his charity . his self-denial . his return into england . his lecture in wales . his call to wapping . his painfulnesse . a special providence . his humility . his death . notes for div a -e his birth . his education . his love of the scriptures . his remove to cambridge . his call to cawk . the education of her children . his call to shrewsbury . satans malice . his suspension . his judgment against separation . his studiousnesse . his painfulnesse . his humility , and charity . his servent prayers . his remove to wrenbury . a character of mr. nicholls . mr. herrings character . his call to amsterdam . the reason of his remove . his letter martyrdome . the lady bromleys love to christs ministers . his arrival in holland . his entertainment there . his first sermon . return of prayers . his fear of independency his death . notes for div a -e his birth and education . his first going to cambridge . his conversion . his disputation at the commencement . note . he preached a lecture at ely. his removall to hanwel . his great pains there . his frequency in fasting and prayer . his hospitality his second marriage . the great successe of his ministry . his deprivation . his preaching at fenni-compton . his removall to cannons-ashby . he is again silenced . he had an excellent gift in conference . his comforting of afflicted consciences . joy unspeakable . note . he is placed at fausley . his hospitality his charity . the benefit of afflictions . troubles to be expected . his frequency in fasting , and prayer . his diseases . his desire of death . the reasons of his desire . his taking occasions to do good . how he prevented swearing . his delight in the law of god. his mercifulnesse . his love , and charity . dr. prestons love to him . he comforts mr. throgmorton . his weanednesse from the world . what wicked men are like . note . afflictions gods potions . the power of his ministry . his excellency for similitudes . benefits of death . benefit of prayer . benefit of faith. we should not be weary of hearing . sinfull recreations . promises great riches . his humility . love better then law. the benefit of turning to god betimes . a special providence . his faith. how afflictions may be lessened . meeknesse . comfort in dangers . his faith. cavaliers cruelty . his patience . death not feared . passionate rebukes unprofitable . what contention should be amongst married persons . his manner of preaching . the scope of his prayers . his exposition of scripture . his custom in preaching . what preaching is unprofitable . true humiliation . his preaching by signes . christians should be cheerfull . his indefatigablenesse . the benefit of plain preach-king . his holy life . his peace-maing . his acutenesse . his humility . his modesty . what wise should be chosen . how we may alwaies have comfort . what will make us willing to suffer . assurance to be laboured fo● thankfulness ▪ in afflictions . prayer . his tentation , and victory . his faith , and patience . his death . notes for div a -e his call to stoke . the great successe of his ministry . his flight to warder castle special providences . his remove to sarum . he is condemned to be hanged . his courage and constancy . a special providence . his remove to winchester . he is urged to recant . his remove to oxford . his release . he is sent for by the earl of essex . his going to barwick . a special providence . possession . satan . balsom . satan . balsom . satan . balsom . satan . balsom . satan . balsom . satan . balsom . satan . balsom . a special providence . the great successe of his ministry . his death . notes for div a -e his parentage . his birth and education . he was sanctified from the womb. his frequent reading of the scriptures . his natural endowments . his skill in the french. his industry . his observance of his parents . despisers of parents usually punished by god. his admission into the university . he is made fellow of queens colledge . his care over his pupils . he is ordained minister . his call to canterbury . the occasion of it . friendship . his self-denial . he was a burning and shining light . his opposition to innovations . his humility . he doth good abroad . he is opposed by sectaries and cathedralists . his lecture put down . he is again restored . tentations prevented . his remove to ashwel . his great pains his humility and sincerity . his prudence . his diligent catechizing . his prudent charity . his cathechism . his manner of reforming disorders . his family-government . his care for sanctifying the sabbath . his secret duties . his fasting , and prayer . his frequency in reading the scriptures . his holy and exact walking he is made university-preacher . he is made a member of the assembly . his conscientiousnesse therein . his fitnesse for it . his care for ashwel in his absence . his choice to dukes-place . his self-denial . his great pains . the success of his ministry . his call to the new church . his temperance . the reasons of his removall . his great pains a faithfull pastor . his amiable and affable disposition . his care about the lords supper . he is made master of queens colledge , his government of the colledge . his care to promote religion there . his care to advance learning his charity . his prudence . a true nathaniel . his zeal . his courage and faithfulnesse . his vindication of the sabbath . a special providence . his faithfulnesse . his judgment about the king. his temperance , and sobriety . his liberality and charity . his last sicknesse . his prayer before death . his death . notes for div a -e his parentage . his fathers death . his mothers death . popes policy . his birth . his education . his valour . he is wounded . his advancement . his military discipline . his military service . he is made admirall . he is made generall . he makes peace with the emperour . his distast of perjury . the cause of the feud betwixt , him and the guises . his courage . st quintan besieged . his fidelity to his countrey . his industry . the french army routed . the city battered . st quintan taken . the admirall taken . his sicknesse a means of health to his soul. he devests himself of his offices . his temperance . andelot questioned for religion . his stout answer . his imprisonment . the cause why he left his offices . his godly wife encourages him . persecution attends the gospel . he instructs and reforms the family . the power of religion . his prudent humility . how christ is received in the sacrament . he partakes of the sacrament to the great joy of the churches . persecution the bellows of the gospel . a meeting of the nobility . his zeal and courage . the protestants petition . his boldnesse . a parliament desired . the protestants persecuted . the admirals oversight . a general convention of the states . a petition for the protestants the malice of the clergy . the protestants freed from persecution . churches allowed them . a massacre by the duke of guise . the king seized on by the d. of guise . why the protestants first took arms . prince of conde made generall . the admirall made lieutenant generall . p. of condees facility . the q mothers perfidiousnesse . p. of conde prisoner . the admirall releases him . his eldest son dieth . the guises call in forraign help , and so do the protestants . the admirall taketh their ammunition . a battell . conde taken prisoner . the admirals valour . john poltrot slew the duke of guise . a wicked brag a peace concluded . the admirall accused . he clears himself . the controversie determined by the king. the admirall cleared . treachery against the admirall . he forgives the traitor . the q. mothers mischievous counsels . her subtilty . god follows her with the plague . the guises attempts against the protestants frustrated by the admirall . lies raised of him . his speech to the parisians . his speech to the parliament new treachery against him . the traytor executed . the young prince of conde born . the admirall honoured . new designs against the protestants . * roch-sur-yon . the prince of conde and admirall complain to the king. they are answered with scorns . the second civil war. paris blocked up by the prince . a battell . the admirall wonderfully preserved . the royalists routed . they joyn with the germans . the admirals prudence . caen besieged by the prince . peace concluded . the admirals wife dieth . his counsell to his children . his charge to grelleus . his wives character . popish treachery . a remarkable providence . a prediction . they send to the king. the third civil war. a special providence . the protestants basely murthered . the queen of navarr assists them . niort taken . engolisme besieged . a battell . the royalists beaten . a special providence . the admirals danger . his valour . prince of conde basely slain . his character . the prince of navarr in his room . the admirals piety . his authority to take up arms. andelot's death . the admirals letter to his sons and nephews . his faith. the germans aid the protestants . the royalists beaten . the admirall sends to the king for peace . lusiniac surrendred . poictiers besieged . the admirals sicknesse . treachery against the admirall . the traitor executed . the royalists beaten . the admirall forced to fight . his policy . a special providence . he is wounded . his army overthrown . his courage . he is condemned by the parliament of paris . his house plundered . his contentation . his justice . his letter to his sons and nephews . they send to the king for peace . a tyrannical speech . the admirall falls sick . ambassadours from the king the great esteem of the admirall . the treaty goes on . peace concluded . the admirals second marriage . he marries his daughter to teligni . coligni's death in england . his character . popish cruelties . the kings dissimulation . the kings dissimulation with the admirall . royal dissimulation . the admirals entertainment at court. the malice of the duke of guise . the kings dissembling letter . the king dissembles with c. lodwick . intercepted letters which shewed the dissimulations . the admirals security . the queen of navarr's death . her character . the king sends for the admirall . his friends advertisements . his security . he went to paris . warnings to the admirall . his confident answer . royal treachery . the protestants flock to paris . deep dissimulation . rochel blocked up . the admirall deluded . the king of navarr married . the admirals letter to his wife . the kings dissimulation . the admirall wounded . his admirable patience , and christian courage . his charity . his prayer . his comfort . his faith. the kings prophane dissimulation . the king visits the admirall . his speech to the king. the kings answer . deep dissimulation . the bullet viwed . psal. . . a councel held by the protestants . presages of the massacre . monluc's advice . the kings dissimulation . deep dissimulation . an ill omen . popish subtilty counsell that the protestants should leave paris . a judas . the massacre projected . the kings dissimulation with the king of navarr . the duke of guise excites to the massacre . fatall security the queen-mothers mischievous mind the sign of the massacre . the admirals house assaulted . the admirals speech . the admirall slain . his body basely abused . his head sent to rome . yet buried . his character . his piety and zeal . examples prevalent . his manner of preparing for the lords supper . his care for education of children . his contempt of the world . brotherly love his age . his abstinence his daily exercise . teligni murthered , and his young son. notes for div a -e her parentage her marriage . popish policy . king of navarr turns papist . the queens constancy . popish policy . the king of navarr slain . treason against the queen . gods providence over her . her going to rochel . her letters to the king , &c. prince of conde slain . she encourageth the army her countrey surprized , and regained . the kings edict . popish subtilty the match propounded . her pious care about it . ministers dissent about it . her zeal to propogate the gospel . she goes to the court. the kings dissimulation . she goes to paris . she is poysoned . her sicknesse , and religious carriage therein . her charge to her son. james . . her conference with the minister . long life a blessing . cor. . . her prayer . a prayer . her patience . the minister absolves her . the admirall came to her . her death . a free and impartial inquiry into the causes of that very great esteem and honour that the non-conforming preachers are generally in with their followers in a letter to his honoured friend h.m. / by a lover of the church of england and unfeigned piety ; to which is added a discourse on tim. : to some of the clergy at a publick meeting. approx. kb of xml-encoded text transcribed from -bit group-iv tiff page images. text creation partnership, ann arbor, mi ; oxford (uk) : - (eebo-tcp phase ). a wing e estc r ocm this keyboarded and encoded edition of the work described above is co-owned by the institutions providing financial support to the early english books online text creation partnership. this phase i text is available for reuse, according to the terms of creative commons . universal . the text can be copied, modified, distributed and performed, even for commercial purposes, all without asking permission. early english books online. (eebo-tcp ; phase , no. a ) transcribed from: (early english books online ; image set ) images scanned from microfilm: (early english books, - ; : ) a free and impartial inquiry into the causes of that very great esteem and honour that the non-conforming preachers are generally in with their followers in a letter to his honoured friend h.m. / by a lover of the church of england and unfeigned piety ; to which is added a discourse on tim. : to some of the clergy at a publick meeting. eachard, john, ?- . h. m. lover of the church of england and unfeigned piety. , [ ] p. printed by j.m. for richard royston ..., london : . attribution to eachard very doubtful. cf. dnb. reproduction of original in bodleian library. created by converting tcp files to tei p using tcp tei.xsl, tei @ oxford. re-processed by university of nebraska-lincoln and northwestern, with changes to facilitate morpho-syntactic tagging. gap elements of known extent have been transformed into placeholder characters or elements to simplify the filling in of gaps by user contributors. eebo-tcp is a partnership between the universities of michigan and oxford and the publisher proquest to create accurately transcribed and encoded texts based on the image sets published by proquest via their early english books online (eebo) database (http://eebo.chadwyck.com). the general aim of eebo-tcp is to encode one copy (usually the first edition) of every monographic english-language title published between and available in eebo. eebo-tcp aimed to produce large quantities of textual data within the usual project restraints of time and funding, and therefore chose to create diplomatic transcriptions (as opposed to critical editions) with light-touch, mainly structural encoding based on the text encoding initiative (http://www.tei-c.org). the eebo-tcp project was divided into two phases. the , texts created during phase of the project have been released into the public domain as of january . anyone can now take and use these texts for their own purposes, but we respectfully request that due credit and attribution is given to their original source. users should be aware of the process of creating the tcp texts, and therefore of any assumptions that can be made about the data. text selection was based on the new cambridge bibliography of english literature (ncbel). if an author (or for an anonymous work, the title) appears in ncbel, then their works are eligible for inclusion. selection was intended to range over a wide variety of subject areas, to reflect the true nature of the print record of the period. in general, first editions of a works in english were prioritized, although there are a number of works in other languages, notably latin and welsh, included and sometimes a second or later edition of a work was chosen if there was a compelling reason to do so. image sets were sent to external keying companies for transcription and basic encoding. quality assurance was then carried out by editorial teams in oxford and michigan. % (or pages, whichever is the greater) of each text was proofread for accuracy and those which did not meet qa standards were returned to the keyers to be redone. after proofreading, the encoding was enhanced and/or corrected and characters marked as illegible were corrected where possible up to a limit of instances per text. any remaining illegibles were encoded as <gap>s. understanding these processes should make clear that, while the overall quality of tcp data is very good, some errors will remain and some readable characters will be marked as illegible. users should bear in mind that in all likelihood such instances will never have been looked at by a tcp editor. the texts were encoded and linked to page images in accordance with level of the tei in libraries guidelines. copies of the texts have been issued variously as sgml (tcp schema; ascii text with mnemonic sdata character entities); displayable xml (tcp schema; characters represented either as utf- unicode or text strings within braces); or lossless xml (tei p , characters represented either as utf- unicode or tei g elements). keying and markup guidelines are available at the text creation partnership web site . eng bible. -- n.t. -- timothy, st, iv, -- criticism, interpretation, etc. clergy -- england. - tcp assigned for keying and markup - apex covantage keyed and coded from proquest page images - elspeth healey sampled and proofread - elspeth healey text and markup reviewed and edited - pfs batch review (qc) and xml conversion imprimatur , ex aed . lamb. 〈◊〉 ▪ tho. tomkyns , a free and impartial inquiry into the causes of that very great esteem and honour that the non-conforming preachers are generally in with their followers . in a letter to his honoured friend h. m. by a lover of the church of england , and unfeigned piety . 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 jud. . to which is added a discourse on tim. . . to some of the clergy at a publick meeting . london , printed by j. m. for richard royston ▪ seller to the kings most excellent majesty , . dear sir , how very truly that delightsom walk , which with so much art and charge , you have forced out of that neglected piece of ground adjoining to your gardens may be compared to the ancient peripatum , those very many that you are pleased to oblige there with the better hospitallity of ingenious discourses , can abundantly witness . and truly , sir , as i have been happy in being one of the frequentest guests there ; so i could not but think my self unjust , should i not make this publick acknowledgment of it , though i be sufficiently assured , that since you honour me with a real friendship , you expect no such empty and troublesom recognitions . now sir , the method that you have been pleased to fix your friends , that attend you in such converses , you know to be this , to agree before-hand upon what shall be the subject of the next essay , and the reason you gave for it , i remember was this , that thereby we might with a little more care furnish our minds , and be more advantaged by communicating ( not any sudden rash or raw ) but the best and most maturely digested sentiments of our souls , each to other . for as the spartan logicians ( say you ) were ( not without good reason ) never permitted to make any quick and sudden responses to any question proposed to them . so though perhaps some things pertinent may fall from men on the sudden , yet doubtless those that consider well before-hand have much the advantage .. leisure easily mends what haste did well , and always corrects what precipitancy did amiss . my present infelicity , sir , is to be prevented by an envious distemper of giving you my promised attendance . yet that i might go as far as my utmost possibilities would permit , in paying my due respects to you , i have sent this to supply my place , and if you will please to permit k. to be my official , he shall read what i should have spoken . sir , i will be bold to tell the world that there is no gentleman ( placed in the like circumstances ) that can be more cordially sollicitous for the interest of true religion , and the flourishing estate of the church of england , than your self . no man hath more deeply and heartily bewailed her late woful persecution , nor can any have more solaced himself in the hopes of her rising to her ancient splendor , since the late blessed and miraculous revolution . but providence lets us be witnesses , that even rational hopes sometimes ( as to the expected event ) are vain , and that clouds many times obscure the new-risen sun. that most fecundant heat which produceth that most deliciously enamel'd carpet , that we see spread upon the earth , produceth also frogs and serpents , that disturb or make dangerous that repose that men designed or promised themselves upon it . and that most wise , and always just providence of heaven , oftentimes allays the greatest felicities here below , with some ungrateful and vexatious appanages . and thus that great delight that so much longed for comfort , that we may now take in worshipping our god , according to the primitive rules , in the communion of the church of england , is now much impaired and imbitter'd by the contemplation of so many violent oppositions yet against her , maintained by a multitude of men , whom neither the greatest kindness upon earth can oblige , nor indeed miracles from heaven prevail upon to lay aside their un-christian and causeless animosities . the searching into the causes of this sad reflection hath been the task that you have now for a considerable time imposed upon your self , and your philosophical friends . and i should be injurious to the merits of so good a person , should i forget one account that you have religiously given of this phaenomenon , and that hath been fetched from gods tenderest respects unto this church ; which though appearing perhaps a seeming paradox to some slight considerors , yet you have most intelligibly and plainly explicated . for a full prosperity doubtless is the most perillous temptation , and a state most dangerous to the design of religion , and the great interests of souls . and had we not a full account of this in the difference of christianity while under its primitive troubles and persecutions , from what it was when ( by the providence of heaven ) it emergeth from under these , and flourished in the triumphal banners of kings and emperours ; yet you have told us , if we wanted these , we were able to give too great assurance of this to our selves , within the little compass of our own time , having seen those , who , whilst they were under the late persecution , were exact and regular in all christian duties , even to the shaming as well as frustrating the malice of those who sought industriously for something whereof to accuse them , yet since the changing of their conditions , have strangely and sadly miscarried , swerved from their former rules , and grown to harbour and commit prodigious immorallities . now the wise and great goodness of god knowing this , may well exercise us still with these afflictions ( and that without any diminution of its own tenderness ) that thereby , that filth and rust may be effectually prevented , which should we lye long in an idle prosperity , we should certainly contract . and the inference from it ( i remember ) was religious and pious , that we should not too much repine and murmure a● these disappointments of our hopes ; but be so far from entertaining any ill thoughts of god , as to cast the whole blame upon our own wretched infirmities , and bless his goodness that hath so mercifully provided against them . in the pursuit of this subject , and progress our discourses upon the causes of it , we could not chuse but glance often at the opposite parties , which are indeed the great occasioners of our present disturbances , nor shall they ever be able to free themselves from the guilt of them , what excuses and paliations soever they may hope to frame . now amongst these our thoughts first fixed themselves upon the antisignani , the leaders of this great dissenting multitude ; and after several things remarkable in them ( which i need not now repeat ) it came into our purposes to search for the causes of that very great esteem they are in , and that great veneration they have from their deluded proselytes , to whom as very many of those prophetick marks by which the hereticks of old are signalized by st. jude , are as pertinently applicable , as if those very persons had already antedated the great resurrection ; so this particularly that now we mention , the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 , having the persons of their leaders in a wonderful admiration . but , sir , before i enter immediately upon this task i have thought it might not be wholly impertinent , to vindicate this enquiry from those censures , which it will be most sure to meet with from others , when it is once discovered . and two there are that perhaps it may be assaulted withal . either first , that such an enquiry is useless , and the expence of precious time ( though i 'll assure you this hath not taken up much ) will lye heavy on him that pursues it . or else secondly , that it is allready obvious and plain , and he will but hold a candle to the sun that endeavours to account for it . these are the principal ( i am apt to fancy ) of any that we need fear ; as for any other little petty objections or clamours that ( its like ) these concerned persons would raise against it , we will wholly disclaim and relinquish our philosophy if we be much concerned at them . now for the assoiling the first of these , i will take liberty to assert , that certainly he is either a deeply interested person , or a very superficial speculator , that can have the confidence to owne it . for first a man without pretending any great spirit of prophecy may easily foretel , that while they possess this great esteem , they will most easily influence their people how they please . sir , it is a great truth , that the people generally judge by their affections rather than their judgments , and those whom they admire and reverence , they commonly pay an implicite faith to all their placits ; they will seldom be at the pains or leisure of examining things in their naked garbs , but usually go some nearer and easier way , and pass sentence upon them as they comply with , or dissent from their passions , and humours , and inclinations , or some external interests . and nothing is more easie to observe than this , viz. what a mighty influence the reputation of a speaker hath , in raising a ready admittance for what he delivers , into the minds of men ; whilst he that labours under prejudices , and encounters with a prepossessing disrespect , shall be little or not at all regarded in what he speaks , though he were as eloquent as tully . the same things delivered by different persons are very differently resented ; nay , many times a jejune and flat discourse from one , men love , shall be mightily cryed up , before the most excellent compositions of one whom they value not . and indeed , sir , it requires no mean stock of philosophy , for a man to free himself from such prepossessions , and to be able to receive a truth equally from all men . even the spartan lords , as wise and as grave as they were , yet if an useful truth were delivered by any of an ill repute , would have it repeated by one of a better esteem ; as if truth were not equally so from any men , but owed it's acceptableness to the reputation and credit of him that spake it . and therefore secondly , one of the surest ways and methods to reclaim their followers , will be by taking of them off from this high esteem of their leaders , and while that remains fixed , there will be little hopes of success by any other endeavour : in vain shall you endeavour to perswade men to disbelieve or abandon those , whom they have so dear an esteem and respect for ; it will be too difficult a task to bring them to believe , that those they so highly reverence , will ever be so basely unworthy , as to teach them untruths , or lead them into perdition . no , no , their love expects and hopes for other returns , and better usage from them . and this ( i am apt to believe ) will be sufficient to secure this undertaking from this imputation , at least in all sober and unprejudiced persons esteem . i doubt not but these men will cry out , we might have been better employed , and have exercised our deep reasonings ( for in such terms i expect their sarcasms ) in more profitable and useful theories . but so have i heard malefactors condemn and rail at the activeness of their pursuers , and assert they might have been more profitably employed than in their discovery and apprehension ; while others have applauded and commended it as hugely conducive to the weal-publick . and certainly those that consider this to be one great cause and origine of our present distempers , will think the endeavouring to obstruct it a very charitable design , and hugely contributive to the peace of the church . and i can sincerely witness that a sense of this was the only reason of this enquiry . nor secondly , is it any so very obvious and palpable a thing , as some would perhaps be apt to perswade us , but may very well require the pains of a close enquiror , rightly to state the reasons of it . and truly among the ordinary occurrences of things that we commonly converse withal , very few seem more odd and strange : for let us a little while , if you please , stay to examine the reasons , that in such cases are commonly obvious , and which the patrons of this second objection , doubtless would readily fix upon , and assign as the reasons of what we enquire now about . i will examine some of the principal ones , and endeavour to let you see , how wide they are in assigning any of them . . the first shall be the great learning of these dissenting persons , these great men . this you know , sir , is naturally accounted a very great adornment to any person , and consequently renders him 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 , some great one , in the esteem and thoughts of others . if we should narrowly search into the artifices and methods by which men have attain'd to honour and renown in the world , we should quickly be able to assert , that valour and learning have been the chief : these have been the two great engines by which men of brisker mettle have lifted up themselves above the rest of their brethren , and attained to shine in higher orbs than they . i am not concerned either to discourse of the first of these ( though perhaps some would say that they approved themselves good at the sword ) or to arbitrate on which side the degree of merit seems to remain ; whether the cedant arma togae , may be a text authentick . or whether the sword be not of solid and lasting metal , while the pen is but the excrescence of a rude soul. it will be more pertinent to remember you , how successful a reputation for the latter , hath been to the heathen priests of old in conciliating a reverence for them , from their poor blind ignorant proselytes , and how very sensible those men were that this alone was the secure way to confirm them in this gainful veneration . therefore were the heathen abdyta so industriously concealed from vulgar notice , and not a man admitted into their mysteries till after several years probation and study : as if no mean stock of learning were needful for a priest . and those few that we read of admitted into these arcana in any other method , were yet all of them persons whom common fame reported for great scholars . and truly if i should remark to you how well the gentlemen in black beyond the seas ( i mean the priests of the romish party ) understand this and how the great and only ground of their esteem and veneration among the admiring multitude , is their industrious endeavour by all means to preserve them sensible of their own great ignorance , and their leaders great knowledge : i should add another consideration to let you see how mightily powerful , a repute for learning is to obtain a veneration among the multitude . if this therefore were so eminent in these leading persons , if they alone were the masters in israel ; then i confess the wonder were less , and the evidence of this might superseed all further enquiry , and demonstrate it to be but impertinently busie . but , sir , i am willing to have so much charity for these men , as to believe they are not so much pharisees ( in this respect also ) as to stile all men but themselves , the populus terrae , qui nescit legem . and truly they would go near to exceed the pharisaick haughtiness , if they quite deny their brethren of the church of england any share with them in this jewel , nay would be much prouder than i dare judge them to be , if they grant not these the right hand of fellowship . i am far from aspersing them al as fools and idiots , i know some not unworthy to be ranked with the learned ; but i think i know some others , that have very little , but either a different garb , or a greater stock of boldness and confidence ( some would give it a worse name ) to difference them from the silliest woman among the croud of all their proselytes . and i am prone to think , that i could make some men blush ( but that they have abandon'd modesty ) if i should tell you , that despair of ever attaining any considerable preferment in the church , arising from the consciousness of their own mean parts , hath been the great impellent with some men to set up in conventicles , and offer themselves leaders of the factions . but i content my self to observe , that learning cannot be the cause of this veneration , for others both truly are , and are acknowledged generally to be as learned as ( or more than ) they are . and indeed it might most justly afflict us with great sorrow , if there were either no saints but amongst the philistines , or no seers but those that dwelt at ekron . . another amongst the common ordinary attractives of respect and love , is a charming benignity of conversation . nothing is more evident than this same ; the courtier commonly outgoes the scholar here , and you shall see men that have but studied , and are exact in the little modes and arts of pleasant and obliging converse with men , charm their affections , and endear their respects ; whilst others , though never so well accomplished and meriting otherwise , shall yet for want of this , be cast off , and passed by as rude or deserving at least but a common esteem . now , sir , i imagine , you ghess very little pains will be required to shew that these men are none of them masters of the ceremonies , nor the only endeavourers of men by a pleasing converse ; that they are masters exactly skill'd in all the cunning arts of close insinuation , will be easily granted them by any ; but those of the jesuitical faction , who may very reasonably pretend to be their equals , if not masters in this , as well as in some other procedures . but as for their outward converse , generally no men are more supercillious and stoical than they , nor more regardless of civilly giving respect to others . and indeed it were something strange if they should , for mens opinions and principles in religion do mightily influence their manners in conversation , and it will be rarely seenthat a man who is engaged upon a rigid censuring and condemning of others , is over-affable , and courteous , and obliging to his own : but these things ferment and sour his common carriage and deportment , and for the most part render it austere , proud , and harsh . i could easily give light to this observation from the platonists and stoicks in the heathen world , or ( to come something closer ) in the different tempers of the remonstrants , and the disciples of the idolized man of geneva . what calvin's temper was , to outward common civility , poor castellio can tell you from sad experience ; and truly i wish i could not also tell you , that he hath a great many disciples , the chief of these persons that we are discoursing of . now truly it will be no great wonder to see those men not very affable and endearing in their common carriage , who have infected their heads , by entertaining so harsh a notion of god almighty , as to imagine him to be the author of the horrible decretum . they may very well be austere and unpleasant in their carriage to men , who think they herein but imitate the god they adore . . another thing that might gain them a repute , would be the successful managing and maintaining of the beloved cause ; if they were victorious here , then 't were no wonder if they obtained ovation , or any more splendid triumph among their people : if they had captivated the ark of israel , or brought it's god as a spoil to offer unto their dagon , then we could not wonder to see the streets of gath doing them honour , nor to hear the daughters of askalon singing their 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 . for this ( all men know ) is indeed a very great endearing of a person to his party ; he that brings men victory shall be mightily honoured by them , let him be what he will in other respects . consonantly to which , we shall find that all victorious captains in the world have been entertained at their returns with joy and honour , and that not only among the barbarous nations , but the refined grecians , and grave romans ; nay if david be victorious against the philistines , the virgins of israel will sing his triumph . but , sir , i dare trust you or any impartial person whatsoever to umpire the contest , and tell who hath the better of the battel . any intelligent and unbiass'd judge will easily and readily give sentence against them . who seeth not how often , and how shamefully they have been non-plust and bafled ? who cannot tell you the miserable sad shifts they have been put upon , to give but any tollerable kind of colour to their cause , that every idiot may not perceive it ruin'd and undone ? let me see the man that ever yet found hooker to any purpose answered . and how vain and fruitless have the late attempts of dr. owen been against ( that wonder of his age ) dr. parker . who seeth not the main cause wholly neglected as invincible , while all the assaults are only made against the mistaken and misrepresented title of the book , or some other little things that are but accidental and beside the main matter ? and yet this ( we have heard ) hath been cryed up as a full answer by some of the party . but certainly 't is by the same figure , that he that thinks he hath surprised a few scouts , may be said to have conquered the whole army ; or in the same sense as the late king was reported overcome , and routed , when he disarm'd the forces of essex in the west . certainly if this be all the champions that they have , or all the force of that champion ( and i 'll do him the right to think they have not a better ) the dr. needs not much fear his being overcome , unless perhaps they have some other way of contending , which they hope may be more likely to prevail , as now we see the scene is changed , he that could not be disputed and argued out of his assertion , must now be laughed and jested out of it ; what the grave doctor could not do , the jester is set on to essay , the jack-pudding is set up in the room of his master , and the monkey 't is hoped may once again prove the abler physician . from sober words it 's come to downright raillery , and him whom they could not fairly conquer , yet at least they 'l curse and scould at . but if this be a victory let the cock clap his wings and crow as loud as he pleaseth . who that 's wise seeth not in this the desperateness of a sinking cause , and an acknowledged inabillity of ever fairly maintaining it ? this is the plain tell-tale of an impotent and enraged passion . if they have no spears now , but bitter words , they 'l not much ( i hope ) wound their enemy ; if these be all the arrows they have , let them shoot and spare not , they 'l do the adversary little injury , but like the parthian darts shot in anger against the sun , fall with the greater force & virulency upon their own heads . and now , sir , i am freed from these preliminary objections , and at leisure to come to a more close pursuit of our theam . i find nothing more in the way to hinder me from proceeding to a direct search into the causes of this affair . i shall assign four or five things , which ( when a little fully considered ) may be supposed to have an influence on this matter . . the first great cause th●●… i shall venture to assign hereof shall be this . a preaching up of an empty , formal , notional kind of religion , and causing and encouraging men to build their hopes of heaven upon very easie and pleasing conditions . if i can demonstrate these leaders to be guilty of this , i shall need be at very little pains to shew you , that even naturally they will be admired and honoured by their followers . for first , all men greatly desire heaven and its happiness , especially all men that have any tincture of religion . for religion being founded upon these two prime postulata's , the being of a god and the immortality of the soul , the very design of it is to instruct us how we may acceptably serve the one , and secure ( not only the present but chiefly ) the future felicity of the other . so that mens taking up a profession of any religion , is an evident declaration of their desires of a future happiness , which all men call the felicity of heaven , though they differ very much in the description , and character , and account that they give of it , and of the nature of its enjoyments . and for those that have taken upon themselves the profession of that only excellent religion , which from its great founder and author is called christian , and are but in any tollerable measure instructed in the principles of the same , for these to covet heaven , and the future glory thereof will not appear very strange to any that considers the endearing account and description that therein is given us of it . indeed the nature of it is so very excellent , so adapted to the satisfaction of a rational soul ; the degrees and measures of it are so very large , so fully commensurate to all the vastest capacities , the most enlarged and craving desires of that soul , that he must needs forgo himself , cast off all natural affection to his own being , turn savage and barbarous to his own nature , and be guilty of the grossest misanthropy imaginable , that doth not ambition , and covet , that 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 ( as the apostle most rhetorically terms it ) that weight of glory , that transcendant felicity , that no hyperbole can possibly reach the measure of . indeed we may with all safety assert , that the only bare naming of such a felicity , is sufficient to excite the desires and longings of the soul after it . when the will hath any excellent thing made known unto it , there will need very little more complementing or perswading it into a desire of it , than you would need to use to a pressing hunger , or an hydropick thirst , when those things were before them that they so gasped after . in short , that man must needs be brutish , more sottishly sensual than that great instance of sensuality esau , who doth not desire this great blessing of his heavenly father ; and he comes much short of the self-love even of the aramitish sorcerer that desires not to dye the death of the righteous , and that his latter end may be like unto his . — but sure there needs no great questioning this truth . and secondly , it is as certain and evident , that as all men desire heaven , so most men desire it upon the easiest terms , and least offensive conditions that may be : as it is with the merchants of earth , so 't is naturally with those that pretend to traffick for heaven , they would all gladly have very good pennyworths , buy as cheap as is possible , be at as little pains and labour for heaven as may be . and truly the humour of most men is such , that if god will not give them heaven , if he will not freely bestow it upon them for nothing , he may keep it himself , for their parts , they 'l never buy so dear a purchase . and as for the rest that seem something better than these , that perhaps may be induced to grant a necessity of doing something on our parts , yet the less that is , the better they are pleased ; if they must bear any yoak , by all means it must be light and easie ; if it chance to grate or press ruggedly , if it excoriate and cause pain , if it cross any lust , if it retrench any sensuallity , if it fairly consist not with the projected interest , if it restrain any wanton exorbitancy ; alas ! it's not at all fit for these mens shoulders , it comports not with their complexions , and is much too harsh for these mens tender constitutions . if it call for the amputation of a beloved member , if it require the discarding of an espoused herodias , it appears savage and cruel in these mens esteem , and they have a text against it , which shall be suborned to patronize their refusal to obey it . master spare thy self , these things shall not happen unto thee . and for the man that deals honestly with them , and roundly tells them , that without holiness they but in vain expect to see god , that he only is our great masters true disciple , that doth whatsoever he commands him : alas ! this man shall be looked upon under the same notion that our blessed saviour was by the demoniacks in the gospel , one that comes 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 , unseasonably to trouble , and disturb their thoughts , and shall be as ungrateful to them as a tormentor . but he that can reconcile paris and paradise , and render their sensual lives and great hopes consistent ; he that can sing one of the songs of sion to a wicked babylonian , that can preach up a possibility of leaping out of a dalilah's lap into the bosom of abraham ; oh no man hits their humour like this man. omne tulit punctum qui miscuit utile dulci. saith the ancient adage and be confident 't is so in this instance . he that will undertake to find out a way how the pleasant and good things here , may be secure of the better that shall be hereafter . how the merriments of the flesh shall hereafter continue , and commence raptural exultations and joys of the spirit . he that can take the bunch off the unjust rich camels back , and smooth it so , as easily to pass through the eye of the heavenly needle . he that can cut the gordian knot of duty , and solve the aenigm how a man may be glorious hereafter , without being vertuous here ; this man shall be the honoured oedipus , this shall be the apollo whose altars shall never be without incense ; this man shall be the alexander whose troops of adoring followers shall allways be full . we may without any great fear of censure , take upon us to tell those that deny these things , that they are unacquainted with the humours of men , have lived like so many recluses in caves or rocks , where they have come into no familliarity with things like themselves , yea that they are perfect strangers perhaps to their own tempers . and perhaps it may not be impertinent to the present subject , to remark to you , how plainly this humour still betrayed and discover'd it self in gods chosen people of old ; according to those memoirs that the holy ghost hath given us of them in those sacred inspirations of the old testament . you may ( with a very little considering of them ) discover , that the great business of the holy prophets , was still to beat down this fancy , and convince them of a necessity of moral righteousness , in order to true happiness ; to assure them that a few easie ritual observances was not all they were to regard ; and that the ceremonial sanctity was nothing worth in gods esteem , without the moral purity . and a very little conversing with those holy histories will let you see , what entertainment these good men commonly found for this truth and plainness . they were hated as enemies , and pursued as disturbers of their peace , a prison or worse was sure to be the fate of him , that cryed not still go up and prosper . alas these things hit not their humours , these were not stories complying with their tempers , and therefore the preachers of them were sure to find no very good entertainment amongst them . this the royal prophet isaiah ( we shall find ) takes the liberty freely to tell them , cap. . . . which say to the seers see not , and to the prophets , prophesie not unto us right things ; speak unto us smooth things , prophesie deceits , go ye out of the way , turn aside out of the path : cause the holy one of israel to cease from before us . which words ( without the assistance of any comment ) discover to us how little these people loved duty , how much they desired to be indulged and soothed up in their immoralities ; to have peace , peace cryed to them , notwithstanding all their viciousness ; and how the only way to be respected by them was to comply with their humours and beloved carnallities . and if you 'l please to consult the prophet micah , chap. . v. . you 'll find him charging them plainly with the same thing also . if a man walking in the spirit and falshood , do lye , saying i will prophesie unto thee of wine and strong drink . he shall even be the prophet of this people . no matter at all how true or false the prophets words were , if they were but oily and smooth , if they did but favour or countenance the beloved sensuality ; there was no man like him : this should be their beloved prophet . and consonantly to this you will find , that the false prophets easily perceived this humour , by all means complyed with it , and hereby obtained an esteem and veneration above any of the prophets of the lord. one zedekiah with these turns should push a thousand micajah's out of all esteem with ahab and his people . and that this was the gainful practice of these deceivers , we are assured ; therefore are they represented to us , as men that cryed , peace , peace , when their was no peace . thus they soothed and flattered the people , and the people largely rewarded them again , and there was no trade in israel sure to bring in more profit , than the sowing pillows to mens elbows , and preaching up doctrines that brought them ease , and yet promised them happiness . and if we a little further continue our course with these holy writings , and come to the new testament , we shall soon discover , that this also was the method by which the pharisees , those great doctors in israel , obtained such a veneration amongst the multitude : for though it must not be denied them , that they were extreamly strict and even critically austere in their carriage , yet this may safely be added , that all this strictness which they preached up , or practised , was only in very little , and very easie instances , such as were far enough short of any painful austerities , and might well enough consist with , and be performed by the most carnal and sensual complexions . for what great violence was offer'd to the adored mammon by tything a sprig of mint , or a pint of cummin-seed ? little loss could result from hence to the estate ; and who would not readily be just in these minute things that he might neglect it in greater ? what great austerity in fasting twice a week , so that a feast might be allowed to their lusts all the days beside ? what great difficulty in a long prayer , while that would presently be recompensed with the widows house ? what great hardship in washing before meat , while the soul was freely left to it's uncleanness ? what great unpleasantness in always washing when they had been in the market , all the while they brought thence such good pennyworths ? what course could be less contrary or afflicting to a scornful pride , than to take care never to eat with publicans and sinners ? and certainly the wearing broad philacteries , was no such mighty act of mortification , but could well enough consist with casting gods laws behind their backs . now no men were ever surer of esteem and honour from the multitude than these were ; no men ever hit upon a more certain way to be admired than they . for as strictness doth well , so if it be but in easie small things , it pleaseth too . this exactly suits with a man's humour ; for while the one ( i. e. strictness ) may a little quiet his conscience , so it being but in the other ( i. e. small trifling things ) secures his other interests also . this excellent knack both assures him a kind of peace , and yet offers no violence at all to his most vicious propensities . and now if after all these evidences , you 'll give me leave to add one conjecture i will tell you , that if all the causes why st. james his epistle was so long disputed , and with so much difficulty at last acknowledged for canonical , were closely inspected , i have often thought that something relishing of this humour , would be found among them . the solifidian errour had taken deep rooting , and made a large spread ( you know ) allready , in the followers of simon the magician and others , and possibly some dregs of it , might be in some others that wore the visor of true catholicks . now , sir , these persons very well knew that they had some little shew and appearance of ground for this so pleasing and bewitching a doctrine , from the acknowledged epistles of the great doctor and apostle of the gentiles , or at least there was something in them , that might easily be suborned to countenance the same : whereas now they must for ever quit , and have no tollerable salvo or argument for it : it being most clearly and irrefragably condemned by this most excellent and needful epistle . and now , sir , if these persons ( we have been discoursing about ) be not guilty of this fraud , if they have not trodden in this path ; i will dare to tell you , that none ever were or did . no men have more fearfully corrupted christianity , nor debauched it to the patronizing of wickedness and vice ; no persons ever preached up a possibility of salvation upon easier terms ; no men have ever given people ground to hope for the salvation of the spirit , with less pain and trouble to the flesh than these men have done . i do not intend to stay only upon the antinomians , and those various mad-sects that have sprung from them ; for here plain evidence of the fact renders needless any further depositions . never did hell vent an errour more pleasing to carnallity , than this , which at once evacuates the whole law of god , and declaims against any necessity of obedience to it : enervates all exhortations and motives to virtue , under pretence of a spiritual freedom ; and deliverance from any bondage at all . and with the like brevity i purpose to pass over the late sprung up and doting sect among us , called quakers , and their leaders ; men who have calculated a doctrine much what to the same meridian , that have taught people to cast off all respect to the law of god , as being but the law of a carnal commandment , ( say they ) and wholly to give up themselves to the conduct and guidance of a light within ; than which , there was never a fairer inlet offer'd to the spirit of delusion , nor an opportunity given to carnallity to consult it's own ease and safety , in debauching the natural light of conscience , and putting the reins into the hands and power of interest and passion , to corrupt and over-rule the dictates of reason as themselves please . neither do i intend to stay you any longer , with the consideration of the anabaptist and his crew . when i shall but only have mention'd that doctrine of theirs , that dominion is sounded in grace ; that the wicked of the world have no right nor title to any thing they possess or enjoy , but may very justly be dispossessed thereof by the saints , who alone are the heirs of this world , as well as of that to come ; you will easily perceive what a pleasant doctrine this is ; how subservient to their own interests ( for they alone are these saints ) and worldly designs , and how wholly destructive of all equity , and justice , and charity in the world. but i shall stay you a little longer with the two more considerable and formidable sorts of dissenters amongst us , who though more sound and orthodox in many things , yet ( i doubt ) will scarcely crush this guilt off their hands , nor approve themselves innocent in this matter . i will not here inlarge in shewing you , how they have dishonour'd the christian religion and brought a scorn upon it , in the sight of the world , by making it a stalking horse to the most unjust designs , and a cloak to cover the most horrid impieties and immoralities that the sun ever beheld acted upon the stage of any christian kingdom ; nay , that a modest heathen would have blushed at and detested . nor will i here take notice what a wretched influence this carriage of theirs hath had upon the opinions and practices of too many among us ; how atheism hath enter'd in at this door , men naturally casting off all honourable thoughts of religion , when they have observed these greatest pretenders to it , use it only as a cloak of maliciousness . i shall pass all these suggestions only with this wish , that the thoughts of these things may set close upon these mens souls and consciences . that which i am more directly concerned in , is to demonstrate my assertion , that these men have introduced into the world a notional religion , and preached up a possibility of salvation , upon very easie and pleasing conditions . and this i shall endeavour to do by two mediums and arguments . . first ▪ i could easily refer you to many of their printed books and sermons , in which it would be a very easie task to remark to you several things , which would clearly convince them to be men that regard not so much to preach the truth in sincerity , as to gull their auditors into an high esteem and admiration of them , by the pleasant notions that they treat them withal . but , sir , our late reading the excellent author of the friendly debate will spare me ( i think ) that pains , since the memory of those instances is yet i suppose fresh with you . i shall therefore only propose this to you or any other that will but read those things : whether ever any things were more plainly contrived to please the flesh ; to bolster up mens hopes of heaven upon easier terms , to decry and disparage the narrow way of obedience to christs commands , and indeed to supercede wholly any necessity of regarding any evangelical precepts ? he that but considers the inferences that the preacher there makes from that text , isah . . . he shall feed his flock like a sheepherd , he shall gather the lambs with his arm , and carry them in his bosom , and shall gently lead those that are with young ; which text yet he is not affraid to say the spirit of christ brought to his hands , and that his soul had tasted much sweetness by what christ gave in upon that subject . i say , he that but reads that stuff , i know not presently whether i should fay , it will more tempt his gravity to smile , or excite his passion to bewail the misery of those , that shall so attend to such an impostor , and the infelicity of the times wherein such shall be permitted to infect and poison peoples souls . would ever any but a madman , or worse , have given encouragement to people to come full of sin and wickedness unto christ ? and proclaimed his readiness of accepting all that can but cry meih , though never such great whores or swell'd with wickedness ? what excellent interpretations the flesh will make of such illation , is too too easie to predict . and indeed the effects have answer'd the probabilities ; men have learned an art of believing they shall be saved and accepted by christ , if they can but hope lustily , though they be never so notorious workers of iniquity ; nay the bigger they are with sin , the more acceptable they shall be to him . and little better inferences can be made from that other so famed a person , that the same author instanceth in : for gods sake tell me , what sense can be made of all that canting , of running to the promise , and sucking of the promise , and lying flat upon the promise , when there 's not one word of attending to the condition of it , so much as hinted . or what inference ( i pray ) can be drawn from it , but this ? that if a person can have but the courage , to venture boldly upon a promise without more ado , he shall be accepted by christ jesus ? there is no doubt , sir , but these precious promises are the christian 's great treasure , his stay and his comfort . but surely he that honestly directs people to affiance in them , should inform them that these are but conditionals , and 't is folly to expect the performance , without regarding the terms upon which that is made : that it will be found at last a damning adultery , to hug and caress the promises , while men regard not at all the precepts , but willingly pass them by , and leave them to neglect and oblivion . now , sir , that these things are truly and justly charged upon these persons , that author makes sure and evident , by referring to the very book , and page wherein such things and words are found . and if any man require more instances of this fact , i could easily quote him , men of great reputation among them at this day , who either are yet alive , or whose memory is held precious by them . but because i intend but a letter to you and not a treatise , an hours divertisement upon this subject and no more . i shall pass the instancing at large in so many printed sermons and licensed books of theirs , as i easily could . and . secondly propose to your thoughts , and your companies notice , the consideration of some remarkable doctrines that lye sparsedly up and down in these books . and first what think you of the great pains some have taken in perswading people to look to their election ? and endeavour by all means to secure that in the first place ? and of the great motive added to enforce this perswasion ? viz ▪ because then their greatest work is done in a manner , their great fear is over , for then they are safe ; they need never doubt any danger of falling away ; they need not be further troubled , for their sins shall not , nay cannot prejudice them , and however it is at present , yet the event at last will be certainly joyful . i condemn not all preaching about this matter , but i would have it done in the apostolical method : first , mind people of their calling , perswade them to adorn that , to walk answerable to the rules and purposes of that , and then tell them if you please , that by this means they shall assure their election . let them not trouble themselves so much to pry into gods secrets , as betake themselves to their own duty . he that walketh humbly with his god , and through his grace continueth in the paths of mercy , and righteousness , let him not doubt , but he shall be safe , and his name found written in the book of life . this procedure were christian and honest , when the other is directly conducive ; first to nourish a needles curiosity , and bold groundless presumption , and afterwards to cause a careless remissness about any thing further . but i wish this were the worst , they were chargable withal . what think you of the accounts we have from these men of the business of justification , by a bare empty faith ? a faith that is to do no more but barely accept of christ , and boldly lay hold on his salvation , and strongly believe it self justified ? how often have you heard that abused text of st. paul , rom. . . suborned to patronize and defend this loose doctrine ? he that worketh not , but believeth on him that justifieth the ungodly , his faith is counted for righteousness . what wild and horrible inferences have we known made from these words ? how often have we heard the faith of abraham , in that particular act of it , the believing against hope , made a pattern and president of the faith that justifieth ? and this inference made from it , that a man must believe to be pardon'd even against hope , i. e. he must firmly believe he shall enjoy all the blessed priviledges of christs incarnation , passion , resurrection , and intercession against all imaginable probabilities ; contrary to all rational grounds of hope , and indeed wholly contrary to all the fixed orders and laws of christ jesus : as if that faith that could believe impossibilities were the the only saving one . if this be true , what can the most sensual sinner desire more ? who is he that will breathe after an active faith , such an one as is to work by love ? which the same apostle calls keeping christs commands , and without which he counts all faith vain and damning . and indeed he is told by these men , that such a faith is needless , all the work of faith is only to believe that christ hath done all for him . you know the book in which these things are 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 asserted , and if any require it , i shall quote the place of it , and yet this book is printed with the particular commendams of mr. caryll , mr. burroughs , mr. stronge , mr. sprigge , and mr. prittie , all of them considerable persons in their party ; and i cannot omit reminding of you , what an honourable title it hath usurped : no worse i assure you than the marrow of modern divinity . and consonant to this tenet , you will find some other pieces of these mens divinity , as that , ( for example ) that good works , holiness of life , the vow of obedience , &c. are not at all necessary as to the business of procuring salvation ; but yet indeed ( for meer shame will force them to say something here ) they will follow in the justified person by way of gratitude , and upon that account the man is obliged to them ; but otherwise the great benefit depends not at all upon them , but is allready , before any of these things can be thought on , done for him . just as the ten lepers ( you know ) were equally cured , though but one returned to give thanks to his physitian . and truly , sir , if this doctrine be allowed ; if all the obligation to holiness be only ingenuity , let men be but assured that this cure shall be wrought for them , leave but the return unto their generosity , and i dare secure you , the odds shall still continue , and for one civil and grateful samaritane , there shall allways be ( at least ) nine unthankful jews . and no very great matter if there be so , for in these mens opinions even this ingratitude shall fix no great guilt upon the man , nor at all hazard his damnation . and what do you think the reason is ? why a goodly one truly ; god seeth no fins in his people , and this is maintained from the words of the eastern conjurer , he hath not beheld iniquity in jacob , nor perverseness in israel . and upon this account it cometh to pass , that the grossest acts of wickedness , such as in another man deserves no favourabler a character than damning impieties ; yet , when committed by those that can by this faith believe themselves saints , shall pass under the fine name , of the saints infirmities , unavoidable slips , and such as the lap of christs merciful mantle will easily cover , and conceal from the eyes of his heavenly father . and here i cannot forbear transcribing to you one passage out of the lately mention'd book . you shall find the good evangelista instructing his neophytus in these words . in case you be at any time by reason of the weakness of your faith , and strength of your temptations , drawn aside , and prevailed with to transgress any of christs commandments , beware you do not thereupon take occasion to call christs love to you into question , but believe as firmly , that he loveth you as dearly as he did before you thus transgressed : for this is a certain truth : as no good in you , or done by you , did , or can move christ to love you the more , so no evil in you , or done by you , can move him to love you the less . i pray , sir , tell me , is not here an excellent evangelist ? i dare assure you none of all the four in our bibles are like him : indeed these words need no comment , it will puzle the devil to invent plainer , or those that shall more strongly nourish profaneness and presumption . these will easily reconcile saintship and the grossest impieties , and render men prone to believe , that the most detestable crimes cannot blot their evidences for heaven ; seeing these may be but the stains of beloved sons . and , sir , if you consult the th . page of the evangelium armatum , you 'll find the author quoting the words of a greater person among these men , than ever the author of that book was , whose assertions there , can by no art whatever be construed to any better sense , than the former . where , drunkenness , nay this often repeated , lying , rash unchristian rayling , disobedience to superiours , schism , sacriledge ( i. e. wronging the church ) are asserted to be consistent with true grace , and competent to a truly godly person . nay a man must exceed peter's perjury , lot's drunkenness and repeated incest , solomon's gross idolatries , and strange uncleanness with . wives and . concubines , or else not merit the name of a notorious ungodly person . and now , sir , if these things be true the daughters of gath may well dance , no philistine needs fear the divine vengeance . these things are evidences too clear of what i contend for ; and yet ( if you 'll promise to have patience ) i 'll cast in some others more . and what say you to this doctrine in the first place . that a man may safely follow providence contrary to some known precepts ? and that god many times calls his people , by some signal acts of his providence to follow him in untrodden ways , nay prohibited paths ? no consequence was ever safelier drawn from any position , than this may from this doctrine , viz. that it is lawful and just to venture upon a forbidden action , when providence offers a fair and safe opportunity , and a promising success . what is this but even the old pagan maxim , that even tully himself detests . prosperum scelus vocatur virtus ? and god must needs be thought to approve that , which in his wise providence he is pleased to permit to attain success . how often have we been told ( in some solemn sermons of thanksgiving before the late long parliament ) by those great masters in israel ( for none else ever preached before them at such times ) that now god had plainly decided the controversie , and all might see ( but the obstinately blind ) who had the juster part of the quarrel . you will find the learned hammond purposely writing a treatise against this fancy , and all men might see that there was a cause , the doctor did not feign an antagonist to combat withal ; for this goliah had challenged all the armies of israel . now certainly , sir , it must needs appear very strange , that those men who had not only renounced heathenism , but undertook to reform the very best reformation of christian religion , should yet so plainly discover themselves to be turks and pagans , as they did in this instance . who , by vertue of this doctrine , may not warrantably undertake any thing , that he hath any tollerable hopes of being able to perform ? this will secure and justifie the violation of all law , all justice , all equity , where a great advantage seems to encourage . neither need any of these mens proselytes doubt whether he may make this illation or no ; for even these his leaders have made it for him , and warranted his logick in it . you have heard of one of them encouraging the parliament and city to those facinorious barbarities , in these words . let no law hinder you , si jus violandum , if law be broken , it is for a crown , and therefore for religion . as if success in that would hallow any immoralities done for it , and that it was but weakly said of job , that men might not lye and speak wickedly for god. and again , that which is best , though evil , will be counted good after reformation as he is counted innocent who escapes at tryal . no matter though the action be never so evil now , yet when it hath attained it's designed end , it will be allowed and praised . give me leave , sir , to acquaint you with another pretty invention of these casuists , than which the mystery of jesuitism never invented a neater , to warrant any vice ; it 's a distinction of the great marshall's , before the house of peers . the question proposed is about the legality of taking up arms , i. e. against the king , for that 's the intent of it . he had been acquainting them with the successfulness of the churches weapons of old , prayers and tears , &c. from which he brings in the doubting christian as taking advantage , to argue against the lawfulness of using any other weapons now . to which he very gravely with a profound dexterity answers , that christian men might be considered in a double capacity , as christians , or as men. now as christians ( he grants ) it unlawful to use any other arms ; but as men they might safely do so . we use no other weapons than these we have told you of , as we are christians . these only are proper and peculiar to us as meer christians ; but the weapons that we enjoy as we are christians , do not deprive us of those we enjoy in the capacity of men . and we challenge in this no more , than we might lawfully use , if we were papists or turks , if we were pagans , jews , or indians . and truly , let me tell you , in this he speaks a great truth , let men be turks , pagans , or infidels , nay devils , they can do no worse , in this truly they quite put off the habit of christians , and shew clearly 't was the devil that appeared in the mantle of the prophet . how happy were all profligate christians if this plea or salvo would hold ! what a fool were he that could not tell god almighty , that his debaucheries and villanies were not committed by him as a christian , but as a man ? and therefore though the man were culpable , yet the christian was innocent and might be saved . tell me soberly , did you ever in all your reading , meet with a quirk of more mischievous consequence to all the purposes of goodness and vertue ? or which might with more ease be extended to the excusing and defending of any or all the grossest anomies , that ever were or could be committed by any that can but call himself a christian ? well fare thee marshall , say i , thy disciples may well thank thee , and celebrate thy memory ; never man smooth'd the way to heaven more than thou hast done ; never might a conscience be quieted upon easier terms . thou shalt never be called more the geneva bull ( by my consent ) that only leads the herd to water ; but the monoceros rather ; dip but this horn into any water ; and all may confidently drink of it without fear of poyson ; this will make any thing wholesom . and yet , sir , as excellent a salvo as this is for a troubled conscience , i think i can tell you of another that cometh very little short of it . it is that which the most excellent author of the decay of christian piety among us , hath taken notice of for us . and that it may loose nothing of its native elegancy and weight by my imperfect reporting of it , i shall borrow his own words to express it in . i shall refer it to consideration , whether that method that hath been used to quiet some consciences , be not apt to stupifie more , when i see one who from his present reigning sins , regularly infers the illness of his state , that is yet by his casuist diverted from that prospect , and bid look back to see whether no part of his life afforded any evidence of true grace , and if he can but remember any such time , is warranted to make that his epocha from whence to date his infallible assurance ; is told that that immortal seed though it may be covered , yet cannot be choaked , but will most certainly spring up into eternal life . when i say , i see this easie remedy prescribed to his fears , 't will be obvious for me to compound my self a remedy from the same ingredients , to fix my eye upon some mark of regeneration , which at some time or other i either have , or phancied to have had upon me , and with the stedfast beholding of that , as of the brazen serpent , be fortified against all the venom of my fiery lusts . cast in this one stick , and with it sweeten all the waters of marah , secure me against all the bitter effects of my present guilts . i need make no addition to this good mans complaint , we shall not need to call in the help of any augur to tell us , what a fatal influence this is probable , nay certain to have upon mens practice . for who is he whose conscience hath been always so callous , as not sometimes to awake him , and put him upon sorrow and holy resolves ? where 's the sinner to be found , whose paroxisms have been so constant , as never to afford him any lucid intervals ? it will be a difficult task to assign any such an one especially when we call to mind , that even a pharaoh , though the signal instance for hardness of heart ( by reason both of his own natural resolute wilfulness , and of a further degree , super-induced upon that by a just punitive act of god ) yet at some times appears as a real convert , confesseth his sin , deprecates the justly deserved wrath , promiseth amendment for the future , and begs the holy mans prayers for the obtaining of a blessing . it is scarcely to be imagined , but that the most prodigiously profligate christian , can call to mind sometimes , in which some better things have forced way into his thoughts . and if he can do this ( in these mens divinity ) he is safe , the seed of god remains in him , this may suppress all fears of his present guilt , or future danger , if he can but sit still , and be content , god will in time work his own work , and he may rest assured that he shall at last become an accepted saint . but yet this is not so easie a way to conclude a man in the possibility of saintship , but yet i can represent to you another as easie that will clearly evince the actuality , and prove a man really to be a saint allready ; and that is a stout opposing of babylon , and seperating from the communion of sodom . i will not stay to observe to you that the great charity of these men could afford no better names than these , not only to rome , but to their mother the church of england . she was spiritual sodom , the babylon out of which the saints were to flee ; her liturgy as bad as the mass ; her priests , priests of baal , and dumb dogs ; all her ceremonies plain rags of anti-christ : and the whole constitution a limb of the beast , and the mystery of iniquity . that which i am more concerned in , is to let you understand not only what a necessity hath been preached up of opposing this whore , and flying all communion with her , lest men pertook of her sins ; but what great weight hath been laid upon so doing : this hath been sufficient to assure saintship , and to evince a man an undoubted child of god. he that could have given but some considerable evidence of this , but especially of his having been any way instrumental in pulling down the walls of this babylon , of assisting and promoting the cause , of helping the lord against the mighty . i say , he that could but produce any evidence of this , in the late times , needed plead no more for his canonization . one such heroick act of piety as this was as effectual to obtain his being cryed up for a holy saint , amongst these men heretofore , as two or three counterfeit miracles and a large sum beside could be to obtain a mans being canonized in the court of rome . this was esteemed so meritorious an act as would ( without all doubt ) attone and expiate all other crimes . this holy zeal would not only bring a blessing upon the phinehas himself , but entail it also upon his whole house , and obtain it the name of a very godly family . one signal expression of this love to their poor sion , would certainly cover a multitude of the greatest sins . it will be needless and troublesom to you , to refer you to all the places , in which this is laid down as a sure mark of a saint , i will only tell you , time was , when no less persons than the great mr. love , and mr. calamy pleaded it as marks , the one of his integrity , at his tryal , and the other of his 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 , in his apology against mr. burton . and the author of the debate , you know , offers to make it evident , ( and if he did not , another easily might ) that the taking the solemn league and covenant was made generally a sign of holiness , and those looked upon as the dogs of the world , not worthy of the ordinary crums ( the common benefit of the law ) that refused to swear to it . i am apt to imagine you will look upon this as an extra-canonical rule to judge saintship by , and such as our great master no where gives the least warrant for , or intimation of . and indeed 't were very strange if he should ; pride and covetousness , and a greedy revenge might as safely be put into the saints evidences for heaven , as this . for i dare assert it no impossible thing to demonstrate that some one , or all of those , have been the common causes and parents of this . some men were too proud to brook superiority , and some were covetous , and the church was thought too rich ; and some had missed preferment ( as 't was once told the great calamy ) or received ( as they thought ) some other injury , from the church , and to revenge these ( as arrius and novatus of old ) resolved to work ( to their utmost ) her final ruin . and truly the temptation was fair , since that was the charecteristick note of a saint and true son of israel ; and the way to secure a better name , than either son or daughter of the church could enjoy . certainly if this evidence were real and infallible , they had a mighty multitude of saints , and more than any sober man can possibly grant them . and ( to conclude this reflexion ) if this be to be a saint , sit anima mea cum philosophis . i shall not stay you longer in instancing in other pretty doctrines of theirs , as the absoluteness of the promises , than which , never was a fairer inlet for a bold inert presumption . the recumbency and rowling upon a naked christ , than which ( as the people understood it ) never was a doctrine better fitted to cry down ( or dispense with the neglect of ) any great care of real holiness . i am afraid , i have tyred you with these instances already , and given you too much cause of sorrow , that ever they should find patrons among those that called themselves of the reformed religion . i shall therefore add no more , but only two short intimations ex abundanti . . and first of all i shall confidently dare to tell you , that for one sermon of obedience , i will shew you twenty of faith ; for one sermon that you can shew me preached by these men upon gal. . . i will shew you ten upon that rom. . . for one sermon of justice ( unless in that horrid notion , in which 't was cryed for , and preached up against the earl of strafford , the archbishop laud , and at last against the best of kings ) of mercy , of walking humbly with god , of abiding in our own calling , and doing our own work ; of meekness and studying to be quiet , &c. i will undertake to shew you forty against cursed neutrality , against laodicean lukewarmness , about the marks of saints , about the excellency of faith , about getting into christ , &c. some of which seem to establish wickedness by a law , and none of which teach men a necessity of practical holiness ; but prompt them to a new formal kind of religion , and an easier and nearer way to heaven and its bliss , than ever the former ages knew of . i know these persons ( if any should ever chance to see these papers ) will be forward to justifie some of these subjects , that i seem to accuse their sermons for treating so commonly of ; and so will i also , but it is with this limitation , provided that they dwell not thus in generals , but proceed plainly to the particular ways and methods in which such duties are to be done . god forbid , that either you or i should be thought to be persons that condemn all preaching about faith , and all perswasions to people to endeavour to get an interest in christ jesus . no , sir , i know these are needful and wholsom theams ; but what i condemn is mens roving in general about these things ; which indeed may work upon mens passions , heat their heads , but not at all rightly inform the judgment , nor benefit the life of action . what benefit gain i by hearing a loud harangue about the excellency of faith ? the happiness of being interested in christ ? while i neither am told the true nature of the one , nor directed to the right and proper means of obtaining the other ? and here , sir , there comes into my head , an advice which the late famous bishop of down gave his clergy at a publick visitation ( it is printed with many others , which i heartily wish all our spiritual men would diligently peruse and regard ) very pertinent to our present business . do not spend your sermons in general and indefinite things , as in exhortations to the people to get christ , to be united unto christ , and things of the like unlimited signification . but tell them in every duty what are the measures , what circumstances , what instruments , and what is the particular minute meaning of every advice . for generals not explicated , do but fill the peoples heads with empty notions , and their mouths with perpetual unintelligible talk ; but their hearts remain empty , and themselves are not edified . there 's a great deal of spiritual prudence in the advice , and truly as much truth in the reason to enforce it . generals affect very little , and to talk of getting into christ , and rowling upon christ , &c. is but like shooting at rovers , which indeed may exercise peoples eyes , divert them a little while , find them something to talk high of , and contend about , but very rarely or never hits the true mark . let them but treat of these things , according to the precedent advice , and they shall never find me in the number of their accusers . but otherwise i shall take liberty to tell them , that these being handled in the common usual method , serve but to entoxicate peoples heads , and divert them from the main and great business of religion , which is keeping the commands of christ jesus . i can scarce forbear here to acquaint you with another pretty practice of these men , and that is , the judging mens sanctity , the truth of their regeneration , by a certain mode and form of speaking . i do not mean the dramatist's twang of nose ( though you cannot but have observed how modish that was once among the saints , and you know the doctor at oxford we once counted perfect in it ) but a peculiar way of wording things : by which men should be judged by them , as the gileadites discovered the children of ephraim of old by shiboleth at the passages of jordan . i know the man ( and could bring him to attest what i am going to tell you ) that having before the late pack of fryars , given a handsom and rational account of his conversion , was nevertheless dismissed without satisfaction , or any hopes thereof ; 'till he was instructed by one more ingenuous than the rest ( and afterwards by good fortune made his friend ) what the reason was ; which was this . what he had delivered to his brethren was fair and plausible , but it took not , for want of being worded in the sanctified language ; for whereas he discoursed of christ jesus , and his saviour , &c. he should have said the lord christ , the lord christ , &c. which when he readily used the second time of audience , he presently passed , and was accepted as a saint of the right fashion . sir , what consequences may be drawn from these things , will be evident to the meanest logician , viz. that these men strangely debauched christianity , and had other measures to judge themselves and others by , than those in the gospel . but this is not . the second thing i purposed to advert , but this , upon this account you shall find those men openly traduced , publickly defamed and opposed ; who honestly pursuing and designing the interests of mens souls , and keeping close to the great maxims and design of christianity , have bent all their endeavours to plant a real holiness in men , and taught them , that all expectations of a future happiness without it , were groundless and vain . i will give you two instances of this , which i know you will remember . one is dr. hammond upon the writing of his excellent practical catechism . if you consult the printed papers between him , and mr. cheynell , you will easily find what the chief matters of controversie were . the learned catechist is for exalting the evangelical precepts , and asserts our saviours setting the former commands at a higher pitch , as requiring a more sublimited degree and measure of holiness and righteousness , than ever was called for under the judaical oeconomy . and in this he shews himself not to be singular , but consonant to the whole stream of antiquity , as his many quotations make clear and evident . now what good christian will gainsay this ? or quarrel with the good man for asserting of it ? yet this doth mr. cheynell , for fear ( forsooth ) lest the law of god should be disparag'd hereby ; which david voucheth to have been pure and perfect . and so doubtless it was for that dispensation , till the fulness of time for a further and clearer manifestation was come . another contest is about the business of justification , and whether the catechists doctrine in that particular , or mr. cheynell's , be most conducive to the real purposes of holy living , or evacuating the necessity of evangelical sanctity , i shall readily trust you or any considering person to judge . but i am sensible i should be railed at as injurious to mr. cheynel and the party , should i not tell you , that besides these , there was another matter controverted in those papers , which was about the prime notion of the third precept . where the doctor seems to allow a greater liberty of swearing and profaning gods name , than mr. cheynell . but as to this , it is easie to observe that malice only framed the accusation , of which the doctor sufficiently clears himself , and his whole doctrine in all other instances , may assure and warrant any mans safety , in becoming his compurgator in it . i will not here add , what might be too justly charged upon mr. cheynel and that party , that their great care of that precept , and the two others , between which it is placed in the decalogue , will advantage them very little , towards being esteemed great pressors of holiness , while they appear so very regardless of the other commands of the second table . i will readily confess indeed , never any generation of men cryed out lowder against idoll-worship . never were there men that seemed more to fear an oath in ordinary converse ( though perjury were a small thing ) . never men appeared more sollicitous lest the sabbath should be profaned . but if you 'l not be satisfied with their respect to these three precepts , if you 'll not count them holy persons upon these accounts only , you shall scarcely have more ▪ nor any juster cause to give them that title , than you would have to call that jew an holy person , whose hands were full of bribery and blood , yet thought it piacular to pronounce the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 . alas ! sir , it s an old trick , and very few have been more prejudicial to the true design and purport of religion ; to seem zealous towards god , but regardless of men , to be mighty exact as to matters of piety , but quite neglective of honesty . and the reason may easily be ghessed at ; there 's little of difficulty , little of mortification , little opposition of a mans dear interests in these things , in comparison of what there is in being righteous , and just , and chast , and merciful , and charitable , &c. and therefore as of old , those engrossed the whole , the all of the jews care , as things that would expiate and attone ( they thought ) these smaller guilts ; so we have seen it of late amongst these people , no men have been more careful to appear splendid and famous for their piety towards god , whilst justice and charity , integrity and uprightness , have been neglected as absolute things , and no way becoming the new saints . another parallel instance i shall give you , is of mr. fowler in his late excellent treatise of the design of christianity . how very ill this book hath comported with the genious of these men , may be collected from the clamours raised against it : that it would be prejudicial to the merits of christ jesus , injurious to gods free grace , and would teach men to take off their eyes from christ , and to build their hopes of salvation upon their own endeavours ; and upon these accounts , and for these great reasons , a book must presently be written against it , to antidote the infection and poyson , that otherwise the people might suck from it . i am not concerned to shew you , how utterly causeless and unjust these surmises were , the gentleman is able enough to vindicate himself , especially from such accusors ; that which is more pertinent for me , is by this to let you see , which way the humour of these people leads . they had preached up a more easie way of salvation , but this book would discover and betray the imposture , shew the people , how they had been gull'd and cheated , and perhaps in time open their eyes and make them wise ; turn their present great admiration of these their leaders into a just indignation , and cause them in a little time to detest those as men not worthy to live , whom at present they can esteem little less than gods ; to whom they can readily sacrifice even all their goods . and ( to add a little more strength to this instance ) you know , we have been informed how mr. baxter hath sped among them , for daring to justifie the argument of that book . though ( methinks this may be said for him to his brethren , that he hath done it with as great caution , as many distinctions , as studious a weariness of wronging the palladium , as wit can possibly contrive . yet for all this even he cannot escape a suspitious censure . from whence 't is obvious to collect , that this is the noli me tangere , this is the talisman that secures the peoples affection to them . and therefore must with all possible care and secresie be preserved ; this is that great diana against whom not a word shall be spoken , but there shall presently be a tumult amongst these silver-smiths , who live by making and selling shrines of this great goddess . for , sir , i dare be confident and peremptory in this belief , that it is utterly impossible for any person of true christian principles to quarrel or be offended with the great assertion of that book ; but that other considerations engage men into an opposition of it , and particularly that which i have been all this while endeavouring to prove these men guilty of , i. e. the love of a dry empty notional easie way ▪ of religion . and this i assign as the first ( and indeed main ) cause of what we are enquiring after . in which if i have been too prolix , forgive me , and your trouble shall be shorter in the rest that follow . . another reason of this may possibly be a mighty shew of zeal in all religious performances . of this you will find these men always most careful ; and truly but for this there were nothing extraordinary in their religion ; nothing to tempt men into an admiration of it . and therefore by this they labour to conceal , or supply the defects and imperfections of it ; that what is wanting in substance and reallity , may be supplied by appearance and pageantry . how successful a method this is to captivate the minds of the people , he is of no observation that cannot tell you . pompous shews and fair appearances do mightily affect and work upon the multitude ; and more strongly enchant their admiration and charm their reverence , than the most solid and excellent things , when not attended with these advantagious representations . it was not without good reason therefore observed long since by tully ; and others before him , that gesture is the thing most principally to be regarded by an orator ; since a man that is lucky in that , and by it hits the humour of his auditory , shall prevail more thereby , than by ten of the most rational arguments , that he can fortifie his designed perswasion withal . the people generally judge with their eyes ; and the comedian too truly represents many as beholding with their mouths : and therefore cunning men use to intrap them by complying with this humour , by treating them with things gorgeous and fair ; and instead of dealing rationally with their judgments , entertain them only with such things , as may cause them to stare and admire , and by this means commonly are successful . you cannot but oftentimes ( as you have walked out into the fields about oxford ) have observed one pretty sleight that the fowlers have to catch larks withal ; which is , by fixing a red cross , set thick with little pieces of a looking-glass , near their nets , in a bright sun-shine morning : this mightily glistering , and casting abroad a mighty appearance , draws the poor lark into its admiration ; which while the poor bird stays to gaze upon , himself is easily captiv'd and made a prey . i know you 'l pardon the homeliness of the emblem ; for so have i seen the hunters for souls use a method not much unlike to this : which is , by all means to make a fair shew , a very great amazing appearance , which while silly people have stared at , they have soon admired , and by that means been easily ensnared , not only to espouse the errours , but revere and honour the persons of the subtil impostors . and that i may bring this discourse close to the present instance ; it is obvious to observe , that among all the instances of pageantry in religion , there is none that seducers have been more careful of , and successful in ; than a mighty loud zeal , and extraordinary fervency of spirit , in all their religious performances . in this ( you will find ) they have always endeavour'd to exceed the true servants of god , and thereby hoped to disparage them . let me present you with one instance of this , recorded in the old testament , it is the carriage of the priests of baal , in that famous sacrifice of theirs , wherein they contended for honour and respect with the prophet elijah , before king ahab and all israel . if you read the story ( 't is recorded kings . ) you will soon find , how for all the marks and signs of a great fervent zeal , they far exceeded even elijah himself ; who yet ( you know ) is looked upon as the great and chief instance of the zealotick spirit . they addressed themselves to the sacrifice with all possible signs of a great and grave seriousness , performed it with all the marks of a raptural transported zeal , continue their supplications several hours , even with the most passionate fervency , nay seem so far besides themselves by the vehemency of their zeal , as to cut and gash themselves , and turn cruel unto , and regardless of their own flesh : while on the other side , the prophet calmly betakes himself to the repairing of gods altar , quietly , and without noise orders his sacrifice , and offers up his devotion evenly , in a prayer more concise and short than that of our saviour . tell me , sir , which of these the people were most likely to slave at and admire ? sure it s no difficult matter to conjecture . how could they mistrust the religion of such zealous devoters ? how could they chuse almost but admire the zeal and fervour of such worshippers ? prefer these idolatrous priests , before the lords prophet ? and the glistering and amazing service and worship of baal , before the less pompous service of the god of israel ? if the succeeding miracle had not umpired the contest , i can easily foresee on which side the votes would have fallen . how well the ignominious name of baal's priests ( which with so much virulency they have cast upon the orthodox clergy heretofore ) may become these preachers themselves in other respects , i shall not contend ; but in this ( i fear ) you may truly say , ovo prognati eodem , they seem very near of kin , and both to have the same art and method of deceiving . what have you thought of these men , when you have beheld the strange antick gestures , the ludicrous postures of some addressing themselves to prayer ? the strange amazing violencies that some have forced themselves into , in that performance ? so as even to hale and gasp for breath at every period , while the poor admiring people below , have taken these for mighty agitations of the spirit , and been as ready to adore when the men came down , as the israelites were moses , after his glorious converse with god in the mount. how often have you seen a preacher heat himself , beyond the need of any vestments ? throwing off his cloak , nay and his gloves too , as great impediments to the holy performance , squeeking , and roaring beyond the example of any lunatick . sometimes speaking in a tolerable tone , and presently again crying out as if under some immediate distraction ? while the people with great amazement have gaped upon him , and when he hath finished , given him this honourable encomium , well , hee 's a rare man , a man mighty zealous for the lord , a powerful preacher , and one that hath taken abundance of pains that day ; to the cherishing and refreshing of whose wearied spirits , the female proselytes are commonly very actively contributive . if any man be so uncharitable towards me , as to imagine me an enemy to zeal in religious performances , upon the account of this period , or that this discourse intends the disparaging a fervency of spirit in serving the lord ; i shall take the freedom to tell him , he uncharitably mistakes both . no man more heartily wisheth , that all the clergy would be grave , and serious , and zealous in all their publick services , and you can witness for me how much i have lamented , and sometimes freely blamed some mens remissness and coldness herein : but this i will readily acknowledge to all such persons , that as i have an apostolick warrant for commending of zeal only in a good matter ; so i think i have the same , for requiring the expressions of it , in a due manner also , with which ( i am apt to believe ) the theatrical ludicrous postures of some men , do no way comport . . another thing that perhaps may be influential on this business , is a very great specious seeming sanctity in carriage , and common deportment . sir , the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 , the sheeps-cloathing hath always been worn by all the wolves that have broke into the church , and the spirit of heresie and schism , hath ever been careful to appear in the garb of an angel of light. if you should search all the ecclesiastical antiquities , you would constantly find , that allmost all the herisiaerks that have disturbed the church and its peace , have ever been extraordinary pretenders to sanctity ; sometimes in their doctrines , but allways in their carriage ; and under this vizard and disguise have done most mischief . for though all novelties are strangely taking with the inconsiderate multitude ( who are even naturally new-fangled and changeable ) yet when they appear thus dressed and habited , then they quite fascinate , and strongly charm their high opinions and admiration ; they are quickly drawn to wonder at and extol them . and truly when they are once brought into these circumstances , they are then as heated wax , ready to receive any impression , that their admired leaders shall please to stamp them with . this our great enemy knowing very well , hath taken great care allways to send forth his emissaries in this garb : and therefore , you know , the great apostle in his characterising of these factors , omits not , to put this into the description , that they have 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 , a very great and glorious form and shew of godliness . i shall not bring my charity in question , by disputing whether these persons 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 may not well admit the diminutive attendant 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 , or no. i am certain then ( if ever this came to the notice of any of them ) i should be exclaimed against , as a condemnor of the saints , and one that spoke against the generation of gods children . but this i will tell you , that if it be but a form , yet 't is well trimmed ; if all be only personated , the actors are excellent comicks ; if it be not castè , yet cautè it is ; if it be only a paint , 't is very lively : it would go near the puzling of you ( i think ) to instance in any pharisaick nicety in outward conversation , which i should not be able to match in these men . no men ever were better studied in all the little things that make a fair shew , in the sight of the vulgar , and carry with them any appearance of piety : no men ever were exacter at oral or gestural sanctity than they are . what their hearts are , god and their own consciences know ; we will not judge them . now , sir , i need not tell you , of what mighty advantage this is to them , in this instance of gaining respect from their followers . i wish that some of our own clergy , would consider how possible it is that some of them , may be contributive here , and how by their carelessness they become foils the more to set off their adversaries glory . it is a wounding spectacle to see the carelessness of some of these ; they little consider ( besides their own heavy guilt ) what cause they give these enemies to blaspheme their holy religion ; and what advantage those gain hereby towards the assuring their own dear reputation ; they greedily gape for these falls , and they know how there out to suck no small advantage . . another method by which these persons attract a great veneration from their followers , is , the suffering a seeming persecution , and that ( as they endeavour to make them believe ) for conscience and righteousness sake . among all the saints , whose names are eminent , and famous in the dyptichs of the church , there are none that have more justly been honoured with the highest eulogiums , than the holy martyrs , who have attested the truth of their holy faith by their own blood . he that can have the valour to suffer for his religion , is in the sure way to fame and renown amongst his party . now , sir , these persons appear evidently on the suffering side , and providence hath cast them upon acting the sadder scene ; the laws are something smart against them , and they may thank themselves for it . i wish they would thank the goodness of a merciful prince , who hath been pleased to suspend the execution of these laws against them , and keep off the penalties which they threaten to them . however this act of grace hath now rob'd them of this plea ; they cannot now sure call themselves the persecuted saints . but i must tell you , sir , you are deceived , if you think so . alas they are sufferers and the persecuted party still . are they not branded with the odious name of phanaticks ? of schismaticks ? and is it not as good allmost to take away their lives , as their reputation ? have they not , many of them , parted with good livings to preserve their consciences pure and untainted ? yes , and more of them than would ( we know ) had they not been trapan'd by the rich cabal at london , that could live without these livings ; and call you not this a suffering now ? yes and a great one too , here 's silence in heaven upon it , or at least they hoped there would have been . alas ! the ark is gone , and do not they suffer in its captivity ? this is a sore persecution , such as the revelation tells you was to befal the witnesses , and all that adored and followed not the beast . but , sir , if we grant them to be sufferers in earnest , yet surely we must count them but in jest , when they pretend it to be for righteousness sake . and yet so ( we know ) they do , and by all means endeavour to nourish this opinion in their votaries . they very well know , they have not a more plausible way , by which to assure the people of their integrity and conscientiousness , than this is ; for who can doubt him serious and in earnest for his religion , that will suffer for it ? what mad men were we ( i have heard some say ) to undergo these things , but that our consciences oblige us thereto ? so that you must needs believe them good men upon this account ; for they 'll forego any thing of worldly concern , rather than violate their consciences , and who must not praise and honour such devoto's ? alas ! sir , a considering person knows this to be a very fallible mark of integrity ; and it may safely be asserted , that it is possible , and common to some men to take a pride in suffering . we know that great instance of stoicism , possidonius , under the violent surprises of the gout ( and they say there are not many things more tormenting ) could cry out , quàm suave , quàm dulce hoc ! only out of pride that he might boast himself able to assert and maintain his own principles : and surely 't is as possible now for some men equally possessed with the same vice , to improve that vice to the same end , especially when the sufferings are much easiler tolerable , and the gratifications of the vice much more considerable . for none of the afflictions pretended to by these men , can be near so tormenting as his ; the persons are untouched , and there 's no fire nor fagot to torment : and while the stoick had but the content only to praise and extol himself , these have had multitudes to applaud and glorifie them for their great constancy ; yea and besides that ▪ to make up , by their large charitable contributions , all their losses . so that even their losses turned to their advantage , and calamy found three days in newgate ( as the ano-droll told him in effect ) more gainful , than half a years preaching at aldermanbury . so that now we have found out another vice , that may possibly be in this matter ; pride and covetousness too may have an influence upon some mens sufferings : and marvail not that i add this latter , for even covetousness sometimes may be contributive to a seeming lavishness , and no man needs wonder to see a man expend a hundred , when the interest is sure to be double to the principal . but , sir , i needed not to have taken any pains to demonstrate the fallibillity of this plea ; no matter to the multitude , whether it be for conscience or not , all the while 't is suffering , they examine not the justice or injustice ; they only slave at the sufferers ( though perhaps some might suffer as murtherers , or evil speakers , &c. ) and as long as this is for the beloved cause , they shall be no less than holy martyrs ; say you what you can even the late bloody regicides have been extolled by some , as champions of the cause , and ravilliack's name shall be rubrick in the jesuits calendar . . another thing that we ghess to have a causality here , is their continual applauding , and commending of their people , and crying them up still for saints . sir , men naturally love to be commended , and have good things spoken of them . and of all the noxious things that vain men are fond of ▪ flattery is one of the most acceptable . and truly it requires a greater stock and measure of sobriety and prudence , than the multitude can be thought to be possessed of , to suppress all tumours of pride , that are so mighty prone to arise upon a man hearing his own praise , and not to be mightily pleased , and tickled with the words of a parasite . i remember epictetus long since , hath laid it down as a mark of a great proficient in vertue : 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 . let a man praise and commend his vertue , he rather pitieth his ignorance , than proudly subscribes to his opinion ; and rather takes advantage thence to heighten his humility , for causing such a man to mistake , than gratifie his pride , as if he merited any such commendation . and truly , sir , he really is a very good man , who can improve his being praised to the advantage of his humility , and exciting of his industry , and avoid its blowing him up into a proud conceit of over prising his own excellency . now , sir , it seldom fares worse with flatterers than with their message ; he is counted a good and acceptable man , who brings such good and pleasant tidings , and men do not more delight to hear the report , but they have always as much kindness for him that tells it . it hath long since filled the hearts of good men with sorrow , and their writings are every where full of complaints , that dextrous parasites are allways the most acceptable persons to princes , and indeed to all men ; and therefore 't will be the lesser wonder , if they be so to the vulgar , who , as to the exercises of reason or wisdom , are but one degree only removed from children , to whom nothing is so grateful as fine words and fair commendations . and since we see great men so prone to be mightily pleased with the praises given them by those below them ( whose praises are rarely or never judicious , but ruled mostly by passion , or some fortuitous emergences ) it will be the less strange , to see these mightily tickled with the praises of their superiours . and indeed experience lets us clearly see , nothing pleaseth the multitude like flattery : a cunning man by this shall perswade them to more , than by twenty good arguments taken from conscience or duty . we have seen the successfulness of this artifice , in our late intestine wars ; how cunningly did those incendiaries complement , and seek by all means to please and flatter the people : vox populi was by them asserted to be vox dei , and the popular vogue was the determination and dictate of heaven . by this means you will find those primitive rebels in the camp of israel , easily draw the people to side with them , all the congregation was holy they were all gods chosen people , and therefore what had moses and aaron to do , to exercise dominion and jurisdiction over them ? and all successful rebells have ever gone the same way , and the church-mutineers have always found the method as successful as those in the state . now , sir , it is notorious to all men , how mighty civil these persons are to their people , how careful to caress all their followers with the glorious names of gods saints ; the lords holy ones , the dear people of god , the little flock , the lambs of christ jesus , the redeemed ones of sion , the true remnant of jacob , and the precious elect seed . the notoriety of this , will save me the labour of referring you to any books or sermons in which you may find these endearing compellations . and therefore i further tell you , that the only sure way for any man to obtain these honourable titles , is to join himself to their assemblies , for alas all out of these are children of darkness , the wicked of the earth , the sons of belial , and the seed of the serpent . we know their charity can afford us no better names : just so did the pharisees of old , mightily extol and honour their own disciples , whilst all men else in gross were but populus terrae , or the best man in particular but isle publicanus ; but these men are saints as soon as ever they are but of the godly party , i could tell you a story of a grave doctor , that for some months together , every sunday constantly prayed for his sick maid under no worser a title , than thy dear servant e. 'till at length the good saint was deliver'd of a fine boy , which some unlucky women swore was very like the father . now , sir , how mightily ( do you think ) must this courtship endear them to their people ? oh ! these fine names made a great noise in their heads , they could not but dance to such melodious ayrs ; and the men that would treat them so kindly , need never fear any ostracism , but should be sure to charm their greatest affection : nay , all they have shall be readily at such mens service , how can they grudge such civil gentlemen any thing ? he that can creep into the good ladies chamber , and there affectionately pray for her , as gods elect lady , his holy servant , his dear handmaid , and her religious and hopeful issue those tender plants of the holy seed , and polished corners of the temple , may rise up with confidence of her hearty thanks ; nay , may find he hath melted her heart into some yellow pieces ; as one of these once told a confident of his , who yet had not the grace to conceal it , but publish'd the saying to the uncircumcised . this is a civility and honour to their people , that you 'll scarce be able to parallel any where besides ; it far exceeds that of the papists to their most religious votaries : those seldom canonize any till after death , and they do wisely , because they can safelier fix on them miracles , &c. which perhaps themselves would have blushed at the forgery of , had they been living . but these men canonize all presently , they are all precious saints , as soon as ever they become their disciples ; and tell me then , doth not one good turn deserve another ? you might count them ruder than the boors of scythia , if they should not mightily honour such obliging and courteous masters . and now by this time , sir , i suppose i may have hired you , as well as my self in this inquisition , in which i do not intend to give you any further trouble , only let me for a conclusion add , that if these causes be rightly ghessed at and assign'd , there will these two or three observables be easily colligible from them . first , that the people have no such extraordinary great reason to honour these men , as perhaps they may imagine , and that they act very little beyond the weakness , and indiscretion of children in adoring of them . if their eyes ever chance to be truly opened , to see what true religion means , and what the real terms and conditions of salvation are ; they will find ( i doubt not ) that their leaders have abused them , and their teachers caused them to err . and then ( perhaps ) acknowledge they had no more true reason to honour these men , than children have to do the like to those spirits ( as we call them ) who entertain their eyes and phancies with some pleasant toys , 'till they have stollen them from their parents , and betrayed them into slavery . indeed if men love to be cheated , and can take a delight in being shamefully abused ; then i confess they may have cause enough to honour these persons , for they can fit that humour well ; but otherwise , if they be wise , and detest imposture , they 'l have little more cause to honour these as benefactors , and dispensors of true heavenly food , than they would have to do so to those , who , when they called for bread should give them stones , or when they expected fish , should treat them with scorpions . secondly , that these men themselves have no very great cause to glory in the acquist ; the applause of the multitude is in it self very inconsiderable , and no wise man ever made much account of it : but it is much less valuable , when t is fraudulently obtain'd ; the guilt in the acquisition , will quite damp and spoil the pleasure of the fruition . and certainly the joy in seeing the people very much pleas'd , will very poorly compensate the horrour , that must needs arise upon the thought , that god is most grievously provoked and offended . there 's a scripture , sir , that we have heard frequently in the mouths of these persons to patronize and defend some of their actions , i only wish 't were as much in their hearts to allay their pride in being thus honoured . whether it be just in the sight of god to obey men rather than god judge ye ; certainly reason would that men should ambition rather the honour that cometh from god , though the multitude were displeased ; than to gratifie the vain humour , and thereby acquire the as vain applause thereof , by offending of god. we find the apostle of the gentiles telling his galatians , that if he sought to please men , he should not be the servant of christ . i doubt some men might read their fate out of these words , and most certainly all may do so , who purchase mans applause by ways that christ hath not warranted . even in the midst of such laughter the heart may be justly sad , when it reflects upon the reproach , and ignominy , the confusion and shame , that will strike the epilogue to all these comick sports , and turn the peoples present admiring acclamations , into the most virulent curses and execrations for ever . were it not much better to be serious in preventing this direful exit , now in time ? by every man laying aside these poor low mean designs , and quitting that peevishness , and that pride that necessarily engage men upon them ? were it not much safer to cease quarrelling and disputing against things ( acknowledged by themselves ) indifferent ? the making vents , and schisms , and parties in the church , which must be acknowledg'd extreamly dangerous ? and resolve to join cordially with their brethren , in doing god and the church service , and bringing mens souls into a love and pursuit of true godliness , all which are also acknowledg'd absolutely needful ? this ( i should think ) were a laudable method to glory , a way to assure the honour that cometh from god , and only deserves that name : if they can out-strip their brethren in this procedure , let them ( say i ) have a benjamins mess and welcom . no good man ( i am sure ) would grudge them this honour , but rejoice to see them all have the reward due to true prophets . nay i dare be publick security , that hereby they should find ten times the comfort , that they can possibly in the present contrary method . one soul thus saved , shall gain them more true joy , than a thousand gain'd to their own party ; one man brought by them thus acceptably to honour and praise god , shall turn more to their advantage , than to hear a multitude canting their glory . . neither thirdly , need any of the other clergy envy them this painted glory , nor have much reason to grudge them this imaginary felicity . 't is what a wise man would not grudge his worst enemy living . it was a sad word which our saviour spake of the proud ambitious pharisies , verily i say unto you , they have their ▪ reward . and 't is all that men of the like spirit must hope for . and indeed 't is yet so very little that even envy it self cannot fasten one tooth on . let them please themselves therefore in the purchase , be thou quiet and patient , they will one day wish they had never known it : let the multitude of their followers sing their hosanna , be still , a day will come when their note will sadly change : let them triumph over thee as one much inferiour to them , do thou thy duty sincerely , they may chance one day to wish they were equal with thee . but of all things , i hope none of these will make so very ill use of this enquiry , as to endeavour gaining glory by the same methods , or pursue honour by making the same experiments . god forbid , this were the greatest injury possible to the design of these papers , and themselves too : if they should be inferiour to these in honour from their party ( as it often falls out ) yet they may have the peace and joy , of faithfully discharging their great trust , and enjoy the honour that cometh from god , which he will most certainly confer upon every true servant of his ; which the other may in vain wish for , when shame and despair shall period all their glory . but sir , my zeal here tempts me to be impertinent , as i should certainly be , should i presume to teach such grave persons . if there be any need of an address to them , or those of them now with you , the following discourse may well be looked upon under that notion , which ( according to your command ) i have ( with some importunity ) obtain'd of our friend , and now send you . i think it may pertinently serve as a seasonable advice to all clergy-men , how they may secure that glory that fadeth not ; to your desire of perusing which i now remit you , after this one request , that you 'l forgive this trouble i have now given you , and believe it to result only from that delight and pleasure that i take in any thing that may comply with your commands , and let you see how much i ambition the honour of approving my self , dear sir , your most humble servant , &c. a discovrse upon tim. . . to some of the clergy at a publick meeting . tim. . . and exercise thy self rather unto godliness . if there were nothing else to secure me , from being counted impertinent , in addressing to you at present from these words ; this were abundantly sufficient , that the great apostle thinks it proper to be one of the principal directions to his beloved timothy , among those many that he giveth him in this epistle , by which he fully instructs him how to deport himself , both in his private capacity as a christian , and also in his more publick , both as a priest and bishop of the church of ephesus . and as it relates to him in this latter capacity , i have determin'd to consider it at this time . but before i enter immediately upon it , there 's one word which will require me to stay a little upon it , in order to the acquainting you with the full design and import of this apostolical precept , and that is the [ rather ] here in our own translation . it is apparent to any one , it is not expresly in the greek 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 , so the words there are ; yet this we may say in justification of the version , that it is properly enough inferred from it . and the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 will well enough bear ▪ the force of it ; for when it cometh to be a comparative exceptive , as here it is , there is very little difference whether we express our selves , not this but that , or rather this than that . in the proceeding part of the verse the apostle is cautioning timothy against the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 , those vain , anile , trifling , foolish fables , either of the jews or gnosticks ; but as 't is most commonly believed , of the later , those great boasters of the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 , as he calls it , cap. . . science or knowledge falsely so call'd . men mightily opinion'd and conceited of their own great knowledge , by reason of their dexterity and readiness in mixing a great many of the heathen stories , with the christian religion , accommodating the fables of the one to the doctrines of the other ; and afterwards superinducing a necessity of believing those schemes or systems that they extracted out of this strange miscellany . of which wild conceits especially about god the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 , the angels the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 , the creation , &c. whoever desires an information , may have it in ireneus his account of the phancies of valentinus and his followers , or epiphanius , or s. augustine . but in none ( i think ) more pleasantly and fully than in that excellent piece of antiquity de gemmis basilidianis , retrieved by the great care and industry of chifletius . and i wish this charge were only to be brought against jews or gnosticks , but there are those will tell you , that others also may as justly be mentioned , as guilty of these adulterous mixtures , who have depraved the purity of the christian religion with the baser allays of heathenish placits . . and first , i may tell you , you will find this by many smartly charged upon origen , and some others that issued out of the alexandrian school , that great refiner and follower of the platonick philosophy : whose study hath employed it self so to accommodate the doctrine of christ to the rules and sentiments of that excellent athenian , that what was said of philo the jew and plato , may be said of the agreement made by those men between christ and plato , then 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 ; and yet there are some that will undertake so to vindicate origen from any crime in this , as to cause it redound unto his greater praise . . and truly to give every one their due , i am apt to believe that the like charge may as justly lye against another sort of men , i mean those voluminous triflers the schoolmen , whose industry hath fully as much adulterated christian religion , by tying it up to the rules and philosophy of the idolized stagyrite . this then may be the periphasis of the [ rather ] there are a great many of things in the jewish cabbala , and no less amongst the gnosticks and others , that carry the shew of pleasant things , and are hugely tempting to liquorish philosophical heads ; but behold i shew unto thee a more excellent way , let me direct thee to a more noble and profitable study . exercise thy self unto godliness . exercise . there 's the act enjoined ( if you require a division ) thy self , there 's the subject . to godliness there 's the object . though i will freely confess to you , i am no admirer of some mens dexterity in splitting hairs , but count all forced divisions needless , and often hurtful , as entangling the sence of plain precepts . and where there is not a necessity of them , in order either to explication , or methodical proceeding , i cannot but account them very impertinent . exercise , 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a word evidently metaphorical : there are two references of it sound enough ; for it either relates to the stripping , or to the fervency of those ancient racers and wrestlers , or other combatants for victory . in the first sence it calls for timothy's divesting and stripping himself of all incumbrances or lets in his study or practice of holiness , and particularly those vain trifling fables before ▪ mentioned and in this sense it may receive a considerable light from a parallel place , heb. . . 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 , laying aside every weight that might impede and hinder us in our agonistick course of piety and godliness . but the second reference is the more common , in which it calls for the most vigorous pursuit , the most athletick endeavours after godliness : be as sedulous and diligent after this , as those great masters of the gymnasia , required their scholars to be after learning . — and certainly the advice in this sence is very rational ; for if that of solomon's be so in the things of earth , whatever thy hand findeth to do , do it with all thy might , ( hoc age ) as the heathens worded it , certainly 't is much more rational in the things of heaven . and doubtless piety deserves our most intense and vigorous endeavours above any thing else , and the apostle gives a sufficient reason for this in the next verse , because it is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 , whereas the advantage of other things is but small , and that small portion but in a few instances neither ; this is greatly profitable , and to all purposes too . and doubtless all wise men will proportion the measures of their cares after things , according to the degrees of excellency that is in them , and advantage by them . and truly , brethren , were i minded to stay here , this would cast a very severe eye upon many in these days . not only upon the modish prophane atheists , the men that abhor the very shew of piety , have not so much as the hypocrisie of it . but also upon the laodicean indifference , and tepidness of most after it ; to whom s. ambrose's rule , immensitas est mensura , sounds like heresie : and truly godliness hath the meanest the minutest of the care of almost all men . view but mens carriage upon the sunday , when the great business of piety particularly summons their regards , and you 'll see those men taking their hours of sleep then , who will scarce allow their eyes a minute of it all the week after . come into the church , and you 'll find that vestal fire of zeal , which should always burn there , not so much as once kindled . not so much as the faintest emblems of it in many , and in the best , represented but by dull unactive tapers ▪ and i heartily could wish , there lay not a charge too justly against timothy also here , whose zeal and fervency in religious service should be that great flame , at which the lesser tapers of the people should take fire . i will not anticipate what would come in more properly hereafter . that i would willingly touch at , is indeed a great defect in the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 , our zeal in gods worship , and religious service ( not to detain you ) 't is plainly this , that careless posting over the service and prayers of the church . and give me leave freely to tell you my thoughts , the liturgy of the church of england ( that hath so often triumphed over the oppositions of all her gainsayers ) hath not worse enemies in the world , than these that carry the semblance of friends ; there cannot a more effectual course be taken to render it common and contemptible in the esteem of men , than what these men pursue . it will never be more wounded ( i mean as to losing its due veneration ) by the assaults of its open enemies , than it is in the house and by the carriage of these its professed friends . — but i pass on . exercise thy self . and truly when we have said all , this is the right method , if our saviour himself may be thought able to prescribe it , 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 , first cast the moat out of thine own eye , and then endeavour as much as thou wilt to help thy brothers . when thou art converted , strengthen thy brethren : be sure begin at home first . first love thy self , then extend thy charity to thy neighbour : do what good thou canst to others in gods name , but remember that unless thou dost good to thy self also , neither god nor man will count thee wise ; and sure no man can expect to be counted other than silly in the extremity , who lays out his care ( with the imprudent spouse ) to keep other mens vineyards , while his own is neglected , and exposed to ruine . the last thing is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 unto godliness , of which though ( we know ) all men can talk fast enough , and all sorts usurp it as the proper signature of their own party ; yet too plain experience let us see how miserably men mistake in the notions they have of it , and how sad and fatal the consequences of those mistakes are . some take it only to denote a little care about gods immediate service and worship ; and the consequence of this errour is , to see men saints on the sunday , and devils all the week after . others take it to import only a zealous observance of the precepts of the first table ; and from hence it comes to pass that piety is cryed up by those men who are wholly regardless of honesty , and men fall into the old jewish damning opinion , that although they murther , steal , commit adultery , and swear falsly , yet the coming into gods house , observing his sabbaths , and carefully worshipping of him , will easily attone and expiate the guilt of those immoralities . another sort of men take it only for a scheme of faith , and judge of their own and other mens godliness , by the mode and fashion of their religion . one man thinks he is presently holy , if he be of this way , and another thinks he is so , if he be of the contrary ; and the consequence of this is , to see men wear their professions , as the pharisees did their phylacteries , and the gnosticks their gems , as amulets and charms to secure them against the obligation of any commands . from whence it comes to pass , that saintship and the most prodigious acts of wickedness are easily reconcileable and consistent . and truly those that go beyond these , and grant godliness to include obedience to gods commands , yet are apt to halt and lisp here , and fall into another old jewish errour , that if a man do any one thing well , it is enough ; in complyance with which , men chuse out a few of the easiest things to perform , such as least thwart their humour , or cross their interests , and the performance of these ( they doubt not ) will hallow all their other neglects . and from hence proceeds the straining at gnats , and swallowing camels , the tithing-mint and cummin-seed , but neglecting the great important things of the law , because more unpleasing and difficult . it will highly concern us therefore , to settle such a notion of godliness , as may secure men against all these fatal mistakes ; and that we may do by expounding it so as to take in the whole matter of christian obedience , the whole syntane of duties , the combination of all those vertues , which our great master hath enjoined all his votaries ; and which the sacred idiom expresseth sometimes by holiness , sometimes by righteousness , & sometimes by both . and i understand nothing to hinder , why we may not so understand and expound it here . for though i know 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is many times taken to import the true and right manner of gods worship according to his word , in opposition to all idolatrous superstitions , and false worships among the heathens ; yet i know as well , that 't is oftentimes understood in a fuller latitude , as comprehending the whole duty of a christian man. and therefore the syriack interpretor translates it here justitiam , and st. chrysostome expounds it to denote vitam rectam , as well as sidem puram . therefore may it well be called godlikeness , endeavouring to be pure as god is pure , to transcribe the divine perfections , and vertues , truth , justice , mercy , and charity , according to the utmost of humane possibilities . upon which account i suppose it is , that holy men are said to be 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 , pet. . . and yet if we understood it here in the first and stricter sence , without much straining , it would draw in also this later , for certainly that man worships god best who obeys him most , and in vain do we the first if we neglect the latter . it is the sacrifice of the just that pleaseth god , whilst that of the wicked is abomination . even nature hath taught the heathen that the sacrifice of the guilty person is but 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 , suel only to the flame , but not at all acceptable to the gods ; and it is known to have been a common speech among the pythagoreans , 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 . our persons by godliness hallow our gifts , and not our gifts our persons . and now i will suppose you have the full import of this apostolical direction , which though given to timothy , may yet by a just and warrantable analogy , be extended to all clergy-men after him , enjoining them the exercising themselves to godliness . there are two instances in which the exercise of this is required of us ; and when i have acquainted you with the reasonableness of its being required in both those , i have finished the trouble ● intend your patience at present . the two instances i mean are these . our publick preaching to others , and our own life and conversation with others : endeavour by thy doctrine to plant and promote it in others , and be sure to practise and exercise it thy self . . we should earnestly endeavour to plant godliness in others by our doctrines , making this the great end of all our preaching , designing all such our publick discourses towards the implanting of true holiness in our hearers . . for first of all ; this is certainly to do them the most real good . that the great interest of souls doth depend on holiness , and , that the happiness of them is not attainable without it , is a truth so clearly asserted , and so frequently attested in the sacred canon of our faith , that i dare take the confidence to tell any that doubts of it , either that he 's wholly a stranger thereto , hath very little conversed therewith ; or else hath taken a great deal of pains to misunderstand it . and doubtless it requires some considerable industry , for a man so far to debauch his conscience , as to be able to withstand clear convictions , and to suspend its assent to such clear and evident assertions of the almighty . and truly though a man came to consult the divine revelations , with some considerable prejudices , and prepossessions contrary to this truth ; yet a sober person would think , he would meet with so many , and those so plain and express assertions of it , as were abundantly able to chase away all those prejudices , and irresistably impress a sense of it upon his soul. and certainly he that but reads over heb. . . james . latter part of that chapter , epistle of st. john , part of and . chapters , or several sayings of our great master christ jesus . as mat. . . and . and many others , the time would fail me to recount all , in which this truth is so plainly and beyond all possibility of any rational doubting asserted . i say he that reads over all these , must needs labour under some strange fascination , if yet he be able to doubt of , or question it . nor is this only the way to secure them an eternal and future , but also to enstate them in the greatest present bliss . give me a man that dare set up any one thing whatever to vye with the present felicity of being holy ; i will dare to tell him , that it is so far from yielding a man any true happiness , that it is not able so much as to secure him from being miserable ; it cannot yield him so much as the privative and meaner part of bliss . and indeed we need not consult the ephod for this truth ; even the heathens themselves ( as bad masters as they are ) yet will clearly teach us this notion . i will not suppose any of you so unacquainted with them , as to waste time in summoning their sayings to attest this , only let me hint this to you , that these sayings , are not only some rhodomontades of the stoicks , but even of the soberest among them . therefore did the pythagoreans represent vicious men , as placed upon a restless rowler , — 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 are the very expressions in the golden sayings . and indeed it were a very easie task rationally to demonstrate this , in any of the gay phantasms , and admired felicities of the world , that take them separate from godliness , and they have not that lesser part of felicity in them , viz. the making their possessors not miserable : while on the contrary godliness hath the honour to be 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 . and besides the certainty of its future glory , is retinued at present with that joy and peace , and serenity of soul , that he only knows that is the happy possessor of . and certainly then it will by a very easie consequence follow , that he least pursueth the intendment and design of his holy calling , that endeavours to be serviceable to his people in their greatest interests , and levels all his aim at this great mark , the bringing them to understand and comply with the great end of their religion , and the transcribing and imitating the divine perfections of that god , whom it obligeth them to adore . and while others have other rules to judge the excellency of preachers by , their measures certainly are very false and precarious . socrates ( we know ) was deservedly judged the wisest of the athenian philosophers , for this very reason , because whilst others imployed themselves only in aery speculations ; he only bended his study to the bettering mens lives , and healing the immoralities of humane nature . and doubtless that preacher deserves the greatest praise , who most closely pursueth that great design , while a great many others ( its easie to signalize too many ) must sit down in much lower rooms . and truly what that good man said of the great disputers , may too truly be spoken of some great preachers amongst us . it is just cause of sorrow to see men so serious and yet so trifling , a very wounding spectacle to see these great heroes ( like hercules at the distaff ) so degenerously employed , and to find those that were designed by christ for fishers of men , entertain themselves and others too only with picking up shells and pebbles on the shore . nor is it much wonder if these men take up the disciples complaint , we have laboured all night , and taken nothing . the great eulogium is to the faithful servant , and shall in vain be expected by him , that 's treacherous to his trust ; and the shining as stars in the orbs of celestial glory , will only be the happy lot of those , who do ( or at least cordially indeavour to ) bring souls to righteousness . . this is one of the most probable expedients , to retrieve the true and ancient christian religion . he that but soberly considers what christianity was in its primitive state , will ( like that good man of old reading over our saviours great sermon ( aut hoc non est evangelium , aut nos non sumus christiani ) be forced upon this conclusion , either that was not true christianity , or this which now bears that name , is not : and because he is assured that the first was true , therefore infers that is spurious and counterfeit . time was [ b ] when 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 , were the characteristick notes of the true and degenerate members of the church ; that of the first and this of the latter , and holiness of life was the true signature of a christian . non magna loquimur sed vivimus , was then the christian motto . and that pristine honour that she was so happy in , even to the envy and silence of all opposition , was acquired by the piety and holiness of her votaries . a christian was but another name for a vertuous good man , and the lives of christians verified these to be synonoma's . but alas whoso views the religion now on foot , will easily discover its great degeneracy . that lay in the heart , from whence it imparted life and vigour into all the active members ; while this resides only in the brain , and seldom descends lower than the tongue : from whence proceeds a kind of a spiritual rickats , the head swells , and grows large and tuberous , while the active members are void of strength , and dwindle away into an unactive leanness . there is none that makes it his business to do good now ; yea we may with the psalmist repeat it , and say scarce one . an empty formal notional religion is that , men content themselves withal . and while a few ceremonies and appanages of religion , are so eagerly controverted , you see very few contests about the life of it ; we can see men with great zeal and little charity mannage controversies about the little things , but can discover no lists for the agonistick contests in godliness , or if there be any , can discover no contenders in them . it is too obvious to need much insisting upon , that men consult their passions and interests and inclinations in chusing their religion ; and let these alone to provide for themselves ; be sure , while these are the electors , the choice will not be very uneasie . never fear , there will be nothing of difficulty , nothing of painfulness , no austerity in these mens religion . the mortification of a beloved lust , the amputation of a dear member , the restraining of a sensual propensity , are lessons which their religion will never go about to teach . st. peter shall be their apostle , but 't is in the worst advice that ever he gave , master spare thy self , consult thine own ease , god is a better master than so . hee 's the prophet for these people , that speaks smooth things unto them . and i need not tell you how many secure the peoples favour , by indulging and complying with this humour . tell them fine stories of christ , of the freeness of grace , &c. and so become adored by their proselytes as so many apostles , while the degeneracy of christianity is these mens great guilt , and in a great measure owes it self to their doctrines . . there are very few means more likely to stiflle and quench those various sects and differences that there are amongst us . and that not only upon this account , because godliness is so contrary to , and destructive of all those humours that occasion and feed these distempers . though it hath been seen that this hath been pleaded to justifie most schisms , and holiness hath been the banner under which each faction hath pretended to march ; which lets us see what gross fallacies men put upon themselves , so as to be able to imagine , that piety can be the true ensign of a schismatical faction , and the holy bible and sword in the same field true heraldry ( the solecism , not long ago , of the scotish reformers ) . and yet every man that can but consider , can tell you that nothing can be more contrary to godliness , than giddy factiousness . and that upon other scores besides what i have hinted . it 's true , if men study to bring the people to godliness , they endeavour to bring them to that which is contrary to pride , covetousness , and convictedness , which are the three great parents and origines of schism and heresie ; and so go a direct way to destroy these . but besides these , the conduciveness of godliness to the destruction of these is apparent upon other accounts also . . for first , it is most certain , that mens intermitting of sober and regular actions ( such as godliness engageth unto ) is the ▪ readiest way possible to fall into wild , extravagant , and exorbitant ones . and that idleness is one great cause of factiousness , hath been so fully and clearly demonstrated by one ( whose goodness or humility i know not which most to admire ) that i should but go about to correct apelles , should i add any thing to fortifie the demonstration : it is while men sleep that the envious man sows these tares , and ( as a learned prelate of our own hath long since observed ) the laborious bees pass safely by those tempting bottles , into which the idle wasps are easily seduced . let men but resolve upon holiness , i 'll secure them , they shall find enough to employ themselves about , be they as active as they will , or can be ; they shall have no time for idleness , and consequently no leisure to admit those pests that follow it . . besides secondly let us do this , and by gods blessing upon our endeavours , we may rob these dissenters of their most popular and plausible argument against us . you cannot but know the stir that hath been made , about communicating with wicked men , and the danger of joining with mix'd assemblies . men have hunted for purity 'till they have lost all piety , and the sight of prophaneness in some professed members of the church , hath made the readier way for the admission of that apostolical precept ( though in a mistaken sense ) come out from among them my people , and be seperate from them . but now this course is the ready way to beat the enemy out of this hold : for while by holiness appearing in us , all men should be forced to confess that god is indeed among us , we should let those all see the vanity and wickedness of those , that cry out of a necessity of seperating from us . . let me add one inducement more ; this will be the most effectual course we can take , to perpetuate our religion , and procure the divine protection of that church , whose hedges seem now broken down , and her self exposed too like an orphan . it is a maxim of solomon , that length of days is in the right hand of holiness , and in her left hand riches and honour , and 't is as applicable to societies as to single men : as the pillars of a nation so of a church too are supported by righteousness , and without that commonly in a little time crumble to nothing . the jews tell us , that in the second temple , which lasted . years , there were near . high priests , while in the former , that lasted within . years as long , there was a succession but of eighteen ; and the difference they assign to arise from the piety of these , and impiety of those . you have an excellent discourse to this purpose in the late famous bishop of down . i cast in this enforcement now [ b ] a little the rather because of the time ; there seems to be silence and amazement in this our heaven now , i pray god it may be but for half an hour . who knows but we may be within the prospect of that time , in which that church which hath been blessed with so many miraculous resurrections , may draw near a final expiration ? god almighty avert the fate , and change the prognosticks ; but certainly there never was more cause , to take up the psalmists prayer ( and there is no means likely to cause its speed , but holiness ) arise o lord maintain thine own cause , remember how the foolish man blasphemes thee daily . give me leave to conclude my ecclesiastes much what as solomon doth his . fear god and keep his commandments , for this is the whole duty of man , and the endeavouring to bring men to do this , is the whole duty of the spiritual man. and when that great day of revelation shall commence , in which every secret thing shall be brought into judgment , he that hath most studiously pursued this design , will certainly be acknowledged by our great master for the most faithful servant . in this first sence therefore , exercise thy self unto godliness . . but that 's not enough ; therefore secondly be sure also to exercise thy self unto godliness ; shew it forth in thine own life and actions ; think not thy duty done , when thou hast commended it unto , and pressed it upon others , but be sure endeavour it to thine own soul : let it be seen in thy living , as well as heard in thy preaching . this is the second reference ( you may remember ) i made of this precept to timothy ; and give me leave to urge a consideration or two to enforce it . . and first , let us ( i beseech you ) consider that we have souls as well as other men , whose salvation ought to be as dear , and whose damnation certainly will be as terrible unto us , as other mens can be to them , or us either . and certainly it is a very wild charity , that prompts us to endeavour other mens salvation , and wholly neglect in the mean time our own . certainly [ b ] it would be but a poor relief to a man in hell , to think that he hath been instrumental in saving others , but rather be the greater aggravation of , and cause him more virulently to curse his own folly , in neglecting his own welfare . what 's that sheep profited by cloathing others , while it self goeth naked ? or what comfort finds that filly worm in its death , who hath extracted its bowels to make others fine and gay ? who but a madman would seek to build a fortune unto others upon the ruins of his own house ? and i am sure he is far enough from the temper of an apostle , who when he hath preached unto others , will not take care that himself may not become a castaway . either therefore say thou hast no soul , or the salvation of it is nothing unto thee , or else that it is attainable upon other terms and conditions than that of other men , or else exercise thy self unto godliness ; and do this , because thou canst not say the first , and art unnatural if thou say the second , and hast no reason to think the third . . for secondly , know that thou art obliged to holiness as well as other men , nay by stricter rules too than they are . thy salvation is not only not attainable without holiness , any more than another mans is , but requires a greater measure of it , in order thereto ; and thy negligence may cast a greater grief upon thee , than another mans upon him . i will not urge this from the greater measure of knowledge , that thou art supposed to have above them ; though that alone will fix the guilt faster , and make the stain deeper , than it will on another , the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 , christ himself hath assured us will be such a mans sad portion . but i would rather argue this from the consideration of that sacred function , we are honoured withal . our very orders ( you know ) are called holy ; the very bells of aaron alone will ring him this note . i have chosen you out of the world ( saith christ to his disciples ) and surely then such are to be seperate in their lives as well as office , and a horrid guilt it will be for these , to be conformed to it . certainly , those that are stars in christs right hand , must either shine bright , or else they will sully their master's glory , and be cast thence with indignation and scorn . while other men that are wicked , do yet retain the name of men ( though fools or mad-men ) it is worth our observing , that sin in these is a perfect exanthropie , and causeth them presently to commence devils . you may see this in two speeches of our saviour himself , have not i chosen you twelve , yet one is a devil ? meaning judas . nay when st. peter himself becomes scandalous , and tempts to evil , he is rebuked in no milder terms than , get thee behind me satan . the corruption of the best is always the worst , saith our old maxim , and 't is as true in morality as nature . it was therefore excellent advice , which the lately mentioned bishop gave his clergy . that every minister should judge of his own duty , by stricter measures , and severer rules , than he doth that of his people . and truly it were a very easie task to instance in many things , that in the laity are tollerable , which would carry a very dangerous appearance in the clergy , and be too liable to misconstruction . . this will be the likeliest way to render thy preaching holiness unto others , effectual unto its blessed end , and thy failing here , will be sure to frustrate thy endeavours there . it is even a common-place truth , that man is minical , and regards examples a great deal more than precepts ; there are enow have told you , that a preachers good example is his best homily , and his good life his most prevailing sermon . and if that maxim of chrysostom be true , that good works convince more than miracles , than certainly that preacher that desires any fruit of his labours , must acknowledge himself under the strongest obligations imaginable , to be critically careful how he liveth . as religion hath no more powerful argument for it self than the piety of its votaries , ( for that fountain must needs be clear , whose streams are so ) so truly no mans exhortations work so powerfully upon us , as his , who is himself ( we see ) affected with them . quae agenda docebat ipse priùs agendo premonstrabat , was the commendation of one of our english saints , and ought to be ambition'd by every preacher . alas ! as the command of that captain wakes coldly , who only cryeth go ; in comparison of his , that saith come ( ignave venire te caesar non ire jubet ; ) so men little attend to those preachers , that bid them go in the paths of holiness , in comparison of them , who go before them themselves . it 's the language of an egyptian pharaoh , go ye and serve the lord , the language of canaan , is o come and let us , and which of these is more likely to prevail on man , less than a prophet may easily foretel , and that upon very rational grounds also . for why should any man think that his exhortation should prevail more with me , than himself ? or hope to perswade me to practise that ▪ of which i see him wholly regardless ? what more compendious course can he take , to cause me to mistrust the truth of all his arguments , and suspect them for fallacies , be they never so specious , only because i see they have no faith with him ? who regards a drunken mans exhortation to temperance ? or believe that himself thinks that necessary , with which he makes bold so constantly to dispense ? in vain shall you endeavour to perswade men , you are serious in pressing those duties on them , which you make no conscience of performing your selves ; nor will men ever think those duties practicable , that are wholly disregarded by those that preach them . it was therefore an advice worthy of an apostle , which is given to timothy in this epistle , take heed unto thy self , and to thy doctrine ; and certainly the former is of as great necessity as the latter , nay necessary in order to it ; that thy doctrine may not miscarry , be sure take care of thy self : for thy loose neglect of thy self , will be sure to frustrate the design of thy doctrine . upon these accounts therefore be sure to exercise thy self unto godliness . what censures then can be too severe for these men , when prophane and profligate ? i hope there are not many , but those that are , are so many too many . 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is all the petition i make for them . and i hope we are not yet in such sad circumstances , but that it may be granted , if the church may not judge them without , yet she may be permitted ( i hope ) to govern and correct ( when need is ) her own children . give me leave once more to speak my thoughts before you ; the church of englands honour will never throughly be vindicated , nor her clergy's reputation cleared and asserted , 'till this course be effectually followed . and ( i doubt not but ) every good man is sensible of this , and will add his suffrage to the conjecture . i conclude therefore by beseeching you [ my b. ] to suffer the word of exhortation . let us all combine together in this pious resolution , of exercising our selves unto godliness , and contending each man to exceed his brother in it . our contentions here will ( i am sure ) be warrantable , and our neglect inexcusably culpable providence hath cast us upon afflicting times , wherein many eagerly hunt and gape for our destruction , and who knows but god intends it as an essay of our faithfulness ? that vindicating our religion , the asserting our own innocence are only to be effected by this method . our failure will put a sword into our enemies hands , and make us accessaries to our own ruin ; while our care will shame the malice of our detractors , and put to silence all gainsayers . i speak to wise and good men , that are able to judge what i say . and therefore i speak so little to these things , which indeed it is a task , not to enlarge upon . but i conclude with the psalmists prayer ; let all thy priests , o lord , be cloathed with righteousness ▪ and then shall all thy saints shout for joyfulness , amen . now to god the father , &c. finis . licensed , april . . roger l'estrange . the tryal of spirits both in teachers & hearers wherein is held forth the clear discovery and certain downfal of the carnal and antichristian clergie of these nations / testified from the word of god to the university-congregation in cambridge by william dell ; whereunto is added a plain and necessary confutation of divers gross errors delivered by mr. sydrach simpson in a sermon preached to the same congregation at the commencement, anno ; wherein (among other things) is declared, that the vniversities (according to their present statutes and practices) are not (as he affirmed) answerable to the schools of the prophets in the time of the law, but rather to the idolatrous high places ... dell, william, d. . approx. kb of xml-encoded text transcribed from -bit group-iv tiff page images. text creation partnership, ann arbor, mi ; oxford (uk) : - (eebo-tcp phase ). a wing d estc r ocm this keyboarded and encoded edition of the work described above is co-owned by the institutions providing financial support to the early english books online text creation partnership. this phase i text is available for reuse, according to the terms of creative commons . universal . the text can be copied, modified, distributed and performed, even for commercial purposes, all without asking permission. early english books online. (eebo-tcp ; phase , no. a ) transcribed from: (early english books online ; image set ) images scanned from microfilm: (early english books, - ; : ) the tryal of spirits both in teachers & hearers wherein is held forth the clear discovery and certain downfal of the carnal and antichristian clergie of these nations / testified from the word of god to the university-congregation in cambridge by william dell ; whereunto is added a plain and necessary confutation of divers gross errors delivered by mr. sydrach simpson in a sermon preached to the same congregation at the commencement, anno ; wherein (among other things) is declared, that the vniversities (according to their present statutes and practices) are not (as he affirmed) answerable to the schools of the prophets in the time of the law, but rather to the idolatrous high places ... dell, william, d. . simpson, sidrach, ?- . a plain and necessary confutation of divers gross and antichristian errors. [ ], p. printed for giles calvert ..., london : . "a plain and necessary confutation ..." has special t.p. on p. 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ascii text with mnemonic sdata character entities); displayable xml (tcp schema; characters represented either as utf- unicode or text strings within braces); or lossless xml (tei p , characters represented either as utf- unicode or tei g elements). keying and markup guidelines are available at the text creation partnership web site . eng catholic church -- controversial literature. clergy -- england -- controversial literature. - tcp assigned for keying and markup - apex covantage keyed and coded from proquest page images - rina kor sampled and proofread - rina kor text and markup reviewed and edited - pfs batch review (qc) and xml conversion the tryal of spirits both in teachers & hearers . wherein is held forth the clear discovery , and certain downfal of the carnal and antichristian clergie of these nations . testified from the word of god to the university-congregation in cambridge . by william dell . whereunto is added a plain and necessary confutation of divers gross errors delivered by mr sydrach simpson in a sermon preached to the same congregation at the commencement , anno . wherein ( among other things ) is declared , that the universities ( according to their present statutes and practices ) are not ( as he affirmed ) answerable to the schools of the prophets in the time of the law ; but rather to the idolatrous high places . and , that humane learning , is not a preparation appointed by christ , either for the right understanding , or right teaching the gospel . with a brief testimony against divinity-degrees in the universities . as also , luthers testimony at large upon the whole matter . and lastly , the right reformation of learning , schools , and universities , according to the state of the gospel , and the light that shines therein . all necessary for the instruction and direction of the faithful in these last times . london , printed for giles calvert at the black spread-eagle , at the west-end of pauls , . to all the truly faithfull , the very little flock of christ in these nations , now despised and almost worn out ( according to the prophesies ) for the word of god , and testimony which they hold . grace be multiplyed unto you , and peace , from god our father , and the lord jesus christ , our head and hope . i could not choose but distinguish you thus , from all the rest of the people of these nations , of what condition or quality soever , seeing god himself hath first done it , having chosen you to himself in christ , and set you apart for himself , as a peculiar people , zealous of good works . and i have chosen to speak this only to you , because you are all taught of god , and have heard and learned from him the truth , as it is in jesus : and because you have an inward unction from god , whereby you know the truth from error , though it be never so much reproached by carnal christians ; and whereby you know error from the truth , though it be never so much exalted and magnified by them . you are those spiritual men who judge all things , because you have received the word and spirit of judgement in christ , from the father . besides , you are the men , whom god will use in his greatest and most glorious works , which he hath yet to do in the world , to wit , in the destruction of the kingdom of antichrist , and in the setting up , and inlarging the kingdom of christ ; which things , are not to be done by the might and power of worldly magistrates , ( which it may be you have not received , and if you had , it would not be helpful here ) but by the spirit of the lord , which you all have received in some measure . yea farther , none but you , will be contented to live only by faith , and to follow christ in untrodden paths , and to undertake impossible works to flesh and blood ; and none but you , will be willing to have the residue of christs life and works , and of his sufferings and death , fulfilled in your mortal bodies . it grieves me much to see so many men as i have known once hopeful in the army , and elsewhere , to be now so full gorged with the flesh of kings , and nobles , and captains , and mighty men , that is , with their estates , mannors , houses , parks , lands , &c. that they can now be contented to take their ease , and to comply with the world and worldly church , and the teachers thereof , and can perswade themselves , that there is enough done for their time , after it hath fared thus well with them ; and can leave the remainder , to men that are as plain and mean as themselves were at first , forgetting him who remembred them , when they were in low condition . but they that were indeed righteous among them , are righteous still , and they that were indeed holy , are holy still ; and prosperity hath only slain the fools , as the scriptures speak . but you christians , are called , chosen and faithful , and you will still be found with the lamb on mount sion , and with the rest who have his name , and his fathers name written in their foreheads ; and you dare still own the ancient truth , cause and work of christ , how great disadvantage soever is for the present risen up against it , through the apostasie of carnal christians , the lovers of this world. and you all know , that all that hath been done hitherto by the sword , is but the preparation of christs way to his work , and that the work it self is still behind , and to be done , by those worthies of the lord , who love jesus christ and his kingdom , and coming , a thousand times better then the present world , and all the best things of it , yea then their own lives . wherefore i advise you all , to whom now i speak , to take heed that you neither drink , nor sip of the clergies cup , which carries in it , the wine of the wrath of the fornication of antichrist ; lest having drunk thereof , you fall asleep through the strength of their inchantments , and so are rendred unable to follow christ any farther . for many powers and magistrates of the world , once hopeful , have been thus overcome and seduced into antichrists cause against christ , to their utter ruine in the end . and how have the present clergy , with their most plausible men , attempted some of this present power ; yea some of the very chiefest and most godly in the army ; and have put them into some ( that i say not ) great danger ? wherefore remember you that word of the lord spoken by his angel , rev. . , & . if any man worship the beast and his image , and receive his mark in his forehead , or in his hand , the same shall drink of the wine of the wrath of god , which is poured out without mixture , into the cup of his indignation , &c. if any man worship the beast , that is , the antichristian church of the pope and his prelates and clergy , which is called the beast , because of its fierceness and cruelty against the saints : or , his image , that is , the church of the bishops and presbyters , which in a lesser volume , and less letters , doth answer the other , and is directly like it . whoever shall worship these , that is , highly esteem them for their humane learning , and school-divinity , and sacredness of their orders , and count them worthy all honour and respect , and worldly maintenance ; and also to have power in matters of religion , to allow and determine of doctrine , and to appoint and institute in matters of government : and being worldly powers , do subject themselves , and all the worldly people under them , to these mens religion , authority , doctrine , discipline , &c. whoever shall thus worship them : or , shall receive his mark , that is , this principle , that , it is lawful to punish and persecute men in matters that meerly relate to faith and the gospel , and this , under pretence of the glory of god , and good of christian people ; which is the beasts mark in every age , and under every change of outward form : whoever shall receive this mark in their forehead , that is , to profess this doctrine only : or in their hand , that is , to execute it according to laws , which the nations have been seduced to make to this purpose : the same shall drink of the wine of the wrath of god , which is poured out without mixture into the cup of his indignation , and he shall be tormented with fire and brimstone in the presence of the holy angels , and in the presence of the lamb , and the smoak of their torment ascendeth up for ever and ever . wherefore you faithful ones have great cause to be very well advised in these things , seeing the chief designe of antichrist , is to seduce the elect ; seeing he hath no body else in all the world , that dare oppose him , or know how to do it , but you : and he knows , if he can prevail with you , all the world besides , will follow him headlong , as the gadarens swine ran into the sea , and were choaked . now i have adventured , through the inspiration of the almighty , to undertake openly and plainly against the clergy and universities , which in their present state are the residue of the hour and power of darkness upon the nations : and the lord of his grace , hath helped me through this work , by his spirit of counsel and might . and so i have freely and willingly exposed my self for christ and his truths sake , to all the reproaches , slanders , revilings , contradictions , and ( if their power shall serve ) persecutions of the universities and clergy , and of all those people high and low , bond and free who have received their mark and worship them : choosing rather to suffer with christ , and with you , his seed , all manner of tribulations , then to reign with them ; and much rather imbracing christian communion , with poor plain husbandmen and tradsmen , who believe in christ , and have received his spirit , then with the heads of universities , and highest , and stateliest of the clergy , who under a specious form of godliness , do yet live in true enmity and opposition to the gospel . i do indeed , freely acknowledge , that i have often been ready to complain to god in the anguish of my spirit , that he had called me a very bruised reed , to a more difficult task , in one regard , then either wickliffe , hus , or luther , those strong pillars in the house of god ; to wit , because much of the gross body of antichristianism , against which they chiefly ingageed , being done away by their ministry , there still remains the cunning and subtil soul and spirit thereof , which yet is all in all , in antichrists kingdom , though it be farther removed from the knowledge and notice of the common sort of christians . and so the mysterie of iniquity , is now become more mysterious and deceiving then in their times : and as perfect and bitter enmity against christ and his spirit , and the true temple of god , the spiritual church , as ever was in all their times , doth now prevail under the name of orthodox doctrine , and the reformation of religion by the late assembly of divines , which the clergy are all now ready to set up , if they could gain the secular arm to strengthen them thereunto , ( of which now they have greatest hopes ) and without which , their religion can find no high place in this world. now herein the old mysterie of iniquity is renewed amongst these men , that they would have an outward letter and ministery , without the spirit of christ , to be the doctrine and ministry of the new testament , which is the ministration of the spirit and not of the letter : and would have the secular magistrate , to have right and power , to enforce men to such a religion , as himself judges true , by the help and counsel of those ministers , which himself judges orthodox : as if some men were able to teach spiritual things , and all to understand them , by natural reason made use of , and improved , which yet these men deny in terminis , whilst they assert it in the principle . for , they will not leave it to the father , to draw whom he pleaseth to the son ; neither will they leave it to the spirit , to choose what living stones he pleaseth , to build them together to be the habitation of god : but the ecclesiastical state , having seduced the temporal , do make them believe , that the magistrates worldly power , in union with their worldly religion , may make a national church of all , that they between themselves , please ; and may allow , and set up , such a doctrine for orthodox , which these men who are in academical degrees ▪ and ecclesiastical orders , do approve for such ; though the spirit of god in all believers testifies , that these men have not the mind of christ , but of antichrist , in all they teach , and act , and counsel ; in their assemblies , churches , doctrine , ordinances , works , duties , dayes , times , fastings , thanksgivings , and every thing else : yet these having the outward carcass or appearance of religion , though destitute of the inward soul of it , which is true faith and the spirit of god , do cozen not only the meaner people , but the very magistrates of the world , who are glad to hear , that the clergy have given them such high power in the kingdom of christ , and made them magistrates in both worlds ; though indeed in the end , it be not for the magistrates advantage , but wholly for the clergies . and thus is the mysterie of iniquity grown more mysterious now , then heretofore . but this is our comfort and help , that god still causes his light to shine forth proportionably to his people , to discover every new change and form , of the mysterie of iniquity . and though the mysterie of iniquity in every age , is mysterious enough , to cozen all the unbelieving world , though never so wise and learned ; yet is it never able to deceive the faithful , who have always sufficient light from god to discover it , and sufficient grace to overcome it . and now you faithful and beloved ones , to whom i have spoken all this , stand you fast , and depart not from christ , his word , and work ( all which you know in faith ) for any good or evil things , that may befall you in this short life ; but finish in faith and patience , the work which god hath given you to do , in your several places , waiting for the glory which shall be given you at the revelation of our lord jesus christ ; in whom i remain , though most unworthy , your humble and faithful servant in the gospell . w. d. the tryall of spirits . john . . beloved , believe not every spirit , but try the spirits , whether they be of god , because many false prophets are gone forth into the world . . hereby know ye the spirit of god : every spirit that confesseth that jesus christ is come in the flesh , is of god. . and every spirit that confesseth not that jesus christ is come in the flesh , is not of god : and this is that spirit of antichrist whereof you have heard , that it should come , and even now already it is in the world . . ye are of god , little children , and have overcome them , because greater is he that is in you , then he that is in the world. . they are of the world , therefore speak they of the world , and the world hears them. . we are of god ; he that knoweth god , heareth us ; he that is not of god , heareth not us ; hereby know we the spirit of truth , and the spirit of error . in this scripture , we may take notice of these six things . . the apostle gives notice to the beloved congregation of spirituall christians , of a great evil risen up in the world , ( which if not carefully heeded ) might occasion some great trouble and danger to them ; many false prophets ( saith he ) are gone out into the world . v. . . he prescribes them a sufficient remedy against this evil , saying , believe not every spirit , but try the spirits , whether they be of god. . that the faithfull might be able to make a right judgement of spirits , he gives them one short rule of tryall , which yet comprehends in its self all rules : vers . . and . hereby know we the spirit of god ; every spirit that confesseth that jesus christ is come in the flesh , is of god ; and every spirit that confesseth not that jesus christ is come in the flesh , is not of god , &c. . he shews them , with whom these false prophets , who have the spirit of antichrist , should not prevail ; to wit , with none of the true children of god , vers . . ye are of god , little children , and have overcome them ; because greater is he that is in you , than he that is in the world. . he shews them , with whom the false prophets should prevail , to wit , with the world and carnal people ; vers . . they are of the world , therefore speak they of the world , and the world heareth them . the world seeking its own things , receives antichrist , and his prophets . . he shews , how the spirit of truth and error may be known in the people , as well as in the teachers ; to wit , by the peoples cleaving , either to the teachers of truth , or to the teachers of error , vers . . we are of god ; he that knoweth god , heareth us ; he that is not of god , heareth not us ; hereby , know we the spirit of truth , and the spirit of error . these six things are held forth to us , in this scripture , and they are all very profitable and necessary for the true church to be acquainted withal , especially in these last of the last times . i shall begin with the first ; which is , . point . the great and dangerous evil of which the apostle gives notice to the church of believers , and that is , the going out of false prophets into the world. many false prophets are gone out into the world . and here it is to be noted , that from the very beginning of the world , there have been two seeds or generations of men , very contrary the one to the other , as is evident , in gen. . . where god saith to the serpent , i will put enmity between thee and the woman , and between thy seed and her seed ; so that the serpent hath his seed , as well as the woman her seed ; and this was the womans curse , to have her sorrows and conceptions ▪ multiplyed , and to bring forth the serpents seed as well as her own , that is , the children or seed of the first blessing ; and both these contrary seeds do partake of one and the same common nature or humanity . and one of these seeds are called the sons of god , the other the sons of man , gen. . . and both these , being the children of one adam according to the flesh , are yet distinguished by several spirits , that dwell in them , and inspire them : for the spirit of god , that is , the spirit of righteousness and truth , doth inspire the one , and these are truly called the children of god , as paul saith , rom. . as many as are led by the spirit of god , they are the sons of god. and the spirit of satan , which is the spirit of wickedness and error , doth inspire the other ; and these are truly called the sons of men , who all have sinned , and are deprived of the glory of god. now these two different and contrary spirits , which have dwelt in these two distinct seeds , have begun to act presently from the very beginning of the world , each one according to his own nature , and to trade and traffick about mankind , and out of it , to bring forth children to themselves , like to themselves in all things ; and so one hath endeavoured to beget and bring forth the children of god , and of truth ; the other the children of men , and of error ; and to this end , the one hath held forth the truth of god , by the true spirit of god ; the other hath held forth error and falshood , yet as it were the truth : the one hath endeavoured to bring man unto god through true faith and repentance ; the other to turn men from god through sin : the one hath sought to work salvation in men , the other destruction . now the false spirit hath been the most common in the world , and hath had the greatest opportunities and advantages to multiply it self , seeing it finds the whole world already lying in wickedness , and fully prepared to receive it self . but the true spirit hath been found in very few , and that from the beginning ; for there have been but few true prophets , who have had the true spirit , and have spoken the true word , as you may see all ▪ along in scriptures , especially in the times of elijah and micajah ; but christ saith , many false prophets shall arise and deceive many ; and peter saith in his second epistle , chap. . vers . , . that as there were false prophets among the people , that is the jews , so there shall be false doctors and teachers among the christians , who should privily bring in damnable heresies , and that many should follow their pernicious wayes . so that , as there have been many false prophets from the beginning , so especially in the daies of the new testament ; for the more christ hath appeared by his spirit to lead men into truth , the more hath the devill appeared by his spirit to lead men into error , and this is properly called antichrist ; for flesh and blood is not antichrist , but a spirit contrary to christs spirit , that dwells in flesh and blood , and chiefly among those that profess the christian religion ; this is antichrist . no spirit in the jews or gentiles , is properly called antichrist , but the spirit of satan in false christians appearing as an angel of light , this is antichrist . before christ came in the flesh , the devill was an evil spirit , and a lyar , and a murderer , and the unclean spirit , and prince of this world , but he was not properly ▪ antichrist , because christ was not then come in the flesh . the devil was the devil before , and did dwell and work in evil men ; but from the beginning of the christian church he is called antichrist , and that not every where , but in the church or kingdom of christ ; for antichrist is a spirit that dissolves jesus , and that not openly , but subtilly and cunningly , yea , under the name and pretence of jesus , he is wholy contrary to him. wherefore , the discerning of spirits , as it hath been necessary from the beginning of the world , so also is it especially necessary in the daies of the gospel , wherein the mysterie of iniquity is become most mysterious , through the operation of antichrist in those many false prophets which are gone forth into the world . and so we proceed to the second point . . point . and that is , that sufficient remedy , which the apostle prescribes to the true church , against that great evil , of many false prophets being gone out into the world . now the remedy the apostle prescribes to the faithfull against these false prophets , is not , that they should stir up the secular power , to imprison , banish , or burn them , that so they might be rid of them ; for this is antichrists proper remedy against those that oppose him ; but the apostle shews a more christian remedy , which is this , believe not every spirit , but try the spirits whether they be of god ; and this remedy alone is sufficient for the true spiritual church of the faithful in every age , to preserve it safe and sound against all false teachers whatsoever , and their false doctrines : neither doth it desire , or need any other . wherefore in this case , the apostle contents himself , to give only this caution to the faithfull , believe not every spirit , but try the spirits whether they be of god. believe not euery spirit , &c. that is , every one that speaketh of spiritual things . whence it is plain , that we neither ought rashly and hastily to believe every mans doctrine , nor yet rashly and unadvisedly to censure and condemn it , till it be heard and known what it is : but it is a christians duty to prove all things , and to hold fast that which is good , upon proof , as paul adviseth ; wherefore john also adds here , but try the spirits whether they be of god. whence we note , that christians have right and power to try and judge the spirits and doctrines of their teachers : and this is evident by many plain scriptures , as matth. . . beware of false prophets ( saith christ to the faithful ) which come unto you in sheeps cloathing , but inwardly they are ravening wolves ; ye shall know them by their fruits . matth. . . jesus said to them , take heed and beware of the leaven of the pharisees , which is hypocrisie . matth. . . jesus said , take heed that no man deceive you , for many shall come in my name , saying , i am christ , and shall deceive many . john . my sheep hear my voice , and know my voice , and a stranger will they not hear , but flee from him , for they know not ( that is , own not ) the voice of strangers . and all that came before me are thieves and robbers , but the sheep did not hear them . by all which scriptures , and many more that might be added , it is manifest , that the faithful , the true sheep of christ , have right and power to judge of the spirits and doctrines of the teachers . let fathers , schoolmen , doctors , councels , assemblies of divines , universities , ministers , propound and publish what doctrine they please , the sheep of christ , the faithful flock , have power and authority from christ himself , to try and judge , whether the things they speak be of christ , or of themselves and of antichrist . and this power the faithful people ought not to part with , neither for any fear , nor for any favour . yea , it most nearly concerns the faithful , to try the spirits , and judge the doctrines of the teachers , for these two considerations among others . first , because we must each one give an account for our selves before the judgement seat of christ : wherefore it concerns every one of us , to look to our own eternal condition , and not to leave this care to others for us . in death and judgement , each one must answer for himself ; and therefore we ought to be as certain of the word of god , on which we build our immortal souls , as we are sure we live , and are creatures ; we ought , i say , to be sure our selves , and not to trust any body for us , in this great matter whereon depends either eternal life , or eternal death . secondly , it concerns us to try the spirits and doctrines , because otherwise we may easily mistake , and instead of antichrist and his disciples , dash against christ himself , and his precious saints . yea , we have seen how the world and worldly church , not being able to try the spirits and doctrines , have contradicted and crucified the son of god himself , and have reproached and persecuted all his people , who are baptized into one spirit with him ; and doing this , they have thought they have done god good service too ; and all because they were not able to judge of the spirit and truth of christ in himself and his members , but have followed the judgment and councel of the chief guides in the outward church , who have caused them to erre , and to mistake truth for error , and error for truth , christ for antichrist , and antichrist for christ. wherefore it concerns every one , to be wise to salvation for himself , and to try the spirits for himself , and not to content himself to say , thus said augustine , ambrose , hierom , &c. or this was the judgement of the fathers , or thus have the councels and universities determined , or thus do our ministers teach us ; but if thou art one of christs flock , thou must have skill to know and judge for thy self , which is christs spirit and doctrine , and which is antichrists ; otherwise thou wilt certainly miscarry in this great matter , and be undone for ever . if thou build on men in these things , and canst not judge for thy self , thou wilt be sure to be undone . but now this power of trying spirits , and judging doctrines , which christ hath given his true flock , and which they ought to have upon so good grounds , the teachers of the false and antichristian church , that is , the common clergy , distinguished by several names , titles , and degrees , have robbed them of , and have falsely and treacherously arrogated to themselves , the power of trying spirits , and judging doctrines , and have said , that it belongs to the clergy or national ministry , and their councils , and assemblies of divines , to judge of spirits , whether they be right or false ; and to judge of doctrines , whether they be agreeable to gods word , or no ; and that all christians ought to expect their judgement and determination , and to submit to it , and to depend on it , as on an oracle from heaven , yea , though it be , not only without , but also against their own particular judgement . and these men ( i mean the clergy ) through the ecclesiastical and temporal power which they had gotten , have stricken great fear into the whole world , and have miserably vexed innumerable consciences , with a grievous and lasting bondage , and have even driven them to despair , whilst none durst approve or own any spirit or doctrine , though never so manifestly of christ and his gospel , without their allowance and approbation ; so mightily hath the power of antichrist prevailed in the world , and that against the express word of christ. now the ground of this their antichristian pride , and usurpation is this , that they arrogate to themselves , that they are the guides and shepherds of all christian men , and are to teach them the gospel , which they are only to receive from their lips ; whereas christ hath promised his true church , that they shall be all taught of god , and shall hear and learn themselves from the father , and hath also promised to send to them the spirit , to lead them in all truth , and to give them an annointing , to teach them all things . now they by robbing the faithful of this power , and arrogating it to themselves , have made themselves contrary to christs command , lords and masters in the church of god , and have usurped to themselves superiority and authority over other believers , and have subjected all the world to their opinion and judgement in the things of god : by which means , they have set wide open the flood-gates to antichrist and his kingdom , to break in upon the world , and to overflow it , whilst they had robbed all christian people of their own judgement in all the things of god , and had made them to depend wholly on the judgement of the clergy . and had not christian people thus unchristianly delivered up their judgements to the clergy , and that in the very highest points of religion , christianity had not been so miserably blinded and corrupted as it is , and the mysterie of iniquity had not so much prevailed in the world , as now it hath . for when christians would not try the spirits whether they were of god , and the doctrines , whether they were the word of god or no , but thought this a matter too high for them , and would refer and submit all to the judgement of their ministers ; then antichrist ( the apostle of the devill ) came forth boldly , and proudly exalted himself above all that is called god , and his kingdom , above all the kingdoms of the world , having first put out both the eyes of christians , by taking away from them their right and power of trying spirits and judging doctrines . but when true christians shall search the scriptures ( as god i trust hath now fully put into their hearts to do ) and shall justly and lawfully take to themselves the power which god hath given them , to try spirits and doctrines , then antichrist , and his agents , the carnal clergy , must soon be brought down : for the faithfull by that word shall soon perceive , that they are not of god , nor their doctrine of that right gospel , which is after the mind of christ. well then , by what hath been said , you , who are of christs true sheep may perceive , that it is evident by the word , that faithful christians have right and power to try spirits and doctrines , though antichrist , for many ages hath robbed them of this priviledge . for ( that i may speak a little more to this matter ) the tryall of spirits doth unquestionably belong to all men , who have received the spirit of god : for to this spirit of god which dwells in the faithfull , the gift of discerning spirits is inseparably annexed : and the spirit of christ , which truly dwells in all true christians , cannot deceive , nor be deceived in the tryall of spirits . so that this now is a common grace , that in some measure belongs to all true christians , who have received the unction that teacheth them all things , and is true , and is no lie . and though there be in the church diversities of gifts from the same spirit , which are given to some , and not to others , as tongues , and interpretation of tongues , and miracles , and gifts of healing , &c. mentioned by paul , cor. . yet this gift of trying spirits is given to all in some measure , that have received the spirit . for as in the natural body there are several gifts given to several members , which are not given to all the members , as seeing to the eye , hearing to the ear , walking to the foot , &c. but feeling is given to all the members ; so also in the body of christ , that is , the spiritual church , several gifts are given to several saints , but the tryall of spirits and doctrines to all saints , who have received the spirit ; and if any have not christs spirit he is none of his ; and if any have christs spirit , he can in some measure discern and judge of all spirits in the world : and the more any man receives christs spirit , the more able is he to judge of all other spirits . wherefore they who are true believers , and have received christs spirit , their judgement is to be preferred in the tryall of spirits , before the judgement of a whole council of clergy men . and they only , who can try spirits by the spirit of god , and doctrines by the word of god , written in their hearts by the spirit , are fit to commend ministers to the work of god : that is , the congregations of the faithful , and not universities , and assemblies of divines . and thus you may perceive that seeing many false prophets are gone out into the world , it concerns the faithful , as they tender their own everlasting salvation , not to believe every spirit that speaks of christ , and his kingdom , and his things , but to try the spirits whether they be of god. object . but now ( it may be ) some will be ready to say , we ought indeed to try the spirits , seeing there are many falfe prophets in the world ; but we hope there are no such persons among us , but only some upstart men , with their new light , who with their novelties and fancies trouble the nation , and would fain turn all things upside down , and we know these well enough already , and do sufficiently despise them . answ. it is very like you do ; but yet let me say to you , men , brethren , and fathers , understand your selves , and know what you do in this matter . for at the beginning of the reformation by the ministry of luther , zuinglius , calvin , and divers others , pretious servants of jesus christ , the popish clergy applyed all these scriptures , try the spirits whether they be of god , for many false prophets are gone out into the world ; and beware of false prophets , which come to you in sheeps clothing , but inwardly are ravening wolves ; i say , these , and the like places of scriptures , they applied to these godly men , and yet they themselves were the false prophets indeed , and the other , whom they termed such , were true ones . wherefore it is possible for you to be mistaken as well as they , and no doubt but you will be mistaken , except the lord be gracious to you , and give you his own spirit , by which alone you can make a right judgement in this matter . wherefore , that he that reads may understand , you must know , that the false prophets are not so easily discerned as you think ; for they seem to be true prophets , and godly , holy , learned , orthodox men , men of eminency and renown in the church and state : and so to flesh and blood , and the wisdom and religion of the world , it will be a difficult , yea , an impossible thing to find them out : for the false prophets have several glorious vails over them , to hide and obscure them from common knowledge . wherefore we declare unto you from the word of the lord , touching these false prophets , who shall do so much mischief . . that they shall not proceed , or come forth from among the jews , or turks , or out of the barbarous nations , but they shall arise out of such as are called christians . . seeing among christians ▪ some are openly profane and evil , others seem to be religious and godly ; the false prophets shall be found among the better sort ; and therefore saith christ , they shall come in sheeps clothing , as if they were of christs own flock : and paul saith , they have a form of godliness ▪ that is , they shall be painted over gloriously , with all appearances of truth , righteousness , honesty , goodness , and all the names of godliness . . seeing amongst those that seem to be the better sort of christians , some give themselves to the ministry of the word , and some do not ; the false prophets shall be found among those christians who take upon themselves to be preachers , as paul testifies , acts . where having called together the elders and teachers of the church of ephesus , he saith to them , ex vobis ipsis , out of your own selves shall men arise , speaking perverse things , to draw away disciples after them . . and seeing among those who are ministers , some are light , and vain , and carnal , and formal persons , and others are men of great worth and reputation , and seem to be the pretious members of christ , and even pillars in the church , so that the common people think , that all religion would go down with such good men , they having some gifts and enlightnings of the spirit , and seeming more than ordinarily godly , religious , wise , holy , sober , devout ; now the false prophets shall be found among these . and as they who opposed christ at his first coming in the flesh , seemed more wise , and holy , and eminent ▪ in the church than the rest , as the scribes and pharisees , who sat in moses chair , and had the outward letter of the word in all exactness , and the outward form of religion in all strictness ; so they , who do , and shall most oppose christ in his coming in his spirit , and shall contradict his word , and resist his servants and witnesses of his truth , do , and shall appear more wise , holy , learned , and godly , than the rest of the teachers of the church . and thus you see , that the false prophets of antichrist shall arise among christians , and among such christians as seem to be godly ; and among such seeming godly christians as preach the word ; and among such preachers of the word as seem to be of greater worth and eminency then the rest : and so in all these regards it will be a hard matter to discern them . . again , such persons , of such appearance of worth and holiness as these , do usually get to their side , the greatest and highest persons in the kingdoms and nations , and do obtain , not only their countenance and favor , but also their power and authority for themselves . . by both these means ( to wit , their seeming holiness , and their interest with worldly powers ) they exceedingly enlarge their credit and reputation with the world , and do get multitudes of people and nations to entertain them . for antichrist could not deceive the world with a company of foolish , weak , ignorant , prophane , contemptible persons , but he alwaies hath the greatest , wisest , holiest , and most eminent in the visible church for him , and by these he seduces and subjects to himself , even the whole world. besides , they that are against him and his false prophets , are but a very handfull of saints , who have the spirit of christ , and through his spirit discern them , and oppose them , and for so doing are despised and hated of all the world. wherefore it is a harder matter to try these false prophets , then we are well aware of . and yet as hard as it is , the apostle , by the spirit , hath given us a manifest and certain rule of tryall : and this is the third general thing i named . the third point . to wit , the sufficient rule , whereby the true church may thoroughly try the spirits and prophets , how cunningly and subtilly soever they are disguised , and this he layes down , verse . hereby know we the spirit of god ; every spirit that confesseth that jesus christ is come in the flesh , is of god ; and every spirit that confesseth not that jesus christ is come in the flesh , is not of god , &c. now this scripture we may understand two wayes . . of a right knowledge of jesus christ in his own person . . of a true receiving of this christ into us by faith . . of the right knowledge of christ in his own person . . for whereas he saith , every spirit that confesseth that jesus christ is come in the flesh , &c. this gives us to understand that he is true god , and was before he came into the flesh . . whereas he saith , every spirit that confesseth that christ is come in the flesh ; this gives us to understand that he is true man , our very brother , partaker of the same flesh and blood with us . . whereas he saith , every spirit that confesseth that jesus christ is come in the flesh , &c. this also gives us to understand , that in him , true god and true man are united into one inseparable person . . whereas he saith , every spirit that confesseth that jesus christ is come in the flesh , &c. this gives us occasion to consider the end of his coming ; seeing god did not become man in vain , or for some slight cause , but that he might redeem unto god , all those whom the father had elected in him , and save them perfectly , from the law , sin , death , and hell : and hence we may rise up to conceive of his offices , to wit , of his priestly , propheticall , and kingly office , and of the infinite vertue and efficacy of them . now he that makes this confession of jesus christ , from the revelation of the father , is of god ; and he that speaks otherwise , is not of god. . but secondly , we may understand this scripture , not only of the true knowledge of jesus christ , but also and especially of the true receiving of him by faith : every spirit ( saith he ) that confesseth that jesus christ is come in the flesh , is of god : that is , he is of god , that believes and acknowledges that the son of the living god is come , not only into that humanity of christ that was born of the virgin , but also , that he is come into us , and dwells in us ; according to these scriptures , that christ may dwell in your hearts by faith : and christ in you the hope of glory : and know ye not , that christ is in you , except you be reprobates , &c. wherefore the true prophets do not only acknowledge that jesus christ is come into his own flesh , but also into theirs , which by this means is made his ; and that christ is in them of a truth , and dwells in them . for antichrist himself , and his ministers , do all acknowledge , that jesus christ is come into that flesh which he did assume of the virgin , but they will not confess that this is true , in him , and in us : they will acknowledge the mysterie of god manifested in the flesh , as to christ the head , but they will deny it , as to the church his body : and so , whilst they separate the head from the body , and the body from the head in this mysterie , they do solvere jesum , they dissolve jesus . i say some hold , that the eternal word or divine nature came indeed into that flesh which was born of the blessed virgin , but they will by no means allow it to come into ours , through our union with him by faith : only they say , some created habits or gifts of grace come into us , or in our flesh , but not christ himself , or the divine nature , or son of the living god. and so these men set up these created gifts and graces in the members , instead of christ himself the head. and yet these teachers make a glorious shew in the flesh ; and this is antichrist , to wit , when men think that these created habits of grace ( which they fancy ) will renew , comfort , sanctifie , and save them ; and so do make to themselves of them , a glorious , but yet a false christ. wherefore let us know , that he that denies jesus christ in the members , is , though not so great , yet as true antichrist , as he that denies jesus christ in the head : and he that denies christ dwelling in our hearts by faith , to be , and to be alone wisdom , righteousness , sanctification and redemption to us , as he that denies him to be the power , wisdom , and righteousness of god in himself . the sum of this matter is this , that the true spirits or prophets do acknowledge , not only that christ the son of the living god is come into that son of man which was born of the blessed virgin , but also that christ is come into them , and dwels in them , as in his own true and proper members . and so , he that hath jesus christ dwelling in his heart , is a true prophet ; and he that hath not christ dwelling in his heart , is a false prophet , though his knowledge and religion be never so high , and glorious , and holy also in the opinion of the world. and this is the chief sign and mark , whereby we may know the true prophets and true christians , from the false prophets and false christians . object . now if any shall say , but how shall we know whether a man hath christ dwelling in his heart or no ? and so consequently , whether he be a true or false prophet ? answ. i answer , you shall certainly know it , by the truth of the word of christ in him , and by the truth of the life of christ , in reference to his office in the word . . first then , the true prophets are to be discerned from the false , by the truth of the word of god in them . from the true prophets speak the true word of god , even the word of wisdom , the word of righteousness , the word of life , the word of power , the word that is able to save , which is the true gospel word . for this is the covenant that god hath made with christ and his seed , saying , isai. . . my spirit which is upon thee , and my word which is in thy mouth , shall never depart out of thy mouth , nor out of the mouth of thy seed , nor out of the mouth of thy seeds seed , from henceforth and for ever . and this was perfectly fulfilled in christ ; for that word , which in the beginning was with god , and was god , was made flesh in him , and dwelt in him ; and out of that word jesus christ spake all that ever he spake ; his whole doctrine did flow from that eternal word which dwelt in him . and christ communicated to the disciples the same word which he had received , as he saith , john . . i have given to them the words that thou gavest me , ( that is , the word of righteousness and life ) and they have received them , and have known surely , that i came out from thee , and they have believed that thou didst send me ; and so that word , which they themselves received by faith , they also held forth to others , as john saith , john . . that which was from the beginning , which we have heard , which we have seen with our eyes , which we have looked upon , and our hands have handled , of the word of life , declare we unto you . and to this also john the baptist gives testimony , john . . where he saith , he whom god hath sent speaketh the words of god ; not the words of men , or angles , but of god ; and this is true , both in christ and in his seed . but now the false prophets speak not the word of god , for they have it not in their hearts ; but what word they have in their hearts , that they speak ; and so they speak the words of their own reason , wisdom , and righteousness , or of other mens ; but beyond humane things they do not go , whether they pretend to high notions on the one hand , or to sound orthodox doctrine on the other hand . now of this , true christians are to take speciall notice ; because , as the true word of god is the greatest commodity to the church that can be , and brings the presence of christ , and all the things of christ along with it ; so the words of man is the greatest mischief to the church that can be ; for it brings antichrist , and his kingdom , and all his things along with it . and thus doth vain philosophy , and school divinity ( which is an unlawfull mixing of philosophy with the outward letter of the word ) pervert all things in the church of carnall and false christians . . as the true prophets speak the true word of god , so also they speak it by the true spirit of god , and not by their own spirit : and thus did christ , who saith of himself , the spirit of the lord is upon me , for he hath annointed me to preach the gospel ; and so he spake the word of god by the spirit of god. and christ commanded his disciples to stay at jerusalem till they had received the spirit , and then to go forth and preach ; because he knew they could not preach gods word aright , without gods spirit ; and also christ saith of all the faithfull , that it is not they that speak , but the spirit of their father that speaks in them ; yea , and the whole gospel is called , the ministration of the spirit . now the true prophets , speaking the word of god by and in his spirit , do also speak it in the right sence , and after the true mind of christ , as paul saith of himself , and of other believers who had received the spirit , we have the mind of christ. but the false prophets , though they speak the word of the letter exactly , and that accordingly to the very originall , and curiosity of criticisms , yet speaking it without the spirit , they are false prophets before god and his true church ; seeing all right prophesie hath proceeded from the spirit in all ages of the world , but especially it must so proceed in the dayes of the new testament , wherein god hath promised the largest effusion of his spirit . and they speaking the word of the letter without the spirit , do wholly mistake the mind of christ in all , and under the outward letter of the word of god , do only bring in the mind of man. and this is one of the greatest delusions , and most mischievous snares that can be laid in the church , to bring in the word of christ without the mind of christ , yea , to bring in the word of christ against the mind of christ , and according to the mind of antichrist : this is the effectuall operation of error , whereby all hypocrites and false christians are deceived , and that without all hope of recovery . and thus you see , that the true prophets bring the true word , and bring it also by the true spirit , and this manifests them to be of god : but the false , either bring not the true word , or if they bring the word in the letter , yet they bring it without the spirit , and thus it is manifest , they are not of god. object . but some will object here : if a man preach the word in the letter , even good , sound , and orthodox doctrine , no doubt but such a man is to be heard , and he may do much good in the church , though he want christs spirit : this i have heard from very many , who have thought they have said something . answ. but to this i answer : that they who want christs spirit , which is the spirit of prophesie , though they preach the exact letter of the word , yet are false prophets , and not to be heard by the sheep . . because under the new testament we are not to regard the letter without the spirit , but the spirit as well as the letter , yea , the spirit more then the letter : and therfore paul saith , that christ shall destroy antichrist with the spirit of his mouth , and the brightness of his coming : he scarce takes any notice of the letter , but calls the true preaching of the gospel , the spirit of christs mouth , or the ministration of the spirit . and therefore the spiritual people cannot joyn to that ministry , where the spirit of christ is wanting , though there be the outward letter of the word in it . . they that preach only the outward letter of the word without the true spirit , they make all things outward in the church , and so carry the people , with whom they prevail , only to outward things , to an outward word , to outward worship , outward ordinances , outward church , outward government , &c. whereas in the true kingdom of christ all things are inward and spirituall ; and all the true religion of christ is written in the soul and spirit of man , by the spirit of god ; and the believer is the only book , in which god himself writes his new testament . . they who preach the outward letter of the word , though never so truly without the spirit , do ( as hath been said ) wholy mistake the mind of christ in the word for want of the spirit , which is the only true and infallible interpreter of his mind ; and so under the outward letter of the word , preach their own mind , and not christs mind ; and do make all the scriptures serve their own turns , even their own worldly ends and advantages , and nothing else . . they that preach the outward letter of the word without the spirit , can with such a word both live themselves , in all the inward evils of corrupted nature , and allow others to do so too . and thus the gospel , which in the spirit of it , is the judgement of sin , is made in the letter of it , the covering for sin , and the encourager of it : seeing such men , who have the letter of the word in their mouth , do live in the inward corruptions of their hearts , more securely and quietly than other men. . last of all , let us know , that whoever doth agree with christ , never so exactly in the letter , and yet differs from him in spirit , is very antichrist ▪ and therefore when the devils in him that was possessed , said to christ , we know thee who thou art , the holy one of god , and so agreed very exactly with the gospel in the letter , yet christ forbad them to speak , because they spake not by a right spirit . and christ hath said , whoever is not with me ( that is , in the spirit ) is against me , though he have the same outward letter of the word with him . and so , as christ builds up his church by his spirit through his word ; so antichrist builds up his church by the word without the spirit : and christs church and antichrists , do often ▪ differ very little or nothing in word or letter , yet do alwayes infinitely differ in spirit . wherefore to conclude , let us know , that that church that hath the word , if it wants the spirit , is antichrists church ; and that that ministry that useth the word , and wants the spirit , is antichrists ministry ; and that all works , duties , prayings , preaching , fasting , thanksgiving , &c. without christs spirit , are nothing but the very kingdom of antichrist , and the abomination of desolation . and so i proceed to the second generall rule of tryall , which i propounded , whereby we may discern the true prophets of christ , from the false prophets of antichrist , and that is : by the truth of the life of christ , in reference to his office in the word . and here i shall give you many tryals , how you may certainly know and discern the false prophets of antichrist from the true , humble , and faithfull ministers of jesus christ. and the lord jesus christ , before whom we are all present this day , and before whose tribunal we shall all be judged , he knows , that i shall not purposely speak any thing at this time , either to please myself , or to displease you ; but i shall desire to speak all out of very faithfulness to him , who hath remembred me when i was in low condition , for his mercy endureth for ever . the first sign then , whereby the true prophets may be discerned from the false , is this : first , the true prophets are all sent of god. so was moses , whom god sent to the children of israel , and bid him tell them , that i am , even the god of abraham , isaac and jacob , hath sent him to them ; and he gave him a proportionable measure of his presence , to cause them to believe it . and christ a greater prophet then moses , even the head of all the children of god , said by isaiah , chap. . . come ye near unto me , heare ye this ; i have not spoken in secret from the beginning , and now the lord and his spirit hath sent me . and everywhere in the gospel , he still declares , how he came not of himself , but his father sent him . and as the father sent christ , so christ sends all his seed , the true ministers of the gospel , as is manifest , john . . where christ said to his disciples , as my father sent me , so send i you ; which he spake not only touching them , but touching all that should believe in his name through their word ; and paul also saith , rom. . . how shall they teach except they be sent ? so that true preaching comes from true sending , and this comes from the grace of god. now i desire you farther to take notice , that god hath reckoned the choise of his ministers , one of the weightiest things that belong unto his kingdom ; wherefore he would never commit the trust of this to any sort of men whatsoever . yea , christ himself did not choose his disciples at his own humane will , but only at the will of god , and therefore was much in prayer before he chose them . and the apostles themselves durst not of themselves , when they were all met together , choose any one into the room of judas , but they betook themselves to prayer , and desired the lord to shew whom he had chosen . and acts . the spirit said , separate me barnabas and saul for the work whereunto i have called them . and paul tells the galatians , that he was an apostle , not of men , nor by men , but by jesus christ and god the father . by all which scriptures we may perceive what care the lord hath alwaies had , to send his own ministers himself into his own church , and would have his true church receive no ministers but such as he sends them . and the great and chief sending into the church is from god himself , as we see in moses , and all the prophets , and in christ himself the head of them , and in all the apostles , and in all believers . now the proof of a mans sending from god is this , to be annointed with the spirit : as john . . when christ said to his disciples , as my father sent me , so send i you ; he breathed upon them , and said , receive the holy spirit : for his father sent him only by pouring out his spirit on him ; and he sends them so only ; and he that saith , the unction of the spirit alone is not sufficient for the ministry of the new testament , he denies christ and his apostles to have been sufficient ministers , and he perverts the scripture , and seduces the people . now the true teachers through the pouring forth of the spirit on them , they do truly know christ himself , and the great mysterie of the gospel , and all the things that are freely given us of god ; and they are also filled with love to their brethren , and are enabled to confess the truth , and to do thereafter , and to contemn the world , and patiently to suffer rebukes , &c. all which is a sufficient proof of any ones sending from god. and thus the true prophets are all sent of god , which is their great comfort and support in all trouble and difficulties , because he that sends them , is still with them . lo ( saith christ ) i am with you alwaies , to the end of the world . but now on the contrary , the false prophets and ministers of antichrist are not sent of god , but are sent and appointed by men , and that through their own desire , and seeking . and of such the lord complains , jer. . . i have not sent these prophets , yet they ran ; i have not spoken to them , yet they prophesied : but because i sent them not , neither commanded them , they shall not profit this people at all , saith the lord , v. . and christ saith , many false christs , and false prophets shall arise : i. e. are not sent of god , but shall arise of themselves . and paul saith to the elders of the church of ephesus , acts . out of your selves shall men arise , speaking perverse things , to draw disciples after them . they arise of themselves , they are not sent of god. now such teachers as these do usually spring up in the church , through academical degrees , and ecclesiastical ordination ; which two things have poured forth into the church whole swarms of false prophets , and antichristian ministers , never sent of god , nor annointed of his spirit , to the irreparable damage , prejudice , and ruine of the people and nations who have received them , with their false and poysonfull doctrine . wherefore all those teachers who are not sent of the lord and his spirit , but arise of themselves , and come into the church in the strength and might of their degrees and orders , they are all false prophets . the second sign . the true prophets , who are sent of god , take all their warrant and authority from god , for what they teach , and do not at all regard men , or build on them. and this hath all along made the true teachers so bold , and so confident , in the name of god , against the world and worldly church : so isaiah . , &c. saith , the lord god hath given me the tongue of the learned , that i should know how to speak a word in due season to him that is weary ; he wakeneth morning by morning ; he wakeneth my ear to hear as the learned . the lord hath opened mine ear , and i was not rebellious , neither turned away back . for the lord god will help me , therefore shall i not be confounded ; therefore have i set my face as a flint , and i know i shall not be ashamed . he is near that justifies me ; who will contend with me ? let us stand together , who is mine adversary ? let him come near me . behold the lord will help me ; who is he that shall condemn me ? lo they all shall wax old as a garment , the moth shall eat them up . see here the admirable confidence of a teacher sent from god. and so also our lord jesus christ in the dayes of his flesh , how bold was he in his ministry , coming in the name of the lord , and having his authority and doctrine from him ! how boldly did he reprove the scribes and pharisees , the chief teachers of the jewish church ! and what a clear and glorious confession of the truth of god , did he hold forth against all their opposition and contradiction . and the apostles , when the rulers , elders , and scribes , and annas the high priest , and caiaphas , and john , and alexander , and all the kindred of the high priest were gathered together , and threatened them , and straitly charged them , to preach no more in that name , they answered , whether it be right in the sight of god , to hearken unto you more than unto god , judge ye : for we cannot but speak the things which we have seen and heard , acts . vers . . and so wickliffe , john hus , and luther , who were sent of god , did take all their authority from god alone , and so were bold and confident , each of them in their time , against the whole world. but now the false prophets , who come of themselves , and by the sending of men , they do all by the authority and warrant of man ; and accordingly do joyn themselves together , by secular power , to bring about their doctrines and designs in the church ; and from the civill authority they procure leave and power to publish their doctrine , and set up their discipline in the church , and to suppress what ever is contrary thereto ; and without this worldly license and authority , they neither can nor dare do any thing : and are never bold , but when the authority of man is for them . but the true prophets ( as hath been said ) do only take their authority from christ for what they teach , and are bold in his name only , to hold it forth : and so after they have published the word in faith , in the same faith they leave the maintenance and defending of it to him alone , whose word it is ; and they neither publish it for mans commanding , nor smother it for mans forbidding . wherefore those teachers , who have not their warrant from christ for their doctrine , and are not bold in his name alone , but do derive all their authority and encouragement from men , to speak and act in the things of god , they are all false prophets , and ministers of antichrist . the third sign . the true and faithful teachers , as they are sent of god , and take their authority from god , so in all their doctrine they only hold forth jesus christ. and this they have learned from god himself . for the father speaking immediatly from heaven , preached nothing but christ , saying , this is my beloved son , in whom i am well pleased , hear him : and this he spake thrice from the excellent glory ; manifesting , that he himsef had no higher thing , nor no other thing to declare to the world , than his son jesus christ , in whom alone are hid all the treasures of all true and spiritual wisdom and knowledge . the son also in all his ministry , only declared who himself was , whom the father had given to the elect church ; saying , psal. . i will publish the decree , whereof the lord hath said unto me , thou art my son , this day have i begotten thee : and in all his ministry only declared who he was , and to what end his father had given him : saying , i am the bread of life , which cometh down from heaven ; he that cometh to me shall never hunger ; and he that believeth in me shall never thirst . and i am the way , the truth , and the life ; no man cometh to the father but by me : and all his doctrine and works were to this end , that we might believe that jesus is the son of god , and that believing in him we might have eternal life . the apostles also of the lord , after they had received the spirit , did go up and down the world , only preaching jesus , and repentance , and remission of sins in his name . and paul a laborious preacher , through the grace of god , did renounce and reject all his worldly learning , and all his humane accomplishments and excellencies in the ministry of the gospel , and preached nothing but the right knowledge of christ , and right faith in him , as he himself testifies , phil. . , &c. saying , what things were gain to me , those i counted loss for christ ; yea doubtless , and i count all things but loss for the excellency of the knowledge of jesus christ my lord , for whom i have suffered the loss of all things , and do count them but dung , that i may win christ , and be found in him , not having mine own righteousness which is of the law , but that which is through the faith of christ , the righteousness which is of god by faith ; that i may know him , and the power of his resurrection , and the fellowship of his sufferings , and be made conformable to him in his death , if by any means i might attain to the resurrection from the dead . and he also tells the corinthians , that he desired to know nothing amongst them , but jesus christ and him crucified . and thus the true teachers preach nothing but christ ; and him they preach , not according to their own humane conceptions and apprehensions , but according to the revelation they have received from the father by the spirit . but on the contrary , the false teachers preach nothing less than christ , and faith in him : but they chiefly teach the law , and morall doctrine , and works , or else philosophy , and philosophical subtilties and speculations , which yet the apostle hath expresly forbidden , col. . . saying to the faithful , beware lest any man spoil you through philosophy and vain deceit , after the tradition of men , after the elements of the world , and not after christ ; for in him dwells the fulness of the godhead bodily ; and ye are compleat in him who is the head of all principality and power : and so we need not turn from christ , to philosophy that vain deceit . wherefore they who preach not the mysterie of christ , through the revelation of the father , and the spirit , but moral vertues and vain philosophy , instead of christ , are all of them false prophets , and ministers of antichrist . the fourth sign . the true ministers and prophets of christ , as they only hold forth christ , so they hold him forth only for the love of god , and their brother , and not for any worldly profit or gain . thus christ taught his disciples , out of the love of god ; as he saith , i delight to do thy will , o my god , yea thy law is within my heart , that is , his love to god. and also out of love to his brother ; for having loved his own , he loved them to the end , and out of this love taught them ; as he saith , i have called you friends ; for whatsoever i have heard from my father , i have declared unto you. and as he taught out of love himself , so he hath commanded all his seed to teach one another , out of the same love , and hath given them his spirit , which is love , that thereby they might love both him and their brethren ; and therefore christ ( knowing how difficult a work it was , to feed his sheep with the right and found doctrine of the gospel , and that none could or would perform this , except they loved christ from their very heart root ) said thrice to peter , peter , dost thou love me ? dost thou love me ? dost thou love me ? then feed my sheep , my lambs , my sheep ; and paul saith , the love of christ constrained him , to teach the gospel : and the fruit of the spirit , in all believers being love , in this brotherly love , they serve one another in the gospel . and as christ himself did not sell his spiritual travel to his church , for worldly profit or gain ; no more do his true seed and servants ; for saith paul , acts . . i have coveted no mans silver or gold , or apparel ; ye your selves know , that these hands have ministred to my necessity , and to them who were with me : and cor. . . behold the third time i am ready to come to you , i will not be burdensome to you , for i seek not yours but you. and v. . did i make a gain of you , by any of them whom i sent unto you ? or did titus make a gain of you ? walked we not both in the same spirit ? and thus the true teachers do not seek any temporal gain or commodity , from the hands of men by their preaching , but do truly and chearfully teach out of the love of christ , and their brother . but on the contrary , the false teachers , though they do not teach the gospel ( being destitute of the spirit ) but vain philosophy and humane doctrines instead of it , yet will they live by the gospel , and not by the labour of their hands in a lawfull calling ; they will have the temporal goods of the church , and yet not minister the spiritual treasure of it ; and what they do minister , they do it for reward , as it is written , micah . . the priests teach for hire , and the prophets divine for mony ; and he that putteth not into their mouths , they even prepare war against him . and to shew they preach for the love of gain , they are brought up to the ministry as to a trade to live by ; and they run in this way , from one place to another , from a lesser to a greater living , and where they may gain most of this world , there will they be sure to be : yea , so much are they addicted to their worldly advantage , that they had rather christs kingdom should never be set up in the world , nor antichrists never be thrown down , then suffer any loss or diminution in their profit , power , dignity , authority , or in any worldly thing , whereof they have got the possession and injoyment . wherefore they that teach christ , not for the love of christ , and their brother , but for temporal gain , and worldly advantage only , are all of them false teachers and ministers of antichrist . the fifth sign . the true teachers teach christ to others , as they have been taught him of god , only for the glory of god , and not out of vain-glory. wherefore christ said of himself , john . . i seek not mine own glory : and john . . he that speaketh of himself seeketh his own glory ; but he that seeketh the glory of him that sent him , the same is true , and no unrighteousness is in him : so that whoever speaketh from god , seeketh gods glory : and so also paul saith , thess. . . nor of men sought we glory ; neither of you , nor yet of others . so that the true teachers do not preach the word to win to themselves glory in the world , and praise and applause from men ; but do rather seek the glory of god by their doctrine , though hypocrites and carnal people , for this cause do deride and scorn them . but on the contrary , the false teachers seek above all things their own glory by their ministry , and to this end , . they get to themselves titles and degrees in the university , for their pretended knowledge in divinity above other christians ; and by these degrees , they get the uppermost seats in the synagogues , and greetings in the markets , and are called of men , doctor , doctor , which christ hath expresly forbidden in his gospel . . having got such titles , they go forth in their own name as men of approved religion , learning , reputation and worth , and for such they make account the world should receive them . . they especially desire to preach to rich men , and great men , and men in place and authority , that from them they may have protection , favour , preferment , and a quiet life , and care not much to preach to the poor , plain , mean people , by whom they can expect no worldly advantage . . to this end also , they speak in the words which mans wisdom teacheth , and so mingle philosophy with divinity , and think to credit the gospel with terms of art ; and do sprinkle their sermons with hebrew , greek , latin , as with a perfume acceptable to the nostrils of the world. in a word , they preach all things in a pleasing spirit to the world , that they by all may get glory to themselves , and may be accounted , with simon magus , some great ones : and in all this , they shew they speak of themselves , and not of god ; seeing they seek not gods glory , but their own ; for , he that speaketh of himself , seeketh his own glory . wherefore they who by their ministry do not seek the glory of god alone , and of his son jesus christ , but seek their own glory , and the praise of men , as the clergy generally do , and not least of all in this place , they are all of them false prophets , and ministers of antichrist . the sixth sign . the true preachers and ministers of christ , when they are opposed , resisted , slandered and persecuted for the words sake , they endure it with all meekness , humility and patience . thus christ endured all the reproaches , contradictions , revilings , and persecutions from the jews ; and when he was reviled , reviled not again ; when he suffered he threatned not , but committed himself to him that judgeth righteously , pet. . . and paul saith of himself to the corinthians , cor. . . you had the signs of my apostleship in all patience . but on the contrary the false teachers , when any truth is preached that they know not , or that is against their gain or glory , they snarl and bark at it , and bite them that bring it . and therefore saith paul , beware of dogs , phil. . . not dogs by nature , but by practice and condition . now a curst dog lying on a rich garment ▪ or soft carpet at his ease , as long as he may lye still he is very quiet , but if you would remove him from his place , he soon snarls and flyes at you , and shews of what mettle he is made . so the false teachers , who have gotten a carnall knowledge of the word , and have thereby gotten preferment , and great advantages in the world , they lye quiet on these soft things , as long as they may lye still ; but if any seek by the word of god to rouze them up from these things , they rise up like angry dogs , and bark at them , and rend them , as much as they can or dare . wherefore those teachers who cannot patiently suffer wrongs for the words sake ; but on the contrary , when they are reproved by the word , and their sheeps cloathing pull'd off , even their false vizard of religion , do presently grow impatient and furious ; and they that bark and foam against the late revealed truth , which toucheth them very near , they all are false teachers , and ministers of antichrist . the seventh sign . the true prophets , and ministers of christ , do not force any body to hear them , and obey their doctrine against their wils , neither do they vex and trouble them with secular power , who will not obey them , and be subject to them ; but they leave all such people as they found them , lest they should seem by their doctrine , to seek any worldly thing . thus christ when he taught the gospel , still cryed out , he that hath ears to hear , let him hear ; and he that had not ears to hear , he did not punish him : and again saith christ , if any man will be my disciple , let him deny himself , and take up his cross and follow me ; and still left men to their own freedom , whether they would be his disciples or no. and as christ did thus himself , so he left the same thing in command with all his true disciples ; and when he sent them forth to preach , matth. . he charged them saying , whoever will not receive you , nor hear your words , when you depart out of that house or city , shake off the dust of your feet , as a testimony against them ; he doth not bid them if they be refused , to betake themselves to the secular power , to get authority from thence to stay and abide there , whether they will or no , or otherwise to punish them , but bids them only to shake off the dust of their feet , that they might know , they came not to them for the love of earthly things . and when the apostles out of a false zeal would have had christ to have commanded fire to have come down from heaven to have destroyed them that would not receive him ; he plainly reproved them , saying , ye know not of what spirit ye are ; for the son of man is not come to destroy mens lives , but to save them . it is recorded in the life of simon and jude the apostles , as both gulielmus de sancto amore , and john hus relate , that when the chief ruler was very angry with those who defamed the doctrine of those apostles , and in great zeal commanded a great fire to be made , that such opposers might be cast into it , the apostles fell down before the emperour , saying , we beseech you ( sir ) let not us be the authors or causers of this destruction , who are come to publish the doctrine of eternal salvation ; neither let us who are sent to revive those who are dead through sin , become the killers of those who are alive . wherefore those teachers who for worldly advantage sake , will force themselves upon those men against their wills , who will not willingly receive them ; and will provoke the worldly powers and magistrates to punish those who will not hear and receive them and their doctrine , they all are false prophets and ministers of antichrist . the eighth sign . the true teachers are content that others should teach as well as they , and would not make a monopoly of the ministry to themselves alone , for worldly advantage sake . thus our lord jesus christ did not content himself to preach the gospel alone , but he sent forth others , as his father sent forth him , yea , he pours forth his spirit on all flesh , that sons , and daughters , and servants , and handmaids may prophesie , and so knowledge may cover the earth , as waters the seas : and to make the world willing to receive such teachers , he saith , he that receiveth you , receiveth me ; and he that receiveth me , receiveth him that sent me. and when eldad and medad upon whom the spirit of the lord did rest , did prophesie in the camp of israel , without asking any license from moses , and one told moses of it in great displeasure , and joshua thereupon wished moses to forbid them to prophesie , then moses the meek servant of the lord replied , enviest thou for my sake ? would god ( saith he ) that all the lords people were prophets , and that the lord would put his spirit upon them all , numb . . . and so the godly mind of any faithful teacher , desireth to be helped in the work of the word , that the pretious truth of the gospel , which he himself alone cannot sufficiently express , all mens tongues might declare . and so they do not envy in others those spiritual gifts which god hath given them , but do wish , that every man had a mouth and wisdom given him , to declare the mysterie of the gospel , and the infinite love , mercy , wisdom , truth , power , redemption , and salvation of god by jesus christ , which cannot by all mens tongues be sufficiently published in the world. farther , as no worldly prince or magistrate hath such unlimited power over the goods of the people , as to forbid them to give corporal alms to them that stand in need , as occasion is ministred ; no more hath any power , whether ecclesiastical or civil , such dominion over the word and truth of god , written by the spirit in the hearts of believers , but that they may at all times , and upon all occasions , minister spiritual alms to them who stand in need , by the teaching of the gospel . wherefore those teachers , who are envious that any should preach the word but themselves , and their own tribe , as they call it , ( because they get great worldly advantage thereby , whereas otherwise they would be contented that any should preach ) and so would have the civil magistrate only to license them to be preachers , because of their degrees and orders , and to forbid all others , they all are false teachers , and ministers of antichrist . the ninth sign . the true teachers do not only teach the word , but are also ready to seal to the truth of it , with their estates , liberties , and lives . thus did jesus christ , as was foretold by isaiah , chap. . . where christ saith by his spirit , the lord hath opened mine ear , and i was not rebellious , neither turned away back ; i gave my back to the smiters , and my cheeks to them who plucked off the hair ; i hid not my face from shame and spitting . and in the dayes of his flesh , how willingly did he seal to the truth of his new testament doctrine with his suffering , and suffered himself to be apprehended by the hands of men , and to be crucified , when he could have commanded legions of angels for his succor , if he had pleased , and would not have made use of his own infinite and almighty power . and this submission and willingness to suffer for the truth , christ hath commanded all his disciples , saying , he that will save his life , shall lose it ; and he that will lose his life for my sake shall save it : and if any man will be my desciple , let him deny himself , take up the cross , and follow me : and again , i send you forth as sheep among wolves , and ye shall be brought before kings and rulers for my names sake , that is , for the true and spiritual teaching of the gospel . now as nothing will procure us more enmity , than the spiritual holding forth of the gospel , which will cause the worldly church to cast out our name as evil , and to cast our persons out of their synagogues , yea , and also to kill us , when they can get power ; so if we be true teachers , must we be ready and willing to suffer all this for christs name sake . wherefore those teachers who imbrace the heighth and honour of this life , and will not own the gospel of christ , farther than they may thereby procure to themselves credit , reputation , profit , and preferment in the world ; and to this end , in doubtful and difficult times carry themselves so subtilly , that what ever party shall prevail , they may still stand on their leggs , and injoy their present prosperity and preferment , and so are neither hot nor cold , neither truly for the truth , nor openly against the truth , but seek by all subtil means to decline the cross of christ. and though in christ himself , they praise his meanness , plainness , simplicity , suffering , and cross , yet they themselves are delicate , and cannot indure these things for christs sake in themselves , but bend and frame the whole course of their ministry so , as they may obtain all good things from the world , and avoid and escape all evil things from it ; these all are false prophets , and ministers of antichrist . by these nine signs ( for i shall name no more now ) may the true prophets and ministers of christ be manifestly distinguished and discerned from the false ones of antichrist , by all the true people of god , who have received his spirit . now let god and his word be true , and every man a lyar. and now i shall make but two uses of this discourse briefly , and so conclude for this time . and the first shall be to those of you who are spiritual christians : and the second to the carnal clergy . first , you who are true believers , and spiritual christians , may judge aright , by what you have heard , of the present clergy , or common ministry of the nation ; and may see by the clear light of the word , that they , for the generality of them , are not true but false prophets ; not the ministers of christ but of antichrist ; not sent of god , nor annointed by his spirit , but ordained and appointed by men , at their own desire and seeking , for worldly advantage sake ; men who stand and minister in the church , only in the strength of their academical degrees and ecclesiastical ordination , but do not stand and feed the people , in the strength of the lord , and in the majesty of the name of their god. and this corrupt ministry or carnal clergy have deceived the people and nations , with a corrupt and carnal understanding of christ , and of the scriptures , and of the kingdom of christ , and of the government of his kingdom , and of all the things of christ : yea , they have under the name and pretence of christ , set up a church to antichrist every-where , and do continually mislead thousands of poor souls , and carry them captive to hell , and that under the colour and pretence of religion . and this , i say , is the great evil in these false teachers , that under the name of christ , they fight against christ , and under the name of the word , they fight against the word , and under the name of the church , they fight against the church : and this is a grievous abomination of desolation in the temple of god , that they who should be the chief for the truth , are the chief against it ; and that they who should be faithfull witnesses to the holy truth of christ , should prove lying witnesses against it . if a prophane person , or heathen should do this , it would be wickedness and impiety even in them ; but this is horrible abomination , and antichristianism in the church of christ , that they , who are come into it as friends , and have obtained the chief places in it , should yet under this vizard be indeed very enemies , and seducers , and hinderers of the word of christ crucified . wherefore saith the truth against such , psal. . . it was not an enemy that reproached me , then i could have born it ; neither was it he that hated me , that magnified himself against me , for then i would have hid my self from him ; but it was thou , a man , mine equal , my guide , and my acquaintance ; we took sweet counsel together , and walked unto the house of god in company , &c. and so these false teachers are these familiar enemies , who exercise all their hatred under the pretence of love , all their enmity under pretence of friendship , and practise all their wickedness under a form of godliness ; and by this subtilty have they deceived the world. they will not plainly contradict the words of the prophets , apostles and christ , in the letter of it , but will praise it , and speak well of it ; but yet they are utter enemies to the true and spiritual meaning of it , both in their lives and doctrine : and the more these men make a shew of religion and holiness , the greater antichrists they be in the church . wherefore to you who are true christians , and have received an annointing from god , this is the word and charge of god , come out from among them , my people , and touch not the unclean thing , that is , their carnal doctrine ; have nothing to do with such prophets and ministers , but remember what christ saith , john . that his sheep hear his voyce , and will not hear the voice of strangers ; for they know the voice of strangers . and if any of you live in any town or parish , where such false prophets are , though they go under the name of godly and orthodox , yet touch not the unclean thing , but know , that it is better for you believers to assemble together among your selves , though you be but few , than to communicate with the false prophets in their false ordinances : seeing christ hath promised his presence to his believers , even where but two or three meet together in his name ; yea , hath said , if any two of you shall agree together to ask any thing on earth , it shall be done of my father which is in heaven . and if you , having these promises , shall meet together among your selves , in the name and spirit of christ , in the use of the word , and prayer of faith , lo christ himself will be with you ; and though you be but few , yet are you the church of the living god , the pillar and ground of truth , and of that very church , against which the gates of hell shall not prevail ; and thus much to you spiritual christians . . and now for the carnal clergy , or false prophets , their burden is this , from the lord. you have run when you were not sent , you have said , thus saith the lord , when the lord hath not spoken by you ; you have grieved the hearts of the faithfull , and strengthened the hands of the wicked : you have been forward to advance the form of godliness , whilest you have been bitter enemies to the power of it : you have deceived the nations , and made them drunk with the cup of the wine of your fornications : you have done more against christ and his true church , and more for antichrist and his false church , than all the people in these nations besides . wherefore this is the word of the lord to you , throughout all your quarters , that the nations shall not much longer be deceived by you , nor buy any more of your merchandize , for your wine is the poyson of dragons , and the cruel venom of asps ; your doctrine being the word of philosophy , and not of faith ; after the mind of man , but contrary to christs minde : to set up your selves and your own interest , to the prejudice of christs word and people . wherefore how much you have georified your selves , and lived deliciously by this trade of making merchandize of the word of god , so much torment and sorrow shall god give you , and your plagues shall come upon you in a day , and your judgement in an hour ; and your lovers shall not be able to help you , nor the petitioners for you , to uphold you ; but god shall bring you down wonderfully , by the clear light of his word , and his mighty and unresistable providence accompanying it ; and the world shall tremble , and wonder at the noise of your downfall ; and the heavens , and holy apostles , and prophets , shall rejoyce over you , when god shall avenge their cause upon you . and the lord will save his flock ; and they shall be no more a prey to you , neither shall you any more serve your selves of them. and he will set up one shepherd over them , even jesus christ ; and he shall feed them , and be their shepherd . and till these things be fully brought to pass , you shall be clothed with trembling , when you shall perceive the lord is risen up , to perform all these things , according to his word . and now for conclusion , if any of you , or most of you , or all of you , are offended at these things , in such sort , that you cannot contain your selves from anger and bitter zeal , i do intreat you , to consider seriously , how much better , and more profitable to your eternal salvation it would be , for you to resist and to refrain from such evil and unchristian passions ; and that you would rather ( if there be any hope ) return to your own hearts , and try your works , and repent before our holy and righteous lord , and return truly and speedily to christ from antichrist , lest you be inwrapped , both in his temporal and eternal destruction . and thus much was delivered to the university congregation in cambridge , for a testimony against them , except they repent . the rest , for the substance of it , was delivered elsewhere in the town , as followeth . anno . the tryall of spirits . john . , &c. believe not every spirit , &c. in this scripture we have noted these six things . . that the apostle gives the faithfull notice of a great evil risen up , many false prophets are gone into the world . . he prescribes them a sufficient remedy against that evil ; believe not every spirit , but try , &c. . he gives them a right rule for trial , vers . . & . . he shews , with whom those false prophets , who come in the spirit of antichrist , should not prevail , to wit , with none of the true children of god , ver . . . with whom they should prevail , to wit , with the worldly and carnal people , ver . . . he shews , how the spirit of truth and error may be known in the people , as well as in the teachers , v. . of the three first of these points , i have spoken already , in the university congregation . the last time i spake of the third thing , that is , the rule of trial , how the false prophets may be known and discerned from the true : and i gave forth clearly and plainly out of the word of god , nine signs to distinguish them , not one of which can possibly be contradicted , but by the spirit of antichrist , or by the prophane and ignorant world : and then i also delivered two uses , the one to spiritual christians , and the other to the carnal clergy , all which you may have recourse to , in the former discourse . but how these things have since vexed and tormented the false prophets , you very well know ; and how exceedingly grieved and angry they are , that this word of god should be taught the people , and that in their presence . unto which word of christ , they say by their deeds , as satan in the possessed said once to christ himself in words , mark . . let us alone , what have we to do with thee , thou jesus of nazareth ? art thou come to destroy us ? i know thee who thou art , the holy one of god. this unclean spirit knew , and acknowledged christ to be the holy one of god , and yet would have nothing to do with him , because he was come to destroy him . so these false prophets cannot choose but acknowledge ( in their hearts at least ) that the word that hath been taught them , is the holy word of god , but yet ( they say ) what have we to do with it ? for it is come to destroy us. for the more the word of christ is held forth in the clearness and plainness of the gospel , the more doth it destroy them , and their affairs : their carnal clergy , flowing from the antichristian fountain of the universities ; their ecclesiastical assemblies , arising out of the clergy ; their presbyterian government , springing up out of their ecclesiastical assemblies ; their national church , the product of their presbyterian government : together , with their worldly power and domination , their high titles , their scarlet robes , their divinity-degrees , &c. i say , the word of the gospel comes with full might and minde to destroy all these , and all their other things , in which their souls delight , as bringing worldly profit , power , and honour to them . wherefore this word , which abases , and casts down them , and all their things , and exalts christ alone , and all his things , they cannot endure ; but do account it their reproach and shame , and say to it , what have we to do with thee , thou holy word of god! for thou art come to destroy us ; and so , against this word , they are angry , and inraged at no ordinary or humane rate , but as david saith , psal. . they belch out with their mouth , and make a noise like a dog , and go up and down , full of pride , cursing and lying . but the lord laughs at these heathen , and hath them in derision , for he seeth the day is coming , when they shall wander up and down for meat , and grudge if they be not satisfied . now this behaviour of theirs , towards the word of god , is plainly foretold , rev. . ver . , . where it is said , that when the god of heaven poured forth his vial by the fifth angel , on the seat or throne of the beast , his kingdom was full of darkness , and they gnawed their tongues for pain , and blasphemed the god of heaven , because of their pains and their sores ; and yet repented not of their deeds . now the throne of the beast in these nations , are the universities , as the fountain of the ministery ; the vial poured on them , is the true word of god , or the plain and simple gospel , which is the word of faith , than which , nothing is more grievous to them who have been bred up in philosophy , and in the knowledge , wisdom , learning , righteousness and spirit of the world ; now the primary event of the pouring forth of this vial of the word of god on this seat , is the darkning of antichrists kingdom , as it is said , his kingdom was full of darkness ; it was full of darkness before , but now it is discovered to be full of darkness ; their philosophy is darkness , and vain deceit ; their school divinity darkness , and antichristianism ; their divinity acts and clerums , darkness ; their professorships of divinity darkness , yea , all their doctrine , faith , worship , works , church-discipline , titles , ordination , and all are discovered to be darkness , even gross darkness , by the word of faith : and then follows the secundary event of the pouring forth this vial , which is , they gnawed their tongues for pain , and blasphemed the god of heaven because of their pains and sores which the word inflicted on them ; that is , they had not the ordinary anger of men against the word , but the anger and wrath of devils , causing them to blaspheme again . but yet for all these things , they repented not of their deeds ( as we see manifestly ) which yet would have been more profitable for them . and this also discovers them to be false prophets indeed , and the right ministers of antichrist : and this appertains to the sixth sign of false prophets , which i gave before . the fourth general point . and now i proceed to the fourth thing , wherein the apostle shews , with whom the false prophets , which come in the spirit of antichrist , should not prevail ; namely , with none of the true children of god : and this is set down , in ver . . we are of god little children , and have overcome them , because greater is he that is in you , then he that is in the world . here now the apostle shews the victory , which the truly faithfull and spiritual christians do obtain over antichrist and his false prophets , together with the grounds of that victory . . the victory is set down in these words , little children , ye have overcome them . . the grounds of this victory are two . . because the faithfull are of god , as children of their father : ye are of god little children , and have overcome them . . because that spirit which the faithfull have received , and which dwells in them , is stronger , and mightier than that spirit which the world receives , and which dwells in them . greater is he that is in you , than he that is in the world. i shall first speak something of the victory it self ; that is , of that glorious victory , which all the true children of god do obtain over antichrist . for though antichrist and his teachers do come in christs name ( as christ hath foretold ) and in sheeps cloathing ; and though they transform themselves into the apostles of christ , and come with all deceivableness of unrighteousness , holding forth a false christ the head ; a false church the body ; a false word , a false worship , false works , false ordinances , and all these false things exceedingly like the true , and in the very form and appearance of the true ; in such sort , that they prevail with all the national church , and the generality of the people of the world , which all wonder after them ; yet are they not able , by all these things , to prevail with any of the true children of god , as christ hath taught us , saying , many false christs and false prophets shall arise , and shall come with lying signs and wonders ; able , if it were possible , to deceive the elect : and though they do deceive all others , yet is it not possible for them to deceive the elect of god , that is , throughly and fully , as they do deceive others ; but the faithful and elect people of god do escape their deceits , and do overcome them ; yea , though they be but little children , new in the faith , and young in christ , yet do they overcome all the false prophets in the world. for these little children are so stript of their old nature , that they overcome the lusts of the flesh , the lusts of the eye , and the pride of life , which are not of god , but of the world , and through which only , the ministers of antichrist are mighty : and so these teachers can find nothing in them , on which they can lay hold to prevail . besides , as new born babes can discern and taste which is good and wholesome milk , and sutable to them , and can refuse what is otherwise ; and this instinct they have in their very nature , as soon as they have a being , to judge of their food , which is good for them , and which is hurtful . so the children of god , as soon as ever they by faith are made partakers of the divine nature , they can immediately judge of the milk of the word , and can surely taste and discern whether it be sincere or adulterated , whether it be good or hurtful for them . and so in the vertue of their new nature , they reject and overcome all the false doctrine of the false teachers . and thus we have seen all along , in the several ages of the reign of antichrist , that christ hath alwayes had a people of his own , though but few in number , and mean in condition , and despised of the world , whom antichrist never could prevail against , neither by the subtilty of his doctrine , nor by the violence of his tyranny ; but they have by their faith and patience , and word of their testimony , withstood him , and his multitudes , yea , the whole world , whom he hath all along seduced . thus in every age hath christ had so great care of all those whom his father hath given him , that he hath lost none of them , no not one single person , but by his word and spirit which he hath put into them , and by his own presence in them , through his word and spirit , he hath still preserved them , and hath strenghthened them , to oppose and resist antichrist to the death , and to overcome as he overcame . and so during all the reign of antichrist in the world , whom hath he prevailed withall , and deceived , but only the world ? but not one single person of the elect children of god , though he hath especially sought to prevail with them. but jesus christ ( who only knows who are his ) hath kept all along those whom he hath known , that we might understand , that the care of the true church is committed to him alone from the father , and that all the magistrates and powers of the world , are not at all capable of such a trust , which would have been too great for the very angels of heaven . and though antichrist during his reign , had inwrapped the elect themselves into all his errors , before faith came , as the first adam had inwrapped them in all his sin ; yet as god wrought faith in them , and gave them his spirit , so they by degrees recovered out of the errors of antichrist , and prevailed against them . lastly , seeing all the true children of god do overcome antichrist and his ministers , antichrist hath no cause to boast of his reign in the world , nor the true church of christ to be discouraged at it . antichrist , by all his subtilty and strength , and by all his own ecclesiastical power , and by all the temporal power of princes , whom he hath seduced , hath conquered to himself none but the world , that is , the people that were not of god. and the true spiritual church , of christs own building , the new jerusalem from above , that sojourns in this world , hath not lost one stone out of its building , nor one member out of its body , by all that antichrist , and the devil his head , could do . and therefore antichrist hath no cause to boast , for he hath got none but his own : and the true church hath no cause to be discouraged , for it hath lost none of its own : and none ever went out from it , but those that were not of it ; and all that were truly of it , have ever continued with it . and thus much briefly touching the victory which the faithful obtain aganst antichrist and his prophets . now the grounds of this victory here named , are two . . the first is , because they are of god : ye are of god little children , and have overcome them . antichrist and his false prophets cannot prevail against the truly faithful , because they are of god , as the spirit also speaks elsewhere , saying , cor. . . of him are ye in christ jesus : and they are of god , as children are of the father , as it is written , jam. . . of his own will begat he us , by the word of truth , that we should be a kind of first fruits of his creatures . so that , as the children of men , are of their fathers , through a natural generation , and being ; so the faithful are of god , through a spiritual generation , and being . and as the children of men partake of the very nature of their fathers , so do the children of god partake of the divine nature ; the faithful being born again , not of corruptible , but of incorruptible seed , by the word of god , which lives and abides for ever . that as jesus christ ( who according to his humane nature , was a man , and in all things like to us , sin excepted ) came to be of god , and to be the son of god , through the coming and dwelling of the living word of god in his flesh , according to the love , will and counsel of the father ; so the same living word , coming and dwelling in the faithful , his members , according to the same love , will , and counsel of god , they also , come to be of god in christ , as christ is of god , according to his humane nature . and as christ being thus of god , according to the word of god , that dwelt in his humane nature , overcame the devil , the head of antichrist , and antichrist and his body , the temple of the devil ; so do all christs members overcome antichrist , and his prophets , through the same living word of god dwelling in them , or through the word of righteousness and life , its being incarnate in them , that is , its being written in their hearts by the spirit , or put into their inward parts . wherefore christ throughout , that is , from the head it self to the lowest member , is called immanuel , god with us : or which is all one , god manifested in the flesh . and for this cause these faithful , or little children of god cannot be prevailed against , inasmuch as they are of god , and so have in them , by true union and communion , the nature of god , and the word of god , and the spirit of god , and the righteousness of god , and the wisdom of god , and the power of god , and the life and light of god , and all the things of god , as the apostle paul saith , in the new creature all things are become new , and all ▪ things ( that is , all these new things ) are of god , ( that is , they are the very things of god. ) and so these faithful people cannot be prevailed against by antichrist , or by the devil , the head of antichrist ; but they do prevail against the doctrine of antichrist , by the doctrine of christ ; against the spirit of antichrist by the spirit of christ ; against the sin of antichrist by the righteousness of christ ; against the error of antichrist by the truth of christ ; and against all the things of antichrist , by the infinite and eternal things of christ. wherefore you see , that all they that are of god , through a new birth , and are the trne children of that heavenly father , and do partake of his divine nature , and all his divine things , they cannot be overcome of antichrist and his prophets , but they do mightily overcome them all , through that immortal seed of the true and living word of god , of which they are born , and in which they live and act . but , they that are overcome by antichrist and his teachers through their deceivableness of unrighteousness , they never were the true children of god , but hypocrites , and unbelievers under a form of godliness , that is , as the apostle stiles them , bastards , or false children , who never had received the true nature of god through faith. the second ground . and now follows the second ground , why the faithfull cannot be overcome by antichrist , and his prophets ; to wit , because greater is he that is in you , than he that is in the world. and here the apostle shews , that the true faithful christians , are not only of god , but also have god himself dwelling and abiding in them : for they are built up by the spirit to be the habitation of god ; and god is in them of a truth ; and that not by created habits of grace , as antichrist and his prophets have thought and taught ; but the true god is in them of a truth , and he dwells in them , and walks in them , as himself hath said , and the tabernacle of god is with men. and now , as the sun is never without its light and heat , and all its vertues , and where-ever it goes , all these go along with it , being inseparable from it ; so where-ever the lord god comes , he comes with all his righteousness , wisdom , power , peace , joy , and all his infinite and eternal things ; and where god himself is , there are all the things of god. and thus god in his faithful people , is greater than he is that is in the world ; that is , he is greater than antichrist , and the devil his head. he is greater in his true word , than they in their pretended word ; greater in his true spirit , than they in their pretended spirit ; greater in his true righteousness , than they in their pretended righteousness ; greater in his true wisdom , and power , than they in their pretended wisdom , and power , &c. greater is he that is in you , than he that is in the world. now for certain , the less is overcome by the greater ; and seeing god and his spirit in his saints , is greater in goodness , righteousness , wisdom , and all things , than the devil is in antichrist and his prophets ; therefore the faithful in whom god dwels , and manifests himself , must needs overcome antichrist and the false prophets , in whom the devil dwels , and manifests himself . now hence we may learn several things . and first , we may learn , that antichrist can prevail against any outward form of religion and godliness , against any humane vertues and graces , and works , and prayers , or any thing that is of man , or flows from him , though in never so great appearance of holiness ; as we by sad experience have seen , many men of great seeming religion , famous for preaching , and praying , and reputed pillars in the church when they have come hither into the university ( where antichrist and his spirit , have remained in their full strength , notwithstanding the great consumption which god hath brought on them , by his word in other parts ) how soon have they cased from that sense of the gospel , which they once seemed to have had ; and how suddenly have they been intangled and overcome with the spirit of the university , and of antichrist , for worldly honour and advantage sake ? and so , the highest and strongest formal religion in the church , antichrist can soon prevail against . but antichrist can never prevail against god in the saints , nor against the righteousness , wisdom , and power of god in them , all which are contained in his true presence ; nor against the faith , hope , and love of saints , which are the works of god in them by his spirit ; against these antichrist cannot prevail ; for greater is he that is in us , than he that is in the world. so then , if thou hast any thing in thee that is truly of god , or rather , that is god himself in thee , that antichrist cannot overcome , by all his arts and power ; but he will easily overcome any thing else . antichrist cannot prevail against immanuel , which is god with us , nor against the mysterie of godliness in us , which is , god manefest in the flesh ; but every other thing , though it seem never so angelical , he prevails against . . we may learn hence , that it is not an easie thing to overcome antichrist , and to get the victory over that beast , and his image , and his mark , and the number of his name , seeing antichrists coming is after the working of satan ( as the apostle saith ) and through antichrist the devil himself speaks , works , and acts , yet as an angel of light , in all lying or false power , wisdom , and righteousness : and this he doth for the damnation of men , and to bring them all , who have no true love to the truth , to perish with himself for ever . and his operation of error is so mighty and efficacious , that it cannot be resisted and overcome by any in all the world , but by those who are born of god , and do partake of his nature and presence in them . for the power , wisdom , and righteousness of antichrist and his prophets , which is so suteable to the nature of the world , and so glorious in its eye , cannot possibly be overcome , but by the true power , wisdom , and righteousness of god , in his true children or prophets . . hence also let us learn , not to be dismayed at antichirist , and his prophets , who have in all ages , got such reputation , power , and glory to themselves in the world , because of their seeming learning , righteousness , and religion ; seeing christ in us , and in all his poor people , is infinitely more mighty than they are , and the devil in them ; and nothing can prevail against us , except first it can prevail against christ. wherefore if we in our selves are never so weak , and through our weakness never so fearful and trembling , yet let us not be discouraged , or faint , seeing our might is not in our selves , but in christ , who dwels in us , and who is infinitely greater than he that dwells in the world. he that dwells in us through faith , is greater than he that dwells in them through unbelief ; and in his strength , let us abide by his word and doctrine , even to suffering and death , if need be : and in all these evils we shall overcome them , by whom we seem to be overcome , as also christ our head did . and thus much for the fourth general thing . the fifth point . the apostle shews with whom antichrist and his teachers should prevail , to wit , with the worldly and carnal people , vers . . they are of the world , therefore speak they of the world , and the world hears them . the world hears them . antichrist and his prophets prevail with the world , and worldly people , and do obtain their favour , love , and applause : and they are their auditors , and delight in them and their doctrine . now by the world here is meant , such people , who though they have an outward christianity and religion , yet inwardly remain in their natural condition and corruption , without any true renewing through faith and the spirit . and all such people , notwithstanding their seeming religion and righteousness , do love themselves , and this world , and the things of it , better than jesus christ and his truth . and these here are called the world : and this world , or these worldly christians , do hear and entertain the teachers of antichrist and their doctrine . two grounds of which , the apostle here gives us ( to wit , why these people cleave to these teachers . ) . the first is , because these teachers are of the world. . because they speak of the world. . they are of the world. that is , though by their breeding and profession , their degrees and ordination , they seem to be set at a great distance from the common people , and to be nearer the kingdom of god , and the knowledge and possession of it , then the common people of the world ; yet for all this , they indeed , and in truth , are still of the world ; and all their liberall education , their manner of life , their study , knowledge , learning , languages , sciences , degrees , and ordination , doth not at all change their inward evil nature , mind , will , affections , nor the corrupt disposition and principle in which they were born ; but notwithstanding all these things , they are still the very same throughout , as when they came first into the world , being destitute of a new birth and heavenly nature : nay , by all these things they are more taken into the spirit of the world , into the corruptions and evils of it , into the pride , lust , covetousness , and ambition of it , by how much , through such indowments and accomplishments , they think themselves better than other men ; and so , notwithstanding their academical degrees , and ecclesiastical orders , they are not less , but more of the world , even fully of the world. and hence we may learn , that it is not study , parts , breeding , learning , nor any natural indowments , or acquired accomplishments , that will deliver any man out of this world ( or corrupt state of mankind ) or that can change his nature , or give him the least place or interest in the kingdom of god ; but only a new birth , and true faith in jesus christ , whereby we are made the children of god : without which men are still of the world , notwithstanding all their other improvements . and this very thing manifests , that universities cannot be the fountains of the true ministery of the gospel , seeing all the education in it , philosophical , moral , and theological , cannot change mens natures , or deliver them from their corruptions , or translate them one hairs breadth out of this present evil world ; yea , generally we see , that by university-education ( as things have hitherto been managed ) youth is made more of the world , than they were by nature , through the high improvement of their corruptions , by their daily converse with the heathens , their vain philosophers , and filthy and obscene poets ; and by these heathenish abominable accomplishments , are they made the more fit teachers for the world and worldly people , and become the more suitable to them , and obtain the greater aptness and ability to please them . wherefore it may be most truly said of that ministery that flows meerly from the fountain of the universities , that it is of the world. and now , when the teachers are of one nature and principle , of one heart , minde , and consent with the hearers , there must needs be a great agreement between them ; for each one approves and loves that which is like himself ; and so the worldly people must needs cleave to the teachers that are of the world. yea farther , and which is very considerable , the world can indure and like any doctrine , though in the letter never so holy and spiritual , from such teachers are of one nature and spirit with it self . and he that speaks of the things of christ , without the spirit of christ , and by the spirit of the world , can never , by any such doctrine , be grievous to the world , but rather acceptable : seeing there is more in the nature of those teachers to reconcile the world to them , than in their doctrine to set the world against them : for the world cannot but agree with those teachers that are of the world , let their doctrine in the letter be what it will. whereas on the contrary , the faithfull are not of the world , but of another seed , nature , and principle , which is in direct enmity to the world ; and so they speaking the things of christ in the spirit of christ , must needs be grievous and troublesom to them who have the spirit of the world ; and the friends of christ crucified , cannot but be grievous to the friends of this world. and this for the first ground . . the second ground , why the worldly people hear the worldly teachers , is this . because they speak of the world. for as they are , so they speak ; out of the abundance of the heart , the mouth speaketh ; and so they that are of the world , speak of the world : and this we may conceive of in three particulars . . the worldly teachers speak of the world , that is , they speak the spiritual word of god in a carnal and worldly sense ; they speak of divine things , as of humane things , according to their natural and humane minde , reason , knowledge , learning , and understanding of them . and so , they give forth christ himself , and his kingdom , and all his things , his redemption , reconciliation , salvation , as also faith , hope , love , and all the graces of the spirit , and riches of christ , they give forth all these things , in a carnal understanding and notion to the people . and the world can like well enough of christ , his kingdom , and things , in a worldly sense ; they can bear , or endure faith and repentance , and the new creature , and the new jerusalem in a carnal sense ; while in the true spiritual sense of them , and as they are in themselves , and according to the minde of christ , they are the greatest enemies to them that can be . now believers must know in this matter , that whoever speaks the things of gods spirit , by the spirit of a man , or spiritual things , in a humane , carnal , and worldly sense , is a false prophet , and teacher of antichrist . whoever reading or hearing the gospel of god our saviour , doth understand and frame it after his own humane sense , and doth not so understand it as the lord hath spoken it , he is a false prophet , understanding and speaking the gospel after his own minde , but contrary to christs ; and these open their own hearts to the people , and not gods. now when the people that are of the world , hear the teachers that are of the world , speaking spiritual things in a carnal and worldly sense , and according to such an apprehension as they have already in their own hearts , they do exceedingly cleave to , and embrace such teachers , and their doctrine . for such doctrine , man in his natural condition can well like of , seeing it leads men only to a change of outward works , and to a performance of outward worship , which any man by his own natural abilities can perform : aad the world can well endure to put on the fairest form of godliness , and the strictest , so their nature inwardly may remain the same . and thus the worldly people comply readily with the worldly doctrine of the worldly teachers , seeing it is after the sense and mind of man. but on the contrary , christ and his seed , as they are not of the world , so neither do they speak of the world , but being of god , they speak the things of god according to god ; they speak of the things of god by the spirit of god , and so according to the minde of god : they speak of the things of god , in the wisdom , righteousness , truth , light and life of god ; and thus the world cannot endure the vvord , nor those that teach it . . the prophets of antichrist speak of the world , that is , they turn the word of god into worldly and carnal doctrine , for worldly advantage sake ; they preach the spiritual word of god carnally , that they may make it serve their own turns and ends. that word of the gospel , which god hath given only to serve the spiritual and eternal welfare of his church , the worldly teachers frame and use this , only thereby to serve their own worldly credit and reputation , their worldly profit and preferment , and their worldly authority and dominion . and thus that word of faith , which in its own proper nature and working , calls off all men from this world , and the things of it , to the kingdom and glory of god ; they make this very word to sound carnally , that by it they may seek themselves , and the things of this present life . but christ and his seed , who are of god , they speak of god , and not of the world , seeking no worldly thing at all by the word of god , which they teach and hold forth , as is manifest in the life of christ , and his christians . . the ministers of antichrist , or worldly teachers speak of the world , that is , they turn the word of god into worldly doctrine , that thereby they may avoid the cross , which the word of god , in the spiritual sense of it , would certainly expose them to . but now these worldly teachers , as they love the world , so they cannot endure the cross , that is , reproach , poverty , shame , sufferings and death for the true word . wherefore they preach the gospel in such a sense as shall please the world , but never offend them ; as shall make the world their friends , but never their enemies ; for they cannot endure to think of , much less to suffer the utmost hatred and persecution of the world for christs names sake . wherefore i say again , though in christ , they will praise his reproach , his shame , his poverty , his tribulation , his death and crucifying , yet they cannot endure these things in themselves , for his truths sake ; but are most careful and studious to preach the word of god in such a worldly sence , as shall never provoke the world against them , to do them the least harm ; but shall rather incline them to confer upon them ( according to thir own phrase ) all countenance and maintenance . and thus the worldly teachers speak of the world , in this sense also . but christ and his seed who are of god , they speak not of the world , but of god , that is , they speak the word of god , according to god , never regarding whether the world be pleased or displeased therewith . yea , they speak gods word , according to gods mind , though they certainly know , that it will procure them all sorts of reproaches , and tribulations , and all manner of evil to be spoken and done against them ; in as much as they love god and his word , more than themselves and this world : and so , they are so far from declining the cross of christ , which the right confession of the word will bring upon them , that they account it their greatest glorifying , to have fellowship with christ in his sufferings , and to be made conformable to him in his death : all which things he endured , because he spake gods word according to gods mind , and contrary to the mind of the world , and worldly church . and thus we see by johns doctrine , who spake by the spirit , who they are , with whom antichrist and his false prophets prevail , to wit , the world and worldly people ; as also the grounds why they prevail with them , namely because they are of the world , and speak of the world. and now for the use. the world hears these teachers , who are , and speak of the world. and hence first we learn , that antichrist and his prophets , the worldly teachers , come with such deceivableness of unrighteousness , that no natural or worldly men whatever , of whatever parts , learning , knowledge , righteousness , can possibly discern them. if men are but natural men , though never so accomplished , antichrist deceives them all , and makes them his disciples . for antichrist comes so subtilly , and in such glorious appearances of holiness and religion , that none can know him and his wayes , except they be singularly taught of god ; according to that of christ to his disciples , to you it is given to know the mysteries of the kingdom of god , to them it is not given . and to whom it is given to know the mysteries of the kingdom of christ , to them also it is given to know the mysteries of the kingdom of antichrist : and none can truly know , either the one , or the other , without a special gift from god. whence it is most evident , that men are not able to understand antichrist , and his kingdom , and things , as they are men learned in philosophy , and in the knowledge of the tongues , or as they are men of such and such degrees and titles in the university , or of such and such ecclesiastical orders in the church : i say , men by all such abilities and accomplishments ( as they speak ) are not able to discern antichrist , but rather are the more ready to be overcome by him , seeing by all these humane and ecclesiastical things , antichrist can lay the faster hold on them , and make them the more his own . and antichrist must needs be unknown to such men , in as much as christ himself , as he is held forth in the word , and whatever he is and doth , both in himself and members , is wholly unknown to them ; yea , is so strangely unknown , that by a prodigious mistake , they do judge christ , and his members , and their doctrine to be antichrist , and his members , and their doctrine : and on the contrary they do judge antichrist , and his members , and their doctrine , they do account and esteem of , as of christ himself , and his members , and their doctrine . and thus , is the multitude of carnal christians , ( which are even the whole world almost ) through the effectual operation of satan , brought to think and believe assuredly , that the prophets of antichrist , who handle the scriptures carnally , and after the mind of man , do verily teach the very doctrine and truth of god ; and of this they are so confident , that they would have the worldly powers and magistrates to force all men to believe as they say , and to practise as they command . yea , these worldly men , with all their worldly accomplishments , are so deluded by antichrist , that whilst they oppose and persecute the faithfull people of god , or rather christ himself , and his word , works , truth , and righteousness in them ; they verily think they oppose and persecute antichrist himself , and the falseness of his members . and as the scribes and pharisees , the chief teachers of the jewish church , being deceivers themselves , did yet call christ a deceiver , and in killing and crucifying him , thought they did god good service ; so the carnal clergy , and the head of them , being antichrists themselves , do yet tell of , and terrifie people with another antichrist : and being seducers themselves , do yet rise up against the very members of christ , as seducers , that thereby they may boast themselves to be righteous . so throughly and perfectly hath antichrist deluded and inchanted them , through the cup of the wine of his fornications . thus the whole world is overcome by antichrist , and cannot by all their highest attainments discern him from christ ; only they , who are born of god , and are his true children , and ( being plain , simple , meek , and lowly in spirit ) are taught of god , these only know antichrist , and overcome him ; but these are the little flock . secondly , in that the world hears the ministers of antichrist : we are given to understand , that men that are of a worldly spirit , and through that , are addicted to the world , and so seek and follow after the profits , pleasures , and honours of this life , they cannot possibly understand the impostures and deceits of antichrist and his teachers , but they all are seduced and overcome by them ▪ whoever therefore do profess or pretend to religion and godliness , and nevertheless live in the spirit of this world , and are swallowed up with the cares and comforts of this world , all such christians are a fit prey for antichrist : seeing ▪ . such carnal christians are so addicted to worldly occasions , that they cannot attend to the word of god in the spiritual sense of it , which is only known by temptation , prayer , and gods own teaching . and hereupon they want the true light , by which only antichrist can be discerned . for antichrist comes in so great subtilty and likeness to christ , that he cannot be perceived , but by christians much acquainted with the word , and much mortified and quickned through it . . such carnal christians , as they neglect the word in the spirituality of it , so also they do love this world , and this quenches in their hearts the love of god , as john saith , if any man love this world , the love of the father is not in him ; now they whose hearts are inwardly destitute of the true love of god , and yet do outwardly profess and worship god , all these are a fit prey for antichrist . and thus the world loving and seeking it self , and its own things , receives antichrist whilst it cannot discern him. wherefore the scriptures do every where give christians so many warnings against covetousness , which takes from men all true desire after christ ▪ and all regard , sense , and knowledge of antichrist . christ therefore said to his disciples , take heed and beware of covetousness ; for where the treasure is , there will the heart be also , &c. and thus all they , who are lovers of themselves , and of this world , the greater outward profession they make of religion , the more ready are they to receive and entertain the ministers of antichrist , and their doctrine , seeing , they are , and speak of the world. . seeing the world hears antichrist , and his teachers , we are to take notice , that the carnal and antichristian ministers have a numerous auditory , all the worldly people cleaving and joyning to them , because they speak that which is in their hearts . and therefore it is said , revel . . . that the waters , whereon the great whore ( that is , the ecclesiastical state which chiefly consists in the clergy ) sitteth , are people , and multitudes , and nations , and tongues ; so that the false prophets have all the world to hear them , except the faithful and spiritual people , and multitude is a certain sign of their church . and rev l. . v. . it is said , that power was given to antichrist over all kindreds , and tongues , and nations , and that all that dwell on the earth shall worship him , whose names are not written in the lambs book of life . so that antichrist by degrees , and by his several forms and , appearances , one still more deceitful than another , doth win to himself all mankind , but the very elect. and so from time to time hitherto , he hath gotten to himself national churches , even the generality of all the people , of whole nations , kingdoms , and common-wealths , to hear his teachers , and to receive and submit to his doctrine and discipline , as most true and orthodox . and thus hath antichrist multitudes , even the whole world to follow his teachers , and to submit to them . but let not the true church , and little flock of crucified jesus , be offended hereat , seeing they are but the world who hear antichrists teachers , that is , they are such people . . whose inward nature is earthly , carnal , divelish . . such , who love an outward form of religion and godliness , whilst they are bitter enemies to the power of it . . such , who love such a doctrine and religion , as may stand with their old corrupt nature , and may beautifie and surport it ; and so may make them painted sepulchers , outwardly fair , whilst they are inwardly abominable . . such , who love the world , in the sense of their own mind , but hate and abhor it , in the sense of christs mind ; and reckon it so , to be the greatest error and heresie in the world. . such , as so profess christ and his gospel , as to make them serve their own worldly ends and advantages , without the least regard or respect had to christs true kingdom . . such , as love themselves and their own things , the provisions of the flesh , and a quiet , easie , and commodious life , better than christ jesus and his things . . in a word , they are such , as under the glorious profession , and subtil pretence of christs church , are truly and inwardly , the church of the devil and antichrist . such a people and no other hath antichrist to hear him , and to embrace and depend on him , and his doctrine , ministry , and ordinances ; that is , the multitude of false and carnal christians , which are almost the whole world , of the outward professors of the gospel and christianity . for as antichrist and his prophets are of the world , and speak of the world , so also the world hears them . and thus much for the fifth point . the sixth point . in the sixth place the apostle shews , how the spirit of truth and error may be known in the people , as well as in the teachers , to wit , by the peoples cleaving to the teachers of truth , or to the teachers of error , saying , vers . . we are of god ; he that knoweth god heareth us , he that is not of god , heareth not us ; hereby know we the spirit of truth , and the spirit of error . we are of god ; to wit , according to his new workmanship in christ jesus , through which we partake of the true nature of god in christ , as members , as christ himself doth partake of that nature , as head ; and being thus of god , we cannot but confess god , his name , and truth , in our heart , month , and life . he that knoweth god , heareth us ; that is , he that knoweth god through the teaching of god , knoweth us who are born and taught of god ; because we speak to them of god , and the things of god , as god himself hath taught them , of himself , and of his things ; and therefore they readily receive from us that testimony of the truth , which god himself , either hath already inwardly taught them , or doth teach them by his spirit , whilst we yet speak by that spirit . and so they hear us , by being satisfied , and acquiescing , or being at rest , in the true and wholsom , and saving doctrine of jesus christ , which we teach . hereby know we the spirit of truth , to wit , in the hearers ; when they cleave to the truth of the spirit , or to the truth , as it is and dwels in jesus , published by the teachers of truth . it follows , he that is not of god heareth not us ; that is , he that is not of god , through a new birth , and the renewing of the spirit , and so is destitute of the divine nature , or of the eternal word , and spirit , which through his unbelief have no place in his heart : he that , thus , is not of god , but contrarily is of the devil , through sin , error , darkness , death , enmity to god , and his whole evil nature , he heareth not us ; that is , he doth not taste , and relish , and approve , and receive , and embrace , and love the word of faith , and mysterie of christ and his gospel , which we teach ; but doth rather hate , oppose , reproach and persecute our doctrine . and hereby know we also the spirit of error , to wit , in the hearers , when they do not receive the word of truth from the teachers of truth , but do contrarily cleave to humane , and philosophical , or moral , or formal , and national doctrine , published and held forth by the teachers of error . now hence it is evident , that there are two heads , or chief teachers in the world , which are christ and antichrist ; and also , that there are two seeds , or generations , which flow from them , begotten by their doctrine : the one is christs seed , or the elect and faithful : the other is antichrists seed , or the reprobate and unbelievers ; and each sort of these people , do joyn themselves to their several and proper heads ; and by this , they are certainly distinguished , known , and discerned . antichrist and his false teachers , who are the head of the malignant church and people , they come in great pomp and glory , as to the eye of the world , being beautified , and dignified with degrees , names , and titles ; being exalted to great honour , authority , and power ; being full of fleshly wisdom , rhetorical eloquence , and philosophical learning ; and so to humane judgement , they are most considerable persons in the church , and very angels of light in appearance . and they being thus adorned and beautified , to the pleasing and content of the world , all the world come in , and commit fornication with them , and do hear and conceive them , and are conquered by their inchantments . but christ and his teachers , come in true humility , and self-denial , and meekness , and lowlyness , and without the titles and glory of the false teachers , which they utterly despise , and refuse , and without all excellency of speech , and wisdom , and learning of this world ; and these do contradict the religion and righteousness of the world , and speak the truth which is of god , by the spirit which is of god : and these teachers , all the true sheep of christ , the faithful flock do own and acknowledge , and they come and hear the words of their lips ; being assured , that it is not they that speak , but the spirit of their father , which speaks in them. for the body and members of christ , do necessarily cleave to christ their head ; and the body and members of antichrist , do in like manner necessarily cleave to antichrist their head. and as the body and members of christ do cleave to christ their head , and to those that are in his spirit , and will not , nor cannot joyn to antichrist , and to those that are in his spirit ; so also the body and members of antichrist , do cleave to antichrist their head , and those that are in his spirit , and will not , nor cannot joyn to christ , and to those that are in his spirit . for such as the body it self is , such a head will it choose to it self ; and so a spiritual , heavenly and faithful people , will joyn themselves to such a teacher , or rather to christ himself , in and through him : and a carnal , worldly , and unbelieving people , will joyn themselves to such a teacher , and to antichrist himself in and through him . wherefore , as they that hear the true teachers , and christ in them , and do joyn and cleave by faith to the word and doctrine which they hear , knowing that it is of god , as all such are certainly of god , even his true children and people , and the true sheep of christ , in as much as they know his voice , and cleave to it ; so they that hear the false teachers , and antichrist in them , and do cleave to their doctrine and ministry , and do like , commend , and applaud that , all such are not of god , but of their father the devil , and the true and natural members , and people of antichrist . and this very doctrine christ himself , hath clearly taught in his gospel ; as john . . where he saith to the jews , i am come in my fathers name , and ye receive me not ; another shall come in his own name , and him ye will receive . that is , the unbelieving jews would not come and cleave to christ as their head , though coming in the name of god , that is , in the true power , wisdom , and righteousness of god , because they were none of christs own sheep ; but antichrist coming in his own name , that is , in his own power , wisdom , and righteousness , they receive him , and joyn to him as to their own true and natural head. and again , john . . christ saith to the jews , he that is of god , heareth gods word ; ye therefore hear it not , because ye are not of god. whence it appears , that to hear and cleave to the true word of god , taught and held forth by christ and his prophets , is a manifest token that men are of god ; but to turn away from it , and to despise it , and to embrace another doctrine , is as manifest a sign , that they are not of god. but of the devil , as christ saith , to the same people , ver . . ye are of your father the devil ; for there is no truth in him , and he abides not in the truth , no more do ye . again , john . v. . . christ saith , his own sheep follow him , the true shepherd , because they know his voice ; and a stranger will they not follow , but flee from him , because they know the voice of strangers . wherefore they that hear the word of faith , in the true teachers of the gospel , they have in them the spirit of truth ; but they that dislike and disrelish that word , and joyn to the teachers and doctrine of antichrist , they all have in them , the spirit of error . and therefore it concerns us , more than the world is aware of , to take heed , whom we hear : for if we cleave to the teachers of truth , as hath been declared , then have we the spirit of truth ; but if to the teachers of error , then are we of the spirit of error . and thus this scripture teacheth us how to know and discern the spirit both of christ , and of antichrist , and that both in the teachers and in the hearers ; both which are of great use to the true church of god in all times , but especially in these last times . and these things i have spoken and testified freely , ( according to the measure of grace given ) knowing that they will be as acceptable to the true friends and members of christ crucified , as they are troublesome and displeasing to the members of antichrist . finis . a plain and necessary confutation of divers gross and antichristian errors , delivered to the university congregation , at the publick commencement , anno. . by mr. sydrach simpson , master of pembroke hall in cambridge . potentior est veritas quam eloquentia , potior spiritus quam ingenium , major fides quam eruditio : & ut paulus ait , stultum dei sapientius est hominibus . luther . epist. ad caspar . bornerum . profes . lipsens . non est istud temeritas , sed fides ; neque inconsideratio , sed ratio ; neque furor , sed fiducia . hillarius lib. contr . constantium augustum . london , printed for giles calvert , and are to be sold at the sign of the black-spread-eagle , near the west-end of pauls . . an apologie to the reader , touching the following reply to mr. sydrach simpsons sermon . if it shall seem grievous to any , that i have dealt thus freely and plainly with mr. sydrach simpson , one of the first pastors of an independent congregation in england ; let them consider how paul dealt with those brethren , gal. . to whom ( according to his right zeal , and the present occasion ) he gave no place by subjection , no not for an hour , that the truth of the gospel might continue with the galatians ; and though those brethren seemed to be somewhat , yet saith paul , what ever they are , it makes no matter to me , seeing god accepteth no mans person : and so notwithstanding their reputation , he did not spare them . yea , let them consider how paul at antioch withstood peter to the face , for dissembling with the jews in the case of the gentiles , and for not walking uprightly according to the truth of the gospel : wherefore paul did publickly and sharply reprove him before them all . for no true believer is to keep silence , when the doctrine of the gospel is corrupted by the doctrines of men , or is to be modest in this matter . wherefore i was compelled to speak thus plainly to him , for his gross prevarication in the things of god ; and i am well satisfied in my conscience in the discharge of my duty , whatever shall be the censure of carnal christians , who have no true sense of the glory of christs gospel , or of the profit of his people , whom yet christ so loved , as to lay down his life , and to be crucified , for them . again , if it shall offend any , that i deal thus roundly against humane learning ; let them know , that i am not against humane learning upon all accounts , but do allow humane learning ( so it be sober and serious ) in its own place and sphear , as well as other humane things : but i do oppose it , as it is made another john baptist , to prepare the way of christ into the world , or to prepare the worlds way to christ : and also , as men make it necessary for the true knowledge of scriptures ; yea , the very unction for the ministry . and herein , according to the grace of christ , i both do and will contend against it for ever : seeing humane learning mingled with divinity , or the gospel of christ understood according to aristotle , hath begun , continued , and perfected the mysterie of iniquity in the outward church . wherefore i do in all boldness appear for christ the wisdom of god , against humane learning the wisdom of the world ; knowing assuredly , that he is as very antichrist , who opposes christ as the wisdom of god , as he that opposes him , as the power and righteousness of god : and men may as well bring into the church of god , another righteousness then christ , and another power then christ , as another wisdom then christ. wherefore , as they who bring in humane righteousness , that is , civil or moral righteousness , or any works or duties of men for righteousness , into the church of christ , they are true antichrists in so doing ; seeing herein they are contrary to , and do oppose christ the righteousness of god : and as they who bring in humane power , or the secular arm into the church of christ , to do , or leave undone , to reward or punish , to promise or threaten , to encourage or discourage by that , they are true antichrists in so doing ; seeing herein they are contrary to , and do oppose christ the power of god ; so also they that bring in humane wisdom , or the learning and philosophy of men into the church of christ , they also are true antichrists in so doing ; for herein they are contrary to , and do oppose christ , the wisdom of god ; for christ is , and is to be , the only power , the only wisdom , and the only righteousness in the church of god ; and he that brings in any other power , wisdom or righteousness , besides christ himself , that man is in very deed antichrist . and in this matter also , it was necessary that i should be bold for christ against antichrist . . again , if any shall be offended that i speak thus freely against the universities , which are of such honourable esteem everywhere in the nation , especially with the ignorant and vulgar people , and with men of all sorts , who have not the right knowledge of christ and his gospel ( wherein are so contained all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge , that no part of this treasury is left out thereof , to enrich heathenish philosophy withall , which by the gospel is left as a desolate thing , empty and destitute of all true wisdom and knowledge ) i say , if any think that i have too deeply censured these universities ; let them know , that i have done in this matter but as wickliff , hus , luther , and several others , holy men of god , and happy instruments in the hand of christ , have done before me . as for instance ; wickliff terms the universities , castra cainitica , cains castles ; synagogas satanae , the synagogues of satan , and affirms that they were never ordained or instituted by christ. john hus ( or otho brunfelsius , if he set out the contents of the chapters ) calls them satrapas antichristi , the lieutenants of antichrist . luther in his book contra ambrosium catharinum , shewing out of daniel the prophet , that antichrist is rex facierum , the king of faces , or appearances , he affirms that the universities are one of those faces of antichrist , and that they are very comely or sightly to look on , and yet indeed are a very chaos and open gate of hell , and that in these the most choise youth of christian people are prostituted , and are cast into the open throat of hell ; and ▪ that in these aristotle is read ▪ whereby the wits of christian youth are possessed and busied with humane and heathenish learning ; yea , are quite blinded and oppressed with it . he saith also , that the universities are the woe , that the fifth angel ( mentioned rev. . ) brought upon the earth : and that whoever it was that did first institute and confirm universities , he was a star fallen from heaven to earth : to wit , from the gospel of christ to humane learning . and in his exposition on psal. . he calls the universities the mothers of learned men , the gates of hell , and saith , they are called ( scholae , i. e. ludi ) schools , that is , plays , by a fatal name ; seeing they make sport with the scriptures , and cast lots upon them , as upon the garments of christ , every one dividing to himself a share of them , according to his own humane and philosophical apprehension . and he saith , that the doctors of these universities are by the same providence , called doctores scholastici , i. e. ludicri , vel illusorii : school-doctors , that is , trifling or may-game doctors . again he saith , those most glorious mothers of studies , the universities , stink before god with most loathsome abomination . these universities are those antichristian souldiers , who put a reed into christs right hand instead of a scepter : and this reed is philosophy , that vain deceit , or as the apostle elsewhere terms it , the operation of error : by which philosophy ( saith he ) the unhappy people of christ began to be governed , that is , to be seduced , and to be led away from the gospel of god. and this vain reed they put into his right hand , by preferring learning before godliness ; saying , ( according to their usual manner of speaking ) he is a learned and a godly man ; hereby making learning to take place of godliness . and yet this philosophy is nothing but a weak reed , which counterfeits a scepter , rather then represents it , and so is nothing but vain deceit ; for there is nothing propounded in such doctrine , but vanity and lying , though under the title of knowledge and religion . in a word , he calls them antichristi lupanaria , the stews of antichrist . melancthon also terms the universities , domos mendacii , houses of lyes , and saith , it is manifest that they are all heretical by their school-divinity ; which all the schools in europe have received from the university of paris , and are thereby infected with heresie ; and he saith , the students in the universities , are not the people of the gospel , nor yet of the law , but are the people of aristotles morals . and thus it is manifest that others have spoken freely and sharply against the universities before now . and therefore wise and godly christians will have no just cause to be offended at me , who have spoken in like manner , having the same cause . object . now if any shall object , that they all spake against popish universities , and that our universities are otherwise now , then they were then ; and so , there is not the same cause to speak against them now , as there was heretofore . answ. to this i answer , that though the outward form of gross popery be taken away from them ( as also from the rest of the people of this nation ) god having put it into the hearts of the civil power to reject it , after the light of the gospel had begun to shine to them ; yet are the brains , heart , bowels , bones , marrow , sinews and blood of the universities , the self-same now as heretofore ; and though the outside of it hath passed under a very little change , yet the inner parts of it remain as before , in the full strength of antichrists kingdom , and that without any alteration at all . for the self-same statutes of the universities and colledges still remain with them in force , which were at first given to them by their popish founders , through the help of antichrist : and these statutes are of such authority with them , that they depart from the rule of christs gospel , to walk by the rules of sinfull men , for worldly stipends and rewards sake . farther , the same philosophy or heathenism , and the same school-divinity or antichristinnism , are yet instilled into the youth and students , as were many hundred years ago , in the darkest times of popery ; and these things are all in all in the university learning and education ; insomuch , that no man is of any esteem and reckoning with them , know he the gospel of christ never so soundly and truly , if he be not ( as they speak ) a good philosopher , and school-divine . so that the university for its inside is the self-same now , as it was in wickliff , hus , or luthers time , being informed and possessed with the same heathenish and antichristian doctrine , now as then : yea , many of the self-same outward and antichristian forms and follies still remain with them , more then with any other people in the nation again ; even to their hoods , caps , scarlet robes , doctoral ring , kiss , gloves , their doctoral dinner and musick : neither could they ever yet to this day find in their hearts to lay aside their very praevaricator , which is some notable varlet picked out of the university , and brought forth in the presence of all the heads , students , scholars , and all the great resort of ministers and people , at their publick commencement , to make shipwrack of faith and a good conscience before them all ; and in open defiance of the gospel , which stands in faith and love , to abuse , and deride , and jeer , and reproach all sorts of persons , of all ages , sexes , professions , and this presently after their divinity acts ; which is a wickedness the very heathen would be ashamed of , and which plainly declares what kind of divinity is taught and learned in the university , which can endure , allow , countenance , and be merry at that , which so highly contradicts gods word , and grieves his holy spirit : yet because it makes them merry after a full dinner , and puts more joy into their hearts then the holy scriptures , they could hitherto dispense withall , to this day . and so however religion for the outward form , hath been much reformed in these nations ; yet the universities as the strongest holds which antichrist hath had amongst us , have still remained much what the same , not only as to the inward substance of all things , to wit , their statutes , philosophy , and divinity , but also in a great measure to their outward forms , as they were in their first antichristian institution . wherefore it was necessary also , that i should be plain and free for christs sake , and his churches , against these ( as luther calls them ) stews of antichrist , and dens of thieves , who have been , and still are the constant and fruitful seed of antichrists kingdom in the world , out of which it might suddenly on all occasions and opportunities grow up afresh , how greatly soever it had been before wasted and destroyed among the people , by the clear word of god , and his mighty providences and works accompanying it . now as it was necessary this work should be done , so through the grace of christ , was i made willing to do it , seeing no body else more fit and able did appear . and well knowing , that he that provokes the universities and clergy against him , provokes principalities and powers , and the rulers of the darkness of this world against him ; as is evident in the example of wickliff , huss , luther , tindal , and others : i have therefore according to christs counsel , sate down and counted the cost of this undertaking , and after all do say , the lord is on my side , i will not fear what man can do unto me . and so i commit thee christian reader , to that grace which is from god , to keep thee in this new hour of temptation , if the lord suffer it to come forth upon the earth . . again , if any shall object in reading this reply , that i my self make use of humane learning , whilst i speak against it . i answer , what part of philosophy is here made use of ? or who of the heathens are here quoted ? i have chiefly made use of the testimony of some faithful christians , who have lived in several ages , and yet have all witnessed by the same spirit , the same truth . and it is no more humane learning to quote believers in the church since christ , then to quote the patriarchs and prophets before christ , or the apostles and evangelists which immediatly followed him . . and last of all . if any say , i my self relate to the university , why then do i speak against it thus ? i answer , that i neither do , nor will relate to the university , as it is polluted with any of the abominations herein mentioned : but as by the providence of god alone , i have been brought to that relation in which i now stand , and continue in it , against the wills and workings of many ; so through his good pleasure i will remain , till he shall otherwise dispose of me ; and during my sojourning with them , i will not fail to testifie against their evil , and to endeavour to win all those , whom god shall perswade to receive his truth , from heathenism to the gospel , and from antichrist to christ. wherefore let none be offended that i am made willing to hazard and part with my worldly accommodations for christs names sake ; but let them rather praise the grace of god , which hath enabled me to witness a good confession , what ever worldly disadvantage i might run into thereby . wherefore , welcom the righteousness , power , wisdom , truth , word , and whole kingdom of christ , though they swallow up all my earthly accommodations : for such fear and love of his name , hath the lord graciously put into my heart , that i would not willingly conceal any thing of his most precious truth , either to gain or to preserve to my self the whole world. and so righteous father , not my will be done , nor theirs , but thy will be done in earth as it is in heaven . the confutation of mr. sydrach simpsons errors . isaiah . . for sions sake i will not hold my peace , and for jerusalems sake i will not rest , until the righteousness thereof go forth as brightness , and the salvation thereof as a lamp that burns . master sydrach simpson at the commencement , an. . preaching to the university congregation in cambridge ▪ and to many others , especially ministers there gathered together at that time , from several parts of the nation , among other things , he let fall in that discourse of his , these gross and antichristian errors . the rehearsal of the errors . . he brought in that scripture , kin. . ver . , . which was his text : the words whereof are these , and the sons of the prophets said unto elisha , behold now the place where we dwell with thee , is too strait for us ; let us go we pray thee unto jordan , and take thence every man a beam , and let us make us a place where we may dwell : and he answered , go ye . this scripture he used to prove the lawfulness and religiousness of the present universities , and the usefulness and necessity of humane learning to the church and ministery of the new testament . and what the scripture speaks of those schools , he brought to countenance , encourage and justifie these : adding , that if it were objected , that that was the old testament : he did answer , that the old and the new were not distinct testaments , but administrations : thereby holding forth , that the universities now , are answerable to the schools of the prophets that were then ; and that the universities are as agreeable to the new testament , as the schools of the prophets to the old. . that they who have endeavoured to pull down schools , have always been men who were found enemies to religion . so julian the apostate shut up the doors of the schools , because he would have all religion to go down . . that the knowledge of heavenly things cannot come to us but by things on earth , and that all divinity is swadled in humane learning . . that paul was brought up at the feet of gamaliel , and that god took him so fitted , and made him an able minister of his church . . that mens hatred to god , doth as well appear in their hatred to humane learning , as if they hated the scriptures . . that if the spirit teach without means , men may as well be without the ordinances , as without the universities and humane learning . . that men now are not to receive the spirit , in that immediate way to understand the scriptures , in which it was given to them who wrote the scriptures . . that men now are to get knowledge by studies and humane learning , and not by inspiration . . that humane learning is as the out-works to the fort of the gospel , and as the outer court to the temple of the gospel : and so , if you will keep the fort well , you must keep the outworks strong ; and if you will preserve the inward , you must look to the outward court. . but what is the bottom of all this ( saith he ) to wit , of some mens appearing against humane learning , as the unction of the ministery , and against the universities as the fountain of the ministery ) but this ? that some say , they are one with christ ; and as christ hath the divine nature in him , so every believer hath ; and he that hath god in him , need not go to any man to learn ; whereas in john . christ speaketh of believers as at an infinite distance from him : and if believers be so united to christ as they say , then will follow , that christ should not be the only begotten of god ; and that christ and we should be equal , and he not our lord , &c. . arts and tongues are the cups in which god drinks to us . . we shall never keep up religion , if we do not keep up learning : but when learning goes down , religion goes down too . . seeing religious foundations are so antient , then keep them up : your destruction will never be but from your selves . these notes were taken from mr. simpsons mouth and delivered to me by an honest hand , and affirmed to be true for the substance of them ; and i also heard several others who were hearers of that sermon , relating the same things . now because i finde that this doctrine hath not only grieved the hearts of the faithful , but also strengthened the hands of the carnal and evil people : the things which he then delivered , being usually the thoughts of their hearts , and words of their mouths ; i thought it my duty , being set in my place for the defence of the gospel , to give a publike reply to such gross errors so publikely delivered , to the danger of so many ; and which , one would never have thought should have proceeded from such a man ; especially after the day of the gospel hath so far dawned , and the antichristian shadows are so far retreated and flown away . and so i shall begin with the first of these errors , and proceed in the order in which they are set down . . error . he brought that scripture , king. . , . touching the sons of the prophets , asking leave of elisha to go and build at jordan , to prove the lawfulness and religiousness of the universities , in their present use and customs , &c. answer . to this i reply , that there is a vast difference between those schools , and these universities , as in many other things , so chiefly in this ; that in those schools of the prophets , named by him , the holy men of god freely taught the youth , who came willingly to them to learn , especially in the corrupt times of israel and judah ; i say they taught them only the knowledge of the books of moses , and of the other prophets then extant , and no heathenish knowledge , or disciplines of the gentiles at all . and these kinde of schools began early in the church : for the fathers before the flood , and the patriarchs after , all taught their children and families the word of god ; and so each of their families was such a school . and that we may not be at uncertainties in this matter , it is manifest what doctrine they taught , by that which god himself saith of abraham , gen. . . i know abraham ( saith god ) that he will command his children and houshold after him , that they keep the way of the lord , and to do justice and judgement : this was the sum of abrahams doctrine to his family . and this is farther confirmed by that of asaph , psal. . , , . where he saith , i will open my mouth in a parable , i will utter dark sayings of old , which we have heard and known , and our fathers have told us : we will not hide them from their children , shewing to the generation to come the praises of the lord , and his strength , and the wonderfull works that he hath done : where we plainly see what doctrine the children received from their parents , and the parents taught their children from one generation to another ; to wit , not vain philosophy , and the disciplines of the heathens , but the praises of the lord , and his strength and wonderful works . this also is manifest by the practice of jehosaphat king of judah , who sent his princes with the levites up and down throughout judah , and they only took the book of the law of the lord with them , ( and no heathenish authors ) and taught the people , chron. . and ezra after the peoples return from babylon , took only the book of the law of moses , and read it to them ; and the levites also read in the book of the law of god distinctly to the people , and gave them the sense , and caused them to understand it , nehem. . and this also james the apostle witnesseth , acts . . saying , moses of old time hath in every city them that preach him , being read in the synagogues every sabbath day . so that the faithfull prophets of the lord , during all the old-testament , had the chief care in their schools to keep the word of the lord among them in a right sense , according to the minde of the spirit . for seeing the lords people are his portion , they knew they were to be carefully educated and instructed in the right knowledge of the scriptures , to prepare them for the lord , and to make them meet for his kingdom . and the keeping of the word and doctrine of god pure , is one of the greatest matters of all in the church of god : for as the word is , such is the worship , such is the faith , such is the conscience , such is all. wherefore the holy men of god would by no means bring in the philosophy or doctrine of the heathens into their schools , to teach that to their sons , or scholars , but only the true , faithfull , and unmixed word of god. ` and if against this it be objected , that moses was learned in all the learning of the egyptians . to this i reply . but did moses ever teach any of that learning in the church , or publish any of the doctrines of it ? or did he command , or encourage any of the people of god to learn it ? or did any other of the prophets of the lord in any age , teach their sons or scholars , any of the egyptian philosophy , which was the antientest , or the smaragdine table of hermes trismegistus ( the pretended scholar of moses ) so much boasted of , or any heathenish author whatsoever , of which there were many then extant ? i say , let them prove , that but one heathenish author , was read by any of the prophets to their scholars , and then they will have some colour for the present universities and their practice : but this they can never do , during all the old testament . and now for the new-testament , it is well known , that christ himself , ( who was the son of god , made of a woman ) was the first and chief teacher of this doctrine : even the son , out of the bosom of the father , full of grace and truth : and he set up the first christian school , and taught his twelve apostles , whom at his own pleasure he chose to himself . and what the doctrine was which he taught them , is manifest in the gospel ; in all which there is not one word of heathenish philosophy , or of the doctrine and traditions of men , but he only taught them the words of eternal life ; which no man , nor angel could teach ; he teaches that word which is the power , wisdom , and righteousness of god ; through which , sin is forgiven , and righteousness is given ; death is destroyed , and life is brought in ; hell is put out , and heaven is planted , in all them that do believe : he teaches a word , through which the world is renewed , and men are made like angels , and are made meet to partake of the inheritance of saints : he teaches a word wherein is contained all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge that are in god himself . and so christ taught in his school no vain philosophy , or heathenish doctrine , and yet he came from god , and went to god , and is a pattern for doctrine to all true christians that are his disciples indeed ; to whom he commanded when he left the world , and went to his father , that they should teach all nations , and gather one christian school out of them all , by teaching them to observe , and do whatsoever he had commanded them , to wit , in the gospel ; and nothing else , or more : he commanded them to teach all that , and only that : and promised himself to be with them to the end of the world , in all such doctrine . and the apostles accordingly , ( not by any help of humane learning ) but when they had received the spirit , went forth to teach the nations , and to set up christian schools everywhere by their doctrine ; and they all , only taught jesus , and the resurrection from the dead . thus peter first taught the men of judea , and inhabitants of jerusalem , that god had made jesus , whom they had crucified , both lord and christ ; having raised him from the dead , because it was not possible for him to be holden of death , who was the lord and author of life . and steven , disputing with the libertines , cirenians , and alexandrians , and divers philosophers of cilicia and asia , did hold forth to them nothing but christ , and that he should put an end to the temple and law , and should change all the customs of moses . and , they were not able to resist the wisdom and spirit by which he spake , acts . and paul at the university of athens , reproved there heathenism , and taught nothing among the epicureans and stoicks , and other sects of philosophers , but the resurrection of christ , and his kingdom and judgement , acts . he also disputed daily in the school of one tyrannus , and that for two years together , and perswaded only the things touching the kingdom of god , brought into the world by jesus christ , acts . and he so prevailed with his doctrine , that many which used curious arts , brought their books together , and burnt them before all men , and the price of them was counted at fifty thousand pieces of silver : so that , as the gospel prevailed , and the name of christ was magnified , so did people renounce philosophy , and burn their books of curious arts : to recover which books again out of their ashes , if it might be , our university would give as much money ( if they could procure it from good benefactors ) as they were then valued at by the heathen . so that as they , through the efficacy of the gospel , of heathens became christians , and threw away all other learning , and burnt their books of great value , lest they should infect others : so on the contrary , in our universities of pretended christians , men usually become true heathens ; never valuing the precious gospel of god our saviour , as they do other heathenish and philosophical books . farther , the same paul dwelt after at rome two whole years in his own hired house , and during all that time , preached only the kingdom of god , and taught those things which concern the lord jesus christ , with all boldness : but taught not one word of philosophy . he also at corinth , a great and famous city of greece , full of philosophers and orators , taught nothing among them , but christ crucified , to the jews a stumbling block , and to the greeks foolishness ; but to them that believe , both of jews and greeks , christ the power of god , and the wisdom of god , cor. . and as he made no use of humane learning all this while , so in cor. . he plainly renounces it , and rejects it ; saying , ver. . and i brethren when i came to you , came not with excellency of speech or wisdom , declaring unto you the testimony of god. ver. . for i determined not to know any thing among you , save jesus christ , and him crucified . ver. . and i was with you in weakness , and fear , and much trembling . ver. . and my speech and preaching was not with enticing words of mans wisdom , but in demonstration of the spirit and power . ver. . that your faith should not stand in the wisdom of man , but in the power of god. ver. . howbeit , we speak wisdom among them that are perfect ; yet not the wisdom of this world , nor of the princes of this world , which come to nought . ver. , but we speak the wisdom of god in a mysterie , even the hidden wisdom , which god ordained before the world unto our glory , &c. ver. . which things also we speak , not in the words which mans wisdom teacheth , but which the holy spirit teacheth , comparing spiritual things with spiritual things . in a word , this whole chapter tends to the utter rejection of philosophy , ( which is the wisdom of the world , ) in the kingdom of christ , which is the kingdom of god. he also in his epistle to the colossians , chap. . gives forth another plain testimony against philosophy , desiring vers . . that the hearts of the believers might be comforted , and that they might be knit together in love , and unto all riches of the full assurance of understanding , to the acknowledgement of the mysterie of god , and of the father , and of christ , in whom are hid all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge ; and this ( saith he ) i say , lest any man should beguile you with enticing words : wherefore v. . saith he , beware lest any man spoyl you through philosophy and vain deceit ▪ after the tradition of men , after the rudiments or elements of the world , and not after christ ; for in him dwells the fulness of the godhead bodily , and ye are compleat in him , who is the head of all principality and power . here is a sufficient caution against philosophy , for the true church for ever . for what need we ( if we are true christians ) to turn aside for wisdom , and knowledge , and learning , and curious arts , to the heathen , seeing god hath given christ to us , in whom is treasured up all the heights , and depths , and lengths , and bredths of wisdom and knowledge , whereby the whole world was made , and every creature formed and fashioned , and in which it hath its being , subsistence , and operation ? yea in this christ dwells all the fulness of the infinite and eternal god , and he is the head of all principality and power , in earth and heaven ; and there is in him alone , infinitely enough to make us wise and learned for ever , without calling in the help and contributions of the vain philosophers , and their foolish wisdom . it is enough for christian schools , to be taught to know christ , by the ministration of the spirit ; and all other learning that is out of christ , though it seem to be never so high and deep , all faithful christians are to reject it , as meer sophistrie and deceit . and thus you see that the apostles , as well as christ , taught their scholars and disciples only the gospel , and spake not one word for philosophy , but directly against it . and the following fathers , and next teachers of the christian church after the apostles , they also obeyed the command of christ , and followed the example of the apostles in this matter . for the bishops and presbyters , that is , the overseers and elders , had tender regard to the children of christians , and did teach them as well as the people , the pure doctrine of the gospel ; they held forth to them , christ crucified , and did exhort them to faith , new obedience , the confession of christ , and patient suffering , and did not at all intermingle philosophy with their divinity , but alwayes rejected and condemned it , all along the first and purest times of the christian church , till the mysterie of iniquity began to arise , and did cunningly insinuate itself into the church , by the means of humane learning . and here it will not be amiss to relate what justine martyr saith of himself , as to this matter ; who was before his conversion to the christian faith , a great philosopher : and lived about . years after christs nativity : he ( in his dialogue with trypho ) relates , how first he joyned himself to that sect of philosophers called the stoicks , and after to the peripateticks , after to the pythagorean sect , and after to the platonists , but had no satisfaction in his mind by all this knowledge : but at last he beholding the torments and sufferings of christians , and seeing them bear them with such comfort and constancy , he did thereby conceive that it was impossible for that kind of people to be subject to any vice , on carnality ; which vices of their own nature are not able to sustain any sharp adversity , much less the bitterness of death . and hereupon , he began to love and search after the christian religion : and being afflicted in mind , he did withdraw himself into a solitary place , where there met him an old antient father , of comely visage , and gentle behaviour , who began to reason with him , and to tell him that there was no knowledge of truth among the philosophers , who neither knew god , nor were ayded by his holy spirit : and did farther reason with him of the immortality of the soul , of the reward of the godly , and punishment of the wicked . then justine being satisfied with his reasons , yeilded to him , and demanded of him , how he might attain to that true knowledge of god , whereof he had spoken ? who counselled him to read the scriptures , adjoyning therewith prayer , &c. and as this justine left all other learning , and betook himself only to the scriptures ; so in the understanding of the scriptures he rejected all his philosophy , and philosophical apprehensions ; saying , that the interpretation of the scripture is to be accommodated to the will of the doctrine of the spirit , and not to humane reasonings . and that he might be sure and safe in all things , he had constant recourse to the scriptures , thus understood . so that justine martyr being effectually converted , wholly left his philosophy , and betook himself to the scriptures , and taught them to the church , as he had been taught them of god , by his spirit . constantine the emperor ( though he were the first that brought in the mysterie of iniquity into the christian church , by mingling the civil and ecclesiastical states and laws together ) there being in his time , a great increase of christians , through the ministry of the gospel , and a great confluence of them to his imperial city for the words sake , he wrote to eusebius bishop of nicomedia , in a special letter , wherein he desired him with all diligence and speed , to procure fifty volums of the scriptures to be written in parchment well and legibly , and in such a bignenss or volume as might be carried with greatest ease ; for the further teaching and instructing of those that came to attain the knowledge of the christian religion : judging it most meet , that christian people should be instructed in the doctrine of christ only , and not in heathenish philosophy . and though afterwards , when the suffering times of the church began to be over , christians became more carnal and secure ( and that in the very days of constantine ) and so began to decline the word of faith , and to seek after philosophy ; yet had god in all the ages of his church some of his servants , who did reject it , and did cleave only to the word : among which , i shall only for the present , produce the testimonies of berno , who lived above six hundred years ago , and zuinglius of latter times . berno , who lived about the year . and was a man furnished with all sorts of learning , saith , that he had for many years rejected as dung the figments of the poets , and the histories of the heathens , and the study of secular letters , and had converted the whole intention of his mind to the word of god , and the divine things contained therein : and accordingly , he taught no other doctrine to any . huldricus zuinglius also pastor of zurich in helvetia , a man who had been educated in all kind of learning , and was after through faith and the teaching of god an eminent instrument in his church , he saith thus of himself ; when ( saith he ) i being yet a youth , was exercised in all sorts of learning , i can truly say , that i did not profit less then the rest of my equals : but when about seven years ago , i betook my self to the study of the holy scriptures , then the things that i had before sucked in , or learned from philosophers and divines , did procure me so much trouble , that being then moved by the authority of the scriptures , i judged that all those things were to be cast away and counted as dung , and that the true mind of god was only to be received from his pure and simple word . and therefore i began humbly to intreat the lord that he would vouchsafe me his own light : by which means it shortly came to pass , that the reading of the holy scriptures did much delight and please me ; and they being nakedly and alone propounded , did flow unto me with more ease , then if i had read them divided and distracted with variety of comments . and as he rejected philosophy wholly , and entertained the word , so did he only teach this word to faithfull christians , who are the only true school of christ in the world. now by all this it appears , that the schools of the prophets and apostles , and of christ himself the head of them , and of the most faithfull christians , that followed christ , in the first and latter ages , were in no sort like the schools in the present universities , where humane learning , according to the statutes of the universities , prevails for the first seven years , and they think , youths cannot be made good christians except they be first made good heathens . the schools of the prophets and apostles would not meddle with the philosophy of the heathen , but led the children and youth presently to the word of god , and therein to the true knowledge of god in christ : but these schools first lead youth from god and his word several years together , to the corrupt reason , wisdom , notions , conceptions ; yea to the idolatry , blasphemy , atheism , lusts , filthiness , and villanies of the cursed heathen , that thereby ( in a strange and antichristian method ) they may be the fitter to know and understand the scriptures . the schools of the prophets taught only moses and the prophets , to the jewish youth ; and the schools of the apostles taught christ only and his gospel , to the children of christians : but the universities lead men both from moses and from christ , both from the law and the gospel , to the heathen , to make men hereby the more able christians and divines . the queen of the south neglecting the magi , or wise men of the heathen , came from the utmost parts of the earth , to hear the wisdom of solomon ; and the universities leave christ , who is infinitely greater and wiser then solomon , and go to the utmost parts of the earth for wisdom from the heathen . so that in these universities , there hath been the greatest apostacy and withdrawing from christ , and the greatest dishonor and disparagement offered to him , and his gospel , as ever was known in all the world. for , is it not a matter of greatest wonder and amazement , that after that word , which was with god , and was god , and is god blessed for ever , hath been manifested in the flesh , and that flesh of his hath been justified by the spirit , to have the fulness of the godhead dwelling in it bodily : and , that this so wonderfull a person hath come to his church , in the same common nature with it , filled with all the righteousness , wisdom , truth , power , life , peace and joy , and all the things of god ; i say , is it not strange , that he who alone comprehends the fulness of all things , and in whom are hid all the infinite treasures of divine and heavenly wisdom and knowledge ; that he alone should not be counted sufficeent and enough , no not by those who pretend his name , to make us wise to salvation ( which is the only true , excellent , and necessary wisdom in the world ) and to make the man of god perfect , and the whole church of god compleat ? but to the great dishonor of christ , yea , to the very rejection of christ , the children of christians must be led from the doctrine of christ , the son of the living god , to the doctrine and disciplines of the wretched , filthy , abominable , wicked , and damned heathen : and to spend the prime and flower of their youth in these things : who but antichrist himself could have brought in , and set up such an abomination of desolation in the church of god ? and yet for the better credit of all things , must these corrupt heathenish schools be called the schools of the prophets ; though nothing but the ignorance of the law and gospel be taught in them ; and the highest enmity to christ in all the world , lives and flourishes in them . and thus as the christian schools at first , brought men from heathenism to the gospel ; so these schools , carry men from the gospel to heathenism , as to their great perfection . and the fruit of this education of youth is manifest : for where hath the gospel found less favour , and more enmity at any time , then from the universities ? ridly the martyr , with cranmer and others , being in prison in oxford for the testimony of the gospel , writes thus to bradford , as yet saith he , there was never learned man , nor any scholar , or other that visited us , since we came into bocardo . and in another letter to him , he saith , and yet as we hear , the scholars bear us more heavily then the townsmen : a wonderfull thing , among so many , never yet scholar offered any of us , so far as i know , any manner of favour , either for , or in christs cause . fox . vol. . p. , . yea farther , where shall you see youth again in all the nation , so vain , proud , fantastical , bold , impudent ? where shall you meet with such mockers and scoffers at god , and his gospel , as here ? how many hopefull youths have here been sacrificed to the heathen , and their carefull parents after much cost have received them home , as full of heathenish manners , as doctrine ? and if some are lately become more civil and seemingly religious ; yet is their enmity to the gospel in its true spirituall sense , as it is the word of faith , nothing abated ; for such as is the doctrine among them , such also of necessity must their consciences and lives be ▪ wherefore the universities , according to their statutes and usual practice , are not the schools of the prophets , or of christians , but of heathen men ; and plato , and aristotle , have more credit in the university , then moses , or christ himself . and , if after their course , or running their circle in philosophy , they betake themselves to divinity ; yet do they so mingle , spoil , and corrupt it with philosophy , according to which they both understand the scriptures , and speak of them , that their divinity cannot be called the doctrine of christ , but of antichrist , being wholly contrary to the word of faith. and therefore mr. simpson was the more to blame to flatter them in their evils , and to deceive the world , in appropriating to them the glorious title of the schools of the prophets , who are in all things , so contrary and contradictory to them. now the sum and certainty of this matter , is this ; that the congregations of believers , where only the word of the gospel is truly taught , according to the ministration of the spirit , whether to youth or men , they under the new testament , are answerable to the schools of the prophets under the old , who only taught moses and the prophets : and the universities wherein philosophy is first taught the youth , and after divinity , and then both are mingled together , to the utter perverting and corrupting the gospel of christ ; i say , these universities in the time of the gospel are answerable to the high-places in the time of the law , where a doctrine and worship prevailed , which was not according to gods word , but mans will ; and where judaism , and heathenism were mingled together into one mungrel religion , most odious and abominable to god and his people : and so the universities in the time of the gospel , are only answerable to the high-places in the time of the law : but not at all to the schools of the prophets , as mr. simpson pretends . and now for the conclusion of this matter ( which i reckon to be of great concernment for the true church to be thorowly instructed in : ) i shall bring forth the testimony of some godly men ; of whom some shew how the schools and universities of christians came first to be corrupted , to wit , by departing from the plain word of the gospel , and bringing in philosophy : and another foretels the reformation of the schools of christians again , to wit , by rejecting philosophy again , and bringing in the word of faith. all which will serve as a confirmation of what hath been already spoken . matthias parisiensis a bohemian by nation , who lived about the year . wrote a large book against antichrist , wherein he affirms that antichrist had seduced all universities and colledges of learned men ; so that now they teach no sincere doctrine , neither give any true light to christians through their teaching : to wit , they being all corrupted through philosophy , and having through that corrupted all divinity . and john hus , that humble and faithful servant of jesus christ , and blessed martyr , saith , that antichrist hath seduced all carnal christians from divine wisdom , which is full of salvation , and the holy spirit , to the wisdom and science of men , and of the princes of this world , which ( wisdom and science ) he hath exceedingly inlarged and increased , and made authentical , and very gainfull of riches and honors in this world : that so by this means , divine wisdom and science might be neglected of christians , and grow old , and be covered over , and be accounted as vile and unprofitable by them ; and , that only that , which is high with men ( to wit , humane learning ) might be reckoned glorious and excellent , and of great authority with christian people . the same hus saith , that this humane learning , wisdom and knowledge , antichrist doth perfectly subject to himself , and his service , he being more mighty and subtil through the operation of satan , then all worldly men , whom with all their learning , disciplines , and abilities , he strongly subjugates to himself , and doth especially serve himself of these : wherefore saith job , chap. . sub ipso erunt radii solis , the beams of the sun shall be under him , that is , the holy scripture , and the chief doctors and teachers of it : and he shall prepare gold as dirt , that is , he shall have all the wisdom and learning of men at his pleasure , and in great readiness , and with much ease shall gain it to himself . and antichrist by such men ( saith i. hus ) doth make his body or church strong against the saints of god , and welfavoured and glorious , that it may appear very taking to the world , and may ▪ win in all men to it , that are not taught of god and renewed by his spirit . and thus antichrist serves himself of all learning and learned men ; whereas divine learning , and the teaching of god , he could never in any measure subject to himself , but is alwaies discovered , resisted and overcome by it . martin luther saith , that whosoever it was , whether alexander of hales , or thomas of aquine , who first instituted universities ; he was a star fallen from heaven to earth , who received the key of the bottomless pit , and opened it , and brought forth into the church , philosophy , long ago dead and damned by the doctrine of the apostles ; and from the smoak of the bottomless pit , that is , philosophy , came forth locusts on the earth ; that is , saith he , populus universitatum , è philosophia natus , the people of the universities , born and bred of philosophy , &c. thus luther . abbas joachim calaber , who was long before these , and flourished about the year . in his commentary on jeremy the prophet , speaks to this purpose , that the sixt angel , mentioned , rev. . opens the bottomless pit , and brings out philosophy into the church ; and out of the smoak of this doctrine lecusts proceeded , and are spread over all the church into every fruitfull place ; and these locusts , he saith , are scholastici & magistri , qui nunc facie tenus blandiuntur ut decipiant , nunc cauda tenus feriunt ut subvertant simplices & incautos ; that is , the locusts are scholars and masters , ( according to the academical degrees ) who sometimes flatter with their countenances to deceive , and sometimes strike with their tails , that they may subvert the simple and unadvised . and to these scholars and masters , the ignorant and common people resort ; and they open to them the old cisterns of heathenish learning and disciplines , long ago stopt up by the doctrine of the apostles : and these cisterns they open , by teaching philosophy to the people : but they shut up the living fountain of saving water , that is , the word of faith : but the spirit of the lord ( saith he ) in the following prophets , whom the lord shall raise up , idola studiorum carnalium visitabit , shall visit the idols of carnal studies , maintained and kept up by secular stipends . further he saith , that as antichrist brings forth his mark , which is , philosophical doctrine in the church of christ , and by this mark all his teachers and people are known ; so there shall rise up against these , such as have the mark of christ , or the sign of thau in their foreheads , that is , the open and manifest doctrine of christ crucified . and as the signs of moses destroyed the signs of the magicians , so shall the word or preaching of the cross , destroy all philosophical doctrine , and humane and secular learning out of the church . and then the children , and youth , and men of all ages , sorts , and conditions , shall be taught no other doctrine in the church of christ , then that which is found in the scriptures , even in the writings of the prophets and apostles ; and that not according to any humane and philosophical understanding , but according to the teaching and mind of the spirit . and god by all his true servants , shall destroy the studies of carnal doctors , and masters in divinity , and shall dissipate all secular and philosophical learning , by the word of truth in their mouths . and so shall the church be reformed aright , when the doctrine of christ only shall be received and esteemed of , and shall live and flourish among christians . and thus as antichrist hath laid aside the scriptures , and all true spiritual and divine learning out of his schools and universities , and hath brought into them , instead thereof , philosophy and humane learning ( and so these schools are most unlike to the schools of the prophets ) so in due time , when god shall undertake to reform his church , all this sort of learning shall be cast out again , as dirt and dung , and the plain word of the gospel only shall prevail and flourish among the christian people : which time the lord hasten for his elects sake . . error . that they who have endeavoured to pull down schools , have always been men who were found enemies to religion ; so julian the apostate shut up the doors of the schools , because he would have all religion to go down . answer . true it is , that they who have sought the subversion of christian schools , wherein the doctrine of the gospel is purely taught without the mixture of philosophy and heathenism , they all have been , and are very enemies to the true religion : but they that seek to put down heathenish schools , and to erect christian , or to reform the schools of heathen into christian , or to remove heathenism out of christian schools , they are not , before god and good men , enemies to true religion , but the great friends of it . nay they that call heathenish schools by the name of christian , that they may still remain with the better credit in their heathenism , without any true reformation according to the gospel , i rather judge them to be enemies to the true religion , and friends only to their own profit , preferment and ends. julian indeed did forbid that christians should be instructed in the disciplines of the gentiles ; but saith sozomen ( the writer of the ecclesiastical history ) he did this because he thought , that by those disciplines men might attain to a great faculty to perswade , which advantage he would not have the christians to gain to the help of their religion . now certainly this was done , as socrates ( another writer of the ecclesiastical history ) doth acknowledge , by the singular providence of god. for seeing then christians had begun to degenerate from the gospel , and to betake themselves to heathenish learning , julian attributed all the glory and excellency of christianity to that learning , and so thought with mr. simpson , that if humane learning were denied to christians , christianity it self would soon be at end . wherefore the lord stirred up julian to put down the doctrine of the heathen in the schools of christians , that it might appear to all the world , that as the true christian religion is not helped by humane learning , so neither is it hindred by the want of it : and that there is more light , knowledge , truth , wisdom , power , utterance given to christians by the unction of the spirit alone , which all receive who believe , then through all heathenish disciplines : and also that it might be manifest that true christianity is founded on faith in christ and the gift of his spirit only , and not at all on humane learning . for what humane learning had peter and john ? and yet in what wisdom and authority did they being ignorant and unlearned men , reprove , convince , and silence the greatest and ablest men of the jews ? and what humane learning had steven ? and yet he confuted the libertines , and cyrenians , and alexandrians , and all the philosophers of cilicia , and asia , which disputed with him ; and they all were not able to resist ( not the humane learning but ) the wisdom and spirit by which he spake . and christ hath promised all his people , that when for his names sake they should be brought before kings anh rulers , who usually have the greatest accomplishments of humane learning , that then they should not study before hand what to say ; for he would give them , in that very hour , a mouth and wisdom which none of their adversaries should be able to resist . and the power and vertue of the gospel , and the wisdom , knowledge , and utterance of gods spirit , is more gloriously manifest in plain men then in learned men ; for in the one , the grace and vertues of the spirit are attributed to humane learning ; but in the other , to god only , who dwells in them . wherefore that the wisdom and knowledge , and light , and power of the word of faith in true christians , might not be attributed to humane learning , god stirred up an enemy to christian religion to be so serviceable to it , as to hinder heathenish doctrine from being taught in the schools of christians , that so the church might be restored to be as in the dayes of its youth , when there flourished in it only the simple and plain word of faith , without any intermingling philosophy or humane doctrine . and if constantine had made such an order in his time , julian had not had such an opportunity to have renounced christianity , and turned heathen . for julian being instructed in the philosophy and disciplines of the heathen by libanius his tutor , by this means , he came to love philosophy better then the gospel , and so by degrees turned from christianity to heathenism . which may be a fair warning to all christians , that they suffer not their children to be so educated , lest at last , with julian , they ( at least in their hearts ) loath and reject the gospel , and become with him apostates and pagans . and hence it is most evident , that heathenish philosophy is so far from being a profitable study for the children of christians , that it is very dangerous for them to be so educated , as socrates is forced to confess ; where he saith , for christians to be thorowly instructed in the disciplines of the gentiles , there is none will grant that this is profitable to the christian religion : for it is not without danger for christians to be taught in the learning of the heathens , seeing this teacheth that there are many gods. and therefore saith he , the doctrine of the heathen is not approved by christ or any of his apostles or disciples . wherefore said luther , my counsel is , that a youth should shun philosophy , and school-divinity , as the death of his soul. . error . that the knowledge of heavenly things cannot come to us but by things on earth : and that all divinity is swadled in humane learning . answer . i conceive that all christians at the first reading of this , will acknowledge that this doctrine is not divine , but philosophical . the philosophers say , that nothing is in the understanding , but that which is first in the sence , ( which is proportionable to that which mr. simpson speaks ) and yet they know not what they say , when they say so . but let us consider if this be so : that the knowledge of heavenly things cannot come to us but by things on earth : then how shall we know the mysterie of god , even the father , and the mysterie of christ , who is god manifest in the flesh ? or how shall the mysterie of faith , and of our union with christ through faith into one flesh and spirit with him , be known ? or the new birth and new creature , which hath all things new in it , and all those new things , the things of god ? or how shall the free justification of a sinner through the death of christ , and his reconciliation to god , be known ? with all the rest of the things of the gospel ? seeing nothing on earth can reveal the least part of these things ? and if the world by wisdom , that is , its philosophy , knew not god , how can it by that wisdom reveal god and his things , which it never knew ? nay , the apostle doth clearly testifie against this carnal and corrupt doctrine , in cor. . , . saying , we speak the wisdom of god in a mysterie , even the hidden wisdom , which god ordained before the world unto our glory , which none of the princes of this world knew : and by princes of this world , he means not only worldly powers , as chrysostome affirms , but also philosophers and orators , who often obtained the chief government among the nations . god hath wrapped up his gospel , saith paul , into such hidden wisdom , that they are never able to search into it , or to discover the least part of it , seeing god contrived it all , and appointed it before the world , unto our glory : and all their knowledge is but from the world. yea , he adds , eye hath not seen , nor ear heard , neither have ever entered into the heart of man ; the things which god hath prepared for them that love him ; in which words , god hath shut out the natural man for ever , with all his study , knowledge , abilities , and attainments , from the having any right understanding of his kingdom , or the things of it : for the eye of man hath not seen them at any time , nor his ear heard them , nor hath any knowledge of them entered into his heart : so far is this doctrine from truth , that the knowledge of heavenly things cannot come to us , but by things on earth . but the apostle shews how the faithfull come to know these high , holy , spiritual , and eternal things , which lie infinitely beyond the knowledge and discovery of all men , to wit , by the spirit , saying , but god hath revealed them to us by the spirit ; for the spirit searcheth all things , yea the deep things of god. so that the people of god know the things of the gospel , not by earthly things , as mr. simpson affirms , nor by philosophy and outward wisdom , which only reaches to earthly things , but by the spirit . farther , if all divinity be swadled in humane learning : then i do affirm that all such divinity hath no great depth ; seeing the bottom of humane learning is easily fathomed . but can any christian heart think , that all true divinity , which comprehends in it the heighth , and bredth , and length , and depth of the love of god , which passeth knowledge , and all the unsearchable riches of christ , and all the infinite and incomprehensible treasures of his wisdom , power , and righteousness , of his love , goodness , truth , faithfulness , and of all the fulness of the godhead , wherewith he is filled , can be contained and wrapped up in the narrow and scant bounds of humane learning ? how much truer doctrine had it been to have taught , that all true divinity is contained in god and his word , and that we can know nothing of god aright , but by his word , which holy men have spoken by the spirit , and believers do receive by faith ; and out of this word , all the learning in the world doth not contain in it self , neither can it reveal to us aright , ●he least thing of god , or of his mind and will. but i conceive he might speak thus , that all divinity is wrapped up in humane learning , to deterr the common people from the study and enquiry after it , and to cause them still to expect all divinity from the clergy , who by their education have attained to that humane learning which the plain people are destitute of : for it is the old and new design of antichrist , to make the people depend on the clergy for all divinity , though the people have the scriptures as near them , and the grace of god usually nearer to them , then they ; seeing god resists the proud , and gives grace to the humble . again , if all divinity be swadled in humane learning , then must it sadly follow , that all who want humane learning , must needs also want divinity ; and then how shall poor plain people , who live in lawfull callings , and have not the leisure to attain humane learning , how shall they do to be saved ? or what help must they have to teach them divinity , who have not opportunity to gain humane learning ? and yet farther , if all divinity be swadled in humane learning ; then christ and his apostles had no true divinity ; for they had no humane learning to swadle it in , nor would have none ; shall we say now , according to mr. simpsons doctrine , that they had no divinity ? i do with all boldness affirm , that this doctrine is contrary to the christian faith. . error . that paul was brought up at the feet of gamaliel , and god took him so fitted , ( to wit , with humane learning ) and made him an able instrument in his church . answer . not so , but god took paul , not a good scholar , and so made him an able preacher ; but he took him , as a blasphemer , and persecutor , and as a cruel and inraged enemy against christ and his truth , and people , and magnified the riches of his mercy in converting such an one : and paul having much forgiven him , loved much ; and through his great love , was the fitter to preach the gospel , according to that of christ to peter ; peter , dost thou love me ? feed my sheep . yea paul himself ascribes his painfull and profitable preaching , not to his learning and education under gamaliel ( which also was , or ought to have been , only in the law and prophets , as hath been proved ) but to the free grace of god bestowed on him , saying , i laboured more abundantly then they all , yet not i , but the grace of god in me : so that paul became so excellent a preacher , not by his fitting through humane learning , but through the grace of god. and here i shall mind mr. simpson of a passage which i have read in chrysostome , which comes home to this matter in hand ; it is in his third homily on the first epistle to the corinthians , where he saith , that god had no need , at the beginning of the gospel , of learned men , and sophisters to preach the gospel , and to convince the world with syllogisms , but did only use the word of faith , in the mouths of plain handicrafts men , and artificers : wherefore ( saith he ) when the greeks shall accuse the disciples of christ , as ignorant of letters , and unlearned , let us our selves who are christians , accuse them more . neither let any one say , that paul was wise and learned ; but let us say , their men were wise and learned , but ours were rude and ignorant ; for in thus doing ( according to the truth ) we shall have the greater advantage against them . for if paul were unlearned , and yet overcame learned plato , his victory was the greater , and the grace of god the more glorious . * now this i say , ( saith he ) because the other day , i heard a certain christian discoursing ridculously with a greek ; each of them in their discourse prejudicing their own cause : for the greek spake that which the christian should have said ; and the christian spake that which the greek should have said . for the question between them being touching paul and plato , the greek endeavoured to prove that paul was rude and unlearned ; but the christian through his simplicity , did endeavor to prove , that paul was more learned and eloquent then plato . and so , the greek should obtain the victory , if the christians reasons should prevail . for if paul were more learned then plato , then might men object , that he overcame not the world through grace , but through eloquence . wherefore that whith the christian spake , made for the greek ; and that which the greek spake , made for the christian. wherefore ( he saith ) when the greeks shall say the apostles were rude , and unlearned , poor , mean , simple , obscure persons , let us acknowledge it as the truth ; for this is not their reproach , but their glory ; that being such , they yet overcame the learned men , the wise men , the philosophers , the rhetoricians , the orators , the princes , and all the world , as if they had not been men. for when any thing is done above the state and power of nature , this doth exceedingly manifest and magnifie the grace of god. and so it appears , that chrysostom was of another mind in this matter touching paul , then mr. simpson ; and that paul was of another mind touching himself . now seeing mr. simpson doth here insinuate that humane learning fits a man to the ministry of the gospel : and seeing this also is the opinion of all the carnal and unbelieving people , i do desire them to consider , what some godly men have spoken clearly from the word of god in this matter . chrysostom ( who knew the mysterie of the gospel more clearly then any of the ancient writers ) in his comment on the first epistle to the corinthians , doth wholly exclude humane learning from contributing any thing , either to the speaking or receiving the gospel . for ( saith he ) to believe in him that was crucified and buried , and to be fully perswaded that he rose again , and sits at the right hand of god , and hath all power in heaven and earth given to him , and that he is made of god to the whole church , wisdom , righteousness , sanctification and redemption ; this doctrine stands not in need of humane wisdom and reasonings , but of faith only , and that both in them that spake it , and in them that receive it . for the apostles did not proceed in this matter in outward wisdom , but in faith , and so became more wise and excellent then the worldly wise : and so much the more , as it is a greater matter to receive the things of god by faith , then to be perswaded into them by the force of argument . he adds also , that , to the receiving the doctrine of the gospel , neither is the wise man profited any thing by his wisdom , neither is the plain man hindered any thing by his ignorance ; yea if i may speak a wonderfull thing ( saith he ) ignorance is more fit and ready to receive the gospel then wisdom . and a shepherd , and a plowman will sooner receive the gospel and submit to it , then a scholar who lives in the strength of humane wisdom and reason . he farther saith there , that where the wisdom of god is , ( as it is in the gospel ) there is no need of mans wisdom , as where the sun is , there is no need of a candle . and he concludes there this matter thus , that the preaching of the gospel is a heavenly thing , and that humane wisdom and learning cannot help herein , but rather hinder . and that therefore when christ sent forth the first teachers of the gospel , he took not wise and learned philosophers , that the cross of christ might not be made void , and that the faith of christians should not stand in the wisdom of man , but in the power of god : but he chose plain fishermen , tent-makers , publicans , obscure , simple , poor , contemptible , ignorant and unlearned men ; and these overcame kings , princes , people , nations , greeks , philosophers , orators , sophisters ▪ they overcame the antient manners , customs , and the very religion of the world , also their laws , judgements , divers sorts of punishments , and innumerable kinds of deaths , and by all this ( saith he ) it was manifest , that their preaching was not in humane wisdom , but in the grace of god. and thus doth chrysostom affirm , and prove that humane learning doth not fit men to the ministry of the gospel , but is rather a hindrance thereunto , and that the grace of god only fits them for this heavenly work. hear also what wickliff saith to this matter , in his book entituled , the path way to perfect knowledge ; where he sheweth , that it is not humane learning that helps to understand the scriptures , and to profit in the study of them , but something more high and heavenly ; his own words are these . he whose heart is full of love , comprehendeth without any error , the manifold abundance , and largest teaching of gods scripture : for paul saith , the fulness of the law is charity ; and in another place , the end of the law is charity , of clean heart , and good conscience , and of faith unfeigned ; and christ saith , thou shalt love thy lord god , of all thy heart , and of all thy soul , and of all thy mind , and thy neighbour as thy self : for in these two commandments , hangeth all the law and the prophets : and , as the root of all evil is covetousness , so the root of all good is love. charity by which we love god , and the neighbour , holdeth surely all the greatness and largeness of gods speeches . therefore , if we have not leisure to search all the holy scriptures , and to pierce into all the privities of them ; hold thou love , whereon all things hang , and so shalt thou hold that which thou learnest there , and also that which thou learnest not . for if thou know charity , thou knowest something , whereon also that hangeth , which thou knowest not . and in that that thou understandest in scripture , love is open ; and in that that thou understandest not , love is hid . therefore he that holdeth love in vertues or good life , holdeth both that which is open , and that which is hid in gods word . and after speaking to the clergy , he saith , therefore worldly fools , do ye first repent of your sins , and forsake pride and covetousness , and be ye meek , and fear ye god in all things , and love your neighbour as your self , and then shall ye profit in the study of holy writ . and this is a far other way to understand the scriptures then humane learning . and after , he speaking of the abominations of the university of oxford , saith thus ; the fourth abomination , is , that it is now purposed to hinder christian men from learning freely gods law , till they have spent nine or ten years at art , or philosophy , which compredendeth many strong errors of heathen men , against the christian belief . it seemeth well , that god will not cease from vengeance , till it and other things be punished sore . for it seemeth that worldly clerks , and feignedly religious , do this under pretence , that simple men of wit and knowledge , know not gods law to preach it generally against sins in the realm . but wit ye , worldly clerks , and feignedly religious , that god both can , and may if it liketh him , speed simple men out of the university , as much to know the holy scriptures , as masters in the university . wherefore ( he saith ) it is no great matter , though men of good will be not poysoned with heathen mens error nine or ten years together ; but let them live well , and study the holy scriptures , and preach truly and freely against open sins till death . thus he. whereby he declares that the scriptures are not to be understood by humane learning , but by faith and love : and that humane learning doth not prepare men to the knowledge of the word , but rather corrupt them with heathen mens errors . tindal also , that apostle of england ( as fox calleth him ) and blessed martyr , speaks thus to this matter ; they will say yet more shamefully ( meaning the clergy ) that no man can understand the scriptures without philautia , that is to say , philosophy : a man must first be well seen in aristotle , ere he can understand the scripture , say they . now ( saith he ) aristotles doctrine is , that the world was without beginning , and shall be without end , and that the first man never was , and the last never shall be : and that god doth all of necessity , neither careth what we do . without this doctrine ( saith he , ironically ) how could we understand the scripture , that saith , god created the world of nought , and god worketh all things of his free will , and for a secret purpose ; and that we shall rise again ; and god will have accounts of all that we have done in this life ! aristotle saith , give a man a law , and he hath power of himself to do , or fulfill the law , and becometh righteous with working righteously . but paul and the scripture saith , that the law doth but utter sin only , and helpeth not ; neither hath any man power to do the law , till the spirit of god be given him through faith in christ. is it not a madness then to say that we could not understand the scripture without aristotle ? moreover aristotles felicity and blessedness standeth in avoiding all tribulations , and in riches , health , honor , worship , friends , and authority , which felicity pleaseth our spirituality well . now without these , and a thousand such like points , couldst thou not understand scripture , which saith , that righteousness cometh by christ , and not of mans will ? and how that vertues are the fruits and gifts of gods spirit , and that christ blesseth us in tribulations , persecution , and adversity . how i say , couldst thou understand the scriptures without philosophy , in as much as paul , col. . warned them to be ware lest any man spoil them ( that is to say , rob them of their faith in christ ) through philosophy and deceitful vanities , and through the traditions of men , and ordinances after the world , and not after christ ? — and after — but now , ye drive them from gods word , and will let no man come thereto , until he have been two years master of art. first they nuzzle them in sophistry , & in bene fundatum ; and there corrupt they their judgements with apparent arguments , and with alledging to them texts of logick , of natural philosophy , of metaphysick , and moral philosophy , and of all manner of books of aristotle , and of all manner of doctors , which yet they never saw , &c. again huldricus zuinglius speaks thus to this matter . we must needs be taught of god , and not of men ( to wit in the knowledge of the gospel ) for this is the saying of the eternal truth , which knows not how to lye , joh. . but and if you do not firmly believe that you may be taught of god , humane doctrines being utterly rejected , ye are yet destitute of true faith. neither have i my self devised this thing ; for hilarie also is of this opinion ; but there is no need of his testimony , when we hear that both christ , and all the apostles were of the same minde . and here the whole use of school divinity falls to the ground , and whatsoever is drawn out of the philosophers . for all these things do lean on humane reasons , which when they have once possessed a mans mind , he then thinks that the heavenly doctrine is wholly to be directed and framed according to the rule of humane learning , which he judges to be most firm and infallible . which thing they sufficiently discover in their words , saying , ubi cessat philosophus , illic incipit theologus , where the philosopher ceases , there the divine begins ; whereby they signifie thus much , that he is able to judge most rightly in divine things , who comes most furnished with humane learning . as if so be the light of our will were more excellent , and more perspicuous then the divine glory : when yet we hear christ saying , i receive not glory of men ; but i know you , that you have not the love of god in you , joh. . for they who have the love of god , cleave to no word so constantly , as to the word of god ; seeing this is the light , that enlightens every man that comes into the world. but no man is able to prove that philosophy is such a light. for which of the philosophers instructed the apostles ? those simple , and in the judgement of the world , those foolish men , unskilful , and unlearned fishermen , were elected and instituted of god , and then were sent forth to preach , that they might become the masters and teachers of the whole world : to wit , that god according to the saying of paul , might make ashamed all the strength of the world , and all the wisdom of the world. thus he . luther also saith , it is an errour to say , that a man cannot be a divine , but through aristotle ; nay , saith he , a man cannot be a divine except he become one , without aristotle . and again , a man becomes a divine by living , yea by dying , and by being damned ( to wit in his own sense ) not by studying , reading , or speculating . and again , in holy things we must not dispute or play the philosophers ; but in divinity we must only hear and believe , and resolve in our heart that god is true , though the things he speaks in his word , seem never so absurd to reason . and again , we shall then do well , if we leaving logick or philosophy in their own sphere , do learn to speak with new tongues in the kingdom of faith , without all sphere . for the affection of faith is to be exercised in the kingdom of faith , and not a philosophical understanding . and thus have these godly men held forth and proved from the word , that humane learning is rather a hindrance then a help , to the ministery of the gospel , and doth rather unfit then fit men for it : and that the grace and teaching of god only , prepares and enables men to this divine work , and no humane thing at all . wherefore let all true christians be advised , that humane learning is so far from fitting men for the gospel and the ministry thereof , as is suggested , that indeed there is nothing in greater enmity to christ crucified ; nor more contrary to the word of the cross , then that ; yea nothing in all the world hath been such an introducer , favourer , supporter , and inlarger of antichrists kingdom , as humane reason , learning , and philosophy ; this hath brought in all the hypocrisie , superstition , false doctrine , false worship , sects , schisms , divisions , which have at any time prevailed in the church during all the reign of antichrist : and the gospel of christ , and the true belief and practice of it , hath not had at any time a greater , and more subtile , and plausible enemy then this. yea farther , the gross ignorance and blindeness of the rude world , hath not so perverted and falsified the word of the gospel , nor rendred it such contradiction and resistance , nor hath brought such annoyance to the faithful who have received and confessed it , as humane science hath done ; for this hath enabled men stoutly to oppose the truth , and subtilly to defend errour as the truth ; this hath made men bold and cunning to suppress gods minde from the world , and to hold forth their own minde to them , as if it were gods , under the pretence of the outward letter of the word ; and a multitude of other evils have sprung from this corrupt fountain . wherefore the apostle paul is so far from encouraging christians to betake themselves to humane learning to fit them for the gospel , that he by the spirit utterly forbids christians heathenish philosophy , lest they should be spoiled through the vanity of it , and beled away from christ. and thus in this matter hath mr. simpson manifestly departed from the doctrine of the scriptures , and of faithful men who have spoken from it . . error . that mens hatred to god doth as well appear in their hatred to humane learning , as if they hated the scriptures . answer . i conceive mr. simpsons heart was hot within him , out of his great zeal to humane learning ( the great goddess by which the university lives ) when he thus spake ; and it appears he is very tender of the reputation and glory of it , who thus vindicates it , at as high a rate as the very scriptures . but sir , do you know no more difference between the most precious word of our eternal lord god , and his son jesus christ , and the foolish , corrupt , and stinking doctrine of men ? is there no more difference in your divinity , between the word of righteousness , life , and salvation , which god hath spoken by christ , and christ by his servants , and the word and doctrines of wretched men , full of sin , death , and destruction ? and if the law it self , given by the ministration of angels , loseth its glory before the gospel , as the apostle testifies ; how much more doth heathenish philosophy , brought forth , partly from the corrupt reason of man , and partly from the inspiration of the devil , become loathsome and abominable before it , for ever ! and cannot we be enemies to this , say you , without hating the blessed word of god ? nay , the blessed word of god where it prevails in truth , doth make men to hate this , and to count it loss , and dung , and filth , and the most loathsome baseness in the world , in comparasion of it self . wherefore , through the grace of christ , we will so love the scriptures , which are divine learning , as to hate humane and heathenish learning for thier sakes , seeing it hath put a veil of darkness in the church , over this glorious sun , the word of faith. . error . that if the spirit teach without means , men may as well be without the ordinances , as without the universities and humane learning . answer . we do not say , that the spirit usually teacheth without means in the church of christ ; but we say , he teacheth by means of his own appointing ; and how will mr. simpson prove by any scripture that universities and humane learning , are means which the spirit of god useth to teach his church by ? where did ever the lord speak one word , that he would use the disciplines of the gentiles , as means whereby to teach men to know the mysterie of christ ? wherefore this is strange doctrine , that arts , and sciences are the means whereby the spirit teacheth the church : for sure i am the lord never taught his church , either of the old , or of the new testament by these means : only antichrist hath taught his church after this manner , and hath set up humane learning as an ordinance of god , yea , as an ordinance of the new testament to learn christ by ; that christians might be trained up to know christ the wisdom of god , by humane learning , the wisdom of the world , which is in direct enmity to god. the chief ordinances whereby god helps his church , are the word of faith , and the prayer of faith ; and by the ministration of the spirit , he begins , and carries on the salvation of his spiritual people : and these ordinances the true church cannot want , neither doth god do any thing in his church without them. but the spiritual church , for ought that i could ever yet read in the word , may well want their divine ordinance of humane learning , and yet not want any ordinance of god , that he hath appointed and sanctified for the use of his true church . . error . that men now , are not to receive the spirit , in that immediate way to understand the scriptures , in which it was given to them who wrote the scriptures . answer . surely mr. simpson will not deny , that the spirit is given to that whole church which is the body of christ ; seeing paul saith , if any man have not christs spirit , he is none of his , he is no member of his . now the spirit is alwayes given to whomsoever it is given , by the father and the son , as christ taught his disciples , promising them that the father would send the spirit to them in his name ; and also , that he himself would send it to them from the father . and was this promise only made to them , and not to all the faithfull also , who should believe in christ through their word ? doth not paul say , rom. . . of the whole church , that by one spirit we are all baptized into one body , and are all made to drink into one spirit ? he saith also to the galatians , chap. . because ye are sens , god hath sent the spirit of his son into your hearts , crying abba father . and thus it is manifest that the whole church of believers , and every true member thereof , do receive the spirit of god. and do they not receive it alike immediately from god ? who can give the spirit of god to man , but god himself ? when god promised to pour out his spirit in the last dayes upon all flesh , did he name any difference in the pouring of it out , saying , some shall receive it immediately , and some mediatly ? no , but all that are counted worthy to receive the spirit of god , do receive it alike immediately from him ; neither hath christ left any lieutenant or deputy in the world ▪ to give his spirit to men in his absence : but he himself is alwayes present in his true church to the end of the world , both to teach them , and to give them his spirit . he is too much in the darkness of antichrist , that denies this . it is manifest then , that all the true church do alike receive the spirit of god ; and that they all receive it alike immediately from god , seeing no man nor angel can give the spirit of god , but god himself gives his own spirit to whom he pleases ; by his own word , which he himself ministers by his own spirit ; and by this spirit did holy men speak the scripture ; and by this spirit only , do holy men of god understand the scripture , as paul saith , cor. . . now we have received not the spirit of the world , but the spirit which is of god , that we might know the things that are freely given to us of god ; among which his word hath a chief place : and after saith , that by the spirit ▪ they had the mind of christ , which others want , who yet have the same letter of the word , and are destitute of the spirit . and so as the faithfull spake the word by the spirit of faith , so through the same spirit of faith only so given , do the faithfull understand it . and though this thing be clear in it self , yet i judge it convenient to add here the testimonies of luther and calvin in this matter . luther saith , the scriptures are not to be understood , but by that very spirit by which they were writ ; which spirit can be nowhere found more readily and effectually , then in those holy letters of his , which he hath written . and calvin saith , the same spirit that spake by the month of the prophets , it is necessary that that should pierce into our hearts , to perswade us , that they faithfully delivered that which was committed to them of god , so that we must necessarily have the same spirit to know his mind , that they had to utter his mind . wherefore it is evident that mr. simpson is not orthodox in this point neither . . error . that men now are to get knowledge ( to wit of the scripture ) by studies , and humane learning , and not by inspiration . answer . this doctrine carries the visible mark of antichrist upon it ; for it is only the inspiration of god that enables a man to know the things of god , and not a mans study or humane learning : it is not in this case , in him that wills or runs , but in god that shews mercy . wherefore christ hath said ▪ no man knows the son but the father , and he to whomsoever the father will reveal him ; wherefore paul prays for the ephesians , that god would give them the spirit of wisdom and revelation , in the knowledge of christ : without which spirit of revelation , christ and the father can never be known . what can humane learning , and the studies of men find out of the mysterie of christ , which was hidden from ages and generations , as paul testifies , till the spirit revealed it ? yea , christ hath taught , that god hides these things of the gospel from the wise and prudent , that is , the studying and learned men , and reveals them to babes ; and that this is his good pleasure so to do . and so no man can know christ and his gospel , and what is the faith , hope , and love of the gospel , but by the most present teaching and revelation of god himself by his spirit . wherefore to deny the inspiration of gods spirit now , and to ascribe all knowledge of the word of god to mens studies , and to humane learning , is the most gross and palpable doctrine of antichrist and his prophets ; whereas , all the people of god are taught of god himself , in all the things of god , as christ hath said ; because , no man by his own studies and pains can attain thereunto . and in this matter , i shall also add the testimony of luther , and latimer . luther saith , no man sees one jot or title in the scriptures , but he that hath the spirit of god : for all men have a darkned heart , in such sort , that if they could speak , and knew how to bring forth all things of the scripture , yet have they not any true sense , or right knowledge of them . for ( saith he ) the spirit is required to the understanding of the whole scripture , and of every part thereof . and latimer saith , the carnal and philosophical understanding of the scriptures is not that wisdom of god which is hid from the wise , and revealed to little ones . . error . that humane learning is as the outworks to the fort of the gospel , and as the outer court to the temple of the gospel ; and so , if you will keep the fort well , you must keep the out-works strong ; and if you will preserve the inner , you must look to the outer court. answer . how highly hath mr. simpson honoured socrates , pythagoras , plato and aristotle , &c. to make them a strong guard for the person of christ ! and how highly hath he honoured their learning , to make it a defence for the gospel ! and how weak and feeble hath he sought to render the word of faith , that must be thus defended by the arts & disciplines of men , as not being able to stand alone , and to defend it self ? doth this man truly believe in the son of the living god , who makes him such an helpless idol ? or doth he believe the word of the gospel , which hath given eyes to the blinde , and ears to the deaf , and feet to the lame , which hath raised the dead , and cast our devils , and commanded the winds and waves , and they have obeyed ? i say , doth he believe this word to be of god , which hath done the very works of god , and yet openly affirms to the world , that it cannot maintain it self , or subsist without the help of philosophy ? is that word , which mightily and perfectly saves all the elect , and that in despight of the world and the devil , and the gates of hell , not able to save it self without humane help ? must that word be secured by aristotle , which delivers all the elect from sin , death , and hell for ever ? are grammar , rhetorick , logick , ethicks , physicks , metaphysicks , mathematicks , the weapons whereby we must defend the gospel ? is mr. simpson so ill a proficient in christianity , that he hath not read , or doth not remember that of paul , ephes. . . where he saith , we wrestle not against flesh and blood , but against principalities , against powers , against the rulers of the darkness of this world , against spiritual wickedness in high places . wherefore take unto you the whole armour of god , that you may be able to withstand in the evil day , and having done all to stand . stand therefore , having your loyns girt about with truth , and having on the brest-plate of righteousness . and your feet shod with the preparation of the gospel of peace . above all , taking the shield of faith , wherewith ye shall be able to quench all the fiery darts of the wicked . and take the helmet of salvation , and the sword of the spirit , which is the word of god. praying always with all prayer and supplication in the spirit , and watching thereunto with all perseverance . here now are the true christians weapons , whereby he defends himself through the word , and defends the word against all the world. and the same paul , in cor. . . saith , for though we walk in the flesh , we do not war after the flesh . for the weapons of our warfare are not carnal , but mighty through god , to the pulling down of strong holds : casting down imaginations , and every high thing that exalteth it self against the knowledge of god , and bringing into captivity every thought to the obedience of christ : and having in readiness to revenge all disobedience . so that the faithful do not defend the gospel by philosophy , as is heat henishly suggested ; but by the gospel , they defend the gospel : and the gospel hath in it self that wisdom , righteousness , strength , and those vertues which are infinitely able to defend it self against all the world , and against all the powers of darkness . and how contrary is this doctrine to mr. simpsons ? and thus much for his outworks to the gospel . now for his outer court to the gospel : i know no other outer court the gospel ever had , then the law of moses , which law was the preparation to the gospel , and the school-master to bring us unto christ , which humane learning never was . but humane learning is the outer court to antichrists temple , it is the school-master to bring men to antichrist . and thus would mr. simpson also turn the law out of its place , and set up humane learning in the stead of the law , and so would make void both law and gospel for humane learning sake ; surely one would think he hath some considerable advantage thereby , that he thus sences for it . . error . but what is the bottom ( saith he ) of all this ( that is , of some mens appearing against humane learning , as the unction of the ministry , and against the universities as the fountain of the ministry ) but this , that some say , they are one with christ ; and as christ hath the divine nature in him , so every believer also hath : and he that hath god in him , need not go to any man to learn ? whereas joh. . christ speaketh of believers as at an infinite distance from himself ; he their lord , they his servants . he in glory , they in the world. and if they be so united to christ , then it will follow , that christ is not the only begotten son of god ; and that christ and we should be equal , and he not our lord , &c. answer . now doth not all this declare a most woful ignorance of , and enmity to the gospel of god our saviour ? for is our union with christ , the foundation of error ? or have true believers no real union with christ , but imaginary ? do not the saints partake of the divine nature ? doth not peter expresly affirm it , pet. . . where he saith , exceeding great and precious promises are made to us , that we thereby should be made partakers of the divine nature ! and what is the divine nature , but the very nature of god ? see luther on the place . again , are believers , as he affirms , at an infinite distance from christ ? if this were true , what sad news would it be to the church of god ? how can this doctrine agree with these scriptures ? that christ may dwell in your hearts by faith ; and , christ in you the hope of glory ; and , of him are ye in christ jesus : again , saith christ , i am the true vine , and ye are the branches : and so as the vine is in the branches , and as the branches are in the vine , so is christ in christians , and so are christians in christ. again , john . . at that day ye shall know ( saith christ himself , that you need not doubt of the doctrine ) that i am in my father , and you in me , and i in you : and again , john . . saith christ , i pray not for these alone ; that is , who now believe , but also for all that shall hereafter believe in me , through their word , that they all may be one , as thou father art in me , and i in thee , that they may be one , as we are one : i in them , and thou in me , that they may be made perfect in one , that the world may know thou hast sent me , and hast loved them as thou hast loved me. here now is no infinite distance between christ and believers , but a wonderful and admirable nearness , and oneness ; which the learned ignorance of philosophy understands not , nor the ignorant knowledge of any carnal christian. but sure this word of god is true , and the saints receive it in faith , and will not be deluded with any philosophical , sophistical or antichristian glosses of false teachers . and thus doth the holy word of god affirm plainly enough , that christ and his christians are most neerly united ; and yet doth not this union make an equality and rob christ of his due glory , seeing christ is the head , and they his members ; christ the first born , and they his brethren . and so as christ hath the preheminence in all things above them all , as becomes the head and first born , so they have communion with him in all things , as becomes his members and brethren . and whereas he jests , and saith , he that hath god in him , needs not go to man to learn ; i do affirm this is true enough , and the scripture hath affirmed it in several places ; isaiah saith to the spiritual church , all thy children shall be taught of the lord : and christ saith it is written , they shall be all taught of god ; he therefore that hath heard and learned of my father , cometh to me. and john saith , john . . the annointing which ye have received from him abideth in you , and ye need not that any man teach you , but as the same annointing teacheth you all things , and is truth , and is no lye. and this doctrine is so manifest from the scriptures , that he is of antichrist that denies it : for god inwardly teaches all his people by his spirit his own self : and they so hear the word by the ministry of man , that it is alwaies god that teaches them , and not man. . error . arts and tongues are the cups in which god drinks to us . answer . in what a sad condition then are the common and plain people , that they cannot pledge him ? but only the learned clergy keep these cups to themselves , as heretofote they kept the cup in the sacrament . but what strange phrase is this ? savouring of the ranters religion ; as if god was the familiar companion of the clergy , and sometimes drank to them in a cup of hebrew , sometimes in a cup of greek , and sometimes in a cup of latine ; and as if sometimes he drank to them in a cup of logick , and sometimes in a cup of ethicks , sometimes in a cup of metaphysicks ? is not this truly , profana vocum novitas , a prophane newness of speech , never before heard of to my knowledge in the church of god , and which the apostle utterly condemns ? . error . we shall never keep up religion , if we do not keep up learning ; but when learning goes down , religion goes down too . answer . the church is founded on christ , and christ and his church ( it seems ) are both founded on humane learning . it is no wonder now , that mr. simpson lays so great stress on it everywhere ! and that men of his religion , term the university , fundamentum ecclesiae , the foundation of the church . and if humane learning do indeed uphold all christian religion , let all men and magistrates come forth and uphold it in the name of god. but surely the religion of the gospel depends wholly on christ , as christ on god : and there is no need of humane learning to support this , except god and christ are insufficient . we have a sure word and doctrine of the gospel , that remains firm for ever , and inviolable , and inconquerable , in and through christ , and his spirit , and the father ; and all the world shall shatter in pieces , and humane learning go down to hell , and this shall stand fast for ever : heaven and earth shall pass away , and not one jot or tittle of my word , saith christ. believers , know that not one point of their religion depends on humane learning ; but all on christ himself , who is the true and living word . wherefore these are the fears of antichrist and his prophets , that their religion will go down with humane learning , because it was set up by it ; but the true religion of the gospel of god our saviour , was at first set up without it , and hath hitherto remained without it , and will abide so for ever . and to this the spirit and the bride give witness . . error . seeing religious foundations are so antient , then keep them up : your destruction will never be but from your selves . answer . religious foundations ! what religion founded the universities is well known . for by the counsel of four monks , the scholars of bede , to wit , rabanus , albinus , claudius , and john scotus , the university which had been translated from athens to rome , was translated by charls the great from rome to paris , an. . and for our english universities of cambridge and oxford ; thus it is recorded , that the study of cambridge was instituted , anno . by sigisbert king of the east angles , who after changed his purple or kingly robes for a fryars cool or hood . and the lectures here , were begun by four monks , of which brother or fryar ode ( as they termed him ) read grammar , according to priscians doctrine : terricus an acute sophister read aristotles logick , according to the institutions of porphyrius , and averroes ; brother or fryar william , read tullies rhetorick ; and gislebertus , read divinity to them on sundays , and saints days . and for oxford , that was founded by king alfred , anno . by the perswasion of neotus the monk ; and rewards were propounded for those that would profess learning there . afterwards both these schools were made universities , in edward the firsts time by the court of rome , as robert remington affirms . yea farther , by the very names of the colledges , it is manifest , what religion set them up ; some being founded in the honor of one saint , some of another saint ; one being founded in the honor of christ , another in the honor of jesus , another in the honor of immanuel , another in the honor of the trinity ; whereby they have rent the name of god in pieces , each one seeking to honor that name of christ most , in the honor of which his colledge was founded ; yea , some colledges have been founded in the honor of christs body ; as the colledges of corpus christi , in both universities : and one in oxford , for the help of all dead souls , and for their rescue out of purgatiry : and so it is well known what religion founded them . and what religion will in due time destroy these foundations ( if they be not reformed ) is as well known . for , wickliff whom god raised up to be one of the most eminent reformers of the christian religion , since the apostles times , speaks thus touching universities , colledges and students . seeing christ ( saith he ) hath not ordained these universities , or colledges , it is manifest that both they and the graduations in them , are nothing but so much vain heathenism introduced ; in testimony whereof , as well the collegiates as other graduates do seek the things which are their own , leaving the rules of charity : from whence do arise envies , and comparisons between persons and countries , and many other seed-plots of the father of lyes . again , he having spoken of other sects , saith , our judgement concerning colledges is the same , as touching their general studies : for through them , persons and countreys are accepted against the rules of charity , and inward envies are heaped up , with other sins , perjuries , and simonies , against their own statutes . notwithstanding it is granted , that out of such colledges , many good things do arise , as well as out of other sects ; yet not so many , as by the occasion of the sin of the devil , and the sin of the fiest man. and therefore let a faithful man be ashamed , to alledge the fruit of such profit . again , saith he , if these colledges are in their conversation rejected of the lord , who doubts but that to nourish them in this way , is no alms , but the foolish presumption of a faction and party against christ ? for all these sects , and all newnesses which are not founded on christ the lord , they tempt christ with the devil , mat. . seeing they despise the free ordination of his sect , and do rather choose another servile sect , less good ; as if they would not ascend into the heavenly sion , by the steps which god hath ordained , but would flie to the pinacle of the temple by the carrying of the devil . what alms therefore is it , to cherish such a childe of the devil , in cains castles , against christ ? he also affirms , that one ideot through the help of the grace of god , doth more good in the church , then many graduates in the schools and colledges : and , that gods inspiration of such ▪ doth more profit the community of the saithful , then all the universities , and all their studies and priviledges . thus hath wickliff witnessed in this matter , who was also himself master of baliol colledge in oxford : and philip melancthon gives this testimony of him , equidem sapientem virum judico fuisse wicklefum anglum , qui omnium primus , quod ego sciam , vidit universitates fuisse satanae synagogas ; that is , i do indeed judge wickliff of england to have been a wise man , who for ought i know , first of all , saw universities to have been the synagogues of satan . john hus also , that excellent instrument of jesus christ , and blessed martyr , saith , speaking on that scripture , isa. . wo to the crown of the pride of ephraim , and the crown of pride shall be troden under foot , saith , the doctorships and masterships of many , who having the word of god wholly choaked in them , do now too shamelesly make broad their phylacteries , and inlarge the borders of their garments , and love the chief chairs in the schools , and to be saluted in the markets , and to be called of men doctor ; and by this , they go in the apparel and harness of the mystical body of antichrist , because it is written , that he is the king of all the children of pride . and the crown of pride , of these children of pride , shall be troden down . and thus , as it is manifest , what religion founded the universities ; so it is as manifest , what religion will , in the appointed time , destroy these foundations , if they be not truly and thorowly reformed . for surely as they are , if the work of christ go forward in the world ( as it necessarily must do ( notwithstanding the present defection ) in the appointed time ) they can no more be held up , then the house built on the sand , in the time of tempest . for the true spiritual church is built on the foundation of the prophets and apostles , jesus christ himself being the chief corner stone ; and so it is firmly founded upon a rock , and can never fall . but the universities are built on the philosophers and heathens , plato and aristotle being the chief corner stones ; and so they are built upon the sand. and neither can their own hands uphold them , nor the secular arm establish them , in that day , wherein the lord alone shall be exalted . but it is not men of moral and civil religion and righteousness , who will do this work , and execute this vengeance ; for the inchantments of the universities are too strong and mighty for all humane spirits ; but the called , chosen , and faithful ones of christ , when he shall summon them , and call them to his foot , they shall not stand on complements , formalities and niceties ; nor regard friendship or enmity ; but through the power of faith , shall break through all , that can be said and objected by the wisdom , policy , prudence , and religion of man , and shall execute the righteous judgements of the lord , on these mothers of harlots , and fornications of the nations . and whereas he saith , their destruction will never be but of themselves : i do verily believe that : for seeing their root is rottenness , their fruit must needs be destruction . yea , the lord will raise up his word in the midst of them , to destroy them : for the more the word of the lord shall blow upon the university , the more shall this grass wither , and the flower thereof , that is , humane learning fade away , till it be at last quite dried up . and this is the university , whose day is coming , when iniquity shall have an end. and thus have i done with these things ; there were many other things in that sermon , as contrary to the gospel , which for brevities sake i have omitted . now what a sad thing is it , that such poysonful doctrine should be poured forth into an university congregation , and that by the ministry of such a man ? and if the ceremonies of the law were in use under the gospel , how ought we to rendour garments at the hearing of these things ? and now , o blessed lord jesus , who wast crucified , dead , and buried , but yet art risen from the dead by the eternal spirit , and art ascended on high to fill all things , have mercy on thy poor church , which is so grievously rent and torn this day , by wolves in sheeps cloathing ; and is thus hurt and consumed by poysonful doctrines of men , who seek themselves , and their own things , to the harm and ruine of thy poor people ! o thou son of the living god , who art the way , the truth , and the life , how shall the kingdom of antichrist be brought down , when the hands of such men , who seem pillars in the church , are stretched forth so strongly , to hold it up ? and how shall the days of antichrist be shortned , when his kingdom is coming forth again , in the greatest deceiveableness of unrighteousness , that hath ever yet appeared in the world , to delude the nations ? o lord , remember all thy promises , and make haste to destroy babylon the great , with all its mysteries of righteousness and unrighteousness , and let it sink as a milstone in the sea , without any hope or possibility of a resurrection . and seeing there is no hand of man stretched out for this work , but all hands are against it ; do thou destroy it , o lord , without hand , even with the spirit of thy mouth , and brightness of thy coming , according to the truth of thy promises , and the unutterable sighs and groans of thy spirit occasioned thereby , in the hearts of all thy faithful and elect. even so lord , and let thy kingdom come , and make no long tarrying . amen . a testimony from the word against divinity-degrees in the vniversity , or , any academical degrees made use of , for the ministry of the gospel . the universities ( whose very soul and life , do lie in humane learning , and school-divinity ) that they might gain the greater profit to themselves , and glory to their children , have ( after the example of the heathen ) given their children degrees in divinity ( as they in arts ) and the glorious titles of batchelors , masters , and doctors in divinity , as so many crowns of gold upon their heads , to win them honour and reputation with all people who have been under the delusion of antichrist . and in the confirming of these graduations or degrees , ( which also is done for a sum of money ) they give the graduates license and power to preach , and to expound the scriptures , and that by the sole authority of the university . for the vice-chancelor , admitting a bachelour in divinity to his degree , useth these words in the name of the university , we admit you to declare all the apostolical epistles , in the name of the father , son , and holy ghost . and so the batchelour in divinity , hath power according to his degree , only to deal with the apostolical epistles , but must go no farther . and admitting a doctor to his degree , the vice-chancelour saith thus , we admit you to interpret and profess all the holy scriptures , both of the old and new testament , in the name of the father , son , and holy ghost . and thus doth the university , through power received from antichrist , give men , chiefly for money , divinity-degrees ; and through those degrees , it gives authority and priviledge to batchelors in divinity to expound part of the scriptures , and to doctors to expound and profess all the scriptures ; and they that gain these degrees to themselves are ( as there is good reason ) the great men in account with the university , and also with the carnal people of antichrist , how destitute soever they be of the faith and spirit of the gospel . wherefore i cannot choose , but give in my testimony against this glorious and gainful priviledge of the universities , to wit , their conferring upon their children degrees in divinity , and creating them masters in that mysterie which none can teach but god himself ; and which none can learn but true believers , who are born of god , and are his true disciples . and so i do openly affirm , that degrees in divinity ( for i meddle with none else ) given by the universities to their children , are plainly and grosly antichristian , being most manifestly contrary to the word of the gospel , and the light that shines in the new testament . for first , in the gospel of god our saviour , we learn , that only a new and heavenly birth , makes men to be of the true church ; and that the pouring forth of the spirit on these children of god , according to the measure of the gift of god , makes christians of several degrees in this church , and not academical graduations . secondly , in this gospel also we are taught , that all the true ministers of christ are equal , and not one superior to another , as these degrees make them . thirdly , in this gospel also we are taught , that the true greatness amongst christs true disciples , doth not stand in academical degrees , or worldly honour and dignities , but in the faithfuls near and exact following of christ , in word and conversation ; and that the sons of zebedee , in desiring superiority and pre-eminence above the other disciples , contrary to the life and doctrine of christ , did grievously offend , and were therefore sharply rebuked of christ. fourthly , yea here , we hear christ himself forbidding this very thing to his disciples , that antichrist and his prophets might have no cloak for doing the contrary , where his gospel is truely taught and published . for matth. . christ doth forbid his disciples before all the multitude , to be as the jewish rabbies or doctors , who ( saith christ ) do their works to be seen of men , and disguise themselves with different garments or habits from others ( that they might be the more taken notice of , and have the more respect ) and do love the uppermost rooms at feasts , and the chief seats in the synagogues , and greetings in the markets , and to be called of men doctor , doctor ; but saith christ to his disciples , be not ye called doctors , for one is your master , even christ , and ye all are brethren , and so equal . whence it is evident , that this practice of universities and colledges in giving men degrees in divinity , as they call it , and titles , habits , and dignities accordingly , is contrary to the express command of jesus christ , and so is a meer invention of antichrist , to put honour and reputation on his ministers . it is also manifest , that this practice of the universities , hath all along made many doctors in the church , which yet never were christs true disciples . it is also manifest , that these degrees and titles do cause men to be proud , and to lift themselves up above their brethren , and to think themselves something when they are nothing ; such graduates usually proving theologi gloriae , divines of glory ; and not theologi crucis , divines of the cross , as luther speaks ; that is , proud and haughty clerks , and not the humble ministers of christ crucified . these degrees also do break the simplicity of the people of god , and do prejudice the communion of saints . farther , these degrees are a dangerous snare to simple people ; causing them to receive all for good doctrine that is delivered by such men , though it be never so erroneous and unsound ; inasmuch as their high titles which they have gotten in these high places , and the reputation of their learning , strikes an awe into them , that they dare not once question what such men deliver , much less contradict it . wherefore , as much of the mysterie of iniquity is discovered and dissolved already , so there is no doubt , but that this glorious relique thereof , to wit , divinity-degrees , will also in due time follow , as the lightnings of god shall enlighten the world. and seeing so much of the light of the gospel hath shined forth in this age , it were to be wished that the universities , heads of colledges , and clergy , would not wilfully for worldly honour , respects , and advantage sake , shut their eyes against it , or rather with open eyes , maliciously seek to extinguish it , but that they would be contented , to have all their honour lye in their likeness to christ , who was in the church as one that served ; and who was so far from receiving honour , and taking titles from men , to make himself thereby of account in the world , that being lord of all , he made himself of no reputation ; and that they would reject all the pompe and pride of the false church , which being destitute of faith and the spirit , makes it self and its ministers glorious in outward names and titles . now though this be a plain case in the gospel , and there needs no testimony of men , yet for the fuller conviction of the world , i shall add the witness of other believers , that it may appear , that i am not alone in this matter ; though to have been alone with the word , would have been sure and safe enough . in edward the third's time , there was an excellent discourse set forth , called , the plow-mans complaint , &c. which testifieth against these divinity-degrees , in these words , antichrist ( saith it ) maketh masters too many , who teach the people with their own teaching , and leave gods teaching which is needfull , and hide it with quaint glosses from the mean people . but ( saith he ) these glossers object , that they desire not the state of mastery to be worshipped thereby , but the more to profit the people when they preach the word . for they say , the people will more believe the preaching of a master , that hath taken a state of school , then the preaching of another man that hath not taken the state of mastership . to which he replyes , that it is no need that masters bear witness to gods teaching or word , that it is true and good ; neither ( saith he ) can any man by his state of mastership which god hath forbidden , draw any man from his sin , rather then another man which is not a master , nor will be none , because it is forbidden him in the gospel . and a little after , he saith , seeing we are to believe a mans works more then his word , the deed sheweth well of these masters , that they desire mastership , rather for their own worship , then for profit of the people , &c. after , john wickliffe that chosen servant of christ , did witness against these antichristian degrees , who saith , the clergy do busily seek their own worldly worship , and glory , and by great gifts and vain costs , to be called masters in divinity , and to speak before lords , and to sit at meat with them , and not to teach truely the gospel to all manner of men , by meek life , and freely , as christ bids . the same wickliffe on mat. . cap. . saith , * although in some studies , the name of doctor imports excellency , seeing it is a heathenish rite , heaped together of many honors and states , yet in the text of the apostle , it is taken more plainly , for any faithfull man , who doth notably teach the catholick faith : and so the name doctor , speaks desert and labour , and takes away pride and eminency of state , according to this world. again , saith he , every sect , state and operation , which christ doth not approve in his gospel , is in reason to be rejected ; and therefore seeing christ doth not approve , but reprove the forenamed heathenish mastership , it is manifest that it is to be discharged , and cast out of the church . again , saith he , note that the name of an office , doth much differ from the name of a scholastical graduation , heathenishly brought in . he saith also , that christ hath specially forbidden his disciples , heathenish or scholastical mastership ; and that christ would have the name of master or doctor singularly reserved to himself , seeing he , by reason of his hypostatical union , hath a certain excellency which cannot agree to any other of mankind . and concludes , that seeing there is danger in attributing to men the title of master or doctor in divinity , therefore in good reason , those titles are to be shuned in the church of god. john hus also saith , that they who take to themselves academical degrees , and titles answerable , do go in the apparel and harness of the mystical body of antichrist , who is the king of all the children of pride , to wit , of the masters and doctors in divinity . again , in another place he speaks to this purpose , christ ( saith he ) saith , john . neither came i of my self , but the father sent me ; so the saints have come in the name of the lord jesus , and in the name of jesus they have performed their priesthood , and he is the crown of their glory : * and by this , they are distinguished from certain , who are otherwise crowned as masters , and doctors , and batchelors , and from others of other kind of titles , according to the manifold wisdom of this world : for these excelling others by their pains , and through their own science and learning , are notably beautified with their own titles and crowns , and therefore do rather perform their office in their own name , then in christs . thus he . luther speaks much to this purpose also : but i shall have occasion to use him more largely . zuinglius on that scripture , mat. . be ye not called doctor , for one is your master , christ , &c. saith thus , thou hearest here , that these titles of masters and doctors , are not of god , seeing christ forbids them . conradus pellican also , a godly preacher , having the sense of this on his death-bed , desired his friends , that he might by no means be buried , as the manner then was , in the habit of a doctor , quia sperabat se resurrecturum ad judicium non ut doctorem , sed ut humilem christianum ; because he hoped he should rise to judgement , not as a doctor , but as an humble christian. now methinks , the clear and precious word of christ alone , should take off the universities and clergie from giving and receiving these degrees and titles , if they do in good earnest profess themselves to be his disciples ; but how much ought they to be ashamed and confounded , when they see other believers , for the love of christ and his word , utterly renouncing these things before their faces , that they , if they persist , may be left wholly without excuse before christ and his church ! and now for the conclusion of this matter , i shall hold forth to the universities , the true degrees , which christ the son of god , did himself take in the church of god , and which all his saints are to take after his example . jesus christ , the son of the living god , the first and chief teacher of the new testament , did neither commence batchelour nor doctor in divinity , but he took five other degrees , wherein the university graduates are usually wanting . christs first degree in the church was this , that he was the son of god , as the lord said to him , thou art my son , this day have i begotten thee ; and again , this is my beloved son , in whom i am well pleased . and this is the first degree that christ himself took in the church , his divine sonship according to his humane nature . and this degree all the faithful take with him , for they all are begotten of god , and born of the immortal seed of his word ; and their being the children of god through faith , is the first degree also that they take in the church . . christs second degree in the church , was his unction with the spirit ; for being the son of god , the spirit of god came and sate upon him in the form of a dove , which was his new-testament baptism : and his first degree was confirmed to him by the father , when he took this second ; for whilest the spirit rested on him , a voyce from heaven said , thou art my beloved son , in whom i am well pleassd . and this second degree also , all the faithful take with christ ; for they all as his fellows , are anointed together with him , the chief among them ; they as members are anointed together with him the head , with the same oyl of gladness ; and being sons , god sends the spirit of his son into their hearts ; and the spirit of the son in their hearts , is a sure testimony they are sons : and their second degree also confirms their first ; to wit , the gift of the spirit , their sonship . . christs third degree was this , that after he was anointed by the spirit , and declared to be the son of god , then for the proof of both , he was led by the spirit into the wilderness to be tempted of the devil , fourty dayes and nights together ; and in all these temptations , through his sonship , and unction he overcame the devil , and came away conqueror : and this was his third degree in the church of god , that the annointed son of god overcame the devil , in all the greatest , and most grievous temptations , he could assault him withall . and this third degree also , all the faithfull take with christ ; for when they are the annointed sons of god , satan sets upon them , with all sorts of temptations , and they are led by the spirit of god , to wrestle with principalities , and powers , and spiritual wickedness set in high places , and the rulers of the darkness of this world : and yet they in the strength of their sonship and unction with christ , do also with him , tread satan under their feet , and go away conquerors through the grace of god in them ; and this also is their third degree in the true church . . christs fourth degree in the church was this , that after his sonship , unction , and victory over the devil in all temptations , he then went forth as a fit and able minister to teach the gospel of the kingdom , against all the enmity and opposition of the world , devil , and false church , as it is taught us , matth. . v. . & . and this fourth degree also , all the truly faithfull take with christ. for , after they through faith are the sons of god , and through their sonship are annointed , and through their unction overcome the devil in all his temptations , then also they preach the gospel of the kingdom , being all of them a chosen generation , and royal priesthood , to shew forth the vertues of him that hath called them out of darkness , into his marvellous light , as peter testifies : and they all speake as they do believe , and have experience : and there sonship , unction , and victory over temptation , is as sufficient a ground for them to teach , as it was for christ to teach ; and so they without any regard of the laws of antichrist , or orders of the clergy , go forth to teach the everlasting gospel , as christ did before them ; and this is the fourth degree of christ and the faithful in the church . . christs fifth and last degree , which he took in the church was this , that he having both preached and lived the word , whereat the world and worldly church were wholly offended , and inraged ; did at the last , willingly confirm his doctrine with his death , and did seal to the truth of it , with his blood ; exposing himself to the most shamefull and ignominious death of the cross , to confirm his gospel to his church ; and this was the highest and most glorious degree that christ took in his church , as christ testifies , when speaking of his sufferings , he saith , now is the hour come , that the son of man should be glorified . and this fifth degree also , all the truely faithful do take with christ , either in deed , if need require , or in preparation and readiness of mind , and that whilst they live in outward peace . all the blessed martyrs have taken this highest degree in the church with christ ; and all the rest of his seed have been , and are ready to take it also , when it is the good will of their heavenly father , seeing they can say , in the same faith and spirit with christ , even in this matter , father , if it be possible , let this cup pass from me ; yet not my will , but thine be done : for they also are come to do the will of him that sent them , even to the laying down their lives . now these are the only degrees , that christ himself took in the church , and which all the saints take with him ; and the true spiritual church of believers , allows and approves no other degrees but these . and what now are the university-degrees in divinity to these ? they are degrees in antichrists church only ; and every heathen or humane creature , turk or infidel , may take them aswell as they , with a little time and pains , and money . wherefore ( that i may turn my speech a little to the university ) do thou university ( if thy day , and time of visitation be not already past ) lay this to heart , how much thou hast departed from the gospel of christ in this matter , as well as in all the rest ; and hast received the doctrine , and laws , and methods , and manners of antichrist , wherewith thou hast deceived thy self as well as the nations . and thou university , hast like thy own mother babylon , mysterie written on thy forehead ; for thou hast taken to thy self this glorious title , alma mater , the beautiful mother , which only belongs to jerusalem from above : and though thou hast brough forth a company of prodigious children , heathenish , foolish , vain , vile and abominable , yet hast thou called them learned , and given them degrees in divinity , contrary to the degrees in the gospel , and hast sent them forth , into every city , country , town , and village , as ministers of christ , yea as sons of the morning , though yet very unbelievers and altogether destitute of the spirit : and thus hast thou deceived the nations , and given them a false ministry instead of a true ; and by this false ministry , a false word in stead of the gospel ; and the world hath not at any time received a greater wo , nor more grievous plague then from thee : wherefore thus saith the word of the lord , the day of thy vengeance is coming , and the yeers wherein thou shalt be made desolate ; and thy dainty and goodly things shall depart from thee , and thou shalt find them no more at all ; and the voice of musitians and pipers shall no more be heard in thee ; for in thee is found the blood of prophets and of saints , and of all that have been slain uppon the earth . thy humane learning , to wit , thy philosophy and school-divinity , and the false ministry that they have set up , and the false christians , that have proceeded from that ministry , have devised and executed all these murders , and massacres , on the true saints of god. quis est sapiens & intelliget haec ? finis . the testimony of martin luther upon the whole matter , to wit , touching universities , humane learning , or philosophy , university-degrees , &c. martin luther in his answer to ambrosius catharinus , expounding the vision concerning antichrist , dan. . speaks thus : the twelfth and last face of antichrist , is that chaos , and open gate of hell , yet very comely to behold , to wit , the universities ; into which , perjurie , and the abuse of gods name , are the entrance ; and the progress is a free and most licentious conversation , in all manner of wickedness . and yet under these sins and destructions , science and sapience are promised . yea titles and degrees are given in stead of rewards . but what do they perform at length ? first , the more choice youth of christian people are here prostituted , and are cast into the open throat of hell ; that i verily think this destruction was figured by the idol moloch , to whom anciently they made their choice children to pass through the fire . afterwards aristotle being read to them , and not rightly understood , the wits of christian youth are exercised with heathenish and humane learning , yea , are quite blinded and oppressed with it . and in stead of the word of god , the doctrine of antichrist is delivered , that it may seem , the devil himself could not bring forth a more subtil and effectual invention and engine , utterly to extinguish the gospel , then to set up universities . wherein , under the pretence of christian doctrine , nothing should be taught , but that which is most contrary to the christian faith. and if at any time it seems good , to call forth the choicest to the government of the churches , they call them out of these stews and dens . and truly to me , this last face of antichrist seems to be the most hurtful of all , because this hath the pretence of the word , when all the rest have only the colour of example ; and this is plainly schola hidoth , the school of propositions , of which anon . for it is incomparably the greatest prejudice , under the colour of the word , to teach things contrary to the word ; seeing the face of examples , is formed and strengthened by the face of the word , which otherwise would soon come to nothing , if the word should reign in its genuine sence ; and also , seeing the pretence of examples doth only deceive the manners ; but the pretence of the word , overthrows the word . but if by any grace of god , the universities should receive the word ( to wit , instead of philosophy and school-divinity ) how soon would the papacy , with all its faces or appearances perish ? seeing this face , to wit , the universities , is the prop , bones , and whole strength of that knigdom of faces . this deceitful face seems to be foretold , rev. . which scripture , it is worth the while to rehearse , and a little to unfold . for john saith , the first angel sounded , and i saw a star fall from heaven unto the earth , and to him was given the key of the bottomless pit , &c. i will here make tryal a little ( saith he ) with my own apprehension . now certain it is , that by angels through all the apocalyps , is meant the overseers of churches , as doth plainly appear out of the second and third chapters , where it is written , to the angel of ephesus , smyrna , and others . further , that other sort of angels which sounds the trumpet , of which there are seven mentioned , chap. . cannot agree to any but the roman bishop , seeing no others are said to sound with trumpet . now to sound wtth trumpet , can be nothing else , as appears by the consequence of the text , and the following effects , then to make decrees , which none ever arrogated to himself , besides the bishop of the roman church . neither is it said in vain , that they prepared themselves to sound , seeing chiefly in these popes , there hath been an impatient fury , and unquiet tyranny , to make laws , and thereby to subject others to themselves . but let us come to our first angel , who was the first among three , who were to bring three woes upon the earth , and this is he , who did first institute and confirm universities , whom it is not easie for me to name , histories so varying in this matter . but let him be whosoever he was , he was a star fallen from heaven to earth , whether it were alexander of hales , or ( which i rather think ) st. thomas , who only ( after the universities were approved , and this angel had sounded ) was either the first , or chief author of bringing in philosophy into the christian world , being the most aristotelian , yea plainly aristotle himself , to whom , as to the earth , he fell from christ the heaven , having obtained the authority of that most wicked angel , approving such studies . and he received the key of the bottomless pit , and opened it , and brought forth to us philosophy , long ago dead and damned by the doctrine of the apostles : and from thence ascended the smoak of that pit , that is , the meer words and opinions of aristotle and the philosophers , as the smoak of that great fornace : for then philosophy prevailed , and became of large extent and power , so that aristotle was made equal with christ , in respect of authority and faith. and hereby was the sun darkned , ( even christ the sun of righteousness and truth ; moral vertues being brought in , instead of faith , and infinite opinions instead of truth ) and the ayr also , with the smoak of the pit ; that it may be understood , not to be an eclips of the sun , but the obscurity of the ayr and sun , by the smoak of the pit ascending , to wit , humane doctrines , obscuring christ and his faith , as the sun and air. and out of the smoak of the pit , there came forth locusts on the earth . here the people of the universities , bread and born of philosophy , are called locusts by a most fit name , because they are without a king , that is , christ , and flie in companies , as is said , prov. . and also because they waste and burn up all green things , where-ever they light ; and so the grammarians think they have their name locustae , locusts , à loco usto & vastato , from the place which they burn and waste . and so , this people of the universities , consumes and burns up all the green pasture of christ , that is , the fruit of faith. and power was given to them , as the scorpions of the earth have power : to wit , to wound the conscience of men , because the green fruit of faith being wasted , which heals the consciences of men , it cannot be but the conscience must be hurt and prejudiced . and it was commanded them , that they should not hurt the grass of the earth , nor any green thing ; that is , that they should not hurt the elect. for they do not hurt all , neither do natural locusts hurt every green thing , but some certain place : so it is here . but only those men who have not the mark or seal of god in their foreheads ; that is , some grass they should hurt , to wit , those who have not faith , which is the mark of god , which we carry in a pure conscience and free conversation . and it was commanded them , that they should not kill them , but only should torment them five months . this seems to be spoken of moral doctrine , which seeing it teaches us the knowledge of sin like the law of god , it doth not kill , but only afflict a man with vain studies , wherein he is alwaies learning , and yet never coming to the knowledge of the truth : for they who are killed with the letter , are quickned with the eternal spirit , they are not tormented five months , that is , the whole time of their sensual life , in which moral vertues reign . and we see by experience , that all moral divines , are of a most evil and unhappy conscience , full of scruples and unquietness , and have power neither of good nor evil : and therefore it follows , and their torment is , as the torment of a scorpion when it strikes a man. behold here a wounded conscience : for here he expounds what he had said before , that they are not savingly killed , nor spiritually quickned . and in those days men shall seek death , and shall not finde it , and shall desire to dye , and death shall flee from them : to wit , the death of sin , which doth too much live in the conscience , and yet is not rightly known ; for if it were known , presently it being slain , would perish : but this cannot aristotles ethicks do , but it is the office of the letter and the spirit . and the shapes of the locusts were like to horses prepared to battel , to wit , of scholastical disputation and conflict . he describes the war by this allegory ; for they are ready to argue pro & contra ( as they speak . ) and on their heads were , as it were , crowns of gold : that is , the names and titles of degrees , as , magister noster eximius : sacrae theologiae humilis & indignus professor , &c. that is , our famous master : and , the humble and unworthy professor of sacred theologie , and the like . and these crowned ones , john hus called hypocritas coronatos , crowned hypocrites : and by reason of these crowns , they have authority and power among the multitudes of carnal christians , who are willing to entertain antichrists pomp into christs church . yet have they not true crowns , but as it were crowns of gold , which yet they are very proud of , and are much pufft up with them , though usually they are set on the head of ignorance and errour . and their faces are like the faces of men , because their doctrine and life is governed , not by the ▪ spirit of faith , but by the dictate of natural reason , and by the light of nature illuminated by aristotle . and they had hair like the hairs of women . for philosophy brings forth effeminate ministers , given to case and luxury ; and in whom is nothing of spirit , nor of manly abilities in christ. for the hairs are priests , as you may see , psal. . isa. . and in other places . and their teeth are like the teeth of lyons : consider only the thomists instead of all other divines , whether they be not biting , slanderous , and devourers of all that speak a word against aristotles divinity . yea , the thomists , scotists and modern men , bite one another among themselves , and sharpen against one another , not any teeth , but the teeth of lyons ; neither is there any sort of men which war more fiercely , or with greater hatred , then those sects of divines , each of which desires to devour the other , that it may reign alone . and they have brest-plates , as it were brest-plates of iron ; and this is the pertinacious and confident presumption of each sect , on the truth and soundness of his opinion : and by these iron brest-plates they are unconquerable : and these are the principles of each sect. and the sound of their wings was as the sound of chariots , and of many horses running to battel : the wings are the words of those that dispute and conflict , by which they do impetuously , brawlingly and clamorously rush on one another , and fight : as we see in the tumults of disputants both by words and writings , where neither yields to neither , but each one is unconquerable . for he signifies this pertinacious affection of disputing , by the rushing of chariots and horsemen . and they had tails like unto scorpions , and there were stings in their tails , and their power was to hurt men five moneths . here he explains what before he had propounded , to wit , that the fruit and end of this divinity , is nothing but ▪ evil consciences , during all the time of the sensual lives of men. for that divinity is an abomination to those who are spiritual , because these are without the bounds of the five moneths , in the spirit of liberty . and they had a king over them , which is the angel of the bottomless pit , whose name in hebrew is abaddon , and in greek apollyon . here we may learn that the rector general of all universities , is not christ , nor the holy spirit , nor any ▪ angel of god , but an angel of the bottomless pit , that is , one that is dead , and is among the dead and damned ▪ who is it then ? even that light of nature , to wit , aristotle , who doth truly reign in the universities , as abaddon , and apollyon , that is , a waster and destroyer of the church . for we have said that an angel signifies a teacher or a doctor in the church . and certain it is , that aristotle who is dead and damned , is at this day , the great doctor of all the universities , rather then christ ; for he reigns alone , being exalted by the authority and study of thomas , reviving freewill , and teaching moral vertues and natural philosophy ▪ to wit , the three-headed cerberus , or three-bodied gerion . behold the first wo which the church hath from the romish antichrist by the ministry of saint thomas : and they whose duty it was chiefly to have prohibited and extinguished these things , they chiefly have erected and established them . thus luther , word for word , in the forenamed place . he also in his book de abroganda missa privata , speaking of the idol moloch , faith thus : moses and jeremy have described the worship of this idol to be after this manner , that they did burn or offer to him their children in the fire , supposing that hereby they did perform the greatest and highest service to god , inasmuch as after the example of abraham they do not spare their own children ; though they do this , not only not being called as abraham was , but also without faith , and in the highest wickedness ; and therefore the psalmist testifies , psal. . that they offered not their children to god , but to devils . for whatsoever is not done by the call and command of god , is not done to god , but devils , who suggest this , though it be done under pretence of the name of god. now hereby ( saith he ) i conceive the universities to be represented , in which the best and choicest part of christian youth is offered , as it were in burnt sacrifice to god , that there they may be instructed , and be made as it were wholy divine . for the common people believe there is no place under heaven , in which youth can be better instructed , so that even religious people have recourse hither . for to learn any thing out of the university , is to learn nothing : but to have studied in the university , is to know all things . there all divine and humane things are believed to be taught : for no man sends his son hither , with any other opinion then this , that he can no where be better sent . they think they perform the highest service to god , that they offer their sons to be formed according to the instruction of godliness , that thereby they may become profitable and useful ministers , preachers , governours , who may wholly become gods own portion , and be useful both to god and men. and hereto appertains the name moloch , which signifies a king , or kingly , because this kind of study doth honour them with degrees and promotions , and renders them fit and able to govern others . for we see , that all that are preferred to governments , are taken out of universities : and he that is not a graduate or member of an university , is not qualified for preferment , or to be set over any people : but let the ass first be crowned ( to wit , with a degree ) and then let him reign . and parents do not see , and they that do see , do not regard , that youth are usually here destroyed , through rude and vile manners , none commonly forbidding them . yea fornication , luxury , and other manifest sins do but mildly destroy them : but that they are indued and possessed with philosophical , heathenish , humane , wicked , and impious opinions , this is the fire of moloch , which no tears can sufficiently bewail , seeing through this they especially are devoured and perish , who are the most studious and modest youth in universities . so great is the fury of god upon this valley of tophet and hinnom , that they perish more grievously who learn most , and live modestly , then they who learn nothing , and are corrupted with lusts . for these learn nothing which is to be unlearned again , seeing they know they do evil ; whereas the other suck in poyson which happily or never they do vomit up again , holding that for good which is evil , and instructing those with the like opinions , whom they take to teach . and to these pits of hell it is to be imputed , that the sun of the gospel is obscured with the smoak of the pit : for out of this smoak proceed those locusts , which possess all chairs , and pulpits , and administer all governments , that satan from the beginning of the world could devise nothing in all the world more strong and pernicious to waste faith and the gospel , then universities : neither was it meet that this evil should arise , but in the end of the world , when the world through the prevailing of sin , being loaden with the wrath of god , should draw near to hell and damnation . for the miserable people must needs hear those things taught , and delivered out of the pulpits , which those molochites have learned in the universities . and they have learned nothing but the highest blasphemies of god. neither is it lawful to have any where , any other pastor then these . in jeremiah that valley is called gehinnom , from whence christ took that word gehenna , which what it signifies , i do not well know : but it seems to me to come from janah , which signifies , to eat up , or to pill , or waste , as tyrants or usurers , do pill and suck out the people : so that gehinnom is the valley of pilling or wasting the people . for these being set over the people as shepherds , ought to feed them with the word of life , and they in stead thereof , do insensibly waste and devour them , in their body , goods , and soul , with the pestilent doctrines of universities . and such teachers do the universities , those synagogues of perdition , give us . thus luther . these now are luthers own words , which i have made legible to english men. wherein it is manifest that he condemns the universities in the very institution and constitution of them , and chiefly in their chief studies , humane learning , and school-divinity ; and also , as to that gross popish opinion , that they are the fountain and nurseries of the ministry : and that none are fit to teach , or so fit to teach , as those that have been educated in them. yea though these be raw , foolish , ignorant fellows , yet being university . graduates , must they be set over towns , and parishes , and the miserable people must not only hear them and their doltish doctrine , brought from the universities , but also must be constrained by secular power and laws to pay them well for such pains , which tends only to the ruine of their souls for ever : and no hand is yet strongly and resolutely stretched out , to deliver the people from this intolerable bondage . for the necks of the people of the world have never endured so grievous a yoak from any tyrants , as from the doctrine and domination of the clergy . for worldly tyrants have only afflicted mens bodies and temporal estates , which reacheth but to this short life : but these spiritual tyrants , the clergy or false ministry , when they have got countenance , strength , and ayd from the worldly magistrates , how have they with their academical , philosophical , heathenish divinity infected , poysoned , and destroyed the people to eternal death , and no body durst shun them ; upon pain of temporal death , or punishments ! but now , through the great goodness of god , and his mighty providences and works from heaven , it is a more happy age : and happy shall they be , who being called forth , shall do the work of god against all discouragements and difficulties , and shall not with ephraim being harnessed , turn their backs in the day of battle . and now to return to our business again , touching the universities , let none object that luther speaks against popish universities only ; for this is but a weak and simple defence , and altogether unable to ward off the mighty blow of gods word , from their heads and hearts . for the things condemned in the foregoing testimonies of luther , are the self same for the substance of them , as do live , prevail , and flourish in our present universities , as hath been before declared , and i leave it to every faithful christian to judge the truth in this matter . but men would fain preserve their titles , degrees , authority , dignity , state , stipends , and therefore for defence of these things , they must needs say something , though it be to never so little purpose : but yet by such discourse , they sufficiently declare how cool and icie they are for christs interest , and how zealous for their own. but certain it is , that as the universities were set up at first , as nurseries for antichrists kingdom , men being therein so educated ( according to the undertaking of charles the great ) in philosophy and school-divinity , that it might be said to them , vos estis sal terrae , & lux mundi , ye are the salt of the earth , and the light of the world ( which yet only agrees to the faithful , who are born of god ) so have they still remained the same hitherto in substance , though not without some small change of outward form. . for first , the philosophy taught and studied in the university , is the very same that it was at first ; and this philosophy is nothing but the religion of the heathen . for what the law was to the jews , and the gospel is to the christians , philosophy was , and is to the heathen ; and in this study the poor lads waste the flower and cream of their lives to no purpose , but to make them more heathenish , corrupt , and bold in evil , then they were by nature . and , for their divinity , which they usually learn in the universities , out of the fathers , schoolmen , and systems ; and in which they are trained up , to dispute either for it , or against it , in the schools ( it being in seriousness , all one to them , what they hold and maintain in religion , seeing all is but opinion to them ) and which they after teach to the people , with special regard to their own profit and advantage , this is not the true word , and ministry of the gospel . for the gospel is the word of faith ; which word , is the word in our hearts , according to the tenor of the new covenant , wherein god saith , i will write my law in their hearts , and put it in their inward parts ; but now the university-divines , the truth being indeed dead in their hearts , and having no presence nor power there , they take it up out of the books and writings of men , wherein it hath been buryed ; and by this means , bring forth a dead doctrine to the world ( which other men have spoken , but themselves have no experience of ) and not the word of life , which hath quickened them ; but only a dead letter , raised up like the living letter , which they present to them ; as the witch of endor , raised up a dead samuel in the outward habit and appearance of the living samuel , and presented him to saul : so these university-divines bring forth the outward garments and appearance of the truth to the people , when they do best ; but the substance , soul , and life of the truth , they cannot bring forth , because they have not the living word of god in their hearts , but have only a dead word , which they gather out of the books and writings of men. and this is the university-divinity . and lastly , the preachers which the universities send forth , are usually in the greatest enmity to christ and his gospel , of all other men whatsoever , and do bring greatest prejudice to christs kingdom , and greatest advantage to antichrists . for when men without learning , and yet without the spirit of christ , will undertake to teach the people ( as many also now do ) their ignorance is manifest to all , and is judged of all , and they through their rudeness , can never long deceive the world ; but now , when men are as destitute of the spirit as they , and yet have humane learning , and the letter of the word , in a philosophical sense , to help them , this is that , that exceedingly endangers and deceives the world ; the people supposing , the doctrine of the gospel according to philosophical learning , to be the ministration of the spirit , and to be sufficiently enough , to instruct the church . and so antichrists kingdom is set up with credit and renown , by these : whereas the ignorant teachers , who are destitute of the spirit , are able to do him no considerable service . but christ will not have the learned men to be teachers in his church through their learning ; and as little will he have ignorant men to teach in his church , because of their ignorance ; but whether men be learned or ignorant according to the world , it is no matter in christs church , where each man is to speak in the spirit of christ , which makes both the ignorant and the learned alike wise in christ : and so the learned man becomes ignorant in the church , to be learned in christ ; and the ignorant man without worldly learning , forthwith becomes wise in christ ; and the learned , and the ignorant , meet together only in the wisdom of christ , which is the wisdom of god , and swallows up at once , all the learning and ignorance of the world alike , and will have all wise alone in it self . wherefore , all universities being left and forsaken as to this matter , let learned and ignorant men come alike to christ , to be made wise in him , who is made unto us of god , our only wisdom . finis . the right reformation of learning , schools and universities , according to the state of the gospel , and the true light that shines therein . though i do not pretend to that wisdom which might direct the world ( farther then the word of god is with me ) yet shall i be bold , as one who desires to be faithful to christ , and profitable to his true church , to offer my apprehensions and advice to the called , chosen , and faithful ones of christ , that either now are , or hereafter may be in authority in these nations , touching the instructing youth , and ordering schools . . first therefore , as to this matter , i do judge , there neither is , nor can be any greater evil then to bring up children in ease and idleness , and to suffer them to live freely and without controule , according to those natural lusts and corruptions which they bring along with them into the world , which do soon wonderfully improve through such a careless and unnurtured life . and such children and youth usually become an early prey to the devil , who readily fills them with all the ungodliness and unrighteousness of the heathen . . i conceive it meet , that the civil power , or chief magistrates should take great care of the education of youth , as of one of the greatest works that concerns them , and as one of the worthiest things they can do in the world ; inasmuch as what the youth now is , the whole commonwealth will shortly be . . to this end , it is meet that schools ( if wanting ) be erected through the whole nation , and that not only in cities and great towns , but also ( as much as may be ) in all lesser villages : and that the authority of the nation take great care , that godly men especially , have the charge of greater schools ; and also that no women be permitted to teach little children in villages , but such as are the most sober and grave ; and that the magistrate afford to this work all suitable encouragement and assistance . . that in such schools they first teach them to read their native tongues , which they speak without teaching ; and then presently as they understand , bring them to read the holy scriptures , which though for the present they understand not , yet may they ( through the blessing of god ) come to understand them afterwards . . that in cities and greater towns , where are the greater schools , and the greater opportunities to send children to them , they teach them also the latine , and greek tongues , and the hebrew also , which is the easiest of them all , and ought to be in great account with us , for the old testaments sake . and it is most heedfully to be regarded , that in teaching youth the tongues , to wit the greek and latine , such heathenish authors be most carefully avoided , be their language never so good , whose writings are full of the fables , vanities , filthiness , lasciviousness , idolatries , and wickedness of the heathen . seeing usually , whilst youth do learn the language of the heathen , they also learn their wickedness in that language ; whereas it were far better for them to want their language , then to be possessed with their wickedness . and what should christian youth have to do with the heathenish poets , who were for the most part the devils prophets , and delivered forth their writings in his spirit , and who through the smoothness , quaintness , and sweetness of their language , do insensibly instil the poyson of lust and wickedness into the hearts of youth ; whereby their education , which ought to correct their natural corruption , doth exceedingly increase and inflame it ? wherefore my counsel is , that they learn the greek and latine tongues especially from christians , and so without the lyes , fables , follies , vanities , whoredoms , lust , pride , revenge , &c. of the heathens ; especially seeing neither their words , nor their phrases are meet for christians to take into their mouths : and most necessary it is , that christians should forget the names of their gods , and muses , ( which were but devils and damned creatures ) and all their muthology and fabulous inventions , and let them all go to satan from whence they came . . it may be convenient also , that there may be some universities or colledges , for the instructing youth in the knowledge of the liberal arts , beyond grammer and rhetorick ; as in logick , which , as it is in divinity ( as one calls it ) gladius diaboli , the devils sword , so in humane things it may be of good use , if reason manage that art of reason : but the mathematicks especially are to be had in good esteem in universities , as arithmetick , geometry , geography , and the like , which as they carry no wickedness in them , so are they besides very useful to humane society , and the affairs of this present life . there may be also in these universities or colledges , allowed the studies of physick , and of the law , according to that reformation which a wise and godly authority will cause them to pass under , both being now exceedingly corrupt and out of order , both for practice and fees. . but why these universities or colledges should be only at cambridge and oxford , i know no reason ; nay , if humane learning be so necessary to the knowledge and teaching of the scriptures , as the universities pretend , they surely are without love to their brethren , who would have these studies thus confined to these places , and do * swear men to read and teach them nowhere else : certainly it is most manifest , that these men love their own private gain , more then the common good of the people . but now seeing by the hand of god , a kingdom is turned into a commonwealth , and tyranny into freedom , we judge it most prejudicial to the common good of a commonwealth , that these two universities should make a monopoly of humane learning to themselves , especially ( as is said ) seeing they say , no body can well understand or teach the scriptures without it ; and so by reason of this their incroachment , against the rule of love , through the former grants of popes and kings , all men should be necessitated to send their children hither , from all parts of the nation , some scores or hundreds of miles , for liberal education , to the great trouble and charge of parents : especially this considered , that the universities usually have been places of great licentiousness and profaness , whereby it often comes to pass , that parents sending their children far from them , young and hopeful , have for all their care and cost , after several yeers , received them back again with their tongues and arts , proud , profane , wicked , abominable , and incorrigible wretches . wherefore doubtless it would be more suitable to a commonwealth ( if we become so in deed , and not in word only ) and more advantagious to the good of all the people , to have universities or colledges , one at least , in every great town or city in the nation , as in london , york , bristow , exceter , norwich , and the like ; and for the state to allow to these colledges an honest and competent maintenance , for some godly and learned men to teach the tongues and arts , under a due reformation . and this the state may the better do ( by provision out of every county , or otherwise , as shall be judged best ) seeing then there will be no such need of indowment of scholarships ; in as much as the people having colledges in their own cities , neer their own houses , may maintain their children at home , whilst they learn in the schools ; which would be indeed the greatest advantage to learning that can be thought of . . it would also be considered , whether it be according to the word of god , that youth should spend their time only in reading of books , whilst they are well , strong , active , and fit for business . for commonly it so falls out , that youth lose as much by idleness , as they gain by study . and they being only brought up to read books , and such books as only contain wrangling , jangling , foolish and unprofitable philosophy , when they have continued any long time in the university , in these unwarranted courses by god , they are commonly in the end , fit for no worthy imployment , either in the world , or among the faithful . to remedy which great evil , colledges being ( as hath been spoken ) dispersed through the great cities and towns of the commonwealth , it may be so ordered , that the youth ( according to luthers counsel ) may spend some part of the day in learning or study , and the other part of the day in some lawful calling ; or one day in study , and another in business , as necessity or occasion shall require . and thus shall youth be delivered from that ease and idleness , which fills the hearts of university-students with many corruptions , and noisome lusts , whilst they fill their heads only with empty knowledge and foolish notions ; whereby neither can god be glorified , nor their neighbour profited . . and if this course were taken in the disposing and ordering colledges , and studies , it would come to pass that twenty would learn then , where one learns now , and also by degrees , many men ( on whom god shall please to pour forth his spirit ) may grow up to teach the people , whilst yet they live in an honest calling and imployment , as the apostles did . and this would give them great efficacy and power in teaching , whilst they lived by faith , through their honest labour , and were delivered from the mischief of idleness : but and if the faithful shall desire any one that is more apt to teach , and hath received a greater measure of the annointing then his brethren , to spend more of his time in the word and prayer , then his calling will afford , at such times they ought to supply him : and the law of love in the hearts of the faithful will be law enough in this matter , without calling in the aide of the magistrate . and by this means , may the chargeable and burdensome maintenance of the carnal clergy , by degrees be taken away , and the church of christ , and the very nations themselves , be supplyed with a more faithful , christian , and spiritual ministry then now it hath , at a far less rate . for god hath promised in the last dayes to pour out his spirit on all flesh , and the sons , and daughters , and servants , and handmaids shall prophesie , and then shall knowledge cover the earth as waters the seas . now for conclusion , i do conceive that none of the faithful and wise have any just cause to be offended for speaking for the use of humane learning in this reformed way , which the gospel will permit ; seeing by this means , these two errors of antichrist would be dissolved among us ; the one of making universities the fountain of the ministery ; which one thing , is , and will be more and more ( as christs kingdom shall rise up and prevail in the world ) a milstone about their necks : and the other , of making the clergy a distinct sect or order , or tribe , from other christians , contrary to the simplicity of the gospel . . let the faithful consider that this reformed use of tongues and arts , justly hath its place in the world. for if all men cannot be christians ( as paul saith , all men have not faith ) yet let them be men , and improved in the use of reason , and sober learning , whereby they may be serviceable to the commonwealth in their age , whilst the church of christ hath its own members and officers , through the call of god , and unction of his spirit only . for * humane learning hath it's place and use among humane things , but hath no place nor use in christs kingdom , as hath been sufficiently proved . and thus , have i freely offered my advice for mending things that are amiss , and making strait the things that are crooked in this matter . finis . notes, typically marginal, from the original text notes for div a -e ☜ notes for div a -e six observable things in this scripture . . . . . . ☞ . . point . the great evil endangering the church . note . two contrary seeds from the beginning of the world. the two seeds distinguished by the spirits that dwell in them . they act differently about mankind . the false spirit the most common in the world . the true spirit more scarce . . point . the remedy against false prophets . note . christians have right & power to try spirits . it concerns the faithfull to try the spirits , for two causes . first . secondly . the clergy have usurped to themselves this power of trying spirits . by this usurpation the clergy have made themselves masters in the church of god. the gift of trying and discerning spirits , is a common grace in the true church . ☞ ☞ objection . answer . false prophets not easily discerned : because of their several vailes under which they lye hid . first . secondly . thirdly . fourthly . . difficulty in trying false prophets . . difficulty . . difficulty . third point . the rule of tryall . a twofold understanding of this scripture . . of a right knowledge of christ. . that true god. . that true man. . that both are united in him in one person . . the end wherefore this excellent person came into the world : whence flows the knowledge of his offices . . of a right receiving of christ. objection . answer . signs whereby the true prophets are discerned from the false . the true prophets speak the true word of god. thus did christ : and his disciples . the false prophets speak not the word of god , but their own , or other mens word . . they speak it by the true spirit of god. and so in the right sence of it . the false speak without the spirit . and so do mistake the mind of christ. objection . whether a man destitute of the spirit , may not be a profitable preacher . answer . . . . . . the second general rule of the tryall of spirits . the true prophets are known by the truth of the life of christ. . sign . the true prophets are sent of christ. ☞ god hath not committed the choise of his ministers to any sort of men . he sends them himself . the proof of his sending them . ☜ the false prophets run without sending . . true prophets take all their warrant from god in what they teach . the learned , i. e. they who are taught of god , and have heard & learned of the father : who are the learnedest men in the world , whatever the foolish and ignorant world saith to the contrary . false teachers take all their authority from man. ☜ . true prophets , they only preach jesus christ. non dixit christus suo primo caetui , ite & praedicate mundo nugas ; sed verum illis dedit fundamentum ; & illud tantum sonuit in ore ipsorum . dante 's . the false preach nothing less than christ. . the true prophets preach christ for love , and not for gain . the false preach for gain , and not for love of christ. . the true prophets teach for the glory of christ , and not for vain glory . the false seek their own glory , neglecting christs . . the true prophets endure reproaches & persecutions with meekness . the false are angry against the reproofs of the word . . the true prophets force no body to hear them against their wills . the false force men by the power of the magistrate . . the true prophets are content that others should teach as well as they . the false would have none to teach but themselves , and their own tribe ; lest their gain should be prejudiced . . the true prophets are willing to suffer for the truth they teach . the false teach to avoid suffering . two uses . . use . to spiritual christians . ☜ . use. to the carnal clergy . notes for div a -e the fourth general point : to wit , with whom antichrist cannot prevail . . the victory which the faithful do obtain over antichrist , & his prophets . uses . . christ hath alwayes kept his own . antichrist hath never prevailed against one of the elect. the care of the true church committed only unto christ. . use. antichrist hath no cause to boast , nor the true church to be discouraged for any that are lost . the grounds of their victory . . because they are of god. as children of their father : and s● partake 〈◊〉 his ve●●● nature . . ground of the victory of the faithful , to wit , because greater is he that is in them , than he that is in the world. . use. antichrist prevails against forms , but not against god in the flesh . . use. not easie to overcome antichrist , seeing he is the temple of the devil . . use. not to be dismayed at the fulness of antichrist , seeing the fulness of christ is greater . the fifth general point : to wit , with whom antichrist doth prevail . the world hears them . who are the world. grounds . . because they are of the world . use. universities cannot be the fountain of the true ministery . ☞ . because they speak of the world. their speaking of the world may be understood in a threefold sense . . they speak the spiritual word of god in a carnal sense . . they speak the spiritual word of god to a carnal end . . they turn the word of god into worldly doctrine , to avoid the cross. . use. all natural men deceived by antichrist , whatever their accomplishments may be . ☜ antichrist is unknown to them , seeing christ is unknown to them . . use. men of a 〈◊〉 worldly spirit cannot understand the deceits of antichrist . ☜ . use. the carnal clergy have a numerous auditory . the hearers of antichrists prophets . how the spirit of truth and error may be known in the hearers , aswell as in the teachers . two heads or chief teachers in the world. notes for div a -e why the anthor deals so plainly . with mr s. simpson . . with humane learning . how the author is for humane learning , & how against it . the great mischief of humane learning mingled with divinity . ☞ ☞ . with the universities . men of unquestionable worth , and godliness , have spoken freely of the universities , in former times , as wickliff . hus. luther . ☞ ☞ melancthon . omnes scholas esse haereticas , vel theologia scholastica arguit . melanct. in apol. pro mart. luther . objection . answer . the universities the same for the substance , now as formerly objection . answer . objection . answer . notes for div a -e the rehearsal of the errors . . error . answer . no heathenish learning was taught in the church of god all the time of the old testament . what learning the fathers before the flood taught in their schools , and the patriarchs and prophets afterwards . objection . answer . neither was any heathenish learning taught the church in the time of the new testament christ taught no philosophy to his apostles . the apostles taught no philosophy . peter . steven . paul. the primitive christians and believers taught no philosophy . justine martyr forsook philosophy , & betook himself only to the scriptures . non ad humanas rationes , sed ad voluntatem doctrinae spiritus , interpretatio est accommodanda . justin. in exposit. fidei . constantine the emperor , took care for the teaching the scriptures to christians . euseb. lib. . de vita constantin . berno augiensis abbas . se multis jam annis poetarum figmenta & paganorum historias , seculariumque literarum studia , velut stercora respuisse ; omnemque mentis intentionem ad divina perscrutanda convertisse . berno in epist. ad magnifred . cum juvenis adhuc , in omni disciplinarum genere exercerer , certo affirmare possum , me non minus quam reliquos aequales meos profecisse , &c. zuingl . lib. de certitud . & veritat . verbi dei. the sad fruit of university education . the testimonies of the faithfull to the former doctrine . matthias parisiensis . antichristum omnes universitates & eruditorum collegia seduxisse , ita ut jam nihil sani doceant , aut christianis rectè suà doctrinè praelu●●ant . illyric . flac. catal. test. veritat . john hus. sedu●it antichristus à divi●a sapientia , plen● salute & spiritu sancto , ad prudentiam & scientiam hominum & principum hujus mundi : quam copiavit nimis vehementer , & dilatavit & au thenticavit & lucrosam divitiarum & honorum in hoc seculo effecit , ut ita divina sapienta & scientia esset neglecta à christianis , inveterata & obducta , & quasi vilis & inutilis ab iisdem reputata , &c. joh. hus. lib. de vita & reg. antichr . cap. . martin luther . m. luther . de captiv . babylon . joachim calaber . . error . answer . vetuit ne christiani gentilium disciplinis instruerentur . sozomen . histor. eccles . cap. . ☞ true religion depends not on humane learning . acts . . acts . . christianos de integro gentilium disciplinam imbibere , nemo est qui christianae religioni prodisse concesserit . nam non est extra periculum christianos gentilium eruditione institui , quippe quae docet multos esse deos. socrates histor. eccles. cap. . meum consilium est , ut adolescens vitet philosophiam ac theologiam scholasticam , ut mortem animae suae . luth. tom. . fol. . b. . error . answer . the knowledge of heavenly things comes down from heaven to us . ver. . 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 . chrysostom . in epist. ad cor. hom. . humane learning too strait & narrow to comprehend true divinity . . error . answer . paul made a preacher through the grace of god and not through humane learning . * 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 , &c. humane learning doth not fit a man to the ministry of the gospel . testimonies . chrysostom . 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 . chrysost. in . epist. ad corinth . hom. . 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 , &c. idem . ibid. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 . chrysost. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 . wickliff . through love we understand the scriptures . ☜ how the ministers may come to understand the scriptures . tindal . zuingl . lib. de certitudine & veritate ver. dei. quod si non firmiter creditis , vos , humanis doctrinis desertis , divinitus doceri posse , vera fide etiamnum vacui estis . cadit hic theologiae scholasticae usus universus , & quicquid ex philosophis haustum est . error est dicere , sine aristotele non fit theologus ; imò theologus non fit , nisi id fiat sine aristotele . tom . fol. . vivendo , imò moriendo & damnando fit theologus , non intelligendo , legendo aut speculando . luth. tom. . fol. . in sacris rebus non est disputandum aut philosophandum : in theologia tantum est audiendum & credendum , & statuendum in corde , deus est verax , &c. rectius fecerimus si dialectica seu philosophia in sua sphaera relictis , discamus loqui novis linguis in regno fidei , extra omnem sphaeram . affectus fidei exercendus est in articulis fidei , non intellectus philosophicus . luther . nothing in greater enmity to christ crucified then humane learning . ☜ . error . answer . . error . answer . arts and sciences are not the means whereby christ teacheth his church . . error . answer . the scriptures cannot be understood , but by the same spirit whereby they were given . scriptures non nisi eo spiritu intelligendae sunt , quo scriptae sunt : qui spiritus nusquam praesentiùs & vivaciùs quàm in ipsis sacris suis quas scripsit literis , inveniri potest . luth. tom. . fol. . a. idem spiritus qui per os prophetarum locutus est , in corda nostra penetret necesse est : ut persuade●t fideliter protulisse quòd divinitus erat mandatum . calv. institut . lib. . cap. . §. . . error . answer . divine knowledge is given by god , not got by humane learning . nullus homo u●um iota in scripturis videt , nisi qui spiritum dei habet : omnes habent obscuratum cor ita ut si etiam dicant & norint proferre omnia scripturae , nihil tamen horum sentiant aut vere cognoscant , &c. spiritus enim requiritur ad totam scripturam & quamlibet ejus partem intelligendum , luth. tom. . fol. . a. carnalis & philosophica scripturarum intelligentia non est sapientia dei quae à sapientibus absconditur , parvulis revelatur . latimer in his answer to sir edward baintons letter . . error . answer . humane learning is not the out-works to the gospel . humane learning is not the outer court to the gospel . . errror . answer . christians through their union with god , have god dwelling in them of a truth . and need not learn of man. . error . answer . gods drinking to christians in arts & tongues is a profane newness of speech . . error . answer . the christian religion is not upheld by humane learning . . error . answer . what religion founded the universities . studium cantabrigiense institutum noscitur , anno . à sigisberto anglorum orientalium rege , qui postea purpuram in cucullum commutavit . arnoldus wion duacensis , benedictinus . lib. . cap. . an. . rex alfredus hortante neoto monacho viro , doctissimo , oxonii publicam academiam instituit , propositis professoribus literarum praemiis . georg. lilius in chron. britan. regnante edvardo primo , de studio grantbrig , facta est universitas , sicut est oxonium , per curiam romanam . robert. remington . quia enim christus non ordinavt istas universitatates , sive collegia , manifestum videtur , quod ista , sicut graduationes in illis , sunt vana gentilitas introducta , in cujus signum tam collegiati quam & alii graduati , quaerunt quae sua sunt , charitatis regulas deserentes : ex qu pullulant invidiae , comparationes personarum & patriae , & multa alia seminaria patris mendacii . wickliff in speculo militantis ecclesiae . cap. . — quantum ad collegia in studiis suis generalibus est idem judicium . nam per ipsa , patriae & personae , contra charitatis regulas acceptantur , & intrinsecae invidiae , cum peccatis aliis & perjuriis ac simoniis contra instituta propria cumulantur . conceditur tamen , quod ex talibus collegiis , sicut ex aliis sectis , eveniunt multabona , non tamen tot , quot occasione peccati diaboli , & peccati primi hominis . ideo erubescat fidelis , fructum talis commodi allegare wickliff lib. de cura pastorali , cap. . si collegia ista sunt in conversatione à domino reprobata , quis dubitat quin sic nutrire eos non foret eleemosyna , sed factionia & partis contra christum stulta praesumptio . omnes hae sectae & omnes novitates , quae non in christo domino fundatae sunt , tentant christum cum satana , mat. . cum spernunt ordinationem liberam sectae ejus , & praeeligunt servilem sectam aliam , minus bonam ; acsi nollent per gradus quos deus ordinat , in sion coelestem ascendere , sed per lationem satanae ad templi pinnacula transvolvere . quae ergo eleemosyna est , sic sovere puerulum talem diaboli in castris cainiticis contra christum ? idem . melancthons testimony of wickliff . john hus. pedibus conculcabitur corona superbiae . nam muliorum doctoratus & magistratus , qui suffocato in ipsis prorsus verbo evangelii , jam inverecundè nimis magnificant umbrias & dilatant phylacteria sua , & amant primas cathedras in scholis & salutari in foro , vocari ab hominibus rabbi ; ac per hoc cedunt in apparatu & armamento corporis mystici antichristi , quoniam scriptum est , est ▪ rex super omnes filios superbiae . joh. hus. lib. de regno antichristi , cap. . what religion will destroy these foundations . the conclusion . notes for div a -e procancellarius bacchalaureum theologiae admittens , his verbis utitur ; admittimus te ad enarrandum omnes apostolicas epistolas , in nomine patris , filii , & spiritus sancti ▪ doctorem admittens ita dicit , admittimus te ad interpretandum universam sacram scripturam , tam veteris quam novi testamenti , in nomine patris , filii & spiritus sancti . cap. . de ceremoniis in gradibus conserendis . university-degrees in divinity , antichristian . . the gospel against divinity-degrees in the universities . . . . the saints & martyrs against divinity-degrees . plowmans complaint . john wickliff . * licet in quibusdam studiis nomen doctoris sit excellentius , cum sit ritus gentilis ex multis honorbus & statibus aggregatus , tamen in textu apostoli sumitur simplicius , pro quocunque fideli , qui notabiliter docet fdem catholicam ; & sic dicit nomen doctoris meritum & laborem , & interimit superbiam & status eminentiam quoad mundum . wickliffe tractat. in cap. . mat. breviter , omnis secta , status vel operatio , quam christus non approbat in suo evangelio , est rationabiliter dimittenda ; ideo cum christus non approbat sed reprobat gentile magisterium supradictum , patet quod est de ecclesia dimittendum . idem . nota quod nomen officii multum distat à nomine graduationis scholasticae , gentiliter introductae . wickliffe , in sermon . domini in monte. cum periculum & superfluitas sit in isto nomine , videtur quod istud nomen sit rationabiliter fugiendum . john hus lib. de regno , &c. antichristi . c. . * ac per hoc distinguuntur à quibusdam aliundè coronatis , ut magistri & doctores , & baccalaurei , nec non aliis varii generis titulorum , in multiplici scientia hujus mundi , &c. luther . zuinglius . audis hic hujusmodi titulos magistrorum & doctorum non ex deo esse , quum christus hoc vetat . zuingl . conradus pellican● . melch. adam ▪ in vita pellicani . the true divinity-degrees in the church of god , which christ himself first took . christs first degree in the church , was , his divine sonship . his second degree , his unction . his third degree , his victory over temptation . his fourth degree . his teaching the word . his fifth degree . his dying for the word . notes for div a -e rev. . from the first to the twelfth verse , expounded by luther . vers. . ver. . ver. . ver. . ver. . ver. . ver. . praeparatis in praelium , & armatis omni genere doctrinae , & arte loquendi , arguendi , respondendi , exhortandi : potentes sunt ad invadendum & defendendum quamcunque velint veritatem , aut speciem veritatis , armati nihilominus omni apparentia facetiae & honestatis . j. hus. et super capita eorum coronae : i. e. tituli magistrales , vel dignitatum & graduum in ecclesia , investitura . j. hus. ver. . ver. . ver. . ver. . luthers second testimony . ☞ ut academiis , ab initio m●ndi , satanas nihil excogitaret praesentius , ad vastandum fidem & evangelium , toto orbe . the university philosophy . the university divinity . the university-preachers . notes for div a -e jurent etiam , quod extra istam universitatem , nusquam alibi in anglia , praeterquam oxoniae , in aliqua facultate incipient , aut lectiones suas solemiter resument , nec consentient quod aliquis alibi in anglia incipiens , hic pro magistro in illa facultate habeatur . * juramentum magistrorum in receptionibus & resumptionibus solennibus . luther . libel . de instituend . pueris . * sufficit autem ut homines de his rebus ( scil . de artibus & scientiis ) quantum in schola didicerunt , noverint propter usus humanos . august . in act . contr . felicem . the asses complaint against balaam; or, the cry of the country against ignorant and scandalous ministers. griffin, lewis. approx. kb of xml-encoded text transcribed from -bit group-iv tiff page image. text creation partnership, ann arbor, mi ; oxford (uk) : - (eebo-tcp phase ). a wing a a estc r ocm this keyboarded and encoded edition of the work described above is co-owned by the institutions providing financial support to the early english books online text creation partnership. this phase i text is available for reuse, according to the terms of creative commons . universal . the text can be copied, modified, distributed and performed, even for commercial purposes, all without asking permission. early english books online. (eebo-tcp ; phase , no. a ) transcribed from: (early english books online ; image set ) images scanned from microfilm: (early english books, - ; : or : ) the asses complaint against balaam; or, the cry of the country against ignorant and scandalous ministers. griffin, lewis. sheet ([ ] p.) s.n., [london : ] advertisement at end signed: lewis griffin. imprint suggested by wing. item at reel : identified as wing a a (number cancelled). reproduction of original in harvard university libraries. created by converting tcp files to tei p using tcp tei.xsl, tei @ oxford. re-processed by university of nebraska-lincoln and northwestern, with changes to facilitate morpho-syntactic tagging. gap elements of known extent have been transformed into placeholder characters or elements to simplify the filling in of gaps by user contributors. eebo-tcp is a partnership between the universities of michigan and oxford and the publisher proquest to create accurately transcribed and encoded texts based on the image sets published by proquest via their early english books online (eebo) database (http://eebo.chadwyck.com). the general aim of eebo-tcp is to encode one copy (usually the first edition) of every monographic english-language title published between and available in eebo. eebo-tcp aimed to produce large quantities of textual data within the usual project restraints of time and funding, and therefore chose to create diplomatic transcriptions (as opposed to critical editions) with light-touch, mainly structural encoding based on the text encoding initiative (http://www.tei-c.org). the eebo-tcp project was divided into two phases. the , texts created during phase of the project have been released into the public domain as of january . anyone can now take and use these texts for their own purposes, but we respectfully request that due credit and attribution is given to their original source. users should be aware of the process of creating the tcp texts, and therefore of any assumptions that can be made about the data. text selection was based on the new cambridge bibliography of english literature (ncbel). if an author (or for an anonymous work, the title) appears in ncbel, then their works are eligible for inclusion. selection was intended to range over a wide variety of subject areas, to reflect the true nature of the print record of the period. in general, first editions of a works in english were prioritized, although there are a number of works in other languages, notably latin and welsh, included and sometimes a second or later edition of a work was chosen if there was a compelling reason to do so. image sets were sent to external keying companies for transcription and basic encoding. quality assurance was then carried out by editorial teams in oxford and michigan. % (or pages, whichever is the greater) of each text was proofread for accuracy and those which did not meet qa standards were returned to the keyers to be redone. after proofreading, the encoding was enhanced and/or corrected and characters marked as illegible were corrected where possible up to a limit of instances per text. any remaining illegibles were encoded as <gap>s. understanding these processes should make clear that, while the overall quality of tcp data is very good, some errors will remain and some readable characters will be marked as illegible. users should bear in mind that in all likelihood such instances will never have been looked at by a tcp editor. the texts were encoded and linked to page images in accordance with level of the tei in libraries guidelines. copies of the texts have been issued variously as sgml (tcp schema; ascii text with mnemonic sdata character entities); displayable xml (tcp schema; characters represented either as utf- unicode or text strings within braces); or lossless xml (tei p , characters represented either as utf- unicode or tei g elements). keying and markup guidelines are available at the text creation partnership web site . eng clergy -- england -- poetry. broadsides -- england -- th century. - tcp assigned for keying and markup - spi global keyed and coded from proquest page images - john pas sampled and proofread - john pas text and markup reviewed and edited - pfs batch review (qc) and xml conversion the asses complaint against balaam ; or the cry of the country against ignorant and scandalous ministers . to the reverend bishops . yee mitred members of the house of peers , the kings churchwardens , and gods overseers , fathers in christ , we your poor children cry oh give us bread of life , or else we die . for we are burd'ned with our old sir johns , who when we ask for bread do give us stones ; and only cant a homily or two , which daws and parrots may be taught to doe ; drunkards cannonicall , vnhallowed bears , that name god oftner in their oaths then prayers . into what darknesse will our church be hurld if such as these be call'd the light o th' world ? these that have nought to prove themselves devout save only this , that cromwell turnd them out . mistake us not , we do not mean those loyall and learned soules , who in the fiery tryall sufferd for king and conscience sake , let such have double honour , we shall nere think much ; but this our tender conscience disapproves , that ravens should return as well as doves ; and croak in pulpits once again to bring a second judgment on our church and king. though england doth not fear another losse , ' cause god hath burnd his rods at charing crosse ; yet clergy sins may call him to the doore ev'n him who whip'd and scourg'd them out before . oh therefore ye that read the sacred laws eject their persons , and disown their cause : god , and the king have both condemud this crew , then let them not be patroniz'd by you . 't is not their cassocks , not their surplices we quarrell at , there is no hurt in these ; we owh their decency , yet every foole cannot be call'd a monk that weares a cowle ; were grace , and learning wanting ( by your leaves ) we would not pin our faith on your lawn sleeves ; 't is aarons breastplate , and those sacred words become a churchman best , that that my lords which pious baxter makes his livery , vvould all our curates were but such as he ! pardon my lords , we do not make this stir to vindicate the factious presbyter ; we hate his ways , and equally disown the zealous rebell , as the idle droan ; and beg as oft to be deliver'd from the kirk of scotland , as the sea of rome ; we pray for bishops too , oh may ye stand to heale the sad distractions of the land ; then give us priests loyall and painfull too , to give to caefar , and to us our due . god save king charles our christian faiths defender , and bring religion to its wonted splendour . advertisement . loyall and orthodox reader , judg charitably , i am ne'ther presbyterian , nor phanatick , but as true a son of the church of england as thy self ; for thy further satisfaction , i shall ( god willing ) present thee with an other paper , to clear my honesrintention in this . lewis griffin . a measure of the times: and a full & clear description of the signes of the times, and of the changing of the times; and of the reign of antichrist, who hath long reigned, and of his down-fall, which is at hand; and of the kingdom of christ which is now setting up in the earth. shewing unto all people in all nations, what the state of things hath been in ages past, and what the state of things are at this present day. ... and also, here it is manifest, concerning the teachers of this age, and the root from whence they sprang, who are manifest to be of that stock of false prophets, which christ prophesied of should come, and which the apostles saw was coming in their dayes, and how that the night of darknesse hath been upon all, for many generations: ... and also, the restauration is described, which shortly cometh, wherein christ shall reign, whose right it is, and shall change laws and decrees, and the lamb shall be the light of all nations, ... and their king shall possesse the uttermost parts of the earth. by one who hath measured the times, who is come to the day that hath made all things manifest. edw: burrough. burrough, edward, - . this text is an enriched version of the tcp digital transcription a of text r in the english short title catalog (thomason e _ ). textual changes and metadata enrichments aim at making the text more computationally tractable, easier to read, and suitable for network-based collaborative curation by amateur and professional end users from many walks of life. the text has been tokenized and linguistically annotated with morphadorner. the annotation includes standard spellings that support the display of a text in a standardized format that preserves archaic forms ('loveth', 'seekest'). textual changes aim at restoring the text the author or stationer meant to publish. this text has not been fully proofread approx. kb of xml-encoded text transcribed from -bit group-iv tiff page images. earlyprint project evanston,il, notre dame, in, st. louis, mo a wing b thomason e _ estc r this keyboarded and encoded edition of the work described above is co-owned by the institutions providing financial support to the early english books online text creation partnership. this phase i text is available for reuse, according to the terms of creative commons . universal . the text can be copied, modified, distributed and performed, even for commercial purposes, all without asking permission. early english books online. (eebo-tcp ; phase , no. a ) transcribed from: (early english books online ; image set ) images scanned from microfilm: (thomason tracts ; :e [ ]) a measure of the times: and a full & clear description of the signes of the times, and of the changing of the times; and of the reign of antichrist, who hath long reigned, and of his down-fall, which is at hand; and of the kingdom of christ which is now setting up in the earth. shewing unto all people in all nations, what the state of things hath been in ages past, and what the state of things are at this present day. ... and also, here it is manifest, concerning the teachers of this age, and the root from whence they sprang, who are manifest to be of that stock of false prophets, which christ prophesied of should come, and which the apostles saw was coming in their dayes, and how that the night of darknesse hath been upon all, for many generations: ... and also, the restauration is described, which shortly cometh, wherein christ shall reign, whose right it is, and shall change laws and decrees, and the lamb shall be the light of all nations, ... and their king shall possesse the uttermost parts of the earth. by one who hath measured the times, who is come to the day that hath made all things manifest. edw: burrough. burrough, edward, - . [ ], , [ ] p. printed for thomas simmons at the bull and mouth, near aldersgate, london : . title printed on a v-a r. a r is blank. annotation on thomason copy: "july ". reproduction of the original in the british library. eng society of friends -- controversial literature -- early works to . antichrist -- early works to . clergy -- controversial literature -- early works to . a r (thomason e _ ). civilwar no a measure of the times:: and a full & clear description of the signes of the times, and of the changing of the times; and of the reign of a burrough, edward b the rate of defects per , words puts this text in the b category of texts with fewer than defects per , words. - tcp assigned for keying and markup - apex covantage keyed and coded from proquest page images - pip willcox sampled and proofread - pip willcox text and markup reviewed and edited - pfs batch review (qc) and xml conversion a measure of the times : and a full & clear description of the signes of the times , and of the changing of the times ; and of the reign of antichrist , who hath long reigned , and of his down-fall , which is at hand ; and of the kingdom of christ which is now setting up in the earth . shewing vnto all people in all nations , what the state of things hath been in ages past , and what the state of things are at this present day . ( and also ) what shall be the state of things hereafter , which suddainly cometh to passe , the time is at hand , for times are changing , and renewing , and the kingdomes of this world shall be translated into the kingdome of the son of god . and also , here it is manifest , concerning the teachers of this age , and the root from whence they sprang , who are manifest to be of that stock of false prophets , which christ prophesied of should come , and which the apostles saw was coming in their dayes , and how that the night of darknesse hath been upon all , for many generations : and how that the beast hath reigned over nations and kingdomes , and his false prophet hath deceived the whole world , who have all worshipped the beast and wondred after him , who have warred against the saints and overcome them , and the whole earth hath been made drunk with the abominations . and also , the restauration is described , which shortly cometh , wherein christ shall reign , whose right it is , and shall change laws and decrees , and the lamb shall be the light of all nations , and there shall be no need of any other light , when the kingdoms of this world are become the kingdom of christ , and he alone shall bear the government , and no other king , for he shall rule all nations with his iron rod , and the kingdomes of the beast shall be overthrown , and his power subdued , and they that have given their power unto him shall be ashamed , and all the kings of the earth shall lay their crowns down at the feet of the lamb , and the numberlesse number of the saints is gathering , and the dominion shall be in their hands , and their king shall posesse the uttermost parts of the earth . by one who hath measured the times , who is come to the day that hath made all things manifest . edw : burrough . london : printed for thomas simmons at the bull and mouth , near aldersgate . . a measure of the times . the lord hath opened my heart to declare ; and the words of my mouth shall be the words of truth , and of a good understanding , to every one who hath an eare to hear : whose eare the lord hath opened to hear , and understand things of old , and the state of things as they have been in ages , and generations , past ; and as now the state of things are at this day . hearken , and consider , and let your eares be open to instruction ; for the word of the lord is towards you , that your hearts may understand the things that belongs to your peace , now in your day , before the time come that they be hid from your eye , and your eye be darkned , never more to perceive , but you left to perish , and to die with the uncircumcised . behold ! and give eare , ye inhabitants of the world ; see , and consider , in what time you are fallen , even in a time of darknesse and apostacy , wherein thick darknesse covered all the world , and a vaile of ignorance the faces of all people ; death hath reigned king over all , and the cloud of thick blindnesse hath laid on the hearts of all men . o how hath darknesse , blindnesse , and ignorance , covered all men , even as a cloak and a garment ? how hath the eye been blinded , the eare stopped , and the heart hardned ? so that the lord god , and his way , his truth , and salvation , hath not been manifestly known , heard , nor felt , nor witnessed ; for ages and generations : the words thereof have been professed , but the power and life thereof hath not been enjoyed . but men have been deceived with the forme of godlinesse without the power , and cheated with a likenesse of things without life ; and have sought the living among the dead , and worshipped idols which have been without sence and understanding ; and with lying imaginations , and feigned likenesses , hath the carnall part ( which ruled in people above the seed of god ) been fed , and with shadowes , and outward appearances , and the soule hath been starved . alas , alas ! woe is me because of these things ; my heart within me is broken , and i am perplexed . the shadow of death hath been the lodging place of all people , and the vaile of ignorance hath been a covering , and the darknesse of heart hath been followed for a law , and a blind understanding have been the guide , for ordinances and statutes : and death in the beastly power hath ruled as king , in all the dominions of the earth , and in all mens hearts ; and men hath been without the wisdome of god , even every eye blind , and every eare deafe , and every tongue dumb , and every heart corrupt , and void of understanding , and every foot lame , and all men have been altogether imperfect ; for the living god hath been as a stranger unto the children of men , lesse known by men then the owner to the ox , and lesse perceived then the crib by the asse , and all flesh hath corrupted its way before the lord . woe is me ! when i consider , how man who was planted with the choisest vine , even gods image , and was a noble plant , is degenerated into the plant of a strange vine , unto god , and brings forth wilde grapes , and soure grapes , which the lords soule loathes ; and thus have the vineyard , and the plants thereof , rewarded the husbandman , with fruit of a bitter tast , and with the reward of corruption ; and man is condemned in his transgression , for want of the knowledge of god , more then the oxe , and the asse . pride , covetousness , lust , and envy , backbiting , lying , drunkennesse , whoredome , theft , murder , and all manner of evill , and sin against god , more then can be expressed , is abounding , and supera bounding among men in this generation . iniquity is grown to the full , the measure is up , and the number of transgression is sealed , that the lord may arise , who hath been pressed as a cart with sheaves ; and now is the lord arifing , and he hath said , ah , i will ease me of my adversaries , and be avenged on my oppressors . and vengeance belongs to him , and he will repay , and will destroy the vineyard with the plants and fruits thereof , and the bryers and thorns shall be consumed , and he will lay wast , and devoure , and confound all his enemies in a day , when his indignation goes forth , and his sword is made bare , and his purpose cometh to pass , in rooting out the oppressive seed of evill doers , which hath filled his habitation , wherein he should dwell , with cursed children , and a brood of evill births . in the dayes of christ , and his apostles , was the hand and power of the lord felt , and the lord gat himselfe a name and a glory ; and he caused his marvelous light to spring forth , and his day to dawn , and the day was manifest , that many prophets and wise men had desired to see , but was not in their time seen by them , and his power was made known , and his arme was made bare in the sight of many nations ; and in that day his glory was spread abroad , and his truth and way was exalted , and his glorious gospell was declared through the earth , and the sound of his marvelous works went forth into all the world ; judgement and mercy was known , and righteousnesse and peace was witnessed among men , and life and immortallity was brought to light through the gospel , and the word of life by which all things was created , and by which they stand , was handled , seen , felt , and tasted , and the lord god in that age was known to dwell with his people , and to walk in them , and his covenant was established with many , and his promises was fulfilled ; redemption , deliverance and salvation , was revealed , even christ jesus the son of god , the prince of peace ; and righteousnesse was made manifest in the sons of men , and revealed in many who saw gods glory , and was witnesses of his majesty and dominion , and were gathered unto him in the bond of peace , and were his sons and daughters , and were led by his spirit in all his wayes of truth and righteousnesse . and many went forth into the world and declared through nations the things of gods kingdome , which was come to them , and was discovered within them ; and the lord god spake from heaven by his son unto them , and they were filled with the holy ghost , and with power . and the lord was with them whom he called , and made them wise , and their word powerfull , and their message effectuall , and their weapons were mighty through god , and strong holds were subdued , and the powers of death and darkness were subjected , and the hearts of thousands were turned to god , and the gospell was preached in power through the world , and many were brought to god , out of darknesse into light , and from satans power unto god . and the earth was filled with light , and the mighty and the wise were confounded , and the bonds of cruel oppressions were broken , and they that set themselves against the lord and his way were confounded , and scattered , and brought to naught , though they were many in that generation . how did all the chief priests , and scribes , and pharises , elders of the people , and rulers , and governors , lift up themselves in the pride of their hearts , and took counsel together , and persecuted the innocent , and put to death and imprisoned the children of the most high ? how did they in the dayes of christ persecute and seek for his life , till they had taken it from the earth by their subtilty and wickednesse ? the apostles and ministers of christ were persecuted , some was put to death , and others suffered grievous things for the name of christ , and were made a prey and a spoyle unto destroyers , whose wickednesse increased against the way of god , till it was fulfilled in its measure , and the wicked with their works were dashed to pieces ; and the lord gave his way , and truth , and servants , dominion and power over all his enemies , and whole nations were brought to the knowledge of god and his ways , and his name was glorious , and his kingdome was exalted in the earth , and many were his people , who were gathered by him , and his powerfull word , through the mouth of his ministers ; whom he ordained , and called , who were fishermen , and such like , who were chosen to fullfill his will , and to doe his worke , and not many wise men of the world were called , but god chose the foolish things to confound the wise , then as he doth now ; and such were honoured by the lord , and bearers of his name , and of his message , and glad tideings , though they were contemned of men ; yet unto such he gave the authority to overturne the wise , and to outreach the wisedome of this world , for they were learned of the father , and had the knowledge of his wayes though they were unlearned in the arts , and crafts of men , which stands more in pollicy , and subtilty , then in the feare , and wisdome of god ; and in that day the lord was with his people , while his people was with him , and he loved them while they stood in his counsell , and he gave them dominion over all their enemies ; and they were a terrour to the whole world , while the churches stood in the dread , and terrour of the lord of hoasts , yea all bowed under them , and their feet trod upon the high places of the earth , and they were blessed of the lord , above all people ; even till they waxed fat , and were increased in treasures , and thought they had need of nothing , and then they forgat god , and rebelled against him , and became perverse in their wayes , and grew into strange idolatries , and errors , and left the way of truth , and cast gods law behinde them ; and the power of godlinesse ceased , and the forme grew , and it was exalted more then power , and love waxed cold , when iniquity abounded ; and men became lovers of themselves , more then of the lord ; and the lord , and his marvellous workes which had been brought to passe were forgotten , and hardnesse of heart , and unbeliefe entered , and then the false prophets , and antichrists came in , which christ had prophesied of , and established the forme of godlinesse , without the power , and subverted many ( even whole houses , and countries ) from the simplicity of christ jesus ; so that many became insensible , and grew past feeling of the power , and operation of god , and their minds became blinded , and their eares stopped ; and god was grieved , who had brought up children , and they forgat him , and rebelled against him ; for the churches became corrupted , and lost the life , and power of god , and the holy ghost ; and became idolaters , and worshipers of idolls , and as you may read paul prophesied that many should depart from the faith , and give heed to seducing spirits , and to the doctrine of devills ; and grievous wolves should enter , not sparing the flock , but seeking to devoure it , and would make havock , and merchandise of soules , through coveteousnesse , and filthy lucre , and perilous times would come , wherein their should be a forme of godlinesse , and not the power ; and in that generation before , and soone after his decease , this came to passe , and was fullfilled ; and as you may read in the revelations the churches grew into superstitions , and idolatries , the church of ephesus had lost her first love , and her candlestick was to be removed , and so it came to passe ; and some in the church of smyrna were in the blasphemy , saying they were jewes , and were not , but were the sinagogues of satan ; and the church of pergamos , some among them held the doctrine of balaam , and to eat things sacrificed to idolls , and to commit fornication , and some held the doctrine of the nicolaitans , which god hated , and against them would the lord fight with the sword of his mouth ; and the church of thyatira suffered that woman jezabell to prophesie , and to teach , and seduced the servants of the lord to commit fornication , and to eat things sacrificed unto idolls ; and she , and her lovers was to be cast into a bed of torment , and her children should be killed with death ; and all the churches should know , that god searched the reines , and the hearts , and every one should receive according to their deeds ; and the church of sardis had only a name to live , but was dead , and her work was not perfect before god , and upon them would the lord come as a thiefe , and they should be in darknesse , and not know what houre he would come . and the church of the laodiceans were luke warme , and neither hot , nor cold , and the lord would spew her out of his mouth , for she was wretched , and miserable , and poore , and blinde , and naked , and the shame of her nakednesse did appeare ; and if any had an eare to heare , they might heare ; these things were spoken by him that lives for ever , the first , and the last , the beginning , and the amen ; so that hereby the lords soul was vexed , and his spirit grieved , and his wrath was suddenly kindled against them , who were revolters , and backsliders from his way of salvation , which he had made manifest to them , through the mouth of his servants ; so that his fury went out against them to overthrow them , and to break them to pieces ; and they being turned from his law , and from his statutes , he gave them up unto their own hearts desire , and brought in the heathen upon them , to confound them , who broke them asunder , and trod down many of their cities , and gained great ports of their dominions , and made them slaves by multitudes , and overthrew their worship , and subjected their power ; even the turks , and base uncircumcised people made a prey upon them , and possessed their habitations , and set up abominable idolatries in the place where gods honour had dwelt ; and their dominions , and treasures without , became spoyle to the teeth of devourers ; for they having lost the terrour , of the lord , he brought up the heathen to be a terrour unto them , whose power was mightier then they , and overcame them , they being without the power of god ; and this justly came upon them , according to the purpose of the lord , because of their backslidings ; and others of them , who was not so given up to the will of an outward enemy , yet were they given up to strange idolatries and subversion , and setting up images , and worshiped that which is not god , but abomination to him , to this day ; so that the holy city , which had been full of glory , was given to the gentiles to be troden downe ; and under their poluted feet hath it been stamped , and to their mouth hath it been a prey , for such a time , even since these things came to passe , unto this day ; as you may read , and the beast and false prophet , hath ruled in oppression , and the great whore hath made all nations drunke with the wine of her fornication ; all the great men , and princes , and nobles , and all the people upon earth have been made drunke by her , and touched her uncleannesse , and ever since the day wherein the backsliding entered , she hath fit upon nations , and kindreds , and tongues , and people , and hath been decked in divers colours , to deceive the hearts of all people , and all nations have been deceived by her , and the beast and his power , whose dominion hath been great , hath upheld wickednesse by a law , and established idolatry by decrees , and all have been out of the way , and wandring in blindnesse , and darknesse , even the whole world have worshiped the beast , and gone after the false prophet , which sits upon the beast , and his power protects him , till they be both overthrowne into perdition , and cast alive into the lake , which now the lord is comeing to doe in power , and dominion : and great babylon is coming into remembrance before the lord , and as she hath done , so shall it be done to her , her children is dashing against the stones , and her offspring is withering away , and the darknesse is vanishing , and the sun is appearing , and the beastly power shall be subdued , and the false prophet confounded , even the old dragon shall be bound , and chained , never more to deceive ; for the beast hath had a long reigne with his false prophet , who have prophesied lies , and false divinations , and led away the minds of all people . for marke ; and consider , christ jesus who came into the world , with glad tidings of good things , even with peace , and salvation : he said the glorious day was come , and even that day which many prophets and wise men had desired to see , but had not seen ; the earth was filled with light , as i have said , yet he farther prophesied , and said , that the night would come when no man could work , and that in the last dayes false prophets should arise , and deceive many , and should come into the world , and should cry loe here , and loe there is christ , and and if it were possible should deceive the very elect ; and the apostle john in his time , who had been an eye-witnesse of jesus , and had handled , and tasted , and felt the word of life , and had been with jesus , and bore a true testimony unto him ; in that very age , and generation , he saw the false prophets , and antichrists come , and coming in , and aluded to the very sayings of christ , by this we know said he , that it is now the last time , for there are now many false prophets , and antichrists gone out into the world , they were not of the true apostles , but went out from among them , ( being gone out from the light in their own particulars ) and beguiled the hearts of the simple , by good words , and faire speeches , and went in balaams way for gifts and rewards , and in caines way to envy , and murder , as you may read in the scripture ; so that in johns time , the false prophets which christ foretold off , were come , and they did deceive many according as christ had said , and they drew many from the wayes of god , and subverted many from the truth , and made havocke of the flock , and were grievous wolves , according as paul had said , and truth began to perrish from among men , and the power thereof ceased , and the apostacy came in , and the forme was set up for a season ; so that john farther saw , and said the whole world went after the beast and false prophet , whom he saw before was come , and worshiped the beast , and his image . but a few whose names were written in the book of life ; and as i have said the holy city with the outward court , was troden down by the gentiles foot , and darknesse surprized all , and wickednesse abounded more , and more ; and the night came upon all , as christ had prophesied , and the beast grew in his dominion : till there was hardly any man left to beare witnesse in the truth , and in the power of god , unto the name of jesus ; but all was subverted into dead formes , and shaddowes , and likenesses without life , and the lord left the earth , as it were , and covered himselfe in the darknesse ; and became a stranger in the world , and did scarce openly speake by vision , nor dream , nor prophet , but all were left in the darke , and ignorance abounded , and superstition was exalted ; the saints spirit , and ●se which they were in , and guided by was lost , and then they began to worship the saints names , and dayes , and words , without the life , and power ; and that nature , and that same seed which had persecuted the saints to death , and gainsayed the pover ; and lost the holy ghost , turned it selfe into the professi●n of the saints words , which were left upon record ; and confirmed it selfe into the saints practises , without the life , power and holy ghost . and having lost the power , from which the sripture was given forth , and not being guided in the life whic● they were in , which spoke it forth ; then from the scripture 〈◊〉 mens own conceptions , and thoughts , and by their reason , w●●hout gods spirit , they set up likenesses , and images , and sects , and formes , and many heads , and many hornes grew upon the beast which all the world worshiped , and went after ; for they had lost christ the one head , wherein the union stood , and grew into idollitry , under the many heads which was upon the beast , who had many hornes , which pushed one against another , as it is witnessed unto this day ; doe not the papists , and protestants ( so called ) and other sects risen out of them , push one at another , to break , and teare one another ; and these have many heads . the pope he is a head , and the others they have a head , which every one bowes down under his own head ; the pope will not bow to the protestants head , nor will the protestants bow to the papists head , the presbiterians , and independants , and anibaptists , and the rest , every one of them bowes to their own head , and will not bow to anothers head . and all these with their hornes pushes one against another , to rend one another ; and all these are from christ , and knowes not him the one head of the whole body , and the one horn of gods salvation , unto all people : for christ which is but one is the head , and the horne , which all the saints , who are now gathered out of this apostacie , and dark night , unto whom the light againe is risen , worships christ the one head , and knowes him the one horn , which pushes against the devils kingdome , which hath long been set up , and ruled in the earth among all these , who have many heads , and many hornes , who are all of them ( the very chiefest ) but in the night fallen , in the apostacie , and darknesse , since the beginning of the reigne of the beast , and the comi●g in of the false prophet , which came in as i have said when the churches backslided , with the whore also , who have mad● all nations , and people drunk with the wine of her fornic●tion ; and the beast hath reigned over all nations in his dominion , and authority , and the false prophet hath prophesied through all nations . and all these came in since the dayes of christ ; or he prophesied that it should be so , as it is come to passe ; and they were coming in , in the dayes of the apostles , as you may read paul saw them coming , and largely describes ●heir character in severall epistles . and peter he saw them coming in , and described them , what such they were , and should be ; and jude he saw them also , and john more fully then any , both in his epistles , and revelations ; as i have hinted at . and when the apostles were taken of the earth , some by cruell death , and others was banished , then they sprung in more fully , and grew through all nations ; and to this day hath the beast , with his many heads , and hornes , ruled in nations , and been worshiped , and his false prophet hath ever since been defended , and riden on the beast , through nations , and hath deceived the nations with vanity , and errour ; and at this very day the nations , and people are deceived , and lies under darknesse , in the slavery and bondage , under the authority of the beast , and subject to the doctrine of his false prophets . and as i have said darknesse hath been over all , and fancies , and liknesses without life have been bowed under , and the power being lost , the forme hath been set up , one after this sort , and another after that , according to mens vaine conceits , and apprehensions upon the scriptures , and not according to the manifestation of the spirit of god , which fulfills the scriptures , and brings to live the life of them . so in divers colours , and in divers appearances , and robes , in severall formes , and shapes of garments hath the great whore been decked , who hath sit upon the beast , haveing the false prophet serving as a boy , or servant , to doe whatsoever the whore listeth . and the false prophet , this servant to the whore , under the power of the beast , hath moved , and turned as the beast would . and according as the whore hath changed her selfe into other garments , and colours ; even so hath the false prophet changed his doctrine , and prayers to please the whore , and to keepe people under the goverment of the beast . it 's knowne in this our day , that some who preached , and prayed for the king , and bishops , doe now preach , and pray for others , even for them who destroyed king , and bishops ; so the false prophet with all his children , is but the whores servant , who hath made drunk kings , and princes , and great men , and people , and nations , with the cup of fornication , and abomination , in the severall sects , and formes of worships , which hath been set up , without the power of godlinesse ; for the babtisme of the spirit being lost , and not known , then from the letter by imaginations , were severall sorts of baptisme brought forth , as sprinkling of infants , that darke folly , and vaine vanity , which all these nations have been deceived withall , by the exercise of the false prophet . and when the gift of the ministery , through the holy ghost , which the ministers of christ had , was lost , and not any more received . then began men to make ministers , by naturall learning , and artes , and languages , and humane pollicie , and when the gift of preaching by the eternall spirit was lost , through the coming in of the apostacie , then began men to study from books , and writings , what to preach , and say , not having the holy ghost received in them , which none is a minister of christ without , ( marke that ) and when men had , lost through ignorance , the knowledge of god dwelling in them , and that their bodyes was his temple , and that he dwelled and walked in his people , then began they againe to build temples without , and to set up their false worships in them ; for having lost the sense of gods true worship , which the saints worshiped in , in the spirit , and in the truth . then they began to worship in set dayes , and set times , and set places , and outward observances , which is not the worship of god in the spirit , and in the truth , but superstitious , and idolatrous ; and when the word of god was not received immediately from his mouth , nor the gospel by the revelation of jesus christ , as it was in the dayes of the apostles , then ( darknesse being come in ) they used their tongues when the lord had not spoken to them , as the false prophets did before christs time ; and long have they said the letter is the word , and that the letter is the gospel , and that it must be received by the scriptures , and by naturall learning , and artes , and that none can be ministers of christ , but such who are learned in the languages , and knowes the originall of scriptures , latine , and greek , and hebrew , not any of these have received the gospel , by revelation , or the word of god from his mouth . and when singing in the spirit , and with understanding was ceased , and not knowne then began people to get the forme of singing of davids experiences in rime , and meeter ; and when the pure power of godlinesse was lost , which was in the dayes of the apostles manifested , and known , then in the apostacie , the deceit grew into the forme of every thing , which the saints had enjoyed in the power ; and so was shaddowes set up instead of substance , and death instead of life , and the forme without the power , which in many branches sprang forth , some into one appearance , and some into another ; but all under the power of the beast , with his many heads , and hornes defended ; and untill this day , since the dayes of the apostles , thus it hath been , and those very teachers , and supposed ministers , which now are in this , and other nations , are of that very root which sprang forth in the dayes of the apostles ; and they are under the dominion of the beast , and moveable like unto the great whore ; and this may easily be proved that they are of that generation of teachers , and false prophets , which christ prophesied of should come , and which the apostles saw was coming in their dayes , and of those which john saw the world to run after ; for christ said by their fruites they should be known , and the apostles they described their fruits , and them by their fruites ; and so we seeing their fruit to be the very same now , which the apostles described was the fruit of them , that then was come , and coming ; from whence we doe conclude according to sound judgment , that these very teachers are of the same generation , and branches of the same root , which sprang forth then . and in pauls writeings you may read , such they were , whom he saw , of whom he bad people to beware , and said perilous times would come , and men should be lovers of themselves , covetous , proud , blasphemers , disobedient to parents , unthankfull , unholy , without naturall affection , false accusers , fierce dispisers of those that are good , heady , high minded , lovers of pleasures , more then lovers of god , having a forme of godlinesse , but denying the power , and such of whom people were ever learning but never able to come to the knowledge of the truth ; for people were laden with sins , and led away with divers lusts ; and these did resist the truth , as jannes , and jambres who withstood moses , by making likenesses without life , and they were men of corrupt minds , and reprobate concerning the faith . now it is plaine that these teachers in this generation are of that very stock which paul describes , such he saw would come , and such we see are come , and by their fruits we know them , as christ said ; and pauls words are fullfilled , for these teachers are lovers of themselves , and covetous , and proud , this is plaine to all people ; and blasphemers , who denyes christ to have lighted every man that comes into the world , and therefore they deny scripture , and so are disobedient , and unholy men , and without naturall affection , who many of them have caused the innocent to be imprisoned , and some have dyed in prison , and they the chiefe cause of this , and this is without naturall affection to the creatures ; and they are false accusers , and liers , and fierce in their books and preaching , as is manifest through all this nation ; and they greatly despise those that are good , and prepares war against such , as doth not put into their mouthes ; and they are heady , and high minded , and lovers of vanities , and pleasures , this is evident without proofe , and they have a forme of godlinesse ; they say all should be taught of god , but when any comes to witnesse it , and denyes their teaching , they cry against such as heriticks , and thus they have the words , and the forme , but denyes the power ; and they are ever teaching twenty and fourty yeares , and more , but none able ever to come to the knowledge of the truth by them , but ●●il in blindnesse , and darknesse still , and people cryes out , who have been learning many yeares from them , that they doe not know the truth ; and its plaine that these teachers are of that sort , that paul spoke of , who brings none to the knowledge of the truth ; for people that followes them are laden with sins , and led away with divers lusts ; and these have , and doe resist the truth every where ; they deny that christ hath lighted every man that comes into the world , and so resists truth , and denyes scripture , and the truth , as you may read , john . . and they are corrupt minded , even wicked persecutors , and suers at law , and earthly minded , and covetous , and oppressors , and are wholly reprobate concerning the faith ; and thus it is plaine that the root of these teachers was springing in the apostles dayes , and hath growen ever since in this darke night of apostacie , and hath filled the nations . againe , the apostle saw that many should depart from the faith , giving heed to seducing spirits , and doctrines of devils , speaking lies in hypocrisie , having their consciences seared as with a hot iron . now these teachers are of that stock which is departed from the true faith ; for they are without true faith , and reprobate concerning it , who are in iniquity , and sin , and the workes of the world which are evill ; now faith purifies the heart from all this ; but their hearts are not purified , but poluted with covetousnesse , and preaching for hire , and persecuting , and envy ; and therefore they have not faith , and so are of that generation which departed from the faith , after the apostles times , which they saw would come ; and these doth seduce , and their doctrines are of the devill , who denyes the truth which the scripture beares witnesse of ; and saith sprinkling infants with water , when they are two or three days old is baptisme into the faith of christ ; this is the doctrine of the devill , and lies they speak in great numbers , and in hypocrisie , and writes them forth to the world in great hypocrisie , with feignednesse , and pretence of holinesse ; and its plaine many of their consciences are seared ; how doe many of them cause the poore people to suffer grievous imprisonment , and spoyling of their goods , to the ruine of families almost , for their maintenance , as tythes , and such like , which if their consciences were not seared they could not doe ; also some of them cryed to the rude wicked people , in their idoll temples , fight lads for the gospel ; and many who have borne witnesse to the truth , and against their deceits , have been beat , and abused , and knocked downe as for dead in their presence ; and their consciences are absolute seared , else they would tremble at these things . also the apostle peter , he saw false prophets would come in , pet. . and false teachers , who would bring in damnable heresies , even denying the lord that bought them ; and many should follow their pernicious wayes , and through covetousnesse with feigned words , they would make merchandize of people ; and they would walke after the flesh in the lust of uncleanesse , and despise government , and be presumptuous , and selfe willed , and not afraid to speak evill of dignities , and they would speak evill of things they understand not , and their hearts are exercised with covetous practises , and were cursed children , and they sport themselves with their own deceivings , and these had forsaken the right way , and are gone astray following the way of balaam , who loved the wayes of unrighteousnesse , and these are clouds that are carryed with a tempest , and they speak great swelling words of vanity , and while they promise to others liberty , themselves are the servants of corruption . and such were scoffers , and mockers which would come after the apostles dayes , and they would walke after their own lusts . and now according to this prophesie of peter , who saw false teachers coming in , he gave these characters of them , whereby it doth plainly appeare that this generation of teachers are they , and of that stock which then came in ; for these brings forth the very same fruits , which they did , which he spoke of , and we knowe them by their fruits , as christ hath said ; for these have filled the world with damnable heresies , as holding forth that sprinkling infants with water is baptisme into the faith of christ , and that a sleeple-house is the church , and that singing davids experiences in the world among wicked people in rime , and meeter , is singing to the praise of god , and these are damnable heresies , even to the denying the lord that bought them ; for they deny the light of the lord jesus christ given to every man to be the only teacher , and the only guide of man , and they that doe deny the light of christ with which every man that comes into the world is lighted to be sufficient to lead to christ , and to the kingdome of god ( as these teachers in this age doe ) they deny the lord that bought them ; and many , even whole nations , all the world as john saw in the revelations have followed their pernicious wayes , and run after their idolatry , and pernicious wayes of superstitions , and they doe make merchandize of soules , through covetousnesse with their feigned words ; for where they can make their bargaine to have the most money , there they will preach , and no where else , and if any will give them more the next yeare , they will sell that people , and goe to another , for very covetousnesse , by feigned words , and they doe walke after the flesh , in the lust of pride , and covetousnesse , which is uncleanesse of the flesh ; and they despise the saints government and order ; for they will not suffer the saints to prophesie one by one in their assemblies , according to the saints government , but doth despise that , and persecute it by the government of the beast , unto whose government they are subject , and not to the government of christ , and the saints ; and thus they are presumptuous , and selfe-willed , presuming to afflict , and cause the children of god to be cast into prison , and suffering them to be beat , and abused by their flock , out of their wicked selfe wills , and they are not afraid to speak evill of dignities , and doth speak evill of the wayes of god , and of his truth which they understand not ; and their hearts are exercised with covetous practises , and are cursed children ; for they make poor people that hath but ten eggs give them one , and that hardly can get any fewell for the fire , pay them a penny for the smoake ; with such many other exceeding covetous practises , as suing men two hundred mile to answer for three shillings claimed by them for tithes . and these sport themselves in their vanities , in their own deceiving , and when they have oppressed people for their wages , and makes people pay them for whom they doe no work , and forces wages from them that never hired them , which is unheard of , covetous practises ; they sport themselves in their pride , and lustfullnesse , and they are out of the right way , and gone astray from the wayes of god which are holy , and are in the way of balaam , who went after unrighteous wages , who sought for enchantment against jsrael , as these doe ; and these loves unrighteous wages , by taking maintenance from people by force , unto whom is nothing oweing by them , and these are carried with a tempest of every wind , according as the powers of the earth blowes , these are carried sometime under such a government , and sometime against it , and so are clouds carried about , and are unsetled on the foundation , and they speak great words of christ , and god , and the scriptures , which are but words stolen by them , because they are not spoken by the spirit of god , but by a lying spirit , and they promise to others liberty , that they shall receive the kingdome of god after death , and that christ hath taken away their sins , with such like promises of liberty , but themselves are the servants of corruption , living in pride , and hatred , and covetousnesse , and these serve sin , and are servants of corruption ; and they are scoffers , and mockers , and walkers after their own lusts , as it is evident in all mens sight . so that according to the judgment of truth , we judge these teachers of this generation , to be of the same root which then sprang forth ; for these brings forth the same fruites , as they in that time did ; and in the apostacy they have over-spread the whole world ; and also the apostle jude gave a description of them , according as peter had done ; he saw certaine men creeping in , who turned the grace of god into wantonnesse , and they were filthy dreamers , and knowes nothing , but what they know naturally , as bruit beasts , and in that they corrupt themselves ; and they have gone in the way of caine , and run greedrly after the errour of balaam , and they are trees whose fruit withereth , rageing waves of the sea , foaming out their own shame , wandering starres , they are murmurers , and complainers , walking after their own lusts , having mens persons in admiration , because of advantage , and these seperate themselves sensuall , having not the spirit ; and of this sort which jude describeth are these teachers in this generation , whose fore fathers crept in , in the apostles dayes , and these are their cursed children , which now abounds in these nations at this day ; and they are filthy dreamers , studying for what they speak , and dreaming without the spirit of god an houre in a pulpit , and what they know it is naturally , by naturall learning , and naturall arts , and in that knowledge they are also corrupted , in pride , and vaine glory , and vanities , like bruit beasts in their apparrell , and practises , and not like ministers of the gospel nor saints ; and they are in caines way , in envy , and murder , and wrath , abounding ; no people like them , and they doe run greedily after balaams errour , for gifts , and rewards , and unrighteous wages , which they run after greedily ; and they are trees who brings forth these cursed fruits , which will wither , and fade away ; and they are like raging proud waves of the sea , foaming out their shame in lies , and slanders , and cursed speaking , in publick , and private , and they have no habitation in the firmament of god , but are wandering starres , and sometime in one opinion , and sometime in another , but the blacknesse of darknesse is reserved for them , and the judgment of the great day ; and they are murmurers , and complainers , and they can never have enough , but seekes for their gaine from their quarter , as the false prophets did in isaiahs time , and they have mens persons in admiration , because of advantage to themselves , bowing , and worshiping mens persons , who will advantage them in their wages , or hire , and maintenance , begging favour of the magistrates , and having their persons in admiration , that they may have their advantage in oppressing poor people in tythes , in this , their wickednesse is hard to be expressed ; and these have seperated themselves , into selfe seperation , some into one forme gathered , and some into another , but all sensuall , and in the wisdome which is from below , and without the spirit of god , and thus it is proved that these teachers of this age are of the same ge●eration , in their practises , which jude describeth to be creeping in in his time . and farther the apostle john . epistle . he saw that the false prophets , and antichrists , which christ prophesied of to come , was come in his dayes , and said many false prophets are gone out into the world , which is the spirit of antichrist , whereof you have heard , said john , and even now already is it in the world , and they were of the world , and the world heard them ; and so are this generation of teachers , who succeeds them that went forth into the world then ; these are of the world , in its wayes pride , and wickednesse , covetousnesse , and envy , and all evill , and they that are in the evill of the world , in wickednesse heareth them , and maintaineth them ; so that according to johns description , these teachers of this age are of that same flock which came in then ; and john further saw that all the world was gone after them , and worshiped the beast which was then risen , and run after the false prophet , which then came in , and fat upon the beast , and its plaine that the world is all run after them , untill this day , which is a day of bringing back againe from the false prophet , and from under the power of the beast , and the beast , and his image ; and the false prophet , and his divinations must down to the ground ; and according as john further prophesied , the holy citywhich had been troden down under the gentiles feet , for such a time should againe be gained , and the saints should have the dominion , and the old dragon should be chained , and christ should reigne , and his kingdome should be set up in the earth , and the tabernacle of god should be with men ; and this is the day that the lord is restoring againe the way of peace , which long hath been lost , and the power of god is againe witnessed , which hath not been known for generations . so that of things spoken this is the sum of truth , and the word of the lord god to all people on the earth ; that in the dayes of christ , and the apostles , it was a glorious day of light , and life , and power , and the lord gathered a people which honoured his name , while they stood with him , and in his counsell walked ; but since the dayes of the apostles , hath been an apostacy ▪ and darknesse over all , and a subversion upon all , and night have been over all , wherein no man could work as christ said , and formes without power have been established , the pure way of god hath not been known in its purity ; so that this time wherein all are fallen , is a time of ignorance , of the reigne of the beast , which all the world hath wandred after , and a time wherein the gentiles feet hath troden down the holy city , and a time wherein all the world runs after the false prophet , and are deceived , and made drunk with the wine of the whores fornications . i say this is the time wherein all the men of this generation are fallen , and the scripture is fulfilled , the night wherein no man can work is upon the world , and further this is the time of antichrists dominion , which hath exalted himselfe in the seat of god , shewing himselfe to be god ; and long hath he reigned with the beast and the false prophet , ever since the dayes of the apostles ; and these same teachers of this generation which now are in the world are manifest by their fruit , to be of that generation of that seed , and flock of false prophets , which christ prophesied of should come in the last time after his dayes , and which most of the apostles saw coming in , in their dayes , by their fruites i say they are known , for these brings forth the same fruites , and beares the same markes which they described those did , in their time ; so we see christs prophesie is fulfilled , who said they should come ; for they are come , and the apostles descriptions are fullfilled on these ; for these teachers are such as beares the same characters as is proved , as they said they should beare that would come ; and long hath the nations been deceived , and kept under the worship of the beast , running after the false prophet ; and we see johns prophesie is fulfilled , who said that the holy city was given to be troden under the feet of the gentiles ; for so we see it hath been for many generations , and also we know the time is now approaching , that the dominion of the beast is near an end , and the holy city shall the saints possesse , and the gentiles shall be driven out of it , according as john said , who wrote the last of any of the apostles , and gave full testimony of these things which i have declared of , ( viz. ) of an apostacy , and reigning of the beast , and false prophet , and a subversion from the wayes of god ; and this hath been , and come to passe ; also he prophesied of the gaining of the holy city , in again to the saints , and of a restoration , wherein new jerusalem should be made manifest from heaven , and should againe be adorned , as a bride for her husband , and the saints should inhabit it , and the tabernacle of god should be with men upon earth , and the lord would dwell for ever with his people ; and this day is approaching nigh at the doors , for the fig tree hath blossomed , and we know it is near at hand , the summer wherein the glory of the lord shall be revealed unto all nations , and they shall know that he is the lord god almighty that will take vengeance upon the great whore , who hath made all drunk with the wine of her fornication . and now after the long night of apostacy , and darknesse which hath been upon the face of the earth , is the lord appearing , and his day dawning , and his light breaking forth as the glory of the morning , and the kingdome of god is revealed , and his dominion is setting up , after the long reigne of the beast , who hath had his power , and his seat , and his great authority from the dragon , after whom the whole world hath wandered , and him hath worshiped , who have been saying who is like unto the beast , who is able to make war with him ? his mouth for many generations hath been opened in blasphemy against god , and his name ; and he hath made war with the saints , and his power hath overcome them ( marke ) overcome them , and then himself hath reigned , and the reigne of christ for many yeares hath not been known , but over kindreds , and tongues , and nations hath the beast had power , and over them hath reigned for many ages , and all that dwell upon the earth hath worshiped him , whose names are not written in the book of life ; the earth hath been caused , and them that dwell therein to worship the beast , and by his wonders he deceiveth them that dwell on the earth , and as many as would not worship the beast and his image , the beast hath had power that they should be killed , and many hath he killed , who would not worship him , and are persecuted ; and both small , and great , rich , and poor , free , and bond , hath received the marke of the beast , and the number of his name , which is the number of a man ; he that reads let him understand ; these things hath come to passe , and been fulfilled since the apostles dayes , in this night wherein no man could worke , which christ said would come ; but now the fourty , and two monthes , which time the beast , and his image was to continue , and so long was his power to remaine to make war , and to overcome the saints . i say the time is well nigh expired , and finished , and the lord god almighty , and the lamb is arisen to make war against the beast , and his image , who hath reigned over the kingdomes of the world , and the judgment of the great whore cometh , who hath sit upon the beast , and drunken the blood of the saints , and with whom the kings of the earth ( since the apostles dayes ) have committed fornication , and all the inhabiters of the earth have been made drunk with the wine of her fornication ; and all the merchants of the earth hath been made rich through the aboundance of her delicacies ; and she hath sit upon the scarlet coloured beast , and her cup in her hand hath been full of abominations , and filthinesse of her fornication , and her name is mistery babylon , the mother of harlots ; and all the kings of the earth hath given their power unto the beast , and committed fornication with the great whore ; and she hath sit over people , and multitudes , and nations , and tongues ( since the apostles dayes ) and even some who have hated the whore , and fulfilled the will of god , and made the whore naked , yet they give their power also to the beast , untill the word of god be fulfilled . consider these things you that hath an ear to heare ; but now the mighty day of the lord , and the judgment of the whore is approaching , wherein she shall be rewarded according to her works , and double shall be given her into her cup , and as she hath loved blood , so shall blood be given her to drinke , and the merchants of the earth shall lament her , whom they have waxen rich by , who hath glorified her selfe , and lived deliciously , and hath said in her heart , i sit as a queene , and am no widow , and shall not see sorrow ; but now the one day is dawning , wherein her plagues shall come , death , and mourning , and famine , and she shall utterly be burned with fire ; for strong is the lord that is risen to judge her , and the kings , and merchants , and all the inhabiters of the earth shall lament her , and shall cry , alas , alas ! and now are they beginning , for the hour is come that her judgment cometh , and all her merchants , who have trafiqued with the souls of men shall partake of her plagues , who have partaked of her sins , and lived deliciously with her , and the fruites that her soul lusted after shall depart from her , and all things that are dainty , and goodly , shall depart from her , and she shall find them no more at all , when her judgment cometh and in an hour all her riches is come to nought , and her merchants at land and sea shall lament her ; even her that hath ruled over nations , and sit as a queene for many generations , ever since the dayes of the apostles , untill this day ; yea all that have wandred after her , even the whole world shall lament , and bemoan her ; and such as have served her , and made slaves of the souls of men , by merchandize , and trafique shall bewaile her , and their gaine shall cease for ever , for in one hour shall she be made desolate , and her glory shall fade , and her beauty shall wither , and the beast that hath carried her shall utterly faint , and the false prophet that hath wrought miracles in their sight , and deceived the nations shall be cast into a bed of torment with her , and the beast , and the false prophet shall be taken , and cast alive into the lake of fire to be tormented for ever day , and night , world without end ; and the whore in whom hath been found the blood of the prophets , and of the saints , and of all that were slaine upon the earth , and the beast who hath caused all that dwell on the earth to worship him , and his image , for many ages , and the false prophet who hath deceived the whole world , and all nations , and made them subject unto the power of the beast , by his miracles which he hath wrought in the sight of men ; these shall be plagued together , and tormented together ; for the false prophet , and the beast hath sent forth their uncleane spirits , like frogs unto all the kings of the earth , and unto the whole world to gather them to battell with their armies to make war against him that sits on the white horse , even the son of god ; and this is the false prophet which christ prohesied of to come , which long since came , and hath served the beast , and the great whore ; for many generations , and many even all nations have been deceived as christ said , and led aside ▪ and blinded , and bewitched by him ; and as i have said these teachers of this generation are of them , of their root , and off-spring which long hath flourished on the face of the earth . but the day is at hand , that the heaven , and the holy apostles , and prophets shall rejoyce over the whore , and over the false prophet ; for the lord comes to avenge us on her , and as she hath done , so shall it be done unto her ; now in this day wherein jerusalem shall be builded againe , and the holy city which the gentiles have trod under foot , for fourty and two monthes , which time is expired , and near a full end , accounting from the dayes of the coming in of the apostacy , untill this day , if any have an eare to heare let him heare ; this i have received from god ; i say the holy city shall be measured , and the gentiles cast out , and she shall be adorned , and as a bride for her husband shall she be prepared , and gods tabernacle shall be with men , and he will dwell with them , and they sh●ll be his people , and god himselfe will be their god , and all teares shall be wiped away , and there shall be no more death , nor sorrow ; for the former things are passed away and all things shall be made new . and what i have said are the faithfull sayings of god ; every one that is a thirst shall drink of the water of life freely , and he that overcometh shall inherit all things , and shall be called the son of god , and shall dwell in the holy city , which long the gentiles foot hath troden under , which shall againe be adorned , and prepared as a bride for her husband ; if any hath an ear to heare let them heare . and the glory of the lord is risen , and his day is breaking forth more abundantly , and the lambe is given for a light , and all nations that are saved shall walke in the light of the lambe , and the king of righteousnesse , ( who hath been long fled into egypt , while herod the beast , which hath sought his life , and driven the woman into the wildernesse , hath reigned ) shall againe be set upon the holy hill of sion , and rule all nations with a rod of iron , and trample upon the necks of all his enemies , the nations hath not for many ages been ruled by him . but the beast , who hath ruled over kindreds , and people , and said who hath been able to make war against the beast , and to the power of the beast hath all nations been subject , and the dominion of christ hath been troden down , and despised , and his holy city hath been laid wast , and his princely power hath not been felt , nor witnessed in the kingdomes of men , for ages , and times , nor him the one head , and the one horne hath not been known , but many heads , and hornes hath been exalted , and all nations , and all the princes , and kingdomes of the earth , hath been subject unto the rule , and law of the beast , and to the divinations of the false prophet , and darknesse hath been over all , and god hath been as a stranger in the earth , as one not known , he hath been worshiped ignorantly , and the inscription every where hath been to the unknown god , but now after all this the glorious god of truth hath appeared , and great , and mighty hath been his hand , and power in this our day , in raising up a righteous branch out of the root of righteousnesse , and in gathering his scattered people up to himselfe , who have been scattered by the idoll teachers , and deceived by the false prophets , and made a prey upon by the wilde beasts of the forrest ; o how hath the people been made a prey upon by their teachers , and greedily devoured by dumb shepherds , who have sought themselves , and sought for their gaine , every one from his quarter ; for many ages , how hath people been led blind , by their blind shepheards , and none to this day come to the knowledge of the truth by them ? for these have run , and was not sent , and therefore the people have not been profited at all , as it was in jeremiahs dayes , so is it now , no profit among people in the knowledge of the wayes of god , but leanesse , and barrennesse , and as the teacher , so his people , all out of the way , in prophanesse , and wickednesse , and prophanesse is gone forth from them into many nations , yet is the lord bringing backe his inheritance , which hath been driven away into the desolate wildernesse ; yea , and the lord hath caused his light to shine out of darknesse , and unto them that have sit in darknesse , and in the shaddow of death is the marvellous light risen , that the glory of the lord may be revealed , and gods tabernacle may be with men , and the holy city is a preparing as a bride for her husband , and darknesse shall fly away , and sorrow , and sighing shall no more be known , but life , and immortality shall againe be brought to light , as it was in the dayes of the apostles . this i have received from god ; and the lord shall be known to be the god of his people ; and for this cause hath he called , and chosen faithfull witnesses , and given his powerfull ministry , by the gift of the holy ghost , as it was in the apostles dayes , and now many are called to declare abroad the things which we have heard , and seen , and handled , and the gospel of christ is received by the revelation of gods eternall spirit , and son in our hearts , and the power is made manifest , and the forme of godlinesse is denied and judged , and christ the one head is exalting , and the one horn of gods salvation is revealing , and the many heads , and many hornes must be broken to pieces , and be confounded in this the day of the lord ; for his purpose is powerfull in carrying on his own work against all his enemies ; so that none is able to hinder , but they that set themselves ( even the beast , and his power . which is now struck at ) and his kingdome is invaded , hath raised the force of his power , and the policie of his arme ; yet shall they be confounded , and no formed weapon shall prosper against the lord , and his way ; who is now arisen to avenge himselfe of the beast , and his power , and the whore , and her fornications , and the false prophet , and his divinations , which all must into the wine-presse of gods dreadfull wrath to be troden ; and all that worship the beast , and repents not , shall partake of the plagues of the beast , and of the whore , and though the false prophet gather gog , and magog together , to fight against the lamb , and to compasse the beloved . city about , yet he shall , and them that he gathers be broken to pieces , and driven as dust before the wind , and as stubble before the fire ; for the purpose of the lord shall stand . great babylon is come into remembrance before the lord , to reward her according to her deeds ; and the lord will cause his truth , and his salvation to be known in the earth , and his name and power is declared in the hearts of his people to the overturning of all unrighteousnesse , and though every horn of the beast push against this , and every head with his members set it selfe against it ; yet the councell of the lord shall not be disanulled , nor made voyd , for the scepter , and dominion of his son shall be exalted over all the earth , and the princes of the world , and the kings of the earth shall lay down their crowns , and become subject ; for the kingdomes of this world shall be changed , and shall become the kingdomes of the lord , and of his christ ; the kingdome of the beast must down , and the princely power of darknesse must be overthrowne , and lawes , and times , and things , and powers of men shall be overturned , and overturned , till he come to reigne in the earth , whose right it is to reigne over nations , and people ; and because of this the rage of the heathen hath been great , and the councells of the wicked many , and strong , from the prophane drunkards to the chiefest professed teachers of this age , even all the whole body of the beast , hath joyned it selfe against the purpose of the lord , men of all conditions from the highest to the lowest , have armed themselves with mischiefe to offend the way of truth . this is written as moved of the lord to go abroad through the nations , that all may understand concerning the times , and the changing of times , how that the beast hath reigned in dominion , over nations , tongues , and people ; and all have worshiped the beast , and gone after the false prophet ; here all may come to a good understanding , what hath been , and what is , and what shall be ; how that when the power , and government of christ was lost , through departing from the faith , which ruled in the apostles dayes , then the whole world was as unstable in wayes , and judgments as a sea , then out of the sea one beast arose , and another after him arose out of the earth , and all hath been caused both small , and great , bond , and free to worship the beast , and the image of the beast ; yea all the dominions of the world hath for many ages been subject to the power of the beast in all things , and not known the worship , and power of god , and the pure subjection to him , but the kings of the earth , and all her princes have given their power to the beast , and hath received their authority from him , and acted thereby many of them in great unrighteousnesse , in injustice , and oppression , and cruelty ; in pride , and rebellion , and vaine glory , in quarilling one with another , to the murdering of thousands of thousands ; and this hath all been brought forth under the power of the beast , and by it ; and his heads , and hornes hath exalted themselves one against another , and smitten one another , and the great whore hath made them all drunke , and all people upon earth , with envy , pride , wantonnesse , and all unrighteousnesse ; this hath been since the apostles dayes in this night of apostacie , wherein the whole world hath been subverted by false prophets , and deceivers , and the kingdome of christ hath not been known upon earth for many generations , but the beast hath been established in his throne of rebellion against christ jesus , his decrees hath been lawes , and statutes , and he hath made war against all the saints , and overcome them , and reigned over them untill this time , and troden down their city , and defaced their glory , but the blood of the just hath cryed day , and night under the altar , the soules of such as hath been slain for the testimony of the word of god have cryed day , and night , how long lord , how long , when wilt thou avenge our blood upon the heads of our enemies , even the beast , the whore , and the false prophet , and this hath been for many ages , even while the kingdome of antichrist hath been set up , and advanced through the world , and his power , and authority hath reached over nations , bond , and free , from the prince on his throne , to the begger on the dunghill , even all hath been subjected under the power of the beast ; that nature having ruled within every particular , hath given him the authority without over all , and admired him , and said who is able to make war with him . antichrist hath ruled over all , by injustice , oppression , and tyranny in unrighteous lawes , and through wicked decrees , old pharoah-like , he hath laid heavy yoakes , and oppressive bondes upon the just ; for who would not be subject to him , he hath had power to kill them , and none was able to gainsay ; such hath been the greatnesse of his power , and the strength of his dominion over all , that none hath been able to make war against him , he hath been admired in all the world , not any nation excepted where the government of antichrist hath not borne rule , and there hath been none left to bear witnesse against him , or to stand up against him ; for the faithfull witnesses hath been killed , and slain in the streets of the great city , which spiritually is called sodome and egypt , and all them that have dwelt upon the earth have made merry over their dead bodies , and rejoyced in their iniquities over the slaine , and been without a reprover , and not tormented , nor troubled , but have sent gifts one to another , because they have slain them , who have tormented them that dwell upon the earth ; and the government of the beast hath been enlarged , and the whole world hath wandered after him , and been in subjection under him , for many generations ; even for fourty and two monthes , he that can read let him understand ; so long hath it been given him to make war against the saints , and to overcome them , and it hath been given him to reigne over all people in the wrath of god , and in his anger , because of the rebellion of all the earth and all people in it , but he shall be taken away in gods displeasure , who reignes in his anger over the nations , who hath forsaken the lord , and was given up to the power of the beast , to be subjected in slavery , and bondage , in pain , sorrow , and misery ; and through deceit , craft , and pollieic , and oppression , and by the wisdome of this world , and naturall artes , and knowledge his government hath long been established , and his dominion hath been upon earth ; times , and lawes , and things , and powers of men have been in his hand , to change , and subvert , and overturne into his own image , and to transforme them like to the beast , none upon earth , hath bought , or sold , or judged , or given evidence , or been respected in all the world , that have not had the marke of the beast , and the number of the names of antichrist , rich , and poor , and small , and great hath received his marke , as a seale of their subjection to the beast , whose many heads , and many hornes , hath subjected all by the force of his arme , and he hath blinded the eye least men should see him , and cast darknesse over all faces , and the false prophet hath deceived many , as christ hath said , and all the earth hath been wandering in the wildernesse of wickednesse , and the long-suffering of the lord hath been wearied , and he continually provoked to destroy the nations , who have followed antichrist , who hath shewed himselfe in the seat of god , to be god , and hath sat in the seat of god , in the seat of justices righteousnesse , and of mercy , and the abomination of desolation hath long stood in the place where it ought not , for many ages , and length of times , and his many heads , and many hornes hath swayed the world , through the terrour of the beast , who hath made all worship him , and they that would not he hath killed , who hath carried the great whore , who hath made all men without exception , and all nations without respect to any , wholly drunke with abomination , and all hath staggered , and fallen ▪ into grievous iniquities , and the dragon hath stood ready continually , to devour the child of righteousnesse as soon as it wa● borne , and the woman hath been forced to fly into the wildernesse that hath brought it forth , and hath fed there for so many dayes , and for a long season hath the lord been blasphemed , even the name of god , and his tabernacle ; and them that dwell in heaven . but now hath the lord considered , and looked down from his habitation , and of a truth he is risen , and hath taken to him his great power , that he may reigne , and put all things under his feet , and subdue the power of the beast , and antichrist ; and all their government , and rule , and lawes , and decrees shall be overthrowne , and confounded , and all their worship shall be broken ; for great babylon is come into remembrance before the lord to render to her according to her workes ; the lamb is now risen , and advanced with his bow , and his sword , and he is going forth conquering , and to conquer the beast , and all that hath worshiped him ; and they that are with the lambe are called and chosen , and faithfull , and they loved not their lives unto death , and they shall overcome him by the blood of the lambe , and by the word of his testimony ; the dominion of the lambe is setting up , and his power is made manifest , and the stone cut out of the mountaine without hand is a dashing at the feet of the image , and against the beast , and his power , and against all his lawes , and decrees is he risen , and he will change times , and lawes , and powers , and the kingdomes of this world , shall become the kingdome of the lord , and of his christ , and he shall reign for ever and ever ; for now the spirit of life from god is entered into the witnesses which hath been slain , and they begin to stand upon their feet , and great feare falls upon the great men of the world , and the devill is cast out into the earth , who hath sit in heaven , in the temple of god , and deceived the whole world , and his wrath is great against the saints , and against the lambe , because he knowes that his time is but short ; and the man-childe shall grow , and shall rule the nations with a rod of iron ; if any man hath an eare to heare let him heare ; he that leadeth into captivity , shall goe into captivity , he that killeth with the sword , must be killed with the sword ; the purpose of the lord shall stand , who is now gathering , and bringing backe such as hath been driven away , and deceived by the generation of false prophets , who hath deceived the whole world and all that dwell therein , and the lord will take vengeance upon them , upon the beast , and upon the false prophet , and great babylon shall be thrown down , and shall be no more at all , but shall be made desolate , and the voyce of harpers , and musicians shall be heard no more at all in her , but her glory shall wither , and fade away in a moment , for he that bath a true weight , and measure is appeared to divide , and to give due weight , and measure unto every one , and all the wicked who will not come from under the worship of the beast shall have their part in the lake that burnes with fire , and he that is unjust , let him be unjust still , and he that is righteous , let him be righteous still , here is the dividing of all things as they were in the beginning ; the glory of the lord is risen , whose name is called the word of god , and out of his mouth goeth a sharpe sword , and with it he smites the nations and he shall rule them with an iron rod ; for his name is king of kings , and lord of lords , and he is gathering his saints together to the supper of the great god , to eat the flesh of kings , the flesh of captaines , and the flesh of horses , and them that sit thereon ; the purpose of the lord shall not be disanulled , though the beast , and the kings of the earth gather together their armies to make war against him that sits upon the horse , who is already gone out to conquer , and the numberles number of the saints are gathering together before the throne of the lambe , and they have no guile found in their mouthes . and the day is now dawned , and the night is far spent , woe unto the world , and to all the inhabiters of the earth , who have worshiped the beast , the lord is coming to plead with you , and ye that have partaked of the sins of the great whore shall partake of her plagues , and she shall be rewarded double according to her works , for her sins hath reached unto heaven ; the day of great tribulation is at hand , of anguish , and destruction , men shall seek death and shall not find it , but it shall flie from them , when the lord ariseth , and the lamb standeth upon mount sion , and his saints with him , who shall tread down the heathen , and cast them out , even as they have troden down the holy city , and the worship thereof ; and the kingdome of the beast , and his seat , and his great authority , which he hath received from the dragon , shall all be thrown downe ; and the kingdome of the son of god with his government , scepter , and rule shall be established in all the earth , and the uttermost parts thereof shall be given him to possesse ; this is the promise , and this shall come to passe , and through the whole world ; lawes , and decrees , ministry , and orders shall be changed , and renewed ; the law , and the decree of the most high shall rule over all , and the holy city shall be beautified , and is adorning , and preparing , for the saints , and their king to inherit , the lamb is the light of the city , and the temple therein , and all nations , and people that are saved shall walke in the light of the lambe , for he hath lighted every man that comes into the world with the light of salvation in all that doe receive him , and darknesse shall fly away ; the sun is risen , and praises , and honour , and glory , and dominion shall be given to the lambe , who shall reigne over nations , and his saints shall see him , and his name shall be in their foreheads , and there shall be no night , but light , and glory , and the kings of the earth shall bring in their glory , and honour into it , and the gates stand open , and is not shut , every one that thirsteth let him come , the cry is unto all , and yet nothing that defileth shall enter ; these are the faithfull sayings of the lord who is true , and must not long be sealed , for the time is at hand , and all men shall read , and all that keepeth the commandements of god shall have right to the tree of life , and blessed are they , they shall be healed , though now they suffer all manner of evill for the name of jesus , by the beast , and under his power , by them that worship him , who must fulfill wickednesse by persecuting the innocent , till the lord be raised out of his habitation ; and the dominion shall be given to them , and they shall have power to binde kings in chaines , and nobles in fetters of iron ; this is their honour , and this is their dignity , and they shall rejoyce for ever , and ever , and shall glory in the lord , and not in this world , and this shall come to passe as the lord hath said . wherefore all nations , and people arise , arise , and be awakened , prepare , prepare , and make way for the lord , be removed ye mountaines , and thrown down ye hills , and hewen down ye sturdy oakes , and cut up ye tall cedars , make way , and prepare the path for the holy one , who is coming to rule with his iron rod , and will dash you all to pieces ; be afraid , and tremble thou beast that hath long reigned over the earth , and all thy false prophets , and worshipers be confounded at this , and bow , and tremble at the remembrance hereof , he whom you have hated , and crucified , and his saints whom you have persecuted shall come to reigne over you all , and to him whom you have set at nought must you be subject to , and ruled by , to all your sorrow , for behold the lord cometh with his numberlesse number of saints , and this is a warning to all nations , and people upon earth , times , and lawes must be changed among you , governments , and orders must be changed ; unjustice , and oppression shall be removed , and every yoake , and burden shall be taken of from the neck of the poor , true judgment , and justice , mercy , and truth , peace , and righteousnesse shall be exalted , and all the nations shall have judges as at the first , and counsellers as at the beginning , and the poor shall rejoyce when true judgment , and justice reigneth , and the false prophet subdued . and this is a warning to you all , that you may hear , and consider the lamb who hath been slain , who is risen to reigne , who is the prince of peace , of whose government there shall be no end , even he hath lightned all man kinde on the face of the earth ; the fight is the eye which will let you see all this , and will bring you to the fulfilling of it , and to the good understanding , and it shall evidence the truth of this , even the light of christ in all men which is given to guide in the way of peace . the kingdome of christ , is setting up , and it is not of this world , neither shall be exalted , nor advanced , by worldly pollicy , and worldly wisdome , nor by carnall weapons , nor by the multitude of an host of men , ( it is true ) the son of god is gone forth , conquering and to conquer , and the spirit of his mouth , and the word of his power , shall get himself the victory his own arme , alone without the helpe of another , shall worke the conquest , and his kingdome shall be set up within every particular of his subjects , for none can know him reigne without them unto their salvation , till they know him , to reigne first within , for that which opposeth the kingdome of christ , and the setting of it up , is within every man , and must be subdued within , where it hath ruled , and the enemy of christs kingdome , which hath lodged within , must first be subdued before there be dominion over his enemies without . this is the word of the lord to all people , for he that pursues his enemy without , and leaves him in his own house , is foolish , and out of the way , and shall be overcome of his enemy , and shall not overcome him , therefore ye that are waiting for the kingdome of christ , be awakened , and seek for it , where it is to be found , not without you first , but first within , strive not to obtaine it with your carnall weapons , but take the weapons which is spiritual , which only will overcome , be not deceived for through suffering must the kingdome of christ be set up , and not by rebellion through crafts , and plots , and secret pollicy , and turbulent arisings , nor strife , in the nature of enmity , ( by this meanes shall the kingdome of christ never be advanced ) and this is the word of the lord , and our testimony which we give of the kingdome of christ , who is indeed arisen to make war against all his enemies , and they that follow him are called and faithfull , and chosen , whose weapons are spirituall , and mighty through god , and reacheth , to the killing and subduing of all flesh , ( and he must war ) till all his enemies be subdued , and must reigne over all his enemies , till the kingdome be delivered to the father , where he shall be all in all . the d month . all ye inhabitants of the earth in all nations through the world ; hearken and give ear , the word of the lord god that made heaven and earth is towards you , he is coming to set up his kingdome and his dominion which never shall have end , and the kingdomes of this world shall be changed and shall become the kingdomes of the son of god . all ye kings , and princes , and rulers through the whole world , the lord is coming up with his mighty host against you all , he who will fanne you , and sift you , and try you , and search you out , for his fanne is in his hand , and he will throughly purge you , and you shall all know that the kingdome of the most high god , rules in the kingdomes of men ; all your glory shall fade away , all your majesty , and honour , and dignities , and dominions shall come to an end , all your strength is but as a straw , all your treasure as a thing of nought , all your glory as a fading leafe in the presence of the lord god that made heaven , and earth ; all nations upon the earth , are but as the drop of a bucket befo●e him , and the hearts of all men are in his hand , and by him kings rule , and the princes of the earth are at his disposure and you are all weighed in the ballance of equity , and found too light before the lord , for all flesh hath corrupted its way before him ; be awakened ye that have long slept in darknesse , and been at ease in the flesh ye that have had peace in this world , and pleasure in the vanities thereof , the lord is coming to make war against you , his trumpet hath sounded , and his sons and daughters is gone forth to bear witnesse of his majesty , and power , and dominion , and the lord hath spoken , who can but prophesie , he hath given the word , and many are they that publish it ; let your eares be open to instruction , and kicke not against the lord , neither harden your hearts against him , but make way for him , and prepare his path , for he cometh to judge the world in righteousnesse , and the people with equity , and the testimony of the light of jesus in you all shall witnesse for him ; your princely powers must become subject to the power of the kingdome of the most high , and your glory must be vailed , and darkned before the glory which the lord is causeing to shine forth , and we the servants of the most high doe give you warning of the day of your visitation , which is upon you , and all the world ; for the lord is now risen who hath long winked at the time of great ignorance , but now he warnes you all to repent ; therefore bow down ye stiffe-necked , and tremble ye stout-hearted , and be abased ye lofty-looks , our king is above you all , our dominion is over you all , and the line of true judgement are you all measured with , and your wayes are not found perfect in the sight of the lord , nor your hearts right before him , his kingdome hath not been known in your dominions , neither hath his law and his judgements borne rule , but you have every one bin doing that which is right in the sight of your own eyes ; and the counsells of your heart hath been nought but vanity before the lord ; vain glory hath abounded among you which the lords soul hath been burthened by ; the honours , and pleasures of the flesh hath been your delight , and strife , and enmity hath been among you , and warres , and quarrelling , and fighting one against another , and you have rejoyced in the over-throw one of another , and in destroying one another , and you have taken pleasure in gaining one anothers dominions , you have striven who should have been the greatest , and greatly opressed the poor , you have exalted your selves one against another , and drawn up your armies one in defiance of another , and the bloud of thousands hath been shed to satisfie the humors of your proud hearts all this hath been evill in the sight of the lord , and his spirit hath been grieved , and his soul vexed by all this , and he hath forborne till he hath been weary ; for he hath been dishonoured by all this ; and his law hath not borne rule , and his judgements hath had no place , you have been cruell hearted one towards another , and mercilesse , and without pitty , and you have not done to others as you would be done unto , but you have rendred evill for evill , and sought occasions of evill one against another , and vexed one another through the pride of your hearts ; therefore now is the lord risen to make warre against you all , and to dash you to peices ; the feller comes up amongst you , he that will not spare to ssay , and to devoure , who will not be affraid of your lofty lookes , he will spoile you of your treasures , and lay waste your strength ; all ye kingdomes of the earth , and your gathering together against him is but as briers , and thornes , for he will exalt his owne kingdome over you all , and all yee kings of the earth shall know that that the kingdome of the most high must rule in your kingdomes , and your lawes shall be changed , and the poor shall no more be opressed ; for he is come that proclaimes liberty unto the captives , who will remove opression far away , who will change times , and worships and ordinances , and there shall be no law but the law of god , nor no light , but of the lamb , nor no worship but the worship in the spirit , and in the truth ; for all your worships which the nations are full of , is nought but vanity , and a lye , immitations , and superstitions , brought forth in hypocrisie , and not in an upright heart ; vanity of vanities hath abounded both in civill , and spirituall affairs ; the root in which you stand is wholy corrupted , and no good fruit springs from it , but cursed fruites which must be hewen downe , and cast into the fire ; ye have been evill , and could not bring forth any good , you are corrupted , and your fruit is of a bitter taste , a day of sorrow , of lamentation , and misery is coming upon you all ; ye that have been high , and lofty and stout hearted , fearfulnesse shall surprize you , and the terror of the lord of hosts shall compasse you about ; i am moved to salute you all with this as a warning and when it comes to passe remember you have been told ; ye that know not the kingdome of the most high ruling men , but are saying in your hearts this hath my hand done , in a moment shall you be smitten , and know there is one above you which must rule , for it his right to rule over all nations , and there shall be no king , but jesus the anointed of god , nor no government , but the government of the lambe , there shall be no more warres , but war against the dragon , who hath stood to devour the man-child , which is now bringing forth , and he must rule with his iron rod , and shall subdue all under his feet ; we whom god hath warned cannot but warn you of these things , whith are to come to passe ; he is coming to seperate betwixt the just , and the unjust , he will gather from among you , that the wicked may be consumed from off the face of the earth . all you rulers in the world , i warne you all , take heed how you persecute such as comes to warne you , who brings this message to you , least you add sin to sin , till there be no place found for repentance ; for ye shall all know our god is the true god that made heaven and earth , before whose presence all flesh must come to judgement . by a friend unto the creation . e. b. finis . the life and death of monsieur claude, the famous minister of charenton in france done out of french by g.p. abrégé de la vie de mr. claude. english ladevèze, abel-rodolphe de. approx. kb of xml-encoded text transcribed from -bit group-iv tiff page images. text creation partnership, ann arbor, mi ; oxford (uk) : - (eebo-tcp phase ). a wing l estc r ocm this keyboarded and encoded edition of the work described above is co-owned by the institutions providing financial support to the early english books online text creation partnership. this phase i text is available for reuse, according to the terms of creative commons . universal . the text can be copied, modified, distributed and performed, even for commercial purposes, all without asking permission. early english books online. (eebo-tcp ; phase , no. a ) transcribed from: (early english books online ; image set ) images scanned from microfilm: (early english books, - ; : ) the life and death of monsieur claude, the famous minister of charenton in france done out of french by g.p. abrégé de la vie de mr. claude. english ladevèze, abel-rodolphe de. g. p. [ ], , [ ] p. printed for thomas dring ..., london : . translation of: abrégé de la vie de mr. claude. caption and running title: the life of monsieur claude. advertisement: p. [ - ] at end. reproduction of original in huntington library. created by converting tcp files to tei p using tcp tei.xsl, tei @ oxford. re-processed by university of nebraska-lincoln and northwestern, with changes to facilitate morpho-syntactic tagging. gap elements of known extent have been transformed into placeholder characters or elements to simplify the filling in of gaps by user contributors. eebo-tcp is a partnership between the universities of michigan and oxford and the publisher proquest to create accurately transcribed and encoded texts based on the image sets published by proquest via their early english books online (eebo) database (http://eebo.chadwyck.com). the general aim of eebo-tcp is to encode one copy (usually the first edition) of every monographic english-language title published between and available in eebo. eebo-tcp aimed to produce large quantities of textual data within the usual project restraints of time and funding, and therefore chose to create diplomatic transcriptions (as opposed to critical editions) with light-touch, mainly structural encoding based on the text encoding initiative (http://www.tei-c.org). the eebo-tcp project was divided into two phases. the , texts created during phase of the project have been released into the public domain as of january . anyone can now take and use these texts for their own purposes, but we respectfully request that due credit and attribution is given to their original source. users should be aware of the process of creating the tcp texts, and therefore of any assumptions that can be made about the data. text selection was based on the new cambridge bibliography of english literature (ncbel). if an author (or for an anonymous work, the title) appears in ncbel, then their works are eligible for inclusion. selection was intended to range over a wide variety of subject areas, to reflect the true nature of the print record of the period. in general, first editions of a works in english were prioritized, although there are a number of works in other languages, notably latin and welsh, included and sometimes a second or later edition of a work was chosen if there was a compelling reason to do so. image sets were sent to external keying companies for transcription and basic encoding. quality assurance was then carried out by editorial teams in oxford and michigan. % (or pages, whichever is the greater) of each text was proofread for accuracy and those which did not meet qa standards were returned to the keyers to be redone. after proofreading, the encoding was enhanced and/or corrected and characters marked as illegible were corrected where possible up to a limit of instances per text. any remaining illegibles were encoded as <gap>s. understanding these processes should make clear that, while the overall quality of tcp data is very good, some errors will remain and some readable characters will be marked as illegible. users should bear in mind that in all likelihood such instances will never have been looked at by a tcp editor. the texts were encoded and linked to page images in accordance with level of the tei in libraries guidelines. copies of the texts have been issued variously as sgml (tcp schema; ascii text with mnemonic sdata character entities); displayable xml (tcp schema; characters represented either as utf- unicode or text strings within braces); or lossless xml (tei p , characters represented either as utf- unicode or tei g elements). keying and markup guidelines are available at the text creation partnership web site . eng claude, jean, - . clergy -- france -- biography. - tcp assigned for keying and markup - aptara keyed and coded from proquest page images - elspeth healey sampled and proofread - elspeth healey text and markup reviewed and edited - pfs batch review (qc) and xml conversion the life and death of monsieur claude the famous minister of charenton in france . done out of french by g. p. imprimatur . sept. th . . guil. needham . london , printed for thomas dring at the corner of chancery-lane in fleetstreet . . the preface : a discourse of death . it is no little advantage we receive from our religion , that it is so mightily effectual to free us from all troublesome and disquieting thoughts , and to produce in us a settledness and firmness of mind , not apt to be easily shaken or moved ; nay it inspirits men with courage and an ingenuous confidence , raising us above those fears and cares that follow false opinions , and like ghosts are wont to torment ot●…serable this is a great kindness that the faith of christ doth to those w●●…e● live according to it , that it puts them into such a state , that they need fear nothing but displeasing , or offending god ; especially our christianity is the most proper remedy against the unreasonable fear of death , for that must necessarily distract the mind , and interrupt its peace by continual vexation and perplexity , in all those who are under the power of it , and therefore most fitly call'd by the apostle here a state of bondage . and deliver them who through fear of death , were all their life time subject to bondage . i shall not dispute here , whether by death is meant onely that which is temporal , or that which is eternal , since it is the apprehension or fear of eternal death chiefly that makes the other so tirrible and affrighting . it would be an easie thing to conquer the fear of death , one might soon be able to think of it with the greatest indifference and unconcernedness , if we could but once thoroughly persuade our selves that it would put an utter end to us . it is the judgement to come , the never dying worm , the everlasting flames and immortality that are to follow , that make men so loth to think of dying , so unwilling to hear of it , so surprised at any sign or symptome of it . were there no other state after this , the generality of men would be so far from fearing death , that they would fly to it as the onely certain cure for the evils of this life , any little disease , pain and burthen that they could not easily get rid of , they would seek a remedy for in death . were there not , i say , in all men a natural dread of the ill consequences of death , i cannot but imagine that mens own hands would send more daily to the cold grave than all the diseases and casualties that our bodies are liable to , and it would be so far from an instance of courage and bravery to despise death , that the greatest cowards would most desire it and soonest fly to it . but let them doe what they can , they cannot wholly free their minds , at least , from all suspicion of another world , and that makes them most commonly so fearfull of dying . so that it comes to the same , whether by death be meant here of the body onely , or a future state , for that which makes us fear death is because it leads us into another life . therefore i shall now explain to you , i. how men by the fear of death are subjected to bondage . ii. inquire what this fear of death is that christ delivers us from . iii. how religion doth free us from it . i. how men by the fear of death are subjected to bondage . for this is the natural effect of any fear whatsoever , that it makes men slaves , it cowardizes them , and renders them mean and abject ; particularly the fear of death so enslaves those that are possessed of it , that they can neither think freely nor act freely , and so consequently can neither be truely good nor really happy in this life . this fear doth hinder men from thinking freely . and therefore we read of those that have commanded that none should name this word death in their hearing . such persons who are afraid to die , dare not give themselves free liberty to exercise their minds , and are fain to take all occasions of diverting themselves , and find any entertainment rather than be put in mind of their continual danger . they use all arts to stifle and smother such thoughts as soon as they rise . their hearts are ready to sink within them when they hear of any dismal calamity that hath happen'd unto a neighbour or friend , lest the same should betide them , and their own turn shortly come . and this is generally true , that he can neither fully enjoy himself nor take pleasure in himself , who hath not mastered this fear of death . it hinders men from acting freely . he is a slave to every man , that hath power enough to doe him a mischief , who is afraid of death . whatever religion or profession he is now of , you may soon threaten or scare him out of it , and make him whatever you please . such a one cannot promise to-himself that he shall continue one day longer in that mind , that faith that he now holds . there is no sin so vile or heinous , but what he may be brought to commit . put but his life in danger , fright him thoroughly , and he will renounce all the articles of his creed , and break all the commandments his religion lays upon him , for every one that doth but wear a sword . and is not this a truely slavish condition , when we can neither command our own thoughts , nor be master of our own actions ? and this is certainly the case of all those , that do not love god better than their lives , or that fear death more than sin . such a one can neither be good nor happy ; not good longer than while he finds it safe and free from all danger , and how can he be happy who stands in such a continual dread that a thousand accidents may this hour happen to him , and that death must certainly befall him , and that it is onely god's infinite patience that it doth not presently . and without any more words i know you will all grant this a miserable state . but now i do not say this is the effect of all kind of fear of death , i must therefore more particularly shew what kind of fear it is that makes men so unhappy . most men have great reason to be afraid of dying , as much as a guilty prisoner hath to be afraid of coming to his tryal and brought to his sentence . the more some men fear death , the more troublesome thoughts and apprehensions it occasions in them , the more capable are they to be wrought upon by it . nay indeed it is impossible for a guilty person not to fear death , although perhaps sometimes out of a brave indifferency in the heat of bloud and passion , he may despise it , valiantly rush into the midst of danger , and with a bold and daring spirit voluntarily expose himself to it , out of a sense of pretended honour and gallantry ; yet let him think coolly and soberly of such a thing , let him consider of it with himself and the consequences thereof , and i am sure he will be very misgiving and suspicious , and struggle mightily with himself at the thoughts of it . i speak not to lessen the fears of those who live in any known sin ; if god be true they have great reason to be afraid . now here it may be asked , supposing a man brought into extreme danger of his life for the sake of his religion , in a time of persecution , one that hath long professed the true religion , but hath lived very unanswerably to it , and is guilty of many grievous crimes unrepented of , which he is accused by his own conscience for ; of a sudden he is commanded to renounce his faith which in his mind he is verily persuaded is true , and to turn to idolatry , and to deny and blaspheme his saviour , or else immediately to suffer death ; what must such a one doe now in this cases if he complies with the command , he sins grievously against the light of his mind and his own conscience , and yet by such a complyance he gains time of repentance , to make his peace with god , and to beg his pardon for his crime , and also for all his other sins which he hath so long lived in . if he chuses death , it is that which he is wholly unprepar'd for , he is utterly unfit to appear before god , and he can expect nothing but to suffer god's vengeance for the sins of an ill-spent life . now what is to be done in such sad circumstances as these ? it is a case that may happen , and therefore to resolve the doubt i shall propound briefly these things to you , viz. . in point of duty what this man is bound to doe . this is most certain , that no sin ought to be committed upon any consideration whatever . their damnation is just , saith the apostle , that doe evil that good may come , rom. . . it is in no case , either justifiable or prudent , to save our lives by any sin . it is every one's duty , nay it is best even for the greatest of sinners , to loose his life a thousand times rather than to deny god or his truth . and as for gaining time for repentance ; it is to be considered that when we are in such a strait , as that we cannot live any longer without sinning directly and grievously against our consciences , it is god's will that we should then die , the time of our repentance is now over , and god by this providence doth call us out of the world . now when we will not submit to this call , but will not stick to doe the greatest villany , how can we expect that god should bestow any farther grace upon us , or that his spirit after such an apostasie should strive any longer with us . commonly the effect of such things is a judicial hardness , to be given up to a perverse mind and a reprobate state . after any one hath in so gross a manner violated his conscience , there is very little hope that ever he should be again renewed in the spirit of his mind . for persons to have obeyed the truth , and yet in time of persecution fall away , and for fear of death renounce it , the ancient church , that is to say , a great part would never again receive them into their communion till their death , and a great division there was among them concerning the restoring those that had once lapsed into idolatry . what then shall we say to those , who after a wicked life , add to their other sins that of hypocrisie ? they may for a while lengthen out their wretched lives , but it is to be fear'd that they have shut themselves out from all hopes of the means of grace . it is a very improper and unlikely way in order to attain the pardon of past sins , to commit the greatest we can be guilty of , to renounce our saviour . . in such a case therefore the sinner is bound to adore the justice of god's judgment , that by his own gross neglect and carelesness he is brought into such misery , for that he ought to have been always prepared for such a time . yet however , though he hath highly provoked god , and displeased him to the utmost , yet he will not deny or blaspheme his name , he will not renounce his saviour , nor disown his profession ; he will leave himself to god's infinite mercy , and will die rather than offend him : and such a resolute resignation of himself , such a generous and noble profession of his faith , how far it may be acceptable with god , and prevail with him is unknown . in such extraordinary instances , god may use extraordinary means in reference to us , and may dispence even with the rules he hath laid down in the scripture . indeed i cannot prove or produce any promise for it , but the example of the thief on the cross , who for an extraordinary instance of faith and charity , obtain'd more than common grace , i think , and favour . and considering the infinite goodness of god's nature , i should have far more hopes of such a person , that after a wicked life ends his daies bravely and couragiously rather than against his judgement and conscience , than of a profane , covetous , worldly , unclean professor , who bewails his sins on a sick-bed while he is wrestling with a wasting disease , and hopes by his prayers and good wishes and pious resolutions to obtain his pardon . and this was the sense of the primitive church , that an heathen being converted to christianity and suffering for it , among other christians , before he could make a publick profession of it , or be baptized into it , that he should inherit the reward of christians , this baptism in his own bloud supplying all other defects , and expiating all former sins . i say it was the common opinion of the ancient fathers , they thought his death carried with it the remission of all past sins . i shall not take upon me to determine this , but thus much i think may be said in the case proposed , that to die for his religion is the best means such a person can use to obtain his pardon , and does express his repentance to be sure far better than adding the sin of apostasie to all his others . but to make sure , the best way is to hasten our repentance , and to reform presently , before the floods come , and the winds blow , and the storms rise ; by a new life to arm our selves against all the powers and rage of men , and then though we walk through the valley of the shadow of death , yet we need fear no evil . this therefore is as i told you a great reason to fear death . for death being in truth the greatest of all natural evils that can befall us , there is in all men a natural fear of it , which cannot be wholly rooted out by religion , nor is it necessary that it should be . if death had not been a natural evil , it had never been threatned nor inflicted on mankind as a punishment for sin . there is in all men a natural dread of it , and we hardly count them worthy the name of men , that are not affected with a due sense of it . and this fear is more or less according to mens tempers . some are much more timorous than others . to some the circumstances that attend death are much more terrible than death it self . some fear diseases and pain more than death . some are loth to die for fear of their posterity , friends , relations , to whom they are usefull , and for whom they are mightily concerned . some are unwilling to go out of the world because they are in a capacity of doing more good in it , which was the case of st. paul. on the other hand some are willing to die onely through weariness of life , out of peevishness , discontent and impatience , because they are dissatisfied with their present condition , or cannot bear those afflictions which god's providence hath exercised them withall ; which cannot be reckoned any vertue , unless in them who in their sober minds and thoughts can willingly submit to death , whenever it pleases god to call them to it . and yet such upon a sudden fright or surprise , when their lives are unawares brought into danger , may not be able to conquer their fear , but may shew a great disquiet . they may earnestly desire to ▪ tarry a little longer , that they may be yet fitter for death , that they may search and try themselves yet more exactly and curiously ; that they may be farther satisfied with the sincerity and honesty of their hearts and intentions . many more instances i might give . but now that which our saviour frees us from is , a troublesome , tormenting fear of death , which thing alone disturbs us , and fills us with confusion and perplexity of spirit , when ever we chance to think of it . as when we are unreasonably jealous and suspicious of what trials god's ordinary providence may put us upon ; when we are unmeasurably solicitous about the preserving our health , or securing our selves from danger ; when we are concern'd as if we had no hope , and are as unwilling to submit to the stroke of death as a sullen malefactour is to go to execution . now such a fear of death is worse than death it self . i now proceed to shew how religion does free men from this troublesome and anxious fear of death . and the , . means our religion affords us to deliver us from this fear is , the consideration of god's wise and gratious providence over us . not an hair of our heads shall fall to the ground without his leave . our lives are in his hands who hitherto hath taken care of us , and whatever he calls us to is with the highest reason , and the most excellent ends , and can we wish any thing better to our selves than this would be , to be under the protection of the almighty ? would we live longer than infinite wisedom sees fit for us ? can we doubt of his care who is goodness it self ? would we have the disposal of our own selves ? alas ! how soon should we repent us of our choice , and run into all the several casualties and dismal dangers that can fall upon us ? if we had nothing to depend on , or trust unto , but our own counsels , prudence or carefulness , we might then have just reason to distrust every man , and to expect death in every place ; we could not be too scrupulous or solicitous . could i in the least doubt of god's providence over us , then indeed i should neither eat nor sleep safely , nor live one day in quiet ; i should not be able to doe any thing without anxiety and disturbance , if i once could persuade my self that all the effects that happen were wholly casual , and not governed by an infinite understanding , that superintends all affairs , and disposes of them as he sees good . nor is there any thing that can well settle mens minds in the midst of so many secret and open dangers as we are every minute liable unto , in any tolerable patience , rest , quiet and assurance , but this one consideration , that nothing can befall us without the leave and ordering of the best and wisest of beings . indeed the turkish opinion of fate , which hath strangely prevail'd among christians , ought in reason to satisfie them against the greatest dangers , that the number of the days of every man living is so determin'd by an unalterable decree , that it is impossible he should die before , or out live the time appointed him by god before all the world . this made the followers of mahomet , who so studiously taught this doctrine , to despise death and danger , not to fear it when they were in the extremest hazard of it ; freely to visit their neighbours when sick of the plague , which we dare not do to one another in any ordinary disease ; or to run upon their enemies swords or cannons . for what can be strange with those , that are neither concern'd to prolong their lives , nor to avoid death ? but this is no part of the christian faith. we are told indeed the days of our years are threescore years and ten , and if by reason of strength , they be fourscore years , yet is their strength labour and sorrow : for it is soon cut off , and we fly away . behold , saith david , thou hast made my days as an hands breadth . and job tells us , a man's days are determined , the number of his months are with god , he hath appointed his bounds that he cannot pass , and in another place , that all men have their appointed time . all which signifies no more than this , that god in the general hath set bounds to a man's life beyond which he will not ordinarily extend it ; he hath set the term of our lives beyond which we shall not ordinarily extend them , which is about threescore and ten years , notwithstanding which some die much sooner , and some few live longer . but the scripture no where teacheth us , that the length of a man's life is so fixed by god that he shall not die before such a time , nor live at all beyond it . nay , the contrary is plainly intimated to us . in all those places of scripture where long life is promised for the reward of obedience in any particular duty , which must imply ( if it signifie any thing ) that we shall live longer than otherwise we should have done . thus , honour thy father and thy mother : that thy days may be long upon the land which the lord thy god giveth thee . now this promise can never reasonably oblige any man to the performance of duty to his parents , if it be absolutely determined how long he shall live . thus in the . exod. and ye shall serve the lord your god , and he shall bless thy bread and thy water , and take away sickness from thee ; the number of thy days will he fulfill . not that he promiseth that if they were obedient to his laws , they should live out the full age of men , and that he would preserve them from sickness and distempers . no , for this were to no purpose , and they could expect no otherwise if they harkened not unto , or disobeyed god's words . so farther , in the . deut. god promises not any should live out their days , but that they should live longer than otherwise they should . thou shalt keep therefore his statutes and his commandments , which i command thee this day , that it may go well with thee , and with thy children after thee , and that thou mayest prolong thy days upon the earth which the lord thy god giveth thee for ever . to wicked men god often threatens sudden and untimely death , that they should die sooner than otherwise they should have done . the fear of the lord prolongeth ( or , as we have it in the margin , addeth ) days ; but the years of the wicked shall be shortned . that is they shall not live so long as otherwise they might have done . thus many men shall not live out half their days ; not half the ordinary time of a man's life . most observable is the instance of king hezekiah , in the . isa . to whom the prophet positively declares ; thus saith the lord , set thine house in order , for thou shalt die and not live : and yet upon his humble prayer fifteen years more were added unto his days , which otherwise he should not have had . from which it plainly appears that by sin and disobedience men may shorten their days and cut off from their lives , and by piety and vertue men may procure to themselves a longer life and encrease of days . now the length or shortness of our lives depends often upon our own voluntary actions , upon our pleasing or displeasing god , which cannot agree with that doctrine of fate i before mentioned . nor do we need any such opinion against the fear of death , because we allow that our life depends upon god's good will and pleasure ; that no instruments of death , no ill practices , can prevail against us without his appointment . and this is a sufficient foundation of assurance and confidence , notwithstanding the frailty and uncertainty of our condition here , that the watchman of israel neither slumbereth nor sleepeth ; that his eye is always upon us for good ; that we shall live as long and as well as is really best for us , and then who would not be willing to die ? but , another means our religion affords us to free us from the fear of death is a deadness to this present world and all the trifling pleasures of it . for it is an over fond love and doating upon the things of this world and sensual enjoyments that makes persons so unwilling to die . the more our appetites and desires are mortified and subdued , the readier we shall be to bid an eternal farewell to all these things below . it is no wonder that those who know no other happiness but what is to be found in these lower regions , are loth to be torn from their dear possessions , and to venture into a strange countrey which they have so little knowledge of . but by this contempt of the world which our religion teaches us , we forsake it in the love of it , even whilst we are living , and so our business is better than half done before hand , and we are freed from those worldly cloggs and encumbrances that too often hang on our vertue and most raised affections . farther , the consideration of christ's conquering death for us gives a mighty encouragement against the inordinate fear of death . for our blessed saviour hath tasted death for every man and hath taken away its sting , hath quell'd its force and overcome its power , insomuch that he is said to have abolished it . he hath made a way through death and the grave to his father's glory , and shall we be afraid like saint peter , to profess and fellow him wheresoever he goes ? our prince and redeemer hath voluntarily passed through it , and shall it grieve us to follow his steps , and to come to him through that passage by which he himself entred into his kingdom ? lastly , the hope of salvation is another great means that our christianity administers to us against this base fear of dying . i have read it is an ordinary saying among the turks , that if christians had a right opinion concerning heaven , they could not be so afraid of death , which is the onely way to life . and it was reasonably asked by the philosopher of him that promised that all that were of his sect should be immediately happy as soon as they were dead , why then he did not presently die ? do we really believe a future glory , and are we afraid to enter into our master's joy ? what , are we christians , and yet would we live always here ? have we already attain'd all the happiness which we aspire after ? can we be contented to know no more of god , to enjoy no more of his glory , and to love him no more , than we can doe in this imperfect state ? are we unwilling to receive that reward which we daily pray for ? thou knowest not what thou art capable of , what perfection , what happiness thy soul shall enjoy , freed from this troublesome tabernacle , this luggage of flesh , and art thou afraid of being translated into the celestial kingdom ? one glimpse of that glory which our saviour hath promised to us , would make as all long to be with christ . no wonder saint paul was so ready to die , when he had before hand been rapt up into the third heaven , and had seen and heard things not utterable . did we live in the hopes of the future happiness we shall enjoy , we should not value any of the pleasures here below , nor fear to undergo any thing that stood in his way between us and those blessed mansions of happy souls , where dwelleth god , and perpetual peace and satisfaction , free from all care and disturbance , from all fear and anxiety , from all pain and danger ; where onely is to be found perfect contentment , eternal joy and immortal happiness . if christians perfectly knew the felicity of the other life , they would be impatient of the present ; they would be hardly able to brook or endure living , or any thing that detain'd them from such unspeakable enjoyments . wo unto us therefore , that yet dwell in meshech , and are forced to abide in the tents of kedar . blessed , yea , thrice blessed , are are all those that have passed this miserable world , and are received into the heavenly mansions ; for one day there is better than a thousand elsewhere . one thing have i desired of the lord , and that will i still seek after , that i may live for ever with him , and behold his glory . when shall we arrive at that eternal and celestial happiness , where we shall have no more of these storms and dangers ? when shall we pass all fears , and cares , and grief , and troublesome passions ? even so saith the church , all true christians and sincere believers , come lord jesus , come quickly , and deliver us from these crazy bodies , and put on us that house that is eternal and in the heavens . is it so pleasant to us to wander to and fro in this wilderness , and be tossed up and down upon these troublesome waves ? and can it be grievous to us to think of arriving at our journey's end ? how soon would all the grief and pain and uneasiness that accompanies sickness , and the very pangs of death pass away ; when once we have received our crown ? we shall be so taken up with those surpassing joys , that we shall have no leisure to think of what we have undergone ; all the troublesome passage will soon vanish . i confess that for men who have no well grounded hopes of eternal life , it is reasonable for them to fear death , as the day of their execution , when they shall receive the just reward of their evil doings . but to you i now speak who profess to have an hope of this blessed immortality ; for you it is a shame to be afraid of death . it is for them onely to fear death , as one of the ancients said , who would go to christ . this is the onely thing that makes men take death so heavily , they do not really believe those great things our saviour hath promised ; if they did they would look upon death as the greatest happiness that can befall them . why art thou then thus cast down , o my soul , why art thou disquieted within me ? we contradict , at least we disparage our faith , by our fear of death ; since it is the gate that leads into the heavenly city , into the new jerusalem . we ought rather to entertain the thoughts of it with a smile , and bid it heartily welcome , as the end of all my labour and torment , all my sorrows and cares : as that that would give me a sight of him that dyed for me , and convey me into his armes and embraces who shed his bloud for my soul ▪ and carry me into a kingdom of peace and righteousness and eternal joy , and would bring me into the company of all the famous prophets , apostles , martyrs , confessours and all holy men and women ; which will again restore to me the society of those friends , relations , dear children and parents , whose loss i have so sadly bemoan'd and restore them again refined from all dross , infinitely more lovely and amiable than ever they were before . oh! how shall we please our selves when once our souls are disentangled from this lower world ? thou art afraid to go to a strange place , where thou never wert before , and from whence no friend that is gone thither before hath ever returned to tell thee what it is ; but is it not sufficient to know it is our father's house , our saviour's kingdom , a place of uninterrupted joy and happiness ? all the afflictions of this life are not worthy to be compared with the glory that shall be reveal'd . let us fix in our selves these considerations , and we shall see nothing terrible in death , or think strange of being born into the invisible world ; which though it may be attended with some pain and hardship , yet the joy that we are delivered from this miserable life will soon make us infinite amends . nay indeed were there no other advantage , but onely the putting an end to those disquieting fears of death , death it self should be less dreadfull to us . in the other life there is no more fear of dying , no diseases can overtake us , we shall be above all the solicitudes and troublesome concerns of nature . inure therefore your minds to this , till it hath reconciled to you the thoughts of death , this is the most happy and perfect state that we can arrive to here , to have as the usual expression is , vitam in patientia , mortem in desiderio , to be content to live , and yet desirous to die , and to enter into the possession of those great things which god hath laid up for those that fear him . such may find it as hard to be willing to live , as to be desirous of death . persons affected with a due sense of immortal happiness , may doubt which is hardest , to bear life or to suffer death . thus hath our saviour delivered us from this slavish fear of death , by bringing life and immortality to light through the gospel . and it is all the peace and comfort of our lives to be raised above the fear of death . the life of monsieur claude . part i. francis clavde was a pastour of great piety , performing his office with much honour in the churches of montbaziliac and cours near bergerac in lower guienne , where he died in his seventy fourth year . he had a son called john claude , a famous minister of the gospel , whose life i now undertake to write , for the bestowing upon his memory an instance of the esteem and affection i had for him , and the gratifying the desire of such as onely knowing him by his writings , will , as is very natural , be curious to be informed of the principal circumstances of the life and death of his great man. monsieur claude was born at salvetat , in the year . his father , being a lover of polite learning , took care of his education during his youth , after which he went to finish his studies in the academy of montauban : there did monsieur claude study philosophy ; his wit beginning then to find matter to exercise upon , made him quickly distinguish'd from all the other students in philosophy ; and though he was no harder student than his companions , yet the flame of his imagination carried him so far that he made greater progress in that science in six months than his fellow students in a year . after he had accomplish'd his course in philosophy , he began to study divinity under messieurs garrisoles and charles , professours in that academy : he more particularly applied himself to monsieur charles , whose memory he honour'd all his life long . i know not whether the conformity of these two great genius's might not from that time contract this union of hearts ; for as monsieur claude had an admiration for his master , we may also affirm , that the master relish'd the character of his disciple ; that he lov'd him tenderly , and spake of him as of a young-man of most hopefull expectation . his father , being desirous to see him in the sanctuary , did a little hasten the time of his reception into the ministery , for he was not full twenty five years old when he was admitted as minister ; he lost thereby the opportunity of travelling , of seeing other universities , that of saumur especially where were professours of such vast learning , and where was to be found that politeness of language and manners as very rarely passes beyond the loire , and which nevertheless was so much his province . he was admitted minister in the synod of upper guienne and upper languedoc , in the year . he was assigned minister to the church at la treyne , his father was nominated by the synod to ordain him , and he had this comfort , which is the greatest a man of his character can receive , monsieur claude served this church but one year . the synod of upper languedoc benefic'd him with the church of saint afrique in rovergue , and this to supply the place of monsieur martel ; this church was not considerable for a numerous congregation , but had had the good fortune of being serv'd by ministers of extraordinary merit ; monsieur gaches , who died pastour at paris , and monsieur martel professour of divinity had there exercised their ministery , and this little flock , glorying in those two great names , imagin'd that , for the keeping up its fame , it could not doe better than to pitch upon monsieur claude . in sciences , as in war , great men are not accomplish'd in a day , herein art as well as nature requires time and industry . monsieur claude studies hard at saint afrique , though his sermons took him up less time than his other studies , he preaching with great facility ; he had a wit that easily conceived things , a judgment that did not fail of disposing each piece in its due place , an expression so fluent , so easie , so just and so masculine , that people had much adoe to distinguish what he said with meditation , from what he had written . the church of castres , famous for the honour it had of possessing in its bosome the officers of the chamber of the edict of nantes , and a vast number of other persons of quality and learning , intreated monsieur claude in his passing that way , to give them a sermon . he preach'd there one sunday , and fill'd his whole auditory with admiration , so far as to give occasion to a very singular declamation which a very able man made in favour of him , and which the publick will possibly be glad to be informed of since it redounds to his honour : a numerous company were discoursing of monsieur claude's sermon , ladies there were that spake their opinions , those of the best sense were extremely well satisfied with it , others of the order of those that a little too much mind the preacher's voice , face and actions , durst not so openly pass their verdicts , and staid first to know a worthy person's judgment then present ; i am persuaded they did not expect so smart an answer , when they heard him say , that he could wish with all his heart he had but one eye , like that minister , provided he was capable of preaching as well as he . there needed no more to persuade them that he had preached very well , since this gentleman , who was a person extremely handsome , valued that sermon at so high a rate . this sermon made a strong impression upon peoples minds , so far that the officers of the chamber of the edict , wanting a minister , several of them cast their eyes upon monsieur claude , but there were motives also , that brought another into the election , the lot was cast upon these two pastours ; and providence , that had destin'd monsieur claude for something greater , depriv'd the church of castres of the comfort it would have received from his ministery . but if the church of castres had not the honour of having monsieur claude for its minister , it had the pleasure of seeing that he came to chuse a wife in its bosom , and that it thereby acquired a kind of right over this great man. he there married mademoiselle elizabeth de malecare , on the eighth of november . the bare choice of a man of that merit speaks in favour of her that was to be his wife , she came of a very good family , her father was advocate in parliament ; she made good her birth and the declaration which monsieur claude made in her behalf , which will be seen in this history , justifies the esteem and affection he had for her till death . monsieur claude serv'd the church of saint afrique for the space of eight years , being belov'd by his flock , known and desir'd by several churches , esteem'd and honour'd in the synod of upper languedoc ; whereat he was annually present ; but amidst all these blessings he consider'd , as the most pretious , the birth of a son which god gave him according to his heart , on wednesday the fifth of march , . and who was nam'd isaac claude , it so fell out at this time that the church of nismes which was one of the best churches in france , sought within and without the provinces for a man that could bear the weight of that burthen ; a minister , in short , that was proper for preaching , for disputation and the conduct of a great flock . monsieur claude's reputation being spread far and near made them quickly determine upon the choice they were to make ; they sent as deputies to him gentlemen of the greatest eminence , that they might not miss their aim ; these gentlemen discourst him , made him most obliging offers , and accomplish'd their design ; for he was appointed minister for their church by the synod of upper languedoc . the service of this church was very painfull , the preaching there every day , the sick taking up a great deal of the minister's time ; ecclesiastical matters requiring no less application , monsieur claude was not startled at this new task ; he found time sufficient to accomplish all his duties , the beauty of his genius and his industry provided for all the occasions of his flock . how much soever busied in the common functions of his office , he found leisure to begin a work which he would have finish'd , but for a disappointment that broke his measures . he was refuting the method of cardinal de richelieu , when he heard that the synod of lower guienne had given that emploiment to monsieur martel , professour of divinity , he would not stand candidate with his brother in the gospel , and the deference he had for the company , whence he held his commission , caused him to lay his pen aside . as monsieur claude was born for a chair of divinity , and that his wit naturally turn'd that way , there was always in nismes a considerable number of students in divinity so far advanced as to be admitted to make probationary sermons , to whom he read lectures of divinity ; his way of teaching was so neat , the matters he explain'd seem'd so well meditated and so happily fitted to the use of the pulpit and to the understanding of holy writ , insomuch that he caused them to make no less progress in the knowleged of divinity , than in the best academies ; hence came that great concourse of divinity students ; nay , and there has been seen to come from this kind of private school disciples of merit , that made good the pains of the master that instructed them . monsieur claude's ministery did too much fructifie in nismes in the opinions of the roman catholicks ; the rumour of his reputation daily augmenting , was an importunate sound , that wounded their ears , a certain presage that he would not be long at quiet . and indeed he was snatch'd from that church by one of those extraordinary ways which people of his character and singular worth do daily experience ; his knowledge , his steadiness , his zeal , created a jealousie in a man whose sentiments were not so upright as his . monsieur claude knew that he espous'd the project of our ruine , under the specious veil of an accommodation of religion ; he openly opposed this design ; he was the moderatour of a synod of lower languedoc ; there did he break his measures ; and in that province dismounted the machine of re-union , which the court has abandon'd in these latter days , as being of too slow a movement , and that it can more easily effect those ends by other means , there needed no more to fetch monsieur claude from nismes ; a decree of council was intimated to him , by which he was interdicted the exercise of his ministery throughout the whole extent of the province of languedoc . he forbore preaching , and went to court , being onely supported by his innocency , he there prosecuted his concern for near six months , but all in vain , for the resolution was already taken , not to revoke the least of any thing that had been done against us ; and more especially to weary out the ministers who were not pleasing to the governours of the provinces . in this journey did he compose that little tract which answers that of the perpetuity of the faith of the catholick church touching the eucharist ; this was his first piece that was made publick ; this tract of his made a noise in the world ; the roman catholicks were at a loss to know the authour's name ; the jansenists who felt the weight of the blow , would needs know the hand from whence it departed ; but all the pains they took in order to this discovery were for a long while all in vain , and we may say that as they have laugh'd at the uneasiness the jesuits had been under to find out the authour of the provincial letters , they in their turns made this occasion their diversion , as did many other people who were not sorry to see an authour stand forth , who allarum'd that party by a work of thirty pages . this little tract did monsieur claude so much honour , that it well deserves we enlarge a little upon it , and the particular circumstances that it affords , will reward the reader for the time he may bestow upon what we are going to say of it . the tract of the perpetuity of the faith of the catholick church touching the eucharist , compos'd by an able jansenist believed to be monsieur arnaud , had monsieur de turenne in view , the court had the same aim in persuading him to change his religion , and the jansenists espousing this design hop'd to acquire honour by this conquest ; but as he was a prince , who without playing the divine had a right sense to judge whether the argument was good or bad , it was necessary to chuse a matter that was beyond the common reach of his lights in religion , and to pass his understanding , by drawing him into the vast fields of antiquity ; as being a region proper to impose upon strangers and new commers , who do not well know the map of that countrey . no fitter subject for a trepan could have been chosen than that pitcht upon by this authour ; he pretended to prove that the doctrine of the real presence , had been the constant faith of the church , till the time of the reformation , ( a great prepossession in france , for a heart that wish'd for a religion that accommodated it self with his fortune ) the turn which this writer took was very ingenious ; how said he a thousand years of a peaceable possession , and a profound silence do they not sufficiently justifie the faith of the church upon this article , it peaceably enjoy'd its right till beranger ; and as soon as this man offer'd to open his mouth to combat this truth , all rose up against him , and he was condemn'd by the first council held at rome by pope leo the ninth , in the year . before him none had combated the real presence , therefore it was the universal sentiment of the church . this authour does still something more , for to the proof of the matter he adds that of right , that is to say , that he means to prove , that if the church had been of the protestants opinion it would have made so sensible an alteration in christendom , when it chang'd its belief upon this article , and that it fell into the faith of the real presence , that there is not an individual , but would have sensible of this innovation , seeing the thing could not fail of being so of it self ; nevertheless he is persuaded , that none ever complain'd of upon this account ; whence he infers that no change has been made in the doctrine ; nay , and that this change is not even possible after the manner we conceive it ; this ingenious method affected monsieur de turenne , he found in this reasoning an air of truth of too large extent for his knowledge , his doubts were known , and persons of the first quality and of an exemplary piety endeavoured to disperse these elusions , they cast their eyes upon monsieur claude who was then at paris , he would not oppose what they desir'd of him , because he found himself thereunto engag'd by the sense of his conscience , and by the respect he had for the persons who required his assistence , thus he writ , and this was the true occasion of that dispute . monsieur claude understood very well that this was but an ill way to make his court for his restoration to the church of nismes , but he did not stand wavering , what course to take , he saw that he was going to enter the lists with a writer of mighty name , he hop'd that god wou'd give him the grace to maintain his cause . messieurs blondel and aubertine , whose writings were to be defended , were authours consummated in the study of the fathers ; they seem'd to have exhausted the matter which monsieur claude undertook to treat of ; if we find that he sometimes walks in their steps , we shall also see that he makes new discoveries , and his manner of handling this subject is so fine , sensible and strong that we may affirm it to be a method wholly new , whereof monsieur claude is the first authour : in short , as he had tryed the strength of his genius , he was sensible of an air of confidence , which arose from the strength of the truth he was going to defend ; this was his disposition when he began to write upon this matter . his answer is short , but it is the fullest and closest work that had till then been seen upon this subject ; the authour speaks little , but says a great deal in few words ; and the hypotheses which he states are so well meditated , so just , back'd with such good reason , that there is no staggering them , whatever onset has been made upon them ; nay , and we shall find that all the trains of this great dispute are so many lines that depart from that center , and which after divers illustrations and long evasions return thither as to their true principle . monsieur claude undertakes to prove in his answer , that this change termed a chimoera , and look'd on as a thing impossible , did effectually happen ; he shews the time , manner and principal authours that favour'd it ; he makes appear how easie it is to alter a point of doctrine when those three things concur together , as has been seen in that of the eucharist ; first , when it is under-hand attacqu'd , and by way of explication , still retaining the same terms , consecrated by a long use to that tenet ; secondly , when this innovation does not alter any thing in the worship ; and thirdly , when the errour finds a happy age wherein to spread its darkness : he proves so well that these three things have concurr'd in the change of belief , upon the subject of the eucharist , that all his reasons are as so many demonstrations , against which there is no offering any thing , that can weaken the proof of them . the authour of the little tract of the perpetuity of the faith of the catholick church , touching the eucharist , hath acted in this debate as shrewd men do , who have nice concerns to defend in the courts of justice , for though you produce against them a vast number of witnesses , considerable both for their worth and their dignity , they plainly perceive that the onely way to ward off the blow that wou'd otherwise destroy them , is to endeavour to invalidate the proof by reproaches good or bad , which robs these witnesses of all credit ; and thus you have a vast field open to contempt , to foul language , and imposture : nay , and we have seen such as by a cunning slight suggested to them by their danger , endeavour to derive advantage from the testimony that has been urg'd against them , however opposite it may be to their justification , and this is much the character of that authour . monsieur claude understood his design very well , he trac'd him exactly through all his windings , and as it highly behov'd him to maintain the dignity , integrity , and authority , of the testimonies which messieurs blondel and aubertine had produc'd , we may affirm , that he did it with all the evidence , and all the strength that can be desir'd in a disputation of that nature , which turn'd much more upon matters of fact , than upon questions of right . monsieur claude , having not been able to get the prohibitions taken off that had been exhibited against his officiating his pastourship in nismes , or in any other town of languedoc , departed from paris after six months abode in that town , and repair'd to montauban ; certain it is that he had not then any settlement in his mind , as seeing no appearance for it , yet did he live much at his ease , though he was not altogether unconcern'd at the troubles he was made to suffer , he overcame them by submitting himself with an absolute resignation to the providence of god , and this course of submission to the decrees of heaven , which is ever the best , did not fail to prosper with him ; he had not the trouble of wishing or of being tyr'd with expectation of seeing his desires accomplish'd , the church of montauban prevented him , and gave him not leasure to solace himself after the hardship of a long journey , he arrived there on the saturday , preach'd on the sunday following , being communion day . the church assembled for his vocation , a place was offer'd him , he accepted it , and the synod authoris'd the choice of the church . he had serv'd eight years the church of nismes , when he setled in that of montauban , where he staid but four years , but with so much delight , that i have heard him often say that that time compos'd the sweetest and happiest period of his life . he there liv'd in a perfect union with his collegues , being cherisht and esteem'd by his church , and being charm'd with the beauties of that climate , which he look't upon as his second place of nativity having there perform'd his studies . there did he compose his answer to the second tract of the perpetuity of the faith of the eucharist , but did not imagine that the manuscript he had left at paris , wou'd one day become a subject of disputation , because it was onely made for the instruction of monsieur de turenne , who declar'd himself to be satisfied with it ; nevertheless this work was three years after taken to task , and the authour of the perpetuity of the faith of the catholick church , touching the eucharist made an answer thereunto . for a long time not any book about religion had been seen in france , that made so much noise as this , the authour not onely attackt the ashes of a dead person that are seldom fear'd , as he had done in his former tract , which slightly ran over the book of monsieur aubertine , he knew he had to doe with another authour , who was not to be slighted , which inspir'd him with a design of writing after a more sinewey and more elaborate manner . whether the event prov'd answerable to his good intentions is a point which i leave the readers to judge of ; it onely appears as to me that monsieur claude was not of that opinion , and that if he found more art in the second tract than in the former , more wit and more care to conceal the weakness of the matter , which the authour therein defends , yet did he not therein observe the more solidity . he saw in it somewhat less sincerity , and eruptions of mind against persons of merit and probity , to whom the publick has not done the same justice as this authour . to remain mute when the whole kingdom speaks , such silence seem'd affected to monsieur claude , the roman catholicks said openly , that this last book made their cause triumph , and that it would not be answer'd ; the protestants did not speak with so much arrogance though they had much greater confidence , being necessitated to curb their sentiments , when they were treated with ill language ; and to make semblance of fearing books , that did not perplex them much at the bottom , and this piece was of that rank . monsieur claude ventur'd the repose of his life by answering it , the event did but too well justifie him , he nevertheless determin'd to maintain his first tract , by refuting the book which made so much noise at that time , and this is the piece bearing the title of , an answer to the second tract of the perpetuity of the faith of the eucharist , this work is of a much larger bulk than the former , though it turns much upon the same principles ; it was necessary to be more particular in citations , in the choice of proofs , in the order and light wherein they were to be set , and the consequences that are to be thence derived , and this course is perhaps what is most difficult in a disputation of the nature of this under our consideration . monsieur claude knew it very well , and on that account , did he contrive a method painfull for himself , but easie and usefull for his readers , he onely took what was most essential in the passages of the fathers , and which was serviceable to his subject ; he says not too much for fear of wearying out attention ; he says sufficient to illustrate his matter ; the arguments he brings upon these testimonies are short , but persuasive , whether that he backs his own cause , or attacks that of the church of rome , and because it is a subject containing ungratefull matter by reason of the same expressions of the ancients , which are often reiterated in this kind of conflict . monsieur claude thought fitting to enliven his matter with a gayety of discourse , yet without deviating from the character of a wise and majestick writer . the authour of the treatise of the eucharist , made it matter for his diversion , one while to insult our cause whose weakness he deplores , another while our reformers whom he speaks of with extreme contempt , and sometimes monsieur claude himself , looking on his demonstrations as petty elusions , which vanish at the approach of his lights : i know not whether he imagin'd when he mediated his common place of metaphors , that monsieur claude wou'd sleep upon that passage ; he was certainly mistaken if he had that opinion : monsieur claude found out the weakness of it , makes merry with it in more than one place , as well as at that method of the authours , of putting proofs into objections , and objections into proofs . he commends his judicious silence , which makes him pass quick over the greatest difficulties , and his prudence that makes him dwell , upon things that seem the most easie . this is what monsieur claude calls in the conduct of the authour , an affectation of speaking in a slumber , so to lull us asleep by his own example . there are places indeed , where he does not seem to be in his wonted good humour , and this is when he cannot bear what writers of that communion call pious frauds i mean the manifest alterations , which the authour makes of some passages , as to the sense , the terms and expressions , one is in the homily of the euchrist for consecration attributed to st. chrysostom , though it be none of his , the other is taken from luke anacorete . fame , which delights in magnifying objects , quickly gave the alarm among the jansenists , a secret rumour was spread about paris ▪ that the unknown authour , was answering this second tract of the eucharist . the main body detach't some of its emissaries , to find out whence this news came , and in what part of the earth this hardy minister liv'd , who came to disturb the glory of such as had the vogue of being the most learned and most polite writers of france ; some of them brought back word , that the authour they were in quest of was monsieur claude : this was a sufficient intimation to those gentlemen , for them to take their measures ; they wrote to the bishop of montauban , an prelate eminent at that time for his sermons , which the court had relish't , and for the engagements he had had with the jansenists ; they entreated him to know whether monsieur claude was writing , to see his papers if possible , and to acquaint them with the intent of them . this prelate sped according to their desires , monsieur claude had been oblig'd to see him , he was known by him , if i dare say it , esteem'd , a thing rare in france , considering that immense distance , which is presum'd to be between the height of an episcopal crosier , and the bare crook of one of our pastours . my lord bishop entreated monsieur claude to tell him , whether it was true , that he was answering monsieur arnaud , for so was the style at that time , that he wou'd doe him a very sensible kindness in letting him see his answer . monsieur claude thinking it did not become him to deny a thing , which he did not at first think to be of consequence , he promis'd to let him see some of his copy , and accrdingly perform'd what he promis'd . the bishop of montauban did not fail to inform his friends , of what he had seen , and to let them know that this answer was printing at paris , under the direction of a person of merit , who did that good office to monsieur claude his particular friend : i know not how far the reflexions of that prelate did proceed ; in a short time we saw orders come from court , that snatcht him away from the church of montauban , his friends did not doubt but that his merit had made him incur this new disgrace ; he obey'd these the king's orders , as he had obey'd those that had taken him from nismes , and not finding any safe sanctuary in the provinces , he resolv'd to go lay open his conduct to the eyes of the court , that judges much better by its own lights , than when it was oblig'd through the great distance of places to trust to the lights of others . on the same day that he arriv'd at paris , he had the dissatisfaction to hear , that a stop was put to the impression of his book ; but though this trouble attended him to bed , when he wak't again , he was complemented with better tidings , for the very next morning after his arrival , he had notice that the prohibitions relating to his answer , had been read , and that it was allow'd the liberty of the press , that spirit of intrigue , that intrudes into all humane concerns , wou'd needs force the experience of its good and ill humour upon his book . the jansenists are said to have endeavour'd to have put a stop to its sale by their credit , which as then was so considerable , but the jesuits through other principles , very contrary to the former , did bring again the course of this concern into its natural chanel ; a remarkable example of the vanity of the thoughts of men , and of the depth of the designs of the providence of god , who knows how to derive his glory from the good and ill dispositions of their minds . this second answer of monsieur claude's , had all the success he cou'd desire ; the protestants made it the buckler of their cause , the roman catholicks found it very dangerous , and if the port royal found therein matter of vexation , other people more complying than they , were not much concerned at the consequences . the progress of monsieur claude's sentiments in this book extended very far , he render'd the change of belief as to the eucharist , too sensible , every individual that reads his reasons , had a sense of this alteration , and to stop the course of it , they bethought themselves of giving out that the citations of the passages of the fathers were not faithfull ; and as these gentlemen among their people are in possession of being believ'd upon their bare word , it was absolutely necessary , for the dispersing this false accusation , that monsieur claude should print , all at length , the passages he had cited , and this is what will be sound in the seventh edition , that was made of that answer in the year . the work was large , but the volume might still have been enlarg'd , by a considerable number of other passages , which i have seen written by the late monsieur claude's own hand , which is in the margent of that second answer which is in his closet . monsieur claude staid near nine months in paris , being uncertain of his fate , without being able to break through the barrieres , that hinder'd his return to montauban . this was an episcopal case , and these causes were so priviledg'd , that a body was ever sure of loosing the process that one had with those personages ; monsieur claude understood it so too , and with submission and patience arm'd himself against all these hardships . during this interval , he was courted by the church of bourdeaux , but charenton had people of too much sense , to suffer their being rob'd of a man of such great merit , who was already among them , they let him have some intimation of the design which that church entertain'd . a regard was to be had to the inclinations of the court , the matter was insensibly prepar'd , and as soon as they saw a propitious moment , for monsieur claude's calling into the church of paris , they took him , and he was effectually call'd to serve that flock in the year . part ii. if monsieur claude's books made so much noise in paris , when he was an hundred leagues distant , 't is easie to judge that he was much more talk't of when it came to be known , that he was to make his constant abode in that town , in order to serve the church that met at charenton . i know not after what manner the port royal did receive the news , and whether those gentlemen , seeing that this learned minister fixt his residence in that great city , did not think of him what skilfull politicians say of a prince that settles himself in italy , that it was an ill prospect , and an eye-sore ; be it as it will , it does not appear , that they stir'd in the least to traverse this calling , it was not unknown at court , and this was sufficient for monsieur claude . a discourse there was of an answer , of the authour of the perpetuity of the faith , to monsieur claude's second book , he very quietly expected its coming out ; however it did not appear for some time , which is a mystery i have no design to shrift into , it no ways availing my subject , and 't is sufficient , that i say how that another writer stood forth to supply monsieur claude's adversaries room , but i am as yet a stranger , whether 't was out of kindness to monsieur arnaud ; great men are not over fond of such kind of assistance , as being willing to distance from them all that can inculcate the least suspicion of humane weakness . but to what purpose all this , when people have diligent friends , they prevent us whether we will or no , and it is a kind of civility , which we should not dare to complain of . this dispute made too much noise , to leave a society at rest , that presumes it has a right to decide upon all matters , its emulation was rous'd , and for fear any other shou'd gain the victory , it immediately caus'd one of its champions to enter the lists , to rob monsieur arnaud of the crown he already laid hold of , and which he is said onely to have lost , by being too much a formalist . father noüet a jesuite wrote against monsieur claude , and they did not stay for the printers being at work upon the first leaf , for the giving it approbation ; all concur'd towards the speedy stopping the progresses this second answer made , and father noüet's book was put forth with all expedition as a happy dike in opposition to this torrent . this father noüet's work has its beauties and its goodness , like those actions of great consequence , which at the bar defend an ill cause with a great deal of art ; a vast knowledge of antiquity , though little back't by truth , a design of writing gentleman like , but most commonly unseasonably us'd , being sometimes travers'd by the bare heat of disputation , and for the sake of the cause he defended . monsieur claude might handsomely have forborn answering this book , as being to face monsieur arnaud , who only seem'd to require time for writing , that he might collect all his forces , and overwhelm him with his last stroke ; nevertheless he past over these difficulties , and making it a point of honour still to maintain this dispute , against an able doctour chosen by the most learned society of the church of rome , he answer'd father noüet's book , and this is the third work of his composing upon this important matter . this answer was monsieur claude's favourite book , he spoke of it modestly in the main , which indeed was his character , but there was nevertheless to be observed in his discourses , a fondness for this composure , and i have known deserving persons , that were of the same opinion with him upon this point . the preface to this book is admirable , and affords a most noble idea of the authour's design . monsieur claude had occasion in this dispute to follow a tract , which monsieur arnaud had diverted him from . father noüet thought fitting to upbraid him in some manner , for having abandon'd the holy writ in this controversie , this accusation is curious falling from a jesuit's pen. monsieur claude did not fail to turn it to his advantage , it gave him occasion to explain to us , the sixth chapter of the gospel according to st. john ; it was requisite , that satisfaction shou'd be given to a person that complain'd of a ministers neglecting the word of god ; the tract of the use of the senses is an accomplish'd piece , nothing has been seen so well meditated upon that matter , as what he says of it , nothing so pat or so happy as the application he makes of it . as for the passages of the fathers , which this authour produces against them , he rids himself of them like an able and gallant man ; for when father noüet produces very improperly against him , authours posterior of pascatius , he chuses them out in the centuries , , , , and . monsieur claude does not fail to tell him , that these are improper pieces , and witnesses that bear their recusation in their forehead ; but he does nevertheless often examine his passages , wherein he finds a sense quite opposite to father noüet's design . the opinions of the greeks touching the eucharist is likewise brought in play . monsieur claude answers it , and upon that point , acquaints him with more than one history which he knew not , or which he was minded to dissemble , because it did not favour his cause . this authour is not ever happy in his citations , as not being willing to take the pains of going to the fountain head ; ours complains of his neglects ; father noüet is hardy , and makes no scruple of often altering passages . monsieur claude has much adoe to be moderate upon this point ; he exclaims sufficiently , so as that the reader may be advertis'd of the snare that is laid for him . never did authour know how to avail himself better of the advantages that are offer'd him , if father noüet speaks of reading of the fathers , as of a vast forest , our authour draws thence an argument , that christian faith is less involv'd in holy writ , than in tradition , which is a woody countrey by a jesuits own confession ; when this writer is angry at the primitive ages of the church , to which monsieur claude wou'd bring him back , that he says they have given us more martyrs * than writers and doctours ; our authour derives an advantage from his ill humour , and shews the reason why the church of rome refuses this testimony , if monsieur claude sets monsieur arnaud against father noüet , it is without any design of setting them at odds , 't is through the silence of the pagans in respect of transubstantiation , and the adoration of the eucharist ; monsieur arnaud denies that any proof can be drawn from their silence , and adds , that they have perhaps written books upon this subject , that have not been transmitted to us . father noüet on the contrary maintains , that monsieur claude's consequence wou'd be just , if the pagans had not upbraided the christians with the difficulties of that mystery , but he fancies that he proves it clearer than the day , and this is another point which our authour does not agree with him in , refuting very plainly the passages urg'd by father noüet , and maintaining his first thesis ; in short , though father noüet had not perhaps a set design , here to combat monsieur claude's opinion as to the time of the change , that was made in point of the eucharist , he cou'd not with honour forbear saying something of it towards the end of his book . forc'd he was to bear this little torture , in favour of the devoutest zealots of his communion , who wou'd have thought all had been lost if he had fail'd of maintaining a circumstance which so far influences the goodness of that cause ; but as he gives this matter onely a transitory touch , monsieur claude does not enlarge upon this subject , but nevertheless says sufficient to refute father noüet's illusions , and to back the good reasons he alledg'd in the two former writings . this monsieur claude's answer * was kindly receiv'd ; the protestants found therein the confirmation of their faith , the jansenists were not sorry , that father noüet had made this diversion in favour of them , being so much time gain'd to take breath , and the jesuits on whom all people had their eyes fixt , came off sparkishly from this affair ; they talkt of father noüet as of one of their adventures , that had pusht hard at his enemy , and came off from the conflict honour'd with some wounds . this disputation had no ill consequence , i mean that the advocate of the protestant party was set aside , and treated more handsomely by the society of the jesuits , which commonly are not of a humour to suffer much , than he had been by the caball of port royal. after this attaque a kind of suspension of arms lasted for some time ; monsieur claude wanted not employment , the bare business of his pulpit at charenton , requir'd the whole application of an ordinary minister . this church was so celebrated of it self , and honour'd with the presence of so many foreigners , that it had been imprudence in a minister , to have preach'd unprepared . thus the bare office of preaching was a province of pains sufficient for mr. claude , who was desirous to edifie his flock , answer the hopes that people did conceive of him , and follow the steps of his eminent collegues . he printed but few sermons , as being more taken up with other matters , which more concern'd the publick . we may nevertheless judge by those he has publisht , that his talent lay no less for preaching than for the closet , and i hope his son will print a small tract , which his father did compose of the manner of explaining the holy writ in the pulpit , so just and so fine , that upon reading it , people will be throughly persuaded , that monsieur claude was a great master in that matter . monsieur claude did not onely signalize himself by his writings , he was in a station , that had great influences , to shed over the other reform'd churches of france . paris was the fountain whence proceeded all the mischiefs , that overwhelmed the protestants in the provinces , and charenton the place whither they repair'd for council , an excellent remedy in it self , so sharp , violent and obstinate were the ill humours . monsieur claude consider'd of this , he acted , he rouz'd up others by his own example , though he cou'd not wholly remedy the mischiefs of so many that were afflicted , and who from far and near required his assistance , we may say that he mitigated their trouble , by partaking therein himself and by his consolations . monsieur arnaud's book came out at length , being entitled the perpetuity of the faith of the catholick church , touching the eucharist , defended . monsieur claude thought himself bound to answer it ; this work of monsieur arnaud's made a noise in the world , it having certain characters fit to excite the admiration of people , who onely floridly touch upon matters , to acquire quickly , and easily the quality of learned . monsieur arnaud handles a subject that might pass in some manner for new at paris , because no french writer had yet been seen , that had collected so many testimonies , and that like him had so profoundly argued about the religion of the greeks ; this air of novelty did much set off his book ; he cited passages which seem'd to bear all the marks of the real presence , according to the roman mode . a prodigious reading was observed in his answer . this great work , inspir'd happy prepossessions in favour of the authour ; in short , though monsieur arnaud had in his other works spoke with a majestical tone , yet he now raised his voice much higher , he lookt so big when he spoke of monsieur claude , and handles his books with so much arrogance , that it was a kind of torrent , which without examination hurried away the suffrages of those easie judges , that are determined by the bare accent of the voice . monsieur claude had not the same assistance as monsieur arnaud , the latter being said to have had friends , and such as furnisht him with proofs . monsieur claude cou'd have wisht , that the same thing had been done for him , but that this requir'd a happy leasure , a privilege out of date at charenton , and granted onely to the ecclesiasticks of france . in default of his friends , he was forc'd to make it out in his own person . i shou'd not dare to insert the number of travels he read , what is seen of them in his answer , is but the least part of them . people often read several books in hopes of finding something , that may be serviceable to the subject we have in our mind , and we find nothing less than what we are in quest of . those kind of relations being very subject to this imperfection ; nevertheless a writer cannot dispence himself from this fruitless labour , when he is engag'd in a disputation of the nature of this , which turns upon matters that are to be defended or opposed . monsieur claude states principles that are a mighty help to disperse all the elusions of monsieur arnaud , he shews that the business in this dispute , is not to know exactly , what the greeks believ'd in the matter of the eucharist , but what they do not believe ; and 't is in this rank that he places the transubstantiation of the church of rome , and the soveraign adoration which the latines pay the eucharist . he draws up a platform of the greek church , which is as it were the key of that matter , for he shews that there are several greek churches , that entertain communion with the church of rome , and that it is not among them , that we are to go seek for truths ; he also justifies , that there a great number of seminaries in greece and in the east where youth is brought up in the faith of the church of rome , and that thence are taken priests , bishops , and sometimes patriarchs who are latines in faith , and greeks onely in ceremonies ; money , fear and other motives do often bring those roman doctors , drest up after the greek mode , to the principal pulpits of those wretched provinces , where heavy ignorance does obtain ; after which it is no difficult matter to derive such testimonies as one pleases from those missionaries who owe the pope all they have , and who require nothing more for acknowledgment of his favours , than paper and ink . these are the points which monsieur claude does make most evidently plain , from the testimony of several writers most worthy of credit . in short , monsieur claude makes out the opinion of the true greek church , that is engag'd neither by love nor fear with the church of rome , that then it speaks clearly of the faith concerning the eucharist , wherein you neither find the roman transubstantiation or adoration ; with these maxims monsieur claude refutes all monsieur arnaud's arguments , he unravels the intrigue of the testimonies he produces , he puts his readers in a way of doing the like with himself , and there is no using any evasion but what this excellent matter provides against . for it serves to answer all that monsieur . arnaud has said upon this subject , and shews you what course to take for the illustrating all the objections that might be made hence forward upon this matter . this was monsieur claude's fourth answer , * upon this dispute , the publick did him justice in this , as it had done him in the other , it visibly appear'd that his adversary granted him the principal question , which was the belief of the latine church , in the matter of the eucharist till the time of pascatius ; monsieur claude had strongly prov'd , that till then the real presence , transubstantiation , and the adoration of the host were unknown doctrines to the latine church ; monsieur arnaud thought fitting to dispute no longer upon this point , and to give the change , he contriv'd to lead monsieur claude and the reader into the east . monsieur claude could willingly have been without this walk , but having undertaken to cure a person of his errours , he was to be follow'd every where , that so he might dissipate his illusions ; after which monsieur claude having all to no purpose exhausted all the secrets of his art , thought it became him to abandon this cure , and to leave it wholly to the sole immediate grace of god , who cures when he pleases , the most inveterate ills , and that seem the most incurable . i have been longer than i thought upon this dispute of monsieur claude's and monsieur arnaud's , but as it is what made most noise , i thought it requisite to give a pretty exact idea of it , that it might make an impression upon the readers mind . i shall be shorter in his other works , and shall thereby endeavour a little to recreate such peoples minds , as were tir'd out by the uniformity of this matter , and who love novelty and conclusion . the desire of being an authour , is an uneasie passion , since monsieur arnaud did not come again into play , another writer did not tarry long , before he suppli'd his room ; he wrote against our reformation in a very bitter style , he attackt monsieur claude , he pointed him out by his name , this book is intitled legitimate prepossessions against the calvinists ; 't is no longer a matter of doctrine that is undertaken to be handled , the success of the dispute of the eucharist , had not been happy for the port royal , another course was to be taken , and we to be attackt in a place proper for declamations , for calumny and the contempt of our religion . the authour of these prepossessions could not have chosen better , he there found wherewithall to satisfie his spleen against our reformers , whom he loads with opprobrious language . this was a large field for to excite the peoples hatted against us , by renewing without any necessity , those sad ideas of our ancient quarrels , which charity ought to have buried in an eternal forgetfulness . this fine and crafty policy , which those gentlemen make profession of uniting with morals plain and free from all worldly interests , found here a fair occasion of displaying their maxims at court , where people were not over well satisfied with some of their works ; the point of favour was to be weather'd again , by speaking of us and our religion , after so odious a manner , as that it might make impression upon the most moderate minds , and through this prospect did monsieur nicole write that work , and that 's its true character . monsieur claude answer'd it , but he was far from following that authour 's violent method , he found it so contrary to the spirit of christianity , contented himself with shewing its poisonous passages , but he does not make them rebound upon his adversaries head , thinking it sufficient that he renders them of no use , and destroys them before his eyes , and for ought i know , this is a greater mortification for that authour , than if he had engag'd him after a less civil manner . monsieur claude gives us the portrait of the latine church before the reformation , there is not one sole stroke in it of his own hand , for he makes onely use of the testimonies of roman catholick authours . this caution was necessary on the account of the niceness of the piece , and to avoid the suspicion of falsehood . the idea he gives us of the church at that time is so sad , that there is no need of opening ones eyes , to judge that it wanted reformation . monsieur claude proves that it was desir'd , that it was eagerly demanded before our reformers set about it , but he likewise shews the evasions which the court of rome used to elude this proposition , and the little likelyhood there was of the clergy's entring upon so holy a project . after having shew'd the necessity of the reformation , monsieur claude proves that our reformers , might goe to work upon weeding the field of the lord , and that they were forc'd thereunto by their own interest , and by the engagement they were under , of furthering the salvation of their brethren . he answers those petty objections of the missionaries , which the authour of the prepossessions does pompously display , he shews that there is no arguing directly against a doctrine , or in its behalf , by the bare examination of the lives of those who teach it , that the consequence is much more natural , and more sure to pronounce for or against a religion ; after having examin'd its belief , he explains some of luther's expressions that seem too rude , he speaks of that authour as a hero , because he really exerted an heroick constancy , but he will not warrant all his frailties ; he is satisfi'd with shewing that the greatest men are subject unto failings , and by this means does he shelter some of our reformers , over whose lives the authour of the prepossessions was minded to vent his spleen . the distinction of this authour is curious , he says that there may be in the church a negative separation , that onely consists in abstaining from the practice of doctrines that we do not believe ; he is of a pretty temporizing humour , by insinuating that it would not have been ill contriv'd in our fathers , had they onely proceeded so far , but he cannot pardon them the positive separation , which is properly what is called set apart ; it appears plainly that this authour's maxims do not pass for standard truth at this day , when there wou'd be so fair an occasion to put them in practice . many unhappy persons are there , who wou'd thank this authour if he cou'd procure them the enjoyment of that negative separation whereof he speaks , till such time as we find the results which nature , reason and faith do presuppose . but perhaps the things wou'd go too far , if so great a complaisance was had for this negative , for there is found much less danger in seeing the mysteries profan'd , than in giving the least suspicion , that the number of the true converts was not very great . this authour makes a mock of us with his distinction , for besides that , a good conscience with this worldly management in matter of religion , the little support there is at this day from the roman church , for those that do not relish its tenets , and the racks which on this account it puts on their minds and their hearts , induce us to believe , that the same maxims wou'd have been practis'd upon our fathers at the time of the reformation , and that they would not have spar'd the negative separation . our authours would have written upon this matter , for the church of rome has never ceast exclaiming , that the calling of our pastours was not legitimate , and all that has followed that ill principle , could not have any character of justice and goodness . the libraries are full of books , that have been written by doctours of both parties , but this monsieur claude's work is the best that has been seen upon this subject . possibly time having given occasion to new objections , has likewise furnisht monsieur claude with the occasion of making new discoveries in this matter , but what is particular , and which is a result of the beauty of his genius , is that he writes with so much clearness , states his principles so well , and with so much exactness makes the application of them to the ministry of the protestants , that we are immediately sensible of the necessity of their consequences . thus for example , when they debate with him the calling of the first reformers ; he contents himself with proving , that ministry is to the church even in opposition to the pastours , that it is a right that cannot be alienated , either by the consent of the parties , or by the strongest law , that is to say , by usurpation ; he adds , that three wills must concur to the forming of a lawfull calling , that of god , that of the church , and the consent of him to whom the ministry is directed ; he declares that the ministry that is exercised among protestants , is not an upstart ministry , because it does not preach up a new gospel , but the same which the apostles settled in the church , but purg'd from the errours which ignorance had shed therein . with these maxims does monsieur claude assert our calling , against all the unjust reproaches of the church of rome ; he clearly shews its justice and necessity . this book having these great characters , it is no wonder , that the publick did with joy receive it , and that it did so much honour to its authour . monsieur claude did in , cause five sermons to be printed , which he had preach'd at charenton the year before , upon the th . chapter of st. matthew , verse , , and . and the title of these sermons is the parable of the wedding feast . i should be affraid of doing him an injury , if i enter'd upon the particulars of these sermons , they are too fine and too short for an extract of them to be given in this place , as containing the matter of a vast volume , and if well scann'd , will afford the profit of a bulky piece , which few readers run over otherwise than in haste ; whereas these sermons do entertain people of sound judgment , a mighty stock of divinity , morals worthy of the subject he explains , a neatness of expression , so just a way of arguing , with that heat and vivacity , that they must own the authour , no less fit for the pulpit than the study . monsieur claude had but one son , whom he tenderly lov'd , he was very glad to see that his inclinations led him towards the ministry , and that this choice he made , and which ought to be so free , had answer'd the inclinations of his heart . he had this satisfaction to find in him , a subject proper to avail himself of his parts and example . he studied in the academies of france , under the best masters , who took great care of him ; he returned to his father , who accomplish'd him in all things , that might make him a perfect preacher . after which he was examin'd at sedan , in the month of september , and judg'd very worthy of being receiv'd into the office of the holy ministry ; he was demanded by the church of clermont in beauvoisis , fourteen leagues from paris , in a synod of the isle of france , and his father had the comfort of ordaining of him , on the th . of october . monsieur claude did more especially excell at the head of a company ; such did he appear for several years together , in the consistory of charenton , such has he been seen in more than one synod , of the isle of france , wherein he was moderator ; one more especially there was , wherein he gave an instance of the strength of his genius , which surprised the whole assembly . for after that eight proponants had explain'd the text he had given them ; the company being taken up with more important concerns , refer'd the examination of those propositions till the next day . this was a troublesome disappointment to the moderator , who was to make report of those actions to the synod , but monsieur claude was not perplext at this accident ; the day following he call'd to mind all his ideas , put each in its due place , forgot not so much as one single circumstance , and after he had perform'd the function of a reporter , he perform'd that of a judge ; he examin'd those eight propositions , and spoke his opinion of them like a master , though the assembly knew his several provinces , yet was it charm'd with his memory , knowledge and judgment . in case , in the synod , any matters were proposed that were intricate of themselves , and still more perplexing through the cloud which the ignorance , or devises of the party did occasion ; monsieur claude's wit had such an excellency , that in a moment it made way through all this chaos , form'd a proposition clear and precise , in order to his speaking his opinion pat , as if opinions were to turn upon a yea or a no , a character that is never mistaken , in the judging of a man that presides in a company , since the choice of matters and the making them plain , is a certain sign of the presence , neatness , and strength of a great genius . but as monsieur claude was exact in retaining the purity of the faith , in the tenets of the reformed religion , which he has so well defended , we may likewise say , that he acted like a wise , and charitable man in regard of the various sentiments which the protestants entertain upon the subject of ecclesiastical government and discipline , and upon the use of some ceremonies . his conduct more especially appear'd , in an answer he made to a letter of the bishop of london's ; this prelate illustrious by his birth , and who with so much honour maintains the dignity of that great office , labour'd under apprehensions , for the divisions with which the church of england was threatned , upon occasion of the episcopal government . for the preventing of this mischief , he wrote to some of the most eminent french ministers , that he might have their advice . monsieur claude made too much noise in france , not to be consulted in an affair of this moment ; he received a letter from that prelate , this was a slippery step , he had the eyes of all the protestants upon him , to see how he wou'd behave himself in so nice a concern ; he came off from it with honour , he used a temperament , that was approv'd of by all rational persons , he own'd what is good in the episcopacy , but he does not dissemble the feebleness of some prelates , who seem to him too rigid over our calling ; we do not see in his letter , that so decisive majesterial air , which other writers take upon them , 't is full of that humble spirit of christianity , which onely breaths charity and peace . this character pleased the bishop of london , who honour'd him with his esteem . monsieur claude in return was full of acknowledgments , speaking of that famous prelate , as of one of the greatest ornaments of the church of england , and pointing him out under the name of the charitable father , of all those unhappy persons that have taken refuge , who are all comforted in that they can pour forth their sighs , into a bosom , ever open to the complaints and necessities of the miserable ; this letter was written in the year . in , came forth monsieur claude's answer to monsieur de meaux's book , entitled a conference with monsieur claude minister of charenton , and the occasion which oblig'd him to put it forth was as followeth . monsieur claude had a conference with the bishop of condom , upon the account of mademoiselle de duras , at the countess de roye's house , on the first of march . some small time after , that prelate suffer'd a relation of their conference to go abroad from out his cabinet , with a discourse he had made for mademoiselle de duras upon the matter of the church ; monsieur claude in his turn , gave one of his friends another relation of that conference , with animadversions upon monsieur de condom's discourse ; his manuscript fell into that prelate's hands , who entreated a worthy person to know of monsieur claude , whether he approv'd of that writing which went abroad under his name . monsieur claude perused it , to see whether it was conformable to the original , and having found it exact , he wrote at the bottom that he own'd it for his . this declaration was given to monsieur de condom , who made reflexions upon monsieur claude's animadversions , for the maintaining his discourse of the church ; he likewise made some upon their conference , and this was the subject of the book he caused to be printed , having for its title , a conference with monsieur claude minister of charenton . monsieur claude fansied he might in this occasion , follow that prelate's example , wherefore he caused his book to be printed , wherein he shews three things , he gives us his answer to monsieur de condom's discourse , and therein does he handle the question of the church ; he answers the reflexions that prelate had made upon his tract ; he gives therein a relation of what passed in that conference , and examines the reflexions of that prelate , and owns that he gave his cause all the liveliest colours , which the most able divines of the church of rome use , when they wou'd cover an errour with the lustre of truth . they parted with marks of a mutual esteem , and with a design not to publish their conversation , but other considerations prevail'd over monsieur de condom's mind , and we are oblig'd to him for having first lept the bounds they had prescrib'd to themselves . for it gave monsieur claude occasion to handle the matter of the church , and to give us a most clear and exact idea of it . this composure was his darling , and i may affirm , that he was as much satisfied with it , as with any of those that were the offspring of his pen ; he spoke of it to us , just before his last sickness , he told us he had meditated this question of the church , with all the application he was capable of , for the giving of it a good light ; he found few authours that had applied themselves as became them in illustrating that matter ; he added , that messieurs cameron and mestrezat were those that had best explain'd it , and that by keeping to the maxims he had stated , one might easily answer all the objections of the doctours of the church of rome , without fearing they shou'd stagger his hypotheses . at first this conference onely turn'd upon points of discipline , and upon some small difficulties , touching the submission which individuals ought to have , for the decrees of ecclesiastical companies . if this discourse had not been the result of a common conversation , wherein chance has a greater part than the choice of matters , in all likelyhood a body might have said , these questions were not worthy of taking up those two great genius's ; but the consequences have so exalted this subject , that it is the same thing with this dispute , trivial in its beginning , as it is with those small springs , which make no noise at their issuing out of the earth , and which are to be past dry footed , but which encrease extremely in a long course , often divide the place they water , redound to the utility of commerce , and thereby occasion puzling work to the learned , who eagerly dispute about the sundry names that have been given to these waters , of their invisibility , when the rivers they form hide themselves in the earth , of their privileges and of the rights the people have thereto . the condition of the protestants was such , that the repose of their lives might with impunity have been interrupted by the peevishness of a bare vicar , as soon as he might have entertain'd the desire of wearying out a person of our religion ; but it was more especially a capital crime in a minister , to attaque the sentiments of a prelate . monsieur claude had more than once experienc'd even in better times , how far the power of these gentlemen extended in this case , yet did he not fail , as much as in him lay , of crossing the design of the clergy of france , in writing against the circular letters that came from that assembly , which were spread abroad under the authority of its name . he imagin'd that he ow'd the sacrifice he made them of his rest to his own conscience , and to the salvation of his brethren ; for things were then in such a posture , that the bare thought of maintaining our cause , was in the opinion of those gentlemen , deem'd a kind of felony as monsieur claude has publickly shewn , when he explains the result of that expression , whatever you may say or write 't is all in vain , * these are the terms of their letter . monsieur claude does not put his name to that little book intitled , considerations upon the circular letters of the assembly of the clergy of france , of the year , because this piece had other characters enough of its authour , and that christian prudence does not oblige us to expose our selves , when there is no motive of conscience that calls us thereunto . the perusal of those reflexions is not long , and to it must i refer the curious . possibly monsieur claude never composed any work that has done him more honour than this , as small as it is ; he does not deviate from the terms of a profound respect , when he reflects upon the temporal grandeur of those he speaks of , and to whom he thinks this submission owing . but after this , he takes upon him a true air of greatness , proceeding from the majesty of the matter he handles ; insomuch , that we see him march as an equal with those against whom he disputes , upbraiding them with their affected mildness , undermining the foundations of an absolute authority , which they exercise over souls , and declaring to them roundly , that he onely took pen in hand to give a reason of his faith , not that he does herein own them for his masters , but to render the sentiments of the protestants publick ; and the reason he alledges for it is , that religion and conscience onely depend immediately on god. * some time after these circular letters of the clergy of france , were notified after somewhat an extraordinary manner , through all the protestant churches in the kingdom . the intendents of the provinces had order to convene the consistories for the reading of them ; they had commonly among others , the prelates great vicar , in whose diocese the commission was perform'd . as this was a case wholly new , and whose influences created apprehensions , our churches waited to see what the conduct of charenton wou'd be in this matter , that so they might direct their own course , by its compass ; this course sped according to their desire ; those of the consistory of charenton were the first that were spoke to ; monsieur claude was chosen to answer , he did it with great prudence and steadiness , and his answer serv'd for a model to most of the other churches , who were very glad to walk in the steps of so able a guide . this answer was printed ; 't is conceiv'd in few words , but full of sense ; monsieur claude owns the august character , with which monsieur the intendent was invested , and for which he declares , that he and his church have a profound respect ; he therein protests that it was from this onely fountain of submission , that proceeded the application they had used , in the reading of a piece , that had otherwise nothing but what was afflicting for our churches ; he farther owns , the mighty station which my lords the prelates stand possest of in the kingdom , by the dignity of their offices , and that they thereby challenge our respects , but that if they pretended to speak to us in those letters , as from off an ecclesiastical tribunal , he was bound in conscience to declare to them , that on that side we do not at all acknowledge their authority . matters in religion had their mode in france like other things ; that of grace had for a long while possest peoples minds ; monsieur claude's dispute against monsieur arnaud , occasion'd the sentiments of grace to be little talk't of . the two parties wrote as if they had onely differ'd upon the single article of the real presence of our lord jesus christ in the sacrament of the lord's supper . this battery had no sooner ceased , but that they erected that of the authority of the church , and this seems to be what made the most noise , and on which they most insisted , as seeming to those gentlemen , of a more efficacious use for conversion , than all the rest together . during these mighty disputes , there was another kind of calmer writers , who made christian morals their business , and who ever and anon gave the publick little pieces which it greedily receiv'd , as finding therein wherewithall to recreate it self , from that great application which was necessary to be had for other , the more lofty questions of divinity . monsieur claude knowing that a man of his profession ought to doe all things for all , in order to the salvation of souls , took the resolution of writing upon a subject of morality , and composed a little book , whose title is the examination of ones self , for the being duly prepar'd for the communion , the first of the corinthians , chapter the th . verse . this is a tract , wherein man sees himself such as he is , in a faithfull mirrour . monsieur claude does herein make appear , that he throughly knew the heart of man , no feeble is there but he has penetrated ; he follows him in all the windings he uses , to conceal himself from god , the world and himself ; he takes off that mask , shews his nakedness , his misery , conducts him to our lord jesus christ , as to his sovereign good . in the gospel does he take the lessons which ought to serve to illustrate and inflame him ; he turns all these instructions to the use of the holy supper . monsieur claude does farther shew , that he perfectly knew the world , as an able physician knows poisons , that is to say , with no other design but to oppose their qualities . these are no outragious morals , like many others ; they are just , yet have their severities , but withall , they are ever conformable to the state of man upon earth , and to his duty ; and this is what renders them sensible to all the world : whereas there are those , that often vend us precepts of morality , so above our reach , that they make no impressions upon our hearts , because our hearts do not find in those pourtraits , one single character that suits with them . this little book met with a very gratious reception from all sorts of persons , and indeed , it must needs have a most extraordinary privilege of goodness , since it carries in its front a licence of a famous magistrate of paris , of the th . of november . monsieur claude's writings made so much noise in foreign countries , and especially amongst protestants , that groninguen caused a professours place in divinity to be offer'd him in its illustrious university ; and this town which had so highly signaliz'd it self in those late wars being still cover'd , if i might dare to say it , with the sweat and bloud of its enemies , imagin'd that for the fulness of its glory , it ought to get this buckler of the reformation into its bosom , there to cause sciences and religion to flourish . this calling was directed to monsieur claude in all the forms , and with all the inducements he could desire , but it was a difficult matter in this case , to surprise the vigilance and affection of his church , which too well knew the need it had of its pastor . it earnestly intreated him not to abandon it , at a time especially , when his presence was so necessary to all the protestants of the kingdom ; he was willing to make it the sacrifice of his temporal interest and repose , after which he most humbly thank't the magistrates of groninguen for the honour they had done him , and prepared himself to undergo the utmost fury of that tempest , which had so long been lowring over our heads . in the mean while , the calamities of the protestants did daily hasten on apace , the church that met at charenton , saw the storm coming , and the privilege of being enlightned by the eyes of the court , which it had made its support for above an age , was no longer a means to justifie its conduct ; it was wholly taken up in warding off the blows made at it by its enemies , it was watchfull for the other flocks , and the greatest weight of this heavy burthen lay upon monsieur claude's head . he shewed himself indefatigable , he answered the writers of the roman communion , who ever seem to single out him in their works ; he preach't as often as any one of his collegues , was watchfull for the inward safety , so to disappoint it , rooted it out of others , and was carefull of the present , nay , and out of a providential spirit , extended his thoughts and cares over the sadest futurity . this is the true scite of monsieur claude's heart and mind , till that fatal day , when he perceiv'd that all the solicitudes of humane prudence were absolutely inavailable , and that he must of necessity see the dispersion of all the reformed churches in france , by the bare revocation of the edict of nants , under whose faith we and our fathers had liv'd . this edict was published under the seal , on thursday the th . of december ; the gentlemen of the consistory had notice of it , they thereby apprehended , that they had no longer the liberty of preaching , because the exercise at charenton was no longer perform'd , but by virtue of a decree of the council , which was revokt by the bare publication that had been newly made ; nevertheless it was not perceiv'd , that the ecclesiasticks made any step to rob them of that small consolation , which they seem'd to have left of having the liberty of meeting once again in their temple . this favour which would not have been considerable in the bottom , seem'd too great to the ministers , and to some of the ancients , that they open'd their eyes to know the motives of it , and after a prety exact application , they perceiv'd it to be one of those presents , which were to be distrusted , as coming from a suspected hand ; they nevertheless liv'd in a kind of uncertainty , till saturday at ten a clock in the morning ; the ministers appointed to preach were ready , when that they were fully inform'd of the design that was laid , of coming into the assembly to speak to the people , during or after the action . the most prudent understood the consequences of that day ; monsieur claude especially knowing by long experience , how far the zeal of religion does hurry those , that are strongly possess'd with it , was the first that deem'd it fitting not to preach . he backt his opinion with several reasons , which brought the rest to be of his mind . it was expedient to hinder the people from repairing to charenton ▪ the next day monsieur claude took care of this important matter , he saw plainer than the rest the peril he exposed himself to ; but he imagin'd that he was likewise thereunto called by the duty of his office. that a good soul ought not to be much concern'd , for the dangerous consequences of a good counsell . he gave all the necessary orders , the thing succeeded according to his project , there was no preaching at charenton , and the event justified that his foresight was well grounded , that his fears were just , and that this turn he gave to the rudder of a great ship , that was going to be wrack't , departed from the head of a most able pilot , who contriv'd to save the people whom god had committed to his charge , when he cou'd no longer hinder the wreck of his vessel . this cessation of exercise , which had seem'd too hasty to some , past for a masterly stroke in the opinion of others . the ecclesiasticks knew it immediately , to be monsieur claude that had broke their measures , and to prevent the over officious cares he might have rendered to his dispersed flock , they wou'd , said they , spare him the pains of that sad spectacle . he had fifteen days time given him , as well as the other ministers to depart the kingdom , they found means to abridge that time ; for on monday the of december , which was the day on which the revocative edict of that of nants , was registred in the parliament of paris ; monsieur claude received order at ten a clock in the morning , to be gone within four and twenty hours . he obey'd with a profound respect , and went away attended by one of the king's-footmen , who was to conduct him to the fronteers of france , and who faithfully perform'd his commission , and yet did nevertheless carry himself very handsomly towards monsieur claude ; so true it is , that great merit has an ascendant over those very hearts , that do not love our religion . part iii. monsieur claude was not at a loss , what foreign countrey to chuse for his retreat , his son being minister of the walloon church at the hague , byast him above all other prospects that offer'd themselves to his mind . at paris he took coach for brussels , his fame leading the way , occasion'd several persons to visit him in his journey ; he past through cambray where he lay , was there presented with what was in season by the jesuits ; the father rector did him the honour to come and see him , he made due returns to his civility , and the diversity of religion did not interrupt that commerce of compliments , and instances of a mutual esteem . at last he arriv'd at the hague , and the satisfaction he had to be in the bosom of his family , whom the affairs of the time had separated , made him for some moments , forget the peril he had been in , and the remains of a great fit of sickness . in a few days after , he had the honour to pay his respects to his highness the prince of orange , he found that his merit had spoken in his behalf , he met with a gracious reception , and however great the idea was , which monsieur claude had conceiv'd of his highness , he own'd that fame , which commonly encreases objects , and which had spoken with so much luster of his life , had not as yet , had voice sufficient to trumpet all the heroick vertues of that august prince . monsieur claude knew her royal highness the princess of orange , to be a great and illustrious support of religion , that she understands it in its source , and that a lively impression is seen of it in her actions . he was desirous likewise to kiss her hand , he had that honour , and confest that he had never seen so enlightned an understanding , with so much piety and majesty united together . monsieur claude did likewise pay his respects to persons of a very considerable figure in that state , and he could not sufficiently admire the sweetness and goodness of those illustrious heads , who at the coming out of their assemblies , where they have appear'd invested with the majesty of a soveraign state , speak and act a moment after with other men like private persons , and as if they were their fellow citizens . monsieur claude was no sooner arriv'd at the hague , but that the elector of brandenburg did him the honour to think of him , in order to get him into his territories . this great prince , whose bare name will be a perfect encomium throughout all ages , caused an honourable and usefull employment in his profession to be offered him ; but particular reasons hindred him from complying , so as he could have wish't , to this calling . the rest of his days were destin'd by the providence of god , to these happy provinces , and this potent state was willing he should share in that rich effusion of its charity , which began to pour upon the ministers that had here taken refuge , nay , he was distinguish't from all the rest by a most advantagious portion , and all concur'd to doe him good . the prince of orange took delight in exercising his generous liberality towards him by a considerable pension . after so many troubles , the time now seem'd to be come , for monsieur claude to enjoy all imaginable quiet at the hague . nevertheless it is certain , that he was never less to himself , than when one would have thought he was the master of his repose . his house was the refuge of all the unfortunate , oblig'd he was to hear their lamentations , and ease their grief as much as in him lay . his dispersed flock daily presented fresh objects to his eyes , but sad ; and like so many planks that had escapt shipwrack . he received those that were exposed to temptation , was oblig'd to answer them , was inform'd that others were fall'n under it , and this was for him a matter of affliction and labour , to raise up these infirm persons again from their fall . the last work of monsieur claude is of a different character from the rest , his little book is so known by its self and its adventures , that i should be affraid of abusing the readers leasure , if i went about to insert the particulars in this place . the elector of brandenburg being at cleve , monsieur claude had the honour to pay him his respects , his electoral highness exprest to him the particular esteem he had for his merit , he was desirous to hear him preach , and accordingly he preacht in his palace , at two a clock in the afternoon , upon these words , the to the corinthians , chap. . ver . . therefore if any man be in christ , he is a new creature : old things are past away , behold all things are become new . his electoral highness seem'd extreamly well satisfied with his sermon , and utter'd his mind accordingly in terms most obliging to its authour . monsieur claude return'd to the hague , possessed with the glory of that great prince , who may serve for a model to the most perfect heroe's , if it be possible that there is any one that imitates him , in the exercise of that immense charity , which he at this day bestows upon so many unhappy persons , and which bears all the marks of the holy fervency of the primitive and happy days of christianity . after monsieur claude was return'd , we wou'd needs know of him the means that were to be used for the reuniting the protestants , call'd of the confession of augsbourg with those of our communion . he said that in all probability this reunion wou'd not be a work of disputation , which commonly onely serves to exasperate peoples minds , that we had reason to praise god , that there were no tenets essential to salvation , that divided this holy house of the lord , and that the shortest and safest way must be a wise temperament , which it wou'd be easie to find out if all parties wou'd concur to this good work , and lay in a stock of reciprocal charity , as might reconcile peoples minds , and unite their hearts in order to the framing one and the same communion , without declaiming against each other . he was more especially of opinion , that the piety of sovereign potentates ought to be excited in this occasion , and that their zeal for this peace , wou'd be a mighty help for the accomplishment of this important design . this overture , which we made to monsieur claude was again a new subject of admiration for him , in expressing to us the sentiments of the elector of brandenburg upon this matter , for he told us that this great prince had discoursed him about this reunion with so much zeal , that he was persuaded , that if this piece was to be a present from heaven in our days , divine providence would principally make use of his electoral highness , to whom this glory seem'd to be reserv'd as to the prince , who can best second this project with his own enlightned understanding , and with his sincere and ardent piety , known and respected by both parties . now for some time , monsieur claude had not enjoyed a perfect health , he was fixt to study so as he would have wisht , but his body could not therein follow the motions of his heart , yet did he not love to have his study interrupted in the morning ; he bestowed the rest of the day upon all those that were minded to see him . the time after supper was reserv'd for his particular friends , who took a most profitable delight in seeing and hearing him at those hours of freedom , and in those easie conversations , we saw perfect monsieur claude discoursing with great openness of heart upon all matters , and especially of that great revolution which is seen at this day in our concerns . his character upon this subject was humble and submissive to the providence of god , he ador'd its steps , but also said that they were abysses , which were not to be too much sounded ; that the safest course was to avail our selves of this judgment of god , and in silence to expect the assistance of his grace , these conversations ever ended , with the usual exercises of piety in his family . after this manner did monsieur claude see the days of his sad exile run out till his last sickness , whose dolefull remembrance we must renew in this place . there was no regular exercise for preaching in the walloon church at the hague , he nevertheless preach't there now and then with so much edification , that in ending his sermon , he excited in the minds of his auditours a passionate longing to hear him again , and it was to gratifie that desire , that he resolv'd to preach on christmas day the th . of december . his son was gone abroad that day , he supplied his place , the circumstance of the season determin'd him upon the choice of the matter , 't was requisite to speak of the saviour of the worlds nativity ; for that purpose did he chuse these words of the gospel according to st. luke , chapter the . verse the , , &c. and the angel said unto her fear not mary , for thou hast found favour with god , and behold thou shalt conceive in thy womb , and bring forth a son and shalt call his name jesus , he shall be great , he shall be call'd the son of the highest , and the lord god shall give unto him the throne of his father david , and he shall reign over the house of jacob for ever , and of his kingdom there shall be no end . this sermon was very learned , passages it had of extraordinary perfection , his fancy ever fruitfull and happy , appear'd as much in this occasion , as in any other of his life . it afforded that turn so fine and so natural , which he knew how to give to the matters he explain'd , flashes there were , that did in no wise betray the driness and heaviness of old age , and we may say in short , that there was throughout observ'd that grandeur of spirit which influences all his works , that so lively penetration , that so wise , so judicious a choice , which made the ruling character of that incomparable genius . he utter'd this sermon with great eagerness , was heated and inflamed , and in all probability , this was the first point of that fatal sickness which bereft the world of him . his whole auditory was charm'd with his action , her royal highness the princess of orange , who is no less illustrious , for the vast extent of her understanding , and a solid piety and without pomp , than through the bloud of so many kings , whence she derives her extraction , lissen'd to this preacher , with a most steady application of mind , and was extreamly well satisfied with this his performance . it were to be wisht that this sermon was publish'd ; monsieur claude told us , he had writ the greatest part of it ; i am persuaded his son wou'd oblige many people , if he caused it to be printed as it is , being a fragment that wou'd doe much honour to his father's memory . monsieur claude was no sooner at home , but that he found himself extraordinary weary ; he was seiz'd that evening with a most violent rhume , spent the night with some uneasiness , and on the morrow would have gone and heard the sermon , whatever endeavours were used by his family , to hinder him from stirring abroad in that condition . that night he had a fever with pains throughout his whole body , his distemper was thought to be a rhumatism , upon this principle did they prescribe for his recovery , but the humours were in so very great a ferment , that there was no moderating the course of them by any remedy . on the th . of january , he was prest by most sensible pains , he was sensible of the decay of his senses , and as if he had had a full knowledge , that he shou'd not ever have the liberty of expressing his thoughts ; he told his son that he desir'd to speak with me , i repair'd immediately to his house , and in the presence of his family , he told me his mind in these terms . i was desirous said he to me , to see you , and make my declaration before you ; i am , added he , a miserable sinner before god ; i most heartily beseech him to shew me mercy , for the sake of our lord jesus christ , and i hope he will hear my prayer , being the promise he made to repenting sinners . i have reason to praise him for the blessing he has laid upon my ministry , which has not been fruitless in his church , which is an effect of his grace , for which i adore his providence . he took a little breath , and it was to tell us , that he had with great application examin'd all religions , but had found none worthy of the wisedom of god , and capable to lead a man to true happiness , save the christian religion . he then added , that among the divers sentiments , which divide christians upon the subject of religion , which he had carefully studied , he had found that the reformed religion was the onely good religion which was to be followed , that it was entirely found in the word of god , that this was the fountain from whence it was to be deriv'd , and that this religion was as it were the trunk and body of the tree , to which it became us to keep steady without ever forsaking it . this is my opinion said he to me , and i was willing to declare it to you . i wou'd have told him , that i was not surpriz'd to hear him discourse in these terms , towards the end of his days , after what he had taught the publick by his books , which had been of so great an edification to the church . let us break off there said he to me , and let us not speak of praises at a time when moments are so precious , and when they ought to be employed to a better use . here we let fall the conversation , for that i perceiv'd his pains prest him , and that he askt to be put to bed. a very worthy person , and one of his intimate and ancient friends , wou'd needs pass that night , being monday the th . of january , in his chamber , that he might do him some small services . his pains were most advantageously rewarded , he had the opportunity of hearing him discourse of the happiness of those that had left france for religion . he made the application of it to him , he besought him , he exhorted him as a pastour and as a friend , to enjoy that privilege , as a blessing which cannot be sufficiently valued . the following days nature seem'd to make an utmost effort to bring him off . he complain'd of a great pain in the arm that was free , 't was thought to be a spice of the gout ; he was a pretty while in this pain , and we in hopes through this new distemper , which in all likelyhood wou'd save his life . but his strength decaying through the raging of the fever , and the length of the disease , did not help nature in that indication it shew'd us ; i often saw him , and began to despair of his recovery on friday , because i perceiv'd he was threatned with a delirium , which was a thing we most dreaded . his wife askt him if he was not sorry to leave her ; no , answered he , because i am going to my god , and i leave you in his hands in a free countrey , what can i desire more either for you or for my self ? on saturday in the evening , monsieur claude wou'd needs write to the prince of orange , he made use of the hand of one of his friends , for that his own was too weak ; this letter was short and comformable to his condition , it exprest the state of his mind and heart , in those last moments of his life . he sign'd it with some trouble , his highness receiv'd it , and that great prince , who ever places the concern of religion in the first rank of so many other important matters , which depend upon his conduct , understood the loss the church was going to have ; and all hero as he is , he was sensible upon perusing it of his being a man as well as we , it thereby also appear'd , that he valued and lamented the dying person , and shar'd deep in an affliction common to so many good souls . on monday morning , monsieur claude askt to speak with his son , as soon as he was come to him , he embrac'd him tenderly , and said , i am leaving you my son , the time of my departure is at hand . his son wou'd have told him , that his distemper was not yet desperate ; but he replied , i have no hopes save in the mercy of god , that is my principal sanctuary , take it also for your self my son , and never take any other . presently after , seeing that monsieur claude grew weaker , i askt him whether he wou'd give his blessing to his family , who requir'd it of him through my mouth ; most willingly answered he , immediately his wife fell upon her knees by his bed-side , and he spoke to her in these terms ; my wife , i have always tenderly loved you , be not afflicted at my death , the death of the just is sweet and precious before god , in you have i seen the sentiments of a sincere piety , i praise god for it , be constant in serving him with your whole heart , he will bless you , i recommend my son and his family to you , and beseech the lord to bless you . his son kneeling by his mother , did likewise ask his blessing , monsieur claude who lov'd him as a father , though he liv'd with him as a brother , exprest great joy at this request , and made him answer ; my son , i have observ'd in you two characters , which have mightily pleased me , that of an honest man , and that of a man of honour , maintain these characters to the last . you have chosen the right side , perform your office as a good pastour , and god will bless you ; i recommend your mother to you , love her , respect her , i am persuaded you will not fail in this , and that she will make you sutable returns . be mindfull , added he , of this domestick , take care that she want nothing as long as she lives ; i give you my blessing . hereupon these two afflicted persons had not the power to make him an answer , their tears and silence spoke for them . i crav'd his blessing for my self , he was affected and wearied , yet did he give it me according to my desire . after that i said prayers , he bid me be short , and alledg'd this reason for it , i am under that oppression said he , that i am not capable of applying my mind at this moment , to more than these two great truths , to the meditation of the mercy of god , and to the graces of the holy spirit . that is a great deal , sir , said i to him , they are two most abundant fountains of comfort for you , i pray'd god for him , and then it was thought fitting we should leave him to his rest . after the sermon in the morning , they pray'd for him in the church , but without naming him . at noon monsieur menard and monsieur jaquelot came to see monsieur claude ; monsieur menard had been his collegue at paris . after some short discourse upon monsieur claude's sickness , said monsieur claude to monsieur menard , pray , sir , let 's talk of things more important , and more available for me , i am in a state of death , but i hope that god will grant me mercy , for the sake of our lord jesus christ his son , who is my onely justice ; monsieur menard seconded this thought , which monsieur claude had started , and monsieur claude's pangs coming thick upon him , this conversation ended with a prayer . monsieur jaquelot exprest to monsieur claude his concern at his illness , to which monsieur claude made answer after a very handsome and christian manner , in praying god to bless him . monsieur carre came into his room at one a clock , as soon as monsieur claude saw him , he told him that his last hour was drawing on , and that in a little time , his son would be without a father , but that he besought him that he wou'd be a father to his son. monsieur carre told him that he had an esteem for his son , that he lov'd him and should serve him in all he could , that they were collegues , and that onely death should part them . monsieur claude the father thank't him , declar'd he died satisfied , and was very intent upon the prayer which monsieur carre made for him . though monsieur claude had not been nam'd after the morning sermon , the report of the danger he was in , was immediately spread about the church , and the affection people had for him , with their pity and fear , drew a world of people to his house ; more especially i found there several ladies of his acquaintance , and gentlemen , who exprest how desirous they were , to hear monsieur claude speak and receive his blessing : i approv'd of their desires , but added , that it would be a hard matter to procure them that consolation , because his head was not at liberty to talk long together ; they nevertheless urg'd me to make the proposal of it , i accordingly did so , and that too immediately , telling him what was desir'd of him ; i added , that the last words of a man of his character and merit , would edifie as much as several sermons , and that he owed this succour to the zeal and calamities of those good souls that requir'd this comfort of him ; a god's name replied he , this desire is just , appoint a fitting time for it which you know best , and which accordingly was immediately appointed , but he was no longer in a condition to speak , he had had a delirium , which did not allow him the liberty of prosecuting a discourse , in such a manner as might have been expected of him . he was again pray'd for in the church , in the afternoon service , and it was thought convenient he should be named . monsieur arbusse preaching at that time , said before he enter'd upon his prayer , that there was one of our brethren that deserv'd to be lamented by all good people , that it was monsieur claude , that they were to pray god for him , the whole congregation seem'd much concern'd at this name ; monsieur arbasse pray'd to god with great zeal , was herein accompanied by the whole church , which could not forbear weeping before hand , for the loss they were going to have . after five a clock at the evening sermon , monsieur du vivie pray'd god for monsieur claude , he insisted a pretty while upon this point , his grief and zeal excited likewise the grief and zeal of the congregation which dissolv'd into tears . at nine a clock monsieur du vivie came to see him , as soon as he drew near his bed , monsieur claude gave him his blessing ; you have prevented my wishes said monsieur du vivie to him , i had a design to ask you your blessing ; god confirm it to you , monsieur claude made him answer . some time after monsieur du vivie told him , that it became him to think of a perfect justice , that may serve before the tribunal of god , where he was going to appear , and that he knew very well that this justice was onely to be found in our lord jesus christ , who was made to us by god , wisedom , justice , sanctification , and redemption ; that 's all my hopes answered monsieur claude , he added this passage at length , i know in whom i have believed , &c. after which monsieur du vivie said prayers , which the sick-man lissen'd to with great attention . half an hour after , monsieur du vivie askt him whether he did not find , that his condition had some affinity with the psalm . my flesh faileth and mine heart also , but god is the strength of mine heart and my portion for ever . monsieur claude rais'd up his voice and said twice amen , amen ; he gave his blessing to some persons of his acquaintance that askt it of him ; there was especially a deserving young lady , who askt him whether he would impart his blessing to her as well as to the rest , why should i not give it you he answered her , i have seen evident instances of your discretion and piety , i pray god to bless you . monsieur claude falling into a slumber , his son wakt him from time to time , to give him consolation ; 't was done in few words , he being too weak to prosecute a long discourse , he askt him if he did not place all his confidence in the death of his saviour , yes son replied he , our lord jesus christ is my onely justice , i need no other , he is all-sufficient . i askt him whether he was not much pleas'd in being thus comforted by his son , i am very well satisfied he replied , let him continue , i said prayers and staid with him till eleven a clock . on monday the th . of january , a sad day for us , i was call'd up at five a clock in the morning , to go see monsieur claude , who was become extraordinary weak ; i spoke to him but little , he being in great agonies occasion'd by pains in his stomach . at ten a clock i drew near his bed , and seeing him in a quieter condition , i askt him whether he knew me , yes said he to me , with a voice pretty strong , you are my pastour , my whole recourse is to the mercy of god , i expect a better life than this , help me to fortifie me in the exercise of meditation and prayer . notwithstanding his pains , finding him constant in his pious inclinations , i took upon me the right of his pastour , that he had conferr'd upon me ; i spoke to him of the sinfulness of mankind , and of the riches of the grace of god , that have appear'd in the death of our saviour jesus christ , and i exhorted him to place his whole confidence in the death of that good saviour . these few words excited his piety , he gave us most sensible testimonies of his repentance , and of the stedfast faith he had in our saviour jesus christ , and in this happy moment did i also apply that so precious balm , which our saviour jesus christ has put into our hands , for the consolation of repenting sinners . be assur'd said i to him , brother , that your sins are forgiven you , through the mercy of god , i declare it to you in the name of our saviour jesus christ , who has given us a commission for so doing ; and i beseech him that he wou'd ratifie it to you , by the sentiment of your own conscience , this declaration which he lissen'd to attentively afforded him mighty joy ; i am persuaded said he to me , that god will hear the sighs of my soul , and your discourses , let us beseech him so to doe , by the prayers i beg you would make in my behalf , accordingly we fell upon our knees and i pray'd god for him . at two a clock in the afternoon , there was no longer any connexion in monsieur claude's discourse , nay , and we avoided engaging him to speak , for fear of augmenting his delirium ; we pray'd often for him in that interval . at five a clock , he had somewhat a violent potion given him for to rouse his spirits , but all ineffectually . at seven a clock , he became still much weaker , yet did he still hear , but was become speechless . i bid him give me a sign whether he understood me , and that he should give me his hand ; accordingly he reach't it to me , i took his hand , and said these words of the . psalm to him . into thine hand i commend my spirit , for thou hast redeemed me o lord god of truth ; at these words he prest my hand , and strugl'd to raise his head , i continued to exhort him and said prayers . monsieur arbusse came to see him , and pray'd by him , for he was so weak , and his senses so spent , that prayer was the onely assistance he could receive from us . this exercise lasted till half an hour past eleven at night . on the th . of january , monsieur menard and i did not stir from his bed-side till his last gasp , when we saw him calmly expire at that time , and restored his soul into the hands of god. thus lived , and thus died john claude in his year , after having so worthily perform'd his office , for the space of forty two years or there abouts ; he was by nature quick and lively , but submissive to reason and faith ; he was civil , modest , illuminated , wise in his councells , a true friend , officious without being troublesome , charitable but with choice , and much concern'd for the evils the church labour'd under . he understood the world , shrifted into intreagues , and improv'd all these lights to the repose of the flocks of the lord. he had a sagacious wit , a vast imagination , a nice judgment , a just choice ; his expression was clear , sprightly and strong , his knowledge had past the test of meditation , he had fram'd an easie platform of all matters of his profession ; each object came in its due place , as soon as he spoke or writ , and all this was maintain'd with an exact method and mighty beauty of language . he was a learned divine , a great preacher , an able and zealous defender of the reformation , a rigid observer of our confession of faith , an enemy of all such sentiments as might have disturb'd the peace of the church , and the purity of religion , and to the regulations of our discipline . he was of easie access , of frank and fluent conversation , and all these great qualities were season'd with such profound humility , that when he spoke , he seem'd to forget what he was , to fit his discourse to the meanest understandings . in france he liv'd belov'd by his friends , esteem'd by his adversaries , and his name which has past with so much lustre into foreign countries , has there gain'd the admiration of those very people , who did not love his religion , and ever will be had in veneration in the church . these characters are to be seen in the works he has given us , and if his son will farther enrich the publick as is hop'd with other writings , that have not yet seen the light , they will furnish us with new strokes , to render the portraict of this great man the more accomplisht . for to have an heroick idea of him , we must study him and his works . remember them which have the oversight of you , which have declared unto you the word of god , whose faith follow , considering what hath been the end of their conversation . hebrews chapter the th . verse the th . finis . books printed for thomas dring at the corner of chancery-lane in fleetstreet . an impartial collection of the great affairs of state , from the beginning of the scotch rebellion , in the year . to the murther of king charles i. wherein the first occasion and the whole series of the late troubles in england , scotland and ireland , are faithfully represented . taken from authentick records and methodically digested by john nalson l. l. d. in vol. fol. systema agriculturae , or the mystery of husbandry discovered , treating of the several new and most advantageous ways of tilling , planting , sowing , manuring , ordering , improving of all sorts of gardens , orchards , meadows , pastures , corn-lands , woods and copices , as also of fruits , corn , grain , pulse , new-heys , cattle , fowl , beasts , bees , silkworms , fish , &c. with an account of the several instruments and engines used in this profession , to which is added kalendarium rusticum : or the husbandman's monthly directions , also the prognosticks of dearth , scarcity , plenty , sickness , heat , cold , frost , snow , winds , rain , hail , thunder , &c. and dictionarium rusticum , or the interpretation of rustick terms ; the whole work being of great use and advantage to all that delight in that most noble practise . the fourth edition carefully corrected and amended , by j. w. gent. folio . almahide , or the captive queen an excellent new romance , never before in english . the whole work written in french by the accurate pen of monsieur de scudeus , governour of nostre dame. done into english by j. philips gent. the history of the holy war , being an exact account of the expeditions of the kings of england and france , and several other of the christian princes , for the conquest of jerusalem , and the rest of the holy land ; wherein are largely represented the great actions , battles , seiges , difficult marches , honourable retreats , admirable strategems , regular conducts , and brave performances of the christian armies , in all the said expeditions . done into english by dr. nalson . folio . the doctrine of the jesuites , delivered in a plain sincere discourse to the french king , concerning the re-establishment of the jesuites in his dominions . written in french by a learned roman-catholick , and now translated into english , quarto . a collection of the church histories of palestine , from the birth of christ to the beginning of the empire of diocletian . by j. m. b. d. quarto . mr. claude's answer to monsieur de meaux's book , intitled , a conference with mr. claude , with his letter to a friend , wherein he answers a discourse of m. de condom , now bishop of meaux , concerning the church , in quarto . the second part of m. claude's answer to monsieur de meaux's book , intitled , a conference with mr. claude , being an answer to monsieur meaux's references ; in quarto . the whole duty of a christian , containing all things necessary both as to what he is to know and doe for obtaining a happy eternity , to which is added more particularly directions how to prepare for a comfortable death , in twelves . an infallible way to contentment in the midst of publick or personal calamities , together with the christian's courage and incouragement against evil tidings and the fear of death . the devout communicant exemplified in his behaviour before , at , and after the sacrament of the lord's supper , practically suited to all the parts of that solemn ordinance . notes, typically marginal, from the original text notes for div a -e * p. . * p. . * p. . * p. . * p. . a letter to the late lord bishop of l. and c. upon his translation to w. shewing the ill consequences of such removes. approx. kb of xml-encoded text transcribed from -bit group-iv tiff page images. text creation partnership, ann arbor, mi ; oxford (uk) : - (eebo-tcp phase ). a wing d estc r ocm this keyboarded and encoded edition of the work described above is co-owned by the institutions providing financial support to the early english books online text creation partnership. this phase i text is available for reuse, according to the terms of creative commons . universal . the text can be copied, modified, distributed and performed, even for commercial purposes, all without asking permission. early english books online. (eebo-tcp ; phase , no. a ) transcribed from: (early english books online ; image set ) images scanned from microfilm: (early english books, - ; : ) a letter to the late lord bishop of l. and c. upon his translation to w. shewing the ill consequences of such removes. e. d. p. [s.n.], london : . signed: e.d. reproduction of original in union theological seminary library, new york. created by converting tcp files to tei p using tcp tei.xsl, tei @ oxford. re-processed by university of nebraska-lincoln and northwestern, with changes to facilitate morpho-syntactic tagging. gap elements of known extent have been transformed into placeholder characters or elements to simplify the filling in of gaps by user contributors. eebo-tcp is a partnership between the universities of michigan and oxford and the publisher proquest to create accurately transcribed and encoded texts based on the image sets published by proquest via their early english books online (eebo) database (http://eebo.chadwyck.com). the general aim of eebo-tcp is to encode one copy (usually the first edition) of every monographic english-language title published between and available in eebo. eebo-tcp aimed to produce large quantities of textual data within the usual project restraints of time and funding, and therefore chose to create diplomatic transcriptions (as opposed to critical editions) with light-touch, mainly structural encoding based on the text encoding initiative (http://www.tei-c.org). the eebo-tcp project was divided into two phases. the , texts created during phase of the project have been released into the public domain as of january . anyone can now take and use these texts for their own purposes, but we respectfully request that due credit and attribution is given to their original source. users should be aware of the process of creating the tcp texts, and therefore of any assumptions that can be made about the data. text selection was based on the new cambridge bibliography of english literature (ncbel). if an author (or for an anonymous work, the title) appears in ncbel, then their works are eligible for inclusion. selection was intended to range over a wide variety of subject areas, to reflect the true nature of the print record of the period. in general, first editions of a works in english were prioritized, although there are a number of works in other languages, notably latin and welsh, included and sometimes a second or later edition of a work was chosen if there was a compelling reason to do so. image sets were sent to external keying companies for transcription and basic encoding. quality assurance was then carried out by editorial teams in oxford and michigan. % (or pages, whichever is the greater) of each text was proofread for accuracy and those which did not meet qa standards were returned to the keyers to be redone. after proofreading, the encoding was enhanced and/or corrected and characters marked as illegible were corrected where possible up to a limit of instances per text. any remaining illegibles were encoded as <gap>s. understanding these processes should make clear that, while the overall quality of tcp data is very good, some errors will remain and some readable characters will be marked as illegible. users should bear in mind that in all likelihood such instances will never have been looked at by a tcp editor. the texts were encoded and linked to page images in accordance with level of the tei in libraries guidelines. copies of the texts have been issued variously as sgml (tcp schema; ascii text with mnemonic sdata character entities); displayable xml (tcp schema; characters represented either as utf- unicode or text strings within braces); or lossless xml (tei p , characters represented either as utf- unicode or tei g elements). keying and markup guidelines are available at the text creation partnership web site . eng lloyd, william, - . church of england -- clergy. clergy -- england -- relocation. - tcp assigned for keying and markup - apex covantage keyed and coded from proquest page images - celeste ng sampled and proofread - celeste ng text and markup reviewed and edited - pfs batch review (qc) and xml conversion a letter to the late lord bishop of l. and c. upon his translation to vv. shewing the ill consequences of such removes . london , printed in the year . my lord , some occasions having call'd me to ireland , a little before i left it , which is not long since , there happened the death of a bishop , which occasion'd a remove in the church , that gave no small offence to all her well-wishers ; and among others , i was resolv'd , as soon as i got home , to give the party concern'd my thoughts of it : but fore i could do this , we had the account of your lordship's translation to w — r , tho 't was not believed at this distance by any here that pretend to be of your acquaintance , till confirm'd by the last post . your character , for the most part , has been such , that i have been always one of your admirers ; and had i not happened into the conversation of some discerning men here , who see the ill consequences of such removes , that admiration might perhaps have still continued , which now , i confess , is wonderfully lessen'd ; and as a reason for it , give me leave to lay before your lordship their sentiments , which i shall do truly and plainly , having neither will nor skill to do otherwise . they say , my lord , you have now a second time given the church her self , as well as that sacred order to which they believe you unworthily intituled , a more severe blow than any of her pretended friends , nay , her most cruel and profest enemies were ever able to do . you have , they say , declared to the world , what those of your order ( generally speaking ) propose to themselves in desiring and accepting that office , which the apostle calls a good work. you have given incouragement to that deluge of atheism which hath broke in upon us , and espoused their cause , whose hope extends not beyond this present world , and look for no other reward for all their best services than what this life affords : and this at a time when you are just leaving it , have more than one foot in the grave , and will not ( without their being the prophet of your wo ) live long to enjoy it . they wonder what remorse of conscience must needs seize you , when you consider what you have done , how you have open'd the mouths of adversaries who lie in wait for advantages of this kind , and are of themselves , without any manner of occasion , too ready to revile and asperse your profession ; nay , have given your very friends reason to conceive most desperate prejudices against your high and holy calling . and some of these gentlemen have an account from london , that several who have been formerly attackt , but never could be prevail'd with to desert the church , have upon this translation of yours , turn'd their backs upon her , and chose rather to join themselves to those societies , where such unwarrantable practices are not allow'd , and where their teachers seem to have an eye for all their services and labours to a future reward , than to abide in the communion of a church , where their very governours and guides by their daily practices declare , if they can , by hook or by crook , no matter how , add to their wealth and grandeur here , they value not what may be feared or hop'd for hereafter . you have , say these gentlemen , very unhappily given us a sad instance of this ; and the ground thereof ( pretend what you will ) 't is like proceeds from something too near atheism . it is not very likely , say they , you believe there is a god , or that the scriptures are his word , which , besides that inward peace , comfort and satisfaction which naturally attend the performance of a man's duty , propose no other reward than what chiefly relates to a future state ; whereas you seem , say they , to despise this , and are altogether for the present : who for the lucre of not many l. a year , have forsaken ( they wish they could say your first ) your second , nay your third love , and left a diocess , where , by knowing and being known , you might be much more serviceable than where you are altogether a stranger , and cannot expect to live to be otherwise , and in divers respects unfit to succeed him that is gone , who yet , besides his learned works , left no great character behind him , nor found out the way of doing so much good as might have been expected from him , and which , they fear , may much less be hop'd for from your lordship . ambition and avarice have been , as they conceive , the two great rocks you have in your christian course split upon . the former carried you from the vicaridg of st. m rt-ns to the bishoprick of st. a — ; the latter from thence to l. and c. and now from thence to w. in your first remove , you declar'd your self sensible of the temporal loss you sustain'd ; but the pretence was , the desire of doing good ( a very warrantable inducement ) to which you said your being a native of the country , and skilful in the language , would conduce much . but being either weary of doing good , or unable to do any to others , you began to think of doing good to your self , and laid hold of the first opportunity to give your poor countrymen the slip , and got into a diocess of much greater profit , as well as of a far larger extent ; and in which ( as to a great part of it ) you are , as i am inform'd , as much a stranger as he that writes this , who was never within the verge of any part thereof . these gentlemen would fain ask , what answer you will make when you shall be called to give an account of your stewardship : will it be sufficient to say , a great part of your time was taken up at london in minding the affairs of state , which yet notwithstanding you could never comprehend , no less in managing the private concerns of your family , and so much in indulging your aged and decayed carcase , that you had little or none left for the business of your calling ? however , my lord , all this is no stumbling block to me , who have learnt to distinguish between the personal failings of men , and their office : but others , not so well satisfied , desire to know , from which of the apostles or primitive bishops ( from whom you boast of a succession ) do you derive authority for this unwarrantable remove ? as the former were for the most part no where fixt , and therefore can afford us no precedent in this case ; so it is well known how industriously the latter wav'd all opportunities of forsaking their first charge , and could never be brought to it , but when the pressing necessities of the church requir'd it ; and then 't was often from a greater , to a place of less profit . nor is this all ; you have hereby exposed your profession and order not only in your own person , but cast a temptation in the way of another . the bishop of o — , in every respect a single man , being unable to live upon l. a year , tho he never spent , removes from o — the seat of the muses , and the sweetest preferment ( especially considering his other circumstances ) the church affords , and snatches at l — , not much more than or l. a year better . but there is this to be said for him , that nothing else ( if he may be believ'd ) could have tempted him to such an unaccountable practice ; and there are letters here from some who pretend to know him well , averring , he would not have accepted of w — rc — r , or any other except l — and c — in england ; which being his countrey , the place of his birth , as o — d was of his education , it was but almost natural for him to affect it . so that something may be offer'd for him ; but for your lordship , nothing more than that you have given those who are friends to the church occasion to take offence and grieve , ( and wo be to them by whom such offences come ) and those who are her enemies to rejoice and insult ; who , tho they are silent , make their own observations , laugh in their sleeves , and whisper to one another , let them go on , by these irregularities they 'l bring themselves into contempt , and all in good time do their own work . one would think , since dr. t — is thought worthy to be a bishop , and no body , i suppose , doubts it ; he might have been more serviceable at w — r , where he has liv'd so long d — n , and must needs be acquainted with the constitution of the diocess , and temper of the people , than èlsewhere : or if there was a necessity to comply with your lordship , by giving you this lift ; why might not dr. a — n the dean of l — have been thought of to succeed ? a man by his useful and good works better known to the world , than any of those concern'd in these removes . you know , my lord , one of the great outcries in the two last reigns , was , that interest ( especially in church-preferments ) carried all , without any manner of regard to merit : god forbid it should prove a just complaint in this , wherein it was particularly promised to be reform'd . or yet farther ; if these irregular changes , unknown to the primitive church , in which we so much glory , must be continued ; we know it has been usual for the bishops of b — l ( a see very mean and low in its revenue ) to have the advantage of a remove : and so perhaps it had been now , but that the present bishop stands adjudg'd guilty of two terrible faults in a bishop of our times . the first is , he is moderate in his principles , not fond of a high-flown jurisdiction ; and it may be thinks it needless in the church , where the magistrate is christian in the state. the other , and more intolerable , is , that he is a constant and painful preacher , a crime not to be forgiven by those ( except a very few ) of his own order , for that he thereby lessens himself , and instead of ruling and governing ( his sole and proper business ) slaves and drudges in the work of the presbyters . these , no doubt , may prove blocks in his way ▪ while your lordship ▪ and others of your order , ride on successfully , without troubling your selves either with preaching or praying ▪ the latter especially ( tho it be the more honourable of the two ) being thought so much below your dignity , that it were a prodigy to find a bishop in the desk , reading divine service . nay , i have been assur'd by a gentleman come lately from london , that going to evening ▪ prayer on a week-day , in one of the out-churches there , the congregation being gathered , and the reader , on some occasion or other , failing , the people were dismist without prayers , tho there were two bishops present . o tell not this to the unconverted world : publish it not in askelon , tell it not in gath ; declare it not in the streets of rome or jerusalem , lest turks and infidels abroad , as well as our fellow christians at home , deride and laugh us to scorn . you your selves , who by a great and good example , should influence others to the contrary , contribute not a little to the contempt of our publick service , while out of sloth , or pride , or both , you scorn ( at least omit ) to minister in it ▪ whereas you ought to esteem it your greatest glory . and it were well if you were only short in this ; but are you not so in all the other duties of your function ? do you know what it is to preach in season and out of season ? do most of you know what it is to preach at all , unless now and then at court you are pleas'd to harangue the auditory ? can you tell when you visited a sick bed ? comforted an afflicted , instructed an ignorant , inform'd an erroneous , or resolv'd a doubting conscience ? what differences in your neighbourhood have you compos'd ? what care have you had that your clergies in their several places do duly and conscionably discharge their respective duties ? what incouragement and rewards have you dispens'd to those that do ? what frowns , if not punishments have you cast upon those that do not ? what hospitality have you kept ? what charity have you exercis'd ? how many naked backs have you at your own expence cloth'd ? how many hungry bellies have you fed ? what sick and needy have you visited and reliev'd ? no , these are matters , that for the most part , come not within the compass of your care. to live in state and splendor , to look scornfully upon your brethren , to carry things with a high hand against those that will not truckle , or upon any occasion stand in your way , and to heap up wealth for your families , have been too much the care and business of your lives : and that this last will be always yours , your late proceeding , in coveting what you ought by no means to have thought of , does sufficiently manifest . you may indeed derive a precedent for this , from what has lately been done in ireland , where by the death of the bishop which i mention'd before , two bishopricks became void ; and the government there , who consider , it seems , how destructive pluralities of any kind are to the church , recommended two several persons to them ; ( tho by the way , one of them was look'd upon by the clergy there very unfit , and every way unqualified for that office ; but he is chaplain to the government , and that is enough . ) however , these recommendations were laid aside , and at the instance of some at court , who it may be neither understand the constitution , nor are capable of consulting the good of that church ▪ a gentleman well nigh as aged as your lordship , is removed from a diocess where he has been years bishop , and had his residence in the second best city of the kingdom , to almost a waste country , which , as i was inform'd , affords not a house fit to live in , nor three churches that are rooft , nor six british families fit to be convers'd with ; and yet the advantage not above or l. a year . these inconveniencies , they say , may be avoided by the bishop's living at dublin , as his predecessor before him always did . for tho the inferior clergy be enjoin'd residence , yet a bishop there is above all rules , and may live where he will. and as for this bishop , i mean he that is remov'd , i had such a character of him , that if my authors err'd not , he may be lookt upon as a prodigy in nature . some of them had been his scholars , others his parishioners at dublin , and some his near neighbours and intimate acquaintance at c — k , where he was bishop ; and yet they all assured me that the whole country where he was concern'd , tho much troubled for the slur cast upon the church by his remove , will yet greatly rejoice that they are rid of him , who was always upon every little occasion , jarring , quarrelling and brow-beating them . he was , they say , a great part of his time a schoolmaster , which so sower'd his temper , that he 's scarce fit for civil conversation ; and as they describe him , is defective in every one of those qualifications which the scripture requires in one of his order ; so far from being blameless , that he is in all respects and relations whatsoever , faulty : but his faults for his order's sake ought not to be expos'd . they own him ( considering his station ) apt to teach , but so positive and singular in the very pulpit , as renders his doctrine harsh and nauseous . he is allowed by all to be a man of letters and parts ; but his infirmities are so many , that they eclipse any thing that 's valuable in him . they added to all this , that he is ( if not a downright enemy ) yet no friend to the government : he sat all along in king james's parliament , wanted either courage or will to thwart or protest against their proceedings ; and still voted with them against the few protestants and other discerning honest men amongst them ; was often in private with that king , and still , they say , retains much of that leaven . and now , my lord , can you think such a man as this a pattern worthy your imitation ? and will his translation any way justify yours ? i know one thing cunningly urged for these translations is , that they are an advantage to the crown , by reason of the first fruits that arise from them : but is this consideration fit to come in the ballance with the great scandal and dishonour they bring upon the church ? how little doth the king value these mites , who yet suffers extreamly in this matter ? and the reproach extends not only to the parties immediately concern'd , but ( tho very unreasonably ) to his majesty himself . it is very well known there are not wanting too many restless and discontented wretches , who would fain do ill offices between the king and his people , and among other things suggest ( tho falsly ) that he hath no manner of regard for the church , and therefore all courses are taken to bring her into contempt and disgrace ; and i find it a common observation among the very clergy at dublin , that except four or five , none since the revolution , but the lowest , in some sense or other , of the people , ( as in jeroboam's time ) men meriting as little from the government as from god and the world , have been grac't with the chief preferments in the church ; which hath given great offence to many , as if it were done purposely to expose her . all this may be true ; but why should it be imputed to the king ? it being impossible for him to know men , but as they are represented ; and no doubt of it , but unqualified persons have been recommended by some , purposely to bring an odium both upon him and the church ; and it is to be feared they have had too much of their design this way . and it hath been the business of others , especially in ireland , to recommend men for no other qualification than their super-conformity : they seem'd to be jealous of presbytery , and sought out men , however otherwise unqualified , that would be sure not to dispense ( tho to save a soul ) with a syllable of the rubrick . but nothing has been more fatal to her reputation , than those seandalous removes of her dignified clergy , of which , as i was inform'd , there have been more in that kingdom since the revolution , than in all the last four reigns . the late duke of ormond , a great lover of the church , knew this well enough ; and therefore would never endure it , unless from a bishoprick to an archbishoprick , and that only in cases extraordinary . the greatest sticklers for episcopacy , when the times required striking for it , who would never consent to part with any of the least priviledges annext to it , were sufficiently aware how mischievous and destructive this course was to its very constitution ; and therefore always declared against it , and not only consented , but in all debates relating thereunto , earnestly prest , that no bishop should remove , or be translated from the bishoprick which he should first undertake , unless when the necessary good of the church , rather than the convenience of the person to be removed , requir'd it . but your lordship has , it seems , been of another mind , and 't were well if you could yet live to be otherwise . have you not win — r or any other better than wor — r now in your eye ? and are you not ready to make t'other step when occasion serves ? when will you settle at this rate ? when will you allow your self a resting time , that you may prepare for another journey which you must soon go ? i have often heard it said that the church could never be destroyed but by her self ; and i am perswaded , were it not for the scandalous lives of many , and the cold , dead , lazy way of preaching of almost all our clergy , together with such irregular , covetous , and unwarrantable courses as are practised in these removes , and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 but she would , in spite of all opposition , still flourish . and that she may , and your lordship hereafter contribute to it , shall be the daily prayer of the church's and your lordship's well-wisher , e. d. finis . a sermon preached at the funeral of the reverend benj. calamy, d.d. and late minister of st. lawrence jewry, london, jan. th, by william sherlock ... sherlock, william, ?- . approx. kb of xml-encoded text transcribed from -bit group-iv tiff page images. text creation partnership, ann arbor, mi ; oxford (uk) : - (eebo-tcp phase ). a wing s estc r ocm this keyboarded and encoded edition of the work described above is co-owned by the institutions providing financial support to the early english books online text creation partnership. this phase i text is available for reuse, according to the terms of creative commons . universal . the text can be copied, modified, distributed and performed, even for commercial purposes, all without asking permission. early english books online. (eebo-tcp ; phase , no. a ) transcribed from: (early english books online ; image set ) images scanned from microfilm: (early english books, - ; : ) a sermon preached at the funeral of the reverend benj. calamy, d.d. and late minister of st. lawrence jewry, london, jan. th, by william sherlock ... sherlock, william, ?- . [ ], p. printed for john amery ..., and william rogers ..., london : . advertisement: p. . reproduction of original in duke university library. created by converting tcp files to tei p using tcp tei.xsl, tei @ oxford. re-processed by university of nebraska-lincoln and northwestern, with changes to facilitate morpho-syntactic tagging. gap elements of known extent have been transformed into placeholder characters or elements to simplify the filling in of gaps by user contributors. eebo-tcp is a partnership between the universities of michigan and oxford and the publisher proquest to create accurately transcribed and encoded texts based on the image sets published by proquest via their early english books online (eebo) database (http://eebo.chadwyck.com). the general aim of eebo-tcp is to encode one copy (usually the first edition) of every monographic english-language title published between and available in eebo. eebo-tcp aimed to produce large quantities of textual data within the usual project restraints of time and funding, and therefore chose to create diplomatic transcriptions (as opposed to critical editions) with light-touch, mainly structural encoding based on the text encoding initiative (http://www.tei-c.org). the eebo-tcp project was divided into two phases. the , texts created during phase of the project have been released into the public domain as of january . anyone can now take and use these texts for their own purposes, but we respectfully request that due credit and attribution is given to their original source. users should be aware of the process of creating the tcp texts, and therefore of any assumptions that can be made about the data. text selection was based on the new cambridge bibliography of english literature (ncbel). if an author (or for an anonymous work, the title) appears in ncbel, then their works are eligible for inclusion. selection was intended to range over a wide variety of subject areas, to reflect the true nature of the print record of the period. in general, first editions of a works in english were prioritized, although there are a number of works in other languages, notably latin and welsh, included and sometimes a second or later edition of a work was chosen if there was a compelling reason to do so. image sets were sent to external keying companies for transcription and basic encoding. quality assurance was then carried out by editorial teams in oxford and michigan. % (or pages, whichever is the greater) of each text was proofread for accuracy and those which did not meet qa standards were returned to the keyers to be redone. after proofreading, the encoding was enhanced and/or corrected and characters marked as illegible were corrected where possible up to a limit of instances per text. any remaining illegibles were encoded as <gap>s. understanding these processes should make clear that, while the overall quality of tcp data is very good, some errors will remain and some readable characters will be marked as illegible. users should bear in mind that in all likelihood such instances will never have been looked at by a tcp editor. the texts were encoded and linked to page images in accordance with level of the tei in libraries guidelines. copies of the texts have been issued variously as sgml (tcp schema; ascii text with mnemonic sdata character entities); displayable xml (tcp schema; characters represented either as utf- unicode or text strings within braces); or lossless xml (tei p , characters represented either as utf- unicode or tei g elements). keying and markup guidelines are available at the text creation partnership web site . eng calamy, benjamin, - -- death and burial. clergy -- office. funeral sermons. sermons, english. - tcp assigned for keying and markup - aptara keyed and coded from proquest page images - mona logarbo sampled and proofread - mona logarbo text and markup reviewed and edited - pfs batch review (qc) and xml conversion a sermon preached at the funeral of the reverend benj. calamy d. d. and late minister of st. lawrence jewry , london , jan. th . . by william sherlock , d. d. master of the temple , and chaplain in ordinary to his majesty . london : printed for john amery at the peacock , and william rogers at the sun ; both against st. dunstan's church in fleetstreet . . imprimatur . jan. . / ; . c. alston r. p. d. hen. episc. lond. à sacris domestics . to his much esteemed friends the church-wardens and parishoners of st. laurence jewry , and st. mary magdalane milkstreet . gentlemen , though i had no intention to make this sermon publick , yet i could not with any modesty deny your request , when you had paid so great a regard to the counsel given you in it . i heartily congratulate your happy agreement in the choice of so excellent a person to succeed the not-to-be-forgotten dr. calamy , who , i doubt not , will deserve all that honour and kindness , which it is so natural to you , to show to your ministers . i here present you with the sermon , as it was preached , excepting some few things at the beginning , which were left out in speaking , to shorten it , as much as i could , without injuring the sense . i am sensible the character falls very short of what our deceased friend deserved , but it is every word true , and i thought , had been as inoffensive too as it is true ; and so i believe it will appear to wise and considering men , and others may judge as they please . if it will contribute any thing to make both ministers and people more faithful in the discharge of their several duties , i have what i aimed at , both in preaching and printing it , especially if you please to accept of it as a testimony of the sincere respects of gentlemen , your very humble servant , will. sherlock . matth. , . who then is a faithful and wise servant , whom his lord hath made ruler over his houshold , to give them meat in due season ? blessed is that servant , whom his lord when he cometh , shall finde so doing . in this and the fore-going chapter , our saviour acquaints his disciples with the signs and prognosticks of his coming ; which plainly have a double aspect , both upon his coming to destroy jerusalem , and upon his coming to judge the world : but the application he makes of it , is of universal use ; watch therefore , for ye know not what hour your lord doth come . v. . which is excellent advice , in what sense soever we understand the coming of our lord ; for the coming of our lord signifies his coming to take account of us , and whether we apply this to the hour of our death , or to the last day of judgment , still it concerns us to watch ; that is , to be always diligent and careful in doing our duty , and discharging that trust which is committed to us , that whenever our lord comes , we may give up our accounts with joy . the words , i have now read to you , concern the apostles of christ , and their successors , the bishops and pastors of the whurch , who are as much obliged to this watchfulness , as any other sort of persons , because as they have a greater trust , so they have a greater account to give . this we learn from luke , , v. where our saviour having given that general advice to all his disciples , to watch for the coming of their lord , st. peter particularly enquires , how far he , and the rest of the apostles were concerned in it : lord , speakest thou this parable unto us , or even to all . v. . to which our saviour answers , who then is that faithful and wise steward , whom his lord shall make ruler of his houshold , to give them their portion of meat in due season ? blessed is that servant , whom his lord , when he cometh shall find so doing . wherein our saviour does particularly apply that general advice to his apostles and their successors , his servants , stewards , and ministers of the gospel : and indeed those particular expressions which are here used do sufficiently acquaint us , to whom this advice belongs . we need not question , who is here meant by the lord , which is the peculiar title of christ in the new testament , and it is as evident , what this houshold is , which is the church of christ , the house and temple of the living god , the houshold of faith , the houshold of god. and christ is said to be faithful as a son , or lord , over his own house , whose house are we , if we hold fast the confidence , and the rejoycing of the hope firm unto the end , in distinction from moses , who was faithful as a servant . the rulers of the houshold , or the stewards in st. luke , are the apostles , bishops , presbyters , who are the governours of the church , 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the overseers , the ministers of christ , the stewards of the mysteries of god. the meat , which they are to give in season , is the word of life , which with respect to the different degrees and perfection of knowledge is compared to milk , and to strong meat : and therefore they are commanded to feed the flock , to preach the word , to be instant in season , out of season , to reprove , rebuke , exhort with all long-suffering and doctrine . this is sufficient to shew you , that my text does principally concern the bishops and ministers of the church , who are in an eminent manner the servants of christ in the instruction and government of his church , which is his house ; and in speaking to these words , i shall observe this following method . i. consider the duty of gospel-bishops and pastors , which is to feed , and to govern the houshold of christ. ii. the qualifications of gospel-ministers , which are faithfulness and prudence , a faithful and wise servant . iii. the great rewards of such men , blessed is that servant . i. the duty of gospel-ministers whether bishops or others , and that consists of two parts . . to feed . . to govern the houshold or church of christ. they are appointed rulers of his houshold , to give them meat in due season . i. to feed the flock of christ. this command christ gave to peter , and repeated it three times ; simon , son of jonas , lovest thou me more then these ? then feed my lambs , feed my sheep . now to feed , signifies to instruct men in the knowledge of christ , for knowledge is the proper food and nourishment of the soul , by which it grows in spiritual wisdom , and all vertue and goodness ; and is as necessary to our spiritual life , as natural food is to the life of our bodies . this is life eternal , saith our saviour , to know thee the onely true god , and jesus christ , whom thou hast sent . for this reason our saviour appointed stewards and dispensers of the mysteries of his kingdom , whose whole business it should be to study the divine will themselves , and to instruct others . for this is a knowledge which must be taught ; nature may instruct us in the being of a god , and the differences between good and evil , and the plain rules of morality ; but the mysteries of the kingdom , the whole oeconomy of mans salvation by jesus christ , is to be known onely by revelation . christ came down from heaven to reveal this to us , and he instructed his apostles , and his apostles by their preaching and writings instructed the church , and have left us a standing rule of faith and manners ; but yet it is necessary , that there should be some men peculiarly devoted to the service of religion , the study of the scriptures , and the work of the ministry , to instruct and teach those who have neither leisure nor opportunities for enquiry , nor capacity to learn without a guide , which is the case of the generality of christians ; especially since religion has been clogged with such infinite disputes , and there has been so much art used to make the plainest truths difficult , obscure , and uncertain , to corrupt the christian faith , and to make it comply with mens sensual lusts , or secular interests . a guide and instructor is absolutely necessary , when there are so many turnings and labyrinths , wherein men may lose themselves , and their way to heaven . but though there were no disputes in religion , no difficulty in understanding it , though all men were agreed about the way to heaven , though the meanest christian understood the mysteries of christianity , as well as the greatest divine , yet there would be constant need of a spiritual guide , while men are apt to be unmindful of their duty , and careless in the practice of it . the work of an evangelical pastor is not meerly to instruct the ignorant , but to exhort , to reprove , to admonish , to watch over the lives and manners of christians , to make seasonable applications to their consciences , to administer comfort to afflicted spirits , to excite and quicken the slothful , and to encourage the fearful and timerous , and to assist and direct men in their spiritual warfare , how to obtain a glorious victory over the world and the flesh. this is to feed the flock of christ , and to give them meat in due season , to instruct them in those things of which they are ignorant , and to put them in mind of those things which they already know , that their faith may be turned into a principle of life and action , and this heavenly food may be digested into bloud and spirits , to the edifying of the body of christ in all christian graces and vertues . . another part of the ministerial office consists in acts of discipline and government ; christ has made these ministers and servants , rulers over his houshold . no society can be preserved , without order and government , which is as absolutely necessary in the church , as in the state. christ is the head of the church , the husband , the shepherd , the lord , which are all names of authority and power ; and the church is his body , his spouse , his flock , his houshold , and family , which are names of subjection , and denote a regular and orderly society ; but christ has now left this world , and does not visibly appear among us , to direct and govern the affairs of his church ; he is ascended into heaven , where he sits at the right hand of god , and exerciseth an invisible power and providence for the defence and preservation of his church on earth : he governs us by his laws , and by his spirit , and by his ministers : for when he ascended on high , he led captivity captive , and gave gifts to men . and he gave some , apostles : and some , prophets : and some , evangelists : and some , pastors and teachers . for the perfecting of the saints , for the work of the ministry , for the edifying of the body of christ : till we all come in the unity of the faith , and of the knowledge of the son of god , to a perfect man , unto the measure of the stature of the fulness of christ. when our saviour was risen from the dead , he tells his disciples , all power is given unto me both in heaven and in earth . go ye therefore , and teach all nations , baptizing them in the name of the father , and of the son , and of the holy ghost : teaching them to observe all things whatsoever i have commanded you : and lo , i am with you alway , even unto the end of the world. this is their commission to preach the gospel , and to govern his church ; which was not meerly a personal commission to the apostles , but extends to all their successors , as appears from christ's promise to be with them in the discharge of his ministerial authority to the end of the world. thus st. john acquaints us , that christ after his resurrection appeared to his apostles , when they were met together , and said unto them , peace be unto you , as my father hath sent me , so send i you . and as he had said this , he breathed on them , and said unto them , receive ye the holy ghost . whose soever sins ye remit , they are remitted unto them ; and whose soever sins ye retain , they are retained . this invested them with authority , but then the actual communication of power , which , especially at that time , was necessary to the discharge of their office , was reserved for the descent of the holy ghost ; and therefore our saviour commanded them , not to depart from jerusalem , but to wait for the promise of the father , that is , the gift of the holy ghost . for says he , ye shall receive power after that the holy ghost is come upon you , and ye shall be witnesses unto me both in jerusalem , and in all judea , and in samaria , and unto the uttermost parts of the earth . and accordingly we find , that during the time of the apostles , the supreme authority of the church was in their hands , which they committed to their successors , and has ever since been exercised by christian bishops and presbyters , with regard to their different order and power . but what is this power which christ hath given to his ministers ? they have no rods , nor axes , as secular princes have , to compel men to the faith of christ , and to force their obedience . no , this is contrary to the genius and spirit of christianity . if men will be infidels , if they will be wicked , we cannot help it : for though we walk in the flesh , we do not war after the flesh : for the weapons of our warfare are not carnal , such as earthly princes use , but mighty through god , to the pulling down of strong holds , casting down imaginations , and every high thing that exalteth it self against the knowledge of god , and bringing into captivity every thought to the obedience of christ. our saviour in my text acquaints us what this power and authority is ; he makes them rulers over his houshold , to give them meat in due season . this is the authority christ hath given to his ministers , to instruct , to exhort , to advise , to admonish , to reprove , and that with sharpness too , when there is occasion for it , according to the power which the lord hath given to edification , and not to destruction ; as st. paul speaks . but what authority is this ? may not every christian do the same ? is it not the duty of us all , as we are able , to instruct , exhort , reprove one another ? yes , it is ; and i would to god it were more generally practised : but yet every private christian cannot do this with the authority of a bishop , or a gospel-minister : the instructions and exhortations of private christians , are acts of friendship and charity ; and the obligation to it , is that mutual concernment and sympathy which the members of the same body ought to have for each other : in gospel-ministers it is an act of authority , like the censures of a father , a magistrate , or a judge . we do not pretend indeed , as st. paul speaks , to have dominion over your faith , to exercise a kind of soveraign authority , to oblige you to believe any thing meerly because we say it ; but yet our authority is such , that if in the exercise of our office we explain the articles of faith and rules of life to you , it lays an indispensible obligation upon you , carefully to examine what we say , and not to reject it , without plain and manifest evidence , that what we teach you is not agreeable to the will of god revealed in the scriptures . for when we come in the name and authority of christ , that man who rejects our message , without being sure that we exceed our commission , rejects the authority by which we act ; and he that despiseth , despiseth not man , but god. it is our work and our commission to instruct you , and it is your duty to be instructed ; and whoever shall wantonly reject any doctrines which do not suit with his humour and interest , or oppose some popular mistakes and prejudices against the instructions of his guide , or turn away his ear from instruction , and heap to himself teachers , having itching ears , such a man must give a severe account of this neglect and contempt to the great bishop and shepherd of souls . while we are careful to discharge our office in pursuance of that trust our great master hath committed to us , what our saviour tells his apostles is true of the meanest of us all ; he that heareth you , heareth me : and he that despiseth you , despiseth me : and he that despiseth me , despiseth him that sent me . the like may be said of the exhortations , and counsels , and directions , and reproofs , of our spiritual guides , they carry great authority with them ; they are not like the private admonitions of our friends , who exhort and reprove out of kindness , and their particular concernment for us : to reject such counsels as these , does mightily aggravate our sin and our condemnation , as every thing does , which makes our sin more wilful and obstinate ; but to reject the counsels and reproofs of our guide , is a new act of disobedience to that authority which christ has set in his church . whether you will hear , or whether you will obey , we must exhort , reprove , advise ; and wo be to us , if we do not , and wo be to those who will not hear , who will not obey . our great master looks upon this as a contempt of his own authority , and this is all the authority we have . we cannot force you to obey our counsels or reproofs , but ours and your master will severely punish you , if you do not . in a word , the instructions , reproofs , and censures of christ's ministers , carry such authority with them , that they can receive into , or shut out of the communion of the church , which is the onely visible state of salvation . remission of sins , and eternal life , is ordinarily to be had onely in the visible communion of the church , and therefore the power of receiving into the church by baptism , and of casting out of the church by excommunication , which is the onely authority christ hath given to these rulers of his houshold , to receive in and cast out of his family , is called a power of remitting or retaining sins , because the forgiveness of sins is to be had onely in the communion of the church , and no man belongs to the invisible church , who does not live in communion with the visible church , when it may he had . the authority of christs ministers is to feed those , who are of his houshold , to give them their meat in due season , and to judge who shall belong to this houshold , who shall be received in , or cast out of christs family : this is the highest act of church authority on earth , and the onely sanction of all our instructions , counsels , and reproofs ; and therefore this authority is not intrusted with every gospel-minister , but is committed to the chief governours of the church , the bishops who succeed into the ordinary apostolical power . ii. let us now consider the due qualifications which are required in gospel-ministers , and they are two : faithfulness and prudence , who is that faithful and wise servant ? first , faithfulness : now faithfulness in a servant consists in being true to his trust ; and when this is applied to preaching the gospel , it signifies , that he is extreamly careful to publish the whole mind and will of god ; which as it concerns us in this age , includes these following rules : . to be careful to acquaint our selves with the will of god , that we may be scribes which are instructed unto the kingdom of heaven , who are like unto a man that is an housholder , which bringeth forth out of his treasure things new and old . the priests lips must preserve knowledge , but we must first have it , before we can teach it others ; and since none of us now pretend to immediate inspirations , this is a work of difficulty and labour , and requires as much faithfulness in our studies , as in the pulpit . it is no argument of faithfulness , whatever it may be of diligence , to run like ahimaaz without tidings , to vent some crude and indigested thoughts for the oracles of god. . faithfulness requires us to preach nothing for the will of god , but what we are sure to be so ; to deliver no message , but what we have received in commission ; not to indulge our own private conjectures and fancies , nor think to mend and sublimate religion by philosophical speculations , but to content our selves with the simplicity of the gospel , to preach christ jesus , and him crucified . nothing has done greater mischief to religion , than when the very teachers of it have been ambitious to be wise above what is written . all the articles of the christian faith , as distinguisht from the principles of natural religion , can be known onely by revelation ; and therefore there is no reasoning about them any farther , than to know what is revealed , and what is not revealed , is so uncertain , and so useless , that it is not worth the knowing . since we preach in the name , and by the authority of christ , we ought not to instruct our people in any thing but what we have his authority for , for this is to exceed our commission . other nice speculations may entertain us in private conversation ; but when we preach in the name of christ , let us onely preach his gospel , and teach them to observe and do whatsoever he hath commanded us . . faithfulness requires , that we preach the whole will of god ; that we instruct men in all the articles of the christian faith , especially where there is any apparent and present danger of a mistake ; and that we teach them every part of their duty to god and men , especially such duties as they are most unwilling to learn , and most averse to practice . this is an essential part of faithfulness , & requires no small courage too . there are no times so bad , no hearers so captious , but they will very well bear some general commendations of religion , or some common topicks about vertue or vice ; which are of great use too , especially in such a sceptical and unbelieving age , as this . but a faithful discharge of our ministry requires somewhat more ; a particular application to the consciences of men , according to their wants and necessities , not so much to consult what will please them , as what will do them good . it mightily concerns a gospel-minister , as far as he can , to maintain a fair reputation in the world , but a good name is nothing worth , when we can do no good by it , when we cannot get or maintain a good name without neglecting our duty , or betraying the souls of men . i had a thousand times rather , that men should reproach and revile me for instructing them in such duties , as they cannot with patience hear of , than that they should commend me for my silence . it is hard to live in any age , wherein there are not some popular errors , or some popular vices to be corrected ; and it is a very dangerous thing to meddle with any thing that is popular . but what is danger to that man , who is in a greater danger by the neglect of his duty ? shall any man call himself a minister of the gospel , and a servant of jesus christ , and in such an age , as we now live in , be ashamed or afraid to cenfure or consute the errors of popery or fanaticism , or to reprove schism and faction , because they are very popular vices . let a man so account of us , as the ministers of christ , and stewards of the mysteries of god. moreover , it is required in stewards that a man be found faithful . but with me it is a very small thing that i should be judged of you , or of mans judgment : as st. paul speaks . when we leave our several flocks , it will be infinite satisfaction to us , to be able to say , as st. paul did to the asian bishops ; i take you to record this day , that i am pure from the blood of all men . for i have not shunned to declare to you all the counsel of god. secondly , prudence is as necessary in a gospel-minister , as faithfulness is : by prudence i do not mean cunning and subtilty , artificial insinuations and addresses , which are more like the arts of seducers , than of gospel-ministers , who by good words , and fair speeches deceive the hearts of the simple . prudence will not allow us in the neglect of any part of our duty , whatever the event be ; but we must renounce the hidden things of dishonesty , not walking in craftiness , nor handling the word of god deceitfully , but by manifestation of the truth , commending our selves to every mans conscience in the sight of god. wisdom and prudence , as it is consistent with faithfulness and honesty in the discharge of our trust , can signifie no more but this ; to instruct , exhort , perswade , and perform all the parts and offices of a gospel-minister , in such a manner , as may render our instructions and perswasions most effectual ; to take the most convenient seasons , when men are most apt to be wrought on ; to teach them such things as are of most present use to them ; to use such arguments as are most likely to prevail ; to avoid all unnecessary provocations , when the duty it self , which we are to teach them is not the matter of the provocation ; for if men will be provoked with hearing of their duty , there is no help for that . prudence never dispences with any part of our duty , but directs to the best way of doing it : a faithful servant does what he is commanded , and a wise servant does it in the most effectual manner . iii. the last part of my text concerns the great rewards of such faithful and wise servants ; blessed is that servant . what this reward is , we are not here particularly told . all good men , we know , shall be very blessed and happy in the other world , and we may reasonably presume , that christ , who is the great judge of the world , has reserved some peculiar marks of honour for his immediate servants : this he plainly intimates to us , in that distinction he makes between the reward of a prophet , and of a righteous man : he that receiveth a prophet in the name of a prophet , shall receive a prophets reward : and he that receiveth a righteous man in the name of a righteous man , shall receive a righteous mans reward . our reward in heaven will bare some proportion to the nature of our work , and to that service we do for god in this world. now we cannot do any more acceptable service , than to serve god in the gospel of his son : to use our utmost endeavours to propagate religion in the world , and to make other men wise , and good , and happy . our saviour himself came into the world on this very design , and was advanc't to the right hand of glory and power , as a reward of it ; and those who are workers together with him , as st. paul speaks , will receive some proportionable reward also . the faithful discharge of this duty is a work of infinite care and difficulty , that it made an apostle himself cry out , who is sufficient for these things . it requires the exercise of great care , and great prudence , and great patience ; it is abundantly enough to employ our whole time and thoughts either in studying the will of god , or in attending the publick ministries of religion , or in private addresses and applications to men who want our advice and counsel ; we must contentedly bear all the affronts and insolencies of bad men , the frowardness and peevishness of many profest christians , the gain-sayings and contradictions of sinners . we must go on and persevere in our work , though our persons and our ministry be despised : when we are reviled , we must bless : when persecuted , we must suffer : when defamed , we must entreat : yea though we are made as the filth of the world , and the off-scouring of all things . this is not very pleasing to flesh and bloud , but the harder the work is , the greater will our reward be , if we be found faithful and wise servants . nay , there is no work does so ennoble the mind as this , and qualifie us for an excellent reward . no man can faithfully discharge this work , but it must purge and refine his mind , and set him vastly above this world , and the little concernments of it : it gives us a more clear distinct comprehensive knowledge of god and divine things , which is an angelical perfection of the mind and understanding ; and he must be a strange man , who can be so constantly employed in the contemplation of god , and the things which relate to another and a better life , and not find his soul ravisht with those unseen and unspeakable glories ; who is so constantly employed in taking care of other mens souls , and takes no care of his own ; who is so frequent in his devotions , as the very nature of our work exacts from us , and not live a most divine and heavenly life : there are indeed some , who in the most divine employment are no great examples of such a divine conversation ; but i fear they will not be found in the number of these faithful and wise servants . whoever heartily applies himself to the care of souls , will in the first place take care of his own ; and the faithful discharge of this duty , will raise us so much above the ordinary level and attainments of christians , as will prepare us for a greater reward , and advance us to a more perfect state of glory . nay , that immediate relation we stand in to christ , who is the soveraign lord and judge of the world , if we approve our selves faithful and wise servants , will secure us of a more excellent reward . the church on earth and the church in heaven , is but one church , one houshold and family ; and those whom he has made rulers of his houshold here , to whom he has committed the greatest places of trust and dignity , need not fear being degraded in the other world , if they adorn their office , and faithfully discharge their trust here : and therefore our saviour tells his apostles , verily i say unto you , that ye which have followed me in the regeneration , when the son of man shall sit in the throne of his glory , ye also shall sit upon twelve thrones , judging the twelve tribes of israel : that is , that their reward and glory in the other world , should answer to that place of trust , and power , and dignity , which they had in the church on earth ; and this promise is no more peculiar to the apostles , than their office was . in a word , if we consider what the state of the other world is , and who is king there , that it is the blessed jesus , our great high priest , king of salem , or the new jerusalem , and priest of the most high god , how mean and contemptible soever our office is thought here , we need not doubt but the scene will be mightily chang'd , when we come into that kingdom where the king is a high priest. let this then , beloved brethren of the clergy , be a mighty encouragement to us to be very diligent and faithful in the discharge of this great trust ; whatever difficulties we meet with , whatever scorns , reproaches , or sufferings , it is but expecting a while , and our lord will come , and his reward is with him : and blessed , for ever blessed , is that servant , whom his lord when he cometh shall find so doing . yea blessed , for ever blessed , as my text gives us reason to hope , is this our dear brother , whose remains lie here before us , who , when his lord came , was found thus doing . we may lament the loss of so kind a relation , so true a friend , so faithful a pastor , and fellow-labourer , according to the several interests we had in him ; but he , blessed soul , has fought a good fight , and finished his course , and kept the faith , and is now gone to receive a crown of righteousness , a crown of immortality and glory . he is now gone to that great bishop and shepherd of souls , whose flock he has so carefully and diligently fed , and whose wandring and stragling sheep he has reduced into the fold . to that kind shepherd who laid down his life for his sheep , and therefore will not fail to reward those who have spent their lives , and were ready to have sacrificed them too , for the service of souls . when we speak of so great a man , it is below his character to mention such things as would be thought considerable attainments in meaner persons ; though indeed a truly great man does nothing meanly . a great mind gives a peculiar grace and decency to common actions , as it was easie to observe in his very mirth and freest humours , that he never gave the reins out of his hands , but governed himself by the strictest rules of prudence and religion . but i shall confine my self to the subject of my text , and consider him onely as a faithful and wise steward , and therefore have very little to adde ; for i doubt not , but you who knew him , especially you who have enjoyed the benefit of his ministry , and have lived under his care and conduct , have already applied what i have discoursed on this argument , to your deceased pastor ; and would i have chosen any particular man to have drawn the character by , of a wise and faithful steward , there are not many men i should sooner have thought on , than dr. calamy to have been the pattern . that he did take care to give you meat in due season , i need not tell you , because you all know it . if preaching in season and out of season , if publick instructions and private applications , where they were needful or desired , be to feed the flock of christ , & to give meat to his houshold and family , this he did , and that very faithfully and wisely too . in the first place , he took care to inform himself , and to furnish his own mind with all useful knowledge ; and his constant preaching , though without any vain affectation of learning , which serves onely to amuse , not to instruct , did sufficiently discover both his natural and acquired abilities . he had a clear and distinct apprehension of things , an easie and manly rhetorick , strong sense conveyed to the mind in familiar words , good reasons inspired with a decent passion , which did not onely teach , but move and transport the hearers , and at the same time gave both light and heat : for indeed he was a good man , which is necessary to make a good preacher ; he had an inward vital sense of religion , and that animated his discourses with the same divine passions which he felt in himself . he did not entertain his hearers with school-subtilties , or a coniectural divinity , with such thin and airy speculations , as can neither be seen , nor felt , nor understood , but his chief care was to explain the great articles of faith , and rules of life , what we must believe , and how we must live , that we may be eternally happy . and he did ; as a faithful servant ought to do , as he declared a little before his death , that he never preached any thing , but what he himself firmly believed to be true . i need not tell you what a troublesome world we have lived in for some years past , such critical times as would try the principles & spirits of men ; when a prevailing faction threatned both church and state , and the fears of popery were thought a sufficient justification of the most illegal & irreligious methods to keep it out ; when it was scandalous to speak a word either for the king or the church , when cunning men were silent , and those who affected popularity swam with the stream ; then this great & good man durst reprove schism and faction , durst teach men to conform to the church , and to obey & honor the king ; durst vindicate the despised church of england , and the hated doctrine of passive obedience , though the one was thought to favour popery , and the other to introduce slavery ; but he was above the powerful charms of names , and liked truth never the worse , because it was miscalled . his publick sermons preached in those days , and printed by publick authority , are lasting proofs of this , and yet he was no papist neither , but durst reprove the errours of popery , when some others , who made the greatest noise and out-cry about it , grew wise and cautious . this was like a truly honest and faithful servant , to oppose the growing distempers of the age , without any regard either to unjust censures , or apparent danger . and yet he did not needlesly provoke any man ; he gave no hard words , but thought it severe enough to confute mens errors without upbraiding or reproaching their persons . his conversation was courteous and affable to all men , soft and easie , as his principles were stubborn ; he could yield any thing but the truth , and bear with any thing but the vices of men . he would indeed have been the wonder of his age , had he not lived in such an age , as ; thanks be to god , can shew many such wonders , and yet in such an age as this he made an illustrious figure ; though he had his equals , he had not many superiours . thus he lived , and thus this good man died , for thus he was found doing when his lord came . the first symptoms of his distemper seized him just before his last sermon at white-hall , but gave him so much respite as to take his leave of the world in an excellent discourse of immortality , which he speaks of with such a sensible gust and relish , as if his soul had been then upon the wing , and had some fore-tast of those joys it was just a going to possess . and indeed he encountered the apprehensions of death , like one who believed and hoped for immortality ; he was neither over-fond of living , nor afraid to die . he received the supper of our lord , professed his communion with the church of england , in which he had lived , and in which he now died , and having recommended his soul to god , he quietly expected how he would dispose of him . but i must not forget to tell you , that he died like a true and faithful pastor , with a tender care and affection for his flock . when he imposed this unwelcome office upon me , he told me , he did not desire any praises of himself , but that i would give some good advice to his people , who , said he , are indeed a very kind and loving people . and this was not the first nor the onely time i have heard him own not onely your kind reception of him at first , but the repeated and renewed expressions of your affection , which did signally manifest it self in his late sickness , and now accompanies him to the grave . a character , which to your honour i speak it , you have now made good for several successions , and which , i hope , you will never forfeit . but what that good counsel is , he would have me give you , he told me not ; and therefore i can onely guess at his intentions in this . were he now present to speak to you , i believe he could not give you better counsel than he has already done : and therefore my advice to you is , . to remember those counsels and exhortations , which you have heard from your deceased pastor . though the sower be removed , yet let that immortal seed , that word of life which he has sown , live and fructifie in your hearts , and bring forth the blessed fruits of righteousness . he has shewed you the plain way to heaven , have a care you do not forget it , have a care you do not wander out of it . he has recommended the communion of the church of england to you . he has taught you to be loyal to your prince , and to be true to your religion ; take care then , that neither your religion destroy your loyalty , nor your loyalty corrupt your religion : remember that beloved person , whose memory is dear and sacred to you , was neither a rebel , a papist , nor a fanatick . . since you have lost your guide , a faithful and a prudent guide , and the choice of a successour is in your selves , be very careful , as the concernment of your souls requires you should be , of your choice . consider what an age we live in , which requires an experienced and skilful pilot to steer a secure and steady course . have a care of dividing into factions and parties ; let not meer private interests or friendships govern you ; if it be possible , admit of no competitions , much less of pulpit-combats , which do oftner occasion lasting and fatal divisions , than end in a wise choice . remember what a succession you have had of great and good men in this place , and let it be your ambition still to equal and out-do it , if you can . and now i shall conclude with one word to you my brethren of the clergy . we have lost a faithful and diligent labourer in gods vineyard , in a time when we could ill have spared him ; let us then , who still survive , double our diligence , and express a greater zeal and concernment in the defence of religion , and in the care of souls . let us remember that we are all mortal , and how little time we have to work in , we know not ; but let us so improve the remainder of our days , that when our lord comes , he may own us for faithful and wise servants , and bestow on us a crown of righteousness and immortality . which god of his infinite mercy grant , through our lord jesus christ ; to whom , with the father and the holy spirit , be honour , and glory , and power , now and for ever . amen . finis . advertisements . ☞ a sermon preached before the honourable house of commons , by w. sherlock d. d. price d. a vindication of that sermon from a popish remonstrance , o. price d. both sold by john amery at the peacock in fleetstreet . a discourse against transubstantiation . price d. doctrines and practices of the church of rome truly represented , in answer to a papist mis-represented and represented . both printed for w. rogers . notes, typically marginal, from the original text notes for div a -e cor. . . cor. . . gal. . heb. , . acts . cor. . . cor. . . . heb. pet. . . tim. . . . acts . . john , , . pet. . . . john . eph. . john. . eph. , , , . mat. , , . joh. , , . act. . , . cor. . , , . cor. . . cor. . . luk. . . mat. . sam. . . cor. , , , . . acts , . rom. . cor. . . . mat. . cor. . . cor. . . cor. . , . mat. . a remonstrance against the non-residents of great brittaine, or, non-residency condemned by scripture, by strength of arguments, by fathers, councels, canon-law, by the iudgement of reverend and learned divines blaxton, john. this text is an enriched version of the tcp digital transcription a of text r in the english short title catalog (wing b ). textual changes and metadata enrichments aim at making the text more computationally tractable, easier to read, and suitable for network-based collaborative curation by amateur and professional end users from many walks of life. the text has been tokenized and linguistically annotated with morphadorner. the annotation includes standard spellings that support the display of a text in a standardized format that preserves archaic forms ('loveth', 'seekest'). textual changes aim at restoring the text the author or stationer meant to publish. this text has not been fully proofread approx. kb of xml-encoded text transcribed from -bit group-iv tiff page images. earlyprint project evanston,il, notre dame, in, st. louis, mo a wing b estc r ocm this keyboarded and encoded edition of the work described above is co-owned by the institutions providing financial support to the early english books online text creation partnership. this phase i text is available for reuse, according to the terms of creative commons . universal . the text can be copied, modified, distributed and performed, even for commercial purposes, all without asking permission. early english books online. (eebo-tcp ; phase , no. a ) transcribed from: (early english books online ; image set ) images scanned from microfilm: (early english books, - ; : or :e , no ) a remonstrance against the non-residents of great brittaine, or, non-residency condemned by scripture, by strength of arguments, by fathers, councels, canon-law, by the iudgement of reverend and learned divines blaxton, john. [ ], p. printed by t. badger for rich. royston ..., london : . illustrated t.p. with caption: the carelesse non-resident. errata: p. [ ]. reproduction of original in yale university library and thomason collection, british library. eng clergy -- great britain. a r (wing b ). civilwar no a remonstrance against the non-residents of great brittaine: or non-residency condemned by scripture, by strength of arguments, by fathers, blaxton, john f the rate of defects per , words puts this text in the f category of texts with or more defects per , words. - tcp assigned for keying and markup - aptara keyed and coded from proquest page images - ali jakobson sampled and proofread - ali jakobson text and markup reviewed and edited - pfs batch review (qc) and xml conversion ezek. . . thus saith the lord god unto the shepheards , woe be to the shepheards of israel , that do feed themselves , should not the shepheards feed the flock ? i have read over this short treatise and conceive that it will be usefull being printed , to convince the world of that soule murthering sin of non-residency . jo . sedgwick . a remonstrance against the non-residents of great brittaine : or non-residency condemned by scripture , by strength of arguments , by fathers , councels , canon-law , by the iudgement of reverend and learned divines . the carelesse non-resident . london , printed by t. badger , for rich. royston , dwelling in ivy-lane , . to all carelesse non-residents in england , scotland , ireland . the locust in hebrew is called arbeh , of the numbers and multitudes , for rabah signifieth to multiply . non-residents are like a company of locusts , for they multiply exceedingly , there being no county in england but swarmes with them . the locusts are very fearefull and timerous , and therefore it is said of the horse , job . canst thou make him afraid as the grashopper ? whereby one may expresse the nature of carnall and worldly non-residents , that are full of feare , and at their wits ends , and know not which way to turne themselves , when they suppose that the parliament will command them to attend their flocks , and to feed them in their own persons . the locust often shifted his place , non-residents have no certain dwelling or abiding place . the locust flock together , so do non-residents in cathedrall churches . the locust is given to spoile and devoure green things , it was one of the plagues of aegip● ; non-residents devoure the tithes of many parishes in this kingdome , and they are not to bee numbred amongst the least of those plagues that god inflicts upon us for our sins . the locusts caused pharaoh and his servants to cry unto moses , that he would intreat the lord to take them away ; and our non-res●dents cause all good people to cry mightily unto god , to the kings majesty , and to the honourable house of parliament , to reform them , or remove them ; that there may not be any carelesse non-resident in all the coasts of england . search the scriptures , for in them ye think to have eternall life , but they are they which testifie against you : why are ye called * watchmen ? but that you should be vigilant : * harvest labourers ? but that you should be painefull : * shepheards ? but that you should have a care of your flocks : * stewards ? but that you should bee faithfull . you say that you love your congregations , why do you not therefore in your own persons , drive them to the green pastures of gods word , and lead them by the waters of comfort ? when christ in john asked peter thrice , simon , lowest ●ho● me ? plusquàm tua . plusquàm tuos . plusquàm te . more than thine , more than thy self , as bernard expounds it : and peter still ani swered , yea lord , thou knowest that i love thee . christ gives him this marke to know it by , pasce oves , pasce agnos ; it may be known by thy care in feeding my lambs , and tending my sheep . the apostle cals ministers {non-roman} {non-roman} {non-roman} {non-roman} {non-roman} o● {non-roman} {non-roman} {non-roman} {non-roman} {non-roman} , to row , as if they were captives condemned to the oares , whose armes must row the ship of christ to shore , yea the winds being conspired against them . why should you so undervalue , and slight preaching , as if it were too meane for the dignitaries and rich beneficed parsons of our church , and leave it as the refuse of your office for inferiour ministers ? read acts . , and there you shall find , that the summe of the apostles commission , was preaching ; whence we may observe , that preaching and converting the soules of men , of all the acts of the ministery , is the most * apostolicall , for further proofe , see tim. . . both put together , i am ordained a preacher and an apostle , a teacher of the gentiles , &c. the very same words again , tim. . . in both see how the apostleship is supported on each side with this imployment , 't is preferred before the administration of sacraments , cor. . . christ sent me not , that is , not so much to baptize , but to preach the gospel : nay cor. . , . god hath set in the church first apostles , secondly prophets , thirdly teachers , after that miracles , then gifts of healings , governments , diversities of tongues , &c. now wherein hath it so offended , that lately it should be compelled to take the lowest room ? 't is a speech of gregory , we account those to beare the image of the apostles , who are preachers , & if so , than the more negligent you are in preaching , the neerer you draw to the pope , whose kingdom most of you establish , and the further from the apostles , whom you ought to imitate . when i read of s. pauls charge to timothy , & in what high termes he gives it , i charge thee before god and the lord jesus christ , who shall judge the quick and the dead at his appearing , and in his kingdome preach the word , be instant , &c. mee thinkes it should make your eares to thingle , that have almost wholly neglected preaching , both in your own cures , & in the cathedrals , where most of you live , veluti pecora , quae natura prona at que ventri obedientia finxit . let me be but your remembrancer , of what hath been so solemnely and publikely vowed at ordination and consecration ; and such a profession before many witnesses , ought to be of no light esteeme : the * exhortation to preaching before the receiving of the order of priesthood , the obligatory promises upon demand for it , the words of * ordination it selfe , the solemne delivery of the bible , with a charge to preach , this being the summe of the office , why retaine you the name without executing of it ? for excuses ; if imployment in government be alleadged for an exemption , consider what s. paul saith of himselfe , upon whom came daily the care of all the churches , cor . . yet necessity is laid upon me , and wo unto me if i preach not the gosp●ll , and paul aged too : if disputing and writing be produced for a dispensation , remember it was s. pauls work also , as writing not a little , so disputing daily with the jews and greeks . it is recorded of s. augustin , that he had contention with arrians , ma●ichees , pe●agians , donat &c. yet notwithstanding he did labour in a constant preaching to his last ; and the like might be related of bishop jewell , bishop vsher , dr. willet m. perkins , and of divers others ; so that no pretence whatsoever can excuse non-residents from the performance of this function , to what dignity soever advanced , what burthen soever ●ravelling under . of what a shamelesse disposition are our greedy non-residents to take the profits of many parishes , for doing little or nothing amongst them , in their own persons , let them consider what s. hierome saith , quomodo mercedem obsequimur , & tamen operarii nequaquam sumus , fructus ecclesia in quetidiano ftipendio percipimus , & pro ecclesia in pradicatione non laboramus , pensemus quid est sine labore percipere mercedem laboris . hath god given you gifts fit to teach ? b● not negligent idle , and slothfull , be not like faithlesse captaines , who receive continually the lords pay , and yet never fight the lords battailes , let not your knowledge be wrapt up in an idle braine without practise , as goliabs sword in cloth without use . if the people curse him that withdraws his corne from the market : how much more shall they be cursed who by keeping the corn of gods word from the congregation of his people , bring upon themselves so fearefull a sin ? who when as they should by preaching distill on the people , as the dew upon the grasse , and as the raine upon the hearbes ( like clouds which sweate themselves to death ) vanish away in vanity , like breasts without milk , and clouds without water , who when they should in the wombe of the church , beget many children to god , deserve to be fin'd of our governors , as the old and single men of rome were by their censors cast out , because they brought no children to the commonwealth . respect is due to ministers , t is true , but not to those of whom it may be said , as our saviour speakes of the lilies ; mat . . they labour not ; they only are worthy of double honour , who are {non-roman} {non-roman} {non-roman} {non-roman} {non-roman} , labourers , in the word and doctrine , maintenance is their due , but t is the labourer is worthy of his hire . high esteeme is their due {non-roman} {non-roman} {non-roman} {non-roman} {non-roman} , but for their works sake . what is the cause of late , the calling of ministers hath fallen into such contempt ? is it not for not shewing themselves workemen , rightly dividing the word of truth ? what is the cause so few subject themselves to christs scepter ? is it not because non-residents draw not out the sword of the spirit , ( the word ) but the sword of the magistrate , for which they never had any commission from christ ? some of our carelesse non-residents have a cure of soules in one place , and live in another like fugitive captaines forsake their ensigne and company at barwick , and flee to dover : who being with jonah commanded for nineveh , flee to tarshish , being placed in the countrey , they run to the cathedrals , they leave their charge , as the ostrich doth her eggs in the earth and sands , forgetting that either the foot may crush them , or that the wild beast may breake them , or at the best they leave their congregations , as the cu●kow doth her egs to be hatched of a sparrow or some other bird : is their unnecessary absence excused because their places are supplied ? what then is the election of ministers , but a scorn and mockerie ( as dominicus soto speaketh , writing hereof at large ) if a man may take a benefice , and discharge it by another man ? and seeing christ sendeth them as labour●rs , teachers , not ordainers of labourers and teachers in their places , what is it as parisiensis speaketh , writing much to this purpose , but as if a man should mar●y a woman , under hope to obtaine issue of her , but by another man ? what is this but a crosse practise of the samaritan , and of christ : of whom the former , did not commit the care of the wounded man to his inne-keeper , till he was to depart himself ; the lord did not commit his sheep to peter , nor his mother to john , till he was now ready to commit his soule to god , and his body to the ground , as alphonsus de castro discoursing hereof at large speaketh . if non-residents shall still thinke that their curats presence can excuse their absence , then let th●m go to the prophet ezekiel , & put their fingers in the print of the prophets speech , that they may not still be unfaithfull , but bele●ve that it fully concerneth them . you have not kept the charge o● my holy things ( saith the lord god ) but ye have set keepers of my charge in my sanctuary for your selves . thus doth the lord plainly reprove them , for substistuting others under them ; and therefore they may justly feare that , which claudius espencaeus a papist , is bold to write , which i am even afraid to speake , that god shall serve them hereafter , as they serve him now ; they shall be saved by their vicars , but damned in their own persons . humbly therefore i beseech our carelesse non-residents ( if there be any place for beseeching left ) that the cōmandement of gods word might move them , which willeth them to look to their callings , and abide in them ; who * himselfe came to seeke the lost sheep , and finding it put it upon his shoulders , and himselfe brought it home . let the example of the levites , and all good over-seers excite them ; let the sight of those of the romish clergy in every corner , who travell sea and land to make their proselites , whet their resolutions to be more industrious ; let the ignorance of the people , and dread to murder their soules , which christ hath purchased with his own bloud provoke them . yea let the care of their own quiet , and the peace of their owne consciences , which shall grievously torment the negligent pastors in hell , enjoyne them , and let the assured perswasion of gods goodnesse , who hath promised , to honour those that honour him ; constraine them , to redresse all unfaithfulnesse , and to take heed to the ministery which they have received in the lord , that they fulfill it : col. . . a prayer . now thou that art the good and faithfull shepheard of israel , be mercifull unto all our carelesse non-residents , and give unto them increase of knowledge , give them faithfulnesse , give them zeale , that they may teach thy people in thy truth ; and reforme , or remove those ministers , that either for ignorance cannot , or for negligence will not , or for fearefulnesse d●re not , or for wickednesse and vngodlinesse ought not to preach thy word ; that true pastors being placed in among thy people , which may feed them with knowledge and vnderstanding , thy church may grow up in perfect beauty to the glory of thy name , amen . and let this be the prayer of all faith full people , and of men thy most unworthy servant iohn blaxton . greg. lib. . epist. . sacerdotum nomina accepimus , non ad quietem sed ad laborem , ut inveniamur in opere quod signamur in nomine . vvee have received the names of priests , not to rest , but to labour , that we may be found in work , that which we are sealed in name . errata . page . line . f. that have r. that they have . l. . f. armenianisme , r arminianisme . p. l. . for albreed , r. allowed . p. . l. f. exalteth , r exacteth , l. . r. frame p. . l. . r. receive . p. . l. f. or , r. of p. . l. . r. affect . l . . r. desire to be magistrates p . l. . r. 〈◊〉 . t. p. . l. r. had l. . r had he , p. . l. . r. denegarent . a remonstrance against non-residents . chap. i. non-residency described . answer . it is an ordinary absence of the minister from his charge : namely , from that particular congregation committed unto him . they that ordinarily reside not upon their cures are not pastors , for a pastor is he that resides upon his cure , and takes care of the people to instruct them in the knowledge and feare of god , and recals them when they go astray , and comforts them in perplexities of conscience . chap. ii. in what cases the minister is permitted to be absent . answer . first , sicknesse : the councell of mentz . . can. if a bishop be not at home , or be sick , or upon some exigent cannot be present at his parish , let him procure one , who upon sabbaths and festivall dayes , will preach unto his charge , and aug. testifies epist. . that he was absent on the like occasion . secondly , allowance of the church , to be absent for a time upon some necessary and publique commodity for the same , col. . . epaphras is their minister , but cap. . . he being absent saluted them . and ambrose though hee were bishop of millan , yet went he twisce ambassador into france , to make agreement betwixt maximus and valentinian . thirdly , if by reason of persecution he be enforc'd to fly , and see no hope to procure the safety of his people : this made cyprian to absent from carthage , as he testifieth in his epistles . but from hence our non-residents cannot justifie their ordinary absence from their cures . first , sicknesse is not the cause of their absence , for their health serves them , to live at cathedrals , and from hence to compasse all the kingdome for preferments ; esau did never more greedily hunt after venison , than these men after dignities . secondly , nor have they allowance from the church to be absent from their parsonages and vicarages , in such manner , as they usually are ; if they preach once or twice in a whole yeare in their cures , we must beleeve that have done god sufficient service and that they deserve many hundred pounds per annū , for these great performances . thirdly , nor is persecution any cause at all of their absence , for they will not be persecuted for the truth , armenianisme , popery , and new * canons , withall the ridiculous ceremonies of the church of rome , they will as willingly swallow down , if the minds and pleasures of the high priests be made known unto them , as they devoure or steeples . chap. iii. arguments against carelesse non-residency . argument . that which is not honest and of good report , is not to be practised by the ministers of christs gospell : for the scripture teacheth us , that we should do such things as are honest and of good report , providing for honest things , not only before god , but also before men ; absteining from all shews of evill . but this carelesse non-residency , as it is practised by our lazy cathedrall priests , and other non-residents , is neither honest nor of good report : ergo , i prove the assumption , first , by scripture . secondly , by councels . thirdly , by the canon law . fourthly , by the testimony of learned bishops , and judicious divines . first , by scripture , ezek . . ier. . . cursed be he that doth the work of the lord negligently . esa. . . i have set watchmen upon thy wals , o jerusalem , which all the day and all the night continually shall not cease : ye that are mindfull of the lord keep not silence , and give him no rest , till he repaire , and till he set up jerusalem the praise of the world . acts . . &c. take heed therefore unto your selves , and to all the flock , whereof the holy ghost hath made you overseers , to feed the church of god , which he hath purchased with his own bloud : for i know this , that after my departing , shall grievous wolves enter in among you , not sparing the flock . moreover of your selves shall men arise , speaking perverse things , to draw disciples after them . therefore watch and remember , that by the space of three yeares , i ceased not to warne every one night and day with teares . pet. . , . feed the flock of god which depends upon you , carying for it , not by constraint , but willingly : not for filthy lucre , but of a ready mind , not as though ye were lords over gods heritage , but that ye may be ensamples to the flock . secondly , by councels the councell of antioch , the canon . if any bishop by imposition of hands inducted into a charge , and appointed to governe a people , do neglect to take upon him that office , and delayeth to go to the congregation alloted unto him , such a one shall be prohibited from the lords table , till he be enforced to attend upon that charge , or at the least somewhat be determined by a compleate assembly of the ministers of that province . the councell of sardice , the canon . we remember that our brethren in a former assembly decreed , that if any lay-man remaining three sabaths or lords-dayes , that is , three weekes in a city , did not in the same city frequent the church assemblies , he should be excommunicated : if then such things are not allowable in lay-men , much lesse in ministers , for whom it is neither lawfull nor convenient , without urgent necessity , to be absent from his parish church longer than the time above mentioned , to this decree there was not one non-placet , but every one saith , it likes us well . the councell held at constantinople in the canon decreed , that ministers ought not to have their substitutes , or vicars , but in their own persons , with feare and chearefulnesse performe all such duties , as are required of them in the service of god . the canon law doth conclude the same things . can. siquis vult , distinct , . debent indesinenter , &c. the bishop ( saith the canon ) ought to be continually resident in gods tabernacle , that they may learne somewhat of god , and the people of them , whilst they read often , and meditate upon gods word . againe , in the canons intituled pontifices : et si quis in clero , episcopos , qui dominici gregis suscipiunt curam , &c. the bishops which take upon them to feed gods flock , ought not to depart from their duty , lest they lose that excellent talent which god hath bestowed upon them , but rather strive with that one talent to get three more talents . and in the canon of those which are termed the canons of the apostles , there is expresse mandate , that such , whether bishop or senior , who attendeth not upon their office in the church , shall forthwith be removed from that place . the calcedon councell , canon . let no man be ordained minister of two churches , in two severall cities , but let him remaine in that unto which he was first called : and if for vaine-glory , he shall afterward go to a greater congregation , let him immediatly be recalled to his first charge , and in that only exercise his ministery ; but if one be called to another charge , let him simply give over the former , and have no inteterest in the same , &c. but what have our most iudicious and reverend bishops thought of non-residency ? who have been much wiser than our selves , and have had as just occasion to looke into it : for non-residency is no new device , but an ancient sin , which hath been continually practised in all ages , and in the most famous and flourishing nations of the world . the authority therefore of the wise and learned fathers of the church in former times , ought to be a great motive to sway our judgment in this point . doctor sands , arch-bishop of york , an exile , in the raigne of queen mary , writes thus : the minister is a debter to the people committed to his charge . i am a debtor , saith the apostle , both to greeks and barbarians , to learned and unlearned : the pastor is a debtor unto his flock , to feed it so much as in him lyeth , to feed it both spiritually and corporally : spiritually by life and doctrine , corporally with hospitality according to his ability . woe be to that pastor that payeth not this debt : for if the flocke perish for want of food , all that perishing bloud shall be required at his hands ; a hard reckoning for him to answer , and a sharp punishment to sustaine for not answering . bishop babington , as soone as christ had sent away his disciples , saith the gospell , he departed into a mountaine to pray ; let this informe us , how dangerous the absence of the pastor is : when moses was absent , the israelites fell to great and grosse idolatry , whilst men sleep , the enemy soweth tares , and what too muh absence of pastors hath done of evill in england , who can tell ? we are present often in the time of profit , but absent too often touching pa●nes : the ships therfore over which the lord hath appointed many of us , are not only troubled as this was , but almost even sunk and cast away by contrary winds of romish charmes . master philips : atheist and non-residents subscribe to the generall places of scripture , that the word must be preached in season and out of ●eason , that if the blind lead the blind , both shall fall into the pit of perdition ; that where the vision faileth , the people perish , and that the price of soules is bloud : but that he himselfe is in this danger , that taketh the fleece , yet feedeth not the sheep : or that he doth jeopard his own soule , in suffering the soules of other to famish , he will instantly and shamelesly deny , their consciences condemning them in the particular . master gilpin : so long as it shall be lawfull for men , to have so many livings as they can get , and discharge never a one , and so long as men may have livings to lye where they will in idlenesse far from their cure , fatting themselves like the divels porklings , and let a thousand soules perish , for lacke of spirituall food , god his businesse shall never be well applyed , nor his gospell have successe in england . master wheatly : some ministers feed themselves , and not the flock , but ( contenting themselves with the name of ministers ) either through idlenesse , or disability , do seldome or never drive the sheep of christ to the green pastures , and still waters that he hath provided for them : when a minister having but one living ( either because he is unlearned and cannot , and slothfull and will not , be at so much paines , or else because he lies in the wind to sent out farther promotion , and so is taken up in other places about other busines ) neglecteth to break the bread of life unto his people constantly and ordinarily each sabbath day : or when a minister taking upon himselfe more charges then one , which it is impossible for him to discharge , leaves one , ( or it may be two ) to the blind guidance of a simple fellow that can do nothing better than the meanest of the parish , but read a little , and then go with them to the ale-house for company when all is done , when , i say , such a thing as this is done , it is of all the particular unjustices , which i have named , or shall name , the most abominable to god , and ought to be so accounted also amogst men . for the church livings are , as it were the revenus of jesus christ , and his endowments , to be disposed by him : and it is his order that those should live of the altar , not which loyter , but which labour at it ; and therefore those that labour not , have no interest from him to eate of the fruits ; and if they presume to do it , they fill and fat themselves with stoln and ill gotten goods , which though they taste sweet in the mouth shall prove gravell , yea wormewood , yea poyson in the bowels . and thus i have sufficiently proved my assumption , that carelesse non-residency , is neither honest , nor of good report , both by authority of scripture , as also by councels , canon-law and by the testimony of learned bishops and judicious divines . now since these authorities joyne in one against non-residency ; they who shall oppose themselve in defence thereof , had need to come well appointed with strong arguments and sound reasons ; or else methinks we should hardly beleeve them in the meane time : the conclusion that necessarily flows from the premises , will be this , that this carelesse non-residency ought not to be practised by the ministers of christs gospell . argument against non-residency . they that have no assurance in themselves of their calling , nor the inward testimony of their consciences , that they are appointed of god to labour in his vine-yard , are no better than intruders . but carelesse non-residents have no assurance in themselves of their calling , nor an inward testimony in their consciences that they are appointed of god to labour in his vineyard . ergo , they are no better than intruders , and consequently , are to be cast out . the proposition is proved by that which our saviour saith , every plant which my heavenly father hath not planted shall be rooted out . and they that are ordered deacons or priests , have this question propounded unto them ; do you trust that you are inwardly moved by the holy ghost , to take upon you this office and ministration , to serve god , for the promoting of his glory , and the edifying of his people ? to the which every one answereth , i trust so : in the iudgement therefore of our church it is necessarily required that ministers should have assurance in themselves of their calling . for the assumption , that it may be proved sufficiently , let us first consider how ministers may have assurance in themselves of their calling , &c. and then make application of it to our non-residents . ministers are acertained of their calling . first , by their gifts ; for they which are deputed to the lords service , are in some good measure inabled thereunto : as the apostle saith , cor. . . god hath made us able ministers of the new testament . secondly , by the employment of their gifts : if they carefully and diligently use those graces wherewith they are endued , to the edifying of christ his church . ministers can have no good assurance , that god ever called them , unlesse they can find that the thing that moved them to enter into that calling , was an earnest desire to do good in it : if any man desire the office of a bishop ( saith the apostle , tim. . . ) he des●red a good worke . it is true indeed , that the best of gods servants have been at the first exceedingly unwilling and backward ; but before they have entered upon this function , they have been made by gods spirit marvellously willing and desirous to be employed in it : when the prophet esay ( who had been a little befor greatly dejected in the sense of his unworthinesse and unfitnesse to this function , esay . . ) heard the lord say , verse . whom shall i send ? or who shall go for us ? then i said , ( saith he ) here am i , send me : by this property moses knew them , whom god had called and fitted for the building of the tabernacle , exad . . . he called bezaliel and ah●liab , and every one whose heart stirred him up to come unto the work to do it . yea this zealous desire to do good ●ust be in a minister at all times when he goeth about the lords work : he must go to it as willingly as he goeth to his meat , when he is hungry , see the pet. . . tim. . . without this willignesse there is no reward . am●rose saith , voluntarius minister habet premium , coactus dispensat ●bsequium : the willing minister hath a reward , he that is forced only employed and used : for application , since therfore our carelesse non-residents either want gifts to furnish them for the ministery or having gifts , want willingnesse to provoke them to feed the flock which by gods providence depends upon them , since they want a good will to deale unto the people the gospell of god , since it is not their joy to do the work of the lord , and they do not bind themselves concionably and constantly to performe it ; i must conclude , that they can never be sure of their calling , and consequently , that they deserve to be rooted out . shame and contempt should surely pursue all those , who having received their talent , nihil agunt , do nothing● for the servant that digged his talent in the earth , and employed it not , was censured by his master , for wicked and slothfull , had his talent taken from him , and for his unprofitablenesse was commanded into utter darknesse , it is the elder that rules well , and labours in the word and doctrine that is worthy of doubl● honour : the idler deserves none at all , no not so much as single ; he that will not labour must not eate : and he that will not work in the vineyard must not looke for his peny . yea , but they are so much employed otherways , that they have no leasure . what ? no leisure to be ministers ? why , are they ministers then ? to seed upon the flock and not to feed it , is little better than sacriledge : and argues a base , sordid , and contemptible mind . but it may be our cathedrall non-resid●nts , suppose that the reverend bishops will suffer them to passe , with seene and albreed : let them therefore seriously ponder upon the words of bishop latimer , he propounds the question , whether non-residents be worthy of double honour ? and thus resolves it : they are not to be regarded , nor to be esteemed among the people , and to have no living at their hands . for as good preachers be worthy double honor ; so un-preaching prelates be worthy double dishonour : they must be at their doublets . but now these two dishonours what be they ? our saviour doth shew , si sal infatuatus fuer●t at nihil ultra valet , nisi ut projiciatur for as , if the salt be unsavoury it is good for nothing , but to be cast out and troden of men ; by this salt is understood preachers , and such as have cure of soules : what be they worthy then ? wherefore serve they ? for nothing else but to be cast out : make them quondames , out with them , cast them out of their office , what should they do with cure that will not look to them ? another dishonour is this , ut conculcentur ab hominibus , to be troden under mens feet , not to be regarded , not to be esteemed : they be at their doublets still . s paul in his epistle , qualifieth a bishop , and saith , that he must be aptus ad docendum , ad refellendum aptus : to teach and to confute all manner of false doctrine ; but what shall a man do with aptnesse , if he do not use it ? it were as good for us to be without it . argument against non-restd●n●y . they that neglect the grace of edification , are not the faithfull ministers of christ iesus . but carelesse-non-residents , neglect the grace of edification : ergo they are not the faithfull ministers of christ , and consequently , should be reformed , or removed . the proposition , i prove by the testimony of bishop lake , neither is it a bare and naked testimony , but it is sufficiently furnished with unanswerable arguments , bearing down non-residency before them : thus he writes , ministers must not neglecttheir grace of edification , they must not hide their talent , consult with flesh and bloud , be disobedient to the heavenly visions ; they must {non-roman} {non-roman} {non-roman} {non-roman} {non-roman} , stirre up the grace of god , blow off the ashes that would over-cast it , sound the trumpet , and give timely alarmes , be instant in season and out of season ; being salt , we must ever be seasoners of the world ; being light , we must ever be dispelling the darkenesse of men ; being architects , we must ever be building of gods house : being husbandmen , we must ever be labouring in gods field : finally , being shepheards , we must ever be attending on christs flock : so was s. paul , so must we . otherwise gods grace is bestowed on us in vaine : our consciences can ●ot yeeld us this good testimony which s. paul giveth here unto himself , it will rather challenge us of our neglect , and the grievousnes of our neglect will be answerable to the gifts which we receive from god , and god knows there is too much of this neglect of our calling in many , at whose hands god will require the bloud of many perishing soules . be perswaded then , all you , whom god hath made stewards over his houshold , and blessed your ba●ket and your store , to bring forth of your treasures things both new and old : manifest the spirit god hath given you , so as may be most for the profit of your brethren . the spirit of god , when he gave you wisdom and knowledge , intended not so much the wisdome and the knowledge of themselves , as the manifestation of them , or ( as it is in the next verse ) the word of wisdome and the word of knowledge : as christ also promised his apostles , to give them os & sapientiam ; a mouth and wisdome . alas , what is wisdom without a mouth ? but alas , a pot of treasure hid in the ground , which no man is the better for . wisdome that is hid , and a treasure that is not seen what profit is in them both ? o then do not knit up your masters talent in a napkin , smother not his light under a bushel , pinch not his servants of their due provision , put not up the manna you have gathered till it stink , and the wormes consume it : but above all , squander not away your rich portions by riotous living . let not either sloth , or envy , or pride , or pretended modesty , or any other thing hinder you , from labouring to discharge faithfully that trust and duty , which god expecteth , which the necessity of the church challengeth , which the measure of your gifts promiseth , which the condition of your calling exalteth from you . remember the manifestation of the spirit was given you to profit withall . and since the end of all gifts is to profit , aime most at those gifts , which will profit most ; and endeavour so to freame those you have in the exercise of them , as they may be likeliest to bring profit to those that shall partake them . covet earnestly the best gifts , saith the apostle , cor. . . and you have his comment upon that text in the first verse of the fourteenth chapter , covet spiritwall gifts , {non-roman} {non-roman} {non-roman} {non-roman} {non-roman} , but rather that ye may prophecy , and by prophecying , hee meaneth the instruction of the church and people of god , in the needfull doctrines of faith towards god , repentance from dead works , and new and holy obedience . it is one stratageme of the arch-enemy of mankind , ( and when we know his works , we may the better be able to defeate him ) by busying men of great and usefull parts in by-matters , and thiugs of lesser consequence , to divert them from following that unum necessarium , that which should be the maine of all our endeavours , the beating down of sin , the planting of ●aith , and the resormation of manners . controve●sies , i confesse are necessary , the tongues necessary , histories necessary , philosophy and the arts necessary , other knowledge of all sorts necessary in the church : for truth must be maintained , scripture perhaps opened , heresie confuted , the mouths of adversaries stopped , schismes and novelties suppressed . but when all is done , positive and practique divinity is it , must bring us to heaven , that is it , must pause our judgments , settle our consciences , direct our lives , mortifie our corruptions , encrease our graces , strengthen our comforts , save our soules : hoc opus hoc stadium : there is no study to this , none so wel worth the labour as this : none that can bring so much profit to others , nor therefore so much glory to god , nor therfore so much comfort to our own hearts as this . this is a faithfull saying , and these things i will that thou affirm constantly ( saith paul to titus ) that they which have beleeved in god , might be carefulto maintain good works : these things are good and profitable unto men . you cannot do more good unto the church of god , you cannot more profit the people of god , by your gifts : then by pressing effectually , these two great points , faith and good works ; these are good and profitable unto men . the assumption , viz. that carelesse non-residents neglect the grace of edification , is found too true by experience ; for first , they absent themselves from their cures . secondly , if you hunt these foxes to their dennes , to their cathedrals , there they preach not above once or twice in a yeare , nay they are so far from preaching themselves , that they discountenance , all faithfull preachers in the places where they be resident , and upon the lords day in the after-noones , they will not go to the assemblies of the saints , where they may heare gods word , but content themselves with prayers in their cathedrals ; yea if there be power in their hands , they will suspend such faithfull ministers , as breake unto the people the bread of life , though they themselves are not worthy to be named with them the same day . i must therefore conclude , that they are not the faithfull ministers of christ iesus , and humbly i beseech god , to put it into the heart of his majesty , and the great counsell of state assembled in the high court of parliament , to endevour their reformation , and if they will not be reformed , to remove them . amen . argument against non-residency . they that by the use of all good meanes , do not seek to preserve the credit and estimation of their persons in the hearts of gods people , deserve not the name of christs ministers . but non-residents do not by the use of good meanes , seek to preserve the credit and estimation of their persons , in the hearts of gods people . ergo , they deserve not the name of christs ministers , and consequently , ought to be removed . the proposition is proved by the tim. . . let no man despise thy youth , and tit . . see that no man despise thee , it is therefore the bounden duty of gods ministers to labour to maintain their credit , for if they lose their reverence and estimation in the hearts of gods people , their doctrine will do them no good . the assumption will be easily proved , if we take into our consideration the meanes chalked out unto us by gods word , whereby we may maintaine our estimation in the hearts of the people , and i find in gods word three speciall meanes , whereby this may be done . first , by our diligence and care to teach profitably , that is the chiefe thing that will procure us reverence and estimation , if we do our work well , thess. . . have them in singular love for their works sake this is that , that the apostle teacheth , tim. . . study to shew thy selfe approved unto god , a workman that needeth not to be ashamed , dividing the word of god aright . and tim. . having charged timothy verse , to looke to it , that no man despi●e his youth : he telleth him by what meanes he may preserve his person and ministery from contempt and disdaine , verse . and standdeth principally upon this , give attendance to reading , to exhortation , and to doctrine : verse . despise not the gift that is in thee : but stirre it up , and seek to increase it : and addeth verse . these things exercise , and give thy selfe unto them , that it may be seene how thou proprofitest amongst all men . if this care and conscience be in us , we shall be sure to have honour , though satan and all the world should conspire to disgrace us , a proph●t ( a true and faithfull prophet he meanes ) is not without honour , mat. . . mar. . . if this be wanting , no wealth , no titles , no hospitality , no good-works we can do , will be able to preserve us from contempt . the second meanes , is by our faithfulnesse in our ministery : this differeth from the former , for a man may be a diligent and very sufficient teacher , and yet not faithfull in his ministery . this is faithfulnesse , when we are carefull to deliver the whole counsell of god to his people , not concealing any part of it for favour , or feare of any man , jer. . . he that hath my word , let him speake my word faithfully . cor. . . it is required of gods stewards , that every man be found faithfull . tim. . . what things thou hast heard of me , the same deliver to faithful men which shall be able to teach others . this hath great force to procure us reverence in the hearts of all men . when the pharises would give a reason of the reverence they pretended to beare to our saviour , they give this , math. . . master , we know that thou art true , and teachest the way of god truly , neither carest for any man ; for thou considerest not the person of a man . and when the apostle chargeth titus to looke to it , that no man despise him , he prescribeth him this way , to keep himselfe from contempt , tit. . . these things speake and exhort , and rebuke , with all authority , see that no man despise thee . titus might have ●aid , this was a strange direction ; this is the way rather to procure us the contempt and hatred of all men , if we shall not only teach such particular duties as he hath mentioned before , but apply them also so particularly , by exhorting and rebuking men specially , if we do it with authority and boldnesse , as thou speakest of . no ( saith the apostle feare it not , this will gaine thee estimation and honor in the hearts of men , yea , of all men : yea , even of them that were most offended with thee for they faithfulnesse , if they belong to god : and this is that , that salomon saith , prov. . . he that rebuketh a man shall finde more favour at the length , than he that flattereth with his tongue . the third and last meanes we are to use and maintaine our honour and estimation in the hearts of gods people , is to make our selves an example and patterne to them , in all the duties of holinesse towards god , and righteousnesse towards men : and to shew care of this , not in our selves only , but in all that are of our family also . this direction is given , tit. . . ●e must be unreproveable ; and not so only , but his children also must be faithfull , not scandalous for riot , neither disobedient . see the great force that this hath to gaine reverence to our persons and ministery , in two examples , tim. . . let no man despise thy youth , but be unto them that beleeve , an example in word , in conversation , in love , in spirit , in faith and in purenesse . the other is in john baptist ; see what honour the holinesse of his life did gaine him with all men , mar. . . herod reverenced john , because he knew him to be a just man and a holy . now to apply this to our non-residents , they do not carefully use these meanes to preserve the credit and estimation of their persons in the hearts of the people . ergo , they deserve not the name of christs ministers , and consequently , should be removed . argument against non-residents . the faithfull ministers of christ iesus must labour to be fruitfull and profitable in their ministery . but carelesse non-residents , do not labour to be fruitfull and profitable in their ministery : ergo , they are not the faithfull ministers of christ . i prove the proposition by reasons : first , god hath placed us in this calling , and given us the gifts we have to this end . even for the perfecting of the saints , and for the edifying of the body of christ , ephes . . . the manifestation of the spirit is given to every man to profit withall , cor. . . secondly , every man should count it his misery to be unprofitable , it is noted for a great part of the misery of our estate by nature , that we are altogether unprofitable , rom. . . how much more a minister ? matth. . . cast yee the unprofitable servant into utter darknesse , there shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth . thirdly , nothing will yeeld us that comfort in life or death , as this ; not all the wealth wee have gathered , nor the credit and applause we have had , thess. . . they whom he had won to god were his hope , and joy , and crown of rejoycing . fourthly , this is the chiefe thing that will assure us , that god hath indeed called us to be ministers of his gospell , and ●pproveth of our ministery , when we are fruitfull , when the porter ( the holy ghost ) appeareth unto us , and giveth entrance unto our ministery in the hearts of the people , john . . as we know he did to pauls ministery in the heart of lydia , acts . we have heard all the ministers of the new testament are called reapers . the servants to whom god committed his talents , if they were good and faithfull servants , gained somewhat to their master , mat. . thus paul approveth himselfe to be an able minister of the gospell , the corinthians that were converted by his ministery , were his letters of commendation written in his heart ( yeelding him much inward comfort and assurance of his calling ) and also known and read of all men , such an evidence of his calling , as was apparent unto all men , cor. . . this he cals the very seale of his apostle-ship , cor. . . the assumption , viz. that non-residents do not labour to be fruitfull and profitable in their ministery , i thus prove : first , because they are not diligent and painefull , both in study and in preaching . give attendance to reading , to exhortation , to doctrine ; neglect not the gift that is in thee , but both by diligence in study and in preaching , labour to stirre it up , and increase it , saith the apostle unto timothy ▪ tim. . . . but this blessed counsell of the apostle they disrespect , as is manifest to all men , ergo . secondly , when they do teach ( which is but seldome , they teach that wherein they themselves may shew most learning or eloquence ) not which may be most profitable , and of use to them that are committed to their charge . contrary to tit. . . and . . thirdly , they do not apply their doctrines to the present estate and condition of their hearers , as they are commanded , tim. . . fourthly , they do not take heed to their lives , as they are required , tim. . . for they swell with pride , and are unsatiably addicted to outward things , reaping most greedily , where they sow sparingly . fiftly , they are not earnest with god in prayer , that he would make their ministery fruitfull , as paul was , ephes. . . they were never acquainted with fervency in prayer , and therefore in stead of praying , they say , let us pray for , &c. finally , they do not enquire for fruit , and deale with their people in private , to see how they profit by their labours , as did our saviour with his hearers , mat. . . and the apostle , acts . . who did not only teach publikely , but from house to house . and indeed how can they do thus , since they visite their congregations but once or twice in the yeare , and then having gathered up the profits of their livings , they speedily returne to their dennes of idlenesse , that they may consume the same in rio●ous living ? i conclude therefore , that they are not the faithfull ministers of christ , and consequently , that they ought to be reformed , or removed . faxi● deus . argument against non-residency . all faithfull ministers of christ iesus are , and must be painefull and laborious in their ministeriall function . but non-residents are not painefull and laborious in their ministeriall function . ergo , they are not the faithfull ministers of christ iesus . i prove the proposition ; first , that they are laborious in their ministery , the examples of christ , his apostles , prophets , euangelists , bishops and martyrs of the purest time , do abundantly prove : it was christs custome to enter in their synagogues on the sabbath dayes , and to read and expound the scriptures to the people . it was s. pauls manner to reason in the synagogues , and to open the scriptures on the sabbath dayes . vpon sunday ( saith justin martyr ) all the christians that are in the cities or countries about , meet together , and after some commentaries of the apostles , and writing of the prophets have been read , the senior or president doth by a sermon exhort the people , and ad monish them to the imitation and practise of those divine truths , which they had heard and read unto them . and saint austen telleth us of ambrose that he heard him rightly handling the word of god unto the people every lords day . yea it should seeme by the homilies of saint chrysostome that hee did oftentimes preach daily unto the people , and therefore wee frequently meet with his {non-roman} {non-roman} {non-roman} {non-roman} {non-roman} , yesterday this and this i taught you , and origen intimateth this frequency of expounding the scriptures in his time , if saith hee , you come frequently unto the church of god , and there attend unto the sacred scriptures and to the explication of those heavenly commandements , thy soule will be strengthned , as thy body with food . i will close this point with the assertion and profession of holy austen , that hee was never absent from his episcopall service and attendance , upon any licentious and assumed liberty , but onely upon some other necessary service of the church . secondly as faithfull ministers are painfull in their ministry , so they must be painf●ll and laborious . there are no names given unto ministers , but they are words of employment and of labour . for preaching comes of praeco , to be a proclaimer in the market place ; so are they called trumpeters , for that they must blow the silver trumpet of the lords word , that it may sound and ring in the eares of the people , cryers , so as they m●st be no tongue tyed fellowes , for they are no fitter for this office , then is a blind man to be a pilot , they must be as shepheards , which in juda were faine to watch all night to preserve their flocks from wolves : watchmen , who must take heed , least through their sloth the fort be surprized . embessadours having a great message to deliver from the king of heaven : angels , as christ is called the angell of the great covenant : and revel. . write unto the angell : that is , the minister of such a church : workemen because they be builders of mens consciences : stewards , to provide meat for the lords inheritance : we are stewards of no meaner a gift than the grace of god , and the wisdome of god , that grace which by saint peter is called {non-roman} {non-roman} {non-roman} {non-roman} {non-roman} a manifold grace : and that wisdome which by saint paul is called {non-roman} {non-roman} {non-roman} {non-roman} {non-roman} the manifold wisedome of god : we are the depositaries and dispencers of the most precious treasures which were ever opened unto the sonnes of men , the incorruptible and precious bloud of christ , the exceeding great and precious promises of the gospell , the word of the grace of god , and of the unsearchable riches of christ . now it is required of stewards that a man be found faithfull , that he defraud not christ of his purchase , which is the soules of men , nor men of their price and priviledge , which is the bloud of christ : that hee neither favour the sinnes of men , nor dissemble the truth of god . ministers are the light of the world , and therefore their duty is to shine forth by heavenly doctrine to enlighten gods people ; they are the salt of the earth , and therefore their duty is to season with wholsome doctrine , the weake soules that bendto corruption , they are builders and therefore must edifie the body of christ , the house of god . they are captaines , and therefore it is their part to fight gods battailes : and as good leaders and chieftaines to instruct gods people well in this spirituall warfare . in saint pauls time it was a curse of damnation not to preach : which cannot be appropriated to paul himselfe , it being a duty required of all that labour in christs vineyard , and tim. . . he adjureth timothy to preach insta●tly : so that as john as the forerunner , and timothy as an evangelist , were to preach with vehemency , so are we as pastors to crie the same crie : for it never yet pierced deep enough , nor entred farre enough to make men watchfull over their lives . the assumption is too true , the conclusion therefore must of necessity bee yeelded unto , viz. that non-residents are not the faithfull ministers of christ , and consequently , that they ought to be removed . chap. iv. answereth the objections made by non-residents for the maintenance of their idlenesse . obje . . though non-residents bee ordinarily absent from their people , yet there is no place of scripture expressely condemning non-residency as a sin . answer . we have the authority of gods commandement , acts , . binding all pastors carefully to attend unto the flockes , of which the holy ghost hath made them overseers : and this not at the quarter or halfe yeeres day , to gather in the profits and to feed themselves , but to feed the flock , the church of god which christ hath purchased with his bloud . i would know whether this precept requireth the personall presence of the pastor or no ? if any man say , that hee is as good as present in his sufficient substitute : i answer , that the most doe not prove it so sufficiently , but some rakeshame of men , some ieroboams priest of the basest of the people , that cannot tell otherwayes what to do with himselfe . but if they did ; the text is not satisfied , which requireth his owne attendance , neither injoyneth a pastor to see his people fed , but to feed them . i would further here demand , whether that commandeme●t given to archyppus , belong not to all the pastors of the new testament , take heed to the ministery that thou hast received in the lord , that thou fulfill it ? which if it doe ( as no forhead can deny it ) then with what face can any man take a ministery upon him that another may fulfill it ; the like commandement is given by salomon , be diligent to know the state of thy flock , and take heed to thy heards : which not obscurely implyeth the presence of the pastor , who must not only teach , but teach aptly , and apply not onely true , but fit doctrine according to the state and condition of his people . secondly , the excellency of the object tieth the pastor , to more than ordinary attendance : his calling is to watch over mens soules : were it but to watch over mens bodies and goods , it were no lesse then capitall , for any man to leave his station at his owne pleasure wherein his captaine hath set him : and how can this unfaithfulnesse in them who are set in the lords watch towers , but be by so much the more perilous then the other , by how much the soule is more precious then the body , and the losse of the soule infinitely surpassing the losse of the body ? thirdly , the straitnesse of the account that is to bee made for the people , cannot but bind him that hath any conscience left in him to ordinary residence , and attendence in his owne person , hence the apostle to the hebrewes saith , they watch over mens soules as they that must give account . and the apostle peter wisheth them so to feede the flocke depending upon them , that when the chiefe sheepheard shall appeare , they may give up their accounts with joy . now with what joy can hee give up his accounts , who with the hireling hath left his people to the wolf : who never knew their estate , who never came but as a stranger amongst them : never or seldome knowne by voyce unto them : yea scarce knowne by face to many of them : that which will dye let it die , zachar . . he is none of his brothers keeper , slender is that account which that captaine can make to his prince , who having received his pay to guide and traine such a number of souldiers , leaveth them in the plaine field to the spoile and violence of the enemy : or at the best , setteth a base fellow over them , fitter to guide cattell than to traine men up to such services ; such another account must needs here be given up , but neither of them will goe for payment . fourthly the love of christ were it present , would constraine ministers to feede his sheepe : peter saith christ , lovest thou mee ? feeds my sheepe : were there love to the flocke , it would not suffer them to runne into ruines , nor to fall awry from their zeale faith , vertue : neither should the pastors absence open the doore to wolves and deceivers , to priests and jesuits , who in such places have free scope to poyson and destroy . were faith present to rule the heart , it would extinguish the drought of the world , and would bee working by love towards christ , and his people , accounting obedience to god above thousands of gold and silver . if true contentation were there , such an appearance of evill would be avoided as covetousnesse is , which is a filthy vice wheresoever , but especially in a minister , who is as the eye in the body , wherein such a blemish or rather such a beame is not more perspicuous then scandalous : and yet is the root , as of all evill , so of this ordinary non-residency . if true humility were present , it would not suffer the impostume of pride to grow upon a man by multiplying of livings : which experience teacheth , to be like a collection of many bad humours into one member , which make it to swell above the just proportion of the other members . if fidel●ty tooke place , hee would bee diligent to till the lords field as he hath promised : he would as a faithfull steward be providing necessaries ( not for his owne ) but for gods family : as a good physitian he would be ministring to the sicke and diseased soules , he would bee binding up the broken spirits , he would be seeking and saving that which is lost , yea he would goe before the sheepe of christ and lead them in and out : for all this he hath promised before god and his people , and undertaken it in his owne person . if equitie and iustice ruled him , he could not suffer the people who sow carnall things unto him , not to reape spirituall from him ; he could not take so much wages of god , and doe him so little worke for it : hee could not receive his pay , and flie from the battaile : hee could not so greedily eate the milke of the flocke , and give them little or no food : hee could not so wrongfully keepe backe the hire of the labourers , who reape the lords fields , neither could he live of that altar which he doth not serve , cor. . . lastly , if right reason ruled him he would easily discerne what unnaturall and monstrous thing it were , that either sundry bodies and congregations should have but one eye , or else that this eye should be ordinarily and for most part many ) miles distant from the body . right reason would also shew him how impossible a thing it is , for one shepheard to keepe more flockes then one : how unreasonable a thing it is , for any man to performe service in one place , and take wages in another , what a shamefull thing it were , to marrie a wife in hope to beget children by another mans help : what an equall thing it is , that he doth not his duty in his owne person , but by a deputy , should also goe to heaven by a deputy , but not in his owne person : as merrily and wittily , iodicus a famous french preacher , witnessed by espencens : from all which i may conclude this reason with the words of a papist , that seeing neither nature is the principle or ground of non-residence : for that is contented with a little : nor yet grace , which is contented with lesse ; therefore the corruption of the heart of man is the chiefe counsellour and perswader unto it , neither is his reason to bee neglected : for though a man ( saith he ) dare live a non-resident , yet would he not willingly die one , and as for the matter of substitution whereon the whole frame of non-residencie is set , as on a foundation : he saith , hee seeth not why one man might not have as well an h●ndreth livings , as one by this plea , for he might get substitutes enough : neither doth he see any reason but women might also be capable of church livings ( by this plea ) as well as men , for they also might performe the duties by substitutes . but i remit the reader to the author , as also to other of our later divines who have largely and learnedly handled the same argument . though we preach but seldome , and are seldome seene in our severall congregations , yet when we we doe preach amongst them , our sermons are full of learning , even to the admiration of our hearers , the sermons usually preached in the country are but like our ordinary communications , but our sermons are stuft with all manner of learning , we have abundance of quotations and allegations out of fathers , schoolemen and other learning , which no question edifies much , and therefore we may be the better borne with , and ought not to bee accused of idlenesse , though wee preach but once or twise in a yeare . let non-residents know , that they justly displease good men , because they propound to themselves , not gods glory , or the edification of the church , but their owne praise and applause . to what end else is this vaine ostentation , of wit , eloquence , reading , and all variety of learning ? wherein first they prevaricate with christ , pretending to wooe the soules of men unto christ , but indeed intending to win reputation to themselves . secondly , they faile the hope and expectation of their brethren , who repairing to them for instruction , received no more benefit by their sermons , than calicula's guests did by his golden banquet , which onely delighted the eye , but neither pleased the palate , nor satisfied the stomack . vvise and wholsome is the counsell of saint hierome , when thou teachest in the church , non clamor populi sed gemitus suscitetur , stirre you up not the applause but the grones of the people , lachrymae anditorum laudes tuae sint , let the teares of thy auditory be thy praises , if thou canst with peter pricke the people at the heart , and make them say , men and brethren what shall we doe ? if by discoursing of righteousnesse , temperance and iudgement to come , thou canst make felix tremble , thou shalt both glorifie god , and procure honour unto thy selfe . but if neglecting the glory of god , thou ayme at nothing but thine owne prayse and commendation : god will sure powre downe contempt upon thee , for his mouth hath spoken it , them that honour mee will i honour , and they that despise mee shall be lightly esteemed . our carelesse non-residents should from schoole-masters learne a point or discretion ; they range their schollers into formes , and though themselves bee never so learned , yet they read unto their seuerall formes , no deeper points than they are capeable of : if they should doe otherwise , well might they shew their learning , they would shew no discretion , neither would the schollars be the better for that which they should teach them : and let these men remember that it concernes them so to distinguish their auditors . some learned divines will not use the latine or the greek tongue , when their hearers have not latine or greeke eares : and they will content themselves with the delivery of gods word , because their auditors are content to take gods bare word , without any further band or testimony : and may not non-residents , preaching in a country parish , imitate such a worthy divine as this ? they say a plaine sermon is but like their ordinary communication , their meaning is , when they are in a good mood that is not to bee understood , of all times , and in all places , for to my knowledge ; they usually rayle upon faithfull ministers when they are at their tables , at their dice ; and in their conference with their idle companions , but let these cathedrall non-residents know , that there be many ministers in the country , that preach twice upon the lords day constantly , and keepe also a lecture upon a weeke day , and if their sermons bee weighed in the ballance of the sanctuary , they will every one of them excell in worth those sermons that they bring with them into the country : such as effect nothing else but quaint and curious phrases , or are unmeasurable in their allegations out of all authors , both ecclesiasticall and prophane , or ●ore aloft in unnecessary speculations farre above the capacity of their auditors , these over doe , & , magno conatu magnas nugas , take great paines , and eviscerate themselves , as it were , to weave a webbe , which when it is ended , is fit for no other use , but onely as an unprofitable thing to be swept away . though we be non-residents , yet wee have done god good service executing the office of magistrates , and if we might still bee magistrates , wee would cut downe sinne and iniquity with the sword of justice . hee is of a shamelesse forehead that will denie your desire to magistrates , how did they struggle for the sword of justice at salisbury ? enquire of the citizens , and they will tell you , but it is unlawfull for ministers of the gospell to be magistrates : this appeareth by the words of our saviour expressely forbidding his apostles to be rulers of nations , and leaving it to princes , the kings of nations rule over their people ) and they that bee great ones , exercise authority , with you it shall not be ●o : that is , you shall neither beare rule , nor exercise authority over your brethren . object . the word is {non-roman} {non-roman} {non-roman} {non-roman} {non-roman} : they over-rule their subjects with injustice and violence ; you shall not doe so . answer , christ in that place doth not traduce the power of princes as unjust or outragious , but distinguisheth the calling of his apostles from the manner of regiment , which god hath allowed the magistrate : christ saith not princes be tyrants , you shall deale more courteously than they doe : but hee saith princes be lords and rulers over thei● people , by gods ordinance you shall not be so : againe the word which saint luke hath , is {non-roman} {non-roman} {non-roman} {non-roman} {non-roman} without any composition . they be lords and masters : and saint paul confesseth of himselfe and other apostles {non-roman} {non-roman} {non-roman} {non-roman} {non-roman} not that wee bee lords or masters of your faith , yea the compound {non-roman} {non-roman} {non-roman} {non-roman} {non-roman} is with power and force to rule men whether they will or no , not with wrong and injurie to oppresse them : and therefore the conclusion is inevitable , that princes may lawfully compell and punish their subjects which bishops may not . this distinction betweene them is evident by their severall commissions which god hath signed : the prince , not the priest ; beareth the sword ; ergo the prince , not the priest is gods minister to revenge malefactors : peter himselfe was sharply rebuked by christ for using the sword , and in peter all pastors and bishops are straitly charged not to meddle with it : all that take the sword shall perish with the sword : and of all men a bishop must be no striker : for hee that should feed his masters houshold fall to striking , hee shall have his portion with hypocrites . the servants of god must be gentle towards all , instructing those that resist , with mildnesse , not compelling any with sharpnesse : their function is limited to the preaching of the word , and dispensing the sacraments , which have no kind of compulsion in them , but invite men only by sober perswasions to beleeve and imbrace the promises of god : to conclude , pastors may teach , exhort and reprove , not force , command or revenge : onely princes be governours , that is , publike magistrates to prescribe by their lawes , and punish with the sword such as resist them within their dominions , which bishops may not doe , thus farre bishop bilson , with whom accord many other reverend bishops and divines , see the margent . when there were buyers and sellers in the temple , our blessed saviour made a whip of small cords , and drive them out : i wish with all my heart , that our non-residents , that neglecting their calling , thrust themselves into the calling of the magistrate , may be whipt out of their holes and dennes where they hide themselves , and by violence be forced to feede their sheepe , and if they will not feed them with the bread of life , and give unto them the waters of life to drinke , let them be removed ipso facto , for all such wicked errours . many divines have beene zealous in preaching against non-residency , and yet afterwards have beene non-residents themselves , ergo , upon second thoughts , non-residency is not to be condemned . answer , saint paul tells us , that demas hath forsaken him , and embraced this present world , yet demas did not well to forsake the truth , neither doe they . the lawes of the land allow us in some cases to be non-residents , ergo , it is lawfull . answer , this permitting of non-residency , argues that non-residency in it selfe is evill , and the rule of conscience must bee fetched , not from the lawes of men , but from the word of god . the non-resident is herein like the iewes , who said , wee have a law , and by our law hee ought to die , iohn . . when they could not say , by gods law he ought to die : they said by our law hee ought to die : so when the non-resident cannot say , by gods law i may bee a carelesse non-resident ; he saith by mans law , i may rob the parish of their tithes , and give a miserable allowance to a poore substitute , this is the poorest defence of all the rest , for if gods law forbid thee , can the lawes of man excuse thy negligence and sacriledge ? some of us deny their people their due , namely of spirituall inspection and instruction , that they might follow their studies in the universities , and so bee the better fitted for their charge . yet timothy for the churches behoofe , forsooke pauls company , his deere master , with whom hee had abode still , neglecting the church , hee wanted not this pretence , that he did it to furnish himselfe with greater store of knowledge ; for paul might have beene instead of many universities unto him , take notice therefore of the deceitfulnesse of our hearts , which shewes it selfe in forging of idle reasons to s●tisfie , and beare out non-residents in the neglect of such duties as are required at their hands by the word of god the apostle desired to see the romans : {non-roman} {non-roman} {non-roman} {non-roman} {non-roman} i long to see you . it signifies such a desire as is impatient of delayes , whence note the affection of a true pastor towards his people : how holily impatient their desires are of detainment from their people : pressed partly by necessity laid upon them , partly constrained by the love of christ , partly commiserating the state of their people ; to which might bee added the knowledge of their people severall estates , for their better fitting to divide the word aright , tim. . . to which patterne how sutable their practise is , that under pretense of fitting themselves to the worke of the ministery , wilfully absent themselves from their charges , i would they themselves would rather seriously consider , than give others cause to complaine . i know it 's true that a pastor ought to labour for fitnesse to discharge the great worke hee hath undertaken , but this i marvell how men can thinke themselves sufficiently fitted to take upon them care of soules , and yet by their absence under pretence of study , acknowledge their present absolute unfitnesse , ●o teach and exhort their people : or secondly , how they can imagine by private study in schooles of the prophets , better to furnish themselves , for pastorall performances , than by diligent imployment of their talents already received amongst their people . it is in vaine to write against non-residency , for first this will bring you hatred , secondly they will in one word confute you , and say 〈◊〉 : thirdly they will not be reformed . answ. first my friends shall know that i love them by hating their vices , if they love themselves , they will love those that hate their sinnes : if they love not themselves , it matters not though they love not me . secondly it is an easie matter for non-residents to con●ute mee in one word , as some of the 〈◊〉 residents , that are most carelesse non-residents conf●●ed doctor twisses booke against the arminians , with such like words as these , did ever man write so simply ? and yet many millions of these non-residents are not worthy to carry his bookes after him . thirdly , if they will not be reformed , yet they may be vexed in their consciences , and perswaded not to open their mouthes so impudently in defence of their idlenesse , as usually they have done . chap. v. propoundeth certaine questions to bee answered by non-residents . quest . . vvhether they can say with the apostl● , i seeke not yours but you ? quest . . whether by their idlenesse they have not lost their abilities to preach , there being no life nor power in their ministerie for the most part no more than when a little child saith grace ? quest . . whether they use to make mention of those that are under their charge in their prayers , praying for their establishment and profection in grace ? as paul did , thess. . . quest . . why doe they acco●nt such precise puritans , as say to them , as saint paul commanded the colossians to say to archippus , take heed to the ministery which thou hast received in the lord that thou fulfill it ? quest . . are you not more carefull to enquire whether your curats be conformable to the ceremonies of the church , than whether they bee diligent in preaching ? and doe you not diswade them from preaching twise upon the lords day , and discourage them from taking so much paines for the soules of the flock , which your poore substitutes feede , and you fleece ? quest . . doth not the apostle by these words , who is sufficient for these things ? give us to understand that the ministerie is a heavy burden : but if you may lay the burden upon the shoulders of poore curates , is it not to you an easie burden ? quest . . does not your non-residency declare , that when you desired the office of a bishop , or a minister , you desired not a good worke , as you should have done , but a good dignity , good riches , good revenewes ? quest . doe not non-residents give entertainment to the sinnes of sodome , viz. to pride , fulnesse of bread , abundance of idlenesse , and doe they strengthen the hands of the poore and needy ? quest . . may not non-residents thinke that the gaine got by spirituall promotions , joyned with spirituall destructions , are more shamefull and infamous than the gaines of the vsurer a●d promoter ? quest . . are there not in hell already , who curse the day that ever carelesse non-residents were borne , through whose cruelty they are fallen into hell , where the worme dieth not , and the fire never goeth out ? quest . . may it not be truly said , that you love your congregations , as laban loved iacob , onely to get riches by him , and not for any love to the person of jacob or david ; else would not your love bee seene by your paines in the ministerie of christ iesus ? quest . . if by your dishonouring god in your places , and unfaithfull walking in your callings , god hath justly dishonoured you , and made you ●ase and vile , abject and contemptible in the sight of the people , may you not blame your selves ? quest . . the apostle tells us , that the elders that rule well are worthy of double honour , especially they which labour in the word and doctrine : by this double honour is meant , the honour of reverence and of maintenance , what reverence therefore or maintenance doe you deserve , that voluntarily absent your selves from your flocks ? quest . . pharaoh king of egypt saw in a dreame seaven ill favoured kine , that did eate up the seaven fat kine , a●d when they had eaten them up , it could not bee knowne that they had eaten them , but they were still as evill favoured , as they were at the beginning : is not this iudgement of god upon you also , when you have swallowed up that profits of many good benifices in the country , are not many of you at the yeeres end , as poore , as your poore curates , doth not god curse you with a curse ? quest . . doe as thou wouldst bee done by , is a principle in nature , and it must bee understood and expounded , according to the grounds of a good conscience , dictates of right reason , and directions of a just and rectified will : but you idle and lazie non-residents , would not that your curates should have the profits of your livings , and that the soules of the people should bee fed with your continuall paines and labours , they affording unto you a poore and miserable maintenance , ergo , why doe you that to your substitutes , that you would not have done unto your selves ? quest . . experience of all histories and times sheweth us ▪ what advantages the divell hath wonne , upon godly and industrious men otherwise ( as upon david in the matter of uriah , and many others ) only by watching the opportunity of their idle houres , and plying them with suggestions of noysome lusts , at such times , as given themselves , but some little intermission , from their ordinary imployment : how will he not then lead captive at his pleasure , those non-residents , whose lives are nothing else but a long vacation , and their whole care nothing but to make up a number , and to wast the good creatures of god ? quest , . it is well knowne in this our land how both church and common-wealth groned under the burden of those heavy lubbers the monkes : the common-wealth , whilest they became lords of very little lesse ( by their computation , who have travelled in the search , ) then the one halfe of the temporalities of the kingdome : and the church , whilest , they engrossed into their hands the fruits of most of the best benefices in the realme ; allowing scarce so much as the chaffe towards the maintenance of those that tread out the corne : the land is purged of these over-spreading locusts , for which wee praise god , and should wee not have as great cause , to breake forth into the mention of gods praise , if our non-residents , that relish ease , and under pretense of praying in cathedrall churches &c. leave off the ministery , and live upon the sweat of other mens browes were wholy removed ? quest . . it is said of the souldiers , that they bowed the knee before iesus , and mocked him , saying , god save the king of the iewes , matth. . . and doe not our carelesse non-residents resemble these wicked souldiers in mocking christ , when they will bow the knee before him , put off their hats , and make legs at the name of iesus ; but they will not in their owne persons feede his sheepe , in their owne persons though they bee commanded so to doe , iohn . . quest . . a learned divine layes downe the lamentable face of our church in respect that so many of her children , who should be like barnabas , prove like benoni , a heavinesse and woe unto her : hee tells us ( which wee find true by wofull experience , ) that too many ministers disgrace the ministery , many that are scrued ( as it were ) into this office , are the great blemishes of it ; sometimes in doing something else , semetime in doing nothing , sometime in doing evilly : and doth not this saying of this reverend divine whisper in the eare of carelesse non-residents , and perswade them to meete god by repentance and a reformed conversation ? quest . . when saint paul saith to the galatians , i would i were with you now , he shewes , that the presence of pastors with their people is a thing most necessary . and there are two reasons thereof , one is to prevent spirituall dangers , which are manifold and continuall , in that the divell seekes continually whom he may devoure : and wee fight against principalities and powers in heavenly things , in this respect pastours are watchmen and overseers . secondly , the pre●ence of pastours with their people , serves to redresse things amisse , and to recover them that bee in apostasie : as saint paul saith in this place , were it not therefore to be wished , that this mind of paul were in all pastours , that with one consent they might say to their people , i would i were with you now ? q●est . . when saint paul saith , least i should run in vaine , he gives us to understand , that the ministery of the word is not a worke of ease , or pleasure , but a labour : nay a continued labour , like to the running of a race : were it not therefore to bee wished , that the ministers of the gospell would so labour and walke in this calling , that they might bee able to say with paul , i have fought a good ●ight , i have finished my course , &c. and if they will not labour , why should they have their wages for doing nothing ? qu. . when saint paul saith , let him that is taught in the word , make him that hath taught him , partaker of all his goods ; is this the meaning of the apostle , {non-roman} {non-roman} {non-roman} {non-roman} {non-roman} communicate all thy goods with thy teacher : that is , with a non-resident that lives at a cathedrall , and visites his parishes once or twise in a yeere with a hungry sermon ? quest . . the meanes that you non-residents allow unto your substitutes , seldome exceeds thirty pounds per annum , though your benefices bee worth two hundred , or three hundred pounds by the yeare , usually you allow twentie or sixteene pounds per ann●m , to the oxe that treadeth out the corne , and muzzle his mouth from receiving any more . doe you thinke that this base allowance , proceeding from your base spirits , is sufficient to defray all charges , to satisfie all payments , to answer all expectations of wife and children for portions , of strangers for hospitality , is this sufficient to keepe them and their children from begging or starving ? for god's sake let the labourers have their due wages , shall not the parliament doe well to compell you thereunto ? quest . . it is the ordinance of god , that they which preach the gospell should live of the gospell : but you carelesse non-residents doe not constantly preach the gospell . ergo why should you live of the gospell ? quest . . the apostle peter , exhorts ministers to feed the flock of god , &c. his reason is : and when the chiefe sheepheard shall appeare , you shall receive an incorruptible crowne of glory , pet. . . . may lazie non-residents expect this crowne promised , when they neglect the worke of the lord , in the lords house , to the lords servants , upon the lords day , and receive an honourable maintenance for the same ? quest . . when the bishop gave unto you the order of priesthood , he demanded of you these questions : first whether you would give your faithfull diligence , alwayes so to minister the doctrine and sacraments , and the discipline of christ , as the lord hath commanded , and as this realme hath received the same , according to the commandements of god , so that you may teach the people committed to your charge , with all diligence to keepe and observe the same ? and you answered , i will so doe by the helpe of the lord . secondly , hee demanded , whether you would bee ready with all faithfull diligence , to banish and drive away all erroneous and strange doctrines , contrary to gods word , and to use both publick and private monitions and exhortations , as well to sicke as to the whole , within your cures as need shall require , and occasion bee given ? and you answered , i will , the lord being my helper . now resolve mee these questions , first whether these promises made by you , in the sight of god , of the angels , and before many witnesses : proceeded from honest and upright hearts , since you live from your particular cures , no necessitie compelling you thereunto ? secondly , and whether god will not call you to a fearefull account one day for the breach of these honest promises ? saint hierome condemning such undiscreet hastinesse , saith , melius est non promittere , quàm promissa non facere : & melius est ancipitem diu deliberare sententiam , quam in verbis esse facilem , in operibus difficilem : it is better not to promise , then not to keepe promise : and it is better doubtfully and long to deliberate , than to grant easily , and performe hardly . gregory observing this fault in the iewes saith , iudaeorum populum locustae significabant , subitos saltus dantes , & protinus ad terram cadentes . saltus enim dabant , cum praecepta domini se implere promitterent , ad terram cadebant , cum factis degenerent : the people of the iewes were signified by the locusts , which used suddenly to leap up , and forthwith to fall downe to the earth againe : they did ( as it were leape up , when in words they promised to doe all things , which the lord had said , but they fell to the earth againe , when in their deeds they denied the same , and may not we truly say the carelesse non-residents amongst us , are signified by the locusts , who make many promises when they enter into the ministery , but when they have the charge of soules , they cry out with these rebells , psal. . let us breake their bands , a●d cast their cords from us , and therefore i will thus conclude . from all carelesse non-residents good lord deliver us . we beseech thee to heare us good lord . finis . notes, typically marginal, from the original text notes for div a e- exhortat . to non-residents . * b heb. . . * mat. . . * ioh . . . * cor. . . psal. ● cor. ● . * {non-roman} {non-roman} {non-roman} {non-roman} {non-roman} . see m. barnards sermon upon acts . . . deane of ardag●in ireland . {non-roman} {non-roman} {non-roman} {non-roman} {non-roman} . cujus constitutus sum ego praeco & apostolus . {non-roman} {non-roman} {non-roman} {non-roman} {non-roman} . non enim misit me christus ut baptizarem , sed ut euangeliza●em . censemus c●s qui apostolorum figuram tenent praedi●are , gregor. tim. . . * yee are the lords messengers , watchmen , pastors , stewards , to teach , to premonish , to feed , to provide for the lords family . * be thou a faithful dispencer of the word & sacraments see the booke of ordination . acts ● . . the countrey people say of a non-resident , oh , hee i● an ha●d m●n , ●ee re●pes where he sowe● not , and gathers where he seat●er● not , 〈◊〉 takes pay , but● serv● not in the ●●led , seed● not the flock , but feeds upon 〈◊〉 , preys upon it , 〈…〉 . a looking-glasse for non-residents . m. hei●●●● 〈◊〉 col. . ● . objections of non-residents prevented . tim. . . luke . . {non-roman} {non-roman} {non-roman} {non-roman} {non-roman} . thes. . , quam maxime coaros ducatis propter opus ipso●um . the apostle doth not say , esteeme them very highly in love , for receiving the tihes and starving their substi●utes , but {non-roman} {non-roman} {non-roman} {non-roman} {non-roman} , for their workes sake . the practise of non resident . iob . . substitutes cannot excu●e ●wors●●on-residents . note . de vitils , c. . luk. . . io●. . ioh. . . ezek. ● . . * ipse , ipse inquam ove● perditam quasiuit , &c. damasus ep. . notes for div a e- m. perkins vol. . pag. . bishop lake , on ephes. . v. . pastoris nomen significat personalem actionem sicut nomen medici , maldonat , ex hier. & august . m. perkins ut supra illud noverit dilectio vo●tra , nunquam me absentem fuisse licenticsa ●●bertate , sed necessaria servitute , aust. epist. . amb. . . and . epist. to valenti●ian the emperor . * and yet these new canons contain in them many ma●ters contrary to the kings prerogative , to the fundamentall laws and statutes of the realme , to the right of parliaments , to the property and liberty of the subject , and matters tending to sedition and of dangerous consequence thereby establishing their own usurpations , justifying their altar-worship , and those other superstitious innovations , which they formerly introduced without warrant of law . see the remonstrance of the state of the kingdome , pag. . proposit. phil. . . rom. . . thes. . . assumpt. . non-residency condemned by councels . and by canon law . for this thing look the decree of damasus , and the councell of trent , §. . can non-residency condemned by bishops . bishop sands testimony , sermon . on rō . . . pag. . bishop babington on exod. p. . ma●ke . . exod . . mat . ● . note . and by iudicious divines . m. philips on matthew . , a pag. . note . m gilpin in his sermon before king edward the , on luke . . &c. s . ● m●●heatly a caveat for the covetous , p. let our non-resi●ents mixe these truths with faith , that they may receive the divel whom they serve . conclusion . proposit. assumpt. . conclusion . ma● . ● . . see the forme and manner of consecrating priests and deacons . dr. will●t on iohn . p . m. heiron . vol. p. ● : m. hild● s●●●m , on ioh. . p. : mat. . , , . tim. . . m. down on tit●● . p. . bishop latimer serm. before king edward , p. . non residents to be cast out . propos. assumpt. . bishop lake on cor. . . p. . note . exhortation 〈◊〉 ministers . see d. saundesson on cor. . . p. . cor. . , luk. . . syrac . ● . luk. . . mat. . . luk. . . exod. : . . cor. . . prophetas interpretes dicit scripturarum , amb. prophetia , id est , donum interpretandi scripturas piscat. scol . in cor. . . misticum sensum ed salutem auditorum explanantes , era●in paraphras ad cor. : tit . ● . proposit. assumpt. . how ministers may maintaine their estimation in the hearts of the people . meanes . meanes . vide m hildersham on ioh. . p . meanes . application . propos. assumpt. . see m. hildersham on iohn , . pag. . non-residents labour not to be fruitfull and profitable in their ministry , proved by six reasons . proposition . assumption . conclusion . luke . . . acts . . ● . . justin martyr , apol. . tertull. apol. . eum in populo verbum veritatis recte tractantem omni die domin●co audiebam , august . confess . lib. . cap. . si ad ecclesiam frequenter ve●ias , a●rem divin● literis ad moveas , explanationen mandatorum coelestium capias , 〈◊〉 scaro , ità spiritus verbis divinis convales●et origen . hom. . in levit. illud n●verit dil●ctio vestra , nunquam me abse .. t●m fuisse , licentiosà libertate , sed necessariâ servitute . aug. epist. . esa. . . esa. . . ezek. . . pet . . ephes. . . revel. . tim. . . cor. . . p●● . . . 〈◊〉 . . . cor. . . mat. . . mat. . cor. . . heb. . . obje . . answer . see doctor tailor on titus pag. . non-residents would bee excused by their substitutes . but may not be excused by hem for three reasons . for three reasons . r. prov. . . r. heb. . . . r. heb. . . pet. . . negligenter pascens convincitur non amare summum pastorem , damas . epist. . non-residents want love . faith . contentednesse . . humility . . fidelity . . equity and iustice . note . . right reason . perald . . tom. tract. . in avar . part . . cap. . note . doctor wil●et in sam cap. . ver. . objection . answer . mr. downe on tit. . ver. . act● . . acts ● . sam. . . good lessons ●o : ministers . bishop lake . master harris absaloms funerall epist. object . . answ . mat. . and mark . . bishop bilson of christian subjection pag. ● . luk. . cor. . rom. . mat. . tim. . and tit. . mat. . tim. . tim. . & . s●e bishop lake on page . exod. . bishop sm●ith his sermons pag. . doctor willet in rom. page . objection . answ . tim. . . objection . . objection . answ. master ●ike on the heart pag. . doctor slater in rom. . . why good ministers will not be non-resident cor. . . cor . . mat. . . . tim. . . object . . answ . col. . . cor. . . tim. . ● . tim. . . doctor sutton on rom. . p. . gal. . . perkins in ●ocum . pet. . . ephel . . ● . . gal. . . gal. . ● . cor. . v. see the booke of consecration of deacons priests &c. hierom. iin cap. . eccles. exod . g●●g 〈◊〉 . cap ● . two letters of advice i. for the susception of holy orders, ii. for studies theological, especially such as are rational : at the end of the former is inserted a catalogue of the christian writers, and genuine works that are extant of the first three centuries. dodwell, henry, - . approx. kb of xml-encoded text transcribed from -bit group-iv tiff page images. text creation partnership, ann arbor, mi ; oxford (uk) : - (eebo-tcp phase ). a wing d estc r ocm this keyboarded and encoded edition of the work described above is co-owned by the institutions providing financial support to the early english books online text creation partnership. this phase i text is available for reuse, according to the terms of creative commons . universal . the text can be copied, modified, distributed and performed, even for commercial purposes, all without asking permission. early english books online. (eebo-tcp ; phase , no. a ) transcribed from: (early english books online ; image set ) images scanned from microfilm: (early english books, - ; : ) two letters of advice i. for the susception of holy orders, ii. for studies theological, especially such as are rational : at the end of the former is inserted a catalogue of the christian writers, and genuine works that are extant of the first three centuries. dodwell, henry, - . [ ], p. printed by benjamin tooke ..., and are to be sold by joseph wilde, dublin : . errata: prelim. p. [ ]. signed: h.d. includes bibliographical references. "a catalogue of the writings of such christian authors ...": p. - . reproduction of original in huntington library. created by converting tcp files to tei p using tcp tei.xsl, tei @ oxford. re-processed by university of nebraska-lincoln and northwestern, with changes to facilitate morpho-syntactic tagging. gap elements of known extent have been transformed into placeholder characters or elements to simplify the filling in of gaps by user contributors. eebo-tcp is a partnership between the universities of michigan and oxford and the publisher proquest to create accurately transcribed and encoded texts based on the image sets published by proquest via their early english books online (eebo) database (http://eebo.chadwyck.com). the general aim of eebo-tcp is to encode one copy (usually the first edition) of every monographic english-language title published between and available in eebo. eebo-tcp aimed to produce large quantities of textual data within the usual project restraints of time and funding, and therefore chose to create diplomatic transcriptions (as opposed to critical editions) with light-touch, mainly structural encoding based on the text encoding initiative (http://www.tei-c.org). the eebo-tcp project was divided into two phases. the , texts created during phase of the project have been released into the public domain as of january . anyone can now take and use these texts for their own purposes, but we respectfully request that due credit and attribution is given to their original source. users should be aware of the process of creating the tcp texts, and therefore of any assumptions that can be made about the data. text selection was based on the new cambridge bibliography of english literature (ncbel). if an author (or for an anonymous work, the title) appears in ncbel, then their works are eligible for inclusion. selection was intended to range over a wide variety of subject areas, to reflect the true nature of the print record of the period. in general, first editions of a works in english were prioritized, although there are a number of works in other languages, notably latin and welsh, included and sometimes a second or later edition of a work was chosen if there was a compelling reason to do so. image sets were sent to external keying companies for transcription and basic encoding. quality assurance was then carried out by editorial teams in oxford and michigan. % (or pages, whichever is the greater) of each text was proofread for accuracy and those which did not meet qa standards were returned to the keyers to be redone. after proofreading, the encoding was enhanced and/or corrected and characters marked as illegible were corrected where possible up to a limit of instances per text. any remaining illegibles were encoded as <gap>s. understanding these processes should make clear that, while the overall quality of tcp data is very good, some errors will remain and some readable characters will be marked as illegible. users should bear in mind that in all likelihood such instances will never have been looked at by a tcp editor. the texts were encoded and linked to page images in accordance with level of the tei in libraries guidelines. copies of the texts have been issued variously as sgml (tcp schema; ascii text with mnemonic sdata character entities); displayable xml (tcp schema; characters represented either as utf- unicode or text strings within braces); or lossless xml (tei p , characters represented either as utf- unicode or tei g elements). keying and markup guidelines are available at the text creation partnership web site . eng clergy. theology -- study and teaching. christian literature, early -- bibliography. - tcp assigned for keying and markup - aptara keyed and coded from proquest page images - melanie sanders sampled and proofread - melanie sanders text and markup reviewed and edited - pfs batch review (qc) and xml conversion imprimatvr : having perused the following advices , i conceive them suitable and convenient for the use of the persons concerned respectively ; and i do accordingly recommend them to the use of such young students in the university as design the study of divinity , or the susception of holy orders ; and to all others that shall desire to engage themselves in that holy function . and that they may be communicated with more advantage , i do hereby license them to be printed and published . ja : armachanus . two letters of advice , i. for the susception of holy orders ▪ ii. for studies theological , especially such as are rational . at the end of the former , is inserted , a catalogu● of the christian writers , and genuine worke that are extant of the first three cent●rice . 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 . s. chrysost . de sacerdot . l. vi. dvblin , printed by benjamin to●k● , printer to the kings most excellent majesty ; and are to be sold by joseph wilde mdclxxii . to the most reverend father in god , james , by divine providence lord archbishop of armagh , primate and metropolitane of all ireland , and vice-chancellor of the vniversity of dublin . my lord , you are so many wayes entitled to the patronage of the ensuing advices , as i do not know how i could be just in omitting this oc●●sion of a publick acknowledg●●ent of it . for whether the subject be considered , as relating either to conscience or learning , you have a right of judging all concernments of either kind : the former as metropolitane , and consequently as the supreme guide of conscience under god in the church of ireland ; the later as vice-chancellor of our vniversity , in which regard you are most justly interessed in the fruits and seeds of your own cultivation : or the persons concerned , they are all of them such as depend on your direction , and therefore the rules for whose behaviour ought most properly to be communicated to them by your recommendation : or my self , as you have upon all occasions given evidences of your favour to me , so more signally in this affair , by first advising this publication , and after honouring it with your own license and approbation . however presumptuous the attempt might seem , in other regards , yet to a judge so candid and favourable , as i have alwayes found your grace to be , the innocence and sincerity of my design for restoring christianity to her primitive splendor , may suffice to excuse , if not expiate , appendent imprudences . for your grace already understands too well to be informed by me , how vain it is to attempt a reformation of the laity whilest the clergie is not held in that reputation by them which might provoke them to an imitation of their example ; and how little hopes there are of retriving that reputation without a reformation of their lives and a restitution of their discipline , which would prove the most expedient means to let such persons who either cannot , or will not , distinguish betwixt the sacredness of their office and their personal demerits , understand the unexpressible usefulness of their calling being piously and conscientiously discharged in order to the most momentous and most noble ends of mankind . and that a preconsideration must needs prove more successful in promoting this industry in practice , which would , by way of obvious consequence , restore their honour , than any postnate advices as being likely to prevent the engagement or admission of such persons who would not afterwards be capable of such impressions ; and that it is more secure for the persons concerned to let them understand the personal and habitual qualifications necessary for rendring their duty performable by them than afterwards to admonish them concerning particulars , when it is too late to retire , how unsuitable soever the practice prove to their personal qualifications , will not , i think , be doubted by any intelligent considerative person . this is my design in the former of the subsequent letters , the usefulness and convenience whereof is further cleared in the letter it self , and has not , that i know of , been attempted by any other . if it had , i should very willingly have spared my own pains . my manner of performance also has been at once to shew the ad●●ces rational and to have been designed by our church , that so it might be fitted for all sorts of concerned readers , both such as are able to judge it themselves , and such as are not . i have therefore ordered the whole in such a series of discourse as that the sequel must needs be admitted by him who has granted the principles lay'd down at the beginning ; and the first principle is that which the church her self first enquires into , even a providential call from god , or a motion of the spirit , as far as that may be credited without danger of enthusiasme ; and accordingly the inferences have generally been examplified in such instances as have been approved by our church since her reformation , that so i might , as well as i was able , prevent objections against my design from the inconsiderableness of my person , an artifice too usually , as it is weakly and unreasonably , made use of for the defeating the most commendable projects . the objection in it self is in truth so very little momentous as that i should not think it worthy to be taken notice of , if i were not more solicitous for my cause than my person . but seeing it is so obvious in the way of persons that may be concerned to cross my design , and withall so taking with the vulgar , i doubt it will concern me even in prudence to crave your graces patience for a brief apology . omitting therefore my own justification , which i confess a task too great for my weak abilities ( though if i did undertake it on a publick account , i might for an excuse of such immodesty , urge the example of the great apostle , who , out of tenderness for his cause , was ( as himself confesses ) necessitated to such a folly ) yet i conceive it undenyable that the merit of the cause is abundantly sufficient to compensate the demerit of my person , and for my part , so that the cause may not be prejudiced , i shall very heartily submit the choice of instruments to the pleasure of god himself . besides further that it is extreamly unreasonable to urge personal demerits against a cause . indeed if the cause had been recommended on personal regards , the disparagement of the person might have invalidated such a recommendation . but considering that nothing here is pretended , but the solidity of the reasons submitted to an impartial examination ; none can say that they are the weaker for being propounded by an unworthy person . neither indeed is the supposal true , that even in point of authority any thing here is recommended onely by my private person ; for having shewn it in every particular approved and designed by the church , it must needs be supported by her authority , which may well be presumed sufficient for the design intended , the general reformation of her clergie . but i must thankfully acknowledge that your grace has in a great measure freed me from these personal odium's by undertaking the patronage of these otherwise despisable attempts . for none can now pretend themselves unconcerned in the advice of a laick or a private person when the supreme metropolitane has not onely thought it convenient , but recommended it . this is the reason that necessitated me to take sanctuary in your graces patronage , wherein i dare more confidently promise my self a kind reception because you have encouraged it . yet am i not herewith satisfied ; but as necessitous persons are usually emboldened to new requests by past concessions ; so , in order to the desired success of these papers , i further beg a favour , greater and more efficacious than the greatest munificence of the most potent temporal princes , though less impoverishing , and that is your fatherly blessing and prayers for these and the other studies and endeavours of your graces most obliged and obsequious servan● h. d. a praeface to the reader , containing some necessary advertisements preparatory to the ensuing discourses . how much the reputation of religion is concerned in the honour of its relatives , especially the persons teaching and professing it , as it has been the sense of all prudent nations , so it is too evident from the experience of ours . for if we seriously reflect on that irreligion and atheism which has lately so overrun that part of the gentry who have had that freedome of education as to discern beyond the grosser superstitions of the credulous vulgar , and yet wanted that depth and solidity of judgment , or that industry and diligence , which had been requisite for a positive satisfaction , concerning the true measures of things ; i think there cannot be a more probable original assigned for it , than this of the contempt of the clergie . for when upon pretence of a maintenance of their christian liberty , some persons of a better meaning than information , were seduced by their more subtilly-designing leaders to resist some indifferent constitutions of their superiors ; they found themselves obliged in pursuance of their principles to call in question their whole authority . for considering that they were not any particular abuses of a just authority , not any bare inexpediency in the ceremonies already established ( for which governours , not subjects , had been responsible , and for which a redress ought to have been desired by subjects in a modest and peaceable way , which , if denyed , could not have justified a separation , seeing that nothing under sin can excuse that , and a condescension to superiors in confessed inexpediencies cannot be proved a sin ) but the very authority by which they had been established ; and finding further that this authority was of that kind that was indeed intrinsecally involved in all exercise of government , so that it was impossible to plead and exception of duty upon supposal that their superiors had transgressed the bounds of their just power ; they perceived themselves reduced to this extremity to justifie their own disobedience by a renunciation of their authority . for indeed all government must needs prove useless that is denyed a power of imposing temporary obligations , and that power must needs be denyed where all things necessary are supposed antecedently determined , and what is not so is thought uncapable of any just determination . having therefore thus devested the clergie of all power properly so called , yet that they might seem to attribute something to the eminency of their place in the church , they were willing to allow a power of perswading such as were willing to obey , onely with this difference ( that i can perceive ) from the meerest laick , that laicks might perswade others to piety , but clergiemen must ; that it was charity in them , but duty in these ; that it was onely the general calling of those , but the particular of these ; that the laity might discharge it privately , but the publick performance of it was onely permitted to the clergie . this seems to have been the uttermost design of their most ancient patriarchs , none of them , that i know of , ever enduring to hear of any laical encroachments on the calling it self . but whilest they were so studious in opposing their established superiours , and so careless of better provisions for that unsettlment themselves had introduced into the church , or the ill consequences of their own attempts ; they unawares undermined their own foundations , and exposed themselves to the same encroachments from the laity which themselves had attempted on their settled governours . for least any veneration of their calling mi●h● render their perswasions themselves so awful as not to admit of any easie contradiction , which might still preserve some discipline and dependence of the laity upon them ; themselves had furnished the usurping laity with such pretences as that , that reverence it self must needs prove very inconsiderable . for first , they had opposed professedly all difference betwixt the clergie and laity , and indeed all relative holyness , as popish and antichristian , and tending to the usurpation of a lordship over gods heritage ; so that now there was nothing left to the clergie that might as much as challenge a respect of the laity but their personal skill in the objects of their profession , which both left the unskilful clergie destitute of any pretence of challenging reverence ; and was no curb to the more skilful laity ; and indeed in the event made them perfectly equal , seeing that the skilful laity might as well challenge respect from the unskilful clergie , as the skilful clergie from the unskilful laity , their order being indeed no ingredient in the ground of such a challenge . besides secondly , their making the scriptures an adequate rule for all prudential establishments , and obliging the laity to a particular enquiry into the merit of ecclesiastical constitutions , even in probable , as well as certain , senses of the scripture , not as much as advising a modest acquiescency in the judgment of the clergie even in things they do not understand , nor indeed letting them understand their incompetency in any case where they might hope for the assistance of a more able guide ( for indeed that pretence of understanding the scripture by its internal light , or by the spirit whereby it was written , or by prayer without urging the use of ordinary means , the methods of expounding the scriptures so celebrated among them , seem extremely to favour enthusiasm , and to supersede the necessity of an exterior guide ) these pretences , i say , seem to deprive the clergie of the authority even of proponents , which is the least that can be imagined , and therefore of all respect on this regard , and therefore must needs degrade them to 〈…〉 with the laity , in all which way of proceeding every later sect argued rationally and consequently from the principles of the first innovators . the laity therefore having such specious consequent pretences for their independence on the clergie , and yet the clergie still insisting on their original claim , it was obvious to conceive with what jealousie and partiality their proceedings herein must be censu●ed by the laity now conceiving themselves as adversaries concerned to maintain their liberty against the conceived usurpations of the clergie . and finding the clergie to be interessed in the controversies , both as to the honour and obedience challenged by them , and as to that affluence of temporal fruitions which had been conferred on them by devout persons as suitable expressions of that honour ; they did not make that use thereof , which in reason they ought , to enquire first , whether that private interest it self of the clergie , were not coincident with the publick of the church ; or secondly , whether it were not coincident with the truth , whereof if neither could appear upon a sober scrutiny ; but that the arguments for the contrary were found either evident or more probable , then indeed , and not till then , it might be presumed that interest might have an influence in their determination . but , as the vulgar is very willing to censure , and yet very loth to undergo the trouble of a laborious enquiry , so they have made the cler●ies interest a prejudice against their cause ; so that now their arguments are either not heard ( they not being presumed competent advocates for their own cause , and others not being concerned for them , as not being concerned with them ) or if they be heard , yet with no indifferency , the interest of the clergie being thought inconsistent with that of the laity : a way of proceeding not onely very unjust but very unreasonable , it being every way as weak to conclude a cause false as true on no other pretence but that of private interest . however this argument , such as it is , being by prophane persons taken for granted from the concessions of the religious laity , and they withall further discovering the unreasonableness of those persons who , upon pretence of honouring religion had brought a contempt upon its principal professors and defenders ; it was easie for them to conclude religion it self dishonourable and suspicious from this repute of its chiefest champions ; for if what make ; for the interest of the clergie must immediately be condemned or suspected without any further enquiry , which is the unreasonable practice of the vulgar , then the prophane person finding religion in general conducive to this purpose , and being brought into suspicious thoughts of the clergie by the pretended discoveries of the greatest pretenders to religion ; it is obvious to conceive what consequences he will be likely to deduce thence to the prejudice of religion in general . especially considering that this dishonour of the clergie was like to invalidate the use of all coercive means for inducing the laity to a practice of their duty , and so to leave them intirely to the influence of their own good natures , which though at first they might be heated into a zeal by way of antiperistasis from the opposition of their adversaries ; yet upon their disappearing , that zeal which had onely been inflamed by aemulation , must , like rome upon the demolition of carthage , decay , and so their former li●entiousness will return with a violence proportionable to their former restraint . and when men are come to this extreme they will then be as much concerned that those threats of the clergie which awaken their consciences , and make them nauseate and disrelish the ploasures of their sins , should be false , at least should be believed so by themselves ( which belief though false , may serve to stupifie their present sense ) as they pretend the clergie interessed in their truth , and therefore may be presumed as partial . and when men are willing and interessed to disbelieve religion , how very weak reasons are sufficient to induce them to it , themselves acknowledge when the case is not immediately applyed to themselves ; there being no disparity to exempt disbelief from being as obnoxious to interest as that credulity so much decryed by them . indeed any one that would consider the persons ( that they are such usually as are not seriously addicted and though pretending to be w●●s , yet not deeply considerative ) or the weakness of the reasons , either tending to direct scepticism , or undermining their own foundations , or arguing an unwillingness of conviction , would suspect this to have been the gradation of their disbelief . as it has therefore thus appeared both from reason and experience that this contempt of the clergie does naturally tend to atheism and irreligion ; so on the contrary the best prevention of these horrid consequences will be their restitution to their due respect and honour ; which will best be performed by a praemonition of persons designing this calling , that they may neither engage in what they are not able to effect , nor endeavour a reformation of inconveniences when it is too late . this is the design of these papers , which i hope all they who ground their hopes of present or future prosperity on their love of our jerusalem , will conceive themselves obliged to further by their prayers or powers as god shall enable them . but besides this first use which is very suitable to the necessities of this present age , there is also another of no small moment , the satisfaction of our well meaning separating brethren . for whatever other weak reasons are pretended ( as indeed i think they would seem very weak to any prudent judicious indifferent persons that were convinced of the heinousness of that sin of schism which they are produced to excuse ) yet i think they are the lives and unseriousness of some of our conformable clergie , that are indeed their decretory arguments ; for this indeed seems to be the great reason that makes them fancy our ministery less edifying than their own , because they come possessed with irreverence to their persons ( for i do not perceive that themselves pretend the same difference in hearing such of ours for whom they have entertained a greater respect ) and that negligence of 〈◊〉 and unserious way of preaching seem to be the true grounds of that irreverence . now my way of defence is not the least to justifie their ●ices or imprudences , or to defend their persons against publick justice ( as they seem to misunderstand us , when they charge us with the patronage of prophaneness upon account of these persons ) but to let them understand how little our church is indeed concerned in their defence . for if the character of a clergieman here described answer the true design of the church ( as i have shewn that it does by injunctions and canons produced from her since her reformation ) then it will appear that such persons are so far unconformable as they are disliked ( for it is plain the person here described can neither prove impious in his life , nor imprudent or trifling in his preaching ) and sure themselves will not think it equitable that our church should be charged with the errors of non-conformists . the onely thing therefore that may seem blameworthy here is that the canons of the church are not executed on such persons with due severity . but neither will this excuse their separation ; for first , they are not concerned to see this justice done so as to be obliged upon neglect of it to withdraw from our communion . for neither do they suffer in a personal regard , the ordinances administred by the irregular or imprudent clergie , whilest permitted , not depending on their personal sanctity or prudence , and therefore being as efficacious to the well-disposed recipients as otherwise ; nor are they entrusted with a publick charge , so as to be responsible for publick miscarriages when irremediable by them ; and therefore secondly , all the blame of such connivances is to be layd , not on the government , whose standing established rules oblige them to a severer care , but on the governours , who may also be charged with non-conformity when they do not act according to the rules prescribed by them ; and therefore it will be very unjust for these personal neglects to separate from their government and communion ; especially considering thirdly , that separation on these regards is so far from preventing the inconvenience or remedying it , as that indeed it does but transfer the blame from the governours to such separatists ( though they think to avoid it ) by affording an apology , by them unanswerable , to governours for such personal neglects : that the delinquents cannot be perswaded to reform themselves , and that a power of perswading onely is allowed them by these separating brethren ; that even as to that coercive power challenged by themselves , yet it is not prudent to exercise it without any probable hopes of success , that being the way to expose it to contempt , which in a power which has nothing to render it coercive but the sacredness of its esteem in the opinion of the delinquent , may endanger the whole authority , as the loss of that will occasion a general impunity , a much greater evil than any single inconvenience . and seeing the multitudes of sects and communions ready to receive a punished delinquent , and the disparaging opinions introduced by them concerning authority , may th●● , upon their principles , ex●use governours from the execution of the canons , where the blame will afterwards ly themselves may understand without any suggestion of mine . i shall beseech them to bestow some serious and unprejudiced thoughts upon it . now though the following advices be calculated principally for the use of the clergie , who are more entrusted , and therefore more obliged to caution on the account of the multitude who depend upon their conduct as well as themselves ; yet are there several things proportionably useful for the laity . for there is as much truth in that pretence of our brethren for equalling the laity to the clergie as there was in that of the rebellious congregation of corah , that all the people of god is holy , that christians , as well as the israelites , are called the a lords heritage , that christ has made us all b priests to god and his father , that we are built up a holy c priesthood to offer up spiritual sacrifices acceptable to god by jesus christ . and accordingly common christians are obliged to the same offices to the heathen common world as the clergie are to the laity : thus they are to shew them a good example , to be lights in the world , to reprove and exhort delinquents , and to offer up rational sacrifices for the whole world. and if they were to be received adult to the profession of christianity , there would be the same care for purity of intention in laicks as there is now in clergiemen . thus in the primitive times none were received to this profession , but they who had first given some evidences of their sincerity , either by enduring some rigorous initiatory penances , as was usually practiced in admissions to pagan mysteries . thus three moneths fast was prescribed in the time of the d author of the pseudo-clementine recognitions , and the quadragesimal fast was appointed before the most ancient anniversary for baptism , easter ; and arnobius was not trusted till he had written in defence of the christian religion , and st. cyril of hierusalem in his e homilies to the competentes is very earnest in urging the necessity of a sincere and cardinal intention ; and from this great caution of admitting heathens to an intuition of their mysteries , it was that after all indications of their sincerity even adults were not admitted without the testimony of susoeptors or godfathers , persons of approved gravity and sincerity . and the same obligations are in reason incumbent now on those who are adult , though baptized in their nonage . if i were not unwilling to be tedious , it had been easie to have shewn in all the other qualifications how even private christians are in their proportion obliged , though not in so eminent a degree , and rather excused from that by its impossibility to their circumstances , than its unnecessariness . but that which i shall at present especially recommend to the perusal of the laity , is letter i. numb . xxvi . where they may find such prescriptions as may prevent many disconsolations in the practice of piety to which the neglect of them does expose many seriously devout persons . it has also by some worthy friends been thought requisite for rendring the present attempt more useful for our britannick churches , to recommend to the persons , concerned in these advices , the study of their publick records , the homilies and articles and books of ordination and common prayer , and canons and constitutions since the reformation , though this indeed is easily reducible to that head of skill in all those controversies that divide communion ; for this seems to have been the adaequate design of the church herein to shew what she thought necessary to be believed , or , at least , not factiously contradicted by such as were to be admitted to her communion . and for the better understanding her true sense in this affair , and its vindication from the misunderstandings of her adversaries , it were very requisite to read the whole history of the reformation , and to observe the sentiments and temper of the principal persons engaged therein ; and by what kind of mediums her proceedings have been justified in the several ages , and against the several adversaries , respectively . by this means you will best understand the difference betwixt her impositions ; which of them were intended as conditions of catholick communion , that is , as fundamentals ; and which onely of her particular , that is as prudent and probable , and not obliging to an internal assent but onely an exterior peaceable acquiescency ( for certainly the church intended some of both kinds ) and the late way of requiring an external assent onely to the articles indefinitely , without prescribing any prudential limitations , how far that is to be extended , and admitting a liberty of straining the articles in favour of our own opinions , without any consideration of the controversies therein designed by the church , may be expounded so licentiously as to open a gap for the most pestilent haeresies . in the second letter , i confess many things in the improvement of the proposals there laid down , and in the catalogues of books , might have been more accurately enlarged , but that i conceived these sufficient to initiate a novice , which i have there signified to have been my uttermost design , and i doubt whether it would be prudent to discourage beginners with the prospect of too greater a task . in my censure of school divinity , there is one fundamental defect omitted , which i look on as so very considerable , and of so extremely fullacious consequence to them that rely on it , and yet never observed , that i know of , that i thought it worthy a particular mention here . that is , that the greatest and most sacred ▪ mysteries of the trinity and iucarnation are explained as to their theological consequences from the principles of the peripa●etick philosophy as borrowed by them from the modern translations and commentaries of the arabians . it is plain that all the use of philosophy in affairs of this nature cannot be to discover any truth anew , but onely to explain the sense of the authors delivering it , and that that philosophy alone can be useful to this purpose , whose language was observed by them ; and that not aristotle but plato was then generally followed not onely by the generality of the philosophers of that age , but in accommodation to them his language observed by the scriptures themselves ; especially st. john i. and by the generality of the fathers , those of greatest repute in both the occidental and oriental churches , the pretended areopagite and st. augustine himself , to whom the schools are most beholden , st basil , both st. gregories nazianzen and nyssen . st. chrysostome &c. so that this way of proceeding is lyable to two very fundamental mistakes ( which should be studiously avoided in affairs of so great concernment ) first of explaining platonick language by peripatetick philosophy ; secondly of explaining the ancient peripatetick philosophy by the present expositions of the modern arabians . these with the other defects there mentioned would methinks invite some generous advancers of learning to review the whole foundations of our modern school-divinity which would be an attempt becoming the ingenuity and inquisiti●eness of the age we live in . and seeing i have taken this occasion of mentioning such a design ; it may be it may not prove altogether unacceptable , perhaps something necessary to clear my meaning , to propose such a way of managing it , as i conceive most convenient , which i most willingly refer to the censures of persons more skilful and experienced . that i think would be first to distinguish accurately betwixt such questions as are to be decided by reason , and such whose principles are either wholly or principally derived from revelation . in the former the schoolmen may be more securely trusted , their excellency lying in the closeness of their discourse . but here it self , it were well that their principles were reformed ; especially in such an age as this is , care should be taken that nothing be taken up precariously upon the authority of any however celebrated philosopher ( a practice too frequent among them ) but what might sufficiently recommend it self by its own nature and intrinsick reasonableness . and then for those which are derived from revelation it is plain that their whole decision must be derived from testimonies either of scripture or ecclesiastica●l authors , the producing whereof seems to be the principal dosign of the master of the sentences ; though some things are added in the sums concerning prophesie and the ceremonial law. concerning these therefore it seems to me expedient that some excellent persons skilled not onely in ecclesiastical but rabbinical and philosophical learning , and indeed generally in oriental philo●logy , would undertake a historical account of them ; wherein he should first shew historically how the whole article was believed and taught in the several ages of the church , what forms of speaking were used by the fathers concerning it , how it was expressed , and how much concerning it believed in its first simplicity , how afterwards additional explanations were introduced and by what degrees : what was the first occasion of the several controversies , who were their principal haeresiarchs , how they were disposed in their manners and how addicted 〈◊〉 the studies , wherein their haeresies 〈◊〉 truly consist , whether in the perniciousn●● of their doctrines , or their factious mann●● of propagating them to the prejudice 〈◊〉 the churches peace . if in the perniciousness of their opinions ; then it were we● it were shewn first what those opinion were as near as could be from the haeretick own words ; and secondly upon what ●●casion first entertained ; and thirdly 〈◊〉 what degrees promulged ; and fourthly by what arguments deseaded , and among them which were principal , and which onely secondary and accessary ; and fifthly by what success 〈◊〉 , by whom seconded , and by whom 〈◊〉 sixthly by what degrees 〈◊〉 first by what fathers , secondly by what 〈◊〉 , and thirdly by what 〈…〉 ; and how all their proceedings were ●esented by the catholick church 〈◊〉 and in all these degrees of 〈…〉 first how far both parties 〈…〉 , and wherein they 〈…〉 secondly as to their differences , to shew what was condemned as pernicious ( and among them what was counted more and what less pernicious ) and what onely as improbable , for it seems plain that many errors of haereticks were not counted haeresies ; and thirdly the degrees of unanimity in the church in her censures : what censures were generally received and confirmed by the catholick church 〈◊〉 ; what onely by her representative , in general councils ; what onely by particular churches in provincial ; what onely by particular persons , how numerous or 〈◊〉 soever ; and ●ou●thly the arguments alledged in defence of the ecclesiastical censures , especially such of them on which the churches resolution was principally grounded , and of which her champions were most confident ; and indeed if these were judiciously chosen , i think it would not be amise if the weaker were quite omitted , both because they are perfectly unnecessary as depending entirely on the conclusiveness of the others , and involved in the same success ; and because with some cavillers who are glad of any occasions of carping they might prejudice the principal cause , there being no more politick way for betraying the truth in so 〈◊〉 an age as this than to offer to defend it by unconclusive arguments . and the same way of proceeding may be proportionably applyed to theological questions of meaner concernment . when thus the matter of fact had been thus plainly represented , it would then be seasonable to proceed to a positive judgment according to these historical evidences . and in order hereunto it would be further expedient to consider the first originals of every 〈◊〉 , what foundation every article had in the actual belief of the persons to whom it was revealed , antecedently to the revelation , and therefore how the revelations were likely to be understood by them ; which being discovered , then to examine in the second place what might be deduced concerning the whole article from such originals , whether pagan philosophy , or opinions or practices prevailing among the rabbinical jewes , or the hellenists , for whose use the scriptures were principally designed . when this is done , then it would be convenient , thirdly to compare the article so explained with the scriptures as understood by the primitive fathers , to see how far it was approved , and where corrected and amended by revelation . and this may be proportionably applyed , not onely to the primitive doctrines of the church , but also , to her later explications and modes of expressions opposed to the several haereticks opposing it . concerning which the method of accurate enquiry would require that first it were examined whether onely the doctrine were pretended derived from their ancestors , or also their own explications and phrases of expressing it . if onely the doctrine , then to examine whether indeed the expressions of the ancients concerning it were aequivalent with their own . if also the individual expressions , then to examine the sense of the ancients concerning such expressions and the authors that used them by the rules already propounded concerning the decrees of the church against h●ereticks ; and whether they used them in the same sense as afterwards . when materials were thus prepared , and the truth thus discovered , which must needs suppose a considerable volumin●usness , and probably some difference of opinion in the diversity of auhors requisite to be employed on so great a task ; then it would be further seasonable toar● some judicious and prudent persons should reduce the whole to a compendium , ( which might serve as a text for scholastical disputes , instead of lombard ) with references to the larger treatises that they might be more readily consulted on occasion . and the best way of contriving this would , i think , be to distinguish this compendium into two parts : the former of natural , and the later of revealed theology , where every thing might be reduced to its pr●●ter principles . many other expediencies hereof might have been mentioned , as present i shall onely mention one which i conceive m●re considerable . that is , that hereby persons might not be invited to meddle beyond their abilities ; for the principles of these two parts have so little mutual dependence on each other , and the natural endowments requisite in the persons that should undertake them are so very different , and so rarely conjoyned in one person ( a rational judgment without much reading being sufficient for that divinity which is purely natural ; and much reading and a tenacious memory and a philological critical judgment being requisite for that which is revealed ) that it is no way convenient that every one who might attempt the rational part , though with very excellent success , should immediately , without consideration of his own abilities , presume himself fit to venture on the other that concerns revelations . and indeed any sober considerative person may easily observe how untoward the rotionalists of this age who dee●y book-learning prove when they are engaged on a subject that requires reading , what improper notiors they impose on terms they do not understand , how strangely they misrepresent their adversaries meaning , disputing many times against 〈◊〉 of their own brains , how difficully they yield to that which would not once be scrupled by skilful persons , how in answering they propose such possible cases as are perfectly destitute of all actual probability . and a propor●ionable slightness is ordinarily 〈…〉 in the rational discourses of great 〈…〉 though i confess some very excellent persons have been accurate in both ; but such instances , being more rare , cannot prejudice the general rules we are now discoursing of . then in both parts it were well ( in imitation of origen 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 . ) to premise first what propositions in every article were to be taken for unquestionable , as being evident from reason or revelation as explained by tradition ; and it would be more useful if it were distinctly shewn what kind of evidence agreed to every proposition particularly . for thus what were self evident from natural reason might be relyed on in disputes against even atheists that are not sceptical ( and they that are destroy all discourse as denying all principles ) what were clearly consequent from the notion of a deity and providence , would be of force against our modern pagan theist●s , and all persons admitting such a thing as religion ; what were clear from old testament revelations could not be denyed by the jewes , especially if so expounded , and that unanimously by their own rabbins , what were clear from the new testament must be owned by all christians that admit of it , even those that extend its perfection to all indifferent puncti●●●● ; what were clear from it as expounded by primitive catholick tradition , might be taken for granted against all such as were willing to stand to that tryal ; and lastly that which had no other evidence than the actual definition of the church how groundlesly soever , could onely be made use of against such persons as are for a blind obedience to such a church without examining the reasons of such definitions . and in all these instances it were well to note what were indeed evident from such principles , and what were also admitted for such by the persons acknowledging such principles , which would be f●rther ●ery considerable in order to the success , seeing many things may be indeed rational , yet not a knowledged such by the persons concerned ▪ yet i do not intend that every person should be permitted to dispute each of the●e things publickly as professing his own diss●●●faction concerning them , but that they who are called to it p●●videntially ( as in this age frequent occasions will occ●r ) in order to the satisfaction of o●hers may have a ready pr●m●tuary to have recourse unto in time of necessity . otherwise the church ought , as a church , to prescribe the belief of some things as a necessary condition of her communion . when these principles were th●s methodically disp●sed , it would then be seasonable to improve them in the controversies whose free discussion might be tolerated among good and peaceable christians , if among these a caution were had for the retrenching such as were unnecessary and unedifying . this way , if it were prudently managed would not onely afford solid principles for the schools , but also lay the most probable foundation for the reunion of christendome . for if things were thus accurately enquired into , i verily believe , governours would find a necessity of remitting their rigour in several impositions , and subjects would discover the great necessity of obedience and the no-necessity of those reasons produced for their separation . but i must confess the work is too great to be attempted by private persons how considerable soever , and therefore would require not onely the patronage but also the cencurrent industry of governours ; and by how much the greater the authority were that countenanced it by so much the more likely it would be to thrive . for great freedome were requisite in the correction of present , errors , and that could not be so safely trusted to the management of private persons , and would be received with less envy and faction from the church , and would not prove a precedent for any factious innovations . onely i must confess that the doctrine of infallibility whilest maintained will hardly be reconcileable with a candid review of what has been already , though never so erroneously , received . but first even among them , it were well they distinguished what had been decided by the church from what had not been so ; and secondly even among them abuses , never so universally received , if not canonically decided , might be reformed ; and thirdly considering that a preservation of their authority and a prevention of innovations , which they conceive effectually performable onely by that pretence , seem to be their principal inducements to it , may be thus provided for by being themselves the authors of such reformation ; it may be they might not 〈◊〉 it so inexpedient to yield even this which seems to be the principal cause that makes our breaches irreconcileable . and certainly if it would please god to inspire governours with a serious and industrious , and candid , yet active spirit for the service of the church much more might be done , that is , for the restoration of religion , and unity , and the prevention of those daily scandalous , both o●inions , and practices , which all good christians do so seriously deplore ; and that he would be pleased to do so their con●ederated prayers and endeavours might be very available . letter i. contents . the introduction . numb . i. the design of the following advices . ii. the danger of miscarriage in the clerical calling , the consequent necessity of a call from god for undertaking it ; how we are to judge of this call in a rational way , the general requisites thereunto . iii. the first requisite , a pure intention , what it is , and how to be tryed . iv. v. vi. the second requisite , natural gifts , how we may hence conclude a calling . vii . why these gifts are called natural . what they are that necessary in regard of knowledge . all theological knowledge not simply necessary for every ordinary parochian , but what is more immediately practicall . men are to be fitted for further knowledge by the practice of what they know already . viii . the great use and probable successfulness of this method in reducing hereticks or schismaticks . ix . the knowledge of a clergieman ought to be not onely that of a practitioner , but that of a guide . hence is inferred , first a necessity of knowing and understanding fundamentals wherein all agree , as of the apostles creed . from whence is also further inferred a necessity of understanding , first the scriptures , and therefore the originals wherein they were written , especially the greek . x. xi . secondly , the fathers of the first and purest centuries . the necessity of this . xii . the expediency of it . xiii . secondly , a necessity of skill in such controversies as divide communions . xiv . thirdly , a skill in casuistical divinity . the insufficiency of pulpit-reproofs , and the necessity of dealing with particular consciences in order to the reformation of particular persons . xv. xvi . xvii . requisites for inducing the people to a practice of their duty , when known : first a skill in the ars voluntatis . xviii . secondly , boldness and courage in telling them of their duty . how necessary this qualification is , and how much to be tendered . how it may be best performed without offending on the other extreme of petulancy . xix . thirdly , a sweet and sociable , yet grave and serious , conversation . how these two seeming contradictory extremes may be reconciled . xx. fourthly , a holy and exemplary life . xxi . that their lives may be exemplary , two conditions are necessary ▪ first , that they be excellent . xxii . secondly , that their excellency he conspicuous . how this conspicuity may be so contrived as that it may not hinder humility and modesty ▪ xxiii . the last requisite , a firm and stable resolution . how to be tryed . xxiv . these advices seasonable for such as have already undertaken orders , as well as such as onely design them . that these personal qualifications will supersede the necessity of particular rules . xxv . two things further requisite for a nearer accommodation of the forementioned qualifications to practice : first , that an observation of them from a principle of divine love and on a rational account , is more expedient both for personal comfort and publick edification . xxvi . second , some general rules in managing a parochial cure for bringing the people to a ruleable temper . xxvii . the catalogue of the writings of such christian authors as flourished before the conversion of the romane empire to christianity . pag. . letter . ii. contents . the introduction , and heads of the ensuing discourse . numb . i. what is meant by scholastical divinity . what to be observed in oratory . the light and certainty of the rational faculties supposed anteedently to all theological proof . ii. a method of managing reason most advantageously in theological controversies . iii. the usefulness of reason and school-divinity . in what principal controversies they are especially seasonable . iv. a censure of school-divinity , and how it is to be used . v. the most accurate way of finding out the sense of the scripture . the use of philological learning in general in order hereunto : particularly , first of those tongues wherein they were originally written ; secondly , the idioms of those tongues ; thirdly , the idioms of the writers ; fourthly , the antiquities : the customes of the zabij , chaldaean and phaenician ; their history , chronology and geography . the way of judging the testimonies of the fathers concerning traditions . vi. the use of saecular philosophy in order to school-divinity . vii . the use of saecular learning to the text of the holy scriptures , of the ancient greek poetry ; of the greek , especially the stoical , philosophy . an apology for it . viii . the means for unriddling the mystical senses of the ancient poets and philosophers , and publick idolatries of the heathens : the oneirocriticks and hieroglyphicks . an apology for their use in expounding prophetick books of scripture . ix . the authors to be read for initiating a young student in each of the particulars advised . x. the method to be observed for preventing distraction in so great a variety . xi . errata : the most material errata that might prejudice the sense , or prove any other way inconvenient , are already corrected with the pen. some others there are of less momen● , which upon occasion of this vacancy are here presented ; as pag. . l. . for advant ag●ously read advantagiously . p. . l : penult . for especially r. especially . p. . l. penult ▪ for besides r. besides . p. . l. . for i ● . r. in . p. . l. ● . for he p r. help . p. . r. . p. : l. for oppotunities r. opportunities . p. . l● ult . for wholy r. wholly . letter i. a letter of advice to a young student designing the susception of holy orders . sir , i. having got that opportunity of fulfilling your requests since your departure , which i wanted when you were present ; ( because , besides the gravity of the subject whereon you have employed me , and my own natural aversness from such insignificancies , and the necessity now , if ever , of plain dealing ; i believe your self would rather have it bestowed on material advices , ●●an empty complements ; ) i shall therefore , like the downright and truly just areopagites , 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 , make use of it , without any further ceremonial addresses . ii. first therefore , when you desire advice for your behaviour in that holy function you design to undertake ; i hope you do not intend that i should be prolix in insisting on particulars . for both that has already been performed at large by many others ( particularly you may , if you please , consult our late excellent vice chancellour's visitation rules * , where you will find most capacities provided for , or , among the ancients , who usually speak more from the heart , and experience of piety , than our modern , though otherwise more accurate , authors , st. chrysostome de sacerdotio , or st. gregories pastoral , or st. hieroms d . epist . ad nepotianum : entire treatises concerning it , though some of them more peculiarly relate to the episcopal or sacerdotal order ) and my own little experience in the world , and none in the circumstances considerable in managing a clerical life , may sure be sufficient to excuse me from such a task ; besides that it must needs prove both tedious and burthensom to your memory , and intricate to your prudence , to make application of innumerable rules to circumstances yet more infinite that can never be foreseen . my design therefore shall be , onely to propound such advices as may capacitate you for the discharging of your function to the advantage of the publick where you shall be entrusted , as well as your own soul , and enable you more advantagiously to judge concerning particulars , than you can by rules ; and those grounded on such sure principles , and such excellent ancient precedents , as that , i hope , you shall have no reason to complain that they are unpracticable , because they are not calculated from present experience . iii. to which purpose , before you are actually ordained ( if you be not already ) i must conjure you by all that is dear unto you , to consider what it is , and with what design you undertake it ? that , as it is indeed the nob●est employment to be subservient to the supreme governour of the world , in order to his principal designs , to which the world it self , and consequently the vastest empires and the greatest princes , and whatever else is counted glorious in the esteem of inconsiderate mortals , are subordinate by god himself in a capacity as ignoble as is that of the body to the soul ; so , the hazard is proportionable : the miscarriage of those noble beings for whose redemption nothing but the blood of god was thought sufficiently valuable ; and consequently accountable according to the estimate god himself has been pleased to impose upon them : that therefore you remember that you stand in need of greater natural abilities and providential auxiliaries , as it is more difficult to take care of a multitude , than of a single person ; that if supernatural assistances be necessary for the salvation of the most able private person , much more they must be so to one not pretending to the greatest abilities in a personal regard when engaged in publick ; that ●herefore you never venture on it without probable presumption of the divine assistance ; that that cannot possibly be presumed if it be undertaken rashly ( god never having promised to succour us in dangers voluntarily incurred by our selves ) that it is rash if undertaken without a call from god ; ( i hope you will not understand me of an enthusiastical unaccountable one , but a rational and providential , which you may observe the * church her self to have taken care of in the very office of ordination ) that you cannot prudently presume a call but upon these principles : that you are principally created for the divine service in the improvement of mankind ; that you are engaged in gratitude to perform your duty in it for the many benefits by him conferred on you ; that you cannot approve your self grateful unto him unless you love him , nor veraciously pretend to love him unless you most desire what you conceive most pleasing to him ; whence it will follow that you must addict your self to that course of life which is most pleasing to him , if you find your self qualified for it , for this is the onely truly rational providential call , which can without enthusiasme be expected and judged of . now these qualifications must be a pure intention , natural abilities , and a firm immoveable resolution ; for if any of these be wanting , you can never be secure of your own endeavour , much less of the divine assistance , for avoiding so imminent a danger . iv. but because i am not considering these qualifications under a meerly natural or moral notion , but as they may ingratiate you with god , and so intitle you to that assistance , without which , as has been shewed , you cannot securely venture on a state of life so extremely dangerous ; i conceive it therefore necessary to warn you what it is you may safely trust in this enquiry . first therefore , for the purity of your designs , you may observe that purity implies a freedom from mixture of what is more base with what is more noble , whether that which is base be predominant or onely equal . and therefore that your designs may be pure , you must take care that . you design this course of life for those ends alone , which indeed do onely render it worthy being designed by you upon a rational account ; for this must needs be that which is most excellent . . that you do not design this most excellent for any thing less excellent as a more ultimate end : nay , . that you do not design any thing less excellent as an end even coordinate with the more excellent , but onely as subordinate . the latter points are those wherein you may be most easily mistaken , and wherein it will be most difficult to satisfie your self of your own sincerity . at present you may take this rule : if you find your self so affected with the less noble end as that without it you have reason to think that you should not undertake such a difficult duty for the more noble end alone , you have reason to suspect that the more noble end is onely subordinate , and the less noble truly ultimate ; and if you find that your desires of the less noble end are such , as that , if you should fail of it , you would find less complacency in your duty , though you were sure thereby to attain that which is supposed more noble , you will have reason to suspect your designs of the less noble end to be , at least , partial and coordinate . both designs are sinful ; but with this difference : that the designing the more noble end for the less noble , argues the will perfectly depraved , and implies no volition , but onely a ve●●eity , for that which is more noble , and therefore can no way entitle such a person to the divine favour ; but the making the less noble end coordinate , argues indeed a volition , but so imperfect , as cannot move the divine favour , who cannot choose but take ill such a dishonourable competitor , and who will by no means yield any of his honour to another ; nay , who has further declared it his pleasure , either to have the whole heart , or none ; who will by no means partake with his adversaries , but nauseates and abhors the lukewarm person . but though , where this is expresly designed , it can no way deserve his love , yet , where it is irreptitious and by way of surprize , it may , at least , incline his pity , upon the same account as other sins of infirmity , to which the ordinary life of mankind is supposed obnoxious , and for which allowances are made in the very stipulations of the gospel . yet will not this consideration suffice to excuse your neglect of it ; for both , negligence will make it cease to be a sin of infirmity ; and besides the consequences of it ( whatever the occasion may be ) are so pernicious , as may make you either less serviceable in your office , or less acceptable in your performances of it ; and are therefore , with all possible caution , to be avoided . v. but that i may descend , and speak more plainly and particularly to your case ; you may perceive that that which onely renders the clerical calling rationally desireable , is that to which it is upon a rational account useful , which can be nothing in the world ( the design of this calling being to teach men how to despise and easily to part with all such things the world calls good ) but onely the service of god in a peculiar manner ; and that this service is to fulfill his will as far as you are capacitated for it by this calling , which onely aims at the sa●vation of the souls of mankind . be sure therefore that the service of god , and the salvation of souls be intirely your design . and do not trust your saying so , but make some experiment of your affections ; for it is by their habitual inclinations , and not by some warm lucid intervals of reason , that your course of life is like to be determined ; and you are to remember , that your choice is irrevocable , which must oblige you to a serious consideration of what you do before you undertake it . place therefore your self by frequent meditation in such circumstances wherein no other end were attainable . suppose the church were in a state of persecution , which is not onely the warning , but also the promise , of the gospel ; or that your flock were assaulted by the malice of any cruel , or the scandalous example of any great , but powerful , sinner ; or many other such hazardous cases which may fall out though the church be countenanced by the saecular government ; would you here follow the example of the true a shepherd , or the hireling ? could you by your own example let your flock understand that your self did seriously believe what your calling must have obliged you to have taught and urged to them : that b the world and all its allurements and menaces are to be despised , that c all things are to be accounted loss and dung for the excellency of the knowledge of the cross ; that d tribulations upon this account were glorious , and e being counted worthy to suffer for the name of christ peculiarly honourable ; that f persecutions and reproaches , and bitter calumnies suffered for so good a cause were matter of exultation and exceeding joy ? could you even in these difficulties repeat your choice if it were reiterable ? or , if you were desporate of any other portion in this life , would you not either wish it undone , or even actually undo it if you could with honour ? do not think this case romantick even now ; for both this will be the securest way of passing a faithful judgment concerning your own temper , especially of that which is necessary for this calling ; and this is one of the chief duties and uses of the calling it self , that you be ready g to assist your flock in the time of necessity , and h to lay down your life for them , when it might prove for their advantage ; and , believe it how prosperous soever you may fancy christianity to be among us , you would find it to be actually true , in a high degree , by the odium you must needs incur by a conscientious discharging of your duty : in admonishing scandalous persons , openly , and others , secretly , of their vices , and suspending such as would shew themselves incorrigible from the communion ; in freely , and sometimes openly , rebuking the great ones as well as the mean , nay sometimes more , inasmuch as their example is more pestilential ; in generally weakning the hands and hearts , and disappointing the designs , of impious persons , by shaming them out of countenance , by reducing their companions , and generally awing them by a constantly grave and severe behaviour . vi. and by this experiment you may also perceive whether any less noble end be ingredient in your designing this calling : whether it be to gratifie the humours of your friends , or a vainglorious shewing of your parts , or a more honourable condition of life even in this world , or a more plentifull maintenance , or a politick design of making your self considerable in gaining a party for your own designs , though , i confess , the humour of our protestant laity is generally so self-confident , and so little dependent on their ministers ( if they do not despise them ) as that this last temptation cannot now be very dangerous . for if you can as cheerfully serve god in the absence of these temporal encouragements as with them ; if you can for your own sake patiently bear with the succeslesness of your performances , and satisfie your self in the conscience of having performed your duty ; if you be as industrious and careful of a cure less temporally advantagious , as of one that is more , and of persons that cannot , as well as of those that can , reward you ; if you know , with the apostle , how to be abased , as well as how to abound ; if you can praise god as cheerfully in a low , as in a prosperous condition ; nay more , as having then a title to many blessings of which your prosperous condition is uncapable ; if you can find your affections so disintangled from the world , that you are , like i st. paul , careless of living , upon your own account , but onely for the divine service ; then indeed , and not till then , you may be securely confident of the integrity of your intentions , and venture your self in this warfare , as the clerical calling is expresly called by st. paul , tim. ii. , . and as it were certainly most secure that your affections were thus generally alienated from these more ignoble designs , that you may satisfie your own conscience of your own freedom from the suspition of them ; so , because the heart is so intolerably deceitful as that its inclinations cannot be certainly discerned till the objected be vested with advantagious particular circumstances ; and these cannot be so prudently foreseen in general ; it will , at least , concern you to make the experiment full in such cases as you are by your own inclinations obnoxious to , and whose circumstances may very probably and frequently occur , and therefore may rationally be expected . remember that this enquiry be performed , as in the sight of god , to whom you must return an account of this stewardship , and whom it is impossible to deceive ; and for your own sake , whose interest is not meanly , but , greatly and eternally , concerned in it : not onely for your personal prejudice which you may incur by your imprudence herein , but also those mischievous consequential miscarriages , which will involve you deeply in the guilt of the ruine of as many souls as shall be engaged therein by the example , or imprudence , or negligence of their guide , who should have been exemplary to them . it were well if you made this the subject of a communion-exercise before you take orders ; for when you have devested your self of all worldly designs , and have god alone before your eyes , and spiritual considerations ; and have acknowledged your own insufficiency to discern the deceitfulness of your heart , and have therefore humbly implored the divine assistance , and intirely placed your confidence in him , and his inspirations , not extraordinary and enthusiastical , but , providential and moral : that he may be pleased to clear your understanding from all prejudices of your will ; that to your understanding , thus prepared , he would suggest the securest motives ; that he would enable you with a prudent and distinguishing spirit in passing your judgment , and making your election of them ; when , i say , you have done all this , you will then have the greatest moral probability that is possible , that your judgment ( if you can satisfie your self of your sincerity in observing these rules ) is the judgment of right reason , and consequently , in the way we are now speaking of , the will of god. vii . but neither is this purity of design alone sufficient ( unless you have abilities for it ) either to presume a call from god , or to venture securely and prudently on it . not the former ; for gods designing men for particular callings , is , in a providential way , to be concluded from his gifts , which are the talents he intrusts us with , and therefore obliges us to improve , and that after the most advantagious way ; so that where god has given natural gifts peculiarly fitting a person for a particular calling , and where it is withall evident , that either they fit him for no other calling , or , at least , not so advantagiously , or to a calling not so advantagious ; there , if he follow the dictate of right reason ( which is the onely providential voyce of god ) he must needs conclude himself in prudence obliged to follow this , rather than any other . but you may be here mistaken , if you consider either your gifts , or your calling , partially . your gifts you are to consider universally , in regard of themselves , or their effects , which may with any great moral probability be foreseen , whether natural , or accidental : whether , as some of your gifts do fit you for the clerical calling , so , they may not equally fit you for another ? whether , if they fit you onely , or peculiarly for this , yet , you may not have other qualifications that may make it dangerous ? whether , if you have such as may render it dangerous , the danger be greater , or more probable to come to pass , than the advantage ? whether , if you have none , yet , you have not onely some , but all , the qualifications for this calling ? whether , if some be wanting , they be either fewer , or less considerable than those you have ? so also , concerning the calling it self , you are to consider whether , all things being allowed for , it be likely to prove more advantagious , or disadvantagious , to you ? whether it be more necessary , or onely more convenient ? whether , if more necessary ▪ it be also more secure , especial●y in regard of your greater interest● ? and concerning all these enqui●es , you may fall into great mistakes , if you have not before rectified your intention , and so fixed on a right end , from whence you may deduce faithful measures o● things . it will therefore here concern you to use all possible prudence and caution ; and you cannot be excused if you use less than you would in a case wherein all your secular fortunes and your life it self were deeply hazarded , seeing these things are incomparably less trivial . viii . i hope you will not so far suspect me of pelagianism as to put me to the trouble of an apology for calling these qualifications natural . my meaning is not , that these natural qualifications alone are sufficient for discharging the clerical calling ? or , that those auxiliaries that are superadded are onely natural ; but onely , that all superadded auxiliaries are grounded on the improvement of such as are natural , not as merits rigorously obliging god in point of justice , but as motives mercifully perswading and inducing him , who is of himself already munificent ; so that the principal and original ground of expecting these supernatural auxiliaries , which can onely be hoped for by them who are peculiarly called , can antecedently ( as it is plain that the ground of their hope must be antecedent ) be grounded on nothing but what is natural . to let this therefore pass ( that this whole discourse may be deduced home to your case ) it will be necessary to shew what these qualifications are , which will best be understood by their accommodation to the design for which you intend them . that therefore i suppose to be the taking of a particular charge upon you of the souls of a particular congregation ; so that according to the several wayes of the miscarriage of such souls , you ought to be contrarily qualified for their security . and the miscarriage of their souls being occasioned by their non performance of their duty , your qualifications must consist in such requisites as may induce them to that performance . and these will , in general , be reduced to two heads : such as may be necessary for informing them in their duty , and such as may induce them to practice it● for in both these put together their security does adaequately consist . and in order to these two ends you must be endued with two requisites : knowledge , for convincing their understandings ; and prudence , for perswading their wills . by knowledge i do not so much mean that which is speculative and scholastical , as that which is more immediately practical . for i suppose your charge to consist principally of the illiterate multitude , and that if you have any intelligent learned laick that may be capable of higher things , yet that it is more rare and casual ; and that in these qualifications , i am speaking of , we are not so much to consider what is rare and extraordinary , as what is frequent and usual ; what is useful and convenient , as what is absolutely necessary . for both those extraordinary occasions cannot so much oblige to a peculiar provision , especailly in those multitudes which are necessary for these services of the church , all which cannot be expected capable of them ; and those cases , being extraordinary , may be supplied by a few peculiarly gifted that way , seeing it is gods usual way thus to distribute those 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 , which are indeed convenient for the edification of the catholick church in general , but not absolutely necessary for every particular charge . for these ends therefore , wherein your other studies of more necessary concernment , or the aversion of your own genius , may not incline you , or afford you opportunity , or enable you , to attain such skill your self as were convenient ; it will be sufficient that you hold correspondence with such as have it , whom you may consult with as occasion shall require , and so not be altogether unprovided even for these extraordinary occurrences . but that which will more peculiarly and indispensably concern you , is that more immediately practical knowledge , which all are some way bound to observe , and of which none , which act prudently in their common concernments of the world , may be presumed uncapable . and it were well that you would reduce all other speculative knowledge to this , as it is certainly designed by god. my meaning is , that you would not begin with notions in instructing others , but that you would first stir them up to practice such duties as are by all parties acknowledged to be essentially obligatory under the state of christianity ( as , god be praised , principles sufficient for most of these are admitted by all considerable parties that violate the peace of christendom , however otherwise disunited among themselves ) and so by that means bring them to a carefulness of their wayes , and a tenderness of conscience , and an inquisitiveness after their duty universally whatever it may be ; which will prepare them for what other instructions they may afterwards prove capable of ; and will be of excellent use , both for rendring your advice acceptable and useful to them , when they first sensibly experience its necessity before it be communicated ; and for preventing the infusion of any frivolous and unprofitable notions , which are very dangerous to popular capacities ( who are usually more passionate than judicious , and are too prone to impose their own private sentiments in things , they do not understand , as well as those they do , on others , and so to make them the badges and characteristicks of subdividing parties ) and will be the best measure for suiting and proportioning their knowledge to their capacities ; for they are certainly capable of so much knowledge whose usefulness they are capable of apprehending ; and no more is necessary , if i may not say , expedient , to be communicated to them . ix . i could have shewn you , in many regards , how incomparably more advantagious this way is , even for the reduction of hereticks and schismaticks , than that which is ordinarily made use of , an abrupt disputation : for by this means you will find that the onely true causes of heretical and schismatical pravity , obstinacy and perversity of will , and prejudices of the world , and the vain desire of applause and victory , and their preingagement in a party , and that shame and unwillingness to yield ( even to truth it self , when it appears their adversary ) which unawares surprizes the most innocently meaning men , will be removed before your reasons be propounded , which , if by them they be thought more convincing , they must , upon these suppositions , needs prevail ; and that the want of the removal of these is that which ordinarily makes disputations so successess ; nay that the conversion it self of the persons without the purgation of these prejudices , might indeed enlarge our party ( a design too vain to be aimed at by any peaceable pious christian ) but would never be advantagious to the persons themselves ( the charity to whose souls ought to be the principal inducement to a rational and prudent person to engage him to endeavour their satisfaction ) because it were hardly probable that the truth it self could be embraced on its own account , and so for virtuous motives , whilest these humors were predominant ; and to receive the truth it self for vitious ones were a desecration and prostitution of it , which must certainly be most odious and detestable in the sight of god , who judges impartially of the secret thoughtss and intentions , as well as the exteriour professions , of men ; that , i say , these things are true , if reason do not , yet sad experience will , prove a full conviction . besides their receiving the truth it self upon humour . ( and it cannot be judged to be upon any other account where it is not embraced upon a pious sensse of its usefulness ) would both be scandalous to those that might perceive it ( as hypocrites cannot alwayes be so cautious in their personations , but that sometimes the asses ears will appear through the lyons skin ) and would render them as uncertain to any party as the cause that makes it . nay if , after you had reduced them to this good pliable temper , you could not prevail on them in perswading them to an assent to what you say , either through the weakness of their understandings , or your own unskilfulness in pleading for a good cause with advantage ; yet you must needs conclude them invincibly ignorant , and therefore excusable before god in this regard , as well as positively acceptable in others ; and therefore must be as charitable in your demeanour to them , as , you believe , god will prove favourable in their final sentence ; which must needs be a great secondary satisfaction and comfort ( that their errors themselves are innocent ) to such as are more intent on the improvement of christianity it self than any subdividing denomination ; for it god himself , though he desires that good men should attain the actual truth in order to the peace of ecclesiastical communion , be yet pleased to admit of some anomalous instances of his mercy , whose failing thereof shall not prove prejudical to them ; if , i say , god may do thus , and may be presumed to do so by you ; i do not see how you can excuse your self ( if you dissent ) from forfeiting the glory of uniformity and resignation of your will to god , which are they alone which make your other services acceptable , or from incurring the blame of the envious murmuring servant , of having k your own eye evil because your masters is good . nay , for my part , i believe , that if you can here ( as you ought to do in all cases ) be satisfied in an expectation of a future reward from god ; your patient and confident acquiescing in the will of god , even when your endeavours prove successess as to the end immediately designed by your self , will be so far from being a discouragement , as that it will indeed intitle you to a greater preportion of spiritual comfort ; both because you may then best satisfie your self in the integrity of your intertien for god when you can readily acquiesce without any gratification of your self by a victory in your discourse ▪ and because the present little fruits of your labours may justly encourage you to expect a more plentiful arrear behind . yet , i believe , this preparation of your auditors for your discourses by a sense of piety will not minister much or frequent occasions of dissidence even of the event , no● consequently of the exercise of these passive graces , as well in regard of the divine assistance , you may then hope for , as your own abilities . for when the person has thus rendred ●imself worthy of the favour and has implored the divine goodness for its actual collation ; there can 〈◊〉 reason to despair of the divine assistance , so far as it may not violate the ordinary rules of providence : such as are the suggesting such motives to your mind as are most proper to prevail on the capacity of the person with whom you deal : the fitting you with advantage of proper and persuasive expression ; the suiting all to the circumstances and apprehension of the person , and the like , which when they concur cannot frequently fail of the desired event . but that which does especially recommend this method , is , that these moral dispositions of the will are so frequently taken notice of in the gospel it self as the qualifications that prepared its auditors for its reception . for these seem to be the l the opening of the ears , the m touching of the heart , the n sheeplike disposition , the o preparation for the kingdom , the p ordination to eternal life , the q true israeliteship , which are everywhere assigned as the reasons of the conversion of many of them . but this onely by the way . x. that i may therefore return to the subject of my former discourse , you may hence conclude , that all that your people are obliged to practice , that , at east , you are obliged to know ; and that not onely as a practitioner , who may be secure in knowing his own duty , in the simplicity of it , with such reasons also of it as may be useful for rectifying his intention , which is the onely thing that can rationally be conceived to render a duty acceptable to god ; but also as a guide , who should also be acquainted with the nature of the duty it self , and the reason why it is imposed by god , and how it may contribute to the improvement of mankind , and what influence every circumstance considerable may have on the morality of the whole duty ; for without these things you can never be able to make a true estimate of those infinite cases that may occur , having to deal with persons of different complexions , and different callings , and different habitual inclinations . upon which account it will concern you first to have studied all those fundamentals , which are generally esteemed so by persons of all persuasions ( such are those contained in the r creed commonly ascribed to the apostles ) not that i conceive it necessary that you deduce all consequences that may be inferred from expressions used , even by approved authors , even in these affairs themselves ; but that you may be able , from your own judgment , to give an account what concerning them is necessary to be believed , and for what reasons , that so you may be able to satisfie an inquisitive laick , and maintain the honour of your place , which is to preserve the keys of knowledge as well as discipline ; and , believe it , in this knowing age , it is more than ever necessary . but for these things i would not have you too much trust the schoolmen , or any modern collectors of bodies of divinity , who do too frequently confound traditions with opinions , the doctrines and inferences of the church with her historical traditions , the sense of the ancient with the superadditions of modern ages , and their own private senses with those of the church . if therefore you would faithfully and distinctly inform your self herein , i do not understand how you can do it with security to your self that you do not misguide your flock , in affairs of so momentous a concernment , without having recourse to the originals themselves ; wherein you should cautiously distinguish what is clearly , and in terms , revealed by the apostles , and what onely is so virtually and consequentially ; for it cannot be credible that god has made the belief of that necessary to salvation , which he has not clearly revealed ( so as to leave the unbelievers unexcusable ) and that cannot rationally be pretended to be clearly revealed , which is neither so in terms , nor in clear and certain consequences . now these originals are the scriptures as the text , and the fathers of the first and purest centuries as an historical commentary , in controverted passages , to clear its sense . first therefore the reading of the scripture is a duty , in all regards , incumbent on you ; for these are they that s are written that we might believe , and that believing we might have life in the name of christ ; that t are certainly to assure us of those things wherein we have been catechized ; that are able to make us u wise unto salvation . and particularly , in reference to your calling , the scriptures are said to be necessary for making x the man of god ( an appellative especially proper to the clergie tim. vi . . ) perfect in teaching , in reproving , in correcting , in discipline ( so 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 signifies ) acts also peculiarly belonging to the clerical calling . and accordingly our y church does oblige the clergie to read two chapters , at least , every day , concerning which , according to the old rules , they might have been examined by the bishop , as also in erasmus's paraphrase ; which seems to have been instituted to make amends for the length of the romane offices ( injoyned by them on their clergie under pain of mortal sin ) above that of our liturgie ; as conceiving the skill of the clergie in the scriptures of more moment for the discharge of their duty to the publick than their prayers themselves . besides your skill herein is looked on as so necessary as that it is one of the severest charges laid on all in the very collation of their orders , that they be z diligent in reading the scriptures . xi . but you must not think this charge satisfied in beginning to do so from the time of your ordination . for you must remember that you are then to be a teacher , not a scholar ; besides that you cannot pass a prudent judgment of your own abilities till you have already experienced them , and thereof 〈◊〉 must have begun before . as you therefore read the scriptures , it were well that after reading of any chapter you would mark the difficult places , at least in the new testament , and , when they may see●● to concern any necessary matter of faith or practice ( for you must remember that i am now speaking of the meanest qualifications that may be expected in him who would prudently take this calling on him ) afterwards consult commentators , such as are reputed most excellent in their kind ; and read them , not cursorily , but carefully , examining their grounds to the uttermost of your capacity ; seeing that you are to enquire , not onely for your self , but also for as many as are to be led by you . first therefore , after you have read the commentator , either in writing , or , if that bee too tedious , in meditation , recollect the sum of his discourse , by reducing them to propositions ; then apply the proofs to the propositions they properly belong to . then examine the pertinency of his proofs so applyed , if they be reasons , from the nature of the thing ; if testimonies , from the authors from whom he borrowes them , by which means alone you may understand whether they mean them in the sense intended by him . and at last see how his sense agrees with the text it self , by comparing it with the cohaerence , both antecedent , and consequent . and for this occasional use of expounding scripture , it were necessary to be skilled in the originals ; for all translations being performed by fallible persons , and being capable of such aequivocations which may frequently have no ground in the originals ; the sense , as collected from such translations , may very probably be misunderstood , and therefore cannot be securely trusted . but , of the two originals , the greek is that , which can with less security be neglected upon the principles already praemised . for , supposing that your obligation is chiefly for matters of faith , and so transcending natural means of knowledge ; and moral duties , not evident , nor deducible , from the light of right reason , as being special degrees , peculiarly due to those manifestations of the divine love in the gospel , greater than could have been expected from the divine philanthropy , as it appears from reason alone ; both of these are proper to the gospel-state , and therefore are onely to be expected from the new testament , which , though in other things it may require the hebrew , for understanding the hellenistical s●ile ; yet in these things , being so peculiarly proper to the gospel-state , and being many of them merely new revelations , it cannot be so extreamly necessary , and therefore the greek may be here sufficient . yet i must withall needs confess , that ( for the government and governours of the church , and the rituals adopted into christianity by the positive institution of the gospel , the two sacraments and other solemnities of the service of god ) the knowledge of the jewish antiquities is very necessary for clearing some things of so momentous a consideration , and so ordinary practice , as that you may not be able , without them , to give a fall satisfaction to your parochia● cure , in doubts that may nearly concern them , which will therefore require a skill in the rabbins , if not in the hebrew tongue wherein they are written . xii . and upon the same account , i do not , for my part , see how you can well have neglected the fathers of the first and purest centuries , especially those that are , by the consent of all , concluded genuine , and that lived before the empire turned christian , who consequently were free from those secular enjoyments , which , in a short time , sensibly corrupted that generosity and exemplary severity , which were so admirably conspicuous in the infancy of christianity . for , though it be confessed that the scriptures are indeed clear in all matters indispensably necessary to salvation ( which are the onely subjects of my present discourse ) yet i conceive that perspicuity to have been mainly accommodated to the present apprehensions of the persons then living , many of the phrases being taken from doctrines or practices then generally prevailing among them , and obviously notorious to all , the vulgar , as well as persons of greater capacities . but that all things , that were then clear , might not , as other antiquities have done since , in a long process of time , contract an accidental obscurity by the abolition , or neglect , of those then notorious antiquities on which that perspicuity is supposed to depend ; or that , supposing this perspicuity still to depend on such antiquities , providence should have been obliged to keep such antiquities themselves unchanged , or any other way notorious than by the monuments still extant of those ages ; cannot , i conceive , with any probability be presumed : either from the nature of the thing ; or the design of the scriptures , which both seem to have been written in accommodation to particular exigences , and on particular occasions ; and rather to intimate , than insist on , such things as were already presumed notorious , and must needs have been either more intricate , if brief ; or more tedious and voluminous , if accurate , in explaining so numerous particulars . now , if this perspicuity were accommodated to the apprehensions of them to whom they were , more immediately , revealed ; then certainly the holy ghost must needs be presumed to have intended such senses as he knew them ready and likely to apprehend ( especially in such cases wherein the terms were taken from something already notorious among them , and wherein they could have no reason to suspect their misapprehensions , much less , ordinary means to rectifie them ) and therefore , on the contrary , what we can find to have been their sense of the scriptures , in things perspicuous and necessary , that we have reason to believe verily intended by the revealer . besides that this is the usual practice of our most accurate criticks , to expound their authors , where difficult , by comparing them with other writers of the same time , or sect , or subject , which mention the thing doubted of more clearly ; and therefore cannot prudently be refused here , where we are speaking of the ordinary moral means of finding out the true sense of the scriptures . i do confess that the fathers do not write in a method so accurate and fitted to the capacities of beginners as our modern systemes , but withall , i think , it cannot be denyed but that they are , even upon that account , more intelligible than the scriptures , so that they who are obliged to be skilful in the scriptures cannot , upon any account , be presumed uncapable of understanding the fathers . nor ought it to be pretended that the writings of the fathers are too voluminous and tedious a task for a young man to undertake before his entring into the clerical calling ; for both i do not see how that way can be counted tedious , which is necessary , and onely secure , how long soever it may be ; nor is it indeed true , that the fathers of the first three centuries were a task so very tedious ( for as for others afterwards , the more remote they are , the less competent also they must be for informing us of the sense of the apostles in an historical way of which alone we are now discoursing ; nay seeing that the later writers can know nothing this way , but what has been delivered to them by the former , it will follow that they cannot be able to inform us of any thing new , after the reading of their predecessors , and therefore , though it might be convenient , yet , after the primitives , the reading of the later fathers cannot be so indispensably necessary ) especially if the counterfeited authors and writings be excepted , together withall those that are lyable to any just suspicion , and are reputed such by learned and candid men ; and if their time were improved , as it might by most , and would by all , that would undertake this severe calling upon these conscienti●us accounts i have been already describing . besides i do not know why they should complain for want of time either before , or after , the susception of holy orders , when as we see other callings require seven years learning before their liberty to practice , whereas a much less time well improved would serve for this , even for ordinary capacities , that were grounded in the necessary rudiments of humane learning ; and they have afterwards a maintenance provided for them without care , that they might addict themselves without distraction to employments of this nature . all things therefore being considered , i do not see how this requisite ( how much soever it may amuse some by its seeming novelty ) is either unnecessary or unpracticable . xiii . besides these reasons from necessity , i might produce others of conveniency why young practicioners of divinity should deduce their doctrine more immediately from the fountains . as first , that by this means they may be best able to judge impartially , when they are less possessed with the favour of a party ; whereas it is , i doubt , too frequently , the practice of those that do otherwise , first espouse a partly , afterwards to see with no other perspectives than what prejudice and interest will permit , not so much to enquire what does indeed appear truly derived from the apostles , as what these conveighers of apostolical tradition say in favour of their own , and discountenance of their adversaries faction . and secondly , this would certainly much contribute to the infusing a peaceable spirit into the catholick church ( a blessing vigorously to be prosecuted and prayed for by all good christians ) which certainly could not chuse but considerably contribute further to the actual peace of christendome , whose principles might undoubtedly in many things be better accommodated , if their spirits were less exasperated . this it would do , partly by the inevidence of the reasons , when examined ; for it is generally the unexperienced confidence that is most bold and daring ; partly in deriving principles of accommodation from those fountains which all do so unanimously applaud , and wherein therefore they are most likely to agree , if ever providence reduce them to a reconciliation : and partly because by this means they will be less likely to broach any offensive doctrines , seeing that for this end , not onely the church of rome , but our mother the church of a england , has required that no other expressions of scriptures be urged publickly but such as are agreeable to the doctrine of the fathers : your observation of which canon i do not see how you can secure without knowing what they hold , nor know what they hold without reading them . besides thirdly , that the very conversing with such admirable monuments of piety , where most of their very errors seem to have proceeded from a nobly designing excessive severity , and their practices rather exceeded , than fell short of , their doctrinal severity , must needs , like the conversation of god with moses in the mount , affect them with a proportionable splendor : to see them devoring all their worldly interests for the service of the church , exposing their lives and fortunes for the faith of christ , i do not say , willingly and patiently , but even joyfully and triumphantly , b wearying their judges cruelty , and blunting their executioners axes , with the multitudes of such as , without any enquiry , offered themselves , crowding and thronging to the catastae , the vngulae , the stakes and gridirons , and other the most terrible executions that were ever heard of , with as much earnestness and emulation as was ever shewn in the olympick exercises , impatiently striving for the honour of that which the world thought penal and calamitous . and lastly that they must needs from hence make a truer estimate concerning the real design and duties of christianity , from those times wherein it was undertaken upon choice and a rational approbation , and against all the contrary aversations of worldly interests , merely for its own sake , and when it was preached in the simplicity of it , without any compliances or indulgences gratifying either the humours or pretended necessities of a worldly conversation ; than now when fashion and education and worldly interests are the very inducements inclining many to profess themselves christians , who otherwise take not the least care of fulfilling their baptismal obligations , and wherein the vitious reserves of the world have prevailed so far as to corrupt their very casuistical divinity , and to make them believe those things impossible , and so necessarily requiring the divine favour to excuse them , which yet were then universally performed . and to see how peculiarly the clerical calling was then honoured : that none were chosen to it but either such as were designed by the more immediate inspiration of the c holy ghost to their ordainer ; or by the general suffrages of the d people concerning their unspotted lives , when that extraordinary way failed ; or by some extraordinary experiment of their excellent spirits : such were e renouncing all their possessions , and resigning them to the common use of the church , or some f exemplary suffering for the faith of christ ( which though not extending to death was then called g martyrdom ) besides that zeal and incessant diligence in providing for the necessities of their cure , and those persecutions which were sometimes as peculiarly their lot as they were gods , must needs imprint a sacred awe and reverence for the calling , which , if measured by present either precepts or precedents , cannot be deservedly esteemed . xiv . but to proceed . besides this knowledge of the prime necessary fundamentals it will also be necessary for to be skilled in all such controversies as separate any considerable communions of christians . for these also your flock , illiterate as well as learned , are obliged to practice . for it is certain that they must be obliged to make use of the sacraments as the ordinary channels where grace may be expected , and therefore must communicate with some church ; and seeing every church does not onely assert its own , but censure other communions differing from her , and therefore will not permit any person that enjoyes her communion to communicate with any other ; it will follow that they must all be concerned , as far as they are capable , to understand a reason , not onely of their communion with ours , but their consequent separation from other churches . for seeing schisme is a sin of as malignant an influence to souls as many others which are more infamous in the vulgar account ; it must needs be your duty to secure them from that , as well as other sins . now the formal imputable notion of schism as a sin being the no-necessity of its dividing the churches peace ; that any party of men may be excusable from it , they must be satisfied : either that not they , but their adversaries , were the causes of the division ; or that , if themselves were , yet it was on their part necessary ; which it is impossible for you to do even to your own prudent satisfaction , if you do not understand the true state of the controversies , and the full force of what is produced on both sides . and for knowing the true state of the controversies , you must remember , that the obligation incumbent on you for knowing them does not concern you as they are the disputes of private doctors , or even tolerated parties , but as they are the characteristicks of communions ; and therefore they must be the councils and canons , or such other publick authentick records of the churches , or their acknowledged champions as explaining their churches sense , and not their own ▪ and the conditions practiced among them without which their communion cannot be had , that you must be presumed skilful in . i do not think it so indispensably necessary that you be skilled in all the particular controversies of meaner concernment even betwixt different churches themselves , but those that are mutually thought sufficient to separate communion ; nor in all those themselves , but in any . for as , for joyning in a communion , it is necessary that all the conditions prescribed for it be lawful ; so on the contrary , if onely one be unlawful , it is enough to prove the separation not unnecessary , and so not culpable , nay , that it is necessary and obligatory ; and so sufficient to satisfie him in as much as he is concerned to practice . your skill in these things will every way be obligatory on you : for their sakes that are capable , that you may satisfie them ; for those that are not , that you may secure them , ( who , by how much they are less able to he●p themselves , must consequently more rely upon your conduct , which will therefore lay the blame of their miscarriages heavily on you , if they be occasioned by your negligence ) and for the reducing such as are misled , a duty too generally neglected among the poor superstitious natives , though expresly required by the h canons of our church ; so that you are obliged , not onely to be able to teach your flock , but also i to resist gain sayers , to k rebuke them with all authority , l to stop their mouths , to convince and perswade the modest , and to confound and shame the incorrigible . but , in dealing with adversaries , it were fit , that , in accommodation to the method already prescribed , of fitting them for rational discourses by first bringing them to a conscientious sense of their duty ; you would therefore fit your motives to those preparations , by insisting not onely on the truth , but the piety , of embracing what you would perswade them to , and the impiety of the contrary ; how directly , or indirectly , it countenances or encourages licentiousness ; at least of how mischievous consequence the sin of schism upon such an account would be , and how inconsiderable the contrary palliations are for excusing it : that schism is a breach of peace , and so a violation of the very testament of our lord ; of love , and so a disowning the characteristick badg whereby christians are peculiarly distinguishable from the infidel-world ; a subdividing the church into factions and parties , and consequently chargeable with the guilt of the scandal of the common adversaries , who by these means are induced to dishonourable thoughts of the institutor of so confounded a profession , and are by these mutual exasperations enabled to see the infirmities of all parties by their mutual recriminations ; and so their minds become exulcerated and impregnably prejudiced against all the rhetorick of the gospel , and uncapable of those ends designed by god in it's publication ( and oh how heavy an account will such dishonour of god , such frustrating of his evangelical designs , and the miscarriage of such a multitude of souls , so dearly purchased by him , amount to ! ) besides the internal mischiefs following from it : a weakning the common strength by dispersing it into multitudes of inconsiderable fractions , singly considered , and so disabling it for any generous designs of taking care of that great part of the world which never yet heard of the gospel , besides the dissolution of discipline , the contempt of the authority , and weakning it , and so the great liberty made for all the vices and scandals of wicked men by a consequent impunity . i would heartily recommend this consideration to our conscientious dissenting brethren who are affrighted from our communion by the scandalous lives of some of our pretended conformists , how much themselves contribute to the calamities they so seriously deplore by bringing a disrespect on that authority which should , if entertained with due veneration , either reform them , or make them cease to be scandalous by their perfect exclusion from her communion . xv. but that which you can least of all want , is a study too much neglected , because too little experienced , among protestants , that of casuistical divinity . for unless your general sermons be brought home and applyed to particular consciences ; i do not know how you can be said to have used your utmost diligence for the salvation of particular persons , and therefore how you can clear your self from particular miscarriages . i am sure , this is the way the apostle st. paul vindicates himself from the blood of all men . act. xx . . that he had not spared to declare unto them the whole counsel of god , v. . and that , not onely publickly , but also , from house to house v. . nay that for three years , night and day , he ceased not to warn euery one with tears ; which expressions do certainly denote a greater frequency than that of their publick synaxes , where their preaching was in use ; besides that the words 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 , used for every one , cannot be understood of them collectively , but distributively and singly . there is a remarkable saying quoted by clemens m alexandrinus from an ancient apocriphal work : that the companion of a good man can hardly perish without involving the good man himself in a participation of the blame ; which is certainly , in a more severe sense , verifiable of a person engaged in the clerical calling , because of the charge with which they are peculiarly intrusted . the charge it self you may read in ezech. xxxiii . ( a passage i conceive very well worthy some serious thoughts before you undertake orders ) if the destruction come , and take away any of your charge , whosoever he be , he dyes in his sins ; but you , if you have not warned him , are responsible for him . now i do not see how you can be said to have warned him , when you have not taken the pains to inform your self of his condition ; for considering that you are not now to expect revelations , but to judg a posteriori , by the appearances and ordinary course of things ; you cannot warn any of danger but such as appear in a state of demerit , to whom god has threatned it , and that , how culpable it is , cannot be judged without examination of particular circumstances . for do not believe that the pulpit-denunciation of judgments can suffice , or that it can reach the end of these warnings , the terrifying men from their sins , so as not onely to make them entertain some struggling velleities against them , but also to endeavour an effectual relinquishment of them . for either they are indefinite and hypothetical , involving ●deed all sinners in the danger , but not telling who are such , so that the application ( which is of the most effectual influence for the reduction of any particular person ) is left entirely to the too-partially-affected disposition of the person himself ( whose very judgment being either diverted or depraved by his vices , so that he is unwilling or unable to discern them to be so , and his very conscience by that means either actually or habitualiy seared ) he can be never likely to condemn himself , unless he be reduced by a particular consideration of his own , for which he is not beholding to the ministery ; or they are so managed as that indeed no man can have reason upon that account to be particularly terrified . for considering that those denunciations that are general do concern those remainders of sin which are as long-lived as themselves in the most pious persons ; and accordingly that the publick confessions of sins , wherein the pious as well as the impious are concerned to joyn , and that without dissimulation or falshood , are such as are confessed , in the very same forms , to deserve the penalties so denounced , and yet it is most certain that no condemnation does belong to them ; nay , though they constantly commit the like sins , and therefore periodically have need of reiterating the same confessions , as not being encouraged to believe it possible to relinquish all such sins , but onely to strive against them ; by this means persons are accustomed to confess themselves sinners , nay , and great ones too , and to deserve the severest of these comminations , and yet all this without any terrour , supposing all this to be common to them with the holyest men living , to whom undoubtedly no terrour does belong ; these things , i say , being considered , they cannot hereby be obliged to believe themselves actually in danger of these threats , and therefore cannot , for fear of them , be obliged to relinquish utterly their endangering demerits . i doubt many a poor soul does feel this experimentally , who , though they have lived for many years under a terrible ministery , yet never have been thereby actually terrified from those vices to which themselves acknowledg the curse of god to be due , especially if they were secret , and so might escape the censures and particular reproofs of men . besides that by this means of onely pulpit-reproofs you cannot pretend to say that you have warned such persons as either through irreligion , or prophaneness , or contrary perswasions ( occasions too frequent now a dayes , and comprehending multitudes of souls ) forbear the church , or consequently clear you from being accountable for them . but , though in publick preaching sins were particularized more than they are , and charged with that peculiar severity they deserve ; yet you must remember that they are very few that can prudently be so dealt with : such as generally prevailed , and such as were notorious ; so that for all others that are not reducible to these heads , ( many of which may prove of as dangerous consequence to the concerned persons themselves as these , if they perish in them . ) i do not see how you can chuse but be responsible , if you do not reprove them by a more close and particular address . xvi . i know the degeneration of our present age is so universal herein , and that men are naturally so disingenuous , as that rather than they will acknowledge themselves faulty , they will strain their wits for palliations and apologies , especially when countenanced by the practice of men of an otherwise severe conversation ; that you may not admire if you may find some who may conceive me severe in this point . but you must remember the liberty i have designed in this whole discourse , not to flatter any one in affairs of so hazardous consequence ; and i do not doubt but that even those my opponents themselves will believe this way , though more severe , yet certainly , more excellent and more secure , and therefore though it were onely doubtful , yet it were more conveniently practicable . but for my part , i think it so little doubtful , as that , laying aside that unwillingness that either interest , or the surprisal of a novelty , may create in many against its reception ; i think there can be little pretended that may cause a rational scruple to an unprejudiced understanding person . for if a general denunciation of gods anger against impenitents had been sufficient , and no more particular application had been necessary to have been made than what had been the result of the guilty consciences , or the good natures , of the persons themselves , or the peculiar providential preventions of god ; i do not see what necessity there had been of the prophets , as watchmen , of old ; or of preachers now . for that god is a rewarder and punisher of the actions of wicked men , none ever yet denyed that held a providence , much less such as owned any written revelations , which were able more distinctly to inform them what these rewards were ; and we know it is the reply of abraham to dives , that if moses and the prophets were not able to assure them of the certainty of these future rewards on supposition of their impenitency , neither would they be convinced though a preacher were sent them from the dead , so that upon this account the sending of prophets must have been needless , especially of such as were distinct from the penmen of the canonical books , and were sent on provisional messages , for concerning such alone i am at present discoursing . besides the credibility of these rewards depended on the credit of the law it self , which was antecedent to the mission of prophets , as being that by which they were to be tryed , and therefore could not in any competent way be proved by their testimony ; which will appear the rather credible when it is remembred that temporal calamities were the usual subjects of these ordinary prophetick messages . the onely thing therefore that they must have been sent for must have been a particular application to the parties concerned . and accordingly this is their method still to deliver their message to the persons themselves : when to the people , as it was most frequently , in their publick assemblies ; when to their princes , or to other particular private persons , still their practice was accordingly . nor did they ever excuse themselves ( as too many are apt to do now ) when persons apprehended themselves particularly concerned , by pretending that the application was none of theirs ; but still they owned it , and were ready to suffer the inflictions of those whom they had thus exasperated . and accordingly we find it reckoned among the principal qualifications of a prophet even by the jewes themselves , that he be , not onely wise , and rich , but also valiant . and jeremy is thus encouraged to harden his face like brass , and that he be against the jewes like n an impregnable fortress , that he should not o fear their faces neither p be dismayed ; and esay , as a type of our saviour , hardens his face like flint , isa . l. . which i do not know of what peculiar use it could prove in this case , unless it were to embolden them that they might not fear the threats or malice of the great ones in the performance of their duty , which they had not been in such danger of without this application . besides , if this application were not the peculiar employment of an ordinary prophet , i do not understand what it was that was blamed in the false prophets , who q preached peace when there was no peace . for that ever any of them was so impudent as to deny the truth of gods denunciations against sinners indefinitely is no way credible ; or that doing so , they could find credit in a nation so signally convinced of a providence . their crime therefore must have been , that they flattered the wicked , and either made them believe their faults to be none at all , or not so great as indeed they were ; or that god would either excuse them particularly , or not punish them in this life , or not suddenly , or not severely . and accordingly also in the new testament we find r s. stephen and the s apostles charging their crimes home on their persecutors ; and to this end endued with an admirable t 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 , among other gifts of the holy ghost then dispensed for capacitating them for their office . and that this particular application was not grounded on such particular revelations whereby those extraordinary persons might have been enabled to judge particularly of their cases , for which we , who have none but humane fallible means of knowing the wickedness of mens hearts , may now be thought less sufficient ; may appear from the frequent mention of this use of particular reproof as an u ordinary qualification for the clerical calling , and from the like practice of the most ancient fathers and martyrs , who every where x freely inveigh against the particular scandalous persons of their times , and their persecutors . but these things are in themselves obvious , and are a subject too copious to be insisted on at present . xvii . supposing therefore this necessity of a particular application , it will be easie to deduce hence the necessity of your skill in casuistical divinity . for if you must particularly apply you must particularly know the state of the conscience you have to deal with . and that you may judge it when known , you must know the means of acquiring all virtues , and of avoiding all vices and sins , and the stress of all lawes , and the influences of all circumstances considerable , and the way of dealing with all tempers ; that you may never judge rashly , that you may advise pertinently and successfully , that you may so provide for the present as that you may foresee dangerous consequences , that you may not run consciences on perplexities by making one duty inconsistent with another ; all which do some way or other belong to casuistical divinity . especially it will concern you to be some way skilled in all lawes more immediately relating to conscience : the law of nature , and the positive lawes of god and the church , which are to be your rules in affairs of this nature . and , because the law of nature intirely , and all other lawes as to their particular influences and applications to particular cases , as indeed also all useful humane learning , do some way depend on the accurateness of your method of reasoning ; therefore here it were convenient that you be provided with those requisites for ordering it which are mentioned in my letter of advice for studies ; for without this your inferences will be same and imperfect , and not secure to be relied on by a person in your dangerous condition . xviii . xviii . but besides these qualifications of knowledge , for informing people concerning their duty there are also other practical requisites for inducing them to the observation of it . such are an experience and prudence in the ars voluntatis ( as nierembergius calls it ) an undoubted courage and confidence in enduring all difficulties that may , and undoubtedly will , occur in the performance of your duty ; a sweet and sociable behaviour that may win , yet grave and serious that may awe , the hearts of men ; but above all , even for the sake of your cure , as well as your own , a holy and exemplary life . of these in their order . first therefore your first qualification of skill in the ars voluntatis , the art of y catching men , that i may speak in the language of our saviour , and s. paul , will require both experience in the nature of these mental diseases , for your information ; and prudence in the application of their cure ; for without these you can with as little rational confidence venture on their cure as the physician that were neither skilled in symptomes or diseases or the virtues of herbs and minerals which are their usual remedies ; and were as responsible for their miscarriage under your hands as the law makes empiricks and unskilful persons . for understanding the nature of these mental diseases , you must remember that , as virtue is the improvement , so , vice is the debauching of the rational faculties , and therefore you cannot expect to prevail on mens interests and inclinations by a bare representment of the unreasonableness of their actions ; for it is clear that reason is no measure of the actions of brutes ; and therefore whilest men live not above the brutal principle , that which is animal and sensual ; reason is as little valued by them as the richest indian gems by the dunghill cock in aesop . so that indeed your work must be first to make them reasonable before you propound your reasons to them ; and it is half done when you have made them capable of hearing reason . whilest therefore they are unreasonable , you must deal with them as we do with children ( it is a similitude excellently urged and illustrated to this purpose by z maimonides ) first allure them by motives proportioned to their present capacities , to perform the material actions of virtue , till by use they be confirmed into a habit , which when it is well rooted , it will then be easie by shewing the rational advantage of them ( which they will then be capable of understanding and perceiving ) both to endear their duty , and rectifie their intentions , and so to make them formally virtuous . and the prudent managements of this affair are the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 , mentioned by a socrates , the b wise charming in the psalmist , the c serpentine wisedom commended by our saviour , the craft and catching with guile mentioned by d st. paul. now for this it will be necessary , in point of experience , that you be acquainted with those difficulties in your self ( for thus our saviour himself is observed , by the author to the hebrewes , by his e fellow feeling of our infirmities , to be qualified for his being a merciful high priest , and being able to succor them that are tempted ) and in others ; both as to their tempers , and habitual inclinations , and callings , and daily conversations , and the temptations likely to occur : to know the material virtues they are inclined to , and to lay hold on the mollia tempora f●ndi , their good humours , and lucid intervals , and providential impulses ; for without these things you cannot know either how to win them , or how to keep them , and secure them from apostacy especially if of a fickle and variable humour , as most men are in their spiritual resolutions . besides prudence will be necessary as to all its requisites : circumspection , to discern the whole case as to all the precepts and prohibitions to which the action may be obnoxious ; all the inclinations , and those many times very different , if not contrary , in the same persons ; all the circumstances accusing or excusing , of which allowance is to be had ; caution , in a foresight of all dangers , which upon the aforesaid considerations may be probably expected , and in allowing for future probable contingencies : iudgment , in accommodating the lawes , and the actions , and the inclinations of the patient in a due proportion , and providing for their seemingly-contradictious necessities . xix so also , that boldness and courage is another qualification for this purpose , seems clear , not onely from the old testament passages intimated formerly concerning prophets , but also , from the new testament where it is usua●ly mentioned as a 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 of the spirit that was to fit them for the discharge of their clerical calling . thus the confidence of st. peter and st. john was admired by the sadducees act. iv . . which is intimated to have proceeded from the spirit ▪ v. . and accordingly this was also prayed for for the future v. . and this is also observed concerning st. paul after his addresses to the exercise of his office , that he was strengthned in his disputations with the jewes , acts. ix . . which is paraphrased by his speaking boldly in the name of jesus v. . and this i conceive to be that f preaching with authority mentioned concerning our saviour ; and that g preaching with power , in the evidence and demonstration of the spirit , concerning the apostles . and indeed without this you can never expect to be able to undergo the difficulties you must engage in , in the performance of your duty . for how can you tell the great ones of their scandalous sins , or reprove gainsayers , or shame the guilty , or destroy the confederacies of the wicked , without exasperating many vitiously disposed minds against you ? and if you fear shame , or the spoyling of your goods , or the pain of your body , or death it self ; you must needs fear those in whose power it is to inflict them on you ; and if you do so , then , considering that they are so fondly enamoured of those things that tend to their ruine as that they bear their deprivation with impatience , and , like madmen , prosecute their benefactors with detractions and hostilities ( so little sensible they are of the favour conferred on them , in disswading and restraining them from them ) you can never , upon those terms , be able to rescue them from their danger . this is a qualification , though now extremely neglected , of so very momentous consequence , as that i shall beseech you to be tender of it , for your flocks sake , if not for your own . for , believe it , their everlasting welfare depends more nearly on the fidelity of your admonition ; and it is to little purpose for you to keep the watch if you do not give warning at the approach of danger ; or , with the dog , to observe the flock , if you do not bark when the wolf is ready to devour them . let not therefore the pretence of youthfull modesty , or the danger of petulancy or unmannerliness , or the accusation of incivility , or a slavish comp●iance with the ceremonies of the world , or whatever other pretences may be produced by such as are either willing to apologize for their neglect in this kind , or are conscious of something in themselves that may deserve the exercise of this dreaded severity ( as men are generally too ingenious in palliating the occasions of their own ruine ) rob you of a jewel wherein the security of so many souls is so nearly concerned . you may , i believe , think it difficult , how to bring your self to it , and when you have it , how to beware of offending on the opposite extreme , of being petulant and impertinent , and rendring your self unsociable . for acquiring it i should advise you to take care of spending your tyrocinium under the wings of a patron , at least such a one as would be offended with your freedom ; but rather in a management of an inferior little family . tim. iii. . . and this may serve for acquiring an habit of confidence . but then for the reason of it , if i may take you for the person the former qualifications have supposed you to be , you cannot be unprovided : for he who values not any worldly enjoyment as great , can never be awed by any worldly pomp ; and he that undervalues even death it self , the king of terrours , can never be affrighted by the means of any mortal , how great soever , whose power can extend no further , from the performance of his duty . but then for avoyding the other extreme of petulancy ; believe it first , that , if you could not avoyd it , yet it were much the safer excess both for your flock , and for your self : for your flock , who must needs be less prejudiced by being charged with fau●ts they are not guilty of , or unseasonably , than by being permitted in a total ignorance of such as are unquestionably dangerous , a false alarm being sometimes more secure than none at all ; and for your self , your imprudences in this kind being alleviated by many commendable ingredients , a zeal for god , and a conscientious sense of your duty , and a good intention , and the preservation of a vigilant and active spirit , which is more frequently useful in your profession than its restraint . but secondly , for avoyding it , if you take care that neither your self , nor the person concerned , be in a passion when you advise him , you will both find him more tractable , and your self more ruleable , and more steady , in observing the prescriptions you have resolved on before . and then for furnishing you with such rules of restraint of anger other ordinary books may be sufficient ; and therefore i forbear . xx. so also for your conversation , that it must be sweet and winning , may appear from the supposals already premised . for , considering that the persons , you have to deal with , are not as yet supposed capable of reason ; and your very prescriptions themselves , bluntly proposed , are sufficient to make them averse from hearkning to you , and so to frustrate your whole design by an unseasonable precipitation ; you must therefore first allure them , not by the reasons of the duties themselves , but by that great good will you are to shew to them , whereby they may be induced , as children are , upon account of their parents , or other friends they are fond of , to believe that you would never advise them such things if you were not very confident that they would effectually conduce to their good . now to convince them of this your good will , you must condescend to their childish apprehensions as far as is lawful , that is , you must shew it by a sweet and willing readiness to promote that which themselves conceive to be for their good where it may not prove really inconsistent with it , by an avoyding all needless occasions of offending them , and by that means shewing an unwillingness to impose any thing on them to which they are averse , without a great conviction of its being useful for their greater interests . but for this end you need not imitate them in all their actions ; for that were not to reach them out of the ditch , but to fall in your self for company . but you must bear with their impertinencies , and still ( as near as you can ) proportion their present duty to their present habitual abilities , not discouraging them in their faylings , but rather thence taking occasion to stir them up to a greater future diligence ; and have a care of making them entertain harsh and unworthy notions of religion : that it is a state of life , melancholy and sad , and a perpetual valediction to all joy and comfort ; that it renders a man burdensome to himself , and troublesome to all the society with whom he does converse ; that it is so wholly designed for future hopes as that it can have no portion in present enjoyments . rather let them know by your doctrine and behaviour , that it is not an exchange of joy for sorrow , even in this life but of inferior , baser , less solid and less lasting ones for such as are incomparably more valuable and more secure ; and that it is so far from disturbing or embittering societies as that , on the contrary , it obliges both to love and to be worthy to be beloved , to do all the good we can to all mankind , which must needs mutually endear them ; and qualifie them for a mutual renunciation of their own wills in complyance with each other , and that indeed , not onely by way of complement . by all means therefore be chearful before company , that you may not bring an ill report upon the pleasant land of promise , like the murmuring spies h but take a special complacency in seeing others chearful as well as your self ( it was recorded as a saying of our saviour in the interpolated gospel according to the nazarenes : nunquam laeti sitis nisi cùns fratres in charitate videritis ) and do not willingly give any offence to any , but where justice and their own greater interest require it ; and even then , take care that their offence rather be , at their own guilt , than your way of admonition , at least beware that they may have no just reason to do so . but especially take care to behave your self chearfully in your exercises of austerity that they may understand that there are indeed other joyes besides those of sense , and that they are chiefly then to be expected when the mind is freest from worldly solaces . but that which will be a special endearment of you to society , will be neither to speak evil of any behind their backs your self , nor to hearken to such as would ; to prevent all quarrels before your presence , which will be easier , either by preventing the occasion or increase of passion , which will be also so much easier if it be taken before it grow unruleable ; or by diverting the discourse , or withdrawing one from the other ; or , if they be already fallen out , by endeavouring their reconciliation , and a good understanding among them for the future ; to be the common preservative of peace among your flock , and the arbitrator of their differences . yet you must withall take heed that this complyance be not prejudicial to that gravity and seriousness which is necessary for preserving that sacrd respect to your office primarily , and to your person in regard of your office , which is necessary for deterring many , even in a mute way , from their sins , by virtue of those unobliterated impressions of conscience and modesty , and that slavish honour of virtue and shame of vice , which naturally seize on the most debauched persons imaginable . and seeing that the whole recommendation of your doctrine is , as i said before , in accommodation to these childish apprehensions of the vulgar , resolved into their esteem of your person ; you ought above all things to be tender of those requisites that are necessary either for acquiring this esteem , or its preservation . and this seeming contradiction that seems to be betwixt this complyance and awfulness may thus conveniently be reconciled , if you observe , that your complyance be in your censures , but your awfulness in your practice ; by being a mild judge of other mens actions , but a severe censurer of your own ; condemning onely evil things in others , but the very appearances of it in your self ( as you must needs do if you would be exemplary , and you must be exemplary if you would awe ) for in order to your own practice , you must consider , not onely the nature of the thing , but the decorum of your person ( which , because it is so necessary for capacitating you for the discharge of your calling , you must be obliged to observe under pain of sin ) so that that may be lawful for a laick , which cannot be so for you . for your own persons sake therefore you are to forbear , not onely such things as are unlawful in their own nature , but such as are inexpedient ; not onely such as are inexpedient , but such as are indecent ; not onely such as are indecent for others , but such as are so for you ; not onely such as are so , but such as may appear so ; not onely such as may appear so on just and reasonable grounds , but such as may be thought so by others , and so may engage them in sin , though unjustly and unreasonably . nay , even in things that were lawful for you , it were well that , it they be any thing light and trivial , as exercises & recreations , or telling of merry stories : that they were either not done before the vulgar laity ; or if they be , that they be managed with such sparingness and abstemiousness , that it may appear that they are rather used for their profit than their pleasure , and therefore that you be neither tedious nor eagerly concerned in them . but most of all you are to take care of jeasting with the inferior laity themselves , who , as they are less capable of reason , and so more awed by these ceremonial distances , are also more apt to despise you , when they see them transgressed by you . xxi . but that which is the first second and third requisite for this calling , as the orator said concerning pronunciation in rhetorick , is a holy and an exemplary life . for seeing that the vulgar is thus to be decoyed to embrace your doctrine , not for its reason , but for the respect they are first to entertain for its preacher ; as you must maintain your own credit among them , that they may be ready to believe what is taught them by you , so you must also let them understand that what you teach them is indeed believed by your self , and they can have no reason to believe you do so unless they see you practice it . for do not the same duties oblige , and the same menaces belong to you , as to them ; and cannot you ( even by your own confession ) expect a more favourable hearing ( if you may not fear one more severe for the reasons already mentioned ) and is hell and damnation the acknowledged reward of those actions you are guilty of your self ? if you were fearful that this were true , certainly you would not venture on them ; if you be not , how is it credible that you do believe them ? if you do not believe them your self , how can you perswade others to believe them for your sake , who are ( as i said before ) uncapable themselves of judging of your solid reasons . how little solid soever this way of arguing be in it self , yet assure your self , it is that on which the practices of the vulgar , to whose apprehensions you are to accommodate your self in this affair , are mainly grounded . i might have shewn you also further , what influence this would have in procuring the qualifications already mentioned , that belong to morality . for experience ; you must needs be better acquainted in dealing with other mens conditions , when you had first tryed their weaknesses in your self . this would inform you how tender a thing conscience is , and yet how ticklish ; how many misunderstandings it is obnoxious to , and how it is influenced by the difference of mens humours and constitutions . and this must , at least , make you tender and cautions in dealing with them . for prudence also , that being nothing else but the impartiality whereby right reason is able to judge concerning circumstances ; and the rectitude of reason consisting in the immunity of the understanding from all prejudices , either intellectual or moral ; holiness of life contributing to this immunity , removing those moral prejudices which are of greatest concernment here , must also be considerably advantageous for enabling it to judge prudently . so also for courage and confidence , how can he fear the faces of men who undervalues all that for which they fancy themselves so very terrible , even death it self with whatsoever aggravations ; who has the encouragement of glorious future hopes , and present visitations ; who is fully confident of the good will of god ( from whom he receives them , when incurred in his service ) that his tribulations shall be proportioned to his abilities ; and accordingly that , if they be great , his consolations shall be the more , which are so much valuable beyond them , that the severest tribulations prove in the event the greatest blessings , as intitling him to them ? so also it has been already shewn how a sweet and sociable , yet grave and serious , behaviour is either the express duty of religion it self , especially that of a clergieman , or a necessary consequence from that excellent temper religious exercises are likely to bring its practitioners to . xxii . now because this sanctitie of life , as in you , must also be exemplary , it will therefore be necessary that it have two qualifications : that it be excellent , and that it be conspicuous . for an example must be understood , in regard of them to whom it is propounded , to have the notion of a rule ; and a rule must be able to rectifie the actions that are to be ruled by it ; which it cannot do if either there be any obliquity in it self , or if its rectitude be unknown to the party concerned in it . it s excellency must be necessary in respect of the vulgar , who are concerned to imitate it ; and therefore must exceed the strict duty of a laick ; for usually learners do allow themselves a liberty of falling short of their copy , and therefore if ever the laity do reach the severity of their pastor ; either they must thence forward not make his practice their precedent , or be incurious of a further progress . the former i have already intimated , how disproportionable it is to their ordinary apprehensions . and how dangerous the later is , every mans experience may inform him ; that whilest he growes negligent , he looses what he has , as well as fails of the gains he might have made ; and besides that is never likely to reach to that perfection , at which , it is the duty of a laick , as well as a clergieman , to aim . and you must remember with what savour they are likely to judge their own having reached your example . besides , you should consider that they will not measure their own perfection by the multitude of duties , but the excellent manner of performing them ; and that they are all sensible ( of what is truth whether they were so or not ) that you are obliged to some duties in which they are not any wayes concerned ; and that therefore they discharging their own duties as well as you do yours , though they be fewer , yet that they are equal with you . you must therefore so behave your self as to neglect no part of your duty : whether as to your general , or your particular calling ; as a christian , or as a clergieman , that may be subject to the observation of men ( for this kind of perfection is acknowledged possible by all protestants ) and that , not onely in omitting no duty , but in performing all the good that may be expected from your profession . otherwise how can you i silence blasphemers with confusion and shame whilest they may have any just occasion of carping at you ? how can you k adorn your profession , and bring even infidels to an acknowledgment of the glory of god by the excellency of your conversation . remember that these expressions now mentioned from the apostles are set down as the duty of private christians ; and what severity must then be necessary for them who are to be patterns , not onely to the world ; but also to those who are to be their precedents ? and besides your greater duties , it will concern you to be punctual even in small things ; in fulfilling your duty , and performing your promises , how frivolous soever the matter were ; for this was it that gained the pharisees such a reputation of sanctity , and yet not blamed by our saviour ; but their hypocrisie in observing these minute things with a scrupulous severity , but neglecting the weightier matters of the law without reluctancy . but especially it will concern you to be cautious and severe in such virtues as concern a moral civil conversation , and in matters of worldly interest , for these are the peculiar objects of the love , and consequently of the jealousie of the vulgar , and therefore here you may expect to find them most severely critical . and if these virtues be taken care of , you may expect to find them more favourable in censuring vices of the spirit ; for this is that which so ingratiates the quakers and other ent●usiasts with them , whose other vices of uncharitable censoriousness , and spiritual pride , and imperious dogmatizing , are so far from being noted by them as that , when they gain proselytes it is not upon rational accounts ( which they disclaim under the opprobrious name of carnal reasonings ) but by a recommendation of their persons , upon account of their severe observation of secular justice . xxiii . but it is also further necessary that this excellency be conspicuous . and this qualification , though of excellent use for your flock , may prove of dangerous consequence to your self , if not discreetly managed . the use of it for the good of others appears from those passages of scripture , wherein christians are called l the salt of the earth , m the city that is placed on a hill , and cannot be hid , 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 n the luminaries of the world , o not to be concealed under bushels , but placed in candlesticks ; and where they are commanded p to let their light so shine before men , that they might see their good works , and glorifie their father which is in heaven ; many of which are spoken indeed to private christians as well as others ; but especially concern the clergie , who are to be luminaries to the commonalty as they are to the gentile world. and upon this account ( the necessity of the church requiring it ) st. paul himself q becomes a fool ( it is his own expression ) even in publishing the materials of his own praise : the sufferings , and miracles , nay the revelations which were such as might not onely prefer him before the false apostles , but equal him to the true ones themselves . and most expresly he perswades them r to provide for things honest , not onely before god , but also before men . accordingly the bishops by the ancient canons were not to go any where without the attendance of some of their clergie that might be able to give testimony of their behaviour ; and st. ambrose , s that severe distributer of his time , prohibited none for coming to him at any time , though he supposed that persons would not be so unmannerly as to disturb him unnecessarily when they saw him better employed , as st. augustine witnesses ; and another bishop , in t sozomen is mentioned to have kept open house that any might at any time surprize him if engaged in any indecent action . you must not therefore think that when our saviour reproves the pharisees for doing their actions so u that they might be seen of men , and on the contrary seems to prescribe such a secrecy as that x the right hand may not know what the left hand does , that it is in all cases forbidden that our good actions be known , or that we are alwayes obliged to conceal them ; but that it is expedient that we conceal them when their publication may not be peculiarly serviceable for the edification of others ; not to publish them for any complacency we are to take in them our selves , but merely for that service to god for which we may be enabled by our reputation among men . i confess the publication of virtues is very disadvantageous in several regards for the person : partly because experience shewes that the heats of religious passions themselves , as well as others , evaporate by being vented ; partly because it exposes us more to the inspection and censures of men , which , whatever they be , may prove dangerous to us if they be intended by us . for it is hard to intend them without some complacency and concernedness in them , which , whether it be for god's sake or our own , is alike dangerous . for if we be concerned , then we must needs be discouraged if they fall contrary to our expectations ; or if they prove favourable , it will be very hard to distinguish what is useful for the service of god , and what onely gratifies our own humours in the object of our complacencies ; which difficulty is by so much the more dangerous , inasmuch as it is more spiritual , and less easily discernible , virtues either supposed or real being its most dangerous temptation ; which is a deplorable case , to be at the expence of denying our selves , and suffering all the difficulties of materially virtuous actions , and yet to loose the reward of them by seeking it unduly and preposterously . but on the other side , the conveniences of having your resolutions and several of your actions known , are : that exposing your self hereby to publick censure , you may , if true , take them for warnings and admonitions ; if false , for tryals and exercises of your patience ; that you may therefore terrifie and awe your self into a greater caution , when you remember so many critical eyes ready to observe your lapses ; that you may avoyd many impertinent temptations which all will be ashamed to motion to a person unlikely to entertain them . and assure your self that it were much more beneficial for the edification of your flock , that you were hypocritical than licentious ; and that it is the safer extreme to e●r in professing too much than too little , as long as it does not appear that your profession is not real . for the hypocrite onely perishes himself , but may notwithstanding save others though himself be reprobate , as the apostle does y imply , and he honours religion even in counterfeiting it , which must needs alleviate his condemnation . but the scandalous licentious person is like the dragon in the revelations , z that involves the very stars in his own ruine , or like him in the gospel , who not onely breaks the evangelical prescriptions himself , but also teaches others to do so too , who though he do it in the most frivolous instances , yet our saviour himself threatens that he should be the least in the kingdom of heaven , that is , none at all , as it is usually understood s. matth. v. . though , for my part , i had rather understand by the kingdom of heaven , the gospel-state ( for this seems to be the notion of it s. matth. iii. . iv . . x. . xi . . xiii . . . . . . . . . xviii . . xx . . xxii . . xxv . . and of the kingdom of god s. matth. xii . . xxi . . mark i. . iv . . . luk. iv . . vii . . viii . . x. , . xi . . xiii . . . and accordingly the gospel it self is called the gospel of the kingdom , and they who are interes●ed in it , the sons of the kingdom , upon several occasions ) and by the being least therein , the least participation of its priviledges , according to which the meaning will be : that he who teaches men to despise the least injunctions of the gospel ( who yet may still own himself a professor of it , which cannot justly be pretended of him that teaches to despise the greatest ) shall enjoy least of the gospel priviledges , whether it be in a diminution of his reward , or a mitigation of punishment , or in enjoying exterior priviledges onely in opposition to the interior . i have the rather mentioned these perswasions because i verily believe the fear of being noted of singularity and hypocrisie & affectation does dete●r many , not onely of the laity , but the complying clergie themselves of our church , from making an exterior profession of what they do most conscientiously practice in private ; to whose consideration i shall onely at present recommend that severe threatning of our lord , that of them who are ashamed of him before men he will also be ashamed before his father and his holy angels . now that you may accommodate these difficulties together , and so let your other virtues appear , as that their appearance may not prove prejudicial to your modesty ; you must take heed that that publick applause do not provoke you to think better of your self than you really deserves which you may have reason to avoyd , if you remember : that whatever men think of you , yet you are really no greater than god knowes you to be , and that by this measure you must expect your reward ; that men are fallible in their judgments , judging according to fondness , or affection , or charity , which will not onely provoke , but oblige , them to judge well when they find no reason to the contrary , though indeed there be ; by which means good men themselves may be mistaken in judging too favourably of you , and that commendably , in reference to themselves ; and in their informations , knowing nothing but the bare action , but not the intention from whence all its morality is most properly , and most securely , estimable . be sure therefore that this shewing your works to others be like the a cloud in the wilderness , which on the one side enlightned the israelites , but on the other darkned the egyptians . so let their excellencies appear outwardly , that they may stir up your spectators to the praise of god , and the emulation of your example , as that , at the same time , onely their imperfections may appear inwardly to your self , which may prostrate you to as low a humiliation . besides , it were well that besides what they knew , you would reserve some greater excellencie unknown , for which you might onely have regard to god , who sees in secret what he will openly reward . for if you can do any excellent action for which you can have no motive or design in this world , then it will be clear that , even in those whereby you may gain secular applause , yet that is not your either onely , or ultimate , motive . and in general , where you find their commendations exceed your merits , let it stir you up to a virtuous shame of being less worthy than you seem . xxiv . but that without which all these qualifications will not suffice , if separated from it , and without which you cannot prudently venture on such a dangerous calling , is a resolution of persisting in them all firmly and unmoveably for the future . for this is the prudent consideration of the builder so much commended by our saviour , ( and you must remember that the analogie holds very well in the clerical calling , for as himself is called an architect , cor. iii. . so his employment is called edification , not onely there , but also rom. xv . . gal. ii . . cor. x. . xii . . xiii . . eph. ii . . . iv . . . ) that built his house upon a rock , against which neither the rainy torrent , nor the violent rivers , nor the tempestuous winds , were able to prevail . s. matth. vii . . . for you must remember that not to maintain your building is as great an inconsideration as not to finish it ; though indeed , final perseverance being the onely accomplishment of this building , it cannot be finished if it be not maintained . you must therefore besides the former qualifications , which are requisite to this purpose , remember that the calling , you are undertaking , will oblige you for your life , and therefore your choice , if imprudently made , will therefore be of worse consequence , because it is irrevocable ; so that your chief care must be to foresee whether you be able to persevere afterwards in maintaining what you have begun , and that for your whole life . and for this end you must consider your qualifications themselves : whether they have appeared onely in single acts or in habits ; or if in habits , whether they be newly acquired or strongly confirmed and rooted by custome ; for you cannot trust any other habits for their duration for so long a time . besides you must consider whether your temper be fickle , or stable ; if it be fickle , you can trust no habits themselves longer than you persevere in the same humour , or till they may decay gradually according to the method of their acquisition . then also you must consider the difficulties you may have occasion to conflict with , which if they be less than those you have already dealt with or equal , you may hope to persevers but if greater , you cannot conclud● that , because your habits have bee● so confirmed as not to yield to smaller difficulties , therefore they would be able to hold out in greater tryals . and for those you must not onely foresee such as you are likely to encounter at your first entrance upon this holy calling , but such as you may probably meet with in the course of your whole life , but still with regard to the proficiencie you may make in confirming those habits you have against the time you may have occasion to meet them in , if you be not deficient to your self . nor would i have you think that i herein make your future hopes of the grace of god a cypher , in requiring you to foresee all future difficulties , and to measure them by ●roportion to your present strengths ; or you see i do not deny the ne●essitie of the grace of god for ●ringing you to this excellent frame ●f spirit i have been hitherto des●ribing ; nor all such hopes of grace ●or the future as may be grounded ●n covenant-conditions , your cooperation and improvement of what you have at present ; so that the onely grace whose hopes i have seemed to exclude , is that which is extraordinary and uncovenanted , such as is all that which is necessary for overcoming those difficulties , which you have voluntarily incurred your self , and which were not likely to befall you in an ordinary course of providence , nor are brought upon you by an extraordinary . but as for other difficulties , which cannot be foreseen , but are merely casual in respect of second causes ; you need not be so anxious , but leave them confidently to that providence which has prohibited your carefulness for them ; and do not fear your being disappointed in such dependences as are not rash and imprudent , as long as you are otherwise careful● of performing those duties on which your title to these promises does depend . xxv . if you be already engaged in orders , as this discourse suppose● you not to be , you may be tempted to think all that has hitherto been said digressive and unseasonable . but you will find no reason to do so after a little recollection . for as , if you be not , there will be no occasion for such a surmise ; so if you be , yet it will be useful to you , if not as a warning to shew you what you are to do , yet at least as an information , both what you ought to have done before , and what you ought therefore to be penitent for , if you hitherto have neglected it , and upon what you are to lay out your whole endeavours for the future . but , to proceed , supposing now that you are the person i have been hitherto describing , you cannot stand in need of any particular rules ; for if you be thus called by god you shall be taught by him in the performance of the duty to which he has called you ( i mean this teaching as well as the call in an ordinary providential sense , which is that wherein the prophesies concerning it are verified under the gospel ) for both this prudence and other abilities will be able to guide , and this piety to suggest , what is fit to be done upon all particular exigencies ; and as those themselves are gifts of the spirit , so their improvement will intitle you to greater , so that their direction and influence is rather to be imputed to god than man , though it be true , that now by virtue of the evangelical covenant they are usually conferred in the use of ordinary means , and this reaching particular circumstances must needs make all rules unnecessary . if you do not understand this coherence , you may more clearly by this chain of principles : first , the providential teaching and direction of god is that of right reason , so that they that are led by it are led by god ; secondly , that we may be led by right reason two things are necessary , and these two are perfectly sufficient : first , that the rational faculties be rectified ; and secondly , that the lower appetite and other executive faculties be in a ready disposition of being obedient to reason . and both these must needs have been supposed in the qualifications now mentioned . for the rectifying of the rational faculty does require onely : that nothing be taken for granted precariously , and that the understanding be not diverted from its ordinary natural course of examining things to the full ; for it is from the first principles of reason impossible that the understanding taking no principles for granted but such as deserve to be so , and proceeding orderly in deducing consequences from them , should be mistaken . i do not mean that the understanding proceeding thus is alwayes infallible as to the nature of the thing , because it may mistake some principles for self-evident that are not so , merely upon an account of that natural dulness it contracts from the body ; but it is alwayes infallible as a rule of morality , that is , the lower faculties conforming to it can never be guilty of any immorality , because the error , if any be , must needs be invincible , and so inculpable . and upon this account god , who does not undertake , nor is concerned , to direct the understanding any further than it is necessary for the saving of the person , cannot be reasonably conceived to have any other infallibility in his design than this moral one , at least , is not obliged to have it . now for the rectifying of the rational faculties you are first , supposed to have used means for informing it by your skill in those several studies which have been hitherto advised ; you are secondly , disswaded and prevented from imbibing any prejudices , or any corrupt affections for one party by your immediate recourse to the originals themselves ; you are thirdly , advised for the most accurate improvement of your judgment in a clear and advantageous method of reasoning ; and fourthly , in the use of all these means you have been shewn how you may in an ordinary way be confident of the assistance of divine providence in such cases as you cannot secure your self in by your moral diligence : whether for removing such prejudices as you could otherwise hardly discover to be so ; or by providential placing you in such circumstances wherein those reasons may offer themselves to your cognizance which you could otherwise never have discovered ; or by capacitating your judgment for a more equal censure concerning them ; whether by improving your natural capacity to a more than ordinary perspicuity ; or by rendring intellectual objects more intelligible by your greater experience , and familiarity , and fixation of your mind upon them ; or by fitting them to such times when your judgment may be less distracted , and consequently more quick and apprehensive ; and by giving his holy spirit by virtue of which they are to be discerned . now when all these things are thus secured , certainly there cannot be more probable humane means thought on for finding even the truth it self , and therefore the rational faculties must have the greatest security they are capable of , and to greater they cannot be obliged . and then , considering that natural reason thus purified is b the candle of the lord , and that the spirit which may thus be expected is the c spirit that leadeth into all truth , and the d divine unction that teaches all things ; i do not see why it may not be said as truly here as it was falsely said of e herod , that the judgment of reason thus rectified is not the voice of man , but of god. and then for the second thing required to this rectitude of reason , the subjection of the lower appetite to the superior part of the soul thus rectified , that is the whole design of a good life , a qualification already sufficiently recommended , which therefore needs not to be further spoken of at present . xxvi . so that , if you be already ordained , you see , that according to these principles , your main duty will be , either seriously to set your self to the acquiring these qualifications , if you have hitherto neglected them ; or , if you have not , to take a care of keeping your garment that none may see your shame , and reteining your first love ( the very warnings of our saviour himself to those of your profession rev. iii. . ii . . ) to persevere in those excellent dispositions that you have so happily begun , and from thence to deduce rules for your following practices . for rendring these requisites a little more useful , i shall onely add two things more , and so put an end to your present disturbance . the first shall be concerning the manner either of acquiring , or exercising th●se gifts , especially relating to practice , that may be most beneficial both to your self , and the publick ; the second concerning the manner of dealing with your parishioners that may make them capable of your instructions . concerning the former , it has been already intimated before , that the most proper way of perswading mankind is first to allure them to the performance of actions materially virtuous , and by a frequent repetition of them to beget an easiness and delight , and a rooted habit , which , when acquired , and that averseness and sensuality , which before had rendred men uncapable of good counsels , being removed , you may then propound your reasons with success , and rectifie their intentions , and render them formally virtuous . that therefore which will most concern you for the publick as well as your own soul , is , the rectifying your intention . seeing therefore right intention is to be measured from the due end , you must take care that all your religious actions in general be designed with an intention so habitual and deeply rooted , as that all particular ones may , according to the degree of deliberation they proceed from , partake of the same either virtually and interpretatively , or explicitely and particularly . now the proper end of religious actions being the service and pleasing of god , you must take care that they be performed with that design which you know to be most pleasing to him : and that is the doing them purposely for his sake ; and that they are so done you may best satisfie your self by examining whether they proceed from a principle of divine love . exercise your self therefore daily to bring your self to this habitual sense of the divine love , which will even in this life abundantly recompence the pains you may be at in acquiring it . for both in respect of your self and of your flock you shall find it advantageous . to your self the advantages will be : that by this means you shall best secure the reward of your virtuous actions , when you do not onely perform them , but perform them upon a virtuous motive ; that by this means your duty shall become , not a task , but , a real pleasure , proceeding from such a pleasing and endearing principle ; and having the omnipotence and good will of god to secure you from the fears of disappointment when your desires are reasonable ; and as a sure refuge and sanctuary to have recourse to , when they are not ; and that you will not be subject to the slavery of such desires themselves , which are the originals of all misery even in this life ; and your performance of your duty will be more universal ; not onely in things agreeing with your humour , but even in those which are most contradictory to it , which will be so much the more acceptable to god by how much it is less so . to our selves . besides , it were well that you would endeavour to render your love as rational as you can , and as little dependent on the passions of the lower appetites ; for by this means your tranquillity will be continual , and not depend on the vicissitudes of humours ; seeing , if you be led onely by reason , that being alwayes true , must consequently be alwayes seasonable ; and that the reason whereby you judge concerning your own condition were rather grounded on your actions than your affections , so as never to think better of your self when you find your affections warm , if your actions are not correspondent ; nor the worse , when your affections flagg , your actions still continuing conformable . this rational rectifying of your intention would still oblige you to keep an habitual attention and watchfulness over your actions , and yet would make attention it self less necessary by being habitual , and make it less affected . it would make it less necessary , because virtuous habits , as well as vitious , would breed a facility and inclination to virtuous actions even antecedently to deliberation . it would make it less affected , because piety would appear in such actions where affectation could not take place , as well as where it might ( for indeliberate actions are not capable of affectation ) and because it would make an uniformity in all actions of your life , which were remarkable . which must needs make your life exemplary with more advantage to your self , as well as to the vulgar : to your self , because observing of rules could not be practiced but in actions deliberate , which are but few , and must be handled more tediously ; whereas this way of securing acts by habits and habituallyright intentions , would at once provide for all , by diminishing their number , and by directing such as would remain : to the multitude ; who by this means must better be convinced of the truth and sincerity of their pastor , when their most accurate inspection could discern no affectation , and that by all appearances it seemed real , not hypocritical . xxvii . for. managing your cure it were well that you would constantly allot some time daily from your studies for visiting them , when you shall think them best at leasure . and because the particular persons may be more than you may be able to deal with in an ordinary way , therefore for their ordinary cure you should first win parents and masters of families to a sense of piety , which being once performed , you may then easily induce them to a care of the souls of their f children and servants , by shewing them how their religion would conduce to their verry secular interest ( that hereby their servants would prove more faithful , and their children more obedient and comfortable to them ) that therefore they should keep up their family duties constantly : their morning and evening prayers ; that occasionally they would instill an instruction in their duties , by having some good book read to them all , especially the whole duty of man , according to the method of the partitions therein prescribed , every sunday one ; that they would , by your advice prescribe some select g passages of scripture fitted for their practical use , to be gotten by heart by them ; to instruct them , as they find them capable , in the art of holy meditation and mental prayer ; to stir them up to a frequent communion , and to desire your advice upon occasion of any important scruple , whether in order to the sacrament , or upon any other occasion ; and to influence them all by their word , and example , and exhortation , and peculiar encouragement . then endeavour what you can , to abolish the nurseries of vice and publick debauchery , not by imploring the magistrates assistance ( that becomes secular persons rather than your self , and would be apt to harden the hearts of the persons concerned against you ; when they should find your exhortations backed with no better arguments ) but by perswasions ; partly by disswading the multitude of such callings as are interessed in mens vices , ( such are taverns and ale-houses , especially the most debauched of them ) to give over that kind of calling , and betake themselves to something more profitable for the commonwealth , and more secure for their own souls . concerning this you may make use of the advice and assistance of your more able parishioners , who may be best experienced in the commodities of the countrey , and may be able to employ them even in raising new advantageous arts of trading , if it be necessary . but for those trades that are directly unlawful , if they be not able to undertake any other , it were better that they were maintained on the publick charity than that they should be suffered to return to their former employments . you may see for this st. cyprians epistle ad eucratium l. j. ep. . so also it were well that those taverns and ale-houses , which might be permitted after the detraction of their superfluous number , were confined to inns who by their paucity might gain sufficiently and virtuously a convenient maintenance . and to this purpose you might perswade them to keep small drink , that none may be necessitated to use their strong ; and to take care of either tempting or permitting any to drink beyond their measure , as they would tender the security of their own souls from a participation of their sins . then it were well , in the next place , that you frequented the schools , if there be any , and according to the authority the law allowes the clergie in such cases , examined the care and method of their masters , and especially to take care of a method of instilling piety into their children , which their masters may practice them in ; h or , if their masters be negligent , you should allure and encourage them your self . do not despise this mean employment ; for both you will find them more capable of virtue than such as are confirmed in vitious habits , by a more inflexible age , and longer custome ; and by this means you may more easily secure the hopes of the next generation , which you may live your self to see grown up according to your own desire . then for giving them more particular prescriptions you should stir them up to a particular confession of their sins and temptations , according as our mother the i church of england and k ireland approves it , but to give them no formal absolution till a long experience has let you understand their stability in keeping their resolutions , which will both keep them careful in their daily practices , when as yet they are uncertain of their condition ; and will come with more comfort , either in a time of spiritual dejection , or the hour of death , when they shall find that you are neither precipitant nor favourable in judging concerning them ; ●esides that their pardon before god in order to the sacrament will be never the less valid because you do not assure them of it . and , in doing this it were well that , with advice of your ordinary , you would retrive the canon of this church of l ireland for tolling your parish bell the evening before the eucharist , and waiting for such in the church as are desirous to confess themselves , or ask your ghostly counsel , withall warning them of those crimes which you are not obliged to conceal , that they may not think themselves betrayed under pretence of religion . besides , you should be ready to take all occasions of peoples seriousness and melancholy , whether for temporal discontents , or for fear of death , and upon such occasions to warn the spectators to beware of deferring the care of their souls to such exigencies , who will then most probably be affected , and so to behave your self to the person principally concerned as that the standers by may understand the ground of his comfort to be rather his past life than any indications he can give of his present penitence . and upon occasion of your visitation of sick persons , you should remember what the rubrick of the office requires you to put them that are rich in mind of laying up a good foundation for the time to come tim. vi . . . . of shewing their gratitude to god who has blessed them by paying him an acknowledgment out of their gains ; and shewing themselves not to be proprietors but faithful stewards , especially if the riches be justly gotten ; otherwise you must refuse their very oblations , till they have first made satisfaction to the persons injured by them . but what is justly gotten , and may be lawfully accepted , it were better bestowed in a considerable summe ( for houses of correction for maintaining idle vagabonds , and raising them to do something profitable for a livelihood ; for educating and raising necessitious persons to an honest calling ; for helping those who are reclaimed from a scandalous course ; for all those good uses , which in the primitive church were supplyed out of the common treasures of the church ) than in transient almes . many other things might have been added , but that , you may remember , i did not promise you an enumeration of all particulars of this kind . onely these seem more necessary for reducing your people to a ruleable temper , without which your other care will not be so significant . i hope you will excuse the freedom i have taken ; for my own part i thought i could not have discharged the duty of a faithful friend , if i had not done so . otherwise i have been so far from imposing on you , that i have not advised any thing , which either is not evident , or has not its reason insinuated with it in the body of my discourse ; and so may freely be judged of either by your self , or any other whom you shall make use of either for its correction or improvement . whatever the event may prove , assure your self , it was undertaken with a good intention , by your assured well-wisher , especially in such christian services , h. d. ad num. xii . xiii . because i have there shewn the necessity of studying the fathers of the first and purest centuries , as a qualification for the susception of orders ; it has been by some friends , that perused it , conceived convenient for the instruction of novices , for whose use this advice was principally calculated and designed , that i should adjoyn a catalogue of the christian authors and writings , such as are genuine , during that period , till the conversion of constantine to christianity , together with good editions where they might find and furnish themselves with them . i was soon satisfied of the reasonableness of this request , and have accordingly endeavoured its performance , wherein if i may seem decretory in resolving positively somethings controverted among learned men , without producing my reasons ; i desire that it may be remembred that my design was not to prejudicate against skilful dissenters , but to advise such as were unskilful ; and that even in regard of them , the reason why i do not produce my reasons is not that , by concealment of my evidence , i might oblige them to depend on my authority , but partly to avoyd prolixity , and partly because i do not conceive such unskilful readers competent judges of them , and partly because such as are , may consult many others who have undertaken it professedly ; and that , though the reasons be not produced , yet the degree of assent , whether certain , or doubtful , or probable , is warned , which was the most cautious way i could imagine of dealing with such persons , especially these things themselves not being delivered from my own private sense , but of such as have most learnedly and impartially managed this subject . i do not intend as much as to mention such authors or writings which i conceive undeservedly to pretend to my prescribed period ( what my thoughts are concerning such may be sufficiently concluded from my not mentioning them ) nor to explode such works as are falsly inscribed to the particular persons whose names they bear , if upon other regards they may seem genuine in respect of the time intended , that is , if it be probable that their authors who ever they were flourished within the period intended , about the time wherein they are ranked , that so they may be presumed competent testimonials of the state of the church in those ages , which is the end for which i produce and recommend them . nor shall i trouble my self to recount such genuine truly-inscribed works themselves , as either are not at all extant at present , or extant onely in fragments quoted at the second hand from other antient authors ; for these will be in order met with in the places from whence they are respectively produced , and references to those places will generally be found in their good and accurate editions . nor lastly do i pretend to give an account of such histoans as have described the acts of the martyrs , and are conceived ancient ; for both many of them are anonymous , concerning whom it would be very hard to resolve on their particular age ; and it is a work particularly undertaken by it self by surius , lippomannus , &c. in those authors therefore which shall , after these deductions , remain proper for my purpose , i shall signifie the time they flourished in ( which is most necessary for my present design of discovering their testimonial authority ) not by years , which would be obnoxious to many further disputes , but by the beginning , middle , or end , of their respective centuries since the incarnation . a catalogue of the writings of such christian authors as flourished before the conversion of the romane empire to christianity . i. clemens romanus . his i. epistle to the corinthians , undoubted . his . ep. to the same , though question'd whether his , yet certainly is of an author very ancient ; flourishing within the period intended . edit . of a fragment of the later , and the former almost entire , by patricius junius at oxford , anno. dom. mdc . xxxviii . ii. i gnatius . his vi . ep. of primate vsher's latine , and isa ac vossius's florentine greek editions , viz. ad ephesios . ad magnesianos . ad trallianos . ad smyrnaeos . ad romanos . ad philadelphienses . questioned onely , i think , out of interest by the presbyterians , because he is decretory against them . his epistle ad polycarpum is thought by isaac vosfius in his notes , undeservedly questioned by our primate . edit . by primate vsher at oxford , partly an. do. mdcxliv . partly mdcxlvi . iii. barnabas . his epistle , if not of the apostle , yet certainly written about this time , seing it is quoted under his name by clemens alexandrinus strom. ii . p. . . . . . v. . . and origen . l. . cont. cels . l. iii. periarch . and others . edit . together with ignatius's epistles by isaac vossius a. d. mdcxlvi . or alone by hugo menardus . paris . mdcxlv .. iv. esdras . his iv . book apocryphall counterfeited by some judaizing christian about these times . v. hermes trismegistus . his poemauder thought to be a christiancounterfeit , by casaubon , exercit . i. in baron . num . x. edit . the best by hannibal rosellis colon. agrip . mdcxxx . fol. vi. polycarpus . his epistle to the philippians , undoubted . edit . with ignatius by primate vsher as aforesaid . vii . ecclesiae smyrnensis epistola , concerning the martyrdome of st. polycarp &c. larger than in eusebius . edit . the same . viii . jvstine martyr . his undoubted works . paraeneticus . oratio adversùs graecos . apologia i. ad antoninum pium &c. apologia ii. ad marcum antoninum &c. dialogus cum tryphone . epistol . ad zenam & serenum . his works , though doubted , yet most probably genuine . de monarchiô , not much questioned . epistol . ad diognetum , questioned , i think , onely by sylburgius . edit . paris . mdcxv . graeco-latin . ix . hermas . his pastor in iii. books undoubtedly ancient , and about this time , at least , as appears by the antiquity of the authours that quote it . edit . bibliothec. patr. colon. agrippin . mdcxviii . tom. i. p. . x. pius the i. his iii. and iv. epistles in the order of blondells edition not much questioned . edit . david blondell . epistol . pontific . genev. mdcxxviii . xi . a thenagoras . his works , though mentioned by none of the ancients yet never questioned that i know of . legatio pro christianis . de resurrectione mortuorum . edit . with st. justine martyr as aforesaid . xii . tatianus . undoubted ▪ oratio ad graecos . edit . with s. justine martyr , as aforesaid . diatessaron , thought to be the same with . harmonia evangelica extant under the name of ammonius alexandrinus . edit . biblioth . patr. edit . colon . agrip. tom. iii. p. . xiii . theophilus antiochenus . undoubted . lib. iii. ad autolycum . edit . with st. justine martyr as aforesaid . commentaria or allegoriae in evangelia , somewhat doubted of by st. hierome in cant. who quotes them . edit . biblioth . patr. colon. agrip . tom. ii. xiv . i renaeus . undoubted , adversùs hereses . l. v. edit . the most compleat that i have seen is that of fevardentius , having ( besides as much of the original text in greek as could be had from the quotations of ancient authors ) v. whole chapters restored at the end not extant in any former . his notes tend rather generally to abuse the protestants than to explain the sense of his author . it is in fol. colon . ag. mdxcvi . i hope we may , ere long , expect a better edition from oxford . xv. oracul . sibyllin . l. viii . a counterfeit christian author , quoted by st. justine martyr and theoph. antiochenus , but not reduced into the form wherein we have it now till about the time of the emperor commodus at least . edit . opsopoei parisijs , mdcvii . xvi . testamenta patriarcharum counterfeited by some ancient judaizing christian , about this time at the uttermost ; for it is quoted by origen , in genes . edit . biblioth . patr. colon. agrip. tom. i. p. . xvii . clemens alex andrinus . undoubted . protreptic . paedagog . l. iii. stromat . l. vii . the viii . book as also the greek eclogae annexed at the end of it , thought to belong to his hypotyposes , the main body whereof is long since lost . edit . parisijs mdcxl . his 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 ; published under the name of grigen's xx. homily on jerem . is accordingly extant in mich ghislerius on jerem . tom. iii. p. . comment . in i. ep. s. petr. in epist . s. judae in ep. canonicas s. joh●nnis . are probably the same accounted his by cassiodore , div. l. by whom they are all recounted excepting that of s. jude . they seem rather to have been collected out of his works , especially his hypotyposes now lost , than drawn up in this form by st. clement himself . edit . of the comment . bib. patr. tom. i. p. . ed. secund. xviii . recognitionum l. x. ad jacob. fratrem domini , translated by ruffinus , and by him dedicated to one gaudentius . i do not suppose it to be the genuine work of clemens romanus whose name it bea●s ; for it is certainly later than bardesanes syrus , a discourse of whose quoted from him by eusebius pr. evang. l. vi. c. . is here transcribed at large ; and yet considerably ancienter than origen , philocal . by whom it is attributed to clemens romanus himself , which is the reason why i place it about this time . edit . colon. agrippin . mdlxix . by lambert gruterus . xix . celsus . his altercatio jasonis & papisci . a preface to it is extant under the name of st. cyprian ad vigilium de judaicâ incredulitate . edit . tom. iii. of s. cyprian's works according to pamelius's distinction . but the work is ancienter than origen , by whom it is quoted , l. iv. advers celsum epicuraeum . xx. tertullianus : undoubted . de pallio : apologeticus : de testimonio animae . ad scapulam . de oratione : ad martyras : de spectaculis . de idololatriâ . de habitu muliehri . de cultu faeminarum l. ii. ad vxorem suam l. ii. de coronâ militis . de velandis virginibus . ad nationes , l. ii first published by jacobus gothof●edus in . genev. mdcxxv . & therefore not to be expected in former editions . adversùs judaeos . de praescriptionibus adversùs haereticos . de baptismo . adversùs hermogenem . adversùs valentinianos . de anima . de carne christi . de resurrectione carnis . de fugâ in persecutione . de pudreitiâ . de patientiâ . adversùs asar●ionem , l. v. carminum adversùs eundem , l. v. scorpiacon adversùs gnosticos . adversùs ? r axeam . de exhortatione cas●itatis . de monogamiâ . de j●junto adversùs psychicos . a●● th●se are in ludovicus a cerda's edition , paris . mdcxxiv . &c. in three volumes fol. with notes . or if you would have an edition of an easier price , get that of franeker , mdxcii . rather than many others , though later . books probably his , or of some other of his age. de poenitentiâ , edit . as aforesaid . genesis . sodoma . ad senatorem conversum . these three last are in verse , and are usually extant both among tertullian & st. cyprian's works , being ascribed to both of them . books conjectu●ed by 〈◊〉 to be his , from the likeness of their style . ad amicum agro●●● . de 〈◊〉 circumcisio●e . 〈…〉 . of s. hierome's works . edit . basil. mdliii . the former at pag. . the later at pag. . xxi . epistola de cibis judaicis . not tertullian's , though ascribed to him , but of some bishop , who probably flourished about this time . some think of novatian the schismatick . edit . with tertullian as aforesaid . xxii . 〈◊〉 aduersùs graecos inscripta contra platonem , de vniversi caus● . a fragment of it published by david hoeschelius in his notes upon photius's bibliotheca , ad p. . by him attributed to a christian josephus , by our primate vsher to caius , about alexander the emperour's time . wh●ever he was that was author of it , he seems to have flourished within our period , and to have been a platonizing christian . xxiii . m●●ucius foelix . his octavius , undoubtedly his since discovered by fr. balduin . edit . lugdun . batav . mdclii . with notes . xxiv . hippolytus ●ishop & martyr , commonly called portuensis , if they be the same ; whether they were or no , yet they seem to have flourished about the same time , and have the same works indiscriminately ascribed to them such are : de antichristo , & consummatione mundi , though questioned by several , yet most probably genuine , seing it is mentioned as such by st. hierome de script . eccl. whose authority i conceive alone sufficient to countervail all those suspicions rather than 〈…〉 against it from the matter . edit . bibliothee . patr. graeco . latin. tom. ii . p. . canon paschalis not doubted that i know of . edit . joseph . scalig . lugd. batav . mdxcv . books probably his : de deo trino & uno & de mysterio incarnationis , contra haeresius noëti . edit . gerard. vossis in miscell . sanctor . patrum ad ●in . gregor . 〈…〉 & helicem haereticos . edit . heur . canisii tom. v. antiq. lect. part. p. . both of th●se , if his , are probable to have been fragments of his work against h●resyes mentioned by the ancients . demonstratio contra judaeos . edit . possevin . apparat. verb. hippolytus . xxv . origenes adamantius . his undoubted works : . such as are extant in greek : cont. celsum . lib. viii . philoca●●a , 〈…〉 his works by st. 〈…〉 st. gregory edit . 〈…〉 viii . comment on st. matth. and on st. joh n●w . commentaryes on jerem. formerly published by the 〈◊〉 of st. cyrill . of alexandria , restored to origen , together with several parts of philocalia 〈…〉 to the scriptures to which they relate , &c. edit . in vol. fol. by petr. dan. huetius , together with large and learned prolego●●na . a fragment of his epistle ad julium affricanum concerning the book of susanna . edit . by d. haeschelius augus● . vindelic mdcii . p. . we may , i hope 〈◊〉 long , expect more of his tractates in greek in an edition by themselves by the same hu●tius . . such as are extant in latine , in a tomes , according to genebrard's edition , mdciv. genuine in tom. . in genes . hom. xvii . in exod. hom. xiii in levitic . hom. xvi . though formerly attributed to s. cyrill , yet undoubted since their restitution . in josu● hom. xxvi . hom. ii . in cantic . canticorum , interpret . s. hieronymo . in isaiam hom. ix . in jeremiam hom. xiv . in ●zechielem hom. xiv . periarch●u l●v. genuine in tom. . in lucam hom. xxxix . in epist. ad roman . lib. xxxvi . cont. celsum l. viii . philocalia collected , as aforesaid , out of his works . epist. ad jul. affrican . entire in latine . other works probably his , and onely doubted of because of the liberty taken by 〈◊〉 in translating them , of adding frequently interpolations of his own : in num. hom. xxviii . in judi● . hom. ix . in lib. reg●or . hom. i. hom in ps. xxxvi xxxvii xxxviii . in cantic . canticer . hom. iv . cum 〈◊〉 . in divers . hom. i. iii. iv . v. vi . ix . x. note that learned men do not r●●y so confidently on any thing 〈◊〉 by ruffinus because of the difficulty of distinguishing the original text from his interpolations . xxvi . jvlius affricanus . his epistle to origen concerning the story of susanna , undoubted . edit . with origen's answer to him , in greek in haeschelius in latine tom. ● . of origen's latine works , as aforesaid . a great part of his chronography extant from eusebius in georg. syncellus edit . paris . mdclii . from whence , not being then published , it was borrowed by scaliger in his edition of eusebius's chronicon in greek . xxvii . gregorius thaumaturgus . his undoubted works . charisteria or panegyric . ad origen . graeco-latin . metaphrasis in ecclesiasten , extant onely in latine . epistola canonica in latine onely in vossius , but in greek also in balsamon , edit . graeco-latin . parisijs , mdcxx . p. . his confession of faith recited by st. gregory nyss●n in his life , as revealed to him by st. john baptist . graeco-lat . such as cannot be easily disproved : de animâ ad tatianum . in annunciationem b. virginis , sermones iii. sermo in s. theophaniâ . edit . of them all by gerard. vossius praepos . tungrens . mogunt . mdciv . xxviii . ammonius alexandrinus the matter of origen . undoubted . canon , or harmonia evangelica mistaken by victor capuanus for tatianus 's diatessaron . edit . under the name of tatianus , bibl. patr. colon. agrip : mdcxviii . tom. ii . p. . xxix . cornelius romanus , undoubted . two epistles to s. cyprian , among st. cyprian 's epistles , xlvi . xlvii . ep. ad lupicinum edit . among blondell's ep : pont. doubtful . xxx . cyprianus carthag . his undoubted works : all the epistles , lxxxiii . according to pamelius's distribution , who has placed them according to the time wherein they were written , are certainly his , and the other author 's , to whom they are inscribed . de disciplinâ & habitu virginum . de lapsis . de vnitate ecclesiae . de oratione dominicâ . contra demetrianum . de vanitate i●lolorum . de mortalitate . de bono patientiae . de opere & eleemosynis . de zelo & livore . books most probably his , and thought certainly to be so by pameliu● . libri iii. testimoniorum ad quirinum , quoted by st. hierome . de exhortatione martyrij . de laude martyrij ad moysem & maximum & catero● confessores . de spectaculis . de disciplinâ & bono pudicitiae . ad novatianum haereticum , quòd l●psis spes veniae non sit deneganda . books , if not his , yet certainly of ancient authors about his time . de singularitate clericorum . de aleatoribus . de moutibus sinâ & sion . adversùs judaeos qui insecuti sunt dominum nostrum . edit . s. goulartij mdxciii . the names of authors whose certainly genuine works are extant among st. cyprian's , for the direction of young students , who might otherwise meet them quoted , and not know where to find them . donati ep. i. somwhat doubted of , cleri romani ad clerum carthaginiensem , ep. iii. ad cyprianum ep. xxxxxxi . confessorum universorum ad cyprianum , de pace lapsis danda . ep. xvii . caldonij ad cyprianum ep xix . ad clerum carthag . ep. xxxix . celerini ad lucianum ep xxi . luciani ad celerinum . ep. xxii . moysis & maximi & caeterorum ad cyprianum rescript . ep. xxvi ▪ l ▪ synodi affrican . ad cornelium , ep. liv. firmilian . ad cyprianum ep. lxxv . nemesiam ad cyprianum , resp. ep. ●xx●iii . 〈…〉 ad cyprian . resp . ep ▪ lxxix . felicis & caeterorum ad cyprianum resp . ep. lxxx concilium carthaginiense sub cypriano , concerning rebaptization of haereticks . xxxi . pontius diaconus his life of st. cyprian , undoubted . edit . with s. cyprians works as aforesaid . xxxii . an author about that time against rebaptization of haereticks . edit . among the notes of rigalitus , in his edition of st. cyprian . xxxiii . dionysius alexandrinus . his undoubted works : epist. canonica ad basiliden . edit . with balsamon on him , apud balsamon . edit . as aforesaid , p. . ep. adversùs paulum samosatenum , translated by urrian . edit graeco latin . mdcvi● . latin. bibl. patr. colon. agrip. tom. iii. p. . xxxiv . methodius bishop of olympus , & afterwards of tyre , commonly called patarensis by the greeks . undoubted works : excerpta ex libr. de resurrectione . ex lib. de creatis , ex lib. de symposijs , ex lib. contr . porphyrium , &c. all these improved above what had been extant of them formerly in epiphanius , photius and damascen . liber de libero arbitrio . oratio in simeon . & annam . oratio in ram●s palmarum , most probably his , though by some formerly ascribed to st. chrysostome . edit fr. combesis cum amphilochio &c. graeco-lat . paris . mdcxliv . xxxv . de trinitate , a work ascribed by some to tertullian , by others to novatian the haeretick ; but of an author later than either of them being certainly after the rise of sabellius the haeretick whom he mentions , and yet in all probability before arianism . edit . with tertullian , as aforesaid . xxxvi . arnobius afer . undoubted . l. vii . contra gentes . edit . lugd. batavor . mdcli . with notes . xxxvii . lactantius firmianus . undoubted : divin . instit . l. vii . de irâ dei. de opificio dei. epitome in libros suos . edit . lugdun . batavor . mdclxiv . xxxviii . petrus alexandrinus . undoubted : epistol . canonica . edit . balsamon . p. . xxxix . pamphilus martyr . apologia pro origene , i verily believe genuine , notwithstanding what st. hierome objects against it . for eusebius himself pretends the assistance of pamphilus in his writing that apology of his , hist , eccl. l. vi ▪ c. . ●at . 〈◊〉 graec , edit . christophorson and it is observed by photius ●od● xviii . who tells us ▪ that the first v books had the assistance of pamphilus , the vi nly after his martyrdome composed by eusebius alone ; so that the contrary testimony of eusebius produced by st. hierome , that pamphilus wrote nothing but some few epistles , if it were rightly quoted ( for it doe , not appear , i think in eusebius as extant at present ) was in all likelyhood to be understood of such works as he alone was author of , whereas in this he had the assistance of eusebius himself . this is the onely objection insisted on by st. hierome . out of st. hierome it appears , that this was onely the first book of those v. wherein it appears from photius , that eusebius had the assistance of pamphilus ; so that it seems , that this alone was selected by ruffinus out of the whole work , because this , as it should seem , was alone employed in vindication of the opinions of origen , the rest , as may be conjectured from their contents mentioned in photius , spent in a historical elogy , and vindication , of his life . i have the more particularly insisted on this , and given my reason why i believe it genuine , because the authority of st. hierome has swayed the generality of the learned world in this particular . edit . usually in origen and st. hierom's works . note that for the understanding and judging of these authors and their works , it would be very expedient to read the ecclesiastical history of eusebius , where also many more considerable fragments of the authors already mentioned , and several others not mentioned , will be found , very well worthy perusal in order to the design intended . letter ii. a letter of advice for direction of a young student in divinity , especially such as is rational , related to in the former , numb . xvii . sir , . i am sorry that your bashfulness has hitherto denyed me the more familiar oppotunities of your acquaintance during your residence among us ; but am withall glad that these present disadvantageous circumstances themselves of time and place have now at length , though unexpectedly , emboldened your modesty to such a welcome , and never●unseasonable , motion . but neither the interest of friendship , nor my own inclination , nor the copiousness of the subject wherein you have employed me , nor my little leasure for things so unsignificant , will permit me to retaliate your complements ; and therefore , i hope , you will excuse me though i be abrupt in my addresses to the resolution of your proposal . and that i may avoyd that generality and unpracticableness and obscurity to which immethodical discourses are very obnoxious ; and may contrive my thoughts in as few words and as little time as the ordinary frequent avocations of my other studies will allow me , and withall more usefully and distinctly to your purpose : i conceive it most convenient to shew . the design of scholastical divinity , and the general requisites thereunto ; and thence secondly , the more particular influence of saecular learning in order to it ; and thirdly , some few books to initiate you herein , and general directions that are adviseable in your studies of them ; and lastly , the order wherein i conceive them most successfully intelligible ; in prosecution of which method you will have , not onely my counsel , but my reasons , which i most willingly submit to your censure to be followed or rejected as you shall find them more or less convincing . ii. for the first , that i may prevent a mistake which i believe you will be ready to take up because of the ordinary signification of the term , it will be necessary to forewarn you , that by scholastical divinity i do not intend that onely which is rigorously so called , but more largely all , wherein there is required skill for the deduction of inferences ; whether for the resolution of controversies , or doubts of conscience● as it comprehends that which is textuary as well as what is purely rational in opposition to that which is practical and inartificial , as oratory . for concerning this later , affectation being a vice most repurgnant to its end , which is serious perswasion ; and to which scholars are usually too much addicted for this very reason of their too critical observations of the rules of art ; i conceive it most expedient that it be contrived as natural as is possible , to which it will be necessary that all things which may have an influence on your particular end be prudently considered , your subject , and your auditory and your own genius , and your very manner of delivery , to which every thing may so agree as if they had been your onely incentives , and what you said had been without any deliberation ; and to this purpose though you may read ancient and late authors that are respectively commended in their kind , i should not advise you the imitation of any particularly , but let your own disposition chuse for it self without any designed reflections . but this onely by way of digression , though i believe pardonable , because possibly pertinent to your purpose . scholastical divinity in the sense now explained is that which i conjecture more principally intended by you ; and to which i shall therefore confine my future discourse . it s design therefore being for the clearing of such propositions as , although they be necessary for faith or practice , yet their evidence depends upon the explication of such terms as are not obviously intelligible by the vulgar : the most convenient way for determining the requisites of this will be by shewing the nature of those principles from whence it deduceth its particular conclusions . for whatever is requisite for understanding the true sense of them , must also be so to the certainty of their illations ; and therefore religion objectively taken being a revelation of the divine will as the measure of ours , whereby we may be competently informed of our duty in order to happiness ▪ the difference of these principles which are per se nota in their kinds must arise from the different lights under which they are manifested , that matters concerning religion are discovered by a supernatural divine light as exceeding that of our natural reason , the onely measure of all our natural knowledg ( which yet is not to be understood , as some dangerously conceive , of the light of the faculty , as if reason were not able certainly and evidently to know the credibility , at least , of what is so propounded ; nor of the light of the formal object of assent , as if that were not alwayes proportioned to the faculty ( which if it were not , it were both impossible to be discerned , and unsafe to be assented to , seeing many things may and do very falsely pretend to such a plausible title ) but rather in regard of the material object , which sometimes has a natural connexion with the formal , and sometimes onely by voluntary institution ) for so , that i may clear my mind by an instance , when we know god from the creatures , this whole light is natural , not onely in regard of the faculty , nor of the creatures which have a natural proportion to it , but also of the naturally-dependent connexion of the creatures on god , who is known by them , but when we know the trinity from divine revelation propounded by men , and attested by miracles , although both of them are natural in the two former senses ; yet neither this humane proposition nor these attesting miracles have any natural or necessary connexion with the doctrine of the trinity , which is propounded as credible by them ; but with the supernatural will of the divine proponent , upon which account also this light in relation to this object is called supernatural . these things though possibly as yet you may not see the use of , yet hereafter you may perceive to remove the very material misunderstandings of most schoolmen in this question , and to be very fundamental to what we shall hereafter advise consequentially to these principles . iii. seing therefore that from hence it appears in general that the light of the faculty is absolutely necessary for the improving all that is objective , whether natural or supernatural ; i conceive it very convenient to exercise frequently your discursive faculty in theses upon some difficult question which you may meet with in your studies , and especially in such as are intricate and subtle ; for these will best enable you to conceive aright in others of a like nature , though of a different matter . the time for this , if you shall think fit to design a particular one , were i believe fittest in the morning , when the spirits are more clear and subtle , and your thoughts more composed , and so every way more apt for contemplation . in the performing hereof i would not have you insist on your authors method . ( for which purpose it were well your morning-thesis concerned a question you had studied the night before ) but rather endeavour upon full deliberation of what has been produced for both opinions , to deliver your own conceptions , and to exercise your own invention as much as is possible ; and withall in your method , not to mind onely the private concernment of the difficulty you are then handling , but also the general of others of the same kind , so as that your experience in this may capacitate you for others : as to consider the true sense of the terms , if there be any material ambiguity that is suspicious of being misunderstood by the contradicting parties ; but not to spend time on them when they are obvious and trivial , and of none or little moment for determining the principal question ; and then faithfully to enquire into the true state of the question , which you were not to think you understand , and so not to define your own thoughts concerning it , before you have first candidly examined the true sense of both adversaries , the want of which you will find to be an original of most of those logomachyes which are so frequent in the schools , and i believe generally received in very many of those controversies which divide the communion of whole churches ; whence it proceeds that many of the arguments of both parties need no other solution than the clearing of their adversaries meaning , which being once performed , they are found impertinent and unconclusive , and for the attaining of this i would not have you rely on violent bigots , or the followers of factions , who speak onely by roat , and besides the design and reason of their masters , and are resolved , nay and many times obliged , to defend them in whatever they say , though never so paradoxical , and are frequently put to their shifts to invent defensible glosses , how expresly soever the author has explained his meaning , and where he is the least obscure , are much more favourable to what is more easily defensible ; nor on the bare words of the first authors , it being ordinary for controvertists to over-speak themselves , and to bring in many things ex abundanti , which though they might think probably true , yet might well be spared without prejudice of their cause ; and much less from the partial relations of their adversaries : but rather from the rise and occasion of the question , from the design and disposition of themselves and their adversaries , where , if on either side you will allow any thing for violence , you will have more reason to suspect it of the later assailant than the first proponent , who , no adversary appearing , may reasonably be presumed to have delivered his mind with less design , and more simplicity ; and from the connexion with their other principles . and never satisfie your self of your success in this enquiry till you have found out some great verisimilitude that might very plausibly perswade a judicious and ingenuous man to your adversaries opinion , if swayed with his prejudices ; for it is hard to be so generally uncharitable as to believe that there are not some such that maintain all much received opinions . and to this purpose i conceive it very convenient that you be conversant with other works of the author from whom you dissent , that you may thence perceive what principles he does otherwise much rely on , and what his moral disposition is , for this may be very effectual for swaying him when the main arguments used are popular and declamatory ; and of that nature are most of those questions which divide great and numerous ecclesiastical societies , as were easie to instance and evince if i were not affraid of being tedious . when you have thus gained the true sense and use of the question , your nearer approaches to its resolution you may make in this order : first to consider the nature of the prejudices , for though in some cases they may contribute , yet they are never to be the onely motives for determining your assent ; and therefore you are to see that first , they never hinder you from embracing a contrary evidence more convincing than that on which themselves are grounded ; nor secondly , from impartially considering the force of that which does onely pretend it , though in the event it do not prove so ; but onely thirdly , when upon full inquiry you find the contrary but equally probable with what you do at present believe , there you may securely submit your self to providence , that has placed you in such circumstances as thus incline you rather than hazard your present peace for an onely equal contentment in the contrary , so that it be done modestly , without any censorious reflections on such as dissent from you ; and that you would consider what they are distinctly , and if you find your self partially affected to either of them , there to be cautious that it do not betray you to any thing unreasonable . and in general , for the avoyding of them all , i conceive it very adviseable that you be not too prodigal in uttering your thoughts concerning any theological question of moment before a multitude with any concernedness and vehemence before you have first examined it by these forementioned prescriptions . after this , for the most faithful discovery of the nature and force of the proofs , you should distinguish from their differences those things wherein both parties are agreed , and on which as on common principles they ground their arguments . for these you will find to be of very great use for judging the particulars , unto the which , if you be satisfied with them , you may descend more closely , assuring your self that , however their opinions may , yet , it is impossible that their reasons should , be really contrary : that you may therefore find distinctly how far they are conclusive , and to whether opinion they are more favourable ; it were well that first omitting that multitude of particular ones that are produced for both , the whole force were summed up in one a priori ; wherein you might at one view perceive the whole series of their principles : and then that you divide them into so many propositions , disposed in the order wherein they follow from each other , which when you have done , you may then examine first , the absolute truth of these principles distinctly ; and secondly , their consequence from each other ; and then thirdly , the truth of these premises relatively : what sense is requisite to be true that these consequences may be inferred from them ; and whether they be indeed true in these particular senses that are requisite ; and by these means you will most probably find the true and faithful measure of discerning how far they are conclusive , which you may then compare with the true sense of the contrary opinion as you have formerly explained it , and so of the contrary proofs with this , and an you find them exactly agreeing so you may determine . these rules i have the more particularly insisted on , because , as they are rarely taken notice of , and more rarely observed by our modern controvertists , so , to me they seem the most successful for the avoyding those mistakes and fallacies which are too frequent among them ; for by this means you will more probably understand the question , your proofs will be more directly levelled against your adversary , and his main objections will be supposed resolved before you are determined , and for others which stand in need of more particular answers ( they being weaker ) you may be less solicitous . nor do i think all of these necessary in all questions to be distinctly considered , but principally for the most important ones of divinity ; and some , at least , to be necessary to all of what nature soever ; and that such regard be had of those which are not , that before you neglect them you be assured that they are indeed impertinent . and in the management of the whole , especially where you do endeavour self-satisfaction , it were well you were as brief , as clear , as distinct , and as methodical , as is possible . iv. having thus shewn you the form of managing reason in general , i believe you do expect that i should descend particularly to direct your studies that you may be furnished with materials . and this i shall attempt in pursuance of my formerly designed method , in both those kinds of principles , by which , as i said , all theological controversies are to be determined . for the first , those which are rational , i would commend that too much decried study among most protestants of school-divinity : for considering that the very foundations and principles of all religion are natural , that all supernatural revelations are but accessory complements to these , where nature was actually debauched , or originally insufficient , but never undertake to give a compleat digest of them ; and indeed do either not mention them at all , or where they do , yet not professedly , but upon occasion of others ; and then it self they are rather supposed than prescribed , or , where prescribed , yet rather as to the circumstances of their exercise than as to their moral and universal obligation ; so that here , reason is wholy left even by god himself to the evidence of its own inquiry ; and this not onely as to those particulars which are so plain and obvious as that they even offer themselves without inquiry , and it is impossible to be ignorant of them without a gross negligence , or a resolved obstinacy , but such wherein some great philosophers themselves have been mistaken , as the universal providence of god over mankind , which not onely epicur●s . but for any thing that i know , the jewes themselves did hardly believe , by whom we find god's care of the salvation of the gentiles admired at as a m strange and incredible thing , and a great argument of his not being an n accepter of persons , as it seems they had thought before , and their most favourable sentiments concerning them seem to have been , that god had indeed appointed o tu●elary angels for other nations , but that himself was their own president● that their own souls onely were p immortal , and that none others had any portion in the world to come ; that therefore their proselytes were truly q transubstantiate , whence those phrases of being r born again , and s of the spirit , wherein our saviour wonders at the ignorance of t nicodemus , as being notorious among the rabbins ; and yet the whole old-testament seems so particularly designed for their commonwealth as that they have little occasion for mentioning god's providence over other nations ; but especially also in secondary instances of the law of nature , which though it appears that they have been for time and place dispensed with , and therefore their universally-obliging reason being more circumstantial , is less easily discernible ; yet their severe penalties without any new positive prohibition , and their having been looked on as abhominable in the very gentiles , show that the church reputed them unlawful for this very reason , as in the question of polygamy , of marrying the brothers relict , and of vsury , and other instances wherein i believe i should not be unwarrantably consident if , notwithstanding what others have endeavoured concerning them , i should say that they cannot be clearly disproved by any particular prohibition in the new testament . and the general indefinite way of propounding those which are moral and those which are not in the old testament , and the new one never descending to particulars , but onely in general teaching us that what was typical must needs disappear at the real exhibition of what they signified , and that all accommodations even in what otherwise was moral , must now under larger grace , and greater means , and clearer revelations , in all reason be evacuated ; the onely way of determining here any thing particularly must be , omitting all testimonies , to examine the nature of the precepts themselves , and thence to discern whether the reason of their obligation be temporary or eternal . to which i may add , that many counsels are urged in the scriptures , many things in complyance to the present circumstances , and some indulgences to present prejudices even in the new testament , and this without particular provision for future observance , which are not any other wayes distinguishable but by reason . and of the same necessity it is for all cases of conscience , and many other emergent difficulties which you will frequently encounter in the practice of divinity : and it were easie to shew how very useful it is for the most important controversies that divide the communion of christendome ; and how its greatest adversaries , those of rome , do ground themselves mainly on it in their exigencies ; as in the necessity of a visible judge of controversies , in their detaining the cup from the lait● , which themselves cannot deny to have been granted them in the first and purest centuries , and in the doctrine of the resolution of faith ; so in the remonstrant and jansenist opinions , in all with the socinians , and most with the sectaries , which are such instances wherein our men prove it unreasonable to expect particular proof from scripture ; and the same , i think , might be proved concerning most of the definitions of the church against the enemies of the trinity and incarnation , as to particular expressions whereby she disowned their innovations , that they were grounded on these so tragically declaimed-against theological reasons , if i were not affraid of being redious . but in short , if it be considered that hither all controversies are finally resolved , even all authority into the reason of its credibility ; that all other wayes of arguing are plausibly excepted against by some parties ; but this cannot , there being no opposing it but by it self , which is a contradiction ; that this at length when all is done will be found most satisfactory , these will sure be sufficient prejudices to invite you , till you shall find something as plausible alledged for the contrary . v. but in the study of this rational divinity i would not perswade you to imitate the schools themselves any farther than as they are rational ; for i must confess that one fundamental defect seems to me generally ingredient in their discourses ; that they seem rather to endeavour the outwitting of their adversaries than their own satisfaction : which may be very suspicious both from their making use of reasons which themselves confess unsufficient for the conviction of infidels , which yet they take for strong consolations of believers , which might indeed be tolerable if the efficacy of such proofs depended on any proper principles which were admitted by believers and not by infidels , but depending on pure philosophical reasons , as most of these do , which are produced by aquinas , who speaks for them l. i. cont. gent. c. . they seem less excusable ; but principally their determining the question by , and conforming their reasons to , some authority , and that sometimes very contemptibles as of some heathen philosophers , or late doctors , or at the uttermost particular fathers ( for they seldome meddle with councils ) and their laying too much stress upon their very forms of speaking , though not mentioned in the scriptures , to the very decision of articles of faith , as , i think , might easily be proved in the question concerning the procession of the holy ghost from the son against the greeks , nay often on their very mystical expositions , without the least examination of their design , or sense , or credibility . nor is it needful to mind you how very unsufficient they had been for it though they had attempted it ; partly because of their ignorance in the greek fathers , and so being necessitated to rely on ignorant translations for those they had ( for greek learning was continually decaying in the latine church from the time of the removal of the empire , an early but very remarkable instance whereof ( that i may not now particularize others ) we have in that famous cheat put upon the whole general council of u ariminum by valens and vrsacius and some few other eastern bishops of reading 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 for 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in the decree of the nicaene council ; but especially after the open breach betwixt the romane and constantinopolitane patriarchs , whereby intelligence with the orientals was exceedingly interrupted , long before the rise of the schoolmen ; but mainly because of their great unskilfulness in critical learning , to know their original , and their sense in other places , which yet had been necessary to their design . and therefore i should advise you to be more ingenuously rational than they are , in the proof of your principles as well as in the inference of your conclusions ; that you do not strain your wit to make any testimony desensible before you are otherwise convinced of its credibility , and at least let it not be as a principal motive of your determination ; that you never trouble your self much with those reasons themselves which , as they are onely propounded as probable , so they , are confessed to be unnecessary ; but first , consider the nature of the question , whether the arguments , whereon the whole stress of its assent can onely be surely grounded , and which if they be weak the definition cannot be certain , be reason , or authority ; and if it be reason grounded on authority ( as most of the school-questions are ) that then you urge the reason no farther than the authority will warrant you ; and remember that a less will suffice , when all the use of reason is for rendring the conclusion it self defensible , for that proceeds on particular evidences whereby it appears to us , and therefore does not require a real , but every-way apparent , credibility ; but where the reasons grounded on these phrases and manners of expressing the article are drawn to the direct proof of its real truth , or are taken as principles for the probation of others ; it were then reasonable to have recourse to lombard's text , and to examine first , whether that doctrine be really taught by that father , who is by him quoted for it ? and secondly , whether it be delivered by him as his own private opinion , or as the sense of the church ; and whether dogmatically , or in heat of controversie ? if as the sense of the church , then thirdly , what was the ground of it , whether the evidence of universal tradition , or aequivalencies in the scriptures ; or the general sense onely of the learned ? and whether they took it up for the evidence of its proper reason , or originally from the authority of some private person , who was commended in these controversies , and from whom it was derived by the rest without any new examination ? for in some of these things you will find most of lombards principles to be deficient , they being for the much greater part transcribed from st. augustine . but it may be a more direct way for knowing the rational modes of expression , whereon the church grounded her arguments ( in those articles which are generally and surely believed for revelation , and wherein ancient and universal authority may be presumed more securely expressive of the genuine sense of tradition than our private reasonings , as in the trinity and incarnation ) will be by examining what principles of this kind are supposed in her discourses with the ancient hereticks in the first general councils , most of her definitions there being , as i formerly said , grounded on theological reason . and therefore i would advise you in general before your particular enquiries , to satisfie your self how far your resolution is to be grounded on particular reason , that so , if they should fail , as they will certainly in many things which yet upon other accounts are very reasonably credible , you may not presently condemn the conclusion as simply false because of the falshood of their improper principles . and what questions are onely determinable by reason you have several instances in the beginning of the former paragraph . vi. but it remains , for the accomplishment of this first part of my task , that i proceed to the second sort of principles , namely such as are known by divine revelation . and here seeing the resolution of no parties is against the plain words , or at least the sense , of the scriptures ; and it is farther agreed that the bare grammatical signification of the words is of no other force for expressing the speakers mind than as it is ordinarily reasonable to presume that he intended this where there are not particular suspicious of believing otherwise ; therefore for the bringing these things home to the decision of our present controversies , it will be requisite to enquire first , what sense of them is aequivalent with the conclusions to be proved by them ? and secondly , what reason there is to believe that this sense was designed by the speaker ; and where this is ambiguous and both of them seem applicable without absurdity , the onely way for determining which of them was intended by him must be by examining all those things which may be supposed as notorious to that auditory to whose understandings he was to accommodate himself , and what was onely likely to prove efficacious in reference to his design . and though this later be to be performed by reason . by examining their misapprehensions ; and then considering what were in prudence most proper for their correction , and which particular sense is most rationally reducible to this design ; yet the former will be most satisfactorily resolved by philological learning : by enquiring how the same author used the same expression in other clearer parallel places ; how the auditors themselves usually understood it , and so to examine the idiomes either of the place or country from other their contemporary writers ; and if the notoriousness of the speech depended on a matter of fact , to which it alluded , and of which none of them could probably be presumed ignorant ; then the most sure way both for understanding that particular phrase and all other discourses whatsoever of the same subject , will be by clearing the thing it self , and poynting at those instances , in allusion to which those expressions might have been occasioned , which had been otherwise unintelligible . and to this end you may more easily discern first , the necessity of the tongues wherein they were originally written ; for it is very possible , either by reason of the affinity or homonymy , or for want of answering words in the other tongues , for translations to be mistaken , at least , not to be so secure as to ground arguments , which may be very much endangered by the very uncautiousness of the expression ; and secondly , the idiomes of those tongues , which are frequently occasions of mistakes in them that rely on translations that render them verbatim , without considering their importance in the originals , as is usual both in the reputed lxxii and the vulgar latine , which were generally followed by the greek and later latine fathers , and many perplexities might be instanced which are raised by them from thence , which have no difficulty in the originals . and for this it will be convenient to be acquainted , not onely with the sacred text it self ( which , especially in the old testament , are all the records remaining of the purer ancient hebrew , and therefore can give little light to the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 but also with those tongues , which seem at first derived from it , as most of the orientals are ; but those especially into which it afterwards degenerated after the ruine of their government , by reason of their mixture with other conquering nations . such was the chaldee , on occasion of the babylonian captivity , as appears from part of jeremy , daniel and ezra , and those parts of the chaldee paraphrases which are truly inscribed to jonathan and onkelos ; and syriack in the time of our saviour , as is observed by learned men from most of these hebrew words mentioned in the new testament , by mixture of the syro-macedones after the prevalency of the grecian monarchy ; for in these it seems more probable that the words which were afterwards imposed in stead of the genuine hebrew without any interruption where the things were practiced , and whilest the notions were fresh in memory , did more exactly answer them than those that wanted these advantages ; and thirdly , the idiomes of the person himself , of his wit , of his country , of his education ; for it is clear that the style of the scriptures is very different : either lofty , or low ; or eloquent , or rational , in accommodation to the writers natural abilities . for thus the new testament writers have many hebraisms , and st. paul some cilicianisms , as you may find instanced by st. hierome ad algas . q. . and origen on the romanes . and these are of great moment both for varying the signification of the same phrases , and making them more or less-accurately intelligible in grounding arguments on them ; and fourthly , the antiquities alluded to ; and these not onely such as are directly aimed at , and with approbation , but also such as are purposely opposed ; for thus maimonides x conceives the rites of the zabij very beneficial for giving light to many positive levitical precepts , which now , for want of them , seem strange and impertinent ; and it would doubtlessly much contribute to the clear distinction of those which were moral or judicial , grounded on temporary or eternal reason , to have known all the ceremonies of the chaldaean and phaenician idolatry , though , i think there are no very great assistances for it in our now-extant writers ; and what is related occasionally either by the credulous greeks or ancient talmudists , or the later arabians , being exceedingly intermixed with fabulous and conjectural assertions , will need a very prudent and judicious sagacity to separate what is credible from what is not so . but for what may be performed from our present assistances in this subject , i shall refer you to the excellent discourse of our famous antiquary mr selden de dijs syris . and for the better understanding of these , and the main design of historical or prophetical writers , and those very considerable seeming differences even in the circumstances of what is onely upon several occasions related in themselves as well as in exotick authors , and this not onely in some frivolous instances , but in such wheron depend the greatest arguments for religion ; the accomplishment of remarkable promises and prophesies whose truth was to warrant very considerable alterations , as in the lxx year's captivity , and daniel's weeks , whence is derived one of the strongest grounds of christianity ; neither of which can be determined without the auxiliaries of the heathens ; it will be necessary to study and compare their history , and chronology , and geographical descriptions of those countreys . and for the traditional doctrines of the old testament , because the best means for their discovery seem to me to depend on saecular learning , i shall therefore defer them to their proper place . in the mean time for particular and occasional expressions of the new , it were convenient to be acquainted with the first haeresyes , and the conveyance of its traditional doctrines in their plain , and genuine , and unmixed practice , which will be the best way of making them applicable to our present controversies , will be most probably derivable from the fathers of the immediately succeeding centuries ; which is the design i would have you principally aim at in reading them . and concerning those general cautions to be observed in following them , i presume you have before your departure heard my thoughts in some of our colledg-exercises ; and therefore i shall not need to be large in them , onely in general , you may observe a vast difference betwixt what they deliver either as their private thoughts , or as a generally-received opinion , and what they assert as the doctrine of the catholick church delivered to them from the apostles ; and here it self betwixt what they reputed such from some judicial inferences of their own , and what they were more competent judges of , in that pure historical evidence which must have been obvious to them without any , or at least any difficult , illations , and this with vincentius lerinensis's rules ; in all times , all places , and all ecclesiastical societies that were founded by apostles or apostolical persons . for in the former i then endeavoured to shew their fallibility from that unaccurate way of arguing which prevailed generally among them ; and those unsecure principles on which they relyed , which though i then onely touched , as willing to consine my discourse to the time allotted for it ; yet possibly they might be of some use in your reading of the fathers , inasmuch as that to some of them i believe you will find most of those errors which in many instances , by the confession of all , prevailed in the first three centuries , to be easily reducible . other rules were advisable for the discovery of these testimonial from judicial traditions , but because the mentioning of my own thoughts concerning them together with my reasons , would engage me in many and great controversies which cannot possibly be dispatched in few words , and that i have already insensibly exceeded my first designed brevity , i forbear . vii . and now , concerning the second particular formerly propounded , namely the influence of secular learning in order to those mentioned designs of the study of divinity , i shall insist on the method already observed in that . and though it were easie by an induction in all humane sciences whatsoever , to shew this serviceableness ; yet because so large a task might possibly discourage you , as not being attainable in one life ; and their usefulness is very different in its degrees , some being onely convenient , and some absolutely necessary ; some necessary for your own satisfaction , and some for the information of others ; some for more rare and casual , and some for your ordinary auditories : and you will find their use in your observation of these , and may accordingly more or less engage your self in them as you shall find your self invited by your own genius , or curiosity ; i shall therefore mainly meddle with such as are introductory and general , and are of use for the most necessary ends ; your own satisfaction , and that of your ordinary auditory . and first , for that which is rational , and rigorously called school-divinity , most of the terms wherein its questions are expressed being philosophical , the use of philosophy , especially that of the modern peripateticks , which in later ages has so universally prevailed in the schools , is so obvious as that i cannot suspect you ignorant of it . but yet , i believe you may be desirous to be informed of the distinction of those parts which are necessary from those which are not ; that so you may know at present where to fix your thoughts more closely in subserviency to your future studies . for your satisfaction herein , i think x you may securely give over your reading it distinctly by way of course , and apply your self more immediately to the study of school-divinity ; for the school-men allowing themselves that liberty of largely discussing philosophical questions on the summes and sentences ; as you shall by this means want none of them that are necessary , so you will be disengaged from many of them that are purely heterogeneous . but because they do frequently use this liberty licentiously , therefore it will be convenient to determine more distinctly what parts are necessary , and to what ends . first therefore , for that natural divinity which is supposed true antecedently to divine revelation , and which is therefore onely intelligible by reason ; it being commonly reduced to two main principles : the divine nature and existence , and the soul's immortality ; and the nature of its faculties and the manner of its operations , in accommodation to which all the divine precepts and auxiliaries are designed ; the former will be best advanced by physical arguments drawn from the nature of the caelestial motions , and the necessity of an universal ordinator of the second causes both to their own ends , in th●se that are inanimate , and at least to that of the universe , in those that are not ; &c. which as they are evidently more perswasive and sensible , and of a more general accommodation to ordinary capacities , and such as we find principally made use of by st. paul himself , not onely in his popular discourses rom. i. . but even in his disputes with the philosophers , act. xvii . . . and xiv . . so i do really conceive them more strong than those metaphysical ones , that have been lately again urged and improved with the general applause of our late philosophers , by the famous des cartes . and there is one question , which as i confess exceedingly intricate , and yet omitted by most that i have seen of our late ingenious authors that handled the argument , at least not considered with that accuracy it deserved ; so i conceive it very necessary for the conviction not onely of atheists ( which yet the unhappiness of our age has rendred not altogether unseasonable ) but also of some subdivided christians , those especially of the romane communion , and that is the distinction of true from counterfeit miracles , which will require natural philosophy , wherein the notion of a true miracle , by the confession of all , requiring that it be above the power of natural agents , for the determining of that it will be necessary to shew how far that does extend ; and because it is yet farther agreed , that all sensible effects of created substances must depend on matter and motion ; therefore this will require two things to be examined ; their utmost efficacy in general ; and then particularly the uttermost efficacy of those that are present at the production of the supposed effect that is to be tryed ; the knowledg of which i presume you are not ignorant to be the very design of natural philosophy ; wherein notwithstanding you are not now to be confined to the peripatetick principles , but may more ingenuously examine others , and accept what you your self shall conceive most satisfactory . but the investigation of the particular divine attributes will be best performed by metaphysicks , wherein all the terms requisite to this way of arguing are prosessedly handled : the nature of entity and bonity in general ; the notion of those perfections , which are called simpliciter simplices ; and the examination of what are particularly such by their compatibility with others greater than themselves , and which are not reducible to any other sciences , from whence it has even in y aristotle himself the name of natural divinity . and from hence also depend all those terms whereby even supernatural revelations are made reconcileable with natural reason , and upon which most of those objections depend that are indeed material , and necessary to be answered ; for the whole force of these relyes on such principles as are universally conclusive in all sorts of entityes ; for otherwise the confessed analogical participation of the same perfections in god and the creatures will be sufficient to invalidate all inferences drawn to him from particular experiments in other creatures , which are the uttermost that all other sciences are able to reach . and to these ends you will find the general part very necessary ; and the particular , where it goes no further than the perfect explication of their nature , and confines it self within it own most immaterial abstraction . and therefore you may observe this part most taken notice of by protestants , and you will find it most generally serviceable to the whole design of school-divinity . but then for the other part that concerns the nature of the soul , and of its operations ; the supernatural assistances being proportioned to them , it will be necessary to know them for the understanding this proportion . and because some of these assistances are extended as well to the nature of their acts as their morality : and the moral manner of the operations is most answerable to the nature of the agent , and accordingly best intelligible by its relation : therefore it will be convenient to know them , first physically , as they are handled in aristotle's books de animâ and there especially the rational and intellectual degree , and others no otherwise than as they conduce to the better understanding their present organical dependent way of operation , and that discourse de animâ separatâ which you will find adjoyned at the end by some authors ; and then morally , in ethicks , from whence you are directly to deduce all those obligations that are purely moral ; and the necessity and design of those that are positive and supernatural , and generally all those universal rules , on which depends the prudential practice of casuistical divinity . for controversie logick i mention nothing , because i believe there is little in it necessary to your purpose but what is borrowed from metaphysicks , or some few things concerning faith and opinion and demonstration , which you will find sufficiently to your purpose discussed on the summes and sentences . and as it will be thus serviceable in general to know the main design of those sciences , and their influence in divinity , for discerning the necessity of particular questions , how far they are reducible to it ; so in particular you may consider , first , whether it was first raised from any theological occasion , accordingly to the rules formerly prescribed ; or whether it be capable of being used as a principle for the deciding any theological controversie ? and if it be , then secondly , whether that theological controversie it self be of any moment ? and then thirdly , whether that philosophical principle be capable of any certain resolution , and especially in that sense that is requisite for this decision ? but for the improvement of principles of this kind in proving the immortality of the soul ( not now to reflect upon the piously-designed attempts of several ingenious persons in this regard ) for my part , how convincing soever they may prove in the event , i can discern no great necessity of having recourse unto them , or relying on them . for though indeed the existence of god cannot be proved by revelation , it being so antecedent to it as that he that doubts of it cannot admit of revelation to prove it by ; yet is there not the same necessity here , seeing the soul may really be immortal , though its immortality could not be made out from any natural appearances falling under our cognizance ( daily experience furnishing us with instances of most certain truths which are yet uncapable of being proved from such appearances ) in which case we may yet be assured of it by revelation . for our doubting concerning the proof of the souls immortality by reason does not upon any rational pretence oblige us to question the existence of revelations ; and supposing that the real immortality of our souls is attested and revealed by god , our own antecedent ignorance of it upon natural accounts cannot ground the least suspicion of the divine infallibility concerning it ; nay it is from our prime a●tions of such a being most certain that infinite truths are evident to him which are not obvious to our grosser observations , and it cannot be disproved that this is one . supposing therefore that god has revealed the immortality of our souls ; and that he is in this , as well as in other revelations , veracious ; and that he certainly does , though we do not , know the truth even in this particular affair ; it must needs follow that we must be obliged to believe it upon account of such divine revelation , though antecedently we could never have known it by natural discoveries . this i have onely observed by the way , to shew the no-necessity of insisting on such proofs , and to let atheistical irreligious persons understand how little indeed religion is concerned in their weakness ; though , i think , i might have added that deserting this way of proof , and insisting onely on revelation in this case is not onely more secure , but in many regards more convenient and more aggreeable with the principles of christianity , and better sitted for solving difficulties which are less intelligible on other principles . but what i have to say to this purpose is both subject to be misunderstood , and too tedious for my present design , and therefore i forbear . viii . but then for that part of divinity that is textuary , besides the knowledg of the tongues and phrases , which will be gotten by reading ancient authors in their own words upon other occasions , and for which your own experience will hereafter be your more satisfactory directory ; for the understanding of the doctrinals of the old testament ( which you will find very necessary for the new , there being nothing pretended to be revealed in the new , but what was at least mystically presigured in the old , and there being many doctrines at that time generally believed by the jewish church which were not so clearly expressed in the old , which as they seem to be connived at by our saviour , so they seem generally to have been received without any new revelations by the primitive christians ( and yet the way is certainly as fallible in some instances as true in others , and therefore ought to be accurately distinguished ) the onely way will be to examine the credibility of doctrines that pretend to be originally jewish traditions . and for this you are not onely to trust the rabbins , both for their notorious fabulousness , and their little antiquity , and their plain imitations of the graecian philosophers even before our saviour's time , upon occasion of their acquaintance with them by the macedonian conquests , whom yet together with philo and josephus . i would recommend to you for the historical relation of those opinions and practices that afterwards prevailed , and are frequently alluded to in the new testament ; but that which is the main design of the primitive christian apologies , what the graecians had either preserved entire from the division of babel , or in after-ages derived from the jewes , which yet are both more numerous and more ancient than those that are now extant of the jewes themselves ; for by this means as you shall discover much of that truth which was mystically involved in the old testament , though otherwise certainly intended , where otherwise there is no clear mention of the immortality of the soul , of the resurrection of the body , or the future judgment , which are the very foundations , not onely of christian , but of all rational , religion ; but also the original of many errors both among the later jewes and christians . for this therefore i conceive it convenient to read the ancientest greek poets together with their greek scholiasts , and that you do not look on them barely as idle romances , but as grave philosophers and historians ; for such they were reputed not onely in their own times , but also by all their followers , as involving divine , and natural , and historical notions of their gods and heroes under mystical and parabolical expressions . thus the name was used for makers of lawes , for establishers of commonwealths , for discipliners of youth and women , as you may see proved from the testimonies of homer himself and others by the excellent heinsius in his prolegom . ad hesiod . hence they were after imitated by the oracles , and accounted sacred , and prophetical , and inspired with a divine fury , as were easie to prove if i had leisure . but yet because those things are related on the faith of much later authors , and are mingled with their own inventions , and are expressed in dark , and designedly-obscure , resemblances ; therefore two things will be requisite to be inquired into : first , whence they originally proceeded , whereby will appear both how far they are credible , and what was after superadded by the graecian affectation of vain glory ; and secondly , what was their distinct sense . for the former , i confess the ancient graecian barbarism , their late incorporations into civil societies , their then it self being divided into little republicks , which could not chuse but continually allarm them with perpetual factions and mutual jealousies of one another , and leave little time for incouragement for studies , and their late invention of letters , or of any means for communicating tradition to posterity , make me unwilling to advise you to trust them for any thing ancient that is historical . and therefore i believe your best way were to examine with what other ancient learned nations they had commerce , from whom they might probably derive their philosophical or theological learning , and particularly concerning such notable persons as were acknowledged to have had some especial influence in their improvement ; such were orpheus for the old , and pherecydes syrius for the later theogonyes ; whether they were indigenae or forreigners , whether they travelled , and to what nations ? and because the ambition of the later greeks has endeavoured to suppress those testimonies that might seem to make them beholding to other nations for what they gloried themselves to be the first inventors of ; either by confounding forreigners of the same name with their own , and by that means arrogating the glory of their actions to themselves , or by deriving their original from their gods , and those such as were historically many or uncertain , as they do with orpheus , when they make him the son of apollo and calliope , it were well to collect out of creditable authors what is mentioned concerning them , that so you may from other circumstances conjecture whence they did most probably derive their learning . and there are three nations especially , who , by reason of their undeniable antiquity , and their established government , and their estimation of learning , and their encouragement and opportunities , and publick deputation of some orders of men for that end , might be very credible for the conveyance of the traditional divinity , and who , by reason of their familiarity with the jewes , might easily have corrected themselves where they had been mistaken : the chaldaeans , the phoenicians and the aegyptians ; whereof the two later must needs have been known to them as anciently as their ancientest inventions : the phoenicians by occasion of their notorious trafficking at sea ; and the aegyptians , as appears both by the affinity of their tongues and letters , from the graecian apis , whether the sicyonian or argive , supposed after his death to have been canonized in aegypt , from the stories of aegyptus and danaus in aegypt , of tithonus and memnon and phaëthon in aethiopia , mentioned by the most ancient graecian mythologists , from the testimonies of very many of themselves , if i had leasure to produce them ; and especially in that most of their gods and rites and mysteries were thence borrowed , as is clear , besides others , from that full confession of z diodorus siculus related also by a eusebius . but that all of them were frequented by the later philosophers is abundantly proved by the primitive christian apologists . and therefore it will also concern you to be acquainted with the opinions of the philosophers , those of them especially that are traditional , and who are known themselves to have travelled to these countreys : for the later subdivisions seem generally to have been built on the private wits of particular factious persons ; concerning whom , especially the stoicks , what my thoughts are you may easily discern from my prolegomena to my dear tutor's book de obstinatione : that if their rational discourses be considered as conversant about such instances as are uncapable of solid demonstrations from purely natural principles , such as the platonick notions of the trinity , and the hierarchyes of good or evil daemons , and the state of the soul after death , and the rewards and punishments of the other world ; these will further admit of a twofold consideration , either as to that use and authority that may be grounded on their reasons , and that cannot be acknowledged very considerable , both because the cases are supposed such as are uncapable of any solid proof of that kind ; and the reasons they produce are therefore at the best onely conjectural , and frequently captious ; and they are unnecessary for us christians , who have securer arguments from divine revelation ; and for affairs of this nature their antiquity gives them no special advantage over us , and they are more clearly and closely managed by later authors : or as to that purely historical use which may be made of their opinions , how weak soever their reasons are , for explaining those passages of scripture , which are expressed in their language and allude to their sense , whether as approved or rejected . and thus howsoever conjectural the proof of such propositions might have been supposed formerly , yet it might merit a confident assent as grounded on the surer word of prophesie ; nay though they be rejected in the scripture as false , yet so it self they may help us to understand those very scriptures that were supposed to condemn them . for the terms being supposed philosophical , the philosophers themselves must needs be presumed fittest to explain their own sense of them ( which is most likely to be the sense intended by the holy ghost ) and by understanding the terms we come to understand the propositions resulting from them , so condemned ; which being apprehended will help us further to discover what is necessary for bringing such a discourse home to the purpose , which must needs be very advantageous for discovering the design of the holy ghost in it , as that is also for judging of consequential modes of expression , of which kind are many provisional definitions of the church , and doctrines of the schoolmen . but then supposing the rational discourses of the philosophers conversant about affairs within their own reach , whereof they might be presumed competent judges , they may again be two wayes considered : either as to their intrinsick conclusiveness , or as to the actual reputation they had gained among the jewes , and those other nations among whom they were dispersed , for whose use the scriptures were primarily designed , and to whose defects they may therefore be presumed to have been originally accommodated . in the former regard their discourses will have so much and no more credibility than what a particular examination of their solidity will afford to a person competent to judge of it ; or than the fame of their skill and integrity in affairs of this nature , might have been conceived sufficient to perswade to such as were unskilful themselves , and so exposed to a necessity of relying on their bare authoty . but in the later , their authority may be much greater as far as it may be thought to have been further confirmed and approved by the holy ghost himself . for the holy ghost undertaking in an extraordinary way to supply the defect of ordinary means in the discovery of such truths or falshoods as might prove necessary or pernicious in order to the salvation of mankind ; it is to be presumed that wherein he did not offer a correction , there he presumed the use of ordinary means sufficient . and then the onely ordinary means of discovering their present duty and their future interests ( especially for the vulgar for whose use revelations were principally calculated ) being natural reason as managed by its ablest professors , the philosophers , they having no other light antecedently to revelation ; it will further follow , that nothing taught unanimously by such philosophers , if uncorrected by the holy ghost , was by the holy ghost himself thought dangerous to the salvation of persons obliged , in prudence , to rely on such an authority ; nay that all things so unanimously agreed on , in matters necessary to be resolved in order to salvation , if the holy ghost did not undertake a new resolution , were supposed by him to have been already resolved rightly by the philosophers themselves , which no less than divine approbation of such discourses must needs add more than a bare humane authority to them . this is the sum of what i have more largely discoursed and proved in the forementioned place , which you may perceive principally to concern such philophers as are professedly moral , who as they are also generally applauded by scholars for the generosity of their temper and principles ; and their aggreeableness to christianity ; so they are not indeed guilty of that unpracticableness wherewith they are charged by some less considerative persons . it is true indeed that they thought the soul alone to be the essential man , and the body the organ and prison of it , and indeed praeternatural to it , upon which account they made its imprisonment here a consequence , if not a punishment , of its degeneracy , and its restitution to its primitive prosperity to consist in its compleat purgation from all corporeal faeculencies . but this is not so to be understood as if they had thought the soul incorporated ( upon what account soever ) to be as free from being affected with corporeal impressions , as the musician is from those of his instrument , or the prisoner of the place of his captivity ; or had accordingly perswaded the soul to her duty by a naked proposal of its reasonableness without any prudential praescriptions for making her capable of reason . for it is plain that they themselves conceived the soul to be more than locally united to the body by virtue of the nephesh as the jewes ; or 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 ( in opposition to 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 ) as the platonists and primitive christians , and it may be st. paul himself ; or the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as the chaldee oracles , or the umbra , as virgil , calls it ; which being thought of a middle nature betwixt material and spiritual beings , and participating of the qualities of each , was thought to bind the soul inseparably to the body , and to subject it to a sympathy in corporeal passions . thence that forgetfulness of all its old notions , the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or flagging of her wings wherewith she could formerly freely mount at her pleasure , the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 , the unreasonableness of matter , the drunkenness with the cup of lethe represented by cebes , which made their so frequent exhortations to be sober and vigilant , imitated also by the apostle himself so very necessary . and in complyance hereunto it was that they held that the truth it self was undiscoverable and unintelligible by impure persons , and accordingly they were as solicitous in concealing the secrets of their philosophy from the prophane vulgar as the pagan priests were in discovering their idols to uninitiated persons ; and as the revealers of the mysteries of the gods were punished with death , so hipparchus the pythagorean had a monument erected for him by those of his own profession signifying his death in a moral sense for divulging their acroamati●ks . so that , though they held not the body to be any part of the man , yet they held so near a connexion with it as was conceived sufficient to render it uncapable of pure and naked reason ( which would indeed have proved unpracticable to such persons ) and were therefore as well obliged by their principles , as they did observe it in their practice , to accommodate their perswasions to the opportunities and abilities of the persons concerned , which being considered must needs make them practicable . all this might have been shewn and proved at large if it had now been seasonable . nor is this practice proceeding on the principles of the philosophers , repugnant to the formal and fundamentally-virtuous motives from whence onely actions are denominated supernaturally-good in the sense of christianity : such as humility , and a sense of our own weakness , and a perpetual actual dependence on the divine favour , and a pure and primary intention of his glory , and no satisfactory reflections on our own condition here ; but a resolute preparation to endure anxieties of mind , and deprivations of the divine comfortable presence , and the peace of our own conscience , and solicitous apprehensions concerning our eternal welfare , and frequent occasions of disquietude in the rational soul , as well as in those outward goods of the body or of fortune . for it might have been easily shewn how that all these things as far as they are truly subservient to the designs of christianity are admitted and applauded by the philosophers themselves , and that which is indeed disapproved by them is not approved by our christian revelations . that humility , and a sense of our own weakness , and a perpetual dependence on the divine favour , must needs have been owned by the philosophers , appears from what i have said to evince their acknowledgment of the necessity of the divine assistance in all good performances , in my proleg . sect. lv. lvi . lvii . lviii . lix . to which i shall add nothing more at present . and if doing good actions for the glory of god , be first , to do them out of a sense of our duty of obedience to his commands , and a subjection to his providence ( however notified to us , whether by the light of nature and conscience , or by positive revelations , can make no difference , if the light of nature and conscience be owned for the voice of god ) and secondly , to testifie by them our honourable sense of the wisdome and goodness of god in his providences even where they seem to carnal sensual judgments most absurd and rigorous ; and thirdly , not onely to entertain and manifest this honourable opinion in our selves , but also to endeavour by such our actions to propagate the like honourable opinions to others ; and fourthly , to renounce all vain glory of our own , whether as it signifies a complacency in other mens opinions ; or an ascribing to our selves those actions which had been indeed performed by the divine assistance ; if , i say , these things be meant by acting for the glory of god ; then these philosophers , how rarely soever they mention the word , most certainly have owned the thing , concerning which alone learned and candid persons would be solicitous . and it may be they who would make more necessary would find it more difficult to prove than to assert . so also for our unsatisfiedness with our condition here ; if thereby be understood a murmuring and repining at the condition allotted us by providence , however ungrateful it may seem to flesh and blood ; that is so far from being commendable in the repute of christianity as that it is indeed a very great rebellion and perverseneses against the divine dominion . but if by our unsatisfiedness here that alone be meant ( which onely can be meant the former sense being excluded ) an opinion of the unsufficiency of sublunary fruitions for the satisfaction of our more noble and capacious souls ; the way of bringing men to such an opinion seems to be the principal ; if not the adaequate , design of this moral philophy i am now discoursing of . the greatest seeming paradox is how to explain how philosophy does dispose persons for enduring the deprivation of those good things of the mind which have an intrinsick moral goodness , such as anxieties of mind , a senselessness and dulness in the performance of duties , and the other instances already mentioned . and the difficulty here seems the more considerable because the two fundamental principles of these persons in this affair , seem , if not utterly false , yet , very unsecure : first , that god never exercises good men with the loss of any thing that is really good ; and that such are all , and onely , the goods of the mind , which is the onely seat of happiness . for by this means persons are taught not to expect evils of this kind , which must needs both render them more secure and unprovided for their reception , and the unexpectedness of such evils would also aggravate , their vexatiousness . and secondly , that it is in the power of good men to avoyd even all surprisals to any thing indecent that might deservedly procure by way of punishment any intervals of divine displeasure , wherein all their disappointment must tend to their further disquietment . besides that by the former principle , god never inflicting spiritual evils on arbitrary accounts , but in case of demerit ; and this demerit , by the later , never agreeing to a good man ( seeing its very supposition does ipso facto make him cease to be such ) good men will not seem obliged to expect it , and therefore not to be provided for it . but notwithstanding all this , i conceive it certain first , that understanding all these things concerning him whom the philosophers call a wiseman , and we christians a perfect man ( though they , as well as we , did question the actual existence of such a person , as i have already shewn in my aforesaid prolegom . sect. lxii . ) yet i say supposing such a person , all that they say on this subject would be true concerning him ; he would never be obnoxious to disturbances of this kind , as never deserving them , and therefore would need no defensative against them . but then secondly , for those other ordinary persons who do most frequently occur in ordinary practice , i do confess that to apply these principles to them would indeed be subject to the mentioned inconveniencies ; but i must withall profess that i think it never was their design to make such an application ; and therefore they must needs have been far from diverting others from such expectations , or from providing against them . for these weaker persons therefore , it is plain first , that they did acknowledg such not to act rationally , and therefore unlikely to be moved by rational arguments ; so that their discourses on this account could not have been unpracticable as if they had onely shewn them their duty , but not considered their abilities for practicing it . and secondly , that in persons acting so irrationally , passions were not so avoydable , nor their irrigularity easily separable from themselves , nor their demerit from their irregularity , nor consequently that th●se dissatisfactions and punishments necessarily-consequent to such demerit so hardly separable from such passions ( such as are most of those mentioned ) could be easily avoiedd . for first they acknowledged a 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 resulting necessarily from the mere mechanical impressions of exterior objects , in the inferior soul ; and secondly , a sympathetical influence of the inferior on the superior soul , upon account of the praeoccupation of sense and sensitive judgments and performances during the minority of reason , which , according to their principles , might by virtue of the former impression , incline the judgment it self to a 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 : or 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to the first 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 , that is , to believe the things really correspondent , to their appearances , to be such as they seem , which must needs infer a parity of resentment in the rational , which had before possessed the sensitive appetite . and thus much they do not deny concerning their wiseman himself , of the second order , such as was conceived existent in this life . but further thirdly , in weaker inferior persons they thought this sympathy so naturally-consequent to those exterior impressions as that it could not be prevented by particular ordinary reflections , but by long exercises , and solemnly-premeditated resolutions . so that to sensualists or weakly religious persons they both allowed reasons to expect such disturbances of mind , and the same latitude of providing against them as could have been advised by any other prudence whatsoever . for though indeed they might say that god would not permit any real evil to befall religious persons , yet they never undertook ( ●ay they warned the contrary ) that no apparent evil should do so too ; or that imperfectly virtuous persons should alwayes value things according to their real worth , and not be seduced sometimes to mistake their appearances for realities ; or that doing so , they , as well as others , would not prove lyable to dissatisfactions of mind , was never intended to be affirmed by them . and it might have been shewn how most of the disturbances now mentioned are imputable to the mistakes of weak understandings , and either are no realities at all , or , at least , not really such as they are conceived to be . thus those anxieties of mind , and dulness and distraction in the performance of spiritual duties , which are usually represented as so discouraging to piously designing persons , are no more originally than a meer revolution of their humours and complexions , and mistakes adequately occasioned by the indisposition of the recipient , not by any malignity of the things themselves . for indeed what reason is there to conclude their condition bad because their complexion is clouded with melancholy , a thing as little in their power , and as obnoxious to vicissitudes , as the vainest of those exterior fruitions so solemnly renounced by all pious persons ? and what else but complexion can be the reason why they are within a while ( without any accession of new guilt ) disquieted with jealousies and scrupulosities concerning that which not long before in a mature process of judging they had pronounced perfectly innocent , and recover periodically , when the cloud is over , without any further rational conviction ? yet this is that which melancholy persons miscall the fruition or desertion of the divine internal visitations . for if it were a real consciousness of demerit that were the reason of such an alteration of judgment concerning their own condition , either the demerits must be supposed frailties and inadvertencies , and those are known unsufficient to put us out of a state of grace ; or they are great and habitual , and such cannot agree to persons supposed pious , who onely , according to the principles of these philosophers themselves , are entitled to solid joy and comfort . and the same untowardness of complexion seems to be the principal , if not the onely , cause of that unquietness of conscience of which such persons do complain , for if the guilt were rationally grounded , they could not be the persons we are supposing them . so also for solicitousness concerning perseverance , it is certain that by the promises of christianity , he that does improves his present grace shall not be left destitute in any future exigences , but shall either have his abilities enlarged , or his temptations proportioned to his present abilities ; which he that believes ( as he must who professes to believe christianity ) can have no reason for solicitousness , and a solicitousness without reason can be imputed to nothing but complexion . so that the most likely means of prevailing on such persons practicable in pursuance of their principles , are ; both to perswade the persons that their present actings are unreasonable and erroneous , and to remove such prejudices as may immediately be removed upon conviction , and to comply with such as cannot till in process of time they may be made more capable of better impressions , and in the mean time prescribing such rules and exercises as may at once make their present condition most tolerable , and put them in a state of most probable proficiency for the future , the onely thing therefore that may be complained of in this moral philosophy is , that it wants those advantageous arguments for comforting persons which are afforded by christianity ; which will be no reason of neglecting , but improving , it by such auxiliary superadditions . and it may be that want of complyance which is complained of , may upon thorough consideration be found to be , not such as may so minister comfort for the present as that it may withal tend to the conviction of his error , but such as might nourish and confirm it , and detain the person perpetually in so imperfect a condition , an inconvenience to which novices in a religious life are too frequently obnoxious . for certainly a state of religion prudently managed would be obnoxious to fewer disturbances of the rationally superior soul than now we find it , if indeed to any at all . and lastly it might have been said , according to sense of the mystical divines as well as the stoicks , that these visitations , which are so eagerly aimed at by beginners in devotion , are meerly indifferent , and no real rational excellencies , neither as making the persons enjoying them better nor more honourable , nor as arguing them more acceptable to god , both because of the difficulty of distinguishing divine consolations from diabolical illusions , and because they dare not say that true consolations themselves are distributed in proportion to their personal excellencies , but many times greater to the weaker , who need them more for their encouragement , and lesser and fewer to more excellent persons ; so that still the doctrine of these philosophers may hold , that good men are not arbitrarily exercised with the loss of any thing truly excellent ; nor are the remedies of these philosophers onely so stupefactive as they are by some conceived , as if they were onely addressed against the pungency , but did not eradicate the malignity of the distemper , the same way as a natural bold complexion , nay sometimes distemper of the brain , does free from the sense of evil at present , which notwithstanding on sober thoughts will prove as afflictive as ever in this life , besides the more severe consequential inconveniences . for it was their profest doctrine that virtue was the onely solid security of happiness , which must needs have obliged them not to accept of any other indolency but what must arise or be conformable thereunto , which no prudent considerate person will deny to be not onely a solid cure of present maladies , but also a secure prevention of future miscarriages . and it is really a mistake of the true sense and design of these excellent persons to think that they made their present satisfaction so adaequately the end of their philosophical performances as that they should make no conscience of committing those vices which were less liable to present molestations , or of acquiring those virtues which were either contrary or not contributive to present happiness , and that solid purity was hardly intended by them , they being more solicitous for sensual than spiritual purity ; for purity in exterior appearance , than in the intention . for it is plain that happiness was by them thought necessarily consequent to virtue , and misery to vice under their very formal notions , which , whatever sensualists might think , could not leave them any ground of such a distinction of any virtues that were at present afflictive , or , vices that might advance any present real satisfaction , which must have obliged them to a prosecution of all virtue , and a detestation of all vice , without any exception . and then the advantages they proposed to themselves being onely grounded on the intrinsick nature of the duties themselves , and not being thought the least promoted by other mens opinions , must needs have made such duties desirable independently on common fame ; besides that they did expresly decry , and teach men to despise , other mens opinions , than which nothing can be thought more effectual for the eradication of all vain glory and hypocrisie and conceitedness , of which uncandid censurers ancient as well as modern have been so forward to condemn them . i will not undertake to justifie their persons in these particulars ; but i think i may very justly except against this way of proceeding to censure their principles from their practices , both because affairs of this nature concerning their secret intentions are impossible to be known by men who cannot discern their hearts , and in such cases common humanity as well as charity obliges to believe the best ; and because there were some of them so wary as that they never appeared guilty of the least affectation as far as humane observation could discover them , nay gave evidences of the contrary ( it had been easie to have produced instances if i had not been afraid of being too tediously digressive ) and if the uttermost for which any shew of proof can be pretended were granted , that they had been vain glorious and been so universally ; yet what is that to discredit the goodness of their principles , ( for the defence of which alone i am concerned ) the best professions of the world being apt in their own case to think themselves hardly and unkindly used , if their principles should be condemned for their unconformable practices ? and i have already shewn that such practices , if they had been , must needs have been unconformable . thus much may suffice at present for vindicating the rational use of these ancient morallists . for as for that pedantick use which some less prudent persons seem mainly to design in reading them , that they may upon occasion produce them as patrons of sentences in themselves , so intrinsecally rational as that they need no patronage , i think it needless to warn considerative persons of its insignificancy , of which the generality of scholars are by this time sufficiently convinced . ix . but then for the discovery of those mystical senses which were designedly thus involved by the poets and philosophers , and withall for unridling their publick idolatries , the ground of these intricacies being that language of the gods mentioned by homer , and instanced in many particulars by clemens alexandrinus strom. iv. the best means , where there be any regular ones possible ; will be to examine what these were both among themselves , and other nations from whom they received them . and these , according to the two wayes whereby the gods were thought to have revealed themselves to men : either by visible representation of things whose natures had some analogy with what they intended , or more directly and familiarly by way of voice ; may seem also to have been twofold . for the former , you may , i believe , get much advantage from that otherwise reputed late and unprofitable as well as superstitions , learning of the graecian oneirocriticks , which as they were evidently thought divine , and the main instance of that sort of revelation among all ancient nations ; so they had incomparably greater advantages for their conveyance to posterity than any other kind of learning . and the graecians being confessedly none of its first authors , but the asiatick telmissij ( whether those of caria or of the city telmissus in lycia ) as a tatianus and b clemens relate , i suppose on greek testimonies , it seems evident that they derived it easterly . and for the lycian telmissus , it being , according to suidas , founded by antenor's posterity , it is impossible that they should be its first inventors , seing that from homer it appears that it was practiced by the graecians themselves before that ; and for the other , most of those asian colonies being acknowledged to have proceeded easternly ( for most , if not all the graecian colonies , that were there , were planted there after the destruction of troy ) may probably give much light for discovering the secrets of the eastern learning , and of those nations especially that were anciently famous for it , the chaldaeans , and the phaenicians , from whom in all probability they derived most of their traditions . and another advantage of this , above all other , sorts of mystical learning is , that , whereas the explication of others was either reserved with the priests themselves , or afterwards communicated to some few initiated persons after very severe and rigorous tryals of their secrecy , as you may see in lucas holstenius's notes upon porphyry de vitâ pythagorae , which it is probable very few would undergo , & might therefore be more obnoxious to corruption or forgetfulness , which i suspect to be the true reason of those corruptions among the graecians themselves , till they were again repaired by the philosophers by a new intelligence with those nations from whom they had originally derived them ; the ordinary practice and profession of this made its explication also not at all subject to those inconveniences . so also you will , i believe , get much assistance from the aegyptian hieroglyphicks ( though that also be thought by many an unprofitable learning ) for understanding the ridiculous * statues of their gods , and their sacrifices , and vivaria of sacred animals , and their mystical caeremonies which afterwards even they themselves that were initiated knew not , and many of the pythagoraean symbols , and the mystical philosophy . for that this was a sacred manner of expressing themselves , besides many others , c origen expresly affirms ; and that circumcision was necessary for initiating them that were desirous to learn it is very probable , upon which account pythagoras may be thought to have endured that rite , according to d clemens alexandrinus ( and probably that opinion of many mentioned by e st. ambrose , making him a natural jew , contrary to the general consent of others who make him a tyrrhenian , or of asia , might hence have had its original , whereas it is evident not onely from the former testimony of origen , but also from f aristophanes and g herodotus , which later place is also quoted by h josephus , nay from the very instance of appion himself , that notorious and bitter enemy to the jewes , who is yet reported by the same josephus to have dyed of it , that circumcision was afterwards derived to many other nations , and particularly to the aegyptians from whom celsus thinks the jewes to have borrowed it apud orig. l. i. ) and he could not legally have retired to his gentile course of life , if he had been circumcised by the jewes , it being onely administred by them to their proselytes of justice whose recidivation was counted as piacular as that of the natural jewes themselves ; which by the way being appropriated in the scriptures to the jewes so as that the uncircumcised and the gentiles are used synonymously , yet being , before the travels of the philosophers , borrowed by other nations , will give a strong suspicion of their conveying their doctrines together with their caeremony of initiation . this observation may indeed confirm the vulgar opinion concerning the phaenicians , both because it hence appears that they did not use circumcision anciently , nay seem to have abhorred it , which made themselves abhorred by the jewes , and therefore their receiving it afterwards seems to argue them better affected to the jewes , from whom upon that account it seems probable that they received it ( besides that their good affection to the jewes appears from the very friendly league of david and solomon with hiram , that i may not mention the marriage of ahab with jezabel the daughter of ithobalus , and that uncircumcision is never , that i remember objected to them in the scripture after the time of saul ) so that together with that it is not improbable that they might receive other things to which they were less averse , especially if any credit may be given to the pretended sancho●●athon . but for the aegyptians and aethiopians , i do not think it so easily proved that they received their circumcision from the jewes . for first , i know no ground of believing it an innovation among them , the scripture it self never upbraids them with uncircumcision . and secondly , the circumcision it self was differently practiced among them from the customes of the jewes . it was not as with the jewes administred the eighth day , nor as with the arabians in imitation of ismael , the thirteenth year , but to persons fully adult ; such as was appion when he dyed of it ; nor to all persons of their nation or superstition , but onely to some eminently qualified persons that were sit to be initiated in their mysteries ; not onely to men , nor indeed to any but such a● i have already mentioned , but also to women , and that rather for a natural cause proper to the women of those countreys , as physicians conceive , than any matter of religion , whatever is pretended at present to the contrary ( for i look on the fable of maqueda their pretended queen of sheba's institution of it related by zaga zabo in damianus a goes as not worthy to be taken notice of ) so that at least in regard of them this argument for their deriving other things from the jewes together with their circumcision will not hold . nor do i think the customes of the modern aethiopick abyssens , though they may indeed argue a judaizing disposition in their first converters to christianity , sufficient to argue any communication of theirs with the jewes in the time of their paganisme , which is the onely thing i am at present discoursing of . for the other way of expressing the mind of their gods to them articulately by voice , as some of them seem to have been seigned purposely for their obscurity ; so i believe you will find very many of them significant in other tongues . and for this purpose i conceive it convenient that you were acquainted with the theory of the ancient magick ; for , besides that the ancient philosophers did by all means aim at the nearest and most familiar conversation with their gods , and that the name was not then , as it was after , counted infamous , and even after it was , they are strongly suspicious of their too good affections to it from the strange stories of apollonius tyaneus , prophyry , and jamblichus , and those 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 they s● much speak of ; many of the primitive haereticks , who exactly insisted on their footsteps as their patriarchs , as tertullian calls them , did plainly practice it , as simon , and menander , and marcus , and basilides , and most of their names of their aeones , and some of their sacred rites mentioned in irenaeus , are merely magical . and as the true religion was by degrees perverted into idolatry , so magick in the bad sense seems to have been nothing but a further degeneration of ancient idolatry . onely the notion is creater here than among the graecians , that they being applyed onely to such whom they thought properly gods : the several virtues of him that is supreme , or the influence of the stars , or the president daemons ( not to the inanimated elements of nature ) or canonized heroes ; most of them are exotical ( which is the reason of their strangeness in the greek ) nay in oriental tongues which have an affinity with the ehrew , and may therefore the more probably give light to the idolatry of those nations that are alluded to in the old testament ; that these people were especially inquisitive in all religions , for the names of their most powerful gods , and so sometimes of the true as well as false ; for thus i am apt to suspect those imitations of the tetragrammaton to have been derived to the occidentals ; thus the name jovis among the romanes , which from suidas and ennius and iucius ampelius , and most ancient authors , appears to have been the nominative case , whence they derived their vejoves and dejoves , and , which brings it yet closer to my purpose , as i remember , varro in st. augustine , makes him worshipped by the jewes . so 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which you may see instanced and excellently discoursed of by mr. nicholas fuller in miscel . sacr. l. ii . c. . and iv . c. . . which author i shall recommend to your reading on vacant occasions , and the god 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is by i diodorus siculus also said to have given the law to moses . and that these names were divulged by the magicians , besides the words of origen 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 ( produced out of a greek m s. by the forementioned k mr. fuller , though now not extant , that i know of , nor by what appears after the diligent search of petrus l daniel huetius the author of the late collection of origen's greek commentaries , nor any thing , as i remember , answering it in the latine translation of russinus , who yet is not famed for rendring the greek exactly , nor does himself pretend to it ) confirming my conjecture ; will be reasonable to believe : whether we consider that there is no plausible author pretended for it , none of the philosophers ; or those wicked uses it was put to in the rites of bacchus and apollo , or that commendation given it by the devil himself in the oracle of apollo clarius , wherein he confesses , m 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 sure for some such mischievous purpose . so also the god of abraham isaac and jacob is mentioned by n origen as invoked by magicians , nay and the name of jesus himself , not onely in him , o but also by the sons of sceva in the acts. p to which i might add that security of conveyance in them , their superstition forbidding them the liberty even of a translation , which was a great reason of their strangeness among the graecians , and yet is professedly maintained as reasonable by q jamblichus , as great an enemy as he seems to magick , and it seems to have been the opinion of the stoicks defended by origen . l. i. p. . and for this you may see the necessity of the oriental tongues , which if you cannot spare time for your self , i would advise you to be acquainted with some that is excellent in them , whom you may consult upon occasion . but that which i believe would be most serviceable for this design among the greek idolatries , is the coptite or ancient aegyptiack , from whom , as i said formerly , they borrowed very many of them , wherein though both the likeness of the character , and the signification of many of their words , may be easily discernible ; yet both in some , the idiomes of the tongues will make the difference more apparent , and where they do not , it would at least concern you to know their convenience , for the historical enquiry , whether among the others there was any thing proportionable ? and possibly you will find some assistance this way for the understanding those hard mystical words used by the romans , mentioned by r arnobius , though seeing tages , and the hetrurians the reputed indigenae , were thought to be the inventors of most of those sacred rites wherein they were used , i conceive the right knowledge best deducible from the ancient hetrurian tongue before it was corrupted by those numerous greek colonyes that overspread afterwards a great part of italy . and for this your best conjectures will be drawn from those obsolete old latine words in ennius , plautus , festus , varro &c. and other later antiquaries and grammarians . and in this whole way of deriving unknown words to their primitive originals , you must allow many variations , either for want of answerable letters , or the ignorance of later transcribers , wherein , that you may not be irregular , it would concern you to be critically acquainted in both tongues , the borrower , and the borrowed , that by comparison of both you may conjecture what alterations were likely to happen . but besides this use of oneirocriticks and hieroglyphicks and the other pagan mystical arts of concealment for understanding the hidden senses of their poets and philosophers , and their publick idolatries ; i have observed another use made of them by some very learned persons , for explaining the prophetick books of scripture , which because it may seem something strange at the first sight and is not cleared particularly 〈◊〉 those ingenious authors that use it , and may withall be very apposite for the use of a scholastical divine ; it may be seasonable on this occasion to give some account of it ▪ first , therefore i suppose that god did intend that these prophesies which were committed to writing , and enrolled in the publick canon of the church , should be understood by the persons concerned in them . for otherwise it could not properly be called a revelation , if after the discovery things still remained as intricate as formerly , and it is not credible that god should publish revelations onely to exercise and puzzle the industry of humane enquiries , or as an evidence of his own knowledge of things exceeding ours ( though indeed that it self cannot be known by us unless we be able to discern some sense which otherwise could not have been known than by such prophesies ) or to give occasion to enthusiasts and cunningly designing persons to practice seditions and innovations under the pretence of fulfilling prophesies , without any possibility of rational confutation by the orthodox , who , upon this supposal must be presumed as ignorant of them as themselves ; and there is no prudent way of avoyding this uselesness and dangerousness but by rendring them intelligible to the persons concerned . and secondly , the persons concerned in these kinds of revelations , cannot be the prophets themselves or any other private persons of the ages wherein they were delivered , but the church in generall also in future ages . for as prophesie in general is a gratia gratis data , and therefore as all others of that kind given primarily and originally for the publick use of the church , so certainly such of them as were committed to writing , and designedly propagated to future ages , must needs have been of a general and permanent concernment . and thirdly , the church concerned in those prophesies , cannot onely be those ages which were to survive their accomplishment , but also those before ; and therefore it cannot be sufficient to pretend , as many do , that these prophesies shall then be understood when they are fulfilled , but it will be further requisite to assert that they may be so before . for the onely momentous reason , that must be conceived concerning these , as well as other , revelations , must be some duty which could not otherwise have been known , which must have been something antecedent , for all consequent duties of patience and resignation are common to them with other providences , and therefore may be known in an ordinary way . now for antecedent duties , such as seem to be intimated in the prophesies themselves where any are mentioned , nothing can suffice but an antecedent information . besides to what end can this post-nate knowledge serve ? for satisfying christians of the divine prescience upon the accomplishment of his predictions ? this is needless ; for they already profess themselves to believe it . is it therefore for the conviction of infidels ? but neither can this be presumed on a rational account . for how can it be known that a prediction was fulfilled when it is not known what was predicted ? or how can it be known what was predicted when the prediction is so expressed as to be capable of many senses , and no means are acknowledged possible for distinguishing the aequivocation ? nay will not such a design of ambiguity seem to such a person suspicious of that stratagem of the delphick oracles , to preserve the reputation of a prophetick spirit by a provision beforehand for avoyding the danger of discovery ? for indeed this kind of prophesie will be so weak an argument for proving divine inspiration , as that indeed it may agree to any natural man of ordinary prudence . for in publick affairs ( the subject of these prophesies ) which proceed more regularly and are less obnoxious to an interposition of private liberty , the multitude who are the causes of such evolutions generally following the complexion of their bodies , and therefore being as easily determined , and therefore , predicted from natural causes as such their complexions ; it will not be hard , at least , very probably , to conjecture future contingencies from present appearances of their natural causes . and then by foretelling them in ambiguous expressions he may provide that if any of those senses , of which his words are capable , come to pass , that may be taken for the sense intended , so that a mistaking in all but one would not be likely to prejudice his credit . and at length if all should fail , yet a refuge would be reserved for the superstitious reverencers of his authority , that themselves had rather failed of understanding his true sense than that had failed of truth ; especially if among a multitude of attempts , but one hit in one sense ( as it is hard even in a lottery that any should alwayes miss , much more in matters capable of prudential conjectures ) that one instance of success would upon those accounts more confirm his credit than a multitude of faileurs would disparage it ; because in point of success they would be confident of their understanding him rightly , but in miscarriages they would lay the blame , not on the prediction , but their own misunderstandings . now seeing this way is so very easily pretended to by cheats beyond any probable danger of discovery , it cannot to persons not already favourably affected ( who onely need conviction ) prove any argument of a divine inspiration ; and therefore will , even upon this account , be perfectly useless . supposing therefore that it is necessary that these predictions be understood before , as well as after , that they are fulfilled ; it will follow fourthly , that where they were not explained by the prophets themselves , there they were intelligible by the use of ordinary means , such as might , by the persons to whom the revelations were made , be judged ordinary . for that they should be explained by new prophets to be sent on the particular occasion , there is no ground to believe ; and if these prophesies were so expressed as that they needed a new revelation for explaining them , they must have been useless , and indeed could not have deserved the name of revelations , they still transcending the use of humane means as much as formerly . for if they had been revealed formerly what need had there been of a new discovery ? and if this need be supposed it must plainly argue that the former pretended revelation was not sufficient for the information of mankind in the use of ordinary means , and that which is not so , cannot answer the intrinsick ends of a revelation . this therefore being supposed that old revelations are thus intelligible without new ones , it must needs follow that their explication must be derived from the use of ordinary means . and then for determining further what these ordinary means are that might have been judged such by those to whom these revelations were made , i consider fifthly , that this whole indulgence of god in granting the spirit of prophesie was plainly accommodated to the heathen practice of divination . this might have been exemplyfied in several particulars . thus first , the very practice of revealing future contingencies , especially of ordinary consultations concerning the affairs of private and particular persons , cannot be supposed grounded on reason , ( otherwise it would have been of eternal use , even now under the gospel ) but a condescension to the customes and expectations of the persons to whom they were communicated ; and secondly , that an order and succession of prophets was established in analogy to the heathen diviners is by a very ingenious person s proved from that famous passage of deut. xviii . . . to which purpose he also produces the concurrent testimony of origen cont. cels . l. i. and thirdly , that the sense of the platonists and other heathens , concerning divine inspiration , its nature and parts and different degrees , and distinction from enthusiasm does very much agree with the notions of the rabbins concerning it , will appear to any that considers the testimonies of both produced by mr. smith in his excellent discourse on this subject . hence it will follow sixthly , that as this divination of which they were so eager , was originally heathenish , so they were most inclinable to make use of those means of understanding it to which they had been inured from the same principles of heathenism , especially where god had not otherwise either expresly provided for it , or expresly prohibited the means formerly used , and those means , others failing , were most likely by them to be judged ordinary . and that oneirocriticks were the proper means among the heathens for explaining their divinatio per somnium answering the jewish degree of prophesie by dreams ; and indeed the principal art of the harioli and conjectures concerning visions as far as they held analogy with those representations which were made to other less prepared persons in their sleep , will not need any proof . it might have been shewn how the principal rules of the jewish cabbala 〈◊〉 among the heathen was a curious mystical kind of learning contrived for maintaining a conversation with their gods ● wherein they were im●●ated by the gnosticks , so they were derived from the heathen occult philosophy . and certainly it is most likely to have been some kind of expressing and explaining prophesies , and some kinds of learning subservient thereunto , which was so solemnly studied by the jewish candidates for prophesie in their schools and colledges , and which made it so strange that persons wanting that preparation , such as saul and amos , should be by god honoured with it ; besides that we find the punctual fulfilling of several predictions of the chaldaeans by virtue of their oneirocriticks ( those most eminent transactions of the conquests of cyrus and the death of alexander the great were thus foretold ) plainly implying that god himself as he designed those dreams to be divinatory , so he observed the oneirocritical rules in their signification ; for it is not probable that revolutions managed by such special designs and signal interpositions of divine providence could have been foreknown or signified by the devil , he being frequently put to his solemn shifts of aequivocation for concealment of his ignorance in affairs of greater moral probability , and consequently of easier prediction . and it cannot seem more strange that god should observe the rules of oneirocriticks and hieroglyphicks in his responses when made use of with a pious design by his own people , than that he should answer the heathens themselves in their own practice . thus he observed the sign proposed by the philistines for discerning the true reason of their sufferings sam. vi . . . and met balaam in the use of his enchantments numb . xxiii . . . and revealed our saviours nativity to the magi by the means of a star. and particularly for oneirocriticks , their suitableness to this purpose will not be scrupled by them who admit the testimony of trogus pompeius t who ascribes the first invention thereof to the patriarch joseph , which will be very congruous to that prevailing opinion among the fathers and many late excellent authors , that all arts were derived originally from the jewes . besides daniel who was so famous for expounding dreams , though he was thought by the heathens to do some things by the inspiration of the holy gods dan. v. . yet had chaldaean education , chap. i. . and was a great proficient in it v. . and was accordingly included in the decree for killing the chaldaeans dan. ii . . and was therefore after his miraculous interpretation of nebuchadnezars dream , promoted to be master of the magicians , astrologers , soothsayers and chaldaeans . dan. v. . and therefore certainly was thought in things not exceeding the power of the art to have proceeded according to its prescriptions ; that is , in the interpretation , though not in the discovery of the dream it self . and they as well as the jewes being concerned in the event of his prediction must also have been so in the understanding of them . so also moses being expresly affirmed skilful in all the learning of the aegyptians , must therefore be presumed skilful not onely in their hieroglyphicks , for which they are so commonly famed , but also in oneirocriticks to which they were also addicted as appears gen. xli . . and methinks that challenge made in the revelation u concerning the name of the beast , that here is wisedom , and that he that hath understanding should exercise himself in counting the number thereof , ( as it seems plainly to allude to the cabalistical way of finding out names by numbers , whereof we have among the heathens a precedent in x martianus capella who thus sits the names of mercury and philology to shew the congruity of their marriage besides very many more in the gnosticks in st. irenaeus , so ) seemes to imply that it was , though hardly , in the exercise of this art , discoverable even by humane wisedome . certainly st. irenaeus understood him so when he attempted to unriddle him by finding out names , whose numeral letters , in the greek tongue wherein the challenge had been made , might amount to such a number . i do not , by all that has been said , intend that all prophesies are explicable by any rules of art or suitable conjectures . i know many of the heathen oracles themselves were not . the oracles expounded by themistocles , curtius , nebrus &c , did not depend on art but luck ▪ my meaning is onely concerning the prophetick visions , and onely those of them which are left unexpounded by god himself ; for that these are to be presumed sufficiently intelligible in the use of ordinary means , may thence be conjectured , that seeing that , according to the jewes , this is made the characteristick distinction betwixt true prophesie and enthusiasme , that though both of them ( the gradus mosaicus of prophesie onely being excepted , which is extraordinary ) do imply a mixed influence of the intellectual and imaginative facultives , yet that in enthusiasme the imaginative were predominant , but in prophesie the intellectual ; whence also they further inferred that though enthusiasts might have prophetick instincts as little understood by themselves as others , yet true prophets perfectly understood their own condition , and made prudential reflections , and were inquisitive after the sense , and were therefore importunate with god for a further revelation of what they understood not , and therefore what they did not enquire after , nor consequently was not upon such their solicitations revealed to them , was in all probability to be supposed already rightly understood by them without revelation , and therefore in the use of ordinary means . indeed it might so fall out that what was in the use of ordinary means intelligible might yet actually not be understood , and god might for that time be pleased that it should not be so , especially where no duty antecedent might be prejudiced by such a concealment ; yet is not so late an understanding of such prophesies grounded on their obscurity , but that of the event , which when come to pass will be found , without any new revelation , exactly correspondent . besides all this for the discovery of tradition i think it would very much conduce to be conversant with the heathen oracles , especially the * chaldaean and magical ; for from them you will most probably understand their sense , and from them the ancients , plato and pythagoras , seem to have borrowed their opinions , and porphyry professedly did gather from them a body of philosophy in his 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 mentioned by st. augustine and o - and for your more clear and satisfactory proceeding in these enquiries , it would , it may be , be very available to know the common opinions that generally prevailed in the world upon the decaying of idolatry , when the mysteries began to be divulged , and the philosophers themselves to speak more plainly , and by the former prescriptions to examine how far they were intended by the ancients , and from history , and the manner of their expressing it , from what nation it is probable they derived them , and what means those nations had either for preserving them from the beginning , or after of learning them from the jewes , and alwayes presume that nearer the original you shall find them more pure from after invected superadditions . this method many may think something strange , and i do confess i dare not warrant it all upon my own experience , and therefore i have not at all been decretory , and have withall insinuated my reasons , and i believe no candid scholars will censure them without a tryal , and if upon examination they be found unsatisfactory , i here profess my self very willing to be corrected by those that are more experienced and judicious ; and you shall find the main design of them to be the same with that of the learned fathers for the first centuries , onely with some additional directions for their further improvement . but i proceed . x. the third particular then concerned the necessary books , and general directions for their management , in pursuance of these studies . and here first concerning that part of divinity which is purely rational , i do not conceive it necessary for you to trouble your self with variety of authors , but with those onely that are commended for their ingenious managing it , or who proceed on different principles ; and for the greatest part of it you shall find it intermingled with school-divinity , and therefore will not need any different prescriptions . for school divinity therefore , according to the principles already laid down , for the testimonial part on which it is grounded ( and the same you may also understand of the canon law : for burchardus , ivo , and gratian , are guilty too of relying on inconsiderable , and counterfeit , and corrupted authorities , for the which in gratian you may read the emendations of the excellent antonius augustinus ) i advised you after the text of lombard , to read the fathers and councils , for the use i told you formerly , but principally for the historical discovery of new testament . tradition , especially the earliest of them ; those that are counterfeit as well as what are genuine , if they be truly ancient . and your best order in reading them will be to begin with the apologeticks against the heathens ; for these will advance your humanity studies , and will shew you their design in divinity ; and will be best intelligible by you as least depending on ecclesiastical learning , and are most accurately penn'd as being designed against the graecian wisedom , and the saecular philosophy . and the names of those pieces of this kind , according to their succession as near as i can ghess ( for it were convenient that you read them continually and in order , both for your own memory ( for the later usually transcribe the former ) and for your better comparison of their conveniences and differences together ; and possibly you may not know them ) are these : st. justine martyr , his paraenetick , apologies i. and ii. de monarchiâ confutation of aristotle , if his . athenagoras , his legatio pro christianis , de resurrectione mortuorum , an excellent rational piece . tatianus , his oratio ad graecos . theophilus antiochenus , ad autolyc . lib ▪ iii. clemens alexandrinus , his protreptick , the greatest part of his stromat●● , wherein his main design seems to be to prove the principal tenets of christianity by the testimonies of poets and philosophers , though mingled with many excursions against the gnosticks who seem to be the greatest enemies of the old philosophy . this author i would have you read attentively , both because his stile is intricate , and he is full of quotations , which will otherwise be hardly remembred , & he is one of the most learned that managed that cause . tertullian , his apologetick , ad nationes lib. ii. ad scapulam , de idololatriâ , de spectaculis . minucius faelix , his octavius . st. cyprian , his de vanitate idolorum , put of which is out of minucius faelix , transcribed verbatim ; ad demetrianum ; ad senatorem conversum , either his or tertullian ' sin verse de vit . laps . carm. origen , his cont. celsum . lib. viii . arnobius , his cont. gent. lib. vii . lactantius , his divin . institut . l. vii . besides that most of his other works tend that way . eusebius caesariensis , his excellent collections de praeparatione evangelicâ , l.xv. to be read with all diligence . contra hieroclem . athanasius m. his contr. gent : julius firmicu● maternus his de erroribus profanarum religionum . st. gregory nazian l. his steliteutic . in julian . st. ambrose , cont. symmach . aur. prudentius , his contra symmachum , and several passages in his peristephan●n occur to this purpose . st. chrysostom , his oratio adv : ●●nt . st. augustine his de civitate dei l. xxii . an excellent work . st. cyrill of alexandria cont. julian . l. x. theodoret. therapeutic . a fair edition of the apologists has been promised from leiden , but they have not , that i know of , performed it in any more than minucius faelix and arnobius , & lactantius with notes . these are all that i can at present remember , together with those two jewes , josephus cont . appion . and several pieces of philo. the writers also of the saecular history of the romanes from the time of our saviour , which may contribute much to the understanding them are suetonius , tacitus , and the writers of historia augusta usually bound together , herodian , xiphiline , dio cassius , and afterwards ammianus marcellinus , and zosimus . for understanding their ecclesiastical writings , and their full design , and how far what they say is to be taken for the sense of the church , it will concern you to know the condition of the writers : both how they were qualified for knowing it , and how affected for following it ? what violence they used in their stile , and therefore what regular abatements were to be allowed ? and really , i think , you shall find no doctrines firmly relyed on by them as the sense of the church catholick but such as were opposed by some of the then extant haereticks , as you may see in the account given of it , by origen in his praeface to his 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and in pamphilus his apology for him , by y st. irenaeus , z tertullian & alexander alexandrinus in his encyclical epistle against arius , before its augmentation on occasion of that haeresie , by st. cyril of hierusalem also and st. epiphaniue , and ruffinus . for this end therefore it will be requisite to read first those ecclesiastical historians that are ancient : eusebius with the additions of ruffinus , socrates , sozomen , theodoret , evagrius , and the collections of theodorus lector , as you shal , find them together bound in one graeco-latine folio , or in the translations of cassiodorus and epiphanius scholaris in the tripartite history ; but especially take notice of eusebius , both because the rest do not meddle with what he handles , but onely begin where he leaves of ; and because you shall find i● him fragments of many ancient and excellent fathers whose works are otherwise lost ; and because the ages described by him are the most considerable in this affair . and then nicephorus callistus , who though himself otherwise late , and mingled with many counterfeits , and so of no considerable authority alone , yet very likely had truer copies of the authors followed by him that are extant , and the assistance of some that are not . then for understanding the arian controversies , which were the principal that employed the fourth century , you may read gelasius cyzicenus , and philostorgius the arian epitomized by photius , more largely than in his bibliotheca , and published by gothofredus . these are the principal historians for the first four centuries and upwards within the time of the first general councils , into which i would have you principally to enquire , this being the uttermost period that is owned by the dissenting communions of christendom as the most aequal arbitiator of their controversies . but the sullest account of this as also of what authors deliver concerning it , and a discussion of the historical controversies , and most of what can be desired in this kind you will find in the learned cardinal baronius . but for his mistakes , either through oversight or prejudice ( for he is extremely addicted to the driving on the papal cause ) besides what casaubon and bishop mountague , and others of both parties have performed , you may read that useful and elaborate piece of the protestant magdebur genses , though written before him , and examine both their quotations , and determine impartially as you shall judge reasonable . next , for understanding the haeresies , besides what you must be presumed to have met with in the historians , they that handle them professedly are : st. irenaeus , in his first book . tertullian , contra valentinianos , & in the appendix to his praescriptions , if it be his . epiphanius . philastrius . s● . augustine . theodoret. leontius byzantinus in his schola . theodorus presbyter de incarnatione , and others . after this the workes of the fathers themselves that are genuine , and those that are not according to theire true antiquity ; which that you may know and distinguish ( besides those ancients : st. hierom , who transcribes most that he has from eusebius , only translating him , and gennadius &c. ) i shall referr you to erasmus and others in the editions themselves , to possevine's apparatus , bellarmine de scriptor . eccles . cocus , rivet's critica sacra , and gerhard , which it were well that you had by you to consult upon occasion as you are reading them . and what i have here advised you for the four first , after you have observed them , you will your self be able to improve farther in the later centuryes , my design at present is only an introduction . for the councills ( which i would advise you to read before their contemporary or later . fathers , both because their authority is greater , and will be necessary to understand the allusions of particular fathers to them in opposing the haereticks condemned by them , and what fathers are most to be relyed on in what controversies ; for that is not to be determined by their greater personal learning , but rather by their approbation in the church as her chiefest campions . such were st. athanasius against the arians , st. cyril against the nestorians , st. augustine against the pelagians &c. ) you may make use of the same praescriptions proportionably applyed , for knowing which are counterfeit , and which are genuine ; which oecumenical , and which onely provincial : which are very fundamental enquiries to what must be grounded on them ; for which you will find an account , for the papists , in binius's tomes who usually borrowes what he has from baronius and bellarmine ; and for the protestants , from the aforesaid centurists , who through every age bestow a chapter on that purpose . the greater fathers you will find by their names , but for those that are less voluminous , you must have recourse to the bibliothecae : both graeco-latine and latine , especially in the last editions , though you may find some in the first that were afterwards expunged out of the later by the popish party . for the schoolmen , i should rather counsel you to read the prime authors than the abettors of parties , unless it be , when you have satisfied your self of their sense , for the closer prosecution of their arguments ; for they are indeed very much improved by their ingenious commentators . for aquinas , you need hardly read any thing but his sums , which you will find to contain the sum of his works ( which mount to that voluminousness they have , very much by repetitions ) as well as of divinity , and that with this advantage , that these were his last and most praemeditate thoughts , seeing he dyed before he compleated them . these you may read with cajetane . then scotus on the sentences together with lychetus ; and for the nominalists occham and ariminensis , if you can get them ; if not , biel , who is more easily procurable . if you would read any more of the ancient schoolmen , let them be such as are not addicted to factions , or those that are moderate ; such are bonaventure , durand , gerson , almain , aliaco and cameracensis . for critical learning you are to take notice of the unusual or ambiguous phrases of authors , and mark them on the margents of the books themselves , if they be your own , and when you shall meet with any thing parallell , compare them together , and , if they be rarely observed , note them in mss. prepared for that purpose . for the antiquities of the old testament , and the jewish customes in the new , you may read the talmud , the chaldee paraphrasts , the old rabbins , with josephus and philo. for the new testament sects , the pharisees , sadduces and essenes , besides what you will meet in the authors already prescribed and epiphanius , who had himself been formerly a jew , you may read the trihaereses of scaliger , serarius , and drusius ; and others upon baronius's apparatus . but the praxis of all matters of this nature is sufficiently contained in those late editions of the polyglotta and criticks , that i need not trouble my self to give you an inventory of any more authors , than what you will find quoted upon several occasions . the knowledge of the old aegyptian divinity and tongue you may have from herodotus , plutarch de isid . & ostride , and aristotle , the prodromus , oedipus and thesaurus of athanasius kircher ; the phaenician from sanchoniathon in eusebius de praep. evang. from those fragments of pherecydes syrius in ancient authors ; for he is said to have borrowed them hence by suidas , though possibly with alterations of his own , and the works of porphyry who was their countryman ; the chaldaean from their magick oracles bound up with a collection of all the rest of what nature soever , with the greek scholia of psellus and pletho by opsopaeus , and jamblichus de myster . aegyptior . & chaldaeor . for the lives and histories of the ancient poets you may satisfie your self from gerardus johannes vossius de poetis and gregorius giraldus in his dialogues , concerning the same subject . the lives and opinions of the ancient philosophers you may read in diogenes laërtius , plutarch de placitis , the greek lexicographers , and very many other ancient authors , particularly in what is remaining of porphyry's work on that subject , his v●●a pythagorae and of plotinus , and very much of that eastern , both babylonian and indian learning in the expeditions of apollonius tyaneus written by philostratus , and the late mr. stanley ; especially for their opinions you may consult the excellent collection of stobaeus . and though all the three sects of philosophers , both jonick , italick and eleatick , seem originally to have been derived from the barbarians , ( as you may see learnedly discoursed by clemens z alexandrinus ) and so would be beneficial to your design ; yet i think there are hardly any professed works remaining of any of them but the pythagoraeans and the platonists . for the former you may read the golden verses with hierocles , and his symbols with giraldus on them , usually both bound together with hierocles's works , together with the late collection of pythagoraean authors and fragments at cambridg , mdclxx . for the later , you may have plato's works and doctrine cleared by marsilius ficinus , and others that have endeavoured to reconcile him to aristotle . the mystical senses of the poets ( besides what you shall meet with commonly in the ancients ) you have explained by n●talis comes , vossius de idololatriâ , and giraldus de dijs gentium , and among the ancients , by phurnutus and palaephatus professedly . their oracles i have already mentioned . for their oneirocriticks , there are artemidorus and achmedes alone , and astrampsychus at the end of the forementioned edition of the oracles . for their historians and geographers , i refer you to bodinus his methodus historiae , at the end whereof he has a catalogue of them , and an account of the times which they lived in , but above all to their late princes : scaliger and petavius for the one , and ortelius and bochartus for the other . and this may serve for your initiation in these studies , which is , at present , my uttermost design . xi . but the way for avoyding confusion and distraction in such a variety of them , which will belong to the fourth particular of my propounded method , will be to shew which of them are not necessary to be studied at the same time , but in order ; and for them which are so , what times distinctly are most seasonable . for the former , you may , from what has been said , perceive what studies are requisite for others , and therefore necessary to be first prosecuted ; and besides what are more necessary for your present uses , and what may as yet be more conveniently omitted : onely it were well you would endeavour to overcome the rudiments of whatever you design as soon as you can , though they be not of present use , for you will find them more tiresome when you are older . of these therefore it will be unnecessary to speak any more . that therefore , in those that are at present to be followed , you may avoyd distraction , and yet loose as little time as is possible : you may distinguish them into such as are more easily apprehended , and entertained with more present and sensible pleasure , and so leave a more tenacious impression on the memory ; and these you may apply your self to immediately after your recreations , and afer a little reflection , you may proceed to those that are more serious , and require a greater recollection : for such i esteem history and geography ; for which i would have you begin with the ancients in their own tongues , with the annotations of noted criticks , who both may put you in mind , and satisfie you in difficulties which you had not otherwise expected , and refer you to parallel places in other authors , where you may find that which probably you may sometimes be desirous of , some things discussed more largely which in your present author are more briefly intimated , which it will be very beneficial to read immediately whilest the other things are more fresh in your memory ; and when you are so far skilled in them , you should have your paper books by you , to note , and compare , and exercise your own conjectures concerning what is singular , and worthy of especial observation ; or such as will more exercise your judgment , and require a mind more composed and serious , and therefore afford less pleasure in reading , and upon that account will require more meditation : for such i intend school-divinity , for which i think it were well you allotted your morning-studies wholly , allowing onely some time before dinner for meditation ; wherein also i would have you not onely exercise your memory in reflecting on what was produced by your author , but also your judgment , in examining what means may be used for the determination of the whole controversie . and the same way you may take at night which is another convenient time , in preparing materials for your morning thesis according to the praescriptions already mentioned . the rest of the afternoon you may design for the apologies , and your other humane studies . and i think it very commendable if you would employ the praxis of your grammatical studies for the understanding of the scriptures , and therefore that you would with them , together with your devotions , begin and conclude your morning and evening studies , but so as that you may afterwards draw from them some moral and practical observations that may be of use for the ordering or examination of your behaviour for the whole day . and the same advantage you may get by reading the lessons at publick prayers in your greek or hebrew bible , and noting in the margent with black-lead the unusual idioms , or obscure passage you may meet with , that so , if afterwards you remember , or find , any thing that may contribute to their explication in your other studies , you may know whither to refer them . and thus , i think , i have gone through all the particulars of your present proposal : both how to order your studies to divinity , what were most conducing to that end , and what first to be taken in hand , as briefly , as was possible , conveniently , though , i confess , very much more largely than i had originally intended , and i must ingenuously acknowledge that , as i have already professed my self willing , so i am my self suspicious that it will be necessary , that i be corrected in some instances , wherein i cannot pretend to any considerable experience . i believe you may your self easily guess what they are , for i cannot now stay to enumerate them particularly ; and as i should be willing my self , so i shall advise you to consult men whom you know to be skilled in each of them severally ( if you have any conveniency ) before you practice them . but if in any of the rest , wherein i am able , or in any of your particular studies , you shall meet with any important difficulties , i hope you will use the ingenuity of a scholar in freely communicating them to your very affectionate friend and servant , h. d. notes, typically marginal, from the original text notes for div a -e a s. pet. v. . b rev. ● . v. . xx . . c s. pet. ii . . d rec●gn . i. iii. & vi. e pras. & catech iii. notes for div a -e * bishop taylor . * do you trust that you are inwardly moved by the holy ghost , to t●ke upon you this office and ministration , to serve god for the promoting of his glory , and the edifying of his people ? answ. i trust so . ordering or deacons . a s. joh ▪ x. ● . . b s. joh. xvi . . ● . joh. xi . ● ▪ c phil. ●● ▪ . d acts ix . , . e acts v. . f s. matth. v. . . g jer. xxiii . . ezek. xxxiv . , , , , . h s. joh. x. . phil. ii . . i phil. i. , , . k s● matth. xx . . l isa . xlviii . . l. . m acts xvi . . n s. john x. , . o s. luke ix . . p acts xiii . . q s. john . r that this is the sense of the church concerning this creed , appears , in that this is required of all persons to be baptized , in the office of baptism ; of all persons dying , in the office of visitation of the sick ; of all persons thought fit to be confirmed or communicated , in the church-catechism . s joh. xx . . t luk. i. . u tim. iii. . x tim. iii. . . y also that every parson , vlcar , curate , chautery , priest , and stipendary , being under the degree of a batchelor of divinity , shall provide and have of his own , within three months after this visitation , the new testament both in latin and english , with the paraphrase upon the same of erasmus , and diligently study the same , conferring the one with the other . and the bishops and other ordinaries by themselves or their officers in their synods and visitations , shall examine the said ecclesiastical persons how they have prostred in the study of holy scripture . injunct by k. edward vi. anno . 〈◊〉 . . of dr. sp●r●ow p. . also that every parson , vicar , curate , and 〈◊〉 priest , being under the degree of a master of art , shall provide and have of his own within three months after this visitation , the new 〈◊〉 both in latin and english with parap●ra●es upon the same , conserring the one with the other . and the bishops and other ordinaries by 〈…〉 or their officers , in their synods and 〈◊〉 , shall examine the said ecclesiastical persons how they have prfited in the study of holy scripture . injunct by q. elizabeth , anno , . p. . . . i shall read daily at the least one chapter of the old testament , and another of the new , with good 〈◊〉 , to the increase of my knowledge . pro●●●●● to be made , promised and subscribed by persons to be admitted to any office , room or cure , or other place ecclesiastical , among the articles of q. elizabeth , anno , . p. . z in the 〈…〉 thire orders a imprimis verò videbunt , ne quid unquam doceant pro concione , quod a populo religiose teneri & credi velint , nisi quod con●entaneum sit doctrinae veteris aut novi testamenti , quodque ex il●â psà doctrinâ catholi●i ●atres & v●teres episcopi 〈◊〉 lib. quo●und canon . an ● . ed. ii. d. sparrow p. . b tertul . ad scapul . c dr. hammond on i. tim. . . d lamprid . in alexan. severo & ibid. casaub . s. cyprian . ep. . e so s. cyprian . pont. in vit . cyprian . f so aurelius s. cyprian . ep. . celerinus id. ep. . numidicus ep. . g vid. pamel . in ep. . s. cyprian . & b. rhena . & ali●s ad tertul a● martyr . h can. of the church of ireland xl . i tit. i. k tit. ii . . l tit. i. . m 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 . trad●e . sub nomine s. matthiae apostole apud clem. alex. strom. vii . p. . edit . lugd. bat. . s. luke . xvi . . n jer. i. . vi . . xv . . o v . p v. . q jer. vi . viii . . r act. vii . . s act. ii . iii. . . . iv . . xiii . . . t act. iv . xlii . vid nam . xix . u tim iv . . tit. ii . . x ●s . justin . martyr against crescens a cyni●k . philosopher , and the romanes apol. and tertullian ad scap. & apol. s. cyprian ad demetrian , &c. y mat. iv . . mark. i. . cor. xii . . z port. moss . edit . oxoniens . p. . . . &c. a apud pl●ton . in phaed. b pl. lviii . . c s. mat. x. . d cor. xii . . e heb. ii . . . f mat. vii . . mark. i. luk. iv . . g cor. ii . . h num. x●ii . xiv . i s. pet iii. . k tit. ii . . i. pet. ii . . l s. ma. v. . mark. ix . . luk. xiv . . m mat. v. . n phil. ii . . o mat. v. . mark iv . . luk. viii . . xi . . p mat. v. . q 〈…〉 . r rom. xii . . cor. viii . . s augustin . lib. vi . confess . c. . t acacius berae●rs soz●m . eccl. hist . lib. vii . c . ni●eth . cal. lib. xii . c. . u s. ma. vi . . . x ib. v. . y cor. ●● . ● . z 〈…〉 . . mar. vii . . luk. ix . . a exod. xiv . . b prov. xx . . c joh. xvi . . d 〈◊〉 joh. ii . . . e act. xii . . f this was required from all ecclesiastical persons : item , that every holy-day throughout the year , when they have no sermon , they shall immediately after the gospel , openly and plainly recite to their parishioners in the pulpit , the pater noster , the credo , and the ten commandments in english , to the intent that the people may learn the same by heart , exhorting all parents and housholders to teach their children and servants the same as they are bound by the law of god , and in conscience to do . injunct ▪ by k. edward vi . in the collect. aforesaid p. . injunct . by q. elizabeth a. . p. ib. item , whether they have charged fathers and mothers , masters and governours of youth , to bring them 〈◊〉 in some virtuous study or ▪ occupation . arti●l . of visitation by archb , cranin , under eow . vi . p. . g this was enjoyned on all teachers of children : . item , that they shall accustome their scholars reverently to learn such sentences of scripture as shall be most expedient to induce them to all godliness , injunct . by q. eliz . p. . h . item , that all teachers of children shall stir & mobe them to a love and due reverence of gods true religion , now truly set forth by publick authority . injunct . by queen elizabeth . p. . et quoties habebitur sacra concio , e●s vel emittent , vel deducent a● templum , ut statim a teneris incipiant erudiri ad pietatem &c. lib. quoru●d . canon . an. . p. . & can. lxxix . an. . i church of england visit . of the sick can. cxiii . an. . k ibid. & can. xix . lxiv. l can. xix . so also the injunct of k. edward vi . p. , the articl . of v●sit . by arch● , cr●●mer p. . injunct . by q. eliz an. n ●● . p. articl . of visitat . an. . p. . notes for div a -e cent. i. mid . and end . cent. mid . and end . cent. . beg . cent. beg . cent. . beg . cent. . beg . cent. . end . . beg . mid . cent. . aft . mid . cent , ● mid . 〈…〉 cent. mid . cent. . aft . mid . cent. . aft mid . cent. . aft . mid . cent. ● . near the end . cent. ● . near the end . cent. . cent. . near the end . cent. . near the end . cent. near the end . cent. near the end & . beg . ce●● . . beg . 〈…〉 cent. . beg cent. . 〈◊〉 . cent. . beg . mid , cent. beg . cent. mid . cent. beg . cent. mid . cent. mid . and after . cent. . aft . mid . cent. . aft . mid . cent. . ast . mid . cent. . ast . mid cent. . near the end . cent. . end . cent. . en● . ●eg . cent. . end . . beg . cent● . end . . beg . it may be he had it from his iii books de vita pamphili , now lost . notes for div a -e m act. xi . . n act. x. . o ra● . israel de a●●m . c. xxv . p 〈◊〉 : sy●agog . juda c. c. ●ip . . q rab. isr . disp . cab. de anim. c. . & ibid jos . voysin . in not. d. hammond on s. john ii● . . r john iii. . s ib. v. . . t ib. v. , u st. hieronym . adv . luciferiferian . & alij . x more nebok . part. iii. c . &c. in commonit . x this aduice was addressed to a graduate , who was therefore to have been presumed to have read over his course already once . this is warned that others to whom it does not belong , may not imprudently apply it to themselves . y metaph i. vi . c. . text. . z biblioth●● . l. i. p. . ed. graeco lat. a praep. e● . l. x. c. . a orat. in graec. b strom i. p. . * so cellu● : 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 c in rom. c. ii. & cont cels l. i. d strom . p. . e ep. . ad iren. f a charnens . g enterpe● c. . . h l. i. ●ent . appion . i bibliothee . i. i. par● . . k i. iv. c. . l origen●an . m apud macrob. sat. l. i. c. . n cont . cels . l. i. & l. iv . p. . . o ib. i. i. p act. xix . . q de myster . r l. vii . adv . gent. s dr. stilling-fleet or. sacr. l. ii. c. iv . n. . t ●omniorum primus intelligentia● condidet . trog ap● justin hist . l. xxxvi . u rev. xiii . . x l. ii . * that these also are mystically to be understood , we have the word of origen : 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 ( sayes he ) 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 . cont 〈…〉 . iv . p. . y adv. hae. li. c. . z de 〈◊〉 . c ● . & ad praxeam c. . & de 〈…〉 c. . z strom . an apologie for the ministry and its maintenance wherein is set forth the necessity, dignity and efficacy of a gospel-ministry against the socinians, swenckfieldians, weigelians, anabaptists, enthusiasts, familists, seekers, quakers, levellers, libertines and the rest of that rout ... / by tho. hall. hall, thomas, - . approx. kb of xml-encoded text transcribed from -bit group-iv tiff page images. text creation partnership, ann arbor, mi ; oxford (uk) : - (eebo-tcp phase ). a wing h a estc r ocm this keyboarded and encoded edition of the work described above is co-owned by the institutions providing financial support to the early english books online text creation partnership. this phase i text is available for reuse, according to the terms of creative commons . universal . the text can be copied, modified, distributed and performed, even for commercial purposes, all without asking permission. early english books online. (eebo-tcp ; phase , no. a ) transcribed from: (early english books online ; image set ) images scanned from microfilm: (early english books, - ; : ) an apologie for the ministry and its maintenance wherein is set forth the necessity, dignity and efficacy of a gospel-ministry against the socinians, swenckfieldians, weigelians, anabaptists, enthusiasts, familists, seekers, quakers, levellers, libertines and the rest of that rout ... / by tho. hall. hall, thomas, - . shaw, samuel, - . [ ], p. printed by a.w. for joseph crawford, london : . a translation by samuel shaw of hall's--tò alas tēs gēs. reproduction of original in the harvard university library. created by converting tcp files to tei p using tcp tei.xsl, tei @ oxford. re-processed by university of nebraska-lincoln and northwestern, with changes to facilitate morpho-syntactic tagging. gap elements of known extent have been transformed into placeholder characters or elements to simplify the filling in of gaps by user contributors. eebo-tcp is a partnership between the universities of michigan and oxford and the publisher proquest to create accurately transcribed and encoded texts based on the image sets published by proquest via their early english books online (eebo) database (http://eebo.chadwyck.com). the general aim of eebo-tcp is to encode one copy (usually the first edition) of every monographic english-language title published between and available in eebo. eebo-tcp aimed to produce large quantities of textual data within the usual project restraints of time and funding, and therefore chose to create diplomatic transcriptions (as opposed to critical editions) with light-touch, mainly structural encoding based on the text encoding initiative (http://www.tei-c.org). the eebo-tcp project was divided into two phases. the , texts created during phase of the project have been released into the public domain as of january . anyone can now take and use these texts for their own purposes, but we respectfully request that due credit and attribution is given to their original source. users should be aware of the process of creating the tcp texts, and therefore of any assumptions that can be made about the data. text selection was based on the new cambridge bibliography of english literature (ncbel). if an author (or for an anonymous work, the title) appears in ncbel, then their works are eligible for inclusion. selection was intended to range over a wide variety of subject areas, to reflect the true nature of the print record of the period. in general, first editions of a works in english were prioritized, although there are a number of works in other languages, notably latin and welsh, included and sometimes a second or later edition of a work was chosen if there was a compelling reason to do so. image sets were sent to external keying companies for transcription and basic encoding. quality assurance was then carried out by editorial teams in oxford and michigan. % (or pages, whichever is the greater) of each text was proofread for accuracy and those which did not meet qa standards were returned to the keyers to be redone. after proofreading, the encoding was enhanced and/or corrected and characters marked as illegible were corrected where possible up to a limit of instances per text. any remaining illegibles were encoded as <gap>s. understanding these processes should make clear that, while the overall quality of tcp data is very good, some errors will remain and some readable characters will be marked as illegible. users should bear in mind that in all likelihood such instances will never have been looked at by a tcp editor. the texts were encoded and linked to page images in accordance with level of the tei in libraries guidelines. copies of the texts have been issued variously as sgml (tcp schema; ascii text with mnemonic sdata character entities); displayable xml (tcp schema; characters represented either as utf- unicode or text strings within braces); or lossless xml (tei p , characters represented either as utf- unicode or tei g elements). keying and markup guidelines are available at the text creation partnership web site . eng dissenters, religious -- england. clergy -- office. - tcp assigned for keying and markup - aptara keyed and coded from proquest page images - olivia bottum sampled and proofread - aptara rekeyed and resubmitted - jonathan blaney sampled and proofread - jonathan blaney text and markup reviewed and edited - pfs batch review (qc) and xml conversion an apologie for the ministry , and its maintenance : wherein is set forth the necessity , dignity , and efficacy of a gospel-ministry ; against the socinians , swenckfieldians , weigelians , anabaptists , enthusiasts , familists , seekers , quakers , levellers , libertines , and the rest of that rout. here you have many texts of scripture explained , all the cavils of the adversaries ( of any weight ) refelled , the equity of tythes by many arguments evinced , and the iniquity of such as seek sacrilegiously to remove them is demonstrated , and the most material cavils against them are succinctly , yet fully answered . by tho. hall , b. d. and pastor of kingsnorton . jer. . . i will bring you to sion , and i will give you pastors according to my heart , which shall feed you with knowledge and understanding . cor. . . who goeth a warfare at any time at his own charges ? who planteth a vineyard , and eateth not of the fruit of it ? or who feedeth a flock and eateth not of the milk of the flock ? london : printed by a. w. for joseph cranford at the castle and lyon in st. paul's church-yard . . to the right worshipfull , and his much honoured cousin , the lady lucy grantham of ratcliffe upon soare , in the county of nottingham , grace and peace . madame : benefits ( we say ) are binders , and every favour received makes the receiver a debtor : if this be so , i must needs acknowledge my self deeply indebted to you for those many reall favours which from time to time you have shewed to me , and to my sonns that have been your chaplains . and , that i may not wholly dye ungratefully , i have sent you a scho●ars gift , a paper-present , as a testimony of my best respects unto your ladyship , who have been so eminent a friend and patroness to us of the ministry ; and that in a time when so many hate us , rob us , revile us , without a cause . you have been more like a nursing mother than a friend to many of your neighbou●ing ministers , especially where their means is low : your ladyships readiness to contribute to the augmenting of the maintenance of ministers , and setting up of preaching , where there is none ; your respectfull entertainment of the min●sters of christ weekly at your house ; your bounty in parting with considerable summes towards the breeding of ingenuous and hopefull children for the work of the ministry ; your tender respect especially to the orphans of ministers ; your late disbursing of a considerable summ at a bare motion of mine towards the breeding of a very hopefull childe , the son of a pious and painfull minister , whose father is now with god ; your great care for their family in spirituals as well as temporals ; your constant morning and evening sacrifice there ; and your care to see that your family l●ve prayers , and live their sermons , and live up to their d●ties : and if any be found to be drunkards , fornicatours , lascivious , sabbath-prophaners , &c. you quickly make them know , that those who will not be servants to god , shall be no servants to you ; your religious care in a timely providing of a p●ous and ingenuous instructor for the fatherless and motherless little on● , which now lies solely upon your hands ; as he is a samuel by name , so you endeavour to make him a samuel indeed , by instructing him betimes in the wayes of god , that so he may have a heart to improve that great estate which providence hath cast upon him , to the glory of that god that gave it ; your carefull observation of the lords-day , not onely in the publick , but in the intervalls of divine worship , to keep your family from straying ; you have not onely repetitions , but also reading of some practical divinity constantly on the lords day to your family . these things justly praise you in the gates , and though no tongue should praise you , yet your works themselves will do it : vertuous actions are the best oratours , and they speak best , who do best ; and though your ladyship had rather do good , than hear of it ; yet that others ( in these last and worst times , when the love of so many waxeth cold ) may be incited to follow your ladyships pious and charitable example , i could not but publish those things to gods glory , and your further encouragement in the work of the lord. 't was the commendation of dorcas , that she made c●ates for the poor whilest she lived ( acts . . ) she did not as most do , put it off till death , and then make good wills , after all their evill deeds : but your ladyship in your life-time hath expressed your bounty long since to the town of nottingham , in giving them two hundred pounds , as a stock to be carefully improved for the best advantage of their poor : besides the dayly occasional gifts to such as are reall objects of pitty and compassion . you have been eyes to the blinde , feet to the lame ; a father to the fatherlesse ; a mother to the motherlesse ; these you take into your family , and when you have hatched them up , you part with considerable summs to set them forth apprentises ; and , which is worthy observing , your ladyship hath been a great gainer by all this , god hath blessed your substance , and your store , he hath made your latter end better then your beginning , and hath cast riches on you in abundance , which you never looked for ; and , above all , he hath given you a heart to improve what he hath given you to his praise ; and to order your affairs with that discretion , and good huswifery , that those who have farr greater means , yet do not the tythe of that good which you do ; and all because they spend that in riotous feasting , superfluous building , keeping a kennel of hounds , or some other sinfull and exorbitant course , which disables them , and dispirits them from works of piety and mercy , now the good lord remember you in mercy for all that you have done for his house , for his ministers , and for his people ▪ he recompence all your labour of love seven-fold into your bosome ; and when you have served your generation here , he receive you unto himself in glory . this is , and shall be the prayer , of kings-norton : novemb. . . your much obliged kinsman tho. hall. to the worshipfull , and his honoured friend richard grevis of moseley hall , in the county of worcester , esq. the translator humbly wisheth the multiplication of grace , and the continuation of peace . worthy sir : i have emboldened my self to offer that unto the world , under your patronage , which , i believe , your singular modesty will almost decline , and fear , your excellent ingenuity will be ready to disown , when you finde it so unworthy of the benigne influences of your eyes , much more of the effluences of your name , virtue , and authority , by which you are able to patronize any thing that makes you its sanctuary of refuge . neither sir , have principles of policy onely perswaded me to inscribe your famous name , and entitle your worthy self to this my imperfection : but indeed , a desire to express and testifie the esteem i have of the one , and the love and honour which i deservedly have for the other . if any man , in this nice age , may be judged worthy to be the object of a dedication , it must be a theophilus ; and , if any other , i do verily believe , you are a theophilus ; if a sober , moderate , contemplative , serious life , adorned with many publick and private exercises of religion , expressions of a gracious soul ; if constant and vigorous endeavours to reconcile differences amicably , and suppress sin authoritatively ; if an engaging , edifying , aweing presence , to wife , children , servants ; if a sweet , friendly , charitable owning of gods people ; or a cordial , gladsome entertainment of his faithfull ministers ; if any of these , if all these will denominate a man a lover of god , accept , i pray you , sir , ths poor oblation ; and although i do not , cannot judg this little impolite treatise worthy your countenance or patronage , yet i beseech you , for the love of god , to stir up all your whole soul 〈◊〉 improve your utmost interest to maintain and defend the cause which therein i study to patronize , which is not yet so much my cause , as the cause of all the faithfull ministers of christ , and not so much theirs neither , as christs . go on ● beseech you , and , whatever troubles shall be upon the earth , whatever divisions , distractions , dissettlements , apostasies are , or may be in england , yet study to approve your self to be a friend to god's cause , whom you love ; and faithfull to the interest of jesus christ , in whom you believe . and so doing , that you may be bless'd with dayes as prosperous as many , with a crown as glorious as eternall , is , and shall be the hearty prayer of sir , your friend and servant in christ jesus , sam. shaw. long-whatton . iuly . . to the impartial reader . reader ; it is not long since , that a faithfull minister of christ , my very loving friend , presented the world with a latine treatise , vindicating and asserting the necessity , dignity and duty of a gosp●l-ministry ; which when i had perused , and discovered ( not onely by the testimony of the epistles commendatory , but by my own iudgment ) in it a great acuteness of wit , a sweet savour of a pious disposition , pertinent and cogent arguments , full and satisfacto●y answers to all objections militating against the truth ; holding discourse with him concerning it , i was bold to intimate to him , how convenien●ly and usefully it might have been offered in a tongue more known amongst us , for the conviction and satisfaction of english cavillers ; adding , that i thought , they , who had so much knowledge as to understand latin , had also more iudgment than to need to be satisfied in that thing : whereupon , the reverend authour concurring with my iudgment ( but giving me a good account of his style ) was pleased , at first , to desire , and upon reluctancy to press me to do that , which i onely wish'd had been done : withall , trusting me with the liberty of paraphrasing and enlarging , by his letters , of june . and june . . which task i have accordingly undertaken , being influenced ( i hope ) by a desire to glorifie god , and have performed , being assisted by the strength of that god , whom i desire to glorifie . besides what i have already express'd and intimated , i need give no further account of my enterprize , but the apprehensions which i then had . i see dayly more and more justified of the proneness of our apostatizing times to grow antiministeriall . pardon me , i pray thee , if , through my weakness , any of the author's ingenuity , elegancy or strength be lost , or the truth suffer through my inability to vindicate it . and i humbly beseech almighty god , that these poor endeavors may contribute some little towards thy satisfaction or confirmation ; towards the edification and provocation unto duty , the maintaining the maintenance and honor , the encouraging the faintings and fears of the faithfull ministers of iesus christ. an apology for the ministrie and it's maintenance , &c. chap. . matt. . . ye are the salt of the earth . he that will speak more for the commendation of any thing , than to say it's good , must say it's seasonable : for he that sought out acceptable words , hath as fitly told us , that a word fitly spoken , is like apples of gold in pictures of silver . here 's a golden sentence adorn'd with a silver season , by so much the more usefull , by how much the more suitable , having this addition to it's commodiousness , that it may be so fitly accommodated to our present times . and if we consider what hast the furious ●renzyes of our age do make , intending the contempt , and ( if it might be ) the very extirpation of our gospell-ministers , we may well compare it to the seasonable addresse of wise abigail to resolute david . or if you will , let it be called , as before , a golden apple , and so there 's hopes it may retard the ●eadlong hast of these cruell atala●ta's , that design the ruine of christ's embassadors . what better language do the devills drudges and emissaryes now adayes afford the ministers of the gospell , than , dec●ivers of the people , baal ' s priests the locusts of the b●ttomlesse pit , l●mbs of anti christ , thieves , lya●s , seducers , generation of vipers , ravenous wolves , whited walls ▪ hirelings , babylonish merchants , hypocrites , dumb d●gs , simon magul's , unclean spirits , and whatever the malice of hell , or the madnesse of men can devise . and what better confutation of such calumnyes can we des●re , than thi● one sentence of our saviours , ye are ( not the di●turbers of kingdoms , the betrayer● of kings , the bu●dens of the earth , the disease of the land , the sweepings of the house , the scumme of the countrey , the refuse of the nation , the dreggs of the world , the off ●couring of all things , as the devi●s g●sse 〈◊〉 ●arry i● ) but ye ar● the 〈◊〉 of the earth . a short sentence , but enough to con●●●e those voluminous aspersions that are cast upon them ; a compe●d●ous encouragement . what though the devill be the accu●er of the brethren , what though our brethren be our accusers for him ; yet who shall lay any thing to the charge , or what can the charge be that any can lay upon those whom christ justisyeth ? loe , here the sentence may lose i'ts order , and yet retain it's truth , wisdomes children are justifyed of her , ye are the salt of the earth . let us a little search the context , that we may find the meaning of the text . when our saviour had in the very threshold of his sermon , discoursed of the blessed ones of the world , in this second step that he makes , he ●●tly subjoyneth a discourse concerning the ministers of the gospell , whose qualifications he teacheth by three metaphoricall resemblances of salt , ●ght , and a c●y up●n an hill : s●eming to make this the one summary of his similitudes , that the ministers of the gospell must not only be sayers but doers , preachers but practicers , talkers but walkers , and must have not only the salt of doctrine , but the light of conversation also . but more particularly , by this similitude of salt , he s●rs out in lively colours , the necessity and efficacy of the gospell-ministry . fo● as men season sle●h with sal● , so must the soules of men be seasoned by the ministry of the word , that neither the one , nor the other may be corrupted . the text is a categoricall proposition , consisting of a subject ● predicate , and a copulative . the subject is ye ( i. e. ) ye my disciples and all the preachers of the gospell that shall succeed you . the copulative is are , not shall be for the time to come , but at present ye are chosen and called so to be . the predicate is , the salt of the earth ▪ ( i. e. ) it is your office to season men , who are altogether unsavoury untill they be seasoned with the salt of heavenly doctrines . as salt is the seasoner of mea●s , so the ministers of the gospell are called salt from their office , by way of resemblance , because they should by their edi●ying language and exemplary life season men , that they may be kept from the corruption of vices , and have the ●avoury rellish of graces . and they are not onely metaphorically called salt , or the most excellent salt , because they season as salt doth , but emphatically called the salt , or the most excellent salt , because they season so as no other salt can doe . nay they are not only salt , and the salt , but the salt of the earth , not the salt of one town , or city , or island only , but the salt of the earth , that is of the inhabitants of the earth , ye are the salt of the earth . and yet they are not properly salt neither , they are but the salters , or seasoners . but our saviour doth here ascribe that which is proper to the doctrine of the gospell to them that preach it . observe by the way , that our saviour in calling them the salt of the earth , implicitely prefers them before the prophets , who were only the salt of iudea : but the apostles and their successors are the salt of the earth , of the whole earth . mat. . . observe also that in calling them salt , he doth as it were make a secret promise of the power and efficacy of the gospell-ministry to season the world , and to keep men from putrifying in sinne . the sence of the whole is plainly this , ye my apostles and all the ministers of my ordinances , and pastors of my church , in respect of the doctrine of the law and the gospell which you shall preach , shall deliver men from the corruption , and filthinesse of sin , and shall render them acceptable and savory to god , whom by nature they cannot please . loe here the usefullnesse and necessity of a gospell-ministry ? when our saviour compares ; it to sait , he commends it almost as highly , as if he had said it were incomparable ; for their is nothing ( according to the proverbe ) more usefull and needfull , than the sun , and salt . take this doctrinall conclusion for a foundation of the following discourse , that the ministers of the gospell are the salt of the world . this may easily be proved , f●●st from the nature , propertyes , and manifold vertues of salt . secondly from the titles that the spirit of god gives them in scripture . thirdly by arguments . . the first property of salt is to season tastlesse and unsavoury things . it is a soveraigne condiment and singularly usefull and necessary . and it may be called the condiment of condiments , not only because it excells them , but also because it helpes them , and contributes to their goodnesse . and it hath that to commend it which few of our spices have , even it 's necessity . spices are the superfluous ornament of meats , but salt their necessary condiment . it is so necessarily subservient to the seasoning of meats , and rendring them savoury , and gratefull to the palate , that it hath deserved and found the name of natures balsome , and the soul of bodyes ; wherefore nature hath wisely mixt salt with all well compounded bodyes , to season , and preserve them from corruption ; as may be exemplifyed in the salt urine of beasts , and the saltnesse of roots : and is so commonly received , that every smatterer●in chymistry will tell you that salt , sulphur , and mercury are ingredients in all mixt bodyes . thus the ministry of the gospell is the salt of the world , without which our condition is desperate and deplorable . neither could i tell what answer to make , if one should aske me . how it comes to pass that men abound with errors in their heads , wickedness in their lives , and corruptions in their hear●s , but this , they are not seasoned with this salt . our whole nature without this is unsavoury , nauseous and indeed odious to god , as the psalmist describes a pure ( that is , an impure ) nature , ps. . , , . without this salt , what is the wisdome of the wold but a world of folly ; what are morall vertues , but corrall vices , which ●ub the gums indeed , to make men appear well as to the teeth outward , but not changing or cleansing the inward heart and mind ? nay how can any oblation indeed please god that wants salt , lev. . . or any thing please a judicious palate that is unseasoned ? can that which is unsavoury be eaten without salt . ●eb . . . as if he had said , can any one be delighted with meat that has not been seasoned with salt ? so , take away the ministry of the word , and all wordly things are presently unsavoury , gladness is converted into sadnesse , or the best joyes are but toye sat best , the purest gold is but dross , and they deserve no better character than iob's friends , physitians of no value , iob. . . miserable and troublesome comfort●●s . iob. . . it is necessary therefore that men be seasoned with this heavenly salt , that they be not corrupted . for there is nothing better to preserve our hearts from corruption than the savory ministry of the gospell . . another property of salt is acrimony . salt by it's acrimony , bites , eats , pierceth , pricketh . flatnesse , faintnesse and want of sharpnesse is a defect in salt . thus the preaching of the law pierceth and pricketh the consciences of sinners , that they seek of the gospell for a salve , act. . . this makes men sound in the faith , therefore paul commands titus to corn the cretians with this salt . tit. . . rebuke them sharply , that they may be sound in the faith . as elisha by casting salt into the spring of the naughty waters , healed them , so our naughty and ba●●en hearts being leasoned with the salt of gods word and spirit , becomes pleasing and acceptable to god. moreover as salt by its sharp heat , penetrates , attenuates , and worketh the whole lump , so there is nothing more piercing than the word of god , hewing like an axe , and slaying like a sword . ho● . . he that would understand this property of gods word , let him consult and examine the apostles six epithets . heb. . . it is quick , powerfull , sharpe , pie●cing , dividing , discerning . it is of such a subtile and sharp nature , that it can divide , where the subtile wi●s of metaphysicians can scarce make a mentall or notionall distinction , even between soul and spirit , and where the sharpest instruments of chirurgions can hardly divide , even between the joynts and the marrow . and can discern that , which the most acute and quick-sighted judge ▪ with the contributed discoveryes of never so many faithfull witnesses cannot discern , even the thoughts and intents of the heart . . salt resisteth corruption , and by its acrimony consumeth whatever is vitious in the body ; sucks out all putrid and excrementitious humours , with which the flesh is in●ected ; consolidates the substantiall parts by uniting the native vertue , shutting up the pores and passages , and shutting out the injurious assaults of the extraneous ayre . thus the ministers of christ do the worke of salt by plucking up sin by the roots , which is that corrupt and noxious humor , which hath diffused its self through the whole soule . this the salt of the word expells by reproving errors , by wasting the sinfull desires of the old man , and by hardning the new man against all injuryes , and by fortifying it against all assaults . this salt of the word therefore with a constant , and carefull hand is to be sprinkled , by declaring the nature and aggravations of sin , to prick the heart , not to tickle the eares , and which may be enterteined with the beating of the breasts , not the clapping of the hands . for i had rather that men gnasht their teeth , and beat their heads , than nod with their heads under our ministry . the teares of the congregation ought to be most in our eye . and their inarticulate groans do least speak forth our commendations . hence the holy ghost every where in scripture puts such a price upon salt because it signifyes that mortification , which so restraines the soft effeminacyes and delicacyes of the flesh , and all sweet carnall delights and tickling pleasures , and hinders the inordinate affections of the flesh from shewing themselves in the flesh . this grace doth that to the spirit which salt doth to flesh , which will not suffer it to putrifye , and dissolve into corruption and filthinesse , as it would doe , were it not consolidated and hardned therewith . . salt begets an appetite to meat or drink , and is so usefull in meats that we scarce know how to live without it . bread requires a mixture of this to season it , and it also begets an appetite to drink . thus the preaching of gods word doth beget an exceeding thirst after heavenly things it may most truly be sayed of these waters of the sanctuary . quo plus sunt potae , plus sitiuntur , the more a man drinks of them , the more he shall thirst after them . it cannot be sayd of this water , as our saviour sayes of the grace of god. ioh. . . he that drinketh of it shall never thirst more , but rather , he shall thirst the more : when peters hearers had tasted some of this salt , see how they thirst after the water of life , after salvation . act. . . for so says the test , when they heard this , they sayd , men and brethen , what shall we doe ? . salt is the symbol or hieroglyphick of wisdome . hence wise men , and fools have names given them in latine from salt : as also all kind of jests , and wittinesses in speech , and festivity do derive their name from hence . in so much as to reach a man salt is interpreted by some people as an indignity , as much in effect as to call him a foole . thus the ministers of the gospell do correct the foolish manners of the world , and render them savory . take away this condiment , and you take away all reall and true wisdome out of the world ; if men re●ect the world of the lord , what wisdome can there be expected in them ier , . . the word of our saviour , who is the wisdome of the father , is enough to make us also wise unto salvation . . salt is an embleme of duration , perpetuity and incorruption . it is good physick for natures consumptions , preserving fluid and wasting matter , and makes pe●●shing and pu●ri●ying ●odyes long-liv'd . hence an everlasting covenant is called a covenant of salt , numb , . . . chr. . . and lot's wife was converted into a pillar of salt , not only that the might be instead of a condiment to us , but a perpetuall monument also of gods judgments : so the covenant preacht by the apostles was truly a covenant of salt , more durable than the pilla●s of the earth , or the poles of heaven , and happily hinting to us that every one of the ●aithfull is so confirmed in the covenant of god by faith , that by the salt of afflictions they shall be preserved 〈◊〉 against all kind of temptations and alsaults . but this heavenly 〈◊〉 ●arre excells that earthly salt , as eternity exceeds diuturnity . that may preserve a long time , but this will preserve longer than time . again that salt doth but preserve things from 〈…〉 but this redeems 〈◊〉 from their corruption . . salt is a symbol and significant of friendship . it p●eserves the amity of the members one amongst , another , and deserds the harmony of the body from corruption ; and is therefore called the soul of the body ▪ 〈◊〉 as the soule doth not suffer● the structure to be dissolved , and fall in pieces , so salt doth keep inanimate bodies from corruption and putrifaction , and suffers them not to perish , but playing the soule ▪ as it were , resisteth death . hence antiquity above all things required salt at the table , because it signifyed the perfection and perseverance of friendship . and therefore many of the heathens ( and even some of us who inherit their superstition ) counted it ominous and unlucky , if at any time it happened that the salt were spilt upon the table , as though by this some breach of friendship were portended . thus the ministry of the gospell , although by chance and indirectly it occasion divisions and warres ( as our saviour brought not peace but a sword ) yet directly , intentionally and of it self , it both creates and conserveth the amity , peace , and union of the faithfull , both with their god and amongst themselves . the gospell is properly and deservedly styled , the gospell of peace . . salt is medicinall to the body . it is a medicament as well as a condiment . therefore physitians say that new-born infants should be sprinkled with salt or salted water , not only to scoure off all uncleannesse , but also to consolidate the members of the body , and to bind up and heal the wound of the navell . to which god himself alludes , ezek. . . for salt doth certainly conferre a solidity and fatnesse to naturall bodyes . thus the heavenly salt is necessary for the spirituall new-born babes , pet. . . without which we can neither be cleansed , nor cured , nor strengthned , as will appear hereafter . . salt was an ingredient into every sacrifice , as appeares , lev. . . ez● . . . . ezek. . . mar. . . every sacrifice ( that is every spirituall and acceptable sacrifice ) shall be salted with fire and with salt ( i. e. ) with the fire of affliction , and the salt of wisdome , mortification and integrity o● life and doctrine . for as meats seasoned with salt are most acceptable to the palate , so the spirituall sacrifi●es which are seasoned with this kind of salt , are most pleasing to god , god will have no honey , ( i. e. ) no carnall delights , wordly pleasures , or wordly men in his sacrifices . for in sacri●●ces a contrite spirit is required , and therefore honey is forbidden , lev. . . but co●roding and biting salt was there required and used in sacrifices by the very heathens , the devill staming a piece of worship like that of gods. . salt is a communicative thing , and therefore is called good , mar. . . now as every good thing is communicative and diffu●●ve of it self , so salt , not only es●apes corruption it sel● , whilst it retaines it's naturall strength , but also preserves all other things uncorrupted , to which it communicates it self . it keeps flesh from stinking , wine from sow●ing , renders meat savory , and many other wayes is excellently advantagious . so that it seems to be but adequately spoken by the proverb , s●le & sale nih●l utilius . thus every disciple , and much more minister of christ ought to be salt , not only themselves good , but commun●cating to others of their goodnesse . david will teach transgressors gods wayes , ps. . . and abraham was a good man , of whom god was perswaded , that he would command his children and his houshold after him to keep the way of the lord , gen. . . and as god is perswaded of abraham that he would command his children , so christ commands peter to strengthen his b●●thren , luk. . . our saviour himself sets a coppy of this , io● . . come and see . and philip imitates him in this commu●ica●ivenes●e , crying out to natha●iel as soon as he met him , with the philosophers 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 we have found him . &c v. . and will have him , also to come and see . v. . the apostle would have his c●lossians to know how they ought to answer every man , to this purpose he commends to them gracious speech , and he knowes not how to phrase that better , than by speech seasoned with salt , coll. . . ( i. e. ) with grace and wisdome , communicating saving knowledg to the foolish , administ●ing consolation to the afflicted , and giving wise and wholsome answers to all . . salt makes green wounds smart . thus the ministry of the word , requiring self-denyall , reproving sin , and applying the terrors of the law to galled consciences , brings griefe and bitternesse to the flesh , and renders the preachers of it hatefull and terrible . chryso●tom● speakes gravely and appositely ▪ christ ( sayth he ) calls not the apostles teachers of palestine , but of the whole earth , neither doth he barely call them teachers , but terrible ones : and this is to be wondred at , that they that did not flatter and daw be , but wound and pierce and burn the consciences , like salt , were yet therein desirable , and thereby beloved ▪ in spite of the proverb , truth brings fo●th hatred . . salt is very frui●full . witnesse the fruitfullnesse of the salt sea , wherein ( witnesse the psalmist . ps. . . ) are innumerable creeping things , and both small and great beasts . plutarch reports that mice breed more abundantly in ships that carry salt . leachery hath its name in latine from salt , and iustfull venus derives her pedigree from the salt sea . and certainly no land-creature is so ●ruitfull as all those are that inhabit the sea. thus nothing is more fruitfull than the sound and substantiall ministry of the word of god , one peter by one sermon caught three thousand soules for christ , act. . ● . the multitude of believers is prophesyed to the gospel-times . ps. . . from the womb of the morning thou hast the dew of thy youth . as much as if he had said , children shall be born to christ by the preaching of the gospell , in as great a number , as the dow drops fall a●d disperse themselves far●e and near , being as it were conceived in the womb of the early morning . oh would to god that the thirsty vineyards of the church were watered , and refreshed also with the evening dew of conv●r●●● , in these last and worst times ; or that three thousand p●ters ▪ might with three thousand sermons but beget three thousand sons or daughters to iesus christ. . salt is of a nature both fiery and waterie . for it is sharp like fire , and fr●ts and sharpens the fire into which it is cast ▪ and if it be cast into water ; it self if presently resolved into water . thus the ministers of the gospell are the salf of the earth . for by their fiery ver●ue they enflame the hearts of men , with love to , and z●al for god. and as salt melts and dissolves that it may the better preserve flesh from putrefaction , so is it the part of a good pastor , as it were , to wear and wast himself by l●bours and watchings , that so the people committed to his charge may be saved from the corruption of sin , such salt was the apostle paul , who denyed himself , kept himself under ▪ cut himself short , spared not himself , but spent himself that he might gain soules to christ. . cor. . . i will ve●y gladly spend all mine ) and ( my self ) to be spent for your soules . . salt is a thing very common . it is not only to be found upon the tables of the rich , but even with the poorest , where there is scarce a table to be found . thus ought the ministers of the gospell to be so easy and common , that he that seeks them may easily find them , and so facile and amiable in their carriage , that no one may fly their presence , that desires to learn of them . and it is the apostles mind that they be apt to teach . . tim. . . and that in season and out of season , not being rendred idle , by regard had to private profit , pleasure or ease . nay it ought to be reputed their greatest gain to gain souls to christ ; their greatest pleasure to see many take pleasure in godlinesse , and by their ministry be made pleasant and acceptable to god ; and their greatest ease to take pains in the vineyard of christ , to bring them to a sight of their sins that are setled upon their lees and are at ease in sion . let us pray the lord of the harvest therefore that his word may not creep but go , nay run , and be glori●yed in the hearts , words and works of men . . thes. . . for a good thing , the more common it is , the better it is . . salt is a sign of desolation and a curse to those things which it doth not season , as we may see . zeph. . . and that which the hebrew calls saltnesse , that we translate barrennesse . ps. ● . . it is the spaniards ●●stome to sprinkle the house of those that are convi●●ed of high 〈◊〉 with salt ; and the lewes manner to sow a place with salt , when they intended to make it desolate and lay it waste , as abimelech did . iudg. . . for althought salt be very necessary for the seasoning of meats , and other uses , yet by reason of its fiery nature it destroyes , and exhales the ●●dicall moisture that is in rootes and herbs , and in hot countrey● occasions barr●nnesse ; for in cold countieys it is inste●d of 〈◊〉 . thus the gospell hardens the hearts that will not be seasoned by it , is. , , . and is the savor of death unto death . . cor. . . as to the godly it is a savor of life unto life . and no wonder ▪ for it is very usuall in humane things that the sa●e thing being in it self good and profitable , proves good to some and hurtfull to others , and upon many has an operation besides its nature . the sun it self by its beams helps some to see , and blinds the sight of others . and as salt , so the word of god , according to the diversity of the subject , becomes either usefull or hurtfull . . salt is a symbol of discretion and prudence . if it be moderately mixed with meats , it presents the palate with a pleasant rellish , but to much of it renders it unsavoury . thus let the ministers of the gospell do all things with discretion and judgment lest by too much and indiscreet affectation of bitter and harsh expressions and applications , and representing the graces like furyes , they disaffect the auditors against the truth of the doctrine , and render it nauseous , and odious to them . let them use such a moderate and convenient mixture of law and gospel , whereby the sharpnesse of the one may be lenifyed , and the l●nity o● the other may be sharpned , and both together may be edifying , and usefull ; that the gospel may not let men altogether sit still , nor the law make them run out of their vits . for it is our design to season men , not to destroy them to salt them not to subvert them . the proverb is well known , we must buy salt and oyle . oyle signi●yes leni●y ▪ salt acrimony . therefore the sons of the physitians mix oyle with salt , that it may not be too corrosive . it may well become the sons of the prophets to imitate these men , and to poure the oyle of gladnesse into the wounds which smart with the salt terrors of the law. let them so divide the word of truth , that weak consciences be not swallowed up of sadnesse by the immoderate austerity of the law , nor licentious hearts encouraged by the over-wide and unlimited charter of the gospell . thus we have seen the propertyes of salt , and a proofe of the doctrine by those propertyes . let us now look into the titles which the sacred scripture hath given to the ministers of christ , that in them also their necessity , dignity , vtility , and e●●icacy may further appear . chap. ii. the titles of dignity , vtility , necessity , and efficacy ▪ which are gi●●n to the mi●●sters of christ. the holy ghost hath set upon the heads of the ministers of christ many glorious inscriptions , and given them the attributes of many worthy names , and hath thought good to call them , the salt of the earth , the sun and light of the world , men of god , prophets of god &c. as may appear in the following discovery . . they are called the salt of the earth ; which expression we have already insisted upon . . they are called the light of the world , mat. . . now what is either more profitable or more pleasant than light ? without it we cannot discern between things that dif●er , goe about our employments , or decline pits and precipices . this calls for clearnesse of doctrine , & cleannesse of life , & exactly expresseth the soveraigne excellency of the gospel-ministry , & this light of the world far excells the light of this world . for the sun only profits them that see , but this light of the gospel-ministry enlightens them that see not , . the sun is oft obscured & curtain'd under clouds ; but in the very midst of night , and amidst the thickest clowds and afflictions , there is clear day-light in the church . . the sun of this world oft sets and leaves us in the dark , but this light of a gospell-minist●y shall never cease , till that sun shall cease to be light , and that world cease to be . it is such a light , that if it were taken away , the whole world would be wholy over-spread with the grossnesse of darknesse , the darknesse of sin , and sinfull errors . hence it is that god himself opposes darknesse to divination . mic. . . it 's true , christ iesus the light of the world , and the sun of righteousnesse , properly , essentially , originally , perfectly , intensively , and extensively : but his ministers are imperfect lights , as they partake and communicate of him and depend upon him . they are the lights enlightned , and enlightning the world with the light of the gospell , ioh. . . act. . . rom. . . although indeed all christians are also lights in their measure , and ought to shine as lights in the world , as children of the light , phil , . . yet this title is by way of eminence due to the ministers of christ , because they ought in an especiall manner to shine in life and doctrine ; and also because god doth by their ministry kindle the 〈◊〉 d●light , and illuminate the soul. how great then is the 〈◊〉 of and how great a contradiction is it in the libertines of our age , who labour to ex●●inguish the ministry of the word , and in the mean time p●e●end and a●●ow a new light . . they are called , men of god , ( i. e. ) men of god's own , and especiall sending , this title is frequently given to the prophets , as to moses , deut. . . to samuell . sam . . as also to others . . sam. . . . king. . and indeed to all others , . pet. . . afterwards to the ministers of the gospell . . tim. . . . tim. . . neither doth paul call ti●othy only a man of god , but also every minister of christ , by way of eminence . for it is an hebraisme , and signifyes holy men , or men familiar with god ▪ and it is an emphaticall paraphrase . for as a man of belial signifyes a very wicked man , and a man of blood , a very cruell and bloody man , so a man of god signifyes a godly , and a godlike man. . they are called prophets of god. which title is not only attributed to them t●at can ●oretell things to come , but also to any that are any way interpreters of the will of god. mat. . . where to receive a prophet , is to receive a minister or preacher of the gospell . for these discharge that sacred employment , which the prophets under the old testament discharged , and do also interpret the writings of those prophets , . cor. . . . thes. . . . they are called priests of god , which name although it properly belong to the levites ▪ yet is improperly applyed to spirituall priests , offering up spi●ituall sacrifices to god. in which sense all the faithfull are said to be pre●sts to god. rev. . . and a royall priesthood . pet. . . and the ministers of the gospell are priests , in that by the preaching of the word they subject men to god. paul was such a priest offering up the gentiles . rom. . . and such are all other preachers of the gospell , in praying for the people , and consecrating themselves to god in a more peculiar manner . . they are called bearers of the vessels of the lord , is. . . in whose presence they stand deut. . . and whose substitutes they are ▪ being appointed to preach , administer sacraments , and to other sacred employments . let these bearers of the uessels of the lord , have their own vessels holy to the lord , and handle holy things in a holy manner . for if the ministers of the tabernacle must be clean in heart and hands , how much more cleannesse is required at our hands both towards god and men , who carry not the vessels , but the word of the lord. . they are called stewards , or dispensers of the mysteries of god. . cor. . . . tit. . . that is , of grace , iustification , sanctification , and salvation . neither are they the stewards of emperors , or kings ▪ but of the heavenly householder . now the great commendation of a steward is his faithfullnesse . luk. . . and the best expression of faithfullnesse is to design his masters profit and credit , and not his own ; and also to serve his masters will , and not his own , in administring the affayres of the family . he accomodates his distributions to the capacity of the subject ; gives milke to the babes , and strong meat to strong men ; and also purgeth the family of all corrupt members . hence it is that they have received the keys from god , with which they open the gates of heaven to believers , and lock them against the unbelievers . mat. . . now the lord who hath in effect call'd us stewards , effectually call us to be faithfull . . they are called vvorkmen , or reapers in the lords harvest , and vine dressers , whom he sends into his vineyard mat , . . . . . thes. . . . tim. . . this phrase denotes not only the necessity of a gospell-ministry , but the diligent laboriousnesse of the ministers . those that assert the easinesse of a ministers employment , will not ( i believe ) speak so much in favor of a reapers work , and yet their employments run parallell in the scripture dialect . ministers are called reapers ; now reapers you know , are exposed to the heat of the sunne , the violence of winds , showrs and storms , which hardships do require a strong and hardy nature , not a man accustomed to idlenesse and pleasure . ministers break themselves with labours , wear and wast themselves with watchings , and are therefore called labourers . tim. . . such labourers as husbandmen , reapers , souldyers , who weary themselves with working . for such is the force of the greek phrase . the employment of the ministers of christ is so laborious , that it attenuates and consumes the body , impaires the strength , hastens old hairs to young heads to the grave . our saviour christ at three and thirty years of age by his great paines in preaching the gospell , incessant watchings and prayings , had brought upon himself the suspicion of fifty years of age , as many rationally conclude from the iews words , ioh. . . thou art not yet fifty y●ares old . and the prophet isaiah mourning under the treachery and perfidiousnesse of his countreymen , being zealous for his gods glory and their souls good , cryes out as a man consumptive with cares and sorrowes , my le●nnesse , my leannesse , if. . . . they are labourers together , ( not with paul or with peter but ) with god , cor. . . so called , b●cause god useth them for the begetting of faith , their paines and the promulgation of the gospell tending to one and the same end , even the salvation of souls : an honourable character . and great is the dignity that god hath con●er●ed on them , to adopt and adapt them to be helpers , without whose help he could as easily do his own work , if he pleased . god calls us to those pains , which he doth not need , and then honours us with those honours , and honourable titles which we do not de●erve . this is a great angelic●ll , nay divine dignity , in which we may find a consolation almost as great as the dignity , inferring , that if we miscarry not in our duty , god will be also our fellow-labourer , and help us by his labour . for what man will forsake , the plowmen , the shepheards , the stewards , which himself sets a work ? and what good commander is thers , but will encourage , vindicate , embolden , and reward his faithfull souldiers in and for their faithfull service ? and although christ primarily and by way of eminence be called gods fellow , zach. . . yet se●un darily the ministers of the gospell upon this account are so too . . they are called gods. moses that faithfull servant of god , and steward of his house , is called a god , even by god himself , exod. . . thou shalt be to aaron instead of god , and again , exod. . . see i have ●ade thee a god to pharoab . he was indeed a man still by nature , but a god by office , and delegation from god , and also by the communication of divine power and wisdom to him . and if they be called gods unto whom the word of god came , ioh. . surely then the title is as due to the prophets of god , as any other , concerning whom it is so oft recorded , that the word of the lord came unto them . all the ministers of the gospell are as much gods , as it is possible for one to be that stands only in gods stead , for of them it is that god saith , he that heareth you , heareth me , and he that despiseth you despiseth me , luk , . . . they are called vvatchmen . if. . . ier. . . ezech. . . and . . hos. . . heb. . . so called , because they foresee the future dangers , and warn the people of them ; as a watchman seeth the enemy comming afarr off , ) and by the giving of a sign warneth the inhabitants . the ministers of the gospell watch over the souls of the people , that they be not led aside by errors , nor perish in their sins . and this they doe by preaching , praying , reproving , and other exercises of their calling . . they are called pastors , or shepheards . if. . . ier. . . ioh. . , . now in a shepheard there is required . diligence and industry , to feed the flock , to reduce the straying , to heal the sick , to preserve the whole . . courage to defend the sheep , and resist the wolve● . . faithfullnes●e , to restore the sheep to their master , confessing himself a servant , and not the master of the flock . . wi●dome and discretion to know whether to use his voyce or his sta●●e . . patience and ha●dinesse , to endure the winds , the storms , and tempests which he is expos'd to , as iacob complains of himself . gen. . , , . thus the ministers of christ , do feed the church , that flock of christ , with the food of heavenly doctrine , keep them from the poysonous and rotting pastures of hereticks , and the wolves from them , and do also govern the sheep committed to them with the rod of discipline . . they are called builders of the church . eph. . , , . cor. . . for by their doctrine the people of god are built up and do grow in faith and mutuall charity . the church of god is a building , the master builder or architect is god , the inferiour workmen are his ministers , whereof some ●ay the foundation , others build upon it , that so we may become as a temple fit for god to dwell in . the prophets of old were gods masons , hos. . . i have hewed them by the prophets . for as the mason cutts , hews , and squares the stones , so by the means of the law do the ministers of christ , hew us , square , & prepare us , that we may be fit materialls for the building up of a spirituall house . thus ought the ministers of christ like wise builders prepare every particular house committed to their charge to be some part in this building , wherein let them use discretion according to the nature of their materialls , breaking some stones in pieces before they can make good work of them , squaring and smooting others by gentler instruments , cu●tting and hewing all by the law , and plaining and placing and compacting and building up by the gospell , all that are so cut . . they are called christs witnesses . ioh. . . act. . . rev. . . . . . . now they witnesse to christ , both by their preaching , as by a verball , and their conversations , as by a practicall and reall testimony . for it every ordinary judge will look for faithfullnesse and veracity , exact and personall knowledg of the thing , and honesty and integrity of conversation , in every one of his currant witnesses , much more doth christ require at the hands of his ministers those extraordinary witnesses , that by life as well as language they do truly , freely , explicitely , ingenuously and constantly , own and witnesse to him and his truth ; and that those qualifications of every su●●icient witnesse , be by no meanes wanting in his witnesses to make them sufficient . . they are called servants of iesus christ , rom. . . phil. . . sam . . . not servants of men , of pri●ces , but of that god , who is above all men , of that monarch , who is the king of kings , and lord of lords . neither are they of gods ordinary sort of servants , as all creatures are his servants by the right of creation . ps. . . or as all the elect are his servants by the right of redemption , but his servants by vertue of their mission , commission and ambassage , after a more peculiar manner . they are the servants of christ by way of eminence , in that they doe him more eminent service then others , and in so serving him doe govern his , which title yet doth enforce pains , as well as conferr honour , for a servant is all his masters . for him he works , for him he wins , to him he lives and dyes : he doth all things for his masters profit , and according to his masters pleasure . so they owe to christ what ever they have , or are , and therefore ought to lay out and expend whatever they have , or are , life , liberty , wit , wealth for this honour and glory , and esteem themselves great gainers , in being profitable ●o him : . they are called fathers . . kin. ● : ▪ : cor ● . . thes. ● . and frequently elsewhere , because they are serviceable in the hand of god by means of the word of god , to beget spirituall children unto god. for although god be our father principally and properly , yet this hinders not , but that his ministers may be out spirituall fathers , organically and analogically , which title bespeaks love and ●everence ; which tributes god is pleased to allow parents . ex●d : . . and if they have been fruitfull in this relation , it will be their joy and crown of rejoycing at the comming of iesus christ. . thes. . . let us pray therefore , and let all that are already begotten by any of us to christ iesus pray , that since god hath honoured us with the title of fathers , he would also honour us with the relation of sons , that so we may not be fathers , without children , and let us all desire to encrease the family of christ with rachels importunity , ( leaving out her impatience ) lord give us children before we dye ? . they are called seers and the eyes of the body : . sam. ● . i● ▪ , , cor , . . they used to say in israel , come let us go the seer , for men prophesyed by visions and revelations . ezechiel saw visions of god. ezech. . . being enlightned by the spirit of god they saw things at a distance . hab , , . , and hence they are called seers , for the prophets and pastors are that to the church which the eyes are to the body : let us pray therefore that god would enlighten our minds wich the psalmist , ps. . . open thou our eyes that we may behold the wondrous things out of thy law , that so we may not be blind guides , and seers that see nothing . . they are called christs souldyers . , tim , , . . now a souldier has much to doe , and more to suffer ; their action is fighting , . tim , . . their suffering is , not only the violence of their adversaries , which they must sustain , but they are exposed to hunger , and thirst , the heat of the day and the cold of the night , and many wearisome watchings . hence the apostle calls his fellow-ministers , fellow-souldiers . phil . . philem ▪ . ● for although every believer be a souldier . eph , , ▪ ▪ yet amongst those , the ministers obtain the first place , as they that lead the troops , and receive the first impressions of the enemyes fury . there are souldiers that are no ministers ( and could happily with there were none ) and there are ministers that do not act like souldyers , but let them all know that they are called to a warfare , that there is a combat prepared for them , and that therefore they must either fight for gods cause , or dye for the cause of not fighting . . they are called guides of the church . act. . . rom. . . heb. . , , . because they lead others in the ways of salvation . they are the examples of believers , whom all behold for imitation , and do conform themselves to , as to a living law . . tim. . . some sone has alluded to the apostles words in verse , past●rs are the glasse , the schoole , the book , vvhere peoples eyes do learn , do read , do look . it is with an emphasis , that the apostle calls them so oft the guides or the leaders , in that . chap. to the hebrews : because they either lead or ought to lead the people of god in the ways of god. for although it be proper to god onely to lead men , yet because he leads them by his word , he is pleased to communicate this honourable title to the preachers of this word . . they are called the charriot of israel and the horsemen thereof , as it is in an expresse aknowledgment , . kin. . . and . . and by a faire consequence from . sam. , . ● . as long as samuel lived , the philistines were subdued before israel . and if moses let god alone , the people will be consumed with his wrath , exod. . ▪ gods ministers are not only souldiers and captains , but they are all the army , they are the horsemen and the charriots of the church , they are for defence unto it . and if one elijah carryed and protected the people , and defended them more by his zeal , and prayers , then thousands of charriots and horsemen ; what strength and might shall there be found in many elijahs ? these are the churches walls , the bullwarks of the land , and the best fortifications for any city , they kill the enemyes of god with the sword of gods word , whereby they sharply wound in reproving ; and kill in threatning death : if furious iehu should chance to let any escape , the sword of elisha shall be sure to slay him . . kin ▪ . . and you may see elija sitting upon a hill , and s●aying an hundred of ahaziahs souldyers to death , and burning them up with the words of his mouth . kin. , the same is the power of gods witnesses , out of whose mouths fire doth proceed & devour their enemyes . rev. . . let england then take heed of pulling down , nay so much as loosening these pillars , lest the whole structure of church and state fall together with them . . they are called bishops , a generall title , and given to all the ministers of the gospell , all whose it is to oversee the flock committed to their trust , and to have a diligent care of it . act. . . and therefore , whom the apostle calls elders . tit , . , these he calls also bishops v. . neither doth this title conferre dignity only , it inferrs duty also . the office of a bishop has employment as well as preferment in it . it is a work in the apostles judgment . . tim. . . he that desireth the office of a bishop , desireth a good work . . they are called teachers ▪ this being the great businesse of ministers to preach and teach the word of god. this title primarily belongs to christ , who is the teacher of his people , but it is applyed secundarily to his ministers , who are ush●rs to him the head ● master . eph. . . . tim. . . . they are called clouds , spirituall clouds , watering , refreshing , fructifying the vineyard of the lord with the former and the latter rain of ordinances . i● . . . hence they are sayd to drop their doctrine upon men by a word fetcht from the clouds . deut. . . ezech. . . am . . but heretiques and deceivers , are emp●y bottles , waterlesse clouds , ●ossed to and fro with the winds , iude. . they make an ostentation and specious pretence of knowledg , when as indeed their sounds are but the sounds of empty bottles , and they are specious white clouds , that seem to promise the earth a belly full of water , but when they should come to distill it , they are gone with a blast of wind , and so gull the thirsty expectation ▪ of the silly spectators . . they are called nurses . th●s . . . for as a nurse , dandles and husheth , and suckleth , and ●lattereth the little infant , so the ministers of the gospel should even hugg in their bosomes , speak pleasantly unto & feed with the sincere milk of the word , christs new born-babes , accommodating their language , behaviour , and way of feeding to their infant state . and as a nurse with admirable patience doth digest the wranglings , endure the frowardnesses of her nu●seling , not grudging it her own blood to feed upon ; so a faithfull minister should be patient in his pains , indefatigable in his diligence , and not count his life dear unto him , if by it the church of christ may be advantaged , nor think much at his own destruction , if by it his people may be edisyed . . they are called the ministers of christ. . cor. . . which word in the greek bespeaks sorrow , and calls for ●ains , as the office of a rower doth require . they sit at the oares , where if the wind of gods spirit do not exceedingly help , they will find intolerable pains , and if it do help , yet they must use an indefatigable diligence . and if they be the ministers of god ( administring faithfully the word and ●●●●ments ) they must be approved in much patience , in afflictions , in necessi●yes , in distresses , &c. . cor . they are not prese●'d to 〈◊〉 and imperiall dignity , but an ecclesiasticall ministry , in which they may promise themselves whatever pains , the meanest of servants , in rowing , running or what else , do find , and more . . they are called starrs , and that not wandring , but fixed . for christ , who sits at the right hand of god holds them in his right hand , rev. . ( . ) starrs shine ; so ought they by clearnesse of doctrine , and integrity of life to shine before others . ( ) starrs shine in the night ; so let a minister of the gospell shine more glorio●sly , and illustriously when the church of christ is be●louded with heresyes , and benighted in persecutions . ( . ) starrs shine with a borrowed light ; so the ministers of christ , receive their calling , gifts and doctrine from him the sun of righteousnesse . nay they excell either fun or starrs , for these shall be turned into darknesse , the sun shall be totally eclipsed , the starrs sink down into their sockets , and be put out at the dissolution of the world , but they shall shine for ever and ever . dan. . . oh that they were also as the starrs of heaven for number , the lord of the harvest sending out plenty of labourers to reap his yet plentifull ha●vest ; and more fixed in the firmament of our church , then the stars in heaven , that sometimes tumble head-long ? . they are called angells of the church . rev. . . . . for . like angells they are messengers sent by god to declare his will to men . . they ought to imitate an angelicall , purity , chastity , zeal and celerity , that they may be as angells amongst men , masters amongst boyes , and shepheards amongst sheep . so that this name also brings duty with it , as well as dignity . many would be content to be angells to dwell in heaven , but loath to be angells to doe gods errands upon earth ; but he that would enjoy the honour , must first be imployed in the office , and execute that office too with carefullnesse , cherefullnesse and speedinesse , as the angells doe . now if timothy as being a man of god , must flee covetousnesse ; how much rather ought he to doe it as being an angell of god. and if the angels of god by pride fell from the presence and glory of god , it concerns these angels that yet they be humble as men . what matters now though the world call us blind guides ; god counts us starrs , and will set us in heaven , when the starrs themselves shall be misplaced . what though they call us devills ; it is honour enough that god counts us angels . let us doe the work of angels , and god will not stick to own us and honour us as such , before all men and angels . . they are called presbiters and elders , a name implying , not their age , but office and dignity , common to all the ministers of christ , so that it is no solescime to say , the yongest of christs faithfull ministers is an elder . for the name is indifferently given to them all . act. . . . . . tim. . . tit. . . . pet. . . so called , because they ought to excell others in an elderly wisdome and discretion , shunning all youthfull vanityes and levityes , and behaving themselves with such a gravity and piety , as may beget a reverence for them amongst the people . . they are called paranymphs or friends of the bride-groom . ioh. . . . cor. . . because they bring the bride and espouse her to christ : they invite men to the marriage of the kings son . mat. . . and to the great feast , luk. . . oh singular dignity , and sweet imployments . as the bridegroome makes use of his most faithfull and approved friends for paranymphs , to make up the match between him , and his beloved : so christ iesus makes use of the paines of his ministers , to perswade poor sinners into a marriage with their maker . now the work of these friends of the bridegroom is manifold . for first they make up the match , secondly , after marriage they instruct them in their conjugall du●yes , and teach them faithfullnesse , love , and loy 〈◊〉 in that relation ? and 〈◊〉 , in case they b●●k●lide and forsake their lord and husband , they cause them to return again , and re●ew , their conjugall vows . and they that do these things are su●e the confidents and approved friends of the bride-groom . let us take heed therefore , that we play not the part of those unfaithfull ●●ustees , who having been put into this office , and employed for the bridegroome , in the consummation of marriages , speak one word for him , and two for themselves ; let us wooe for christ and not for our selves ; his profit and credit , and not our own , for we are but the paranymphs , he is the bride-groom , we are but the ambassadors , he the king. . they are called legates , messengers , ambassadors for christ , hag. . . . cor. . . eph. . . to be ambassador from any prince is an honour , from a renowned monarch is more , but to be employed an ambassador for christ iesus is of all other honours most honourable . and such ambassadors are christs ministers . and therefore ▪ . as an ambassador keeps himself within the limits of his commission , and observes how he is bounded by his princes commands , so let the ministers of christ deliver their masters mind freely , and yet truly , without detracting from , or adding any thing ●o the same . . as no ambassadour assumes that province to himself , nor puts himself into commission . so let them expect their masters mission before they fall a running : and . as ambassadors are safe from any violence ; so let these promise themselves the protection of their master , and well they may , for they serve the best master in the world , who not only sends them of his ambassage , but goes along with them also . and let england take heed of doing violence or offering abuse to these ambassadors , for if david did revenge upon hanun the base usage of his servants , and the romans sackt carthage , for offering violence to their ambassadors , surely christ , that interprets despites done to his ministers , to be done to himself , will sharply and surely revenge the quarrell of his ambassadors , and the dishonour done unto them . . they are called fishers of men . mat. . . mar. . . luk. . . because they do , as it were by the preaching of the word catch men , that wander up and down the wide world , as it were in a deep and vast ocean . and under this metaphor , a diligent and unwearyed care and endeavour to gain many souls is enjoyned to them . for fishers many times catch at what they catch not , it may be , toyle all the night and catch nothing , therefore they had need of patience and constancy : they are exposed to tempests & ill weather , nay , have their lives allwayes in jeopardy by reason of the raging waves and unmercifull deeps , therefore had need of a great share of courage & hardinesse , to adventure upon the one , and endure the other . oh that we had peter's successe to catch many fishes , or at least peter's indefatigablenesse , patiently to endure toyling all the night . . they are called husbandmen . cor. . . & therefore are called planters and waterers of god vineyard . . cor. . . the primary and chief husbandman is god , ioh. . . the secundary or subordinate husbandman is the minister of god. god tills inw●rdly by his spirit , the minister outwardly by his word & doctrine . and as the field is plowed and sowed to bring forth fruit to its owner , so is the church plowed and sowed to bring forth fruit to god , whose it is , and whose they are that till it . see here the necessity of a ministry , without bread no life , without corn no bread , without husbandry no corn , without husbandmen no husbandry , why so without faith no salvation , without hearing no faith , without preaching no hearing , and how can there be preaching without preachers ? . they are compar'd to oxen , , cor. . . . tim. . . under the name of an oxe , the indefatigable labour of a minister is typically and allegorically set forth . for the oxe is a very laborious creature , and very profitable by its labour , ( prov. . . much encrease is by the strength of the oxe ) and that not to it self but to its master . so let the ministers of christ be laborious and industrious , and that for christ , not for themselves . the oxe is slow in work but sure : if a minister be cast upon hard ground , amongst a dull and slow people of understanding , it matters not for much hast or acutenesse , let him accommodate himself to their capacityes , rather study to doe his work firmly then finely ; let him not think much to explain , presse and inculcate the same things again and again . and as the oxe content with grasse , hay or straw is an hieroglyphick of frugality , so let a minister of christ be sober and frugall , minding more his work then his meat . as an oxe is a harmlesse and innocuous creature , by the verdict of the poet , vvhat d●th the oxe deserve that hath 〈◊〉 guile , but harmlesse born alone to suffer ●oyl● ? so let a preacher be a single and ●i●ere●man , without fraud or malice , plain and upright , like ●acob , helpfull to all , hurtfull to none . as the oxe is hardy and strong to work 〈◊〉 , . so let a pr●acher of gods word be valiant , learing the face of no man , nor the ●rowns of no face . doth any one curse him ? let him contemne the curse . for he cannot answer reproaches and raylings better , then by not answering them at all . and as the oxe labours hardest in hardest weather , more in winter then in summer . so let ministers approve themselves in a●f●ictions , in necessityes , in distresses . . cor . . and stirre up themselves to the greatest diligence , when there is the worst weather in the church . as the oxe is profitable both in his life and death , so let every faithfull and able minister of christ , be serviceable to the church of christ , not only by his preachings but also writings . again as the ground which the oxe plows not , brings forth briers and thorns , but that which is by him broken up and prepared , presents the husbandman with a wellcome harvest : so the souls to whom the sound of the gospell preached doth not come , that have no teaching priest , no ministeriall oxe to break up the fallow ground , are overgrown with the weeds and rubbish of vices , but those over whose souls the plow of gods word , held by the ministers of christ , doth passe , are fruitfull in graces and vertues . and lastly , as it is sit that the oxe should feed of the harvest which he gets in , and eat of the corn which he treads forth ; so is it fit that he that serveth at the altar should live of the altar , that he that preaches spirituall things should receive of their temporalls to whom he preaches ; which piece of equity the apostle proves by many arguments . . cor. . . they are called god's trumpetters . hos. . and . . because they must cry with a loud , shrill , and trumpet-like voyce to awaken the sleepy sinners . ( . ) they blow the trumpet of the law against sinners , zeph. . , , . then the trumpet of the gospell to the penitent ones , is. . . ( . ) as the trumpets of the lovites were of solid and massy silver , num● . , . so the ministers of christ ought to preach the substantiall and simple word of god without any mixture of their own inventions ▪ without drosse or corruption ( . ) they are gods trumpetters , in as much as they ought to proclaim an everlasting and irreconcilable combat against sin , and call out men to fight the devill and their own corruptions , therefore vvisdom's maydens do not whisper , the ministers of gods word do not speak coldly , but boldly . prov. . . for a preacher is not made for a pipe to invite men to wantonnesse and feasting , but for a trumpet to call forth to warrs and fightings , to call men into the field against the black band of devills , and their own outragious lusts . and whilst one of these enemye● abide the field , the minister must call on to fight , as the trumpe●●ounds , so long as the enemyes are in fight . . they are called the mouth of the lord. ier. . . i● . . . luk. . . act. . . . thes. . . those that ●eparate the pretious from the vile , discern between the good and the bad , and reprove sin freely , are as the lords mouth , and those ●hat preach the gospell faithfully are as the lips of christ , for he speaks in them . . cor. . . these god ownes for his mouth , that is for his true and faithfull messengers , whilst they speak his words and not their own , in so much that he that heareth them , is interpreted as hearing god himself . and if they be the mouth of god , let their adversaryes desist their designes to silence them , for how is it possible that the mouth of god should be stopped ? . they are called the ministers of the new covenant or t●stament . . co● . . . ministers , not of the law as moses was , but of the gospell , not of the old , but of the new covenant , not of the letter ▪ but of the spirit , not of death , but of life , not of ●amnation , but of mercy , not in weaknesse , but power , and ●ffica●ye ; because by them christ enlightens the mind , puri●yes the heart , and regenerates the whole man. . they are called a sweet savour . . cor. . . by which metaphor , the apostle commends and glori●yes their sacred ministry . for they are a sweet savour , in as much as they bring a sweet smell from christ , and with it perfume the corrupt manners of the dunghill world . and this must needs be so , because on the contrary , false prophets are a noysome stink ; but these preaching a holy doctrine , and proving it by an holy life , doe become a sweet smelling savour , and being so , their mi●●stry doth become an acceptable sacrifice to god , yea , even 〈◊〉 them that perish . for although israel be not gathered , yet 〈◊〉 they that desire to gather them , be glorious in the ey● o● god. i● . . . . they are called the churches crown . rev. . . the church of christ is to be seen there clothed with the su● that 〈◊〉 with christ the sun of righteousnesse , having the 〈…〉 her feet , that is , she tramples upon all worldly things as vain and worthlesse ; for the moon signifyes things sublunarie . she has upon her head a crown of twelve starrs , that is , she doth not tread under her feet the apostolicall doctors , and doctrine , ( as the manner of unmannerly england is at this day ) but carryes them as her crown and royall ornament upon her head . she is adorned with the doctrine of the twelve apostles , upon which she is founded . chap. . . with excellent ministers , as with a diadem , chap. . . for her glory is not a wordly crown , but her crown is the integrity of her ●eachers . . they are called the glory of christ , . cor. . , that is by a metonymye of the effect , such as promote and illustrate the glory of christ. a title that comprehends all dignity in it . for how can a man be more glorious , then by being made the glory of christ ? thus the grace and doctrine of the gospell is called the glory of the lord , is. . . thy light is come , and the glory of the lord is risen upon thee . so let us therefore preach , so le●u●live , that we may be a glory to christ our lord and master , and not a shame , for ornament not for ignominye . . they are called saviours , rom. . . obad. . v. . tim . . for so it seemeth good to the spirit of god , to honour them whose ministry it makes use of , by ascribing its own work to their hands . and this lays a strong charge upon us , that we through ignorance or idleness suffer not those souls to perish , whose salvation god hath as it were entrusted into our hands . neither is that cavill worth any thing , that it is god alone that converts and regenerates : for we do not deny it . god saves , and so do we . he saves absolutely and principally , we only subserviently and instrumentally , we endeavour the salvation of souls , gods gives efficacy and successe to our endeavours . god and man goe together , to bring god and man together . that which god could do without us , he is yet pleased to do by us ; and we working in his hand , are said to do that work which the hand does that acts us : we save men ; and yet it is god that saves both them and us : and this now argues the g●eatest necessity of a gospel ministry , that by it soules may be saved , and god glorified in their salvation ; which argument might be of sufficient strength to establish such a ministry , if those thousands , that might be called out for help , were all silenced . now to what end are all these titles and elogies , but to teach ministers their duty towards their people , and how to look upon themselves ( as men created and devoted to labour and service ) and to teach the people their debt of love , honour , a●d reverence to , and how to look ( with an eye of esteem ) upon their ministers . chap. iii. arguments and reasons evincing the necessity , and efficacy of a gospell● ministry . . the necessity of the sacred ministry doth appear by god's command given , mark. . . preach the gospel to every creature ; that is , to all men : man being the master-piece of the creation is exalted ; the creature , by way of eminence , as by our saviour here , so by the apostle paul. col. . . the like not onely commission , but command ye may finde , matth. . . act . . where you have christ expresly commanding to preach to the people . and the apostle paul , about to die , and so to leave his office , gives this as his last charge to timothy ) to the observance of which he strongly ad●ures him ) that he preach the word in every opportuni●y , and with all importunity , . tim . . this task christ impos'd , or rather , this honour christ con●err'd upon peter , and in him upon all his ministers , that they should feed , and feed , and again feed his sheep , iohn . . . it is not a humane invention , but a divine institution , and therefore not arbi●ra●y , but necessary . . a ministry is not onely necessary by a necessity of the precept , but also by a necessity of the means ; not onely as being ordained by god , but as being ordained for man , and his s●lvation : and it is so necessary in this regard , as that , it is called in ordinary speech , the means or the means of grace . this is the ordinary way , the king's high-way to heaven , rom. . . . cor. . ● . act. . . tim. ▪ . by this the spirit is received , gal. . . act● . . this is the arm of the lord , and the power of god to salvation , rom. . . this was the employment which our blessed saviour was diligent in , matth. . . and . . luke . ▪ . and therefore god sent cornelius , not to an angel , but to peter , who should tell him what he ought to do ▪ act. . . . and paul , although extraordinarily called , yet for the honour of the ministry , was sent to school to ananias , act. . ▪ . and the eunuch must have philip to preach to him , act. . . for so it seemed good to god , by men to reveal his will to men : this treasure god hath committed to earthen vessels , that the excellency of the power may be o● god , cor. . . god hath ordained it to be the primary mean● of our regeneration and conversion unto god. mal. . , . iames . . pet. . . cor. . . and as the word of god preacht is the seed whereof the christian man is borne , so it is the food whereby the new born christian is nourished . hence it is compared to meat , ierem. . . to shewers , and dew , deut. . . isa ▪ . . to light , act. . . psal. . , to the face of god , psal. . . and . . now without meat no li●e , without shewers no increase , without light no comfort , without the face of god no joy : it is this word of god that enlightens the eyes , psal. . . cheareth the heart , mic. . . raiseth up the drooping , isa. . . comforts the sad , isa. . , . enlivens the dead , iohn . . . heateth the cold like fire , breaketh the obstinate , like a hammer , i●rem . . . and confers the spirit of adoption , whereby we are sealed unto the day of redemption . this is a sign of god's blessing , exod . . in whatsoever place the name of god is recorded , there he blesses the people , in hearing prayers , directing in doubts , and enriching them with all internall and external goods : micah , although upon a false ground , had great confidence of this blessing , upon this account ▪ iudg. . now know i that the lord will do me good , seeing i have a levite to my priest. but truer , and diviner is that of the divine musician , psal. . . blessed is the man whom thou choosest , and causest to approach unto thee , that he may dwell in thy courts : we shall be satisfied with the goodness of thy house , even of thy holy temple : to which truth our saviour also gives his testimony , luke . . blessed are the eyes which see the things which ye see , and this seeing compre●ends hearing ▪ and so consequently , hearing has the blessing also , vers . ● . they must necessarily , and most deservedly perish then , that neglect and reject this spiritual food and physick . cursed be also those damnable apostates that bring in damnable errors , whereby they drive the sheep of christ from his folds , and drive them into the mouthes of the wolves , bewitching them with their fancies and dr●ams , and so at last dreaming them into hell : and cursed be the presumption of those inspired spirits , who despising the sacred ministry of the more sacred word of god , pretend and profess revelations , and enthusiasms , as false as new , and as dangerous as either . these god ●uffers to fall into the temptations of pride , and into the snares of sathan ; having reserved the blacknes● of everlasting darknesse to be the conclusion of their new lights , pet. . . iude . . the nec●ssity and efficacy of the ministry appear's by the ends for which it was ordained ; which being many , the apostle comprises in few , but full phrases , ephes ● . &c. . christ ordained a ministry for the restauration of the saints , for the setting of them as of disjointed members in their proper places : there was a disjuncture made by the fall of our first parents , and hence it is that all of us have variously erred and gone astray : therefore god to restore us , hath given variety of gifts to his ministers , to knit us to christ our head ▪ and us all together , as fellow-members . and as for the restauration of the saints , so . for their edification . he hath given us teachers , that we may be built up ▪ in knowledg ; preachers of the word , that by them we may be built up in our most holy faith , which comes by hearing . . for the settling and establishing us in the truth , that we may arrive at a staid manhood in christianity , and not like children be tossed too and fro with every winde of doctrine , no● be drawn aside by the fle●ght and cunning craftiness of men , whereby they lye in wait to deceive ▪ . for the conservation of the unity and harmony of the church , in the worship of god , that we may speak the truth in love . . our infimities and miseries do sufficiently speak a necessity of a minist●y . we are all by nature sick of an here ●●●tary disease , and do therefore need a savo●y and ●●ving ministry , to keep us that we die not of this sickness , and to restore us again to pe●fect 〈…〉 . nay , we are all by nature distanced from the mercy of god , are destitute of all i●●ate strength , whe●by to help our se●ves : nay , we are not onely sick , and unable to restore our selves to health , but even dead in sin , eph. . . and therefore b● sure unable to restore our selve to life ; and so we are obnox●●us to the hea●●●st wrath of tl● m●migh●y god. and does not this sad condition call for a●istry of reconciliation ? . ●he necessity of a ministry appears : by the sad condition of them that are destitute of the preaching of the word , as may be exemplified in the i●ws sometime wanting it , and the heathens at this day , without a teaching priest , and without the true god , are put together , chron. . . and the heathens that want this ministry are without god in the world , without christ , without hope , eph. . . when moses the iews minister was a way but five or six weeks , the people presently become idolatrous , exod. . . after paul's departure , grievous woolves are seen entring in amongst the people , act. . . where there is no vision the people perish , saies solomon , prov . ▪ . where there is no ministry of the word , we may exspect whatever evi●l is exprest or signified by the hebrew word ( 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 ) which we translate ( perish ) . denudation , or stripping off the true and saving knowledg of god , faith , love , with the whole armour of god , as also of divine safeguard , and protection . . rebellion , viz. against god , and against men . . cessation from the study of good learning , performance of good duties , and practice of good works . . separation , not onely from god by apostasie , but one from another , by cruel enmities , and carnal errors , as sheep having no shepherd , and ( as when there was no king in israel , so ) if there should be no preacher in israel , every one would do what seemed good in his own eyes , nay , i doubt not to say , if israel were nothing else but kings , yet , if there were no preacher , they would all do so ▪ we see some good fruits which god is pleased to hand over to us by the ministry , some sad fruits of the want of it , and some arguments ▪ evincing the necessity and efficacy thereof : what remains , but that we maintain and stick to this ministry ; love , and reverence the ministers , at least for their work sake . chap. iv. the doctrine is applyed in an vse of information . the corrolaryes issuing out of the bowells of this doctrine , thus explicated and demonstrated , will serve for information , instruction , consolation , reprehen●ion , exhortation . . for information . there is then a ministry in the church . to what purpose are all these names , and honourable titles , if there be no such order , as ministers , in the church ? which order is not of a moneths , a years , or an ages standing , but must be contemporary with the world , even in its last ages ▪ there is , and shall be a ministry in the world , so long as there shall be a world for it to be in ; which we shall prove by arguments ; . confirming the truth . . infirming and confuting the cavills of the anabaptists . . it is plain , by those evangelicall prophesies and promises , by which god hath made himself a debtor to his church . he standeth engaged to his people , in all ages , as well as to those of the primitive times , to give them pastors according to his own heart , who shall feed them with knowledg and understanding , isa. . . ierem. . . and . . ezech. . . . it is plain by the promise of christs presence , and help with the ministry of his word , to the end of the world ; the enrollment of which promise we may see matth. ▪ . loe , i am with you ( not a day , nor a year , but ) alway , even unto the end of the world . although it may be shaken sore in this world , yet it shall not be pluckt up by the roots ; although many may , and do gnash their teeth against it , yet shall they not be able to devour it ; for christ will build his church , and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it , or its ministry . neither did our saviour make this promise only ( though chiefly ) to his apostles , but to all his ministers also in generall , that either in times past have been , to us who now are , and to them that shall be after us ▪ even to the end of the world . . the offices of ministers , and the works of the ministry , shall be perpetuall , therefore shall the ministry it self last also . the preaching of the word , and the administration of the sacraments are offices of ministers , and works of the ministry ; but these have a long-liv●d char●●r , a promise of perpetuity , and an injunction that they be perpetuated . a ministry was given , not for one age , but for all ages ; ●ot for the edification of one man , but of the whole body of christ , the church , eph. . , . the administration of sacraments must extend it self to the utmost times , and last age of the church , matth. . ▪ . cor. . ● . now whilest the office continues , they must needs continue that execute it . where there is any religion , there must be some set apart to maintain it . baal himself , if he be a god , must have his priests . the same may be found in scripture concerning the fictitious crew of all those devilish de●●ies , which the phili●●ines , egyp●●ans , m●abites ; and ammonites worshipped . . it is plain from the necessity of this calling : vv●●hout faith no salvation , iohn . ● . vvithout the preaching of the word no faith , rom. . . vvrithout preachers no preaching ▪ and without a ministry there can be no preachers ; for , how shall they preach except they be sent ▪ so then , without the ministry and ministers no salvation . so long as there shall be any to be saved , god will provide some , by whose hands he will save them ▪ . whilest there shall be a church , there must be a ministry of the church ; but god will have a church militant upon earth whilest ●un and moon endure , 〈◊〉 . . . matth ▪ . . eph. . . it is necessary therefore , that as there ever hath been a ministry , because there ever hath been some ●●●ct , so there should be a ministry for ever , because there shall ever be some elect , who●e salvation shall be carryed on thereby ; that it should be commensu●able with the churches necessi●ies , whilest god shall have upon earth a church to be built , a vineyard to be planted , a field to be tilled , a flock to be ●ed , an harvest to be reaped , and soules to be saved ; so long will he have builders , planters , tillers , shepherds , reapers , saviours , and a ministry for the accomplishing of these things ; see act. ● . , . . it appears ▪ in that it is said to be the priviledg , and is rep●esented as the property of the new ierusalem , to have no temple in it , rev. . . the church triumphant is the church , and the onely church , that needs no ministry , ministers , or ordinances ; for god is all this to them ; instead of the word of god , they read in the god of that word ; instead of the representation of christ in sacraments , they have the enjoyment of him without the help of shadows or types . the immediate enjoyment of god in this life , without the means , is sure then a fancy onely beseeming the heady brains , or rather brainless heads of anabaptists . it is the proper priviledg of the church triumphant to serve god immediately , without temple or ordinances ; amongst them it is , that prophes●●s shall fail , cor. ▪ . but in the church militant they are to be highly esteemed , thes. . ● . it appeares by the care of the apostles for the continuation of their successors , and the perpetuation of a ministry in the church . paul commands titus to ordain elders and bishops in 〈◊〉 city , describes the persons to be ordained , and prescribes rules for the ordaining of them , t it . , , , , &c. he command● , and cautions timothy also about the same thing ; and ●●ds him keep the commands relating to this ministry till the appearing of the lord iesus christ ; which injunction is not onely laid upon timothy in his own person , but upon all the ministers of christ that shall be in succession to the end of the world . . it appeares by that honor , reverence , and submission , which , by vertue of the command , is due to the successours of the apostles , thes. . , . phil. . . heb. . . which things , so long as they are due , must needs have , and prove ministers of the gospel to whom they shall be given . and if you take a way them that are over you in the lord , your messengers , them that have the rule over you , and that watch for your soules , i pray you tell me , where will you bestow the high estimation and love , the reputation , obedience , and submission which the great apostle commands to be given , in the fore-quoted texts . . it appears by that constant provision that god has made for his ministers , ordering them honourable stipends for their work , gal. . . cor. . ▪ . tim. . , . which provision is laid up in the store-house of the gospell , not onely for the apostles sake , but all theirs that are ministers of christ in succession . now to what purpose should these commands of god remain in the b●ble , if there should not be a remainder of ministers still in the church . god needed not to have provided meat for his ministers , if he had been minded that men should have sewed up their m●uthes . away with the doting crew of anabaptists then , that despising the word of god , and ministry of that word ▪ and ministers of that ministry , gape for the downfall of revelations into their mouths , and stare after new lights . away with them to the law and the prophets . why stand ye gazing up into heaven for new discoveries ? to the law , and to the testimony ; if they be not according to this word , it is because your new lights have no light in them ▪ isa. . . god hath ordained and established a publick ministry , and forbids the consulting of diviners , observers of times , enchanters , charmers , witches , wizards , necromancers , deut. . , , . no , nor must mens own fancies lead them , their own inventions be set up to give oracles ; but in all doubtfull matters , consult the ministers of god , vers . . is there no light in the word of god ? or , whether are your eyes out that ye cannot receive it ? is that nothing but a dead letter now , which in s. pauls dayes was so quick and spirituall , heb. . . is there no god , but in the still voice of your spirituall conceivements and revelations now adayes ? well , let 's hear what your spirit has to say against our christ , who has bidden ●o ▪ and teach and baptise . chap. v. the cavills and fallacies of the anabaptists , socinians , swend●eldians , and enthusiasts are blown away . obj. . the first harbour of these libertines opinion in this thing is pretended to be in ierem. . . they ●hall teach no more every man his neighbour , and every man his brother , saying , know the lord , for they shall all know me , from ●he l●ast of them , even to the greatest of them , saith the lord ; therefore such a thing as the ministry of the word is needless under the new testament . answ. . words are not properly scripture , , but the sense ; neither does the scripture properly consist in the leaves of words , but in the root of reason ; the word of god is not to be taken formally , as it is described by words and syllables , but materially , as it declares to us the minde and counsell of god ; we must not stick in the bark , for that hath involved the ●apist● and anabaptists in many errours . . if we must needs have so much regard to the letter of the text , it rather takes away private instruction , then publick preaching ; for god does not say , there shall be no publick preachers , but they shall no more t●ach every man his neighbour , and every man his brother . but neither can we dis●ard private instructions under the gospell , if s● paul be a gospell-man , who presseth this duty , coloss. . . thes. . . . the text is a promise : now promises must not shoulder out , nor overthrow precepts ; neither must the means be taken away , because the primary cause is laid down and asserted . god feeds all , it does not follow , therefore that tillag● is unnecessary , or bread needless , ●or by these means god ●eeds us . no more does it follow , that because god teacheth , therefore the ministry of his word is unnecessary , for god teacheth by the ministry of his word . . the genuine scope of the text is to shew us , that god teacheth his elect ▪ not onely externally by the ministry of his word , but internally ▪ by the ministry of his holy spi●it . neither does the prophet speak absolutely , simply ▪ and inclusively ; but comparatively , as the holy ghost frequently speaks . things spoken negatively in scripture , are oft times to be understood comparatively , and are not to be expounded so much by ( not ) as by ( not so much , ) which is plain in hos. . . psal. . . psal. . . iohn . . iohn . . and many other places : so that the sum of the prophets words will easi●y be , there shall be a ●uller and clearer knowledg of god in the times of the new testament , then there was in the times of the old. . because under the old testame●t christ was obscurely shadowed out in types ; but under the new he is plainly preach'd , and shewn openly ; insomuch , that a very boy , w●ll ca●echised and instructed doth understand the gospell concerning christ , beter then many of the priests of the law did ; which is the accomplishment of that promise . isa. . . the earth shall be filled with the knowledge of the lord. . because there are farre more that are blessed with the saving knowledg of god in the times of the new testament , than were in the times of the old , the preaching of the word not being restrained to one nation now , as it was then , but common to all . . by reason of the more plentifull effusions of the grace of god , there shall not need so much pains and trouble to instruct the elect now , as formerly there needed . this is plain from vers . . where it is said , i will write my law in their hearts , not in their lips , not in tables of stones , not on the fringes of their garments ( as it was sometimes among the iews ) but in their hearts , by giving them pious affections , and inclinations for the law of god. that of calvin upon the place gives the substance of the interpretation ; god , who had more darkly represented himself under the law , promiseth a more glorious discovery under the gospell ; in so much , that the knowledg of god shall be then , as it were , familiar , and common : but it is by an hyperbole that he commendeth this grace , when he saies , that no one shall need any master or teacher , but every one shall be sufficiently instructed : neither yet does he say exactly , that they shall not teach every one his neighbour , but they shall not teach every one his neighbour , saying , know the lord ; i. e. there shall be such a measure of knowledg , that men shall be no longer abecedarians : for this phrase ( know the lord ) seems to point at the first beginning , and rudiments of religion . the minde of the prephet in this place ( which we willingly yield ) can be nothing but this , that god will send out a greater light , and greater measures of knowledg in the times of the go●pell , and will deale more freely and familiarly with his people then , than formerly . . if having given the naturall sense , & genuine scope of the text , we may use an answer ad hominem , i would fain know why the anabaptists and quakers , that stand up for this litterall meaning , and apply the promise to our days , can make themselves these new lights , and the heirs of this promise , and yet goe about saying know the lord. certainly if this be the meaning of the promise , these be the times of the accomplishment of it , and they the persons to whom it belongs , they contradict their interpretation , and even break the neck of the promise , in going from town to town , from street to street , from house to house , teaching men to repent , to turn to the lord , to know the lord , and a great deal more of this , and so take gods work out of his hands , for they should be all taught of the lord. and if they say , true men shall be taught of the lord , but it shall be by the means of men , then why are not we as fit to teach as they ? this now brings to my mind their . obj. which they build upon , is. . . where god promiseth that all the faithfull shall be taught of the lord. therefore the ministry of the word is needlesse . ans. . this rather raiseth up then razeth out the ministry of the word , of which there shall be need in the new-testament , no lesse then in the old . all know that scripture is the best interpreter of scripture . now christ reacheth us what it is to be taught of god. ioh. . . god teacheth us two ways , by the outward preaching of his word and by the inward revelations of his spirits . god here promiseth that his elect shall be taught , not only by the teachers of the church from without , but by the holy spirit from within . christians in this text of the prophet seem to be put in opposition to the lews , whose teachings under the old testament were more externall then internall . and it is here promised that the spirit of god shall be mightily efficacious by the ministery of the word , and that it shall be more free and liberall in distributing its gifts and graces under the new testament . so that these two kinds of teachings are rather united in this text than divided . to be taught of god is not to be taught of him immediately , but mediately by the preaching of the word , as appears from luk . . act . . but further if this text of the prophet be interpreted for the overthrow of the ministry of the word , how will it agree with ier. . . mat. . . rom. . ● . ? and agree it must , unlesse you will have the spirit of truth to give himself the lye . cal●● speaks appositely . it is evident how miserably they dote , who abuse this text , for the overthrow of the ministry of the word , so much used by , and usefull ●o the church . they cannot be owned for the children of the church , that reject her education . and it is in vain to boast the revelations of the spirit ; for the spirit teaches none , save those who submit themselves to the ministry of the word . account we them therefore the brats of the devill , not the genuine begotten of god , who reject this holy ordinance of his own institution . for we see these two , ( the children of the chu●ch ) and ( the taught of god ) are so much the same , that they cannot be the taught of god , who will not be taught in the chu●ch . . if we may make an answer ad hominem , it little becomes the anabaptists to decrye a ministry , and forbid prophesying who otherwise bid all to do it , plead the cause of the gifted brethren so stiffly , and give them a licence for prophesying at their pleasure . no wonder if they would set scripture together by the ears , and make contradictions in them , who themselves do contradict themselves , and whose latter opinions do fall out and quarrell with their former . . obj. is grounded upon . ioh. . , . ye have an unction from the holy one , and ye know all things ; and ye need not that any man teach you . the objection fram'd for the purpose of our libertines and new lights , will be of this form , who ever hath the spirit of god , understandeth the scriptures without a teacher , but we have this spirit of god. therefore we understand them without any teacher . ans. . the major proposition is false . for whom the spirit of god teacheth , it teacheth by teachers , eph ▪ . . and not immediately , as was made to appear before . this anointing teacheth you all things , that is , the spirit of god is efficacious and powerfull by the preaching of the word , to enlighten the minds of the faithfull in all things necessary to salvation . these elect persons knew all things , and so st. paul could do all things he sayes , and yet i dare say there were many things ▪ that they did not know , nor he could not doe : what shall we say then ? why not that these elect persons were so many gods , which they must be , if they know all things . ioh. . ▪ not that paul was omnipotent , not that these were omniscient ; but paul's omnipotence , and their omniscience must be limited . the one could do all things belonging to his calling , the other knew all things necessary to salvation , at least in some good measure ▪ they knew all things which might serve for the discovering of anti-christ , and the avoyding of his snares , which is there the subject of the apostles discourse . concerning these things , or concerning the fundamentalls of religion , ye need not that any man teach you ; which words else are spoken comparatively not absolutely , and come to this meaning . the spirit of god teacheth you so plainly and powerfully , that no one needs to bestow much pains to perswade you concerning heavenly truths . the major proposition being pull'd down , the minor , staggars , and the conclusion appears to be a mere delusion . . if they that have the spirit of god and the holy anointing , know all things , and need not that any one teach them any thing , in the sense which our enthusiasts would interprete it , i wonder that the apostle iohn could so farr forget himself , as to write an epistle for the instruction , & edification of such omniscient persons as these were . this sense of the text , which our libertines will stitch to it , will not only render the apostle contradictory to christ iesus his master , mat. . . to the apostle paul . tim. . . and eph. . , , . but to himself also . as though a man should goe and teach another , tha● he need not be taught . so that surely , ye know all things , must n●●ds be meant but of some things , and ye need not that any one teach you , must be limited to some things only , wherein they were so well verst . . obj. god can save the elect without any ministry , therefore he will. ans. this ●oth not follow : an argument from gods power to his will is not concluding . god could have saved noah without an arke , but he would not . he could have instructed the iews without levites , have propagated the gospell without apostles , but he would not . he could save us indeed without means , but it has pleased him to make use of means for the regenerating of us , and to prescribe those means to us . rom. . . where the apostle in an elegant gradation sheweth us by what means , and in what order to faith and salvation , we are fitted for glory . . obj. although the ministry be usefull for regeneration , yet it is uselesse to the regenerate . ans. why do ye not say also that meat is necessary for children , but superfluous , and hurtfull to men of age ; for we are ●ure that the word of god is meat . the apostle paul appears ●o be of another mind , eph. . . the ministry of the word ●ust continue ( not for a year or an age , not till we be regenerate , not till we have got a little strength , but ) till we all come in the unity of the faith , and of the knowledg of the son of god , unto a perfect man , unto the measure of the stature of the fullnesse of christ. not only till we be united to christ by faith , but ●ill all the elect come to a perfect knowledg in the beatificall vision , and to the full statute of christ. these remain many scales yet to be strucken off from the most enlightned eyes in the world , and some cubits which may still be added to the highest stature in this world by the word of god. the word of god is not only the seed , of which the christian babe is born ▪ but the food also , by which the christian man is sed , . pet. . ● . and is not only the instrument of regeneration , but of edification also ▪ act. . . . tim. . , . therefore the apostle would not have believers to forsake the assembling of themselves together , by way of christian congregations to handle , and hear gods word . heb. . . the word of god preacht , that principle of regeneration , is also the principle of nutrition . ieremiah was regenerate , yet he eate the word of the lord , and it was to him the joy and rejoycing of his heart . ier. . . david was regenerate , yet the word of god , was more sweet to his taste then the most clarifyed honey , more desirable to his eyes , then the most refined gold , ps. . . iob was regenerate , yet he hid , or rather hoarded up the commandements of god , as the best treasure , in his heart , as the best treasury ; nay , he esteemed the words of gods mouth more then his necessary food . iob. . . nay , since the best saints upon earth are by nature slow , s●cure , apt to loosen themselves from god , and obnoxious to many wandrings both in head , heart , and hand , ( as is sadly exemplifyed in sampson the strongest of men , david the most humbled of sinners , solomon the wisest of kings , peter the bolbest of believers ) since blindnesse in part happens even to the dest of israel , and no man even was or will be upon earth , either so compleat in knowledg or grace , but that something will remain to be added to him , phill. . . . pet. . u●t . we have daily and hourly need for , and use of the word of god , whereby our ignorance may be instructed , our faintings refresh'd our weakness strengthned , our dullness quickned , our wanderings reduced , our waverings resolved , and we built up in grace ▪ and in the knowledg of our lord and saviour iesus christ. chap. vi. many uses of instruction arising from the doctrine . . hence we may see the absolute necessity of a gospel-ministry . take away this salt , and you have the world stinking in sin presently . the whole world not only falleth into , but lyeth in wickednesse , . ioh. . . and there would lye and ●ot , to all eternity , were it not for this ●alt . take away this ministry , and ye take the sunne out of the firmament . for what is the world without the ministry of gods word , but the picture of hell , nay very hell upon earth , wherein will b● no order , and eternall horrour . that of the constantinopolitans is all most more common then that it needs to be repeated , it were better that the sun did not shine , than that chrysostome should not teach . take away this ministry , and you take away all the true knowledg of the true god , the heat of piety is extinguished , ba●barisme entereth , and you shall presently reap a large harvest 〈◊〉 the weeds of all error and prophanenesse . there will be neither soveraign nor subject , mistresse nor mayde , but all things will presently be in a confusion , which very miseryes our ancesto●● did sadly experience in the dark night of popery , to their great ●ffl●ction . and not only they in their papisticall , but also we in part see in our atheisticall days , wherein the ministry and ministers of the gospell being set at naught , he hath broke loose , and a numberlesse crew of locusts have sprung out of the bottomlesse pit , assuming to themselves the names of arrians , arminians , socinians , antinomians , anabaptists , familists , antiscripturists , antisabbatarians , antitrinitarians , libertines , erastians , levellers , mortalists , millenaryes , enthusiasts , separatists , semiseparatists , quakers and many more of the same brood , upon all which and the present erroneous state of our english church , a stranger hath set a black mark ▪ england ( saith he ) in four years , is become a lerna and sink of all errors , and sectaries . no countrey from the foundation of the world hath brought forth , and brought up , so many monstrous births as it hath done . nay , in a word , take away the ministry , and you take away faith in in god , prayer to god , and salvation given by him . rom. . . tim. . . by this men are turned from darknesse to light , and from the power of sathan to god. ier. . . luk . , . by this christ hath propagated his church , overthrown the kingdom of sathan , and the powers of darknesse , viz. paganisme , idolatry , superstition , and ignorance , luk . , . this stops the blasphemous mouths , and cuts out the very tongues of that pestilent generation of iesuites , and romish agents : therefore when god will hasten the downfall of anti-christ , he will not doe it by a secular power , but by the spirit of his mouth , . thes. . . that is , by the power of the gospell preacht , by ministers not magistrates , by whom also he hath founded true religion , kept it upon its legs , when it was founded , and restored it when it was fallen . to these he hath given ( that which he hath denyed to the greatest monarchs of the world ) the keys of the kingdom of heaven , mat. . . ioh. . . so that what they bind on earth , is said to be bound in heaven , and what they loose , to be loosed also . hence some one not amisse inferrs that a minister rightly discharging his office , hath not only preheminence above all other private persons , but even kings and princes ; to which chrysostome gives his suffrage ; that the very angells of god in heaven in this may give place to the angells of god , which are upon earth , who although they be themselves in heaven , yet have no keys to open to others . take away this palladium i. e. come who will , and take away our place , and nation . behold the disasters and disorders , and the omnifarious calamitousnesse of those times , wherein israel was without the knowledg of the true god , without a teaching priest , and without law , . chron. . . . take away this light , ye have nothing but stumbling . ioh. . . take away pastours , and ye have men , like sheep wandring ; take away these guides , and ye have all ditches every where filled , with the carcasses of the blind , that are fallen there . take away this light , and let us see what solid comfort , innumerable gold , uninterrupted prosperity , and friendly society will afford . take away this arke , and then shew me the glory of israel . ignorance and impiety goe together in the gospell texture , eph. . , and there is but a letter between ignorants , and covenant-breakers , rom. . . if ye would find cruelty , search the dark places of the earth , for they are full of it . ps. . . come see and heare the wise man's whoremonger bewayling himself at last , prov. . , . i have not obeyed the voyce of my teachers . behold the root of bitternesse , the fountain of his sin , nor inclined mine eare to them that instructed me . hin● illae lacl●ymae , her 's the ground of the complaint . wherefore the lord promiseth faithfull pastors as a great blessing , and singular kindnesse , i● . . , . the lord will give you the bread of adversity , and the water of affliction . behold the ●ore ? but thy teachers shall not be removed into corners any more , thine eys shall see thy teachers . behold the salve ? although we suffer hunger , and thirst , and adversity , for tryall and purgation , yet if god will be present with us in our teachers , who may strengthen the weak , cheare the sad , refresh the faint , and teach us the ways of the lord , our hunger will be as good as plenty , our adversity will ou●-shine prosperity , and our thirst as waged by the waters of the sanctuary . and on the other hand , as hunger and thirst are blessings with the word , so is a famine of the word the greatest curse on this side hell , though in the midst of plenty and prosperity , so is it represented , am. . . is. . . . what is the body to the soul ; no more comparable in value , then the cloaths are to the body . and so consequently what is the sust●ntation , and nourishment of the body , to that of the soul ? wheat is but chaffe to the bread of life ; wine is but water to the droppings of the sanctuary . honey is but waxe , nay , very bitternesse to the word of god ; ps. . . and so consequently what is a famine of bread , or of water , to a famine of the word of god , which is the most exce●lent food of the most excellent substance in this world , even our precious souls . . this acquaints us with our miserable condition , by nature . it gives us to understand , that we are altogether destitute of the salt of mortification and repentance . if we were sound , and could so preserve our selves , what needed we this salt : what unsavory , filthy , stinking , corrupt carcases are men , till they be seasoned with this heavenly salt ! let us therefore bless god for this seasoner , and that he hath caused us to be brought forth , and brought within the sound of the glorious gospell : and pray with all earnestness , that , as god hath out of his mere goodness ordained a ministry for us , that he would preserve it amongst us ; as he hath set , it up , so that he would keep it standing , whilest the world it self shall stand . . this acquaints us with the dignity and efficacy of the sacred ministry ; of all that serve and minister to christ , his ambassadours are his chiefest servants , and choisest ministers . their ministry is most excellent , because they minister to god , heb. . . and that , not in the things pertaining to this life , but in the things that respect the kingdome of god , and the everlasting salvation of men : this ministry is called a thing not small , numb . . . ●ay , it is called an honour , heb. . . nay the prophet puts a beauty with an admiration upon the very feet of the gospell-ministers , isa. . . how beautifull are the feet of them that bring good tydings of good , that publish salvation ! how could the beauty of them be exprest more fully , than by such an elegant particle of admiration ? and yet , if the beauty of their feet must have an admiration borrowed to express them , by what shall we express the beauty of their faces ? learn hence , what a glorious treasure the gospell is , what a glorious office the preaching of it is , what glorious and honourable servants the preachers of it ; they have been a delight to the very kings of the earth , who in token of honour and reverence , have called them fathers , kings . . nay , they have not onely spoken reve●●ntly of them , but also comfortably to them , chron. . . and . . wicked saul himself could not but reverence holy samuel , sam. . and graceless herod could not but respect the gracious baptist ▪ marl . . the apostle paul was of so much worth to the galattan ▪ that they received him as an angel of god , even as chr●st ●esus ( 〈◊〉 his ambassadour he was ) gal. . . behold corn●lius the ce●turion falling down before peter the apostle , and worshipping him , act. . . oh stupendious humanity , and humility ! a roman captain , a gentleman souldier stooping to a poor apostle , and offering him honour , not onely more than could be exspected , but than durst be accepted : lo alexander the grand tenant of the universe ( whose ranging soul knew no confines , whose stately spirit scorn'd to own any monarch ) stooping before , and doing reverence unto iaddus the iewish high-priest , iosephus , antiquit. l. . c. . it is not much that aqutla and priscilla should expose their lives to danger for paul's sake . rom. . , . but yet it spoke their great affection to , and estimation of him . observe the reverend carriage of the noble obadiah ▪ governour of the kings houshould , towards elijah a poor persecuted prophet , kings . . he fell on this face , and said , art thou that my lord elisah ? and not only him did he reverence , but manifested his great affections towards an hundred of the lords prophets , even with the danger of his life , ver . . such was the honour sometimes thought due to the men of god. ministers are gifts , not carnall and temporall , but spirituall : they are part of christs purchase , and a singular fruit of his ascension , who went up into heaven , that they might come down upon the earth , eph. . . . surely the gift of the sun and salt , are a mere nothing , if compared with this heavenly largess . by this ministry the glory of god is manifested , faith is begotten and nourished , charity kindled and enflamed : by this the ignorant are instructed , the idle are provoked , the unconstant are fastened to the truth , as it were nailes , eccles . . the wicked are convinced , the weak are confirmed , the root of wickedness cast up , and the branches cut off . this gospell-ministry , in the apostles minde , farre ou●-goes the ministry of the law , cor. . , , . and iohn baptist ( who himself was scarce a gospell-preacher , had yet , because of his more then ordinary nearness thereunto , his preheminence , not onely of the silken courtiers in our saviours account , but of all the prophets his p●edecessors , matth. . , , , . and yet the meanest of the faithfull ministers of christ ( in regard of the clearness of the doctrine taught by him ) is greater then he . the great excellency and dignity of the sacred ministry will easily appear , if we consider , . the authour of it , not man , but god. the commendation of the scriptures is , that they are 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 , tim. . . the commendation of believers is , that they are 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 , isa. ▪ . the same authority commends the ministry of the word ▪ eph. . . 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 , christ gave some apostles , &c. he put● his ministers into commission , matth. . , . and iesus came and spake unto them saying , all power is given to me in heaven and in earth ; go ye therefore , and teach all nations , baptizing them . and s. paul magnifies his ministry by this authority , cor. . . cor. . . and gal . . paul an apostle , not of men , nor by man , but by iesus christ , and god the father , it is not mans appointment , but an ordinance of god ; not a humane fiction , but a divine institution . . the antiquity of it , which also commends the goodness of a good thing . the ministry of the church is no new invention , but an ancient ordination : for it had been even from the beginning , which the churches of god have not wanted in any age , neither before , nor under , nor since the law ; before the law were the patriarchs , who instructed their families in the worship of god , and propagated religion to their posterity : under the law god had his priests , and levites , and prophets , who had their unctions , missions , and commissions from him : and since the law 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 , christ hath given apostles , pastors , evangelists , teachers . . the ministers of it : the patriarchs , the prophets , christ himself , and his apostles . isaiah was of the blood : oyal , and yet a minister of this ministry : king solomon commends himself to the church of god under the name of koheleth : and amongst other his titles , seems to glory first , and most in that of the preacher , eccles. . the words of the preacher , and then it follows , the son of david , king in ierusal●m . noah the monarch of the whole world was a preacher of righteousness , pet. . . nay , christ iesus himself , god blessed for evermore , came to minister , mark. . . and to be the masterpreacher of the gospel , heb. . . the apostles and teachers that have succeeded him , being set up by him ( cor. . . ) are also honourable : for what greater honour can there be in court , then to succeed in that place and employment , in which the king's son himself deigned sometime to be . . the object about which it is conversant : not the body ▪ but the soul ; not humane laws , secular concernments , but spirituall things relating to the worship , service , and glory of god , and the salvation of soules . physicians binde up bruised bodies , lawyers patch up broken estates , whilest christ ministers bind up broken hearts , and salve wounded consciences . if therefore the body he unworthier then the soul , the earth be content to be below the heavens , externalls give place to eternalls ; parity of reason will prefer this sacred function before , and set it above all others . . the supernaturall effects thereof , such as the conversion , sanctification , and salvation of man ; in all which the dignity of the sacred ministry does admirably appear , and in the dignity of the ministry doth also appear the dignity of the ministers . neither let any one say , they are servants , they are but ministers , and therefore not to be honoured ; for that derogates not awhit from their honour : if they be servants , they are the servants of the church of god ; if they be ministers , they are ministers of christ , the lord of heaven , earth , and hell , they are not the servants of kings , but of the king of kings , to whom the glorious angells do gladly minister ; neither are they of the meanest of christ's servants , put in some low place of service , but they serve him in the distribution of the most precious treasure , even gospell-grace , cor. . . now to be the treasurer of the lord , is a greater honour then to be lord-treasurer . and if there be honour in the meanest office performed for god , as he wing wood , and drawing water for the sanctuary , and keeping the door of the house of god , psal. . . surely the highest offices cannot be dishonourable . all the things that render any service honourable , do concurre to make this great employment truly honourable . . vve serve an honourable master , the lord iehorah , the monarch of heaven and earth . . our service is in it self excellent and honourable . . our wages and reward is the highest of all others , viz. a crown of glory ; god does not onely honour his faithfull ministers that honour him , in this life ; but he has reserved a more exceeding weight of glory for them against the time to come . oh what admirable honour will be given of god at the last day to his faithfull ministers ! then shall stand forth before god , and his angels , and all men , andrew bringing with him his achaians , whom by his ministry he gained to christ ; iohn with his asians . thomas with his indians ; peter with his iews ; paul with his gentiles ; and all the pious and painfull ministers of christ , with the children that god hath given them in their respective ages and generations , and these shall be their crown of glorying , in the presence of iesus christ at his coming , thes. . . what remains therefore , but that we give such honour to our teachers , as is due to the ambassadours and ministers of the most high god , for although they be servants , yet are they his servants , whom to serve is to raign ; look not upon them as slaves , but as such servants , to whom honour , reverence , and obedience is due , even by the command of god tim. . . tit. . . heb. . . cor. . , . the apostle paul desires the thessalonians , thes. . , . not onely to know , but to acknowledg their teachers , nay , to love them with a high strain of affection , even to an hyperbole , to esteem them highly in love , which translation yet comes short of the expression , 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 . let us imitate the galatians , whose very eyes were not so dear in their heads , as the apostle paul was in their eyes , gal . . but here a double caution is needfull . . let us take heed lest these encomiums and commendations of the ministry lay in us the grounds of pride , lest we be puffed up with the dignity of our office. and to this purpose 't will not be amiss to consider , that the operation and efficacy of our ministry is not from our selves , but from god , act. . , . cor. . , , . we are onely ministers , not lords of mens faith , but ministers by whom they believe ; our planting and watering avail nothing unless god give ▪ encrease . the preacher beats the ears , but god alone breaks the heart ; the preacher teacheth , but god gives knowledg ; the preacher perswades , but god inclines ; iohn baptiseth with water , but christ onely with the holy ghost , and with fire , matth. . . . let us take need of dishonouring this honourable calling by unsuiteable lives , lives led in drunkenness , idleness , ignorance , profaneness , heresie , pride , covetousness , uncleanness , sports and pastimes ; let us take need of being unsavory salt , of speaking silken words , and things to please mens fancies ; and so proving rather honey then salt to the sinners , as they were ezech. . , . they that are such , teach others the things which themselves contemn ; they that reprove others , had themselves need to be irreprovable ; for , vvho can abide the traitrous gracchi , when they make complaints against seditious men ? shall clodius condemn adulterie ; or catiline cethegus , worse then hee ? certainly he must needs strike faintly upon the consciences of sinners , who has his own conscience polluted with gross sinnes ; and how shall he inveigh against the vices of others , who fears shame for his own ? how shall be teach well that lives ill ; or season others , who is himself altogether unsavoury ? how can the covetous minister press his people to heavenly mindedness ; or , with what face can the drunken doctor commend to another a sober course of life ? or , if he do , 't is seldome with good success ; a wicked man may indeed preach against wickedness , but will hardly preach it down , except he preach in deed ; he that attempts to take a mote out of his brothers eyes , must either cast the beam out of his own first , or else he will certainly be entertained with the proverb , physician heal thy self . he is a pharisaicall teacher that saies , and does nothing , mat. . . such take away all authority from their preachings , plucking down with their life what they build with their language ; for , who will obey , when the preachers teach disobedience ? of all creatures upon earth degenerate men are the worst ; of all men , wicked christians ; and of all christians , wicked ministers ; they are the shame of the clergy , the worst of varlets , not pastors but impostors , not doctors but seducers , not dispensers but dispersers , the increment and instruments of sathan , and the very picture of that wicked one ; they are like the statue of mercury , that shew others the way , which themselves walk not ; like bells that call men to hear the word and will of god , but themselves want ears ; like spunges , that cleanse other things , but remain unclean themselves ; like a musicall instrument , that creates delight to others , but it self is sensless of any ; or like the shipwrights that made an ark to save noah and his family in , but themselves were drowned . no wonder ( saies a learned authour ) if that polity be made a prey , and brought to naught , whose vvatchmen are blinde , whose preachers dumb , whose champions lame , whose physicians sick , whose teachers untaught , and whose guides are ignorant of the way . hence springs the ruine of the church , the corruption of manners , a sink of sinne , a deluge of prophaneness , the sterving of charity , the hazarding of faith , the debasement of religion , the poyson of pestilent schisms , the contempt of the ministry ▪ and all ecclesiasticall orders , and ordinances . hence it is that the people are so wicked , for how should there choose but be whoredome in ephraim , and defilement in israel , when the priests commit lewdness , hos. . , . the actions of publick persons are influentiall ; and this gave occasion to that witty conjecture of charles the fifth , who guest at the state of a city , or commonwealth , by three things , by considering their pastor , their pedagogue , their pretor : the church depends upon the pastor , the school upon the master , the court upon the pretor , who are the salt of their respective places ; such therefore as is the preacher , is the church ; as is the pedagogue , so are the children ; as is the pretor , so are the citizens . good reason therefore why god requires holiness in those especially , that come thus nigh unto him , lev. . , . neither does it mitigate to say , that these ministers are learned , but rather aggravate . learning dwells ill in an evill man : it is like wine in a poysoned cup , or a sword in a mad mans hand . dexterity of wit , the liberall arts , the knowledge of the tongues , and humane learning are indeed excellent gifts from god ; but they are all miserably prophaned in such a man. a religious dunce is better then he : and it comes to pass by the just iudgment of god , that the devill works more powerfully in none , then in wicked and apostate ministers ; insomuch that they are called devills , iohn . , . the worst name in the world : such do not onely invite , but even compell , by their example : the examples of minnisters are cogent , gal. . . christ therefore threatens these unsavoury salts with sad iudgment , luke . . . which judgment that we may the better understand , let us consider it in these following particulars . . vnsavoury salt hath this inconvenience , that its lost nature cannot be repayred . there is no further salt wherewith this unsavoury salt can be seasoned . the unhappinesse of it is therefore very unhappy . the best things in their corruption become the worst . the best nourishment becomes the worst excrement , the best wine is corrupted into the sharpest vinegar . degenerate ministers are hardly cured ; for what remains with which they may be restored and seasoned ? if the people be unsavory , god hath given ministers to ●eason them . but if themselves be corrupt and unsavory , what cure shall we find for them . these vines if they be fruitfull , are the best trees in gods garden , and the worst , if barren . ezech. . . unsavoury salt is unprofitable . it is not fit for the earth , for it will not suffer it to be fruitfull , not for the dunghill , for it will not suffer it to ●ructify . so unprofitable are unsavoury ministers , who are therefore deposed from their ministry , and discarded by the churches censure : other things in their corrupt state are good for something , as degenerate wine generates vinegar , and the excrement of nourishment , nourishes land . but infatuated salt is so unprofitable , as that it is also hurtfull ; so hurtfull as that it makes the very dunghills themselves unprofitable . such vile , unprofitable hurtfull creatures are apostate ministers and corrupt ; to whom god therefore threatneth , rejection , deposition , and contempt . hos. . . mall . , ezr. . . . vnsavoury salt is troden under foot of men , which is the height of ignominy and shame . so ecebolius the apostate cryed out , tread upon me unsavory salt . the just judgment of god causes their ministry to be contemned , whose lives are contaminated . thus the sacrifices of the lord were abhorred , because of the vilenes●e of the sacrificers . . sam. . . nay , as though the treadings under feet of men were not enough miserable , the proverb hath layd prophaned ministers lawer then the earth , which sayth , that hell is paved with the helmets of princes , and the shavings of priests . woe be to that pastor , that is not true , but treacherous , not lively and diligent , but dull and sloathfull , who is rather the counterfe●t of a pastor than indeed such , who seeds not his people , but his purse , and his paunch : wo to these idol shepheards , the sword shall be upon their arme , and upon their right eye , their arm shall be clean dryed up , and their right eye utterly darkned . zach. . . god will weaken their strength , and infatuate their judgments . such are the punishments of these wicked , unsavou●y , unprofitable ministers . . another sort of unsavory salt , and gifted brethren ( as they call themselves ) though how barren of 〈◊〉 good gift , all may see . these like the pa●●rioges chickens , run with the shells upon their heads . t●us the little ducklings fall a swimming as soon as they are well hatcht , and the lyons whelps teare their own passage into the world : but such hasty burths are lightly blind . there is an incurable itch of teaching , which possesses many wild heads in these days , who think they know that which indeed they are ignorant of , nay , are ignorant of their ignorance . in all other arts and sciences , men use first to learn and after to teach . but in divinity we have many that teach what they never learn'd , and become the masters of fools , before they have been the schollars of wise men . and hence it is that this waxen divinity of theirs receives any impression , and they themselves are metamorphosed into many shapes . these do not season souls , but poyson them , not edifye , but destroy them , not communicate instruction , but convey infection . these are plants without sap , wells without water , starrs without light , bubbles broken with a blast , and waves of the sea , soming out their own shame , quorum prophetia non est 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 sed 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 these prophets are fools , these spirituall men are mad . this liberty of prophesying , this root of mani●old heresyes is to be rooted out , as that which hath eaten as a gangrene , and infected many . oh that some hercules will oppose himself to this many headed monster ? many complain of this evill , but few put to their hand for the reforming of it : so that it may justly be feared , that whilst the infectors are spared , more will be infected . the true shepheards are an abomination to these egyptians . egyptians ? nay they are worse then egyptians : for the egyptians tempered their clay with straw to make bricke of , but these have neither straw nor stubble , neither wit nor learning , nor any other materialls to build with , but dawbe with untempered mortar . these like iereboam , one of the worst men in the world , make priests of the meanest of the people . nay , as caligula made his horse consul , so these make their asses preachers , who if they can do nothing else , yet like balaams asse , can reprove the madnesse of the prophets . these are the men that give mouldy bread instead of ambrosia , vinegar instead of nectar , and poysons instead of preservatives they mixe tares with their wheat , and dregs with their wine , preach without pains , and are heard without profit . they dream dreams , and then tell them , they cause the people to erre by their lyes and by their lightnesse , when god sent them not , nor commanded them , therefore they doe not profit the people at all . ier. . . away ye unsavory crew of senselesse , saplesse , saltlesse dunees , anabaptists , collyers , saltmarshes , haggards . &c. in all this tribe , this crew , what will you call 't ; there is not to be found one corn of salt . this brood of vipers have come forth in a numerous multitude , in this decrepit old age of the world , doting upon opinions , and under the pretext of piety , going about to overthrow , scriptures , sacraments , universityes , all order and ordinances , to confound heaven and hell , with more than a gigantick confidence , and whorish impudence . let the heavens tremble , and the earth be amazed , and both be ashamed , that this our brittain should bring forth , and bring up such monsters . are these the returns of so many incomes from above ? are these the fruits of so much patience and love ? do we thus require the lord , a people foolish and unwise ? there hath been a famous church , and a renowned ministry in these parts of the world . nay , and there is still a church and a ministry , although it appear to be clouded , or rather can not appear , because it is clouded . but let us lift up our hearts , and eyes to christ iesus , whose ministry it is , for although it be clouded , yet he will at length cause those clouds to vanish ▪ although it lye in the dust for the present , yet he will not let it be choakt there . but to the purpose . they that are sensible of the weightinesse of the ministeriall calling , will not run upon their own heads , nay they will abide thrusting , mat. . . moses undertook the charge of gods people with reluctancy , and ieremiah after many excuses , and so do they that know they are about a work of continuall pains , inevitable danger , and implacable hatred . and therefore we have moses sent by god , exod. , . aaron s●parated that he should sanctify the most holy things . . chr. . . the prophets called , the apostles chosen . ioh. . . in a word , all ministers are sent . rom. . . how shall they preach except they be sent ? that is , they can not lawfully preach . for although it be evident that many doe preach that are not sent , yet by what right , by what authority , with what good conscience can they preach , except they be sent ? no one can undertake and exercise the publick employment of the ministry , except he can say with the apostle , that he is made a minister of the gospell ▪ eph. . . he must stay for a call , lest that be charged upon us . ier. . . i have not sent them , yet they ranne . which is yet further plain from the practise of all in old , and new testament times , who diligently expected and observed a mission or call to this sacred employment . no man of them took this honour to himself ( that is , rightly , and safely ) heb. . . that of luther therefore deserves golden letters , sit still till god call ; nay , although thou wert wiser than solomon or daniel , yet if thou be not called , flye the office , as hell it self ; and speak not a word . if god need thee ▪ he will call thee ; if he call thee not , thy knowledge will not burst thee &c. for god doth never prosper the labours of them , whom he never called to labour ; for although they may preach things in themselves wholsome ; yet they do not heal , things in themselves profitable , yet they do not profit the people . but on the contrary , great hath been the successe of those that have gone at god's sending , and preacht at gods bidding . away with the unfixed anabaptists then , who determine any self-ordeiner of what condition and calling soever , to the pulpit promiscuously without any proofe of a lawfull call ; and by this means have brought in a kind of barbarous disorder , and babylonish confusion into the church of christ : which confusion god abhorrs , as appears by his reiterated complaints . ier. . . and . , . and . . christ reproves the angell of thyatira for suffering iezabel , who called her self a proph●●esse , ( but was none ) to teach and to seduce many , rev. . . god hath also punished such usurpers with exemplary judgments , witnesse , uzzah . sam. . , : uzziah the king. chro. . , . korah , dathan , and abiram , who , for offering to arrogate to themselves the priesthood , were swallowed up alive , into a grave made without hands . numb . . , . . inference follows . if there be a ministry , then there must be schools of learning , and universityes . if the end be allowed , the means conducing to that end must not be denied . it is now necessary , that they , that are intended for the sacred ministry , be instructed and principled in the schools , those nurseries for the church : as an orchard , though it be excellently prun'd , manur'd , and managed , and set with the choicest and fruitfullest trees in the world , wil decay , and at length come to nothing , except there be a nursery of young plants , which may be placed and succeed , in the roome of the barren and dead trees : so the sacred ministry cannot long endure sale and firme , except there be some formed , educated , instructed in the schools ; and fitted to succeed in the employment ; for ministeriall gifts are not now adayes inspired into men immediately and miraculously , but mediately gotten by reading , meditation , study , and diligent pains , as appeares tim. . , . hence it hath been the care of pious princes , to found , endow , and maintain schools and universities , in which young students might be seasoned with , and educated in piety and good learning , who might afterwards be champions to defend the truth , and put to flight errours and heresies . and therefore let it be the care of all who have power in their hands , strongly to defend , and diligently to preserve the revenues , and priviledges of schools and universities , that the glory of our church may not fade , but be still more and more glorious , : unless you will be worse than the uncircumcised philistines , who are observed to have spared the colledge of the prophets , isa. . . away then with familists ▪ anabaptists , vveigelians , &c. who rail against learning , and learned men at this rate . they are unsit for the ministry who are trained in schools , and taught of men ; there is no knowledge of christ in universities , they are the nurseries of wickedness , the plagues of the common-wealth . oh the aegyptian darkness that hath overspread the mindes of men ! oh impudence , like that of pope paul the second ! who condemned them all for hereticks , not onely that were students , but ( whose hatred of learning was so deadly ) tha● he pronounced all them hereticks ▪ that either in earnest or in jest should name an university ; who therefore commanded the romans not to suffer their children to converse in books , or to study for learning , saying , it were enough , if they could write and read . these men are not more like this paul the pope , than he was unlike to paul the apostle , who himself was brought up at the feet of learned gamaliel , and commends reading , study , and meditation to his son timothy , as you saw before . but if there be found the seeds of sinne in these seminaries , let them be purged , and not spoyled ; refined , and not consumed ; made better , and not unmade . let corruption be drained ; abuses be taken away , and the use of them remain . . it appears hence , that that is a sound and savoury ministry which bites and pie●ceth the consciences of the hearers . the masse indeed is toothlesse , and cannot bite , but salt is of a b●ing and sharp nature . nothing torments a sinner like the free and ●incere preaching of the word , hence it comes to pass , that the sincere and savoury preachers do purchase to themselves all contempt , reproach and hatred ; which gave occasion to luther ( who knew well enough what salt preaching was ) to define preaching thus , it is a deriving of the hatred of the whole world upon ones self . hence it was , that the world hated and persecuted christ and his disciples , because they testified of it , that the works , thereof were evill , iohn . . and . . the gospell , because of its sharpness , has alwayes been the scorn and derision of the stinking world , requiring the mortification of the flesh , self-deniall , and other things unpleasant to corrupt nature . and although these sharp corrosives , these bitter pills do heal and purge , yet such is the tenderness and softness of the most , that they had rather rot in their sinnes , than to be sharply reproved , although that be for salvation . but this is an infallible argument of a wicked man , and a heart full of putrifying fores , not to be able to abide the salt of sound reproof , witness ahab , kings . ● . amaziah amos . . and faelix , acts . . no wonder then if they have filthy hearts , and stinking lives , who studiously put away from them this salt , withdraw themselves from this ministry . as for us , brethren in the ministry , let us not faint , but go on with chear and courage , thanking god that we are worthy to be hated of the world , for it is a good proof of our sincerity to be so entreated . and if this be to be vile , to season the corrupt world with the savoury word of god , oh that we might be yet more vile ! let us love study , preach sound doctrin , which although it be sharp , yet its savoury , although it wound the conscience , yet it will heal , although it be bitter in the mouth yet in the conclusion will prove sweeter than the honey and the honey-comb . although the ploughshare of the gospell touch upon our very soules , yet let it be welcome , if by this means our spirituall weeds and thistles may be rooted out . christs spouse is a dove , cant. . . now doves love salt exceedingly . oh then ye christians , fly to the congregations , where this salt is to be had , as doves to the windows . chap. vii . more corrolaries issuing from the doctrine . the third use is for consolation . it is clear , that sathan does persecute the sound and sincere ministers of the gospell with all might and main , knowing them to be the main enemies of his kingdome , that seek by all means to destroy it , according to what was prophesied of them , luke . . them therefore he assails with reproaches , persecution , perdition , fire , sword , banishment , hunger , thirst , and death it self . he encourageth his agents against them , as the king of syria did his captains , kings . . fight neither against great nor small , save onely against the king of israel . for the king being conquered , the souldiers flie : the shepherd being smitten , the sheep are scattered . let not us dream of better usage from him and his than christ and his disciples found from them . the apostles were counted by the world , as the filth of the world , the off-scouring of all things , cor. . . men unworthy of the society of men , worthy to be exterminated the world , and to be troden under foot . paul is counted a babler acts . . a pestilent fellow , nay , if we translate the word properly , the plague it self , act. . . a man unfit to live , act. . . christ himself was every where entertained with scoffs , beaten with whips , assaulted with stones , and at last put to an ignominious death . but let us quietly endure all these afflictions , and patiently undergo all that men or devills can load with , in hope of the glory that is to be revealed . let wanto●● mock , let malice insult 〈…〉 world whe● it's teeth at us , the devill smite his hands at us , christ iesus holdeth the starrs in his right hand , and will certainly maintain and preserve them . for he is not only the author , but also the protector of the ministry , and he hath promised safety to the persons , and successe to the pains of his ministers . ier. . . luk. . . this is shadowed out by christ'● right ●and . for the right hand denotes love , hence iacob call● his yongest sonne benjamin or the son of his right hand . gen. , ● . because he was as dear to him as a mans right hand uses to be to him . it also denotes and promises protection and the greatest care . ps. . . the ministers of christ are his e●bassadors . now embassadors are inviolable by the law of all nations , and injuryes and indignityes done to them use to find a sharp revenge . if david so severely revenged the injury offered to his embassadors by the ammonites , who shaved their beards , and cut their garments by the halfes , with how much sorer vengeance shall christ repay the greater reproaches and indignityes with which wicked men entreat his ministers ? vvho ever curseth father or mother shall dye the death . lev. . . christ's ministers are spirituall fathers to regenerate men , as has been already proved , and spirituall mothers , travailing in birth till christ be formed in their people . gal. . . nay it is evident by palpable demonstrations , that god hath revenged the quarrell of his violated embassadors . he hath broken prelaticall powers , and hereticall councells proclaiming warre against his ministers . he hath reproved kings for their sakes , saying , do my prophets no harm . ps. . , . he will smite thorough the loins of all that rise up against them , and hate them , that they rise not again . dent. . . witnesse gods dealing with pa●hur , who persecuted the prophet ieremiah . ier. , , . the children that mockt the prophet elisha , , kin. . , . king saul who had slain many of the lord's prophets , himself was miserably slain at mount gilboa , korah , dathan , and abiram pay'd dearly for their conspiracy against moses and aaron , numb . . ieroboam's hand which he stretched out against the man of god , dryed up . kin. . . asa imprisoned hanani the lord's seer , and he dyes of the gowte , notwithstanding all his physicians . . chro. . , . ioa●h commanded his servants to stone zechariah the son of ieho●ada the priest , and for the blood of the same zechariah . did his servants kill him upon his bed . . chro. . elymas withstood paul , and he is struck blind upon it . act . we know the sad desolation of ierusalem that had killed the prophets , and stoned god ' s ministers ; and what befell the whole b●dy of the iewish people who killed the lord of life , and evill entreated his apostles , any body can tell . it is done unto them according to the sentence which themselves past upon such offenders . mat. . . now if god spared not ierusalem because of the injury done to his ministers ( . chron. . , . . ) how shall he spare the haters and despisers both of his ministers and ministry ? shall not the like causes produce the like effect ? is not god allwayes like himself ? and if the man that refused to hearken unto the priest standing to minister before the lord , was sentenced to dye by god's law ; ( deut. . . ) what more heavy doome shall they undergoe , that scorn , contemn , reproach the ministers of christ ? when god would expresse a people given up to all wickednesse , he says of them that they are like to them that strive with the priest . hos. . . you may read the greatnesse of the sinne , and the proportionablenesse of the judgment . ier. . . thes , . . whosoever shall neglect or despise the sacred ministry , or the faithfull ministers thereof , let him know that he despises christ himself , who gives both the gift of the ministry , and gifts to the ministers , the contempt that is cast upon christ's ambassadors lights upon christ himself . luk . . is. . . let no plots , devices , injuryes , conspiracyes , then weaken our courages , or dant our hearts : for christ iesus shall be with us , not a few days , but to the end of the world by his power and spirit . mat. . . he whose name is immanuel , will not , cannot be farre from us . the world shall sooner cease to be , than christ cease to be with us . he will protect us in dangers , comfort us in temptations , help us in undertakings , direct us in doubts , and upon all occasions stand by us . let us therefore be of good courage , discharg our calling , going on it cheerfully . what though we may tremble at the sense of our own infirmities ; yet we may be bold and adventurous in the strength of christ. he will not desert us in the work that is his own , but will either give fredome from suffering , or patience , courage , and constancy wherewithall to suffer . through the wonderfull providence of god , all things shall work together for good unto us . he can make to his messengers medicines out of this poyson , cause roses to spring up to them from amidst these prickles , and make figs to be the fruit of these thistles let hereticall men g●●sh their teeth sharpen their swords , spit their venome at us ; their end shall be to be destroyed . let them associate themselves , they shall be broken in pieces ; let them gird themselves they shall be broken in pieces . let them take counsell , it shall be in vain . let them speak the word , it shall not stand , because god is with us : is. . , . let our adversaryes write whole volumes of satyres against us , and fill every page and line with some new scandall or reproachfull title ; we will bind them as crowns upon our heads . they do the best to me . ( quoth luther ) who speak the worst of me : luther feeds upon opprobries , the ministers of christ are in this , like philip king of macedon , who used to thank the athenian orators for rayling him into the better ; for he was resolved that his upright conversation should confute , and give the lye to all their soul-mouthed declamations . they think with seneca that no name is better , than an ill name well got . in a word let us comfort our selves against the ingratitude of the shamelesse world , by the serious review of gods gracious promises . do wretched and godlesse men deprive and defraud us of temporall rewards ? it is god who hath promised eternall ones . for the best wages of christs , ministers are reserved in heaven for them , where they shall inherit an eminency ( if not a singularity ) of eternall glory and brightnesse . dan. . . mat. . . mat. . , , . i cor. . , . . p●t . . . this crown the apostle paul still had in his eye ▪ . tim. ▪ . rom. . . suffering for a time , triumphing to eternity : the work shall have an end , but so shall not the wages . the people shall-receive each man a reward for his good works , but the pasto● shall receive a reward for the good works of them all ; for his own he shall receive a crown , for each of theirs a coronet , as chrysostome acutely notes . nay even in this life they shall be sure of some reward , as . encrease of their gifts . this augmentation is sure ; they have god ' s own expresse order for it , mat. . . to him that hath shall more be given . . the feast of a good conscience , which in the saddest and ebbest condition of life accompanies a sincere fai●hful minister of christ , who eys only the glory of god , and the salvation of his hearers . act. . . and chap. . . . cor. . . and chap. . . when he shall be as a man sorrowing yet here in he shall rejoyce ; in a time of famine he shall have this table spread for him . . the concurrence of divine assistance . whom god calls to this employment , them he will also protect and assist , and give in fresh supplyes of new strength for the discharge of the same . is. . . i have called thee , i will hold thee by the hand , and keep thee . thus will god shew himself a father , and a protector to them . nay , he will not only save them , but clothe them with salvation . ps . . a fourth corollary may be this . let us then study to preserve mutuall peace and concord amongst our selves . god hath joyned salt and peace together , mark . . have salt in your selves , and have peace one with another . now what things god hath joyned let no one par● asunder . because salt by its acrimony biteth , therefore our saviour presently advises so wisely to temper it , that peace may be preserved inviolable . the love of our brother must correct the salt of correction , and the salt of justice must season the love of our brother . and so shall we be insuperable , by being inseparable , and shall gain many to christ : as lighted torches , if they be separated cause a smoake , but if they be united do encrease the flame . all wisdome is folly and madnesse except it be seasoned with peace and charity . as sacrifices must be without honey , so neither doth any service or sacrifice please god that issues from an heart stuffed with anger , envy , animosity , and bitternesse . let us not forget that there are many canaanites and perizzites in the land that are offended at our differences , and from them seek occasion to oppresse and devoure us . let us by mutuall and universall concord therefore grow into one body , into one soule , thinking with our selves what an incongruous thing it is , that the messengers of peace should fall into mutuall jarrs ; and how unseasonable it is at this time , when ( the adversary is laying snares for us ) our strength had more need be united by peace , than broken and enfeebled by divisions . there is a fitter object of our anger than one anothers throats . and he seems to be mad but too much , who promises himself a standing , in the downfall of the church . it is an excellent ▪ commendation which is given to myconius by a worthy author . he lived with his collegues two and twenty years together in an uninterrupted peace and concord . we have runne , ( sayes myconius himself ) we have wrestled , we have wrought , we have ●ought , we have conquered most unanimously and undividedly . oh that some such blessed fire of love , and peace were kindled in our frozen breasts . that the character sometimes proper to the primitive church might be common to us all , see how they love one another and are ready to dye one for another . in those dayes says the historian , act. . . believers , nay the whole multitude of believers were of one heart and of one soul , there was a morall onenesse though not a physicall one , for they did so agree in minds and manners , as if they had indeed had but one heart and the same soul amongst them all . oh happy age of the church comparatively to ours wherein men and minds are of all equall number ! oh memorable wish of that famous preacher dr. stoughton ! so that brotherly unity may be preserved , quoth he , let me below even in the dust , rather than exalted in a tryumphant chariot by a cadmean conquest . let others affect the great title of ptolomaeus . i am more pleased with the pleasant name of irenaeus . this peaceable frame concerns all , but more especially the ministers of christ , who are sent to preach to , and to pray , for , not to prey upon others , to build up the church of christ , not to demolish it , to worke and not to wrangle . the harmony and joynt consent of the builders promotes the building , neh. . . solomons , temple was built without noyse , king , , . which by a profitable type doth shadow out the peaceableness of the builders and quietness of christ's church , in which the noyse of contentions & schismes ought not to be heard . the builders of the church of christ should not be divided as nehemiah's servants were , halfe to the worke and halfe to the warre , neither must these spirituall builders have swords girded upon their sides when they build as his builders had , neh. . . if we will revenge our selves upon the bitternesse and malice of base spirits , the best way of revenging is by forgetting , and the onely way to vex them is to be more zealous and servent in the study , practise and pursuit of opposed godlinesse : if we will contend with their murmurings and malice , let it be by faith and patience and meeknesse of spirit , as knowing it better to neglect them than to stand to confute them , to pass them by in silence than to take notice of them . neither do we want motives to this peaceableness . ( ) our god is the god of peace , rom. . . cor. . . ( ) christ ie●us is the prince of peace , isa. . . ( . ) the sons of god are the sons of peace , luke . . ( . ) the gospel which we preach is the gospel of peace , eph : . . in a word , we are called unto peace , cor. . . therefore follow peace , pursue it with the greatest vehemency , nay , although it flye from you , and men will not suffer themselves to be reconciled , yet pursue it with indefatigable pains , psal. . . h●b . . . love truth & peace . zach. . . for otherwise , truth is better with discord , than a sinfull concord : but if it be possible as much as in us lyes , let us follow peace with all men , rom. . . for we are one body , we are governed by one spirit , we have one hope , one lord , one faith , one baptism , eph. . , , , , . moreover , this is just , honest , good , pleasant , as sibelius out of ps. . . tom. . pag. . proves by many strong and savory arguments . chap. viii . asserts and vindicates the maintenance of ministers . fifth use is for the reprehension and correction of anabaptists , levellers , &c. who deny those stipends to the ministers of christ , which are due by a right both divine and humane , by the law both of heaven and earth , for , grant a ministry , and you must needs grant stipends , by which it may be maintained . this is almost as clear as a demonstration can make it . for , vvho goeth to warre at his own charges ? even the law of nature dictates this , that the workman is worthy of his wages . hence moses gave unto the levites by divine appointment the ten●● , the first-fruits , the best of the sacrifices , the yearly pension of a ●hekel , the mony for the redemption of the first-born , the mony for vows , as appears exod. . . lev. . ● &c. numb . . in that universal famine in aegypt , when ioseph the kings steward bought all the land for pharaoh , he bought not the priests land , but allowed them corn out of the kings granaries , gen. . . even pharaoh himself , although an idolater , had yet a singular care of the worship of his gods , and maintined their priests at his own proper cost and charges ; and , if pharaoh was so carefull for his priests as to mantain them for the ruine and destruction of himself and his people , that he might not be thought to be wicked and ungratefull to his ●eigned deities : what an ingratitude , what a sacriledge is it , that the true ministers of the true god should be neglected by princes and powers that call themselves christians , whose pains they know to be of gods approbation , and for their salva●ion . hezekiah that father of the priests , did not only give a good part of his own substance to them , but commanded the people to maintain the priests and levites ; that being freed from secular cares , they might wholly give themselves to the law of the lord , and lay out themselves in their sacred function , in the service of the temple , chron , , . &c. it was not the least ( was it not the greatest ) of alexander's commendations , that he loved and honoured learning and larned men ; which made his times be so fruitfull of great wits , and witty inventions . he so well know how to esteem learning , and to treat the learned , that it afterwards , became a proverb , if thou hadst lived in alexander's times ▪ he would have given thee a cyprus or a phoenice for every verse . for as a good refined disposition of the ayr begets plenty of fruits , so the benign and ingenious disposition and constitution of kings and powers produces a great encrease of arts and ingenuities . but on the contrary , the envy , ignorance and baseness of princes blasts the fruit , and makes the birth of the brain abortive . therefore , we have nehemiah contending even with the rulers , because they had denyed the levites their tythes and salaries , neh . , , . and he accounts this contention a subject fit for divine remembrance ; ver . . . then let all christian magistrates take care that the ministers of the church ( who are ignorant of manual employments ) be not driven to wrestle with want and hunger , and by this meanes be turned aside from the diligent execution of their weighty calling , to the care of providing inecessities for nature , all know that the ministry is a very weighty calling , great enough for the shoulders of angels , and such as may justly take up and challenge the whole man neither can the preachers of the gospel ( nor ought they ) to ex●●cise any manuall art , whereby to provide sufficient supplies or maintenance for themselves and theirs , who must either therefore live upon their people , or dye amongst them for want of a livelyhood . . let them take heed they do not diminish , or suffer to be diminisht , or withheld the gifts given to god by pious ancestors . for god is the revenger of all such , who will send upon the unthankfull world a famine of his word , for the famishing of his messengers , but rather let them imitate constantine the great , who took care that the clergy should receive liberall and honourable stipends , and confirm'd it by a law , euseb , de vita constant , lib. . cap. . , . sozomen , hist , eccl. l. . cap. . l. . cap. . . let them take heed lest the levellers do also levell the weal publike , and convert it into private-wealth ; for after the contempt of moses , follows the insurrection of the people , numb . . nay for this , amongst other causes , do these men decry ministers , because they are the pillars of the magistracy . but that i may handle these things the more exactly , i will discuss this position . there are certain and fixed stipends due to the ministers of gods vvord , by a divine right , from their people , that they may be freed from the secular cares and wordly incumbrances , and give up their whole selves to the work of the ministry . all the churches of god are patrons of this truth , the opponents and adversaries are the anabaptistical party , and other sectaries . but that the thing may be the rather clear and evident , i will . confirm the position by the testimony of the sacred scripture . . i vince the same by arguments . . briefly answer the wranglings , and break the forces of the truths adversaries . . the truth is confirmed by the mouth of truth it self , even christ iesus , whose words are express for it , mat. . 〈◊〉 . . the labourer ( speaking unto them that were to labour in the word ) is worthy of his hire . christs ministers shall not want maintenance , for the promise leans upon the justice of god , which will not deceive them . a true paraphrase of the word is this , that the people ought by right to maintain those that preach the gospel to them . they ought by right to do it , 〈…〉 which springs from poverty as its object , without obliging the person upon whom it is bestowed to any work or duty : ( save onely that by the law of nature , the alms-receiver is bound to be thankfull to , and pray for the alms-giver . ) but what is given to the ministers of christ , is not properly given upon the account of their poverty , or is there be some respect had to their poverty , yet not purely and onely upon that account , but for their works-sake ; no one will say that he has received an alms , when he has received it with an obligation to a piece of service , especially to a service that deserves much more , to which austin gives his suffrage : saying , it is his power , not his poverty , when a minister of the gospel receives from his people : for , if we judge watchmen that watch by night for us and our estates worthy of wages ; what do the watchmen of our souls then deserve ? from what has been said , i thus argue ; whatsoever things 〈◊〉 due , may be honestly demanded , and ought to be honestly payed , but maintenance and wages are due to the ministers of the gospel . therefore they are lawfully demanded by the ministers , and ought by right to be paid by the people . . that which is due to labourers by the law of nature , is to be payed . but a ju●● recompence is due to labourers by the law of nature , therefore it is to be paid . 〈◊〉 ▪ but ministers of the gospel are not labourers , but 〈◊〉 and slow-bellies . answ. so say idle and ignorant anabaptists but i will con●idently averre , that the labour of the mind far exceeds the work of the hands . for , although the ministers of the word do not work with their hand ; yet if they diligently and faithfully discharge their office , give diligence in reading , watching over , praying for , preaching to , admonishing , reproving and comforting of their people , &c. it will be but an idle and unreasonable part to accuse any of them of idleness , either let their adversaries confess them to be labourers , or at once , accuse all souldiers , shepherds , husbandmen of idleness ; for such are they , as was before made to appear . . a second proof is easily fetch from gal. . . let him that is taught in the word communicate unto him that 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in all good things . that is , ( . ) freely and liberally , not covetously and repiningly . ( . ) not in some onely , but in all temporall good things . for as the teachers communicates to the learners their spirituall good things , the knowledge of christ , and all heavenly treasure ; so it is fit that the learners communicate unto their teachers temporall good things , all things ordained for the relief of the necessities of an animall life , which things carry no proportion in them to spirituall good things , although the blind world put a great price upon them , and stick not to preferre them before spirituall things . it is a sad complaint that musculus takes up . now that there are no tithes , no revenues , no stipends constituted by our ancestors , the people contribute to their teachers so freely , that , whilst themselves either by covetousnesse contract all things unto , or by luxury consume all things upon themselves , the minister of christ has source dry bread , with which to satisfie the hunger of himself or his . but here men begin to flinch . one pretends that he has a family to maintain , another that he has nothing to spare : others declaim against the ministers : they are cove●ous , greedy , insatiable men ; if they were right gospel-ministers , they should have nothing of their own , but should nakedly follow a naked christ. to all which the apostle given a sharp answer , gal. . . be not deceived , god is not m●cked , &c. many men be deceived ( but in this you have to deal with god ) who cannot be , will not be , is not deceived . . the apostle judgeth them worthy of double honour , who rule well , especially they who labour in the word and doctrine , . tim. . . he would have a liberall , honest and honourable allowance given to the ministers of christ ▪ not onely for nourishment but ornament , not onely for necessity but for honour also . for the manner of the scripture is by double to mean manifold . elisha in king ▪ . aske a double portion of the spirit of eliah ; ●hat is , a very great and ●ealous spi●●t . so rev . . double unto her double according unto her works ; that is , let babylon be punisht af●er a fuller measure . thus give unto them double honour , that is , honour them fully and freely ? maintain them cheerfully , pay them stipends readily , and as it is meet , speak reverently and honourably of them ; hence it appears that the maintenance of ministers ought to be sufficient , honourable , certain . . it ought to be sufficient to relieve their necessityes . this is a sacrifice well pleasing to god , an odour of a sweet smell , phil. . . i have received all things , and abound , i am full . that is , ye have not onely supplyed my necessi●yes , but have also made me to abound , not unto lust and luxury , but for necessity and use . therefore the holy ghost expresses a stipend or a livelyhood , by salt , because it is as nec●ssary as salt . to have maintenance from the kings pallace , in the chaldee is exprest , by being salted with the salt of the pallace , ezra . . even christ himself received subsistence of the woman that followed him , luke . . and had a common bag and moderate expence● , iohn . . ier. . . . it ought to be an honourable stipend . publick work ought to be fruitfull and gainfull to the workmen . great rewards are great encouragements to a diligence as great as either . nay , it is just and fit that every man should not onely live upon , but profit by his pains . hence god commands that the best should be given for ●ythes , numb . . , . this ought to be the rather , . that by hospitality , and bounty , and good wo●ks they may adorn their office , tim. . . tit. . . for if you take away a liberall stipend , liberality must needs fall ; take away the 〈◊〉 , you extinguish the fire , prov. . . where no wood is there the fire goeth out . stipends decaying , charity must needs grow cold ; what advantage can be gotten by mony that is already ●lipt , or what shavings can be expected of an egg ? . that they may live like the embassadour● of the great king ▪ not like nea●-heards and swine●heards , that they may be more ready to give than to receive ; for it is more blessed , and consequently more honourable to give than to receive ; act. ● . . and yet alas ) in many places the ministers of christ have not the wages of a gentlemans hors-rider ▪ . that they may furnish themselves with books , philosophicall , historicall , theologicall , polemicall , practicall , criticall , &c. we must give diligence to reading , but how shall we read without books ? some have therefore determin'd l. some l. requisite for the purchase of a library . lessius speaks well and to the purpose . they ( meaning ministers ) had need of a great deal of learning , the procuring of which requires great charges ; and as for other wayes of advantages , as merchandize ▪ and m●chanicall ▪ arts they are ignorant of them , neither doth it become them to deal therein . . that they may cheerfully go through with the lord's work , being freed from worldly cares and encumbrances . not that they may be idle and luxurious , but that they may cheerfully , faithfully , and solely give up themselves to the law of god , tim. . . . if the leviticall priests had an honourable stipend , then such ought the ministers of the go●pel to have ( for they are obnoxious to greater labours , and expences than the tribe of levi was ) . but the antecedent is true , as shall be made to appear hereafter . therefore ought christian magistrat●s to take care that there be a liberall and honourable allowance for the ministers of christ. . it ought to be a setled maintenance , a certain stipend ; not the benevolence of the people , not a spontaneous arbitrary gift , not an alms ; for honour and alms do not well agree to the same person . but let it be fixed , certain , established , ratifyed and setled by the laws of the land ; lest the labans of this world change good iacob's wages ten times or oftner . our brethren of london , commonly called ( dissenting ) , did therefore take care that their stipends should be setled to them to the value of , . per annum . experience witnesses that the men of the world are hardly drawn or driven to pay the stipends and salaryes due to gods labourers ; nay even those allowances , which by the bounty of pious princes and ancestors have been given to the ministers of christ , are hardly writing out of the hand of the●e harpyes , notwithstanding the favour and assistance of the law . how much more deceitfully and unjustly should we be dealt with , if the law did not befriend us then . this stipend , w● confess , is not the ultimate end which a minister ought to propound to himself , yet it is a reward allowed by god to laboure●s , not to drones : and although these temporall things are not our chiefest good , yet they are concomitants thereof , they are encouragements and ornaments of vertue ▪ adding something to its ●plendor and glory , eccl . . vvisdom is good with an inheritance . and hence it is that god promiseth these things as a reward of piety , deut. . ● , , , &c. deservedly then are the anabaptists condemn'd , who deny setled stipends to the ministers of the gospel . this is a delusion and suggestion of the devils , to defraud faithfull ministers of their livelyhood , to the intent that the church may be made destitute of such , & himself might delude , dec●ive , devour without controul . and such is the ingratitude , inhumanity and sordid covetousnesse of the world , that it is not very thought●ull how to maintain the ministers of the gospel and the devil uses this stratagem to rob the church of the doctrine of the gospel , by want and the fear of poverty to afright the most from undertaking such a task , as you may see , neh. . , . the tythes are injuriously detained , and the house of god is presently forsaken . this wretched cove●ousness of the ingrat●full world doth put a stop to many forward spirits : for we are men , and so are affected , encouraged or discouraged by the consideration of temporall things , as appears by the examples of zealous elijah , and good ieremiah , king. . . ier. . . men know what a heavy affliction poverty is , prov. . . lam. . . we must therefore a little consider humane weaknesse , and encourage great and gracious ingenuities with generous rewards ; for who will follow vertuous studyes , when condigne rewards shall cease from vertuous men ? do not the more noble and generous wits decline the ●unction of the ministry , seeing ministers and their windows and children ( to the great shame of christian religion ) frequently exposed to poverty and want ? hath not the poverty of clergy-men begotten ignorance , and ignorance brought forth contempt ? do not poor means make poor ministers ? this iulian the apostate knew well enough , therefore he enterpri●'d the extirpation of christian religion , not by violence , but by spoiling the clergy of all their priviledges , stipends , 〈◊〉 , and allowances , which they had from the publick : imitating the stratagem or souldiers , who , when they cannot prevail against a city or garrison by down-right opposition , and violent storming , wearie it out with long and strait ●iege ▪ and weaken it by extream hunger , even unto resignation : take away all allowances and maintenance , and you cut the very throat of religion ; for , who will learn arts and languages at his own cost ? who will teach them for nought ? who will betake himself to a naked and beggarly ministry . . we argue from cor. . . to the . lo a text big with irrefragable invincible arguments ; for the apostle foresaw , that the wicked world would be very sordid and niggardly in maintaining the ministers of the gospel ▪ although pro●u●e and prodigal in vain and idle expences . it is a just judgment of god , that they who will not give a bit of bread to the ministers of christ ▪ the messengers of salvation , should be given up to throw away whole kingdomes , and provinces upon the ministers of sat●an , and the messengers of death ; as luther speaks truely and roundly . the apostle proves , that he had right , and power to receive maint●nance of the church ; to lead about a wife , who should also be maintained at a publick charge , that posterity might know this to be lawfull , ver . , , . and , to shew what a clear right of his own he denied for the corinthians sake , that by this means he might win them to christ , and promote their salvation ; he confirms this , . by an argument drawn from three similitudes , to wit , from the right of souldiers , of husbandmen , and of shepherds . vvho goeth a warfare at his own charges ? &c , that is , as it is right and fit that souldiers should live upon their pay , the planter of a vineyard feed upon the fruit of his vines , and a shepherd upon the milk of his flock ; so is it fit , that the ministers of the gospel should live of the gospell , of their own vine , that is , the church ; of the milk of their own flock , that is , of the goods of their own people . let those souldiers that decry tythes , and the settled stipends of ministers , consider their own case , and answer the great apostles argument , if they can , vvho will go to war at his own charges ? the interrogation is a vehement negation , no one will souldier it upon such terms . for indeed , it is an unjust , and unreasonable thing , that a souldier should stand in jeopardy daily , fight for the common safety against the common enemy ▪ and offer his very life as a sacrifice for the lives of the commonalty ▪ and not be maintained at a common charge . he receiveth therefore wages from his general by a natural and civil right . and is it reasonable , or just , that the ministers of gods word should undergo the care of the churches , the great burden of the ministry , and yet live of their own ? for their pains , and labours , and sufferings , and dangers exceed those of the souldiery . these fight against flesh and blood , but they against the world , the flesh , and the devil , cor. . . tim. . . tim. , . this then is the apostles argument , souldiers do not war at their own charges , the ministers of the gospel are souldiers , therefore ought not they to war at their own charges . . the apostle having put to flight the souldiers that declame and rayle against the setled and honourable maintenance of the ministers of the gospel , he comes to stop the murmuring mouths of husbandmen , sowers , plowers , threshers , shepherds and men of that mold . against these he argues thus : they that plant and dress a vine , it is fit that they should tast of the grapes thereof , ( as it is said ) that noah planted a vineyard and drank of the wine of it ; and prov. . . vvhose keepeth the fig tree shall eat of the fruit thereof . ) but the ministers of christ plant , and dress christs vineyard , therefore it is fit that they should live of the fruit thereof . so also it may be argued from shepheards , feeding upon the milk of their flocks . as much as if the apostle had said , look but unto humane equity and common customs of men , in things of farre lesser and lighter moment , and conclude how just it is that the ministers of the gospel should live of the gospel . . the apostle sets upon these sacrilegious persons with stronger arguments , arguments fetch'd from divine authority . for , although the cause which he pleads be a most just cause , yet he knew how subtil and crafty worldly wit is to reply , especially in a money-matter ; therefore , by a prolepsis , he meets an objection , ver . . where he proves , that he doth not onely confirm his position by humane arguments and examples , but by the law of god also ; say i these as a man ? do i fortifie my cause with humane reason and examples onely ? or , saith not the ●aw the same also ? yes ; deut. . . thou shalt not muzzle the mouth of the ox , when he treadeth out the corne . he uses an argument from the less to the greater . if it were not lawfull to deny maintenance to an unreasonable creature , much less to a man ; if not to an oxe treading , then not to a minister ●oyling . for gods chief care in this law was not for oxen ; he look'd at a further end , even at us , who are typical oxen , toyling in the lords field , treading in his barnes : therefore convenient maintenance must not be denied us , lest we faint in the work . . he argues from the less to the greater again ; from the example of plowmen , and threshers , ver . . if the plower ploweth , and the thresher thresheth in hope , to wit , of his wages , and that he shall partake of his crop , and of his threshing , then a minister of the gospell may exspect a salary , fruit of his labours , of which he and his may live comfortably . but the antecedent is true ( saies the apostle ) therefore the consequent is true also . . the apostle argues vers . . from natural right , and commutative justice , which commands to give like for like , much more then , small things for great . now , who doubts , but that spiritual things do much excell carnall , heavenly things excell earthly . eternal things excell fading , flitting , perishing , transitory vani●ies ? for , by how much the soul excells the body , by so much does the word , the food of this soul , outgoe corporal maintenance , oh ingratefull wret●h then , whoever grudges to administer to him carnal things , who preaches unto him the eternal gospel , and is an instrument to convey unto him the fruits of the same gospel preacht , to wit , faith , regeneration . and life eternal ! now these things ( saith the apostle ) we have sowed , therefore it is meet we should reap , for , whosoever do sow unto us spiritual good things , to them we ought chearfully to administer of our temporalls , rom. . but the ministers of the gospell sow spiritual things ; therefore ought we cheerfully to administer unto them of our temporalls . . the apostle argues from example , ver . . if the true apostles receive maintenance of you , why should not i and barnabas , who have preached the gospell to you as well as they . . if the false apostles and seducers , who devour you , receive things necessary , then , why may not we who propagate the gospel of christ ? if stipends be given to the bad , why not much rather to the good ? . he argues verse . . from the testimony of the law , from the example of the levites under the old testament ; and from the ordination of god under the new. these things are not antichristian devices ( as the do●ing anabaptists dream ) but divine decrees and ordinations , as will appear , if we frame an argument thus . if the ministers of god under the old testament were maintained of the publick , then are they so to be maintained under the new ; but ministers under the old testament were maintained of the publick . therefore ought the ministers under the new to be so maintained . the ▪ antecedent appears , numb . . . to . deut. . . . . . . lev. . , . . . . , , , , , . . . . , . numb . . . . , . . . exod. . . . . iosh. . . . . chron. . . neh. . , to the end . . . . . &c. ezek. . . . . heb. . , . by all which places it evidently appears , that god did appoint ▪ not a loose , and uncertain , and arbitrary , but a settled , standing , full , and honourable maintenance for his ministers out of tythes , scrifices , oblations , first-fruits , oyl , wine , honey , fleeces of sheep , and such like . g●d also commanded to give unto the levites cities , with their suburbs , for them and their cattel . therefore god is called their inheritance , because he gave them his part , to wit , the tithes , first-fruits , &c. numb . . . in a word , a special care was to be had of them ; for , god commanded that they should not forsake a levite all his dayes , deut. . . and . . they must not be forsaken , as to maintenance , protection , or encouragement ; because they were the lords servants , and embassadours . all these things were assigned and established by god to the priests and levites . wo then to those wretched ●ellowes , who envy the least conveniencies , or accommodations to faithfull ministers , that would not give them a farthing ( did not the law constrain them ) but rather defraud them of what is given them . the consequent appears by the apostles own words . even so hath the lord ordained , that they that preach the gospell should live of the gospell . this then is his argument , that which christ hath ordained is to be observed : but christ hath ordained that the churches should give a full and honourable maintenance to their ministers : therefore ought the churches , &c. lest any should object , that these are mosaical rites , and nothing to the purpose , the apostle brings christs own authori●y for this ▪ that they that preach the gospel should live of the gospel , luke . . the labourer is worthy of his hire . in which words our saviour doth both authorize his ministers to take , and oblige the church to give salaries . this thing is an universal right , belonging not to the apostles onely , but to all the ministers of the gospel , in all places , at all times . they who preach the gospel should live of the gospel : they that wait at the altar ▪ are partakers with the altar . the proposition is indefinite , and that is as large as an universal one , should live , but how ? . as men , not wanting any thing that is for necessity or honest delight . . as believers , having a care of their wives , children , and families ; for , h● that provideth not for his own , hath denied the faith , and is worse than an infidel , . tim. . . ● . cor. . . and . let them live as the embassadours of christ , that they may by works of piety and charity adorne their calling . objection , then they must have the first-fruits , oblations , &c. answ. . that does not follow . for , although those ceremonies be taken away by christ , yet a way of maintaining the worship of god in generall is not taken away ; the way of maintaining it being one and the same generically , though not specifically , and both in quantity , proportion , sufficiency , and certainty : otherwise the apostles argument could not hold water , who saies with an emphasis 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 , even so , since the ministers , of the gospell do succeed the levtical priests and ministers , let them be maintained by some such like way ; let them that preach the gospell , live of the gospell , even so , that is , so liberally , so plentifully , so certainly as the leviticall clergy lived under the law. for so hath god , not man , nay ▪ god-man ordained , even so hath the lord ordained . the due maintenance then of the ministry is not man's device , but gods decree ; not a h●mane order , but a divine ordination , which whosoever denies , resisteth the ordinance of god , and procureth condemnation to himself . . those lawes concerning first-fruits , tithes and offerings may be considered , either as to their substance , or as to their circumstances ; as to their substance , they belong also unto us ; for the end of those lawes was , that the people by those offerings should testifie their thankfulness to god , to the advantage of the church , the ministry ▪ the poor ; to which things even the law of nature doth bind . and if our magistrates shall at this day enact lawes for the maintenance of ministers , we ought to obey them carefully and cheerfully , especially in those things which neither contradict the moral law , nor the law of nature . it followes therefore that as the israelites were to communicate of their goods to the levites , as unto them that administred their holy things , so ought christians at this day freely to communicate of their substance to their ministers : and the rather , because the ministry of the gospell is more glorious , laborious , costly , than the ministry of the law was . to say nothing ( saies bellarmine ) of the dignity of the gospell-ministry , which is farre greater than that of aaron ' s ministry , the christian clergie is exposed to greater pains and cost than the tribe of levi was . it concerns now that ministers be learned ▪ and consequently , that they spend much of their estates upon their studies ; who therefore ought , according to their condition , to be maintained honestly and ●reely by the goods of the church . . we argue , ab 〈◊〉 , from the profit of it . that which will certainly bring a blessing upon the doers of i● , is to be done , but an honest and lib●ral maintaining of ministers brings with it a blessing , as you may read deut. . , , , . . , , , . . ch●on . , . prov. ● . . mal. . , , . temporall good things bestowed upon gods ministers are not cast away , but are as ●eed cast into the ground , which bringeth forth a plentifull c●op : ti●hes ( say the r●bbines ) are the wall of riches , because the payment of the tenth part defended the other nine : hence it was their familiar prove●b , pay tythes and be rich : austine observes , that our ancestours were rich , and abounded with temporal blessings , because they gave tenth so faithfully to god. be liberall to god and his ministers , and you shall finde god more liberall to you ; for he will not suffer his creatures to out-doe him in liberality . again , that which takes away many occasions of sin is very profitable and necessary ; but a convenient , settled , and and ratified salary , cuts off many occasions of sin ; therefore a certain and settled salary is necessary . the major is an undeniable truth ; the minor may be proved in many particulars . . a certain and set●led salary takes away temptations to flattery ; were a stated maintenance taken away from ministers , a sad temptation to make marchandize of souls would follow upon it . men will be inclinable to comply with those that they hope to get any thing by . the itinerary levite , in iudg. . who was fain to accept of what mi●ah would give him ( which was but s. a year ) complyed with him in his idolatry ▪ as you may read , vers . . and so consequently the gospell would be preached with more boldness and freedom of speech . for , who almost would be so bold , as to tax the vices , or reprove the corrupt manners of those , from whom they received dayly gratuities ? but where there is a settled and stated maintenance , there all sorts of men are freely and indifferently dealt withall . . by this means ministers shall not need to be condemned for taking or having more than they will confess : which although no good men will deserve to be condemned of , yet malignant and corrupt men are apt to load them with such slanders . . otherwise ▪ what contribution might ministers exspect from the wicked world , who being reproved , would rather suffer them to sterve with hunger , then relieve them . they would be bad at works of arbitrary charity , who are so base at works of necessary justice ; and they who will not suffer ministers to enjoy their own maintenance quietly , will not easily give of their own to maintain them . . by this means pride and arrogancy is prevented , a sin very familiar to free contributions ; pride , not conscience , would soon principle men to liberality . . by this means ministers shall be freed from secular cares , and wordly encumbrances , and shall not be put to study for meat and drink , when they should be studying the law of god. . we argue a damno , from the losse and danger which followes upon the contrary . that which is cursed by god , is to be avoided ; but the defrauding of his ministers is accursed of god , therefore it is to be avoided . the major needs not to be proved , the minor is proved sufficiently by the testimony of the spirit of god , mal. . , . vvill a man rob god ? but ye have robbed me in tithes and offerings . therefore ye are cursed with a curse . a man robs god , when he withholds from gods ministers tithes , and other things necessary for their maintenance ; whereby it comes to pass , that they studying to avoid poverty , are forced to desert gods service in publick administrations . therefore ye are cursed with a curse ; that is , with famine , poverty , and barrenness of the earth ; for , it is a snare to the man who devoureth that which is holy , prov. . . that is , it is a dangerous thing ; for , a snare catcheth soon , holdeth sure , and destroyeth suddenly . austine , serm. de decimis speaks sharpely , thou hast lost nine parts , because thou wouldst not give the tenth ; for this is the just proceeding of god that thou , who wouldst not give a tenth part , shouldst thy self be reduced to a tenth part . . crying sinnes are to be avoided ; but the scripture reckons the defrauding of god's ministers amongst crying sinnes , deut. . , . ierem. . . iames . . this cry is the foulness and grievousness of the sinne , which can neither be concealed nor excused , but beats gods ears continually , and provokes him to vengeance . school-men observe four crying sinnes in scripture , which they comprehend in a distich , thus , the voyee of blood-shed , and of sodomy , oppression , and fraud , aloud do cry . now if the defrauding the reaper that reaps down our corn , be so abominable a sinne to god ; how much more abominable is the de●rauding of his ministers , who reap a crop of soules for god himself ? . if we ought to maintain the fathers of our flesh , from whom ( organically ) we have our naturall being , and that both by the law of god , and of nature ; then much rather our spirituall fathers , from whom ( instrumentally ) we have our well-being . . maintenance is due to the fathers of our flesh from us , gen. . , , . . love , and that not onely whilest they live , but to be exprest to them even when they are dead , gen. . . gen. . . . reverence , exprest by mouth , heart , and hand , exod. . . tim. . . . obedience , ierem. . . col. . . the consequence is clear from cor. . . gal. . . philem. ver . . thes. . , . . they that give diligence to reading , exhortation , and doctrine , that minde these things , and give up themselves wholly to them , and ought not to engage their heads or hands in the ca●es of this world , must necessarily receive a stated maintenance of the church ; but such is the duty of gospell-ministers , act. . . tim. . , , . tim. . . therefore had their types the levites no part in the division of canaan , that they should not be engaged in secul●r affairs , and worldly business , but might be wholly for the lord , and for the temple ; but the lord was their inheritance , that is , the tithes and offerings due to god , of which the levites did live , and were not sollicitous concerning any other way of maintenance , which otherwise they would necessarily have been . if idolaters & heathens have been even prodigal toward baals priests and seducers , then it doth not become christians to be illiberal and covetous to the faithful ministers of christ. but so prodigal have they been , witness iezabel , who maintaind above . priests of baal at her owne costs and charges , . kings . . whilest an hundred of the lords prophets were hid in caves and onely relieved with bread and water v. . so prodigal were the idolaters in the prophet isaiahs time , who lavished silver out of the bags for their idols , isaiah . . it grieved not pharaoh to maintaine all the egyptian priests with his owne bread . in a generall famine he was so farre from making money of the priests lands in the first place , that he continued to them their inheritances , and gave them their diet severall years besides . the heathens thought not much to offer the tenth of their spoyls to their gods. and if the papists with a prodigal liberality be willng to spend allmost all upon their silly priestlings , and greedy iesuites , notorious deceivers ; sure then the faithfull ministers of christ may justly expect an honest maintenance from their people . ahab the king of iudah , who sought to reduce the priests of the lord unto want , is therefore branded with this mark , this is th● king ahaz , . chron. . , . . all sacriledg is to be avoided , but to defraud the ministers of christ of their stipends is sacriledg ▪ therefore &c. the major is plain of it self . the minor god himself proves , mal. . . y● have robbed m in tythes and offerings . god complains here that this injury and fraud was not so much done to men as to himself . sacriledge is not a simple theft , but a stealing of sacred things , which is the highest degree of theft : now that is sacred which is given to holy uses , either by the express command of ●od ▪ or by the voluntary devotion of men : whether it be given ( saith learned mr : cartwright upon p●●v . . . ) for the and sake of gods worship , for the 〈…〉 of schooles vniversities , or for the reliefe of 〈…〉 and if it be a wickednesse and a snare after vowes 〈…〉 again , that is to call back , or withhold any thing given or vowed to gods use , prov. . . then what notorious impiety shall they be guilty of , who having not given any thing themselves , shall yet go about to diminish and de●raud us of the gifts of others : when as a mans last will or testament is not changed or disposed of otherwise , than as the testator did ordaine , gal. . . let the governours of the common-wealth then take special heed , that they do not engross any church-revenues to themselves , convert those things , or any of those things unto private uses , which are dedicated to sacred uses , and so devolve upon their heads the heavy doome of sacrilegious persons robbers of god , for who can think that god will let such scape , that do on sacred things commit a rape . the eagle burning her nest and her young ones by a coal fetched with a piece of flesh from the altar doth well prophesie and prefigure the ruine of those harpyes and vultures , and their posterity , who make so bold with the churches revenues ▪ or if such a doom be not prefigured by the eagle , i am sure it is prayed for by the psalmist , ps. ▪ , . make their nobles like oreb and like zeb , yea all their princes as zebah and zalmunna , who said , let us take to our selves the houses of god in possession , &c. nay and certainly the time will come when they shall not onely disgorge like dogs , what they have drunk downe like oxen , but when it shall repent them that they have so much as touched the inheritance of the lord. such levellers that sow sacriledge shall reap a snare , prov. . . they take away that which is devoted to god , and god himself will devote them to destruction . such revenues will certainly prove as unhappy to their unjust detainers , as cn. seius his horse proved to him , afterwards to dolabella to cassius , to antonius , and to as many as had him , and will create sooner or later as many vexations , as the gold which q , caepio found in tholossane , a towne in france , in the churches thereof , did create to all that did lay but a thievish hand upon it : witnesse belshazzar , antiochus , po●●peius iulianus , claudius , fulvius , pyrrb●● , &c. whose doom any one may read in lactant. lib. . cap. . and no wonder , for sacriledge is worse than idolatry , for it argueth a contempt of all deity . rom. . . thou that abhorrest idols , committest thou sacriledge ? thou that abhorrest false gods , doest thou rob the true one , which is worse ? in a word , such must needs pay dearly for their injustice , who detain that which is anothers ; to which iniustice there is yet added a sacrilegious king of malignity , because tythes are due to god , not openly as an expression of thankfullness , but as a means to preserve , and to maintaine his sacred worship . chap. ix . the anabaptists objections are answered and their arguments refelled . obj. they object and say , true , tythes were commanded often in the old testament , but his doth not bind us under the new , because there is no expresse command . ans. the same argument will hold against the lords day , against the baptisme of infants , against all taxes and dues , because they are not expresly and by name commanded in the new testament . those tythes which were commanded under the old testament , are continued still under the new , as to their spirituall and moral use ; and that upon a threefold account . . vpon the the account of piety ▪ because they are given to god and his service . . vpon the account of thankfullness ▪ for tythes are a sacrifice of praise to god for his mercies towards us , and for the good things which he bestows on us , gen. . . . vpon the account of commutative justice , for if we have sowed unto them our spirituall things , it is no great matter if we reap their carnal things . now then although tithes be not expresly and explicitly enjoyned in the new testament , yet we are as expresly engaged to piety , thankfullnesse , and justice now as ever . . neither doth christ in the new testament expresly abolish the payment of tythes , when the pha●isees boasted of their care in paying even their smallest tythes , he is so farre from reproving them for it , that he commends and doth countenance it , luk. . . mat. . . these ought ye to have done , and not to leave the other undone . he gives no commission to neglect the payment of tythes . ye ought not to leave that undone . tythes therefore or fixed stipends are due to the ministers of the gospel by a trebble right . first by a divine morall right , not ceremoniall or judicial : for it is ●it and just that a minister , who feeds the peoples souls , should be fed by the people , that he that preaches the gospel , should live of the gospell . the old law concerning the sabboth and concerning tythes , at least shews thus much ( saith grotius de jure belli lib. . cap. . ) that christians are bound to set apart no less than the seventh part of time , and to give no less than the tenth part of their encrease to gods ministers . it shews at least thus much , that however they be maintained , whether out of lands , houses , moneys , tythes , &c. yet that they ought to be maintained honestly and liberally , not sordidly and sparingly . estius speaks clearly and learnedly . that which the law of god and nature command in the generall , that doth the ecclesiasticall law determine specifically , whilst it app●inteth some certain stipend to be given by the people to their ministers ▪ as tythes or the like . tythes therefore are not precisely commanded in or absolutely necessary under the new testament , neither are they unjust , where they are established by the magistracy , whose duty it is to take the most convenient way for maintaining the ministry , as may best consist with the edification of the church , and dignity of the sacred function . secondly , they are due by a naturall right . even the very heathens gave the tenth part to their gods , as the grecians , the carthaginians , the romans , &c. who gave the tythe of the spoyl to iupiter . and if the tythe of such things , how much rather the tythes of more certain revenues . thirdly , by the law of nations ▪ and by the positive law of our nation , tythes were given by off● the saxon king in the year . afterwards encreased and confirmed by ethelwolf in the year . who gave the tenth part of his owne revenues and of the kingdome to god : binding them with this prayer , vvhoever shall adde to this our gift , let allmighty god adde to his life many prosperous days , and if any one shall presume to change or diminish them , let him know that he must give an account before the tribunal of christ. after him king athelstone confirmed them in the year . in a word they have been confirmed , together with magna charta , thirty times by parliament . by all which it is plain , that the preachers of the gospel have a better title to their tythes than any nobleman , knight , or gentleman to their proper inheritances . for. . they were given by our ancestors to god and his service , and therefore cannot be taken away without sacriledge ; but the estates of noblemen may be taken from them without sacriledge . . god hath commanded that a sufficient ▪ honourable , and fixed maintenance be given to his ministers , as hath been already proved . but such a special command hath he not given concerning any other men . therefore tythes and things which are so god's , are twice god's . . by a divine right primarily . . by a humane right secundarily , as being dedicated to him and his worship . obj. . but the people cry out and rayl , saying , tythe● are burdensome , they are antichristian , iewish &c. answ. . so do the people cry out of taxes , excize , customs &c. that they are burdens : therefore shall we say , away with taxes , customs , excise . all things are common amongst friends ? . it little matters what the many headed multitude say , seneca could say ▪ argumentum pe●simum esse turbam , that the common people were the worst argument in the world : neither matters it how many they are , but how rational , how good . the multitude of sinners doth not patronize a sinne . this is not the cry of the wisest , soundest and best of the people , they do not declame against tythes . . neither are tythes jewish : for first , before the law given by moses , abraham gave tythes to melchisedech of all that he had , gen. . . heb. . . iacob also vowed to god the tythe of all that he had , gen , . . and secondly , they are not payed to the ministers of christ by a ceremonial right , but a moral right , and by a positive law of the nation , as was proved before . see repper . de . lege mosis l. 〈◊〉 c. . . neither are they antichristian as many vain men object , who whilst they are hearers , decry tythes to save their money , but turning preachers take tythes , dispute for them and contend for additions to be made to them . tythes are not antichristian , that are by the law of nature , by the moral law , by the positive law of the nation , and not by any canonical or pontifical law. how can they be popish , which were paid thousands of years before any such beast as a pope did spring up ? . if tythes be unjust , burdensome , wicked things , then is god the authour of injustice , oppression , wickedness ( which were blasphemy to conceive ) for he gave the tythes to his levites under the law by a special command for their subsistence . neither doth the gospel , as i said before , abrogate or abolish tythes in general , but rather establish and confirm them specifically , as may appear , mat. . . luk . . gal. . . cor. . , . heb. . . , , . and if the wise god thought this way the best to maintain his ministers , who shall reprove him ? . they are not burthensome impositions , because they were freely given to the church by pious and well affected princes , they are not the peoples burden , for they are none of theirs ; neither they nor their pro parents ever purchased them , and why should they repine to part with that which is none of theirs . . let there be found out a more sufficient and certain and honourable maintenance , and who will contend for tythes ? but since it appear● to all wise men , that a more just and stated maintenance cannot be found out , why should the impor●unity of wild and unreasonable men prevail ? that this epidemicall disease may be cured , there seems to remain this and this only remedy . let tythes be got out of the hands of those that have eng●ost them to private uses : i mean those tythes which the lawyers call impropriate , more truly improper ▪ and indeed to many unprosperous , as the holy coal to the engls nest . of such harpyes luther sadly complains , in these and many other countryes there are a company of harpyes , ●o wit prefects and questors , who have devoured the liberalities of princes given for the maintenance of the ministers of the church , and such is their envy and malignity ▪ that it can hardly ●e wrung out of their clutches ▪ and indeed this is a hard taske , but it is a princely , a parliamentary undertaking : and i doubt not but all godly men will do all they can to bring to pass so gracious an enterprize . it commended the excellent and worthy spirits of some londoners , that bought impropriate tythes , and restored them to the churches . many know by whose fault this good work was hindered , and what became of them that hindered it . obj. . they argue from mic . . the priests teach for hire , and the prophets divine for money . ans it is one thing to receive hire , and another to be an hireling ; one thing to be hired to teach , another to teach for hire . the true prophets received a reward of their pains , and that by christs allowance , mat. . . but the false prophets whom god here reproves , prophesied false things , and that for hire onely , and preached pleasing things onely , that they might have a more liberall reward . the ministers of the gospel do receive salaries , not as a reward of their ministry , but that they may provide the necessaries of life , and may persist in their sacred function . . obj. their great argument is fathered upon ( for i cannot say gathered from ) mat. . , , . freely ye have received , freely give ▪ provide neither gold nor silver , nor brasse in in your purses &c ▪ ans. the anabaptists are deceived in this late figment of theirs . for christ himself unties the knot , v. . the workman is worthy of his meat , and appr●ved it by his owny example , taking something of the substance of his rich followers luke . . iohn . . and . . neither did the apostles ordinarily refuse salaries from the churches , . cor. , , . phil. . . . christ here speaketh concerning working of miracles , as appears v. . and he forbids his apostles to sel their miraculous cures for mony , because that gift was freely given them by god , & they ought therefore to use it freely . as elisha refused the reward offered him by naaman the syrians king . . . these words ( ye have freely received ) doth not so much respect the work of preaching , as the working of miracles , which is not so laborious as the other . . this command of christ to his apostles was onely temp●rary , a precept for the present time , not a moral commandment ; neither can it or ought to be made a perpetual law. it onely related to that first embassy of theirs to the iews , which , was to be dispatched with all speed , and they were to avoid whatever would retard them in their journey . this is plain from our saviours owne words , luke . . where speaking of this first mission of theirs , and the charge he gave them then : he says ; before i sent you without purse , &c. but now he that hath a purse , let him take it &c. as much as to say , the former precept that i gave you is valid , now i give you a new charge . . it is plain that the apostles afterwards lived of the gospel acts . . chapt . the primitive believers offered them all their goods , they sold lands and goods for the apostels use , heu quantum distamus ab illis , but now we had rather take the apostles lands and goods for our owne use , or at least are so farre from selling all for them , that we grudge miserably to give unto them a tenth part . . this precept , as to the substance of it doth still bind . it engageth us to have hearts free from covetousness , to be a pattern of holinesse , of the contempt of riches , and of noble and heavenly minds . . the apostles wer● sent to heal all manner of diseases . now our saviour foreseeing that men would be ready to give any thing for health , forbids them to make a private gain of the gift of healing , as simon magus thought to have made of the gift of the holy ghost . obj. . the haters of the ministry urge the unsuitable example of paul , act. . . . . thes. . . paul got his living by his own hand-labour ; therefore ought all the ministers of the gospell also . ans. . it does not follow . a particular and singular action does no● make an universal rule . neither does the apostle here go about to take away from christs ministers that which elsewhere he doth allow them . now he allowes them a right to be maintained of the publick , in many places , cor. . . gal. . . ti● . . . he approves of them that lived of the gospel , corinth . . , . nay himself received maintenance of other churches ▪ phil. . . cor. . . . suppose the case be now as it was then , caeteris paribus , and we will also allow the apostle pauls example to be binding ▪ . if the preacher be furnish'd with extraordinary gifts , that he can perform his work without study and medita●ion ; so could the apostle . . if ministers can live otherwise , and it be necessary by reason of the churches poverty ; in such a cafe of necessity the minister ought to deny his right , that he prejudice not the gospel , and be a burden to the church , thes . . thes. . , , but the case is not so now , neither respective to the ministers of the church , nor respective to the church . for . ministers have not that extraordinary and supernatural gil● . . the church enjoys , through the bounty of pious princes , and progenitors , chruch-revenues , dedicated to the maintenance of its ministry , that they need not be burthensome to the church . moreover in the apostles time there was a community of goods ▪ which did abundantly make up the want of ●ythes . we must therefore distinguish of a church . . the●e is a church to be constituted , or in constituting which ; for the most part , is made up of poo● and inferiour members , not headed by powerfull princes , or rich magistrates , in whose ●and it might be ●o appoint settled stipends . such was the estate of the church in the apostles time : and here we must decline our own right . moreover , the apostles preach'd to heathens ▪ who knew not the worth of the gospell , nor the necessity of a ministry . . there is a church constituted , adorned with magistrates , and lawes , and endued with certain revenues and immunities appointed by those magistrates for the ministers : these revenues are by divine right due to these ministers : therefore paul acknowledged , that he did receive things necessary of some church , as form the church at philippi ▪ phil. . . and others , . cor. . . though he did not of the church of corinth , nor thessalonica . in a word , stipends are different according to time and place ; doubtless the richer congregations both may and ought to maintain their pastors more liberally than the poorer ; neither is it equall , that the stipends of all ministers should be equal ▪ because of their different gifts , different labors , different families , and different quality of their people . object . . many ministers are rich , and are single men , therefore they ought to preach freely , and live of their own . ans. . that does not follow ; for our saviours proposition is universal , luke . . the labourer is worthy of his hire , that is , every labourer , be he rich or poor , single or double , or what else . melchizedeck was a rich king ▪ and yet abraham payes him tythes , gen. . . thou shalt not muzzle the mouth of the oxe that treadeth out the corne , be he fat , or be he lean . moreover , if a rich minister receive nothing of his people , he will expose his poorer brethren to the envy and malice of their people : and not onely so , but be a means to starve his successour ; wherefore let him receive his due stipend , and let him give to the poor , and convert much to publick uses . our saviour christ could easily have maintained himself , and the family of his apostles , after a miraculous way ; his godhead could easily have provided for his manhood , yet he received of those things which were brought him , luk . . to instruct us by his example . the lord hath not ordained , that they that preach the gospel should live of their own private estates , that i know of ; but he has ordained , that they should live of the gospel , cor . . would this be a good argument ▪ many souldiers are rich , therefore let them fight freely , spend and be spent , without expectation or acceptation of pay , and live of thier own : the richer men grow , the less commonly they care for fighting , ( lest they should loss their rich lives ) much less would they fight for nothing ; for vvho goeth , saith the apostle , to war , at his own charges . chap. x. a sixt corollary from the doctrine . in the last place then , let all christs ministers take heed they be not unsavou●y salt. christ hath put upon us the name , oh that christ would put into us the nature of salt. now the right and conscienscious manner of salting and feeding is tenfold ▪ exemplarily , ministerially , diligently , boldly , lovingly ▪ zealously ▪ purely plainly fully , and sincerely . . let ● minister ●each by example and life , let him learn to do before he teach others to learn ; for the life of a preacher hath in it the greatest argument to holiness of life , and will instruct better , and pr●va●● more than a thousand elegant sermons . men are more dr●wn by example than by precepts ; wherefore let us shew our selves examples of piety , and good works , and as patterns which ●hey m●y follow . timothy must be an example of believers in word and conversation , in charity , in spirit , in faith , and purity , tim. . . and so must titus , tit. . . and so must all the ministers of the gospel ▪ pet. . . the tongue indeed teacheth , but the life commendeth ; for the voice of the hand is more powerfull then that of the tongue , and gives efficacy to it ; whilest we speak oracles , let us live like deities . the best way of moving the affections is one's self first to be moved . he that is first himself perswaded , shall better perswade others ; and no one can prescribe so good remedies , as he that by experience knowes what is hurtfull ▪ it is the part of a faithfull pastor to weep with himself , before he call for the tears of others , and to grieve more inwardly , than in an expression . he that would have my teares , must weep himself , or else i 'le think he jeers , that voyce pierceth the heart of the hearers most effectually , which the life of the preacher commands ; for , that preacher loses his authority , whose words are not interpreted by his works ; nay , as austine well observes , a life unsuitable to the doctrine is of a soul-killing , ●urtherous nature . vvhat a monstrous prodigious sight ( saies bernard to eugenius ) lib. . de consider . ) is a high degree , and a low spirit ; a sacred profession aud an execrable practice ; a laborious tongue , and a lazy hand ; much leaves and no fruit , a grave countenance and a light carriage , great authority and no stability , to look like a man and speak like a childe ? against such the apostle thunders , rom. . , . thou that teachest another , teachest thou not thy self , &c. such derogate from the weight of their doctrine , they de●troy with their works what they build with their words , they dedicate their tongues to god , and devote their soules to the devil . vvhat is profound science good for ( saies dr. staughton in foelicit . ult . saeculi , p. , , . ) without a pure conscience ; an oratours tongue without an angels life ; but to make up a statue like unto nebuchadnezzar ' s , whose golden head ended in earthen feet ; as though it were for the present to be crowned , and shortly to be broken in pieces ; or a toad with a jewel , perhaps in the head , but certainly poysonous all over the body ; which is more hatefull for the o●e , than precious for the other ? let eloquence therefore sit in the lips , but let grace also give strength to eloquence . let us therefore imitate our master , who was mighty in deed and word , luke . . who began first to do , and then to teach , act. . . himself was first meek , and pure , and peaceable , and then he began to teach , blessed are the poor in heart , the pure in heart , the peaceable , matth. . as iohn the baptist was all voice , so the all of a minister ought to preach ; his eating , drinking , travailing , entertaining , clothing , life and language should all breathe out holiness ; whatever he does or saies should instruct his flock . ezra the servant of the lord was indeed a scribe instructed unto the kingdome of heaven , for he first prepared his heart to seek the law of the lord , and to do it , and then to teach in israel statutes and judgements , ezra . . lo ▪ the right way to attain to an excellent faculty of teaching . . prepare not the head onely , but the heart also . . seek with all care and diligence , viz. by hearing , reading , learning , meditating , praying . . what must be sought ; not civil lawes , not humane statutes , not scholastical niceties , but s●ek the law of the lord , converse in this , meditate of it , peruse it day and night . he that will be a good preacher must labour to be a good textuist ; for scripture is the best interpreter of scripture . . for what end ? first , that we may do it , then that we may teach it . let us labour to be as glasses , in which the representations of all verture and grace may appear ; yea , if we do and teach , we shall be called ( that is , we shall be ) great in the kingdome of heaven , mat. . . such an one was holy basil , whose words were thunder , and his works lightening . he preaches ( saies nazianzen ) with a lively voyc● , who preacheth with life and voice , making good his doctrine and his life , the one by the other . one , and the same apostle tells us , that ministers should not onely 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 , divide , and rightly distribute the word of truth , . tim. . . but also 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 , walk uprightly according to the truth of the gospel , gal. . . all our nazarites should be purer than snow , whiter than milk , lam. . . like unto absalom , in a more spiritual beauty , in whom , from the crown of the head to the sole of his foot was no blemish , s●m . . . for if those that had any blemish upon them were forbidden the priests office , under the law , lev. . . &c. how shall they , whose mouthes , hearts , hands , are full of sin and filthiness , be admitted , or accepted under the gospel ? wherefore let every preacher teach by words , and works , by life and language . it is an easie thing to speak , but a hard to performe ; easie to teach in words , but preaching with the life , is the life of preaching ; for , words make not such an impression upon the soul , as works do ; a fighting captain encourages his souldiers more then a prating coward . the apostle therefore will that bishops be blameless , tit. . . unreproveable , without scandall , not without sinne , as were samuel , ieremiah , daniel , paul , zachary , sam. . . ●erem . . . da● . . . act. . . luke . . such were bucer , bradford , latimer , hooper , &c. such ought we to be , that evil men may be able to speak no evil of us without lying , tit. . . for he may truly be said to be unblameable , not who is never blamed , but who is not blameworthy . neither does the apostle call for men devoid of all fa●lings , such are not men but angels , such are members of the church triumphant , not the militant . many men ( as austine well observes ) live without complaint or scandall , but none without sin . let a pastor feed his people ministerialy , by voice and sound doctrine . the bare reading of the scriptures seldom conduces much to conversion , the word preached by an applicatory voice hath some kinde of secret energy in it , and being se●t from the minister , as from the mouth of god himself , into the ears of the audito●s , it carries a great authority with it , and fastens better upon their souls . it is requisite , that a minister of the gospel carry upon hi● breast both the urim and the thu●min , have both the light of doctrine , and integrity of life . the servant of the lord should be apt to teach , tim. . . which aptitude denotes both a proneness and a fitness : he should have both a will to communicate , and a faculty of communicateing that which he knowes : this ( sayes even the councell of trent ) is the p●imary office of a bishop ; therefore paul , being now at the door of death , adjures timothy to preach the gospel in every opportunity , with all impor●unity , . tim. . , . to instruct first himself , and then others , tim. . , &c. take heed to the self , that thou compose thy behaviour according to the holy rule , and to thy doctrine , that thou teach others . blinde watchmen , and dumb dogs are the worst of creatures , isa. . . if a dog , whose office it is to watch , to bark , to affright thieves , be dumb , either by nature , or by some disease , or through a birbe , ●e is altogether useless , a covetous , proud , idle , luxurious minister , hath his mouth stopp'd by the guilt of that very sin which he ought to reprove in others ; for , how shall he bark against covetousness , who is himself worldly-minded ? the sound of aarons bells must be heard , when he went into the holy place to minister ▪ upon pain of death , exod. . ● , , . a sadder complaint could not be made , than what a pious and learned man of this nation makes , that this church has lain under these sore plagues , formerly many ministers that were not preachers , and now , many preachers that are not ministers . . let a pastor feed his flock diligently and industriously : from us , my brethren , from us , does our mother the church exspect relief ; let us endeavour to the utmost of our power to administer the help she exspects , to remove scandals , to heal divisions , to confute heresies , to beat down wickedness , and to demolish the strong holds of sathan . let us be instant 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in season , when any fair opportunity offers it ●elf , and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 , out of season , when inconveniencies and dangers do seem to flesh and blood to block up the way : diligence ▪ as it is very conducible to many other ends , ( for it makes rich , prov. . . it inbrings to preferment , prov. . . ) so , more especially , is it necessary the ministry , in the government and management of souls , which is an art beyond all other arts , and requires the greatest accomplishments , exercitation , unction , discretion , &c. for some are bruitish and unteachable , some weak , some dull , some perverse , and many ungratefull . let us therefore watch and be hardy : let him that undertakes this ministerial task , at once furnish himself with an hero●ck and invincible spirit , for he shall be sure not to want exercises enough of his valour ; for , there are none whom sathan oftner tempteth , sharplyer assaulteth ; there are none that suffer more of forer shocks and tempests , than the holy and faith●ull captains of the church , whom god hath designed to prisons , not pallaces , to hatred and reproach in the world , not to the pleasures and delights of the world ; according to that , rom. . . for thy sake we are killed all the day long ; and ( which may the rather quicken us unto diligence ) behold the indefatigable industry of sathan , and his agents . in this decrepit age of the world ▪ in these last and perillous times , they are hurried on with a desperate rage , the devills seem possessed with some worse spirit than themselves , they turn every stone , improve the very dregs of their malice , and the height of their might , if by any means , by secret perswasions , or hostile invasions . they may drag any soul to hell with themselves : what weeds of heresie do they plant ? what seeds of discord do they sowe ? what stones of stumbling do they lay ? they compass sea and land to gain one proselyte . let us learn diligence of that great peripatetick , the devill , who compasseth the earth to ensnare souls . therefore saies latimer , exhorting the bishops to diligence , if they will not follow the example of the saints , the prophets , the apostles , of christ iesus himself , yet let them be provoked by the diligence of the devil , who spares no pains , but carefully visits , inst●ucts , and inciteth his servants and disciples . nay , the sea it self is restles , the heavens are turned about with an uninterrupted motion , and the sun returns with its unwearied light , from the same to the same goals continually : and do sensless bodies perfect so many motions so constantly , and shall the great lights of the church lurk within their sockets , rust with idleness and dulness ? idleness is hatefull to god in every calling , but especially in the ministry . cursed be he that doth this work of the lord negligently . if thou be a minister of christ , hoc age , minde this thing onely , be intent upon it , diligent in it . the life of a minister is not an idle life , a delicate easie life ; we are appointed to work in the lords vineyard , numb . . . and not to play . it unbecomes the ministers of ch●ist then to be carders , dicers , hunters , merchants , souldier , h●●bandmen ▪ &c. for , if i● be unfit that they ●hould l●ave the preaching of the word to s●rve tables , act. . . much more unfit is it for them to neglect that work , to employ th●mselves in things quite of a different nature . there is 〈…〉 , but it is to the labourers ; there are some worthy of double honour , but it is they that labour still : this office which we have , is not an easie , but a laborious task , which alwayes hath been accompanied with more care than credi● , whose sweat is greater than its crop . know ( saith austine ) that the name of a bishop is not a name of worth so much as work ▪ of dig●ity so much as duty ; and that those are bishops ▪ who had rath●r convert then people then command them . and therefore our ministry 〈…〉 work , not an honour , an employment not enjoyment a labour not a ●oytering , tim. . . tim. . . act. . . cor . . eph. . . phil. . . thes. . . . neither is it an easie , bu● a laborious painfull work , not 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 , an ordinary labour , but 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 , a working even unto weariness , iohn . . cor. . . cor. . . gal. . . thes. . . and . . tim . . . it is called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 , that is , such as labour a hath much difficulty in it , cor . . thes. . . thes. . . . it is called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 , a care , and vehement study , cor. . . . 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 , a dist●acting ca●e , cor. . . phil. . . tim. . . . it is such a work as requires the whole man ; therefore we are commanded to give up our selves wholly to these things , and to continue in them , tim. . , . that is , let these things be thy study , thy care , thy employment thy practice , thy whole business . therefore we are commanded to wait on our ministry , rom. . . and to give our selves continually to it , act. . . and to fulfill it , col. . . and hence we are called shepheards , soulders , labourers , as i said before . neither are we without examples of this diligence . moses was faithfull in all gods house , heb. . . he was ●aithfull in delivering to the people the commands of god , and governing them according to the minde and will of god. samuel ceased not to exho●t the people , and to pray for them , sam. . . christ himself was not sometime , but dayly in the synagog●e , teaching , and in the temple , mat. . . luke . . it was his custome so to do , luke . . he spent the day in preaching ▪ and the night in prayer , luke . . see the indefa●igable diligence of the apostle paul , cor. . . to the . he was unwearied in his doing , and invincible in his su●fering : how many cities and countreys did he enlighten with the go●pel ? ierusalem , illyricum , damascus , antioch , arabia , se●●ucia , cyprus , pamphylia , p●sidia , lycaonia , syria , cilicia , phrygia , galatia , mysia , ●roas , achaia , epyrus , and many others . it is reported of farellus , that , being hindred by no difficulties , threatnings , reproaches , frighted with no persecutions , he gained to christ the mompeigardenses , the aquilenses , the lonsannenses , the genevites , the no●ocomenses . that which is reported of calvin is diligence almost to a miracle ; that he preach'd yearly two hundred eighty and six sermons , read an hundred eighty and six lectures , besides a multitude of epistles which he wrote concerning sundry points in divinity . how o●ten do we meet with 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 , yesterday and to day in chrysostome : although yesterday i spoke to you of this thing , yet i will not fo●get it to day ( said he ) nor will i fail to preach the same to morrow ▪ and he●ceforth . the ancient fathers gave themselves wholly to their study ; the least part of their life was spent in sleep , little in eating and drinking , and none at all in idleness , origen lost no time in his life from his studies . let us therefore bring under our bodies by watching , fasting , praying , pains-taking , mortification of the flesh , sustaining all persecutions , abstaining from all carnal pleasures , incentives to sin . there is eminent danger in indulging the flesh , cor. . . the time is short , the work great , the reward greatest of all . contemplate of the crown . and that we may be the better enabled to carry on the work , let us love ; for nothing is impossible to love , it runns , it flies , it overcomes all difficulties , cant. . , . cor. . . gen. . . the peter that loves christ will ●eed , feed , feed , iohn . ▪ . feed by preaching , feed by practising , feed by printing zachary , when he could not speak , wrote : the voice of the pen is louder than the voice of the tongue : by this we can speak to them that are at a distance ; nay , by this , being dead we yet spe●k . . let a pa●tor feed his people bol●●y , and freely . let us undertake , undergoe , and a●complish our minist●y , with a confidence full of courage , with a courage devoid of ●ear . let us commit our ship to the windes ; it is ●ecessa●y to ●wod● , not so to live , as cesar said heroically . they that fear the hatred , or reproaches of the world , will ●oon faint , and flagge ? there is therefore requisite a boldness , and confidence of spirit to contemn● the contempt of the world . it is a prime vertue in a min●ster to contemn , and to be able to be contemned . as it becomes a commander to dye standing , so it behoves a minister of christ to die suffering and doing , sustaining , and abstaining , preaching and praying , and chea●fully to undergoe all that c●n be laid upon him for the love of christ. this is indeed to endure hardship , tim. . . to sustain crosses , to entertain injuries , and ●o retain a heart hardened against all the affronts of an enraged world ; like christ , who set his face as a flint , because the lord was his helper , isa. . . and therefore he stood unmoved in the greatest storms , unco●quered by the greatest rage ; like a rock , against which the roaring waves do dash themselves , and go into foam ; or like an adamant , which breaks in pieces the stones and hammers which would break it . let others fear and fly , let us contend and continue even unto death . take bias for an example , who being circumvented by iphicrates the a●henian captain , answered his souldiers that ask'd him what they should do , vvhat should ye do , but consult your own safety , and for my part i will dye fighting . christ iesus seems to bespeak us as ●lexander bespoke alexander ▪ either fig●t or change thy name : either carry on thy ministry couragiously , and fulfill it constantly , or cease to be a minister . it is the chief business of a minister , by spiri●ual weapons to demolish the strong holds of sathan ; but this will not be done by flatterie● , and pleasant ditties ; but by this boldness , and freeness of speech , with which we reprehend sharply , all errors , heresies , raigning ●innes , especially conscience wasting sinns in all men , high and low , great and small , without any respect of persons : we must be like clear and spotless glasses , which flatter no one , but represents all persons and things faith●ully ▪ as they are . no difference must be put 'twixt man and man ; vvhether a trojane , or a tyri●n . nathan reproved king david , elijah king ahab , elisha king iehoram , hosea the king's house , amos king ierobo●m ▪ iohn baptist king herod , paul the governou● foelix , chrysostome eudoxus , ●mbrose theodosius the emperour , whom he also excommunicated for violence done to the thessalonians . let us therefore boldly and freely taxe , princely , popular , plausible sinnes , and so shall we be the children of the prophets . let us not be overcome with fear , nor fear to be overcome , either by might , or malice ; but with an honest kinde of impudence speak out the turth , knowing that we are the messengers of god , who will act , direct , protect us , isa. . . . . ier. . . , . ier. . throughout , especially v. . ezek. . , . god will not forsake his , in these last and worst times , whom he knowes unable to subsist or persist without him ; therefore he bids them not to be afraid though briars and thorns be with them ; nay , though they dwell amongst scorpions , yet not to be afraid , ezek . . every coward in gods cause is a murderer , according to that , 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 , and of all cowards they are the most notorious that have god for their captain ; for , what need they be afraid of briars or thorns , who have the good will of him that dwelt in the bush ? . let a pastor feed his people lovingly . let all things be sweetned with love , cor. . . let prayers , sermons , reproofs , exhortations , all flow from this fountain , let all things be done with charity . let the fire of zeal be kept burning with no other fewel than the oyl of compassion , ier. . . luke . . gal. . . thus the good samaritane pours wine and oyl into the wounds , wine to ●earch , and oyl to supple . if there be need of severity , let us play the good chirurgions , who when they apply corrosives to prevent death by the wound , administer cordialls to prevent fainting by the corrosives ; and chear up the patient , telling him it is onely in a tendency to his health . no one is fit indeed to reprove , but he that loves the party to be reproved , that so the reproof may be in compassion , not in passion , for his restauration , and not his ruine . the apostle paul therefore will have our sharpness tempered with mildeness , and lenity , tim. . . reprove rebuke , exhort with all long-suffering ▪ not being enraged at the dulness and undutifulness of our auditors ; let us not offend any by a proud severity , or a supercilious gravity but by mildeness , and a sweet composure of manners and b●haviours strive to win them , engage them to us , and make them our own , so shall we be able to have an influence upon them , prevail with them , and live profitably and comfortably amongst them . love me ( said ●ustine ) and say what you will , and do what you will. as an oratour should not onely be qualif●●d with prudence , but with benevolence also ▪ so a preacher : for ) as the philosopher observes ) it con●●ibutes much to the creditableness of the orator , if the auditours be perswaded that he stands well affected to them ▪ the gravity of a minister should not be such as may affright men from coming before him , but such as compose them to reverence , that do come . let us feed the flock of christ , not imperiously , as lords , much less , rigidly , as tyrants ; but gravely , and mildely , as fathers , with a fatherly benevolence and affection ▪ desiring rather to be loved then feared . to this purpose speaks la●renti●● , upon ▪ pet. . . let every pastor govern the church providently , and prudently , not straining his power to its utmost rigour , but exercising a spirit of lenity ; not alwayes , in all things , towards all , using his utmost power and au●hority , but sometimes denying something of his own right , as paul often did , cor. . . cor. . . thes. . . in a word , let us imitate basil ; who , for patience and constancy was an adamant , for meekness a loadstone . . let a pastour feed his flock zealously ▪ not carelesly and coldly . let us cry aloud , and lift up our voyce like a trumpet , because we speak to dead men and stones ▪ let us pray the father of light to touch our tongues with a coal from the altar , that our lips may breath out nothing but what is pure and heavenly ; that we may be lamps , burning in zeal , faith , and love , and shining in words and works ; that we may be coals to our selves ▪ and lamps to our people ; such was iohn , ioh. . . wherefore christ gave not fleshly ▪ but fiery tongues to the primitive preachers , that they might preach zealously with them , and enflame the hearts of their hearers , act. . . excellent is that commendation of luther , vvhatever luther speaks or writes pi●●ces into the ●earts , and leaves a wonderfull sting in the cons●●ences of the hearers . let us look unto our saviou● , whom zeal for gods glory eat up . let us imitate elijah , qui zelando zelavit , who was very zealous for the lord , all ●i●e for god , whom god therefore sent for in a fiery chariot . let us imita●● elisha isaiah , ier●miah , ( ier. . . iohn baptist , paul , gal ▪ . . who all being enflamed with the fire of love did burne the cold hearts of their hearers with zealous discourses . let our hearts , our tongues our hands be all of a fire , that we may bring men from sin unto god. even immoderate z●al is better than coldness in gods cause , for it is an error of love ▪ and not a love of error . let us neglect nothing through idleness , or cowardi●● , which may conduce to the salvation of the soules of our people . in a word , let us imitate the holy seraphims ( who have their name from fire ) who burning in zeal , are alwayes in readiness to execute every command of god ; having with them six wings , with which we may speedily move upward , downward , forward , backward , on this hand , on that hand , as god calls . so zealous was the angel who had the everlasting gospel to preach , who did not creep , nor walk , nor run , but fly with a swift wing through the midst of heaven , rev. . . see vvard's coal from the altar : p. . . the word of god is to be dispensed purely , without any sophisticall or superstitious comments . let nothing be said of god , without gods authority . in all doubts we must have recourse to the law , and the testimony , isa. . . moses returning from the mount brought commands , not his own , but gods , exod. . , . the apostles commission runns not for them to teach humane traditions , private fancies , but to teach all things that christ iesus had commanded them , mat. . . that is , either by himself , or by his prophets . therefore the apostles themselves father their doctrines upon christ , cor. . . i have received of the lord that which also i have delivered unto you : so thes. . . ye know what commandements we gave you by the lord iesus● ; as much as if he had said ▪ the commandements which i gave you are not mine but christs , he is the law-giver , i am onely his messenger . so also pet. . if any man speak , let him speak as the oracles of god ; let him be a teacher well instructed in the word of god , and produce oracles , as it were , out of gods mouth . god cannot abide unlawfull mix●ures ▪ that men should play the huxters with his word , or plow with the oxe of his word , and the asse of humane traditions together . god will not have men set their thresholds by his , and their posts by his posts , ezek. . . vvhat is the cha●●e to the wheat ? what are false prophecies to the truth of god ? ier. . . mens inventions are like light and empty cha●●e , that has no substance in it , nor give any spirituall nourishment , but gods word is nu●ritive , like the purest wheat . we are called to be dispencers of the ministries of god , not broachers of out own groundless conceptions ; prop●gators of the old way and doctrine , not coiners of a new . if an angel from heaven should preach any other gospell , let him be accursed , gal. . . reject therfore all new and feigned worships , and worship god after a way that is gods. . the word of god is to be dispensed plainly . he is the best preacher , not who s●●atcheth the ears , but who pricketh and pierceth the heart . therefore does paul profess , that he had rather speak 〈◊〉 words in a known and intelligible language , than five thousand in a strange and unknown tongue , cor ▪ . let us preach a crucified christ in a crucified stile ; not with the perswasive words of mans wisdome , but in the demo●station of the spirit and power : not rhetorically ; but apostolic●lly , not so much fi●ely , as soundly , not so curiously as carefully , not so ●dmirably as intelligibly . let our speech be simple witho●● figures , plain without mysteries , pure without mixtu●e ; not curious , painted , affected , unnecessarily adorned : and so shall they be as fiery darts piercing the inmost conscience , and strong hammers bre●king the hardest rock . . the word of god is to be dispensed fully . for , so runns the dispensers commission , mat. . . all things whatsoever , &c. the least particle of gods word is not fraudulently to be detained , but the whole counsel of god , without addition or diminution is to be declared , act. . . and then , if any soul dye , it shall fall by its own hand , and not by ours , and its blood charged upon its won head , not ours , when we shall faithfully have discharged our duty withou● fraud or fallacy , in preaching , exhorting , warning ▪ threatning , and explaining all things needfull to ●alvation . let us imitate the noble spirited micajah . who professed freely ● king . . that he would not speak what the flattering courtiers would dictate to him , but what the lord should command him . . let a pastor feed his flock , and dispense gods word sincerely . not designing his won profit or credit , but gods glory , phil . so that christs authority , renown , and honour may be exalted ; let us rejoyce , though our own be eclipsed , nay extinguished , ioh. . . ambition was the first mother of heresie ; let us therefore turly and sincerely preach the way of the lord , and study to promote his glory . for them that honour him he will honour . above all , thou man of god , flee covetousness . the love of money distracts the minde , makes it unfit for its sacred employment , and shoulders out hospitality and charity . we are gods souldiers , now no souldier entangleth himself with the affairs of this life , tim. . . they are unworthy the name of christs ministers , who gape after the private goods , more than they desire the publick good of the church , that make a trade of their ●acred function , undertaking it not to bring soules to eternall life , but to bring themselves a temporall livelyhood . covetousness is abominable in all men , but especially in ministers , such therefore are called greedy doggs , isa . . that prepare warr against every one that putteth not into their mouthes , mic. . . that pollute the name of god amongst the people , for handfulls of barley , and pieces of bread , for any light gain , ezek. . . this in bishops is called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 , filthy gain , because it is gotten filthily , unworthily , flatteringly , not without staining and ●ullying the ministeriall dignity . this the apostle condemns again and again , tim. . . tit. . , . pet. . . who can but condemn the preposterous ca●e of a livelyhood , which some ministers stand guilty of , who bestow more thoughts about breeding and feeding their cattell , managing their land , and such heterogeneous business , than in their studies , or the promotion of salvation of the peoples soules : whom you may fitlyer call feeders of cattel , than feeders of christians , whilest they converse more in their stables than in their studies , as though they still looked for christ in a manger . not that it is absolutely unlawfull for a minister of the gospell ( so it may be without prejudice to his employment and study to have some moderate care of his temporall concernments , ( as about his cattell , and land , 〈…〉 like ▪ ) but cheifly let him take heed to himself , a●d to 〈◊〉 doctrine , and not be anxious or solicitous inordinately concerning a temporall subsistance ; for the lord is our inheritance , if we be faithfull vine-d●es●ers , and reapers for him ▪ he will be vineyards , fields , and harvests unto us ; christ will suffer his sent-ones to want nothing , luke . ▪ wo to those drones then , that do not feed , but feed upon the flock ; these the prophet strikes through with a sharp dart , ezek. . , . for it is our duty to seek the peace more than the 〈◊〉 of our flocks , cor. . . i seek not yours but you : we w●re ordained fishers of men , not of moneys . it ought therefore to be our care ( as aquinas ha●h taught us ) to p●omote , and e●crease spiritual good in our people , rather tha● to procu●e and gather temporal goods for our selves . mr. rollock , tha● fam●us scottish light , profest , that of all his stipends he had not hoarded one penny ; for that these worldly things were never a care to him . calvin , that choice man ( not to be named without an honourable preface ) never studied to enrich himself ; for all his goods ( together with his library , sold at the best rate ) were hardly worth three hundred crowns . lastly , to all these things we must add prayer , for our selves and for our flocks ; for , besides diligent reading , prayer and temptations are requisite ( saith luther ) to make a good divine . whilest the hand turns over the book , let the eye turn toward god ; and never forget to importune his directing , assisting , emboldening , enlarging spirit , from whom all thy sufficiencies are : and thou wilt finde , that to have prayed well , is to have studied well . the end . notes, typically marginal, from the original text notes for div a -e samuel marrow esquire . notes for div a -e doctr. 〈…〉 salsa mola , & sals● fruges . notes for div a -e cura facit canos . 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 notes for div a -e reggus comment . de statu angliae . 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 nicol. de cleman . giis , epist. . p. . notes for div a -e qui jubet e●am juvat . m●l . adam . notes for div a -e de justit . & jure . li. . cap. . tollant 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 , & ●iunt 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 , see a. gellius noc . attic. lib. cap. . notes for div a -e see motives to a faithfull discharge of the ministeriall calling in bowls past . evangel . lib. . c. . a caution against sacriledge: or sundry queries concerning tithes. wherein is held forth the propriety, and title that ministers have to them, the mischiefs which would ensue if tithes were brought into a common treasury, and ministers reduced to stipends. the danger of gratifying the petitioners against tithes, and all imposed maintenance. and something of the spirit and end of their actings. collected, and composed by the one that hath no propriety in tithes, and humbly tendred to this present parliament. clarke, samuel, - . this text is an enriched version of the tcp digital transcription a of text r in the english short title catalog (thomason e _ ). textual changes and metadata enrichments aim at making the text more computationally tractable, easier to read, and suitable for network-based collaborative curation by amateur and professional end users from many walks of life. the text has been tokenized and linguistically annotated with morphadorner. the annotation includes standard spellings that support the display of a text in a standardized format that preserves archaic forms ('loveth', 'seekest'). textual changes aim at restoring the text the author or stationer meant to publish. this text has not been fully proofread approx. kb of xml-encoded text transcribed from -bit group-iv tiff page images. earlyprint project evanston,il, notre dame, in, st. louis, mo a wing c thomason e _ estc r this keyboarded and encoded edition of the work described above is co-owned by the institutions providing financial support to the early english books online text creation partnership. this phase i text is available for reuse, according to the terms of creative commons . universal . the text can be copied, modified, distributed and performed, even for commercial purposes, all without asking permission. early english books online. (eebo-tcp ; phase , no. a ) transcribed from: (early english books online ; image set ) images scanned from microfilm: (thomason tracts ; :e [ ]) a caution against sacriledge: or sundry queries concerning tithes. wherein is held forth the propriety, and title that ministers have to them, the mischiefs which would ensue if tithes were brought into a common treasury, and ministers reduced to stipends. the danger of gratifying the petitioners against tithes, and all imposed maintenance. and something of the spirit and end of their actings. collected, and composed by the one that hath no propriety in tithes, and humbly tendred to this present parliament. clarke, samuel, - . [ ], p. printed by abraham miller for thomas vnderhill at the anchor and bible in pauls church-yard, near the little north door, london : . 'one that hath no propriety..' = samuel clarke. 'the propriety, and title .. end of their actings.' is bracketed together on the titlepage. annotation on thomason copy: "july. .". reproduction of the original in the british library. eng tithes -- early works to . clergy -- legal status, laws, etc. -- early works to . a r (thomason e _ ). civilwar no a caution against sacriledge: or sundry queries concerning tithes.: wherein is held forth the propriety, and title that ministers have to t clarke, samuel c the rate of defects per , words puts this text in the c category of texts with between and defects per , words. - tcp assigned for keying and markup - apex covantage keyed and coded from proquest page images - angela berkley sampled and proofread - angela berkley text and markup reviewed and edited - pfs batch review (qc) and xml conversion a caution against sacriledge : or , sundry queries concerning tithes . wherein is held forth the propriety , and title that ministers have to them , the mischiefs which would ensue if tithes were brought into a common treasury , and ministers reduced to stipends . the danger of gratifying the petitioners against tithes , and all imposed maintenance . and something of the spirit and end of their actings . collected , and composed by one that hath no propriety in tithes , and humbly tendred to this present parliament . rom. . . thou that abhorrest idols , dost thou commit sacriledge ? london , printed byabraham millerforthomas vnderhillat the anchor and bible inpaulschurch yard , near the little north door , . certain queries concerning the propriety and right of the ministry of england to tithes . . whether the ministry of england hath not as good a propriety in tithes , as noblemen , gentlemen and free-holders have in their lands ? the reasons of this query are , . because ethelwolph sonne of king egbert ( who had brought the saxon. heptarchy into a monarchy ) had all the lands in england for his demesne , as is acknowledged by sr edward cook in his commentaries upon littletons tenures , and conferred the tithes of all the kingdom upon the church , by his royal chartar dated anno . in these words , king ethelwolph , by the consent of his prelates and princes which ruled in england under him in their several provinces , did enri●h the church of england with the tithes of all his lands and goods by his charter royal , &c. adding in the end , that who so should encrease the gift , god would please to prosper , and encrease his daies : but if any should presume to diminish the same , that he should be called to an account for it at gods judgment seat , &c. and this he did , not only as lord paramount , but as proprietary of the whole land , the lords and great men at that time having no property or estates of permanency , but as accountants to the king , whose the whole land was , and yet they also gave their free consents , which the king required that thereby they might be barred from pleading any tenant-right ; as also to oblige them to stand in maintenance of tithes against all pretenders . . because the people can have no right , or propriety in them ; for they never bought or paid for them : neither could they come by inheritance ; for that which was not their fore-fathers could not descend to them : neither came they to them by donation , which they can never shew . . whether it be agreeable to piety , prudence , justice , and equity to alienate tithes from the ministry , which have been so freely given by our own christian kings out of zeal to advance gods glory , confirmed by many acts of parliament , oft-times renewed , and reitered , as by magna charta thirty times confirmed , and many other statutes since , yea by the text , and body of the common law , which affirms tithes to be due jure divino , as sr edw. cook testifies in the second part of his reports . . whether the inconveniencies and evils can possibly be foreseen , which will ensue upon the alteration of such fundamental laws of this nation , as have continued in force through all changes for above a thousand years together ? tithes have been given to the church for maintenance of gods word and ministers , with a curse to all such as should alienate them . . whether it is agreeable to piety and prudence , to pull them from god , to rend them from his church , to violate the dedication of our fathers , the oaths of our ancestors , the decrees of so many parliaments , and to expose our selves to those horrible curses which the body of the nation hath obliged it self to , in case they consented to the alienation of the same ? as n●hem . , &c. . whether it be not more then probable that the ministry hath had a propriety in the tithes in all christian churches , ever since christians had a propriety in their estates ; since origen , and tertullian , who lived not much above two hundred years after christ , tell us , that the community amongst christians was not wholly ceased in their time , and yet where it was , the tithes were paid ? . whether it be not sacriledge to alienate tithes from the church , having been dedicated and consecrated unto god , either by the voluntary consent of churches , or by donation of princes ? seeing what is voluntarily consecrated by man , is confirmed by god , and may not be alienated , lev. . , &c. which law is the same under the gospel , as appears in the example of annanias , act. . . whom peter arraignes , and god condemns , for this very sacriledge . why hast thou ( said peter ) kept back part of the price of the land ? whilest it remained ( viz. unsold ) was it not thine own ? and after it was sold , was it not in thine own power ? viz. to have consecrated , or not consecrated it , vers. . and annanias hearing these words , fell down and gave up the ghost . . whether it is not against the light of nature , and custom of all nations , to disannull the will of the dead ? gal. . . brethren , i speak after the manner of men , though it be but a mans covenant ( or testament ) yet if it be confirmed ( viz. by the death of the testator ) no man dissanulleth it , i. e. no man ought to disanull it . therefore tithes having been given by testament , confirmed by the death of the testators , is it not against the light of nature , and custom of all nations to alienate them ? heb. . , . for a testament is of force after men are dead . . many impropriations having been restored to the church by godly noblemen , and gentlemen , and others having been bought in and setled in the most legal way that could be devised upon the ministry ; is it not against all justice and equity to take them from the church again ? and will it not discourage all men for the future from works of piety and charity when they see them thus perverted ? . whether it be not more then probable that there was a positive precept given by god to the fathers for the giving to him the tenth part of their substance , as he had formerly required the seventh part of their time ? and whether do not the examples of abraham and jacob so readily giving their tenth , evince this ; or without such a precept , had it not been will-worship in them ? and do not such positive precepts ( if unrepealed ) binde all to the end of the world ? as we see in the case of the sabbath . . whether tithes , as an honouring of god , be not enjoyned in the first commandment ? as they tend to preserve the publike worship of god , in the second and fourth commandement ? and as maintenance to the persons of ministers , in the fifth commandement ? being part of the honour due to spiritual parents . . whether tithes can be called antichristian , which were paid long before antichrists time ? and when antichrist [ the popes of rome ] were the first that durst take upon them to alienate them from the church , by granting exemptions , appropriations , &c. thereby robbing the church and parish ministers , to gratifie the monks and fryers ? and whether alexander of hales and thomas of aquin. ( who lived about four hundred years ago ) were not the first that pleaded for these alienations made by the pope ? and whether they were not the first that to justifie the popes proceedings , pleaded that tithes were jewish ? whether these scriptures do not concern christians , as well as they did the jews ? prov. . , . honour the lord with thy substance , and with the first fruits of all thine encrease : so shall thy barns be filled with plenty , and thy presses shall burst out with new wine . prov. . . it is a snare to devoure that which is holy , and after the vow to make enquiry . prov. . , . remove not the old land-mark , and enter not into the field of the fatherlesse : for their redeemer is mighty , and he shall plead their cause with thee . and sr edw. cook saith in his institutes , our law-books teach us , that the church is ever understood to be under age , and to be a pupil and fatherlesse : and that it is not agreeable to law or right that such should be dis-inherited . mal. . , , , &c. will a man rob god ? yet ye have robbed me : but ye say , wherein have we robbed thee ? in tithes and in offerings . ye are accursed with a curse : for ye have robbed me , even this whole nation . bring ye all the tithes into the storehouse , that there may be meat in mine house , and prove me now therewith , saith the lord of hosts , if i will not open you the windowes of heaven , and pour you out a blessing , that there shall not be room enough to receive it : and i will rebuke the devourer for your sakes , and he shall not destroy the fruits of your ground , neither shall your vine cast her fruit before the time in the field , saith the lord of hosts : and all nations shall call you blessed : and ye shall be a delightsome land , saith the lord of hosts . . whether those texts in the new testament do not prove , that to gospel-ministers belongs as large , if not larger maintenance than to the levitical priesthood , as their ministry is more excellent , and the blessings conferred thereby are greater . luk. . . the labourer is worthy of his hire . cor. . . have we not power to eat and to drink ? ver. , &c. or i only and barnabas , have not we power to forbear working ? who goeth to warfare any time at his own charges ? who planteth a vineyard and eateth not of the fruit thereof ? or who feedeth a flock , and eateth not of the milk of the flock ? say i these things as a man ? or saith not the law the same ? for it is written in the law of moses , thou shalt not muzle the mouth of the ox that treadeth out the corn . doth god take care for oxen ? or saith he it altogether for our sakes ? for our sakes no doubt it is written : that he that ploweth should plow in hope : and that he that thresheth in hope should be partaker of his hope . if we have sown unto you spiritual things , is it a great thing if we shall reap your carnalthings . ver. , . do ye not know that they which minister about holy things , live of the things of the temple ? and they which wait at the altar , are made partakers with the altar ? even so hath the lord ordained , that they which preach the gospel should live of the gospel . gal. . . let him that is taught in the word , communicate to him that teacheth in all good things . phil. . . not that i desire a gift , but i desire fruit that may abound to your account . tim. . , . let the elders that rule well be counted worthy of double honour , especially they who labour in the world and doctrine . for the scripture saith , thou shalt not muzle the ox that treadeth out the corn : and the labourer is worthy of his reward . . whether to speak of a sufficient maintenance without tithes , be not a meer fancy , that never was , nor ( as i believe ) ever will be brought into action ? and whether it would not trouble the wisest men that are , to name a stipend that would be sufficient at all times , as tithes are ; which proceeding from the wisdom of god , cannot be matched , much lesse betterd by mans wisdome ? . whether be not tithes the fitrest maintenance for the ministry , seeing hereby they partake with the people in times of plenty , which will more inlarge their hearts in thankfulnesse ; and suffer with them in times of scarcity , which will more affect them with sense of gods judgments ? for that when natural affections concur with spiritual , they are more active and vigorous . . whether the practice of the heathens , which used to give a tenth to their gods , will not rise up in judgment against christians , if they rob god of the tenth which their predecessors have given to him ? . whether the judgment of so many eminent divines as have held it sacriledg to alienate that from the church which was once consecrated to god , should not lay a restraint upon all men from practising that which is so hazardous and scandalous ? that it is sacriledge , is the judgment of calvin , polanus , kickerman , perkins , with many others . . whether all or most of the arguments bent against the morality of tithes , do not equally militate against the morality of the sabbath ? as dr sclater hath shewed in his parallel in the end of his book of tithes . certain queries concerning bringing tithes into a common treasury , and reducing ministers to stipends . . if tithes should be brought into a common treasury , and ministers paid out thence , whether would our countrey-men that say tithes are such an intolerable burden , be any whit eased ? yea would they not be more burdened by how much their tything would be looked more narrowly into ? . would not the trouble of ministers be far greater , being enforced to send , or go from market to market for every bushel of corn or mault , &c. that he spends in his house ? . if a dearth come , would it not tend to the ruine of many ministers families , who will be for ced to spend more in a quarter then they receive for their half years allowance ? . if things should rise in the price the next hundred of years as they have done the last , how shall ministers be then able to live upon these stipends ? . how many officers must there be imployed in every county to bring the tithes into a common treasury , all which , either in whole or in part , must be maintained out of them ? and how will this curtail the ministers share ? . what attendance must ministers give quarterly , or each half year , upon the trustees , or treasurers in every county , till they have list or leisure to pay them ? what trouble , journeys and expences will this put them to ? how will they be enforced to bribe , and pay for expedition , or to be fobbe● off with base and clipt money ? or be forced to take wares for their money , if the treasurers be tradesmen ; as many have been served of late in the case of augmentations ? . will not ministers hereby be cast upon ten●ations , to speak only pleasing things ( like trencher-chaplains ) lest their stipends should be taken from them ? . can it be expected that ministers can or will be so liberall to the poor , and given to hospitality , when they buy all with the peny , as when they have it in tithes ? . will not such as bear the bag , and upon whom the ministers must depend for their subsistance , lord it over them with pride and contempt enough ? as bad , or worse then the bishops and their chancellors did ? . though such as are of the best repute in each county , should be chosen out to be the treasurers , yet do we not see by daily experience , how men are mistaken in judging of the honesty of others ? and how many men fall from their former principles of honesty ? and that if neither of these should be so , yet how apt standing waters are to putrifie . . if contentious suits have been between ministers and people about tithes , hath it not for the most part arisen from the peoples covetousness , pretending customs , prescriptions , or compositions , to defraud the ministers of their due ? . were not patrons at the first made choice of , to defend the ministers right against the fraud and injustice of the people ? and may not the wisdome of the parliament finde out the same , or some such like course , whereby the minister shall neither be engaged in contentions with his people , nor troubled with avocations from his study thereby ? . may there not arise as many or more quarrels , in case tithes be brought into a common treasury , whilest some pretend conscience , and so will pay none at all ; others think themselves over-rated ; others think that the tradesman , who gets more by his shop than they do by the plough , should bear an equal share in this common burden ? and who then shall take course to enforce such to pay ? if the treasurers in the country , surely they will prove but cold solicitors in anothers cause . but suppose they do stir , they must spend out of the common stock ; and such suits being like to be many , especially in such times as these , how will the ministers stipends be curtailed thereby ? besides , may it not be supposed , that they which spend of other mens purses , are like to cut large thougs out of others hides ? . if the countryman shall pay a rate in money for his tithes , will it not come far more hardly from him ? even like drops of bloud , money being usally very short with them . and will he not think it far easier to part with a cock of hay , or a sheaf of corn , or such a small thing , than to part with so much money as his whole tithes may come to , once or oftner in the year ? and how little will he think himself eased hereby ? . if tithes be brought into a common treasury , when a living is worth two , three , or perhaps four hundred pounds by the year , a great part of it will be disposed to other places , and will it not certainly be a great grief to the people , that their tithes shall go to they know not whom ? certainly to such as neither feed their souls with the bread of life , nor their bodies with the staff of bread ? and will not their poor want that relief , and themselves that entertainment , which they used to have at their ministers house , to the aggravation of their discontent ? certain queries concerning our late petitioners against tithes , and an imposed maintenance . . vvhether have we not cause to suspect , that those persons which petition against tithes and an imposed maintenance , are acted by jesuites , who cunningly creep in amongst them , seeking hereby to overthrow the english ministry , which hath so strongly opposed them , both by word of mouth and wri●ings ? and the rather , because of that scottish jesuite , who lately turned anabaptist , and upon examination at newcastle confessed that he was sent over for that end . and osterweeke a great agitator , went here under another name , who in his romish pontificalibus did lately officiate at the mass publickly in dunkirk , as the printer hereof can prove ; besides some other like examples which might be easily produced . . whether can such petitioners be rightly stiled the godly and well-affected of the nation , who strive hereby to bting the greatest judgement upon the nation that ever did , or can possibly befall it ? viz. a samine of the word , amos . , &c. and the removing of our teachers into corners , isa. . . . whether have we not cause to belieye , that the far greatest part of the gentry , yeomandry and commons of the land that have tithes to pay , are desirous to have them continued to the ministry : seeing so many thousands of them out of a few counties , have formerly petitioned for the same , and the city of london of late . and no doubt but many thousands more out of every county would do the like , if they had the least encouragement thereunto . . whether if tithes were wholly taken away , would the generality of the people be at all eased , seeing both purchasers and tenants must pay so much the more for their land ? . whether can we imagine that the parliament , that hath so often and lately declared to the world , that they will be exceeding tender of every ones liberty and property , will now so soon after , take away the propriety of all the ministry of england at one blow , to the ruine of so many thousand families for the present ; to the discouragement of parents from bringing up their children to the work of the ministry for time to come , and so to the endangering of the removal of the gospel from amongst us . . whether would not these petitioners ( if tithes were removed ) cry out and complain as much of the tyrannicall oppression and burden of rents , as the anabaptists in germany did , and so never be quiet till they have levelled all things ? . whether all persons , whose eyes are open , do not clearly see , that the actings and motions of many persons of all ranks , doth demonstrate that the jesuites rules for reducing england to popery are prosecuting ? * and whether it be not the duty of all worthy patriots , especially the honourable members of the parliament , to oppose such a damnable design with their wisdome and power ? and all the godly party of the land to stand in the gap , by improving their interest in heaven , for the stopping of popery , and the upholding the gospel-ministry ? — si non prosunt singula , mult a juvant . finis . notes, typically marginal, from the original text notes for div a e- see s. hen. s●e●mans counc●ls anno . . orig. hom. han num. cypr. epist. . this also is justified by bellarm. de clericis , l. . c. . instit. . c. ● . cor. . , &c. i have good information that there are lately come over . iesuites that have their frequent meeting in london to drive on this design . * see the iesuites ●irections translated in baxters preface to his holy commonwealth : and also the preface to dailles apology for the reformed churches , by thomas smith , printed at cambridge , . quo warranto, or, a moderate enquiry into the warrantablenesse of the preaching of gifted and unordained persons where also some other questions are discussed : viz. concerning [brace] ministerial relation, election, ordination : being a vindication of the late jus divinum ministerii evangeliei ... from the exceptions of mr. john martin, mr. sam. pette, mr. frederick woodal ... in their late book, intituled the preacher sent / by matthew poole ... poole, matthew, - . approx. kb of xml-encoded text transcribed from -bit group-iv tiff page images. text creation partnership, ann arbor, mi ; oxford (uk) : - (eebo-tcp phase ). a wing p estc r ocm this keyboarded and encoded edition of the work described above is co-owned by the institutions providing financial support to the early english books online text creation partnership. this phase i text is available for reuse, according to the terms of creative commons . universal . the text can be copied, modified, distributed and performed, even for commercial purposes, all without asking permission. early english books online. (eebo-tcp ; phase , no. a ) transcribed from: (early english books online ; image set ) images scanned from microfilm: (early english books, - ; : ) quo warranto, or, a moderate enquiry into the warrantablenesse of the preaching of gifted and unordained persons where also some other questions are discussed : viz. concerning [brace] ministerial relation, election, ordination : being a vindication of the late jus divinum ministerii evangeliei ... from the exceptions of mr. john martin, mr. sam. pette, mr. frederick woodal ... in their late book, intituled the preacher sent / by matthew poole ... poole, matthew, - . [ ], p. printed by j.h. for j. rothwell ... and s. thomson ..., london : . imperfect: print showthrough, pages cropped with loss of text. reproduction of original in the union theological seminary library, new york. created by converting tcp files to tei p using tcp tei.xsl, tei @ oxford. re-processed by university of nebraska-lincoln and northwestern, with changes to facilitate morpho-syntactic tagging. gap elements of known extent have been transformed into placeholder characters or elements to simplify the filling in of gaps by user contributors. eebo-tcp is a partnership between the universities of michigan and oxford and the publisher proquest to create accurately transcribed and encoded texts based on the image sets published by proquest via their early english books online (eebo) database (http://eebo.chadwyck.com). the general aim of eebo-tcp is to encode one copy (usually the first edition) of every monographic english-language title published between and available in eebo. eebo-tcp aimed to produce large quantities of textual data within the usual project restraints of time and funding, and therefore chose to create diplomatic transcriptions (as opposed to critical editions) with light-touch, mainly structural encoding based on the text encoding initiative (http://www.tei-c.org). the eebo-tcp project was divided into two phases. the , texts created during phase of the project have been released into the public domain as of january . anyone can now take and use these texts for their own purposes, but we respectfully request that due credit and attribution is given to their original source. users should be aware of the process of creating the tcp texts, and therefore of any assumptions that can be made about the data. text selection was based on the new cambridge bibliography of english literature (ncbel). if an author (or for an anonymous work, the title) appears in ncbel, then their works are eligible for inclusion. selection was intended to range over a wide variety of subject areas, to reflect the true nature of the print record of the period. in general, first editions of a works in english were prioritized, although there are a number of works in other languages, notably latin and welsh, included and sometimes a second or later edition of a work was chosen if there was a compelling reason to do so. image sets were sent to external keying companies for transcription and basic encoding. quality assurance was then carried out by editorial teams in oxford and michigan. % (or pages, whichever is the greater) of each text was proofread for accuracy and those which did not meet qa standards were returned to the keyers to be redone. after proofreading, the encoding was enhanced and/or corrected and characters marked as illegible were corrected where possible up to a limit of instances per text. any remaining illegibles were encoded as <gap>s. understanding these processes should make clear that, while the overall quality of tcp data is very good, some errors will remain and some readable characters will be marked as illegible. users should bear in mind that in all likelihood such instances will never have been looked at by a tcp editor. the texts were encoded and linked to page images in accordance with level of the tei in libraries guidelines. copies of the texts have been issued variously as sgml (tcp schema; ascii text with mnemonic sdata character entities); displayable xml (tcp schema; characters represented either as utf- unicode or text strings within braces); or lossless xml (tei p , characters represented either as utf- unicode or tei g elements). keying and markup guidelines are available at the text creation partnership web site . eng preacher sent. preaching. religious education. clergy. lay ministry. - tcp assigned for keying and markup - aptara keyed and coded from proquest page images - mona logarbo sampled and proofread - mona logarbo text and markup reviewed and edited - pfs batch review (qc) and xml conversion quo warranto ; or , a moderate enquiry into the vvarrantablenesse of the preaching of gifted and unordained persons . where also some other questions are discussed : viz. concerning ministerial relation , election , ordination . being a vindication of the late ius divinum ministerii evangelici , so far as concerns those points ; from the exceptions of mr. iohn martin , mr. sam. petto , mr. frederick woodal : ministers in suffolk , in their late book , intituled the preacher sent . by matthevv poole , at the desire and appointment of the provinciall assembly of london . london , printed by i. h. for i. rothwell , at the fountain in goldsmiths-row in cheapside ▪ and s. thomson , at the bishops head in pauls church-yard . . the epistle to the reader . it is the great unhappinesse of most men , that they judge of things by appearance , and not according to truth ; that those wayes and doctrines which are most specious in shew , which seemingly look most to the promotion of gods honour , the advancement of holinesse , and the liberties of gods people , are most taking with many of that sort of persons , who have a due sence of those excellent things upon their spirits : and such an opinion , i take this to be , which is the principall subject of this following treatise , which is asserted by our brethren ; viz. that gifted persons may preach publickly : an opinion wherein there is a double compliance , with the apprehensions and affections of men , whereby it gets entertainment among them : either , because it gives an opportunity for the declaration , and demonstration of a mans abilities to others , ( a disease incident to good men ) or because it puts a man into a capacity of honouring god in a more eminent way : ( which a gracious soul is very apt to thirst after ) and , if , to these be added , and upon these do follow a third thing , to wit , an experience of some honour brought to god , and some good done upon others , this puts it out of doubt , with divers good men , and makes them sit down with a confident perswasion of the truth of it . and on the other side , when a minister undertakes to refute and overthrow that opinion , he lies under this great prejudice , of minding his own interests , of envying the lords people this glorious priviledge , and desiring to monopolize it to himself ; and so , whatever he saith upon that account , is rather taken as the issue of his own passions , then the sence of the scripture : but , because i have learned to judge of things otherwise then by events and appearances , and the humours or censures of men . i dare not decline a necessary work upon the account of any reflections which may be cast upon me thereby , but shall leave the vindication of my credit , and the bringing forth of my righteousnesse to god , and ( as in duty i ought ) ingage for the assertion of the truth in this particular : which i am the more willing to do , because ( if the providence of god may be observed , and if the tree may be judged by the fruit ) there is hardly any one principle , which hath been more scandalous to thousands of the most judicious of gods people , ( both ministers and others ) and more unhappily instrumentall to the introduction , and propagation of all those loose , false , vain , frivolous and pernicious doctrines ( which abound in the nation ) then the profession and practise of this specious opinion of liberty of prophesying . nor doth this onely flow from the abuse of that principle , ( as our brethren would insinuate ) but from the very principle it self , as they state it : for so long as they hold , that , it is the duty of every gifted man , as such , to exercise his gifts , ( which they assert pag. . ) and that , if he have received gifts to teach publickly , he must use them also publickly ; ( which they avow , pag. . ) and that , he himself may judge of his gifts , and may preach , though it be not so expedient , without any further call : ( which they professe , pag. . ) what can be expected , but that this doctrine should be a trojan horse , whence the adversaries of the truth may break out , and destroy the city of god , a pandora's box , from whence all sorts of mischievous and foul poysoning opinions may fly out , and that without remedy . it must be here seasonably remembred , that the point here discussed is no triviall point , but one that nearly concerns the very vitals of the church , to whose welfare nothing under god and his word , is more necessary and conducible , then the ordinance of the ministery ; and therefore nothing requires greater care in the disposal of it , then that doth , and in nothing were the apostles more solicitous then in committing this office and worke to fit persons , and nothing would have been more incongruous to the wisdome and faithfulnesse of the head of the church , then to prostitute them to the fancies and humours of every invader , nothing more unbecoming the carefulnesse of our great shepherd , then to suffer any wolfe ( that saith or thinks he is fit for it ) to take the office of the shepherd , or to do his work , both which come to one , and are utterly pernitious , to the flock . the consideration of these and such like things , occasioned the provincial assembly to take it into their serious thoughts , not onely to assert the office of the ministry , but also to regulate the work of the ministry , and to confine it within those just boundaries which god and man have set for it : this was done in that late piece called jus divinum ministerii evangelici , a piece which as it hath through gods blessing been satisfactory to the consciences of many persons , so hath it had a contrary effect upon others , ( as might in reason be expected ) to draw forth and derive opposition upon it , from divers hands , and among others , those of our brethren , with whom i have now to do : and although it is not fit , nor usuall for assemblies to take notice of the contradictions of particular persons ; yet , because our brethren have with united force undertaken the refutation of part of that treatise ; and because they have indeavoured to manage it with scripture arguments and evidence , ( which justly bear most sway in these times ) and because divers well-meaning persons , ( and that not onely such as being injudicious , are inconsiderable , but also such as seem to be pillars in their way ) have declared their high approbation of it , and asserted the unanswerablenesse of it . it was therefore thought fit that something should be done by way of reply : and accordingly the provinciall assembly was pleased to lay it upon my shoulders , and i ingaged in the work , and as i love not unnecessary delayes , so i hoped long since to have given the world an account of it : but it pleased that supream providence ( which orders all affaires ) unexpectedly to surprize me , with a sad and dangerous convulsion , which being seated in the head , did not onely disinable me for the present , but a pretty while after overawe me , so that i was disswaded from medling in any thing , whereby the brain might be exercised , and discomposed : and moreover , it is not unknown to many , that a work of far greater concernment , and paines , and trouble , and care , did lie in my hands all along , interfering with this , which indeed required the whole man ; besides many other occasions not inconsiderable , which is needlesse and impertinent , for me here to speak of : onely thus much i have here mentioned by way of apologie , why this reply comes forth no sooner , and it may further apologize for the frequent defects which may be observed in it , because i was so continually incumbred with distracting cares , about other affaires , whereof i have many witnesses . this delay therefore the reader is intreated to pardon , and to accept of the service , as it is now tendred , wherein , though i doubt not , it will be easie to the wise to observe many weaknesses , yet god and my conscience are my compurgators , that i have managed it with sincerity , and i hope my reader will witnesse that i have handled it with the same candor and moderation which our brethren have shewn , and which i think ought to be shewn in such differences as these . for the successe of this work , as i am not without hope , that there will be found some , ex meliore luto , who laying aside partiality , will own the evidence here brought , and yeeld to it , ( for i may without vanity say , that there is some evidence and cogency , at least in some things in difference ) so i must confesse , when i consider , how weak and injudicious most are , and unable to discern between things that differ , how supine and carelesse the generality even of good men are , in the weighing of things of this nature , ( and yet usually such as are least knowing , are most confident and heady ) how apt the most are to be led by the reputation of some particular men of their party for ability and piety , how deeply mens interests are concerned herein ; and in particular their honour in not seeming to be bafled , and deserting that way they are once ingaged in : i say , when i consider these things , i am full of fears , lest what is here said , and whatever is spoken hereafter , will vanish into the air , without any successe . however this is sufficient incouragement to me , that i have born witnesse to the truth of god in these declining times , and hope it may be usefull , if not for the reduction of such as are gone astray , yet for the confirmation and settlement of others , who may be wavering herein . there are three sorts of readers , principally which i expect to meet with . . weak and well-minded soules , who are in this much to be pitied , that being insufficient to see by their own eyes , and to look through the vail of holy pretences , and pious ends , are apt to be abused by others , and to be carried to and fro , by every wind of doctrine : these , i wish they had followed the apostles direction , and never given way to doubtfull disputations . but having once entertained them , and being overthrown by them , if they do not give very diligent heed , and receive not more then ordinary assistance , are never like to recover themselves . . proud , wilfull , and self-conceited persons , the pride of whose hearts , hath led them into wayes of singularity , and will oblige them to make good their ground . their motto is , cedo nulli . and because a recesse from their received perswasions would import something of weaknesse , and humane frailty , they , being conscious to themselves , of their own great worth , are resolved , and unmoveable from their present apprehensions . . there are an intelligent and ingenuous sort of men , who being sensible of their own weaknesse , dare not suppose themselves beyond a possibility of mistake , and therefore alwayes have an eye open to discern further conviction , when ever it is offered , and keep one ear open for the adverse party , whose language is that of jobs , that which i know not , teach thou me , and wherein i have thought amisse , i will do so no more . it is for the sake of those , that i have taken this trouble upon my self , and i hope as to persons of this allay , my labour may not be in vain in the lord. but i shall detain thee no longer in the porch , but let thee into the house , desiring the god of truth , to lead us into all truth , which is the hearty prayer of thine in the lord , matthew poole . touching the relation of the ministry . concerning the epistle prefixed by our brethren to their book , i shall say nothing , because they run out into impertinent controversies concerning the catholick visible church , the matter of a church , church covenant , &c. and indeed it is needlesse i should say any thing about them , they having been so fully ventilated by so many learned authours , as hudson , rutherford , wood , cawdrey , and many others ; and dr collings in particular hath answered this epistle , whither i referre the reader : and therefore i come 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 , to the answer of the book . wherein i shall crave no more liberty then our brethren took , and i shall use their own words , pag. . though i intend not to reply to every particular , yet i shall give such animadversions upon the most considerable things , as will leave it unnecessary to speak to the rest . this i shall solemnly promise , that i will not willingly decline any thing , which is either strong , or plausible , or considerable , but only such passages , as , the foundations being shaken , do fall of themselves : and under this promise i hope i may be excused from following our brethren 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 ▪ ( which commonly occasions personal reflections , and heterogeneous excursions . ) and , although it were easie to cast the work into a more convenient mold , yet , that the reader may with greater ease compare their book and the answer , i thought fit to observe their order , and to distinguish it according to their chapters . chap. i. . they question , what is meant by the ministry ? and here ( to passe by impertinencies ) because a minister is called so from ministration , they infer , that gifted men , whose ordinary work or calling is to preach , may properly be called ministers of the gospel ; pag. . for my part i shall never blot paper with contending about words : our question is not about names , but things ; and if the word minister may be applied to twenty persons , we are not concerned in it ; for the question is not , whether a gifted brother , whose work or calling is to preach , may be called a minister ? ( for even he who never preaches , if he any other way minister to the gospel , may be called a minister of the gospel , according to their own arguments ) but whether such a gifted brother may preach ? and whether the title minister , in its special and distinct acception may be applied to him ? and in both these we hold the negative . . their second question is not much more important , viz. whether the office of the ministry be a relation to the work of the ministry , or to the church ? and here they tax the assembly , for saying that the office of the ministry is better defined by relation to the work , than to a particular people . where i desire it may be observed , that the assembly did not say , the office of the ministry is better defined by relation to the work , than to the church in generall , but than to a particular church : it was not the design of the assembly to deny the ministry to be a relation to the church , nor yet was it their businesse accurately to insist upon the notions of relate and correlate ; they never called the work of the ministry , the correlate , but only obiter and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 , they asserted the office of the ministry to be better defined by relation to the work , than to a particular church , which our brethren have not here disproved ; but only endeavoured to prove that the office of the ministry rather consisteth in relation to the church in general , than to the work ; so that all their labour , as to that particular , might have been spared . to which may be added , that we must distinguish between the abstract ministry , and the concrete a minister . and although the minister in the concrete have the church for his correlatum , yet that the ministry in the abstract should have relation to the work , is no more absurd , then that the office of a king should have relation to ruling , which , i think , no sober man will deny ; and especially when such a thing is brought in occasionally by a person not minding , nor obliged to minde the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 of words ; it were a vanity in any man to batter down such an expression by a quaternion of arguments , which our brethren have attempted to do . to which may be added , that that rule upon which their first argument hangs , viz. relata sunt simul , & do mutuo se ponere & tollere , is true only of predicamentall , but not of transcendentall relations , such as this is ; whose being is not wholly respective , as the masters of the metaphysicks inform us . and the same answer also may serve for the second argument ( which indeed is but the same ) viz. that relations must be together , but the office is a means to the work as an end , and so the office must needs be first , and therefore they are not relatives . to which i answer , . as before , the rule holds not of transcendentall relations . . a potentiall being is sufficient in relations : my knowledge of a rose to be in the spring is related to that rose even in winter ; and yet the rose doth not actually , but only potentially exist in winter . the other two arguments are trivial , and therefore i shall dilate no further about them , because this is a logical and no theological controversie . chap. ii. & iii. qu. whether ministers are only ministers to their particular flocks ? in handling of this i shall . state the question plainly and faithfully . . i shall offer some arguments for the negative . . i shall enquire what our brethren have to say for the affirmative . for the state of this question we must take notice of another question , whence it hath its rise and being , to wit , whether besides particular congregational churches , there be any other visible political churches mentioned in scripture ? it hath till these last times been universally received in the church of god , that , besides that union and communion , whereby the members of a particular church meet together in a congregation for the word and sacraments , there is another union and communion , whereby particular churches do by their delegates ( because in their persons they all cannot ) meet together , combine , consult and conclude in common , as they judge most expedient for the good of their particular churches . this sufficiently appears from the constant practise of the church in all ages , even from the apostles times , acts . and so downwards ; which was , when ever necessity required and opportunity was offered , to meet together in synods , and in common to govern all their churches . and as these meetings were greater or lesse , so they received a differing denomination , being called synods oecumenicall , provincial , &c. and this is at this day the judgement of all the reformed churches in the world , some few amongst our selves being excepted , and our dear brethren in new-england , both known by the name of congregationall men , so called from this their first principle , that the scripture owns no visible church but one congregation . from hence it must needs follow , according to our brethrens mind , that ministers are ministers only to their own congregations . as on the other side , they that own another church , besides congregational , do assert , that ministers have a double relation , the one to their own particular flocks , the other to the whole church . and thus much for the rise of the question . for our brethrens mind we shall not need to go far , they affirm possitively , that officers stand in relation to a particular church onely , and they deny them to be officers to a church universall , or to any but their owne flocks , pag. . but here i cannot but take notice of a weighty difference amongst our congregational brethren , in which they should do well to be reconciled before they endeavour too eagerly to obtrude their notions upon the world ; it is this : mr. shepheard and allen in their answer to the nine questions assert , that though ministers are officers only to their own flocks , yet they may perform acts of their office towards others , pag. . and learned mr. norton 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 concludes , that a minister preacheth to another congregation non tantum virtute donorum & charitatis , sed ex vi vocationis , &c. i. e. not only as a gifted brother , but as an officer ; and it is sufficiently known that it is the judgement of persons of greatest note in that way among us in england . now on the other side , reverend mr. hooker expresly affirmeth that when a minister preacheth to another congregation , he preacheth not as a pastour , but as a gifted man , survey part . p. . and our brethren in this book fall in with him , and will not allow ministers either to be officers , or to act as officers towards any , except their owne congregation . for the better clearing of the present question i shall premise two considerations which indeed do strike at the root of all their objections . i. that there are two waies whereby a minister may be a minister to the whole church . . actu secundo , actually , immediatly , absolutely and independently , so that he may without any other warrant undertake to teach and govern the whole church , if it were possible ; this was peculiar to the apostles , and surely this is abundantly sufficient to distinguish them from ordinary pastors . . one may be an officer to the whole church actu primo , habitually , aptitudinally , mediatly , conditionally , and dependingly , so that he hath a jus or power to teach every where ( go preach the gospel to every creature ) but may not exercise that jus or power , every where , but by the consent of the church or rulers , not as if there was any defect in his authority , but only because there is a manifest inconveniency and disorder in such a promiscuous and unlicensed exercise , which therfore is unlawful because it is repugnant to order , and obstructive to edification : and this is the case of ordinary pastors . ii. i shall premise another consideration , which being well digested is sufficient to enervate all that is said by our brethren as to this point : it is this , a generall respect to the whole church is not inconsistent with a peculiar respect to some one church . suppose one having a vast number of sheep , needeth and chuseth twenty shepheards to look to his sheep , and these shepheards because each of them cannot possibly look to all , do therefore distribute the sheep into twenty parcels , and each undertakes to look to his share , yet so , as that in things of common concernment to all the sheep , they all meet and consult together , &c. but in matters of private concernment every man looks to his own parcel : in this case every shepheard hath a double relation , the one general to the whole , the other particular to his own parcel , which he doth more especially take care for , and feed , and keep , and watch over , &c. and in case any of those sheep which properly belong not to his charge go astray , if he see them and can keep them in , he is obliged by vertue of his office to do it , and if through his neglect they miscarry , he doth not only sin against charity but against his office. this is the case of the church , and so it was out of doubt with the apostles , unto whom christ committed the care of his sheep indefinitely : and because each of them could not look to all , therefore the sheep were divided into parcels , and every apostle takes upon himself a special relation unto some one parcel , and had his proper line ; cor. . and because the sheep multiplied so fast , that to look to them all was a work too heavy for the apostles shoulders , therefore the flock was divided into more parcels , and they ordained more shepheards , who although peculiarly entrusted with their proper charge , yet were not freed from their care of the whole , but in things of common concernment did meet together with the apostles in their daies , act. . and afterwards among themselves . or as it is in germany , where every elector and prince of the empire sustains a double relation ; he is related more especially to his owne peculiar territory to which he is an officer , acting ordinarily , and constantly , &c. but over and besides his , he hath a general relation to the whole empire , and is an officer to the whole , not singly and by himself , but together with others , being intrusted with a joint-power of governing the whole , as in case of chusing of an emperor , or other weighty affairs of the empire , as the necessities and occasions of the empire require . just so it is in the church , which is one entire body ( as the empire is ) governed by one systeme of laws , and molded under one government , every minister hath a double relation , the one special and peculiar , to his owne flock which he is to feed constantly ; the other general to the whole church , which he is to feed occasionally , as far as his ability will reach , and as the churches exigencies command , and which he together with others hath a power to govern . this will be put out of doubt by considering more fully that which even now was intimated of the apostles themselves , who also had this double relation , one to the whole , whereby they were pastors of the whole church , and yet because they could not possibly each of them look to all the churches , therefore the work was divided among them , and they undertook a special relation to some particular parts , as peter to the jews , and paul to the gentiles , iames to ierusalem , &c. which division did not proceed from any defect of authority in the apostles to feed the whole , but from the impossibility of the thing in regard of the vastnesse of the work , and because they were to carry on all church-work as most suited with edification . in like manner we that are ordinary pastors , sequimur patres , non passibus aequis ; and though every minister is a minister of the whole church , and hath an authority extending to it suo modo , yet because it is impossible for every one to look to every church , and all things are to be managed with special respect to the churches edification , therefore ministers are forced to divide the work , both as to teaching and ruling ; yet so , as that there still remains a relation to the whole , whereby he is obliged to teach , and with others to rule other churches , so far forth as his ability reacheth , and the churches necessities require . and by the way , i cannot but take notice of a remarkable difference between teaching and ruling , in point of the possibility of the thing , and the edification of the church ( which is the great rule in all church-administrations ) for a minister may jointly with others rule a far greater proportion than he can teach . david as a king , could rule all israel , but david as a prophet , could not vivâ voce , teach all israel , at least not ordinarily and constantly . and the apostles , though it was impossible for every one of them actually to teach every church , ( they neither could do it , nor did it ) yet it was possible for each apostle joyntly with the rest , to govern every church , and they did actually rule all the churches , at least all the churches there mentioned , in that famous synod , acts . ( in which , whether they acted as apostles , or as ordinary elders , all is one to the present question . ) and this may serve for answer to that specious argument so much insisted on by the reverend and learned dissenters , taken from the conjunction of teaching and ruling . these things premised , i shall now come to the arguments : and here i shall have a double work ; . to lay down an argument or two , to prove that ministers are officers , and act as officers to more than their own particular churches . . to answer their arguments , and to justifie those inconveniences objected by the provincial assembly to the contrary opinion . for the former , i shall not here dilate , only i shall propound three arguments . the first argument is this , if ministers are officers , and act as officers towards convertible heathens , then they are not officers only to their particular congregations : but ministers are officers , and act as officers towards convertible heathens . the minor is the only proposition that can be denied , and that i shall now endeavour to prove . . the case is plain in the apostles : that apostles were constituted officers before the visible gospel-church was erected , is undeniable , and appears plainly from mat. . the apostles , at that time , were officers for they had actually received their commission ; they being relata , must have a correlatum : a correlate there was none , but those who were to be made disciples , who were to be converted : so that , one of these two must necessarily be granted , either that the apostolical relation wanted a correlatum ( which to say , is grosly absurd ) or that the heathens and jews to be converted , were the correlatum to them . there is but one thing that can be said , to wit , that at that time there were divers already converted christians , who were a sufficient correlatum to the apostolical office. to which i answer , if we suppose that all such christians had died , or forsaken the profession of the faith , ( which might have fallen out without any detriment to the perpetuity of the church , seeing the essence of the church had been preserved in the apostles , if they only had continued in the faith ) i say , suppose they all had thus fallen away , yet had the apostles been officers , and therefore the heathens had been their correlatum . . and such indeed are clearly expressed , matth. . , . to be the primary and immediate object of the apostolical office and relation . from whence will follow , that a minister may be a minister , though he have no particular church to which he stands related : just as the eunuch was a member of the church visible , though there was no particular church into which he was admitted , acts . the only probable answer which i can apprehend is this , that the argument no way holds from apostles to ordinary ministers : but in this case i conceive it doth . for , . the apostles as well as pastors ( say our brethren ) are officers only to the church . chap. . p. . they say of ministers , that it is lawfull for them to go and preach to unbelievers ; and they instance in the apostles preaching to heathens , acts . & . and yet ( say they ) they are no officers to such unbelievers : whereby it is plain that they deny not only ordinary pastors , but also apostles to be officers to heathens ; which also further appears by the reason they adde , why such ministers are no officers to heathens ( which is common to apostles with other ministers ) viz. because they cannot as officers exercise church-government towards them ; which holds true even of the apostles ; what have we to do to judge them that are without , cor. . now if the apostles , who were ( according to our brethren ) only church-officers , yet acted as officers towards such as were wholly without the church , and towards heathens , much more is it true of ordinary pastors , that , albeit they are officers in special to their particular flock , yet they are officers , and act as officers , towards other churches . . apostles and pastors are paralleld in this case , eph. . , . and he gave some apostles — and some pastors and teachers , for the perfecting of the saints , for the work of the ministry , for the edifying of the body of christ. from whence it is most evident , that the object of the apostolical and pastoral office is one and the same , both of them being by office related to the saints , not only that are actually brought in , but also to those that are to be gathered : and the offices were appointed , and the officers bestowed for this very end , for the edifying of the body of christ : by which body of christ , we must with judicious interpreters , necessarily understand the whole collection of all christs members in all ages of the church ; all which , in scripture phrase , go to the making up of christs body , so that if one of them were lacking , jesus christ should want his fulnesse ( as he is pleased to express himself ) eph. . . and answerably to this the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 , or edifying , is not to be understood , as in some other places , for building up of such as are brought in only , but also for the bringing in of those who are yet without ; for that indeed was the great end why the ministry was instituted , mat. . , . and the very phrase of building , implies as well the gathering together of stones for the building , and the laying of the foundation , as the raising up of the building ; and the nature of the body , as we have now explained it , necessarily requires , that this edifying should be understood extensively , as well as intensively . i shall contract all this into a short syllogism , the body of christ in its latitude is the correlatum , or the object of the pastoral office ; but the body of christ includes heathens : therefore heathens to be converted are the object and correlate of the pastoral office. the major is plain from the text , and what hath been said ; the minor also is no lesse evident , that heathens are a part of christs body : they are called his sheep , iohn . . other sheep i have which are not of this fold . heathens to be converted christ laid down his life for ( else they had never been converted ) and yet he laid down his life only for his body , eph. . and therefore they are his members and part of his body , and therefore they are the object and correlate of the pastoral office. and as the whole church in all ages ( to wit , including persons yet uncalled , but by election belonging to it ) is the correlatum of the ministers and ministerial office in all ages , so the whole church in one age ( including such as by predestination , though not yet by actual vocation and congregation , belong to it ) is the correlate of the ministers and ministerial office in that one age : so that not only a particular church is the correlate of a minister , but also such as are not yet members of any particular church , nor of any church at all . the second argument may be taken from cor. . . where the reconcilable world , which consists of such as are yet without and no members of the church , are made the chief object and correlatum of the office of the ministry ; and from thence i shall thus argue , to whom ministers act as ambassadours , to them they act as officers : but ministers preach as ambassadours to heathens convertible and to be converted , ergo. the proposition is evident from the terms , to be an ambassadour , is nothing else but to be an officer ; and it may receive further light and strength from this consideration , that ministers are not ambassadors a pari ad parem , from one king to another as equal , but a superiori ad inferiorem , from one superiour in authority to all ; from a prince to his subjects , whom he is calling in ; from one who may and doth require all heathens , as well as others , to hear and obey his ambassadors , i mean from the lord christ. for the assumption , that ministers preaching to heathens , do preach as ambassadors ( where all the doubt lies ) i proceed to make good . . if the scripture makes no difference between a ministers preaching to his own church and to others ; then there is no difference , ubi lex non distinguit , non est distinguendum . but the scripture makes no difference , &c. wherever a minister preacheth , he is to preach with all authority . strangers are as well obliged to obey him as his own people . . even heathens are bound to hear ministers preaching to them , and that not only ex vi materiae , because of the matter they treat of , but virtute muneris , by vertue of their office. he that heareth you , heareth me , and he that despiseth you , despiseth me , luke . . and therefore as the jews and heathens were bound to hear christ , not only in regard of his message which he brings , but also in respect of his office as he was the mediator and the great prophet in the church , deut. , , . so also it is with ministers , who act as in christs stead , they are to be heard even by heathens , for their office sake , as well as for their doctrine . and those jews or heathens which disobeyed the doctrine of the apostles , are not only charged with the guilt of rejecting the truth , but also of contemning the persons and offices of the apostles , which could not have been , if the apostles had not preached as officers to such . and surely it must needs be reputed strange doctrine , to say , that a minister , yea an apostle , preaching to heathens , doth preach no more authoritatively , than any woman or child that is occasionally discoursing to such of the things of god. the apostles might challenge maintenance of those heathens to whom they preached , mat. . . cor . which such women and children could not pretend to ; which clearly demonstrates that the apostles preached not as gifted persons , but as officers to them . the apostles preaching to such had a power authoritatively to pronounce pardon , or to denounce wrath to them , upon their believing or disobeying , ( which are the two acts of the keys ) and which to do requires an office-relation to them . if it be objected that this may be true of the apostles , that they were ambassadors , and preached as ambassadors to heathens , and yet not true of ordinary pastours . i answer ; either ordinary ministers are ambassadors , or else christ hath not had any ambassadors in the world since the daies of the apostles , but christ hath had , and hath ambassadors still in the world ; therefore ministers are ordinary ambassadors : the major is plain , for if only extraordinary officers be ambassadors ; then where there are no such extraordinary officers , there are no ambassadors : the minor also is no lesse clear , that the office of gospel ambassadors was a continuing ordinance , and it is most ridiculous to think , that while the design and work of the ambassador lasts his office should not continue ; and besides , christ hath perpetuated the office , mat. . , . if it be said they are ambassadors indeed , but it is to their own people , not to heathens : i answer , yes rather they are ambassadors to heathens : for as the great work of other ambassadors is to make peace , so also gospel-ambassadors their great businesse is to beseech men to be reconciled to god , and therefore their principal object is not the church who are already supposed to be reconciled , but heathens and strangers who are yet unreconciled : and seeing ordinary ministers preaching to heathens , have a power upon their repentance to remit sin , i. e. to declare their sins remitted officially , it must needs follow , that they are ambassadors to such : and the apostle in this place ascribes both the name and work of ambassadors unto ordinary ministers , speaking in the plural number , we then as ambassadors , &c. and he attributes the name to himself , upon a ground common with him to ordinary ministers , i. e. because he besought them as in christs stead to be reconciled to god : and as we rightly infer the assurance of salvation of ordinary believers from the apostles assurance , because he fixeth his assurance not upon any peculiar revelation , but upon grounds common to all christians ; so may we that are ordinary ministers , justly take to our selves the name and office of ambassadors , because the apostles assum'd it upon such grounds as are common to all ministers : and not upon such as are peculiar to the apostolical dignity . and this may suffice for the enforcement of this second argument : but there is one block that must be removed . it is plausibly objected by mr. allen and mr. shepheard , in there answer to the nine questions , that ministers , though officers to their own flock , yet may do the acts of their office towards others , as a steward of an house acteth as an officer in the entertainment of strangers , &c. and thus ministers may preach as officers to others , and yet be only officers to their own congregations . to this i answer , . this concerns not our brethren here , who do possitively determine , that ministers preaching to others , do preach only as gifted men , not as officers , p. . so that i might without disparagement wave this objection . . this is a meer fallacy , the resemblance it self is misunderstood or mis-applied : for a steward of an house , it is true , he acts as a steward in the entertainment of strangers , but how ? he acts as the steward of that house , not as a steward to them whom he entertains : but a minister preacheth as an officer with authority , not only in relation to his own church , but any others that occasionally hear him , as hath been proved . and yet . if the similitude were well laid , there is a further dissimilitude in the case in hand ; for a steward of an house is a steward only to that particular family , but ministers are stewards to the whole church , all which is called one family , and one houshold , tim. . . how thou shouldst behave thy self in the house of god. gal. . . do good to all , especially the houshold of faith . eph. . . you are fellow citizens of the saints , and of the houshold of god. and the reason why the steward of an house is no officer to strangers , is because the lord that makes him a steward hath no authority to make him a steward over strangers , nor further then his house or jurisdiction reacheth . but christ , who makes ministers stewards , hath authority to make them such over the whole church , yea , over heathens ; and indeed so he hath done , as the former arguments have proved : and he requires of the world to own his ministers as ambassadors , and will severely punish their rejection and contempt of them . the third and last argument shall be this ; if the conversion of heathens , &c. be the principal ground and end why the office of the ministry was instituted , and the principal work of the ministry , then the office of the ministry is related to heathens : but the conversion of heathens , &c. is the principal end why the office of the ministry was instituted , and the principal work of the ministry so instituted , therefore the office of the ministry is related to heathens . for the major it is evident from the very terms ; every minister is unquestionably related to those among whom his work lies . and as it is plain in christ jesus , our great bishop , that the church or his sheep , are his correlatum , because his end and his work was their salvation ; so also must it needs be in ministers , that their relation must be towards those among whom their great work lies . for the minor no man can doubt of it that hath read the scriptures , especially those fore-cited places , mat. . & eph. . if it be said , conversion indeed was the great work of the apostles , but not so of ordinary ministers ; those were to build up what the apostles brought in : i answer . both those places do evidently relate as well to ordinary ministers , as to the apostles : for eph . they are equally named ; and for mat. . it is clear , because those ministers who are there spoken of , and set apart for that work of the conversion of heathens , they are assured by god that they shall continue to the end of the world , which is not true of the apostles in their own persons , unlesse to them you adde their successors , the ordinary ministers . and cor. . . who is paul , and who is apollo , &c. but ministers by whom ye believe . and that text will continue true to the end of the world , faith comes by hearing , rom. . of ordinary ministers , as well as the apostles . . if conversion be a work common and necessary in these daies , as well as in the apostles daies , then ministers are now appointed for that work as well as formerly they were : for while the cause and reason remains , the effect also must needs remain : but conversion is a work common and necessary now as well as then ; for though men are not heathens now as they were formerly , yet many are but professors and titular christians , by vertue of their church-membership , and so do need a work of conversion . . either the ordinary ministers of the church were appointed for conversion , or else christ hath appointed no officers to take care of the greatest and most principal work , which is the conversion of sinners : but this is highly absurd that christ should take least care , where there was most need : and therefore ordinary ministers were instituted for conversion . and thus i have done with the first thing , which was to prove , that ministers are officers and act as officers to others besides their own congregation . the second thing propounded was , to answer their arguments , and to vindicate the arguments offered by the provincial assembly against that contrary opinion , that ministers are officers only to their own congregations . and for the better methodizing of it , i shall first with all brevity propound the assemblies arguments , then our brethrens answers , and then adde a reply : and this i chuse to do in this place , although these things are discussed by them under another head , p. , &c. because they properly concern this question . but i shall passe them over with more brevity , because it is but a collateral question , and our brethren are lesse accurate in this , than in the other point . . this opinion is unheard of in the church of christ , before these late years . provinc . ans. it sufficeth that it is heard of in the scripture . reply . but you know that is denied ; and for the churches judgement , as it is not to be advanced into gods throne , so it is not easily to be slighted , where there is an universall consent of all churches ( as there is in this case ) which it is hard to shew in any errour : nemo pacificus contra ecclesiam . . this opinion is contrary to our br●threns practise , who hold the administration of the sacrament to be a ministeriall act , and yet give it to members of other congregations . provinc . to this there is a double answer given by our brethren . . the main answer where they lay most stresse which therefore i propose first , is this , that in ministerial acts some things are common to men as men , as the word and prayer ; some are common to them as church members , or as confederates with any particular church , not considering this or another church , as the sacraments ; other things as special and proper to a particular church , &c. as excommunication , election , &c. so that a man may claim the sacrament as a confederate with any church : and as a father giving instruction to his children and servants , teacheth them as a father and master ; but , if strangers come in and partake of the instruction , he teacheth them not by vertue of any such relation ; so if a pastor preach and give the sacrament occasionally , he acts not as a pastor and officer to them . this is the strength of what our brethren say , p. , , . reply . if our brethren perceive not how they have overshot themselves , i question not but any judicious reader will quickly discern it , how they are fallen from their own principles . indeed the answer were tolerable , if preaching and giving the sacrament were of the same nature and quality , and did proceed pari passu , but seeing it is generally granted by our congregational brethren , that preaching is not alwaies an act of office , and that it is an act which may be done by gifted men ; and that the administration of the sacrament is alwaies an act of office , and cannot be done but by one in office , it is most incongruously done to jumble these two together , and to make them alike in this very case where they acknowledge the difference . . to the sacrament two things are required , which are warily to be distinguished ; . a right in the receiver to claim , and that indeed we have in the supposed case , according to our brethrens principles . . a power in the giver to administer , and this none hath but an officer , and none can do it but as an officer , and therefore no man can give it to any , but to them to whom he is an officer , and acts as an officer , and therefore they cannot give it to any member of other congregations . and this acute mr. hooker is so sensible of , that he grants it in terminis , using these words ; touching the partaking of the sacrament by some of one congregation in another , it hath been a course which i have ever questioned , and against it i have alledged many arguments , professing the course unwarrantable , for this reason ( among others ) because the administration of the sacrament is a ministerial act , and cannot be done but by a pastor or teacher , and what authority hath he to do it , and they to receive it from him to whom he is no pastor ; as he is cited by cawdry , inconsistency of indep . way , p. . nor do i see how this can be fairly avoided by any that stick to congregational principles , and i think such a strange paradox as this , asserted by so considerable a person , and flowing from such principles , may justly render them suspected to all impartial judges . and whereas our brethren here imply the contrary , and talk of a pastors giving the sacrament to strangers not as a pastor ; . let all men take notice that in this they have deserted their own principles , and have through incogitancy precipitated themselves into the gulf of anabaptism , which , i doubt not , in their next , either their prudence or their ingenuity will ob●ige them to retract . . the provincial assembly were not obliged to take notice of the excentrical opinions of every particular congregational man , but of those which were owned by the generality of them , and by such as seemed to be pillars among them ; and sure i am , such will reject this notion of a mans giving the sacrament as a gifted brother . they know the rule , quod competit rei qua tali competit omni tali ; if a pastor gives the sacrament to strangers not as a pastor or officer , but as a gifted brother ( for that is the other member of the distinction ) then every gifted brother may administer the sacrament , which i suppose our brethren will tremble to grant , and therefore they must call back their own words too loosely delivered . . but however ( say they ) this is an argument against our practise , not the assertion . reply . yes , it may give just cause of suspicion of the truth of that assertion , which inevitably draws along with it such a strange conclusion as this , that no man may receive the sacrament any where but in his own congregation , which is in a great measure to cut the sinews of christian and church-communion ; and yet for ought either i or mr hooker see , either this conclusion must be embraced , or the principle rejected . i passe on to the reasons . there are ( say the assembly ) seven ill consequences which follow this assertion , that a minister can perform no pastorall act out of his own congregation : i shall reduce them to two or three . . then a minister at the same time preacheth to his own members as a minister , and to others as a gifted man only . . then a minister baptizeth only into his own congregation , not into the catholick church , contrary to cor. . . and so a minister can baptize none but those that are members of his own congregation , and so there is no way to baptize heathens converted , nor the children of such parents as cannot be members of any congregation . and here our brethren bring in that argument mentioned by the provinc . that a minister ministerially admits into and ejects out of the church-catholick , and therefore is a minister of the church-catholick , and not only of his particular congregation , p. , &c. let us now hear what our brethren have to answer . . they say , we see no absurdity in saying that a minister preacheth to some as an officer , and at the same time preacheth to others not as an officer . reply . this is a conceit for which there is no shadow in the scripture : nay it is not only 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 but 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 , not only without , but against the evidence of scripture . ministers wherever , or to whomsoever they do the work of ambassadors , whomsoever they beseech to be reconciled , to them they act as ambassadors : and whose sins soever they remit doctrinally ( which is an act of office ) they are remitted ; and whose sins soever they retain , in preaching , they are retained , whether their hearers be strangers , or of their own congregation : and this they do by vertue of their office. surely it is very harsh to say that all strangers which hear a minister , are no more bound to hear and obey him , then to hear or obey any woman discoursing privately of those things ; and that a stranger rej●cting his message , is no way guilty of the contempt of his office , ( it will be an happy thing if that will be a sufficient plea at the last day . ) nay by this rule the very apostles themselves ( as we have more largely seen ) must , when preaching to heathens , be canton'd into the order of gifted men ; and if that be true , it was no act of their office to disciple nations , and to gather in the saints : and all those heathens which are now converted by ministers , are not converted by vertue of the ministers office , nor was the office of the ministry appointed for the gathering in of souls , but only for the building up of such as are brought in , contrary to mat. . & eph. . as hath been argued . . they argue against that position , that a man is made a member of the church by baptism , p. . whereas indeed it is none of our assertion , and so all that labour , both of theirs and mr hookers is lost . they cannot but know that we allow infants to be born church-members , and make their church-membership the ground of their baptism , and a par , a heathen converted , and professing the fai●h , is a church-member inchoatè before baptism ; this only we say , that the solemn , publick and visible way of admission of members into the church , is by baptism ; and this cannot be easily denied by any one that looks either to the jewish or christian church : for as since the new testament began , it hath alwaies been the door of admission , so was it also unto proselytes in the old testament , who used to be admitted into the jewish church by baptism , as divers learned men have proved . or if our brethren question that , yet at least , circumcision ( to which our baptism answers ) was the door of admission into the jewish church . but of this more hereafter . . they deny that a min●ster ejects out of the catholick church . not the minister , but the person renouncing his profession ejects himself out of it ; he may be ejected with , and not by excommunication and how can a mans being ejected out of a particular church , make him no member of the catholick church ; if being ejected out of office in a particular church , doth not make a man no officer to the catholick visible church . p. . reply . here two things are opposed which may be conjoyned ; for both the person ejects himself , and the minister ejects him : he ejects himself meritoriously , the minister efficiently and juridically . . either a minister ejecting a man justly out of his own church , ejects him out of all other churches ( and that cannot be but by vertue of a catholick church , &c. ) or he is not juridically ejected out of other churches , and so he is in a capacity of being received into other churches , ( which what horrid confusion it would introduce into the church of god , and how incongruous it is unto his wisdom , in whom are hid all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge , to appoint a remedy so short and insufficient for the disease , i leave to all sober men to judge . ) and this is not a bare suggestion , for experience shews that the effect of this principle is such , and persons juridically and justly ejected out of one church , have been admitted into another church ( who it may be , apprehend him to have been unjustly dealt with ) and according to this principle there is no remedy , but so it must be . . for the ejecting of officers , i say , . that a church in their sense , i. e. the body of the people , hath no power of ejecting of officers , as our brethren suppose . . that when a minister is juridically ejected out of office in a particular church by deposition , he ceaseth to be an officer to the catholick church . . they say , according to our way also we cannot baptize heathens , for if there be a catholick church , ministers are only officers in the church , and not to the heathens converted , so cannot baptize them . reply . ministers are officers not only to those that are actually members of the church , but to all that shall be brought in , as we have shewn ; they are officers even to heathens , in the sense before explained , as they do ex officio offer them a pardon , and give it upon their repentance , so they do ex officio admit them into the church . . they say , in such a case heathens may joyn as members to some church , and so be baptized . reply . our brethren should not obtrude such uncouth notions upon the world without evident proof . their answer implies as if there were some other way whereby a man might be made a compleat church-member , without baptism , whereas in scripture there is ne 〈◊〉 quidem of any other door of admission : if there be , let our brethren shew it ; sure we are the new testament way was by baptism . but of this more by and by . and this is all of any moment which our brethren have to say by way of answer to the foregoing argument . . another argument used by the provincial assembly , was this , that from hence it will follow , that when a minister leaves , or is put from his particular charge , he ceaseth to be a minister ; and so when he taketh up a new charge , he needs a new ordination , which is absurd , because every minister is seated in the catholick church , cor. . eph. . and as a private christian removing from his church , doth not cease to be a member of the visible church ( for then his baptism should cease , for every baptized person is a church-member ) and needs not to be baptized a new ; so a minister going from a congregation , needs not to be ordained a new . to this our brethren answer divers things . . they say , this runs into direct anabaptism , for by this rule , an excommunicate person ceasing to be a member , his baptism ceaseth , and so he needs to be re-baptized when he is re-admitted . p. . reply i. but this followeth not for a double reason . . it may be said , that an excommunicate person ordinarily is a member , though a diseased member , thess. . — admonish him as a brother . he towards whom i owe the duty of a fellow-member , is a fellow-member : but i owe the duty of a fellow-member , viz. fraternal admonition to such an one . again , he who is under a church ordinance appointed for his good , is a church-member , though diseased , and under cure : but such an one is under an ordinance , ergo. . though his baptism ceaseth at present actual●y and really , as to all the actual priviledges of it , and so ceaseth , that while he repents not , he is to be looked upon after a sort , as an unbaptized person , or as an heathen ; yet when he doth repent and renew his covenant , and re-admit himself to the church , he needs no new baptism , for as much as god is pleased to impute to him his former baptism , and the church accepts of it ; and this is the benefit of his repentance , that god looks upon his sins repented of , as if they had never been committed , and so in that case he looks on him , as if he had never fallen from his baptism ; and so he needs no new one : just as it was in the case of circumcision , when any turned heathen or idolater , and renounced his circumcision , he was to be reputed as an heathen , while such ; and yet whenever he repented , he needed no new circumcision , but his former circumcision was accepted by god for him . ii. the argument fals upon our brethrens principles , not upon ours : for to us ( who assert that baptism is the door of admission into the catholick church ) it is uncontroverted , that a man removing from one church , may be admitted to any other , because his baptism gave him a compleat visible and political membership , not only with that church he was admitted into , but with all others : and this membership and baptism , though they were lost in the sense before spoken , yet upon his repentance are recovered . but our brethren , who make baptism only the door of admission into a particular church , they must own this conclusion , that upon every removal there must be a new baptism . even as it is in civil corporations , which because they are distinct from one another , and there is no general corporation of which each of these are members , therefore whenever a member passeth from one to another , he needs to be admitted a new , by what way soever they use in the admission of members . and to save them from this intollerable inconvenience , they have no shelter but one , which comes in the next place . . they say , baptism doth not admit , or make a man to stand in relation to any church , either general or particular , but it is a solemn sign of a persons taking the name of christ upon him , and therefore that remains wherever he removes . pag. . reply . our brethren granted even-now , that baptism was a sign of a mans admission to the church . . this may well stand with its being a sign of a persons taking the name of christ , nay indeed it is the same thing in substance , for what is a church but a company of men professing the name of christ ? and what then is it to be a solemn sign of a mans admission into the church , but to be a solemn sign of his being a professor of the name of christ ? . what a monstrous paradox is this , baptism makes not a man to stand in relation to any church : this should not have been dictated without any proof , but demonstrated by clear evidences , it being against the judgement of the whole church . surely the apostle was not of this mind , when he said , we are all baptized into one body , cor. . . by which it is most evident , that baptism gives a man relation to some body , and it is also plain that he speaks of a visible body , because it is an organical body , having the distinction of teachers and taught , &c. and this body , if it be the church catholick , ( as we say , and as the place proves , for as much as jews and gentiles are all members of it ) then we have our desire : if it be a church particular , then baptism makes us to stand in relation to such a church . and if this were meant of the invisible body , and this baptism of internal baptism , yet it rationally follows , that as the inward baptism makes a man stand in relation to the invisible church , so doth the external baptism make him stand in relation to the visible church . again , that which makes a man visibly stand in relation to christ , that makes him visibly to stand in relation to the church : but baptism makes a man visibly to stand in relation to christ , ergo. the major is plain , because the church and the church only , and the members of it , stand in visible relation to christ : the minor is evident from rom . . know ye not that so many of us as were baptized into iesus christ , were baptized into his death . gal. . . for as many of you as have been baptized into christ , have put on christ ; therefore baptism makes a man stand in relation to the church . again , that which makes a man visibly to stand in a covenant relation , makes a man to stand in relation to a church : but baptism makes a man visibly to stand in a covenant relation ; ergo. the major cannot be denied , because of the identity of a covenant and church relation : all and only they that are really in covenant , are really members of the invisible church : and all and only such as are visibly in covenant , are members of the visible church : the minor must needs be granted by every one that understands the nature of baptism : baptism is the seal of the covenant ; and to say the seal of the covenant makes not a man to stand in relation to the covenant , is a contradiction . lastly , that which makes a man capable of church-priviledges , makes him stand in relation to a church : but baptism makes a man capable of church-priviledges , v. g. of the supper , &c. ( which unbaptized persons are not capable of ) ergo it makes a man stand in relation to a church . so then this paradox being disproved ( that i may reduce these things to my main scope ) and it being evident that baptism makes a man stand in relation to some church , and that visible too ( which all grant ) it remains either that there is a catholick visible church , to which baptism makes a man to stand related ; or if the church into which it admits a man be only a particular church , then upon every removal , there must be , as a new admission , so a new baptism . . they say , an officer may be said to be set in the whole church , though his authority reacheth only to a part : as it may be said , there are set in the commonwealth , iustices , constables , &c. and yet this proves not that besides their relation to their precincts , they have a relation to the common-wealth , and a power to act there . reply . that phraseology sufficiently implies that the commonwealth , wherein they are set , is one political body , and so a pari , that phrase , god hath set in the church , whatsoever that church is , it proves it to be one political body . . the case wholly differs , for justices , constables , &c. have limited commissions , confined to their particular precincts ; whereas the commission of ministers is large and universal ( as hath been proved . ) if our brethren would chuse a fit resemblance , let them take it from that of the empire before mentioned , wherein the princes are set in and over the whole empire , and he that shall say , in the empire are set princes , states , &c. shall imply that such princes and states , besides their special relation to their particular territories , have another relation to the whole empire . . it is not barely the phrase we rest upon , but the sense and the explication of the phrase given us by other scriptures , and which necessity requires in this place , as plainly appears from the apostles , who were so set in the church , that they were also set over the church ; so are not justices , they are in , not over the commonwealth ; and who , besides a special relation to their particular parts ( which we have before discoursed of , ) have also a relation to , and over the whole church : and so have other ministers to , suo modo , as hath been proved ; and both apostles and ministers are equalized in this , that they are in and over the whole church , and so have a relation to it . . they say , the church , in cor. . may be taken for this or that church ; and so the body to be edified , for this or that particular body , eph. . reply . that cannot be , for it is one church in which all the apostles and ministers are set , cor. . it is one body which all the apostles and pastors , &c. were given to edifie and perfect . it is that body into which we all are baptized , both jews and gentiles , cor. . . it is that one body which is christ , i. e. mystical , which is made up of all the members of christ , v. . it is that one body which is called the whole body , eph. . . from whom the whole body fitly joyned together , &c. and surely he had need have a good confidence of his abilities , that will assert , that all this is true of a particular church . another argument used by the provincial assembly was this , that hence it follows that if a people unjustly through covetousnesse , starve a minister from them , or through heresie or schism vote him down , in that case it is in their power to nullifie the office of a minister . to this our brethren answer 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 , that . though the people sin , yet indeed they do nullifie the office of a minister , as if they should murther a minister , they nullifie his office , and if they may debar him from the exercise of his office , why may they not make void his office ? reply . our brethren confound two things vastly differing , to wit , the nullifying of the office , and the hindring of the exercise of the office ; it is true , the peoples opposition , nay indeed one mans violence may hinder the exercise , but cannot nullifie the office. . i demand whether this hold of the apostles or no : the apostles were made officers to the church only , ( say our brethren ) and they say they were constituted officers by the church , alledging acts . ( although the scripture tell us the apostles were neither of man , nor by man ▪ ) well then , this being premised , suppose when the catholick church was confined to one congregation , this congregation had proved hereticall , and voted down the apostles : i only suppose it , and suppositions are allowed by all , and to deny that liberty is a tergiversation : nor doth this supposition imply any contradiction to that promise that god hath made , that he will preserve his church , for that might have been preserved in the apostles alone . i now quaere , whether in this case the apostolical office had been null or no ? if they affirm it , as it is a strange assertion , so it is also false : for . the apostles were not constituted by man , and therefore their office could not be nullified by man. . the apostles in such a case had a power officially and authoritatively to denounce the wrath of god against them , mat. . . and whosoever shall not receive you , nor hear your words , when ye depart — shake off the dust of your feet . . they were apostles even to heathens to be converted , as we have proved . if they deny it , i prove it thus , that it must needs follow from their principles : for . the church being , according to them , the adequate correlatum of the apostles , the church ceasing , they must needs cease also . . ejusdem est instituere & destituere , and seeing they allow the institution and constitution of the apostles to the people . . i thus disprove that monstrous paradox : that which renders it in the power of mens lusts or humours to nullifie the promises of christ , the authority , end and use of christs ambassadors , is most absurd . that which makes it in the power of men , whether there shall be any officially to preach peace , to remit sins , &c. is highly dangerous ; but such is this doctrine . i prove the minor by these steps ; . there are now none but ordinary ministers in the church . . the essence of a minister ( say our brethren ) consists in relation to a particular church , which is his correlatum , and sublato uno relatorum tollitur alterum , so that when that relation ceaseth , his ministry ceaseth . . it is in the power of the people to dissolve that relation , to eject a minister ; so say our brethren , and it is generally asserted by congregational men . . that which one congregation may do , another may do , and so every one may do : suppose then that there are twenty , and but twenty congregations in the world , if each of these resolve severally to eject their ministers , through covetousnesse , heresie , &c. i say , then it is in the power of these men to falsifie christs word , and destroy the authority , end and use of christs ambassadors . but you will say , it is in the power of men to kill these ministers , one as well as another , and so thereby , as well as by our way , it is in the power of men to disanull the promise of christ. and therefore as it would be answered in that case , that the bones of christ were breakable , yet by divine providence were kept from being broken ; so though it is remotè in the power of men to kill all those ministers , yet god will restrain them from the act of killing them , that he may keep his promise ; in like manner though it is in the power of such churches to depose them , yet god will hinder the act , &c. i answer the case is wholly different , the one is an act of horrid violence , the other a juridical act , and here is the great inconvenience for a man to assert , that jesus christ hath given to every congregation a juridical power to depose their ministers when ever they please , for the power of judging is left by our brethren in their hands ; and to disanul an ordinance of christ , and to punish an officer and ambassador of christ without his fault , and without all hope of remedy : in what a sad condition were gospel ministers , if it were in the power of their people upon every capricio , when ever the humour takes them , to rob a godly minister , it may be for the faithful discharge of his duty among them , of that which he accounts better than a world , and that without any possibility of redresse , forasmuch as he hath none to make his appeal to . how secure might a people be in their wickednesse , if when a minister reproves them sharply for their sins , they might take away from their minister the power of reclaiming their sins , or officially denouncing wrath against them . but they have a second answer to relieve them . if such a rejection of their officers do not nullifie his office , the reason is , because he is de jure , and of right still over that church as their officer , though hindred from the exercise of his office. and this indeed is much more tolerable than the other , but our brethren have lost the benefit of this refuge , forasmuch as they positively acknowledge , that the people have a power to annull his office : and besides it helps them not at all ; for if the people , and they only , they beyond appeal , have a full juridical power of deposing and rejecting their ministers ( as our brethren hold ) then they only have a power to judge whether the cause of the deposition be just or unjust , and be it just , or unjust , the minister hath no way but to acquiesce in their sentence ; for if once this gap were opened , either in church or state , that a person judged and censured might thwart the judgment of the supream court , by his private opinion , it would introduce intolerable confusion : it is true in such a case he may appeal to god , and find comfort in this , that in fero dei his cause is good , but as for the forum humanum he is gone irrecoverably : and however neighbouring churches , or ministers may endeavour to convince and rectifie such a church , and to perswade them to own him as their minister , yet , if they will persist , they must all be contented , and he must not be owned for a minister . and thus much may serve for the vindication of those arguments which were urged by the assembly . i shall now take notice of two or three of their arguments . their chief argument is this : a minister is a pastour only to his own flock : but it is only a particular church which is his flock ; ergo he is a pastour only to his particular church : the minor is proved thus , all that is a mans flock , he is commanded actually to feed , and to take heed to , and he sins if he do not , acts . . but no bishop is commanded actually to feed the whole church , ergo the whole church is not his flock , p. . ans. . the major of the first syllogisme is untrue : a minister is a pastour to his own flock especially , but not only . . the major of the second syllogism is denied , a minister is not obliged actually to feed all his flock ; and i suppose i shall give an unanswerable reason for the deniall of it : every apostle was a catholick pastour , and so had the whole church for his flock , mat. . , . here our brethren are consenters : but every apostle was not obliged actually to feed the whole church , and all nations , they neither did it , nor was it possible for them to do it , and therefore their work was divided among them ; the circumcision being more especially committed to peter , and the uncircumcision to paul : and yet , although by this distribution , paul had a special relation to the gentiles , and was obliged to feed them more especially , yet he had upon him the care of all the churches , and it was his duty , as far as his ability and occasions reached , to feed the whole church , and no farther : and so it is with ordinary ministers , though they are especially obliged to feed their own flocks , and indeed can do no more constantly , yet according to their ability and opportunity they are bound to feed the whole church , by teaching , and consulting , &c. and this is the only argument urged formally in this place against our assertion . but because there are some other passages which seem to be argumentative , though scattered elsewhere , i thought fit to do them that right , as to bring them in here , that so the reader might see all their strength together . their second argument is this ; this makes the power of ordinary ministers as extensive and large as that of the apostles . ans. i answer plainly and clearly , that the difference between apostolical and pastoral power lies not in the extent of their relation ( if any assert it , let them prove it ) but in the independency , superiority , and singularity of jurisdiction , which , if it be not sufficient to distinguish between apostles , and ordinary ministers , besides their excellent and infallible gifts , i dare make our brethren judges . their third argument is this ; ministers are only pastours to them whom they can govern , as well as teach : but ministers cannot exercise church-government towards heathens , for they are not their flock ; and therefore in preaching to heathens they act not as officers , but as gifted brethren , p. . the answer to this is not difficult ; if the not exercising of government be a sufficient foundation for this assertion , that a minister preacheth not to such as a pastour , then the apostles did not preach as officers to heathens , for towards such they could not exercise church-government : what have i to do to judge them that are without , cor. . . but the apostles did preach as officers to heathens , which hath been already fully proved . their fourth argument is ; that this brings in episcopacy , to make one man an officer over many churches . and this argument i have often wondred to meet in all sorts of anti-presbyterians , greeks , and barbarians , wise and unwise , learned and unlearned , all agree in this charge ; and they prosecute it with so much confidence , and eagernesse , that if a man had so much charity , or so little judgment as to beleeve them , he would think there were no difference between geneva and canterbury . for answer , to omit other differences which might be insisted on , as . that the episcopal way leaves to inferiour ministers nothing but the name and title of officers , all power of jurisdiction being ingrossed into the bishops hands ; whereby all other ministers are made a strange kind of men , being officers without office , rulers without rule , &c. whereas in the presbyterian way , every particular officer is confessedly invested with , and hath liberty for the exercise of his office , and power as need requires . . that government by bishops , is a government by forreigners , as it were , the power of ruling being neither in the hands of the people , nor of any chosen by them , ( as it is in the presbyterian way ) but in the hands of persons wholly extraneous to most of the churches they rule , and generally , neither knowing of , nor known to those whom they undertake to govern . but i wave these things and many other , as being extravagant in this place : this only i observe for the present purpose . the formality of episcopacy lies in this , in the superiority of one pastour to another , and to many other ; and of one church to all the rest in a diocesse ; not in the superiority of a colledge of pastors , or convention of churches over one pastour or church : will any indite the apostles for introducing episcopacy , because all the apostles met together , acts . did assume a superiority over paul , ( who was there met , as the rest , in the capacity of an elder ) and examine and judge of his doctrine ? shall any man say the united provinces in the low-countries are under a monarchy , because every particular governour , &c. is subject and accountable to the rest of the governours , the states generall ? this no man will say but he that understands not the difference between government by one , and by many : and therefore it is equally absurd to charge us with episcopacy , because we would have every particular officer and church subject ( not to any one man , that , and that alone is episcopacy ) but to a convetion of officers , &c. and therefore for the future i shall desire our brethren to forbear such frivolous and intemperate accusations . and this is all that i shall say to this present question , closing only with this intimation , that i principally recommend the serious and impartial consideration of what is here said , unto such , who though they professe they will be ordained ( and we are obliged to believe their professions ) yet for the present refuse it , because they are not called to any particular charge ; i hope what hath been said will satisfie some at least , that although it is convenient that every minister should have relation to some one church , yet he hath also a relation to the whole , and his relation to a particular church as a lecturer is foundation fully sufficient for his ordination . chap. iv. the principall question is this : whether gifted persons may preach ordinarily without ordination . state of the question . i shall not need to take much pains about the stating of the question , that being fully done in the assemblies . book . these things only i shall say , . we speak of persons truly gifted , not every one that conceits himself to be gifted ; not of them , who , however in their own conceits they are gifted , yet indeed have need to be instructed in the principles of religion : and that is the true case of many of our gifted preachers in england : for such our brethren say they do not plead , and yet i cannot tell what to make of this , if it look not that way , when they say , though one that is really gifted , for ought we know may lawfully preach without approbation , from the church or others , yet it may be inexpedient ; so that hereby it is left to every man ( as to the lawfulnesse of it ) to judge of his gifts , and to preach , if he think himself fit . this also must be said , that the assertion of this doctrine was that which opened the gap unto all that crew , and which hath been the unhappy occasion of involving this poor church and nation in those crouds of errors and confusion which are now too rise amongst us . . we dispute not what may be done in cases of necessity , either in preaching to heathens , &c. or in preaching in order to trial , ( which is necessary to take an account of a mans sufficiency for the work. ) . we do not in this place restrain ordination to our way of ordination : whether it belongs to the presbytery or to the people to ordain , we are not concerned in this question , which is barely this : whether a solemn mission or setting apart be necessary for a mans ordinary preaching ? our brethren deny . we affirm . but for the full understanding of the question , i refer the reader to our ius divinum ; wherein , because out brethren acquarrell some things , i shall take notice of what deserves animadversion . the main thing is this , they find fault with the definition given of preaching , and they say , any publishing , opening or applying gospel-truths to any persons for the uses and ends they serve to , yea though it be but to a single person , is preaching . by this rule we are all preachers , bond and free , male and female , wise and unwise , seeing this is frequently done by persons of all sorts , and in this sense , both men and women are said 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 , such preaching we dispute not against , but enjoyn it to people of all sorts . in that sense we do , as moses , wish that all the lords people were prophets : this is that which upon all occasions we press private christians to ; that they would instruct the ignorant , admonish the unruly , &c. privately . and truly this businesse conscienciously managed , would so take up the gifts and time of most christians , that they would never be charged at the last day for wrapping their talents in a napkin , though they never assumed the publick work of the ministry . it is then publick preaching that we dispute against , we will not quarrell about words : if that shall be preaching which our brethren will call so , be it so ; then in that sense we dispute not against preaching , but preaching publikely . there is another thing which they cannot digest , to wit , the distinction which we made between preaching , and the speaking of a general to his army , &c. wherein the object is a congregation , not sacred , but meerly civil , &c. to this they say , it is preaching , though the object of it be a congregation not sacred , but prophane and idolatrous , for infidels are to be preached to : and if the general of an army open and apply scriptures , not for a civil end chiefly , but for the instruction and edification of those he speaks to , and this , not in an intermixed way to qualifie civil actions , how this can be denied to be preaching , we know not . to which i reply , . in that case we must distinguish between finis operis , and finis operantis ; the end of the work in its own nature , and the end of the worker . suppose a philosophy professor is reading a philosophicall lecture of the existence of god , or the immortality of the soul , ( wherein he takes occasion to open and apply divers scriptures ) possibly he being a good man , may aim at the spiritual and eternal good of his hearers , yet none will call this preaching , because though the end of the reader was , their salvation , yet the end of the reading was quite of another nature . so if a religious general in speaking to his army , when going to fight , principally aims at the salvation of their souls , yet this is not preaching ; for though his end in speaking be their salvation , yet indeed the end of the work in it self ( and that is it by which all actions must be estimated , for the end of the actors may be various and infinite ) i say , the end of the work is to encourage them to the battel . . a company of heathens met together in the case supposed , though they are not a sacred congregation , yet the end of their meeting ( suppose to hear paul preach to them ) is sacred , i mean , the end of the work , though not the end of the workers ; and however it is with the hearers , yet the end of the actor or speaker is purely and solely the salvation of their souls ; and so it is truly , and may properly be called preaching . . but in this case , i say , a general may not publickly open and apply scriptures to his army , unlesse in a case of necessity , or in order to a civil end , i. e. their encouragement to battel . there is one thing more in the stating of the question , which they trouble themselves much about , concerning our sense in the use of that phrase of authoritative preaching , and how they tell us , that authority is sometimes taken for a right or power to do some publick work ; sometimes for the majesty ▪ fervor and gravity which is to attend the dispensation of the gospel ; sometimes for that power which an officer hath over his people ; and ( say they ) we judge that our brethren take authoritative preaching in this sense , because they oppose it to brotherly charitative preaching . but this is to seek a knot in a bulrush , for our meaning was sufficiently plain , and we did not speak of an authoritative preaching , as if we did allow any publick preaching which is not authoritative , but only put it as a character of , and convertible with publick preaching ( unlesse in cases of necessity ) and so the assembly expressed themselves clearly and fully ; we distinguish , say they , between a private , brotherly teaching , &c. and an authoritative publick-teaching . and this is all i shall say for the stating of the question , which now i come to discusse , and i shall do it 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 , in this method : . i shall propound and answer their arguments . . i shall propound and vindicate our arguments . and this method ( though somewhat preposterous ) i chuse , because i would follow the order of their book as farre as i can with any conveniency . chap. v. their first argument is this : election must go before ordination : but a person must preach , yea preach frequently and ordinarily , before election , for without this the people cannot discern his gifts , &c. ergo persons not ordained may ordinarily preach . ans. . they know their major is not beyond exception , but i let that passe , because afterwards we shall handle it more fully . . for their minor , if it be true , then preaching frequently and ordinarily in that case is necessary , i. e. for the trial of their gifts , and that we dispute not about , but whether out of a case of necessity one may preach ordinarily without ordination . but this first argument i suppose they intended only for velitation : their second argument is the achilles , which i must now come to grapple with . there are two pillars of their cause , scripture precept , and scripture example alledged ; and indeed either of these shall serve turn : but we must not take them upon their bare word , but weigh what they have said in the ballance of the sanctuary . it is scripture precept which is here discussed . their second argument then is this : such as are commanded to preach may preach : but some men not ordained are commanded to preach ; ergo. the minor they prove thus ; all that are apt to teach , are commanded to teach : this they attempt to prove from pet. . , . but by their favour let us adde v. . to it , for our brethren represent the place imagint luscâ , with an half face . the whole 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is this , v. . use hospitality one to another without grudging . v. . as every man hath received the gift , even so minister the same one to another , as good stewards of the manifold grace of god. v. . if any man speak , let him speak as the oracles of god ; if any minister , let him do it as of the ability which god giveth . where any indifferent reader will observe the words mainly insisted upon , to be like a little isthmus of land between two seas , to either of which it may be related : or like a tree standing in the confines of two counties , it being hard to determine to which county it belongs . it may look backward and relate to hospitality ; it may look forward and relate to speaking and ministring ; and the words will bear either sense , but both senses it cannot bear , that being an undoubted truth , that sensus unius loci literalis non est nisi unicus ; and to demonstrate that it must relate to this , and cannot relate to the other , will be found very difficult , if not impossible : and yet upon this doubtfull place our brethren hang the weight of their cause . i find a threefold sense given of these words : some referre it to the gift of speaking by any , &c. others , to the office of speakers . others , to the giving of alms : of these i shall speak in order , premising onely one thing , ( which is well suggested by dr collings ) i. e. that whatever the sense of the place is if it be a command to preach , yet this epistle being written to strangers , and in a scattered estate of the church ; that might be lawfull to them in that case of necessity , which otherwise is unlawfull : but i will not presse that too far . first then , their sense is this ; that whatsoever gift a man hath he is required to exercise it ; if he hath a gift to preach , and that publickly , he must preach , &c. and to prove this sense , i observe they use three arguments , which i shall propound and consider . . it is a gift indefinitely , and therefore it may extend to all gifts . p. . ans. . and suppose it do extend to all gifts , it is a truth granted by us , that whatsoever gift a man hath , he ought to exercise it , but still , as he is called to it , and in his own sphear . . nothing more usual then for an expression indefinite in words , to be definite in sense , and to be limited pro subjectâ materiâ , according to the matter in hand . it would be vanity to multiply instances in a case so known . if our brethren were discoursing with an arminian , about the extent of christs death , who should urge the word world , and mankind , and infer as they do , that the word being indefinite , it is to be taken of all mankind , they would quickly find an answer , that such indefinite expressions are to be compared with , and explained by other places , where they are restrained ; and the same answer may stop the mouth of this argument : so that to argue from the indefinitenesse of the phrase is but loose reasoning . . they say , this general expression must be interpreted and limited by that which follows , if any man speak , &c. pag. . ans. . it may every whit as well be limited and interpreted by the foregoing words , and if so , then all that our brethren say from these words fals to the ground . . if it must be limited by the following words , so it may , without any prejudice to our cause , in this manner , v. . he laies this down in the general , that every man that hath a gift must use it ; then in the th verse , he instanceth in two sorts of men that have received gifts , to wit , ministers and deacons , who must be carefull to use their gifts , and therefore in like manner all others are obliged to use the gifts that god hath given them : or if they will not allow these to be officers , it may be limited , according to their own apprehensions , that as every man in general is to use his gifts , so in particular every man that hath preaching gifts is to use them ; but how ? i. e. as far as god doth call him forth to the use of them , but no further ; and to us there appears no ordinary way now of gods calling forth men to this work , but by ordination . . they argue from the particle as ; as he hath received , i. e. according to the nature of his gift , he that hath private gifts , must use them privately ; he that hath publick gifts , i. e. gifts fit for publick use , must use them publickly , p. . ans. . the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 may well be understood causally , because he hath received it . . and if it be meant thus ( which we say is a truth ) that god expects an use of talents , proportionable to what he gives , yet every one must act in his order , and in his place and sphear , and as god cals him forth , as we shall see more fully by and by . . but what if this proportion be meant of almes-giving ? then all that they say fals to the ground . thus we have seen how our brethren sense this place , and what are the reasons that prevail with them so to do , which whether they be of that consequence as to justifie them in the holding of an opinion so offensive to thousands of sincere christians , and so introductory of all confusion , i leave to sober readers to judge . and yet their own sense doth draw after it such grosse and manifest absurdities , that they dare not abide by it absolutely , but qualifie it with an exception sufficient to invalidate all their argument . they say , by this text all gifted persons are commanded to preach , unlesse there can be shewn some scripture-prohibition to forbid their preaching . p. . to which i reply two things ; . hereby the plea is removed to another court , and the question lies here , whether elsewhere there be any prohibition ? which must be judged afterwards , by comparing our arguments and their answers . . it lies not upon us to shew a prohibition to restrain them from preaching , but upon them to shew a warrant for preaching ( seeing for instituted worship we must have a positive warrant ) which this place we see affords not , and whether any other place affords , we shall see hereafter . but we must not yet part with our brethrens argument from this place . there are three or four difficulties with which it is gravel'd . the first is that urged by dr collins , here is not only a liberty granted , but a duty enjoined , so that by this text , gifted persons not only may , but must preach , and that without election or calling , for the churches neglect of their duty , must not make him neglect his . the full vindication of this , i shall leave to that reverend author , but i cannot wholly let it go untouched : i shall form the argument thus , they who are by vertue of a divine precept to preach the gospel , are to do it necessarily , necessity is laid upon me , yea , wo is unto me if i preach not the gospel , they are to do it in season and out of season , they are to give themselves wholly to these things , they are not to leave the word of god to serve tables : but all that have preaching gifts are not under such obligations , our brethren being judges . ergo , they are not obliged to preach the gospel . the major i prove , ubi lex non distinguit , non est distinguendum . the scripture takes no notice of two sorts of preachers , whereof the one may preach seldomer or oftner as they please , and as the church desires ; and the other must preach frequently , constantly ; and even those upon whom the lest obligation lies in our brethrens opinion , are commanded . it is true no preachers are in scripture obliged to preach in such or such a place , nor to preach so often ( the determination of these and other like circumstances , is left to the rules of prudence , and general direction of the word ) yet all are obliged to be instant and diligent in the work : and as the service of the church is unspeakably to be preferred before the best merchandize , and gods glory before their own wordly interest ; so when a man hath received gifts for the service of preaching , if these commands oblige him to preach , they oblige him to throw off all the impediments of that noble work , and to give himself wholly to these things : and the rather , because of our brethrens own argument ; a man must exercise his gift as he hath received it . now if a man have ability to preach ordinarily and constantly every lords day , if he would use sufficient diligence , such a man dischargeth not his trust in preaching sparingly and occasionally only . obj. but they say , that the case of a minister and a gifted brother are alike in this , a minister sins not , if he be put out of employment , and cast into a place where his gifts are not desired , &c. and so it is with gifted men , &c. ans. will our brethren then say , that others not desiring a man to exercise his gifts , will justifie him in the not exercising of it ? can any man dispence with anothers wrapping his talent in a napkin ? what if paul had come to a place where he was not desired to preach , ( which often was his case ) was he then free from his necessity of preching ? or what if a church grow weary of hearing and preaching , so that they desire not their pastour to preach among them , will this excuse him , if he throw off preaching ? for my part i must professe , were i in that case , though i might think it more advantageous to the church to dispose of my self in some other place . yet should i by no means look at it as a dispensation from the work of preaching , though no man should desire me , ( were there but any that would hear me . ) nay more , where the apostles were not only , not desired , but forbidden to preach , yet they accounted it their duty to continue in that work . whether that hold in ordinary ministers , i shall not now dispute ; this only i shall say , ( and that is fully sufficient for our purpose ) that if a minister be put out of employment , or be in a place where he is not desired to preach , yet if he may be permitted to preach , and the affairs of the church require it , he ought to do it , or to employ himself in some other way , which may be equivalent for the churches service . i shall adde but one argument to our brethren , taken from their own words ; whatsoever duty a man may lawfully do , that he is bound to do : but one that is really gifted for preaching ( for ought we know ) may lawfully preach without approbation from a church , or from others , say they ; therefore , one that is really gifted is bound to preach , although neither the church nor others do approve it , much lesse desire it . the major is most clear , and it were a contradiction to say , that such a thing is a duty , which may in such a case be lawfully done , and yet that it is not his duty , or that he is not bound to it : the minor is their own words . and this is the first inconvenience their sense of this place runs upon . a second is this , that hereby it will follow that women may , nay must preach . a third is , that by the same rule , every one who hath a gift to be a general , magistrate , &c. may undertake those places : to these our brethren say something by way of answer ; but the reply i must leave to him who is more concerned in them : they are so fully and largely discussed by divers already , that it is needlesse to say any thing more of them , and we may have occasion to speak of them hereafter . but the fourth and principall thing is this : it is true , every one is to exercise his gift , but in his own sphear , publick persons publickly , private persons privately ; and so did aquila and priscilla , acts . and those women , phil. . . and because here the shoe pincheth , our brethren make a strong attempt against this assertion , and endeavour to batter it down by divers considerations . for the examples of aquila and priscilla , they say , . it appears not whether they were apt to preach publickly or no. p. . ans. . it appears that they were excellently gifted , in such a measure that paul cals them his co-workers , or fellow labourers ( for so much the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 imports ) in the work of the gospel , rom. . . nor is it in the least intimated that they were not gifted to speak in publick ; and therefore seeing the excellency of their gifts is mentioned , without any note of restraint or diminution , it is most ingenuous and reasonable , to conclude they were apt to speak publickly . . they instructed apollo privately , for that was most expedient . p. . ans. it is true it was most fit to do it privately , yet not so , as that it was inconvenient to advise apollo to be a diligent hearer publickly : they might have taught apollo ( with others ) publickly , without any reflection upon him : seeing therefore we reade of their doing it privately , not a word of their doing it publickly ; it is a certain truth which we assert , that they instructed privately , and but a meer supposition that they did , or might do it publickly . . as to the main objection they say many things : to take notice of all they say will be needlesse : the strength of what they have , lies in these things : . private men may do the same work with preaching , i. e. they may open and apply scriptures , exhort , rebuke , &c. p. . and because they know we grant this , and say they may do the same work , but not in the same manner , not publickly , they adde . that every church-member is obliged to teach and admonish every fellow member , as occasion requires , p . ans. if they mean that every member is bound to do this publickly ( else it is nothing to the purpose , for to do it privately we allow ) then not only gifted brethren , but all the brethren , yea and sisters to , not only may , but must turn publick preachers . . a publick gift cannot be fully improved , if it be not used publickly , but privately only , p. . ans. . if therefore any really have publick gifts , and desire to use them publickly , let them with the houshold of stephanas , addict themselves wholly to the work of the ministry , and not interlope betwixt two callings . . i would know of our brethren , whether this general rule ( upon which their argument hangs ) be true or false , to wit , that the bare having of a gift fit for publick use , is of it self a sufficient ground for that publick use of it , without any other call . if they say that it is not true in the general , but only true in this particular case , then they discover to all the world , that it is but an hypothesis of their own , meerly taken up for the defence of a prae-conceived opinion : if they say it is true in the general , then , what if a woman is gifted to teach ? or a man gifted to rule ? the argument is every whit as strong . i will return their own argument upon them thus . every man ought fully to improve the gift he hath , and if he have a publick gift , he ought to improve it publickly : but many private men have the gift of ruling , judging , leading an army , &c. and this gift cannot be fully improved , but by the publick exercise of it : therefore such private men ought publickly to exercise such gifts . there is no way to avoid this conclusion , but by saying that besides these gifts a call is required , which till a man hath , he is not obliged to exercise his gifts publickly . and the same answer ( if our brethren will be candid ) may satisfie them , that besides preaching gifts , there is a call required ( whatever that call be ) and till a man hath that call he is not to exercise his preaching gifts publickly , nor do his gifts oblige him or warrant him thereunto . . they say , publicknesse in acting is not so material a thing , it doth not make an act to be an act of office , the publickness of the act doth not make it preaching ; private men spake publickly , acts . . any private men may give almes publickly in the assembly , which is the deacons office . p. . ans. . though bare publicknesse of speaking makes it not preaching , yet that is one main ingredient of that preaching which is now in question , and ( as we judge ) a property of authoritative preaching : and so material is the difference between publick and private teaching or preaching ( call it what you will , for i hate logomachies ) that although this latter is allowed to women , and was performed by priscilla , yet publick teaching , or teaching in the church-assembly is forbidden to women upon this account , because it is an authoritative act , as is most evident from cor. . . & tim. . , . where the very reason given why they must not teach in publick , is because they must not usurp authority ; concluding beyond contradiction , that to preach publickly is an act of authority , and inconsistent with a state of subjection , and therefore not to be performed by any who are in a state of subjection , and under obedience to officers , whether men or women . yea further , whereas some of our brethren contend , that although preaching constantly in publick be unlawfull to gifted men , yet preaching occasionally may be lawfull . i offer it to their consideration , that it is not only preaching constantly , which is here forbidden to women , but also preaching occasionally , though but once in publick , seeing even such preaching is accounted an act of authority : and therefore by a parity of reason gifted men are forbidden to preach , not only constantly , but also occasionally ( further then necessity requires , &c ) . for acts . we allow private men , though not to preach , yet to speak publickly in divers cases , as at vestries , synods , &c. sometimes propounding questions , desiring to be further satisfied , &c. . for the last clause it is a meer fallacy ; for though in that case a private man give his alms publickly , yet indeed he doth not give the publick alms ( which is the deacons office ) but only his own private alms he gives in a publick way . . they say , it is usuall for a man being requested , to do the work of another mans calling ; one that is no schoolmaster may tend a school occasionally for a few daies , and yet he doth not go out of his sphear . p. . ans. the parallel no way holds , for , though for other reasons the gift of some schoolmasters places is limited , yet indeed in it self , neither the office nor work of a schoolmaster is restrained , either by divine or humane law ; any man that is fit , may manage it , and we see ordinarily persons uncalled set up schools without any authority , and yet without any blame . if they would have a fit parallel , take that of a magistrate ; what if a justice of the peace request another man to sit for him upon the bench ? may he do it ? i trow not . they say , a man may chuse it as his calling to preach , and fit himself for it , &c. ( though he do not own ordination as that which gives him a call ) now in this case , he doth not go out of his calling to preach . men who have other callings , may leave them and become teachers , heb. . . nor doth the cor. . . forbid a change of callings , but only command a man in his calling to abide with god , v. . p. . ans. i. designation of a mans self to a calling , is one thing , and a solemn inauguration into that calling is another thing : suppose a man design himself for the service of a state , &c. untill he be by authority installed into some office of state , he is but a private person ( notwithstanding all his intentions and preparations for that work ) and if he should undertake to do the acts of an officer of state , before he receive a civil ordination ( as i may call it ) he should go out of his sphear . in like manner , whosoever designes himself for the ministry , and intends that calling , yet , if he undertake to do the acts of the office before he be called to it , he goes out of his place . ii. for heb. . . i must needs declare that i am sorry to see good men take such liberty to wrest the scripture to serve their conceits : o how great is the power of prejudice ! but i answer , . do our brethren indeed believe that it was the duty ( duty i say , for paul speaks not what they may do , but what they ought to do ) of all the hebrews , men and women ( for to both he writes promiscuously ) to be publick teachers ? . say that all must endeavour to be teachers , what then ? must they needs be publick teachers ? a genere ad speciem non valet illatio affirmativa . they ought to be able to teach their families , to teach heathens , to teach babes in christ , and this will run smoothly and take in all . it is the duty of all men and women to grow in knowledge , and to be able to teach others , according as their place and opportunity inables them . obj. but he speaks of such teaching as babes in christ do not attain to , and such as is attained by long time , and such as belongs to grown christians , v. , , . whereas all believers and babes in christ are teachers in that private brotherly way , and therefore this cannot be meant of private , but of publick teaching , p. . ans. it follows not : the teaching here spoken of , though private , yet was not attained unto by the hebrews , by babes in christ , they were ( according to the apostl's description ) unable to teach their families , or to instruct an heathen privately , if he had desired information from them , for he tels us , they had need that one should teach them again , which be the first principles of the oracles of god. our brethren perplex themselves by confounding two things much differing , to wit , the duty and the ability : for babes in christ it is their duty to teach , i. e. privately , yet they may want ability to teach . . teachers are here taken for such as are apt to teach , 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 for 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 , not that the apostle injoyns it upon all the hebrews , as their duty actually to turn publick teachers ( if the whole body were the eye , where were the hearing ? ) but only to be fit to teach , id est , in the sense explained : as gal. . . he was 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 , id est , word for word , condemned , blamed , that is , he was to be blamed . so tully , quis te damnatior ? that is , who is more to be blamed than thou . iii. for cor. . . although i conceive not that every man is so obliged to continue in his calling , that he may not upon weighty reasons change it for another ; yet surely that text forbids a rash and groundlesse removing from one calling to another : as it is true , whether a man keeps his old calling or enters upon a new one , he ought to do it with god ( which is all that can be collected from the th verse ) yet v. . servants , and so others a pari , are plainly commanded not to change their callings , i. e. rashly and causelesly . . they cite a command , heb. . . but exhorting one another , i. e. in those church-assemblies , to which the opposition clearly referres it : not only officers , but all christians are to do it , p. . and whereas they know it will and may justly be replied , that by this rule all christians are commanded to exhort publickly , they endeavour to take that off by saying , only those that were able to do it are intended , as if a father bid all his children go to work , he doth not include the child in the cradle : but here is a manifest halt ; for all the grown christians were able to teach , though not all alike , ( as of the grown children some could work better , some worse , yet by their supposition all that can work quovis modo , are commanded to work . ) some had better , some had meaner gifts , but the very meanest could provoke to good works , and might say something to admonish , to counsel and comfort others , to perswade them to persevere , &c. nay to that purpose a sincere hearted man , though of very mean abilities , might speak more effectually then some able teachers : so that if this place prove any thing to our brethrens purpose , it will prove that it was the duty of every one , gifted or not gifted , to preach in the publick assembly , which is not only false , but contrary to their own opinion . but i answer further ; their assembling together is not the modification of the exhortation ( as if they were to do it in the publick assembly ) but the matter of the exhortation , they were ( every one according to his place privately or publickly ) to exhort one another , to what ? even to this , that they would not forsake the assembling of themselves together , i. e. that they would not apostatize from the christian religion , and christian worship , and christian assemblies , nor relapse to judaism , but that they would persevere to the end , that they would hold fast the profession of their faith without wavering , v. . and this concerns the first sense put upon the place , as if it obliged all gifted men to preach . in the second place the assembly take notice , that by gift , may be understood the office , he that speaketh , i. e. the publick office-preacher , let him do it , &c. and he that ministreth , i. e. the deacon : and thus also others unconcerned in this quarrell , understand the words . but against this our brethren offer divers exceptions . . they say , neither the context nor subsequent verses referre to officers , but to christians in general , therefore this doth not , p. . ans. nothing is more common in scriputre , than for general and special exhortations to be joyned together , and for the apostles to make a transition from a general to a special exhortation , and from a special to a general , as almost every interpreter of scripture observeth . . they say , 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 are far more usually taken for gifts , than for an office , p. . ans. . it sufficeth that sometimes it is taken for an office , and therefore so it may be taken here . . and if it be granted that gift is taken in their sense in this place , it availeth them not , for the verse may be a general rule , wherein every man is commanded to exercise whatsoever gifts he hath received , and to exercise them in a right manner ; and in the verse he comes to instance in two particulars ; the publick teacher , saith he , as he hath received gifts for teaching , and the gift of the office , so let him speak , &c. and so the deacon , &c. and this shall suffice to speak of the second sense . a word now of the third , which is this , that this gift is meant of estates , &c. which a man is to use for gods glory and the good of others , for so the dependance upon the foregoing words carries it ; use hospitality , &c. and then he addes a reason , because they have received it , and so may and ought to lay it out ; or ( if you will ) as a rule to guide persons in the management of it , that they should lay out according to what they receive in . to this there are but two things objected : . they are here called stewards , not of this worlds goods , but of the grace of god , and not of one grace only , to wit , charity , but of the manifold grace of god , p. . ans. the grace of god which properly signifies an attribute of god , is commonly in scripture taken for the gracious effects and actings of that grace towards men . and whereas these effects and actings of grace are of two sorts , some concerning this life , and some concerning the other life , either of these , or any effects of grace may be called the grace of god metonymically , and in respect of such temporal effects ( as well as spiritual . ) god is frequently said to be gracious , exod. . — it is his raiment — and when he crieth unto me , then i will hear , for i am gracious : so also amos . . sam. . . kings . . and indeed , although this may possibly seem strange to him that is praepossessed with the common use and acception of the word grace in the english tongue ; yet can it not seem improbable to him who knows the use of the greek word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 ( and that is the language which the holy ghost used ) which is indeed nothing else but a favour or blessing , so that , all that we are here exhorted unto , is to be good stewards of the manifold favour of god , or of the manifold blessings which come from the grace and favour of god. and thus far our brethren agree with us , that by the grace of god we are to understand the effects thereof towards us ; only here lies the difference between us , that they will needs expound it of the spiritual and internal acts of this grace ( because that seems to favour their cause most ) when , as we say , it may be understood of the external and temporal effects of that grace , for of such things he spake in the foregoing verse : and in that sense the word grace is taken in relation to men , viz. for the temporal effects of their grace or favour towards others , cor. . . who was chosen to travel with us , with this grace which is administred unto us , i. e. with this charitable contribution , as all interpreters agree . so that no man can justly stumble at that sense of the word here . and for the addition of the word , the manifold grace of god , who knows not that gods temporal favours ( of all which we are to be good stewards ) are manifold ? there is as great multiplicity and variety in temporall as in spirituall blessings . . they say , this will destroy the connexion of this verse with the rest . ans. . what more common then for exhortations of divers sorts , in pauls epistles , to be joyned together without any coherence . . this doth not dissolve the connexion , but only varies the connexion , for whereas they annex it to the following verse , this sense joynes it to the foregoing verse . and this may fully serve for the vindication of this place of scripture ; wherein , though i have not taken notice of every word said by our brethren , yet any ingenuous reader that compares theirs and mine together , will discern that i have not omitted any thing which is either considerable or plausible , and for other things i have not so much spare time as to throw it away upon them . and thus much for their second argument . chap. vi. the third argument will not call for much labour . they argue from a gospel promise , mat. . . unto every one that hath shall be given : whatsoever gifts a man hath , if he improve them , god will increase his gifts . ans. it is true , every one is to exercise his gifts , but every one suo modo , and debito ordine , as hath been frequently said , according to his capacity and place , and after a right order . what if a man be prudent and very fit to manage the deacons work , and to distribute the church-alms ? must he undertake it ( upon pretence of exercising his gifts ) before he be called to it ? no surely ; tim. . . let them first be proved , then let them use the office of a deacon . or if a man hath gifts to rule a state , must he take upon him that work , before he be called to it ? surely no : and therefore a preacher also , however gifted , yet must not publickly exercise his gifts till he have a call , some call i say or other , for i meddle not now with particulars , what that call is ; only i say , besides gifts a call is required , without which he sins not , in the not exercising of his gifts in such a way ( although exercise them he may divers waies . ) and if our brethren allow this in the office of the ruling elder and deacon , that how well soever they are gifted for those works , yet without a call , a call ( i say ) distinct from that which may be pretended by vertue of their gifts , they may not exercise those gifts , why should they not allow it in the preaching ministry ? why should not only the offices , but also the works of these inferiour offices be inclosed , and that higher and much more difficult work of the ministry lie in common ? and this shall suffice for their second argument , wherein though divers things are said , yet nothing of strength is added , which hath not been considered and enervated under the foregoing argument . their third argument is taken from gospel presidents or examples : they instance in two , . in apollo . . in the scattered saints , acts . . . in apollo , and the marrow and strength of what they say of him is this ; he preached publickly , &c. and yet was not ordained , for he knew only the baptism of john ( not the baptism of christ ) to which the institution of ordination was subsequent ; he had but an imperfect knowledge of the doctrine of christ. unto this instance divers things are said , which our brethren take notice of , and attempt to confute . . whereas some answer , that apollo was an extraordinary officer , that he is ranked with paul and peter , cor. . . that he is called a minister , cor. . . to this they answer , . let him prove it that will assert it : all that the text saith of him is , that he was eloquent and fervent , &c. which a man may be without those extraordinary gifts , p. . reply if this place doth not , yet others do imply that he was an extraordinary officer , cor. . . exc. but that was afterward , when he went to corinth ; he might be a gifted man first , and yet afterwards an officer &c. p. . ans. that apollo had extraordinary gifts is very probable from that cor. . . being ranked with persons so qualified , but when he received them , the scripture is silent : the scripture intimates that he had them at corinth , but that he received them not before , ne 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 quidem . the distance of time is not so great between his being at ephesus , that is acts . . and in achaia , that is v. . of the same chapter : and therefore it is most probable he had those extraordinary gifts when he was at ephesus . if it be objected against this , that he was ignorant in many truths , instructed by aquila and priscilla , p. . the answer may be this , that this is not inconsistent with his being a prophet : god revealed not all his mind at once to all his prophets . those prophets , cor. . were to hear and learn of others , as well as to speak themselves . the apostles had extraordinary gifts when christ lived , though not in such a plentifull and glorious manner as afterwards , and yet were ignorant of those great and glorious truths of christs death and resurrection , &c. inst. but after his departure the people of ephesus were ignorant of those gifts of the holy ghost , acts . , . ans. that might be , neither they nor apollo might know distinctly what these gifts of the holy ghost were , and yet apollo might have them ; his face might shine and he not know it : as a man may be converted and yet not know that he is converted , nay possibly he may not clearly understand what the work of conversion is . . whereas it is further said , that apollo's might have a commission from john to preach . they say , let them prove it that can , the gospel is silent as to that , p. . reply . our brethren must remember the proof lies upon them to make good that he was not ordained , not upon us to prove that he was ordained : for if we lay down this position , that meerly gifted men ought not to preach , &c. if they offer any instances to the contrary , they must make this good , that such were only gifted men , and not ordained : they are not so unacquainted with the laws of disputation , as not to know that the proof lies on the opponents part , which they manage in this place . . the gospel is silent as to the mission and ordination of divers others : we reade nothing of the ordination of titus , of epaphroditus , of the pastors of the seven asian churches , rev. , & . shall we therefore conclude they were not ordained ? . whereas it is said he preached only where there was no church : they say , let them prove that it is more unwarrantable to preach where a church is , than where no church is . reply this will easily be proved by that ingens telum necessitas : i hope there is a far greater necessity of gifted mens preaching where ministers are not , than in a church where they are . . to these i may adde , that we do not find apollo's preaching in a christian church , but disputing in a jewish assembly , a liberty which we as readily allow to gifted men , as to write in defence of the truth . . say that apollo's were not ordained ( which is all our brethren can extort or desire ) yet this gives them no help at all , for the extraordinarinesse of his gifts might well supply the defect of an ordination , and that is no president for such whose gifts are but ordinary . and thus much for their first example . the second is that locus 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 , that famous instance of the scattered saints , acts . about which i shall not ingage my self , nor detain the reader with repeating those various answers that are given to it by the provincial assembly , which might easily be vindicated from their exceptions . i shall not stand upon this ; that the persons scattered were , if not solely , yet mainly the officers of the church , who might therefore preach , &c. but that which wholly invalidates this place as to their purpose , is that which is commonly said , that this was an extraordinary case , a case of necessity . and mark the weight of our brethrens deduction from this place : because the scattered disciples in a persecuted state of the church , in a time when all church-order was broke , preached and taught jesus christ to heathens and unbelieving jews , occasionally ( it may be in private , or with paul in the market places &c. or in their synagogues disputing with them ) therefore now unordained persons may preach publickly and solemnly to a christian church settled and constituted , wherein are plenty of able and godly pastors , and where as their preaching is not necessary , so to many fearing god it is highly scandalous . this is the true state of the argument , and if our brethren be not sick of this consequence , i shall say they have good stomacks . but this must not passe so , and therefore they make an assault upon it , and there are three or four things which they say ( lest they should say nothing ) which stand in the room of answers , with which i must professe i wonder how sober ingenious and conscientious men ( such as i hope our brethren are ) can satisfie themselves . but such as they are we shall give them a fair hearing . . they say , persecution laid no necessity upon them to preach , p. . ans. yes , it laid a necessity upon them , i. e. in order to gods glory , and the salvation of souls , which could not be had without preaching , rom. . and preaching could not now be had in an ordinary way ; upon this supposition , that in those times god would have all men to be saved , and to come to the knowledge of the truth , it was necessary that they should preach , for as much as there can be no salvation without preaching , rom. . . they say , it is questionable whether necessity can make that lawfull , which is in it self unlawfull , as to forswear a mans self , p. . ans. there are two kinds of evil and unlawfulnesses , some things are simply and absolutely evil , and prohibita quia mala , forbidden because they are intrinsecally evil ; as to forswear , to blaspheam god , &c. and these no necessity can excuse : but there are other things which are in themselves indifferent , and only mala quia prohibita , are therefore only evil because they are prohibited , and because they are against positive precepts . now those things which are only evil this latter way ( and such is preaching without ordination ) they may , though not ordinarily , yet in cases of necessity do . thus in a case of necessity , david might eat the shew-bread , the rest of the sabbath might be violated , periculum mortis pellit sabbathum : and of this kind is order in a state or church , which is a duty to be observed ordinarily , and yet in case of evident necessity may be violated . and , as in a state , in such a case , every man is a constable , so in the church , in such a case , every man may be a preacher . . they say , it is an extraordinary case when ordination cannot be had in gods way , i. e. when election doth not go before it , p. . ans. . that election must necessarily and continually go before ordination , is but one of their 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 , and suppositions to be confuted hereafter . . and if ordinarily election must go before ordination , yet , as we say of preaching , when ordination cannot be had , it may be done without it ; so it is true of election when it cannot be had , ordination must be taken without it ; and when ordination cannot be had exactly in gods way , as to all the particulars , it must be had , as it may . the shew-bread was ordinarily according to gods way , to be eaten by the priests alone , but in cases of necessity it might be eaten out of gods way , it might be eaten by others . . it is not every extraordinary case that carries it , it must be a case of necessity , such as this is not ; for what if neither election nor ordination can be had by them in gods way ? there is no necessity of their preaching in a church which is constituted . and thus we see how firmly this answer stands against all their exceptions , and that all their assaults are but like the beating of a storm against the wall . so that there is one flaw in their argument which will for ever condemn it of insufficiency . but that is not all : mark how the argument is laid by our brethren ; those who were scattered abroad they preached : but many unordained men were scattered abroad ; therefore many unordained men preached , p. . ans. . you shall see what an hopefull argument this is : i will make use of their own argument against them , and i desire no other umpire . they who were scattered abroad they preached : but many ungifted persons were scattered abroad ; therefore such preached : and because this example they bring as a president for us , therefore ungifted persons may now preach publickly ; which because it is not only false , but contrary to their own sense , therefore ( that we may not be put to deny the conclusion ) we must find fault with one of the premises , and that can only be done our way , i. e. by saying that , not all that were scattered preached , but only some of them preached : only here is the difference , these some that preached , say we , were officers ; say they , they were gifted men , which yet they cannot prove , and if they could , it reacheth not our case , nor our times , for it was a case of necessity , as hath been argued . if they like not this , i will put it in another dresse : they who were scattered , preached : but women as well as men were scattered , so they say , the scattering was subsequent to pauls haling men and women , &c. and that the all that were scattered , were not all the officers , but all the church . so that by this argument here is a warrant for women-preachers , if this example be a president : nor let them fly to their usual refuge , that women are elsewhere forbidden , for although they were ordinarily prohibited , yet in cases of necessity ( such as this was ) they might do it , as that woman did who preached to the iberians , and converted them . to this i may adde , that all that can be extorted from this place is this , that they preached ; which we may grant without any prejudice to our cause , for there are divers kinds of preaching or teaching , they might do it divers waies . it might be true of all , that they preached and taught jesus , but not all alike , nor all in the same capacity ; the officers might teach publickly , the rest privately ; the officers constantly , the others occasionally ; the officers might preach officially in a christian church , the rest might discourse to a company of heathens , or dispute with them ; and all these may be called teaching or preaching . so that our brethrens argument is a genere ad speciem affirmativè , which will not hold water . for what they say , that it is indefinitely said that they that were scattered , preached . ans. they know that indefinite propositions , in materiâ contingenti , in a contingent matter ( such as this unquestionably is ) are not equivalent to an universal : supposing that officers and people were scattered , i say , that if the officers alone had preached , that had been sufficient ground to say of the whole they preached , as oftentimes that is said to be done by all israel , which was done by the officers of the congregation . and thus we have seen those two great topicks of our brethren , from scripture precept , and scripture president overthrown . and so much for the third argument . their fourth argument is that principall place and pillar of their opinion , which if i shall satisfactorily answer , there will be little ground left for our brethrens confidence in this cause . cor. . , . whence they draw this argument , all that are prophets may publickly preach : but some men who are not ordained officers , are prophets ; therefore some men who are not ordained officers , may publickly preach . which argument may be cut off in a word , for their conclusion may be granted without any detriment to our cause ; and our brethren might have known , and ought to have considered , that we grant , that persons unordained may preach , in a double case ; . in the case of necessity . . in case of extraordinary gifts , and an immediate commission from god , which we take to be the case of these prophets , of which more hereafter . in the mean time let us follow them : for their major it is granted on all hands : for their minor , it is this , that some men who are not ordained officers are prophets ; where there is a double defect and insufficiency to the proof of what they intend . for . the prophets might be officers , though not ordained ; so were the apostles , neither of man nor by man. . if the prophets were not officers at all , yet the extraordinarinesse of their gifts was a sufficient warrant for the publick exercise thereof : but neither of these are to be found in the case of those unordained preachers we plead against , but they differ 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 from them , for neither are they officers at all , ordained or not ordained , nor are their gifts extraordinary ; so that the minor might be granted , and yet the truth not wronged . but let us see how they proceed : i fear it will prove ominous to them , thus to stumble in the threshold : they argue thus , to prove their minor , all that have the gift of prophesie are prophets : but some men who are not ordained officers have the gift of prophesie ; ergo , some men , who are not ordained officers are prophets . for the major , though we grant it , yet , according to our brethrens principles , it might be denied ; for , if it were as they say , that those prophesiers here spoken of had the gift , but no office , i should deny such to be prophets , because the name of prophet , both in vulgar acception , and in scripture use , connotes an office ; caiaphas did prophesie , ioh. . — and yet i beleeve our brethren are not so hardy , as to say that caiaphas was a prophet . the minor will lead us to the main point , which is this , some men not ordained officers have the gift of prophesie ; which they attempt to prove by three steps : they say , this prophesie . is a gift , not an office. . that it is a gift still continuing . . and which some unordained persons have , p. . and if these things be proved , they say something to the purpose ; but let it be considered , if there be a flaw in any one of them , their whole argument fals , and how much more , when every one of them will be taken tardy . the last proposition they place first , and use three arguments to prove it , whereof the last is that which the other propositions treat of , the two former are these which follow . . ( say they ) some not ordained have this gift of prophesie , because we find no scripture warrant for the ordaining of prophets . ans. . what if there be no particular warrant , it is sufficient that there is a general rule for the ordaining of all church-officers , pastors , teachers , elders , &c. and ( at least , if these be ordinary officers , as our brethren make them ) a parity of reason ( which is a sufficient argument to sober minded men , such as i take our brethren to be ) will prove that they also are to be ordained . . but if they be extraordinary officers ( as the provincial assembly affirm ) preferred before the evangelists , and having this priviledge above the evangelists ( for ought we read ) to be immediatly and infallibly indued , &c. then what wonder if in this they partake with the apostles , who as they were not of men , so neither by men , and needed no ordination , nor had it , unless in relation to some special work , as acts . . . ( say they ) they must be discerned to have the gift before they be ordained , and therefore some not ordained may have the gift of prophesie . ans. this argument is built upon the former mistake , as if there were a necessity of such a prophets ordination ; whereas , i say , gods indowment of him with extraordinary gifts , is a kind of ordination , and supplies the defect of an ordination by men . but ( complying thus far with our brethren , to own these prophets to be unordained persons , and their gifts but ordinary ) i further answer , that this is wholly impertinent ( as was intimated before ) for in the case of a pastor , the question is not , whether one not ordained may have pastoral gifts , which we assert he may have , nay he must have , and must be known to have them before he be ordained ; but the question is , whether a man not ordained may commonly and ordinarily exercise those pastoral gifts , which is quite another thing : it is one thing to have gifts , another thing to exercise gifts . a man may lawfully have divers gifts , ( v. g. of ruling an army or a state , &c. ) which yet he may not lawfully exercise . but let us now come to their next proposition , which is more to the purpose , viz. that this prophecying is not an office but a gift . if this be proved , it amounts to something , but i doubt the premises will fall a mile short of the conclusion . i passe by the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 they run into , which dr. collins takes notice of , and shall rather consider how they attempt to prove it ; which they do by two arguments . . all who have the gift of prophesie are prophets : but all that have the gift are not officers . ans. if these prophets were ordinary persons , i deny the major , for then besides the gift , they must be ordained ( as in other ordinary cases : ) but if these prophets were extraordinary persons , i deny the minor , for the very having of such a gift extraordinarily inspired , is an immediate call , and makes them extraordinary officers , as it was in the prophets of the old testament . arg. . that which ought in duty , and might in faith be coveted by every member of the church of corinth , was not an office but a gift : for . god no where promised to make every one an officer there . . this was impossible , for then all the body had been the eye ; and if these were extraordinary officers , much lesse might they covet to be such : but now this prophesying they ought and might covet in faith . v. . . ans. . the major is denied : . an office might be coveted as well as a gift , tim. . . if a man ( gr. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 , if any man ) desire the office of a bishop , he desireth a good work . yea an extraordinary office might be coveted , as is evident from the desires and endeavours of the sons of the prophets in the old testament . . let our brethren shew where god promised to every member of the church of corinth these extraordinary gifts , and i will shew them where god promised to every one of them to be officers . . if extraordinary gifts might be desired , ( as our brethren say ) why not an extraordinary office ? if an extraordinary office might not be desired , this is either because this is an office , or because it is extraordinary ; not because it is an office , that hinders not but it may be coveted , as we have shewn ; nor , because it is extraordinary , for then extraordinary gifts might not be desired . that extraordinary gifts might be desired , appears from the very words cited by our brethren , cor. . . desire spiritual gifts , but rather that ye may prophesie ; whence it is most evident , that not only prophesying , but the other gifts mentioned there , i. e. of tongues , interpretation , &c. were to be desired : so that our brethrens argument is feeble to prove this to be an ordinary gift , because it was to be desired . for every member in the church of corinth to be an officer was not impossible : true , it was impossible for all to be officers there in that church , but not to be officers in other places : and this i would desire our brethren to ruminate upon , whether , supposing , that all the members of the church of corinth might in faith desire , and so obtain gifts fitting them for office ( which our brethren grant ) & supposing that the exigencies of the church required their office-relation , which might well have been in those times , and that their being in other callings ought not to hinder it ( as our brethren sufficiently intimate , pag. . ) i say , whether , supposing these things , it were either impossible or unlawfull for every member of the church of corinth to desire to be an officer , where he might be serviceable to the church : that in this case it is unlawfull or impossible , i suppose our brethren will not readily say ; and if they say it , nothing more easie then to disprove it : and if they grant it to be possible and lawfull , then all their argument fals to the ground , then every member ought in duty , and might in faith , covet , as to have gifts necessary for an office , so ( in due order and fit time ) to be officers , though not in that church , yet in some church , which is enough to our purpose . adde to this that if this prophesie be an office , this is no more then that wish of moses so much insisted upon , at least according to their sense of it , i would that all the lords people were prophets . and thus i have shewn the insufficiency of their proofs alleadged for the defence of their first and most considerable position , that the prophesying here spoken of , is a gift , not an office : this position they uphold only by two arguments , which i hope any ingenuous reader will discern to be so farre answered , that they have no great reason to be confident upon these grounds : and yet i must intreat the reader to consider , that here lies the great stresse of the cause ; for if it be not a bare gift , ( which you have seen our brethren cannot prove ) but an office , then the preaching of these prophets is no warrant nor example for the preaching of any that are not officers : now although i might acquiesce here , for as much , as , if any assert that these were barely gifted men , it lies upon them to prove it ; yet , ex abundanti , there is a reason given , whereby it doth more then probably appear , that these prophets were officers . in the mean time , let this be remembred , that if we could not prove that these preachers , cor. . were officers ( no more then they can prove that they were only gifted persons ) yet our cause stands unshaken , and all that would follow in that case would be this , that this place must be laid aside , both by our brethren , and by us , as not demonstrative to the point in hand . this being premised , i come to our argument , which is taken from cor. . eph. . where the prophets are enumerated amongst officers , and ( which is most considerable ) placed before the evangelists . i know our brethren think to blow away this with a breath . they say , nothing can be gathered from the order of the words ; seeing oft-times the worse is placed before the better , as priscilla before aquila , the woman before the man , p. . and thus far it is true , that the bare order is no sufficient argument to prove a priority in dignity ; and that the same things are sometimes in scripture placed first , sometimes last , so that in all cases the order is not to be regarded , and yet in some cases it is not to be slighted , especially when it is punctually observed , that wherever prophets in concrete are mentioned , they are placed next after the apostles , and that this is done so solemnly , and with such emphaticall words , cor. . . 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 , first apostles , secondarily prophets , &c. and as it may fairly be collected , that the apostles are the chief of these officers , because generally they are placed first , and that the pastors and teachers are the lowest of them , because generally they are placed last , so also it is considerable ( and i doubt not our brethren would make good use of it , were it for their cause , as much as it is against it ) that prophets are generally placed in the second order . for what they adde , if prophets be officers , cor. . eph. . then those places must be understood of extraordinary prophets , who did foretell of future events , as acts . yet this hinders not , but this prophesying , cor. . may be only by gift , &c. ans. . it was not the sole work of office-prophets , ( that i may accommodate my discourse to our brethrens conceptions ) to foretell future events ; for iudas and silas as prophets , did exhort , acts . . . to say that there should be two sorts of new-testament-prophets , the one by office , the other by gift , as it is but a begging of the question , so it will by wise and indifferent readers , be lookt upon but as subterfuge , and why may we not as well make two sorts of apostles , two sorts of evangelists , &c. the one by office , the other by gift ? it had been somewhat tollerable , if these in cor. . had been said to prophesie , but not called prophets ( seeing , as our brethren say , the doing of some acts occasionally , as v. g. ones teaching occasionally , doth not denominate a man a teacher ) but seeing they are also called prophets ; impartiall men will easily gather , that they are the same which are known by that name in other places . thus much for the first proposition ; which being dispatched , i now come to the second , and shall try whether that succeed better in our brethrens hands ; and that is , that prophesying is an ordinary gift , and still continuing in the church . this they undertake to prove as followes : arg. . prophesying was in use , and no gospel rule can be shewed for the repeal or ceasing of it , p. . ans. a gift may cease in the church two waies . . either by a positive act of god in his word forbidding it : or . by a privative act of god in his providence withdrawing it . who knows not that the gift of tongues , praediction , and infallible explication of the scripture is ceased ? and yet it would be a most vain argument to dispute against the cessation of it thus , because there is no gospel-rule for the repeal of them . arg. . this prophesying is ordinary , ergo still continuing . ans. the proposition is altogether needlesse , for if it be ordinary that is sufficient , and indeed that is the antithesis of the assertion of the provinciall assemby ( that this prophesying is extraordinary ) and therefore let us hear what they have to say , or what they alledge to prove it ordinary . for the self-contradiction they say god hath left us to , p. . i shall only say this , wise men before they had made such a bold charge ( especially making use of the dreadfull name of the lord ) would have understood the grounds of it , which indeed are none at all : for the authours of the ius divinum regiminis ecclesiastici , were only three or four reverend city ministers , whereof one or two are since gone out of the city ; and , not one of them was a member of the provincial assembly when the ius divinum ministerii came forth : and being different persons , though agreeing in the main of this controversie ; it is no disparagement to any of them to differ in some circumstance : however all of them do agree in that which our brethren here oppose , i. e. that the gift was extraordinary . besides , i suppose , our brethren would be hard put to it to prove that there is any contradiction , for these two may very well consist together , to say that these prophets were extraordinary officers in respect of their gift , and yet the ordinary pastours of corinth in regard of their office and relation : and seeing there was a competent number of extraordinary officers residing in that church , it was most fit they should be the ordinary pastours of that church quoad exercitium muneris : and in this sense we may safely embrace both what the worthy authors of that excellent piece ius divin . regim ▪ affirm , and also what learned mr rutherford asserts , i. e. that these prophets were the ordinary pastours of that church and yet both grant , that for their gifts they were extraordinary ; and that is the thing now in question : so that in stead of a contradiction feigned , here is a real agreement found out ; all of us agreeing in the two principles which our brethren here oppose : and all asserting , . that these prophets were officers . . that they were extraordinary as to their gifts : to which their special relation to corinth , and residence there , and doing the acts of pastours is no more a prejudice , than it was to the apostles , who though they were extraordinary officers , yet some of them at some times were as pastours to some churches , &c. which occasioned that apprehension that iames was bishop of ierusalem , &c. that this prophesying was ordinary , our brethren offer some arguments to prove . arg. . the rules to regulate the work are ordinary , p. . ans. i see no rule but what may very well agree to extraordinary officers . extraordinary officers , . must act orderly . . must speak in a known language , . must speak to edification . . must be subject to the trial of other officers , yea people also , as the provincial assembly fully proves ; of which our brethren take no notice : paul commends the beraeans for examining his doctrine . arg. . the work of these prophets is ordinary , i. e. to speak to edification and exhortation , and comfort . ans. . this also was the work of apostles . . the work indeed was ordinary , but the manner of doing it was extraordinary , in as much as these did it infallibly , and by immediate revelation . arg. . but here is no mention of extraordinary work , of a gift of praediction , which is required to all extraordinary prophets , but the contrary is intimated , and this prophesying is here said to be , not a sign for them that believe not ( which praediction of events is ) but for them that believe . ans. . date non concesso , that these prophets had not the gift of prediction , that no way hinders but they might be extraordinary officers , for besides this they had another extraordinary gift , to wit , a gift of infallible teaching by immediate revelation . divers of the apostles had not this gift of praediction , that we read of , and yet i hope our brethren will give them their passe for extraordinary officers . . for my part i am prone to conceive ( and let our brethren disprove it ) that the praediction of future events was rather a priviledge indulged to some new testament prophets , than common to all prophets : the gift of miracles was a gift bestowed upon prophets , and yet some wanted it ; for iohn ( though a prophet ) yet did no miracle , ioh. . . however , the great and principal work of these new testament prophets ( and the old also ) was preaching , &c. and therefore ( although these prophets , cor. had the gift of praediction ) yet it is no wonder that the title of prophesying should be appropriated to the most common principal , and famous part of the work , which is preaching . . and how poor an evidence is this to prove , that these prophets could not foretell future events , because it is not mentioned in this chapter ? the rather because he here speaks of the prophets , not in relation to unbeleevers ( for whose-sake the gift of prediction was given ) but in relation to beleevers , and to the church , and concerning the ordering of the work of prophesying or preaching in and to the church-assembly . . we readily grant all which can be proved from this place , which is only this , that the preaching of these prophets ( for it is that act of the prophets which is here called prophesying ) is not for them that believe not , but for them that beleeve : it is not said , that these prophets were given not for a sign to them that beleeve not , &c. ( which had been more to the purpose ) but that , that act of their office there spoken of was not for a signe , &c. . if they had not that particular extraordinary gift of praediction , yet had they divers other extraordinary gifts , as that of tongues , and the interpretation of them , &c. and that was sufficient to make the persons extraordinary , though they wanted some other extraordinary gift . arg. publick prophesying extraordinary was allowed to women , luke . , . but this publick prophesying was not allowed to women , v. . let your women keep silence ; therefore this publick prophesying was ordinary p. . ans. that extraordinary prophesying was allowed to women in publick , either in the old or new testament , hath been often said and supposed ; but never yet could i see it proved ; nor can one instance be given of it , that i know of , to wit , that any woman did preach in a publick assembly ; and there lies the stresse : anna might speak to all , i. e. severally , as they came by turnes to the temple , and so might priscilla occasionally speak privately , as she had opportunity : and indeed we read that when she preached , she chose to do it privately , act. . but neither of them in a publick assembly . but that argument is so fully handled by others , that i shall not need to dilate upon it here . and thus we have seen how infirm our brethrens arguments are , which are brought to prove that this prophesying was ordinary . in the next place i should come to lay down arguments to prove that it was extraordinary : i shall not insist upon all the arguments used to prove it : some were proposed by dr. collings , and are by him vindicated in his last piece ; others i dare venture to stand upon their own legs , and refer the comparing of them and the answers here given to any indifferent reader : and besides , dr. collings hath eased me of that burden . this only i take notice of , that this prophesying was by revelation , v. . every one ( i. e. of you prophets ) hath a psalme , a doctrine , a tongue , a revelation , an interpretation . and v. . if any thing be revealed to another that sitteth by , let the first hold his peace . to which our brethren answer two things . . they say , all these enumerated were not extraordinary : a doctrine is ordinary ; the ordinary elders have a doctrine , p. . reply . it is true of ordinary officers , they had a doctrine ; it is true also of extraordinary officers , they had a doctrine , but not both in the same way ; in the one it was extraordinary , in the other ordinary , so that from the bare mention of a doctrine , it can neither be collected that that doctrine was ordinary , nor that it was extraordinary , but that must be gathered from the circumstances of the place ; and for this place , whereas the office here spoken of is extraordinary ( as we have proved ) and the word doctrine is at least ambiguous : it is more probable that this doctrine is meant of an extraordinary kind ( as the rest are which are there enumerated ) than that it is meant of an ordinary doctrine , when nothing else here spoken of s ordinary . . they say that the word revelation is somtimes taken for a revelation in an ordinary way , that is by the word , &c. ans. that is readily granted , and needed no proof , but it must be added that somtimes also it is taken in an extraordinary sense ; so that now we are to enquire which way it is to be taken here , and which way the circumstances of the text restrain that common word : now that it is meant of extraordinary revelation four things will procure belief with unbyassed readers . . that the word is of the present tense , 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 , if it be revealed , not if it have been revealed , as it should have been , for the revelation of the word was past . . the posture in which it is revealed , when he sitteth by . . the effect of such a revelation , that it gives a stop to the others discourse : . that this revelation was not common to all the church , but peculiar to these prophets , and not common to all the prophets neither , but peculiar to one , 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 , some one that sitteth by , and therefore surely it cannot be the revelation by the word , which is common to all the prophets , yea , all the church . nor is there any weight in what is further objected by our brethren , that if this revelation should command silence to a prophet speaking by immediate revelation , then the same spirit should clash with it self : for though these prophets did speak by immediate revelation , yet not so as that they did not at all exercise their ordinary gifts , or that they never spake as ordinary men : for even the prophets and apostles themselves , sometimes spake their own private opinions : and why might not these prophets after the delivery of their revelation amplifie it , and open it according to their private opinion , by the help of their excellent , though ordinary gifts ? which ( though they were much to be valued and respected ) yet well might be corrected by some immediate revelation manifested to another . but ( say they ) this requiring the first to hold his peace , doth not necessarily forbid his proceeding so far as he intended , or command a sudden silence , &c. but only commandeth so to contract a mans discourse , as there may be opportunity for others . and i confesse nothing is more easie then to dictate ; this is soon said , but if you ask our brethren for a proof , i am afraid they will stick in the mire : in the mean time , they having offered no proof for it , must needs allow me to rely as much upon my affirmation , which yet is not mine , but the apostles , as they upon their negation . it is plain from the words , that it was a thing that fell out beyond expectation , and therefore is brought in conditionally , if any thing be revealed , which condition was needlesse , if the revelation spoken of was ordinary and common . and this may be abundantly sufficient for the vindication of this place , from which i may justly expect this fruit , that ingenuous men of a contrary mind to us , may abate some of their confidence , and see cause to make a further enquiry into this point then yet they have made . and this may suffice for answer to their arguments , whereby they attempt to prove that gifted persons may preach . let us now see , whether we have not more convincing arguments to prove that they may not preach : albeit this must needs be said , that in course of disputations , it is not incumbent upon us to prove the negative , but upon them to prove the affirmative , asserenti incumbit probatio . so that i might here take take up , and having shewn the invalidity of their arguments , i might supersede further trouble : and this memorandum i shall leave upon the file , that this assertion of our brethren , that unordained persons may preach ordinarily , is neither commanded by any gospel precept , nor countenanced by any gospel example ( which hitherto hath been alleadged . ) but because our arguments , whereby we have proved our assertion , are assaulted by our brethren , it will be convenient to say something by way of vindication . chap. vii . the first argument is put into our hands by the apostle , and it is rom. . . how shall they preach except they be sent ? i. e. how can they do it lawfully ? the summe of our brethrens answer lies in this , that the mission here spoken of , is not ministeriall , whereby they are constituted in their office ; but providentiall , whereby they are sent into any place : and that this mission is indeed necessary to preaching , i. e. naturally , not morally ; as it is true , how can a man preach except he have health , strength , &c. and besides , it may be morally necessary , and yet not constitutive of a minister : for it is morally necessary to a ministers preaching , i. e. lawfully , that he have all the gospel qualifications required to a preacher , and yet though he want some of these , he may be constituted a minister . to which i reply , . to the last clause , there is an apparent fallacy , which will plainly appear by this one distinction , that a mans preaching may be unlawfull two waies ; . circumstantially , when there is a defect in the principles , or in the manner of acting , &c. . substantially , when there is a defect in the substance of the act , both as to the matter and manner of it : when a minister wants some necessary qualification , &c. he preacheth lawfully for the substance of the act , though he sins in the manner of acting ; but when one that preacheth wanteth mission , the very substantial act of preaching is unlawfull . as when a magistrate acts vaingloriously , he sins in the manner of his acting , but his act is lawfull in it self ; but when a man usurps the power of a magistrate , there he sins in the substance of the act , because he wants authority , &c. or as it is in the case of the lords supper , it is wholly unlawful for a scandalous sinner to receive it , but it is lawfull for a regenerate man ( though weak in grace ) to receive it , though he sins in the receiving of it . in a word , the act is lawfull , quoad specificationem actus , for the kind of it , and per se ; though it is sinfull , quoad exercitium actus , in the exercise of it , and per accidens . . it must be granted that the word sending is vocabulum 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 , taken variously in diyers places : sometimes it is taken for the mission of a person already authorized to any place or people , but sometimes also it is taken for the authorization of a person to a work or office , yea , so it is frequently taken as ioh. . . as my father hath sent me , so send i you , i. e. as the father authorized and sealed me to the office of a mediator , so do i authorize you to be apostles , &c. cor. . . christ sent ( i. e. commissionated me ) not to baptize , but to preach . john . . a man sent of god. thus christ often said , that he was sent , in answer to that question of his enemies , by what authority doest thou these things ? . this providential mission , and ministerial mission need not to be opposed to one another , but may well consist together : a providential sending of a minister to any place ( such as that of paul , acts . to macedonia ) doth not at all exclude , but rather presuppose a ministerial ' mission , that paul was an apostle before hand . nay indeed upon further search these will be found to be much coincident : how can they preach unless they be sent ? sent , by whom ? they say , by god : well then , we must enquire in the scripture how god sends preachers : thus much is apparent , that god sends them by some call ( distinct from the gifting of them . ) whether this call be by people , or by officers , that is another dispute , which now i shall not meddle with ; this is sufficient to our purpose , a call authorizing men to preach , is that whereby god sends men to the work of preaching : if they were extraordinary officers , then god sent them oft-times immediatly ; if ordinary , then god sent them by the ministry and mediation of men : and all those that were providentially sent by god to any place , were called either one way or the other ; and this calling or designation of them to their office and work , is that which is commonly known by the name of sending . this authorization of isaiah , is called the sending of him , isa . so it is called sending by moses , exod. . and this sending is that which is denied to the false prophets , ier. . . i have not sent them ; were this meant of a providential sending , this were not true , for so god did send them ; and therefore the meaning is , i did not authorize them . in this sense also christ bids us pray the lord , that he would send forth labourers into his harvest : how send them ? for that , let christ's example interpret christ's words , he sent forth the twelve , matth. . i. e. by giving them command and commission : so luke . . after these things the lord appointed other seventy also , and sent them — and conformable to this , was the example of the apostles , who used to send men into the ministry , by fasting and prayer , and laying on of hands ; and this way of sending is granted on all hands , our brethren cannot deny it : but for another way of sending that remains yet to be proved . hitherto we have had no example of it , as hath been seen . . let it be considered that our brethren observe that this is brought in as a justification of the calling of the gentiles , and of the sending of preachers to them by the apostles , which the jews grumbled at : upon which i ground this inference , that the cannot here , how can they preach unlesse they be sent , must be understood of a moral impossibility , and not of a natural impossibility , as our brethren would have it : for if it be taken of a natural impossibility , it is false , for though the apostles had not sent them , they might have gone of their own accord , or some other way : but if you take it for a moral impossibility , it runs smoothly ; whereas you jews grumble at us for sending preachers to the gentiles , we do no more then what is necessary ; for seeing god hath promised that the gentiles shall be saved by calling upon the lord , and they cannot call on god without beleeving , nor beleeve without hearing , nor hear without preaching , nor preach without sending , i. e. not preach lawfully , unlesse they be sent , either by an immediate call , or else by us or others , who are authorized by god for that work , and therefore we are not to be blamed for sending of them . exc. but ( say they ) all the other interrogations are to be understood of a natural impossibility ; it is naturally impossible for one to call upon him on whom he beleeves not , or to beleeve on him of whom he hears not , &c. and that this only is meant of a moral impossibility , will be hard to conclude . but the answer is easie , that it is a very frequent thing in scripture , for the same word to be used in divers senses ; as , let the dead ( i. e. spiritually ) bury the dead ( i. e. corporally . ) and ( to keep to the very phrase ) the word cannot is thus used , ier. . . can the aethiopian change his skin ? &c. there is a natural impossibility , then may ye also do good that are accustomed to do evil , there is a moral impossibility : so in that comparison of our saviour , a good tree cannot bring forth evil fruit , neither can a corrupt tree bring forth good fruit , there is a natural impossibility ; how can ye being evil , speak good things , here is a moral impossibility . . if this be only a providential mission , by which these preachers are here said to be sent , then none at all are excluded ; nay the very devils themselves , if they should preach christ ( as they did sometimes in possessed persons ) must necessarily be taken into the number of the preachers here spoken of , ( for even such would be providentially sent ) then which what can be more absurd . and i wish our brethren would duly consider that there is a necessity of granting one of these two things ; either that the devils may be the preachers here spoken of , or that the mission here spoken of is not providential . i shall adde no more upon this account , only there are some arguments which they offer to prove that this mission here spoken of is not constitutive of a minister . . they say , the apostles were officers and yet had mission afterward , mat. . . ans. . officers indeed they were while christ lived , they were constituted preachers , matth. . but they were not apostles of the gentiles untill matth. . and therefore it is not strange that when they were inaugurated to that new and solemn work , they had a new and solemn mission . . this argument is founded upon the ambiguity of the word sent , or mission , which sometimes is taken for a mans authorizing to a work , and so they had but one mission to one kind of work ; sometimes for a bare disposall of them to this or that particular place or work , and in this case they might have a hundred missions : god sent paul to macedonia , and to corinth , and to rome , &c. yet surely our brethren will not make all these to be several missions in the sense of the present dispute . . mission ( they say ) may be repealed ( so cannot a call to an office : ) mat. . & . compared . ans. that is taken off already : the apostles had in each place a distinct call to a distinct work . . they say , the seventy disciples had mission to preach , who were not officers that we find . ans. . this is a contradiction , for if they had a mission from christ , that made them officers , at least protempore ; for what is the making of one an officer , but a solemn designation of him for that work , by a person impowred to authorize him . . they might be officers , though we do not reade of it . . they say , then the instructions of none can be usefull to work faith , but of officers only ; for this hearing is necessary to beleeving . ans. that follows not , for though the only ordinary means of begetting faith , is the hearing of a gospel-minister , yet god is not bound up , he may and doth oft times use private instructions of private men to that end : and as it follows not , that it is simply impossible for a man to beleeve that heareth no preacher , because the apostle saith , how shall they hear without a preacher ? ( seeing god may work faith by immediate inspiration ) so it follows not that it is simply impossible for any man to be converted by hearing of one who is not ordained , &c. because the apostle saith , how shall they preach unlesse they be sent ? but this only follows from both , that the hearing of a preacher sent , is the only ordinary means of working faith and salvation . but we must not part thus , our brethren adde that this text is not cogent , because though it did prove a necessity of a mission , yet it doth not prove a necessity of ordination ( which was the thing to be proved ) seeing this mission is not ordination . ans. i shall not contend about words , nor is it pertinent to enter into a particular dispute about ordination . this is sufficient for our purpose , this mission is not the bare gifting of them , but it is an authorizing of them to the work , or the giving of them commission to preach : now there are but two scripture waies of giving men commission to preach that we know of , the one extraordinary , from god immediatly ( which our brethren have too much modesty to pretend ) the other ordinary , by men setting them apart to that work ( whether the officers set them apart in the name of christ , or in the name of the church , all is one as to this question ) it sufficeth us that some solemn designation or setting apart is necessary , and that gifted men may not preach meerly because they are gifted , unlesse they have some further call or mission ; which although our brethren here seem to grant , ( in saying that the bare gifting of men is not the sending of them ) yet indeed they are obliged to deny by vertue of their interpretation of that text , pet. . . where the meer having of that gift is propounded as a sufficient ground to put a man upon the use of it . but however let us hear what they have to prove that this mission is not ordination . . they say , we cannot find it . ans. if you cannot finde it in expresse terms , yet others have found it in clear consequences . . then deacons are sent , for they were ordained , acts . . ans. very true , deacons were sent and had mission : what advantage can our brethren pick out thence ? . mission may be repeated . ans. that was answered before . . a parochial presbytery , if sufficient , &c. may ordain one for that church , but they cannot send one to themselves . ans. . that presbytery doth not send an officer in such a case to themselves , but to the church , and so there is a sufficient distinction between the person sending , and the person sent . . a locall distinction is not necessary between the person sent , and the persons to whom a man is sent . isaiah was sent to the whole house of israel ; now put case isaiah be in the temple when he is sent , and with him divers jews , i say , he is in scripture phrase sent as well to those that are locally present , as to those that were absent . . they adde , that mission is propounded at the end of ordination , mark . . and he ordained twelve , that — he might send them forth to preach . ans. . the strength of this argument lies in the ambiguity of the word sent , which , as we readily grant , sometimes it signifies a locall mission to a place , so again , at other times it signifies a constitutive mission to an office. . though the words in the english make some shew for them , yet indeed if one look into the greek , it is but a meer shew , for it is not 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 , but 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 , acquisivit , comparavit , he got , procured , took twelve into his family , bred them up under his roof , that he might fit them for , and so send them into the work of the ministry ; so that indeed the word whereby their ordination is signified , is plainly that of sending ; and the other , however it came to be rendred by our translators , he ordained ( who neither meant it in such a sense as our brethren do , nor ever dreamed that it would be so made use of ) yet indeed signifies nothing but barely the taking of them into his family , his constituting of them members of his family , and not his ordaining of them to be officers in his church . and thus i have dispatched all that hath any moment , which is alleadged by our brethren , as to this place . there are divers other things they adde , which being lesse material , i may trust the judgement of any common reader with them ; as when they say , it is not a church , nor a presbytery , but christ who sends ministers : which if they understand thus , that christ only doth it 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 soveraignly , authoritatively , they have not us for their adversaries ; but if they so mean it ( as they must , or else it is nothing to the purpose ) that men cannot send 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 ministerially , it is too gross to be beleeved by any man that reads the new testament , and therein finds so many rules and examples of gods sending by the ministry of men , as acts . acts , &c. so when they say , that the mission of ministers is not by a presbytery , but by the word ; and that christs command to go and preach , is a mediate calling to all lawfull preachers , though no presbyters should urge it upon them ; and that a presbytery only sends in a doctrinal way , as a private christian also may do , by saying , go and teach . where we have almost as many absurdities as words . . two things are opposed that ought to be conjoyned , to wit , the agent and the rule , the presbytery sends , but this they must do according to the word . . all manner of calling , either by a presbytery , or by a church , is made wholly superfluous ; for they here plainly assert , that christ's saying , go preach , is a calling and a mediate calling to all lawfull preachers , and that gifted men are lawfull preachers , is their great businesse to prove ; and if they say a call is further necessary , here is a call reaching to all gifted men : i am much mistaken if many of their own brethren of the congregational way , will not reject and abhor such loose assertions as these . . they allow as much to a private christian , as to a presbytery , both of them send in a doctrinal way . but the very mention of these paradoxes is an ample confutation . and thus much for the first argument . chap. viii . the second is taken from heb. , . no man taketh this honour , &c. but he that is called of god — to this they answer two things . . if this prove a call , yet it proves not a call by imposition of hands , which is that they contend for . ans. we are not now medling with that particular kind of call , nor is this place alledged to prove it , but only to prove this in the general , that notwithstanding the highest gifts and qualifications fitting them for any office , they must also have a call and designation to that office , and that remains unshaken by all that they have said . . they say , he speaks not of gospel ministers , but of priests , and of the high priests only , which are an higher order than ministers , and prefigured christ , and it follows not , because a call was necessary to the highest order of officers , therefore it must be necessary to an inferiour order . reply . let me take the boldnesse to question whether the gospel ministers are an inferiour order to the high priest or no ? if it be affirmed upon this ground , because they are types of christ , then upon that account the inferiour priests were of an higher order . ( that i say not , the goats , and sheep , and buls , &c. which also were types of christ. ) if this be the reason , because they expiated sin , they did it only ministerially and declaratively , and by typifying and applying the true expiatory sacrifice ; and that also is the office of a gospel-minister , ioh. . . whose soever sins ye remit , they are remitted . — however it is , sure i am the lord jesus doubts not to preferre iohn the baptist before all the old testament officers , and that in regard of his work , and to preferre the meanest new testament minister before him . . if the work of the high priest was higher , and that must be weighed on the one hand , then let it be weighed on the other hand , that the gifts of christ were more glorious . and this assertion i may venture to lay down , that jesus christ had more warrant to undertake the highest office in the church without a call , than one who is but 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a meer man hath to take the meanest office without a call . the third and fourth arguments i shall omit , because there is nothing that i find in our brethrens answer , which will need a reply . the fifth argument is taken from those rules laid down about the calling of men into the ministry , and about the tryall of their qualifications , and one main reason of it was this , that false doctrine might be prevented , tim. . , . t it . , , . to this they answer , . this concludes for the ordaining of officers only , not against the preaching of gifted brethren , who lay no claim to the office. reply . the best clew for the guiding of us in the interpretation of every law is the reason of the law : now if one great reason why the apostle was so carefull to try and approve of officers , &c. was this , to prevent false doctrine ; then upon the same account , he was obliged to be as careful to try all preachers , for else he had made a hedge about the sheep , and yet left one gap open , which indeed was enough to frustrate the design of the hedge : what if none be allowed to be shepheards by office , but such as are called , will it not be of as bad consequence , if the wolves be allowed to take upon them the exercise of the shepheards work ? we see by experience , some gifted men preaching occasionally and disseminating their pernicious opinions , have done more to poison the people , than an able minister by his instant and diligent labours could do to preserve and nourish them . what is the ground of the apostles strictnesse in admitting men into the ministry ( lay hands suddenly on no man ) but this , the difficulty and importance of the work ? and what work is more difficult and important than that of preaching , to do it as becomes the gospel ? paul prefers it before the rest , cor. . and in regard of this work , it is that he cries out , who is sufficient for these things ? cor. . . so that it were a strange incongruity and self-contradiction for the apostle to use so much care in the constitution of office-preachers , and yet to be wholly carelesse as to another sort of preachers , who may preach frequently ( yea as often as the other , according to our brethrens principles ) without coming under such a harsh and ungratefull examination and ordination . . they say , there ought to be care to chuse officers that are sound in the faith , but this the people must look to in election . ans. but this relieves them not , for what care shall be taken as to their gift-preachers , who may preach without the churches election , nay are under a command to preach , as they are pleased to expound pet. . a command of god i say , which no man can dispense with : i know our brethren say , that to a mans exercise of his gifts in this or that place , there is required a call from the people or the magistrate , p. . but this will not help them ; for i demand , whether in case the apostles had neither been called by people nor magistrate , whether that had been a sufficient discharge to them from the execution of their office ? i trow not : nay they preached when they were forbidden ; and why ? but for the reason now mentioned , to wit , that they were under a command of god , which no mortal man could dispense with : and therefore if gifted men are under a like command , pressed with the highest penalties , to preach ( as our brethren say ) they may and must preach , though they have no call , neither from people nor magistrate . the sixth argument i am sure will stand upon its own legs , taken from that confusion which will necessarily come into the church by this means , which indeed the sad experience of our church in these daies doth so unquestionably demonstrate , that i shall need to confute him that denies it , only as the philosopher did confute him that said there was no motion by walking before him ; so i shall only point him unto reall arguments , and desire him to make use of his own eyes , reason and observation , and he will quickly be of the same opinion . but these arguments were not directly levied against our brethren , ( whom we acknowledge to be more sober ) but against such as pleaded for a promiscuous assumption of the office. the next position laid down by the provincial assembly indeed doth more nearly concern them , which is this , that none may do the work of the ministry without ordination . chap. ix . and to this purpose they urge eight arguments , which to me still seem very considerable , and my perswasion is , that if any judicious man of another minde , could but redeem himself from the prevailing power of prejudice , and duly ponder our arguments and their answers , he will find that all the assaults they make against them are vain and ineffectual : but it shall not be taken upon my word . i will . propound our arguments . . take notice of their answers ; wherein i promise them not disingenuosly to conceal or neglect any thing wherein their strength lies . . i shall adde something ( where it is needfull ) for the vindication of those arguments . arg. . that work , for the doing of which , god hath designed special officers of his own , neither ought , nor may be done by any others ; but god hath designed special officers for this work of preaching . the minor is granted ; but all the doubt lies about the major , and that is the proposition which our brethren deny , and they give three instances to the contrary ; prayer is the special work of ministers , acts . . we will give our selves to prayer : and so is exhorting and reproving , &c. t it . , &c. distribution of worldly goods is the deacons work , and yet others may pray , exhort and rebuke , give almes , &c. reply . for prayer , it is true , it is the duty of all men , and of ministers more than others , but that it was a work for which the office of the ministry was appointed , neither doth this text assert , nor did ever any man dream , and so that is wholly impertinent to the case in hand : one may as well say , that the office of the ministry was designed for the work of hospitality , because they especially must be given to hospitality , tim. . . as to say , that it was designed for the work of prayer , because they especially must give themselves to prayer . . for the deacons work , that is not barely the distribution of worldly goods , but the distribution of the churches goods ( which our brethren here do either subtilly or unwarily , which i rather think , confound ) and this latter none but the deacon may do , so that this may be retorted upon them , that as the appointment of the deacon for that work of distributing the churches almes , is a sufficient reason to prove that no private man ought to do it , so also is the appointment of a minister , for the work of preaching , a sufficient intimation that other persons may not undertake that work . . for that work of reproving and exhorting , they may do it , but privatly , not publickly . against this our brethren object two things . . if an officer rebuketh a member in private , this he doth as an officer , so that the publicknesse of an act is not necessary to make it an act of office. reply . this depends upon a meer mistake . it is one thing to say the publicknesse of the act of exhorting , &c. makes it an act of office , or that a publick act is an act of office , that we affirm . it is another thing to say that no act but a publick act is an act of office ( as our brethren mistake it ) this we affirm not , nor is it for our purpose to assert it ; nay , we assert that an officers private rebuke is an act of office. . they say , if it be the different way and manner of acting , that maketh an act to be an act of office , then their argument concerns not the work it self , but the manner of working , and so all which it proves is this , that none ought to do the officers work in the same manner as he doth it , i. e. not officially , and this we readily grant . reply . our argument concerns the work , but then it must be the work in question , and that our brethren well know was not exhorting in general , but publick exhorting : but of this more hereafter . it must now be remembred , that the provincial assembly confirmed the major by three arguments . the first was this , because god hath severely punished such as have done those works , for which he hath appointed special officers , as saul , uzzah . to this our brethren answer two things . . that these were cases of necessity , and so if they prove any thing , they prove that gifted men may not preach , no , not in a case of necessity , which is allowed by your selves . reply . the case is not parallel , nor is the necessity alike , of preaching and sacrificing ; preaching ( as our brethren will grant ) is absolutely necessary to salvation , so is not sacrificing ; nor was sacrificing necessary in that case for israels deliverance ( if god had denied an opportunity of sacrificing ) i conceive the paralell will lie right between their sacrifices and our sacraments , neither of which are necessary to salvation , necessitate medii . and hereby the argument will receive further light and strength , i. e. because god hath appointed peculiar officers for the administration of our sacraments ( as well as their sacrifices ) therefore they ought not to be administred by persons out of office , no , not in any case of a pretended necessity ( forasmuch as there is no absolute and real necessity of either sacrifices or sacraments to salvation . ) and thus far our brethren must consent with us , unlesse they will turn grosse separatists , and allow a liberty also for gifted men to administer the sacraments , which i am confident they will not . . they say the case is not alike ; for there was an express prohibition of these acts to any , except officers , num. . . & . . numb . . . & numb . . , . the preaching of gifted men is not thus forbidden : and besides not only the manner but the matter of these workes were forbidden to others . reply . a thing may be prohibited two waies , either in expresse terms , or by solid consequence : i suppose our brethren are far from that dotage which divers anabaptists and socinians run into , that we are not to be satisfied with scripture consequences , but to look for express scripture , as if men must not beleeve what god saith , unlesse he speak it in their way : there are many things confessedly unlawful , which are not prohibited in express terms , but only by some general rules and scripture consequences : what if i should keep to the instance of uzzah ? who was punished not principally , at least not solely , because he did touch the ark with his hands , but because he did not bear it upon his shoulders ; which the levites were to do : now ( i say ) as in this case , gods command that the ark should be carried upon the levites shoulders , was a command that it should be carried so only , and it was a prohibition to the levites or any other , to carry it any other way ; so in our case , gods appointment of officers to preach , is a prohibition to others to invade that work . again , let me make this supposition ( which no ingenuous man can disallow of , ) suppose that paul had not expresly prohibited women to preach , i desire our brethren to answer me , whether , in that case , it had been lawfull for gifted women to preach publickly or no : if they say yea , then i argue thus against them , that paul doth not establish a new law , but revives and interprets an old law , cor. . . let your women keep silence — for it is not permitted unto them to speak , but they are commanded to be under obedience , as saith the law. so that it was forbidden by the law before that time , and had been unlawful , though paul had never prohibited it . if they say , no , then i argue thus , that an expresse prohibition is not necessary , for such there had not been in the case supposed , nor had women been prohibited any other way but thus , preaching was committed unto certain men in authority , commissionated for that work : ergo , it was prohibited to persons under authority , and because all women are under authority , therefore are they universally excluded from this work : i add further , that it is a granted case in the businesse of the sacraments , the administration whereof is prohibited to all un-officed persons ( our brethren themselves being judges ) and how prohibited ? there is no more an expresse prohibition to restrain men from administring the sacraments , then from preaching , but only it is therefore judged prohibited , because god had appointed officers for the doing of that work , and therefore implicitly prohibited the doing of it by others ; and surely the prohibition doth equally concern both preaching and administring the sacraments by others , forasmuch as both the manner of prohibition is the same in both , and the reason of the prohibition , to wit , because officers were appointed by god for those works : and thus i have vindicated the first proof of the major , wherein i have been the larger , because it is a principal point , and because what our brethren excepted had some colour of reason , although i am not without hope , that our brethren themselves by this time may see , that it was a colour only , and no substance . . the major was proved thus , that otherwise the officers god hath appointed are made void , or at least unnecessary and insufficient . to this they say , this will prove as strongly that officers are unnecessary , at least to the work of private exhortation , seeing private christians may do it . reply . it is very true , and naturally follows , that because private christians may reprove privatly , therefore there needed no peculiar officers to be set apart for that work of private reproving , and if that were the whole work of a minister , there would need no officers for the work of the ministry : but because there is another , and an higher work of the ministry , which private christians may not do , i. e. the work of publick preaching , therefore it is that there are officers appointed for it . . hereby the order instituted by god in the church is confounded . to this they say , it is not . as a fathers teaching of his children doth not destroy the order of schoolmasters , nor take away the distinction between master and schollar , &c. reply . it is true that a father teaching privately , doth not destroy the relation of a schoolmaster and schollar , but if fathers did , and might promiscuously teach in a publick way , this would destroy , or at least much prejudice that comely order . in like manner , that a father or any christian teach others privatly , is no way prejudicial to publick teaching , but eminently subservient to it , and we heartily wish it were more conscientiously and diligently practised ; but if publick teaching were promiscuously allowed to all gifted men ( whether masters or schollars ) surely this would be repugnant to the order instituted by christ , that one member of christs body should usurp the acts of another . and thus much shall suffice for the vindication of the first argument used by the provincial assembly . the second argument was this , no religious service may be performed by any persons not appointed , nor warranted thereunto : but persons gifted are not appointed nor warranted thereunto . our brethren deny the minor , they say , gifted persons are appointed to preach . against this , was argued as followeth , if they are appointed to preach , then every gifted man that preacheth not is guilty of a sin of omission . to this they answer , he is not guilty , if he want an opportunity , a call from others to exercise his gifts . reply . i would gladly know whether the apostles had been excused if they had refused to preach at all , for want of a call from men to preach ; what if both magistrates and people had not desired them to preach , whether did this give them a supersedeas or no ? if they say it did , i suppose many are not of their mind , i am sure for one , that was peter , when he was not only not call'd to preach , but forbidden to preach , yet he accounted it his duty to preach , act. . . we ought to obey god rather than men . if they say it did not discharge them from preaching , then i demand why it did not ; surely all the account which can fairly be given of it must be this , they were by god appointed and obliged to preach , and therefore no men can dis-oblige them : and upon the same ground ; if gifted men were appointed by god for that work , the negligence of men not desiring them , ( provided they would permit or hear them ) would not dis-ob●ige them : add to this , that whatever gifts a man hath , he is bound to exercise them wherever he can ( where he is not restrained , and put under some kind of impossibility of doing it ) whether he be desired or no : a christian having received a gift of private instruction , he is obliged to instruct persons not only when they desire him , but when they do not , whenever he can have conveniency and opportunity so to do : and in like manner ( if our brethren say true , that all gifted men as such , are appointed by god to preach ) if a man have a gift of publick instruction , he is obliged to use it whenever he can be permitted so to do , and not only when others call him to the exercise of his gift . and this is the more forcible against them , because they reduce those preaching gifts unto the talents spoken of mat. . which talents whoever useth not , is under a most dreadfull curse and commination : now , as it is in other talents , if a man have received riches , honour , parts , interest , &c. he must use and exercise them for gods glory , whether he be desired or no ; so in like manner according to their hypothesis , his preaching talent must be laid out , whether the people desire it or no. our third argument was this , no man may do the office of a magistrate or deacon , who is not called to it : ergo none may do the office of a minister , who is not called thereunto . to this argument they answer divers things . . if this argument hold , then , as no man that is no magistrate , may do one act of the magistrates , so no man that is not ordained , may do one act of the minister , he may not preach once , though as a probationer , which is against our brethrens own principles . ans. there is a double flaw in this discourse ; for , . there is not par ratio ; there is not equal necessity of mens trials in order to both works : it is necessary a minister should do the work of a minister , viz. preach in order to his trial and ordination to that work . but it is not necessary a man should do the work of a magistrate in order to his trial , for his abilities may be fully known other waies . . in cases of necessity private men may do the work of the magistrate : it is proper to the magistrate to take away a mans life , and yet in a case of necessity , as if a private man be assaulted by a rogue upon the high-way , it is lawfull for him , if he can , to take away his life . . they answer , care may be taken otherwaies , there may be approbation without ordination . reply . it is true , men may devise twenty waies of their own , as indeed there is a marvellous pronenesse in men to set up their own devises in gods worship ; and whenever they are convinced of the necessity of using any means in order to an end , rather to contrive means and waies of their own , than to use such as god hath already appointed , which , i fear , is our brethrens miscarriage here : god hath appointed an ordination , and an examination and approbation in order to ordination , and of ordination the scripture speaks more clearly and frequently , than of any other approbation ; nor do i remember that ever it speaks of the approbation of any preachers , but in order to ordination ; our brethren have forsaken this institution of god , and introduced a new device , of approbation without ordination . and because the occasion here leads me to it , i cannot but take notice of one thing , whereas i am informed some persons , through carelesnesse or oscitancy , or wilfulnesse , or ignorance , have taken up this conceit , that an approbation from the commissioners appointed for the tryall of publick preachers , is a kind of ordination , and may serve in stead of it : i would have them here to take notice , that this is not only false in it self , but against the very words of that act whereby they are constituted , wherein an expresse protestation is made ( as elsewhere hath been observed ) that they themselves do not intend that this shall be taken as an ecclesiasticall call , but only a civil dispensation of the magistrates right to particular places . and whereas it was urged , that the work of the ministry being a work of greater consequence and difficulty , than the work of the magistrate or the deacon , it requires greater care . they answer , men may perform some works of greater consequence , who yet may not perform works of lesse consequence . to beleeve is an act of higher consequence , than to do the work of a deacon , yet every christian may beleeve . reply . this is a meer fallacy , for though beleeving is a work of greater difficulty and consequence in relation to a mans self , yet not in relation to the church and other men , and that is it we are treating of ; so that the work of beleeving is altogether impertinent in this place , for we are speaking of such works as relate to others , and wherein there is a care required in relation to others , but beleeving is a work confined to a mans self . our fourth argument was this , none may administer the sacraments who is uncalled ; therefore none may preach who is uncalled , for these two are joyned together in that commission , mat. . , . and preaching is the greater work , cor. . . our brethren make many exceptions against this argument . . they say it makes against us , for you ( say they ) separate between preaching and baptizing , you allow men to preach probation-wise , not to administer the sacraments probation-wise . reply . the reason of the difference is apparent , preaching probation-wise is simply necessary in order to their approbation and ordination , for the trial of their gifts , and so this preaching is in a case of necessity , and therefore allowable ; but there is no necessity at all of trying their gifts by administring the sacraments , seeing there are none of their gifts exercised there , but such as are fully discovered by their trial in preaching , &c. . they say , matth. . is no commission authorizing them either to preach or baptize , ( that commission they had afore , mark . & joh. . ) and therefore could not now be constituted afresh . reply . . give me leave however to propound it as my private opinion , though i shall not be positive in it , and i know there are some difficulties in the way , that the apostles were indeed officers before , but not officers of the same kind , and therefore might well require another commission : if a man be a captain in an army , he is an officer ; but if he be made a collonel , he must have a new commission : if a man be a deacon in a church , he is an officer ; but if he be made a minister , he needs a new commission : if a man had been made a pastour and teacher in the apostles daies , this man had been an officer ; but , if he had afterwards been made an apostle , he had needed a new commission : and this i take to be well-nigh a parallel to our case : for the apostles it is true , were officers before this , but i humbly conceive they were not apostles before this ; which i think will be probable by these three considerations . . that an apostle strictly so called , was a new testament officer , and therefore such an office was not in being before the new testament began : but the new testament did not begin till the death of christ ( as all intelligent divines grant ) for that was it which rent the vail , and abolished the jewish pedagogy . . they were not apostles properly and formally , untill they had apostollicall gifts : but these gifts they had not before the death of christ. . they wanted universality of jurisdiction ( which was the constant character of an apostle ) nay indeed , so far were they from having a jurisdiction over all nations before that time , that they had not jurisdiction over all the jews , nor ( to speak strictly ) over any of the jews , for as much as they were , till christ death , subject to the jurisdiction of the jewish priests , that being not taken away but by the death of christ : and surely it is something strange to fancy them to be apostles without any jurisdictions . i conclude therefore , they were rather prophets , or extraordinary teachers , than apostles , ( and so mr firmin affirms of paul before act. . mat. . ) and had not their commission as apostles , till matth. . , . . put case that mat. . is not a formal commission , yet it must needs be granted , that it is a renewing and confirming , and enlarging of their former commission , and therein their work is afresh proposed to them , and enjoyned upon them , and that is sufficient for our purpose ; for this work is double , preaching and administring the sacraments , which being equally imposed upon them , must by like reason be equally restrained to them , unlesse better grounds can be shewn to the contrary , than have yet been given . . they say , it is denied by some that preaching is a greater work than baptizing . the sealing of a deed is a greater work than the writing of it ; every clerk may write it , but only the conveyancer can seal it . ans. the question is not , whether preaching or baptizing be greater in regard of the dignity of the work ? but in regard of the difficulty of it : as in the instance proposed ; the sealing of the deed is a work of greater dignity , but the writing of the deed is a work of more difficulty , and therefore belongs to him who is appointed for such works , and who hath more skill in the management of such works : so in this case , preaching which answers to the writing of the deed , being a work of far greater difficulty , than the applying of the seal , it was requisite that greater or at least equal care should be taken in it , and that it should be managed by none but such as are both fitted for , and appointed to the work . the fifth argument was this , to usurp authority is a sin ; but preaching is an act of authority , and therefore for persons not in office to preach , is to usurp authority , and so to sin , thes. . . heb. . the losse is blessed of the greater : women must not preach , because they must not usurp authority , tim. . in preaching the key of the kingdom of heaven is used , which is an authoritative act . against this our brethren offer divers exceptions , some whereof are impertinent , and some frivolous : all that hath any appearance of probability , i shall take notice of . . they say , preaching is no act of authority , for if a man preach to heathens , where no church is ; how can he usurp authority over the church ? reply . true , he cannot usurp authority over the church , but authority he useth towards them to whom he preacheth , when paul preached to heathens , it was an authoritative act , no lesse than when he preached to the church : he preached as an ambassadour to one as well as to the other : and seeing that paul or any other minister preaching to heathens , or such as are yet unreconciled , preacheth as in christs stead , it can be no other than an act of authority . . they say , there may be other waies to give authority to men to preach , besides ordination . reply . our brethren should do well to remember that golden saying of ignatius , 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 , to bring in nothing without scripture evidence : ordination , we know , and there are clear scriptures warranting that , and much more clear and undoubted for that , than for election ( as hath been often observed ) but for a scripture warrant for another way of authorizing men to the work of the ministry without ordination , we know none , and if our brethren know any , they should do well to inform us . . for heb . they say , indeed he that blesseth by an original , inherent power , as christ doth , he is greater than he that is blessed , and of such a blessing the text speaketh ; but he that blesseth ministerially , and instrumentally is not alwaies greater than he that is blessed . reply . this is very grosse , and contrary to the text , which evidently speaks of melchizedek , who blessed only ministerially ( and not by any original power ) and yet that kind of blessing the apostle alledgeth as an evidence of his superiority over abraham as the party blessed , and if this were not spoken of melchizedek , it were wholly impertinent to the present cause , which was to prove that melchizedek was greater than abraham . . they say , there is a plain difference between teaching and usurping authority over the man , so the text runs : but i suffer not a woman to teach , nor to usurp authority over the man , but to be in silence , tim. . . reply . this should not have been said by such as pretend to know any thing which belongs to the interpretation of scripture , wherein it is so familiar a thing , to use a conjunction disjunctive , or a word disjoyning one thing from another , when indeed the one explains the other : shall any , who reads rev. . . for without are dogs , and sorcerers , and whoremongers , thence infer that these sorcerers , &c. are not the dogs there intended , because they are distinguished from them ? this would be plainly childish . and ( to give an instance in the very same kind of conjunction ) gal. . . speaking of the gospel , he saith , for i neither received it of man , neither was i taught it , but by the revelation of iesus christ ; where the latter is not distinct from , but expositive of the former , for how could he receive it from man , any other way then by being taught it ? . for their phrase in this place , the apostle hath so hem'd it in on both sides with an exegesis , that no rational man can doubt of it : on the one side of it teaching is forbidden ; on the other side silence is enjoyned : and nothing can be more evident , then that he speaks of that usurpation of authority which consisted in teaching , and is opposed to silence . and for what they adde , that the apostle speaks of her usurping authority over the man , i. e. her husband , not over the church . answer , this is indeed to seek a knot in a bulrush : for , the man here is not to be understood singularly , for her husband ( there is nothing in the text which either commands or warrants such a sense ) but indefinitely , for any man : for the apostle is comparing sex with sex in the general , not husband and wife in particular : and if this text concerns such women also as have no husbands ( which i beleeve our brethren will not deny ) then the apostle speaks of usurping authority over the male kind in the church , not over an husband . to which may be added , that the authority here spoken of , is not an oeconomicall , but a politicall , an ecclesiasticall authority ; not an authority in the family , but in the church ; not an authority assumed in some family administration , but in a church affair . if it be further said ( for i shall improve their argument to the highest ) that the apostles forbidding this usurping of authority to the women , allows it to the men ; i answer , it no way follows , no more then it follows , that the french laws , when they prohibit women from usurping authority , or wielding the scepter , do allow it to all men ; or then it would follow , if a law were made , that no woman should usurp authority in a corporation , that therefore every man ought to do it , which is so far from being true , that on the contrary such an act would not only forbid women also , but all others untill they were called to it . . to shut the door to all such cavils and unhandsome wrestings of the text , a parallel place will put an end to it , cor. . . let your women keep silence — it is not permitted for them to speak , but to be in subjection , as saith the law : whence the inference is plain and undeniable , that to speak , i. e. in the church , is unlawful for those who are in a state of subjection : and because all unofficed persons are in a state of subjection as well as women , therefore by the same reason they are forbidden to preach , for my part , this is so clear , that he that shall resist such evidence , i shall despair of ever seeing him convinced by man. i shall pass over this only taking notice of two things , which concern our present controversie . . that it is not only constant preaching , but even occasionall preaching which is here forbidden them : and so , by a parity of reason , gifted men unless in case of necessity , and with order to trial for ordination , which also is necessary , as hath been argued , may not so much as preach once and their preaching though sparingly , is as clearly , though not so grossly contrary to this prohibition , as to preach constantly . . that it is the work , and not the manner of working , which is here forbidden : the very work of publick preaching is here forbidden them : this i say , to prevent a common evasion of our brethren , that gifted men may not and cannot preach in the same manner as ordained persons , i. e. they cannot do it authoritatively , yet the work they may do : and why may not i have the same liberty , and apply it to the case of women , and say that they may do the work , although they cannot do it in the same manner , i. e. with authority : if i should say so , it would be easie to silence me , by saying , that the very act of preaching is spoken of , as an act of authority , and that may justly silence them too . the sixth argument was this , the scripture reproves uncalled men for preaching . jer. . , . they are reproved not onely for preaching false doctrine , but for preaching without a call , for running without being sent . to this our brethren return this strange answer ; that these were prophets rightly called by god ; and they are blamed for this that being prophets they did not prophesie right things pag. . reply . this is a little too grosse , to say , they are by god called to be prophets , of whom god professeth , they ran but he sent them not : whether shall we believe god or our brethren ? and this is the more considerable , because it was not with prophets as it is with ordinary gospel-ministers ( who besides the delivery of a message to them from god , must also have a solemn mission and authorization for the work ) for the prophets had no other call then this , or at lest , this was gods usuall way of calling them , he immediately inspired them with an extraordinary message : and when god vouchsafed to send such a message , that was taken for an authorization of them , or a call to be a prophet , as plainly appears in the case of samuel , sam. . where after god had delivered a message to and by samuel , it followes , v. . and all israel knew that samuel was established to be a prophet of the lord : and therefore on the contrary seeing these prophets were such as had not any message at all from god that we read of ) thereby it is evident that they were not prophets , and he that faith , they were such , as he asserts it gratis , so it is plaine , it is but an opinion taken up 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to gratify their cause . and i am perswaded had not our brethren been hurried into this fancy by the favourable aspect it hath to their doctrine , they would have rejected it as wholly ridiculous . whereas they urge that saying , if they had stood in my counsell , and had caused my people to hear my words , then they should have turned them from their evil way , but the lord would not have entailed his blessing upon the labours of false prophets . i answer . . as the words are here rendred , they no way oppose our doctrine , for , the standing in gods counsell , and speaking gods words , implies a call , as hath been shewed ; as if he had said if they had waited till i had sent them , and delivered my message to them , then they might have expected a blessing . . it must be observed that there is another reading proposed by some learned men , which as it is very conformable to the hebrew text , so it is more probable in it self , and more consonant to the context , to read it thus , if they had stood in my counsel , i. e. if they had stood till i had sent them , &c. they would have profited this people and they would have turned them from their evil way ; whereas now they did encourage them in it ; so that he brings in this as an evidence , that they were false prophets . the seventh argument used by the provinciall assembly was this : the ministers of christ have been as carefull to make proof of their mission as of their doctrine , cal. . joh. . , . luk. . . to this they say : . if it prove a call , yet it proves not that this call is ordination . ans. that is not the businesse , to speak of this or that particular call , ( that is proved in another proposition ) but onely in the generall to shew , that over and besides gifts , some other call , mission , or designation from god , either immediate , or mediate , is required ; and this is sufficient against our brethren , who assert , that any man having gifts , is eo nomine , called by god to preach , and his gifts alone sufficiently warrant him , though he have no other call . . they say , the reason why paul proves his mission , was but for his doctrines sake , and although it was necessary for paul to prove his immediate call ; and to prove the divinenesse of the doctrines of the gospel , yet there is no such reason to make it necessary to prove a mediate call . reply . . i do not understand that the proof of pauls extraordinary mission was necessary to prove the divineness of his doctrine , for then , those ordinary officers that preached in that time could not have proved the divinenesse of their doctrine . besides , there are , and were diverse other excellent and sufficient mediums to prove his doctrine by , he proved it out of the law and the prophets , by miracles , by ocular witnesses of christs resurrection , &c. it is true he proves his mission for his doctrines sake , and that makes not against us at all , but for us , seeing if paul had preached without a call , he had given just occasion to suspect his doctrine and to doubt of the certainty of it , ( because they that reject gods warrant to the office , have no reason to promise to themselves gods blesin the work ) and therefore it followes strongly , that much more ought ministers , who have far lesse gifts then paul had , to prove their mission and call , or else they must give men leave to doubt of the certainty of their doctrine . it is true ( what our brethren say ) that , the proofe of an ordinary call is no sufficient argument to prove the truth of the doctrine , seeing ordinary lawfull ministers may erre : but yet when a man cannot prove his call , that may render his doctrine doubtfull , and the reason is , because , bonum oritur ex integris , malum ex quolibet defectu . to make a mans preaching regular many things must concurre , he must be called , he must preach agreeable to the word , &c. but the want of any one of these will make it irregular . other things they say , but because they are triviall , i wave them , as not having such store of time as to throw it away to no purpose . the eighth and last argument was this . that work may not be performed which cannot be performed in faith : but preaching by a gifted brother , not called , &c. cannot be done in faith ; for , . such have no precept to preach . . there is no precept for people to hear them or maintaine them . . they have no promise of assistance , of protection , of successe , &c. to which our brethren say something : but because they adde nothing of any weight , except that which hath been said by themselves before , and by us answered ; to avoid tautologies , i shall ease my self , and reader , of the trouble of following them : there is one thing onely which is very observable , that they say nothing as to that which is most considerable in the argument , which is the matter of maintenance ; which i must desire them seriously , and conscientiously to peruse , and let them take it in this form , and give me leave to improve it . all scripture-preachers may challenge maintenance : but all gifted men ( though preaching ) cannot challenge maintenance , therefore they are no scripture-preachers . the major is the maine thing liable to doubt , and therefore i shall prove it . either all scripture-preachers may challenge maintenance , or onely such preachers as are in office-relation to those to whom they preach , and of whom they challenge maintenance : but not onely such preachers may challenge maintenance as are in office-relation to them ; therefore all scripture-preachers may challenge this maintenance . the minor ( for that onely is liable to exception ) i prove thus : the apostles ( say our brethren ) were onely in office-relation to the church , and other teachers are onely in office-relation to their particular churches ( as they assert ) but these might challenge maintenance from others . the disciples luke . had no office-relation to them to whom they preached ; they were no officers in the jewish church , and the christian church was not then erected , and yet for their very work they may require maintenance . v. . and in the same house remaine eating and drinking such things as they give , for the labourer is worthy of his hire . and paul , where ever he sowes spirituals ( though it be among heathens ) he may require carnals , cor. . and generally in scripture , the maintenance is rather thrown upon the work then upon the office . the double honour , tim. . . and the high estimation , thes. . . is for their works sake . and the oxe that treadeth out the corn ( though it may be he treadeth not out his own masters but another mans corn ) ought not to be muzled : i would desire our brethren to answer me this question : suppose a man will go into wales to preach the gospel , whether in that case , they do not believe the people are obliged to give him carnalls for his spiritualls ? if they affirme it ( as i believe they have too much ingenuity to deny it , and the foregoing places fully evince it ) then we have gained thus much , that the maintenance is not due onely to such as are office-wise related to those to whom they preach , but to all scripture-preachers , which was the thing to be proved , and so we have secured the major . for the minor , it is needless to spend time about it , for our brethren grant it , and besides it speakes for it self : for if all gifted men be bound to preach ( as our brethren assert ) and if in churches , many men are , and all ought to covet to be so gifted ( which also they assert ) then the maintenance of such would be both absurd and impossible . and thus much shal suffice for the vindication of the provinciall assemblies arguments , to prove that none ought to preach without ordination : and so i have done with the principall question : onely that the reader may be able more judiciously to compare things together i shall present him with an 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 , or enumeration of the arguments on both sides . the arguments alledged by them to prove that unordained men may preach . i am the more willing to propound all their arguments together , because i would not take them at advantage , but set the best glosse upon their cause , for , it oft times falls out , that , quae non prosunt singula , juncta juvant , those arguments which when they are pull'd asunder , have but little strength in them , being united together , seem considerable ; so that if their cause have any reall strength in it , we shall see it here , when the arrowes are all put together in one bundle , or else we may conclude , that there is neither strength nor truth in it . their first argument is this . election must go before ordination ( which they take for granted , though it never was proved ) but a person must preach before election and therefore before ordination , and so one not yet ordained may preach : so that their argument is this : because a man unordained may preach in a case of necessity , i. e. when he is to be tried for election or ordination , therefore he may preach where there is no necessity . arg. . gifted men unordained are ▪ commanded to preach . and here because peter , pet. . , , . commands every man to exercise his gift they inferre from thence , that this gift must needs include preaching ( though it may as well relate to hospitality ) and that this gift must needs be exercised in a publick way , by such as have no further call thereunto . arg. . they argue from examples , because apollos ( who was a man extraordinarily indowed , and an officer cor. . . ) spake publickly to divers iews , though not gathered together in a church assembly ; and because the scattered saints ( who it is doubtful whether they were officers or no ) in a case of persecution and necessity spake occasionally of the things of god to persons they met with , therefore any gifted men may ordinarily , and without a case of necessity preach publickly in a church assembly . arg. . because some persons , who are called by the name of officers , prophets , and therefore may well be concluded to be in office , because such being inriched with extraordinary gifts did prophesie , therefore persons who are unquestionably no officers , and whose gifts are but ordinary , may preach . and this is bonâ fide the whole strength of their opinion , which , whether it be of sufficient force to transport a man beyond the sentiment or judgement of the church , in all ages , of the generality of the reformed churches of the present ages , of the far greater part of learned and godly divines among us : i desire our brethren , and all that are concerned in it , in the fear of god to consider . and now let us see whether we cannot give a better account of our assertion , and whether it doth not stand upon a firmer basis . the arguments alledged by us , to prove that unordained men may not preach . arg. . none may preach lawfully , unlesse ( besides their gifts ) they have a mission from god , rom. . arg. . neither aaron , no nor the lord jesus would undertake their offices , nor-do any work of their offices , untill ; over and above their excellent gifts , they had received from god a call and designation thereunto . and therefore persons farre inferiour in excellency and gifts ought not upon the account of their gifts , either undertake any office , or any work of any office , without a further call thereunto ; nor are they by pet. . or any other place obliged to it . arg. . gospel-preachers are called by names importing an office : embassadors , stewards , &c. and therefore such preachers are onely officers , for names must answer to things . arg. . gifts and calling , are constantly distinguished . . diverse rules are laid down to guide and caution men in the admission of persons to the office of preaching the gospel , all which , are superfluous , if gifted men are , eonomine , warranted to preach . . to allow the preaching of unordained men , opens a door to all confusion . . god hath punished such as ( though sufficiently gifted and qualified for the work they did ) undertook to do a work , to which they were not called , as uzzah , saul , uzziah . . none may performe any religious service to god , but such as are appointed , or otherwise warranted thereunto : but all gifted men are not appointed to preach , for then they sinne if they neglect it , &c. . none may do the work of a magistrate or a deacon , who is not called to it , and therefore none may , without a call , do the work of a minister , which is a work of far greater difficulty and more importance . . none may administer the sacraments , because he is gifted , unlesse withall he be solemnly set apart for the work . ergo none but such an one may preach , for as much as god hath joyned both these together . . preaching is an act of authority , and therefore must not be done by such as are under authority , by such as are not officers . . scripture reproves uncalled men for preaching . . christs ministers have been alwayes carefull to prove their calling as well as their doctrine . . gifted men uncalled cannot preach in faith , neither are they commanded to preach , nor people to hear them , &c. . all scripture-preachers may challenge maintenance , but all gifted men , though preaching , cannot challenge maintenance : therefore they are not scripture-preachers . the tenth chapter concerns doctor collings , and is by him answered . chap. xi . thus we have dispatched our main work , now it onely remains that somewhat be spoken as to the businesse of election and ordination ; and here a threefold question should be ventilated . . whether election by divine right belong to the people . . whether the essence of the ministerial call consists in election or ordination . . whether ordination may be done by the people . for the first , whether election by divine right belong to the people , there is no need to say any thing about it , because it hath been so fully ventilated by others ; only for those three places alledged in favour of this election , and answered by the provincial assembly , which they have here undertaken to vindicate , it will be convenient to say something , as also of the absurdities objected by the assembly to the affirmative . the first place is acts . . it was answered : . these words , they appointed two , do in all probability relate to the apostles , v. , , , . to this our brethren reply , the exhortation about chusing was given to the brethren and therefore they did chuse . reply . it was not an exhortation to chuse , nor a direction in chusing ( here is not a word of the knowledge , piety , prudence , &c. of the person to be chosen , which useth to be the subject of the apostles discourse , when he exhorts to , or directs in chusing ) but onely a declaration that one must be chosen , which was very congruous and convenient , whether the apostles or people did appoint ; and however the apostles might and did appoint , yet it was fit the people should consent and be satisfied . i forbear other things as to this place , because they will recur in the next place , whither i refer them ; only this i leave to the consideration of ingenuous men , that it is at least doubtful who it was that are here said to appoint two ; the grammatical construction and logical connexion possibly will bear either ; i am sure it will beat the apostles , and therefore great stresse cannot be laid upon this place . the next alledged text is that , acts . . concerning the choice of deacons . to which it was said , that the people were guided and limited in their choice by the apostles ; so that if they had swerved from the apostles directions , the apostles would not have ordained them . to this they answer , that lawes and rules directing in the choice , hinders not the entireness of the choice : a corporation have entire power of chusing and yet are limited by lawes . reply . it is true , regulation by dead lawes and rules is no prejudice to the peoples sole power in election , but a regulation by living judges doth destroy it , to wit , the regulation being such , as here it is , wherein the apostles ( or their vicegerents the ministers ) have not only a bare vote in the election , but a negative voice , whereby it is in their power either to chuse or refuse : so it was here , and therefore surely the apostles had a share , yea , the great share in the choice , and therefore the people had not the whole and sole power in the choosing of deacons , which was to be proved : this case is not unlike our colledges , when the fellowes have a power to chuse , &c. yet under the direction and regulation of the master , who hath a power to chuse or refuse the person chosen by the fellowes : can any sober man in this case say that the sole power of choosing is in the fellowes ? is it not in the master also ? and so it was in the apostles . . our brethren forget the maine thing that was driven at which by their own acknowledgement was this , that , the essence of the call consists not in election , and that plainly appeares from this place : for if the apostles had refused any of those chosen by the people upon just grounds , i desire our brethren to answer whether they think they would have been deacons notwithstanding , whether the apostles would or not . if they say , yea , that is so injurious to the apostles , and their jurisdiction , that they will have few followers ; if they say no , then the essence of the call to the office of the deacon ( and so of the minister by their own argument ) consists not in election , unlesse they will say , that a man can be a deacon and yet want the essence of a deacon . excep . if this election had been frustraneous it had not been for want of ordination but for the neglect of observation of gospel-rules in chusing . ans. nay , on the contrary , it had been the want of ordination ▪ for suppose the people had proceeded according to go●pel-rules , in the election and choosing a person visibly fit , and the apostles by the spirit of discerning , seeing something in him which renders him unfit , had denied ordination ; in this case , the election had been null , though according to rule , ergo , the want of ordination makes it null , efficiently , or rather deficiently , though the want of fit qualification makes it null meritoriously . and againe , let us suppose that both the people and the apostles had not exactly kept to the rule in choosing ( for the apostles might erre in matters of fact though not in matters of doctrine ) and the people had chosen , and the apostles ordained a man not fit for the office according to rule , in that case , to say that this call had been null , would be a venturous assertion : it is harsh to say , of every man chosen to the office of a deacon who is not full of the holy ghost and wisdome , ( for those are the required qualifications ) that his choice is null . i am confident our brethren have too much modesty to affirme it , and if they do not affirme it , then that which in this case had made the election null , had not been the not observing of gospel-rules , but the want of ordination . . it was said , that , though the people might have the sole power of chusing deacons , yet not of ministers . a minore ad majus non valet argumentum affirmativè . to this they answer , that we use that kind of arguing , when we argue thus ; we use ordination in the choice of deacons ; ergo , of ministers much more , so christ argues from the lesse to the greater ; god takes care of lillies , ravens , &c. ergo , he will much more take care of you . mat. . reply . our brethrens answer runs upon a grosse mistake , for they inconsideratly confound two canons which vastly differ ( though both of them belong to the same topick . ) . their argument is fetcht from this canon : cui competit minus , competit majus : if a power of choosing deacons , which is the lesse , belongs to the people , then a power of choosing ministers , which is the greater , belongs to them . to this the assembly well answered : a minori ad majus , non valet affirmativè . it is very false to argue thus : the power of choosing a captaine belongs to the colonel , ergo , the power of chusing a generall belongs to him : or thus , the members of such a company have a power to chuse their own officers ( which is the lesse ) and therefore they have a power to chuse the city officers , which is the greater . it is a true rule , a majori ad minus , valet affirmativè . i. e. cui competit majus , competit minus : but it is false to argue , a minori ad majus affirmativè , or thus , cui competit minus , competit majus . . but there is another canon , much differing from the former , and that is this ; quod competit minori , competit etiam majori : if ordination was required to the meaner and lesse considerable office , which is that of the deacons , much more is it required to that which is the greater and weightier office. and this was the argument used by the assembly . and to this belongs the argument , mat. . . if the care of gods providence reacheth to lillies ( which are the lesse ) much more will it reach to you , which are the greater . the third text alledged for the peoples election , was act. . . when they had created them elders by suffrages , ( for so they say the word , 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 , is generally used ) in every city : and this they say , may have reference to the disciples , as well as to paul and barnabas , for they were spoken of before . reply . one would think nothing more can be said , or desired by any sober man for the elucidation and vindication of this text , then the making out of these two things . . that the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 , is frequently used for a simple chusing or appointing , though without suffrages . . that it cannot be taken here for chusing by suffrages . from these two , it followes most evidently , and irrefragably , that this place , ( which is alledged as a pillar to prove the peoples election , &c. ) doth no wayes inforce it , but rather overthrow it . for the first , that the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 , are not alwayes used for a chusing by suffrages , but oft times , for a simple chusing , or appointing , &c. is most plaine , from acts . . and may be made good by a multitude of instances , for which the provinciall assembly , referred you to other authors , and especially selden de synedriis , it being needlesse to transcribe . . how oft the use of words varies from the etymologie , no man can be ignorant , that is not wholly a stranger to the greek tongue . but our brethren say , it is strange , that luke should use the word in such a sense as was different from the custome of all that writ before him . i answer . . it is so used by others , as was now said . . it is no new thing , to find a word , used in scripture in a different sense , from that which it hath in other authors . and if our brethren acknowledge that luke useth the word , 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 , acts . . in a sense , never used in any author before him ; why may we not expect the same favour for 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 ? . although this ( if nothing else could be said ) were sufficient to answer their argument , which is taken from the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 , and it be incumbent upon them to shew , that the word must needs be so understood in this place , yet , ex abundanti , we assert ; that this word cannot be taken in their sense : and in this case by their own allowance , we may recede , from the native signification of the word , because it is repugnant to the context . and for proof of this , i shall but desire any candid reader , diligently to read the whole context , especially in the greek tongue , and i perswade my self , he will judge it but a few removes from an impossibility to understand it in our brethrens sense . . they are said to ordaine to them , 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 , not to themselves , 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 , as it should have been , if the people had done it . and although it be true , that 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 , is sometimes taken for 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 , yet that is but seldome ( and then also it is , for the most part , aspirated , 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 ) and the common use of the word , ( by which our brethren will have us guided in the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 , and therefore we expect the like from them in the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 ) i say , the common use of the word is otherwise , and especially this is considerable , if you take notice of other circumstances , which oblige us to this sense , as namely : . the same persons are said to ordaine in severall cities and churches : therefore it must needs be meant of them that had an authority over severall churches . . they ordained , &c. who going away , commended the people to the lord , and surely that was the apostles : it is a lamentable shift to say , that the disciples are spoken of in the foregoing verse , and therefore it may be understood of them . true , they are spoken of and so are the apostles spoken of , and , seeing both are spoken of , we must inquire , to whom this must be referred , and for that , the very first rudiments of grammer will determine , that the reference must be towords of the same case . now then , in the . verse , the disciples are spoken of in the accusative case , and as passive under the apostles confirming , 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 , with which 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 , by no meanes agrees , as being active , and of the nominative case : but now if you understand it of the apostles , all things run handsomly . the same persons are brought in as 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 , vers . . 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 , v. . 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 , v. . 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 , v. . 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 , v. . &c. all of them of the nominative case , and the active signification : and whoever take out the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 , from all the rest , wherewith it is hedged in on both sides , as they offer manifest violence to the text , so they will be judged by indifferent persons , meerly to take it up in favour of a praeconceived opinion . and therefore our brethren , do well take up , and at last come to this faint conclusion ; though this do referre to the apostles , yet the people may be comprehended in it : so that whereas in the first canvasing of this text , we had much adoe to get in the apostles ; and this text hath been often alledged by our brethren to shew , not that the people may , but that the people must , ordaine and chuse themselves elders , now all that it amounts to , is a m●y be , they may be included here . all the answer it deserves , and that i shall give is this ; the people may not be included here : at lest non liquet , it appears not from the text at all , that they are comprehended here . however , let the question lie here , between us and our brethren , whether this text , and this ordaining belong to the apostles ( who are here expresly said to do it ) or to the people ( of whose 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 , not a word is spoken here ) and i suppose impartiall arbitrators will quickly end the difference . but , ( say they , who ever did 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 yet ) this 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 cannot be meant of ordination , seeing it is mentioned as distinct from ordaining by prayer and fasting , when they had chosen — and had prayed with fasting , and if ordination were intended , here were a tautologie . reply . i would ask our brethren this question , whether in case the people were they who are here said 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 , to chuse elders , whether they did not manage that work with prayer and fasting , and whether this text doth not sufficiently speak for it self , that this prayer and fasting was used in relation to the choice of officers : if they assent , then the tautologie remaines on their part as well as on ours . . but indeed , we must take heed of calling it a tautologie , when ever we find the same thing expressed in divers phrases , which is a familiar practice in scripture . . albeit the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 , when put by it self , did signify , to ordaine by fasting , and prayer , and laying on of hands , yet common reason and frequent use will teach us , that when fasting and prayer are expressed , then , 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 should be understood onely of imposing of hands . . our brethren forget the present work , we did not alledge this place , or this word , to prove that ordination is to be done by fasting , prayer , and laying on of hands , nor were we drawing any argument from this text ; but we were upon the defensive part , and our work was onely this to maintaine , that 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 , doth not here signify a creating by the suffrages of the people , which being proved , our brethrens attempt from this text is frustrated , and the place sufficiently vindicated . these three places being cleared , and redeemed from misinterpretation , there is but one thing remains to be done , which is a little to inforce those absurdities objected by the provinciall assembly against their opinion . i shall take notice onely of the first , as being most materiall , which is this : every one that is to be made a minister , must first be tried , tim. , . whether he be apt to teach ▪ able to convince gaine sayers . now in many congregations , the major part are very unfit to judge of ministeriall abilities . to this they answer : that true churches are fit to judge of ministeriall abilities , christs sheep know his voice , john . and the church could judge of the qualifications of deacons , act. . reply . . i dare venture the question upon this point , and although i shall not determine it concerning every congre●ation ( whereof possibly some learned men may be members by accident ) yet , for the generality of congregations ( including such as are constituted according to our brethrens principles ) i say they are not able to judge of a mans soundnesse in the faith , and his ability to convince gaine-sayers . i will onely suppose that ( which generally is true ) a congregation to consist of such as are unacquainted with the affaires of learning , and i will suppose a crafty heretick to come before them , i say , he may most easily conceale his heresies , so that they shall never discover it , nor be able to try his soundnesse in the faith . i might instance in divers cases , suppose a socinian is to be tried by the people , they ask him whether he believe christ to be god , he will answer yes , i believe him to be the true god , to be one with the father , to be equall with god : how apt would a company of honest soules be to be cheated with such pretenses and how readily would they be his compurgators ; whereas , if this man were to be called by ministers , they know that these are but words , and that though he acknowledge christ in word , yet in deed he denies him , and allowes him to be god , onely as the magistrate is a god ; so there are many other weighty points , wherein it is impossible for the people to try a mans soundnesse in the faith . how many grosse errors are there about the providence of god , the person and natures of christ , the fall of man ; which any learned man may so hide under ambiguous expressions , that it shall be impossible for an ordinary congregation to discover them , unlesse they plow with the heifer of ministers or scholars : so for a mans ability to defend the truth , and convince gain-sayers , how unfit people are to judge of that ▪ no man can be ignorant , that considers how sadly , and frequently , the judgements of people of all sorts , and opinions , and waies , are misplaced , applauding some highly for their sufficiency that way , who are known to understanding men , to be miserably defective therein , and vilifying others , who are unquestionably far more sufficient . to convince gain-sayers , is a great part of learning , and that unlearned men should be able to judge of a mans learning , will then be believed , when it will be credited , that a blind man can judge of colours , or , a deaf man of sounds , or an ordinary ignorant man , of the great affaires of state. . for that in iohn , i hope our brethren will be ashamed to alledge it to this purpose , when they shall consider that it is a character given by christ to all his sheep , my sheep know my voice . it is true of wise men and weak men , of men , women , and children , which are the sheep of christ : so that , unlesse they will say , that the silliest woman in a congregation , who is godly , is able to judge of a ministers ability to convince gain-sayers , ( then which nothing can be more highly absurd ) they must confesse this text was impertinently alledged . . for the peoples fitnesse to judge of the deacons abilities it is a strange instance , that because people are able to judge of a mans prudence , faithfullnesse , piety , &c. therefore they are able to judge of his learning , and sufficiency . and you may as well argue thus , that such a man is able to build an house well , therefore he can mold a state. and thus much shall suffice , to speak of the first question ; which , when a judicious , and candid reader , hath duely weighed , i may groundedly hope , that he will be thus far convinced , that the necessity of popular election is not so clear , as hath been conceived , nor indeed so manifest , as ordination . and sure i am , if we had no better evidences for ordination , then such as these , we should have sufficiently heard of it from our brethren . chap. xii . the second question is this : whether the essence of the call to the ministry , lie in election or ordination . and here also i must take the same liberty i have used , and that is not to transcribe every word nor to take notice of such passages as are inconsiderable , but onely such as have most strength , and most appearance of truth in them . in the doing of which , as i have the witnesse of god , and my own conscience , so i doubt not i shall have the attestation of any disinterested person , who shall compare both together . but , before i come to handle the point , i must needs do my brethren that right , as to let the world know , how far they are from that generation of men that despise and deride ordination ; they say , we do highly esteem of ordination as an appointment of iesus christ , p. . onely here they differ , they give election the praecedency to ordination , and they place the essence of the ministeriall call in election , not in ordination . but good reason , we should not condemn them unheard : i shall therefore do them the justice as to consider what they offer by way of argument , and that is onely this : ordination doth not give the essence ; ergo , election doth ( for their first argument from acts . vers . . hath been discussed before . ) that the essence of the call lies not in ordination , they indeavour to make good by three arguments . their first argument is this , that which doth not set a man over a church of christ , or commit it to his charge , that doth not give the essentials of the ministeriall office : but ordination doth not set a man over a church of christ , &c. because without election a man cannot be over any flock . i answer to the minor , and the proofe . . that it is but a begging of the question , and hath been before disproved , that without election a man cannot be over any flock . . although a man could not be over a flock without election , and election were necessary to his call , yet the essence of the call may lie in ordination : election may be necessary , as the causa , sine qua non , and yet ordination may be the causa formalis of the call to the ministry . suppose by some ancient charter , the people of such a city , are invested with a right to chuse their own minister ; so that without their election , he is not their minister ; yet so , as that it belongs to some gentleman , to present the person so elected , unlesse he can shew reason to refuse him , in this case election is necessary , and yet the essence of the eivil call , lies in his presentation . or suppose 〈…〉 of canterbury , had been to chuse the a 〈…〉 shop of canterbury , yet , notwithstanding the n 〈…〉 of their election , the essence of the arch bishops c 〈…〉 did lie in another thing , to wit , civilly in the gift of the king , ecclesiastically , in his consecration by the bishops : so , though the election of the people were necessary , yet the essen●e of the call , may lie in the ordination of the minister● . although election determine a mans imployment to this or that particular place , yet ordination sets him over a church of christ , viz. over the whole church : his ordination sets him over a church indefinitely : his ●●●●tion sets him over this or that particular church . as the act of the university , makes a man a doctor of physick , but the choice of such a city , or such a noble family , makes him the physitian of that city , or family . the second argument is this : ordination is to be consequentiall unto a mans having the whole essence of the call to the office , acts . . paul and barnabas had the essence of their call before from god , they were not of men , gal. . and this example is a binding rule to us . answ. . i might say , as divines say of vocation , that there is a calling , ad foedus , to the covenant , and ad munus , to an office. so likewise for ordination , there is a double ordination , the one , ad munus , to an office , the other , adopus , to a work. the ordination which we spake of , and wherein the essence of the ministeriall call doth consist , is an ordination to an office ; and such an ordination the apostle never had , gal. . . and such an ordination , this text , peradventure , speaks not of , but of an ordination to a work , nor is there any ground to wonder , that men should be solemnly ordained to such a work as this , a work so great , so uncouth , so difficult , so much exposed to contradiction , nor was it unusuall in the church either of the old or new testament , to use fasting and prayer , or laying of hands , as well in the designation of a person to a work , as to an office. . this argument will fall as heavy upon election as ordination : it must be remembred that they assert that the essence of the call lies in election ; and to prove this , they urge the election of an apostle , acts . now from hence , i thus argue against them : if this was the prerogative of the apostles , that they had their call neither of man nor by man , &c. then the essence of their call doth not lie in election : but this was the prerogative of apostles , that they were neither of men nor by men ; so that although ordination and election were both used in reference to the apostles , yet the essence of the call did lie in neither of them : and it is certain that in acts . the essence of matthias his call , did not lie in the election of the people ( for that barsabas had , as well as matthias ) but in the designation of god : and therefore , as our brethren would say for themselves , in that case , that we are to distinguish between what is ordinary and what is extraordinary , between what was peculiar to the apostles , and what was common to other officers ; and that this was common to the apostles , with other officers to be admitted by election , which therefore is a president for us in the call of other officers , but that the essence of their call should not lie in election , but in gods designation , this was peculiar to them , and so is no rule to us ; the same liberty , i hope they will allow us , to say , that in this ordination here was , . something ordinary and common to the apostles , with other officers , which was to be ordained , which therefore doth strongly justifie the use and necessity of ordination to other officers . . something extraordinary and peculiar , to wit , that the essence of their call did not lie in this ordination , but in the immediate appointment of god , which therefore cannot be applied to ordinary officers . to say nothing of that which peradventure may be said , that paul had the essence of his call from this ordination , and yet no prejudice to that other assertion that paul had his office neither of nor by man , gal. . for though men were used as instruments in the dispensation of the rites belonging to pauls ordination , yet to speak properly it was not men but god , that was pauls ordainer , for the holy ghost said , separate me , &c. it was not men that nominated paul to be an officer , but god did it , from heaven . their third argument is taken from the nature of ordination , ordination ( say they ) is nothing else but the solemn separation of an officer by prayer and fasting ( they after adde , and laying on of hands ) to the work whereunto he is called : it can be imagined to consist but of three things . . fasting , and that is no act of worship . . laying on of hands , and that was not essentiall to ordination then , and it is questionable , whither it be still continuing or not . . prayer , which therefore must be the act giving essence to ordination seeing the others do not . now upon all this , they build a double argument . . ordination consisteth in an action performed to god only , i. e. in prayer , therefore it cannot give the essence of an externall call to office , from men . . that action which cannot be performed in faith , before a man have his outward call to office , cannot give him that outward call : but ordination is such an action , &c. for how can a man pray in faith , for his blessing upon a person in a work of an office , before he can conclude , that he is so much as outwardly called to that office . for answer . . for the last clause , i also would ask our brethren one question ; suppose the essence of the ministeriall call did consist in election , and that prayers are to be used for the person to be elected , before his election ( which i know our brethren will not diflike ) in this case i ask them their own question how can they pray in faith for a blessing upon that person in the work of his office , before he have the call to the office ? whatsoever they shall reply with reason , will serve for our use as well as theirs . . in such cases , our prayers have ( as most frequently in many other cases ) a tacit condition , that god would blesse him in the work , viz. if he shall be set apart for it . i may pray in faith , that god would go with me in a journey , that god would blesse me in the exercises of the lords day , &c. although i do not certainly know that i shall live either to go one step in my journey , or to do one exercise upon the lords day . . all their argument proceeds upon a grosse mistake and unacquaintednesse with our principles : in a word , we hold that the essence of ordination , consists in none of those three things mentioned , neither in fasting , nor prayer , nor laying on of hands , ( all which are only the modifications of the work ) but in something else , to wit , in this , the designation of fit persons by officers unto the work , which designation indeed , is signified by imposition of hands , and deservedly introduced , with fasting and prayer , as being a work of greatest weight , yet still the essence of it lies not in this . . for imposition of hands , it is granted by most presbyterians , that i know of , that it is not so essentiall to ordination , as that they will pronounce that ordination null , which wanted it , although they conceive in being a rite instituted by christ , cannot without sinne , be neglected by men . whether imposition of hands ought to continue in the church , is excentricall to our present question , and therefore i shall wave it , leaving onely this memorandum for the readers consideration . that the great argument used for the abolition of it , because it was used in those daies for the collation of the extraordinary gifts of the holy ghost , hath to me , very little cogency in it ; both because by the same reason , preaching must be now laid aside , because when peter preached , the holy ghost fell upon them that heard him , acts . . and because it continued all along in the old testament , notwithstanding this , that sometimes it was used in those times for the collation of extraordinary gifts , as deut. . . and ioshua was full of the spirit of wisdom , for moses had laid his hands upon him . but i must recall my self , and remember that it is not now my task to meddle with that point , but only to shew that our brethrens arguments are not unanswerable . and now that we have seen the weaknesse of their arguments alledged to prove that the essence of the ministerial call consisteth in election , not in ordination , i shall consider whether we cannot find stronger arguments to prove the contrary , that the essence of the call doth not lie in the election of the people , but in the ordination of the ministers . chap. xiii . i shall confine my self to one argument , which i shall desire our brethren to chew upon , which is this . the essence of the call to the ministry , must lie in the act of those only , who by divine appointment are and ought to be in a capacity to give it : but the people neither are , nor by divine appointment are necessarily required to be in capacity to give the essence of the call to the ministry : ergo , the essence of the call doth not lie in the act of the people , i. e. not in election . for the major , it is a plain case : wherever god puts a man upon a work , he requires that he be fit for it . god will have no man to undertake any work , of magistracy , ministry , &c. for which he is not fit . the teacher must be apt to teach , &c. and if it be one of the works of a minister to send forth other ministers , then god requires this of him , that he be in a capacity to do it . and so doubtlesse , if election be the priviledge of the members of the church , as such , and the essence of the ministeriall call lies in it , then by divine appointment this is a necessary qualification for every church-member to be in a capacity to give it . for the minor which is this , that the people neither are , nor by divine appointment are necessarily required to be in a capacity to give the essence of the call to the ministry : this i shall prove from those things which are requisite to put men into such a capacity . and thus i argue : authority and ability to judge of the fitnesse of a minister , are necessary to make a man capable of giving the essence of the ministers call : but people neither have , nor is it necessarily required that they should have these : ergo they are not capable of giving the essence of the ministeriall call : i shall prove both propositions . . for the major , there are two ingredients , &c. of both i shall speak in order . . i say , to give the essence of the ministeriall call is an act of authority , i think this is unquestionable in all other cases ; wheresoever the power of calling to any office lies , there is an authority in relation thereunto : for instance , in a corporation , if it belongs to the court of aldermen to give the essence of such an office , it is an act of authority in them : so if it belong to the court of common councel to do it , it is an act of authority in them . et sic in caeteris . it is true a man may give an office to another , which he himself hath not . but if he have it not formally , he must have it virtually . in democraticall governments , where the officers are chosen by the body of the people , there , i say , the authority resides , and upon that very ground , the people taken collectively , are superiour in authority unto the officers to whom they give the call. and as the apostle saith , the lesse is blessed of the greater , so may i say , the lesse is called of the greater . and as it is in civil respects , in some parishes where the people are patrons of the place , and give the essence of the civil call to a minister , to be the minister of the place , as to all legall rights , &c. there , i say , the people are , eo nomine , invested with authority , for that worke , and their collation of this place upon that minister , is an act of authority : so in like manner , if it belong to the people to give the essence of the ecclesiasticall call unto a minister , then the people hereby are impowred with an authority , and their act is an act of authority . and this is the first branch . authority is necessary , &c. the use of this we shall see when we come to the minor ; in the mean time we must prove the other branch of the major , or rather , that is proved already , that ability to judge of a ministers fitnesse is necessary to put a man into a regular capacity to give the essence of the call to the ministry . and therefore i now come to the proof of the minor , where i must shew ; . that people have no authority , &c. . that they neither have nor by divine appointment are required to have ability to judge of a mans fitnesse for the ministry . . that people have no authority nor can do any act of authority in the church , is plain from hence , because they are by gods appointment placed in a state of subjection , at lest it is a cleare case concerning women , who are forbidden to do an act of authority ( i. e. to preach publickly ) because they are in a state of subjection : and this is the more considerable , because in that instance which our brethren so much insist upon , acts . in that election of an apostle , not only the men , but women also did concurre , which they could not have done , if election were an act of authority , or if it were that act which gives the essence to an officer . . as they want authority , so they want ability . and here there are two branches . . they have not . they are not required to have ability to judge , &c. . the people have not ability to judge of a mans fitnesse for the ministry ; this we have proved before , and thither i refer the reader ; and indeed , if our brethrens principles did not oblige them to the contrary , it would be out of doubt that for the body of almost all the congregations in the world , they are exceeding unable to judge of divers of those abilities which are required to the ministry . it is little lesse then a contradiction to say , that unlearned men should be fit judges of another mans learning ( and that learning is of necessary use to a minister , neither will our brethren deny , nor can any one doubt , but he that is wholly a stranger to it ) and it is no lesse absurd to think , that those persons who are unacquainted with the stratagems and subtilties of gainsayers and hereticks , should be competent judges of a mans ability to convince gainsayers . if it be said , it is true , the people are not able to judge of these things themselves , but they should and may call in the help of neighbouring pastors . i answer . they may do it , and they may forbear it : according to our brethrens mind , this is not necessary to the being , but to the well being of it : it is the people that have the whole and sole power of giving the essence of the ministeriall call ; so that if they will perversly or proudly refuse the help of pastors , ( as some of our brethrens mind have experienced the giddinesse and unrulinesse of congregations , even when they have had ministers to guide them , and much more when they have been left to themselves ) they may do it : or what if a congregation be in an island , or where there are no pastors to help them ? in that case they want ability to judge . . who ever they are , that are intrusted with a power to give the essence of the ministeriall call , they are to see with their own eyes . and surely they that blamed the bishops , because they delegated the pastorall work to others , which they ought to have performed personally , cannot excuse the people ( if they were indeed intrusted herewith ) that they manage it by others care and wisdom . or else , . this great inconvenience will follow , that christ hath intrusted this great power in such hands , as are unable of themselves to manage it . and thus i have dispatched the first branch , and shewed that the people are not able to judge . the second branch is this ? the people are not necessarily required to be able to judge of a ministers abilities , as they ought to be , if it did belong to them to give the essence of the ministeriall call. i say , if it doth belong to every church-member , as such , as his priviledge , to have a joint power to give the essence of the ministeriall call , then it belongs to every church-member as his duty , and he ought by divine appointment to be fit to judge of a ministers abilities , and this would be a necessary qualification in every church-member , not onely that he be pious , but also judicious , and prudent , &c. and in all respects able to judge of a mans fitnesse for the ministry , so that if a man were never so godly and desirous of church-membership , &c. if he were apparently unfit to judge of a ministers abilities ( as many hundreds of godly people , unquestionably are ) he ought not to be admitted a church-member , because he wanted one necessary qualification for that relation : which because it is a grosse and manifest absurdity , therefore it is not necessarily required that church-members should be able to judge of a ministers fitnesse , and by consequence , it follows that the people are not intrusted with giving the essence of the ministeriall call 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 , which was the thing to be shewn ; and thus much might serve for that point . onely , whereas there were divers arguments urged by the assembly , to shew , that the essence of the call did not lie in election , which our brethren here praetend to answer : i am under some necessity of attending their motion : but because , some of them do manifestly refer to such things as have been fully discussed before , i shall not need to follow them 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 , but onely take notice of such things , as have hitherto been omitted , or are now more strongly fortified . . it was argued from acts . where the apostles are said , 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 i. e. to constitute appoint , acts . . deut. . . exod. . . they answer , if 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 , be taken for the constituting act in some places , so is the word chusing taken for the constituting act , in other places . luke . . and of them he chose twelve , whom he named apostles , and the people here are said to chuse , and that expresseth the putting of a man into office . reply . it is true when chusing , is put by it self , it may signifie an appointing , if it be ascribed to one that hath a power to appoint , as it is , luke . but it is far otherwise , where chusing and appointing are distinguished from , and opposed to one another , and the act of chusing , ascribed to the inferiours , the people , and the act of appointing , asscribed to the superiours , the apostles , in such a case to say chusing is appointing , or to say , that the constituting act , was that which was done by the inferiours , is but one remove from impossible , that i say not ridiculous . . it was argued from tit. . . i left thee in creet to ordaine , &c. what was he left there to give an adjunct of their call ? it must be considered , in what state the church then was , and how usefull the paines of titus might have been in other places , which necessarily called for his help ; so that we may rationally conclude , if the people could have given the essence of the call without him , and if ordination had been but an unnecessary adjunct , it is no way credible that the apostle would have diverted titus from so great , essentiall , and excellent a service , for the doing of a businesse , which was but circumstantiall . the onely answer they give , that signifies any thing is this : that titus was left in creet , not onely to ordaine elders , but also to set in order the things that are wanting . but that relieves them not , for the setting of things in order ( it which concerns onely the well being of the church ) was not to be put in competition with those other glorious services , which titus might have done in the mean time , ( and which concern the very essence of the church . ) ● . it was argued from the nature of election of a people ▪ which is not the making of a man a minister , but their minister : the people deut. . . did look out men , but it was moses that made them rulers : if the people have not office power , neither formally nor eminently , they cannot make an officer , for , nihil dat quod non habet . they answer many things . . that election makes a man a minister . reply . that is a meer begging of the question . . the act of moses is not parallel either with ordination or election , but rather with christs act in making church-officers , because onely christ is the king of the church ; as onely moses was the supreme magistrate . reply . . to speak strictly , not moses , but god was the supreme magistrate of the iewes , and that policy was not a monarchy , but a theocrasy , as iosephus well calls it , and moses indeed had no regall nor arbitrary power at all , but was onely gods secretary , to write his mind , and gods instrument , to publish and execute gods lawes : and look what moses was to the iewes , that are ministers unto the church : moses was the publick interpreter of gods law , and gods vice-gerent , who in gods name , and according to gods word was to governe the people , and they were to be ruled by him ; and albeit in some cases the people might have the power of election , yet indeed it was moses his act which was the constituting act in the creation of officers : just thus it is in our case , ministers are the publick interpreters of christs lawes , and christs vicegerents , who in christs name , and according to christs word , are to governe the people , and they are to be ruled by them ; and albeit the people have a power of election , yet indeed it is the act of the ministers , which is the constituting act of an officer : so that here is no difference at all in the power and authority of moses and ministers ( in both it is depending and limited ) onely the one is civil , the other ecclesiasticall . . that rule ( they say ) is not universally true , nihil dat quod non habet , for freeholders by chusing , may make burgesses and parliament men . the freemen of a corporation give the essentialls of their call to a bailiffe , and why may it not be thus with the church . answ. there is dispar ratio , because all things are to be regulated by law and institution , civill things by a civill institution , and ecclesiasticall things by a divine institution : now what such freemen , &c. do , they have a charter , and a warrant for , whereby they are quantum ad hoc authorized for the work . if our brethren can shew a parallel divine institution , for the peoples being authorized to give the essentials of the call to a minister , then they do their businesse : but that they have not been able to do : in these cases the people have such office-power eminently in them , though not formally : and though each of the people considered distributively , are inferiour to such a magistrate after he is chosen , yet , all the people taken collectively , are ( as to that act ) superiour to him who is to be chosen . another argument was this . that if the essence of the call lie in election , then it will follow , that a minister is onely a minister to his particular charge , and that he cannot act as a minister in any other place , which is a strange and false assertion . and this the assembly prove by diverse considerations and arguments , to which our brethren answer . but because all that is here said doth more properly belong to that former question i. e. whether a minister be a minister onely to his own particular church , &c. i thought it more meet to bring it in there , and thither i refer the reader for a reply to all that here they say , which hath any sinews or substance in it . againe the provinc . urged this : that thence it will follow that there must be churches before ministers , which cannot be , for every church must consist of persons baptized , and baptize them none can , but he that is a minister . christ therefore chose apostles before churches , and the apostles ordained elders to gather churches . to this they answer , . a church must needs be before an officer , because he that is an officer is made an officer onely to a church , and therefore the church is presupposed . reply . this is a meer begging of the question ▪ and we have already at large confuted it , and shewen , that a minister is an officer , and acts as an officer even to such as are no church . . the apostles were extraordinary officers , and therefore that instance proves not that ordinary officers must be before churches . reply . our brethren must take heed of denying the exemplarinesse of the apostles to ordinary ministers in the administration of church affaires . they themselves do oft make use of it : and it cannot be denyed by any rationall , or ingenious man , that the apostles , as in some things they did act as extraordinary officers , and are no president for us , ( as in single , and absolute , jurisdiction , &c. ) so in other things , their acts were ordinary , and there examples binding as to us , as their preaching , baptizing , &c. and that this case is of the same nature , may appeare from hence because the same reason which made it necessary fo● apostles to be before churches , made it also necessary for other ministers to be before them : for the reason why the apostles were to be before churches , was this , because , by them churches were to be gathered and baptized ▪ and thus it was with the ordinary ministers of those times , they also were instituted then , and are so now ( by that lasting institution eph ▪ . &c. ) not onely for the building up of churches already constituted , but also for the bringing in of those who are not yet gathered , and therefore it was and is necessary still that ministers be before churches . . they say , acts . . when they had chosen them elders in every church , the churches therefore were before the chusing of elders . reply . . that instance doth not at all enervate our assertion , for although some churches may be before some elders , ( which we never denyed ) yet in the generall , a minister must needs be before a church . and thus much shall suffice for the vindication of those arguments which the assembly used to shew that the essence of the call doth not lie in election . it now remaines that i undertake the defence of those arguments which they used to shew that the essence of the ministeriall call doth consist in ordination : wherein i must still crave the continuance of the liberty i have used , i. e. not put my self or the reader to unnecessary trouble in animadverting upon every passage , but onely to observe such things as are argumentative and have not yet falne within our cognizance . chap. xiiii . the assembly urged tim. . . and tim. . . they answer , . it is questionable whether laying on of hands be here meant of ordination , for that ceremony was used in the collation of gifts also . reply . but forasmuch as this laying on of hands was done by an ordinary presbytery , which had not such a power of conferring gifts by the laying on of hands ( that being the peculiar priviledge of extraordinary officers ) therefore it cannot here be rationally supposed to be so used in this place , but onely for ordination : and therefore this 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 here said to be conveyed , must needs be rather concluded to be an office ( which we often read to have been conferred by ordinary officers ) then a gift ( which we never read that an ordinary officer was intrusted to convey ) but that our brethren will not beare with : for , . they say this 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is not an office , and here they repeat mr. hookers reasons , so that in answering one i shall answer both , and i must needs acknowledge that what is spoken upon this place is said very plausibly . . 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 most commonly signifies gift , not office . . a man is not said to forget the office that is in him ( he is in his office , rather then his office in him ) a man is said to stirre up his grace , not his office . . an extraordinary office ( such as this was ) could not be collated by ordinary officers . lastly , they observe that this gift is said to be given , not 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 by the laying on of their hands as the cause , but onely 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 with , noting onely the concurrence and connexion . to all which i reply , . that both 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 are used in scripture for office as well as gift , our brethren themselves will grant , so that the word being indifferent , we must see which way other considerations will determine it . for the second ( where most difficulty lies ) i reply . . a man may properly be said to neglect his office , or to disregard 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 , to be carelesse in his office , or in the execution of his office : i know no absurdity in it , either in the english , or in the greeke tongue : if a magistrate be slothfull , carelesse , &c. we may properly say he neglects that office that god hath put him in , he neglects his place . and as a man is said to neglect himselfe , when he neglects those things , and those actions which concerne himself ; so a man neglects his office , that neglects the works of his office : so for the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 , strip it of the metaphor , and it is no more but this , put forth , actuate , exercise thine office . pauls bidding him stirre up his ministry , is no more then what elsewhere he bids him , fulfill thy ministry , do the work of an evangelist . he that neglects the work of his ministry , invalidates his office , disuseth , neglects his office , and he that fulfils the works of his ministry , stirres up his office : for that other criticisme , that a man is in his office , not his office in him , the office is ad●oyned to him , not inhaerent in him : that is hardly worth taking notice of , because the preposition 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is used so variously , sometimes for one preposition , sometimes for another , sometimes for that which is inherent in him , sometime for that which is adjoyning to him ( as all know that are not wholly strangers to the greek tongue ) that it is a vanity to lay any stresse upon it : sometimes it is taken for 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 , sometimes for 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 , sometimes for 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 , &c. and sometimes in for apud , 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 , is for a man to be apud se , for a man not to be besides himself ; so here the office , 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 , for 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 , apudte , with thee , which is committed to thee : and as men are said to be in sin , though indeed it is sin that is in them ; and they are said to enter into their masters joy , though to speak properly their masters joy enters into them , and a man is said to be in drinke , though drinke be in him : so it cannot seeme strange if an office be said to be in a man , though in propriety of speech he be in his office . for the third branch : . an extraordinary office might be conveyed in this case by ordinary officers : for . it is commonly thought that paul did concurre in this ordination with that presbytery . . they ordained him by divine direction : and as it was no dishonour to paul and barnabas that they were ordained to that work acts . , . by persons inferiour to them , seeing those persons did it by the immediate appointment of the holy ghost , so neither is it any prejudice to the extraordinarinesse of timothies office , that it was conferred by ordinary officers , seeing they conferred it by the conduct of propheticall designation . . what more ordinary both in state and church , then for a person to have an office conveyed to him , viz. ministerially , by such as are inferiour to him , as the king by some of his subjects , the arch-bishop , by bishops , the officers of a church in our brethrens way by the people , whom i hope they will allow to be inferiour to their officers , at lest they professe that they do so . for the last clause , i say two things . . that 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is used for 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in other places besides this ; acts . . god brought israel out of egypt , 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 , with , i. e. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 by an high hand , as it is elsewhere phrased : so acts . . they told what things god had done 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 with them , i. e. by them ; especially seeing the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 here , is expounded by 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in the other place , which our brethren suppose to be parallel , that puts it out of doubt : and the reason wherefore the apostle rather useth the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 then 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 , was onely for better sound sake , ( which the apostles were not neglective of ) it had been unhandsome to have said , 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 , and therefore he elegantly varies the word , and puts in 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in stead of 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 : but if you will needs have the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to be taken in another sense then 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 , viz. for with , and the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to be understood of a gift , then why may we not acquiesce in this sense , ( which will both fully take off all your objections , and yet no way praejudice our cause ) neglect not the gift , &c. with the laying on of hands : i. e. neglect not the gift , &c. nor the laying on of hands used in ordination , whereby thou wast solemnely set apart for , and obliged to the discharge of thy ministeriall gifts , and office ; do not slight , forget , disregard that injunction &c. and this sense i am sure the greeke will beare very well , and the english doth not exclude it . againe , if this satisfie not , it may be further added , that the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 may be understood of the gift in tim. . . ( forasmuch as the power of conferring such gifts was the priviledge of apostles and extraordinary officers ) and the same word tim. . . may be understood of the office , the conveyance of which did fall within the verge of the ordinary presbyters : and if you take it thus , then you may groundedly suppose , that the laying on of pauls hands , was not done at the same time , nor to the same end , with the laying on of the hands of the presbytery , but that this latter did convey the office at one time ( which is said most properly to be neglected tim. . . ) and the former did convey a gift at another time , which he is called upon to stirre up , tim. . . and this fully takes off all the difficulty . nor can any wonder at the different sense of the same word , and same phrase , for that is so common a thing , not onely in divers epistles , but in the same epistle , yea the same chapter , yea the same verse sometimes , that one and the same word or phrase is differently to be understood , that none can justly stumble at it here . but lastly , it must be remembred that ( if this place were to be understood in their sense , and did not contribute any thing to our cause ) the truth we assert doth not so depend upon this place , that it must needs fall , if this place do not uphold it , forasmuch as it is founded upon divers other important places , as hath bin shewed . the assembly argued further : the persons ordaining , were apostles , prophets , evangelists , and presbyters , whom it is not likely that christ would appoint to convey onely the adjunct of the ministeriall call , and leave the great work of conveying the office-power to the people . to this they say two things . . in stead of giving an answer , they offer an argument ; that because one relate gives being to another , therefore the people must needs give being to the minister . reply . this is a meer fallacy : relata , are considerable two wayes , as i may say , in esse constituendo , & in esse constitute , either as they are to be constituted , or as they are compleatly constituted : it is true , relata considered in esse constitute , do give being one to another , the father is not a father unlesse he have a son . but then consider , relations in esse constituendo , as they are to be constituted , and so somewhat else gives being to them , when they are relata , the one gives being to the other , but there must be some other person or thing , which puts them into that relation , and it is that which we speak off : for instance , the husband gives being to the wife , and the wife to the husband : but there is something else which legally constitutes them in that relation , to wit the act of the justice , or the minister : a vice chancellour is the correlate of the university , yet the chancellours act doth constitute him in the relation , and gives him the essence of his call . . they say , though ordination be but an adjunct , yet , it consisting chiefly , if not onely , in prayer , christ might imploy the elders in adding such an adjunct . reply . but what sober man can imagine , that if this were all , the apostles should take so many journeyes about ordination ; and should leave titus , ( who could ill be spared ) in crete to ordain elders : what , would he leave him onely to pray for a blessing upon persons to be constituted by others ? it is strange he should leave him to a worke no way peculiar to his office , and a worke which a brother might performe as effectually as an officer ? and this shall suffice for the second question . chap. xv. the third and last question is this , whether ordination may be done by the people ? wherein i shall need to say little , because indeed they say little to the purpose , and what they do say , is for the most part , either nothing else but a repetition of their disproved principles , or so infirme , that i may safely leave things to any ingenuous reader , who shall compare our arguments and their answers . neverthelesse i will not wholly omit this task also , but , where i can pick up any thing that requires an answer , and hath not been already dispatched , i shall here take notice of it : they offer divers arguments to prove this proposition : that in a church which wants officers , some beleevers may lawfully ordaine without officers . . else ordination were unattainable , for there is neither precept nor president of an ordinary officers acting in ordination out of the particular church he is over . in the places which speak of ordination , to wit acts . and . . tim. . . tim. . . the persons ordaining were all extraordinary , and so no president for ordinary officers : and for tim. . . we see nothing to convince us that it was an ordinary presbytery . answer . . there are divers practises lawfully used ( even in our brethrens judgment ) which yet we find no president for , but such as extraordinary persons are concerned in : i will instance but in one , and that is excommunication , which we never read practised but by the authority and concurrence of an extraordinary officer . paul practiseth it ; i have delivered him to satan . and the church of corinth practiseth it , but not without pauls expresse command , and positive warrant and concurrence , cor. . , . for i verily as absent in body , but present in spirit having judged already , &c. — when ye are gathered together , and my spirit : and yet our brethren allow , and inferre this as a president for the practise of excommunication by ordinary churches , and ordinary persons : and therefore good reason they should allow us the same liberty . . and the rather , because this makes against our brethren as well as us ; it is their own grant , that ordination is an institution of christ now in force , and that it is to be managed by the officers of the church , where there are such : so that both they and we are thus farre agreed , that ordinary officers may ordaine . now if what they say be true , then there is neither precept nor president for the ordaining of officers , and so it followes from hence , not onely that none but officers may ordaine ( which we assert ) but also that officers may not ordaine at all ( unlesse they will say officers may do that for which they have neither precept nor president ) so that our brethrens argument , either doth not praejudice us , or else it enervates their own principles . . the true way therefore to discern what acts of extraordinary officers are presidentiall to ordinary , and what not , is this : those actions which were proper to those times , those actions which were the results of extraordinary gifts , those actions which were appendants to an extraordinary jurisdiction ; those are no presidents for us . the apostles healing the sick by anouncing with oyl , their preaching without study , their ordering of the church affaires by their single jurisdiction , these things are unimitable by us . but now on the otherside ; those actions of extraordinary officers which are common to all the ages of the church , those , which may be transacted by ordinary gifts , and ordinary jurisdiction , those are presidents for us : the apostles publick praying , and preaching , administring the sacraments , authoritative rebuking , ruling , censuring , &c. i say , their acting of those things , is and was ever by the church taken to be a president for ordinary officers acting the same things . now forasmuch as ordination is allowed by our brethren , to be one of those new testament practises yet to be continued , by virtue of these instances , &c. it followes that the practice of the apostles therein ( though they were extraordinary officers ) is a president for us , onely here is the difference ( wherein i am willing any indifferent man should be umpire ) whether it is a president for the peoples ordaining , ( who , though in things belonging to them , they did act distinctly from , and concurrently with the apostles , as in the businesse of election , yet never do we find them ordaining or joyning with the apostles in the work of ordination ) or whether it be not rather a president for ministers ordaining , who are the undoubted successors of the apostels , and who did act with them in such works . . and lastly , for that tim. . . how faintly and impertinently do they speak ? what if you meet with nothing that convinceth you , that this was an ordinary presbytery ? sure i am you meet with nothing that convinceth you they were extraordinary : and it is a great deal more rationall for us to think they were ordinary persons ( of whom we read nothing which was extraordinary ) then to fancy them to be extraordinary , ( of which we have no evidence at all ) the proof lies upon their side . i need no positive proof to perswade me to take a man for an ordinary person , he is justly presumed so to be , till some indicia , or discoveries of an extraordinary state break forth : but now , if one will assert , that another is an extraordinary person , he must have positive proof for it , which if our brethren can bring , to prove this presbytery to be extraordinary , we shall submit to them , but , till then , they must not take it ill , if we believe them to be ordinary . thus much for their first and principall argument . . they argue thus ; those that may act in making decrees in a synod , they may ordaine ; but believers ( who are not officers ) may act in a synod , &c. acts . , , . i answer to both propositions . . the major may be questioned , because all those things are to be regulated by scripture , now if we have scripture precept or example for the one , i. e. for acting in a synod ( which they say here is ) and not for the other , which we have proved there is not , then believers may do the one and not the other . . for the minor , i deny , that the brethren may act in making decrees in a synod , i deny they did so in this place , we read not a word of it : all that we read is , that the whole church consented to the decrees , and resolved upon the execution of them , which they might do , though they neither acted nor were present at the making of the decrees : even as thousands consent to acts of parliament , that have no hand in the making of them . and if our brethren think to prove this , they must bring better arguments then any they have yet brought . another argument they urge is this ; that ordination consisteth in such acts is may be done by the people ; the people may fast and pray , and ( which may seem to be most doubtful ) they may impose hands if that be a rite still to continue , as appeares from numb . . where the children of israel laid their hands upon the levities . to this instance , the assembly gives such satisfying answers , that i wonder how our brethren could resist the evidence of them ; and indeed their replies are so inconsiderable , that i count it but lost time to make a rejoynder , and all that i shall desire of the reader is this ; that he would but use his reason , and lay aside his passion and prejudice , and compare what is said on both hands together , and i doubt not he will see , that all their assaults against them , are but like the dashings of the waves against a rock , whereby they break themselves to pieces . but if all that satisfie not , i shall adde two answers more . . extraordinary instances are no presidents for ordinary cases . this was apparently an extraordinary case . the levites and church-officers were not yet instituted : and to argue thus , that , because the people did lay on hands before those church-officers were created ( who were afterwards to do it ) therefore they might do it when such officers were created and appointed for that work ; it were as if a man should argue , gifted men may preach where there are no apostles nor ministers to be had , therefore they may do it where there is plenty of ministers : or thus , david might eat the shew-bread when he could get no other , therefore any man may eat it when his table was spread with other bread . . forasmuch as it is ridiculous to think that all israel did lay their hands upon the heads of the levites , therefore this was onely some of them , and those some ( no doubt ) were the first-born . now it must be remembred , that as the levites were taken instead of the first-born , num. . , . so the first-born till then were in stead of the levites , and till god instituted the ecclesiasticall offices and officers in israel , the first-born were officers ; and so it concerns not the people at all , nor proves any right in them to do the same thing . in the next place they come to answer some arguments which are urged by the assembly , to prove that ordination did not belong to the people . their answers to the two first , are nothing else but repetitions of what hath been already discussed , and therefore i here wave them . for the third , the assembly observed ; that all that is written in the epistles concerning the ordainers and the qualification of the party ordained , is mentioned in the epistles to timothy , and titus , who were church-officers ; not in those epistles which are written to the churches . they answer . . charges may be directed to officers , and yet the people required to concurre , as rev. . and . if timothy and titus were to act these alone as evangelists , then they are no presidents for us , if , with others , why not with the people as well as the officers ? reply . they were to act alone in ordination as evangelists , and yet are a president for us . for , here are two things to be considered . . the work , viz. of ordination , which was common and ordinary , and this is imitable . . the manner of doing it which was extraordinary ; i. e. by their single power , and this is inimitable . you will say , if the manner of this ordination was extraordinary , then timothy's practice in ordination is no more a president for ordinary officers ordaining , then for the people ordaining . i answer , yes ; there is a different reason , because timothy was one of the officers or persons ruling ; and an extraordinary one , who alone might stand in the room of all other officers ; it may be there were no officers present when timothy did ordaine ; however his acting in this as an officer , though extraordinary , may well be president for his successors , such as are officers for the doing of the work ( which is ordinary ) though not for the doing of it by his single jurisdiction , which was extraordinary . but now on the other side , for the people or the persons rulled , timothy was not one of them , but sustained a distinct person from them , and there were people at that time unquestionably present , when ever timothy and titus ordained ; and the people even in the dayes of those extraordinary officers , did retain their distinct liberties , and exercise those things , which did belong to them as people , as is plain in the case of election , which they injoyned and practised . and had ordination belonged to the people as well as election , certainly ( notwithstanding the agency and presence of the apostles therein , yet ) we should have heard somewhat , at least , concerning the peoples concurrence ; which because we hear not a syllable of , we therefore justly conclude , that election did , and doth , belong to the people , but ordination doth not . i adde onely this ; that look what reasons our brethren have to look on the apostles , &c. baptizing , &c. to be a president for ministers baptizing , and not for the peoples baptizing ; the very same reasons have we to conclude , that their ordaining is a president for officers ordaining , not for the ordination of the people . . they say , all may be written to timothy and titus , because they were to direct others how to act in them . and therefore the apostle writes to them about other things ( which yet were not to be acted by them alone , but by the people ) as the making of prayers for kings , clothing of women in modest aparrel , &c. reply . by this rule , all things should have been written onely in the epistles to timothy and titus , for they were to direct the people in all other things . but it is not simply the putting of a thing in this epistle , which makes that act peculiar to officers ; but this is it which is justly insisted on , and which our brethren should do well againe to consider , that , paul , who was so carefull to order the affaires in every church ; yet in all his epistles to those churches , speakes not a word about the businesse of ordination . surely the scriptures silence is argumentative as well as its speech , and it is oft urged in scripture : melchisedek is said to be without father , &c because the scriture is silent as to his geniallogie , so heb. . — our lord sprang of iuda of which tribe moses spake nothing concerning the preisthood . and surely , it is not to no purpose that the scripture is so silent , as to the point of direction about the mission of ministers , in all those epistles to people , but insinuates thus much to impartiall readers , that the holy ghost looked upon the people , as persons not intrusted with that work . the last thing urged by the assembly was this ; that ordination is an authoritative mission , an act of jurisdiction , an act which gives the essentialls of the call. private persons can no more conveigh power to another to administer sacraments , then they can do it themselves . they answer . that ordination is no act of jurisdiction , nor would it be so though it did convey the office-power : freemen do convey office-power to their bailiffs , &c. yet do no act of jurisdiction . reply . . this hath been answered before , to wit , freemen have that power by a constitution , but there is not any constitution for the peoples conveying the office-power to ministers . . if the word jurisdiction be taken strictly , there is a difference made between ordination and jurisdiction , but if by an act of iurisdiction they mean nothing else but an act of authority ( for that is the thing in question ) then we have before proved that it is an act of authority , and it were easie to make it good by arguments . we never find ordination practised either in the old or new testament , but by persons in authority towards their inferiours . moses ordained aaron ; aaron his sons , christ his apostles , the apostles other ministers : and if in all these it be granted to be an act of authority , surely to deny it to be so in other ministers , carrying on the same work , is an assertion neither true nor probable . again , ordination is that act which constitutes a man in office , and therefore must be an act of authority : but i must remember my work is not now to prove , but to answer , and therefore i forbear , and shall give my self and the reader a writ of ease . only that the reader may see the fruit of our brethrens opinion ( as indeed posito uno absurdo , sequuntur mille ) i shall present him with a list of some novel and strange assertions which they have been hurried into by the force of their principles . novel and strange passages . . they implicitly deny jesus christ to have preached to the iews as a teacher by office , for thus they say , p. . a man is not a teacher by office to all that he may preach to : if he preach to heathens — such as will not receive iustruction , yet they are said to be taught , though they stumble at the word , mat. . . he ( i. e. jesus ) taught them , and yet v. . they were offended at him . but a man is not a teacher by office unto such heathens . and the apostles , according to them , were no officers to heathens ; for they thus argue , pag. . that such are no officers to people as cannot exercise church-government over them : but ( say i ) the apostles cannot exercise church-government over heathens . what have i to do to judge them that are without . cor. . . ergo. . one that is really gifted for preaching ( for ought we know ) may lawfully preach without approbation from a church , or others , p. o. . it is the work of god and christ onely , to send preachers , let it be proved wherever a presbytery was impowred to send . pag. . and the church is in no better case with them ; for they say , the person sending is christ , neither a church nor a presbytery , pag. . and afterwards . sending is nothing else but christ commanding to go and preach , not by a presbytery , but by the word . and how a presbytery can send , but by exhorting to follow the command of christ , we know not . and in such a doctrinall way ( for ought we see ) a private christian may exhort to go and teach , pag. . so that now both presbytery and church are thrust out of office , and every one that is apt to teach , is commanded to preach , though neither presbytery nor church send him ; and every private christian hath as great a power to send ministers , as either church or presbytery , which who can read without wonder ? . if the major part of a congregation be wicked , we suppose then it is no true church ; and if once it were a true church , yet now it ceaseth to be so , or is unchurched . pag. . . they talk of pastors administring the sacraments not as pastors ; for thus they say , if pastors preach and give the sacraments to their own flock , they act as pastors , but if they perform these acts to any , not of their own congregation , they do it not as pastors , pag. . then they do it as gifted-men , for that is the other branch of the distinction . he that preacheth to strangers not as a pastor , preacheth as a gifted-brother ( that they grant ) . and therefore he that administreth the sacraments to any not as a pastor , doth it as a gifted-brother . . we see no inconvenience in asserting that heathens converted to christianity may be a church , before they be baptized , pag. . . a minister as oft as hee changeth his place and people , needeth a new ordination , pag. . . they say , it is our mistake , when we assert that baptisme doth admit , or make a man stand in relation to a church , whereas baptizing is not into a church , but into the name of christ , pag. . . they say , if a people turn hereticall , or starve a minister , or combine to vote him out ; the sin of the people doth nullify the office of the minister , pag. . and , that i may tread in our brethrens steps who were so ready to catch at the appearance of a contradiction in the provinciall assembly , i shall put them in mind of two or three 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or seeming repugnancies at least , if not grosse contradictions . self contradicting passages . they say , pag. . that one that is really gifted for preaching may ( for ought we know ) lawfully preach without approbation from a church or others , pag. . and they urge pet. . . to prove it the duty of gifted persons to preach , and surely if it be a duty , then it obligeth whensoever a man may do it lawfully . and yet , pag. . they say , we grant , that to a mans exercise of his gifts in this or that place , there is praerequired a call from the people , or magistrate : and how can any man preach but he must preach in this or that place ? quod nusquam fit non fit . . they say , when an ordained minister removes from one charge to another , they chuse him not as one that is to be made a minister , but as one already made and now to be made their minister , pag. . and yet , pag. . they say , when he removes , he is to have a new ordination , and a new election . the gospel knoweth no difference between making a man a minister , and making him their minister . pag. . . they say , men to be sent to the heathens to convert them , should be ordained , because the conversion of soules is a proper work of the ministry ; pag. . and yet , pag. . they say ; when men are sent to heathens , if they be officers , yet they preach not as officers : the conversion of souls is the work of the ministry , not the proper work . finis . notes, typically marginal, from the original text notes for div a -e suarez metap . predestinati nondum congregati . aug. right foot . hammond . selden . analogum per se positum sum●●ur pro famosiore analogata . the christian hearer's first lesson a sermon preached at st. mary's church in nottingham on thursday, octob. the th, : the first day of a lecture preached there weekly by the ministers of that town and country : publish'd to satisfie the desire of some of the auditors / by clem elis ... ellis, clement, - . approx. kb of xml-encoded text transcribed from -bit group-iv tiff page images. text creation partnership, ann arbor, mi ; oxford (uk) : - (eebo-tcp phase ). a wing e estc r ocm this keyboarded and encoded edition of the work described above is co-owned by the institutions providing financial support to the early english books online text creation partnership. this phase i text is available for reuse, according to the terms of creative commons . universal . the text can be copied, modified, distributed and performed, even for commercial purposes, all without asking permission. early english books online. (eebo-tcp ; phase , no. a ) transcribed from: (early english books online ; image set ) images scanned from microfilm: (early english books, - ; : ) the christian hearer's first lesson a sermon preached at st. mary's church in nottingham on thursday, octob. the th, : the first day of a lecture preached there weekly by the ministers of that town and country : publish'd to satisfie the desire of some of the auditors / by clem elis ... ellis, clement, - . [ ], p. printed for w. rogers ..., london : . 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ascii text with mnemonic sdata character entities); displayable xml (tcp schema; characters represented either as utf- unicode or text strings within braces); or lossless xml (tei p , characters represented either as utf- unicode or tei g elements). keying and markup guidelines are available at the text creation partnership web site . eng clergy -- sermons. sermons, english -- th century. - tcp assigned for keying and markup - spi global keyed and coded from proquest page images - john latta sampled and proofread - john latta text and markup reviewed and edited - pfs batch review (qc) and xml conversion the christian hearer's first lesson . a sermon preached at st. mary's church in nottingham , on thursday octob. the th . . the first day of a lecture preached there weekly , by the ministers of that town and county . publish'd to satisfie the desire of some of the auditors . by clem. elis , rector of kirkby in nottinghamshire . imprimatur . novemb. . . ra. barker . london : printed for w. rogers , at the sun over against st. dunstan's church in fleetstreet . . to the christian readers . this plain sermon , preached at the request of my reverend brethren of the clergy , and here published in compliance with the desire of them , and ( as they assure me ) of some others who heard it ; i do first most humbly offer to almighty god in prayer for his blessing , that it may become in some measure useful to his church ; and next to you the christian readers , to make the best use of it you can . if any one of you receive profit by it , pay , as you are here directed , all your thanks to him alone who giveth the encrease : i only beg that you would assist the sinful author with your devout prayers for the encrease of grace , lest that by any means when he hath preached to others , he himself should be a cast-a-way . the christian hearer's first lesson . cor. iii. . neither is he that planteth any thing , neither he that watereth ; but god that giveth the encrease . saint paul ( as we read in the xviii th . chapter of the acts of the apostles ) had , by the good blessing of god upon his labours , been very successful in preaching the gospel of christ at corinth , so reasoning , and perswading , that notwithstanding all the opposition and blaspheming of the jews , crispus , the chief ruler of the synagogue , believed on the lord with all his house : and many of the corinthians hearing , believed , and were baptized . ver. . after his departure thence , came apollos , an eloquent man , and mighty in the scriptures , who being fervent in the spirit , spake and taught diligently the things of the lord at ephesus : and being come into corinth , helped them much which had believed through grace ; mightily convincing the jews . ( ver . , . ) and this is it that st. paul here saith , v. . i have planted , apollos watered , but god gave the encrease . an encrease indeed very considerable , as it appears by the apostle's thanksgiving to god for it . i thank my god ( saith he , ch. . v. . ) always on your behalf , for the grace of god which is given you by jesus christ ; that in every thing ye are enriched by him , in all utterance , and in all knowledge ; even as the testimony of christ was confirmed in you . so that ye come behind in no gift ; waiting for the coming of our lord jesus christ. and in the second epistle , c. . v. . he testifieth of them , that they abounded in faith , in utterance , and knowledge , and in all diligence , and in their love to him , and their other teachers . here then , by the planting of paul , and the watering of apollos , and the success which god gave to them both in their ministry , an eminent church grew up in a short time , and flourish'd at corinth , of persons sanctified in christ jesus , and called to be saints . but alas , how imperfect are all the most perfect things that are under heaven ? this so lately planted , so plentifully water'd , so highly commended church , ( as the purest and best constituted church on earth will always have ) had its spots and blemishes ; and those not a few , but many ; and some of them of the foulest sort too , and such as did not only stain her beauty , but endanger'd her very life . the resurrection of the dead was denied by some among them ; fornication and incest , such as the gentiles would blush to hear of , was committed by others ; the holy sacrament of the lord's supper was prophaned by the irreverent and uncharitable , by the drunkard and the glutton ; stumbling-blocks were laid in the way of the weak brethren , and their tender consciences wounded by an unnecessary and uncharitable use of christian liberty : little conscience was made of scandalizing their holy religion , by going to law before infidels ; nay , by wronging and defrauding one another : discipline lay neglected , and there was none of that mourning , which should have been for all these abominations committed among them . here then were corruptions many and great , both in faith and manners , and such as , tho' they would not warrant any member in a separation from this church , were more than enow to fire the holy zeal of all the members of it , and to engage them all in the most vigorous endeavours for a speedy reformation in it . what then is to be done in such a case as this ? why , truly all that can be done , providing still for the safety and preservation of the whole , and as much as may be , of every part . all that can be to heal , and cleanse , and edifie , but nothing to destroy . let every member of the body , according to its station and office therein , contribute what possibly it can to the preservation of its life , and restoring of its health , but let no member be cut off , so long as the body may be preserved without such mutilation , and there is hope remaining that the corrupt member may be cured by gentler means : much less let any member tear it self off , so long as by continuing in the body it may have life and nourishment . dividing is a very untoward way of healing , and i think should never be used , but when the case is otherwise desperate . indeed the body may sometimes be saved by the loss of a corrupt member ; but it will be very hard , if possible , to keep a member from dying , that separates it self from a living body , tho' diseased . st. paul takes a great deal of pains to correct and reform the many errors and disorders among these christians of corinth ; but whatever he doth , or orders to be done , for a reformation , he seems to have his eye continually fixed upon the peace and vnity of the church ; considering well , how unhopeful a thing such a reformation is in a house that is divided in it self : and therefore he goes to work like a skilful reformer . he would have the old leaven purged out , but so , that they might still continue one , tho' a new lump , c. . v. . he would have the house repaired without pulling it down , or taking it in pieces stone from stone : so that the foundation , which he as a wise master-builder had laid , continue , he thinks it better to leave the wood , hay , and stubble , which others had built upon it , to the trial of the fire , when god shall send it , than to take the building asunder , c. . v. , &c. he would have the body kept sound ; yet so , if possible , that it may also remain entire ; that so it may still grow up into him in all things , which is the head , even christ : from whom the whole body fitly joyned together , and compacted by that which every joint supplieth , according to the effectual working in every part , maketh encrease of the body , unto the edifying of itself in love , eph. iv . . therefore in the first place , he most earnestly exhorts the corinthians to vnity , and warns them to beware of divisions , c. . v. . now i beseech you brethren by the name of our lord jesus christ , that ye all speak the same thing , and that there be no divisions among you ; but that ye be perfectly joyned together in the same mind , and in the same judgment . and that this earnest exhortation may appear the more reasonable , he proceeds to demonstrate unto them the unreasonableness of that , which at least was one , and it may be a principal cause of the divisions which were among them : which in st. jude's phrase , v. . is , their having mens persons in admiration because of advantage : and in st. paul's , ch . . v. . their being puffed up for one against another . one will be of paul , another of apollos , a third of cephas , and a fourth is too wise or too good in his own conceit to be taught of man , and will therefore confine christ to his own party , that he may be taught of god only . st. paul with all plainness informeth their understandings in the truth , that faith may take good rooting . and for this , it may be , his speech seemed contemptible , cor. . . what ( might some say ) can this dry preaching signifie ? give us an awakening preacher . apollos with a flood of eloquence watered what st. paul had planted . and what 's all this ( might others say ) but a vain-glorious ostentation of art ? let us have plain reason or scripture , without all this flourishing of words . o how hard a task have the ministers of christ in a corinth , in a populous and wealthy town ! where much people is , there is always much variety of temper . and humour ; and where is much ease , and leisure , and plenty of all things , there will be also much pride , and wantonness , and curiosity . and what paul or apollos is sufficient to deal with all these ? every one's humour or fancy is his idol , and if god himself will not minister to it , he is offended . every one would limit god in his own work , to such instruments as he finds himself most affected with , not considering what he is here told , that tho' paul himself plant , and apollos water , yet neither is he that planteth any thing , neither he that watereth , but god that giveth the encrease . well then , if we believe st. paul , the whole vertue and efficacy of man's ministry in the church of christ , for the conversion and salvation of sinners , is from the blessing of god. neither paul's planting , nor apollos's watering , nor all the unwearied endeavours of the most accomplish'd preachers , can make us good christians , and bring us to heaven , without the special grace of god. this is it that i would at present earnestly commend to your most serious thoughts : it is indeed a very plain truth , and stands not in need of an elaborate proof ; but the as plain and necessary consequents of it are not , i fear , sufficiently ponder'd by us ; and therefore i have thought it not unseasonable at this time to mind you of them . i intend therefore , by god's help , i. for the preventing of all mistakes , briefly to illustrate the doctrine contained in these words . ii. for the help of such as may need it , to point at some of the vses we should make of it . i. for the preventing of all mistakes , i shall briefly illustrate the doctrine contained in these words . and this , i hope , may be sufficiently done in the shewing you these four things , viz. . what every minister of the gospel may , and ought to do . . what one minister may be able to do , more than another . . that all which the best can do , is in it self of no efficacy . . that the efficacy of all is of god only . but before i enter upon this , it will be fit to tell you what i suppose , and take for granted of the persons here spoken of ; which is this . ( . ) that they have a sufficient call to the office of the sacred ministry , and authority to exercise the same , and are no bold intruders , who run before they be sent . ( . ) that they be furnished with a competent stock of divine knowledge , and understand the things they are to teach and minister unto others , and are not blind leaders of the blind . ( . ) lastly , that they have , at least , such a faculty of expression and elocution , as that they may be understood by those whom they are to instruct ; and that they and their hearers are not barbarians to each other . these things supposed , because i know not how he should be accounted a minister of the gospel that wants them ; i am now to shew . . what every minister of the gospel may and ought to do . and it is very plain , that such an one as is qualified as abovesaid , may both plant and water , and do the whole work of god , so far as he hath thought fit to instruct man with it , and to work himself by the ministry of man. all ministers of christ may and ought catechise and instruct the ignorant , and exhort the knowing ; strengthen the weak , and establish the wavering ; comfort the afflicted , encourage the timerous , and lift up the dejected ; awake the sleepy , spur on the lazy , and warn the confident ; rebuke the wicked , correct the erroneous , and direct the doubtful , terrifie the presumptuous , and reprove the scorner . they may and ought to feed the flock of god , and to give to every one his portion in due season , giving milk to babes , and strong meat to them who are able to bear it . they may preach the word plainly and constantly , administer the sacraments duly and reverently , pray for all men both publickly and privately , fervently and devoutly . in short , they may exercise the whole ministry of reconciliation , which christ hath committed unto them ; behave themselves as examples to the flock whereof they are made overseers ; shewing themselves patterns of good works , and making others see in their holy conversation the narrow way to heaven . these things , i say , all who are fit to be called ministers of the holy gospel of christ , may and ought to do . and these are indeed great things , and they who do them are not to be set at nought and despised , but to be esteemed very highly in love for their work 's sake ; and so , no doubt of it , they will be , if , as it there follows , ( thess. . ) we can once again be so happy as to be at peace among our selves . they are god's ministers , by whom men may believe , v. . his servants , sent forth to invite us to heaven and eternal blessedness ; his attorneys ( if i may so speak ) to seal unto us in his name the mercies of the new covenant . they can tell us words whereby we and our houses may be saved . act. . . by taking heed unto themselves , and to their doctrine , they may both save themselves and them that hear them , tim. . . they are labourers together with god. v. . stewards of the mysteries of god , ch. . ver . . ambassadors for christ , cor. . . whilst therefore they are faithful to their great master , they ought to have the honour due unto their character . we have thus in short seen what all ministers ought to do . . let us now see , what one minister may be able to do more than another . and that one may be able to do a great deal more than another , i think no man can doubt , when he considers , that god hath not given to all the same number of talents to improve withal : and one may do five times as much with five talents , as he can do with one . there never was ( that i know of ) such an equality in ministers , as excluded all difference in degrees of excellency or usefulness . whilst immediate inspiration lasted , and the extraordinary gifts of the spirit were in a manner common , every one who had them , had them not all ; nor had all they who had the same gifts , those same gifts which they had , in the same measure ; the spirit divided to every one severally , as he would ; to one this , and to another that , yet to every one to profit withal , cor. xii . , . all the apostles had not st. peter's boldness of spirit , presence of mind , quickness of apprehension , forwardness of speech , zeal , or courage : all were not , like james and john , boanerges , sons of thunder : all had not paul's learning , nor his admirable patience , and indefatigable industry ; nor can all be supposed to have had apollos's eloquence . one minister of christ may have a more faithful memory , and another a clearer judgment , and a third a more fruitful invention , and a fourth a better elocution . one may have more reading , and another more experience , a third more zeal , and a fourth more prudence . one may be more knowing , and another more dexterous in teaching what he knows . one may discourse more copiously and plainly , and another may argue more closely and nervously , and another perswade more warmly and affectionately . one may insinuate more sweetly , and another may rebuke more cuttingly , and a third may instruct more convincingly . one may be more dexterous at planting , another at watering , a third at weeding , and a fourth at fencing ; and another may exceed all in pruning off the luxuriant branches , and cherishing the tender plants . now , all these , and the like , wherein one may be able to do more than another , are very good things , and in some competent measure necessary in every minister of christ. and yet it is no less absurd , to expect the same abilities , and degrees of such ministerial accomplishments and perfections in all ministers , than it would be to imagine , that all artists , or men of any one profession , should be of equal skill , prudence , industry , and activity . taking it therefore for granted , that one may do more than another , and all the builders in god's house must not be thought equal to that wise master-builder st. paul ; let us now see what we may expect from the very best of them . to this i say , . that all which the best can do is in it self of no efficacy . neither is paul himself , nor apollos , any thing ; that is , of any use at all to us , without the special blessing of god , whose very weak instruments , and no more but so , all , even the best qualified ministers of the gospel are . let us do all that ever we can to do you good , we cannot by any art or skill , power or pains that we have or can use , make any one of those whole that are sick , strong that are weak , and much less can we make alive them that are dead in trespasses and sins . we cannot in the least measure benefit any one of those , towards whom we exercise our ministry . it is true indeed , we find st. paul ( chap. iv . . ) speaking thus of himself to the corinthians , in christ jesus i have begotten you through the gospel : and thence he rationally enough inferreth , that though they had since that ten thousand other instructers , yet should not their kindness for any of them , how well soever they had deserved it , abate any thing of the love and honour which were still nevertheless due to him , as the first instrument of their conversion . they might respect their other teachers as good and tender nurses , but ought still to give him the honour due unto a father , and be followers of him . yet after all , st. paul acknowledgeth himself herein to be no more but an instrument in another's hand . he beg at them , but in christ jesus , and that by the gospel , whereby was sown in them by god himself that incorruptible seed of which alone men are reborn christians , pet. . . he tells the galatians also ( chap. iv . . ) that he travelled in birth again till christ was formed in them : this is indeed a high expression of his truly parental affection for them , of the great pains he took with them , of the troubles he cheerfully underwent for their sake , and of his earnest sollicitude , and ardent desire of their proficiency under his ministry , and his great grief of heart to see them so soon turn'd away from the doctrine he had taught them , and unto which he now labours again to reduce them . but the forming of christ in men is the work of no less than that divine power that once formed for him an humane body in a virgin-womb . what is it that the ablest ministers can do to make men good christians ? alas , all comes to no more but this : they can declare and lay open the doctrine of the gospel to men fully , plainly , and sincerely . they can exhort , perswade , and desire men frequently , earnestly and heartily to believe and practise it , and shew them very good reasons why they should do so . they can direct them to the best helps , and warn them to take heed of all letts and impeditaments , and shew them the danger of temptations . they can admonish them when they are out of the way , and labour by all means to reduce them into it again , comfort them in it , and encourage them to persevere therein unto the end ; and , in a word , administer unto them all the things which christ hath put into their hands to administer , as they can have opportunity of administring , and can find persons capable of receiving the same . finally , they can incessantly pray to god for a blessing upon all they do : and so indeed they have great need to do ; for when all that they can do is done by them , they have but done what the husbandman can do towards a good harvest ; they have ploughed and sown , but know not what the crop will prove . they do but hold a glorious light before a blind eye , and sing a melodious song to a deaf ear , and give very good advice to fools and madmen . to make men see with their eyes , and hear with their ears , to bring them to themselves , and make them understand with their hearts , that they may be illuminated , converted , and healed , is not the work of man ; our necks are too stiff to bend , our wills too sturdy to yield , vicious habits and customs too deeply rooted to be plucked up , fashionable sins too impudent to be put out of countenance , our lusts too rebellious and imperious to be subdued and tamed by mens reasonings and perswasions . the strong man armed , that hath got the possession , will be too strong for all men , and will keep the possession he hath gotten in spight of all that can be done , till the man who is god too , come upon him and disarm him . the strong bolds of satan within us will not be cast down by the little batteries of mens tongues . and though we that are ministers must never hold our peace , but lift up our voices like trumpets ; though we must not cease to cry aloud ; though we spare not , but shout till these earthen vessels of ours crack and fall in pieces , the walls of this cursed jericho will not be so blown down . none but he , whose voice shaketh the heavens and the earth , can rend the stony hearts of sinners . which is the last thing to be now shewn , viz. . that the efficacy of all is of god only . whoever planteth , or watereth , god giveth the encrease . all are as good as nothing , and labour in vain without him . 't is true indeed , it hath pleased god to make use of the ministry of men in the building of his church , and to make them workers together with and under himself ; and their great business it is , to beseech us not to receive this grace of god in vain , cor. vi . . he hath put his words into their mouth , and his seed into their hands ; they are made his seeds-men , and go forth to sow by his command : but still the seed it self , and all the prolifick vertue of it , the skill and activity of the sowers , the goodness of the ground , the warmth and the rain , the growth and harvest , are all of him . who must soften the highway's-side ? who must add depth of earth to the stony ground ? who must root up the thorns and the bryars ? who must fright away the devouring birds ? it is god alone , the father of spirits , that can create a right spirit within us , restrain our thoughts from wandering abroad , and the devil's temptations from entring in and prevailing . it is he only that can empty our hearts of cares , and the love of riches , and the pleasures of this life , which choke the good seed . he it is that can make the heart good and honest , and prepare and enable it with due attention and affection to receive , and with serious meditation to cherish the seed sown , and with constancy of resolution to bring any fruit to perfection . though ministers are sent to invite us to christ , yet hath christ himself told us , joh. vi . . saying , mo man can come to me except the eather draw him . it is god ( as st. paul saith , cor. ii . . ) that maketh manifest the savour of his knowledge in every place . he that by the foolishness of preaching saveth them that believe , cor. . . he opened lydia's heart to attend to the things which were spoken of paul , acts xvi . . st. paul saith , he laboured more abundantly , than they all ; yet he adds , not i , but the grace of god that was with me , cor. xv . . indeed , our blessed saviour had sent forth his apostles to a very unhopeful work , sending the lambs to convert the wolves , a few poor contemptible men to make disciples all nations , had he not promised himself to be with them , matth. xxviii . and the greatest encouragement that st. paul had to abide preaching the gospel in such a town as corinth , lay in those words of christ , act. xviii . . i am with thee , and i have much people in this city , and therefore fear not . he had prepared the hearts of the people as the books to be written in , and then he made use of st. paul's tongue as the pen of a ready writer ; and this writer was god himself . i ( saith he , heb. viii . . ) will put my laws in their mind , and write them in their hearts . therefore ( saith the apostle to these corinthians , cor. iii. . ) ye are manifestly declared to be the epistle of christ , ministred by us , written not with ink , but with the spirit of the living god. who shines in our hearts , to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of god in the face of jesus christ ; cor. iv . . indeed , to give light to our dark minds , and to keep the god of this world from blinding them , is the work of him alone who at first brought light out of darkness . he alone can make us new creatures , that is , christians , who breath'd into our dust the breath of life , and made us men. with what treasures then soever it hath pleased god to instruct any of us , that we may dispense them unto you ; yet still both you and we must know , that we have this treasure in earthen vessels , that the excellency of the power may be of god , and not of us , cor. iv . . i have held you , i fear , too long in the illustration of so plain a truth ; i shall therefore conclude this part of my discourse with those words of st. augustine upon st. john's gospel , god gave the encrease , not by them , but by himself . this is a work which is above not only the meanness of man , but the height of angels : nor doth it at all belong to any other but to him who is the husbandman , that is , the ever blessed trinity . the doctrine thus cleared , ii. for the help of such as may need it , i will point at some of the uses we should make of it . and truly , methinks they lye very obvious , both to preachers and hearers . we are this day , by the good providence of god , entering upon an * exercise , wherein our whole design and business is to minister , as god shall enable us , to the good of your souls . far be it from us to beguile you with enticing words , with fair speeches to deceive the simple , or with feigned words to make merchandise of you . expect not to have your heads filled with airy notions , or your curiosity fed with fine speculations ; and fear as little to have your minds perplexed with doubtful disputations ; least of all let any jealousie possess you , that you shall be entertain'd with splenetick and virulent invectives against men and parties : these things become not us , nor will they profit you : we seek not yours for our selves , but you for god ; and i doubt not but i may say it in the name of all my brethren , who are engaged on this service of your faith , that we preach not our selves , but christ jesus the lord , and our selves your servants for jesus sake : that we have no ambition to exercise a dominion over any man's faith , but earnestly desire ( may god of his goodness make us so happy ) to be helpers of your joy. 't is god's honour , and your happiness , and both these in the reviving of a sincere and unaffected christian piety , now languishing even to death among us , that we solely aim at . but alas , what are we , that we should attempt such things as these ? we are nothing , we can do nothing of our selves towards so weighty a work ; all our sufficiency must be of god. the sense of this directed me to the choice of this subject , as most proper to humble us , and instruct you . to humble us , i say , in consideration of our utter insufficiency for the important work which lyeth upon us ; and to instruct you how , notwithstanding all our weakness , you may be sure to reap some profit by the weakest of us all . and truly , i the rather hope for god's blessing upon our endeavours , when i consider with what unanimity and cheerfulness of mind my reverend brethren have consented to this service . it will now much confirm this hope , if you shall be pleased ( worshipful and beloved ) not only to countenance us with your presence and attention , but to assist us with your devout prayers . . and therefore , next to the humbling of our selves in the presence of god , as nothing without him , unable to serve either him or you without his special assistance , and because of our manifold sins most unworthy of that also ; the first use which i very heartily desire you to make of what hath been said , is to help us with your daily fervent prayers at the throne of grace , for the pardoning of our sins , and the sanctifying of our souls , and the supplying of all our defects : that in simplicity and godly sincerity , not with fleshly wisdom , but by the grace of god , we may have our conversation in the world , and more abundantly to youwards at this time , not handling the word of god deceitfully , but by manifestation of the truth , commending our selves to every man's conscience in the fight of god : that god would open unto us a door of utterance , that we may open our mouth boldly , that the word of god may have its free course , and be glorified with you . therefore men profit so little by the ministry , because they so seldom or so coldly address themselves in prayer to god , for his blessing upon it . whilst we bestow so much more time in hearing than we do in praying , as being the far easier task of the two , it may be feared we expect more from men than we do from god ; and tho' we may carry the sermon home , we leave god's blessing behind us . therefore , . because we are nothing , and all the encrease is of god , let us take heed how we depend so much on the ministry of men , who are nothing , as to attend too little in their ministry upon god who doth all . whilst you are pleased to afford us your ear , be sure that you give god your heart . neither regard ye what we say any farther than we speak as the oracles of god. imitate the thessalonians in this , who when they received the word of god , which they heard of st. paul , and others , received it not as the word of men , but ( as it is in truth ) the word of god , which effectually worketh in them that believe , thess. ii . . come with a desire and resolution to hear god himself speak to you ( by what mouth soever he shall speak ) and , be sure of it , the word will be mighty , and prevail . it is a very lamentable thing , to see in what extreams we are apt to lose both god and our selves ; first , because neither paul nor apollos are any thing without god , or in comparison of god ; therefore some very rashly conclude , that they are nothing at all to them , and that the ministry of such men is of no use in the church , but all are to be taught of god only . and 't is true , that our chief teacher is god himself ; but if we will be taught of him , we must submit our selves to be taught by him as it pleaseth him to teach us , and not as we have a mind to be taught . what though the very best instrument be able to do nothing by its self , out of the workman's hand ? yet even an indifferent one may do much , when managed by the hand of a skilful workman . i shall only desire one thing to be granted me by him that resolves to be taught of god alone , without the ministry of men ordain'd to teach ; and i think it a very reasonable request , that before he thus put it to the venture whether he shall be taught or no , he be first very sure , that god will , as well as that he can , so teach him ; or , that he hath not ordained the ministry of men in his church , or that he will , meerly to humour him , change his ordinary method , and cancel his own ordinance . it is certainly god alone that gives the encrease in the field , as well as in the church ; and yet men are not so unreasonable or confident , as to expect and relye upon a good harvest from god without the labour of the husbandman . why then should they expect the fruit of the spirit without the labour of the ministry , till god give them some better assurance of it than yet he hath done ? we must not indeed stint god's power as though he could not work without this or that instrument ; and yet neither must we slight his institution , and neglect his ordinary method . he that would pluck god's instruments , how mean soever they seem , out of his hand , and not give him the glory of magnifying his strength in the weakness of men ; tho' he do not thereby disable god from working , yet doth he enough to provoke him not to work . others there be , who in another extream seem to make god himself almost nothing , and the minister all . such are they who place the greatest part of their religion in hearing many sermons ; and when they have heard enough , are apt to perswade themselves , that they have served god well enough . they are wont to be very attentive , with a great deal of affection , and it may be a great deal too much admiration , to the preacher ; and to talk much of him , and of his excellent sermon ; and yet all the while are as regardless of god , and address as little to him for his blessing , as tho' they had heard nothing at all of him , nor had any thing to do with him . it is very well , if god be not too often thus put off with a vain shew of worship , and if the preacher have not all , but only what in the coveted reputation of hearers and professors we catch at for our selves , of the honour which is due unto him. the delight which many of us take seems to be too much in the meer planting or sowing , and if that be done , according to our own opinion , artificially , we are mightily pleased ; and if not , more offended , and we count all the time lost ( as in sad truth it is ) which we have spent in hearing . the harvest and encrease is the thing that of all others we least think of ; as tho' we heard only for hearing 's sake . so our ears be but constantly exercised , a barren heart , which bringeth forth no fruit of righteousness to god , or to our neighbour , in our life and conversation , never troubles us . we are apt to fancy , howsoever we live , that we love god very well , because we love to hear of him ; and if this love cool a little , so long as we can ever and anon warm it again by hearing we keep our selves , as we imagine , spiritually alive unto god. to these two sorts of people a third may be added , who seem to attribute so much to the choice of the instrument or preacher ; as if they thought that god himself is like to some workmen , who cannot do their work to any purpose , unless they have the very best tools to work withal . indeed , the religion of a great many seems to lye in nothing else but the itch of the ear ; which is a disease , and not a vertue ; and no good symptom of a sound heart . the apostle said long ago , that a time would come when men would not endure sound doctrine , but after their own lusts would heap to themselves teachers , having itching ears , tim. iv . . now , we may be sure , that where mens lusts and affections chuse their teachers , tho' the ear may be clawed , the heart will remain unsearched . sound doctrine will sit too hard upon the sore place , and make it uneasie . there are some soft doctrines , which mightily please whilst they profit nothing . these prick not at the heart , and so long the itch may daily encrease , the more that the sore within putrifies . and tho' the christian decay , yet as the itch encreases , the fancy of being a good christian encreaseth with it ; and the disease within becomes mortal e're it be felt , and the deluded soul , in a ravishing dream of going to heaven , sinks pleasantly into hell. . let us , from what hath been said , learn how we are to behave our selves in relation to the ordinances of god administred by men. and first more generally , let us see that we rightly discern and distinguish between the work of god , and the ministry of man in every ordinance ; neither expecting from men what god alone can do , nor expecting that god will do that alone , which he ordinarily doth by the ministry of men. remember what st. paul hath told us , that tho' men are ministers by whom we believe , yet is it even as the lord hath given to every man , ( v. . ) that he can either work in any measure , or hope to speed by his working . and tho' ministers are labourers together with god , in tilling and building , yet still we are god's husbandry , we are his building , ver . . except therefore that the lord build the house , they labour in vain that build it . nay , if we trust too much to the builders , then is their preaching vain , and our faith is also vain , seeing it stands , as the apostle saith it ought not , in the wisdom of men , not in the power of god. more particularly , remember that the men who minister to you in holy things , are still men , and will as long as they live have more or less the infirmities of men. you must therefore be so just , as to allow for the common infirmities of human nature , and so charitable too as to overlook some personal failings . if the workman build on the right foundation , and by his true rule ; if he do his work truly , faithfully , and substantially ; this ought to satisfie : and tho' possibly there may be wanting something of that . stateliness , art , and politeness , which a more masterly and finer hand might have added to it , yet even thus , by the blessing of god , it will go up apace till it reach heaven . if we have already profited any thing by the ministers we have had , we have already also learned thus much of them , that as they are ministers of christ , they are not to be despis'd ; and as they are no more but ministers , they may be too much magnified . that as god can work by the very meanest of them , and we ought not to doubt but he will do so for them that love him ; so , provok'd to displeasure by our sins , he may refuse to work by the most eminent and holy . for us therefore to side with , or to be puffed up for one against another , is a very unreasonable thing ; and we do but shew thereby , that we are yet too much carnal , and walk rather as men than as christians . if he that glorieth in apollos had indeed profited by apollos's preaching , as he ought to have done , he would be very well pleased with paul. and if he that glorieth in paul had improved in sincere christianity by paul's ministry , he would be well enough pleased with apollos . he hath not profited by either as he might have done , who is not very thankful to god , who hath provided so well for his soul by the ministry of either ; or doth not wait with faith and patience for a blessing , whichsoever of the two it is that he at present enjoyeth . i know , that it is pleaded by some , that they cannot profit , or are not edified so much by some as by others ; and possibly there may be some truth in this plea of theirs , and yet , it may be , the fault doth not always lye where they would have it laid , but where they have no mind at all to find it . however , what is here pleaded deserves to be consider'd . and first , suppose we ( what in this whole discourse is taken for granted ) that the word of god , the wholesome food of our souls , is duly and fully , tho' it may be in a very familiar , and the most homely manner administer'd unto us . if so , then i must needs say , that i see no room at all for this plea ; for it is no less than the word of god that we receive , and that 's the food whereby our souls may live eternally , by whom soever , and after what manner soever it be convey'd unto us . the same living water , coming from the same spring , hath the same vertue , thro' what conduit soever it may pass unto us . the sound we hear is the man's , and that may be less grateful ; but still the word is god's , and should be always welcome . were it the word of men we are to be instructed in , we might well entertain it , according to the credit and reputation the men have got with us , and so receive it proportionably with more or less faith and affection . but being the word of god , as no instrument of conveyance , can add any thing to its worth and value , so neither ought any one to lessen its welcome . what , shall we vile worms take that piece of state upon us , that we will not receive a message of peace and reconciliation from the great and glorious king of kings , unless he will do us the honour to send it by one of his chief servants ? indeed he hath already , as unworthy as we are , done us a far greater honour than that , even to send it by his only son , whom he hath made heir of all things , by whom also he made the worlds . god was in christ , reconciling the world to himself , and christ hath committed to us the word of reconciliation , cor. . we are ambassadors for christ , and in his stead , and though one may deliver the mind of his lord in better language , or with a more graceful behaviour than another , yet all speaking the same thing , in the same great name , and to the same end , ought to be honourably treated for their master's sake . there is , without all dispute , a great deal of difference in the abilities of preachers , as there is also in the tempers , capacities , and gusts of hearers , and in the suitableness of the one to the other . and i will not say , that one may not profit more by some than he can by others . but what then ? can he profit by the best and ablest without the special blessing of god ? and may he not with his blessing profit by the weakest ? and ought he therefore to hate the one and love the other , to forsake the one and cleave to the other , or to be puffed up for the one against the other ? let it be consider'd , first , that the scales , it may be , hang a great deal evener than we ( for want of a single eye ) yet think they do . as many good and pious people are edified , for ought we know , by him whom we forsake , as are by him we follow . as this preacher suits best with the capacity , humor and palate of some , so doth that also with those of others . and then where is the advantage which the one hath above the other ? or , what hath one party here to glory in that another hath not ? certainly it well becomes both to joyn together in the praises of god , who as he hath given men divers capacities and palates , hath also by as great a variety of gifts left none of them unprovided for . if this air , or this dish of meat , agree best with my constitution , doth it therefore become me to decry all others as unwholesome , tho' they may agree as well with other mens constitutions as these do with mine ? secondly , that which is here pleaded is indeed a disease and not a virtue , a thing to be resisted and striven against , and , if possible , to be master'd , and by no means to be indulg'd in our selves . it is a shame for us to be always children , and it is no advantage or commendation to any one to have a squeamish stomach . would we endeavour after a more healthful constitution , and to be of a more masculine temper ; would we learn to be men indeed , both in understanding and humour , wholesome food would at once both please and nourish us : and so long as we can have our food in due season , and in full proportion , we would be less curious and nice , and no more pettishly refuse our meat , because it is not so prepared as in every thing to hit exactly our palates . though therefore the minister that excels another in any thing should not want from us his due praise and respect , yet neither need we under another want any thing that is necessary to our spiritual health . and were we as sensible as we ought to be of our great unworthiness of the least of these helps which god affords us , we would soon grow more thankful for what we have , and not through a squeamish humour lose the benefit of it . but next i ask this question , and i beseech you take some pains in examining your selves , that ye may be able to answer it aright . is there indeed , generally speaking , any truth in this plea ? i dare not say there is none ; but i hope i may , without offence to any one , commend unto you all this ( as it seems to me ) very necessary caution . be not over-hastily confident , either that you cannot be edified , where as yet you are not ; or that you are indeed edified , where you think you are . some persons i have known , who through an unreasonable prejudice have been even sick at the sight of some meat , whereof they could never be perswaded to taste , and yet after they have but once or twice been prevailed with to eat of it , have fed upon it with much both delight and benefit . possibly then you may not be edified , not because you cannot , but only because you think so , and will not try . and though you think you are edified , you may but think so ; for it may well be doubted that you are not edified by the word of god , if you find it hath not the same good effect upon you delivered by one as by another . take heed , lest what you call edification be only the heightening of your fancy for a man , the enflaming of your zeal for or against a party , or the exciting of some passion or other by certain modes of speech or gesture . i say this to no other end , but to put you upon an impartial examination of your own hearts ; for i conceive , that pure religion and devotion are grounded upon and cherished by the word of god only ; and therefore i see not but where that is plainly preached , and yet doth not move so much as when dressed according to mens fancies , those men are not in love with the natural beauty of religion , and god's image thereon , but with the artificial beauty that men bestow upon it . if the fault of your not profiting be really in the minister , you are so far excusable , and no body can blame you if you go abroad to seek your meat , when otherwise you must be famish'd at home . but if he preach god's word soundly and intelligibly , how is the fault in him ? some of you will say , it may be , that he is not a powerful preacher ; but do you indeed know what it is that you say ? why is not the same word of god as powerful deliver'd by one as by another ? doth it not sufficiently inform your understandings ? that cannot be , for we suppose it soundly and intelligibly preached . doth it not equally move your affections ? that 's it you mean by powerful preaching , or nothing that i know of . and if so , why doth it not ? here is the word of god to do it , what then is wanting ? is it a neat and curious composure , a smooth stile and fine cadence of sentences , a pleasing noise and gingling of words , a nimble tongue and glib elocution , a passionate and hot way of expression , the affected accenting or tuning of the voice , the setting of the countenance to the matter in hand , and humouring it either with smiles , frowns , or tears , a mimical action of the body ? or what is it ? whatever it is , it is well if it be not something of man only . i say not ; but most of these things are , in due place and season , decent and commendable : yet are they but such things as would work the same thing in the theatre as in the church , from the stage as from the pulpit . now certainly there must be a great fault , where the art of man can affect us , and the word of god cannot . to prevent this self-deceit , i know nothing more proper than the often thinking on the text i am now preaching on . whomsoever therefore you hear , remember how very a nothing he is in himself , and make your humblest and closest , and warmest applications to god himself . if you think you have not met with a minister altogether suitable to the needs of your souls , yet blame not him that labours for you according to the measure of his talent . reflect rather very seriously upon your selves , and see if you cannot find sins enough to provoke god to with hold from you the blessing you desire . the way to obtain a better , is to praise god for his mercy in affording you any , and to acknowledge his justice in sending you a worse , even for your sin of not improving more under the worst of all . when you are truly humbled , and by humility prepared to make a good use of whomsoever god at the present affords you , he will either bless the present more to your advantage , or send you a better in his stead . how mean soever you may think the person whom you at present hear , remember for your comfort , that god's power is always the same it ever was , and his goodness no less to all that love him in sincerity . come then purely in love to god , and he will never send you home without his blessing . your only business in these religious assemblies , is to apply the whole attention of your souls to god in the several parts of his worship ; and till you do so , you come for something else than to honour him . and how can you expect his blessing when you are not employ'd in his service ? to close all . come hither to treasure up the word of god in your hearts , that you may not sin against him , and let it dwell in you richly in all wisdom , that you may grow in grace , and in the knowledge of our lord jesus christ daily . wherefore laying aside all malice , and all guile , and hypocrisies , and envys , and all evil speakings , as new-born babes desire the sincere milk of the word , that ye may grow thereby . and let your conversation be as becometh the gospel of christ. stand fast with one spirit , in one mind , striving together for the faith of the gospel : and do all things without murmurings and disputings , that ye may be blameless and harmless , the sons of god without rebuke , in the midst of a crooked and perverse nation , among whom may ye always shine as lights in the world , holding forth the word of life , that we may rejoice in the day of christ , that we have not run in vain , neither laboured in vain . god grant you according to the riches of his glory , to be strengthened with might by his spirit in the inner man ; that christ may dwell in your hearts by faith , that ye being rooted and grounded in love , may be able to comprehend with all saints , what is the breadth , and length , and depth , and hight : and to know the loue of christ , which passeth knowledge , that ye may be filled with all the fulness of god. now , unto him that is able to do exceeding abundantly above all that we ask or think , according to the power that worketh in us , unto him be glory in the church by christ jesus , throughout all ages , world without end . amen . finis . notes, typically marginal, from the original text notes for div a -e deus incrementum dedit , non per illos sed per seipsum . excedit hoc humanam humilitatem ; excedit angelicam sublimitatem ; nec omnino pertinet , nisi ad agricolam trinitatem . * a lecture preached weekly there . an individuall letter to every man that calls himselfe a minister of jesus christ. penned more particularly for mr. christopher love, upon some observations from his sermon, preached jan. . . at windsor, and re-preached at uxbridge, jan. . . upon jer. . . whereby the author doth examine and enquire, whether master love were ever called by god, and jesus christ, or directed by the spirit of truth to preach the said sermon: or ever sent forth by jesus christ to be his minister. being also for a caveat or memento to all others who call themselves christs ministers, to examine whether ever they had a mission or commission from jesus christ so to doe, the having embroyled the land of our nativity in an unnaturall warre formerly one with another, contrary to any command, precept, or practises of christ and his apostles, or word of truth: by whose evill practises they have caused the gospel of truth and peace to be evill spoken of, and have opened a torrent of blood, which none but the heavenly physitian can stop and cure; to whom the author intreateth the people to looke, and pray, and waite for help, for vain is the help of man. written by an english man, christs servant, for englands remembrance. burt, nathaniel, fl. - . this text is an enriched version of the tcp digital transcription a of text r in the english short title catalog (thomason e _ ). textual changes and metadata enrichments aim at making the text more computationally tractable, easier to read, and suitable for network-based collaborative curation by amateur and professional end users from many walks of life. the text has been tokenized and linguistically annotated with morphadorner. the annotation includes standard spellings that support the display of a text in a standardized format that preserves archaic forms ('loveth', 'seekest'). textual changes aim at restoring the text the author or stationer meant to publish. this text has not been fully proofread approx. kb of xml-encoded text transcribed from -bit group-iv tiff page images. earlyprint project evanston,il, notre dame, in, st. louis, mo a wing b thomason e _ estc r this keyboarded and encoded edition of the work described above is co-owned by the institutions providing financial support to the early english books online text creation partnership. this phase i text is available for reuse, according to the terms of creative commons . universal . the text can be copied, modified, distributed and performed, even for commercial purposes, all without asking permission. early english books online. (eebo-tcp ; phase , no. a ) transcribed from: (early english books online ; image set ) images scanned from microfilm: (thomason tracts ; :e [ ]) an individuall letter to every man that calls himselfe a minister of jesus christ. penned more particularly for mr. christopher love, upon some observations from his sermon, preached jan. . . at windsor, and re-preached at uxbridge, jan. . . upon jer. . . whereby the author doth examine and enquire, whether master love were ever called by god, and jesus christ, or directed by the spirit of truth to preach the said sermon: or ever sent forth by jesus christ to be his minister. being also for a caveat or memento to all others who call themselves christs ministers, to examine whether ever they had a mission or commission from jesus christ so to doe, the having embroyled the land of our nativity in an unnaturall warre formerly one with another, contrary to any command, precept, or practises of christ and his apostles, or word of truth: by whose evill practises they have caused the gospel of truth and peace to be evill spoken of, and have opened a torrent of blood, which none but the heavenly physitian can stop and cure; to whom the author intreateth the people to looke, and pray, and waite for help, for vain is the help of man. written by an english man, christs servant, for englands remembrance. burt, nathaniel, fl. - . p. [s.n.], london : printed, anno . when the formall presbytery received a wound, as the episcopall before, and independency in time will follow, if they doe the same workes, and repent not. [ ] signed and dated on p. : london, july . . nath. burt junior. annotation on thomason copy: "july. ". reproduction of the original in the british library. eng love, christopher, - . clergy -- early works to . lay preaching -- early works to . a r (thomason e _ ). civilwar no an individuall letter to every man that calls himselfe a minister of jesus christ.: penned more particularly for mr. christopher love, upon burt, nathaniel b the rate of defects per , words puts this text in the b category of texts with fewer than defects per , words. - tcp assigned for keying and markup - spi global keyed and coded from proquest page images - john pas sampled and proofread - john pas text and markup reviewed and edited - pfs batch review (qc) and xml conversion an individuall letter to every man that calls himselfe a minister of jesus christ . penned more particularly for mr. christopher love , upon some observations from his sermon , preached jan. . . at windsor , and re-preached at vxbridge , jan. . . upon jer. . . whereby the author doth examine and enquire , whether master love were ever called by god , and jesus christ , or directed by the spirit of truth to preach the said sermon : or ever sent forth by jesus christ to be his minister . being also for a caveat or memento to all others who call themselves christs ministers , to examine whether ever they had a mission or commission from jesus christ so to doe , they having embroyled the land of our nativity in an unnaturall warre formerly one with another , contrary to any command , precept , or practises of christ and his apostles , or word of truth : by whose evill practises they have caused the gospel of truth and peace to be evill spoken of , and have opened a torrent of blood , which none but the heavenly physician can stop and cure ; to whom the author intreateth the people to looke , and pray , and waite for help , for vain is the help of man . behold the lords hand is not shortned , that it cannot save : neither is his care heavy , that he cannot heare , isa. . , , . but your iniquities have separated between you and your god , and your sins have hidd his face from you , that he will not heare , vers. . for your hands are defiled with blood , and your fingers with iniquity : your lips have spoken lies , and your tongue hath murmured iniquity , vers. . my people are destroyed for lack of knowledg : because thou hast refused knowledge , i will also refuse thee , that thou shalt be no priest to me : and seeing thou hast forgotten the law of thy god , i will also forget thy children , hos. . . . and there shall be like people , like priest , for i will visit their wais upon them , and reward their deeds , vers. . god is our hope and strength , and help in troubles , ready to be found : he maketh warrs to cease unto the end of the world , psal. . . . he appeaseth the noise of the seas , and the tumults of the people , psal. . . surely the rage of man shall turne to thy praise , the remnant of the rage shalt thou restraine , pfal . . . for the pastors are become beasts , and have not sought the lord , therefore have they none understanding and all the flocks of their pastures are scattered , jer. . . written by an english man , christs servant , for englands remembrance . london , printed , anno when the formall presbytery received a wound , as the episcopall before , amd independency in time will follow , if they doe the same workes , and repent not . a premonition to all that call themselves christs ministers , and all that shall read herein p.n.b. junior . frends , however i have set upon this work , know that i do not do it out of envy to any of your persons , honors preferments , or profits , or esteemes which you have & enjoy by any of your ministeriall employments by the state or people that accrew unto you thereby . neither do i despise or triumph in my honoured christ : love's misery , lying under a heavy answer , but desire to be a mourner with any of you therein really and sincerely : neither would i have any to whose hand this shall come , to mis-conster me in my desires herein ; but humbly intreat god who is the giver of all wisdome , and reproacheth no man jam. . . to reveale it to him who hath commaned me to write it , & is my witness how greatly i long for all your salvations , as my brethren english men , and for the glory of his great name who is able to restore england , and every english man , and to guide our feet into his feare , to write his law in our inner parts , to unite us in love , to give us abundantly the truth as it is in jesus ; to settle us in peace and purity ; to keep us in peace , and to preserve us to his own glorious presence , where we shall see even as wee are seene which if we please him here always as his son did , or so endeavour , or delight to doe ; for christ saith , joh. . . for he that sent me is with me : the father hath not left me alone , because i do always those things that please him . and what those things were , the word sets forth : which , when god shall send you forth as his ministers , he will enable you and the elders also ( if there shall be need of you ) as formerly his apostles , & hold a fatherly union with you , if you do always those things that please him : wherefore , as paul saith , i cor. . . let us learn , that no man presume above that which is written , that one swell not against another for any mans cause : for the kingdome of god is not in word but in power . for this is the testament that god will make with us , if we be israels house : after those days faith the lord , i wil put my lawes in their minds , and in their heart i will write them , and i will be their god , and they shall be my people . and they shall not teach every man his neighbour , and every man his brother , saying , know the lord . for all shall know me , from the least of them to the greatest of them , for i will be mercifull to their unrighteousnesse , and i will remember their sins and their inniquities no more , heb. . , , . this is new testament ; this is gospll although it may not please men , this is not another gospell as paul speaketh , gal. . , . twice though the authors name be not to it : and this is not mans doctrine , but gods which i have received from god , and his word . peace be with the brethren , and love , with faith from god the father , and from the lord jesus christ . grace be with all them which love the lord jesus christ to their immortality . amen . ephes. . , . james saith , cap. . , . verses . if any man have erred from the truth , and some one man hath converted him , let him know he shall save a soule from death . i write to you master love , and to every one that calleth himself chists minister , not out of arrogancy , or vain glory , but out of conscience , and tender affection , to your self and others , intreating you all in christs name , to be reconciled to him , and to read my lines , and to let me have your answer really as the truth is in jesus . for i hope you have the spirit , and are one of chists . it may be you beleeved better of the last parliament of lords , and commons , the lands phisitians , as you call them , who are since cast out and thrown down , then they deserved , experience sheweth it . let us trust in the living god , these aretituler gods . i have said you are gods , but you shall die like men . mr love i reade in your booke called englands distemper , page . truth may be adulterated as well as peace , in that booke you have delivered wholesome truthes , but again you have set forth some errours which questions your missions as christs ministers , and favours much of man pleasing , and of worldly wisdome , which is earthly , sensuall and devilish . for though , i honour presbitery , it must keep to the word , closer in practise having the example of christ and the apostles , as well the prophets , then english presbitry hath done . it must be more heavenly wise , more self denying , and lesse carnall , lesse politique , though as wise as serpents , yet innocent as doves . i would neither have them or any other say the lord faith it , when it is only their own sayings and inventions , for ( thereby is the gospel evill spoken off ) and there is not severall gospells , and though a man pervert the gospell , yea were it an angell , i dare not hold him blessed in that as preaching mans doctrine to please men ; i cannot in that hold him christs servant , as faithfull paul hath handled , and god by christ and the spirit , the comforter , and his word hath taught me , for which i desire ever to be thankfull . i read , david by the spirit of the lord spake , his word being in his tongue . the god of israell spake to me , the strength of israell said , . sam. , , , , , , , . and these are called the last words , of david . as davids are called his last words having seen divers temptations , and evills for the righteousnesse of them , so would i have yours for the truth . again , though paul through gods grace given him , laid a foundation , . cor. . . but faith he , let every man take heed how he buildeth upon it , for there is no other foundation then jesus christ , and if any man build on this foundation , gold , silver , pretious stones , timber , hay , or stubble . every mans work shall be made manifest for the day shall declare it , and the fire shall try every mans work of what sort it is , and every man shall receive his wages according to his labour , cor . . , , , , , . in the twenty eighth and twenty ninth page of your uxbridge sermon , you say , did they who made their footing to be jure devino , which we have rather found to be jure diabolico ( the bishops is there meant by you ) thinke thus to be cast down before the people upon the dunghill , and made vile and contemptible ; did they ever thinke to lie under so much disgrace ( and others to be countenanced by the nobles and commons of the land ) when themselves are an abhorring to all flesh , and their names a reproach to all people , and are not these dagons , nobles , & commons become so likewise , ut supra , though you sought then to please them . i fear col. von , once my captain subtilty corrupted your young yaars . i intreat you and your brethren to these ensuing , to answer without reservation or guile which concerne the gospel of gods glory so much , though it crosse mans affection , or self-interests , yet as ( god is truth ) let every man speak truth unto his neighbour , though the ministry say they have ordination & succession . yet their lives , qualifications , or corruptions , or self-interests , gives the gospel a check or lie , they following the whorish world ; for they ought nor to be men-pleasers , strikers , or fighters , or given to filthy lucre , or novices : neither crafty and deceitfull dealers in their lives , and rhetoricall speakings contrary to found and wholesome doctrine ; yea , the apostle paul faith , i think that god hath set forth us the last apostles , as men appointed to death ; for we are made a gasing stock unto the world , and to the angells , and to men : we hunger , are naked , we have no certain dwelling place , are buffeted , reviled , evill spoken of , and yet we blesse , and pray , and suffer persecution , and labour working with our own hands , cor. . . . . . the marginall notes , faith , he that will take right view , how like paul and the pope such are , who lyingly boasteth he is his successor , let him compare the delicates of the popish court , and st pauls state , as we see it here ( and how far was christs state short of this i pray you ) who saith , the servant is not greater then his master : and since the pope is granted to be that whore , and the bishops their successors with him to be none of the apostles successors : and neither of them are jure devino , but rather jure diobolico , and as you observe , abhorred of all flesh , and a reproach to all people : and as amongst other things , for corrupt ceremonies in service and doctrine for preaching up tyranny and that people must obey the kings lust in all , laying their necks to the block , and not defend themselves by force of armes in any cafe , your uxbridg sermon , page , . now since both these have lost ordination , and succession , by your own confessions , who upon earth i pray declare can give it . for loe they that withdraw themselves from thee shall perish , as the psalmist saith . thou destroyest all that go a whoring from thee , psal. . . this ( all grant ) and your self proved , who then hath i pray you , power to send out or ordain ministers for christ . is it from heaven or from men , as christ asketh the pharises of johns baptisme , which hath brought me to the question asked by the bishops when they ordained any for the ministry . viz. bishop . q. do you think in your heart , that you be truly called , according to the will of our lord jesus cstrist and the order of the church of england . minister answ. i think it ; now did not he answer i think it , he could not be made a minister . you say in the appeale with your sermon , by way of apology , page . some say i intruded my self on the work , when divers can testify how earnestly captain hampton , the governour of the towne did solicite me , with many others . again page , . . objection , what ever your call was to preach , yet the matter was unseasonable , . objection . why did you not write this vindication sooner , these things by you are verbally answered , but your answer therein ( is your shame , and others like you ) for though you preacht the said sermon in winsor castle the day before ; all this proves not your mission from christ , or your brethrens , or your works to be spirituall , but carnall , or literall , or both : it is not others report hath corrupted your name , but the flies of your own practises , and doctrine , and ( almost all of you preacht another gospel . ) you say in page . of your booke , prisons are many times or oft times the greatest inlets to many divine speculations , or the servants of god in a suffering condition , have ordinarily the most cleer discoveries of the will of god , a worthy doctrine consonant with the scripture : but then as peter saith , he that suffereth as a christian , let him not be ashamed , but let none of you suffer as a murtherer , or a theife , or an evill doer , or as a busie body in other mens matters , pet. , . . . but if ye be rayled on for the name of christ , blessed are ye , for the spirit of glory and of god resteth upon you , which on their part is evill spoken of ; but on your part is glorified . note , whereas you say in your sermon-book , page . the lord demands of the men of this generation , will yee have the gospell in power , & c ? a reformation in purity ? your assemblies refined ? your polutions removed ? and the government of my son establisht in the midst of you . will you own my cause ? fight my battails ? avenge the wrongs & affronts which have beene offered to my great name ? wil you jeopard your lives for my sake ? will you cleave to my parliament in truth and full purpose of heart ? certainly this is no gospel doctrine to provoke to blood , and that blood should touch blood , which is reproved by hosea from the lord , chap. , , . and for which our land mourns , as is there declared neither was it ever any of christs doctrine , or any of the apostles , as will plainly appear by gods booke , the gospell of our lord jesus christ which faith also john , . jesus answered pilate , as oft times he had answered the learned scribes and pharisees , who fained themselves just men luke . . in other cases : my kingdome is not of this world : if my kingdome were of this world then would my servants fight . that i should not be delivered to the jews : but now is my kingdome not from hence . i feare you , as many also of your brethren , have impudently belied the lord , as hananiah did , jer. . , . and other false prophets , when he contradicteth jeremiah the true prophet , which in the . and . verse , jeremiah reproves again , saying , then said the prophet jeremiah unto the prophet hananiah : heare now hananiah , the lord hath not sent thee , but thou makest this people te trust in a lie ; therefore thus saith the lord , behold , i will cast thee from off the earth : this yeare thou shalt die , because thou hast spoken rebelliously against the lord and in the . page of your rhetoricall discourse , which seems to be pestilent witty , as many of your brethrens , contrary to paul , cor. . i esteemed not to know any thing but christ crucified . neither flood my preaching in the enticing speech of mans wisdome , that your faith should not be in the wisdome of men , but in the power of god : and wee speake wisdome among them that are perfect ; not the wisdome of this world , neither , of the princes , of this world , which come to nought , cor. . . , , . here is not a world of state-physitians and avengement , as in your . page , but giving god all power and glory , to avenge to whom it belongs . but lless , rejoyce , love without dissimulation . be of like affection one towards another : be not high-minded : recompence no man evill for evill . if it be possible , as much as in you is , have peace with all men , rom. . . , , , , , . yet say you , much innocent blood hath been spilt , which must be avenged on us , or by us . is this not another gospell then paul taught ? who saith , dearly beloved , avenge not your selves , but give place unto wrath : for it is written , vengeance is mine , i will repay , saith the lord . i desire you , if you have time in this life , other wise any that call themselves ministers in any place of england , to answer these things faithfully herein mentioned , that god may receive glory thereby , the people edification , and your souls the comfort , which is the humble and hearty desire of from my house of shelter through gods mercy under my father , neer sepulchers church , london , so called , july . . nath : burt , junior , a sinner , yet hopes hee is christs servant . postscript . considering of how great concernment these things herein propounded are , and of the affliction mr. love lies under , i was much prossed within me to print this same before the sending of it ; that if mr. love's conveniency should not afford him to answer it , yet that some other ministers ( as they call themselves ) might answer that great concerned thing or question , how they came by the call from jesus christ to preach : seeing such are commanded to teach the people to observe all things whatsoever christ commanded them , mat. . . and that christ & his apostles never commanded war & avengement : and these doe , and say , they are christs ministers . if yee bite and devoure one another , take heed least ye be consumed one of another . for all the law is fulfilled in one word which is this , thou shalt love thy neighbour as thy self . gala. . . . from whence are warrs and contentions among you , are they not hence ? even of your pleasures that fight in you members , james . . for where envying and strife is , there is sedition , and all manner of evil 〈…〉 finis the vviltshire rant; or a narrative wherein the most unparallel'd prophane actings, counterfeit repentings, and evil speakings of thomas webbe late pretended minister of langley buriall, are discovered; the particulars whereof are set down in the following page. also the proceedings of those in authority against him. with a catalogue of his untruths in his masse of malice, and replies to sundry of them. by edw. stokes esq; stokes, edward, esq. this text is an enriched version of the tcp digital transcription a of text r in the english short title catalog (thomason e _ ). textual changes and metadata enrichments aim at making the text more computationally tractable, easier to read, and suitable for network-based collaborative curation by amateur and professional end users from many walks of life. the text has been tokenized and linguistically annotated with morphadorner. the annotation includes standard spellings that support the display of a text in a standardized format that preserves archaic forms ('loveth', 'seekest'). textual changes aim at restoring the text the author or stationer meant to publish. this text has not been fully proofread approx. kb of xml-encoded text transcribed from -bit group-iv tiff page images. earlyprint project evanston,il, notre dame, in, st. louis, mo a wing s thomason e _ estc r this keyboarded and encoded edition of the work described above is co-owned by the institutions providing financial support to the early english books online text creation partnership. this phase i text is available for reuse, according to the terms of creative commons . universal . the text can be copied, modified, distributed and performed, even for commercial purposes, all without asking permission. early english books online. (eebo-tcp ; phase , no. a ) transcribed from: (early english books online ; image set ) images scanned from microfilm: (thomason tracts ; :e [ ]) the vviltshire rant; or a narrative wherein the most unparallel'd prophane actings, counterfeit repentings, and evil speakings of thomas webbe late pretended minister of langley buriall, are discovered; the particulars whereof are set down in the following page. also the proceedings of those in authority against him. with a catalogue of his untruths in his masse of malice, and replies to sundry of them. by edw. stokes esq; stokes, edward, esq. [ ], , [ ] p. printed by ralph smith, at the sign of the bible in cornhill near the ryall exchange, london : . annotation on thomason copy: "july. ". reproduction of the original in the british library. eng church of england -- discipline -- early works to . clergy -- england -- early works to . adultery -- england -- early works to . blasphemy -- early works to . ranters -- early works to . a r (thomason e _ ). civilwar no the vviltshire rant; or a narrative wherein the most unparallel'd prophane actings, counterfeit repentings, and evil speakings of thomas web stokes, edward, esq b the rate of defects per , words puts this text in the b category of texts with fewer than defects per , words. - tcp assigned for keying and markup - aptara keyed and coded from proquest page images - david karczynski sampled and proofread - david karczynski text and markup reviewed and edited - pfs batch review (qc) and xml conversion the wiltshire rant ; or a narrative wherein the most unparallel'd prophane actings , counterfeit repentings , and evil speakings of thomas webbe late pretended minister of langley buriall , are discovered ; the particulars whereof are set down in the following page . also the proceedings of those in authority against him . with a catalogue of his untruths in his masse of malice , and replies to sundry of them . by edw. stokes esq ; . isaiah . , , . they trust in vanity and speak lies , they conceive mischief and bring forth iniquity : they hatch cockatrice eggs , and weave the spiders webb ; he that eateth of their eggs dieth , and that which is crushed breaketh out into a viper . their webbs shall not become garments , neither shall they cover themselves with their works , their works are works of iniquity . london , printed for ralph smith , at the sign of the bible in cornhill near the royall exchange . . the contents . thomas webb late pretended minister of langley buriall appears in wilts like an angel of light . page . obtains a parsinage . ib. refuseth tithes . ib. burieth his second wife . ib. makes himself sure to another mans wife . p. . commits adultery with her by his own confession . ib. marrieth a third wife . ib. becomes a kinde of pander to his own wife . p. . hath a man-wife , who is discovered . p. . fals at variance with mistress m. w. another mans wife . p. . is accused of sundry horrid crimes and misdameanors , by mistress m. w. and divers others . p. . the catalogue of the women he said he had lien withall . p. . he getting the french-pox gave it his wife . ib. salmons blasphemous letter . p. . the particulars of his fained repentance . p. . maketh frequent confessions of his unclean life to m. stokes and others . p. . his first letter to m. stokes , confessing his uncleannesse . p. . his second letter of confession and repentance to edw. stokes , and william shute esquires . p. . his third letter to william shute esq. p. . preacheth against whorish women and the sinne of uncleannesse . ib. becomes friends with mistress m. w. p. . scorns and contemns such as dislike his waies , and those to whom he confessed his unclean life . ib. his companions . p. . his study . . songs . p. . is become a lover of musick and mixt dancing . ib. seeks the ruine of his own fellow-creatures , for relating his wicked word , and works . p. . is charged to have been taken in the act of adultery with m. w. p. . is examined upon the information , which is upon oath , and committed to goal . p. . rails against his accuser and the justices . p. , . pretends a second repentance in goal . p. . his deliverance and return from goal . p. . the articles of prophanenesse and scandall against him . p. . depositions to the articles against him . p. . to . his ejectment from the parsonage of langley b. p. . his masse of malice discovered . p. . a catalogue of his lies . p. , , &c. replies to some of his lies and self-invented blasphemies . p. , , , . his blasphemy upon record . p. . his late progresse into , and return from wilts. ib. the epistle to the reader . reader , thou art here presented with a narrative of one of the most saddest stories that hath been related in this latter age , in which you have these three particulars : first , a true character of t. w. late minister of langley buriall , his life and actions , according to his own confessions , letters and accusations of his own dear fellow-creatures , whilst he continued ranting upon the publique stage of wilts , with the proceedings of the justices against him the said webb . secondly , thou hast laid before thee a catalogue of parson webbs most notorious untruths dispersed in his mass of malice against his judge , the justices of peace , and his accusers and prosecutors , &c. thirdly , thou hast divers of those untruths guarded with replies of truth tending to clear up the innocency of the most falsly accused e. s. from those fierce , foul and hell-invented aspersions laid to his charge by the malevolent mock-parson t. w. and the narrative aforesaid is now made publique , first , to inform the world upon what grounds tho. webb was prosecuted and tried for his life in the county of wilts ; and wherefore he was ejected the parsonage of l. b. secondly , to give a true character of the most delusive parson t. w. that others be not deceived by him , as many hundreds in wilts have been , many of whom are bound to curse the day that ever they saw his fawning face , or heard his deceitfull tongue . thirdly , to clear up the innocency of those in authority , and to make it manifest that their proceedings against the said t. w. were neither unjust , illegall , nor malicious , as the author of the mass of malice and his ranting gang give out . fourthly , to lay open the weaknesse , wickednesse and vanity of the ranting principle and practice , that wisdom may be justified of her children , &c. and the mouth of ungodlinesse stopped . to conclude with the psalmist , blessed is the man that maketh the lord his trust , and respecteth not the proud , nor such as turn aside to lies , psal. . . reader , thou art desired to take notice of two particulars , for the better understanding of the author , in the ensuing narrative . first , that it is not his intention in any wise to cast reproach or contempt upon any of the godly , able ministers of the gospel , for such he accounts worthy of double honour , according to that tim. . . whom to despise , is to despise jesus christ , whose messengers they are , sent out to proclaim the grace and love of god to sinners , that they may be turned from darkness to light , from the power of satan to god ; whose number the lord increase for the glory of his great name . but prophane , ignorant and scandalous ministers , and such as take upon them the work of publique ministers and preachers , when never sent of the lord , nor allowed or approved of men , nor any way gifted and qualified for so glorious a work , whose light is but darknesse , whose confidence is in the flesh , whose god is their belly , who glory in their shame , who minde earthly things : amongst which number you shall finde the painted sepulchre , and wandering starre t. w. with his most besotted faction and adherents : these are the mock-parsons and priests mentioned and intended in the narrative , and none other ; and who in their best estate make but a fair shew in the flesh , to accomplish their wicked and most pernicious ends , which when obtained , their abominations appear to the great scandal of religion , and the righteous waies and people of god . the second particular is to let the reader know that the said narrative is the more dark and hard to be understood , because the names of many persons , principall actors in the wiltshire rant , and others deluded and abused by them , are at this time past over in silence , and not made publique , and that for these reasons : first , many of them seem to repent of their folly and madnesse ; and if their repentance prove true ( and not like that of t. w. ) their names shall be concealed for ever by this author , otherwise they may appear with their actions in due time . secondly , some of them have been but as weak instruments in the hands of the mighty ranters , and therefore wholly past over in silence . thirdly , some of them have promised to publish to the world the wiltshire rant more perfectly then the author , and therefore at present their names are left out . fourthly , some being in great esteem as yet amongst the godly people , the author was unwilling to publish those words and papers which he received from others of the ranting crue , concealing them in hopes that they will acquit themselves like men ; and withall knowing that the ranters , especially t. w. and his fellows , are like to the cretians , who are alwaies liars , evil beasts , slow bellies : but they shall proceed no further , for their folly shall be manifest unto all men . the wiltshire rant . manifest it is that the accuser of the brethren , the old serpent , the lier from the beginning , could never have acted so much mischief in the world , if he had alwaies appeared in his own shape : wherefore that he may the better accomplish his ends , he presents himself oftentimes in the shape of an angel of light , and so he teacheth all his angels or ministers to appear : so the false prophets of old , the deceivers of this age , and all hypocrites appear in sheeps cloathing , with a form of godlinesse , with the word of the lord in their mouths ; and although these persons know nothing as they ought to know , yet they assume all knowledge to themselves : and although they are possessed by an unclean spirit , yet sometime they cry up a clean conversation ; and all this is because they would the more easily accomplish their corrupt interests , beguile unstable souls , and lead captive silly professors . nay many of these are so much given up to beleeve lies , to deceive , and be deceived , that they are become pure in their own di●s : and as the man that would tell a lie so often that at last he beleeved it to be a truth , so these men being practisers of evil , beleeve themselves and their cursed waies to be righteous , and that from a cursed principle which they hold , ( viz. ) there is nothing sin but what a man thinks to be so : this the wise man speaks of , prov. . . there is a generation that are pure in their own eyes , and yet is not washed from their filthinesse . a right character of our wiltshire ranters , who speak great swelling words of vanity , sporting themselves in their own deceivings , whilst they beguile unstable souls , and ly in wait to deceive the ignorant . but notwithstanding these painted sepulchres are discovered by truth and time , which maketh manifest , and it will appear that whilst they assume all knowledge to themselves , and professe themselves wise , they become fools , and this is the great work of our blessed saviour , to discover cover and destroy the works of the devil , to take away the counterfet painting and false covering cast upon foul and unclean hearts , and to lay them open to publique view : and certainly jesus christ will first or last bring every hidden work to light , the purest hypocrite must be discovered , as well as the prophane person : and this discovery is made divers waies . . sometimes by the terrible pangs of a guilty and accusing conscience , hastening and hurrying the soul towards desperation : in this condition many times the most secret and hidden works of darkness are brought to light ; and now men vomit up their own shame and confesse with horror and astonishment of spirit , their former cursed and abominable waies and actions . . sometimes by the falling out of those who have been brethren and co-partners in iniquity ; this way many theeves are brought to the gallows , and unclean persons to justice : and to the honour of god , and to his praise be it recorded for ever ; the ranters were building their babel of prophanenesse and community in wiltshire , but were constrained to pluck it down with their own hands , they laying open each others wickednesse , having each other before the magistrate , and accusing each other in the day of their fury and horrible confusions , as this narrative will demonstrate . . sometimes hypocrites and dissemblers to regain their lost credit by a fained repentance , lay open the wickednesse , madnesse and folly of their own hearts and waies , and confesse their most secret and bosome lusts , and hidden corruptions , with promises of a new life , and never more to turn to folly ; yet having eyes full of adultery , and that cannot cease from sin ; they return with the dog to the vomit , and with the sow that was washed to the former wallowing in the mire : notwithstanding with the whore mentioned , prov. . they wipe their mouths and say , they have done no wickednesse . these can sometimes speak purely , yet live filthily : they plead liberty , yet are the servants of sin . these are self-justitiaries , self-seekers , such as sacrifice to their own nets ; lovers of themselves and their own deluded followers : despisers of those that are good , or do any waies protest against their witlesse , worthlesse whimseys and practises ; yet through the just judgement of the lord , these deluders , seducers and deceivers , are oftentimes brought to light , and are made ( mauger their hearts ) to demonstrate what they are in reality . and what discovery the ranting crew , even the most eminent of them have made of themselves and of each other , the ensuing narrative will sufficiently demonstrate , in which you have little besides their own confessions , letters and accusations of each other , and that will sufficiently declare that their destruction and ruine is of themselves , and not from the magistrate , as they most untruly give out , with a world of other notorious lies and scandals ; ( the fittest imployment of such a generation of people ) which they heap upon all that disown their cursed principles and lascivious waies . the most notorious champion whereof that have caused the enemies of god to blaspheme , and made sad the hearts of the people of god , and is become the greatest monument of scandall and reproach as ever appeared in north wiltshire , is one thomas webbe late of langley buriall within the said county ; who came as an angel of light into those parts , with a great form of godlinesse , in sheeps cloathing ; whereby he gained with ease the affections of many , not only hypocrites , but sincere hearted christians , who took him to be as he only seemed to be : as new things , so new or strange persons affect much : so new brooms sweep clean ; this man seems to be of a blamelesse life and conversation : and being furnished with cunning and expression , makes use of it to his best advantage , and so rouls up and down , till at last he takes up his rest at langly aforesaid ; and having obtained the parsonage there , he preached and practised for some short space , that none could spy out his wickednesse . this young stripling , having formerly made himself a preacher , forsaking his lawfull calling , becomes a parish priest or parson ; and being setled to his content , and obtaining a gleab worth lb per annum , he cunningly , to increase his fame , refused the tithes , protesting against them as an unjust tax ; by which means he obtains the good will of divers of the most ignorant parishioners , and others lookt upon him as a consciencious man , not knowing what he had been , nor what he was . not long after his settlement he buries his second wife at langley aforesaid ; who had not lain many daies in the grave , but he the said thomas webbe became so far in love with a certain gentlewoman ( notwithstanding her husband was then and there living ) insomuch that he engageth himself to be a faithfull friend and servant unto her , not to marry with , or make use of any other woman besides her self ; and thereupon he had ( as he saith ) divers times carnal knowledge of , and fellowship with her . but as he said conscience fled in his face , and would not suffer him to continue this vile course : but it s rather thought one woman was not sufficient to satisfie his brutish lust . and therefore in a short time he marries a modest sober young woman , without the consent and to the great grief of her friends ; whereupon a great difference grows between the two former lustfull lovers ; the parson is charged with perfidiousnesse and breach of promise , but he being grown a cunning parish priest , hath a salve ready to cure this sore , gives satisfaction by a new engagement ; which made good that saying of his , that there 's no heaven but women , nor no hell save marriage : so that this late marriage prevents not the rage of lust in either . but notwithstanding that so many times a week are set apart for the satisfying of the flesh . and now any reasonable creature would think that the former marriage , and the late agreement would have contented both parties . but the union ( in wickednesse ) is not yet near enough ; and therefore about march . two houses being too many , and at too great a distance for such choice lovers : both families are united in one , and thomas webbe removes , the former distance being almost a slight shot , was too farre to strike whilest the iron is hot ; neither could wickednesse be acted so covertly , nor kept so closely in many meetings , ( and it was not yet time to professe their principles publiquely to the world . ) here modesty commands the author in silence to pass over many particulars of uncleannesse confessed by the said thomas webbe in the time of his pretended repentance and reformation . well , now the famous families are united , and the uniters wonderfully well pleased , and none displeased . the patron and the parsons wife rejoice , being in hopes to enjoy each others love more constantly then formerly : but the devout parson and his co-partner in wickednesse , having brought their swine to so fair a market , resolve to eat no such flesh ; nor to be so prophane or silly as to delight themselves with lawfull things ; leaving that to those that know not their liberty ; and to nice and weak-sighted pharisees ( as they term those that dare not , will not , cannot , run with them into the same excesse of riot ) and let those deluded souls feed their fancies with vain hopes or empty husks as long as they please , all 's one to these endeared lovers , who have attained to the height of humane society , and christian ( alias diabolicall ) liberty , and to so much perfection as to know their fellow-creatures from other cattell . 't is not for servants to pry into their masters nor mistrisses secrets , nor to meddle with their meat . mixt governours of a mixt family having the highest knowledge and deepest understanding , are fittest to bear rule , and to rule the rest : wherefore no pitty nor praise shall attend the forlorn hope of the p. and parsons wife , who are ordained to stand as ciphers , or at best as servants , to stand still or wait , whilst those who are more spiritually wicked , give up themselves to chambring and wantonness . well , thomas webbe being a parson of the last edition , and having undertaken a great charge , laies about him how to manage all his affairs , as becomes a man of so excellent parts and calling , and hold out to the end ; which that he may be able to do , and come off with credit , the sweet draughts of an independent heat , the most coroborating cordials , the fattest morsels , and the most delicate fare is provided for his sweet tooth ( which never goes alone ) and good reason , for hereby he is made able to give content to his fellow creature , and to answer all scruples that might arise against him from or by means of any pretended relation , or formall union , such as ranters term marriage to be . for you are to understand that ere a long time is past over , even before this pious ( or rather impious ) parish priest , had taken his fill of lust ; although the gentlewomans husband remains contented , yet the parsons wife being more sensible , begins to grumble , and grows passionate , and manifests much trouble ; fearing least her husband thomas webbe ( notwithstanding his seeming sanctity ) would prove an unclean parson . hereupon the slipshood priest is put to his trumps ; yet he having taken so many degrees in wickednesse , resolves to answer and silence this case of conscience also ; and therefore summons all his wits together , and when he findes them all too shallow , he cals to his councell his fellow-creature , who being of better understanding , and of riper wit then himself ( two heads being better then one ) they make up and contrive a silencing argument to satisfie and content this complaining spirit of the poor woman . hereupon a cunning and devillish plot is contrived , for they apprehend action to be more prevalent then argument , to make her understand her liberty and the ranters true doctrine . and therefore in the first place the parsons wife is instructed in the lawfulnesse of making use of any other man ( setting relation aside ) whom she could most affect : and further she is taught that god hath not tied up mankinde from those injoyments which are left free to the beasts of the field , &c. from this doctrine arise many uses , but the use which is insisted upon is an use of examination ; the parsons wife is strictly examined by webbs fellow creature , whom she loved best , or whom she could love most besides her husband ? the woman being prest exceedingly upon this point , and being ( as is supposed ) ignorant of the depths of satan , and not knowing that there was a hook under the bait , confesseth , that next to her husband she could most affect such a man , naming a lusty young man , who lived not far from langley , and one who made often resort thither , and was in great esteem with the fellow-creatures , and therefore as right as a gun ( and as pat to the purpose as might be ) to accomplish the design in hand , which was to cure the rage of jealousie in one , and to set two fellow-creatures at the more liberty and freedom ; and good reason that one womans tongue should be silent , whilst two consciences were rockt asleep in the cradle of lust made after the ranting mode . but secondly , there is a time and place appointed . the time is whilst thomas webbe is preaching in the publique congregation , and therefore most likely to be on the lords day : and the place is near the congregation . at this time and in this place , by the great industry and contrivance of webbe and his fellow creatures , the young man aforesaid , and the parsons wife meet , where no time is to be lost , and therefore whilst webbe is preaching in the church , others of his fellow creatures , whom he had taught to live above ordinances , are practising their higher principles at home ; and to that purpose a sumptuous bed is perfumed and well warmed ( to prevent danger ) and the young man with the parsons wife , are brought into the said bed , and the backwardnesse of the woman is spurred forward by the subtile perswasions of the fellow creatures ; and her modesty overpowred by the immodesty of the others , so that ere the preachment is done in the church , the practice is effected in the house , and in bed these persons are laid , and then the parson is sent for by his fellow creatures , who hastily and chierfully comes into the said chamber , where he perceives ( as he had before plotted ) his wife in bed with the young man ; at which sight webbe ( as one transported ) in stead of a sharp reproof or other dislike , brings out of his priestly budget , this reverend grave salute ; well said t , ( saith he , naming the young man ) is this your liberty ? well done wife , well done , pray god blesse you together , or to that effect : and so departed the chamber , having his mouth filled with laughter , and his heart with confidence , that he had laid his wifes tongue as still as his own conscience : and though ( thinks he ) i am with my sweet and lovely mistress , and fellow creatures early and late , night and day , taking my fill in dalliance and fleshly delight , yet my wife cannot clamour ; if she be jealous , yet she must say nothing , least i cast this in her dish : oh unheard of wickednesse ! oh pretty prophane preacher ! art thou he that livest in the spirit ? that hast attained to a higher light ? that art raised up against a time of reformation , to help forward the work ? art thou more wise , more holy , more knowing then the bishops , and the episcopal preachers ? then the presbyterian and independent ministers , or rather , art thou not altogether notwithstanding like a deceitfull idol ? thou art guilded with godlinesse i say : art thou not altogether in the flesh ? is not the light that is in thee darknesse ? art thou not raised up of the devil to bring an evil report upon the work of reformation ? do not the episcopalians hate thy waies in wickednesse ? do not the presbyterians hear of thy fame , or rather infamy , and harden themselves against the independants amongst whom thou hast , to their grief been numbred ? and yet thou continuest amongst strangers as a cheater amongst true men , of whom they are not aware ; who only with the ranting crue take thee to be some great one : yet god hath opened thy painted sepulcher in wilts , and all the godly fly from thy infection . but to go on , leaving for a time this l. parson with his female fellow creatures , as full of security and content , as of lust and uncleannesse . the reader is to take another relation along with him , that so he may know this goodly preacher . wherefore note that webbs most principall favourite , and greatest choicest associate in the whole country ; for one of his own sex , was one j o. a comely young man , and a man of a seeming sober behaviour , even as webbe himself , of whom a stranger cannot but say , or at least think , that butter would not melt in his mouth ( as we use to say ) yet here you will perceive , as the proverb is , the still sow eats all the draught . this man with his cob-webb seeming sobriety , and unclean inside , is taken by tho. webbe , as men use to take their wives , for better for worse : so i say , this man is honoured with the title of webbs wife , for so he cals him , my wife o ; and o owns webb for a husband ; and now where ever they come , 't is my wife o , and my husband webb . true it is , webb is become a great lover of musick , which to prophane hearts is an in-let to lust : but whether ever he plaied any hellish tune with his organ or church musick yea or no , is not yet discovered : but this is discovered , that both the man and the man-wife were in other things brethren in iniquity , and have brought more shame upon the professors of the gospel , then all the hypocrites and whore mongers of this later age . this j. o. is of an honest stock and parentage and lived in his country in good esteem , and with good repute , till such time as he was all wood and married to this holy unholy parish-parson , tho. webb . but now cat after kinde , he soon becomes ranting ripe , and enters with the first upon the stage , publickly to act what he had privatly learnt from husband webb : whereupon he shakes hands with , and bids farwell to his naturall affection ( the first step towards the perfection of ranters ) he forsakes his own lawfull wife , dwelling , and children , and country to boot ; and takes to himself as a companion and traveller , a light maid forsooth , being his neighbours daughter , which he takes without parents consent , as his fellow creature ; and away he goeth : and as webbe before , so mr o. now travels into other countries , to gain credit and esteem , which in his own country was totally extinct . and the better to do this , webbe makes him a preacher before he goeth ; for webbe is most eminent this way , to teach men how to use the tongue ; so as it may not prejudice the principle or the practice of their purely impure sect , or hinder the building of their r. babel . well into kent and into the isle of shepy there these travellers go : o. appears there like a great new light , though no bigger then a farthing candel , grows into esteem with men of quality , and with the good people in those parts becomes a most singular preacher there : and gains a living or some other stipend for his said preaching : but long he continues not there , ere all the fat fals into the fire , and the two lovers fall at variance ; and so through the righteous judgement of god , the travellers return , the woman to her parents , and o to his wife and family , crying shame on his shamefull progresse , and pretending to the authour great sorrow ; and hath promised to lay open the pernitious waies of the ranting crew . wherefore no more of this , but to conclude this sad story with these queries . . whether j. o. aforesaid being an ingenuous young man , was not a fit piece of the creation , to be a wife for t. webbe the parson ? . whether the said webbe be not a man of a thousand to make a parish parson , and publique preacher in this time of reformation ? . whether all the godly people in wiltshire ought not to admire the singular parts and gifts of this famous non-such parson , as the happiness of such as injoy him ? . whether they ought not to be recommended amongst those that are eminent lovers of liberty and christianity , that subscribe a certificate of webbs preachings and actings , to help him to preferment for the future in a strange place ? but now to return and review this famous mock-parson , with his female fellow-creatures , you may finde him enjoying his liberty with all quietnesse and content , and for a time without check or controul swimming down the stream of lust . yet the hand of justice is pleased sometimes to fall upon , and to affrighten , even those that are lulled asleep in all carnall security , and become senslesse in their lusts ; and so it happens to the unhappy parson , who thought erst while that he had for ever silenced his wives tongue , and his own conscience , but now findes himself deluded : what ever his conscience doth , yet his wife grumbles afresh , and begins to look sad upon the businesse , and to take to heart her husbands familiarity with his fellow-creatures ; and so much is the poor woman perplexed with their doings , that she seems willing to chuse death at any hand , rather then her husband should continue in the tents of wickednesse : whereupon webbe is advised to have a care of his wife , and to remove her from the aforementioned family , otherwise evil would come of it . well , the parson seeing no other remedy prepares himself for a journey , and takes his wife with him ; a great kindnesse , that a man of his principle could so far humble himself and deny himself , as to leave for a while his fellow creature , and cleave to his wife , but patience perforce is a medicine for a mad dog . the cynicall parson is necessitated hereunto , for fear of , and to prevent a worse inconvenience : but it 's not long ere webbe returns in hopes to be accounted a white boy , as formerly , and to be received as in times of yore ; but he is deceived in his expectation : he is to give an account of his idle journey , of his pretended kindnesse to a simple thing call'd a wife ; of going out and returning in , as if he were at his own dispose ; and so high are these misdemeanours stretch ; that the silly parson is at his wits end ; for being an english man ( and more a parson ) he goes better led then drove ; he answers his fellow creature somewhat sutable to her furious spirit , and pretends more love to his wife ( contrary to his former promise or the rule of ranting ) which was crime enough : but 't is an ill winde blows no body good , the poor woman is like to enjoy better times then formerly , whilst on the other side the fellow creature acts the part of jealousie even to distraction , pretending she would be her own executioner , and lay violent hands on her self : yet still the breach grows wider , and the difference greater ; that god who sets bounds to the raging sea , sets bounds also to the raging lusts of wicked persons . the pitifull parson is in a peck of troubles ; whilst things are thus disjointed , he well knew he was the common table talk of the country , that the godly people grieved for him and were ashamed of him , that the prophane made him their scorn and reproach , and with the same wounded through his sides . all that appeared for religion or righteousnesse in those parts ; therefore now the man resolves upon another way , and though his fellow creature causeth the p. to break the parsons head , yet afterwards she brings him a plaister , in hopes to reclaim him ; yet he resolves to set up his flag of defiance against his own dear fellow-creature : [ ranters are seldom long true to themselves or principles : ] neither her strikings or stroakings , nor frowns , nor flatteries , nor threats , nor fawnings , shall move him to hearken to her again : so that the house is so foul , and the much stirring hath caused so great a stink , that the housholders must part , p. w. to his parsonage , and the rest , gent. as you were . now the mock-parson bethinks himself how to regain his lost credit with the good people , and such as are enemies to the ranting way ; and to that purpose pretends a sight and sense of his sin ; cries out also upon the lewdnesse of his fellow-creature . she also ringing a langley peal of webbs wickednesse and uncleannesse , both which follow in order briefly . the spirit of a man seems to possesse the hatefull hearts of the late lustfull lovers ; and as great is the present hate , as the former love , so that the magistrates are complained to , and called upon to hear the businesse ; whereupon a day and place is appointed , where two of the next justices meet ( viz. ) mr stokes and mr shute . but before the meeting , mr stokes receives these ensuing lines , on the behalf of parson webb . sir , i have something to declare unto you , which though i know not how to speak for my self , yet i can hartily beg you for my friend poor tho. webbe , which his fall it is true is exceeding great ; and by himself greatly lamented , and to my knowledge so exceedingly beset by a pernitious woman , and her perfidious bloudy company , that did you know the particulars you would take her to be the only monster of that sex : and i hear you go anon where you will have the hearing of it ; for gods love have no prejudice against him for former failings acted by him : but answer the desires of an insatiable woman in her own folly , and you shall a thousand times engage , &c. fra. bayliff . well the time appointed is come , the justices met , and many country people of all sorts are come together to see these rare persons , and to be informed in the truth of things : but by reason one of the justices could not stay , there was nothing done as to justice that day , only the parties charged each other with horrid crimes and misde meanours ; and webb confesseth his folly and naughtinesse in one kinde , denying it in another , preaching a billingsgate sermon , as if he had met with all the oister wives at once , but was answered in his own kinde ; and so the company was dismist , only another day afterwards appointed for a hearing , which was the second day of sept. . at chippenham , where the aforesaid justices met ; where mistris mary white and divers others appear , and tender upon oath to prove against the prophane parson these high crimes and misdemeanors following . the information of elizabeth briscoe , taken against tho. webbe clerk , the second of september . before edward stokes and william shute esquires . she informeth , that she hath heard the said tho. webbe say often times within this half year , upon some private discourse in her masters house , that moses was a conjurer , and that christ was a deceiver of the people : and that preaching and lying was both alike unto him . and further saith , that when lieutenant col. lilborn was upon his triall , the said webbe drank a health to the counfounding of the parliament , and then said they were rogues and devils . and further she the informant saith , that the said webbe said ( in a boasting way ) that he had lain with six women ; and affirmed , that he could lye with any woman except his own mother : and then he named the women , which he had lain withall , ( viz. ) with two captains wives at bristol , mistress r. of bathe , the wife of captain m. his aunt d. of batheston , and with a majors wife at london . and further she this informant heard the said webbe say , that he had lain with one s. c. of slaughtenford , and that she had given him the french-pox , and he gave it to his wife . to this foul charge mrs white also subscribes her name at large . elizabeth briscoe . i mary white do testifie the same . the information of william lewis yeoman , and edith his wife , taken as aforesaid , &c. william lewis saith , that about the midst of may last , on a sunday in the afternoon , tho. webbe minister of langley was asleep in the said william lewis his chamber , when the sermon bell was tolling , and then he awaking him told him , that there was a great number of people come to hear him : whereunto he then answered , ah poor fools , they be come to sit and gape upon me whilst i tell them lies . and then further said , now preaching and lying are to me both one case : and also edith lewis , wife of the said william , was then in hearing of these words so spoken by the said webb , as aforesaid , who verrifieth the same . william lewis . edith the information of anne brewer , wife of john brewer of corsham , taken as aforesaid . who informeth , that about whitsuntide last , she heard mistress mary white tax thomas webb concerning the words that he had formerly spoken unto her , which were , that moses was a conjurer , and that christ was a deceiver of the people ; which he did not deny ; but said , if mistress white would swear it , he would forswear it : and then also said , that preaching and lying were both one case unto him . and then mistress white further charged him that he did about the time that lieutenant col. lilborn was upon his trial , drink a health to the confusion of the parliament ; whereunto he replied also , that he would forswear that ever he drank any such health . anne brewer . besides all this , mistress w. chargeth the said parson to have endeavoured to force her chastity , and strive to ravish her in her husbands house : and withall she produceth two other female creatures of the same house ( viz. ) a married woman , and her own maid-servant ; who would have sworn that the pretious parson would have committed uncleannesse with them , and had attempted the same oftentimes . withall the said mistress white chargeth the parson and fellow-creature to be a great ranter ; and to prove this , she produceth this most horrid and blasphemous letter , written to him from one salmon , the contents whereof followeth . my own heart bloud , from whom i daily receive life and being , in whom my eternall freedom is perfected , to whom is ascribed now and for ever , amen . thou art the webb of my own spinning , i have laboured to bring them forth in this glorious form that thou now livest ; let me cloath my self with the webb of my own travel . my dear thou art to me as a garment of needlework , i wear thee as my choicest robes of royalty ; because thou art as a vesture upon me , winde nor weather affright me not ; the northren gales and borean blasts of cruelty , i know cannot pierce through thee , my garment of salvation . well , to be brief , i know , my heart , thou art not altogether unascertained of my present estate as appears by yours lately received . my love , thy patheticall lines , i did with much tendernesse accept , and i shall never forget thy love therein manifested . cop , my , thy own hart is gone to london ; no other note from the vulgar but hanging at least for him . the last week five one a souldier was burnt through the tongue for a businesse of the same nature . the glory of these things possesseth multitudes both in city and country , notwithstanding all their cruelty . for my own part i finde my genius much elevated and heghtened , to look the worst of casualties in the face , that can succeed these things : my condition outwardly is very poor , when lying here at great expences , yet am i made not to care for the future , although sometimes i scarce know over night how i shall be provided for on the morrow . well , what my titular angel , the gardian genius will do with this handfull of earth , i know not , neither am at all troubled , but that if i live , my love to thee ; if i die , i die to thee : so that whether living or dying i am thy to . salmon . ten thousand salutes , alias holy kisses to thy dear wife , with whom is my heart ; my tender respects to thy vncle , my father , his spouse , my beloved , my dear love to mary your maid : eternal plagues consume you all , rot , sink and damn your bodies and souls into devouring fire , where none but those that walk uprightly can enter . sirs , i wish you damnable well , because i dearly love you ; the lord grant we may know the worth of hell , that we may for ever scorn heaven : for my own part i am ascended far above all heavens , yet i fill all things , and laugh in my sleeve to think what 's coming : well i say no more , but farwel . from my pallace of royal majesty , in the last year of the reign of the beast , and in the day wherein the neast of all hearts are ripening as fast as possible may be . coventry , april . . well , you see what the charge is , and by whom laid against the prophane parson ; not by the justices , not by such as were enemies by profession , but by his own converts , his endeered lovers , and fellow-creatures ; these are they that vomit the spider out of the webb , and spread the venome of its poyson in publique , which before lay private amongst the fraternity . yet to all this the parson pleads the general issue , not guilty , especially not in manner and form as is alleadged ; and therefore he gives the special matter in evidence ; and by a fained repentance ( as afterwards will appear ) he confesseth his notorious wickednesse and uncleannesse , and promiseth amendment for the future . this repentance of webbs appears in these particulars . first , by his seeming humiliation . secondly , by his confessions to persons wholly averse to the cursed principles and practices of the ranting way . thirdly , by letters under his own hand writing . . as for his humiliation 't was wonderfull to behold the head of this bulrush to hang so low ; his countenance is changed , his looks more lamentable , then lustfull ; the extraordinary poudring of his head and frizling of his hair , and other inticements to lust and wantonnesse ( his former every daies garb ) is now wholly laid by , and in all things he now appears as at the first , poor tho. webb , and not like the proud and insolent parson of langley ; and it 's remarkable , how at the first meeting of the justices , he smote himself upon the breast , and threw himself upon the ground before many witnesses , seeming exceedingly to lament his unclean life . . his confessions were wonderfull , both to mr stokes and divers others , to whom he confessed , that he had frequently committed folly and uncleannesse , even ever since the death of his second wife ; and that he had committed the detestable sin of uncleanness so often in one day , that he was glad when he could take the air . and further before many witnesses confessed , that the child which the gentlewoman was then great withall , was of his own begetting ; naming the time when , and the place where it was by him so begotten ; and that he never forc't her , neither needed he to do so , but that alwaies she tempted him to commit the sin of uncleannesse with her : and further the said webb alledged that mistress w. would have hid him for some time in a private place in her husbands house , as her own closet , and then make the parsons wife , and the world believe that webbe was gone beyond sea , whilst in the mean time a stock of money is providing for such a journey , that they might go both together ; with a world of other things of a vile nature , which for brevities sake i passe over . . the letters under his own hand writing follow , which are upon record , and in the custody of mr stokes , and so not to be denied or forsworn by the parson , or any others of the ranting knights of the post . to the worshipfull edw. stokes esq . and justice of the peace for this county : present . dear sir , pray give me leave to expresse my whole self unto you , which by these in brief i shall do in the name of a true christian , one who sincerely loves the lord jesus christ : it 's well known to our loving and wise god , that evil that hath been committed by me , which i cannot chuse but confesse and acknowledge , for my sin is alwaies before me , and for the same i heartily wish my self accursed for the pretious gospels sake which is blasphemed by it , and truly amongst all my trouble , that is the only thing that troubles me ; for the rest i am innocent , and god himself knows they never entered into my thoughts : but for that , o my sinne which i have committed against my lord and mercifull god , and all good men , i am guilty ; i have made the members of christ the members of an harlot , and god hath suffered the strange and adulterous woman to lead my poor simple spirit captive , though she stand like a bold and impudent woman in the justification of her self : o look for a most sad and fearfull coming of the lords just judgement and vengeance upon her . dear sir , i professe to you my heart is smitten within me , for my sin is great , and lies very heavy and sore upon me ; and nothing troubles me but that : as for the present proceedings against me since i knew my self free , and that it 's because god hath called me home from the waies of an adulterous woman , though they should touch my life , yet i blesse god that i am made able to slight them , and to be very carelesse of them , only i shall do what in me lies to defend my self from them : and in order thereunto , whilst i am at london , i shall advise with some friend about it , and so if our wise god so order it , i shall return and appear before you at the time appointed , which is this day fortnight , as i understand , humbly thanking you that you would grant a longer time , and withall i humbly intreat you to stand my friend as to let nothing be acted against me in my absence . i know the way of an unsatiable woman is to ruine and to have the life of one whom they cannot mold to their lusts . and for my part , if she doth ruine me , as that is her intentions , i shall glory in for greater would my misery have been , if i should have continued in the waies of her uncleannesse . o , dear sir , it 's impossible almost to believe the many temptations she hath followed me withall , and the many devises she hath used ever since the difference , to bring me over to her self again : but o let me be accursed , and o that the earth might swallow me up alive , rather then i should hearken to her again . dear sir , your neighbour uncles doth me much wrong , and i am forced to write in an unusual manner to him : i beseech you to desire him to desist and forbear giving out such scandalous and false things against me as he doth : i know he cannot but see into the malicious proceedings that are against me , as by his own words to me he did acknowledge ; yet with them he takes parties , and he and his son in law crook doth very much wrong and abuse me , whereas if they loved the gospel which they would professe , they would be silent . therefore i beseech you , though not for my sake , yet for the gospels sake desire him to forbear : and truly in equity , though my foot hath slipped and i have sinned against god , yet none ought to devide me , and speak reproachfully of me , especially such who would be thought professors of the gospel , and so much the more that god hath touched my heart and made it very sensible of its sin . thus dear sir , in faithfulnesse and truth i have made you acquainted with my present condition , the truth of which i hope god will make good by my life and conversation ; which is the prayers of him who is , sept , d . your true friend and servant tho. webbe . for the worshipfull edw. stokes and william shute esquires , and justices of peace for this county : present . gent. understanding by my neighbour brumham that the meeting was put off till munday come fortnight , i took the liberty this day to go towards london , for that my father lieth very sick and weak , and to see him will be great satisfaction to me . as touching the businesse depending before your worships , when you and others have had a full and clear hearing of it , and that the tales of both are heard , it will appear to proceed from the height of malice , and that it s but the fruit of an unsatiable womans malice : for the question is thus to be stated , and the businesse is thus to be considered ( viz. ) there hath been a great familiarity and friendship between mistress white and i , till it was within this three or four moneths , in which time we have both committed a great evil , of which it pleased god to make me sensible ; whereupon i began to forsake , and my spirit grew much troubled , and estranged my self from mistress white ; which she perceiving , and having attempted allwaies and means to keep me , but finding all to be in vain , she now proceeds in this way against me ; the truth of which our wise and al-knowing god knows , and which all impartial and unbiassed judgements cannot but see : for were there truth in what they say , which there is not , yet for as much as they have for a long time concealed it ; and notwithstanding none was so great and so much in her favour as i was , so long as god gave me over to be one with her in iniquity , it appear to be but malice : much more might be said to prove that it proceeds to be from malice ; they in telling their own tale bewray themselves , as witnesse m. white , who what he swore to the jurors , as the jurors will testify upon oath , when called thereto , he denied before you ; nay though uncles was by him , and did justifie before him . a fuller relation of the whole businesse between mistress white and i , ye shall hear upon the day appointed , wherein i shall answer for my self , and which i have provided to passe through the presse into the publique . and if it be the will of god , that through the malice of a strange woman i must suffer , i dare not question my god for it , it is the just wages of sin . o that vile thing that hath been committed between us , and that it will be made very good to me ; for i blesse my god for it , who hath delivered my poor soul out of her hands , for greater would have been my wo and misery , if i should have continued and have gone on with her in our evil courses , then now she can make me by all her false and malicious courses against me ; and therefore rejoyce that god hath called me home , and not suffered me to go on in the waies of sin continually , which makes me very much to slight and to be carelesse of what ever she can do against me ; and i much rejoyce in my present sufferings , being fully assured , and it 's that which i can testifie to the whole world , that my present sufferings are because i will no longer serve the filthy lusts and desires of the flesh , and this is no new and strange thing , solomon speaks often of it , by the means of a whorish woman a man is brought to a piece of bread , and the adultresse seeks for the precious life . well , i had rather die through her malice , then in her wickednesse ; and i blesse my god for it , i speak it unfainedly , that i had rather beg my bread from door to door , and end my daies in sorrow , then to sit down with her , and serve the lusts and desires of the flesh as i have done : and so the will of my god be done , and according to the time appointed , i hope i shall be come down from london , and shall wait upon your worships . this accompt i thought good to give you , that so it should not be thought by any , that i had withdrawn my self out of fear , and for being guilty , a thing which my very adversaries will be very ready to give out : no , i bless my god for it , that as to those things which they charge me withall , i am free from them all , my enemies themselves being judges , if they will speak but the truth : however the lord will judge between us , and to his judgement i refer my self , and am no waies afraid what they can do unto me : now i shall rejoyce , for i account it 's better to suffer by sin , and forsaking the way of uncleannesse , then it is to suffer in sin and in the way of uncleannesse . o bepity that woman , for there is a most fearfull coming of the lords vengeance and judgement upon her . gent. i am your most humble servant , tho. webbe . both the aforesaid letters were received by the said justices , septemb. . . to the worshipfull william shute esq. this . worthy sir , according to my promise i have been with m. stokes , to whom i have given satisfaction , as by our tithingman i have sent m. white word more then once or twice , but he cannot tell how to leave his old way of contention : and therefore out of a malicious spirit he troubles your worship , seeking thereby to make you an instrument to execute the base and wicked desires of his wife and her wicked confederacy : but i know not what the will of our wise god is to do with me ; i have no heart to stir , but to sit still and see his salvation which he will work for me , and patiently take his present hand that is upon me ; for it 's just , and i have deserved it by my great folly , wherein with that woman m. w. i have caused the name of christ to be evil spoken of , and his dear saints reproached , for which the lord give us both hearts to be truly humbled , and to repent with a repentance that may never be repented of , which is truly the hearty prayers of him who is : worthy sir , your worships most faithfull friend and servant , tho. webbe . nay , besides all the foregoing signs and tokens of repentance , the parson proceeds further , and desires all persons to take warning by him to beware of a whorish woman ; and not only was this advice to single persons or to persons in private ; but his zeal carrieth him farther even into the pulpit , where in the face of the whole congregation at langley aforesaid he preached upon that text mentioned , proverbs . . for by means of a whorish woman a man is brought to a morcell of bread , and the adulteress seeketh for the precious life . from whence he admonished his auditory to beware of such persons ; telling them that solomon was experienced that the adulterous woman tended to the ruine of all those that followed them , and likewise ( though he was no solomon ) yet he brought in his own experience ; and by that also urged the parishioners not to follow the way of uncleannesse with such , as he had done , &c. upon the view of the aforesaid humiliation , confessions and letters , being acted to the very life ( by this jugling parson ) many were in expectation of a great change , and began to think he was real , and so truly sensible and sorrowfull for his evil and unclean life , and therefore he was received again into favour amongst many good people , who exceedingly rejoyced in his returning , who were but lately grieving for his ranting and wickednesse . neither can his seeming repentance be parallel'd by any converts , though sincerely returning home to god , especially in the former part and outward appearances : but as the joy of the hypocrite is short , so the repenting of wicked and unclean hearts , is but as the crackling of thorns under the pot ; as lightning fils the room with light , but suddenly leaves it as dark as formerly ; or as the morning dew dried up with the rising sun ; or as the early summer-fruit is soon ripe and soon rotten ; so is the repenting noise of the ranting parson , whose crackling is extinguisht with the fire of lust ; the lightning leaves the room of his prophane heart , and darkness keeps possession there ; the dew is dried up through the rising up of l. flames ; and rottennesse seaseth the early fruit of his seeming repentance . solomon saith truly , pro. . . as a bird wandereth from her nest , so is a man that wandereth from his place , &c. was not this man as a silly bird to wander from his place ? from his lawfull calling ? from the wife of his bosome ? from his pretended purity , to lay the egs of his filthinesse in other birds nests ? but because he could act any part on the devils stage ; he imitates the cuckoe also , the better to increase a generation of a more pure strain then are produced by lawfull marriage . and then see how farre he wanders in a counterfeit repentance : one would have thought his own tongue had raised so many bulwarks against his own self , that it was altogether unpossible for him any more to return again into his wonted folly or way of wickednesse , or to have familiarity with his fellow-creature any more for ever . but it hath been the usuall practice of these vain persons to give the most cursed titles to each other , that ever the world practised , or the devil invented , as toad , toads brood , toads spane , witch , devils brood , and such like , with most horrible cursing each other , like mad bedlams or devils incarnate . see salmons letter before recited to webb , and yet they love each other intirely ; scorning and jearing all that are not of their own sect ; their prophane language and terms being as they pretend , uttered in a mystery to destroy the precise wickednesse of the professing party , who make conscience of these words , waies and actions . so it seems that what ever the parson pretended , yet he intended no such matter : he now slights and scorns all those to whom he had confessed his wickednesse , and to whom he promised amendment , and dotes again upon his fellow-creature ; enters into the house of h. w. at set times , and at private waies , where all matters of difference are husht up , and the fellow-creatures reconciled upon a personall treaty ; after the gentlewoman was brought to bed , and delivered of her childe ( which tho. webbe said he begot . ) this agreement of the fellow-creatures , fils the country with a famous sound , astonishment seiseth the hearts of those that lately rejoyced in his repentance and return ; but now all their hopes of him die , in so much that divers reject farther society with him , which the lust-loving parson bears with scorn enough ( being so abundantly satisfied with returning to his vomit . ) the old lascivious dresse and garb is now taken up again , and the humble parson acts afresh the part of a most proud and insolent phantastick , and appears more like unto a prophane stage-player , then parish parson or sober christian . his long shaggy hair , which lately hung like a forgotten excrement , is now taken into consideration , and furbisht up with so much frizell and pounder , as if nature or lust had altered its course on the sudden . we have read of men , that through sudden fear have been turned grey in one night ; why may not a lascivious joy upon its resurrection operate as much upon this vain man ? . his companions now are not these to whom he pretended a repentance , no , they are slighted , but the ranting professors , and such as were most notoriously ignorant or scandalous , or both ; these are his fellow-creatures and daily associates . . solomons proverbs which lately were so well expounded by him , and applied against whorish women , are now expunged out of his mouth and minde , and the rest , his study of the scripture must give place to a study more noble in the esteem of illiterate ranters , called astronomy ; in which he is likely to become a proficient as soon as other egyptian fortune-tellers ; nay more , he being a man of so much learning , wisdom and experience , may happly attain to know how far he may wade in english dirt , and not fall into a french mire . . 't is not davids psalms of repentance or praising that the parson can now sing , but foolish fancies and witlesse songs are his delight , being uttered ex tempore . . musick and mixt dancing is now also grown into fashion and practice , with this parish parson , to which the youth of the parish and others are invited , that so the work of conversion may not cease , nor the building of the ranting babel be at a stand any more , as lately in the apostacy of the prime parson and fellow-creatures . 't is recorded of cain , that to quiet his accusing conscience he went to build cities ; and the learned parson webbe knows that a multitude of businesse , and variety of imployments , was the only means to make him have no more conscience of sin ; and therefore farwell humiliation , confession and sorrow for sin , i have other fish to fry ; welcome my sweet mistress ( let the falling out of us lovers be the renewing of love . ) welcome my lascivious dresse and whoring garb , i am no precise parson ; welcome thou new noble study of astronomy , i am weary of this scripturing ; though i have gained a parsonage by it , yet i 'le use no more then may keep it : welcome my fine fancies and ex tempore songs , you are pleasing to me , and i with you must please my fellow-creatures : welcome musick , mixt dancing and mirth , thou art more pleasing to me then those sighs and groans which erst while i poured out most foolishly , to the great scandall and reproach of the ranting cause ; this is the way to attain to our true liberty and freedom , which a foolish niceness would rob us of . such expressions all wise persons reade in the parsons practice ; and whether the particulars are not fitting qualifications for a parson and publique preacher , let christians stand by whilst the prophane world judge . but to proceed with all possible brevity ; the reconciliation is upon such sure grounds between the fellow-creatures that it holds to this day ; yet the counsell of the lord shall stand ; destruction shall arise to evil doers from among themselves . and therefore the reader is desired to take notice that when thomas webbs family was united with mistress w. there being houseroom enough ; another of the same gang is taken with his family , and there retained as a convenient inmate : for the fellow-creatures were acquainted with the old saying of cheaters , when they have enticed young travellers into their company , the more the merrier . now you must note that this man ( william lewis by name ) was lately become a very great enemy to m. stokes , who had formerly opposed him in his ranting principles : for the first that ever manifested those principles publiquely to m. stokes , was the said w. l. and f. b. whereupon the said parties were received with greater love amongst the fellow-creatures at langley , and the said w. l. entertained , and who but he with the parson and his , &c. and so they continue great friends for a good space ; but when the differences first arose between webbe and his mistress , this lewis and his wife assist mistress w. and chargeth the parson , as you may see formerly expressed ; wherefore the parson resolves to call them to an accompt for taking parties with the weaker vessell against the mighty male ranter . but lewis being now jealous of this new friendship , is become a strict observer of the waies of parson webbe , and dislikes with his private approaches through bye waies , and his long abode made upon his friendly visits early and late ; he now begins to have an evil opinion of his landlady , and thinks her as lewd as her fellow-creature : hereupon lewis discovers his minde to his own wife , she thereupon-declares to her husband , what she both heard and saw . now the rage that was formerly in tho. webbe the parson against his fellow-creature , who likewise hers against him , unite against lewis and his wife , and for telling tales out of school , are threatned to be soundly whipt . fear now possesseth the wofull hearts of lewis and his wife . mistress w. takes with others a journey to glocester , and to the whispering place or some better oracle they repair , where being advised , home they return , and in their company one j. m. for the better nodification of goodwife lewis , upon whose aproach she is surprised with fear of what former threatnings would amount unto in the close ; and therefore though it was late in the night , and the waters out , yet as late as it was , away runs lewis and his wife to justice stokes , and requires a warrant of the peace against thomas webbe , mistress w. e. b. her servant , and the said j. m. mr stokes knowing the aforesaid parties were ranters all a row , was very shie of medling with them , and unwilling to hearken to any of their stories or complaints , and the rather , because the parties complaining , as well as the fellow-creatures , were his bitter enemies , and expressed so much a good while before ; because as a magistrate he had expressed himself ( as well as being a christian ) against the ranting principle , as is before remembred . wherefore mr stokes demands of them why they trouble him about such complaints ? why at that time of the night ? why they did not rather get the assistance of some of their friends to reconcile them ? or if not , wisht them to repair to some other justice of the peace . to which william lewis answers , sir , although there have been some former difference between us in matters of opinion , yet i take you to be a just man , and that you will do justice impartially , which is that we desire : he said , we came this late , because , it was but even now that mistress w. and her company came home with i. m. a most wicked and prophane man ; and that he was brought on purpose to do his wife or himself a mischief , and had given out threatning speeches so soon as he was alighted from his horse , the woman in the mean time seeming to be wonderfully affrighted . mr stokes asked her how they fell at variance : the woman replied that she had discovered some lewd actions of thomas webb and mrs. w. which was come to their ears again , and therefore they have threatned and sworn to be revenged upon me and my husband ; so that i dare not return home any more without danger of life , and therefore i desire surety of the peace to be granted against them . mr stokes replied again , surely i doubt 't is not fear brought you hither , but rather revenge ; for i understand you were arrested at mr whites suit the other day . william lewis confessed he was arrested , but the cause of that arrest was but a beginning of that revenge which the parson and mistress w. had threatned against them , because they disliked their wickedness . she said further , she would not for a world go such a way to work as to seek revenge , but she could take her oath that she was afraid of her life . when nothing would serve to silence the parties , mr stokes tenders her ( with admonition not to swear falsly ) the oath , which she takes , and thereupon grants her a warrant of the peace against the said parson webb , mistress w. i. m. and e. b. after the warrant was perfected , these persons make a full relation to mr stokes of all passages at langley between the fellow-creatures , and particularly william lewis acquainted him with the foul act of webbs being taken in the act of adultery with mrs. w. a little after michaelmas last past , and this complaint to mr stokes was nov. . . william lewis cals his wife , and she makes good the information , and tenders to swear it ; divers questions mr stokes put to her tending to weaken , if not stifle the information : but she stands boldly in the justification of it , with a world of other most horrible and hatefull crimes and practices of theirs , not to be named . two questions mr stokes desires them to satisfie him in ; one is why the fact was concealed till now ? the second was , whether ever they took m. w. to be a good woman ? to the first query the answer falls in from the womans own mouth ; afterwards to the second he answers , that they lookt upon m w. to be a godly , religious , and as wise a woman as any in the country , till of late they had found to the contrary ; but webb had discovered himself to be a leacherous knave long ago . well , mr stokes takes the womans information , but not upon oath , and so made no further proceedings upon it , thinking perhaps the woman might be ( as ranters usually are ) of another mind another day . but they continue the same tune from day to day ; w. l. follows mr stokes for a prosecution ; m. stokes acquaints two of his fellow-justices with it , and a day is appointed for a hearing of the business . well , in the mean time the warrant of the peace is served on m. w. and thomas webbe , and they also meet on the . of novem. before m. stokes ; m. w. gives sureties to keep the peace ; webbs credit is so much cract , that he must needs pretend that he will go to goal ; yet rather then he should go alone , and be in lo●s pound without a fellow-creature , m. w. ( such is the tender love and pity of the woman to the parson ) moves her husband to stand for one of webbs sureties ; but some having more wit then some , he refuseth , and pleaded an ingagement to the contrary ; at which the little gentlewoman seems angry : and anon m. w. and his wife mount on horseback , and are returning home ; but before they had rode a flightshot from the place , m w ( findes better arguments on horseback then afoot ) prevails with her husband to become a surety for the parson ( what will not love do ? ) so m. w. and his horse face about , and he brings his wife with him for a witnesse that he himself ( with another gentleman ) was surety for tom. webbe , that he should not go to goal , nor stay at home to break the publique peace ; so away they went : and for as much as william lewis had expressed himself to be in a great fear of m. w. life , by the fellow-creatures , they sent m. white to another justice of peace , where he swears that he standeth in fear lest w. lewis , edith his wife , &c. will take away his life , hurt and main his body , or burn his houses : whereupon he obtains a warrant , and binds them to the peace : withall , the better to effect the businesse , ( viz. ) the design of the fellow-creatures , he procures a warrant to search for stoln goods ; by which means they search lewis his part of the house , and pretend they finde goods of m. w. there : so they arrest lewis as a felone , and hale him and his wife , &c. before the justice , where whilst their mittimus is making , and m. white binding over to prosecute , parson webb and his , &c. are imployed in getting lewis his possession ; so they are turned out of doors , and their goods secured to the totall undoing of the said lewis . the information of henry white of langley buriall gent. against william lewis and edith his wife , taken upon oath , before edward stokes esquire , novemb. . ● . he this informer saith , that of late he hath had certain houshold goods , feloniously stoln from him the said henry white out of his dwelling house , and having obtained a warrant from a justice of peace , he made search in a part of his own dwelling house at langley aforesaid , being in the possession of the said william lewis , where he found certain parcels of his goods 〈◊〉 lost , ( viz ) one new exe for a wam never used ; certain apples , in measure about one bushel , and a certain table-board in length about ten scot ; whereupon he the said henry white chargeth him the said william lewis and his wife upon suspition to have feloniously stoln the said goods at severall times from the said henry white . henry white . the examination of william lewis taken as aforesaid . he this examinant saith , that he is altogether guiltlesse of the felonies charged by m. white against him , that the exe mentioned in the information , was lying and being in the room where upon search it was found , when he the examinant first entered possession of that part of the house belonging to m. white in langley aforesaid , and there ever was at m. whites command for his use : for the apples , he this examinant saith they were his own goods by vertue of a contract or bargain made with m. white about three weeks before the feast of michaelmas last past : as for the table-board he this examinant saith he borrowed the same of mary the wife of henry white , and set the same upon two tressles in a certain room of the said house , not with any intent to defraud the said m. white ; and further he this examinant saith the said m. white hath four or five times in a day frequented the said room . and made use of the said table , and never questioned any thing till this very day ; and further he hath not to say . the examination of edith lewis the wife of the said william , taken as aforesaid . shee this examinant saith , that the information is altogether untrue , that the said exe was in the said room when she first came into possession thereof with her said husband : that the apples mentioned in the information , are her said husbands goods : that the table-board was in the house when they came to it , and there they intended to leave it : and further she saith , the said m. white did every day resort into the said room , and made use of the same table , and till this day never questioned the same ; and further she hath not to say . you see what the felony is which m. white through the instigation of the fellow-creatures charge against lewis and his wife , and you may easily guesse that the warrant of the peace was upon the same ground . notwithstanding the grand jury at the triall findes m. whites bill of indictment to be but an ignoramus . by what is past you may perceive what a spirit of giddinesse had possessed the primest actors upon the ranting stage . the idolators of old having worshipped their idol god , through the just judgement of god almighty , fell out among themselves , and sheathed each others sword in their brothers bowels : so these having committed folly , act the part of madnesse and enraged fury , and resolve never to quit the stage till they have devoured each other , and then the longest liver take all . lord how true is thy word , though hand joyn in hand , iniquity shall not go unpunished . 't was wonderfull to see the love of the fellow-creatures , but the other day what a union there was among these persons , and others of the same kidney , not yet named , united in family , living under one roof ; united in principle , united in practice , united in all things becoming fellow-creatures and lovers of community ; yet now like simple children , which for a time delight in each other , and laugh and play friendly together ; but anon , fall out and fight with each other , or rather like drunkards , which for a while love each other intirely , praise each other to the skies , and despise all that are not as themselves , pot-companions ; yet afterwards having added drunkennesse to thirst , fall to boxes and blows amongst themselves , wounding and tearing each other to pieces : such was the behaviour of these who were drunk with folly and frenzy in the time of their ranting catterwalle . you may perceive all the discovery made by the actors themselves , and very remarkable it is that their own councels and their own tongues brought their horrid wickednesse to light , loudly proclaiming that publiquely , which before was but privately suspected and whispered . remarkable also it is that hitherto none prosecuted them to this day that were not of their own party ; except one warrant granted against the fellow-creatures , at the request of one s. v. about august before ; to whom one of the faction and councell discovered their wicked waies and practices ; but the businesse being upon the stage , the discoverer shrunk in the wetting , only manifested that birds of a feather must hang together ; otherwise not a man moved towards their publique prosecution , or any way sought their disgrace . neither need any man act that way , seeing the parties concerned had entered upon the work , as if they had taken it to task . . so you have seen the breach , first made between the most choice fellow-creatures , after the highest expressions of love and l. . you have seen the breach made up again by the learned parson ( in wickednesse ) alias mock parson . . you have seen the said parson , first , in his seeming sobriety . secondly , in his ranting . thirdly , confessing and repenting . fourthly , ranting as before . . you have seen evil arising afresh against both parson and fellow-creature from their own sect and gang . . you have seen the fellow-creatures furiously working the ruine and destruction of their accusers . now it remains that the charge of lewis and his wife against tho. webbe and m. w. and the proceedings of the justices thereupon , be also made manifest , as it lieth upon record , which is here made publique upon this account , only to manifest to the world that the ruine and distraction of this people arose from among their own selves , and not from the justices , as tom webb in his masse of malice most untruly gives out . the information of edith lewis wife of william lewis of langley burhill , yeoman , given the . of novemb. . unto edward stokes esq . against thomas webb of langley aforesaid clerk , and mary white wife of henry white of the same gent. for and concerning the felonious committing of the horrible and crying sin of adultery together , and now again taken upon oath this th of decemb. in the year aforesaid before george ivy , the said edward stokes , and william shute esquires , three of the justices of the peace within the said county , as followeth . who saith , that her husband and she living in part of the said henry whites house in langley aforesaid , she this informant was sent by the said mistress mary white to chippenham upon a saturday , between michaelmas and alhallontide , and making more haste from thence , then she usually did at other times ; she went into that part of the house wherein the said mistress white lived , and finding no body in any of the lower rooms , she went up stairs , and a chamber-door near the stair-head being open , she stept into the said chamber , and there saw the said thomas webbe lying upon the body of the said mistress mary white , and being in the very act of adultery with her , upon the bed there : and further she this informant saith , that there was in the same room at the same time one john morrice a souldier of gloucester , who hastily came to the said chamber-door to put back her this informant ; he supposing ( as she conceived ) that she had been mr henry white aforesaid , husband of the said mary : but she being in the chamber before he could shut the door against her , he let her alone , where she stood as one amazed , and in exceeding great fear . then the said thomas webbe arose from off the bed and place where he lay , to one side , and the said mary white to the other side , and afterwards they two together , with the said morris , fell to dancing , using in their said dancing much filthy and unclean language , worse then ever she this informant heard from any others , with whom she this informant complied in dancing for the time , for fear they should do her some mischief , but was glad when she was gon from them . and this informant being asked , why she concealed it so long , saith , that she told her own brother thomas riley of calve of it , the next day after it was done ; and that she durst not acquaint any other with it , for that she lived under the same roof with the said mistress white , and did not know what injury they might have done her , if she should have spoken of it : but not being able to hide it long from her husband , at length she acquainted him with it ; who , as soon as he heard of it , caused her presently to go to justice stokes , and inform him of it . and this informant appearing again before the said george ivye , the . day of february following , saith further , that the day wherein she took the said thomas webbe and mary white in the act of adultery , and left uncertain upon her former information , was the very next saturday after michaelmas last past , as she doth now perfectly remember . the information of william lewis of langley aforesaid , yeoman , taken upon oath the . day of february . before the said george jvy , against the said thomas webbe and mary white , as aforesaid . who saith , that about the th or th of june last past , there being a great falling out between the said mr webbe and mistress white , she the said mistress white did in the presence and hearing of this informant and divers others , charge the said mr webbe , that he had many times indeavoured to ravish her , & force her chastity : to which the said webb replied , that he needed not to do so , for that he had oftentimes had carnal knowledge of her with her own consent ; and that she had sent her own husband mr henry white to fetch him four mornings in a week out of his bed , of purpose to ly with her ; & that she had formerly told him , that the childe where with she then went , was his , and that he begot it on her on s. stevens his day at night last past ; and that her servant elizabeth briscow was as good as her self , for that she lay with john morris and young organ of castle-combe : which things being bruted up and down the country , some honest and religious people of calve sent one thomas riley of the same , to this informant , to learn the truth of it ; to whom he the said informant gave this answer , that the said mr webb and mistress white had charged each other as aforesaid , not only in the hearing of this informant , but also in the presence of m. white and mistress webbe , being the husband and wife of the said mistress white and m. webbe , and that he conceived them to be both naught ; and further saith , that this quarrell continued between the said m. webb and mistress white , untill the said mistress white was delivered of the childe wherewith she then went , and it grew to that height , that there were above twenty suits in law depending betwixt henry white aforesaid , and the said m. webb , and that shortly after mistress white was brought to bed , and indifferently well recovered of her childe birth , the aforesaid elizabeth briscow told him this informant , that her mistress had a great desire to speak with m. webb , and had appointed her to bring him unto her : whereupon this informant remembring what had formerly passed betwixt them , and fearing that they would grow as familiar again , as they had been before ; did the more strictly observe their doings , and the thursday following being the next thursday after michaelmas last past , he saw the said m webb and the said iohn morris walking athwart the grounds towards m. whites house , and coming near the said house , they stood still under an oke , and lookt about them , and after a little pause , they went a by-way through the orchard and garden into the said house through a door seldom used ; and the said morris continued there all that night ; and for the greatest part of the night the said morris and the aforesaid elizabeth briscow drawing a servant of this informants into their company did nothing but curse and swear , sing lewd songs , and drink such prophane and blasphemous healths , as this informant never heard the like before ; and the next morning being friday , the said riley ( whose sister he this informant married ) coming again to his house , he the said informant told the said riley , that he feared , that m. webb and mistress white would grow too familiar again , and that there would be murther or some other mischief follow it ; and did thereupon turn away his aforesaid servant , and forbid his wife to meddle or make with mistress white or any of her businesse : and further saith , that his wife told him , that the said webb and morris were the greatest part of that afternoon in the chamber together with mistress white : and this informant further saith , that the morrow after being saturday about one or two of the clock in the afternoon of the same day , m. white and his sister being then from home , and this informants wife likewise at chippenham , he saw the said webb and the said morris walk in the church-yard together , and after a little while slipt into the said m. whites house the back way , through the said orchard and garden , and towards the evening he saw the said webb come forth of the said house again the same way . and the next day being sunday in the evening , this informant asked of the said elizabeth briscow , how it chanced that the said morris had not preached there that day ? to which she replied , that the said morris intended to have preached , but she would not let him , and that she told him , that he should not come thither roguing and whoring , and yet make people believe he was godly . the examination of the said mistress mary white taken the . day of decem. . before the three aforesaid iustices ; she the said mistres white being then and thither brought , and charged with the felonious committing of the said act of adultery , with the aforesaid m. webb , as followeth . who being examined whether she this examinant , thomas webb aforesaid , and one iohn morris were together at her said husbands house on any saturday betwixt this and michaelmas last past , or not ? denieth that ever they were , but saith that the said webb and morris were on the friday next after michaelmas day there in her own chamber , at her said husbands house ; and that all the same time elizabeth briscow this examinants maid-servant was also in the same room , and during all the while that they continued there : and further saith , that the said webb and morris have been divers times severally at her husbands house since michaelmas last past , but never both together , except that one time . and this examinant doth also utterly deny , that the said thomas webb had carnall knowledge of her then or at any other time , or that she , the aforesaid tho. webb . the said john morris , and edith lewis aforesaid ever danced together ; or that she , or the said webb , or either of them are any waies guilty of the things wherewith they are charged in the information of the said edith lewis . the examination of the said thomas webb taken before the said justices , as aforesaid . who saith , that there being some suits at law depending betwixt the said m. white , and him this examinant ; he the said examinant and one john morris a souldier at gloucester , went to the house of the said m. white the friday before michaelmas day to talk with him and his wife about reconciling the said law-suits , and mistress white lying in about the same time , sent for him this examinant and the said morris into her chamber , and there had discourse of the businesse : and being further asked , whether he and the said morris were ever together in that or any other chamber of the said mr whites , with the aforesaid mrs white at any other time since the said friday before michaelmas ; confesseth and saith , that he this examinant and the said morris have been severall times together in that house with the said mistress white , but denieth that they were together in any of the chambers of the said house , with the said mistress white ever since that time , and doth also deny that he had then ever before or since any carnall knowledge of the said mistress white , or that he the said examinant , with the said mistress white , and the said morris , and the said edith lewis danced together , or spoke such words as they are accused of by edith lewis aforesaid . after the aforesaid informations and examinations were taken , the said mr webbe and mistress white for their said offence were both committed by the three afore-named justices to the common goal for the said county of wilts , where they remained prisoners till the assises following . when the fellow creatures understood their mittimus , and saw whereto they must trust , they seem to be somewhat milder then before , and more moderate in their language then formerly ; but after a little pause , webbe being a better scribe then parson , imploys his pen , and tumbles out of his treasury of self-confidence and impudence , expositions of the parliaments act of adultery in folio , and sends them to m. stokes , amongst which he asserts these particulars . . that no parson ( though made a felon by that act ) is to be proceeded against till after presentment or indictment at assises or sessions , and the verdict of twelve men is to be the leading card to sentence , or any other proceedings upon this new law . . that no justice of peace or other officer is to imprison or secure the felons mentioned in the said act , till after indictment and conviction . . that the justices had no power to summon tho. webbe nor mistress white before them , nor power to hear the complaints , nor to send them to goal though offending against the said act , according to what is charged against them . . that the parliament would rather a man should fly for such an offence then suffer death , and therefore they have provided that no other proceedings are to be then upon indictment ; wherefore ( saith he ) the parliament would be glad to be rid of them so . . that old laws are not a rule for justices to walk by in their proceeding against offenders as are made so by modern and late acts . . that judge nicholas can give no councel upon this act more then another man ; for first , it is a new law , and he is as young a lawyer in the knowledge of it as another . . it is distinct from all other laws , for it both afflicts and affords that which no other law doth . then he laies down his own verdict upon the justices proceedings , and saith . that they are acts of inhumanity and injustice . that they are beyond all law , equity , reason , president and common respect that one creature oweth to another . that neither reason nor wisdom was called to their councels or consultations . that their present proceedings were to gain aplause amongst the multitude , and that nothing hath more served the enemies designs , then their cruel and tyrannicall proceedings against them . that such dealings are not amongst turks and infidels that are acted against him and his , &c. then he fals to these queries . . who shall secure the tithingman for what he doth upon the justices unjust proceedings ? . what provision is made for conveying him and his &c. to goal , for a foot they cannot go , and horses they will not hire ? . whether ( seeing they were states-prisoners ) the state ought not to make provision for them , both to the goal and in the goal ? . whether they ought not to have received more favour being they were publique persons , and had laid out themselves for the publique , and upon the publique service , though they were guilty , and the act required such dealings ? . seeing they were bound to the peace before , and were no rogues nor vagabonds , whether that was not sufficient ; and the rather seeing the poor gentlewoman is sickly , and not inferiour to those that committed them ? then he fals to his proud and insolent threats , and tels m. stokes , that for as much as bayl was offered and refused ; now it should not be given if the justices accept of it . then for the great wrong and injury which i sustain ( saith he ) through the justices , i will seek a remedy by a law and equity . that the businesse shall be publiquely questioned , and mr stokes made ashamed of it . that whatsoever he hath formerly confessed or written to m. stokes , he values it not , but challengeth m. stokes to do him what prejudice he can , and not to spare . that he is resolved to turn every stone , to finde out , and to be satisfied of the justness of the justices proceedings against him . the letters bear date , from my illegal and discourteous restraint , decemb. . . from my unjust , illegal and tyrannical restraint , langley buriall , decemb. . . signed , this nations true friend and servant , tho. webbe . to all which and much more of the like nature , m. stokes returns to tho. webb only these ensuing lines . sir , your lines savour of so much passion , conceitednesse and untruth , that to answer them particularly , would argue more vanity and weaknesse in me , then yet you impute to me . i perceive 't is your manner to revile at any that crosse you in your lusts : your janus-face and conversation is sufficiently known in these parts . i own those acts of justice you now lie under ; you may continue your taunts and threats , and do your worst , either with or without them : justice is my master , which i cannot betray to humour you in your lusts . your hypocrisie hath hampered you , and your own practices , if not principles , have brought this judgement upon you , which when you come to your self , you will acknowledge and give glory to god in truth : till which time i am content to lye under your reproach and scorn , and there subscribe , your , &c. e. s. by what is last past , surely there 's no reader that views this parson , but must needs admire him for his deep judgement and singular knowledge in the act of adultery , and the parliaments act against the same , of which he is the only expositor after the ranters understanding , which he hath fully exprest , that it wants no refutation ; and he that goes about to convince a ranter in any point , either of law or gospel , may as well undertake to wash a black-more white . yet at length towards goal the fellow-creatures go , and knowing the farthest way about was the nearest way home , they go as parsons in perambulation ; but in stead of reading epistles and gospels , when they are at their utmost bounds , these reade railing and invective lectures against the justices and their accusers : for being the only champions of liberty , and such as had laid out themselves for the publike , they resolve not to be cast down , but bravely to carry out the businesse , for they were well assured that old birds could not be catcht with chaff , nor such eminent fellow-creatures so expert in the knowledge of liberty and l. to be catcht by a new act of parliament against adultery ; they knew well enough how to manage the businesse , they can produce witnesse enough to out-swear whatsoever shall be sworn against them ; what if one or two fellow-creatures be faln off from , and out , with these choice lovers , and tell tales out of school , and swear in publique what was acted more private ? that 's nothing , there are five for one remain faithfull to the cause , and they can swear for a need that the evidence is upon malice , and that there was no such thing acted , &c. and this every man that knew any thing of the ranters principles or waies , knew upon what score there was no danger of death in the parties before they came to triall , and therefore some who were forc't to speak at the time of triall , did it to lay open their wickednesse not to take away their lives ( which were secure ) but whoremongers and adulterers god will judge . long these persons had not continued in goal , but they sue for bayl , which the parson a little before scorns to accept of , yet now all possible means they use for liberty upon bayl ; to which purpose m. stokes is again courted by parson webb and his then agent m. b. as if all the businesse had depended upon his will ; withall they tell him that the justices of salisbury much wondred at the proceedings , and said m. swanton was offended thereat ; and further said he would bayl him if he had the informations ; whereupon m. stokes procured the informations and examinations , and sent them inclosed to m. swanton with these lines : honoured sir , being informed that you were offended with the proceedings of the justices against one webb and mistress white , because sent to goal , and not bayled , and that if you had a copy of the said proceedings you would bayl them , i thought good to send you the copy for your satisfaction , and withall to tell you that i do not in the least credit any report that proceeds from this raging ranting crew : and indeed having experience of your prudence and wisdom , i am satisfied with whatsoever you shall do on their behalf , and shall only acquaint you that the persons aforesaid have rendred themselves very scandalous , and were of evil fame long before the accusation for which they stand committed ; in so much that webb hath openly confessed , that the childe lately born of the body of mistress white was begotten by him the said webb , &c. and that he had carnall knowledge of her he confest in a letter to my self , when lately he pretended to be troubled in conscience for his sin . sir , i can make it appear ( notwithstanding his fair glosse to strangers ) that he is a meer piece of hypocrisie and deceipt ; as for the gentlewoman , she hath lived so long in these parts , that i need say nothing as to her particular ; i perceive their design at present is to render their accuser infamous , of whom i have only this to say , that i have observed her conversation for divers years , and yet neither by my own observation or other information did i ever take her for other then a modest and sober woman ; but what they ( viz ) webb and mistress w. have made of her since they have all lived under one roof together , which was ever since march last , i understand not ; but she seems to be very serious in what she chargeth them withall . sir , i write not this to hinder their bayl , but to give you light upon what accompt we proceeded against them as we have done . the next day after our mittimus was made , m. shute and my self acquainted judge nicholas with what we had done , who justified our proceeding , and in whose judgement they were not baylable . sir , your cordiall friend and servant , e. s. m. swantons reply to m. stokes . sir , amongst all affronts and abuses i ever received , i never a more scandalous , as by so false and foul an information made to you , as appears by the first line of your letter , that i should take offence from you and the rest of my fellow justices , that webb and mistress white should be sent to goal , and not bayled : so base and unworthy a relation delivered you as before i intend either to reade over the examinations , or to consider what to do in the businesse , i must give you an account of the daily continued labours and endeavours of the delinquents to be bailed , which hath been prosecuted with all the eagernesse that can be thought of ; and on wednesday last , by their mediation , i was sent for to lieutenant generall ludlow to have bailed them , at which time i gave him such full satisfaction , perusing the mittimus , and informing him of the foulnesse of the fact , and the regard we ought to have one of another in these cases of baylment , that i satisfied him untill i could get a copy of the examinations i could not be able to give any resolution towards bayling them , the mittimus being so full as proof and oath , of being taken in the act of adultery , which i perceive to be made good by the examination . sir , i pray conceive that i am not so slight , as that false relator should make me , for its not a straw difference to me , whether m. webb or mistress white be at liberty or in the goal , and therefore i shall desire you that i may know the relator , for i professe i shall question him . and now i have given you a full answer of your letter , i shall let you know , and my other good friends m. ivy and m. shute , that i conceive you have proceeded according to the law ; but yet if you please to be at the sessions , and the court may conceive them baylable , i shall joyn with them ; but sir , be assured no man shall have a more tender respect unto you and all others of your place , then your most assured friend fra. swanton . sarum . . dec. . together with this letter more letters came from webb and his agents to m. stokes , intimating that his letter hindered their bayl , and earnestly intreating a word from him to m. swanton ; whereupon m. stokes wrote these insuing lines : honoured sir , i have received yours , to which i shall give you a more satisfactory answer when i see you , then i can at present , having only time to acquaint you that the prisoners suppose that my last to you is the only hinderance they are not bayled , for so they write to me , and exceedingly presse me to write to you to take their bayl . sir , i am confident if they were baylable in your esteem , you would not defer it , but i thought good to tell you that now they impute their imprisonment till the sessions , to proceed from my letter , the truth of which is known to you ; but notwithstanding all abuses which they have heaped upon me , i have not yet sought the least satisfaction , much lesse revenge ; neither would i by any means hinder their bayl , if any justices are free to take it . your faithfull friend to serve you , e. s. decemb. . . the reason why these letters are inserted , is to shew that there was no plot nor contrivance between the justices , and that m. stokes did nothing maliciously against the fellow creatures , or hinder their bayl , as the parson hath given out , who having lost a parsonage , hath made lies his refuge , as if he intended to be a chaplain to the father of lies , for which he is learned enough . but yet notwithstanding they are not bayled , no not at the next generall quarter sessions , where m. stokes appeared not , and therefore could be no obstruction , yet the gentlewoman might have inlargement , but like a good and loving soul to her dearest friend refused it , unless he might partake of the same priviledge , as m. b. confessed . but webb now perceiving how things went , intends to act another part of repentance , having made himself weary of his ranting party , as the letters and message hereafter immediatly following demonstrate . honoured sir , as to the will of our wise god , which is fulfilled in my present condition ; i must indeed , i am made to acknowledge it ; and therefore for that i have blamed and passionately wronged you , i am heartily sorry and humbly implore your goodnesse for to have me excused for it ; i shall now learn to submit to a divine will , who is just in what it doth , and will justifie all those whom it makes use of for its accomplishment , &c. your humble servant , tho. webbe . dear and honoured sir , what the decree is that is gone forth from the presence of our good and wise god , i do not know , nor indeed am i able to spel it out , the characters almost passe my intelligence ; for providence acts so darkly to me , and in so many paths of contrariety , that indeed i am almost amazed , and were it not that former experiences were renued in me , and that i do draw something of sweetnesse from many sweet promises , i should look upon my self as an undone , lost man . i say wisdom acts beyond my genius , and apprehensions ; very much ingaged should i be in this my straight , you would by your own enjoyment help me to learn and understand ; i hope god will yet make me to know , and do his pleasure ; and this confidence i have , that out of this wildernesse he will deliver me : oh that my patience would carry me forth to the end , and not suffer me to murmer against him ! no nor against any he is pleased to inflict upon me . many thanks and returns of love to your dear lady and your self for your love and care towards me , which i must and shall for ever acknowledge to be altogether undeserved by me , and though my desires for my liberty and your well wishes take not effect , yet i do heartily thank you ; and truly i professe it from my heart , it will for ever oblige me , not only to subscribe , but to be , dear sir , your cordiall friend and humble servant , tho. webbe . january . . . honoured sir , that which at first moved me to write to you , and to expresse my self in so bold and rude language , truly was my love to you , for i could have chused to have writ to others , but indeed i ever loved you , and was perswaded my lines would have been received without exception ; but understanding my lines were not to be born withall , i most humbly desire you to have me excused for them , and to impute them to passion , not to any thing of prejudice ; for i professe it might proceed from the former , but as for the later it had no place nor footing ; for i owe you no prejudice , but as formerly i love and honour you . furthermore , i humbly intreat you to give a gratious hearing to what i have intrusted my loving and very good friend m. bayliff to acquaint you with , and so far own me , if ever you will do me good , as to answer it gratiously : i would have made my paper the messenger , but truly i could not do it conveniently , and therefore made bold with my friend to do it for me , to whom i have imparted my whole heart , and my present condition as it now stands ; i have faithfully declared my self to him , and have desired him to acquaint you with it , and so humbly intreating you to give him a hearing , and to act for me as one who once was your near friend , and still is , honoured sir , fisherton january . your faithfull friend and servant , tho. webbe . the request of the arch-parson made known by m. bayliff , was , that he was exceedingly wearied and tired out with mistress whites company in goal , that she by her flatteries and frowns still indeavoured to keep him in his evil and unclean courses with her , whose provocations and temptations gave him no rest ; and therefore he humbly desires to be removed into any other prison out of her company , where he might be at rest , and then he would publish to the people of god the whole businesse in truth and in print ( concerning his unclean life with the said gentlewoman ) which now he could not perform , because of her presence with him ; nay he could not now , such was his condition , so much as write or speak a word but she grew jealous it tended to unfaithfulnesse . besides this relator added that the parson had no rest , unlesse he were sucking at her breasts , which was his work amongst others ( after one puppy had lost his life by often sucking ) or merry and frolick with her , according to the accustomed manner ; and besides said , that she left her own husband and came and lay upon webbs bed and body , this relator being then in bed with the said webb , and there with many tears and threats indeavoured to keep him to her self ; notwithstanding with much ado he writes the foregoing lines , and earnestly desired m. stokes his assistance to work a separation between him and mistress white , in putting of them to severall goales . m. stokes upon the receipt of this letter and message said but little , and did lesse , being well assured that this proceeded at best but from a short-lived heart-qualm , or rather it was only a vail to cast over m. b. whilst at once the amorous parson and his giglets made a jear of the messenger , the message , and he to whom it was sent , as afterwards was manifest . yet you see the inconsiderate parson webb seems to practice a pensive mans part , after all his audacious and malepert carriage and demeanor before remembred . notwithstanding this repentance also hastily proves abortive , and the parson faceth about to his fellow-creature , who in a few daies after , wrote this ensuing letter to m. bayliff , in answer to one of his formerly sent to perswade her to shew kindnesse and respect towards parson webbs wife , who was gone to visit her husband in goal ; for it was feared , it seems , that mistress white would not nor could not dissemble her principles , but would openly dislike that mistress webb should be so bold as to take such a journey to see her husband , having no more right to him then a formall union , which is nothing to the liberall and free union of fellow-creatures . the letter of mrs. white to m. bayliff follows . kinde friend , i am very sensible of your realities and endeared friendship towards us , you shall finde us as truly yours in whatsoever lieth within our powers , when opportunity shall honour us with some ample expressions , whereby we may expresse in deed rather then word what we would be . dear friend , to shew gratefulnesse for all favors , and the truth of our profession , which is no lesse then the height of humane society , in which ( though darkly ) i will walk as far as i know to all , but especially i have observed your desires , though not without trouble , and i must tell you sensibly also how much it reflects upon me , knowing my self so grosly abused , yet am as i am , it must lie upon more worth to requite and aquit , then i have yet found acted towards me from my dearest friend ; we shall be glad to see you , i doubt till two daies before the assises i shall not get bess and goody brewer , then i hope you will all meet here ; till when , and ever be most confident i am sincerely , your friend both in life and death , m. w. jan. . . postscript . mr webbe is so taken up with his friends , i beseech you excuse him for not writing , i am sure he is yours as much as his own : his dear love to you . the aforesaid letter is inserted to shew the reader that the antick parson did but meerly dissemble , whilst he sought a divorce from his fellow-creature in the goal , for in these lines you may perceive how great the union is ; so that now m. stokes is no more troubled with letters or messages , nor hears no more of the lovers untill the assises . not to trouble the reader with the deportment of the fellow-creatures in goal , nor what unworthy design webbe puts in practice to save his neck ; nor to mention any thing concerning the witnesse produced on his behalf at the triall , all which requires a volume : but the author forbears these particulars : being tender of the good names of some , who at present seem to repent for what they have acted in relation to the deceiptfull mock-parson . as for the triall it self , the author will passe over that also in silence , because all things acted there were in the face of the whole country , wherefore the impudent mock-parson at the triall needs no discovery , it 's so famously known in wiltshire . the grand jury findes the bill of indictment , the jury for life and death finde him not guilty , whereupon he is freed : and surely now any moderate man would have thought he would have given glory to god , turned over a new leaf , and left off his ranting way : this was expected from him , because of his goal-repentance not long before ; but in stead hereof he continues the same pace as before , nay he becomes more proud , imperious and impudent then ever . after he had kept holy-day with the ranting gang in sarum , he returns towards his parsonage , but the farthest way about , to visit the fellow-creatures : wherefore m. w. being sent home the nearest way , webb with mistress w. and his own wife , with others , returns by the way of warminster ; in which progresse , such was the demeanor of the libertine parson , lately delivered out of the hand of justice , but still fast in the devils clutches , that he publiquely owns his relation to his fellow-creatures , to be above and more binding to him then his relation to his own wife , which was but formall , but the other was real . upon this , with other his most impudent carriage , the parsons wife ( poor woman ) expecting better things , as the fruit of his sufferings ; but now seeing her hopes to fail , she fals into a labirinth of misery and heart-distress , and presently in the same room earnestly desired m. f. bayliff ( then in company , who was one of webbs witnesses at the triall ) that he would run her through with his sword , for she was no longer able to bear as she had done . not to trouble the reader with all passages in the parsons return from his chappell at fisherton , to the parish church of langley ; you shall only know that at bradford the sack went merrily down the witnesses throats , and the rest of the fellow-creatures , who well deserved it : but amidst their cups they quaff about this health , here is a health to the star that now is in the eclipse , but hereafter shall shine in perfect glory ; which the relator thus interprets , the star in eclipse is mistress white , who though now despised because of the peoples ignorance of true liberty , yet hereafter , when it should be known , she should shine in perfect glory ( viz. ) be had in high accompt and esteem . well , at length home the fellow-creatures come , divers are in expectation that the mock-parson will surely now become a new man , at least in apperance ; but he reforms like a parsons ape , the clean contrary way , he swaggereth it out most bravely with his proud looks , poudered pate , and prating tongue ; he breaths out no lesse then ruine and destruction against all opposers , amongst which m. stokes must have a large share , he shall no longer continue in the commission of the peace ( a great revenge ) because he acts so irregularly and unjustly , as to prosecute the law against the honest party , and makes no difference between common whoremongers , and masters of art , alias mock-parsons and priests apes ( a sad case . ) well all the influence of this honest party is withdrawn , which raised m. stokes into the sadle , therefore he must needs fall ; and the propheticall parson foretels strange things to come , and fortunes to befall divers persons , which will all be fulfilled the next black munday . and after a while the parson takes a journey to london , and appears before the committee of plundered ministers ( who so bold as blinde byard ! ) in hopes to continue parson of langley by that power which he despised , the better to out-brave mr stokes and others , to whom he had whined and howled out his own wickedness : for he well knew though he had narrowly escaped the halter , yet he appeared in an unclean and most ugly shape to all tender spirits . and at length about may . he sends mr stokes , under his own hand writing , the copy of an order from the said committee , with four articles against himself , to be examined by , and certified from the justices , and desires mr stokes to appoint a time and place for the execution of the said order , which mr stokes appointed accordingly , and withall promised the mock-parson to make good the charge himself against him , which when his grace understood , he startles not a little , and at length scribles back an invective letter to m. stokes , acquainting him also that his time would not now permit to have the businesse heard , for he must wait upon his wife ( a kinde parson ) to batly , which proved a shift , whereupon m. stokes gives this reply to the p. sir , though you snarl at creatures , and like a mad man strike at those that are next you , yet when you shall be delivered from your frenzy , you will say , it was the iniquity of your heels that compassed you about , and not malice in your opposers : you might have enjoyed your being at langley long enough with the love and liking of all that fear god or love the nation , had you been true to your self or friends ; your dissembled repentance had once almost re-inthroned you in the hearts of honest men , had not your revolting and revellings tumbled you down from thence . when you appeared in sheeps clothing , who harmed you , who molested you , who advanced themselves above you ? when you appeared in another shape , who did not pity you and pray for you , and expect your return , &c. had you learned the doctrine of self-denial but half so perfectly as that of self-justification , certainly your present condition had been such as now you fain it to be . but why do you boast your self in your own deceivings ? your great swelling words of vanity affrighten none save fools or women . you do well to study the law , but i wish your understanding therein prove not abortive , like your gospel knowledge . but howsoever you need not fear , the times are so peaceable , theeves cannot , and so good honest men will not rob you of any priviviledge due to you : the whole body of articles you may meet withall , with the committee of plundred ministers , or have a copy here when my clerk is at leasure . you can appoint and wave meetings at your pleasure , you can both juggle and play fair at the same game , 't is no matter into what shape you lick your self , so long as you like your self . sir , your contemptible reproaches and threats are but badges of honour , which you are pleased to cast , though with another intent upon . e. stokes . about the later end of august following , these ensuing orders and articles were sent down by the committee for plundered ministers , unto the justices of the peace for the said county of wilts. by the committee for plundered ministers , august the th . ordered that the articles exhibited against thomas webb minister of langley burhill in the county of wilts ( a copy whereof is annexed ) be referred to the justices of the peace in the said county , or any two or more of them , who are desired to receive the said m. webb his answer to the said articles ; and to summon before them , examine and crosse-examine the witnesses that shall be produced , as well for proof of the said articles , as of the defence of the said m. webb , and to certifie the said articles , answer and examinations to this committee , by the eleventh day of november next , close sealed . and the said justices are desired to secure the profits of the said rectory , till this committee shall have heard and determined the cause upon the said return , and to see that no spoil be made on the said personage-house or glebe-lands thereunto belonging . by the committee for plundered ministers , august the th . ordered that the additionall articles this day exhibited against thomas webb minister of langley buthill in the county of wilts ( a copy whereof is annexed ) be referred to the justices of the peace in the said county , or any two or more of them , who are desired to receive the said m. webb his answer thereunto ; and to summon before them , and examine , and crosse-examine the witnesses that shall be produced , as well for proof of the said articles , as of the defence of the said m. webb , and to certifie the said articles , together with the former articles , answers and examinations to this committee , close sealed up with all convenient speed , and the profits of the said rectory are to be secured according to the former order of the th instant , in the mean time . articles of prophanenesse and scandall against thomas webb the pretended rector of the personage of langley burhill in the county of wilts. . the said thomas webb never had any legall order for his incumbency there , but by the help and favour of his pretended patronesse mistress mary white , and some other parishoners of the same parish upon his promise unto them of non-taking tithes , obtained the parsonage , usurping the place of an incumbent there , contrary to the orders made by the honourable committee for plundered ministers , and the committee of this county . . the said webb stands charged to be an adulterous person , and to have committed the detestable sin of uncl-annesse with divers women ( besides his pretended patronesse mistress mary white ) and hath confessed the same , and gloried therein , and affirmed he could lye with any woman save his own mother . . the said webb stands charged to have affirmed in his discourse , that moses was a conjurer , and that christ was a deceiver of the people . . the said webb stands charged to have affirmed , that preaching and lying are both alike to him . . the said webb stands charged to have tearmed his hearers fools for coming to gape on him , whilst he told them lies . . the said webb stands charged to have drank to the confounding of the parliament , and to have tearmed them rogues and devils , withall saying , that if he were ( by those that heard him ) accused for any of the afore-mentioned crimes , he would for swear the same . . the said webb hath in an high nature scandalized and abused judge nicholas , george ivy , edward stokes and william shute esquires , and other the justices of the peace for this county , for discharging their duties , both in law and conscience , according to the trust reposed in them . . the said webb hath done much waste , and made great spoil and destruction upon the gleab lands of the rectory of langley burhill aforesaid , by cutting down , and selling at very low rates , a great part of the wood and trees late growing and being upon the same , which were before his coming thither much stored , and better replenished with wood then any parsonage in those parts ; besides also he hath let fallen , pulled down to the ground , and sold away part of the housing belonging to the parsonage-house there . . the-said webb stands charged by the most knowing christians in his own parish , to have preached false and unprofitable doctrine . whereas we have received two several orders from the committee of plundered ministers ( purporting certain articles , heretofore to have been exhibited against thomas webb minister of langley burhill in the county of wilts ) referring the same to the justices of the peace in the said county , or any two of them , who are desired to receive the said mr webbe his answer thereunto ; and to summon before them , and examine and cross-examine the witnesses that shall be produced as well for part of the said articles , as of the defence of the said m. webb ; these are to give you to understand , that we justices of the peace of the county aforesaid , intend ( god permitting ) to execute the contents of the said order at the house of captain taylor , being at the sign of the white hart in chippenham , on the th day of september next ensuing after the date of these presents , between the hours of eight and nine of the clock in the morning of the same day ; where if you think fit you may produce witnesses to be examined on your part and behalf ; and we shall be then ready to receive your answer according to the contents of the said order . witnesse our hands at chippenham this . of august . to thomas webb minister of langley burhil . this paper following was delivered in by the said m. webb unto the said justices , at their appointed meeting for the executing of the aforesaid orders : viz. grounds of exceptions against sr edward bainton , william shute esq. &c. and against the examination intended . . first , that the charge to be examined , is not the charge exhibited before the honourable committee , upon which the orders were granted , which occasioned this meeting . . that most part of the charge hath been already answered , and the accused quit . . that in some part of the charge the examiners themselves are concerned . . the examiners have manifested abundance of prejudice against the accused , as will easily be made to appear . . the accused stands bound in judgement and conscience to prosecute the examiners ( for neglect of doing of their duty for the common-weal , in the late time of danger ) whenever called thereunto , and hath already declared against it , as he believes is known to some of them . . lastly , such was the height either of ignorance or malice , if not both , that when the warrant for appearance was sent , they sent neither copy of orders nor charge , but i was forc't ( though not bound to it ) to send to them for the charge and orders , and as yet have received but a part of the charge , and but a breviat of the orders . these and other grounds are my exceptions built upon , which i humbly tender , that they may be seriously considered , and i have right done to me : no more is desired by him , who in the integrity of his own spirit , subscribes to these his exceptions , tho. webbe . depositions of witnesses taken at chippenham in the county aforesaid , the day of september , in the year of our lord god , one thousand six hundred fifty and one , against thomas webb minister of langley burhill in the said county , by george ivy and william shute esquires , two of the justices of the peace for this county ; by vertue of two several orders unto the justices of the peace of the county aforesaid ; or unto any two or more of them directed from the honourable committee for plundered ministers , the one of which orders bears date , aug. . last past , and the other bears date the th of the same moneth : in manner following , viz. charles aland of langley burhill aforesaid , yeoman , aged thirty two years or thereabouts , sworn and examined , deposeth as followeth : to the first article this deponent saith , that the said m. webb ( about a moneth since ) did confesse in this deponents hearing , that he had no order from any authority to possesse himself of the rectory or parsonage of langley aforesaid , or to officiate there ; but that he did officiate there by the consent and approbation of some of the parishioners of langley aforesaid . and this deponent further saith , that he did thereupon shortly afterwards search in the office of the committee for plundered ministers , to finde whether the said ● . webb had any such order or authority from thence , as aforesaid , but could finde none . to the sixth article this deponent saith , that the sunday seven-night before mistress white and the said m. webb were carried to prison for committing of adultery together , in the church yard before the morning-sermon , the said m. webb and this deponent walking there together ; and this deponent being formerly appointed to be a lieutenant unto one captain parsons , designed to be a captain of the militia ▪ forces of this county ; the said m. webb to perswade this deponent to dissert the said service , and to withdraw his affection from the parliament , used amongst other perswasions these words following , that the parliament was unjust , and dealt unjustly in gathering too much monies , and imploying the same to their own private uses , and not for the publick ; and that if he and others might have liberty , they would prove it , or spoke words to the like effect : and at one other time the said m. webb told this deponent , that god would appear for and on the behalf of the cavaliers once more . to the eight article this deponent saith , that when the said m. webb came and entred into the rectory or parsonage of langley aforesaid , the glebe-land thereunto belonging , was very well stored and replenished with timber-trees , and other underwood , and that since that time the said m. webb hath cut down , burnt and sold , all or the greatest part of the same trees and underwood ; and hath also pulled down two substantiall out-houses belonging to the said rectory or parsonage-house , and sold away the materials thereof . and this deponent further saith , that the said m. webb being required by a warrant , which came under the hands of edward stokes esq . being both a committee man and a justice of the peace of the said county of wilts , to surcease from making of further spoils upon the glebe of the said parsonage , he the said m. webb returned seven queries in writing upon the backside of the said m. stokes his warrant , by way of mocking and jearing of him , and withall abused the said warrant , before he sent it back unto the said m. stokes defiling the same with his own or some others excrements , as this deponent doth verily believe . to the ninth article this deponent saith , that the lords-day seven-night before the said m. webb was committed to prison as aforesaid , he heard the said m. webb deliver in his morning-sermon on that day in the parish-church of langley aforesaid , to his auditors then and there assembled , that he was no minister of god , and wisht them not to look upon him as a minister , for that ( said he ) god had put an end to all ministers and ministrations , and at the same time perswaded the people not to conform themselves to any visible ministrations , either for church or state ( meaning thereby , as this deponent conceiveth ) that they should not obey any ecclesiasticall or civil authority . and further in the same sermon he informed the people , that god requires no obedience to any scripture-commands . and this deponent further saith , that after the said sermon was ended , the said m. webb being asked by this deponent , what then meant all the epistles of the apostles ? whereunto the said m. webb then answered , that they concerned us not . edward stokes of tytherton lucas in the said county of wilts esq. aged thirty six years or thereabouts , sworn and examined , deposeth as followeth : to the first article this deponent saith , that after m. hughes had left the parsonage of langley burhill aforesaid , the same being destitute of an incumbent , one m. martyn had orders both from the honourable committee of plundered ministers , and also from the committee of the said county of wilts to officiate there , and to receive the tythes and profits there-out arising ; which orders the said m. martyn shewed unto this deponent ; and upon the request of the said martyn this deponent went along with him unto the parish-church of langley burhill aforesaid ; who being come thither , and intending to preach , was opposed by the said m. webb , mistress mary white , and some other of the parishioners , who laboured to have m. webb to officiate there ; some of them then conceiving him to be a very godly and profitable man , but have since found themselves deceived ; and others upon his promise of not taking tithes of them , did altogether set themselves against the said m. martyn , which made him to depart thence , and leave the cure : and the said m. webb hath thereupon continued there ever since , without any order or other title to the same place . to the second article this deponent saith , that there having formerly been overmuch familiarity between the said mr webb and the said mistress white the wife of henry white gent. about june . there happening a great varience between them the said m. webb and mistress white , the said webb then seemingly ▪ professed to this deponent to be a great penitent , and exceedingly troubled for his vile conversation ; and divers times since that , did both by words and letters of his own hand-writing confesse to this deponent , that he had committed the detestable sin of uncleannesse with the said mistress white ; through whose temptations he had committed it so frequently with her , that at length he was glad when he had the liberty to walk in the air . and the said m. webb seemed to this deponent to be so penitent , that he wished himself accursed for the pretious gospels sake , that had been so blasphemed by his wicked and unclean conversation : and further said , that solicitations were used to bring him over , and reconcile him again unto the said mistress white , but he then wished , saying , oh that i might be accursed , and the earth swallow me up alive , rather then i should hearken unto her any more ! notwithstanding all which imprecations he shortly after grew intimate and familiar with her again , and was so open and impudent in his carriage with the said mistress white , that he was charged upon oath to have been taken in the very act of adultery with the said mistress white , whereupon they both were committed to the common-goal for the county of wilts aforesaid , there to remain untill they should be discharged from thence by due order of law . robert jeffryes of langley aforesaid yeoman , aged forty three years or thereabouts , sworn and examined , deposeth as followeth . to the second article this deponent saith , that this deponents wife being sent for to mistress white the wife of henry white of langley aforesaid gent. when she was intravell with her childe ( whereof she was then shortly afterwards delivered ) the said m. webb came to this deponents house about a weeks space after her delivery , not usually having come thither before that time , and then asked her how mistress white did ; and told this deponents wife in his this deponents hearing , that the childe which mistress white had them brought into the world , was his the said m. webbs childe , or no . and this deponent further saith , that this present day the said m. webb told this deponent , that if he did come to be examined against him , that he would bring his action for the same against him . deborah clerke late servant to the said robert jeffryes , aged seven and twenty years or thereabouts , sworn and examined , deposeth as followeth : to the second article this deponent saith , that in some short time after mistress white was delivered of her childe , the said m. webb came to her said late masters house , and asked her dame how mistress , white and her childe did , and withall , did thereupon say in a boasting way , that the childe which mistress white had then brought into the world , was his the said webbs childe , or no . edith lewis wife of william lewis of langley aforesaid yeoman , aged forty years or thereabouts , sworn and examined , deposeth as followeth : to the second article this deponent saith , that about whitsuntide last was twelve-moneth , the said m. webb , this deponents husband , and she this deponent , being conferring together concerning matters of religion ; she this deponent did then and oftentimes since bear the said m. webb say , that he did live above ordinances , and that it was lawfull for him to lye with any woman . and at one time above the rest , the said m. webb , mistress white , this deponent , and divers others sitting in the gate-house of the dwelling-house of the said mistress white ( there being tame pidgeons in the court ) the said m. webb observing a great cock pidgeon to tread divers of the hen pidgeons there , said unto those that were there present , that it was lawfull for every man and woman , and that they ought to take that liberty and freedom one with the other , as those pidgeons did , although they were not married the one to the other . to the fourth and fifth articles this deponent saith , that upon a lords day in the afternoon about whitsuntide last was twelve-moneth , the said m. webb being asleep in a room of the dwelling-house of her this deponents husband , and sitting in a chair , this deponents husband came to him , and awaked him , and then said unto the said m. webb , that it was time to go to church , for the bell had done ringing , and there was a great audience of people come to hear him ; whereunto the said mr webb answered her husband , in her this deponents hearing , alas poor fools , why do they come so far to hear me , and stand gaping upon me , whilst i tell them lies ! whereupon this deponents husband asked the said mr webbe , what ? do you tell them lies in the pulpit ? whereunto he replied , that lying and preaching was all one to him . to the eight article this deponent saith , that when the said m. webb entred into the rectory or parsonage of langley burhill aforesaid , the glebe-lands thereunto belonging were very well stored and replenished with timber-trees of all sort , and other under-wood , and that since that time the said m. webb hath hewed , cut down , burnt , and sold all or the most part of the said timber and under-wood , which were any thing worth , and hath mored and grubbed up about the one half part of the copice-ground belonging to the said rectory ; and that in summer last was twelve-moneth the said m. webb did hire workmen , who did by his appointment pull down an handsome barn belonging to the said rectory , and sold away the materials thereof . robert powell of langley burhill aforesaid , husbandman , aged fifty years or thereabouts , sworn and examined , deposeth as followeth : to the last article this deponent saith , that the next sunday after the lent assises , being the first sunday after m. webbe came from salisbury gaol , he heard the said webbe in his then morning sermon , preach and declare to his auditors then assembled in the parish-church of langley aforesaid , these words following ( that is to say ) that the works of jesus christ and his apostles were dead works and carnall , and ended when they died , and served but for their time only , and that people might live unto god without jesus christ ; yet said , i must confesse that jesus christ was the greatest ordinance that ever god set up , and yet the saints may live unto god without that ordinance . nicholas gale of langley aforesaid miller , aged five and twenty years or thereabouts , sworn and examined , deposeth as followeth . to the last article this deponent saith , that about whitsuntide last upon a sabbath day he did hear the said m. webb in his morning-sermon , preach and declare in the said parish-church of langley to his auditors , these words following ( that is to say ) that the doctrine and practice of jesus christ and his apostles , were dead works , and ended when they died : and that preaching and praying cease , for the lord hath no ears to hear . and this deponent further saith , that at another time afterwards , upon a sabbath day , he heard the said m. webb deliver in a sermon , in the said parish-church of langley , that ministers ought not to be believed , though they did preach the truth , except they could work miracles , as christ and his apostles did . hugh wastfeild of langley burhill aforesaid yeoman , aged forty years or thereabouts , sworn and examined , deposeth as followeth : to the eight article this deponent saith , that when the said m. webb came and entered into the parsonage of langley aforesaid , the glebe-land thereunto belonging was very well stored and replenished with timber-trees and other under-wood , and that since that time the said m. webb hath hewed , cut down , burnt , and sold a great part of the same trees and wood , and hath grubbed and mored up a great part of the copice-ground thereunto belonging ; and that since the said m. webbs coming to dwell in the parsonage-house of langley aforesaid , there hath been a great barn or hay-house appertaining to it , pulled down , and the material's thereof were either burnt or conveyed a way . to the last article this deponent saith , that he hath heard the said m. webb deliver in severall sermons these things following ( that is to say ) that the baptisme of water was only john's ministry , and was a legall washing , and to be reckoned amongst legall things ; that gods reaching his people is not by any outward ordinance or ministry , or means , but by the inward unction and anointing ; and that all preaching , all conference or speaking one to another is but meer declaring to each other what we are taught , and not any ministry , as for the teaching one of another ; and that he knew not whether pauls epistles do concern us or no . and further this deponent saith , that he did hear the said m. webb deliver in a sermon , that he did hope to live so long , and that it was now in working , that there should be no such thing as a parsonage or minister in england . the certificate of george ivy and william shute esquires , to the honourable committee for plundered ministers , after they had taken the aforesaid depositions . we do humbly certifie your honours , that we being the two next justices of the peace for this county of wilts , unto langley burhill aforesaid , that are unconcerned in this businesse , did in pursuance of your two several orders hereunto annexed , prefix a time and place for the execution of the same , whereof the said m. webb had sufficient notice , and upon his appearance before us this present day , we did shew unto him the said webb the charge and articles exhibited against him , and required his answer thereunto ; and withall offered to examine and cross-examine any witnesses that he should produce unto us for his defence : but the said webb after much uncivil carriage used by him in the presence of us , and divers others , and many frivolous and unfitting discourses , tending only to the diminution of your authority , and the disparagement of our selves , and the rest of the adjacent justices , as not being fit to examine that or any other businesse that concerned him , instead of an answer , did at length deliver us the afore-recited scandalous exceptions , and withall told us , that he would give us no other answer , and that we should not examine or crosse-examine any witnesses for him by these orders , or used words to that effect . we humbly conceive it necessary to signifie these things by themselves , and have also herewith sent the execution of your orders so far as witnesses come in ; but we did not examine upon the article wherein we and other justices are concerned , because we would avoid all cause of exception , and we did inform the said m. webb of so much , before we examined any witnesse . upon the articles and depositions aforegoing the most famous parson was ejected the parsonage of langley burhill , in september . by the honourable committee of plundered ministers , where the said webb appeared in his own defence , being armed cap a pe pe , with his wonted silly self-confidence , impudence and ignorance , who , notwithstanding though he had over-stood his market , refusing to examine or crosse-examine witnesses in the country ; yet now propounds to the committee of examination , as aforesaid , only he desires two other justices of peace to be joyned with those whom he termed his adversaries , with such like frothy conceits , as vain as himself ; but they hold no water , the mock-parson is reduced to his pristine purity ( viz. ) a priest without a parsonage , which act of justice operates much upon the parsons foul stomack , and therefore though the parsonage be evacuated , yet the dregs remain , which are brought up and disgorged at severall times , or by degrees . first , the unsavory salt was no sooner cast to the dunghill , but the ejected quondam parson lays about him , and seeing his tongue was too short to tell of his misfortunes , and to bespatter his persecutors , he betakes himself to his pen , and writes his black parson-like epistles to the honest , alias ranting party , acquainting them what had fallen out , and then rails , parson-wise , against mr stokes , giving him such titles as can belong to none save mock-parsons , and withall promiseth his fellow-creatures to write a book and publish it against mr stokes and others , and then sets down such particulars as he intended to print against m. stokes , which he hath with some alteration performed . secondly , he abuseth the honourable committee of plundred ministers , taxing them with injustice , and tels his friends that he will indeavour to turn the stream , assuring them that if not this , yet another representative will do it . thirdly , he makes them believe he is very near a very good settlement in another place , and presseth them to gain him ( with speed ) a certificate from the honest party . so after this non-such parson had a while lain his wits a soaking in the stinking puddle of envy and revenge , and bent his tongue like bows for lies , he composeth a certain ill-shapen libell , as full almost as the author of untruth and error . which monster so far resembles a well-formed creature , that it runs upon two legs . the first whereof is to inform the world , that tho ▪ webb is a man of excellent parts , and full of piety , an enemy to uncleannesse , to blasphemy , to parsonages , to tithes , and whores , a man of a publike spirit , of sound judgement , of great temperance , and a sufferer for righteousnesse sake . the second is , that all those that did not flatter him in his wicked and unclean waies , or did in any thing dislike his rantings and counterfeit repentings , were unjust , cruell , tyrannicall , malitious , and bloudy minded men ; and amongst the rest m. stokes ( being the greatest opposite to the ranting parson ) is to be numbered amongst the worst of men , he is now a blasphemer of the highest rank , a deceiver , and what not , &c. upon these two legs the libell comes into the world , the father whom it resembles gives it a name , and the witnesses names being in number a hundred and four , are fastened to a silly certificate , to justifie the father , that by their credit the monstrous birth may travell the common-wealth , without being questioned or dealt withall as a runnagate or base born brat . the name or title is a masse of malice against tho. webb late minister of langley burhill in the county of wilts discovered . in the title you may note that this parson hath often times in publique and private denied that he was any minister , yet here writes himself , late minister of langley b. secondly , whilst he was possest of a parsonage , he said there were no ministers in england , yet now being spewed out of the same , he prints himself , late minister of l. b. he saith of his work , it 's a true relation , which indeed is most untrue , as also are those six severall heads attending the relation ( though they all walk upon two legs , as before mentioned ) as in the catalogue afterwards will appear . then he most prophanely abuseth two several texts of scripture , applying that which is true in david the type , or christ the anti-type , unto his unclean and most graceless self . the first is psalm . . false witnesses did arise up , they laid to my charge things that i knew not . he hath been charged to be a whore-master , and he hath acknowledged himself so to be ( see his letters before ) and yet here he saith in a scripture phrase , they laid to my charge things i knew not . the second scripture to support the masse of malice and the author , is psalm . . they also that render evil for good are mine adversaries , because i follow the thing that good is . it seems all those that disliked webbs wicked waies are such as render evil for good ; he justifies his own actions , and by a scripture phrase , saith they are good , and he follows the thing that good is : surely the thing that the parson follows is not good , unlesse ranting , revellings , whorings and counterfeit repentings be good ; these he hath followed to the heels , as the relation makes manifest : but it seems these are good , and so followed by t. w. late minister of langley b. and such as dislike him are his adversaries , and render evil for good . but let the mock-parson alone to condemn all others , and trumpet out his own praises , saying , stand further off , i am holier then thou , &c. the certificate in the front of the masse of malice being so ridiculous , frivolous , and untrue , needs no more but the bare reading over by the ingenuous man , the thing it self being but the brainlesse birth of a broad-brim'd professor , who when he shaped it to his own liking , dealt with it as counterfeit cripples with their self-made sores ( viz. ) lye in the high wayes and publike places to move pity in the passengers to gain relief : so the professor aforesaid repairs with his scabbed certificate into the high-waies , markets and churches ; where after much beggery and basenesse , above one hundred names are subscribed ; the pretence is to gain the parson another place : however , the subscribers , some of them school-boys , deboist , swearers , covetous earthworms , drunken companions , with unknown names , to fill up the number , some ranting professors with about three or four plain-hearted men , brought in through deceipt , whose names passe like jackdaws among the rooks ; and some there were that set their names in the rear , because mr white was in the front , and they alledge they have as good reason to subscribe ▪ as he and more too ; yet some of all these are ashamed to see and own their fair names in the front of so filthy a monstrous masse of malice , &c. so much for the title and certificate : for the masse it self the author will not foul so much paper to answer a fool according to his folly , nor trouble himself nor the reader with a particular survey and reply to all the materials of which the masse of malice is composed of . wherefore you shall have first a catalogue of divers of the most ill-shapen untruths laid down , which are the subject matter of the malicious masse . secondly , you shall afterwards finde replies of truth , to divers of the most notorious quondam parsons hell-invented untruths against m. stokes , by which you may guesse at the whole masse , and perceive the depth of its malice . the catalogue of untruths follow . what follows is a true relation of all my sufferings ; the unjust , cruel and heard dealings i received from some in authority , and such who desire to be esteemed godly . the first beginning of my troubles was my imprisonment , never was such harsh and rigid proceedings against any offenders , &c. our justice being prejudiced against us , especially against the gentlewoman , who had oftentimes opposed him about our rates , he having a hundred and twenty pound per annum in our parish , and would never pay any rate for the parliament and army , p. . mr stokes took mistress white aside , and read to her an information given him by good wife lewis , as the cause wherefore she desired a warrant of the peace against us , p. . he ( viz. ) mr stokes being glad of any accusation , is easily wrought upon ( though it be contrary to all law and reason ) to prosecute us , pag. &c. the justices that day called a petty sessions , and caused the country to be there , though they ( as before they had resolved ) did nothing for the country , pag. . the woman did tremble as she was speaking , and lookt like death , p. . they ( viz ) the justices could give me no answer , but would refer that matter to judge nicholas , p. . they were resolved , and neither law nor reason should alter them , though i used many rationall and strong arguments with them , p. . we offered bail , but it was denied us , p. . lewis and his wife were then bailed for felony , upon bail not worth l p. . and this the wise justices would have had done and indeavoured for to do most unjustly and cruelly , time after time , denying me the time , p. . mr stokes about three weeks before our triall sent me a time which proved false , p. . for what they had done ( viz. ) mr stokes and m. shute ▪ they could not say any thing , for m. ivy was gone , but they would the next morning talk with judge nicholas , p. . such were the threats m. stokes followed the officer with , pag. . m. swanton seemed to be much troubled , saying , he admired at it , and if the businesse had been before him , he would have freed us , and sent lewis and his wife to goal , and that if we would procure the deposition he would bayl us , p. . whereupon i sent to m. stokes for the deposition , but he denied it me , p. . he ( viz. ) m. stokes saith , m. ivy hath the information , when he hath it , p . and at length on purpose to keep us in goal , sends the deposition inclosed in a lying information to m. swanton , and so continues us prisoners to his lying , ignorant and malitious spirit , p. . judge nicholas saith , o sirra , you know the law , do you ? you are one of lilborns faction , you shall be banisht , saith the judge , p. . upon this womans accusation they had an opportunity to lash me , not for the fact so much as for lilborns faction : you shall be banisht , saith the judge , p. . i was not suffered to speak , p. . the judge did promise our prosecutors that we should not do any thing against them , p. . the indictment was to this effect , p. . this amazed his lordship , and set his bloud on fire . he spake to her in a very chiding , scolding manner , p. . he discovered himself to be full of malice and envy , p. . she being upon her trial , could hardly have the liberty to speak for her self , his lordship sometimes bawling and taunting at her , saying he would go from the bench , &c. p. . and the woman swore to the th of october , p. . they were intended to do what they could to deprive us of our lives , p. . this wicked woman invents an accusation against the gentlewoman and my self , which had its countenance from the justices , p. . reason was a stranger in the court at that time , and there were not ears to hear peace for justice , p . i desire liberty to speak but none was granted , and whenever i desired it the judge held out his stick as if he would have struck me , p. . the judge incouraged my adversaries to speak , by his putting words into their mouths , and interpreting what they said , to his own and worst sense , p. . m. stokes fearing that he should miss of his ends ( viz. ) my death , 〈◊〉 the whole series of his actions tended to , p . his oath was returned to him with abundance of disgrace , for m. bayliff solemnly took his oath , that he told him no such thing , pag. . he then produced two letters , pretending they were my acknowledgement of the fact , p. . they held forth no such thing as a confession . the whole story of m. bayliffs deposition , p. . a most notorious untruth made by t. w. never spoken by m. b. in court . m. stokes ( saith the libeller ) was so impudent as to swear falsly in the court to take away our lives which he thirsted after , p. . m. stokes ( saith webbs masse of malice ) thinking to get himself a good name , indeavours to take it out of our ashes ; and rather then he will miss of his ayms , he will swear falsly in open court . but he respects neither law nor gospel , but is a blasphemer and contemner of both , p. . perfect malice and envy leads him to another design ( saith the ranting parson ) for to take away my means , which after much injustice and grosse abuse acted towards me , he hath obtained . the wrong and injury done to me was very great , not only in taking away my means , but rendring me under a most foul and unclean vizard , p. . so an honest man , one m. richard wick supplied my place in my absence , p. . so m. pinell parted and looked after the businesse no further , though very much solicited thereto by m. stokes , p. . but m. stokes he sends to a solicitor that attends the committee , p. . m. stokes being troubled in his minde that nothing was done against me , p. . which two orders were not then created , nor was there any such thing as an order , p. . he summons me to appear before the commissioners , p. . m. stokes returns me this answer , that he had sent up the body of another charge against me , p. . he will have this massey , and sent his letter for him , as it was proved to his face the . of september last . great preparation was made by m. stokes , &c. for a petition to the committee for massey . what was acted by these men ( viz. ) m. stokes and m. shute ( saith the libeller ) not knowledge , nor any interest in the thing , but impudent malice , p. . sr edward baynton and his faction caused them to be disbanded , p. . their sending me the warrant without either charge or order , bewrayed in them abundance of ignorance or malice . so about ten daies after , when m. stokes his partner cha● aland and massey had hatcht a charge , then it was sent to me , p. . the great grounds of exception , pag. . are printed contrary to the original copy . wherein falsly they informed that i contemned the committees order , p. . but m. wiliington told me what i had done , questioned the authority of that committee , p. . the articles intended to be examined , were not those exhibited before the committee , p. . the libeller intimates , pag. . that m. stokes did carry up the examination against him to the committee , and solicited for a poor slipshood-parson , p. . truly mine eyes have seen him do such horrid acts of blasphemy ( saith the libeller ) of the highest nature as ever i heard related to be done by any , p. ▪ he is become ( viz ) a meer dissembler with god and man . he is a publick mocker , jearer and derider of all publick worship , and fell down upon his knees to a mock-prayer , and made the same a subject of mirth , pag. . m. stokes and my self , with two or three more , lay at the bores-head in salisbury , p. . and came to bed with very blasphemous words in his mouth , pag. . finding a bottle he filled it with his urine and set it by his filth . he used the gesture of kneeling . and expressed himself in this abominable and blasphemous language to me , ( viz. ) that i should kneel down and partake the communion . saith he , pointing to his dung , here is the body of christ . pointing to his urine , saith he , here is the bloud of christ . to every cup of sack or bear , he would make a mock of the lords supper . he would teach me to make a spiritual face , p. . they cannot away to hear of love and good works , p. . i might insert many other acts of his blasphemy ( as true as the rest , ) p. . well , saith the libellous parson , i may diminish , but indeed i have not added any thing to them . nakedly as they came from him i have here inserted them . i might insert ( saith he ) his ( viz. ) m. stokes , his pocketting up of l which were collected of the honest party in my church . he issued out his warrants for the raising of him mony to buy him trumpets and banners , p. . i was not suffered to give in my answer , saith the parson , in any fair , even and just way , p. . in the . pag. he hath set down the articles of prophaneness and scandall against himself falsly . in the same page he belies m stokes concerning his deposition to the first article . being earnestly desired ( saith he ) by m. white ( and the parish ) i accepted . q. is not m. white and the parish beholding to t. w ? answer , m. white is , having raised his fortunes and saved his tythe by this acceptation , p. . he saith m. stokes and m. martyn were both satisfied that the right lay in m. white and not in the committee , p. . the people with one consent cried , a webb a webb . untill it was within this half year , m. stokes looked upon me as their minister , and hath often pressed me to take tythes . he saith m. stokes hath sevenscore pounds a year land in our parish , ( viz. ) langley , as true as the rest , he hath but l per annum there , during his fathers life , p. . truly ( saith the parson that cannot speak truth ) such is the enmity of my spirit against the evil of uncleannesse , that i should be never given over to commit , much lesse to glory in it , p. . she ( meaning good wife lewis ) m. stokes sent his warrant to come against me , p. . this last clause struck the nail on the head before the committee , p. . at that time m. stokes and i were a little intimate , p. . and in this late time of danger engaged my self , p. . i hope ( saith webb ) its because they knew themselves guilty of having dealt very unjustly by me , which is all that ever i said of them , p. . the following certificate which is from the most knowingest and godliest christians , pag. . the justices most knowingest christians are such who will swear and speak most falsly , p. . their own consciences do acquit me , p. . all the honest party the whole country throughout will clear me , saith parson webb , p. . they have sought to take away my life , p. . here you have the true relation of my case , p. . the unjust ( saith the unclean parson ) and harsh dealing i have received from the justices was the cause of the great odium cast upon me , p. . truly this was the plot even to send me to the goal , and thereby cast a cloud of filth over me , p. . i acted amongst many of the country for the bringing of him , ( viz. ) geo. ivy esq . to an accompt for his malignancy , p. . he is not a fit man ( meaning mr shute ) to act in any publique imployment , p. . of m. stokes he saith he knows that the woman who was my accuser , hath to my self and others , charged him with many things of the same nature , p. . when danger was eminent , he laid down his commission , p. . when he was made justice for the peace he faces about , p. . when these worthy gent. lieut. col. lilborn , m. walwin and the rest were put into the tower , he towred up his just principle also , and arraigned them and their well-wishers at the tyrannicall and usurping bar of his justiceship . he hath expressed himself bitterly against them , p. . often saying that he would give l to have me taken out of the way , p. . he hath alwaies envied the happiness and prosperity of the gentlewoman , p. . he caused the sault of m. whites , to be taken away , p. . he perswades her ( viz. ) mistress white to sell a parcell of plate ; she left the sale to him , could never have any accompt , only received eight pounds , p. . many writings of consequence was put into his custody , but not since to be found , p. . his envy is against the estate and the gentlewomans prosperity , and therefore he will do what he can to destroy it , p. . of all things written and related by this notorious libellous parson , he saith though it be large yet its all true . in the catalogue aforegoing , you have the most part of those scandalous and slanderous untruths , as they lay in order in tho. webbs disorderly masse of malice : in which he hath ( as he thinks ) justified himself , and sufficiently bespattered with his black mock-parson mouth both judge and justices , especially m. stokes , on him he hath vomited all his own shame , contracted with the long enjoyment of a fat parsonage and a fine concubine . that it may the more clearly appear that the said catalogue is a bundell of notorious untruths : some few of them , and they the most grosse ( against m. stokes ) are answered ; by which the reader may see of what mettle the rest are made . in the . pag. of his masse of malice , he confesseth that he is ejected the place ( viz. ) the parsonage of langley b. and in the . pag. he attributes the ejectment to m. stokes , as you may see in the untruth in the catalogue before . wherefore it is very necessary that m. stokes should be required and rewarded for so good a work , and the parson scorns to be ungratefull ; and therefore not as a bribe before hand , but as a gratuity afterward , he brings out of his learned treasury ( viz. ) his most unchristian and parson-like heart , a whole masse of malice , and laies , through his pastorall charity , the greatest mess of the said masse on m. stokes his trencher . and therefore in the page , he begins afresh , as a parson recovering breath to compleat his masse of malice , with a truly , truly , saith he , my eyes have seen him do such horrid acts of blasphemy of the highest nature , as ever i heard related to be done by any ; nay i never heard of the like acted by any , whether atheists , pagans or infidels . answer , how or when could the parson see with his eyes such horrid acts of blasphemy , and not with his tongue reprove nor admonish the offender ? surely no conclusion can be gathered from hence but this , either he believes his own eyes , or else was a party in those acts , for silence gives consent . honest parsons or true christians , having the least part of grace remaining in the heart , would have used other means or waies to bring a blasphemer to the sight of his evil , then publish the same in a libellous pamphlet two years after the fact , yet before any other admonition , you may easily conclude 't is publisht in a masse of malice . that m. stokes is such a man , or guilty of such high crimes , must be proved by more persons , and those of better repute then the quondam parson of langley , and registred in a better record , and more true then webbs masse of malice , otherwise none but vain and light creatures will credit the report . m. stokes affirms that he hath had no familiarity with webb for four years last past ended in july . and therefore if his eyes have seen m. stokes do such horrid acts of blasphemy , either a parsonage or a blasphemous principle hung in the parsons light that he could never see to speak of it , but conceal it till he brought forth his masse of malice . the very reason the parson urgeth why he concealed it till now , will clear up the innocency of m. stokes : the tender respects , saith he , i did owe to him , because he carried a fair correspondency with honest people , hath made me hitherto to conceal the same . ( mark ) would not any man of reason think that there was reason enough for the parson to indeavour to convince m. stokes of his error , as the scriptures direct ? and if m. stokes had refused his admonition , he might have publisht the evil to the honest party , towards whom he carried a fair correspondency , and those honest men might have assisted the parson in so good a work ; but surely the parson was ignorant of his duty , otherwise he never saw those horrid acts of blasphemy , nor ever thought of them till he had sat upon , and almost hatcht his masse of malice . but to come to some particulars he saith in the aforesaid page of m. stokes . in the first place he is a publique mocker , jearer and derider of all publique worship . answer , m. stokes his daily practice both in publique and private acquits him of this slander . the consciences of his greatest opposites , even webb and divers more of the ranting crew , will free him now in private , and shall at the last and great account , publikely confesse that this charge proceeded from the brains and bowels of a discontented parson , who having lost a good name and a fat parsonage , behaves himself as a bear that is robbed of her whelps . yet m. stokes confesseth that he hath been addicted to laughing and jearing at false and formall worshippers , both papists and common protestants , who make ignorance the mother of devotion , and worship an unknown god , or the true god after a manner not prescribed in gods word . moreover he confesseth that he hath privatly and publiquely jeared those that preach and pray , and professe to , for to gain good names , fat parsonages , and handsome women for wives and whores , that makes merchandise of the word of god , that serve not the lord jesus christ but their own belly ; and this tho. webb knows , whose works praise him in the gate . m. stokes ( who before the lord acknowledgeth that he is lesse then the least of all gods mercies ) affirms , that he hath a most honourable accompt and high esteem of all gods ordinances , of all true worship and worshippers , and withall believes that marriage it self is an ordinance in force , honourable amongst all , and the bed undefiled ; which the accuser believes not , nor yet the commandment which saith , thou shalt not covet thy neighbours wife . the parson gives one instance to prove m. stokes such a publique mocker , but it 's as solid as the parson is learned , ( viz. ) that m. stokes , captain matraners and himself were all three in london about two years ago , and lying ( liars had need of good memories ) in the blew bores-head in king-street , the morning we were to come out of town , m. stokes fell down upon his knees to a mock-praier in westminster abby . answer , m. stokes affirms that to his best remembrance he was never in london with webb and treavers together , but confesseth that about four years since he was in westminster with the said parties . there is a sign of a blew bores-head in kingstreet , at which house all the parties lay , but surely the bores-head is neither so large nor so hollow as to lodge three persons within its own bulk ; yet the parson affirms we were all being in london , and lying at the blew bores-head in kingstreet . as for the mock prayer , m. stokes understands not what the parson means , yet when he shall print a right time , and also a copy of the mock-prayer , m. stokes will be so ingenuous to confesse his errors and miscarriages in publique worship ; yet that either then , or at any other time any thought , word or action passed m. stokes with an intent to make a mock of that holy ordinance of prayer , or any other publick worship , is the highest untruth and scandall as ever satan by any of his instruments ( whether spirituall ) or lay parson charged upon any creature that expected salvation by jesus christ . m. stokes knoweth that all prayer not acted by faith , is mock-prayer ; and he believes that the saying of david is true , ( viz. ) if i regard iniquity in my heart , the lord will not hear my prayer : to allow ones self in the practice of any known sin , and to come before the lord in daily prayer , is mock-prayer . it 's much to be feared that the libertine parson webb is well acquainted with mock-prayer . reason . he hath both preached and prayed to get and keep a parsonage . . by his own confession he lived in the vile sin of uncleannesse a long time together , and yet in that time constantly preached and prayed in the publique congregation : quere , whether those prayers were not mock-prayers ? . he hath confessed that he hath not had the assistance of the spirit , as in former times , and yet he kept his appointed howers of prayer in the publique congregation ; q. were not these mock-prayers ? yet all these are left out , and one pretended mock-prayer by a mock-parson in his masse of malice fastened upon m. stokes , &c. yet the parson saith not that m. stokes made a mock-prayer , but fell down on his knees to a mock-prayer ; so whether he means the prayer of the minister , or the gesture of kneeling , or the pillar to which he kneeled , he is desired to demonstrate what he means when he wipes his eyes with his masse of malice , or makes an addition to that learned libell . in the second place he forms a most execrable blasphemy in the masse of malice , p. . concerning the lords supper , not to be thought of , much lesse named amongst the christians ; and indeavours to fasten that also upon m. stokes , and this he saith was committed at salisbury , at the bores-head , there after the time before mentioned , which was about two years since . m. stokes affirms that he was not with the said webb at salisbury at that time , nor at any time since , except when he was upon his triall for adultery at lent assises , . m. stokes affirms that he never lay at the bores-head in salisbury by himself , with the said parson , nor with any other person , and that he knoweth no such sign ; moreover he affirms that if he can be disproved in either of these answers , he is contented to be branded with the blackest mark of infamy that ever was due to a blasphemer . m. stokes beleeves , that were himself ( or any ) guilty of so horrid and most accursed actions , god is so just and jealous of his own glory , that as great plagues and furies would pursue the offender , as befell julian , judas or spira . m. stokes affirms the whole story of the blasphemy , as penned and published by webb , is of the libellers own invention , and never had a being , but in tho. webbs brain or practice till , it came from thence to fill up his masse of malice against m. stokes . m. stokes beleeves the sacrament of the lords supper to be of divine institution , and of great use to all believers at this day , he cannot justifie himself , but must confesse that he hath sinned against the lord in the use and neglect of his holy ordinances , but to speak or to act any thing by way of derision or derogation to any one of them ( even those that are now abolished ) is that which his soul abhorreth and trembleth to think of . the ridiculous author of the masse of malice , hath divers times in publique and private , preacht and disputed , that believers into whom christ or the spirit is come , are no longer to use the ordinance of the lords supper , for which learned conceit of his , m. stokes confesseth that he hath grossely jeared the said parson , but abborreth the thought of under valuing , much more of blaspheming that body and bloud by which only he expects eternall salvation . yet m. stokes is beholding to the christian moel-parson , not for creating a most cursed and detestable blasphemy and fastening it upon him , but for weakning his own evidence , giving himself the lye , and clearing the accused , for so he doth in the th line of the aforesaid . pag. in these words , blasphemy that i never heard in my life . if he had said that he had never heard the like in his life , or never heard before , it might have been otherwise understood : but to conclude , after he hath filled up with most accursed circumstance a self-invented blasphemy , he clearly acquits the accused , and saith , blasphemy that i never heard in my life . lord how good thou art ? this is thy hand and thy doing i thou hast made the author of the masse of malice to acquit the innocent , in the middest of his fierce and foul charge , to thy name be all the glory . the libidinous parson saith himself , that he made no words of the businesse till now , concealing it till now from all people , wherefore if m. stokes were guilty , must not the parson be as far forth guiltty as himself ; is a man of his coat and calling to conceal a blasphemy of that nature , without check to the blasphemer or complaint to the magistrate for two years together ? but it seems the blasphemy , as great as it is , had never been contrived nor revealed , had not this spirituall parson faln into travell with , and longed to be delivered of a monstrous masse of malice : and therefore who will not conclude that this blasphemous bastard ( being as ugly and deformed as the fellow-creatures could make it ) had the corrupt brains of parson webb for its womb , and the father of lies for its midwife , who brought it forth , and wrapt it up in a masse of malice , and then deal with it as petty whores with their poor bastards ( viz. ) give them suck and lay them at other folks doors . but the peremptory parson is a man of reason , and therefore is not without reason for the concealment of the said blasphemy , yet the unreasonableness of the reasons will acquit m. stokes . his first reason is because we were there met , and about the affairs of the country . answer , the meeting about the affairs of the country could not prevent a zealous christian , much lesse so eminent a parish parson as tho. webb ( who is none of the shame fast parsons ) from a dislike , or a check to so grosse an evil in his companion . must the affairs of the country be a sufficient ground to exempt a man ( when he is imployed therein ) to set him scot-free from the check or controul of reverend grave divines , though he commit the highest crime against the lord of life and glory . surely parson webb is no minister of the lords making , that prefers the publique imployments and country affairs , above the glory of jesus christ the great bishop and shepherd of our souls . m. stokes beleeves that the commonwealth of england , is not so barren of good men , that its affairs must be managed by blasphemers , and they never told of their evils neither , untill such time as a little malice be grown into a masse , but from such blasphemers , and such parsons good lord deliver the commonwealth of england . but parson webbs second reason is , he was well thought of , and therefore , saith he , i concealed it till now from all people . so long as a man is well thought of , he may commit any sin or blasphemy whatsoever , without check or reproof ; surely if this spirituall man had not been mad , he would never insert this reason so void of all understanding . the reader may easily see day light through this little hole : t is no matter how much a man blasphemes , nor what sins he becomes guilty of so long as he is well thought of amongst the ranting crew , called amongst themselves the honest party : let a man be friendly to these , and let them alone with their carnall lusts and spirituall livings , ( viz. parsonages ) and all shall be well ; but cross them in either , they will load you with their own actions , and lay upon you a a masse of malicious filth . m. stokes believes he is as well thought off in his country amongst all sorts of people ( ranters only excepted ) as ever : yet he desires rather to be good , then to be accounted so ; he values not the praises of men , yet loves a good name , which no sort of people , high or low , rich or poor , nor cavalier nor roundhead , nor presbyterian nor independant , ever sought to rob him of ; till the famous malevolent parson tho. webb and his fellow-creatures ( whose tongues and pens are no slander ) undertook the charge of the work in a masse of malice , and this m. stokes accompts as an addition to his good name and honour ( viz. ) to be evil spoken of by the generation of ranters ; whose wicked waies and practices are an abhorring to his soul , which the mock-parson knoweth to the grief of his prophane heart . the next materiall thing the parson chargeth m. stokes withall , follows in the same pag. . i having taught ( saith he ) one lords day from the words of st james , be ye holy in all manner of conversation . and shewing how a christian ought in all his actions to set a strict watch over himself , and see that he imitate the divine life : and m. stokes being present after i had ended my discourse , and going out of the church , he asked me why i medled with such stuff as that was , &c. answer , this knowing arrogant parson you may perceive is so well read in the new testament , that he quotes st james for st peter , for the text is , pet. . but his imployment is so great , and his travel so hard to bring forth a masse of malice , that for hast he robs s. peter , and belies s. james . m. stokes affirms that the doctrines as they are now set down in the masse of malice , ( as christian watchfulnesse and imitation of the divine life ) are excellent doctrines most profitable to beleevers : but neither the one nor the other were ever preached by parson webb in m. stokes his hearing , and disliked of by him , neither did the parson ever preach upon that scripture , as m. stokes remembreth . yet m. stokes confesseth that about four years since he heard the said parson preach in the parish church of largley a very unprofitable sermon , without any life , power , or appearance of the spirit of god , shewing the auditory how much and how often they should eat and drink ; when he ought rather to shew that that which enters into the body defileth not , but that from the heart proceeds murthers , adulteries and the like , and to have indeavoured to have made clean the inside of the cup and platter , for till the heart be cleansed and purified through the presence of the spirit of christ , there can be no christian watchfulnesse , nor imitation of a divine life : these with all observations of meats and drinks perish with the using , and are bodily exercises which profit little ; and this way of preaching by tho. webb was friendly reproved by m. stokes , who then seemed to take it well , and a little after confest to m. stokes that he had not the assistance of the spirit of god in his preaching , as formerly , but now this reproof is become a crime to make up the masse of malice . m. stokes disliking the preaching of parson webb , acquaints him with it presently , which argued love and friendship in him . but this parson conceals all mr stokes his errors and miscarriages , as he saith , till now , that is , till he brought forth that worthy work , the masse of malice ; in which he is so far from mentioning of reall errors , that he indeavours to fasten upon him many most notorious untruths of his own devising and invention . if m. stokes had not been a lover of good works , and the parson an enemy thereunto , both parties had continued lovers and friends to this day : yet the author of the masse of malice justifies himself , and condemns m. stokes to be an enemy to sound doctrine and good life , hoping thereby to recover his lost credit , and render himself a most rare and singular parson . in the next place the famous parson in the . page of his masse of malice , saith , i might insert many other notorious acts of his blasphemy . m. stokes beleeves the male-contented parson to be a man of a quick invention , nimble wit , and ready pen , and therefore wonders why he behaves himself like a preacher , that having ended his matter with his hour-glasse , saith , i might insist upon these and these particulars , when poor soul he hath not a word to say more ; so this man at first mentions many acts of blasphemy , insists upon one , and then saith , i might insert many more ; and who knows not but that he might , had not his charity prevented , or his invention failed in raising so famous a structure as the masse of malice ? m. stokes is not offended with this parson for revealing or concealing any thing concerning him , nor for creating blasphemies , or other crimes in a masse of malice to lay upon him ; he well knows that the parson and all the fellow-creatures are acted by a power irresistible , which makes them to say and swear any thing against those that hate their ranting practices and blasphemous unclean waies : yet m. stokes cannot own parson webbs base born brats , but must leave them to their ghostly father , who is most pure in his own eyes . m. stokes ( though a great sinner before the lord ) challengeth parson tho , webb and all others of his invenomed generation , fellow-creatures , male and female ; whether ranters in judgement or practice , or both ; to invent , say , swear , write , print , publish , whatsoever they know , think or can imagine against him , which may tend to his dishonour or disgrace ; for he is resolved to defie the devil and all his works ; knowing that it is god that justifies , and therefore accounts it his greatest honour to be evil spoken of by that generation . furthermore in the same . page he saith , what i have asserted is enough , and is no more then what is truth in every particular of it . who seeth not that tho. webb is satisfied with his masse of malice ▪ and that one of many acts of blasphemy is enough to record at this time ? what i have asserted saith he , is enough to discover what the man is : so that the reader is to take it for granted , that the parson is very sparing and loth to speak his whole knowledge ; yet fearing his assertion will not be beleeved , he saith , 't is all true : so that you must understand that the parsons doings are all righteous , and his sayings all true , so that his word must passe without check or doubt . all parson webbs scandals and self-intended blasphemies , reviling censures and reproaches are all true , you are not to question them , because thomas webb is author of them , which m. stokes knoweth to be true . but to fasten a belief in his reader , he is fain to use all his ecclesiasticall understanding at once ; for , thinks the reverend church-man , if this be not believed against m stokes , all my labour is vain , and my masse of malice will not be regarded nor had in esteem amongst those that are adverse to the ranting rout ; and therefore having wip't his beard , and set his countenance , he devoutly and demurely imitates the whores and bauds , when they act the part of grave matrons and honest women : or deceiptfull shopkeepers , who with a truly put off their tarnisht wares ; so the hypocriticall parson , to make men believe his lies , saith , to imprecate and make protestations is not my usuall manner of speaking ; for truly , saith he , i approve not of any such thing , but according to my manner of speaking , which is as i am taught by the scripture , yea , yea ; nay , nay ; in very truth all these things are true . so that you may believe him , for all his untruths are uttered by divine right by the excellent parson , and fastened in a scripture phrase upon mr stokes , who doubts not but the parson can prove the legality of his uncleannesse and blasphemous waies by the scripture ; he can gain parsonages , marry , baptize and bury persons , live disorderly in his whoring , ranting , reproaching and reviling at any who please him not ; and confirm himself and his deluded followers by a scripture phrase , believe him you that list . you may see his manner of speaking in his letters before mentioned that he loves neither imprecations nor protestations ; but withall you will conclude , that he that cannot speak truth of himself , nor well of his fellow-creatures , can much lesse speak well of mr stokes , though as he pretends he makes conscience of a manner of speaking which he hath learned in scripture . so satan and all his false prophets set forth their untruths in a scripture language , not out of love to truth or scripture , but to obtain their own cursed ends ( viz ) ruine to the souls , bodies or good names of those that fear the lord , and hate their hypocriticall and lascivious waies , otherwise this parson would have learnt and practised other lessons out of the scriptures then those he makes use of to make up his masse of malice . but the parson proceeds in his charitable way of concealment , of m. stokes his errors or blasphemies , but yet makes them publique , and saith in the same page , i might insert his pocketting up of four pounds , collected of the honest party in my church , for to defray the charges of our bristoll friends in carrying up a petition to london . mr stokes might answer that this slander which the quondam parson might insert , is as true as the rest which he hath inserted , which are all as like the father , since he hath given himself over to commit uncleannesse with greedinesse , and hath followed the spirit of error as ever they can look . mr stokes knows not what the learned parson in wickednesse means by his church , in which he saith the four pound was collected , unlesse it be the parish-church of langley burhill : if so , mr stokes affirms that in parson webbs church he never received a penny for any such use as he mentions in his masse of malice . m. stokes acknowledgeth that in the year . on a lords day , after evening sermon , there was a collection of monies in the parsonage house of langley . and further m. stokes affirms that he received the moneys there collected to the use aforesaid , which amounted to the just summe of t — d and no more , as the note yet remaining will demonstrate , who paid it in the particulars , and how much the summe is in grosse , which is just ● — d , towards which summe the accomptant parson webb paid not one farthing . now s m. stokes paid of the said summ to one william coller appointed to receive the same ; so that the whole summe m. stokes stands charged withall is s — d , which the parson hath scrued to l , the better to build a masse of malice . this very parson when he saw that for his high crimes and misdemeanors , he was outed of his parsonage ; within a few dayes after writ letters to his fellow-creatures in the country ; and among the rest one to m. b. row in the custody of m. stokes , where he tels of his ejectment , and promiseth to print against mr stokes the very particulars now publisht in his masse of malice , in which he chargeth m. stokes with i , but in the masse of his malice hath stretcht it to l as you have seen before . m. stokes affirms that the payment of the twenty five shillings before mentioned to w. coller , according to order , was a work of supererrogation in him , and that he might justly have retained it in his own hands to this day , and given a good account thereof to a wiser man then parson webb , whom it principally concerned , for it no way concerned him , but to fill up his masse of malice . another blasphemy or crime ( which the parson pleaseth ) is the pocketting up of twenty pound to buy trumpets and banners , this was paid he said by the committee of wilts about two years ago to m. stokes . answer , m. stokes affirms , that ( that not about two years ago , but ) in the year . against duke hambletons invasion , the committee of wilts assigned to m. stokes and others , then in command , l to each captain to defray their extraordinary charges , and to provide themselves with necessaries fit for war . and further m. stokes confesseth , that after the whole service was over , the cavaliers every where beaten , and the l. generall cromwel , with part of the army in scotland , then m. stokes received the l , and about or l more at severall times , which was all the money of the common-wealths that he ever received for the service , in which he spent a far greater summe , continuing the command from the beginning of june , untill about november , . 't is believed that if parson webb had gained no more by preaching and practising , then m. stokes hath by the late troubles , by his chargeable offices and imployments , all along the war , he could never have been so much given up to pride and covetousnesse . 't is manifest to the whole country , that for years space m. stokes hath spent his time in the service of the commonwealth , which hath proved a great burthen to him , in respect of his estate , which is but small : that he hath spent and lost much in the time of his banishment from his estate and publique imployment , and yet never sought any place of advantage or profit in the nation , nor ever sought after honour , except it were to be faithfull to his own conscience and the commonwealths cause , the prosperity whereof is all the praise or reward master stokes expects . where is the man that can stand forth and truly say , m. stokes , you did me injury in the warre , you eat my meat and paid not for it , you rode my horse , you received a bribe , you have enriched your self by these warres , you were cruel when in place of trust and honour , you were covetous to cheat or cousen the country or commonwealth ; you sought great things for your self , you have solicited a parliament man , a member of the councell of state , or officer of the army to assist you in the gaining an office , or honour , or profit , which you spent on your lusts : let such a man stand forth and make the challenge , and m. stokes will be his bond-man for ever . but the parish-parson , as lawlesse as a parish-bull may bellow forth his black charge , and roar out his masse of malice , and say all manner of evil against m. stokes , right or wrong . oh excellent parson ! and therefore in the next place he tells the reader that m. stokes issues out his warrants for the raising of him money to buy trumpets and banners for the troop . an aspersion so false and silly , that none but ranters have the boldnesse or impudence to affirm , or weaknesse to believe : all the commissioners in the whole county , all the constables , petty constables , and tithing-men ; and all that pay a penny towards the publique charge of the nation , will readily and chearfully tell the parson , that this is an untruth : but fit enough for his masse of malice . the last thing m. stokes takes notice of amongst all the quondam parsons aspersions is , that m. stokes upon his marriage , and when danger was eminent , he laid down his commission , and left the troop without a commander . a most manifest untruth , the whole work of the nation was over ; the scots and english cavaliers wholly ruined and broken : and further m. stokes continued the command six or eight weeks after he had orders to disband , as the committee of wilts can testifie , whose orders and letters yet remain to manifest the contrary . the charge of the command being insupportable to m. stokes , and the work for which they were raised being over ; having also many occasions of his own , requiring his attendance , he only took leave of the troop , and left it to be commanded by his then lieutenant , cap. henry aland , who continued it by order of state for the irish service , where he is at this day . let it be considered by any person , not ranting ripe , what need there was of a county-troop in november . unlesse to eat up the poor country with free-quarter ( for no pay was then to be had ) and to pull the curse of the needy upon m. stokes . yet saith this state mock-parson , when danger was eminent m. stokes laid down his commission . that masse must needs be great that 's made up with such abominable and malicious untruths , invented and brought to the work by an opprobious parson in his luxurious and malevolent humor . and that all the world may see that not only an unclean , but also a lying spirit was the author of the masse of malice ; here is inserted the committees order for disbanding the said troop . at the committee of parliament , for the said county , the . of septemb. anno . that all the horse that are now in pay under severall captains in this county , and those under any other command , be this day disbanded , and forthwith paid for what service they have lately done in this county , and this day ; and that only thirty be continued under the command of cornet anthony yardly , and that those thirty men which are to be continued are to be approved by this committee . a true copy examined by jonath . hill , clerk to the said committee . these are the most principall calumnies and foul aspersions that the parson hath attributed to m. stokes , which are most faithfully answered and retorted : there are many more , but so ridiculous as not worth a reply . but let the reader take them together , and consider with himself these particulars : . if m. stokes were guilty of such foul crimes , how comes it to passe that webb in all his angry and reproachfull letters , never mentioned a word to m. stokes of any one of them . when he fains a repentance , and by his own letters confessed his abominations to m. stokes ; it s as clear as the sun , that he then did not take m. stokes to be the man as he hath set him out to be in the masse of malice , the letters being of a later date then these pretended crimes ; neither is it likely that he would make a blasphemer his confessor . his own expressions in his own letters to m. stokes , clear him : besides those before mentioned in this narrative there are many other in m. stokes his hand , which discover to the world , that he is not such an offender , save in webbs masse of malice : amongst divers take notice of this one of the d of aug. . which is after the time wherein the blasphemy and crimes are said to be committed in the masse of malice . sweet sir , i ever took you to be a cordiall and a true friend to the saints and truth of christ , and therefore i professe to you unfainedly from my heart , that exceedingly i love you and tender you , and could i but assure my self that you would receive me with the same sweetnesse of spirit as formerly , and with the spirit of meeknesse restore me , wherein i am fallen . oh how glad would my heart be to see you ! while you were at london i longed for your coming home ▪ because to you i would unbosome my self , but i was cast off by you to my great grief and sorrow , &c. now reader , if parson webb in aug. . took m. stokes to be a cordiall and a true friend to the saints and truth of christ how can he justly charge m. stokes as in his masse of malice , with such abhorred crimes of an elder date . neither can it be imagined that he would have unbosomed himself to a blaspheamer , deceiver , &c. so m. stokes is acquitted by his accuser before the accusation received any being . let it be considered , whether webb had not better thoughts of m. stokes but a very little time before his triall ; for about the time lieutenant gen. ludlow went into ireland , the said webb being then in goal , drew with his own hand a petition to the parliament , that edw. stokes esq . might command the regiment of horse for wilts , in the place and absence of col. ludlow , and this petition he promoted by his agents then at liberty , untill m. stokes himself put a period to that design . quaere , whether then he took m. stokes to be the man as now he hath printed him to be in his masse of malice . yet the crimes charged are of a far elder date by his own accompt . but besides all this m. stokes is acquitted in his own conscience , which is better to him then witnesses , and therefore can boldly say , who art thou that condemnest ? it is god that justifies , who will clear up the innocency of his servants , and finde out ( to their shame ) all such as make lies their refuge , and become false accusers of others , as the ridiculous author of the masse of malice hath done ; who having made himself drunk with the much bibing at the ranting cup , behaves himself like a mad bedlam , striking those that are next him . in his repentings you have seen him striking and wounding his own dear fellow-creatures , charging them through and through , with malice and wickednesse . and so soon as he is reconciled to them , he raves and rants like a most furious frantick , against all other that could not dandle or flatter him in his wicked and unclean waies ; so that the parliament it self , the committee of plundred ministers , the judge , and the justices of peace for the county of wilts , amongst which m. stokes acknowledgeth he is not worthy to be named ; these are the object of webbs masse of malice , and are more or lesse abused by the filthy libell so called . and well may the mock-parson charge m. stokes with blasphemy , in his masse of malice , being himself a blasphemer upon publique record ; all delinquents delight to fasten their own titles and actions upon the most innocent persons ; so the delinquent parson having been discovered and convicted to be a blasphemer , he gives away his own title , and imputes his own abhorred actions to m. stokes . that the said parson is a blasphemer himself , you shall finde upon diligent inquiry , that he stood charged about the year . before the then house of lords , to be a blasphemer , one that had delivered many blasphemous principles to the people ; whereupon he was by the said house committed , and stood so for some time ; yet afterwards he pretended a repentance of those errors , subscribing a form of recantation with his own hand , and afterwards gave thanks to a minister of the assembly , for being a means to draw him off from those errors ; and blessed god for his mercies to him , for he was in the ready way ( as he said ) to atheism , and many of his companions in those opinions were turned atheists . notwithstanding all this he both preached and practised as before , holding forth many things against the glory and truth of jesus christ and scripture ; and not long after came into wilts , as transformed into an angel of light , upon which stage he hath acted the ranting part , as is before expressed . the last thing concerning tho. webb the author of the masse of malice , is this , he comes lately ( viz ) about march last into wilts , to visit the honest party , and disperse his malitious masse . well , he visits his friends , and amongst the rest ( to colour the businesse ) he gives his poor wife a visit , only by way of complement , but durst neither to stay with her , nor in any wise to keep her company , as men usually do , &c. but hastens away to visit his man-wife j. o. and others ; so to langley he comes , where he was received with all alacrity amongst his honest party , where divers met , to whom he declared that he lately preached upon that text , the spiritual man is mad , and now resolved to dissemble no more ( viz. ) never to receive parsonage , nor preach more , nor yet to conceal his principles from the world , as he had done : but being asked by one , what he would do if his mistress should cast him off ; said , that he should be the most miserable man living , and thought he should make away with himself . so to put it out of doubt that he would dissemble his principles no more , he takes the childe , which he said he begot on the body of another mans wife , ( yet never went to see his own childe born in lawfull matrimony , though he rode by the house where it was kept by the mothers friends ; ) and himself became a convoy , riding by the waggon in which the childe was carried through the country towards london , and for part of the way afterwards , sends back the party that did attend it , and himself plaies the part of ( not only a loving father , but ) a nurse , till it met the mother and her husband , where the joy was compleated : and this the impudent mock-parson performed , as if he had done it in the height of contempt against both religion and magistracy . so i have done with the mock-parson and his masse of malice : many things i have omitted , because i would not be over-tedious , and the narration being of too great a bulk already , i forbear to add . if in any particulars i seem to offend , let it be thy glory , courteous reader , to passe it by . i was forc't to the work which i never sought after , nor do not delight in ; yet what i have done , i have done it publiquely and truly , that truth may be manifest , and falshood discovered , that the righteous waies and people of god may be justified , and the wicked waies and works of ungodly men may be condemned . wherefore , as i wish all that respect the health of their bodies , to take heed of empericks and mounte-banks ; so i advise all that respect the health of their souls , and peace of their spirits to take heed of mock parsons , and counterfeit preachers , who though they appear in sheeps cloathing , yet inwardly are ravening wolves ; i mean such as make themselves preachers and parish-parsons to gain parsonages or filthy lucre for their preaching ; amongst which number you may finde t. w. from whom , that god may deliver thee , and all that fear his great name within the commonwealth of england , is the daily prayer of this author . finis . notes, typically marginal, from the original text notes for div a e- t. w. appears like an angel of light . t. w. obtains a parsonage t. w. refuseth tithes . t. w. burieth his second wife . t. w. makes himself sure to another mans wife . t. w. commits adultery by his own confession . t. w. marrieth his third wife . t. w. a kinde of pander to his own wife . t. w. his man wife discover'd . t. w. fals at variance with mistress m. w. notes for div a e- t. w. accused by mistress w. and others . notes for div a e- t. w. confesseth his unclean life . t. w. his first letter to m. stokes , confessing his uncleannesse . t. w. second letter to m. stokes , and m. shute , confessing his unclean life . t. w. his third letter to mr shute . t. w. preacheth against whorish women , &c. t w. scorns those to whom he confest his uncleanness . t. w. becomes friends wth m●s . w. t. w. his companions . his study . songs . t. w. a lover of musick and mixt dancing . t. w. seeks the ruine of his own fellow-creatures . t. w. charged to have been taken in the act of adultery . t. w. committed to goal . t. w. pretends a second repentance in goal . t. w. his deliverāce and return from goal . i. . . . . . . . . , . . . . . . t. w. his ejectment from his parsonage of l. b. untruth . untruth . untruth . masse . wilts. ord. t. w. his blasphemy upon record . t. w. his late progress into , and return from wilts. the maintenance of the ministery vvherein is plainely declared how the ministers of the gospell ought to be maintayned: and the true and ancient practise of our church in this case, shewed to be agreeable to the word of god, and all antiquity. necessary in these times to be read and considered of all sorts of christians, but specially of such as liue in townes and citties. by richard eburne, minister of the word. eburne, richard. approx. kb of xml-encoded text transcribed from -bit group-iv tiff page images. text creation partnership, ann arbor, mi ; 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(eebo-tcp ; phase , no. a ) transcribed from: (early english books online ; image set ) images scanned from microfilm: (early english books, - ; : ) the maintenance of the ministery vvherein is plainely declared how the ministers of the gospell ought to be maintayned: and the true and ancient practise of our church in this case, shewed to be agreeable to the word of god, and all antiquity. necessary in these times to be read and considered of all sorts of christians, but specially of such as liue in townes and citties. by richard eburne, minister of the word. eburne, richard. [ ], p. printed [by thomas creede] for eleazar edgar, and are to be sold at his shoppe in pauls church-yard, at the signe of the wind-mill, london : . another issue, with cancel title page printed by william jaggard, of the edition with imprint ".. printed by t[homas]. c[reede]. for eleazar edgar .."--stc. running title reads: the maintenance of the ministerie. reproduction of the original in cambridge university library. created by converting tcp files to tei p using tcp tei.xsl, tei @ oxford. re-processed by university of nebraska-lincoln and northwestern, with changes to facilitate morpho-syntactic tagging. gap elements of known extent have been transformed into placeholder characters or elements to simplify the filling in of gaps by user contributors. eebo-tcp is a partnership between the universities of michigan and oxford and the publisher proquest to create accurately transcribed and encoded texts based on the image sets published by proquest via their early english books online 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and markup - aptara keyed and coded from proquest page images - rina kor sampled and proofread - rina kor text and markup reviewed and edited - pfs batch review (qc) and xml conversion the maintenance of the ministery . wherein is plainely declared how the ministers of the gospell ought to be maintayned : and the true and ancient practise of our church in this case , shewed to be agreeable to the word of god , and all antiquity . necessary in these times to be read and considered of all sorts of christians , but specially of such as liue in townes and citties . by richard ebvrne , minister of the word . . cor. . . if we haue sowen vnto you spirituall things : is it a great matter if we reape your carnall things . london , printed for eleazar edgar , and are to be sold at his shoppe in paules church-yard , at the signe of the wind-mill . . to the right reuerend father in god , iames by diuine prouidence , lord bishop of bathe and vvelles , richard eburne wisheth in christ iesus felicitie externall , internall , and eternall . it is the custome ( right reuerend father in god ) and that vsual , auncient , and approued , of such as publish to the world their writings , to dedicate the same to some or other personage , eminent in the church or cōmon-weale . what others ofttimes doe , more for fashion then occasion , for fauour then neede , thereto am i moued and euen compelled by some necessitie ; because handling an argument somewhat rare ( for fewe they be that haue laboured in the like ) and though verie profitable for the church of god at all times , and in these exceeding necessarie , yet not very pleasing to such as either by too much couetousnes , or too little consideration may be carried with vnequal censure to condemne that they like not , or reiect without iust cause , that they vnderstand not ; i neede the patronage of such a one , as by his authoritie countenancing it , might shielde it from iniurie , and by his iudgement approc●ing it , defend it from enuie . and to this purpose , after i had pend this my treatise of the maintenance of the ministerie , bethinking with my selfe whom to i might offer it , vpon some necessarie & iust causes i resolued to dedicate the same aboue any vnto your lordship . first ▪ in regard of the very subiect and nature of of the worke it selfe : which being such , as wholly concerns the fabrique ( as i may say ) of the church , whereof your lor : is a principall vpholder ; and the estate of the ministers in the church , of which no small number doe labour ( if i may so speake ) in your vineyard , seemeth properly to require such a one to vndertake the protection thereof , as by his calling and dignitie in the church , rather then the common-wealth , is enabled thervnto . and then in regard of my selfe who haue heretofore employed the first and no small part of my ministery within your lordships iurisdiction and diocesse ; and now againe ( by gods special prouidēce ) called back to finish my course within the same , doe acknowledge it to bee my duety to respect aboue other , as the vine vnder whose shadowe i rest , that architect vnder whom and by whom i am set on worke : and doe hope i may bee bolde to haue recourse as a soldiour to his owne captaine , or a seruant vnto his owne lord , for the patronizing of my labours , where my selfe am entertained . touching the worke it selfe ; the scope whervnto i haue therein principally , & in maner onely aimed , is to declare how necessarie and conuenient it is , that the ministers of the word in all places , & in each seuerall congregation should bee prouided of due and competent maintenance . in explaining whereof i haue haue shewed , by whom , by what meanes , and in what sort , this maintenāce should be yeelded : withall , against such as affect new fashions , and whom nothing pleaseth but what is deformed by some innouation , i haue made it apparant that the ancient and most vsuall practise of our land in this case is agreeable to the word of god , & practize of the most auncient and best times . such indeed as can not iustly by anie pensionarie or other like confused and strange course be bettered and amended . where our practize doth digresse , as best thinges seeldome stand anie long time without some corruption and declination from their integritie , i haue in hope of some redresse partlie noted . it is a thing too manifest , that the estate of our ministerie at this day is not such , that we may affirme of it , that it is euery where duely prouided for : & that we that are therin haue no cause for want of maintenance and necessaries for our life to complaine . but contrariwise , howsoeuer in many places it is , yet ( god be thanked ) such as it ought to bee : yet in not a few , by reason that that course which god himself hath appointed , equitie approued , and ancient practise confirmed , is interrupted , and not in anie measure there obserued , it is such as becommeth not the gospel of christ : such as not a little hindereth the prosperitie thereof , in a word such as the ministers themselues haue a iust cause to complaine of , all reasonable men must acknowledge needes amendment ; & it behoueth those that are in place and authority therevnto gratiously , to heare , farther to consider of , and speedily and duely to redresse . which beeing a worke acceptable to god , needefull for our church , profitable and honorable for the whole land , will ( no doubt ) the more be respected , and the sooner bee effected , if it shall please your good lordship , together with the rest of your brethren ( the most reuerend fathers of our church , looking according to the experience & wisedome that god hath inriched you withall , into the estate of manie distressed and impouerished churches within your iurisdictions ) to open your mouthes in the cause of the afflicted , and according to the power & authority , which god hath giuen you for the benefit & edification of the church , indeuour to repaire the ruines , & make vp againe the breaches thereof . wherein you may doe great seruice to the ch : much further the gospell , and become euen founders of manie churches within your seuerall diocesses , which ●ow ( alas ) through vnreasonable customes , cruell ▪ and hard compositions , beggerly stypends , small endowments , and non payement of personall tithes , bee in manner desolate ; and doe pittie the hearts of all such as duly regard learning and religion , truly loue & respect the ministers of the word , rightly know what becommeth the house of god , and vn●einedly wish the prosperitie of our zion , to see howe they lie in the dust . you are the pillers vpon whom wee doe stay , the mountaines from whence we doe looke for helpe , and the rockes vnder whose shadowes we trust to be assisted and sheltred against the rage and violence of such extremities & miseries as manie of your churches are subiect vnto . and wee hope that the loue you beare to learning , the care you haue of the people committed to your charges , the zeale you carrie vnto the church of god , and the respect you haue to vs of the ministrie vnder you , of whom manie ( hauing not in this plenty and peace wherewith god hath blessed israel , wherewith parcè & duriter to sustaine their liues ) are discouraged not encouraged , vnabled not enabled to the worke they should performe , and made euen wearie of their calling , will mooue you , after the gospell it selfe now throughly setled , and the sects and schismes of our church now quieted , as louing fathers , to relieue what you may , the externall wants of your children ; & as good captains , what lies in you to prouide for the due pay of all such souldiours as are vnder your hands : that henceforth none of them ( as cōmonly yet many are ) bee inforced , as it were starting out of the camp , to entangle themselues with the affaires of this life ; but attending wholly the seruice whereto they are prest , may please you that haue admitted them , but chiefly christ iesus the high bishop of our soules , & primate of the whole church , that hath called them to be souldiors . to further , and ( if i may presume so to speake ) as it were to open a way to this so godly , so good and necessary work , i haue , occasioned therevnto aboue manie , ( and which i might not with good consciēce not prosecute ) as the poore widow offered my mi●e , and as a plaine , but a willing hearted workman bestowed a little labour . which if your good lordship , approouing my sincere and religious purpose aboue mine abilitie ( which , knowing my selfe to be , as from my heart i doe acknowledge the meanest of a thousand ▪ & most vnable of many thousands to put my hand to so great a work , and open my mouth in so weightie a cause , i freely confesse is very small ) vouchsafe in good part to accept ; and whatsoeuer my desert or handling of the cause bee , to affect and fauour the cause it selfe , which for it selfes sake , deserueth all furtherance ; that so what i haue spoken in the behalfe thereof , beeing defended from the peruerse iudgement of the ignorant , and iniurie of all , others may bee moued of their abundance to cast in richer gifts , and as god hath filled them , like vnto bezaleel the sonne of vri , and ahol●ab the sonne of ahisan●ch , with greater knowledge & more plentie of his spirit , to adorne & inlarge what i haue but rudely informed , or may be but sparely pointed at : you shall encourage mee to proceed yet what i may , in that i haue begun , till i see it come from seed to fruit , and purchase both the thanksgiuing of many to god for your readines to this worke of the lord , and the prayers of mee & manie others with me vnto the almighty for his graces & blessings both spirituall & temporall , to be continued and increased vpon you . the lorde iesus vouchsafe vnto you his heauenly gifts , and so guide you by his holy spirit , that you may sincerely set forth his gospel , & seeke his glory in this world , & in the world to come be crowned by him with celestiall and eternall glorie . amen . your lor. euer to be commanded in the worke of the lorde , richard eburne . to the reader . accept i pray thee ( christian reader ) in good parte , what i present vnto thee , to good purpose . let not my plainenesse displease thee ; which for to profit thee , as the fittest phrase for an argument of this forme , i haue more then ordinarily affected . in other stile i might happely more better haue pleased a few , but am assured should lesse haue satisfied all . it is the hearers dutie that i principally teach : necessarie therfore i should so expresse it , that they , euen they of meanest reach , and slowest capacitie , husbandmen , trades-men , artificers , and whosoeuer else , might fully conceiue me . as heere is whereby to direct the vnlearned , so there wanteth not wherewith to exercise the learned , whether teacher or hearer . th' one shall find his due , th' other his dutie , more plainlie taught then hitherto by any . to whom this seemeth not enough , occasion at least is offered , the way thus opened , to performe more . mine attempt is no restraint of other mens libertie . for the matter , i nothing doubt of thine assent in most points . if in some we dissent , so it be not in the chiefest , the matter is not great . yeelde mee these , that the minister ought to haue certaine , sufficient , and liberal maintenance : that thereto euery one of anie abilitie , ought ( according to his abilitie , and of such goods as hee hath ) to contribute : that the best meanes to raise it , must needes be that , which god , gods church , and all antiquitie haue , by practise , approoued : and for the rest i will not contende , nor when these are duely practised ( for of that , questionles we come yet farre too short ) any more complaine . thus hoping , if my labours like thee , thou wilt wishe to them such successe as thou perceiuest i desire : if not , yet thou wilt affoord me that ordinarie fauor , which other men in works of lesse moment , & worse argument , doe often obtaine , i wish to thee as much good as thine own heart , christianly affected , can desire . thine in the lord , and for the seruice of the churche , r. e. the argument and summe of the whole treatise following , according to the chapters thereof , which may serue in steede of a table . ¶ the first chapter the first chapt. as an introduction to the whole , i● of the writer of the parcell of scripture which in this treatise is handled , and of the occasion why it was written . and therein is shewed : . how necessarie and fit this kinde of doctrine was then and is now . . how contrary ministers in these dayes are oftentimes dealt with . the principall causes of such ill dealing . ¶ the second chapter sheweth , that euery one that is taught by the minister , ought ( hauing goods ) towards his teachers maintenance to be contributarie , and can from that duetie by no priuiledge , custome , &c. be exempt . god doth assigne and warrant to ministers their maintenance . they ought to haue it , first and principally in regard of their labour . which is painefull to themselues , profitable to others . . for that they doe not intermeddle in other mens labours & trades of life . their maintenance cannot without great sinne be denyed them . ¶ the third chapter being a more speciall explication of the hearers duety before in generall sorte onely set downe , declareth : . what this word ( goods ) vsed in the text doth signifie . . of what sorte of goods the minister must haue a pa●t . ¶ the fourth chapter , that the right & best maner of payment to the minister , is ▪ that he be payd his part of euery thing , in its proper kind , as naturally god doth send it . . and not by a set stipend . ¶ the fifth chapter that toward the ministers maintenance , euery man ought to contribute proportionably , and not voluntarily onely what euery man will. that is tollerable onely in some cases , but generally or ordinarily it is a course very pernitious and euill . yet how it might be somewhat tollerable . ¶ the sixt chapter the minister must haue 〈◊〉 his maintenance , not an imagined competent portion onely . but specially besides offerings , the tithes of all things . which are still due by diuine right : and be of ● . sorts . viz. predial & personal . ¶ the seuenth chapter yeeldeth some speciall reasons , why god vouchsafeth to haue ( as his owne . ) some part of all mens goods . why the ten●● . why so great a portion , as is tithes , offerings , &c. bee hath assigned vnto his ministers . where the reader shall finde diuers weightie cause● , why ministers ought to haue , not a beggerly and sparing , but ample and liberall maintainan●e . ¶ the eight chapter conteineth answeres to diuers obiections , namely , . touching the vnworthines of the minister . . the greatnes of the tenth . . the wealth of the minister . . custome . . personall tithes , which to pay is a benefite . . the statute of edu ▪ de decimi● . why it were to be wished , that for a perpetuall composition about personall tithes , the custome of the citie of london , aboue any other , might , the whole land through , bee put in practise . ¶ the ninth chapter what comes by laying out our goods vpon worldly vses . and what , vpon heauenly and spirituall vses . how daungerous an● vnprofitable , euen in respect of their outward and temp●rall estates it is , men to be illiberall , and ouersparing to their ministers . and on the other side , how gratefull to god , and gain●full to themselues to be liberall and bountifull . ¶ the tenth chapter comprehendeth the summe and conclusion of the whole discourse . and declareth some motiues that haue put the authour of this treatise in hope , that his labour shall not be without some good effect . which god for his gospels sake vouchsafe , amen . the maintenance of the ministerie . gala. . . . let him that is taught in the word , make him that teacheth him partaker of all his goods . be not deceiued : god is not mocked . for whatsoeuer a man soweth , that shall he also reape . chap. i. of the writer of this parcell of scripture , and the occasion why it was written . . how necessary and fit , this kinde of doctrine was then , and is now . . how contrary therunto ministers in these daies are ofttimes dealt with . . the principall causes of such ill dealing . this parcell of scripture ( as the words themselues doe plainly enough to euery mans vnderstanding declare ) is an instruction or direction vnto all christians , teaching them how they ought to deale with their ministers touching their maintenance : that so they be not discouraged , but incouraged to labour painfully and profitably among them in the word and doctrine . it doth contain three principal parts : that is , first a precept , secondly a commination , and thir●ly a confirmation : first a precept , verse . . in these words , let him that is taught , &c. . a commination , in the first member of the . verse , be not deceiued : god is not mocked . . the confirmation , in the latter member of that verse : for whatsoeuer a man soweth , that also shall he reape . the first of these sheweth briefly euery mans dutie in this behalfe . the second is an answere to all such cauils and obiections , as either vngodly or vnwilling people vse to pretend and make for excuse of their carelesnes and neglect of that dutie . the third , by an argument and reason taken partly from the profit and good that shall arise and redound by the due performance of this dutie , to all that carefully obserue it : partly ( for that also is implied ) from the disprofit and hurt that doth and will befall them that be carelesse and backward in the practise thereof , confirmeth whatsoeuer in the former is taught . to the opening of the words themselues before i do come , it wil not be amisse to consider a litle , first of the writer of them , who it was : then secondly of the occasion that might moue him thus to write , what it was . the writer hereof ( as the title or inscription of the epistle shewes ) was the apostle s. paul. he being the teacher of this doctrine , the proclaimer of this precept ; who was , as the apostle of iesus christ , so that apostle which laboured more then any of the rest , and did in sundry gi●ts excell them all : hee ( i say ) teaching this kinde of doctrine , which he doth not here alone , but almost in euery epistle , as . cor. . . thess. . . tim. . &c. his example and doing therein doth sufficiently shewe vs , that it is a kinde of doctrine , as requisite and necessary for the church of god , and to be published and taught abroad : so , well beseeming the grauitie of a preacher in the church , & befitting the mouth of the minister of god in the pulpit . it is a kinde of doctrine , i am not ignorant , as seldome in these dayes handled and dealt withall as any : vpon doubt it seemeth , least people take occasion thereby , to deride them that vtter it , as speaking for themselues , and taxe them as desirous of filthy lucre , rather then respect as the truth , or obey it as is meete . but by this kinde of silence the ministers themselues haue receiued ( i am perswaded ) more hurt then possibly they could by speaking : and the church hath incurred more detriment , and the gospell more hindrance by the ignorance thereof , then possibly they could preiudice or reproach , if it had bene made more knowne . people know in generall tearmes , and that rather by the very light of reason , then rules of religion , that the minister must haue maintenance : and can say , that the labourer is worthy of his hire . but , as their practise often argues , they account hee hath that , when many times it is in name , rather then in deed ; in shew , then in substance : that they vse him very well , when they paie him in maner nothing : and do their dutie to the vttermost , euen when they withhold from him the greatest part of his due . necessary it is therefore that they be better instructed in this behalfe , and ministers oftner to teach this lesson : which we finde hitherto , by many badly learned , and worse practised . to encourage and imbolden them hereunto , they haue many examples : as of old the prophet malachy , who ch . . handles it of purpose , reprouing sharply the people of his time , for not performing , as they should , this dutie towards the lord himself , & the sonnes of aaron the lords ministers . then our sauiour himselfe , who assoone as euer he sent abroad his apostles to preach , prescribeth them what order to obserue for their maintenance , and sheweth them with what right they might demaund , & receiue the same . but specially this our apostle ; who intreating thereof , both oftentimes and at large , offers himselfe their leader , and ( if i may so speake ) their companion in this kinde of labour . in whose step● while they do but tread , whose course while they do but follow , what cause is there any should either feare the spurning of the contentious , or care for the scorning of the contemptuous ? . and herein too , i cannot but obserue the prudence & prouidēce of god , which inspires this kind of doctrine into the mind , and in stils it into the pen of this apostle rather then any other , whose labours were to come most to light : and who labouring with his owne hands , and liuing for the most part by his occupation , and not vppon the churches charge , as appeareth , act. ● . . and otherwhere ( howsoeuer he had power to haue done otherwise , aswell as the rest of the apostles , and namely the brethre● of the lord and cephas ) . cor. . . ( was thereby the freest and fittest of all other to speake in this matter : because it could not be obiected vnto him , that he preached for himselfe , or sought his owne gaine , and bewraied a co●etous minde , &c. surely , the doctrine comming from his mouth , could not but thereby be receiued with lesse preiudice then from some other it might haue beene : and being contrary to that himselfe oft times did practise , did plainely shew , that in this his doctrine he did respect the good of the church and glorie of god , which he knew ( whatsoeuer his practise was ) were ordinarily this way and in this sort to be furthered : and , that his doing and example was no necessary rule , and therefore ought not to binde others ; as which was peculiar to him , not common to all , who generally must liue legibus non exemplis by lawes not by examples , and practise ordinarily according as of god we are all taught : and not , as , without commaundement , and without necessitie , vpon some singular and extraordinary respect , some few doe . the occasion that mooued the apostle to write this doctrine , was no doubt , the care of the church . . he did see euen then , that the hearers of the word began to be weary of weldoing , and to be negligent and slacke in ministring their temporall things to their teachers , which bestowed on them spirituall : leauing them destitute and vnprouided , whom they ought chiefly to maintaine : which he knew well could not but turne to the great hindrance of the gospell , and preiudice of their soules . . he did also foresee , that in the ages to come euen as it is come to passe in these our daies , people would againe be at the same point , little regarding their ministers so they might enrich themselues , and be better content to be vntaught , then at charge ( as they account it ) for teaching . and therefore to meet with these euills , to beat downe such errour and mischiefe betimes , and to to arme vs there-against , as was fitte and necessary , he wrote thus . now looke what occasion s. paul had to write and publish this doctrine at the first ; the same , if not greater , is offered now againe to vrge and vtter it . time was , when people thought nothing too much for the minister , but could euen finde in their hearts with the galathiās , cap. . . if it were possible , to haue pluckt out their owne eies , to do them good . they offered to the church in such abundance , that there was rather an excesse then want : for they did account those their best employed goods that went to such vses . insomuch that as moses , exod. . . was faine to make proclamation thorough the hoast , that none should bring any more stuffe for the work of the tabernacle , there was already enough and to spare : so the emperour iustinian and some other princes were inforced to make lawes of restraint against the excessiue liberality vnto churches . yea the popes themselues made some canons to that purpose . those daies are now past , the case is altered , and the matter turned cleane vpside downe . it is now become a time not offerendi , but auferendi , not a time to offer and giue to the church , but to auferre and take from it euery man , in maner , euen bestudies himselfe how to pull from the ministery that he neuer gaue : & though it be no charge nor cost of theirs , yet think it al too much that it hath . hence it is , that in many places of the land , the churches are so gliebd and gelded , that more then the better halfe of their right and inheritance is transferred vnto new owners : and in places not a few , the whole ; only a beggerly not a scholerly , a miserable not a ministerlike stipend reserued . and they into whose hands these things are fallen ( a thing to be wondered and lamented ) make so little care or conscience thereof , that among an hundred is hardly founde one , that vppon conscience of what he holds ( the churches right ) or loue and zeale to the gospell , or respect to the ministery thereof , or compassion vppon the soules of the people , which ( their ministers maintenance kept away ) both liue and die as sheepe without a sheepheard , hath restored any parte thereof to the church from which it is taken : but among a thousand , nay among them all ( so farre as i know ) not one , that hath in all this time of the gospell , reendowed one church of many , and restored the spoiles thereof . hence it is , that many patrons of benefices forgetting their names and titles , that is , that they be but patroni , defenders and keepers of their churches , not proprietarij , owners and inheritors , doe prooue latrones , robbers thereof ; for mony selling them , and by consequence euen the soules of men , to the very diuell of hell , as iudas did christ to the scribes and pharisies . some conveying the gleib or temporalities of the church to their owne possession : others cunningly reseruing their owne tithes : & in a word , the most part of them ( yea though they haue already the fatt and best thereof ) not willing to bestow but the scraps and fragments freely : to such an height is sacriledge and simonie growne ; one way or other , making of that which is or should be beneficium ecclesiae a benefice for the church , a benefite to themselues , little regarding the while how the people are prouided for , and whom they preferre , so they may come to a good market . besides those mischiefes , the people that are to pay the minister his due , make litle or no conscience how they do it . many count it not as gods parte , but reckon it as a priuate right to this and that man : and as they be affected to the party that is to receiue , so are they more or lesse willing to giue ; as if it were left vnto their power to limit each man his portion , and the ministers due were to be laid out by euery mans arbitremēt , according to his supposed deserts , and not according to the rule of god , and right of the church . many account it a vertue to pare away what they can from the ministers part , and hold it wisedome and well done , to get all things done by him at as lowe a rate as may be . they thinke they haue done the office of good parishioners , if ( to shadow their couetousnes or malice , with the colour of iustice ) they can deuise any shift and quirke in law how to debarre ( i will not say defraud ) the minister of any due , and bring him to that state , that he must crouch to them for a peece of bread , and not be incouraged by them to his office : caring little though he do not his office as he should , so they may deale with him for his due as they would . by all which and other like meanes , too long here to recite , miserable verily is the estate both of minister and people in many places . the people are not taught as they should be , but liue still in blindnes and errour , in ignorance and superstition , to the no little preiudice and slaunder of the gospell , dishonor of god , and the exceeding hazard of their soules . they haue ministers rather in name then indeede . and as the poets faine of their tantalus in the waters , in the midst of all abundance and plenty of the word round about them , they remaine needy enough ; as fed rather with the sight of the gospell then the substance , and hauing heard of it rather by fame , then tasted of it indeede . the ministers themselues are many where disabled to do their duty ; and beeing but weake and meane of themselues ( for such be commonly thrust into such places ) are made more weake and euen vtterly vnapt , for want of meanes to further & enable them : whereby being giuen to idlenes and neglect of dutie , they are confirmed therein : or being better disposed , by meere necessitie are inforced thereto ; least else they either shame themselues , or sinke vnder the burthen . whence these euilles haue , and do spring ; if we consider , i cannot 〈◊〉 other , but that it is principally from these ● . or ● . perillous roots : namely first from the roote of all euill , that is from couetousnes , secondly from contempt of the gospel , and thirdly from very ignorance . for , to speake nothing of the time past , couetousnes it is that makes sacrilegious patrons at this day , daily to make marchandize of holy things , not their own : to rob and spoile their churches , and into them to thrust ( for desire of gaine ) such as are not to the saluatiō but the perdition of the people . and couetousnes principally it is , that so blindeth and hardneth many of the people , that they neither do , nor will vnderstand when they do most open wrong to the church of god , and manifestly abuse the ministers thereof . the second cause i take to be the very contempt of the gospell ; a disease too common in all places . there is not that loue and estimation of the word , nor that desire of the preaching thereof , that should be in people . few they be that account the very feete of them that bring the glad tidings of saluation vnto them beautifull , or that receiue the preacher thereof as the galathians did paul , euen as an angell of god : that esteeme the word as the better parte with marie : and finde it as did dauid , dearer to their soules then thousands of golde and siluer , or sweeter to their tast then honie and the honie combe . for then it could not be , but that as that wise merchant in the gospell , hauing found one pretious pearle , sold all that he had and bought it ; so they would , for loue to the word , spare no cost , and stand at no charge : and as lidia , act. . . hauing receyued the faith , constrained and euen adiured paul and all his companie , to accept of entertainement at her hands ; so they would rather enforce vppon the ministers of the gospell , more then their due , that they might encourage them to their worke , then debarre them of any thing that is their owne ; the ready way to make them wearie of all . he that is hungry wil buy him foode how deare soeuer it be : he that is sicke , will haue physicke what euer it cost him : he that loues play , will spend many times that he can ill spare : and if men hungred after the gospell as for the bread of life , and counted the preaching thereof the only physicke for the soule : if they tooke asmuch delight therein as many do in vanities ; it could not be , but that they would be as ready to imploy their goods for the one as for the other : and not pinch at expenses for this , being lauish and prodigall for those : nor count euen nothing too much for this vse , and foure or fiue times asmuch but little for vses much worse , and lesse necessary a great deale . we haue had the gospell long , euen so long till wee are wearie of it in a manner , as the iewes were of manna . the continuance hath not , as it should , increased our content & delight therein , we tasting more and more the sweetnes thereof ; but bred rather contempt . els it were not possible , but we should entertaine it with better affection , and maintaine the ministerie thereof with greater contentation : not suffering and seeing them to want , whose labours yeeld vs most benefit : nor enuying or begrudging them necessaries , without whom we should be in extreame and miserable penury . the third cause of these euils , is very ignorance , grosse ignorance : wherewith many being blinded ( as i haue already said , and shall hereafter more shew ) do sinne in this behalfe ; and not knowing that they sinne , continue in it without remorse , thinking they performe their dutie at full , when ( god knows ) they be very farre from it . to remedie these mischiefes , i see no readier nor better way for such as be ministers , for such i say as bee in the ministery , then following the plot laid out before them by this our apostle s. paul , to teach & set abroad this kind of doctrine more vsually & largely , which long hath lien as it were buried in silence & obliuion : that so the gospell beeing now replanted amongst vs , men may , after other doctrines more necessary to saluation , learne also the way how to maintaine and continue the gospell ; the wrongs and oppressions hitherto done to the church , and with much patience endured , may at length somewhat be righted , and the world henceforth begin to be ashamed of the simony , sacriledge , and other like abhominations , whereby it hath hitherto , euen in the time of this cleare light of the gospell , made hauocke of our churches . chap. ii. that euery one that is taught in the word , ought ( hauing goods ) toward his teachers maintenance be contributarie . and can from that dutie by no priueledge , custome , &c. be exempt . god doth assigne and warrant to them their maintenance . they ought to haue it , principally in regard of their labour , which is painefull to themselues , profitable to others . and therefore cannot without great sinne be denied them . also , for that they do not intermeddle in other mens labors and trades of life . verse . . let him that is taught in the word , make him that teacheth him partaker of all his goods . hauing spoken sufficiently of the writer and occasion of the words , i come now to the words themselues , and first to the precept or commandement , ver . . in which ( as the speciall branches thereof ) may more particularly be obserued , agreeable vnto our purpose , these . things . first the persons commaunded , who they be that must contribute vnto the minister , viz hee , euery one that is taught in the word . . the reason or cause why he must do it : and that is , because he is taught ; because the minister doth teach him , for the labourer is worthy of his hire . the third is , what he must impart vnto him , namely a parte of all his goods . i concerning the persons , that must contribute , conferring these first words of the precept , let him that is taught with the later of the same verse , viz. make him partaker , &c. we may gather euidently , that all and euery person whatsoeuer , which being a hearer of the word doth owe and possesse to his owne proper vse any kinde of goods whatsoeuer , is liable to this pay , subiect to this precept , & within compasse ( if i may so speake ) of this statute and law of god. this statute and commaundement , i say , reacheth vnto all & singular parishioners , as we tearme them , yea to all hearers of the word whosoeuer both rich and poore , yong and old , maried and vnmaried , housekeeper or not , maister and seruant , merchant and mariner , officer and artificer , tradesman and husbandman , townesman and countryman , or whosoeuer els by profession he be ; they all and euery of them , being hearers of the word , and owners or possessors of any kinde of goods whatsoeuer , are lyable to this course , payable to this purpose , and must contribute more or lesse , according to their seuerall abilities , to their teacher . as they haue a benefit by him in spirituall things , so must he by them in things temporall . this may plainly appeare vnto vs by the words of the apostle , in that he doth set downe the precept in the singular number . for when as he doth not say , let them that , &c. but let him that is taught , &c. he declareth manifestly that the precept extends to euery one in particular . no one is or can be exempted from this dutie , but is necessarily to be charged therewith . he onely is excepted , which possesseth no kinde of goods , hath nothing proper to himselfe , deales not ( as we say ) for himselfe any way , but liues altogether either vnder or by others , as children , prentizes , &c. which are yet wholly vnder the tutele , keeping , & finding of parents , maisters , and other like : or such as be extreame poore , and so doe liue , not by their owne goods , but by the goods and almes of other men . this precept is very like vnto that law , which god of old had by moses giuen vnto his people israel , as appeareth , exo. . . in these words , none shall appeare before the lord emptie ; and is both repeated & explaned , deut. . . thus : euerie man shall giue according to the gift of his hand , & according to the blessing of the lord thy god , which he hath giuen thee . that is , euery man shal giue according to his abilitie more or lesse : the rich man shall giue according to his riches , a great & liberall portion , and the poorer sort of his tenuitie a little also , euery man something : none shall come without any thing at all . like to this was the lawe of tithes , vnto which euery man was subiect that possessed ought . the tenth was the lords , and must be paide vnto the lord , wheresoeuer and with whomsoeuer it was to be founde : as appeareth , numb . . and otherwhere . wherevnto we may finde the practize both of the iewes in time of the law , and of christians aswell in the infancie as flourishing estate of the gospel , to haue bene very cōsonant , as may appeare sufficiently for the one , by the hystorie of that poore widowe , luc. . who offered , of her penurie , somewhat into the treasurie of god , aswell as did the rich and wealthy much , of their abundance and superfluities . and yet neither is she blamed by our sauiour , as doing more then her dutie , more then she needed , but highly commended as dooing her duetie , and but her duetie , cheerefully and liberally : nor are the priests that receiued the offrings , reprehended for taking an offering of a widow so poore , themselues beeing rich : and by the words of the pharisey , lu. . . who ( speaking no doubt according to the generall practise of al ) protesteth , that he gaue tithe of al that he did possesse . whereto accordeth our sauiour , math. . . acknowledging for them , that tithed euen the very mint and annis , rue , and cummin , et omne olus , and euery other herbe ; and saying , that they howsoeuer they ought to haue done also greater things , yet those they ought not to haue left vndone . as for the times of the gospell , act. . . we read , how the church at first , being not otherwise prouided for , so manie as had , either possessions or goods , that is , either lands or moueables , ( for so the wordes in the iudgement of learned interpreters doe signifie ) sold them , & laid downe the price at the apostles feete , that thēce distribution might be made to euerie man , poore and rich , hearer & teacher , according as he had neede . and so euery man that was taught in the word , did that way , make him that taught him , partaker with him of all his goods . the gospell once throughly planted , and , by the cōuersion of constantine and other emperours and kings vnto the faith of christ , setled in peace , this law was more generally and fully as practized , so established and confirmed . for vpon due notice and consideration thereof , euen then vniuersally in all nations , kingdomes and countries that had receiued the faith , landes were giuen and consecrated , and tithes restored to the church in such a generall , vniforme , godly and goodly sort , both for the maner & the measure thereof , as is yet admirable to as many as note either the action then , or the disposition of people now . to which course , how had it beene possible euer people could so generally , so vniformely , and so readily haue beene drawne , vnlesse christians then with one minde and one mouth had acknowledged this doctrine here taught them by the apostle , viz. that it was euerie mans duetie to make his minister partaker of all his goods , and thereupon consented , as it were by diuine inspiration , that for the better successe of the gospell then , and auoyding of contentions in time to come , such course should be taken as might once for euer yeeld & settle it to the church . some may happily thinke , that the church got these thinges in time of blindnes and popery , when men in superstitious zeale , did they knew not what : but i am fo farre from their opinion , that i assure my selfe , and with great probabilitie can gather and make demonstration , that those things which are the churches in right , and properly belong to the maintenance of her ministers , were all graunted and established in their largest , best , and vprightest forme , before popery was planted , euen in the purest and most flourishing time of the gospell ; and that in time of popery little was added thereunto , but rather much thereof was then , and thereby , taken from the church : and am readie to prooue and shew , that the very forme it selfe dooth plainely and plentifully argue true zeale , great piety & much wisedome with sound knowledge ; and not blind zeale and foolish superstition , to haue beene the founders thereof . but of these , more hereafter . the doctrine and sense of the words beeing thus laid downe , it shal not bee amisse now to consider somewhat withall of such motiues as the words themselues may farther affoord , wherby to moue euery man to the careful and due performance of this duety . to which purpose , ●t furthereth much , as we haue already seene , who and what persons are commaunded , so to consider likewise , who it is that thus commaundeth : for that , in any law and precept , is a matter of moment , and specially respected . all scripture is by diuine inspiration , and hath not man but god the author thereof . it is not therefore paul but the lord aboue , not man but god that maketh this lawe . the person is such as hath authorithy to commaund & power to compell : such as of whose iustice in decreeing and equity in prescribing , without extreame impiety none may doubt . such consideration of the person commanding may serue vs to diuers vses & instructions . for , first it dooth well confirme that already sayd touching the persons that must pay , shewing : that seeing god requireth this duety of euery man that is a hearer of the word , therefore from performance thereof no man can bee free and exempt . for who can discharge a man from obedience to god ? as for the lawes that men doo make , beeing but meere humane ordinances , ciuil constitutions , they that make them , may revoake them , or except and exempt from the penalty of them whom they will : or a higher power may dispense therewith : but what man may revoake that with god dooth enact ? or dispense with those whom god doth bind ? ●t is a ruled case amongst diuines , graunted euen in time of greatest ignorance , that against gods law , no dispensation or decree of man can hold : & shal wee thinke or practize otherwise in our greatest knowledg ? who can giue thee power or leaue to commit murther or adultery , to breake the sabboth , or dishonour thy parents , to steale , to oppresse , &c. or make , if how dooest any of these things , that it shal not bee sinne vnto thee ? neither can any man giue thee power to breake this law of god , or acquit thee of sinne , if thou dooest breake it . let men pretend custome , lycence , dispensation , pardon , priuiledge , or whatsoeuer els of like nature in this behalfe , it helps not . for as in the law it is a maxime , null●mtempus occurrit regi , against the king , prescription of time holds not : so in diuinity is this another , neque tempus , neque consuetudo , &c. neither time , nor custome , nor priuiledge , &c. can bee a barre against god. men may aswel say , that by custome , by licence , by priueledge , &c. they may bee discharged from seruing of god , and hauing any church , any sacraments , any publike seruice , and so any religion amongst them . for doubtlesse so farre and so long as they are bound to honor and serue god publikely , to haue the sacraments administred amongst them orderly , to haue the word preached vnto them effectually ; so long and so farre are they and euery one of them bound necessarily iure diuino , by the expresse law of god , by th' eternal and inuiolable decree of the highest , whose law is surer then that of the medes and persians with altereth not , to contribute and yeelde a part of their goods toward the maintenance & continuance , the vse and exercise of that religion , and ministery among them . which whoso neglecteth and refuseth to doo , hee dooth thereby , so farre as lyes in him , hinde● the seruice of god , shut vp the church doores , and roote out from among them the ministery of the church of god , by which alone those things can bee and are to bee performed . secondly , it sheweth vnto vs the equity of the law . god being the law maker , this law must therefore bee most equall and iust . for who should make a iust lawe , if not iustice it selfe ? decree that which is equal and right , if not equitie it selfe ? or order a thing wisely and excellently , if not wisedome it selfe ? shal not the iudge of all the world doe right ? genes . . . rom. . . thirdly , it warranteth vnto the ministers themselues , their right & title to their maintenance . god commanding the people to pay , doth allow them to receiue that which is their due . and therefore they may lavvfully and with good conscience take it , bee it much or little ; as their owne ; because god , who hath authoritie ouer all , and whose is the earth & all therein , hath assigned it vnto them . they challenge not their maintenance by warrant of mans law onely , or onely by the rule of equitie , but also iure diuino , by the law of god , who as hee made lawes for the priests & leuits that serued at the altar in the time of the law : so hath for his ministers in the time of the gospell . which thing this our apostle plainly testifieth , . corint . . . where he telleth vs , that as by gods ordinance , they which ministred about holie things did eate of the things of the temple : and they which waited at the altar , were partakers with the altar : so also hath the lord ordained for the time of the gospel , that they which preach the gospel should liue of the gospel . wherefore if at any time they preaching the gospell , haue not thereof whereon conueniently to liue , it is not because god hath not allowed & allotted them sufficient for their labour , but because men iniuriously & wickedly withhold from them one vvay or other , that which is indeede their due . this should aduise men to make conscience hovv they deale with the minister , seeing it is god that hath interessed him to that whereby hee is to liue . for they cannot debarre him of his due , or defraud him of any part of his right , without an open breache of gods lawe , and manifest infringing of diuine ordinance . were it not great iniury and sinne to denie a noble mans seruant , or withhold from one of the kinges officers , the reuenues , the lands , the pension , or other maintenance which his lord and maister hath out of his landes , & possessions lawfully giuen him ? but no noble mans seruant , no officer of any king or potentate , can haue greater right or better interest vnto any lands , reuenues , pension , or other incomme giuen him by his maister , then the minister hath to that with is his due , because hee hath it not from man but from god , and holds in right of the truest and highest owner , the lord of all . in the law of god there is a curse against him that remooueth his neighbours landmarke , which his sore-elders had set : deut. . . if he bee accursed that remooueth the bounds that men haue laid out , is not hee nigh vnto cursing , and in daunger of gods great indignation , that remooueth the bounds of the church , and altereth the right of the minister , which the father of vs all , hath for many generations past , fixed to stand for euer ? this is the principall reason why euery man should pay of his goods to the minister , namely ( which i obserued to be the second branch of the first general part of this verse ) because hee is taught in the worde by the minister . the minister dooth teach the word and religion of god , and so ministreth to his hearer the food of the soule : it is but equitie therefore , as hee receiueth spirituall things , that hee render temporall things ; and that the minister labouring for him whom hee teacheth , bee likewise payd by him that is taught : for the labourer is worthie of his hire . naturall & common reason without diuinitie can teache euery man that it is but equitie , if hee would haue a man take paines and worke for him , that hee dooe pay and content him for it as is fit . sith then that euery man , euery parishioner doth looke that the minister stould labour and take paynes for him in his mynisterie as occasion requireth , it is meet , that hee allow and yeelde him for it condigne recompence . thou wilt not lightly offer that indignitie and iniury to a scholemaister , to haue him to teache thy childe in the schoole halfe or a whole yeare : to a labourer to worke for thee in thy field or barne , a month or a vveeke : to a messenger , to trauaile on thy busines a day or two : or to a scriuener to write for thee , and it bee but an houre or two , but that thou will pay the one and the other for his labour and worke , as it is woorth , & he deserueth . and wilt thou offer that to thy minister that hee shall attend thee day by day , a weeke , a month , yea a whole yeare together , at church , and at home , for nothing , or that vvhich is as good as nothing ? but say i these things according vnto man ? saith not our apostle the same also ? who , . cor . . . reasoneth thus : quis militat propriis stipendiis ? &c. who goeth a warfare at any time of his owne cost ? who planteth a vineyard , & eateth not of the fruite thereof ? or who feedeth a flocke , and eateth not of the milke of the flocke ? reade the place : it is worth the perusing . and . tim. . . writeth thus : the elders that rule wel are worthie of double honour , specially they which labour in the word and doctrine : for ( saith hee ) the scripture saith thou shalt not mousle the mouth of the oxe that treadeth out the corne , & the labourer is worthie of his wages . where you may note , that hee dooth expound himselfe what that double honour , is viz. when besides the cōdigne reuerence yeelded to their persons for their office sake , the ministers haue such maintenance also yeelded them as is fit and due : and by conseq . that , it denyed or withheld from them , they are abused and dishonoured . god himselfe doth in his law likewise , num. . . alleadge this reason as the principal cause why the tenthes and other duties allotted to the sonnes of leui ( who were the priests or ministers of god in those daies ) should accordingly bee payd vnto them . behold ( saith god ) i haue giuen to the sonnes of leui all the tenth in israel for an inheritance , for their seruice which they serue mee in the tabernacle of the congregation , & ver . . it is your wages for your seruice . our sauiour in like maner liketh this reason so wel , that speaking of this matter , and shewing his apostles by what right they might enter into any house , & eate and drink such things as were set before them , and tary in that house without going from howse to house , for one meales meate here , another there , like beggers ; vseth no other reason for it but this , for the labourer is worthy of his hire . math. . . luc. . . and it is so consonant not only to religion , but also to all naturall reason and common humanity , that it is hard to finde that man which thinketh it not requisite to bee obserued ; i say not as i haue alreadye sayd , toward his seruants & labourers , but euen towards his very cattel , the beasts of the earth . for who is there but will allow his horse prouander , that hee may trauell well ? or his oxe fodder enough , that he may plough well ? here be goodly comparisons , it may bee some will thinke , & faire proofes . what , from beastes to men ? yea , and marke it well . for the comparison though it bee plaine and homely , is not of my inuention . i borrowed it from our apostle s. paul , who likes it so vvell , that hee doth vse it in tvvo seueral places of his epistles , viz. . cor. . . and . tim. . . and hee did borrow it of moses , who receiued it of god , as appeareth , deut. . . where thus it is written , thou shalt not mousle the mouth of the oxe that treadeth out the corne . from whence the apostle doth apply it to his purpose , and shewes , that god in making such a law , did it more for our sakes that bee men and ministers , then for the care hee had of oxen , though them also hee leaues not vncared for : and would thereby giue vs to vnderstand , that if it bee an vnreasonable & hard course to mousle the mouth of the labouring oxe , and pinch him of his meate , much more it is vnreasonable and vnconscionable to deny to a man that labours any way for thee , his due hire : but most of all , to the minister , that labours for the good of thy soule , nourishment for his body , and conuenient necessaries for his life . and therefore it may wel bee feared , that the keeping and feeding of their oxen and horses , will one day be a testimony against many christians in this behalfe : because they offer that measure to the minister , which they doo not , nor will dooe , to the oxe that ploughes in their field , or the horse that serueth for their iourney ; beeing careful that these bee kept well and fed at full , as knowing that the better they are kept , the better they will labour : but very carelesse for those other , though they pine for want of food , & liue in misery for lacke of necessaries ; yea , and yet exclaime and grudge against them too , if they be not as laborious as those that bee duely and wel mainteined ; as against idle and carelesse persons vngodly and slack in their ministery , without zeale , &c. as if they had neuer heard or quite forgottē the old prouerb , they that will haue their lampe to giue them light , must maintaine it with oyle accordingly . the harder that a man dooth worke , the better hee deserues ( as wee commonly account ) his wages : and the more his labours doo profit vs , the willinger wee are to pay him his due . if other men bee the better worthy of wages , because they worke hard ; of hire for their labour , because we get well thereby ; much more the minister of god : and that whether we respect the greatnes of his labour , or the goodnes of his worke . for it is not , as many account it , an easie , an idle , a pleasant & loytering kind of life , to doo the worke of an euangelist , but one of the hardest and greatest of all others : nor a needlesse and fruitlesse worke , but of all other the most necessary and profitable that can bee . for to speake nothing of that long and laborious preparation whereby a man is made fit for this worke , by spending all his time , euen from his cradle , till well-neere . yeares of age , stil wearying himselfe with many studies , and wasting the wealth of his friends with great and excessiue charges . is it not ( thinke you ) a great labour and an hard , to imploy his ministery , attend his study , and execute from time to time those things that appertaine to his charge ? they that are any thing acquainted with these kind of exercises , can somewhat tell , how it incombreth their sences , troubleth their mindes , breaketh their sleepe , wasteth their goods , weakneth their bodies , impaireth their health , and sometimes shortens their daies : and as it is a great labour and painfull to them , so is it exceeding good & profitable to their people . these watch , but for their soules . these fight , but to defend them from their spirituall enemies . these are pastors , but to feed them : shepheards to keepe them from the wolfe : lights , to direct them : salt , to season them . these are ministers to doo them seruice : messengers , to bring vnto them , the glad tidings of saluation : embassadors on the lordes behalfe , to intreat them that they would bee reconciled vnto god. these are gods labourers , and they are gods husbandry : these are gods builders , they are gods building . suffer mee a little to magnifie the office . by the labours of the minister , wee are begotten vnto the faith , brought frō darknes vnto light , from the power of sathan vnto god , stirred vnto repentaunce when wee haue sinned , exhorted vnto our duetie beeing slacke , reprooued when wee offend , confirmed beeing strong , strengthned beeing weake , comforted in heauines , humbled in prosperitie , instructed beeing ignorant , and in a word saued in the day of the lord : without them wee could neither know god nor our selues , eschew vice , or ensue vertue ; abandon errour , nor follow trueth ; shake off infidelity , or receiue the faith : to be short , neither auoyde hell , nor attaine heauen . wherefore , their worke & labour being so great vnto thēselues , and so profitable vnto vs , if others bee worthy of wages for their worke , they rather : of hire for their labour , much more they : of liberall recompence for their paines , they most of all ▪ of loue for their diligence , they of singular loue : of any honour for their indeuours , they of double honour , that labour in the word and doctrine . there must bee an equalitie ; they to receiue of our labours , as wee of theirs : and seeing they doo enrich vs in spiritual things , wee to keep them from pouertie & needines at least in temporal things , that so they may labour and euer bee ready and able to labour with ioy and not with griefe ; for that is as vnprofitable for vs as grieuous vnto them . if any take my words as of no moment , let him heare yet how the apostle himselfe , . corinth . . . speaketh in the same maner , saying : if wee haue sowen vnto you spiritual things , is it a great thing , dooth it seeme such a burthen to your shoulders , such a charge to your purses , if wee reape your carnall things ? for , is the exchange bad to receiue gold for copper , siluer for drosse , pearles for stones , celestial treasures & eternal , for worldly and temporary trash ? other men looke to reape more then they doo sow , ( for haruest naturally dooth exceed the seed time ) but wee are content to reape both worse and lesse then wee sow ; and shall it yet bee thought ouermuch ? yea , where other men sow in teares and reape in ioy , shall wee bee infor●ed to sow in ioy , and reape in teares ? or ( more rightly to speake ) both to sow and to reape in teares ? thow seest now ( christian reader ) a farther interest the minister hath vnto his maintenance . it is not only an inheritance and annuitie giuen & assigned him by god , and so due to him , because the lord hath passed it ouer vnto him by assignation ( as also wee shal hereafter see ) : but it is also due to him by the law and rule of equitie , because of his labour . hee deserues it at our hands , and earnes euery penny thereof dearely , before hee hath it : and therefore looke what right the seruant hath to his wages , the labourer to his hire , the very like , as great right and interest hath the minister to his maintenance , and whatsoeuer is his due . as his right is great , and the cause , why it ought to bee payd him , iust and equall : so is the fault great , and the course very vnequall , if it bee not performed . in the common opiniō euen of wordly men , hee is counted very vnreasonable , and of a bad conscience , that will keep away wages from a seruant , or not pay a workman and labourer his hire . iudge then , what reason or conscience is it , to keep backe the ministers maintenance which is his wages ? to deny or debarre him his due , which is his hire ? god dooth so exactly require the performance of that dutie toward hm that worketh in thy field , that in his law hee sets an houre by which it must be payd , leuit. . . the workemans hire shal not abide with thee vntil the morning . hee must bee payd ouernight , the very same day at euen that it is due . deut. . . moses addeth a reason why : least , ( saith hee ) hee crie against thee vnto the lord , and it bee sin vnto thee . and in malac. . . the lord laies an heauie curse , and threatens to be swift in iudgement against them that keep backe the hirelings wages . the lord beeing thus prouident for the good vsage of the poore labourer in thy barne or field ; lookes hee not for as good dealing , and as due payment vnto those that labour in his owne vineyard , and whom he hath sent foorth into his owne haruest ? or will he not as speedily and seuerely reuenge their cause , and right their wrongs , when they shall cry vnto him for the iniuries that are offered vnto them , and for the wrongs and oppressions they receiue and sustaine at the hands of such as keepe backe their hire , & pay not thē their wages , but deny them their iust & appoynted portions ? the bread of deceit ( saith salomon ) is sweete to a man : but afterward his mouth shal be filled with grauell . it is goods cleare gayned , & so much well saued some may thinke , that is gotten from the church , and kept from the minister : but if any proue the richer thereby at length , or such goods doe long prosper , i am much deceyued . for sure i am , that there is a god that iudgeth the earth . thus farre of the principall cause why , viz. in regard euen of desert , people ought to yeelde vnto their ministers due maintenance . besides which , the same wordes of this parcell of scripture in hand , viz. let him that is taught , and him that teacheth , may yeelde vs yet another reason or cause thereof : and that is , in regard , not of that they doe , but ( as i may say ) in regarde of that they doe not . i meane for that they doe not intermeddle , ( for so they should not ) in the trades , occupations and professions of other men : but as they are consecrated to god , do giue themselues wholly 〈◊〉 the ministerie and seruice of the church , & so do not by dealing in their trades , take from other men their liuings . in which respect , euen as that was one especiall reason , why the iewes payd tithes vnto their brethren the leuits , viz. for that they had none inheritance among them ; but that which should haue beene their part , went in common among the rest : so this ought to be one sufficiēt cause , why the ministers of the gospell should haue maintenance of and from others , because they entangle not themselues with the affaires of this life as doo others : which if they did and might doo , would happily bee more preiudice to others then their maintenance now comes too . for were they not called by god to this busines , and set a part for this worke of the gospel alone , they could set themselues , some to bee lawyers , some marchants , some husbandmen , some artificers , &c. which would greatly increase the number of them that bee of such professions , to the no little hindrance of such as liue thereby , and so dooing they might bee able to liue of themselues . but this seeing they doe not , beeing yet all seruants of one god , all members of the same common-wealth , all subiects to the same king , it is reason they bee releeued & prouided : for by some other way : least extreame necessitie cōpell them intruding vpon the trades , sciences & professions of other men , to doo that which otherwise they neither should nor would . chap. iii. being a more speciall explication of the hearers duety , before in generall sort onely set downe , it sheweth ; of what sorte of goods the minister must haue a parte . and what this word ( goods ) vsed in the text dooth signifie . text. make him partaker of all his goods . whereas i obserued in this verse , conteyning the precept , . things ( to bee specially obserued , viz. ) first the persons who must contribute ; secondly , the cause why ; and thirdly , the matter what : viz. a part of all his goods : i am now come to that point , to examine and discusse , what it is , that hee that is taught must doo for his teacher ; that is , make him partaker of all his goods . this is the point which is caput rei , the chiefe of all , as wherein lyes ( as they say ) the key of the worke , in respect whereof , all that i haue hitherto said , is but little . for that already past , consisteth wholly in generall points : but now follow such as are particular . in laying downe whereof , i know before , that i shal speake directly against some such courses as manie thinke to bee very good , and bring to light some things vnthought off in these daies . and therefore here specially i doo intreat thee ( curteous and christian reader ) to lay aside all passion and preiudicate opinion , and to read mee with such religious affection , and indifferent minde , as becommeth him that seeketh the truth , and preferreth the minde of god , before the maners of men . my meaning is not to offend any , but to satisfie all : not to contend about any thing , but to examine euery thing by the rule of righteousnes , trying out by the very touchstone of all truth ( gods vndefiled word ) what is gold , and what is copper : which cannot but bee as necessary for others to know , as for mee to vtter . let not man therefore receiue that with the left hand , which i deliuer with the right : for mine owne part , knowing this to bee a very necessary kinde of doctrine for these times ; as paul would not forbeare to set foorth the doctrine of the resurrection to the athenians , howsoeuer it were accepted : so neither i this . and i will hope still , that as paul so preaching , though some mocked , others doubted , and some dissented , yet some beleueed , and claue vnto paul : so i thus writing , though some regard it not , others wholly reiect it , yet some and those the better some and sort too , will both accept it , and put it vnto practize . but howsoeuer , veritas non quaerit angulos . trueth is not ashamed of the light , it seeke● no corners . and now leauing preambles , let vs come to the point . the matter , now to be considered off is , what hee that is taught must doo , viz. hee must make his teacher partaker with him of all his goods . in these words , . things specially doo offer themselues to our consideration . the first is , whereof hee is to let him haue a part . the second is , what part or how much thereof , hee must let him haue . for the first of these , the words are plaine . hee must haue a part of his goods , that is , of his goods in generall whatsoeuer they bee , and of all his goods , that is , of euery sort of his goods , some , of what kinde or sort soeuer they bee in speciall . what the apostle meaneth by goods , it is no hard thing for any man to cōceiue ; seeing all men know , that whatsoeuer it is that a man hath to liue by , & serues eyther ad victum , or ad cultum , to yeeld vs either meate for the belly , or clothing for the backe , are all of them bona , the goods of this world . if the apostle had sayd of all his lands , or of all his increase , or of all his fruites , or all his labors , some question and difficultie might haue beene made , what might be the sense ; but vsing no word that is any way ambiguous & subiect to equiuocation , but this word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 goods , which comprehends in all mens knowledge indefinitely ( as bona amongst the latins ) whatsoeuer a man liues by , there is no place left for any euasion or contention . if any difference at all bee , and that the apostles words should bee pressed more to one sort of goods then another , the vse of the word with vs , would permit it to bee vnderstand rather of moueable goods , of goods gotten by labour and art , as by trade and occupation , then of land and its increase . for in our english phrase we do commonly call those kinde of meanes to liue by goods , but the other lands . and accordingly when wee will expresse a mans whole estate , wee say in lands and goods : or put a difference betweene the different estates of men , wee say , one is worth thus much in lands , another thus much in goods : which maner of speech wee finde also vsed in scripture , as act. . . where it is sayd , that the godly conuerts sold their possessions and goods ; that is , all that euer they had , mooueable and vnmooueable , lands and other thinges whatsoeuer . so that vnlesse wee will vnderstand the word here vsed , to signifie , onely and specially , not lands but other goods , not riches , rising of inheritance & possessions , but such onely as are gotten by arte and labour , which indeed were absurd ; wee must take it as reason requires , and all interpreters doo consent , for all that a man hath , all sorts of goods and substance whatsoeuer . this sense standing for good , and going currant as needs it must ; this clause dooth plainely shewe , that such as liue by trades and sciences , by art and labour ( as the greatest number do in townes and cities ) are no lesse lyable to this dutie , and bound to contribute toward the maintenance of their ministers , then those that liue by husbandry & tillage , by the fruites and increase of the earth . many of that sort of men doo presume , that because they haue not lands & fields to yeeld them increase , therefore they ought to pay little or nothing . but , that therein they doo deceiue themselues , these words of our text doo make it as apparant as the light at noone daies . for if that whereby they doo liue , bee goods : if that which they get by their trades and occupations , sciences and industry , arte and labour , bee goods , as wel as that the husbandman getteth by his tillage and increase of the earth , ( and that is already so apparantly conuinced , that it cannot be denyed ) then is it cleare that the minister ought to haue a part with them thereof , aswell as with the husbandman in that he possesseth and liues by . as the minister makes no respect in executing of his ministerie , whether those he teacheth be husbandmen or merchants , tradesmen or artificers , but teacheth all , ministereth the word and sacraments to all indifferently ; so they are to make no difference betweene these and those goods , whether they be gotten by land or by sea , by trade or by tillage , by husbandry or by merchandize , by natures increase or arts industrie : but by that whereby they doe maintaine themselues and liue by , by that and those kind of goods , they must helpe to maintaine him too . that the apostle did speake it indifferently of the one sorte of goods aswell as of the other , and intended directly it should be a rule for the one sort of hearers aswel as for the other ; there needs no better proofe nor other argument , then the practise of this kind of doctrine in those times . for it is most certaine and easie to be conceiued , by any that hath neuer so small knowledge , and but superficiall vnderstanding in the scriptures , that christians in those daies were for the most part citizens and townesmen , tradesmen and artificers : and therefore they were the first and most speciall persons that were then to practize thus , and did aboue all others impart of their goods vnto their teachers . the historie , called the acts of the apostles , is full of examples of this sorte : which for breuities sake i leaue to the reader to be perused . . if we call to minde the principall cause and reason , already noted out of the text , why all sorts of men should giue of their goods to this vse , is it not the same to one sorte as well as to another ? if townesmen haue as great neede of teaching as they in the countrey or rather more ? if they can no more be without a minister then the other ? why should they not maintaine him aswell as the other ? . goe to the rule of equitie , which telles vs , that the labourer is worthie of his hire : and if by that rule , the townesman , or tradesman , be bound to pay him that worketh for him in his shop , his house , or other busines which cōcerns his body , no lesse then the husbandman is , and dooth and will giue as good wages for such causes as hee : why should hee not pay his minister likewise , that labours for his soule , and doth his best worke , as largely and bountifully as the husbandman dooth ? . looke vpon the necessity and state of the minister : and hath not hee that liues in the towne need of asmuch maintenāce as hee that liues in the country ? nay rather hath hee not need of much more ? for , needes not his study to be greater ? is not housekeeping , is not diet and apparell , more chargeable vnto him ? is there not greater cause of hospitalitie ? why then , where there is greatest need , should there bee meanest help ? and where is most vse of maintenance , there least bee yeelded ? . besides all this , consider wee whence all men haue their goods . is it not god , that same god , that giueth his blessing aswel vpō the labours of them that liue by trades , or handicrafts , as vpon the increase of the earth ? that maketh men to prospe● , whether it bee by sea or by land ? that giueth the townesman power to get riches , aswel as the countryman ? and then seeing it is euery mans duety that hath receiued ought at gods hand , to honour god therewith , and shewe himselfe thankfull to god , as to the authour & giuer of all things ; ought not the tradesman , the townesman , and citizen doo this aswel as the husbandman ? when salomon , prou. . . saith , honour the lord with thy riches : or as other translations read , with thy substance , and with the first fruites of all thine increase : dooth hee speake onely of goods that arise by increase of the earth ? or dooth hee not rather in the first clause speake generally of all goods whatsoeuer ? and in the latter particularly of such as arise by tillage ? read but the note in the margent , and consider . thus , by the manifest words of the text , the practise of the doctrine in the apostles time , the vse of the ministery , the rule of equitie , the state of the minister , and the authour from whom all haue their goods ; it appeares , that they that haue one sort of goods aswel as another , ought to pay of that they haue , to the minister for his maintenance . let men therefore learne to make more conscience of this matte ; , seeing wee plainely see , that as it is a very vnreasonable thing to looke that the minister should teach them , & labour in his ministery for them for nothing , beeing flatly against the rule of equitie : so it is also a wicked and vngodly thing ; beeing a manifest b●each of gods ordinance & commaundement , who hath ordeined & commaunded , that euerie one that is taught in the word , of those goods that hee hath whatsoeuer they bee , should giue a p●●t to him that dooth teach him , and so honour the lord with his substance . chap. iiii. sheweth , that the right and best maner of payment to the minister , is . that hee bee payd his parte of euery thing in specie , that is , in its proper kinde , as naturally god dooth send it , and not by a set stipend . text. partaker of all his goods . hauing now seene in generall whereof the minister must haue a parte , next wee are to note the same thing in special ; that is , in what sort it ought to bee payd vnto him . to which purpose it serueth well , that our apostle saith not only of his goods , but which is more , of all his goods ; that is of euery sorte of his goods some . hee must , as wee say in this case , bee payd in specie , in the very kind . otherwise , hee may haue a part of his goods ; but not of all his goods : as two pence at easter , a sheafe of corne at haruest , &c. is a part of a mans goods , but not of all his goods . but then thou giuest him a parte of all thy goods , when then payest him a parte of thy corne , thy hey , and thy cattell , thou hauing corne , hey , and cattel : a part of the fruits of thine orchard and garden , thou hauing orchard and garden : a parte of thy fish and of thy foule , if thou haue taken fish or foule : a parte of thy spoiles taken in warre , thou hauing gotten a bootie in warre : a parte of thy money gotten by thy trade or labour , thou hauing gained by thy trade and labour : in a word , a part of euery seuerall thing which thou doest liue by , and comes to thine hand as thy goods , his s●are is many therein aswel as thine owne , how sortes soeuer thow hast . thus the children of israel , gods owne people , dealt with the priests in their daies , as wee may read in diuers places of those auncient stories ; and namely , num. . where it is recorded , that the children of israel hauing gotten a great booty in ●arre , they payd out of it ( and that by the lords appointment ) the lords tribute vnto the leuits , both of the person● , women sl●●es ; and of the cattell , beeues , asses , and sheepe . yea of the very iewels they gaue also an offring , of euery sort some , as there they are reckoned vp , vers . . iewels of golde , bracelets , and chaines , rings , earings , and ornaments of the legs . the like haue wee . chro. . where it is reported thus ; the children of israel and of iuda brought vnto the house of god , for the priests and the leuits , bullocks & sheepe , corne , vvine , honie , and of all the increase of the field , and the tithes of all things , and laid them on manie heapes . nehem. . and . wee doo read how by the commaundement and encouragement of that good ruler nehemiah , the whole congregation of israel , beeing newly returned from the captiuity of babylon , doo enter couenant with the lord to doo the like . and that this practise continued euen in our sauiours time , and not without his approbation , wee may gather by his words concerning the pharisies , math. . . who ( as he testifieth ) tithed the ver●e 〈◊〉 & rue , annis and cu●●●in , and euery other hearbe . they payd not for the tithe of them ; but tithed thē , that is , payde the tithe thereof in its kind . and this saith our sauiour , they ought to haue done , whereunto accordeth that vain-glorious ostentation of the pharisee , luc. . . who saith , that hee paid tithe of all that euer hee did possesse . how much this course of paying the minister euery thing in his owne kinde pleaseth god , wee may easily coniecture by this , that hee allowed none other course amongst his owne people for his seruants the sonnes of leui , vnto whom notwithstanding they dwelt not as mynisters doo now , at home amongst the people in euery seueral city , towne or village , but were resident by themselues , either at the house of god , or in their owne cities , hee appointed by expresse law , at their owne charge , as farre as i can gather ( which was no smal trauaile and expense ) to bring home to them all their dueties , as your may read , deut. . . vvhen there shall bee a place which the lord your god shall choose to cause his name to dwell there , thither shall you bring all that i commaund you ; that is , your burnt offerings and your sacrifices , your tithes , and the offerings of your hands , & all your speciall vowes whi●● yee vow vnto the lord. besides that , whereas there were of the seed of leui two sortes , priestes & leuits , the tenth of all things beeing payd vnto the leuits in kinde , they ( the leuits ) were bound by expresse law likewise , to pay vnto the priests the tenth of that tenth in his kinde also ; as appeareth , numb . . . and nehem. . . neither it is vnlikely , but that that which commeth from god vnto vs , by the natural course of his prouidēce , which we know to be most innocent and pure , is ( beeing returned vnto him ) therefore best accepted , because least spotted with the staine of vnlawfull or indirect procurement . and as this course best of all other pleased god , so hath it likewise most liked the church of god , and the christian gouernors of the church ( as imitators of god ) in all ages since : as may and dooth manifestly appeare by the practise of all christendome , for many hundred yeares together , & by sundry lawes and constitutions both spirituall and temporall , ciuill and cannon ; which here to recite were but superfluous . i may adde further , that not onely the iewes in time of the lawe , and christians in time of the gospell , haue approoued this course , but that likewise it was in practise through the very instinct of nature , & light of reason , euen before the law in time of nature , and where the law reigned not in its time , amongst the very heathen . for , to speake nothing of the offerings of cain and abel , genes . . ( because therein is no mention made of any priest , though it bee probable , that they were not offered vp vnto the lord without a priest ; who , seruing at the altar , by the very law of nature was to participate with the altar ) who offered according to their seuerall professions of life , of such things as they had ; that is , cain of the fruits of the ground , and abel the first borne and fatte of his sheep . wee haue , gen. . a plaine instance for it in abraham : who ( hauing obteined a great victory against his enemies ) is there expressely reported to haue giuen vnto melchizedec , priest of the high god , a certaine part of all ; that is , as some vnderstand it , of all the goods he had whatsoeuer , or of all , that is as others expound it , and the text of scripture , heb. . . seemes to cōfirme , of all the spoiles & prey that hee had taken in the warre , of euery sort some . and the like in iacob , gen. . who there voweth ( which no doubt hee , most religiously , after performed , gen. . . ) to giue vnto god of all ( that is , of euery kinde of thing according to his kinde ) that god should giue vnto him , a certaine part . and touching the heathen , plinie , an historiographer of no smal account and credit , reporteth of the romanes , that they vsed not to spend their wines or new fruites , till the priestes had receiued a part thereof . and of the sabeans & aethiopians , people of the east , that of those spices which those countries yeelded in great plenty & varietie , the custome was , that the merchants might not meddle with any , till the priests had laid out of euery sort vnto their gods , their accustomed portions . and of diuers other nations , festus another story-writer , dooth giue this generall testimony ; the people of auncient times vsed to offer of euerie thing a part vnto their gods. so that before the law , vnder the law , and since the law , amongst heathens , iewes and christians , the auncient and common , and so the best and most approued practise hath beene , to pay to the priestes and ministers of the church , gods part in kind . neither is it without great and apparant reason that thus it should bee . for if wee consider of it , wee shall finde that it is euery way the best , most equall , and indifferent course that can bee . first , it dooth after a sorte correspond vnto that the teacher dooth ; while , like as the minister of god dooth impart vnto his hearer in spiritual things all the counsell of god , and deliuers vnto him euery principle of religion , instructs him in all seuerall duties , and increaseth him in all kinde of christian knowledge , hiding and keeping backe nothing from him , that god hath appointed him to teach , and behooues the other to learne ; as notably our apostle dooth for himselfe protest , act. . : so the hearer againe for his parte , by a kinde of retribution , dooth render vnto his teacher in tēporall things , a parte of all that hee hath , some of euery sorte of goods that god hath blest him withall , hiding and keeping backe from him no kinde of thing , that is once his owne . . it is the truest and iustest kind of payment that can bee . for , so the minister may haue his ful due , without diminution or alteration : which how much god respecteth , may appeare by . speciall places in his law . the first is , leuit. . . where it is sayd , of that which was the lords parte , hee that was to pay it , should not looke whether it were good or bad , neither shall hee chaunge it . see , god would haue it as it did rise ; else if he did chaunge it , both it & that it was chaunged for , was holie to the lord , and might not be redeemed . the other place is , deut. . . where the people paying their tithes are inioyned to doo it in maner vpon their oathe , with very solemne protestation before the lord. the summe whereof is this ; vvhen thou hast made an end of tithing , then thou shalt saye before the lord thy god , i haue brought the hallowed thing out of mine house , and also haue giuen it to the leuit according to thy commaundement . i haue not eaten thereof in my mourning , that is for any necessitie whatsoeuer , nor suffered ought to perish through anie vncleannes ; by putting it to any prophane vse ; but haue hearkened to the voice of the lord my god , and doone after all that thou hast commaunded mee . that is , i haue payd euery thing iustly , as in thy law i am appointed . looke downe therefore from thine holie habitation , euen from heauen , & blesse , &c. as who would say , hee desired to be blessed and prospered in all that hee had , none otherwise , but according as hee had dealt truely and iustly with god and his ministers in that point : and acknowledged as was iust , and dooth no doubt come still to passe , that there were no hope to prosper well , if hee should defraud god and his seruants of their sacred and appointed portions . . it is the speediest course whereby the minister may receiue his due , sooner then else hee possibly can or should . for , payd in kind ; assoone as it can bee seuered from the rest of that kinde , it may bee payd : which cannot so speedily alwaies bee done , if the owner bee permitted to conuert it first into mony . and this also was a point specially prouided for , in the law of god ; as appeareth , * exod. . . where it is sayde : thine abundance , and thy licour shalt thou not keepe backe : that is , thou shalt not defer the payment of them to the priest ; for that is meant by keping backe , as interpreters doo agree , the olde interpreter expressing it thus ; non ●●rdabis offerre . thou shalt not linger or foreslow to offer it . and another ( tremell ▪ ) thus ; ne differto dare , deferre not , that is , put not off the payment of it from time to time , but doo it out of hand , so soone as it is payable . and indeed if it bee an offence to god , to keep backe the wages of the ●ireling , that worketh for thee about thine owne busines , and not to pay him assoone as it is due , as wee are taught deut. . . & otherwhere ; shall we thinke that hee wil be pleased , if his workman that labours for vs in his haruest bee payd when it pleaseth vs , at our leisure once in a yeare , happely in . yeare , and not so soone as any parte of his maintenance falleth out to bee due vnto him ? . it is the most necessary course that can bee . for the minister beeing to keepe house , and hospitality too , ( for that is required at his hands , . tim. . . and they must doo it that haue wherewith ) hee shal bee the better enabled , yea , and the more occasioned thereunto , receiuing euery thing in kind , and so hauing prouision of one thing or other alwaies at hand . and this is a point so necessary to bee considered of in these daies , wherein charity is growne colde , houskeeping let downe , and hospitality in maner banisht both out of churchmens and laymens houses ; that if by this meanes , viz. by paying the minister his due in kinde it might any whit bee reuoked , and restored ; that onely good thereof were cause enough why it should with all care bee performed : that so , in so holy and necessary a good worke , men , specially they that should bee men of example to others , might not bee any way hindred and discouraged , but furthered therein to the vttermost . . it is the most certaine and stable course that can bee , as which is least subiect to alteration : because howsoeuer the prices of things dooe rise or fal , and daily change , yet the things themselues change not . and therefore nature , which commonly is one , must needs bee the most indifferent and permanent standart betweenes god & man , the minister and his people , that can bee . god seemed to haue respect herevnto , num. . . when commanding the leuits to pay the tenth of their tithes to the priests in kinde , he sayth , that so dooing it should bee reckoned vnto them as the corne of the b●rne , or as the abundance of the wine-presse : that is , it should bee accounted , as if it had beene growne vpon their owne ground : by meanes whereof the priests with them , and they with the people , should still from time to time receiue more or losle , as god gaue the increase , which obserued still , must needes bee the most equal and certaine course howsoeuer the world goe . for so , the minister , as god blesseth the people , shall bee partaker of the blessing ; and if they suffer losse , hee likewise shall beare ( as is fitte ) the burthen equally with them . thus by all hitherto sayd , that is , by the practise of all ages , the law of god for his owne people , and by manifest and manifolde reasons , it may appeare , that the right and best course for payement of the minister is , to paye him in specie , a parte of euery sort of a mans goods , as it dooth arise in his kinde . some doo make a question , whether it were better that ministers generallie were payd their maintenance by the things in kinde , as commonly they are , or as in some fewe places , by set stipend ? such a question is sufficiently aunswered by that already sayd . i deny not , but that in cases extraordinary , and in some places , a stipend may prooue more conuenient : but generally and ordinarilie ( for that is the question ) to turne all into stipends , must needes bee generallie and absolutely the worst course . as for that that may bee obiected , touching the toile and labour that the minister must haue to receiue his things in kinde , by meanes whereof ( they will say ) hee is faine to worke and labour , specially at haruest time , otherwise then befitteth his calling : i say first , that alwaies needeth not ; for , hauing family and keeping house , hee may haue those to labour for him , which can performe such things better and fitter then himselfe ; and hee needs not , except it bee for pleasure or recreations sake , put one finger to that burthen . secondly , in smaller parishes where the profits of the place are so slender , that hee is inforced to take more paines then others need or doo , the matter is not so great , but that it may without offence bee tolerated ; nor so tedious , but that it may soone bee dispatcht . and it were very hard there , that others should doo it for him , and not hee or his : because it is not probable , but that hauing already very little to liue by , hee should by that meanes haue lesse ; for , his gatherer or pay-maister would looke to haue ashare with him for his paines . and that is the marke i thinke ( and it behooues the cleargie to consider of it ) that many doo shoot at , that would haue ministers brought to stipends , that so their lay-farmers , or pay-maisters , might get yet more of the ministers profits into their hands , whereof they haue already too much . . againe , wheras others may obiect against the receiuing of things in kinde , that it breeds much trouble , wrangling & contention betweene the minister and his parishioners , the like may bee more iustly feared , in the leuying , imposing , collecting , demanding and paying of stipends . . lastly , whereas the corruption of patrons and others , that haue interest in the bestowing of liuings vpō cleargie men , is at this day exceeding great , and doth not a little daily impouerish the ministerie , and spoile our churches : by stipends , that pest would nothing bee stayd , but rather increased . for whereas now the minister receiuing all things in kinde , whatsoeuer the patron or others receiue of the minister , directly , or indirectly , must bee in secret , knowne to god , and them alone ; because the patrone cannot take away any part of the gleeb or tithes , but that the worlde also will see & know it : then , hauing all in his hands , and being to pay onely a stipend , it is easie to gather how easily hee might finde the meanes to share what part thereof hee lusted , with the minister of the place ; and yet vnlesse it bee by the poore mans threed-bare coate , or thin cheekes , the matter neuer bee espied . all which things considered , i am so farre from liking that stipendary maintenance , that i wish rather the number of stypends in our church might not bee increased but diminished , and ( if it were possible ) wholly taken away . i meane specially , that whereas there bee diuers church-liuings in our land , ●eazed into lay-mens hands , on which onely a set stipend of ten pounds or there about is reserued for the curat of the place , that that course might bee vtterly cut off ; and in steed of that stipend , such a competent parte of the gleeb , tithes , and other profits of the place beeing allotted for a perpetuall vicar , as might bee fit and able in some tollerable sort to maintaine a sufficient teacher there . that my motion is very godly , iust and necessary , i doubt not but that all indifferent men will easily graunt . but it will perhaps seeme a matter hard to bee effected . i graunt , that to enforce any to surrender the whole , because it is their proper inheritance , were summum ius : but yet i cannot bee perswaded , but that if power perswasiue bee all in vayne , that power coactiue may with great equity , reason , and piety too , bee vsed , to inforce such to surrender so much of that they possesse , as may in lieu of that beggerly stipend , bee a competent maintenance for one , that is , though not excellently ( as the whole would haue bene ) yet competently learned , and able in some measure to discharge the duetie of a pastor to the people . this were not to straine the law , but to put in execution the very true sense and meaning thereof , which by ouer-strict obseruing of the letter , is abused . for it is out of all question , that when such stipends were allotted , it was intended , that the churches should still be prouided for , of able ministers , & then thought ( the condition of ministers , who were then all singlemen ; the s●ate of these times , wherein all things to liue by , were foure times at least better cheap then now they are ; the disposition of people in their voluntary offerings beeing much more liberall then now it is , &c. beeing considered ) that ten pound a yeare or thereabout was a sufficient and schollerlike maintenance . but that things beeing so much altered as now they are , the pay it selfe should stand without alreration , is an open & certai●e peruerting of the mind and sense of the law. and therefore no breach of law , no wrong to the possessour , no contrarietie to reason ; if men will not of their own accord , vpon very consciēce of what is necessary , doo that is fit , that they bee ouer-ruled and enforced thereunto . and i speake herein no more then what our sauiour did in another case , math. . against such of his time as ouerstrictly stood vpō the very letter of the law of the sabboth , telling them that the sabboth was made for man , & not man for the sabboth ; and therefore it were not an obseruation but an abuse of the law , to let a man perish on the sabboth for want of present help . and is it not worse in this case , when through ouerstrict straining of words that had a meaning good enough , many soules are suffered daily to perish , many ministers of the word are dishonoured , the sabboth from time to time prophaned , and god made offended ? no more then what the lawes themselues doo affirme . for in the ciuil law , cod. lib ▪ . tit. . deleg . & conf . . thus wee read : non dubium est in legem committere ●um &c. that is , there is no doubt but that hee offends against the law , which retayning the words of the law , dooth contrary to the meaning thereof . neither shall hee auoid the penalties set downe in the lawes , who contrary to the minde of the law , dooth , by a strict prerogatiue of the words , fraudulently , excuse himselfe . no more then what is practised diuers wayes in other things . there bee auncient statutes concerning the wages of seruants , labourers , &c. agreeable no doubt to those times ; but will any reasonable body affirme , that it were fit , they should bee vrged now ? and haue not the rates therein set downe , iustly vpon due consideration beene made alterable by later statutes , as of an. . eliz. cap. ? what the common pay of schoole-maisters , where no schoole was founded , was wont to bee , few but can tell . but hath not common reason preuailed there against so farre , that now a dayes there is scarce any that wil either accept or offer it ? if very conscience & reason can see it requisite to alter the pay for other men , what lets it should not for the minister too ; vnlesse it bee that of all other wee respect them least ? lastly , nor doo i mooue other then that which long since was by law intended & attempted to bee donc : as may appeare in the abridgement of statutes in the title appropriations , by these words ; because that much hurt hath come to parishes by appropriation of benefices , &c. bee it enacted , &c. that hence foorth in euery church so appropriated , a secular person bee ordeined vicar perpetuall , canonically instituted and inducted in the same , & couenably endowed by the discretiō of the ordinary to doo diuine seruice , and to informe the people , and to keep hospitality there , &c. and that the said statute , viz. ( a statute of an. . ric. . cap. . ) shuld be kept & put in execution , & all appropriations made since the statute cōtrary thereunto , to be reformed before a certain time , or else to be voyd . an. . henr. . cap. . where wee may note , that euen then in time of grossest poperie and greatest blindnes , the appropriations of benefices was accounted ( as indeed it is ) a great hurt and not a benefite to the people ; so necessarie to be reformed and restrained ) what might be , that the estates of the land feared not to oppose themselues against the pope , the onely cause and cocatrice of those euills : and thought the same not to bee in any measure sufficiently reformed , vnlesse there were a perpetuall vicar there endowed , and that so conuenably that hee might bee able to read● diuine seruice , . to preach , and also . to keepe hospitalitie : neither of which , much lesse all , is it possible for him well to doo that hath but such a stipend as wee speake of , or such vicarage as many at this daie are in the land . thus it is manifest , that it is a thing but iust and reasonable , that there should in such cases an alteration be made . . that it were best to bee doone by things in kinde , is also as apparant . by which meanes ( a thing that ought not little to bee respected ) the minister ( each seueral church beeing endowed ) should not liue in that seruilitie vnto lay-men , as now a daies many doo to their pay-maisters : nor should so many bad and vnworthy men as there are , & ( things standing as yet they doo ) needs must bee , bee thrust into the ministery ; such places , beeing now capable of none but such as bee most vnworthy and vnlearned , would then ( as others are ) bee able to entertaine such , as for learning and other gifts required in a minister , were worthy maintenance . chap. v. that toward the ministers maintenance euery man ought to contribute proportionabely , and not voluntarily , onely what euery man will , that is tollerable onely in som● cases . but generally or ordinarily it is a course very euill and per●itious . yet how it might be somewhat tollerable is noted . text. make him partaker of all his goods . hauing in the former chapters spoken of the qualitie of the things whereof the minister is to haue part , wee are now to consider of the quantitie , and examine out how much , or how great a part of euery mans goods hee ought to haue ; the hardest indeed , but the chiefest and most necessary point of all the rest . on which , if i dwell somewhat longer then in the other i haue done , i trust the curteous reader , considering how necessary and how difficult a point it is , will easily beare with my prolixitie . this that wee way finde out , a two fold quantity must be considered of ; that is , how much in proportion , & how much in number , &c. for the former , the very words of our apostle doo at least intimate vnto vs , that there must a certaine proportion bee obserued by them that giue of their goods to their teacher . for , requiring euery man to giue a part of all his goods , hee shewes plainely enough , that men must giue profacultatū ratione , according to their ability , and the quantity of the goods they haue , some more , some lesse . not euery one like much , arithmetically : but euery man alike geometrically ; that is , proportionable , ratably . as men doo differ in ability and wealth , one hauing more , another lesse : as god hath and dooth blesse men , some with one or two sortes of goods , some with diuers and sundry sorts : so they must blesse god againe by imparting to their minister , a part of their few or many sortes ; so that of all , and of each sort of goods , euery man may returne a part . this accordeth well with the course which god appointed vnto his owne people the iewes , for maintenance of their priests and leuits then . their principall maintenance was a tenth part of all things . now , who knows not , that where a certaine equall part , as the tenth , twentieth , or xxx . part is allotted , there must needs bee a most equall and exact proportion among all ; one paying no more then another dooth according to his abilitie . . they had a law , that three times a yeare , all their males should appeare before the lord ; & none must appeare emptie , but euery one must bring somewhat , of his owne voluntary goodwill ; yet with this prouiso , deut. . . euery man shall giue according to the gift of his hand , and according to the blessing of the lord thy god which hee hath giuen thee : that is , according to his estate and abilitie . . and in their ordinary offerings , for cleansings , for attonements , &c. the richer sorte were appointed their offerings of greater worth , as a bulbocke , a ●am , a goat ; the meaner sorte a lambe , a payre of turtle doues , or two young pigeons . so as , a proportion according to the ability of the persons was still obserued ▪ and this course so liked all wisemen of former ages , that they resolued none fitter then it for the maintenance of the ministers of the gospel . as if wee doo but looke vpon the maner thereof , obserued for the most part , all christendome ouer , for many hundred yeares past , viz. that a certaine parte of euery thing bee payd to that vse , may euidently appeare . that thus it should bee , wee may reason and gather , first , from the rule of equity : which requireth , that euery one bee dealt with indifferently and equally . now as in other payments of rents , of customes , of subsidies , and the like taxations to lord and king , to this and that vse , all men will graunt , that there is no indifferency vsed , if men bee not rated and taxed according to their seuerall estates , as their abilities are , in regard of others that are rated aswel as they : so neither in this . then onely is the matter caried with equalitie , when that rule which the apostle prescribed in another case is obserued also in this ; that is , that some bee not burthened , that others may bee eased ; but vpon like condition , that there may bee an equalitie . . cor. . . from the vse of the ministery , which is one & the same to all . euery seuerall person , euery seuerall familie hath like interest in the labours of the minister ; & as free , and as full and large vse thereof to all intents , one as another . it is reason therefore , that they contribute toward the maintenance of the same , one asmuch , and as farfoorth as another : this they onely doo which giue equall with others , not in summe , but in proportion . for , a little to a poore & meane man , is asmuch after the rate , as . or . times so much vnto a richer man , whose estate dooth by like degrees exceed the other . . from the honour and duety , that all doo owe to god. for seeing it is god ( as i haue before obserued ) that giueth to euery man the goods hee hath , bee they more or lesse : why should not euery one according as hee hath receiued , honour god with those his goods , expresse and declare foorth his thankfulnes , as liberally , and as largely for the rate , one as another ? it is true , that god respecteth not the gift , but the giuer ; and lookes not so much to the value of the offering , as to the heart & dispositiō of the offerer : & therefore did more accept the widowes mite , then the great offerings , and rich gifts of the wealthier sort . but yet i doo not beleeue , that hee would aswel haue accepted a mite , a peece , from the rich mens hands , as from the poore wydowes : or that a rich man by a poore mite or . may ordinarily expresse a rich affection to god , aswel as by offering some greater portion ; specially in such a case as this , where men are taught and tolde before-hand , that euery man must bring not absolutely what pleaseth himselfe , how much , or how little hee lusteth , but according to the blessing of god vppon him : that is , according to his estate and ability : which euen children know , hee dooth not , that hauing very much bringeth very little , and possessing many things , giueth part but of a few . . by this meanes , euery man is made q. d. to see with his bodilie eyes , and feele with his very fingers the truth of that maxime , there is no respect of persons with god ; while as all are taught , accustomed and inured to giue of that they haue alike to the honour of god the authour , and to the maintenance of the gospel and ministery thereof , the meanes of their saluation : and so doo finde and see by daily experience , that god accepteth of euery man according to that hee hath , and not according to that hee hath not , so it bee giuen with a chearefull eye ; and expecteth to be honoured of euery man accordingly . . if this course of proportion bee not obserued , much iniurie and dammage must needs bee doone vnto the minister : and great cause of scandall and discontent bee ministred vnto the people . . to the minister it cannot but bee much iniurie and dammage ; if some paying him in good sorte , others , as well able as those , winde out themselues for little or nothing . . offence and discontent must needes arise among the people , if some shal perceiue themselues to be farther charged then others . for who is , or wil be content to bee rated to any payment more then the rest of his neighbours of like state and worth ? and bee pleased to beare a great charge of any busines , and that continually from time to time , from yeare to yeare ; others aswell or better able , going either altogether free , or alwaies farre lesse charged then hee ? concerning the former sorte of quantitie , that is , touching proportion , let this hitherto sayd suffice : which how duely it is alwaies and eachwhere obserued , i leaue to the diligent reader with himselfe to consider . let vs now proceed to see and enquire of the other kinde of quantitie , that is , how much in number , &c. the minister must haue . touching which point there bee sundry opinions . some of them bee but of the vulgar sorte , some againe are the opinions of the learned . those of the vulgar sorte i could very willingly passe ouer in silence , and let them dye with their authours ; were it not partly , that such as bee wise in their owne conceits , would thinke happily what is not directly aunswered , cannot : partly , for that the practise thereof is at this day pernitious to the church , and preiudiciall to the ministery thereof : and therefore as an euill plant which our heauenlie father hath not planted , needs to bee pluckt vp by the rootes . of vulgar opinions i will at this time touch but one , which is this : that the minister is to haue no certaintie , but euerie mans good will , euen what they , as their affection leads them , will voluntarily contribute . this opinion reignes commonly among townesmen and tradesmen ; who hauing not lands , to yeeld tithes of the increase of the earth , will needs persuade thēselues , that of their other goods it is at their owne choise , whether they will giue him ought or nought . this i call a vulgar opinion , because i doo not know that euer any man of learning or knowledge , eyther diuine or other , did hold the very same . this may bee a course good enough and tollerable in cases extraordinary : as first in time of trouble & persecution , in which if by vsurpation and violence of tyrants , the church cannot maintaine her ministers as it should , it must doo it as it may . . where such as properly belōg to one parish , doo either soiourne for a time in another , or els for their ease or other like occasions often resort vnto another . these as they doo by an extraordinary , and but a voluntary maner , take benefit of the labours of a minister , so may they in a like sorte ( prouided alwaies it bee doone without preiudice of their owne pastour ) yeeld him a benefit of their labours and goods . so for chappels of ease , &c. in the like nature doo i reckon the practise of many people at this day ; who beeing through the corruption of patrones , or other iniquity of the time , destitute of fit and able teachers , doo better prouide for themselues by some extraordinary ( but yet certaine ) stipend , raised among them by a voluntarie contribution . which course , as i cannot , where it is sincerely handled , but highly commend , & praise god for the readinesse of heart , which thereby many doo shewe vnto the furtherance of the gospel : so in it , i cannot but admonish such as bee godlily , and zealously affected , that they take heed they doo not deceiue themselues , by deteyning from their owne pastors , that which properly and by all lawes is their right , to confer it on others ; & so disable their owne pastors from dooing that which others performe ; feed others with their bread , they the while enforced to gather vp the crums : and wrong themselues , thinking they deale exceeding godly and religiously , when indeed it is ( many times ) scarce iustly ; and looke for praise , where they are scarce free from blame . in such cases ( i say ) as these are , the course afore mentioned may be tollerable : but that this is not a fit course ordinarily ( the thing wherevpon i stand ) and for continuance any where to bee practised , nor it that god prescribeth , which wee s●eke after ; i shall , i doubt not , make it appeare by many arguments . first of all , there is no such thing taught vs in the word of god : wee are i say , no where in the scripture taught , that euery man should giue to the maintenance of his minister , but what hee will , asmuch or as little as pleaseth himselfe . this is the way to mainteine & reliue the poore of the parish , & not the pastour . concerning the poore , saith our apostle . . cor. . . as euery man is disposed in his heart , so let him giue . but concerning the minister , neither s. paul , nor any apostle else so speaketh . they alwaies vse such phrases of speech , as import not a beneuolence but a dutie ; not an vncertaine almes , but a certaine reward : as in our text , hee must bee made partaker , that is , haue a part of all a mans goods ; a maner of speech neuer vsed concerning the poore . so , . cor. . who gooes a warfare at anie time of his owne cost ? &c. whence wee may gather , that as the souldier knowes his paye , the sheep-heard his wages , &c. and depends not on a meere vncerteintie : so must the minister . for , to releiue the poore is a worke of charitie ; but to maintaine the minister is a worke of iustice , & duety : the one must begge ; the other demaund : the the one craueth ; the other challengeth : th' one hath it by fauour & of pitty ; th' other by right , and of desert . if any wil obiect the times of the apostles & primitiue church ; my aunswere is , there was no such practise then . they did not maintain their ministers then as it were by almes : but as we read , act. . and . they that had lands & goods sold them , and laid downe the price at the apostles feet : and so distribution was made ; by whom ? by the apostles themselues , act. . . & . . and afterward by the deacons , act. . to whom ? to euery man , hearer aswel as teacher . in what sorte or measure ? as euery man had need , and was fit and sufficient for him . were ministers tyed to mens good wills here ? when as they were the treasurers for the whole church ? had all at their owne disposition ? and had like part as any other had ? let it bee graunted that then it was so ▪ dooth it follow it must bee so now ? there is a difference i take it , twixt a church vnder persecution , and a church in peace ; a time of trouble , and a time of rest : as also betwixt a church planting , and a church planted . in time of persecution , as then , men must doo as they may , and not as they would : and take if their right cannot safely bee had , insteed thereof , what the time will affoord . and yet that no more proueth or maketh such dooing to bee a lawe for vs that liue in better daies , then dauids eating of the shewbread in a time of need dooth argue , that any man might haue doone the like at any time as well as hee : or s. paules working with his owne hands while hee preached at corinth & ephesus , that all ministers must follow some occupation , & liue of themselues , not taking of the people any thing either of duetie or beneuolence . . the affections and mindes of people bee not such toward their ministers of the church as in those times they were . then they thought nothing too much that was giuen to such vses . churches had their common treasuries , & euery man striued , who might exceed others in enriching the churches , in augmēting the treasure thereof : so that ( as before i haue noted ) moses was forced , exod. . to make proclamation , that none should bring any more stuffe for the worke of the tabernacle . so there was rather cause to restraine the people , and to disswade them from giuing so much , then either to complaine of them ( as now ) for giuing too little , or vrge & compell them to giue more . but now quite contrary , many thinke all too much that the minister hath : & diuers striue to pull from thē vijs & modis , what they can , as if they accounted those the sweetest morsels that are pluckt out of his mouth , and those goods best gotten , that are wrung from the church . and therefore if the liberall disposition that was in people then , did mooue the ministers of the church to rest satisfied with the voluntary oblations of the people , for they were abundantly enough : yet now , as the vncharitable & pittiles affection of many toward the poore in these daies , hath inforced the rulers of our land to draw the wealthier sort to a rate , & cōp●ll them to giue , not what euery man will ( though indeed all almes should be voluntary ) but what is meet & necessary : so , and more then so , because this i speake of , hath greater warrant , the illiberalitie of the people to the ministers , their vnconscionable dealing toward them for their labours , dooth require , that a certaintie should bee appointed for them . . the maner of oblations & voluntary contributions then , was farre other then now it is with vs. for as the auncient fathers that liued neerest vnto the times of the apostles doo report , it was the custome of christians then , both men and women , somewhere euerie sunday , & somewhere menstrua die , euery month ( sunday ) to make oblation . by which often dooing thereof , though they offered neuer so little at once , but ( as one of them calls it ) modicam scipem , a smal beneuolence , it could not bee but that it must rise in the whole yeare , to some reasonable quantitie ; for as the old saying is , marie a little make a great . the custome of our church once was , to offer . times a yeare at least : but that is now come , through a worse custome , to once a yeare , at easier onelie ; & then how little it is , it is a thing lamentable , and almost incredible to relate : as little & lesse happely , as in aunciēt times , they did offer at once , that offered euery month , or euery sunday . so that the times , the disposition of people , the maner of offering being so much altered as they are , it is no reason that that course should bee pressed vpon the minister now , which was in practise then . the cases and causes are nothing like . secondly , it is against the rule of equitie . equitie requires , that as hee that paies , knowes what worke to receiue for his pay , so hee that worketh should know what to receiue for his labour . that is , as the parishioner doth know certainly what hee is to require at the ministers hand , as that hee preach thus often at least , minister the sacraments , read diuine seruice , in this and that sort , &c. so the minister should know as certainly what hee is to demaund and haue of his parishioner in recompence of his labours : & not hee to bee tied to conditions for his dutie , & stand at curtesie for his maintenāce : they allowed to commaund him for that hee is to doo , & hee inforced to intreat for that he is to haue . thirdly , it is contrary to the practise of all times . before the lawe , genes . . wee doo read of the egyptian priests , that they had their lands certaine & reserued vnto them to liue vpō : & ( oh that heathens should bee more righteous then christians ) besides that in time of famine , they had an ordinarie of pharaoh ; ver . . and before that , wee doo read , cap. . of the same booke , that abrah . payd to melch. priest of the high god ( and in him is expressed to vs no doubt the common practise of all the godly of those times ) hee payd i say , not what he lusted at aduenture , but thus much ; a certaine portion of all that hee had . in time of the law , the priests sonnes and seed of leui stood not to mens curtesies , but had their tithes certaine ; and knew their parts of euery kinde of offering , that came to the altar . and in time of the gospell , howsoeuer some particulars haue failed ; the general practise in all ages , nations & countries whatsoeuer , hath been , and is , that the minister should know ( for the principal part of his maintenance ) what to demaund , and the people what to pay . the same course holds currant in all trades , sciences & professions else . goe into all courts of iudgement , haue not euery one their knowne and seuerall fees ? goe into the city , haue not all officers their certaine salaries ? goe out into the field , hath not euery captaine , lieutenant , sergeant , soldiour , &c. his knowen pay ? goe into the country , hath not euery labourer his ordinary wages ? come home into thine owne house , will thy seruant trust to thy curtesy for his seruice ? will any workman worke with thee , either by the day or at taske , without agreement what to haue ? and is it not a straunge thing , that should bee thought to bee a course fit and good enough for the minister , which is good for no bodie else ? and hee bee inforced to that kinde of dealing , which all others disclaime and vtterly refuse ? plutarch , a worthie historiographer , writes of licurgus , that famous lacedemonian lawmaker , that beeing aduised by one , to plant in the citie democracie , that is , popular gouernement in steed of aristocracie , that is , the gouernement of the chiefe men ; hee made only this answere : begin ( saith hee ) that , thy selfe ; plant thou first a democratie in thine owne house . his meaning was , that kind of gouernement would neuer prooue good in a common-wealth , that was so bad , that no man would endure or admit it into his owne house . the like answere and no more i might haue shapen to this obiection : let them that thinke it good for the minister to stand at mens curtesies , practise it in their owne houses a while , and bring vs word after a while how it frameth : the wiser sort would thereby haue cōceiued enough . but hauing to doo with the vulgar sort , ( for it is their opinion that i am in hand with ) let wise men beare with me , though i bestowe more wordes then one or two , to stop the mouthes of a multitude . in euery thing how good or euill it is , is commonly perceiued by the effectes thereof : it is not a good tree that bringeth foorth bad fruite . if wee goe this way to worke , what good comes there , of this course ? of this i meane , that the minister should stand to euery mans curtesie ? & take ( as they tearme it ) their good wills , as if he were their al●●esman ? for mine owne part , i can see none : what others can shewe , i long to see or heare . indeed , as in building of the tabernacle in the wildernes in the daies of moses , the people there beeing left for that once , to doo euery man what he would according to the willingnes of his heart ; they performed it in such sorte as testified the exceeding loue and zeale they had to the seruice and house of god : so people cōtinuing the like course for the maintenance of the ministerie & house of god in these daies , this good might come of it , they might thereby take occasion to shew their great loue and zeale to the house of god , to the ministerie and ministers thereof , by offering and giuing thereto of their owne accord , without law or compulsion , as much and as plentifully as others doo ( & happely against their wills ) by force and constraint of lawe . but it experience may speake her knowledge in this matter ; if by mens dealings in this case , by that many doo giue , and would of their owne accord but giue , to this so holy , so good , and so necessary a vse , in such places where they stand vpon it , that they neither ought , nor will doo otherwise , a man shall iudge of their loue , to god & his ministers , of their zeale to his church and the gospell ; surely we must iudge it to be very colde and small ▪ very backward and bad . now as there comes no good of this course for ought that i can see : so on the contrary side , i know it and see too often that much euil and hurt comes of it . as first , it disables the minister vtterly to doo his duetie . for wanting , as that way hee cannot but doo , all necessaries both for his life and his study , how can hee possibly be able , either to study that hee may preach , or preach when hee hath studied ? . it is the ready way to discourage him from dooing his duety , to make him timerous and fearefull in reproouing of sinne and wickednes ; as knowing before hand , that liuing vpon the courtesie and good will of his hearers , if hee but once crosse them ( as they tearme it ) that is , but once touch the sinne , that such and such do liue in , they will be euen with him for it . displease any in word or deed , and of them ye get nothing . . it is the ready way to induce the minister of god to flatter and soothe the richer sort , in hope of the greater reward and better beneuolence at their hands , both which vices ( flatterie and fearefulnes ) how pernitious they be in a minister , who of all other men shuld be most free from respect of persons , no man but may easily conceiue . . it discourageth and disables him vtterly , from any good house-keeping and hospitalitie ; as who liuing himselfe , like a begger , rather then an house-keeper , knowes not how he shal be able to keepe house , and giue entertainment to others , beeing certaine of nothing himselfe . . it is the sure way to keepe the minister of god in extreame pouertie : then which , there is not any mischiefe more dangerous to the church of god. for such is the charitie and good deuotion of the most part this way , that if they may hold the minister at that bay , not one among . , i speake within compasse , and that a great deale too : i say , not one among . will by his good will , deale with the minister , ministerlike . . it emboldens euery man against the minister , to vse him for his maintenance at their pleasure . because , if he will not take their allowance . what they be disposed to giue him , though it be not woorth the taking vp , not the twentieth , happily not the . part of his due , hee shall haue nothing at all ; seeing by lawe , ( as they account and will handle the matter , ) hee shall or can recouer nothing of them . . it is such a course , as if it hold a while longer , and be not speedily by due law reformed , will ( it may iustly be feared ) bring the ministers of diuers places to very beggery , or the ministrie of such places to be dissolued . my reason is : many such are resolued already , that they owe the minister nothing , or at least , that he can recouer of them nothing at all but their accustomed offerings ; that is , two pence a peece at easter . and if they come once generally ( as already many doo ) to practise it , we may soone coniecture what the sequell must needs be . and this is a common thing , whatsoeuer any hath vsed of his voluntary to pay , howsoeuer their wealth increase , scant one of an . will augment any thing to the minister : but contrariwise , in maner all bee ready vpon any light occasion to abate & giue lesse . and abatement once made , it is neuer bettered againe . so that by all likelihood in a little time it will come to nothing at all . . it is such a course and kind of dealing , as if it should ( which god forbid ) bee practised generally , were the readie way to ouerthrow the gospell , to beate downe the preaching of the word , and to banish religion out of the land . goe throughout the land , from dan to beersheba , and looke what maner of ministers and ministerie there are in such places , specially , where the minister depends vpon mens goods wills ; and finde one place or parish almost , if it bee possible , where the minister liues not in great needines , and the people perish not for want of teaching . wee haue at this day ( god bee thanked ) a great number of learned and excellent teachers in the land : but if they should be all brought to such a kind of mainteinance ( and how can that hee good for some , which is nought for all ? ) doo you thinke within a few yeares , there would bee found halfe the number that now is ? where are able teachers at this day most wanting ? and where bee the simplest and meanest ministers commonly found ? is it not ( where the best need to bee ) in townes and cities ? i see no greater , nor almost no other cause then this , for that in such places , the minister hath little or nothing prouided him to liue vpon , but is inforced to take like a begger , what men will give him . and therevpon none of any learning , of any gifts , delight to come into such a place ; or alighting on such as it were by chaunce , or vppon some necessitie , when hee once sees his entertainment , will long tary there . such be the effects that come of this kinde of course : now iudge of the tree by his fruites . . lastly , if it bee a good course , commendable , or but tollerable in the land , why dooth not some machiuillian head or other suggest vnto the highe courte of parliament , how necessary and profitable it were to bee planted throughout the land ? what land and reuenues it might bring to the crowne , what profits and treasures to the kings coffers , what inheritance for gentlemen , younger brothers , what possessions and habitations for many people in our so populous country , what wages for souldiours , &c. if all the tempo●alities , and other certaine emolumentes of the church were seazed vpon , and the cleargie left vnto the curtesie and beneuolence ( maleuolence indeed ) the offering and good willes of the people : which ( as may bee seene in diuers places already ) were prouision ynough for them , and would well ynough content them . for why might not all , as well as some , liue on that fashion , and rest vpon the kindnes of their hearers , who would not of conscience see them perish for want ? &c. if this were not to bee endured , maruell not much ( good christian and godly reader ) though i seeme vehement against that pestilent practise in few , which were intollerable in all . for , speaking from some experience , i haue seen so much euill & inconuenience thereby , that i cannot but from my heart detest it , and desire and labour what lyes in mee the vtter extirpation thereof . and i doo hope that by this little anatomie thereof layd before thine eyes , thou wilt bee moued , to confesse and conclude with mee , that a voluntarie contribution for the ordinarie maintenance of the minister is no where tollerable ; and that , it is the duetie of all christians , as they make conscience of their duetie , to god , respect equitie , haue any loue to the ministerie of the gospell , and desire the prosperitie thereof , to yeeld the minister a certaine paie , one way or other : that so both themselues may know what they ought to pay , and hee what to demaund ; & how to recouer it , if it bee withheld . though this voluntary maintenance bee ( as i haue shewed ) a course that gods word dooth not approiue , that agrees not with the rule of equity and reason , that neither iewes nor christians did euer generally practise , a course whereof comes to the church of god no good , but many euills and perills : yet it is not vnlikely , but that many , vnles there bee soome good lawe to inforce them thereunto , will hardly bee reclaymed from it , and will ( say what either i or any else can ) sticke to it still . to direct such therefore , the while , to vse ( if it bee possible ) a bad thing well , and to keep themselues from sin in so dangerous a course ; i will for their sakes bestow a little labour , & adde yet a few lines more , to shew them , what measure & proportion they should in reason and equitie keep in this case ; that so in some measure , they may satisfie their duety to god , and content the minister of his church ; to whom though they will giue but what they will , yet they are bound in conscience to giue that that is somewhat tollerable and reasonable . reason must take place , though law doo not , and conscience gouerne our actions where compulsion is not . a heathen man being asked what good hee had gotten by his philosophie ? aunswered ; i haue ( saith hee ) gotten this good thereby , that i can doo those things vnbidden , which other men doe for feare of the lawes . religion ought to preuaile no lesse with vs. wee should not need humane lawes to compell vs to our duties , whose consciences are informed by the rule of equitie , that euerie man of his owne accord ought to doo to others , as hee would , if the case were his , bee done vnto . if this bee but right and equal , as i thinke euery reasonable and religious man will graunt it is ; let vs ( presupposing for a while that there is no positiue law , either to direct , or compell vs to any thing in this case ) consider accordingly , when the minister hath laboured for thee the whole yeare ( i am bold now good reader , to talke somewhat familiarly vnto thee ) and hath bestowed vpon thee most liberally and carefully spirituall things , and rests yet all the while vpon thy good will , contented without any agreement or certaintie assigned to stand to thy curtesie for temporall things , what , or how much ( if thou bee a man of any ability ) it is fit and requisite in any reason thou shouldest giue him ? i will speake what i thinke : and because it is but a conceit of my owne , a proportion by mee alone in this case propounded , i will speake with the least too . let the indifferent reader vouchsafe the reading of it , and then iudge : know throughly what it is , and then censure it as it liketh him . mine opinion is this ; that though the minister doo stand to thy curtesie , yet thou in conscience , i say in conscience and reason , oughtest to giue him no lesse for his whole yeares labour for thee and thine in the ministerie , then thou doest or wouldest giue vnto a schoole-maister , for teaching one of thy children a whole yeare . i say it againe . euerie man ought in conscience , to giue his minister for teaching him , and his whole familie in the word of god , so much at least , i say so much at the least , ( for his due is more a great deale many times ) as a schoole-maister commonlie hath for teaching one childe . i know this will seeme much and straunge to such as bee so farre wide of this rate , that by their good willes they will not , nor vsually doo not giue the minister halfe , nor a quarter , no some s●ant the tenth parte so much . but , howsoeuer it seeme to any , that it is a proportion most reasonable , and indeed the lowest rate that reasonably can bee kept , i doubt not to make it most euident and plaine to the vnderstanding of all that bee not willfully blind , and exceeding obstinate in their owne opinions . neither will i , nor need i goe farre from the text wee haue in hand ; as which of it selfe dooth offer to yeeld mee . or . very plaine and speciall reasons and arguments for it . first , the apostle here calleth the minister a teacher , and the parishioner one that is taught : as you would say , a schoole-maister and his scholler . and in the iudgement of interpreters that are very learned , hee dooth vse that maner of speech , purposely , to shew , that as it is the dutie of the scholler to maintaine his maister , so it is the dutie of the hearer to maintaine his minister : which who●so will not doo , euen among prophane men , is accounted impious and vniust . and indeed what other is the church but a diuinitie-schoole , the minister a lecturer , and the hearers schollers ? according wherevnto it is , that christians at first were called disciples , that is in plaine english , schollers . . looke what thou giuest for teaching one of thy children , if thy schoole-maister deserue it for teaching one alone , doth not the minister deserue so much at the least for teaching thee , & thy whole familie ? thee i say , thy wife , thy children , thy seruants , and the straunger that is within thy gates ? . what dooth the minister teach thee ? hee teacheth thee ( saith our apostle ) in verbo . hee teacheth thee the word of god. hee reads to thee a diuinitie lecture . hee dooth minister vnto thee spirituall things . hee speaketh vnto thee ( as it is said otherwhere ) words whereby thou and all the housholde may bee saued ; a kinde of doctrine , then which none is , nor can bee , more excellent , pretious and worthy reward . now i pray thee , is it not a reasonable thing and an ordinary , according to the excellencie of the learning that a man teacheth , so to giue him greater or lesser pay ? why then is it not reason thou giue him that teacheth thee ( and all thine ) diuinitie , that informeth thee to know god , that sheweth thee the way to eternal life , that brings thee the glad tidings of saluation , so much at the least , as thou doost giue a man to teach thy child to read , or write , to vnderstand the latine or greeke tongues ? . what ought to bee his reward ? a parte ( saith our apostle ) of all thy goods . and that is more i thinke , if it bee well shared , then any man dooth allow to his schoole-maister for any one child . but leaue wee for a while the apostle , and let vs turne our eyes aside to behold the practise of times ; that so wee may see how neere others both in our & former daies haue come to this proportion . . how did the israelites maintaine their priests and leuits ? who knowes not , that by gods appointment , besides diuers other things that fell to their share , they had the tenth of all things ? is it likely their school-maisters were maintained in that liberall maner ? and had another tenth for euery child they taught ? i trow not . . looke all england ouer , and behold what prouision our fore-fathers made for ministers , and what for schoole-maisters . is it not so , that the meanest benefice in the land almost ( that is whole ) is better in reuenues then the best schoole ? and hath not the minister many times of one , euen a meane man , ten , yea twentie times as much as the schoole-maister for one scholler ? . doe but enquire in london , where the ministers of the church are in commendable sorte prouided for ; and which may in that respect , bee a glasse and patterne for sundry other cities and townes in england : and tell m●● , whether the ministers part out of euery house ( if hee bee iustly dealt with ) bee not commonly so much at least , as a schoole-maister takes for one scholler ? . remember of such places where lectures haue beene kept , and preachers maintained by an extraordinary stipend ; is there any such place where they could possibly raise a stipend of any meane competencie , but that the inhabitans must be content to contribute therto , viritim , man by man , house by house , for all the better sort , asmuch at the least , as they vsually giue for teaching one of their children ? . in all reason and equitie , in all reputation & account , is not the minister of the church , before the maister of the schoole ? the schoole is commonly but as it were a step to the ministerie , and a stay for a man till hee bee fit for the ministerie . in all meetings & assemblies , hath he not his place before the schole-maister ? is it not reason then , as hee is before him in degree , so hee should bee equall with him at least , in maintenance ? but now a daies with vs , in places not a few , for the most part it is quite contrary . the condition & estate of schoole-maisters , is commonly farre better then the ministers . if a man can get or . score schollers , hee shal be sure to liue like a scholler , nay like a gentleman by them : but though a minister haue so many housholds to his church , if hee haue nothing to trust to but their good wills , hee liues not like a scholler , but a begger rather . some would thinke it scant credible , happily if i should say , that a man may haue more maintenance by . or . boyes in a schoole , then by an . housholdes , by . communicants in a parish : but i doo beleeue it , and can speake it of mine owne knowledge , that it is probable & possible , that a schole-maister may haue better maintenance by . or . boyes , then a minister by . or . score housholds . where it is so , and i thinke if due enquiry be made , it will be found so in many places of our land , the greater our sinne , the heauier gods wrath ; the more lamentable and miserable the estate of our ministerie : can wee say that people doo deale conscionably and liberally with their ministers ? and christianly & thankefully with god ? or that ministers complaine without cause , and be already euery where duly & sufficiently prouided for ? i know that these things will seeme straunge , to such as are not acquainted with them , and doo conferre to the maintenance of their ministers in another maner of measure : but i would to god , they were not most true , and that our ministers felt them not . i hope ( good reader ) that by this that i haue said i haue ( according to my purpose ) made it euident vnto thee , that such as will needes continue that euill custome , to giue the minister but what pleaseth themselues , yet ought in reason & conscience ( if they bee of any abilitie ) to pay him so much a peece at least , as they giue a schoole-maister for teaching one of their children . and this rate doo i hold to bee so reasonable and indifferent for both sides , that i wish with all my heart , that as dauid made it a law in israel , . sam. . . that of things gotten in warre , as his part was , that gooeth downe to the battell , so should his part be that bideth by the stuffe , and keepeth the campe : so , in such places where people will not willingly & justly pay as they should , tithes of their labours & gaines , but inforce the minister to stand to their curtesies , till a better lawe come in place ; that either the people themselues , would make it a custome , or the superiours of our land , a law and statute in england , that in steed of those tithes , besides their accustomed offerings and other extraordinary prouentions , as his paie is that teacheth in the schoole for euerie scholler ; so should his paie bee , that teacheth in the church for euerie familie : that is , the ●icher sort to pay as for the best schollers , the meaner as for meaner schollers , and the poorer sorte that are payable , as for meanest : that so yet some conuenient portion and proportion , some certaintie might bee obserued & knowne . it is a rate so reasonable and easie , that as by it , where the place is any thing populous , as those commonly are where it needs chiefly to bee put in practise ; in some cōpetent measure the minister might haue sufficient wherevpon to liue : so by a lesse , such as now is too common , it is not possible in these times , for a man to redeeme himselfe from extreame need , and bee other then very poore . in a word , it is a rate so small and easie , that i more feare , least i sinne against god , and offend his church in approouing it , then suspect that any which is contrary minded , shall bee able to prooue against mee that it is too great , too hard , and vnreasonable . i haue held the reader somewhat long i confesse , vpon this one point , and it may bee some will obiect , altogether without any cause : for ( may some say , ) as it is not fit indeed , that the minister should bee left to the curtesie of the people , so neither is hee ; for by expresse law & statute already in force , hee is euery where prouided for of some certaintie ; as of prediall tithes , where they are to be had , & of personal tithes , where the former are not : as appeareth in the statutes of ed. . an. . cap. . de decimis . true it is , and not to bee denied , that that statute dooth indeed so enact . from which i trust i may bee bold to obserue this one thing farther , for confirmation of that i haue sayd , viz. that it is the iudgement of our whole church of england , and of all the estates of our land , confirmed in expresse wordes by act of parliament , that the minister ought to haue a certaintie to depend vpon ; and that the contrarie , not in mine opinion onely , but in their wise and generall iudgement is , as indeede it is , intollerable and vnfit . but for a full aunswere to the obiection proposed ; first , i doe speake of that is practized , not of that is enacted : and doe condemne that course which now is growne with many into such a custome , that nether that lawe , nor reason , no nor the word of god can hitherto reclaime them from it ; and so doe not weary my reader with waste matter , nor fill my paper with an vnnecessary discourse . secondly , i say , and with all reuerence and christian humilitie , prostrate at the feete of my superiours , desiring and crauing leaue that it may bee free for mee in so great a cause , and that so neerely and so much concerneth the glory of god , and good of this church , for which euery good man ought to be content ( if neede be ) to lay downe his life to speake the truth ; i say it , that that statute doth in very deed rather say it , then assure it to the minister , shew what he should haue , then enarme him to recouer it . because whereas it debars him of the defendants oath , the surest and most vsual remedy in al causes of tithes , it is found by long and too too much experience , that thereby ( that clause being commonly abused against him ) he is also debarred of the thing it selfe that he seekes to recouer . for people being now a daies very apt to abuse any aduantage that law may yeeld , doe easily learne , that if they will but not confesse any thing , the minister can recouer but what he can prooue ; which commonly must needes bee iust nothing : whereby his case becomes such , that vnlesse he will take with quietnesse ( as they call it ) what they wil of curtesie giue him , by contending for more , he is sure too loose al. no doubt ther were some reasonable causes ▪ why the oth was forefēded , & it may be the integrity of those times ) whē the statute was made ) such , that it was presupposed , mē needed not to be pressed so far , but wold of very conscience to equity & right , of loue to the church & ministery , of zeale to god & his gospel , do that were fit voluntarily , it being but shewed them ; or at farthest , vpō examination , acknowledge the trueth freely . but the corruption and backwardnes of these our times shewing wholly the contrary , and beeing such , that i thinke that man to bee as rare as a blacke swanne , that by vertue of that statute , hath of late yeares recouered any thing ; & that there bee many hundreds that can iustly alledge , that by abuse or weaknes thereof , they haue done , and doo daily leese in maner all : surely there bee causes more iust ( vnlesse some better course bee taken ) why it should bee againe permitted them : without the which the ministers may iustly and with griefes enough complaine , that that statute ( standing as yet it dooth ) allowing them a certaintie , viz. personall tithes , in name , dooth take the same from them is very deed , and remittes them to that it seemes to condemne ; the mercie and curtesie of the people . chap. vi. that the minister must haue for his maintenance , not an imagined competent portion : but specially , besides offerings , the tithes of all things ; which are still due by diuine r●●ht : and bee of two sortes , viz. prediall , and personall . from the opinion of the vulgar sorte , let vs come ( god assisting ) to those of the learned . among whom , some doo hold , that concerning the ministers maintenance , what it should bee , there is nothing certainly determined in the word of god ; onely this is therein taught vs , and required , that the minister must haue competent maintenance . this if it be yeelded him , how , whereof , or by whom ; so hee haue it , it is no matter . others bee of the minde , that the scripture teacheth vs , both that the minister ought to bee maintened : and that his maintenance ought to bee not an imagined competencie ; but specially tithes , the tenth of the increase of all things . the former of these opinions ( the reuerence & honour that i beare vnto the persons , learning , & iudgement of those that be contrary minded alwaies saued & reserued , because amicus plato amicus socrates , sed magis veritas : trueth is to bee preferred aboue all men ) i doo dislike . for it seemeth vnto mee improbable , that god , who from the very beginning till christes time ( for that neither is nor can be denied ) as carefull for them whose priesthood was nothing so excellent and worthie honour , as the ministerie of the new testament , had declared & reuealed , whereby hee would haue the priests of those times to bee maintained : as by tithes , offerings , &c. and did not leaue it to the discretion of men to allot what they imagined to bee competent ; should now , in the time of the gospell onely , the later daies , and worser age of the worlde , wherein his spirite had foretold , that men would bee louers of themselues , couetous , boasters , proude , disobedient to parents , vnthankefull , vnholie , without naturall affection , intemperate ▪ despisers of them that bee good , louers of pleasure more then louers of god , hauing a shew of godlines , but denying the power thereof , &c. all and euery which vices in whomsoeuer , and wheresoeuer they reigne , would hinder the condigne entertainement of his ministers : that hee should i say , in these wicked times & perillous daies , leaue thē ( the preachers of the gospell ) whose ministerie by farre excelleth the former , to the mercy of the world , and conscience of the worldlie minded to appoint them maintenance , as carelesse how they were dealt with . . whereas the church of christ ▪ euen from the apostles times almost , put in practise generally all christendome ouer , the payment of tithes for the maintenance of the ministers of the gospell : shall wee say , they did this , onely as accounting that to bee a fit course , and a competent maintenance for that purpose ? or shall wee say they did it as accounting that to bee the right course commaunded of god , and which they had learned out of the word of god ought to stand in time of the gospell , as it did in time of the law , for the lordes owne ordinance ? to affirme the former is against all apparance of trueth . the expresse wordes of the fathers and learned that wrote in those times doo plainely ( as hereafter shall be shewed ) testifie the contrary . doo wee not see then ( graunting the later ) that this conceit of a competent maintenance , dooth ( which is neither safe nor godly ) openly check & crosse the iudgement and practise of all antiquitie ? . and forsomuch as wee seeke not what may bee done at some times , and in some cases , but what is gods ordinance in this case , and therefore ought ordinarily and generally euery where and at all times to bee done : what president and practise in any one age of the church can any shew for this competent maintainance without tithes , as we can throughout many ages , for the ordinarie maintenance thereof by tithes ? before the time of the apostles the ordinary maintenance of gods ministers was tithes : in the time of the apostles , it was either by a communitie of all things , or by a voluntary contribution : sith their time and a fewe succeeding yeares without any interruption vntil this present day , the ordinary maintenance of the ministers of the church before popery , vnder popery , & since popery , hath beene by tithes , and not by some other supposed competent maintenance . now is it probable , that should bee gods ordinance for the ordinary & perpetuall maintenance of his church ( for that is the question ) which at no time , in no age of the church hath beene generally practised by the church ? and that insteed of gods ordinance ( all the lights of his church beeing blinded ) another course of mans inuention should generally from time to time bee approoued and admitted ? . but bee it supposed , that nothing particular and speciall can bee demanded ; but onely the generall , a competent maintenance . let vs enquire , if happely that may bee found , what is a competent maintenance . if any will shew it vs out of the word , thence wee are sure nothing can be shewed vnlesse it be tithes . if tithes bee not it , i aske first whether it bee more or lesse then tithes ? if they will aunswere more ; is there any hope that disclaiming tithes , in steed thereof a greater & richer portion may bee obteined ? nay is it not very likely that many doo gladly heare of and fauour this conceit of a competent maintenance , in hope to drawe thereby the authors thereof to ouerthrow themselues , and so get yet a great parte of the tithes and other emoluments of the church , which hitherto haue escaped the hands of spoilers , as a prey ? not a few will quickly learne this kind of logicke ; ministers are to haue , by their owne confession , but a competent maintenance : & what then should a minister doo with so great a liuing , so much tithes ? lesse by halfe is enough for a minister . if one refuse it , yet a great many other will bee glad with it , and acknowledge that they haue liuing sufficient too , &c. . if they will say , lesse then tithes is a competent maintenance ; doo they not then iustly prouoke against them the mindes of all that truely fauour learning , and duelie consider how it ought to bee honoured ? doo they not then openly , without any colour at all , set open the doore vnto extreame impietie & sacriledge ? making way , and as it were iustifying it , to haue all church liuings , tithes , lands , & all long since consecrated vnto god , to bee prophaned , and turned into that whereof the land is already too full ( and too lamentable experience hath taught vs , is a great parte of the misery of our ministerie , the ruine of learning and religion among vs ) impropriations ? nay , doo they not speake manifestly against the scope of the scriptures , which teach , that the minister must haue double honour ; that is , an honourable and liberall , and not a sparing and poore maintenance ? must be a keeper of hospitalitie , and so bee able to entertaine others , aswellas to liue himselfe ? must liue of the gospell , that is , haue such maintenance for his preaching of the gospell , that hee may bee able to liue thereby alone , without any intermedling , for lacke of maintenance , in other trades of life : not sparingly and needily neither , but well and wealthily as becommeth his calling , and as did they by the altar , that waited on the altar : which cannot ordinarily bee done , if his maintenance be lesse then the tenth . secondly , i demaund who shall ( if the word of god doo not ) determine what is competent ? shall the clergie ? it is likely they shall not bee admitted as competent iudges in their owne cause . shall the laitie ? what is then to bee expected , but that they will fauour themselues enough , and too much ? will there not bee among them , quot capita , tot sensa , as many men , so many minds . and as men are surprised with the affections of couetousnes , of contempt of the gospell , disgrace of that calling , neglect of learning , and other like : so is it not likely one will detetmine this to bee competent , and another that , and the fewest of all come any thing neere the marke ? and they ( the ministers ) bee inforced to accept that for competent , which is not , and to take that for suffitient many times , which is halfe lesse then enough ? and what remedie ? for ( seeing as they say , god hath sayd nothing to this purpose ) they must beleeue others & not themselues , that to be competent , not which they themselues know , but which others say is competent . if already there had bene no tryall of the practise of supposed competencie , men might happely be thought to feare , where no feare were , and to suspect more then they had cause . but because experience is the surest , though not alwaies the safest teacher : let vs heare from it , what ( vpon perswasion no doubt , that a competencie onlie was required ) men haue already determined vpon that point , and what good beginnings it hath made ; and the è culmo spicam , ghesse while it is yet in grasse , what corne it is like to prooue . it is not many yeares agoe , that tenne pound a yeare was held a competent maintenance for a minister , and accordingly some church-liuings being seazed into lay-mens hands , in lieu thereof , there was allotted backe againe , either a few of the fragments thereof , then worth thereabout , or else a set stipend of like valew . but how competent a maintenance that hath proued , as we cannot but with griefe consider , and had need with teares lament ; so i feare many a damned soule in hell dooth feele . all confesse that such allowance is now incompetent : but who are they that amend it ? it were reason , that as the temporalities : themselues are by the alteration of times become woorth . or . happely . times so much as they were when such stipends and endowments were allotted out of them ; so they should now increase the same accordingly , in such measure ( at least ) that a man might bee able to liue thereby now , as hee might haue done at that time by such allowance : and fit , in very conscience , that hee that takes all the paines , should haue , if not all , nor one halfe , yet at least a fourth or a fift part of the profit . but men haue so learned s. paules lesson backward ( that is , not godlines is great gaine , . tim. . . but gaine is godlines ) that nothing contrary therevnto soundeth well in their eares . . for our present daies , what doo men account now to be competent ? bee there not many that thinke twenty pounds a yeare enoughe ? the ordinary reckoning and practise is fortie . some few there be , that are so liberally minded toward the ministers , that they could wish , they had an . markes , or an hundred pounds a peece : and that were abundantly enough ( if they bee not deceiued ) for any minister . so that in all their opinions that talke of a competencie , and would bee the caruers thereof , if ministers will maintaine the generall , & lay-men may determine the particular ; from . or . poūd . to an . poūd . is competent maintenance for any minister . but what cōpetency there is in these rates i leaue to others to iudge : this only added , that for mine owne parte , i thinke of them all caeteris paribus , as once demosthenes did of the counsels of certaine orators in his daies which he resembleth to the dyets of sick men , which neither giue a man life , nor suffer him to die . and , for the opinion it selfe , of this supposed competencie , the more i doo consider thereof , & of the euils and inconueniences and mischiefes that it must needs bring with it ( quite contrary to the nature of trueth , whose propertie is , the more it is eyed , the fairer to appeare , & further to allure ) the more am i drawne to dislike and reiecte it . leauing it therefore , let vs come to the other opinion , viz. theirs which holde that by gods ordinance , & law yet in force , the minister ought to haue the tithes for his maintenance . which point i shall with the more alacritie & facilitie intreat of , because diuers euen of those that denie tithes to bee de iure diuino , gods ordinance for the ministers of the gospell , doo yet graunt and affirme , that to the end the minister may haue a competent maintenance , this is indeed , the most safe , indifferent , and surest waie to raise such a maintenance : yea , so excellent and good a way , as none better can come in place thereof . a thing may bee sayd to be de iure diuino , . maner of wayes : that is , either after a sorte , because it is grounded vpon gods law ; or else absolutelie , because it is directly commaunded by the law of god. according to the former sense there be that easily graunt , tithes bee de iure diuino : & that ( vsing their owne words ) in . respects . first , in respect of the equitie of the law in paying of tithes ▪ which is this , that the minister ought to liue of the people , and to haue sufficient and competent maintenance by them . which equitie and substance ef the law , beeing morall , ought alwaies to continue , beeing grounded vpon the law of nature , thou shalt not mousle the mouth of the oxe that treadeth out the corne . secondly , in asmuch as the lawes of the land and of the church ( princes lawes ) doo confirme this ancient and excellent constitution of tithes , we are bound iure diuino , to obey such lawes , beeing agreeable to the word of god ; which commandeth obedience to our magistrates in all lawfull ordinance . to these wee may adde a third respect : and that is , the obligation wherewith the church of christ hath long since bound her selfe to the payment of the tithes ; hauing for many ages past , consecrated them vnto god. whereby it commeth to passe , that howsoeuer at the first , tithes might probably haue seemed mens owne , and men haue had some colour to vse them as they saw good : yet now , beeing made gods by dedication , beeing giuen vp and yeelded vnto him for the seruice of the church , they are become his proper inheritance ; and therefore can not now , without open iniury to god , and his church ▪ without transgression of his law , bee alienated from god , taken from his church , and put againe to common vse . hee ( i say ) hauing thus long time beene in such sorte inuested with the possession of them , it is now altogether vaine and superfluous , to enquire wether they bee a matter of diuine right ? thus quodammodò after a sort , in this sense , and in these respectes , the point controuerted is graunted . but because this concession doth not satisfie the question it selfe , let vs examine the other sense also . now searching the scriptures for this matter , gen. . & . wee shall finde that tithes were payd by holy and godly men , as by abraham and iacob , before euer there was any law written , in the time of nature . whēce wee may not obscurely gather i thinke , that , to paie the tenth , is a parte of the morall law ; a dutie which god from the beginning required of man as his sacred right . for those holy p●triarkes , no doubt , did nothing in that point , but what it was all mens dutie to performe ▪ and are set foorth as examples and presidents , in whom wee are to see what other godly men of those auncient ages and former times did accustome . and herein i am the more confirmed , for that in prophane histories i doo finde , that the very heathen of those elder yeares , the time of nature , vsed almost euery where to pay the very same portion , the tenth , vnto their imagined gods. some to iupiter , as the persians ; some to hercules , or apollo , as the romanes and grecians : the sabees and aethiopians , to the sundrie gods which their countries worshipped : and in a word , as festus an auncient storie-writer doth report , generally , decimam quaeque veteres dijs suis offerebant , all nations of former times offered to their gods the tenth . for how could it be , that all people , euen those that knew not the true god , yet should herein consent with the true worshippers ? but that either by the light of nature , or by auncient tradition receiued euen from noah and other patriarks , they had learned , that the tenth was gods part . if any will obiect , that the heathen did it by instigation of their gods , diuels indeed : [ for , such a thing doth a certaine chronographer of those times relate , as opening the reason how that custome vouere decimam herculi , to vow and pay the tenth to hercules , tooke his beginning ; saying , that hercules ( a diuell appearing in such a likenesse ) being on a time friendly entertained by potitius and pinarius , promised a happy life and increase of wealth , to all such as should offer to him the tenth of all their goods . ] this is so farre from ouerthrowing that which i infer , that it helps not a little to the proofe thereof . for why else should it be , that the diuell should claime precisely that part , but because being an enemy to god , and desirous , as enuious of his honour , and as the ape and imitator of god , to transfer vnto himselfe gods worship , and to rob him of his glory and due euery way ; as in sacrifices and oblations , so in tenthes likewise , he did assume and vendicate this part of gods worship : as if not god , but he had beene the maker and owner of the world , and giuer of prosperitie and riches vnto men vpon earth . the story of iacobs payment of tythes carieth a greater shew of repugnancy , because it reporteth that he paide them vpon a vowe . gen. . . saying ; if god will bee with mee in this iournie which i goe , and will giue me bread to eate , and clothes to put on , so that i come againe vnto my fathers house in peace , then shall the lord be my god , and this stone ( which i haue now set vp as a pillar ) shall bee gods house ; and of all that thou ( o god ) shalt giue me , i will giue the tenth vnto thee . whereupon it is obiected by some , that iacob paide them not as a morall duetie , but as a vow . but that is easily aunswered . first , that iacob had a respect to the couenant made with abraham ; namely , i will bee thy god and of thy seede , gen. . . by vertue of which , hee was bound to shew himselfe thankefull as gods seruant by outward seruice , whereof tithes were a part : and secondly , seeing it is manifest by manifold examples & practise of godly men , that it is no new thing nor vnusuall with the godly , by vowing to binde themselues to doe that which by the law of god and former duetie they are bound to performe ( so to stirre vp their owne slacknesse , and enkindle their zeale to necessary obedience ) what letteth but that wee may conceiue the like of iacob in this case ? hee knew it ( no doubt ) to bee his duetie , to paye to god the tenth : yet partly to stirre vp his owne care and zeale ; partly to testifie more apparantly his thankefull heart , which euen before blessings receiued , bethought it selfe what to render to the lord for the same , receiued : partly , as abhorring and disclayming the prophanenesse of the world , which ( likely ) euen then began euery where to cast away the feare of the almightie , and to detaine to themselues as their owne , gods part of their riches ; he bindeth himselfe by speciall vow , to performe that which hee knew to be , though he vowed it not , his duety to doe . that i straine not his words from his meaning ; he himselfe , by his former words , being also a part of his vow , doth beare me witnesse . for , if you note the words well , he voweth three seuerall things . first , that the lord shall bee his god ; that is , that hee would worship and serue none other god. and it is out of al doubt ( saith a very iudicious interpretour ) that therein hee comprehended the summe of ( his ) pietie and religion . secondly , that that stone shall bee gods house ; that is , that there where he had pitched the stone , hee would ( as in gods tabernacle ) serue god , build an altar , and offer sacrifices , &c. as cap. . . & . verse . thirdly , that of all that god should giue him , hee would giue the tenth to god ; as the proper maintenance that belonged to the house of god , for the sustenance of the priests that should attend on the altar . here no man i suppose will say , but that it was iacobs duetie , euen without a vow , to serue and worship god onely , to offer to him sacrifices , &c. yet doth he by vow promise to performe it . and therefore as because hee vowes those dueties , it followes not , else hee was not bound to haue done them : so neither doth it follow , because hee vowed tithes , therefore to pay them , was ( else ) no par●e of his dutie . it is more probable a great deale , that being a most religious and wise man , knowing that god delights not in rash and vnlawfull vowes , and knowing the payment of tithes to bee acceptable vnto god ; vpon mature deliberation resolueth , to the end his vow might please god , that should be a part thereof . thus notwithstanding any thing that can bee obiected , it appeareth by payment thereof before the law , that to paie the tenth , is a part of the morall law , deriued from the very law of nature . whence it followeth , that such payment is in force still : for the morall law is perpetuall , as a duetie taught vnto man from the beginning , to continue to the end , so long as there remaineth a man vpon the earth . which standing firme , this also must stand for firme , that such tenth is now due to the ministers of the gospell , because they are to vs as gods substitutes , as were the priests then . and therefore as one saith of abraham paying tithes ; what abraham owed vnto god , hee payd it vnto melchizedec , as vnto god himselfe : so , what people owe vnto god ( viz. decimam ) they ought to pay vnto the ministers of the gospell , as vnto god himselfe . to say it is a morall precept , to maintaine the minister , or to giue god some part of our goods , is but a weake euasion ; forsomuch as it euidently appeareth , that the tenthe , and not any other , or any vncertaine part hath beene from the beginning payd vnto god , receiued by his substitutes , & accounted gods part : and that god himselfe so soone as hee maketh claime to his right , and once nominateth what it is , claimeth and calleth it by the name of the tenth , as leuit. . . numb . . . saying , the tenth is mine . . from the time of nature , if wee come to the time of the lawe ; all doo know , that from moses till christ , the tenth of all things was accounted gods part , & that the lord made challenge therevnto as to his owne proper right and peculiar portion . the tenth of the lande is mine . all tithes are holie vnto the lorde , and i haue giuen the tithes vnto leui and his seed . and herevpon it is , that hee saith , that hee is their inheritance : and that malac. . . hee doth charge the people , that in withholding their tithes and offerings they had robbed him , &c. in these speeches and their like , wee must note two things : first the lords right vnto tithes . hee claimeth that parte and none other : not an viij . or xv . or a xx . but the tenth precisely ; as his owne proper inheritance . the tenth ( saith he , is mine . true it is , that all wee haue in a sense is the lords , because all thinges are of him . . chronicles . . and in that sense it is saide psa●me . , the earth is the lords and all that is therein , the round world and they that dwel in it : & ps. . . all beasts of the forrest are mine , and so are the cattell vpon a thousand hilles . and saith our apostle , what hast thou o man what euer thou bee , and whatsoeuer thou haue , which thou hast not receiued ? but in this case god dooth cla●me the tenth to bee his in a more peculiar sense and sort ; and that is not iure creationis , because hee hath made all : nor iure potestatis , because hee hath the disposing of all ; for in these senses the other nine partes are also the lordes : but iure proprietatis siue reseruationis , in respect of the very proprietie thereof , or by way of reseruation ; because hauing giuen all the rest vnto the sonnes of men , he hath reserued vnto himselfe , to bestowe where hee will , the tenth , as his owne immediate right and portion , euen in a like manner as a lord passing away his land to a tenant , reserueth yet for his owne vse , a certaine rent out of it . the notice and consideration whereof no doubt moued some very learned and iudicious expositors , to intitle tithes by the name of a sacred and holy rent or tribute , as it were insinuating thereby , that as the land of egypt ( gen. . ) being sold into the hands of pharao , there was reserued vnto pharao , the first part of the increase thereof , as a rent or annuitie thereof , and the people allowed to take the other foure parts for the seede and for their labour , and for prouision for them and theirs : so the whole earth being gods , and hee giuing it to the sonnes of men , hee hath notwithstanding for a token and acknowledgement of his soueraigntie , reserued vnto himselfe , as a rent and sacred tribute for the whole , the tenth of all . the other thing i note out of the words , is the bestowing of tithes . tithes ( saith god ) are●●ine . but to what vse ? i haue giuen them ( saith he ) vnto the sonnes of leui for an inheritance . and why to leui & his sonnes ? for the seruice which they serue mee in the tabernacle , num. . . and this teacheth vs , that in israel so long as leui serued at the altar , and wayted in the tabernacle , so long he had right to tithes . how right ? not proprio iure , not by his owne proper right , but in the lords behalfe , and by way of assignation from the lord , who had ( to speake after our fashion ) passed them ouer vnto leui and his heires so long as their seruice did continue . these things being obserued , that is , first , the lords right vnto tithes , which cannot but bee perpetuall ; then his assignation of tithes to leui , which was but temporary ; and herewithall that the ministers of the gospel are to god now in the steed of leui , & do minister vnto him , not in the same but a more excellent forme ; we may with great , and i think vndeniable probabilitie gather , that forsomuch as the lords right vnto the tenth holdeth still , he hath le●its to serue him still , his temple and seruice to be attended still ; that stil they ought to receiue that right on the lords behalfe , which haue succeeded in the steed of those that receiued it heretofore . to say , that the law of tithes ceased when leuies seruice ended , is an argument of no force . first , because they were assigned not so much for the persons sake as for the office , the seruice of god : which continuing though in another forme , doth necessarily require the continuance of the maintenance , vnlesse a better come in place , which is already graunted cannot bee . secondly , because the right and so the law of tithes tooke not his beginning at leui ( for the payment of tithes was not then first instituted , but assigned onely to whom for that time , and in that land , they should bee payd ) it is therefore improbable , that the payment of tithes should end with leuies seruice , which took not beginning thereat ; but were gods , and belonged to the priests of god , when as yet leui had not the office : but reason & equity doth rather yeeld , that as the priests of god in time of nature , had them before leui , and the law : so the ministers of the gospel should haue them now after the law , & since leuies time . farther , we are to consider , that the assignation of tithes made to leui pertayned onely to them that were vnder the law . then , that those nations which liued without the law ( written ) could be no lesse bound to the payment of tithes euen in time of the law from moses til christ , then they were before the law from adam till moses : whereupon it must follow vndeniably , that howsoeuer the heathen fayled in this as in al other parts of gods seruice , yet gods right ( for right according to our english prouerbe , neuer rots ) continued among them still : and therefore if there had bin among them any godly worshippers , & priests of god , they both would and ought to haue paid tithes to those priests of the high god , & not to the sons of leui ; as abraham , iacob , and other godly men of their and former times , did pay the same to the priests that were in their daies . if all this be true , and what thereof can be denied i see not ; then forasmuch as the preaching of the gospel , is but a reuoking of them backe into the right way , that were gone astray , and a restitution of the true worship of the onely true god ouer all the world ; what letteth that the ministers of the gospel should not now haue restored vnto them also , what by continuall right belonged to the priests of god wheresoeuer the law raigned not from adam vnto christ ? so that whether we consider of the ministers of the gospel as successours in office ( for the substance is still one ) either to the seede of leui vnder the law , or the priests of god without the law , it will be hard to shew why they should not succeede them both in maintenance aswell as in seruice . besides this , whereas there are in tithes two things to be considered , that is , the institution and assignation , gods proper and immediate right , and mans mediate and subordinate possession , the one respecting god himselfe as lord of all , the other man , gods ministers for the time being : can any man shew , nay wil any diuine say , that god hath no longer any proper right & interest vnto the temporall goods of men on earth , but hath remitted vnto man that holy rent , that sacred tribute , which once , before the law , and in the law , in signe , and for an acknowledgement of his vniuersall soueraigntie , he imposed vpon the wolrd ? if that may not be affirmed , for all diuines i thinke hold the contrary : what is or can be that sacr. vectigal , if it be not tithes ? who can shew vs any other ? . or must we imagine , whereas in true wisedome and good policie , all kings and princes of the world , all landlords , and proprietaries of the earth , doe impose vpon their subiects and tenants , their tributes , customes , rents , &c. certaine , whereby the one may know stil from time to time , what to demand , the other what to pay ; that god the fountaine of al wisedome and author of al good policy , & order , and not of confusion , permitteth men now in time of the gospel ( as seeing the tenth to be gra●amen ecclesiae , a burthē too heauy for hi● church , an exaction too hard and great for the world now to beare , and therfore repenting him of that course which for more thē . yeares he had approued and continued to honor him with their goods in what proportion and quantitie they lust , to paie for tribute to him what they will ? whereby neither he that paies it , nor he that on gods behalfe requires it , may be able to say , this is it : i assure you , it soundeth not in mine eares . and therfore vntill the institution and right of tithes to god , aswell as the assignation of them to leui , be prooued to bee voyd and at an end , i see no sufficient reason to yeeld , either that men ought not to pay them , or ministers to require and receiue them as gods part stil. from the time of the law , let vs come to the time of the gospel , and so from the old testament ( for proofes ) vnto the new : & therein for orders sake , first , vnto our text it selfe . where if we demaund of the apostle , how much the minister must haue of his hearer , true it is , he doth not say expressely the tenth of all his goods , but a part . make him ( saith hee ) partaker of all his goods . but if we may coniecture what , or how great a part hee should meane , forasmuch as we are assured that saint paul knew well , that the priests of god before the law , and the leuits likewise in time of the law , had alwaies the tenth part , and that in the whole scripture there is no certaine parte but that , named to bee the lords , or approued and assigned by name to any that serued in the worke of the lord : what part may wee imagine that hee meant , but that which hee & all the learned , yea learned & vnlearned knew , had euen from the beginning of the world beene counted the lords parte , & the priests portion ? and it is more probable , that therfore in the new testament , that point is not so directly handled as it was in the old , because by the old , it was already very manifest ; then that the mention thereof was omitted , because it was to grow out of vse . for the alteration needed a speciall declaration , which the continuance needed not . and therefore in my opinion the apostle must bee vnderstood to speake of the tenth part , and not of any other , new , and neuer yet in vse . as if hee should say : let the hearer make his teacher partaker with him of all his goods , according to the ordinance of god , insuch maner and measure , as from the beginning it is not vnknowne that the seruants of god haue euer beene accustomed to receiue . as in a like sense , speaking of a thing already knowne wee say , let such one haue his due : and in the gospell , math. . the lord of the vineyard hauing first agreed with all the labourers for a peny a day , ver . . when euen was come saith vnto his steward , call the labourers and giue them their hire . and it is the more probable , because he doth require expresly ( as i haue already taught ) that this part bee payd in specie in its kinde , and out of all such goods as a man hath , by due proportion , which was and is the true and ancient payment of the tenth . for speaking plainely of the maner how this part should by payd , hee might thereby easily bee conceiued what hee meant concerning the measure . how probable it may seeme to others i cannot tell : but this i know , that these considerations haue seemed to some & those very good diuines ( though contrary minded ) so weighty , that they haue therevpon yeelded thus farre , that if any place in all the new testament doo make for tithes , it is specially this . if the apostle bee obscure in this place by reason of the breuitie of his writting , let vs see whether hee bee not more plaine in some other where hee is more large . turne wee backe therfore to . cor. . where , vpon another occasion hee dooth insist vpon this doctrine of the ministers maintenance . there ver . . taking an argument a simili , from them that ministred in the temple about holy things , and waited at the altar , how dooth he conclude ? ita etiam dominus constituit , &c. so also , hath the lord ordeined , that they which doo preache the gospell should liue of the gospell . here it seemeth vnto mee , the apostle plainely teacheth , that the same measure and the same maner of maintenance , which they had that once serued in the temple , and attended at the altar , is now allowed & assigned to them that serue in the church and preach the gospell . they were maintained in very liberall & cōpetent sort , so must these . their maintenance was sealed & certaine , not voluntary , so must these . they were maintained by tithes & oblations , so must these . their portion was of holy things , that is of gods part , of things consecrated to god , so must the portion of these bee . neither is it a matter of equitie onely , that it were fit thus it should be , or a humane constitutiō , supposing it were best so to bee : but ita dominus constituit , or as others read , mandauit , it is the constitution , ordinance or commaundement of the lord , that this ought to bee . the lord , who hath a peculiar right to a certaine part of euery mans goods , hath thus appointed . as once god assigned ouer his tithes & other duties to the seed of leui , because hee had separated them to serue in his tabernacle : so now their seruice beeing ended , & hee hauing substitute in their roomes for the worke of the gospell , not some certaine families of the earth , but pastors and teachers , whō it pleaseth him to call ; to these , to the end they may liue by their ministerie as the former did by theirs , & bee incouraged to the worke they haue in hand , hath bee assigned ouer that which the former had , viz. his tithes and offeringes . in a word , the apostle speaking of a kinde of maintenance that is of gods ordinance & not mans , established by the lord , not deuised by man , allotted the preachers of the gospel to liue vpon , & such a one as they had that ministred in the temple , and serued at the altar ; let such as bee contrary minded prooue vnto vs , that their maintenance was not tithes : and then , & neuer tell then will wee yeeld , nor shall they bee able to prooue , that ours ought to bee , not tithes , but some other thing . for it is euident by this place of the apostle , that such as theirs was , ours must bee . from this place of the apostle , let vs proceed to another , & that is , heb. . where hee maketh mention very often of abrah . his paying tithes to melch : which though he do to another end , yet by those his wordes , beeing about another matter , he sheweth withall , that tithes pertaine vnto the ministerie of the gospell as once they did to that of the temple . first of all it is euident by the apostles words , that melchizedec was a figure of christ : whence it followes that christ in the person of melchizedec receiued tithes of abrahā , & that they are due no lesse to his priesthood , then to that of melch. but if christ had right to tithes before the law , hath he not the same right also since the law , in the time of the gospell ? for his priesthood being perpetuall , so must his right bee too . farther , if wee consider of melch. in his owne person , that is , not as a figure of christ , but as the priest of god ; if melch. had right to receiue them in the behalfe of god , whose priest hee was , how much more christ , who is a priest for euer after the same order that melchizedec was ? touching abraham , wee may consider of him , either as a priuate man , or as a patriarke . as a priuate person in paying tithes , what other thing did he , but what was euery godly mans dutie to doo ? which ( saith a certaine learned writer ) is so reported , that thereby it may sufficiently appeare , that it was a custome or ordinarie thing among the godly of those times . and who can shew vs , that the godly are freed from that dutie since the law , which they owed to god before ? or , that god which accepted tithes , as his sacred right then , hath reiected it now ? as a patriarke , and father of the faithfull , if wee consider him ; dooth not hee the father , by performing that duetie , shew in what steps his children ought to walke , whose ofspring wee are , not according to the flesh , but by that which is the surer side , by faith ? but what is all this to vs , that be ministers of the gospell ? very much euery way . for seeing we are in christes steed , . cor. . . & hee that receiueth vs receiueth christ , math. . ; as melch. beeing dei subrogatus , gods deputie , lawfully receiued at abrahams hand what was due to god : so wee on christes behalfe doo as lawfully claime & receiue of the hand of christians what is christes right . which thing is not improbable that our apostle respected , when . cor. . the place before alleadged , he saith , the lord hath so ordeined : as it were giuing vs thereby to vnderstand , that such maintenance as the leuits receiued in the law as gods right , for their seruice at the altar : such ought the ministers of the gospell receiue now in christes behalfe for their seruice to him in the worke of the gospell : because as god assigned it vnto his leuits then , so hath christ ( who in the new testament , by that title of lorde , is commonly distinguished from god the father ) vnto his ministers now . and as abrah . the father of the faithfull was then to pay the tenth to the priests of god , as to god himselfe : so all the faithfull now , are to pay them to the ministers of iesus christ , as to christ himselfe . now that i haue shewed warrant and proofe for this point out of scripture , i will adioyne also the testimonie and iudgement of the learned and ancient fathers and others of the church : who wheresoeuer they speake any thing of tithes , so speake thereof , as generally in their times acknowledged to bee of diuine institution ; no man for well nighe a . yeares ( the depth of all corruption and blindnes ) after christ gainsaying them . this i do● , aswell to confirme more fully that i haue auouched , as also to take away all pretext from such as shall thorough ignorance imagine this to bee but mine owne priuate opinion . they shall perceiue that i teach none other thing in this matter , then the auncients for many ages past haue done . s. origen liued within . yeares after christ , not aboue . yeares after the death of s. iohn the apostle of the lord. hee writing vpon the booke of numbers , hom. . and speaking of the law of tithes saith plainely , hanc ego legem . this law ( of tithes ) as also some other , i ( saith hee ) doo thinke necessary to bee obserued still , according to the letter . and in the same place reproouing the people of his time for not paying tithes , hee hath these words , quomodo abundat iusti●●a nostra ? that is , how doth our righteousnes exceed the righteousnes of the scribes , & of the pharises , if they dare not taste of the fruites of their ground , before that they bring foorth the first fruites to the priests & the tithes be separated for the leuits ? and i dooing none of these things , doo so abuse the fruites of the earth ; that the priest knows them not , the leuit is ignorant of them , and them the diuine altar feeles not ? againe in the same place ; non videtur huiusmodi anima habere memoriam dei , that is , that person seemes not to remember god , not to thinke , nor beleeue that it is god that hath giuen him the increase which he hath receiued , which he so layeth vp as if god had no part in them . for if hee thought them to bee giuen him of god , he would know also , by rewarding the ministers of the church , to honour god , with his owne gifts & rewards . and a little after , indecens & magnū existimo , & impium vt is qui deum colit , &c. i hold it to bee a thing vndecent ( saith he ) vnworthy and impious , that hee which worshippeth god , and comes into the church , who knows that the priests and ministers doe waite at the altar , and serue either in the word of god , or ministerie of the church , should not of the fruits of the earth , which god ( causing his sunne to shine , and sending raine in due season ) doth giue , offer some part to the priests . and where our sauiour saith , math. ● . . speaking of tithes , these ought yee to haue done , and yet not leaue the other vadon● , that he expoundeth to bee a morall precept no lesse for the vse of christians then of the iewes : and so accounteth that by these words our sauiour gaue his approbation for payment , of tithes in time of the gospel . so his iudgement is this , that the law of tithes , is still in force euen according to the letter : that christ approueth the payment of them : that our righteousnesse doth not exceede the righteousnesse of the scribes and pharises , if wee pay them not : that that person forgets his dutie to god with omitteth it : that it is a thing in a christian , vndecent , vnworthy & impious not to giue to the ministers of the church a part of those fruits and increase which god hath giuen him , &c. not many yeares after origen , liued s. cyprian . hee , epist. . reproouing one geminius faustinus a minister , for intermedling in secular affaires , saith , that ministers haue nothing to doo with secular affaires : but as the leuits had no other busines but to attend the altar , so the lord had prouided for ministers , that they might not bee drawne by wordly occasions from their holie busines , but might liue honourably maintained with their brethrē , as they who receiued tithes of the increase of the earth . hee saith that the lord had prouided such maintenance for his ministers , alluding ( it may seeme ) to the place of the apostle . cor. . where he saith so hath the lord ordained , &c. so , that is , as the leuits and priests , ministring in the temple and wayting at the altar , liued of the same . three hundred yeares and more after christ his time liued s. hierome . hee writing vpon the prophet malac. cap. . where mention is made of tithes saith , what wee haue said of tithes , which once were giuen by the people to the priests and leuits ; vnderstand to hold in the people of the church that now is . and a little after , the people of the church ( of christ ) are commaunded to giue tithes . for the farther proofe whereof hee alledgeth s. paul , . tim. . . the elders that rule well are worthie double honour ; expounding the word honour there to signifie maintenance , and maintenance to bee tithes . in the same age though somewhat later , flourished s. ambrose . in a sermon de quadragesima , hee hath these words . quicunque recognouerit in se , &c. whosoeuer shal cal to minde that he hath not faithfully payd his tithe , let him now amend that wherein he hath failed . what it is to pay faithfully ? but that hee bring at no time , neither lesse , nor the worser sorte of his graine , or of his wine , or of the fruits of his trees , or of his cattell , or of his garden , &c. neere about the yeare of grace . liued s. chrysostome : who writing vpon , matthew , homil. . saith directly , iustitiam , misericordiam , & fidem . iustice , mercy and faith hath god commaunded for his owne glorie , but tithes for the maintenance of his ministers . and hom. . teaching the husbandman how he may be a worthy christian & doo good works though hee build no churches , hee saith : quasi ducta vxore velspōsa , & c. ●n english ; as toward thy wife whom thow hast maried , or thy virgin whom thou hast endowed , so bee thou affected toward the church . assure it a dower : so shall the reward , ( or as some read praedium the possession ) of blessing bee multiplied vpon thee . for what good will there not come thereof ? is it a small matter i pray thee that thy vinepresse bee blessed ? is it little that god of all thine increase dooth first receiue his part , the tenth ? this furthereth much the peace or prosperitie of the husbandman . in all which words hee dooth onely teache , that men ought to pay tithes , affirming it to bee gods ordinance , & calling them gods part ; but withall giueth these reasons why , viz. . because so the minister is to bee mainteined , and it is the meanes to haue a plentifull blessing vpon the rest . i come now vnto s. augustine , who so succeeded the former in time , that when some of them were very aged , hee but began to write . hee hath written of this matter more then any of the rest . there is extant one whole sermon of his de decimis , touching tithes , besides many sentences thereof in other places of his workes , of which i will recite some . tom. . hom. , hee hath these words : reddite dictum est caesari , &c. it hath beene sayd , giue to caesar those things that are caesars , & to god the things that are gods. our foreelders therefore abounded in all kind of wealth , because they gaue to god his tenth , and payd to caesar his tribute . but now because deuotion to god is gone , the oppression of the court is come vpon vs. we haue refused to lay out to god his tenth part , now therefore the whole is taken from vs. the chequer hath that , which christ hath not . againe writing vpon the . psalm . hee hath these . exime partem reddituum tuorum , that is , lay out a part of thy reuenues or increase . wilt thou lay out the tenth ? lay out the tenth then : though this be but little . for it is sayd thath the pharisies gaue the tenth also . and what saith the lord ? except your righteousnes exceed the righteousnes of the scribes , and of the pharisies , ye shall not enter into the kingdome of heauen : and he whose righteousnes thine ought to exceed , giueth the tenth ▪ but thow giuest scant the tenth of the tenth . likewise ser. de temp . serm. . de decimis . deus qui dignatus est , &c. god ( saith hee ) which hath vouchsafed to giue vs all that wee haue , vouchsafeth to receiue againe the tenth thereof , yet so as shall bee profitable not for himselfe , but for our selues . and a little after , reprouing them that made no care to pay their tithes , he expostulateth with them in this sorte . audi indeuota mortalitas ; &c. which is . heare o thou mortal wight without deuotion . knowest thou that whatsoeuer thou hast is gods ? & wilt thou not giue to god the maker of al things any part of his owne ? the lord hath no need of thy goods . god craueth not reward but an hon : he requireth none of thine but his owne . he vouchsafeth to demaund the first fruites & tenthes of that thou hast from him , and doest thou couetously deny him ? what wouldest thou doo if reseruing the . partes to himselfe , hee had left thee only the tenth ? hitherto out of s. aug. out of all which his words wee may note these specialties ; that he counteth the tenth to bee gods , as tribute to bee caesars : calleth it gods parte : saith that god receiuing it , receiueth but his owne : that long before his time tithes were payd : and expoundeth and applieth the scripture for it ; as before him , origen and others had doone : and affirmeth that the paying of them is the meanes of plentie and blessing from god , as the withholding of them the cause of scarcity & oppression among men , &c. long after s. aug. viz. about anno . liued s. gregorie . hee hom. . vpon the euangels hath these words , suut offerre in lege , &c. that is . as yee are commaunded in the law ( deare brethren ) to offer vnto god the tenth of your goods , so striue to offer also the tēth of your dayes . wherein expressely he applieth the precept of tithes written in the law vnto christians , so teaching , or rahter taking it as a trueth without question & cōtrouersie , that christians are commaunded by gods law to pay tithes . to whom agreeth beda , that liued about an hundred yeares after him : who in a treatise that he intituleth scintillae insisteth vpon the point , and prooueth by scripture and by fathers , tithes to bee due , inferring out of s. august . among the rest this sentence . tithes are required of dutie : and them who that will not pay , dooth invade goods that are not his owne , asmuch to say as he is an oppressour or extortioner . of the same minde is caesar arelatensis , saying ; tithes bee no priuate mans , no lay mans goods , but the churches right . to all these , as it were a summist of them all , i will adioyne strabo a storie writer , who lib. de reb . eccl. cap. . maketh this collection ; decimas deo & sacerdotibus , &c : which is to say ; that tithes ought to bee giuen to god and his ministers , abraham by his facts , and iacob by his vowes doo insinuate : besides the law ( of god ) hath so appointed , and all the holy doctors ( of the church ) doo consent and testifie . from particular men let vs come to generall councels : so shall wee see not onely what some , yet of the best , but what all the learned of former ages thought of this matter ; consenting as it were vno ore , as vpon a trueth vndeniable , that tithes euer were , & stil are due , de iure diuino . anno dom. . was held concil . matisconens . the second . in the . canon wherof , it was thus decreed ; leges diuinae sacerdotib . & ministris ecclesiarū consulentes , &c. which in english is to this effect : the lawes of god prouiding for the priests & ministers of churches , haue commaunded all people , that , as their inheritance , they should pay them in the holy places the tenths of their increase ; that so beeing intangled with no wordly labours , they may be at leasure to attēd their spiritual ministeries . which lawes all christendome haue for many ages past , kept inuiolably : wherevpon we doo ordaine & constitute that all people doo bring in their tithes ecclesiasticall accordingly . and if any shal contumaciously breake our decrees , let him be excommunicated . neere about an hundred yeares before this councell , was held the first councell of orleaunce , which affirmeth also the same . in the time of charlemaigne , anno . followed duriens . synodus : wherein cap. . it was decreed , that tithes should bee payd , and that they which refused so to doo should hee compelled therevnto ; not only by the excommunications of the church but also by the officers of the common-wealth . about . yeares then next ensuing , viz. anno . was held synod . moguntina . in the which they thus determine ; admonemus vel praecipimus , vt decimae de omnib . dari non negligantur , &c. wee admonish or commaund ( saith this counsell ) that tithes of all things being due by gods law , bee not neglected to bee payd , because god himselfe hath appointed them vnto himselfe to be payd . for it is to bee feared ( marke their reason ) lest whosoeuer with draweth from god his due , happely god , for that his sinne doe take from him his necessaries . concil . rothomag . is thus cyted by gratian. caus. . q. . omnes decimaeterrae , siue de frugib . siue de pomis arborum , domini sunt , &c. all the tenth of the earth , whether it bee of fruits of the ground , or of the trees , are the lords , and they are sanctified vnto him ▪ sheepe , bullockes , goates , and whatsoeuer passeth vnder the rod , euery tenth thereof shall bee accounted holy vnto the lord. concil . tribur . cap. . saith thus , quid si diceret dominus , nempe meus es homo , mea est terra quam colis , measeminaquae spargis , mea animaliaquae ●●ginas , meus est solis ardor , &c. that is , what if the lord should say , truely thou o man thy selfe art mine : mine is the earth which thou tillest : mine is the seede which thou sowest , mine are the cattell which thou feedest : mine is the heat of the sunne , &c. and whereas all being mine , thou which lendest mee but thy hand , deseruedst but only the tenth part , yet doe i allow thee nine parts . giue me therefore my tenth . if thou wilt not giue mee my tenth , i will take away thy nine : if thou giue me my tenth , i will multiplie thy nine . if any therefore do make a question , why tithes are payd ? let him know , that therefore they are to be giuē ( two notable reasons ) first , that god by such deuotion being pacified , may more abundantly giue vs necessaries : & secondly , that the ministers of the church being thereby releeued , may be the more free to the fulfilling of their spirituall exercises . and in the decrees ( the canon law of all christendome ) extra de decimis , cap. . parochiano , these words are read ; forsomuch as tithes haue their institution not from man but from the lord himselfe , they may be required , as a due debt . time will not permit me to recite all : diuers other ancient councels haue determined the same things . these cited , being the common voice and full assent of all the learned of the first and best times , doe plainely and aboundanly testifie that tithes are still due by gods law , holy to the lord , his due ordained by god , &c. they doe not challenge them at all , as due by the rule of equity , much lesse by positiue law and constitution of princes , but by gods ordinance . true it is , that the lawes imperiall , the lawes of seuerall nations and kingdomes , doe mainetaine and approoue tithes : but we must vnderstand it thus ( and so no doubt in auncient times the lawmakers themselues intended ) as confirming and restoring to the church , that which they had learned by the generall and vncontroulled doctrine of their owne and former ages , to be the churches in right , as did the godly kings and rulers in israel , ezechias , iosias , nehemias , &c. which restored to the leuits their appointed portions , and brought againe to the house of god the tithes , first fruits , offerings , &c. which in currupt times had beene withdrawen . this is manifest enough by that already alleadged out of the fathers . for thereby , it may appeare , that tithes were claimed and paid to the church , before there were any christian magistrates to confirme them by law . for constantine surnamed the great , who was emperour about the yeare . was long after origen and cyprian ; and yet hee ( as faith hermannus gigas ) was the first that euer we read of , to haue made any law , that tithes of all things should be paid to al churches . foure hundred yeares at least after whose time ( as krantius in metropoli sua lib. . cap. . doth note ) it was that charles the great did also remit to christians their tributes , and in steede of of them assigned tithes vnto churches & bishops . and it is yet more apparant by that which antiquity recordeth of dionisius that was bishop of rome before the daies of constantine almost an hundred yeares , how that he made diuision of parishes , assigning seuerall churches to seuerall ministers , and assigned tithes & lands accordingly vnto them all . adde to these the testimony of s. augustine before mentioned , maiores nostrl , &c. for he , liuing not aboue an . yeares after constantines raigne , saith yet that their foreelders vsed to pay tithes ; giuing vs thereby to vnderstand that that custome had beene auncient , euen before any princes were christian , to make lawes to that purpose . concerning the present time , if i were alone , hauing so many of the auncients on my side , i neede not feare the cause much . truth chaungeth not with times ; nor is to bee measured by multitude . but god be thanked i am not alone . for howsoeuer some and those learned men of our church bee contrary minded ; the greater number , i assure my selfe , doe goe with mee . i doe but as a le●rner , sitting at the feete of so many worthy gamaliels , subscribe vnto their reuerend iudgements . if any enquire what the learned of other churches think , the testimonies of a few may giue vs a probability of the rest . iunius saith thus ; tithes by allawes ( that is , by the law of nature , of moses , of christ ; and of nations ) haue for euer beene hallowed vnto god. r●dulphus gualter though he be caluins imitator , and as it were commentator in his homil. vpon math. cap. . dissenting from him in this point , saith plainly , these things ( speaking of tithes ) ought to bee transferred to the church of the new testament . and a little after ; nec est quod aliquis decimarum legem , &c. that is , neither is it to any purpose for any one to say , that the law of tithes was abolished together with the ceremonies of moses law . for by what arguments may it euer bee prooued , that that law of tithes was euer by god abrogated ? zepperus differs as not in minde , so almost not in wordes from gualter ; for de leg . lib . cap. . thus he hath : a● quibus argumentis . &c. and by what arguments shall it be prooued that law of tithes to haue beene by god at any time abrogated ? and againe . quemadmodum in quartodecalogi praecepto ; euen as in the fourth precept of the decalogue , that which is ceremoniall is ceased , the morall parte remayning : so at this time , tithes are a parte of that stipend , which by the law of god and of nature , is due to the ministers of the gospel , for their labours in their office . now that we haue seene , what god , what the auncient fathers and reuerend councels , and some of our late , but learned writers haue determined vpon this point , i trust i may safely without preiudice to the truth , or doubt of errour conclude with them , and maintaine what i haue so oft affirmed , viz. that tithes are still due euen by the law of god ; the right and ordinary meanes for maintainance of the minister , & ( which is our princicipall question ) that very part and quantitie which euery man out of his goods increase ought to giue to that vse . herein if i doe erre , i will not say as ieremy did , cap. . . o lord thou hast deceiued me , and i am deceiued : but this i may well say ; the pillers of the church haue failed vnder me : the lights of the world haue blinded me : the guides of israel haue led me out of the way : the fathers of the people haue caused me , desiring to walke in their steps , to wander : with whom , so many , so holy , so learned and so auncient , while i doe erre , if the olde prouerbe ( cum platone errare tutissimum ) be worthy any respect , i feare and care the lesse . well : be it that it bee most true , that the tenth is gods part and so the ministers , yet what is that to such as haue no lands , no fields , no cattel , no fruits of the earth , & c ? what is that to tradesmen , artificers and other like , which liue by their imployments , by their labour and industry ? to such an obiection i answere thus : first , bee it thou haue no lands , no fields , nor cattell , &c. yet , if thou dwel vpon the face of the earth , it is maruaile but thou hast part of the earth more or lesse , an orchard or a garden at least . and if thou graunt that tithes ought to be paid of the fruits of the earth , then must thou by thine owne confession , pay tithe of thine orchard , and thy garden be it little or great , as doth the husbandman of his field , his medow , his cattell , &c. if it be a small matter , yet somewhat it is : and where is but little , euen a little is worthy the receiuing , and it cannot but be sinne to withhold it . marke but our sauiours words , math. . and thou shalt see plainely that those minutae decimae small tithes , as the law tearmes them , are to be paid aswel as the greater . for there he speaking of the pharisies that payd tithe of their rue , annis , mint , cummin , and of euery other herbe , all garden hearbs , as euery woman can tell , saith expresly , that as they ought to haue done weightier matters : so this , though a small thing , they ought not , ( as they did not ) to leaue vndone . which speach of christs , as i haue already shewed , in the iudgement of s. origen containes a precept for christians now , as well as an approbation of that the pharisies , in that point , did then . and as we doe spie day at a little hole , and try how good the tree is , by the taste of one of the fruites : so by this little , tryall may be made , and notice taken , how good , or how euil a payer of tithes thou wouldest be , if thou hadst possessions and great store of lands and cattell as the husbandman hath . it is our sauiour● owne rule and therefore currant , luk. . . hee that is faithfull in the least , he is faithfull also in much : and hee that is vniust in the least , is vniust also in much . if therefore thou haue not great and many tithes to pay , yet pay thou thy few and smaller tithes faithfully . as zachariah and elizabeth are commended for iust , in that they walked in all both precepts and ordinances , that is both greater and smaller obseruances of the law of the lord without reproofe : so is it the part of a iust m●n , to make a conscience of euery duty small and great . secondly , be it that thou haue no fields , nor lands , nor cattell , and such like , that yeeld such kinde of tithes , yet if thou haue other kinde of goods , there is a kinde of tithe , marke well what i say , there is a kind of tithe to be paide of those kind of goods that thou hast : as of fish , of foules , of spoiles in warre , of money gayned by trade , by art and labour . s. augustine , as hee wrote of this matter de decimis most of any of the fathers , so is he playnest of all other . serm. de temp. ser. . de dec . he saith directly , quodsi decim●s non habes , &c. but ( saith hee ) if thou haue not tithes of the fruites of the earth as the husbandman hath , yet whatsoeuer meanes thou hast to liue by , it is of god : & of that whereby thou doest liue , he demandeth tithes . pay thou therefore tithes of thy warfare , of thy trade , and of thy handy-craft . thus preached , and wrote , s. augustine for . hundred yeares agoe and therefore it is no new opinion : he goes farther and giues reason why this kind of tithe should be payd as well as the other . aliud . n. pro terra dependimus , aliud pro vsura vitae pensamus : that is , the one kinde of tithe we pay for the vse of the earth ( which we possesse ) the other for vse of our life vpon the earth . pay therefore o thou mā , whatsoeuer thou be , thy tithes ; because thou dost possesse the earth , and because thou art vouch safed thy life : his proofe is ; for thus saith the lord : euery man shall giue a redemption of his life : and so shall there not bee among them any plague or sicknes . the place of scripture he alleadgeth , is exod. . . whence this father gathers that euery man is to pay to god a tribute of his goods such as hee liues by . s. ambrose writeth to like effect in a sermon , he hath de quadrages . q●icunque recognouerit inse quod fideliter non dederit decimam &c. whosoeuer ( saith he ) shall call to minde that he hath not faithfully paid his tithes , let him now amend that wherein hee hath failed . what is it to pay faithfully ? but that he offer and bring at no time , neither lesse , nor the worser sorte of his graine , or of his wine , or of the fruits of his trees , or of his garden , or of his trade , or of his very hunting . with these agreeth s. gregory , saying ( as in the decrees he is alleadged ) extra de dec . cap. . ex transmissa . fidelis homo , de omnibus quae licitè potest acquirere , decimas erogare tenetur . ● . euery faithfull man is bound to pay tithes of all such goods , as he can lawfully get . according hereunto , whereas the first and most auncient lawes , as well temporall as ecclesiasticall , run in general tearmes , decimae de rebus omnibus : tithes of all things ; the canonists and other lawyers as well of former as of later ages willing and endeuouring to explane the same by specialities , haue inuēted , approued & hitherto continued that vulgar & knowne distinction of tithes prediall and personall . by prediall meaning such as arise of the increase of the earth : by personall such as arise of goods gotten by labour and industry whether they be gotten ( saith a very famous lawyer ) by handicraft , industry , science , warfarre , trafficke , or any other lawfull act . and so doe all agree vpon the point , that euery man is to pay one kinde of tithe or other : viz. prediall if hee be a husbandman , personall if hee be and quatenus as he is a tradesman , artificer , &c. of such goods as a man hath and liues by himselfe , they determine that god and his church must still haue some or other parte . hee that is taught , of what vocation and course of life soeuer he be , must make his teacher partaker with him of all such goods as hee hath . reason and equitie doe consent it should be so . for as in the common-weale , it is but reason that in subsides and other dueties to the king , &c. one sorte of subiect bee taxed as well as another : so in the church for the seruice of god. it is a weake plea for a trades-man , an artificer , a townesman , a cittizen , that is of wealth competent , to say i haue no lands , therefore i ought not to bee seazed to subsidy : it suffiseth that hee bee found worth thus much in landes or in goods . and as bad and weake a reason it is to say , i haue no lands , no corne , nor cattell , therefore i ought to pay no tithe . if thou haue other kinde of goods , pay of those thou hast . god requires a parte of that a man hath ; and not of that , hee hath not . giue therefore to god , that which is gods , as well as to caesar that which is caesars . further , looke vpon the vse whereunto the tithes are assigned by god and man : what is it but the maintainance of the minister ? now haue not townesmen vse and neede of the gospel ? of the ministerie ? of teachers , as well as husbandmen ? why then is it not reason they yeelde thereunto the due and appointed maintenance as well as they ? haue they other meanes equiualent ? wee know of none : the ministers find none . the very law of nature saith the laborer is worthy of his hire , for whomsoeuer it be that he doth labor . why should any then looke that men should labour for them , gratis . the law of god and man hath appointed this , tithes to be the hire of the minister , his wages for his worke in the gospell . why then should any sort of people denie or withhold it ? they that will haue spirituall things must render temporall . otherwise , a man hath no reason to account himselfe bound to labour for them as his hearers , that will not intertaine him as their teacher . they that contrary to the law , which saith forsake not the leuit , all daies of thy life , forsake the minister , & keeping from him his appointed maintenance , leaue him to seeke the bread of his body , where he may ; haue no wrong done them , if they be forsaken , and left without ephod and without teraphim , to seeke for the foode of their soules where they wil ; and are little to be pitied though they wander from sea to sea , & from the north to the east , running to and fro , to seeke the worde of god , and yet finde it not , because they haue brought such famine vpon themselues , and reap but such fruites as their owne hands haue sowne . their owne bloud bee vpon their owne heads , that will prefer riches before religion , earth before heauen , the world before god , & the welth of their body to the health of their soul. from proofe let vs come to practise : to which purpose if enquirie and search be made , all ages and times will affoord vs record sufficient , when , where , & by whō such tithes haue bin paid . the first tithes that euer wee reade to haue beene paid , were those that abraham paid to melch●zedec . and what kind of tithes were they ? if the common translations of the bible deceiue vs not , the text of holy scripture , heb. . . telleth vs , they were tithes of the spoiles , the tenth of the bootie taken in battell , that is , personall tithes . concerning the isralites whether they paid thē or no i wil not contend . it is as probable , yea , as no. first ▪ by the words of the law , which after an enumeratiō of some particulars vseth this general terme al the tēth in israel , tithes of al things . nū . . . . chro. . . secondly , by their certaine and knowne practise in other things , namely in al kind of offerings & sacrifices to be performed vnto the lord. in those there was no difference among them betwixt one and other , but the one sort were bound to performe them , as wel as the other . the law is plaine for it , exod. . . but specially , nū . . . al that are borne of the countrie shall do these things , thus : and one law , and one maner shall serue for both . they that had not beasts of their owne for sacrifice , must buy them of others , &c. now as they were to prouide thē offerings for the lord by such goods as they had ; likely it is , they were also to pay tithes for the maintenance of the leuits and priests of god , of such goods as they had . thirdly we do read num. , that being returned from battel , the lord did expressely require , by the name of the lords tribute , a certaine parte of the bootie , as one of . & of . one , lesse indeede a great deale then a tenth , yet bearing proportion to a tenth . and whether it may be accounted a right personal tēth that is diductis expensis , the expenses diducted , let others iudge . it doth shew vs at least thus much : that god would by some part of that which was gotten , be acknowledged to be the giuer of the whole , and authour of the victorie . and that such custome continued in israel , we may not obscurely gather , . chro. . . where we read , that of the battailes and spoiles taken in warre dauid the king & the chiefe fathers , the captaines ouer thousands & hundreds , and all the captaines of the armie , and besides them , samuel the seer , saul that had bin king , abner the son of ner , ioab & others , had dedicated ( according as the lord commanded , nu. . say some expositors ) such an abundance of treasure , that there were treasurers , men of great name , elected & deputed for keeping therof . fourthly , the leuits themselues , hauing none inheritance of lands , &c. yet did pay to the priests the tenth of their tenth : & that was accounted vnto thē , as we read nu. . , as the corne of the barne , & abundance of the winepresse . if the leuits themselues that receiued tithes of others must & did pay tithe of that they had , is it not probable , that others of what condition soeuer they were for whom the leuits serued , did pay of that they had , which might , be acounted vnto thē , as the corne & wine to the husbād-mā , & & as the tenth of the tenthto the leuits ? & doth it not intimate , that by such meanes as a mā hath , & doth himself liue by , he ought to cōfer to the maintenance of the minister ; who must liue by him , because hee laboureth for him . fifthly , luk. . . our sauiour brings in a pharisie speaking proudly i graunt , yet truely thus : i giue tithe of all that euer i possesse . herevpon i aske first , whether in the person of this one pharise , bee not expressed vnto vs the actions of them all ? and in this point , of the whole nation ? then , whether all pharisies were husbandmen onely , or whether ●t bee not probable , that some of them were artificers as paul , lawiers as gamaliel , townesmen , as they that dwelt at ierusaelem , &c and thirdly , if beeing townesmen , tradesmen and artificers , they did giue tithe of all that they possessed , whether it must not necessarily follow , that they gaue tithes of their trades , labours , stipends , &c. seeing goods gotten that way , bee part of that a man dooth possesse aswell as cattell , corne , &c. and is the same to him , that the field , the tree , the beast , &c. is to the husbandman ? sixtly , admit ( contrary to so euident probabilities ) that the iews did not pay any personall tithes , yet it followes not by and by , that therefore christians ought not . for the case is not altogether like . because their priests and leuits dwelt together , either at the house of god or in other their owne cities assigned them as their peculiar possession by the lot of god , vnder the hand of iehoshuah , and did not dwell so dispersed as the ministers of the gospell doo and must , viz. in euery citie , towne and village . our maner of habitation therefore dooth necessarily require that which theirs did not : that is , that the minister of euerie place , haue his maintenance according to the place ; viz. by prediall tithes where are prediall , and by personall tithes where are personall . otherwise , seeing in lawe and equitie too , there is no compartition betwixt ministers of the gospell as was among leuits for their tithes ; either such places , where prediall tithes are not , must bee without ministers for lacke of maintenance , or else the ministers hauing little or nothing must ( as commonly they doo , but woe bee to them by whom it commeth ) liue not like their brethren that haue prediall tithes , minister like ; but , as if they were the drudges and dregs of the world deseruing no reward , beggarlike . and to this agree the words of the apostle who saith , . cor. . that the minister should eate ( as the sheepheard ) of the milke of his owne flocke : drinke ( as the husbandman ) of the fruit of his owne wine : be fed ( as the oxe ) of that corne which himselfe dooth thresh out : and as our text decla●●● plainely ) ●ee made partaker of all his goods , whom hee dooth teach in the word . which is not obserued , vnlesse as the husbandman yeelds him tithe of his corne , of his cattell , of his fruites , &c. so the fisherman yeeld him tithe of his fish ▪ the fouler of his fowles , the soldiour of his pray , the hireling of his wages , the tradesman and artificer of their monny gotten by their labour , art & industrie , &c. . from the iewes if we goe to the heathen to search for this matter , their stories doo abundantly testifie that touching their bootres & pray taken in warre it was an ordinary thing with them to pay decimas the tithes thereof ( as abraham had doone to the true god ) to some or other of their imagined gods. as , 〈◊〉 generall among the greeks , hauing gotten a notable victorie against the persians , decimae seposuae , the tithes of the pray were layd aside to sacred vse , & employed part vnto the honour of apollo , part of iup●ter , & part of neptune . sabellic . aenead . . lib. . pag. . camillus dictator amōg the romanes , subduing the veians , tithes were payd vnto apollo . liui. decad. pri . lib. . the carthiginians payd vnto hercules the tenth of their sicilian pray . dauell . pag. . of other goods to pay the tenth was happily not so vsual among them , yet not altogether without example . for as plutarch in lucullo reporteth of lucullus a romane citizen and a rich , that he obserued the vse of paying tithes to hercules : so diodor. sicul. biblith . lib. . cap. . dooth testifie . that not lucullus one he , but also many citizens of rome , & not onely those of meane wealth , but likewise they that were esteemed the richest of them all , vsed to pay decimas the tenth of their goods to hercules . thus it appeareth that the heathens also vsed to pay personall tithes aswel as prediall . . desc●nd wee lastly vnto our selues , that is vnto christians ▪ and what hath beene accustomed all christendoome ouer for many . of yeares together , is not obscure to perceiue nor difficult to gather , by the number infinite almost of decrees , lawes , constitutions , discourses & writings that are extant at this day to bee read of all men touching this sorte of tithes aswell as other . among the which , our owne english. statutes● made since the abādoning of popery in the daies of the worthy & renowned kings of most famous memorie , king henrie the eight , and k. edward the sixt , deserue remembrance . in the preamble wherof all such as shal attempt to withhold their tithes either prediall or personall are branded with the note of euill disposed persons ; and in the body wherof is at large expressed the ne●ner how such kind of tithes ought to bee payd . and what ? shall wee offer that vnto the makers of such lawes and constitutions to imagine that they enacted such things as they either knew ought not , or they intended should not be put in practise ? or that vnto our forefathers & other auncient christians , that they liued vnder lawes lawlesly ? gaue the●r superiors leaue to decree what they would , but tooke libertie to themselues to obserue what they listed ? & made no conscience to pay such tithes as the lawes both of the church and land informed and required them to pay ? if wee would ; yet the memorie of former times wil conuince vs to our faces , seeing it is not vnknowne vnto the present age in what wealth and good estate the ministers of the church in former daies as well in towne as country did liue . for how could that bee , except that people then had made a conscience to pay all maner of tithes , & acknowledge personall tithes to bee no lesse due then prediall ? . for our owne time it can not bee denied , that in london , and some few other places that are tyed therevnto by auncient composition , ( and happie were our land , and blessed shall hee be that effects it ▪ if the like were established the whole land ouer ) they are still yearely payd , to the glory of god , great good of the church , & content both of pastour and people . if in other places where such composition lies not ; they bee not payd either by computation , or other reasonable composition , yet that they ought to bee payd is a case most cleare . and the withholding of them can bee none other but a most grieuous sinne to god , wrong to his church , preiudice to learning , hindrance to religion , & decay of our ministery . of which there is no hope it may bee furnished with learned and able teachers in townes and cities specially , where at this day they are most wanting , & yet most needfull , to bee had ; vnlesse people be drawne either by instinct of conscience , or strength of good & able lawes , to the due , or at least much better performance of this dutie . thus scripture , fathers , reason , lawes and practise affirme that there are two sortes of tithes to bee payd , viz. 〈◊〉 and personall . that the tradesman , artificer , &c. must pay a kinde of tithe of such goods and profits as 〈◊〉 hath , aswell as the husbandman dooth of his . but , what kinde of tithe ? ( for that i willed before to bee noted ) what ? a full tenth of all hee receiues , as dooth the husbandman of all that which to him increaseth ? herein i acknowledge some difference . neither will i about it dissent from them in wh●se steps i haue traced hitherto . the common determination of the learned and lawes in this behalfe both is and hath beene , that the tradesman , artificer , &c. shall pay the tenth of his cleare gaines , that is , expensis d●ductis , his ordinary and necessary charges from the whole beeing first deducted . by which aduantage it must came to passe , that whereas the husbādman payeth int●gram decimam , an entire tenth , one of euery tenne , it may so fall out , according to the greatnes or smalnes of the expenses , that the other shall pay but one of xij . or xv . of xx . or xxx . happely of fifty , which yet is still called ( rather i thinke for the relation it hath to that number , then for the proportion or quantitie it selfe , and for auoiding confusion ) a tithe or tenth . see now good reader , this is that durus sermo , that hard saying , that vnreasonable motion , whereof who can abide the hearing ? but let no man bee offended without cause . let all things bee considered well and weighed in equall ballance , and what hardnes , what extremitie , is there in this ? whē as the tradesman , the artificer , &c. in regard of his charges , labours , aduenture , &c. is so much fauored more then the husbandman , that where the one bath but nine parts for his labour and charges whatsoeuer it bee , th' other may haue . . . or . times so many parts or more to himselfe for his charges ? what , because it is no reason , by reason of his much charges , and many casualties , hee should pay an entire tenth , which no body dooth demaund no● affirme ; is it reason therefore , he should pay no tithes at all ? honour god with none of his goods ? reward the minister that giues him spirituall things , with none of his temporall ? what ? nothing but his accustomed offerings ? for so some sticke not to stand vpon it , that they which haue no lands , cattell , &c. ought to pa●e nothing but their offerings ; except ( forsooth ) they will of their owne good wills ( as if their minister were their almesman ) giue him anie more : a speach so deuoide of sense and reason , that i wonder it can come out of the mouthes of such as will seeme to guide their words by reason , and their action by religion . for is there any law that saith : none shall pay tithes but such as haue lands , cattell , & c ? doth not our owne statute law , ( which yet of all other is most fauourable to the people in this case ) and the canon law , speake directly of . sorts of tithes , prediall & personall ? and whereas the accustomed offerings are so small , that it is not possible they alone might be able to maintaine a minister in any sorte , no not in the greatest parish in england : may it bee imagined , that any lawmakers should but intend such a thing , viz. to exempt all such from payment of tithes as haue not lands , &c. knowing that there bee many hundred parishes in the land , where if personall tithes bee not payd , the minister hath and can haue in maner nothing to liue by ? there is none i thinke of so little knowledge and experience in the world , but knowes well enough , that in all places the land ouer , wheresoeuer men pay tithes of corne , cattell , &c. to the vttermost , yet they pay these accustomed offerings too . now mee thinkes , people ( knowing this ) should of themselues conceiue , that tradesmen , &c. pay not their offerings in lieu of those tithes and other emoluments which husbandmen paye : but that as husbandmen pay the like offerings , notwithstanding their tithes payd in the largest maner ; so themselues should , besides those offerings , pay some thing or other , which might bee somewhat equiualent to the husbandmans tithes . that so it might appeare by their deedes , * that they loue the gospell & ministers thereof , no lesse then the husbandman dooth , & are as worthie thereof as hee . which thing , without all question , our forefathers and auncient lawmaters carefully did intend and respect in appointing personall tithes : and is only then performed , when they , in one or other maner , are yeelded . chap. vii . yeeldeth some reasons and speciall causes , why god vouchsafeth to haue as his owne , some part of all mens goods . why the tenth . and why so great a portion , as tithes , offerings , &c. are , hee hath assigned vnto his ministers . where the reader shall finde diuers weightie causes , why ministers ought to haue , not a beeggerly & sparing ▪ but ample and liberall maintenance . hitherto i haue shewed what right the church hath vnto tithes , & proued by sundry arguments drawne from the scriptures , fathers , lawes of nations , rule of equitie , and consent of times , that tithes both prediall and personall , are still due to the ministers of the gospell , and ought now in the time of the gospell by diuine right & ordinance to be payd . now i hope it will not seeme to the good reader time ouerlong , nor labour superfluous , to consider somewhat also more specially of the end & reason wherefore it hath pleased god to sanctifie and set apart vnto himselfe , as a continuall inheritance , any part , or such a part of our temporall goods . such a consideration can not but bee a profitable and necessarie motiue and incitation to the true & better performance of this kinde of dutie . of this point i conceiue that there be . principall causes ▪ one that respecteth directly & immediately god himselfe ; another that respecteth the church of god. that which respecteth god himselfe , is the acknowledgment of gods sole and souereigne dominion ouer all . god will by by some certaine portion of our goods , returned backe and offered vp againe vnto him , bee acknowledged to bee lord of all . i say againe : as god is the giuer of all our wealth , and he onely who blesseth the workes of our hands : so for acknowledgement of his vniuersall dominion , he will haue a part thereof set apart for himselfe . this is it the lord meaneth , when making claime vnto tithes , offerings , vowes & other hallowed things , hee calleth them his ; & speaking of them , tearmeth them mine offerings , my hallowed things , the lords tribute , his inheritance , &c. as we read in sundry places of the law ; namely , numb . . leuit. . &c. that salomon meaneth when ( as a morall dutie written in the hearts of men by nature ) he teacheth euery man , to honour the lord with his substance , prou. . . that the prophet insinuateth , when on gods behalfe he chargeth the people , that in withholding their tithes and offerings , they had robbed and defrauded , not so much the priests and leuits , as the lord himselfe . yee haue spoiled me , saith the lord : wherein ? in tithes & offerings . accordingly auncient diuines counted it currant doctrine and a kind of speech very agreeable to pietie & trueth , to speake after this maner : wee offer vnto god our goods as tokens of thankefulnes , for that wee receiue . iren. lib. . cap. . hee which worshippeth . god ( saith origen . in numb . . homil. . ) must by gifts and oblations acknowledge him lorde of all . s. august . tract . de rectitud . cath. conuers . hath these words , vnusquisque de quali ingenio vel artificio viuit , &c. euery man of that meanes whereby hee liueth , thereof let him pay to god the tenth . let him consider that all is of god , that he liueth by , whether it be the earth , or the waters , or seeds , or all things that be vnder heauen or aboue ; & if he ( god ) had not giuen it vnto him , he had had nothing . and in the decrees , as a maxime vndeniable , such like preambles and assertions are to be read ; cum autem in signum vniuersalis dominij , &c. forsomuch as in signe of his vniuersall souereignitie , as it were by a speciall title , the lord hath reserued tithes vnto himselfe , auouching & clayming them to be his owne , &c. and some of our owne later writers very iudiciously , vpon like consideration , haue tearmed tithes and other holy things appropriated vnto god sacrum vectigal , a sacred tribute , or rent : sacred both in regard of the person ( god ) to whom properly it is due , & of the vse , vnto which god hath assigned it to bee payd . there cannot bee a clearer trueth then this : yet so are mens eyes now a-daies blinded with couetousnes , or their minds daseled with ignorance , that a great part of men , euen of men professing godlines and knowledge , seeme to account it a straunge doctrine . many would faine perswade themselues that for their wordly goods , if they vse them soberly and without excesse , if they get & keep them without the detriment & iniury of others , specially if they goe one degree farther ; i meane , if they bestow some small & contemptible portion to some charitable vses ; they haue discharged their dutie to the vttermost , and god requireth no more at their hands . but indeed wee must know yet farther , that as wee cannot honour god rightly , vnlesse both our bodies & soules bee imployed sometimes meerely in his seruice : and as wee cannot with our bodies and soules religiously & duly serue god , vnlesse some part of our times , as the seauenth day , bee taken cleane away from our wordly busines & vses , and imployed wholly in his : so wee doo not and cannot truely and throughly honour him , vnles wee giue vnto him likewise a part of our substance . for are not our goods his , aswell as our daies , and as our selues ? why should wee not then honour him with a speciall part of the one , as well as of the other ? and vnles with part thereof we acknowledge his supreame dominion , by whose beneuolence wee haue the whole , how doo wee giue honour to whom honour belongeth , or how hath god the things that are gods ? i would know what nation in the world , did euer honour god , and did not thinke it a point of their duetie to doo him honour with their goods ? so that this we may blodly set downe as a principle cleare in nature , an axiome which ought not to bee called in question , a truth manifest & infallible , that men are eternallie bound to honour god with their substance , in token of thankefull acknowledgement that all they haue is from him . to honour him i say with their worldly goods , not onely by spending them in lawfull maner , & by vsing them without offence in the world , but also by alienating from themselues some reasonable part or portion thereof , and by offering vp the same to him , as a signe that they gladly confesse his sole and singular dominion ouer all , as a dutie which all men are bound vnto , and a part of that very worship of god , which , as the law of god and nature it selfe requireth , so wee are the rather to thinke all men no lesse strictly bound therevnto , then to any other naturall dutie : inasmuch as the hearts of men doo so clea●e to these earthly things , so much admire them for the sway they haue in the world , impute them so generally either to nature or chance , so little thinke vpon the grace and prouidence from which they come , that vnles by a kinde of continual tribute men be inured to acknowledge gods dominion , it may bee doubted , that in short time men , would learne to forget whose tenants they are , and imagine that the worlds is their owne , absolute , free and independant inheritance . thus it appeareth by the testimonie of god himselfe , and of godly men from time to time , that as god out of the whole masse of mankind hath reserued to himselfe some , whom he calleth his elect : out of the habitations of the s●nnes of men , their earthly buildings , some , which he calls his temple , his house : of times & seasons some , his sabbaths , his solemne feasts : of seruants & attendants , some his priests & ministers : so likewise of the goods & wealth that mē enioy vpō the earth soe portiō vnto himself , viz. his tithes & oblations , as his proper right , portion and inheritance . that god ought to haue some parte of our goods sanctified and offered vnto him , wil happely be soone graunted of the most part to be but necessary iust & reasonable : but may it be possible to shew any reason or cause why god should vouchsafe to make choise of the tenth part rather thē soe other , either greter or lesser ? the maine & surest reason of al is his will : against which ( he hauing once reuealed that his will is , to reserue the tenth part as his owne ) who may dispute ? he is not bound alwaies to giue vs a reason of his will , which wee know cannot but be iust and wise what euer it be . of daies and times , why he hath sanctified to himselfe the seuenth day we haue the reason and cause euidently taught vs , viz. because on that day herested frō al his work which he had created . gē . . . exo. : & therfore it behoued that day not the . or . or any other to be celebrated . if we haue not y ● like for our goods yet that it is no lesse reasonable and iust , we may not doubt . and reason it selfe must needes teach vs , that it is no reason , if we must giue to god some part of our goods , that it should bee any contemptible portion ; as if it were fit to honor god as we relieue the poore of the parish , with some cold beneuolence : and therfore that centesima , an hundreth , or which is worse ( though oft practised ) millesima , the thousandth parte of our goods were enough for him . we shame to bring vnto a noble man , a prince , a king , any other then some royall and notable present , the best and goodliest we can get : such as may wel beseeme vs to giue , and him to receiue : such as may argue our affection toward him , and procure & win his liking toward vs. how much more then , being to come into the presence of god , and to offer to him of our goods should both reason and religion mooue vs , to the end it may be the better accepted , to offer to him no beggarly nor niggardly parte , but such as may shew a thankfull hearte , and liberall mind : nor of the worst and scruffe , but of the fattest , fayrest and best of our goods ; according as god did , by expresse law , require of his people , leuit. . . deut. . . & . . exech . . . and being not performed , did in them sharpely reprooue , as yee may read , mal. . . wherefore seeing reason teacheth this , it cannot but conclude withall , that must be a tenth or thereabout . but the likeliest reason that i can coniecture is , the end & speciall vse whereunto god assigned & intended to depute this his portion ; which is ( as after i shall shew at large ) the maintenance of his ministers : for whom it seemeth he accounted the tenth to be a portion so cōpetent , as by which ordinarily together with his offerings , they might in some sufficient and fit measure be able liue : which they could not do vpon a lesse , as the . or . parte . and this reason i thinke the whole world in manner ( heathen , iewish & christian ) hath in all ages , as , if not obeying , at least yet imitating god , approued & respected , in condiscending to yeeld ( as a portion to that vse so competent , that any other more cōpetent it were not possible for the wit of man to deuise ) that parte , to the maintenance of the priests and ministers of god and his church . the farther frō reason ( religion i wil not say ) this present age ; which ( dissenting frō the iudgement of god , of ancient & best christians , besides iewes and heathen ) account the hundredth , yea many times , the thousandth part of the goods to be enough for god , & maintenance sufficiēt for his church & ministers therof . and as god by expresse law required the best and fairest to be offered vnto him : so in many things men haue obserued ( how truely i leaue to others ) the tenth as it were naturally to be the best , the very croppe and principall . insomuch that in old plautus the word decumanus is vsed for magnus , that is the tenth thing for a great one of that kind : and ( as scholers doe know ) in other authors decumana oua , decimus fluctus , decumana porta , and decumanus limes , are vsed for , or accounted , of others the greatest . so that god requiring the best , and the best and goodliest being naturally the tenth , it seemeth that in demanding the best , he meaneth the tenth . some thing there is also to be considered in the very number it selfe . for it is certaine , that not onely men indued with religion , and true knowledge of god , but euen heathen wise , haue respected much the numbers of . of . and of . which probable it is they haue done by a certaine secret and speciall instinct of natures light , suggesting vnto them . as a number mysticall because of the trinitie ; . as a number of holinesse because of the seauenth day ; and . as a number of perfection , contayning in it , and vnder it , al other numbers : as which in the speech and reconing of all nations vnder heauen , take their nomination and proceeding still by . and from ten to ten . now ( as one saith well ) three being the mysticall number of gods vnsearchable perfection within himselfe : . the number whereby our owne perfections thorough grace are most ordered : and ten the number of natures perfections ( for the beautie of nature is order , and the foundation of order number , and of number ten , the higest we can rise vnto without iteration of numbers vnder it ) could nature better acknowledge the power of the god of nature , then by assigning vnto him that quantitie , which is the continent of all she possesseth ? law or expresse word of god , whereby he had reuealed to man that he required the tenth rather then any other part , till moses time we find none : but when as we read that long before moses the tenth was paide to god , may we not with good probabilitie gather , that they knew that god accepted that part gratefully , & required it rather then any other parte , at their handes ? let vs also see the other cause , viz. that which concerneth the church of god : and that is , that so hee might haue wherewith to maintaine those that should attend his ministerie and seruice in all ages and in all places the world thoroughout . it cannot be denied , but that god from the beginning of times required of al men to be publikely worshipped & serued : & thereupon it is not possible to name that nation vnder heauen , which liuing in any forme of humane societie , hath not by the meere instinct & light of nature professed a publicke & solemne honor & worship of god. so that whether they haue done it rightly , as did the patriarks & church of god frō time to time ; or erroniously & corruptly , as the heathē that knew not the true god , nor true form of diuine worship : yet they haue al , & alwaies agreed in the matter , viz. that god was publikely to be worshipped , howsoeuer they disagreed and varied in the manner , viz. in what sorte that ought to be done . secondly , it is as clear and out of all question , that for the due & better celebratiō of that his publik worship & seruice , god ordained from the beginning a publike ministery and priesthood , and would not that any should presume to intermeddle in that function , and vndertake that worke , but such as he himselfe had either ordinarily by men , or extraordinarily by himselfe called and chosen thereunto . and reason : for if among men , princes , lords , &c. will not be serued and attended on , but by men of their owne choise ; is it not more probable a great deale , that the king of kings , and lord of all lords , will not be serued in his church , but by such as himselfe hath thereunto elected and appointed ? now as god would euer haue publicke worship of his owne description ; seruants and attendaunts therunto of his owne ordination : so it was his will , and his wisdome , to reserue vnto himsel●e a parte of the goods , increase and profits of the world ▪ that so he might haue of his owne , wherewith to maintaine those his owne seruants . this i take to be cleare by gods owne speach vnto moses : when hauing set his marke vpon diuers things , calling them mine offerings , mine hallowed things , my tithes , &c. he addeth , these haue i giuen to the sonnes of leui , why ? for the seruice which they doe me in the tabern , and it ( viz. the tithes , offerings , &c. ) is your wages for your seruice vnto mee . which words doe plainely show , that god would that such as attended him , and serued at his altar , should receiue those things as his pay , and not as mens ; as from his hand and not from man : in lieu of the wages and reward which for their seruice it was fit and necessary , that he their maister & lord should allow them . whereupon he ●aith not to the people ( the maner of speech is much to be noted ) you shal giue them your offerings , &c. for the seruice they doe you : but i haue giuen them mine , &c. as who say , you shall pay it me , and as mine from my hand shall they receiue it , that so i may pay them out of mine owne purse , with mine owne hands , of mine owne goods , and not they serue mee or i retaine them at other mens cost . that they haue , they haue it of me , and from me , it is mine and not yours . which if you yeeld not to them as i haue commanded you , you rob and defraud me your god , aswell as them my seruants . to this accord the words also of the prophet malachie . cap. . : where god speaketh thus : will a man spoyle his gods ? yet haue yee spoiled me . but yee said wherein haue we spoyled thee ? in tithes and offerings . yee are cursed with a curse : for ye haue spoyled me , euen this whole nation . bring yee all tithes into the storehouse , that there may bee meate in mine house , &c. where the lord againe challengeth al tithes & offerings properly , and in right to be his , calleth the priests barne his barne , the priests house his house , and sheweth plainely ; that he hath allotted those his duties to them as their mainetenance for the seruice they doe him . it was the least thought the people had , to defraud god , they accounted they had but pinched a few fat bellied priests that had no neede thereof , and kept shorte a sorte of lazie leuits vnworthy of it : but god tells them , that in abusing them , he was abused ; in defrauding them , he was spoyled : because those things which they should haue receiued , were properly his , & not theirs . neither were the very heathen so blind and ignorant but that they saw this : and therefore whatsoeuer they vowed and offered vnto their gods , they deliuered it alwaies into the hands of some or other priests ; as they that knew , that god had assigned ouer to his priests & ministers the vse of such things , as should be giuen , consecrated , or offered vnto him . and therefore whereas they themselues made great conscience of touching or prophaning hallowed things , they neuer accounted it a fault , but a freedome and dutie in the priests , to liue thereof . and truely i cannot therein but commend the religious intention of our foreelders , who did euer account the tithes , &c. as none of their owne goods , but , as they did vsually call them , gods part ; as who had learned , that such things properly were due to god himselfe , and therefore did pay them euen of conscience to god , as they that considered & knew that god had giuen them to the church for the maintenance of the ministery thereof : & knowing that to rob god , to commit sacriledge , could be no light offence , did often in their testaments make prouision to pay a certaine sum of mony , as a recompence for tithes forgotten ; wheras now no conscience ( and much lesse recompence ) is made pro dec . ablatis for tithes any way taken from god and his ministers . the same perswasion was no doubt one speciall motiue that induced them to be willing & careful to pay such duties without respect of persons , without grudging & repining , without exception at this man & that ; as they that knew and considered , that whatsoeuer men deserue , or may seeme worthy or vnworthy of : yet god , who is the giuer of all is still worthy to receiue his owne part out of the whole , without diminution or alteration : and they still bound , what euer he be that receiues it , to pay the same . a●d verily the want of this perswasion is one maine and principall cause , why at this day in many places people pay the minister his maintenance so grudgingly & so badly . they cōsider not , that what they pay , is none of their own , but properly gods part , due first of all vnto him as an honorarium wherewith they ought to acknowledg him the supream lord. they account that they pay to be their own , & they deale with the minister as for mine & thine . and accordingly as they affect the mā , so they presume to deale with him , not thinking that they haue to do with god in this case , more thē in any other ordinary or wordly matter : & therfore as loue or hatred , cōtent or discontēt , couetousnes or equity caries thē , so they deale more or lesse liberally & iustly in this behalfe . this hath come to passe ( i coniecture ) a great deale thorough the ministers owne defalt ; in that diuers of them , not looking thoroughly into the matter , haue taught people , that tithes are not now due iure diuino , and claime tithes & offerings as their tithes & their offerings : wheras indeed if they folowed the phrase of holy scripture , and spake as the word of god teacheth , they should rather call them gods tithes , the offerings of god , & claime them by the name of gods part , the churches right , &c. i doe not deny , but that they may in some sort call them , their tithes , their offerings , their duties , &c. because they are by assignation from god become and made theirs : but yet i doubt whether they can without sin alwaies so speake ; and should not rather , euen in honor of him by whose right they hold , whose receiuers & substitutes they are , speake more properly , and if not alwaies , yet vsuallie cal them as they are , the offerings of god , gods tithes , &c. this would mooue men that heare it , to be more religious in this pointe . it would strike some better awe , and mooue the conscience of men the more in this case , to vse more sinceritie , equity and liberalitie then commonly they doe . the fathers and men of auncient time did neuer almost speake otherwise then thus ; redde deo decimam : deus dignatur dec . accipere : decimae deo debentur : pay to god his tithes : god vouchsafeth to receiue the tenth : tithes are due to god. and they bring in god claiming in this sort , giue me my tenth part : if thou wilt giue me my tenth , i will multiply thy nine parts : if thou wilt not giue me my tenth , &c. and if we shal imitate them therein , we shall doe but as the best haue done . but to bring the matter to some issue , the point is , that god hath reserued to himselfe tithes , offerings , &c. that so he might haue wherewith desuo , of his owne proper goods , to maintaine his ministers . herein i note a special point of the great and diuine wisdome of god , that would so prouide for his seruants & not leaue them to the curtesie of men . and i would it might be well considered , whether they do not check this wisdom of god , which deny this verity , & affirme , that god ( as not so prouident for his seruants , as men of any place or fashion be for theirs ) hath prouided them of nothing of his own , but left them to the curtesie of the world , which hates them , and mercy ( for the most part ) of the mercilesse . further consider we , whether god hauing reserued vnto himselfe a part of that men possesse , & yet to that end specially that therewith he might maintaine , among vs , such as might , being his seruants , guide vs in the way of saluation , bring vs to ged , win vs to christ , confirme vs in the truth , &c. and so be our ministers as well as his , ours in the worke of the lord : consider , i say , whether it be not a great sin , a notorious argument of extreame ingratitude to god , to defraude them of , or to deny thē that maintenance , those means to liue by , which god hath giuen thē for our good ? seeing thevse of their ministery , the fruit of their labors , & seruice in the worke of the lord , redoundeth properly & specially vnto vs. if a king receiuing tributes , subsidies , &c. of his people , should employ the same in defence of the country , the good of the cōmonwealth : if a land-lord receiuing fines & rents of his tenants shuld spend the same among thē in keeping of good house , in repayring their tenements , in mending their high-waies , &c. we wold easily grant , that such subiects and such tenants were much to be blamed , if they would not willingly pay those payments to the vttermost . god doth so and more then so with vs. he receiueth of vs the tithes and offerings as his sacrū vectigal his sacred tribute , his holy rent : and what doth hee therewith ? hee employes it all againe to our good , to our vse , in maintaining worthy captaines and souldiers , that may defend the gospel and continually encounter the enemie of our faith : vpon laborers that may worke hard in the worke of the ministery , and be painful in publishing the gospel , that so we might be builded vp as holy temples and spirituall habitations to himselfe , yea that so we might be exalted to dwell with him in eternall glory . and therefore i think our sin cannot be little , nor our fault excusable , if as it were condemning his wisedome , & enuying our owne fe●icity , we will not suffer his goods , his portion , to be conuerted to our best profit , nor willingly pay and yeeld him that which is his right , that so we may receiue it againe , not to his but to our owne benefit . hardly , it is likely , would we be drawne , as did many godly christians in the primitiue church , in our daies some few people do , & as in the iudgement of such as be wise & religious , it is but the duty of all christians ( if need be ) to do , viz. ( paying our tenth from the church ) maintaine the minister out of the other nine parts , as by allotting him another tenth , because the very tenth is taken away : or giuing him otherwise vnto that which remaineth that which is somewhat competent ; seeing wee grudge to him that which is none of ours , but gods , and so his ( the ministers ) owne already : that which not by vs , but indeed by god ▪ is alloted & assigned vnto him . this reason and consideration seemed vnto s. aug. so good , that speaking of tithes in one whol sermon thereof , it is the very first that he doth vrge ; deus qui dignatur totum dare , &c. god ( saith hee ) which vouchsafeth to giue vs the whole , doth vouchsafe to receiue againe of vs the tenth , which shal yet redound not to his , but doubtlesse to our profit . how to our profit ? but because our outward estate shal be bettered thereby , by gods blessing vpon the . parts , for that the tenth is iustly paid , as there he shews , and hereafter we shall see : and our inward estate shal be amended , while the ministery of the gospel being therby planted and continued among vs , our knowledge , faith , and piety shall thereby be increased . the same also the whole councel of tribur . considered , as appeareth by their words , where supposing god to speake thus , giue me my tithes , &c. they cōclude in this manner ; if therefore any man make question , why tithes are paid ? let him know , that therfore they are to be paid , . that god by such deuotion being pacified , may more abundantly giue vs ( corporall ) necessaries : and . that the ministers of the church being therby releeued , may be the more free ( from worldly and secular incumbrances ) to the fulfilling of their spirituall exercises ( the fruite whereof we are to receiue . ) for ( as it is well knowne ) they labour not for themselues , but for others . and thus appeareth sufficiently the other , that is the second reason , why god hath assumed vnto himselfe part of mens earthly goodes as his owne proper right & inheritance . but yet , before i proceed any farther , a farther question doth arise , & may bee moued , vpon that last set downe , namely , why it pleased god to allott out vnto his seruants , his ministers , so great a portion , so honourable maintenance , as ( besides offerings , vowes and other things consecrated to god , both moueable and vnmoueable ) the tenth is : all which it is certaine , that not without gods approouement or appointment , the priests and ministers of god in all ages receiued & had : and in this age & time of the gospell , ought to haue . for answere herevnto , many and those maine and very apparant reasons may be giuen : & they all either expressed in , or deducible out of the word of god : as . first , thereby to honour their calling before men , who naturally doo respect them that haue some good meanes to liue by : and contrariwise , contemne and despise such as bee in pouertie , as persons obscure and contemptible . the elders ( saith s. paul , . tim. . . ) that rule well , are worthie double honour , specially , &c. where , by double honour , in the opinion of al expositors hee meaneth aswell liberall and honourable maintenance for themselues , as due reuerence and obedience to them and their doctrine . the lord did account it an honour to aaron and his priesthood to bee well and worthilie maintained , neither can it bee other to the ministers of the gospell . and if in time of peace and prosperitie men thinke it commendable for men of other degrees and callings to liue in wealth , and haue some abundance of these externall blessings : how can it bee but commendable likewise for the minister of god , to reape some fruite of the same things , to refresh his head with oile , to haue his table wel furnished , & his cup full : that it may not be sayd , that the arke of the lorde dooth rest in a tent of skins , and lie vnder a couering of goates haire , when men doo dwell in their houses of cedar , and haue their sieled chambers , . chro. . . and hag. . . and experience dooth shewe , that as howsoeuer men should receiue the faith of our lord iesus christ without respect of persons ; yet it is rare to finde the man , that dooth not preferre the man that weareth the gaie cloathing before him in the vile rayment : so it is hard to finde that people , which dooth not contemne a minister of god , if hee liue in pouertie and basenes ; and esteeme him much the more , whatsoeuer his desert bee , that carries some sway in the world , and liues ( as wee terme it ) in good reputation , and of himselfe . and when his person is once in disgrace and contempt , what is to bee expected of his labours it is easie to iudge . salomon obserued longe agoe , ecclesiast . . . that , better is wisedome then strength ; yet the wisedome of the poore is despised , and his words are not heard . i remember i haue read , how that the athenians on a time being in a common counsell , about some weightie matter , one that was but a poore and abiect fellow , gaue indeed best aduise and spake most to the purpose : the chiefe of the citie considering that it would bee the lesse and worse accepted , if it should be knowne to proceed from such a one , seemed to take no notice thereof ; and therefore assembling together another day , caused one that was of greater place & more authoritie with the people , to propound the same aduise againe : and so they followed it , as the later man 's , when indeed it was the formers . and i haue my selfe obserued and seene ere now , that two men preaching , the one beeing poore and of no note in the world , and th' other rich and of account for his wealth and liuing , though the poore man hath by many degrees in the iudgement of such as could discerne , and were not affectionate , exceeded th' other , yet hee hath beene farre lesse regarded ; and his labours , of the greater number , as scarce worth the hearing , disdaigned & little set by . it is a fault i grant , to respect the doctrine and labours of a man the lesse for his pouerty : but yet it is such a fault , as farre as i can finde , which god will haue amended , not so much by reprehending men for it , as by incouraging and inducing men to take away the cause thereof by maintaining his ministers wel , that they may not fall into contempt . where that course is not taken , but men will first by disabling and impouerishing the minister bring him into contempt , and then contemne him ; as the philosopher not vnworthily laughed at the folly of them which reiected him when hee came in his old rags , but admitted him curteously when hee returned in trim apparell , as if his new attire had made him to bee another , and not the same man hee was before : so may wee iustly condemne the wickednesse of such as make the minister , by ill and vnworthy maintenance , contemptible ; and then hauing themselues made him such , doo vndeseruedly contemne him . . secondly , this is doone , to mooue and draue men to bee willing to vndertak this kinde of calling . for else who almost will betake himselfe to the ministerie , and bee desirous to become a diuine , if he see before hand no hope of perferment , no likelyhood of due maintenance to arise thereby ? i graunt , that preferment & reward is not the principall end , wherto men should looke : yet when as men are not of that degree and calling by birth , as the seed of aaron was , but are , in respect of themselues , free to make choise what kinde of studie , what course of life and profession they will follow , it will be hard to finde many that will preferre that calling aboue others ; when they foresee , hauing spent their time , their patrimonie , their studies , for many yeares together that way , little or no hope of condigne reward , and fit maintenance . many will rather ( as is daily seene ) betake themselues to other professions , to the law , to physicke , to the schooles , yea to seruice , &c. wherein they see more hope of maintenance , and a ready way opened vnto preferment and estimation in the world . and few parents will there be , that will haue any great desire to train : vp their children of purpose for the ministery , when as they shal perceiue that when a man hath spent vpon one child ( if he be a man of any fashion ) . or ▪ pounds , thrise or twise asmuch as vpon any of the rest of his children , yet he is farther off from preferment then any of the rest , while it is not easie to attaine any thing vnlesse it bee some beggerly stipend , or a peeld benefice scarce woorth the taking vp . heathen men could obserue , that honos alit artes , it is honour and preferment that maintaineth any kinde of learning : & that , probata virtus inhonora cessat : vertue though it be commended , yet if it be not honoured and rewarded , will soone be discouraged . and wee may obserue , say what men will , that it is maintenance that dooth and will mainteine religion , and preferment that dooth & will draw fit and worthy men to the ministerie : that the want of due mainteinance in our land is the principall cause , that religion among vs flourisheth no better : and the lacke of due preferment in our church the maine and speciall reason , whie our ministerie till this day after so long a preaching of the gospel , so great a peace of the church , so large a t●me for breeding vp and planting of sufficient men , remaines yet so vnfurnished , as it dooth , of able teachers ; one halfe at the least , beeing yet far from any competent sufficiency to that office : besides many others , who being with learning & gifts very sufficiently qualified , which for want of due maintenance are both discouraged to employ their studies , disabled to doo that which otherwise they would & could performe , & compelled to bend their witts , & spend their time otherwaies . would to god therefore the gouernors of our land would at the length respecte this purpose of god , who hath allotted to his ministers so great and competent a portion , to the end thereby to allure and inuite men to vndergooe the calling : & accordingly prouide that euery where the same might in some measure so bee layd out for them , that there might bee apparant hope of preferment , and some certaintie of sufficient and good maintenance for such as would betake themselues to that course of life . then within a little while it would appeare , that there should bee no occasion nor need for furnishing of places , to fil them vp with tailors , weavers , or out-worne spend thrifts . the vniuersities like good fruitfull mothers would breed vp & send abroad of her children well neere enowe to supplie such vacations . many would open their mouthes with ioye , that now byde silent with griefe : not a few would stirre vp the gifts of god in them , which now either like the slouthfull seruant bury them in the earth , or with martha employ them about things though necessary for themselues , yet lesse necessary for the church : & some no doubt that for preferments sake , haue halfe against their wills , left this calling , would returne againe from the schoole , physick , law , &c. to this most sacred function . . a third cause is , to enable them that bee entred into the ministerie , that bee ministers already , to bee faithfull , diligent and assiduous in their charge ; wherevnto they can not but bee the more occasioned , when they haue all their necessary wants ad victum & ad cultum sufficientlie and abundantly supplied : and wherein to faile , they haue either none at all , or farre lesse excuse when as they be not , for want of necessaries , enforced to leaue the word and serue tables . act. . . that is , to discontinue their chiefe and principall studies , and betake them to some other calling or courses , to their profession not pertinent . contrarie to the rule and the minde of the apostle , who . tim. . . saith , no man that warreth intangleth himselfe with th' affaires of this life , because hee would please him that hath chosen him to bee a souldiour , &c. meaning , that , as hee that goes to the warres giueth ouer his ordinarie , priuate and domesticall affaires that so hee may follow his captaine without ●et , and doo good seruice vnto his countrie ; so should he that betakes him to the ministerie of christ , forgoe all other vocations & courses of life , as husbandrie , handicrafts , merchandise , schooling , physicke , chirurgerie , &c. and follow onely that worke of god , wherevnto only hee is called , which alone will require a whole man. contrary to the minde of the auncient fathers , who , as wee may conceiue by the words of s. cyprian , epist. . reprooued one geminius faustin ▪ that had vndertaken the charge of pupills , and ouersight of a mans will ; as dooing therein against the canons of the church then : saying that ministers haue nothing to doo with secular affaires : but as the leuits had no other busines but to attend on the altar , so the lord had prouided for his ministers now , that they might not bee drawne by wordly occasions from their holy busines , but day & night should attend their heauenly and spirituall exercises : & by the words of s. gregorie , who rebuketh a certaine bishop or minister of his time , for that hee did vndertake to teach grammar , thinking it vnmeete for ministers of the church to meddle in any secular affaires , & get their liuing by worldly labours . contrary to the auncient canons and decrees of the church , as may appeare decr. greg. lib. . tit. ne cler . sec. neg . se immisceant . contrary to the practise of the best of that sorte in all times , as of aaron , who left the magistracie wholly to his brother moses , and held himselfe onely to the seruice of the tabernacle : of the apostles , who math. . . et . . . gaue ouer their trades of fishing , &c. and following christ , endeuoured only this , to become fishers of men : and after christes ascension , assoone as the churche was a little encreased , refused any longer to bee encombred with the seruing of tables , but washing their hands thereof , left the charge of it wholly to others , that so they might giue themselues continualie to praier and ministration of the worde , liuing thencefoorth not vpon the labour of their owne hands , in this or that secular trade , but vpon the charge of the church : as s. paul dooth plainly testifie , . cor. . . where , in defence of himselfe , that yet vpon some speciall & extraordinarie occasion vsed not this power , he saith , haue wee not power to eate & to drink , that is , to liue vpon the charge of others , without labouring our selues , aswel as the rest of the apostles and as the brethren of the lord , and cephas ? i might adde likewise the example of christ himselfe , the prince of all pastors , who comming once abroad to preach the gospell , gaue quite ouer that trade of life wherein , as a priuate man , he had spent his time , mar . . . iustin. in apolog . and betooke himselfe , onely to doo & to teach those things that perteined to the kingdome of god , liuing and susteining him & his , of such goods as by the faithfull that followed him , were ministred vnto him . luc. . . iohn . . . i confess , they doo not well , & as they should , to spend their time in worldly busines , as in teaching of schollers , &c. these things were fitter a great deale for men of those professions , thē for any of the ministerie . but say i , who is in fault for this ? yow know the old prouerb . necessitas non habet legem , need hath no law . it is not fit they should doo thus , but it is better to doo thus then to starue ( or steale ) for want of necessaries . emalis minimum : of two euills the lesse is euer to be chosen . a hard shift that a man must be faine to intrude vpon others , because he can not haue that which is his owne . a lamentable thing that whereas in all other trades & courses of life ( if a man be of any industrie or meanes ) he may be able by his trade and profession alone , to liue w●l & somewhat wealthily , for as the old saving is , ars quaeque suum alit artificem . euery arte susteineth his artist : only such is the state of our ministerie in england , that in many places , it is not possible for a man therein , & thereby alone to liue , though parcè & duriter , in any tollerable estate . which considered , no man may iustly deny but that the gouernors of our church haue doone well , that in their late canons , ca● . . they haue reserued to the minister of any place the prerogatiue of teaching there aboue any other . a poore supply where better meanes are wanting . and i wish that , things standing as yet they doo , they might be assisted to the vttermost , to enioye the benefit thereof . but on condition that the gouernors of our land would prouide that in euery place there might be some competent maintenance ( a matter with no great difficultie to bee soone effected ) for the minister thereof : i could wishe that there were a law , that no minister should intermedle with any practise or profession but his owne . for , for my part , though i wish well to all the ministers of the church , and doo know that many of them in these daies doo liue asmuch or more by other meanes as by the ministerie , yet knowing by long & much obseruation & experience , how vnfit & preiudiciall a thing it is to their ministerie , i am so farre from iustifying , liking and commending such courses , wherevnto their owne extreame necessitie , and the iniurie & iniquitie of the time dooth compel them , that i hold their condition therein , a thing to bee pitted more then approoued : and their fact a matter rather to be tollerated then defended . how vnapt and vnable a man is for such a charge & worke as is the worke of the ministerie , when hee is vnprouided of time & meanes to prouide & sustaine himselfe , and furnish his studie , it is no hard thing for any man though vnacquainted with scholers life to conceiue . for who can worke & labour that hath not food cōuenient to strengthen his body ? who can in his labour doo anything workmanlike & artificially , that wanteth time , tooles & instruments conuenient and fit for the purpose ? who can trauaile a iourny that hath not wherewith to defray his expenses ? besides that , when a man goes about any thing not with ioy & comfort , but with griefe & discontent , what he is like to effect , let all gesse that euer haue felt any d●squietnes of minde or anguish of spirite ? ministers also are men & not angels , flesh & bloud and not spirite , & therefore when they see themselues neglected of those they labou● for , left destitute by them for whom they spend & consume themselues , & for their best and chiefest labours , least & worst rewarded , how can they haue any edge vnto their books , or courage to their studies ? or , to speake nothing of the griefe of mind which must needs assault the minister of god in such a case , is there not iust cause to complaine , when as a mans meanes that way is so slender , that it is hardly sufficient in any measure for very bookes , paper , & other studie expenses ? can a man so liue ? must hee , not then of very necessity either supplie his wants by other meanes , or if that faile , forsake his studie , giue ouer his book , & conuert that which his studie dooth & would require , to the vse of his life ? & then if hee must study without books & helpes , or preach without studie , as many doo , that want times & means conuenient ; what good is to be expected at his hands , or fruitfull speach from his mouth , no man but may conceiue that knowes any thing what belongs to a scholler ; or , is not so senselesse as to thinke , that it is no more for a minister to preach a sermon , then for him-himselfe to pull open the pulpit doore . the philistins feared but little of the hebrewes , so long as there was neither shield nor speare i● israel . they knew that a multitude vnarmed could doo no great harme . and i thinke the common enemy of our saluation , the diuell , & of our religion the papist , feares little of such ministers of the gospell , as are without meanes to liue by or to studie with . they assure themselues such wil doo no great harme to either of their kingdomes ; seeing certaine it is , such for the most part , were as good sit stil as labour : better many times to hold their peace , then to bring into the pulpit , as oft they doo & must , such rawe & vndigested matter : and should shew more discretion by beeing more silente , then true zeale by vttering , as busilie as any other that is & may be better prouided , quicquid in buccam venerit , what comes first to hand . and in such cases i doo maruaile with what conscience men can expect at the ministers hand , that he should labour & teach them as diligently as others that feele none of these wants and greeuances , & ( as many doo ) murmur or complaine against thē as idle , carelesse , & negligent in their dutie & charge ; when they are thus inforced , wil they , nil they , to be encombred about worldie things , & cōtinually distracted from the best . i cannot tell wherevnto better to liken it then to the dealing of the aegiptians with the children of israel ( exod. . ) when they would not allow them any longer straw to make brick withall ; & yet , they being inforced to seeke for stubble & straw about in the fields , & all the land ouer where they could get it , exacted of thē the whole tale of bricke as in former time , when they had straw allowed thē . so these , they allow not the minister conuenient maintenance as he should , & others haue ( happily themselues keep it from him ) : & he is inforced for want thereof to shift where he can , to put his hand to any labour & spend his godlen time in worldly employmēts : & yet , as if he were prouided for to the vttermost , had nothing to do but attēd his booke , nothing to trouble him , but the care of their soul●s , they require him to preach vsuallie , & looke that he should performe his dutie ( as they call it ) and doo the worke of an euangelist , to the vttermost , as they doo or may , that are not distracted with any such things : but with as good reason truelie as if a man hauing employed his seruant all day long in busines abroad , should yet when hee returnes all wearied with former labours , at . or . a clocke at afternoone , require him to performe as good a daies worke that euening , as he might haue done the whole day : or ( to vse the very phrase of the apostle . . cor. . ) mousling the oxes mouth , should inforce him notwithstanding to labour in the floore , aswell , or as much as he whose mouth is not mousled , but may by eating as he labours , as i●nathan did by licking hony as he pursued the philistians ( . sam. . ) continue and repaire his strength . but to bring this point to a conclusion . as it is fit that the mister labour , so it is fit that he haue maintainance . dignus est . n. operarius mercede sua . the laborer is worthy of his hire . and as people know it is the ministers duty to minister spirituall things : so let them know it is their dutie to minister temporall things . and therefore let the one be as ready to employ their goods , as they would haue the other to employ their gifts : that so the man of god , hauing his chamber , his bed , his table , his stoole , and his candlesticke ready prouided for him and his seruant , may be willing to turne into the shunamits house , and bethinke himselfe what hee may doe for her to requi●e her great care for him : that so peter with all his company , being intertained of cornelius with al kindnesse and liberalitie , may be incouraged to tary with him , and speake vnto him words whereby he and his may be saued : that so the feete of them that bring glad tidings of good things being pretious in ous eies , they may shew vnto vs the way of saluation : and christ being intertained of the samaritanes & intreated to tary among them many moe may beleeue , & be turned to the faith . this out of all question better agrees with the mind & coūsell of god , then the measure that many times is offered to his ministers . god is not so bad a maister , as to looke his seruants should attend him without wages ; nor so ill an husband , as to haue any to labour in his vineyard , and not yeeld him his peny . hee hath otherwise prouided for them , if men by cruelty or craft bereaue or defraud them not thereof . let that be yeelded them , and then if they imploy not their function and performe not their duetie with all diligence , let them beare the blame for euer , be censured at the worst , and condemned , yea and punished as idlers and loyterers doe deserue . fourthly , this so liberall a portion hath god allowed to the minister , to the end he should be as a patterne vnto euery good worke . . tim. . . so specially a maintainer of that commendable worke wherby some haue receiued angels into their houses vnawares . heb. . . i meane hospitalitie which how can he do ( as is expresly required at his hands , . tim. . ) if he haue not so liberall and plentifull a maintainance as may suffice , not onely to his owne priuate and domesticall necessaries , but also in some good measure redound and exceed to the supply of the want of others . neither doe i thinke but that this was one speciall cause that induced the christian world , in auncient times to allot to the ministery , not onely that which god required , viz his tithes and offerings , but besides and withall , to the end they might haue wherewith to keep house commodiously , such lands & other emoluments as at this day in many places ( god be praised ) it yet enioyeth , and in many moe we may perceiue once it had . and ( to speake my conscience sincerely in this matter ) i verily think , that one maine cause , why god permitted such spoile to be made of churchlyuings ( as at this day we see ther hath bin ) was , because the clergy forgetting to what end so ample maintainance was alloted them , did for the most part , either couetouslie conuert it to the enriching of themselues , their kindred and allies : or ryotously dissipate it in vncleannesse , pride , & other excesses . and i doe feare that some like sinnes remaining in our cleargy at this day , is no small cause , why god in his iudgement against vs , suffers the church to continue without restitution , that so they might be pressed with want & need amōg thēselues , that are carelesse to ease & succor the wāts & distresses of others . farther , we may coniecture , that so great a portion god allotted to his ministers for their maintainance , partly , that so they might haue wherewith likewise to sustaine in good sort their family , their wiues , children and others necessarily depending vpon them . for it was neuer the mind of god , that his priests & ministers should remaine ( as the papists dreame ) altogether vnmaried & in single life , as may euidently enough appeare by his calling of aaron a maried mā vnto the high-priesthood : & of the whol tribe of leui to his seruice in the tabernacle , which without mariage would within one age haue bin extinct : by christ his chosing such to be his apostles as were for the most part maried mē : & by s. pauls descriptiō of a bishop & minister of the church , . tim. . wher he makes mentiō both of his wife & childrē shewing thereby , that that degree being honorable in all , heb. . . was notonly tollerable ( which the papists deny ) but also as lawfull & commendable in him as in any other . now intēding they should be maried men , as well as any other profession of people , & forbidding thē to intermedle in worldly affaires , it must follow necessarily , that he intended that their wiues and families should be sustained by the same meanes by which themselues liued , and that the same should be such & so great as might , if occasion serued , suffice therto . our people are sufficiētly perswaded ( i think ) concerning the lawfullnesse of mariage in ministers , as well as in others : ( and of what minde and iudgement for that matter the ancient & best christians were , the very liuings themselues anciētly allotted to the ministers of the church in euery parish , do euidently argue : whereas if they had bin o● the papists mind , some blind cells , small dormitories & stipendary paies had bin fitter for them . ) but they bee not alike perswaded , that it is their duetie to giue them such maintainance as may suffice , whether they be maried or vnmaried . no , they thinke they haue notably wel discharged themselues in this point , if they allow them such a sparing portion , as will somewhat tollerably keep a single man. neither hath this errour done a little harme in our church . but i stand vpon it , that god hath allowed them , and would that men should allot them such a sufficient part as may suffice them all their life long , whether they be maried or vnmaried . which of them ( not ministers ) betakes himselfe to any course of life , but lookes so to get by it , that he may haue wherewith to maintaine himselfe and a family also ? and what reason is it that a minister should not expect for , and receiue the like in his profession ? is it not their vltimum refugium ? the place of their rest ? & that whervnto when they haue once put their hands , they may not looke backe ? if then it will not yeeld them such reasonable contentation and sufficiencie to liue vpon , though they haue family and charge , better disclaimed then accepted , and left in time then repented of afterward . neither is it probable , that god had no respect to age , to impotencie , to sicknesse , &c. in respect whereof , because they are such as are incident to men of this calling , as well as of other ; no doubt it is , and euer was the lords will , that they should be so prouided for , that they might haue wherewith to susteine themselues , if any such thing should befall them . this may sufficiently appeare vnto vs by that leuiticall law , n●m . . . & . . whereby he ordained that the leuits after . yeares should be discharged of that part of their office which was hard and laborious , and which they had in the prime and strength of their life susteined ; & it should suffice that they were present at the businesse , to assist and ouersee the rest . from which we may gather euidently , that god would , due respect should be had of men in his ministerie , according as either age or other accidents should require : and not they bee cast off , and left penilesse and comfortlesse when their labour failes ; verifying in them also the olde prouerbe , a young seruingman , an old begger : as if their continual and many labours , and the spending of their chiefe strength & best time , deserued no farther compensation , nor other reward , then for the present , and might not purchase them any thing for the time to come . to the like purpose may the example of s. paul , receiuing reliefe and maintainance from the philippians long after that he had preached among them , be very well applyed : neither did they more , or other then their duetie was : which the apostle noteth , where he saith yee haue done well , that yee did communicate to mine afflictions : nor did he , in receiuing it , presume farther then was fit and lawfull hee should . for they being still daily bettered and benefited by his former labours which like good seede continued grouth after seed time , he might , if necessitie so required as then it did , with good reason and conscience receiue some reward and recompense of his labours passed , the fruit whereof remained still , and for the which they did owe vnto him euen their owne selues . if such prouision be not had ( as in many places it is not ) for our ministers , their case and estate cannot but bee miserable . for what shall they do , if by reason of any impotencie befalling them , they neede a coadiutour ? they neede some extraordinary succour ? hauing but as it were from hand to mouth . what ? shall they longer then they be able personallie to performe their duties , be behoulding to the almes-house ? nature hath taught the emmet to gather corne in haruest wherewith to supply her want in winter : and reason and religion both doe aduise men to prouide afore-hand . but if they of al other , which should direct others to follow reason & religion , and be carefull to be helpefull still , but at no time chargeable to others , be held so short , and fed so sparingly that their very haruest is , but as the gleaning of grapes after vintage , and their most income , but as the gathering of eares behind the reapers , what must their autumne & winter bee , but needy miserie , and what possibility to reserue ought till time of need ? a thing abhominable no doubt in the sight of god , who hath alwaies shewed himselfe as vnwilling to haue any beggar in his ministerie , as in israel . thus it may appeare , that there be many , and these very great and weightie causes , why god would his ministers should haue a liberall allowance , and thought it good to assigne ouer to them so great a portion as ( in some mens eyes ) the tithes & offerings seeme to be . if men will take vpon them to bee wiser then god , and thinke that they can see greater & iuster causes why to take the same ( or some part thereof ) from them againe , & tye them to a shorter allowance , the euil be vpon their owne heades . for mine owne part , considering how preiudiciall to the ministerie , dangerous to the people , dishonourable to the gospel , and repugnant to the minde and purpose of god , the beggery impouerishing and spoile of the ministerie is , i say ( concluding this point with the words of a certaine learned & iudicious writer of this time ) that , if a man should euen by couenāt & oath bind himselfe to the diuell , to doo his vttermost in oppugning & wasting the kingdome of christ , he could not attempt it anie waie more directlie then this , viz. by driuing & bringing the ministers of the church to such straights & difficulties , that hauing not necessarie & conuenient maintenance for them and theirs , they must of necessitie either giue ouer the ministerie quite , & betake them to some other trade of life wherein they may be able to liue ; or else deuoide of all courage and comforte in their office and ministerie , with sighes and sorrow exercise their function , by occasion whereof others also might be discouraged from applying their mindes to the studie of diuinitie , & not be desirous to bu●e pouertie so deare . it was the only plotte and pestilent course that iulian that apostata and vtter en●my of our faith could deuise to roote out christianitie withall . he thought it not best by violence & crueltie , as his predecessours had doone , to oppresse and cut off the christians , but taking from the cleargie their preferments priuedleges , stipends & liuings , and exacting of them such stipends as before they were wont to receiue , remoouing also out of their places the chiefe & best of the ministers ; he resolued , that by such meanes christians wanting such as might rightly teach and instruct them in faith and religion : in time , by degrees , the religion would of it selfe decay , and they forget their owne profession . and no doubt this is euen a stratageme of the diuell himselfe , now hee can no longer averto marte impugne the gospell , thus by keeping downe , disabling and discouraging the ministers therof through need and penury effected by sacriledge , simonie , beggerly stipends and other like indirect meanes , to hinder the proceeding and prosperitie of the gospell at this day among vs. and fill vp the church with a number nomine , non ●e , ministers learned and able , rather in name then indeed . chap. viii . conteineth answeres to diuers obiections . as , touching the vnworthines of the minister . the greatnes of the tenth . the wealth of the minister . custome . personal tithes . the statute of ann. . ed. . de decimis . why it were to be wished that for a perpetuall composition about personall tithes , the custome of the citie of london , aboue any other , might the whole land through be put in practise . vers. . be not deceived : god is not mocked . hitherto haue i continued ( as thou seest beneuolent reader ) the explication of the former verse , beeing the first general part of the whole parcell of scripture which i haue taken in hand , wherein hath beene shewed somewhat at large the hearers dutie toward his teacher touching his maintenance . now in order follow , as the seconde generall part of the text , the words proposed . in handling whereof i am to vndertake the answering of such , or at least some such obiectiōs , as are or may be pretēded against that i haue formerly deliuered . wherevnto our apostle doth giue mee apt occasion in the wordes that now i am come vnto , which ( as i noted at first ) are a comination warning euery one to take heed that in this matter ( wherein to bee deceiued it is very easie , for that men doo not easily beleeue those things that seeme to sound against their worldly profit ) he bee not deceiued , neither by others , nor by his owne vaine pretenses . and why ? for god is not mocked . and it soundeth as if hee should say thus . i know well ynough what shifts and deuises , what excuses and pretenses many doo and will make to cloake and excuse withall their ingratitude to god , and illiberalitie to his ministers , but let men take heed how by friuolous and vaine pretenses , they blind their owne and other mens eyes . for god neither can , nor is , nor will be mocked . hee searcheth the very hearts and reines & seeth not only what men doo and knoweth to the vttermost their abilities what they are able and ought to doo : but obserueth likewise with what minde either willing or vnwilling , with what affection either of zeale or contempt to the gospel , of loue or neglect to the ministers thereof , men doo cary themselues in this case . and therefore let men looke to this matter in better sorte , and make more conscience thereof then many doo , knowing & cōsidering well , they haue herein to doo , not only with men , but also with god himselfe , who both dooth and will , as surely as seuerely reuenge the wrongs & opprobries that are offered and doone vnto himselfe and his seruants in this behalfe . this is the some and generall sence of the words , the branches whereof are two , an admonition , bee not not deceiued , and a reason , god is not mocked . of which i will speake somewhat more , first in generall , then in special maner . . by this epiphonema , be not deceived , the apostle takes awaye all excuse for not maintaining the ministers of the word , & shewes , that if any excuse be made , though in the iudgment of the world ofttimes it seeme iust yet before god it is vniust , & hath no place . many are wot to winde out this way & that . one pretēds that he must maintaine his familie : another denies statly that hee hath whereof to giue or lay out : some beeing carelesse thinke that others doo giue enough , so as they need not to giue likewise . i haue got nothing this yeare saith one , and saith another , i haue lost very much . this man pretends the hardnes of the time , the dearth of vittailes , &c. that man complaines of the many payments and greeuances that daily are imposed , and what not ? some crie out against the ministers , they be couetous and haue neuer enough . and there bee that say if that which we , of our good wills , giue them , wiil not content thē they may worke & labour for more as we doo . haue they not this & that , &c. and indeed who can reckon vp all the idle and vaine pretenses wherewith men doo cloake their sinne , whereby it comes to passe that oftentimes the minister is left destiture , & god prouoked against the people . but saith our apostle , be not deceiued , the matter is not so easily & slightly answered . euery word , that is thus headlongly shot out , is not by and by an allegation sufficient . these be but vaine shifts , & wil litle preuaile at length . yet who almost hath not such in his mouth ? & thinketh not that he hath sayd enough , & spoken very much to the purpose when he hath made some such protestation ? for , so willing are men to be soothed in this sinne & so apt through their owne preiudicate affections to be deceiued in this matter , that the slightest reason , the vainest pretense , & simplest argument that can bee , is vnto many good enough , and cause all sufficient to confirme them in their sparing and illiberall humour : but the strongest reason , the plainest proofes , the authoritie of scriptures , the iudgement of fathers , decrees of councells , determination of lawes , consent & practise of all times , are all too weake , & without force to draw them forward & induce them to performe this dutie sincerely , & as they ought . and what is this , but willfully to be blinde ? purposely to abide in errour ? and as it were for the nonce casting a mist before their owne eies , to suffer themselues to bee deceiued ? . the reason . god is not mocked . that is , first it is a matter of greater moment then you take it . you haue herein to doe with god as well as with men , and you cannot wrong the one , but you shall offend the other . shew not your selues therefore to be as the vnrighteous indge in the gospel , that neither feared god , nor cared for man. he that accounts it to be nothing to him , whether the minister be condignly maintained or not , doth sinke or swimme , is farre deceiued . such vaine and idle pretenses , such carelesnesse and deniall of duetie is none other then a very mocking of god himselfe , and a kind of scorning and derision of his most excellēt maiestie & glorious name , which al the world should feare . which to be no small sinne , the words of the first psal. alone , may sufficiently teach vs , where the scornfull are placed in the third , that is , the highest degree of wickednesse , whereto well accordeth a saying that s. hierom hath as he is cited . decret . caus . . q. wherein alluding , as it were to the phrase of the apostle , tit. . . declaring the desperate case of such as bee in heresie , he saith when a man is growne to that height of of sinne , that he will not contribute and giue as he ought , condigne maintainance and intertainement vnto them that be apostolike men , and preachers of the gospel of christ , he doth euen ( as one that hath made himselfe vnworthy of the gospel ) condemne himselfe . secondly , god is not mocked : that is , he is such a one as cannot thorough ignorance in himselfe or shifts in others be deluded : men may be mokt with and beguiled because they be ignorant , and know not the state of euery thing , and of euery person , god not so : men may pretend vnto men pouerty , losses , charges , and what not ? and so blind the eies of men at their pleasure : but god is not mocked . he seeth and iudgeth righteously : men may tell the minister that his due is but this and that ; and protest that what they offer , is more then their abilitie , then their due , &c. but there is a god which knoweth who speaketh truely and who not , who dissembleth and who dealeth vprightly , vnto whom , if we must ( as our sauiour teacheth , math. ● ) giue an account of euery idle word & vaine speech that scapeth our lips , how much more for such words and protestations whereby any in a matter of such moment , doe goe about purposely to delude and deceiue the minister of god. whereof to aduertise people the better to consider what they had to doe , it seemeth to me , first , that god himselfe among his owne people did expresly command euery man , that as well for payment of their first fruites as also of their tithes , he should come into the place which god should choose , and there , before the very altar of god , and in the presence and hearing of the priest should protest before the lord his god , in this sort . and now loe i haue broght the first fruits of the land which thou o lord hast giuen me , & i haue brought the hallowed thing out of mine house , & also haue giuen it to the leuit , &c. i haue not eaten thereof in my mourning , nor suffered ought to perish through vncleanes , nor giuē ought thereof for the dead : that is , i haue not conuerted it to any prophane & vnlawful vse , nor kept it back & any way defrauded the leuit therof : but haue harkened vnto the voice of the lord my god. i haue done ( viz. in this point touching the true paimēt of hallowed things ) after all that thou hast commaunded me . looke downe therefore from thine holy habitation , euen from heauen , and blesse thy people . &c. as you may read more at large in the place it selfe , deut. . a solemne kind of protestation litle lesse in effect then an oath , whereby the party did testifie his vprightnesse in that behalfe , or otherwise made himselfe culpable of notorious abuse of the sacred name of god , which he had called to witnes . secondly , that the church of god of old did ordaine & accustome , that people , for paiment of their offerings , their personall ( or priuy ) tithes , and other like , should come into the church , & there rekon with the minister , there tender & pay him his right , & there offer vp into his hands as vnto god himselfe , that which is holy to the lord , & seperated for gods parte ; which might be no small mot●ue to a reuerent & religious care in this behalfe , if people would consider , that the minister is there in gods steed , & receiues what is appointed in the honor & name of god : that they themselues doe stand there as it were in the very eye and speciall presence of god who is the searcher of the very heart and reynes : and that therefore it behoues them to deale vprightly and sincerely , to speake truely & vnfainedly , as they that doe know and remember , that they haue then & there to do not with man onely , but with god likewise , & therefore do abhorre , yea & tremble to vtter an vntruth , and speake a lie , for sauing a little of their worldly goods . and therefore , in such cases , let men take heed , for , god is not mocked : as he cannot ( thorough ignorance ) be deluded , so he will not be mocked with : men may be mockt with , because they be not able many times , to right themselues , and reuenge or redresse such wrongs as are offered and done to them , & therefore must with patience perforce put them vp : but with god it is not so . heb. . it is a fearefull thing to fall into the hands of the liuing god , for our god is a consuming fire . heb. . he being a iudge most iust and vpright , both can and will reuenge himselfe of all such , as by their mockeries and shiftings doe abuse and wrong him and his seruants . for first in regard of his ministers he hath told vs , he that despiseth you despiseth me : as on the other side . he that receiueth you , receiueth me . and we are not ignorant what god said once to samuel , . sam. . . they haue not cast thee away , but mee haue they cast away : nor of the sentence of moses to his people , exod. . your murmurings are not against vs ( aaron and my selfe , gods ministers & seruants ) but against the lord. and we may be assured , seing that christ doth account whatsoeuer is done or giuen to the poore & needy , his little ones , to be done vnto himselfe , math. . , . much more doth he , and will he so reckon of that which is done to those that are neerer vnto him by their office , and doe as it were represent his owne person , his messengers and special seruants . we read of dauid , ● sam. . . when his messengers that he had sent in kindnesse vnto ▪ hanun king of the children of ammon were vnkindly handled and sent backe with shame and discredit , their beards clipt , and their coates cut off at the wast , &c. how grieuously and offensiuely he tooke it ; and how wrathfully and extreamely he did reuenge it . let vs not thinke but that god doth tender as much as euer dauid did , the cause of his seruants : and if their beards be clipt , and their coat●s cut short , i meane , their liuings gelded , and their mainteiance taken from them : if they be made to eate the she●●s and take the straw , when other haue the kernells and the corne : he both can and will in due time reuenge it . he hath testified , that it shall be easier at the day of iudgement for them of sodome and gomorha then for such as will not receiue his messengers , whom he hath commanded , departing to shake off against such the very dust of the●r fecte for a testimonie . wherof● of their extreame ingratitude and contempt of god and his worde , and of gods wrath and indignation against such contemners . secondly concerning himselfe , fearefull and notable euen to this purpose is the example of ananias and sapphira his wife , act. . who making a shew to lay downe at the apostles feete the full price of their land , when indeed they kept backe a great part thereof , are by saint peter reprooued in this sort . why hath sathan filled thine heart , that thou shouldest lie vnto the holy ghost ? and thou hast not lied vnto men , but vnto god. and againe , verse . why haue yee agreed together to tempt the spirit of the lord ? and thereupon by and by for a perpetuall monument of his indignation against such sinnes are smitten ( horresco referens , i euen tremble to tell it ) both of them , with suddaine and terrible death : with whom , in sinne how neerely doe they concurre that keepe away that , which for many ages past , is consecrated to god and his church , by the lawes of equitie , of god , of the church , and of our land : and therefore is not now in their owne power , and cannot without great and apparant sinne be now conuerted , or rather peruerted to any prophane and common vse , and to couer their shame and sinne withall , come into the church , and presence of the eternal god , and there protest to their minister , that they haue nothing to pay : that they owe him of right but this and that : that they doe not , nor will not deceiue him of a peny , &c. but god is not mocked . hitherto of these words in generall tearmes , which being briesly thus run ouer , i will now more largely touch also certaine speciall obiections particularly . them for orders sake ( being many ) i will sort into . ranks , as vnto certaine heads , wherunto all such may be referred ; and they are these , personal , generall , local and speciall . personall i terme such obiections as may be pretended against the persons themselues that should receiue such maintain●nce . against whom their vnworthynesse sometimes is obiected . and that is twofolde , either in life , if they be such as be not of good conuersation , but giuen to some or other notorious vices : or for learning , if they bee such as can not preach at all , or not so learnedly and excellently as some others doe . to which one a●nswere may serue , viz , that notwithstanding any such defects , yet the maintenance , the ordinary maintenance of the minister ( for of that do i speake altogether ) ought to be in such sort setled vnto him , that it may not be lawful , not easily possible for any priuate persons personall vnworthines to withdraw it , or anie part thereof . people must know , it is not lawfull to requite one wrong with another : not fit that they bee at libertie to withdraw their pay from anie vppon supposed vnworthinesse , least they take libertie to pretend vnworthines where there is none , and vnder colour of fault in some , offer iniurie to all , and abuse vpon light occasions euen the best . they must yeelde the minister his due howesoeuer . if hee be such a one as deserues it not , the fault beeing not theirs , but his ; hee must answere for his faults other wa●es . no reason euery man be his owne iudge in his owne cause , least malice or auarice become parties . what is punishable or reformeable , must be referred to superiours on earth , or to god in heauen . god neuer permitted anie such libertie to his owne people . whatsoeuer the priests or leuites were in their desert , yet the people without any exception are cōmanded to bring in their tithes and oblations . the priests are reprooued by the prophets , and termed dumb dogs , deceiuers , sleepie watchmen , &c. but the people are not aduised and taught by the prophets , therefore to withholde from them their appointed & legall maintenance , neuer was there greater corruption among them , neuer more wickednesse and all kinde of vnworthines then in our sauiours time : yet he sendeth the leper cleansed to the priest , & bids him offer as was appointed . and sitting ouer the treasurie , and there beholding how men cast in their gifts , commendeth the poore widowe for her riche mite , and approoueth the fact of all , calling it the offerings , not of the priests , but of god , luk. . . it is also forefended by ancient lawes & ordinances of our church & land . among which one is notable , made in the time of king hen. the . an. dom. . the words whereof are these . foras-much as by lawes established , euery man is bound to pay his tithes , no man shall by colour of duety omitted by their ministers , deteine his tithes , or be his owne iudge , but shall truly pay the same as hath bene accustomed without any restrainte or diminution : and such lack or defalt as they find in their pastouts and curates , to call for reformation thereof at the ordinaries or other superiors hands . to this effect we read also in the decrees , lib. . cap. . de dec . tua nobis . nonnulli vitam clericorū tanquam abhominabil●m detestontes , decimas ijs ob hoc subtrahere non verentur . verum si . &c. that is , manie detesting the life of cleargie men as abhominable , feare not for that cause to withdrawe from them their tithes ; but if such parties had due respect vnto god , from whome all their goods do come , they would not offer to diminish the right of the church , nor presume to de●eine their tithes . and a little after , seeing that god ( whose is the earth and the plentie thereof , the whole worlde and all that dwell therein , ) ought not to bee of worse condition then a temporall lord , that lets out his land to others ; it seemeth truely too vnequall , if tithes which god in token of his vniuersall soueraigntie hath commaunded to bee payed vnto himselfe , affirming tithes to bee his , vppon occasion premised : or rather by purposed fraude should bee diminished . and againe ; whereas no man may giue away that which is anothers , without the good will and consent of the owne●● because therfore we wil not suffer that the right of churches and churchmen vpon any presumption bee diminished , we commaund you , that you doe compell all such as either in respect of their persons or of their possessions ought to pay tithes ( personall or prediall ) to the churches and cleargie-men of your diocesse , to pay them to the vttermost . i will adde to these a notable saying of a later writer , that is , of r. gualter tig. in his homilies vpon s. mathew . homil. . they obiect ( saith hee ) that manie doe filthily abuse tithes , and therefore they are vnwoorthie to haue them . but this is a bald excuse , for of such abuses , they shall yeelde an account to god , which doe commit such things , not who paye the tithes . and what reason will excuse him that with-holdes from the needy his necessarie liuing , least happely hee abuse it to surfetting and drunkenn●s ? it is the parte of euerie christian man to paye to euery man that which is his due , and not to goe about to excuse his owne iniquitie by anothers fault : hitherto hee . thus it appeareth , neither the law of god , nor of the church , nor yet anie equitie , doe permit anie vpon a conceit of the ministers vnworthines any way to with-holde from him his due : but that they are bound to pay it to him , as hee is their minister , and not-as he is so or so worthie a minister . the principall reason why , expressed also in some of the former allegations is worthy to be noted , and that is because the ministers maintenance is not properlie his , but gods part . the tithes are gods , as hath bene before shewed . if he therefore be not worthy of them , yet god to whom they are principally due , is not vnworthie . and therefore as it cannot be but a great fault to withholde rent from a land-lord , or denie tribute to a prince , for the persons sake that is his receiuer : so it cannot but bee an open sinne to denie to god his right , for his sake into whose hand it is to be paid . i haue insisted vpon this point a little the more , because howsoeuer it bee a thing vnlawfull , yet it is too vsuall with vs , in case of personall tithes . there are not a fewe which abusing the weakenesse of the statute that should restraine them , doe take what libertie they lust vpon any occasion to wrong the minister . which being a practise so apparantly contrarie , not onely to reason and equitie , but also to the word of god and all good practize , i trust , as a thing not tollerable in a christian common-wealth , ( among them that carry any zeale to the gospel , or loue to them that bring the glad tidings thereof , ) shall not long continue ( being so apparantly discouered ) without due reformation . , general obiections i tearme such as may bee made against tithes in generall , or against the whole maintenance of the minister , as this . the tenth is a portion too great for the minister , and a burthen too grieuous for the people . lesse a great deale , as a . or . or but an hundreth parte , seemeth to manie might be enough , if not too-much . but who shall bee iudge in such a case , what is too-much , or or what but enough ? what euery priuate person ? or onely this present age ? then indeed vae vobis , woe to you ministers , your staie is bad already , and daylie worse and worse it wil bee . there will be then no ende of oppression and crueltie , of fraude and deceit , of symonie and sacriledge . and why ? but because all you haue is thought nowe a dayes of manie to be too-much : and that though there be , in places too many , but little left , yet lesse were enough , but if god , if our forefathers , if all antiquitie may giue iudgement and obtaine audience , sentence is already long agoe past on your side , viz. that the tenth is but a competent portion , and not too much . for . first , god assigned not it onely , to his leuites and priestes , but together with it , well neere as much more in other things . for as appeareth in the bookes of moses . besides the tithes of all things , they had first , . citties with their subburbs of a mile circuit at least , for their habitation . num. . losh . . secondly , theirs were the first fruites of all things both annuall and naturall : leuit. . . and . thirdly , of diuers sortes of sacrifices and offerings , either the whole , or a great , and euer a certaine part was theirs , as exod , . . leuit. . . and . & . . & . , . and num. . doth appeare . fourthly , of all co●secrated things , whether it were man or beast , house , or groūd , either the thing it selfe without redemption , or the redemption thereof , at a full and certaine value was the priests . leuit. . fifthly , in cases of restitution , if neither he to whom the goods belonged , nor any of his kindred could be found , the goods to bee restored , was the lords , and the priests had it . num. . . . and lastly , their inheritance could neuer be diminished , but ( notwithstanding any sale ) returned still in this iubile , increased it might be by dedication . &c. leuit. . . . as for the church of christ ; it hath bene generally so farre from accoūting the tenth too much for the ministers of the gospell , that suasponte of her owne voluntary and free heart , it hath added therevnto ( to the ende they might honorablie and condignely be maintained ) no small nor few augmentations . of constantine the great that worthie emperour , it is recorded , that ouer & besides tithes of all things , which hee first of all , by lawes imperiall confirmed to the church , to enriche it withall . first ; all such lands , liuings , houses , and fields , &c. as in former times had beene giuen to the church , and in times of persecution taken away againe , he restored . . of the heathen images which were of purer metall , he made much money , and gaue that money vnto the church treasuries . . out of the publike tributes throughout euery cittie , he deducted a certaine portion , & assigned the same to the churches and cleargie of euery place . . if anie had dyed in martyrdome without heires , or others of their bloud , & left any goods behinde them , he decreed , the same being enquired out , should be brought into the treasurie of the church , &c. . whose munificence other emperours , kings , queenes , princes , and sundry other rich , but deuout christians , following ; by sundrie meanes , the goods and treasures of the church ( saith one , ) were wonderfully augmented . . if we come neere home , ( and by that which remaineth , and the ruines of the rest , iudge of the whole , who so wil but cast his eie vpon that vniforme , general , goodly , & godly course , which once our land-ouer was throughly planted , for the maintenance of our ministerie here in england , shall be not see , that our ancient predecessours did account the tithes alone , to be euen with the least ? and therefore beside the tithes , to the ende the ministers of god , the leuites of the gospel , might haue wheron to liue , as becommeth the gospel of iesus christ , they did ( as it were imitating the best , god i meane in his law , for the leuites lot ) endow euerie seuerall church with some reasonable portion of land , called the gleebe : and . ordained likewise , that euerie christian ( of yeares ) both man and woman , should of his free accord at certaine times in the yeare , offer vnto god something , more or lesse , according as either god had blest him , or his deuout heart mooued him : . vnto which , if we adde the worthie , & those not a fewe dignities & prefermēts without cure of sundry name & title , a great part wherof ( god be praised ) remaineth vnto this day , what was there more to be desired , whereby they might testifie their zeale to religion , loue to learning , regard to the ministerie , and ( the scope we aime at ) that they , in the abundance of their loues vnto their teachers , thought not the tithas alone to be a reward or maintenance sufficient , much lesse too much for them ? how therefore , commeth it to passe , that degenerating from the steps of our owne auncestours , from the example of the primitiue christians , yea , & from the patterne of all perfection , god himselfe , any should account the tenth , nay the tenth alone , to be too much either for the minister , ( or rather god ) at their hands to receiue , or the people to pay ? as s. paul said once , speaking of god , , cor. . . what ? are wee stronger then hee ? so may i say , what ? are wee wiser then he ? and then all they which for so many ages past , ( as it were ) vno ore & animo , with one minde and one mouth agreed , the tenth to be but enough ? doth knowledge and vnderstanding dwell onely with vs ? and hath our age alone the lucke , to espye nodum in scirpo , an ouersight that had escaped the eyes of god and men before ? last of all , practize and experience doth shew , that the tithes euen with other emolumēts besides , are many times not enough . for so it ofte falleth out , that either by the smalnes of the place , or greatnesse of desert in the person , the ordinarie maintenance , though yeelded in the best and largest manner , is found manie times to be farre too little , & needeth supplie by other places and meanes . and therefore that is a friuolous obiection , that the tenth is too much , which god himselfe , the church of christ generally , the church of england particularly , and our daylie experience affirme to be with the least . it is too much in their eye onely , that sincerely loue not the church , nor the gospell : that delight to see the ministers therof ( to the end they might be contemned ) in contempt rather then in honour , in shame then in credit : and desire to make a prey of that which is gods and his churches , and to bee inriched with that which is not their owne . . of the same nature i take their obiection to be , that pretend the estate of the minister . hee hath no neede of these or those profites ; say some . for , he hath enough besides : his liuing without these is sufficient . a speeche both wicked and absurd . who hath made them iudges aboue others what is a sufficiēt liuing for the minister ? or giuen them power to pare off the superfluitie thereof ? all men will acknowledge i thinke , that it were an open wrong , and manifest sinne , to refuse to pay a rent or other debt to a riche man , because he is otherwise ( in his conceit ) rich enough , and able to spare it . and i see not , but the case is all one , if vpon like pretence a man deteine ought from the minister . againe , what is this but to enuy at another mans prosperitie ? why should anie grudge the minister his liuing for the greatnesse , more then he doth the greatnes of his owne charge in generall , or the wealth of anie of them of his charge in particular ? it is not in their power to disburden him of his charge any way : & why then should they presume or attempt to abridge him of his due anie way ? if the place bee so spatious and populous , that it may arise yearely to any round summe , what is that , to anie particular persons , who are no lesse bound to paye their due to the vttermost , then if it were . times lesse ? for the question is not , what may ( in mens sparing conceits ) suffice such or such a man ? but , what in duety and conscience euery man , or any man ought to paye ? in which respect the payment of one thing and not of another : of one person and not of anoaher ; of one part of a parish , and not of another , standes not with equitie . if one part of a parish contribute towards the maintenance of the minister well , and as is fit , and another little or nothing : if one bodie paye his whole duety , another deteines the whole , god is dishonoured , the minister defrauded , the church wronged . that which one payes , is no discharge for another , but for himselfe . and as he that payeth doeth but his duety : so he that payes not , doeth not his duety ; neither is hee freed by that which another doeth for himselfe , but condemned , the one hauing indeede no more libertie then the other . parishes were sorted with inequality at first , not for easing of some , more then others , in maintenāce of their minister , but that by such inequalitie of diuisions , there might be such inequalitie of maintenance as might be fitting to the inequality of the ministers desert or charge . which godly and necessary purpose they doe directly crosse , who vpon their owne priuate conceit of a sufficiencie of lining without their paye , doe attempt to enforce vpon the ministers a kinde of equality in maintenance with others , twixt whom there is no paritie of desert or charge . neither do i see , the state of our ministery for maintenance standing as now a dayes it doth , how the minister himselfe can be excused from blame and sinne , if hee vpon any occasion or meanes , hauing otherwise sufficiently to liue vpon , doe refuse or neglect to receiue of any , or of all , that which is his due , or any part thereof . for by such meanes hee shall cause those of other places to be enuyed and euill spoken of , that doe receiue or demaund the like : and so hinder the course of the gospell among them . . hee shall maintaine auarice if not sacriledge in his owne people . and . which is not lightly to be regarded , hee shall by such meanes ( as manifolde experience doth testifie , ) preiudice for the time to come , both himselfe and his successours , or at least sowe the seeds of dissention , which will break out whensoeuer any such omitted or neglected duties shall be required . to which purpose , i doe remember that i haue read a certaine ancient constitution ecclesiasticall of this our church of england , wherein after due censure pronounced against all such as shall vppon anie colour detaine the tithes and other maintenance of the minister , the ministers likewise are censured● , that shall , ( the feare of god set aside ) for feare or fauour of men , ●mit effectuallie to demaund and seeke to obtaine those rights , which vnto themselues , and their churches of right doe appertaine . . from these let vs come to some other obiections , as to such as be locall , that is , such as concerne some speciall places more then other . of this kinde , custome is not the least , nor least vsuall . neither doe i denie but that it is a thing that ought much to bee respected , and doe willingly acknowledge concerning the verie point in question , viz. the ministers maintenance , that in our land and church of england , it is one principall cause of much good and quietnes betwixt pastour and people , while both , ruled by custome , doe rest satisfied with that , which it , by course of time hath made a law . and so long and so farre as any custome is good and reasonable , accordeth with trueth and equitie , doe say of it , with saint aug. cum consuetudini verit as suffragatur , nihil oportet firmius retineri , when trueth it selfe ( and reason ) approoueth a custome , nothing ought more firmely to bee reteyned . non. n. ( as saith tertullian , ) possumus respuere consuetudinem , quam damnare non possumus ) for we ought not , nor cannot refuse that custome which wee cannor condemne . where custome is not such , but is apparātly euill & wicked , being repugnāt either to reason , or nature , or the word of god : &c. for so much as by the very lawes of men , a custome to the ende it may haue the force of a law , ought to be both agreeable vnto reason , and lawfully prescribed : we may iustly alledge against it that saying of our sauiour to the pharisies , math. . . why do you transgresse the commandement of god by your tradition , or custome ? and the lawe of god to his people , leuit. . . keepe ye mine ordinances ( saith god ) & doe not anie of those abhominable customes which haue bene before you . and say with cyprian , we ought not to attend what anie before vs hath thought fitte to bee done , but what first of all christ who is before all , did first doe : neither must wee followe the custome of man , but the truthe of god. for ( as the same father saith otherwhere ) custome without veritie , is but the antiquitie of errour . these things premised , bee it nowe , that there is any where such a custome ( as they will call it ) risen and vsed , that people shall not maintaine their minister , not giue of their goods to him that teacheth them : seeing this is a custome wicked and vnreasonable , as which is directly . against reason , which saith , that the labourer is worthie of his hire . . against nature , which forbiddeth to mous●e the mouth of the oxe that treadeth out the corne . . against the word of god , which commaundeth him that is taught to make his teacher partaker with him of all his goods : and biddeth euery man so to honour the lorde with his substance : therefore it ought to be broken , and not suffered among men . for as it is no good argument to say , it hath not beene our custome to serue and worshippe god , to honour christ , to haue diuine seruice , to haue any church , to receiue the sacramentes , to haue any preaching , to haue other then a sermon once in a month , or in a quarter , with other like ; and therefore we will not now begin to doe it , or to haue any such thing : so it is neither good argument , nor agreeable to good reason to say , it hath not beene our custome , to maintaine our minister , to pay any tithes : to giue him any thing but what wee lust : to bee at any certaintie , and therefore wee will not now begin any such matter . for reason and trueth ( as well said s. augustine ) must be preferred before custome . and the truth being manifested , custome must not be followed , because the lord said not , i am the custome , but i am the truth . yet sometimes custome is falsely prepentended . people count that to be a custome , which is none . for in these cases properly to speake ; custome is an ancient and long continued manner of payment of any kinde of tithe in this or that sorte , in this or that quantitie . and therefore holdes onely de tanto , as i may say , not de toto . it preuailes i meane , and is iustly pretended , when question is about the manner how a thing should be paide , but not for the thing it selfe . for it is a ruled case , or maxime in the lawe , that non est mos de non decimando . there is no custome for paying no tithes at all , or no tithe of any one thing . but where any thing hath beene payd for the tithe of such or such a thing , though it be but two pence for that which is worth two shillings , or but twelue pence , where in very deede tenne shillings were with the least , or but the twelfe or fifteenth , or but the thirtieth or fortieth parte of the thing it selfe , custome carries it , be it reasonable or not , that it shall still be paid in no other sorte . otherwise the denial , or non-payement of any kinde of tithes , is nothing else but a flat deniall , debarring and withholding of a manifest right , and no more makes a custome ( how long soeuer it hath been left vnpayd ) then doth a a tenants denial● , or detayning of his rent from his land-lord , prooue and cause it to bee irrecouerable , and not due , whensoeuer he list to claime or sue for it , as a thing whereof the lesse is already payd , the more is behinde and to come . in a word , then properlie may it be called a custome , when some certaintie is knowne , that the incumbent may bee able to vnderstande , what is his due , what his predecessours haue , and himselfe ought to receiue , and the parishioners what they are to pay . here it were not in vaine to recite some of those many hard customes and vnreasonable compositions wherewith at this day our ministery is oppressed , that being laid open to the cleare view of all men , they might the easier be discerned , and the sooner ( if the case be not desperate ) mollified . but as well for auoyding tediousnesse as for other causes , i leaue them to the consideration of the godly and conscionable reader , who being any thing acquainted with the state of our ministerie , may of himselfe obserue diuers such ; and doe onely wish that such due regard might be had thereto , that hereafter neither any man may haue cause by writing , nor any minister by grieuance to complaine thereof : which might easily be effected ( if my coniecture faile me not ) if one thing alone , not foreseene at the first , were rightly lookt vnto now . i meane the mutabilitie an● alteration of times . for likely it is , that whereas for diuers things , by custome or composition , onely thus much is now payd for the tithe thereof both in towne and countrie , which prooueth now to be farre too little . and the church and ministery to be thereby greatly hindred , the reason why so small a pay ( according to our times ) was heretofore either imposed or agreed vpon , ( for i thinke that they were setled at first with consent and liking of both sides ) was because in those times it had prooued , and was one yeare with another , reasonable , and such as was indifferent as well for the one as the other : and the cause why they are found to be so farre from indifferencie , and so vnreasonable for the one side alone , in these daies , is onely or chiefly the alteration of the times , by which , ground , fruites of the earth , cattell , houses , and all other things titheable , are growne to such a high rate & extreame worth , as in those daies was not imagined they could possibly haue risen vnto with continuance . the speciall reason that mooues mee to coniecture this to be the cause is , for that i know that in those times , when such customes and compositions tooke their beginnings ( for most of them seeme to be somewhat ancient ) not the laytie but the clergie , the church-men , were the stronger side , and therefore ( questionlesse ) would neuer yeelde but to such composition or custome , as in their iudgement and knowledge , or conceipt ( then ) should not be preiudiciall to their churches . wherefore if this errour of the times alone were amended , probable it is , that diuers customes and compositions , which now ministers ( not without cause ) complaine of and grudge at , might stand without dislike on either part . the readiest way to amend it , were to make such rates and payments somewhat alterable ▪ that so as prices of things doe rise or fall to any notable difference , the rates and payments themselues might from time to time , as vpon euery vacation of the benefice , or altenation of the possessour , or other like opportunitie , vary and alter : and not the minister enforced to looke , with his continuall hindrance , when things will come ( which happely and verie likely will neuer be ) to those old rates and valewes againe : and be faine to liue the meane while , not as his parishioners , according to the present times ; but as no body else doth , according to the former : as if it were possible for the minister alone , and aboue any others , now a daies to liue well enough , by that which was thought and found , when meanes to liue by , were more then ●ower times cheaper then now they are , to be but sufficient for him , & euen with the least : or reason that any howsoeuer vnreasonable & preposterous composition should bind as well the succeeding as the present incumbent : & men haue power to preiudice not only thēselues , because mē may do with their owne as they lust , but also all that ●ome after them , euen in things that are not their owne , farther then for the vse , and present time . i come now to the fourth and last sorte of obiections , viz. those which are more special then any of the former , that is such as concerne personall tithes . touching which very much is to be spoken and answered , as which of all other are most in question . it seemes vnto many , a thing most vnreasonable and hard , that personall tithes ( such i meane as of artificers , tradesmen , merchants , &c. are to be paid ) should be demanded . and therefore as if the statutes and lawes to that purpose made , and yet in force , were a thing against all reason and conscience , they will not abide to heare thereof . what ? men to pay tithes of their labour , and of their priuate gaines ? tradesmen and artificers to be accountable for tithes ? but for answere . . that such kinde of persons ought to contribute toward the maintainance of the minister as well as others , is alreadie so plainely and firmely prooued , that any man , not voide of sense and reason , cannot but be satisfied with it . this kinde of contribution , whether any lust to call it a tithe , or a tribute , or a rate , or a pay , or what else any will , it is not much material ; it is the thing it selfe , and not the name that is in question . if the name seeme odious vnto any , let it be changed if it may . though i thinke there be more reason to retaine also the name , as all our predecessors and lawes haue done , then to alter it . concerning the quantitie , how much they should pay , this is graunted that such persons are not required to pay as the husband man doth , an entire tenth , but a tenth of their cleare gaines , their expenses and charges being thence deducted . if the quantitie determined doe seeme also ( as to many it doth ) ouer great , what might be little enough , i cannot easily gesse . and i suppose our predecessors , and the wisest and most learned of all christendome , which did determine it , saw more cause ( and i doubt not but they saw in this matter as much as was to be seene ) why so to determine , then any now can shew for the contrary . their common allegations are as followeth . they of whom such personall tithes are demaunded , are poore tradesmen , artificers , &c. which hauing no lands , no cattel , &c. as hath the husbandman , are not able to pay . answere . . where pouertie is truely pretended , their case i grant is to be pittied not burthened . neither is it intended that ought should be payd , but where it is due . but he is very poore that hath nothing at all to pay . if their gaine and income bee but small , yet according to that it is , as they haue receiued , so ought they to returne againe to god. it is not fit , nor it is not lawfull , because they haue not asmuch as they desire , therefore they should spend gods part and their owne too , & eate vp that , by which the minister should liue , as well as that which perteineth to themselues . . but whether pouertie be alwaies iustly pretented ( as if none were to be accounted rich , but such as haue lands and cattell ) may very iustly be made a question . for if , as a tree is knowne by his fruites , so pouertie or riches may by the effects : then out of all question , if we compare the husbandman and tradesman , the townesman & contryman together in other outward things , as in diet , apparell , house , houshould furniture , building , expenses , &c. it will easily and quickly appeare , who is the poorer . and now , is it not strange , that whereas in all other things in worldly matters , the tradesman , &c. oftentimes exceeds the countryman very much , and will bee taken for the richer , & more able person , onely in honouring god with his substance ; in vpholding religion with his riches , in maintaining the ministerie of the church with his wealth , he wil not come neere him by manie degrees : but though he delights to haue the fairest house , the best apparell , the furest armour , goodliest furniture , richest table , &c. whatsoeuer it costeth him : yet is , contented ( rather then he wil be at any charge ) to haue the worst teacher , the abiectest minister . and is pouertie the true cause of this ? is need alwaies iustly pretended ? is that i say , euer the right cause , why now a daies among such vix inuenias locupletem , locupletem dico ( they bee s. august . words , not mine ) non tam facultatibus sed op●rib . a man can scant finde a rich man , a man i meane that is rich , not so much in worldly goods , as in good workes , in abilitie as in deeds ? why , that many etsi in dom●b . aeuro●unt diuites , tamen in ecclesia sunt mendici , though at home in their houses they want neither siluer nor gold , that appeare very rich , yet at church , in the house of god , they seeme to bee very poore : though for their owne priuate and worldly respects , they haue and will finde plentie , yet for the seruice of god , and good of their owne soules , they haue little to spare ? i will not say as s. august . dooth , we all worship one christ , & professe all one religion , but not all with one minde : yet some cause there is , but it is not pouertie , what euer it bee . it was not thus in former daies , in time of popery , & among our owne forefathers . there bee some yet liuing that can partly remember , & more that haue heard their fathers tell , that the ministers of the church liued then no where more richly & wel maintained then in townes and cities : that diuerse small townes did mainteine . or . popish priests in better sorte , then now a daies one minister of the gospell can be maintained . yea , as some worthie credit doo write , some cities , and those not very great , did in those times maintaine . or . masse priests , better then now they doo . or . preachers of the gospell . by what meanes they did this , though it bee not much to the matter in question , for all was of their liberalitie & readines of heart toward religion , yet they hauing as small lands as many haue now , and liuing by their trades and sciences as such doo now , it must needes be that they made that care and conscience of their offerings and personall tithes , which dooth not appeare now . therefore as the apostle sayd once to his corinthians in another matter , so may i in this . i speake it to our shame ; ours , that do professe the gospell , that glorie of knowledge , and presume of our zeale vnto the truth , and speciall loue vnto the gospell : ours that condemne ignorance and detest popery : that the children of darknes should be wiser them the children of light : that they which rightly knew not god , but liued in idolatrie and all kinde of superstition should be found more righteous in this so materiall a pointe of religion then wee : and bee iustified by our selues ( their aduersaries for the gospells sake ) that they did ( as indeed they did and doo ) better honour and maintaine their vaine teachers , blinde guides and false prophets , the● wee our sincere pastours , faithfull leaders and true teachers . indeed it is no new thing , and therefore the lesse wonder . the egyptian priests had better prouision made for them in a time of penury and famine , then our euangelicall ministers in the halcyon daies of all abundance , peace , & plentie . the prophets of baal . and of the groues . are fed at i●zabels table with the best , when as elias is glad to eate with the rauens by the riuer cherith , & other the prophets of the lord are susteined in a caue by obadiah with thin fare ( god knowes ) bread and water . but what may wee thinke of it ? may wee not therefore iustly feare , that as our sauiour protested against his owne nation , that the men of niniuch , & the queene of the south should arise against them in the daie of iudgement , and condemne them , because they repented at the preaching of ionas , and shee come from farre to heare the wisedome of salomon , but they would not repent at his preaching that was greater then ionas , nor heare his doctrine that was wiser then salomon : so our popish forefathers and other blinde idolaters shall arise in the daie of iudgement and condemne many of vs , because they had that due and good respect to their priests such as they were , which wee haue not to ours , such as they are . they were content many times to empouerish themselues to maintaine the church and enrich the ministers thereof , whereas wee care little how to empouerish the one and spoile the other , so wee may enrich our selues . and if this way they any thing offended , it was in this , that they made their priestes beeing but bad , to bee worse with ouerfeeding , & pampering them too much ; wee runne quite into the other exreame and ( that which is of the two , the worse ) do make them that bee good men , and would bee good ministers , many times to bee bad , vnprofitable and contemptible , by pinching them , and keeping from them that which they should liue by : and to the no little detriment of learning , and ruine of religion , turne to our prophane vses , and reserue to our priuate estates , that which in equitie and right , by the law of god and his church , should bee employed to a more common good . but take wee heed , god is not mocked . a masked pretence of pouertie will one daye bee a seely shield , and little helpe when god shall bring euery worke into iudgement , & disclose the things that now lye in darknes . . secondly , it is obiected , that those of whom such kinde of tithes are demaunded , doo commonly aduenture much , and so be subiect to many losses , &c. more then the husbandman is : and therefore no reason that they should pay any such tithes . answ. . that their estates are more casual is not denied . and in consideration thereof , partly it is ( i thinke ) that by the consent of all , an entire tenth is not required of them , but ( as i haue formerly noted ) a tēth of their cleare gaines , diductis expensis but because it is no reason that they pay so much as the husbandman dooth , is it reason they pay nothing at all ? i will not here actum agere , let the reader thinke of it as god shall moue him : enough is already sayd touching that point . . as for the aduentures and hazards , the great perills and many dangers , which they doo passe & endure , i for my part am so farre from thinking it reason , that in regard thereof they should befreed from yeelding to god or his minister any part of their goods , that thereby i hold them rather , to be the more bound ( beeing deliuered out of such perills , and hauing obteyned good successe ) to shew themselues therfore the more thankfull to god , as vnto whose only great fauour , singular prouidence , & speciall mercy , they doo ( as they ought ) impute their safetie and good euent . and of my minde it seemeth were those godly & truelie religious captaines of israel in moses time , who hauing bene at warre , and their whole army beeing but , had fought & vanquished . kings of midiam , & all their people , and yet found vpon reuiew of their companies , that they had not lost a man , though they had already by the lords appointment , parted with one halfe of the bootie , vnto the rest of the people that went not into the field , and of the other halfe had giuen as a tribute to the lord , of euery . one , did father voluntarily ouer and aboue all this , in token of their speciall thankfulnes for gods so great and vnexpected deliurance , offerd vnto the lord another rich offering of their iewels & ornaments which they had pillaged , to the valew of . sekels of golde , a memorable testimonie of their gratefull mindes . they thought it not enough to giue to god as others did , and as was ordinarilie required , but because they had tasted of gods mercie aboue others , they account it their dutie ( as euery godly man should ) to giue to god more then others . for , nature , much more religion teacheth , all , that the more a man receiueth , the more hee is bounden . the greater benefits , the greater thankfulnes is required at his hands . true. but cannot we be thankfull to god , though we offer vnto him none of our goods ? we can praise him with our hearts , and with our tongues declare the wonders that he had done , we can exalt his name in the congregation of the people , and tell out his workes with gladnesse . or , to be plaine , we can be content to offer vnto him the oblations of our hearts and our lips , but not of our hands . we can be content , as s. bernard very aptly , to this purpose speaketh ) to goe with the wise men to seeke christ , yea , we will with them fall downe and worship him too , but we be growne too wise with thē to open to him our treasures ; that is , the very renting of our hearts , we cannot endure to be tied vnto it . if paul will make agrippa a christian , he must except these bands too . but be not we deceiued , god is not mocked . he requires that we honour him with our goods , as well as with our bodies and our spirits , for both those and these are his . which the man after gods owne heart dauid , well considered , when ( as we read psal. . ) hauuing bin in such distresses and troubles , that standing vpon the brincke of the pit of dispaire , he said , all men are lyars , and vtterly deceiued , that say or account of me , that euer i shall es●ape these daungers , and be exalted to sit vpon the throne , and yet at length finding gods mercies so vnmeasurablie heaped vpon him , that he was not able to expresse them , bethinking how to shewe himselfe not vnmindfull thereof , nor vnthankfull therefore , hee did enquire within himselfe , saying ; quid retribuam domino , &c. what shall i render to the lord for all the benefits that he hath done vnto me ? he resolueth not onely i wili take the cup of saluation , and call vpon the name of the lord : but also this , verse . i will offer a sacrifice of thanks-giuing according to the law , and i will pay my vowes euen now in the sight of all his people ; that is , i will with my goods performe such ordinarie duties as the lord in his law doth require : and i will besides render of my goods such other things as in my trouble i vowed extraordinarilie to giue or offer vp vnto my god , if he should deliuer me out of them . now if men be so farre from dauids minde , that ( because they haue beene in trouble and danger ) they will not onely not vow , nor giue any thing extraordinarily , but refuse likewise therefore , to render euen that which god doth ordinarily require , let them take heede , least pretending to draw neere vnto god with their lips , their hearts ( whatsoeuer they pretend ) be as farre from him as their hands ; and insteed of shewing thanfulnesse , they do not openly bewray manifest vnthankfulnesse , and so make themselues vnworthy of future blessings , that be so vngratefull for former . but it is not fit , that the minister should receiue personall tithes : because so he will from time to time , be acquainted with mens seuerall estates , and know as well as they in manner , what they gaine or lose from yeare to yeare . answere . but why is it not fit he should know , in some generall sort at least , how god doth blesse or not blesse , prosper or not prosper his people ? for how they do rise or fal , & what their states alwaies are , hee cannot know , because he is nothing the more acquainted thereby with their expenses and spending of that they haue . god thought it to be fit enough among his own people the iewes : as may appeare by appointing them , . to pay the tenth of euery thing . . to bring . times a yeare euery man his offering according as god had blessed him . in diuerse of their offerings , to offer an offering of greater or lesser valew , according as they were either riche or poore . againe we doe see , that the husbandman at this day euery where doth account to the minister of god how god hath blessed , inriched and increased him , or otherwise diminished and brought h●m low , in euery thing he hath , both great and small . and why shall tradesmen , &c. thinke that not fit for them to doe , which god did iudge to be very fit for his owne people , and which husbandmen neither refuse nor think vnfit ? let others thinke what they will , i doe verily think it to be not onely fit , but also expedient and necessary too , that euery man whether he be husbandman or tradesman , doth liue by by land or sea , by natures increase , or by his ●rte and labour , should let his minister know how god doeth either blesse or not blesse him , that so he ( the minister ) may be the more occasioned , the rather for that it so neerly toucheth himselfe , either to praise god for plentie and aboūdance sent , or to pray to god , where his hand is heauie , for the remoouing therof , and sending of better successe . farther , but where som composition lies , vnlesse the minister be made acquainted with the income & increase or decrease of his parishioners estate by computation , which way is it possible he shall know what certaintie to demand , or depend vpon ? but must ( the thing that it most disclaimed , & indeed vtterly intolerable ) stand stil to the curtesie & beneuolence of the parishioner . wherfore sith it is most vnfit and vnreasonable that the minister be left to mens curtesies & cōsciēces , which now a daies be but short ; let such as think it not fit that he should be acquainted with their gains and losses from time to time , condiscend at least to that which neither parte hath any iust cause to except against , that is , some reasonable composition , as in london alreadie there is : which one yeare with another may be indifferent for both sides . but where is any such tithe payd ? who is there that paies them ? therefore why should we doe otherwise then others doe ? hereunto though i might answere in a word , we ought to liue by lawes not by examples : and therefore though it were true , that this kind of tithe were now no where paid , yet this being prooued ( as it is ) that of right it ought to be paid , such examples of non-paiment doe not iustifie , but make more euill the facte . for , the more trangressors , the greater the sinne . the farther the disease is spread , the more intolerable and needing speedy care , ne pars syncer a trahatur , least al be mard : yet if the willing reader will vouchfafe but to turne a little backeward he shall there find it sufficiently declared , how long , by whom , & where , those kind of tithes haue , from time to time beene paid . farther i answere that in diuers parts of our land , they are paid in one or other manner namely in the citties of london & canterburie , as both by practice , and by the statute for that purpose extant in print , is euident . besides london , these kind of tithes are also paid in diuers other places , in some other manner , as i doe gather , by the very words of the statute touching such tithes ; wherein is this prouis● , that in al such places where handiecrafts 〈◊〉 haue vsed in some other manner , ( viz. otherwise then by computation of the tenth , the expenses diducted ) or by compositiō for the tenth proportionably , with london ) to paie their tithe , that there the same custōe of paymēt of tithes shall be obserued & continue stil. for these words do plainly signify that there be such places in the lād , wherby some ancient custome , artificers , trades-men , &c. haue vsed to pay such tithes though in other manner , then either by the statute generallie is prouided , or in london , &c. particularly is vsed : otherwise that prouiso were superfluous . also in fisher townes , the fisher-men doe pay tithe of their fish , and so doe fowlers of their fow●e , both which are a kind of personall tithe , as by the manner of payment thereof , and custome of euery place may easily be coniectured . now seeing personall tithes are paid in fisher townes , likewise in london & some other places else , after one sort ; and in diuers other places after another ; and in all other places ( of like nature ) ought to be paid : it is superfluous to aske where they are paid , and who doe pay any personall tithes ? rather they shew themselues apparrantly worthy blame , that mooued neither by the example of husbandmen that pay predial tithes , nor of the best of our townes and citties ( such without all exception is london , being the head cittie of the whole kingdome ) which doe in one or other manner pay personall tithes , and so yeelde the minister a certaine maintenance , will looke onely vpon those , which regarding neither law nor good example , doe not their duetie ; and account they doe not amisse , so long as they doe but as such ( the worst , not the best ) doe . but this were a great charge to townes and citties , where people already , though they doe pay the minister nothing toward his maintainance , yet haue inough to do to liue . and were it not a great benefit to them , if they might continue as they doe in many places , that is , giuing that way but what they lust ? answere , . why should any account that to be a charge and burthen ouer heauie , which others do easily beare , and that , i say not without any griefe , but euen with desire to continue ? be there not diuers places in the land , where prediall tithes being paid to the church , the minister receiueth yearely more pounds , then shillings in some townes , that yet are the more populous , which neuerthelesse doo not count it a matter of charge , nor repent that euer their predecessors condescended thereunto , but ( may count themselues , and ) are indeed of all other therby most happy , because they haue those notable meanes which others want , to obteine the best and most learned teachers to reside with them ? and what charge , what burthen is it to the citizens of london , to pay as they do by the house ? doe they complaine thereof ? doe they finde it a beggering & vndooing vnto them ? and see that they haue cause to curse the time , that euer such a course was taken betwixt them and their ministers ? nay rather , doo not many of them of their owne liberalitie and loue to the worde , augment and enlarge it ? and dooth not infallible experience shew , manifest & manifold reasons conuince , that it was an happy thing for them , that euer so iust & necessary a law was enacted , and so excellent , good & indifferent a course prouided and planted for their ministerie ? and that the ministerie of our land , specially in places of like condition , will neuer stand in good estate , nor the people thereof haue due and necessary teaching , till the same or some other like course for personall tithes bee generally and duely planted and setled among vs. . men ought not to count that a charge ( a burthen not to bee admitted , beeing yet absent , nor endured beeing present ) without which they cannot well bee . but except men will maintaine a minister , they cannot haue , nor indeed are not worthie to haue a minister among them . wherefore as a tenant counts it no charge to pay his rent , because vnlesse hee pay it , ●start ; he knowes hee cannot dwell in the house : so neither ought the parishioner , who ought to account himselfe no lesse bound to pay to the church the rights thereof : and bee as willing to yeeld his ministe● that is due , as hee would him to be to performe the office and duetie of a minister . . it is certaine & euident , that our predecessours , ancient & best christians , did not account it a charge ouer-great to paie their personall tithes , and maintaine liberally their ministers : nor a benefit to tradesmen , &c. to pay them nothing , and giue them but what they lust . for then they would neuer haue condescended ( as it appeareth generally they did ) to the payment and establishment of personall aswell as of prediall tithes . and it had been an easie matter for them , while yet no such thing was in practise , and not so much as the name of personall tithes deuised and knowne , to haue admitted no such kind of imposition , but to haue held fast such a priuiledge and benefit : but that , besides reason it selfe , religion had rightly enformed them , that , which couetousnes will not suffer vs to learne , that such freedome was bondage , such ease the worst burthen , and such a benefit the greatest detriment : and therefore it was as necessary for them to impose personall tithes on tradesmen , &c. as prediall on husbandmen , & no more benefit for those to bee free of the one , then these of the other . . i appeale to their owne consciences that thus obiect , what benefit it is to any parish , where prediall tithes are due , to haue them taken from the church , and nothing there to be left , except it bee some peeld vicaridge , scant woorth the taking , or some , beggerlie stipend worse then it ? i am sure vnlesse they will speake against their owne consciences & all reason : vnlesse they bee of that minde of which it is likely that some are , viz. that , so they might haue their tithes , & other profits , which now the church dooth or should enioy into their owne hands , they cared little , whether they had any minister , any publike seruice of god , or any teaching at all : they must answere , that ( howsoeuer the case now stand , ) that is not benefit to the place , but an extreame miserie & plague ; seeing by that meanes they of the place must needs haue such teachers , not as are fit , but as they can get & rest contented for the most part , with the dregs and refuse of the cleargie , whereby the blinde leading the blinds , both fall into the pitt● : whereas if the minister ( as in other places ) had the whole , they might haue some learned & very able teacher to their pastour ; who , carefully attending them , might saue both himselfe , & them that heare him . now if the matter be well lookt into , what difference is there twixt the one and the other ? i meane , if in the one place the minister hath all the prediall tithes kept from him , and in th' other all the personall ? and thereby as well the one as the other is a fit receptacle for only the worst and vnworthiest pastour ? and what is this but as that , a kinde of impropriating ? vnlesse happely it bee of the two , the more wicked and intolerable . first , because in the other , that the minister hath though it bee but little yet is certaine . hee knowes what to demaund of euery man , and hath good lawe for recouery of it , if it bee deteined , in this , not . . for the most part it is more in quantitie then the personal tithe is ; the number of parishioners or communicants one with the other compared . . the other is taken away by law ; this by very fraud , and nothing else but abuse ( or at most vnsufficiency and weaknes ) of law. . in the other euery parishioner payes his full tithes , if not to whom of right , yet to whom by lawe , it ought to bee payd : and so is , quod ammo●● , discharged of his debt and dutie to god and the church : but in this , the parishioner without so much as any cloake or co●uert of law to hide his sinne withall , deteines his tithes to himselfe , and so conuerteth to his owne pr●uate vse , that which the other either directly or ind●●ectly pa●es to god and his church . . finally , what benefit it may bee to any people to vsu●p this libertie , i know not ; vnlesse this bee a benefit , that by this meanes they may at their pleasure abuse , wrong , impouerish , persecute , weary out and driue awaye their minister whensoeuer they list . for by this meanes , if a companie of them shal but lay their heads together , vpon any conceipt they haue against the man , to hold him short for his maintenance , and to pay him no more then perforce they must , and both he & they know ( how muchsoeuer in very deed his due bee ) hee is able by anie lawe ●et in force to recouer ; then it is easie to coniecture what will within a while become of the poore minister . and whether this be not a kinde of persecuting of the gospell , ( and therefore vnfit to bee tolerated where the gospell is professed ) let all men iudge . for if in warres , as experience● dooth shew , it bee possible to assault and ouerthrow the enemy aswell by famine , and secreat vnderminings as by open battaile in the field : and it be true which diuines haue obserued , that there is a kinde of persecution that is priuy and wrought by subtilitie and policie , and it no lesse dangerous , then that which is open & by planie force and violence ; then out of all question , this is as fine a pollic●e & as notable a subtilitie , whereby men may persecute the minister of god at their pleasure , keep him and driue him from them whē they list , & yet be reputed in the face of the world for none other then good and honest men , yea religious and good protestants , as any lightly the deuill can deuise . and therefore knowing the whynes of sathan , i will not maruell , if any such as are secreat enemies to religion , and indeed despise and contemne the ministers thereof , what shew soeuer they make vnto the world shall labour and stand vp with tooth and naile to hold fast this ( supposed ) priuiledge & benefit . but i shal more then marueil , if ( this diuelish stratageme being thus dis●●uered , ) any that sincerely feares god , vnfcinedly loues the gospell of iesus christ , & in trueth & veritie affects the ministers thereof , shall but open his mouth to haue it continued , & such an aduantage & ready meanes for the diuell and his members , to persecute the ministers of the gospel , at their pleasure , suffered among gospelling christians . i haue shewed sufficientlie that it is no benefit to any ( whatsoeuer some account it ) to be freed of personall tithes . now will i also shewe ( for the farther satisfying of all ) that indeed it is diuers waies , a great benefit , and the right way to do themselues good to paie them , and so their owne great harme that they doo not . . by that meanes , they shall honour god with their riches , as god hath commaunded , prou. . . as did abraham , genes . . iacob . genes . . the israelites , numb . . their neighbours and brethren that are husbandmen round about them doo : and all men , by the law of god and nature are bound , as already is proued and declared in the . and . chap. of this treatise at large . . they shall procure vnto themselues able and good teachers , one of the most principall benefits that god can bestow on men in this life ; and not bee subiect , as commonly they are , vnto the worste and vnworthiest of all other . maintenance for learned men once setled & had , learned men will easily bee had also to accept it : not had , it is vaine to expect or hope for such to come among them . i denie not , but that sometime learned & very worthie and able men doo accept of very meane places . but it is either for very necessitie , making of such as it were a stay till they can bee better prouided for ; or it is for a supplie , and by way of augmentation , hauing some better preferment otherwhere . and then not seldome it so falls out , that delighting to be most with them that best maintaine them , these are left to vnlearned curates : and so haue indeede learned men rather in name then in deede to their pastors , according to the measure they offer them , which is a liuing in name , and not in deed ; a maintainance in shew , but not in proofe . they shall procure the blessing of god vpon them & their goods , euen in regarde of their outward estates . for ( as after i shal shew more fully , cap. . following ) god doth blesse thē with plēty & increase of wealth , that duelie pay their tithes , as well personall as prediall , and liberally maintaine the●r ministers , whether in towne or countrie : as contrarywise hee 〈◊〉 them with losses ▪ shipwrackes , scarcenes , barrennes , pouertie , and neede of all things , that deale otherwise . . they shall procure much vnitie , amitie , and good liking betwixt them and their ministers ; wheras now there is continuall dislike , grudge , discontent , griefe , and murmuring on both sides . they think him a man couetous & vnreasonable , one that will neuer be satisfied : he againe counts ( as the trueth is ) them vnreasonable and vnconscionable in their dealing toward him , that look he shuld rest satisfied with their offerings only , & those other scraps that now and then fall out , togither with what they lust besides to giue him . which is in truth a kind of beggarly condition ▪ & so vnseeming a minister of the gospel , that i hold him worthy much reproofe that shall accept and approoue it . . they shall auoid the grudge and enuy of their neighbours , husband-men , and others that pay in good sorte , who ( as i haue heard oft with mine owne eares ) doe repine and grieue that they should paye so much ( yet but their due , ) to the maintainance of their ministers , when others better able a great deale in wealth and worth ( though not in lands ) paye in manner nothing : not the fortieth , nor manie times the hundreth parte that they doe . they ask ( not without reason ) why one husbandman , his liuing beeing not worth aboue . or . pounds by the yeare , should yearely paye . or . shillings a peece at the least ; and a merchant , a clothier , a trade or handicrafts-man , dispending by his trade or science an hūdreth poūd a yeare at least , esteemed worth . happely a . poundes , shall paye scant so manie pence ? or when the husband-man payes somewhat either in specie . of by custome and composition for euery thing hee doth possesse , why these shall not pay of anie one thing almost the tenth ? for they be not so blinde , but they can see , nor so bad accountāts but they can tell , that if trades-men paid but the tēth of their gaines for anie one commoditie that oft they deale in , it would & must needes be more then that they commonly giue for the whole . such inequalitie & vn-indifferency seene betwixt them that be of one parish , one church , one countrey , and one kingdome , and therfore should be as equally and indifferently dealt with , one as another , how can it but offend , and grieue them that be still pressed , and beare euer the heauier burthen ? and so much the more when they see , that by this meanes many times it is , that they are ill taught , haue had ministers , and their ministers liue in need and beggerie : whereas they know well , that if the rest of their neighbors did mainta●ne them , and allow them as much a peece , ( or but half so much ) according to their ability as they do ( & in al reasō & equity , besides religiō so they ought ) they might haue as able & good teachers as in other places & parishes there bee . . whereas now it oft falleth out , that where the place consisteth not of trades-men &c. some of the wealthier sort are faine , ( they seeing by the with-drawing and ill payment of the greatest number their minister else not able to liue among them ) to pay more then is their due : hereby , a due certaintie setled by law , all shall alike according to their estates be lyable to the ministers maintenance , and so he better maintained then before and yet they that before were ouer-charged much eased . . whereas now in diuers places , some well disposed people , considering their want of teaching , haue of late yeares d●uised a remedy by surcharging themselues , that is , by maintaining a preacher besides their minister : by this meanes they shal be eased of a great part of that charge . for their owne minister being condignely sustayned , would oftentimes performe that the other doth . . . we do pay personall tithes : as they are due , so they are not denyed . answ. i do not denie , but that diuers trades-men , artificers , &c. doe pay their ministers somewhat aboue pence a peece , as . pence , . pence , . shill. ten groates , or it may be a crowne , &c. but howsoeuer they may account that ouerplus , to be their personall , or ( as they call it ) their priuie tithes , and pay it in name thereof : yet for my part i am altogether of another minde , and do verily thinke and take the same to be but a meere offering onely . my reasons are , . if tithes be decima pars , a tenth part of that a man doth possesse , or of a mans gaines or increase , for so the word doth sound , men haue defined tithes , and the law of god doth determine : then in no sense , can such a scantling or pittance iustly be termed or counted for any tithe : seeing many times , it is so farre from the tenth , that is not centesima the hundreth , happely vix millesima pars , scarce the thowsandth part of that yeares increase , and cleare gaines , and so no way proportinable to tithes , either as gods law , or as mans law doth lay them out . . they which pay it , do pay it , not as a thing due and accountable as tithes are , but as a matter voluntarie , such are offerings : which they may , as they account , and indeed vpon the least spleene in the world against the minister , do deny to pay , thinking ( 〈◊〉 a man may beleeue them ) that by law he hath right to nothing but his two penie offerings : and that whatsoeuer they pay him more , it is their curtesie forsooth , as a gifte or almes , and not their duetie or his desert . . it comes neerer to the quantitie and nature of an offering , which commonly is and hath bene a thing voluntarie , far lesse then the tenth part , variable according to mens minds as well as their estates , &c. . otherw●se the right payment of offerings cannot be seene among vs. for that . pence which alone they account to be their offering , is enforced by lawe , which requireth not so much onely , but ( as i take it , and els it is wrong ) somuch at the least of euery one , and therefore is not voluntarie . secondly , that is ( as they account it ) equall to all : whereas gods lawe ( whence the custome of offerings hath his chiefest ground ) required it should be more or lesse according to euery mans abilitie , deut. . . and it were a shame and discredit to the richer sort , that they should offer , not like rich men much , but as poore widowes euerie man his mite , or as one tearms it , & wel , micas , their ●rums ; as if they reconed of the minister in the , ch. as of lazarus at their doores . . it was the custome once of our church of england , to make their offerings . times in the yeare at the least . which though now by a worse custome they be brought all to once ; presupposing it were yet invse , if a rich man shuld offer but . times a yeare , i would but aske what might be expected from him ? what ? but an halfe-peny at a time ? could he for very shame , setting aside deuotion or religion ( though he did pay his tithes besides in the largest maner ) cast downe lesse then a groate , sixe pence , or twelue pence at a time ? which cast in all at once comes to a like reckoning . so that euery way this matter considered , make of it what they can , they can make no tithes of it . at the most it is but an offering , and that a poore one too , if it be compared with the aboundance which some of those offerers doe possesse , or with the little which it selfe is , in respect of that the husbandman doth pay , or with the maner of offering among the people of the iewes ; who i doubt not by way of voluntarie offering alone , besides their tithes , their vowes , their first fruites , and their appointed sacrifices , gaue farre more then manie of those of whom i speake , doe giue euery manner of way . wherefore i may with good reason and euidence conclude , that they which paye their minister but in such sorte , therein paye him no tithes at all ; and so with-hold from him the greatest part of his maintainance , viz. his tithes , wherein properly the very substance of the ministers maintainance doeth consist : the rest viz. his offerings , beeing but as an ouerplus cast in , and added to the heap . wherein i would to god people would or could see , first how hardly and iniuriously they deale with the minister , in that for his whole yeares labour and paines among them , they yeelde him no ordinarie maintainance at all . for the offering ( as i haue sayd ) is but as an extraordinry bountie . and therefore speaking of these matters i am wont to say , that he which payes his offerings , and other pettie and extraordinary duties , but withholds his tithes , doth like as if a man making a shewe to paye a man a bushell of corne by heape , should deliuer him but the ouer-measure , and keepe backe the iust bushell for himselfe . secondly , how vnconscionable and voyde of due consideration they shew themselues , who seeing the husbandman to pay tithes as well as offerings , and to contribute towards the maintainance of the minister so liberally , that there is scant a man among them whose liuing is worth com. annis , an . pounds , but yeelds the minister . or . pounds at least , and in places that be fertile and good a great deale more : and diuers tradesmen , &c. ( in london i meane ) to pay by the house . times asmuch at least , as they doe by this voluntary course : yea , knowing that they themselues doe many times giue the minister , more for one houres labour , as at a marryage , a funerall , &c. then this way for the whole yeare , yet can perswade themselues that they doe well , and satisfie their mindes , that they performe their dutie to god and his minister in very good sort ? for what conscience , reason , and equitie is in it , that a man able to dispend by his trade , science , and profession . markes , or an . pounds yearely , should looke to haue the benefit of a ministers labours , for him and his all the yeare long , for twelue pence , or tenne groates , &c : specially when as an husband-man not of like worth in liuing by farre , giues him as manie or moe pounds ? i hope i haue nowe made it most euident and cleare to the eye of all indifferent persons , that notwithstanding any thing that can to the contrary be obiected , it is both reasonable and necessary that personall tithes aswell as predial be payed : & by consequent , that the lawes , and namely the statute of an. . edu . . cap. . to that purpose made , are , in that pointe , not hard and vnreasonable , but reasonably equall , and iust . against the which , howsoeuer some doe murmure and complaine in that respect , yet i would to god , that the ministers had no more cause of complainte then the people haue , by reason of the greeuances , which by occasion , or abuse , at least , of that satute , concerning personall tithes , they doe endure . for , if ( as i trust it may ) it may bee lawfull for them that be grieued to groane , and that feele themselues distressed , to call for helpe , and open their griefes : if in this time and libertie of the gospell it may be free in defence and furtherance of the gospel , to speak the trueth ; the trueth is , that that statute ( in other respects ) is ouer-fauourable to the people , ( as made altogither or their aduantage ) rather then to the minister , and too hard to the minister , not to the people . namely , first , in regard of the time allowed for payement , which is at easter . for , till then by the statute , the parishioner may choose , whether hee will pay any penie of offerings , or of those personall tithes . this clause , i assure you , goes harde for the minister . for howsoeuer in some countrey parishes , where are fewe or none , that ought ot paye personall tithes , and the minister hath his liuing come-in , at other times of the yeare in due sorte , it is no great matter , nor hurt to him to tarrie for his personal tithes and offerings till easter : yet in townes and citties , where the poore minister hath but a little ( god knowes ) as yet , to liue vppon , to tarrie for all till the yeares ende , and to bee faine ( as no doubt manie doe ) to borrowe , &c. wherewith to keepe house till easter , that goes hard . . and as the forbearāce of a mans due so long time , cannot but be to him some trouble and hindrance ; yet it were well , if he lost nothing thereby in the end : but that is seldome so . for the parishioners who commonly are ready to prey vpon euery aduantage , and ingenious to deuise meanes and shiftes to pay as little as may be , take thereby occasion to shuffle together their whole yeares employments ; and then though they haue gayned well in the former quarters of the yeare , if happely they haue lost any thing in the later , the parson payes for it : whereas if they payd those personall tithes , as the husbandman doth his prediall , or as fishers and fowlers doe their personall , viz. alwaies when they arise , or at the quarters end , as in london , the minister might happely fare a little better then commonly he doth . neither is this all : but by this means , , if the incumbent hauing serued . or . . quarters of the yeare and more , happen to die before easter , all is lost ; he , his wife , family , &c. for a great part of the yeares seruice , shall haue nothing , but the next incumbent shal reape the fruits of his whole yeares labours . secondly , in regard of the persons exempted by law from such personall tithes , which be , first all common day-labourers , and then in fisher townes , all saue those that haue fish to pay . for of these , the former is a fauour more then the husbandman hath , who , how poore soeuer he be , yet doth and must pay somewhat . and then the later is more then a fauour , euen a great priuiledge to the wealthy , besides the meaner sort of such townesmen : seeing it is probable , that no towne standes so on fishing , but that there are in it dyuers & they wealthy too , of sundry other trades and occupations , who yet ( if i mistake not ) go cleare by benefit of the expresse words of the statute ; where it were disagreeing neither to reason nor religion , that they should help to maintaine their minister of that they liue by , aswell as their neighbours that liue by fishing : and not the whole charge rest vpon some few , and the minister receiue nothing at all of many of them . thirdly , in regard of the meanes appointed for recouerie of those tithes : wherein the partie greeued is vtterly debarred of the defendants oath , and per conseq . of any certaine and readie meanes thereto . of which point let that suffice which is before spoken . fourthly , in regard of the very words of the statute concerning the quantitie prescribed . for i do not yet find it agreed , nor explaned by any , what is to be accounted cleare games . the common opinion is : that only to be cleare gaines , and so titheable , which a man putteth vp ( as they say ) in his purse at he yeares ende , aboue all charges and expenses whatsoeuer : or which a man at the yeares end findeth his last yeares stocke to be increased , aboue that at the beginning of the yeare it was . but though i know , that neither this way , after this so large a sense , do any almost now a daies satisfie the law , that this neither is nor can be the true sense of the law , i haue many and those apparant reasons : as , . so might the ministers maintenance proue exceeding small , nothing happely some yeares . for it is probable that many trades-men &c. may gaine well , and yet lay vp nothing at the years end , but spend all in housekeeping , gaming , drinking , &c. . so there should be no maner proportion , betwixt predial and personall tithes . because where as the husbandman , how smal soeuer his increase be , yet paies somewhat : the trades-man though he gaine indeed verie much , yet if he haue occasion thereunto , or but will spend all , shall pay nothing . and then wheras among husbandmen the maintenance of the minister lies equally vpon them all , both poore and rich , euery one paying more or lesse , according to that he hath ; among trades-men it shall lie onely vpon some few , and those the honestest and thriftiest onely . . so should the practize of that law for personall tithes , vtterly differ from the practize of the same law in places exempt , as in london , in fisher townes , &c. in which euery man rich or poore , that hath either house or fish , paies accordingly : euerie man spending but his owne , and not the ministers parte likewise . . by this meanes the minister stands still at an vncertaintie and the curtesie of his parishner ; ( the thing principally disclaimed . ) for the parishner what euer hee gaine is still at his choise if he list , to spend all : and may handle the matter so , that though another gaining but . pounds , yeeld the minister . or . shill● yet he gaining an . poūds , may not yeeld him twentie pence . all which absurdities and inconueniences weighed , it is probable , that is not the true sense of the law , vpon , and from which they doe arise . another therefore if we seeke , that i take it , must needes be this ; that euery such person shall pay the tenth part , not of his gaines absolutely , aboue his first stocke or principall , but of his cleare gaines : that is , of that , which , hauing diducted and abated all such charges & expenses as besides the first penie that he had occasion to lay out , surmounteth towards house-keeping , and increase of stocke . so that wheras in prediall tithes , the husband-man is not allowed for his seede , ploughing , weeding , reaping , mowing , shearing , carriage , or any other like charges ; in personal tithes it is otherwise : the trades-mā , &c. shal be allowed ( besides his principal , for his expenses in tools , rent , reparations , for carriage , cellerage , custome and other like , and pay tithe onely of that which ariseth cleare aboue all such charges , and is lefte him , when hee hath made his full and absolute returne toward his houshold necessaries , or to bee newely imployed as a stocke . this sense , as any man may easily perceiue , first , is very consonant to reason : secondly , beareth some proportion betwixt prediall and personall tithes , in that wel-nigh all trades-men , artificers , &c. may be found lyable more or lesse , to such a kinde of paye : thirdly , admitteth some knowne certainety ( the thing specially intended ) in euery mans estate : fourthly , it is confirmed by the vsuall practize of the payment of such tithes , in such cases as are out of question , as in london ; where paying by the house , euery man whose house is . shill. or aboue , of yearly rēt , paies accordingly : of fish , wherof in most places the tithe is paid , not of the iust tenth , but of the twelfth , & in some places , but of the fifteenth part , . or . parts ( as the expenses may appeare to be more or lesse ) being allowed for boate and sayne , &c. which doth plainly argue , that the expenses mentioned in the statute , should be vnderstood , not of all kind of charges whatsoeuer , that a man may bee at , for himselfe and his trade , the whole yeare thorough , but those onely which are imployed about the very thing it selfe , as instruments and meanes , or as the principal , or a part of the principal , to bring it ( the gaines ) to hand . which kind of charges or expenses once deducted , the remainder , being cleare gaines is to be shared betwixt the gainer thereof , and his minister , toward the maintenance of them both : euen as the husbandman doth his whole increase as naturally it doth arise , without any such deduction . these things considered , that is , the time of payment , the persons exempted , the meanes for recouery , and the ambiguitie of the words , i hope i may without any dāger , wrong , or scādal at al , iustly conclude and affirme , that the statute for personal tithes is not hard , but exceeding fauourable vnto the parishioner : & , that the ministers rather haue great cause , finding by iust & long experience , how men abuse those fauours , and peruert that law , to their great preiudice , the hurt of our ministery , hindrance of the gospel , and decay of learning , to complaine thereof , & with all earnestnes to craue & desire the magistrats of the land , & al those in whose hands it lies to redresse such euills : that weighing the matter more thoroughly , and considering more seriously of the cause , for the righting of their wrongs for furtherance of the gospel & learning , for increase of preachers in the land , they would either alter this statute wholly , and settle in steed of it a perpetuall composition betwixt the incumbent & his parishners for personall tithes , either after the maner of the citie of londō , or some other like : or else at least , so explane , amplifie and perfit ( a common practise in sundy cases euen of ●inal moment ) the present st●tute , that al ambiguities and euasions being taken away and stopped , the minister might plainly and directly know , what to demand , and how to reco●er it , and the parishioner what and how to pay . wherein the case being so doubtfull , ambiguous , apt and open to contention as now it is , any reasonable certaintie were much more beneficiall to the ministerie , then that which now can bee had . and it could not but be a meanes of much peace and concord betwixt pastour and people ( a thing worthy to be bought with som loss ) who now in this case , wil yeeld in maner nothing , without continual contention : which moueth the greater number of ministers , rather to lose in manner the whole , then to be litigious and accounted contentious for a part . the statute was made in such a time , when it was thought a vertue , to nip and abate the height of the cleargy : and therefore if it do seeme ●o fauour rather the parishioner then the pastor , ●and giue the one aduantage to pay little , rather then the other to recouer much , it is not much to be wondered at , or greatly misliked . but now that time it selfe and truth her daughter haue discouered the defects thereof , and the present time affecting ( as is necessarie and iust ) a learned and able ministerie , it were requisite and a very godly act , if it might so be lookt into , that it might appeare , we are no lesse respectiue of our times , then they of theirs : & as willing to restore to the church and ministerie what wee finde wanting and needfull , as they to take from them what they thought superfluous and needlesse . thow mayest maruell happely ( good reader ) why in vrging this matter of personall tithes , i doo so often mention the custome and order of the citie of london : but both that thow maist not bee ignorant of my meaning , and bee mooued the sooner to be of my mind , i will not conceale from thee the causes thereof , which are as followeth . first long and good experience hath prooued that course , beeing duely and without fraud and corruption practised , to bee very equall and good . such indeed , as it is hardly possible for the wit of man to deuise in the like case , a better . . it is a thing desired of the greatest part of the ministers of our land , whom the case concernes : as which , if it might in case of personall tithes , bee generally planted , would , as already appeares by the practise therof in that one place , make our land , our church , our ministerie and people much the happier . . what course , disclayming that which is found by too long and too much experience to bee very preiudiciall and vnsufficient , should any rather looke vnto , then vnto that , which the head citie of our church and kingdome , hath as a spectacle and example to the whole ( if men had as great desire to imitate the best as the worst ) vpon due and m●ture deliberation , established and planted in it selfe , and for the good it findes therein , without any desire of change or alteration , hitherto continued ? . it could not but bee a thing praiseworthy and goodly , if as there is one law for prediall tithes , the whole land thoroughout , so there might bee likewise for personall tithes . . it is a rate so small , a pay so tollerable , for the people , ( & yet where the parish is any thing populous , reasonably competent for the minister also ) that a lesser or easier cannot with any reason or equitie bee desired . for it is nothing so much as either the husbandman dooth vsually pay , or as the tradesman & artificer some yeares otherwise , of right ought to pay . . seeing it cannot bee denied , but that by meanes thereof , the ministers of london liue in very good & scholer-like sorte , in so much that ( to the praise thereof bee it spoken ) there is not a poore and needy minister among them : the people also seeing thereby their ministerie to bee good , and the gospell to flourish among them , yeeld it with greate contentation ; what haue the ministers of the places , townes and cities speciallie , offended , that they may not bee as well prouided for as they of london ? are not their labours and studies as deare vnto them ? are they not pastours in the same church , and members of the same kingdome ? or what haue the people of other places , ( townes and cities specially ) committed , that they also should not bee as duely prouided for of a good ministerie , and of able teachers , as they of london ? are they not members of the same church and kingdome , & their soules redeemed with the same price ? but that the one as if they were the ofspring of eli , should bee faine to crouch for a peece of siluer , and a morsel of bread ? and the other like the people of our sauiours time ( but none taking compassion vpon them ) should bee left dispersed and scattered abroad to seeke here and there for the word of god , as sheep hauing no sheepheard ? . if that course planted in london so long time since , euen in time of poperie , while yet the law for personall tithes stood in his greatest strength , and the offerings & other deuotions of the people to the church were , i might say infinite times more then now they are , was found euen then to bee most necessarie and fit for both sides , to bee a meanes of great agreement and content betwixt the people & pastour , and more beneficiall for the church it selfe , beeing at a certaine composition , then the vncertaintie of those tithes : no man is able to shew any reason why now , the statute for personall tithes beeing very weake and vnsufficient , the deuotion and offerings of the people beeing come as it were to nothing , such a compsition and certaintie should not be fittest and most necessarie the whole land ouer . . last of all , imagine the londoners did deale at this present with their ministers as the tradesmen & artificers of many places doe , that is , did yeeld vnto the minister , but two pence a 〈◊〉 at easter , and if any thing ouer , yet but what themselues lift , no certaintie , lesse for his whole yeares labours , and for all dueties commonly , then the country minister , besides his gleebe , and besides his great and smaller tithes , receiueth for his e●ster booke onely ; is it probable , or is it possible , there would notwithstanding be in london , as many learned and worthy preachers as now there are of the gospel of christ , and the preaching of the word flourish and abound therein as now it doth ? no man i thinke will be so sencelesse as so to conceiue and affirme ; for v●i cadauer , ●bi aquilae . why then ? is it not easie for men to conceiue , if they will not be blin● , how expedient it were for other places to be prouided for , as it is ? and how dangerous and hurtfull for them that they be not ? the onely thing that i see can here against be obiected , is ; the state and condition of other places , is not like vnto the cittie of london . and why ? because in london there is no meanes in the world , in diuers of their parishes ( personall tithes being not paid by computation ) how to raise any maintenance , but by the house : but in other places there are some prediall tithes , or other kind of personall tithes , which are and easily may be paid in their kinde . this helpe and augmentation is but in some places only . for diuers places there are , where the state of the citie of london and of them in this respect , is all one . though in some places , there are more prediall tithes then in london , yet the parishes being not so populous , nor the rent of houses so great by a great deale , the personall tithes ( though rated according vnto london ) must needs be lesse : and so the maintenance , one thing considered with another , not much different . be it ( as in some countrie market townes ) that in some places , there are some prediall , or other personall tithes to be paide in kinde ; yet doth it therefore follow , that tradesmen , artificers , &c. of such places must goe free , and bee exempted from maintenance of their ministers ? surely that cannot bee but an open iniurie , an apparant sinne . for what is this but to liue by the sweat of other mens browes ? an iniury to to their coparishners . and how hath the minister a part of all a mans goods ? and what doth he in this case but take wages of one , to do● another seruice ? or rather being duely and well pay 〈…〉 of his parishioners ( the husbandmen ) serue the other , the tradesmen for nought ? or of some part of goods , bee de●rauded of other sortes ? and so whereas his liuing might be sufficient and good , if all did their dutie , now the greatest number withdrawing , it is very sparing and little . a double iniurie to the minister . some also may happely obiect , that in diuers places , they bee already rated by the house , though not in proportion as london . but those rates , ( the times considered , the auailes of the churche then and now compared ) are commonly so small and vnreasonable , that they can with no equitie , reason & conscience bee accounted indifferent & fit to stand . see for this more , pag● . . & . in the title of customes . chap. ix . sheweth , how dangerous and vnprofitable vnto men euen in respect of their outward and temporall estates it is , to bee illiberall and ouersparing to their ministers . and on the other side how gratefull to god , how profitable and gainefull to themselues , to bee liberall and bountifull towards them . vers. . for whatsoeuer a man soweth , that also shall he reape . this later clause of this . vers. ( as i noted in the beginning ) is a confirmation of the former clause and doctrine , by an argument or reason taken ab euentu , from the good or euil euent , and successe , which shall & will ( whether men will or no ) follow of mens actions , good or euill , equall or vnequall , in this behalfe . the words may diuersly bee taken . for they may bee referred , either to the qualitie of things , as they are commonly read , whatsoeuer a man soweth , that also shall he reape : or to the quantitie , as of some they are expounded , as a man soweth , so shall hee reape . the former sense intendeth , that forsomuch as it is a thing both natu●●ll and ordinarie , that a man reap such corne as hee dooth sowe ; therefore if any doo employe his goods to this so good & necessarie an vse , viz. the maintenance of the minister , hee shall reap good fruite thereof accordingly , that is spirituall thinges . but that whosoeuer refuseth to doo , and employeth his goods onely about prophane & worldly matters , hee shall reape thereafter : if any , onely worldly commodities . so our apostle seemeth to explicate his meaning in the next verse , where he saith : for he that soweth to the flesh , shall of the flesh reape corruption : but hee that sow●th to the spirite , shall of the spirite reape life euerlasting . for , to sow vnto the flesh is to prouide for the necessaries or pleasures of this present life , no respect had of the life to come . that whoso dooth , shal reape that which he dooth sowe , that is , that which will soone be lost , perish & consume ; happely besides and withal , shame & confusion . on the other side , the spirite beeing here taken for the spirituall life , to sow vnto the spirite is to respect heauen more then earth , the kingdome of god more then the riches of this world , & therevpon so to order our life , that we may aspire to the kingdome of heauen , and so to employ our goods , that they may further vs therein , by procuring vnto vs , by & with them those things that perteine to pietie & religion : not sparing these transitorie goods , so as by them , wee may get vnto vs spiritual , heauenly , & neuer fading treasures . hence thence wee learne first , if wee lay out our goods vpon worldly things , to buy vs houses , lands and possessions here on earth , to procure vs wealth and treasures of this life , or which is worse , to maintaine & increase our pleasures & delights : such as wee seeke we shal finde , as we sow we shal reape , that is , at the best hand , such treasures & riches as rust & moath will consume , as thieues may breake in & steale from vs : such as time it selfe will take from vs , or vs from them . for , all these things how dearly soeuer they are bought , how farre soeuer they are sought , how carefully soeuer they are kept , yet doo , must , and will turne to corruption . and then what auaileth all the labour and toile that wee haue taken , all the costes & charges wee haue spent , all the time and trauell wee haue bestowed , in getting to vs such things as will consume and come to nothing , as will be gone euen as soone as they bee gotten , & such as wee can by no meanes cary hence withv● ? specially what profiteth it a man , if hee win the whole world and lose his owne soule ? what helpeth it if our barnes be full , our storehouses full , our cellars full , our coffers full , and so full that wee can scarce tell wher●●● bestow more , if that voice once sound in our eares , thou foole this night shall they fetch thy soule awaie from thee , and then whose shall all these thinges bee which thou hast gathered ? i denie not , but that there is a moderate care , & a lawfull seeking after these things to be permitted and vsed : but beware we , that this bee not either our onely , or our chiefest care . for the end will surely then bee corruption , and not corruption onely , but ( as some translate the word in this place ) interitum , destruction , perdition too . where these things are so sought , that true treasures are wholly neglected , and on these our wealth & substance is so employed , that little or nothing is bestowed on heauenly things , the returne , the haruest , must needs bee thereafter , that is , want of what wee most need , & losse of that we should chiefly haue found . . then secondly on th' other side , if wee lay out our goods on spirituall vses , for furtherance of religion , maintenance of the ministerie , to haue the gospell preached , &c. then , as hee that soweth wheat , shal reape wheat : & he that plāteth good trees , shal haue good fruite : so he that employeth his goods to so good , holy & heauenly vses , shal reap , & receiue , accordingly , increase of knowledge , furtherance in religion , & finally by the good vse and plentifull benefit of those things , which by his worldly goods he hath so procured , eternall life . maruaile not at this . for these things follow by a necessarie consequent one vpon another . wee cannot be saued but by faith , we cannot haue faith without preaching , we can not haue preaching without maintenance for preachers : if therefore our goods doo yeeld vs the one , we may say , that by our goods wee attaine the other . wisedome is not to be bought for mony , nor ( properly to speake ) to be obteined for much gold . iob. . . gold shal not be giuen for it , neither shal siluer be weighed for the price thereof . it shall not be v●lued with the wedg of gold of ophir , nor with the precious onix , &c. yet seeing god dooth al things by meanes . . sam. . experience doth shew , that mony and goods doo vsually procure learning , learning breedeth knowledge , knowledge causeth vnderstanding and so oftentimes thorough knowledge and learning procured by mony as by meanes , wisedome it se●fe is attained . so , saluation . eternall life is the gift of god thorough iesus christ our lord : rom. . . and is not to bee atteined of our selues , nor to be obteined with mony , nor any this worldes goods : yet seeing god do●th giue his gifts by meanes , seeing maintenance may procure preaching , preaching knowledge , knowledge faith , and the end of our faith is the saluation of our soules , . pet. . . true it is also , that by the good employment of our transitorie goods , wee may ( as our apostle here vseth the phrase ) reape at length life euerlasting . it is not that goods properly which causeth this , but the preaching of the word , the publishing of the gospell , which ( seeing they by whom it must be preached and published vnto , bee men and not angels ; and must liue , not like chame●eo●● , by the aire , but as men with ordinarie maintenance ) hardly can bee had without the laying out of our goods . and therefore as cornelius , beeing told that s. peter should come and speake to him , wordes whereby hee and all his house should bee saued : knew full well , that hee could not haue peter to speake those words vnto him , vnlesse hee would send for peter , receiue him , & entertaine him ; ( which hee did ioyfully and liberallie ) so in vaine it is for vs to looke to haue the gospell published , the word of god preached , the way of saluation opened among vs , vnlesse wee will with our goods entertaine those by whom it may and should bee done , not standing vpon the charge , so wee may haue the thing . looke now which is the best employment . wee see the fruite of the one and of the other . what wee lay out vpon worldly vses , yeelds vs at the most , but worldly profit : which of it selfe in time , will turne to corruption ; happely ( which is worse ) to destruction , to shame and confusion . what wee laie out vpon religious vses , will yeeld vs at the least , the vse of religion , of the gospell , of heauenly things among vs ; happely ( which is chiefest of all ) euerlasting comfort , and eternall life . for the word taught , as seed sowen , is seldome without good fruite , but taketh firme roote in some . why then , seeing wee will not spare to lay out much , to get thereby only a little worldly benefit , should we bee sparing and loth to lay out but a little , to get vs great store of spirituall and heauenly goods ? as god hath allowed vs sixe daies for our owne labours , for worldly works and busines , and requireth but the seuenth , for his seruice , and our spiritual vses : so is he content that of our goods , we imploy nine parts for earthly purposes , for worldly vses , and looketh onely that the tenth part , his owne portion , as the crop and chiefe of our substance , be employed to his honour and our owne good . if this we refuse , and ( as if we were all body and no soule , had hope onely of this life , and none of that to come , or cared altogether for this earth , and d●sp●sed heauen ) will imploy all our goods wholly and solely vpon the world , for earthly profit , shall we not shew our selues too vnmindefull of heauen , vngratefull to god , and 〈◊〉 to our soules ? and shall not the fault bee onely ours , if wee be left without teaching , without instruction , and consequentlie without saluation ? ( for where prophecie faileth , the people perish . prouerb . . . ) seeing wee refuse to entertaine such as should teach vs , and count the cost and charge thereof ( as we tearme it ) better saued ? it will goe hard with vs at the last day , the day of reckoning , when euery man must giue account of the employment of all his goods , if we shall aunswere , that we haue employed all vpon prophane and worldly vses . and if , being to giue a reason , why wee wanted the gospel and liued without preaching , destitute of knowledge and vnderstanding , wee bee inforced whether wee will or no ( for then truth must be vttered , dissembling will take no place , pretenses and vaine excuses will not serue , for god will not be mocked and deluded ) we be inforced i say , to testifie with our owne mouthes , it was , because wee refused to imploy our goods to any such vses . let vs not therefore be deceiued , for what a man soweth , that , onely that , shall he also reape . and hitherto of the former sense . let vs likewise consider of the other sense of the wordes : which respecteth the quantitie , and intendeth , that as a man soweth , either sparingly or liberally , so shall he reap . he that soweth sparingly , shall reap sparingly ; but he that soweth plentifully , shall reap plentifullie ; signifying that benefits are not in vaine bestowed vpon the ministers of the gospel , for they shall returne with greater fruit , euen of worldly increase . for euen as the husbandman that soweth his seed in the field , doth at haruest receiue the same with great increase : so they that be liberall of their goods vnto the preachers of the gospel , and ministers of the word , shall at length receiue fruite thereof , viz. gods blessing and increase vpon them euen in temporall things : whereas contrariwise , they which , thinking all to be lost , and as it were so much cast away , that the minister hath from them , and themselues to be impouerished and hindred by imparti●g to them of their goods , are therefore sparing and cruell vnto them , shal in steed of plentie finde scarsitie , and reape according to their deserts and doings , penury and want . and to this sense seeme our apostles words , verse . . best to agree , where ioyning this particular doctrine of the ministers maintenance with other more generall , he concludeth them all in this sort ; let vs not be weary of well doing : for in due time we shal reap , if we faint not . as it were intimating , that whereas men are loth many times to lay out their goods on necessary and spirituall vses , for feare least so themselues should want , that indeed such laying out is the very direct way , to make the same increase , because it is as the casting of seed into the ground ; which , as nature and experience daily teacheth , doth and will returne with great profit , and increase . this sense if we follow ( as some expositors doe , and indeede it agreeth very well with the scriptures otherwhere ) the wordes doe yeeld a twofould reason or cause why to be liberall and not sparing this way : and that is in regard o● the euent that will follow vpon it , euen concerning our temporall estate , namely penury and want , if we be sparing and niggardly : . plenty and aboundance if we be liberall . i wil speak somewhat of each euent se●erally . the metaphor or similitude , it selfe , of sowing and reaping , which the apostle in this place vseth , importeth thus much , that as naturally he that soweth but little can reap but little , so he that to this vse , viz. the seruice of god , the maintenance of the minister , bestoweth but little , shall thriue thereafter . hereunto agreeth that which we read . mal. . . you haue offered that which was torne and the lame and the sicke : should i accept this at your hands ●aith the lord ? but cursed be he which hath in his stocke a male , and voweth and sacrificeth vnto the lord a corrupt thing : for i am a great king , saith the lord of hosts , and my name is terrible among the heathen . in which words all they are condemned , that offer to god , they care not what : any thing is good enough . and the prophet tells them that they procure themselues by so doing the curse of god ; as also is more plainly declared ; cap. . . where againe thus the lord expostu●ateth with his people : will a man spoile his gods ? yet haue ye spoyled mee . but ye say where in haue we spoyled thee ? and he answeres in tithes and offerings . and it follows , therfore are yee cursed with a curse , for yee haue spoyled me , euen the whole nation . verse . . of the same chap. there is an heauy commination against such as keepe backe the wages of the hireling . i will ( saith god ) come neere to you to iudgement , and i wil be a shift witnes against those which wrongfully keep backe the hirelings wages . it is grounded vpō the law of god. leu. . . deu. . . . the words indeede are spoken in a more large and generall sense then this in question : but seeing that luk. . . tim. . and num. . . the pay and maintenance of the minister is called his hire and wages , that generall including all particulars , may well , without any wronge to the text , be applied to this purpose . now as god threatning a curse may seeme to allude to his owne law , where pronouncing cures , they are such as concerne mens outward estates , according to the expresse wordes thereof deut. . . totu● , leuit. . and other where in sundry places : so what speciall curse and kinde of punishment in this place , he doth meane ( in hope such may credit others , as happely will suspect my iudgement ) let s. hierome shew it who writing vpon that place of mal. before alledged . c. . . doth in the person of god paraphrastically explane it thus ? for that yee haue not paid me mine offerings , therefore in f●mine and penurie ye are accursed , and me haue yee deceiued and defrauded . behold the yeare is compleat and ended , and nothing is brought into my treasuries , but all into your owne storehouses : and therefore for the tenths and first fruites , which had beene but a small matter for you to haue giuen me , you haue lost all the plentie of your ●oss●ssions , and the abundance of your fruites . but that you may know , that this is done by me in mine anger , because yee haue defrauded me of my part , i exhort and admonish you , that hencefoorth yee pay me that which is mine , & then will i restore vnto you that which is yours : that is , the other parts ▪ which , as s. aug. obserues , god doth oftē take away from them that refuse to pay to god his tenth : his words be plaine , serm. de temp . . quid auid● supputas ? nouem tibi partes retractae sunt , quia decima● dare ●oluisti . whereupon dost thou greedily reckon ? the nine parts are taken from thee , because thou woudest not pay the t●nth . for , ( as he saith a little after ) this is the lords most iust custome , that if thou wilt not giue him his tenth parte , thou shalt bee reuoked or brought to a tenth . what hee meaneth by that speech sheweth a●acensis . tract . 〈◊〉 dec . where citing the said sentence of s. augustine , he expoundeth it thus : ad d●c . r●uocaberis , id est , nouem partes amittes . thou shalt be reuoked to the tenth , that is , thou shalt loose thy nine parts . an easie thing with god , if a man withhold from him his tenth , to make him , in steede of gaining a tenth part ( which he seekes to gaine by keeping it from the minister ) to leese ten times as much another way . also in the glosse vpon the decrees , cap. maiores , . q. . s. august . is cited , as saying , that therfore now a daies there are so often tempestes and sterilities of sea and lande , dearth of victualls , mortalities and f●mines , because people doe not pay to god their tenthes . and in the sermon before alleadged hee saith directly ; what wouldest thou doe , if taking to himselfe the nine parts , god had left thee but the tenth ? which surely is euen now done , when as the blessing of the raine being withheld , thy hungry haruest faileth , and either the haile hath smitten , or the frost hath scorched thy vintage . and let vs not thinke but that this reacheth farther then to the husbandman ; vnlesse we suppose with the heathen syrians , that our god is if the god of the mountaines , and not of the vallies , of the land , and not of the sea . vnto these two fathers , i will adioyne the words and determination of two auncient councels , and so the iudgement of many fathers at once . the one is concil . tribur . which cap. ● . bringeth in god , speaking thus : da mihi de●imam , &c. giue me my tenth . if thou wilt not giue mee my tenth , i will take away thy nine . if thou wilt giue mee my tenth , i will multiplie thy nine . the other is synod . arelat . . cap. . which affirmeth that no man can can giue acceptable 〈◊〉 of the rest , vnlesse first he separate the tenth vnto the lorde . which ( saith that councell ) hee hath appointed or reserued for himselfe from the beginning ; and that many grudging to pay that tenth , are therefore oft brought to a tenth parte . according wherevnto it hath beene long since held for a case of conscience among the canonistes very cleare ; that a man not prospering vpon a liuing which he rents , if it bee found that hee hath not vsed to paie his tithes well , his landlord is not bound in conscience to abate him his rent ; because it is to be presumed , that because he paieth his tithes no better , god doth punish him , and will not suffer him to prosper . and the like sense and notice seemeth at this day to rest , as receiued by tradition from former times , in the hartes and minds of many of our owne country people , husbandmen , who are found to make such conscience of paying their tithes , which they very aptly and truelie call gods part , that they thinke they should not prosper ( as men that haue robbed god himselfe ) in the rest of their goods . which part of godly feare beeing wiped out of the mindes of others , makes them many times to defile their hands with this sinne without remorse : & to vndoe & ouerthrow themselues without any notice of the true cause thereof . now hauing spoken thus much of the disprofit & hurte that ariseth in defrauding the minister of his due , in communicating to him our of goods sparingly , it is easie to gather on the other side , that by conseq . if for illiberalitie and ill dealing , men bee punished , that for liberalitie and vpright dealing in this kinde , men are blessed of god. for first generallie , that god doth & will blesse them that keep his commaundements & ordinances , is a thing so out of all question , that it were monstrous impietie to doubt of it . and this beeing a principall commaundement , appertayning to the first table , gods owne immediate worship , it must needs bee likewise , that the greater blessings doo attend vpon it . for god hath sayd , them that honour mee , i will honour : & they that despise me . shal be despised . . sam. . . then for the particular , we haue god himselfe the giuer of all blessings , speaking thus , mal. . . bring ye al the tithes into the storehouse , that ther may bee meat in my house . and proue me now therewith saith the lorde of hoastes , if i will not open the windowes of heauen vnto you , and poure you out a blessing without measure . and i will rebuke the deuoure● for your sakes , and hee shall not destroie the fruite of your ground : neither shall the vine bee barren in the field , saith the lord of 〈◊〉 . to this accordeth salomon , prouerb . . . where he saith : honour the lorde with thy riches , and with the first fruits of all thine increase . so shall thy barnes bee filled with abundance , and thy presses bu●st with new wine . neither are the words of the imitatour of salomon , i meane iesus the sonne of syrach , in this case vnworthy to bee recited , who ecclesiasticus . . . hath thus : the offering of the righteous maketh the altar fat , and the smell therof is sweet before the lorde . giue the lorde his honour with a good and liberall eie , & diminish not the first fruits of thine hands . in all thy gifts shew aisifull countenance ; and dedicate thy tithes with gladnes . giue vnto the most highe according as hee hath enriched thee ; and looke what thine hand is able , giue with a cherefull eie : for the lord recompenseth it , and will giue . times as much . to these , forsomuch as the temple and ministerie of the temple bee connexa , wee may adde that of the prophet haggai , cap. . . consider i praie you in your minds , from this daie and afore ▪ from the . daie of the . moneth , euen from this daie that the foundation of the lords temple was laid . consider it i saie in your minds : is the seed yet in the barne , as yet the vine and the fig-tree , & the pomgranate and the oliue tree hath not brought foorth . from this daie i will blesse you , viz. with all kinde of plentie , & abundaunce of wealth and riches . but what are these to vs ? these things were spoken to the iewes , and of their times . answ. yes , they perteine to vs also ; for god is no chaungeling . as they shew vs how hee would blesse his owne people , if they did mainteine his priests and leuits as hee appointed : so , seeing god respecteth his ministers now no lesse then in those times , they doo also shew , that hee will blesse vs too , if wee doo mainteine them , as hee hath appointed . the one is a seruice and sacrifice no lesse acceptable vnto him then the other , as our apostle also sheweth most excellentlie in the last chap. to the philip. v. . now i reioice in the lorde greatlie , that now at the last , yee are reuiued againe to care for mee . yee haue done well that yee did communicate vnto mine affliction . not that i desire a gift , but i desire the fruite which maie further your reckning . now i haue receiued all and haue plentie . i was euen filled , after that i had receiued of epaphroditus that which came from you , an odour that smelleth sweet , a sacrifice acceptable and pleasant vnto god. and my god shall fulfill all your necessities thorough his riches in christ iesus , &c. see what words of affection are here . what commendation of this dutie our apostle giueth . it is a sacrifice acceptable & pleasant to god : he reioiceth at it : he desireth it not so much for his owne need , though hee were in necessitie , as for their riches : that by it their accounte might bee augmented : and for it , god ( as hee assureth them ) would fulfill all their necessities . syrach saith , god will recompense it . fold . salomon assureth that so thy barnes shal bee filled : and the presses euen burst with abundance . and god himselfe saith : if they would but prooue him vpon this point , they should see how hee would open the windowes of heauen , and poure downe blessings : that hee would rebuke the deuourer , and make their land to bee a pleasant land , &c. what words might god haue vsed rather then these , to perswade vs in this point , to stop their mouthes and answere all them , that account the mainteance of the minister to bee a matter of charge , and themselues to bee empouerished thereby ? hee will haue vs to know , that he doth recompense it cum foenore with aduantage ; and that it is a surer way to make a man rich , then the imployment of it in any other course . potiphars house & all that hee had was blessed for iosephs sake : the house of obed edom because of the arke : and the wydowes store by reason of elias . euen so men are blessed , bettered , and enriched : not beggered , hindered or impouerished by the minister of god , when hee is mainteined as hee should bee . god deales with men in this case ▪ as husbandmen with their grounds . the ground which of it selfe is fertile , & yeelds them most store , they toile and keep best , they plant and sow most , that it may the better yeeld them increase : and god , those that shew themselues most thankefull vnto him , by paying duelie his part , most louing vnto , and carefull for their ministers , by mainteining them aright , hee doth most blesse : maketh their stoare most increase , and their labour best to prosper , that so they may bee more and more able to doo their dutie , and further religion . . the godly iewes beleeued thus : in consideration whereof they vsed of old , to call their tithes diuitiarum sepem , the hedge of their riches ; as which did fense and preserue in safetie their , together with gods part . rab. aq. in pirt-aboth . they taught it ( as wee haue already seene ) for doctrine currant and worthy beleefe , that the lord dooth recompence this kind of li●eralitie , & ( will giue for it . times asmuch , ecclesiasticus , . . that thereby their barnes should bee filled with abundance , and their presses run ouer with new wine . prouerb . . . and vpon assurance and perswasion thereof vsed to pay their tithes , and other accustomed duties , not as our people often doo , with murmuring and grudging , sparingly & fraudulentlie , as if they counted all lost that went that waye : but cheerefully and gladly , liberallie & most iustlie , as if they accounted themselues to receiue not to yeeld a benefit : and to bee beholding to the leuits and priests that they did vouchsafe to accept at their hands such oblations , &c. . the deuouter sorte of the heathen thought thus , as withnesseth diod. sic. lib. . cap. . biblith . who saith , that many of the r●manes vowed & payd their tithes to hercules : posteaque fortunatiores facti , & afterward became the wealthier : and that the custome of paying tithes began of this , that some of the heathen gods had told and promised , that whoso would offer vnto them the tithes of all their goods , should haue a happie life , & great increase of wealth : which the heathen people beleeuing to bee true , did obserue such payment . . that this was also the faith and perswasion of the godly christians in auncient times , is very manifest by their testimonies , & their practise . for s. august . saith expressely : our forefathers therfore abounded in all kinde of wealth and plentie , because they duely payd to god his tithes , and to caesar his tribute . and a little after in the same place , in the person of god , he speaketh thus : what ? wouldest thou put out thy goods to increase ? wilt thow lay out little , and receiue for it more ? behold , giue to mee then saith the lord : i doo receiue little , and giue for it more . and otherwhere . o homines stulti , &c. o men vnwise , what hurte doth god commaunde , ( in demaunding the tenth ) that hee should not deserue to bee hearde ? thou giuest not this gratis , which thou shalt receiue againe with great interest . and a few lines following : loe , thou hast in the holy scriptures warrant from the lord himselfe , by which hee hath promised thee , that if thou wilt giue him thy tithes , thou shalt receiue not only aboundance of fruites , but also health of body . thy barnes ( saith the scripture ) shall bee filled with corne , and thy presses flow ouer with wine . and , there shall not be among them any plague nor infirmitie . the councell of tribur . ( as you heard before ) supposeth god to say thus vnto vs ; da mihi decimā , &c. giue mee the tenth : if thou giue mee the tenth , i will multiply to thee the nine parts : & againe si ergo quaerat aliquis , cur deci●●● dantur ? sciat ▪ & . if any therefore doe make a question , why tithes are to be paid ? let him know that therfore they are to be giuen , that by such deuotion god being pacified , may more largely afford vs those thing● that be necessarie . &c. it may appeare also by their practise , in that they did so generally euery where , all christendome ouer , giue vp and establish to the church their tithes both predial and personall , . continue their oblations , and . bestowe vpon the church sundry endowments of lands & possessions , &c. which how might it be they could possibly in so generall , vniforme , large and liberall manner and measure euer haue been induced vnto , had it not been , that they hel & belieued this as a truth most certaine & vndoubted , that being liberall to god and his ministers , they should procure god to be liberall vnto them : by dealing fauourably and vprightly with the one , they should obtaine fauour blessing and prosperitie of the other ? now as the very heathen , the godly iewes , and the auncient and most religious christians beleeued this to be true , viz. that by paying to god their tithes , and honoring him liberally with their goods , and by consequence , by maintaining the minister of god in good and liberall sort , they were not the poorer , but the richer , they did not hinder themselues , but made themselues to prosper : so must we beleeue also , vnlesse we do or will imagine , that they all were foolishly deceiued , & did they knew not what , or ( which god forbid ) thinke that god in making such promises and offers of blessings , and happines , doth but feed & deceiue vs with vain words , but draw vs on with friuolous alluremēts to hinder & vndo our selues . but be not we deceiued . god neither will be mockt with in this matter at our hands , nor doth he mocke & delude vs : what he promiseth he will make good . he hath wel wherwithall to doe it . if we sowe plentifully , we shall reape plentifully . god ( saith s. aug. ) is alwaies ready to do vs good ▪ but he is oft stayed frō doing it , through the malice & wickednes of men , who wil haue the lord god to giue them all things , and yet they will not ( of that they haue ) offer or giue to him any thing againe . heereof let men conside● well . seria res agitur . it is a matter of importance that is in hand : & such as concernes euery man very much . hereby shall al be tryed . i know that men do now adaies respect profit and gaines not a little : and will not deny , but , that ( as the world now goes ) men had need to vse any good course they may , to saue and spare , to get and increase their goods . but let men be aduised , that in this matter they run not a wrong course , and whereby they think to saue a little , they leese much : & fearing to lay out any thing , they gaine nothing . in no case more then in this , is that fulfilled which salomon hath , prouerb . . . there is that scattereth , and is the more increased : but he that spareth more then is right , sur●ly commeth to pouertie . and ponder aright , whether of the two they ought to beleeue ; humane and carnall imaginations that suppose men are hindred , or god that saith they are enriched thereby : mens vaine fantasie , that say it is a burthen , a charge , a very beggering of the place , to maintaine the minister liberally , or gods word that teacheth , it is a benefit , the way to riches , the direct meanes to get aboundance , wealth , & prosperitie : worldly & couetous motions which insinuate , that to haue lesse teaching , and preaching , lesse exercise of religion is most for their profit , and best for the place , or christ himselfe which testifieth and assureth vs , that if we seeke the kingdome of god , which is there principally found , where the preaching of the word is most plentifull , all these things , these outward , transitorie & worldly things which serue for this present life onely , shall bee added ▪ and as it were were exabundanti , throwne in vnto vs , and come vnlooked for . chap. x. comprehendeth , the summe and conclusion of the whole discourse . and declareth some motiues that haue put the authour in hope , that his labour shal not be without some good effect : which god for his gospels sake vouchsafe . amen . now haue i through gods asistāce , broght to an end the explication of this parcell of scripture that teacheth al men the wil & rule of god , touching the ordinarie maintenance of the ministers of his church . in handling whereof i haue somewhat at large ( and yet not so largely as vpon many occasions i might ) declared the particulars therof in such sort and maner as at the first i purposed them , and the scope whereunto i haue had respect , did require : and haue plainly prooued by apparant reasons , euidence of the word of god , the iudgement of the fathers , and pactise of al times , that the minister of god to the end he may be enabled and not discouraged in his ministry , ought to haue such maintainance , allotted & assured him as is liberal & sufficient , and the same certaine not voluntarie : that so he may as well know , what to receiue for his maintenance as to doe and performe for his office . to this , euery one that is a hearer of the word , must for his part , without respect what others doe , according as god hath enabled him yeeld and contribute , out of such goods in general , and out of all such goods in speciall , as god hath blest him with with . wherein no vaine pretenses , no idle excuses can take place , for god will not be mocked . this being gods rule and measure , that what a man soweth , that also shall he reape . touching the practise of this doctrine , he that reades aduisedly what i haue written , shall plainly perceiue , that the auncient and vsuall practise of our church was agreeable hereunto . for so long as our ministery enioyed wholly her endowments , her offerings and her tithes : in a word so long as there were in the land none other then rectories so long as each sort of tithes personal as well as predial were duely paid vnto the church : so long our ministers could not but be condignely mainteined . from which looke how farre the estate of our ministery at this present is declined , so farre doe we come short of the due and right practise of this doctirne . the principall cause that hath moued me to handle this argument , hath beene the loue i beare vnto the church of god , and feruent desire i haue to see the ministerie thereof in our land at length to flourish , or at least to be competentlie prouided for , & redeemed from that seruile condition , needines & contēpt , wherein a great part thereof doth dwel . the sight and notion wherof cannot but moue the harts of all such as sincerely loue learning and religion , to lament it , & to desire , and , what in them is , indeuour the redresse thereof . to bring this throughly to passe , the right and best way is , that the true , and ancient practize of our church in this behalfe , which yet continues ( god be praised ) in the greatest part of our land , and in most parishes , might be restored into all , and firmely setled againe throughout the same . but of that seeing there is little hope , the next way is , that the state of our ministerie for maintenance might be reduced as neere vnto that best and absolute course , as possibly and conueniently might be . how this might be effected , may be perceyued by that i haue written . which i haue published to the world , in hope thereby to occasion such of the lay sorte as are godly minded , of their owne accord , so farre as lies in thē , to put the same in practise ▪ those that be of the ministerie , better to consider of its estate and miserie , & with mee to open their mouthes in so good and necessary a cause : neither am i altogether without hope that the same may be some motiue and inducement vnto such as be in place of authoritie , to prouide for it by holesome and effectuall lawes . the causes and motiues that haue bred and confirmed in mee this hope and expectation are these ; . for the matter handled the whole treatise throughout , i haue deliuered nothing but the truth , nothing but what is consonant to the word of god ▪ to reason & equitie , and to all auncient and good practise . for though i dare not assume vnto my selfe ( let no man so vnderstand mee ) that euery sentence , euery reason and argument , euery answere is such : yet for the maine points and more generall positions themselues , i hold them to bee so agreeable to trueth , & consonant to reason , that i doubt not to affirme , that therein i haue spoken nothing but the trueth , nothing but what is agreeable to reason and equitie : and therefore ought where wee faile to be put in practise , aswell as where already we are in the right be continued . . in regard of the persons whō it concerneth , namely the ministers , & those not a few , of our church , the ministers i say of the gospel , and preachers of the word of god. their cause it is that i doo handle , their greeuances that i doo make knowne . and it semeth vnto mee , that seeing there is regard had of men of all other professions , & vpon due suggestion , conuenient relief & remedies graunted & affoorded from time to time for their wants & distresses , there is great reason & cause why we should hope , that they also may obtein the like fauour & benefit , the like or greater cause once appearing . for , for my part , i can not , nor will not conceiue so euill of those thorough whose hands these things must passe , and by whose meanes principallie this kinde of redresse must come , that they will be vpright & indifferent to all sorts of persons else , & partiall & hard vnto the ministers of the gospell only . though it be true , that , the laytie is alwaies offended with the cleargie , & ready to hurt them what they can : yet my perswasion is , that this shal be found true , but only in the vulgar sorte of thē : & that the better & worthier sort , specially they , who are chosen & singled out from all the rest , as men of an vpright hearte & fearing god , wil shew themselues euery way indifferent to one as wel as to another : and howsoeuer any passion or affection may sway them this or that waye at home in their priuate affaires , yet beeing in place where only the commune bonum of ch. or countrie is to be respected , they will with the heathen man emploied for his common wealth , simultates deponere , lay aside all grudges & passions , & looke only to that which their place and calling , equitie and pietie requireth at their hands . . the present time : in which , religion being now throughly setled , heresies extirped , schismes suppressed , & all contentions about doctrine or discipline wel quieted , also knowledge & learning aboūding , & the vse & necessitie of a learned ministerie more then heretofore appearing , that opportunitie is offered to prouide for the externall state & good of the church and ministerie thereof , which in former times was not to bee had . . the present estate of our ministerie , which differing farre from that some . or . yeares agoe it was , necessarilie requireth a better regard to be had thereof . for then the ministerie was filled vp with tag , rag , such as the time would yeeld : taylers , weauers , coblers , &c. and whosoeuer else but would , was made a priest . whose desert commonly was such , that if they had but x. pounds a yeare , lesse ( if their maint . should be proportioned to their merit ) was enough for them . but now ( god be thanked ) our ministery either is , or ( if due prouision for them were allotted ) presently might bee stoared with able & learned men . and were it not lamentable ( what if i sayd intollerable ? ) that such men , graduates , preachers , &c. should be faine to serue , ( as oft they doo ) like those hedge priests , for x. pounds a yeare ? and that men , hauing spent their friends wealth , their owne patrimonie , their golden time & best daies , in great and sundry studies , should be inforced to accept of a peeld benefice not worth aboue . pounds , or . pounds a yeare ? is this condigne reward for such studies & expenses ? & fit maintenance for such men ? surely in mine eye , it is an indignity so great , that with lesse sin a great deale might we continue and keepe still those vnworthie men in the ministerie , then , not prouiding due and competent maint . for them , procure in these : considering that to contemne and abase them that are worthy contempt is in it selfe no great fault ; but to make them contemptible that deserue honour , and debase them that for their learning & excellent gifts are worthy double honour and great preferment , can be no small offence . . whereas the reuerend fathers of our church haue by their late canons prouided , and will no doubt to their vttermost , carefully respect the obseruation thereof , viz. that hencefoorth none be admitted into the ministerie , but such , as in some tollerable measure be fit therefore ; i see not how they can to the full performe this , vntill all their churches be duely prouided for , of some tollerable & competent maintenance which in many . churches is yet wanting : but must , will they nill they , now & then lay their hands on some vnfit & vnlearned persons ; least else , such poore , ransacked and impayred churches be left wholly destitute . wherfore , it behooues that better prouision be made then yet in many places is : til which be done , the fault & cause in mine opinion is rather to be imputed vnto those that , rather then they will duely prouide for churches , will haue such : then vnto those , that such necessitie compelling , ordeine such to be in the ministerie . . this also doth not a little encourage mee , for that i doo not , as affecting innouation and singularitie broach any straunge , new , difficult and vntried course , but ( against all such as affect newfangled , confused and deformed platformes ) doo , vrge only a reducing ( and that but in some measure ) where wee haue by corruption of times digressed , vnto that course , which alreadie planted in the land , since popery vnder popery , and before poperie , hath continued , in most places is still practized , and for the particulars is such , & of such sorte , as i am assured no reasonable and religious man , but will easily graunt , that it were to bee wished might in all places bee setled . . the things in particular that i intimate to need redresse , are so few , so reasonable , so necessary , & so easie to be effected and had , that is to say ; . an endowment of all churches ; all those beggerlie stipends that many where yet doo stand , being wholly remooued & doone away . . a larger endowment of some churches , which hitherto are very sparely , badly , and vnreasonablie endowed . . a mitigation of some vnreasonable , and ouerhard customes , prescriptions and compositions . . a due prouision for recouerie of personall tithes , either in kinde by computation , or ( more likely to be obteined ) not in kinde , by some reasonable & real composition . these things are i say so few , so reasonable , so necessary , and so easie to bee effected , that verely i doo hope , few or none will oppose thereagainst . . ad to these the effects and vse of these things , namely the increase and condigne reward of learning , the furtherance of the gospell , the bettering of our ministerie , the planting of able & worthy teachers ( where now they are most seldome found ) in the greatest congregations , and by consequence , the peoples owne saluation & eternall good , &c. all which , with other like laudable effects cannot but ensue of the practise hereof , if it were in all places in some good measure setled . there is great desire pretended at this daie of a learned ministerie , & not a few doo see , that the greatest & in maner the only let thereto at this present is want of maintainance . if the desire thereof be as great and sincere , as the meanes to procuremaint ▪ is ordinarie and easie to be had , the thing desired will with great facilitie and readines be accomplished . . it doth also appeare , that there is great care had , & much desire expressed , to weed popery out of the land , & reduce the fautors therof into a better course . to which purpose former lawes haue lately bene much and worthily explained enlarged & corroborated . this can by no one means better ●e effected , then by encreasing ( by means of good maintenance ) the number of good & able teachers . where doe such commōly desire to nestle themselues , but in some obscure and blind places where is little or no preaching ? and what ministers of our church doe they more fauour , then such as bee ignorant and simple ? which argues , the more preachers , the fewer papists ; the better ministerie , the lesse poperie . light and darknes , preaching and papistrie will neuer dwell together . so that this is one principall way indeed sine vi et sanguine to root out and expell from among vs this pestilent religion . . moreouer , i doe see that the performance heereof will tend much to the credit of the gospell , and praise of vs that professe it : as contrariwise ▪ the neglect and omission hereof is to the reproach of the one and shame of the other . for how can it be other then a reproach and dishonour to our land , that god hauing blest it aboue other lands with varietie and plentie of all things , yet no small nūber of the ministers of god therein should liue , as if it were some hungry & barrē soile , in neede & penurie of al things ? that professing religion and pretending a zeale vnto the gospel , we should yet hold in contēpt & vile account the ministers of the gospel ? & should suffer them ( as hitherto in many places ) to liue by the curtesie of the people , no due maintenence prouided for them ? and how can it be but a reproach & discredit to our towns & cities , to our trades-me & artificers ( if they could see their owne shame ) that whereas the ministers that liue in the countrie parishes & among husband-men , doe commonly liue in very good sort , equall with the wealthier of the place ; such as liue in townes and citties , among trades-men , &c. liue commonly in very poore and needie estate , like vnto the poorer sort : and that among the former , though the parish be not aboue . or . housholdes , the minister liues better then among the later , though the parish be an . yea . housholdes ? on the other side , would it not be a great praise vnto vs , and singular testimonie of our sincere zeale vnto the gospell , if the ministers thereof were so well respected , and so duely prouided for , that in euery parish there were such tollerable maintenance at the least , for the minister of the place , prouided and setled , that generally the whole land through , aswell as in london , it might truely be said , that ( vnles it be through their owne default ) there is not one needie and very poore minister therein . these with some other , which here for very breuities sake i omit , be the considerations , which , i oft reuoluing in my minde and pondering vpon , haue wrought in me that hope and expectation before mentioned . the issue and euent whereof i referre to god alone , in whose hands are the hearts of all men , and whose is the cause i haue in hand . the god of all grace , authour and giuer of euery good gift , so worke in all those that professe the name of christ , and desire the prosperitie of his gospell , by the inward operation of his holy spirit , that they may alwaies doo those things that be well pleasing in his sight : and yeeld such christian & vnfeined obedience to his holy word & ordinance , as may be to the edifying of his church , furtherance of his gospel , the good example of others , the euerlasting comfort of their owne soules , & aboue all to the eternall praise and glory of god , the father of our lord iesus christ. to whome with the father and the holy spirite bee all honour and glorie both now and for euer . amen . finis . notes, typically marginal, from the original text notes for div a -e cod. lib. . tit . . leg . . see also our owne statutes of mortmaine . a christian motion . rom. . . gal. . . luc. . psal. . & . math. . . that is taught . too often practized . prouerb . . . & . act. . of ( ) his goods . * whereupō s. august . ser. de temp . . si tardius dare peccatū est , quanto peius est non dedi●●e ? deut. . ▪ ecclūs . . act. . . hinc caput mali● mat. . . . sam. . . act. . . . cor. . . . thess. . . cap. primo . exod. . note this . note this well : and see in what miserie many of our ministers doo liue . by this rate , where now of an hundred houshoulds , the minister hath scantten pounds , then of euerie . housholds hee could not but haue more . . tim. . . . . tim. . . . tim. . . . cor. . a godly and necessarie motion . demosth. in philip. willet in synop. cont . . qu. err . . hooker eccl. pol. lib. . § . diod. sicul. bibl. lib. . cap. . why the diuel desired to haue the tenth . origen . cyprian . hierome . ambrose . august . an. . gregorie . beda . caesar arela . strabo . concil . matisc. duriens . synodus . synod . mogunt . concil . rothomag . concil . tribur . krantius . dionisius . iu●ius . gu●lter . zepperus . obiection . answere . small tithes . personall tithes . s. august . s. ambrose . the same in pag. . pet. rebuff . tract . de dec . deut. . hos. . . amos. . . viz. . pence ●●eece at ●aster . * phil. iud. lib. de prae● ▪ & hon ▪ sacerd . victus sacerdotum lautior , argumentum esse potest pietatis public● . ire●aeus . origen . august . decret . greg. lib. . tit. de decimis . w. lindewood . prouinc . lib. . tit. de dec. & oblat . see before fol. marlor . in heb. . . . chro. . . plautus . heb. . . exod. . num. . & . . ephes. . . . cor. . philo. iud. lib. de praem . & 〈◊〉 . sacerd. sed ne quis ex conferentibus , exprobret accipienti suum beneficium , iubentur prius in templū deferre munera vt tum demū inde sacerdotes de●umant . theophi . in . cor. nec san● dixit , vt ex oblationibus ederen● , sed ex lacrario , ne uel qui aliquid caperent puderet accepti , perinde ac si ab hominibus alerentur : vel qui impartirentur his su● , insolese erent . idem . manducandum afferit , non ex discipulorum facultatibus , sed de euangelio : ne fortè f●perbiant quod apostolos sustentarent . neque . n. inquit , tu his alimoni●●● subministras , sed propri● quadam industria , hoc est , euangelij ●nunciatio ipsos alit . s. august . ser. de tem . . conc. trib. iac. . . aul. ●ell . tull●e . duaren ▪ desacr . eccl . minist . lib. . cap. . . sam. . . lunae radijs non maturescit botrus . reg. . . & . act. . rom. . ioh. . grego ▪ in pastoral . egentis mentem doctrinae sermo non penetrat , si hunc apud eius animum ma●ns misericord●ae non commendat . phil. . phil●m . v. . & . lower . de pa. eccl. lib. . cap. . vide tot●● . hist. tripart . lib. . cap. . & . the leuites lot . eu●eb . de vit . co●stan . lib. . ●●p . . & . s●zomen . h●●t . eccles . lib. . c . zanc● . de red. lib. . cap. . in . precept . lindewood . prou. ec●l . angl. lib , . tit. de dec. & oblat . aug. cont , donat. lib. . cap. . tertul. de virg . vel pag. . decret . lib. . tit. . de consu . cap. vlt. ciprian . epist . lib. , ep . . ad . caecili . genes . . . reg. . math. . numb . . obiection . answere . s. bernard . note th●● well . dionisium corinthi . pag. . inre , circarem , & extrarem . 〈◊〉 . lib. . fol. . stop not your eares at the crie of the afflicted . . sam. . math. . . amos. . . aquilanon c●pit muscas . obiection . answere . . obiect . answ. mat. . . act. . hierom. aug●st . august . aiacens . . reg. . concil . tribur . synod . arelat . ioan. andrad . & hostien . in c. propter st●ril . de locat . c. reuertim . . q. . perus . lib. . de decim . cap. . &c. obiect . answ. gen. . . sam. . . . reg. . see the sense & vse of this phrase , iob. . . phil. iud. lib. de praem . sacerd . & hon . al●ae ( gentes ) g●meates & coactae vix ta●dem conferunt , pero●ae quaestores c●u pestem publicam , nunc has nūc illas causas fin , endo , ●ead praes●itutū , tempus tributa repraesentent . at haec gens sacerdotib . debi●am pecuniam libēs gaudensque depromit , quasi nō daret sed acciper●t , adde●s faustas ominationes & gratiar . actiones populariter , idque quotannis , nec viris cessantib . nec mulierib . sed alacrit●te spontanea , quanta nullis verbis exprimi potest , conferentibus . august . hom. . serm. de temp . . de decim . prou. . . exod. . conc. trib. cap s. august . the sum of the whol treatise . phil. iud. of the leuiticall priests . nemo sacerdos tam pauper , quin diues videatur . the difference of that call of god to the ministry which is by the power of his own gift and measure of life, revealed, and of that, which is received of man, and taught by man, as is manifest by these two severall calls, herein declared, with several principals relating to this second call, answered / by richard hubberthorn. hubberthorn, richard, - . this text is an enriched version of the tcp digital transcription a of text r in the english short title catalog (wing h ). textual changes and metadata enrichments aim at making the text more computationally tractable, easier to read, and suitable for network-based collaborative curation by amateur and professional end users from many walks of life. the text has been tokenized and linguistically annotated with morphadorner. the annotation includes standard spellings that support the display of a text in a standardized format that preserves archaic forms ('loveth', 'seekest'). textual changes aim at restoring the text the author or stationer meant to publish. this text has not been fully proofread approx. kb of xml-encoded text transcribed from 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(eebo-tcp ; phase , no. a ) transcribed from: (early english books online ; image set ) images scanned from microfilm: (early english books, - ; : ) the difference of that call of god to the ministry which is by the power of his own gift and measure of life, revealed, and of that, which is received of man, and taught by man, as is manifest by these two severall calls, herein declared, with several principals relating to this second call, answered / by richard hubberthorn. hubberthorn, richard, - . p. printed for thomas simmons ..., london : . reproduction of original in cambridge university library. eng clergy -- office. a r (wing h ). civilwar no the difference of that call of god to the ministry: vvhich is by the power of his own gift, and measure of life, revealed, and of that, whic hubberthorn, richard c the rate of defects per , words puts this text in the c category of texts with between and defects per , words. - tcp assigned for keying and markup - apex covantage keyed and coded from proquest page images - mona logarbo sampled and proofread - mona logarbo text and markup reviewed and edited - pfs batch review (qc) and xml conversion the difference of that call of god to the ministry : vvhich is by the power of his own gift , and measure of life , revealed . and of that , which is received of man , and taught by man . as is manifest by these two several calls , herein declared ; with several principals relating to this second call , answered . by richard hubberthorn . london , printed for thomas simmons , at the bull and mouth near aldersgate , . to the reader . it being of the lord so ordered , that a publick dispute was appointed betwixt thomas dance priest in sandwich in kent , and those called quakers , which was upon the twelfth and thirteenth daies of the second moneth , in which many weighty things , concerning religion was discoursed of ; in which it was first proved by us , according to the scripture , that christ jesus the true light , hath enlightened every one that commeth into the world , john , . . and john , . and another weighty matter , concerning religion , discoursed upon was , the righteousnesse by which man is justified before god , which by us was witnessed and proved , to be onely by the righteousness that was in christ jesus , being also made manifest in us , the everlasting righteousness , being brought in , according to dan. . . again upon the tenth day the discourse was , whether the scriptures were the word of god ; the answer was , that the scriptures were writings , and the writings was not the word , but the thing written of was the word of god ; unto which the priests also consented : another thing was concerning the call to the ministry , whether theirs or ours was according to the apostles , and according to the scriptures , the heads of both which calls , is declared as followeth , that all people may judge according to their measure of the gift of christ , whether of them is according to scripture testimony . a call to the minstery according to the scriptures , held forth in these few words following ; contrary to that call which is of man , and by man . that by which the apostles were called into the work of the ministry , having gifts differing according to the measure of the manifestation of christ , by the same am i called : which is also according to the scriptures , as eph. . unto every one of us is given grace according to the measure of the gifts of christ , by which gift according to the measure of it , were they made ; some apostles , some prophets , some evangelists , some pastors and teachers , &c. and this was by the power , vertue and operation of the gift of christ in them : and as then , so now ; for there is not another way to be called into the ministery by , neither doth any profit the people at all , but they who minister from the power , & moving of that gift which they have received from the father , by jesus christ ; by which gift was i called out of the world , and separated for the work of the gospel ; by which gift i saw that which had corrupted the earth , & by it was moved , to minister against it ; which gift is that , which hath the power in it , both to convince & convert unto god , according as the apostle peter ( who was unlearned in the letter ) wa● made a minister by the gift of the spirit of christ ; and saith , pet. . as every one hath received the gift , even so let him minister the same one to another , as good stewards of the manifold grace of god ; ( and ) if any man speak , let him speak as the oracle of god , ( and ) if any man minister , let him do it , as of the ability which god giveth , that god in all things may be glorified . so that that ministery by which god is glorified and people converted , is that , which proceeds from the operation and power of his own gifts in them ; which is that ministery which perfecteth the saints , edifies the body of christ ; brings into the unity of the faith , unto the knowledge of the son of god , and unto a perfect man , and unto the measure of the stature of the fulness of christ . but they which gather scriptures together in their earthly wisdom , and from that which they have gathered , minister unto others ; this ministery doth not perfect the saints , nor edifie the body of christ , nor bring to the unity of the faith ( but into strife and divisions ) not to the knowledge of the son of god , but leads from his knowledge ; not unto a perfect man , but pleads against perfection ; not into the measure of the stature of the fulness of christ ; ( no ) not unto the measure of the least saint , so that ministery is to be ceased from , which proceeds not from the measure of the fathers gift ; & that onely continued unto the end of the world which his gift calleth into , and carrieth on in ; so i , by the measure of his free spirit , being called and made a minister of it unto others ( ●ot of the letter , but of the spirit ) in which in all ages the true ministery stood ; having not received it of man , neither was i taught it , but by the revelation and manifestation of the life of christ in me . which spirit in me according to its measure is as true and as infallible as it was in them , which by it were made apostles , evangelists , prophets and teachers formerly , being the same in power , vertue and operation as it was , as able to reveal and make manifest , to teach , edifie and perfect as it was , and to beget people out of the world into the covenant of light and life ; and all who are ministers of christ , for the gathering of his seed from the ends of the earth , into the kingdom of his dear son , must from the same spirit witness their call and separation to that work ; and all other calls , are false , and their ministery profits not , which doth not singly proceed from the measure of that gift : but all , who do abide in the measure of his gift , and from it minister , by it , they are manifest to be of god ; and in that ministery they commend themselves unto every mans conscience in the sight of god , and this is the calling and ministery , in which as every one abide , they glorifie god . and this is the ministery of reconciliation , which was committed unto the apostles , and is unto his ministers now ; by the power of which , the devils works comes to be destroyed , and then all things reconciled in one , things in heaven and things in earth but that ministery which is received from man and taught by man , never reconciles any thing unto god , but doth separate from god , and beget into enemy ; but that which proceeds from the measure of the gift of god , brings every one to know the truth in their own particular ; which truth as they abide in it , sets them free from sin , and this ministery hath the power in it , in all them that have received it , to save them that preach it , and them that hear it and obey it ; and no other ministery doth profit the people at all , but that which from the gift of god is ministred ; so that this call and ministery here declared , is one with , and according to the apostles , and the scriptures . richard hubberthorn . the heads of priest dance , his professed call to the ministery , as followeth . pr. if i should speak non-sence ( as others do ) then i might say , that i am made a minister by the measure of the gift of grace , and then i should be accounted a minister , as well as they , &c. but i do not pretend unto any infallibility in my ministery , but as these act. . . which when the apostles had prayed , laid their hands upon them ; although ( saith he ) that laying on of hands , is not of such necessity , but that a man may be a minister without it ; and as timothy , although he had some extraordinary gifts , yet he was not infallible , tim. . . and ( saith he ) i desire the office of a bishop ; which he that desireth , desireth a good work , according to tim. . . and as for his qualifications they are such as whereby he might have advantaged himself , more abundantly in the world , as to outward means , and might have been cloathed in scarlet , &c. but did rather chuse , and incline himself , to be a minister of the gospel , and that the outward means , was not his end in chusing to be a minister ; but if that he could be satisfied , or see that there did not want labourers in the lords work , he could freely leave off , &c. and further , he said , that god had made his preaching effectual for the converting of many , and that there were many , though not in that place , yet some in that place , of whom he could say , as the apostles said , that they were the seal of his ministery , &c. these being the heads of the particulars . objections against this call . whereas thou saiest , that it is non-sence to say that a man is made a minister by the gift of grace . answ. then the apostles spoke non-sence , when they witnessed forth their call to the ministery ; for to every one of them was given grace , according to the measure of the gift of christ , from which grace they did minister , eph. . but the apostles spoke sensible truth ; therefore he that contradicts it speaks ; non-sence and ignorance , as will further appear in saying , that he pretends unto no infallibility in his ministry . answ. then he pretends to nothing of the spirit of god ; much less , to be a minister of the spirit , as paul was , cor. . . for every measure of the spirit is infallible , or undeceiveable ; but that which is fallible is deceiveable , and whosoever is taught by that spirit , is deceived ; and thomas dance pretends to have no other spirit , but that which is deceiveable and fallible , so that it is time to turn away from such . again , he chargeth timothy , that he was not infallible , which is a false charge ; for wherein was he fallible , or deceiveable , but he was so infallible , that he not neglecting the gift of god that was in him , he by it , was able to save himself , and those that heard him , tim . . and he ministred from the gift of god in him , which he had received by prophesie ; and so not from a fallible spirit , but from the infallible ; and so is accused falsly by t. dance . again , tho. dance saith , that he desireth the office of a bishop , &c. answ. but consider what such a one must be ( which is ) blameless , vigilant , sober , not rude and scornful ; but of good behaviour , apt to teach , not apt to laugh and jear , and cause the people to be light and vain , must he not be given to wine , no striker , not greedy of filthy lucre ; but patient , not a brawler , not covetous ( as it doth appear those priests are guilty of , which have nothing to preach from but the fallible spirit , which doth alwayes deceive people ) but one that ruleth his own house well , having his children in subjection with all gravity for if a man know not how to rule his own house will , how shall he take care of the church of god ? but it is manifest that thomas dance ruled not his own church , or people well , but rather provoked them to wantonnesse , rudenesse , and laughter , which is madnesse ; not a novice , least being lifted up with pride , he fall into the condemnation of the devil ; but t. d. was so lifted up in the pride of his heart , that he gave two meanings to one place of scripture , and so falls into the condemnation of the devil . pr. and whereas , thomas dance saith ; that his qualification is such , that he might have been cloathed in scarlet , &c. answ. what mightest thou have been ; a lawyer or doctor , as one of thy brethren said ? which if thou had , by that the nation is deceived , though not in so high a measure , as by professing the ministery , but that is taken up as the most profitable trade , to get means , and live in pride ; what if thou hadst been cloathed in scarlet , in velvet , in purple , or any other gorgeous apparel ? and in that apparel which thou art already cloathed with , wilt thou be condemned , when thou comes to know any measure of the gift , of the true ministry to be thy guide . pr. again whereas ; thou takest the people to be a seal of thy ministery . an. all the people that were in place , and some more may seal it , to be fallible and deceiveable , as thou hast confessed it to be ; but there is not one that can set to their seal , that it hath brought them to a perfect man ; nor to the knowledge of the son of god , nor to the measure of the stature of the fulnesse of christ and so it hath not effected any of the work of the true ministry ; but when thou comes to be searched narrowly , filthy lucre will be found to be the end , for which thou ministers , without which , thou would be silent . and now further to manifest that , he pretends not to any thing of the infallible spirit in his ministry , these his principles or doctrines , declare as followeth , with the answer of truth to them . pr. that every individual man was not enlightened by christ . answ. which doctrine is contrary to john . . . which saith , that was the true light , which enlighteneth every one that commeth into the world ; and to pervert the scripture , he gave two meanings , that the people might take whether they would , so that they would but deny the form of sound words , and the plain scripture ; the first was this , that christ enlightened every man that is enlightened or else secondly , that he enlighteneth some in every nation : now let people consider how that this can be the meaning of the holy ghost , as he said it was , seeing , that here is two meanings , and it is either the one or the other , but he knowes not which , doth plainly manifest , that he hath not the mind of the spirit , which is but one , and speaks as it means , but the scriptures cannot be broken by such meanings , which saith , that every man is enlightened with the true light . pr. that the whole body of the gentiles was not enlightened . answ. then by what shall those gentiles be condemned , who are not enlightened , seeing that christ was given for a light to the gentiles , as the prophet isaiah saith , but he doth not say to some of the gentiles , and not to the whole body , and though the gentiles , were once darknesse , eph . yet the light shined in the darkness , and the apostle turned them unto that light which shined in the darknesse , that the eye which was blinded might be opened ; he did not come to give them eyes , but to open the blind eyes , not to give them light , but to turn them to the light that was in them , as acts , . . pr. that the gospel is an external light , and not invisible , and that it is not the light within . answ. which is contrary to the apostles doctrine , which saith , the gospel is the power of god , rom. . which is not external nor visible , but invisible , and shined in their hearts , cor. . . and it was hid unto those that were lost , but that , which was visible , they could see and hear , with the visible eyes and ears ; but both the gospel which is the power of god , and the eye that sees , are invisible . pr. that christ being the propitiation for the sins of the whole world , as john said , john , is meant onely the world of believers . answ. in this he would break the scriptures , and contradict the apostle , which saith , he is the propitiation for our sins , and not for our sins onely , ( who were the believers ) but for the sins of the whole world , which whole world , john said , lyes in wickedness , but the whole world of believers lyes not in wickednesse , but is of god . pr. that they must reconcile the scriptures . answ. the scriptures cannot be broken , john . . . but is reconciled , and at unity in themselves , and in all those that know them , but he that gives two contrary meanings to one scripture , he doth not go about to reconcile , but rather to pervert them , and to take away the plain testimony of truth , ( which they give ) from peoples understandings ; but the key of knowledge is found again , which opens the scriptures in the mystery of them , and herein is the ignorance of teachers and people , in saying the scriptures are not reconciled ; it is they that are not reconciled to god , nor the scriptures , and so they utter forth their blindness , ignorance , and errour . pr. that the law of the spirit of life in christ , was not the law of the spirit in the saints ; but that they were two laws . &c. answer , this is a false distinction , for god hath said that he will write his law in their hearts , and put his spirit in their inward parts , and the same law of the spirit of life in christ jesus , being in the apostles hearts , had set him free from the law of sin and death , rom. . so it was not two lawes , but one law . pr. that there are two righteousnesses of christ , the one without the saints , to justifie them , and the other within the saints , that did sanctifie them . answ. christs righteousnesse is but one , and that by which they were both sanctified and justified was but one thing , even the spirit of our god , cor. . . and christ in them , was gods righteousnesse , and the hope of glory , who was made unto them righteousness ; and if christ was in them , then his righteousnesse was in them or else he , and his righteousnesse is divided , as this priests doctrine , would make them . pr. the said priest denied , that the saints were justified by that christ that was in them , ( when he was questioned about it . ) answ. if they were not justified by that christ that was in them , then by another christ , which is no less then to preach two christ's , and so he hath preached another gospel , then the apostles preached , which whosoever doth , is accursed . pr. that david , when he was guilty of adultery , and murther , was not in a condemned state but in a justified state . answ. here he would make god a justifier of the wicked in his wickednesse , but in that state david was condemned of the lord , and suffered his anger , and terrors , when his iniquities went over his head , and were too heavy for him to bear , and he was not justified , until that thorow judgement , he was redeemed from the guilt of murther and adultery , and other sins which came over his head ; so such teachers as he , who would have god account them just , who are unjust , and them holy , who are unholy and unrighteous , are as the false prophets , who put no difference between the holy and prophane , and spoke peace to the wicked , where there was no peace , counting them good , who did evil , saying they that doe evil are good in the sight of the lord , mal. . . as the priests now say , though they be sinners , yet they are righteous in gods account , so they would make god a lyar , accounting men to be that which they are not , and to be in christ , when they are in sin , in the devils work . pr. and concerning them in heb. . who were come unto the spirits of just men made perfect , he said it was meant , that they were in heaven and not upon earth . answ. thus by his false meanings , he hath often perverted the scriptures , calling his false meanings , the meanings of the holy-ghost ; but these mentioned in heb were them the apostle wrote unto upon earth , for he did not write to men after they were deceased , and these that he wrote unto , were come unto the innumerable company of angels , and to the city of the living god , and to the spirits of just men made perfect . pr. that any creature that holds that principle of being justified by a righteousnesse within , living and dying in that principle , cannot come to heaven . ans christ is the justifier of them that believe in him , and his doctrine is , i in them and they in me so christ and his righteousnesse is in the saints , and god hath brought in the everlasting righteousnesse , which justifieth , which is not at a distance , separate from the saints , as these false teachers have imagined . and the apostles doctrine and principle is christs in you , which whosoever liveth and dyeth in this , comes to heaven but on the contrary whosoever hath not christ , and his righteousnesse in them to justifie them , cannot come to heaven . pr. that , that which fitted , man for the inheritance ( among the saints ) did not intitle to the inheritance , or not give them a part in the inheritance . answ. this is contrary to the apostles doctrine ; for he thanks god the father who made them meet to be partakers of the inheritance with the saints in light , col , . ●● . for he both fitted them for the inheritance , and did intitle , and give them a part in the inheritance , translating them into the kingdom of his dear son , verse . pr. that we cannot contain an infinite righteousnesse in us . ans then you cannot contain the righteousnesse of god , for it is infinite , and everlasting , as in daniel and then you cannot contain christ in you , who is gods righteousnesse , and who is infinite , and so by this doctrine , he makes all reprobates , as all are who know not christ in them ; for they who did not retain god in their knowledge , were given up to a reprobate sence . pr. that it was false doctrine to say that a man must first partake of the righteousnesse which justifies before it can be imputed to him as his . a. he hath here counted that false doctrine , which the saints witnessed fulfilled in them , for the righteousnesse of god was imputed to the saints in the true belief , whereby they did partake of gods righteousness through faith , before ●t could be accounted theirs ; except that this priest in his false meanings , would count that to be a mans which he hath no right to , nor part in ; for the faith wherein abraham did partake of gods righteousnesse , was reckoned to him for righteousnesse , and he unto whom god imputeth righteousnesse , in his spirit , there is no guile , though these priests would impute righteousnesse to the wicked as theirs , who are full of guile , and sin , having no life , nor right in gods righteousnesse , while they live quite out of it . pr. that god offers salvation to all men , but he intends it but to a few . answ. there he would frustrate the grace of god , and his salvation , which is free for all , and so he would make the offers of gods salvation to many thousands to no purpose , as if god proferred that to many which he never intended to give them , was there ever such a belying of god as this ? for what is it less then to make god a respecter of persons ? if all men by nature be in wickedness , & lyable to condemnation , as this priest confessed , & yet salvation is intended but for a few , ( though offered to all ) how is god no respecter of persons ? and how is christ given to be his salvation to the ends of the earth , & a light into the world that all men through him might believe ? and whosoever believeth in christ shall not perish , but have everlasting life ; so that all may freely come , and be saved according to the love and will of god , who doth not intend that any shall perish , except they reject his way , and the offers of his grace , which hath appeared to all men . pr. that a minister of the gospel doth not know who are elected . an. there he hath belyed the ministers of the gospel , for they could discern the elect from the world , as it is written , ye shall discern between him that serveth god , and him that serveth him not ; and paul and peter wrote to the elect ; so these teachers who know not the elect , and yet exhorts , all their hearers to believe , and lay hold on christ , their preaching is in vain ; for if god have but intended a certain number to be saved , and the rest to be condemned , then they set their hearers a work in vain , and many to expect that which they are never like to have ; so these people are in a miserable state ; and note that these priests though they take sums of mony , and tithes of their hearers in many parishes in this nation , yet they know not who are elected among them according to this mans words . pr. that the sword of the spirit is ineffectual without the letter . answ. the sword of the spirit is the word of god ; which was effectual before the letter was , to enoch , to isaac , to jacob , to abraham , and others ; and from the word was the letter given forth , and the letter is not effectual without it . pr. that there was no scripture written , but what is extant , and in the bible . answ. yes , against that shall the scripture bear witness ; the book of nathan the prophet , the book of ahaijah , the book of iddo , chr. . . the book of shemaia , chr. . . the book of gad , chro. . . the book of jehu , chro. . ● . the book of jasher , sam. . . the prophesie of enoch , jud. ● . one epistle of the corinthians , cor. . . one epistle to the ephesians , eph. . . one epistle to the laodiceans . col. . all these scriptures were given forth from the same spirit , and to the same end and use , as those are , which are bound up in the scriptures , although these be left out . pr. that there was no scripture nor writings appointed of god to be a rule of faith and manners , but what is bound up in the bible . answ. those scriptures which are not bound up in the bible ▪ was given forth from the same spirit , and by the motion of the holy ghost ; and so for the same ends and uses that the other scripture was given forth for , and as he appointed the one , so the other . pr. that the letter doth antecede , and go before the spirit in all that walked in the spirit . answ. this is false , for the spirit did antecede the letter , in all that walked in the spirit , who gave forth the letter from the spirit . pr. that the works of christ in some respect are not perfect . answ. that is false , for every gift of god is perfect and every work of christ is perfect in all his children ; but that spirit in thee which is fallible makes nothing perfect , and therefore judgeth all things , yea , christ and his works to be fallible and deceiveable , like it self . pr. that the law requires more strict and exact obedience then the gospel . answ. nay , the law saith , thou shalt not commit adultery , but the gospel saith , thou shalt not lust ; the law saith , thou shalt n●● kill , but the gospel saith , thou shalt not be angry ; the law saith , thou shalt not forswear thy self , but the gospel saith , swear not at all , mat. . and so the gospel requires more exact obedience then the law , contrary to this affirmation . p. that christ chose a devil to be one of his ministers in chusing judas ; and his proof for it is this , that the divine nature did not see it good to communicate the knowledge of all things unto the humane nature , and therefore , although he was a devil when he chose him , yet he knew it not . answ. this is a charging of christ with ignorance , contrary unto john . . . which saith , that jesus did not commit himself unto them , because he knew all men ▪ and needed not that any should testifie of man , for he knew what was in man ; and though judas by transgression became a devil , and the devil abode not in the truth ; doth it therefore follow that he was never in the truth ? but christ speaks of him and to him , as well as to the rest , that they had power to cast out unclean spirits , mat. . . and that the spirit of the father spoke in them , mat. . . so that there was no difference , while the spirit of the father led him , and taught , till the devil entered into his heart to betray that lord of life ; so that is a false charge , to say , that christ sent out a devil to minister the gospel . pr. that the spirit of god may accompany a ministery , and the minister not have the spirit . answ. this is another doctrine then ever the prophets or apostles preached ; for i never read in the scriptures that ever any did minister for god , which had not the spirit , nor that ever any was converted unto god , by such a minister as had not the spirit . therefore prove this assertion to the people , where , or when the spirit of god did accompany that ministery , when the minister had not the spirit ; so that thou maist as well , as thou hast said , not pretend unto any infallibility ( nor unto any truth in thy ministry for if thou didst , people would see that thou didst pretend unto that , which thou art far from ; so that if thou wouldst not pretend to minister neither , no more then to have the spirit , it were better for thee . pr. that the ●●wer that went forth in the apostles ministery , was in god and not in them , but as they have it communicated to them , by the exercise of faith . answ. here thou hast confounded thy self ; for if they had it communicated to them , by their exercise of faith , then it was in them ; for the exercise of faith is within , in the pure conscience , and so the power was in them , from which they ministred , and they did not abuse their power , but from the power ministred forth their gift as they had received it . thomas rumsay , said , that we preach a doctrine of devils , in saying , that men may be free from sin in this life . answ. then the apostle paul preached a doctrine of devils ; for he said , rom. . . how shall we that are dead to sin , live any longer therein ; and in the seventh verse , saith , he that is dead is free from sin ; and in the eighteenth verse , he saith to the believers , being then made freefrom sin , ye became the servants o● righteousness ; and in the two and twentieth verse , he again tells them , that now being made free from sin , and become servants to god , you have four fruits unto holiness , and the end , everlasting life ; and this was spoken to the romans while they were in this life , and it was not a doctrine of devils , but the doctrine of the gospel ; and christ preached the doctrine of perfection in this life , mat. . saying , be ye perfect as your father which is in heaven is perfect ; and also it is written , be ye holy , for i am holy , pet. ● . ▪ and this is not a doctrine of devils , but of christ the son of god ; and paul preached wisdom among thos● that were perfect ▪ cor. . . and david preached the doctrine of perfection in this life , saying , mark the 〈…〉 ct man , and behold the u●●ight ▪ for the end of that man is peace psal. . . now david did not bid them , mark such a man as there was not ; so the doctrine of perfe 〈…〉 , is that doctrine which both the prophets , christ and apostles preached , and so not the doctrine of devils , if we preach the same ; but all those that preach up sin , and that men must live in it , and that they cannot be free from it , while upon earth , these are messengers of sacan , and preach the doctrine of devils ; and people needs not that doctrine , for they are willing enough to live in sin , without having it preached up , and being strengthened in it ; and that makes them so willing to pay the priests such wages , for calling the proud , happy ; and those that work wickednesse , saints , and justified persons ; for without such wages , not a priest in england would preach peace to them in their sins , but they would all be silent ; for if people come once to know christ their teacher , and he in them , the hope of glory , who saves his people from their sins , then no man will buy their merchandize any more ; but will come all to hear and learn of the father , and come to witness his covenant , and his teachings , and shall not need that one teach another , saying , know the lord ; for all shall know him , from the least to the greatest , heb. . . and this shall all come to witness , that come to be translated into the kingdom of the dear son of god ; and then shall they come to witness his words , which is , the lord from heaven ; who saith , be ye perfect , as your father which is in heaven is perfect , and be ye holy , for i am holy . and this is the voice from heaven . the end . to the people at and about stafford a testimony for god and his truth and against deceit and deceivers, especially the hireling priests ... / by ... thomas taylor. taylor, thomas, - . approx. kb of xml-encoded text transcribed from -bit group-iv tiff page images. text creation partnership, ann arbor, mi ; oxford (uk) : - (eebo-tcp phase ). a wing t estc r ocm this keyboarded and encoded edition of the work described above is co-owned by the institutions providing financial support to the early english books online text creation partnership. this phase i text is available for reuse, according to the terms of creative commons . universal . the text can be copied, modified, distributed and performed, even for commercial purposes, all without asking permission. early english books online. (eebo-tcp ; phase , no. a ) transcribed from: (early english books online ; image set ) images scanned from microfilm: (early english books, - ; : ) to the people at and about stafford a testimony for god and his truth and against deceit and deceivers, especially the hireling priests ... / by ... thomas taylor. taylor, thomas, - . p. s.n., [london : ] reproduction of original in huntington library. caption title. dated and signed on p. 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ascii text with mnemonic sdata character entities); displayable xml (tcp schema; characters represented either as utf- unicode or text strings within braces); or lossless xml (tei p , characters represented either as utf- unicode or tei g elements). keying and markup guidelines are available at the text creation partnership web site . eng clergy -- england -- controversial literature. society of friends -- doctrines. - tcp assigned for keying and markup - aptara keyed and coded from proquest page images - jonathan blaney sampled and proofread - jonathan blaney text and markup reviewed and edited - pfs batch review (qc) and xml conversion to the people at and about stafford , a testimony for god and his truth , and against deceit and deceivers , especially the hireling priests , as a warning , information & instruction in righteousness , to them ( and all people elsewhere concerned ) by the spirit of the lord in his suffering servant thomas taylor . hear , o people , and fear ; for the lord hath spoken : the false teacher , the hireling , who hath run and god never sent him , but preaches for hire and divines for money , can never profit your souls , o people , at all ; but with their false dreams , and lying divinations , and empty sounds , they deceive your poor souls : for what can the dead words of a dead man ( dead in sins ) raise up your dead souls from death to life : no , they cannot ; they have no life in them ; and such who have no spiritual health for soundness ( by their own confession ) in them , but are miserable offenders , can they minister any healthful or sound doctrine to your souls ; nay , those cannot ; for , what is their chaff to the wheat , their frothy words to the powerful word of god ; for , sow a field with chaff , and what a crop can you expect ; but as the prophet saith , they sow the wind , and reap the whirlewind : so cease from them , you that love god and your own souls , and turn to god : for i testifie for god , that the true ministry , the soul-saving ministry of christ jesus is not with the parish-hirelings of these dayes ; for neither their long black robes , nor long white surplices , nor their humane learning , nor the ordination of man , men of like nature with themselves , doth any more conduce to the making of them able ministers of the new covenant , the gospel of christ , the everlasting covenant of god , than the grey or brown coat of the plowman , or artificer , or the skill of the husbandman in husbandry , or the cunning of the cunning worker in wood , brass or iron doth furnish them for gospel-service ; for the vision of gods kingdom to all the world this day , both wise and foolish , is like a book sealed , as the prophet saith , which is given to the worldly wise to read , and he cannot read it , because it s seal'd ; and to the foolish , and he cannot read it , because he is unlearned , isa. . , , . so though in the world there is a difference betwixt the wise and foolish , yet as to the kingdom of god there is none ; for the wisdom of this world is foolishness with god , cor. . , &c. for that which lieth hid from all flesh , god reveals to his by his spirit ; for the spirit searcheth all things , yea the deep things of god , cor. . , , . and people , the time of quickening and raising up of many that were dead in sins is come again , after a long night of darkness , and the dead this day hear the voice of the son of god ( not of vain man ) and they that hear do live , john . . so people , look to your souls ; for though your parish-teachers , who preach for hire , and divine for money , and love to go in their long & white robes , do boast of their being come out of popery , yet upon the popish maintenance of tythes , glebe-lands , easter reckonings , mortuaries , and monies for preaching over and burying the dead , and such like things they live and make a prey upon , not willing to come to christ ( to this day ) as the first christians did , for a thorow reformation ; and so , not a little , but a great deal of the old , sowr , popish leven being yet found amongst them , both in doctrine and practice ; how should their whole lump but be very sowr ? as appears by their fruits , and the fruits of such as follow them : and so , for witnessing in christ against them for these evil things i suffer imprisonment ; yet for god's mercy inabling me thereunto i rejoyce , and can truly from my heart praise the lord , that hath deliver'd my soul from that horrible pit , that these ungodly men yet remain in , and will not be helped out of . and people of stafford , for your sakes it was that the lord by my mouth rebuked the hireling , that you might not always be deceived and kept in death with such dreamers ; but that you might turn to the lord god , from all such , to know his word and spirit , that made you , in you , to teach you , and to lead your immortal souls to the springs of living waters ; for you have too long dwelt in the wilderness of sin , ignorance and unbelief , and now it is high time for you to repent , and come to know the baptism of the holy ghost & fire , which is christ's proper baptism , mat. . , , . for , alas ! you have but hitherto been carried on by the pharisees in the outward shadows and figures of things , which reach not the soul , to purifie and perfect it unto god , ●nd therefore is the lord come in mighty power this day , to break in sunder all the graven images of the people , whether under the profession of the popish or protestant religion ; for the lord is on his throne , to make all things new again , as in the beginning , when all the sons of god in holiness sung for joy , and rejoyced in the lord , for the blessed victory they had got through the blood of the lamb over all their souls enemies . but wo and alas for you , the poor people of stafford , and of many other places , who are under the teachings of worldly-minded men , miserable offenders , like your selves , always doing what ye should not do , & leaving undone what ye should do , & so without all spiritual health , in the miserable captivity of sin ; my soul mourns for you , & my sufferings are for you , & my soul prays for you , that you may be recover'd out of the snare of your souls enemy , by which ye are led captive at his will ; for many days & years hath my soul mourned for you , and been oppressed , and the lord hath called to you early and late to repent , and lay things to heart ; but , o the hardness of many of your hearts , and the carelesness of the rest ! o , why will ye dye ? why will ye linger , and remain still in spiritual sodom and egypt , where the witnesses lay slain , rev. ? so whilst ye have time , prize it , lest the lord lay you upon a bed of sorrows , where no ease is , and say unto you in his wrath , i gave them time to repent , and they repented not . in the year . t. t. hear the word of the lord , all you that fear to offend the lord , and who breath after righteousness in any measure , and yet in your ignorance are seeking the living among the dead , the living god in dead observations , which by tradition you have received one from another , and not from the lord jesus . the day is come , wherein by the spirit of jesus it is witnessed in and by his living members , that he that was dead is now alive , and lives forever more , and is ascended for above all heavens , and out of all figures and shadows , that he might fill all things with his holy substance : and as in former days he gave some apostles , some prophets , some evangelists , and some pastors and teachers , for the perfecting of the saints , for the work of the ministry , for the edifying of the body of christ , till we all ( saith the apos●le ) to wit , the heavenly body not the body of sinful earthly flesh ) come in the unity of the faith , and the knowledge of the son of god , to a perfect man , unto the measure of the stature and fulness of christ , ephes. . , , . even so the lord is now giving forth of his spirit to his children , born of his spirit , for enabling them in this day of the restitution of all things , for the work of the ministry , for the perfecting of the saints , and fitting them for glory ; and this now after a long night of darkness and desolation , is to the praise of his glory , who hath made us in this his blessed day , as he did his faithful followers in the beginning , accepted in the beloved , to shew forth his praises to ages to come , whom he will also raise up by christ jesus , together with us , to magnifie his mercies for evermore . but that the parish teachers of these times , who preach for hire , and divine for money , loving to be called of men master ; and like the pharisees of old , love to go in long robes , and receive honour one of another , john . are such , to wit , so given of christ , and begifted from heaven , and fitted for so great a work , as to perfect the saints , as those before ( in ephes. ) mentioned were , i utterly deny , and their fruits , as also the fruits of their hearers make manifest that they are of another sort , seed and generation , even such as the prophet jeremiah speaks of and declares against , who have run , and god never sent them ; for why ? they waited not for the word of god to speak in them and by them , but stole the words from their neighbour , and used their tongues to say , the lord saith , when the lord never spoke by them , ( jer. . . ) and therefore , saith the lord , these teachers shall not profit the people at all ( vers. . ) for what are their chaffy words to the word of god ? ( vers. . ) so the teachers of the parishes this day get into the pulpit with the words of the prophets and apostles in their hand , and sin in their hearts , as those other did , dreaming over them for filthy luere , & cry to the people , beloved , ( yea , beloved , because they put into their mouths ) hear the word of the lord , as you shall find it written in such a chapter , and such a verse , when the lord never spoke to these hirelings , nor sent them thus to preach , but they are men made ministers , men of the evil world , and great lovers and pleaders for it , and therefore the world hears them , john . . but the true messenger of christ saith for himself and his brethren , we are of god , and the whole world lieth in wickedness . and saith christ to his disciples , ye are not of the world , as i am not of the world ; for if you were of the world , the world would love you ; for the world loves its own ; but now i have chosen you out of the world , therefore the world hates you , john . , . so all people fear the lord god ; for the name of christians , without the nature of christ , will do you no good at all ; for the lord is come to search all that called christendom with candles , and to pull down the lofty hearts and looks of all amongst them called christians first , and then of all the world besides ; for now is the lord exalting his great name over all , as in the beginning , before the antichrist , beast , false prophet and whore got up ; and who shall stop the passage of this mighty jehovah , in the great work of setting up his kingdom over all the kingdoms of the man of sin , that the kingdoms of this world may become the kingdom of the lord jesus christ , whose right alone it is to rule and reign , according to that saying in the prophet , i will overturn , overturn , overturn , till he come to rule whose right it is . and now wo and misery begins to take hold of all hypocrites , and all the wicked , because of the arising and appearing of the great god from heaven this day , who is on his throne , judging in righteousness , and in righteousness making war , whose fiery word , his two-edged sword , goes out of his mouth , not only to discover , but also to destroy and consume the man of sin in all the earth . and now the hireling teachers of all sorts , the merchants of mystery babylon , shall cry , alas ! alas ! that great city , people begin to see us , and they will not trade with us , nor buy our merchandize , as in former dayes , but declare against it ; see revel . . , . o , yea ; it cannot be otherwise ; for now the witnesses , that lay slain in the streets of the great city , sodom and egypt , spiritually so called , are arisen , and stand upon their feet , praised be god. and now judgment is given to the saints of the most high god , dan. . , , , . so that though the great antichrist , under many shapes and appearances , ha●h spoken great words against god , his truth and people , and hath oppressed the saints ; yet now the judgment of god being set against him , his dominion shall be consumed and destroyed , and the saints of the most high god shall have dominion , and reign with christ , whose kingdom is an everlasting kingdom , and all dominions shall serve and obey him , to wit , our lord jesus christ , for whose blessed name and truth 's sake , the holy tremblers , who tremble at his word , and follow him in the regeneration , do this day suffer ; it is so . in the year ● t. t. the end . the picture of a true protestant: or, gods house and husbandry wherein is declared the duty and dignitie of all gods children, both minister and people. written by thomas tuke. tuke, thomas, d. . approx. kb of xml-encoded text transcribed from -bit group-iv tiff page images. text creation partnership, ann arbor, mi ; oxford (uk) : - (eebo-tcp phase ). a stc estc s this keyboarded and encoded edition of the work described above is co-owned by the institutions providing financial support to the early english books online text creation partnership. this phase i text is available for reuse, according to the terms of creative commons . universal . the text can be copied, modified, distributed and performed, even for commercial purposes, all without asking permission. early english books online. (eebo-tcp ; phase , no. a ) transcribed from: (early english books online ; image set ) images scanned from microfilm: (early english books, - ; : ) the picture of a true protestant: or, gods house and husbandry wherein is declared the duty and dignitie of all gods children, both minister and people. written by thomas tuke. tuke, thomas, d. . [ ], p. printed by nicholas okes, and are to be sold by thomas archer in popes head pallace, neere the royall exchange, london : . reproduction of the original in the british library. created by converting tcp files to tei p using tcp tei.xsl, tei @ oxford. re-processed by university of nebraska-lincoln and northwestern, with changes to facilitate morpho-syntactic tagging. gap elements of known extent have been transformed into placeholder characters or elements to simplify the filling in of gaps by user contributors. eebo-tcp is a partnership between the universities of michigan and oxford and the publisher proquest to create accurately transcribed and encoded texts based on the image sets published by proquest via their early english books online (eebo) database (http://eebo.chadwyck.com). the general aim of eebo-tcp is to encode one copy (usually the first edition) of every monographic english-language title published between and available in eebo. eebo-tcp aimed to produce large quantities of textual data within the usual project restraints of time and funding, and therefore chose to create diplomatic transcriptions (as opposed to critical editions) with light-touch, mainly structural encoding based on the text encoding initiative (http://www.tei-c.org). the eebo-tcp project was divided into two phases. the , texts created during phase of the project have been released into the public domain as of january . anyone can now take and use these texts for their own purposes, but we respectfully request that due credit and attribution is given to their original source. users should be aware of the process of creating the tcp texts, and therefore of any assumptions that can be made about the data. text selection was based on the new cambridge bibliography of english literature (ncbel). if an author (or for an anonymous work, the title) appears in ncbel, then their works are eligible for inclusion. selection was intended to range over a wide variety of subject areas, to reflect the true nature of the print record of the period. in general, first editions of a works in english were prioritized, although there are a number of works in other languages, notably latin and welsh, included and sometimes a second or later edition of a work was chosen if there was a compelling reason to do so. image sets were sent to external keying companies for transcription and basic encoding. quality assurance was then carried out by editorial teams in oxford and michigan. % (or pages, whichever is the greater) of each text was proofread for accuracy and those which did not meet qa standards were returned to the keyers to be redone. after proofreading, the encoding was enhanced and/or corrected and characters marked as illegible were corrected where possible up to a limit of instances per text. any remaining illegibles were encoded as <gap>s. understanding these processes should make clear that, while the overall quality of tcp data is very good, some errors will remain and some readable characters will be marked as illegible. users should bear in mind that in all likelihood such instances will never have been looked at by a tcp editor. the texts were encoded and linked to page images in accordance with level of the tei in libraries guidelines. copies of the texts have been issued variously as sgml (tcp schema; ascii text with mnemonic sdata character entities); displayable xml (tcp schema; characters represented either as utf- unicode or text strings within braces); or lossless xml (tei p , characters represented either as utf- unicode or tei g elements). keying and markup guidelines are available at the text creation partnership web site . eng christian life -- early works to . clergy -- early works to . - tcp assigned for keying and markup - spi global keyed and coded from proquest page images - emma (leeson) huber sampled and proofread - emma (leeson) huber text and markup reviewed and edited - pfs batch review (qc) and xml conversion the pictvre of a true protestant : or , gods house and husbandry : wherein is declared the duty and dignitie of all gods children , both ministers and people . ephes. . . . now therefore ye are no more strangers and forreiners , but citizens with the saints , and of the houshold of god. and are built vpon the foundation of the apostles and prophets , iesus christ himselfe being the chiefe corner stone . written by thomas tvke . london , printed by nicholas okes ; and are to be sold by thomas archer in popes head pallace , neere the royall exchange . . to the right worshipfull maister gabriel armestrong esquire , and to the vertuous gentlewoman mistris margaret armestrong his louing wife . right worshipful , many , large and admirable are the benefits wherwith the lord hath honoured vs these fifty by-past years together . he hath borne vs , as an eagle doth her birds vpon his wings , and walled vs in with his loue . he hath giuen vs his word , and his sacraments of grace ; he hath sent vs his prophets , and embassadours : he hath compassed vs with peace and prosperity , making vs to eate the fruites of the fields , and causing vs to sucke hony out of the stone , and oyle out of the rocke . he hath set most noble gouernours ouer vs : he hath filled our hearts with the ioyes of victories , & hath put the songs of deliuerances into our mouthes . but lamentable is the entertainement , which his loue hath found amongst vs , who ( like those ancient israelites ) haue corrupted our selues towards him by our vice ; a peruerse and tortuous generation , who being laden with fatnes , haue spurned with our heeles , and prouoked his highnesse with our vanities . for first , if we consider the transcendent profanenes and affected ignorance of the multitude , & the flagitious irregularities of many desperate atheists , epicures , nullifidians , as infestant as the frogs of aegypt , which made the land to stink ; it may be truly said of them ( vngratefull wretches ) that they cast the filth of their feet in his face , they recompence his grace with gracelesnesse , and presse him with their sins as a cart with sheues not men , but monsters , which ( like moles ) digge groueling in wickednes ( as in the ground ) and ceasse not till they haue cast vp a mountaine of hatefull enormities against the heauens . secondly , if we call to mind & seriously perpend that pestilent and prodigious powder-plot , and some other execrable and vnnaturall attempts and machinations of some of our italianated catholiques in speciall , & the incorrigible obstinacie of them all in generall , ( like the sycamore , which the more it is moistened , the drier it waxeth ) it wil appeare impossible for thē to purge themselues of palpable ingratitude and disloyalty ; being aduersaries to his truth , setled vpon the lees of their owne feculent opinions , adoring the idols of their owne distempered braines , polluting his worship with superstitious aditions , and bearing no good will vnto his people . thirdly , if we do well obserue the preposterous & disastrous studies of many schismaticall and refractarious spirits , their heate , their violence , and vncharitablenes , how vnnaturally they do reiect & reuile their mother , how passionately they doe blaspheme the church , which god hath planted with his owne hand , and with what morosity they haue ab-alienated themselues from their bretheren ; they can by no pretext acquit themselues of great vndutifulnes vnto god , being so turbulent in his house , so disobedient to their mother , & so farre exorbitant in all their courses ; not much vnlike to mothes , that fret the cloth , wherein they breed ; to water-boughes , which hurt the tree , from which they sprang . and finally for the more hopeful and ingenuous , if we doe but consider the remisnesse of too-too many , the retraits , the standings , the distractions , the doubtes , that are too common , too conspicuous ( arising partly from the corrupted fountaine of our nature , which is not drained dry till death ; and partly proceeding of the vicious ensamples and scandalous d●meanure of hypocrites & profane extrauagants ; and partly also through the differences of opinions , and the vnbrotherlike hanging-off and flying off of many romanists & other separists , al nouelists ) if these things ( i say ) be well considered , we cannot but confesse that we are behind in duty , and haue not made such vse of gods mercies , as wee should haue done . what remaineth for vs then to do ? surely we should all repent , all , all without exception . we should examine our selues , rectify & settle our iudgements , and turne the current of our harts & liues , & sue for pardon , bewaring that we be not ( like bowles ) ouerswaied with the wrydrawing byas of our owne conceitednes and home-bred concupisence ; lest the lord being exasperated against vs , our day be turned into darknesse , our light into night , our fame into shame , & so be made the spectacle of his wrath , and scorne of the world . we are gods house , and the receptacles of his spirit , which is the author of holinesse , & the source of perfection : we are his fleld , his vineyard and garden of delight ; our duty therefore is to cleanse & adorne our harts to be faire and fruitfull , pleasing and not offensiue . the sunne of righteousnesse hath shone long amongst vs with exceeding brightnesse ( in the gospell ) and with his heat hath moulten the cloudes aboue vs , which haue emptied themselues like bottles vpon vs ; and therefore to testify our pleasantnesse and fertility for the remōstratiō of our gratitude , we should abound in grace , increase in knowledge , and perfume the aire about vs with our fragrant sauors , and not poison it with filthy fumes , like stinking dunghils . to further this both deserued and desired duty , i haue penned , and now am bold to publish this tractate folowing , which i haue presumed to dedicate and present vnto your vvorships in this plight you see , ( partly for that great respect , which you haue euer had of gods faithfull ministers ) wishing it may find but quiet house-roome in your hearts , and so i shall enioy my wish , and it no meane reward . now the very god of peace sanctify you both throughout , and so honour you with his grace , that hauing finished your race in this world , you may rest and reigne for euer in the world to come . london , october . . your vvorships in christ iesus , thomas tvke . to the godly reader . there are at this day nine sorts of book-readers to be found amongst vs , & but one of them to be commended . the first and worst are they , that reade to see , and see to carpe and cauil ; like the curre , that takes most delight in biting and in baulling ; or not vnlike the flesh-flie , that delighteth alwaies in sucking bloud , or sitting on the sore . the second are they , that account more of smoake then fire , and of a foming wit , then of solide wisedome , affecting nothing in a manner but nouelties & new conceipts ; how rotten , vaine , idle & scurrilous they care not , so they feed their fancie , and procure meriment ; like the cow , that had rather drinke puddle then pure water . the third are they , that will reade things indeed , which may stand them in some slead ▪ but they vse to reade by snatches , here and there , euery where and no where ; like the dogges of nilus , that dranke running , taking here and there a lap as they went : or if they reade without skipping , it is then with such fury , like iehues marching , as that they swallow downe their bookes without chewing , and so let their good digesting . the fourth are they , that preferre the shell before the kernel , and the dish before the meat , regarding the sound rather then the sence , & the outward shape of the worke more then the inward substance ; as if a man should delight more in the colour then in the corps : and not much vnlike to children , that turne ouer their bookes , but please themselues best with the painted babies in them . a fift kind there are , that reade much , but practise nothing ; as if a man should take meat into his mouth to please his tast , but let none goe downe into his stomack to comfort nature . or if they do practise any thing it is worse then nothing , base and sinfull ; like a filthy chanell , that receiues the sweet light and heate of the sunne , but affoords nothing but stinking fumes and infectious smels . the sixt are they , that had rather reade naturall or humane and ciuill histories , and treatises of arts and sciences liberall and mechanicall , then ecclesiasticall and diuine discourses ; it seemes esteeming more of the maide then of the mistris , of humanity more then of diuinity , & of the body more then of the soule ; like aesops cocke , that set more by a barly corne , thē by all the gemmes and iewels in the world besides . the seauenth are they , which reade to talke , and talke to shew themselues ( and yet we know that empty barrels and the hollow drums do make the greatest sounds ) as if they read for nothing but to know to talke , and that by talking they might be knowne ; regarding more ( it seemes ) the floating knowledge of the braine , then the soundnesse of the heart and life , and affecting rather to seeme to be , then to be indeed ; vsually dealing with their bookes as ful-fed children do with their bread , which either play with it , or cast it to the dogges . so all their religion is placed in their tong , and their substance is but shews and shadowes , like that counterfait of samuel , and stuft vp with wind like a bladder . though they deuoure whole bookes , yet are they ( like pharoahs kine ) as ill fauoured , and as leane & lank for true grace ( as by their liues appeareth ) as they were before , and worse thē many of the heathen , which neuer truly knew what christian vertue meant . there are others , that reade much and profit nothing , but cast vp their morsels like a crazy stomack . they come to the well without their pitchers , or else with riuen vessels , having their thoughts distracted , and ●heir head fraught with impertinent studies ; like table-bookes , which ●eing written ful already , wil receiue ●o new letters , till the old be razed ●ut in whole , or in part . or else it is because they run on , and neither looke backe , nor minde their way ( but onely labour to ridde ground ) nor ●hew their cadde , nor call on god for ●is benigne assistance ; which of all ●en ought in all holy enterprises to be desired with earnest suite vpon the ●●nces of their soules . the ninth , which are the onely good , are they that reade attentiuely , throughly and discreetly , to reap some good , whereby they may do good to themselues and other also , as occasion & their calling serueth , and to these i do propose this booke . if thou wouldest behold the office of gods workmē , & the honour which of duty ought to be performed to them : if thou wouldest know the resemblance betwixt the church and a field & house : if thou wouldest see the office and honour of all her children , or wouldest learne how thou maist be rich in the fruits of righteousnesse , & how to giue the lord such entertainement , as is well pleasing to ●im ; thou maist , if it ple●se thee to reade , reuolue and ponder these few instructions , which were summarily not long since deliuered to a few by word , and now more largely published to the common view of all by writing vvherein i do professe plaine dealing and the profit of the simplest , rather then obscure and curious exactnesse ; euer iudging it better to walke in the open aire , then to run inuisibly in the clouds , & to leaue some milke in the brests , then to sucke them dry , or presse them till they bleed . the god of heauen and earth make them profitable to th●e , that walking by thē in this vale of misery , through the wildernesse of this wofull world , thou maist one day come , and that in season , into celestiall canaan , the land of promise , and rest vpon his holy mountaine . amen , amen . thine in christ , thomas tvke . 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 ambrosij fisheri . 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 . ●allere narramus a colubris , b seruare ministrum : autorum la●inus n●mpe minister agit . findicat aegypto moses , dat clara c mehushtan iumina , sic anima● iordanis vnda lauat . d ●nsif●r ipse serit , rigat & facundus apollo , quemlibet imbri-●oten sruge maritet agrum . ne● vult ang●licis molem sibi surgere templi malleolis : vafer hanc condit e iesse satus . ambrosius fisher . gods hovse and husbandry . . cor . . for we together are gods laborers : ye are gods husbandry , ye are gods building . chap. . the drift of the apostle is declared : gods mercy is exemplified : we must neither presume nor despaire : our iudgement concerning sinners , must be very sparing . the apostle hauing reprehended the foolish and factious estimation of ministers ( a disease dangerous and not dead . ) hee doth in this verse shew what they are , & how they are to bee estemed , to wit , 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 , such as labor with god , for god , and vnder god , in the tilling and husbanding of his ground , in the planting and dressing of his ●ineyard , and in the building & repairing of his house or temple : and hauing briefly dispat●hed this , he doth also briefly shew what those christians are , which be not of the ministery ▪ and what they are to be reputed ; to wit the field and house of god. and thus he hath shewed himselfe a faithfull shepheard , and an honest surgeon . hee doth not onely seeke to preserue his sheep from danger , but hee brings them into their walke and pasture . he doth not only let his patients see their soare , but he giues them a salue . he doth not only taxe their fault , but he doth also teach thē their duty . thus we see the meaning of the text in generall ; it remaineth now to discusse it in the particulers : and first we will treat of the office and honor of ministers , conteined in the former words ; we together are gods labourers ; and afterwards of the duty and dignity of the people inclosed in the words ensuing : yee are gods husbandry , yee are gods building . doct. ( we ) that is , i paule for one , who sometimes persecuted the people of god , and like a wild boare out of the forrest made a hauocke in his vineyard , annoying the vines of his owne planting ; i , euen i , that persued the faithful , like a partridge on the mountaines , as saul did dauid , and would haue pierced them through with the speare of persecution ; euen i saul , i paul am a 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 , an adiutour , a minister , & laborer of the lord , against whom i laboured with might and maine before . whence we may , ( as in a mirrour ) behold gods endlesse mercy to him , in making him of a persecutor a preacher , of a foe to become a friend , of sathans slaue , his owne b seruant , a labourer in his haruest , a builder of his house , a rearer and repairer of his temple , a planter and pruner in his vineyard , which once hee thought to supplant and c wast . from hence we are first taught , not to despaire of gods mercy , ( say not that thy sins are greater then can bee forgiuen , ) seeing so great a sinner obtained so great mercy : for paul was not onely made a conuert , but also a conuerter : he was not onely called by gods grace to bee a partaker of grace himselfe , but d he was also called by his grace to be a preacher of grace vnto others . he was not onely taken out of the wrong way , and set in the right , but he was also set as a marke in the way to direct and giue ayme to others . hee was not onely made a sheep of christ , but also a sheepheard vnder christ to feed and guide his sheepe . in a word , hee was made a member and a minister of the church , not a plant onely , but a planter also ; a vine and a vine-dresser . yet we must not presumptuously in hope of mercy , either persecute gods people : ( for they that touch them , e touch the apple of his eye : ) or addict our selues vnto any other knowne enormity : for paul persecuted but f of ignorance , and not of malice , as iulian : and dauid ( a man of gods owne moulding ) praied that god would g keepe him from presumptuous sinnes . and as wee reade in holy writ , of one notorious persecutor , who was conuerted and greatly graced , that no man might despaire : so againe we reade but of one , that no man might presume . it is transcendent iniquity for any man to sin in hope of pardon . secondly , we learne to suspend our iudgements of those that now run the race of wickednes , & are led captiue of the diuell to fulfill his will with greedines . when paul i blasphemed , persecuted and threatned , who could then haue saved : who would haue thought that he should euer haue bin so changed , as of a lion to be made a lambe , of a scatterer a gatherer , and of the diuels limme , gods faithfull labourer ? quifecit reficere potest : he that made them can mend them . god that formed them , can reforme them . he can turne the streame of their sinfull affection : he can cleanse them with the purging water of his spirit , and cast the mettall of their soules in a new mould . as by the strength of his arme hee brought his people out of egypt , & set thē in their way to canaan : so he can as easily ( if he please ) bring these men forth of spirituall egypt , from seruitude vnder sinne and sathan , and set , yea and settle them in the kingdome of grace , the suburbs & high-way to the kingdome of glory . and who knoweth the secret will of god ? his councell is vnsearchable and his k waies past finding out . indeede we must : deplore their present condition ; but we may not despaire of their future conuersion . wee may dislike and reproue them ; but we may not deeme thē reprob●●es : for gods l arme is neuer so short that it cannot saue , neither can the fountaine of his grace be drained dry . his wil is all , which is constant as himselfe , & knowne only to himselfe . chap. . ministers must not contemne one another : seuen reasons are rendred why they should not behaue themselues proudly and scornfully one to another . doct. vve ) here we see that paul makes apollos one of gods helpers or labourers as well as himselfe ; and yet no doubt there was great oddes betwixt them , not only in eminency of place , but also in excellency ef grace . paul was not called a of men , as false apostles are , and vse to be : nor by men , as ordinary ministers are , and ought to be ; but by iesus christ immediatly to be an apostle , euen a minister in the highest calling within the church , to say nothing of his learning , wisdome , fortitude ; constancy and other notable endowments , wherein he did excel , as if he had bin the very center of gods graces . they therefore , that are any way qualified or aduanced aboue their brethren , must beware they do not di●daine & scorne them . for first , b what hast thou , that thou hast not receiued ? promotiō c commeth neither from the east , nor from the west , nor from the south , but from god that deiecteth one , and erecteth another . riches and d honour , wisdome , learning , and knowledge are of the lord , who giues and takes according to his will. secondly , e the pride of man shall bring him low ; but the humble in spirit shall enioy glory . whosoeuer will exalt himselfe , shall be brought low , and whosoeuer wil humble himselfe shal be exalted : for god resisteth the proud , and giueth grace to the humble . and as wee see the highest hils haue the shortest grasse : so we see that the haughtiest hearts are the most barren of sauing grace . pride & piety cannot rule in one house , & reign in one kingdome . neither is it christian prudence to procure thine owne grace by the disgrace of thy brother . thirdly , his one talent may increase to ten , whereas ( it may be ) thy two shall not exceede foure , and perhaps wast away to one . and better is small wine that is fresh & liuely , then stronger which is become dead and musty . thou maist stand at a stay , as the f sun did in the daies of ioshuah , or else goe backward as the shadow did in the g dyall of ahaz ; whereas he shall increase and proceede as the day doth in light and brightnes til it be noone ▪ and it is more honor to rise then fall , and to go on , then to stand still , or giue backe . fourthly , pride procures hatred , contention & schismes , and is an vtter enemy to fraternity , peace and vnity ; & he that scorns most , is scorned most : for h with what measure ye meate ▪ ( saith christ ) it shal be measured to you againe . fifthly , god may blesse him in his poore place , and make his one talent more profitable to the church then thy two : yea then thy ten : for it is i god that giueth the increase . sixthly , humility , meeknesse and modesty , are comly & commendable in men of all other callings ; therefore the holy ghost saith : k submit your selues euery man , one vnto another ▪ decke your selues inwardly with lowlinesse of minde . much more then in gods ministers , who ought to be ( as peter speaketh ) 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 patternes to the people ( not onely facienda docentes , but also docenda facientes ) & as bookes for them to read their lessons in ; like that starre which went before those l wise men , and conducted them to the place where christ was layed . lastly , they are the ministers and adiutors of god , as well as thou that hast greater ornaments , whether in respect of gifts or of glory . siluer is mettall as well as gold : & the poore man may be as true a subiect as the rich : and if all good ministers haue one lord , and work in one building , though they haue not one standing , and the same measure of skill , what reason is there that one should maligne and vilipend an other ? paule forbade the m corinthes to despise timotheus , because hee wrought the worke of the lord , as hee himselfe did . this reason therefore should sway with those that are ministers themselues , and stay them from insulting ouer one onother , as if they were not fellow-labourers , and brethren in one office , because of some diuersity of place , or inequality of gifts . the sunne excelleth the moone in glory : yet both are starres , and one contemneth not another . the tallest cedar will suffer the lowest shrub to grow by it without disdaine . hee that receiued n fiue talents did not cōtemne him that had but two ▪ but one . the foot is a part of the body as well as the face , though not so faire : & the hands as well as the head , though not so comely , or as the heart , though not so worthy ; yet they haue their vse , & there is no contempt betwixt them . the eye is more excellent then the eare , and the eare more commodious them the eye , yet they stand both in one head without the least disdaine or enuy . and the strings of an instrument , though differing in sound and quantity , are neuerthelesse all of them strings ▪ and can agree well together . so , euen so , though thou surpasse thy brother , yet despise him not , disdaine him not , prouoke him not , but rather o serue him , by loue : for he is gods labourer as well as thy selfe , hee workes vnder god , by god & for god , in his field ●nd building as well as thou that art of parts more excellent , or in place more eminent . chap. . god hath ordained that man should teach man , the reason hereof is fourefold . doct. vve ) euen we that are sinful men , not holy angels ; yea we that are accounted the a refuse & of-scouring of the world , and reigne ●ot like princes and potentates euen wee men , wee despicable and poore men are gods ministers : euen we despised wretches do labour with him i● his temple . vs hee hath selected and called to helpe forward his haruest , and to serue him in the building , purging , polishing , and repairing of his house . whence wee learne these two lessons . first ▪ wee see that it pleaseth god , that man should instruct man , and that his church ( which is his tabernacle , and garden of delight ) should bee built and husbanded by men . as in the naturall body one member helpeth another : and as in the politicall body , one man ouerseeth and gouerneth an other : so in the spiritual & ecclesiastical body , god hath wisely ordayned that some of the members should direct , relieue , instruct and nourish the rest , prouided alwayes , that they subiect themselues vnto their king christ iesus , that they gouerne by his lawes , and by the scepter of his word , and feede them with foode prepared out of it ; and not with the dregges and drugges of mans inuention , which may be sweete sometimes in the mouth , but are alwaies bitter in the maw , hurtfull vnto the soule , as pilles of poyson are vnto the body though drenched in sugar . now the lord hath thus ordeyned : first because we are weake and timerous , vnable to beare the maiesty of his voyce , and the glory of his presence . when the israelites had seene and heard those maiesticall things , ( but terrible to flesh & bloud ) which were shewed at the promulgation of the law. b they fled , & stood a farre off , and said vnto moses : speake thou to vs , and we will heare ; but let not god speake vnto vs least we dye . they were men as well as we , and we are the sonnes of men as wel as they . some of them , as some of vs , were good , and some bad : yet all were afraid , all fled ; the good as well as the bad came to moses , that god might speake no more vnto them . secondly , god hath appointed this order for the manifestation and tryall of our obedience , as hee proued the faith of c abraham , by commanding him to sacrifice his sonne isaack : so he proueth our obedience and humility in commanding vs to heare men like ourselues , ( or perhaps inferiour ) and to stoope vnto their ministery , as to himselfe . and as hee said vnto abraham : d now i know that thou fearest god , seeing for my sake thou hast not spared thine onely sonne . so may he say to vs , if we shew our selues obedient to his ordinance ; now i know that ye feare my name : yea rather we may assure our selues that wee doe t●uly feare and obey god , if we doe from our hearts submit our selues to this order , and listen to the voyce of his prophets attentiuly , as e lydia , and with that f honest and good heart , which none enioy , none can possesse but good hearers , and gods faithfull obedientaries . thirdly , god hath thus disposed that he might testifie his philanthropy and good will towards his ministers , in consecrating their mouthes and tonges ( being but sinfull and silly wretches ) vnto himselfe , so as that his voice shall sound in them , and his spirit worke by them to the founding and erecting of his owne kingdome , and to the confounding and ruinating of the diuels . lastly , g we haue this treasure in earthen vessels , that the excellēcy of that power might bee of god , and not of vs. seeing we are called and conuerted by sinfull , mortall , and meane men , we are now stayed from ascribing the glory of our conuersion to man , and taught to confesse that the h gospell is the power of god ( and not of man ) to saluation ; whom it hath pleased by the i foolishnes of preaching to saue them that beleeue therefore we must not with the swenchfeldians expect secret reuelations of the spirit : neither must we looke that either god or an angell should preach vnto vs ; but we must be content to heare his voice in man , and to obey his gospell sincerely preached by man ; which is so certaine as that we may not k belieue an angell preaching a gospell diuerse or contrary to it . secondly , we see the wonderfull wisdome of god , who chooseth the l foolish , weake and vile things of the world to confound the wise , mighty and magnificent : and we see plainely that god bestowes not his greatest offices alwaies vpon the greatest p●rsonages : neither doth he ( as worldly princes vse to do ) appoint the mightiest & wisest men for worldly might and wisedome , to attempt & atchieue his hard and weighty workes . hee tooke dauid from the m sheepfold , and changed his shepheards staffe into a kingly scepter . he tooke amos from the n flocke , and made him his prophet . he made o peter and andrew of fishermen to become fishers of men . paul saith that he and his p fellow-apostles were the gazing stocke of the world , and as filth and ofskouring ; yet were they the lords q embassadours : god had chosen them to be his labourers , and had set them about an honorable and weighty peece of seruice : he had r giuen them the word of reconciliation , he set them to plant his church , to supplant the synagogue of sathan , to collect the dispersed sheep of christ , to dispell the wolues which sought to kill them , and to saue them from the foxes which did annoy them . chap. . gods ministers should be able to say ; we do now labour for the lord. two sorts of ministers are taxed . doct. vve are ) he saith not , wee haue beene : nor , we shall or will be , but we are. it is good for all men , for all ministers , especially in good things , to be alwaies in the present tense . the loue of our calling must not vanish like a leame of lightning , our zeale of gods house must not bee like the morning deaw . it is no praise to say wee haue beene gods labourers , and not to be so now , through the peruersenes of our spirits , or the witching inticemēts of the world . the world must not draw vs from our calling , as it did a demas from paul. the footstoole must not be set vpon the head . we may not worship mammon , and bend our knees vnto the world . gods temple may not be forsaken for her tent , neither must we be so wedded to our wils , and so farre in loue with our luxurious humours , as that wee will rather go out of the field , and leaue our colours , and forsake our warfare , then we will endure to be let bloud , & tied to good orders . it is an excellent thing to be able to say with paul truly ; we are gods adiutors : we are now gods workemen : we are in gods seruice : we labour for him in his field and temple . he therefore is to bee condemned , whosoeuer he be , that shall forsake this so holy and so worthy a calling , for the painefulnesse of it , or for that it is not in this base age of the world so duly regarded , as in conscience and common reason it ought to be : or for that the world with her amorous dart , hath strucke through his liuer , & wounded him with her loue ; what pretext soeuer he shall make for himselfe . in like maner also those are to be reproued , that shall suffer themselues to be transported with the impostures of hereticall and schismaticall spirits , or shall sooth vp themselues in their own conceits so , as that rather thē they wil alter their courses , and be diuorced from them , they will leaue gods field , and forsake his plough they held , & giue ouer building in his house , to which they were called by him . lamentable is the practise of too many , that hauing bin entertained into gods house for workmen , do lay downe their tooles , and fall to play , to pleasure , and ayme at nothing more , then at their priuate profits . there are many that will labour hard , till they haue hit the mark they shot at ; but then they lift vp the heele , they tread the furrowes at their leysures , and giue themselues to ease and idlenesse . others there are , that either through discontentednesse by reason of their contempt and pouerty , or through their ambition and arrogant ouerweening of themselues , or else by reason of their spiritual lunacy and affectation of innouation , or through want of fortitude and discretion to confront with , and to stand vndaunted at the scandales , and enormities of the time , or else by reason of their preposterous zeale , irresolute disposion , coueteous inclination , or vngrounded deuotion , doe leaue the scaffold , forsake their station , cast off their burthen , giue ouer their charge , and either follow that babilonish harlot , or worship the fansies of their owne conceiuing . me thinks it is strange that a man should leaue the seruice of a virgin , to serue an harlot , and change ierusalem for babilon , canaan for aegipt : or that any man should forsake a vineyard planted with noble vines , because many noysome weeds do grow , too boldly with them . but the horse doth often cast the rider . the sun is darke to a blinde man. some make their lust the rule of reason . and some for want of iudgement , can put no difference betwixt place and person , betwixt an whorish garment , and a garment as an whore hath vsurped or got on ; as if a virgin should therefore cast her coate away , because a strumpet hath got the like . but wisdome will be iustified of her children . the wise will discerne betweene a disease and death , betweene a bleare eye and a blind , betweene a citty and her walles , a face and her freckles . it is a leaud sonne that wil deny his mother for her clothes , and an ill seruant that will forsake the loyall and chast wife of his maister , to follow one that is diuorced from him for adultery . it is no wisedome for thee to contemn the house in which thou first drew breath because it is not couered or glazed to thy minde , and no good dealing for thee to discharge thy selfe of that charge , which god hath charged thee withall ; to neglect or leaue thy place , thy calling , whether it bee through the loue of the world , the drowsinesse of thy sluggish nature , or the pertinacious entertainement of thine owne nouell conceits . if thou hast euer beene gods workman , be so still , and that not in title onely , but in truth : let all be able to say with s. paul : we are gods adiutors . better it is , not to haue beene such , but now to be , then to haue beene , but not now to be , through our owne default . chap. . the office of a minister is painefull . doct. vve are labourers together ) if laborers together , then labourers : 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 , then 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 , if coworkers , then workers . but what ? not imperant , but obsequent : not maisters simply , but simply ministers , not equal to god , but seruāts of god. god is the only absolute architect , and they are his selected instrumēts ; not physicall & life-lesse , but vocal , voluntary , & liuing . hence we learne that gods faithfull ministers are labourers not loyterers . the calling of a minister , is a calling of labour , and not of lazinesse ; therefore the apostle saith a he that desireth the office of a bishop , desireth a worthy work . the office of a minister is ( tam onus , quam honos ) not more honorable then painefull , exacting diligence as well as affoording dignity . beneficium postulat officium , a benefice requires a duty . he that hath his liuing from the church , & labors not for the church , is a robber of the church . the property of a workman is ( operari , non ociari ) to labour , and not to loyter . the minister is a workman , god hath hired him to worke in his vineyard . he must hold the keyes of his kingdome in one hand , & the b sword of the spirit , ( which is the word of god ) in the other hand ; and all are heauy , all are weighty , and hard to weild aright . he must help to beare the church , as the c leuites did the arke . gouernement is laid vpon his shoulders , and the soules of men are cōmitted to his charge . if any vnder him do d perish by him , god will require their bloud at his hands . chap. . ministers must haue a warrantable calling . now in a labourer , these seuen things are required . first , a lawfull calling : for it is against all right and reason , that any man should gather his neighbors grapes , or thrust his sickle into his corne without his leaue : and so it is as vniust for any man to presume to labour in gods vineyard , to build in his temple , or to worke in his haruest , without his leaue and liking . who dare draw his sword and smite , who dare meddle with his keyes , to open or shut ministerially without his licence ? who dare sit in moses his chaire , vnlesse he haue set him in it , and put his law-booke into his hands to vnclaspe and explicate it vnto his people ? the labourers in the parable wrought not in the a vineyard till the lord thereof had set them on worke . b vzzah was slaine because he laid his hand vpon the arke without a calling . noah medled not in the building of the arke , till god had giuen him direction : neither did the carpenters enter vpon that worke without vocation and approbation from noah : & they which built the temple , had licence & command first from salomon , who had his warrant also from aboue . wherefore then should any meddle with the building of the church , which is gods arke and temple , without sufficient authority , either immediately from god , or mediatly from those that haue commission from him to proue and admit men to labour for him ? c no man taketh this honour vpon him , but he that is called of god , as aaron was . christ sheweth that it of right belongeth to the lord of the haruest , to chuse and appoint labourers , in that he bids his disciples d pray the lord of the haruest , to send forth laborers into his haruest . for how dare men cut downe , or bind vp , & bring in without his bidding and authorizing ? e how shall they preach except they be sent ? the lord complaineth of some prophets , that f ran vnsent , & prophecied vnspoken to by him . aaron , and his sonnes , were ordayned by god to assigne the g koathites euery one to his office & to his charge : so god hath ordained the gouernors of the church to cal & consecrate ministers , and to set them to their worke . it is an anabaptistique conceit to think that any man of learning may preach without ecclesiasticall ordination , vpon his owne priuate motion or voluntary pleasure . the glory of god , the honour of the ministery , the security and solace of their consciences , and that the people may know that they haue lawfull ministers , & may thereby be moued to obay their ministery : all these claime a calling , & argue the necessity of lawfull ordination . chap. . ministers must be wise : their doctrine pure , and their life vpright . secondly , a workeman must bee wise , that he may behaue himselfe without offence . discretion is required in a minister , that hee may please his maister , that he may be an example to his fellowes , that he may leade his life without offence to any , and so gaine credit to his place and person . it is meete therefore , that his doctrine should be pure , and not parti-coloured , and that his conuersation be correspondent : & so he shall shew himselfe truly wise , euen godly wise . paul writing to timothie , saith : a study to shew thy selfe approued vnto god , a workman that need not be ashamed , diuiding the word of god aright . and to the corinthians , he saith of himselfe and of his fellowes , we b haue cast from vs the cloakes of shame , and walke not in craftines , neither handle we the word of god deceiptfully ; but in declaration of the truth , we approue our selues to euery mans conscience in the sight of god. c our reioycing is this : the testimony of our conscience , that in simplicity and godly purenes , & not in fleshly wisedome , but by the grace of god we haue had our cōuersation in the world , & most of all to you-wards . d for we are not as many , which make merchandise of the word of god : but as of sincerity , but as of god in the sight of god speake we in christ . e we giue no occasion of offence in any thing , that our ministery should not be reprehended : but in all things we approue our selues as the ministers of god , in like manner , he willeth his sonne timothy to keep the f true patterne of the wholesome words which he had heard of him , and to flye from the lusts of youth , g and follow after righteousnes , faith , loue , and peace : & sheweth that euery bishop must be h vnreproueable , temperate and modest . ministers ( saith prosper ) must not onely instruct the people with the example of a good life , but should also shew them by preaching boldly , both the penalty which abides the rebellious , and the glory which belongs to the obedient . the doctor of the church ( saith chryostome ) by teaching and liuing well , teacheth the people how to liue well : but by liuing wickedly , teacheth god how to condemne him . aaron was appointed to weare thummim on his brest-plate vpon his heart , and i a plate of pure gold vpon his forehead , whereon was grauen , holinesse to the lord. so euery minister should haue the thummim of an vpright heart , & carry the goldē plate before him of an holy life . the arke was commaunded to be k pitched within and without with pitch : so should euery minister be pitched with grace on the inside of his heart , and on the outside of his life ; and so he shal be better armed , against wind and water . the snuffers of the candlestick for the l tabernacle , were cōmaunded to be made of pure gold : those that snuffe others should be pure themselues . turpe est doctori , cum culpa redarguit ipsum : it is a shame for a man to correct another , and not to direct himselfe , or to weed his neighbours corne , and to suffer the weeds to choke his owne . it is a shame for a phisitian , to proffer phisick to others , and yet to see and suffer himselfe to rot with diseases . phisitian first cure thy selfe . pluck m forth thine owne moat , thine owne beame first . he that admonisheth another of that , wherein himselfe remaineth wilfully faulty , doth giue him the cleare wine , and keepeth the dregs to himselfe ; resembling a diall or watch , which profit others by shewing how the day passeth , but themselues nothing at all . they which teach wel , and liue wickedly , confute their doctrine with their deedes , and condemne their practise by their preaching , and so make them selues abhominable to god and man. for vnto the wicked god saith : n what hast thou to doe to declare mine ordinances , that thou shouldest take my couenant into thy mouth , seeing thou hatest to be reformed , and hast cast my words behind thee ? and speaking to some corrupt and vngodly priests , he saith ; therefore o haue i also made you to be despised , and vile before all the people , because yee kept not my waies , but haue been partiall in the law. a good p preacher liuing lewdly , may haue the name of life , as the angel of the church at sardis had , yet he is dead in himselfe . he may by gods blessing benefite another , but he is his owne bane ; like a post set in the way , which rots it selfe , whiles it stands to direct others . let vs therefore looke well to our selues . the q lamps of the tabernacle were to burne alwaies , and therefore god commaunded , that their oyle should be pure oliue beaten . ministers are , or ought to be lamps to the people ; therefore that they may shine alway to giue them light , their oile must bee pure , they must striue to be perfect . r holinesse becommeth gods house for euer . be ye cleane , that beare the vessels of the lord. be holy like your maister . ſ for he reuealeth his secrets to thē that feare him , and walke before him . the weights and measures of the sanctuary were twise as big as the other : so the vertues of the ministers of the sātuary , should much exceed other mens . they ought to be glasses , to admit and transmit the sun-beames of gods graces ; therefore they should be bright and cleere . the stars are free from elementary corruption . ministers are as stars to giue light vnto the sons of men ; let them therefore be free from worldly pollution . they labour to present the church a pure virgine vnto christ her husband : let them therefore labour against impurity in themselues . gregory bishop of nisse saith of basill the great , that he desired ▪ ( per puritatem appropinquare deo ) to draw neare to god by purity . it is sayd of bucer that he brought all men into such admiration of him , that neither his friends could sufficiently praise him , nor his enemies in any point , find fault with his singular life and sincere doctrine . a godly life and good doctrine , should be wedded , without diuorce in euery minister . u that which god will haue coupled , let no man put asunder . the priests kept the fire burning vpon the x altar continually , and neuer let it goe cut . so we that are ministers , should keepe the fire of gods graces , continually burning vpon the altar of our hearts within vs , and the lamp of a vertuous life shining alway without vs , that men may see our good workes , and glorifie our father in heauen . a licentious life robs the tongue of her liberty , and disgraceth the teacher ; but an honest hart accompanied with a religious life doth commend the owner , and makes him bold , as a lion , and vndanted in deliuering the tru●h . ministers are the y salt of the earth ; therefore they must be both sauoury t●emselues , and also season others with the salt of wholsome doctrine and of an holy life . they are the light of the world to giue light vnto others by their life & learning they are called presbyters ( priests ) or elders ; therefore they should cast off all youthfull lightnesse , lusts , and i●constancy , and attire themselues with such sanctimony and christian grauity , as may procure them reuerence and authority with the people ; like the highest planets , saturne , iupiter , mars , that are of the slowest and most regular motion . ministers should be like z simon the sonne of onias , who was as the morning starre , and as the moone at her full , as the bright beames of the sun , & as a faire and fruitfull oliue tree . they should shine and glister in gods temple , and shew themselues liue oliues , fruitfull in good workes , & godly exhortations . sincere doctrine and vertuous conuersation are as two shoulders or pillars ▪ whereby they are to beare vp gods church , gods arke . he which preacheth soundly , and conuerseth loosely ( coetum aedificat voc● , infernum vita ) edifieth church by his doctrine , but hell by his deeds . an euill pastor ( saith augustine ) destroyeth as much with his wicked conuersation , as he buildeth with his doctrine . on the contrary , a godly life is a good sermon , though not vocall , yet visible and reall . herod reuerenced iohn baptist , because he was a a good man , not because hee was a good minister . the people respect the life more thē preaching : & thinke it better to do & say not , then to say and do not . therfore the apostle wisely exhorteth timothy to shew himselfe b a● example in word , in conuersation , in loue , faith , and purity . charitas a seipso : loue begins at home . he that neglecteth himselfe is not fit to take care of others . an euill seruant seldom proues a good maister . a bad disciple seldome makes a good doctor . he that doth not instruct himselfe is vnmeete and vnworthy to instruct others . therefore paul aduiseth the ephesian elders to looke to themselues first ; c looke to your selues , and to the whole flocke and to the d corinths he saith ; i beate downe my body and bring it into serui●ude , ( for the body , like fire and water , is but a naughty master ) lest by any meanes after that i haue preached to others , i my selfe should be reproued . to say well ( saith ●eda ) and to liue badly , is nothing els then for a man to damne himselfe with his owne voyce , in ps . . thou art ( thou sayest ) a guide of the blind , a teacher of the vnlearned , and a light to them which sit in darknesse . it is well : e thou therefore which teachest another , teachest thou not thy selfe ? thou that preachest a man should not steale , dost thou steale ? thou that sayest a man not kill , wilt thou starue the soule by with-holding the food , that is conuenient for it ? thou that sayest a man should not commit adulterie , doest thou commit adultery ? thou that abhorrest idols , dost thou commit sacriledge ? d●rest thou practise that thy selfe , which thou preachest against in others ? thy state is lamentable . f he that knowes his masters will and doth it not , shall be beaten with many stripes : and g to him , that knoweth how to do well , & doth it not , to him it is a sinne . and thy condition without repentance is like a candlesticke , that sees nothing it selfe , but caries a candle for others to see by . thou mayst be a meanes of grace vnto others , and perish for lacke of grace thy selfe . thou mayest helpe to build others , and rot in thine owne ruines ; like the carpenters , that built noahs arke , which saued him and others , and were drowned themselues in the floud . and besides , thy wicked life is very scandalous and hurtfull vnto many , that make examples their lawes , and the practise of their superiours to be as precept● and patterns for them to follow . an● if the roote be rotten , what may be thought of the branches ? if ministers be profane themselues , who like rootes should conuey piet● to the people , what can bee exspected at their hands besides profanenesse and atheisme , vnlesse god in mercy do restraine , and guide them ? for the wickednesse of ministers ( is serpens malum ) doth creepe like iuy , and spread like a leprosie , and is as pestilent and infectious as the plague . therefore the lord saith ; h from the prophets of ierusalem is wickednes gone forth into all the land . wherefore let euery minister behaue himselfe in gods house discreetly . i he that h●th his word , let him speake it faithfully , let him handle it sincerely : and withall let his life be honest . for other wise ( as nazianz●ne teacheth , ) he reacheth that with one hand , which he raketh away with the other : he both abuseth his place , and dishonoreth his maister . if euer he meane to doe good , let him be good . as the fire must be hot , before it can he●te the stander by : so if thou desirest to make other men religious , be religious thy selfe : be first hot thy selfe , and thou are likely to make thy neighbour , that stands by thee , and lookes vpon thee , feruent and hot also . chap. . ministers must haue skill , as well as will , to discharge their office . thirdly , a workeman must haue skill to performe his worke . so should a minister . for what should hee do with gods sword , tha● knowes not how to vse it ? it is a sharpe and piercing ; it is fit therefore that he which is to handle it , should haue skill to vse it ▪ that he may know when to shake it , and when to sheath it ; when , whom ▪ where , and how deepe to strike with it . ministers are to we●re the ke●es o● gods kingdom at their girdles . les● therefore they should locke , when they ought to loose , and open ; whe● they ought indeed to shut , they mus● be men of knowledge , and not nou●ces , voyd of good vnderstanding an● dexterity to performe their duty b paul requires that a minister should be apt to teach . if he be not ( 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 ) able and apt to teach , how shall he b● ( 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 ) a teacher , as euery ministe● ought to be ? if he be , ( 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 ) vnlearned , how shall he be ( 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 ) a scribe able to interpret the oracles of god learnedly ? the c minister of god must ( 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 ) diuide and cut out the worde of trueth aright vnto the people . but how shall he be able to diuide it rightly , when he cannot ( 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 ) diuide at all , because he wants the knife of knowledge , wherewith he should diuide it ? what though a man haue a plough , if he know not how to plow ? what if he haue a net , & know not how to cast it ? what though he haue a salue , if he knowe not how to apply it ? and what though a man haue an axe , if he haue no skill to vse it ? so what can that man do , that hath the word of god , which is as a plow , a net , an angle , a salue , and an axe , if he haue no abilit● , no actiuenesse and skill to vse and handle it ? the d eye is the light of the body : if it be blind , how darke is that body ? ministers are the light of the world , and as the eyes of the church . now , if they be destitute of light and sight , the world must needs be darke , and that church must needs be blind : or else god the e father of lights must conferre sight and light , and illuminate them extraordinarily . f esay saith that the lord gaue him the tongue of the learned , that hee might knowe to minister a word in due season to him , that is weary . good shepheards and thriuing merchants had need to haue knowledge and experience . ministers are the shepheards & merchants of almighty god ; therefore they should haue skill ( as well as will ) to keepe his sheepe , and husband his wares , that his gaine may be the greater , and his fold the fuller . this is the note ( saith that holy martyr of god , bishop hooper ) to know the bishops and ministers of god from the ministers of the diuell , by the preaching tongue of the gospell . the g priests lippes shall preserue knowledge , saith the lord. it is a precept , and not a promise . and the people were inioyned to seeke the law at his mouth . therefore in reason he should be skilfull in the law . it is labour lost to seeke a thing , where it is not . in vaine do men g● to a vvell , that hath no water in it . now if the priests in the time of the law were by gods appointment to be men of knowledge , is it fit that the ministers of the gospell should be ignorant ; especially there being so much knowledge in the world , as there is at this day ? ministers are gods nurses : but if their breasts bee drie , how shall his children thriue , that are committed to them : ieremy writeth of a calamity , which befell the israelites , wherein the h tongue of the sucking childe did cleaue to the roofe of his mouth for thirst , and in which the children and sucklings did swoone in the streetes , and for hunger died in their mothers bosome . a very pitifull and sore distresse . verily , as lamentable is their condition , which i neuer haue the bread of gods word broken vnto them , and the sweete milke of wholsome exhortations and instructions powred out before them to feede vpon . ministers are gods k messengers ; therefore they should haue knowledge to deliuer their message discreetly . they are seers and ouer-seers ; therefore they should haue eyes to see and ouer-see . they should be able to discerne betweene vice and vertue , betweene light and darknesse , betweene truth and falshood , betweene sarah and hagar , betweene a iudas and a ionathan , lest they take the one for the other , as ixion did the cloude for iuno . and if the l blinde doe leade the blinde , both of them are like to fall into the ditch . those ministers then that cannot teach the people in some competent manner , are too defectiue ; not much vnlike a cypher , which fils a place , and increaseth the number , but signifies nothing : and something like to players , which do sometimes represent the persons of princes , but are not so themselues . xanchius saith , that they only are called of god vnto the ministery , which besides their godly conuersation , are able to deliuer wholsome doctrine vnto the people . quos enim eligit , ac vocat ▪ for those whom god doth elect and call to any function , he doth also endow them with such necessary gifts , as are meet for that function . chap. . ministers must be faithfull and painfull fourthly , a labourer must be diligent , faithfull , and industrious . and such a one must euery minister shew himself to be . it is required in the a disposers of gods secrets ( as ministers are , that a man be found faithfull . preach the word ( saith the holy ghost , ) b be in stant , in season and out of season ▪ cursed is he , c that doth the worke of the lord negligently . if we be diligent in our owne affaires , how much more diligent should we be in gods ? d be diligent ( saith salomon ) to know the state of thy flocke , and take heed to the heards . must men looke to their cattell with diligence , & shall not ministers look diligently to the soules of men ? idlenesse for a time may be pleasing , but in the end thereof it will bite like a cockatrice , and hurt like a serpent . if men bee carefull to saue their sheepe from dogges , wolues an● foxes , if they be diligent to preserue their corne from being cropt and wasted with birds and beasts , and to keepe their houses from being burnt with fire , or beate downe with tempests ; how faithfull and laborious should all the lords ministers bee to preserue his corne from being eaten vp or troden downe ? how carefull should they be to defend his house from the fire of contention and schisme ? and if fire haue taken hold on it ▪ how painfull ought they to be in ●●aking of it , and hindering it from proceeding further ? if the diuell e compasse the earth to and fro , and like a ramping and roaring f lyon seeke whom hee may deuoure ; if the g pharisees would compasse sea and land to make one proselyte , one of their faith and faction ; and if popish priests ( whose faith and alleagiance is pinned , vpon antichrists backe ) doe venture life and liberty to subuert the true faith , and to increase the number of romish catholickes ; what paines should the ministers of christ iesus take ? what labour should they refuse to maintaine the faith , to saue the soules of men , and to increase the number of true beleeuers , true catholikes , orthodoxall christians ? they looke for hire , therefore they ought to labour : no worke , no wages . h indeed he that keepeth the fig-tree , shall eate of the fruite thereof : and he , that waiteth vpon his office , is worthy maintenance : but he which i will not labour ( and can labour ) must not eate , though hee would eate . possidonius writeth of augustine bishop of hippo , that he taught and preached priuatly and publickly , in the house and in the church ; resembling the practise of paul , who ( like a faithfull teacher ) k kept backe nothing , that was profitable , and in three yeares space reuealed all the counsell of god ( behold his diligence ) teaching openly , and throughout euery house , and by the space of three yeares ceased not to warne euery one both night and day with teares : behold his fidelity , industry , and compassionate affection . chrysostome saith , that the minister of the word ought to be diligent as an husbandman , and carefull as a shepheard . as diligently ( sayth latimer ) as the husbandman plougheth for the sustentation of his body , so diligently must prelates and ministers labour for the feeding of the soule : both the ●loughes must be st●●l going , ● most necessary for man. and againe : the scripture calleth it ( the preaching of the word ) meate , and not strawberries that come but once a yeare , and ●●r● not long , but are soone gone . but ●t ●● meate , it is no dainties . the people must haue meate that must be familiar , con●inuall , and daily giuen then to feed vpon this was the iudgement of that ho●● martyr : and his practise was not different . for ( as m. fox saith ) he preached for the most part euery sunday twise , yea when he was . yeares o● age , and had receiued a bruise by the fall of a tree . like was the practise o● ambrose bishop of millain , who● augustine heard ( as he doth report ) preach the word of truth soundly ( omni dominico ) euery lords day . this was the practise of tho●e blessed saints . this is the will of god , and the duty of al godly ministers ; as doth euidently appeare by the consideration of pauls exhortation to the elders ( or ministers ) of the church o● ephesus . l take heed ( saith he ) to all the flocke , whereof the holy ghost hath made you ouerseers , to feed the church of god , which he hath purchased with that his bloud . first , let vs consider that wee are the ministers , not of man , but of god omnipotent , who will kindly reward all that come vnto him , and labour for him with an honest heart , & a good intention , . pet. . . secondly , let vs also remember that we did not thrust our selues into his seruice , but that he chose and called vs ; and therefore our labours are not arbitrary , but at his disposement and dispensation . thirdly , we are not called to liue in idlenesse , but to attend , to ouersee and feed . fourthly , our labours are not spent vpon beasts , but vpon men like our selues , and not about earthly things , but heauenly . fiftly , our paines belong properly & principally to gods m owne people , euen vnto such as his sonne hath redeemed with his owne bloud , his best bloud , his hart-bloud . if iacob was consumed in the day with heat , n & with frost in the night ; if hee endured such hardnesse for sheepe , for beasts , yea for his father in lawes sheepe ; shall wee take no paines for men ? shall we neglect the sheepe of christ iesus ? shall we bestow no paines vpon the people of god , who is our most gracious father , and more tender hearted then our naturall fathers are , or can be to vs ? sixtly , we should consider , that these about whome we labour , are subiect to many dangers . satan & his angels , the world & their owne corruptions are all of them mortall and most pernicious enemies vnto their soules . and our labours are through the operation of the spirit very helpfull and commodious both to preserue them from euill , and to conserue and strengthen them in that which is good , yea and to pull them out of the iawes of the diuell , and out of the briars of wickednesse . and therefore we should take the greater paines , and thinke no time nor trauell mispent , which we shall spend this wa● . seauenthly , we preach against the idlenesse of men in all other callings , and that not without good cause : for it was o one of the sinnes of sodome , & is vnprofitable to all states . wherefore we ought in no case addict our selues to so base a sinne . for otherwise we shall weaken our owne credits , and expose our selues to shame and obloquy . a blacke spot is soone espied in white paper : ministers are much marked : and few trauellers there are , if any at all , which would not haue their waies as faire as their neighbors . moreouer , the scripture calleth vs pastors . but pastors must p feed their sheepe , and not forsake , nor flea them , nor starue them through indiligence and oscitancy . the flocke must be more regarded then the fleece . paule sought q them , and not theirs : the men , and not the money . and , r woe vnto me ( saith he ) if i preach not the gospell . he was exceeding ſ toylesome in his ministery , in labours abundant . iude saith , that he gaue t all diligence to write of the commune saluation . the u angell of the church of ephesus was by christ commended for his workes and labour . the ancient prophets , & those worthy men of god , which he raised vp for the reuealing of that man of sinne , and the restoration of the truth , as luther , zuinglius , oecolampadius , bucer , caluin , martyr , iewell , &c. were exceeding diligent and laborious . it is sayd of that blessed martyr of god maister bradford , that he preached the time , that he remained prisoner in the counter twise a day continually , except sicknesse hindered him . being therefore compassed and couered with such a cloude of painefull ministers , let vs breake through all obstacles , and runne the race of our glorious calling , performing whatsoeuer doth appertaine vnto vs with all patience , diligence , and fidelity . all , euen all is little inough , and too little . honor is set before vs : the speare of vengeance is shaken at vs : the cannon of gods wrath is planted against vs : the constitutions of the church doe call vpon vs : the commandement of the great god doth vrge vs : and the holy scriptures do spurre vs to the quicke , and affoord many firme and inuincible arguments to prouoke and perswade vs to the vigilant , faithfull , and laborious execution of our office ; let vs therefore respect and tend it , and behaue our selues like labourers , that need not be ashamed . salomon saith , he that withdraweth the u corne ( which is the foode of the body ) the people will curse him ; and shall we thinke that he can escape a curse , which refuseth to preach , and so with-holdeth the corne and the foode , wherewith the soule should be sed ? but as blessing shall be vpon his head , that selleth corne : so he that preacheth the word of trueth , and bringeth foorth like a good steward , both new and olde out of his treasure vnto the people , and breaketh vnto them that bread , that doth relieue the hungry soule ( if he do it with care and conscience , and with a purpose to glorifie god and to benefit his church ) he shall without doubt receiue a blessing both from god and man. the lord from heauen shall blesse him , and his people shall applaude and laud him . and as x salomon saith that the seruant which waiteth vpon his maister , shall come to honour : euen so surely they , which attend vpon their ministery , shall be aduanced . they shall haue honour in the hearts of the people . and if god see them fit for further honour , they shall not want it . let them therefore be watchfull and industrious . and indeed , there is no time since the light of the gospell brake out vnto vs , wherein greater diligence and fidelity is required at the hands of all gods ministers , then now . for probitas laudatur , & alget : vertue is commended in word , but contemned in deed . learning is little respected : vice flourisheth , wickednesse increaseth : papisme sprouteth afresh : atheists and epicures swarme like the y flies of egypt : and of z our owne selues do many men arise speaking peruerse things , to drawe disciples after them ; being ready to say with those in esay ; a stand aloofe , come not neare me : for i am more holie then thou ; being selfe-conceited , and distracted with phantastick questions , and impertinent affaires , and possest with an erroneous , turbulent , vnstable and blind spirit ; leauing ierusalem in stead of babel , euen their mother that brought them forth & bare them ; because , they say , she is clad with a babylonish garment , and not with one of their spinning . wherefore greater diligence and attendance should bee giuen , least gods house be fired ouer our heads , least his plants be spoyled , least his vines be broken downe , least his flowers be rooted vp , and his garden be defaced and ouergrowne with weedes . for howsoeuer atheists , papists , and schismatiques be loose in their heads , yet are they tied fast together by the tailes ( like b samsons foxes ) with a fire-brand of mischiefe in the middest to spoile and burne vp gods corne , and to set fire on his rickes , if they be not with great care and labour preuented . but yet , though euery pastor must be painefull , it doth not therefore follow that they should all be equall in paines . for there are diuersity of gifts , variety of ages , distinction of places , and difference of strength and ablenesse . but if they doe that , which is fit for them , and which god claimes of them ; if there be c a willing mind to performe that , which they can , it is accepted with him , who accounteth the good wil for the worke it selfe . neither is all labour the same labour . there is hand-labour as well as lip-labour . and he , that sitteth at the helme , may labour as wel● as he that is vpon the hatches . but let no man flatter himselfe . for d god is not ( neither wil be ) mocked . he e searcheth the heart , and recompenseth euery man according to his workes . thou dost but dance in a net , and delude thy selfe . his eyes are neuer shut , and f all things are naked before them . there is not a g thought hid from his knowledge . fig-leaues , friuolous & feigned excuses , subtill and sophisticall euasions cannot serue thy turne , they cannot couer thee . he will find thee out : and h it is a fearfull thing to fall into his hands . chap. . ministers must be cheerfull in discharging their office . fiftly , a labourer should be cheerefull and alacrious in his businesse , delighting to see his worke go forward . and this alacrity must be in all gods ministers . a god loueth a cheerefull giuer : euen so likewise he loueth a cheerefull workman . men must not giue their almes grudgingly or of necessity : so ministers shold not grudge the lord of their labours , but be free of them . christ dyed freely for his sheep , without the least constraint ; why then should not his ministers feede them freely without compulsion or grudging ? to feede them is farre lesse then to dye for them . dauid and his subiects offered b willingly to the building of a materiall temple for the lord ; why then should not we labour willingly , that he may haue a spirituall temple to dwell in ? yea by how much the spirituall is more excellent thē the material , euen so much more willingly we ought to labor that the building therof may go forward . euery man is willing to receiue wages , then let him be willing to worke . paul saith , that c hee hath a reward if he preach the gospell willingly . men are vsually very cheerefull about their owne affaires , as in seking worldly promotion , profites & pleasures ; and is it seemely for ministers to be liue-lesse and leaden-spirited about spirituall and celestiall labours , as in building gods temple , and in bringing men to promotion in heauen and to the perpetuall pleasures of that blis-full paradice ? shall the diuell labour alacriously to seduce and peruert men , and shall not they striue as stoutly and as cheerefully to conuert and saue men ? the wicked are very forward to commit the works of wickednesse ; and shall they be backward to sm●te down wickednesse , and to practise the workes of godlinesse ? shall wickednesse be d sweete to the wicked ? can they not sleepe , except they haue done euill ? doth their sleepe leaue them , except they cause some to fall by them ? are they so cheerefull in euill ? and shall not we be as cheerefull in the workes of our calling , that we may make some to rise from sinne , and surcease from wickednesse , and come out of the pit-fall , and snare of sathan ? why should not our labours be sweete and pleasing to vs , seeing they be commodious , commendable , and commanded ? a man will gladly saue his oxen from perishing , and his sheepe from rotting ; and shall not we labour as gladly to saue men from destruction , and to keepe the sheepe of christ iesus frō rotting in their sins ? wilt thou willingly helpe thy sheep out of the ditch , and saue her from drowning ; and wilt thou not as willingly labour to drawe forth one of christs sheepe out of the ditch of iniquity , that it be not drowned with the waters of wickednesse , and be stifled with the mudde of sinfulnesse ? a man is very nimble and ready to preserue his fields from spoyling , his house from burning , and his children from pining ; and shall not we be as nimble , as alacrious , and as ready to preserue gods field from being wasted , his house from being burnt , and his children from perishing and pining away sor want of food to comfort and vphold them ? willingly will euery faithfull shepheard feede and gouerne his flocke , which is committed to him . and so peter speaking to the shepheards of that arch-pastor christ iesus , exhorteth them to performe their duty with alacrity . f feed the flocke of god , which dependeth on you , caring for it not by constraint , but willingly : not for filthy lucre , but as of a ready minde . g i passe not at all , ( saith paul ) neither is my life deere vnto me , so that i may fulfill my course with ioy . chap. ii. ministers must be valorus , not timerous . sixtly , a labourer ought to be couragious and hardy . no discouragemēt , nothing at all must daunt him , nothing must fray him from his worke , and put him out of his right byas . and they , that are to contend and encounter with that roaring lyon , had neede to be lyon-like , valorous and vndauntable . the a builders of the ruined walles of ierusalem did their worke with one hand , and with the other held a sword . euen so those , whom god hath called to repaire ierusalem the praise of the world , should builde with the armour of the spirit about them , being full of christian zeale and fortitude , and wise to preuent the stratagems and assaults of all sanballates , arabians and ammonites . they were not cowards that built those walles : neither should they be cowards that work in this building . for here want no enemies : here is both fraud and force . b we wrestle not against flesh & bloud , but against principalities , against powers , against worldly gouernors , the princes of the darknesse of this world , against spiritual wickednesses which are in high places ; euen against sathan & all the yeomen of the black guard. and therefore we had neede to be full of spirit , and spirituall valour . ieremy was forbidden vnder the paine of death to c feare their faces , to whom he was to prophecy . and the lord speaking to ezekiel saith ; i haue made thy forehead as the d adamant , and harder then the flint . feare them not therfore , neither be afraid of their looks . by which we see that god would not haue his messengers out-faced , but that they should boldly deliuer their message to his people . he which winketh at false doctrine , and reprehendeth not the sins of the time and place wherein he liueth , and dares not for feare of contempt or disgrace admonish the persons that offend , is vnworthy and vnfit to be a minister : who ought to be zealous and couragious , dreading e no mans face , but should speake , exhort , and f conuince in all authority , and shew the people their g enormities without feare or partiality . yea hee , that wincketh at wickednesse , and hereticall doctrine , and doth not oppose himselfe vnto it , is guilty of it : and is in minde a fugitiue , though he moue not from his charge in person . quia tacuisti , fugisti : tacuisti , quia timuisti : thou hast fled ( saith austen ) because thou hast held thy tongue . veritatem negat , qui eam non libere praedicat : he denieth the truth ( saith chrysostome ) which doth not preach it boldly . although ( saith austen ) he liue well , and yet be either ashamed or afrayed to reproue them , that liue ill ( cum omnibus , qui eo tacente pereunt , perit . ) he perisheth with all those , which perish whiles he sees and sayes nothing . aug. grad . . abus . i am full of power by the spirit of the lord ( saith micah ) h and of iudgement and of strength , to declare vnto iacob his transgression , and to israel his sinne . eliiah told ahab to his i face , that it was he , and his fathers house , that troubled israel . michaiah likewise boldly told him , that he should not returne in peace from fighting against the syrians , though his speech vexed him . k nathan told dauid plainely of his vncleannes and murther , & that without feare . isaiah saith , that he had l set his face as a flint . and so it seemeth : for he payd them home , he feared no colours , but was as bold in taxing , as they were in offending , m he gaue his backe to the smiters , and his cheekes to the nippers , and hid nor his face from shame and spitting ; reprouing ( notwithstanding all disgraces ) both the princes and the people with great feruency and boldnesse of speech . this was the practise of iohn baptist : christ ▪ paul , and of all the holy prophets , and ought as occasion serueth , to be imitated n wisely of all the ministers of god. this serueth to condemne the coldnesse and fearfulnesse of those face-fearers , that dare not rebuke sinne , especially in the audience of the sinner : and which teacheth the truth through feare ( as it were ) in riddles , ambiguously and in the cloudes , running ( as i may say ) betweene the skin and the flesh . but such feare is not the feare of god , but the feare of man. and ( as bishop iewel speaketh ) accursed be that modesty , that drowneth or hideth the truth of god. and accursed ( i say ) be that feare , which makes a man silent , when he ought to speake : and dumme , when he should o lift vp his voyce , like a trumpet , and shew the people their sinnes . yet here we must all remember that our zeale be directed by knowledge , which should alway go before and make way , and that wisedome and pity go with our valour , that all our reproofes and admonitions be performed in loue and in the p spirit of meeknesse , with long suffering and patience , without rage and rankor . esay might cry , but not roare . we our selues are men , and may erre . and if we stand , when others fall , it is by gods grace , and not through our owne goodnesse . neither is it lawfull to rebuke sinne with sinne , and to make our selues sinners by disorderly taxing of sinners . chap. . ministers must perseuere in the faithfull execution of their function . seuenthly , a labourer must be constant , and not giue ouer , till his taske inioyned him be fully finished . so the minister of god shold continue constant in his labours for god. the loue of the world must not make him leaue his labours . he must not leaue without the leaue and liking of his lord , that called him . his owne conceipts must yeelde vnto his calling : and his fancies must not make him craze his faith . it is better to beate them , as abraham beat the a birds , that hindred him , then by bending to them , to breake lose from his calling , or to be beat from his businesse , as being vnworthy of it , or vnfit for it . and in a word no feare must fray him : no terror must amaze him : nothing must make him flie oft of the hookes . shall the obstinacy of the people ? although ( saith chrysostome ) i be not ignorant that i speake in vaine , yet will i not giue ouer : for so doing i shall be excused before god , although no body would heare me , in . chap. ioh. and it may be with continual shewring vpon them , their harts will at length relent and waxe soft . shall their rage , their choler ? the frantique ( saith augustine ) will not be bound , neither would such , as are troubled with a lethargie , be roused : but charity perseuereth to castigate the frantique , to stirre vp the lethargique , to loue thē both . both are offended , but both are loued . both of thē being molested , so long as their disease cōtinueth , doth take it ill that you shold so trouble thē : but both of them being cured they do reioyce . shall threats & disgraces ? shall the malice & enuy of the wicked ? was not christ disgraced , maligned , calumnized , & euill in●reated ? were not all his apostles hated & persecuted ? shall pouerty driue thee frō thy calling , or make thee to faint in thy calling ? was not christ poore to man , that he might make thee rich to god ? and were not his apostles poore ? gloriosa in sacerdotibus domini paupertas : pouerty ( saith ambros● ) is glorious in the priestes of god. a crosse it may be to them , but not a curse . paul was a man of much affliction , yet saith he , b seeing we haue this ministery , as we haue receiued mercy , we faint not . non fecisse , sed perfecisse virtutis est : to worke is not so commendable , as to continue constant in working , till the work be brought to perfection . ministers must be like the salt waters , which hauing once begun to flow , continue flowing , till they come to their full sloud . a candle being once lighted , burneth on so long as it lasteth , except it be put out with violence . euen so they ( as candles ) being once lighted , & set in the church , as in a candle-sticke , to giue light vnto the people , by holding out the lampe of light , that is , c the word of god , they shold burne bright continually ; aliis inseruientes , semet●psos consumentes , spending themselues , like lamps or torches , in seruing & shining vnto others . salomon left not building of a temple for the lord made of lifelesse stones , vntill it was built vp . so should they continue cōstant in building his tēple made of d liuing stones , till it be brought to perfection , if in this life it were possible . they should do their best indeauour , and languish not . e vt desint vires , tamen est laudanda voluntas . paul laboured constantly in his calling , till god cald him away by death . possidonius saith that augustine preached the word of god cōstantly ( vsque ad ipsam suam extremam aegritudinem ) vnto the extremity of his sicknes . fox saith of bradford that preaching , reading and prayer was his whole life . these are good patternes , and worthy imitation . peter saith that he ought in equity f to put them in mind of their duty , whiles he continueth in his earthy tabernacle . the minister and his ministery should cease together , and not one before another . paul commandeth g timothy to exercise himselfe in , and to ad●i●● himselfe vnto reading , exhortation and doctrine , and to continue in learning . if wee would duly consider that by preaching the couenant of grace is reuealed , that gods oracles are explained , and his dispersed sheepe brought home and nourished , that faith is thereby wrought and confirmed , and the children of god begotten and conserued , that his house is builded , his field is eared , his scepter erected , his throne established , his kingdome augmented and sathan eiected ; vndoubtedly it would moue vs to a continuall and constant execution of our office , without either fainting in it , or forsaking of it . the sun ( we see ) neuer ceaseth moueing all the while his course is vnfinished . the laborers in the parable wrought vnto the h euening , euen till their lord set and sent his steward to call them from their worke . so we , that are the lords labourers appointed by him to worke in his vineyard , and set in the church , as the sunne in the heauens , to giue light vnto his people , must labour constantly and moue continually till our course be finished , and our taske be ended ; we must not giue ouer till our houre-glasse be runne out , till our sunne be set , and the euening of our life be shut in , or vntill our lord and maister shall call vs from our worke , or send a messenger to fetch vs. salomon saith ; in the morning i i sowe thy seede , and in the euening let not thine hand rest . all men ought to be constant in their labou●s , and neuer be k weary of well doing ; much more therefore ministers , whose labours are most excellent & commodious , & who ought to be to al other men , as that cloudy l and fiery pillar was vnto the israelites , which led thē , and let them see their way to canaan god commaunded that there should be m light alway shining in the tabernacle . the church militant is gods spirituall n tabernacle . ministers are the light , that must shine vnto all the members of the church , yea to those , that yet sit in darknesse & in the shadow of death ; and that constantly , alwaies and without intermission . the lord required a sacrifice of lambes to be offered day by day o continually and it were not vnfitting , if ministers did daily in their prayers present and consecrate their people ( like those lambes ) vnto the lord. their duty consisteth not wholy in preaching to them , but also in praying for them , & for the prosperous estate of the whole church . p i haue set watchmen vpon thy walles , o ierusalem ( saith the lord ) which all the day and all the night continually shall not ce●se . ye tha● are mindfull of the lord keepe not silence , & giue him no rest , till he repaire and set vp ierusalem the praise of the world . q no man ( saith christ ) that putteth his hand to the plough , and looketh backe , is apt to the kingdome of god. he is in truth neither a fit man for the kingdome of grace , nor a fit minister for the gospell of the kingdome . the lord hath put the sword of his spirit into our hands . he will haue vs to hold it constantly , and to shake and brandish it continually neuer ceasing to kill the sins of the people with it , and causing them continually to die an euerlasting death to sin in this world , that they may liue an euelasting life from sin in the world to come ; and that being couered with the canopy of gods grace in this life , they may be clothed with the robes of his glory in the life to come . finally , the lord hath put his booke into our handes . wee must vpon all iust occasions open and expound it . we must constantly hold it vp , and out vnto his people . we must not lay it aside , nor cast it into corners . our hands in holding it must neuer faint , least the enemies of god and his church should preuaile and conquer . and so much for the properties of a good workeman . chap. . ministers ought to be peaceable and louing to each other : but yet the refractarie must be bridled . doct. labourers together . ) seeing that wee worke together with and for the lord : seeing all faithful ministers are the lords labourers , appointed by god to husband his field , and to repaire and build vp his house , we should all agree and loue one another entirely , that our worke may go the faster forward , and that so we may receiue greater comfort and ioy . the psalmist describing the wicked , saith , that a they smite downe gods people , and trouble his heritage . b their throat ( saith dauid ) is an open sepulchre , and their mouth is full of cursing . c destruction ( saith esay ) is in their pathes , and they know not the way of peace . but these things do nothing beseeme the ministers of god , who are , or ought to be ( praecones pietatis ) the preachers of peace and piety , and not d fighters and strikers , but meeke , gentle , and studious of concord and amity . the word , and not the sword is committed by the lord vnto them ▪ the word of grace , the word of reconcilement , the sword of the spirit , and not the sword of reuenge . if his workmen fall to wrangling , how shal his worke go forward ? god hath hired vs to worke , and not to wrangle , praedicare , non praeliari . if any man lust to be e contentious , we haue no such custome ( saith paul ) neither the churches of god. it is mery with wolues and foxes when the shepheards are together by the eates one with another . lamentable are those flockes , miserable are those sheepe . we should rather bend then band , and bowe rather then breake , ferentes non ferientes , bearing one with another , and not biting or beating one another , lest we be deuoured one of another . if the builders and plowmen quarrell one with another , their worke must needs be hindred . if a kingdome ( saith christ ) f be deuided against it selfe , that kingdome cannot stand : or if an house be deuided against it selfe , that house cannot continue . euen so gods kingdome vpon earth cannot but be much weakened , and the rearing of his house much hindred , if ministers ( which either are , or ought to be his chiefest instruments to build his house , and to propagate and vphold his kingdome ( be deuided one against another in factions and hostile manner . diuide , et regna : deuide and reigne is no rule for vs to practise amongst our selues . it was not the true , but the counterfeit mother of the child , that said , g let it be neither thine , nor mine , but diuide it . if the builders of old ierusalem in the daies of h nehemiah had contended one against another , it had bene easiy for their enimies to haue destroyed both them and their building . so if the builders of new ierusalem , of spirituall and mysticall ierulem , do fight and biker one with another , they do without doubt expose themselues and their building to the danger of the enimie , that taketh all oportunity to worke a mischiefe . diuide a ship , and how shall it saile ? diuide the church , and how shall she hold out vpon the waters , and not be drowned ? there is little got , but much lost by contention . nimium altercando veritas amittitur : ouer-hot contention loseth the truth ; and ouer-great dissention amongst the sheepheards scattereth and disquieteth the sheepe . the dissention of the i captaines was the destruction of ierusalem . but ( pace florent omnia ) true peace ( like aprill shewers ) makes all thinges flourish . vires vnitae sunt fortiores . a three-fold cord is hardly crackt asunder . a sheafe of arrowes is hardly broken . thorefore as labourers of one lord , as builders of one house , as plowers of one fielde , as shepheards of one fold , as keepers of one garden , as dressers of one vineyard , as workemen in one haruest , as watchmen of one city , as souldiers of one captaine , as seruants of one maister , and as sonnes of one father , let vs all agree one with another , being coupled fast together by one spirit , like linkes of one chaine , and as if there were but one temperature of all our bodies , and but one soule within them all . and accordingly let vs ( vnitis viribus , ac toto conatu ) ioyntly labour with might & maine , that gods worke may goe forward , that the powers of darknesse may be shaken , that the gates of hell may be flung from their hinges , and that ( sin and sathan beeing dismounted from their thrones ) the scepter of christ iesus may be set vp in the hearts of his people ? if we must loue k all men , and if we must be gentle towards all men , is it seemely for vs to hate one another ? shall we be spitefull and crabbed one vnto another ? god is l loue , and the well-spring of true peace : and the diuell is the father of hatred and enmity ; therefore it behoueth all the ministers of god to be peaceable and louing , that so they may be like the lord , & vnlike the diuell . if we should labor to m haue peace with all men , how earnestly should we striue to haue it amongst our selues : n nec minor est virtus , quam quaerere , parta tueri . are all men bound to o be of the like affection one towards another , and is it fit for vs , that are , or ought to be lights and guides vnto others , to be of a contrary affection one to another : ought not the p strong to beare the infirmities of the weake , and not to please themselues : wisedome and lenitie will say so . and ought not the weake labour to see their infirmity , and to waxe weary of their weaknesse , that so there may be a simpathy , and no antipathy , peace and not passions , concord and not hostility ? it is one thing to be weake , and another thing to affect weaknesse . it is one thing to shew weaknesse , and another thing to shroud and shield it . it is good to confesse it , but bad to professe it . there is a strong weakenesse , and there is a weaknesse , that is weake indeed . all weaknesse is vncomme●dable , but affected and sturdy weaknesse is vntollerable . this is the peace-breaker , and he must be bridled . easie salues are for easie soares : b●t gangrenes must be pared off , and fisiulaes must be bitten . the leper mus● keepe his house . and he , that hath the plague about him , must not come abroad . melius est vt pereat vnus , quam vnitas . it is better to want one , then lose all . it is better to cut off a finger , then to lose the hand . and an honorable warre is better then a seruile peace . we must defend our heads , and maintaine our free-holds . q naboth would not part from his vineyard . he is another esau that will part with his birth-right for a messe of pottage . as we must be r innocent as doues , so we must be wise as serpents , and stout as lyons , and beware that too much patience make not the enemy proud and raging . but to returne from whence we haue digressed , shall paul pray for the romanes , for other men , that god would ſ make them to be like-minded one towards another , and shal not we pray for our selues , and labour by all good meanes , that we may our selues bee so affected one with another ? members of one body are at peace with themselues . the church of god is a t body , euen the mysticall body of his sonne christ iesus . now faithfull ministers are members of this body ; therefore they ought like fellow-members to embrace and agree with one another , u endeuouring to keepe the vnity of the spirit , in the bond of peace , not prouoking and enuying one another , but being subiect to one another in the feare of christ . it were a prodigious sight to see the pillars of a temple remoue , and rush one against another . the church is gods spirituall temple : and godly ministers are as pillars to beare it vp . therefore they should stand peaceably one by another , and not iustle one with another . the ministers and instruments of sathan can conspire together against god. wherefore then should not the ministers of god concord & agree together for god ? w herod & pilate , the iewes & the romanes , could ioyne against christ : why should not we then consent and labour together for christ , that the gospell might flourish in the christian world , and that christian religion might spreade throughout the whole world ? as x paul wished the romanes one heart , that they might with one minde and one mouth praise god : euen so should we that are ministers , tune all the strings of our sinfull soules , and labour for the sweet concent and harmony of all the affections of our hearts , that with one mind & mouth wee may celebrate and preach the lord , and proclaime the glad tidings of saluation to the sonnes of men by iesus christ . neither is it enough if some of vs be thus affected : but wee must all ( all without exception ) put on this minde . in an instrument wee see that one or two strings out of tune marre all the musicke : and that in a quire of voyces one or two being out of order , doe spoyle the melody : one iangling bell marres the whole ring . euen so a few factious , turbulent and combustiue spirites , that ( like salamanders or fire-flies ) delight in the firy flames of contention , and are in trauell with their home-bred conceits , till they haue thrust them out ( which are somthing like thornes in a dogges foot , which neuer leaues licking till hee haue got thē out ) i say , a few such disorderly & vnquiet spirits , are able & apt ( if they be not turned or taken quite away ) to marre the musicke of the church , and to kindle a fire in it . for by nature we are too like to gun-powder or tinder ; a few sparkes are able , and would set vs all on fire , if neither gods grace , nor seuere lawes and strength of authority did preuent & hinder vs. and that i may conclude this point , if tenne men did carry a great and weighty burthen , & if some of them should kicke or buffet one another , their pace would be slakened , their businesse hindred , & their burthen endangered to fall vnto the ground . the church of god is a weighty burthen , and ministers are appointed by god , to beare it vpon their backes . now if they beate and spurne at one another : or if some of them shall contemne kicke or busset one another , though others behaue themselues discreetly and orderly : their businesse must needes be hindered , the chu●ch is like rot onely to shake and totter , but in danger also to fall and breake . y one scabbed sheepe may infect a flocke , a little fire may make a great flame , a little leauen doth leauen a whole lump of dough , and one fox may marre a fold . either therefore let all agree , let all that beare the burthē , con●aine themselues in order , or let them that trouble the rest , bee thrust out by order . better it were that nine did beare it alone in peace , th●n with a ten●h , ( though his shoulders were as good as miloes , as strong as sam●ons ) that were quarrelous , tr●ublesom● and vnquiet . as we therefore desire the peace of sion , and the we●fare and prosperity of ierusalem : as we would that the workes of the diuell should be dissolued , his power weakned , and his kingdome lessened : as we loue to see gods corne to thriue , his vines to flourish , and his building to go forward ; let vs z haue peace amongst our selues , and let vs tye our hea●ts fast together with the linkes of loue . it is an a amiable thing for brethren to dwell together in vnity . it is a louely sight to see ministers ( br●th●en by adoption , and brethren by offi●e : brethren in regard of gods grace and place ) to liue together in loue , as it were in a wedlock of loue . then should they be known to be b christs disciples , then should god be glorified , his people more aboundantly edified , his kingdome enlarged , his enemies scattered , and their owne ioyes increased . we conclude therefore , c nulla salus bello , pacem te poscimus omnes . chap. . god is the architect , ministers are inferiour agents . of god ) for as much as ministers are the lords synergi , his coworkers , his helpers , or helping instrumēts , elected by him , not for any necessity ( as if he were not able of himselfe to saue mē without their assistance ) but of his free pleasure , for the manifestation of his wisedome , power , grace and authority , and for the triall of our obedience , faith & humility , from hence we learne these lessons . doct. first ; that god alone is the principall husbander of his field , and the onely architect of his building . my a father ( saith c●rist ) is the husbandman . and he that buildeth b all things is god. paul planteth , and apollos watereth , but god c giueth the increase . it is the lord that calleth men to his worke , and directeth thē in his work , and giueth good successe vnto their worke . d except the lord build the house , they labour but in vaine that build it . e i laboured ( saith paul ) more then they all : yet not i , but the grace of god , which is with me . hence it is that f peter commends the founding and establishing of the faithfull vnto god. and looke what god founds , sathan shall neuer confound . the word preached sincerely is not like a physicke medicine , which hath vertue in it by nature to cure a disease : but is as a conduit-pipe , by which god the fountaine of grace conueieth his grace into the cisterne of our hearts , when as he pleaseth . neither are ministers to be reputed as principall agents , or authors of mans saluation , but as the liuely instruments of god , to whom he hath committed the g word of reconciliation , & the sword of his spirit , to cut downe the sinnes of his children , and to slaughter their carnall lusts and corrupt affections through the mighty working of his spirit , accompanying their ministery . and though paul take vnto him the name of an h architect or master work man : yet he doth not meane that he is so indeed simply & without comparison . but he was an architect in regard of inferiour ministers : or because he layed the first stone amongst the corinths , and planted christian religion amongst them , as there hee sheweth . chap. . godly ministers may assure themselues of gods protection . doct. secondly , seeing ministers worke for god ( as factors vnder a merchant ) they may well expect his diuine protection in the faithfull performance of their office . a lord will maintaine the lawfull quarrel of his labourers ; specially if it arise of the diligent and honest executiō of their duty , by him enioyned . a puissant and magnanimious prince will defend his embassadour so long as he carrieth his message discreetly . and shall we thinke that the lord of lords , & prince of all princes will not defend & protect his faithful seruants & embassadours ? yea he will both protect their persons ( as the eye of his wisdome shal see fit ) & prosper their message in the thing , that a pleaseth him , either to the mollifying of mens minds , as the fire doth wax , or to the hardening of their hearts , as the sun doth clay ; so as that they are vnto him the sweet sauour of christ , b in them that are saued , & in them that perish : vnto these the sauour of death vnto death , and vnto the other the sauour of life vnto life . and this protection & blessing of god his faithful ministers in all ages haue euer receiued according to his benigne admeasurement , who aymeth alwaies at his own glory which is the vtmost marke of all his thoghts . esay being assured of diuine protection saith ; c the lord will helpe me ; therefore shall i not be confounded : therefore haue i set my face as a flint , & i know that i shal not be ashamed . and the lord encouraging ieremy to speake his word boldly , saith , d i am with thee to deliuer thee . this day haue i made thee a defenced city , and an iron pillar , and walles of brasse against the whole land. they shall fight against thee , but they shall not preuaile against thee . behold ( saith the lord to e ezekiel ) i haue made thy face strong against their faces , & thy forehead hard against their foreheads . the lord hath promised that he will not leaue vs , f nor forsake vs : so that we may boldly say ; the lord is mine h●lper , neither will i feare what man can do vnto me . if wee did seriously consider the vndaunted courage of paul and luther , their great dangers and deliuerances , and the admirable good successe of their labours , we may see sufficiently , how the lord graced and guarded their persons , and watered their labours with a floud of blessings . now the lord is the h same , that euer he was ; as potent , and as gratious . for i with him there is no change . his counsel shall stand : and whatsoeuer he hath determined , it shall be done : his purpose cannot but be performed . therefore we must not be fainted-hearted , but confident in his mercy . he will couer vs with the wings of his grace , and cary vs vpō the back of his power ouer all our enimies . he is our buckler , and shield of defence ; why should we feare ? what need we dread ? if god be on our side , who can , or who dare be against vs ? k o lord of hostes , blessed is the man that trusteth in thee . chap. faithful ministers shall be well rewarded doct. thirdly , we must not onely looke for his assistance and protection : but we may also assure our selues of a reward from him , if we discharge our office with care and conscience as in his sight . a good king will reward and honour a good embassadour : and a kind maister will not be vnkind vnto his fairhfull seruant . euen so vndoubtedly , the lord ( that hath both heauen and earth at command ) will honour , countenance and kindly reward all his seruants , all his embassadours , that execute their office , and carry their message wisely , sincerely , and in loue vnto his maiesty . their reward is with god , they shall want no recompence . a euery one of them sha ; ll receiue his wages according to his labour . they that turne many vnto righteousnesse shall shine as the stars for euer and euer . b i haue fought a good fight ( saith paul ) i haue finished my course , c from henceforth is laid vp ( in store for me ) the crowne of righteousnesse : not a crowne of gold , but of glory , of immortall glo●y , and of glorious immortality , purchased by the righteousnesse of iesus christ , and promised by the righteous god in mercy , but performed in iustice , hauing past his word to giue it . peter saith that good ministers shall receiue ( 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 ) an incorruptible crowne of glory : h a garland that shall neuer wither , a crowne that shall neuer be corrupted . he that e receiueth a prophet in the name of a prophet , shall receiue a prophets reward . by which it is euident that faithfull prophets shall not goe vnrewarded . and if they that entertaine a prophet , because he is a prophet , shall not misse a reward , then there is little reason to thinke that the prophet himselfe ( behauing himselfe as a prophet of god ought to do ) shal not be rewarded . the labourers in the parable receiued their f wages of the lord of the vineyard , wherein they wrought , so soone as the euening came , and were called from their worke by the steward . in like manner so soone as the lord doth send his messenger ●eath to fetch vs out of his vineyard , and to cal vs away from our worke , he will faithfully pay vs our wages ; i say not , which we haue deserued ( for merita nostra , misericordia domini ) but which he of his meere benignity hath from all eternity decreed to bestow vpon vs. the consideration hereof teacheth vs to be diligent , and chearefull in our calling . our labour is not lost : a reward will come : we shall haue wages for our worke : we shall haue pleasures for our paines . all our water shall be turned into wine : and our sorrowes into solace . our lord is louing , and wil not forget the labours of our loue , and the toyle which we take for him . we haue his fauour , and wee shall see his face : we do now enioy his grace , and wee shall one day be pertakers of his glory . chap. . ministers are greatly obliged vnto god : and therfore they should be thankefull vnto him . doct. fourthly , seeing god hath made vs his ministers ( of the a new testament ) & hath giuē vnto vs the b ministery of reconciliation : seeing ( i say ) that god hath made vs instruments for him to labour for him in his house and vineyard : seeing we are become his labourers , his seruants that is the lord of all creatures , both men and angels ; we are euery one taught , ingenuously to confesse our selues to be greatly indebted to him . it is no small fauour that an earthly king sheweth , when out of his whole kingdome he chuseth some few to be his principall officers : or shal take one out of many , & make him his embassadour . and shall we thinke it a smal honor , whē god that heauenly monarch and king of all kings , shall elect vs ( c wormes in respect of himselfe ) and make vs his chiefe officers in his church , and his embassadours to carry the ioyfull message of redemption by iesus christ vnto his people ? is it not exceeding great fauour , when he that d inhabiteth the eternity , swayeth the scepter of the whole world , shall make e one of a thousand his messenger and interpreter , to declare vnto man his righteousnesse , and to the sonnes of men their happinesse , to call them out of the kingdome of darknesse , & to leade them the way into heauenly canaan , a land that floweth with milk and hony , with ioyes vnspeakeable ▪ with pleasures innumerable , yea with all the good things , and with greater then any man doth comprehend . ●his his kindnesse vnto vs , vndeseruing it , deserues the gratitude o● our hearts demonstrated to him both in word and worke . f what sh●● i render vnto the lord ( saith dauid ) for all his benefits towards me ? i will offer a sacrifice of praise , and will call vpon the name of the lord. i g will blesse thee dayly , and praise thy name for euer and euer . h teach me to do thy will : for thou art my god : let thy good spirit leade me into the land of righteousnesse . so should we meditate : so should wee purpose : and so we ought to pray . god hath honoured vs : let not vs dishonour him , but in all things let vs seeke his honour , and set forth his praise ; neither committing , nor admitting anything which we know to be derogatory to his glory , and disgracefull to our glorious calling . i those that honour me ( saith the lord ) i will honour , and they that despise me , shall be despised . if we will not feare to dishonor god , we may iustly feare that he will honour himselfe by vs , although it be to our great dishonour . for as moses said to aaron , vpon the death of his two sonnes for offending god ; k this is it , that the lord spake , saying : i will be sanctified in them that come neare me , and before all the people i will be glorified . and who come so neare to god as ministers , who are his watchmen , his stewards , his nurses , his obstetrices , the wayting-men , and dressers of his dearest spouse ; vnto whom he hath committed the keyes of his treasure , the dispēsation of his secrets , the promulgation of his promise , the interpretation of his oracles , & the administration of his sacraments ? they therefore of all other should be most carefull to honour him , and most fearefull to dishonour and offend him . chap. . ministers should be like the lord their maister . doct. fiftly , seeing wee are the lords labourers , working together with him , and vnder him in his field & palace of delight , he himselfe being our maister and director , and the onely absolute architect of that sumptuous building : we are all put in minde to striue to resemble him . for amongst workmen the meanest ( if honestly wise ) will endeauour to be like the chiefest , not in skill onely , but in sober and good conditions , if they see any in him : that so they may win his loue , and procure the countenance and approbation of all men , with whom they do conuerse . and indeed it is no credit for a good maister to entertaine or haue bad men , vnlike him in his vertues , though they be ●●ke him in skill . the child labours to be like his father : the hand-mayd striues to be like her mistresse : the seruant will follow his maister as soone as any man : and the scholler studies to imitate his teacher : yea and the instruments of the diuell are very like him : wherefore then should not all gods ministers labour to be like him ? he is their father , their lord , their teacher , and their maister . it is no shame to resemble him : it is no disgrace at all ( but glory rather ) to be sayed to be like him . he is ouer all and vnder none ; his perfection is absolute : his skill is admirable , and the depth of his wisedome cannot be sounded . all christians are bound to a follow god : therefore much more all christian ministers , who in all things ought to shew themselues b examples of good workes , with vncorrupt doctrine , with grauity , integrity , and with the wholesome word , which cannot be condemned , that he which withstandeth may be ashamed , hauing nothing concerning them to speake euill of . do we not see how the world is followed of the mē of this world ? do we not see many men imitate great persons in their vanities ? do we not see how one country followes another in foolish and new-fangled fashions ? why then should not we that come neare to god by ●ur office , striue to draw neare vnto him by goodnesse and ve●tuous moralities ? why should we flye farre from him this way , that come so neare to him that way ? the ministers of sathan are farre differing from the lord our maister : therefore if wee will not be like them , we must striue to be like him . and vndoubtedly , if ministers wold carefully labor to resemble their maister in patience , pitty , charity , truth , righteousnesse , holinesse , gentlenesse , goodnesse , and in such like properties , they should not onely please him , and feele comfort in their consciences , but also win greater estimation to their calling , and lessen their contempt in the world . chap. . the chiefest care of a minister ought to be , to study how to please the lord. doct. sixtly , seeing that we are gods workemen , we must beware that wee p●each not our selues , nor the fantastike adinuentions of men , but in a all things we must approue our selues vnto god : and our onely care must be to please his maiesty ( who hath entertained vs into his speciall seruice ) contending by all possible meanes within the lists and limits of our calling , that his affaires committed to our faith , may aboue all earthly and outward things whatsoeuer , proceed and prosper . pastoris est pascere , non piscari : a sheepheard should not be fishing , when he ought to be feeding his sheepe . hired laborers must not hinder their maisters businesse to further their owne . he that vndertakes to helpe a man , must not absent himselfe when hee should be present : and when he is present , he ought to mind that chiefly , for which his presence is required . b no man ( saith paul ) that warreth , entangleth him●elfe with the aff●ires of this life , because he would please him that hath chosen him to be a souldier . an honest and discreet souldier will not cumber himselfe with those things which may make him vnseruiceable to his capt●ine , & vnfit for military labours . ministers are souldiers : god is their grand captaine : his coates they weare , and vnder his banner they fight against the blacke prince c that ruleth in the ayre , and against all his troupe . the weapons of their warfare are not carnall , but d mighty through god to deturbe the fortress●s of the diuell , and to ruinate the castles of iniquity , and the turrets of all sublimious and transcendent imaginations . therefore they ought to liue like souldiers , minding their warfare ( for their enemy is very puissant and politike , full of stratagems and wiles ) and aboue all things labouring to please their generall , that great commander of the world , intāgling themselues with nothing , which may let their faithfull seruice to him . the apostles thought it not meet to leaue the word of god e to serue the tables . maister tindall saith , that to preach gods word is too much for halfe a man : it requireth a whole man. age quod tui muneris est : do that ( saith valentinian to ambrose ) which belongs to thy office . verbi es minister , hoc age : thou art a minister , minde that : let thy principall care be fixed vpon thine owne calling . if many yrons be in the fire at once , some are in danger to be burnt . a calling that is so high , cannot endure that he which is called to it , should ( like an earth-worme ) carry his nose vnto the ground , and addict himselfe to the things that are so lowe . for f amor rerum terrenarum viscus est spiritualium pennarum : the too much minding and the loue of worldly things , are as bird-lime to the wings of the soule , that a man cannot mount vp to heauen , and execute the workes of this heauenly office , as he ought to do . let vs heare , what musculus saith . vis cognoscere verum christi ministrum : wilt thou ( saith he ) know a true minister of christ ? then see if he be so vtterly seuered from all other businesse , that he doth meditate , work , or liue in none other thing whatsoeuer , but in preaching and making manifest & plaine the gospel of christ , and serue therein by all strength and power whatsoeuer , that is in him . but yet no man must from hence conclude , that all ca●e and gouerment of secular affaires is vtterly forbidden vnto ministers . indeed they may not vsurpe authority : neither may they be carefull , and yet they must not be carelesse . they must care , but they may not carke . onely it is required that their secular affaires hinder not their constant care of the church , & the faithfull & alacrious performance of their office . for g if their be any that prouideth not for his owne , and especially for them that are of his owne family , he denieth the faith , and is worse then an infidell . the h disciples vsed their nets sometimes , after that christ had entertained thē to be his followers . and did not christ himselfe somtimes handle the i axe ? paul forgot not his k cloake , which he left at troas : and as necessity vrged , sometimes l wrought with his owne hands . it is required in a bishop , that he do not onely care for the church of god , but also that he be able m to rule his owne house honestly . ministers are men : they haue not only soules , but bodies . samuel was a faithfull prophet , and yet was able besides his prophecying to do somethings else without impeachment of his credit , or disgrace vnto his calling . yet let vs alwaies remember that the edification of the church by our ministery ( whether gubernatiue or operatiue ) is the principall worke , which we ought all to follow , the hiest mark , at which we ought to leuell . chap. sundry reasons are alledged against the peoples factious and irregular conceipts and fancying of their ministers , in diuerse places . doct. seuenthly , considering that all faithful ministers do labour for the lord , it is a thing both vnequal and vnconuenient that the people should contemne or neglect any of them through their preposterous & vngrounded conceipts , and so addict themselues to some , as that they nothing or little respect others , though their doctrine be found and their conuersation blamelesse . this was one of the faults , for which the corinthians were reprehended secondly , this sin is a make-bate : it causeth contention , and stirreth vp strife among brethren . the fire is great inough without this brand , these bellowes . it were better to cast on water , then to poure in oyle . thirdly , this sin is an enemy to christ , and his gospell , and argueth selfe-loue , & weaknesse of iudgment . fourthly , it giues the diuell aduantage , who is very vigilant and industrious to worke a mischiefe , and is glad of the smallest opportunity : euer ready to take an ell , when ●n inch is but giuen him . fiftly , it scandalizeth many weake ones , and increaseth the number of mocke-gods . sixtly , it is a meanes to make those to faint , which are contemned , vnlesse their courage be the greater : and an ocasion to puffe vp the other , if their humility and wisedome be no better then their factious and vnorderly followers . and lastly our sin will be the rather increased , if we wil be tainted with it , seeing we know that it was taxed as a weakenesse in the corinthians . let vs therefore be wise , and wisely beware of all preposterous and vnequal opinions of the ministers of god. they do all of them work vnder him in his haruest , there is no reason therfore that any of them should be despised . amongst many builders , sowers and reapers , none that are discreet and diligent , are contemned or basely reckoned of , though there be greater dexterity , skill , and hability in some thē in others . candles that giue good light are not cast away , though they be not so great , and cast not so much light , as some others do . a lamp is seruiceable , though it blaze not so much as a torch : neither is there any mettall contemned , though all mettall be not gold . chap. . the people should loue , honour , and pray for their ministers . doct. finally , forsomuch as good ministers are gods labourers , and adiutors ( for so the a greek word signifieth , as the learned know ) all men are taught to loue them , to pray for them , and to honour them . we beseech you ( brethren ) b to know them , which labour among you , & haue the ouer sight of you in the lord , and admonish you , that ye haue them in high reputation , in loue for their worke . the apostle hauing commended his brother epaphroditus to the philippians , he commanded them by his apostolical authority , to c receiue him in the lord with all gladnesse , and to make much of ( 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 ) or honour and highly to prize such as he was . the minister of the church ( saith chrysostome ) ought to be honoured of thee , because he praieth for thee , because he ministreth spiritually vnto thee , visiteth thee , exhorteth and admonisheth thee , and commeth to thee , if thou call him , at midnight . d honour thy father , saith the commandement . ministers are our spiritual fathers . they do e beget vs to god in christ by the preaching of the gospell . they are our priests . for by the word of god , as by a sacrifising knife , they kill our sins , and offer vs vp to god ( vpon that their high altar iesus ) as a sacrifice of sweet sauour , and acceptable to him . they are gods mouth to vs : and our mouth to god. they pray for vs ; wherefore then should not we pray for them ? paul requesteth the romans to striue wi●h him f by praier to god for him , that he might be deliuered from the vnbeleeuing iewes , and that his seruice might be accepted of the saints . and he willeth the g ephesians to be instant in their praiers , that he may open his mouth freely to vtter the secrets ●f the gospell . they are our pastours apointed by god to feed vs with the word of truth , our heauenly manna , & to refresh our thirsty soules with the sweet and cleare waters of the gospell of life . they are our h watchmen and i ouerseers , ordained to watch ouer vs , to view vs , and to care for vs. they are the lords trumpeters , sounding in our eares continually the two trumpets of his law and gospell ▪ and a warlike defiance vnto all our spiritual enemies . they are his champions : they fight his battels for vs against sathan and sinne , two mighty princes , and too potent for vs. they are his k angels and embassadors to declare his will vnto vs. worthy therfore are they in these regards to be respected and highly honored of vs. if the embassador of an earthly prince , be worthy honour ; how much more honorable then are they , that are the faithfull embassadors of iesus christ , that heauenly prince l and king of all kings of the earth ? the elders that rule well ( saith paul ) m let them be had in double honour : especially they which labour in the word and doctrine . the galathians did so entirely honour and affect paul , as that they receiued him as an n angell of god , yea as christ himselfe , and would haue plucked out their eyes , if it might haue bene , and haue giuen them vnto him . eusebius writeth , that constantine iudged the ministers which he called to him ( semper honore praecipuo dignos : ) worthy alwaies of singular honor , and that hee did reuerence them ( omni officio ) with all dutifulnesse , and omitted no point of kindnesse or courtesie ( nihil benignitatis aut humanitatis ) towards those that were deuout & godly . syracides would haue vs to o honour the physitian of the body : much more therefore should we honour the physitians and chirourgians of our soules . and we shall leese nothing by our loue . for ( as our sauiour saith ) he which p receiueth a prophet in the name of a prophet , shall receiue the reward of a prophet , now looke what christ ( who is q truth it selfe ) doth affirme in word , he will also ( being r might it selfe ) confirme in deed . heauen and earth shall rather faile , then his word shall fall , and not be fulfilled . now this honour , which is due to gods ministers ( of what place or stile soeuer ) may be performed six sundry waies . first , by reuerencing their persons : secondly , by obeying their ministery : thirdly , by imitating their vertues : fourthly , by concealing their infirmites : fiftly , by countenancing and backing them : and sixtly by maintaining their estates . and of all these we will briefly speake , and in order , as they lye . chap. . ministers must be reuerenced of the people . first then , it is fit that ministers should haue all seemly reuerence due by desert to so sublimious and reuerend a calling . and it must begin in the hart , and be testified in the life by reuerent behauiour , by comely gestures , and by temperate & good language both of them & to them . men must a speake euill of no man , but must be moderate , and shew all meekenesse towards all men ; therfore they should in no case speak ill of gods ministers , but vse them kindly , & with al courtesie . courtesie shewed to a minister , as he is a minister , is shewed euē to christ himselfe , whose minister he is ; & it is so reputed . ieremy accompteth it one of their plagues , that their b enemies reuerenced not the face of their priests . the lord esteemeth a disgrace done vnto his faithfull ministers , as done vnto himselfe . princes , we see , take to thēselues those words , or workes of dishonor , which are spoken or done despightfully to their agents & embassadours , for deliuering their message truly , as it was giuen them in charge . when dauids messengers which he sent in courtesie to hanun king of ammon , were dishonorably intreated , and misused of him and his people ; the story saith , that c they stanke in the sight of dauid for abusing them so vilely . euen so do they stinke ( as loathsome carrions ) in the nosthrils of the lord , ( be they what they will be ) that disgrace and abuse his ministers whom he kindly sendeth to them to preach his will , and to proclaime his son to be their king . god tooke the reprochfull and rayling language of senacherib against d ierusalem and hezekiah , as spoken against himselfe . they which misuse a seruant of a noble man , as he is his seruant , dishonour the noble man himselfe . christ maketh the e killing and contemning of gods prophets , the highest staire of rebellion . and vndoubtedly god will be reuenged on those that disgrace and abuse his ministers ( vnlesse they do repent maturely ) as dauid was of the ammonites for disgracing his messengers . we know how by two f beares he did destroy two and forty children ▪ for mis-calling the prophet elishah : and he is as iust and terrible now , and as ready to punish sin as euer he was . for with him there is no g variablene●s ; he wil wound the head of his enemies , h & will wash his feet in the bloud of the wicked . chap. . the people must obey the ministery of their ministers . secondly , the people honor their ministers when they submit thēselues vnto their ministery . reuerence without obedience , is a ceremony without substance , a body without a soule ; a stick without strength ; and not vnlike the commō complements of this age . a obey them ( saith the holy ghost ) that haue the ouersight of you , and submit your selues . paul looked that the b corinthians should be obediēt to him in all things . and in truth men cannot better commend their ministers , then when by being obedient vnto their ministery , they liue religously , and are fruitfull in good works . whē a child doth thriue well , and is strong and lusty , the praise redounds to the nurse : and it is a reall commendation of a sheepheard , when his sheep are fat and sound . euen so shall wee greatly commend & honour our ministers , if we shall submit our selues vnto their voyce , and shall by that means grow in grace , abound in knowledge & true zeale , & shine by our vertuous liues among men . but this our obedience and submission must be in the lord ; to wit , so long as they keepe themselues to the law and to the testimony , to the word of god : which is the touch-stone of truth , the rule of teligion , the squire of faith , the line of loue , the met-wand of obedience , & as a salomons sword to decide a controuersie . for to gods word alone were the c prophets and apostles tyed by their commission . what i shall command thee , that shalt thou speake . ye shall teach whatsoeuer i haue commanded you . he which then heareth them , heareth god and he which dispiseth & disobeyeth them , despiseth and disobeyeth god that sent thē , & d resisteth his spirit speaking by them . the lord reckoneth this among the e sins of the israelites , that they sate before his prophet , & heard his words , but would not do them . f zachary saith , that because they would not heare the voyce of god in his prophets , therefore he would not heare them , when they cried to him . and because the israelits mocked gods g messēgers & despised his words deliuered by thē , & misused them , he brought vpon thē the caldean king , by whom he scourged their cōtempt and rebellion with fowre fearefull iudgements . first , hee permitted him to kill both old and yong without pitty . secondly , he let him rob them of their goods , and cary away their treasure . thirdly , he suffered him to burne their temple , and to breake downe the walles of ierusalem , and to fire her palaces . fourthly , he was content that he should make slaues of them in his owne country , that had escaped his sword . as we therefore h dread the iudgements of god , and would not haue him count vs misusers of his ministers , and despisers of his message , let vs reuerence their persons and regard their ministery . yea but will some say ; i would willingly heare my minister , but that he is prophan● and vitious , and so pulleth that downe with the left hand of his bad life , which he set's vp with the right hand of his good doctrine . the more lamentable is his ease , and the greater is his sinne , if this be true thou speakest ; like the cow that spils the milk , that before shee gaue : and like a mule , that carrieth costly things for others , and none for her selfe . but what is this to thee ? i euery man shall beare his owne burthen : and that k soule shall dy , that sinneth . shall l elijah refuse his meate because a rauen brought it ? shall sampson m refuse his drinke , because it came out of the iaw-bone of an asse ? and wilt thou refuse the nectar and ambrosia o● thy soule , thy spirituall food , thy celestiall manna , because it is brought vnto thee by iudas , or by one that is of wicked conuersation ? he surely is not very hungry that re●useth his meat , because an vncleanly seruitor brings it to him . that thy minister teacheth well , it is of god : that he liueth ill , it is of the ●iuell , & of his owne corruption ; therfore embrace his doctrine , but eschew his deeds : follow his preaching , but auoide his practise , and pray for his amendment . insult not ouer him : be not high minded but feare : god may conuert him , and he may stand , when thou thy selfe shalt fall . for thy nature is as ill , as his : it is grace alone , that makes the difference , this was our sauiours counsell to his disciples . n the scribes and pharises sit ( saith he ) in moses chaire : all therfore , whatsoeuer they bid you obserue ( out of moses ) that obserue and do , but after their works do not ; for they say , and do not . so long as they teach the truth , they must be heard . thy ministers wickednesse must not make thee wilfull : his folly may not make thee froward . balaam must heare his asse speake , because god ruled her tongue , and made her speake vnto him . why , but if his conuersation be profane , it is in vaine to heare him , because it pleaseth not god to worke effectually the graces of his spirit by the ministery of wicked men . not so : for then iudas , who was a wicked wretch , should not haue ben heard . water , which comes through a wooddē pipe , may moystē the ground as well as that which runs through a pipe of lead , or siluer . a seale of brasle or yron will make the same impression vpon waxe , that a seale of gold will , if the mark be alike . not the honesty , but the skill of the physitian cureth the patient . it is not so much , the vertue as the iudgement and cunning of the counsellour , which relieues the perplexed client . the grace of god ( saith chrysostome ) worketh by the vnworthy , not for them , but for those who are to be holpen . and againe ; god worketh ( per omnes ) by all ( salutem populi moliens ) seeking the saluation of the people , ( non illorum intuens merita ) not regarding their desarts . euen as light ( saith augustine ) is not defiled though it passe by filthy places , and men enioy it voide of all defilement : so it is in the ministery . men may receiue benefite by the pure word of god , though it come out of an vnpure mouth . neither is good doctrine defiled by bad manners : neither doth god conferre grace , because the minister is a godly man : nor disdaine to giue it , because he is profaine . it were indeed to be wished , that all ministers were holy , as their maister : but neuerthelesse we know , that it was not the holinesse of those shipwrights which built noahs arke , nor the good life of a surgean that heales a wound . yea , but he teacheth false doctrine oftentimes , and is full of foolish and friuolous fables . what then ? we are not apostles now , that we cannot erre . the best are but men , and subiect vnto erour . humanum est errare : indeed , belluinum est perseuerare : gods word ought ( i confesse to be preached truly without errour , and purely without mixture . o ( nam purum est , quod nihil habet alieni : ) and it is their sin , that do corrupt it , or handle it vnseemely . but if some tares or cockle , some dust or darnell come with the good seed , thou must let thē go ( like things vnprofitable & fit for the fire ) but thou maist not contemne & cast away the good for the euill . thou must not refuse the corne for the chaffe , but rather sift and winnow them . a wise man will not cast away good meate for a few moats . thou wilt not cast away good siluer , because there is some drosse in it , or some copper peeces amongst it . thou wilt not contemne a bag of gold , because there is some counters in it ; wherefore then shouldst thou reiect profitable instructions , and wholesome doctrines and admonitions , because they come with some vnsauory stuffe , and are mixed with some vanity ? hearken to the counsel of saint paul , whose pen was guided by gods owne hand : p despise not prophecying , saith he . now because some might say , that the prophet may mixe some of his owne leauen with gods dough , and so make soure bread , & preach linsi-wolsy sermons ; he doth therefore immediately adde : try all things , & keepe that which is good . wee must not be like a bottom-lesse bagge , that holds nothing : nor like the scuttle , that holds both the wheat & the chaffe together : nor like the cernicle , or boulter , that lets the fine flower go , and keepes in the branne : but we should bee like the skrie , that seuereth the good from the badde . we should bee wise to discerne betwixt true doctrine and errours : and we should haue our wits exercised to iudge betwixt good and euill : and when we see the difference betweene them being both obiected to vs , we should wisely elect the good , and reiect the bad . chap. . the people ought to imitate the godly vertues of their ministers . thirdly , honour is exhibited to gods ministers by imitating their christian vertues , which doe shine within them as the lampes did in the tabernacle , and do ( as the candle out of the lant-horne ) giue light to those that loue the light . it is one way , whereby we honour those that are departed in the faith , when we resemble them in those heauenly graces , ( which like the starres of heauen ) did shine within them , while they were aliue . and indeed we do performe an act of honour vnto any man , when we striue to imitate his good conditions , and to walke exactly in his foot-steps . this honour the holy ghost giueth to all godly ministers , when he exhorteth vs saying : a remember thē that haue the ouersight ouer you , which haue declared vnto you the word of god : whose faith follow . and saint paul claimeth it of the b corinthians , where he saith : be ye followers of me , euen as i am of christ . ministers ought to make themselues ensamples for vs to follow : and when they do so , we shall both dishonour them , and displease the lord , if we do not labour to be like them . their good examples should be as spurres in our sides to make vs run more liuely in our christian race : and they should be as sauce to make vs affect and digest our meate the better . and if we will not study to resemble them , we shall both manifest a peruerse and illiberall disposition , and make our selues the more vnexcusable when god shall iudge vs. therefore as the painter doth draw an image in his head first , and then with his hand according to the patterne set before him , and conceiued in his mind : so should we set the vertues of godly ministers before our eyes , as patternes for to follow ; and hauing conceiued and entertained them in our heades and hearts , wee should expresse them in our liues by the actions of our hands , and in the continuall current of our conuersations . and so shall we commend our selues without one word of commendation : so shall we honour and animate them : so shall we dignifie our profession , and glorifie him that ordained c all things for his glory . chap . men should wisely conceale the infirmities of their ministers , and not blaze them abroade . fourthly , ministers are honored , when their infirmities are not published ( in gath ) to their dishonour , but buried by loue in the graue of silence and obliuion . a in many things ( saith iames ) we sinne all . the purest gold hath some drosse within it . nulla facies sine ruga : the fairest face is not without a wrinckle , a mole or freckle . the clearest glasse is subiect vnto soyling . there is no soule without some sinne , b no man without a fault . and therefore as we ought to beare with one another , and patiently pardon all slips of weaknesse ( c for loue couereth a multitude of trespasses ) so especially ought we to conceale & forgiue the infirmities of ministers , in their words , workes and gestures . and so we shall shew our selues the children of wisedome , the followers of peace and amity , true louers of god and his children , faithfull and good schollers , and vnlike many wretches , that are euen heart-merry when they can spy a moate in a misters eye , or an hole in his coate , at which they may mocke and iest : vngodly d chams ; that discouer and sport at their fathers nakednesse . chap. . ministers are to be countenanced and maintained . fiftly , men do honor the ministers of christ , when they countenance them , and take part with them against their malitious and wicked enemies , and when they labour to defend their credits and good name against all their back-biters , traducers and maligners , and are not ashamed to acknowledge and assist them , notwithstanding the greatnesse or the multitude of their vngodly aduersaries which set themselues against god & all goodnes . and this all men ought to do for their ministers ( euer remembring that they passe not the precincts of their calling , and be not transported with a preposterous zeale , and a vaine conceit of enmity and hostile persecution , when there is no such matter ) that so they may confirme their loue vnto them , which they do in shew professe , and encourage thē to go on constantly in their ministery , that they may be faithfull in gods house , as a moses was : and finally , that they may manifest their zeale to god house , and their loue of his worship , and might shew themselues enemies to the diuell and his wicked instruments , which coniure and band themselues against christ and his kingdome . sixtly , honour ( and true loue the scaturidge thereof ) is shewed to godly ministers , when their estates ( in respect of their places , persons , and dependants ) are well maintained . they are the b chariots & horse-men of israel ▪ therefore are they worthy to be maintained . they are the lords warriours , and standard-bearers . they fight for the church , they bestow themselues vpon the church ; therefore it is very fit , that the church should keepe them . it is a thing honest and acceptable before god , for children to c recompence their fathers and progenitors . ministers are our spiritual fathers ; in christ d iesus saith paul , i haue begotten you ( to god ) through the gospell . in which respect we owe euen our selues vnto them : as paul sheweth in a speach to e philemon his spirituall sonne . how much more then owe we them our worldly pelfe to maintaine & relieue them ? haue they by their ministery procured our spirituall life , and shall not we prouide for their naturall life ? religion , right and reason claime it , and require it of vs. the lord hath ordained that they f which preach the gospel , should liue of the gospell . they which wait at the altar , are partakers with the altar : & they which minister about holy things , eate of the things of the temple . g the labourer is worthy of his wages : the workman is worthy of his meate . the oxes mouth that h treadeth out the corne , must not be muzled . he that planteth a vine-yard , is worthy to eate of the grapes : he that keepeth the vine , may drinke of the wine : i and he that keepeth the stock , may drinke of the milke . k beware ( saith god ) that thou forsake not the leuite so long as thou shalt liue on the earth . much lesse then are the ministers of the gospell to be forsaken . for their ministery is farre more excellent . l let him ( saith paul ) that is taught in the word , make him that hath taught him , partaker of all his goods . it is a precept and not a bare permission . if they haue sowne to vs m spirituall things , is it a great matter if they reape our carnall things ? if they bring vs to the pleasures of heauen , is it much for vs to bring them of the profits of the earth ? if they leade vs the way into canaan , and conduct vs into the land of promise , the land of the liuing , a paradice of perpetuall pleasures , & pleasing perpetuity , what a matter is it , if we maintaine them , whi●es we walk and wander with them in the wildernesse ? if they prouide for our soules , why should not we prouide for their bodies ? if we must n do good to all men , how much more to our ministers , by whō we are brought o to beleeue , by whom we haue bene conuerted from our sins to serue that god that made vs , that lord that saued vs , & that spirit which doth reuiue and fine vs ? chrysostome would that ministers should haue necessary maintenance , that they might worke spirituall things , and haue no ( distractiue ) regard of secular affaires . and he saith also : a necess●ry liuing ought plentifully to be ministered vnto the teachers , lest they should be discomfited , and that they might not depriue themselues and others of great things by being busied about the smallest . they haue great labours ( saith latimer ) and therefore they ought to hauge good liuings . paul p would haue them hospitall and harborous : and therefore it is fit that they should haue good maintenance , whereby they may shew hospitality , and procure the loue of the poore by almes deedes , and courteous entertainement . here then two sorts of men are to be reproued . first , they that will q part from little or nothing towards the maintenance of the ministery . foure hundred false r prophets were prouided for at iezebels table . and the age before vs could maintaine many monkes and friers , and other superstitious persons , which preached and prophesied hereticall and hellish doctrine , proceeding wholly from the forge of mans braine , and coined vpon the anuill of their own inuention ▪ yet the most in these dayes can with patiēce endure the learned & faithful ministers of christ iesus to want sufficient maintenance . the very slaues of antichrist fared , and yet fare in some countries , farre better then the most faithfull seruants of christ do amōgst vs in many places of this iland . yea that may be as truly saied in this presēt case , of many thousands in this natiō , which s iob speaketh of some in his time : that they which make oyle between their walles , and treade their wine-presses , do suffer thirst . lamentable is the pouerty of many painfull & godly ministers that tread the wine-presse of gods word vnto the people cōtinually , & affoord thē the oyly drops of the gospell , and the wine of diuine instructions , counsels , comforts and exhortations . i say , lamentable is their want and without compassion beheld of many . but their reward is with god , their labours shall retire into their owne bosomes , god will shew the greater mercy to them in the end . many men are franke and lauish in keeping t haukes , houndes , horses , and in maintaining players , and making belly-cheere , and vaine attire , but as sordide and illiberall , when they shold impart any thing towards the maintenance of their pastors and preachers . which argueth their base , thanklesse , and earthly disposition : if the law ( for the lord they regard not ) did not constraine many men to giue , their deuotion is so cold , & their ingratitude so great , as that they would contribute nothing at al this way , except it were for very shame , or for some by-respect . so hard frozen are their hearts , and so fast wedged into the earth . whereas common reason sheweth , that they which spend themselues like lampes to giue light to others , and labour for the common good of all , should be maintained of the common stock by all . ministers are commanded to u giue attendance to reading , teaching , and exhorting , and to addict themselues vnto them ; therefore it is conuenient , yea and necessarie that all ( which are able ) doe giue towards their competent and all-sufficient maintenance , that so they may employ themselues in their calling without distraction , and husband their talents to the greatest aduantage of their maister . secondly , those are to be condemded , which do w rob the church of her right , and do sacrilegiously ( whether it be by fraud or by force ) deteine from , or depriue their ministers of that , which in all equity is due vnto them , euen by the law. there are too many ready now to say with those in the psalme ; x come , and let vs take the houses of god in possession . men were not of old so ready to giue to the church , but they are as ready now to ake away . the israelites were so liberall in contributing towards the sanctuary , as that y moses caused a proclamatiō to be made to stay the people from offering . but now men are so forward to defraud their ministers , and to strip them of their due , and so backward to contribute vnto the maintenance of the worship of god , as that there had need be more then a proclamation to stay the forwardnesse of the one , & to remoue the backwardnesse of the other . and many neuer recken of it , if they can sl●●y beguile them of their tithes , and n●● be perceiued ; forgetting that god z beholds them , and seeth whatsoeuer is done in corners , and will bring them to an account , and render vnto them according to their deeds . but destruction shall be vnto the workers of iniquity , how cunningly soeuer they carry the matter before mē . the good a galatians could haue found in their hearts to haue plucked their very eyes out of their heads , & to haue giuen them to paul , if they would haue done him any good . but alas , alas , the deuotion and loue of this age is so extreeme cold , as that we will hardly part with that , which we are tyed to part with ; yea a many of vs are ready to pull from them , what we can pull by hooke or by crooke . it is written of hanun that he tooke b dauids messengers , and shaued off halfe their beardes , and cut off their garments in the middle . so their are a number of sacrilegious wretches in this rotten age of the world , which pill the church , and curtaile the maintenance of their ministers , and are euen heart-glad , when they can proue a custome , how corrupt and senselesse soeuer it be , to hold back their tithes . which argues a spirituall dropsy , or else a basenesse of minde , and intollerable vnthankfulnesse for the gospell . the lord by malachy told the israelites , that they c spoiled him , because they payed not their tithes truly : yea he told thē further , that they were cursed with a curse for so doing . are not the faithful ministers of the gospell as worthy to be maintained , as the priests were vnder the law ? are they not as worthy of plentifull prouision , as they were ? yea no doubt in many respects . how then do they spoile and rob the lord , that do not pay theis tithes and offerings truly vnto his ministers , but deceiptfully and vntruly ? let them looke vnto it , and that before it be too late . let them either forsake their sacriledge , or expect his curse . for without doubt the lord doth abhorre such wickednesse : and he will not alwaies winke at it . the lord is not so slow , but he is as sure . lento gradu ad vindictam ira diuina procedit , sed tarditatem supplicij grauitate iudicii compensat . though it be long before he strike , yet he striketh home , when he doth strike , and recompenseth his slacknesse with his sharpnesse it will not serue their turnes , when they haue committed sacriledge , to wipe their mouthes with the adulterous woman , and to say ; d wee haue not committed iniquity : or to thinke with those in the e psalme ; god hideth away his face and will neuer see . for the lord regardeth all that is done . f his eyes are vpon all the waies of men . g his throne ( saith dauid ) is in the heauen : his eies will consider : his eie-liddes will try the children of men . the wicked , and him that loueth iniquity doth his soule abhorre . wherefore ( brethren ) be now admonished with all lowlinesse and truth of heart to reuerence your ministers , to obey their ministery , to imitate their vertues , to countenance them , and pray for them . and robbe them not of that , which in conscience is their right : but rather straine your selues that they may not lacke , but haue sufficient maintenance to mainetaine their estates , to the credit of their calling , which is most honorable and holy . and so doing you shall animate and incite them to walke diligently in their office : you shall remoue m●ny troubles & impediments from them : you shall adorne your high calling : you shall declare your loue to the gospell , & your subiection to the word : you shall stop the mouthes of the wicked , and shew your selues vnlike to them , and like to the godly deuout of former ages : you shall demonstrate your honour & honorable conceipts of gods honorable & holy embassadours : finally , you shall draw others on to do their duty by your christian ensample ; and so glorifying god , you shall be glorified of god with that glory , which of his grace in christ he hath from all eternity prepared for his saints . this shal suffice for the office and honour of ministers . it remaineth now to speake of the office and honour of the people , contained in the words ensuing . trin-vni deo gloria . . cor. . . ye are gods husbandry : ye are gods building . chap. . the words are explained : and their sense declared . the apostle hauing shewed the corinthians what he was , with the rest of his fellow-ministers , he doth in these words shew them also what they themselues are . now before we weigh anchor , and launch forward with our vessels into the deepe , it wil be first conuenient for vs to break the ice & by the explicatiō of the words to prepare a way for the collection & application of the doctrines . ye ) euen ye corinthians , ye that are not iewes , but gentiles ; yea ye that are ouer-carnall , and something factious ; of what sex or sort soeuer . are ) ye are now gods husbandry , and building , notwithstanding those infirmities which i reprehend and dislike in you . gods ) the word ( god ) vsed properly , is sometimes taken personally ; as in iohn . . for god the father : in the acts . . for god the sonne : and in the acts. . . . for god the holy ghost . which three , are a not three seuerall gods , but three distinct persons subsisting in the godhead . for b there is but one god in nūber . and sometimes also this word is taken essentially : as in iohn . . . and so it may be very fitly taken ( as i thinke ) in this text . and so by god , we may vnderstand all the three persons , to whom the godhead doth in c common without inequality , diuision , and transmutation , appertaine . for the scriptures plainly teach , that we are an house belonging to them all . we are the fathers house , ephes . . . and the sonnes house , eph. . . heb. . . and the holy ghosts . . cor. . . and . . all things whatsoeuer ( that are not meerely wicked ) belong vnto them equally , by vertue of their absolute lordship and dominion ouer all . husbandry ) the originall word ( 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 ) translated hu●bandry , doth properly signify a field , or peece of ground tilled , husbanded , and wrought vpon : or a field , on which the husband-man bestowes his worke and labour . building ) the greeke word ( 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 ) translated building hath three distinct significations in the new testament . first , it signifieth the action of building in a metaphoricall signification , as in the . cor. . . and in ephes . . . secondly , it signifieth the things which do build , or edify spiritually , as in the . cor. . . thirdly , it signifieth a thing builded , or an house : as in mat. . . and in the . cor. . . and so the word is vsed in this text . now the church of god ( for this speech of paul is not exclusiue , but includeth all faithfull christians in all other churches besides , as appeareth by comparing this place with ephes . . . and . tim. . . and . pet. . . ) i say the church of god may be compared to a field and h●use , for the proportion & congruity that is betwixt them ; which is manifold . first , fields haue their boundes , and houses haue their compasse or limits , which they cannot passe : and so hath gods church . secondly , euery field is layed and limited by some man : & euery house hath her compasse set her by some man or other : so it is with gods church . the lord hath appointed her bounds , & hath giuen her a compasse , which she shall not transcend and passe . thirdly , euery field is taken in ou● of the open champion or common by some man. for no field can make it selfe ; especially no plowed-field there must needs be a man to make it , and to appoint it to such an vse . and as d euery house is built by some body ; so is the church . god hath taken her in out of the vast wildernesse of this wicked world , he hath imparked her with the pales of his mercy , he doth fence her in with the quickset hedge of his gracious protection , he doth separate her frō al other grounds and make her the field and garden of his owne delight . and the same god also doth build and reare her vp to be an house or temple . the e lord ( saith the psalmist ) doth build vp ierusalem , and gather together the dispersed of israel he healeth those that are broken in heart , and bindeth vp their sores . as by him we receiue the life of nature : so likewise by him we do receiue the life of grace . he breatheth into vs the breath of life corporal and spirituall . he is the fountaine of all liuing waters , & the root , from which the iuce of true christian life doth issue , and proceed vnto vs. and as we are made men by him : so are we also made new men ; and therefore paul cals vs his f workmanship . for he doth hew vs out of the rocke christ iesus . he cuts vs and squares vs out . he reares vs vp , and ioynes vs together by the bond of his spirit , and by the links of true loue , as it were with pins and with lime , & soulder . and whosoeuer builds , if he prosper not their building with the presence & proppe of his grace , their building is in vaine . nothing can stand : all will fall , and tumble downe againe like the stone of sisyphus , or like a wall that is dawbed with vntempered mortar . therefore we pray with g peter , that he would make you perfect , confirme , strengthen , stablish , and ( 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 ) found you , fourthly , as fields are vsually laid and inclosed and wrought in by diuerse labourers : & as houses are commonly reared , repaired and wrought in by sundry workmen : one perhaps being the ringleader , the cōmaunder of the rest . euen so the church is husbāded , builded & kept by many . many labour within her and about her . god is the principal agent . he cals the rest : he directs and rules them . he puts his word into their mouths , and prospers it , as it pleaseth him . it is his arme , whereby he doth translate men out of the kingdome of sathan into the kingdome of his son , out of darknesse into light , out of aegipt into canaan , out of hell into heauen . it is his hammer whereby he doth beate down our pride : it is as a wedge , whereby he doth cleaue vs : his axe , which hewes vs : & his rule , which measures vs. it is also his plough , which breakes vs vp : it is his cylinder , which smoothes vs , and the seed which he sowes in vs. and all the good successe proceeds from him . not vnto vs , not vnto vs , but vnto god belongs this honour . it is he that h worketh both the will and the deed : it is he that i giues the increase : it is he that begins and makes an end . the ministers of the word & sacraments , are his instruments or seruants , k ordained for the reparation of the sancts , and for the edification of christs body : that is to say , to worke in gods house and vineyard , to labour in his church , that his people may be conuerted , comforted , confirmed & instructed , till they attaine to the perfection of grace , & fulnesse of glory with their head & husband christ iesus in the heauens . in which respect the apostle tels the corinthians , that they are l his work in the lord. fiftly , euery house is founded vpon some foundation : so is the church of god. and her foundation is twofold : principall , & ministeriall . the principall m foundation is christ : and therefore he is called ( lapis fundamenti ) the n foundation stone , and ( 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 ) the o bottom-corner stone . he is that p rocke , whereupon the church is built . he is the author of our goodnesse , and the procurer of all our glory . he hath merited for vs the pardon of sin , the perfection of happinesse , and the perpetuity of all our welfare . and as god did create vs q by him in regard of nature , so he doth create vs againe r in him in regard of grace , and will one day finish vs fully for him in regard of glory . here is a good foundation ; a foundation that is firme and and not false , sound and not sandy . whatsoeuer is built vpon this foundation firmely , shall neuer be cast downe wholy . the top shall fare the better for the bottome . the ministeriall foundation is the preaching of the doctrine of saluatiō , contained in the writings of the prophets & apostles . therfore paul saith that we are built s vpon the foundation of the apostles and prophets . and saint ambrose saith accordingly , that the old and new testament is the foundation of the church . and hence it is that the citty of god is said to haue t twelue foundations , in which were written the twelue names of the apostles of the lambe . and thus peter , iames and iohn , and all faithfull pastors may be called pillars of the church , to wit , so farrre forth as by their ministery they do susteine and maintaine the church of god , & the true profession of the true faith : christ iesus onely being the u chiefe corner stone , who onely doth properly and energetically support and hold vp all the building . sixtly , euery field and house is seated in some place : so is the church of god. and if we regard her military condition , she is seated vpon the earth , euen in the middest of her enemies , which swarme like bees about her . and as we see chaffe and wheat mingled together in one heape , and both fish and frogges inclosed in one net : so shall her members be mingled together with the wicked so long as she makes her aboade on the earth , so long as she liues in the wildernesse , and vntill she receiue her inheritance in celestiall canaan . seuenthly , fields serue for tillage and husbandry , and for his vse that occupies and orders them . euery field hath an owner , and euery house hath an inhabitant , and one to who● she doth belong , and for whose vse she serues . so the church hath her vse , owner , and inhabitant . w kno● ye not ( saith paul ) that ye are the temple of god , and that the spirit of god dwelleth in you ? yea x you are the temple of the liuing god ; as god sayd ; i will dwell in them , and walke in them . the lord is her owner and inhabitant : he hath ordained her for his owne glory : and for his vse shee serues . eightly , as euery field hath a gate or way to come into it : and as euery house hath a doore for men to enter in at : so hath the church . christ is the gate and the doore , by whom wee enter into the church : and if we do not enter in by him , we shall neuer enter so into it , as to be truly of it . the gospell of christ is an ordinary outward meanes or way , by which we are brought into the church and made her members : and baptisme is a signe of our entrance and admission into it . ninthly , as a field ha●h diuers parcels and corners in it : and as a faire and goodly building hath many roomes parts , & chambers in it . so the church of god hath many parts or parcels , as subiects of one kingdome , as members of one body , as parts of one field , as beds of one garden , and chambers of one house . tenthly , as there is no field , which hath not in it some difference of the mowle or earth , or some diuersity of the plants and hearbs which it beareth . and as houses vsually receiue into them diuers persons , which keepe in them , & belong vnto them . and as ( for the most pa●t ) euery house consisteth of sundry sorts of matter , as wood , stone , lime , clay , &c. euen so the church of god ( as a spacious and fruitfull field is full of variety of plants , ( as it were ) and hearbs . many and diuers are her fruits . and some part of her , some persons that belong vnto her , are more fruitfull and excellent then other , according to the difference of their mowle , or of the cost & labour which is spent vpon them . there is not the same influence of heauenly graces descending from aboue , vpon them all alike . the sunne of righteousnes doth not send downe the beams of his effectuall operation equally vpon them . and the great husbandman bestoweth not his paines alike vpon them all . in like manner the church of god as a sumptuous and stately building , receiueth and entertaineth many into her . god is the principall and commander of all the rest . and all the faithfull ( which being simply by themselues considered are exceeding many ) are his houshold y seruants , which abide and liue in her , and are all maintained & prouided for by the lord that great house-holder . and as houses are ordinarily made of diuers things : or if there be an house built all of stones , yet one stone differeth from another , either in quantity or in quality , colour or scituation . so in gods house which is made of z liuing stones , one stone one part , differeth from another . there is a fundamentall and chiefe corner stone , which is iesus christ , that a liuing stone ; euen life it selfe , and the wel-spring of all our life : and there are also vpper stones , which are of lesse importance . and of these some are better coloured then others : some are larger , and some are lesser : some exceed others in grace , and shal excell them also in glory . againe , some are cut out of the rocke before others , and put into the building first : and many which the builder medleth with last , may be made more comly & glorious , then some others which were hewed out , and set in the building before them . for all their preferment , all their comlinesse is at the free disposement of their architect . furthermore , as diuers things must be prepared before a field can be taken in and seuered from other groundes : before it will bee fit for seede and plants , some labour must be spent about it : so before the lord doth call & take vs to be a field vnto himselfe , out of the barren heath , and wide wildernesse of this sinfull world ; & before he sowes the seeds of his graces , & sets the pleasant plants of true christiā vertues in our hearts , he prepares and fits vs ordinarily by the ministery of his word , ioyning therewith sometimes also crosses and aflictions , and some other things , which he hath prouidently prepared and wisely directeth for our good . and euen as wood , stone , brick , lime , and such like things ▪ as concurre to the making of an house , must be fitted and layed together , before the house can be made : so the lord doth prepare and vnite the faithfull together , that they may be one indiuidual and entire building . and vntill they be all collected & compacted fast together , gods house shall not be fully finished . and as stones in an house cannot without mortar be layed fast and firme : neither can the posts , the beames , and spires be well and surely ioyned without pinnes , nailes , or barres of yron : euen so the liuing stones of gods house , the true members of his church , cannot be closely coupled , and strongly knit together without true christian charity , and his most holy spirit . againe , as all things concurring to the building of an house , being well composed , do make much for the beauty of that house : so all the faithfull being cunningly compact and laid together of god ( as it were by line & leuell ) do make for the statelinesse and glory of his house , which consisteth onely of beleeuers . and as all the parts of a field , the variety of hearbes , the diuersity of fruits , and the comly orders and rankes of plants , do greatly commend and set forth the field in which they are : euen so the church which is gods field , is greatly beautified and adorned through the multitude & great diuersity of her members , which are ( as it were ) sundry sorts of sets or hearbs ; as also by reason of that comly order , which he ( the husbandman ) hath set among them . moreouer , fields are not in their perfect glory so soone as they be taken in : and the plantes and seedes that are set and sowne in them , come not presently , but by degrees to their full perfection , and growth . so the church is pe●fited by degrees : her plantes grow vp by little and little : and the seedes of gods graces , which are sowen in our hearts spring vp , grow , and multiply by degrees , and not all at once . the flints , the stones , and stinking weedes , are not all remoued and gathered out of vs at the first . the hardnesse of our hearts , the flintinesse of our affections , and the weeds of wickednesse are not at one instant , but by degrees remoued and taken away . and as no field is inclosed and taken out of the heath or common in one moment of time , but one part after another . so god doth not take in the whole church , and by effectuall vocation seuer her , and call her out of the world , and inuiron her with his fauour reuealed to her at one point of time ; but he doth it by degrees at seueral times , in that order and maner , which in his wisedome he seeth most beseeming , and which before all time hee did with himselfe decree . in like maner also , as no house is built vp all at once , but by degrees : so is the church in generall , and we that are her particular members , erected and perfited by peecemeale , and in processe of time . and we do not attaine to our ful perfection whiles we liue heere . b for there is no man iust in the earth , that doth good , and sinneth not . the clearest riuer hath some mudde in the bottome , and the healthiest body hath some corruption in it . so the purest soule is notwithout some sin . regeneration doth not in this life wholly extirp originall corruption , but onely weaken , abate , and wast it by degrees . for while we liue , sinne shall not dy : but death that receiued life from sin , must be the death of sinne . our sins and we shall dye together . and when the threed of this momentany life is cut asunder by death , and a dissolution or diuorcement made betwixt those two parts of man , which god did at the first vnite and wedde , to make a perfect man ; the one must for a time returne vnto the earth , and the other shall be taken vp into heauen , thereto receiue both perfect grace & perfect glory : & when god shal after a time repeale & end the separation , & reunite them , then they shal iointly receiue both holines & happines in al perfection without future alteration , in the paradise of god , c in whose presence there is fulnesse of ioy , and at whose right hand are pleasures for euermore . it is true indeed that we are perfect in this life in two respects . first , in regard of the perfection of parts , because ( like in●ants ) we haue all the parts of a christian : god hath giuen vs all his graces : though we haue thē not in their full perfection . and secondly wee are reputed perfect in christ our head , being clothed with his perfect righteousnesse . and for this cause the d church is sayed to be faire , beautifull , comly , vndefiled , and pure ; to wit , because she is inuested in the spotlesse and pure robes of christs absolute & most meritorious holinesse and obedience , which is imputed to her , and accepted as her owne . but if we speake of the perfection of sanctification or of inherent holinesse , we must needes confesse that we are not perfect , but that we arise like a house by degrees , and do e grow till we be compleat . which shall not be till death , which endeth the battell betwixt the flesh and the spirit , vtterly consuming all the corruptions of our corrupted nature . againe , as fields are subiect to be annoyed and wasted : and as there is no field without some hurtfull or improfitable thing in it , as stones , weeds and such like : so gods field is subiect to be wasted and infested . therefore the f psalmist saith , that the wicked smite downe gods people , and trouble his heritage . and saul g before his conuersion is sayed to waste the church of god. and there is in ou● hearts ( that are her children ) many sinnes , which are not as yet exi●e● , being noysome vnto vs , as weede and stones are to a corne field . and againe , as there is no house , that is not obnoxious to some danger , either by violence of fire , or by the inundati●n of waters , or through inflammation by lightning , or else by reason of impetuous windes & stormy tempests , besides the subiection , wherein it is of it selfe to fall to ruine , being composed of things that are corruptible . euen so gods church on earth , is subiect in herselfe ( being h black with sinne , and vnmundified here in part ) to ruines and rotten errours , both mentall and morall . besides , shee is subiect to many perils from without . sathan with his instruments play their parts against her continually . sometimes hee sallies vpon her by force like a lion , raising vp cruell tyrants to persecute & vex her . sometimes he sets vpon her by fraud like a leopard , approching to her either with his syrenian songs , or with his crocodilian teares , or with a treacherous kisse , as iudas did vnto his maister ; assaulting her with the subtill and sophisticall inuentions & engines of heretikes , and attempting to violate her chastity by the pleasing allurements , and witching enchantments of the world ; who with her whorish eye , and two naked painted breasts of pleasures and profits , doth seeke to inueigle our hearts and make vs yeeld vnto her . thus sathan meetes her vpon the stage of this world , and enters combat with her , vsing all meanes to preuaile against her ; sometimes pursuing her with the flouds of persecution , sometimes kindling in her the coales of contention , sometimes seeking to ouercome her with secret machinations , and with faire speeches , & fraudulent perswasions , and somtimes also striuing to daunt her with the dreadfull menacies of the great men of the world , and neuer ceaseth practising against her ; but all in vaine . for i the gates of hell ( saith christ ) euen sathan and all his strength and stratagems shall not preuaile against her to vanquish and subdue her . finally , some things may be in a field which are not of the field , as toades , frogges and such like : a wolfe may bee in the same field and fold wherein a company of sheepe are : the enemy with his ●ares may be in a field as well as the right owner of it , and his good seed , and good sets . euen so if we regard the visible and externall face of the church , prophane persōs & very reprobats may be in her , albeit they be not of her . they are but as frogges , toades , nettles , bryars , and crowes in a corne-field : or as wolues and foxes and madde dogges in a fold or flocke of sheepe : or else as stones and weeds , which trouble and hinder the good corne . and againe , as in a field we see sets , hearbs and seeds oftentimes brought into a field , & set & sown in it , which do not naturally come vp of themselues in it : euen so god doth set the plants of his spirit , and sow the seeds of his sanctifying graces in our hearts which otherwise would neuer spring vp within vs of themselues , and by the vertue of our nature . and as euery field stands in neede of dressing and keeping , and requires wholesome aire , sweete shewers , and the comfortable heate of the sunne . euen so the church stands in need of husbanding : she hath neede of the heauenly dewe of gods graces , and of the sweet light and heate of the sunne of righteousnesse , and that the northerne and southerne windes of gods spirit should k blow vpon her , that her spices and her fruits might flow out and come forth abundantly . in like manner also , as euery house stands in need of some shilter and reparation , so doth gods house . for we lye open to wind and water , and haue the ruines of our depraued nature still remaining in vs. and as the housholder brings many thing into his house which he finds not in it : euen so the lord inspireth many good things into our hearts , which he finds not in vs , and which we want by nature . and as some things may be in the house which are not of the house , as rats , mise , weasils , yea and treacherous and theeuish persons . euen so ( if wee consider the outward appearance and name of the church , which is gods house ) some may be in it , which belong not to it , and are not truly of it . therefore l iohn saith ; they went out of vs , but they were not of vs. antichrist that man of sinne and sonne of perdition , sits in the temple of god , but not as a member of it , but as a cruell and proud tyrant , tyrannizing in it ; as a theefe in a true mans house , as a pyrate in a merchants ship , or as a wolfe and fox in a sheepfold . and in a word , as some things may be brought into a field , and planted in it , which as yet are not : & as some may be brought into an house and made seruants in it , which for the present are not : euen so some may be brought into gods church , which is his pleasant field and the palace of his pleasure , and may bee made her true members and faithful houshold-seruants , which as yet wander abroad and are not effectually called home . and thus wee see the resemblance , that is betwixt a field or house , and the church of god. now she is called gods husbandry and gods building , because hee hath taken her to himselfe and inclosed her , hee doth husband and order her : he doth build and repaire her : he doth possesse & keepe her : and because he doth inhabite and worke within her . and albeit she may be fitly compared to a field and house in the forenamed respects , yet in other regards she is vnlike vnto them . for god is her only lord & owner , & for his honour only he hath ordained her . and whereas houses and fields are bought with money , she was purchased neither by gold nor siluer , but by the m bloud of god , euen by the precious heart-bloud of that immaculate lambe christ iesus , who is true n god & true o man in one perfect person . thirdly , all houses and fields are subiect to vtter and finall desolation . and the day shall come , wherein the p earth , and all the workes therein shall be consumed with fire . but the church of god shall stand for euer . and when all the glory of the world shall vanish quite away , like a flash of fire : and when all her desperate , malicious and irreconciliable enemies shall vtterly be destroyed , then shall she shine as the sunne , and obtaine her perfect glory , and liue for euer with the lord in all ease and happinesse , free from all sinfull and earthly miseries whatsoeuer . fourthly , wheras all other fields and houses are materiall , outward and earthly : this field and this house is mysticall , celestiall and q spirituall : and may bee so called in all these regards ensuing . first because the spirit of god doth husband her and dwell in her . secondly , because her whole frame is spirituall , & her chiefest ornamēts are inward and inuisible . r the kings daughter is all glorious within , saith the psalm . thirdly , the meanes which god vseth for her building , repairing , trimming , flourishing and c●●tinuing , are not earthly but spirituall , and of a nature far differing from worldly helps , and humane inuentions . fourthly , the seruice and worship , which ought to be performed in her , is spirituall . and lastly all the good workes , which she doth , are spirituall . all the good workes , which we , or any of her faithfull members do performe , are meerely good so far forth as they do proceed from the spirit of god , who is goodnesse it selfe , and the author of all our goodnesse . and the euill which is in them commeth from our owne home-bred corruptition , which is not in this life cleansed cleane away , vnlesse it be because it is forgiuen vs , and not imputed to vs. and to conclude ; the church is said to be a field & an house , not fields and houses . for the church is but one body , one perfect house , and one entire and absolute field . she hath but one lord , one architect , one redeemer , one absolute husbandman and inhabitant , one common saluation , one religion , one head , one husband , one way to heauen ; according to that of s paul , there is one body , one spirit , one faith , one lord , one baptisme , one god and father . and this hath also been the doctrine of former ages . theodoretus saith ( quest . . in num. ) as the vnicorne hath one horne , so the people truly religious adoreth one onely god. and for the vnity of her head , gregory saith , that the whole holy vniuersal church is on body , set vnder christ iesus as her head. for christ with his whole church , both militant & triumphant , is one person . nazianzene saith ; there is one christ , one head of the church . thirdly , concerning the vnity of the spirit , gregory saith that , as there is one soule , which doth quicken the diuerse members of the body , so one holy spirit doth quicken and illustrate the whole church . fourthly for the vnity of faith and outward confession , eucherius saith that , as a bundle is bound with bands , so all the company of the saints are bound together with one and the same faith , hope and charity , & compassed with one muniment of diuine protection . and as leo teacheth , there is one orison , and one confession of the whole church . finally touching the vnity of baptisme ; there is one faith ( saith hierome ) & one baptisme . and so withall for the vnitie of her god , iustinus saith , there is one true god of all , which is acknowledged in the father , sonne , and holy spirit . our faith ( saith cyril ) receiueth no number of gods , but there is one god the father , and to the same vnitie pertaineth the sonne and the holy ghost . hauing now opened the words , and giuen the sense , let vs see what lessons we may learne out of them . chap. . the church of god is gods house and husbandry . doct. these wordes do naturally without wresting affoord vs two notable doctrins . the former is that the true church of god ( which is the cōpany of beleeuers ) is gods house and husbandry . this is plaine by the text , as also by other like places of scripture . a know ye not ( saith paul ) that ye are the temple of god , and that the spirit of god dwelleth in you ? and speaking to timothy he saith ; b these things i write , that thou maist know how to behaue thy sefe in gods house , which is the church of the liuing god. and plaine reason sheweth as much . for it is not her owne : she is not the lady of her selfe . c ye are not your owne ( saith paul ) for ye are bought for a price . neither is the church a tenement or possession belonging to any angell , or to any man , excepting onely the man christ who is the d angell of the couenant and her only lord & head. she is not the field of the sluggard , which e salomon speaks of . she is not the house of wickednesse and sinne . for f christ gaue himselfe for her , that hee might make her holy , and purge her from her sinnes with his bloud . therefore he saith vnto her ; g thou art all faire , my loue , and there is no spot in thee . neither is shee the house and field of the diuell . for christ hath purchased her h vnto himselfe . therefore she saith ; my i welbeloued ( meaning christ ) is mine , and i am his . i am my welbeloueds , and his desire is towards me . and christ speaking vnto her ▪ cals her his k loue , his sister ▪ & his spouse ; therefore surely the liuell hath no interest in her , and no title to her . the conclusion then remaineth firme , that as the temple of ierusalem was dedicated to be an house vnto the lord alone , euen so the church is built and consecrated vnto him only , that she may be his house to dwel in , & as a field to husband & dispose of , as he in his wisedome seeth most conuenient . thus much for the doctrine , let vs now se how we may apply it for our benefite and edification . chap. . sundry vses are made of the consideration of these two titles together . the vses , which we ought to make of the former doctrine are of two sorts some arise from the consideration of these titles ( giuē to the church ) together : & some frō them being cōsidered apart by themselues . of the former company are these that follow . first , we haue here one of the roialties and royall priuiledges of the faithfull . for they , and they onely ( to speake properly ) are gods house & husbandry . for the father hath elected them only : the son hath redeemed them onely : the holy ghost doth regenerate them onely . god ( the father , sonne , and holy ghost ) doth dwell in them onely , in regard of the presence of his speciall grace , and efficatious operation vnto eternall life . for as concerning the reprobates , they are the very sinks of sin , the dennes of the diuell , and the quagmyres of iniquity , a predestinated to eternall distruction . some of them ( i confesse ) may thinke themselues to be of gods house , and to belong vnto his field : but their imagination is like the fond and false conceipt of some melancholique persons , that haue thought their bodies to haue beene made of glasse , and that euery faire house was theirs , which they passed by . yea they may perswade themselues so thereof , as that they may cōceiue a kind of ioy therefore in their hearts , and yet for all they are deceiued . some that haue suddenly fallen into a swoone haue imagined that they saw goodly sights : and many frantick persons will sing and hallo , as if they were in a very good condition whereas indeed their case is pittifull . euen so some of the reprobate may fall into such a fit of spirituall swoone and phantastick phrensie of the mind , as that they may both think better of their estates then they are indeed , and reioyce also within themselues , as if they were right good men and happy ; being neuerthelesse in truth the very refuse of mankind , the obiects of gods wrath , and ( as it were ) the center of his iudgements . yea further they may so carry themselues outwardly , as that they may seeme vnto men ( that doe not see the heart ) the true mēbers of the church , and as plants in gods fi●ld . but blazing starres are not true starres , but fading meteores : a foot of wood is not a foot indeed : and painted fire is not fire . euen so what shew soeuer they make , yet are they not indeede her members , they are not gods plants indeed . they may be in gods house , but they are not of gods house : they may be in his field , but they are not of his field . goates and sheepe may be together in one fold , though they be not of one flocke . cockle & good come may bee in one barne ; theeues and true men may be in one field : strangers and seruants , guests and children in one house . and all is not that which it seemes to be . all is not grasse that looketh greene , nor all bloud that is red . sathan can transforme himselfe into an angel of light : all is not gold that glisters : hypocrites may seeme religious , and men of woluish dispositions can for need walke like sheepe , in sheepe-skins . when the great gold-smith shal come to try them with his touch-stone , hee will finde them copper , and not good gold . when the windes shall blow hard against them , when the flouds shall come and dash against them , they shall fall flatte downe to the ground , because they are not as liuing stones founded vpon the rock christ , but weakly built vpon a weake and sandy foundation . and a day will come when the husbandman will view his field , and will separate the corne of his owne sowing ( and carry it home into his barne ) from the tares of the enemy , how faire and fresh soeuer they seeme to be , and will binde them in a bundle , and cast them into the fire . now this prerogatiue is not meerly tit●lar and ve●ball , but very commodious , comfortable and excellent . for christ b dwelleth in this field : the spirit of god dwelleth in this house c and they that dwell therein shal haue their iniquity forgiuen . and whosoeuer are of this house , of this field , shall continue so for euer . for the d couenant of god made with them is euerlasting . the e gifts and the calling of god are giuen without repentance : and he wil f preserue and guard them by his power through faith vnto saluation . and their mother also , g which is the church , shall alwaies be the palace and paradise of his delight . he will carry her vpon his backe like an eagle , he will shadow her with the wings of his grace , and will continue constant in his loue for euer . for his h loue vnto her is euerlasting , and his mercy endureth for euer . secondly , seeing the church is gods house and husbandry , shee must acknowledge no lord , no head , no king but god. her obedience , her homage , her loyalty , her virginity belongs to him , as to her soueraigne lord and onely absolute husband . she is not her owne ; therefore shee must glorifie god , to whom of right she doth pertaine . thirdly , ministers ought to be the more diligent , faithfull and alacrious in the execution of their function . for the labour which they take , and the paines they do bestow , are bestowed vpon gods house , vpon gods plowed-field . they labour not in mens fields , not in the house of men , but in the house and field of almighty god ( who is able to recompence the faithfull , and to punish the vnfaithfull : ) therefore they should be the more carefull , circumspect & laborious in their calling , taking heed what seede they sow , what plants they set , and both what , and how they build . fourthly , seeing the church of god is his field & house , we ought all to labour to be assured that we are of it . for out of it there is no saluation . and when we are in it , we must keep our selues in it , and not straggle out and leaue it . men take grear delight to dwell in faire houses , and to walke in pleasant fields . the church of god is a goodly house , and a pleasant and greene field . i my welbeloued , behold , thou art faire and pleasant : also our bed is greene : the beames of our house are cedars . k christ delighteth and dwelleth in her . let vs therefore like her , and loue to liue within her . they that leaue her , leaue him . for he is her husband and inhabitant : therefore she cals him her l welbeloved : and he cals her his spouse : m my spouse is a garden inclosed . and she crying out vnto him saith thus : n o thou that dwellest in the gardens . o fountain of the gardens , o well of liuing waters ! so then he which forsakes her , forsakes him , he which leaues her , leaues his garden : and he which leaues him , leaues her fountaine : euen the welspring of her life , and the scaturidge of all true comfort . let vs therfore keepe our selues within the borders of the church , lest we walke in the valley of death . we must needes be either in gods temple , or in the diuels synagogue : either in gods field or in the diuels field . and whensoeuer wee see the face of a true church in any place , let vs take heed that we do rend not our selus frō her , and leape out . for this were ( so much as lay in vs ) to runne out of gods field , and to runne away from christ , who frequenteth the o flockes of his sheep , and delighteth to be in the assemblies of his people . let vs therefore be wise , and not forsake the fellowship ( or p aggregation ) that we haue among our selues , as the manner of some is : but let vs exhort one another , & that so much the more , because ye see that the day ( of christs second coming ) draweth neare . iude makes it a property of those that were fleshly & had not the spirit ( what shew soeuer they made ) to be q makers of sects ; men of a schismaticall and contradictorious spirit , that like not the beaten way , but loue to walke in a way by themselues , though it be full of mud and mire . considering also that the church is gods house & husbandry , it were a worke beseeming the honour of princes and all potentates , in all their territories and dominions to defend and foster her : that so they may verifie that ancient prophec● recorded by the prophet esay , that r kings should be her nursing fathers , and that queenes should be her nurces . yea it beseemes vs all to be kinde vnto her , and to honour her . for she is our mother . she is the house in which we are bred , and borne , and brought vp . she is the field in which we are planted and receiue our growth . men loue the house wherein they were borne , and trained first vp , and the place in which they drew their first breath , and led the beginning of their life . let vs therefore loue the church of god : let vs desire and seeke her welfare . ſ pray for the peace of ierusalem : let them prosper that loue thee . peace be within thy walles , and prosperity within thy palaces . t giue the lord no rest till he repaire ierusalem the praise of the world . for my brethren & neighbours sakes ( saith u dauid ) i will wish thee now prosperity . because of the house of the lord our god , i will procure thy wealth . w behold ( saith the lord ) i will lift vp mine hand to the gentiles , and set vp my standard to the people ; and they shall bring thy sons in their armes , and thy daughters shall be carried vpon the●r shoulders : kings and queenes sha●l worship thee , with their faces towards the earth , and licke vp the dust of thy feete . but we are of the g●ntiles : let vs therefore in our seueral places labour to make good this prophecy . we are all carefull to keepe our owne fields and houses in good case , and shall we neglect the church , which is the lords ? shall we dwell in our seeled houses , and see his house lye wast without griefe of heart ? we looke to our owne gardens and orchards ; let vs not therfore cast off al care of gods , but let vs rather labour to the vtmost of our power ( keeping vs within the precinct of our calling ) that they may flourish & prosper in the world . and so doing we shall testify our loue to god and his church : we shall shew our selues to be true natural sons and not bastards : seruants and not slaues : faithfull friends , and not fawning flatterers and false-hearted foes . sixtly , seeing the church is gods field and house , we may be sure that god will husband and repaire her . he will till and dresse her : he will pluck out her weeds & make her fertile : he will manure , and water her with the first and latter raine of his gracious benediction . he will cause the north-wind to blow vpon her , which shall purify the aire about her , & pinch the luxuorious humors within her , & coole the pride of her hart , & the excessiue heat of her spirit . he will also send out the south-wind to cōfort her with his warme blasts , and to water her with his sweet shewers , that she may be fresh and fruitfull . x the lord ( saith the psalmist ) couereth the heauen with clouds , and prepareth raine for the earth , and maketh the grasse to grow vpon the mountaines . euen so the lord couereth the church with his loue , he causeth the clouds to breake , he powreth downe the raine of his blessing vpon her ; he moystens her with the dew of heauen , and maketh his graces to sprout vp and flourish within her . yea he maketh her ( like dry ground ) to thirst after the waters of life : and teacheth her to cry out and say ; y arise o north , and come o south , and blow vpon my garden , that the spices thereof may flow out . and forsomuch as she is his house , we may know for certaine , that he will in time remoue in-bred ruines and rottennesse , and wil repaire and polish her , til he haue made her perfect & glorious in all respects . and albeit he do often suffer her faithfull and true members to bring forth the weedes of sin , and to fall into the ruines of wickednesse ; yet it is not through his negligence & obliuion , or bcause he hath cast them off : but it is to teach them to distast their pride , and to confesse that they can easily fall of themselues , but are vnable to stand , or rise vp without him . the husbandman sometimes lets his ground lie as if he had forsaken it , and can be for a time content to see it growne with weeds . but he hath a purpose to breake it vp with his plough , and to bestow more cost vpon it , that it may be more fruitfull , then before . he will not see it ouer-grown with weeds : he wil not permit thē to suck out the heart , & to make it altogether barrē ▪ & good for nothing . so likewise we see many men suffer their houses to decay , & for a while to fall to ruine : but their intent is to build them fairer , and to make them stronger then they were before . and thus god sometimes dealeth with his faithfull seruants , as with david , hezekiah , peter and others . for he is tied by no law to preserue any man longer then he list . and so great is his grace vnto vs , as that if he suffer vs to fall , yet he will not let vs fall quite a way , but will in due season restore and lift vs vp againe . for semel et semper , once and euer are all one with god : whom he hath embraced once , he will embrace z for euer . moreouer , considering that the church is gods house & husbandry , we may be sure that he will patronize and protect her against heritiques , tyrants , and all that by fraud or force do labour to subuert and wast her . a the lord thy god ( saith zephany ) in the middest of thee is mighty : he will saue , he will reioyce ouer thee with ioy : he will quiet himselfe in his loue . b he will feed them that spoile thee , with their owne flesh , and they shall be drunken with their owne bloud . for the lord is c great in counsell , and mighty in worke . his eyes are open vpon all the waies of the sons of men , to giue to euery one according to his waies , and according to the fruit of his workes . and d they that hate sion , shall be all ashamed , and turned backward . but as the mountains are about ierusalem , e so the lord is about his people from henceforth and for euer . whom shall wee then need to feare ? what danger neede we dread ? for god f that is greater then all , is on our side : he is our shield and tower of defence : & his al-seeing eye doth watch continually for vs. for he g that keepeth israel doth neither slumber nor sleepe . are our enemies great and mighty ? the lord is high h aboue all nations , & his glory is aboue the heauens . great is our lord , ; and great is his power and he doth whatsoeuer he will. are they politique and subtle ? feare not . god i taketh the wise in their craftinesse , and the counsell of the wicked is made foolish . their mischiefe shall returne vpon their owne heads , and their cruelty shall fall vpon their owne pates . for the lord is omnipotent and his k wisdome is infinite . he hath pleasure in his people , and he will make the meeke l glorious by deliuerance . are they watchful and laborious to work thy ruine ? be not dismaid . for the lord , that guardeth thee , will not slumber . the m lord is thy keeper : he is thy shadow at thy right hand . do they menace and trouble thee ? be not discouraged ; for n the eyes of the lord are vpon thee . great are the troubles of the righteous : but the lord diliuereth him out of al. but malice shall slay they wicked : and they that hate the righteous , shall perish . do they traduce and disgrace thee ? hearken vnto me ( saith the lord ) ye o that know righteousnesse , and in whose heart is my law . feare ye not the reproch of men : neither be ye afraid of their rebukes . for the moth shall eate them vp like a garment , & the worme shal eat thē like wool●l i , euen i am he that comfort you . who art thou , that thou shouldest feare a mortall man , and the sonne of man , which shall be made as grasse ? yea but sathan that roaring and hungry lion doth assault thee , and seeke to deuoure thee . be nothing daunted , for christ iesus , the lion of the tribe of iudah , is stronger then he . p his eyes are as a flame of fire , able to discerne his stratagems : his feet are like vnto brasse , able to tread him downe and tame him : and his good will is so great vnto vs , as that q none shall plucke vs from him , and destroy vs. are we disturbed with temptations ? doth the flesh contend against vs ? do false teachers labour to peruert vs ? yet let vs not leaue our order , and leese our courage . for these may warre against vs , but they shall not win : they may contend , but they shall not conquer : they may disturbe vs , but they shall not de●urbe vs. for god will r confirme vs vnto the end : he will not suffer vs to be s seduced : he will not permit vs to be tempted t aboue our power . howsoeuer we may be weakened , yet he will not suffer vs to be wholy wasted , but with the temptation he will vouchsafe to giue vs an happy issue . premip●t●st ecclesia , non opprimi : oppugnari potest , expugnari non potest . the church of god may be pressed , but it cannot be oppressed . sathan may besiege her ▪ but he cannot batter her to the ground , and sack her . he may fight against her , but he cannot u vanquish her . for the lord will defend and guard her . he will neuer x leaue her , nor forget her . can a y woman forget her child , and not haue compassion on the sonne of her wombe ? though they should forget , yet will not i forget thee . behold i haue grauen thee vpon the palme of mine handes . z i haue loued thee with an euerlasting loue , and i will preserue thee . a the lord shall reigne for euer for the preseruation of his church . he hath laid her vpon a firme foundation , and b hath made the barres of her gates strong . carefull and good husbands haue a speciall regard of their grounds and houses . we are gods ground , we are his house ; and therefore we may perswade our selues that he hath a very singular care ouer vs to preserue and saue vs. he is the c sauiour of all men ▪ but especially of those that beleeue . he forsaketh not his saints ( saith dauid ) they d shall be preserued for euermore . though they fall , yet shall they not be cast off , for the lord putteth vnder his hand to lift them vp againe . men , when they see their houses weake , & exposed to wind and weather , do vse to vnderprop them , & to plant trees about them to defend them . euen so vndoubtedly the lord being priuy to our weakenesse doth support vs with the props of his grace , and doth enuiron vs with the tall and strong cedars of his power . for e he taketh delight in them that feare him , and attend vppon his mercy . he will neuer turne from them to do them good . f yea ( saith the lord ) i will delight in them to do them good . we may not thinke that god will bee carelesse of his house , if forgetfull man be carefull of his . in like manner also wise & thrifty husbands seeing their fields subiect to be wasted with cattell , and their corne to be troden downe and eaten vp , do vse to compasse them with pales or other fences , & to ouersee them . euen so the lord doth inclose his church , and ouersee her for her good , and is exceeding viligant ouer her . he taketh the foxes , which marre his vines : he killeth the boares : he driueth out the beasts : he mendeth her hedges : he repaireth her ditches . and hath a speciall care that his corne , his vines , and plants be not tooted vp & spoiled . if men respect their fields so diligently , it were horrible wickednesse for any man to imagine that god will neglect his ; especially considering that he payd so deerely for it as he did , & considering also he is able to keepe it safe without toile or wearinesse , and is not subiect to forgetfulnesse . eightly , seeing the church is gods field and house , we ought in no case to wrong her nor any of her members . for the iniury that is offered vnto her , doth redound vnto him , and he accounteth all the wronges as done vnto himselfe , which are done by their enimies vnto them . g in all their troubles he is troubled : and h they that touch them ( to do them harme ) do touch the very apple of his eye . it were a dishonest and wicked part in any man to spoile his neighbours field , or to pull downe or set fire on his house ; what horrible wickednesse then is it for any man to fire gods house , & to waste and make hauock in his field ? if i any man shall destroy the temple of god , him shal god destroy . for the temple of god ( saith paul ) is holy , which ye are . the church of god is a citty k sought out , and not forsaken of the lord. he hath clothed her with the garments of saluatiō , he hath couered her with the robe of righteousnesse ; and as a bride doth tire her selfe with her iewels , so doth the lord adorne her with his graces , and put the golden chaine of immortality about her necke . now darest thou oppose thy selfe against her , on whom god hath bestowed so great cost ? wilt thou maligne her whom he doth loue , and in his loue hath chosen to himselfe ? wil the l lord make his church an eternal glory , and shall she sucke the breasts of princes ; and ●ilt thou hate and disgrace her or any of her children ? did paul persecute christ m himselfe , because he persecuted his members ? so christ from heauen told him . now wilt thou be reputed a persecutor of christ iesus ? hast thou none to persecute , none to maligne , none to trouble but him , that dyed that thou mightest liue & not dye ? what none ? if thou wilt needs persecute & spoile , then persecute thine owne corruptions , spoile them , make hauocke of thy lusts , n which fight against thy soule , and labour to subdue thee . trouble not the church of god , do not persecute his people , touch not his annointed , & do his prophets no harme . indeed o the wicked practiseth against the iust , and gnasheth his teeth against him ; but wilt thou be so wicked ? look well to thy selfe . for p in the hand of the lord is a cup , and the wine is red : it is ful mixt , and he powreth out the same : surely all the wicked of the earth shall wring out and drinke the dregs therof . q he that is vpright in his way , is indeed ( as salomon teacheth ) an abomination to the wicked ; but shal he be abominable vnto thee ? wilt thou be that wicked man that will detest and abhorre him ? looke well about thee . for r the lord presert●● vpright in heart : but he will destroy all the wicked : the wicked , and him that loueth iniquity doth his soule h●te . indeed the wicked trouble gods heritage , and s smite downe his people with the fist of wickednesse . but he will recompence , them their wickednesse , and destroy them in their owne malice , t how oft shall the candle of the wicked be put out ? they shall be as stubble before the wind , & as chaffe that the storme carrieth away . therefore partake not with them in their sins ▪ lest thou be partaker of their punishments . trouble not gods people , do not annoy his field , take heed thou persecute not his church . for shee shall be a cup of poison vnto all that hate her ▪ and an heauy stone to all her enimes . all that lift it vp shall be torne ; though all the people of the earth be gathered together against it , god will not suffer his turtle doue to be taken , his church to be destroyed . therefore as u pilats wife sent word vnto him concerning christ , saying ; haue thou nothing to do with that iust man : so say i to thee concerning christ his church , and , all her members ; haue nothing to do with them to persecute and wrong them . for she is gods field , and they are his seed & his sets she is gods house , and they are his houshold seruants and his children . he loues them deerely , & keeps them very carefully . it were a bold part in a meane person to make spoile in a kings house , and to waste his grounds , and to pull vp his plants , and to treade downe his grasse and corne . what boldnesse were it then for vs , that are but w wormes & wretches , to make spoile in gods house , & to sp●ile or annoy the plants of gods owne planting , who is the king of all kings , who hath laid the foundation of the earth . and spanneth the heauens with his hand ? many men in pitty will not spoile a ground or garden for the plants that are in it , because of their goodnesse and comely order . the church of god is as a field or garden . her plants are as an x orchard of fomegranats with sweet fruits , as camphire , spikenard , saffran , calamus , and cinamon cinamon with all the trees of incense , myrre & aloes , with all the chiefe spices . god hath greatly graced al her members , & hath set al her plants in a comly order ; let vs therefore spare them , & not spoile them : let vs not harme and annoy them . the church is a faire and sumptuous building : yea she is a y crowne of glory in the hand of the lord , and a royall diademe in the hand of her god. and dare man maligne her ? shall the sonne of man whose breath is in his nostrils , seeke to fire her , or pull her downe ? let them beware they do not . for otherwise the lord will fan them , the wind shal carry them away , and the whirlewind of his wrath shall scatter them : they shall be burnt with the flames of their owne fire , and compassed about with their owne sparkles . if a man should breake into thy fields , and make spoile amongst thy corne : or if he should beat downe thy house , or fire it ouer thine head , maist thou not iustly be offended , & sue him at the law for his iniury done vnto thee ? there is no question to be made : the case is cleare . and shal we thinke that god will be silent and say nothing to those , that would spoile his field , that treade downe his corne , that cut downe his plants , that breake open his hedges , that annoy his house , and feeke to fire it ouer his head ? vndoubtedly except they repent and alter their course in time , the lord will arrest them , he will arraine them at the barre of his iustice , he will pleade against them , and condemne them . for if the sentence of death shal be pronounced against thē z that shewed no kindnesse to his seruants ; what can we thinke shall be the end of those but death ineuitable , which haue bene malicious , cruell and iniurious vnto them ? let vs therfore take heed that we do not hate & persecute the church of god , nor any of her children . she is gods field : she is gods house : this is reason sufficient to disswade vs from all secret and open machinations against her , though we had no other reason in the world besides . ninthly , seeing that the church is gods house and husbandry , we need not maruell that the diuell doth so maligne and molest her . for because he doth hate the husbandman and the housekeeper , therefore he doth also hate and persecute with mortall hatred and hostility his seruants and all ●hat belong vnto him , to whom he doth in speciall manner confer and manifest his grace . and hence it is also that she hath in all ages receiued hard measure of the world , & that the wicked of the world do persecute & storme against her members ; euen because she is gods field & habitation , and therefore is not of the world , but a stranger in the world , belonging to another kingdome and common-wealth . it is the fashion of dogges to barke at strangers ; it is no wonder then that the dogges of this world do barke at her and fly in her face : it is no maruell though they bite her children , and baulle at them . for they are strangers to them . they are not of them , but among them . they are not cast in one mould together , nor made of one mettall . foxes are by nature giuen to murder lambs : and boares are naturally carried to make hauocke in a vineyard , and to spoile the vines . the wicked through the peruersnesse of their corrupted nature are violently bent against the godly . beasts are giuen to breake hedges , to leape ouer ditches , and to spoile yong plants , & to treade downe corne . euen so these ( like vnruly beasts ) are carried hedlong by their drouer , and through the strong streame of their in-bred ma●ice to breake into gods field , to knopp● his tender plants , and to make wast amongst his corne . yea they maligne & spite them , because god doth countenance and grace them , because he doth repaire & husband them , & because they see that they are not so ful of weeds and ruines , as they themselues are , a but feare not , thou worme iacob , and ye men of israel . i will helpe thee , saith the lord. b cast thy burthen vpon the lord , and he shall nourish thee . the wicked that are strangers and enimies vnto his church from the wombe , c he will surely punish . he will breake their teeth , and crack their iawes . they shall melt like ice , and cons●me like snailes . he will carry them away , as with a whirlewind in his wrath . d thou , o god , shalt bring them downe into the pit of corruption : the bloody and deceiptfull men shall not liue out halfe their daies . finally , seeing we are gods field & building , we are al taught to loue one another . we are not two houses , but one : we are not two fields , but one . and therfore as one , we ought to loue and embrace one another . it were a prodigious sight to see one stone in a building to iustle with another . we are as e liuing stones in gods spirituall building : let vs therefore by loue lie close by one another : let vs not iustle one another . if an house be deuided against it selfe , how shall it stand ? we are gods house & houshold-seruants : therefore we must not be diuided against our selues , lest his house fall downe vpon our heads . diuision is a forerunner of destruction . therefore as one stone in a building beareth vp another , somtimes a little one bearing a greater , and sometime the greater bearing a lesser : euen so let vs beare vp and beare with one another : let vs not fly out of the wall : let vs not stomacke & enuy one another , alwaies remembring that we are the stones of one building , and all laid by one maister-mason . corne in one field , plants in one orchard , trees in one wood , flowers in one garden , and vines in one vineyard , do grow together without molesting and hindring one another . they stand together without discontentment : they shroud and harbour one another . we are the corne of gods field , the plants of his orchard , the trees of his wood , the flowers of his garden , and the vines of his vineyard : and therefore we should stand together without contempt & discontentmēt : & we ought to shroud and shilter one another . now f therefore as the elect of god , holy and beloued , put on the bowels of mercy , kindnesse , humility , meekenesse , long suffering . put away wrath , anger , malice , cursing : and hate not one another . g for he that hateth his brother , is in darkenes . but let vs loue one another , for h loue cōmeth of god , and euery , one that loueth , is borne of god. wouldest thou know that thou art in the state of life ? then loue thy brethren . we know ( saith i iohn ) that we are translated from death to life , because we loue the brethren : he that loueth not his brother , abideth in death . wouldest thou know that thou louest god ? then loue the children of god. for k euery one which loueth him , that did beget , loueth him also , which is begotten of him . wouldest thou abide in the true light ? then loue thy brother . for l he that loueth his brother , abideth in the light , & there is none occasion of euill in him . wouldest thou be like the lord that did beget thee ? then loue ; for m god is loue : wouldest thou be obedient vnto god ? thē loue thy neighbour ; for his n commandement is , that thou shouldest loue thy neighbor as thy selfe . finally , wouldest thou shew thy selfe a true disciple of christ thy sauiour ? then loue thy fellowes for o by this shall all men know ( saith christ ) that ye are my disciples , if ye haue loue one vnto another . let vs therefore affect one another with true loue . we are the sons of one father , the children of one mother , the tēple of one god , the field of one husbandman , the house of one inhabitant , the branches of one vine , the stones of one bilding , and the plants of one field ; let vs therfore keepe peace with our selues , & embrace one another in the armes of amity . so shall gods house continue , his throne shall endure , his field shall prosper , we our selues shall flourish , our ioys shall be increased , and our enimies shall be defeated of much aduantage . thus much concerning the instructions which arise out of the consideration of these two titles together . it remaineth now to set downe those that may be gathered from thē , being distinctly considered by themselues . and of the former first . chap. . we must keepe our selues wholly for god. we must be content with his husbanding . we must striue to be fruitfull in good things . they are to be dispraised that are barren . first , forsomuch as we are gods field , we must beware that we giue not our selues to any from him , we are not our own to dispose of as we list our selues , but his that hath bought vs , and taken vs in for himselfe . let vs therefore take heed that we suffer not our selues to be sowne with corrupt seed , & to be set with the plants of wickednesse . let not the diuell sow the tares of wicked errours and filthy sinnes within thee . thou art gods , keepe thy selfe cleane and pure for god. secondly , seeing we are gods field , let vs be content with his husbandnig of vs. the ground doth patiently beare the plowman and his plow , the sower and his seed without the least resistance . so let vs be content to beare with meekenesse , gods plough and his ploughmen , his seed and sowers . let vs endure all things , which he hath in his wisdome ordained to breake vs vp , & to make vs faire and fertile ; his word , his sacraments , his ministers , his orders . let vs not repine and storme against them , but subiect our selues , and beare them meekely without resisstance . thirdly , we are taught to be fruitful vnto god in faith , loue , repentance , and obedience . the good ground , which receiueth good seed , is very profitable to the owner , sending forth plenty of fruit . euē so we being sowen with the good and wholesome seed of gods word , we ought to bring forth fruit aboundantly , that our owner may haue a plentiful crop . it is a cursed ground that receiues seed , & yet affoordeth either nothing or nought but weedes . we are gods field , a●d therefore we should not be like the field of the a sluggard , that is ouergrowne with thornes & nettles . if a field be broken vp with the plough , and if good seed be not sowen therein , it will bring forth more store of weeds , then if it had laine vnplowed . so if the seeds of christian vertues be not sowne in our heartes , and fructify in our liues now that we haue ben broken vp with the plough of gods word , we shall more abound with the stinking weedes of wickednesse , then if we had neuer felt that plough . let vs therefore looke to our selues , and labour to be fruitfull in good thing , b apply thine heart to instruction , and thine eares to the words of knowledge . c he that followeth after righteousnesse and mercy , shall find life , righteousnesse , and glory . now that we may be fruitfull , we must performe these duties following . first , we must roote those sinfull weedes out of our hearts , which oppresse and choke them . d breake vp your fallow ground , and sow not among the thornes , be circumcised to the lord , and take away the foreskin of your hearts . secondly , we must labour to be partakers of gods word , hungring and thirsting after it , as after food . it is the plough , that must breake vs vp : it is the beetle that doth beat our clotty hearts : it is the seed that must be scattered vpon them : and it is the raine also , that makes the seed spring vp and grow : it is the meanes ; indeed the blessing is from the lord. e wherefore laying aside all maliciousnes , all guile , simulation , enuy , and all euill speaking , as new borne babes desire the sincere milk of the word , that ye may grow thereby . thirdly , when the seed is sowne , let it find roome within vs. let vs giue it liberty to roote and spread it selfe in our heartes . as a ship cannot saile without sea-roome : so the seed cannot grow without earth-roome . we must therefore giue the seed of gods word roome in our heartes : we must yeeld vnto it , we must giue it passage in vs , we must locke it vp in the closet of a faithfull heart , and beleeue it . the word hath bene f vnprofitable to many , because it was not mixed in them with faith . fourthly , we must not only heare the word , but we must let it worke in our liues , we must expresse it in our conuersations . be ye doers of the word , g and not hearers onely only ( saith saint iames ) deceiuing your owne selues . for if any man heare the word , & do it not , he is like vnto a man , that beholdeth his naturall face in a glasse . for when he hath considered himselfe , he goeth his way , and forgetteth immediately what manner of one he was . he that heares & does not , is like him , that eates and thriues not . fiftly , because the blessing commeth from aboue , we ought therefore earnestly to begge a blessing of god vpon the knees of our soules , that his word may take deepe roote in our hearts downewards , and bring forth fruit plentifully in our liues vpwards ; and that as the sunne doth whiten cloth , resolue the snow , melt the hardest yee , and giue light vnto the world , so his word may melt our hearts , and whiten them ; and so dispell the darkenesse of our mindes , as that we may repent of all our sins , and see the riches of his grace , and may haue light to come out of the waies of darkenesse , and to walke before him in the wayes of life . sixtly , we should set before our eyes that great reward , which god will bestow vpon all such as are fruitfull in good workes , and abound in the fruites of the spirit . they shall haue heauen , & earth , and all things whatsoeuer are needfull and fitting for them . and the more they doe exceed in grace , the more they shall excell in glory . seuenthly , we ought to consider diligently the examples of gods children , dead and aliue , that haue bene & are full of good fruits , good deeds , and who shine in christian graces before all other men : and hauing their patterns set before vs ( as scholers haue their copies ) we should stir vp ourselues and study to resemble them , yea & go before thē . many mē thinke skorn that any should go beyond thē in foolish fashions , and vaine attire ; wherefore then should we be content through our dronish & heauy disposition that any should strip vs in the race of christianity , and be more plentiful and ranke in bearing the fruits of righteousnes , then we our selues are ? especially considering that we haue the plough of gods word , the seed of wholesome doctrine , & the sweet shewers of heauenly counsels , exhortations , admonitions , and dehortations , as plentifully among vs , as they haue amongst them , and more plentifully too it may be . one man striues to haue as good corne as another : why then should not we labour to be as rich in grace as our brethren ? lastly , if we would be fruitfull , we must beware of the cares of the world , that they do not like thornes choke the seed that is sowen in vs , & ouershadow it . we must also take heed that it be not washt away with the waters of afflictions , & skorched with the burning heat of persecutions . and finally we must take heed of the examples of the wicked , and that sathan & the birds of hel do not steale it from vs , & pick it out of our hearts . fourthly , those are to be condemned , that take vpon them the name of gods field or husbandry , and will needs be reputed his seruants ; and yet are either barren as an heath , or fruitfull in nothing , but in the vnfruitful works of darknes ; as drunkēnesse , ignorance , couetousnesse , malice , enuy , swearing , pride , idlenesse , and vncleannesse . h the field that receiueth the raine , that fals often on it , and brings forth herbes fit for the husbandman , receiueth a blessing of god : but that which bringeth forth thornes & thistles , is reproued , and is neere a curse : and the end of that field is burning . we are gods field : his plough hath bene amongst vs fifty yeares together , alwaies going vpon vs. his seed hath bene continually scattered vpon vs all this time . he hath watered vs richly with the raine of heauenly instructions , and the sunne of righteousnesse hath all this time shone vpon vs with his most glorious gospell . now if we shall bring forth nothing ( as too many do ) but the thornes of iniquity , the thistles of vngodlinesse , the nettles of fleshly lusts , and the noisome weeds of wickednesse , what can we looke for but a curse ? what do we else deserue , but that he should make vs desolate as a desert , and burne vs vp with the fire of his wrath ? the lord said concerning his vineyard in iudea , that because he bestowed much cost vpon it , & it brought forth nothing but wild & sowre grapes , i he would take away the hedge thereof , and breake downe the wall . yea , saith the lord , i will lay it wast : briars and thornes shall grow vp : it shall not be cut nor digged : i will also command the cloudes that they raine no raine vpon it . wee are gods vineyard here in england : he hath hedged vs about : he hath built a tower , & made a wine-presse amongst vs : he hath sent his workemen among vs : he hath enuironed vs with many outward blessings : he hath set watchmen to keepe vs : and he hath long expected good grapes , and a fruitfull vinetage . but alas , our grapes are generally sowre and wild : our grapes are the grapes of gall , & our clusters are bitter : our wine is the poison of dragons , and the cruell gall of aspes . our ingratitude is great , our enormities are horrible , our wickednesse is abominable . we walke according to the stubbornenesse of our harts : we haue made our browes of brasse , and our foreheads of marble . we draw on sin as it were with cart-ropes , & adde drunkennes vnto thirst . our dealings do testify as much to our faces . all the toile that hath bene taken with vs , doth seeme to be euen lost in the most . the bellowes are burnt : the lead is consumed in the fire : the founder melteth in vaine . the word of the prophets is not regarded : the raine of their exhortations runs by vs ▪ and is not receiued . and although we be continually dressed , & daily pruned by the word of god as by a sprittle or pruning knife , yet are we full of superfluous branches , & our fruit is rotten , sowre , vnwholesome , & vnpleasant . what may we now expect of god , if he shall deale with vs , as we haue dealt with him , but that he should pull downe his hedge , breake downe his wal , and lay this vineyard waste , and bestow his paines vpon a people , that will bring forth better fruites ? let vs therefore repent before it bee too late : let vs labour against our barrennesse vnto good , & against our vnfruitfull ▪ fruitfulnesse in that which is euill . shall we labour that our soile may be good and fertile , and shall we with patience see our soules sterile & vnfruitfull ? can we not endure our gardens to be ouergrowne with weedes , and shall we suffer our heartes to be defaced with sin , which is more stinking and infestant then any weed is , or can be ? shall we desire god to giue vs the first and the latter raine to water our grounds , and shall we not pray him also to water the dry ground of our hearts with the sweet shewers of his graces , and to moisten and soke vs with the water of his spirit ? shal we desire god to shew kindnesse vnto vs in giuing vs the timely fruites of the yeare , and shall we be vnkind vnto him in keeping frō him the timely fruits of our hearts ? do we dislike slerility in our groundes , & barrennesse in our sheep and kine , & shall we not as wel dislike the barrennesse of our hearts , and the spirituall sterility of our soules ? if we would shew our selues to be indeed the field of god , and would not shame his husbandmen , let vs striue against our barrennesse : let vs lay aside all the vnfruitfull works of darkenesse : and let vs labour to bring forth fruits in aboundance beseeming repentance , and those that professe themselues to be the field of the liuing god. and thus much for the first title . chap. . we ought to trim vp our selues . we may be sure that god will keepe house within vs. the vses , which we ought to make of the consideration of the second title , are especially two . first , considering that we are gods house , we are taught so to dresse vp our selues , as that we may be pleasing to him , and not offensiue . to this end we must remoue those things which are displeasing , and deck our selues with such things as he doth delight in . we must therfore tune the disordered strings of our sinfull soules , & labour for a sweet concent in all our affections , that they may be iointly fixed vpon good and not on euill , & that there may be as li●tle discord & iarring in thē as is possible , whiles we continue in these houses of clay . we must yet proceed a little further , labouring with all our power to cleanse our soules & bodies of all filthinesse of sin . we must kill the spiders of a poisonfull and rancorous spirit . we must brush downe the cobwebs of proud and haughty imaginations , which are mounted vp into the turrets of the head , and cleaue ( as it were ) to the seeling of the braine . we must by true repentance sweep out of our hearts the dust of wickednesse , as couetousnesse , worldly cares , and such like , and cleanse out all vncleanenesse of fornication and fleshly desires . we must let out the smoake of iniquity , and purge our selues of al our sins by true remorse , by godly sorrow , and vnfeigned mortification . a o ierusalem wash thine heart from wickednesse , that thou maist be saued ! how long shall thy wicked thoughts remaine within thee ? wash you , b make you cleane ( saith the lord : ) take away the euill of your works from before mine eyes , we must not make our selues , who are gods house , to be the dennes of sins , which like theeues rob him of that honour which is due vnto him . therfore as good c iosiah , tooke away all the abominations out of all his countries : so let vs by true repentance remoue al our sins , which are al abominable , out of all the corners of our hearts . and as the d priests and leuits cleansed all the house of god , and brought out all the vncleanenesse , & threw it into kidron : so let vs which are spirituall e priests in gods spirituall temple , cleanse the houses of our hearts of all vncleanenesse of our sins , and condemne and cast them into the pit of hell , that sulphirie lake , from whence they came ; that so the workes of the diuell being dissolued & himselfe eiected , he may be past all hope of future entrance and recouery of his former hold ; that howsoeuer he may looke in at the doore , or peep in at the window by his tentations , and dart in a wicked thought , yet he may find no roome swept vp and furnished for him to rest in , and make his mansion . neither is it sufficient for vs to clense our selues of that which doth defile vs : but we must : also decke and adorne our selues with those things , which are neat and comly ▪ we should therfore strew our hearts with the fresh flowers of gods graces . we f should decke our selues inwardly with the lowlinesse of mind . we should hang our soules with the rich arras and costly tapestry of holinesse , innocency and sinceritie . we should perfume our hearts with coales of iuniper and with the frankincense of gods spirit . we should set open our windowes , that the blessed sunne of righteousnesse may shine into vs , to warme and enlighten vs. we should set open the gates of our hearts that the king of glory may come in . and finally we should present our selues vnto him , as a liuing and holy sacrifice . we should prepare the banquet of an honest heart and a good conscience for him . and we should giue him the best entertainement , that we are able , in all respect . and so doing we shall be pleasing to him , and shall reape exceeding comfort to our selues . and therfore al those are to be reproued , which professe themselues to be the houses of the liuing god , and yet wallow in their sins , as hogges in the mire , & are full of the dust of wickednesse , giuing themselues ouer to ignorāce , profanenes , worldlinesse , drunkennes , epicurisme , & all vncleanenes . these are not the temples of the spirit but the tents of the diuell . these are not the houses of god , but the tabernacles of wickednesse , the sinks of sin , & the cabbins of vncleane spirits ; hauing not onely the fire of sin within them , but beeing indeed also compassed about with the flames thereof on euery side . and let them in time take heed and come forth . for sin is a fire that burneth to destruction . it worketh both a confusion in the soule , & the confusion of the soule . the wages thereof is the eternall death both of soule and body . rom. . secondly , seeing we are gods house , we may assure our selues that he will reside and dwell within vs. the lord will be in his temple for euer . now what a singular comfort should this be to vs alway , in that we haue the great god of heauen and earth residing in vs ? what an honour is it to vs that the king of kings should keepe his court continually in vs ? let vs be thankfull to him for this fauour . be not like the thanklesse swine , that swallowes downe the fruit , but lookes not to the treee from whence it fell . and so much for the first doctrine . chap. . men may be gods house & husbandry , though they be not so holy as is meet . doct. secondly , in that the apostle cals the corinthians ( who were factious , fleshly , litigious , and somthing too disorderly ) gods field & building ; i cōclude that mē professing christ , as they did , must not for some enormities be by & by reputed abiects , or men , that are not in grace with god , or as men , that are fallen from god , and cut off from christ . dauid , salomon , hezekiah and peter sinned grieuously , but yet they were neuer wholly forsaken of god , nor voyde of true grace ; though for a time it was cast as it were into a swoone , and lay obscure , as fire in ashes , or as the act of reason in a man that is starke drunke , or fast asleepe . though thou fauour of the smoake of sin , and be vp to the wayst in iniquitie , yet if thou labor to come forth , and dost purge thy selfe by penitency , thy case is not desperate , it is not damnable . if thou beest weake and fleshly , as these corinthiant were ; yet if thou wilt warre with thy flesh , and contend against thy weaknesse , if thou doest labour constantly to subdue thy lusts , and doest truly repent of thy sinne so soone as thou dost espie it , then despaire not , but assure thy selfe that thou art in gods fauour , and that thou art one of his plants , & a liuing stone of his spirituall building : and enioying his fauor in this life , thou shalt also see his face to the solace of thy soule in the life to come . amen . morning prayer for the family . o eternal lord god , who art great and fearefull , and shewest mercy to them that loue thee , and keep thy commandements : we haue committed iniquity , and haue done wickedly before thine eyes , we haue rebelled against thy maiesty , & haue transgressed against thy lawes , we haue bin vnmindful of thy mercies , & do continually sin against thee , so that to vs appertaineth open shame , and confusion of face for euer : yet compassion and forgiuenes is in thee , there is mercy with thee that thou maist be feared . haue mercy therfore vpon vs , we humbly pray thee , and according to the multitude of thy compassions put away our transgressions . encline thine eare , o lord , and heare . looke vpon vs in thy sonne christ iesus , and in him be reconciled to vs. giue vs the feeling of thy grace , and an assurance of thy princely pardon . put thy spirit into our hearts ( wee beseech thee ) and cause vs to walke in thy waies . breake our marble hearts asunder , take away their stoninesse , and mollify them with the oile of thy grace . cause vs to hate & leaue our sinnes , and to warre with all our lusts . draw vs ; and we will run after thee : conuert vs , & we shall be conuerted . incline our hearts vnto thy testimonies , and keepe vs in thy feare . teach vs , o lord , to number our daies , that we may apply our hearts vnto wisedom . thou art our creatour , forsake not the worke of thine hands . cause the light of thy countenance to shine vpon vs , and let thy tender mercies come vnto vs. direct our steps in thy word : stay vs , and we shall be safe . leaue vs not vnto our selues , but susteine vs by thy grace . prosper the works of our hands , and giue successe vnto our labours . let our going out and coming in be blessed , and cause thine angels to protect vs. thou art our father , prouide thou for vs , and preserue vs. thou hast wedded vs vnto thy selfe as an husband , suffer vs not to goe an whoring from thee . thou hast bene beneficial to vs , thou hast giuen vs thy gospell , thou hast sent vs thy prophets , thou hast honored vs with peace and prosperity , and hast giuen vs great deliuerances : our health , our friends , our liberty , all our being and well being , all that we haue , euen all is of thee : thou giuest vs our rest in the night , thou makest vs sleepe in safety , and renewest thy mercies to vs in the morning : infinite is thy loue , innumerable are thy fauours toward vs : we beseech thee therefore , o lord , giue vs thankfull hearts vnto thy maiesty . open thou our lips , that our mouths may shew forth thy praise : & grant vs grace to dedicate our selues vnto thee . blesse ( we pray thee ) thy holy church , and be good vnto thy people . giue not the soule of thy turtle done vnto the beast . be fauourable vnto sion , and build the wals of ierusalem . increase thy kingdome , & destroy thine enimes . blesse thy seruant iames our noble king : find out his enimies , set thy selfe against them , and make his crowne to flourish on his head . be mercifull ( we beseech thee ) to all other states amongst vs : giue eare to the cry of thy saints , & not to the cry of our sins . grant , o lord , that we may all of vs serue thee in the vnity of faith with vnanimity of spirit , that so glorifying thy name in this world , we may be glorified of thee for euer in the world to come . heare vs , o lord , we beseech thee , and grant vs these our requests for the merits of iesus christ alone ; vnto whom with thee and the holy ghost be rendred all honour , praise , and power this day and for euer . euening prayer for the family . gratious god and mercifull father in iesus christ , we do here bow downe the knees of our soules and bodies in thy presence , offering vp this our euening sacrifice of praise & praier vnto thee , giuing thee vnfeigned thanks , for all thy fauours towards vs , for electing vs vnto eternall life , for creating vs according to thine image , for redeeming vs by the bloud of thy son , for sanctifying vs by thine holy spirit , for our health , peace , and liberty , for clothing and feeding vs , for protecting and prospering of vs this present day , and for that great and admirable deliuerance vouchsafed to this whole state and kingdom from that barbarous and bloudy confusion , plotted & almost performed by the wicked , the children of babel : thy name ( o lord ) be praised for these and all other thy mercies . forgiue vs , we beseech thee , our great vnthankfulnesse and all the rest of our sins , our ignorances , wilfulnesses , negligences , presumptions , & all other our transgressions , & rebellions : o lord , forgiue them all vnto vs for iesus christ his sake . wash them al away in his bloud , naile them fast vnto his crosse , & bury thē in his graue . cloth vs ( we pray thee ) with his robes , and honour vs with thy spirit . worke in vs godly sorrow and remorsefull spirits . mortify our sinfull lusts , and adorne vs with all thy graces . open our eyes , that we may see thy will , and incline our hearts to follow it . direct vs in thy waies , and keepe vs from declining from thee . teach vs so to frame our liues before thee in this word , that we may liue for euer with thee in the world to come . be merciful ( o lord , we beseech thee ) to thy church , and to all her faithfull members : comfort them with thy comforts , and inrich them with thy graces . blesse this kingdome , wherein we liue , pardon the sins of all estates amongst vs , and continue thy gospell to vs , and to our posterity , to the end of the world . looke vpon thine annointed iames our souereigne lord & king : adorne his heart with all regall and christian vertues , vphold his scepter , prolong his reigne , & laugh his foes to skorne . blesse our gracious queene anne , prince henry , and the rest of their princely progeny . be mercifull to all other orders amongst vs , aswell ecclesiasticall as ciuill : and as thou aboundest in thy mercies towards vs , so grant that we may striue to abound in all thankfulnesse towards thee . finally , o lord , for our selues ; we beseech thee to take vs to thy fatherly protection : pardon the weakenesse of our praiers , watch thou ouer vs to our good , & giue vs such rest & sleep that we may be the fitter enabled to serue thee the next day in our general and speciall callings . heare ( holy father ) from the heauens , and grant vs all these our requests for iesus christ his sake , thine onely sonne , and our onely sauiour : to whom with thee and thine holy spirit , one most wise , glorious and eternall god , be rendred all power , praise , & glory this night & for euer . amen . trin-vni deo gloria . finis . notes, typically marginal, from the original text notes for div a -e deut. . deut. . deut. . . . ex. , . . nouem . . an. . . cor. . . thes . . notes for div a -e a . cor. . . b chedia . ● . c . ●●g . . d . paulus e iesse . . salamo . notes for div a -e a acts. . . b . tim. . . c gal. . . d gal. . . . e zach. . . f . tim. . . g ps . . . i . tim. acts. . . k rom. . . . l is . ▪ . a gal. . . b . cor. . c psa . . . d . chron . . iob. . . iam . . e prou. . . mat. . iames. . . f iosh . . . g isay . . h mat. . i . cor. . k . pet. . l matth. . m . c●r . . . . n mat. . o gal. . . . a . cor. . . b exod. . . . c gen. . . d gen. . . e act. . . f luk. . . g . cor. . . h rom. . i . cor. . . k gal. . . l . cor. . . m ps . . n amos. . . o mat . p . cor. . . . q . cor. . r . cor. . . a . tim. . . a . tim. . . b eph. . c . chron. . . d ezeck . . . a mat. . c heb. . . d luk. . . e rom. . . f ier. . g num. . . ministers must 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 . a . tim. . . b . cor. . . c . cor. . . d . cor. . . e . cor. . . f . tim. . . g . tim. . . h . tim. . . . in mat. . i exod. . . . k gen. . l exod. . . m mat. . n ps . . . . o mal. . . p reu. . . q exod. . . r ps . . . isay . . . ſ ps . . u mar. . ● . leuit. . . x mat. . . y mat. . . . z eccl. ● . . . ▪ a mar. . . b . tim. . ● . c act. . d . cor. . 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 . e rom. . ● . f lu. . . g iam. . h ier. . . i ier. ▪ . a heb. . ● b . tim . . . tim. . . c . tim. d math. . . mat. . . e iam. . . f isay . . . g mal. . . h lam . . lam. . . . i pro. . ● k mal. . . l mat. . . a . cor. . . b . tim. . . c ier. . . d pro. . . e iob. . . f . p●t . . . g mat. . . h pro. . . i . thes . . . k act. . . . . l act. . . m ephes . . . pet. . . n gen. . . o ezek. . . p pastoris est pascere , n●n deglubere . q . cor. . r cor. . ſ . cor. . . t iude. . u reu. . . u pro. . ● . x pro. . . y exod. . . z act. . . a isa . . . b iudg. . note . c . cor. . . d gal. . . e ier. . . f heb. . g iob . , h heb. . . a . cor. . . b chron. . . . c cor. . . d iob. . prou. . f . pet. g act. ● . . a neh. . . b eph. . c ier. . . d ez. . . e ier. ● . . f tit. . . g isai . . . h mich. ▪ . i kin. . . k . sam. . . l isay . m isay . . n for sheep ma● be driuen to the ●acks : but lions must be fed at the staues end , lest ●hey feed on them , that would ●●ed them o isa . . p gal. . . tim. . . a gen. . . b . cor ▪ . c psa . . . d . pet. . e ouid. f . pet. . . g . tim . . . h mat. . . i eccl. . . k gal. . l nehe. . m ex● . . n psal . . o ex. . . p isa . . . q luk. ▪ . a psal . . . . b psal . . . psal . . . c is . . . d . tim. . tit. . . e . cor. . . f mar. . ▪ ▪ g . king . h nehe. . i iosephus k . tim. . . l . ioh. . . ● . thes . . . m rom. . n ouid. o rom. . . p rom. . . q kings . . r mat. . . tit. . . ſ rom. ▪ . t eph. . u eph. . . gal. ▪ . eph . w luk. . . act. . . x rom. . . y morbida s●la ●ecus totum ●orrumpit oui●e . z mark. . . a psa . . . b ioh. . . c virg. a iohn . . . b heb. . c cor. . . d psal . . ● . e cor. . . f pet. . g cor. . . h cor. . . a isa . . . b . cor. . . . c isa . . . d ier. . . . . e eze. . . ● . acts , . . f iosh . . . heb ▪ . h heb. . . i ●am . . isa . . . . k psa . . a . cor. b dan. . . c . tim. . . h pet. . e mat. ● . f mat. . a cor. . b cor. . . act. . . cor. . c iob . d isa . . e iob . ▪ f psal . . . . g psa . . . h ps● . . . . i . sam. . . k leuit. . . a eph . . b tit. . . a thes . . . . . b tim. c eph. . ▪ & . d cor. . e act. . f aug. note . g . tim. . . h ioh. . ▪ i mark. . . k . tim . . l act. . . m . tim. . . . a con●er the . cor . : with phil. . & . . b . thes . . c phi. . . d ex. . e cor. . . philem. . f rom. . . g eph. . . col. . . h isa . . i act. . ● heb. . k mal . . reu. . . cor. . . l reu ▪ . . m . tim . . n gal. , . . o ecclus. . . p math. . . q ioh. ▪ r tit. . . a tit. . . b lam. . c sam. d isay . . . . e math. . . f king. . . g iam. . psa . . . h psa . . . a heb . b . cor. . . c ier. . . ez. . . mat. . d act. . e ez. ● f zach. . . pro. . . g . chron. . h ier. . ier. . . obiect . . sol. i gal. . . k ez. . l kin. . m iudg. . n mat. . . . obiect . . sol. obiect . sol. o iul. scal. p . thes . . . a hebr. . . b cor. . . phil. . . thes . . thes . . . pet. . . c pro. . a iam. . . b eccles . . . c pro. . . d gen. . . a heb. . ● b king. ● ▪ c . tim. . d cor. . . e ●hilem . . f cor. . . g luk . mat. . h deut. . i . cor. . . k deut. . l gal. . . m . cor. n gal. . ● o . cor . . iu ▪ . ad fin. p . tim. . . q tenaces . r . k●ng . . . s iob. . . t vt nil asperius nddam u . tim. ● . . . w rapapes . x psa . ● . . y ex. . z hebr. . p●o. ● cor. . pro. . a cal. . . b . sam. . . c mal. . . . d pro. . . e psal . f pro. . . g psal . . . notes for div a -e a . ioh. . . b deut. . . . cor. . c vt res suis modis , qui sunt in re . d hebr. . . e psal . . . . f ephe. . . g . pet. . h phil. . i . cor. . . phil. . . k eph . . . l . cor. . . m . cor. . . n isa . . o . pet. . p mat. . q ioh. . . r eph. . s eph. . t reu. . . u eph. . w . cor. . x . cor. . . y ephe. . . z pet. . a pet. . b eccles . . . c psa . . d cant. . cant. . . . e ephes . . f psa . . g act , . h cant. . i mat. , k cant. . l ioh. . ● . m act. . . pet. . . n rom . . o tim. . p , pet. . . q pet , , r psa . ephes . . . in ps . paeni● orat. in d. eu , vbi supra . in l. reg. serm. . de ●●iun . . ●ens . ●n cap. . ad ephe. a cor. . . b tim. . . c cor. . d mal. . . ephes . . iude. , e pro. . . f ephes . . . reu. . . g cant , . . h ephes , . . i cant , , , and , , k cant , , , vse . . a pro. . cor. . b cant. . . c isa ▪ . d ier. . e rom. . f pe● . . g gal. , ● h ier. . psa . . , vse . vse . vse . i cant. . k cant. . . & . l can● . . m cant. . . n cant. . . cant. . o cant. . . . p heb . . 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 . q iude , . vse . r isa . . ſ psa , , . t isa , , . u psa . . ● . w isa . . . vse . x psa . y cant. . . z ier . vse . a zeph. . b isa . . c ier. ● . d psa . . e ●sa . . f ioh. . . g psa . . h psa . . psa . . . psa . . . i iob. . , k psa . . . l psa . . . m psa . . . . n psa . . . . o isa . . . . p reu. . . q ioh. . . r cor. . s mat. . . t . cor. ● . u mat. . . x heb. . y isa . . . z i●● . . isa . . . a psa . ● . b psa . ▪ ● . c tim. . d psa . . . . e psa . . . f ier. . . vse . . g isa . . . h zach. . i . cor. . . k isa . . . l isa . . . m act. . . n . pet. . . o psa . . p psa . . . q pro. . . r psa . . . psa . . psa . . . s psa . . . ● . t iob. . . . u mat. . w iob. . x cant. . . y isa . . . z mat. . vse . . a isa . . . b psa . c psa . . d psa . . vse . e pet ▪ . f col. ● . . . g ioh. . h ioh. . . i ioh. . k io● . . l ioh. . m ioh. . . n mat. . . o ioh. . . vse . vse . vse . . a pro. . . b pro. . . c pro. . . d ier. . e pet. . . . f heb. . . g iam. . vse . . h heb. . . i isa . . . . vse . . a ier. . b isa . . c chron . . d chron . . . e reu. . . f pet. . . vse . . notes for div a -e nouem . anno. . saints by calling: or called to be saints a godly treatise of our holy calling to christ, by the gospell. with the seuerall gifts proper vnto the called: and their counterfeits in the hypocrites which are not partakers of this effectuall calling. written by thomas wilson, minister of gods word, at s. georges church in canterbury. 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(eebo-tcp ; phase , no. a ) transcribed from: (early english books online ; image set ) images scanned from microfilm: (early english books, - ; : ) saints by calling: or called to be saints a godly treatise of our holy calling to christ, by the gospell. with the seuerall gifts proper vnto the called: and their counterfeits in the hypocrites which are not partakers of this effectuall calling. written by thomas wilson, minister of gods word, at s. georges church in canterbury. wilson, thomas, - . [ ], , [ ] p. printed by w. iaggard, dwelling in barbican, [london] : . john jaggard worked as a printer in london - . errata on recto of g , final leaf. some print show-through; page stained but readable. reproduction of the original in the british library. created by converting tcp files to tei p using tcp tei.xsl, tei @ oxford. re-processed by university of nebraska-lincoln and northwestern, with changes to facilitate morpho-syntactic tagging. gap elements of known extent have been transformed into placeholder characters or elements to simplify the filling in of gaps by user contributors. eebo-tcp is a partnership between the universities of michigan and oxford and the publisher proquest to create accurately transcribed and encoded texts based on the image sets published by proquest via their early english books online (eebo) database (http://eebo.chadwyck.com). the general aim of eebo-tcp is to encode one copy (usually the first edition) of every monographic english-language title published between and available in eebo. eebo-tcp aimed to produce large quantities of textual data within the usual project restraints of time and funding, and therefore chose to create diplomatic transcriptions (as opposed to critical editions) with light-touch, mainly structural encoding based on the text encoding initiative (http://www.tei-c.org). the eebo-tcp project was divided into two phases. the , texts created during phase of the project have been released into the public domain as of january . anyone can now take and use these texts for their own purposes, but we respectfully request that due credit and attribution is given to their original source. users should be aware of the process of creating the tcp texts, and therefore of any assumptions that can be made about the data. text selection was based on the new cambridge bibliography of english literature (ncbel). if an author (or for an anonymous work, the title) appears in ncbel, then their works are eligible for inclusion. selection was intended to range over a wide variety of subject areas, to reflect the true nature of the print record of the period. in general, first editions of a works in english were prioritized, although there are a number of works in other languages, notably latin and welsh, included and sometimes a second or later edition of a work was chosen if there was a compelling reason to do so. image sets were sent to external keying companies for transcription and basic encoding. quality assurance was then carried out by editorial teams in oxford and michigan. % (or pages, whichever is the greater) of each text was proofread for accuracy and those which did not meet qa standards were returned to the keyers to be redone. after proofreading, the encoding was enhanced and/or corrected and characters marked as illegible were corrected where possible up to a limit of instances per text. any remaining illegibles were encoded as <gap>s. understanding these processes should make clear that, while the overall quality of tcp data is very good, some errors will remain and some readable characters will be marked as illegible. users should bear in mind that in all likelihood such instances will never have been looked at by a tcp editor. the texts were encoded and linked to page images in accordance with level of the tei in libraries guidelines. copies of the texts have been issued variously as sgml (tcp schema; ascii text with mnemonic sdata character entities); displayable xml (tcp schema; characters represented either as utf- unicode or text strings within braces); or lossless xml (tei p , characters represented either as utf- unicode or tei g elements). keying and markup guidelines are available at the text creation partnership web site . eng clergy -- appointment, call, and election -- early works to . vocation, ecclesiastical -- early works to . - tcp assigned for keying and markup - apex covantage keyed and coded from proquest page images - tcp staff (michigan) sampled and proofread - john latta text and markup reviewed and edited - pfs batch review (qc) and xml conversion saints by calling : or called to be saints . a godly treatise of our holy calling to christ , by the gospell . with the seuerall gifts proper vnto the called : and their counterfeits in the hypocrites which are not partakers of this effectuall calling . written by thomas wilson , minister of gods word , at s. georges church in canterbury . ephes. , . walke worthy of the vocation whereunto ye are called . . pet. , . make your calling and election sure , and giue all diligence thereunto . printed by w. iaggard , dwelling in barbican , . to the right honourable , the countesse of leycester widow , all health and happinesse of soule and body from christ our lord , both now and for euer . right honourable , after many children ( bookes i meane ) which are a fruite that springeth out of wit ( as out of a wombe ) eleuen in number , which god hath giuen me in the few and euill dayes of my pilgrimage ; hee hath now at length of his goodnesse , added vnto them a twelfth ( a beniamin ) like the twelue sonnes of iacob : it is my last and youngest child , begotten and brought forth in my old age , being fast forward to the yeeres of a man. in naturall generation , the first borne ( reuben-like ) is the beginning of parents strength , the excellency of dignity , and the excellency of power ; gen. . . but it is otherwise in this spirituall birth , where the first that come into the christian world , ( by weakenesse of iudgement in the parents , and want of yeeres and experience ) they are commonly the feeblest and vnworthiest ; those prouing most strong and excellent which be last borne . good madam , i could wish that i might so speake of this my beniamin , the sonne of my right hand , and of my old age ; and surely i haue some little reason to hope it will proue so : ( pardon the ouermuch indulgence of a father , euen holy dauid could ouer fancy adoniah his childe , and good elie could ouerualew two not good sonnes ) because this is the off spring and issue that proceeded from me in the greatest infirmity of my body , but in the best strength of my mind ; when i had in an ancient city , and a great people for the space of thirty foure yeeres and aboue , beene exercised in my ministery from sabboth to sabboth ; so as i may trust this treatise wil haue more perfection then his brethren . which howsoeuer it may proue for manner of handling , yet hereof i am well perswaded , that the matter and argument is most worthy and weighty ; for it is about our holy and effectuall calling , to our celestiall and eternall king , by the ministery of the gospell ; which is the beginning and first step into the state of grace , after wee are entred into this elementary world , and our most excellent dignity therein . as constantine the great acknowledged , that to be a true christian by diuine vocation , was more esteemed of him then his crowne and empire , which are corruptible ; the other being vncorruptible and neuer perishing , as the worke of gods exceeding great power , wherein he vttered no lesse strength and might , then in the creation of the world , or in the resurrection of christ from the dead ; ephe. i. verse , . for in this worke of effectuall calling , the elect being by nature dead , corrupt and blind in minde , peruerse in their will and affections , are by a wonderfull force ( yet sweetely and with delight ) drawne to the life of faith , being enabled to see christ , and to loue and obey him as their sauiour , calling them out of darkenesse into his maruellous light . the reasons mouing me to single out your honour from among many both honourable and worthy friends of all rankes , vnto whom i might dedicate this christian dialogue , are two . first , the report of your true calling to christ , and of your sound loue & obedience to your caller , and great affection ye beare to all about you , called to be saints , both faithfull ministers and christians . secondly , for that ye haue been the chiefe instrument vnder god , to call my eldest sonne to be the first that euer actually enioyed that great exhibition , a good while sithence giuen by your right noble and most honourable husband , the earle of leycester , for the maintenance of two schollars for euer in the vniuersity colledge at oxford : for the which , if i should not euery way as i am able , shew my selfe thankefull to your honour , i should be most vnworthy of such a benefit , being so freely conferred vpon one vnknowne to your honour . the daily prayers of my family , which are all the better for this good turne , both haue beene , and shall be offered vp vnto god the father , through christ his sonne , for his gracious and powerfull guiding and keeping of your honour in his comfortable and holy seruice and feare for euermore ; amen . your honours most bounden , thomas wilson . to the right vvorshipfull , his approued friends , sir george newman knight , and his vertuous lady : and master doctour bancroft , master of vniuersity colledge in oxford ; grace and peace from iesus christ be multiplied . right worshipfull , the maine and chiefe vse to be made of this booke or treatise , it is to direct ( as by an hand ) euery christian , which of all other things is most carefull of his owne saluation , how to iudge and discerne of himselfe , whether hee haue any part in that sauing holy calling which bringeth to christ , by such gifts of the spirit as be peculiar to persons effectually called . the cause is not better knowne by the effect , or a tree by the fruite , then a true calling by the gospell is manifested by such graces as doe accompany it in all the faithfull , necessarily , but not equally ; as the good fruits of a good tree be some bigger , some lesser . and lest any should be deceiued in iudging themselues ( for likenesse is the mother of errour , which makes copper & other glittering things to be sometime taken for gold ) i haue therefore in the passage of this booke discouered such things as be like vnto the true workes of grace , and are but the counterfets and images of them . now the same causes which induced mee to dedicate this tract and christian dialogue primarily to that most honorable christian lady , my sonnes benefactor in the vniuersity colledge at oxford , excited and moued me likewise to ioyne you three to her in a secondary dedication , as hauing thorow the grace of christ obtained like precious faith in your heauenly calling , thorow the blessed gospell ; and being by gods prouidence stirred vp to be the meanes of my sonnes preferment , both to his place , and in his learning . the first motion to this good exhibition , ( which he partly hath to the great ease of my charge , and wholly i trust shall enioy by your fauourable furtherance ) began at canterbury by you madam , and was seconded and holpen forward at oxford by you , the worthy master of that colledge where my sonne is student ; and finally , perfected by that right honourable countesse , widow to the founder her most honourable husband the earle of leycester , long since deceased . accept i humbly pray you this poore testimony of my thankfull minde ( who daily mention you in my prayers , that all sauing blessings may be powred on you , and continued to you ) till my sonne through gods mercy prospering in his studies , may expresse a morefull measure of a gratefull mind vnto you all , to whom he hath beene , and may yet be so much bounden ; which the lord of his fauour in his good time enable him well to performe . fare ye well . from my house in canterbury , the . of iuly . yours euer euen to his vtmost , thomas wilson . an aduertisement vnto the reader . courteous and christian reader ; there bee foure seuerall things which i purposed to effect in this whole dialogue & treatise . first , for the matter , to deliuer so neere as my iudgement could attaine , all those workes of the spirit , euen in their particulars , which are peculiar vnto gods elect children , who liue to be partakers of an outward effectuall calling : that when the manifold riches of christ his grace should be in some sort discouered and laide foorth to their eye to view and looke vpon them , it might stir them vp to a marueilous loue and thankefulnesse towards him , who hath called them to such riches & honour : also , that finding themselues endued and blessed with such graces as they shall learn from the word , to belong onely to the chosen of god , it may settle them in the perswasion and full assurance of their election to life . secondly , for the manner : because euerie one of the workes of christ in his elect , hath his counterfet in the reprobate , which liue in the church , and partake onely in a generall vocation ; therefore i haue somewhat endeauoured to descry what the truth of euerie grace wrought in gods children , and to discouer it from that apparence and shadow which an hypocrite hath of the same grace ; for this purpose , that whether the godly reader would proue himselfe and make triall of his owne sincerity , either in the whole worke of christianity , or in some special part or duty thereof , heere he may find what may further him . thirdly , for the order , i haue followed so precisely and truly , as euer my skill would direct mee ; that very order of causes in this whole treatise , which god himselfe doth keepe , in the bestowing and working of the graces , propounding them to the reader to be considered , as they haue necessary and naturall coherence one with another , and dependance one vpon another ; setting causes afore effects , and giuing cheefe place to the principall effects . by this meanes the carefull christian in the search of himselfe , shall by effects be able to finde out causes , the roote by the fruites , and how to value each grace and fruite , according to his proper worth . also , the conscionable minister , which hath not ( as yet ) thought vpon such an order , and shall approue of this as good & sound , may in his teaching helpe himselfe to deliuer such things first , as by order of nature ought to haue precedency , for the better edification of their hearers . finally , as touching the persons for whose sake i wrote this dialogue ; i meant it , though not onely , yet cheefly for the godly vnlettered christians , to further them in this knowledge , how to examine their owne estate before god. as for the more learned , they can helpe themselues in this part of our christian science : or else may fetch direction from other manner of lights then mine . whatsoeuer it is that i haue performed , i pray thee good reader take it in good part , make thy profit of it , and praise god for all . farewell . yours in the lord , thomas wilson . the particular contents of the whole dialogue , diuided into ten portions . the first part entreateth of calling . . of common and outward calling . . of inward & effectuall calling . . of differences betweene them . . what effectuall calling is . . of the meanes thereof by the word of god. . time of calling , that it is diuers and vncertaine . . persons , who for the most part are vncapable thereof . . of what quality and estate be the persons , which be commonly called with a true effectuall calling . . effectuall calling may be knowne of them in whom it is . . of the tokens whereby it is knowne . . meanes whereby such are prepared to calling , who as yet are not called . . of the sundry wayes that god taketh in the worke of calling . . the ends or finall causes of a true calling . . the mouing cause thereof . . differences amongst those which are called in the act of their calling . . election to be iudged of by calling . . rash iudgement about the calling of other men to be auoyded . the second part of the dialogue entreateth of the graces which flow from calling . . all sauing graces come together at one time with our calling . . one grace before another in order of causes . . of illumination of the minde , the first worke of grace . . opening of the heart . . of the engandring of faith , and what workes of the spirit goe thervnto . the third part of the dialogue , entreateth of a true and liuely faith. . a liuely faith is a fruite of effectuall calling . . a gift proper to the elect. . what it is , and how it differeth from the faith of hypocrites and wicked men . . of the parts of faith , and of the properties thereof . . of application by faith , how it is proued , and what things belong to it . the fourth part of the dialogue , entreateth of the degrees of faith. . a little faith , and a great faith , a weake and strong faith. . wherein they are like each other . . the least measure of faith , what it is . . that it must , and doth labour to encrease it selfe . . of a strong faith what it is . . of the seuer all measures thereof , and which is the highest degree of beleeuing . . by what steps gods children climb vp to the greatest degree of beleeuing in this life . the fifth part of the dialogue , entreateth of the rarenesse , and fruitfulnesse of faith . . of the rarenesse of faith , or the fewnesse of beleeuers . . of the signes or causes thereof , both common and proper to this age . . of the efficacy and fruitfulnesse of faith in generall . . of the manifold encouragements to beleeue . . of discouragements , and how the obiections of satan , and our corruption against beliefe in christ , are to be repelled . the sixth part of the dialogue , entreateth of the fruites of faith in particular . . of vnion with christ , that there is such a gift , and that it is by faith . . two things necessarily required to the working of this vnion . . the nature and neerenesse of it , expressed by scripture similitudes . . in what respect this vnion with christ is necessary for vs. . of the great and seuerall fruites thereof . . of iustification , the second maine fruite of faith. . what iustification signifieth . . in what sense wee are instified by faith. . of the double righteousnesse of christ , actiue and passiue . . of the two parts of iustification , forgiuenesse of sinnes , and imputation of iustice. . what a worthy gift , or instification is . . of sathans malice against this doctrine . experto crede . the seuenth part of this dialogue entreateth of the neerest effects of iustification by faith. . is reconciliation with god. . peace of conscience . . accesse into the grace of god. . standing in this grace . . hope of heauenly glory . . reioycing vnder this hope of despaire and presumption . . ofioy in tribulations . . sense of gods loue in the heart . . glorying concerning god. the eighth part of the dialogue , entreateth of another fruite of faith , called sanctification . . sanctification , what it is , how it is by faith . . the parts and causes of it . . the degree and measure of it . . of the spirituall combate betweene the flesh and the spirit . . ' of repentance , the consequent of sanctification . . ofrenewed repentance , the beginning and signes of it . . of encouragements to repentance . . of the hinderances of repentance , how to be remoued . . of good workes , the fruites of repentance , the causes , end , and vses of them . the . part of the dialogue , of particular good workes , &c. of loue towards god , what it is to loue him . by what rule our loue is to be guided whence it springs , and what bee the effects and tokens of it . of the feare of god. how it differs from that fear which is in the wicked . of the fruits of the true feare of god , and of the measure of it . of trust in god , what it is . what be the grounds of it . how the trust of the godly differeth frō the vain confidence of the wicked . encoragements to trust in god. of prayer and thankefulnesse . differences betweene bad & good men in these duties . of the word & sacrament . of the religious vse of gods name and sabbath . . part of the dialogue , of patience . afflictions the obiect of patience . of common afflictions . the godly more afflicted then the wicked , and why . the generall grounds of patience . of chastisements , &c. the fruites which by chastisement come to children , &c. of trials first by conflict of conscience with sin , . of martirdome . what martirdome is . the condition of dying for christ. preparation to martirdome . of resolution in the suffering of martirdome . an answer to obiections that flesh and blood makes against martirdom . . part of the dialogue , of workes as concerne our neighbour . of righteousnesse and loue vnto our neighbour . our neighbour is our enemy as well as our friend . difference betweene a neighbour and a brother . the actions of brotherly loue . brotherly kindnesse . the last part of this dialogue , of peace & other effects of loue . of peace , the kinds thereof . it is proper to the godly . of humility . of grauity . of gentlenesse . of long suffering , &c. of goodnes and meekenesse . meeknes in iudgment & affection . selfe preseruation . of truth in speeches & promises . of contentednes . duties concerning superiours and inferiours . a receit against hypocrisie . hipocrisie what it is . sundry kinds of hipocrisie . particular or vniuersall hypocrisie . dwelling or raigning . in profession or conuersation grosse , or subtile hypocrisie . causes of hipocrisie both common & especiall . sundry effects of hipocrisie . tokens of hypocrisie . the cure of hypocrisie . a confortatiue for sincerity and vprightnes . who be vpright , and what vprightnesse is . how sincerity doeth differ from hypocrisie . sincerity , how it is gotten . how it is to be preserued . how to be tried in a mans selfe . reasons to stirre vs vp to seeke and keepe sincerity . finis . a dialogve between apollos & aqvila , touching the workes of christ proper to the elect , that is , such workes as none but the elect haue , or can haue . apollos : good friend aquila , now that wee haue such opportunitie of place , being heere in a pleasant greene field , and are at such good leysure , wee should doe well to passe our time away in some wholsome communication which may tend to our edification in godlinesse . aquila . it is a very good motion . for seeing time is a thing so precious as we must giue a reckoning to god of euery minute of our time ; and hauing in the former dayes of our life spent so much of our time either in doing nothing , or in doing other things , or doing other things then pertaineth to vs to deale in ; it is therefore meete that we should now redeeme the time , and the litle remainder of it to bestow it well , as wee may reape a present benefit , and an euerlasting good : for surely , vpon the well-husbanding of our time heere , there will follow a blessed haruest of a glorious 〈◊〉 heereafter . but whereof shall we talke , what shall be the subiect of our speech ? apollos . i heard you say , that when the workes of christ , which ( as the king of his church ) hee worketh in the elect alone ( such as are giuen to him of his father ) were taught openly to you and to the rest of your good neighbors : that you held it a doctrine very worthy the teaching , as being of great vse for gods children . will ye that i try your memory , and put you to call to mind the principall and maine heads of that doctrine ? aquila . i did indeed iudge it to be a matter very profitable , and still do so iudge : and me thought vvhen i heard so many seuerall fruites of the spirit giuen vs together with our calling , distinctly and in good order propounded to our consideration , that it was as if one should haue led me vnto a garden planted , & set forth with variety of sweete and delicate flowers , whereof i might take enow to delight my senses withall , both while i was there and afterwards . therefore if it please you to aske me , i will answer you as farre as i beare away that which i heard . apollos . let me then heare from you , what these graces are , which christ iesus doth worke peculiarly in the elect . aquila . they may al be brought to these two heads . the first is an effectuall calling . secondly , the fruits that arise and spring from thence , or the gifts which doe accompany and come from that calling . apollos . how proue ye that there is a calling proper to the elect , seeing 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in the gospel , that there are many called which are not chosen ? math. , . it may be also that there bee some chosen , which haue no calling . aquila . it is true , some may be called which were neuer chosen ; and it is alsotrue , that none are chosen , but they be called : because it is written , whom he predestinated , them he called , ro. , . by which it is apparent , that there is one calling which is common to the elect , and to such reprobates as line within the bosom of the militant church , and this calling is outward only : and there is an inward calling , which flowes from the grace of predestination , and is proper vnto the elect , and this is an effectuall and inward calling ; of which s. peter speaketh when hee saith , make your calling and election sure , peter , . apollos . how differeth this effectuall calling , from the common calling ? aquila . first , that draweth vs to christ , to become members of him : this brings men onely to a profession of christ , to become outward worshippers of him . secondly , that enlightneth vnto faith , this vnto knowledge onely . thirdly , that worketh a through change of the heart from euill to good , as in s. peter , s. paul , & those mentioned , acts , : this changeth but lightly and slightly to external ciuil obedience , or to a restraint onely of inward corruption , as in iudas , simon magus , and 〈◊〉 : so as an effectuall calling carrieth with it , first , vnion with christ ; secondly , iustification ; thirdly , sanctification , called and 〈◊〉 , rom. , . called & sanctified , iude . saints by calling . cor. , . all which the common calling lacketh . apol. how is this 〈◊〉 calling described in the word of god ? aquila . thus : it is a 〈◊〉 of the elect out of the kingdome of darknesse ; that is , of ignorance & sin , into the kingdome of christ , col. , . that is , of faith and holinesse . orthus : it is a seuering of the elect , from the world of 〈◊〉 , to become members of christ by faith , iohn , . you are not of the world , but i haue chosen you out of the world . thus the case standeth : the elect and reprobate being in adam all reuolted and departed from god , & put vnder the power of satan , they lye together as an heape of chaffe and wheat in a great floore , or as great and little fish in a net , vntill by an effectuall calling ( as it were by a fanne ) there be a separation made , as the wheate is seuered from the chaffe at winnowing . and this first separation is begun in this world by the fanne of the gospell , math. , : which hath his fanne in his hand , &c. and is finished perfectly , at that great and last separation , in the day mentioned , math. , . where the goats shall for euer be seuered from the sheepe . apol. now that you haue shewed what an effectual calling is , tell vs by what meanes christ worketh it ? aquila . christ iesus doth worke it inwardly , by his spirit of wisedome and reuelation which hee giueth to all the elect , not excepting infants which dye in their infancy , who cannot be saued except they be called & brought vnto christ , actes , , . and other band and linke whereby to be knit vnto christ , there is none besides the spirit , as it is written , by one spirit wee are all baptized into one body , cor. , . but for such elect as are of discretion and yeares , the spirit in them worketh by the outward preaching of the word , calling them preparatiuely by the preaching of the law , therein shewing them their sinnes , and iust condemnation , to the terrifying of them , and astonishing of their conscience : but effectually calling them by the preaching of the gospell , wherein by the secret and great force of the spirite , they are so made to see the mercies of god for the forgiuenesse of their sinnes , vnto their saluation by christ , as they are perswaded to rest in them : and thus become they that which before they were not , that is to say , true christians , the members of christ his mysticall body , the sons and daughters of god. and this is their effectuall calling , which is nothing els but a making vs to be that which we were not , as the apostle sayth , rom. , . god calleth those things which are not , as though they were . whereby it appeareth to be a very easie thing for the mighty god , to call and draw vs to his son , euen as easie as for vs to speake a word , and to call one to vs. some are called sooner , and some later , as god in his eternall counsell hath ordained the time of euerie ones calling : which is shadowed somewhat vnto vs , in the parable of the husbandman , calling to work in his vineyard , some at the third houre of the day , others at the sixt , and others at the ninth , yea and some at the eleuenth , math. , , , . further , we do find in scripture , examples of such as haue bene called in euery part of mans life . we may gather , that timothy and iosias were called in their childhoode . for , of the one it is testified of him , that he knew the scriptures of a child , & was nourished vp in the words of faith and sound doctrine : of the other , that in his yong yeares he sought god. of iohn the baptist , it is expressely saide , luke . that he was filled with the holy ghost in his mothers womb . of paul , as also of zacheus , it may appeare by the story , that they were conuerted about their middle age , in the strength of their life . for paul liued long after his calling , and zacheus at his conuersion was so lustie of body , as he could climbe vp into a high tree to behold christ passing by , and hastily come downe at christs commandement , luke . which is a signe that hee was not gone farre in yeares . lastly , wee reade of one whom iesus called at the last houre of the day , to wit , the theefe conuerted at his death : but only one such we reade of , least any presume ; yet one , least any which are long vncalled , should despaire . apollos . after this which ye haue saide of the time of calling , let vs heare somewhat of the persons who are to be called . who be capeable and fit , who be vnfit and vncapeable therof for the most part ; and as men may iudge of it ? aqu. such as liue out of the precincts of the church , they are vncapeable of this calling to christ whereof we speake . for god hath denied vnto them the means . he hath not giuen them his statutes and his lawes : hee sendeth not vnto them his messengers with his word , but leaues them ( for iust causes knowne to himselfe ) in their ignorance . yet a calling they haue , by the voyce and sound of the creatures ; which is sufficient thus far , as to take from them all excuse , as s. paul affirmeth of them , rom. , , . but not so farre as to be powerfull to their conuersion and saluation . for seeing the world by wisedome knew not god in the wisedome of god , it pleased god by the foolishnesse of preaching , to saue them that beleeue , 〈◊〉 cor. . if there be any among pagans , which are secretly inspired with the knowledge of the messias to saluation , it is more then wee can take knowledge of . now , as touching them which are within the visible church , there are some persons which become vncapeable of gods calling , as the proud , which are puffed vp and swolne with conceit and opinion of their owne excellency and righteousnesse . christ came not to call the righteous to repentance , luke , . and againe , god resisteth the proud , iames , . to teach , that there is nothing such an enemy to the worke of the spirite , in calling and conuerting vnto faith , as pride of heart , when once it hath taken deepe roote , and is come vnto the height ; not but that god can take such downe , as appeareth in the taming of that swelling pharisie saul , after made s. paul. moreouer , the scornfull , which are set downe in the chaire of pestilence , as dauid saith , psal : , . & as swine and dogges do wickedly despise , and contemptuously refuse all godly admonitions , raging with haued against the light , and such as set it before them ; to these the holy things of god are forbid to be offered , math. , . generally , all such make themselues vnfit for calling , as haue by custom of sinne so hardned their harts , as all feare and feeling of sin , or wrath due to it is gone : so as they stop their eares at gods voice , and withdraw their shoulders from the yoake , and make stiffe theyr neckes against it . these because they hate knowledge , and abhorre to be reformed , therefore god is so farte off from them , as that when they come and call to him , he wil vouchsafe them no answer ; yea though they cry vnto him in the anguish of their heart , yet hee will not heare ; because when he very long , and with all lenitie had called to them , they would not heare : but after their hardnesse , and heart that cannot repent , despised the bounty and long suffering patience of god. further , this is to bee obserued that of those which liue in the church , such as haue great gifts of nature , more pregnant wit , sharper capacities , more earthly wisedome , more humane knowledge : these hauing much of their owne , because they rest in it , are hardly drawne to see their owne wants , their inward spirituall nakednesse , and to empty themselues of all theyr owne worthinesse ; therefore they are so much the more vnfit and vncapeable of a calling : as it is written , ye see your calling , not many wise . againe , where is the scribe ? where is the disputer , & c ? cor. , . the like is to be saide of such as haue great store of wealth , of worldly honour and pleasure , which are things that blinde men , and keepe them from seeing any great need of christ ; being already full and happy , as they thinke . these cannot rellish the doctrine of grace , which leadeth men wholly out of themselues , to seeke all riches , worthinesse , happinesse in christ alone . therefore it is also written , cor. , , . not manie noble , not many mighty are called . againe , it is as hard for a rich man to enter into the kingdome ( of grace ) as for a camell to goe through a needles eye , marke , , . the way and gate to eternall life , is too strait and narrow for such as haue such a load of worldly wealth and honor on them to presse down their souls to the earth . besides this , also idiots , frantick and lunaticke persons , while they be such ; and they which are borne deafe and dumb ; those though they liue in the church , yet they are vncapable of a calling , if wee speake of the ordinary way which god vseth to call by . howbeit , these being borne of christian parents , and belonging to gods couenant , it may please god secretly , in a manner to vs incomprehensible , to worke in these for their conuersion . as experience hath proued true in some such whom i haue heard of , who being from their birth depriued of hearing & speaking , both dumb and deafe , yet haue expressed loue to the persons of gods ministers ; and more to them then to others : and haue by signes made knowne that they knew christ crucified , and vsed meanes to signifie their desire to communicate in the lords supper . all which argueth some vnwonted and wonderfull worke of the spirit of christ in them . apollos . now i haue heard yee speake of such persons , as for the most part of them neuer partake in this calling which drawes to christ ; and perceiue that ye leaue to god ( as is fit ) this royall prerogatiue , as he may ( with a non obstante ) call out of them whomsoeuer hee hath ordained to life : let me now heare what persons ye thinke to be capable of this calling , and of what quality they bee , which for the most part are vouchsafed the grace and blessing of a true inward calling . aquila . i would haue ye know that i iudge all men by nature , in regard of the common corruption thereof , alike vnfit , and vncapable of effectuall calling : and that no man can in any measure , by any power left in his nature , prepare , or make fit himselfe for grace to receiue it , being offered : for we are dead in trespasses and sinnes ; ephe. . . and the power to will , and to doe , is of god ; phil. . 〈◊〉 of our selues not being able to thinke a good thought ; cor. . all being sinne , whatsoeuer is thought , or done by vs , before faith ; heb. . . howbeit thus much the word hath reuealed vnto vs , for the outward estate and quality of such persons as bee called to christ , that ( for the most part ) they are the simple , the poore , the meane , and little ones , which be contemptible in the world for their parentage , and other outward things , as it is written ; the gospell is preached to the poore , and they receiue it : mat. . . also , i thanke thee father , that thou hast hid these things from the wise and prudent , and reuealest them to the simple , and little ones ; mat. . . moreouer , god hath called the foolish of the world , and the vile , and the things that are not , to confound the wise , and the mighty ; that none should glory in the flesh , but in christ : cor. . , , . and this is one reason , why christ will build his house of such timber , reare vp his temple with such stones , as be course & plaine , rather then to chuse the tall cedar , or carued and polished stones . i say the reason why his banquetting hall is furnished with such meane guests , as the halt , the maymed , the poore ; that is , the despised of the world , it is euen because they which be called and conuerted , hauing nothing in themselues whereunto to attribute their owne conuersion , they may ascribe the whole glory and praise of it vnto the grace of christ ; who saw nothing in them , saue simplicity , meannesse , and basenesse , to moue him to preferre them afore others . and on the other side , when any rich , noble , or worldly wise , are powerfully changed and brought vnto god , to beleeue in him , and to become his true worshippers , they may vnderstand that it was no inward endowment of minde , or externall gift of body , or goods , but the meere loue of god in christ that did all . in a word , that they may perceiue and confesse that they were borne againe , not of flesh and bloud , but of the will of god , because he was pleased to regenerate them , that the praise might be to him , as the worke was from him . to this we may adde another reason , why the more simple and needy are more commonly drawne to christ ; because such being void of those goodly things wherein men vse to place their felicity , hauing the lesse to set their hearts vpon , they are the sooner and more easily brought to see their spirituall pouerty and want , and to seeke for the fulnesse of all good things , out of themselues in christ iesus , in whom are hid all the treasures of wisedome , and knowledge ; col. . . of whose fulnesse we receiue grace for grace ; ioh. . : as being the most rich store-house of all heauenly goods ; without whom , whosoeuer are rich , they are but poore , and very fooles , whosoeuer are wise without him . apollos . ye haue spoken of the quality and condition of such persons , as are made partakers of a true calling . now let mee heare you deliuer the signes , whereby one that is called , may know his calling : for i thinke you are of this minde , that one which is truly called , may know he is so ; and that the word hath taught markes to discerne of their calling . aquila . it is right . whosoeuer be called ( if they be of yeeres ) know that they be so : for so saith the apostle : we know by the spirit , the things which are giuen vs of god ; cor. . . now amongst other things giuen vs of god , our calling is one , and the first : againe , our calling ( as the word of god teacheth ) it is an opening of the eyes of the blind ; acts . . a setting at liberty such as were in prison ; luk. . . a quickning of the dead , a translating from darkenesse to light , from sathan to god ; ephe. . . a separation of the wheate from the chaffe ; mat. . . now all these comparisons may teach , that calling is such an action of god , as is discernable to them in whom it is wrought : for can they be enlightened , being blind before ? can they come out of a darke dungeon of ignorance , vnbeliefe , and sinne , wherein they were detained as prisoners in snares , and be restored to liberty in freedome of minde and heart , to serue god , and not perceiue it ? is it possible , that they that were dead before , should liue , and doe the actions of a spirituall life ; to mooue , and walke towards heauen , but that this worke of the spirit should be somewhat felt ? againe , such as truly beleeue , may know their owne faith , as the man in the gospell ; i beleeue lord : and faith euer goeth with an inward calling , therefore our calling may be knowne to vs. moreouer , we haue examples of such as did know themselues to be called , and haue ioyed vpon the certainty thereof ; as abraham , zacheus , the beleeuers at samaria , the eunuch . yet further ; what christian comfort , or true inward reioycing , can there be in any persons touching good things promised , and to come , if they had not a certainty and sure vnderstanding of their present good estate , by their heauenly vocation ? for ioy is not of vncertaine , doubtfull , and vnknown things , but of things surely comprehended . adde hereunto , that no christian could with any courage or heart , set himselfe presently to doe the worke of christianity , if his calling and conuersion to god , were not reuealed to him , to certifie him of gods good acceptance of himselfe , and shew it through christ. finally , our iustification , and sanctification , which are the nearest effects of calling , and euer goe together with it ; may these i say , bee knowne ( as it is written ) being iustified by faith , we haue peace with god ; rom. . . and , we know that our old man is crucified with christ ; rom. . : and shall not calling , the roote of these graces , be discerned ? yea , by the knowledge of these graces , it is traced , found out , and descried . therefore , howsoeuer at the instant of ones calling , haply a christian may be so weake , such a babe in christ ; or in a strange , or strong fit or pang of temptation , when a quaume of soule affliction and trouble comes ouer the heart : or after some grosse and greeuous fall , ( a man being as it were for a certaine time in a trance or extasie , 〈◊〉 and fencelesse ) one may in such cases doubt of their calling ; yet assuredly , at other times it doth so euidence it selfe , as the parties called , can with gladnesse of heart glory in their caller , and heartily thanke him . which if others , vpon the demonstration of it by the fruites can doe , and often doe it in their behalfe ; as rom. . . paul for the romans , and elsewhere for other professors of christ : then much more the called themselues vnderstand it , and breake forth into cheerefull mention of it . true it is , and cannot be gaine-saide , that many presume of a true effectuall calling , who indeede were neuer so called ; and thus are deceiued , by imagining to haue that which they alwayes lacked : as they , iohn . . which say ; god is our father . as men that dreame , doe fancy bagges of gold , and fulnesse of meate , being empty , poore , and hungry , when they awake : yet they who are in truth made partakers of this holy calling , in iudging themselues to be called , are therein no whit deceiued . for they haue a sure witnesse in themselues ; rom. . yea , sundry witnesses ; iohn . . whereas ye desire to heare the markes and meanes whereby gods children are brought to the knowledge of their owne calling , beside that which in my former speech i haue let fall to that purpose , there be some other tokens , which i will now rehearse . the first is a spirit of discretion , enabling them to discerne the voice of him who hath called them out of darkenesse into his maruellous light , according to that which is written ; i am the good shepheard , my sheepe heare my voyce , the voyce of a stranger they wil not heare , but flie from him ; iohn . , . and a little after , i know mine , and am knowne of mine : also , ye haue an annointment from that holy one , and know all things ; yee know that no lie is of the truth : ioh. . , . meaning hereby , that the truth of heauenly doctrine , by the illumination of the spirit , was in such cleere wise knowne vnto them , as they could distinguish it from a lie ; putting a difference betweene erroneous and sound teaching : euen as sheepe by naturall instinct , and partly by custome , can skill the whistle and call of their own shepheard , euen so christians , after the grace of their calling , doe very well discouer the wholsome call and voyce of christ , their heauenly and spirituall shepheard , from the howling of wolues , and call of theeues and hirelings , which speake not , but to deceiue and destroy . you will say peraduenture , that this token is common to the true christian , with other who haue but an outward calling ; yet by the light of their knowledge which they haue attained , can both bewray and conuince errour , euen whatsoeuer is contrary to the voyce of christ. yea , some of these are able very learnedly , and iudiciously to doe it . therefore we are to know that the spirit of discretion in such as be inwardly called , aswell as outwardly , is attended vpon by sundry other graces , as namely , with an hearty and vnsained loue of that doctrine which they certainely know , and by power where of they were mightily called and changed ; so as they willingly heare it , with a true & constant delight in the vnderstanding of it , as it is written ; my sheep heare my voyce , and they which are of god , beare gods word . that is , with much readinesse they heare it , and with great and sound pleasure in it : as dauid did , i loue thy law , therein is my whole delight . yea , they heare it with an obedient eare and dutifull , so as they can and doe so distinctly apply that which they heare & know and loue , to their particular vses for humbling & comfort , for strengthening and reformation of themselues , as they submit gladly both iudgement and will , reason and affections , to the rule of this truth . therefore it is further written , that christs sheepe ( by calling ) doe heare his voyce , and follow him . thus they haue their care-marke , they heare : and the wooll-marke too ; they follow and obey the doctrine of christ , according to the measure of grace receiued . lastly , the graces of sanctification , which are giuen them together with their calling , and by which they are enabled to beleeue and fruitfully practise the doctrine , and to continue & encrease inso doing , doe testifie for them to themselues and others , their vndoubted calling in the gospell . apollos . forbeare ( i pray a while ) further speech of this last marke , because of those graces i will hereafter know your minde ; when ye first haue tolde me what men are to doe , which yet haue not these tokens of calling ; what course such be to take to bring on their calling , and how others are to behaue themselues , which haue good proofe and experience of their vocation to god. aquila . i wil doe my best to satisfie you herein . such as by want of the former markes , and other wayes doe but make doubt that as yet they haue not this mercifull blessing of a peculiar calling : let them ( vnder good hope of themselues that they are of the elect , because that to them god hath affoorded an outward calling , offering vnto them therein christ with all heauenly treasures ) neuer giue any rest to themselues , vntill to their outward bee ioyned an inward calling , ( which is so needfull , as till then men are in a very bad case : ) applying themselues to the diligent and constant vse of all such helpes and meanes , as be profitable thervnto . of these meanes some be priuate , some be publike ; the priuate meanes auaileable to an inward calling , be the often humbling of our lofty stubborne hearts , by a search into , and a confession of particular sinnes against the law , vpon due and serious consideration of them both : for the huge number being as the starres of heauen , and for the fearefull filthinesse of them , being against such an infinite diuine iustice , & an holy law ; and lastly , for their deep & dreadful danger , being the causes of al christs passiōs , & of eternal pains in hell fire , to such as they are not forgiuen vnto ; besides innumerable iudgements and wofull plagues , within which they wrap vs , euen in this life . by the often and carefull viewing our selues in the looking glasse of the law , beholding there our most sinfull and most wofull estate , and labouring our selues to haue knowledge with some feeling experience of it , enforcing what we may , to apprehend with feare and griese the threatning of the law against all and euery one of our sinnes ; by this meanes our dolefull condition wil come before our eyes , for meekening and taking downe in some measure the hauty pride and obstinacy of our nature , and will cast and strike vs into some dread of our selues , and be some bridle to keepe backe the headlongnesse of our secure sinfull hearts . for it cannot , but that it will make a man affraide to run vpon such sinnes as he seeth , and confesseth against himselfe , and with his owne mouth pronounceth worthy of eternall wretchednesse . and hauing once taken vp such a course of particular acknowledgement of our offences , after an earnest and diligent examination of our hearts and wayes ; let it not be left againe , but continued with such care as men can , not to doe it of custome , but earnestly for humiliation . next thing is , there would be a good endeauour vsed , to auoide the outward act of all sinne , as to refraine from lewd and lasciuious talke , from lying , swearing , and from the deede of drunkennesse , adultery , theft , contention , fighting , and all such like ; which is in a mans power to doe , if we will doe but so much as lyeth in vs to doe . the heathens hauing attained thus much , as to liue ciuilly and vnblamably for their externall behauiour . yea further , euen before their calling , men ought by their endeauour & watchfulnesse ouer themselues , not onely to forbeare the committing of any outward euill in word or deede , but further to snib and keepe downe the rebelling motions and desires of the soule . true it is , that they cannot so doe it as after they are called ; when the spirit of christ hath put a power into them , for mortifying their lusts , in a true hatred and abhorring of them , as euils contrary to god , and their owne good : yet by the generall light of conscience , and helpe of restraining grace , they may sore checke and curbe them . and in this worke and exercise of suppressing sinne , both in the outward fruit and inward roote , they shall not a little be furthered by embracing the company of good men , from whom they shall haue many aduertisements by words , or good examples in their deedes , which they may imitate and follow . also by eschewing the familiarity of vaine and euill men , whose words and actions are as pitch to defile , as poyson to infect , and as strong pul backes to hold vs from comming neere to god : and finally , as mighty prouocations to further vnto all hellish life . therefore of this in any wise , men that will come to an happy calling , must take heede what manner of men they make the companions of their life : for such is the force of company , either good or euill , as one shall quickly become such as they be , with whom hee doth associate himselfe ; be then curteous to all , yet acquainted but with a few , and they of the best . it must not be forgotten , that attentiue reading the bible , and other good books , which are wrote of diuine matters , especially of the nature and defect of sinne , of the maiesty & power of god , of his seuere iudgements against offenders of his law , will doe great stead in this businesse . the gospell and promises would be so farre tasted of , as may keepe vp the heart from sinking : for this grace of vocation is not giuen , but to such as the law hath brought low by the sight of their sinnes , and wrath due vnto them . adde vnto all the former , that not euill company alone , but whatsoeuer occasions of sinne by place , persons , times , or things , must be taken heed of : for occasions being taken hold of , giue great strength to our sinfull nature ; but being taken heed of , doe much pull it in . i would also counsell men sometime to faste , and refraine from meate and all pleasures of life ; for at certaine fit times they can beare it ; and alwayes to vse great temperance in meates and drinkes , and other lawfull delights : but aboue all , thought and study must be had , that these priuate meanes be holpen by the publike : that men put themselues vnder a good ministerie , it being the principall instrument of our calling : for howsoeuer the word of god read or preached , if we respect the letters & sillables , hath not any strength at all , nor the action of reading or preaching , as it is performed by man , how well soeuer , they be as weake as water , to this purpose of conuersion and calling : yet being both the good and holy ordinances of god , they become strong , because the god of strength and might worketh by them , yet in a seueral degree . for the scripture teacheth vs , that ( ordinarily ) it pleaseth god by preaching christ , to saue such as beleeue ; cor. . . that is to say , both to begin their saluation by it , drawing them effectually out of their infidelity , making them to beleeue : also , to build them vp further in their holy faith , and godlinesse of life , vntill they come to possesse fully saluation in heauen . hence it is , that the preaching of christ crucified , is there , verse . termed the power of god to saue : that is , the powerfull instrument , by which it pleaseth god mightily to worke , for the sauing of the elect. moreouer , we are taught in rom. . , . that ordinarily we are not otherwise , ( being of yeeres ) brought to haue faith to beleeue in god , then by hearing such preachers as be sent , and furnished from god with authority and gifts for that ende , as it is written : how shall they beleeue in him , except they doe heare ? and how shall they heare except they preach ? and how shall they preach , except they be sent ? in the acts of apostles , chap. . . saint paul reporteth , that hee was called to this very ende , that by his preaching the gospell , hee might open the eyes of the blinde , turne men from satan to god , from darkenesse to light . finally , to omit infinite authorities of scripture , as ephe. . , . cor. . , . and such like places , which oftentimes yoake or ioyne preaching and beleeuing , as cause and effect : acts . , . and . . &c. i doe beside reade of innumerable soules , euen by thousands at once , called to christ , by the opening and application of the word . albeit then we are to leaue to christ , to engender & encrease faith and sanctification by what meane he himselfe will ; yet for our selues , we are to depend vpon such meanes , as wee find in the word to be ordained for such workes : and this is principally by preaching the word ; that is , by a faithfull deliuery of the sense of scripture by the scripture , with wise and fit application of doctrines to exhortation , confutation , rebukes , comforts , threatnings , as it is written ; he that prophecyeth , speaketh to men , to edification , to exhortation , to consolation : cor. . . in the , . verses of this chapter , we may reade the mighty operation of this ordinance of christ , for begetting and confirmation of a liuely faith , most notably to be commended . if ( saith paul ) all prophecie , and there commeth in one that beleeueth not , or is vnlearned : he is rebuked of all ; and so are the secrets of his heart laide open , and so he will fall downe on his face , and worship god , and say plainely , that god is in you indeede . by this it is cleere , that together with preaching , god coupleth his owne arme and power , both to enlighten the minde to see inward and secret corruption , hid from vs before , and to bow the heart to reuerence and obey god. as men therefore for the health of their bodies , doe chuse places conuenient to dwell in , where there is wholsome ayre , sweete water , and other commodities ; so they wil much more doe this duty to their soules , for the health and safety thereof ; as to prouide for it good diet , by the wholsome preaching of the word ordinarily on the saboath : which together with catechizing , and the benefit of publike prayer and sacraments , shall in gods appointed houre effect this blessed worke of a true calling , to their present comfort , and euerlasting saluation of their soules . where these meanes be not at all vsed , if so be they may be had , or some , and not all ; or vsed negligently , or by fits and starts onely , there the case will goe hard . for howsoeuer our calling hath god alone for the authour and beginner , the finisher also and perfiter of it ; yet there is a necessity laide vpon vs , to serue the gracious prouidence of almighty god ( as instruments ) therein , by attending and exercising the meanes appointed . therefore as paul , acts . hauing a warrant from god of good security , yet saide ; if these mariners doe not tarry in the ship , we cannot be safe : so i may say ( gods ordinary dispensation considered ) that if these meanes be cast off , and not cared for , we cannot be called . now for such as be already called , and can finde in themselues the true markes thereof ; as this is the greatest comfort in the world , so if they will preserue this comfort , then they must see to it , that such meanes as it pleased god to blesse vnto them at first , for the obtaining of an effectuall vocation and conuersion ; these very meanes they addict themselues vnto , vsing them still , and them all , if there be no necessary let ; and being constant without being weary , in a right manner also , sincerely and humbly , with a feruent desire of gods glory aboue all things , being much in prayer and godly meditations : and as euer they will be thankefull for such a grace as their effectuall calling is , let them striue to walke worthy of the vocation wherewith they are called , in all lowlinesse and meekenesse , long suffering and loue ; ephe. . , . apol. friend aquila , ye haue reported vnto me verie much of that which ye learned touching effectuall calling : now if ye will let vs passe on to the other point , namely , the graces which doe necessarily goe with this calling , except ye haue somewhat further to speake of this matter ; which if ye haue , i will gladly giue you the hearing . aquila . yes sir , i will craue your patience alittle , for i forslowed to tell you , when ye asked me of the meanes of calling , that it hath seemed good in the eyes of god , to call some immediately without any ministry of angels or men , as adam in paradise , abraham in charran , paul in his iourney to damascus ; to declare himselfe to be most free not bound to the meanes , which are rather for vs then for god ; who can without them pull a sinner out of the hell of his sinnes , into the heauen of grace here , and of glory hereafter . moreouer , in the means which god vseth to work a calling , there is to be marked a maruellous great simplicity , ( especially now vnder the gospell ) far from worldly shew , pompe , and power ; hauing committed the charge and commission of calling kingdomes to the faith of the gospell , vnto his twelue apostles , who were men much remoued from the glittering glory of this world , being meane men , of low estate and condition here in earth , and vsing no other meanes to effect the conuersion of the people to god , then the preaching of the gospell in all plainnesse , without all wisedome of words , and by feruent prayer with patient sufferings . these were the weapons of their warfare , which hauing no outward brauery or beauty to allure and draw liking , or might and external force to compell , yet proued mighty through god , to cast downe strong holds , and very high imaginations , lifting vp themselues against god ; cor. . . and hauing once planted churches , and called infinite men and women to god , by his simple apostles , and other their like helpers , euangelists and prophets , it hath pleased christ to haue his mystical body further builded vp , his saints gathered , and the worke of the ministery done , by pastors and teachers in the power of simple and euident demonstration of his truth . and to this ende he would haue this heauenly treasure put into such earthen vessels , that the power of calling , as it is of god , and not of men ; so it might appeare and be knowne , and acknowledged so to be , to his owne eternall praise . also , it would be further considered , that the most good god in his most wise and gracious prouidence so disposeth things here below , as that hee causeth afflictions and miseries , crosses , and sundry troubles , which in their owne nature are bitter and greeuous , and a part of the curse threatned to mans sinne , and more likely to driue men quite away from god ; yet he causeth them ( i say ) very often to serue his purpose of helping on the calling of his elect , who by meanes of such punishments as are laide vpon them by gods hand for sinne , and inordinate walking in the time of their vnbeliefe before they came to christ , are not a little tamed , and so made the fitterto hearken and to stoope to christ : whose voyce they presumptuously contemne , till the crosse hath brought downe their great spirits and stomackes , as is to be seene in paul ; whose sudden and terrible striking downe from his horse , and amazing him by lightning from heauen , made him somewhat milde and tractable : as also in manasses , and in the thiefe vpon the crosse , who were called ; the one when his body was laden with irons in prison , the other when he was fastened to the crosse , suffering a very painefull and infamous punishment . neither is it onely the will of god to vse sometimes no meanes , or weake meanes , or vnlikely meanes ; but sometimes euen quite contrary meanes , to helpe forwards the conuersion of a sinner , to wit , euen sinne it selfe : making some one grosse fall , or many grosse sinnes , which his chosen haue run into , and liued in before their calling , to be as a weight or plummet of lead to bring and keepe downe their proude hearts , and so to shame and terrifie their consciences ; so as by that meanes there is a passage made for grace more easily to enter in them . whereas otherwise , they would haue set to both their shoulders and their brest , to haue kept it out ; if their fiercenesse and courage had not beene so danted and dismayed with the sight and horror of their owne manifold and monstrous iniquities . and suffer mee here to remember my selfe in one matter , that whereas i said to you before , that for god to draw one from sinne to christ , is as easie as for vs to call one to vs , or to speake a word : i would haue ye to vnderstand it , in regard of the infinitenesse of his might , to which the greatest and hardest things to our sence and opinion , are as easie as the least and slightest things . when he would create the world , there being no matter existent before , he needed but command , & it was done ; and that vnformed masse , out of which all creatures were hewen , being extant by his commandement , hee did no more but say , let it be light , and out of it there presently sprang light ; and so of all other things which he made , they were made by his word , without instrument or trauell , euen as now they all consist by his word . it is right so in the conuersion and calling of a sinner . the dead in their sinnes , heare the voyce of the son of god , and hearing , they liue : ioh. . . and howsoeuer in this worke of new creation , there is not onely no present matter to worke on , but an vtter repugnancy and rebellion in our nature , fighting and warring against god , being strengthened and armed with the whole power of satan and the world ; yet these many and mighty obstacles and hinderances , are without any difficulty ouercome by him , to whom nothing is hard and vnpossible . in that he vseth such meanes ( as wee haue spoken of ) both for preparing to our calling , and effecting of it : yet it is not because he could not performe this worke by his very word onely , but because so it pleased him , and to enure vs to obedience . howbeit for all this , our calling is not to be helde a slight worke , as if i speake this any whit to lessen and diminish the credit and praise of gods grace and power : but rather the more to extoll and magnifie them , in as much as our vocation to christ , being a worke as glorious and wonderfull as our creation of nothing is , if not more : and as the resurrection from the dead , which yet to the wise men of the world , those great philosophers haue euer seemed things absurd and impossible : so as they haue scorned the doctrine of these things : acts . , . may wee know , say they , what this new doctrine meaneth ; and againe verse . when they heard of the resurrection from the dead , some mocked : yet in the calling of a sinner to faith in christ , there being that exceeding greatnesse of diuine power set on worke , as was expressed in raysing iesus from the graue ; see ephe. . , . for all this to bring a wretched sinner held and lockt vp in the bolts and fetters of his lusts , captiuated to satan , and vnder the power of that mighty potentate ; i say to bring such a one to know , beleeue in , & to loue christ , so easily as wee would call one to come to vs , or as it is to vtter a word , how doth this aduance the praise of gods almighty grace ; to which sinne , the world , and hell , doe quickly , though most vnwillingly yeelde . and here to shut vp this treatise of calling , because i haue beene very troublesome by my long discourse of it , let me tell you , that this is a chiefe ende which god lookt vnto in the calling of sinners vnto repentance , as in regard of himsele , euen the praise of his glorious grace , as the apostle hath three seuerall times affirmed : ephe. . . . . that there being not onely nothing in vs to further it , but our selues , and the gates of hell against it , it might be saide ; o lord , this is thy worke , thy owne hand hath done it ; euen with thine owne hand & arme thou hast giuen vs the victory ouer all our spiritual hellish enemies . to thee therefore the king euerlasting , immortall , inuisible , vnto god onely wise , be honour , and glory , for euer and euer , amen . apollos . i thanke ye for your willingnesse to enter into , and to continue this discourse . also , i commend your good remembrance of these matters , it being so long since they were taught ; but as you holpe your self in some thing that was almost slipt from you : so ye shal suffer mee to helpe you in that which i my selfe almost had , and as it seemeth ye haue altogether forgot . for by the closing of your speech , i perceiue that ye haue spoken what ye are minded to say of this argument : and yet that you were willing to speake of it what you remembred ; but i maruell not if some things are slid from you , i rather maruell ( the frailety of our memory being considered ) that ye kept so many things therefore vnto all that which hath beene recorded by you , there be other foure points , which i will briefly adde . first , touching the impulsiue & mouing cause which inclineth god to the effectuall calling of some , whereas he passeth by othersome , which are no more vnworthy then such as are called , and haue the selfe same outward meanes , being all alike sinners and enemies to god by nature , and all equally partakers of the word and ministerie : yet some of them are left in their corruption , others being gathered to christ. it was tolde ye , this proceedeth meerely of the purpose and good pleasure of god , which is made plaine by expresse authority of scripture , which ioyneth gods purpose and calling together ; euen to them that are called of his purpose : rom. . . and affirmeth , that god hides those things from some , which he reueales to others ; euen because so it pleaseth him : mat. . . there being no other reason of peters calling , rather then iudas , but this ; it was his good pleasure . for seeing effectuall calling ( as you well remembred ) floweth from election , and is peculiar to the chosen ; thereof it followeth , that that which makes the difference betweene some , who are otherwise alike in adam , is the election of god , ordaining some to life , and so to the meanes in their calling to christ , whereas others are refused : yet so refused in the counsell of god , as they make themselues vnworthy and vncapable of calling , by refusing willingly , and reiecting wilfully the voyce of christ ; shutting their eyes that they may not see , and their eares lest they should heare , and making fat their owne hearts , lest they should vnderstand ; acts , . which sheweth thus much , that as the not calling of some is iust , so the calling of othersome is most free , depending vpon the good pleasure of gods will. this is such a matter , the consideration whereof , must moue gods children by calling , to be very thankefull with great & feruent loue towards god , for this happy worke : sithens finding nothing in them at all , hee did fetch from himselfe the cause which moued him to reueale his son in them by the gospel ; whereas he would not doe so to others , who were by creation as good as they , and by nature no worse : yet god to leaue others , & to giue them ouer to their blindnesse ; and to open to those the mystery of his will , and that according to his good pleasure , which he purposed in christ ; how doth this deserue , that they should from the ground of their heart blesse god , the father of our lord iesus christ , for this most gracious spirituall blessing ? the second thing vnmentioned by you , because vnremembred , was this ; that as amongst men gods will puts a difference betwixt man & man ( as being all subiect to him as clay to the potter ) caling these & hardning these ; so in those which are truly called , he keepeth not one tenor : some of his elect childrē euen at the instant of their calling , being strong men in christ , able to goe , walk , & run ; as zacheus , which at his conuersion was filled with ioy , & power giuen him to shake off his great sins , & to shake himself presently not only out of them , but out of his goods by restitution of ill gotten , & contribution of the rest well gotten : which argueth a great measure and force of grace , there being sundry which long after their cōuersion can hardly ouercome themselues to doe that which zacheus did at his new birth , the . hour he came into the world . the like is to be seen in paul the apostle , who immediately vpon his calling & coming out of the darknes of iewish pharisaisme vnto the light of christianisme , and from satan to god ; he had such a portion of the strength of grace , as he could preach christ , and was ready to suffer for him , being ready to the perill of his life to teach them , whom hee had lately persecuted to death . now there be others againe at the time of their calling , yea , and a good while after , which are so weake as young babes , both for knowledge and practise ; as appeareth in peter , and in the other apostles , who being called euen with a more peculiar calling to be the members of christ , and not onely with a general vocation to be the ministers and apostles of christ ; yet by the story of the euangelist it doth plainely appeare , that for a great while after , euen till the ascension of christ , they were exceeding infirme both in iudgement and affection , not knowing distinctly the meanes of their redemption to be christs sufferings and resurrection , though it were most plainely and often tolde them ; and tripping and failing by pride and ambition , contention , and otherwise . againe , some of his elect children at their first calling , are brought forth by their mother the church , with great paine and hazard to themselues , being before and about the time of their calling much afflicted , full offeares and anguishes , by reason of their manifold greeuous sinnes laide before them by their inward monitor , their conscience accusing them , and the outward admonition and threatnings of the law ; the light of gods iustice shining into their mindes , and striking them as lightning and thunder from heauen . thus it fared with the fore-named paul at his conuersion , which was with trembing and astonishment ; acts . . as also with them , acts . . whose soule-horrors , as daggers or kniues , pricked their hearts . now on the other side , some there bee which at their first calling feele no such thing , but are deliuered from their bondage to satan and sinne , with great case , nay , with maruellous ioy and alacrity osspirit , as it is to be seene in lydia ; acts . . who as one feeling nothing lesse then anguish , did cheerefully entertaine paul vpon her new birth and calling . the samaritanes , acts . . at their conuersion by the preaching of philip , had great ioy ; it being in this case , as in the naturall birth , where some come into this world with great facility , and others with very great danger : and according to this different proceeding of god in this worke , it is , that some of the elect doe sooner and far more easily see their owne calling , then others doe . the consideration of this second point , is for comfort of them who being certainely called , yet are troubled that the strength of grace is so little , their infirmities so many , their ioy and cheerefulnesse very small ; which should not so greeue them , if they would remember , that this case hath beene the condition of others ; and withall , that the troubles and griefe which they finde in themselues by reason of their wants , doth argue and proue to them their owne conuersion to bee true and sound ; which should more preuaile to comfort them , then the sight of any defect and weakenesse to discourage : let them reioyce in the truth of the grace , which cannot reioyce in great measure of grace . the third thing which i adde , is this , that election necessarily bringeth forth a true calling to christ , as a proper effect of it . therefore all good christians are by their calling , to iudge of their owne election , and consequently of their owne saluation : for as they must needes be saued which are elected , because god changeth not , and nothing can hinder his purpose : so they are certainely elect , who be effectually called . it is not then for any to search curiously into gods counsel , and to begin there to find the assurance of their owne saluation ; but wee are to begin at another end : and as wee discerne & iudge of the roote by the fruite , of the fountaine by the water which runneth from it , and of the cause by the effect ; so we must rise vp to the sight of our election , by the worke of our calling , which is an hand to conduct vs into gods counsel-house . thus paul the apostle hauing taught and established that heauenly doctrine of predestination ; ( rom. . at the verse ) hoe declared that the witnesse of it is to be sought , not out of our selues in gods secret will , ( which is an obiect too excellent for our weake eyes directly to look vpon ) but in our selues , to wit , in our vocation to be gods people , which before were not his people . also ioh. . . it is laide downe as a note , whereby to know who be giuen to christ of his father in his eternall election , that such shall come vnto him and see him ; all that the father giueth me ( saith christ ) shall come vnto me . now this comming vnto him , is vpon their obedience vnto his call . to be short ( for in a plaine matter , few proofes be best , ) as christ proued the iewes , to whom then hee spake , not to be the elect sheepe , because they refused to heare his voyce , and to beleeue : so he describeth his sheepe which are chosen indeede , by this marke , that they heare , and follow . wherefore , as in vaine they presume of their election , who neuer were called to faith in christ ; so whosoeuer by the due tokens which you before haue laide forth , and are about to doe hereafter when ye come to the effects of calling , shall finde their owne effectuall calling to be soundly and surely wrought ; let them gather thereby vnfallibly their election to life . be of good comfort ( say the people vnto the blinde man in the gospell ) the master calleth thee : so i say to these , take to ye good heart , for christ the master hath called you . not more certainely by the rayes and beames doe ye know the sunne to be a lightsome creature , then yee may determine of the loue of gods gracious purpose towards you from euerlasting , by this fruit of it in your effectuall vocation by the gospell . the fourth thing omitted by you , it is this ; that the times of calling being so vncertaine , wee should neuer cast away our hope of others , who doe liue vnder the meanes , though they liue wickedly , vnlesse god doe giue vs any apparent signe of their reiectiō from grace ; as in 〈◊〉 , iulian , and others : otherwise to keepe vs from iudging , especially of the finall estate of any , because wee cannot tell what to morrow day may bring forth . therefore the ministers of the word are still to be sowing , and casting abroade their seede early & late , they know not which will take place , this , or that ; the people still to approach to gods house , to heare the word of god calling them . they cannot tel which shal be the houre of their calling ; which as it cannot be preuented one minute , so being once come , all the strength of hell cannot holde them from obeying the voyce of their caller . aquila . sir , i thanke ye for your good remembrance of these things , which indeede were gone from mee . may it please you now , we will resort home , for it very neere draweth to night , and deferre other things to another time . here endeth the first part of the dialogue , touching our effectuall calling . the second part of this dialogue , concerning the graces which accompany , and come from this effectuall calling . aquila . sir , ye are againe wel met here ; i thanke ye for your last conference in this place : my mind hath been the more quiet euer since , euen as my body fareth the better after a wholsome moderate repast , or sweete rest : may it please you that we should spend another houre in that sort , setting on there , where we left , and broke off ? apollos i am well pleased with your motion , both that we should feed one another with the fruites of our lippes , and that we go forward in that argument which wee haue begun . howbeit , wee will alter our course : whereas i put you to answere my questions , and so put you to the more paine ; i will now take vp that burthen , and you shall haue the easier and lighter ende of the staffe : doe you aske , and i will answer . aquila . it pleaseth you to fauour me ; yet i iudge it no lesse hard to propound wise questions , then to make true answeres . one that hath any good measure of knowledge , may better , or as well replie when matter is offered by questions to worke vpon , as to inuent and deuise still to propound new matter : but i will agree to your order , on this condition , that where my questions shall be short or vnpertinent , ye will correct faults , and supply wants , to make them more fit and full . tell me then what is the first sauing grace , which the holy spirit workes in our calling ? apoll. all the sauing graces of the spirit are wrought in the elect , to be giuen them ( simul & semel ) at once , and together . in respect of time , there is not first and second ; one before , another after : for it is not in this new creation , when this our little world of our selues is brought out of the world of sinne and vnbeliefe , vnto the christian world of grace ; as it was in the creation of the great world of heauen and earth , when the parts of that world were made one after another in order of time , the worke being distinguished according to the number of dayes in the weeke : but here in this new creation , we haue the blessed sauing workes and graces of the holy spirit powred into vs all at one instant . we are not at one time called , and at another time iustified , and at another time sanctified , and then receiue graces of hope , and loue , and wisedome , &c. but these come as iosephs brethren came into aegypt for corne , all together : as the prodigall childe returning to his father , did at once receiue all those fauours from his kinde father , of kisse , embracing , ring , robe , and charge to kill the fat calfe . indeede the sauing graces for their encrease and growth to perfection , require succession of time ; euen as infants become not tall men , till after many yeeres : but these graces at the beginning , and first begetting , ( like grapes in a cluster ) doe all come together . euen as it standeth with the naturall body in the quickning of it , the soule comming into it , giueth power of motion and sense to euery member at one instant ; not to one sooner , to another later : so in our new birth , all the faculties of the minde and body , being before dead in trespasses and sinnes , are by grace ( the soule of the soule ) spiritually at once reuiued and enabled to all functions & duties of godlinesse . the truth whereof appeareth in that paul reports of the romans ; that being made beleeuers , they were iustified : and being iustified by faith , they had withall other graces , as peace with god , hope of glory , ioy in that hope , sense of gods loue . and of the ephesians he saith , that when they were called , and heard the gospell ( with an obedient care ) they also beleeued , and had the seale & earnest of the spirit . in a word , the elect comming to christ at the time of their calling , and christ with his merits & graces being so ioyned , as one cannot haue himselfe , but withall he hath all his : it is therfore an vndoubted truth , that howsoeuer some sauing graces may appeare before others , or be felt sooner then others , yet they are put vpon & into the elect at one and the same time : but in order of causes one grace doth precede afore another , and they are to be handled of vs one after another , according to that order , as neere as we can hit vpon . aq. wel then , i yeeld willingly vnto this truth , & acknowledge that that most mighty god , that at one moment could deck & adorn the firmament of heauen with so many glorious stars : he also is able to fixe so many & sundry glorious graces at once in the firmamet of mans heart . but seeing the god of order in this supernaturall work doth obserue a natural order , according to which some graces must be first as causes , others must follow as effects of those causes ; would it please you then to declare vnto me which grace is first in the order of causes ? apol. as i conceiue of it , i will declare vnto you , and i verily trust that i conceiue aright ; thus the case stands : before our effectuall calling , our mindes are couered with darknesse of ignorance & vnbeliefe , our hearts being ful of obstinacy by reason therof , so as we are wholy estranged from god. now in the worke of god in our calling , the spirit of christ by the gospell hauing mightily cast downe these strong holds , and scattered these foggy mists , doth illuminate effectually the mind and vnderstanding , distinctly & soundly to know & beleeue the promises of forgiuenesse & reconciliation by christ made 〈◊〉 the word , withal 〈◊〉 & opening the heart obediently to assent to it , and embrace it , with a faith & affiance in the mercy of god the promiser the by this faith of the promise , the elect is brought euen to christ , to be neerely vnited & 〈◊〉 to him , who being a stranger before , now by faith dwels in the heart as a familiar guest , rather as the master of the family to guide & rule & keepe in order all . now being made one with christ , they straight way haue comunion first with his righteousnesse , actiue & passiue , for iustifying them , to the great tranquility & ioy of the conscience , and also , to the raysing vp of their hearts to a sure certain hope & expectation of heauenly glory . then afterwards they haue fellowship with his spirit for sanctifying ; in which work of their sanctification , is giuen that excellent grace of repentance or turning to god ; also of hearty loue toward god their father now reconciled , & appearing so to the cōscience quieted & 〈◊〉 through the atonement felt & perceiued : & this begetteth loue to all men , especially to the saints , & carieth with it all the traine of christian vertues . it coming hereof that the elect are patient , temperate , peaceable , meeke , good , long suffering , modest , humble , &c. because through that faith & hope which they haue in god by christ , they are moued so to loue him , & to be affected to seek his honor , & to doe his will , as withall their heart is affectioned in all things which concerne him , themselues , or others , to please him by obedience and practise of his word , in sincerity and truth . aquila . by that which hath beene spoken , i perceiue what order ye thinke to be kept of god , in the working the workes proper to the elect. first , there is calling , in which there is , illumination or opening of the eye . thirdly , opening of the heart . fourthly , liuely faith . fiftly , vnion with christ , or our incorporation into him . sixtly , iustification , or imputation of christs righteousnesse . seuenthly , peace of conscience , eightly , ioy in the holy ghost . ninthly , hope of glory . tenthly , sanctification . . repentance , called our turning from sinne . . loue of god. . charity to our neighbour . . patience in affliction . . obedience to the will of god. let me aske of these in order , what i am desirous to know , for my further instruction : and first touching illumination , where doe yee finde ground in scripture for it ? then describe it , and shew what it is , and what kindes there be of it , and how the illumination of the elect , doth differ from the worke of the spirit , in illuminating some of the reprobate . apollos . in the calling of a sinner to faith , there are two workes of the spirit ; the one , opening of their eyes : acts . . the other , the opening of their hearts ; acts . . the lord opened the heart of lydea : the former is illumination , or enlightning ; whereof the holy ghost speaketh in heb. . . they which were once enlightened : and luke . . to giue great light to them that sit in darknesse . and againe , the people which sate in darknesse , saw great light : mat. . . in respect of this worke of the spirit , christ is said to be the light of the gentiles ; luke . . and the ministers who are but instruments of this worke , are called , lights of this word , and lights of the blinde ; mat. . . rom. . . this worke of illumination or enlightning , it is that , whereby the spirit first purgeth the mind & vnderstanding from darkenesse and vanity , which was in it through ignorance of god ; also , the iudgement from that peruerse corruption of it , in things belonging to god ; whereby it could not put a difference betweene good and euill : and secondly , putteth into the vnderstanding and iudgement a new light of knowledge and discretion , whereby the soule knoweth and discerneth aright the truth of saluation by christ , euen particularly in the seuerall doctrines . this enlightning is twofold . the first is generall and slight , whereby the minde is enlightened vnto an idle and vnfruitfull knowledge of god. the latter , is a speciall and through-enlightening vnto a diligent and profitable vnderstanding of christ. these two kindes of knowledge , whereof the one a wicked man may haue , the other is giuen to none but to the elect , though they both be the gifts of the spirit , and also be of the same things , yet they differ very much . for first , the knowledge which a godly man receiueth in his illumination , it is certaine and distinct ; so as hee is able to applie the threatnings of gods iudgements to the humbling of himselfe and the promises of god to raise and comfort himselfe : the wicked by their knowledge cannot doe so , hauing but a naked and bare speculation , without any particular application of the same , for humbling or comfort . againe , the knowledge of the godly is sufficient to direct them generally , and in euery particular duty , whether it be for auoyding euil , or for doing any good ; but the insight and knowledge of the wicked is vnsufficient , and vnable to direct them in their singular and particular actions , either for omission of euill , or practise of good . the former knowledge is full of good workes , and directs them in whom it is , to doe good things constantly ; but the latter is barren , and fadeth before the end , or leaues them in the end . in respect of these differences , the knowledge of the elect for the cleerenesse , sufficiency , and certainty of it , is likened to the light of the sunne ; and the knowledge of the reprobates for the confusednesse , vnsufficiency , & vnstablenesse , is compared to the lightening , which doth not giue any certaine light , it doth not continue any certaine time ; and when it is gone , men see worse then before . so doth it fall out with the wicked , for their knowledge doth soone vanish , and while it lasteth it is very vncertaine ; and there is in them afterwards greater and more dangerous darknesse then before : for because they winke with their eyes , and make their hearts fat , striuing willingly not to see that they cannot but see , wilfully blinding and hardening themselues ; therefore as a punishment of this sinne , they are giuen ouer to haue dull and heauy eyes and eares , so as they shall see and not perceiue , heare , and not vnderstand ; acts . . whereas the knowledge of the godly encreaseth in brightnesse like the sunne , which shineth more & more cleerely vnto the perfect day ; prou. . . so as the godly are very greatly bound to praise god for such their light of knowledge , and to endeauour to walke in that light ; answering such a grace by thankfulnes in tongue , and obedience of liues and workes , as becommeth children of such light , translated out of such darknesse . aquila . now that ye haue spoken of illumination or opening the eyes , will it please you to say somewhat of the other worke of the spirit , which ye call the opening of the heart ; what may this signific , or how may it differ from the former worke of enlightening ? apollos . by the heart ( according to scripture phrase ) is signified not the fleshy part of the body , which is thought to be the fountaine of life , and seate of the affections ; but the faculties of the soule , especially the vnderstanding and will. for the heart is ( as it were ) the chaire of estate for the soule , where the soule sheweth her selfe in presence ; therefore it is so often put for the soule , and the chiefe powers thereof ; as , god opened lydiaes heart , that is , her soule . now this opening , sheweth and teacheth vs , that the soule is as a chest fast lockt and barred , into which ( while it is so ) there can no treasure be put . so it is with the soule before our effectual calling , it is close shut vp , and lockt vp through ignorance and vnbeliefe & sinne ; so as no sauing grace can drop into it , but it is kept from all sight and feeling of gods peculiar mercies . therefore this opening of the heart , besides the illumination already spoken of , whereby the spirit piercing into the minde , endued it with that heauenly light before touched , that it may cleerely and certainely vnderstand the whole truth of the word , but chiefly the promise of the gospel ; it hath also the mouing and bowing of the will , with affection to receiue and embrace this promise ; the spirit enduing the soule with a sweete feeling of the most mercifull goodnesse of god therein . and of these two workes of the spirit , in opening of the eyes and the heart , ariseth that third worke , called faith , which is a gift powred into the soule , knitting it vnto christ , with whom , being vnderstood and knowen as hee is reuealed in his word , and embraced with affection both of the mind & will , it now resteth satisfied , as one that hath found a rich treasure or great spoyle . aquila . but i am not yet satisfied with this that you haue said , about these workes of the spirit . therefore i pray you yet more plainely and particularly lay forth the actions of the spirit , tending to the engendring of faith in the heart of an elect sinner . herein i will doe mine endeauour to giue you satisfaction : the spirit of god ( as in our first conference you rightly told vs ) worketh both by the law and the gospel . in the preaching of the law , it worketh first a knowledge of god , as he is god the creator and preseruer of all things , reuealing his most great maiesty , power , iustice , and wisedome ; making vs to see him a mighty & terrible iudge , extremely hating , and infinitely recompencing all iniquity . then it goeth on by the law , to shew vs our sinnes against this god : the knowledge of sinne is by the law ; rom . . especially reuealing vnto vs , that the very first motions of our minde and will against god , or our neighbour , are damnable sinnes and breaches of gods law ; rom. . . our sinnes being thus vttered vnto vs in the very particulars , as well actuall as originall , as well of omission as of commission , in our thoughts , words , and workes ; whether they were little or great , against god or men : after this , there followes a reuelation of all the fearefull punishments and curses temporall and eternall , for the plaguing of body and soule , now and for euer ; by the threatning and denunciation whereof , and haply by a sensible experience of some part of it , the holy spirit breedeth terrour , feare , and astonishment , vpon the view and apprehension of so many erroneous sinnes , and such lamentable dolefull estate as is due thereunto : hereof called the spirit of feare and bondage ; rom. . . tim. . . whereupon the saide spirit bringeth to a speciall griefe vpon the sence of gods heauy wrath for some especial sinne , called , pricking of the heart ; acts . . whereby it bereaueth men of their chiefe desires , putteth them out of conceit with the best things in themselues , turning their mirth to mourning , their chiefe delight to bitter griefe : taking downe their hearts courage , and stomack ; because they see they haue to doe with a righteous & most rigorous iudge , who will remit nothing of his iustice , but taketh reuenge vpon all sinne and iniquities : and finding no strength or meanes in themselues to escape his wrath , they despaire of euer obtaining his fauour , by any their owne worth or goodnesse . these are the workes of the spirit in the ministry of the law : and in ioh. . . they are called , the rebuking of the world of sinne . here the office of the law ceasseth , and can bring no neerer to christ , but onely to bewray vnto vs our great neede and want of his sufferings & righteousnesse : and thereof the law is termed our schoole-master to christ ; galat . . . thus then the spirit hauing brought the sinnefull soule by the preaching of the law , in the view and dread of her iniquity and misery , to beholde what great and extreame neede shee hath of christ , and of euery droppe of his blood , of his spirit , and of euery grace thereof ; doth after this by the word of the gospell begin to open her a doore to the grace and fauour of god , shewing god vnto her as a redeemer and sauiour of sinners , freely offering mercy for forgiuenesse and saluation in the promises of the word , enlightening the minde to know the truth and certainty of them , mouing the iudgement to yeeld and subscribe vnto them , being known to be from god ; and then further , making poore sinners to perceiue and beleeue that all sinnes how many and horrible soeuer , for all the multitude and hugenesse of them , are pardonable , and such as may be forgiuen them ; as being far and very farre lesser then the infinite mercies of god , and most vnualuable merites of christs passion and death : the infinite price and worth whereof , being wrought by the same gospell to see and consider , the distrustfull hearts be therewithall stirred vp by the holie ghost to make particular confession of sinnes , and to seeke mercy and pardon of them from god by iesus christ , with trust of finding it ; as also to hunger and thirst after that perfect righteousnesse of christ there set before them : and finally , by the operation of that spirit applying to them the promises concerning christ and righteousnesse by him , they are sure'y perswaded , that they belong to themselues : wherupon flying from the terrour of iustice threatned in the law , they dare approach to the throne of grace ; saying , abba father , in respect whereof , the holy ghost is called , the spirit of adoption , of faith , and of a sound minde ; rom. . . tim. . . aquila . i doe acknowledge my selfe now well content with this your anatomy and opening of the works of the spirit , in calling , illuminating , and opening the heart , that it may beleeue christ to saluation : whereby i see how farre many are from faith , which suppose themselues neere to it ; and also perceiue how manifoldly and greatly the elect which doe beleeue , are beholden to god for his wondrous working in them . and lastly , more and more discerne the continuall and sincere preaching of the law and gospell to be of great vse in the church , that gods elect thereby may bee translated from infidelity to faith . now if you thinke good , we will hold our selues content to haue proceeded thus farre at this present , and at our next meeting , we will conferre further ( if god will ) concerning this great worke of faith , to the creating whereof , we haue seene so many and sundry workes of the spirit , to be behouefull and requisite . apollos i am well pleased so to doe , for my businesse calleth me away , and it may be also your family or calling may craue your presence ; and meete it is that these lesser duties giue place to the greater . at our next meeting together , i will try your knowledge about the nature and office of faith , and other things which belong to that worthy and noble gift , the mother-gift and queene of all graces , which bee inspired into mans hear : . the third part of the dialogue concerning a true and liuely faith in iesus christ. apollos . well saide neighbour aquila , i see you will not faile me , in that you keep your appointed time so duly : for you are here euen iust at the time we agreed vpon . aquila . sir , i loue to stand to my word in euery thing which is in my power to performe . i will be aduised what i promise , but hauing once giuen my faith , i will not breake it willingly . fidelity in keeping promise with men , is one of those christian graces which are proper to gods children , as there will be occasion hereafter to declare : but in the meane time , the thing that wee are now to deale in , it is not concerning ciuill faith betweene man and man , but about christian faith in the promises which god hath made to man. which because it is a large theame , and wil take vp much time , i haue purposely set apart some , and ouercome othersome businesse , that wee might intend the through-sifting of this point . apollos . and my leysure doth serue mee very well . therefore because you thought it no ease vnto you to propound questions , ye shall now vndergoe the burthen of an answer , which you liked so well of . let me see how you proue that faith is a fruite of our calling , and a gift proper to the elect ; seeing it is reported of many , that they haue beleeued , which yet were not elect , as of simon magus ; actes . . also some in iohn . , . yea , of the very diuels that they doe beleeue ; iames . . in which place verse . the same apostle telleth vs of a dead faith , which one may haue , and yet be no true christian. aquila . for your former question , whether it be a fruite of our effectuall calling : if there were no euident testimony to proue it , yet the thing is plaine enough ; for all know ( which know any thing ) that in our calling wee are made to beleeue , this being the very terminus , or end , wherein the worke of our calling resteth , to bring vs to faith in the sonne of god. of which yet there is proofe by expresse places , or good consequence out of holy scripture . when the apostle saith , rom. . . whom he calleth , them he instifieth : of this it followeth , that men being called and iustified at one time ; and all doe , or should know , that there can bee no iustification but by faith : that therefore in our calling , we are made to beleeue vnto iustification . againe , such places as yoke preaching and beleeuing together , as actes . , . they preached the lord iesus , and a great number beleeued ; and acts . . they spake so as that a great number beleeued ; with innumerable places of the like kinde : these manifestly confirme to vs , that where g o d s spirit effectually calleth to the heart , by the call and voyce of the preacher to the care , there followeth faith as an immediate worke of such a calling . now to your second demand , i answer , not euery faith is a fruite of effectuall calling , and proper to the elect : for there is a faith which is so called vnproperly , as a painted fire is called fire ; or a dead man is named a man. such is the faith which doth accompany a common outward calling , and may be found in hypocrites and wicked men ; and in some of them there is historicall faith onely , by a generall illumination , being made to vnderstand and beleeue the doctrine of scriptures to be of g o d ; and therefore to bee most true and worthy of credit : and thus much the diuels doe beleeue , and so farre the blinde scribes and pharises came : but in others of them the spirit worketh further to bringthem to haue a certaine ioy & delight in that which they know and beleeue , with a kind of loue and liking to the ministers of the word , and a reuerence after a sort vnto them and to the message which they bring . yea , moreouer they are brought by the same spirit to see and confesse a great neede of christ , and to haue some hope that their sinnes may be pardoned them , to desire it in some manner , to confesse their sinnes , and that often and particularly , to aske pardon , and that onely in the name , and for the merit of christ ; and all this while their faith is but temporary , they neuer come to bee rooted and grounded in christ , and so their faith doth faile them , and vanish away . such was the faith of them which were likened to the stony ground ; mat. : also of simon magus , of demas , of iudas , and of all hypocrites , who are deceiued themselues , and doe deceiue others with the shadow and appearance of faith , in stead of a true , liuely , and substantiall faith . which in scripture ( for distinction from dead fath ) is called an effectuall faith ; thess. . and faith vnfained ; tim. . . and faith of christ ; and faith of the operation of god ; col. . . and faith of the elect ; titus . giuen to them who are ordained to life ; acts . . which euidenceth vnto vs , that there is a true & liuely faith , which springs from election , as a fruit of it , and is proper vnto the chosen . apollos . i desire to heare of you what this liuely faith is : . wherein it differeth from the faith of hypocrites and wicked men : . what be the parts thereof : . and also if it haue any degrees , and what they be ? aquila . this liuely faith is a precious gift of god , enabling the christian soule to know and beleeue the whole doctrine of god , as it is contained in the word ; especially that which concerneth saluation by christ , and to apprehend or receiue particularly and certainly christ offered in that doctrine vnto eternall life in heauen . when i affirme faith to be the gift of god , it agreeth with scripture , ephe. . . faith is the gift of god ; which is to teach , that men haue it not by industry , as they haue arts and sciences ; nor by nature , as they haue reason , memory , speech : for then all men might beleeue ; but all men haue not faith : thes. . . which must admonish the faithfull of thankfulnesse , in acknowledging that thorow gods great goodnesse it is giuen them of god to beleeue ; especially seeing it is no ordinary gift , or common , which all professors may haue ; but a very precious and rare gift : 〈◊〉 . . . being giuen to gods owne peculiar and chosen people , a people purchased with an inualuable price . this gift of faith looketh to the whole word and doctrine of god. whatsoeuer is in scripture taught and set downe , it knoweth and beleeueth it to be most true ; be it a word of rebuke , or admonition , or exhortation , or threatning , or commandement and precept , it doth beleeue and know all that god speaketh to be most true and faithfull , mouing the heart , and that effectually to receiue the word of admonition , to grceue at the rebukes of the word for sinne , to obey the word of commanding , to feare at threatnings , faith hauing obiect 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 , no other euen or equall obiect but god speaking in his word ; as it is written , abraham beleeued god : gen. . . and againe , the people beleeued god , and his seruant moses ; exod. . . howbeit the word of promise , of the euangelicall promise , promising christ , and with him remission of our sinnes , righteousnesse , and life euerlasting ; this word is the more speciall , neere and proper obiect and marke , that the eye of a liuely faith looketh vnto ; and betweene this faith , and christ promised , or the promise of christ , there is a mutuall relation or reference : the promise being set forth to be beleeued by faith , and faith embracing and leaning vppon this promise , it findeth no stay to rest on for saluation , till it come to this word of promise . for as mans naturall life is preserued by eating , yet not by eating euery thing , but by eating wholsome and fit foode : so the soule is saued by beleeuing ; ephe. . . yet not by beleeuing euery truth , nor euery truth of the bible , but by beleeuing that word of truth , which is the gospel . this faith of christ crucified , saueth ; there being nothing whereby we can be saued , but christ onely : acts . and no gift of god whereby we can haue christ , but faith : he dwelleth in our hearts by faith ; eph. . for this power of receiuing christ vnto saluation , belongs to faith onlie amongst all the gifts of god. where of there is cleere proofe ; for it is neuer written of any other gift , that thereby christ is receiued : but this is attributed often vnto faith , as iohn . . beleeuing in the name of christ , and receiuing him , are put the one for the other : as many as receiued him , to them hee gaue prerogatiue to be the sonnes of god , euen to them which beleeue in his name . and rom. . . by whom wee ( which before were sinners and enemies , verse . . ) haue now ( that is , since we had faith to beleeue to instification , verse . ) receiued the atonement . and hereunto that in galat. . . it is written , that by faith , we receiue the promise of the spirit ; that is , the promise concerning christ , and righteousnesse by him , which is called the spirit ; because the spirit is authour of it , reuealer of it , and by his operation , the applier of it . this receiuing of christ by faith , it is done by a double act or worke ; one of the minde , renewed , seeing , acknowledging , and considering him as our owne sauiour , giuen to vs of god , with all his merites and rich gifts : the other of our will , renewed , embracing , affecting , and with ioy feeling his mercies , being fully satisfied with him , now made vnto vs of god wisedome , righteousnesse , sanctification , and redemption ; cor. . . and become to vs as well of water , springing vp in vs to life euerlasting ; ioh. . . now the reason why christ with his benefits are receiued rather by faith , then by any other gift of the mind , is very plaine : for it is so decreed of god in his eternall counsell , that neither by repentance , hope , or loue , or any other grace then by beleeuing onely , we should become partakers of christ , and his righteousnesse : according to that which is written : this is the will of him that sent me ( saith christ ) that euery one that seeth the sonne of god , and beleeueth in him , shall haue eternall life ; iohn . . and galat. . . it is saide , that the scripture foreseeing , ( that is , god foreseeing ; and fore-appointing , and in scripture long before it came to passe reuealing ) that god would instifie the gentiles through faith . and this is a sure rule in diuiniry , that whatsoeuer comes to passe in time , was ordained to be before all time ; therefore the word and experience hauing taught , that whosoeuer lay hold on christ to their saluation , it is by faith they doe it : it must follow hereof , that it was gods will from all eternity . the end of gods counsell herein , is twofold . first is because this way of receiuing christ with his righteousnesse to life , it taketh from vs all matter of reioycing and boasting in our selues , and giueth the whole glory vnto god , as it is written ; god hath set forth christ to be a reconciliation through faith , ( to this end ) to declare his righteousnesse ; that is , that he might be known to others ( as hee is in himselfe ) to be a most true and mercifull god in his promises , to the praise of his righteousnesse . and a little after , where is then the reioycing ? it is excluded : by what law ? ( that is to say , by what doctrine ) of workes ? no : but by the law of faith . therefore it is written , rom. . . that abraham had by his workes nothing whereof to reioyce with god ; but by his beleeuing the promises of christ he had : for when we must goe out of our selues for eternall life , and all that belongs to it , to receiue that from another in whole and in part ; what can there be left for vs to glory in , and what can be more to the glory of god , then to be acknowledged to be the sauiour of empty miserable beggars , which haue nothing of their owne , but the old ragges of sinne and wretchednesse ? and how must not this exceedingly reioyce the beleeuing heart , to see it selfe blessed with christ and all his merites , and that freely ? another end of gods counsell herein , was not onely to prouide for the glory of his owne grace , but for the stablenesse of our mindes , that we might be sure of the thing promised ; which could not haue beene , if it had come to vs any other way then by beleeuing the promise : therefore the promise by christ , and the heauenly inheritance by him purchased , it must be by faith , that it might come by grace , and the promise might be 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the 〈◊〉 ; rom. . . apollos . i haue willingly heard you opening the nature and proper office of a liuely faith , the faith of gods elect enabling them euen to the apprehension of christ ; which cannot be done by the faith of hypocrites , and wicked men . whereof it is , that this finely faith is termed the faith of christ : not onely because christ is the giuer of it , or the proper and especiall obiect ; but especially because it carrieth vs to christ. as the sicke of the palsie , who himselfe could not goe , was by others carried to christ , to be healed of him ; mat. . . : so wee being maymed and lame , yea , dead ; yet when wee thorow grace are quickened to beleeue the promise , wee are carried to christ , as it were on the shoulders of our faith ; which is also the foote whereby we walk to him , the eye whereby we see him , the mouth whereby wee eate him , the hand of our soule whereby wee receiue him , and apply him to our 〈◊〉 : decreed to bee thus by his father for the manifestation of his truth and mercy , and for our benefit in the establishing of our mindes in the assurance of enioying of christ , and all the good promised by him . now if ye please branch out this faith into his parts , and acquaint vs with the seuerall measures of it , that so the doctrine of faith may yet bee fuller and cleerer to our vnderstandings ! for i thinke ye are of this minde , that all haue not a like faith , neither doe ye take faith ( as some thinke ) to bee onely a generall knowledge and 〈◊〉 to the doctrine of christ : let me heare you what you will say to these masters ? aquila . here in i will apply my selfe to fulfill your desire , if first i doe deliuer somewhat vnto you of the two adioynts or qualities proper to this faith ; to wit , particularity and certainty : it being a particular and certaine receiuing of christ iesus . first for certainty , it is of the nature of faith , to breede certainty or assurance of the thing beleeued : we are not more certaine that we see what we see , or do hold what we haue in our hands , then we are certaine of hauing and enioying that which by faith we see and receiue . in as much as doubting is ioyned with faith , ( the faithfull hauing many doubts ) this commeth of the weakenesse and infirmity of faith ; as the shaking and daddering of the hand proceeds of some naturall imbecility and feeblenesse , and yet the hand holds surely that it hath caught : so it commeth of the frailety of faith , that we stagger and doubt ; ( o ye of little faith , why doe ye 〈◊〉 ? mat. . ) yet faith for the nature of it doth surely receiue and hold the promise . hence it is , that faith is defined for the certainty and cleerenesse of it to bee the ground or subsistence of things hoped for , the euidence or demonstration of things which are not seene ; heb. . . the meaning whereof is thus much , as if the holy ghost should say ; faith is the very substance or essence of things hoped for , because the things which bee but hoped for , are yet to come , and be voide of essence or being : faith therefore whereby they are beleeued to be , is a ceraine essence of them , causing them though they be absent , yet after a sort to be extant and present . and also it is a demonstration or euidence of things not seene , because to the eye of faith , as things absent are present , so things 〈◊〉 , become as if they were visible ; the vnderstanding enlightened by faith , seeing those things , which yet cannot be seen , because they are 〈◊〉 . now how should this be truly spoken of faith , were it not a certaine and firme comprehension of things . which further appeareth in this , that assurance is attributed to faith , where it is written ; draw neere in assurance of faith . heb . . and of abraham , rom. . . it is saide , he was assured by faith of the promise made him . where it is to be obserued , that doubting is an effect of vnbeliefe , is set against assurance the effect of faith . hee doubted not through vnbeliefe , but being strong in faith , he was assured fully that the promiser was able to doe it ; rom. . . . for as vpon the holding or receiuing a thing into the hand , groweth an assurance of hauing that thing ; and therefore we say , it is in his hands , hee is sure of it , or he is not sure of it ; for it is not yet in his hands : so vpon our receiuing and holding christ by the hand of faith , followes an assurance that he is ours , and that by him god is become our mercifull father , and hath forgiuen vs our sinnes and will saue vs euerlastingly from whence commeth a boldnesse and confidence , that as children to their parents , so we can confidently come to god through christ beleeued on : by whom we haue boldnesse , and entrance with confidence , by faith in him ; ephe. . . where note these things , how they hang together . . faith. . thereupon assurance . . therevpon confidence and also boldnesse . the faithfull hauing such a high priest & mediator , as is higher then the heauens , which can doe all in all with his father ; they are more then assured of reconcilement & fauour : for they boldly come to the throne of grace , with trust and confidence to find helpe in the time of neede . further , if we cannot be certaine by the certainty of faith , of the promise concerning saluation , then how could we be saide by faith to haue peace with god ? what peace and quietnesse can there be , when there lacketh certainty ? and how could it be truly written , that by faith we stand in grace ? for standing notes stedfast firmenesse . finally , the word of promise being more firme then heauen and earth ; and the mercies , truth , and power of the promiser being infinite and vnchangeable : what should hinder but that the beleeuer may assure himselfe to haue the thing promised ? and how then are they too blame which teach the doctrine of doubting , vnlesse we haue speciall reuelation from heauen ? that which they say that in respect of our selues being variable , wee may alwayes and worthily doubt , and also through the great-nesse of our sinnes , it is nothing : for our faith resteth not vpon our owne strength , but vpon gods truth , might , and mercies , which doe farre exceed our sinnes . the greatnesse whereof in the true beleeuer , doth make his truth and mercies so much the more renowned and illustrious , rom. . , . therefore let the faithfull striue against motions of doubting , yeeld not , but grew more and more assured : and the more strong ye are in faith , the lesse ye shall doubt ; which euer commeth of the weakenesse of faith , as i haue saide . touching the other thing , that faith is not onely a certaine , but a particular receiuing of christ ; me thinks that should not be doubted of , that this is of the nature of faith , to appropriate the promise to the beleeuer ; as my hand taketh a gift bestowed , to make it mine owne . apollos . friend aquila , spare this labour here to speake now any further of this matter : for you will be put to it againe , when ye are to speak of the 〈◊〉 of faith , whereof now time and order requireth , that yee say something . ye say well . i will follow your counsell . vnto a liuely faith there belongs three things , which ye may well call parts thereof . . knowledge . . assent . . application . there must necessarily be a knowledge of things to be beleeued : for how can wee beleeue him of whom we haue not heard ? rom. . . hence it is that faith is so often called knowledge : iohn . . this is eternall life to know , &c. and vnderstanding : col. . . full assurance of vnderstanding , to know the mysterie of christ : and wisedome ; ephe. . . he hath abounded toward vs in all wisedome and vnderstanding . there being no knowledge , wisedome , or vnderstanding , like to this of faith , whereby we know the father and vnderstand the secrets of the kingdome , and are made wise to saluation . vnto this knowledge , obserue that there be required these fiue things . first , some warrant of scripture to direct our knowledge in things to be beleeued vnto saluation , that our faith may rest on god. and therefore secondly , such places as be warrants & grounds of our knowledge , must be perceiued for meaning of words and matter therein contained , or otherwise it cannot be called knowledge . thirdiy , together with a faculty to discerne the truth so perceiued from the contrary errour , which is called a spirituall 〈◊〉 : cor. . . prayed for , philip. . . because it is by vertue of the holy ghost , enabling a christian to iudge of doctrines which be of god , and which not . fourthly , to this must be ioyned an ability , to encrease in this knowledge : colos. . . encreasing in the knowledge of god. which 〈◊〉 by the right vse of our former knowledge : as riches encrease by industry , and memory by vse doth encrease and waxe stronger ; so doth our knowledge of heauenly things : therefore let gods children put all their knowledge to vse , according to the nature of the thing knowne , and their owne occasions . the last and fift thing , is a power to instruct others , as namely those vnder their charge ( as children & seruants ) that which they know themselues : this was in beleeuing abraham , gen. . it must be in abrahams children . this which i haue spoken of knowledge , shutteth out the implicit blinde faith of the papists ; amongst whom , one may hold the place of a faithfull man , and yet know nothing more then to rehearse the creede , & the lords prayer , and ten commandements ; or to beleeue as the church beleeueth , though they know not what that is . the other thing required in faith , it is assent ; that the minde agree to the thing knowne , to hold it for a truth , and be so certainely perswaded thereof , as hee will iudge the contrary false whensoeuer hee meeteth with it ; and be ready to endure anything , rather then to denie such truth . such an assent was in thomas , when he saw and felt christs hands and side ; and in peter , being perswaded the thing which he taught concerning christ , to be no fables ; also in paul , who was so resolued of the truth of the doctrine which he knew , as he was willing to suffer euen death , rather then to renounce it . all the martires of christ in yeelding their liues for christ , did witnesse to the world , that they had firmely assented vnto , and were throughly resolued of the vndoubted truth , which they knew and professed . the third part of faith , is application , when the beleeuing party is perswaded not onely of the truth of the doctrine touching christ , to yeeld firme assent thereunto , but that the same truth belongeth vnto himselfe . as this is the greatest , so it is the hardest duty of faith ; impugned mightily by the papists , who cannot abide to heare of it : and also it is performed with much difficulty , of the best protestants in the time of temptation , when they are sore assayled by their sinnes and satan . but letting other things passe , here i will onely proue it to be the duty of faith , to appropriate the doctrine of christ touching eternall saluation by him ; to a mans selfe particularly , and to shew that faith makes a man beleeue his owne saluation ; and not onely that there is saluation purchased for sinnes by christ , as the scripture teacheth . first , the commandement is to beleeue the gospell ; marke . . to beleeue in the name of christ ; 〈◊〉 . . . shall we say that the meaning of this commandement is no more , but to beleeue the doctrine ( which teacheth iesus to be the sonne of god , and a perfect sauiour of the world ) to be of god , and a most true doctrine ? what will let then , but that 〈◊〉 may be a true beleeuer , and be saued ? for either he beleeued this , or hee beleeued nothing : yea , he preached this ; mat. . . and doth not christ say of some of the pharises , that they knew him & also whence he was ? ioh. . . & . ; that they had no cloke for their finne , because by hearing him , they did see and know his doctrine and workes to be of god ? and in sooth how could hee in mat. . , . charge them with that 〈◊〉 of the spirit ; vnlesse they had beene enlightened by the worke of the spirit so farre , as to vnderstand that which he taught and wrote , to be diuine , and not from men , or by humane power ? and who can doubt , which will not hoodwinke his eyes not to see that which is so manifest , that many in the church come so farre as to see , and to assent vnto the whole doctrine of christ , euen to the professing & declaring it to others distinctly & learnedly ? of whom yet there may be great doubt made , that all such are not true beleeuers endued with this liuely faith , effectuall to saluation . wherefore the commandement pressing vs to beleeue the gospell , hath meaning to presse vs to beleeue it with particularitie , that the doctrine of saluation by christ belongs to our selues , as the elect may passe further then a naturall man can doe . secondly , it may appeare to be so , because beleeuing and eating are put one for the other ; iohn . . compared with verse , . now euery one knoweth this action of eating to be an appropriating to a mans owne selfe , a portion of meat which is prouided for all ; so is beleeuing an application to a mans selfe of such promises as are commonly propounded to the whole assembly . tell me , will itsuffice a man for the nourishing and preseruing of his bodily strength , when hee commeth to a table well furnished with meate , to perswade himselfe that the meate is very wholsome , good for nourishment , and well dressed ; or may hee not goe away hungry and feeble , if hee doe not take the meate , and by eating make it his owne ? so when a sinner commeth to a sermon , where hee heareth the doctrine of the gospell so mildly and distinctly taught and proued , will it suffice him to saluation to credit it certainly to be a diuine truth , onely able to saue poore sinners , and to haue beene truly and wisely handled ? may he not for all this , goe home in as bad case as he came , as far from saluation , except by beleefe he receiue that meate of heauenly truth into his owne heart particularly to be refreshed by a sure perswasion of the same , that it appertaines to himselfe . moreouer , doth not the apostle say , that christ is put on by faith ; gal. . , . and that he dwels in our hearts by faith ? ephe. . . and doth not this imply application to be louing to faith ? what is putting on , but an application of a garment to the body for warmth and comelinesse ? what is dwelling in our hearts , but the presence of christ , there by his spirit to doe all the parts of a sauiour to him in whom he dwelleth ? and this is done by faith . and tell me how we are bound to beleeue that the thing wee aske by prayer according to the will of god , shall be giuen vs , and the forgiuenesse of our owne sins ; also our owne saluation to be by the will of god asked in prayer : and yet wee not bound to beleeue the remission of our owne sinnes , and our owne saluation ? moreouer , when paul said , christ loued me , and died for me ; and saith also , that hee liued by faith in the sonne of god ; gal. . . and mary called christ her sauiour ; 〈◊〉 . . and thomas confessed , saying ; my lord , and my god ; ioh. . . and 〈◊〉 ; god is my 〈◊〉 , and my saluation ; psal. . . did not their faith apply that sauiour & god particularly to themselues , who is the common sauiour of all beleeuers ? and if this were not done by their faith , how then ? and how doth the church in framing prayers , say , our father , but in making confession of faith , say , i beleeue ? if this bee not the iudgement of the church , that euery one must haue particular faith , to beleeue the doctrine for himselfe , and out of 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 prayers for others with himselfe ? also , when sat an tempteth any about particularity of saluation , to doubt that himselfe cannot be saued , christ died not for him ; will it not be too weake a buckler to beate backe this assault , to say , i doe surely beleeue the whole truth of doctrine , concerning redemption by iesus christ , that hee alone came from god , and is the onely sonne of god , and that there is saluation by no other ? nay , will not the tempter replie , i my selfe beleeue so much , and yet tremble ? and iulian beleeued , and protested so much , and yet an apostata . wherefore as when a rich gift is bestowed amongst many poore people , euery one must take to himselfe a portion of it ; for it will not releeue their pouerty , if they onely beleeue it to bee a good gift , and doe not take it to themselues : so the gift of christ which is offered to poore sinners , in the doctrine of the word , to enrich them withall , must of euery one by his faith ( as by an hand ) bee applied to himselfe , or else they will remaine poore and beggerly still . vnto this action of application of christ by faith , there belongs these fiue workes of a renewed soule . the first is to approue the worthinesse of the doctrine of grace , knowne and beleeued , to hold and esteeme it better then all merchandize , precious stones , or the finest gold ; 〈◊〉 . . . yea , and to iudge both these , and whatsoeuer things else , but dung in respect of christ ; phil. . . then secondly to desire christ , and his merites offered in that doctrine , euen as hungry persons desire meat , and as sampson thirsted after drinke , when he said ; giue me drinke , or i die : iudges . . thirdly , so to lay hold on christ , as the man in acts laide hold 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 , 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 not let goe againe : and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to haue 〈◊〉 hold on a ship , hee would not 〈◊〉 his hold goe , till his hand was stricken off . fourthly , to delight ones soule in christ , as the gracious wife delighteth in her husbands loue ; or as one is delighted with some great treasure , or with the sweetnesse of hony . lastly , looking for the full fruition of christ , and all his benefits ; as dauid lookt for the promised kingdome , and the people of israel lookt for their full deliuerance out of aegypt and babylon ; or as the fathers lookt for the messiah his first comming in the flesh . thus haue i shewed you my knowledge about the parts of faith ; and for the degrees thereof , it is sure that there be sundry measures of this liuely faith , as the apostle 〈◊〉 , when he saith ; the 〈◊〉 of god is reuealed from faith to faith : rom : . that is to say , from such a faith as is subiect to waxing and growth , and 〈◊〉 daily from one degree to another ; it being also plaine by other places , that there is a little faith , and a great faith , a weake faith , and a strong faith ; rom. . . . mat. . . but seeing this matter will require some time to discourse it , and we haue drawn the day already to night ; wee will now depart to visit our families , and to doe such offices there as belong to our callings . apollos i hold it best so to doe ; if i say first this one word , that that gift of faith which requireth so many seuerall workes of the spirit , for the 〈◊〉 of it , and needeth so many actions for the setting it on worke , and performing that which is the proper 〈◊〉 of it ; it cannot chuse but bee a most precious thing , greatly to be sought ; and loued of all that liue in 〈◊〉 church , and loue their owne happinesse : and now aquila fare ye well , till wee meete againe ; which i pray you let it be to morrow at the same houre , and in this same place if god will. the fourth part of the dialogue , touching the degrees , and diuers measures of a liuely faith. aquila . i haue made haste , because i would not disappoint you ; and to tell you truth , i am vnlike a schoole-boy in this case , who when he parts from his booke , he cares not how long it be ere they meete againe : contrariwise , when he and his play meete , they play loath to depart . now i , when our conference is broke off , my fingers itch till we ioyne againe ; i find no better gaine then that that comes of time thus well bestowed : for this sticketh by vs , and enricheth to god-ward , when worldly gaine fleeteth away apace , and serueth for this life onely . apollos . i pray you then let vs proceede in our purpose . we began to speak of the degrees of a liuely faith , and to shew that neither all gods children haue like measure of it , nor euery one alwayes the selfe-same measure : for indeede it is with the church of god , as with a family or fold , where the persons of the household be some young and tender , some aged and lusty ; and in the flocke there are both lambes and sheepe : so it is in christs family and fold , there be christians , of all sorts ; some of ripe age for wisedome , some children in vnderstanding ; some like lambes for their infirmity in knowledge and grace , some like sheepe for their spirituall strength and growth . and as a man differeth from himselfe in 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 , being sometime 〈◊〉 infant , and afterwards 〈◊〉 to the full strength and age of a man : so euery true christian in his spirituall estate differeth from himselfe , being not so strong in faith at first when he beginnes to beleeue , as afterwards . this being the condition of gods people , to bee as trees planted in an orchard , which spread themselues , and are more fruitful the longer they continue : so are the faithfull as plants in gods house , they are more full of faith and fruit in their old age ; psal. . , . whereunto tend those frequent exhortations in the word , to encrease more and more , and to grow in grace , and to ioyne grace to grace , and still to hasten to perfection . apollos . sir , seeing you haue taken the 〈◊〉 out of my hand , will it please you to wield it now you haue it ? and i will make bold to aske you what i desire to remember of that which was taught vs about this matter of sundry degrees of faith . and first , seeing the apostle writeth that faith is one ; ephe. . . and that saint peter saith , all the elect haue attained like precious faith : pet. . . how truly then may we affirme that there is a little and great , a weake and strong faith ? apollos . well friend aquila , you take me at the aduantage . i had meant to haue troubled you with this charge , for that i see you can well discharge it ; yet i will not refuse it , seeing you put it vpon me . therefore to your demand this i say : when paul saith , there is one faith ; he speaketh not of the degrees of 〈◊〉 , ( and little and great , weake and strong , be but names of degrees ) but hee meaneth the substance of 〈◊〉 to be but one , and the obiect to be but one , which is christs or one doctrine concerning saluation by him : and in the other place of peter , the faith of all the elect is saide indeede to be like precious , but not like firme & strong . he doth not teach that it is of like quantity and measure , but of like quality and worth : for the faith of euery one of the elect hath the same authour , euen the holy ghost ; the same meanes , the gospell , and word of truth ; the same obiect whereunto it looketh . , christ and his righteousnesse : also one and the same marke whereunto it tendeth , the glory of god , and saluation of the soule . in all these things there is likenesse and agreement betweene the weake and strong faith ; yea , and sundry other things there be wherein this likenesse holds : for euery faith , euen the strongest is still vnperfect ; we beleeue in part , as we doe but know in part : the best beleeuer hath need to say ; lord encrease my faith . it doth therefore belong to euery degree of faith , as a thing common , to take the vse of all meanes , both priuate and publike , for support and helpe of it ; lest any tempt god by refusing the meanes , whereof all haue need continually . beside this , each faith little and great , may bee knowne of him in whom it is ( vnlesse it be in a great storme of temptation , or at the instant and about the time of their first conuersion : ) else christ would not haue asked particular men if they did beleeue ; nor paul would haue saide of himselfe : i know whom i haue beleeued ; nor exhorted others to examine themselues if they be in the faith , cor. . . tim. . yet moreouer , in each faith this is common , that the things beleeued , are aboue compasse of naturall reason : for if we consider the things which the word setteth forth to be beleeued , as for example , that the world was made of nothing ; that a dead body turned into dust , shall liue againe ; that a virgin remaining a virgin , can be a mother ; that god and man is one person ; that so many thousand beleeuers so far distant , are one body ; that saints in earth are one with christ in heauen , and eate & drinke him without diminishing ; that one offence of one man condemned the whole world ; that the righteousnesse of one man maketh millions to be iust ; that god is then a father , when hee shewes himselfe an enemy : in these and many such like things , faith can beleeue them , ( because god hath spoken them ) when blinde reason cannot see . lastly , one faith is as sufficient to saue as another , a little as wel as a great ; because a weake faith can looke vpon christ , and lay hold on him no lesse truly , then a strong and great faith ; euen as a weake and sore eye , might behold the brasen serpent to health , as well as a sound and cleere eye : but though there be such great and manifold likenesse betweene faith and faith ; yet this letteth not , but that there is a difference amongst the godly , as touching the diuers measures of their faith : euen as much as betweene the hand of a babe and of a man ; betweene a young plant and a growne tree . the most wise god distributing his graces as it pleaseth him , to some thus , to some otherwise : so as none haue cause to disdaine such as be infirme , if themselues be strong ; for it was god who established them : nor any to enuie others , if haply they doe not so abound in wisedome and faith , as others doe ; because it was god that so disposed euery man his portion . but the strong must apply themselues to helpe the weaker , bearing with infirmities ; and the weaker with reuerence and loue to honor such as goe before them . euen as the foote doth not lift vp it selfe against the head , nor the head doth not despise the foote ; but each member respecteth and cherisheth one another , to the preseruation of the whole body : so let beleeuing christians in respect of god ( who doth all in them of his good pleasure ) worke out their saluation in feare and trembling , euery one being thankefull to him for their owne measure ; knowing that they haue nothing but what is giuen : thinking themselues happy to haue at all any measure of liuely faith ; and in respect of themselues , to walke in mutuall loue , one supporting and comforting another in all loue and modesty , as becommeth saints . aquila . whereas yee haue shewed many things wherein the two measures of faith doe accord and be alike ; let it not be offensiue to you , that i put you in mind of one correspondency between them , which it should seeme you thought not vpon , and that is this ; it is common to each degree of faith , first , to beleeue the promise before they come to any experience , feeling , or comfort from the apprehension of gods mercies : as in the woman of canaan , who verily beleeued that iesus was the messias , and would minister helpe to her distressed daughter , which was vexed with a diuell , as the story shewes ; mat. . . when as yet shee had not onely no experience , but rather all things went crosse and contrary to her . therefore it was a fault in thomas , who would haue his senses the guide of his faith : except i feele and see ( saith he ) i will in no wise beleeue ; ioh. . . whereas our sauiour pronounced them blessed who beleeue , and see not . for it is not in supernaturall and diuine , as it is in humane and natural things , where by our sense and experience we are led : but in heauenly matters , first of all gods children giue credit to the promise , striuing against in-bred distrust ; they doe beleeue god to be true , who hath spoken the word : so as they waite vpon god , till in his time he giue the feeling and comfort of that which they trust to be truly promised : a marke worthy to be thought on , because many esteem of faith by feeling , iudging themselues to haue no faith , because they want comfortable and ioyous feeling ; which is not faith , but a fruit and consequent of faith , in some more , in some lesse , and sometime none at all , as in time of some great triall . apollos . no aquila , i am not offended , that yee did admonish me hereof ; i rather thanke you , and wish you still to admonish me : not withstanding , this matter i knew would come further to be spoken of , in the prosecution of this doctrine touching the seuerall degrees of faith . but to goe forwards , i thinke good to deliuer vnto you seuerally the difference betweene these two measures of faith more distinctly & fully , as their likenesse and agreement hath beene opened . and first for the least measure and degree of faith , it is this ; when christians cannot certainly & distinctly say , i beleeue my own saluation , and the pardon of all my sinnes : but being displeased with themselues for their sinnes , they doe vnfainedly & constantly desire the pardon of them all , and their reconciliation with god aboue the whole world ; yea , aboue a world of worlds . and this their desire of faith , it is a degree of faith , the seed and beginning of faith , stirred vp by the spirit of adoption ; rom. . . pleasing god as faith it selfe , hauing great promises made to it ; mat. . . ioh. . . as that indicious diuine master perkins hath sufficiently proued , both in his reformed catholike , and in the book intituled , the graine of mustard seede . therefore to let passe the confirmation of that point , it is to be now shewed , who be the persons in whom this weake faith is to be found : which i find to be of two sorts . the first is of such who haue but little knowledge , by reason whereof their faith must needs be infirme : examples hereof we haue in scripture , in rahab , the samaritanes ; ioh. . . the apostles of christ at their first calling , and cornelius : whereof some of them did onely know the promise touching a messias , and did not so much as know iesus to be the christ. others which knew this , yet were ignorant by what meanes he should effect the worlds redemption , hauing their heads troubled with conceit of an earthly monarchy ; full little then thinking that the life of the lord and master , should be the worlds ransome , and that his resurrection should be the worlds conquest and victory ; they dreaming of an outward glorious reigne ouer the world , and hoping to be great men in great place vnder him : howbeit they giuing credit to his doctrine , and embracing him for the messias , depending vpon his mouth in matter of duty and saluation , they had a measure of faith , though a little and weake one ; as christ himselfe doth testifie of them all , o ye of little faith : and of peter by name ; o thou of little faith , wherefore didst thou doubt ? mat. . . and as they signifie of themselues by their owne petition ; luke . . lord encrease our fasth . the other sort of weake ones in faith , be such as hauing more knowlege in the mystery of christ touching the worke of saluation , by his sufferings and righteousnesse ; yet doe very weakely apply this their knowledge , not being perswaded of the forgiuenesse of their owne sinnes , and of their reconciliation with god ; but earnestly desiring to embrace and beleeue the promise of it : and of this sort of beleeuers there haue been in all ages very many in the church of god , euer since the ascension of christ , as daily experience proueth in many honest christians , which can speake well and distinctly of the doctrine of grace , and yet haue laide but poore hold of it for their own safety and comfort , much doubting themselues . aquila . but sir , by this meanes it wil come to passe , that many which are farre enough from true faith , will be ready to imagine themselues to haue some measure of faith : for euery one will by and by alledge for himselfe , that he hath a good desire to beleeue in christ , and so be lulled asleepe to their own perdition , presuming of that which they in truth doe want . apollos . indeed aquila you say well , this is a thing may be feared ; howbeit there be diuers good and sure workes to discerne a sound desire to beleeue in christ , which is the lowest degree of a liuely faith , from all vaine desires of wicked men & hypocrites , which may pretend to haue it , and yet haue it not . the first is , that in them whose desire is sound and godly , there is a coueting rather of reconciliation then of saluation ; rather to bee in grace and fauour with god , then to bee happy in heauen : for their desire commeth from a brused heart , greeued and cast downe for the offence of god , and his displeasure conceiued against their sinne ; so as to haue but one good looke of god , one smile of his louing countenance , it is more desired of them then the world ; nay , then the glory of heauen : as dauid prayeth ; o lift thou vp the light of thy countenance vpon vs : psal. . . and elsewhere the church prayeth , returne , and let the light of thy countenance shine vpon vs , and we shall be whole ; psal. . . and in another place , the godly professe saying , in thy fauour is life . it is true , that one cannot haue the fauour of god , but he is sure to be saued ; and it is lawfull to desire saluation : but yet the thing which the beleeuing broken heart doth cheefly looke vnto , it is to be loued and fauoured of god. againe , this godly desire is vehement , not slight or light , but very feruent ; like to the desire after meate of one pinched with hunger , which is very earnest ( as we say , hunger wil breake the hard stone wals : ) or to the desire and longing of a woman with childe , which vseth to be very vehement : such is this sound desire of them who begin to beleeue , they couet more to be satisfied with a full sight of gods face , then worldlings desire siluer and gold ; the doctrine of grace being to them more desirable , euen then the finest gold ; psal. . wee haue heard of the desire of the cananitish woman for her daughter being vexed with a diuell ; and we reade of the chased hart , breathing & panting after the coole water brookes ; euen so the soule chased by temptations , scorched with the heate of sinful lusts , hauing begun once to taste the sweetnesse , or but to feele the neede of sauing mercies , doth most eagerly and sharpely desire to attaine vnto them . this earnestnesse of desire , it is not in them by fits and starts , like pilates desire to know the truth ; iohn . which as a weake sparkle quickly died of it selfe ; but it is constant , as is the desire of a thirsty man , whose desire ceaseth not till his thirst be quenched ; such as anna her desire was after a childe , it was great and continued , till the thing was granted which she did desire : so it fareth with a sound desire to beleeue and find christ , it lasteth till faith bee formed in the heart , and christ be borne in them , they are not quiet till then , nor then neither ; still more and more desiring to bee knit and ioyned neerer to christ , their loue , their ioy , their crowne , their treasure . lastly , this witnesseth the soundnesse of this godly desire , to beleeue in iesus christ , that it bringeth forth some good affections , which are accompanied with some reformation of life and manners . they in whom it is , being carefull according to that they know , to obey and please god , hauing with their desire to beleeue ioined an vnfained desire to repent , and to liue honestly , keeping a good conscience towards god and men in all things . there is the quite contrary of all these , to bee seene in vnfaithfull men ; for their desire it is of happinesse , and not at all of gods loue , as balaam would be blessed , but tooke no thought to be reconciled to god , or to reforme his way . againe , their desires be faint , and be soone quelled , being neither vehement nor constant ; and no maruell , for they are vnsound , rather seeking themselues , that it may be well with them , then that god may set his heart vpon them , and loue them , and be glorified in his mercies towards them : and finally , they desire to be forgiuen & saued ; but it is without desire to repent , and amend their liues : they like heauen well , but not the way that leadeth thither ; their desire being to bee glorified with god , by hauing his blessing and ioy , and not to glorifie him by doing his will. aquila . will not this , thinke you , doe some hurt , to teach that there is a desire of faith , which is an acceptance with god for faith it selfe ? may it not cause men thus to content themselues , seeing now they haue some measure of faith , which is sufficient to saue them ? haply it will be thought , that here they may fixe their staffe , and set their rest . apollos . no aquila , there is no feare of this in this sound godly desire : that being a portion of sauing grace whose property is to grow still , and waxe greater , euen as young figges or raysins grow till they be ripe , and come to their full bignesse ; as all things which haue a vegetatiue or sensitiue life , their property is to encrease vnto a certaine proportion , whereunto nature aymeth ; as ye may see in plants , and in beasts and birds : so it is in the spirituall life , it will not stay in beginnings , but loueth still to attaine to that proportion and measure appointed to it of god. as by the exhortation of peter may be gathered ; grow in grace , and in knowledge of our lord : pet. . verse last ; for the faithful doe that which by him they are exhorred to doe : and by likening faith to a graine of mustard-seede , whose quality is to grow till it be a large tree ; but though this be the nature of sauing grace , to waxe and encrease , yet exhortations to quicken mens care , they may doe very well . christians are to be called vpon , so to be 〈◊〉 and thankfull for euery true measure of true faith , as withall they neuer content themselues with any measure , labouring after perfection . this it is we desire ( faith paul ) euen your perfection ; cor. . and sure it is the will of god it should be so : thes. . . i beseech you 〈◊〉 en encrease more and more . the which will of god , his children are the rather to hearken vnto , because as their faith encreaseth , so will all their graces and comforts proportionably encrease : for as a man beleeueth , so he loueth , and so he feareth , and so he obeyes , and so hee prayes . and after the measure of faith , and of the fruits thereof , so will be the measure of glory hereafter : he that had two talents , and the other which had fiue , by vsing and encreasing them , gained this of the lord , to haue rule ouer the more cities . the examples of the prophets , apostles , and other saints , which haue continually striuen to encrease in godlinesse , must also stirre vp others to doe the like : wherein we shall be followers not of them onely , but of christ iesus ; of whom it is reported , that he encreased in stature and wisedome , and fauour with god and men ; luke . v. last . aquila . if it please ye , let mee heare what ye count strength of faith , or a strong faith , which is the other or second measure of faith before spoken of ; and whether in this measure also there be not differing measures , of strong faith one to be stronger then another ; and which is the highest pitch of faith that can bee attained vnto here in this our pilgrimage ; and by what steps the children of god climbe vp thereunto ? apollos . friend aquila , you will ( i see ) prouide mee worke enough ; your questions be like a chaine with many linkes , which must be loosed not all together ( for that were a breaking and not a loosing ) but apart , one after another . that there is such a measure of faith , which deserues to be termed strong , it is very plaine by these few texts following ; abraham being strong in faith : rom. . . and o woman , great is thy faith ; mat. . . and of the centurions faith , i haue not ( saith christ ) found so great faith , no not in israel ; luke . . that the centurion which was a gentile by nature , a souldier by profession , and saw in christs person for outward appearance , nothing saue weakenesse and infirmity , should yet haue such firme perswasion of his power and goodnesse ( hauing no particular promise ) as to beleeue , and to be resolued in his minde , that iesus was able to helpe his sicke seruant , and that without his bodily presence , or touching , onely by speaking the word , hee should chase away such an inueterate malady : this was a strong faith indeede . the like ye may see in abraham , that hee being an hundred yeeres old , and his wife barren & stricken with age , neuer hearing of any before to be made parents at these yeeres , yet without any former example to beleeue vpon the word and promise of god , that he should be a father , and that of such a childe of whom should come nations , and in whom all nations shuld be blessed ; and when he was to be sacrificed , yet then to be perswaded surely that god would keepe that promise ; this was a great faith and a strong . but this is none of the linkes of your chaine , the first whereof is when faith may be counted strong and great ; when by the worke of the spirit ones heart is carried beyond that desire of pardon , which before was spoken of , euen vnto a sure and setled perswasion , that through gods mercies in christ , his owne sinnes are pardoned to him , and hee fully reconciled to god , vnto the cleere certainty of his owne saluation . the weake faith already described , is truly perswaded , that sinnes may be forgiuen , and desires to haue them forgiuen with some certainty to obtaine ; but this strong faith besides desire and certainty , hath setlednesse and fulnesse of perswasion , that all is already remitted and couered . as it is reported of abrahams faith , that he was fully assured thereby , that god which had shewed himselfe willing to promise , was also able to doe it ; rom. . . such a perswasion was in iob , when he could say ; i will trust in god , though he kill me : iob. . . and againe , i know my redeemer liueth ; iob . . and in dauid , when hee so confidently professed , that hee could lacke nothing , because god was his shepheard ; psal. . . and that god was his shield , and fortresse , his buckler , and his strong sauiour ; psal. . , . lastly , in paul and others , we know , cor. . . and rom. . . i am perswaded neither height nor depth shall separate vs. yet take this withall , that when i speake of this strong faith , that it is a full perswasion , i meane it not absolutely , as if there were any such strength of faith as hath no weakenesse , no wants , or defects at all ; vnlesse haply in some particular thing : as in that which was said to abraham , that he should be father of many nations ; wherein it is saide , hee was not weake in faith , or doubted through vnbeleefe ; rom. . . for all faith ( as before was saide ) is vnperfect : but strong faith is called a full perswasion in comparison of a weaker faith , which hath not such a measure of certainty and perswasion . now to the second linke , whether this measure of strong faith doth not admit sundry measures and differences ? it is true , there is so . moses might beleeue more strongly then iacob , and iob more strongly then moses ; and dauid more strongly then iob , and paul yet more fully then dauid , and abraham more strongly then they all . amongst men of strong constitution , some may excell others in courage and strength : so amongst them which be strong in faith , one may exceed another in power of beleeuing ; but of this strong faith there be two euident degrees . the first is of such as throughfull assurance of faith , doe feele in their hearts vnspeakable ioy and glorious ; pet. . . euen in tribulations ; rom. . . others which be fully perswaded in their soules of gods mercies towards them in christ , and yet are without feeling any comfort thereof for the time . and sure this is a greater degree of the twain ; it is not a thing of such strength , nor a matter so great , in ioyfull feelings to beleeue gods loue , one hauing as it were a pawne of it in their hand : as when one hath god frowning vpon him , and lieth in some greeuous distresse outward or inward , or both ; then to beleeue fully and strongly that god is still a father , and will saue and deliuer him , argueth a mighty faith . when abraham sawe the day of christ , with reioycing at that sight ; and mary so beleeued in christ her sauiour , as her soule reioyced in him ; luke . : when paul , and other beleeuers , through their strong faith , reioyced vnder the hope of glory ; rom. . : this was nothing such a 〈◊〉 and height of faith ( to loose your third linke ) as for iob when hee was in greeuous affliction ( god hiding his face from him , iob. . . and taking him for an enemy , shooting his bitter arrowes against him , which pierced his reines ; making him to possesse the sinnes of his youth , to the terrour of his soule ) then , and in that case to say ; i am sure my redeemer liueth , and i shall see him with the same eyes : iob . . and if he should kill me , yet will i trust in him ; iob . . or for dauid , when his soule was cast-downe , and vnquiet within him , and all the waues of god came ouer him ; yet then to say , hee is my present helpe , and my god ; psal. . , . i will yet giue him thanks ; or for the man in the gospell , who cried with teares , saying ; helpe my vnbeleese : yet could then say , lord , i beleeue ; marke . . and this it is which you did aduertise me of , as thinking i had forgotten it ; that there may be a true faith , yea , and a great measure of it too for a time , where there is no comfortable experience and feeling . for as the sunne may for a time cast forth his beames to the giuing of light , when there is no heat nor warmth : so the sunne of righteousnesse christ iesus , may kindle a light of some knowledge in the promise of mercy , before there come to the soule the heat and warmth of ioy and comfort . and where both light and heate haue beene giuen , hee may seuer them at his pleasure ; which he is pleased sometimes to do , denying to his members a ioyfull sence of mercies for some space , for very good causes and respects . first vpon some sinne committed , he with-draweth his louing countenance , taking from them inward ioy of heart , that by the absence of it , they may be humbled for their sinne ; as a father for the better humbling of his childe after some fault , will denie him wonted fauour , and looke vpon it with a displeasant eye : and by this meanes also gods children are brought the better to consider the greatnesse of their offence , not onely for humbling , but for whetting their prayers to moue them to more earnestnesse in 〈◊〉 of pardon , and the restoring of their ioy vnto them ; as is to be seene in dauids example ; psalme . also herein god taketh great triall of their faith and loue , and hath occasion on the other side to expresse and giue his children experience of his mighty grace , in sustaining and releeuing them ; his power is knowne in weakenesse . and lastly , it serueth for the awing of others , to keepe them in feare of offending , lest they also loose the ioy of their heart in gods countenance ; as a father will shew anger to one childe , to informe and terrifie the rest : vnto which wee may adde another consideration , that ioy is often clouded or ecclipsed , that when it breakes out againe , and the minde is cheered and refreshed afresh , then the comforts of the spirit may be more esteemed , more thankfully receiued , and carefully retained . things lightly come by , are lightly set by ; but euery thing is more accounted of , the more hardly we get it : therfore as we see a faire day more welcome after a soule , or a calme or rest more embraced after a storme or trouble ; so is ioy of spirit more valued when it commeth after deepe heauinesse and much anguish of spirit : for these respects gods children must haue patience , and striue to endure the lack of comfort , considering it will returne with such aduantage ; yea , and bee thankfull for such a schooling that it hath pleased god to send them such a bitter remembrance for so good ends : for though it be the most greeuous thing in the world to haue our spirit wounded , which should sustaine and beare vs out in all infirmities and afflictions , ( sand and iron not being so heauy as anguish of heart ) yet surely in all gods children it hath a comfortable issue : for which as god is to be waited on till it come , so also he is to be praised for ministring such strength of faith as to be able to beleeue in him , when nothing is seene and felt but terror and griefe , and matter of despaire . and where as yee asked how , and by what steppes gods people doe climbe vp vnto this height of beleefe , in this i will satisfie you ; that there are sundry duties and meanes , which thorough gods blessing bring faith in time to such a great measure . as first of all , the duty of feruent prayer , which being an exercise of faith , as the body is encreased by exercise being moderate , so is faith encreased by this exercise of prayer ; which springing of faith as a daughter , like a good childe helpeth the mother . againe , feruent prayer is like to a key or a bucket , which doth vnlocke and draw out the treasures of gods mercies . hence it is , that such as haue beene most frequent in prayer , haue proued fullest of knowledge , faith , loue , and other graces . let dauids example teach this ; none oftener in prayer , none more rich in faith . paul full of faith , because plentifull in prayer . the second duty to adde vnto the strength of faith , it is the often religious receiuing of the lords supper , which for so much as by the vertue of gods ordinance it signifieth and sealeth to euery beleeuer in particular the good will of god in christ for forgiuenesse of sinnes , and withall containeth a sacramentall promise of christ , and all his benefits , to be distributed to due communicants , euen to euery faithfull receiuer ; mat. . , , . hence it is , that it serueth greatly to the encrease of faith , especially when therewithall is ioyned the diligent and obedient hearing of the gospell preached ; which as it is the seede to beget faith , so it is as foode and solid meate to confirme it by the ordinance of god. and this effect it hath the rather , if it be coupled with meditations of the euangelicall promise , the very nourishment of true faith ; which made godly dauid to be much in meditations , as psalm . doth witnesse : so earnestly to commend it to other ; psal. . . besides all this , the long experience of gods mercies and bounty in outward benefits and in inward graces ; psal. . throughout , and the carefull obseruations both of them , and of gods mighty prouidence & protection against dangers , with his assistance against euils and enemies of all sorts , doth not a little auaile to put more life and heart into faith , as appeareth by the example of dauid , sam. . . where he grew to that strong confidence of ouercomming goliah , by the former triall of gods might in helping him against the lyon and the beare . also paul resolued strongly for time to come , that god would deliuer him , because he had deliuered him ; tim. . , . so as the faithfull should doe well to keepe a register of gods mercies and deliuerances , and often goe ouer them in their remembrance and thoughts , as papists supersticiously numbred their prayers ouer their beads ; so to refresh their faith by recording and numbring gods seuerall sauours , learning more strongly to trust in him , whom they so well know by experimentall knowledge ; let them which know the lord , put their trust in him : psal. . . finally , amongst other things , which further to bring to this highest pitch of faith , it is of no small moment , to haue a care and watchfull endeuour in all things to keepe a good conscience : for it is not written in vaine , that abrahams faith was perfected by his workes . there is a great neerenesse of kindred betweene faith and obedience : as faith in the promise of mercy breeds obedience to the commandements , so obedient walking before god , giues more courage to a faithfull man , the more boldly and surely to expect the performance of the promise , being made to such persons as out of loue to god obey his will. therefore in psalme . the prophet often encourageth himselfe to beleeue certainly and firmely that god will be good to him to saue him , because he had this testimony within himselfe , that he endeuoured the keeping of his statutes ; saue me o lord , for i haue kept thy testimonies : and againe ; i haue great delight in thy statutes , therefore quicken me according to thy word : and many suchlike . thus friend aquila , in so short roome as i could , i haue answered your foure demands ; and for an ouerplus , as before i laide out certaine markes to trie out the soundnesse of desire to beleeue remission of sinnes ( which is the least measure of faith : ) so i will here deliuer some tokens of the strongest faith , wherby it may be known . the first whereof is this , when a faithfull man is able to beleeue the promises , though the meanes seeme euen to fight against the truth of them ; as dauid being a priuate man , yea , and persecuted , yet beleeued the promise of his aduancement to the kingdome . and abraham resteth in the word of gods promise for isaac , and the blessing of all nations in him , euen when gods own word of commandement to kill his sonne did warre against the word of promise , to blesse all people in that sonne . secondly , in many and manifold dangers yet still to cleaue to god , with trust in his mercies , as the saints spoken of , heb. . they were imprisoned , scourged , racked , slaine with the sword , driuen into dennes and caues , and yet they still by faith beleeued god. thirdly , when any are able to reioyce in their suffering , and to endure their tribulations with gladnesse , as they that suffered the spoyling of their goods with ioy ; hob. . . and the apostles , that went away reioycing that they were counted worthy to suffer for his name . lastly , if any be ready ( if the will of god be ) to aduenture their liues for christ , as antipas , as the martyres who loued not their liues vnto death : these things , as also the contempt of the world , the deniall of our selues , the manifold fruits of charity , when any doe as it were forget themselues to seeke the good of others , distributing liberally vnto the necessity of the saints ; these i say are great testimonies of a great measure of faith : and nothing such a sure token thereof , as to be much and earnest in all kinde of supplications , for our selues , for others , and for the whole church , watching vnto prayer , and being feruent therein . but now good friend aquila , it is meet we should thinke of repairing to our owne houses , to see if all there be in peace and safety . aquila . sir , i am greatly beholden to you for your good endeuour in opening these things thus distinctly and plainly , and well content to hearken vnto your motion of returning home , reseruing other matters , which now cannot be dealt in , to our next meeting . the fift part of the dialogue , of the rarenesse of faith , and fewnesse of beleeuers . as also of the efficacy and fruitefulnesse of a true faith . of encouragement to beleeue , with answer of obiections against faith. apollos . i am bound to affoord you my best helpe : for of you aquila i haue bene made to know the way of god more perfectly . i wil euer acknowledge it , and be ready to shew all thankefulnesse for it . but our time will slide from vs , and though wee haue all peace at home , yet it is not good to giue prouocations . let vs therefore fall close to our businesse , that wee may dispatch in due time . wherin would you wish vs now to deal ? me thinkes we haue sayd much of faith , shall wee passe to some other thing ? aquila . no sir , i pray you , let vs dwell a little longer in this argument . for i couet to heare you deliuer your minde touching the efficacie and fruitfulnesse of faith , whereof little hath bene saide , scarse a touch giuen of it ; and what may be the matter that true faith , being such a noble and necessary , such a woorthy and wonderful gift ; yet there be so few , so very few , euen within the church of god , liuing vnder the ministry of the gospel , which are endued there-with : as is too manifest by their manner of liuing ; for very many liue very il : now one can neuer liue ill , that beleeues well : as on the other side , hee that beleeues ill , cannot liue well . apollos . heerein you say most truly . for true faith is neuer idle nor barren , but working and fruitefull in good workes . thence it is called , effectuall faith , . thess. , , and elsewhere it is sayde , that faith workes by loue , gal. , . of abrahams faith it is said , it wrought with his works , iames , . where the apostle maketh voydnesse of workes , or want of charity , a note of a dead faith . for , as dead men can woorke no more any humane or naturall worke , so that faith that works not by charity , is dead . nothing therefore is such a testimony of the lacke of liuely faith , as mens euil and wicked liues . many other things there bee , which doe descry this truth , that faith is a rare gift , & to be found but in a few ; as namely , the great ignorance of god , and his will. for there being ( as we haue seene before ) required in faith a competent knowledge ; nay faith being for the nature of it a diuine wisedom , put into the heart os the elect ; therefore the grosse ignoraunce of these times doth argue the rarenes of faith in this age . the which is further testified by the cōtempt of gods publike worship , & the prophanation of his sabbath , which doth alwayes ( as an handmaid ) accompany and waite vpon ignorance : god being serued by some for meere fashion and 〈◊〉 , or because of the lawes compelling it ; and by others not serued at all , the tauernes , or ale-houses , or stew-houses , or gaming places , being the church they keepe . this plainly sheweth , how rife infidelity is : whereof this is yet a further demonstration , euen mens fayling in gods priuate worship , either not praying at all with their family , but lying downe like asses , and rising like hogges ; or else performing it negligently , with coldnesse and want of deuotion . but amongst sundry tokens of the rarenesse of true beleeuers in the church of god , these two are the most notorious . the former is the vnfaithfull dealing of one man toward another , men being so full of craft and subtilty , so cunning and exercised to beguil , as one can hardly tell where to trust ; 〈◊〉 shall one finde a true and plaine-hearted man. these being the dayes wherein affiance cannot be put in a friend , nor confidence in a counsellor , as the prophet fore-tolde , mic. , . this want of ciuill faith , doth bewray the want of christian faith . for , did men truly beleeue in god , they would surely be carefull to deale so , as that they might deserue to be beleeued of men . our keeping of our promise with men , it being a speciall fruite of our faith in gods promises , ps. , . gal. , . & yet where is he in a maner to be found , that maketh conscience of a promise ? yea , bonds & oathes will scarse hold men , they are so slippery and vntrusty . the other thing , is the generall hatred of true beleeuers , of faithfull christians ; who of al others are most scorned and reuiled by all sorts of people . amongst whom , there is a certaine strife and emulation , who should excell others in malice towards them . if men did beleeue in god , and loue him which begetteth , they would loue such as are begotten of him , iohn , . if this bee the marke of a man translated from death of vnbeleefe and sinne , to the life of grace and faith , that they loue the brethren , iohn , . as it is there written , hereby we know we are translated from death to life , because wee loue the brethren ; then surely , this ouer-common hatted & despising of the godly , together with the great vnmercifulnes and cruelty which reigneth euery where , doth sufficiently proue the truth of that which is before spoken in the word , that christ when he comes , should scarse finde any faith vpon the earth , luke . and this is it which hath bene the condition of all times . few there be that enter the straite gate , math. . many called , and few chosen . few also beleeued the reportes of the prophets . so few that feared god , as that the holy ghost hath enquired for such as are rare to be found ; where is the man that feareth the lord ? againe , psal , , . in noahs time , but his family alone , and therin was a cham. afterward , the house of abraham & of isaac , who worshipped god aright , yet there was an ismael and an esau. what was iacobs family , or the israelites to the rest of the world ? yet among them were many hypocrites and wicked men . aquila . you haue well established me in that which i conceiued about the fewnesse of beleeuers ; but i pray you sir declare vnto mee what may be the true causes thereof , and what benefit may come by this consideration ? apollos . some of the causes be common to all times , some proper to this age wherein we liue . of the former ranke , the want of the word , the seed of faith ; or where the word is , the want of sound interpreters , the hands which scatter abroad the seede of the word ; the withdrawing of grace where interpretors be : for all encrease commeth from god , who if hee pull backe his grace , it is in vaine for paul to plant , or apollos to water . to these wee may adde the corruption of mans heart , prone to vnbeleefe ; and reason , especially corrupted , is an especiall enemy to faith , as nothing more . for the wisedome of the flesh , is not , nor will be subiect vnto god ; rom. . . satan he euer makes one , alwayes labouring by one meanes or other to make frustrate the word , because he knowes that his kingdome is so much decayed , as the word preuaileth to draw men out of vnbeleefe vnto faith : therefore hee sets all his wits and wiles aworke how hee may harden men in infidelity . but the maine and soueraigne cause of this fewnesse of true beleeuers which be in the world , it is the decree of god , who hath not ordained all to life eternall , which is the end ; and therefore not vnto faith , which is the meane to bring vnto that end ; and these are more then a good many : for the saued are fewer then the other which are not saued ; mat. . , . now for the causes proper to this age ; i take them to be these foure especially . first the extreme rage of satan , who perceiuing his time to be but short , rageth so much the more , striuing with all his cunning and might to hold men in the fetters of infidelity , and keepe them backe from christ ; to this end both lessening and cutting away the meanes where hee can , and hindering meanes where they bee . another thing is abundance of iniquity ouerflowing in all places ( as a deluge , ) this last age being as a common sinke , into which all the filth of all foretimes runneth ; which occasioneth god as a iust iudge to punish men with hearts slow and hard to beleeue . thirdly , to the encrease of vnbeleefe , it helpeth not a little , that there is in the church amongst professors such differences in matter of faith and religion , a great stumbling blocke . and lastly , the loose liues of such as be preachers of the faith , auaileth much to hold men in their vnfaithfulnesse and sinne : for the benefit which is to be made of this consideration , it is this , so much the more to encrease a care in men to labour for the gift of faith , by how much it is more rare . were it so common as nature is , or as the word and knowledge is , there were the lesse need of any thought or trauane this way ; but being a thing so precious & renowned , much talked of in the world , and little felt and enioyed ; and there being no christ nor happinesse without it : it standeth vpon so much the more to giue all diligence , that they may bee found rather amongst the little handfull of beleeuers , then in the multitude of infidels , which walke the broade way of vnbeliefe and iniquity . also this admonisheth vs , as to sweate about the getting of faith , by vse of all the meanes afore mentioned ; so to be exceeding thankefull to god for separating and choosing vs out of the world of vnbeleeuers . they shall deserue to lose their faith , that will not ioyfully and much praise god for it , and endeuour greatly and continually to set it on worke . and so to returne to the other part of your question , about the working and efficacie of a true faith , it is a point worthy your remembrance , and worthy of a more worthy discourser then my selfe am . ye can but haue my best performance , and that i promised you . i finde by the word ( as i beganne to shew ) that a liuely faith is a most powerfull and fruitfull gift , bringing forth many , sundry , and excellent workes and effects ; whereof that . chapter to the hebrues giueth plentifull proofe . and it will not be amisse , to runne through a few of those examples named there . we reade of enoch , that his person by faith pleased god ; and abels sacrifice through faith was accepted of him . noah by faith beleeued , and feared the iudgement and threatning of god , and prepared the arke , being moued with reuerence of his authority that commanded it . abraham by faith , obeyed god , euen to the forsaking of his natiue countrey , to goe to a strange place which he knew not , and to the offering of his son isaac , the sonne of the promise . moses by faith , contemned worldly honours . 〈◊〉 by faith , being an heathen and an harlor , was made courteous and peaceable to the spies of israel . finally , by faith , other saints attempted to doe very hard , and suffered most heauie things : yea , euen women by faith 〈◊〉 death and 〈◊〉 most 〈◊〉 . aquila . now that ye haue made entrance into the treatise of the efficacy of faith , go forwards i pray you , and shew me as distinctly as you can , what bee the seuerall workes of faith , being once created in the heart , and what the due meditation thereof ought to worke in vs. apollos . i was minded so to doe , but i must doe it heere more breefely , because it must be the subiect of all our conference for the time to come . of a liuely effectuall faith , there be some workes without vs , which yet neerely concernes vs ; or some inward or wrought within vs , which are so wrought , as they sticke and abide within our selues . for these outward workes we are to note , that a liuely faith , it is that effectual instrument whereby an elect person is vnited and knit vnto christ , to become a member of christ : & that whereby hee becomes partaker of christ his perfect righteousnesse , performed by his manhoode vnto remission of sinnes , and iustification before god , as it is written ; we conclude that man is instified by faith , rom. : and also of his spirit for sanctification , as it is written , 〈◊〉 the spirit by faith , galath . , . and the heart is purified by faith , acts , . so as our faith carrying vs vnto christ , effecteth for vs those three most excellent graces , of vnion with him , instification by him , and sanctification , which i call outward , because faith goeth out of our selues to finde them in christ. now the inward effect and worke offaith , are all those workes of christ dwelling in our hearts , euen whatsoeuer christ dwelling in vs , 〈◊〉 within vs , the same are workes of faith . as a peaceable and setled conscience , in regard of finne pardoned ; an accesse vnto the gracious presence of god , a marueilous ioy of heart by this meanes , a certaine hope of heauenly glory , a sense and feeling of the former benefits , and of the infinite loue of god shed abroad in our hearts by the holy ghost , cheerfull patience in all tribulations ; all which effects do spring from the application of christ by faith , as it is apparent by rom. , , , , . moreouer , whatsoeuer spirituall graces there bee , with the increase of them all , they bee the effectes of faith ; as is cleare by this , that often in scripture fayth is set before other graces , as the roote , mother , and spring of them all : see peter , . ioyne with your faith vertue , &c. all graces being as handmaides to attend vpon faith , as their mistris and queene , yea following and resting vpon it as vpon their beginning & ground . for faith beeing the instrument of our vnion with christ , and of our partaking with his righteousnes and spirit , it must necessarily follow , that the whole traine of sauing graces be the fruites of faith ; which as it taketh holde on his sufferings and obedience for our iustifying , so it deriueth vertue and force from his death and resurrection , for the killing of the old man , or for the defacing of the image of satan , which consisteth in all manner of vices ; and for the quickening of the new man , and erecting of the image of god , which consists in righteousnesse and holinesse : so as he which hath true faith , can lacke no sauing graces . and finally , our faith in christ , is our victory ouer the world , iohn , . treading downe in our hearts that corruption which reignes in the world ; strengthening vs to beare the reproaches , troubles , and persecution of the world , and arming to resist , yea enabling to conquer satan the prince of the world , pet. , , . and which is most of all , such is the power of faith , as it doth enable vs in some sort to ouercome euen god himselfe . for it was by faith , that iacob had power to preuayle with god , gen. , . and that moses did ( as it were ) binde the hands of god to withhold iudgement from his people , whom he was minded to destroy ; had not moses his seruant stoode in the breach before him , to turne away his wrath , lest he should destroy them , psa. , . and in exodus , when moses prayed by faith , let me alone , faith god , exo. . as if faith could manacle and binde gods hands . the due meditation of all these effects and workes of faith , plainly proueth men of euill life , to haue no faith . it conuinceth hypocrites to be vnfaithful , because professing faith , they haue not the power of it in their hearts . also , it stoppeth the mouths of papists , who charge the 〈◊〉 to teach and commend an idle faith , which should giue liberty , and open the windowes to all licentiousnesse . also it serueth to direct euery one in whom is true faith , to discerne of himselfe that he is endewed with it , whereof he feels the proper effects in himselfe . lastly , it must stir vp and encrease the diligence of all gods children , to nourish a gift which is of such force and efficacy , of such mighty power , and manifold profit . aquila . sir , me thinkes ye haue ( as it were ) brought me into a costly banket , well set foorth with varietie of most delicate iunkets , whereof one may feed to the ful : or into a rich wardrobe , full of all sorts of robes and ornaments . for these workes offaith which you haue spoken of with so short a breath , they are the deckings wherewith christ iesus doeth adorne his spouse , euen euery christian soule ; and the sweet and pleasant banket dishes and goodly fruits and spices where with shee againe doth 〈◊〉 him , when he commeth in to sup with her ; 〈◊〉 . . . can our time be better employed then in taking a more particular & large suruey of these iunkets and robes , to satisfie our selues with some sight and taste of them ? but ere this can be done , there is one office more for you to doe , and that is , i would entreate you to acquaint me with all the encouragements ye can thinke of , which may whet on our faith , and prouoke vs to beleeue god in his word , also how the hinderances of our faith ( as blockes in our way ) may be remoued . apollos . good friend aquila , but that i may denie , no seruice which you will put me to performe , else this taske were fitter for you to vndergoe , as one that haue had your faith much exercised with sundry conflicts ; wherein you haue through gods mercy stood fast , and quitted your selfe like a man : therefore if i by lacke of experience haply passe by any matter of moment in this businesse , doe ye recall me , and remember me of it . great and many are the impediments to withdraw and pull the faithfull from the holde of their faith , and to draw them to distrust : but on the other side also , very strong and plentiful are the encouragements which the word from heauen affordeth them , to stay themselues vpon gods promise for all things that pertaine to euerlasting happinesse . first of all , this is not the least , that the great god by his cōmandement hath laid a charge vpon all his children to beleeue his promises ; and albeit this alone were sufficient to moue them to doe so , lest they be found disobedient to god , and to striue against his holy will , who beares them so much good will ; yet it pleaseth him not onely to vse his authority in enioyning them to haue faith in his son for their saluation , but he also in the person of his ministers , out of his clemency descendeth so farre , as to entreate and beseech them that they would accept reconciliation and peace with him through christ : wee as the ambassadours of christ ( saith paul ) as though god did beseech you through vs , exhort you to be reconciled to god ; cor. . . what heart would not relent when his prince with 〈◊〉 in hand ( as it were ) should 〈◊〉 to 〈◊〉 him , being an offendor to accept his pardon . and shall wee doubt to beleeue and giue credit to that god , that is so desirous of atonement with vs , as to beseech vs to admit it , whom hee might command , compell , 〈◊〉 , confound , if wee should distrust him ? 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that it pleased our most good god to promise christ , and all good things with him ; vpon no other condition then this , onely that we doe by faith beleeue his promise : for our obedience to the commandement for 〈◊〉 of life , is no condition of the promise of grace 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 onely of our faith ; rom. . . 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 onely condition of the 〈◊〉 of mercy . as it 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 ; god so loued the world that begane his onely begotten son , that whosoeuer beleeueth in him should 〈◊〉 for euer . and againe in the foureteenth 〈◊〉 of that chapter 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 beleeues in him , should liue euerlastingly . to which 〈◊〉 marke 〈◊〉 , . he that beleeueth shall be 〈◊〉 and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 . , . 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and . . and in 〈◊〉 other places to this 〈◊〉 so 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a necessity that wee constantly beleeue . for as in humane contracts there is no enioying the bargaine , if the condition be broken ; so it is here , if we bring not this condition of faith with vs , god is not bound to stand to the couenant : but as christ saith ; except ye repent , ye perish : luke . so much more , except ye beleeue , ye perish . for he that beleeueth not , shall be condemned ; marke . , . it must be further considered , that god the author of the couenant of grace and life , is omnipotent , to whom nothing is impossible ; who as for his holinesse and truth , he will promise no more to his children then he meaneth in good sooth and earnest to doe , so he lacketh no power nor might to effect what hee meaneth . the apostle saint paul , cor. . . in coupling the almightinesse of god with this couenant , saying , i will be your father , and you shall be my children , saith the lord god almighty ; purposed to minister good heart and courage to the faithfull , by this very consideration , that they are in a league of saluation with him , that can doe what he will doe . abraham strengthened his own heart in beleefe , by remembring that god the promiser was able to doe it ; rom. . . but when a true beleeuer taketh hold on his truth , and ioyneth that with his almightinesse , by thinking seriously ( especially in the houre of any temptation ) that hee hath to doe with a god which is truth it selfe , author of all truth in others , and an infinite louer of it ; also a hater and 〈◊〉 of all falshood and lies : who hath giuen proofe of his fidelity euen in the least promise , concerning this life , feeding , defending , and otherwise blessing his children according to his word : they may with much comfort resolue and set it downe in their minde , that his faithfulnesse will much more appeare in this great promise of remission of sinnes , and of eternall life . thus very often to confirme and establish the mindes of the saints , saint paul telleth them , faithfull is hee which hath promised , which will doe it ; cor. . . thes. . . dauid assured himselfe of mercy promised him , vpon this meditation , that all the words of god were true ; sam. . . yea , so true , that hee fulfilleth his words euen towards such as are treacherous and persidious to him . againe , as god is to be reuerenced for his mercies ( there is mercie with thee o lord , that thou maist be feared ; psalme . . ) so is hee to be trusted and beleeued in , for his mercies : the eye of the lord is vpon them that trust in his mercies ; psalme . . againe , let thy mercies and truth preserue me ; psalme . and psalme , and verse , dauid is encouraged to come to god after his fall for pardon , with good trust to find it , because of his most mercifull nature ready to forgiue poore offenders . and the apostle in tim. . , . reporteth , that the mercie which he found , being an oppressour , a blasphemer , a persecutour , did serue to encourage other sinners in time to come to beleeue on god , and to cast themselues on his kindnesse for pardon . which is an occasion to remember a new encouragement to faith in god , namely , the example of others , who hauing sinned much against god , yet beleeued the promise , and were forgiuen : as lot , moses , dauid , peter , paul , and infinite others mentioned in the holy scripture ; which examples are registred there for our learning , that thereby we might haue comfort and hope ; rom. . . therefore let faint sinners plucke vp their feeble hands that hang downe , and their weake knees ; and the rather calling to minde , that they haue by vowe in their baptisme , and by promise often iterated in the profession of christianitie , bound themselues as to doe the cōmandements , so to beleeue the promises of god. and better it were wee had neuer made such a vow , then to breake it , hauing once made it , eccl. , . but what encoragement shold this be to thinke not onely of that band wherewith we haue obliged our selues to god to beleeue him vpon his worde , ( which as a pure virgin neuer was defiled with any vntruths ) but also to weigh the bond wherewith god hath bound himselfe to vs , not onely in our baptisme , but namely in the lords supper , where vnder his seale hee assureth euery true beleeuer that examineth himselfe , and so eateth and drinketh , that he is as verily partaker of christ and of his passion , with all the fruits thereof to remission and mortification of sin , as he is partaker of the outward pledges of his body & blood , they being particular testimonies of assurance to euery one , of his owne saluation by christ , according to the tenor of the couenant ; so as a token from a most trusty friend , cānot more confirme our perswasions of his loue towardes vs , then the lords supper , duly receyued , may warrant and assure our heartes of the especial loue of god in christ for our eternal happinesse . vnto all this we may adde as a spurre to quicken vs , the great and diuers hurtes which will redound to our selues if we beleeue not god ; and the maruellous dishonour that thereby should be offered to himself . for if once vnbeleefe take roote in our hearts , a bitter root or roote of bitternesse it will prooue . for by it , all our actions naturall , ciuill , religious , indifferent , good actions , will be defiled , and made hatefull to god : for , whatsoeuer is not of faith , it is sinne , rom. , . and without faith it is impossible to please god , heb. , . and to him whose minde and conscience is vncleane , thorow infidelity and sinne , all things are vncleane , titus , . and what a matter this is let any man duly consider of it , that as faith gets all sinnes both to bee forgiuen , and to turne to our good , rom. , . so infidelity gets all our best workes to become naught , & to turne to harme to vs , and offence to god. neither this onely but through vnbeleefe , we do euen bind vp the hāds of god , and seale vp the fountain of his liberality , that it should not flow vpon vs either in earthly benefites , or heauenly graces . his protections and deliuerances in our dangers , and against our enemies , are withhelde . as it is sayde in the gospell , christ could doe no great workes there in capernaum , because of their vnbeleefe : so our vnbeleefe doeth after a sort disable god , at the least it depriues vs of his gracious good things and great preseruations . neither onely doth it keep good things from vs , but pulleth down euill things , yea euen vpon gods children their particular and partiall vnbeleefe draweth many and greeuous iudgements from heauen . moses for his distrust died in the wildernesse , and might not be suffered to enter the land of canaan , deuterono . cha . , . also zachariah , otherwise a iust man , yet for his vnbeleefe sake , was stricken dumbe , and for manie moneths was not able to speake , luke chap. . vers . if the vnbeleefe of the godly ( being but an infirmitie of faith ) were so sharpely chastised , what marueile if the infidelity of the wicked , being a meere absence of faith , do cause vnto them many heauy plagues in this life ? examples whereof are rife in the book of god , and in common life : but the chiefe hurt of incredulity is , that it shutteth out from the blessed and glorious kingdome of god , for without shall be fearefull , vnbeleeuers ; reuel . . . yea , and throweth downe head-long into eternall perdition , to suffer vengeance in flaming fires , because they obey not the gospel of christ : for he that beleeues not , the wrath of god is vpon him ; iohn . . and such shall be condemned ; marke . . so as if obtaining of all promised good things cannot be offorce sufficient to stirre vp our dul hearts to embrace the promises ; yet when the manifold and certaine euils which befall men for want of faith , be thought vpon , this should helpe to awake our heauy mindes , to make vs abhorre euery vnbeleeuing thought ; chiefly considering that the danger to our selues by yeelding to vnbeleefe , is nothing ( though it be much & most fearefull ) being compared to the dishonour that will thereby redound to god : for by our vnbeliefe he is spoiled ( as much as in vs is ) of his essence & being , namely , his mercy , truth , and power , which is to make him no god. for if we make him a lyar ( as euery one doth , which beleeueth not in the onely begotten son of god ; ioh. . . ) then we strip him and rob him of his chiefe glory ; yea , of his very essence . nay , which is yet more feareful , we doe equal & match him vnto satan , as if there were no more truth in his sayings , then in the father of lies : as on the one side then they doe much glorifie god , that doe beleeue his word , witnessing of him that he is true in his promises , able for performance ; rom. . . ( yea , they do themselues a speciall honour : for they doe make god a testimoniall ( as it were ) and set to their hand & seale , that he is faithfull ; ioh. . . ) so on the other side , they do exceedingly dishonour themselues and god also , which doe through infidelity cast away his promises . thus you haue heard good friend aquila , the best encouragements which i can thinke of , to quicken a fainting faith ; which if they hit vpon a presuming heart , will make it more presumptuous : but if they meet with a beleeuing humbled heart ( for whose sake i haue collected them ) then they will be as drie sticks heaped vpon a dull & dying fire to reuiue and cheere it . now that ye are so well acquainted with the vsuall discouragements & hinderances of faith ; you hauing had so many strong assaults made against your faith , if you wil deliuer them , and also shew how they may be repulsed & ouercome , it will doe well in my opinion ; and so wee will shut vp our conference about faith . aquila , i haue a good mind to doe the one , that is , to lay forth the obiections which the flesh & satan make against the stedtastnesse of faith , to shake it : but for the other , you that haue truly opened the encouragements , can also tell how for to fit them for the resistance and beating backe of hinderances . first , how shall i be assured that the gracious promises offorgiuenesse by christ , and other promises of the gospell , are from god , and not deuised by men ? apollos . tell me , haue you not been moued to doubt whether there be any god at all ? aquila . truth is so , i haue , and nothing so much ; yea , and of the whole scriptures , whether they came from god , or not ? apollos . this indeed is the very high way to destroy all faith in god , to cal in question the scriptures , & god author of them . the foole hath said in his heart there is no god ; ps. . . and the diuel wil suggest as much vnto the very godliest and wisest heart ; but take this for a truth , that therefore there is a god , and the promises of mercie are hereby proued to bee diuine , because yee are tempted to think otherwise . were there no god indeed , or were not euangelical promises and the whole scriptures from him , yee should neuer bee troubled with thoughts of these matters . but because they be both most certaine , and the certaine beleeuing of both being to the great commodity of the christian soule : therefore satan so busieth himselfe , to weaken the credit of them ; for hee knowes that by such vnbeleefe his kingdome is vnderpropped . and hold this sure , that that is very good and of god , whatsoeuer our corrupt nature and satan be most against . but as touching the scripture , the word of faith , that it is the word of god , and from heauen , there be sundry and sound arguments to perswade it . first , the great harmony and constant consent of one part of this booke with another in such a huge variety of infinite matter , yet no repugnancy ; howsoeuer some diuersity may be found . secondly , the maiesty of the matter in great simplicity of words . thirdly , the efficacy , power , and vertue thereof , working in the hearts of sinners for their conuersion , which no other writing in the world doth or can effect : for mens natures in their reasons and wils being corrupt , are as contrary to the doctrine taught in these books , as darknesse to light , heauen to hell ; yet are they by the mighty efficacy hid in them , reconciled to them , so as they willingly yeeld , approue , and honour them also the power of them maketh euen the wicked to feare and tremble . fourthly , the euents of all prophecies , so many hundred , yea , some thousand yeeres foreshewed and made before , yet accordingly fulfilled in their due time , doth bewray them to be from that all-seeing verity . fifthly , the penmen * of the scriptures discouering their owne corruptions and infirmities , euen to their owne preiudice , and cracke of their owne estimation in the world , and so vnpartially reporting the foule blemishes of their own people and countreymen , doth testifie , that they were gouerned by the holy spirit in the penning of them . sixtly , there be sundry examples and stories in the bible , to which euen the heathen and pagan , yea , and iewish writers being enemies to christ , doe giue testimony to the truth of them , as in iosephus and others ; and the witnesse of an enemy , it is of no small credit and force . seauenthly , the strange preseruations of these bookes , notwithstanding the strong malice of the diuell , and his mischeeuous policies and practises of his most wicked instruments to suppresse and extinguish them , yet that they should be so kept as to remaine entire without losse of any booke , nay , of any iot or tittle , ( as very iudiciously learned men doe thinke ) this diuine protection doth argue that their authority is diuine . adde vnto all this , the constant testimony which so many worthy martyrs by their death and bloud haue giuen to this truth . lastly , euery one of gods children haue the witnesse of god his own spirit , the authour of the scriptures , to testifie in their consciences of them , that they are inspired of god , and doe containe a diuine infallible truth . so then the good correspondency of all parts of the bible , the maiesty of matter in plainenesse of wordes ; the rare effects vpon mens consciences for conuerting , humbling , comforting , terrifying , such as no humane writings can worke ; the certaine exhibiting and accomplishment of foretold persons and things ; the vprightnesse of the instruments set a worke to pen them ; the testimony of the inditer the holy spirit , and of the holy martyrs in their blood shed for it ; and the miraculous preseruation of the scriptures in so many ages , notwithstanding so great meanes and oportunities of extinguishing them , euery one of these , seuerally , and all ioyntly together , doe serue to stop satans mouth , when it shall be opened against the diuine originall of scriptures . proceede now to shew the next assault against faith . aquila . the promises in scripture touching saluation by christ , were not made to me , neither did god euer say to me particularly and by name , that i shall be saued ; or hath hee any where commanded mee to beleeue this ? apollos . there be as many promises made to your selfe , as other the saints now , or heretofore haue had made to themselues . what promises had iob made to himselfe alone , to assure him by name of his owne saluation ; or yet dauid , or moses , or infinite others ? hath god made promises of eternall life , and of atonement by his sonne , and commanded the promises to be propounded & declared to vs , with charge that wee should beleeue them ; and hath hee giuen his sacraments with iniunction to euery christian , to take the elements of bread and wine as pledges to himselfe of christ and his benefits ; and hath hee commanded and called vpon vs to pray for pardon of our sinnes , and euerlasting saluation to the praise of his mercy ; and giuen his spirit into the hearts of his children , as a witnesse to themselues of their owne adoption ( a witnesse that cannot lie , being the spirit of truth , ) and withall wrought so many gracious gifts and works in them , which none can haue but such as are in his fauour , beloued in his sonne ; and is not all this in effect as much as if a particular promise were made by name vnto euery one of the faithfull of their owne happinesse ? againe , whosoeuer he be that out of the fit of temptations beleeues the promises to belong to himselfe , that christ loued him , and died for him , and doth beleeue it truly ; the same may assure himselfe euen in the pangs of temptation , that the promises still belong vnto him , because god is of an vnchangeable nature and will. and doth not euen this proue that god would haue men to beleeue firmely their owne saluation , because satan would haue vs to doubt of it ? are not god and satan flat opposites , and contraries ? and whereas you say , ye are no where commanded to beleeue your owne saluation ; yes , euen this is commanded , as much as ye are commanded to trust in god for your temporal preseruation and prouision of things for this life : ye may as well say , i am not commanded to beleeue that god will cloth me . a. yet it were great presumptiō in such a sinner , whose trespasses are so innumerable as the starres of heauen in number , to look for any such mercy as eternal saluatiō . apollos . if there were no commandement to beleeue the remission of all our sinnes , or if our beleefe were grounded vpon any worke in our owne selues , that there were ought in vs that could deserue such mercy , or that it could bee had any other way then thorough christ , this were presumption . but to rest in the truth of gods promise , and sufficiency of christs 〈◊〉 , this is christian submission . and touching the number of your sinnes , i easily beleeue they are wondrous many , and more then you thinke for , for who knoweth his offences ? but then , do you beleeue also this , that christ iesus dyed for all the iniquities of all the elect , to purge them by his blood . so as if all the elects sins were yours , yet the remedy prouided by christ would be found sufficient . againe , to the incomprehensible boundlesse mercies of god , it is as easie to forgiue many sins , as few sinnes . for , if he will haue many pardoned , they are pardoned : and few be therefore pardoned , because it is his will to blot them out . he hath mercy on whom he will , rom. , . set then the multitude of his mercies against the multitude of your sinnes , and the. vnvalueable price of christs death , against the huge heape of your innumerable faultes . whereunto adde this , that sinners guilty of as many sinnes as you be , or can bee , haue beene saued through faith in christ. witnesse he that saide his sinnes were gone ouer his head , and more then his haires . aquila . this is a ioyfull hearing : but there is another scruple , that many of my sinnes haue beene sinnes against knowledge , and done after repentance , yea , and after promises and vowes of amendment : and by one that haue receiued of god many blessings , both ; in things inward and earthly ; and so my vnthankfulnes deserues a casting off , and my persidiousnesse is worthy to haue the gates of mercy shut and barred against me . apollos . i confesse that these circumstances make the case the harder : for sins against knowledge are very fearefull , and grosse vnthankfulnesse in despising great bounty , when it is ioyned with treacherous persidiousnesse in breaking solemne vowes , doth much augment the guiltinesse of sin . but is it any ease to your soule , to bring vnbeleefe , and knit it to your other offences which be bad and vile enough already , and had not neede to be encreased by addition of infidelity ? again , is there any thing in all that which you haue spoken , which is not remissible , and to be pardoned ? is there any thing which gods children may not , yea doe not fall into ? did not iacob break his vowes , for which god did temporally chastise him ? gen. , , . how often had king dauid repented , and how often vowed obedience to god , . at his circumcision , , and so often also as he came to the passeouer , . and vpon many particular mercies receiued , as his psalmes witnes , before he fell into those grosse crimes against bathsheba , vriah , and the whole hoast ? and what great mercies of protections and prosperitie had he receiued before ? see sam. , , . may we not affirme the like of other of gods faithfull children ? for i would haue it considered , that all gods children do performe repentance euery day , and yet euery day fall into newe sinnes , and such as howsoeuer they are to be imputed to heedlesse carelesnesse and negligence , yet cannot bee but done against their knowledge , which hath informed their minds of such things to be sinnes as they daily run into , and daily aske forgiuenesse of . which yet being done of frailty , and not of set purpose , thogh the doers be such as are culpable of very great vnthank fulnesse , forgetting so many and great mercies towards them and theirs , and haue bound themselues by many promises to god ; for all this , vpon their renewed repentance , comming to god with sorrow for them , and with faith in gods mercies through christ , they are graciously receiued . and if it were not thus , none could be saued . for , who sinnes not after repentance , and after receiuing of many great blessings , and making many deepe promises of a better life ? there is not one but is faulty this way : the most mercifull god causing his grace and mercie to be so much the more illustrious and renowned , by how much the sins of his children be more abundant , that where sinnes abound , there also grace may more abound , rom. , ver . . which is spoken for ease of an heart , groaning and diuersly perplexed and humbled with knowledge of sin , & not to open a window vnto iniquity . for the more mercy that any needeth and looketh for , & obtaineth , the lesse cause hee hath to offend , the more reason to please and obey god ; as it is written , there is mercie with thee , o lord , that thou mayst be feared , psalme . verse . aquila . but some of my sinnes are such as i haue often gone ouer , & after confession particularly made of them , yet againe and againe haue i gone back to the same sin , as a dog to his vomit ; and how then should i beleeue that i can be forgiuen ? apollos . all this may be true as you say , and you say that which being true , is also very heauy . for all relapses be they in bodily or spirituall maladies , are very dāgerous . it were better that a man should haue two or three fits of seuerall sicknesses , or two or three seuerall woundes in seuerall places of the body , then to haue the selfe-same sicknesse renewed by relapse , and one place of the body twice wounded . yet all this may happen , and proue recouerable and curable : else it were wofull with vs all . who is he that doth not often goe ouer common infirmities ? the selfe-same wants and defects which appeare at one time in our duties , those do againe shew themselues at another time : yea , and grosse sinnes are iterated vpon new occasions & temptations . peter did thrice deny his lord , math. , , . abraham did twice tell a ly , lot was twice ouercom with wine and incontinency , genes . , , . the virgin mary was twice checkt of christ for her curiosity , luke , . and iohn , . the disciples of christ had twice emulations and debates among themselues about primacy ; and yet were all forgiuen . if relapses be felt with greefe for that is past , and with feare for time to come , it is a good signe that there is helpe for them : and that commandement which biddes vs beleeueremission of sinnes , doth not except sinnes of relapses . aquila . but some of these sinnes into which relapse hath beene made , are very foule and marueilous great sinnes , such as i am ashamed to name , and i haue long lien in them , therefore i cannot beleeue that they shal be forgiuen me . apollos . god hath forgiuen to such as beleeue , as great sinnes as the world euer had . he forgaue drunkennesse to naah ; incest and drunkennesse to lot ; adultery and murther to dauid ; idolatry to 〈◊〉 ; oppression , persecution , and blasphemy to 〈◊〉 ; to peter he forgaue deniall and abiuring of his sonne ; incredulity to moses . if any mans sinne were as blacke as hel , or as diuels , yet the rich mercy of god in christ can cleanse , and make vs white as snow in salmon . how can any one great sinne hinder god from sauing any beleeuer , when all his sinnes could not keepe him from reconciling him , being an enemy to him ? yea , such as haue slaine the lords prophets , and offered their children , and haue long both themselues liued in , and by their authority maintained idoll seruice , as manasses and salomon ; yet haue found fauour vpon their beleeuing . yea , he that by his sinne plunged the whole world with him into sinne and death , yet was accepted and pardoned , because he beleeued the promise . and for lying in sinne , you haue not abode in them longer then dauid or salomon ; or if ye haue , yet as no sinnes , so no space of time doth limit god. god may forgiue what hee will , and when he will , to whom hee will. the theese that had lyen in his sinnes , euen till his last breath in a manner , yet finding grace to beleeue , found also the grace of pardon , and was taken vp into paradise , there to be with christ for euer . that infinite mercy that can ouercome the multitude and vglinesse of our sinnes , can also preuaile against our continuance in sinnes . aquila . i haue so gone against the light of my knowledge in the course of my life , as i am often in doubt , lest i haue sinned that vnpardonable sinne ; yea , i haue had feareful thoughts against that gracious diuine maiesty , whereby i haue beene moued to feare , lest hee had giuen me ouervtterly . apollos . in all soule temptations lightly , this of sinning against the holy ghost , is one , as an ague goeth with all bodily diseases ; which commeth through ignorance of this sinne , or the strong subtilty of satan bewitching our mindes with feare of this sinne ; which is not any one , nor many actions against knowledge : but it is a sinne committed in speech , being contumelious and reprochfull against christ his person , offices , benefits , doctrine , and workes , or against all of these ; yet not euery such speech is this sinne , vnlesse it proceede of despight and malice of heart against the truth of christ , once knowne by the enlightening of the spirit . also this sin is accompanied with an vniuersall and totall apostacy from truth , and generall pollution in maners , quite contrary to the worke of the sanctifying spirit wrought in them ; whereupon it is called the blasphemy of the spirit . hee that dreads this sinne neuer did it . secondly , he that truly greeues for any sinne , neuer did this sinne . thirdly , he that can pray for forgiuenesse of sinne , if it be but with vnfained desire to be in gods fauour , he is free from this sinne . fourthly , he that can speake honorably of christ , and can abide , nay , like the honourable mention of him and his truth by others , neuer did this sinne . fifthly , hee that hath any good affection to the ministers , or other members of christ , hath no part in this finne . lastly , not he that feares lest hee be giuen ouer , but knowes certainly that he is indeed giuen ouer to it , is within the compasse of this sinne ; he that feares lest hee be in it , is not in it : for whosoeuer is in it , knowes he is so ; this is most certain , for he is damned of his owne conscience . aquila . but when i am brought to see that all my sinnes are such as may be forgiuen me , then i am troubled with this , that i haue no faith . my heart is dull and dead , full of vnbeleefe , and so all that can be saide , is nothing to my comfort ; i feele no more then a stone or blocke , except it be great feare sometimes and trembling of heart , with excessiue dolour and heauinesse , wherewith i am euen ouerwhelmed . apollos . faith is not feeling , but apprehension ; feeling followes as a fruit of faith , which is in assent , not in sence . what feeling had christ , when he cried out , my god , my god , why hast thou forsaken me : and my soule is heauy to death ? mat. . and . . in your heauinesse and sorrow you are conformed to your head , and other his members ; to hezekiah mourning as a doue , and chattering as a crane , esay . : to dauid , complaining of the disquietnesse of his heart ; psal. . and confessing that his teares was the water that washed his couch ; psal. . . to iob , whose greefe was like heauy sand , and pressed downe his heart to the graue . then as wheate may be hid in chaffe , so faith is often buried vnder the heape of our corruptions and discomforts . say not therefore ye haue no faith , because your heart is dull and dead . they of whom christ saide , that their hearts were slow to beleeue , heauy and dull , and foolish hearts , yet did beleeue ; luke . . and howsoeuer you thinke all to be full of vnbeleefe , it commeth in you from hence , because 〈◊〉 beleeue not now so strongly and comfortably as you were wont to doe ; and feele those motions of incredulity and distrust , which you were not wont to feele . and howsoeuer it goeth with you now , as with a man in a great sicknesse that hath lost his tast , and cannot iudge of meates ; yet you shall hereafter , when health is restored , say ; you were deceiued . finallie , if it were some other besides your selfe that saide , they had no faith ; i might be sooner brought to beleeue them . and would giue them this counsell , that though as yet they beleeue not , yet not to despaire , or cast off hope : for they may beleeue hereafter , so they carefully vse the meanes with waiting vpon god , who calleth at all houres . it is darknes in the night , but at due time the sunne ariseth : so after darknesse of vnbeleefe , couering the firmament of the heart , there wil arise the sun shine of liuely faith to all gods elect ; in the meane time , to feele vnbeleefe , with a mislike of it , and with a desire of faith in christ , it is a good beginning , as we haue heard hereof in the degrees of faith . aquila . sir , you haue now well satisfied me in these obiections , and in this whole discourse about faith . i trust hereafter to heare you speake of the fruits of faith , and namely to lay forth distinctly and cleerely our vnion with christ , by meanes of our faith , and our communion with his righteousnesse and spirit for iustification and sanctification , which being matters of great importance , and our allowance of time being already more then spent , wee are to expect some new occasion for the further dealing in these things . apollos . ye say well , in the meane time i thanke you for your good company , and wish you much good by this conference . the sixth dialogue of vnion with christ. the first maine fruite of faith. apollos . yea , neighbour aquila , are you here already ? you got the start of me this time . i perceiue your quality ; i may be your physicion , for i know your pulse . if once you begin a matter , ye loue to see the end of it ; you had neede to take in hand good things , and with good aduisement , seeing you are so constant in prosecuting enterprises . well , shall we consent and agree to set vpon onr worke afresh ? for therefore ye are come i am sure . aquila . it is so ; i come about that very thing , and haue here indeed somewhile expected you . it is my quality , you say right , that first hauing made choyse of good and rightful things , i loue to goe thorow stitch , and like the constant builder to proceede in laying one stone vpon another , till he come to the loouer . but goe we to our taske , it is about the first and cheefe fruite of a liuely faith ; which hauing but lightly mentioned before , as in his passage a traueller would looke vpon a faire tower : now we are to make a more neere and particular suruey , and to dwell vpon it ; especially the point being of so good vse and great moment ? what , will ye sir , that i doe moue to you by questions such things as concerne it , or will you put vpon me the office of a replyer ? for though i cannot doe either to purpose , yet looke what ye enioyne mee , that i will frame my selfe vnto , with my best skill . apollos . nay friend aquila , i meane to be your poser and examiner this day . first let mee vnderstand from you , by what plaine place of scripture yee proue that there is such an vnion of the elect with christ , and that faith is the instrument of it ? aquila . herein i will quickly satisfie you , if first i tell you that there is an vnion of seuerall persons in one nature ; so are the father , sonne , and spirit , one . secondly , there is an vnion of seueral natures in one person . thus god and man are one christ. thirdly , there is an vnion of sundry persons in one spirit . thus the elect amongst themselues and with christ , be one . this vnion is our being one with christ , and christ his being one with vs , by the band of one spirit . for plaine places to proue such an vnion , it is written , iohn , . that the gospell is therefore preached , that wee should haue communion with the father and the sonne . also , it is expresly saide , cor. . that we haue communion with his body and bloud ; cor. . . a christian is said to be ioyned to the lord : and cor. . . christ and his members are there affirmed to be one body . also , the faithfull are saide to be his members ; flesh of his flesh , bone of his bone : ephe. . . all those places wherein we are affirmed to be in christ , doe proue this vnion . in iohn . . our sauiour praying , that such as beleeue , might be one in him , and in his father , doth teach both that there is such an vnion , and that faith is the instrument thereof . which is cleered also by ephe. . . that christ dwels in our heart by faith . vnto which we may adde that which is written , gal. . . for yeare all the sonnes of god by faith in iesus christ. and in iohn . . when christ had said , that such as beleeue , haue this dignity done them , to be sonnes of god ; he addeth , which be borne anew , not of flesh and bloud , but of the will of god : where he plainely teacheth , that our vnion with christ , ( where by our new birth wee are brought forth into the christian world , to become members of christ , and children of god ) that this is effected by faith . so as this our vnion with christ , it is not by touching , or bodily mixture , or as it were by souldering one soule into another : but it is a spirituall vnion , made in a spirituall manner , and by a spirituall band ; an infinite diuine power , creating faith in vs ( as an hand ) whereby we graspe and take holde on christ , applying him to vs , that hee may be most neerely ioyned to vs. as the soule of man conioyneth together the head and the foote , which be farre asunder ; so the mighty spirit of christ in an vnexpressable manner , by meanes of faith , ioyneth him to vs , and vs to him ; notwithstanding all the distance between vs. whence it is , that though the faithful be ioyned to the very substance of his manhood , as wel as to his godhead , touching the operation and efficacy thereof ; yet it is a spirituall vnion , being from the spirit as authour , by faith as a spirituall organ , and to this ende , to leade a spirituall life . apollos . shew vs now more distinctly , first , what is required to the working of this vnion ; secondly , by what similitudes it is exprest ; thirdly , what is the necessity of it : fourthly , as also the commodities and fruites doe come from it . aquila , two things necessarily required to make this vnion ; one , is donation , or free gift of god the father , freely bestowing christ his onely sonne vpon the elect , and the elect vpon christ : for thus it is written , that he gaue his sonne to vs ; es. . . and for vs ; rom. . . and on the other side , it is saide ; the elect are giuen to christ : i declared thy name to them whom thou gauest me out of the world ; iohn . . and iohn . . my father which gaue them me , is greater then all . vnto this donation we must adde a second thing , which is a mutuall agreement and consent betweene christ , and the soule of an elect sinner , each consenting to be one with the other . christ comprehends the faithfull soule as his owne , the soule apprehending christ as her own ; phil. . . as in marriage , the coniunction betweene man and wife is effected , both by the gift of the parents , each giuing their children to liue in maried state together , and also by each party agreeing to bee ioyned to the other , and so they twaine become one flesh , and are no more twaine : so it is betweene christ , and his church . and now ( to your second point ) this of marriage is one , and the most frequent similitude , whereby the neere coniunction betweene christ and the faithfull is shadowed out . the whole booke of canticles alludes to this similitude , and by a continuall allegory setteth forth vnder it the most sweet and happy fellowship betweene christ and his church . againe , in the gospell , the similitude of a mariage feast is vsed ; also ephesians . , and romans . verse . , . and in many other places . and indeed there is no straighter band in humane society , then this of mariage ; by the band whereof , and the vertue of gods institution , they which were before twaine , are now no more so ; but ( as it were ) one body : which light of nature taketh notice of . therefore by humane lawes there lieth no action against the woman , the man being aliue , shee is no person to be sued in law : so as this fellowship was very apt and meete to declare that most neere vnion which the soule as spouse hath with christ as her husband . for as in mariage , the man communicateth his person , and all his goods whatsoeuer hee hath , to the woman ; so it is here . christ and all his good things whatsoeuer are bestowed vpon euery soule beleeuing in him . and as the woman hath giuen her selfe into the power of the man , shee , and whatsoeuer is hers , be now become her husbands : so it is here likewise , euery beleeuing soule giues her selfe , and all hers againe vnto christ. the second similitude is of a naturall body , wherein the head and the members are well knit and compact together by ioynts & sinewes , which as ligaments and bands doe so linke the members amongst themselues , and to their head ; as they , though they be distant one from another , yet being all quickned by one soule , they all make but one body . so it is betweene christ and the faithfull his members : though they be many , and by place diuided amongst themselues , and all from christ their head ; yet the spirit of their head , by influence from him , descending into the members , and quickening them with the life of grace ; they are by that spirit ( as a band ) so fastened to their head through faith , and amongst themselues through loue , as that their head and they are mystically , yet truly , but one body , as it is saide ; cor. . . as the body is one , and hath many members , and all the members of the body which is one , though they be many , yet are but one body : euen so is christ. where note , that to declare the neerenesse and euennesse ( as i may so speake ) betweene the beleeuers and christ ; hee , and they are all termed by one name , euen christ , comprehending in this word the head with the members . hitherto also belongeth eph. . . in all things grow vp in him , which is the head , by whom all the body being coupled , &c. the naturall body then , and the head is not more one , then christ and the faithfull . which is further opened by the similitude of the vine and branches , and of grafting and planting grafts into new stockes ; iohn , verse , . &c. rom. . . as also of an house , and the foundation whereon it stands ; ephe . . verse , . christ iesus is the head corner stone , in whom all the building , &c. for christ is as the vine , we are as the branches ; he the noble stocke or roote of iesse , we the grafts ; he the corner stone , we the building , laide on him , planted and grafted into him , to be one with him , and to grow vp in him . the necessity of this vnion with christ , it is very great ; so as without it wee are for euer accursed . for by adam wee all fell from god , lost his grace and fauour , his spirit , his communion ; being through sinne become the very limmes of satan , held vnder his power as vassals , and so seruants of sinne , heires of hell and damnation ; thus deuoyded of all true life , and bewrapt in the bands of sinne and death , and so remaine , till by vnion with christ , we recouer our communion with god , his grace and spirit , his righteousnesse and life . hence it is so peremptorily auouched , that christ is the bread which came downe from heauen , of which whosoeuer eateth not , hath no life in him . and againe , his flesh which he gaue for the life of the world , is saide to be meate indeede , his bloud drinke indeede ; and except a man eate his flesh , and drinke his bloud , hee cannot liue for euer ; iohn . . in which chapter , these three things are taught about this matter . first , that we must haue vnion with christ , euen such as is betweene the nourishment and our substance . and secondly , that this vnion is wrought by beleeuing in him , by seeing him , by comming to him , by hungering and thirsting after him . and thirdly , that vpon and by this vnion with christ , wee doe partake in the life of christ , which being originally in the deity ( as it is written ) the flesh profiteth not , it is the spirit that quickeneth : and againe , god is life , and that life is in god ; yet it is conueyed into the manhood of christ , personally vnited to the godhead ; and from his flesh ( as from a conduite , receiuing grace of life from the fountaine of the diuinity ) it is by the pipe of faith deriued into all his members . to be short , not more needfull that a naturall member ( as hand or foote ) be ioyned to the head , that it may liue , haue sense , and motion ; or a branch to the vine conioyned , that it may take iuyce , to fructifie ; then it is needfull for the elect to bee coupled to iesus christ , for spirituall life , and euerlasting happinesse . and now as concerning our last point moued , touching the fruits and commodities of this vnion , it is euident by this that hath beene spoken , that all our good now and for euer dependeth vpon it ; it being the base and foundation of all the benefits whatsoeuer we haue from christ , whereof we can haue no part , vnlesse we haue first a fellowship with himselfe : by enioying of whom , wee doe together enioy all his graces here , and all his glory hereafter , as his members are capable , but not equally with the head ; euen as the branch once knit to the vine , partakes in all the life thereof . and as the woman being ioyned in mariage to a rich and mighty king , together with her coniunction to his person , hath his maiesty , glory , and wealth ( 〈◊〉 farre as shee is capable of it , and may be for her fullest contentment ) imparted to her . euen so it is heere in this spirituall coniunction : that seeing christ from his gifts & blessings cannot be diuided , but whosoeuer hath the one , doth most certainly communicate in the other ; therefore the elect being vnited to christ their head , as there flowes from the naturall head to the lowest members power of life , sense , and motion ; so from iesus christ there is communicated to his spouse , and his body the church , and to euery member , all his riches and vnsearchable treasures , both power of grace , and possession of glory . heere of it being saide , that christ is made of god to vs , wisedome , sanctification , righteousnesse , and redemption , cor. , . and that god hauing giuen vs christ , with him will giue vs all things , rom. , . and in iohn , . all such as eate his flesh , and drinke his blood ( that is , haue vnion with himself , first with his manhood , and then by meanes thereof with his godhead ) haue euerlasting life , that is , haue all his benefits , euen to their eternall blisse , and glory in heauen . apollos . friend aquila , it is very right so as you speak . as a man cannot haue a farme as owner of it , but hee hath all fruites , commodities , immunities , royalties , yea the treasure also ( if any happen to be hidde in the field ) is his ; so whosoeuer is owner of christ by beleeuing in him , and christ againe possessing him as his owne ; the same party cannot but haue all the goodes and glory of christ , euen whatsoeuer is christs , is his ; his conception , his birth , his life , his doctrine , his sufferings , his death , his buriall , his resurrection to glory , his ascension , his kingdome , his priesthoode , his spirit : all the merits , fruits , profits , and effects of the former , so farre as a member of christ is capeable , & shall make for his full felicity , they are assuredly his : therefore it is written , a childe is borne to vs , and that he fulfilled all righteousnesse for vs , and died for vs , and that 〈◊〉 are dead and buried with him , and 〈◊〉 with him , and sit in heauenly places with him . at a word , what is done to any of his , is done to him ; and what is suffered by any of his , it is suffered for him , and with him . and on the other side , what he hath either suffered or done , it is all suffered and done for vs. for , as mariage makes all things both for weale and woe , common to married persons ; so fareth it in this spiritual marriage : our sinnes and our miseries common to him , eke his iustice and blessednesse common vnto vs. but for our better vnderstanding of the fruites we haue by this our vnion ; may it please you to draw them vnto some heads , to set downe some speciall benefites thereof , which containe the rest , lest our speech runne forth at large , without bound or limits . aquila . i will agree to this ; therfore we are to know , that being one with the person of christ in sort as wee haue heard , we are immediately one with his righteousnesse , for our perfect iustification before god : and also with his spirit , for our vnperfect sanctification before men . of iustification by christ , the second maine fruite of faith. for the former , that the righteousnesse of christ becomes ours , and that so soone as we beleeue by the instrument of our faith ; there is nothing more plainly spoken in scripture , as in rom. . we conclude that a man is iustified by faith : and , god is a iustifier of him which is of the faith of iesus , rom. , . and often in the fourth chapter , is christes righteousnesse , called the righteousnesse of faith , and affirmed to come to vs by imputation of faith . also cor. . verse last , we are saide to be made the righteousnes of god in christ. and paul wisheth , phil. , . to be found , hauing the righteousnesse of christ by faith. and gal. , . wee know that a man is not iustified but by the faith of iesus christ. and infinite places of this kinde there bee which teach , that christ his righteousnesse is ours for our iustification , and that this commeth to passe by meane of our faith , as a spirituall instrument , to conuey it to vs. apollos . for your better proceeding in this point , i will request you , plainly and yet in as few wordes as ye can , to shew vs of iustification what manner of benefit it is ; and then in what manner we are iustified by faith : lastly , what be the neerest effects which immediately flow out of the sense of this benefit . aquila . i cannot well tell you what manner of benefit iustification is , except first i shew you what maner ones we once were , now are and should be . once we were created perfectly iust in adam , hauing a full conformity with god and his wil , in our soule and body : as it is written , god made man righteous , eccles. , . the minde in our creation , was enlightned to perfect knowledge of god , the heart framed to most willing obedience of his known pleasure ; there being neither thought , nor desire , nor affection in man , which agreed not most perfectly to gods will ; our bodies also being fit instruments to the soule , for fulfilling all good things rightly desired and embraced of the mind and will. this perfect righteousnesse had perfect happinesse ioyned to it , as an vnseparable companion . blessednesse can no more bee scuered from perfect righteousnesse , then god and heauen can be diuided . now when adam voluntarily transgressed , he lost perfect iustice both for himselfe , and for all that come of him : who are not onely depriued of perfect innocency , but haue the guilt of adams disobedience , to make vs sinners , ro. , . by which meanes , as also by our personall sinnes , wee haue not onely falne from blessednesse , but are become the children of gods wrath , ephes . , . so as we are now plunged into a double euil ; one , that for lacke of perfect righteousnesse , wee are spoiled of all blisse , hauing no interest in heauenly glorie and ioy : the other , that thorough the guilt of adams and our owne disobedience to the law , wee are subiect to euerlasting misery and paine in hell . therefore we stand in neede of a double grace from christ ; one , whereby wee may escape damnation in hell ; the other , whereby we may finde entrance into heauen . in which two things , consists that saluation by christ whereof so much and comfortable mention is made in scripture . for saluation , it is a deliuerance from extreame euill , and a recouering of supreame good . hence it was behoouefull and necessarie , that iesus christ the second adam , to make whole the wounde which the first adam gaue vs , must performe a double righteousnesse : one , passiue ( so called of diuines ) to free vs from deserued death : the other , called actiue righteousnesse , to giue vs interest vnto eternall life , which is not bestowed but vpon such as bring absolute iustice , according to that is written ; doe this , and liue : againe , into the holy city shall come nothing that is vncleane : and if thou wilt enter into life , keepe the commandements . and because this perfect iustice resteth onely in the person of christ , therefore of all men he onely it is , that hath right to life euerlasting in heauen . as it is he onely whose sufferings can free from eternall destruction in hell , because of the infinite merit of his obedience . it will then be worth our labour to speake something of this double righteousnesse of christ : for so a passage will be opened to talke of iustification with more profit . the passiue righteousnesse of christ , is that obedience which hee expressed and performed to his father in his passion and sufferings , which began at his birth or cradle , or at his conception rather ; and ended in his death , or at the yeelding vp of his ghost of this passiue obedience , ye reade ; heb. . . though he were the sonne , yet he learned obedience by those things which he suffered : and when that bitter cup was giuen him to drinke , math . he shewes his obedience in saying , father , be it as thou wilt . howsoeuer humane infirmity would haue declined it ; ( let it passe , if it be possible ) yet his most holy will obediently submitted to his father ; not as i will. and this commendations is giuen him of paul ; phil. . that hee was obedient to his father to the death of the crosse : for obedience is shewed no lesse to god in suffering what he will , then in doing what he wil ; and so our sauiour approued himselfe and his obedience in suffering ( as all other euils which were sent vnto him in the whole course of his life ) hunger , thirst , cold , wearinesse , contempt , reproch , pouerty , want , banishment , conflict with beasts , with sathan , outward troubles , inward temptations ; yet especially those last and greatest euils and afflictions which at and about the time of his crucifying and sacrifice were for mans sinne inflicted vpon him in soule and body , either immediately from the hand of his most irefull highly offended father , or mediately from the diuell and wicked men , iewes and gentiles outragiously conspiring , and working him all the smart and shame possible could be put vpon him ; whatsoeuer euill , diuine iustice would , or hellish malice could heape vpon him , and he was capable of , that , and all that , he ( as our surety ) in humble submission to his father did endure for our iniquities . the which his passiue righteousnesse consisting in his willing and constant obedience of his manhood vnder the crosse , hath receiued such sufficiency of merit and worthinesse from his godhead ( to which it is personally vnited ) for the deseruing and purchasing for all his elect , that most notable benefit which the scriptures commonly call remission or forgiuenesse of sins : which is an vtter acquitting and deliuering of all beleeuers from all guilt come vpon them by their owne , or adams sinne imputed ; and from all punishment due to them for the same , either in this world , or in the next . so as west is not so farre remoued from east , the highest heauens from the nethermost earth ; as guilt and paine , fault and curse , be remoued from the faithfull , by this passiue obedience of christ iesus . wherevnto belong all those scriptures which affirme , that we haue remission of sinnes by his bloud ; and that hee died for our sinnes , and redeemed vs from alliniquity by his death . this being his last and greatest suffering , by a synecdoche of the part for the whole , comprehends all other sufferings ; which being endured of him with most hearty obedience , haue freed all beleeuers from extreme euill , from damnation in hell , and the whole wrath of god for sinne . insomuch as howsoeuer many and great tribulations doe chance to befall them in their life time , and death in the end seaze vpon the godly , yet these happen vnto them as no part of gods curse for sinne , or as fruites of his fury and hot indignation ; but quite contrary , the crosses of their life being sanctified by christ his crosse , they are great furtherances to mortification and amendment of life , and good trials of their faith & patience , and nourishments of their hope : and death when it comes , hauing lost his sting , there is nothing remaining in it which is not beneficial to them ; it being but as a bridge or gate to carry them ouer , and conuey them into their heauenly countrey . and as the faithfull doe escape all euill by the passiue righteousnesse of christ , his suffering of euils being their acquittance and discharge ( as a surety hauing answered a debt for thee , enfreeth thee , as if it had beene satisfied with thy owne money , ) the most iust god neuer exacting one debt twise ; so they find entrance into life by his actiue iustice : for none must liue but the iust , which haue perfect conformity with the strict iustice of the law ; the iust shall liue . this exact righteousnesse all flesh lacketh : for , no flesh can be iustified in his sight ; psal. . . therefore no more surely was adam shut out of earthly paradise , then we his posterity for lacke of perfect iustice , are excluded out of the third heauens , the paradise which is aboue . therefore as iesus christ our mediatour by bearing the whole punishment due to the breach of the law , with most sincere obedience , hath enfreed vs from the curse and destruction of hell ; so by keeping & doing all duties toward god and man required in the law , and that in most perfect , loue , he hath by this his actiue obedience merited , and obtained for his people a right and title to the kingdome of heauen . this actiue righteousnesse is , doing , and keeping the whole law ; it is the absolute conformity and agreement of the man christ in his life , vnto the perfect rule of righteousnesse giuen of god , in the decalogue , or ten commandements . of this actiue righteousnesse there are two parts , one is the conformity of his nature to the wil of god , all the powers and faculties both of body and soule being rightly framed according to the most exact iustice of the moral law , he being conceiued by the holy ghost ; the lumpe of flesh which hee tooke , and whereout his manhood was framed , was so seuered from all spot of sinne , as there was not to bee found in him the least taint of sinne and corruption , no inclination in minde or will against god ; but a through-disposition to all good . hence called the immaculate lambe , vndefiled , separate from sinners ; and so he behoued to be , that hee might offer himselfe a spotlesse sacrifice to god , who vnder the law would admit no blemished oblation . had ought in his nature been neuer so little crooked and vnright , his death had no more auayled for remission , or his life for righteousnesse , then the death or life of peter , paul , or any other saint : for then himselfe needing a sauiour , should not haue beene ours . the other part of his actiue obedience , is the conformity of his actions with the holinesse of the law , which in the course of his life , hee kept and fulfilled : doing all that was commanded in both tables , & doing it in a perfect manner and measure , with perfect loue of god his father , whom he obeyed to the death ; and of men his neighbours , whom hee loued as himselfe , yea more then himselfe , giuing himselfe to a cruell infamous death for them . also , doing all this to a right end , that he might honor his father , whose glory he sought in all things . and lastly , being constant vnto the end , continuing in his loue & obedience vnto the last breath . hence it is saide , he did all things well , he knew no sinne , no guile found in his mouth , and is called , that holy one , and iust and righteous one : who indeede alone , hath that iustice which is able to abide the touch-stone , euen the most rigorous examination of the most seuere diuine iustice ; which hauing thorowly and narrowly sifted it , cannot not onely finde nothing what to blame in it , but of right must allow it and crowne it with eternall life . hence it is , that this righteousnes which christ in his manhood hath thus performed ( as we haue saide ) is often in the epistles of paul , termed the righteousnes of god , as rom. , 〈◊〉 , , . cor. , verse last . phil. . not onely because that person which wrought it , was very god , the sonne of the eternall god ( though it were wrought in the humane nature assumed : ) but especially to teach vs , that this righteousnes of the man christ , it is that , and that alone , which the most iust god approoueth and rewardeth ; not as hee doth approoue the vnperfect obedience of his children in fauour , pardoning what is wanting , and accepting the will for the worke ; but beholding this iustice of the man christ , with the eye of his strict diuine iustice , he doth finde nought in it to mislike : giuing to it , de iure , euen according to good right , the recompence of life eternall . this was well knowne to the wise and blessed apostle paul , who hauing in his owne person yeelded obedience to the morall law before his conuersion , while he was a pharisie , but much better , and more obedience after his calling to be a christian : yet beeing well assured , that it could not stand before the tribunal of gods iustice , which condemneth the least obliquity and sweruing from the law , therefore hee renounceth it , as hauing no affiance in it , nay reiecting it as losse and as dung , that he might be found , not hauing his owne , but the righteousnesse of christ , phil. , , teaching all christians euery where in his writings , namely , in his epistles to the romanes and the galathians , to seeke after their perfect iustice , from and in christ : agreeable to the rest of scripture , which exhorteth all men , as they will euer enioy life , to thirst & hunger after the same . for this all men are to take notice of , that as christ iesus suffered not for himself , but for sinners ; so the righteousnesse which he wrought in his humane nature , by his actiue obedience , it belongeth to all his members , being a mantle or robe large and broad enough to couer and cloath both himselfe , and all his . howsoeuer our garments doe but fit one body at once , to couer it : yet this wedding garment is able to apparrell both husband and spouse , christ & his whole inuisible church , which is the society of chosen and beleeuing ones . there being deriued from his godhead , an infinite worth , valew , and price , as to the sufferings of christ ; so also to his passiue and actiue obedience and workes which he did , that he might bee able to iustifie thereby all his elect . these things being thus opened , now a way is paued for vs , to speak somthing of that worthy benefit of iustification , which according to your desire , i will declare what manner of blessing it is , and how it is by faith . iustification , what it is . amongst sundry significations of this word iustification ( which i meane not now to meddle with ) there be three especially to bee obserued : one is , * to make iust , which except it be with some commodious interpretation , doth not agree to this matter wee haue in hand ( for we are not made iust by a iustice in our selues or in our persons . ) secondly , it importeth as much as to declare , shew foorth , and allow for good and iust , that which before was so : as in that saying , wisedome is iustified of her children , luke , . againe , the publicans iustified god , luke , . and in iames . abraham is sayd to be iustified ( declared such ) by his workes . in a third signification , to iustify , it is ( according to the vse and custome of speaking among the hebrewes ) to absolue one from guilt , and to pronounce him innocent . as in all these places , where iustification is set against condemning ; as in the prouerbes , he that iustifieth the wicked , or that condemneth the innocent , both are like abhomination , &c. and rom. . who shall condemne , it is god that iustifieth , and acts , . all that beleeue in him , are iustified from all those things , &c. and innumerable the like places . it is a word borrowed by the holy ghost from courts of ciuill iustice ; where such as being accused , and are found guiltlesse , they bee by the mouth of the iudge , absolued and pronounced innocent . in this third signification , we vse the word here when we speake of the iustification of an elect sinner by faith ; not for infusion of iustice into vs , whereby wee should be made iust by an inherent righteousnesse of our own , nor for the declaration of our iustice before men : but for the absoluing of a sinner from his guilt of sinne , and the accounting or pronouncing him iust before the tribunall of god. in which sence , the worde is taken without all exception to the contrary , in acts , , where it is written , through this man is preached to you forgiuenesse of sin , and from all things from which ye could not be iustified by the law of moses , by him euery one that beleeueth , is iustified . which words , in good and right interpretation , can haue no other meaning then this ; that whereas by the law , by the workes and ceremonies thereof , men could not be acquitted and assoyled from their sinnes , yet by iesus christ ( so we by a liuely faith lay hold on him ) we shall bee absolued from our sinnes , before the iudgement of almighty god. and in this selfesame meaning doth the blessed apostle vse this word throughout his disputation of this matter , in his epistles to the romanes and galathians ; so as now it will be no hard thing to shew , what benefite our iustification is . iustification of an elect sinner before god , it is an action of the most mercifull god , freely ( according to his couenant of grace ) absoluing him at what time he beleeueth , from his sinnes , before his tribunall , by the passiue righteousnesse or sufferings of his son imputed ; and an accounting or pronouncing him for perfectly iust by the actiue righteousnesse of christ , imputed also vnto such a beleeuing sinner . for the fuller vnderstanding hereof , we are to note , that in this worke of iustification , there is a two-fold action of god to be considered . one is an imputation or reckoning of all our sinnes , and the whole punishment thereof vnto christ , vpon whom as our surety or husband they were put by the decree of his father , and his owne election ; that he by bearing them , might so acquit vs from them . the second is an imputation or reckoning of christ his whole righteousnesse , both passiue and actiue to vs , for the forgiuenesse of sinnes by the merit of the former ; and the acceptation of vs as absolutely righteous in his sight for the merit of the latter . euen as in a marriage , where a noble man marrieth a begger , there is an exchange made . the nobility and riches of the husband , is communicated to the wife , and her meannesse or extreme pouerty is now esteemed his , or at least extinguished in his greatnesse ; so it fareth here . all our faults and punishments were by imputation of god the father so put vpon his sonne , as if they had beene his owne ; he was recounted a sinner , yea , made a sinner by it , and the chastisements of our peace was vpon him ; he became a curse for vs : and on the other side , the whole righteousnesse of christ , both in his keeping the law , and in his suffering paine and death for the breach of it , is so beeome and made ours by imputation , as if wee in our owne person had suffered and fulfilled all . so as a mans body and soule is no more his owne , his sicknesse or health is no more his owne , then vpon gods imputation , the passion and obedience of christ are ours for our iustification . for as adams disobedience done in his owne person , is yet the fault of all his progeny , euen to the subiecting them vnto death by gods imputing it vnto them : so is the obedience of christ in his nature , actions , and sufferings , though it sticke inherently in his manhood ; yet it is verily ours for forgiuenesse of sinnes , and for our accounting righteous by gods imputation of it vnto vs. the reason why this imputation is so requisite in the worke of our iustification , it is apparent , because the righteousnesse of christ being without vs in the humane nature of christ , it can no otherwise become ours for the absoluing vs from our sinnes , and getting vs to be accepted as iust in gods sight , then by a free imputation of it vnto vs. god accounting all the righteousnesse of his sonne vnto the elect sinner to be his owne , with the whole merit of it , at what time hee beleeueth on his sonne by a liuely and true faith . and this the scripture plentifully and plainely teacheth , that as on gods part there is this action of imputing christ his iustice vnto vs , so on our part there is required faith to beleeue the promise hereof made vnto vs by his sonne . therefore it is so often saide , that we are iustified by faith ; and christ his righteousnesse is called , the righteousnesse of faith , in many texts of paul his epistles . which is not so to be taken , as if either faith were a part of righteousnesse , which is wholy in christ his doings and sufferings ; or as if the quality and action of faith did deserue remission of sinnes ( for it is vnperfect , as all other graces are in vs , and it selfe with the weake action of beleeuing , needeth pardon from god ; ) neither as any mouing cause of our righteousnesse : for it is the onely meere grace and vndeserued loue of god , which moues him to offer and giue vs his sonne with his righteousnesse . therefore it is written ; we are iustified by grace : but we are saide to be iustified by faith ; as by an instrument or hand created in the soule by the holy ghost , for this purpose , that it may receiue , apprehend , or lay hold on the perfect iustice of christ , as it is promised and giuen vs of god in his word of grace , euen the gospell of christ. as it is written ; that by faith we receiue the sonne of god , and the promise of the spirit , and the righteousnesse of god. this way and meane of receiuing christ his iustice by faith , being ordained of god , as meetest for our humbling , and the praise of his owne free grace . for when wee are brought once to see that we can bring nothing of our owne to iustifie vs , hauing in vs manifest and manifold guiltinesse from adam and our selues , and an vtter emptinesse , and depriuation of all righteousnesse , and so are driuen to goe out of our selues to borrow and take from another , euen from christ his perfect iustice , in his workes and passions performed , and haue all this reckoned vnto vs for our owne , both for remission of sinnes , and for being accounted perfectly rightcous , and that done freely by the gracious loue and fauour of god , freely giuing his sonne for vs to death , offering him in his gospel preached freely , freely bestowing him with his righteousnesse vpon vs , beleeuing in him ; and also freely working that faith by which alone it is , whereby wee receiue both christ and his iustice : the due meditation 〈◊〉 , must needs make greatly as for the abasing of our selues , who are vtterly by this meanes put from all matter , and cause of glorying and reioycing in our selues before god , so also for the honour and commendations of gods infinite loue and grace , thus enriching vs with the most perfect righteousnesse of his sonne , vnto the full pardon of all our sinnes , and freedom from the whole curse due to them ; and to the obtaining of such absolute iustice , whereby we may stand iust before the seuere iudgement seate of god , and worthy of eternall life through the same . for this is a necessary consequent of our iustification or righteousnesse imputed , euen the right of eternall life restored ; as it is written , the iust by his faith shall 〈◊〉 : where the apostle argueth , that righteousnesse is by faith , because wee liue by faith . here are then two effects of faith , one consequent to the other ; faith bringeth vs to iustice , iustice hath life annexed to it . hence it is saide , rom. . . that by the gift of this righteousnesse being receiued , the elect reigne in life ; that is , they are made partakers of true and euerlasting life , which no more can be seuered from righteousnesse , then death from sinne ; which made the apostle say , that hee did liue , because he did beleeue in the sonne of god. for then he began to liue the life which is eternall in heauen , at what time his faith did grapple on christ , & his righteousnesse : for this is the compact of god , to giue life vnto him which keepeth the law ; doe this , and liue : which the faithfull doe in the person of christ , to whom they are ioyned by faith ; and therefore the right of life belongeth vnto them . so as they can no more be depriued of eternall life in heauen , then christ , who already enioyes it . thus by the double righteousnesse of christ imputed to the faithful , both death & damnation is auoided , and euerlasting life and blessednesse is attained . apollos . by this which you haue spoken so amply of this second fruite of faith , to wit , of iustification before god ; it may appeare that they are deceiued , which will haue it to consist onely in remission of sins : whereas beside our absolution from sinne by the sufferings of christ , there is also an accounting of christ his actiue righteousnesse vnto vs for our perfect iustice . secondly , that they are in an errour also , which doe teach it to be a grace or quality powred into our selues , whereby wee leade a iust and holy life ; by which they say , one is iustified . also , the ignorant christians seemeth to be in wofull case , who neuer vnderstand what this great benefit meaneth . but especially gods children already called , may herein see their owne most happy condition by their calling to the faith of the gospell . for as it fareth with a bondman ransomed out of bondage by his emperour , and aduanced to great dignity and riches ; or with a poore miserable man imprisoned for debt vnto his prince , and is not onely pardoned his debt , but hath a very great treasure heaped vpon him , being one which had neuer deserued well , nay , many wayes very ill of his prince , and from whom his prince could neuer looke for any benefit and commodity to himselfe ; yet now by this most franke liberality and grace of his soueraigne , is suddenly of extreme poore and contemptible , made very rich and glorious . euen so it fareth with gods children , being through guilt of sinne and corruption of nature , and by actuall transgressions , bond-men to sathan , enthralled to sinne and hell , and most miserably poore , destitute of all righteousnesse ; indebted to god , the soueraigne monarch and iust iudge of the world , both to be for euer kept from eternall life in heauen for fault of perfect holinesse , and besides to be plunged ouer head & eares into the damnation of hell , through breach of the law ; yet through the wonderfull benignity and grace of god , freely giuing them his sonne , with his righteousnesse actiue and passiue , for the wiping out of all guilt of sinne and desert of punishment , and the adorning & decking them with perfect holinesse and innocency , by the imputation of faith freely made , they are now of bond-men and beggerly wretches , of heires of hell , and exiles from heauen , become most free , rich , and glorious ; euen heires , yea , fellow heires with christ , of that excellent inheritance which is immortall in heauen . here is indeede a most happy and ioyfull change which is happened them by the iustification of faith : so as no maruell though the holy apostle make so light account 〈◊〉 all other things whatsoeuer , in comparison of this . neither is it to bee wondered , though sathan in all ages haue laide such battery against this mount & bulwarke of christianity . no one point of all christian doctrine which he hath so dangerously , so often , so many wayes assayled as this ; sometime carrying men from christ to seeke forgiuenesse , and some part of righteousnesse at least out of him in some other thing ; and sometime annihilating faith and voyding it , as though there were no power in it at all , so much as to helpe toward our iustification , by apprehending our righteousnesse : for he knowes this article to be the key of all religion , the very heart and soule of christianity , the most comfortable and sure stay , the very rocke and foundation of all hope ; so as ouerthrow this , and ouerthrow all preaching , and all beleeuing were in vaine , if this one fundamentall truth could be peruerted and depraued , either by defacing the gift of christs righteousnesse , by adding something to it of our owne , or by cutting off the hand and arme that should receiue and embrace it . it behoueth therfore al gods children , & namely , gods ministers , so much the more to study & striue to maintaine this truth , and keepe it vnuiolable ; also , such as haue this grace imparted to them , to be iustified by beleeuing , to make much of it ; enforcing and prouoking themselues to all hearty and ioyfull thankfulnesse for it in word and deede , to all earnest care to grow and encrease in this grace continually : i mean in the sense and feeling of it , and in the more full apprehension of it , euen in respect of such wonderfull effects as arise thence . but neighbour aquila , because the day drawes toward an end , and night approching calles vs home , therefore we will here ceasse , deferring the prosecution of your third motion touching the neerest effects and fruites which spring from the true sense of this benefit , till another time ; when we may haue more leysure to call them to minde , and to consider of them . aquila . well pleased i am to haue it so : for the opening of these effects which follow vpon our iustification by faith , being a thing of that great consequence , would not be dealt in rawly and slenderly , or passed ouer in few words . so fare ye well for this time . the seauenth dialogue . the nine effects of iustification by faith. apollos . now neighbour aquila , may i know of you whence doe you come ? for ye were not wont to come that way as ye now doe . aquila . i came not long sithence from home with a friend of mine that came to visit me , & drew me out to goe with him to set him on his way , which i did willingly for his good company sake ; but i haue made the best hast i could , that i might keep touch with you , and it falleth out well that i doe so happily , and fitly meete you : for i was somewhat afraide lest you should haue tarried too long for me . now sir that wee are so well come together , will it please you to lay forth those nine neerest fruits which spring from the feeling of iustification by faith , what effects vse to follow hereupon in the soules and consciences of iustified persons ? apollos . the blessed apostle saint paul shall giue you your answer vnto this question : for hauing most diuinely in the . . and . chapters to the romans , laid forth the doctrine of iustification , and very substantially proued it to be not by our workes , which we doe , not onely for that we are all sinners , but because they answer not the iustice of the law , no , not in the regenerate , which haue most grace , and doe most good : but by faith , apprehending the sufferings and death of christ , full absolution from sinne , and his actiue obedience to the law for our perfect iustice with god. at the fifth chapter he commeth to those proper and immediate effects of this grace of iustification , which you now enquire after , and there ( as i conceiue them ) he rehearseth distinctly these nine ; . and . peace with god : . accesse vnto his grace : . standing in that grace : . hope of glory . . reioycing vnder that hope . . ioy in tribulation . . a sense of gods loue in christ. . a glorying in god. these are the most secret hidden workes of the spirit , as so many markes to the christian soule , whereby to finde and try out the truth and certainty of her own iustification . also being as it were rich iewels or most precious ornaments affixed vnto that most glorious robe of righteousnesse wherewith shee is cloathed so sumptuously , to the great contentment of christ her husband , and her owne vnspeakable comfort . aquila . of these foresaide effects , i do desire now to heare you speake some-what in that order as they are named . and first , touching peace with god , what do ye vnderstand thereby , make it plaine to me what manner of gift that is . apollos . these fruites of iustifying faith being many ( nine in number ) i had not neede to be long in thē , we hauing so much other worke yet behinde : and yet being both weighty matters , and remoued from common vnderstanding , i cannot well tell how to speake briefly , lest i speak not plainly enough ; but this easeth me of some care , that these things are spoken vnto one that hath them , and feeleth them by good experience : and therefore can sooner comprehend the nature and truth of these worthy gifts . now touching the first of them it is peace with god , whereby two things are meant . first , reconciliation or truce with god ; in which sence , the word is vsed in those scriptures where christ is termed our peace , the prince of peace , our peace-maker : and peace is made by his blood , that is , attonement or reconcilement with god , whiles our sinnes which bredde an enmity betweene god & vs , and made a separation of vs from him , and of him from vs ( his infinite iustice hating our sinnes , and we through sinne extreamly hating god ) the guilt of these sinnes and punishment , being wholy done away , & freely pardoned by the merit of christ his death , we haue now god pacified towards vs , & of a more then terrible iudge , becom a most amiable and kinde father , taking vs now for sonnes by grace , who were children of his wrath before . secondly , from this peace and reconciliation made with god , our faith accepting the mercy & forgiuenesse by his gracious promise freely offered , there followeth another peace and happy tranquility of our cōscience , which ( the woundes and terrors of it being now healed and quieted vpon that blessed consent betweene gods promise and our faith ) instead of accusing and trobling , as it was wont , doth now excuse and acquite vs before god with vnspeakable rest ; so as in the sense of gods pacification towards vs , wee are not greatly terrified with sinne and other enemies of our saluation : and though there be some agreement & likenesse betweene this true peace of a good conscience , & that false peace of a dead and benummed conscience , inasmuch as both are quiet and free from trouble or anguish , yet there is in other respects as great ods betweene them as is betweene heauen and hell . . for first , a dead conscience is quiet , because it hath no feeling of sinne at all : like to dead flesh , which you may prick with a needle , and yet it feels nothing ; so is it with a sleeping dead conscience , it hath no sense of sinne or iudgment , and thence growes the quietnes it hath , which will quickly be shaken off , and horrible terror succeede in the roome with sin reuiueth . and it is awaked by the knowledge and due consideration of the law of god. but an holy conscience washed in the blood of christ , it is quiet , because it so feeleth sinnes , as it 〈◊〉 them al forgiuen , and god pacified and well pleased in his son. hence ariseth her peace which passeth all vnderstanding . . secondly , a benummed conscience , though it be quiet , yet it comforteth not , but lyeth as asleepe : there may be in the heart naturall liuelinesse and comfort , by presence of things pleasing to nature , but no spirituall comfort in the conscience at all : whereas the truly pacified conscience hath great comfort in it selfe , chearing vp the soule as a man is cheared at a feast , a good conscience is a continuall feast . . thirdly , the benummed conscience is awlesse & feareth not the offence of god by sinne , nor his wrath for sinne . whereas the truely appeased conscience is fearefull to offend such a father : though it now feare not damnation , which is taken away by faith in christ ; yet it feareth transgression & breach of the law , as it is written of iob , that he feared alwayes , and of 〈◊〉 , that he feared god greatly . aquila . sir , may it please you ere you passe ouer to the next fruite : first , to shewe how this blessing of a peaceable conscience is gotten , and how to be preserued ; and also whether and how farre it may be lost , and what is to be done to recouer it ? apollos . there are two wayes vvhereby to attaine this peace . first , by an vnfeigned displeasure & sorow conceyued in our hearts against our owne sinnes , breaking forth in an humble , sincere , and constant confession of them particularly , so far as they are knowne , with an earnest endeauour against them , to shun all occasions of them . secondly , by stirring vp the heart to embrace that promise of the gospell , which offereth to vs the forgiuenesse of them , verily beleeuing them to be indeede remitted to vs from god , according to that his mercifull promise , which hee can no more breake , then he can denie himselfe : for he is true , and cannot lie . now hauing thus gotten this peace of mind , there must great care be taken for the preseruation of it ; seeing it is no lesse praise to keepe a treasure , then at first to purchase it . and it is to be kept euen by the same meanes by which it was come by , euen by often and earnest confession of our sinnes , and crauing pardon thereof , and by beleeuing the truth of the promise ; but especiallie by a carefull auoiding of euery knowne sinne , euen the least , labouring still as to get a cleerer insight of sins by the lanterne of the law ; so as they are more brightly known and perceiued to encrease in care and watchfulnesse ouer our hearts , to stop the course of sin in the very thoughts and desires ; where sinne being yet but young and weake , may most easily be crushed : neuer let it goe so farre , as to get consent of the will to agree to the motion of it , much lesse the helpe either of tongue or hand , or other part of the body to execute it ; for then it will raise vp new stormes , and trouble the quiet peace of the soule . hereunto ioyne a desire and study how to performe all knowne duties which concerne vs in our generall or speciall calling , with all vprightnesse and singlenesse of heart , as in gods sight , out of loue to please him , and true desire to glorifie him by our obedience to his will. for great is the peace that they haue which walke in his statutes , saith the psalmist . therefore that which we cannot doe perfectly , let vs striue to doe sincerely , and aske forgiuenesse of our imperfections : and so it will come to passe , that our peace will not onely stand to vs , but encrease daily , and more abound in vs. whereas you desire to know touching this peace , if it may be lost : to this i answer you , it cannot be lost ; none can take it away , no more then reconciliation with god , or faith can be lost . indeede this peace of conscience , as touching the sense and feeling of it , may be , and sometime is lost ; as appeareth both in the examples of scripture , as in iob , dauid , ezekiah , and by the experience of others in these our dayes , who either by falling into some grosse actuall sinne , or by some fearefull security , not looking to , and watching ouer theirwayes , or by some strong fit of temptation , haue beene for a time in an hell of horror and soule-sorrow , hauing no more sence of peace , then a man vpon a racke doth feele any ease ; complaining in the anguish and bitternesse of their griefe , that the terrour of god hath beene vpon them , that their soule hath beene disquietted within them , that they were cast out of gods sight , mourning as a turtle , chattering as a crane , weeping and watering their cheekes and couch with teares ; weary of life , wishing for death , finding nothing but feare on euery side ; yet all this while their liuely faith , the remission of their sinnes , their atonement with god , and the blessed peace of minde comming thereof , not vtterly lost ; but the sense onely of these benefits taken away , it faring with them as with the sunne , which being vnder the darke cloudes , yet is still in it selfe a lightsome creature , and when it hath power to scatter the thicke cloudes , giueth forth his shine afresh ; or as the trees in winter , which hauing neither fruite , nor blossome , nor leafe , seeme to be dead ; yet haue life in the roote , which appeareth in the spring . or finally , as with a man in a trance , who in truth 〈◊〉 , though for the time he haue no sense or vse of life ; euen so it is with gods owne children in the pang of some soule affliction , or after some deepe fall by sinne , there appeares in them for a season no fruits , nor feeling of any sauing grace , but all is clouded , and dead to seeming ; yet not so in truth , as both reason and the euent declareth . for all sauing grace is of that nature , as it perisheth not ; it neuer dyeth , where it once liueth , therefore called immortall . and such as for a season haue feare and trouble , and dulnesse , with deadnesse in their conscience , they doe afterwards recouer themselues ; the graces which seemed to be dead , being stirred vp by the vse of good meanes , are againe quickened . and the best meanes for such as haue lost their former peace , as touching all sense of it , they are priuate prayer to god , though it be with great vntowardnesse , yea , though they be troubled , when they thinke on god ; yet still to make petitions vnto him in his sonnes name . those very groanes and sighes which are so little , as they cannot be vttered what they are ; yet being the worke of christ his spirit , they are through the same christ pleasing to god , who despiseth not a contrite and broken heart ; therfore let not such forbeare to come , but 〈◊〉 more seriously to renew their repentance , taking the helpe of the prayers and comforts of the godly wise , by whose counsell & supplications many a weake troubled heart hath beene raysed vp to peace and rest in the lord. for this being gods ordinance , to pray one for another , and to confesse our sinnes one to another ; iames . certainely god will blesse it to the good of his children . therefore let such take good heart to them , and for their better releefe of their distressed conscience , let them remember the olde mercies of god toward them , and what peace , ioy , and comfort , they haue had heretofore in god ; and other the workes of his grace , which they haue felt , must assure them , that that god which once had so farre exprest his loue towards them , will be their god for euer . these priuate meanes ioyned with the publike , namely , the reuerent vse of the word and mysteries , will againe so settle their heart in peace , ( through gods powerfull blessing ) as that they shall be occasioned to say with the prophet ; returne to thy rest , o my soule , for the lord hath beene beneficiall to thee ; hee hath deliuered thy soule from death , and thy eyes from teares ; psal. . verse , . aquila . let me now remember you to proceede to the second fruite of iustifying faith , which with the apostle you called , accesse into the grace of god ; what doe ye esteeme this to be , declare it to me as i may conceiue it ? apollos . this third fruite , which is the accesse or entrance into the grace of god , it is a companion of the former , following it at the heeles ; for our conscience being pacified , through the hauing god pacified and reconciled toward vs , the christian soule assumeth and taketh great liberty in all necessities , outward and inward , to approach and come vnto this god , thus become gracious and fauourable to vs in his sonne ; and this is that accesse or entrance into his grace , being the same with that which we reade of ephesians . . wee haue entrance with boldnesse , through confidence and faith in christ. and also one with that heb. . . we may with boldnesse come to the throne of grace , hoping to find helpe in time of neede ; or as before , when our sinnes were vnpardoned , they shut vs out of gods presence : so being now forgiuen , and god reconciled to vs. we may freely vpon all occasions , and doe with much liberty draw neere to him , being made propitious to vs , wee haue a certaine resemblance and shadow of this in naturall children , who dare not come into the sight of their father all the while his anger is moued for some fault , but flie rather his presence , as did absalon ; but attonement being once made , and they certified thereof , then absalon dare freely shew himselfe before his father : so it fareth with gods children , they shun and flie from god ( as adam ) all the while they haue god angry for their sinnes , and their consciences in that regard 〈◊〉 or disquietted ; but vpon reconciliation beleeued , and the conscience thereby appeased , they now with an holy boldnesse enter in to god , to speake to his grace for themselues and for others , according to all their wants and distresses : which how great a gift and priuiledge it is , may be perceiued by the example of a base subiect , through some capitall crime obnoxious by the law to death ; and now by the clemency of his prince , not onely pardoned , but honoured so and aduanced , as hee may at all times haue accesse vnto his prince , to sue for himselfe and his friends . but looke how much the fauour of god exceedeth the fauour of all earthly monarchs , and is farre more able to gratifie vs in things most neerely concerning vs , enen eternall felicity ; so much doth this benefit of our accesse vnto god exceede that other : and it is a benefit that no heart can thinke , no tongue can vtter the vnualuable greatnesse of it , that poore sinners should receiue this honour through the mediation of christ , and by his merits , to haue free approch into gods priuy chamber , yea , into his secret presence , to acquaint him with all whatsoeuer wants wee haue , and to talke with him as a childe with his louing father , or one friend with another . thus considering what neede wee haue of him , and how able hee is to pleasure vs , cannot seeme but a wonderous great mercy , our vnworthinesse and his greatnesse being also coupled together . aquila . the fourth fruite ye called a standing in this grace , what is this i pray you ? apollos . it imports as much as a perseuerance and continuance of true beleeuers , in that blessed estate whereinto they are brought by faith in iesus christ , by whom they haue god fauourable ; not by fits , and for dayes , moneths , yeeres , but for euer ; and that such a thing is meant here ( by standing ) not only our common speech , wherein wee call a place of continuance , a station , or a standing ; and of a man that is resolute and constant , wee vse to say , he stood well to it : and when wee will stirre vp one to stedfastnesse , wee bid him stand to it . but the scriptures also by this word expresse stablenesse , both in euill ; psalme . . and in good ; psalme . corinthians . . likewise where it is saide by saint paul ; the iustified by faith doe stand in that grace , whereinto they haue sound entrance : hee intends to teach thus much , that the elect beleeuer , as by the meanes of christ absoluing him from sinne , and reconciling him to god , he is set in the estate of gods fauour , hath thereby his conscience sweetly quietted , enioying this liberty , that he may vpon all iust occasions with holy boldnesse and reuerence come to the gracious god , and enter into his presence . so hee is established to abide and remaine in this happy condition for all eternity ; so as though through the malice of the diuell , and by his owne vnwarinesse and infirmity , hee may be sore assaulted and shaken , and take some deepe and dangerous fall , yea , so farre as for a time and in part hee may lose sundry tokens , fruites , and gifts , and feeling of grace , as peace of conscience , ioy of the spirit , touching the sense of them , cleerenesse of vnderstanding , affection to goodnesse , feruency of loue , boldnesse in confession of god , and such like ; as is very manifest in dauid and peter , psal. . , , . mat. . yet he is preserued so sure , as hee cannot possibly fall wholly and vtterly , or for euer , from that grace of attonement , and such effects as necessarily depend thereon , which they haue attained by the faith of our lord iesus christ. because god , who loueth the elect in his sonne , is vnchangeable , louing to the end : also he hath receiued them into an euerlasting couenant , promising so to put his feare in them , as they shall not haue the will to goe from him ; as hee neuer hath the will to cast out whom hee hath once embraced ; being also of almighty power to maintaine them in his fanour , committing them to the custody of his sonne , to be kept , who will lose none whom the father hath giuen him by election , and which come to him by faith . and though they doe often of frailety sinne , and that greeuously , whereby they deserue to be forsaken perpetually , yet are they kept from that vnrecouerable downefall ; mathew . hebrewes . and by the intercession of christ , haue all their other falles of weakenesse couered and pardoned . his spirit moreouer which is in them , and which they haue of god , in due time quickening that is dead , strengthening that is weake , raysing them vp from their falles , stirring vp their repentance and faith , and enabling them to keepe on their way vntill they come to the goale . and therefore this i cōfidently hold vpon the promised grounds , & would haue all to receiue it as a truth of god , which cannot deceiue the elect , being once by a liuely faith vnited to christ , through his spirit , iustified by his righteousnes , hauing their sins forgiuen them by his death , and reconciled to god , to the sound pacification of their conscience before him ; and enioying this liberty of hauing accesse into the gracious presence of god , can neuer by all the powers of hel be quite and wholly pluckt from this grace . howsoeuer they may ( as i saide ) lose for a space many fruites of grace , and bee further worthy for their offences to lose all for euer , if god should deale in rigor ( as he neuer doth , nor will doe with those to whom he is become so propitious in christ , as to iustifie them , to be reconciled to them , and to admit them as children to come to him , as to their kind father . ) the consideration hereof , it is so farre from being to be feared or suspected , lest it should breede security , and iull men asleepe in a carnall presumption ; as on the contrary , it is very auailable to quicken and prouoke gods children to all christian care and watchfulnesse ; both because the faithfull are so preserued of god in the estate of grace , as that the same word which teacheth this , doth teach also , that their owne feare , endeuour , and vigilancy in the carefull vse of all good meanes , and in diligent heed-taking to all their owne wayes , is required heereunto , as the means of their standing . let him that standeth , take heed lest he fall , cor. , . and againe , bee not high minded , but feare , rom. , . and againe , he that is borne of god , preserueth himselfe , iohn , . and secondly , because the elect vpon calling to minde such mercies of god towards them , as they haue with their calling to faith , will be moued vnto great thankfulnes , to loue and honor such a god , as hath brought them and setled them in such a blisseful , sure and steddy condition ; so as they will not grow bold to offend & liue securely , if it were but in this regard , that they will not bee found ingratefull to such a most kinde father . but when his honour , and their owne safety lyeth vpon it , that they eschew security , and stand vpon their guard : this double corde will strongly holde them vnto theyr dutie . aquila . now i would gladly heare you speak something to the fift fruit of our iustification by faith , which ye called ( after the apostle ) a reioycing vnder the hope of the glory of god. where if it please you , i wold haue you distinctly to shew mee these three things . first , what he meaneth by the glory of god. secondly , then what is the hope thereof . and lastly , of reioycing vnder that hope ; so this fifte fruite will bee euidenced to me the better what it is . apollos . in all these i will seeke to satisfie you , and that with so few words as such things may well be vttered . the glory spoken of , rom. , . it is that blessed celestiall glory which beleeuers shall enioy in heauen with god ; and it consistes first in a remoouing from them all manner of sinne and miserie , from which they shall be absolutely free : the euill of sin and paine shall touch them no more then it shall touch god. secondly , in the presence and hauing of al good for soule and body , and that in all perfection : their bodies being made incorruptible , strong , bright , and glorious , as the starres or sunne in the firmament ; their soules filled with holinesse , abounding in all loue of god , his angels and saintes : and god mutually louing and delighting in them . and all this , as without measure , so without all terme or end . earehath not heard , eye hath not seene , heart cannot conceiue and thinke of the greatnesse of this glory . none know it , saue such as receiue it . this is called the glory of god , not only in this regard , for that it is his free gift which hee bestoweth on his sonnes and daughters : but also for that himselfe liues in it , and is infinitely cloathed with this celestial glory . he dwels in inaccessible glory , his children being made partakers of some beames of it , as they are capable , yet so farre as to their absolute felicity for euer . for the second thing , what may bee the hope of that glory . it is that certaine and sure expectation of the beleeuing iustified soule , to enioy in due time this heauenly glory , and whatsoeuer serues to leade thereto , as it is certaine of such good things , as it enioyeth already . for , seeing the faithfull do hope for heauenly glory , and their hope shall not make them ashamed , rom. , . therefore they may surely , and with certainty , expect eternall glory in heauen . otherwise , their hope would bring shame and confound them , if they should misse of the thing hoped for . againe , the beleeuers are said , to reioyce vnder this glory , rom. , . now there is no reioycing with godly wise men , but in things of certainty which be assured . there is therefore certainty in their hope , otherwise how could they pray vnto god , and call him father ? for his children shall certainly be saued , and they may certainly looke for it : and how could faith be a certain perswasion of the truth of the promise , if hope were but an vncertain and wauering looking for the accomplishment of the thing promised ? finally , hope staying it selfe vpon the infinite truth , mercy , and power of god , which cannot deceiue , alter , or faile ; therefore christian hope of glorious happinesse is no opinion , but a very certaine and steddy expectation . aquila . sir , let me heere interrupt you a little without your offence . seeing the nature of hope is but to looke for something which as yet wee haue not , and is to be had heereafter , as the apostle , rom. . argueth , to wit , when he saith , hope which is seene is no hope , wee hope for such things as we see not : whence then is that certainty and assurance which is affixed and ioyned vnto hope , there being many things hoped for to bee had of vs heereafter , which yet men neuer haue ? apollos . neighbour aquila , this was well & timely mooued . for certainty is not of the nature of hope , which being generally taken , and in it owne nature , is no more then as you haue saide , an expecting of some future thing which is yet for to come ; therefore certainty or vncertainety goeth with hope , according to the nature of the things hoped for ; which if they haue contingent causes , so as they may come to passe or not , then the hope of such things is euer with vncertainty , and no better then a doubtfull opinion . hence it is , that humane or ciuill hope , which is of worldlie things ( which haue no certaine causes , but may be or not be ) is euer with doubt and vnassured . as for example : when one hath promised to come to my house such a time to make merry with me , or to pay me money , i may say , i hope such a man thus promising , will come at the appointed time , but this hope cānot make me sure . for vpon good cause he may alter his mind , or fall sicke , or my selfe may haue necessary lets . but now it is otherwise with christian hope , which is certaine , and assoreth a man of the things hoped for ; as spiritual blessings , and protection on earth , and celestiall glory in heauen . which things , because they are very certaine , proceeding of most certaine causes , as the vnchangeable mercy and truth of god , purposing and promising eternal life , with all things which belong thereunto , and bring thither : and hauing already giuen the elect in the worke of their calling , and iustifying them by faith , in pacifying their consciences by the feeling of their sinnes forgiuen , and allowing them accesse into his grace , and by other fruites of his couenant , sure demonstration , and experimentall knowledge of his truth and mercy : hence it is , that they may with vndoubted certainty , and doe assuredly looke for that which is yet behinde , euen their glorious perfection in heauen . and notwithstanding there bee in them still remaining corruption , by strength whereof , they often faile and offend by many , & sometime very great sins , yea and their owne will is changeable : yet seeing it is so , that vnto beleeuers repenting , all sinnes are forgiuen ; and god himselfe neuer changeth : howsoeuer his children are subiect therunto , yet he so reneweth them , as he confirmeth their will , and putteth strength into them by the might of his grace , that though they may change & cease to trust in god , yet they are kept from it . hence it is , for all the multitude of their iniquities , and mutablenes of their mind , that their hope is neuer vtterly quailed & danted , but standeth firme as mount syon , or as an hill of brasse , so as not onely for the present , but euer for hereafter , their hope shall be firme and good . which truth , as it much correcteth the error of them , which seuer assurance from hope of glory , & make of it but an opinion and wauering conceite , as of a thing which they may haue or misse of ( a thing not to bee meruailed , seeing some in part at least , ground their hope vpon the merit of workes , and vpon their seruing of god , weake grounds to beare vp certaine expectation of glory : ) so it ministreth much comfort to the faithful , which haue receiued this christian hope , insomuch as whatsoeuer their afflictions , enemies , or sinnes be , yet they cannot misse of glorious blisse in the end . for god is faithful which hath promised ; and hauing also begun a good worke in them , hee will finish it vntill the day of iesus christ. finally , whosoeuer hath this hope of the glory of god , let him purge himselfe , euen as hee is pure . for , if we looke for such a glory as is heauenly , wee ought to be very diligent , that wee may bee found of him in peace , without spot and blamelesse . aquila . you haue satisfied me in this fifth fruite of hope , and by that which you haue deliuered , i doe well obserue how three sorts of persons be hugely deceiued . the first is of them who in some part doe build their hope vpon their owne good doings , who must needes alwayes floate as a boate vpon the water , with continuall vncertainties and doubtings of their saluation ; for that they can neuer be sure when their workes are sufficient , and when they be free from being in some mortall sinne , doe still perplex their hearts ; beside the great sinnes which they commit against god , in whom alone the hope of his children is to be fixed , as an anchor in the bottome of the water , insomuch as they are pronounced accursed , which hope in ought saue god : and mens workes they are not good , therefore popish hope is an accursed hope . indeede good workes , and a iust and godly life , may be vnto the saints a secondary helpe , and as it were some prop to stay their hope , in this regard , that to such persons as liue so , is the promise of eternall life made : but god his infinite mercy , trueth , and his almightinesse , manifested in the death and resurrection of his sonne , is the true and onely foundation of hope . thankes be vnto god ( saith saint peter ) who hath begotten vs to a liuely hope , through the resurrection of christ from the dead . the second sort is of such , as in their ignorance or mistaking , thinke and speake no otherwise of christian hope , then of humane and worldly hope ; as if their hope of glory had no more certainty in it , then hath their hope of a faire day , when they see the morning cleere ; or of a good haruest , when they see corne come vp in the blade , and well eared , being herein not right , though they little suspect so much by themselues . the third sort is of such , as hauing better knowledge of the truth of this doctrine touching the certainty of hope , yet faile herein , that they doe not labour to expresse the power of a true liuely hope , in the purging of themselues , their hearts and liues from filthinesse of sinne , that they may become such as god in mercy will accept as meet and fit to enter into that vndefiled inheritance , which they say , they certainely by hope doe looke for . but now sir hauing dispatcht this fifth fruit of the hope of glory , if it seeme good to you , set vpon the next , the sixth fruite ; reioycing vnder this hope , which is elsewhere called , ioy in the spirit , or ioy of the holy ghost , and ioy vnspeakable and glorious , and ioy of saluation ; i would haue you open this to me . apollos . ioy , or reioycing , generally taken , it is a sweete motion of the heart vpon the presence , or hope of some good thing . now as good things ( which are the obiects of ioy ) be diuers , so reioycing is diuers . if the good thing bee such as doe tend to the pleasing or preseruing of our nature , the ioy which is taken in it is fleshly and worldly , such as reprobates & wicked men of all sorts may haue . but the reioycing , which is peculiar to a beleeuing iustified person , it ariseth , and is occasioned by heauenly and spirituall graces and blessings , either presently had and enioyed ; as calling to christ , remission of sinnes , reconciliation with god , peace of conscience , repentance , the graces of the new man , faith , hope , loue , &c. or else certainly hoped for , as eternall blisse and glory in heauen . hence in scriptures termed , ioy of the spirit ; not onely because it is wrought by the spirit , but because spirituall blessings are the obiect of it . and herein differeth christian reioycing from worldly , that as this springeth from the hauing and presence of earthly and perishing good things of this life , and therefore lasteth not , but is suddenly quailed vpon the change of estate , and losse of temporall good things , and euer it endeth in bitter sorrow : contrariwise , the reioycing of the faithfull , it is lasting , and cannot be taken away , such as cheereth the heart euen in afflictions , as we shal heare anon ; because it commeth from a sence of gods present fauour , and the present enioying of many excellent heauenly fruits thereof , and an assured expectation of full blessednesse to come : their hearts being truly certified by the holy spirit , and assured by faith , that as they now haue god propitious and gracious towards them , for the free remission of all their sinnes ; so the day will come , when all corruption of sinnes quite done away , and all teares for sinne and misery being wiped from their eyes , at a word , when all euill being vtterly remoued from them , they shall be perfectly blessed and glorified with god ; in which hope they reioyce , and comfort their hearts , lauding and praysing god with psalmes . the which their spirituall ioy comming from the feeling of gods fauour , and the looking for of gods glory , is a part of gods kingdome , rom. . the kingdome of god is righteousnesse , peace , & ioy in the holy ghost . and therefore of saint peter called , gloriousioy ; pet. . vnto which the apostle therefore earnestly exhorteth the faithfull , reioyce in the lord : againe , i say reioyce ; phil. . . and reioyce euermore ; thes. . . and this dauid begs , psal. . make me to heare of ioy and gladnesse . where obserue this , that ioy is begotten by the promise of the gospell being heard . let mee heare euen by that gladsome ioyfull tydings of forgiuenesse by christ , how it is nourished and encreased by that meanes ; and being at any time ouershadowed ( as it falleth out sometime with gods deare children , that the sunne of their ioy is hid vnder a blacke cloude of sinnes and temptations ) then it is recouered and had again by the word of faith , by the message and testimony of forgiuenesse of sinnes , being yours , and beleeued ; therefore it is that dauid prayes to heare of ioy . for when the ioy of the christian heart is turned into bitter greefe , there is nothing wil cheere and glad it sauing the promises of the word . i had vtterly fainted in my trouble , had not'thy word comforted me ; psal. . all other solaces which wee vse to follow , for the cheering of our spirit made sad with sinne , are vaine and nothing worth . it is the word of promise , onely through the working of that spirit of comfort , that can fetch againe a fainting spirit , or keepe it in ioyfull plight without fainting . therefore as god must be sought to for this ioy when any lacke it , so hee must be waited on in his word for the obtaining and encrease of it . for sithence both faith , and hope of glorie , are bred and fed by the hearing of the word of the gospell ; by the same way our reioycing , the fruite of our hope , is to be gotten , and preserued . but that wee may not stay too long about any one thing , hauing so many things to speak of ; we are to vnderstand that this former reioycing of a christian heart , vnder hope of gods glory , doth bring forth another branch of reioycing , farre more admirable ; and that is , reioycing in bitter tribulations , which are greeuous to our nature : for this is not so much to be maruelled at , if true beleeuers haue their hearts mooued to ioy and gladnes , because they certainly looke to bee glorified with god in heauen ; for the hope of farre lesse matters vseth to cheere vp mens hearts : but this is indeede very wonderfull , that afflictions , which haue in them matter both of shame and pain , yea and carry a shew of god displeased and angry with vs , that yet the godly beleeuers should be merry and cheerefull in the feeling of them : this ( i say ) is strange , yet it is most certainly true : the apostle affirming of them , who be iustified by faith , that they reioyce euen in tribulations : rom. . . and experience proueth to vs the truth heereof : the godly in their affliction , euen in most bitter martyrdom , suffering the spoyling of their goods and liues with ioy . the reason is , because the afflictions proceeding from gods loue and speciall fauour ( as the faithfull are well perswaded , being reconciled to him ) and for an especiall good end , to try and encrease their faith ; therefore their afflictions do nourish in them the hope of their glory ( as seales and pledges thereof vnto them , ) assuring them that rest will come after their troubles , according to gods faithfull promise . now the remembrance of that rest and happinesse ( in hope whereof they liue ) causeth all things to be sweete and pleasant vnto them , which they meete with in their way , & as part of their way , by which they are to passe , toward that glorious and happie end . they being not a little comforted heerewith in their greatest distresses and troubles , to know , that beeing now made partakers with christ and his afflictions , suffering and dying with him , they haue the lords owne worde for their warrant , that they shall also liue and reigne with him in glory . so as with consideration of these things , namely , their conformity with christ ; and that their light and momentany sufferings , shall be turned into a glory immortall and weighty : hence it is , that looking for it , & looking vpon it , and not vpon their temporall calamities , they are very comfortable and coragious ; the ioy of good things to come swallowing ( at lest mitigating ) much the greefe of euil things present . aquila . sir , you might now ( as i thinke ) proceede vnto the two last pointes of iustification , but that i would intreat you to loose two or three knots . one is , whether gods children may imbrace worldly comforts . and the second is , sithence the hope of glorie breeds in them such ioy , euen to the solacing & gladding of their hearts in most irkesome and painfull sufferings , how commeth it , that sometimes some of the best and most faithfull men , do strangely despaire , and are not onely without hope and ioy , but exceedingly appalled and danted , despairing , and full of discomfite ? apollos . good friend , albeit something hath ( by occasion ) bene said to this point twice or thrice heretofore ( if ye remember ) when wee spake of peace of conscience , and of standing in grace , and else-where : yet i will answer your demand , touching the despaires of the faithfull , if first i speake somewhat of worldly comforts : which as it pleaseth god sometime to afford his owne children , and that in a good measure , giuing them also power to apprehend them : so there is great feare and danger of being deceiued by them , as we see in the wofull examples of salomons fall , and ezekiahs sinne , and sundry others , which haue lost the sense of spirituall ioy , by being too much caried away with worldly ioyes , not keeping a measure in them . therefore , gods children are to bee admonished of these few things , about their ioy in earthlie comforts . . first , that simply considered , it is common vnto them , not onely with the vngodly , but euen with sensuall beasts , who are delighted when they haue things liking to their nature . thus wee see the calues and lambs to skip and sport themselues , & the very horse reioyce , when he hath good prouender . . secondly , too much worldly ioy , when the hart is much and often cheered with pleasures of life , is very perillous ; a great enemy to godlinesse , hauing bene the baite wherein many a good soule hath bin caught ; so as there needs great caution to be taken , about the well vsing of it , especially it being so hard for vs to gouerne either our passions of greefe or ioy , of feare or loue . . thirdly , therefore prayer is to bee made vnto god to guide them in their mirth , and to enable them to obserue a due measure therin , that the heart be not deceiued thereby . . fourthly , in the midst of mirth and worldly ioy , when the heart beginnes to cheare much , some sin of our life committed , or some iudgement of god which we haue bene vnder for sinne , or some threatning of the word against some of our sinnes , would bee called to minde , to checke the immoderatenesse of our affection , and so to temper and take down our mirth , that it be not with excesse . . fiftly , as chirurgeons are faine in some cases , to diuert the course of blood for the healths of their patients ; so let christians endeuour to turne theyr worldly mirth into a godly spirituall mirth , by considering with themselues seriously , that those earthlie pleasures and worldly comforts wherein their heart is delighted , are the fruites of their redemption , pledges to them of better things to come ; and so to learne to reioyce in the vse of them , as testimonies of gods loue and fauour in christ. . sixtly , it would do well in their ioy for worldly things , to thinke how sodainly and soone they may be lost , and all turned quickly into the contrary . also , to remember the afflictions of the church , & of some chiefe members therof , which mourne now when they reioyce ; that by a fellow seeling of others miseries , their owne ioy may be layed , and brought into better compasse . . seuenthly , let them further call to mind , how often they reade of christs teares and sighings for sins & miseries of others ; how sildome or neuer they reade of his laughter and mirth . which though ( no doubt ) he had , and did partake of it , being a man like to vs , in all things saue sin , ( and to reioyce is in it selfe no sinne ) yet likely it was sparingly ; and surely no mention is made of it in the story of the gospell . he was at some feasts indeede , but no word of his mirth there . . lastly , our mirth as it would bee by all good meanes moderated , so there would care be taken , that it be referred to a good end , which hath a great stroke in the goodnesse of any action ; namely , to take our worldly comforts with this purpose and mind , that we may be the more apt to praise god with cheerefulnesse of heart , and to goe through the laborious and irksome trauels of our calling with more alacrity and liuelinesse . thus there will not onely bee no harme in our worldly mirth whereof to repent , but it will proue an helpe to vs vnto godlinesse , and be as an hand-maide to that spirituall reioycing vnder the hope of glory . now to your other knot , how it falleth our , that beleeuing christians , notwithstanding their hope and ioy in god , yet are sometime filled with despaire and discomfort ; if i should say no more , but that they may often thanke the abuse of worldly ioy , as the cause of those heauy gnawings of despaire which come ouer their stomacks , i should say something , and which were too true : howbeit i will deliuer to you more fully what i iudge of the despaire of the beleeuers . and first , i iudge it a very strange worke of god , that it should fall out , that a true beleeuer should despaire , considering that the hope which is put into his heart , as an anchor sure and stedfast , hath such firme ground-worke as the constant truth , the omnipotent power , the vnchangeable mercies of god the father ; also the precious death , perfect obedience , powerful resurrection of christ , our mediatour : finally , the sanctification and graces of the holy spirit , which as the first fruites of the spirit , as the earnest of our inheritance , the beginnings of life eternall , the peculiar ornaments of christs spouse , serue to be as vnder helpes and props of hope , there being also the ministry of the word and sacraments , and many other meanes to confirme hope ; i say , that for all this , they should be sometime in that case , as if they had neuer heard of god , of life euerlasting , or had not known what hope had meant , it is very strange indeede . yet all experience both old and new telleth vs , that as in the elect before their calling , there is a meere want and priuation of hope ; so after their calling , diuers of them are subiect to despaire , wherein they professe a want of hope , ( though in truth it be not lost ) the operation and worke of it being only stopped , affirming of themselues , that they cannot be saued ; that god hath giuen them ouer for euer , and such like , which in some happeneth vpon a deniall of the gospell , through feare , as in francis spira ; in some others it comes from a weakenesse of faith , meeting with some strong & deepe temptations , which so ouershadow gods countenance , as the poore soules thinke the sunne of his fauour will neuer arise and shine more in their firmament . in some it comes from too deepe a sight of their owne sinfulnesse and vnworthinesse , seuered from the consideration of gods promised mercies , and finally in other some from the touch and conscience of a foule crime . it being the nature of sinne to be sweete in committing , and sowre in reckoning ; hony in the mouth , and grauell in the bellie : and the practise of sathan hauing once allured to doe a sinne , by hiding the punishment , afterward to perswade to draw to despaire , by couering and keeping backe the promises of mercy . the counsell of god in all this towards his children , most wise and gracious , purposing by these examples of despaire , to let all men see , that there is no stay or strength in any man , and that the stoutest is but feeblenesse , if god leaue them ; that all may learne to distrust and feare themselues , being kept from that dangerous sinne of presumption , the break-necke of the soule ; and striue to depend wholly vpon the might and strength of god in all humility , with earnest and continuall prayer for his help and supportation , often beseeching , and most feruently praying ; lord leade vs not into temptation : o lord forsake vs not ouer long ; psal. . . also god vseth to make his owne to feele an hel here of horror and despaire , that they may better iudge of the loue of christ , in suffering the sorrowes of death for them , wrestling with his fathers wrath , and haue their hearts moued the more to loue him . further , the anguish and smart which they feele in their pangs of despaire , as it causeth them more to long for comfort before it come ; so when it cometh , that the sense of gods loue is restored , and their hope of glory reuiued , it is as welcome and sweete , euen as faire weather after much foule , liberty after bondage , and a calme after a great storme . for herein the despaire of the godly differeth from the despaire of the wicked , that whereas these being voide of true hope , therefore in their despaire they are wholy forsaken of god , and finally , or for euer . the faithfull on the other side doe despaire not wholly , but in part , the work of their hope being stopped , but the faculty or habite of hope not being quenched ; neither finally , but for a time , they are left to despaire , being raised vp againe to a good and more firme hope , which afterward workethin them very strongly , to the bringing forth of many excellent effects in them , begetting in them a desire and will to liue godly in the whole course of their liues ; iohn . . stirring them vp also to an endeuour ( vpon occasions ) to take paines in good matters , which tend to their owne and the common good ; hope being the whetstone of labour . working stedfastnesse in their godly course , not fainting for any troubles , because they by hope look for a blessed recompence in the end ; heb. . breeding also a contempt of the vanities and pompe of this world , as it is to be seene in moses ; hebrewes . engendering a contentment and willingnesse to die , vpon expectation of an happier life hereafter . and finally , asswaging our greefe and sorrow for the death and departure of our christian friends ; as thes. . verse last . which effects , though alwayes they accompany christian hope , yet most of all when it is reuiued and refreshed after a fit of despaire . aquila . may it please you to beare with me , if i put you to dissolue another doubt , how the hope of the faithfull may be seuered from presumption of vnbeleeuers , which is so like it , as a simple one can hardly discerne them ; and how it falleth out , that such as haue liuely hope , doe offend through presumption , seeing they are two things ? apollos . it is a thing well moued ; for as in other things likenesse is the mother of errour , so here many a mans presumption is taken of him for hope , because of the likenesse : yet the truth is , that that which vnbeleeuers doe account their hope , is but their presumption . whereas they imagine that their hope is grounded and setled on god his free mercies , and vndeceiuable truth , and the merits of christ iesus , they doe onely imagine this ; their hope being in truth fixed vpon worldly things , as their wealth , friends , credit , and such like vanities : and may appeare to be so sundry wayes . first , by expresse testimonies of holy scriptures , which euidently affirmeth their hope and trust not to be in the liuing god , but in their riches ; tim. . . and that riches is their strong tower ; prou. . . and their substance is their hope , and gold their confidence ; iob . and their trust is in the multitude of their riches ; psal. . . and therefore it is saide , their portion is here ; psal. . . and that they haue their comfort in this world ; luk. . . and that their hope shall perish , and come to an end . moreouer , there be diuers tokens in the wicked , which doe certainely declare it to be thus ; as namely , that they cannot abide their worldly delights and profits to be spoken against ; therefore the pharises mocked christ , when hee reproued their couetousnesse , which proues their money to be their idoll , and their belly their god. secondly , in the presence and abundance of earthly goods , they haue heart and hope ; but when these faile and are gone , they waxe heartlesse and hopelesse , as is to be seene in nabal and belshasser . thirdly , their great labour taken , and their great cost bestowed about earthly matters , doth bewray where their heart is , which is further manifested by the speaking so much , and so willingly of their worldly commodities & comforts . their language shewes what countreymen they be , not of ierusalem , which is from aboue , but of the earth here below . but their continuing in a sinful course of life , without all true remorse or returning , doth demonstrate that they haue no other hope of saluation , but a naked presumption : for we haue shewed before , that true christian hope as it strengtheneth the weakenesse of faith , so it stirreth vp the heart where it is , vnto repentance and practise of godlinesse ; hope of glory will not suffer a man to wallow in the mire and puddle of his filthy and vncleane lusts . therefore such as serue sinne in the lusts and desires thereof , casting from them care of yeelding obedience to the knowne will of god , in that they will pretend to haue hope in gods mercies and goodnesse , and in christs death and passion ; they doe but abuse the mercies of god , and the merits of christ , which are offered and preached vnto men , to keepe them from sinning , and to call them to amendment of life , as it is written ; there is mercy with god , that he may be feared ; psal. . . and that the kindnesse of god leadeth to repentance : rom. . . for which purpose reade also rom. . . tit. . , iohn . . now the hope of the godly it is so far off , that thereby they doe waxe bold to offend , because they hope in gods grace for pardon , as contrariwise , they are much moued to all good care of pleasing god , in a new course of life , to the end . and as it is farre from them to grow secure in the carriage of their life , vpon the hope they haue of gods fauour and his glory ; so they doe not take heart to sinne , as the wicked doe , vpon opinion to repent at last : for they know and consider , that men may die suddenly . and that as late repentance is suspitious not to be true , so it is iust with god to forsake them in their death , who haue forsaken his commandements in their life : as also the longer it is ere one repent , the harder it is , sinne by custome hauing gotten strength ; as the further that one goeth out of his way , the longer it is ere he can returne . howbeit , it is certain that gods faithful children are subiect vnto sinnes of presumption , else would not the holy prophet haue prayed against them ; psalm . & . yea , and sundry times , what for the better humbling of them , what for the example of others , to teach all men to feare themselues , and to liue in awe continually of god , and for the more full manifestation of this mercy toward the godly , in pardoning euen their presumptuous sinnes ; for these and such like respects , they are left of god to themselues , to presume and be too confident ( not in gods goodnesse and truth , for that is the office of their hope ) but vpon their owne strength and outward prosperity , forgetting the lords goodnesse towards them , and their owne great frailty , as may be seene in example of dauid ; psalme . . in my prosperity i saide , i shall neuer be moued . and of peter mathew . i will neuer denie thee , i will die rather ; whose presumption cost them much sorrow and many a salt teare : therefore let all men be warned by their harmes . but friend aquila , ye haue almost made me goe out of our way , and kept me but too long in these fruits of iustifying faith , of which there be yet two vnhandled , which i will very quickly goe through , that we may come to that other worthy benefit of our sanctification , sister , or daughter rather , vnto iustification . aquila . we haue indeede insisted in these matters through my fault ; but say then , the next point is the shedding abroade of gods loue in our hearts , and our glorying in god through christ , the two last of the nine effects of iustification : what doe ye vnderstand by them ? apollos . the loue of god ( that is , not the actiue loue wherewith we loue him ) but the passiue loue where with we are beloued of him , which giueth both strength to our hope , and matter of our ioy , is then saide to be shed abroade in our hearts , when the sence and feeling of it is shed & powred into the hearts of the faithfull , whom god loueth in his purpose and decree from before the world was made , and actually loued them at the time of their calling to faith in his sonne ; the manifestation whereof vnto them , when it is so expressed to them in the fruits of it , as their hearts be affected with a ioyous feeling of it : this is the shedding of it abroade , which is the eighth fruite of iustification . it may be somewhat declared by this comparison of the boxe of precious ointment mentioned , mathew . which while the woman that had it , kept shut , gaue no sauour ; but hauing powred it out , and shed it on christs head , it did yeeld a sweete and pleasant sent and smell to all which were in the house : euen so the loue of god is shut and pent vp in gods purpose ( as it were ) till it be felt of the elect ; but after they haue faith to beleeue the promise of saluation by christ , vnto their fellowship with christ himselfe , and all his benefits , then his loue ( as an oyntment powred out ) doth plentifully refresh their hearts with the comfortable sence and feeling of it , as the apostle , rom. . , . and the faithfull , to whom peter wrote , peter . had good experience . wherein the wonderfull goodnesse of god doth vtter it selfe toward his chosen in this , that hee doth not onely loue them in purpose , but by speciall and singular fruites , as pawnes and pledges ( and namely by giuing his onely begotten sonne , to suffer such a reprochfull and bitter death for them , being sinners and his enemies ) doth assure them so of his loue , as they know and beleeue they are beloued , and are exceedingly cheered in their hearts , with a certaine perswasion of his loue ; which verily is a great matter , and serues them to great good purposes . for as it is nothing to a blinde man to know there is a sunne , a glorious and bright creature , when himselfe cannot enioy the sight of it ; or to a very poore man , to know where much treasure is , while himselfe cannot come at it to haue any part of it : so it is nothing to heare and know that there is much loue hid in god , except our selues feele it , and become partakers of it ; but when the sence of this infinite loue of god , is by a speciall worke of the spirit giuen vnto the faithfull , loe then there ariseth ioy and gladnesse in the soule , euen vnspeakable and glorious ioy ; peter . . also , a great encrease of their hope , in a more full assurance of enioying the blessing hoped for : in as much as that god who hath so loued and so testified his loue , cannot change and deceiue vs. and there is moreouer by the sence of gods loue toward vs , another loue in vs kindled toward him , and toward all whom hee would haue vs loue , as shall hereafter more largely be shewed . but now i hasten to the ninth and last fruite , which i called with the apostle , aglorying , concerning god ; romans . . which commeth herehence , that beleeuers finding gods loue so farre forth declared to them for his sonnes sake , as not onely to acquit them of all guilt and condemnation of sinne , by his sufferings and death , whereby of enemies they were reconciled to god * : but furthermore , to allow them his perfect obedience and holinesse , to be their owne by imputation , euen to the interessing of them into the glorious inheritance of heauen ; they doe thereupon greatly glorie , and in a holy manner boast-and insult in their spirits ouer all the enemies of their saluation , that god is become so exceeding fauourable vnto them , as being well and throughly resolued , that howsoeuer the force of adams disobedience ioyned to their owne sinnes , was very great , for the spoiling of them of perfect integrity , and filling them full of the infection of sinne , to the casting them downe from an happy estate to infinite misery ; yet the grace of christ in the merit of his passiue and actiue righteousnesse , to wit , of his sufferings and doings , is of far more exceeding might and vertue for the ouercomming of their sinnes , and the restoring of them to a farre more surpassing blessednesse then that they lost ; grace superabounding aboue sinne . so as their hearts be replenished with ioy and glorying , not onely because of the glory they looke for in heauen , but also in the vnderstanding and beleefe of that wonderous fauour which god the father in his sonne christ , and for his sake , beareth to them here in their pilgrimage . aquila . ye are at the length come through this large sea of doctrine , touching iustification , and the nine neerest effects thereof , and are arriued safe at the doctrine of sanctification ; which followeth next in order to be spoken of , but that we haue already by our former discourse exceeded the bounds of our appointed time . therefore it were meete we did now after this recreation of minde , repaire thither , where we may haue some refreshing to our bodies ; and if it please you sir to goe with me , wee shall finde little fare , and great welcome . apollos . agreed , friend aquila , so ye will passe your word to me , that at our next conference , ye will doe as much for my sake ; i had rather feede with you of your little , with such great loue as you will sawce it with all , then to haue great aboundance of good cheere , with little sound good-will . the eighth dialogue . entreating of sanctification , the third maine fruite of faith. aquila . sir , i am glad ye are come , i had so long waited for you , that i began to doubt lest you had been someway letted , that you could not haue kept appointment , which i would haue beene sorry for . apollos . no , good friend , not so ; i would haue sent you word of it , if there had beene any such matter ; my late comming was occasioned by some vnlooked for affaires . it is not with men of my function , as it is with you , and men of your condition ; who hauing lookt to your selues , and some few which depend on you , or haue to deale with you , there is an end of your care : but our care stretcheth further , and is publike , not priuate onely . wee know not when wee haue done , so many & sundry occasions of employment offer themselues , so many soule cases , so many soule necessities there be . sathan will find vs worke enough ; wee must be faine to wake , when others sleepe ; and though i will not mention any party to you , yet the matter about which i haue been stayed from you , i will impart vnto you . it was of one that did acknowledge himselfe to beleeue truly & vnfainedly in christ for the remission of his sinnes , and yet doubted of his sanctification ; he found his heart so encombred and toyled with the vile corrupt motions of finne , which arise vp in him ( as hee saide ) euen like sparkes out of a burning furnace , or as vapours out of a low , moist , and waterish ground . aquila . see the notable malice and subtilty of that old serpent , when hee cannot preuaile against gods children in the maine , to make them doubt of their faith , and whether they haue their sinnes forgiuen them ; he troubles them about the bye , and wil stirre vp doubting about their sanctification , whether they be renewed . if hee cannot come directly to strike at the heart , yet he will haue a blow at the thigh , or the leg ; so as hee may wound any where , it is enough to him : but with his malice he couples vnmatchable policy , for by breeding scruple about our renewing by the spirit of sanctification , his purpose is to draw the temptation vnto this ; that therefore they haue no faith , they are not forgiuen their sinnes , they are none of gods children . apollos . ye say right , and very truly touching sathans drift in this temptation : but herein sathan declareth himselfe a sot , to seeke to perswade one that hath his faith whole and vncrackt , and doth beleeue himselfe iustified and pardoned , that hee is not sanctified . for whomsoeuer christ iustifieth , them at the same time he doth sanctifie . these two workes in the soule of a christian , can no more be diuided , then the two natures of god and man can be diuided in christ : for that death of christ which hath merited remission of sinnes to the beleeuer , the same hath merited the holy ghost to be giuen him for the creating of holinesse in his heart . and that faith which apprehends the merit of christs death and obedience for iustification , doth also lay hold vpon the vertue and power of his death and resurrection , for the renewing of the minde and will vnto gods image of holinesse and righteousnesse . faith doth as well purifie the heart from filthinesse , as deliuer it from guiltinesse of sinne ; acts . and god the father which gaue his sonne to be righteousnesse , made him also to be sanctification to vs ; not onely in that his holinesse imputed , couereth all our prophanenesse of nature and life : but for that the effects of his most holy nature powred into our corrupt nature , changeth both minde and will from darknesse of ignorance and sinne , to the light of knowledge and holinesse . therefore iustification and sanctification be ioyned in scripture , as chickens of one broode ; cor. . and paul when hee had named the ephesians saints by calling , and presently addeth , the faithfull in christ iesus ; he would teach not onely who be worthy to be entitled saints , but also how the elect come by this grace , euen through faith in christ iesus ; faith as an instrument receiuing as well the spirit of christ vnto sanctification or making vs saints , as his righteousnesse vnto iustification , that wee may stand iust . and thus faith of the truth , and sanctification of the spirit , are put both together ; thes. . because they cannot be seuered : but it is of necessity , that he that beleeueth the truth of the promise for forgiuenesse of sin , hath a power from the spirit , applying the vertue of christ dead and raised for the destruction of sinne , that he may walke holily * and now we are thus put vpon this argument of sanctification , if it please you wee will consider of it more distinctly and throughly . let me heare of you by what names this gift vseth to be called in scripture , and amongst diuines ; and then how ye doe describe sanctification , what be the causes and parts of this benefit , in what measure we hold it ; how it is to be discerned in a mans selfe , by what markes , and such other things as doe concerne this doctrine . aquila . as vnion with christ , incorporation into him , & engrafting or coniunction or communion with christ , doe all import one thing , or being one with christ ; and as iustification , and imputation of righteousnesse , remission of sinnes , be often vsed to signifie one thing , the absolution of a sinner before the tribunall of god : so there be certaine words , as regeneration , renewing , or renouation , and sanctification , which import one selfe-same action and worke of the spirit , euen that whereby the corruption of sinne ( as touching the dominion and the power which it doth exercise before our calling ) is destroyed , till it selfe at length bee wholy abolished ; and in stead thereof a new quality of holinesse put into the faculties of the soule , that it may begin to loue , and doe such things as are pleasing vnto god , till it come at last to perfection , by certaine degrees . this worke or action of the spirit , it is called , renouation , or renewing , because of that new grace and quality powred into the mind and will ; the former corruption which is called the olde man , being killed . as in the first worke of creation , hee that was nothing before , was made a man : so in this worke of renouation , or new creation , hee that was naught before , is made good ; as if a new man were borne . hence also it is called regeneration , or new birth indcede , not properly nor fitly ; for our regeneration is the same with our incorporation or vnion with christ ; wherby we become his members , euen one body with him . for as by generation we haue our being in this world , and take the essence or nature of our parents , to become their children ; so by regeneration wee haue our being of christianity , to become the members of christ , sonnes of god ; being before children of wrath , and members of sathans kingdome , sonnes of adam . thus doth our sauiour himselfe teach vs to vnderstand it : for hauing saide , iohn . . that such as beleeue in christ , are the sonnes of god : he presently addeth ; which are borne not of bloud , &c. but of god. to declare this vnto vs , that our new birth or regeneration , is the making of vs the sonnes of god by faith , and not the furnishing vs with such qualities and properties , as belong to such as bee already sons . howbeit , for as much as most diuines and best learned men , doe confound regeneration and sanctification , i doe therefore follow that commonly receiued iudgement , and by regeneration vnderstand , that framing of the heart to gods image , in righteousnesse and true holinesse ; which because it is an immediate consequent of our new birth , ( wherein wee are begotten to be sonnes and daughters of god ) and as it were the putting of another and new nature into vs , euen that diuine ( as peter calleth it ) therefore is vsually called by the name of new birth . now for the last word of sanctification , whereas that word is somtimes generally vsed in scripture , to signifie all that , euen whatsoeuer it is that we haue from , or is done in vs by christ , and is as much as our 〈◊〉 from the rest of this sinfull world , to remaine and be vnto christ as a thing consecrate to him : yet in this argument where we distinguish it from vnion with christ , and iustification , it is that speciall worke of the spirit , renewing vs in the spirit of our mind vnto a new man , which after god is created in righteousnesse and holinesse of truth ; as saint paul speaketh , ephesians . , . or more briefly , it is that worke of god , whereby our corruption by little and little is abolished , and holinesse perfected by degrees . for in this worke , though christ minister a power to the beleeuer by his spirit , against sinne , to master it , and to doe the will of god ; yet it is not absolute at the first , so as by it all sinne should be vtterly done away , not at all to be in the soule ; and a strength giuen perfectly to worke good : for then the law might be fulfilled of vs in this life , and then wee should iustifie our selues , and 〈◊〉 died in vaine , and we neede not his mediation to make our workes accepted . but whereas in sinne , beside the guilt and condemnation wherein we are wrapt , and from which our iustification hath freed vs , and in stead thereof hath put vpon vs righteousnesse vnto life ; there is also in it a tyranny , dominion and power , which by the iust iudgement of god it exerciseth , euen ouer the very elect , who are the seruants of sinne , and doe willingly offer the faculties of their soules , and parts or members of their body , as weapons and instruments to fight and warre 〈◊〉 corruption , that the will and lusts , the desires and motions of sinne may be done ; as it is to be seene rom. . . ; &c. now in this worke of our sanctification , there is strength & force giuen to the beleeuing soule , against this tyranny of sinne , to beate it downe and subdue it , to keepe it as vnderling ; that howsoeuer it dwell and remaines there , egging to euill , and still soliciting and prouoking against god , yet it wants now much of his former vigour and might , so as it cannot reigne and rage with full swinge , as it was wont to carry vs headlong after all vngodlinesse & vnrighteousnesse ; this we get by our sanctification . apollos . now let me entreate you to open the seuerall parts of it , with the causes ; and hereafter wee may consider of the measure . aquila . this is it which i was minded to doe in the next place , after i had shewed what the whole worke of sanctification is , then to lay it out into his parts , and by the members laide out particularly , the better to discouer the whole body of this worke . diuines vse to make two parts , and that according to scripture the first is 〈◊〉 , or crucifying of the old man , which hath two degrees ; first , the death of sinne : secondly , the buriall of sinne , which is the progresse of the death of sinne . in respect hereof , the faithfull are saide to be crucified with christ , and their body of sinne to be crucified with him ; rom. . . and also , to be dead to sinne , to be baptized into his death , to be dead with him , & to be buried with him ; rom. . , , . the second part of our sanctification , is our walking in new nesse of life , or quickening the new man , or liuing to god ; rom. . . in which respect wee are said to be raysed vp together with christ , and to liue with him ; phil. . . rom. . . here then we haue with the parts of sanctification , the true cause thereof deliuered to vs ; which i will for better vnderstanding thus declare , and set forth according as i conceiue of it . the first part of sanctification , is the death of sinne , or dying to sinne ; which is , when that the strength of our sinnefull corrupt nature is taken downe , and by degrees weakened , as the body of christ languished by degrees vpon the crosse ; so as sinne cannot bring forth such euill fruites in thoughts , words , and deedes , as it did while wee were vnder the power of it . this is effected by force of christs death applied vnto vs : for that same diuine power of christ which sustained his manhood in the suffering of death , and gaue it merit to deserue for vs remission of sinnes , the same godhead and diuine power worketh in the members of christ thereby the death and mortification of sinne , that it should be lessened in force , as well as it wipeth away the guilt of their sinnes . hence it is saide , our sinne is dead by his body ; and againe , our old man is crucified with him ; because the body of christ crucified , did deserue for vs , that his diuine power should kill and crucifie sinne in them which beleeue in his death . the second part of sanctification , is the buriall of sinne , which is the continuall proceeding of mortification , euen as buriall is the proceeding of death ; sinne wasting in the elect , touching his vigour and strength , euen as corpes waste and moulder in the graue : this is wrought by christ buried , whiles that diuine might which preserued the body of christ in the graue without putrifaction , doth effect in the members of christ , by meanes of his buried body , a greater degree of mortification , euen to the burying and casting mould ( as it were ) on their sinnes ; then they are saide to be buried with him . the third part of sanctification , is the quickening of the new man , which consists of two parts , to wit , holinesse , containing all vertues and duties , whereby we are fitted for the loue and worship of god. righteousnesse , which hath all such vertues and duties as enable to loue , and profit our neighbour in all things which concerne him . this proceedeth from christ raised againe from the dead ; that same diuine vertue which wrought in christs body , for the quickening and raising it being dead , working also in the soules of his members , in whom sinne is already wounded by his death and buriall , for their raising vp and quickening vnto godlinesse ; that they may liue to god , hauing strength to practise and doe the workes of god , as before they did the workes of sinne . for the elect being coupled to christ by faith , and being one with his manhood touching the substance of it , yet spiritually , are also one with the godhead touching the efficacy thereof : whence it is , that the godhead which vttered force and might in christ , to vphold him in his death , preseruing him from corruption in his graue , and to raise him againe the third day ; the same godhead powerfully effecteth in christs members the mortification of sinne by his death and buriall , and newnesse of life by his resurrection . as the graft which is set in a new stocke , taketh iuyce and life from that stock into which it is newly planted : so the faithfull partake of the vertue and power of christ , dead and raised , with whom they haue communion , being grafted into him by his spirit through faith . but this power of christ communicated to the beleeuers , to the killing of sinne , and to the quickening of them to god , and all godlinesse ; it doth not effect this worke all at one time , but after a long time bringeth it to perfection . they therefore are in a dangerous errour , such as tendeth to the making of such swel as do beleeue it for truth , and others to tremble , which feare it may be a truth ; namely , that the grace of sanctification doth perfectly deliuer from sinne in this life , so as thereby one shall be able to liue here without doing any sinne ; which is the next way to pitch downe headlong to despaire , such as find not this perfection ; or to lift vp vnto hellish pride , such as dreame they haue such a perfection . besides the falshhood of it , all scriptures , both examples and testimonies , crying the contrary ; and euery mans owne conscience and experience proclaiming aloude , that we neuer ceasse to sinne , till wee ceasse to liue ; and that the breath of sinne and our breath , be both at once stopped . in so plaine and vndoubted a matter , proofe is needlesse , yet the forme of prayer by christ appointed to all christians to be vsed of them as a prayer and patterne of all prayers to be made by them in their pilgrimage , enioyning them to aske forgiuenesse of sinnes past , to craue deliuerance from temptations of sathan and sinne for the time to come ; and the sacrament of the supper , which belongeth not to men which want nothing , but to such as hauing many and great wants , do in the sence of them hunger after christ and his graces : and finally , the chastisements of god , common to all his children , which are corrected of god to preuent future faults and offences ; especially that iudgement of death , which taketh hold of all , doe demonstrate to euery one that is not wilfully blind , that there is none of all the saints which here in this world doe , or can liue without sinne . therefore it will be good to spare this labour , and in stead of prouing this ( which were as if one would bring a candle to giue light to the sunne ) to declare rather the ends of gods counsell therein : and withall , seeing sanctified persons haue still sinne stirring and striuing in them , and bringing forth most loathsome fruites ; how they may perceiue that they haue the grace of sanctification . apollos . friend aquila , i doe well allow of your purpose ; for i am of this minde , that for many proofes in matters not darke , nor doubtfull , nor of great profit , it is but waste time ; and rather bewrayes the vanity of the speaker , ( his indiscretion at least ) then any whit auailes the hearer : may it please you then to goe to those points which you haue propounded ? and sithence it is so , that it had beene as easie for god in the regenerating of his elect , to haue freede them vtterly of sinne , and put into them absolute holinesse , as he did at first create man righteous , voide of all corruption ; and this had beene much better for vs , as one would thinke , at once to be rid of such an enemy , and had also more expressed gods power to haue quelled it at one blow , rather then by many strokes : what might therefore be the reason why it is otherwise , that his children after sanctification , not onely haue sin still abiding , but more * troublesome to them then before ? aquila . that it hath pleased god to haue it thus , the matter it selfe speaketh ; and being he is most wise , therefore he will haue it so for most iust causes . for touching his power , there is no doubt but thereby he could haue caused it to be otherwise : for how could not he quit the soule and body from sinne in the time of life , that can doe it at death in one instant ? and his goodnesse is such , that had it been more expedient for his children to haue had it so , it had surely beene so . but the truth is , gods way , as in all other things , so in this , is the best way . for as it was gods wonderful mercy at all to giue them sanctification in any measure , and so to put them out of that 〈◊〉 in which they liued , obeying the prince that ruleth in the ayre ; walking in sinnes according to the course of the world : so it was not without a very mercifull and gracious respect vnto their owne good , as well as with zealous respect of his owne glory , not to giue it them in full measure , during this life . first , in that sinne is suffered still to remaine , and to tempt them , it stirreth vp watchfulnesse to haue such an enemy within the house , yea in the bed-chamber , euen in the inward heart and spirit of a man ; it will not suffer him to sleepe in security . but as in townes which are only assaulted outwardly , men stand continually vpon the guard : so it behoueth much more gods children to doe , hauing their city already surprized , sinne being within their soule . this is it also which will cause them with awefull watch to ioyne faithfull & ardent prayer , for helpe and strength from god against it . whence it is , that our sauiour hauing put his disciples in minde of their sinfull weakenesse , the flesh , saith he , is weake ; that is , sinne and corruption maketh you weake , either to resist euill , or to doe good : therefore hee commandeth them , and in them all other christians to giue themselues to watchfulnesse and prayer , lest they fall into temptation . for sathan finding vs feeble and ready to stumble and fail at euery straw through sinne , will be apt enough to take the aduantage of our infirmity , and by his subtill temptations to draw vs to wickednesse ; so as there will be danger of being conquered by him , except with a watchfull eye christians looke to themselues , and get them for succour vnto god , that by his might they may bee made able for to stand . therefore as the canaanites which were left in the land vndestroyed , did both awe the israelites , awake their slothfulnesse , and prouoke them in danger to 〈◊〉 vnto god by prayer ; so the corruptions sticking in the children of god , doe through feare of being foyled by them , driue them vnto god , and shake off spirituall slothfulnesse . besides , hence they can with pitty and compassion think and speake of other mens sinnes , being alwayes ready with a fellow-feeling heart to reproue , knowing and considering themselues , how they are compassed with like infirmities ; galat. . . they are also prouoked to exercise their charity , not this way onely , but in prayers for their brethren ; by their owne experience of sinfull lusts , what they doe in them , they can guesse how it fareth with other . yea , they are by this meanes not without some griefe , to heare of the grosse and horrible wickednesse of gods enemies , remembring that the same inclinations to euils , and seedes of sinne are in themselues , which so breake out to the shame and ruine of others . moreouer , by this they are often brought to sue for pardon , vpon their slippes and fraileties , and to beg the encrease of gods graces and comforts ; and so haue manifold proofe of gods truth and goodnesse , in standing to his promises , whereby he hath bound himselfe to fulfill the desires of his people : and can encourage others , and doe quicken them in their faith , to trust in that god , whom they find so very willing to releeue and refresh them , according to his word . for when their sinnes & temptations force them to god , and his mercy aud truth doe manifest themselues , being found when hee is sought , opening to such as knock , giuing to such as ask , forgiuing such as humbly confesse themselues : and as they haue their mouthes opened to speake forth the lords praise , and to glorifie him in his righteousnesse and saluation , to declare them abroade ; so to excite all their fellow saints to magnifie this god , to seeke and to relie vpon him with strong confidence . see the practise of this in that holy prophet dauid , who hauing recourse to god against his sinnes , and drawing downe grace and comforts by his prayers , he is full as of hearty thankfulnesse for himselfe , so of holy exhortations towards others , to moue them vnto godlinesse . yet further , whereas the great fauour which is vouchsafed the elect in their calling , and the rare graces put into them from gods spirit , might heaue and puffe them vp ; euen paul being subiect to pride and arrogancy , in regard of singular blessings vouchsafed him , corinthians : the sight and sence of the remainders of olde adam , serueth as to keepe from rash iudging of others , so from taking pride in our owne good things ; there being more reason to bee abased for filthinesse , ( for that is our owne ) then for the holiest gifts ( for they are not our owne ; ) and withall they are blemished and spotted through that poyson and contagion of sinne , that mingleth it selfe with our best prayers , best words , best actions , best graces , to make our selues and them euen odious to god , should hee but with a rigorous eye behold the best things in vs , and done by vs. for his pure eye cannot behold any euill , and best men haue some euill ioyned with their good ; yea , there is more euill in that they doe , then good . that were it not for gods mercifull acceptance passing by , and winking at the euill , pardoning wants and staines , and imputing his sonnes righteousnesse to the saints , their holiest endeauours might worthily sinke them into destruction . the due consideration whereof , doth preserue them from that most hatefull vice of pride and presumption , which are the break-neckes of so many thousands . and also in these , and sundry other respects ; as to stirre vp in the godly a desire and loue to the fellowship of the saints , to the vse of the lords supper , and all other good meanes of their saluation : to the patient bearing with , and gently censuring the imperfections of their brethen , and infinite such other benefits as redound to themselues , by this way of their imperfect sanctification , god doth maruellously worke out his owne glory . sinnes assaults , and sathans temptations , combining themselues with their confederate , the worlds allurements , by pleasures and profits , and glorie sometime ; and sometime feares , threats , and persecutions , all conspiring together against the poore soule of the childe of god , as ammon , moab , edomites , did band against the lords people ; doth but minister occasion vnto god , the more to euidence his almightinesse and sufficiency of grace , in that he 〈◊〉 against all these maintaine one weake heart ; not onely enabling to the encounter , strengthening to endure it , but also giuing power to ouercome and triumph ouer them ; that they may reioyce and glory in this strong god of their saluation , whose power is so manifested in their weakenesse . as the more and fiercer enemies did arise vp against ioshuah in the land of canaan , and against moses in the wildernesse , the more it turned to the honour of god and their glory also , to vanquish them , and put them to flight : so it is here ; the name of god is the more aduanced in his wonderfull assistance and protection , which hee affordeth vnto his saints against the gates of hell . finally ( which is an admirable thing ) euen by the grosse sinnes of his children , it pleaseth god to doe them much good , both to greeue them for that is past , to humble them and shame them for the present , to worke more feare and warinesse for the time to come . besides , it turnes greatly to satans great confusion , their fales prouing medicines and remedies , and preuentions of future sinnes ; and this as it much redoundeth to gods honour , so it cannot choose but vex sathan at the heart , that such sinnes as he hath drawne the godly into with great diligence and long deuice , hoping therby to choke them , and quite to spoile them , should bee made meanes through gods wonderfull goodnesse and wisedome , euen to whet and sharpen them the more against sathan , the procurer of their wounds and woe , by stirring vp themselues and strengthening others vnto all good duties . he had been better to fit still , then to haue tempted dauid and peter to such sinnes as he did ; as i could further proue , saue that in our conference of repentance , this very thing wil be happily reuiued , and come againe to be spoken of ; but it is now meete that wee seeke out the markes whereby sanctification is knowne to be truly wrought , and to speake of the duties of sanctified persons . apollos . i doe well allow of your purpose ; onely by the way let me put you in remembrance , that by the remainder of sinne in the new borne christians , and by those daily bitter fruits which spring from thence , there is more occasion giuen to the godly to exercise their faith , touching the forgiuenesse promised , and their hope touching the blessednesse to come , and all other their graces : which if they were perfect , and all sinne done away at their regeneration , then what great vse of faith or hope , when there should bee no vnbeleefe or doubting within them ? or what vse of any other vertue , when it lacked the opposition & resistance of the contrary vice , to set it on worke ? here is our warfare , and there must be a continuall strife inwardly in our selues betweene grace and sinne , as well as out wardly against the wicked . in heauen our warfare shall be ended , and not before ; and further , by how much the godly oftner sinne here , so much the mercies of god in pardoning , and christs righteousnesse in couering such and so innumerable transgressions , are manifested to bee the more glorious and excellent . there being no lesse grace , if not more , expressed in forgiuing sinnes done after the spirit of god and faith receiued , then such as were done before . sithence the more gods children are beholden to god , and the more meanes they haue against sinne , and the more they are enlightened to vnderstand their duty , the more grecuous is their fault ; which yet being all remitted freely vpon their repentance , it declareth the abundance of the grace of god toward them . aquila . it was well thought vpon by you , for i had forgotten these things ; but now to follow my purpose . amidst so much darknesse of minde , as yet remaineth after regeneration in gods children , and so many and great imperfections , sathan also with his iuglings laboring to trouble their iudgements , it seemeth then a hard thing to discerne that true sanctification of the elect , from that generall grace whereby a naturall man may liue for outward comfort and carriage , as if hee were truly sanctified . there bee sixe or seauen tokens by which the difference is to bee found , and euery sanctified person shall by them know of himselfe , that hee is gone beyond a ciuill life . first , a sanctified man hath care to order his life , his whole way and euery step of it by the knowledge of the word , of which he enquireth what hee may doe , and what not ; still taking counsell from thence , doing all his things as necre as hee can , by that diuine direction , and with application of christ ; beleeuing that his weaknesses are in him hidden , and the vncleannesse of his worke wiped and purged by his death : whereas the ciuill man dependeth vpon the allowance and reputation of men , which if hee obtaine , it contents him , he lookes no further , but to haue a good estimation in the world. and whereas the sanctified man aymeth at this most , how to please god , euen with the deniall and displeasure of his owne corrupt heart : the ciuill man doth not take thought , nor trouble his head about the pleasing of god , in the good he doth , nor in leauing euils for the offence of god ; but seeketh and studieth to please himselfe , and such whose fauour hee desireth to liue in , ordering his course to his owne and their liking . thirdly , whereas a ciuill man is very carefull in duties that concerne affaires and dealings with men , that hee may get a good report that way , and doth religious duties coldly and of custome ; the sanctified man , though he will not be negligent in workes that belong to his calling , yet he is cheefely 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 duties , which concerne god and his 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that both publikely and priuately . adde heereunto fourthly , that ciuil 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 no great conscience of smaller sinnes , as 〈◊〉 , 〈◊〉 talke , lesse oaths , gaming . &c : and not at all 〈◊〉 against naturall corruption to get it killed , nor in 〈◊〉 bled for it . it is otherwise with a sanctified man , he laboureth most against the roote of sinne , to get it mortified , to haue the fountaine drained : hee 〈◊〉 him , and conceiues much 〈◊〉 , euen for the 〈◊〉 of sinne , psal. , , . hee hath a great care to meete with sin in the bud , to resist it in the 〈◊〉 and euill desires , and auoyding conscionably euen such offences as the most men iudge but 〈◊〉 . for hee 〈◊〉 the danger of death , the displeasure of god in euery sin , euen the least . dauid will greeue for touching the lap of sauls garment the lords annointed . the heart of a godly man wil smite him , euē for a vile vnhonest thoght , for euery little ouer sight , if it be but in a circumstance of an action . yet 〈◊〉 , ciuil men neuer take any 〈◊〉 to auoid the sins of the time , or of their 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 turall peculiar sinnes ; the sanctified man of all other , most setteth himselfe against these . and to shut vp , because the differences are infinite , the euill man is 〈◊〉 about the 〈◊〉 of grace , to get more strength , against 〈◊〉 more power to obey god , he doth not marke in himselfe the decrease of grace , or increase of sinne , that being humbled therefore , he may vse the means appointed without 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and faintnesse , not by fits and girds . it 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 with the sanctified person , who 〈◊〉 how corruption workes , and how grace decayes , betakes himselfe vnto the vse of al good means , 〈◊〉 all good care and conscience for the helping him 〈◊〉 a greater measure of the spirit , that he may grow vp in grace and knowledge . for he considereth 〈◊〉 himselfe , amongst sundry other things , what duty he 〈◊〉 to god , and to his owne soule ; and that this 〈◊〉 is laid vpon him by god , that seeing christ 〈◊〉 by his 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 put into him , hath subdued his corruption , giuing to it a deadly wound by his death ; so as though it still liue , yet it can neuer recouer former 〈◊〉 and hath planted the image of god in his heart , that he may beginne to be like vnto god , in true holinesse and 〈◊〉 : therefore it stands him vpon , not to bee wanting to this grace of christ , but by all diligence and good endeuour , to be an helper to it , keeping 〈◊〉 vnder , now christ hath pulled it downe , and 〈◊〉 it in the euill motions and desires , that it neuer get a kingdome againe . being assured , that he is bound as carefully and willingly to striue against sinne , and to serue christ , as before his regeneration he semed sinne , greedily fulfilling the lusts thereof . and here of also fully assured , that his resisting shall not bee in vaine , but through the blessing of god , shall further him to the vtter conquest & rooting out of sinne at length . vnto which hee is animated , nor onely vnder gods 〈◊〉 promise of a full victorie in the end , but also of a blessed fruite in this life , and glorious reward in the next . for , if we serue 〈◊〉 , by doing the will of christ , then our fruite shall be in holinesse , and end in euer lasting life . wherfore the sanctified man thinkes all that he can doe to hinder the reigne of sin , and to further his perfection in obedience to god , to be all too little . apollos i thanke you good friend aquila , for helping me to spend the time so well : and now our allowance and houre-glasse being run out , we will close this conference . for , if you should enter vpon that hard combate which is in euery sanctified person betweene his old man and his new man , i doubt you would sooner finde an entrance into it , then a way out of it . so wee will keepe that in store till our next meeting in this or some other conuenient place ; and now i challenge your promise for resorting home with mee , where you shall haue little meat , and a great deale of cheere . of the spirituall combate betweene the spirit and flesh , grace and corruption . aquila . sir , i doe much thanke you for my yester-nights cheere , and especially for the sawce that i had with my meate ; feeding me with the fruits of your lips , as well as with the fruites of the earth . me thought wee had a theologicall supper , wherein our mindes were no lesse refreshed then our bodies ; so as i went from you well apaid with more then ordinary comfort . but to see how that cunning and vigilant enemie , which espieth and 〈◊〉 all our good , and endeuoureth to bereaue vs of it , did attempt to ouerthrow the ioy and gladnesse of my soule . for within soure houres after i was gone , in my first sleepe , i had such a sodaine and bitter conflict , as i haue had many , yet to my remembrance neuer any so sharpe for the time . but i thanke god for his helpe , whereby the assault was repulsed & ouercome . apollos . good friend aquila , i perceiue that olde enemy of yours , and of all good men , hath not done with you ; nor indeede will he , till either you be dead , or he cast and chained vp in hell . i am not so sorrie for your greefefull combate , as i am glad of your ioyfull victory ouer it . but thus it falleth out , that as after a great calme sodainly ariseth a rough storme , and then returnes a calme againe ; so our ioyes , euen when they are of the best sort , are broken off with some greeuous euents inward or outward , after which commeth matter of gladnesse againe . so all things heere are vneertaine , and keepe an vnsteddy and vneuen course ; euen as the kings highway , where it is sometime lowe as a valley , sometime ouer hils , and then downe againe into the bottome . thus is our way of christianitie , not all plaine and pleasant , but some rugged , stonie , and cragged pathes we haue to passe through , ere wee can come well to our iournies end . but tell mee aquila , was your assault all outward in temptations from the fiend , or felt you inward motions concurring , your self aswell as satan combating against you . aquila . nay sir , it was a mixt combat . satan found friends in my owne bosome to helpe him , euen mine owne corrupt heart , which troubled me as much and more too ; neerer it was to me , then that that damned dogge did : but both together vnited their force , and put me to the more molestation . when all is well at home , that i get the mastery of my sinfull affections , i find my battle with sathan more easie , and my victory more easie : but when my corruption rageth , and ioynes side with the enemy , then it goes harder . apollos . the last time of our conference , you did truly affirme , that the worke of sanctification is vnperfect during this life , and that the diuine power of christ by his death hath crackt , but not wholy crusht the strength of the olde man ; which by mortification is left as a souldier that hath his braine pan crackt with a blow , who yet liueth , and strugleth still with his aduersary ; or as a serpent that hath his head brused , but wriggles still with his tayle : and yet by his rising vp , the heart is quickened and made a new man , yet left as a weake babe or young childe , who is in processe of time to gather strength , and to grow vp to the age and stature of a man , till hee come to a ripe age . now this truth sathan knoweth as well as you , or i , by long obseruation , as also being present in the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 , where it is taught ; and being a subtill spirit , hee knowes that the old man , howsoeuer daunted by grace , and much taken downe , yet is still ready to play his part , to arise vp against that new creature , which by the spirit is framed in the heart . and though he can neuer hope to heale his wound againe , and to set him in former plight , yet hee is content to conspire with remaining corruption , and to vse it as an instrument to vexe and hurt the children of god , whom hee doth so extremely hate : yea , though he oftentimes be not afraide onely , but assured to take the foyley yet that accursed fiend ( such is his malice ) will be doing , and giuing enterprizes and onsets . but now we are entred thus farre in this talke of the combate of a christian , and you aquila doe so well know by experience what it meaneth , i will put you to speake of it what you know and feele , for my better instruction ; for one experimentall teacher , is better then ten other . aquila . indeed sir , my owne experience being holpen with that which you taught vs , when you handled this point , amongst other the workes of grace , doth enable me to say somewhat of this argument , and to fetch it from the beginning . i doe well remember , that you haue shewed both by scripture , and common experience , especially that of paul , rom. . , . vnto the end of the chapter , a battell there is in euery good christian ; and that it is spirituall and inuisible , fought by inuisible combaters and weapons . at length you deliuered the necessity of this battle , by the true causes of it ; whereof the first is the wil and good pleasure of god , who as he ordained his owne sonne , so all his members to this spirituall warre and conflict , thorow which they are to passe vnto the crowne and the kingdome , which is prepared for them ; as in earth no man is crowned , except first hee striue lawfully ; none diuide the spoile , which first haue not abid the brunt of the battle , and obtained the victory . the second cause is the extreme malice of sathan against christ , the head ; and for his sake , against all the elect his members , whom he will neuer ceasse to tempt , and that with most wonderfull subtilty , as a serpent long experimented ; and with outragious cruelty , as a red , fierce , and fell dragon , or roaring lyon , if it were possible to draw backe againe the regenerate vnto his kingdome , and hauing ouercome them , to destroy them ; pet. . the third is the repugnancy and contrariety which is betweene the spirit and the flesh , in the new borne christians , in whom they continually striue together , as the twinnes did in rebeccaes wombe ; the spirit striuing against the flesh , and the flesh lusting against the spirit , without truce or reconcilement : hell and heauen , light and darkenesse , god and sathan , being no more contrary in quality , then the spirit and the flesh . here i call to minde , that it was taught , that in scripture phrase , spirit , grace , new man , law of the mind , in this argument were synonyma , and of one signification : also flesh , old man , corruption , law of the members , were equiualent termes , importing one thing ; so as euery regenerate man hauing these in him , consisted of a double man , and had two men warring in him perpetually , during his whole pilgrimage : the old man , which is that remainder of sinne , that vicious quality deprauing and poysoning our nature , inclining to the breach of gods law , which is vsually called , the flesh . that which is borne of flesh , is flesh ; iohn . . and abstaine from the lusts of the flesh ; peter . . and corruption , as ephe. . . the old man is corrupt , for it causeth spirituall vnsoundnesse , wasting all where it reigneth : lastly , law of the members , because in faculties and powers of soule and body , it hath force of a king , or law to command and enioyne absolutely in wicked men ; but in the regenerate , with resistance . and the other man , is the new man , which is that quality of holinesse created in mind and will , renewed by the spirit of god ; hence called the spirit and grace , because it is freely giuen and worketh things gracious and pleasing to god : and lastly , the law of the minde , because there it gouernes as a law or commander . now the opposition and strife betweene these two men in the regenerate , it is this in generall ; that grace , or the spirit , or the new man , doth raise and beget godly desires and affections tending to heauen ; and hindereth the wicked motions of corruption , and the old man : and this againe engendereth vicious euill desires and thoughts , crossing and hindering the good counsels and purposes of the spirit and new man. in which conflict , sometime sinne preuaileth against grace , carrying vs away , and leading vs captiue as it were , fast bound in fetters and chaines ; rom. . . and sometime grace mastereth the lusts of sinne , and remaineth conquerour . and this alwayes falleth out , by reason of this combate , that a godly person as he cannot doe what euill sathan , sinne , and himselfe , according to his will corrupt would doe ; because grace dwelling in him , doth put an obstacle and barre vnto sinfull desires , that they doe not breake out as blisters or botches in ones body : so he is not able to attaine to performe either all that good which he would , or in so good a manner as he would , with such loue to god and his neighbour , as his soule wisheth , and the law requireth ; because remaining corruption doth oppose it selfe vnto the worke and motions of the spirit . which is the thing whereof paul had experience in his owne person , and hath reported in rom. . , . both to the instruction of all , and great comfort of the weake : that by reason of dwelling sinne , egging and tempting him to euill , pulling and drawing him from god , hee both did the euils which he would not , and left vndone the good which hee would doe , or did it vntowardly and weakely . he could no sooner haue a good thought and motion tending to god ward , but euill was present and at hand , very ready to quench and smother . this was the condition which hee was subiect vnto ; euen like the condition of a sicke man newly recouered , or but recouering , who faine would walke a mile or two for his health : but when he begins to go , his legges double vnder him for feeblenesse , and he can scarse walke two turnes about his chamber . or as it fareth with an escaped prisoner , which desireth to flye , and his heart could serue him to go twenty miles or forty a day ; yet his bolts and fetters so comber him , as he can scarse rid one mile a day . so the apostle felt , and so much other regenerated persons feele themselues encombred with their sinnefull nature , as they are enforced euen when they do best , to do their duties with care , wants , and imperfections . apollos . in this spirituall combate , there is a materiall thing to bee enquired into : whether corruption do so farre at any time preuaile ouer grace , as wholly to extinguish it for a time ; or the faithfull do but onely fall into a spirituall sleepe , deepely forgetting themselues , yet still retaining the life of grace . the case of dauid falling so heinously , sinning so deliberately , lying so long being falne , causeth diuers more then to suspect , that the godly in their conflict with sin , may take such a foyle , as to haue grace wholly beaten out of their hearts for a season , though not finally . for it thoughts , that he yeelded vnto sinne with his whole will , which cannot be , where any sparkle of grace remaines . aquila . sir , this is a question , which it were more meete for you to make answer to then my selfe : howbeit , seeing you will haue it so , i will speake my minde in it . when i reade in scripture , that god is vnchangeable , his couenant euerlasting , his calling and giftes without repentance , his regenerating grace to bee an immortall seede , to remaine in the elect , to be such as none can take from them ; and that the life of grace can no more returne to the death , then christ can returne to dye againe ; and that christ doth make intercession for beleeuers , and that the comforter which is giuen them , shall abide in them for euer : vpon these , and such like grounds , i am resolued , that howsoeuer sauing grace in the elect may be wounded , yet not killed ; battered and beaten , yet not raced ; sore shaken , yet not plucked vp by the rootes . for god , who put it into their heart , still preseruing it , and being stronger then all that be against it , how can it vtterly faile ? this is it therfore which i iudge , that when regenerate persons , being ouercome by the strength of any temptation , or in-bred corruption , yeeld vnto any sinne , their whole will doth neuer sinne so much onely doth sin , as is vnregenerate , the regenerate part doth neuer sin , neither can it sinne : for it is impossible that grace shold sinne , which is as contrary vnto sinne , as light is vnto darkenesse . the spirit and grace , doth euer like and loue that which is good , and hate that which is euill . so the apostle confesseth , that when hee did the euill he would not , and did not the good he would , it was dwelling sinne that did it , that is to say , his soule vnrenewed was that which sinned ; it was not he , that is , his soule so farre as it was vnrenewed , that did sinne : for his minde renewed serued the law of god , it was his flesh that serued the law of sinne : his inward man did euen then delight in the law of god , when the lawe of his members rebelled against it . and this is the condition of all other the children of god : amongst whom , when any of them be ouercome in this conflict , their will and minde renewed doeth still make resistance to sinne ; yet so feeble , so faintly , and weakely somtimes , that sinne gets the vpper hand , and grace is put to the worst . now touching dauid , and such as do sinne in such a sort as he sinned , this is it which i do iudge of them ; that it fareth with them as with a man going downe a steepe hill , whose foote once slipping , hee cannot recouer himselfe , but tumbles downe till hee meete with some stay . or , as it doth with one in a swoone or in a lethargie , whose life is in them , and yet to seeming they are dead . or , as a withered tree in winter season , which hath neither leafe , blossome , or beauty , and yet there is life in the roote . or , as with a soldier , whose braine-pan being cracked with a blow , he lieth astonished , and as one vanquished ; yet comming to himselfe againe , renewes the battle , and conquers his enemie . or finally , as one taken prisoner against his will , for lacke of power to withstand the assault , being willing and ready to make an escape , whensoeuer an opportunity is offered . as appeareth in the example of that kingly prophet , who was so held captiue in the hands of sinne , as when god did reach out a hand vnto him , to draw him out by the admonition of his prophet outwardly , and the motion of his spirit inwardly , hee quickly apprehended it ; and embracing the occasion , gaue satan and sinne the slip , and ( as wee say ) shewed them a paire of faire heeles . apollos . i am altogether of your iudgement in these points : and surely , as this is a very true doctrine , so it is comfortable to consider , that god doeth so maintaine grace in the hearts of his owne children , as howsoeuer for due and iust causes , the gates of helmay very farre preuaile , yet neuer so farre , as to displant that which god hath planted , nor to destroy that image which god hath set vp . but it remaines now , that ye speake something more particularly of this combate , and what weapons are to be vsed therein , & after what sort we are to make vse of them ? aquila . sir , it were a matter of great labour , a very long worke , particularly to rehearse how our knowledge is assaulted by ignorance , our faith by infidelity , our loue by enuy and hatred , our holines by prophane lusts ; our chastity and temperancy , by incontinency & riot : also , to declare the dangerous stratagems , wiles , and enticements that are vsed by satan and the world , to vndermine and ouerthrow the poore christian soul. and this haply is sufficiently performed by som others . touching the weapons which wee are to vse in this warfare , and how by prayer wee are to get the power to vse them well , the apostle instructeth vs fully , in the . chapter to the ephesians . and for the right application of the maine weapon , to wit , the worde of god , we haue christs practise in the . chap. of matth. therefore if it please you , leauing this argument , wee will passe forward to the doctrine of repentance . this onely i thinke meete to say ere we part from this matter , that there is a very great oddes between a regenerate person , and one vnregenerate , as touching this fight against sinne : they both fight , but neyther vvith like minde , nor with like successe . in vnregenerate persons , the light of naturall reason , and of knowledge infused into the conscience , doe checke sinne , as well as discouer it , leading the combater to a mislike , and some kind of resistance , whereof the issue and successe is the holding backe of the rage of sinne , without weakning or killing it at the roote ; in so much as when this resistance ( such as it is ) 〈◊〉 , then sinne like a gyant or a tyrant mightily assaulteth , and insulteth ouer the poore soule , trampling it downe , and fiercely oppressing it . whereas regenerate persons doe more then mislike sinne , and make some slender opposition to the keeping in of the fury of euill lusts ; for they doe truly detest and hate sinne , as that which is contrary to the will , image , and glory of their father , and the cause of curse to their blessed redeemer : so as there is in them a conflict , not alone betweene reason and affection , and betweene conscience and sinne ; but between grace and sinne , betweene the heart renewed by grace , and remaining sinne , which with a loathing is refused of them , when it ariseth and tempteth ; the regenerate setting and bending themselues directly against euery lust of reason and will , as against a most mortall enemy , which it desireth and seeketh vtterly to destroy : for that end being in continuall watch , frequent in seruent prayer , alwayes fearing infirmity , and gods dreadfull maiesty ; the euent and successe of which strife is a daily wasting of sinne , and mortifying it at the roote , that it may at the length be quite abolished . of repentance , the other consequent of sanctification . apollos . now friend aquila , that we haue done with the spiritual combat betwixt the old man & the new , arising from the imperfect measure of sanctification , which when it is full , that combate shall ceasse : in the next place , we are to deale with repentance , which in regard of these foyles and wounds which the christian souldier taketh in his spirituall fight , is very necessary : for they are to be healed and made vp again by repentance , euen by our turning vnto god through faith in his sonne . as it cannot be but in the combate , the new man is sometime put to the worst ; so vpon repentance , all is made whole . aquila . suffer mee here a little to stay you in your speech ; what may the differance be betweene sanctification and repentance ? seeing repentance is a ceassing from euill , and doing of good ; a turning from sin to god : and sanctification is no other , but a dying to sinne , and liuing to righteousnesse ? apollos . i will tell you what i conceiue of it ; that repentance is a fruite of sanctification , a consequent of it , which doth immediately follow it , and is ioyned to it as a companion : the difference i will expresse it to you by a similitude , as you may vnderstand it better . in the worke of sanctification , the holy spirit doth as it were shape a new garment for the soule ; which as it hath a robe without , to wit , the perfect iustice of christ to put on by faith ; so it hath other garments of lesse worth , which be inherent , and sticke within it selfe : and this is the quality of holinesse created in the soule ; which we are willed to put on : as col. . put on the new man. againe , as the elect of god , put on compassion , meekenesse , &c. and in 〈◊〉 . . & . keepe your garments pure , and without spot . now as in a new garment there happens rents and breaches ; so our holinesse by strength of corruption striuing against it , and sathans temptation , doth take some rents and breaches daily , which are to be made vp , and restored by repentance . sanctification is as the building of an house , our soules and bodies thereby are made the temples and habitation of god ; ephe. . verse last . cor. . houses being wind and weather-beaten , will take decayes , and neede reparations . now repentance is the repairing of those wrackes and harmes , which our selues take by the assaults of sinne and sathan . take yet another comparison . in sanctification wee haue giuen to vs the skill and power to warre against sinne , sathan , and the world ; and weapons put into our hands wherewith to defend our selues , and to offend them . now our weapons wil waxe dul , and need sharpening , our selues take blowes and 〈◊〉 , and neede curing : this doth repentance , which 〈◊〉 the weapons , and makes whole our selues after hurts receiued . i haue now shewed you what my iudgement is of the thing you propounded . aquila . yea , i vnderstand it , and will examine it , and then rest in it , if i find no iust matter of exception ; meane time i yet see not , but that ye are right . but tell me sir , what repeutance doe you meane ? for repentance euen in scripture phrase , is attributed sometime to reprobates and wicked men , as where it is said , that iudas repented him ; math. . . . and there was a certaine repentance euen in cain , esau , achab , symon magus , and others , as the story of scriptures euidenceth . beside , the elect which yet are in their sinnes , and want all true sauing grace , the holy ghost vseth to exhort them to repentance , as acts . . to those that killed iesus , peter saith ; repent , and returne . and acts . . to the supersticious athenians paul saith ; god admonisheth all men euery where to repent . see also acts . . by which it may appeare that there is a repentance in some which are neuer sanctified ; and others haue a repentance before their sanctification . apollos . this was well moued : for it is true that repentance hath sundry acceptions in the word of god , which is the cause that diuines write diuersly of this point , and somewhat confusedly sometime , for not duly distinguishing those workes of god , which he diuersly worketh in men as hee pleaseth . to shew you what i comprehend of this matter , this word repentance is in scripture either taken in euil part , or in good part ; when it is taken in the euill part , then it signifieth a greefe of minde , conceiued onely for punishment of sinne , when yet the sinne it selfe is not a whit loathed and hated , but still well liked of . thus is iudas saide to repent , who because of the present horrour which his sinne bred in his conscience , and through the feare of future iudgement , wished that vndone , which hee had done , and so repented : but his heart nothing changed to abhorre his couetousnesse . when it is taken in good part , then it is either legall or euangelicall . legall repentance i call that , when by the ministery of the law , the spirit is effectuall to worke a sight of sinnes , both secret and grosse , and of the curse and punishment due thereunto , together with a certaine greefe and feare , in regard of that sinfull and wofull estate which the sinner seeth by the law himselfe to lie in . this in the elect is a preparatiue to the grace of conuersion , and alwayes goeth afore ; which though in it selfe it be not true sauing grace , yet it is the beginning , the entrance , and way to it , in all the chosen ; and this is meant in part in all those exhortations made to vnconuerted elect persons . repentance euangelicall , is either generall or speciall ; generall repentance which is a turning from all sinne at once , is that whereby a sinner being by precepts and threats of the law stricken with terror , and humbled vpon sight and some sense of his owne damnable state through sinne , is by grace conuerted and changed in his minde and will , so as of an euill man hee become a good , now truly hating all his sinnes , as offences of a good god reconciled in his son , ( and not only for punishment sake , ) and louing righteousnesse vnfeinedly . this is called passiue repentance , or conuersion , and is in truth the same with sanctification , wherof ye may reade in these texts , acts . . acts . . luke . . speciall repentance euangelicall , it is that whereby a sinner that beleeueth forgiuenesse of his sinnes , and is sanctified or conuerted , and already made good , doth repent particularly of such sinnes , which by occasion in the course of his life he falleth into ; this is of diuines called particular repentance , actiue , and renewed repentance , and they doe distinguish it from the former . and thus it is taken in all places of scriptures , where the saints are saide to repent , or exhorted to repent ; as cor. . . reuel . . . and . . mathew . . and thus in this sence doe i speake of it at this time , taking it for the repairing or renewing of those daily decayes and slips which doe arise in the practise of godlinesse . for as in a garment , namely a beggers garment , there is alwayes something to be amended ; and in an house , though well swept and cleansed , yet there will still be something to be purged out ; and in an healthy body there fal out infirmiries to be cured : so in the life and conuersation of euery good christian there will be still something to be repented of and amended . our frailety and sathans malice being considered , there would indeede that care and watchfulnesse be vsed , that as neere as euer may be , those pure garments of our righteousnesse & holinesse be kept cleane and vndefiled , and our temples of body and soule to be preserued holy ; yet as a materiall garment , be it neuer so well lookt vnto , gathereth spots , and the house which is kept most neatly and curiously , will haue dust and sulledgy : so in the best christians somewhat will be alwayes amisle , and therefore the whole life of a christian must be a continuall repentance . there being some sinnes not yet espied , therefore not particularly repented of ; some espied , and yet not sufficiently hated , striuen against , and mastered : and some good duties not yet knowne to vs , and such as are knowne , not so zealously followed , nor so wisely , as becommeth the redeemed by christ , which looke for eternall glory . aquila . now sir you haue satisfied me in the acception of repentance , and shewed me how wee are to speake of it , and how it agreeth to a man already called and sanctified . let mee make bold to aske you further touching this particular euangelical repentance , which is euery day to be renewed , euen as a good house-wife doth once a day sweepe her house , or as one that writeth a letter , lookes often ouer it ; so our life is often to be lookt ouer , that the errors thereof may be corrected : but where must this repentance haue his beginning , wherein doth it consist , what be the kinds of it , by what tokens is it knowne and bewrayed ? and after these things opened , i haue certain doubts and scruples to propound to you about the doctrine and practise of repentance . apollos . this renewed repentance of the godly , takes the beginning from a godly sorrow , engendred in the heart by the holy ghost , vpon the discouery of our daily infirmities and falles , as the apostle teacheth vs , corinthians . . godly sorrow bringeth forth repentance , whereas worldly sorrow brings forth death . there is to be seene in the wicked , shadowish and counterfeit repentance , the ground whereof is wordly sorrow , not a griefe stirred vp in the heart , because of displeasing god by some sinne , but in respect of worldly cause , as temporal losse , worldly shame and punishment ; or else for feare , or through feeling of gods wrath for sinne , which is a griefe may be found in a meere naturall and worldly man ; the end of which griefe is death , occasioned by a despaire which is in them of obtaining mercy , by which they are brought to eternall , yea , and sometime to a temporall vntimely death ; as is to be seene in achitophel and iudas . therefore they are to be warned to abandon and put farre from their hearts this worldly sorrow , which not onely can profit nothing , but thereby no man can either redeeme his losse or shame , or remoue his feared punishment , but bringeth forth a dangerous and deadly fruit , and to labour to conuert it into a godly sorrow , to greeue according to god ; for this hath great commodity in it : for as it pleaseth god , being engendred by himselfe in the heart , which mourneth euen here hence , because the most mercifull god is offended by transgression of his law ; therefore worthily called , godly sorrow : so it hath a notable blessed issue , for it leadeth to repentance , and that to life or saluation . for as it cannot be but such as haue their heart smitten with heauinesse , because of the displeasure of their louing god by their sinne , but they will meditate a turning from it , and an amendment ; so they who enter into this course of repentance , and so continue , it will at last leade them to saluation ; and in the meane time it is a good testimonie vnto them , that they are saued persons , if it were no more but that the holy ghost saith of hearts contrite & sorrowfull for their sinnes , that they are a sacrifice to god , and that the sobs and sighes of a troubled spirit , greeued for iniquity , doe proceede from the holy spirit ; psal. . rom. . surely this were sufficient to moue euery christian to pray , and labour for this godly griefe , that he may get his heart touched with it , ( the melting heart , the sostened heart , soone moued to griefe vpon sence of a sinne , is a blessed heart , the very habitation and lodging of god himselfe ; ) yet to heare further that our repentance occasioned by our griefe for sinne , is as a way wee are to walke in to saluation : this same ought to cause all men to be willing to haue this godly sorrow , and to know how they may attaine it . and albeit that the meditation of the filthinesse , and danger of sinne being committed against an infinite iustice , the souereigne goodnesse , and a most holy law , may much helpe to moue the heart , after a sinne to be aggreeued ; yet nothing so auailable to this purpose , as the due and serious consideration of the 〈◊〉 of christs life , and the death and passion of our lord ; which being so infamous , and sharpe intollerably , and the person so abased and plagued , being the eternall sonne of god , and a man most innocent ; and wee our selues the proper and immediate cause of all his ignominy and paines , suffering not for his owne , but for our sinnes ; this if any thing else in the world will , and if there be any true grace in the heart , it will make it euen to bleede with griese , that such an one should suffer , and such hard and heauy things ; and for such being but wormes-meate , vngodly , and his enemies , what heart would not be pricked to thinke of it , that the lord of life , the immaculate lambe , should endure such fierce wrath from god and men , for such vile ones . the very earth trembled at this , and shall not our hearts feare ? the sun was darkened , the heauen also put on mourning weede , and shall not wee be troubled ? the stones rent , and shall not our hearts be rent with sorrow , and our eyes gush out with teares , vpon the sight and remembrance of such our sinnes , as we daily fall into , and by which we occasioned such an execrable death , with torment , to such an honourable person ? as it cannot be but ill with them who can thinke of this , and not be displeased with themselues , and greeued at their sinnes which procured this ; so well is that man that vpon the thought of his sauiours sorrow for sinne , can haue his owne soule touched , and ready to melt into sorrow . for blessed are they that mourne , they shall be comforted ; mathew . vnto whom doth the high god looke , who dwelleth in the heauens , but vnto him which hath a 〈◊〉 heart ? esay . this sorrow maketh the sinner to become ioyfull in 〈◊〉 end ; yea , it makes angels glad , it reioyceth gods 〈◊〉 , and is his delight ; who not so much detesteth 〈◊〉 , as hee loueth this godly sorrow , which 〈◊〉 a sinner aworke the more to mistike and detest his owne sinnes , and to endeauour more and more the mortifying and subduing of them , and a departure from them . in this affection of sorrow , there be two sorts of persons which doe somewhat offend in diuerse sort ; the one thinke they neuer greeue enough for their sinnes , and whereas they mourne much and truly , yet they satisfie not themselues , because they would haue and feele more . and the other , who doubt and mistrust themselues that they doe not greeue at all , and so are out of heart , because they haue no hearty greef for their offences , complaining of the hardnesse of their heart this way . let the former consider that god respecteth not the measure so much , as the truth of our sorrow ; if it be vnfeined , though it be not great , yet it is accepted ; and if it prouoke to repentance , so as after griefe there follow some amendment , then it is vnfeined . and let this serue to comfort the heart , god being as well pleased to haue his children cheered with his graces and the worke of his spirit in them , as greeued for their trespasses ; it is not pleasing to him to see them alwayes sad , hanging downe their heads as a bul-rush : there is a time for sorrow , & a time to reioyce . and for the other , their desire to be truly greeued for sinne , and to haue a broken heart , it is accepted for sorrow with that god , who in his children accepteth the desire for the deede : yea , they greeue that they are not more greeued ; they being sorry that their sorrow is so little , it is a degree of sorrow . woe to them which are secure , which sinne without all griefe , or suspect of any fault this way , and so lie still in their sinne without any turning or change : and woe to them whose sorrow is worldly , such as is stirred vp not for breach of gods law , but for dread or sence of vengeance , which rot still in their sinne ; but happy , and thrice happy is the soule which without respect of gods rods present , or his iudgement to come , without any regard either of the losse of heauen , or paine of hell , can be affected with griefe after sinne in this onely consideration , that they haue failed in duty toward so louing a father , and deserued by their sinne to lose his fauour . of this sorrow there will follow a repentance , neuer to be repented of ; which i thus open and make plaine to you . if the griefe be conceiued from an euill 〈◊〉 , which should not haue beene done , there wil 〈◊〉 it true repentance , that is , an holy purpose to 〈◊〉 sinne , and the occasion of it ; an hatred of it in the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and seeking the death of it , endeuouring by 〈◊〉 meanes against it , and to do the good contrary to it . likewise , if the griefe conceiued by this godly heart , be for a good thing left vndone which should haue beene done , there will follow a strange resolution , with good endeuour to auoide such omission , and to take vp such duties with more care in time to come , saying with the prophet ; i am vtterly purposed to keepe thy righteous iudgements . againe , i haue sworne that i will walke in thy statutes ; psal. . now that we haue seene whence this speciall renewed repentance doth arise , and wherein it consists , the degrees would be a little examined , and i find that there is an ordinary repentance meete to be had for ordinary sinnes . by ordinary sinnes , i meane the common slips of life , the faults that euery the most watchfull christian doth ordinarily fall into , daily infirmities , in omission and commission ; for these there would be but ordinary griefe , and ordinary repentance , as aboue it hath beene declared . but when any extraordinary sinnes doe happen , such as were dauids , peters , manasses , salomons , foule and notorious sinnes , which giue a greater wound to the conscience , and an offence to the church , and more dishonour to gods name , and worke a greater decay of godlinesse in the soule ; there would be vsed a more extraordinary sorrow , the heart would bee wrought to a deeper humiliation , more feruent and frequent prayer , holpen with fasting : and vpon our rising out of such sinnes , more streight bonds would bee taken for our good abearing afterwards , serious vowes and protestations for a better life . such was peters after his fall , he wept bitterly : such also the womans that washed christs feete with teares ; luke . such was dauids , psalme . and many other , who after some foule and enormious sinnes , haue performed more then ordinary repentance for daily and ordinary slips ; which yet be such ( considering the offence of so great a god in them , ) as ought to moue much griefe & displeasure with our selues , and more watchfulnesse . now for the tokens or fruites of this renewed repentance , there be seauen reckoned vp , cor. . . in that you were godly sorrie , what great care it hath wrought in you , yea , what apology or clearing of your selues , yea , what indignation , yea , what feare , yea , what desire , yea , what reuenge , yea , what zeale . aquila . i pray you sir let me vnderstand your mind for these seauen effects of renewed repentance , what ye thinke euery one of them to be , how you distinguish them one from another ? apollos . aquila , i doe well know that in these points all men are not of one mind : and whereas some call them tokens or signes , others call them rightly as you doe , effects or fruites of repentance , i iudge it all one ; they are therefore signes to manifest the truth of repentance , because they are the proper and necessary effects of true repentance . for their distinction of one from another , and what each is , this i vnderstand . care , it is the study of the minde and thought taking , how to approue the course of our life hereafter , both to god and to our owne conscience , and to the church of god. as it fareth with trauellers which haue by sloth or ignorance lost their way , hauing found it again , they are more carefull to keepe it : so it is with the godly when they repent , their care is to please god better afterwards : the which their care doth expresse it selfe in the greatnesse of it , not onely in the generall course of their conuersation , but in euery particular action , to direct it according to the rules of the word , that offence of god and men may be preuented ; as col. . the apostle prayeth for the faithfull , that they may please god in euery thing ; and elsewhere , that they may abound in euery good worke . yea , this care in the godly , as it is in themselues for eschewing one sinne as well as another , and for the doing one duty as wel as another ; so it stretcheth it selfe vnto them of their charge , children , and seruants , or flocke and subiects , if they be publike persons , as is to be seene in the example of abraham , gen. . iob , iacob , dauid , iosiah , who all had care of their children and people , no lesse then of themselues ; and this declareth ones care to be sound toward themselues when it embraceth others . of all which it followeth , that all secure person , which haue no further or greater care , but for backe and belly , for pleasure and profit , are surely voide of repentance , being voide of this care how they may please god. so on the other side , the more that care encreaseth in any after their falles , to keepe the word , and stand fast in their obedience to it , the more sure hee may be of the soundnesse of his repentance : for how must not his sorrow for losing his way , appeare to be true , when his care is double to that it was , not to lose it againe ? the next fruite of repentance , is clearing of our selues , which may be diuers wayes performed , as either when we quit and cleare our selues from suspition of a sinne , by shunning the very appearance of euill , all that hath any neerenesse with it , or lookes but toward it ; or when wee rebuke and punish such as wee haue thought to beare withall in their sinnes , or haue in truth borne withall ; after which sort it is likely the corinthians vpon pauls sharpe reprehension , did cleare themselues in the case of the incestuous man , whom they had winked at . or finally , by an humble & true confessing of our fault to god and to men , if it were open and publike , with hearty crauing of pardon ; as in the publican , zacheus , dauid , we haue examples of this clearing : and well also might the godly corinthians cleare themselues to paul , that they were displeased with their sinne in bearing with such an offendour , not onely by their diligence in censuring him , but by their vnfeined confessing of the offence both to god and to the apostle , whom they hadagreeued . the third fruite it is indignation , which is an holy anger stirred vp in our hearts , not onely against other mens faults , with a pitty toward their person ; but especially against some sins which haue escaped our selues , that we-were so beastly and foolish as to doe such euils that we might haue auoyded ; and when we are moued to anger more against our owne then other mens , this is a very good token of a repentant heart . the fourth fruite is feare , not seruill , but filiall and child-like , arising from the feeling of gods mercies and our owne 〈◊〉 , from whence commeth an holy awe and feare , lest the euils which tofore wee haue offended by , or such like , through our corruption breake forth againe . the fifth is desire , as impenitent persons haue their desires to eate , to drinke , to sleepe , to take their ease and pastime , to fare deliciously , to goe gallantly and brauely in apparell , to grow rich , to be aloft , to be well thought of and spoken of , although they deserue it not ; and are stuffed with many other such carnall and worldly desires , as tokens of their naturall impenitent heart ; so the godly desire to liue honestly , to keepe a good conscience , to dwell in the house of god for euer , to enioy the sincere milke of the word , to be vnburthened of sinne , to mortifie their lusts , be dissolued , and to be with christ ; and finally , not to offend againe in these particulars , wherin they haue offended god , or his people , are the testimonies of a truly repentant heart . the sixth fruite is zeale , which is a great griefe conceiued for the hurt of gods glory by sinne , and an ardent loue to all such things as god may be honoured by ; and to hinder in our selues and others whatsoeuer may dishonour or displease him ; reuel . . repent , and be zealous . therefore as cold and luke-warme christians , are vtterly without all grace of true repentance , which worketh a zeale against all sinnes , and for all good , to crosse the one , and aduance the other , according to our places & meanes : so the truly zealous man , whose zeale is guided by the knowledge of the word , and tempered with charity ; such as was in paul and barnabas , acts . in phine as , in moses , in dauid ; it is the euidence to our soules , that it is blessed with the grace of repentance . the last fruite is reuenge , which is not a requiting of euill for euill towards others , a fruite of the flesh : but a voluntary punishment which a sinner taketh vpon himselfe , for the euils done against his god & his soule , or his brethren , in labouring more to bridle his vnruly heart from vnlawful desires , and moderating it in those which be lawfull ; for bearing not sinfull delights or profits alone , but euen such things as are within our liberty , if the vse of them will be an occasion of finne , either to our selues or other . this curbing of our selues , and cooping vp our affections , mortifying the flesh , denying our selues , is that reuenge here meant . also , enforcing ones selfe to doe the things quite contrary to our sinnes ; as the drunkard to repent , and punish himselfe with abstinence : also the glutton and riotous , with fasting ; the great talker by keeping silence ; the adulterer , by forbearing all things may prouoke lusts . let me not conceale from you , that i iudge this reuenge , if it be referred to the corinthians , to be their exercising of that ecclesiasticall authority , which god had giuen his church against sinne , with more seuerity then wonted ; that as they had offended by remissenesse , so they would henceforth take due reuenge vpon open sinners , according to the power giuen them of god. and this is very like ; for it is a godly reuenge to set on worke all power , which god giueth vnto any for stopping of the course and current of sinne . let papists who take such vnlawfull , yet painfull reuenge of themselues , by whipping , &c. admonish true christians to take all lawfull reuenge . aquila . now sir i will propound some doubts vnto you touching repentance , if first you will call to mind those cautions which ye deliuered touching the same in your publike teaching . apollos . herein i will answer your desire . but let ' me tell you by the way , what was saide of the meanes to quicken and stirre vp this daily repentance : namely , diligent reading of scripture , and other godly bookes ; the humble submission of our mindes to all godly admonitions of the saints , blessing god in our soule , after the example of dauid , for such rebukes as are priuately and friendly reached out ; yea , thanking god for the reproaches of enemies , by whom sometime one shall heare his sinne tolde him sooner , then by a friend , though not in a good manner , nor for any good ende on their part : yet considering god sets them on worke , as dauid the prophet saide ; god hath bid him rebuke mee : therefore endeauour our selues to make vse of them , giuing good heed both to the checkes of our conscience , which often proues a faithfull monitor , and to the strokes of gods hand sensible and insensible in soule and body ; seeking to profit by them to amendment , that wee feare him the more , yea , euen in the dayes of our prosperity and peace , making this good vse to be inuited by them to speedy and true repentance ; and so we shal preuent gods chastisements , if wee voluntarily fall to iudging of our selues . yet of all other good meanes to awaken vs , and bring vs vnto the practise of repentance , this is not the least , euen our daily examination of our owne heart and wayes , to consider particularly what escapes haue been in thoughts , words , and deeds , in omission or commission , with the circumstances of our actions for manner of doing , and for the end of our workes , and the persons , and such like things ; that so we may come to see both what is to be sorrowed for presently , and vpon faithfull and humble confession , we may make all euen with god through christ for that which is past : and also what cause there is to watch ouer our selues for time to come , what remaines yet to be corrected and amended , that accordingly our prayers and care may encrease . as prouident house-keepers who haue great families , preuent many losses and damages in their estate , by often viewing the reckonings and doings of them whom they trust : so may sinnes be preuented by this godly examination of a mans owne counsels and workes . now for the cautions herein to be followed , they are briefly these . first let no christian by his heedfull looking to himselfe , thinke that euer he can attaine hereunto , as in nothing to offend . and therefore vpon the finding of his failings , not to be too much discouraged : for this is the common condition of all the saints , that none liue and sinne not . . in the examination of ones selfe , let no man looke to find euery failing , there will be some secret sinnes . euen dauid , a man so wise , and well instructed in the law , shal not espie all the motes in his owne eye ; psal. . who can tell his secret faults ? . for these priuy faults which cannot be found , there would be a generall confession and asking of mercy for them ; lord forgiue me my vnknowne sinnes . . knowne sins , which we shall discouer particularly , let them be speedily repented of ; for herein delay is dangerous : and be particularly acknowledged , the sinner accusing himselfe for them by name , and adiudging himselfe for them to death , with an appeale from iustice to the throne of gracc for remission . . let neuer a sinner for any knowne sinne , take further griefe , then as he may be able againe to comfort himselfe with promise of mercy . . as in practise of this daily repentance , coldnesse by custome is to be be shunned ; so on the other side , lest the heart waxe proud through the earnest care and wel performance of it , be not proud of repentance . . labour still to find out new sinnes , and new omissions of duties , and to make them seeme more and more odious and hatefull to the soule ; a sinner so he keepe his hold of christ , cannot be too humble for sinne . . take speciall notice amongst all other sinnes , of corruption of nature , and the proannesse thereof to sinning ; that all meanes be vsed for the weakening of that root , and the drayning of that fountaine . let pardon be craued in speciall for it , & power asked against it . let not any sinne seeme little , though a difference in repentance is to be put , according as the sinne is ordinarie or extraordinary ; yet let not any sin be thought smal , being the offence of a most great god , the breach of a most holy law , cause of most bitter paines to christ , meriting most wofull destruction . . forget not to repent of negligences , ouersights , heedlessenesse , and to look well that these grow not too common . . for priuate sinne , priuate confession is enough ; open sins , would haue open repentance , . lastly , when anie knowne sinne is begun to be repented of , let it be thorowly repented of , euen to the shaking it off , and leauing of it . he that confesseth his sinne , and forsaketh it , shall find mercy . now friend aquila , let me heare your doubts , that i may answer them . aquila . my first doubt is this ; whether a sinner may not truly repent , except he leaue his sins ? or hee may still vse a sinne , and yet repent ? apollos . first , an vnknowne sinne may be repented of , and yet not left . as amongst the patriarks polygamie , or hauing at once more wiues then one , or concubines with their wiues , was the secret sinne which in those times was not manifested nor reckoned as a sin : so they liued in it til their death , yet perished not for it ; which they shold haue done , if being known to them , yet witingly & willingly with open eies they had continued in it . but they repented of it generally , as of other secretsins . likewise , there be diuers sins amongst vs , which are the sins of the time , yet not so esteemed ; whereof the godly may truly repent , as of all their vnknowne offences , and yet not leaue them , because they do not take them to be sinnes . secondly , there is a knowne sinne , 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 nature , which cannot be left , but whiles we liue wee must wrestle against it , that it get no dominion : and so it is saide to be left , because wee would leaue it if it were possible . the repentant sinner carieth this crookednesse of his heart about him , euen as many an one carrie a crooked backe which troubles them , but they cannot put it off . lastly , there be daily infirmities , such as euerie day we commonly runne into , accompanying 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 , euen as a shadow the body ; as vaine thoughtes , idle words , and euill silence sometime , and waste of time , and innumerable such things ; which the more they are resisted and striuen against , the more they are lessened , but wholly abolished by repentance they cannot bee . knowne sinnes if they be grosse and notorious , especially if they runne into the eies & offence of the world , must be so repented of , as they be forsaken . we finde not that dauid , minasses , peter , lot , noah , after their repentance , to haue againe falne into those soule offences , which being wittingly continued in , waste and ouerthrow the 〈◊〉 of a sinner . aquila . but may not 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 grosse sinne , and yee 〈◊〉 and bee 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 ap. of this somthing hath 〈◊〉 said before , therefore the lesse now . if one be but a babe in christ , and weake , he may do it more easily . but one of growth in grace , and being experienced 〈◊〉 practise of repentance , and watchfull , will hardly do it . sure it is a great wound if it do fall out , thogh not vnrecouerable in the child of god , who is subiect to such relapses . aquila . may there be true repentance without shedding of teares ? apollos . as teares may be shed , and yet repentance false , as in esau , heb : : so true repentance may bee with dry cheekes . wee reade of zacheus repentance , but nothing of his teares . also of the corinthians repentance , we reade cor. . and of their sorrow , and many good fruits : but amongst all the effects of repentance , the apostle saith not , what teares hath it wrought ? teares of repentance are precious things : 〈◊〉 koepeth a boule to put and keepe them in ; but they are verie rare things . his bottle is not full yet , though it hath bene filling euer since adam . aquila . wicked men and hypocrites may goe fat in repentance , greeue , & feare and humble themselues , and confesse , and fast , and weepe , and pray , and leaue many sinnes , and do many good things , as scripture witnesseth of iudas , achab , esau , felix , & others : what thing is there , whereby the repentance which is proper to gods children , may be seuered from that counterfelt in reprobates ? apollos . you haue alreadie heard me deliuer seuen peculiar effects of true repentance , which indeed hy-pocrites may counterfeit , but not expresse truly . but these three things ( amongst many ) are sure notes of heartie and vndoubted repentance . first , a setled distinct purpose of heart , out of a true hatred of sin , not to offend in any sinne , as neere as euer frailty will suffer . whereas in all euill men ( what shew soeuer they make ) there is not this purpose , but a full determination to liue in some knowne sinne , or a great security in their generall course . secondly , a true perswasion of heart 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 sinne done , that god will forgiue it through christ , when they aske pardon by him , with hope of gods goodnesse this is not in the repentance of 〈◊〉 . heereof it commeth to passe , that the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 hath of his repentance most excellent vse , euen to testifie to him the soundnesse of his faith , and to bee a witnesse of the forgiuenesse of his sinne , and of his incorporation into christ ; and finally , of his saluation by him : forso much as this true repentance can bee no where , where first there is not faith , and true reconciliation with god. thirdly , true repentance causeth vs to abhor and leaue our sinnes , because he whom wee know and belecue to be our father in christ , so extreamly hateth them , & hath so infinitly punished the in his own son. hypocrits leaue some sins , but it is for other respects . aquila . certainly this is a goodly encouragement to inuite and prouolie all men , without 〈◊〉 or dalliance , to fall to repentance , and to perseuer in the practise of it ; sithence our christianity is thereby approoued to vs , and we are thereby discerned from hypocrites and all euill men . apollos . it is so indeed : for what greater comfort in the world , then to rest assured of our 〈◊〉 , that it is vnfained : and that thereby we are in christ , and bee partakers of his merites into faluation ? and baing greatly 〈◊〉 vnto this assurance by our repentance , how ought wee to apply our selues to the practise of it ? howbeit there want not many other and weighty encoragements inciting vs to take this course . for first of all ( to giue you a little 〈◊〉 , in 〈◊〉 of 〈◊〉 more full draught ) consider of the sundry and excellent promises made in the word to repentant persons ; not onely touching things earthly and transitorie , for the remouing and freeing them from dangers , calamities and plagues ; as that he will not iudge them which iudge them selues , cor. , . that toward such as amend their wayes and workes , hee will repent him of the plague denounced , ier. , . that from such as turne and repent , he will turne his fierce wrath , and repent him of the euill that he hath said he wil do , ionah , , . to such as rent their hearts , and turne to him with all their heart , he will repent of the euill . yea , his promise runs not only for taking euil things from them , but for temporall good things to be giuen them , and that plentifully ; as that he will leaue a blessing behinde him , euen a meace offering , ioel , , . that he wil open the windowes of heauen , and poure out a blessing aboue measure , mal. , , . they shal be a pleasant land , and a blessed nation , verse , . that such as turne to the almighty , they shall be built vp , and lay vp gold as dust , iob , . and such as for sake their sinnes , and cease to do euill , and learne to 〈◊〉 well , should eate the good things of the land : with innumerable such promises of euill things to bee turned from such as turne to god , and good things to be cast vpon them euen in this life , not onely made , but performed . which if it should seeme but a light thing , because it concernet but temporall happinesse , yet it cannot be thought small , that god hath passed his worde and faith for euerlasting good things , such as belong to heauenly happinesse , to bee bestowed vpon persons truly repentant ; as that their sinnes , both guilt and punishment , should be blotted out at the day of refreshing ; act : . so 〈◊〉 , as that though their sinnes 〈◊〉 as 〈◊〉 , and of a 〈◊〉 die , yet they should be made white as wooll or snow esay y. . neither onely remission of sinnes , to escape from iniquity and death , but an entrance into 〈◊〉 life , duen saluation in heauen , 〈◊〉 from the lordsown mouth assured those that turne , that they shall 〈◊〉 die , but liue ; ezek . . yea , and that for 〈◊〉 for the repentance which springeth from godly sorrow , is to 〈◊〉 cor. . . 〈◊〉 sarrow 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 vnta soluation . so as it 〈◊〉 , that they which 〈◊〉 shall be saued ; as it is true , that except we repent , we shall all perish ; luke . . not for the merit of out worke of repentance done , but because repentance is a fruite of that faith , whereby 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 on 〈◊〉 vnto saluation . these promises shame not be end so 〈◊〉 made , but also were as faithfully kept toward repenting manasses , dauid , peter , the woman in the gospell , and infinite other . adde vnto all this , that euen the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 of god , when they lie in any known sinne without repentance , or liue securely , then they not onely lie open to temporary iudgements , and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 , but all that while their prayers , and all their 〈◊〉 of god is 〈◊〉 to god ; mat. . , . 〈◊〉 . . 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 of their saluation , the word and sacraments , become vnprofitable , and can doe them no good ; 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 . . all their actions are polluted and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 . so on the other 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 they 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to god and repent , they haue through faith an 〈◊〉 to god , who will heare their prayers , them 〈◊〉 accepted , their actions , and their labours 〈◊〉 , 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 . . finally , these things ought not a little to quicken vs to repentance and amendment of life , that there is a day appointed wherein all shall be iudged ; acts . . that repentance of a sinner doth glad heauen and earth , angels and men ; 〈◊〉 . . that by meanes thereof , our conscience is comforted , and finds peace ; offences of our brethren auoided , the church edified by our example , our profession beautified , sathan confounded , god glorified . aquila . i haue willingly heard you speake of encouragements to repentance , and i perceiue not a three-fold , but seauen-fold coard , both of wrath and loue , to enforce and allure vnto it : that euen as wee ought to esteeme present or future happinesse of body or soule , of name or estate , of our selues or our posterity , the good of others , or the glory of god ; and doe abhorre , and will auoide the contrary ; then the exercise of repentance ought to be deare vnto vs. but now sir i couet to heare , how you will direct one for the ouercomming of such hinderances as discourage and draw backe from repentance , which hath many lets , euen as our faith hath . apollos . good friend aquila , wherefore serue these former encouragements , but to strengthen you against discouragements , when ye meete them ? but because haply it is hard , rightly and duly to apply these encouragements when occasion is offered ; and it may be that there be some blockes and lets , that will not so easily be ouercome , without some more special helpe : i will endeuour what i may to helpe you here doe you recite the impediments of repentance , and you shall heare what shall be saide to them . aquila . i will doe so , and that euen as i haue felt them in my selfe , or 〈◊〉 them in others . and i find that they arise either from the quality of sinne , or from some circumstance in the sin done , or from some euill affection in the 〈◊〉 , or from respect of god , ormen , or from the nature of repentance , or from sathans suggestions . apollos . what discouragement ariseth from the quality of sinne ? aquila . the foulenesse of the offence takes away hope of recouery . apollos . there is but onely one foule offence that cannot be repented of , all others may . gods children can take no such fall but it may be repented of , and ought to be ; a great fall ought not to 〈◊〉 any man from rising againe . they which 〈◊〉 christ iesus , are called to repentance , and did repent ; acts . and what fouler sinne can the childe of god commit , then to kill the lord of glory ? i can tell you of such as haue done foule sinnes , and very 〈◊〉 and that of knowledge , after grace receiued ; which yet found place for repentance . for peraduenture you will say , that the iewes did their sinne ignorantly well , but adams foule sinne , the fountaine of all other sinnes , and the 〈◊〉 of his whole kinde most wofully 〈◊〉 by him , could not be done ignorantly , nor yet dauids , nor salomons , nor peters . for they knew the commandements . what is your 〈◊〉 in respect of god ? aquila . his exceeding 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 , and 〈◊〉 seuerity towards offendors , expressed euen in casting off many , which yet haue humbled 〈◊〉 , and turned ; as 〈◊〉 , 〈◊〉 , 〈◊〉 . apollos . nay , the mercifull and compassionate nature of god , as it is euery where excolled , and that highly ; esay . . psal , . . . rom. . . ioel . , . and otherwhere : so it is purposely mentioned by the holy ghost very often , to inuite and encourage sinners to repentance ; as in the forenamed places , his strict seuerity is extended to obstinate rebellious sinners , and to no other : not to such as turne and submit to him , and relent towards him . to such he is as the father in the gospell , to his lost relenting childe ; neither did he cast out any humbled repenting sinner , saue such as did it in dissimulation : and yet their temporizing repentance hath got them a temporary blessing , as to iehu and achah . but what be the affections in sinners themselues that vsually hinder their repentance ? aquila . first , loathnesse to forgoe the profit of their sinne ; as in vsurers , victualers , inkeepers , and other artificers : or the pleasure & sweetnesse of their sinne , as in drunkards , fornicators , wantons , play hunters , gamesters : or the credit and glory that comes of their sinnes , as proud gallants , ruffians , great swearers , swash-bucklers , and such like . apollos . touching such as are held backe by the commodity of their sinne , such a small thred should not haue such 〈◊〉 to keepe them from so necessary a duty , as concernes soules health . let such thinke what aduantage it will be vnto them , to get , though it were the whole world by their sinne , and in the end to lose themselues . will all the world serue to be a recompence of their soule ? but if their soule-danger will not moue , let them thinke that god can and will curse all that which is sinfully gotten ; and cause all that which is euill gotten , to be as a fire to consume all that which is well and iustly gained , either in their owne dayes , or else in the dayes of their children , who shall as euilly spend it , as they euilly got it ; lauishing it as wickedly , as they wickedly gathered it . the experience of all times prouing true that common saying , that of euill got goods , sildome enioyes the third heire . therefore , let men account a little with righteousnesse , better then much with iniquitie . better to bee poore and godly , then rich and a sinner . a little which a iust man hath , is better then aboundance with iniquity . for , gods blessing can make a little go farre , and do much , as his curse can quickly scatter , and bring a great deale to nothing , hag. , , . for such as are held from turning to god by the sweetnesse and pleasure of their sinne , such would bee aduised not to looke to the beginning of their sin , but to the end of it . that which is hony in the mouth , wil proue grauell , nay gall in the belly . that which pleaseth at first , at last will bite as a serpent or cockatrice , and cut as a two-edged sword , prou. , , , . & prou. , , . also prou. , : these texts would bee exprest . it will proue no wisedom to buy a momentany pleasure , with endlesse paine ; to exchange a short passing , and fleeting delight , with neuer-ending sorrow , anguish , and horror . remember what di●es had said to him : feare lest thou haue it saide to thy selfe , thou carnall sensuall man : in thy life time thou hadst thy pleasure , and now thou art tormented in this flame . so much as men haue had in pleasure , so much paine shall be giuen them . for such as stand vppon their reputation , as if it should fall , if they did fall to repentance ; let the know that as godlinesse is great gaine , so it is great credite . more true honour to be got by well doing in a weeke , then by sinne in a mans life time . for , whereas sinne drawes credit onely from persons of no worth or credit , and must therfore either vanish , or end in shame ; vertue and religion purchaseth estimation with the godly : and howsoeuer it meete with shame in the world , yet it hath an euerlasting honour in the life to come , euen a crowne of blessed immortality . lastly , let it be weighed , that true greatnesse is to be great in gods fauour , true worshippe is to be a true christian ; which is more honorable , then to be as the sonnes of nobles and princes . aquila . i obserue other hinderances growing from corrupt mindes of the offenders partly , & partly from sathans suggestions ; as a feare to be pointed at for singularity , and to haue nick-names heaped on them , if they should leaue their sinfull customes , or take vp any good duties , which draw contempt from the profane world . likewise , an vnwillingnesse to incurre the displeasure and dislike of their prophane worldly friends , to whom they are beholden . . some are also hindred by the euill life of professors , & . by the contemptible estate of such as truly repent , and feare god , . and not a few are let by the custome of time , which they are vnwilling to go against , and differ from , choosing to do as most do , because they would haue fewest to talke of them . apollos . aquila , a little hinderance is a great matter to the vnwilling , as the well-willing will ouercome great lets . these which you name are but feathers , or ( at most ) scar-crowes and bugges to make children affraid : one blast of gods mouth will disperse them , as the winde driueth chaffe before it . for reproch and nick-names the word teacheth , that it was the lot of prophets , apostles , yea of christ , to be scorned and mocked ; and pronounceth such blessed , as after their example shall endure to be reuiled for righteousnesse , math. . and much better it is to beare a temporary reproach in this world of the wicked for well-dooing , then to abide eternall contempt for sinne in the next life . . and as touching the other let , iudge how much rather one ought to suffer the displeasure of all worldly friends , then to liue out of gods fauour , as they doe which liue in sinne without repentance . and who wil not esteeme the loue and liking of one godly person , aboue the distast and mislike of an hundred worldlings ? howbeit , who knoweth but that by his repentance , he may gaine euen his enemies to be his friends , as for impenitencie , god vseth to make friends to become enemies ? . neither ought the meane estate of such as repent and loue god , keepe any from entring into the good way of obedience to gods will ; not onely because we are commanded to iudge righteously and in truth , not according to outward appearance ; and then we should perceiue , that such as are basely esteemed in the world , are glorious before god in his sight ; but also , because they are pronounced blessed , which are not offended in christ , that is , which stumble not at the meannesse of christ , or his little flocke his poore followers . for as they are affirmed to persecute christ , which persecute his members , and to feede and cloath christ , which do these things to his members ; so the being offended with the pouerty and simplicity of his members , is to be offended with christ. they which now refraine to embrace sincerely the trueth , because of the fewnesse or small regard of such as bee his true followers ; if christ himselfe were amongst vs , the homelinesse of his person and state would offend them , and turne them from receiuing his doctrine . lastly , least of all is any to be held from the way of repentance , through the euil customes of the time ; which being euil are therefore to be forsaken , though they be customes . customes howsoeuer old , yet seuered from truth and vprightnesse , are but old errors . neither are we to liue by customes , but by the statutes and commandements of god ; not to follow multitudes , but to choose rather to thinke and do well with a few good , then to erre and do naughtily with manie which be euil . better it were for vs to walk in the good way of repentance though it be narrow , and they but a few which finde and vse it , because at last it leadeth to life ; then to go in the way of security & sin , though it be broad , and many treade in it , because in fine , it brings to destruction . and what matters it to vs , how professors doe liue , or our teachers or fore-fathers , saue onely that wee are to greeue if they liue not wel , to pity them , to pray for them , to helpe as we may to reclaime them . but in no wise to take their life as a rule , or to take an offence from their walking . for christ is to be imitated , and not men ; namely , in that wherein they leaue and goe from christ , cor. , . and there is a woe aswel to such as take an offence , as to them which giue : for woe is to the world because of offences . and we are commanded not to doe as teachers doe , when they teach wel , and doe ill . haue ye any more hinderances of repentance yet behind vnnamed ? aquila . the hardnesse and painefulnesse of repentance discourageth especially our slothfull natures , who are loath to abide such trauaile , as wee must put our selues to , if we will turne from our sinnes . apollos . indeed ( as i touched afore ) the gate of repentance is streight , it is a narrow way , it will paine vs and pinch vs to walke in it ; but the benefit will quit the labour : it will take vp much time and trauaile to leaue sinne . see how much adoe , and what a while it is ere we can leaue but one sinne especially if it be a sinne of nature , to which we are more addicted ; or of our trade , by which we sucke some aduantage ; or of the time , wherein there be many to beare vs company . i say then , to leaue so many sinnes , and to liue well , to doe so many duties , will craue both space and sweate : but the fruite will requite the charge . the haruest of repentance is eternall life ; cor. . , . as the croppe of sinne is eternall death . consider also though it be painfull to leaue sin , and to exercise repentance , yet it is surely as painefull to exercise sinne . i dare boldly affirme it , to liue in sinne , is as painefull ( if not more painefull ) then to liue well . sinners doe not fulfill their lusts with such ease ; example in the drunkard , theese , epicure , gamester , couetous , proud , ambitious , which take great paines , put themselues to great hazard , watch whole nights , and labour whole dayes for compassing and enioying their vnlawfull desires ; so as all ends put together , to practise sinne , is as hard as to practise righteousnesse : which hath the sweete peace of conscience , liberty of minde , and ioy of heart , to mittigate much the pain and labour which is endured about it . but most sure i am of this , that to repent and liue well , according to gods will , is nothing so painefull as to liue in hell fire ; whatsoeuer the paine or perill of well doing is , it is not matchable with hell paine . therefore let our sluggish nature be rowsed , and enured vnto diligence in seeking after the kingdome of heauen : better here to endure the burthen and paine which doth accompany godlinesse , how great soeuer it be , then to endure the paine of our sinnes for euer in that lake which burneth with fire and brimstone . it will also helpe vs against this temptation of our slothfulnesse , to call to minde not onely , that ease slayeth the foolish ; but what hurt it doth in the meane time to the godly which doe yeeld to it . how did the church lament and smart ; cantic . . . because shee would not rise in the night and put on her cloathes , and wet her foote a little to open the doore to christ ? i say , how did the church there sinart for this her sloth ? shee was for a time punished with the absence of her husband christ , more bitter then death to her ; also with astonishment and dulnesse of heart for her sinne : and lastly , with the cruelty of euill pastors which fell vpon her , and beate her , and ill entreated her . aquila . but such as haue long serued and followed any sinne , are moued to feare lest it be too late to beginne ; they thinke they haue lost their tyde , and it booteth not now to thinke of altering their course : better to keepe them where they be , rather then for to stirre and striue , and bee neuer the better . apollos . indeed the long 〈◊〉 in the seruice of any sinne , maketh repentance more difficult , but not desperate and impossible . as one that is farre gone out of his way , or hath suffered a wound or a sicknesse , to goe on long without looking to it , makes their returne and recouery more hard , but takes not away all hope : right so the long abiding in any sinne , it doth craue great care to repent and amend it . but as they which haue foreslowed their fields or gardens , and suffer them to be ouergrowne with weeds , or which haue neglected their time in the beginning of a day , so as they haue more worke on their hand when night approacheth ; they vse to recompence their former carelesnesse with encrease of paines : so christians which haue spent too much time in following their affections , and walking after the course of this world , all they haue to doe , it is to redeeme the time ; and then doing their best endeauour , doubling their care and paines , because their sinnes are many & strong , and their time but short which is behind : yet this is their comfort , that iesus christ can as easily change an heart that hath long accustomed it selfe to doe euill , as another heart which is not yet hardened by the custome of sin ; this is a sure truth that hee will helpe the well willing minde . therefore let not care of repentance be cast off , but be so much the greater , as the neede is more ; and then our good lord will himselfe doe the rest . get first the mastery of one sinne , and then of another , and so of a third ; and thus setting vpon them one after another , the victory will be more easie : for as sinne groweth weaker , so the sinner will grow in strength . an old man cannot become young againe , but an old sinner may proue a new man by christs grace , and his owne labour . lastly , they are deceiued in thinking they can keepe where they are ; for the sinner that growes not better , must needs waxe worse : he that goes not forward , goes backward , no man stands at a stay . aquila . i heard you say , that there were some sinnes which being publike , require a publike repentance ; this i tell you many good minds sticke at , and thinke it too great a shame , and so are kept from doing it : hoping that vpon their priuate sorrow and confession , god will for christ his sonne pardon them . apollos . indeed aquila , now ye touch a boyle , ye rub the sore ; there be honest minds not well enformed which cannot brooke this , though it concerne not themselues . they take it to be too seuere a discipline ; one matter is , they liue not vnder such a strict discipline ; it would seeme nothing if they liued in a place where such things vse to be done . if theeues were not accustomed to die for their theft , it would bee thought too rigorous to bring in such a penalty . againe , they doe not well consider the equity of this discipline ; for as a publike fault would haue a publike rebuke , so it would haue a publike repentance : a priuate repentance and submission , is too narrow a playster for so broad a wound as an open scandall . where many are offended with a crime commonly knowne , the wound being great , it had need of an answerable salue , that humiliation and satisfaction be giuen and made to many . if christ haue commanded that for a priuate offence , one shall goe to his brother , and say ; forgiue me , it repents me : shall we not thinke it meet that where a publike offence is giuen to a whole congregation , there the like ought to be done ? shall one brother offended be respected , and shall the whole fellowshippe and society of brethren be despised ? if one hurt but one member , he is bound to make mee amends , how much more if hee hurt my whole body ? againe , it is best for the offending person thus to doe ; for by his readinessc 〈◊〉 vndergoe a publike infamy , taking vpon him the reproach of his sinne willingly , hee shall declare his repentance to be true and sound ; and so not onely be receiued more gladly into fauour of men , vppon such good proof of his conuersation , but also purchase more peace to his owne conscience with god : which assuredly can neuer enioy comfortable rest , till he obey this ordinance of christ , in satisfying whom he hath offended . further , by this example of his submission , he shall doe others good ; both by striking into them terrour , not to deserue by their sinne to come vnto a publike abasing themselues before many ; and to giue encouragement by their example of such their repentance , vnto such as shall in like manner offend by publike crime . moreouer , it will stop the mouthes of the aduerfaries of gods truth , when they shal perceiue sinne not to be borne withall in any of the children of the church . and finally , great glory shall hereby redound vnto god , when his truth and mercies in forgiuenesse of great sinnes , shall be openly acknowledged , and obedience yeelded vnto his owne appointment . by these , and the like considerations , no doubt euen the holy man , and princely prophet dauid , hauing giuen a generall scandall in his sinne with bathsheba , yet was made to forget his owne priuate reputation , and his royall dignity , and to beare the publike shame of his sinne , setting himselfe by that . psalme as it were vpon a stage , that god might haue glory , and his church edified by such an example . which also induced salomon his sonne in like manner , after his greeuous fall and generall scandall , to publish his repentance to the church , in his booke ecclesiastes : and it is not to be doubted of the church of corinth ; as their sinne in bearing with the incestuous person was open , so both his and their repentance was open , and made known . we see the apostle to blaze out , and proclaime their repentance for their offence , that all men might take notice of their sorrow , as their sinne was too much knowne ; which in truth ( if things be rightly weighed ) is rather the sinners honour , then his shame : it being a shame to sinne , but none to repent , and to be knowne so to doe ; which rather wipeth out their shame both before god and men , and restoreth the former estimation vnto them . it were a foule deserued shame indeed , to be knowne to haue done a sinne , and not to be knowne to haue repented of that sinne ; this would argue an obstinate , carelesse , desperate , impenitent person . i pray you who doth the lesse , nay , who doth not now more honourably thinke of king dauid , in that he ( such a person ) would submit himselfe to such a discipline voluntarily , hauing no authority aboue him in earth to enioyne it to him ? it is his renowne to this day , and wil be to the worlds ende . and finally , where you say , they may repent priuately , and hope for pardon ; this is all i say , i doe more then doubt it : i would be loath to loose that sinner by pronouncing forgiuenes of his sins , who being made to know thus much of his duty vnto god , and the church , and his owne soule ; yet should refuse to doe it , hoping that god would be good to him , if hee doe in secret repent . might not dauid and salomon haue thought so , and others also , who haue done as they did ? nay , friend aquila , then may a sinner looke for gods fauour , when hee readily and dutifully walkes in gods way ; and gods way is publike repentance for publike scandals , when he feeles his heart so affected toward god for the doing his will , and setting forth his honour , as that in regard thereof he doth little or nothing recount of his owne credite ; this is a good token that all is pardoned him . but haue you any further matters to say , friend aquila , as touching this purpose ? aquila . none , but that i am much bound to you , for enduring me with such patience , to obiect what i thought . were it not that the time is so farre spent already , i would request you that wee might passe forward to the fruites of repentance , to deliuer the doctrine of good workes . of good workes , the fruites of repentance . apollos . now friend aquila , we thought that we had spent much time in our last conference , and so as we needed not to looke back to our worke : but i haue thought of something since our parting , which will enforce vs to doe as trauellers , who hauing lost , or let something fall , are wont to goe backe againe , and take it vp , and carry it along with them . thus must we be faine to do ; for we haue left something behind vs worthy the looking backe for , and the taking vp , that we may carry it along with vs. and if you would know what it is , i meane it of one peculiar note and marke , whereby to distinguish that true repentance , which floweth from sanctification , and is proper to the regenerate child of god , from that which many vnregenerate persons may by a common restraining grace attaine vnto . aquila . what may that be ? i pray you certifie me of it in particular . there be very many who will be glad with me to vnderstand it . apollos . this it is . that as the elect in their sanctification haue , thogh not a perfect , yet a generall change and reformation in mind and reason , will and affection , body and actions ; in all these they are somewhat , and that truly altered by grace of new birth , though vnperfectly : so in the practise of this grace , the regenerate man repenteth him not for one , two , or a few ; but of his whole corruption , and of all euill fruits of his naturall corruption . albeit he cannot vtterly be without sinne in this life , no more then he can be without a soule and body ; yet he doth not willingly nor wittingly foster nor harbour any sinne whatsoeuer , but is equally an enemy to all and euery sinne , though with vnequall successe ; labouring daily and nightly the forsaking and shaking off of all their sinnes , in a true loathing of them : for the godly repentant persons haue learned of saint iames , that to be guilty of one , maketh a man guilty of all ; it being the same god that commanded all , who commanded one : so that his authority is 〈◊〉 in one , as in all . and from the wise man they haue receiued , that as one dead flie marreth a whole boxe of oyntment ; so a little follie him who is in estimation for wisedome : ecclesiastes . . also in the example of that godly man , king dauid , they see this duty as in a glasse : for he witnesseth of himselfe , that he hateth whatsoeuer , his owne wickednesse ; psalme . . and surely it cannot be that any man should truly repent of other sins , though he leaue the practise of them , if he doe loue and keepe any one knowne sinne ; neither he that hateth any sinne , can be thought other , but that he hath repented of all : for hee hauing power in his sanctification against all , doth therefore bend himselfe against all ; and hating one sinne , in as much as therein is the displeasure and offence of his heauenly father , vpon this ground will hate and greeue for euery sinne , with endeuour against it : but whosoeuer retaineth a liking in his heart to any sinne , with a purpose ( though he know of it to be a sin ; and his conscience checke him for it ) to continue in it , can indeed hate no sinne at all ; though he leane the outward act of many sinnes , as herod , as simon magus , as iudas did for worldly fame , or feare of hell punishment denounced by the word . true it is , that euen regenerate ones , who haue shaken off their sinnes , haue haply some sinne or sinnes hanging about them , as burres or lime , which yet they would not haue so ; and they beare them not onely with checke of conscience , and mislike in iudgement ( for so the wicked ones may doe ) but with vnfeined sorrow of heart , greeued according to god , that they should be so yoked and entangled with the remnants of their corruption ; and they striue vnder hope , more and more to ouercome those lingering vices ; as they haue conquered their fellowes and expericuce hath taught , that there is not any of gods children , but as they haue corruption left in them , euen after new birth for such purposes ( as god would ) to humble them , to exercise and stirre vp the gift of prayer , to make them watchfull , to declare his owne grace in forgiuing , and might in vpholding , and for other such like ends : so in the whole host and army of their remaining sinnes , there is some more rebellious and mutinous then the rest , a predominant corruption , wherewith they are faine to wrestle hard , mightily , and long , ere they can put it downe . euery man hath one or other outward enemy more tedious then the rest sent to vexe him , and to humble him ; likewise there is some one inward sinful affection , that doth longer and more greeuously trouble them then all the rest doe : but a regenerate man will be at no league , nor take any truce with it ; he stands at defiance , euen as i srael did with the amalekites , whom they were to prosecute , to the rooting of them out , and did so . right so doth euery repentant person prosecute all his vicious lusts ( especially his most dangerous lusts ) vnto the rooting them out : for he wel knoweth , that it were in a manner as good to keepe all sinnes , as to hold one vnrepented of ; one being sufficient for sathan to ensnare vs by it . yet one will not be one , and alone ; but as one theese within the house , makes way for all the rest to follow after : so one sinne cherished , will open a window for others to come in . to conclude , if the heart be false in one sinne , it wil be false in more , as occasion is offered , and as temptations doe prouoke ; and when the heart is framed to vprightnesse and truth by the spirit of sanctification , though it do not alike preuaile against euery sinne , yet it doth vnfeinedly detest and resist one sinne , as well as another . againe , the like is to be saide for the doing of good , that the regenerate , though he cannot absolutely keep the law , to fulfil it in the strictnesse thereof , by doing all that good that is commanded there , and that vnto the end , and in all perfection of loue ; nay , there be sundry good duties and workes , which our regenerate man through ignorance cannot so much as attaine to the knowledge of , ( so large and broade be the commandements , and so narrow and dull is our capacity ) : yet as he is sanctified throughout , hauing all his powers of spirit , soule and body , well and aptly disposed by grace to doe good ; so he endeauoureth to know better euery day what his worke is which is prescribed him to doe , and also to performe it in euery part , so farre as it is knowne , with such perfection as he can ; doing his worke in truth and vprightnesse , though with wants and weaknesse : so as he balkes no duties . he will not play the pope , to giue himselfe dispensation for any good worke which he is bound to doe , doe it neuer so much goe against his stomacke , and contrary his corrupt iudgement and affection , his profit or delight : yet his heart standeth with the law ; rom. . . and with that hee will take part euen against his owne lusts , repenting him earnestly of his failings in duty , whether it come of ignorance or infirmity , being still more desirous to come neerer and neerer to god in true righteousnesse . hence it is , that the godly are saide in scripture , to walke in all the wayes of god , as 〈◊〉 , kings . . to haue kept the statutes and testimonies of god ; as dauid , psal. . to haue walked in all the commandements of god without reproofe ; as zachariah and elizabeth , luke . , , . to haue pleased god in all things ; as the 〈◊〉 , 〈◊〉 . . . to haue walked perfectly , as ezekiah ; because howsoeuer they could not for measure and manner doe all in an absolute fulnesse : so as there should be no fault , yet for desire , care and endeauour , they stroue to doe all which they could know , and their heart was vpright in one duty as well as in another , and so performed a perfection of parts ( as the schoolemen speake . ) it being quite otherwise with the vnregenerate man , who as he still will cherish some sinne , so he doth omit some duty & good work knowne to be his duty , and as necessary as any which he doth ; either because it thwarteth his carnall liking and fancy , or pincheth him in his gaine , or some other thing which is deare to him . herod will doe many things at iohns preaching , and iehu is zealous in many things for the lord ; simon magus will conforme himselfe to the word in sundry duties , but their practise hated ; it is a maimed practise . there were some good workes which they would not be brought to doe , as there were some sinfull affections which they could not be made to put off : for their heart was not right before god ; acts . they were not seasoned with his true feare : therefore their repentance was counterfeit , in action rather then in affection , in shew , not in verity . aquila . sir , this was well remembred . it is indeede a maine matter , and it is also a certaine truth , that the childe of god being in the worke of his sanctification nenewed , though not perfectly , yet throughout in euery faculty of his soule ; bearing now the image of god his father , not in part , but in whole carrying his resemblance , in righteousnesse and holinesse , and his heart framed vnto sincerity : therefore he is renewed not to an halfe obedience , but to all obedience ; that is , in all duties which pertaine to him : so as his will and purpose of heart , is ( so farre as measure of grace will allow and enable him ) with readinesse to doe whatsoeuer the lord shall say vnto him , either for leauing euill vndone , or for doing that which is good . that which was dauids resolution and care , to haue respect to all the commandements of god ; psal. . : it is ( though not in such degree of grace ) the care and affection of euery repentant person , to keepe couenant with no sinne , but to disclaime and depart from all ; to omit willingly no good worke , but to honour god by an vniuersall subiection to the law , so farre as concernes them in euery good worke ; submitting themselues to the mercy of god in christ , for forgiuenesse of that wherein they slip , caking afterward better heede to their wayes . but now sir , may it please you ( this being recouered which wee had in a manner lost ) that we proceed in our purpose : and tell me , is it of necessity that true repentance be accompanied with good workes of all sorts ? apollos . after the doctrine of repentance , ye doe in very good time moue me for the doctrine of good workes , which follow repentance , as the shadow doth the body , and flow from it as a riuer from the fountaine , or as fruite springeth from the tree . repentance lying hid in the heart as the iuyce or sappe in the roote of the tree , vttereth it selfe by good workes , as by meet and conuenient fruites . this is it which we may marke in the scripture , how the holy ghost hath matched repentance and good works together ; shewing that they should repent , and doe workes worthy of repentance ; acts . . againe , repent , and doe the first workes ; reuel . . . also , bring therefore fruits worthy of repentance ; mathew . . where it is to be noted , that a good worke , is called a fruite ; not onely to shew how god accepteth them , euen as a pleasant fruite is accepted of him that dresseth a vineyard , or an orchard ; but in respect as they come from repentance , as a fruite from a tree . and whereas he calleth it a fruite worthy of repentance , he meaneth such workes as be meet for such persons to doe , as haue repented . consider also , that it cannot be , that a man inwardly should loue that which is righteous , and hate iniquity in his soule ; but hee must needs outwardly expresse it , as occasion and meanes be offered : so as that repentance may be worthily suspected to be false , where good workes doe not follow ; there is no true change in the heart , where there is none seene in the life . if we search the scriptures , we cannot find any who haue repented in truth ; but they haue beene afterwards carefull to doe good workes . to omit other examples , whereof scripture affoords vs store , take one or two in stead of all . zacheus repented , and his repentance was fruitfull , witnessing it selfe by good workes , both by retribution of goods euilly gotten , and by distributing of well gotten goods ; also , by a cheerefull entertainment of christ. the conuerted theefe , as little space as he had after his conuersion , yet how many wayes did his repentance declare it selfe ? namely , by the reproofe and admonition of his fellow , by admirable patience , by godly prayer , by iustifying and defending christ his innocency , when he was condemned of all the iewes , and doing it before them euen to their faces ; also by confessing his glory in their hearing , and his owne sinne and shame against himselfe . and as it is in the first repentance , when a sinner is newly conuerted ; so also it fareth with renewed repentance , which vttereth it selfe by the fruite of good workes ; as is manifest in the repentance of dauid after his fall with bathsheba , which brought forth diuers good workes ; as instruction of the church , praise of god , both priuate and publike ; confession of his sinnes , euen to the cracking and weakning of his priuate estimation and royall dignity . so in peters repentance , the like is to be seen , as his teares , his confirmation of others , and infinite good deedes more , testifying the truth of his repentance . aquila . this certainely is so ; therefore by good workes or amendment of life , we are to iudge of repentance ( as of a tree by the fruit : ) the repentance is dead which is without amendment , euen as faith is dead which is without good workes . but now i would haue you tell me , which workes wee shall call good workes , and what things are necessarily required to a worke , that it may be reckoned a good worke ? apollos . for your first question , what a good worke is ; i say , it is euery duty which concerneth god or men , others or our selues ; whether it bee performed in thought , word , or deed ; either in our generall calling , as we are christians , or particularly in our vocations which wee haue in family , common-wealth , or church . thus the worke of the ministery in teaching , reprouing , conuincing , instructing , though it be done in words ; yet it is called a good worke : tim. . . being made perfect to all good workes . the 〈◊〉 of the oyntment on christs head ; mat. . is there called a good worke : shee hath done a good worke vpon me . abrahams offering of isaac ; is of iames called , a good worke ; iames . . and not to be long in this plaine matter , the scripture saying ; that we must be iudged by our workes ; rom. . . and in eccles. . salomon doth affirme , that euery secret thing shall come to iudgement . and christ saith , that an account shall be giuen of euery idle word ; mat. . . it is by this apparent , that as secret thoughts and words , if they be euill , are to be numbred amongst bad workes ; so thoughts and words being good , are to be esteemed for good workes ; especially the scripture in so many places so largely vsing this phrase of good workes for all fruites of repentance , as we haue seene before : therefore they doe erre which thinke workes of mercy to be the onely good workes required at our hands . now to your second question ; what is required to a worke , that it may be held for a good worke ? there must goe these three things . first , the matter and substance . secondly , the person must be good . thirdly , the end ; all these must be good . a good worke for the stuffe , substance , and matter , must be commanded in the word of god : for besides that , wee are willed to doe that onely which god commanded , and not to turne therefrom to the right hand or to the left . and wee reade also in the word , that of all things done without warrant of his word ( as thereby to please and serue him ) he will say ; who required these things at your hands ? sound reason may tell vs , that nothing is to be held for a good worke , saue that which god willeth to be done ; because his will onely is the rule of all righteousnesse : so as a worke is then righteous and good , when it is agreeable to his reuealed will ; and when it swarueth therefrom it is euill . the will of god being ( i say ) as the leuell , lime , or rule , to direct our actions , which are straight or crooked , as they come neerer or goe farther from that line . moreouer , the seruice of god standing in this , that we doe such good workes , by which he is serued and worshipped of vs ; and he liking of no seruice saue that which is done according to his owne will : therefore they cannot be esteemed for good workes , which hee willeth not to be done in his word . in vatne doe they serue and worship me ( saith the lord by his prophet ) teaching my feare by the precepts of men ; esay . . which reproueth , first of all some ignorant christians , who hearing of good workes to be done , cannot stretch their thoughts beyond workes of mercy , commonly called , almes deeds , as if these onely were meant by good workes ; or not beyond externall acts , which incurre into our senses . moreouer , they offend , which imagine that all they doe vpon a good intent and meaning , should straight way haue allowance before god for a good worke ; whereas in truth no intent is worthy to be held for a good intent , ( whatsoeuer seemeth to vs ) saue that which is according to gods will. not what we deeme to be good , is therefore by and by good , for that it appeares so to vs ; but what god will approue for good , that indeed must stand for good : not ours , but his will , being the met-yard of goodnesse . how many might we call to mind , who haue thought to doe some good thing , and yet haue beene refused of god , because they consulted not with his word , to square their meaning thereafter ? consider of vzza putting his hand to stay the arke , of peter counselling christ not to goe to ierusalem to suffer ; and going with iohn his fellow apostle into the high priests house : all being done of good intention , & yet we know how ill it was taken of god , & might haue proued their eternall ruine . finally , the 〈◊〉 are also to be taxed , who haue deuised a number of workes wherein they busie themselues ; which we may call will workes , or done out of the election of their owne will , and not by prescript of gods word : the greatest part of their workes being such , whereby yet they think not onely highly to please god , but to merit somewhat at his hands . they faile in this first part of a good worke , they doe not bring the stuffe and substance whereof a good worke is made : which must be ( as we haue saide ) something commanded of god in his law , not deuised of men in their owne braine ; for whatsoeuer man deuiseth therewith to please god , it is abominable in deed , be it neuer so goodly in shew ; luke , . aquila . what be the second and third conditions of a good worke ? apollos . as it is required that the thing to be done , or matter of the worke be good , being approued of god ; so the next thing is , that the man be good which doth the worke , the goodnesse of the worker : and the third thing is , that the end be good for which it is done . first ( saith our sauiour ) make the tree good , and then the fruite will be good : for a good tree cannot bring forth euill fruite ; mat. . . it is not the good worke that makes the person good , as the fruite makes not the that makes the person good , as the fruite makes not the tree good ; nor the riuer makes not the fountaine sweete : but the person being first good , that which he doth according to gods will , becomes good . and as it is amongst men , that we cannot like a gift , when wee brooke not the giuer ; so it is with god : hee neuer accepts any thing that is done , how good soeuer in the nature of the thing done , except the doer be first accepted . now that which maketh the doer good , it is his faith in christ , whereby hee is purged from all his iniquities , and hath the righteousnesse of christ accounted to him , to make him righteous in the sight of god. hence it is , that no worke of ours can please god , vnlesse it come from faith . hence also it is , that the works which wee doe , borrow all their commendations euen from hence ; that they are the children of faith , begotten and brought forth by it : see hebrewes . throughout . from hence it was , that caine and abel offering each sacrifice vnto god , caines sacrifice was reiected , and abels receiued and pronounced to be better then caines , because it was offered in faith . abraham offering his sonne ( though the work were strange & exceeding wondrous ) yet it had had no grace nor respect with god , except it had come from faith . what shall i say more ? a poore kitchen-maid , an hostler , a chimney-sweeper , or any other , how base soeuer their trade be , being a lawfull vocation ; if he doe his worke out of a true faith in god through christ , and out of obedience of gods will , his worke is more glorious and pleasing in gods sight , then the best and most goodly worke of a king , or of a preacher , being not faithfully and obediently performed . whereof it is written , that many things which are great & glorious amongst men , are abominable before god : for if faith 〈◊〉 vs not a worke to doe our workes , let them be how bright or glittering soeuer for shew and appearance to men , yea , and very profitable for fruite toward men ; yet they are no better then beautifull sinnes . so the holy ghost teacheth , that what is done without faith , it is sinne ; rom. . . and that without faith , it is impossible to please god ; heb. . . now wee are here to consider , that faith in euery good worke , doth set it selfe a worke three manner of wayes . or thus ( if ye will ) the act of faith in a good worke , it is threefold . the first is to enable vs to know , that the thing which we doe , it is such as god alloweth of , being commanded of him . the perswasion hereof , it is called faith ; rom. . , . he that doubteth , sinneth if he eate , because he eateth not of faith : that is , out of a perswasion and certainty that he doth well . the second act of faith it is to assure the minde , that this worke which wee are resolued of , to be in it selfe lawfull to be done ; it is such as god will accept through christ , pardoning the spots and imperfections of it freely for his merit : for all out workes hauing their staines and defects ( as wee haue touched in our treatise of vnperfect sanctification , and shall hereafter declare ) it is of necessity that there be an application of christs merits to our workes , for the cleansing of them ; that so they may please god. this is done by faith , whereby the heart is assured , that god , who hath graciously loued vs in his beloued , will also vouchsafe for his sake , to be pleased with that wee doe after his will. thirdly and lastly , there is another worke of faith , and that is it which saint paul speaketh of ; galat. . . faith worketh by loue : for it quickeneth and stirreth the heart to the loue of god and man , in our good workes which we doe , to be led not by selfe-loue and carnal respects , but by this charity and louing affection of our good god , and of our neighbour ; which is a thing very necessary in euery good thing which we doe , that all be done in loue . this being the end of the commandement , euen loue out of a pure heart , and faith vnfeined ; tim. . . now whosoeuer truly beleeueth in christ iesus , that through him hee is reconciled vnto god , and hath his offences forgiuen him : this faith will moue him to loue that god againe sincerely , and his neighbour for gods sake , who commanded it to be so , and hath put his image in him , and vpon him ; that all our workes comming out of this sound loue to god and our brethren , wee may abandon all by 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 pleasing or profiting our selues , or of our owne praise , or of shame , or feare , or whatsoeuer it is that preuaileth with hypocrites ; and end eauour to referre all wee doe to gods glory , and the welfare of our neighbour . this is a third maine condition in euery good worke , that the end and marke whereat the doer aimeth , be good and right : the badnesse of the end marres the goodnesse of the action . he that takes a good thing in hand , and propounds a wrong scope , he is like to one who hath a good bow and arrowes to shoote withall , but looketh from the marke when he shooteth , such an one shall neuer shoote well . here is the priuiledge of faithfull persons , that by the spirit of god they are carried in their willes and affections to desire and seeke in all that they doe , gods glory , and the edification of their brethren , euen in truth and singlenesse of heart , and not in profession onely , as hypocrites who will talke much of glorifying god , when their eye is neuer bent to this marke , but rather is cast-vpon their owne glory ; which ( as the hearbe colloquintida ) marreth euery worke that is spiced with it : but the child of god hauing learned , that all his workes must come from god , as the authour , and looke vnto god as their end ( like as the riuers which come originally out of the sea , and returne thither again . ) therefore as he desireth to please his neighbour in that which is good for his edifying , minding this still in all such things as doe concerne his brethren , how hee may better and helpe them either to god-ward , or some other wise : so he desireth that by his obedience & good workes which he doth euen in the least of them , in his eating and drinking , and in his honest recreations , and not onely in the serious businesse of his calling and seruice of god ; but in euery thing which he doth , he may doe them to gods glory ; that others vppon sight and knowledge of his carriage in his duties , may be occasioned , if they be conuerted , to acknowledge gods worke in him , to the glory of god : if not , that then by his example they may be won & drawne to godlinesse , and so to glorifie god in the day of their visitation . finally , in the doing of a good worke , besides all the former conditions , it is needfull that the meanes be good , when meanes are needfull . men may not imagine , that if the thing be good they doe , then it is lawfull and free to vse what meanes they list good or bad , without choyse . good things must be compassed by good meanes . good hath no neede of euill to helpe it . and the apostles rule is sound , that euill is not to be done , that good may come of it ; rom. . : no , not the least euill , to procure the greatest good . it was 〈◊〉 sinne , that shee would draw the promised blessing vppon iacob , by a deceit . and dauids sinne , that he would counterfeit himselfe an idcot , or franticke man , against the dignity of his person , to deliuer himselfe from the philistines . also , it was lots infirmity , to seeke to deliuer the men which came vnto him , by prostituting his daughters to the sodomites lust . a good action is spoyled by wicked meanes , as well as by a bad ende . howsoeuer , god at his pleasure may so order the successe of such actions , as it shall proue good ; yet the party must be more humbled for the sinne , doing amisse , then lifted vp with the happy issue of the deede . moreouer , it would not be forgotten , that in doing good duties , a great care is to be had of circumstances , as time , place , persons , and such like . wherein great wisedome is required , to be able to discerne of these , how to doe good things meetely and fitly according to time , and other circumstances : for the missing or failing but in a circumstance , through lacke of discretion and good insight , or fore-sight rather , hath caused many good workes to miscarry , and haue full heauy successe . of all this it followeth , that no euill man can do a good work ; if the tree be euill , the fruite will be euill ; mal. . and that good men neede wonderfull care and circumspection , as also feruent prayer for great aide from god , to be enabled to doe such things , as shall be good when they are done : but here withall let it be obserued , that when they haue done all , and brought with them all the conditions of a good worke , yet their worke will still haue both wants and blemishes . as cleere water that passeth thorow a muddy chanell , or pure liquour put into a musty caske , takes corruption from them : so our workes as they passe through our vnderstanding , and will , which are not renewed but in part , and are partly flesh ; therefore draw filth and vncleannesse from our inbred corruption , to the defiling of them ; yea , and iustly deseruing that they should be refused , and we also the doers : as certainly they would be , if with the eye of rigorous and exact iustice god should behold them . whence it is , that no godly man can be iustified by his workes : for the workes of the law doe make vs righteous before god , when they are fully performed without any the least default ; for then euen by the compact of gods owne mouth , saying , doe this , and liue ; gal. . there belongs vnto them ( as a debt ) eternall life . but sithence none euer kept the law thus since mans fall , saue christ ; therefore righteousnes is not to be sought by the law : which rather reuealeth our vnrighteousnesse , and gods wrath against the same . and as it is impossible the law should iustifie vs , because of the infirmity which is in vs , whereby we are hindered from answering the strictnesse of it : so we neede not fetch righteousnesse from the law , because we haue it by grace , imputing freely to the beleeuers the doings and sufferings of christ for our perfect iustice with god ; besides , our good workes following our iustification , as fruites & effects , they cannot goe before as causes of it . wherfore all christians are to be admonished , to lay aside all opinion of their owne righteousnesse , as not thinking euer to obtaine life from god by their good doings , be they neuer so many or worthy , when as one sinne alone spoyles all the righteousnesse of our workes ; euen as one droppe of inke doth spoyle a whole goblet of wine . and hauing vtterly renounced all affiance in our works , to put no manner of confidence in them for saluation ; let them striue to catch fast hold vpon that righteousnesse of christ , which alone hath power to merit eternall glory , to euery one that beleeueth in the name of christ , that abandoning the righteousnesse which is by the law ; wee may be found in christ , hauing bis righteousnesse , which is by faith ; rom. . . aquila . but sir , if it be so , that such 〈◊〉 doe sticke to out best workes , as you say , that they cannot 〈◊〉 vs , and merite ought at gods hand , vnlesse it 〈◊〉 eternall death : how commeth it that god is so much pleased with them , as to liken them to a fruite , and to an odour of sweet smell , and to sacrifice and sweet 〈◊〉 ? and many other such comparisons there bee in holy scripture , which declare the workes of godly christians to be highly pleasing to god. and withall seeing we cannot ( if we had a world of good workes ) by them all obtain & purchase forgiuenes of one sin , or the possession of heauenly ioy , no not so long as for one hour ; to what purpose then are we so to labour in the doing of them , as we are often commanded to doe , with very great charge of great care to be shewed & vsed in the working of them , and there to come no good of them towards our saluation , it should seeme it is labour lost ? apollos . though there be in the most perfect worke of any child of god here vpon earth , so much fault , both through the want that is in it , and the blot that sticketh to it , ( selfe loue , pride , hypocrisie , and other corruptions being blended and mixt with it ) as that god might worthily cast the doer into hell , if mercy set apart , he should iudge it extremely ; and therefore iust cause of being deeply humbled , is ministred to euery godly man for his choysest actions , euen for them to entreate the lord not to enter into iudgement with him , marking narrowly that which is amisse : yet the good workes of the faithful , euen the very least of them are very pleasing and acceptable to god , as the word euery where beareth good witnesse ; both in particular of some of his childrens workes , as that of 〈◊〉 ; 〈◊〉 . . god had respect to abel and to his offering ; and noahs sacrifice , that god smelt a sauour of rest ; gen. . . of abrahams offering his sonne , ye see likewise what testimony there is of it ; gen. . verse . . and also in generall of all good workes done , by which of his children soeuer , that they are sacrifices accepted of him through christ ; pet. . . and such sacrifices as god is well pleased withall ; heb. . . and certaine it is , that god would not command the doing of them , not make such liberall promises to them being done , were it not that hee hath a pleasure in them , and liked well of them ; and sundry are the respects for which he is so delighted euen with the vnperfect and stained workes of his children . first , because they are his owne worke in them , as it is written ; ye are the workemanship of god , created to good workes , &c. ephe. . . his owne spirit framing them to doe good , inspiring them with the motions and will , and enabling them with the power to doe them . as it is written ; the will and the deede are both of god ; phil. . . hence are good workes called , fruites of the spirit ; galat. . . thereby to teach vs , that good workes being wrought in the regenerate , by the operation of the spirit , therefore they are accepted and pleasing to god ; euen as fruite is pleasant to the taste . secondly , he liketh them as parts of his owne image , which he loueth wheresoeuer he findeth , euen as a father doth loue a sonne that is like himselfe . beside , as they are done of his faithfull children , in whom he is pleased , and be testimonies of their faith , and tend to the setting foorth of his owne glory , so they are gratefull to him . and to the end that he may take delight in them , he purgeth away all the spots , which through our corruption doe sticke vnto them , wiping them away by the effectuall application of the bloud and death of christ , which hath the force of intercession in heauen , comming between the iustice of his father and mans 〈◊〉 , which still abideth in his members . so as being cleansed by the imputation of christ his sacrifice and perfect obedience , to the working beleeuer ; hereof it commeth to passe , that god beholdeth in their workes nothing saue that which is his owne , being all forgiuen and couered ; the rest being his , he is maruellously delighted in it , yea , so farre as to crowne it with an euerlasting reward . first , hee giues the power to doe good , then crownes his owne gift . the places of scripture are well knowne to euery one exercised therein , where the lord promiseth reward , yea , great reward , not alone to the greatest workes of christianity , as suffering reproaches , scornes , losses , death for christ : but euen to the meanest and lowest , as to the feasting of the poore ; luke . . to the giuing of a 〈◊〉 of cold 〈◊〉 to a disciple or prophet for christ his sake ; mat. . . and at the last day , the feeding of the hungry , clothing the naked , visiting the imprisoned christians , shall haue the crowne of immortall glory and blessing ; mat. . awarded to them , no lesse then to the feeding and guiding the church , which is the weightiest and worthiest worke of godlinesse ; pet. . . whereby it is 〈◊〉 , 〈◊〉 well god liketh of the voperfect good deede of his children , when for a few workes , done in a moment , and of no great value , he is content to render glory , euen an immortall weight of it . aquila . this it is that moueth many to thinks , that there is in good workes a power to merit , because a reward is promised to them ; but what may be the reason , that seeing there is no merite in any mans worke , yet workes should be rewarded ? apollos . besides the consideration of imperfections & spiritual pollutions , which be in our best workes ( as we haue heard ) which hath caused the godly , that they would not trust to their owne godlinesse , but haue euer appealed to the mercy seate of christ iesus ; furthermore , our workes are not our own , but come from his free spirit , and are a due debt which wee owe to god our creator and redeemer ; so as we haue done but what we ought , when wee haue done all ; luke . there being also no equality betweene the infinitenesse of heauenly blisse , and our finite labours in well doing ; therefore there can be no merite in them : neither is there any cause to looke for any merite from them ; there is sufficiency enough of merit in the works and passions of our lord , to deserue for vs eternall glory . howbeit , it pleaseth god to make vnto our workes a gracious promise of reward in his word , which speaking according to our capacity , who giue rewards to men in the end of the day , after all their labour and worke is finished ; as in them who wrought in the vineyard ; mathew . thence it is , that eternall life being bestowed on the faithfull , after all their labours and trauaile taken in the seruice of their most good god , in the end and euening of their life , is called a reward ; and a reward it is , not a merite . a reward freely giuen for his goodnesse & promise sake , to them that beleeue in his sonne ( there being not any temporall benefit , no not a peece of bread , which otherwise commeth to their hand then by free mercy ) and not a reward of debt and desert ; as if either the worthinesse of the worke simply considered , or as it is dipped and died in the blood of christ , could binde god to vs , & make him a debter ; it being that which christ hath done in himselfe , and not that which he hath wrought in vs that hath merited our saluation in heauen , and all things which belong thereunto . yet such is the bounty of our heauenly father , that as naturall parents by promised gifts and rewards stirre vp their children to do what otherwise is their duty ; so hee prouokes and quickens the slow dulnesse of his children , and by rewards ( as spurres in their sides ) egges and excites thē to the doing of that , which otherwise by duty they are manifoldly and strongly bound to doe . and these rewards , they are neither meane nor few , but both worthy and many , yea sundry and of diuers kinds ; first , bodily or worldly , for godlinesse hath euen the promises of this life ; secondly spirituall , to wit , encrease of spirituall graces , as it is written , to him that hath more shal be giuen , and he shall haue abundance : lastly , eternall , euen the crowne of life , the paradise of god , rest from labour , the tree of life , which are promised to such as ouercome , reuel . , . and , . and , . now the intention of god in offering such great & manifold recompence being this , to quicken his owne vnto all manner of loue and obedience towards him : it is therefore very meete and lawfull , yea necessarie , that gods children should by such encouragements hearten themselues in their course . for howsoeuer it be fit and requisite , that the will of our heauenly father and his glory be first lookt vnto ; that our loue to his word and to the praise of his name , do set vs on worke to do our duties , as we may haue this testimony , that in our seruice of god , and in all the good workes which wee do , we seeke not our selues , but the pleasing and praise of god , by doing that which he commandeth : yet afterward , and ( as it were ) in the second place , we may turne our eyes vnto the reward promised vs , thereby to helpe our slacknesse and slownesse to good , considering , that our labour in the lord shall not bee in vaine , but bring foorth a great haruest of comfort and blisse in the end ; wee reaping eternall ioyes of those things which heere we did sow to the spirit . as moses encouraged himself to care and constancie in his good course , by the remembrance of the great recompence to come , heb. , . so did christ animate his disciples , mat. , , . by the example of the prophets , & promise of reward . also paul thus quickned the corinthians to constancie , cor. . verse last : the things ( saith he ) which wee see not , are eteruall , therefore faint not . and tim. , . if we suffer with him , we shal reign with him , therefore be resolued to sticke to christ in life & death . doe we not see by common experience , how men of all trades , husbandmen , soldiers , merchants , are made hardie and bold to attempt and do great and dangerous things vpon hope of receiuing good things in the end , as either victorie , or spoile , or commodity , or such earthly perishing things ? how much more may true christians , by the hope of neuer-withering treasures , prouoke themselues to enter into , & endure the trauailes and 〈◊〉 of that way , which bringeth to heauen in the end ? they haue many things within them , and from without them ; from satan , euill men , and themselues , to make them faint and languish ; therfore it will be needfull to take all helpes and meanes of courage & heart vnto themselues , seeing god allowes them so to do , and godly men in al ages haue done so . by which it appeareth how the papists in the rhemish testament wrong vs , in saying ; that wee teach not our hearers either to do good , or abstaine from euill , for hope of heauen , or feare of hell . aquila . this is indeede a speciall good that comes to our selues of good workes , which though they deserue nothing , yet he that doth them , and aboundeth in them , is not sentaway empty handed , but rather hath entrance made aboundantly into the blessed kingdom of glory . which beeing giuen as a free reward , as it more sets foorth the mercie of god , to reward that which he might condemne ; so it moueth his children the more heartily to loue him , who not only without , but against all merit on their part , doth vouchsafe so richly to requite their poore endeuours in dooing his will. but be there not other good vses wherunto good workes do serue , and for which the godly do cheerfully take them in hand ? apollos . yea , verie many and excellent : euerie one seruing as a strong motiue to procure all care of dooing them . for that god that hath not made nor ordained ought in vaine , no not the least of his creatures , nor the meanest of his ordinances ; much lesse is it to be thought , that good works were ordained to no vse , or to small vse . but if any thing in the world be rich & plentifull for happy & most gracious vses , good works may haue the first place and ranke , as being fruitfull on euerie side . for , if we looke vnto god himselfe , then the good workes and good life of his children expresseth their great thankefulnesse towards him , for the great benefite of their redemption . also it cheareth him , and reioyceth his heart ( as i may so speake ) euen as our euill workes do greeue him , and are to him as gall or sowre grapes to our teeth , deut. , . so the righteous workes of all the godly , bee as an odour or sweet sauour , as precious spices , as pleasant fruits : himselfe so testifying , that his soule is delighted with them . and lastly , god is both pleased , and obeyed , and honoured by good workes , which are fruits of righteousnesse by christ , to the praise of god , phil. , . therfore , wee should let our good workes breake foorth , that men seeing them , may glorifie our heauenly father , mat. , . for , as the euill and loose behauiour of such as professe god to be their father , doth discredite him amongst men , as himselfe complains , my name is blasphemed amongst the gentiles through you , rom. , . so it is much to the glory & aduancement of gods name , when the professors of godlinesse , line as becomes the gospell . now , if wee looke to the gospell of god , that is beautified and adorned by the good works of such as know and professe it , as it is written , let seruants shew all good faithfulnesse , that they may adorne the doctrine of god in all things , titus , . if the good life of a seruant be an ornament and renowne to the gospell , when he deals vprightly and faithfully toward his master , what countenance do we thinke shall be gained to the holie doctrine of the word , when men of greater degrees & places be full of good workes ? surely , as it turnes to the reproach of the word , if any who liue vnder it liue otherwise then well : so on the contrary part , their godly and honest conuersation , turnes to the credit and honour of the word . which is a thing that gods children ought earnestly to thinke vpon , that god is contented , that himselfe and his word should haue no more respect and estimation amongst men , then our good actions and liues shall winne and purchase vnto it . now if we turne our eyes home to our selues , besides that which was touched before , our good workes are profitable euery way . first , to purchase vs a good report , which is better then siluer ; to haue such as feare god , to speake well of vs , is more worth then all riches ; prouerbs . . this fruite abraham got by his workes , iames . . for hee was iustified , viz. approued and commended for a iust person by his workes . also , the faithfull mentioned , hebrewes were well reported of , through their faith and fruites thereof . thus timethy got himselfe a good testimony : but yet further , our good workes they be testimonies of our faith , to shew it to be no dead , but a liuely faith ; which being an inuisible grace , is yet after a sort made visible by well liuing ; as it is written : shew me thy faith by thy workes , iames . . euen as health is knowne to be good and sound , by good disposition of all outward parts of the body ; so our faith , our calling , our election , be manifested and confirmed vnto vs by our study , and practise of good workes ; peter , chap. . verse , , , . make your calling and election sure , by good workes . finally , a man is not more knowne to liue a naturall life , by speaking , seeing , mouing , then a christian is knowne to liue the life of faith , by his godly and righteous workes . what should i say , that it is more then likely , that as our workes shall haue a reward of free fauour , so the measure of our workes ( as they exceede in number and excellency ) shall haue a proportionable measure of glory ? certainly much will be required of them who haue receiued much , and why may we not thinke , that much will be rendred to them who haue done much ? for to euery one shall be giuen , according as his workes shall be ; cor. . to proceede , if we regard other men , the exercise of good workes , is fruitfull to all sorts and kinds of men : for they which belong vnto god , and be yet vnconuerted , by our good workes which they shall see , may be moued more readily to hearken to that truth , that worketh so mightily in vs. therefore peter counselleth faithfull wiues , by their good workes to winne their vnbeleeuing husbands ; peter . . also , cor. . . for how knowest thou o woman , whether thou shalt saue thy [ vnbeleeuing ] husband ? but if any be vnconuerted , and belong not to god ; these by our good workes shal haue their mouthes stopped , that they cannot speake euill of vs , or of our religion . for so is the will of god , that with well doing , we may stop the ignorance of foolish men ; peter . . towards such as be already conuerted , and become faithfull , our good workes haue their proper vse either to confirme and strengthen them , if they be weake in the faith , as christ saith to peter , confirme thy brethren ; luke . . or else to comfort and reioyce such as be strong ; as iohn reioyceth , because the elect lady and her children walked in the truth ; iohn . and paul is greatly comforted by the faith and godlinesse of the philippians , philip . . . insomuch as that which is spoken of the vine and the fruite thereof ; iudg. . . agreeth better to good workes , the fruites of our faith ; that by them god and men are cheered . which should exceedingly worke & preuaile with all good men to doe them , and to doe them yet more cheerefully and plentifully , not onely because ( as we vse to say of things we buy ) there is the more to put into the inuentory ; so the more good workes we haue , the more there is to further our reckoning : but that our name may shine as the sun in brightnesse , our faith and saluation be sealed , our god glorified , our religion beautified , our neighbour edified in his soule by godly admonition , refreshed in his body and bowels by the fruits of our mercy and loue ; finally , sathan and our aduersaries confounded . and for the better furthering of our selues in the practise of them , let vs further remember these few things , that our life is short , oportunity will be taken away from vs ; therefore while we haue time , let vs doe all the good we can , considering that we haue lost much time already , and heretofore haue done many things to the displeasure and discredite of so gracious a god. moreouer , we haue receiued many fauours from god , namely , remission of all our sinnes , and adoption by christ ; sanctification by his spirit , with infinite other benefits for soule or body . let these mercies encrease & constraine our loue to well doing and set vs on fire with zeale of good workes ; seeing christ purgeth vs from our iniquitie , to the end that we should be a peculiar people , feruently giuen to doe good ; titus . , . and as we like to see other things fruitfull , our kine , and sheepe , our orchards , our fields : so let it be our care and loue to see our selues fruitfull , ( as it were our shame and reproach to be barren ) that wee may be like vnto iesus christ our head , of whom it is written in the gospell ; that he went about dooing good ; &c. and that hee did all things well : that we treading now in the steps of his faith , and loue , obedience , and patience , wee may at length reigne with him in glory . for such as follow him now in the pathes of godlinesse , shall hereafter sit with him at his table in his fathers kingdome ; whither christ iesus safely and speedily bring vs , for his name sake , amen . the ninth part of the dialogue ; of particular good workes : first concerning god. of the loue of god. apollos . now neighbour aquila , your constancy in following this conference , makes me thinke you are like him , of whom it is written ; that where hee beginnes a good worke , he will finish it . you haue taken in hand a good worke , and you are desirous to accomplish it ; and to tell you truth , so am i too : and now that we draw toward an end , let vs keepe close to it , till we arriue where we would be ; there is nothing so hard , but constant labour will ouercome it at last . aquila . constancy in any thing aduisedly taken vp , is a very commendable thing : but sir according to your counsell , let vs fall to our worke● wee haue spoken of good workes generally , wee are now to handle some especiall good workes , which are more excellent and necessary , and whereupon all the rest doe depend : what choyce shall we make ? what good workes shall we single out from the rest , therein to spend our time ? apollos . my aduice is this : whereas good works be all duties whereby either god or our neighbour be serued and benefited , and the duties which we owe to god are cheefe , as cause and ground of the rest : first , we will cull out such principall good workes as concerne god immediately , namely , the loue of god , . his feare , . of trust in him , . thankesgiuing , . prayer , . reuerence towards his name , . sanctifying his sabbach , and lastly of patience in suffering : and then wee will descend to such fruites of faith and repentance as do belong to our neighbour . for the first and great commandement is to loue god with all the heart , and next , to loue my neighbor as my selfe . aquila . i do well approne of this order ; not onely because i know no better , but because i iudge it to bee the best and fittest . let me then heare you tel me what it is to loue god ? wherefore wee stand bound to loue him ? and what it is that begets in vs the loue of god ? and then if ye wil , declare the measure and manner of this loue , how much it ought to bee , and how it may be discerned to be in vs : & withall of the effects which this loue will be get in his children . apollos . loue is such an affection of the heart , as desireth to be knit and neerely ioyned to the thing or party loued . this is the nature of loue , so to carry the heart with desire vnto that which is loued , as nothing will content till it be enioyed and had . the trueth of this may appeare in that loue which is inordinate : and also in all well gouerned loue . the theefe , the adulcerer , the gamester , the couetous , are by their loue ( such as they beare to their booty , their whores , their game , and gaine ) so possessed , as they are then quyet and not before , when they haue and bee ioyned in one to that which they loue : as their parting from the thing loued and losing it is their greefe , yea sometime their death : so their being with it , and hauing it , is their contentment , and ioy , and life . stories and experience afford vs sufficient proofe heereof . we see the gamester neuer well but when hee is at dice , or cardes , or other game . the fornicator is neuer at rest , vnlesse he bee with his harlot . the couetous man is best pleased , when he lookes vpon , or fingereth money . now , in well-gouerned loue it is right so , whether it bee naturall , or humane , or religious . beasts which out of narall instinct do loue their yong , how do they fare ? what discontentment they shew when their yong are taken from them ? how doe parents greeue and take on for the death or absence of their children whom they loue ; being well pleased and delighted when they enioy their presence and company ? in that humane loue which is amongst friends , it fareth after the same manner . let the example of ionathan and dauid teach it , sam. ch . . what pleasure tooke they in each others presence and wel-fare ? and how bitter was it to ionathans heart , that it should go amisse with dauid , and to dauids to misse ionathan his friend , whom he loued as a wife her husband ? this is also the nature of religious loue : such as loue god , or christ , or his word , or people , they couet to be linked vnto them as neerely as may bee , delighting themselues in the partaking with them , being much troubled for the want of them : as is to be seene in the example of the church in the canticles , cant. , . when her beloued was for a time gone from her : and euery faithfull soule findeth it to bee their griefe , to be held a while from the word , or from their presence , or conference with god. see psal. . also psa. , , , . vpon all which i conclude , that the loue of god is that affection which maketh the christian soule take comfort & contentment in the communion with god , desiring and delighting to be more and more streightly knit to him , and more fully to participate in him and in his gracious blessings and loue tokens . sundry are the causes for which gods people ought to loue him thus : for , they are his creatures , he their maker ; they his seruants , hee their lord ; they his friends , and which is more , his children , & he their deere father in christ ; yea they his spouse , hee their husband : so as they are tyed and bound to him by all bonds of loue and duty : god beeing vnto them in a most speciall manner all these things wee haue sayde . moreouer , he loued them first , before they loued him ; yea being his enemies , hee loued vs when wee hated him , and gaue vs a sufficient pawne of his loue , euen his owne sonne , to be a man , to bee a seruant , yea to be a slaine sacrifice for vs. and withall , hath by his holy spirit which he hath giuen vs , shed abroad this loue in our hearts . vnto all which , if we will adde the consideration of all the good which he hath already done to vs in our bodies and mindes , in earthly and heauenly things , and the great things which we hope to haue heereafter , and the straite commandement which it laide vpon vs , to loue the lord our god ; and that if we loue him , the commodity is not to him , but to our selues : then will it easily appeare , how diuerslie and greatly we are obliged to this god , to render him this duty of loue ; where in that we may proceede well , we are to know , that as our measure of louing him , must be to loue him aboue measure , as he hath loued vs infinitely , and is that most perfect goodnes and beauty worthy of perfect loue : so our rule to guide our loue , is to loue him , not for his benefites and good things onely or cheefe , but to loue all other things in god , and for god , and god for himselfe , euen for his most sweete and gracious mercies , and for his vnmeasurable holinesse and truth . this is ingenuous and filiall loue , such as becommeth children . the other , being that which ariseth from his blessings principally or solely , is mercenary and meete for slaues or seruants . for though the blessings of god bee such as deserue at our hands not onely thankfulnesse , but encrease of loue and obedience , yet wee may not loue him either onely or cheefely in regard of them , but principally because he is that soueraigne goodnesse worthy of all our loue , though he should neuer do vs good ; as godly persons are loued of vs , albeit we neither presently haue , not hope for any benefit from them . this pure loue and vnfeigned , it is engendred from the sense of gods loue towards vs ; whence ariseth in our hearts a loue towards him : as it is written , we loue him , because he first loued vs , iohn , ver . . thus it is saide of the woman , luke , . that because many sins were forginen , therefore she loued much . thus it is when the loue of god is manifested vnto vs in the forgiuenes of all our sins , and so in our reconciliation with god by christ , this loue constraines vs to loue god ardently . because he hath so loued vs , as to giue his son for vs , we are moued , and that most iustly to loue this most louing and mercifull god. and this is it which is written , that faith worketh by loue ; galat. . . for after that once we beleeue the promise of grace , and by faith haue laide hold on gods mercies offered in christ ; this faith sets on worke our loue to god-ward first , and afterwards towards such as god would haue vs loue , euen to our enemies . and this is the proper effect of our loue towards god , namely , that it bringeth forth another loue , wherewith we loue , and be ready to do good to all men , especially his children : it being so , that we cannot loue him which begetteth , but wee must needs loue them which are begotten ; iohn . . for as it must needs follow of gods loue to vs , that it stirre vs vp to loue him , so it is necessary that our loue wherewith we loue him , doe cause vs to loue all that beare his image ; especially such as beare it by regeneration : insomuch , that if any man say ; he loueth god , and yet hateth his brother , surely that man is a lyar , and hath no truth in him ; iohn . and this loue of others , is such a fruite and effect of our loue to god , as it is a speciall token whereby to iudge of the truth and sincerity of it . whosoeuer then loueth other men , namely , such as are gods children , in this respect as they belong vnto god , and because he commandeth loue towards them ; i say whosoeuer vpon these grounds vnfeinedly loues his neighbour , ( friend , or enemy , ) this is an euidence of a man truly louing god : for he that saide , that hee cannot loue god whom he seeth not , who loueth not his neighbor whom he doth see ; iohn . . hath also saide ; if we loue one another , his loue 〈◊〉 perfect in vs : iohn . . that is , herein we haue a testimony of our loue , where with we loue god , that it is not counterfeit , but sincere , because we doe by loue embrace one another for his sake , euen to please him . aquila . it is an easie and common thing to dissemble the loue of god , insomuch as they which be furthest from louing him in truth , are found most forward to protest it in words . therefore howsoeuer this which you say doe much auaile vs to discerne it , ( for the loue of others , especially of our enemies , which proceeds from the loue of god , it is the true touchstone and triall of it ) yet may it please you to deliuer some more and more plaine notes and tokens of our loue to god , as euery one who will not bee deceiued , may haue wherewith to proue to himselfe the soundnesse of his affection this way ; and in declaring of this , ye shall make knowne what workes and duties are fitting for them to doe , who haue , and professe to haue the loue of god : and so by one bush stop two gappes , and plaster two walles with one trowell . apollos . it is true which you say , the proper effects are best meanes to iudge of the cause ; and the selfe-same effects which be markes of our loue , be also duties and workes , which such as loue god are bound to doe : which if they be not done , will testifie that all profession of the loue of god , is but dissimulation . such persons as doe in truth beare a louing heart to god , it will leade them to an hearty loue of his word ; which is to be seene in dauid , a man , if any other , very full of loue towards god ; the zeale of whose name , had euen eaten him vp : psalme . . and this hee witnesseth herein , that his word was his delight ; oh ( saith he ) how doe i loue thy law ! psalme . . my delight is in thy commandements , verse . thy testimonies are better to mee then thousands of gold or siluer , verse . they were as sweete to his soule , as hony is to his mouth ; verse . now whereas hypocrites seeme to haue the loue of the word , it is but in seeming ; for they loue it onely for knowledge sake , the desire whereof is a thing agreeable to nature ; but gods children loue it , because it is the trueth of god , and their appointed food and nourishment , whereby they are to be fed to life eternall . and further , their loue to it doth breed ( which is not to be found in any hypocrite ) an earnest and vnfeined desire , care , and endeauour to doe it , and practise it ; wherein they well declare how well they loue god : as it is written ; if ye loue me , keepe my commandements : iohn . . and yet more plainely afterwards , verse . hee that hath my commandements , and keepeth them ; ( that is to say , striueth what he may to keepe them ) this is he which loueth me ; see verse . to the same purpose . all which signifying thus much , that christ iesus taketh triall of our loue towards himselfe , by our louing , and out of loue , labouring to doe his will reuealed in his word . as on the one side , our loue to him is manifested , by hating and flying such euils as he hath forbid , according to that is saide in the psalme ; ye that loue the lord , hate the thing that is euill : psalme . . and psalme . . i esteeme all thy precepts most iust , therefore i hate euery euill way : so on the other side , the delight we haue in seeking to know the word , for this end , that wee may be the doers of the good things commanded therein , it is a good and sound proofe of our loue to god , the authour of the word : who will be loued in his word , and trusted in his word , and feared according to his word ; whereof wee conclude , that loue of god , which is seuered from loue and obedience of his word , to be hypocriticall . it is also an infallible marke and duty of sound loue towards god , to loue him in his children , and his children in him ( as was touched before ) when not for pleasure we haue in them , or profit by them , or for alliance or acquaintance sake , or any morall perswasion ; but principally for their adoption sake , and for the likenesse which they haue with god by their grace of sanctification , wee haue our affections more set towards them , then towards any other which are not such ; yea , though they be our naturall brethren and sisters . moreouer , all loue hath a * simpathy , or fellow-feeling , causing mutual ioy or griefe , according to the nature of the things which happen : so it is here . gods children as they greeue to see god disobeyed and dishonoured , his word hindered or abused ; so they reioyce to haue him pleased and honoured , or his word and kingdome aduanced . example whereof we haue in dauid ; psal. . . also in iohn : in paul and barnabas , and others , who haue beene moued in gods cause as in their owne ; and more taking to heart things which hapned either with , or against gods name , then their owne ; a true note of true loue . this is also a property of loue , willingly to praise whom wee heartily loue ; as hatred appeares by discouering faults and fraileties , and vpbraiding in reprochfull sort , such as offend with their infirmities : so loue delights to lay open and commend the perfection of that which is loued . this is to be seene in mariage loue , and in the loue of friends ; so it is also in christian loue : it stirreth vp to the searching out and commending of the excellencies of god. i will loue thee dearely o lord my strength ( saith dauid ) the lord is my rocke , my fortresse , and he that deliuereth me ; psal. , . dauids loue which he bare to god in his heart , filled his mouth and his pen too with the praises of his god. whereof also there is an example in the spouse of christ , in canticles . . my beloued ( saith he ) is white and ruddy , the fairest of ten thousand ; shee loued much , and therefore shee praised much . adde vnto all this , that loue doth not onely mention with ioy & gladnesse the praises of god ; but ( as we vse to say , shew me your loue by your gifts ) it is content to be at cost with god , and to bestow gifts for his sake : for gods children out of their loue vnto god , they doe first giue themselues vnto god , euen their soules and bodies , to doe him seruice in practise of all duties commanded . euen as the israelites brought their sacrifices freely , to offer them vnto god vnder the law ; so the faithfull willingly offer themselues a liuing sacrifice vnder the gospel ; rom. . , . they giue also their graces , and set them on worke towards him , and their brethren ; as they receiue of god whatsoeuer graces they haue , so they doe returne them vnto him , to honour him , and serue their brethren with them . the hypocrite as he loues god for his benefits , and so long as hee doth bestow good things on him ; but let god once take away his blessings , the cause of his loue , and then his loue faileth him ; his blessings and the hypocrites loue liue and die together : so the gifts and graces which the hypocrite hath , are referred not vnto god , to glorifie him therewith ; but to the pleasing , profiting , and praysing of themselues , as their owne conscience will tell them , if they will hearken vnto it , and beleeue the testimony thereof . it is otherwise with the godly , who in the vse of their gifts seeke not themselues , but god , whom they loue ; and vpon whom they are ready to bestow not themselues alone , and their graces , but their goods too : which albeit god hath no need of , because gold is his , and siluer is his ; hag. . . psal. . yet when we giue forth his goods to the maintenance of his worship , or the place of his worship , or the ministers of his word , or to the reliefe of others the saints & members of christ , then we doe honour the lord with our substance , and doe giue it vnto himselfe : as he will openly acknowledge at the last day ; what ye did to one of these , ye did it to me : mathew . martha loued christ , iohn . and the woman spoken of , luke . . also , the women mentioned , luke the . . and all they declared their loue to him by their charges and cost , which they put themselues to for his sake . that we cannot doe to him in his person as they did ( because he is gone to heauen , and hath now no need ) we are to doe it to him in his seruants and people ; which is taken as a fruite of our loue to himselfe . and as our cost about him , so our labour and paines for him doth speake forth our loue : for true sincere loue is diligent , and sticketh at no paines to please or pleasure the party loued . what labour did not christ endure , that he might expresse his loue to his church ? and what paines ought we to beare , to expresse our loue towards him ? such as loue riches , or pleasures , or honours , it is a wonder to see how exceeding great their paines be to compasse them . and such as truly loue god , as they loue nothing aboue him , so their paines which they take to glorifie him in the inward mortification of sinfull lusts , and the outward performance of all outward obseruations , doth farre surpasse the paines which they take in all other things of their owne . the indefatigable and intollerable labour and toyle of body & mind which christ did vndergoe , and which paul also did endure , about the redeeming , and instructing of the church ; the incredible paines which in prayer , and preaching , and liuing well , both iames , and the rest of the apostles haue suffered ; it clecrely demonstrateth , that the loue of god and his church is painfull and laborious . there is nothing so hard which loue will not ouercome ; all paines to it seeme pleasure and pastime . as they then which sticke at their paines , and with-draw their hand from labour in the things which concerne gods glory , and their owne eternall good , doe sufficiently tell vs how little and poore their loue is : so the great and constant paines , which neither of vaine-glory , nor of any corrupt respect , but in vprightnesse of heart gods children put themselues vnto , that they may execute the will of god in their callings ; is their acquittance and testimoniall of the great measure of their loue to god-ward . finally , they make it appeare yet more thorowly herein , that there is nothing greeueth them so much , as the want of gods presence and fauour , if at any time he with draw his louing countenance from them . it is not the losse of any worldly thing , how precious or commodious soeuer , doth afflict them so much with heauinesse , as the displeasure of god conceiued against them for sinne . king dauid banished by absolon , wept bitterly , not so much for losse of his kingdome , as for gods anger against him . whereas such as doe but onely pretend to loue god , they doe not chiefly ioy in his fauour , but in their outward comforts ; neither is their greatest griefe for the displeasure of god against them , but for outward damages and harmes , wherein they bewray that other things are more loued of them then god himself , whatsoeuer they say . it is cleane otherwise with the godly , for in them the holy spirit of loue doth engender more ioy in the perswasion and feeling of gods fauour , then * worldly men haue when their corne , and oyle , and wine doth abound ; and more hearts sorrow in missing of gods gracious presence , then a mother conceiueth for the death of her onely sonne : a strong euidence that god is their cheefe loue . aquila . these things shall moue me i trust to preferre god , and christ his sonne , his word , and children , in my loue ; and to straine my selfe by all meanes to declare that i account of god , and delight in him aboue all things ; endeauouring how i may attaine neere vnto that which is commanded , euen to loue him with all my heart and strength : and though i cannot perfectly , yet i will pray for grace , that i may loue him yet more feruently , and lesse fainedly . now sir , may it please you that wee passe forwards vnto that other worke of fearing this god , which after his loue is next to be spoken of ? apollos . well pleased so to doe . if i first aduertise you of something which almost i forgot , namely ; that as our loue to god is approued , by our praises of those good things which are in himselfe , and be done for vs ; so hee takes it as a great fruite and signe of our loue , in our necessity to make him our refuge and helpe , by calling vpon him alone in all our distresses . aquila . ere ye set vpon your new worke , doe make this point plaine : for me thinkes god doth rather herein witnesse his loue to vs , in that he would be found of vs when we seeke , and in affording vs liberty and leaue to come vnto him ; then we which seeke and come vnto him , doe thereby testifie our loue vnto him . apollos . one would thinke that it were so , that our suing and begging things needfull of god , should more vtter our need and want of him , then our loue to him ; yet so it is , that our prayers are good proofes of our loue : for seeing vpon the good successe of our prayers , when they are heard and granted according to gods promise ; there doth follow the demonstration of gods great mercy and truth , in keeping touch with his children to the praise of his name : therefore gods children out of a loue they beare vnto his name , doe seeke and sue vnto god , not so much to be holpen and succoured , as that in the fulfilling of his word made to their prayers , his goodnesse and truth may appeare to his glory . for god himselfe saith , that when he heareth his people that cal vpon him in their trouble , they are bound to glorifie him ; psalme . and the loue of this glory moueth them to pray , rather then the desire and hope of their owne good : happy is the soule with whom it is thus . henceforth we will speake of his feare ; for of the loue of god enough hath beene spoken already . aquila . doe ye iudge of the feare of god to be such a worke as is peculiar vnto the elect & regenerate persons ? we reade of many wicked men , who haue feared god. foelix an heathen , feared and trembled at the hearing of god and his word ; acts . . pharaeh was afraide of god , and therefore prayed moses to entreate for him , to remoue the plague from him ; exod. . . ahab as lewd as he was , being a man sold to doe wickednesse , yet was not voide of the feare of god , which enforced him to humble himselfe in sack cloth and ashes ; i kin. . . and infinite others which belong not to god , but were strangers to him , yet their hearts were not wholly estranged from his feare . apollos . many euill men which liue in the church vnder a standing ministery , doe attaine by the power thereof vnto a shadow of sanctification , such as shall worke a certaine reformation in them , but a sleight and light one , not sound and thorow , such as seasoneth and changeth the heart ; and vnto a resemblance of repentance , so as they doe many workes of repenting persons , they haue a certaine greefe and seare of sinne , they in a sort humble themselues , confesse their sinnes , leaue many sinnes touching the outward act and worke : but neuer come to purpose in their heart to endeauour an vtter forsaking of all and euery sinne , with a true hatred and loathing of sinne , as it is the offence of a good and righteous god ; and they doe many workes , which for the matter and substance of the worke done , are good , but yet they are not done in a good manner , and to a good end , out of a heart purged by faith , respecting gods glory : so they haue a shew of loue to god , and of fearing god. howbeit , they are but counterfets in all , and namely in their loue , which is not of god himselfe , but of his good things , where with their loue doth arise and fall . they are likewise hypocrites in their feare , which is seruile onely in regard of gods power , and strict iustice ; and of that punishment which his powerfull iustice hath either threatned , or already inflicted vpon them . their feare is not towards god for his mercies , and because hee is vnto them a gracious god and father ; but because hee is righteous , armed with might to hurt and plague them : as the apostle speaketh of circumcision of the israelites , and of abrahams seede , there is not one kind of these ; so it is of the feare of god ; it is not single and of one kind , but it is diuers . there is an israelite , and an israelite ; one in heart , another according to the flesh : a circumcision inward and in truth , another after the letter , and outward in the flesh . so there is a feare , and a feare ; a good feare , which wee are exhorted vnto , and an euill feare which we are called from . feare not ( saith moses ) for god is come to proue you , that his feare may be in you , that ye sinne not ; exod. . . see in this one short sentence , that they are bid not to feare , and yet charged to haue gods feare in them : for there is a feare slauish and seruile , arising out of the gultinesse of sinnes , and strengthened with dread of punishment from the righteous power of god. this feare correcteth not sinne inwardly , it may well bridle some sinne , and restraine from the externall worke of sinne ; but it doth not at all reforme the sinner inwardly , who is the more driuen from god by it ; and we are dehorted from such a feare . and there is another feare which is filiall and child-like , which proceedeth from gods mercies in christ , and bringeth sinners neerer in heart and affection to god , holding them closer to him in all lawfull respects , not to offend him , but in all things to obey and please him . this difference of feare may be expressed by this comparison : there doth at one time stand in the presence of a iudge his owne sonne , and a male factor ; the one loth to misbehaue himselfe in his fathers presence , for the loue and reuerence hee hath towards him , whom he hath alwayes found a benigne tender father to him ; the malefactor for beareth also all lewd and disordered actions , in feare of the iudges power , which he doth hate , and of the sentence of death , which he abhorreth . so it is here ; euill men being in gods presence , are restrained and kept from many euils , but it is through dread of his reuenging hand ; as seruants are brought to doe well through dread of the whip : whereas the godly , howsoeuer the infinite power and iustice of god be dreadfull to them , and they often meditate of his fearefull iudgements against sin , to enure their hearts the more to awe and trembling , ( their flesh or old man hauing great need of such terrour to bridle them ) yet it is the sweete mercies of god in the forgiuenesse ofso many sinnes , and calling them to so great glory , which worketh in them a reuerent regard of gods will , not to transgresse it ; no child being so loth to displease his most kind father , as the godly are to displease their louing redeemer . to this purpose they doe endeauour to set themselues ( as it were ) in the presence of god , considering that his eye which is the iudge of the world and their heauenly father , is euer vpon them ; and in this consideration they labour to carry themselues as becommeth them , who are euer before the face of such a maiesty , abandoning that which is contrary to his word , and may prouoke him ; and carefully doing such duties as are liking and gratefull to him . this is the ingenuous feare of gods children , which bringeth forth these effects in them : first , it restraines them from sinne , euen as touching the inward affection , as it did ioseph from incontinency , the israelites midwiues from cruelty , 〈◊〉 from exaction and oppression of the people ; yea , it hoideth backe from all sinnes , great and little , secret , as well as open , and that because they are sinnes and offences of god : whereas the feare of the wicked keepes him from grosse and open , but not from small and priuate sinnes , and that for the paine onely , and not for conscience to god. secondly , it constraines them to doe good things commanded , out of a care to please god. when abraham offered his sonne , that which moued him , was this ; for that he feared god ; gen. . , iob was a righteous man , and did iust things ; for he was a man fearing god ; iob . . thirdly , it seasons the worship of god , that is to say , the seruice of god : psal. . . i will draw neere to thy temple in feare , &c. insomuch as often the whole worship of god is thereby signified , as in acts . in euery nation , he that feareth god , &c. fourthly , it seasons our loue to god , as in a subiect that loueth his prince for his excellent goodnesse and bounty , his loue towards his soueraigne is beautified by a reuerence of his princes maiesty : so it is here . fiftly , it driueth away security , it awakes slothfulnesse , and makes watchfull . and lastly , it beates downe pride , and high mindednesse ; as it is written : be not high minded , but feare ; rom. . . these seuerall fruits and effects of the feare of god , are so many perswasions to moue vs to embrace it , whereunto wee are prouoked by other reasons also ; as namely because god hath so streightly and often commanded it : feare god ; pet. . . againe , feare him that can kill body and soule ; luke . which doth shew it to be a thing pleasing to him . also , it is a gift of god , yea , one of his speciall and peculiar gifts , which hee vouchsafeth vnto his children ; into whom he hath promised so to put his feare , as they shall neuer depart from him ; ier. . moreouer , the feare of god is a mans best wisedome : as it is written ; the feare of god is the beginning of wisedome : it hath great promises euen of blessednesse made to it ; blessed is the man that feareth god. it is the garden of all vertues , which are preserued by an ho'y feare of god ; it is the enemy of all vices , which cannot raigne where the feare of god hath place . besides , the examples of the godly , and the approbation of the feare of god in them by the holy ghost in scripture , should greatly excite vs to it . cornelius is commended for this , that he was a man that feared god , and all his houshold ; acts . . also iob , that hee was a man fearing god ; iob . . of hezekiah it is saide , that he made the feare of god his treasure ; esay . . also obediah , ioseph , daniel , and others highly praised in this respect . as on the other side , it is laide downe as a marke of a wicked man , not to feare god ; rom. . and as the want of it hath beene the cause that wicked men haue quite fallen away from god , as in pilate , who feared not god , but caesar , and he slew himselfe ; the like is to beseene in achitophell and iudas : so the weaknesse of it in gods children , hath beene occasion of sundry falles , as of peters abiuring , through too much feare of man , and too little feare of god ; and in dauid counterfeiting himselfe to be an ideot , or mad , through feare of achis , king of the philistians , and sundry others , which out of little feare of god , and too much feare of man , haue done euils , or denied the truth . therefore ( gods children ) are to labour not onely for sound feare , but for a great portion of it , to haue it , and to haue it abundantly , as that it may preuaile ouer the feare of the flesh , to feare god as he should be feared , according to the greatnesse of his maiesty and power . of trust or confidence in god. aquila . amongst other things spoken by you touching the feare of god , your last words of fearing god accordingly , be very worthy of all christians to be thought on : for it is not enough if we will doe our duties and be safe , to feare god , and to doe it sincerely , vnlesse we doe feare him accordingly : that is , considering our owne infirmities , how weake wee are and prone to euill , vnable to doe well , feeble to resist encounters , and to beare off assaults , stumbling at euery straw , and fearing euery bush , or shaking of a leafe ; and the malice and force , the subtilty and guile of our visible and inuisible enemies , how many , furious , and crafty they be ; also considering , how sundry men stronger then our selues , haue beene surprized and ouertaken by them : moreouer , the awefull maiesty of god , his terrible iustice , and almightinesse , so hating sinne , so able to annoy and hurt sinners , the infinite goodnesse and mercy and holinesse of god , so louing the righteous , so willing and able to blesse the iust ; all these being duly pondered , it would be the duty and worke of all men to pray , and vse all good meanes that they may feare god , and feare him much and plentifully , and continually . and to speake truth , how can hee bee too much feared , that hath already done so much for vs ? of whom also we looke for so much ; from whom commeth all good : without whom nothing can be had that is helpefull and healthfull vnto vs ; hee gouerning and disposing all things as he will , hauing all creatures subiect to his will and pleasure : angels , men , diuels , beasts , to make them friends , or enemies . blessed is therefore the man whose heart is alwayes , and much in his feare , being afraide of sinning against god , as of the greatest euill that can befall him ; and studious of pleasing god , as the greatest good that can come to him . but now sir , i would heare you proue vnto me , that to trust in god , is such a worke as the faithfull alone can doe it ; and wherein it consisteth , and how it differeth from the confidence of wicked men , and what be the effects and markes of it in those that haue it , and how we are to be encouraged vnto it . apollos . of all other workes which be proper to the elect , there is least question of this , whether it be appropriated to godly men alone ; because the scripture euery where doth describe the wicked hereby , as by an essentiall effectuall note , that they trust not in god ; that there is in them an euill heart and vnbeleeuing ; that they with-draw themselues through vnbeleefe , that they are full of vnbeleefe ; that they are faithlesse , that their trust is in their riches , or in the arme of flesh , or in man , and not in the liuing god. which plainely proueth , that none saue the godly man can put his trust in god ; it being put downe as the property and vnseparable marke to a righteous man , that his trust is in god , that hee maketh god his buckler , his tower , his shield , and defence , his fortresse and bulwarke ; that his heart is fixed in god , and stayeth on him . the promises also which be made to them that they shall neuer be remoued ; psalme . . but be established and stand like mount sion that cannot be remoued ; that mercies shall compasse them on euery side , that they shall not perish ; that god will be their god for euer , that his saluation belongeth to them , that he will neuer faile nor forsake them ; heb. . and many such like , do confirme to vs , that to trust in god , as it is a thing maruellous acceptable vnto god , so it is a duty which euery one cannot performe , but they onely with whom god hath stricken an euerlasting couenant . this trust in god , causeth the godly man to repose and place his affiance and confidence in god , that through his onely goodnesse and power , he shall not onely be safe against all enemies and euils , so as not to be ouercome by them , though he be assaulted ; but to obtaine whatsoeuer good thing is expedient for him to haue . the ground of this their confidence , it is first the knowledge of gods nature , that he is mercifull , most true , and almighty . secondly , the consideration of his promises , whereby he hath bound himselfe to doe his children good , and to keepe euill from them . thirdly , the great experience of gods great care and kindnesse , both to others and toward themselues . for the first ground of our trust in god ; see psal. . , . where the infinite power of god vttered in the worke of creation , and his fidelity in performing his word , are put for foundations of our trust . for the second , when esau came against iacob , hee gathered trust and heart from the remembrance and meditation of gods promises before made to him ; o lord ( saith iacob ) thou speakest to thy seruant , and badst me goe into my country , and thou wouldst be with me ; gen. . . also dauid herevpon built his confidence , as we may reade psal. . in thy word is my trust and comfort . and touching the third , his owne experience of gods wonderfull preseruation towards himselfe ; psal. . . thou art the god of my saluation , in thee doe i trust all the day long ; and towards others , our fathers trusted in thee , and were deliuered ; psal. . . did embolden him to rest himselfe in god. and this is to bee obserued in the trust and confidence of a godly man , that whether he haue few or many , little or great meanes , any or no meanes ; yet his heart still trusteth in god , whom hee knoweth , and hath tried to be sufficient of himselfe , without , nay , against meanes to succour and saue him . and herein is the maine difference betweene the godly and the wicked , in this point ; that whereas both professe to trust in god alone , and in prosperity & peace , both seeme so to doe ; yet the trust of the vngodly , is not in the lord , but in second causes , in outward meanes ; as asa trusted in his phisicians , chro. . . the rich man in the gospell trusted in his abundance of goods ; luke . . doeg in the multitude of his riches , psalme . , . the iewes in the aegyptians , in whom they strengthened themselues ; esay . . the assirians in their owne forces , esay . and some ( saith the psalmist ) trust in chariots , some in horses , whereas the godly doe trust in the name of the lord ; psal. . this difference is manifested in the euill day , when meanes faile the wicked ; then it appeares their hope was not in god : for of confident and bold , by the presence of the meanes , they weigh faint and heartlesse thorow the absence thereof ; as appeareth by common experience . whereas the godly , in desperate hopelesse cases , as daniel in the den of lyons , the three seruants in the fiery furnace , ieremy in the dungeon , ioseph in prison , ionas in the whales belly , dauid in exile and flight from saul ; finally , paul and silas in the stocks , made god their strength and whole trust : and which is yet more then all this , the godly make the lord their stay and trust , not onely when all men , and all things bee against them , but allso when god sheweth himselfe as an enimie vnto them , beleeuing in him vnder hope aboue hope ; as it is said of abraham , rom. . . iob also professing that hee would trust in god , though he would kill him , iob . the reason hereof is euident , because they are assured , that whatsoeuer courses god holdeth towards them , yet his mercies , truth , and goodnesse , are firme , and vnchangeable , and will neuer faile them . now herein is the triall of our trust in god , when in time of peace and prosperity that wee haue meanes at hand , and in our power , wee so vse them , as our minds doth looke beyond them vnto god , looking for the good successe , and for a blessing from heauen ; being assured , that as we haue all meanes , so we expect the good vse of the meanes from him alone : and when they are lacking to vs , or fight against vs , yet not to be so dismaide , but that we still cast vp our eye vnto god , with confidence of helpe from his goodnesse . when wee are put in the clests , and come to any great straites , we are then to resolue and say with iehosaphat ; chro. . . there is a great multitude come out against vs , and wee know not what to doe , but our eyes are towards thee : and with abraham , my sonne , god will prouide a sacrifiee , when he saw no likelihood of any ; gen. . and with king dauid , though my heart be per plexed and troubled , yet will i waite on god , he is my helpe and my god ; psa. . and againe , he hath beene my god euen from my mothers wombe , therefore i will trust in him , ps. . and happy is the man that hath his trust in the god of iacob ; for whosoeuer trusteth in him shall be assured , neuer any yet ashamed which put their trust in the almighty ; psal. . , . therfore if thou dwell in the secret of the most highest , and abide in the shadow of the almighty , saying to him , o lord , thou art my hope and my rock , my god , in thee will i trust ; surely then he will deliuer thee from the snare of the hunter , and from the noysome pestilence , hee will couer thee vnder his wings , and thou shalt be safe vnder his feathers ; his truth shall bee thy shield and buckler , thou shalt not be afraide of the feare of the night , nor of the arrow that flyeth by day , nor of the plague that destroyeth at noone day , nor of the pestilence which walkes in the darke . thus great is the peace , and wonderfull is the security and quiet of the man that maketh god his stay : for who can take out of the hands of god ? if god will saue , who can destroy ? who can hurt , whom hee will keepe ? which doth all what hee will in heauen and earth , whom none can resist ; whereas god being neglected and set apart , all other things are too weake to helpe . vaine is the helpe of man ; an horse cannot saue ; no power , no policy , can releeue or rescue against god. vaine is the helpe of princes ; castles , towers , forts , forces , friends , wealth , wit , and whatsoeuer else , is vnable to preserue him , who hath not god for his friend ; and hee is not friend to any , saue such as make him their stay & 〈◊〉 . both scripture , and other stories , abundantly teach of very great and mighty men , how feurefully they haue liued , and how lamentably they haue perished , because they reposed themselues vpon other things besides god : which is sufficient to admonish all persons to vse all good helpes giuen them of god , so as their trust be fixed in god alone ; for he is the defence of his people , and their strong deliucrer . it were better to haue the presence and protection of god onely , then a gard of many thousand men about vs. thou o lord alone ( saith dauid ) makest me rest in safety . i laide me downe and slept , and rose againe , for thou o lord makest me dwell in safety ; psal. . . & . but such as withdraw their hearts from god , he shall cause those very means wherein they put their trust , to be their ouerthrow : vse meanes therefore lest thou tempt god , trust not in them , lest thou denie him , and he destroy thee . of prayer and thankefulnesse . i see it plainely , that euill men ( whatsoeuer they say ) yet their trust is not in god : but as the mistes and cloudes keepe vs from the sight of the sunne , so the blessings of god stand betweene the eyes of the wicked and god himselfe , that they cannot looke vpon him ; whereas the godly by the eye of their soule pierce thorow all meanes to behold god himselfe , the authour and disposer of all good things , in whom they see a secrer blessing prouided for them , which is hid from others . but now sir , seeing true and vnfeined trust in god , bringeth forth prayer vnto god , because wee trust in him , therefore wee call vpon him ; and vppon the happy successe of prayers , followes thankefulnesse : i would haue you in the next place to deale in these things , and to shew me how the godly and vngodly doe differ in these workes ; seeing one as well as another , doth performe them : for it is common to all to pray , and to giue thankes . the pharisie both prayed and gaue thankes , luke . so did iudas , as well as peter ; cain , as well as abel . apollos . it is true which you say , that therefore christians doe lift vp their mindes vnto god , euen because of that trust which they put in him . hence it is , that they are bold to come vnto god , for that they assuredly trust that he will doe them good . as we neuer haue an heart to seeke to any men for helpe , in whom wee haue no affiance that they will regard vs ; but wee readily get vs to such for kindnesse , of whom we haue some good hope : so it is with gods children , their confidence which they haue in god , breedes in them a willingnesse by prayer to craue his helpe ; whereof when they are made partakers , they burst out into thankfulnesse and prayses of that goodnesse which respected and releeued them ; it being the property of gods children not to be more forward to desire gods benefits and protections for them and theirs , ouer their soules and bodies , then to returne thankfull acknowledgements after they haue receiued mercies . and whereas hypocrites and euill men doe pray and giue thankes , it is true generally , that there is no worke touching the outward act , which gods children doe , but the children of this world doe the same ; but that which these doe in hypocrisie , the other doe in truth : and particularly there bee in these workes of prayer and thankfulnesse , many differences betweene the one and the other ; as that the wicked are more ready to beg in their wants , then to be thankefull when they haue sped , and they are thankfull rather for prosperity , then for aduersity : whereas the godly see great cause to giue god thankes and praise in and for euery estate , because all things are made to worke together for the best towards them ; rom. . againe , the wicked doe quickly faint in prayer , if they be not heard ; whereas the godly perseuere in asking till they be heard : like the woman which followed the iudge with importunity ; luke : and the man which in the night time got his friend to arise out of his bed , to fetch him a loafe to refresh his friends which came to him ; so gods children howsoeuer they are long delayed for triall of their patience and constancy in prayer , and to sharpen their affections , and for sundry other good regards ; yet they pray , and ceasse not till god doe send a gracious answer : their prayers being like messengers , which will not returne without their answer , or like ionathans arrowes , which brought dauid to him . moreouer , the wicked pray coldly and out of a custome , the children of god pray with care and conscience , and doing their duty with feare of displeasing god. the wicked pray generally , the godly aske particular graces , more begging sauing graces then others . whereas euill men aske temporall things more often , and more earnestly ; neither doe they aske these out of faith , to be heard . againe , the godly take no worke in hand , but they begin it with prayer , and end it with thankesgiuing : so doe not the wicked . moreeuer , the godly doe continually pray , with an earnest desire of the thing asked in prayer , and with a sure perswasion of obtaining it ; both which the wicked want . finally , besides many other things , this is one maine difference , that the godly in their prayers and thankesgiuing , performe these workes in respect of , and with a loue to the commandement which enioynes them , and in a true and vnfeined desire of glorifying god , by their obedience to his will : and herein are gods children vnlike the wicked , as in these , so in all other workes which they doe , being good , or leaue vndone being euill ; that therein they consent to the law of god in their minds and wils , approuing the good they doe , and hating the euill which they flye , and may not doe ; studying and endeauouring by such their submission to gods law , to set forth and extoll the name and honour of their heauenly father . these are the rules they walke by , both in prayer and prayses , in reading and hearing the word , and in receiuing the sacraments ; as also in the practise of all other duties towards god or men . of the word and sacraments . aquila . sithence ye haue mentioned the word and mysteries , and our actions about them are workes which belong to gods worship ; declare wherein the godly doe differ from other men , in their worke of hearing and partaking in the word and sacrament : for all sorts of men doe these workes , euen that fox herod will heare iohn , and the pharises came to heare christ , and iudas was at the passcouer , and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 desired baptisme : what is it that discerneth one from another in these common duties ? apollos . sincerity and soundnesse ( called truth in scripture ) discerneth worke from worke , and duty from duty . the hypocrite and wicked euen for their hearing the word , and being partakers of the sacraments , because they lacked vprightnesse in the doing , seeking not god , but themselues ; therefore they shall for them heare at the last day , ye workers of iniquity , depart from me ; mat. . . for this shall be saide to such which did prophecie , cast out diuels , and doe great workes in christ his name , because their outward workes were voide of inward sincerity . and this is a thing worthy to be marked , that euen a good worke done of an euill man , with an euill and 〈◊〉 heart , vppon pretence and shew of seruing and pleasing god , when in truth no such thing is meant , but the pleasing of himselfe , or some other carnall respect leades him , it doth become a worke of iniquity . howbeit , besides vprightnesse , there are to be found sundry things in godly men doing these workes , which are not to bee found in the vngodly and hypocrites . as first , that the godly when they heare or partake in the mysteries , they vse great and serious preparation before , by religious meditations of their owne wants and vnworthinesse on the one side , bethinking how little they deserue such mercifull helpes , and yet how great neede they haue of them ; and on the other side , of the aweful 〈◊〉 before whom they must appeare , and of the gracious promises which hee hath made to his owne ordinances , with earnest prayer to be enabled to doe their publike seruice in faith and godly reuerence , with singlenesse of heart , as in gods presence , and before his face . secondly , in the time of those solemne actions , remembring themselues to be vnder the eye of god , occupied in his seruice , and about their owne saluation , they demeane themselues accordingly , being full of most holy and heauenly motions , sutable to that worke they haue in hand . lastly , after their being in the assemblies , they labour to reape great fruite by the vse of the meanes for the encrease of their faith and obedience ; that as they bring with them vnto the ministery of the word an honest and good heart , truly & fully resolued according to the measure of grace receiued to beleeue and obey god , hungring and thirsting after his graces offered , and louing his word and sacraments as his blessed ordinances , and their owne soules nourishment : so after the participation of the word and mysteries , they perceiue and feele by experience their strength against sinne and sathan much encreased , and their soules refreshed somewhat in all the graces of the new man , euen as the strength and powers of their bodies are cheered and reuiued after a moderate wholsome bodily repast . this sence and experience engendreth in them hearty thankefulnesse vnto god their father , for blessing vnto their good his own holy institutions , which for their sinnes he might haue turned into a curse ; and withall , it prouoketh them to attend and waite with reuerence , loue , and hope of more fruites vpon the sacred ordinances of god , making great conscience of sanctifying the lords sabbath , in the religious and godly vse thereof . thus it is ordinarily with gods children , when they partake in the word and mysteries ; and if they happen to faile of these duties , either for substance or degree , they are very sorry , and flye to gods mercy for pardon , and become more heedfull afterwards . of the religious vse of gods name and sabbath . aquila . now may it please you to speake of the name and sabbath of god , and tell me how the godly must carry themselues in the vse therof , as god may be pleased : for herein outwardly there appeareth great likenesse betweene man and man. the wicked and hypocrites in their common speech , oathes , vowes , prayers , confessions , vsing gods name , and obseruing the rest of the seuenth day as diligently as any ; the scribes and pharises will be in the synagogue on the sabbath , as well as christ and his disciples . apollos . indeede the sonnes of sceua are too bold with the name of iesus ; acts . . and so were the priests with the name of god : we adiure thee by the liuing god , tell vs , &c. mat. . and as with the title of god they are too forward to meddle ; so where god hath stamped his name vpon his doctrine , his sacraments , his workes , they with their foule hands are sound to be too ready to touch it : but all they get by vsing or abusing it rather , it is the encrease of their guilt by prophaning so sacred a thing as his name , which is glorious and fearefull ; it being written , that god will not hold him guiltlesse which taketh that name in vaine . therefore the godly they very sparingly vse the name of god , neuer or sildome in their common speech , vnlesse vpon great occasion , and when necessity constraines ; and then they take it vp with great feare and awe , lest they sinne in vainely vsurping it ; praying at least in their hearts , and secretly desiring the lord to guide them in the vse of his name : alwayes fearing to apply it to any light and trifling , much lesse to any wicked purpose , as to confirme a falshood , or to cloke a naughtinesse . and this is it which salomon admonisheth vs of , in that antithesis or opposition between him that sweareth , and him that feareth an oath ; eccle . . . hereby teaching , that whereas sinners doe rashly vse the name of god , euen in an oath without reuerence , or consideration of that awefull and wonderful name ; contrariwise good men whensoeuer they are to vse the name of god , in an oath especially , or otherwise , they come to it with feare , lest they offend by vaine vsage of it . now concerning the sabbath , they are thus affected towards it : ( farre otherwise then euill men are ) they doe not supersticiously esteeme it aboue other dayes , as it is a day ; but they ioy in the remembrance and vse of it , in regard of the worship of god performed on that day , and because of the benefit that doth redound to their soules , for the building them vp into the sauing knowledge of god , and of iesus christ his sonne . in these respects they doe long for the sabbath till it come , they cheere vpon it when it doth approach , and in the weeke dayes they looke so well to their wayes , keeping in all things a good conscience , and so religiously walking in the workes of their vocation , as when the sabbath doth come , they can with alacrity and ioy sanctifie it . the men of this world doe not with more gladnesse gather in their corne , wine , and oyle , then god ; children to keepe the lords day ; psalme . . i reioyced , when they saide to me ; we will , &c. from the obseruation where of , neither themselues , nor such as be vnder their charge , are held by such common hinderances , as the world is letted by . but as they breake through all 〈◊〉 , that they and theirs may resort to the house of god ; so their desire & study is to spend the whole day throughout , publikely and priuately , in such holy workes as are commanded of god , and be sitting his day : as reading , singing , conferring , praying , visiting the sicke & prisoners , exhorting , comforting , as occasion is offered , reconciling of iarres , examination of their family , how they profit by the publike ministery ; lastly , by meditation on the creatures . for which purposes they make a cessation from all their owne seruile workes ( which on other dayes were lawfull to be done ) that they may be free to attend all holy duties of the sabbath , to obtain fresh strength of grace from the god of heauen , to ceasse ( all their life long ) from their dead workes , the lustes of their sinfull nature ; so as 〈◊〉 here into a spiritual rest , they may enioy at last an eternall sabbath in heauen . aquila . what letteth , but that now we may passe forwards vnto that ranke of good workes , which doe concerne men , seeing wee haue taken a taste of those workes which godly men , and they onely , can and doe performe towards god ? apollos . yes , friend aquila , there is a 〈◊〉 for wee haue a principal part of godlinesse , yet to 〈◊〉 in which we may in no wise passe ouer , and it 〈◊〉 patience in affliction . aquila . it was well remembred , for there is no more necessary worke of godlinesse , then this of patience ; we haue not more need of water and the aire then of patience , and no worke more proper to an elect man , then this ; therefore called , the , patience of the saints , reuel . . . to teach vs , that it is peculiar to them alone ; and it is there annexed to faith : as also in heb. . . as a fruite thereof ; also to hope , as an vnseparable companion of it ; thes. . : remembring the patience of your hope . and very worthily is hope matcht with patience , and that for two respects ; seeing the thing we hope for , which is eternall blisse and rest from our labours in heauen , is not onely deferred and put off , but derided and scorned ; pet. , : yea , and we afflicted too ; tim. . . therefore hope hath neede of patience to sustain it . secondly , thus yoking hope with patience , we are admonished , that as hope cannot consist without patience , so neither can patience exist , or be , where there is not hope . hope bringeth forth encrease of patience , and patience encreased , doth confirme hope ; rom. . , . finally , there is no worke wherein wee more resemble and shew our selues like vnto christ , the president and patterne of true patience , then this ; as we are plentifully taught , heb. . , . also pet. . , , . which places of scripture teach vs thus much , that christ in patience abiding his fathers will , suffering willingly the shame and smart of the crosse , became an example to vs , that we should follow his steps . insomuch as the apostle paul , rom. . and tom. . affirmeth , that such as doe sallow christ in patient suffering , shall partake with him in reigning and glory . it will therefore be very fit , that this grace of patience be distinctly and fully entreated of , and feuered from that shadow of patience which is in the wicked , who seeme to haue it , and yet are nothing lesse then patient . apollos . this had beene spoken of before , when we entreated of hope , whose supporter patience is , as hope is the prop of faith ; but that i thought it sit to place it amongst those workes of godlinesse : and to the last place i haue referred it , because it being a large argument , it will aske vs more time then at this our meeting could well haue been affoorded to such a copious theame , and spacious matter . therefore if it seeme good to you , we will let it alone till our next comming together . the tenth part of the dialogue . of patience in affliction . apollos . friend aquila , since we first entred vpon our conference of effectuall calling , and of the fruits of it , you neuer tryed my patience till now . i haue here expected you a good while , and if you had not come iust thus as you did , surely i had returned whence i came , somewhat discontented with you . aquila . sir , i am but quit with you , for thus you serued me once ; but you that haue seene me so forward in keeping times for prosecuting this businesse , might haue imagined in your selfe , that it was something more then ordinary , which kept me thus long from you . apollos . nay , i tell you that very thought held me , and so ruled my mind at that , as i did not grow vnpatient . aquila . sir , i pray you lay aside your quarrell to me about my long tarrying , and now we are so well met , let me heare you speake of the nature and property of the obiect and office of patience . apollos . there is no christian grace , but it hath his speciall obiect to worke vpon , and whereabout it is exercised . promises of saluation are the obiect of faith , whose property is to beleeue and receiue them by the mind and will 〈◊〉 to them , and embracing them for most true ; the thing promised , is the obiect of hope , whose office is to expect it till it be giuen vs. the office of loue , is to knit our affections to god , who is the proper obiect of our loue . repentance is busied about sinnes , and the vse of it , to greeue after any sinne , with a purpose to offend so no more . temperance gouernes our mind about pleasures of life ; meckenesse about iniuries from men . mercy is exercised about miseries of others . humility bridles the mind about praises and honours . and to be short , the power of moderating the heart in crosses and afflictions which are put vpon vs by gods appointment , doth belong to patience , which hath afflictions or aduersities for his proper obiect : for this is the will of god , that no man should liue in this world without crosses and afflictions . our dayes are few , they are also euill , and very euill . our yeeres are few , but miseries are not few ; they are many and manifold , and some of them great , and doe continually follow vs as the shadow doth the body . these miseries when they happen , they stirre and moue the mind to griefe ; euen as presence of pleasure & delights tickle the mind with ioy , to sorrow assaults the mind in the presence of afflictiue and heauy things , wherewith it should be ouerturned were it not for the helpe of patience , which doth temper our griefe , and stay the mind steddy and quiet in good contentment vnder the hand of god. this then is the office of patience , to confirme & settle the mind against the force of sorrow , arising from the sence of tribulations . aquila . i perceiue well by this ye haue vttered , that the office and power of patience will better be declared , if withall and first of all , afflictions and the kindes thereof ( which be the matter whereabout patience is set on worke ) shall be opened and saide forth . will it please you then to follow this course , to speake generally of afflictions , & to acquaint vs with those grounds of patience , which be common to all afflictions ; and after that , to handle the seuerall sorts of afflictions , and the speciall grounds of patience 〈◊〉 to euery kind of afflictions , 〈◊〉 the 〈◊〉 grounds whereon worldlings build the frame of their 〈◊〉 patience ? apollos . aquila , you haue well chalked out away wherein we may walke . thus then the 〈◊〉 and 〈◊〉 ; the scripture saith , that death 〈◊〉 into the world by sinne ; rom. . . by death , is vnderstood not onely that dissolution of soule and body , but all troubles and afflictions , as the 〈◊〉 of death men are not 〈◊〉 sinne 〈◊〉 able to death , then to afflictions . it was not onely saide to adam , to 〈◊〉 thou shall returne , but that in sweate of his browes 〈◊〉 should 〈◊〉 his bread ; and to eue , that 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 bring forth children 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 : these , with 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 afflictions , 〈◊〉 vpon adams 〈◊〉 , among whom , some may be found haply which neuer knew what prosperity meant , but not one which hath not tasted of afflictions . our entrance into the world is with danger & cryes , our passage out of the world is by fearefull & painfull death : the middle between birth and death , cradle and graue , is full of vanity and vexation , affliction being a cup which all men are to drinke of , some more , some lesse , god measuring vnto each person a portiō of trouble , as drinke was wont to be measured in cups , that each in the family might haue a portion . hence are those speeches in scripture , the lord hath a cup in his hand ; psal. . . and father , let this cup passe ; mat. . . and can ye drinke of the cup , &c. mat. . . but in this common condition of all men , the wisedome of god doth hold a difference , afflicting his owne children both more often , and more seuerely then he doth the children of the world. there are sundry good reasons of gods counsell herein , why he administreth a deepe portion of afflictions , and keepeth his children in the schoole of tribulations longer then he doth the wicked ; first in that god freeth the wicked here , when he doth afflict the iust , it would admonish vs , that there is another world after this , in which his afflicted children shall haue rest and be comforted , when the wanton worldling fatted with delights , shall be troubled and in torment ; as abraham saide to the rich man , luke . in his life time hee had receiued , &c. and according to that thes. . , . there be other reasons of this proceeding , as that he may by his patience & bounty towards the vngodly , call them to amendment , and leaue them without excuse , if they continue impenitent after such lenity and kindnesse ; rom. . . and also to terrifie them and make them afraide to sinne , by expectation of the wrath to come : for if iudgement begins at gods house , and the righteous searcely be saued , they may easily collect what remaines for them , if they turne 〈◊〉 ; pet. . . moreouer , gods owne children by such seuerity vpon them , and lenity to the euill , may perceiue how vnpartiall god is , that will not beare with sinne , no , not in his chosen ones ; and so learne to feare him ; and withall they are encouraged to looke for a better portion hereafter , euen a share in that heauenly inheritance . knowing that as earthly fathers , though they allow their sonnes bare and course fare and lodging , and hard vsage otherwise , when they who be strangers , are liberally entertained , yet meane them the inheritance : so god plentifully feedeth and furnisheth the wicked , who are strangers from god , when such as be his owne children are both beaten and haue short allowance , yet the inheritance of heauen is appointed for them . and this is one chiefe ground of patience , that god is not onely the authour of the afflictions which he sendeth according to his wil , but disposeth them to their aduancement in the end . which proceedeth from hence , that howsoeuer god be angry with the sinnes of his children , and afflict them with greeuous & smartful things ; yet they come from a loue and mercy which god beareth to their persons , which causeth him in that wrath against their offences , to remember mercy to themselues . contrariwise , in his afflicting of euill men , he hateth both sinne and person for the sinnes sake ; which is the reason , that as they haue no true patience vnder the weight of their afflictions and miseries , as not perceiuing them to be sent to them out of any good will towards them ; so when the burthen is off from their backe , they are neuer the better , they hauing no blessing with their affliction to cause them to profit to amendment , but are rather driuen the further from god : so turning and yeelding to him while his hand keepeth them downe , as pharaoh and ahab did ; yet afterwards they returne to their old byas , and be as they were , or rather more hardened in sinne . when as godly men vnderstanding by their faith , that all crosses issue out of that loue wherewith god loued them in his sonne to saluation , they are sure of a fruite by their afflictions to greater repentance and humiliation ; and haue their minds well framed to patience , out of this perlwalion , that the hand that strikes them , is no hating and killing ; but a louing and sauing hand . the grounds of patience in all other men , are , not the will of god , or the expectation of a benefit out of the assurance of his fauour : but necessity , because they haue no remedy , and they thinke it better to beare it , then to do worse : these two , either that it will not boote them to resist , or that resistance will but doe them harme ; these are the common grounds of their patience . but on the other side , the godly haue other ground of their patience in all afflictions ; which i will now more distinctly name vnto you . as first , that their affl ctions come not by chance , but are 〈◊〉 and directed by gods prouidence ; amos . secondly , that they are momentany and short , and shal haue an end ; cor. . thirdly , that they are alwaies iust and righteous , though the reason of them be not alwayes knowne ; daniel . fourthly , patience in bearing afflictions , is a duty and seruice pleasing to god ; i 〈◊〉 . . . fiftly , they know their afflictions shall not exceed their strength . sixtly , that there will be a good and happy issue of them at the last ; cor. . seauenthly , that they haue not onely all other men , but all good men to be companion of their afflictions ; psalme . and lastly , that it would be to their great hurt to bee free from afflictions . by these considerations , their mindes are stayed in good quietnesse , that though they are not stockes , but doe feele afflictions ; yet the 〈◊〉 of their afflictions hath no power greatly for to disturbe their minds ; because by patience they possesse their soules . this is it wee see in iobs sore afflictions , hee lookt vp to gods wil , and was patient ; god hath giuen , and he hath taken , iob . dauid sore afflicted by sinne , he considered the good will of god , that the lord would doe him good by it , and was quiet . paul passed through a world of afflictions , yet fastning his eye vpon the end of them which was eternall glory , and assured hereof , that they would further his owne , and the saluation of the church , thereby hee was made constant in patience ; cor. . verse last . moyses in his afflictions endured , looking forward to the recompence of reward ; heb. ii. this it is which is the life and soule of patience ; namely , that this is the will of god , that his children should glorifie him , by willingly suffering aduersities , and that gods loue will draw a blessing out of their afflictions , to the glorisying of themselues in the end ; euen as sampson gathered sweet out of the bitter : so gods children find a sweete fruite of bitter afflictions ; hebrewes . , . aquila . by this which you haue said , i obserue these three things . first prosperity and aduersity be no sure arguments of gods fauour or hatred , because they doe in common fall to all men in such sort , as the godly are blessed when they are afflicted , and wicked persons are accursed , euen when they prosper . the second thing is , that afflictions falling alike to all , ( though more , and more often to the good ) yet afflictions to wicked men be a part of gods curse , and properly punishments ; afflictions to the godly are rather loue tokens , and haue the nature of blessings in them . thirdly , when good and euill men are vnder afflictions , there is no smal difference in their patience ; some 〈◊〉 men haue not so much as shew of patience , being full of discontentment and rage when they are vnder gods hand : others which are more calme and still , yet haue no patience but perforce , because they cannot choose , or be loath to be thought faint-hearted . whereas good men are as well pleased with afflictions as with benefits , euer accounting that best which god sends to them , whatsoeuer it be , bearing his crosses not of necessity , but for duty sake to god. after these things thus discoursed , it will be sitting that we passe from this generall treatise of afflictions , and to descend vnto particulars , to speake of afflictions , as they are either the chastisements of our sinnes , or the trials of our faith and loue ; thus i thinke we may distinguish the afflictions of the godly : the scripture so plainely telleth vs , that god chastiseth whom he loueth , nurtering and correcting euery childe whom hee receiues ; heb. . : and also doth tempt and take triall of them . thus he is saide to haue tempted abraham ; gen. . . and afflictions are called temptations ; iames . . for as sathan tempteth to seduce & destroy ; so god tempteth to proue , and make triall of his people , to make it knowne what is in them ; deut. . . it may fall out that some afflictions shall be both chastisements and trials ; yet wee are to consider and speake of them distinctly and 〈◊〉 things diuided in nature ; some being tried by affliction , wherein it cannot be truly said , that they are chastened ; as iob , and diuers martyrs . to conclude , afflictions , which be properly punishments to the wicked , are to the righteous for correction , or for their triall . apollos . i thanke you aquila for this kindnesse , in cutting and laying out my worke for me ; i am content to be held your apprentise , and to giue you the credit and place of the master workman . but to fall in hand with the worke , it is true indeed which you say , that afflictions , which in themselues , and toward the wicked are a part of the curse due to sinne ; yet in respect of the righteous , they change their condition : the afflictions and death of our lord iesus christ hauing sanctified all the afflictions of his members which beleeue in him , that they should put on another nature , and be no more to them an execration ; but to serue ( as you well say ) either for correction or probation , or both . for in one worke sometime god hath a double end , both to chasten for some sinne done , and to take triall of the graces in his children . for our orderly proceeding , i will first entreat of chastisements , and the patience which gods children shew therein : afterwards of their trials , and namely of their great triall of trials , which is by death and martyrdome ; whereunto some of gods children are put , and all are to expect it . the church of god it is a schoole , the faithfull are as disciples and schollars ; in schollars there is much forgetfulnesse , and slothfulnesse , and much other vntowardnesse ; which will neede to be remedied by the correcting hand of christ , the onely master of his church : his ministers being to him but as vshers . the church is as a family , the faithfull are as gods seruants & children ; amongst these there is alwayes some vnrulinesse , and disobedience : therefore god their lord and father , cannot be without roddes for chastisements . this the scripture abundantly witnesseth , that as the godly on the one side giue plentifull matter , by their often and plentifull sinning , yea , sometimes by greeuous sinning against god , why they should bee beaten euen with scourges : so on the other side , many and manifold are the corrections of god. he hath roddes and scourges of all kindes , gentler and sharper , inward and soule chastisements , outward and bodily corrections : god can smite in goods , name , estate , credite , wife , children , friends , liberty , in euery thing that is with them , or neere them , or deere to them . god knowes how to chasten them , by taking away , or lessening their comfort ; also by putting vpon them things greeuous to their nature , wherein gods children through patience doe shew all good contentment at the lords dealing with them , though it be sometimes very rough and seuere . yet they know and consider that it is well deserued , they haue made themselues very worthy to be wel beaten , by their breach of gods law ; and it is but good reason , if they be so bold as to transgresse , and deserue chastisement , that god should take leaue to vse his authority . therefore as they suffered with patience the fathers of their bodies when they corrected them , now much more they doe submit themselues to him that is the father of spirits ; especially when they marke his manner of proceeding in his chastisements , and the chiefe ends that he aymeth at in them : seeking therein their profit , not his owne praise , or pleasure , as bodily parents often doe . for touching his proceeding , albeit man suffer eth not but for his owne sinne ; lament . . 〈◊〉 is corrected but for his faults : yet god doth not draw out his roddes for euery offence , then there were none able to abide it : for we offend so often and so much , that it would quickly consume vs , if wee should feele his hand for euery trespasse . but as earthly fathers winke at sundry and many things amisse in their children ; so it pleaseth god to vse conniuence and fauour towards our daily infirmities , and smaller faults which accompany the frailty of our nature . therefore it is saide of him , that he is slow to anger , patient , and full of compassion and goodnesse , psal. . indeed when the godly doe forget themselues , and fall into some foule and grosse sinne , especially whereby they giue offence by their example , prouoking others to sinne ; or when in lesser faults they grow too stubborne , and waxe secure , or when they lift vp their hearts , and become proud and high minded ; 〈◊〉 commonly he taketh the rodde in hand , being loth to fall to strike , till we fall to dulnesse , sluggishnesse , arrogancy , and contempt ; as there is no other remedy , but that hee must scourge vs , or lose vs. againe , when god hath suffered his children long , ( for he had rather they should iudge themselues , then hee should iudge them ) desiring their conuersion by his bounty and kindnesse , rather then their amendment by correction ( so sweete and louing is his nature , so loth to strike ) yet he striketh not till he haue giuen good warning , either by admonitions of his prophets and seruants , or motions of his owne spirit , and often checkes of our owne conscience , calling vpon vs to reforme our life . as it is written in amos . . surely the lord will doe nothing , but he will reueale it to his prophets . after these warnings by his ministers , if there follow no repentance , then there being no other remedy , chro. . , , he proceeds to chastising , the more seuerely the longer that he hath borne ; and the more that wee haue prouoked him , either by greeuousnesse of the fault , or obstinacy in resisting his holy spirit , speaking in the ministery of his holy word ; acts . . howbeit , in these chastisements so iustly deserued , so worthily pulled vpon vs , he doth exercise maruellous wise loue , or louing wisedome : his long suffering , in bearing before he smite , is not so admirable ; but his wisedome and loue is as gracious , when he smiteth . he goes to correction with a leaden foote , and when he correcteth and layeth on his heauiest hand on his children yet it is in so wise & louing a manner , with such fitnesle and moderation , to so good purposes , as the faithfull find euen in their smartfull chastisements , cause not onely of patience and great contentment , but of great praise and thankfulnesse ; yea , of ioy and cheerefulnesse in their in ward man : howsoeuer their rebellious flesh mutter and storme . which the apostle paul well vnderstood ; therefore exhorts the beleeuing christians to grue thankes in all things ; thes. . . he that saith , allthings , excepted not chastisements . and in another place , he wils vs not to despise the chastenings of the lord ; heb. . . that is to say , esteeme much , and make great account of them , as of most wholsome remedies , and gracious testimonies of gods speciall loue ; as psal. . when it is saide , god despiseth not a broken heart : the meaning is , he maketh great reckoning of it , as the best sacrifice that can be offered him ; and likewise would the holy spirit by the like phrase teach gods children , what precious and fruitfull things gods rebukes and corrections be , deseruing not only to be patiently , but thankfully 〈◊〉 somely taken , being full of fatherly wisedome and loue . aquila . this is it that i pray you lay open , how this most heauenly mercifull father , doth expresse his loue and wisedome in his corrections : sure it is , that he doth all things in great wisedome , and he that would haue all our things done in loue , there can want no loue in his owne workes towards his owne people . he which is wisedome it selfe , and loue it selfe , must needes deale wisely towards them whom he loues : but declare particularly wherein his loue and wisedome doth appeare ; for this maketh much to preserue and nourish patience . apollos . the wisedome of god appeareth sundry wayes , in the chastising of his children . first , because he knoweth when it is due time to fall to correction , not rashly smiting as foolish men doe , who smite their inferiours before their fault be ripe for correction . secondly , hee discerneth by his wisedome what chastisements be most meete and fittest for euery one ; where to vse a gentle , and where an harder hand : when to strike the soule , when to smite the body ; when it will be best to correct by losses . also , he knowes how to proportion the chastisements 〈◊〉 the sinne , as the sinner may perceiue not onely that hee is beaten for a fault , but for what fault helis beaten ; dealing herein like the skilfull wise physicion , that doth not minister like potions and medicines to all his patients , but considereth their complexions and the nature of the disease , and the degree of the sicknesse , and accordingly tempereth his physicke : so doth god measure out to euery one such a portion of corrections ( which is the sinners physicke ) as the strength of euery one may be able to 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as the quality of the malady doth require . as a crabbed stock doth neede a crabbed wedge , and a sturdy vntamed colt a hard bi r ; so the obstinacy of some , and the toughnesse of their spirit , needeth a more seuere discipline . herein moreouer his wisedome declareth it selfe , that as he knowes how to fit the chastisement vnto the condition of the fault , and quality of offendors ; so how to keepe a moderation both for measure and time , neither more correction nor longer then shall be behoueful : as cunning musicians , who know how to stretch their strings till they be in tune , and no further , least they breake them . finally , in this also his wisedome is manifested , that whereas afflictions in their owne nature be euill , as they are also called ; amos . . lam. . parts of the curse due to sinne : yet as in the creation hee made light out of darkenesse , so in his wise prouidence hee draweth much good towards his out of these painefull euils : wherein he maketh his great loue , together with his wisedome to be known , not onely in that he striketh not so often as wee deserue , and farre lessethen wee are worthy , his chastisements alwayes comming short of our desert , neither suffers his loue them long to cōtinue ; but especially in this , that of short corrections , through his louing blessings vpon them , his children reape happie and long lasting fruires . aquila . i doe well perceiue how truly you ascribe wisedome vnto gods corrections : this that ye speake of their fruitfulnesse , by means of his loue i would haue it further explained , because it is a maine motiue to patience . no reason haue any but to take that well , which shal end in their own welfare ; it is the hoped fruit which makes the husbandman , the merchant , the souldiour , patient amidst great labours and dangers . tell vs then what may this fruit be which groweth vpon the roddes of gods correction . apollos . the maine fruite is called by the apostle , not perishing with the world ; cor. . . ye are chastised , that ye should not be condemned with the world ; that is , suffered to goe on in sinne , with this secure vnrepentant world , to your certaine destruction . this fruite hath another subordinate fruit , seruing and leading thereunto , called , heb. . . the quiet fruite of righteousnesse ; that is , the fruite of a iust and holy life , which is greatly furthered by chastisements , whereby the godly are awed and brought to feare god , and to obey him in his word . before i was afflicted , i went astray , since i haue learned to keepe thy word ; psal. . this fruite of a righteous life by iob is branched out into two parts ; iob . . then be openeth their eares by the corrections which 〈◊〉 hath sealed ; and verse . that he might cause man to tur ne away from his enterpizes , and that hee might hide the pride of man. which sentence teacheth vs thus much , that god by his holy spirit doth secretly and mightily imprint in the hearts of his children , the vse and fruite of their afflictions and chastisements , which fruite is twofold ; first , repentance to turne man from his enterprize : the second is humility , to hide the pride of man ; to turn man from his enterprizes , what is it else but to change his euill mind and workes into good ? that whereas before he was corrected , he purposed , and accordingly enterprized things euill and vnlawfull ; being corrected therefore , henceforth hee altereth his course , purposing and enterprizing good things . this is repentance , the first fruite of corrections . and what is it else to hide the pride of man , but to abate and take downe the pride and haughtinesse of his heart , that hee may walke humbly with his god , and before all men ? this is humility , the second fruite of chastisements . aquila . these be two notable and goodly fruits indeed , and i desire to heare you now more particularly and fully declare , first , how we are holpen by corrections to repentance and amendment of life , then how they doe auaile vs to humblenesse of mind . apollos . iron would rust , if it were not occupied ; the ground without dressing would bring forth bryers and 〈◊〉 : so gods regenerate children without corrections , in stead of the fruites meete for repentant persons , would bring forth too much sinne and vanity . and as our children let goe without chastising , would proue wantons and rebellious against their gouernours ; so would gods children . witnesse the experience of that godly prophet , confessing that ere hee was troubled , he went astray ; psalme . and of the people of israel in the dayes of the iudges ; they turned to the lord when they were afflicted ; no sooner had they rest from their enemies , but they for sooke him ; iudges . , , . & c. and this is a thing whereof god much and often complaines by his prophets , that his people in their prosperity were like vnto pampered horses , which lift the heele to kicke and spurne at their owner and master . euery mans owne experience can teach vs this , that if we be suffered a while without correction , and blessed with ease and abundance , we grow forgetfull of god , slacke and cold in prayer , and in the whole seruice of god , secure and presumptuous in all our conuersation . but to speake more distinctly of this matter , how chastisements when they are blessed of god , doe much helpe forwards the repentance of the godly ; it is found true by testimony and examples in the word , that some by meanes of correction haue beene brought to the knowledge and sight of some sinne , which they did not espy and know to be in themselues ; their correction being as an eye-salue vnto them , to helpe them clearely to espie that which was hid from their eyes . thus to iosephs brethren , afflictions gaue them vnderstanding of their offence , which they had long before committed against their brother ; gen. . , . moreouer , corrections helpe a man as to the knowledge , so to worke the griefe and detestation of his sinne ; because in his sharpe and bitter corrections , he perceiueth the better euen by experience what bitter things our sins are , and how much they displease god. see the truth of this in the israelites , sam. . . lam. . , : in dauid , psalme . and in many others . what should i say further , that through the rodde of correction gods children are led vnto an hearty and earnest confession of their sinnes ? also to ear nest and constant prayer for the forgiuenesse of them , as well as for deliuerance from the smart or punishment , and to a continuall meditation and study how to leaue and abandon such vices , as haue stirred vp gods anger against them . and finally , they are exceedingly prouoked thorow their chastisements for time to come to yeeld better obedience to gods word , to encrease in more feare of god , deniall of themselues , contempt of this world , compassion towards the miseries of others . as christ being tempted , pittied others , and can succour his members : so christians by their owne corrections which they feele , learne to commiserate others when they are iudged of god. thus the blessing of god vpon their chastisements maketh the godly to profit much in the , . parts , . exercises , and . fruits of repentance . aquila . i remember that i haue heard you teach , that the very wicked ( diuers of them ) howsoeuer they neuer take any sound benefit of their punishments when they are past , as they shew no true patience in bearing them while they are vpon them ; yet are by the seuere hand of god broght to crouch vnto god , whom they despised in their prosperity : yea , with pharaoh to confesse their wickednesse , with ahab to put on mourning weedes , with abimelech to leaue their sinne , as touching the outward deede ; with esau to shed teares : but they neuer come thus farre , as by their scourges to grow vnto any detestation of their sinnes past , and serious sincere care of auoyding occasions of such sinne in time to come : which is the prerogatiue of the faithfull person to be soundly bettered by his corrections , to be made more wary and awefull for afterwards . which surely is a maruellous mercy of god towards them , to be by his roddes made more fearefull to offend god , and careful to please him ; and ministreth great and iust cause of patient contentednesse , vnder the hand of god : for who will not quietly and thankfully put vp that blow , that shall beate him into heauen , and keepe him backe from hell ? apollos . ye say right ; but how much doth this bind them to all good patience and thankfulnesse in all their heauy chastenings , that ouer and aboue all which wee haue saide , it pleaseth their louing & good god to giue them the conquest of pride , and the blessing of a more humble heart by their chastisements ? pride is a fault so hatefull to god , as that he saith of it , what he saith of no other kind of sinne , that he will resist the proud , and humble such as exalt themselues . this vice is not yet so mortified in the godly , but though that it reignes not , yet it remaines and dwelles in them , being grounded vpon , and nourished by the good gifts of god bestowed on them , which are the matter and foode of pride ; wee being so prone to pride and sathan , being such a cunning workeman , that he can make the best men proud of their best gifts , yea , of their humility , being therefore proud because they are not so proud as others ; whereof ariseth sundry very euill effects in their disdaine of others , whose persons and gifts they should much reuerence and respect : in entertaining and stirring contentions , in putting some confidence in themselues , yea , and sometimes in selfe-praises and selfe liking , and too high conceit of their owne worth , whereby their purest actions are defiled . this vice of pride which is to god so odious , to our selues so dangerous , it is greatly tamed by chastisements ; in which the spirit of god worketh , as by an instrument for the weakning and taking down our fierce and haughty stomackes : for by our corrections we are made to see our inbred pride . whereupon the heart of a christian is moued not onely to confesse 〈◊〉 , and 〈◊〉 pardon for it , and so to haue it hid and couered by forgiuenesse ; but from the loue , and inordinate 〈◊〉 which they bare vnto themselues , and their owne endowments of nature and grace , they are brought to haue a more lowly conceit of themselues and their own doings ; and to thinke others better then themselues , and themselues worst of all sinners : being driuen from that vaine confidence they put in their owne excellency and worth , to acknowledge freely and franckly nothing in themselues , but meere beggery , and want of all good ; and that to god alone belongs all praise , of all our goodnesse whatsoeuer . and thus by their punishment they are humbled in truth , not in shew onely . aquila . i haue heard your selfe and some others speake highly to the praise of humility , as that it is the foundation and base of other vertues ; that as hee that will build high had neede to lay his ground-worke low : so hee that will build himselfe vp in christ vnto glory in heauen , must found himselfe in humility . of which i 〈◊〉 read in gods book , that humblenesse is that which exalteth a man , it is the ready way to honour , as pride is to shame , which alwayes followes after where pride rideth before : so honour and glory attendeth vpon the lowly minded . yea , god himselfe hath promised to dwell with the humble , and make the contrite and lowly heart his temple and habitation : euen he that hath his seate in the highest heauens , will come and rest with him who is of a broken and humble heart . finally , this is the grace wherein we must bewray our selues to haue the spirit of christ ; who was lowly and meeke , and being equall with god , thinking it no robbery to be so ; philip . : yet humbled himselfe to the estate of a man , of a seruant , of an accuised man , being content to die on the crosse for our sinnes . oh what blessed things then are our chastisements , how patiently are they to be borne , how thankfully is god to be blessed for them ? who can and doth so blesse them , as to make them meanes more and more to frame our hearts to that grace of humility , whereby gods children are not onely kept from arrogating to themselues what they haue not , or be not : but contrariwise , they make no shew nor boast of that they haue , but knowing all good to be receiued , they glory not in the gift , but in him who is mercifull vnto their sinnes . apollos . you doe rightly iudge of chastisements to be blessed workes of gods loue , whereby such a fruite is purchased to gods children , as the decrease of their pride , and increase of humility ; not onely for the time they liue vnder the rodde ( for so long euen pharaoh will be humble , and achab will be humble so long ( that is ) they will counterfet an humblenesse , till they get out of gods hands , ) but to cause them to walke more humbly with their god , and towards men all their life after : for it is a consideration which sinkes deep into the children of god , when they will bethinke themselues that they are beaten , and by such an one as the great and good god , & deseruedly too for iust causes ; yea , and so as others see their stripes , and take knowledge that god is angry with them ; this makes them hang downe their heads , and abate their courage . euen as an ingenious scholler beaten for a fault before all his fellowes , is much abashed therewith : so it fareth with gods children , who yet are so humbled and abased in their owne eye , by their blowes and strokes , as they learne great patience and thankfulnesse , as well as humility , because they receiue all their chastisements as corrections of a most louing father , who seeketh in them their best good . but it shall be sufficient to haue entreated thus farre of chastisements , let vs passe on to the trials of gods children . touching which , we are to know thus much , that in the corrections which god sendeth his children , hee doth not onely looke at this , onely to admonish them of their sinnes past , that they may turne , and be more obedient for time to come , and to abase the pride of their heart , that they may carry themselues in all humblenesse : but withall , he doth take tryall of the faith , patience , and loue of his children , and sometimes it pleaseth him to inflict some greeuous iudgement vpon them without any such respect at all as to correct their sinnes , but meerely for probations sake . thus hee dealt with iob , whole afflictions were not chastisements of his sinnes , but trials of his faith and patience . of this kind were such aduersities and troubles , as happened to abraham , isaac , and iacob ; whose pilgrimages proued very combersome , and full of crosses . also the crosses which 〈◊〉 gods children for righteousnesse sake ; these are such 〈◊〉 , as when they fall into them , they are willed to 〈◊〉 exceeding ioy , because they serue for triall of their faith : and therefore be called , temptations ; 〈◊〉 . . it is the pleasure of god ( as men try gold in a furnace ) so to trie his children by afflictions . it stands with very good reason , that god should at his pleasure make triall of men , to see what is in them ; seeing men doe at their pleasure make triall of such things , and persons , as be in their power ; their horses , their dogges , their seruants , their children . and albeit times of prosperity , are times of tryall ; for therein both euill men make proofe of their pride , security , and presumption ; and also the godly declare their modesty , watchfulnesse , and piety : yet times of afflictions are meerest times of tryall ; because as on the one side many vices are couered in the dayes of prosperity and peace , which are laide open in the euill day ; as selfe-loue , loue of this world , impatiency , vaine confidence , feare , distrust , and sundry others , which afflictions bring to light : so on the other side , there be sundry vertues of good men , as their faith , loue , obedience to god , patience , feare of god , hope , &c. which be more better seene , and more manifested by afflictions , then out of afflictions . it is an easie thing when men haue rest and riches , to make profession and semblance of faith and piety . now , that it may be manifested , who doe it in truth , who otherwise , therefore god vseth to send afflictions as touch-stones , to try the currant from the counterfet ; and as fire , to seuer the drosse from the pure siluer . there is much money lookes as faire as any currant money , which yet is found to be vicious , when it is brought to the touch to be tryed . likewise very many there be , who in the dayes of peace haue faces , and appearances of good and faithfull men , who are made knowne in the houre of tribulation to be farre otherwise then they seemed to be , the crosse pluckes the visard of hypocrisie from their face , and hauing vnmasked them , makes them to shew what they are . god himselfe needeth not to helpe his knowledge by these trials : for he perfectly knoweth what is in vs ; searching our very heart and reines . and indeede how should he that made vs , be ignorant of vs ? therefore these trials serue to lay vs open , not to his al-seeing eye , but to ourselues ; we being often very ignorant , what is in vs : some supposing they haue great faith , loue , and obedience , when it is but little , as peter : others fearing their portion of faith to be little , when it is great , as ioseph of arimathea : some boasting of much faith , which haue neuer a deale ; as the laodiceans , reuel . . now by the tryall of afflictions , all these come to a sight and discerning themselues ; as it is written , i haue tempted thee , to know what was in thy heart ; deuteronomy . ; that is , it was meete to make thee know what is in thy selfe ; whereof it will follow , that such as tooke themselues to be full of grace , as they in reuel . . . we are rich , and full , and need nothing ; finding themselues poore and empty , either will be driuen to christ , or left without excuse . such as find they haue great strength of faith , which thought they had but a small faith ; and they also that presumed of more , then by experience they see in themselues ; the one shall be prouoked to more thankfulnesse and ioy , the other to more humblenesse and feare ; and both to a greater patience , considering the good that comes to them by such tryals . for it is a great mercy of god in the tryall of his children , to enable them to know themselues better , and to behold more clearely both what they already haue , and what they want ; that they may so ioy for the one , as by the other they may be stirred to an holy feare , and earnest prayer for encrease . it is the greatest wisdome to know our selues ; and our tryals doe teach vs this wisedome : for which cause they are with all patience to be endured , especially sithence to them which are tryed , and doe endure , there is promised , a crowne of glory in the life to come ; iames . . and euen in this life , the godly in tryals and afflictions hauing stucke to god , and followed his truth without shrinking , and so conceiuing better ( then before their troubles ) that their faith is strong , and their loue to god , it is not for his benefits , but for himselfe ; they are by this experience much encouraged to praise god , and to proceede more chearefully in the rest of their course ; and more and more to despise the wicked suggestion of sathan , calling their faith and loue in question , both being proued to be sound : inasmuch , as euen in great tryals they still trusted in god , and their heart was still towards him , to loue and obey him ; as dauid saith ; princes arose , and spoke against mee , yet did i not forget thy law ; psal. . againe , the proud haue me in derision , yet did i not decline from thy word . of tryall by conflict of conscience with sinne . aquila . of all the tryals of gods children , which doe you hold to be greatest , and fullest of difficulty to endure , and glory to ouercome ? apollos . amongst the tryals of gods children , some are but easie , as to keep some earthly good things from them , which others haue , and they desire ; or to denie successe to their labours ; or to grant but small successe , or to deferre the hearing of their prayers for a time ; and some lesse reproaches and hinderances in their name & estate : other trials be yet harder , as the spoyling of their goods , losse of liberty by imprisonment or banishment : strange and long sicknesses ; in all which , they haue for grounds of their patience , the will of god , who allotteth these things to them ; his promise of turning all things to the best for them , & the example of the saints which haue beene put to endure the 〈◊〉 , and also haue been both sustained in them , and well brought through them : but of all the trials , their patience is most proued and approued by their enduring the conflict of conscience for sinne , and the suffering of mattyrdome for the golpell . this double tryall for their sharpenesse and fiercenesse , may well be called , the fiery tryall ; when either the conscience within is frighted , and astonished with feare of hell fire for the offence of god by sinne ; or the body without is put to abide the flames of a temporary materiall fire , for the name of iesus : and sure the former inuisible tryall , is almost vnsupportable . it is wondrous vncomfortable , when the poore conscience hath sinne to surcharge and sting it , sathan to accuse , the law to threaten ; god also appearing as a bitter enemie , shewing himselfe in great wrath as a seuere iudge to condemne ; the mercifull promises , and all things else that should breed comfort , with-drawne from the eye of faith , or faith so dimmed and daunted , that it cannot looke vp to christ. this is indeed a heauy tryall ; while a mans spirit is firme and strong , it beares out all afflictions ; but when the spirit it selfe is wounded , who can beare that ? christ saith , that if the salt that seasoneth other things , haue lost his saltnosse , wherewith ( saith he ) shall it be seasoned ? and if the eye , which is the light of the body , be darke , how great is that darknesse ? so may i say of the spirit and heart of a godly man , which comforteth him in all his troubles ; if that be dismayed and wounded , how great is that discomfort ? againe , in other afflictions and tryals of gods people , this is the stay of their minds , and the chief prop of their patience , that though diuels and men be against them , yet god is with them ; they see his helpe and aide ready to support and deliuer : but here in this soule-tryal , god himselfe shewes himselfe as an enemy offended for breach of his law , as armed with wrath , and ready to take vengeance . thus it was with iob in his tryall , who thought god to be his enemy , complayning that he had written bitter things against him , and that hee had set him as a butte to leuell at , and to shoote his arrowes against . thus it fared with holy dauid , and infinite others , the saints , who could perceiue in god for the time and fit of their temptation , no other but fury , indignation , and hot displeasure ; psal. . . psal. . , . the children of god neuer vtter their impatiency more then in this case ; so farre as they haue proceeded euen to challenge and charge god , breaking forth in their infirmities , into contumelies , censuring him very hardly , as if he were too rigorous and extreme : yet for all this , that their patience is so sore shaken , it is still vpheld , and made to endure vntill it ouercome at the last . remember the patience of iob , and what end it had ; iames , . the grounds of their patience in this their deepe tryall , be these : first , the consideration of gods soueraignty and absolute power ouer all men , whom he may sist at his pleasuee , and glorifie himselfe in vs by what way he will. secondly , his exceeding great mercies and truth , which will not suffer him to tempt aboue our strength , nor to with-hold an happy issue . lastly , the examples of others , especially of the sonne of god , who tasted and drunke of the same cup , feeling in his soule the sharpe wrath , and wrestling with the strict iustice of his displeased father , so as in his present sence he had nothing but discomfort . who being thus tryed euen with the sence of his fathers hottest ite , hauing his countenance seuerely set against him , to the working of griefe , distresse , and perplexity in his holy conscience , knoweth how to succour others , tryed and tempted in this manner , being as willing as able to releeue them ; and they which are so tempted according to his example , haue this reason of patience and comfort , that they are conformed , and made like vnto their head in suffering : the vngodly in their soule-trouble haue no such hopes , nor build vpon any such foundations ; and therefore are without any comforts . of the tryall of martyrdome . aquila . the other heauy tryall you call mattyrdome , let me heare what it is , by what degrees men are brought to it , how they are to prepare for it , vpo what grounds , they are to resolue for it , and be patient vnder it . apollos . a martyr is any witnesse , or one that beareth witnesse to any truth , ciuill or religious ; but as it is an ecclesiasticall word , it signifieth one that beareth witnesse to diuine truth , not by common profession and practise , as euery christian doth ; but by extraordinary suffering of death , or torment , or both . at a word , he that is ready to giue his life for the testimony of iesus , is by an excellency termed a martyr ; as reuellation . . my faithfull martyr antipas was slaine amongst you , where sathan dwelleth . it is not the manner of god at the first to call his children to this tryall of martyrdome , but by certaine degrees , after hee hath tried them with lesser and lighter afflictions , when by long exercise they haue got good strength , and vpon sure tryall of gods mighty grace in sustaining and comforting them , are growne to experience and good hope , it being the wisedome of god to measure tryals according to the strength which men haue : for hee will not tempt , nor try any of his aboue their power ; cor. . . as in abraham and iob , we may perceiue that god did obserue an order in their tryals , and still their last were greatest and weightiest . thus it was likewise in his proceeding with the apostles of christ , after they had beene tryed with mocking and taunts ; acts . with imprisonment and bands , chapter . with scourging and stripes , chapter . at length they were called out to the hard and hot tryall of martyrdome ; to teach all men , that whatsoeuer tryals they shall passe , yet still to looke for sharper and more bitter to be behind . also it pleaseth god in his wise dispensation to follow this course towards his children , that he doth not put vpon them this tryall , but first warneth them of it before it come by his ministers , calling vpon them to prepare & make ready against the euill day ; to take away all excuse from inconstant back sliders , and to stirre vp the godly to arme themselues . and wee are here to remember a further goodnesse of god in this matter , namely , that hee chargeth all the faithfull that they doe set their loue vppon christ and his truth , as in respect thereof neither friends , kinsfolke , brethren , and sisters , parents , husbands , wife , or life it selfe , ought to be so dearely loued , but that when the comparison is betweene these things and christ with his gospell , they be ready to manifest that they were lesse loued by their willingnesse to lose and forgoe them all for him . and surely it is a most reasonable thing , that iesus christ being of more worth and excellency , one that is higher then the heauens , ful of grace and truth , in whom all treasures of wisdome are hid ; the god-head dwelling in him bodily , colos. . . and also hauing loued vs best , and out of his loue towards vs hath done much for vs ; in that after many great crosses and calamities of his life , he suffered the extreme paine of a shameful death , giuing his body and soule an offering for our sinnes , and calling vs to the knowledge of himselfe by his word . therefore of all things which be deare vnto vs , he should be most deare and best beloued ; so it is but equall , our loue towards him should carry vs so farre , that if need be , and god will haue it so , wee should be ready and forward as alwayes in affection , so when time requireth actually to lay downe our liues for his sake . for if we must so loue our euen christians , our brethren in christ , as that we be content to lay downe our liues for them ; i ioh. . . how much more doe we owe this to our elder brother christ iesus , from whom we receiue the spirit of adoption ? if subiects to please their prince , or for the honor and safety of their countrey ; souldiers at the commandement , land for the loue of their generall : finally , if men in their priuate quarrels be willing to hazard their liues , and doe put them in perill : how equall is it that the like be performed by vs for christ , who is our life , and for his blessed word of life ? especially seeing it is a condition which hath layne vpon the shoulders , not onely of prophets , apostles , and other godly men and women in all ages : but such as our lord himselfe was not exempted from ; and let not the seruant looke to be in better condition then the lord. it is well with the disciple to be as his master is ; neither is it onely an equall condition , but it is also a blessed condition , christ hauing pronounced them happy which shall lose bonse or land , wife or children , or life , for him and his gospell ; mathew . . aquila . it is a thing apparant , that there is great equity in this condition of denying & leauing our liues for christ. had one man a thousand liues , hee owes them all to him , who being lord of life and glory , was content by giuing his life a ransome for our sinnes , to redeeme vs from so great destruction , and by his word to call vs to so great saluation . but now let me heare what you will say to the necessity of this condition , and what is to be done of christians which will prepare themselues for it , that they may be found ready , if it fal to be their lot . for many christians neuer thinke of it , and few doe thinke it will be their portion , and such as doe , lacke preparation . apollos . if you meane the necessity of affection and will to die for christ ; then i say it is necessary for him that will liue the life of a christian , to be willing in his affections to die for christ ; for except wee hate father and mother , and our owne life also , wee are not worthy of him ; mathew . . and againe , 〈◊〉 a man 〈◊〉 himselfe , and take vp his crosse , and follow christ , he cannot be his disciple ; verse . as no man that is a king , goes to 〈◊〉 with another king , but he will sit downe , and reckon whether he be able to giue him the encounter : nor any man that is wise , will goe to build , but first he will sit downe and cast his account , to see whether he haue where with to finish the building . so it stands euery one vpon , who takes vpon him the profession of christ , to try his heart , whether hee can be content to prefer christ aboue all other things , and to be willing , ( if neede require ) to forgoe euen life it selfe for his sake : for such is the malice of sathan , and of the wicked his children against christian religion , and the true fauourers and followers thereof , as they doe watch all oportunities of raysing vp not onely ordinary molestations , but fiery persecutions against them . and againe , it pleaseth god after times of peace , and long calmes of prosperity , to send a storme and tempest of persecution and martyrdome , to discouer hypocrites , and to shew who be sound christians ; who follow god for his blessings , and who professe him of loue . therefore it is necessary that euery one be found ready , and well furnished with faith and patience , to be willing and able to abide the worst . for as in warre when a field is pitched & fought , all the souldiers that fight are not slaine , yet are they all subiect to the sword , howsoeuer many escape aliue : so in this warfare against sathan and the world , all are lyable to this great tryall of martyrdome , though it please god to spare and free many from vndergoing it ; yet all by nature and condition of their profession are subiect to it , and are to make reckoning , and so to fit themselues , as if time change ( for nothing is more changeable ) they may not be to seeke of their weapons . this is it then which i doe determine according to the word , that forasmuch as all christians are christs billed souldiers , and haue taken the presse money to serue him to the death ; ephe. . , , : and all ought to be as an house built vpon a rocke firme and constant ; mat. . : and paul the apostle prayeth for the beleeuing christians ; colos. . that they may be strengthened to patience : and also it is written ; that whosoeuer put their hand to the plough , and looke backe , are vnfit for the kingdome of heauen , luke . . and all that will liue godly in christ , must suffer persecution ; tim. . . and finallie , that by many tribulations we shall enter into the kingdome of heauen ; acts . . therefore howsoeuer it may seeme good vnto god , to bring men to their graue in peace , yet to euery christian there is a necessity of resolution and preparation for martyrdome . touching your other demand , what duties are to be done of such as will duly prepare and addresse themselues for such a tryall : as this is a part of our wisedome to forethinke that persecution may arise , and of our piety , to be ready and willing to embrace it when it comes ; so it is further required of all godly wise christians , to prepare themselues as marriners against a storme , and to exercise themselues as souldiers against the day of battle . now the exercise of a christian to fit himselfe for the tryall of martyrdome , consisteth in these things : first , to labour for a sound iudgement in matters of faith , that first vpon sound instruction hee beleeue 〈◊〉 and distinctly the truth of religion , and so there will follow a franke and vndaunted confession ; according to that that is written : i beleeued , and therefore i spake ; cor. . . whereas the vnsetled and vnseasoned christian , being either ignorant , or but wauering , wi'l proue vnstable in his way ; iames . . secondly , to this must be ioyned a through labouring in the mortification of the corrupt lusts of our sinfull nature , and a deniall of our selues ; because scripture teacheth what experience hath confirmed , that such as liue in pleasure & diuers sinnes , lacking the spirit of mortification , being otherwise learned and leading a ciuill life , haue proued back-slyders , and more dishonoured god thereby in one houre , then all their life long they gained him glory . he had not neede immoderately to loue the world , or to hold any sinnes deare to him , that must part from his owne life in christs quarrell . the mortisied man therefore is the likeliest and fittest man to make a martyr ; such as being engrafted into christ his death , haue got power to die to sinne , are meetest persons to die for the gospell of christ. vnto all which , there must be added a serious meditation of such scriptures as foretell of persecutions for the name of christ , and diligent and often calling to minde the examples of such as haue valiantly endured losse of goods and life for the lord iesus ; with earnest prayer to god for strength and power to be armed with like constancy . such as most suspect their owne strength , and being afraide of their infirmity , get to them all helpes of setled iudgement , mortification , examples , prayers , and scriptures , to establish their hearts ; there is best hope of such that they will sticke to it . some haue boasted of their strength in a vaine confidence thereof , and haue started away when it came to the proofe : whereas fearefull christians , which mistrusting their owne sufficiency and strength , did make god their rocke , haue manfully acquitted themselues , choosing rather to die , then to denie their lord that bought them . he that is the greatest bragger at home , is not euer the best souldier in the field ; nor he alwayes stands to martyrdome in the euill day , which in dayes of peace is most forward in shew of zeale & profession of words . nichodemus , which at the first came to iesus by night , being too fearefull ; afterwards did declare his loue to christ , boldly standing to him in a great extreamity , when his owne disciples , who saide ; they would die with him , shrunke from him , and forsooke him . he therefore that least presumeth of his owne power , and most striueth against the power of sinne , is best made for such a businesse , as to suffer with christ. aquila . now sir , let me entreate you to deliuer to me what may be the considerations whereby it pleaseth god to encourage his children to such a resolution and patience , as when the fiery tryall commeth , they can with constancy hold it out : and how the assaults of sathan , the world , and the flesh , to shake and weaken this resolution , may be beaten backe , or repelled ? apollos . it is the holy spirit of god which doth establish them vnto and in this tryall , inspiring their hearts with wisdome and courage , that they may know how to confesse his truth freely , and boldly ; and with godly patience that they may suffer for it manfully . as christ saide ; it shall be giuen you what to speake in that houre ; mathew 〈◊〉 . . and dauid prayes god , to renew a firme spirit in him , and with his free spirit to establish him ; psal. . , . and paul for the colossians , prayeth god to strengthen them to all patience with ioy fulnesse ; col. . . so then the constancy of martyrs is to be ascribed not to any natural power , but to the mighty worke of gods spirit , who saith vnto the weake , be thou strong , and feare not , for i am with thee in fire and water . howbeit there are sundry meete considerations , whereby it pleaseth the holy ghost to quicken & strengthen their mindes to patient enduring . first of all , that by gods eternall decree which appointeth them to saluation , they were also appointed to that martyrdome ; rom. . : those whom he knew before , he predestinated to be made like the image of his sonne , that is , in suffering as he suffered . hence ariseth a second consideration , namely , that the martyrs in suffering death , haue iesus the sonne of god , not onely their captaine to goe before them , and leade them the way , but their companion and partner in their sufferings : for they not onely suffer after his example , but suffer with him , and he suffereth in them : so as their afflictions are called , the afflictions of christ ; colos. . . thirdly , their paine of martyrdome is short and light , the ioyes which follow haue both immortality & weight ; the smart and shame which they see , is temporall , but the glory which they see not , is eternall ; cor. . . these light and momentany afflictions , shall bring an immortall weight of glorie , saith paul : the things you see are temporall , but the things you see not , are eternall . after a bitter break-fast , the martyrs alwayes and certainly doe looke for a better dinner . they sowe in teares , to reape in ioy ; they passe through afflictions to a kingdome : as the israelites through the red sea and wildernesse to canaan . fourthly , they looke vpon christ , as the authour and finisher of their faith ; who for the ioy set before him , endured the crosse , and despised the shame ; heb. . . also they consider the examples of other martyrs , who haue gone that way of the crosse cheerfully , and haue not loued their liues to death for christ and his word . by which cloud of witnesses they are much moued and perswaded , to run the race that is set before them with patience ; heb. . . fistly , to suffer for christ , it is a precious gift ; philip. . . for vnto you it is giuen for christ , that not onely ye should beleeue in him , but also suffer for his sake . it is also a thing of such worthinesse , as to be reioyced for ; acts . . they went away reioycing . and it is an honourable and glorious 〈◊〉 , pet. . . if ye be rayled vpon for the name of christ , blessed are ye , for the spirit of glory , and of god resteth vpon you : for that must needs be precious and glorious , which maketh them companions , and like vnto the honourable sonne of god ; procureth a blessed and honourable memory in earth amongst men , prepareth them a way for euerlasting honour in heauen . sixtly , great is the profit which martyrs doe bring , both to the church , in the example of their constancy , and to themselues , in the exceeding great reward which shall be giuen them ; their miserable life being changed for a most blessed life ; mat. . . great is your reward in heauen . seauenthly , the pleasure of martyrdome : for they that suffer , reioyce in such tribulation , some of them clapping their hands in the middest of the flame , singing psalmes with chearefulnesse , and some of them professing the fire to be vnto them as a bed of downe , or of roses . eightly , it is a safe thing to die for christ : for such as here in this world will lose their life for him , shall find and saue it in another world ; as on the other side , they that will saue it here , ( with euill conditions ) shall lose it there . ninthly , in suffering martyrdome , there is not onely honour , profit , pleasure , and safety ; but it is also an honest duty : for we shew our selues thankful to christ our benefactor . and this is an honest thing , to be gratefull to such as haue done vs good : also it is honesty to sticke to him in persecution and trouble , whom wee haue followed in peace and prosperity ; and finally , to maintaine his cause to death before men , who by his death pleads our cause with god , it is an honest part , and commendable . now to conclude this point , the martyrs doe consider , that it is but their bodies which they giue for christ , and that they giue them to day which might be taken away to morrow ; also , that they giue them for a while , to receiue them againe for euer : they giue weake and vile bodies , to receiue for them glorious bodies , full of power and honour : that it is reason to giue their bodies for his name , who might in iustice require them to punishment . finally , hauing sinned with their bodies , it is meete they should with the same be willing to glorifie him . and now aquila that ye haue heard the grounds of patience , in the tryall of martyrdome , if you will obiect what is vsed by sathan and the flesh to be laide in for the battering thereof , i will shew you how they are to be repulsed . aquila . as all good purposes haue their hinderances ; so this resolution of martyrdome is diuersly and strongly opposed by friends , our selues , and our enemies . christs purpose to suffer at ierusalem , was crost by a friend , his disciple peter ; mat. , . and the disciples at tyrus , acts , , would haue hindered paul in his purpose that way . likewise at all times there be found christian friends ready to say , that our liues may winne great glory to god , much good to his church , and therefore it were good to fauour our selues . and surely this counsell is not to be neglected , when we may follow it without disobedience to gods word , or dishonour to his name , or offence to the church , or hurt to our owne conscience : otherwise they are to be answered as peter was of christ ; get thee behind mee sathan . what thinke you of it ? apollos . we must not be our owne caruers , how or by what way wee will glorifie god , and benefit his church : for weeliue and die not to our selues , but to god ; rom. . verse . if it appeare vnto vs therefore , that by our suffering death for christ , god will haue his honour aduanced , and his gospel and church also further confirmed and built vp ; then we are to obey the calling of god , who as he is absolute lord of our liues , so he is the wisest disposer of them . againe , whosoeuer are called to martyrdome , and to the bearing of that crosse , if they shall shunne it vpon aduice from friends , to spare their liues for further welfare of the church , and honor to god ; let them take heede lest this be but a secret pretence for selfe-loue , and carnall desire of life : and let such feare , that god may powre vpon them and their liues dishonour and contempt , whiles they auoide the way , whereby he will be honoured of them . but what is it that worldly friends vse to alleadge in this case ? aquila . it is soone guessed what they will obiect ; namely , losse of goods , liuing , forsaking wife and children : will ye ( say they ) vndoe all these , and cast off the care of your family ? and for preseruing of all these , their counsell is with our bodies to goe to idoll seruice , and to keepe our hearts to god. apollos . this wisedome is earthly , carnall , and diuellish : for it perswadeth to be newters , and to halt on both knees , like the israelites , which held neither of baal , nor of god. againe , we are commanded , to keepe our selues from idols ; i iohn . . and in the second commandement , we are forbid either for any religious purpose to make , or serue any image ; exod. . . & . also our bodies being created , redeemed , and sanctified of god , their seruice is due to him , not to idols : which rather then godly men would honour with their presence and seruice ( but of their bodies , ) they haue chosen to die ; dan. . , . because it hath in it both offence of god and his church ; and for the losse of house , goods , or lands , there is this comfort against it , that the saints shall receiue a house made without hands for their earthly tabernacle ; cor. . : and an inheritance in heauen , immortall and vndefiled ; pet. . . for the losse of friends , we shall be ioyned in fellowship with the angels , and spirits of blessed men ; heb. . . for wife and children , the care of them must be eased with meditatiō of gods prouidence , who is our god , and the god of our seede : gods prouidence is his childrens inheritance , and howsoeuer it be greeuous to part from them , yet it is more greeuous for their loue to hate and for sake christ ; for whose sake and loue , wee are commanded to hate all : mat. . . besides , we part from them for a time , to be ioyned with them for euer ; i thes. . . comfort your selues with these things . aquila . but death is terrible and very fearefull , saith our flesh to vs. apollos . flesh ( that is ) carnall and corrupt reason , is an euill counsellour , as well as carnall friends ; let men rather thinke how fearefull eternall death is : for natural death , we owe it to nature , to which wee must pay it ; let vs pay that to christ , to whom we much more doe owe it , and who can preserue it for vs in another world . and how should death be fearefull to beleeuing christians , to whom it is an end & period of all their sinnes and sorrowes , an entrance and beginning of endlesse ioy & perfect righteousnesse ? at a word , a passage from death to life , from mortality and misery , to immortality of blisse and glory , wherein hee that hopes to liue , cannot greatly feare to die ? aquila , but the paine of burning is too sharpe and greeuous ; we could be content to die , so it were not in the fire , that is most terrible ? apollos , yet whom god calleth to that or any other violent and terrible death , he can enable them to endure it ; the power of his might can strengthen them : secondly he will enable them ; for he hath promised neuer to exceed the power of the tempted ; i corinthians , . thirdly , he hath enabled sundry to beare it , yea , such as feared it most when they came to suffer , were made valiant ; as master sanders . lastly , consider a while how terrible hell fire is , being incomprehensible , and euerlasting . aquila . but wee cannot abide death with torment . apollos . torments of tyrants in earth , haue both measure and end ; so haue not hell torments . aquila . may we not dissemble , or denie for a time the doctrine of the gospell , without danger of denying christ himselfe ? apollos . the scripture saith ; ye cannot : mat. . . luke . . in the former place it is saide , he that denyeth me ; in the latter is added , or is ashamed of my words , i will denie him , and be ashamed of him . to deny christs word , is to denie himselfe , who is knowne to vs by his word . aquila , but when wee feele our selues too weake to stand to it to the death , what then is to be done ? apollos , such as cannot endure violent death , let them suffer exile ; let them liue a while out of their countrey , which cannot giue their liues to christ : let them be martyrs in desire , that cannot be so in deede and effect ; yet hearty prayer may obtaine that strength which is lacking . in the meane time such weaknesse is to be confessed and bewayled . aquila . we know not what to say , when we come before the persecutors ? apollos . christ iesus will giue you a mouth & wisedome , against which they shall not be able to resist ; therefore trust in him , and relie vpon him . remember poore men and women in queene martes time . aquila . their threatnings are very full of terrors . apollos . yet god is to be feared more then all tyrants , which can but kill the body ; god can send body and soule into hell fire . againe , of all threatnings , feare these ; luke . . aquila , their faire promises , if we wil yeeld , doe allure much : for wee haue their word for life and preferment , to be giuen vs vpon our yeelding ? apollos . they promise these things , as the diuel their master promised the world to christ , to corrupt him ; and yet he could not performe it . the issues of life are in gods hands , and for preferment he lifts vp one , and pulles downe another ; i sam. . , . and it is the greatest misery , to be great without god. secondly , if god should spare life , what is the gaine of a transitory life , to the losse of eternall life ? thirdly , consider that christ maketh better promises , and surer to such as cleaue to him in life and death ; tim. . , . rom. . , . mar. . . luke . . marke . . luke . . mat. . . thus farre of such good workes as containe our duty to god , which yet are to be practised with respect of edification to men , as all duties to men are to be done with desire and regard of pleasing and honouring god in them . the eleuenth part of the dialogue . of such good workes as concerne our neighbour . aquila . sir , ye are well met here , shall i tell you what i feele in my selfe . me thinkes it fareth with me , as it vseth to doe with a trauelling horse , which the neerer hee drawes to 〈◊〉 eyes end , the more he takes heart to him , 〈◊〉 more couragiously , in hope to come shortly 〈◊〉 baiting and resting place ; so it is with me , i find myself now more eagar and sharpe set vpon this 〈◊〉 then when we began : for i haue good hope , that wee shall at this our meeting and conference , draw it to a conclusion . we are come now to those workes of grace , which the true beleeuers are to doe towards their neighbours ; i pray you sir , which are these , and amongst these being many , what shall wee first take vp to deale in ? apollos . i could be well content our hands were eased of this labour , for i begin to feele my selfe scarse well ; but it wil not be laide out of hand i doubt so soone as you make reckoning of : for with my good will , there shall not be one peculiar grace of gods elect , but some thing shall be saide of it . my desire is , as much as lyeth in vs , that this our glasse shall discouer to a christian all his dignity by his calling ; and all his duty ( being called ) towards his caller . to proceede therefore in our purpose , all our duty to man is comprehended in this one word righteousnesse ; as godlinesse compriseth all our duty towards god , whereof as wee find sundry branches , so hath righteousnesse many members ; as gal. . paul there rehearseth loue , ioy , peace , long suffering , gentlenesse , goodnesse , faith , meeknesse , and temperance : and colos , . . besides these , there are reckoned vp , mercy , kindnesse , humblenesse of mind , forbearing , and forgiuing one another . also in peter . . we find there vertue , patience , brotherly kindnesse : in iames . . meekenesse of wisdome ; in titus . grauity and chastity : in ephe. . speaking truth : in heb. . . contenteanesse ; in acts . . modesty . vnto all which , wee must adde all respectiue graces and workes which are to be done of vs , in respect of some degree which is put vpon vs ; as we be parents , or children , masters or seruants , husbands or wiues , subiects or gouernours , &c. now the scripture nameth all these graces in one place , the fruits of the spirit ; galat . . . in another , exhorteth the elect of god , to put them on ; col. : in a third , telleth vs that who so hath them , he shall neuer fall ; pet . , . by all which , it is manifest , that they be such graces as are proper to the regenerate , and which none but gods chosen children can haue . the appearance and shadow of them is to be found in others , who ( as apes doe men ) would imitate the godly in these vertues , and yet haue them not , because they haue not faith , the roote of them . aquila , i see there is more worke behind then i was aware of , yet it doth no whit discourage me ; let vs prosecute our purpose , time and diligence with a little patience will ouercome great matters . and tell me now i pray you , would not these graces be handled in that order as ye haue named them ? otherwise , how thinke ye good we should proceed ? ye haue found vs stuffe for a new conference , ye must also deuise the frame to . apollos . let me alone with that , though i be no good builder , yet i will endeauour to haue this matter put in good for me . i thinke it meete to speake first of the generall , then of the specials ; and amongst these , first of them that in common belong vnto all men and afterwards , of such duties as are to be performed , in respect of a degre put vpon vs. aquila . let vs then take our beginning at righteousnesse , touching which , declare vnto me what it may import , as it doth respect mutuall dealing of men amongst themselues ; and what difference there is herein between good men and euill ? of righteousnesse . apollos . the word righteousnesse , is a large word in scripture , and hath many acceptions . but to our purpose , it is either that peculiar vertue , whereby in * contracts and bargaines , and matters of iustice , men are enabled to deale equally and rightly , giuing as good as they take , and rendering to euery one their due ; and it is set against wrong by oppression or deceit , as contrary vnto it : or else more generally it is put and vsed to signifie that same * worke and grace of the spirit , in the soule of a regenerate man ; whereby hee is willing and ready to respect his neighbour in euery thing that is deare & precious to him , causing him to take thought and care , not onely not to hurt nor offend any man by thought , word , or deede , ( as neere as may be ) either in his excellency and dignity , or in his life , in his soule , or body , in his goods or credit , or any thing else whatsoeuer belongeth vnto him : but in all and euery one of these , louingly to tender him with an vnfained desire , and labour by all good meanes , and with his best might to encrease and preserue all and euery one of them . as vnrighteousnesse in the phrase of scripture comprehends all those vices , whereby men are hurtfull to men , in any of their good things : so vnder righteousnesse are comprehended all vertues , whereby wee become any way , or in any sort profitable and helpefull to our neighbour . in this sense is the word righteousnesse taken , in all those places where it is set with holinesse or godlinesse ; as titus . . & ephe. . rom. . . vnrighteousnesse set beside vngodlinesse , or set alone , is the spring of all euils from one man to another ; and righteousnesse named apart from godlinesse , is the roote of all duties amongst men : it is as the tree , and all other vertues of the second table , as the branches ; it is as a fountaine , they be as the riuers ; it is as the body , they as the members . this righteousnesse is distinguished into habituall or actuall righteousnesse ; habituall righteousnesse is that gift of god , which is poured into the hearts of the elect , to enable them to will and to doe good things , tending to the good of our neighbour , whereof in the fourth to the ephesians ; actual righteousnesse is the exercise of this gift , whē out of loue we practise such things wherby our neighbor may be benefited . hereof the apostle spake , iohn . . he that worketh righteousnesse , is righteous . this gift and act of righteousnesse , is that , for the which noah , lot , and sundry others , are highly commended in the holy scripture ; gen . : iob . . now as touching the difference about righteousnesse , betweene the children of god and others ; this is it : the godly through this vniuersall righteousnesse , are disposed freely and of their owne accord to seeke the good of euery of their neighbours , in one thing as wel as in another , according to the rules of the word , vnto the glory of god. whereas the wicked doe some righteous things to some persons now and then whom they affect , which crosse not their owne pleasure , nor gaine or credite : not out of any loue to men , nor out of any respect to gods will or glory ; but out of selfe-loue , * with by-respects of vaine glory and worldly profit : and therefore in nothing doing righteously , and in most things committing vnrighteousnesse ; cleane contrary to the course of iust and righteous persons , who doe worke righteous things , and that righteously , out of charity vnto men , and vnto the praise of god ; and that at all times , and towards all kind of men , both friends and enemies , according to their meanes , and as occasions be offered them : truly repenting where they faile in any things , and afterwards endeauouring to become more 〈◊〉 . of loue. aquila . sir , it hath been taught me , that vnder righteousnesse , are contained all duties towards god and men , and that in this sense , godlinesse is a part of righteousnesse ; howbeit , i perceiue that wee are to speake of it , as it is separate and distinct from godlinesse . and now you haue spoken thus far of righteousnesse , were it not good that wee first set vpon these workes of righteousnesse , which wee are bound to performe towards others , in respect of some degree that god hath put vpon vs ? for thus it hath pleased god himselfe to proceede , in the laying out those duties of the second table ; he beginneth with such duties as we owe vnto others , in regard of our place and degree : honour thy father , &c. apollos . indeede friend aquila , you say well ; and this platforme had not beene amisse : for the decalogue ( or ten commandements of the law ) as they doe immediately come from god ; so they are most perfect for matter , and most exquisite for order and manner of deliuery ; the chiefest and greatest duties first mentioned , and after the meaner and lesser , and that both in the first and second table : howbeit we are not bound so strictly and precisely to follow that order in our teaching and instruction : but that it may be altered without fault . a president of which alteration , is the apostle paul himselfe , both in his fift chapter to the ephesians , and the . and fourth chapter to the colossians , wherein after doctrine , he descendeth to morall duties ; and he affordeth the first place to such as be common , and then commeth vnto the peculiar and proper duties , in which steppes i thinke it fit for vs to tread in , speaking first of generall , and next of speciall duties . aquila . i mislike not your purpose ; and yet ere you deale with such particular graces , as enable vs to doe duties to other men , and to our selues : let me call to mind , that which you saide before of the workes which we are to doe towards god , that truth and sincerity is an affection common to them all , to distinguish them from the workes of piety done by hypocrites , who haue a certaine feare of god , and loue of god , &c : but it is seuered from truth ; it being the mercy done to sanctified persons , that they should truly loue and feare god , and doe all duties towards him in soundnesse ; right so is it in these duties which belong to men . as in our natural body , bloud is dispersed through all the body , and where bloud is , there is spirit too : so sincerity and truth runneth through all duties , as bloud in the body ; and where any grace is , there is truth with it : and all the good things which the godly doe , are done in truth , and godly vprightnesse . they loue their neighbour in truth , and are truly mercifull , and truly meeke , and truly sober , and truly chaste , and not in appearance onely to the eye of men , but be such before god as they seeme to be before men , in all duties seeking to honour and obey the name of god ; wherein lyeth the grand difference betweene them and the vngodly , who doe the same things for matter and substance , which holy men doe ; but not in the same manner , because they are voide of sincerenesse . apollos . you say right . as euery starre doth partake in the light of the sunne , to take brightnesse from it ; so truth and sincerity passeth through all christian graces , euen as the soule that doth animate and quicken euery part of the body : for all graces , if they lacke truth and soundnesse , they be as rotten members , or as shadowes , and dead carkases , which carry the semblance of graces , and are not : the true fire doth not more differ from the painted , then grace from grace ; that is , the sincere graces from such as be but counterfet . a man or a lyon pictured artificially , seemes a man or a lyon , and is not ; so vertues seuered from truth and sincerity , haue a goodly shew , but are not the liuely things themselues . but now it were meete that we did set vpon that amiable grace of loue , which is the glue and band that linkes all other graces together , and holds vs chistians fast tyed and linked as many stickes in one bundle . therefore worthily it is called , the band of perfection , without which , all humane things fal apeeces , and come to ruine . let me heare what you haue heard and learned of this worthy grace of loue , wherewith we loue one another , whose gift it is , whence it springs , what it is , what are the properties and effects of it , the manner and measure thereof ; and what are the duties of loue , whom we are to loue , and by what perswasions we may be incited to the exercise of this vertue ; wherein it differs from faith , and finally , how we may ouercome the lets and hinderances of loue , with such other things as shall come to your remembrance ; not forgetting to tell vs along as you goe , how true loue differs from the counterfet . aquila , sir , ye haue enioyned mee taske enough , which i had rather it had happened to your selfe ; but sithence ye haue put it on me , i will performe my endeuour ; be you ready to helpe defects : and by your patience i will first tell you what it is . i take loue or charity to be that grace , whereby wee are moued to hold our neighbour deare vnto vs ; also to desire and seeke his good in all things that be deare vnto him , euen as we would haue our selues and our things deare vnto others . this grace it is the free gift of god , who is loue himselfe , and author & worker of loue in all others . therefore paul prayeth god for this gift , and prayseth him for it ; as in his salutation of the churches is to be well perceiued : no man nor other creature can worke loue in vs , and by nature we haue it not ; it is god onely , who out of his free mercy , doth both plant , and continually vphold it in vs. and let this generally be spoken of loue , and all the other vertues following , that they grow not in the barren soyle of our hearts , but come from without , being the fruites and gifts of gods spirit , galat. . . this loue giuen vs of god , is alwayes linked with the loue of god , whose daughter it is , being bred and brought forth by it : for therefore we loue our neighbours , because we first loue god. thus the apostle iohn teacheth ; ioh. . . our mutual loue being a beame of our loue to god , as our loue to god , is a sparkle of his loue to vs : neither can any man loue god , but because he is first loued of him ; neither can any loue man , who first doth not loue god ; neither can any but loue men , who haue in them the loue of god : for this enforceth vs for gods sake to loue such as he will haue vs loue , hauing put his image and likenesse in them , and neerely linked them to vs ; the parties whom wee are to loue , are our neighbour ; that is , euery one that commeth of adam ; of what countrey , religion , language soeuer , euen euery man and woman , being so neere to vs , as to be of our kind and bloud ; and hauing any need of vs in any sort , euery such is our neighbour , vpon whom we must bestow our loue : not as commonly men thinke them onely to be our neighbours , who dwelles in the same streete or burrow . the parable of the samaritan quitteth this , who acknowledged the wounded iew for his neighbour ; luke . . christs example also , doing good to samaritans , as well as iewes ; iohn . . cleareth this point . apollos . but seeing god onely is to be loued , and that with all the heart ; is it not a wrong to god , to giue any portion of our loue from him to any creature ? aquila . not at all ; for the loue where with wee loue our neighbour , is not a seuerall loue from that with which we loue god , but a branch or streame of it , in louing of men for gods sake , wee loue god in our neighbour . euen as it is the same sunne which giueth light in the field and in the house , vpon land and in the water ; so it is the same loue which imbraceth god and our neighbour , in louing whom we witnesse , and shew how well and truly we loue god , so long as our neighbour is loued for god , and in god ; because he belongs vnto him , and beares his likenesse , and that our loue of him , is referred to gods glory ; we may neuerthelesse loue god with all our heart , i say if wee loue our neighbour after , and for god. indeede if we loue our neighbour before god , or more then god , or for our owne sake and profit , then our heart is diuided , and our loue it is not right : and this is one thing which distinguisheth false loue from true , worldly charity from christian. this loueth man after god , and for him ; whereas worldly loue respects not god , in the louing of our neighbour . apollos . doe you esteeme your enemy as your neighbour , whom ye ought to loue ? aquila . yea. if euery one who commeth of adam be my neighbour , then my enemy cannot be excluded from my loue ; especially seeing christ hath so strictly commanded it : luke . loue your enemies . yea , and most highly commended it , as a speciall marke and note of gods child , to distinguish him from others , who can and doe loue their louers . euery wicked man can doe that , to be friendly to their friends ; but to be louingly affected to such as hate vs , doing good readily to such as hurt vs , and that for gods sake , because he will haue it so ; this declareth vs to haue him to our father , who is kind to the vnkind , and doth good to the euil , giuing his sonne to die for his enemies ; rom. . . and to haue him for our head and sauiour , who made intercession for his crucifiers : and finally , to be brethren to him , who prayed for his persecutors ; acts . . againe , we know not but that our enemy may be the childe of god ; in truth , either he is already so , or he may be so ; howsoeuer it be , if he be a christian , we are sure he is our brother ; and in that regard we are bound to loue him , being not onely a neighbour neere vnto vs in nature , comming of the same bloud , hauing the similitude of god , but a brother also , professing the same lord , and so linked vnto vs by band of religion , hauing the same baptisme , faith , hope , and inheritance ; all which should worke in me a louing mind towards such , yea , though i knew they did abhorre me . apollos . ye say very right . and indeed this is the tryall and touchstone of our loue to proue it by , whether it be counterfet or sound : for he that can loue his enemy vpon these grounds , doth certainely approue himselfe to be endued with christian charity , and to be indeede the childe of god , led by his spirit ; forsomuch as none saue such , can loue their enemy in such sincere sort as hath beene saide . but you haue shewed me that my neighbour is my enemy , no lesse then my friend ; let me heare now whether ye put any difference betweene a neighbour and brother , and whether there be any degrees in our loue ? aquila . there is this difference . a neighbour is more generall : for euery brother is a neighbour ; but not on the contrary . a neighbour is euery man or woman , whether they be christians or infidels , iew , turk , heathen , barbarian , papist , or whosoeuer : but a brother is that person who onely is a christian , professing with mee the same christian doctrine , and agreeing with me in the same worship of god. the company and society of these , are called the houshold of faith ; the church of god : so as a christian is both my brother and my neighbour , whereas one may be my neighbour , who is not my brother . as the samaritane was to the iew , and as paul was to publius and the barbarians mentioned , acts . now according to this difference are the degrees of loue , as the holy apostle paul hath taught vs ; galat. . . doe good to all , but especially to the houshold of faith : for wee are tyed to these by more , and also by more streight bonds . if a turke be in necessity , i am bound to helpe him ( so as i helpe him not against christ ) but if a turke and a christian both want , and my store will releeue but the one , i am bound to shew my loue rather to my christian brother . i may pity the misery of a turke , when i cannot releeue him , because he is my flesh ; i must releeue a christian before him , who is both my flesh and my brother . likewise amongst christian brethren , there is a great oddes , which will make a great oddes in our loue . apollos . well , you then doe thinke that there are degrees of loue towards the brethren , and that of them some are to be loued , before , and more then others ? aquila . i doe thinke so ; and i thinke it not without reason : for amongst the brethren , some be also our kinsfolkes , our brethren , sisters , parents , &c. also some of them haue receiued more excellent gifts , and be enabled with power and will to doe more excellent things for the common good . now where there be more causes of loue , there ought our loue more to shew it selfe ; herein we must follow god , and it is a sure way , to set our loue most on them , towards whom god hath most exprest his loue . when we reade of iohn , that he was the disciple whom iesus loued , me thinkes it intimates and declares thus much vnto vs , that he did prefer him in his loue : for it is out of doubt , that he loued the rest which were good ; yet iohn more then the rest , because of some notable grace that hee had aboue the rest : for christs loue was not partiall , neither must ours be . but there is some difference to be put betweene the affection , and fruites of our loue ; oftentimes these must be extended to some brethren more plentifully , by reason of the great wants , towards whom yet wee haue not such a feruent affection of loue , as to others which be more perfect . as fathers will most affect their best children , yet will take greatest paines about the worst , because they neede most ; greatest care must be vsed towards greatest infirmities : but greatest graces must haue greatest affection of loue . godly men doe sometime faile herein , as we may see in isaac towards esau ; and dauid towards adoniah & absalon : howbeit good men may not be followed in their euill , but in their good things . apollos . now let mee heare of the manner of our loue , by what rules it must be guided towards neighbours and brothers , friends and enemies . aquila . for the well gouerning of our loue , as touching the manner , and measure , and end , we haue sundry rules giuen vs in scripture : the first is , to loue our neighbour as our selfe . now as the apostle saith ; no man hateth himselfe , but wisheth all good to himselfe ; mat. . now such as with a right ruled loue doe loue themselues , they doe not onely wish , but procure such things to themselues , as indeed be wholsome and good for them , both for their bodies and soules ; abandoning such things as be euill and noysome to either , haue they neuer such apparance and shew of good and profit : euen thus ought euery man to loue his neighbour . and according to the second rule , looke what things by the iudgement of sound reason wee would haue done , or not done to our selues ; these things wee should be willing to haue done , or not done to another ; be he friend or foe : mat. . also in what measure and degree we desire that our neighbor should loue our selues , in the same we ought to loue them againe . the third rule is , to loue as brethren ; pet. . . that is , such loue as naturall brethren ought to beare , both for manner and measure , one to another ; such , euen such , so hearty and vehement ought the loue of christians to be amongst themselues , knowing that they are brethren by a brotherhood , consecrated and ratified in the bloud and death of christ our elder brother , who hath charged vs ( as one who may command vs ) to loue one another , as he hath loued vs ; iohn . . loue one another , as i haue giuen you example . and againe , a new commandement i giue you , that ye loue one another , as i haue loued you ; iohn . . that so ye loue one another , this is our fourth and best rule , to direct vs in our brotherly christian loue , which must be vnfained , without hypocrisie or counterfeiting , earnest without coldnes & indifferency , constant without change or wearinesse , free without respect of our owne pleasure or profit ; and very great , not small and meane : for thus christ loued vs , for in that he would besides his doctrine , his miracles , his example of life , his prayers ; in all which , he witnessed his loue , vouchsafed also to giue himselfe to such a death , and that for his enemies . this declareth how sincere , free , constant , and exceeding great his loue was towards vs ; wherein though we cannot equall him by attaining to his perfection , which is not possible , nor required of vs : yet wee must be like to him in our loue , and striue to come so neere as wee may ; which is both required , and possible . and herein the true christian doth differ from the false , that the one in his loue looks vpon christs loue , as his patterne , and thereto frameth his owne ; but the other hath no thought at all to imitate christ : as he hath him for no sauiour , so he makes him no example . the godly christian , who beleeueth him to be a redeemer , doth labour to follow him as a guide and sampler ; as in this duty of loue , so in all other offices of christianity . apollos . i haue heard your rules of neighbourly and brotherly loue ; let me heare some of your best reasons to moue and perswade , both to begin , and to perseuere in exercising of this loue : for it is as needfull to haue good grounds of our loue , as a good guide of our loue . he is as much too blame , that loues without reason , as he that loues without rule . aquila . as there be certain common reasons which may perswade our loue towardes all men whatsoeuer they are , to wit , because they are the creatures of god ; our flesh and bloud , of one kind with vs , our neighbours : also being made after gods image , hauing a commandement to loue them , and the examples of godly men , who haue done good to all , out of an affection of loue , and because wee would haue others to loue vs ; so there be peculiar and speciall reasons to moue vs vnto the loue of our brethren , which hold the same faith that we doe : and of these i will giue you but a light touch , it shall be sufficient to name them ; our labour ought to be more in practising them , then in speaking of them . it were enough that it is the will of our father which is in heauen , that his children should dwell in loue , and that he hath by his example gone before vs ; first louing , and still louing vs , and that he hath made vs partakers of the same grace , to be all euen christians , brethren , fellow heires , members of christ , his seruants , his friends , his children , his spouse , his inheritance ; also , that except we truly loue one another , we cannot loue god , nor be loued of him , nor haue any assurance that wee be his people , or looke for any blessing , but for all wrath from him ; yet vnto all this , if wee adde the sweete pleasure and delight which is in brotherly loue ( behold how pleasant ) and the great and manifolde commodities which arise and grow thereby , ( behold how good it is for brethren to dwell together in vnity ) our loue being for comfort and delight like that precious oyntment , and for profit like that deaw of hermon ; and withall if wee doe consider the bitternesse of hatred , being as gall and wormewood , and the hurt which it bringeth , all this would greatly preuaile with vs , to stirre vp and encrease mutuall loue . apollos . let me stop you a little in your course ; what be these profits which loue brings , and the discommodities which follow the wants of it ? aquila . whiles christians are ioyned together , they are strong as an army , where the souldiers keepe euery one his ranke ; or as a wall , where the stones be all ioyned together . also we may boldly come with our selues & seruice vnto god , vnder hope of acceptance ; wee thereby greeue the aduersaries of god , which see our accord through loue , and reioyce the godly : we spite sathan , whose kingdome is more hindered by vs , the more that loue doth abound : we glorifie the word of god , and glorifie our profession , our prayers haue more feruency and fruit . as on the other side , through lacke of loue amongst brethren , god and his gospell be dishonoured , sathan pleased , and the wicked made glad our safety hazarded , because a house diuided cannot stand ; our prayers hindered and reiected , with infinite discommodities , which lamentable experience teacheth men better to know , then any mans speech can doe . the apostle aymeth at the great commodity and necessity , as also at the excellency of loue , when he bids vs aboue all things , to put on loue ; and when hee likeneth it to a bond , calling it , the bond of perfection ; colos. . . because it knitteth our selues , and our duties together ; and vnto sinewes and ioynts , ephe. . as being of that vse and force in the mysticall body , as sinewes and ioynts in our naturall body be , to ioyne and fasten all the members together ; these things , as also to consider that loue remaines in heauen , when faith and hope faile , must much prouoke vs both to esteeme and to exercise all duties of loue towards the brethren , in all chearefulnesse , vp rightnesse , and constancy , and to striue mightily against all the lets and obstacles of loue , both within vs and without vs ; whatsoeuer they be , they are all by these cōsiderations to be vanquished . apollos . your reasons be of good weight . there remaineth that you shew vs the properties and actions of loue : and withall wherein faith and loue doe differ one from the other . aquila . the properties of loue were touched before , when wee heard that we must loue as christ loued ; but he that will be further instructed in the properties and effects of loue : let him thinke vpon the first to the corinthians . , , , . where the apostle affirmeth of christian charity , that it is kind , and not enuious , neither boasting nor proud , doing no vncomely thing , seeking not her owne things ; not suddenly angry , nor thinking euill , reioycing in the truth , not in iniquity ; suffering all things , beleeuing all things , hoping all things , enduring all things ; the neerer that our loue is to these qualities , the holier it is : the further off , the worse , and none at all it is , if it be voide of them . touching the workes and actions of loue , i find they be either inward , which wee conceiue in our hearts , or outward , which we expresse in our liues , words , and deeds , either towards the soules , or bodies of our neighbour . the inward workes of loue , be these , to thinke no euill but good of others ; for loue thinketh no euill : to wish them well , and desire their good euery way , to reioyce with them for their welfare , being so cheared with their good things , as with our owne : to mourne with them for the aduersities and euils which befall them , according to the counsell of paul ; reioyce with them that reioyce , and mourne with them that mourne . this fellow feeling when we pity others infirmities and miseries , and be glad for their prosperity and well doing ; it is the maine mentall duty of loue . now for outward actions of loue , they concerne others in their person , substance , or name ; they be all the workes commanded in the second table of the law , which be innumerable : but briefly to giue you a short sum of them , to the substance of our neighbour , we owe this duty , to encrease and maintaine it by all good meanes ; giuing & lending to such as need , and that freely , without any compact or bargaine , to haue the principall with increase ; yea , euen where there is no hope to haue the principal restored : prouided , that need & not riot do driue them to borrow , and that their want of ability , and not of good will , doe hinder them from payment . also if we haue found ought which is others , or if any thing be of trust committed to vs , or that wee haue wrongfully got into our hands any portion of our neighbours substance , that we carefully restore if we be able ; eze. . in all bargaines and contracts dealing iustly and plainely without fraude or oppression ; ephe. . finally , practising the workes of our particular callings with faithfulnesse and diligence , that we may be profitable to all with whom we liue , seruing others through loue , and affoording our counsell and paines , and whatsoeuer else we can do to further others welfare in their estate , both of goods and body ; if it be in our power , not onely to feede him when hee is hungry , refresh him with drinke being thirsty , harbouring the harbourlesse , visiting him in prison ; but ministring to him being sicke : not onely out of our purse , but also of our skill , if we know any thing that may ease or cure his paine ; acts . , . as concerning his name , neuer speaking of our neighbour but in loue , not for the empairing , but for the maintaining of his name , when with reason and truth we may , alwayes vttering an vpright sentence of all men , auoyding slanders , lies , false reports in our selues , and beating them downe in others ; especially as concerning his soule , neuer to be wanting to the good thereof : but aboue , and before all other duties , to preferre such as wee are to doe to his saluation , endeauouring vpon all occasions offered , to admonish our brother with wisedome & loue , exhorting his slownesse , and quickening his dulnesse to good things , comforting the feeble minded , strengthening the weake in an hearty compassion of their infirmities ; instructing the ignorant , rebuking the froward with all patience , and long suffering , bearing , for bearing , giuing , forgiuing wrongs ; in our prayers remembring the wants of the saints , continuing thus to doe in all humblenesse and meekenesse ; knowing that christian loue most of all consists in these duties , because they concerne the better part of man , which is his soule , & tend to the chiefest good , that is , the attainement of euerlasting life . to be 〈◊〉 in this point of loue , to answer your last demand , as in many other things this christian charity differeth from faith , it being the fruite , faith being the roote ; faith beleeuing the promise , loue fulfilling the commandement , ro. . faith iustifying vs before god : loue declating vs before men to bee iust persons . so in other things also , as namely faith receiueth something to it selfe ; to wit , christ , and his benefits : whereas loue giueth out it selfe in all the former duties we haue spoken of , and many more whereof we shall speake hereafter . faith looketh properly to christ , and profiteth our selues ; loue looketh to god and angels , and men both good and bad , and endeuoureth to profit many . hence it is , that the apostle preferreth loue before faith ; corinthians . as also , for that faith ceaseth at the end of this life ; whereas loue endureth after this life : cor. . verse last . apollos . i perceiue by your discourse of loue , that you confound loue and brotherly kindnesse , as if they were but one grace ; whereas the apostle peter doth distinguish them , and make them twaine : pet. . . aquila . i doe handle them together ; for that i find the scripture doth often comprehend brotherly kindnesse vnder loue , when loue is taken in the largest sense , as it reacheth to all men whatsoeuer : howbeit , i doe not denie , but the apostle doth seuer them ; peter . in which place he considers loue , as it doth embrace men as men , because they are our neighbours , and of our kind ; and brotherly kindnesse , as it is a more neere and inward affection , such as is expressed to men , as they be our brethren , christians , and fellow citizens . this difference i may thus set it downe . i may compare our hearts to a great large house , whose hall is loue , and the parlour brotherly kindnesse : as then a great man admits all friends , strangers , one and other into his hall , so our loue is to lie open vnto all men , without respect or difference ; but our brotherly kindnesse we communicate onely to such as are our euen christians , as we doe allow our nearest acquaintance onely to haue accesse into our parlour : thus i conceiue the meaning of the apostle peter , when he doth seuer these two graces . but now sir wee haue spent thus much time in this argument , it will be fit that we here doe breake off , vntill we may meete againe . the twelfth part of this dialogue , concerning peace , and other effects of loue. aquila . what may be the matter ( good sir ) that you fall so farre short of the houre of our meeting ; it was your wont to preuent me , and now i haue the forehand of you ? apollos , surely ( friend aquila ) i was not in good health ( as you well know ) when wee began this conference ; but that little strength which i had , is much of late empaired : i doe sensibly feele a great decay of my naturall powers . this is the cause of my long stay , i once doubted how i should haue come ; but i haue encouraged my selfe to keepe appointment with you as i could : yet so , as wee must hasten in the remainder , to draw to some conclusion with speed ; and because you may the better beare the greatest weight , i wil continue to put you to speake of those graces which are behind , enioyning you to obserue the law of breuity . the next vertue & worke of the spirit after loue , is peace ; which is as the daughter , and loue as the mother ; or as the hand-maide , and loue as the mistrisse : for loue begets peace , and peace doth attend loue ; where loue goeth before , there peace waites at the heele : it is hatred stirreth vp contention , but peace followes and accompanies loue. touching which , let me heare you briefly shew me what difference there is betweene gods children and others , for all will seeme desirous of peace , yet peace hath but a few true friends . aquila . sir i am heartily sorry for debility of your body ; it would be greeuous to me that you should faile of performance of this which we haue begun : but because you require speed in this businesse , i wil obey your motion , in fauour of your weakenesse , and out of desire to accomplish this enterprize . i haue learned from your selfe and others , that there is a peace with god ; also with our selues , called , peace of conscience . thirdly , with the creatures ; and lastly , with our neighbour : which if it be in common-wealth , countrey , and cities , it is ciuill peace : domesticall peace if it be in families , & that peace which is in the church amongst professours , is christian peace ; whereof we are to speake . this is such a knitting together of our mindes in god , and among our selues , as that neither in religion by schisme or heresie , or in our daily conuersation by brawles , quarrels , and suites , there appeare any strife or variance , but a good agreement on all hands . now in this vertue of peace the godly doe much differ from others , because they embrace and maintaine peace and agreement , out of loue which they beare one to another , especially towards god ; for that they would not offend him by dissention , nor be rent asunder from their brethren , whom they vnfainedly affect . wherupon they are very carefull not to minister any occasion of difference , neither to take hold on occasions , being offered by others either in weakenesse , or of purpose ; chusing to forgoe and remit their owne right , after the example of their father abraham , rather then to striue and fall out : remembring that they are brethren by profession , and how that peace is a thing very delightfull to god , and exceeding pleasing and good for all men ; carrying with it innumerable commodities and benefits to mans life , being a shadow and representation of that felicity which godly men shall haue in the life which is eternall ; rom. , ; whereof peace is a chiefe part . in which regard the godly had rather suffer wrong , then to enter into contention , which is bitter as gall and wormewood to their soule , being as hurtfull to mankind , as it is hatefull and odious to god. vpon these considerations , all good men as they endeuour peace , carefully looking to themselues neither to affoord , nor apprehend matter of strife : so on the other side , if by the malice of sathan , and the weakenesse of men , an entrance be made into dissention , they are willing and forward to pacifie and quench the sparkles ; very well knowing that the beginning of strife , is as the opening of a flood-gate : and that it is euer doubtfull what will be the end thereof . they therefore doe their best to stop contention at the first , yea , though they be like to make aduantage of strife ; yet the loue of peace , and of their brethren , more preuailes with them , then the desire of contention or of luker . now all the children of this world be otherwise affected in this duty of peace ; their minds are not peaceably disposed , the way of peace they know not : rom. . if they liue peaceably with others , it is not because they truly loue peace , and their neighbours ; but out of selfe-loue , when it may serue their turne to auoide some trouble which they would not fall into , or to hold some benefit which they haue by good agreement with others ; so long , and so far they frame themselues to peace : but if it come to this , that they must lose any thing by yeelding peaceably to concord , or that discord will draw more commodity to them , they then make themselues ready for warre ; easily they giue , and in these cases as easily they will snatch occasion giuen of falling out , secretly and vnder hand nourishing and encreasing matter of strife and debate ; being bent rather to offend god and their brethren , then to remit but a little of their will and profit : neither forecasting , nor caring what hurtfull things follow to others by strife , so themselues may goe away gainers . apollos . you doe rightly iudge that the godly man alone hath a truly peaceably mind , and that all wicked men , what shew soeuer they make , are all enemies to peace : but i desire to vnderstand if you haue ought more in your remembrance concerning this point . apollos . sir , i doe well remember it hath been taught me , that the godly hold this grace of peace with imperfections ; so as they are sometimes through frailety , and the subtill reaches of sathan , at variance not onely with euil men , but haue iarres and bitter strife amongst themselues . example whereof we haue in the apostles striuing for superiority , who should be greater then others ; mathew . . and in paul and barnabas ; acts . also in the churches of corinth and galathia ; cor. . . god so disposing it for most good ends , as to discouer hypocrites , to try the godly , and to bring his secret counsels to passe . howbeit the godly afterwards are ashamed , and doe repent of their folly , and become more wary and more studious of peace then before . this being most true of all godly persons , that though they now and then forget themselues , and so fall into dissentions , yet their life is so ordered , as that the whole carriage of it for the most part tends to peace : for god hath so blessed them , that they are free from such vices as stirre vp strife ; their heart it is without loue of all contention , pride , and vaine glory , anger , hatred , couetousnesse , desire of reuenge , taking things in the euill part ; which are the very bellowes of variance , and break-neckes of all peace . on the contrary , it is filled with a quiet spirit , with humility , contentment , gentlenesse , long-sufferance , meekenesse , forgiuing offences , interpreting things in good part , when with reason and truth they may ; which be the very nurses of peace , and break-neckes of all contentions : their words also being not greeuous , but few , soft , and vpright ; far from false reports , or tale-carrying , not vsing scornefull , nor brawling speeches ; iudges . , . and finally , they containe their hands from striking , violent and vniust dealings ; and they doe well know how to vse a wise silence , when speaking may kindle , or encrease anger : by this meanes it commeth to passe , that they easily gaine concord and agreement with their brethren , and as easily maintaine it . all being quite contrary in wicked men , who furthermore doe herein differ from the righteous , that as they will not haue peace with whom they should , so they will sometimes haue it with whom they should not : as they study not to seeke peace with all , but with such as themselues list ; so they are ready for sinister respects , there to liue peaceably where the godly doth not find it possible , vnlesse hee would haue warre with god , by hauing peace with his enemies . whereas this is the way of gods children , that if it lie in them and be possible , they will haue peace with all ; if there be not peace , it is because it is not in their power , or because they hold a iust warre better then an vngodly peace . but on the other part , euill men as they giue no diligence to haue agreement when they might and ought , so they are content to accord with them with whom they ought to haue no fellowship : for what communion can the christian which is christs friend , haue with an idolater , or with any other of gods enemies ? yet i am far off from condemning those leagues of concord which christian princes doe make with infidels and idolaters , vpon necessity of commerce and trafficke for the better maintenance of this life , by exchanging of commodities , or for common defence , where there is no league of amity stricken , to agree and accord with them in their superstitions and vngodlinesse . such leagues of peace we reade of betweene abraham and abimelech , geneses . betweene salomon and hyram , king of siria ; king. . . between dauid , and the king of the ammonites ; sam. . . apollos . now that you haue spoken thus much of peace , you may proceed to those other vertues , which either be parents to beget , or props to sustaine christian peace . aquila . yet by your good leaue i meane to adde this one thing ; namely , that gods children are of such a peaceable temper , as they will not fall out , no , not with the worst men : till it come to this , that they must differ from them in some wicked cause ; and euen then they doe so refraine to haue communion with them in the cause , as that if it may be , and doe lie in them , they will not haue warre with their persons : but when they must breake off fellowship with their persons ( they and their bad cause being so linked , that he that will like the one , must allow , or seeeme at least to allow the other ) yet then they so breake off society , and stand off from their company , as it is with pity and griefe for their follie , and with prayer to god for their repentance ; this is it whereunto they aime , being sorry if they faile . now sir i am well pleased that we step forwards to conferre of those graces , which a little before we haue seene to goe together with this peaceable heart of the godly man ; whereof one is humility : for as the child of god walkes humbly with his god , giuing him all glory for all good things , acknowledging and feeling in himselfe nought saue sinne and misery ; so hee carrieth himselfe humbly towards his brethren , whose graces and good works he doth reuerence , and with loue make mention of them , in like loue couering wants and euils . and being priuy to such a number of corruptions in himselfe , he adiudgeth himselfe the meanest of all , and worst of all others , and esteemeth others better then himselfe ; being ready not out of the basenesse of mind , but out of a lowly spirit to doe any seruice , how troublesome or meane soeuer , to the comfort or helpe of any christian ; after the example of christ , abasing himselfe to wash his apostles feete , and also humbling himselfe for his enemies euen to the death of the crosse ; phil. . , . the like mind hath euery godly christian , who forgets and denies himselfe , that he may stoope to euery duty whereby hee may be helpefull to his euen christians , and yet so farre from looking after any praise , as if he be praised especially in his owne presence , hee is ready to blush ; prou. , . being more desirous to heare of his fallings , that hee may be the more humbled , then to be commended for his well doings , lest he waxe proude . as for those stirrings of pride , which none of gods children are wholy freed from , they much dislike them in their iudgement , and loath them in their hearts , striuing and praying against them , with crauing of pardon for them ; knowing how much god abhorreth the high minded to depresse them , and that the way to glory , is paued and prepared by humility : it being written , that god will lift vp the humble ; pet. , . now this is further to be considered , that with this singular humility , there is ioyned in the godly a comely and reuerent grauity , staying and ordering their affections within , and mode rating their gestures , words , countenances , and actions without , according to the dignity of their persons and callings ; that as their humble carriage gaineth them loue , so of their graue behauiour there ariseth much reuerence towards them . it is not so with the euil and vnrighteous men , who be vaine and light , hauing no grauity at all , or none but affected grauity , little considering the excellency of their estate and place . they be voide also of true humility , because they forget the worthinesse of others ; therefore either out of the pride of their hearts they doe 〈◊〉 and disdaine others , thinking themselues better then they : as the pharises in the gospell did , or out of basenesse of mind , yeelding to all persons in all things without difference ; not respecting what in duty they owe , but being forwards to doe any thing which may please , or procure themselues respect and praise : whereof if they happen to faile and misse , they are thereby more daunted and troubled , then they are comforted by the seruice which they did , as appeareth in achitophell . apollos . it is a thing that you haue very well obserued , that gods children doe so remember the worthinesse of others , to be humbled & lowly towards them ; as withall they doe not forget their owne worthinesse , to cause in them a godly grauity , to deliuer their humblenesse from contempt . now after these things thus touched , we are next in order to speake of gentlenesse , that grace and vertue which makes a christian milde and tractable , apt to please , loath to displease , easie to be entreated , ready to yeeld to others , and to doe them any fauour with reason ; a vertue wherein christ excelled , being most gentle , and wherein euery true christian is his follower , treading in the steps of his curteous and gentle disposition . doe you declare ( good friend ) what the gentlenesse of a regenerate christian doth differ from that which vnregenerate persons doe practise ; for euen amongst these is a certaine gentlenesse to be seene . the chiefe captaine at rome being an heathen man , gently entreated pauls kinsman , acts . . and publius the chiefe man in the i le of melita , 〈◊〉 entertained paul himselfe , acts . . and we may reade of many others , which were no christians , who seemed gentle , milde , curteous , and faire spoken , farre from frowardnesse and rigour . aquila . ye speake truth ; but the difference is manifold and apparant : for first gods children in exercising gentlenesse , preferre them that doe feare god , being most gentle towards them , euen in that respect , without regard to their owne pleasure or profit : others are gentle indifferently to all , and least of all to such as be good . againe , the godly will not be gentle when they must be seuere ; whereof moyses is an example , being a man maruellous gentle , yet in gods cause exceeding seuere and stout ; exod. . . it is contrariwise in men vnsanctified , who be sharpe and bitter in their owne , but remisse in gods quarrell . thirdly , the faithfull take care to doe nothing , out of their gentlenesse to please men , which may displease god ; hereof wicked men haue no care . moreouer , the godly will not turne their gentlenesse to the hurt of any man , because hee loueth his neighbour , therefore he lookes circumspectly to it , not to doe him euill by his gentle dealing with him . fnally , he is afraide least either he be too rough , or too gentle ; being sorry if hee swarue at any time from the meane , crauing pardon euen of his weaknesse that way ; a thing that euill men doe not trouble themselues withall . and as in gentlenesse , so in long-suffering the godly doe approue themselues to be the elect of god , guided by the spirit , and partakers of gods image : for whereas euill men are either stupid and soft , being without sence of iniuries done them , or else too hasty , and proue too eager , soone and suddenly moued , many times vpon light and meane occasions . the godly haue such apprehension of trespasses done against them , as that they forbeare wrath , bridling and biting in their anger , being hardly prouoked vnto displeasure , waiting long , and with much patience for the amendment of their enemies , after the example of their heauenly father , who is slow to anger , and of great patience , as themselues haue felt him to be towards themselues by good experience , as well as by his owne testimony in scripture . therefore as god being deeply prouoked by their owne sins , hath mercifully borne with them in his long-suffering nature ; so they endeauour to deale with others that offend them , expecting if god at any time will giue them repentance for their sinnes . but as for euill men , howsoeuer they are contented to suffer and forbeare , yet it proceeds not out of care to obey the commandement , which requires forbearance ; or to follow the example of god : but either because they are not able to hurt such as trespasse them , or for feare of some hurt to themselues , if they should by impatiency breake out into any extreme and hard courses ; or else they couet to be commended for quiet and patient men . but that we may goe forward , with this long-suffering and forbearing , there goes hand in hand forgiuenesse of offences ouer against vs ; when vpon due consideration , that god hath straitly commanded vs to forgiue one another , and for his sonne iesus christs sake , hath pardoned vnto vs our owne manifold and great sinnes , we are moued againe for his sake , and for duty sake , to pardon our neighbour all wrongs done by him against our selues , that it may be a testimoniall to vs of our owne forgiuenesse before god. therefore we hold our selues bound not onely to keepe our selues from reuenge , but we are ready if our offending brother repent , and shew himselfe desirous of reconcilement with vs , to receiue him into our fauour , according to the counsell of our sauiour , willing to forgiue our brother , when he commeth vnto vs , saying , it repents me ; and after his owne practise , embracing sinners vpon their conuersion : in which point there is one special caution to be obserued of vs , and it is this ; that wee may sometimes vnfainedly forgiue and loue , where wee haue iust reason not to repose trust and confidence . none more charitable then christ , forgiuing his mortall enemies ; yet where hee found 〈◊〉 couered with guilefull & deceitfull words and countenances , he would not commit himselfe vnto such ; iohn . herein all true christians must endeauour to resemble and be like to their sauiour , out of their loue forgiuing quarrels and iniuries , as out of their wisedome they proue slow to giue credit : for hee that commanded vs to be simple and innocent as doues , loath to be harmefull vnto any ; euen hee also hath enioyned vs to be wise as serpents , looking to our selues , lest we take hurt by easily trusting such , as without cause haue declared themselues to be our enemies , whatsoeuer pretence of friendship or promise they make . the old and common saying is , trust not a reconciled enemy . herein naturall men doe very much faile , either being loath to forgiue their enemies , or doing it fainedly , or with great indiscretion , without heede taking , and being made more wary for afterwards . apollos . there be two other vertues , to wit , goodnesse and meeknesse ; let me know wherein they consist , and how neere the wicked come to them , and yet haue them not ? aquila . goodnesse it is that vertue whereby gods children being good in themselues , by participation of gods goodnesse , they also endeauour to doe good , and to be beneficiall to others ; after the patterne which christ hath set them . of whom it is written , that hee went about doing good ; either by some word or deede , priuately or publikely , ordinarily or extraordinarily , to mens bodies or soules , he was profitable and good . all true christians be thus affected , they are sorry when any houre hath passed without doing good to themselues and others ; watching for opportunities , and according to their meanes endeuouring vpon offered occasions gladly to helpe all men , being carefull to take good , when they can doe none . adde hereunto , that they are not onely sorry when none are the better for them , but that the good which they doe , is so little , beseeching and begging mercy , because they are so empty of goodnesse , and barren in doing good things ; and as by their goodnesse they are carried in a great desire of being helpeful to all to whom they can doe good , without wearinesse , respect of persons , or hope of recompence : so their meeknesse enableth them to passe by abuses offered them by men , without purpose of rendring euill for euill ; also to beare with a quiet minde all crosses sent of god , referring themselues in them to his pleasure , according as their meeke sauiour hath giuen them example ; father , as thou wilt ; mat. . and moreouer , it causeth them to submit themselues for their iudgements and affections vnto the truth of god , euen when it is contrary to their reason , and doth thwart their will and desires , then they meekely yeeld themselues to be gouerned by it in their opinions and actions , laying aside all superfluitie of maliciousnesse , they doe with meekenesse receiue the good word of god , which is able to saue their soules ; iames . in these graces the 〈◊〉 may come somewhat neere vnto gods children , putting forth themselues to speake and doe many good things , and prouoking others to be good and helpefull ; notwithstanding both the examples of goodnesse which themselues giue , and the perswasions which they vse in the setting others on worke for to doe good : yet the truth is , that they haue not one drop of sound goodnesse in them : which is euidenced and cleared by this argument , that they are exceeding enuious , and greeue much if they perceiue any others to be equally liked and loued as themselues , for their goodnesse and care of well-doing . as amongst the iewes , diuers of them did sundry good things , yet they enuied christ because he did more ; mathew . also saul king of israel , ( before an euill spirit possessed him ) sam. performed much good vnto the people ; yet he fretted and repined at dauid , who did better things , and thereby gained greater praise . by this it appeareth , that hypocrites exercise themselues in doing good , not out of any habite of goodnesse , and from a loue of wel-doing , but vpon hope of receiuing the like good , or else to please themselues , and get them the name of good men ; which is the cause ( missing of their hoped ends ) that after a time they waxe weary of doing good , and giue ouer that course , their hearts being vnsound : and howsoeuer they beare a likenesse and appearance of meekenesse , yet herein they bewray that they haue not true meekenesse , because they refuse to bring their hearts , their thoughts , and lusts , vnder the yoake of the word ; being also vnder gods hand murmurers , and vnwilling to passe by abuses put vpon them by men . for if so be that they are hardly prouoked vnto anger ; yet in their anger stirred vpon iust causes , they exceede their bounds both for time and measure , yea and for manner too , holding out their displeasure longer ; beeing also more deeply moued then they ought , and alwaies bending their anger more against the persō of their neighbours , then against their sinnes . whereas , if they were truly meekened , both they would suffer the word of god to rule ouer their corrupt reason and euill desires , and also in their anger stirred vp against their neighbour , they would so pursue his sinnes , as it should bee with commiseration and greefe for his person : after the example of that same most meeke lambe of god , who in such sort conceyued indignation against the weaknesse of his disciples , and wickednes of the iewes : as yet his heart mourned , and his eyes shed teares , for the hardnesse of heart in the one , and for the infidelitie and maliciousnesse of the other . apollos . two wayes do all vnsound christians declare themselues voyde of meekenesse both towardes god and man. toward god , for that howsoeuer their wit and iudgement makes way , and stoopes vnto the word of god to thinke and beleeue as it teacheth , ( yet diuers of them do fancie and foster strange conceites , contrary to the word ) but they neuer labour to bring their will and affections in thorow subiection to gods truth ; nourishing still some rebellious lust , wherewith they take part against the knowne will of the most blessed god , as did herod and iudas . toward their brethren , insomuch , as if they study not how to requite vnkindnesses ( like to those which are neuer quiet , till they haue mete home the like measure , dooing one shrewd turne for another ) yet when they do such things ( as men soundly meeke would do , either putting down some affections which make insurrection against god , or putting vp some abuses done to them by men : ) this commeth not of obedience vnto god , with desire to please and honour him ; neyther is it ioyned with griefe and repentance for their slippes in this kinde ; whereas godly persons , finding how hard a thing it is , to frame their thoughts and affections to bee plyable to gods will , and to temper their anger towards men : as they striue to haue their fiercenesse to god and man 〈◊〉 , and to attaine to a good measure of christian 〈◊〉 ; so they are much humbled in their soules , for coming short & fayling in these duties . now after meeknesse , there followes two other worthy gifts to be considered of : the one is mercy , taking pitty on otherfolks miseries ; the other , is the taking in good part ther doubtfull sayings and doings , so farre as with truth and reason they may . aquila . sir , in naming these two vertues , yee haue but preuented me . these indeede are so proper to a regenerate childe of god , as the naturall man can lay no claime vnto them . it is true , that vnregenerate men , are not altogether without mercy : for barbarians pittied paul , acts , . and the samaritane the wounded lew , luke . and pharaohs daughter did with compassion behold that exposed infant moyses , exod. , . but this is a meere naturall affection , and comes not from the spirit , and it is exercised not of obedience to god , or for his sake and glory ; but vpon carnall respect , such as flesh and blood suggests : extending it selfe vnto outward miseries onely , not to soule calamities . whereof naturall men haue no sense : and when their mercie is abused , it is ready to turn into cruelty and fiercenes ; at the least , it will not breake through vnkindnesses , to witnesse it selfe towards such as deserue euill of them . but the mercy of gods children , whether they doe respect their fellow-feeling , in that they can take the harmes and losses of others as their owne , remembring them that are in bonds , as if they were bound thēselues , and them that are in prison as if they were afflicted , like members of a body , who suffer together , and reioyce together : or the effects and workes of this affection , in ministering to the needy things they lacke ; as cloth to the naked , meate to the hungry , harbor to the harborlesse , and all kinde of comforts . i say , in all this , they are led by the spirit , which mooueth them thus to pity and succour others , euen for the lords sake ; because it is his will , and it tends to his glory ; & for their bretherens sake , to refresh their bowels , and by such examples of mercy to win them to the word . moreouer , they are most affected and greeued with the spirituall euils of others , taking their sins to heart no lesse , if not more , then their corporall wants . mourning for their ignorance and hardnesse of heart , praying instantly the father of al mercy , to open their eies , to draw them out of darknesse . and this they doe instantly , euen where they are prouoked , and not onely to their friends . as christ wept ouer ierusalem which crucified hirn : so true christians haue compassion towards their enemies . further , when mercy is to be practised vpon offered occasions , they stay not till they be entreated : but be hartily glad , that they may be a mean of comfort to any distressed . euen as they would haue refreshing & help in their own afflictions & trobles : so they are willing to respect others , out of a great desire to be like their mercifull father , and to adorn the gospell of his sonne , with the workes of mercy . moreouer , where others take occasion of scorning their brethren , of reioycing or triumphing ouer them , euen from these occasions the godly do prouoke them selues to pittifulnesse , with sighs and groanes , to 〈◊〉 and bewaile the follies and falles , the damages and distresses which happen vnto others . yea , the mercy of a righteous man rcacheth vnto beasts : not his owne onely , but vnto the beasts of his enemies , to pull them out of the pit , or to bring them home being straglers . and whensoeuer they faile in these , or in any other dutie of mercy , either for substāce , measure , or maner , they haue sorrow in themselues , and flye for pardon to the throne of grace ; so farre off they be , from putting trust in their owne deeds : and all this , without desire or care to bee knowne or seene of men ( further then needes must , or may bee , for their example and encouragement to the like mercifull workes ) as they thinke it sufficient , that god who knoweth the heart , math. , , , . is witnesse to the tendernesse of their affections towardes such , as are in any necessity or want . as touching the next vertue , it is taking of things in good part , when any doubtful speeches or actions happen , which may be taken in euill part , and breed matter of dislike & debate . these do the godly vse to interpret well , inclining alwayes to the best constructions which can be made of mens doubtfull words or doings . for , as in euident euils they will not suffer a curtaine to bee drawne ouer the eyes , not to see that which all men behold ; so in such things which may haue a good sence , they will not be so vncharitable as to make a bad interpretation . neyther will they for some blemishes in a mans person or deede , condemne all that is good ( as if for a wart or scarre , one should despise great fauor and beauty ; ) but they easily winke at that which is amisse , seeking by priuate louing admonition to mend it , and 〈◊〉 ready to commend that which is as it ought to be : making the best of euery thing , so farre as with good conscience they can . in the wicked it is quite contrarie : for they wrest mens words and actions quite beside , yea sometimes cleane contrary to the intention of the speaker and doer , after the example of dauids brethren , . sam. . and hannuns seruants , sam. , . and if at any time they do take any doubtfull saying in the better part , it is done partially , because they would take part with some whom they affect . they doe not mete like measure to all : being also apt for some fewe and small spots , to reiect many and excellent graces . apollos . but friend aquila , amongst all the gifts that spring out of loue and accompany a peaceable spirit , & tend to encrease and preserue loue and peace , ye haue scarse named , or but onely named the gouernment of the tongue for speech and silence , it being one of the graces proper to the elect , to know when and how to speake . for the righteous man ordereth his words with wisedome , his speeches are seasonable and fit , like pictures of siluer in apples of gold , being powdered with salt : whereas the foole bableth out foolishnesse , his words giue no grace to the hearer , but with his lips hee speakes froward things , which witnesseth the price of his hart , & tends to engender strife . the good man out of the good treasure of his heart draweth out good things , & the euill man out of the euill treasure of his hart , bringeth forth euill things mathew . . as there is nothing whereby a mans wisedome is better knowne then by his words , so a mans folly 〈◊〉 by his talke , which in euill men is either vaine or euill : whereas the wise with their tongue spread knowledge , and feede many with the fruites of their lips ; they shun all euill and ydle , all contentious and vnlouing talke , as a man wold eschew a dangerous rocke . it fareth thus with them they feare god , they choose rather to say nothing , then to speake vnprofitable and friuolous , vile , and hurtfull thinges . they haue learned , that in much talk there is iniquity ; euen as a riuer that ouerfloweth the bank draweth with it much soyle and filth , so many words haue alwayes some fault ; it being one of the hardest thinges in the world , to say much , and to say nothing amisse . also no danger is like the danger which cometh by the slipperinesse and foolishnesse of an hasty tongue . it sildom repents a good man that he saith too little , it often repents him that he spake too much . his silence doth euer proue lesse greeuous to him , then his speech . for , the godly finde by experience , that both the peace of their owne conscience betweene them and god , and also the mutuall peace betweene them and their neighbors , is more offended and hurt by saying much , then by saying nothing . so it is not without cause , that silence is termed a holding our peace , to shew this ; that peace is gotten and preserued both to our selues , and with others , by prudent silence . nothing is so sweete a friend to peace as silence , as many words much offend it . he is surely therefore an happy man , and fittest to liue in the world , that striueth earnestly with himselfe to get this good moderation of his tongue . we might now passe forwards to speake of the vertue of temperance , but that i would haue you to declare , how the children of god doe differ from others in this duty of selfe-preseruation : for selfe-safety is a thing cared for of all men ; but not alike of all men . aquila . this was well remembred of you . i had like to haue done as hee did , who told ouer the company twice , and still forgot himselfe : for indeede all the forenamed graces be such , as serue to procure and preserue the safety of our neighbour ; his person , and life of his soule and body , is by the former gifts aduanced , saue that the last which you named , to wit , the well ordering of the tongue , is a great meane ( as any other ) of selfe-safety . life and death are in the hands of the tongue , many a man may by his wise silence or good answeres , keepe himselfe from dangers ; and by his rash and inconsiderate , either speaking , or keeping silence , may fall into many a great hazard euen of estate , and life . besides this , as vnto our life , so vnto our comfortable being , good speech doth much preuaile : for ioy shall come to a man by the answer of his lippes ( saith 〈◊〉 . ) therefore hereunto the godly doe giue great heede ( as they are bound ) that they doe not make sad their owne hearts by hasty and sinfull speech ; this is a thing whereof the wicked haue neither care nor conscience . indeed they are hereof carefull , to make their hearts merry , with iesting and witty conceits ( which so they want impiety and filthinesse , are not simply to be condemned ) but to gaine to their hearts the ioy of a godly and discreete answer ; this is a peculiar care of good men : who knowing that naturall liuelinesse or 〈◊〉 , is the best part of life ( as griefe of heart is the beginning of death , cor. . worldly sorrow leading thereunto ) therefore as by all other meanes , as of dyet , company , physicke , recreation , being religiously vsed , they doe cherish and quicken their spirits ; so they especially looke vnto this , that to their naturall they may ioyne spirituall liuelinesse , by the fruites of their holy speeches and actions : vpon this consideration , that god loues cheareful worshippers , and that the more hearty and liuely that the body and mind be , the better able shall they proue to doe vnto god and men their appointed seruice . for the chearefulnesse of the heart , maketh the countenance gladsome , and addeth strength to the bones ; whereas the marrow of the bones ( euen the chiefe and best strength of a man ) is consumed by pensiue sadnesse and heauinesse of heart . to be short , the righteous because they know it to be a duty to comfort their hearts , and that god and their brethren are better serued , the more comfortable that the minde is ; therefore that which the children of this world doe ( that is to say , make themselues mery ) vpon corrupt regards , because they would liue , and enioy the pleasures and benefits of life ( which is a care common to men with bruite beasts ) the same godly persons doe vpon conscience of the commandement , and also because they would the more plentifully glorifie god , and doe good to many . now to your motion for temperance or sobriety , this fruite of the spirit , together with 〈◊〉 , doe belong to the keeping of our vessels pure and in honour , being of such vse and force , as without them , our mindes and bodies ( which are the temples of the holy ghost ) cannot be preserued in holinesse , to be fit mansions or habitations for gods spirit . many 〈◊〉 men are chaste as touching any act or deede , when yet their desires are either exceeding vnruly , or being restrained , onely for worldly respects , to auoide trouble in the flesh , or for their reputation . whereas they which are regenerate , whether they liue a single life or a married , they haue a power giuen vnto them by the spirit , to keepe not onely their bodies , but their very thoughts pure ; concerning the desire of sexe , so farre as the measure of their grace will enable them , they carefully shun ( after the example of continent ioseph ) all temptations and occasions of vncleannesse , in this respect , that they would not doe wickednesse against god : but if at any time any of them doe fall with dauid ( breaking the lawes of chastity ) they doe earnestly and vnfainedly repent with dauid ; being ready to make their sinnes knowne publikely if neede require , euer after more heedfully looking to their wayes . vnto their chastity they doe ioyne temperance , which is a vertue moderating their desires about the pleasures of this life ; euen as chastity ruleth the heart about the desire of sexe : so sobriety and temperance gouernes their affections about other pleasures of this life , giuing them power not onely to abstaine from following and 〈◊〉 filthy and vnlawfull pleasures , such as are forbid ; as whoredome , drunkennesse , gluttony , &c. but to withstand all inticements and prouocations thereunto , and that not for feare of shame or punishment onely from god or man , but of conscience towards god. moreouer , in such pleasures as be lawfull and allowed , as in the pleasures of eating , drinking , apparell , recreation , sleepe , marriage , buildings , and other such honest pleasures ( by the vse whereof our life and kind is not onely maintained , but preserued in a comfortable estate ) the gift of temperance is bestowed vpon the children of god in all ages , degrees , and sexes , as a met-yard to measure , and as a bridle to hold backe their affections , in vsing these warrantable delights , that they doe not onely not exceede their bounds , but be held in , and restrained from going so far in the vse of them , as otherwise their estate and ability , and the custome of the times and place where they liue will suffer and giue them leaue : for this is certaine , that our desires after these pleasures are vnsatiable , as a bottomelesse 〈◊〉 ; and withall sathan layeth baites and snares to catch all the children of adam in their pleasures ( euen as he caught their first parents ) and experience telleth vs , that some very godly persons haue beene surprized , and were taken in his snares , to the wounding of their owne conscience , and to the offence and dishonour of god. therefore as temperance is very needful to preserue vs from running into excesse , and to cause vs to liue soberly and stayedly ; so the children of god haue a maruellous great care to cherish and practise this grace , endeauouring thereby to curbe and hold in their sensuall desires , and in abundance of their blessings to keepe a mediocrity , in such sort vsing their liberty in outward blessings of this life , as it may be a helpe and furtherance , and not a hinderance to godlinesse and eternall life . and this they inforce themselues to doe the rather , because they know it is the will of god , that they should liue temperately ; pet. . . and that temperance is a fruite of the spirit ; galat. . . an ornament of the gospell ; tu. . . and hath great promises made to it ; lu. . . and finally , brings great benefit both to minde and body . if naturall men doe some temperate actions , it is not out of an habite of temperance , nor vpon these considerations , but out of humane reason , and for carnall respects . apollos . now that you haue spoken of such graces as tend to the preseruation of life , and such as are behouefull for the tempering and ruling of the pleasures of life ; good order doth require that you come vnto such vertues , as regenerate persons are bound to exercise about their neighbours commodity and credite , to shew how they stand affected towards the substance and name of their neighbour , otherwise then all other men doe . aquila . right so . thus therefore it is ; all godly persons make conscience of doing the least iniury to other men in their goods and wealth , either by fraud or violence , either directly or indirectly ; neither willingly doe they suffer any harme to come to them , if they can hinder it : and if by any ouer-sight , or wittingly , by any errour , or negligence of themselues , or their seruants , it happen that any portion of their neighbours goods or substance fall into their hands , they are very willing to restore it vnto the owner . also things found , or pawned , or gaged , they will not possesse , but deliuer them to the true owners , according to the expresse cōmandement of god ; deut. . . at a word , because they esteeme a little with righteousnesse , better then a great deale with iniquity ; therefore they will not abide that ought should sticke in their fingers , which by right belongs to other men : abhorring bribery and vsury ; being ready and prompt , not onely by aduice , but euen by their helpe and labour , sometimes to recouer vnto their neighbour that which is theirs . 〈◊〉 , moreouer to this intent , that they may not be 〈◊〉 to any , by empairing their goods ; therefore all righteous persons as they doe make choyce to liue in an honest lawfull calling , such as none can iustly speake 〈◊〉 of , and is according to the good law of their countrey , seruing to some good , priuate or publike , worldly or 〈◊〉 : so they take not a little care to discharge the duties of their calling , not onely with great diligence and paines taking , bending their mindes earnestly to doe their duties well ; but with faithfulnesse and sincerity , euen from their hearts , more respecting the will of god , and their neighbours welfare , then their owne benefit , which comes by the worke of their calling . 〈◊〉 , continuing therein without wearinesse or giuing ouer , and which is the chiefe or maine thing , they alwayes begin , and take in hand the duties of their calling , with inuocation of the name of god , commending themselues to the direction of his spirit , and the successe of their labours to the gracious blessing of god. looke whatsoeuer doth happen , and is giuen them more or lesse , better or worse , they take it thankfully , knowing how vnworthy they be of any good , and yet are assured that euery thing shall serue to their good ; wherefore in the ende of their worke they praise god , as they did by prayer enter vpō it . thus they behaue themselues religiously , not only in the duties of their calling , & other 〈◊〉 businesses , but in their recreations also , and in the 〈◊〉 of lawfull pleasures ; being well assured , that they can haue no comfortable and wnolsome vse thereof , vnlesse they begin and end with god , referring all to his glory , and ordering all by his will. it is not thus with vnregenerate men , who as they make not scruple what manner of calling they liue in , ( so it bring aduantage , and be vnperillous ) so in the execution of their callings they forget not god alone , in not sanctifying their functions and labours by the word and prayer , vnlesse it be a little for fashion , that they be thought christians ; but their neighbours also , for that they doe wholly aime at their owne benefit , which they study how to encrease by hooke or crooke , by right or wrong , not greatly passing to straine their conscience for lucre sake ; especially if it may be done warily with safegard of their credit : for it is no corrasiue or griefe to their soule , to haue god and their conscience witnesse to the iniury done to their brethren in their worldly matters , so as they may escape the knowledge , censure , and shame of men . if gehazi thought that eliza should haue knowne , and ananias had imagined saint peter would haue found out their budging & bad dealing , they had surely dealt better then they did . thus it fareth with all worldly men , as in all other duties , so in their dealing with their neighbours substance , they are carried with respect of men ; insomuch that if at any time they forbeare to doe wrong , and be content that others should haue right done them , this proceedes not from any true loue of god and their neighbour , but from selfe loue , because they would keepe their reputation and honor amongst men , or at vtmost to keepe and hold off the iudgement of god , which he threatneth against wrong doers and vnrighteous persons , or in hope of enioying such blessings as are promised to righteous liuers ; because they couet to escape the euils denounced against vniust persons , and to 〈◊〉 the good things offred vnto the iust : therefore they doe endeauour themselues to performe some righteous things . this is the furthest that any vnsanctified person can goe towards god , either in this or in any other duty ; namely to doe good vpon 〈◊〉 of receiuing good , and to auoid euill , for feare of finding euill : whereas if there were neither punishments , nor benefits ; yet would the godly giue to euery man his due for gods sake , because they desire to please and glorifie him . vpon which ground they are moued to haue a great respect to the credit and estimation of their neighbour , not onely not to hurt it , either by receiuing a false report against him , ( 〈◊〉 , chasing 〈◊〉 the tale-bearers , back-biters and whisperers , by an angry looke , as the raine is driuen away with the east-wind ) or by vttering any euill , or vntrue suggestion or witnesse against him , especially before a 〈◊〉 in the feate of iudgement : but also there is in 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 speciall and great desire , euen as they would haue their owne good name preserued , so to labour the preseruation of the good name of others , by concealing their 〈◊〉 , firmities , hiding the worst , and speaking onely of 〈◊〉 best , excusing them when they may with a good conscience ; interpreting to the best such reports as 〈◊〉 spread abroade of them ; aduertising there of the 〈◊〉 whom it concernes , warning him to looke to himselfe 〈◊〉 reuerencing the gifts of god in their neighbours , not bewraying their secrets , putting away 〈◊〉 thoughts and words ; finally , being 〈◊〉 from enuy and euill suspitions : and this course they hold 〈◊〉 well towards one , as towards another , chusing rather to be theeues , then iniurious to any mans credit . but as for those who are vnregenerate , the good same of their neighbour is not vniuersally precious and deare vnto them , they are partiall herein , thinking and speaking fauourably of such whom they most affect ; others they spare , not especially if they be prouoked by them , and when the pulling downe of another mans name may be the setting vp of their owne . if there be any amongst them , any that are giuen to speake well of all , it is because themselues would be well spoken of , and without conscience of the truth ; and lastly , not that they make any account of their neighbours reputation , according vnto the commandement of god. neither is this to be maruelled at , that natural men doe so little esteem the good fame of others , seeing they are carelesse of their owne ; neither doing the things that may deserue good report , and also running into many sinful courses , which may impeach , or annoy their honest estimation , and deserue shame . now the men that truly feare god , as they are generally and vnfainedly well bent toward the good name of all others , especially of gods children ; so they doe hold themselues bound to maintaine and encrease their own good report by all good means : not that they seeke a good name for it selfe , and out of vain-glory , or that they are discontented if that they be ill spoken of for well doing ; mat. . ( which is a thing written on heauen gates ) but to the intent that they may be fitter to glorifie god , and doe more good vnto others , to whom themselues and their gifts would be more acceptable and profitable , the better that they be thought and spoken of . hence it is , that they doe not onely looke to themselues , that they may be iust before men ; but endeauour to flie euen secret sinnes in the sight of god , abstaining as well from small sinnes as from great , euen from the very appearance of euill , which might breed the 〈◊〉 ill suspition of them . neither are they onely so carefull of getting , as of keeping a good name ( which is soone lost , if it be not charily preserued : ) by the same meanes therefore they study to vphold , by which they purchased their credit , auoiding euery thing which is of euill report , and doing things onely of good report : as knowing by the word , a good name ; ( prou. . . ) to be a thing of great value and vse , precious as gold and siluer , and profitable for now and hereafter ; like sweete perfumes , presently refreshing , and preseruing against afterwards ; eccles. . , . apol. in all this i doe well assent vnto you , that both there ought to be , and is in all gods childre a tender & entire respect , both to their own , and to the good name of others , not barely for a good names fake , but for gods commandement and glory sake . but let me heare of you how the case standeth with them , when they are put to vtter their knowledge and testimony concerning things , whereof they are occasioned to speake either in their ordinary talke , or in publke speeches . aquila . such as their care is of mens persons , not to witnesse any vntruth which may wound the credit 〈◊〉 of ; the very like care haue they of things to be spoken , alwayes to speake the truth , whether they doe promise ought for the time to come , or affirme ought of a thing present or past , priuately or publikely , still their 〈◊〉 and endeauour is to shew forth the thing 〈◊〉 it is , 〈◊〉 out telling a lie of any kind , either hurtfull , or 〈◊〉 and sportfull , or officious lie : for they are enstructed out of the word , and accordingly they make conference of it , that all lying is 〈◊〉 to god , and that such as speake truth are his delight ; because hee is the god of truth himselfe , 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 , the louer and rewarder of truth in others , and a seuere reuenger of all falsehood . for which causes , the godly are alwayes ready to stand vnto their lawfull promises , which be within their power , and not altered vpon iust 〈◊〉 ; very wary and respectiue they are how they make promises ( which be as it were bonds and obligations to tie a man vnto the will of another , so as now he is not his owne man ) but being once aduisedly made , they are very faithfully kept of them , though it be to their owne binderance . as for their otherwords , which are not promises , but assertions , they are so farre from hauing any intention to deceiue others , by 〈◊〉 & 〈◊〉 words , as that they take very great heed ( so neere as their vnderstanding they haue of things will direct them ) neuer to vtter and tell forth any thing which is knowne vnto them to be false ; yea they doe abhorre the common reporting of newes and tales , euen in this very regard , that they are at the least next neighbour vnto lies , and oftentimes they proue no better . lastly , if it were to saue their owne , or the life of another , by speaking a lie , they would striue 〈◊〉 suffer their 〈◊〉 to perish , then to offend god , or to kill their owne soule by lying . but amongst all vnregenerate men , howsoeuer they may speake some true and vpright things , and performe many promises , because herein consists a mans honour and reputation ; yet they are not led with the loue of the truth , so as to prefer it before profit , credit , yea , and life too : but are ready to preferre a falshood , when it makes more for their gaine then the truth ; namely , if they can do it , and not bee espyed of men ; whose presence and knowledge they feare more then him that knoweth the heart , and iudgeth according to truth : whereas a person truly conuerted , if hee doth at any time thorough infirmity , faile of speaking an vpright sentence , either touching persons or things , he is greatly humbled ( though no man do know of his fault ) and hath no peace in his conseience , till hee haue made his peace with god for it , heartily crauing pardon thorough christ ; and euer after setting a watch before his mouth . apollos . if there be any vertue wherein vnregenerate men may seeme to match the godly as equall to them , me thinkes it is contentment . for many of them doe professe , that they holde themselues well pleased with their condition of life , and portion of goods ; breaking very often into the mention of gods goodnes for prouiding so liberally for them , and seeming not so much as to wish or desire vnto themselues ought that is their neighbours . tell me friend aquila , what you do thinke heereof ? aquila . for my part i do thinke , there is that likenes and neerenesse betweene some vnregenerate men , and the new borne children of god , both in this vertue of contentment , and diuers others , as that it is no very easie thing to discerne the oddes between them ; & though i may speak vnto you of some differences in this point , yet all the difficulty is in the finding of it out , when men come to the examination in themselues . and heerein is great neede of prayer , that god would put into vs the spirit of discretion , to make vs able to discouer the sound from the vnsound , both in this , and in all otherduties both in our selues and others . but to come neerer vnto your question , my answer to it shall bee generall and particular ; my generall answer is this : i doe iudge graces to be in men vnregenerate , as passions are in god , vnto whom the scriptures do attribute hatred , repentance , wrath , ielousie , greefe , and such like ; which are in god not as they are passions or affections , but in respect of the worke which doth follow such passions , because he worketh and doth such things as men do , which are compassed with those affections . as men repenting vse to vndo what they haue done , and being wrathfull they vse to take reuenge ; hence it is , that god his reuenging and destroying of his owne works , is called his wrath and repentance . so it fareth with vnregenerate men , they are thought to haue meeknesse , temperance , chastity , contentednes , &c. not for that these graces and the habit of these vertues bee in them , but for that they doe such outward actions , as men endued with these graces do , and vse to do . my particular answer is this : that all vnregenerate men do faile three seuerall wayes , as touching this vertue of contentment , which causeth it to bee in them a contentednesse rather in seeming , then in truth . the first is , though they confesse themselues well apayde with their estate , yet indeede their heart doth not rest in it , as in a good and sufficient lot assigned vnto them , in the which they can surely trust to finde god good & gracious vnto them . for they doe not depend vpon god , because they lacke a liuely faith . . and withall , because they doe want the grace of true contentment , therefore it cannot be , but that they still wish for more , and would haue their estate bettered : being of the quality of the horse-leech , which 〈◊〉 , giue , giue ; and like vnto the graue and the fire , which hauing consumed much matter and corpses , are ready to deuoure more . . lastly ; as their present estate is neuer so pleasing to them but a better would be more welcome : so if any decay of their present condition , either for wealth or estimation , liberty or health , do happen & fal forth , which commonly doth ( mens estates being like to the sea , which ebbeth and floweth , and vnto the moone which waxeth and waineth ) they are there with much disquieted and discontented : as appeareth in the example of saul and achitophel , both which in their prosperity , made shew of contentation , but in their aduersity they were sore troubled : as also was nabal . wheras such as be endued with true godlinesse , they do in euery estate submit themselues quietly and contentedly vnto the good will of god , beeing well satisfied with that which he appointeth vnto them whatsoeuer it is , more or little , better or worse : alwayes accounting the basest and meanest estate too good for them , because of their sinnes & vnworthinesse ; being pleased & contented euen with food and rayment , because they are assured , that that condition of life is best for them , that the most wise god sets them in . and nothing doubting ( such is his goodnesse ) but that he will maintaine their life , giuing them sufficient to enioy though he deny them abundance , and turning all things to the best for them , according to his most true promises . neither alone are they well pleased with their owne portion , without wishing or desiring in thought or wordes , the goods and estates of other men ( without vnfained forrow if they doe : ) but furthermore , they take good delight and pleasure in the comforts and good things which their neighbours do enioy , euen as thogh it were their own : striuing to follow that precept , which commands them to reioyce with them that reioyce , & to loue others as themselues , mourning with them in their heauinesse . apollos . here i haue three things to aske you . first , whether ye thinke any godly person free from all couetousnes ? and then , whether the desire of more wealth and a better estate be couetousnesse ? lastly , whether a man may be couetous in his owne goods ? aquila . to the first i answer negatiuely ; there is no person by grace of regeneration wholly freed from couetousnesse , or any other sinne in this life . it is enough for this time of their pilgrimage , that they are deliuered from the curse and power of sinne : so as neither couetousnesse , nor any other sinne shall reigne in them , or haue force to condemn them . howbeit , as the remainder of other sinnes is in gods children , so they are molested with the stirring and ticklings of couetousnesse , more or lesse . the holy prophet found an euill inclination of his heart , to desire earthly things inordinately , which made him pray , that god would not encline his heart to couetousnesse , psal. . that is , giue him ouer to that lust . of this fault christ often warned his own apostles , amongst whom , one was ouercome by this vice , and the rest no doubt were tempted with it , else christs warning had beene in vaine . it is well therfore , when resistance is made against the motions of couetousnesse : for none shall altogether lacke the egging of this lust. . to your second demand , i answer affirmatiuely , that the desire of worldly wealth is couetousnesse . the nature whereof is expressed by three words of the grecians ( as i haue heard you say : ) one , signifieth the loue of money , another the desire of riches , and the third signifieth the lust of hauing more . and seeing the blessed apostle , hebr. , . doeth set couetousnesse as the flat contrary vnto contentednesse , let your conuersation ( saith he ) be without couetousnesse , and be content with that ye haue ; therefore , if our being satisfied , and resting pleased with our present estate be contentednesse , then the desire of more , or of a better estate in the world , must needs be couetousnesse . euery man indeede , is bound to follow the duties of his calling , vppon which he may desire and pray for a blessing , with condition & exception of gods will , so much and so far as he thinks meete , leauing the successe thereof to his good pleasure . . to conclude , as a man may be a theefe in his own , if he husband and employ it otherwise then god hath appointed , whose seruant he is , and to whom hee must giue account : so he may be couetous euen in his owne goods , if he loue them , set his heart vpon them , and desire the bettering and encreasing of them , otherwise then by submitting himselfe to the will of god ; beeing ready to receiue more if god wil adde and cast in more , with all thankfulnesse : yet being well apaide with that which is already , when god shall thinke it good , not to encrease or amend it . apollos . this is indeede the summe of all that which ye haue bene taught , of this grace of contentment , and of all the other graces of the new man , which wee haue in our conference run thorow . what letteth now , but that we may come to the last fruite of an effectuall calling , which consists in the speciall duties which wee are bound to do , and performe towards others , in respect of some degree which is of god put vpon vs , or them , and so to finish this our worke ? aquila . one impediment and let there is , namely , that wee haue i know not how ( saue that in such a heape of duties , some might easily be slipt by ) neglected to speake of certaine graces of regeneration . the one is wisedome , so much commended in scripture , charging vs that we be wise as serpents , mathew . that we be wise concerning that which is good , rom. . that wee serue and loue our brethren in meeke wisedome , iames . this being one speciall part of gods image , and such a grace as guideth vs in the vse and practise of all the former graces : for so much as it is not onely a fore-sight , or fore-cast of things which may happen , gathering effects by causes , and iudging of present and future euents by precedent accidents and occurrences ; but it is also a faculty directing a christian how to carry himselfe seemly , and as is meete for his profession in all parts of his duty ; teaching him to 〈◊〉 generall rules to particular occasions , that he may 〈◊〉 and doe all things according to the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 time , and place , and persons . he is indeede an 〈◊〉 man , whose heart is not onely wise vnto 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 faith in christ , but also in the duties of daily 〈◊〉 , through the wisedome of the word ; and surely such happy men , are all godly men : for as it is saide of dauid , in respect of his warring against the philistines , that he behaued himselfe wisely ; so it may be saide of euery true christian , in regard of their spirituall warfare , that they wisely behaue themselues in it : which cannot be saide of vnregenerate persons , who haue many of them knowledge to see generally what ought to be done , and not done ; but they lacke the wisdome which should gouerne them in their particular actions , according to the due circumstances , as they may please god in all their duties . the children of this world , excell the children of light in worldly wisedome ; but in wise walking before god , the children of light excell the worldlings : whereof not one hath this true godly wisedome , howsoeuer cleare-sighted they be in matters of their owne credit and gaine . neither hath any worldly man the blessed gift of honesty , albeit they may doe many things which be honest , and be reputed honest by men of the world , because they doe such ciuill workes as honest men doe ; yet they are destitute of christian honesty , which is a fruite of the spirit , a companion of godlinesse , a quality of a sanctified heart , disposed so to practise all duties towards their neighbour for gods sake , as they be very carefull not to hurt them by doing any vncomely filthy or wicked thing in their presence or knowledge : therefore the true christian man , hee is the onely honest man ; yea , and he alone may be saide to haue an honest heart , an heart firmely resolued to be that in truth , which he seemeth to be . finally , the gift of vertue is proper to an elect man , who be blest of god with a speciall valour , courage , and strength of mind , whereby they can ouercome hard things , and attempt great workes with good heart ; for the spirit of fortitude and vertue is in them , so as they are not easily daunted and discouraged : whereas vnregenerate persons be either too base , or too bold and audacious , being void of that vertue which peter exhorts goods christians to ioyne to their faith . neither doth any vnregenerate man partake in the gift of true zeale ; for howsoeuer many of them are zealous and seruent , yet they are zealous amisse : either they are earnest in defence of their owne opinions , and of mens traditions , as were the blind iewes , and paul being yet a pharisie ; or if their zeale be for good things cōmanded of god , or against euill things forbid by him , yet either it is not according to knowledge , as in those which were seruent for the righteousnesse of the law , to set it vp , and to pull downe the righteousnesse of christ ; of whom the apostle speaketh , rom. . i beare them witnesse they haue a zeale , but not according to knowledge : or if they doe know what they do , yet their striuing for knowne good things , and against knowne euill things , is neither in a good manner , nor to a good end ; as it is written of iehu , that he was zealous for the lord of hosts : but yet his heart was not aright , hee sought not gods glory , neither was his heart touched with loue and compassion towards men . and thus it is with the zeale of all naturall men , it is both blind and bitter ; but it is otherwise with the zeale of regenerate persons , which is tempered with charity , and guided by knowledge . the zeale of the righteous maketh them earnest against knowne euill things , to hinder them , and against knowne good things to further them , according to their meanes and calling ; so setting before their eye onely the glory of god , as the marke they aime at in all their zealous courses ; as they haue a charitable respect of their brethren , to beare with their weakenesse , to pity 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and miseries , to labour their conuersion , neuer pleasing themselues in their zeale , further then it may please god , and profit man : wherein yet this is to be considered , that when respect and fauour to man is directly against the glory of god , their true and god 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is blind , and will not see ; deafe , and will not heare ; the extreamities of men : as appeareth in the zeale of the leuites , putting to the sword their brethren and 〈◊〉 at gods commandement ; 〈◊〉 : also in the zeale of 〈◊〉 and elius , putting them to death seuerely whom god would not haue to 〈◊〉 ; i kings . and touching zeale , i haue furthermore learned thus much , that it ought to goe with , and accompany euery good duty of our generall or especiall calling ; as we are commanded , to repeat , and be zealous ; 〈◊〉 . . and it is told vs , galathians . that it is a good thing to be earnest in euery good thing . our prayers must be with zeale , also our thankesgiuing , our hearing , our preaching , our giuing of almes , our counsell , our repentance , and all other particular workes ; as in the law no sacrifice was accepted without salt , so is no duty pleasing vnto god without zeale : coldnesse , and luke-warmnesse , are both odious to god , as also fiery bitternesse , without diferetion and loue ; but wise and charitable zeale is his delight . apollos . nay friend aquila , i thought of those foure graces , but you haue bestowed them in a good place ; not onely because better late then neuer ( as we say ) but because amongst common duties they are somewhat more generall then the rest ; and therefore well singled out , and set apart by themselues . and now let vs consider of such graces as enable our elect and called christian to discharge such duties as hee ought to doe , by reason of his degree and particular calling wherein god hath set him ; for hitherto you haue dealt in such gifts as concerne the generall vocation of a christian. aquila . sir , it is a thing commonly taught vs , that euery christian besides his calling of christianity , common to him with other , hath also a particular person put vppon him ; yea , sometime one christian beareth many and sundry persons , being both an inferiour , as a child , or seruant , subiect , hearer , souldier , wife , maide , or daughter ; and being also a superiour , as father , prince , magistrate , mistrisse , or mother , captaine , or counsellour , or iudge . now this charge lyeth vpon euery christian , and such grace is giuen them , as that they labour to answer , and in some good measure can both know , and answer these duties , expressing and exercising the power of all that godlinesse which they haue as christians , in that particular , or in 〈◊〉 particular places wherein they are seated and setled of god , and that with all diligence , and sidelity ; vprightnesse , and constancy . the wife giues reuerence and submission to her husband , in respect of his prehemmence in graces and authority ; ephesians verse last ; the husband loueth his wife as a daughter of israel , and member of christ , and out of this holy affection of loue careth for her ; i peter . . beareth with her infirmities , cherisheth , instrusteth her , and protecteth her . fathers are not bitter to their children , but in mildnesse & wisedome bring them vp in the instruction and nurture of the lord ; ephesians . . children doe loue , reuerence , obey their parents for the lord , ephesians . . witnessing their honour towards their parents , especially in this , that they make no choyce of their trades , and matches , without their priuity and counsell . seruants not out of feare with eye seruice , but in singlenesse of heart study to please their bodily masters ; ephesians . . . and these againe are willing to doe that which is equall and iust , both touching the bodies and soules of their seruants , knowing that they also haue a master in heauen ; calosians . verse last . the pastor feedes his flocke , not for filthy luker , nor by constraint ; peter . , , . but out of a willing minde , shewing himselfe an example to the flocke . the flocke and people on the other side acknowledge him , and haue him in singular loue for his worke sake ; i 〈◊〉 . the magistrate kindly tendreth his inferiours , as his children ; iob . and mildly ruling with iustice , giueth praise to such as doe well , and punisheth those that doe euill ; 〈◊〉 . , , , . and finally , inferiours and subiects obediently submit themselues vnto their rulers , as vnto fathers , doing with readnesse their iust commandements , and with patience bearing euen their vniust punishments . thus haue i giuen you a certaine taste of these singular and speciall duties ; for neither time , nor your infirmity wil permit vs more largely to discourse them : onely this i thinke good to adde , that it is the property of all sauing graces which wee haue named , and of the others which we haue forgotten ( for who can remember all ) to waxe and encrease , till they come to perfection ; as the young fruites groweth till they be ripe : it pleasing god to follow his first graces with new supplies , till he haue finished the worke which he hath begun ; 〈◊〉 . . so it is not with the wicked , whose gifts decrease , and at last 〈◊〉 and fall away , as leaues in winter fall from the trees ; they being as the chaffe and dust , which hauing no stedfast firmenesse , be therefore soone 〈◊〉 , psalme . . whereas the godly , which are as a tree planted by the riuers side , brings forth fruite in due season , whose leaues are alwayes greene , and look whatsoeuer they doe , it prospereth ; psalme . , . and now ( good sir ) if it please you , we will shut vp this our conference , with this short prayer . o eternall , most wise , mighty , and mercifull god , we giue thee thankes for all thine a elect , whom thou hast according to thine eternall will b called effectually by the c ministry of the law and gospell to thy son , d opening their eyes to see him to be their sauiour , and their e hearts to embrace him with affection , being satisfied with him , and so working in them that most worthy f gift of faith , whereby being g vnited and incorporate into him , they partake with his h iustice both actiue and passiue , for their perfect iustification before thee , and i with his spirit for their vnperfect sanctification in this life , hauing power giuen them both to abide the k combate with remaining corruptions , and vpon wounds and foyles receiued in that encounter , to arise by l repentance , and also to be able to witnesse the truth of their repentance , by the constant exercise of all good m workes , furnishing them with needfull graces of all n sorts , for the o sincere seruice of thy maiesty , and of their brethren , according to their p seuerall estates and degrees ; good father , we blesse thy blessed name for these workes of thy grace in them all , and pray thee heartily both for their continuance in grace q vnto the end , til they be perfectly glorified in heauen , and that the rest of thine elect , who as yet are not gathered , thou wouldst hasten their conuersion and calling , to fulfill in them also the good worke of thy pleasure with power , r encreasing them in all goodnesse , & protecting them against all enemies and euils , till the great & s glorious appearing of thy son iesus ; to whom with thee and thy holy spirit , be all praise , honour , and glory , now , henceforth , and for euer . amen . finis laus christo , nescia finis . errata . in page . line . reade capable . p. . l. . r. seruice , for shew it : p. . l. . let the comma be after them : p. . l. . r. desert : & l. : r. for a certaine time , as they , &c. p. . l. . r. sacrament : p. . l. . r. calling : p. . l. : after proceed , r. and goe : l. . r. it . after vpon : p. , l. . after keepe , r. all : p. , put comma out in l. , & . after mind and will : p. . l. : r. as for is . p. , l. last , r. wrought : p. , l. . r. belong : p. , l. , r. matter : p. , l. ; r. effects worke : p. , l. , r. against the first table after sinne : l. , after christ , r. because they are such : p. , l. , r. vnexpressible : p. , l. , r. onenesse : l. , r. so is christ , p. , l. , r. premised : p. , l. , r. hard , for yours : p. , l. , r. friend : p. , l. , r. worke , p. , l. , r. after then , to be exalted : p. , l. , r. falles , p. , l. , r. comfort : p. , l. , r. is after it , p. , l. , r. of sinister death : p. , l. , r. rich man , for diues : p. , l. . r. halted : l. , r. renewed : p. , in the margin , r. meetnesse : p. , l. , r. that euill which is our owne afore being : p. , l. . r. awefull : p. , l. , r. gardian : p. . l. , r. outward rest : p. , l. . r. these : p. , l. , r. as that , after mind : p. , l. , strike out the latter onely . notes, typically marginal, from the original text notes for div a -e . workes of the spirit proper to the elect calling , and gifts . a double calling . . outward & common to all . inward & peculiar to some . difference between inward and outward calling . effectuall calling hath . inseparable cona panions , first vnion with christ , . iustification , . sanctification effectuall calling what it is . inward means no name giuen , &c. outward and inward . law. spirit of feare gospell spirit of adoption the time of calling . tim. . . tim. . . kings , . persons . who not . . pagans . creatures teach somewhat of god , but nothing of christ. . proud iusticiaries . . scorners . . impenitent or obdurate finners . . worldly wise . worldlyrich example in the laodiceans , reuel . 〈◊〉 . . idiots : lunaticke . . borne deafe and dumbe . who be more capable of calling . all alike vncapable by nature . in respect of outward condition , some more capable then other . simple and needy . reasons why such be commonly called , as be of mean condition in the world. marke . . had he lyed , christ would not haue heard but checked him . acts . . it is reuealed by witnesse of the spirit , or by such effects as accompany it , and be afterward mentioned . three times , wherein ones calling to christ , hardly or not known col. . . thes. . . ephes. . , . phil. . . , . tokens of an effectuall calling . there is a lie in doctrine & religion , aswel as in life and manners , and that is two wayes committed , either by heresie or hypocrisie . ob. resp. iohn . . psal. . for there be sheepe by 〈◊〉 ction , which are not yet called . priuate means priuate feares , and confession of sinnes . note this wel a bstayning from the act of sinne . . suppressing of inward lust . . society of the godly . . auoyding euil company . . priuate reading . . eschewing occasions of sinne . . priuate fasting . publike meanes . . word preached . acts . , . nehe. , . prophecying here is put for interpretation of the will of god already reuealed : and not for foreshewing his will in future euents . esay . v. i. . word preached . catechizing . . prayer . sacraments . sundry wayes of god in his calling men . . without meanes . weak means such as orators would vse for oftentation of humane wisedome . cor. . , cor. . . . vnlikely meanes . . contrary meanes . god giues grace to the humble . calling , a worke easie to god. calling , a work of gods wonderfull power . the endes of our calling . . the glory of gods grace . . the saluation of the elect . . the good of others . luke . . luk. . , , . who yet afterward haue their portion of godly forrow . al sauing graces come together with our calling at one time . rom. . , , . ephes. . . the chaine of sauing graces ; or after what order the sauing grace ; of the spirit are giuen to the elect. . illumination of the mind . opening of the heart . . faith. . vnion with christ. . iustification . peace of conscience , & ioy in the spirit . . hope . . sanctification . . repentāce . . loue to god. . to neighbour . . peace . . patience , &c. . obedience . opening the eyes . opening the heart . spirit worketh by the law. . a knowledge of god , as creator . . as iudge . . a knowledge of sinne . . of the punishment of sinne . . feare . . griefe . . discouragement , or casting downe the heart . . despaire . spirit worketh by the gospell . . knowledge of god as a redeemer . . generall sight and faith of the promises . . 〈◊〉 of pardon , that sinnes be pardonable . . consideration of christs sufferings . . confession of sinnes . . hunger and thirst . perswasion of mercy . these do that in hypocrisie which gods children doe in truth . what a 〈◊〉 faith is . a gift of god. a precious gift . it beleeueth the whole word of god. especially the promise of grace . relation betweene faith and the promise . why christ receiued by faith onely : because god so decreed it . the second and of gods decree . . his glory . rom. . . verse . our stablenesse . qualities of faith . . certaintyparticularity . so the greeke scholiast expounds it , as master beza cites him . heb. . 〈◊〉 . heb. . verse last . rom. . . . particularity of faith . . parts of faith. . knowledge . iohn . tim. . what things required to knowledge . . assent . pet . . . 〈◊〉 rellar . de iustific , lib. . . denyeth that application is in iustifying faith . reasons for application by faith . ioh. . . fiue things in application . . approbation . . expetition , desire seruent , vnfained , constant : ioh. . . firme apprehension . . oblectation . psal. . & . . expectatiō . heb. . v last . rom. . . faith , what a worthy and noble gift . sundry measures of a true faith . faith little & great , wherein they are like . cornelius . apostles . mat. . markes of a sound desire . a fifth marke of a sound desire . reasons why encrease of grace is to be sought after . that there is a strong faith . that there be diuers measures of a strong faith , and what they be . two measures of strong faith . cor. . verse . i am . . . acts . . of the rarenes of faith , how few doe beleeue , and by what signes it may be knowen and perceiued to be so . ignorance . . prophanation of the sabbath . . neglect of priuate prayer want of faithfulnesse . where shall one finde a faithfull man ? . hatred of good men . esay , . causes of the ratenesse of faith . . want of the word . . want of interpreters . . withdrawing of grace . . mans corruption . . satans malice . . gods decree . . extreme rage of satan . . abundance of imquity . . diffention in doctrine . . 〈◊〉 of teachers . the great and manifolde effects & works of faith. encouragements to faith . . commandement . marke . iohn . god beseeching vs. . faith , the condition of the couenant . see rom , gal. . ioh. . . . god the promiser , is almighty . . the truth of god , strengtheneth faith . . the mercifulnes of god a support to faith . . examples of the faithfull , helpe to our faith . . vow in baptisme . . damages & discommodities of vnbeleefe . . 〈◊〉 to god by vnbeleefe . . god honoured by our faith . . our faith 〈◊〉 our selues . obiections of an afflicted minde . . ob. whether scriptures be of god. reasons to proue scripture to be of god. cor. . , . as foelix , acts . * as moses , iob. dauid , mathew , paul. obiect . whether the promises belong to my selfe . obiect . presumption . titus , . 〈◊〉 iohn , , . . obiection sinnes against knowledge . vnthankefull persidiousnes . 〈◊〉 obiection . sins of relapse . obiection . horrible greatnesse of sin and continuance . obiect . blasphemy of the spirit . sinne against the holy ghost what it is . marke , , . markes , whereby to know that one be free from it . obiect . no feeling , no faith . iobe . vnion threefolde . vnion with christ , what . . proofes for this vnion . it is by faith simile . two things necessary to our vniō with christ. donation , or gift . mutuall consent . simile . vnion declared by similitudes taken out of scripture . similitude , similitude . cor. . . simile . simile . simile . iohn . . simile . iohn . . simile . vnion fruitfull . simile . simile . esay euke . galath . . , rom. . v 〈◊〉 rom , , . col. . . ephes. , math. , . tim. , . simile . two speciall 〈◊〉 of our vnion vvith christ. first fruite of our vnion , righteousnesse from christ , by faith . man in his creation holy and happy . rom. , , . man by the fall of adam , lost blessednes and righteousnesse , and is vnder sin and death , saluation , what it is . a double righ teousnesse in christ. galathians . reuelaatiōs . mathew . . christ onely hath right to eternall life in heauen , because he alone is perfectly iust : others come thither by his right . passiue righteousnesse . ephes. i. rom. , last verse . tit. . tim. . heb. . cor. . ver . , . pet. . rom. , verse . , . simile . actiue righteousnesse . two parts of actiue righteousnesse . he that made adam without sin , could giue christ our nature without our sinne , which is but an accident to our nature . . he did all . . he did all perfectly . to a right ] end . iohn being constant in doing all was commanded . cor : , v : last acts , pet : . cor. , . this righteousnes being in christ , it doth become ours , by an action of god , called imputation , of which afterwards . * as sanctifie , to make holie : rectify , to make right : mollifye , to make soft : glorifie , to make glorious , &c. iustification what it is : an imputation of christs whole righteousnesse to the beleeuing man. imputation . esay . galat. . cor. , verse last . rom. . . of imputatiō , reade rom. . the merit of right is eternal life . faith. these two actions meete both together at one time , god then accounting and imputing all christs iustice to a sinner when he truly beleeueth . rom. , verse , , . in what meaning wee are iustified by faith . iohn . . gal. . . rom. . . why god would haue his elect so iustified by faith in christ. two parts of iustification . remission of sinnes . accounting iustice to vs. eternall life , the fruite of imputed righteousnesse . rom. . . galat. . . this is popish error in their second iustification , they say , it is of faith and workes . the first iustification ( with the papist ) is remission of sinnes , apprehended by faith . second iustification ( after their doctrine ) whereby of iust already by the first iustification , he becomes more iust ; this is by our owne works in part . this second iustification being in truth our sanctification : there being but one onely iustification taught in the word , which for the beginning , middle , and ending by faith , are knowne . phil. . vers . , . see and reade luthers preface before his commentary to the galathians . rom. . v. , , , , . . peace with god containeth . reconciliation with god , . and peace of conscience . first fruite of iustification by faith. . reconciliation . esay , . ephes. , . colos. , . what it is . . peace of conscience . what. how it differs from false peace of the wicked . how peace of conscieuce is to be got . how preserued . . how farre lost . . by what meanes lost . how recouered . rom. . . psal. . . fruite of iustification . as we neede not saints to intercede for vs , or merits to commend vs to god. fruite of iustification . stand in the way 〈◊〉 sinners . stand fast . iohn . , . ieremy . iohn . . rom. . iohn . let them look vpon what ground they stand , which think the grace of god may be finally lost , and wholly . standing in grace , opens no window to security . so as where security reigneth , it is a sign that such are not in the state of grace . . fruit of iustification , hope of glorie . glorie of god. reuel . , . . hope of glory . why it is certaine . . how certainty comes to be ioyned to hope . peter . . peter . psalme . . fruite of iustification . ioy spirituall . ioy by hearing . . ioy in tribulations . of worldly ioy . rules and cautions for worldly ioy . let salomons example proue this , & cause the godly to feare worldly comforts . grounds of hope . of the despaire of the faithfull . the occasions as in dauid , hath god forgotten to be mercifull ? the ends of gods counsell in it . the effects of hope . hope differeth from presumption . wicked men haue no hope in god. hope ioyned with some presumption . . fruit of iustification . iohn . , . . fruite of iustification . * seeing the sinnes of the elect could not hinder their reconciliation by the death of christ , their sinnes done after reconciliation , cannot keepe them from hope of saluation , and in this regard also , they doe glory . iustification and sanctification both together . sanctification , it is by faith . iustification and sanctification , be as two twinnes , which came together into the world of the beleeuing heart ; iustification being the elder fister . * therefore sathans temptation is thus to be returned : i beleeue , therefore i am sanctified : i haue my sinnes forgiuen , therfore i am renewed . renewing . regeneration . sanctificatiō . pet. . . pet. . . parts of sanctification . cause of sanctification . rom. . . rom. . . of all men 〈◊〉 adam before his 〈◊〉 and the man christ , voide of sinne ; all others haue sin euen til death . * before their sanctification , the elect and finne do agree as husband & wife ; afterward they are at variance as two enemies . the manifold profit which is to be taken by finne . . watchfulnesse . . prayer . . 〈◊〉 . . charity to the 〈◊〉 . to enemies . humble confession . psal. . , . psal. . , . modesty and lowlinesse in our whole life . . experience of gods power . . sins made remedies of sinnes . . giue aduantage against sathan . we had neede to make some vse and benefit of sin , for wee take a great deale of harme by it . how sanctification differeth from a ciuill life . markes of sanctificatiō . this would not be forgottē , that a 〈◊〉 man , though hee 〈◊〉 , 〈◊〉 , yet in some 〈◊〉 sinne will beare with 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 doth not a 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 , who though he cannot bee free from sins , 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 none , but 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is an enemy cuen to his darling 〈◊〉 , 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 if it offend , & 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 his hand if it offend . causes of spiritual combat . rom. . , , . difference between repentance & sanctification . repentance hath sundry acceptions , & what they be , godly sorrow beginning of renewed repentance . godly sorrow whence it ariseth . wherein repentance consisteth . . signes of renewed repentance . . care. clearing 〈◊〉 . . anger . feare . blessed is the man that thus feareth . . desire . . zeale . . reuenge . meanes to quicken our daily repentance . . cautions about repentance . prou. . some scruples about repentance . of this kinde was fornication thought to bee among the corinthians . cor. . held in those times for nosin but some indiffrent thing . so many amongst vs , thinke of interest for lone of money . he is no sinner , who wold be no sinner . m. 〈◊〉 . peccata vastantia conscientiam . scrupis sinnes of 〈◊〉 lapse : in the obiections against faith in christ , for for giuenes of our sinnes . repentance vpon great & extraordinarie fals . is se dome without teares sam . mat : . luke . psal. , , , , . rom. , , , . psal. , , , of encouragements to repentance . . truth of our faith & christianity , discried by our repentance . . great promiles made & performed to repenting sinners . of earthly things . esay . of spirituall things . repentance , a note of a person to be saued , not any cause of saluation . . vnrepentance , hath vnfitnesse for any seruice of god ; or any good worke . vnablenesse to take any profit by the meanes of saluation . . repentance hath the contrary . . consideration of a iudgment day . . repentance the ioy of angels and men . . good consequents of repentance . hind erances of repentance example of the oyle in the cruise . also danieis pulse . rom. , , reuel . . mat. . lu. math. . tim. . psal. . ecclesiastes , cor. . . true repentance is a turning from euery sinne , to do euery good worke . iames . . eccles. . . simile . simile . simile . exod. . . simile . es. 〈◊〉 . . perfection is here set agaiust hypocrisie . a double perfection . . of measure . . of parts . mar. . . king. . . acts . . simile . simile . worthinesse put for meeknesse , and vnworthily , for vnmeetely ; cor. . . heb. . . luke . , , , , . luke . iames . . what a good worke is ? how many things required to a good worke . . good matter . deut. . verse last . kings . from verse . till verse . . perso good , that the manner may be good . simile . simile . a threefold act of faith in euery good worke . pet. . . 〈◊〉 . . . . good end . actions are measured by their ends . simile . . good meanes . good things must haue good meanes . gen. . shee sinnes by impatiency . sam. . . psal. . . . circumstances . 〈◊〉 . . good workes please god , and why ? woe be to the most cōmendable life of any man , if it be iudged without mercy , saith augustine . philip. . . deus in nobis coronat sua dona . good workes merit not , and why ? debitum non est meritum . merita nostra , domini misericordia , meritum meum , mors 〈◊〉 christe . bernard . a reward due vnto good workes , and why ? a reward of fauour , not of debt . rom. . . god is not obnoxious 〈◊〉 his creature . heb. , . simile . . pet. i , ii. our merite is misery . it is sufficient for our merite , to know we do not merite . vse of good workes . . vse of good workes , in respect of god. see m. iohn shaw his trea tise of maries blessednesse . fol. , & . . in respect of the gospell . . in respect of our selues . simile . . in respect of other men . vnconuerted . . elect. . not elect. 〈◊〉 . . weake . . strong . first of the workes of the first table . mat. . loue of god : what it is to loue . . commandement . what it is to loue god. why god is to be loued . how much god is to be loued . by what rule our loue is to be guided . whence our loue to god springeth . cor. , . what be the effects and signes of our loue to god. more proofes of the sound loue of god. such as loue god , do loue his word , which they shew forth by . hearing , . marking , remembring , . laying it vp in their hearts , . delighting in it , . by meditation , praise and practise or keeping it . hypocrites delight in knowledge , but not in the thing ( to wit , christ ) known their loue to gods children , it is both in affect , and effect , in word and in worke . * a feeling , & suffering together . acts . they rent their cloathes , &c. amor , sui diffusivus . iames is reported to haue made his knees hard 〈◊〉 camels knees , with labour in prayer . sam. . * dauids mourning , pe ters teares . christs agony , doe manifest this truth . prayer , a fruit and token of our loue . of the feare of god. the feare of god , how it belongs to the wicked . rom. , verse last . feare of god , twofold . exod. . . . a seruile feare ; of this feare it is true which is commonly saide ; whom wee feare , we hate , and wish they were not . . filial feare . simile . simile . psal. . . prou. . . prou. . . of ezra , it is said hee feared god greatly . god must be feared accordingly . trust in god , proper to the faithfull . heb. . heb. . psal. . tim. . . psal. . psal. . psal. . what it is to trust in god. ground of trust in god. the godly vse meanes , but haue their trust in god onely . wherein the trust of the godly differs from the trust of the wicked . markes for triall of our trust in god. encouragements to trust in god. simile . of prayer and thankfulnesse . commandement . difference betweene good and bad , in prayer and thanksgiuing . col. . . marke . rom. . . mat. . . cor . . . note this . when ones minde is vncleane , it defiles his best workes . eccle. . verse last . exod. . luke . . mat. . . simile . the true vse of gods name . . commandement . as men vse their holy day cloathes . and for the titles , words , properties , sacraments , workes of god , their care is to mention them with a godly reuerence . . commandement . the true vse of the sabbath . and with what 〈◊〉 they beare their absence from the assemblies ; see psal. . , , & . patience a vertue proper to a true christian. afflictions , the obiect of patience . simile . tentatio seductionis . . probationis . punishment . correction . triall . of chastisements . simile . first ground of patience . . god smiteth not for euery offence . . he correcteth with wisedome and loue . kepentance furthered by chastisements . dan. . luke . 〈◊〉 . humility furthered by chastisements . pet . esay . of tiyals . 〈◊〉 . , 〈◊〉 . esay . * this righteousnesse is commutatiue , and distributiue . * this righteousnesse is habitual or actuall . * hence it is , that such righteous persons as these , doe turne away from their righteousnes ; and so lose themselues & their labour : eze. . sincerity or truth , is in all graces as a common adioynt or quality . the fixt commandement . loue. what brotherly loue is . how our neighbour may be loued , without iniury to god. an enemy is a neighbour and a brother , if he be a christian . difference betweene a neighbour & a brother . degrees of loue. rules to guide our loue . reasons why wee ought to loue . properties of loue. actions of loue. difference betweene faith and loue. brotherly kindnesse . foure kinds of peace . prouerbs . humility . micah . . . col . . . grauity . gentlenesse . it is reported that peter he wept so often as he 〈◊〉 the mildnesse and gentlenesse of his lord. luther . long sufferance & peace forgiuing offences . goodnesse . meekenesse . mercy . philip. , . prou. . . neh. , , gouernment of the tongue . for speech and silence . prou. . selfe-preseruation . seuenth commandement . vprightnesse towards our neighbours goods . psal. . . . eze. . ninth commandement . truth & vprightnesse in speech . 〈◊〉 in keeping of promises . iob . verse last . three doubts , master luther confesseth that hee was not troubled great ly with this vice . philarguria , pleonexia . 〈◊〉 . honesty . zeale . a election . b calling . c meanes of calling . d illuminatiō . e opening the heart . f faith. g vnion with christ . h iustification i sanctific atiō k spirituall conflict . l repentance . m good workes . n general graces . o vprightnesse p particular gifts . q 〈◊〉 r encrease , or growth . s glorification the life of the most learned, reverend and pious dr. h. hammond written by john fell ... fell, john, - . approx. kb of xml-encoded text transcribed from -bit group-iv tiff page images. text creation partnership, ann arbor, mi ; oxford (uk) : - (eebo-tcp phase ). a wing f estc r ocm this keyboarded and encoded edition of the work described above is co-owned by the institutions providing financial support to the early english books online text creation partnership. this phase i text is available for reuse, according to the terms of creative commons . universal . the text can be copied, modified, distributed and performed, even for commercial purposes, all without asking permission. early english books online. (eebo-tcp ; phase , no. a ) transcribed from: (early english books online ; image set ) images scanned from microfilm: (early english books, - ; : ) the life of the most learned, reverend and pious dr. h. hammond written by john fell ... fell, john, - . waring, robert, - . allestree, richard, - . langbaine, gerard, - . the second edition. [ ], p. printed by j. flesher for jo. martin, ja. allestry and tho. dicas ..., london : mdclxii [ ] authorship of this work has been claimed by robert waring and variously attributed to john fell, richard allestree and gerard langbaine -- cf. madan, falconer. oxford books, v. , p. . reproduction of the original in the union theological seminary library, new york. created by converting tcp files to tei p using tcp tei.xsl, tei @ oxford. re-processed by university of nebraska-lincoln and northwestern, with changes to facilitate morpho-syntactic tagging. gap elements of known extent have been transformed into placeholder characters or elements to simplify the filling in of gaps by user contributors. eebo-tcp is a partnership between the universities of michigan and oxford and the publisher proquest to create accurately transcribed and encoded texts based on the image sets published by proquest via their early english books online (eebo) database (http://eebo.chadwyck.com). the general aim of eebo-tcp is to encode one copy (usually the first edition) of every monographic english-language title published between and available in eebo. eebo-tcp aimed to produce large quantities of textual data within the usual project restraints of time and funding, and therefore chose to create diplomatic transcriptions (as opposed to critical editions) with light-touch, mainly structural encoding based on the text encoding initiative (http://www.tei-c.org). the eebo-tcp project was divided into two phases. the , texts created during phase of the project have been released into the public domain as of january . anyone can now take and use these texts for their own purposes, but we respectfully request that due credit and attribution is given to their original source. users should be aware of the process of creating the tcp texts, and therefore of any assumptions that can be made about the data. text selection was based on the new cambridge bibliography of english literature (ncbel). if an author (or for an anonymous work, the title) appears in ncbel, then their works are eligible for inclusion. selection was intended to range over a wide variety of subject areas, to reflect the true nature of the print record of the period. in general, first editions of a works in english were prioritized, although there are a number of works in other languages, notably latin and welsh, included and sometimes a second or later edition of a work was chosen if there was a compelling reason to do so. image sets were sent to external keying companies for transcription and basic encoding. quality assurance was then carried out by editorial teams in oxford and michigan. % (or pages, whichever is the greater) of each text was proofread for accuracy and those which did not meet qa standards were returned to the keyers to be redone. after proofreading, the encoding was enhanced and/or corrected and characters marked as illegible were corrected where possible up to a limit of instances per text. any remaining illegibles were encoded as <gap>s. understanding these processes should make clear that, while the overall quality of tcp data is very good, some errors will remain and some readable characters will be marked as illegible. users should bear in mind that in all likelihood such instances will never have been looked at by a tcp editor. the texts were encoded and linked to page images in accordance with level of the tei in libraries guidelines. copies of the texts have been issued variously as sgml (tcp schema; ascii text with mnemonic sdata character entities); displayable xml (tcp schema; characters represented either as utf- unicode or text strings within braces); or lossless xml (tei p , characters represented either as utf- unicode or tei g elements). keying and markup guidelines are available at the text creation partnership web site . eng hammond, henry, - . clergy -- england -- biography. - tcp assigned for keying and markup - apex covantage keyed and coded from proquest page images - tcp staff (oxford) sampled and proofread - tcp staff (oxford) text and markup reviewed and edited - pfs batch review (qc) and xml conversion the life of the most learned , reverend and pious d r h. hammond . written by john fell d. d. dean of christ-church in oxford . the second edition . london , printed by j. flesher for jo. martin , ja. allestry and tho. dicas , at the bell in saint paul's church-yard . mdclxii . the life of the most learned , reverend and pious d r h. hammond . doctor henry hammond , whose life is now attempted to be written , was born upon the of august in the year . at chersey in surrey , a place formerly of remark for j. caesar's supposed passing his army there over the thames , in his enterprise upon this island , as also for the entertainment of devotion in its earliest reception by our saxon ancestors ; and of later years , for the charity of having given burial to the equally pious and unfortunate prince king hen. vi. he was the youngest son of d r john hammond physician to prince henry , and from that great favourer of meriting servants and their relations , had the honour at the font to receive his christian name . nor had he an hereditary interest in learning onely from his father ; by his mothers side he was allied both unto it and the profession of theologie , being descended from d r alexander nowell , the reverend dean of s t paul's , that great and happy instrument of the reformation , and eminent light of the english church . being yet in his long coats , ( which heretofore were usually worn beyond the years of infancy , ) he was sent to eaton school ; where his pregnancy having been advantag'd by the more then paternal care and industry of his father ( who was an exact critick in the learned languages , especially the greek ) became the observation of those that knew him : for in that tenderness of age he was not only a proficient in greek and latine , but had also some knowledge in the elements of hebrew : in the later of which tongues , it being then rarely heard of even out of grammar schools , he grew the tutor of those who begun to write themselves men , but thought it no shame to learn of one whose knowledge seem'd rather infus'd then acquir'd ; or in whom the learned languages might be thought to be the mother-tongue . his skill in greek was particularly advantag'd by the conversation and kindness of m r allen , one of the fellows of the college , excellently seen in that language , and a great assistant of s r henry savile in his magnificent edition of s t chrysostome . his sweetness of carriage is very particularly remembred by his contemporaries , who observ'd that he was never engag'd ( upon any occasion ) into fights or quarrels ; as also that at times allowed for play , he would steal from his fellows into places of privacy , there to say his prayers : omens of his future pacifick temper and eminent devotion . which softness of temper his schoolmaster m r bush , who upon his fathers account had a tender kindness for him , lookt upon with some jealousie ; for he building upon the general observation , that gravity and passiveness in children is not from discretion but phlegme , suspected that his scholars faculties would desert his industrie , and end onely in a laborious well-read non-proficiency : but the event gave a full and speedie defeat to those well-meant misgivings ; for he so emprov'd that at thirteen years old he was thought , and ( what is much more rare ) was indeed ripe for the university , and accordingly sent to magdalen college in oxford , where not long after he was chosen demie ; and though he stood low upon the roll , by a very unusual concurrence of providential events , happen'd to be sped : and though having then lost his father , he became destitute of the advantage which potent recommendation might have given , yet his merit voting for him , as soon as capable , he was chosen fellow . being to proceed m r of arts , he was made reader of the natural philosophy lecture in the college , and also was employed in making the funeral oration on the highly-meriting president d r langton . having taken his degree , he presently bought a systeme of divinity , with design to apply himself straightway to that study : but upon second thoughts he returned for a time to humane learning , and afterwards , when he resum'd his purpose for theology , took a quite different course of reading from the other too much usual , beginning that science at the upper end , as conceiving it most reasonable to search for primitive truth in the primitive writers , and not to suffer his understanding to be prepossest by the contrived and interessed schemes of modern , and withal obnoxious , authors . anno . being twenty four years of age , the statutes of his house directing , and the canons of the church then regularly permitting it , he entred into holy orders , and upon the same grounds not long after took the degree of bachelor in divinity , giving as happy proof of his proficiency in sacred , as before he had done in secular knowledge . during the whole time of his abode in the university he generally spent hours of the day in study ; by which assiduity , besides an exact dispatch of the whole course of philosophy , he read over in a manner all classick authors that are extant ; and upon the more considerable wrote , as he passed , scholia and critical emendations , and drew up indexes for his private use at the beginning and end of each book : all which remain at this time , and testify his indefatigable pains to as many as have perus'd his library . in the year . the reverend d r frewen , the then president of his college , now lord arch-bishop of york , gave him the honor to supply one of his courses at the court ; where the right honorable the earl of leicester happening to be an auditor , he was so deeply affected with the sermon , and took so just a measure of the merit of the preacher thence , that the rectory of pensehurst being at that time void , and in his gift , he immediately offer'd him the presentation : which being accepted , he was inducted on the of august in the same year ; and thenceforth from the scholastick retirements of an university life , applied himself to the more busy entertainments of a rural privacy , and what some have call'd the being buried in a living : and being to leave the house , he thought not fit to take that advantage of his place , which from sacrilege or selling of the founders charity , was by custom grown to be prudence and good husbandry . in the discharge of his ministerial function , he satisfied not himself in diligent and constant preaching only ; ( a performance wherein some of late have phansied all religion to consist ) but much more conceived himself obliged to the offering up the solemn daily sacrifice of prayer for his people , administring the sacraments , relieving the poor , keeping hospitality , reconciling of differences amongst neighbours , visiting the sick , catechising the youth . as to the first of these , his preaching , 't was not at the ordinary rate of the times , an unpremeditated , undigested effusion of shallow and crude conceptions ; but a rational and just discourse , that was to teach the priest as well as the lay-hearer . his method was ( which likewise he recommended to his friends ) after every sermon to resolve upon the ensuing subject ; that being done , to pursue the course of study which he was then in hand with , reserving the close of the week for the provision for the next lords-day . whereby not onely a constant progress was made in science , but materials unawares were gain'd unto the immediate future work : for , he said , be the subjects treated of never so distant , somewhat will infallibly fall in conducible unto the present purpose . the offices of prayer he had in his church , not only upon the sundaies and festivals and their eves , as also wednesdaies and fridaies , according to the appointment of the rubrick ; ( which strict duty and ministration when 't is examined to the bottom will prove the greatest objection against the liturgy ; as that which , besides its own trouble and austerity , leaves no leisure for factious and licentious meetings at fairs and markets ) but every day in the week , and twice on saturdaies and holy-day eves : for his assistance wherein he kept a curate , and allow'd him a comfortable salary . and at those devotions he took order that his family should give diligent and exemplary attendance : which was the easilier perform'd , it being guided by his mother , a woman of ancient vertue , and one to whom he paid a more then filial obedience . as to the administration of the sacrament , he reduced it to an imitation , though a distant one , of primitive frequency , to once a moneth , and therewith it s anciently inseparable appendant , the offertory : wherein his instruction and happily-insinuating example so farre prevail'd , that there was thenceforth little need of ever making any taxe for the poor . nay , ( if the report of a sober person born and bred up in that parish , be to be believ'd ) in short time a stock was rais'd to be alwaies ready for the apprentising of young children , whose parents condition made the provision for them an equal charity to both the child and parent . and after this there yet remain'd a superplusage for the assistance of the neighbour parishes . for the relief of the poor , besides the foremention'd expedient , wherein others were sharers with him , unto his private charity , the dedicating the tenth of all receits , and the daily almes given at the door , he constantly set apart over and above every week a certain rate in money : and however rarely his own rent-dayes occurr'd , the indigent had two and fifty quarter-daies returning in his year . yet farther , another art of charity he had , the selling corn to his poor neighbours at a rate below the market-price : which though , as he said , he had reason to doe , gaining thereby the charge of portage ; was a great benefit to them , who besides the abatement of price , and possibly forbearance , saved thereby a daies-work . he that was thus liberal to the necessitous poor , was no less hospitable to those of better quality : and as at other times he frequently invited his neighbours to his table , so more especially on sundayes ; which seldome past at any time without bringing some of them his guests : but here beyond the weekly treatments , the christmas festival had a peculiar allowance to support it . he knew well how much the application at the table inforc'd the doctrines of the pulpit , and how subservient the endearing of his person was to the recommending his instructions , how far upon these motives our saviour thought fit to eat with publicans and sinners , and how effectual the loaves were to the procuring of disciples . in accordance to which his generous freedome in almes and hospitality , he farther obliged his parishioners in the setting of their tithes and dues belonging to him : for though he very well understood how prone men are to give complaints in payment , and how little obligation there is on him that lets a bargain to consider the casual loss , who is sure never to share in a like surplusage of gain ; yet herein he frequently departed from his right , in somuch that having set the tith of a large medow , and upon agreement received part of the money at the beginning of the year ; it happening that the profits were afterwards spoiled and carried away by a flood , he , when the tenant came to make the last paiment , not onely refus'd it , but returned the former summe , saying to the poor man , god forbid i should take the tenth where you have not the nine parts . as by publick admonition he most diligently instill'd that great fundamental doctrine of peace and love , so did he likewise in his private address and conversation , being never at peace in himself , till he had procur'd it amongst his neighbours ; wherein god so blest him , that he not onely attain'd his purpose of uniting distant parties unto each other , but , contrary to the usual fate of reconcilers , gain'd them to himself : there having been no person of his function any where better beloved then he when present , or lamented more when absent , by his flock . of which tender and very filial affection , in stead of more , we may take two instances : the one , that he being driven away , and his books plundered , one of his neighbours bought them in his behalf , and preserved them for him till the end of the war : the other , that during his abode at pensehurst he never had any vexatious law dispute about his dues , but had his tithes fully paid , and not of the most refuse parts , but generally the very best . though he judged the time of sickness an improper season for the great work of repentance ; yet he esteemed it a most useful preparative , the voice of god himself exhorting to it : and therefore not onely when desir'd made his visits to all such as stood in need of those his charities , but prevented their requests by early and by frequent coming to them . and this he was so careful of , that after his remove from penseburst , being at oxford , and hearing of the sickness of one of his parishioners , he from thence sent to him those instructions which he judg'd useful in that exigent , and which he could not give at nearer distance . for the institution of youth in the rudiments of piety , his custome was , during the warmer season of the year , to spend an hour before evening-prayer in catechifing , whereat the parents and older sort were wont to be present , and from whence ( as he with comfort was used to say ) they reaped more benefit then from his sermons . where it may not be superfluous to observe that he introduced no new form of catechism , but adher'd to that of the church ; rendring it fully intelligible to the meanest capacities by his explanations . it may be useful withall to advert , that if in those times catechetical institution were very seasonable , 't will now be much more ; when principles have been exchang'd for dreams of words and notions ; if not for a worse season of profane contempt of christian truth . but to return ; besides all this , that there might be no imaginable assistance wanting , he took care for the providing an able schoolmaster in the parish , which he continued during the whole time of his abode . and as he thus labour'd in the spiritual building up of souls , he was not negligent of the material fabrick committed to his trust : but repair'd with a very great expence ( the annual charge of l. ) his parsonage-house ; till from an incommodious ruine he had render'd it a fair and pleasant dwelling , with the adherent conveniences of gardens and orchards . while he was thus busie on his charge , though he so prodigally laid out himself upon the interests of his flock , as he might seem to have nothing left for other purposes ; and his humility recommended above all things privacy and retirement to him : yet when the uses of the publick call'd him forth , he readily obey'd the summons , and frequently preach'd both at s t paul's cross , and the visitations of his brethren the clergy , ( a specimen whereof appears in print ) as also at the cathedral church of chichester , where by the unsought-for favour of the reverend father in god , brian , then l d bishop of that see , since of winchester , he had an interest , and had the dignity of arch-deacon : which at the beginning of the late troubles falling to him , he managed with great zeal and prudence , not onely by all the charms of christian rhetorick , perswading to obedience and union , but by the force of demonstration , charging it as most indispensable duty , and ( what was then not so readily believed ) the greatest temporal interest of the inferior clergy : wherein the eminent importance of the truths he would inforce so far prevail'd over his otherwise-insuperable modesty , that in a full assembly of the clergy , as he afterwards confest , he broke off from what he had premeditated , and out of the abundance of his heart spoke to his auditory ; and by the blessing of god , to which he attributed it , found a very signal reception . in the year . he proceeded doctor in divinity , his seniority in the university , and employment in the church , and ( what perchance was a more importunate motive ) the desire of eleven of his friends and contemporaries in the same house , whom not to accompany might be interpreted an affected pride and singularity , at least an unkindness , joyntly perswading him to it . his performance in the act , where he answer'd the doctors , was to the equal satisfaction and wonder of his hearers ; a country-life usually contracting at the least an unreadiness to the dextrous management of those exercises , which was an effect undiscernible in him . about this time he became a member of the convocation call'd with the short parliament in . as after this he was named to be of the assembly of divines ; his invincible loyalty to his prince and obedience to his mother the church not being so valid arguments against his nomination , as the repute of his learning and vertue were on the other part , to have some title to him . and now that conformity became a crime , and tumults improving into hostility and war , such a crime as had chastisements severe enough ; though the committee of the countrey summon'd him before them , and used those their best arguments of persuasion , threatnings and reproches , he still went on in his regular practice , and continued it till the middle of july . at which time there being in his neighbourhood about tunbridge an attempt in behalf of the king , and his doctrine and example having had that good influence , as it was supposed , to have made many more ready to the discharge of their duty ; it being defeated , the good doctor ( the malice of one who design'd to succeed in his living being withal assistant ) was forc'd to secure himself by retirement ; which he did , withdrawing himself to his old tutor d r buckner ; to whom he came about the of july early in the morning in such an habit as that exigence made necessary for him , and whither not many daies before his old friend and fellow-pupil d r oliver came upon the same errand . which accident , and the necessity to leave his flock , as the d r afterwards frequently acknowledg'd , was that which did most affect him of any that he felt in his whole life : amidst which , though he was no valuer of trifles , or any thing that look'd like such , he had so extraordinary a dream , that he could not then despise , nor ever afterwards forget it . 't was thus ; he thought himself and a multitude of others to have been abroad in a bright and chearful day , when on a sudden there seem'd a separation to be made , and he with the far less number to be placed at a distance from the rest ; and then the clouds gathering , a most tempestuous storm arose , with thundring and lightnings , with spouts of impetuous rain , and violent gusts of wind , and whatever else might adde unto a scene of horrour ; particularly balls of fire that shot themselves amongst the ranks of those that stood in the lesser party : when a gentle whisper seem'd to interrupt those other louder noises , saying , be still , and ye shall receive no harm . amidst these terrors the doctor falling to his prayers , soon after the tempest ceas'd , and that known cathedral-antheme begun , come , lord jesus , come away ; with which he awoke . the correspondent event of all which he found verified signally in the preservation both of himself and his friends , in doing of their duties ; the which with much content he was us'd to mention . beside , being himself taken to the quires of angels at the close of that land - hurrican of ours , whereof that dismal apparition was onely a faint embleme ; he gave thereby too literal a completion to his dream , and the unhappy credit of bordering upon prophecy . in this retirement the two doctors remained about three weeks , till an alarm was brought , that a strict enquiry was made for doctor hammond , and . l. promised as a reward for him that should produce him . which suggestion though they easily apprehended to have a posiblity of being false , yet they concluded a necessary ground for their remove . upon this they resolve to be gone ; and d r oliver having an interest in winchester , which was then in the kings quarters , they chose that as the next place of their retreat . but being on the way thither , d r oliver , who had sent his servant before to make provision for them , was met and saluted with the news that doctor frewen , president of magdalen college , was made bishop of litchfield , and that the college had pitched upon him as successor . this unlook'd-for accident ( as justly it might ) put doctor oliver to new counsels ; and since providence had found out so seasonable a relief , enclin'd him not to desert it , but fly rather to his preferments and advantage , then merely to his refuge , and so to divert to oxford . to this d r hammond made much difficulty to assent , thinking that too publick a place , and , what he more consider'd , too far from his living , whither ( his desires strongly enclining him ) he had hopes ( when the present fury was allay'd ) to return again ; and to that purpose had wrote to such friends of his as were in power , to use their interest for the procuring his security . but his letters meeting a cold reception , and the company of his friend on one hand , and the appearance of deserting him on the other hand , charming him to it , he was at last perswaded ; and encompassing hantshire with some difficulty came to oxford : where procuring an appartment in his old college , he sought that peace in his retirement and study which was no where else to be met withal ; taking no other diversion then what the giving encouragement and instruction to ingenious young students yielded him , ( a thing wherein he peculiarly delighted ) and the satisfaction which he received from the conversation of learned men ; who , besides the usual store , in great number at that time for their security resorted thither . among the many eminent persons with whom he here convers'd , he had particular intimacy with d r potter provost of q s college , to whom among other fruits of his studies he communicated his practical catechism , which for his private use he had drawn up . the provost much taken with the designe , and no less with the performance , importun'd him to make it publick ; alledging , in that lavvless age the great use of supplanting the empty form of godliness which so prevail'd , by substituting of its real power and sober duties ; of silencing prophaneness , which then usurp'd the names of wit and gallantry , by enforcing the more eligible acts of the christians reasonable service , which was not any other way so happily to be done , as by beginning at the foundation by sound , and yet not trivial , catechetick institution . it was not hard to convince d r hammond that 't were well if some such thing were done ; but that his writing would doe this in any measure , or that he should suffer his name to become publick , it was impossible to perswade him . the utmost he could be brought to allow of was , that his treatise was not likely to doe harm , but had possibilities of doing ( it might be ) some good , and that it would not become him to deny that service to the world ; especially if his modesty might be secur'd from pressure by the concealing of him to be the author . and this doctor potter , that he might leave no subterfuge , undertook , and withall the whole care of , and besides the whole charge of the edition . upon these termes , onely with this difference , that doctor hammond would not suffer the provost to be at the entire charge , but went an equal share with him , the practical catechism saw the light , and likewise the author remained in his desir'd obscurity . but in the mean time the book finding the reception which it merited , the good doctor was by the same arguments constrained to give way to the publishing of several other tracts which he had written upon heads that were then most perverted by popular error ; as of conscience , of scandal , of will-worship , of resisting the lawful magistrate , and of the change of church-government ; his name all this while concealed , and so preserved , till curiosity improving its guesses into confident asseverations , he was rumor'd for the author , and as such publish'd to the world by the london and cambridge stationers , who without his knowledge reprinted those and other of his works . in the interim a treaty being labour'd by his majesty , to compose ( if it were possible ) the unhappy differences in church and state , and in order thereunto the duke of richmond and earl of southhampton being sent to london ; doctor hammond went along as chaplain to them ; where with great zeal and prudence , he labour'd to undeceive those seduced persons whom he had opportunity to converse with : and when the treaty was solemnly appointed at uxbridge , several divines being sent thither in behalf of the different parties , he , among other excellent men that adher'd to the king , was made choice of to assist in that emploiment . and there ( not to mention the debates between the commissioners , which were long since publish'd by an honourable hand ) doctor steward and master henderson were at first onely admitted to dispute ; though at the second meeting the other divines were call'd in : which thing was a surprize , and design'd for such , to those of the king's part , who came as chaplains and private attendants on the lords ; but was before projected and prepared for by those of the presbyterian way . and in this conflict it was the lot of doctor hammond to have master vines for his antagonist ; who in stead of tendring a scholastick disputation , read from a paper a long divinity-lecture , wherein were interwoven several little cavils and exceptions , which were meant for arguments . doctor hammond perceiving this , drew forth his pen and ink , and as the other was reading , took notes of what was said , and then immediately return'd in order an answer to the several suggestions , which were about forty in number : which he did with that readiness and sufficiency , as at once gave testimony to his ability , and to the evidence of the truth he asserted ; which amidst the disadvantage of extempore against premeditation , dispell'd with ease and perfect clearness all the sophismes that had been brought against him . 't is not the present work to give an account of that whole dispute , or character the merits of those worthy persons who were engag'd in it , either in that or the succeeding meetings : especially since it was resolv'd by both parties , that the transactions of neither side should be made publick . but notwithstanding this , since divers persons addicted to the defence of a side , without any further consideration of truth or common honesty , have in this particular wounded the doctors reputation ; i shall take leave to say , that had the victories in the field which were manag'd by the sword been like this of the chamber and the tongue , a very easie act of oblivion must have atoned for them ; since what never was , without much industry might be secur'd from being remembred . the impudent falsity rais'd upon the doctor was this , that m r vines utterly silenc'd him ; insomuch that he was fain to use this unheard-of stratageme to avoid his adversaries demonstration , to swear by god and the holy angels , that though at present a solution did not occurre to him , he could answer it . concerning this we have the doctors own account in a letter of his bearing date jan. . ann. . directed to a friend who had advertis'd him of this report . i have formerly been told within these few years that there went about a story much to my disparagement , concerning the dispute at uxbridge ( for there it was , not at holdenby ) with m r vines ; but what it was i could never hear before : now i doe , i can , i think , truly affirm , that no one part of it hath any degree of truth , save onely that m r vines did dispute against , and i defend , episcopacy . for as to the argument mention'd , i did neither then , nor at any time of my life , ( that i can remember ) ever hear it urg'd by any . and for my pretended answer , i am both sure that i never call'd god and his holy angels to witness any thing in my life , nor ever swore one voluntary oath that i know of , ( and sure there was then none impos'd on me ) and that i was not at that meeting conscious to my self of wanting ability to express my thoughts , or prest with any considerable difficulty , or forc'd by any consideration to wave the answer of any thing objected . a story of that whole affair i am yet able to tell you ; but i cannot think it necessary . only this i may adde , that after it i went to m r marshall in my own and brethrens names , to demand three things ; . whether any argument propos'd by them remain'd unanswer'd , to which we might yield farther answer : . whether they intended to make any report of the past-disputation ; offering , if they would , to joyn with them in it , and to perfect a conference by mutual consent , after the manner of that between d r reynolds and m r hart : both which being rejected , the . was , to promise each other that nothing should be afterwards publish'd by either without the consent or knowledge of the other party . and that last he promis'd for himself and his brethren , and so we parted . but while these things were in doing , a canonry in christ-church in oxford became vacant , which the king immediately bestowed on doctor hammond , though then absent ; whom likewise the university chose their publick orator : which preferments though collated so freely , and in a time of exigence , he was with much difficulty wrought upon by his friends to accept , as minding nothing so much as a return to his old charge at pensehurst . but the impossibility of a sudden opportunity of going thither being evident unto him , he at last accepted ; and was soon after made chaplain in ordinary to his majesty . but these new employments no way diverted him from his former tasks ; for , according to his wonted method , he continued to address remedies to the encreasing mischiefs of the times , and publish'd the tracts of superstition , idolatry , sins of weakness and wilfulness , death-bed repentance , view of the directory ; as also in answer to a romanist , who taking advantage of the publick ruine , hoped to erect thereon trophees to the capitol ; his vindication of the lord falkland , who was not long before faln in another kinde of war. but now the king's affairs declining every where , and oxford being forc'd upon articles to surrender to the enemy , where after the expiration of six moneths all things were to be left to the lust and fury of a servile , and therefore insolent , conquerour ; though he foresaw a second and more fatal siege approaching , a leaguer of encamp'd inevitable mischiefs ; yet he remitted nothing of his wonted industry , writing his tracts of fraternal correption , and power of the keyes , and apologies by letter against the pulpit-calumnies of m r cheynel , and the exceptions taken at his practical catechism . in the mean time his sacred majesty , sold by his scotish into the hands of his english subjects , and brought a prisoner to holdenby , where stripp'd of all his royal attendants , and denied that common charity which is afforded the worst of malefactors , the assistance of divines , though he with importunity desir'd it ; he being taken from the parliament commissioners into the possession of the army , at last obtain'd that kindness from them ( who were to be cruel at another rate ) which was withheld by the two houses , and was permitted the service of some few of his chaplains , whom he by name had sent for , and among them of doctor hammond . accordingly the good doctor attended on his master in the several removes of woburn , cavesham and hampton-court , as also thence into the isle of wight , where he continued till christmas . at which time his majesties attendants were again put from him , and he amongst the rest . sequestred from this his melancholick , but most desir'd , employment , he return'd again to oxford : where being chosen sub-dean , an office to which belongs much of the scholastick government of the college , and soon after prov'd to be the whole , ( the dean , for the guilt of asserting the rights of his majesty and university in his station of vice-chancellor , being made a prisoner , ) he undertook the entire management of all affairs ; and discharg'd it with great sufficiency and admirable diligence , leaving his beloved studies to interest himself not onely in moderating at divinity-disputations , which was then an immediate part of his task , but in presiding at the more youthful exercises of sophistry , themes and declamations ; redeeming still at night these vacuities of the day , scarce ever going to bed till after midnight , sometimes not til three in the morning , and yet certainly rising to prayers at five . nor did his inspection content it self in looking to the general performances of duty , but descended to an accurate survey of every one 's both practice and ability ; so that this large society of scholars appear'd his private family , he scarce leaving any single person without some mark or other of both his charity and care , relieving the necessitous in their several wants of money and of books , shaming the vicious to sobriety , incouraging the ingenuous to diligence , and finding stratagems to ensnare the idle to a love of study . but above all he endeavoured to prepare his charge for the reception of the impending persecution ; that they might adorn their profession , and not at the same time suffer for a cause of righteousness , and as evil-doers . to this end he both admitted and solemnly invited all sober persons to his familiarity and converse ; and beside that , receiv'd them to his weekly private office of fasting and humiliation . but now the long-expected ruine breaking in with its full weight and torrent , the visitors chaf'd with their former disappointments and delayes , coming with hunters stomacks , and design to boot , for to seize first and then devour the prey , by a new method of judicature being to kill and then take possession ; the excellent doctor became involv'd in the general calamity . and whereas the then usual law of expulsion was immediately to banish into the wide world by beat of drum , injoyning to quit the town within hours upon pain of being taken and used as spies , and not to allow the unhappy exiles time for the dispose either of their private affairs , or stating the accounts of their respective colleges or pupils ; the reverend doctor sheldon , now lord bishop of london , and dean of his majesties chappel royal , and doctor hammond , were submitted to a contrary fate , and by an order from a committee of parliament were restrained and voted to be prisoners in that place , from which all else were so severely driven . but such was the authority and command of exemplary vertue , that the person design'd to succeed in the canonry of christ church , though he had accepted of the place at london , and done his exercise for it at oxford , acting as publick orator in flattering there the then-pretending chancellor , yet had not courage to pursue his undertaking , but voluntarily relinquished that infamous robbery , and adhered to a less scandalous one in the country . and then the officer who was commanded to take doctor sheldon and him into custody upon their design'd removal , colonel evelin , then governour of wallingford-castle , ( though a man of as opposite principles to church and church-men as any of the adverse party ) wholly declin'd the employment , solemnly protesting that if they came to him , they should be entertained as friends , and not as prisoners . but these remorses prov'd but of little effect ; the prebend of christ-church being suddenly supply'd by a second choice , and oxford it self being continued the place of their confinement : where accordingly the good doctor remained , though he were demanded by his majesty to attend him in the isle of wight at the treaty there , which then was again re-inforced . the pretence upon which both he and the reverend doctor sheldon were refused was that they were prisoners ; and probably the gaining that was the cause why they were so . but notwithstanding the denial of a personal attendance , the excellent prince requir'd that assistance which might consist with absence , and at this time sent for a copy of that sermon which almost a year before he had heard preach'd in that place . the which sermon his majesty , and thereby the publick , receiv'd with the accession of several others delivered upon various occasions . doctor hammond having continued about ten weeks in his restraint in oxford , where he begun to actuate his designe of writing annotations on the new testament , ( nor was it disproportionate that those sacred volumes , a great part of which was wrote in bonds , should be first commented upon by the very parallel suffering , and that the work it self should be so dedicated , and the expositor fitted for his task by being made like the authors ) by the interposition of his brother in law , sir john temple , he had licence granted to be removed to a more acceptable confinement , to clapham in bedfordshire , the house in which his worthy friend sir philip warwick lived . where soon after his arrival , that horrid mockery of justice , the rape and violence of all that 's sacred , made more abominable by pretending to right and piety , the trial of the king , drew on ; and he being in no other capacity to interpose then by writing , drew up an address to the general and council of officers , and transmitted it to them . and when that unexampled villany found this excuse , that it was such as could be pleaded for , and men in cool blood would dare to own and justifie , he affix'd his reply to the suggestions of ascham and goodwin . and now although he indulg'd to his just and almost-infinite griefs , which were transported to the utmost bounds of sober passion , the affectionate personal respect he bore unto that glorious victime being added to the detestation due unto the guilt it self , of which no man was more sensible then he who had strange antipathies to all sin , he gave not up himself to an unactive dull amazement ; but with the redoubled use of fasting , tears and solemn prayer , he resum'd his wonted studies ; and besides his fitting the annotations for the press , and his little tract of the reasonableness of christian religion , he now composed his latine one against blondel in the behalf of episcopacy . as to the first of which , ( his annotations , ) the manner of its birth and growth was thus . having written in latine two large volumes in quarto of the way of interpreting the new testament , with reference to the customs of the jews and of the first hereticks in the christian church , and of the heathens , especially in the grecian games , and above all the importance of the hellenistical dialect , into which he had made the exactest search ( by which means in a maner he happened to take in all the difficulties of that sacred book : ) he began to consider that it might be more useful to the english reader , who was to be his immediate care , to write in our vulgar language , and set every observation in its natural order , according to the guidance of the text. and having some years before collated several greek copies of the new testament , observ'd the variation of our english from the original , and made an entire translation of the whole for his private use ; being thus prepar'd , he cast his work into that form in which it now appears . the reasons of it need not to be here inserted , being set down by his own pen in his preface to his annotations . the tractate against blondel grew to its last form and constitution by not-unlike degrees , having a very different occasion from the last performance . the immediate antecedent cause is own'd , and long agoe presented to the world in that writing ; the more remote original is as follows . the late most learned primate of armagh having receiv'd from dav. blondel a letter of exception against his edition of ignatius , he communicated it to doctor hammond , desiring his sense of several passages therein contained , relating to the valentinian heresie , episcopal and chorepiscopal power , and some emergent difficulties concerning them , from the canons of several ancient eastern councils . to all this the doctor wrote a peculiar answer , promising a fuller account if it would be useful . upon the receipt whereof the archbishop being highly satisfied , return'd his thanks , and lai'd hold of the promise : which being accordingly discharg'd , became the provision ( and gave materials ) to a great part of the dissertations . the primate's letter ran in these words : i have read with great delight and content your accurate answer to the objections made against the credit of ignatius his epistles , for which i do most heartily thank you , and am moved thereby farther to intreat you , to publish to the world in latine what you have already written in english against this objector , and that other , who for your pains hath rudely requited you with the base appellation of nebulo for the assertion of episcopacy : to the end it may no longer be credited abroad , that these two have beaten down this calling , that the defense thereof is now deserted by all men , as by lud. capellus is intimated in his thesis of church-government , at sedan lately published , which i leave unto your serious consideration , and all your godly labours to the blessing of our good god , in whom i evermore rest , rygate in surrey , jul. . . your very loving friend and brother , ja. armachanus . now in this request the archbishop was so concern'd , that he re-inforc'd it by another letter of aug. . and congratulated the performance by a third of jan. . both which , though very worthy to see the publick light , are yet forborn , as several of the like kinde from the reverend fathers the bishops of this and our sister churches , as also from the most eminent for piety and learning of our own and the neighbouring nations : which course is taken not onely in accordance to the desires and sentiments of the excellent doctor , who hated every thing that look'd like ostentation ; but likewise to avoid the very unpleasing choice , either to take the trouble of recounting all the doctors correspondencies , or bear the envie of omitting some . but to return to the present task , and that of the good doctor , which now was to perfect his commentaries on the new testament , and finish the dissertations : amidst which cares he met with another of a more importunate nature , the loss of his dear mother , which had this unhappy accession , that in her sickness he could not be permitted , by reason of his being concern'd in the proclamation that banish'd those that adher'd to the king twenty miles from london , to visit her ; nor while she pai'd her latest debt to nature , to pay his earlier one of filial homage and attendance . a few months after , the rigour of that restraint with the declining of the year ( a season judg'd less commodious for enterprise ) being taken off , he removed into worcestershire , to westwood , the house of the eminently-loyal s r john pakington : where being setled , and proceeding in the edition of those his labours which he had begun at clapham , his majesty coming to worcester , by his neighbourhood to that place , the good doctor , as he had the satisfaction personally to attend his sovereign , and the honour to receive a letter from his own hand of great importance , for the satisfaction of his loyal subjects concerning his adherence to the establish'd religion of the church of england , wherein his royal father liv'd a saint , and died a martyr : so likewise had he on the other part the most immediate agonies for his defeat ; to which was added the calamity which fell upon the family where he dwelt , from the persecution and danger of the generous master of it . but it pleased god to give an issue out of both those difficulties , especially in the miraculous deliverance of his sacred majestie ; a dispensation of so signal an importance , that he allow'd it a solemn recognition in his constant offices during his whole life , receiving that unusual interposition of providence as a pledge from heaven of an arrier of mercies , to use his own words , that god , who had thus powerfully rescued him from egypt , would not suffer him to perish in the wilderness ; but though his passage be through the red sea , he would at last bring him into canaan ; that he should come out of his tribulations as gold out of the fire , purified , but not consumed . but notwithstanding these reflexions , bottom'd upon piety and reliance upon heaven , the present state of things had a quite different prospect in common eyes ; and the generality of men thinking their religion as troublesome a burthen as their loyalty , with the same prudence by which they chang'd their mild and gracious sovereign for a bloody tyrant , began to seek a pompous and imperious church abroad , in stead of a pious and afflicted one at home . to which event the roman missionaries gave their liberal contribution , affording their preposterous charity to make them proselytes who had no mind to be confessors or martyrs . hereupon the doctor thought it highly seasonable to write his tract of schism , and oppose it to that most popular topick whereby they amus'd and charm'd their fond disciples . and whereas the love of novelty prevai'ld in several other instances , as in controlling the use and authority of the scripture , defending incestuous marriages , polygamy , divorce , the anabaptizing of infants , the schismatical ordination of ministers by mere presbyters , and disuse of the festivals of the church ; he apply'd his antidotes to each : by which means he made himself the common mark of opposition to all parties . for ( besides the assaults from a whole classis of antagonists which the dissertations had engag'd against him , and to which he was preparing his defence ) upon the romanists part he was charg'd by the catholick gentleman and his armour-bearer s. w. on the presbyterian account by m r cawdry and m r jeanes ; and in the behalf of the independents and anabaptists by master owen and master tombs : not to mention several others that sought themselves a name by being his gainsayers , but fail'd of their purpose , by bringing onely spight and passion into the quarrel , and so were to be answered onely by pity and silence . nor did he onely stand and keep at bay this multiply'd contest ; but ( as if this had not been task enough ) besides the intercurrent offices of life , his reception of visits , answering of letters , his constant preaching and catechising , he found leisure to write his tract of fundamentals , his paraenesis , his review of the annotations ; and amidst all , to be in debt to his importunate antagonists for nothing but their railing , leaving that the onely thing unanswered . nay more then so , brought several of them even under their own hands to recognize their sense of their undue procedure us'd by them unto him : which their acknowledgments yet remain , and are producible upon occasion . and would to god he had met no other opposition ; for in the entrance on these conflicts that strength of body which before had faithfully attended his indefatigable minde began to fail him , and those four torments of disease , which single have been judg'd a competent tryal of humane sufferance , the stone , the gout , the colick , and the cramp , ( the last of which was to him as tyrannous as any of the former ) became in a manner the constant exercise of his christian fortitude and patience ; affording him from this time to the end of his life very rare and short intervals of vigorous health . but among all his labours , although polemick discourses were otherwise most uneasy , as engaging to converse with men in passion , a thing he naturally abhorr'd , his paraenesis , a perswasive and practical tract ( which now he wrote , and which upon that account was exceeding agreeable to his desires ) cost him most throes and pangs of birth , as having been penn'd first in tears , and then in ink. for however with great serenity he entertain'd all other accidents , having habituated himself to his beloved doctrine of submitting not to the will of god alone , but to his wisdome , both which he was us'd to say were perfectly one thing in that blest agent , ( and accordingly in the most dismall appearance of event made this constant motto , 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 even this for good ; ) yet in this instance the tenderness of his soul seem'd to have melted his resolution : the occasion of that treatise being the interdict of jan. . which disabled the loyall suffering clergy from doing any ministerial act , which he resented with the highest passion , not onely upon the general account of god's more immediate displeasure to the nation legible therein , but ( what he had much less reason to doe ) in reference to his own particular , he looking on this dispensation of providence as god's pronouncing him unworthy to doe him service , the reproaching ( to use his own words ) his former unprofitableness by casting him out as straw to the dunghill . nor should any consideration that terminated on himself have perswaded him at all to regard that tyrannous injunction , had not charity to the family where he was made him content to admit of an expedient that secured all real duties , whilst he for some short time forbore that attendance on the altar which was the very joy of his life . and now , though his physicians had earnestly forbidden his accustomed fastings , and his own weaknesses gave forcible suffrages to their advice ; yet he resumed his rigors , esteeming this calamity such a one as admitted no exception , which should not be outliv'd , but that it became men to be martyrs too , and deprecate even in death . while he thus earnestly implored the aides of heaven , and exhorted unto present duty , he omitted not a third expedient , the securing a succession to the church , thereby to preserve its future being . and this he did not onely in reference to the superiour order of episcopacy , which it has pleased god now to secure by another more gracious method of his favour , and even miraculous goodness ; but also in the inferiour attendance on the altar : the later of which as it was an enterprise suiting well with his heroick minde , so was it no way answering his narrow fortunes . the thing in his design was this ; whereas the ancient stock of clergy-men were by this edict in a manner rendered useless , and the church was at best like the roman state in its first beginning , res unius aetatis populus virorum , a nation of ancient persons hasting to their graves , who must in a few years be wasted ; he projected by pensions unto hopeful persons in either university , to maintain a seminary of youth instituted in piety and learning upon the sober principles and old establishment of the anglicane church . in which work though the assistances he presum'd on fail'd in a great measure , yet somewhat not inconsiderable in this kinde by himself and friends he did atchieve , and kept on foot untill his death . in his instructions to them whom he employ'd in this affair , he gave in charge carefully to seek out such as were piously enclin'd , and to prefer that qualification before unsanctified good parts ; adding this as a certain maxime , that exemplary vertue must restore the church . and whereas that black defeat at worcester , raising the insolent tyrant here unto that greatness which almost out went the impudence of his hopes , made him to be feared by forein nations almost as much as hated by his own , the loyal sufferers abroad became subjected to the worst effect of banishment , and even there expell'd and driven from their flights : so paralleling in their exigencies the most immediate objects of that monster 's fury . the excellent doctor , to whose diffusive vertue the limits of the nation were too streight a circle , thought this a season to exert his charity : accordingly , though this greatest duty were solemnly declared treason , he then continued to send over several sums for their relief . which practice of his , by the surprise of the person intrusted , being discovered to the tyrant , he was alarm'd with the expectation of that usage which was then a certain consequent of such meritorious acts . but this adventure brought nothing of amazement or disturbance to the doctor , his most importunate reflexion being onely this , that he seem'd to have gain'd an opportunity of saying something very home to that fierce monster concerning his foul deeds , and to discourse the appropriate wayes remaining to alleviate at least , if not to expiate for them ; which he purposed within himself to press to the highest advantage : and indeed this was the onely issue of that so threatning accident , god's restraining power interposing here , and exemplifying upon him what in others he was wont to observe , that they who least considered hazard in the doing of their duties fared still best . and this success as it was indeed , and accordingly he frequently acknowledg'd it for , an eminent act of the divine providence ; so we may likewise take it as a signal testimony of the commanding worth the doctor had , which extorted a reverence to his person from that worst of men , and render'd him a sanctuary , perhaps the onely one this architect of mischief stood in aw of , and even his sacrilege preserv'd inviolate . nor did this danger being over , as with others in all likelihood it would have done , persuade to caution for the future ; but with the wonted diligence that formerly he us'd , he immediately proceeded , and chearfully went on in the pursuit of his heroick charity . amidst these diversions grew up the labours of this heroe , the issues of his brain , being not onely midwiv'd into the world like natural births with torment and disease , but wrote , like caesar's commentaries , in dangers and in war. and now besides the replies which the importunities of master owen , master jeanes , and master tombs drew from him , w. s. continuing his loud clamors and impudent triumph at his own folly , the good doctor suffer'd himself to be engag'd on that long answer , which prov'd the last of that kind he made , excepting that single sheet put out a few moneths before his death , as a specimen to what desperate shifts the patrons of the roman cause were driven : for though some of his friends advis'd him to remit that divinity buffoon to be answered in his own way by a slighter pen ; he by no means would admit of the proposal , resolving it unfit that another should doe in his behalf what was indecent for himself to doe ; and though there was no respect to be had of w. s. yet was the sacred cause to be manag'd with reverence and awful regard . while this was in hand the second review of the annotations came to light , as also the exposition on the book of psalmes , and soon after the pacifick discourse of god's grace and decrees , ventilated between him and his dear friend the reverend and most learned d r sanderson , now lord bishop of lincoln , occasion'd by some letters which had passed on that subject between the said doctor and the reverend d r pierce . to this immediately succeeded the latine tract of confirmation , in answer to the exceptions of m r daillee , which was then prepar'd for the press , though detain'd much longer upon prudential or rather charitative considerations , a respect to which was strictly had in all the doctor 's writings ; it being his care not onely to publish sober and convincing , but withal seasonable , useful truths . he was likewise enterprising a farther commentary on the old testament , and begun on the book of proverbs , and finished a third part of it : but the completion of this and all other the great intendments of the equally learned , pious , and indefatigable author , receiv'd here a full period ; it pleasing the divine providence to take to himself this high example of all moral and christian excellencies , in a season when the church and nation would least have been depriv'd of his aids towards the cementing of those breaches which then began to offer at a closure . 't is easily to be presum'd the reader will not be disoblig'd , if we a while divert from this remaining sadder part of the undertaken narrative , and entertain him with a survey of the personal accomplishments of the excellent doctor . the particulars whereof would not readily have faln into the thred of history , or at least had been disjoynted there , and under disadvantage ; but will be made to stand in a much fairer light , when represented to the view by way of character and picture . and therefore to this prospect we chearfully invite all eyes in whose esteem vertue it self is lovely . section the second . the frame of his body was such as suited with the noble use to which it was design'd , the entertaining a most pure and active soul , but equally to the advantages of strength and comeliness . his stature was of just height and all proportionate dimensions , avoiding the extremes of gross and meager , advantag'd by a graceful carriage , at once most grave , and yet as much obliging . his face carried dignity and attractives in it , scarce ever clouded with a frown , or so much as darkned by reservedness . his eye was quick and sprightful , his complexion clear and florid , so that ( especially in his youth ) he had the esteem of a very beauteous person ; which was lessen'd only by the colour of his hair : though if the sentence of other ages and climates be of value , that reasonably might be vouch'd as an accession to it . to this outward structure was joyn'd that strength of constitution , patient of severest toil and hardship ; insomuch that for the most part of his life , in the fiercest extremity of cold , he took no other advantage of a fire , then at the greatest distance that he could to look upon it . as to diseases ( till immoderate study had wrought a change ) he was in a manner onely lyable to feavers , which too a constant temperance did in a great measure prevent , and still assisted to relieve and cure . next to his frame of body , if we survey his inward faculties , we shall finde them just unto the promises of his outward shape . his sight was quick to an unusual degree ; insomuch that if by chance he saw a knot of men , a flock of sheep or herd of cattel , being ingag'd in discourse , and not at all thinking of it , he would involuntarily cast up their number , which others after long delayes could hardly reckon . his ear was accurate and tun'd to his harmonious soul , so that having never learned to sing by book or study , he would exactly perform his part of many things to a harpsicon or theorbo ; and frequently did so in his more vigorous years after the toyl and labour of the day , and before the remaining studies of the night . his elocution was free and graceful , prepared at once to charm and to command his audience : and when with preaching at his country charge he had in some degree lost the due manage of his voice , his late sacred majesty , by taking notice of the change , became his master of musick , and reduc'd him to his ancient decent modulation ; a kindness which the doctor very gratefully acknowledg'd to his dying day , and reported not onely as an instance of the meek and tender condescensions of that gracious prince , but improved to perswade others by so great an example to that most friendly office of telling persons of their faults , without which very commonly ( as here it happen'd ) men must be so far from amending their errours , that'tis morally impossible they should ever know them . as to his more inferiour faculties , we must allow the first place to his invention , his richest , altogether unexhausted treasure , whose flowings were with that full torrent , that for several years , after his choice of subject , which generally he had in prospect beforehand , a little meditation on the saturday night made up his sermon : but in the last twelve of his life , finding the recollection of his thoughts disturb his sleep , he remitted the particular care of the composition and method of his future discourse to the sunday morning , wherein an hours consideration fitted him to the office of the day . with the like swiftness he dispatch'd his writings , usually composing faster then his amanuensis , though a very dextrous person , could transcribe after him . his considerations of present necessity concerning episcopacy were drawn up after ten of clock at night in a friends chamber , who professes , that sitting by all the while , he remembers not that he took off pen from paper till he had done ; and the very next morning , it being fully approved by the bishop of salisbury , he sent it to the press : to which work he could have no premeditation or second thoughts , he being that very night after supper employ'd by the before-mentioned lord bishop of salisbury , now of winchester , on that task . so likewise he began his tract of scandal at eleven at night , and finished it before he went to bed . nor was this a peculiar or extraordinary thing with him , but most customary ; five sheets having amidst his other diversions been sundry times his one day's work ; adding to it so much of the night as he frequently borrowed from sleep and supper . and indeed such were his diversions , so many and so importunate , that notwithstanding this incredible ease of writing , 't is hardly imaginable how he could compass the tith of what he did . for he that shall consider his laborious way , immerst in almost infinite quotations , to which the turning over books and consulting several editions was absolutely needful ; his obligation to read not onely classick authors , but the more recent abortions of the press , wherein he proved frequently concerned ; his perusal of the writings of his friends and strangers intended to be publick ; his review of his own works , and correcting them with his own hand sheet by sheet as they came forth , which he did to all his later tracts ; his reception of visits , whether of civility , or for resolution of conscience , or information in points of difficulty , which were numerous , and great devourers of his time ; his agency for men of quality , providing them schoolmasters for their children , and chaplains in their houses , in which affair he had set up a kinde of office of address ; his general correspondencies by letter , whereof some cost him , others , , , nay sheets of paper , and ever took up two dayes of the week entirely to themselves ; the time exhausted by his sicknesses , which in the later years of his life gave him but short and seldom truce , and alwayes made it necessary for him not to stir from his chair , or so much as read a letter for two hours after every meal , failance wherein being certainly reveng'd by a fit of the gout ; his not onely constant preaching and instructing the family where he was , and his visiting the sick both there and in the neighbourhood , but amidst all , his sure returns of prayer , so frequent and so constant as certainly to challenge to themselves a great portion of the day : he , i say , that shall compute and summe up this , the particulars whereof are nakedly set down without any straining of the truth or flourish of expression , must be to seek what point of vacant time remain'd yet undisposed ; i do not say to write books , but even to breath and rest a little in . after a serious reflexion on the premisses , and full debate thereon , the account given by that excellent person who had the happiness of being the nearest and most constant witness of the before-recited severals , seems , the best and chiefly satisfactory that possibly can be made ; that he gain'd time for his writing books by the time he spent in prayer , whilest ( a more then ordinary assistance attending his devotions ) his closet prov'd his library , and he studied most upon his knees . as to his memory , 't was serviceable , but not officious ; faithful to things and business , but unwillingly retaining the contexture and punctualities of words : which defect he frequently lamented , it being harder with him to get one sermon by heart then to pen twenty . his way of speech and faculty of communicating notions was sufficiently happy , having onely this best kind of defect , exuberance and surplusage of plenty , the tide and torrent of his matter being not easily confined by periods ; whereby his style , though round and comprehensive , was incumbred sometimes by parentheses , and became difficult to vulgar understandings : but by the use of writing , and his desire to accommodate himself to all capacities , he in his later years had master'd that defect , which was so slight , that notwithstanding it , he deserved from ( the most accurate judge and greatest master of english rhetorick which this age hath given ) his late sacred majesty this character and testimony , that he was the most natural orator he ever heard . his judgement , as in it self the highest faculty , so was it the most eminent among his natural endowments : for though the finding out the similitudes of different things , wherein the phansie is conversant , is usually a bar to the discerning the disparities of similar appearances , which is the business of discretion , and that store of notions which is laid up in memory assists rather confusion then choice , upon which grounds the greatest clerks are frequently not the wisest men ; he had , to his sufficient memory and incomparable invention , a clear discerning judgement ; and that not onely in scholastical affairs and points of learning , which the arguings , and besides them the designment of his writings manifest beyond dispute , but in the concerns of publick nature both of church and state , wherein his guesse was usually as near to prophecy as any mans ; as also in the little mysteries of private manage , by which upon occasion he has unravell'd the studied cheats of great artificers in that liberal science , wherein particularly he vindicated a person of honour for whom he was intrusted , and assisted frequently his friends in their domestick intercurrent difficulties . as to acquir'd habits and abilities in learning , his writings having given the world sufficient account of them , there remains onely to observe , that the range and compass of his knowledge fill'd the whole circle of the arts , and reach'd those severals which single do exact an entire man unto themselves , and full age . to be accurate in the grammar and idioms of the tongues , and then as a rhetorician to make all their graces serve his eloquence ; to have traverst ancient , and yet be no stranger in modern writers ; to be studied in philosophy , and familiarly vers'd in all the politer classick authors ; to be learn'd in school-divinity , and a master in church-antiquity , perfect and ready in the sense of fathers , councils , ecclesiastical historians and liturgicks ; to have devour'd so much and yet digested it , is a rarity in nature and in diligence which has but few examples . but after all we must take leave to say , and do it upon sober recollection , that the doctor 's learning was the least thing in him ; the scholar was here less eminent then the christian : his speculative knowledge , that gave light to the most dark and difficult proposals , became eclipsed by the more dazling lustre of his practick . in the catalogue of his vertues , his chastity and temperance may claim the earliest place , as being the sacrists to the rest , and in him were therefore onely not the greatest of his excellencies , because every thing else was so . and first , his chaste thoughts , words and carriage so disciplin'd his lower faculties , as not onely restrain'd through all the heats of youth , made more then usually importunate by the full vigour of a high and sanguine constitution , ( which his escape he gratefully referr'd unto the onely mercy of almighty god ) but gave a detestation of all those verbal follies , that have not onely the allowance of being harmless mirth , but the repute of wit and gaiety of humor : so that the scurrilous jest could sooner obtain his tears in penance for it , then the approbation of a smile ; and all approaches to this sin he look'd upon not onely with an utter disallowance in his will , but a kinde of natural abhorrence and antipathy in his lower outward faculties . in his first remove to pensehurst he was perswaded by his friends that the matrimonial state was needful to the bearing off those houshold cares and other intercurrent troubles which his condition then brought with it ; and on this ground he gave some ear to their advices : which he did then more readily , for that there was a person represented to him , of whose vertue as well as other more-usually-desired accomplishments he had been long before well satisfied . but being hindred several times by little unexpected accidents , he finally laid down all his pretensions upon a ground of perfect self-denial ; being inform'd that one of a fairer fortune and higher quality then his was , or else was like to be , and consequently one who in common account would prove the better match , had kindness for her . having thus resolv'd , the charity of his mother , who undertook the manage of his family , became a seasonable assistant and expedient in this single state ; till after several years her age making those cares too great a burthen for her shoulders , he again was induc'd to resume his thoughts of marriage . but the national disturbances ( that afterwards brake out in war and ruine ) appearing then in ferment , he was again diverted by recollecting the apostles advice , cor. . . enforc'd upon his thoughts by the reading of s t jerom's epistle to agereuchia , where after glorious elogies of marriage , the father concluded in an earnest dehortation from it , upon a representation of a like face of things , the goths then breaking into italy , as they before had done into the other near parts of the roman empire , and filling all with slaughter , cruelty and ruine . upon which prospect the good doctor casting a serious eye , and with prophetick sorrows and misgivings fearing a parallel in this our nation , the second time deposited his conjugal intendments , and thenceforth courted and espoused ( what he preserv'd inviolate ) unto his death the more eminent perfection of spotless virgin chastity . his appetite was good , but the restraint of it was very eminent and extraordinary ; for his diet was of the plainest meats , and commonly not onely his dishes , but the parts of them were such as most others would refuse . sauces he scarce ever tasted of , but often express'd it his wonder how rational creatures should eat for any thing but health , since he that did eat or drink that which might cause a fit of the stone or gout , though a year after , therein unman'd himself , and acted as a beast . so that his self-denials were quite contrary to the usual ones ; for considering the time lost in eating , and the vacancy succeeding it , his meals were the greatest pressure , and his fasting-day the most sensual part of his week . in the time of his full and more vigorous health he seldom did eat or drink more then once in twenty four hours , and some fruit towards night ; and two dayes in every week , and in lent and ember-week three dayes , he eat but once in thirty six . nor did he ever with so much regret submit unto any prescript , as when his physicians , after his great feaver that he had in oxford , requir'd him to eat suppers . which severity of injunction he soon shook off , and returned to his beloved abstinence , untill renew'd infirmities brought him back unto the penance of more indulgence to himself . as he had the greatest indifference to what he eat , so had he the greatest observation too , especially when it came to be made point of diet and prescription ; for in this case he was most exact , never tasting of any prohibited meats , though some of them had before the advantage of being customary towards their seeming necessary . and herein his palate was so tractable and subdued to the dictates of an higher choice , that he really thought no meat pleasant , but in proportion to its wholesomeness : even his beloved apples he would oft say he would totally abandon , assoon as they should appear to be no more then barely innocent , and not of use . and if by chance or inadvertency he had at any time tasted of an interdicted dish , as soon as he perceived it , he discovered a dislike both with himself and what he had been surpriz'd with . the carving at the table he alwayes made his province , which he said he did as a diversion to keep him from eating over-much : but certainly that practice had another more immediate cause , a natural distributiveness of humour , and a desire to be employed in the relief of every kinde of want of every person . the report , and much more the sight , of a luxurious feeder would turn his stomack , so that he was in more danger to be sick with other's surfets then his own ; charity seeming a part of his complexion , while he perform'd a natural spontaneous penance for his neighbours vice , as well as a deliberate one in sorrowing for it . his temperance in sleep resembled that of his meats , midnight being the usual time of his going to rest , and four or five , and very rarely six , the hour of his rising . there was scarce any thing he resented so much in his infirmities and multiplied diseases as their having abridg'd him of his night-studies , professing thereby he lost not onely his greatest pleasure , but highest advantage in reference to business . and in his later time of weakness , when to take benefit of a gentle breathing sweat , which usually came in the morning , he had been engag'd by his physician to continue in bed till it was over ; and upon complaint of costiveness he was on the other side directed to rise somewhat early in the morning ; this later injunction he look'd upon as a mere rescue and deliverance , often mentioning it with thanks , as if it had been an eminent favour done him . his disposal of himself in the other parts of time was to perpetual industry and diligence : he not onely avoided , but bore a perfect hate , and seem'd to have a forcible antipathy to idleness , and scarcely recommended any thing in his advices with that concern and vigour , as to be furnish'd alwayes with somewhat to doe . this he propos'd as the best expedient both for innocence and pleasure ; assuring that no burthen is more heavie or temptation more dangerous , then to have time lye on ones hand ; the idle man's brain being not onely ( as he worded it ) the devils shop , but his kingdome too , a model of and an appendage unto hell , a place given up to torment and to mischief . besides those portions of time which the necessities of nature and of civil life extorted from him , there was not a minute of the day which he left vacant . when he walked abroad , which he did not so much to recreate himself , as to obey the prescripts of his physician , he never fail'd to take a book with him , and read all the while : and in his chamber also he had one lay constantly open , out of which his servant read to him while he was dressing and undressing ; by which one piece of husbandry in short space he dispatch'd several considerable volumes . his way was still to cast into paper all his observations , and direct them to his present purposes ; wherein he had an incredible dexterity , scarce ever reading any thing which he did not make subservient in one kinde or other . he was us'd to say , he could not abide to talk with himself , and therefore was so diligently provided of that which he call'd better company . in his sicknesses , if they were not so violent to make the recollection of thoughts impossible , he never intermitted study , but rather re-inforc'd it then as the most appropriate revulsive and diversion of pain . the gout by its most frequent and importunate returns exceeded his other maladies ; in which although the first most furious assaults were sure to beat him from his study , and for a time confine him to his bed , yet as soon as he had recovered his chair , he resum'd his pen too , and ply'd it as hard as though he had ail'd nothing . next to downright idleness he dislik'd slow and dilatory undertakings , thinking it a great folly to spend that time in gazing upon business which should have served for the doing of it . in his own practice he never consider'd longer then till he could discern whether the thing proposed was fit or not : when that was seen , he immediately set to work . when he had perfected one business , he could not endure to have his thoughts lye fallow , but was presently consulting what next to set about . but when we reckon up and audit the expences of the doctor 's time , we cannot pass his constant tribute of it paid by him to heaven in the offices of prayer ; which took up so liberal proportions of each day unto it's self for the ten last years of his life , and probably the preceding . besides occasional and supernumerary addresses , his certain perpetual returns exceeded david's seven times a day . as-soon as he was ready ( which was usually early ) he prayed in his chamber with his servant , in a peculiar form composed for that purpose . after this he retired to his own more secret devotions in his closet . betwixt ten and eleven in the morning he had a solemn intercession in reference to the national calamities : to this after a little distance succeeded the morning office of the church , which he particularly desired to perform in his own person , and would by no means accept the ease of having it read by any other . in the afternoon he had another hour of private prayer , which on sundayes he enlarg'd , and so religiously observed , that if any necessary business or charity had diverted him at the usual time , he repair'd his soul at the cost of his body , and , notwithstanding the injunctions of his physicians , which in other cases he was careful to obey , spent the supper-time therein . about five of the clock the solemn private prayers for the nation and the evening service of the church return'd . at bed-time his private prayers closed the day : and after all even the night was not without its office , the li psalm being his design'd midnight entertainment . in his prayers , as his attention was fixt and steddy , so was it inflam'd with passionate fervors , insomuch that very frequently his transport threw him prostrate on the earth ; his tears also would interrupt his words : the later happening not onely upon the pungent exigencies of present or impending judgements , but in the common service of the church ; which , notwithstanding his concealments , being taken notice of by a person of good sufficiency , once a member of his house in oxford , that became of late years a proselyte to the new extemporary way , he , among his other topicks whereby he thought to disparage set forms , us'd in discourse to urge the heartless coldness of them , and to adorn his triumph , would make it his solemn wonder how a person of so good parts as d r hammond was certainly master of , could finde motive for his tears in the confession in the beginning of the liturgy . so much does passion and mis-guided zeal transport the most sensible , that this man , otherwise sagacious enough , never consider'd how ill an instance he had made ; which shew'd 't was the coldness of the votary , and not the prayer , that was in fault , whenever fervor was deficient at the publick office of the church . the charity and extent of his prayers was as exuberant as the zeal and fervour : he thought it very unreasonable that our intercessions should not be as universal as our saviours redemption was ; and would complain of that thrift and narrowness of minde to which we are so prone , confining our care either to our selves and relatives , or at most to those little angles of the world that most immediately concern'd us , and which on due account bear very low proportions to the whole . there was no emergent distress , however remote , but it inlarg'd his litany ; every years harvest and new birth of mischiefs , which for several ones past constantly fell on the orthodox and loyal party in the nation , remov'd it self from the sanguinary edicts of the tyrant , to be transcrib'd and expiated by his pathetical office of devotion . in which calendar and rubrick the thirtieth of january was sure to have a very solemn place , and a peculiar service prepar'd for it . nor did he onely take to heart general national concernments , but even the more private exigencies of the sick and weak had a staple interest in his prayers . among all which none had so liberal a part as they that merited them least , yet wanted them most ; his and ( what was usually the same thing ) the churches and god's enemies . he never thought he had assur'd his forgiveness of injuries , unless he returned good for them ; and though other opportunities of this best kinde of retaliation might fail him , that of his intercessions never did . three persons there were who above all men by unworthy malice and impotent virulence had highly disobliged him ; but he in recompence of their guilt had a peculiar dayly prayer purposely in their behalf : and though in the openness of his conversation with his most intimate acquaintance he confest thus much , yet he never nam'd the persons , though probably that was the onely thing which he conceal'd ; it being his method to withhold nothing , especially of confidence or privacy , from one he own'd as friend . and having mentioned the name of friend , however incidentally , we must not leave it without homage ; friendship being the next sacred thing unto religion in the apprehensions of our excellent doctor , a vertue of which he was a passionate lover , and with which he ever seem'd to have contracted friendship . the union of mindes thereby produced he judg'd the utmost point of humane happiness , the very best production that nature has in store , or grows from earth . so that with compassion he reflected on their ignorance who were strangers to it , saying that such must needs lead a pitiful insipid herb-john-like life . upon this ground he us'd with all industrious art to recommend and propagate friendship unto others ; and where he saw several persons that he judg'd capable of being made acquainted to mutual advantage , he would contrive that league ; and where himself had kindness unto any so allied , he would still enjoyn them to be kinder to each other then to him ; besides , he still labour'd to make all his friends endeared to each of them ; resolving it to be an errour bottomed on the common narrowness of soul which represented amity like sensual love , to admit no rivals , confin'd unto two persons . when he ever happen'd to see or be in company with such as had an intimate and hearty kindness for each other , he would be much transported in the contemplation of it , and where it was seasonable , would openly acknowledge that his satisfaction . in the list and number of his friends there chanced to be three persons , who having in their youth contracted a strict intimacy , had undertaken the same profession ; and accordingly had the same common studies and designments , and with these the opportunity through the late troubles to live in view of each other : whom for that reason he was us'd with an obliging envy to pronounce the most happy men the nation had . accordingly he profest that for his particular he had no such way of enjoying any thing as by reflexion from the person whom he loved : so that his friend's being happy was the readiest way to make him so . therefore when one eminently near to him in that relation was careless of health , his most pressing argument was his complaint of unkindness to him . and this way of measuring selicities was so natural to him , that it would occur even in the most trivial instances : when there has been any thing at the table peculiarly wholesome in relation to his infirmities , if his friend , who was in a like weak condition , forbare to eat of it in civility to him , he would with vehemence of grief resent it as his singular unhappiness after so many professions not to be believed , that he had a thousand times rather that his friend should have that which was conducible to health , then to have it himself ; and then assum'd , that if this were believ'd , it were impossible any one should attempt to express kindness by robbing him of his greatest pleasure . the principal thing he contracted for in friendship was a free use of mutual admonition ; which he confin'd not to the groffer guilts which enemies and common fame were likely to observe and minde men of , but extended it unto prudential failings , indecencies , and even suspicious and barely doubtful actions : nay beyond that , unto those vertuous ones which might have been improv'd and render'd better . he was us'd to say , it was a poor designe of friendship to keep the person he admitted to his breast onely from being scandalous , as if the physician should endeavour onely to secure his patient from the plague . and what he thus articled for , he punctually himself perform'd , and exacted back again to be returned unto himself . and if for any while he observ'd that no remembrance had been offer'd to him , he grew afraid and almost jealous of the omission , suspecting that the courtier had supplanted the friend , and therefore earnestly inforc'd the obligation of being faithful in this point : and when with much adoe somewhat of advertisement was pick'd up , he receiv'd it alwaies as huge kindeness ; and though the whole ground of it happen'd to be mistake , yet he still return'd most affectionate thanks . his good will when plac'd on any was so fix'd and rooted , that even supervening vice , to which he had the greatest detestation imaginable , could not easily remove it , the abhorrencie of their guilts leaving not onely a charity but tenderness to their persons ; and , as he has profest , his concernment rather encreas'd then lessened by this means , compassion being in that instance added unto love . there were but two things which ( he would say ) were apt to give check to his affections , pride and falseness ; where he saw these predominant , he thought he could never be a friend to any purpose , because he could never hope to do any good ; yet even there he would intend his prayers , so much the more by how much the less he could doe besides . but where he saw a malleable honest temper , a jacob's plain simplicity , nothing could there discourage him ; and however inadvertency or passion , or haply some worse ingredient , might frustrate his designe , he would attend the mollia tempora , as he call'd them , those gentle and more treatable opportunities which might at last be offer'd . he so much abhorr'd artifice and cunning , that he had prejudice to all concealments and pretensions . he us'd to say he hated a non-causa , and he had a strange sagacity in discovering it . when any with much circumlocution and contrivance had endeavour'd to shadow their main drift and purpose , he would immediately look through all those mists , and where 't was in any degree seasonable , would make it appear he did so : his charity of fraternal correption having onely this caution or restraint , the hearer's interest , of which he judg'd , that when advice did not doe good , 't was hardly separable from doing harm ; and on this ground sometimes he did desist . but wheresoe're he gave an admonition , he prefac'd it alwaies with such demonstrations of tenderness and good will as could not fail to convince of the affectionate kindness with which 't was sent , though it could not of the convenience or necessity to embrace it . and this he gave as a general rule , and enforc'd by his example , never to reprove in anger , or the least appearance of it . if the passion were real , that then was evidently a fault , and the guilty person most unfit to be a judge : if it were resemblance onely , yet even that would be so like to guilt , as probably to divert the offender from the consideration of his failance to fasten on his monitor , and make him think he was chid not because he was in fault , but because the other was angry . indeed the person who would not be some way mov'd with his advices must be strangely insensate and ill-natur'd . though his exhortations had as much evidence and weight as words could give them , he had over and above a great advantage in his maner of speaking : his little phrase , don't be simple , had more power to charm a passion then long harangues from others ; and very many who lov'd not piety in it self , nor to be troubled with the news of it , would be well pleas'd to be invited and advis'd by him , and venerated the same matter in his language which they have derided in anothers . he would say , he delighted to be lov'd , not reverenc'd ; thinking that where there was much of the latter , there could not be enough of the former ; somewhat of restraint and distance attending on the one , which was not well consistent with the perfect freedome requisite to the other . but as he was thus no friend to ceremonious respect , he was an open enemy to flattery , especially from a friend , from whom he started to meet the slightest appearance of that servile kindness . having upon occasion communicated a purpose against which there happen'd to lye some objections , they being by a friend of his represented to him , he immediately was convinced , and assumed other counsels . but in process of discourse it happen'd something fell in that brought to minde a passage of a late sermon of the doctor 's , which that person having been affected with , innocently mentioned such apprehensions of it , and so past on to talk of other matters . the next day the doctor having recollected that probably the approbation given to the passage of the sermon might be an after-design to allay the plain-dealing which preceded it , expostulated his surmise , protesting that nothing in the world could more avert his love and deeply disoblige him , then such unfaithfulness . but being assur'd that there was no such art or contrivance meant , he gladly found and readily yielded himself to have been mistaken . in other cases he was no way inclinable to entertain doubts of his friends kindness : but if any irregularity chanc'd to intervene , and cause misapprehensions , he gave them not leave to root and fasten by concealment , but immediately produc'd his ground of jealousy ; and exacted the like measure back again , if his own proceedings fell at any time under a doubtful or unkinde appearance . this he thought a justice essential to friendship , without which it could not possibly subsist : for we think not fit to condemn the most notorious malefactor before he hath had licence to propose his plea ; and sure 't is more strangely barbarous to treat a friend , or rather friendship it self , with less regard . to the performances of friendship he hated all mercenary returns , whereof he was so jealous , as hardly to leave place for gratitude . love , he said , was built upon the union and similitude of mindes , and not the bribery of gifts and benefits . so generous was he herein , that he has oft profest , he admitted retributions of good turns , yet not so much on any score , as that his friend might have the pleasure of being kinde . there was a person of quality , a great and long sufferer in the late times of tryal , to whom the doctor had frequently sent supplies , and continued so to doe , till there happened at last a change in the condition of the correspondent , such a one as , if it did not supersede the need of farther assistance , yet gave promise of an approaching affluence ; whereupon the doctor fear'd the adding a new obligation in this conjuncture of affairs might seem a piece of design rather then kindeness or charity : and though this suggestion was not of force to divert his purpose , it prov'd sufficient to suspend it , till by inquiry he found his design'd present would be a relief , and then he thought it an impertinence to consider what it could be call'd besides . but doing good to relatives or being kind unto acquaintance were low expressions of this vertue we exhibit . misery and want , where-ere he met with them , sufficiently endear'd the object . his alms was as exuberant as his love ; and in calamities to the exigence he never was a stranger , whatever he might be to the man that suffer'd . and here the first preparative was to leave himself no motive to resist or slight the opportunities of giving ; which he compass'd by being a steward to himself as well as unto god , and parting still with the propriety of a set portion of his estate , that when at any time he relieved the wants of any , he might become no whit the poorer by his gift , have onely the content of giving , and the ease of being rid of keeping anothers money . the rate and summe of what he thus devoted was the tenth of all his income ; wherein he was so strictly punctual , that commonly the first thing he did was to compute and separate the poor mans share . to this he added every week five shillings , which had been his lowest proportion in the heat of the war in oxford , when he liv'd upon his pensehurst stock , and had no visible means or almost possibility of supply . over and above this he compleated the devotions of his weekly fast by joyning alms thereto , and adding twenty shillings to the poor man's heap . these were his debts to charity , the establish'd fixt revenue of the indigent ; in the dispensation of which he was so religiously careful , that if at any time he happen'd to be in doubt whether he had set apart his charitable proportions , he alwaies past sentence against himself , resolving it much better to run the hazard of having pai'd the same debt twice , then to incurre the possibility of not having done it once . but beyond these he had his free-will offerings , and those proportion'd more by the occasion of giving , then the surplusage he had to give . his poor man's bag had so many mouths , and those so often open'd , that it frequently became quite empty : but it s being so never diverted him from relieving any that appear'd in need ; for in such seasons he chose to give in more liberal proportions then at others . in the time of the war at oxford , to pass by other lesser reliefs , and many great ones , which his industrious concealment has preserv'd from all notice of the most diligent enquiry , though he were then at a very low ebbe , he furnish'd an indigent friend with sixty pound , which never was repai'd him : as also upon another score he parted with twenty pound , and another considerable summe besides that : and to one in distress about the same time and on the same occasion an hundred pound . in stead of hiding his face from the poor , 't was his practice still to seek for theirs . those persons whom he trusted with ( his greatest secret and greatest business ) his charity , seldome had recourse to him , but he would make enquiry for new pensioners : and though he had in several parts of the nation those whom he employ'd to finde out indigent persons , and dispose his largess to them , and though the tyranny that then prevail'd made every day store of such ; his covetous bounty still grasp'd for more . besides his ordinary provision for the neighbouring poor , and those that came to look him out in his retirement , ( which were not few ; for that the liberal man dwels alwaies in the road ) his catalogue had an especial place for sequestred divines , their wives and orphans , for young students in the universities , and also those divines that were abroad in banishment : where over and above his frequent occasional reliefs to the last of these , the exil'd clergy , besides what he procur'd from others , he sent constantly over year by year a very considerable summe , such a one as men of far greater revenues do not use upon any occasion to put into the corban , and give away , much less as a troublesome excrescence every year prune off , and cast from their estates . now if we enquire into the stock and fountain that was to feed all these disbursements , 't was at his flight from pensehurst barely three hundred pounds ; which , at the sale of a lease left him for his portion from his father , and the assistance of his prebend in christ-church , after all his lavish charities during those years , was near upon a thousand . the taking of use though he judg'd lawful , yet never approv'd by practice , but lent still gratis both to friends and strangers . the onely other way he had of income was the buying of leases for years , and the printing of his books ; from the later of which when there is defaulk'd the many whole editions he had nothing for , the charge he was at in the sending of his copies before he printed them unto his friends for their animadversions and advices , his sending them sheet by sheet when printed , and surveying the revises , and the great numbers he gave away to his acquaintance , it will appear that the remainder was but a slight matter . as for private contributions or assistance of that kinde , he had never any : for though there were many who would gladly have made those oblations , yet he industriously prevented them by publick avowing that he needed not . in which refusal he was so peremptory , that when being in oxford made prisoner at the sign of the bear , thence to be sent immediately to wallingford castle , a gentleman , perfectly a stranger to him , and coming by chance to the inne , and hearing of his condition , having fifty pieces by him , would needs have presented them to him ; though the doctor had before him the barbarous usage of his brethren , clap'd on shipboord under hatches , the like to which he might probably enough meet with ; and though this extraordinary occurrence seem'd to carry with it somewhat of providential designment ; yet he wholly refus'd the offer , as afterwards he did a far greater summe from a person of honour that courted him with it . onely one twenty pound he was surpris'd by , and thought fit to accept , which after some dispute with himself he did upon these two grounds : first , that he might not gratifie the pride from whence he was us'd to say mens reluctancies to receive benefits proceeded ; and secondly , that he might not give the gentleman the discomfiture of seeing he had made an unseasonable offer . but with all this disproportioned expence unto revenue ( a thing which after a very deliberate and strict enquiry remaines riddle still , and an event next door to miracle ) the doctor dayly improv'd in his estate , and grew in spight of all his liberality rich , being worth at the time of his death about l. which yet we are not to marvel should be strange to us , since it was so to the doctor himself , who often profest to wonder at it , and thereupon would apply this axiome , that half is more then the whole , his mean revenue by being scattered in the worst of times growing upon him , when others that had great ones , by griping made them less , and grew stark beggars . as the doctor was thus charitable , so was he gentile and liberal ; his openness of hand in secular occasions was proportionable to that in sacred . when any one had sent him a slight present of apples or the like , his reward would usually much exceed the value ; and he would be so well pleased to have such an occasion of giving to a servant , saying , alas , poor soul , i warrant he is glad of this little matter , that this seem'd a part of the sender's courtesy . thus if there happen'd any other occasion of giving , or of gratifying or advancing publick works , ( for instance the great bible , upon which he was out l. and re-imburst himself only by selling two copies ) he would be sure to doe it at a free and highly-ingenuous rate . so that he was sparing onely to himself , and that upon no other principle , but thereby to be liberal to those he lov'd better then himself , the necessitous and poor . a pregnant instance whereof may be , that the doctor upon occasion calculating his expences on himself , found them to be not above five pound in the year . besides this , he had a further impediment to riches , an easiness which alone has wasted other mens estates ; he commonly making those he dealt with their own arbitrators , and if they seriously profess'd they could go no nigher , he descended to their termes , saying commonly , that this trash was not worth much ado . and beyond this he was so careless after bargains , that he never receiv'd script of paper of any to whom he lent , nor bond of any for performance of covenants , till very lately from two persons , when he found it necessary to use that method with them . he was us'd to say , that if he thought men knaves , he would not deal with them ; and if indeed they were so , it was not all his circumspection that could prevent a cheat : on the other side , if they were honest , there needed no such caution . and possibly if we consider the whole matter , there was not such imprudence in the manage as at first appears : for bonds would have signified little to him , who in the best times would scarce have put them in suit ; but would certainly have starv'd before he would have made an application to those judicatories which of late prevail'd , and usurp'd the protection as well as the possession of mens rights , and were injurious not onely in their oppressions but reliefs . in those black daies , being charg'd with the debt of about or . l. formerly by him paid , being offer'd a release if he would take his oath of payment , he thought the condition too unequal , and was resolv'd to double his payment rather then perform it : but a farther enquiry having clear'd the account , he incurr'd not that penalty . to a friend of his who by the falseness of a correspondent whom he trusted was reduc'd to some extremity , and enquir'd what course he took to scape such usage , the doctor wrote as follows ; to your doubt concerning my self , i thank god i am able to answer you , that i never suffer'd in my life for want of hand or seal , but think i have far'd much better then they that have alwaies been careful to secure themselves by these cautions . i remember i was wont to reproach an honest fellow-prebend of mine , that whensoever a siege was near , alwaies sent away what he most valued to some other garrison or friend , and seldom ever met with any again , the sollicitude was still their ruine : whereas i venturing my self and my cabinet in the same bottom , never lost any thing of this kind . and the like i have practis'd in this other instance . whom i trusted to be my friend , all i had was in his power , and by god's blessing i was never deceived in my trust . and here amidst all these unlikelihoods and seeming impossibilities riches thrust themselves upon him , and would take no refusal : it pleasing god , since he had exemplified the advices of his practical catechisme to the duties of alms and charitable distributions , in him also to make good and signally exemplifie the assurance he there and elswhere made in the behalf of almighty god upon such performance , the giving affluence of temporal wealth . nor was he the single instance of this truth ; as he had proselytes to the speculative verity , he had partisans also of the effect and real issue of it . about four years since a person of good estate , and without charge of children , coming to visit the doctor , among other discourse happen'd to speak of the late dean of worcester , d r potter ( whose memory , for his remarkable charity and all other excellencies befitting his profession and dignity in the church , is precious . ) this gentleman there related , that formerly enquiring of the dean how it was possible for one that had so great a charge of children , was so hospitable in his entertainment and profuse in liberality , not onely to subsist , but to grow rich ; he answered , that several years before he happen'd to be present at a sermon at s t paul's cross , where the preacher recommending the duty of almes and plentiful giving , assured his auditory that that was the certainest way to compass riches . he moved therewith , thenceforward resolv'd diligently to follow the counsel and expect the issue ; which was such as now created so much wonder . it fortun'd that at that time when this was telling , the doctor 's 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 were newly come out , and therewith this sermon of the poor man's tithing . he therefore willing to improve the opportunity , confest that he himself was that preacher which doctor potter referr'd to , and that there was the very sermon : which immediately giving to this visitant , he desir'd almighty god it might have the like effect on him ; and so after a short civility dismist him . as to the way and very manner of his charity , even that was a part of his donation and largess . one great care of his was to dispose of his reliefs so as to be most seasonable ; to which purpose he had his spies and agents still imployed to give him punctual notice of the occurrents in their several stations . his next endeavour was to dispense them so as to be most endearing . to persons that had been of quality he consulted to relieve their modesty as well as needs , taking order they should rather finde then receive alms ; and knowing well they were provided for , should not yet be able to guess by what means they were so . to those who were assisted immediately from his hand , he over and above bestow'd the charities of his familiar and hearty kindness : in the expressiveness of which he was not onely assisted by his habitual humility , or positive opinion , upon which he was us'd to say that 't was a most unreasonable and unchristian thing to despise any one for his poverty ; but much more by the pleasure and transport which the very act of giving transfus'd into him : which whosoever noted , stood in need of no other proof of the truth of his usual affirmation , that 't was one of the greatest sensualities in the world to give . upon which consideration he often took occasion to magnifie the exceeding indulgence of god , that had annex'd future rewards to that which was so amply its own recompence . another circumstance in the doctor 's liberality not to be pass'd over was his choice of what he gave ; his care that it should not be of things vile and refuse , but of the very best he had . it happen'd that a servant in the family being troubled with the gout , the doctor gave order that he should have some of the plaister which he us'd in the like extremity : but the store of that being almost spent , the person intrusted in this office gave of another sort , which was of somewhat less reputation . which practice the doctor within a while coming to know , was extremely troubled at it , and complain'd of that unseasonable kindeness unto him , which disregarded the pressing interests and wants of another person , and thereby gave him a disquiet parallel to that which a fit of the gout would have done . but besides this of giving , the alms of lending had an eminent place in the practice as well as judgement of the doctor . when he saw a man honest and industrious , he would trust him with a summe , and let him pay it again at such times and in such proportions as he found himself able : withall when he did so , he would adde his counsel too , examine the persons condition , and contrive with him how the present summe might be most advantageously dispos'd ; still closing the discourse with prayer for god's blessing , and after that dismissing him with infinite affability and kindness . in which performance as he was exuberant to all , so most especially to such as were of an inferiour degree ; giving this for a rule to those of his friends that were of estate and quality , to treat their poor neighbours with such a chearfulness , that they may be glad to have met with them . and as upon the grounds of his most gentile and obliging humanity he never suffer'd any body to wait that came to speak with him , though upon a mere visit , but broke off his beloved studies , upon which his intention was so great , that he extremely grudg'd to be interrupted by any bodily concernment of his own , and so would often intermit his prescribed walks and suppers in pursuance of it : so with a more exceeding alacrity he came down when it was told him that a poor body would speak with him . such of all others he lov'd not to delay ; and so much he desired that others should doe the same , that when the lady of the house , diverted either by the attractives of his discourse , or some other occasion , delay'd the clients of her charity in almes , or that other most commendable one in surgery , he in his friendly way would chide her out of the room . as poverty thus recommended to the doctor 's care and kindness , in an especial manner it did so when piety was added to it : upon which score a mean person in the neighbourhood , one houseman , a weaver by trade , but by weakness disabled much to follow that or any other employment , was extremely his favorite . him he us'd with a most affectionate freedome , gave him several of his books , and examined his progress in them ; invited him , nay importun'd him , still to come to him for whatever he needed , and at his death left him ten pounds as a legacy . a little before which fatal time , he and the lady p. being walking , houseman happen'd to come by , to whom after the doctor had talked a while in his usual friendly manner , he let him pass ; yet soon after call'd him with these words , houseman , if it should please god that i should be taken from this place , let me make a bargain between my lady and you , that you be sure to come to her with the same freedome you would to me for any thing you want : and so with a most tender kindeness gave his benediction . then turning to the lady , said , will you not think it strange i should be more affected for parting from houseman then from you ? his treating the poor man when he came to visit him in his sickness was parallel hereto in all respects . such another acquaintance he had at pensehurst , one sexton , whom he likewise remembred in his will , and to whom he was us'd to send his more practical books , and to write extreme kind letters , particularly enquiring of the condition of himself and children : and when he heard he had a boy fit to put out to school , allow'd him a pension to that purpose : and also with great contentment receiv'd from him his hearty , though scarce legible , returns . nor will this treatment from the doctor seem any thing strange to them that shall consider how low a rate he put upon those usual distinctives , birth or riches ; and withal how high a value on the souls of men : for them he had so unmanageable a passion , that it often broke out into words of this effect , which had with them still in the delivery an extraordinary vehemence , o what a glorious thing , how rich a prize for the expence of a man's whole life were it to be the instrument of rescuing any one soul ? accordingly in the pursuit of this designe he not onely wasted himself in perpetual toil of study , but most diligently attended the offices of his calling , reading daily the praiers of the church , preaching constantly every sunday , and that many times when he was in so ill a condition of health , that all besides himself thought it impossible , at least very unfit , for him to doe it . his subjects were such as had greatest influence on practice , which he prest with most affectionate tenderness , making tears part of his oratory . and if he observ'd his documents to have fail'd of the desired effect , it was matter of great sadness to him ; where in stead of accusing the parties concern'd , he charg'd himself that his performances were incompetent to the designed end , and would sollicitously enquire what he might doe to speak more plainly or more movingly ; whether his extemporary wording might not be a defect , and the like . besides this , he liberally dispens'd all other spiritual aids : from the time that the children of the family became capable of it till his death , he made it a part of his daily business to instruct them , allotting the intervall betwixt praiers and dinner to that work , observing diligently the little deviations of their manners , and applying remedies unto them . in like sort , that he might ensnare the servants also to their benefit , on sundaies in the afternoon he catechiz'd the children in his chamber , giving liberty , nay invitation , to as many as would to come and hear , hoping they haply might admit the truths obliquely level'd , which bashfulness persuaded not to enquire for , lest they thereby should own the fault of forme inadvertence . besides he publickly declar'd himself ready and desirous to assist any person single , and to that purpose having particularly invited such to come at their leisurable hours , when any did so , he us'd all arts of encouragement and obliging condescension ; insomuch that having once got the scullion in his chamber upon that errand , he would not give him the uneasiness of standing , but made him sit down by his side : though in other cases amidst his infinite humility , he knew well how to assert the dignity of his place and function from the approaches of contempt . upon this ground of ardent love to souls , a very disconsolate and almost desponding person happening some years since to come to him , there to unload the burthen of his minde , he kept him privately in his chamber for several daies with a paternal kindness , answering every scruple which that unhappy temper of minde too readily suggested , and with unwearied patience attending for those little arguments which in him were much more easily silenc'd then satisfied . this practice continued , till he at last discovered his impressions had in good proportion advanc'd to the desir'd effect , which proceeded carefully in this method , that duty still preceded promise , and strict endeavour onely founded comfort . on the same motive of this highest charity , when some years since a young man , ( who by the encouragement of an uncle , formerly the head of an house in oxford , had been bred up to learning , but by his ejectment at the visitation was diverted from that course to a countrey-life , and being so , to engage him therein was also married and had children ; ) amidst his toilsome avocations continued to employ his vacant hours in study , and happening on some of the doctor 's writings , was so affected with them , as to leave his wife and family and employment , to seek out the doctor himself , whom being accordingly addrest unto , the excellent doctor met this unknown romantick undertaker with his accustom'd kindness , and most readily received this votary and proselyte to learning into his care and pupillage for several years , affording him all kinde of assistance both in studies and temporal support , till he at last arrived at good proficiency in knowledge , and is at present a very useful person in the church . nor could this zeal to the eternal interest of souls be superseded by any sight of danger however imminent . the last year one in the neighbourhood mortally sick of the small pox desiring the doctor to come to him , as soon as he heard of it , though the disease did then prove more then usually fatal , and the doctor 's age and complexion threatned it particularly so to him , and though one might discern in his countenance vigorous apprehensions of the danger , he presently suppress'd his fears , staying onely so long as to be satisfied whether the party was so sensible that a visit might possibly be of use , and being inform'd thereof , chearfully went ; telling the person that happen'd to be present , whose dreads in his behalf were not so easily deposited , that he should be as much in god's hands in the sick man's chamber as in his own : and not contented with going once , appointed the next day to have return'd again ; which he had done , had not the patients death absolv'd him of his promise . so likewise when at another time a gentleman of no very laudable life had in his sickness desir'd to speak with the doctor , which message through the negligence of the person employ'd was not deliver'd till he that sent it was in the last agonies of death ; the doctor was very much affected at it , passionately complaining of the brutishness of those that had so little sense of a soul in that sad state : and pouring out his most fervent praiers in his behalf , requested farther that by this example others , and in particular the companions of that unhappy persons vice , might learn how improper a season the time of sickness , and how unfit a place the death-bed is for that one great important work of penitence , which was intended by almighty god the one commensurate work of the whole life . but though to advance the spiritual concerns of all that could in any kinde become receptive of the good he meant them was his unlimited designement and endeavour , yet to nourish and advance the early vertue of young persons was his more chosen study : when he saw such a one , he would contrive and seek out waies to insinuate and endear himself , lay hold of every opportunity to represent the beauty , pleasure and advantage of a pious life ; and on the other side to express the toil , the danger and the mischief of brutal sensuality . withall he would be still performing courtesies , thereby to oblige of very gratitude to him , obedience and duty unto god. where to pass by the many instances that he gave of this his charity , it will not be amiss to insist on one as a specimen of the rest , which was thus . it happen'd during the doctor 's abode in oxford in the war , that a young man of excellent faculties and very promising hopes in that place , by his love to musick was engag'd in the company of such who had that one good quality alone to recommend their other ill ones . the doctor finding this , though otherwise a stranger to the person , gave him in exchange his own ; and taking him as it were into his own bosome , directed him to books , and read them with him , particularly a great part of homer , at a night dispatching usually a book , and if it prov'd holyday , then two ; where his comical expression was , when one iliad was done , to say , come , because 't is holyday , let us be jovial and take the other iliad , reflecting on the mode of the former debauches , whose word it was , 't is holyday , let 's take the other pint. and as the doctor labour'd in the rescue of single persons , he had an eye therein to multitudes ; for wherever he had planted the seeds of piety , he presently cast about to extend and propagate them thereby to others : engaging all his converts not to be asham'd of being reputed innocent , or to be thought to have a kindness for religion but own the seducing men to god with as much confidence at least as others use when they are factors for the devil : and in stead of lying on the guard and the defensive part , ; he gave in charge to chuse the other of the assailant . and this method he commended not onely as the greatest service unto god and to our neighbour , but as the greatest security to our selves ; it being like the not expecting of a threatned war at home , but carrying it abroad into the enemies country . and nothing in the christian's warfare he judg'd so dangerous as a truce , and the cessation of hostility . with all , parly and holding intelligence with guilt in the most trivial things , he pronounc'd as treason to our selves , as well as unto god : for while , saith he , we fight with sin , in the fiercest shock of opposition we shall be safe ; for no attempts can hurt us till we treat with the assailants : temptations of all sorts having that good quality of the devil in them , to fly when they are resisted . besides , whereas young people are us'd to varnish o're their non-performance and forbearance of good actions by a pretence unto humility and bashful modesty , saying , they are asham'd for to doe this or that , as being not able for to doe it well , he assur'd them this was arrant pride and nothing else . upon these grounds his motto of instruction to young persons was , principiis obsta , and hoc age , to withstand the overtures of ill , and be intent and serious in good ; to which he joyn'd a third advice , to be furnish'd with a friend . accordingly at a solemn leave-taking of one of his disciples , he thus discours'd : i have heard say of a man who upon his death-bed being to take his farewell of his son , and considering what course of life to recommend that might secure his innocence , at last enjoyn'd him to spend his time in making of verses and in dressing a garden ; the old man thinking no temptation could creep into either of these employments . but i in stead of these expedients will recommend these other , the doing all the good you can to every person , and the having of a friend ; whereby your life shall not onely be rendred innocent , but withall extremely happy . now after all these excellencies , it would be reason to expect that the doctor , conscious of his merit , should have look'd if not on others with contempt , yet on himself with some complacency and fair regard : but it was farre otherwise ; there was no enemy of his , however drunk with passion , that had so mean an esteem either of him or of his parts as he had both of the one and other . as at his first appearing in publick he was clearly over-reach'd and cheated in the owning of his books ; so when he found it duty to goe on in that his toilsome trade of writing , he was wont seriously to profess himself astonish'd at their reception into the world , especially , as he withall was pleas'd to adde , since others fail'd herein , whose performances were infinitely beyond any thing which he was able to doe . from this opinion of his mediocrity at best , and the resolution of not making any thing in religion publick before it had undergone all tests , in point not onely of truth but prudence , proceeded his constant practice of subjecting all his writings to the censure and correction of his friends , engaging them at that time to lay aside all their kindness , or rather to evidence their love by being rigidly censorious . there is scarce any book he wrote that had not first travail'd on this errand , of being severely dealt with , to several parts of the nation before it saw the light ; nay so scrupulous was the doctor herein , that he has frequently , upon suggestion of something to be changed , return'd his papers the second time unto his censor , to see if the alteration was exactly to his minde , and generally was never so well pleas'd as when his packets return'd with large accessions of objectings and advertisements . and in this point he was so strangely adviseable , that he would advert unto the judgement of the meanest person , usually saying , that there was no one that was honest to him by whom he could not profit ; withall , that he was to exspect readers of severall sorts , and if one illiterate man was stumbled , 't was likely others of his form would be so too , whose interest , when he writ to all , was not to be pass'd over . besides , those less-discerning observators , if they could doe nothing else , he said could serve to draw teeth ; that is , admonish if ought were said with passion or sharpness , a thing the doctor was infinitely jealous of in his writings . many years since he having sent one of his tracts unto an eminent person in this church , to whom he bore a very high and merited regard , to be look'd over by him , he sending it back without any amendment , but with a profuse complement of liking every thing ; the good doctor was much affected with the disappointment , onely comforted himself herein , that he had reap'd this benefit , to have learn'd never to send his papers to that hand again : which resolution to his dying day he kept . nor was this caution before the publishing of his books sufficient , but was continued after it , the doctor importuning still his friends to send him their objections , if in any point they were not satisfied ; which he with great indifference consider'd in his reviews and subsequent editions : however took more kindly the most impertinent exception , then those advertisements of a different kinde which brought encomiums and lavish praises , which he heard with as great distaste as others do the most virulent reproaches . a farther proof of this low esteem the doctor had of himself ( if such were possible ) would be meekness to those that slighted him and disparag'd his abilities ; this being the surest indication that our humility is in earnest , when we are content to hear ill language not onely from our selves but from our enemies : which with how much indifference this inimitable person did 'tis neither easy fully to describe , nor to perswade to just belief . the short is , as he was never angry with his pertinacious dissenters for not being of his minde in points of speculation ; no more was he in the least with his scornful opposites for their being of it in their little value of his person . and though he had , as well as other men , seeds of incitation in his natural temper , and more then others temptation to it in his dayly and almost intolerable injuryes ; yet such was the habitual mastery he had gain'd over himself , that the strictest considerers of his actions have not in ten years perpetual conversation seen his passion betray him to an indecent speech . nor was his sufferance of other kindes less exemplary then that he evidenc'd in the reception of calumny and foul reproach : for though pain were that to which he was us'd to say he was of all things most a coward , yet being under it he shew'd an eminent constancy and perfect resignation . at the approach of sickness his first consideration was , what failing had provok'd the present chastisement , and to that purpose made his earnest prayer to god ( and enjoyn'd his friends to doe the like ) to convince him of it ; nor onely so , but tear and rend away , though by the greatest violence and sharpest discipline , whatever was displeasing in his eyes , and grant not onely patience , but fruitfulness under the rod. then by repeated acts of submission would he deliver himself up into god's hands to doe with him as seem'd him good ; amidst the sharpest pains meekly invoking him , and saying , god's holy will be done . and even then when on the wrack of torture , would he be observing every circumstance of allay : when 't was the gout , he would give thanks 't was not the stone or cramp ; when 't was the stone , he then would say 't was not so sharp as others felt , accusing his impatience that it appear'd so bad to him as it did . and then when some degree of health was given , he exerted all his strength in a return of grateful recognition to the author of it , which he perform'd with a vivacious sense and chearful piety , frequently reflecting on the psalmist's phrase , that it was a joyful thing to be thankful . which his transport whoever should attentively observe , would easily apprehend how possible it was for the infinite fruitions of another world to be made up by the perpetual act of grateful recognition , in giving lauds and singing praises unto god. upon this score he was a most diligent observer of every blessing he receiv'd , and had them still in readiness to confront unto those pressures he at any time lay under . in the intermissions of his importunate maladies he would with full acknowledgement mention the great indulgence , that he who had in his constitution the cause of so much pain still dwelling with him , should yet by god's immediate interposing be rescued from the effect . to facilitate yet more this his serenity and calm of minde , he lay'd this rule before him , which prov'd of great use , never to trouble himself with the fore-sight of future events , being resolv'd of our saviour's maxime , that sufficient to the day is the evil thereof : and that it were the greatest folly in the world to perplex ones self with that which perchance will never come to pass ; but if it should , then god who sent it will dispose it to the best ; most certainly to his glory , which should satisfy us in our respects to him ; and , unless it be our fault , as certainly to our good , which , if we be not strangely unreasonable , must satisfyin reference unto our selves and private interests . besides all this , in the very dispensation god will not fail to give such allayes which ( like the cool gales under the line ) will make the greatest heates of sufferance very supportable . in such occasions he usually subjoyn'd epictetus his dilemma , either the thing before us is in our power , or it is not : if it be , let us apply the remedy , and there will be no motive for complaint ; if it be not , the grief is utterly impertinent , since it can doe no good . as also from the same author he annex'd this consideration , that every thing has two handles ; if the one prove hot , and not to be touch'd , we may take the other that 's more temperate : and in every occurrent he would be sure to find some cool handle that he might lay hold of . and to enforce all this , he made a constant recourse to the experience of god's dealing with him in preceding accidents , which however dreadful at a distance , at a nearer view lost much of their terrour . and for others that he saw perplex'd about the manage of their difficult affairs , he was wont to ask them , when they would begin to trust god , or permit him to govern the world . besides , unto himself and friends he was wont solemnly to give this mandate , quod sis esse velis , nihilque malis , in his english , to rather nothing ; not onely to be content or acquiesce , but be resolv'd the present state to be the very best that could be wish'd or phansied . and thus all private concernments he pass'd over with a perfect indifference ; the world and its appendages hanging so loose about him , that he never took notice when any part dropt off , or sate uneasily . herein indeed he was concern'd and render'd thoughtful , if somewhat interven'd that had a possibility of duty appendant to it ; in which case he would be sollicitous to discern where the obligation lay : but presently rescued himself from that disquiet by his addresses unto god in praier and fasting , which was his certain refuge in this as well as other exigents ; and if the thing in question were of moment , he call'd in the devotions of his friends . besides this case he own'd to have some kinde of little discomposure in the choice of things perfectly indifferent ; for where there was nothing to determine him , the balance by hanging even became tremulous and by a propensity to either side enclin'd to neither , making useless offers , but promoving nothing : which condition of minde he was wont to call the deliberation of buridan's ass. upon which grounds of all other things he most dislik'd the being left to make a choice ; and hugely applauded the state of subjection to a superiour , where an obsequious diligence was the main ingredient of duty : as also he did the state of subjection unto pressure , as a privilege and blessing . and though he pray'd as much and withal as heartily as any person for the return of the nation from captivity , he alwaies first premis'd the being made receptive of such mercy by the intervention of repentance . he would often both publickly and privately assert solemnly , that prosperous iniquity would not be deliverance , but the most formidable judgement : that the nation during its pressures was under the discipline of god , given up to satan by a kind of ecclesiastick censure ; and should the almighty dismiss us from his hands , and put us into our own , give us up to our selves , with a why should you be smitten any more ? this were of all inflictions the most dreadful . though with admirable aequanimity he could run over the black annals of this unhappy nation while its calamities were reckon'd up , he could scarce hear the slightest mention of its incorrigible guilt without dissolving into tears ; especially when he happened to advert unto the impudence of that hypocrisie which reconcil'd godliness and villany , and made it possible for men to be saints and devils both together : whereby religion grew ruinous to it self , and besides the scandal of such enormities committed in the face of the sun , with such pretence to zeal and holiness , our faith became instructed to confute and baffle duty , the creed and the commandments , belief and practice being brought into the lists , and represented as incompatible ; while the flames intended for the sacred lamps , the establishment of doctrinals and speculative divinity , burnt up the altar and the temple , consumed not onely charity , but good nature too , and untaught the common documents of honest heathenisme . and while this publick soul in the contemplation of the mischief which our sins both were themselves and in their issues , great in their provocation and fatal in their plagues , indulg'd unto his pious and generous griefs , yet even then considering judgement not to be more just then useful to the sufferers , he found out means from that unlikely topick to speak comforts to himself and others . in that last crisis of our gasping hopes , the defeat of the cheshire forces , which promis'd all the misery consequent to the sway of a senate gorg'd in blood , and yet still thirsting more , and of a veterane army compos'd of desperate fanaticks engag'd in equal guilts among themselves , and equal hate against the other , and therewithal the religion , liberty and being of the nation ; he thus addresses himself to the desponding sorrows of a friend . sir , sept. . i have received your last , and acknowledge the great fitness of it to the present opportunities under which god hath pleased to place us . if we look about us there was never any louder call to lamentation and bitter mourning ; and the sharpest accents of these are visibly due to those continued provocations which appear to have wrought all our woe : yet is there not wanting some gleam of light , if we shall yet by god's grace be qualified to make use of it . it is the supreme privilege of christianity to convert the saddest evils into the most medicinal advantages , the valley of achor into the door of hope , the blackest tempest into the most perfect 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and it is certain you have an excellent opportunity now before you to improve and receive benefit by ; and you will not despise that affection which attempts to tell you somewhat of it . it is plainly this ; that all kinde of prosperity ( even that which we most think we can justifie the most importunate pursuance of , the flourishing of a church and monarchy ) is treacherous and dangerous , and might very probably tend to our great ills , and nothing is so entirely safe and wholesome as to be continued under god's disciplines . those that are not better'd by such methods , would certainly be intoxicated and destroyed by the pleasanter draughts ; and those that would ever serve god sincerely in affluence , have infinitely greater advantages and opportunities for it in the adverse fortune . therefore let us now all adore and bless god's wisest choices , and set vigorously to the task that lies before us , improving the present advantages , and supplying in the abundance of the inward beauty what is wanting to the outward lustre of a church ; and we shall not fail to find that the grots and caves lye as open to the celestial influences as the fairest and most beautified temples . we are ordinarily very witling to be rich , and flatter our selves that our aims are no other then to be enabled by much wealth to doe much good ; and some live to see themselves confuted , want hearts when wealth comes in greatest abundance : so those that never come to make the experiment , have yet reason to judge that god saw it fit not to lead them into temptation , lest if they had been prov'd they should have been found faithless . and the same judgement are we now oblig'd to pass for our selves , and by what god appears to have chosen for us , to resolve what he sees to be absolutely best for us ; and it must be our greatest blame and wretchedness , if what hath now befaln us be not effectually better for us , then whatever else even piety could have suggested to us to wish or pray for . and then , i pray , judge candidly whether any thing be in any degree sober or tolerable in any of us , beside the one great necessary wisdome as well as duty of resignation , and making god's choices ours also . i have been these three weeks under restraint by the gout and other pains , and am not yet on my legs , yet blessed be god have all causes of thanksgiving , none of repining . and i shall with confidence pray and hope that the great multitudes of persons and families that are now under far sharper exercises , will finde as much greater allayes and sweetnesses , and the black cloud ( as oft it hath done ) vanish undiscernibly . and when this most unlikely prophecy became fulfill'd , when that black cloud he spoke of , contrary to all humane expectation , broke not in tempest , but the fairest sun-shine that ever smil'd on this our land , when our despairs and resolute despondencies became unravel'd by a miracle of mercy , which after-ages will be as far from giving credit to in its endearing most improbable circumstances , as this of ours ( pardon the harshness of a true comparison ) is from esteeming at its merited rate ; our excellent patriot , and best of men , seeing the dawnings of this welcome day , paid down at once his greatest thanks and heartiest deprecations as a tribute to it , passionately fearing what he had more passionately wisht for , suspecting his own hopes and weeping over his fruitions . as to his sacred majesty , he look'd on his return with pity and compassion , as bringing him to that uneasy , if not insuperable , task of ruling and reforming a licentious people ; to that most irksome sufferance of being worried with the importunities of covetous and ambitious men , the restless care of meeting the designes of mutinous and discontented spirits : resolving , his most wisht return could onely be a blessing to his people , but unto him could not be so , but onely on the score , by having opportunities through glorious self-denyals to doe good . and for all other persons , he said , that having seriously considered what sort of men would be better for the change , he could not think of any . as for the church , 't was certain , persecution was generally the happiest means of propagating that ; she then grew fastest when prun'd most : then of the best complexion and most healthy when fainting through loss of blood . as to the laity , in all their several stations and estates they had so much perverted the healthfull dispensations of judgement , that it was most improbable they should make any tolerable use of mercy . and lastly , in reference to himself , he resolv'd ( though sure on weaker grounds ) affliction most conducible . during the current of that tyranny which for so many years we all groan'd under , he kept a constant aequable serenity and unthoughtfulness in outward accidents : but the approaching change gave him somewhat of pensive recollection , insomuch that discoursing of occurrents , he broke forth into these words , i must confess i never saw that time in all my life wherein i could so chearfully say my nunc dimittis as now . indeed i do dread prosperity , i do really dread it . for the little good i am now able to doe , i can doe it with deliberation and advice : but if it please god i should live and be call'd to any higher office in the church , i must then doe many things in a hurry , and shall not have time to consult with others , and i sufficiently apprehend the danger of relying on my own judgement . which words he spake with the greatest concernment of earnest melting passion as is imaginable . accordingly it pleas'd almighty god to deal ; and having granted to his servant the satisfaction of a full return and gracious answer to his prayer in the then-everyday-expected reception of his sacred majesty , not to deny his other great request of not sharing a temporary advantage from it : but as his merits were far beyond those transitory ensnaring retributions , to remove him from them to those solid and unmixt rewards , which could be nothing else then such , and would be such for ever . but this sad part of our relation requiring to it self a fresh unwearied sorrow , and the saint-like manner of this excellent person's passage from the world being as exemplary and conducing to the uses of survivers as the notice of his life ; we shall allow it a distinct appartment , and once again break off the thred of our discourse , for to resume it in its proper unentangled clue . section the third . at the opening of the year , when every thing visibly tended to the reduction of his sacred majesty , and all persons in their several stations began to make way and prepare for it , the good doctor was by the fathers of the church desir'd to repair to london , there to assist in the great work of the composure of breaches in the church : which summons as he resolv'd unfit either to dispute or disobey , so could he not without much violence to his inclinations submit unto . but finding it his duty , he diverted all the uneasiness of antipathy and aversation into a deliberate preparation of himself for this new theatre of affairs on which he was to enter . where his first care was to fortifie his minde against the usual temptations of business , place , and power . and to this purpose , besides his earnest prayers to god for his assistance , and disposal of him entirely to his glory , and a diligent survey of all his inclinations , and therein those which were his more open and less defensible parts , he farther call'd in and solemnly adjur'd that friend of his with whom he had then the nearest opportunity of commerce , to study and examine the last ten years of his life , and with the justice due to a christian friendship to observe his failances of all kindes , and shew them to him : which being accordingly attempted , the product , after a diligent inquest , onely proving the representation of such defects which might have past for vertue in another person ; his next prospect was abroad , what several wayes he might doe good unto the publick : and knowing that the diocese of worcester was by the favour of his majesty designed his charge , he thought of several opportunities of charity unto that place , and among others particularly cast in his minde for the repair of the cathedral church , and had lay'd the foundation of a considerable advance unto that work . which early care is here mention'd as an instance of his inflamed desire of doing good , and singular zeal to the house of god , and the restoring of a decent worship in a like decent place : for otherwise it was farre from his custome to look forward into future events , but still to attend and follow after providence , and let every day bear its own evil. and now considering that the nation was under its great crisis and most hopeful method of its cure , which yet if palliate and imperfect would onely make way to more fatal sickness , he fell to his devotions on that behalf and made those two excellent prayers which were publish'd immediately after his death , as they had been made immediately before his sickness , and were almost the very last thing he wrote . being in this state of minde , fully prepar'd for that new course of life , which had nothing to recommend it to his tast but its unpleasantness , ( the best allective unto him ) he expected hourly the peremptory mandate which was to call him forth of his belov'd retirements . but in the instant more importunate , though infinitely more welcome , summons engag'd him on his last journey : for on the th of april he was seiz'd by a sharp fit of the stone , with those symptomes that are usual in such cases ; which yet upon the voidance of a stone ceased for that time . however on the th of the same moneth it return'd again with greater violence : and though after two dayes the pain decreas'd , the suppression of urine yet continued , with frequent vomitings , and a distention of the whole body , and likewise shortness of breath , upon any little motion . when , as if he had by some instinct a certain knowledge of the issue of his sickness , he almost at its first approach conceiv'd himself in hazard : and whereas at other times , when he saw his friends about him fearful , he was us'd to reply chearfully , that he was not dying yet ; now in the whole current of his disease , he never said any thing to avert suspicion , but addrest unto its cure , telling his friends with whom he was , that he should leave them in god's hands , who could supply abundantly all the assistance they could either expect or desire from him , and who would so provide , that they should not find his removal any loss . and when he observed one of them with some earnestness pray for his health and continuance , he with tender passion replyed , i observe your zeal spends it self all in that one petition for my recovery ; in the interim you have no care of me in my greatest interest , which is , that i may be perfectly fitted for my change when god shall call me : i pray let some of your fervour be employ'd that way . and being prest to make it his own request to god to be continued longer in the world , to the service of the church , he immediately began a solemn prayer , which contain'd first a very humble and melting acknowledgement of sin , and a most earnest intercession for mercy and forgiveness through the merits of his saviour : next resigning himself entirely into his maker's hands , he begg'd that if the divine wisdome intended him for death , he might have a due preparation for it ; but if his life might be in any degree useful to the church , even to one single soul , he then besought almighty god to continue him , and by his grace enable him to employ that life be so vouchsafed industriously and successfully . after this he did with great affection intercede for this church and nation , and with particular vigor and enforcement pray'd for sincere performance of christian duty now so much decayed , to the equal supplanting and scandal of that holy calling ; that those who profess'd that faith might live according to the rules of it , and to the form of godliness superadde the power . this with some repetitions and more tears he pursued , and at last clos'd all in a prayer for the several concerns of the family where he was . with this he frequently blest god for so far indulging to his infirmity , as to make his disease so painless to him ; withall to send it to him before he took his journey , whereas it might have taken him in the way , or at his inne , with far greater disadvantages . nor did he in this exigence desist from the exercise of his accustomed candor and sweetness , whereby he was us'd to entertain the addresses of the greatest strangers . for two scholars coming at this time to see him , when they having sent up their names , it appear'd they were such as he had no acquaintance with , though they that were about the doctor , considering his illness , proposed that a civil excuse might be made , and the visitants be so dismiss'd ; he resisted the advice with greatest earnestness , saying , i will by no means have them sent away , for i know not how much they may be concern'd in the errand they come about , and gave order they should be brought up : and when upon trial it appear'd that a complement was the whole affair , yet the good doctor seem'd much satisfied that he had not disappointed that unseasonable kindness . likewise his own necessities , however pressing , diverted not his concernments for those of others . it so happen'd that a neighbour - lady languishing under a long weakness , he took care that the church-office for the sick should be daily said in her behalf : and though at the beginning of the doctor 's illness the chaplain made no other variation , then to change the singular into the plural , yet when his danger encreas'd , he then thought fit to pray peculiarly for him ; which the good doctor would by no means admit , but said , o no , poor soul , let not me be the cause of excluding her ; and accordingly had those prayers continued in the more comprehensive latitude . and indeed those offices which had a publick character upon them he peculiarly valued . for as to the forms of devotion appropriate to his extremity , he took care they should not exclude the publick ones , but still gave these a constant place : and when in his sharp agonies his friends betook themselves to their extemporary ejaculations , he compos'd those irregularities by saying , let us call on god in the voice of his church . and in seasons of this kinde whereas the making of a will is generally an uneasie task , as being at once a double parting with the world ; to him it was in all respects agreeable and welcome . for having bequeath'd several legacies to his relatives and friends , and left the remainder of his estate to the disposal of his intimate and approved friend doctor henchman , now l d b p of salisbury , as if recovered from the worst part of his disease , the necessitie of reflecting upon secular affairs , he became strangely chearful , and overlook'd the encroaching importunate tyranny of sickness . on the th of april , being good-friday , he solemnly receiv'd the sacrament ; and again on the th of april , which then was easter-day . at which time when the number of communicants was too great to have place in his bed-chamber , and the whole office was over-long for him to goe through with , it was ordered , that the service being perform'd in the usual appartment , a competent number should afterwards come up and communicate with him : which though he allow'd as most fitting , yet he did so with grief and trouble , breaking out into this passionate complaint , alas ! must i be excommunicated ? to be absent from any part of publick worship he thus deeply resented : so far was he from their opinion ( and they would be thought godly too ) who in their most healthful leisurable dayes make this not their penance , but election and choice . amidst his weakness and indisposition of all parts , in the act of celebration his devotion onely was not faint or sick , but most intent and vigorous : yet equall'd by his infinite humility , which discovered it self as in his deportment , so particularly in that his pathetical ejaculation , which brake forth at the hearing of those words of the apostle , jesus christ came into the world to save sinners ; unto which he rejoyn'd , in an accent that neither intended a complement to god nor men , to either of which he was not under a temptation , of whom i am the chief . the exuberance of this humility appear'd in all other occasions of instance : particularly about this time a letter being sent unto him , in which , among many expressions of great value , there was added an intimation , that there was now hope the dayes were come when his desert should be considered , and himself imployed in the government as well as the instruction of the church ; at this he was hugely discomposed , and expressed a grief and anguish beyond that his sickness in any period , however sharp , had extorted from him . but now through the long suppression of urine the blood grown thin and serous , withall made eager and tumultuous by the mixture of heterogeneous parts , the excellent doctor fell into a violent bleeding at the nose ; at which the by-standers being in astonishment , he chearfully admonish'd to lay aside impatience in his behalf , and to wait god's leisure , whose seasons were still the best : withall thankfully acknowledged god's mercy in the dispensation , alledging , that to bleed to death was one of the most desireable passages out of this world. and truly he very justly made this observation ; for it pleas'd the divine providence strangely to balance the symptoms of the doctor 's disease to his advantage : for the sharp paines of the stone were allay'd by that heaviness of sense which the recuilment of serous moisture into the habit of the body and insertions of the nerves occasion'd ; and when that oppression endanger'd a lethargick or apoplectick torpour , he was retain'd from that by the flux of blood . which several accidents interchangeably succeeded one the other , insomuch that in this whole time of sickness he neither had long violence of torment , nor diminution of his intellectual faculties . and here this violent haemorrhage of which we now speak being of it self even miraculously stopt , when all applications were ineffectual , a drowsiness succeeding , which happened at the time of prayers , though he perfectly attended , and returned to every response amidst his importunate infirmity , he very sadly resented it , saying , alas ! this is all the return i shall make to this mercy , to sleep at prayers . when he was in pain he often pray'd for patience , and while he did so , evidenc'd that his prayer was heard ; for he exercised not onely that , but thankfulness too , in his greatest extremity crying out , blessed be god , blessed be god. nor did he , according to the usual method , inflict his sickness upon those about him , by peevishness disquieting his attendants ; but was pleas'd with every thing that was done , and liked every thing that was brought , condescending to all proposals , and obeying with all readiness every advice of his physicians . nor was it wonder he should so return unto the endeavours of his friends , who had tender kindness for his enemies , even the most inveterate and bloody . when the defeat of lambert and his party , the last effort of gasping treason in this nation before its blest return unto obedience , was told him , his only triumph was that of his charity , saying with tears in his eyes , poor souls ! i beseech god forgive them . so habitual was pity and compassion to his soul , that all representations concentred there : vertue had still his prayers , because he lov'd it ; and vice enjoy'd them too , because it wanted them . in his own greatest desolations he administer'd reliefs to those about him , mixing advices with his prayers , and twisting the tenderness of a friend to that of the christian , he then dispens'd his best of legacies , his blessings ; most passionately exhorting the young growing hopes of the family , whose first innocence and bashful shame of doing ill he above all things labour'd to have preserv'd , to be just to the advantage of their education , and maintain inviolate their first baptismal vows : then more generally commended unto all the great advantage of mutual friendly admonitions . on which occasion when the good lady ask'd him what more special thing he would recommend unto her for her whole life , he briefly replyed , uniform obedience : whereby ( if we may take a comment from himself at other times ) he meant not onely a sincere reception of duty as such , because commanded , and not because 't is this or that , pleasant or honourable , or perchance cheap or easie duty ; but withal the very condition of obeying , the lot of not being to chuse for ones self , the being determin'd in all proposals by humane or divine command , and where those left at large , by the guidance of god's providence , or the assistance of a friend . but amidst these most christian divertisements , these happiest anodynes of sickness , the of april fatally drew on , wherein his flux of blood breaking forth again with greater violence then it had done before , was not to be stopp'd by outward applications , nor the revulsives of any kind , not of its own , the opening of a vein , first in the arm , and after in the foot ; till at last the fountain being exhausted , the torrent ceas'd its course , and indeed that vital one which its regular motion kept on foot : for the good doctor leaving off to bleed about three of the clock in the afternoon , became very weak and dis-spirited , and cold in the extreme parts , had strength onely continued to persevere in his devotions , which he did unto the last moment of his life , a few minutes before his death breathing out those words which best became his christian life , lord , make haste . and so upon that very day on which the parliament conven'd , which lay'd the foundation of our release and liberty , and brought at once this nations return from its captivity , and its gracious sovereign prince , this great champion of religion and pattern of all vertue , as if reserv'd for masteries and combats of exigence and hazard , for persecution and sufferings , was taken hence , and by his loss represt the overflowing and extravagance of those joyes that waited the reception of his sacred majesty . 't will be below the greatness of the person as well as of this loss , to celebrate his death in womanish complaints , or indeed by any verbal applications ; his worth is not to be describ'd by any words besides his own , nor can any thing beseem his memory but what is sacred and eternal as those writings are . may his just fame from them and from his vertue be precious to succeeding times , grow up and flourish still : and when that characters engrav'd in brass shall disappear , as if they had been writ in water , when elogies committed to the trust of marble shall be illegible as whisper'd accents , when pyramids dissolv'd in dust shall want themselves a monument to evidence that they were once so much as ruine ; let that remain a known and classick history describing him in his full pourtraiture among the best of subjects , of friends , of scholars , and of men. the dead body being opened ( which here is mentioned , for that the reader cannot want the curiosity to desire to know every thing that concerned this great person ) the principal and vital parts appear'd sound ; onely the right kidney , or rather its remainder , which exceeded not the bigness of an egge , was hard and knotty , and in its cavity besides several little ones , a large stone of the figure of an almond , though much bigger , whose lesser end was faln into the ureter , and as a stopple clos'd it up ; so that 't is probable that kidney had for diverse years been in a manner useless . the other kidney was swoln beyond the natural proportion , otherwise not much decayed ; but within the ureter four fingers breadth a round white stone was lodged , which was so fastned in the part , that the physician with his probe could not stir it , and was fain at last to cut it out : and so exactly it stop'd the passage , that upon the dissection the water before enclos'd gush'd forth in great abundance : from whence it appeared perfectly impossible for art to have ennobled it self in the preservation of this great person ; as it was also manifest that nothing but the consequences of his indefatigable study took him from us , in the perfection and maturity , the th year of his life . on the morrow in the evening , day of the same moneth , he was , according to his desire , without ostentation or pomp , though with all becoming decency , buried at the neighbour-church of hampton , with the whole office and usual rites of the church of england , several of the gentry and clergy of the county , and affectionate multitudes of persons of less quality attending on his obsequies , the clegy with ambition offering themselves to bear him on their shoulders ; which accordingly they did , and laid that sacred burthen in the burial-place of the generous family which with such friendship had entertain'd him when alive : where now he rests in peace , and full assurance of a glorious resurrection . having thus given a faithful , though imperfect , draught of this excellent person , whose vertues are so farre from imitation by practice , that they exercise and strain the comprehension of words ; and having shewed how much he has merited of this nation in its most pressing exigents , both by his writings and by his example , and perchance above both these by his unwearied intercession in devotion ; it may possibly be neither useless nor unacceptable to offer a request unto the reader in his behalf , and shew him an expedient whereby he may pay his debt of gratitude , and eminently oblige this holy saint though now with god. 't is this , to adde unto his account in the day of retribution by taking benefit by his performances : and as he being dead yet speaks , so let him perswade likewise , that the covetous reader would now at his request put off his sordid vice , and take courage to be liberal , assured by his example , that if in the worst of times profuseness could make rich , charity shall never bring to beggery . that the proud opinionated person on the same terms would in civility to him descend from his fond heights , instructed here that lowly meekness shall compass great respects , and in stead of hate or flattery be waited on with love and veneration . that the debauch'd or idle would leave upon this score his lewd unwarrantable joyes , convinc'd that strict and rugged vertue made an age of sun-shine , a life of constant smiles , amidst the dread fullest tempests ; taught the gout , the stone , the cramp , the colick , to be treatable companions , and made it eligible to live in bad times and dye in flourishing . that the angry man , who calls passion at least justice , possibly zeal and duty , would for his sake assume a different temper , believe that arguments may be answer'd by saying reason , calumnies by saying no , and railings by saying nothing . the coward and disloyal , that durst not own in words , much less by service and relief , his prince , that complemented his apostasie and treason by the soft terms of changing an interest , will from hence learn that the surest way to safety is to have but one interest , and that espous'd so firmly as never to be chang'd ; since such a constancy was that which a cromwell durst not persecute . that the employ'd in business would from hence dismiss their fears of regular piety , their suspicion that devotion would hinder all dispatch and manage of affairs ; since it appear'd , his constant office ( like the prayer of josuah , which made the sun stand still ) seem'd to have render'd unto him each day as long as two . that the ambitious person , especially the ecclesiastick , would think employment and high place a stewardship , that renders debtors both to god and man ; a residence at once of constant labour and attendance too ; a precipice that equally exposes both to envie and to ruine : and consequently to be that which should become our greatest fear and terror , but at no hand our choice : since it was that which this heroick constancy was not ashamed to own a dread of , and whose appearance did render death it self relief and rescue . lastly , that the narrow self-designing person , who understands no kindness but advantage ; the senfual , that knows no love but lust ; the intemperate , that owns no companion but drink ; may all at once from him reform their brutish errours : since he has made it evident , that a friend does fully satisfie these distant and importunate desires , being as the most innocent and certainly ingenuous entertainment , so besides that the highest mirth , the greatest interest , and surest pleasure in the world. they that had the happiness of a personal acquaintance with this best of men , this saint , who seems in our decaies of ancient vertue lent us by special providence even for this end and purpose , that we might not disbelieve the faith of history delivering the excellency of primitive christians ; know with what thirst and eagerness of soul he sought the spiritual advantage of any single man how mean soever , with what enjoyment he beheld the recovery of any such from an ill course and habit . and whatever apprehensions other men may have , they will be easily induc'd to think , that if blessed spirits have commerce with earth , ( as surely we have reason to believe it somewhat more then possible ) they , i say , will resolve it a connatural and highlyagreeable accession unto his fruitions , that when there is joy in the presence of the angels of god for a sinner that repents , he may be an immediate accessory to that blessed triumph , and be concern'd beyond the rate of a bare spectator . perswasions to piety nowadaies are usually in scorn call'd preaching : but 't is to be hoped that this , how contemptible an office soever it be grown , will be no indecency in this instance ; that 't will not be absurd if his history , who deservedly was reckoned among the best of preachers , whose life was the best of sermons , should bear a correspondence to its subject , and profestly close with an application : that it adjures all persons to be what they promised god almighty they would be in their baptismal vows , what they see the glorious saints and martyrs and confessors , and in particular this holy man has been before them ; be what is most honorable , most easy and advantageous to be at present ; and , in a word , to render themselves such as they desire to be upon their death-beds , before they leave the world , and then would be for ever . which blest atchievement as it was the great design of the excellent doctor 's both words and writings , his thoughts and actions , is also ( besides the payment of a debt to friendship and to vertue ) the onely aime of this imperfect , but yet affectionate and well-meant , account : and may almighty god by the assistance of his grace give all of these this their most earnestly-desired effect and issue . the end . by the generous piety of the right reverend father in god humphrey lord b p of sarum , there is now erected to the sacred memory of this great person in the parish-church of hampton , the place of his interrement , a fair monument of white marble bearing this inscription . henricus hammondus , ad cujus nomen assurgit quicquid est gentis literatae , ( dignum nomen quod auro , non atramento , nec in marmore perituro , sed adamante potiùs exaretur ) musagetes celeberrimus , vir planè summus , theologus omnium consummatissimus , eruditae pietatis decus simul & exemplar ; sacri codicis interpres facilè omnium oculatissimus , errorum malleus pest homines natos felicissimus , veritatis hyperaspistes supra-quam-dici-potest nervosus ; in cujus scriptis elucescunt ingenii gravitas & acumen , judicii sublimitas & 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 , sententiarum 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 , docendi methodus utilissima , nusquam dormitans diligentia . hammondus ( inquam ) 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 , in ipsa mortis vicinia positus , immortalitati quasi contiguus , exuvias mortis venerandas ( praeter quas nihil mortale habuit ) sub obscuro hoc marmore latere voluit , vii . cal. maias , ann. aetat . lv. m dc lx. the marble tablet would receive no more in charge : but ours indulging greater liberty , i shall set down the whole elogie , as it grew upon the affectionate pen of the reverend doctor t. pierce , who was employ'd to draw it up . sed latere qui voluit , ipsas latebras illustrat ; et pagum aliàs obscurum invitus cogit inclarescere . nullibi 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 illi potest deesse , qui , nisi 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 , nihil aut dixit aut fecit unquam . 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 . animi dotibus it a annos anteverterat , ut in ipsâ linguae infantiâ 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 , eâque aetate magister artium , quâ vix alii tyrones , esset . tam sagaci fuit industriâ , ut horas etiam subcisivas utiliùs perderet quā plerique mortalium serias suas collocârunt . nemo rectiùs de se meruit , nemo sensit demissiùs ; nihil eo aut excelsius erat , aut humilius . scriptis suis factisque sibi uni non placuit , qui tam calamo quàm vitâ humano generi complacuerat . it a labores pro dei spōsa , ipsóque deo exantlavit , ut coelū ipsum ipsius humeris incubuisse vi - ( deretur . 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 omnem supergressus romanenses vicit , prostigavit genevates , de utrisque triumphârunt et veritas & hammondus : utrisque meritò triumphaturis , ab hammondo victis , & veritate . qualis ille inter amicos censendus crit , qui demereri sibi adversos vel hostes potuit ? omnes haereses incendiarias atramento suo deleri maluit , quàm ipsorum aut sanguine extingui , aut dispendio animae expiari . coeli indigena eò divitias praemittebat , ut ubi cor jam crat , ibi etiam the saurus effet : in hoc uno avarus , ( vit , quòd prolixè benevolus prodigâ manu croga - aeternitatem in foenore lucraturus . quicquid habuit , voluit habere , etiam invalidae valetudinis . ( ferre it a habuit in deliciis non magis facere quā suf - totam dei volunt atem , ut frui etiam videretur vel morbi taedio . summam animi 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 test at am fecit hilaris frons & exporrecta : nusquam aliàs in filiis hominum gratior ex pulchro veniebat corpore virtus . omne jam tulerat punctum , omnium plausus : cùm mors , quasi suum adjiciens calculum , funestâ lithiasi terris abstulit coeli avidum , maturum coelo . abi , viator , pauca sufficiat delibâsse : reliqua serae posteritati narranda restant , quibus pro merito enarrandis una aet as non sufficit . richard baxter his account to his dearly beloved, the inhabitants of kidderminster, of the causes of his being forbidden by the bishop of worcester to preach within his diocess with the bishop of worcester's letter in answer thereunto : and some short animadversions upon the said bishops letter. account to his dearly beloved, the inhabitants of kidderminster, of the causes of his being forbidden by the bishop of worcester to preach within his diocess baxter, richard, - . approx. kb of xml-encoded text transcribed from -bit group-iv tiff page images. text creation partnership, ann arbor, mi ; oxford (uk) : - (eebo-tcp phase ). a wing b estc r ocm this keyboarded and encoded edition of the work described above is co-owned by the institutions providing financial support to the early english books online text creation partnership. this phase i text is available for reuse, according to the terms of creative commons . universal . the text can be copied, modified, distributed and performed, even for commercial purposes, all without asking permission. early english books online. (eebo-tcp ; phase , no. a ) transcribed from: (early english books online ; image set ) images scanned from microfilm: (early english books, - ; : ) richard baxter his account to his dearly beloved, the inhabitants of kidderminster, of the causes of his being forbidden by the bishop of worcester to preach within his diocess with the bishop of worcester's letter in answer thereunto : and some short animadversions upon the said bishops letter. account to his dearly beloved, the inhabitants of kidderminster, of the causes of his being forbidden by the bishop of worcester to preach within his diocess baxter, richard, - . stillingfleet, edward, - . letter to a friend for vindication of himself from mr. baxter's calumny. [ ], [i.e. ] p. [s.n.], london printed : . reproduction of original in british library. created by converting tcp files to tei p using tcp tei.xsl, tei @ oxford. re-processed by university of nebraska-lincoln and northwestern, with changes to facilitate morpho-syntactic tagging. gap elements of known extent have been transformed into placeholder characters or elements to simplify the filling in of gaps by user contributors. eebo-tcp is a partnership between the universities of michigan and oxford and the publisher proquest to create accurately transcribed and encoded texts based on the image sets published by proquest via their early english books online (eebo) database (http://eebo.chadwyck.com). the general aim of eebo-tcp is to encode one copy (usually the first edition) of every monographic english-language title published between and available in eebo. eebo-tcp aimed to produce large quantities of textual data within the usual project restraints of time and funding, and therefore chose to create diplomatic transcriptions (as opposed to critical editions) with light-touch, mainly structural encoding based on the text encoding initiative (http://www.tei-c.org). the eebo-tcp project was divided into two phases. the , texts created during phase of the project have been released into the public domain as of january . anyone can now take and use these texts for their own purposes, but we respectfully request that due credit and attribution is given to their original source. users should be aware of the process of creating the tcp texts, and therefore of any assumptions that can be made about the data. text selection was based on the new cambridge bibliography of english literature (ncbel). if an author (or for an anonymous work, the title) appears in ncbel, then their works are eligible for inclusion. selection was intended to range over a wide variety of subject areas, to reflect the true nature of the print record of the period. in general, first editions of a works in english were prioritized, although there are a number of works in other languages, notably latin and welsh, included and sometimes a second or later edition of a work was chosen if there was a compelling reason to do so. image sets were sent to external keying companies for transcription and basic encoding. quality assurance was then carried out by editorial teams in oxford and michigan. % (or pages, whichever is the greater) of each text was proofread for accuracy and those which did not meet qa standards were returned to the keyers to be redone. after proofreading, the encoding was enhanced and/or corrected and characters marked as illegible were corrected where possible up to a limit of instances per text. any remaining illegibles were encoded as <gap>s. understanding these processes should make clear that, while the overall quality of tcp data is very good, some errors will remain and some readable characters will be marked as illegible. users should bear in mind that in all likelihood such instances will never have been looked at by a tcp editor. the texts were encoded and linked to page images in accordance with level of the tei in libraries guidelines. copies of the texts have been issued variously as sgml (tcp schema; ascii text with mnemonic sdata character entities); displayable xml (tcp schema; characters represented either as utf- unicode or text strings within braces); or lossless xml (tei p , characters represented either as utf- unicode or tei g elements). keying and markup guidelines are available at the text creation partnership web site . eng stillingfleet, edward, - . church of england -- clergy. clergy -- england. - tcp assigned for keying and markup - apex covantage keyed and coded from proquest page images - rachel losh sampled and proofread - rachel losh text and markup reviewed and edited - pfs batch review (qc) and xml conversion richard baxter his account to his dearly beloved , the inhabitants of kidder minster , of the causes of his being forbidden by the bishop of worcester to preach within his diocess . with ▪ the bishop of worcester's letter in answer thereunto . and some short animadversions upon the said bishops letter . london , printed anno dom. . to my dearly beloved the inhabitants of the burrough and parish of kederminster in worcester-shire . as i never desired any greater preferment in this world , than to have continued in the work of my ministry among you , so i once thought my dayes would have been ended in that desired station : but we are unmeet to tell god how he shall dispose of us ; or to foreknow what changes he intends to make . though you are low in the world , and have not the riches which cause mens estimation with the most , i see no probability that we should have been separated till death , could i but have obtained leave to preach for nothing . but being forbidden to preach the gospel in that diocesse , i must thankfully take the liberty which shall anywhere else be vouchsafed me . and while i may enjoy it , i take it not for my duty to be over querulour , though the wound that is made by my separation from you be very deep . and though to strangers it will seem probable that such severity had never been exercised against me , but for some heynous crime , yet to you that have known me , i shall need to say but little in my defence . the great crime which is openly charged on me , and for which i am thought unworthy to preach the gospel , ( even where there is no other to preach ) is a matter that you are unacquainted with , and therefore , as you have heard me publikely accused of it , i am bound to redder you such an account as is necessary to your just information and satisfaction . it pleased the kings majesty , ( in the prosecution of his most christian resolution , of uniting his differing subjects by the way of mutual approaches and abatements ) to grant a commission to twelve bishops and nine assistances on the one side , and to one bishop and eleven other divines and nine assistants on the other side , to treat about such alterations of the liturgy , as are necessary to the satisfying of tender consciences , and to the restoring of unity and reace . my experiences in a former treaty ( for reconciliation in matter of discipline ) made me intreat those to whom the nomination on the one side was committed , to excuse me from the service which i knew would prove troublesome to my self , and ungrateful to others ; but i could not prevail . ( but the work it self , i very much approved , as to be done by fitter and more acceptable persons . ) being commanded by the kings commission , i took it to be my duty to be faithful , and to plead for such alterations as i knew were necessary to the assigned ends ; thinking it to be treachery to his majesty that entrusted us , and to the church and cause for which we were entrusted , if under pretence of making such alterations as were necessary to the two forementioned ends , i should have silently yield to have \ [ no alterations\ ] or \ [ next to none . \ ] in the conclusion ( when the chief work was done by writing ) a committee of each part , was appointed to manage a disputation in prefence ( by writing also . ) therein those of the other part formed an argument , whose major proposition was to this sense ( for i have no copy ) \ [ whatsoever book enjoyneth nothing but what is of it self lawfal , and by lawful authority , enjoyneth nothing that is sinful : \ ] we denied this proposition ; and at last gave divers reasons of our denyal ; among which one was that \ [ it may be unlawful by accident , and therefore sinful\ ] you now know my crime ; it is my concurring with learned ▪ reverend brethren , to give this reason of our denyal of a proposition : yet they are not forbidden to preach for it , ( and i hope shall not be ▪ ) but only i. you have publikely heard , from a mouth that should speak nothing but the words of charity , truth , and sobernesse , ( especially there ) that this was \ [ a desperate shift that men at the last extremity are forced to\ ] and inferring \ [ that then neither god nor man can enjoyn without sin . \ ] in city and country this soundeth forth to my reproach . i should take it for an act of clemency to have been smitten professedly for nothing , and that it might not have been thought necessary to afflict me by a defamation , that so i might seem justly afflicted by a prohibition to preach the gospel . but indeed is there in these words of ours so great a crime ? though we doubted not but they knew that our assertion made not every evil accident , to be such as made an imposition unlawful , yet we exprest this by word to them at that time , for fear of being misreported ; and i told it to the right reverend bishop when he forbad me to preach , and gave this as a reason : and i must confesse i am still guilty of so much weaknesse , as to be confident that some things not evil of themselves , may have accidents so evil , as may make it a sin to him that shall command them . is this opinion inconsistent with all government ? yea i must confesse my self guilty of so much greater weaknesse ; as that i thought i should never have found a man on earth , that had the ordinary reason of a man , that had made question of it ; yea i shall say more then that which hath offended , viz. that whenever the commanding or forbidding of a thing indifferent is like to occasion more hurt than good , and this may be foreseen , the commanding or forbidding it is a sin . but yet this is not the assertion that i am chargeable with , but that \ [ some accidents there may be that make the imposition sinful ; \ ] if i may ask it without accusing others , how would my crime have been denominated if i had said the contrary ? should i not have been judged unmeet to live in any governed society ? it is not unlawfull of it self to command out a navy to sea : but if it were foreseen that they would fall into the enemies hands , or were like to perish by any accident , and the necessity of sending them were small , or none , it were a sin to send them , it is not of it self unlawful to sell poyson , or to give a knife to another , or to bid another do it : but if it were foreseen that they will be used to poyson or kill the buyer , it is unlawful , and i think the law would make him believe it that were guilty . it is not of it self unlawful to light a candle or set fire on a straw ; but if it may be foreknown , that by anothers negligence or wilfulnesse , it is like to set fire on the city , or to give fire on a train and store of gunpowder , that is under the parliament house , when the king and parliament are there : i crave the bishops pardon , for believing that it were sinful to doe it , or command it : yea or not to hinder it ( in any such case , ) when qui non vetat peccare cum potest , jubet . yea though going to gods publike worship be of it self so far from being a sin , as that it is a duty , yet i think it is a sin to command it to all in time of a raging pestilence , or when they should be defending the city against the assault of an enemy . it may rather be then a duty to prohibite it . i think paul spake not any thing inconsistent with the government of god or man , when he bid both the rulers and people of the church , not to destroy him with their meat for whom christ dyed : and when he saith that he hath not his power to destruction , but to edification . yea there are evil accidents of a thing not evil of it self , that are caused by the commander : and it is my opinion ▪ that they may prove his command unlawful . but what need i use any other instances then that which was the matter of our dispute ? suppose it never so lawful of it self to kneel in the reception of the sacrament , if it be imposed by a penalty that is incomparably beyond the proportion of the offence , that penalty is an accident of the command , and maketh it by accident sinful in the commander : if a prince should have subjects so weak as that all of them thought it a sin against the example of christ , and the canons of the general councils , and many hundred years practice of the church to kneel in the act of receiving on the lords day , if he should make a law that all should be put to death that would not kneel , when he foreknew that their consciences would command them all , or most of them , to die rather than obey , would any man deny this command to be unlawful by this accident ? whether the penalty of ejecting ministers that dare not put away all that kneel , and of casting out all the people that scruple it , from the church , be too great for such a circumstance , ( and so in the rest , ) and whether this , with the lamentable state of many congregations , and the divisions that will follow , being all foreseen , do prove the impositions unlawful which were then in question , is a case that i had then a clearer call to speak to , then i have now . only i may say that the ejection of the servants of christ from the communion of the church , and of his faithful ministers from their sacred work , when too many congregations have none but insufficient or scandalous teachers , or no preaching ministers at all , will appear a matter of very great moment , in the day of our accounts , and such as should not be done upon any but a necessary cause , where the benefit is greater then this hurt ( and all the rest ) amounts to . having given you ( to whom i owe it ) this account of the cause for which i am forbidden the exercise of my ministry in that countrey , i now direct these sermons to your hands , that seeing i cannot teach you as i would , i may teach you as i can . and if i much longer enjoy such liberty as this , it will be much above my expectation . my dearly beloved , stand fast in the lord ; and fear ye not the reproach of men , neither be afraid of their revilings : for the moth shall eat them up like a garment , and the worm shall eat them like wooll : but the righteousnesse of the lord shall be for ever , and his salvation from generation to generation , isa. . , . if i have taught you my doctrine of error or impiety , of disobedience to your governours in lawful things , of schism or uncharit blenesse , unlearn them all , and renounce them with penitent detestation : but if otherwise , i beseech you mark them which cause divisions and offences , contrary to the doctrine which you have learned , and avoid them : for they are such as serve not our lord jesus christ , but their own belly ; and by good words and fair speeches deceive the hearts of the simple , rom. . . if any shall speak against truth or godlinesse , remember what you have received ; and how little any adversary could say , that ever made such assaults upon you : and that it is easie for any man to talk confidently when no man must contradict him . i denyed no man liberty upon equal terms , to have said his worst against any doctrine that ever i taught you . and how they succeeded , i need not tell you : your own stability tells the world . as you have maintained true catholicism , and never followed any sect , so i beseech you still maintain the ancient faith , the love of every member of christ , and common charity to all , your loyalty to your king , your peace with all men : and let none draw you from catholick unity to faction , though the declaiming against faction and schism should be the device by which they would accomplish it ▪ and as the world is nothing , and god is all , to all that are sincere believers ? so let no worldly interest seem regardable to you , when it stands in any opposition to christ ; but account all loss and dung for him , phil. . . and if you shall hear that i yet suffer more then i have done , let it not be your discouragement or grief ; for i doubt not but it will be my crown and joy : i have found no small consolation , that i have not suffered , for sinfull , or for small and indifferent things : and if my pleading against the ejection of the ministers of christ , and the excommunicating of his member , for a ceremony , and the divisions of his church , & the destruction of charity shall be the cause of my suffering ( be it never so great , ) it shall as much rejoyce me to be a suffering witnesse for charity and unity , as if i were a martyr for the faith. i participate with paul in an expectation and hope , that christ shall be magnified in my body whether by life or death : and as to live will be christ , so to die will be gain ; only let your conversation be as it becometh the gospel of christ , that whether i ever see you more , or be absent ( till the joyfull day ) i may hear of your affairs , that ye stand fast in one spirit , with one mind striving together for the faith of the gospel ; and in nothing terrified by your adversaries , which is to them an evident token of perdition , but to you of salvation , and that of god ; if to you it shall be given in the behalf of christ , not only to believe on him , but also to suffer for his sake , phil. . ▪ , , , . but let no injury from inferiors provoke you to dishonour , the governors that god himself hath set over you . be meek and patient ; the lord is at hand ; honour all men ; love the brotherhood ; fear god ; honour the king : for so is the will of god , that with well doing ye may put to silence the ignorance of foolish men , pet. . , . it is soon enough for you and me ▪ to be justified at the bar of christ ( by himself that hath undertaken it ) against all the calumnies of malicious men . till then let it seem no greater a matter then indeed it is , to be slandered , vilified or abused by the world . keep close to him that never faileth you , and maintain your integrity , that he may maintain the joys that none can take from you . farewell my dear brethren , who are my glory and joy in the presence of our lord jesus christ at his coming ( thes. . , . your faithful , though unworthy pastor , rich. baxter . nov. . . the bishop of worcester's letter to a friend for vindication of himself from mr. baxter's calumny . sir , i have received that letter of yours , whereby you inform me that mr. bazter hath lately written and printed something with such a reflection upon me , that i am obliged to take notice of it . i thank you for your care of my reputation , which next to conscience ought to be the dearest of all things to all men , especially to men of my profession and order , who the more they are vilified ( whether justly or unjustly ) the less good they will be able to doe , especially amongst those that have industriously been prepossessed with prejudice either against their persons or their functions . this was st. pauls case , when there were some that did what they could to make the corinthians to undervalue his person , that thereby they might discredit his doctrine , and weaken his authority , whom therefore he thinks he may without breach of charity call false apostles and deceitful workers . nay this was our saviours own case , who , whilest he lived here upon the earth , was ever and anon traduced and slandred by the scribes and pharisees , those proud hypocrites , who were the greatest pretenders to holinesse , and yet the greatest seducers of the people , and the grossest falsifyers of gods word , that ever were in the world , until these our times , which have brought forth a generation of men ( st. john baptist would have called them a generation of vipers ) who in the art of holy jugling and malicious slandring have out done the pharisees themselves , and all that went before them ; witnesse their so often wresting and perverting the scripture in their sermons to stir up the people to sedition , and their as often libelling the king in their prayers , in order to the making of his subjects first to hate him , then to fight against him , and at last to take away his crown , and his life from him . and is it any wonder that those that are such enemies to kings , should not be friends to bishops ? or that one ( who hath done what he could to make the late king odious unto his people ) should do what he can likewise to make the pastor odious unto his flock ? to this flock i say ; for it is the bishop of worcester , and not mr. baxter that is pastor of kidderminster , as well as of all other parochiall churches in that diocess ; neither did i or any other bishop of worcester , ever commit the care of souls in that , or any other parish of that diocess to mr. baxter , though by that preface of his to those of kidderminster , he would make the world believe , that they were his flock , and not mine , and that therefore he hath the more reason to complain of my defamation of him ( as he calls it ) in that place and before that people : whereas the truth is , that mr. baxter was never either parson , vicar or curate there or any where else in my diocess ; for he never came in by the door , that is , by any legal right or lawful admission into that sheepfold , but climbed up some other way , namely , by violence and intrusion , and therefore by christs own inference he was a thief and a robber ; and indeed he did rob him that was then , and is now again the lawful vicar of that church ; he robbed him i say , first of his reputation amongst his flock , and then of his means and maintenance , by taking away the fleece as well as the flock from him ; though ( as mr. baxter himself hath confessed to me ) he be a man of an unblameable life and conversation , though not of such parts ( said mr. baxter ) as are fit to qualifie him for the cure of so great a congregation ; which whether it were so or no , i am sure mr. baxter was not to be judge ; but in that case the bishop that was then living should and would have provided him a coadjutor , as i have done since , and such an one , as i hope will feed that flock with much more wholsome doctrine then mr. baxter did , when he sowed the seed of schism and sedition , and blew the trumpet of rebellion amongst them . for which cause i thought it my duty ( as being the pastor in chief ) not only to forbid mr. baxter to preach there any more , which , by the way , he had done without any license ; but likewise to preach there my self , and to do what i could to undeceive that poor seduced and miserably deluded people ; which was not to be done , as long as they had the person of their seducer in so great admiration ; and therefore by the example of st. paul , who in order to the same end did take the same course with alexander the copper-smith , with demas , philetus , and hymenous ; as likewise by the example of christ himself , who in order to the same end , did take the same course with the scribes and pharisees , i thought it necessary to let them know that one that was of great authority amongst them ( meaning indeed , though not naming mr. baxter ) was not the man they took him for ; that he had not dealt faithfully with them , nor preached the word of god sincerely to them , when he made them believe it was ▪ lawfull for them to take up arms against the king , nor in suffering ( if not making ) them to scruple at these things as unlawfull , which he he himself confesses to be lawfull ; and afterwards making use of those scruples of theirs ( which he himself had infused into them , or not endeavoured to take from them ) as the only argument why those things they did so scruple at should not be enjoyn'd by lawful authority , though lawful in themselves , because , forsooth , the enjoyning of things lawful by lawful authority , if they may by accident be the occasion of sin , is sinful ; which assertion of his ( as then i said , and must still maintain ) is destructive of humane society in taking away the authority of commanding and the obligation of obeying together with the whole legislative power , civil as well as ecclesiastical , and divine as well as humane . and thus much ( as mr. baxter himself saith ) i told him before in mine own house , neither did he then deny the assertion , or endeavour to disprove what i inferr'd from it , by any of those distinctions or instances he now useth . and that this is true the reverend dr. warmstry now dean of worcester will witness for me , whom i desired to be by whilest i conferr'd with mr. baxter , foreseeing what mis-report a man of mr. baxters principles and temper was like enough to make of what should pass betwixt us . and it was very well i did so ; for i find that the presbyter as well as the papist will serve themselves , as often as they are put to it , of their piae fraudet , or holy artifices , of speaking more or lesse then the truth , as it makes more or less for their purpose or advantage ; as likewise of putting non causam pro causa , or a part and a less principal part of the cause for the whole cause . for who would not think that knows not mr. baxter , that when he tells his disciples of kidderminster , you now know my crime , with reference to the aforesaid assertion , and to that only , who would not think , i say , that either there was nothing else objected against him , or at least nothing of moment , or that could be any just and reasonable cause of my forbidding him to preach in my diocess ? especially when he adds that the right reverend bishop gave him this as a reason for his forbidding him to preach ; where if he means that the bishop gave him this as the only , or the principal reason , he speaks without truth , and against his conscience ; for the first and principal reason the bishop gave him for his forbidding him to preach , was ( as he well knows , and as the dean of worcester will witness against him ) his preaching before without license , having no cure of his own to preach to ; whereunto when he replyed , i had promised to give him such a license as the bishop of london had given him , viz. quàm diu se bene gereret , & durante beneplacito ; i rejoyn'd , that it was true indeed , i had once promised to give him such a license , but withal , that it was as true , that first i had never promised to give him a license , if he took it before i gave it him ; and that for this presumption of his , i had now forbidden him to preach any more . secondly , that i knew more of him since then i did at that time ; for , first , i had been credibly informed , that he had abused the bishop of london's favour in preaching factiously , though not in the city , yet in the diocess of london , and i named the place to him : secondly , that since that promise of mine ( which cannot be supposed no other then conditional ) i myself had heard him in a conference in the savoy ▪ maintaining such a position as was destructive to legislative power both in god and man ( meaning the assertion before spoken of , viz. that the enjoining of things lawfull by lawfull authority , if they might by accident be the cause of sin , was sinful ) which assertion of his with the horrible consequences of it i told him then at worcester , i had formerly told him of at the savoy openly , and before all the company that was at the conference ; whereunto all that he replyed at my second telling him at worcester , was , that he had used some distinctions to salve that assertion from those consequences ; but what those distinctions were he did not then mention , ( as dr. warmstry can witness ) though in this printed address of his to his friends of kidderminster , he saith , he did tell the bishop in what a limited and restrained sense he and his brethren understood that assertion ; which whether they did or no , will appear by and by , when we shall more nearly examine his printed narrative as to that particular . in the mean time , though i said indeed that one that held and was likely to teach such doctrines , was not to be suffered to preach unto the people , yet this was not then alledged by me as the cause or crime for which i had forbidden him to preach , ( for that , as i said before , was his presuming to preach without license ) but only as a reason why i should have thought myself not obliged by the promise i had formerly made him , to give him license , though he had not otherwise forfeited his claim to that promise by preaching without , or before he had it . lastly , he might have remembred another reason i gave him why i could not have made good that promise , namely , those principles of treason and rebellion publickly extant in his books , which i had not taken notice of till after the making of that promise , and which till he should recant in as publick a manner , i thought myself obliged in conscience not to suffer him to preach in my diocesse ; whereunto his answer was , that whatsoever he had said or done in that kind , was pardoned by the act of indempnity : true , said i , so far as the king can pardon it , that is , in regard of its corporal punishment here in this world , but it is god that must pardon the guilt or obligation to punishment in the world to come , which he will not without repentance , and it is the church that must pardon the scandal , which she cannot do neither without an honourable amends made her by publick confession and recantation . i could tell mr. baxter in his ear likewise , that in excuse of his rebellious principles formerly published , he said , that now the parliament had declared where the soveraign power was , he should acknowledge it and submit to it , as if the king owed his soveraignty to the declaration of a parliament , which is as false as rebellious , and as dangerous a principle as any of his former , however by what hath been said , it appears that mr. baxter meant to impose upon his credulous friends at kidderminster , & upon his unwary readers , by making them believe that was the only cause for which the bishop forbad him to preach , which was neither the only , nor the principal cause , why the bishop did so , nor indeed , to speak properly , any cause of it at all ; for the only proper cause for which the bishop forbad him to preach , was his preaching before without the bishops license ; the other which he pretends , together with the third which he conceals , where properly and professedly the causes why the bishop would not take off that prohibition , or why he would not give him a license to preach for the future , either at kidderminster , or in any other place of his diocess , until he should publickly retract that position which he had openly asserted at the conference , and should publickly renounce likewise those seditious and rebellious principles which are published in his books . and this is the truth , the whole truth , and nothing but the truth of what passed betwixt me and mr. baxter at worcester , before i preached at kidderminster , where whether i defamed him , or he , by saying so , hath not grosly defamed me , will appear by that which follows ; wherein that i might neither be deceived myself , nor deceive others , i have not trusted to my own memory only , as mr. baxter saith he doth to his , but i have consulted with dr. gunning and dr. pearson , two of the three that managed that conference with mr. baxter and his assistants , and have seen that assertion in the same sense that i object it , and mr. baxter disclaimes it , affirmed by mr. baxter himself under his own hand . i found mr. baxter at the savoy engaged in a dispute , and i perceived that to keep himself off from that part of the argument which would presse near to the merits of the cause , he had often affirmed in his answers , that the command of a most lawful act was sinful ; if that act commanded might prove to any one a sin per accidens . this assertion i did then and there presently and openly lay to his charge ; and when he denied it ( as it was most frequent with him immediately ▪ to deny what he had before affirmed ) the answers which he had delivered written with his own hand were produced , and upon the reading of them , the justice of my charge was most apparent ; whereupon i urged him farther , that this assertion of his was not only false , but destructive of all authority , humane and divine , as not only denying all power to the church of making canons ecclesiastical for the better ordering and governing of the church , but also taking away all legislative power from the king and parliament , and even from god himself : i delivered at the same time my reason for what i said , which was briefly this , because there can be no act so good of itself , but may prove per accidens , or by accident , a sin ; and therefore , if to command an act which may prove per accidens a sin , be a sin , then every command must be a sin . and if to command be a sin , then certainly god can command nothing , because god cannot sin ; and by the same reason , kings , parliaments and churches ought not to command any thing , because they ought not to sin . thus farre i then charged mr. baxter , and to this charge he gave then no satisfaction . neither can i yet conceive it possible to give any satisfaction , but by one of these two waies , either by proving that the assertion , with which i charged him , was never his , or by shewing that the consequence i urged , is not good ; neither of which was he then able to doe : and by what he hath now been pleased to publish , it is more then probable that he can never perform either of them . for in his bold , but weak apology , he doth not so much as pretend to shew any invalidity in my inference ; and for the assertion with which i charged him , he denies it so poorly , and goes about to prove another instead of it so manifestly , that he may without any injury be interpreted to yield it , he saith indeed now , that he told us that his assertion made not every evill accident to be such as made an imposition unlawfull . but whether he ever said so before this time or no , it was then clearly proved that he did assert , that an act for nothing else , but because it might be per accidens a sin , could not be commanded without sin . and now in his publick appeal , he hath taken a strange way to wipe off all this , for he makes a very brief narration , and most notoriously imperfect , and then sayes , you know my crime , as if that were all that had been , or could be objected against him . besides , in the relating of this short narrative , he relies wholly upon his own memory ; not so much as endeavouring to satisfie himself , before he presumed to satisfie others . how his memory may be in other things i know not , in this if it hath been faithfull to him he hath been very unfaithfull to others . he relates an answer in what terms he pleaseth , and brings one proposition , as made by his opponents , in what terms he thinks fit , and the application of this answer to that proposition he propoundeth as all his crime ; whereas his answer was farre more largely given , and that to several propositions in several syllogisms , of which the proposition which he relateth was but one , or rather none ; so that he hath most shamefully abused his disciples at kidderminster , with a short and partial narrative of his fact . as for his concurring with learned reverend brethren , ( which he would pretend to be part of his crime ) and his invidious insinuation , that they are not forbidden to preach for it , though he be ; the reason is clear . he had often delivered this assertion before the company , his brethren had not ; the words of the answer were written with his hand , not with his brethrens . his brethren had several times declared themselves not to be of his opinion ( as particularly when he affirmed ( that a man might live without any actual sin ) and therefore we were so just as not to charge them with this assertion ; especially considering they did shew themselves unwilling to enter upon this dispute , and seemed to like much better another way tending to an amicable and fair complyance , which was wholly frustrated by mr. baxters furious eagerness to engage in a disputation . all his discourse which followeth ( after his imperfect narrative ) in justification of himself , is grounded first upon a mis-reporting of his own assertion ; secondly , upon the dissembling of the severall propositions , to which his answer was so often replyed ; thirdly , upon his pretending that he says more now , then that which had offended formerly ; which is most palpably false , and in all probability ( if he have any memory ) against his own conscience . and this will presently appear by the vanity and impertinency of all those specious instances which he brings to mollifie his assertion . to command a navy to sea ( he sayes ) is lawfull , but if it were foreseen that they would fall into the enemies hand , or were like to perish by any accident , it were a sin to send them . is there more then he said before , or is it any defence of his assertion at all ? is it not certainly ▪ because the opponents had put it expresly in the proposition ; that the act in it self lawful , was to be supposed to have nothing consequent , which the commander of it ought to provide against ; and yet being so stated , mr. baxter affirmed , that if the act might be per accidens sinfull , the commanding of it was sin . now certainly the falling of a navy into the enemies hand , or the perishing of it another way , if foreseen , ought to be provided against by the commander ; whereas mr. baxters answer did import , that if any prince did command a fleet to sea , though he did not foresee the fleet would fall into the enemies hand , or perish any other way , yet if by accident it miscarried that or any other way , which he could not foresee , or were not bound to provide against , the very command at first was sin . the same reason nullifies his instances of the poyson , and the knife , because the sin in selling them supposeth the murder of the buyer to be foreseen , and consequently that the seller ought to prevent it ; but if he will speak in correspondence to his former answer , he must shew , that though the seller do not foresee that the buyer will use the poyson or the knife , to his own , or any other mans destruction , yet if by any accident or mistake , either the buyer , or any other perish by the poyson or the knife , the seller is guilty of his death . his instance of setting a city on fire , or putting gunpowder unto the parliament house when the king and parliament are there , is of the same nature , and needs no addition of answer but only this , that mr. baxter , in a sense too true , hath been very instrumental in setting the city on fire ▪ and in adding powder to the parliament . the rest which follows betrayes the same weaknesse , because the inconveniences are urged upon a duty to prohibit them , and his answer did charge the command with sin in respect of such accidents , as it was no part of the commanders duty to provide against . it is therefore most certain , that no one of those instances single , nor all of them jointly have any force in any measure to justifie that assertion which mr. baxter did maintain , and whereof he is accused . as for that last instance , which was ( saith he ) the matter of the dispute , and which he urgeth in this manner , ( suppose it never so lawful of it self to kneel in the reception of the sacrament , if it be imposed by a penalty , that is incomparably beyond the proportion of the offence , that penalty is an accident of the command , and maketh it by accident sinful to the commander ) he is manifestly guilty of a double falsification : first , in pretending the matter in dispute , was the imposition of kneeling at the communion ; when this very matter was expresly rejected in the very beginning of the dispute , as belonging to the canons not the common-prayer-book , the lawfulnesse of which canons the commissioners had no authority to debate , and mr. baxter knows , that his argument was denied upon that ground . the second falsification is yet greater , in urging the penalty to make the command sinful , when his answer did charge the command with sin , without any relation to the punishment ; and when the proposition he replyed to was so framed , that all unjust penalties were in terminis expresly excluded , even then i say he charged the command of a lawful act with sin , if it were otherwise by accident sinful ; though by the way i must not grant that the penalty imposed by the law for not kneeling at the receiving of the sacrament ( namely the not admitting of such as will not kneell , at the receiving of it ) is incomparably greater then the offence ; for the greatnesse of the offence in such cases , and as it stands in relation to such or such a penalty appointed for it , is not to be measured by the quality of the act considered in it self , but by the more or lesse mischievous consequences it is likely to produce , if men be not restrain'd from such an act by such a penalty ; for example , when a souldier is hanged for stealing of a hen , or for taking away any thing of never so little a value , without paying for it , no wise man will blame the generall for such a severity ; because if he did not do so , every one would take what he pleased , which would discourage the countrey from bringing in provisions , and consequently the whole army would be ruin'd . and as the martial , so the civil and ecclesiastical laws likewise in commanding or forbidding any thing under such or such a penalty , have an eye not so much to the merit of the action it self , as to the more or less danger of the publick in the consequences of it ; whence it comes to passe , that a lesse evil may sometimes most justly be forbidden under a more severe penalty then a greater , because the former may be of much more dangerous consequence then the latter ; so that he that will judge rightly , and impartially of the equity or iniquity of appointing or inflicting such or such a penalty , he must not so much consider the quality of the transgression singly in it self , nor whether it be from weaknesse , or wilfulnesse in the party transgressing ( as he is this or that individual person ) but rather he must consider what the consequence would be of the breach of such a command if it were not prevented by such a penelty , alwayes supposing the command it self to be lawful , and that the transgressor of it is to be considered as he stands in relation to that whole body , whether civil , or ecclesiastical , whereof he is a part ; and that the whole is not to be endangered out of tendernesse and indulgence to some particulars , as evidently it would be , if every man were left at liberty to do what seem'd best in his own eyes , even in the ceremonials and circumstantials of gods worship ; for considering the pride and self-love that is in humane nature , which makes men so overvalue their own practises and their opinions , that they are alwayes apt to undervalue those that will not conform to them , as it alwayes hath been , so it alwayes will be ; he that worshippeth god one way , will either judge or condemn him that worshippeth god another way ; he that kneeleth at the sacrament , will be thought to be idolatrous or superstitious by him that kneeleth not , and him that kneeleth not will be thought wilful , or weak , by him that kneeleth . and thus from diversity grows dislike , from dislike enmity , from enmity opposition , and from opposition , first separation and schism in the church , and then faction , sedition and rebellion in the state ; which is a progress very natural , and i would we had not found it to be so by our own experience ; for as the state depends upon the safety of the church , so the safety of the church depends upon unity , and unity it self depends upon uniformity , and uniformity there cannot be , as long as there is diversity or divers wayes of worship in the same church , which will be alwaies , unlesse it be lawful for publick authority to oblige all particulars to one way of publick worship , and that under such penalties , as the law-givers shall think necessary to prevent the disturbing of the publick peace and safety ; the preservation whereof being the main end of all laws , and of all penalties appointed by law , those practises that are either intentionally or consequentially destructive to this end , may be , and no doubt ought to be restrain'd by severe penalties . it is not therefore the not kneeling at the sacrement , but the breaking of the orders of the church , and the endangering of the peace and safety of the whole , which our lawes punish by not admitting such unto the sacrament , as will not , or perhaps dare not kneel at it ; for as they will not endanger the peace of their consciences for the churches sake ; so it becomes the law-givers not to endanger the churches and the states peace for their sakes . and surely when there is a necessity of the yielding of the one or of the other , it is much more reasonable that a part should yield unto the whole , then the whole unto a part , especially when the whole cannot yield without endangering it self , and with it self even those themselves also , that , will they nill they , must be involved in the ruine of it , as the presbyterians have found by their own experience also , who by their groundlesse and needlesse separation from us , have given example and ground enough for others to separate from them , till by dividing and subdividing from one another , there was nothing of uniformity , or unity , or order , or decency left in that church , which was formerly ( and i hope by the prudence and piety of publick authority will be now again ) the glory and pattern of all other protestant and reformed churches in the world ; of which , by the way , there is not one which doth not use as great severity for the preserving of unity by uniformity as we do , even in this particular ; for do not the protestant churches in france enjoyn standing , the churches of holland , scotland , and the church of germany that follow calvin enjoyne sitting , and the churches that follow luther there and elsewhere enjoyn kneeling as we do , and all of them upon the same penalty of not receiving it otherwise ? and is it not as lawful for our church , as for all other protestant , and all other christian churches , to require of her children the like conformity to her laws under the like penalty for the same end , & to prevent the same danger ? yes ( replyed mr. baxter when this question was asked him ) just as lawful , that is , not lawful at all , such an injunction upon such a penalty being sinful , wheresoever and by whomsoever it is enjoyned . a happy england , that hath such an aristarchus as is worthy to censure all the churches of the world , whose catholick practise ( if it cross mr. baxters opinion ) must presently without more adoe be condemn'd as sinful , and all the world must be lyars rather then mr. baxter must not be justified in his sayings . you have before seen the ingenuity and veracity , you now see the humility , and the modesty of the man ; and indeed in proportion , of the whole party , for crimine ab uno , — disce omnes . but doth mr. baxter and the rest of his perswasion think indeed , that it is so great and grievous a punishment to be kept from the sacrament when men will not receive it in that way and upon those terms that the church offers ? if they doe , why then do they deny it to so many that hunger and thirst after it , whensoever either by reason of age , or lameness , or sicknesse , or some other bodily infirmity they cannot come to church for it ? especially when the catholick church in the twelfth canon of the first general council commands it be given even to those that are excommunicate , if they desire it when they are in extremis , or going out of the world . secondly , why have they suffered so many whole parishes in england under their charge to have been without a communion so many years together , as i am credibly informed they have ? thirdly , why do they reject those from the sacrament , that will not come before hand to them to be examined by them , there being neither precept nor practise in the gospel , nor canon in the church , either to warrant them to require it , or to oblige the people to submit to it upon any such penalty ? i am sure st. paul when he chides those of the church of corinth for coming ignorantly to the sacrament , and for behaving themselves prophanely at the sacrament , that which he prescribes for avoiding the same or the like faults for the future , is not that every man should come and be examined by the minister , but that every man should examine himself before he eat of that bread and drink of that cup ; and yet i will not deny but that ▪ every man before he communicates ought to be well catechis'd and instructed by the minister , and thereby enabled to examine himself the better ; nor will i deny neither but that every man may and ought in case of scruple of mind or trouble of conscience to advise with , and to be advised by him that hath the cure of his soul ; but that every man as often as he intends to receive the sacrament should be obliged under the penalty of being rejected from it , this is that which i utterly deny , and which i take to be the same thing in other words with that of auricular confession ; so that they who exact the one , have no reason to condemn the other , unlesse it be because they would ingrosse it wholly unto themselves : howsoever , if refusing the sacrament to those that will not kneel , when the church enjoyns it , be a penalty so far transcending the offence , how much more must the same penalty transcend the offence , when there is indeed no offence at all ? for where there is no 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 , there can be no 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 , where there is no law there can be no transgression , and consequently there being no law of god nor man that requires all communicants to be pre-examined by the minister , those that are refused the sacrament because they will not be pre-examined , are punished with the same punishment which they complain of , for no offence at all . and therefore si maximè digna essem ( may our church say ) ista contumelia , indigni vos , qui faceretis tamen ; for , who art thou o man that judgest another ? nay , that judgest thy mother , when thou doest the same , or worse , thing , then those are for which thou condemnest her ? and how can any man of reason be so scrupulous , as to quit his calling , rather then deny the sacrament to those that will not receive it kneeling , when the church commands it should neither be taken nor given otherwise , and yet make no scruple at all of denying it to whole parishes , of denying it to those that cannot come to church for it , though desirous of it , and qualified for it , and such as have most need of it to strengthen their faith in their last agony ? and lastly , of denying it to such as refuse to be pre-examined by them , and all this without any command or warrant from gods word , and contrary to the command and custome of gods church ? whereby it plainly appears , that either they do not think the receiving of the sacrament of so great importance , as indeed it is , nor the denying of it so great an injury or punishment as they pretend it to be ; or else that they would have every minister to be a monarch or soveraign law-giver in his own parish , and this indeed is that they would fain be at , now they have lost their hopes of governing the whole kingdome ; for you see by what mr. baxter adds , that if they may not be suffered to give or deny the sacrament to whom they please , and in effect to doe what they list in their own parishes , they threaten to quit their stations , which he calls being ejected because they dare not put away all that will not kneel at the sacrament ▪ and this menace they often repeat upon all occasions , as if they were the only men that could carry on the work of the lord ; or as if the church must needs sink and perish , if it wanted such pillars as they are to uphold it . but ( thanks be to god for it ) the church of england is not yet ( notwithstamding all their endeavours to that purpose ) reduced to so very ill a condition , that she cannot subsist without them ; as long as they can continue to be what they have been the sowers and fomenters of schism in the church , and sedition in the state ; and as long as they continue to do as they have done in humouring , and hardning , and confirming the people in their obstinate standing out against the lawful commands of their superiours ; which they would never have done at all , if these men had not at first infused into them these scruples . and therefore as god asked adam and eve , how , came you to know that you are naked ? so if i should ask those poor souls whom those sly and subtle serpents have beguiled and seduced , how came you to know that you shall sin against god if you obey the orders of the church in generall ? or particularly how came you to know , that it is against the canons of the generall councels , and many hundred years practise of the church to kneel in the act of receiving ? did you or can you your selves read those general councels ? did you or can you examine so many hundred years practise of the church as mr. baxter speaks of ? what answer can they make to these demands , but that which eve made unto god ? the serpent beguiled me , and i did eat ; mr. baxter , or some such godly and learned men as mr. baxter is , did tell us so , and we believed them : but what if mr. baxter do not believe that himself which he would have you believe ? for first he would have you believe that there is great reverence and respect to be given ( as indeed there is ) to the canons of generall gouncels , and to the catholick practise of the primitive church ; but doth he himself believe this ? if he do , why did he so furiously oppose that which all general councels approve of and confirm ? i mean the government of the church by bishops in the sense wherein it is asserted and practised in one church ? or why did he perswade subjects to take up arms against their soveraign ? which he knows to be contrary to the doctrine and practise of the primitive christians for many hundred years more then he speaks of . secondly , mr. baxter would have you believe , that kneeling at the receiving of the sacrament is forbidden by generall councels , and contrary to the custome and practise of the antient church , which i am afraid he doth not belive himself ; i am sure there is no convincing reason to make him believe it ; for it is not the ancient churches injunction to stand when they prayed betwixt easter and whitsontide , that will prove they were forbidden to kneel when they received ; especially if the presbyterian opinion be true , that we are not to be in the act of praying , when we are in the act of receiving ; but if we may pray ( as no doubt we may and ought to pray ) in the act of receiving , then supposing the ancient injunction of the church to stand at prayer upon sundaies betwixt easter and whitsontide to be still in force , yet all the rest of the year we are to kneel when we pray , and consequently when we receive , though there were no particular command of our own church for it . besides , mr. baxter knows not the aforesaid injunction of the church was but temporary , till the people were sufficiently confirmed in the doctrine and belief of the resurrection ; for if it had been of perpetual obligation , and were still in force , mr. baxter must needs condemn the whole present church of god for kneeling when they pray betwixt easter and whitsontide , and particularly he must most of all condemn himself and the presbyterians of england , for not standing when they receive , if at least that injunction be to be understood of receiving as well as praying ; which if it be not , then it is urged by mr. baxter against us to no purpose , as indeed it is ▪ and therefore no doubt mr. baxter doth not believe himselfe what he would have others believe , when he presseth that occasional temporary injunction of the church for standing against kneeling ; which if it be of force , must needs condemn his own practice of sitting as well as ours of kneeling . the like may be said of christs example , alledged by him also ; for would he , or would he not have his disciples believe that they are obliged to doe as christ did ; if he would not have them believe so , why doth he presse them with christs example ? if he would have them believe so , i demand again , whether he doth believe it himself or no ? if he do not , it is plain he is a seducer of the peeple : but if he do believe it , he must needs condemn the french presbyterians for standing , as well as the english protestants for kneeling ; nay he must needs condemn himself and all other christians in the world for not doing as christ did in point of time , i mean for not giving and receiving the sacrament in the evening , as christ did , as well as he condemns us for not doing as christ did in point of gesture ; unless he can prove ( which i think he cannot ) that we are of necessity to follow christs example in one circumstance of the same action , and not in another ; and in that circumstance which is lesse , but not in that which is more material ; for certainly that circumstance which denominates the action ( as the circumstance of time doth the lords supper ) is most material ; and yet that circumstance by the consent of all christendome is altered from the evening to the morning , and so was the gesture or posture of receiving also , and that upon most just and weighty reasons , till those that delight in change would needs have it otherwise , and that perhaps for no other reason , but because they found it setled in the church : this is not to follow christs example , who in things indifferent in their own nature conform'd his practise to that of the church in which he lived , though varying in some circumstances from the primitive institution ; and particularly in this very action , from which they press us with christs example : for it is certain that christ and his disciples sate at the passeover , ( though it be uncertain whether he or they sate at the giving and receiving the sacrament or no , for it was 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 , after he had supped , saith the text , luke . . ) howsoever it is certain , i say , that christ and his disciples sate when they eat the passeover , and this no doubt was according to the custome of the jewish church at that time ; but it is as certain that this was not the manner according to the first institution of it , which was to eat it standing , as you may read exod. . . so that to urge christs example against us , is to urge christs example against himself ; for as we conform our selves to the churches order and custome of our times , in receiving the communion otherwise in point of gesture , then perhaps it was received at the first institution ; so christ and his apostles conforming themselves to the order and practise of the church of their times , did celebrate the passeover otherwise then according to the first institution it was to be celebrated in point of gesture also ; thereby intending to teach us , that as long as the essentials of doctrine and worship ( which are unalteraable ) are preserved , we are not to separate from the church or quarrel with our superiours , if those things that are in their own nature alterable , be not alwaies and in all places just the same that they were at first ; because there may be very just cause for the alteration of them ; and whether there be such a cause or no in this and the like particulars , it is the church that is to be the judge . so that there is nothing that can be collected either from the canons of the councels , or from the practise of the primitive church , no nor from christs own example , that can prove kneeling at the sacrament to be a sin ; neither doth mr. baxter himself believe it to be sinful , for if he did , he would not say ( as he does pag. . . of his five disputations ) that he himself would kneel rather then disturb the peace of the church , or be deprived of its communion . in which words he confesseth , first , that kneeling at the sacrament is not sinful or unlawful ; secondly , that not to kneel when it is imposed , is to disturb the peace of the church ; and thirdly , that the imposing of it upon penalty of being deprived of the communion , is an effectual means to make those that otherwise would not kneel , to conform to it ; and consequently , that the imposing of it upon such a penalty is prudent and rational , and whatsoever is prudent and rational cannot be unlawful ; so that not only the act of kneeling it self , but the imposition of it by lawful authority must needs be lawful . neither indeed would the people scruple at the imposition , if they had not been taught that the thing it self were unlawful , or if mr. baxter would yet teach them to believe what he himself believes , namely , that it is lawful ; which with what conscience he can refuse to do i know not ; for sure he is obliged to teach them obedience not to divine authority only , but to humane authority also in all lawful things ; and not to let them go on in such an erroneous opinion , as will disturb the peace , and deprive them of the communion of the church , and consequently make them sin against god and man and their own souls . of which sin of theirs he must needs be a partaker in a great measure , if he do not perswade them from it ; seeing ( as he himself saith ) qui non vetat peccare cum potest , jubet . and what power he hath to lead or mislead those kind of men , their venturing to kill and be killed in a most unrighteous quarrel ( upon his perswasion ) hath more then enough demonstrated during the time of the late troubles ; unlesse he will say that he hath conjured up a spirit that he cannot lay . howsoever by how much the more faulty he hath been in misleading them heretofore , by so much the more zealous he should be to reduce them into the right way hereafter ; which if he and the rest of his brethren can do ( as i am confident they can if they wil ) they wil make some amends for the mischief they have done , and then there will be no fear or danger of ministers being ejected for their tenderness towards the people , nor of the ejecting of any of the people from the communion of the church for not conforming themselves to the orders and commands of it , & consequently , there will be no schisms or divisions amongst us , when we shall all worship the same god the same way . but if they will not do this ( which by all obligations humane and divine they are bound to do ) for my part i know no better way for undeceiving & reducing of the people , then by removing such ministers , and then we shall see when the blowing of those boisterous winds ceaseth , whether the waves will not be still or no : in the mean time i hope the removing of erroneous and seditious , will not necessitate the introducing of ignorant and scandalous ministers , though mr. baxter ought to remember , that as there is no sin more heinous then rebellion , so no teacher ought to be more scandalous ( i am sure there is none more dangerous ) then a teacher of rebellion . and now ( to use mr. baxters own words ) i think there is no man to be found on earth , that hath the ordinary reason of a man , but will confess ▪ that it is indeed destructive of all government and legislative power , to assert ( as mr. baxter did assert ) the command of a thing in it self lawful by lawful authority , under no unjust punishment , with no evil circumstance , which the commander can foresee or ought to provide against ( for all these pre-cautions were expresly put in the proposition which mr. baxter denied ) as a sinful command , for a●● other reason , but because the act commanded may be by accident a sin . let mr. baxter then know , and ( if he have ingenuity enough ) confess , that the words i spoke ( as to this particular ) were words of truth , and words of charity also , as being intended and spoken to no other end , but to undeceive that people , who by having his person too much in admiration ( as if he could neither deceive nor be deceived ) had been so long and so dangerously mislead by him ; so that it was not i that defamed him then , but it is he that hath defamed me now . neither could i expect lesse from the boldnesse of this man and that party , who have had the confidence publickly to own the obligation of the covenant , even since it hath been condemn'd to be burnt by the parliament . and truly i see no reason why all those books and sermons which have been preach'd and printed in defence of the covenant , or to maintain the same or worse principles of sedition then are in the covenant , should not be burnt also . nay i dare be bold to say , that if the authors of such books and sermons were not still of the same opinions ( and if they be , god deliver us from such preachers ) if they were not still , i say , of the same opinions , but did truly repent of them , and were heartily sorry for the horrible mischief they have done by them , they would with those converted exorcists , act. . . bring all those conjuring books of theirs togethers and to save the hang-man a labour , would publickly burn them all with their own hands , that so , though by the burning of their works they may perhaps suffer some losse in point of reputation with some of their disciples , yet they themselves may be saved , but so as by fire , cor. . . at least they ought to be enjoyned to write books of retractation , as st. augustine did , having much more reason to do so then st. augustine had . and this sir is all i have to say upon this occasion , and more a great deal then i thought to have said , or then perhaps was needfull to be said to one that knows mr. baxter and me as well as you do ; which if it satisfie you , as i hope it will , you may do what you please with it , in order to the satisfying of others ; for this is the first and last trouble i mean to put my self to of this kind , whatsoever provocation i may have from him hereafter . your very affectionate friend , and servant , g. worcester . the attestation of dr. gunning and dr. pearson . concerning a command of lawful superiours , what was sufficient to its being a lawful command . this proposition being brought by us , viz. that command which commands an act in it self lawful , and no other act or circumstance unlawful , is not sinful . mr. baxter denied it for two reasons which he gave in with his own hand in writing thus : one is , because that may be a sin per accidens , which is not so in it self , and may be unlawfully commanded though that accident be not in the command . another is , that it may be commanded under an unjust penalty . again this proposition being brought by us , that command which commandeth an act in it self lawful , and no other act wherby any just penalty is injoyned , nor any circumstance whence per accidens any sin is consequent which the commander ought to provide against , is not sinful . mr. baxter denied it for this reason given in with his own hand in writing thus : because the first act commanded may be per accidens unlawful and be commanded by an unjust penalty , though no other act or circumstance commanded be such . again this proposition being brought by us , that command which commandeth an act in it self lawful , and no other act whereby any unjust penalty is injoyned . nor any circumstance whence directly or per accidens any sin is consequent ▪ which the commander ought to provide against , hath in it all things requisite to the lawfulness of a command , and particularly cannot be guilty of commanding an act per accidens unlawful , nor of commanding an act under an unjust penalty . mr. baxter denied it upon the same reasons . peter cunning. john pearson . the postscript . least mr. baxter should say i have defamed him once more , by charging him with devising and publishing maxims of treason , sedition and rebellion ( which till he should as publiquely recant , i thought it unfit to restore him to the exercise of any act of the ministry in my diocess ) i think my self obliged to set down some few of his political theses or aphorisms in his own words , as they are extant ( though it be strange such a book should still be extant ) in his \ [ holy common-wealth\ ] most falsly and prophanely so called . mr. baxter's theses of government and governours in generall . i governours are some limited , some de facto unlimited : the unlimited are tyrants , and have no right to that unlimited government , p. . thes. . ii. the . qualifications of necessity to the being of soveraign power are , . so much understanding , . so much will or goodness in himself , . so much strength or executive power by his interest in the people or others , as are necessary to the said ends of government , p. . thes. . iii. from whence he deduceth . corollaries , ( viz. ) . when providence depriveth a man of his understanding and intellectual capacity , and that statedly or to his ordinary temper , it maketh him materiam indispositam and uncapable of government , though not of the name . thes. . . if god permit princes to turn so wicked as to be uncapable of governing so as is consistent with the ends of government , he permits them to depose themselves . thes. . . if providence statedly disable him that was the soveraign from the executing of the law , protecting the just , and other ends of government , it makes him an uncapable subject of the power , and so deposeth him . thes. . iv. whereunto he subjoyns , that though it is possible and likely that the guilt is or may be theirs , who have disabled their ruler by deserting him , yet he is dismissed and disobliged from the charge of government ; and particular innocent members are disobliged from being governed by him . v. if the person ( viz. the soveraign ) be justly dispossest , as by a lawful war , in which he loseth his right , especially if he violate the constitution and end enter into a military state against the people themselves , and by them be conquered , they are not obliged to restore him , unlesse there be some special obligation upon them besides their allegiance . thes. . vi. if the person dispossess'd , though it were unjustly , do afterwards become uncapable of government , it is not the duty of his subjects to seek his restitution . thes. . no not although ( saith he ) the incapacity be but accidental , as if he cannot be restored but by arms of the enemies of god or of the commonwealth . vii . if an army ( of neighbours , inhabitants , or whoever ) do ( though injuriously ) expel the soveraign , and resolve to ruine the commonwealth , rather then he shall be restored ; and if the commonwealth may prosper without his restauration , it is the duty of such an injured prince for the common good to resign his government , and if he will not , the people ought to judge him as made uncapable by providence , and not to seek his restitution to the apparent ruine of the commonwealth . thes. . where by the way we are to note , he makes the people judge of this and all other incapacities of the prince , and consequently when or for what he is to be depos'd , or not restored by them . viii . if therefore the rightful governour be so long dispossess'd , that the commonwealth can be no longer without , but to the apparent hazard of its ruine , we ( that is , we the people , or we the rebels that dispossess'd him ) are to judge that providence hath dispossess'd the former , and presently to consent to another . thes. , ix when the people are without a governour , it may be the duty of such as have most strength , ex charitate , to protect the rest from injury . thes. . and consequently they are to submit themselves to the parliament , or to that army which deposed or dispossess'd or murdered the rightful governour . x. providence by conquest or other means doth use so to qualifie some persons above other for the government when the place is void , that no other persons shall be capable competitors , and the persons ( doth not he mean the cromwells ? ) shall be as good as named by providence , whom the people are bound by god to choose , or consent to , so that they are usually brought under a divine obligation to submit to such or such , and take them for their governours , before those persons have an actual right to govern. thes. . xi . any thing that is a sufficient sign of the will of god that this is the person , by whom we must be governed is enough ( as joyned to gods laws ) to oblige us to consent and obey him as our governour , thes. . xii . when god doth not notably declare any person or persons qualified above others , there the people must judge as well as they are able according to gods general rules . thes. . xiii . and yet all the people have not this right of choosing their governours , but commonly a part of every nation must be compelled to consent , &c. xiv . those that are known enemies of the common good in the chiefest parts of it , are unmeet to govern or choose governours , but such are multitudes of ungodly vicious men . pag. . so that if those that are strongest ( though fewest ) call themselves the godly partty , all others besides themselves are to be excluded from governing or choosing of governours . as amongst the ungodly that are to be thus excluded he reckons all those that will not hearken to their pastors ( he means the preshyterian classis ) or that are despisers of the lords-day , that is , all such as are not sabbatarians , or will not keep the lords-day after the jewish manner , which they prescribe , and which is condemned for judaism by all even of the presbyterian perswasion in the world , but those of england and scotland only . xv. if a people that by oath and duty are obliged to a soveraign , shall sinfully dispossess him , and contrary to their covenants , choose and covenant with another , they may be obliged , by their latter covenant notwithstanding their former ; and particular subjects that consented not in the breaking of their former covenants , may yet be obliged by occasion of their latter choice to the person whom they choose . thes. . xvi . if a nation injuriously deprive themselves of a worthy prince , the hurt will be their own , and they punish themselves ; but if it be necessarily to their welfare , it is no injury to him . but a king that by war will seek reparations from the body of the people , doth put himself into an hostile state , and tells them actually that he looks to his own good more then theirs , and bids them take him for their enemy , and so defend themselves if they can . pag. . xvii . though a nation wrong their king , and so quoad meritum causae , they are on the worser side , yet may he not lawfully war against the publick good on that account , nor any help him in such a war , because propter finem he hath the worser cause . thes. . and yet as he tells us ( pag. . ) we were to believe the parliaments declarations and professions which they made , that the war which they raised was not against the king either in respect of his authority , or of his person ; but only against delinquent subjects , and yet they actually fought against the king in person , and we are to believe ( saith mr. baxter pag. . ) that men would kill them whom they fight against . mr. baxter's doctrine concerning the government of england in particular . he denies the government of england to be monarchical in these words . i , the real soveraignty here amongst us was in king , lords , and commons . pag. . ii. as to them that argue from the oath of supremacy and title given the king , i refer them ( saith mr. baxter ) to mr. lawson's answer to hobb's politicks , where he sheweth that the title is often given in the single person for the honour of the commonwealth and his encouragement , because he hath an eminet interest , but will not prove the whole soveraignty to be in him : and the oath excludeth all others from without , not those whose interest is implied as conjunct with his — the eminent dignity and interest of the king above others allowed the name of a monarchy or kingdome to the common wealth , though indeed the soveraignty was mixed in the hands of lords and commons . pag. . iii. he calls it a false supposition . . that the soveraign power was onely in the king , and so that it was an absolute monarchy . . that the parliament had but onely the proposing of laws , and that they were enacted onely by the kings authority upon their request . . that the power of armes , and of warre and peace was in the king alone . and therefore ( saith he ) those that argue from these false suppositions , conclude that the parliament being subjects , may not take up arms without him , and that it is rebellion to resist him ; and most of this they gather from the oath of supremacy , and from the parliaments calling of themselves his subjects ; but their ground ( saith he ) are sandy , and their superstructure false , pag. & . and therefore mr. baxter tells us , that though the parliament are subjects in one capacity , yet have they their ptrt in the soveraignty also in their higher capacity , ibid. and upon this false and trayterous supposition he endeavours to justifie the late rebellion , and his own more then ordinary activeness in it . for , iv. where the soverainty ( saith he ) is distributed into several hands ( as the kings and parliaments ) and the king invades the others part , they may lawfully defend their own by war , and the subject lawfully assist them , yea though the power of the militia be expresly given to the king , unlesse it be also exprest that it shall not be in the other . thes. . the conclusion ( saith he ) needs no proof , because soveraignty , as such , hath the power of arms and of the laws themselves . the law that saith the king shall have the militia , supposeth it to be against enemies , and not against the common-wealth , nor them that have part of the soveraignty with him . to resist him here is not to resist power but usurpation and private will ; in such a case the parliament is no more to be resisted than he . ibid. v. if the king raise war against such a parliament upon their declaration of the dangers of the common-wealth , the people are to take it as raised against the common-wealth . thes. . and in that case ( saith he ) the king may not only be resisted , but ceaseth to be a king , and entreth into a state of war with the people . thes. . vi. again , if a prince that hath not the whole soveraignty , be conquered by a senate that hath the other part , and that in a just defensive war , that senate cannot assume the whole soveraignty , but supposeth that government in specie to remain , and therefore another king must be chosen , if the former be incapable . ( thes. . ) as he tells us , he is , by ceasing to be king , in the immediately precedent thes. vii . and yet in the preface to this book he tells us that the king withdrawing ( so he calls the murdering of one king , and the casting off of another ) the lords and commons ruled alone ; was not this to change the species of the government ? which in the immediate words before he had affirmed to be in king , lords and commons ; which constitution ( saith he ) we were sworn , and sworn , and sworn again , to be faithful to , and to defend . and yet speaking of that parliament which contrary to their oaths changed this government by ruling alone , and taking upon them the supremacy , he tells us that they were the best governours in all the world , and such as it is forbidden to subjects to depose upon pain of damnation . what then was he that deposed them ? one would think mr. baxter should have called him a traytor , but he calls him in the same preface , the lord protector , adding , that he did prudently , piously , faithfully , and to his immortal honour exercise the government , which he left to his son , to whom ( as mr. baxter saith pag. . ) he is bound to submit as set over us by god ; and to obey for conscience sake , and to hehave himself as a loyal subject towards him , because ( as he saith in the same place ) a full and free parliament had owned him : thereby implying , that a maimed and manacled house of commons , without king and lords , and notwithstanding the violent expulsion of the secluded members , were a full and free parliament ; and consequently that if such a parliament should have taken arms against the king , he must have sided with them . yea , though they had been never so much in fault , and though they had been the beginners of the war , for he tells us in plain and expresse terms , viii . that if he had known the parliament had been the beginners of the war , and in most fault , yet the ruine of the trustees and representatives , and so of all the security of the nation , being a punishment greater than any faults of theirs against the king could deserve from him , their faults could not dis-oblige him ( meaning himself ) from defending the common-wealth ▪ pag. . and that he might do this lawfully , and with a good conscience , he seems to be so confident , that in his preface , he makes as it were a challenge , saying ; that if any man can prove that the king was the highest power in the time of those divisions , and that he had power to make that war which he made , he will offer his head to justice as a rebel . as if in those times of division the king had lost or forfeited his soveraignty , and the parliament had not only a part , but the whole soveraignty in themselves . ix . finally mr. baxter tells us , pag. . that having often searched into his heart ; whether he did lawfully engage into the war or not , and whether he did lawfully encourage so many thousands to it ; he tells us , i say , that the issue of all his search was but this , — that he cannot yet see that he was mistaken in the main cause , nor dares he repent of it , not forbear doing the same , if it were to do again in the same state of things . he tells us indeed in the same place , that if he could be convinced he had sinned in this matter , he would as gladly make a publick recantation , as he would eat or drink : which seeing he hath not yet done , it is evident he is still of the same mind , and consequently would upon the same occasion do the same things , viz. fight , and encourage as many thousands as he could to fight against the king , for any thing that calls it self , or which he is pleased to call a full and free parliament : as likewise that he would own and submit to any usurper of the soveraignty , as set up by god , although he came to it by the murder of his master , and by trampling upon the parliament . lastly , that he would hinder as much as possibly he could , the restoring of the rightful heir unto the crown . and now whether a man of this judgement , and of these affections , ought to be permitted to preach or no , let any , but himself , judge . a letter unto a person of honour and quality , containing some animadversions upon the bishop of worcester's letter . honourable and worthy sir , i am to thank you for the last piece of divertisement you gave me , in sending the bishop of worcester's letter , and i wish you would have let me enjoyed the satisfaction i took in reading it , without obliging me to give you my sense upon it : for besides my unwillingness to meddle in a personal quarrel , it will not , i think , be very safe for any to engage against so angry an adversary , which i shall be thought to do , though i resolve to speak nothing but truth in the character i intend to give of him ; and it is briefly this , that , in fewer leaves i never yet read more passion , which is so very predominant , that his disorderly and abrupt stile doth altogether partake of it ; so that the bishops best way will be , to get his heat mistaken so zeal , for else it may justly be accounted something that hath a worse name , and which , in the dog-dayes will be very dangerous . this being , sir , my judgement upon the whole letter , you may well expect that i should make it good , by an induction from particular instances ; but before i do this , i must deal impartially , and assure you , that as to the main controversie , i think the bishop hath much the better of mr. baxter : for if the question between them , was as d. gunning , and dr. pearson do attest , such a command is so evidently lawful , that i shall much wonder if mr. baxter did ever dispute it ; and till he doth clearly disprove that that was not the thing in question , i must needs think that he hath much forgot himself in making an imperfect and partial relation . setting therefore aside the business of that particular contest ( wherein you see how much i am inclined to favour the bishop ) there are other things in his letter of general concernment , which i think lyable to just exception ; as , first , that he supposeth there is so strict an union , and so inseperable a dependence between kings and bishops , that they must stand and fall together ; and all who are enemies to the one , must needs be enemies to the other . i know very well this axiom is much talked of , and some advantage may be taken to confirm it , from the event of our late wars : you know likewise , sir , how much my judgement is for the order of bishops ; and how passionate a lover i am both of the kings person and government , but yet , being thus called by you to declare the truth , though contrary to my own humour and interest , i must needs say , . it is clear from story , that kings were in all parts of the world , in their most flourishing estate , before ever bishops were heard of ; and no reason can be given , why what hath once been , may not with the same terms of convenience be again ? . bishops as they are by law established in england , are purely the kings subordinate ministers , in the management of ecclesiastical affairs ; which his majesty may confer upon what order of men he pleases , though they be as much lay persons as you and i are . it is therefore very injurious to the kings authority , to averre that he could not otherwise uphold and maintain it , than by preserving the undue , and , as some think , antichristian dignity and prelation of his inferiour officers . . bishops are so little useful to support the regal dignity ( which is founded upon a distinct basis of its own ) that upon enquiry it will be found , how none have been greater enemies to the true and undoubted soveraignty of princes , than some bishops themselves : for by their officious , and scarce warrantable , intermedling in civil affairs ; by their absurd and insignificant distinguishing between civil and ecclesiastical causes ( of which last they have alwayes made themselves sole judges ) they mangle the kings authority , and as to church-matters ( which may be extended as far as they please ) they leave the king nothing of supremacy but the name . the pope of rome therefore ( who is the great father of all such bishops ) hath improved this notion and distinction so far that in ordine ad spiritualia , he hath laboured to subject all civil empires unto his sole jurisdiction . so that if the bishop of worcester's rule hold good , of crimine ab uno — disce omnes , i. e. that all men who are of a party may be judged of by the miscarriages of one , then i must leave it to you to judge , what all those bishops , that are of the bishop of worcester's complexion , do really drive at , by the fatal example of that one bishops usurpation ? for , secondly , that assertion , that the bishop of worcester ( and consequently every other bishop ) is the sole pastor of all the congregations in his diocesse , if it be at all defensible , i am sure can be defended only by those arguments , which are commonly alledged to maintain the popes supremacy over all churches whatever . for since a bishop can no otherwise discharge his duty herein , than by providing substitutes , what hinders but the bishop of rome may as well oversee a million of churches , as the bishop of worcester five hundred ? since if deputation be lawful , more or less compass and circuit of ground doth not at all alter the case . i forbear to urge how contrary this practise is to the doctrine of the apostles , both paul and peter ( i hope the bishop will not take it ill that i do not call them saints , for these holy men do not need any stile of honour out of the popes kalender . ) when paul had sent for the elders of the church at ephesus , he bids them to feed the church of god , over which ( not he himself , by his sole authority , as bishop of the diocesse , but ) the spirit of god had made them 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 i. e. overseers , or to use the proper stile , bishops . and peter commands his fellow-elders , ( for so doth that apostle condescend to call himself ) to feed : the flock which was among them , 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 overseeing , or acting the bishops , not ( like the bishop of worcester ) as lording it over gods heritage , but as patterns of the flock . from which places we learn , not only that those two so much controverted names of bishop and presbyter , are without distinction ascribed to the same persons , but likewise , that whoever feed the flock , are , under christ ( whom the apostle there stiles the chief-shepherd ) the next and immediate pastors of the flock ; and to extend the pastoral power beyond the actual care of feeding , is a notion altogether unscriptural , and likewise leaves us no bounds where to fix , till we come to center upon some one universal pastor , who may claim this power over the whole world , by the same parity of reason , that a bishop doth over one diocesse . thirdly , it seems to be a light , and ( to say no more ) unseemly trifling with sacred scripture , to affirm , that those words of our saviour concerning such as come not in by the door , and therefore are thieves and robbers , ought to be understood of such ministers , as preach to congregations without the bishops license , which thing , the bishop ( in great heat and earnestnesse , as if he had done very well in it ) tells us more than once , that it was the principal reason why he silenced mr. baxter . truly if this practise be justifiable ▪ and those who design themselves to preach the gospel , must , besides their ordination , procure a license from a bishop , to do that , which a woe is denounced against , if they offer to omit . then . i see not what ordination signifies , since the power that then is given , no authority from man can take away , any more than dissolve the contract of a marriage , much less impeach and hinder the free use of it , except for moral and notoriously vicious misdemeanours . . for one minister of the gospel ( for certainly a bishop is no more ) to silence another , and that for no better reason , than because his fellow-minister is desirous to preach the gospel without a new license , this is an abuse of dominion , which as our saviour doth no where countenance , so the first ages of the church , were altogether unacquainted with . for the bishops instance of our saviours putting to silence the scribes and pharisees , is both impertinent and false , because our saviour did only silence them by argument , which the bishop may do when ever he is able ; but what is that to an authoritative and imperious commanding men to be silent . besides , even then when our saviour was most strict in pronouncing woes against the pharisees , in that very chapter , he is so far from forbidding the pharisees to preach , that he commands his disciples both to hear and to obey their doctrine . so that since the bishop will needs have the presbyterians to be pharisees , let him but allow them the same liberty of teaching the people , as our saviour did the other , and i believe they will not ( at least were i a presbyterian i should not ) envy his lordship , either his title or maintenance , how undue and unmeri●●ed soever they ●●oth be . and though the bishop is pleased to say that the presbyterians preach nothing but sedition and treason ( which is most false , as being directly contrary to their declared principles ) yet the pharisees taught something worse , and that was blasphemy : yet our saviour ( who sure had more power , and withall , more care of his church than the bishop of worcester ) did not go about by force to prohibit them . i wish therefore , th●● this bishop and the rest of his brethren ( if any are cholerick and testy enough to be of his mind ) would consider , that as by silencing their fellow-ministers , for such frivolous and slight pretences , they usurp a power , which christ never gave , so at the last day he will not thank them for the exercise of it . fourthly , how consistent with the civil peace ( for as to christian charity , the whole thing is but a letter of defiance against it ) the bishops distinction is about the act of indempnity ▪ and ( the so much forgotten act of oblivion , i hope his majesty and the parliament will in due time consider . for he is so hardy as to tell us , that the king by it only pardoned the corporal punishment ; but the church had not , nor ought not to forgive the scandal , till honourable amends were made her by confession and recantation . where by speaking of the church , as distinct from the state ( i mean in point of coercive jurisdiction ) the bishop would make us believe , that after his majesty and the parliament have forgiven men their civil crimes , there is still another power , which he calls the church , unto which they are still accountable , even so far as to make a publick recantation . here i wish the bishop would have spoken out of the clouds , and plainly told us , what he meant by the church : for i●● it b●● a congregation of the faithful met together for the worship of god , as t●● defin●●ion of scripture , and of the church of england is in the . arti●●les ; this will not at all advantage him , since such a church hath no coercive or imposing power : but if he means the hierarchy or ecclesiastical state , by arch-bishops , bishops , &c. there can be nothing more false , or more dishonourable unto our civil government , than to affirm that it lies in their power , not only to punish , but likewise to exact a recantation , for those faults which the king and parliament have not only pardoned , but under severe penalties commanded should never more be remembred : and therefore i doubt not , but they will resent this malicious and ill-grounded fancy . and since the bishop is so over-zealous for the very letter of the law , when it imposes ceremonies , give me leave a little to wonder , that one of his profession and place in the church should so unchristianly go against it , when it enjoyns moderation and forgiveness as to civil injuries . such as he , who make the law , instead of being a buckler to protect converts , a sword only to cut off all such as were once offenders , labour what they can to make men desperate , and thereby render the peace of the nation , and , in that , the prosperity and welfare of his majesty very insecure and hazardous . for what can more enrage men to take wild and forbidden courses , than to see even preachers of the gospel strive to widen their wounds , and , contrary to their own former professions , to pull off that plaister , which the wisdom of our state physicians had provided to heal our distempers . fifthly , it is bold and impious ( i know not how to express it more mildly ) what he affirms , that if to command an act , which by accident may prove an occasion of sin , be sinful , then god himself cannot command any thing . for , though as i said before , i will by no means own that assertion , yet , a thing , which by accident may become sinful , may be unlawful in another to command , for want of sufficient authority , whereas gods soveraign power doth without dispute or controversy make all his commands to be just ; and therefore his name ought not to be mentioned in our trivial disputes ▪ because every such vain use of it , is nothing but a diminution and lessening of his greatness . sixthly , that an offence ; to which a disproportionable penalty is annexed , is not to be measured by the quality of the act considered in it self , but by the mischievous consequences it may produce ▪ wh●●ther this ought to hold good in civil laws , becomes neither the bishop nor me to dispute : but in divinity nothing can be more false and dangerous . for to impose , in the worship of god as necessary circumstances of it , things confessedly trivial and needless ; and , upon the forbearance of them , to debar any from the benefits first of christian , and then of civil communion , is a thing which hath not the least pretence of scripture or primitive practice to justifie it . for our saviour tells us , that whoever were not against him , were for him ; and the apostle bids us to receive our weak brother , and not to judge , much less to burden his conscience . unto which sacred canon ; nothing can be more directly contrary , than what the bishop most incompassionately tells us , that the laws do well to punish , even with non-admission to the sacrament , such as will not , or perhaps dare not , kneel . and the reason he gives is equally apocrypha , because , saith he , it becomes not the law-givers to endanger the churches peace for their sake : as if first , it did not much more become all law-givers , in the things of god , to observe the law of christ , which is a law of love and liberty . secondly , as if the churches peace would not be much more endangered , by the pressing of things doubtful , than by the forbearance of them . for since by the enforcing of such things , as god hath no where commanded , our christian liberty is entringed ; from hence it follows , that , if we ought not , yet we lawfully may refuse to submit unto such impositions ; as our saviour did in not washing his hands before meat ; and the apostle paul , in the case of circumcision . seventhly , as for the chain of consequences , which the bishop links and ties together . as that from diversity in external rites , ariseth dislike ; from dislike , enmity ; from enmity , opposition ; thence schism in the church , and sedition in the state ; for proof of which , he doth very virulently instance in our unhappy times . to prevent which , he tells us , that the state cannot be safe without the church , nor the church without the unity , nor unity without uniformity , nor uniformity without a strict and rigorous imposition . to all this i answer , that it is a meer ▪ rope of sand , and the parts of his chain do as little harg together , as sampsons foxes did before they were tied by the tails , which course the bishop hath imitated , not forgetting to put in even the firebrand it self to make up the comparison . for . nothing is more clear than that there hath been , nay ought to be , diversity in external forms , without any dislike at all as to the person of another : for the apostles that preached to the circumcision gave the right hand of fellowship unto the apostles of the gentiles ; although their outward rites in publick worship , were far more different , than those , which , by any of the most distant perswasions , are now practised in england . . the state may be preserved , without the least reference to the church , unless it turns persecuter of it ; as is evident in those years before constantines time , in which there was no church at all legally countenanced ; and for some scores of years after , both the christians and gentiles were equally advanced and favoured . . unity , i mean such as christ came to establish ( which is an unity in heart and spirit ) doth not in the least depend upon uniformity but upon charity , i. e. a christian and a candid forbearance of one another in things circumstantial , when we agree in the essentials of worship ; which is a thing , that meer civility would teach , though religion were silent in it . and whereas the bishop thinks he hath got some advantage , by reviving the memory of our late civil wars , which , were he either christian or man enough , he would wish were eternally buried in silence ) i must ( to use his own phrase ) tell him in his ear , that our wars did not arise from the separation of conscientious dissentors , but from the violence and fury of unconscionable imposers : who would not allow their brethren ( who desired nothing more than to live peaceably by them ) that sober liberty , which the law of god commanded , and no law of man could justly deprive them of . and whether the publick maintaining of the very same positions and practises , may not in time beget the same feuds and animosities , although this bishop cares not , yet i doubt not , but his majesty , as he now doth , so will alwayes graciously consider . eighthly , whether as to the matter of fact , the french protestants do enjoyn standing at the sacrament ; and the dutch kneeling ; i will labour to inform my self of some more un●●yassed witness than this bishop ; for in the ecclesiastical laws of those churches , which i have carefully perused , i can find no such matter . but if they did so , this would not at all justifie the imposition of kneeling ; because . the question is de jure , whether it be lawful to prescribe any one such certain posture , without submiting to which , it shall not be lawful to admit any to the sacrament ; and till the affirmative of this be proved by scriptures , examples , and instances from the practice of men , will not satisfie a doubting conscience ▪ . neither of those fore-mentioned postures are so much to exception as kneeling ; because this last is manifestly more superstitious , for . it varies most of any from the first pattern . . it hath been monstrously abused by the papists to idolatry ; which alone renders it most unsafe to be practised , & most unwarrantable to be imposed : especially , till it be again explained , as in the very first liturgy of all it was ; which i particularly mention , to shew how little our reformation since edw. th . time , hath been improved . lastly , as it was needlesly , so was it likewise uncharitably done , to revile the whole body of presbyterians for the faults of mr. baxter ; upon supposition that either he is a presbyterian , or so culpable as the bishop would make him . for since every man is to bear his own burden , what bible did the bishop find it in , that he might without scruple , asperse a whole order of men , for the pretended miscarrige of one ; who , by the bishop's own confession , was not of so amicable and com●●i●●t a temper as the rest : and therefore certainly they ought not to be brought in as parties i●● that ●●r●●e of unpeaceableness , from which the bishop just before had absolved them : but chol●● spoils the memory ; and s●●e his brethren the bishops would not take it well of a presbyterian , should he cry out crimine ab uno , disce omnes — see what manner of spirit these bishops are of , and judge them all by the bishop of worcester ' s example . truly , sir , i am a little angry , when i confider how much this one mans indiscretion hath exposed all of the same order to censure ; for were they all like him , ( which i do not , nor dare not think ) i should not scruple to pray heartily , what the bishop doth in scorn concerning the preachers — lord deliver us from such bishops . and let all the people say amen . thus , sir , you see how willing i am to serve you , in proposing my exceptions , the fuller prosecution of which , i must leave to some other pen , more able both in divinity and policy , who may convince both the bishop and the world , that it is not yet time to sow such tares ; this age is a little too knowing to be gull'd with an 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 , or to take every thing for oracle which a bishops passion dictates . but before i ease you of your trouble in reading this , i will crave leave to give you a taste of the reverend father's deep wisdom in two or three particulars . — . in that he declaims , so fiercely , as if he would crack his girdle , against all those who force all communicants to come unto them , and be particularly examined before they admit them to the sacrament . indeed , sir , this was an imposition , as no way justifiable , so , for ought i can here , no where practised . the custom being that men were only once for all examined , at their first coming to the sacrament ; which the bishop himself allows under other names of being catechised and instructed . it was therefore wisely done of the bishop , this cold weather , to set up a man of straw , and then get himself heat by threshing it . . it is methinks very politickly done to exclaim against the poor covenant ; and , in great zeal , to wish all the books , which defend it , were burnt by the authors , to save the hangman a labour . for here let his adversary do what he can , the bishop will be too hard for him : for if he takes no notice of the covenant , the bishop clearly gains the cause , if he ventures to assert it , he shall presently be confuted with a confiscation . so that under the shelter of this unanswerable dilemma , i leave him , lest i should be gored with the horns of it . and this i speak , sir , as one that , though i never took , but always opposed the covenant ; yet i have a very good opinion of many that did , and withal a great tenderness for the lawful part of an oath , after it is once solemnly taken . i will only adde this , that since that oath hath been so generally taken , even by those that were most active in his majesties service ; and several times ventured their lives , to signalize their loyalty ; i think the ashes of it ( since it was burnt by publick authority ) had much better have been suffered to rest quietly , than thus to be blown up and scattered abrbad by the bishop's furious breath , when no occasion was given him so much as to mention it . lastly , i can never enough commend the bishops wisdom , in resolving so angrily never to write again ▪ for he is old , and hath travelled far , and knows that it is much easier to speak rash and unjustifiable things , than to defend them . and therefore he deals with those , that he hath provoked , as witty school-boyes do with their companions , first he hits them a box on the ear , and then very discreetly retreats , and fairly runs away . but if goliah , who took upon him to defie the host of israel , should as soon as ever he had dope , have sneaked out of the field , and thought he had done manfully enough in making a bold challenge , and in shewing his teeth at them ; i believe the philistines would hardly have thanked him for that empty shew of valour , whereby he could not conquer , but only enrage the enemy . and whether the bishops will not have the same opinion of this over-forward and unwary champion of theirs , i hope , sir , you will neither enquire your self , nor desire that i should : for i have already done enough to shew how much i am , jan ▪ . sir , your most humble servant d. e. a second letter unto a person of honour and quality , containing some animadversions upon the bishop of worcester's letter . together with a brief answer unto all that one l's — intends to write . honourable and worthy sir , you much surprized me in your last , wherein you acquainted me , that the letter i sent you ( which was the hasty issue of one or two leasure hours , and therefore very unfit for publick view ) was by your self , to prevent the trouble of transcribing , communicated to the world ; and the result , you tell me , is , that many sober persons ( who thought it very fit that the bishop should be a little humbled ) are much satisfied by it , but the bishop himself so far concerned , that he hath employed one l's — to answer it . truly , sir , i am so taken with this last part of your news , that , instead of prosecuting my resentments against the reverend bishop ( which nothing but publick considerations made me take up ( i now begin to pity him ; and am heartily sorry he should be driven to so desperate a shift , as that , for want of better champions , he is forced to commit his cause to the patronage of such a pen , whose defence will more dishonour him than the sharpest accusation . for who that knows any thing of civility and learning , doth not know , that the character you give of that l's — is not more sharp than serious , when you call him a person so lost to all good breeding , of so forfeited , so undone a reputation in point of meet morality , that for a bishop , so much as to countenance him ▪ is a crime which some councels have pronounced ●●n anathema against ; but to employ him , and to think , that either he is fit to manage such nice points as that letter glanceth upon ; or that such indigested stuffe as he must needs disgorge , will not create a nausea and loathing in all sober readers , is altogether as improper , as if the bishop should set ( to use a phrase which that gentleman understands ) a hog to play upon his organs , or appoint a scavenger to wash his surplice ; the very attempting of which would betray , that he loved neither musick nor cleanlinesse . i must confess sir , i am very tender of the bishops reputation , and there is yet a possibility for him to recover his credit again ; for though he be a little angry , yet the world must needs acknowledge , that he is a plain dealing man ; since his dudgeon phrase of this is the truth , the whole truth , and nothing but the truth , with such kind of home-spun . harmless elegancies that are scattered in his letter , savour very much of the old english breeding , and call to mind the trunk-breeches , and wooden daggers of our ancestors ; who i believe , spake all in the same uncounterfeit stile , which it well becomes a bishop who loves antiquity , to imitate : but for him now to grow weary of this primitive simplicity , to suspect his own strength , and to entrust mounsieur le friske the morice-dancer to undertake his quarrel ; to chuse one for his champion , who hath been a fidler in all governments ▪ and would have been a fidler to the worst of them ( for which end he knows how many pitiful begs and faces he made , to scrape acquaintance with the tyrant oliver ) for him now to be suddenly advanced so much beyond his art , will run the poor man into a dangerous vertigo ; and in the mean while much discredit the bishops cause , as if he could get none to maintain it but this common barreter , this mercenary songster , that for two crowns more will change his note , and rail against his patron . this , sir , if possible , much more low and mean being my opinion of that whiffling and thin souled adversary you mention , give me leave to tell you , that i am so little concerned in any thing he intends to write , that since you resolved to divulge the letter i sent you , i am sorry you did not likewise publish my name to the world to ; that so , another , whom , as you tell me , he designes to fall upon , might not , upon mistake , have the credit of his calumnies ; since every reproach from him ( who hath not let any thing sacred , whether person or doctrine , escape his venomous pasquils ) i look upon as a signal mark of honour , beyond what any other epitaph can give me . as when men scatter dung upon a garden , the flowers grow more fair and fragant ever after ; so were i ambitious of ▪ a name , i think i could not more speedily procure it among all good men , than by entreating that l's — to appear against me . as therefore , sir , you love my credit , manage this design for me , and promote the work as much as you can ; and by divulging my true name , let not any jot of the commendation he designes me , be derived upon that gentleman you mention , whose vein , if i mistake not , lies in another way . however , sir , if there be no help , but the innocent must suffer , pray think so nobly of me , as that i do religiously intend to follow your advice , and not offer to answer one , who would fain be answered , that he might appear considerable . i will not , sir , by taking any notice of him , suffer him to rail himself into reputation : but as hitherto , with all his little witticismes , and twenty good morrows ( to shew what trade he drives ) he could never gain so much respect from any , as to deserve a confutation ; so shall i let him pass still , like bessus in the comedy , secure in his own want of worth , and by that , safe from censure . and thus , sir , i dismiss that puny authour , unto his learned labours , of which , you tell me , he is now lying in ; and if there be any vertue in sack ( for he drinks and writes in the same measure , only with this difference , that what goes in wine , comes out water ) the women of turnball-street shall not long be unfurnished of a pamphlet . but , sir , to conclude with something more serious , i can assure you ; that i am perfectly reconciled to the bishop , and will point him out a fair and noble way of righting himself . for , setting aside those merry passages in my letter , which his too much heat gave but too just an occasion for , i give you free leave to acquaint both him and the world , that i intend to make him an acknowledgment as submiss as any canon enjones ▪ if he will either by writing , or conference , make good any of these positions , which he asserts in his book , and against which , i have briefly subjoyned my reasons . pos. . that monarchy cannot consist without episcopacy . neg. f●● monarchy was many . years before episcopacy , and therefore demonstrably may be without it . pos. . that the bishop of worcester is the sole and immediate pastor of all the congregations in his diocesse . neg. for it is utterly against scripture rule , to extend the name of pastor , beyond the flock which one actually feeds . pos. . that it is unlawful for any , though ordained , to preach in the bishop of worcester ' s diocesse , without his license . neg. for ordination is a sufficient license , which runs as the apostles commission did , go preach the gospel ; without being confined to place , or needing a new license . pos. . that it is lawful in the worship of god , to enjoyn a small thing under a great penalty . neg. for we have no warrant for such an imposition in the word of god , which ought to be the sole rule of all religious worship . pos. . that the church hath power to exact confession and recantation , for those crimes which the state hath pardoned . neg. for , as to coercive power and jurisdiction , there is no difference at all between the church and state. pos. . that the presbyterians ( i suppose , he means , not imposers of their own formes , but barely dissenters from those imposed by others ) are all seditious . neg. for it is against their publick confession of faith ; which , as the . articles , and church-canons are of the episcopal , so that ought to be the test of the presbyterian perswasion . thus , sir , you see i am willing to reduce this controversie unto a rational and calm way of debate , and if the bishop , or any sober person for him , will undertake to maintain , either all , or any of the forementioned positions , i will either make good my negative , or declare my conversion . and because , sir , it is possible you may be asked , who it is that thus boldly makes a challenge unto one of our learned prelates ? your personal knowledge of me can abundantly satisfie them , that he is very much for bishops , more for the king , most of all for the purity and peace of religion ; and were he not for all these , in their due and just subordination , he thinks you would not own him for , feb. . . sir , your most humble servant , d. e. postscript . i have just now received an elaborate piece , written by one that stiles himself j. c. m. d. a man very well read in the modern fathers , and of so elegant and facete a style , that i am sorry all the places in gotham-colledge are taken up , for this man would be an excellent president of it : i hope the bishop will be so charitable as to provide a sine-cura for him , for his employment in physick will never be able to maintain him in books and clean linnen else ; i wish neither he may ever want such able champions , nor they befitting pensions . adieu . notes, typically marginal, from the original text notes for div a -e he might have refer'd them to himself , pag. . where he gives the same answer to the same objection . vid. preface to the holy common wealth . pag. . notes for div a -e pag. ●● . pag. ▪ & . act. . . pag. . p. , , , & . pag. . pag. . pag. .